Naruto/PJO (Earlier this Year/2013)
The Shinobi and the Maiden
Prologue: A Hunter's Life
"When there is Nothing but Hatred and Disgust shown to You, can a Place be called Home?" - Naruto to Hestia
"But when your Hearth is a Campfire in a Dark Forest with Someone who accepts you for who you are, does it matter if you don't have a Place to call Home?" - Hestia's reply to Naruto
Konohagakure no Sato. Seven Years after the Kyūbi Event. (1250 BCE)
A young boy of seven years of age with golden blonde hair and cerulean blue eyes walks down a street in the Shinobi village of Konoha. Normally a young boy of seven would be carefree and happy, however this is no ordinary boy. Ever since he was born Naruto Uzumaki has faced things which even grown men would find terrifying. Hatred, Loathing, Disgust and Contempt, those have been Naruto's constant companions and what he has grown with. No friends, no hope, no future. Seven long years of hatred and beatings, Naruto finally had had enough, no more! He would no longer stay where he was hated. Naruto had decided, he was leaving.
Naruto didn't even have to be stealthy, he simply walked to a nearby camping store, told the sneering owner he was leaving and what should he get. The owner recognizing a golden opportunity offered Naruto the best equipment he would need to survive, along with scrolls to explain everything. The only condition? Do not return… ever. Naruto didn't even hesitate, he said okay.
The gate guards upon hearing the same thing not only happily let him go, but they also pointed him towards the last known location of a great hunter he could learn from. The gate guards then agreed to remain silent about what happened, and also informed the camping store owner not to brag for at least a year.
By the time the overworked Hiruzen Sarutobi, the leader of the village and one of the rare few who actually liked Naruto discovered the deception, it was far too late. Naruto was lost to Konohagakure no Sato, and with him left the Kyūbi and its power.
It took him three days but Naruto eventually found the greatest hunter in the Elemental Nations. Daichi Ono.
Naruto stumbled into a clearing, obviously exhausted. However he kept trying to walk, Naruto had discovered that while his equipment and cloths were top class, they were also heavier then he was used to. As he was about to continue to struggle to walk a strong hand latched onto his left shoulder and lifted him without difficulty. Naruto found himself facing an elder man, while he was obviously as old or older then the Hokage, he had none of the signs other then slightly graying red hair. The man looked down on Naruto and said "You know, you must be the most persistent child I have ever seen, what's your name kid?"
Naruto looked up weakly "Naruto… Uzumaki"
The elder man's eyes widen, he looked surprised at the name "That so? Well Naruto Uzumaki, why is a child like you out here?"
Naruto sighed "The villagers… hated me, whenever I walked past them they would either looked at me with disgust or spit on me. To them I was a demon, a monster, not worth anything. I heard a masked ninja call me a Jinchūriki, whatever that is. I had enough three days ago, I said I was going to leave and the camping store man and the gate guards were suddenly all nice to me, the guards told me to look for someone named Daichi Ono. They said he is the best hunter in the Elemental Nations"
The man smiled "Well, I must thank those guards them. And congratulate you kid, you found me. I like you kid, so since you've got no home. How about you travel with me, I'll teach you how to hunt and some Shinobi tricks I've picked up. The only condition is that you don't complain, you do what I say when I say. Got it?"
Naruto nodded and asked "When do we start?"
Daichi laughed "You've got spirit kid, but since you're tired. We'll have dinner and sleep, your training from hell starts tomorrow"
The next day Naruto was kicked out of his sleeping roll at around four in the morning. He didn't complain, he was told by Daichi to take two large buckets to the river and gather water, he didn't complain. After he had finished getting the water he asked "I know this is training, but what am I training?"
Daichi smiled "Ah, smart boy, you aren't complaining, but wish to know what benefit this gives?" Naruto nodded "Well it simple, it helps make breakfast, and it increases arm, leg and body strength" Naruto nodded with an intrigued look on his face.
Naruto then said "So it's doing chores, but making them training at the same time?"
Daichi laughed "That's exactly what my daughter said when I told her the reason as well! If this is any indication Naruto, you will go far, far indeed"
Daichi then began to train in earnest, his training method was ingenious and crazy at the same time. While Naruto did physical exercises through the day, Daichi would lecture him on the theoretical. While other students would have problems, Naruto was a kinesthetic learner, which meant he learn more by doing. But he also learnt theoretical subjects faster when he was working on something physical at the same time. So as he did pushups he learned the nature of chakra and as he did sit-ups he learned of the politics of the Elemental Nations.
When Naruto turned eight Daichi judged him old enough to begin learning Daichi's Kenjutsu style and Archery, particularly Hunting. Naruto had to stand in Archery and Kenjutsu stances for hours at a time to get a feel for them, while he was being bombarded with small rocks and pails of water. At the same time he was also reviewing every jutsu he knew in his head.
Naruto then moved onto simple spars with Kage Bunshin created by Daichi. Naruto started off by fighting one on one with a single Kage Bunshin eventually he moved onto two, then three, then four and eventually it led to Naruto facing upwards of twenty Kage Bunshin at once.
Meanwhile in Archery Naruto started shooting targets at twenty meters and then when he could hit a small black dot in the centre of a moving target 5 centimeters across, he moved onto 25 meters, then thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, a hundred, one-ten, one-twenty, one-thirty. By the time Naruto was facing twenty Kage Bunshin at once in Kenjutsu he was shooting moving targets the size of an apple at nearly half a mile.
Daichi's training came into handy when Naruto holding a katana and practicing some of the stances he had learned from Daichi was attacked by thirty bandits. Naruto then quickly moved into a combat stance as they charged at him. Naruto was almost impossible to follow, he moved like water and shifted unpredictably in small or large circular motions. Within minutes Naruto had slain every single bandit. Naruto then started crying. He had killed thirty human beings on his ninth birthday.
Naruto ran towards Daichi crying that he was a monster
Daichi smiled gently as he hugged the sobbing boy to him "You, are not a monster Naruto. Those men were. They stole from people who had little and probably raped some women as well, while it is still a sad thing they are dead you are not a monster. If you need proof of this, look at your tears. Monsters don't cry. They don't know how or they forgot, and lost what made them human in the first place"
Daichi and Naruto fell asleep that night leaning on a tree while Naruto's tear streaked face was buried in Daichi's chest.
The next day Daichi began teaching Naruto two things, chakra manipulation and non-lethal attacks.
While Naruto had enormous chakra reserves for a nine year old boy within months of his ninth birthday he quickly began to gain control over them, he started with wall-walking. Then Naruto moved onto water-walking, then he started a more complex technique where he levitated a rock on his hand with chakra. Then Naruto was taught the strength enhancement and physical strengthening technique that made Tsunade such a feared opponent in the Second and Third Great Shinobi Wars. Unsurprisingly Naruto quickly mastered it to levels beyond even Tsunade, but as he had the nearly limitless power of the Kyūbi to use that wasn't a surprise.
On his tenth birthday Naruto was taught meditation and got into contact with the Kyūbi, to his surprise he found the Kyūbi was a woman. After he got over the shock of this fact Naruto quickly worked out a bargain, connection to his senses for use of her Youkai. Kyūbi agreed, she didn't mind those terms, at least he bargained with her instead of just taking her power.
Naruto spent most of his tenth year learning to control the Kyūbi's Youkai, within a month he mastered the tailless state, it took Naruto nearly five months to master the first tail however. He decided to shift to Taijutsu instead and wait until he was older to attempt more tails, Daichi nodded at his wisdom and congratulated him on the fact that he decided such a thing on his own without Daichi's intervention.
Daichi's Taijutsu style like his Kenjutsu style was based heavily on circular movements and fluid like stances, however it also employed a lot of aerial combat skills. Naruto learned to bounce of trees like in Naruto's words 'a hyper squirrel on caffeine and crack.' Needless to say Daichi broke down laughing at Naruto's succinct description of the battle style, he didn't however dispute the description, it was actually spot-on. Pity those who would face it, either they would be cut down by Naruto's skill or they would die laughing at his movements.