AN: Some changes in this universe to take note of. First, the Hokage, or strongest ninja, actually goes on missions and kills dudes. I find it hard to believe somebody so obviously strong would actually stay away from the front lines. These are ninja, not exactly military soldiers, and in ancient Japan even the revered Ninjutsu Grandmasters had to go on assassination missions and the like. Second, the samurai are not going to be pussies like in canon. The Samurai of the old days where warriors and rulers, and these where the real "military soldiers". Whereas the ninja were looked down upon, the Samurai were worshiped. The leader of the entire Japan was also a Samurai, called the Shogun. I'm going to try to incorporate these elements into my story, of course I am still going to keep the fantastical elements such as chakra and jutsus that the story is based upon.

See you after the jump!

A soft scraping sound could be heard, waking the blond boy. For some reason, he felt really warm, as if he was alive.

Wait... he was alive. He had no way to prove that, but he sure felt alive. He felt weak, as though he was on the verge of death, but he was alive. he opened his eyes, using his hand to grope around in the darkness. He came into contact with some sort of furry object... to his surprise, the furry objects moved. He was startled, if a little scared. His starved mind could only remember the whiteness of the snow and the cool feeling of death. Deducing the furry objects must indeed be animals, he tried to stand up, only to realize he was in some sort of small hole. The body heat of the many small furry animals had been the source of warmth that had brought him back from death's door, and he allowed a small smile to grace his lips: the Death God would not claim him today.

Naruto peered out of the hole into the blackness of the night. The winter night was cold and dead, and offered little respite to Naruto; He wondered if he was saved from death in the cold to death by starvation. He could hardly see anything, but he seemed to have earned the trust of the small furry animals. In a primal sense, he might have scared the small animals, but he had not done anything to hurt them, and so they did not scurry of into the night. Realizing he had stumbled on a food source, he did the only thing he could do to ensure his survival.

He ate the animals, raw. With a strength born of desperation, the blond grabbed as many of the furry creatures as he could and smashed them to the ground. He had no idea how many he managed to get, but he kept on grabbing and smashing, until the frantic movements of the animals stilled. Raising the animal carcasses to his mouth, he bit down, relishing the warmth of the blood and sating his hunger. He had no idea what he was eating: it was too dark to see. He simply bit down and chewed, swallowing fur, raw meat and bone.

His debilitating hunger sated for the moment, Naruto sank to the ground, wiping the warm blood over his face, simultaneously falling into a dreamless sleep.

The afternoon rays did nothing to extinguish the biting cold that permeated the air. Naruto opened his eyes slowly, summoning the strength to sit up... only to hit his head. Shaking the sleep from his eyes, Naruto crawled out of the hole and summoned his strength to stand.

The sky was clear today, with not a single hint of falling snow. The sunlight reflected off the white snow, painting a beautiful but deadly picture. Naruto shivered, feeling the coldness pierce his unprotected feet. He noticed the ground just outside the hole he had spent the night in was stained red with blood, and when he peered inside the hole again, he was treated to a scene of carnage. Rabbit corpses laid about, their skulls smashed in, some of them missing chunks of their flesh. Their once snow white fur was stained with copious amounts of blood.

'So I ate those rabbits last night eh?' Naruto thought, fighting the urge to retch. He was still hungry from his ordeal, and he knew he would need to eat more food in order to survive. 'At least until jiji comes for me.'

Steeling his heart, and stomach, Naruto partook of the unsavory feast raw, ripping into the blood-stained fur with his jaws. 'I wonder why the world is like this. Those damned villagers chasing me into the woods and leaving me out in the forest. I'm lucky I didn't freeze to death. Even jiji can't keep track of them. But he's the strongest in the village... I'm sure he can help.'

The nature of parents are such that they will stand by their children at all costs; most of them at least. Naruto had wondered for as long as he had been alive where his parents were, and where he could get them. Companionship was alien to him, and the only person he had ever talked to without fear was the Hokage, whom the blond affectionately termed 'jiji'. He knew the measure of respect others gave him, and even tolerated Naruto's presence when he was around. He did not know yet why his jiji did not protect him, but he knew he was Hokage, and that somehow made him the strongest. Naruto decided he would become the Hokage, then show those who treated him so badly how strong he was.

It was decided, tomorrow he would tell the Hokage to make a him a ninja. He would not accept no for an answer.

-The Next Day-

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage and Head Ninja of Konohagakure, was feeling angry. 'Even the damned orphanage kicked him out! Who can I trust in this village dammit!' He thought the orphanage would allow Naruto to have at least some semblance of a childhood, but it was obvious he was mistaken. As the strongest ninja in the village, he was often out on extremely dangerous, but high-paying missions, and so spent most of his time out of the village. He wanted Naruto to be taken care of, but the villagers would not even try to hide their obvious distaste of the boy that harboured the Kyuubi demon. Sarutobi knew that the boy would be brainwashed and turned into a mindless weapon if he left him to the Council Elders, and the villagers would probably crucify him rather than suffer his existence. Only Sarutobi's position as Hokage kept Naruto safe (relative from what could actually happen if he were not there) and he would be damned if he let the Yondaime's son die in such a way. The Hokage was seriously contemplating burning the orphanage down and murdering certain villagers, but he knew he was at the beck and call of the Council. Being away on missions all the time was disadvantageous, and the real power in Konoha lay with the the Council. He was nothing but a figurehead. I can't even protect my students, much less an innocent's childhood.

Clad fully in black, the old man roamed through the forest, trying to find a trace of Naruto. Mere minutes later, he sensed the boy's presence, and found him huddled under a tree, fast asleep. Looking around, he was alarmed that the area was stained with blood, but could find no injuries on Naruto. He quickly checked the seal upon Naruto's belly, making sure all was well. Huh. If Naruto wanted, he could free the demon and kill us all. It is not right for one so young to bear such a burden. Come to think of it, ever since the Yondaime sealed the fox, I never even felt a trace of the Demon chakra...

Shaking his head, Sarutobi picked the sleeping Naruto up, marvelling at how peaceful his face seemed. For now, he was just happy that Naruto was alive.

-That Night-

Night fell upon Konoha, and the sky was blanketed in black. Naruto sat on top of the Hokage's monument, marveling at how much the beauty Nature exuded contrasted with the ugliness and violence of human behaviour. The Hokage had saved him from the cold, but had told him that he would be leaving again very soon; Naruto knew better than to ask him the reason for this. Naruto had refrained from mentioning the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the villagers, noting that the Hokage seemed extremely concerned about him and so did not want to worry him unduly. Still, it was difficult to hide the fact that he was starving and was little more than a bundle of bones. After a meal of ramen, Naruto made it known to the old man that he wanted to become a ninja, but strangely did not receive an answer.

At that moment, as Naruto sat in quiet contemplation, he noticed how old and worn out the Hokage seemed. Sure, his hair was white and his face was wrinkled, but he never thought of the Hokage as frail before. But as he told the Hokage his intention of becoming a ninja over that bowl of ramen, he saw a deep sadness filling the Hokage's eyes. Not wanting to push the matter further, the blond had finished his food in silence.

Sadness seemed to fill the world. Naruto repressed the urge to scream at the stars, those twinkly lights in the sky that seemed to sparkle merrily while the world beneath drowned in sorrow and violence. Unbidden, his thoughts shifted: perhaps freedom existed somewhere in the world? Maybe he could be a star, suspended freely in the sky, given a godlike perspective to the happenings to the world. Maybe he could go to the moon, and bathe in the moonlight. Perhaps he could go to the sun instead, and live his life out with happiness. After all, since the sun let of such a bright light, wouldn't life there be as vibrant, and as full of life?

Yawning, the blond child lay down, eyes drooping sleepily. People needed to be free after all. When he became a ninja, he would soar high in the sky, and become one with the stars.

AN: that would be it for chapter 2. Please read and review!