Thieves of the Forest
This is an AU. Running off of Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters, so don't waste money trying to scam a lawsuit.
Chapter 1 : Returning Home and Tragedies
Three months later...
Naruto was in the lifeboat from the ship that took them from China. He then jumped off the boat and ran on the water to the shore. He would have hugged and kissed the land, were he still a child. He then looked to Lee, "You should go home yourself, you must miss your family as they miss you, I know the feeling."
"I owe you a debt, and my family would not want the sacifice of your young friend to be in vain," Lee stated. "I will follow you until I can repay the life you have given to me," he then did a thumbs up and smiled with his teeth shining.
"I figured you'd say that," Naruto said and smiled. "Maybe when this is over you can bring your famliy here."
And the guys who were rowing the boat attacked Lee. He retaliated and knocked two of them unconscious.
After he dealt with them Lee responded, "I think they'd like that."
"Well, let's get going," and they walked from the shore.
As they were walking Naruto was just excited for being home. He then heard a scream. They both looked and saw a boy of eleven years of age running from twelve nins led by a man with raven black hair and onyx eyes that looked somewhat familiar to Naruto. "Lee, I'll take care of the nins, you help the boy," he instructed.
"Hai," Lee said and got to work.
Naruto jumped down and yelled to get their attention, "Oi! For what reason are you chasing this boy."
The leader of them spoke up, "He was caught poaching in the forest."
"And the offense is this extreme?" Naruto asked.
"It's one punishable by death," he responded. "Now leave this land, it belongs to Orochimaru-sama."
"No it belongs me and my clan," Naruto stated irritated. "If this boy has offended the law then the punishment should be dealt with by one of my clan members."
The man then glared at Naruto and his eyes started to go red and the Sharingan was revealed, "Who are you to speak with such impudence to me?"
"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto responded. "And who are you to trespass and deliver an unjust punishment for such a small crime?"
"I have no reason to let you know that for you'll die right here," he then motioned his men to attack.
They attacked and Naruto dealt with them swiftly. The older man then attacked Naruto and stabbed him right in the chest, only to have it disappear in a cloud of smoke. He then felt a kunai at his throat and knew he had lost.
"You were careless," Naruto told him. "Now I'll ask again. Who are you?"
"Uchiha Itachi," he replied. "User of the Mangekyou Sharingan, and third in command of Orochimaru-sama's nins."
"I will deal with this young one," Naruto said to him in a tone that clearly meant you shouldn't mess with him. "Now remove yourself from my land."
"This isn't over," Itachi told him and disappeared as soon as Naruto removed the kunai.
"Lee," Naruto said.
"He's right here," Lee answered as he let the boy down.
"Poaching huh?" Naruto asked looking at him and walked around him. "You haven't awakenned the Sharingan yet have you," he said noticing the emblem on his shirt.
"No sir," the boy said.
"What's your name?" Naruto asked slightly amused.
"Uchiha Konohamaru," he responded and gave him a grin.
"What's your relation to Itachi?" Naruto said.
"My Otooji-teme," Konohamaru spit out.
"So you're Sasuke's son," Naruto said. "That explains everything, he probably wants to kill you to get under Sasuke's skin." Naruto then gave Konohamaru a smirk, "Kid, just head home. I'm sure your father will have some scolding for you after this event. If I know Sasuke he'll be quite a father to you. Now get going."
"Hai," Konohamaru said and started walking away. He then turned around bowed and said, "Arigatou gozaimasu."
'He must have a well-mannered mother, I know for fact that Sasuke knew about as much about manners as me when I was his age,' Naruto thought. He then turned to Lee, "Let's get going, my family's cooking in my opinion is beyond compare. I'm sure you'll like it as well."
"Hai," Lee said and followed.
At the Uzumaki Household...
When they reached Naruto's home they saw it in ruins.
"No," Naruto said as he ran towards what was left. He saw the corpses of his clan, but what caused him to break down was his father's body. "Otou-san, I've returned too late," he said with tears falling down.
"You must remain strong, or else your father's sacrifice will be in vain," Lee stated.
"Who are you?" a voice demanded. A man with white hair, in his fifties stepped out of the shadows, he was clearly blind from the blood coming from where his eyes use to be.
"Jiraiya, what happenned?" Naruto asked.
"Naruto-sama, is that you?" Jiraiya asked in a hopeful voice.
"Yes, now what happenned?" he asked again.
"They attacked at once, none of the clan was prepared for this," Jiraiya said. "They tortured me to speak."
"Who?" Naruto asked.
"Orochimaru," was all Jiraiya said.
"You didn't give in, did you?" Naruto asked.
"Not even when my eyes were burned out," Jiraiya said. "Who is accompanying you?"
"Forgive my rudeness, I am Rock Lee," Lee answered. "We'll see to you first, then we'll give them proper burials."
And they did so.
It was the morning when they finished marking each of the graves.
A pendant(the one Naruto won from Tsunade in the series) was around the grave of Uzumaki Okugi.
Naruto pulled out a kunai and slashed his left hand, "By my blood and the blood of my clan I will not rest until justice is served, but acting immediately would be foolish."
"Where are we going?" Lee asked while following.
Naruto then took Jiraiya's hand, "We're headed to the Hyuuga manor. I have a promise to keep."
Three hours later...
They arrived at the Hyuuga manor and Naruto knocked.
A slot openned and a woman asked rudely, "What do you want?"
"I request the audience of the heiress to the clan," Naruto said politely.
"Hold on," and the woman the closed the slot. After a few seconds the woman openned the slot again and told Naruto, "Only you may enter, but you must disarm yourself."
Naruto handed his kunai and shuriken pouch to Lee and stepped inside.
Naruto was placed in a room where the heiress was waiting with her back turned.
"Hinata-sama, I would understand your feelings about being near me considering my actions in the past, but please allow me to speak with you face to face," Naruto requested.
Hinata did so and said, "Hello Naruto-sama."
"Life has truly been kind to you," Naruto said.
"Arigatou, Naruto-sama," she responded
"The usage of Kanji wouldn't be appropriate for someone whose lost his family and land," Naruto said with a down look.
"Gomen nasai," Hinata said. "Now I would like to know why you are here."
"I have sworn a vow to protect you," Naruto said.
"This is surprising from someone who use to be an arrogant bully," Hinata said.
'That doesn't sound like something Hinata would say,' Naruto then felt a presense appear behind him.
"And besides I already have enough protection," she said. "I would like you to escort Naruto-san out of the manor," she ordered the masked bodyguard and left the room.
The bodyguard then moved but Naruto refused, "I will keep my vow to protect Hinata."
The bodyguard then moved into a fighting stance.
'Jyuuken, this bodyguard is a Hyuuga,' Naruto thought.
The bodyguard made a strike at Naruto and surprised him with great speed when Naruto was hit.
'Hmm, that hit was light, but fast, definitely female,' he thought again.
She attacked again, but this time Naruto was prepared as he dodged just in time to keep from being hit.
Naruto then took a deep breath into his nose, 'That smell is lavender, and those moves look familiar, only one way to tell if that's who I think it is.'
She struck again, but this time instead of dodging he moved forward, turned around, grabbed her arm, and threw her across the room. Naruto knew that any shinobi could recover from that easily in mid-air and the bodyguard was no exception, but the way she recovered was with such grace that a person would swear she was a butterfly. After that recovery she ran straight for Naruto again.
"Hinata-sama, why are you still attacking?" Naruto asked with a smirk.
That got her to stop and pull off her mask.
"I suppose I should say hello considering I was speaking with Ino earlier wasn't I," Naruto said. "Life really has been kind to you."
That comment made Hinata blush.
Outside the manor...
"Naruto-kun, I have heard of your vow of protection but who was it that you vowed to?" Hinata asked.
"It was shortly after we escaped," Naruto explained. "Dying from poison-tipped weapons, Hanabi made me promise as a last request to keep you safe. I'll tell you right now, I will keep you alive, especially after the death of my clan. The most I know about the battle are the descriptions from a blind man. You, Jiraiya and another are the only people I have left to from this country."
"Naruto-san," Lee yelled.
Naruto leapt up to the wall Lee was standing on. He focused some Chakra into his eyes and saw Itachi and even more men than the day before.
"Looks like we have a bit of trouble," Naruto said as he jumped down with Lee following. He ran over to Hinata.
"What's wrong?" Hinata asked.
"The manor is about to be invaded," Naruto said. "I killed a dozen of Orochimaru's men."
"Well that explains the situation," Ino said walking up to Naruto.
"You'd best leave or risk dying," Hinata said.
"I refuse to leave your side, especially if Yakushi has his eye on you," Naruto said. "I will keep my vow and protect you."
"Naruto-san, you won't be able to protect anyone if you're dead," Lee stated. "Best run for now."
"He's right," Jiraiya agreed.
"Fine then," Naruto said. "Lee you carry Jiraiya, you're faster than me as it is, you can risk losing some speed."
"Hai," Lee said as he picked Jiraiya up.
Naruto then looked at Hinata, "I'll return to check up on you."
And they ran off away from the Hyuuga manor.
Itachi and his subordinates followed.
Naruto stopped a bit to catch his breath, "There's no way we can outrun them."
"Then what do we do?" Lee asked.
"We'll have to lose them in the forest," he responded.
"It's known as the Forest of Death because of the spirits inhabiting it," Jiraiya warned.
"Better to face ghost's then become them," Naruto said as he ran in.
Lee followed.
The three of them were unaware as to what awaits them in the Forest of Death.
End of Chapter
Sorry for the late update, trying to make it unique without having it too much like the movie, anyway R&R and I'll post more chapters.