I don't own Naruto or One Piece
Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, the firstborn child of the legendary Fourth Hokage and the formidable Red Death, found himself perpetually overshadowed by the brilliance of his younger siblings. Fate dealt him a harsh blow from the moment of his birth, bestowing upon him a damaged chakra system that rendered him incapable of wielding the formidable techniques inherent to his prestigious lineage.
While Menma and Naruko thrived under the attentive guidance of their parents, their innate mastery over the split halves of Nine-Tailed Fox setting them apart as prodigies, Naruto languished in the shadows of their accomplishments. He watched with envy as they effortlessly performed jutsus passed down through generations in their family while he struggled to even perform basic techniques.
Yet despite these obstacles and setbacks, Naruto harbored no resentment towards his family. The villagers, mindful of his father's noble sacrifice for Konoha, dared not lay a hand on him. They provided a fragile shield of protection against the harsh realities of life outside their village's walls.
Grateful for this fragile peace and determined not to let it go to waste, Naruto matured at an accelerated pace. He buried his disappointment beneath a facade of resilience and sought solace in hidden recesses such as his father's study or exploring parts unknown within Konoha.
However, even with this newfound maturity and strength within himself, there was one thing that still weighed heavily on Naruto -the lackluster attention from those closest to him- especially from his own parents who were consumed by love for their jinchuriki children.
On occasion when Minato and Kushina would celebrate all three triplets' birthdays together; instead it felt like another reminder that he wasn't seen or valued as equally as Menma or Naruko were by them. As they grew older each year passing birthday celebration became grander than before leaving out any mention or recognition towards Naruto which left an invisible sting piercing his heart.
Feeling the sting of neglect pierce his heart like a dagger, Naruto quietly slipped away from the festivities. The weight of his solitude bore down upon him with crushing force, and even his godparents, Jiraiya and Tsunade, inadvertently overlooked him as their attention was lavished solely on Menma and Naruko -a painful reminder of Naruto's isolation.
Tears blurred his vision as he sought refuge amidst the solemn embrace of the Forest of Death. Unaware that behind him trailed Hiruzen Sarutobi; Third Hokage in silent concern for what had caused such pain to this young boy.
"They don't need me, Jiji," Naruto confessed with a trembling voice filled with suppressed anguish. "No one even remembered my birthday."
Hiruzen's aged yet kind heart ached with sympathy towards this child who had been dealt an unfair hand at life since birth. He reached out to comfort the distraught boy offering a small token in hopes it would bring solace to his troubled mind.
"But I remember, Naruto-kun," Hiruzen reassured gently while presenting two hundred ramen coupons –a modest gesture but not without its own meaning- something only known between them both which made it all more special than any grandiose gift could have ever meant to be given by anyone else.
Gratitude swelled within him mingling with comforting presence felt by having Hiruzen near as tears gradually subsided leaving behind sense of solace amidst darkness that once consumed him whole moments ago.
The following day armed with Hokage's warning regarding perils lurking within forest; Naruto ventured forth once more determined keep promise staying within safety borders where bitter reality disinheritance weighed heavily upon him becoming cruel testament parents' indifference towards their own son when they didn't think or see how much they've hurted someone so close to them through actions alone without words being needed at times
Amidst dense foliage, Naruto stumbled upon peculiar fruit. Its taste was repulsive to his palate but with grim determination, he forced it down his throat refusing be defeated by mere sustenance. Unaware of profound transformation that awaited him.
At riverside searing pain ripped through consciousness unleashing torrent memories from past life before this one -memories of someone else's life which didn't belong to him yet felt like they were truly meant for him all along.
"The Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Model: Eastern Dragon! The power of Kaido…" Naruto gasped in astonishment, his eyes widening with realization. "A Devil Fruit!"
Excitement and apprehension coursed through as he grappled implications newfound abilities could have on future ahead not just himself alone but entire world if used wisely or foolishly enough without careful consideration first beforehand when planning out every move made while using such powers so immense that even gods would tremble at thought facing them head-on without proper preparations beforehand.
"Haki, the advanced forms…And Rokushiki – no, Rokushiki Taijutsu! This is extraordinary!" With newfound resolve; he envisioned weapons dreams mighty greatsword battle spiked mace less lethal encounters each more powerful than last time seen within mind's eye.
Updated May 2, 2024.