Chapter 1:
Naruto's eyes slowly opened as he found himself lying on an uncomfortable bed. It was hard and felt like it was covered in cheap fabric. The smell of hospitals gave Naruto a good idea about where he was. Naruto got up and rubbed his eyes as he looked around the room.
He found he was not alone as there was another person in the bed next to his. Naruto drew back the curtains and saw Sasuke lying there resting with several wires and tubes attached to him. The poor guy looked half dead.
Naruto then looked at himself, he honestly looked not much better than Sasuke, he looked thinner than he remembered, he had now idea how long he was out. It was somewhere in the morning judging by the sunlight coming from the windows and so Naruto put his head back down and waited for the time to pass by, he was hoping for his grandpa, the hokage, to show up. And as he waited he slowly fell asleep.
Naruto woke up again this time it was night. A figure moved in the corner of the room. Naruto raised his head up and looked to see a nurse there checking up on Sasuke.
"Hello," Naruto said starling the nurse. She looked at him and then her face changed to one of disgust.
"So you're awake are you?" she asked snarling. She went over to Naruto's bed and began checking on his charts and on the machines hooked up on him.
Naruto narrowed his eyes, this woman hated him, hell everyone hated him, he needed to know why. "Why do you hate me?"
The nurse looked up at this, startled, "what?"
"I asked you why you hate me."
She snarled again, "I don't hate you brat."
She was lying, but why wasn't his power working? Did it only work on ninja's? Naruto then realised he was asking this all in questions, and not ordering her to tell him.
He looked up to see the nurse still there and beginning to leave, "come back here and tell me why you hate me!"
Suddenly she stopped still. She turned around and walked to Naruto and sat down by his bed side. "I hate you because you are the demon fox that killed my mother and little brother."
Naruto's eye's widened, "what?!"
"You are the being known as the nine tailed fox. After the fourth Hokage killed you, you were transformed into a child that were then asked to take care of."
"I-is this true?"
"This is what I believe in," the nurse said.
"But, that doesn't mean it's true," Naruto replied, "why didn't anyone tell me about this? Why didn't the hokage?"
"The third ordered us all never to speak of you, threatened us with death, he said that you were a vessel for the demon fox not the fox itself."
Naruto blinked, "then why do you think I am the fox?"
"Because that's what many powerful ninja's also believe. Many people believe that and say it is true, so it must be. The hokage is lying to us, he wants as to treat you like a human, but you are not."
Naruto's eyes started to water as he rubbed away the falling tears. He looked up and saw the nurse still standing there looking nervous. "sigh, forget it. You can leave now."
And with that the nurse walked out. Naruto however was not paying attention, he was to busy crying. Who was he? Was he even human? Was grandpa Hokage right or were the people right? Naruto didn't know what to do and who to believe.
He looked over Sasuke's body, the kid was being threatened by his own brother. He had it bad, like Naruto. And then Naruto thought about what that man said to him, 'power of course, it's obvious you don't want it.'
Is that the answer? If Naruto was stronger maybe he could have saved Iruka, maybe even saved more people in the Uchiha complex. But most of all if he had power he could protect himself, from the villagers. Naruto then decided then on, he would have power to protect himself and his precious friends, and to hell with everyone else. This was a village that killed it's own and hated him, damn being the Hokage, all Naruto wanted right now is the power to protect himself.
Later the Hokage himself visited Naruto, which excited the boy.
"Gramps!" Naruto said as he smiled at the old man, who smiled back.
"Hello Naruto," the Hokage said as he walked up and drew a seat next to Naruto's bed, "I trust you are feeling comfortable."
Naruto nodded, "yeah I am. Gramps, there is something I need to ask you. It's..."
"Itachi Uchiha," the Hokage spoke up.
"What?"
"The name of the man who tried to kill you. It's Itachi Uchiha. Isn't that what you wanted to ask me?"
Naruto shook his head, through now that he knew the name he knew who the man who did this to him was, "no, I wanted to ask you why everyone in the village hated me."
The man looked at Naruto and the boy held his breath. But as the seconds drew on and the tension built Naruto knew his powers didn't work, otherwise the Hokage would have told him by now.
Finally the man sighed cutting the tension, "well Naruto frankly you are too young to understand why certain villagers don't like you, maybe when you get older."
Naruto looked at the hokage and then hung his head in defeat. So maybe the old man was too powerful for him to control? Yeah that's it. But he could also control that man-Itachi. And he certainly was powerful, he killed his whole clan. So then what is going on?
"Frankly Naruto you were very lucky," the Hokage continued, "Itachi could have killed you."
"Really gramps?"
"Yes, really. Itachi Uchiha is a very powerful man, very strong indeed. Luckily he must have been tired after fighting the entirety of his clan, that may have been the only reason you survived."
Naruto looked at the man and then widened his eyes. Could that be why he could control Itachi? Was it because he was tired? This new power of his, needed to test it, and after seeing the Hokage and listening to him still not admit the truth to him, Naruto decided he would hide his powers, after all every great ninja needed an ace up his sleeve.
"Naruto there is something else I needed to talk to you about," the Hokage said bringing Naruto out of his thinking, "Itachi's attack's left wounds Naruto. And they-they did not heal properly." Naruto was then handed a mirror and he saw his face.
There was a scar across his forehead, he then looked at his own arms seeing two large cuts across them as well.
"I-I see." Naruto finally managed to say out and he handed the Hokage back his mirror.
"Naruto I realise you must be very shocked right now, and this all might be a little to much for you to handle, but you must realise right now that you are not alone, all of Konoha is with you in this."
"Really?" Naruto asked skeptical.
"Yes," the Hokage nodded smiling at him, "many know about the Uchiha massacre and how you held young Sasuke here."
"Then will they stop bullying me?" Naruto asked hopefully.
The Hokage sighed, "I'm sorry Naruto, but the people's hate needs time to be let go. Give it time, I'm sure soon they will all soon realise just simply how amazing you are."
Naruto nodded to the Hokage and suddenly the door swung open and a nurse walked in. It was the same one as before. She walked in and started to change one of the drips attached to Naruto. Naruto watch her but then suddenly something the Hokage said attracted his attention.
"Naruto what happened to the four ninja's that were sent to help you?"
"What gramps?" Naruto asked as he looked at Hokage. 'What should I tell him?' Naruto thought, 'I need to lie to him. Should I tell him Itachi killed him?'
"I asked you what happened to the ones who were sent in to help you Naruto? They were all found dead suffering from several stab wounds, some looking self inflicted."
"I-Itachi did that. He said he didn't have time to waste so he stabbed one of them, Iruka, several times. He then disappears and reappears behind the three remaining ninja, he grabbed their hands with a kunai in it and plunged it into their necks over and over again."
The Hokage looked at Naruto with scrutinizing eyes and through the story those eyes didn't change. "I see,"he finally said.
Naruto looked in the corner of his eye and watched the nurse changed the IV bag. He was looking for signs that the women was going to tell the Hokage that he controlled her, but it didn't come.
The Hokage soon left after that leaving the nurse and Naruto alone. Before she could leave Naruto quickly spoke up, "wait."
The woman stopped in her steps and turned back around, "what is it brat?"
"Why didn't you tell the Hokage what you did to me?"
"What are you talking about you useless brat?"
"I mean a few hours ago when I asked you why hated me? I thought you would have told him."
"I didn't visit you before this brat," the woman said.
"Then what were you doing an hour before this?"
"I-I don't remember."
Naruto focused and recalled what all he said to her before. He remembered every order he gave to her. He remembered….AH! He said, 'forget it,' and so she forgot.
"I see, never mind then." Naruto said smiling. This was good, now he had a way of making people forget he ordered them!
"But it was strange," the nurse continued, "I swear I don't remember a thing. I think I should tell a doctor this," she then moved to the door, but Naruto was faster.
"No, stop. Turn around and walk back here." When she did Naruto started to wonder what he should and then an Idea popped into his head. If he could remove memories, maybe he could implant them as well. "The blank memory you had from before, it isn't blank, in fact, during that time you were in here and you were checking up on the charts in here. That is all do you understand?"
"I do," the nurse replied.
"Good, now leave, and forget you ever talked to me. Only remember that you came in did your job and then left. Now leave."
The nurse nodded and then walked away slowly all the while Naruto grinned as he saw it happeing. He was going to have fun with this.
He was released from the hospital a few days later. The Hokage had given him a new apartment and Naruto went to see the place.
It was a dump. Located right in the poor part of town the place smelled and the building looked worn down. Naruto walked into the big red building with pipes running all over it and went to the manager's room. He knocked on the door and from inside a man with a red yukata walked out and snarled at Naruto.
"It's you brat," the man snarled out, "wait here I'll get your damn keys."
Naruto narrowed his eyes but quietly followed the manager and he lead him to the fourth floor. The hallways looked broken down with stains in the corner and rats hurrying about everywhere else. The manager lead Naruto to a broken down looking door and he unlocked it and kicked the door open.
"Get stucks sometimes," the man mumbled as he walked inside and flipped on a light switch. The apartment looked like shit with the walls covered in moss and the floor looking like they were about to break.
"Is this the best place you got?" Naruto asked as he checked around the place.
"The best you're ever going to get."
Naruto narrowed his eyes in anger, but then slowly a sold smiled crossed his face, one that sent shiver down the manager's spine. "No it's not," Naruto said pushing a little bit of what he later learned was chakra into his voice, activating his power, "you will give me the best room you have and charge me the same amount you would for this…..room."
The man's eyes went dead and he walked out becking Naruto to do the same. The two left the fourth floor and walked all the way back down to the basement. There at the end of the stairs was a metal door which looked brand new. The manager reached into his pocket and pulled out a black key. He opened the door with it and flipped on the lights.
Inside was a huge studio apartment with the kitchen to one the left and empty space to the right. Inside was two bedrooms each bigger than the old apartment that the manager had shown him before.
"Anything I should know about this place?" Naruto asked as he examined the perfectly clean apartment.
"I built this place for myself. I hired several ninja to build a basement and then had the work done right here. There is an emergency exit behind this wall," the manager pointed to the wall on the far end of the living room, "you have to pull this wall light to do so," he then pointed to the light in question.
"Okay," Naruto said smiling, "I'll take it." The manager nodded to that, "now listen well to my next few instructions, forget ever building this place. Forget everything involving this place, remove all proof that this place exists. Then go up to that broken down thing you call an apartment upstairs and clean it up. Make it look livable and make it seem like I live there. And then forget you did that. From now on, till I say otherwise, you will ignore anything and everything I do while here, unless I am in some kind of danger then you will act in order to save me. Understood?"
The man nodded and started to leave.
"Wait," Naruto called out, "the key." The manager tossed him the key with a snarl, 'it seemed he is doing his best to irritate me.' Naruto pocketed the key, "good, now do you have any copies on hand?"
"Yes I have an extra one."
"Good, keep it with you and hide it. But forget you ever had it until it's an emergency or I say so. Do you understand?"
The man nodded, "understood brat."
Naruto didn't like that word, "never call me a brat again. Call me Naruto. Got it?"
The man nodded his head and then swiftly walked out of the basement room and got to cleaning up the room on the fourth floor.
Naruto locked the door, which he found had several types of locks which would probably be difficult to pick. He then turned around and looked around the empty apartment. He needed to shop, fast. Naruto checked his wallet and found enough for some ramen.
Naruto shook his head and sighed, his stomach growled in response. Naruto the left the apartment and walked down the market district all the while making sure he didn't drop his one key somewhere.
He went inside the closest supermarket and quickly he picked out his favorite food, instant ramen. He also picked up several snacks and even got a box of juice. Naruto then brought his order up to the checking counter and saw a fat man there snarling at him.
The fat man billed everything up and said, "10,000 ryo brat."
"What?!" Naruto screamed out, "that's daylight robbery!"
"You want it, you pay, or else get lost brat."
Naruto narrowed his eyes and then channeled a little bit of chakra into his voice, "listen well. You will give me these things for free. When I walk out of here you will forget that fact that you let me do that. You will remember only that you threw away these items and nothing else about them. You will also never call me any bad names only calling me by my name. And the next time I come here, you will treat me as if I was the Hokage himself, got it?"
The man simply stared at Naruto and then nodded. Naruto smiled as the man bagged his groceries for him and Naruto simply walked out and the moment he did the shopkeeper transformed back to norma wondering why he just threw away so many items.
Naruto walked around town and finally reached Ichiraku's ramen stand. Naruto smiled as he entered the stand, "hey uncle Teuchi!"
Teuchi was the owner and head chef of the stand. He was rather plain looking with his white dress and white cap. The man however was one of the few people who loved Naruto. He smiled at the Uzumaki, "hey ya kiddo, come on in!"
Naruto took a seat and smiled, "heya uncle Teuchi, how's it hanging?"
"Not bad, not bad. What about you Naruto? I heard about what happened."
"Yeah I got my kicked, but I managed to stab the guy before he could do to much damage!" Naruto laughed as he rubbed his head.
"I see," Teuchi said as he eyed the scar that ran across Naruto's forehead, "well what's it going to be Naruto?"
"Hmm, I'll take miso ramen uncle Teuchi."
"Coming right up!" the man said turning to prepare the meal. He then turned inside and shouted, "Ayame! Get out here and give me a hand!"
From the kitchen Ayame, the chef's 14 year old daughter walked in. She had brown hair with black eyes and fair skin and was also dressed in a white chef's gown like her dad. She immediately saw Naruto and smiled, "Oh hey Naruto!"
"Hey big sis," the boy said grinning, "how've you been?"
"Good," Ayame said rolling up her sleeves as she took the other customer's order, "how are you feeling Naruto?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well I heard about the attack, I heard you were badly hurt."
Naruto scratched his head as he laughed, "na, na. It's not that bad. I just got a few new scars. But it's okay, because every ninja needs a few scars!" Naruto said as he fist pumped, "and I got the coolest ones ever."
Ayame sighed, "you will never change. Looks like I was worrying over nothing."
Naruto laughed and soon he was served his bowl of ramen. As Naruto ate he sat there and listened to Ayame's stories and how she got kicked out from the ninja program for being too soft during her taijutsu matches.
Soon the night went on and just as Naruto was about finish his bowl of ramen a drunken man walked into the stand. He grabbed a stool and started to speak slurring his words, "hhey you, give me soome ramen!"
Ayame narrowed her eyes in disgust but Teuchi smiled and quickly took the man's order. Ayame started to cook the ramen when suddenly the drunk's eyes landed on Naruto.
"The demon brat!" the man cried out as he pointed at Naruto, who simply sighed.
"Can't I get one peaceful meal?"
"Get out of here demon brat! You don't need food, your filthy evilness will feed you!"
"Evilness will feed me? Are you drunk or high?" Naruto asked as Ayame chuckled.
The drunk turned to Ayame in rage, "you think this is funny? You fucking demon lover!" He then tried to jump across the table and tried to grab Ayame who simply cried out as she jumped back in fear. Teuchi moved in front of his daughter and hit the man over the head several time with a big wooden spoon.
Naruto grabbed the man by his pants and then pulled him off the counter and threw him outside of the stand. He then pulled out the kunai which he had with him since the incident with Itachi.
"Stupid demon brat!" The drunk man said as he got to his feat, which was wobbling, "the one good thing Itachi did was brand you like the freak you are!"
The comment hurt Naruto but he refused to let the man see him cry. He looked at the man and said through gritted teeth and he forced chakra to his voice, "leave this place and never come back."
The man's legs suddenly snapped straight and stopped wobbling. The man then moved away from the shop walking away. Ayame walked to Naruto and watched as small tears fell down Naruto's check,
"Naruto?" Ayame asked.
"I-I'm okay Ayame, I just….I just" Naruto stammered as he wiped away the tears and tried to stop himself from crying in front of Ayame.
The girl saw this and simple pulled Naruto into a hug, holding Naruto as he cried harder into Ayame's shoulder, letting all the pain inside out. The injustice he felt everyday, the pain of the scars he hide from even the Hokage and tried to hide from Ayame, he let it all out.
Slowly the girl pulled away from him as he calmed down. Teuchi stood next to the pair and he bent down and spoke, "Naruto everything is going to be okay."
"I know," Naruto said, "it's just...I don't like the scar on my forehead. It's not that cool."
Ayame smiled and she took off the white cloth that she wore over her hair. She then tied it around Naruto's head like a tight bandana, "there," she said, "no more scar."
Naruto touched the white bandana and looked at Ayame with wonder in his eyes and a feeling he could only call love. He hugged her and the old man.
Afterwords Naruto left the stand and went back home. As he crossed the flat ground floor corridor he saw the manager look at him with respect. Ignoring this Naruto walked to the basement and unlocked his underground apartment.
He tossed the snacks in the cabinets and put the juice in the fridge. Naruto then walked to the main bedroom and was greeted to an empty room. He sighed and simply collapsed onto the floor and used his arms as a pillow. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. He dreams filled with him being a powerful ninja, not just the Hokage.
Second chapter done. REVIEWS! You see that? I need a god damn Review!