Chapter 1: Through my Eyes

(Naruto's POV)

Konoha, the village Hidden in the Leaves; one of the strongest villages of the five shinobi villages. It has been my home for 12 long years. To others, twelve years may not be a long time, however, only a few people have shouldered the burden that I had to shoulder throughout my life. I, Uzumaki Naruto, was chosen to carry the Kyuubi that attacked the village twelve years prior.

I often wonder why I was chosen out of so many kids. Was there no other child that the Yondaime could have placed this curse on? Why me? This is probably the only question that I want answered. It seems that we tend not to get what we want.

A couple of months back, the only question that I wanted an answer to was… why was I hated by the adults so much? After Mizuki had informed me that I was the jailor of the strongest of the youkai, it all became clear. The stares… the remarks… were all because of what they thought I was.

It seems that the kids in my age group followed their parents' lead by treating me like I was nothing. The pranks, the loud, and brash attitude that I displayed was a cry for attention. All I ever wanted was for people to acknowledge my existence. I think that's why Old Man Sandaime never punished me for my many transgressions; He was the only one who knew why I committed those pranks.

Being alone is hell, a hell that I do not wish upon anyone. I use to sit on the swing and watch the other kids with their parents and it would pain me. I wish that I could experience what they had at least once in my life. Well, I guess you could say that Iruka-sensei is like the father I never had. He gives advice and he treats me like I'm somebody. He was even willing to sacrifice his life to save mine. That's the sort of thing a loving father would do.

The closest thing that I had to a mother is a fifty year-old who doesn't look a day over thirty. Tsunade-obaa-chan cares for me deeply. When we first met, I wanted to punch her lights out for disrespecting the old man's sacrifice by saying the position of Hokage was shit. We fought but she was clearly my better. She seemed as though she could care less about what happened to anyone. However, Jiraiya, told me when we got to the village how she had protected me from Orochimaru. He told me that she had taken a sword to the heart. He also informed me that she told Orochimaru that I was going to be Hokage someday. She believed in me enough to protect me from harm. That is something that a mother would do.

I'm glad that there are at least two people that care for me. I thought that Team 7 would become the family that always I wanted. That, however, was not meant to be. Kakashi-sensei, who wasn't really a sensei, well not to me at least, never showed any interest in me. When I won against Kiba in the tournament, he didn't even congratulate me on my victory. I guess that was reserved for his favorite student. I asked him to train me but he made up an excuse about how bad my chakra control was. That was the whole reason I asked him to help me, but whatever. I guess training Sasuke was a higher priority.

Sakura is no different. It is always Sasuke this and Sasuke that. Even when I saved her from Gaara, she had assumed it was Sasuke. He told her that it was me, but did I get a thank you? Nope, I got nothing. The event that showed that I would never have her was when I dragged Tsunade to heal Sasuke. I saw her at his bedside, to me it looked like she hadn't left since he was placed there. When obaa-chan healed him and he woke up, she hugged him as if he was the most precious thing ever. It pained me to see that Sasuke had beat me again, this time he did it without even trying.

I never understood Sasuke. Here is a guy who is loved by all throughout the village, yet he chooses to be lonely. He was born with the most feared bloodline limit, he is extremely gifted, and has every girl in the village after him. He also had Kakashi train him personally. He had everything and he threw it all away for vengeance. He even shoved a Chidori into my chest. I always saw him as a friend, a rival, a brother. Now all I see is a guy who took the easy way out to obtain power.

I promised Sakura that I would bring him back, but I failed to do so. I really did try for her sake. During those four days that I spent recovering in the hospital, I had expected Sakura to visit but she never did. I will never forget the day that I was released. I would be forever changed by it.

Flashback…..

The villager's stares were even colder then before. I even heard some comments that suggested that I was responsible for Sasuke's betrayal of the Konoha. I ignored it and continued home. I was glad to see Sakura about a block ahead of me. She was with that crazy blond girl Ino. I ran up to them to greet them. As I called out her name she didn't even acknowledge me. When I stopped her she had a look in her eyes that indicated that she was mad at me. I just smiled.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"

She responded, "What do you want, Naruto?"

I looked down because of the guilt of not fulfilling my promise.

"Sakura-chan…I'm sorry that I couldn't bring Sasuke back."

Her response was something that I had not expected.

"Sorry? Sorry that you couldn't keep your promise? No Naruto, I'm sorry for believing that a dead-last like you would bring back Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura-chan, I really tried but…."

"Tried? Yeah right, you didn't try. Why would you try to save Sasuke? You knew I liked him and I bet you thought that if he was out of the picture then I would say yes to a date."

"Sakura-chan that's not true. I really tried to bring him ba…"

"Enough Naruto! Get this through your head, I have never liked you and never will."

Ino spoke in a defending tone, "Sakura, I understand that you have feelings for Sasuke but that's going too far. Not even Naruto deserves that."

Sakura glared at Ino.

"Ino, this has nothing do with you so mind your own business."

Ino glared at the pink-haired kunoichi.

Naruto spoke once more, "Sakura-chan, no matter what I did or said, Sasuke didn't want to come back. But don't worry, I will bring him back for you."

"Save your promises for someone else. The only thing that I want you to do for me is to never speak to me again. I wish that it was you who left and not Sasuke."

Sakura ran off. Naruto stood there feeling as though someone had told him his dog died. He felt pain in his heart. The girl he would have done anything for to protect had broken his heart. Ino looked at Sakura, who was running off into the distance, then back at Naruto. She even felt sorry for what had happened. He looked really hurt by Sakura's words, she thought.

Ino spoke, " You know Naruto, I think she's just upset."

"No. she doesn't deserve any excuses, Ino. I thought she was my friend, I guess I was wrong. I have to go home. I guess I'll see you later, bye."

End of Flashback

I thought that it couldn't get any worse than that but I would be proven wrong once again. A week later I was called before the council. The council had declared that it was my fault for the injuries that my comrades had sustained. I was also blamed for not returning Sasuke back to the village. I tried to plea my case but it fell on deaf ears. The worst I thought was going to happen was a six month suspension of my ninja license, but they did something that I'd never expect. I was banished from Konoha. My dream of being Hokage died that day. Jiraiya tried to plead that I had helped fend off Gaara during the Sound-Sand invasion, but it fell on deaf ears once again. Obaa-chan didn't have the power to go against the council and was unable to save me from this fate.

The day that I was scheduled to leave, I went to Obaa-chan's office. Since I wasn't going to be the Hokage, I felt that there was no reason to keep the necklace. I gave it back to her and left. I had also asked her to give Iruka back the headband he had given me. Jiraiya had offered to train me for the next three years, but I told him that he didn't need to. He insisted but I declined and told him not to worry and that I would be okay. He respected my decision, but he decided to give me some scrolls with some techniques. He told me that he was leaving the village and wasn't stepping foot into it again. Ero-sennin told me where to find him whenever I wanted to learn some S-Class jutsus.

I left two days after that meeting. I could see the villagers look at me with smirks on their faces. It was fine, I was giving them what they had wanted for so long; my departure. Konoha was no longer my home. It was time for me to find a new home. I made a vow that I would become the greatest ninja ever.

It's been six years since I was banished. During that time I met and trained with Ninjas from other villages as well as Samurais. When I left, I headed to Wave Country to see Tazuna and his family. I only stayed three months before I went to Water country. I ran into a missing-nin by the name of Saichi Kaito. He was one of the seven swordsmen of the Mist. I followed him around for the next two years, learning all that I could from him. During this time we did missions together and became like brothers. After two years passed, I had decided it was time to part ways. I was still on a quest for strength so I needed to continue on my path.

My departure from Kaito-sensei led me to Sea Country, where I met a Samurai clan known as the Minashu clan. I had thought I had already learned all I needed about Kenjutsu but I was wrong.

The Samurai took me in and trained me under the "Heavenly Sword". Since I knew how to wield a sword, it only took me a year to master the style. By the time I had finished mastering the style, I considered myself one of the top 10 ninjas in the world. I know that sounds cocky but I believed it to be true.

The next year was spent with Jiraiya, perfecting my tajutsu and ninjutsu and taking on missions after a year of training with the Minashu. I also learned some genjutsu from the scrolls, and from Jiraiya as well. My skills had improved greatly during that time. No longer was I the dead-last or the idiot. I am known throughout the ninja world as the "Golden Fox". I guess I got that name due to my yellow hair and whisker marks.

During this time, Konoha had defeated the Sound village, killing Orochimaru in the process. The Akatuski was dealt with a couple of months later. I like to say I had a big part in that. After all, I did kill three members. I softened them up for Konoha and Suna. Sasuke finally got his revenge and killed his brother. I heard that the village accepted him back after his betrayal. My sources have informed me that all he got was a year of probation. He is now currently a Jounin and an ANBU squad captain.

2 years after the fall of the Sound and Akatsuki, Cloud declared war on the Leaf for unknown reasons.

The war doesn't concern me. I live in Sun Country now with my fiancée and her mother. I met Yumi when I was seventeen. I remember the day we met. I saved her from some thugs who tried to rob her and possibly force themselves on her. When I looked at her, I was mesmerized by her long brown hair, her green eyes and her shapely body. After I saved her life, she insisted that I have dinner with her and her mother so I did. Her mother, Mai, who looked like an older version of Yumi, accepted me with open arms. From that day Yumi and I were always together.

Peaceful as things were, I knew it wouldn't last for long. It never does. Outside of the green house made of wood, with a farm in the back, sitting in a chair on the porch, with Yumi cuddled up to me, I noticed the presence of five people. Judging by the way they moved it had to be ninja. I didn't alert Yumi to their presence, I didn't want her to get scared.

Within a matter of seconds, 5 shurikens flew at me and Yumi. I used the Kawarimi no Jutsu. I was behind the ninja holding a kunai at the throat, but I found that I couldn't move. It was the Kage Mane. There was only one person I knew who could do this technique.

(End of Naruto's POV)