Life Will Change

Saturday Afternoon, April 9, 20XX

Shibuya

The rain descended furiously, as it had off and on all day long in Tokyo. Myriads of umbrellas formed a shifting kaleidoscope of colors and patterns as working-class people bustled in the streets, desperate to escape the downpour and make the most of the dreary afternoon. Massive skyscrapers cast a shadow over the populous. In the central street of Shibuya, whispered murmurs darted from lip to lip, making their way through the crowds streaming in and out of the subway station.

"Did you hear? There was another incident near Shinjuku."

"Yeah, a taxi driver flew through two red lights before crashing into three other cars in the intersection."

"They say the driver was had experienced a psychotic breakdown when the police managed to pull him from the wreckage."

"Dreadful; what is the world coming to nowadays when we must be wary of everyone else?"

The dreary gossip was passed quickly from person to person, prompting fearful, excited, or disbelieving reactions. A surge of anxiety and misery seemed to descend with the torrential rain and infect everyone who heard the rumors with a malaise of dread, making them move even more sluggishly.

All except for one person, a male teenager sporting the uniform of Shujin Academy.

All except for Naruto Uzumaki.

The high school student ghosted in and out of the sardine-packed congregation, silently sidestepping through the passerby with trained ease. It was a testament of his skill that his presence remained unseen, as his physical traits, stood in stark contrast with that of his Japanese peers. The downpour matted down his spiky, golden hair, but not even gravity could fully suppress the crazed locks jutting out in haphazard directions. His ruddy caramel skin contrasted with the pale tones of the people around him. Every so often, a raindrop would fall on one of the three whisker-like grooves on either cheek, tracing the vulpine lines before continuing their descent. The teen's most striking feature by far was his cobalt eyes. In the past, the striking deep oceans of vibrant energy imbued those who saw them with hope and courage. However, now the twin sapphire seas were pools of stark hollowness. The desolation hidden behind those lifeless pupils would repulse anyone who locked eyes with him.

At the moment, flashes of irritation were beginning to invade Naruto's thoughts as he flitted through the multitude of passerby while trying to reach his destination, feeling his soaked attire cling annoyingly to his skin. "Damn it; I hate this rain," he cursed for the seventh time that afternoon. "It's been coming down out of nowhere like this all week. Can't I make it home just one day without looking like I got hit by a Water Collision Wave jutsu?" Naruto slowed his pace, letting the crowd move past him. For a moment, he half-hoped some sarcastic quip would echo in his mind in response to his odd comment. However, the only answer he received was the sound of the ambient chaos, the same response he'd gotten for the last one-hundred eighty-two days. Naruto's shoulders only sagged slightly. He should have known he wouldn't get a different answer, but his hopes still refused to die.

The Uzumaki darted into a dirty side alley, arriving at a seedy-looking model gun shop. The neon glow of the "Untouchable Air Soft Shop" lettering above the entrance faintly illuminated the darkened street. Naruto stepped through the door, quickly shutting it behind him to seal away the rain.

"You look like a drowned rat," a gruff voice said, "Well, if rats were blond and had shitty haircuts." Naruto looked up at the middle-aged man sitting lazily behind the counter. The man wore a grey coat and cap with yellow ear defenders around the brim. His feet were propped up on the glass display of model guns as read something on his phone, scratching the unkempt shadow on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, bastard," Naruto replied. "Not like you look any better, boss. I doubt any woman would wanna touch you, let alone give you some with the dirty stubble that probably smells like ash." The shopkeeper chuckled at Naruto's retort.

"Ha, fair enough, brat." Iwai tossed the teenager a towel. "Go ahead and dry off right there; I don't need you tracking all that water through my shop." Naruto grabbed the towel and did his best to remove as much of moisture from his rain-soaked body as he could.

"I take it you don't need me for a job today then?" Naruto asked. Iwai shook his head.

"Nah, nobody's going to be out during this storm. No need to send you out there. You can go ahead and head back. You'll be looking over the shop tomorrow morning anyway." Naruto scowled.

"Great; just how I wanted to spend my day off," he muttered. "Dealing with a bunch of gun otakus who will take a half-hour to make up their damn minds." Iwai gave him an uncaring shrug.

"It's a small price to pay for a roof over your head and the government kept off your back," the grizzled man replied. Naruto waved him off.

"I got it, I got it. No need to remind me. I still owe you big time boss, so I won't skimp out on my duties. Even if they are a pain in the ass sometimes." The shop owner nodded.

"Good to know you're still dependable, brat," he replied. He smirked. "Even if you don't have much else going for you." Naruto rolled his eyes. He finished drying off himself with the towel.

"Whatever. If you don't have a job for me old man, I'm going to go back and crash." The teen made his way towards the back of the store. However, Iwai grabbed his shoulder as he passed the counter.

"Look Naruto," he said firmly. Naruto's eyebrows rose. Iwai rarely ever referred to him by name. The man sighed. "I've been noticing you've been moping about a little bit recently. I know I said I wouldn't pry into your past and stuff, but is something going on with you?" For a moment, Naruto wanted to tell the man his true background. While gruff and a little grouchy at times, the man was a good guy. However, he decided against it.

"It's nothing Iwai. It's just this damn rain getting to me, that's all." Iwai nodded and looked away, pretending to be disinterested.

"Alright brat; just making sure whatever crap you were involved in doesn't make its way back here." Naruto chuckled mirthlessly.

"Don't worry about it boss. There's absolutely no chance in hell my past is going to catch up with me. It's far, far, away from this old dump of a store." Now it was Iwai's turn to sigh as he let the blond continue to the back of the shop.

Naruto unlocked the door to the store's back room, where Iwai kept his stock of model guns. Some space had been cleared in one of the back corners, creating a small and cluttered den. A small futon lay on the floor, the covers haphazardly strewn about. A stack of instant ramen cups and a small water heater sat on one of the free shelves, next to a small desk scattered with various knick-knacks and the like.

Naruto wandered over to the desk and threw his book bag on it, causing one of the items on it to glint. Naruto paused before picking up a ragged headband with battered metal plate. Its scratched surface gleamed dully in the overhead light. He traced his thumb over the faded insignia of a leaf. Memories of a distant life surfaced, prompting Naruto to throwing it back on the desk.

"Damn it," he spat bitterly. "Even after half a year, I just can't get over this, can I? Fuckin' rabbit goddess." Without bothering to take his clothes off, Naruto plopped down onto his futon, his thoughts of frustration soon giving way to fitful visions of what had once been.

Naruto dodged a barrage of matter-destroying bones, his entire body glowing with the powers of the Biju.

"Be careful kit," he heard Kurama warn in his head. "You only got one shot at this,"

"I know Kurama," Naruto replied. "Don't worry, we've got this!"…

…The horned goddess howled with rage at the loss of some of her precious chakra. "How dare you attempt to steal this divine power!" she yelled at the glowing blonde.

"Shut up, you hag! This power doesn't belong to you anymore!"

"Silence, mortal! Amenominaka!"…

Naruto floated in a void of nothingness, feeling his body start to deteriorate. A flash of delicate blue wings flitted across his vision as a feminine voice conversed in fractured tones.

"You are…another realm…"

"…"

"If you can hear…you may be able…destruction of my world."

"…"

"Through…of bonds…you may find…never be alone."

"…"

"Are you willing…?"

"…"