A story can start at many points.
It can start at the beginning of a jouney right before a hero sets off. The hero will learn many lessons and gain many allies.
The story may commence during the grand fight itself, displaying first the unimaginable strength of two monsters brought into the world.
A story can even start at the end of another story.
This particular story has many beginnings as well.
It could start when a chaotic universe was brought into peace and order.
It could start with a vengeful goddess.
It could start when a greedy clan began consuming fruits of life.
It could start with a sage, born in an era of endless war, molding the world into something that could be better.
It could start when two brothers fought each other for their ideals, over and over again.
It could start with a beast attacking a village.
But this story will start with a child meeting a devil.
A six year old stared up at a dull ceiling dirtied by stains and cracks. Clothes and trash were littered all around the floor. He would need to wash it at some point or else the room would stink up and make it harder to sleep.
He needed to fix the bedframe too while he was at it.
Then he would need to change the lightbulb. It flickered too much.
The room was free, so he couldn't complain about the little things.
He felt something is his glaringly yellow blonde hair and shook his hands through it to get out whatever it was. Grass, dirt, and leaves fell out on his bed. It all must have gotten caught in there during his spar at the academy.
Because he was training to become a shinobi, spars were a regular thing. Because they were meant to build up skill and camaraderie, they were safe spars. Spars were overseen by an instructor in a safe clearing. If used at all, only dull weapons could be used.
While he wouldn't call himself bad at fighting, there was one person that he had never been able to beat.
The boy grumbled to himself trying to forget the depth of the loss. The black haired bastard shoved his head to the ground again, not letting him land a single punch. This was after he had already surpassed all his efforts in the other practices such as stealth training and the like.
Yup, he was definitely gonna win one over that arrogant guy if it was the last thing he'd do...
His stomach grumbled at him. Rolling off the bed, he headed over to his small fridge and swung the door open, making the hinges rattle and creak. The cold contents were disappointingly empty. He was always forgetting what groceries he did and didn't have. His food money felt like it was just disappearing into thin air. All that was there was a boring carton of milk.
He should have sniffed the milk before he drank it. At the very least, he should've given it a little shake. Lumps filled into his mouth before he wrinkled his nose and spat it all back out into the sink. The sour taste was as bad as the rancid odor. He cupped water with his hands and rinsed his mouth a dozen times so that the awful taste would finally disappear.
When he opened the cupboards looking for any leftover instant ramen packets, his fingers only ending up catching cobwebs. He saw his reflection in the mirror. Blue eyes and whisker marks reflected back at him.
"Thought I'd be taller by now."
The six year old boy scowled at his reflection with a jutted out chin, thinking about why he wasn't growing up by this time. He summed it up to not eating bigger meals. When he became wealthy, he would buy big enough meals that there would be leftovers for the next day.
Though right now... he wasn't rich. He only had the monthly stipends the old man gave him every month.
And there wasn't anything left to eat here now, so...
He'd have to go out into the village to buy food. His green toad-shaped wallet looked like it was flattened by a cart, but at least it still had some coins bumping around his belly.
"Well," the boy apologized when he grabbed the sad excuse for a wallet. "No use worrying about it now, ya know?"
Konoha, named because it was the village hidden in the leaves, was one of the five great shinobi countries, residing deep within a forest at the base of a mountain. It was a powerful nation with powerful clans, powerful allies, and many resources at its disposal.
The many streets and alleys were filled with every sort of shop a person could wish for, a shop for food like katsu bowls and dumplings, a shop for ramen like miso or pork, a shop for sweets like castella or mochi, a shop for masks like oni or kitsune, a shop for clothes like jackets or skirts, a shop for weapons like katanas or halberds, a shop for custom weapons unique to the individual, and shops for toys like anything a kid would like, and probably a bunch of other shops too.
"Milk, eggs, instant ramen, um greens? No... maybe pudding?" The boy muttered the list of items he would stick to. Milk because it was cheap and would help him grow. Eggs because they were cheap and had protein. Instant ramen because it was cheap and really tasty. He heard parents tell their kids to eat their vegetables, but he never liked them. Pudding was nice as either snack or dessert.
While he couldn't say he hated going to get groceries, after all he needed food and other important things like anyone else, he could not say he enjoyed the experience either. The reason came down to the treatment he would typically receive.
Because he was distracted by a stray cat slipping by, he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and bumped into a man.
He was a Konoha shinobi. He had dark blue shirt with matching pants and bandages wrapped around his legs, kunai and shuriken were concealed and stuffed in his pockets, the standard appearance for a ninja residing in this country. Rather than significant armor for protection or heavy weapons for attacking, their gear was suited for discreet actions and quickness.
The shinobi glared at him with unsuppressed anger and annoyance, as if he were a bug that had crawled into his drink., "Watch it, you little brat."
As far as Naruto knew, he had never met with nor spoken to this man. But this reaction was nothing that he was not familiar with.
Frowning, the boy glared back and stuck his tongue at him, reacting with even greater and profound rudeness, but the man had already turned away and continued with his day, not sparing him a second thought.
The boy passed by many other villagers on his way to a grocery store. None of them spoke to him, nor did they smile at him. They wanted to ignore him more than anything else, like a wasp in the corner of the room or a stain on a wooden table. Yet, they hardly did even that properly.
"Look, that kid is out again..."
As if he were a feral dog that was meant to be chained to a post.
"-the kid is still here. I don't care what the Hokage says. How can he-"
What was he, a criminal? He had never even snatched a candy before.
"Can't believe the academy lets that kid-"
He volunteered and was accepted in. Nobody let him do anything.
Clenching his fist and jaw, "the kid" looked around at the sources of the whispers and talks, but nobody would meet his eyes. The few that did just snorted disdainfully and looked away, as if to pretend he didn't exist. It didn't matter if they were a teenager or an old man, they all acted the same.
But he never knew why. He hadn't been alive long enough to earn this many grudges. It was as if the world had merely chose to resent.
'That kid, the kid... I have a name, ya know! It's Naruto Uzumaki!'
Naruto reached the market and wandered up the aisles, looking at expensive cuts of meat and pricey desserts, the little snacks and the enticing drinks. He got the milk, eggs, and instant ramen like he planned, but the. Err, he also got some pudding as well, but they weren't on sale today, so it didn't look like he'd have any more money after this.
He paid the clerk and waited for the change.
He kept waiting with as patient of a look as a child can have on his face with hands full with groceries.
Looking down at him with a cigarette between his teeth, the clerk finally spat some words at him, "What do you want?"
"You still need to give me change..." Naruto reminded him. "And my name is Naruto Uzumaki, ya know!"
"Didn't ask." The clerk dropped two coins on the counter and went back to his magazine. "Now get lost. You're holding up the line."
There was no one behind him, but he didn't say anything.
There was no point.
A little later in the day, Naruto walked over to the academy grounds. The academy was where all the children of Konoha desiring to become shinobi went to learn. There, they were taught ninjutsu, taijutsu, and the basics of genjutsu. He was mainly interested in the ninjutsu, how to manipulate chakra using hand seals and performing the techniques only shinobi could use.
With ninjutsu, shinobi could do things such as disguising themselves flawlessly or create sweeping winds.
Most started at the academy at the age of six, kids his age. They graduated when they were twelve and passed the exam. The instructors were older, experienced shinobi away from active missions.
Right now, there were other kids at the academy grounds. The bastard who got lucky in their fight today didn't seem to still be here, though.
He started to train regardless, going over the drills that the instructors taught. "Hmph, just you wait Sasuke. I'll be ten times stronger than you in no time!"
There was a laughter directed at him.
The other kids there that hung out at the academy grounds laughed at him, overhearing his words to himself. "Did you hear that? The village loser said he's going to be stronger than that genius!"
"Pfft, no way."
The kid who said it never won any of the spars.
"What else do you expect a fool to say?"
He cried when Sasuke threw him.
"He couldn't even land a single hit on him. Bet I could kick him around if I wanted to."
Who was he?
It was annoying to be insulted by other kids who never even tried.
"Hey!" Naruto yelled. "I meant what I said! I'll get stronger than Sasuke, and every other shinobi in the village, then I'll be Hokage! What do you have!?"
"Whatever."
The kids smirked, rolled their eyes, and turned away. They weren't even training, just messing around with each other.
Fixing the green goggles on his head, Naruto practiced kicking and punching the air, trying to attack an imaginary enemy as fast as he could. But even if he wouldn't admit it to himself, they wasn't as fast as he wanted them to be. He wasn't sure how to proceed to become stronger and the instructors didn't think he was ready for greater training.
Something hit the back of his neck. And it hurt.
He swung his head around to look for the culprit, but everyone was feigning innocence. He couldn't tell what was thrown, but it was probably a random rock on the ground.
When he went back to practicing, only minutes later, another rock hit his elbow.
"Hey!?"
Naruto growled at the other academy students, furious. Which one of you threw those!?"
He didn't wait for an answer and immediately punched the kid who was closest. They were all part of the same group, so they'd support each other anyways.
Another one of them kicked him in the ribs so he grabbed the leg and tried to pull him down with him, but the third kid grabbed his arm and hit him in the face.
He got beat up in the end, but he put up enough of a fight to not let them stick around and brag.
Well... he wasn't satisfied with that either.
Those jerks were talking with a bunch of other kids about a test of courage all week at a forest everyone avoided, or maybe it was just a forest nobody had any reason to visit.
A snicker escaped his mouth.
Might as well make it a real test of courage.
That'll teach them to mess with him.
Naruto carefully crept over the roofs of the buildings, doing his best to keep out of anyone's line of sight. A bucket filled with water was attached to his hip. It took all he had to stifle his giggles.
He made sure to fill the bucket with the coldest water her could find, as cold as ice.
The wind blew through his spiky hair. He nearly slipped off the tile. Tumbling down now would've been the worse.
Before the sun set all the way, all of those kids from before went into the forest to mark an old giant withered tree with their kunai. Apparently, in the woods long before the Forest of Death, there was a violent spirit that would devour anyone it comes across. If you dug into the ground anywhere, you would find the victims' bones.
If they made it all the way to the withered tree and back, then they could brag about it however they wished. The ones who chickened out before getting to the tree would have to pay for all the snacks next day. It was the sort of game all kids did at some point.
Of course, they'd be in for a surprise when they came out.
Naruto waited...
And he waited...
And then he waited some more...
While the sun started to disappear under the horizon, Naruto was still waiting a little longer...
". . . . . . ."
A dried leaf blew in the wind.
"Graaaah! Did they all chicken out already!? Where are they!?" He banged his fist against the rails. This was definitely the place they talked about. Naruto slumped over and fell to his back with an angry huff, crossing his arms.
Staring at the blue sky, he dwelled on his day a little, "Damn it, just wanted to have a bit of fun..."
There were times when a ball would roll by near him and he'd happily pick it up, times when somebody would drop something and he'd gladly try to catch it for them, times when he'd do something kind of cool he should be able to brag about. These were all times he should've finally been able to be... included.
"Oi, don't play with that kid."
"Don't go near him."
"He isn't like you. You'll be cursed if he's around."
"The kid's name doesn't matter. Just don't speak to him."
"Try not to look at him if you can."
Those were the only occurrences.
In kind, he'd also see and overhear people with their own kids, kids with their own parents, a mom and a dad.
"You did so well there! I'm so proud!"
"Here, you almost forgot your lunch. I packed sweets. Share them with your brother."
"Come on, don't cry. All you have to do is to do your best. That's enough for us."
". . ."
Why couldn't he have that? A mom and a dad? Or even just an older brother would be good enough. An older brother would be nice.
Why couldn't anyone acknowledge him? Was it because he didn't have parents?
He couldn't help that.
Did he need more talent? He'd be more talented in the future. That's why he would train.
At the very least, couldn't someone call him by his name? He had a name after all. That's what names were for, to be remembered by.
Naruto snapped to attention when he heard screaming. He tried to get up too fast and ended up falling over. "Ow!" But he didn't let that stop him. Pushing off the ground at full force, he threw himself up and twisted over his ankle. "Again!?"
Ok, this time, he got up as quickly and carefully as he could. Most of the kids from the academy that had taken part in the test of courage had already run out. Many of them were gasping and whispering something in a panic. The words varied, but they all carried the same meaning.
"Devil..." "Monster..." "Ghost..." "Demon..."
They were tripping and scrambling over themselves to get away from the woods. Some of them were even crying.
Naruto smirked. 'Ha ha! Those chicken got afraid and ran. Bet it was from their own shadows! Test of courage my ass! Ha!'
Now was the time to strike. There was a rustling in the woods. He didn't see the beanie kid or the ringleader come out yet. It must've been them! Naruto hefted the bucket filled with the devastating projectiles over his shoulder and prepared to throw the entire lot.
"This'll show em for sure, ya know!"
A figure came out from the dark woods and Naruto threw the bucket with the full swing of his body. A wide, glistening rain of icy water exploded on impact. Naruto could tell Lady Luck was shining on him. Nearly all the water hit its mark. The bucket hit something too.
He could see two of the kids that were throwing rocks at him...
...-because the two were being dragged forth by their hair, bodies frozen and limp with sweat inducing, spine chilling fear. He couldn't even look into the forest because of the dense trees, but dozens of them were kicked down in an instant because they were in the way.
Naruto took a step back when he saw a person he had never seen before drenched from head to toe.
They were all in the village outskirts. Thinking about it now, he had never been here before. Kids were told not to get lost or even go too near these woods. There were rumors of dangerous animals. That's why it was picked as the location of a test of courage.
Wind blew strongly into his face and through his hair making him blink.
When he opened his eyes, he was swallowed by the other's shadow. The sun in the horizon line was blocked from his vision. He saw sharp inhuman teeth like fangs.
It was either angry or hungry.
"AAaAahhhHhHHh!" Naruto turned tail and ran as fast as he could. He had run plenty of times before. He'd run from drunken old men he had insulted to their faces. He had run from upset store owners whose stores he graffitied with whatever paint he could get his hands on. He had run from pissed off-duty shinobi he had pranked in pretty clever, if he said so himself, ways.
Now he was running from what could only be a violent monster or spirit.
"Why the hell me! I didn't even go inside your stupid forest!" Naruto screamed while he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. The six year old could still feel a chill down his spine. He thought he could maybe hear footsteps behind him. Darting in a zig zag pattern like the academy taught them to throw off pursuers and make it harder to be caught, Naruto jumped in an alley way.
'I need to use the Cloak of Invisibility technique!' Naruto hastily threw a sheet the same color as the concrete wall over himself and stayed still as he could.
The academy learned technique was one where the user covers themselves with a cloak that has a color and pattern matching the nearby surroundings, concealing their presence by seamlessly blending in. The user can then gather intel from their position or wait for an opportunity to stage an ambush on unsuspecting targets. Naruto had three different cloaks for blending in the city and two different cloaks for blending in the woods. They were light and easily carriable.
All he had to do now was wait. Naruto counted to ten again and again until he had counted ten times. Only then, did he lower the crumpled cloak over himself.
The angered was standing perpendicular to the wall above him, feet buried deep in it as if the concrete was a fragile sheet of ice.
Naruto was grabbed by the scruff of his neck and dragged out of the alley.
"Wait! No! Help! Heeelp!" Naruto tried punching the hand and thrashing out of the grip, but nothing was working. Nobody came to help him. His legs only continued to dangle over the ground helplessly.
Before he realized what was going on, the boy was flying through the air. His body plunged into the river. He gasped and ended up choking on the water. Thankfully. he was close enough to the riverbank to frantically paddle over to dry land. Now he was completely soaked from head to toe. The water weighed him down.
"Cold!"
"Karma is what it's called, runty!" The shadow stepped forward to loom over him again.
Naruto angrily looked up and saw the face of violence. Her wild hair was spiky, long, and untamed, enshrouding her like a burning halo. Deeply rosy in color, it nearly reached the ground. She didn't look all that old, but she was still taller than him. Her face had sharp features, entirely lacking in any feminine delicacy. Her devouring black eyes were sharp, and her teeth were even sharper. The black top decorated with dull golden scales and grey pants going down to her bandaged feet contrasted with her lightly tanned skin.
A white scarf like scales wrapped around her neck, and a dark, ragged cloak was secured around her shoulders.
Rather than a girl, she really did resemble a devil more.
Naruto Uzumaki growled at her, no longer afraid of what was just a girl. 'Who does this girl think she is!?'
"You threw me into the river!"
"You poured cold water on me!" she accused right back, stomping her feet and clenching her fists. Her voice was striking and flooded with arrogance. "Be thankful I didn't drown you in an ocean or somewhere deeper, runty!"
"Hey! I'm not runty!" Naruto stood up and tried to face her down, a difficult feat when the top of his head could only brush against her chin.
In response, she rudely and aggressively knocked her finger against his forehead. "Runty, runty, runty~" she sang aloud.
"That does it! You asked for it!" Naruto charged her only for her to step to the side and trip him over.
"Haa? You're challenging me?"
Naruto swung his fist at the girl's head, and she easily dodged the clumsy attack. He didn't stop and continued to throw his fists forward.
She just kept on taking small steps back, slightly weaving away from the strikes with a smug smile on her face as her hair lightly swayed with the motions. "Is that all?"
Jumping up, Naruto kicked at her chin. With a stroke of luck, he was able to get the right angle and path that instructors praised.
By stepping forward, she made the kick ineffective by reducing the range. By pushing his back down with a palm, she sent him to the floor. Then she kicked him away like an empty can. "Boooring~ try harder. I'm not even warmed up!"
Not even Sasuke ever humiliated him in a fight like this. Their eyes bothered him too, but in different ways. The popular bastard's eyes were filled with… something, but the girl's eyes were filled with devouring hunger and jubilation.
Growling louder, Naruto yelled out at her, "I'm not gonna lose. No way!"
"Course you are, I'm stronger!"
His small fist slammed into her cheek. He winced in pain. It felt like his knuckles cracked.
She didn't flinch. Her eyes tracked the punch as if it were a lethargic butterfly floating in the air. The fist was still squishing her cheek. Taking a breath like she was disappointed and disapproving, she swung her head against his, knocking him to the ground with a violent headbutt.
Naruto couldn't get up before the heavier girl straddled him and pinned his elbows to the ground against his sides.
"You lose, runty." Her gleeful eyes and the fanged smirk on her face were infuriating.
Gritting his teeth, the boy struggled uselessly to break out and keep fighting even when his body felt like it was beat around by a family of hungry bears. "My name's not runty! It's Naruto Uzumaki, ya know! I'll become Hokage, so remember it!"
The girl laughed on top of him. She released one of his elbows for a moment and held up her hand. "Narutouzumaki? Fine then, Narutouzumaki! My name is Ryujin Natsumi. I'll be the strongest so remember it well." A beautiful flame flickered in the palm of her hand. "That means my dream is greater than yours. I won twice today!"
The sky reflected against his eyes while the sun was shining against her face.
"That's a load of bull! Get off me bastard!" Naruto shouted, futilely trying to buck her off.
Natsumi only tightened her hold and pinned his elbow again. "Only when you admit that I won. You need to admit your losses or you'll stay as a loser forever. I can wait for it." Her smile and voice only became more and more grounded in pride and arrogance.
'I think I reallt hate this girl.'
It was something he didn't realize at the time. He didn't realize because he was so frustrated.
He wouldn't realize this today or tomorrow. He wouldn't realize this for a long time.
But this was the first time someone had called him by his name with such a bright smile.
Author's note:
Gonna be honest with y'all. Thought this up while I was feeling pretty feverish. Still fairly sick right now. Although, despite that, I kinda like the story I've thought up.
Leave a review and tell me what you think.