Prologue- How it Began
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way or form when I am not dreaming!!!!
(The disclaimer above counts for the entire story because I don't want to re-type it)
Description: Naruto has a great secret, one that nobody must know of, hidden behind his mask. Super and Anbu!Naruto
A.N.:
Hey there! Welcome to my first-ever multi-chapter fanfic! You are currently reading a few things that I felt you should know of….
I have almost no writing experience, so if you could review to tell me about things I need to improve on and the like, it will be greatly appreciated.
Depending on the comments I receive, chapters may be rewritten. I will not, however, rewrite a chapter in a way that changes the plot entirely, forcing me to rewrite all the other chapters.
I will take suggestions for the next chapters. You are, after all, the reader! (a.k.a. Your opinion matters!)
I do not plan to write any couples, seeing as I really can't write then. Knowing me, I might magically end up writing SasuNaru, NaruHina, or some other random couple such as ShikaIno and the like…
I might accidentally bash Sakura and Kakashi (even though they are two of my favorite characters…). Please tell me if I do… Or if you like it!
I will try to update every week or sooner. I can't make any guarantees though. Sorry if I do take longer!
Yes, Naruto WILL be extremely overpowered, yadda yadda yadda. However, this is not a fic where Naruto shows off his awesome skills (sorry if you like that). He tries to hide them instead. This IS a omg-they-found-out-the-truth-omg-omg fanfic, but the story pretty much follows the canon (original plot) until around the Chunin exams. These first chapters help you get acquainted with Naruto's real personality in this fanfic.
Uzumaki Naruto lay curled up in a ball at the end of an alley. The villagers, as usual, had decided to have some fun and "hurt the demon brat." Naruto's clothes were red with blood and his lifeless eyes were filled with tears.
'Why do they hate me? Why do they like to hurt me?' He thought. Try as he might, his four-year-old brain could not find the answer. The four men surrounding him cackled when they saw his tears.
"So the monster can cry. Let's see if he can scream." The leader of the group proclaimed, taking a knife from the inside pocket of his coat. The others laughed and cheered him on.
"Hurt him, boss!"
"Yeah, boss, hurt him!"
"Make him want to die!"
The wounded four-year-old said the only thing he could think of.
"Please don't hurt me!" He cried, but none of the men listened to him. In fact, they seemed to laugh even harder.
His last was, 'What did I do to deserve this?' before the darkness enveloped him, the laughter of men filling his ears.
When Naruto awakened, the first thing he saw was a bright white ceiling. He sniffed the air, and, smelling a distinguishable smell, realized he was in the hospital. He turned his head to the side and his vision was filled with the sight of an old, kind, and worried face that Naruto recognized. The Sandaime. (1)
"Naruto? How do feel?" Asked Naruto's grandfather figure.
"I'm okay, ojiji."(2) Naruto replied. He started to sit up and winced. Even though he was already healing from the beating he received, his lower back felt like it was on fire. He lay back down with a groan. "I've been better though."
"Good. Listen, Naruto. The orphanage kicked you out yesterday while you were… out." Said the old mad. Seeing the young boy's crestfallen face, he hurried on. "I have a proposition for you. I want you to live at the Anbu HQ. You'll be safe there and from what I've heard people over there admire you. Okay?"
Naruto gave a large smile full of warmth. People would actually like him?
"Sure!"
Sarutobi smiled back at Naruto. There was another reason he was sending Naruto to the HQ. The old Hokage had noticed Naruto's determination and intelligence. He knew that Naruto could become a prodigy with proper training, which he was guaranteed to earn at the Anbu HQ. Even though this would not change the general opinion of him, it would at east help his self-defense.
"Alright then. I'll get your things sent there and help you settle in as soon as your recovered."
"Arigato (3), ojiji."
That said, the Sandaime left the room. Once he was in the hallway he called over an Anbu with a rabbit mask.
"Please stop by the orphanage and take Uzumaki Naruto's belongings to the HQ."
"Hai (4), Hokage-sama." The Anbu then disappeared from sight.
The old man then proceeded to walk back to his office. He had one last arrangement to make.
The Hokage sat in his office, waiting. He had sent a summon for a particular Anbu and was currently awaiting her arrival. Just as he was beginning to get impatient, she appeared with a poof of smoke.
"You called?" She asked.
"Hai. Uzumaki Naruto is moving into the headquarters and I want you, Snake (5), to be his sensei. You may request help from other Anbu if you wish, but no one outside the Anbu must know about this."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." The purple-haired woman then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
The Sandaime sat back in his chair with a sigh.
'I have high hopes for you, Naruto.'
Two years later…
A group of missing-nin was hiding in a cave. The traitors had joined together and formed a group who were known to raid villages and kill innocent villagers, including children. The peace in the cave was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of four Anbu. Three of them were unknown, but the leader caused everyone to freeze in terror. Judging by his height he could be no older than seven, but his name was known everywhere. He was called the Killer Kit, the strongest of the Konoha Anbu. No one except the Hokage and perhaps his squad mates knew his real name and appearance. All that could be seen from behind his mask was the young Anbu's bright blonde hair.
"You have betrayed your villages, ignoring the rules that bound you to them. As such, we have been ordered to exterminate you. Any last words?" The Killer Kit suddenly asked. The bandits, still frozen by fear, said nothing.
"Very well then. Let's get this over with."
That said, all four Anbu unsheathed their gleaming katanas and ran into the cave. The screams that erupted from the cave could be heard throughout the forest.
Four Anbu stood still in front of the Hokage. Each of their masks showed a different animal. Their masks represented a snake, a bird, a fox, and a dog. The one with the fox mask stepped forward.
"Mission complete, Hokage-sama. We have exterminated the group of missing-nins located near the border." He spoke, not stumbling on a single word.
"Very well. All of you besides Fox are dismissed." The three Anbu standing behind the fox left, announcing their departure with three poofs of smoke.
"Fox, please remove your mask."
The Anbu complied, removing his mask to show azure eyes and whisker marks on his cheeks. Blonde hair, freed from the mask, seemed to spike up even more, if possible. The Sandaime observed the young boy before him.
The old Hokage had been right to expect much from the boy. He had flourished under the direction of two select Anbu. He seemed to be unaffected from the amount of violence his job required him to witness. The boy had a very positive and playful personality, but he could be serious when needed. The six-year-old was extremely strong, and, even though almost no one knew who he truly was, he was admired under his nickname "the Killer Fox."
The old man had to worry however. Naruto had no friends his age and was rather untrusting of everyone in the village. It was those thoughts that pushed him to his decision.
"Naruto, I have a new mission for you."
"Already?"
"Hai. I'm sure you're aware of the Uchiha Massacre, correct?"
"Hai."
"Well, there is one survivor, Uchiha Sasuke. He will be entering the Academy this year. I want you to also enter the Academy and make sure he does not betray the village or get hurt. I will provide you with an apartment to live in. You shall remain at your position as Anbu Captain and will sometimes be sent on missions if required. This mission is considered an S-Rank ongoing mission. Do you accept?"
"Hai, but I must ask, am I supposed to act a certain way?"
"No. You may act as you wish, as long as you do not reveal your true status or mission. Understood?"
"Hai, Hokage-ojiji."
The Sandaime smiled at the nickname. Naruto had never stopped calling him that, even when he entered the Anbu at the extremely young age of five.
"Alright then. Come back later to find out where you will live. You may go."
Naruto nodded, and left the room with a simple "See ya."
Naruto was walking down the streets, deep in thought. He had exchanged his Anbu outfit for a black t-shirt with a red swirl in the middle and black pants with pockets all over them. He wore a red jacket over his t-shirt that had his signature red swirl on his right fore-arm, above his Anbu tattoo. His kunai pouch was on his left thigh, as always, and he had a backpack on that was filled to the brim with scrolls.
Each scroll contained an object sealed inside of it. One of his scrolls, for example, held his katana. Another held some emergency food. All of the other scrolls held what little belongings he had, so that when he learned his new address he could easily move in without trouble. One particular scroll held his Anbu equipment, in case of emergency.
Ignoring any glares he received, Naruto continued wandering thorough the streets with no actual destination. Eventually he reached a park, and decided to sit down by a tree, still thinking.
'Hmmm…. I can act as I want to, eh?' He thought. 'How should I act? Serious? No, that could make me look suspicious. But what wouldn't make me look suspicious?'
He looked across the street, staring into the window of a nearby clothes store. He walked over to it and cautiously entered.
'Maybe I can get some ideas from the clothes here…'
He looked through racks of clothing, searching for some inspiration, but saw nothing of interest. Then he found it. A bright orange jumpsuit, sitting on a shelf near the very back of the store.
'I got it! I know how I should act to avoid suspicion!' He thought.
He took the jumpsuit from the shelf and went to the counter to buy it. Thankfully, the old lady was one of the few who didn't hate him too much, so all he received when he left the store was a silent glare. But that was better than insults in Naruto's mind.
He sat around in the park, thinking up the rest of his disguise. The sun was setting once he had thought of all the details.
'I better go get my new apartment's keys.' He thought, and ran off towards the Hokage tower.
When Naruto entered the Hokage's office, he found that there were three people already there. Two of them were Mitarashi Anko and "Yamato"(6), his senseis, and the last one was the old man himself.
"Alright, Naruto, here are your keys. You begin at the Academy tomorrow." Said the Sandaime, and after giving him instructions to the apartment, he let the Kyuubi vessel say goodbye to the two people he was closest to.
Once that was done, Naruto turned to leave the office with a simple goodbye. The Hokage said one last thing before he left.
"Remember, Naruto, nobody must know."
When Naruto entered his apartment, he noticed that it was already furnished. He quickly unsealed his things and spent the rest of the night arranging his new home. After a quick dinner of cup ramen, he went to bed, falling asleep after three minutes of staring at the Hokage Mountain through his window. Asleep, he had a little meeting with the Kyuubi.
In Naruto's mindscape:
Naruto looked around, confused, until he recognized his surroundings. He was in front of the golden bars that held the Kyuubi captive.
"Hello?" He asked, "Kyuu, are you there?"
"Hello, kit." Came the reply from behind the bars.
Naruto had learned about the Kyuubi when he entered the Anbu. When he first met the demon, the first thing he had asked was why the fox had attacked Konoha. According to the nine-tails, he had been told by a "snake-man", as he put it, that the village had been planning to kill his family. He had attacked in a blind rage, only coming to his senses once he was sealed. The young boy had forgiven him, and, from then on, the vessel and the tenant had been friends, with the demon sometimes offering advice and helping with training.
"So, Kyuu, what did you call me for?"
"I just wanted to know how you planned to act like starting tomorrow."
"Well, I couldn't think of anything at first. Then I saw that jumpsuit and I realized it. If I wanted to be ignored I had to try and search for attention. Also, no one would expect an extremely loud person to be in the Anbu. So I decided I was going to be overly loud, obnoxious, playful, and lazy as I could. I think it should work."
"That sounds like a good plan. Unfortunately, you're stuck here until you wake up, so you might as well train so you don't forget anything. Start practicing hand signs. We'll work on strategies later."
Naruto grumbled a little, but did as he was told. Even though he was asleep, he didn't get any breaks. That, however, was the way of the Anbu, and Naruto would always follow it if he had to.
Naruto was working on a theory for a new jutsu with the fox when he heard an incessant beeping. He awakened, opened his eyes, and sighed. His new mission began today. With another sigh, he got out of bed and prepared for the day and what it held for him.
A.N.:
Well, there you have it! The first chapter/Prologue. I plan on having the new chapter out tomorrow. I'm going to get a few chapters done quickly then slow down to a chapter a week. In any case, I hope you like it. This chapter did turn out a lot longer than I expected. It was originally only supposed to be a page or so, but it ended up being five and a half pages. It also did NOT follow my original plot, but it still fits my plan. In any case, here's this chapter's glossary. Bye!
Sandaime: The third Hokage. The Fourth was the Yondaime, the fifth will be the Godaime, and I might mention the word Rokudaime, the Sixth Hokage.
Ojiji: Naruto's Nickname for the Sandaime. It basically means "Old Man" or "grandpa"
Arigato: Thank You in Japanese. 'Nuff said.
Hai: Yes in Japanese.
All Anbu will be called by the name of the animal on their mask when they are wearing it. This is how no one knew of Naruto's identity in the Anbu.
It has been stated somewhere that he preferred to be called Yamato instead of his actual name. Seeing as this is not his actual name, he has no last name.
-Harmony