DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR YOUNG JUSTICE
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|PROLOGUE|
Sweat streamed down Naruto's face, stinging his squinted eyes. His arms shook from sheer exhaustion as he forced himself through the final hand seal. A flicker of chakra swirled around him...then fizzled out like a deflating balloon.
"Are you kidding me?"
He'd thought for sure he had it that time.
Naruto glared at his empty hands. He had been at it for hours—repeating the stupid seals over and over until the motions burned into his brain. Still, the Shadow Clone Jutsu laughed in his face, staying insanely out of reach.
Naruto ground his teeth so hard his jaws creaked. This wasn't how things were supposed to go—he was supposed to easily master an amazing Jutsu, one so incredibly powerful it would blow away any moron still doubting his skills.
But of course one of the powerful Jutsu in the scroll would be impossible for a screw-up like him to learn. He glared at his empty hands, now clenched into white-knuckled fists. Crescent cuts instantly formed and healed across his palms, but the sting lingered.
As did the simmering frustration that buzzed under his skin since...well, forever really. Ever since realizing he existed solely on the Leaf Village's periphery, a lurking annoyance people simply tolerated and ignored when possible.
Naruto slumped against the base of a tree trunk, chest heaving. His body was exhausted from hours of intense training. Every bone in his body ached and every muscle sore.
Mizuki was definitely telling the truth. Every jutsu in the Scroll of Sealing was totally amazing. But they were also incredibly difficult to master. He had chosen what seemed to be the simplest jutsu in the scroll, at least compared to the others, but even the scroll's simplest jutsu looked super complicated compared to the academy Clone Jutsu.
And after hours of tireless practice, going through the motions over and over again, he was finally making progress, but it wasn't enough. He didn't have much time left to learn a jutsu and graduate.
Useless tears Naruto refused to shed stung the corners of his eyes. No matter how hard he trained his all-consuming dream to finally make those jerks respect him, their sneers never faded. The shopkeepers still kept chasing him off, parents never stopped shielding their children from him, and the sideways glances riddled with poorly-masked disdain were always present.
Naruto shook his head. He just had to learn an amazing jutsu then everyone would have to respect him!
"I just need a little more practice," he muttered to himself as he struggled to stand up, but his legs and arms felt like limp ramen noodles.
Before he could start practicing again, a voice stopped him.
"Naruto!"
Naruto blinked as an out-of-breath and seemingly irate Iruka dropped down from the trees. A grin spread across his face.
"Iruka-sensei! I found you!"
Iruka's eye twitched. "I found you, fool!" the chunin shouted.
Naruto struggled to stand up, wobbling on his feet and Iruka frowned. "What are you doing out here, Naruto?" he asked. "You look completely exhausted."
Of course, Iruka already knew. Every ninja in the village chunin level and higher had been told. Naruto had been caught fleeing the Hokage Tower with the forbidden Scroll of Sealing. The forbidden scroll contained instructions about how to perform the most dangerous and well-guarded jutsu in the village. This was treason, even for a child like Naruto.
"I am exhausted," Naruto confessed. "I've been training in ninjutsu all night! I even learned t—"
Iruka's expression suddenly turned worried. "You really have been practicing jutsu? What were you thinking, Naruto? Stealing the Scroll of Sealing? Don't you know it's forbidden?"
Naruto nodded eagerly and got into position to perform the awesome new clone jutsu he'd been practicing. "Here, I'll show you!" he said excitedly. "If I do this, you'll have to let me graduate! That's how it works right? I get the scroll and learn jutsu from it and I can graduate even if I failed the graduation exam!"
He began to make the intricate hand movements, thinking to himself, If I can pull this off, they'll have no choice but to promote me straight to chunin!
But Iruka interrupted with a stern voice, "Hold on, Naruto! Who told you that?"
Naruto looked puzzled. "Huh? Mizuki-sensei was the one who told me about the secret test. He said it would make up for the graduation exam."
"Mizuki told you about the scroll?" Iruka asked, repeating Naruto's answer with concern. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to gather his thoughts.
With tears welling up in his eyes, Naruto turned to Iruka with a look of fear. "I-Iruka-sensei, am I in trouble?"
He had no idea what he would do if he were. Could he fight Iruka, his sensei? The thought made him scoff; despite his bravado, Naruto knew he wasn't strong enough to beat someone as skilled and experienced as Iruka. He knew that Iruka could easily defeat him before he even had a chance to use his new powerful technique.
Plus, what good would fighting Iruka even do? Attacking a leaf shinobi would ruin any chance he had of becoming a ninja, let alone being Hokage!
Iruka let out a heavy sigh. He was at a loss for what to do next. He didn't know what to do in this situation. So he just did what came naturally. He placed a comforting hand on Naruto's hair and spoke honestly, "It's very likely you'll be in trouble. But you were just following your sensei's orders to become a ninja. If you come with me, I promise as a Konoha chunin that I will do everything in my power to support you and help you get through this."
Naruto's body tensed up and he seemed to be weighing his options—whether to run, fight, or give in. Mizuki had already lied to him earlier today; could Iruka-sensei be lying too?
Suddenly, without any warning, Iruka lunged forward and pushed Naruto out of the way. Naruto tumbled to the ground as a barrage of shuriken flew towards Iruka. He watched in horror as Iruka was struck by the sharp blades, grunting and stumbling backward.
Iruka clenched his teeth in pain and glared up at a figure perched on top of a nearby tree. "Mizuki," he gritted out between labored breaths, his clothing torn and blood oozing from multiple wounds. "I should have known it was you who was following me."
Mizuki stood on a branch near the top of a tree, with several huge windmill shuriken strapped to his back. "I had a feeling you might lead me to Naruto," he said
"I see," Iruka responded, pulling a shuriken from his arm with a grimace.
Naruto's eyes darted back and forth between Mizuki and Iruka, wondering what was going on. "Wh-what's happening?" he stammered.
Mizuki's usual lighthearted demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold, menacing expression. "Give me the scroll, Naruto."
"Don't listen to him, Naruto!" Iruka's voice rang out, sharp and urgent. "That scroll is filled with dangerous jutsu! Mizuki only wants it for himself!"
Suddenly, everything clicked into place for Naruto. He had been tricked by Mizuki into stealing the scroll from the Hokage!
"You don't need that scroll, Naruto!" Mizuki said. "Now hand it over before you get hurt!"
Naruto's eyes widened in fear as Mizuki's usually friendly face twisted into a cruel sneer. "N-no," he managed to say defiantly, even though his entire was shaking.
"Why? Just because Iruka-sensei told you not to?" Mizuki scoffed. "Would you like to know what Iruka really thinks of you? What the entire village thinks of you?"
Iruka suddenly looked horrified. "No, Mizuki! It's forbidden!" he shouted.
Mizuki ignored Iruka's protests and turned toward Naruto. "Do you know who killed Iruka's parents?" he asked.
"It was the Nine-Tailed demon fox, right?" Naruto answered. "The thing that attacked the village twelve years ago?"
Mizuki let out a mocking laugh. "Well done, Naruto. What a truly brilliant answer, especially coming from someone like you."
"Stop!" Iruka's cry rang out through the air as he tried to stop Mizuki. But the shuriken had done their damage and he fell to his knees.
"Think carefully about my question, Naruto. I asked who killed Iruka's parents, not what."
"Who?" Naruto asked, puzzled. "You're making it sound almost human."
"Because it is, Naruto!" Mizuki spat, his eyes wild and manic. "The Nine-Tailed Fox has changed its form, but it is still alive. Not even the Fourth Hokage could kill the demon. Instead, he sealed it inside a human... and that human is you, Naruto!"
"W-what do you mean?"
Mizuki's face twisted into an ugly snarl. "You are the one who killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village. They see you as a demon, a monster!"
Naruto's legs felt weak beneath him as he stumbled back, trying to make sense of Mizuki's accusations. "But I...Iruka-sensei's parents..."
"Dead because of you," Mizuki said, his voice dripping with venom. "Their blood is on your hands, Naruto! That's why everyone hates you! Why they despise you! Treat you like dirt!"
"Don't listen to him, Naruto!" Iruka pleaded. "He's not telling the—"
Mizuki sneered at his fellow chunin. "The truth, Iruka?" he scoffed. "The truth is, you hate the Nine-Tailed Fox more than anyone!"
"No, Naruto. That's not—" Iruka started to say.
Mizuki pulled one of the massive shuriken from his back. "Even Iruka hates you, Naruto! You killed his parents! No one can stand the sight of you!"
The chunin threw the shuriken as hard as he could.
"You did your job! Now die in peace!"
Naruto froze as the giant shuriken spun toward him. He didn't scream, or run, or even cry. He just stood there, absolutely stunned. Everything went black as he fell backward. Then a strange thing happened. Suddenly his whole body felt cradled by something soft and warm.
Naruto looked up to find himself in Iruka's arms.
Iruka slowly pulled away. Naruto shuddered when he saw the huge shuriken sticking out of Iruka's back. Iruka's chunin flak jacket had softened the blow somewhat, but he was still seriously injured.
Iruka looked at Naruto and there were tears in his eyes. "You must have felt so lonely, Naruto," Iruka cried. "You must have suffered so much."
Naruto stared at Iruka in utter shock.
Tears rolled down Iruka's cheeks as he remembered what the Hokage had said.
Naruto needs a firm hand. But he also needs love.
That need felt all too familiar to Iruka. He had also longed for someone to love him after his parents died.
As a boy, Iruka had even pulled a few pranks to get noticed, though never as many as Naruto. He just wanted somebody, anybody, to acknowledge he even existed.
Naruto is me, Iruka realized. No wonder I could never get close to him.
But for some reason, Iruka felt different now. He had thrown himself in the shuriken's path without a second thought.
Iruka coughed and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I should have realized what you were going through," he said gently. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.
Naruto stared at Iruka. Then he jumped up and ran into the forest with the scroll.
|NARUTOxONE PIECE|
In his study, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village and hailed as the God of Shinobi, sat behind his desk, gazing at a crystal ball. Tiny figures of Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki were reflected inside, like tiny actors on a miniature stage.
He suddenly looked away in disgust.
"They finally find Naruto, and now this happens? What is Mizuki thinking?" the Hokage puffed on his pipe.
The day had taken a turn for the worse when the Uzumaki Naruto was tricked by his chunin-sensei Mizuki and stole the Scroll of Sealing. Iruka had found him easily, but Mizuki had followed Iruka and revealed the worst truth imaginable to Naruto.
Turning back to the crystal, as he watched Naruto suddenly stop, the Hokage thought back to the day that had ruined so many lives including the one he was watching at the moment.
THEN.
"Hold it back!"
"Don't let it get any closer to the village."
Hundreds of Konoha Shinobi stood against a force of nature, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, trying to keep it from destroying their home. Launching Jutsu seemed to have no effect and the little damage the shinobi inflicted healed in seconds as the unstoppable monster moved forward crushing the brave warriors beneath its massive paw.
They all knew the stories revolving around the monster fox. The strongest of the Tailed Beasts, capable of causing earthquakes and raising tsunamis with a single swing of its tails.
The Almighty Kyuubi.
"Hold the line! We have to hold the line!" yelled the third Hokage dressed in full battle armor, his adamantine staff shifting back into the massive brown, white form of Monkey King Enma.
"Sarutobi we can't do this much longer. Too many are dying, the Fox is going to get past if we don't do something soon," Enma told his summoner breathing heavily due to exhaustion.
"I know, but none of our attacks can hurt it. Minato said he had something planned he just needed time and we can give him that." The Third answered as his hands blazed through seals before slamming his palms against the ground erecting a mud wall blocking a fireball from burning a poor Chunin who had gotten caught in front of the Kyuubi.
Above him, white smoke engulfed the Nine-Tail's fading away seconds later to reveal a large red pipe-smoking toad holding down the Bijuu.
"It's the toad boss Gambunta! The Fourth is here!
A flash of yellow light on top of Gambunta's head signaled the arrival of the Fourth Hokage.
Jumping from Gambunta's head, the Fourth Hokage landed in a crouch on the Nine-Tail's and placed a hand down before disappearing with the fox using the Flying Thunder God Jutsu.
NOW.
That was the last time Hiruzen had seen Minato alive, having found his and Kushina's bodies next to a baby Naruto after Minato used the Reaper Death Seal to summon the Shinigami and seal the Kyuubi away in the Shinigami's stomach as a last-ditch effort to stop the beast.
While the plan was successful, there wasn't a day that went by Hiruzen wished he could have taken his successor's place in death. Forcing the life of a jinchūriki on anyone would have been hard, asking someone, even a Hokage to do it to their own son was too much. but Hiruzen would have done it.
It would have pained Hiruzen to do it, but he would have done it, just like it had pained Hiruzen to create the lie, but he was Konoha's leader, and the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. As terrible as it was to think, the village needed Naruto even if they didn't deserve him.
The other Hidden Villages could never know that Konoha no longer possessed the Nine-Tails.
"It would be a shame to lose him," the Hokage whispered to himself, shaking out his pipe in an ashtray.
|NARUTOxONE PIECE|
He saw a copy of himself jumping through the trees, the Scroll of Sealing tied to his back.
"Naruto there you are!"
"And there's Mizuki," Menma said as a fake Iruka suddenly appeared in the trees next to fake Naruto.
"Hurry, give me the scroll!" 'Iruka' said. "Mizuki is right behind us!"
'Naruto' glanced at his sensei, a mischievous grin spread across his face. Without bothering to respond, he abruptly changed direction and shot straight toward Iruka.
'Iruka' not expecting to be attacked was unprepared when 'Naruto' slammed knee-first into his chest. The chunin was knocked out of the trees and with nothing to break his fall, he crashed to the ground with a thud. As he tumbled awkwardly, 'Naruto' gracefully landed on the forest floor next to him.
"How did you know?" 'Iruka' scowled up at 'Naruto' as he slowly picked himself up from the dirt and leaves. "Naruto! How did you know!"
Suddenly, a cloud of smoke enveloped him. When it cleared, Mizuki appeared in his place, seething with rage.
"That it was me and not Iruka!"
'Naruto's' mischievous grin stretched wider as he retorted, "Because I'm the real Iruka!" Another burst of smoke surrounded them, revealing Iruka, injured but still smiling.
Whoa! the real Naruto thought as he watched the exchange from his hiding spot. Iruka-sensei is really amazing!
"You're a fool!" Mizuki spat, glaring at Iruka. "Why are you protecting that monster, Iruka? He killed your parents!"
"For the last time, Naruto isn't like that," Iruka insisted.
Mizuki scoffed. "What do you know? Naruto is the same as I am."
"What do you mean?"
Mizuki laughed like a madman. "The jutsu in the Scroll of Sealing can make all things possible. I could tear the heavens, split the earth, and bring every star in the sky falling down. Just think of what the Nine-Tailed Fox might do with that knowledge."
"You could be right, Mizuki," Iruka admitted.
Iruka's words wrapped around Naruto's heart like a vice. So it's true. Nobody in the village really cares about me.
The vice tightened and Naruto ran again, leaving Mizuki and Iruka behind before he could hear anything more.
Naruto and Young Justice Crossover inspired by the Fic "Maelstrom" by Crohn's Colitis and an SI that I think got deleted!
Next chapter will be a time-skip with Naruto already in the DC world!
Thanks for reading!