Black Sun
From this chapter forward, this story will take place mainly in Kaze no Kuni or The Land of Wind. Hopefully, you all enjoy this chapter! I put in some effort for the fight scenes, so I hope I did well.
Chapter 3: Book of Secrets
Blood and sweat dripped onto the dojo floors from a bushy-eyed boy of eleven years old. Their hands were writhing their way back up. Naruto gasped as he watched the dead last, a boy named Rock Lee, huffing their way onto their knees. Rock Lee was a year ahead of Naruto's class. Personally, he didn't know too much about Rock Lee besides him being dead last in their respective classes. Rock Lee stood on his two feet, shocking everyone inside the Senju Taijutsu Dojo.
Naruto edged closer to the wooden bars around the rectangular dojo arena. Mizuki shook his head as he walked between Rock Lee and Neji Hyuga. Neji was the Rookie of the Year, dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt and brown shorts. He also wore a peculiar bandana that wrapped around his forehead. Blood covered the front of Rock Lee's less impressive civilian kimono and brown gi pants.
"It's over. Fate has already determined your demise," Neji said with a smirk. A tiny bead of sweat dripped down Neji's chin.
Naruto saw a pupilless man intently watching the match from one of the three viewing boxes. This man's eyes were the same as Neji's.
"Giving up isn't an option," Lee shouted back at Neji.
He bolted and flew to one of the nine wooden cushioned columns scattered in three rows of three on the platform. Veins sprouted across Neji's face. He lowered his right arm and brought his left arm high behind his back in an elegant move that reminded Naruto of ballet.
Rock Lee bounced off one column, jumping to a column behind Neji. Lee was moving so fast Naruto could barely make out that the long, black-haired, bushy-eyebrowed Academy student was flying through the air. Their right leg curved in a horizontal kick.
Lee yelled, "Flying Kick!"
Neji twirled faster than the blink of an eye and evaded the strike. Lee crashed into the dojo floor and screamed! Neji struck Lee two times, using only two fingers from each hand. Blood flew from Lee's mouth, causing Mizuki to declare Neji the victor. The whole stadium shook in applause.
Naruto grumbled and looked around the pit where all the competitors remained. Kiba and Sasuke were the only other people sitting on the benches surrounding the Dojo. The Taijutsu Exam had been going on for two and a half hours. It was being held in the Senju Taijutsu Dojo, one of Konoha's first buildings. It was connected to the Hokage Tower and the Academy by two sky bridges on the Third floor of all three buildings. The dojo was a rectangular indoor arena built as grandiose as it was supposed to function. The battle dojo was three floors underground and was at the center of the room. The floors were sturdy and made of strong wood that even a fire jutsu couldn't burn.
Sasuke frowned and blew a long black bang out of his left eye. He growled and stared at Naruto. Kiba was sitting at the other end of the pit, refusing to be near either.
"Why don't you give up?"
"What!" Naruto exclaimed.
He turned around and saw Sasuke's ice-cold eyes. It reminded him of those days they would spar outdoors in the preschooler's dojo. It was located between the basketball court and the Academy's playground. The difference between then and now was that Sasuke's ice-cold glare made sense. Naruto glared twice as venomously, causing Sasuke to shrink a few steps back.
"Everyone hates you, but you keep going. I don't understand, I don't hate you…" Sasuke said quietly, almost in a whisper.
Naruto smirked. Causing Sasuke to glare again. Sasuke clenched his fists loudly and said, "It doesn't mean I won't kick your ass. Why is the shinobi system a sham?"
"Until you understand how it feels to starve and truly struggle with staying alive. Maybe then you will understand the pain of existing," Naruto replied while folding his arms.
"I know pain. I've suffered more pain than you'll ever grasp in a lifetime."
"What makes you think I've been given a break? My first and present memories are nothing but my struggle to get here. At least people love you," Naruto asserted with cold, electric blue eyes.
"Tsk, that's not real love. All those girls in class who confess their love to me or every adult kissing my feet. Those people don't love me. They only like me because of my last name and what it represents. If I weren't a Uchiha, I'd be another nobody like you. You will never understand me until you figure out what love is." Sasuke said with a widening condescending smirk spreading across his face.
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he watched the last Uchiha walk slowly up to him.
"Naruto, you didn't answer my question. Why don't you give up? You always talk about becoming Hokage, but you always fail. No one fails as much as you, yet you always get up. For whatever reason, I need to know," Sasuke admittedly said.
"Because if I gave up, everyone, including you, would be happier!"
"You keep saying that, but it's not true! Unlike the others… you have pain. You understand what it's like to feel alone. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy kicking your ass." Sasuke laughed, and Naruto glared back at him. Sasuke grunted and quickly asked, "If no one in Konoha loves you and everyone hates you, then why don't you give up?"
"I've been told I wouldn't amount to anything my whole life. Everyone says I don't have the brain or the skills to be a shinobi. I promised myself one day, I'd get the last laugh. Sasuke, wanna know a secret?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Naruto's question. "I've been to jail five times. The last time I spent a weekend behind bars for poaching on a public shinobi training grounds. Pain is living without love. Pain consumes you until you become numb to everything in life. For me, pain is my main driver in life. Because all that hate makes me more determined to kick your ass!" Naruto said right in Sasuke's face.
He was ready to kick Sasuke's ass this very second. He could twist Sasuke's arms around his shoulders at this close range, immobilizing the prideful Uchiha.
"Naruto, you know nothing about hatred. Soon, it'll be you and me in there, and I will destroy you," Sasuke menacingly said. He raised his thumb and pointed to his forehead. Sasuke sarcastically sneered, "I won't go back on my word because it's my ninja way!"
"For once in your life, I'm going to make you feel true pain! You and Kiba are in for a real ass-kicking! Be grateful it's going me than the first enemy you run into!" Naruto shouted back.
Both boys stopped yelling when shinobi doctors rushed past them, carrying Rock Lee on a stretcher.
OoOoOoOoO
Konohamaru was seven years old and the grandson of the Hokage. He was sitting in the audience with almost the entire academy, watching the final matches of this year's Taijutsu Exam. Only the two most senior grades were graded in front of the entire Academy and shinobi system like this. He saw hundreds of Jonin and Chunin on the three main balconies overlooking the fighting dojo.
His eyes settled on the fighting pit when he heard Mizuki announce the next match.
"I want to see that monster get killed!" Shouted an older student.
"Naruto is nothing more than a waste of air. He is no match against a clan heir!" Shouted another student.
Konohamaru growled. How could his home talk so poorly about a fellow student? It made his blood boil, but he focused on the match.
"Our next match is Naruto Uzumaki versus Kiba Inuzuka. Because Naruto is special, we are giving him two chances to show Konoha if he's even worth being a shinobi," Mizuki yelled to the audience.
OoOoOoOoO
Kakashi Hatake was sitting next to his eccentric best friend, Might Guy. Guy had big bushy eyebrows, a sparkling smile, and the worst black bowl cut in The Land of Fire. His best friend wore an embarrassing forest green spandex that showed every part of his body and goofy orange leg braces. His attention was mostly focused on his orange book instead of the fight Guy brought him to.
"That Rock Lee looks very promising," Might Guy said with his knuckle under his chin.
"I'm interested in why the Academy is making the dead last of Iruka's class fight two consecutive times," Kakashi said. He watched Naruto, a skinny-looking boy, enter the fight pit's center. Kiba Inuzuka was a much stronger and healthier-looking boy.
"Sensei's son." Kakashi thought as he gazed at Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto was stretching his muscles to the booing crowd. "Minato-sensei is shaking in his grave."
"Interesting matchup. That Uzumaki kid got the lowest score on the Genin Exam, and they're making him fight twice. They have only done this a few times, but the results were never good. Do you think the Academy is going to drop him even if he has the you know what?" Guy asked before shaking his head in disappointment.
"Even if he defeats the Inuzuka, Naruto would be fighting against a fully rested Uchiha. Either way, he's screwed," Kakashi conceded before closing his book.
OoOoOoOoO
Kiba walked onto the stage with Akamaru on his head, only for Mizuki to take the dog away and give it to Iruka-sensei. Both boys walked twenty paces across from each other. Rabid white canines and malicious brown eyes clashed against sapphire blue eyes. Naruto made a one-handed hand with his right hand before smiling. Kiba mimicked Naruto's hand sign. Mizuki jumped between them and grinned.
"So, you have made the spar sign. Okay, the rules for the Taijutsu Exam are simple: no ninjutsu or genjutsu are allowed during this exam. No weapons or tools of any kind are allowed. This is purely a Taijutsu exam, and the only use of chakra is in accordance with using it with Taijutsu. I have the authority to call off this match at any time," Mizuki explained, getting nods from Naruto and Kiba. "Begin!"
Mizuki body-flickered away when Kiba zipped past him, charging at Naruto. The stadium cheered when the Inuzuka boy launched a series of punches and kicks. Naruto parried and deflected every punch with one wrist while using his free hand to deliver counterattacks. One punch to the side of Kiba's chest and another to his face caused Kiba to jump out of the way.
Naruto jumped high using his right foot while sweeping his left leg in the air, catching the young Inuzuka off guard. What resulted was Naruto's left foot slamming across Kiba's pectoral muscles. Kiba coughed out blood but tried clawing Naruto's retreating leg. However, his reflexes were too slow, and he only sliced through the air.
Naruto jumped back and landed where he had started the match. Naruto's cold, electric blue eyes shined across the dojo. He waved for Kiba to come towards him before saying, "Not bad for the dead last?"
"Where did that come from?" Kiba asked while catching his breath. He clutched his damaged chest and realized he needed to either wear Naruto down or finish this match quickly. But the problem was Naruto had the best stamina in class. Sasuke could kick Naruto's ass for four hours, and that thick-headed blonde would still get up. "Dumbass, just give up already!"
"You haven't even landed a hit. You think your mutt-jutsu is going to get through!"
Naruto rolled to his left as he saw Kiba dash forward in a near-shunshin blur. Kiba slashed into the wooden floor, but he landed on all fours. Naruto somersaulted back onto his feet before dodging a lunging Kiba. Kiba crashed against a wooden column facing Naruto. Kiba was sticking to the wooden column on all fours like a wolf.
"Can't run from me forever, Naruto!" Kiba hollered. Crouching on all fours, Kiba bolted off the wooden columns in a quick zigzag, covering all angles if Naruto dared move behind one of the columns. "Die! Die! Fucking Die!" Kiba slashed through the air, and he managed to slash Naruto in his right shoulder and his upper torso. Kiba slashed again, striking Naruto across his upper left thigh close to an artery.
The stadium erupted in loud, thundering applause. Scarlet blood flew from Naruto's wounds, and Mizuki was going to call the match, but Naruto twisted both his legs in the air. For Naruto, the world stopped. In less than a split second, he decided to show Kiba mercy and ensnared both his feet around Kiba's right shoulder. He twisted both feet like a guillotine and snapped Kiba's right arm. Kiba's body crashed directly into the floor, where the Inuzuka slashed Naruto.
Kiba rushed up and tried to punch Naruto with his left arm, but the whisker-marked boy grabbed it with his right hand and punched Kiba back into the floor. Kiba screamed and began writhing on the ground. Naruto made half a hand sign, causing Mizuki to raise his fists and yell, "STOP!"
Naruto was pushed down as Mizuki checked on Kiba, and the stadium was quiet. Mizuki was pushed away by a bloody Kiba Inuzuka, who stood up warily on two feet. Sasuke narrowed his onyx eyes from across the pit. Naruto remade his half-hand sign but walked over to Kiba. Mizuki was furious.
"What the hell are you doing, Naruto? The fight is over!"
"I'm making a unison sign. It's part of the etiquette of being a true shinobi. I'm going to be a true shinobi whether I pass this exam or not!" Naruto huffed and held his right hand out. Kiba weakly made a unison sign with Naruto. A few people in the audience started clapping.
Mizuki gave a loud cough and said, "Naruto Uzumaki, dead last of Iruka Umino's class… is the victor." Mizuki grabbed Naruto's right hand and brought it in the air. Clapping slowly turned into loud applause, followed by a few shouts of his name. Half of the students were silent, but no one was more silent than the Chunin and Jonin, who hadn't moved since the fight concluded. Mizuki looked at Naruto and glared.
"How did you?" Mizuki asked while sinisterly curling his lips into a forced smile. "How did you do that?"
A team of medic-nins was hauling away Kiba. Naruto blew a blonde lock out of his hair and crossed his arms.
"A good shinobi doesn't reveal their tricks. Maybe I'm not as much a loser as you and Iruka-sensei think I'll be," Naruto asserted before squinting his eyes like a fox.
"You're not even a shinobi!" Mizuki barked loud enough for some audience members to pick up.
"Yeah, well…" Naruto looked Mizuki up and down. Mizuki has white shoulder-length hair with a tint of blue to it. His Taijutsu instructor's disgusting green eyes bore into him like daggers. Mizuki wore the standard shinobi attire with a Konoha flak jacket, and it made Naruto chuckle. "I'm already a better shinobi than you! Revealing secrets means you shouldn't be trusted!"
Mizuki's pale face turned redder than a ripe tomato.
"Naruto, that is enough!" Shouted Iruka-sensei while tugging him away from the spotlight.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Kakashi almost dropped his orange book onto the sticky balcony floor. Guy got up from his seat and shouted to every chunin and jonin on the balcony, "That Naruto Uzumaki is overflowing with the power of youth. I predict the next fight will be in his favor!"
Every shinobi on the balcony erupted in laughter, and some threw insults back at Guy.
"The last match was just a fluke. Naruto Uzumaki is one of the weakest shinobi to walk the halls of the Academy. There is no way someone like that is going to defeat Sasuke Uchiha," Ebisu said.
"I don't know. This Naruto Uzumaki sure is unpredictable," Said a spiky platinum-haired shinobi with tanned skin and orange eyes. "I sure as hell was impressed."
Kakashi narrowed his one-eye at that individual. He looked familiar, but maybe he was going senile. Kakashi raised his forehead protector so his Sharingan was out for the final match. He looked at the strange platinum-haired man and smiled, "Greetings, I'm Kakashi Hatake. I haven't seen you around Konoha. What is your name?"
"I'm part of Recon, squad four, but people sometimes call me Shiro," Mashiro said to Kakashi, who gave him a single nod. "I take it you had little faith in the dead last."
"I don't have any faith in any Academy student. I'm only here because of the joint meeting after this exam, but I must agree. Naruto Uzumaki is the most unpredictable shinobi I've seen in a long time," Kakashi conceded. He snickered inwardly at how he effortlessly put a Chunin in their place.
"Tsk, my money is on the Uchiha," said a silver-haired genin who wore glasses and purple clothes.
"Aren't you that genin who failed the Chunin Exams four times back-to-back," Mashiro said with a smirk as Kabuto took a seat next to him. "Hopefully, this next batch of brats will be more promising than the batch that produced Kabuto Yakushi."
"Want to bet on it?" Kabuto said with a smirk. Inwardly, the glasses-wearing spy was seething at the Suna spies' insult, but this wasn't the time to settle petty differences. "Twenty to one odd sounds like a good wager."
"I bet one thousand ryo that Naruto will kick Sasuke Uchiha's ass," Mashiro agreed while shaking Kabuto's hand. "Lady luck doesn't favor weak medical shinobi. She favors those who are a little unpredictable."
"Yes! Let's see their flames of youth come alive!" Guy proclaimed.
OoOoOoOoO
Sasuke Uchiha was walking out of the pit into the fight dojo, ready to begin the final fight. He faced Naruto and made the spar sign. Naruto repeated the action to the growing applause from the audience. Naruto cringed as he heard girls in his class yelling Sasuke's name.
"Kick his ass, Sasuke!"
"Sasuke-kun is number one!"
"Fuck that bastard up!"
Naruto clenched his fists at his side. He hated his class, the Academy, and all the Uchiha suck-ups. Right across from him was the one classmate he always lost against. Silently, he breathed out a long sigh and for once in his life. He was ready to win!
Mizuki flickered between them. Mizuki looked at both boys and smirked. Adding chakra to his voice, Mizuki shouted to the stadium, "The final fight for this year's Taijutsu Exam will begin now. Both participants made the spar sign and knew the rules. As a proctor, I have the right to call off this match at any time. Let the final match begin!"
Sasuke launched himself towards Naruto, causing the stadium to cheer very loudly. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's right fist with his left hand, and the gleeful Uchiha caught his right fist. Both boys screamed with their fists in their hands before Naruto separated and crouched low, avoiding a nasty uppercut kick from Sasuke. He swiped his legs against the dojo floor, causing Sasuke to jump out of the way.
"Not bad for a loser!" Sasuke shouted before closing in and throwing dozens of consecutive punches.
Naruto blocked most of the strikes using his forearms in a steady X block. Sasuke's punches were starting to slow down as Naruto used his left forearm to parry a punch from Sasuke's right arm, leaving him room and time to connect a loud, crunching strike against Sasuke's face.
Sasuke responded by knocking Naruto down with a roundhouse kick to his face. Blood flew from the whisker-marked boy's busted lip, but he quickly rolled out of the way from a crashing Uchiha that was intent on finishing him off swiftly. Naruto pushed himself onto his feet and saw Sasuke standing still.
Sasuke pressed his left palm flat and his right clenching fist behind his body. Naruto gasped, knowing that particular Uchiha stance well. Sasuke often made that stance whenever he was tired and ready to finish the fight. Seeing the duck-ass-haired Uchiha in this desperate situation made Naruto smile.
"You told me I lack hatred," Naruto said, which caused Sasuke to raise an eyebrow. "This morning, I gave back the hate I receive every day. At first, I felt sick, but then it felt so good, yet it drained me. You feel it here." Naruto used his thumb to point to his heart. "I'm not the same loser you beat up last month!"
Sasuke growled and shouted, "No! You might have improved, but you are still a loser and failure! I just got to beat you again into submission!"
Naruto and Sasuke lunged at each other, exchanging punches and quick kicks. Sasuke launched a devasting punch combination that Naruto parried with much difficulty. His forearms were getting bruised and battered from each block. Even though his wounds from the last match had already healed, Sasuke was aiming every single kick and punch at the previous wounds Kiba had inflicted upon him. One punch slammed against the wound on his upper torso, reopening it.
Coppery-smelling blood covered Sasuke's fist, and Naruto screamed as the Uchiha continued lunging devasting strikes at the leaking wound. Naruto remembered his Sanda training, allowing Sasuke one final punch over the wound. Sasuke tried to pull his arm back, only to feel both of Naruto's hands clawing onto his clothes. The frightened Uchiha tried breaking away but couldn't.
Sasuke screamed six times for each brutal strike to the torso he received from Naruto's right knee. After using his knee as a battering ram, Naruto furiously punched the Uchiha across the dojo floor. Panting to himself, Naruto softly said, "That's the best you got?"
Sasuke got into an odd handstand position. Blood was dripping down into the Uchiha's spiky blackish-blue hair as he used his legs offensively in his clan's deadly Uchiha Taijutsu. Naruto grimaced but quickly ran around a wooden post to avoid being kicked by the pursuing handstand-moving Uchiha. The whisker-marked boy smirked as he ran laps around Sasuke. He knew fighting Sasuke in that stance would throw off his newly acquired Taijutsu, but avoiding Sasuke made Sasuke expend more energy than he needed to.
An aggravated Sasuke surged with a thin blue veil of chakra surrounding his body. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Sasuke flip back onto his feet and flicker closer to him. Time slowed down, and Naruto remembered his Sanda training. He watched Sasuke crouch low and try to strike him with his right hand. He deflected the strike and saw Sasuke's left leg rounding towards his head again. He blocked the strike and flipped Sasuke onto his belly using the Uchiha's left arm.
"AAGH!" Sasuke screamed as he felt Naruto twisting his arm.
Naruto placed his right knee securely on Sasuke's upper back and up to his neck, preventing the Uchiha from moving. He then twisted Sasuke's left arm using barely any strength. Sasuke tried struggling to break free, but the more the Uchiha struggled, the more pain flooded his body. Moving was impossible, and the grip Naruto had on him made it feel like his left arm was being slowly cut off. Naruto grounded his right knee deeper against the back of Sasuke's neck before saying, "It's over!"
The stadium became quiet, but then it exploded in rapid applause. Mizuki wiped the surprise from his face and clumsily said, "Victor of the final match is Naruto Uzumaki!"
Naruto jumped around the fighting pit in utter joy as all the Academy instructors began calling their students. It was now lunchtime! His mission had now begun!
OoOoOoOoO
"Impossible!" Kabuto shouted before glaring at Mashiro. "There is no way that disgusting kid defeated Sasuke Uchiha!"
Many Jonins and Chunin nodded silently in agreement as they were getting up to leave. Mashiro laughed at the four-eyed shinobi and shrugged. Kakashi and Guy looked at the exchange curiously.
"You saw the match. It's a simple Taijutsu Exam that has no bearing on their careers. That Uchiha's pride took him down. Twice the pride, double the fall," Mashiro said before getting up. "Now pay up!"
Kabuto shook his head and handed the Suna spy everything he had in his wallet. He watched the platinum-haired man depart and growled. Half of the stadium was empty, and most kids were attending recess and lunch. He looked at Kakashi Hatake and shook his head before smirking. Kakashi had his Sharingan out, meaning the silver-haired cyclops may know a thing or two about what happened. In all of Kabuto's intelligence reports, there was no mention of Naruto Uzumaki having such splendid Taijutsu skills.
"What happened?" Kabuto asked Kakashi.
Kakashi lowered his headband over his left eye and shrugged. He then said, "Prideful Uchiha meets unpredictable knucklehead. It turns out that the unpredictable knucklehead won this time. You'd be surprised how often that has happened in this dojo."
OoOoOoOoO
Naruto slipped away from his class and walked silently through the Hokage tower. He had one hour to grab the Namikaze Estate scroll, and this would all be over. He opened the door to Jiji's main office and was surprised to find the whole place eerie without the withered pipe-smoking Kage. It was a sunny room with numerous bookshelves and the large oaken desk all Hokages sat behind. Naruto scanned the walls until his eyes spotted the painting of Tobirama to the far left of the room.
"Bingo," Naruto said before removing the painting from the wall.
He settled the painting gently on the floor with much difficulty. Dan hadn't told him that the painting weighed a ton. Naruto dusted off his hands, and much to his surprise, Dan was right. There was an ebony cabinet hidden behind the painting. Naruto opened the cabinet and noticed hundreds of scrolls inside, all deeds from various estates and residences across Konoha. After ten minutes of searching for the scroll, he found the one that said Namikaze Estate in big, bold blue Kanji. Naruto stuffed the scroll inside his orange hoodie pocket and settled everything back to how it was before. He closed the door to the Hokage's office and shook his head.
"That was easier than the damn exam," Naruto said with a grumble.
He quickly hurried out of the Hokage Tower towards the oak tree, where he met Dan. By the time Naruto got there, he frowned. Dan wasn't where he explicitly said they'd meet. The whisker-marked boy looked around at the Academy, and all he heard were screaming students having fun in the playground. So, he waited under his favorite oak tree that had his swing. Minutes passed, and Naruto lay down under the swaying leaves above and sighed.
It was better for him to stay put and wait for Dan-sensei to arrive. There was no point having lunch. He didn't have money to purchase a meal nor the patience to steal food from the trash. Mizuki and Daikoku-sensei were always onto him after they caught him stealing food out of the Academy dumpster. He had attempted it numerous times, but the last place he wanted to go was detention. Memories like that made Naruto growl. He crossed his right foot over his left knee and tried to relax on the mossy tall grass under the tree.
"Stupid village! Stupid Academy! Hope they both burn down!" Naruto mused to himself with a smile.
Before he could close his eyes, he saw Hibachi and four of his bully friends looking down at him. Hibachi kicked him at his side, causing Naruto to sprout defensively against the oak tree. Five against one, not the best odds, but Naruto smiled as his eyes picked up on a red-capped fairy circle surrounding his feet. Dan-sensei gifted him two abilities, which he had access to at this very second.
"Mizuki-sensei told me he hoped that Kiba or Sasuke would kill you, but here you are. What the fuck happened? You better tell us, or we'll beat you black and blue again!" Hibachi said maliciously while pulling out a kunai. All four bullies reluctantly pulled out a kunai from their weapons pouches. "Better yet, where were you after we left the Taijutsu Exam!"
"None of your business," Naruto said while spitting out his tongue. He got into a starting Sanda defensive stance with his right hand pulled back. Both his hands were flat and covered in Kiba and Sasuke's blood. "What? You scared to fight me hand to hand! You five are a disgrace to Konoha and to Iruka-sensei!"
"Naruto, this isn't the time to joke around. Where have you been?" Hibachi questioned. Naruto took a step back and kept his left forearm at complete level with Hibachi's kunai. His focus on Hibachi's kunai remained steady. Hibachi sneered and asked, "What's that you got in your brand-new jacket?"
"I reckon the little orphaned bastard stole it along with all his clothes!" Shouted a genin who wore a forehead protector. Their maniacal laugh made Naruto's eyes widen in surprise. "I'm Kaiji Izumo, younger brother of Tenma Izumo," said Kaiji. Naruto remembered seeing this individual three days ago. Kaiji was still an Academy student, and they took the Genin Exam together. "My older brother fought on Team 2 with Itachi Uchiha, the guy who killed Sasuke's family. Us Izumo's don't give five fucks about a snot-nosed crybaby demon! SO WHERE WERE YOU!"
Naruto slammed his bloody hand on the ground and yelled, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"
He quickly got back into his opening Sanda stance as a large plume of white smoke appeared. Kaiji tightened his grip around his kunai and ran at Naruto. Naruto grabbed Kaiji's right hand, which had the kunai, and knocked it out of Kaiji's hands. He then wrapped his right arm around Kaiji's neck and used his left arm as a noose to bring Kaiji into a chokehold.
The plume of smoke disappeared, and a Himeko appeared and yipped. All six of her tails fluttered high in the air alert. Naruto groaned. He wanted the big black fox to eat Hibachi and Kaiji. Naruto groaned as he heard Kaiji screech into his ears, "That's a fox! Naruto summoned a fox! He's going to release the monster!"
A yellow cloud of dust blew around the tree, and Hibachi, Kaiji, and the other three bullies passed out cold. Dan appeared in front of Naruto and Himeko, smoking a cigar and dusting his red beret. Himeko snarled and looked back at Naruto, "What the hell is going on? Why are these kids trying to kill my master?"
Dan made a few hand signs and shook his head. He gave Naruto a wry smile, "Those kids are going to trip out for the next twenty-four hours. They'll see shit that would make all five Kage's piss their pants."
"Thanks for coming to the rescue, but I could have taken them," Naruto said uncertainly. He looked away and blew out a huge sigh of relief. "And Himeko, this is how people treat me. This is my home. They hate me here, but I'm used to it."
"Naruto-sama, you deserve better. I must get going. This place isn't safe for foxes."
"I'm sorry I summoned you. I was scared and thought I'd get someone who would have eaten those assholes."
"No worries, I'm just a little shocked these little bastards would dare harm my master," Himeko said. She rubbed her head and curled several tails around Naruto's legs. "Dan's genjutsu is the most terrifying in the world. His imagination and those spores will ruin them. They'll wish they were dead by tomorrow, but if you ever need someone to talk or cuddle with, I'll be there. Need me to kill a little bastard and eat their liver. I will do it with pleasure. Farewell, master!"
Himeko exploded into a cloud of white smoke. Dan walked over to Naruto. He brought him closer to the fence, away from the five unconscious boys. Naruto wasn't sure what was happening, but he was glad Dan hadn't left him to fend for himself.
"Where were you?"
"I've been busy. Looking after you and playing spy took longer than I expected. I wasn't sure when we'd leave Konoha, but I told our friend to call off the distraction." Dan explained, much to Naruto's shock.
"What are you talking about? I didn't know you were a spy." Naruto clutched the scroll underneath his orange hoody tenderly. His heart started beating faster while his eyes widened. "Dan-sensei, who are you a spy for?"
"Naruto, didn't you tell Mizuki that a true shinobi keeps their secrets."
Naruto nodded but growled in frustration and said, "Yeah, but if I hand you this scroll, Konoha will find out. I could be sent to prison. They'll bury me here." Naruto felt tears falling from his eyes. Remembering jail made him shiver and shake involuntarily. "I barely survived two days in jail, and I'm a jinchuriki. I can't be a shinobi if I get sent to prison… You know that's where they're going to send me. How do I know you aren't like the others?"
"Naruto, since we met. I haven't told you a single lie. I want you to succeed, be happy, and live a good life. What do you want?"
Naruto wiped his tears away. He looked at Dan with pleading eyes before saying, "I want to be your student. I want to get far away from Konoha and be with you! Please, don't abandon me!"
Dan held out his hand, and Naruto shook it. He was pulled into a warm hug and looked at Dan's glowing cerulean eye. Deep down, he knew Dan wasn't like the others, but he needed to know. Naruto was about to say something, but he felt Dan pulling his goggles over his eyes. He smiled a wide foxy grin as a vortex of yellow-green spores swirled around them.
They appeared across from a large mansion near the rich upper-class section of Konoha. The manor was three stories tall and had a tall iron gate that had kanji written on the bars. Naruto turned around and smiled at Dan.
"Naruto, I promised you that I won't abandon you. I'll always protect you, especially from Konoha. I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself during your exam. You even showed that idiot Mizuki what it means to be a shinobi. A true shinobi endures and survives, but you already know that. It's time that you knew the truth." Dan walked Naruto to the iron-barred fence surrounding the manor. Naruto's cheeks turned a deep scarlet from all of Dan's compliments.
Naruto pulled his goggles back over his forehead and beamed at Dan. He asked curiously, "What was so important about that scroll?"
"That scroll is your legacy. This is the Namikaze clan compound. It was built fifty years ago by Koga Namikaze. For us to enter this manor, you will need to draw some blood," Dan answered. He handed Naruto a kunai, causing the goggle-wearing ten-year-old to tilt his head. "Open that scroll, and drip your blood inside."
Naruto followed Dan's command. He slashed the kunai against his index finger. Dark crimson blood dripped onto the blank opened scroll, causing kanji to appear. Naruto watched the kanji glow a bright, flashing blue. The iron gate opened, and both master and student walked into the Namikaze compound. Dan had his hand on Naruto's shoulder as he guided the young blonde to the manor's front door.
"Only a Namikaze can open that gate," Dan said, causing Naruto to frown.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. He felt his throat become dry.
Dan ushered Naruto inside the Namikaze manor. Clouds of dust billowed around them. Naruto grinned while sliding his goggles over his eyes and dashing down the hallways. Dan closed the door behind them and smirked. "Naruto, through some digging, I figured out that the sun-kissed boy with blue eyes was the Kyuubi jinchuriki." Naruto turned around and clutched the kunai in his right hand tighter. He pointed the blade's edge at Dan, who shook his head in disappointment. "You have a strong grip, but that trembling won't do ya any good."
"Who are you working for? Who the hell even are you?"
"My real name is Kazuhiro Namikaze. I was once a shinobi from Konoha. I was born here, graduated from the Academy here, and fought in the Second Great Shinobi War for this horrible country. Then, one day, I was betrayed by our very homeland. Naruto, I am your uncle, and you are Minato's legacy," Dan grabbed Naruto's wrists, causing him to drop the kunai onto the dusty hardwood floor. "You are the Fourth Hokage's son, heir to the Namikaze and the Uzumaki clans. I've come to bring you home!"
Naruto started laughing hysterically. Tears fell from his eyes as his laughter echoed off priceless paintings on the walls, "Dan, stop joking, please." Naruto saw a crystal chandelier over the foyer. There were solid jade statues of Buddha. His new shoes rubbed against expensive wool and silk woven carpets. Naruto tried to stop crying, but the pain and rage that had been building in his belly were finally coming out. "This was supposed to be my home!"
Kazuhiro took a step back when he saw Naruto's eyes flash bright crimson with black slit irises. Kazuhiro nodded and watched Naruto fall to the floor. The young, red-eyed boy curled his arms around his knees as more tears fell from his eyes.
"This can't be true!" Naruto said as he looked at the kunai on the hardwood floor. His sticky blood glimmered off the black steel. "No, no, no, it can't be true! Jiji might have lied about the Kyuubi, but why? Why would he keep me from this? He wouldn't!" He stopped shouting and noticed something. Next to the kunai was the Namikaze Estate scroll he dropped, which had his dried blood on it. The evidence was there before his eyes. "Why?"
"Because Konoha betrayed your father's legacy. That scroll is evidence that you are Minato's son. Only the heir to the Namikaze clan can open that scroll and walk through that gate. Konoha represents everything that is wrong with today's shinobi system. A system built on lies, deception, and bloodshed. Hiruzen was given a mission to look after you. He was supposed to protect you. Konoha hates you, they despise you, and your teachers set you up for failure during the Genin Exams. Naruto, you deserve better than this!" Kazuhiro said with a caring smile. He fell in front of the whisker-marked boy and hugged him.
Naruto's eyes widened, and he cried harder against his uncle's shoulder. All the years of neglect and abuse didn't make any sense. He was the son of Konoha's greatest hero and heir to two royal clans. Why? His mind kept running into that word. Why did Jiji abandon him? Why did he have to starve? Why was he homeless when his parents owned a mansion? None of it made sense, and it only shattered his spirit.
"Uncle Kazuhiro, where were you? I needed you my whole life! I don't know what I'm supposed to do or who to trust anymore except you." Naruto said as he cried into his uncle's arms. "Why did my dad curse me with the Kyuubi?"
"Naruto, I don't know what happened the night of the Kyuubi attack. What I do know is that your mother's name was Kushina Uzumaki. Kushina, from what I know, was a legendary kunoichi, and she was the Kyuubi jinchuriki. She married your father, Minato Namikaze, and they had you. I haven't been back here in twenty years. I was led to believe that Minato's child died during the Kyuubi attack, but because I'm the head of Suna's spy network. We knew Minato used a newborn baby to seal the Kyuubi. Four of the five Great Nations have been after the mysterious jinchuriki of Konoha. As the head of Suna's spy network, I work directly under the Kazekage." Kazuhiro felt Naruto's tears subside. He felt Naruto's body shaking, but the boy's eyes had returned to their natural sapphire hue. "I've been keeping tabs on you for five years, waiting for this day. The day I can reunite with my brother's son, nephew, and heir to the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans."
Naruto stopped crying and looked up at Kazuhiro, who was completely shaken. There were so many questions, but every single one was clouded by the rage he felt in his gut. All he could do was nod incoherently to his uncle.
Kazuhiro pulled Naruto back onto his feet. Sweet relief flushed throughout his body as his uncle hugged him again. This hug was tighter, but it felt good. Kazuhiro began patting his back, which made some of the pain and torment burning inside him subside. He placed a hand on Naruto's head and said, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Konoha may hate the son of their hero, but you have a team of Anbu shadowing you. I disposed of them. I thought you would have been treated like a hero. I didn't even know if you were Minato's son until I looked into your eyes. There is a reason why I brought you to the Namikaze mansion. My father, Koga, was a writer and a Fuinjutsu specialist. He wasn't on the same level as your parents, but he was an innovator in the art. Most of the curse marks and destruction seals known today came from his research into those topics. I need to get a special book up in his study."
"Uncle!" Naruto shouted awkwardly. "You said we are going home, but where is home?"
"Our real home is The Land of Wind. Hundreds of years ago, our clan ruled over Kaze no Kuni, but we eventually fled the nation during a great exodus of the desert. We are Namikaze. We are the children of wave and wind. Are you willing to give up on your dream to become Hokage?" Kazuhiro asked, his single eye tearing into Naruto's soul.
Naruto nodded. He looked up at his uncle in admiration and understanding. If giving up on his dream to become Hokage meant he'd be with his uncle, he would do it. The Land of Wind was one of the five major nations, hailed as a massive, arid nation. Naruto weakly said, "I'm willing to give that up. Dan, I mean Uncle Kazuhiro, is it possible for me to become a shinobi?"
Kazuhiro nodded. He softly said, "I believe you will be Kazekage one day. Hell, I believe you have the potential to surpass Rasa, Fourth Kazekage, and be the leader of Suna. No, I know you will surpass Rasa! You'll surpass even me and become something greater than a Kazekage. But for now, we have a mission."
"Yes, sensei," Naruto agreed before saluting his uncle.
"First, we are going to fetch all my brother's jutsu. I'm going to take anything belonging to our family that has our clan secrets. My father, Koga, created great Fuinjutsu arrays, and Minato created the Rasengan. Your mother was the best Fuinjutsu expert in Konoha history, and whatever she left behind is yours. We are leaving nothing behind for Konoha to use. Second, I want you to raid whatever clothes, weapons, and anything you desire. Grab it, for it is yours."
Kazuhiro nudged Naruto forward and handed him one sealing scroll. The whisker-marked boy ran with the scroll in hand throughout the house. Kazuhiro then made four shadow clones and got to work. Raiding the Namikaze mansion took longer than they both expected. Naruto had gone through his parents' bedroom, and his first instinct was to grab the jewelry. There were many rubies, emeralds, sapphire gems, diamond necklaces, gold cufflinks, and silver gemmed bracelets. His uncle saw him come downstairs covered in many jeweled necklaces, and the one-eyed man laughed. He then sifted through all of their family photos. There was a childhood photo of Minato Namikaze wearing his forehead protector. On the back of the photo, it read as so.
The day I graduated from the Academy. The day of the Namikaze clan tragedy. Love you still, dearest brother. I will make you proud, Father. -Minato Namikaze
Naruto pocketed that photo inside his orange hoody. He grabbed a dusty photo frame of his parents hugging each other near the bed. He rubbed the dust off the most beautiful red-headed woman he had ever seen. She was smiling with vibrant violet eyes. Naruto smiled and closed his eyes while clutching the photo to his chest. He went through his parents' clothes and took several items, including a Konoha forehead protector, likely one of his parents.
Kazuhiro met him at the doorway to his parent's room, holding a red bandana in his right hand while his left hand held a leatherbound sheathed double-edged sword. Naruto's eyes grew to the size of saucers. His uncle smiled as he handed both items to the ten-year-old.
"This was your mother's sword and your grandfather's bandana. I'm sure they would have approved of you putting these items to good use," Kazuhiro said as Naruto unsheathed part of the sword.
The sword's blade was lightly tinted green, and a golden fox was engraved along the blade's edge. It felt colder than ice, and the air around the blade was creating visible condensation. Naruto sheathed the double-edged sword. It was 90 cm or close to three feet long. The handle was made of pure silver, while leather straps surrounded the grip.
"That bandana was special. My father, Koga, had style and was good at weaving Fuinjutsu seals into materials. That bandana was said to have a seal that increased shouting jutsu and supposedly another one that could muffle any noise he made. I'm not sure if Pops was serious about a noise-canceling bandana, but he was one of the world's sneakiest shinobi. That sword I believe is an Uzumaki heirloom. I never personally met Kushina, but she was a legendary kenjutsu master. During her time as a shinobi, she wielded that blade known far and wide as Moarri. You are not to lose both items and to guard them with your life," Kazuhiro said.
Uncle Kaz used a leather strap to tie the sword to Naruto's back and tied the bandana around his nephew's neck. It draped over his front collar in the shape of a triangle. Naruto and his uncle then went back to raiding the mansion. Hours later, Naruto rested downstairs on a cushioned chair. He was staring at the photo of his parents hugging each other. They were posing in front of the Hokage Monument, smiling at the camera without concern.
He wished they were here.
OoOoOoOoO
Kazuhiro Namikaze smiled as he looked at his father's diary. He finally had it in his hand. Black Sun, the book of unfathomable secrets. Research of the highest caliber on the topic of the lost Namikaze temple. Holding the book up to his eyes all he could say, "With this the world will see it again! The Black Sun!" He smiled as he pocketed the book in his brown leather trench coat. He had sealed up all the items Naruto wanted, but most of the jutsu and Fuinjutsu inside the mansion were too advanced for a ten-year-old boy to peruse. Luckily, he had found the Hirashin, the Rasengan, and numerous clan jutsu he planned on teaching Naruto when the time was right.
He walked down the stairs and saw that it was dark outside. He saw Naruto slumped over on a chair, his chest heaving. Drool was dripping from the boy's mouth. Kaz shook his head as he stirred Naruto awake.
"Come boy, it's time for us to leave Konoha," he said as Naruto craned his head wildly.
"Yes! I can't wait for us to go to Suna. Oh, uh, wait, isn't the Hokage in Suna?" Naruto asked as he turned around to his uncle.
"He will be in Suna for eight more days. We aren't going to Suna. I should prepare you because you won't be setting foot in Suna for several more years," Kazuhiro said, much to Naruto's astonishment.
"Then where are we going? I thought you were going to take us home?" Naruto's disappointment was clearly visible, and he slumped his head towards his feet.
"Hold my hand," Kazuhiro said while holding out his arm.
Naruto grabbed it, and both Namikaze vanished in thin air. The only trace of their existence left was a large cloud of yellow-green spores. Naruto, this time, had his goggles as they appeared on the shores of a large lake. At the center of the lake was a massive tree the size of the Hokage Monument. Its canopy encompassed the entire lakebed, and hundreds of homes surrounded the lake. Giant glowing green mushrooms surrounded the lake. Orange flaring lanterns were posted along a wooden platform that ran from the shores of the lake to the tree that was the center of the city.
Naruto slid his goggles back over his forehead and gasped. They were inside a fairy circle of white-capped mushrooms just twenty meters from the platform leading up to the world's biggest tree. Naruto gazed at the shoreline around the tree and saw what looked like a small girl around his age clutching her knees. Her hair was mint green, and she had exotic dark skin! Her head was deep in her lap, and she looked sad.
"Welcome to Taki! The village hidden in the waterfall and the place where you will meet a lifelong friend. We will be here briefly and won't be spending the night. We will get your friend and then be off," Kaz explained to the stupefied boy.
(A/N) So, that concludes the first three chapters of this story. The next chapter is titled Orange and Blue. I do not know when it will be out because I'm helping to co-write an invisible/Superman story. However, reviews and feedback are always nice. They also help inspire me to write faster when I run into a roadblock. I must say that writing this story has been a thrill, but the real thrills have only just begun. So, until next time, have a good week and stay safe.