I cannot believe that I'm doing this. But the inspiration just hit me, and I'm at a major loss at what to do with the sequel of Pinnacles. So..myeh.
Title - A Couple Millimetres
Chapter - One
Word Count w/o AN - 1107
Word count with AN - 1355
Summary - When Mizuki threw the shuriken at Naruto and Iruka, it landed a few millimetres to the side, and it actually killed Iruka. Watch as Naruto grows with grim determination to achieve his dream, and his fallen sensei's last wish.
Don't own Naruto.
Anyways, welcome to my first multi-chapter fanfiction which I hope to complete.
- Prologue
He couldn't believe it. He had failed. Again.
For the umpteenth time, he had been unable to produce a proper bunshin for the graduation exam. Now he had to return to the academy while his peers and classmates became real ninja of Konohagakure.
That's right, his peers. Not his friends, but his classmates. He had no friends. Everyone hated him, for some unknown reason. Whenever he tried to make friends, they'd shun him and shoo him away, or their parents would come and shout at him.
He was miserable, and he knew it.
He just wouldn't let anyone else know it.
Uzumaki Naruto sat dejectedly on a rooftop while he watched the others be congratulated by their families.
Family.
To him, it had always been just a word, a bunch of letters put together. It held no meaning to him. He had no idea what it was like to have a family. He was alone, always alone. The adults loathed him, and they had spread it to their children. No one would associate with him.
His thoughts were interrupted when he felt someone arrive beside him. He looked to his right – it was Mizuki-sensei, a chuunin academy instructor. Naruto like him, he had vouched for him when he failed that day's test.
"Hey, Naruto."
"Hi, Mizuki-sensei."
"You know, Iruka wasn't trying to be mean or nasty to you. He was just doing his job."
Naruto snorted. "Oh yeah? Then why does he continue to pick on me?"
Mizuki gave him a sad smile. "I think that Iruka wants you to be truly strong when you go out into the world of the ninja. He doesn't want you to get hurt because he favoured you."
"Yeah, well, I'm still stuck at the academy for another year."
Mizuki grinned. "Let me tell you a little secret…"
"Iruka! Iruka!"
Umino Iruka was awakened up in the middle night by a loud pounding on his front door. He quickly opened up because of the urgency of the voice.
"Mizuki? What's going on?"
"It's Naruto! He's stolen the Forbidden Scroll!"
"What? Why would he do that? How does he even know that it exists?"
"I don't know, but Hokage-sama has ordered us to find him and return the scroll!"
"Okay. Let's go."
"You go that way, and I'll go south."
And with that, the two chuunin leaped away. Iruka didn't see the wicked grin on Mizuki's face.
"Naruto!"
Iruka landed on a patch of grass in front of the exhausted looking blonde. "What do you think you're doing?"
Naruto grinned sheepishly, like a young child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Heh. You found me. And I only had enough time to learn one technique!"
"Learn one..? Naruto, what were you doing here with that scroll? Why are you here?"
Naruto looked a bit surprised. "Mizuki-sensei said that if I could learn a jutsu from this scroll, you would let me pass! Let me show you this awesome move I learned! Then you'll have to let me graduate!"
As Naruto was rambling, Iruka was thinking. "Mizuki..? But that would mean…"
"NARUTO! MOVE!"
Iruka suddenly lunged at Naruto, pushing him into the wall of the cabin, as several shuriken rain down from the trees. Iruka winced. "Naruto…are you okay?"
Frozen with fear and surprise, the blonde didn't respond to his question. "I-iruka-sensei? W-what..?"
"Damn. Didn't think you'd actually find him, Iruka."
"Mizuki!"
Said silver-haired man smirked. "Well, I guess I'll just have to kill you later." He turned to Naruto. "Now, give me the scroll."
"Don't give it to him, Naruto! He's just going to use it to destroy us all!"
He didn't answer. "Why did you save me before?"
Iruka smiled sadly. "It's because we're the same, Naruto. We both grew up without parents. I know how hard it is to grow up all alone, with no one to look out for you. And if I was a little more aware, I could have helped you…forgive me, Naruto."
"I-iruka-sensei.."
Mizuki let out a cruel laugh. "Do you honestly believe him? He's just trying to get the scroll back from you. Let me tell you something, Naruto. Have you ever wondered why everyone hates you? Why they always glare at you? Why the treat you worse than dirt? It's because twelve years ago, a rule was decreed by that fool, the Third. The rule was that you could never know. The truth is that.."
He was cut off by Iruka. "NO! Don't! You can't!" He screamed, despite his injuries.
The traitor ignored him. "The truth is that you, Uzumaki Naruto, are the Kyuubi no Kitsune who attacked Konoha twelve years ago!"
Naruto's eyes widened. His knees buckled and he dropped to the ground. "No….you're lying! It can't be true!"
Mizuki's mouth twisted into a demented grin. "But it is! Now, die, you demon!" He threw the giant shuriken that was strapped across his back.
Splat!
Naruto had prepared for the impact; for death, but it never came. Instead, he felt drops of warm liquid fall onto his face. He opened his eyes, and saw Iruka-sensei above him, the metal weapon imbedded into his back.
Mizuki was livid. "Why? Why must you interrupt? WHY DO YOU PROTECT A DEMON?"
"Y-you're right, Mizuki. Why would a protect a demon?"
Naruto's heart plummeted, but Iruka kept going.
"I would never protect a demon, b-but he knows the pain of being human. He knows emotions, he feels. H-he is but a contained, n-not the nine tails."
Iruka fell down onto his back beside Naruto. "He is Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure!"
Mizuki just laughed. "Psh. Whatever. You're just going to die. That went straight into your backbone."
Naruto's eyes widened even further when he heard that. Iruka coughed. "L-listen, Naruto. Never believe anyone when they said that you are the Kyuubi."
His voice grew softer. He took off his hitai-ate. "Y-you are your own person. N-never forget that. You'll be the greatest Hokage in the history of K-Konoha."
He slowly attached it to Naruto's forehead. "I-I believe in you, N-naruto…"
And then he lay still.
"IRUKA-SENSEI!"
Naruto looked up and gave Mizuki the coldest of glares. "You absolute bastard…I'm going to kill you!"
Mizuki scoffed. "Like a kid like you could even scratch me. I'll kill you in one shot!"
Naruto didn't respond. Instead, he put his hands into a cross-shaped handseal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Suddenly, a thousand Naruto's surrounded the area. Mizuki looked around, scared. He screamed as they pounded him. After awhile, Naruto dispelled his clones and left Mizuki to rot.
He walked over to where Iruka lay still. He gave Mizuki's pathetic form one last glare of contempt.
He sat down next to Iruka's body, and wept.
Well, there you have it! It continues on from there, but don't expect updates too soon. Maybe once a month? Ugg..I have to find time to write.
Edit - poll's been removed. And updates will be WAY less frequent than that.