Welcome to Chapter Two of Into the Unknown.
Not much to say here. Hope you enjoy what I have here.
Disclaimer: This is FANfiction, really... do you think I own Naruto? You need help if you do.
Chapter 2: Hero of The Nations (Part 1)
Tsuketsu stared out at the lively village. It was a bright nad shining day outside. Numerous flowers were growing around, in a seemingly random pattern. The bright colors of the flowers contrasted a bit with the forests surrounding the village. Large men, most only a bit smaller than the man what Tsuketsu met earlier, hauled carts of wood back and forth between the village and the forest.
Finally, he turned his attention back to Akana, locking eyes with her. "Hi no Kuni...?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, what about it.?"
"Where's Hi no Kuni? I've never heard of it."
"You're kidding, right?" her voice laced with skepticism. "How about Konohagakure?"
His confusion became even more evident on his face. "Konohagakure?"
Akana whistled. "You must have been really sheltered... that or you hit your head pretty hard."
Tsuketsu said nothing, turning his gaze back out the window. A little girl, about Mari's age, was chasing another young girl around with several other kids avoiding her as well. It was a very intriguing game of tag. Hen noticed, however, Mari herself was sitting by a bed of flowers, looking on sadly as the other children had their fun.
"So..." his attention turned back to Akana as she began speaking, "You have no idea where you come from? You only remember your name?"
Tsuketsu nodded in confirmation.
"Not the talking type, are you?" She sighed. "Well, you're welcome to stay here until you're back on your feet, but no longer than that. From the looks of things, you're a shinobi, and shinobi only bring trouble."
With that, she was gone, and Tsuketsu was left to his thoughts.
Remarkably, the muscles in Tsuketsu's arm, as well as his skin, had healed in a matter of two weeks. He was able to walk "like a pro", as Mari had said, after only a week. During that week, Mari was assigned to take care of him. Retrieving food and drink and any other items he required. The girl had gotten used to the strange young man and they had developed a close relationship, in the very short time.
"She doesn't get long well with other children." Akana had explained to him at one point. "She's too shy to talk to them, and they don't think it's worth their time to talk to her."
"I see." Tsuketsu was a man of few words.
"Maul and I are too busy to spend too much time for her. He does most of the woodcutting for the village, he's a big man... I pick herbs and make medicines to sell. Plenty of travelers come through here, and you can never be too careful." She continued. "This is the only time she's really had to spend time with anyone in a while. I hope she doesn't bother you too much."
"No, no. Not at all. She's good company."
The conversation ended with that. She was good company, however. He didn't lie about that. She was very smart for her age. They would talk about various subjects, mostly her teaching him about herbs, medicines, and most interesting of all, The Hero of the Five Nations.
Flashback
"Good morning Tsuketsu-san!" Mari yelled happily as she jumped on his bed.
"Good morning, Mari-chan." Tsuketsu responded with a warm smile as he moved to make room for her to sit.
"I was talkin' ta kaa-san last night! She said you don't know where Konohagakure is!"
"Oh?"
"Yeah! So you prolly don't know about The Hero of The Nations!" she kept up, with the excited energy that only a kid could muster up.
"No, I can't say I do."
"Then le'mme tell it ta you!"
Tsuketsu smiled, amused at her eagerness. "Don't you have school, Mari-chan?"
"Nope!" her smile grew wider as she began bouncing on the bed. Her energy stored from years of being isolated from other children and the business of her parents. "So sit back and listen to my story!"
He chuckled, "Okay, Mari-chan, tell away."
"Yay!"
She made big show of clearing her throat before she began the story.
Over one century ago, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, ravaged across the land, causing a path of destruction, leading to Konohagakure. The shinobi of Konoha fell easily to the might of the most powerful of all Bijuu... until the Yondaime Hokage, the legendary Yellow Flash (1) of Konoha mad his appearance on the great boss summon, Gamabunta. Unable to kill the vile demon, the Yondaime did as planned. Sealed the beast into his newborn son, at the expense of his own soul, his last words fir the village he sacrificed his own life, as well as his son's for, were the Namikaze Naruto be seen as a hero.
It was not to be so.
For thirteen years, the prodigal son's life was hell.
The boy would endure the hateful, icy glares o the villagers as well as the Shinobi.
He would be kicked from the orphanage at the age of three.
He would be beaten by the braver (stupid) villages, and those lost in their drunk stupors.
He would be sabotaged by the academy teachers.
He would fail the Genin Exam three times.
The third, however, a treacherous Chunin instructor would trick the boy into stealing the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing. He would tell the boy to learn a jutsu form the scroll with the promise of passing the exam, knowing the by would be unable to. He was wrong.
The boy would learn the powerful Kage Bunshin, and he would pumme the Chuninto unconsciousness with over one hundred copies.
As a Genin, he would be teamed Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, under Jounin instructor Hatake Kakashi.
Shortly after the passing of their Genin exams they would go on their first C-Rank mission, which they would then encounter Momochi Zabuza of the Seven Swordsman. Upon his defeat, they would free the Land of Waves from the evil tyrant, Gato, and end their poverty.
Soon after, they would enter the Chunin exams, where they would encounter Orochimaru of the Sennin in the second portion.
Battered and beaten, the Sennin left them alive, but placed his notorious curse mark onto the Uchiha boy.
A month later, the final portion of the exams begin. A tournament. Where our hero would face off against the Hyuga Prodigy, Neji. The fight was close, but our hero pulled out a win. A win that rocked Konoha's very core.
The matches continued on, until the Uchiha arrived, late, for his own, against Subaku no Gaara. Junchuuriki of the Ichibi.
The match would not last long, before the Uchiha, using an attack taught to him by his teacher, Chidori, injured the unstable boy, causing him to release the Ichibi's demonic power.
The Uchiha would be defeated by the power of the Ichibi, but Namikaze would quickly take his place. The epic battle ensuing ended with a close win by Namikaze, saving Konoha. The Ichibi Jinchuuriki's siblings took him away, saving his life.
During Namikaze's battle, the Sandaime passed away from unknown causes.
The Uchiha, realizing the gap between him and Namikaze, gave in to the power of the curse seal, and left for Orochimaru. Namikaze would go after him, annihilating the shinobi Orochimaru sent to guide the Uchiha to Otokagakure. Namikaze and the Uchiha would fight at the Valley of the End.
Weakened by the battles against Orochimarus henchmen as well as he fight against the Ichibi Jinchuuriki days prior, Namikaze would fall to the Uchiha, but not without severely injuring him.
Hatake Kakashi would carry the Namikaze back to Konoha, where he would spend more time yet in the hospital. Until collected by Jiraiya of the Sennin, who would spend the next three years training the powerful young man.
...
...
...
"Mari! It's time to go pick some herbs!" Akana called from the door to the house.
"Aw... bye nii-san! We can finish the story later!" Mari hopped off the bed and to the door, turning around to wave one last time before leaving with her mother.
'Nii-san, eh?' Tsuketsu thought, a warm smile making it's way to his face... which quickly left as a thought entered his mind. 'The story... it seemed off... and Namikaze Naruto..?'
The very name inspired a bubbling feeling of rage that he quickly pushed down. Weird...
End Flashback
Other than the so-called 'Hero of theNations', he had learned much about the land he was in.
None of it seemed familiar to him, though. Nothing did. Not even his reflection. He looked into the mirror. The golden colored eye staring back at him seemed strange. His wild, unkempt hair flowed down to his shoulders, the bangs in the front threatening to block his only uncovered eye, but doing a good job of hiding the bandages of the other. His toned body was littered with scars. It was strange... looking at your own body and not recognizing a single thing about it.
Tsuketsu sighed, grabbing the crimson t-shirt he had set out on the bed and pulling it over his head. It went nicely with black cargo pants and the black boots he was wearing, if he did say so his self.
He made his way out the door, determined to learn more of this 'Hero', before stopping short.
'What was that...?' he wondered.
He felt it again. A pulse in the room. It felt strange... it felt unnatural... it felt...
Familiar.
Okay... that chapter kind of sucked, didn't it?
Hopefully I can pick up the pace and quality of the chapters soon, but I believe this one is longer...
Next Chapter will see a bit more focus on Tsuketsu and Mari, seeing as how even now the relationship seems weak and forced... to me, anyway.
Well, anyway, read and for god's sake REVIEW! Just ONE would be nice! Geez... it's your responsibility as a reader, you know?
Well, later.
~Nazo Blade~