Naruto was merely 9 when Gozuki met him, the small blonde's eyes hollow and cold chunks of ice. Gozuki had been beginning preparations for the 100 Children he was going to take in, patiently waiting for the last dozen or so to pop up. That was when he noticed his wallet was gone, shocking the man. Someone had managed to pick pocket, him, of all people. Gozuki's eyes narrowed as he gazed all around him, stretching his neck slightly into the air, showing his former status as a Rakashasa Demon. With the new vantage point, Gozuki had spotted Naruto speedily making his way through the crowd, slipping underneath arms and walking over people sitting on the sides of the market. Gozuki grinned. It was perfect really. He was interested, perhaps this boy would make it through the forest. Who knows.
Unknown amount of time later.
Naruto groggily opened his eyes, finding himself in a dimly lit… cavern of some sorts. The ceiling was rugged rock, at least a hundred feet above him in height. Standing lights were all around, on and blazing his eyes into pain when he looked at them. Groaning, Naruto rolled over, only to be harshly kicked away. "Ah. Wh-What the fuck's your problem?" Naruto muttered, rubbing his eyes and still finding the world to be distorted and blurry slightly, until he shook his head, clearing it up ever so slightly.
Naruto raised his head, peering into the eyes of a young boy wearing a tank top and looking angrily at Naruto. "Egh. You little shrimp! You rolled all over my stuff!" Growled the boy, snarling at the boy angrily. Naruto noticed a small crowd gathered around the two, all of them made of children under 12 years old. What the fuck's going on here… Have I become a fucking Human Trafficking victim now? Naruto pondered, only to snap back to reality as the boy from before gripped his collar, pulling the boy in. Naruto stared back into the eyes of the boy, allowing his body to go limp. He could read the boy's emotions pathetically easily.
His eyes. They yearn for attention. He must've been neglected, and feels that this gathering is his chance to get some attention. Well then, I'll be kind… I'll show him attention. Naruto thought darkly, leaning forward and whispering softly. "Mommy never loved you huh? Or perhaps it was Daddy who ignored your very existence?" Naruto watched, and felt, as the boy's body stiffened. "What… What're you talkin' about shrimp?" The boy's voice quivered slightly, so Naruto gripped his wrist and continued, keeping the boy close to him. "You never got any attention from the two people who are supposed to give it to you without hesitation. How's it feel… To know that your own existence is so pitiful that not even those universally-obliged to love and cherish you… didn't." Naruto questioned, watching how the boy's entire world, whatever little strands keeping it together, broke and shattered into a fine dust.
Naruto smirked, standing up and pushing the boy, watching as he fell to his bottom. "Don't worry, I'll show you attention." Naruto stated calmly, watching as the boy looked up hopefully. "Re-Really?" The boy question. Naruto grinned darkly, approaching the boy. "Yes, I surely will…" Naruto whispered, before pouncing the boy. The boy fell to his back, finding that Naruto had pinned his arms with his knees almost immediately. Naruto rubbed his right hands knuckles with his left palm, glaring holes into the boy. "You thought you could get the attention you so desperately desired from a group of stranded kids? Don't worry, you'll get your attention from them, after I beat you senseless!" Shouted Naruto, launching the first strike to the boy's cheek, rattling his head and straining his vision. The boy cried out in pain, alerting the guards around them. Seeing the gathering of children, they rushed forward, pushing through the crowd of young boys and girls, before seizing Naruto and restraining his arms.
"Fucking let go! That little bitch started it!" Growled Naruto, struggling against the guard's grip. "Shut up kid!" The guard holding Naruto down shouted, gripping the back of Naruto's head and slamming it against the ground, stunning Naruto greatly, his head reeling in pain. Naruto growled, reeling back and flipping his body, forcing the guard off of him and quickly jumping upwards, landing on his feet. There was a cold fury in Naruto's eyes, and he fully planned to unleash it on the guard, until two more came from behind Naruto and gripped his arms, restraining him in two separate locks. "Gah! Gr-Le-Let go!" Naruto struggled against his restrainers, until the guard from before came up to him, landing a strike to his gut. Naruto coughed up spit, looking up only to see another fist headed his way. This is hell. Naruto remembered thinking as the fist connected, cutting his connection to consciousness instantly.
Two Weeks Later.
After Two weeks of his new personal hell, Naruto had managed to gather exactly what was happening. According to the guard's rambling at night when they thought the children were sleeping, a man named Gozuki was gathering 100 children from the empire and putting them in a forest filled with Danger Beasts, planning to gather the one's that survived and take the 7 strongest to form a team of Assassins, the other remaining children, if any, would receive elite training as Assassins, but not the personal training from Gozuki to become truly elite. With that information in mind, Naruto began to plan, fully intending to be one of the seven that were placed on the Elite Seven, the moniker the team had gotten from the guards.
Naruto sat up slightly from his light rest, having roused from the sounds of struggling. Naruto spotted the source quickly, two bundles being carried in from the guards. Two more children had been caught, wonderful. Deciding to greet the two newcomers, Naruto walked over to the struggling bundles, untying the knots at the top of the sacks, watching as the two children emerged quickly. Naruto was a little surprised to see two girls, clearly sisters, emerge from the sacks. The younger one quickly snatched her older sister's arms, black eyes snapping all around the cavern, while the oldest carefully analyzed Naruto with Ruby Red eyes. They both had straight black hair, the younger having two tails of hair and the oldest having a long coat of hair falling down her back. Both had pale skin, and were wearing worn, and torn, baggy blacks outfits.
Naruto crouched in front of the two, catching the youngest's attention and causing the oldest to narrow her eyes, tensing in readiness to attack Naruto. "Easy. I'm not here to hurt either of you. Trust me, I was brought in by those fucks too. Actually, everyone our age here was. We are all being held here against our wills." Naruto explained calmly, observing the two girl's reactions. The Youngest seemed clearly afraid, while the oldest merely accepted the knowledge and cast a glance at the youngest. It was easy to see who was the protector in the relationship.
"Name's Naruto, either of you got names?" Naruto questioned, still crouched in front of the two girls, looking down at their small forms, huddled on the floor of the cavern. The oldest narrowed her eyes at Naruto, while the youngest untangled herself, slightly, from her older sister's arm. "M-my name's Kurome." The girl's voice was small, and scared. It made Naruto's heart bleed slightly. She looked so… vulnerable. More so than the others. It struck a cord within Naruto that he didn't know was there.
Naruto nodded his head towards the oldest, with a small, "You?" The older sister looked at the youngest, receiving a small nod, before she turned and bowed her head towards Naruto. "My name is Akame. May I ask you something?" Her voice was calm and collected, exactly what Naruto expected. He smirked, he'd read the both of them perfectly. "Sure, go ahead. We gotta stick together if we are going to survive." Naruto mentioned calmly, catching the frightened look in Kurome's eyes, and the accepting look in Akame's.
"Why did you ask if we had names? Surely everyone has a name." Akame inquired, looking into Naruto's eyes. The blonde smirked, chuckling a little, before patting Akame's head. "Bah. Not everyone here does. I think about 3 of us here are literally nobodies. No name. No parents. No family. Not even a cent to their name. Makes for some rather interesting people, I'll tell ya that. One of em, we named him Rock, because of his thick ass skull, is determined to survive and escape, to make a name for himself. And then there's this one girl, we call her Silent, because she's really, really quiet. Anyway, she doesn't have any goals, any will to live. She simply exists, going through the motions. The last, his name is Worthless. We call him that because he told us too. He tried to attack me when I first arrived. But, there was something I saw in his eyes." Naruto mentioned, taking a seat with the two girls.
Akame raised her brow slightly, leaning forward and asking, "And what was that?" Kurome seemed equally entranced by what the blonde was saying. "Heh, the kid was neglected. Looking back, I feel bad. But, when I got here, just like you two, just like everyone, I was hostile. Scared. Frightened. Naturally, the Fight or Flight thing kicked in. I used it against him. I broke his psyche, and now he thinks he's worthless because I broke his little world. He sought attention from the kids here, and actually got some once he just gave into his madness. He's a rather good friend, though his talks of worth get annoying." Naruto explained, causing the two girls to look at him in a different light. He had broke another kid's mind, shattered his psyche even. And yet, he had been so nice to them so far.
"N-Naruto, why are you being nice to us?" Kurome questioned, huddling against Akame for support. Naruto raised his head, having dozed off in thought slightly, before he smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "Heheh, well, I saw myself in both of you. Just, different sides of me. It's too early to really know who you two are, so I don't mean you as people. But, I saw my reaction in both of you. To this place. To being kidnapped. To waking up, in a strange cavern. I wanted to help. In you, Kurome, I saw the fright, the natural fear that everyone has when the awake to an unfamiliar location. It made me sorrowful for you, and I wanted to help." Kurome's eyes lit up slightly, and Akame gained a new insight into who Naruto was. Naruto then turned to Akame, staring into her red eyes. "And in you, Akame, I saw the fighter part of me. When I got here, after beating Worthless into the ground, the guards tried to seized me. I managed to get out of one's hold, and I went in to deliver a blow, but two guards managed to get me. They've tried breaking me since, but I won't let it happen. Not when I know exactly what's going on." Naruto explained, leaning back on his hands and looking at the girls.
Both Akame and Kurome were a little shocked to have met Naruto in the situation they were in, of all situations, but both were happy and relieved. Naruto was a good friend, they knew that, even if they had just met him. But Akame's mind had picked up on what Naruto had ended with. "What do you mean, you know what's going on?" Naruto smirked, his hair shadowing his eyes. "I knew you'd catch onto that…" Naruto muttered, looking at Akame with amused eyes, before he stood up, placing his hands on his hips. "According to the useless chatter of the guards when they think we are all asleep, a man named Gozuki is gathering 100 children. He's going to put us through a forest filled with Danger Beasts, and the strongest seven who make it out of the forest will be trained directly underneath him, and form a team of Assassins called the Elite Seven. Those that aren't deemed strong enough will be sent to the standard Elite Assassin training through the empire, and will not be part of any team, to my knowledge anyway. I do not know anything other than that, besides the fact that you two are part of the last dozen to be gathered." Naruto informed the girls, a fire lighting in his eyes when he talked of the Elite Seven.
Akame was going to say something, but was stopped when Kurome let go and her and leaned forward towards Naruto, placing her two front hands on the cold ground. "Nar-Naruto… how long have you been here?" Questioned Kurome, staring at Naruto with curiosity. The blonde smiled, leaning down and patting Kurome's head slightly. "I've only been here a little over 2 weeks. Unfortunately, the one who's been here the longest is Silent. Poor Girl's seen too much. I believe she has been here for around 5 months. Before that, I do not know. I'd like to help her, but… She makes it so damn hard." Naruto confessed, glaring into the air for no reason other than to vent anger. Akame stood up, grabbing Kurome's hand and hoisting her up as well. Akame approached Naruto, before nodding to him and saying, "Why don't we go try to help her?" Naruto smiled softly, nodding his head and guiding the two girls over to a corner of the cavern.
3 weeks later.
Naruto stood across from a familiar ruby-eyed girl, fists squared, knees bent, and feet spread. His normal fighting stance. Akame stood stiffly, two palms out calmly with a widened stance, dipping lower to the ground than Naruto had. A guard walked forward, raising his hand, before lowering it quickly with a shout of "Begin!". As soon as the man jumped away, the two children rushed each other. Akame's eyes were cold as she went in for the first strike, dipping low to the ground and thrusting a palm towards Naruto's ribcage. The blonde smirked, twisting around and gripping her wrist with his left hand, pulling her towards him and unleashing a right hook that reversed her momentum, launching her backwards. Naruto was a powerhouse when it came to Hand-To-Hand, no one had beaten him from the group of children.
Akame got up quickly, showing no pain as she rushed Naruto once more, hoping to out-speed him. The boy twisted and turned as he dodged numerous palm strike, waiting out his opponent's stamina. Akame had always been a sort of glass cannon in duels, hoping to end it quickly. Rarely did she pace herself, exhausting herself quickly. However, only Naruto ever made her tired. The other's, excluding Kurome, crumpled under the pressure of her aggression. Naruto suddenly dashed forward, rolling on the ground as Akame flew over him, a palm extended. Naruto kicked his feet up, connecting with Akame's pelvis and sending the girl slightly into the air, which Naruto capitalized on by jumping up to meet her, grabbing her lower back and head, before forcing both down, his knee waiting to meet her midsection with great force. The girl coughed up spit, rolling off of his knee once they landed.
"Ne, Akame. Surely, you have gone through the exercises I gave you? You should've been able to escape that hold." Naruto commented, smirking with amusement as the girl shakily got up, once more settling into her stance.
"Yes, Naruto. It is just that you are too strong when it comes to Hand-To-Hand. I am glad to have forced you to dodge. For most others, you would simply catch their strike." Akame spoke calmly, no pain evident on her face as usual. Naruto rubbed his chin, looking up in comical thought, before he jokingly pointed at Akame with an I got an idea! style. "Perhaps it is that I do not need to catch your strikes?" Naruto offered, Akame showing no outward reaction but inside she was boiling. She was not angry, merely disappointed. Naruto was someone she'd grown close too in the past 3 weeks. She knew he was strong, she knew he would be placed on the Elite Seven. He had helped both Kurome and Akame by training them, in hopes that the 3 of them would be placed on the Elite team. Akame was disappointed, for she truly wished she could become a true, helpful ally and friend to Naruto. These days, it felt as if she was a burden.
Fine then. She would prove she wasn't a burden! She would prove that she was a worthy ally to the blonde! Akame's eyes lit ablaze with determination, Naruto smiling happily when he saw the almost glow from her eyes. "Now, Akame, let's see if you can make me catch your strike, ne?" Naruto offered, though his eyes widened slightly when Akame disappeared. 'Shit. Since when was she that fa-' Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as his sternum cried out in pain, Naruto's head flinging down from the force. It was here, that Naruto saw the pale palm connected to his chest, mentally making him smile. Not physically of course, his mouth had been forced open as he took the strike.
Naruto then experienced flight for the first time. He watched as his feet left the ground and both his arms and legs extended outward as the ground blurred beneath them. Time sped up once more for the blonde as he landed, twisting and curling as he rolled on the cavern ground. The blonde's body ended in a torn heap on the ground. Akame stood standing, palm extended and eyes widened as she looked at the blonde's body. She had managed to hit him!? Akame allowed a small smile to mold her face, as she tightened her stance into a ready form once more. She would prove to Naruto that she was a worthy friend.
Naruto groaned as he got up, placing a hand softly on his chest, rubbing it slightly as it ached in pain. "Agh, Akame… I didn't think you'd be that fast. Well then, I suppose I shall have to match your speed. Or, perhaps, I should kick it up a notch, ne?" Naruto questioned, smiling at Akame, before his image blurred and he disappeared. Akame's mind began to realize just how large the gap in skill between her and Naruto was in that moment. He had been downgrading his skills the entire time. She had not truly matched him, she had only gotten to the first stage of his skill. That was when Naruto suddenly appeared in front of her eyes, right fist already on it's path towards her face.
The hit connected, launching her slightly, however her momentum stopped when Naruto's left hand shot out, gripping her throat and extending towards the ground as Naruto's body dropped to a crouch. Akame spat once more as her back connected with the ground, and Naruto's hand hurt her throat with it's pressure. Naruto released her neck, crouching down to stare at Akame, who was groaning in pain. Naruto then wedged his arms underneath the Ruby-eyed girl, picking her up and carrying her princess-style. "I'm sorry Akame. I shouldn't of done that. I'll bring you to the medics right away." Naruto whispered as he looked down at Akame worriedly, checking her over with his eyes for injuries.
Akame smiled, despite her pain. Naruto a friend, through and through. Despite being the one who had given her the injuries, he was making sure she was healed, before checking himself. Of course, she knew it was partially because he didn't need to be checked over, but she knew he'd do the same in any situation. She closed her eyes softly, resting her head on Naruto's arm. She was content in her position
Later.
After making sure that Akame's injuries were treated properly, Naruto exited the medical tent and made his way towards Kurome, who was currently sparring with Rock. Kurome was beating down on him, but his thick-head was just absorbing the blows. Naruto looked around, watching as the children were taught by guards, sparred with each other, and did exercises all around him. Naruto could spot Gozuki watching everything from a small observatory he'd created, merely 5 feet higher than the ground, but still, it provided observance for the whole cavern. Naruto realized the man was trying to pick out who he thought would survive the forest, which would be staged in merely a week. The children had two weeks to be trained by the guards, in an attempt to get strong enough to make it out of the forest.
Naruto admired the man's ways, using survival as a motivator was working wonders for those who were weak prior. Naruto did not need the training, so instead he took to training Akame and Kurome. During his pondering, a white-haired girl was walking towards Naruto. Naruto didn't watch where he was going, causing the two to coldie, though neither fell. Naruto looked up, before his eyes widened. "Oh… Hi Silent." Naruto choked out. The girl peered into Naruto's eyes, before she approached him quickly. The girl gripped Naruto's shirt, making him growl. "What're you doi-" "Naruto. I will kill you." Silent's soft voice ceased Naruto's own voice, making his eyes widen. The first words the girl says, ever since Naruto had been there, and since forever according to those who'd been here for longer, and they were a statement about Naruto's death. The girl let go of Naruto's shirt, and calmly walked away once more, making Naruto narrow his eyes.
Hmpf. The girl thinks she can kill me. I wonder why, but it does not matter. Should the time come, I will emerge victorious. No matter what.
Those words came back to haunt Naruto in the Forest.