Naruto: Champion of Avalon

By Quick-n-Popular

Disclaimer: "Naruto" and all of its characters, with the exception of those that I introduce, are sole properties of their respective owner(s). The same goes for "King Arthur" and everything related to.

Chapter One: Prologue: Chosen

They say when you're a child that the whole world is a treasure; that life, with its pains and pleasures, will pave the path and shape you as an adult. However, for one Uzumaki Naruto, the latter, sadly, was something that either was forbidden to him or plainly didn't exist. As far as the six year old could remember, his life has always been a constant struggle. For some inexplicable reason, his village, the place of his birth; had condemned him to an existence of being the subject to pure hatred and living in constant fear for his well-being. No one explained the beatings, tauntings, and the other horrible atrocities made by the villagers and the Shinobi that became a daily gauntlet the poor six year old boy had to run through. The only things he had to go on were the common phrases in the shouts of pain and anger by the people towards him: "Demon", "Kyuubi-brat", and "The Yondaime's Mistake"; all of these which Made little to no sense to the boy. He had remembered, one time in the orphanage, eavesdropping on storytime, something he was never allowed to attend; hearing the matron telling the story of the village's Yondaime Hokage. How he single-handedly defeated the dreaded nine-tailed fox, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Naruto became confused as to why so many people would mistake him for something that sounded so cruel and horrible. Again, no one would willingly give him answers to these questions. His kindly benefactor, the Sandaime Hokage, made excuses as to the reasons behind the behaviors and treatment towards Naruto. He explained it to him, at one time, as them, unfortunately; using Naruto as a scapegoat to try and unburden themselves from the reminders of that horrible event six years ago. Naruto had begged the Hokage to make more sense on the issue, but he refused to budge, instead telling the boy that when he was older, he'd be able to explain it more thoroughly. Amongst the very few that treated him with kindness, the Ichirakus, who owned a ramen stand that Naruto frequented on a daily basis; also remained vague as the reasons behind the village's contempt towards the boy. Teuchi and his daughter Ayame would usually look upon the major populace of the village with distaste, muttering things like "fools" and "idiots". In the end, Naruto was left with more questions and with no answers. One question that lingered on his mind amidst the ones that questioned his treatment in the village, was if the hostility he saw on a day-to-day basis was also mirrored by his absent mother and father, whoever they were or are. The answer to this question terrified him more than the thought of what the citizens of Konohagakure had next for him as his punishment for existing. The Hokage tried to assure him that it wasn't the case, however, he didn't go any further, much to Naruto's disappointment.

So Here was Naruto today, and today was like any other day, unfortunately. Three drunk off-duty Shinobi, followed by half-a-dozen vindictive citizens, gave chase to the poor boy in the nearly midnight hour. They covered all the alleyways and made any evasion within the village impossible. It left him with only one option and it was one where they would likely not be held accountable for; they were going to drive him out of the gates of the village and into the forest beyond. The six year old, in his panic-induced state, had no idea of their goal but was simply lead by blind-desperation. The desire to escape the violence, curses, and ridicule promised by those who were pursuing him made leaving village more desirable as the chase intensified. Sadly, the guards stationed at the gate have always remained indifferent in the on-goings of the boy's torture. Trying their best to be helpful, even though they were impartial to the boy; they did their job in reporting the manner to ANBU and the Hokage just as they saw Naruto's retreating figure growing fainter into the woods.

Naruto's feet had carried him along way. Despite his senses telling his mind that there was no longer any danger coming after him, his terror was still at its peak and the urge to flee dwarfed all other information coming to him as he continued to run, in his state, through the trees. The ground though brought reality back to him, albeit cruelly, as it left from underneath him and went into a steep decline. Naruto was soon stumbling, then tripping, somersaulting, and colliding with everything on the ground as he was tossed around like a rag doll. Soon, a protruding rock from the ground granted Naruto the blissfulness granted by darkness as it was the last thing he saw in his fall….

Moments later, Naruto's eyes slowly opened. Blinking several times before wincing at the excruciating pain and pounding from his head, he slowly lifted his body from the cold grass he was on only to find his movements were shaky and distorted. Pain seemed to rack his entire body, a warm wetness was felt on half of his face and within the confines of his spiky blonde hair. Shakily moving his left hand up, he touched his face first and brought the hand in front of him and saw that it was dripping with his blood.

Naruto sighed despondently; getting hurt and the sight of his own blood was something he had overcame awhile back, it has been a constant in his life.

Moving a few foot paces ahead, Naruto found that his right arm had been broken by the fall and now was hanging painfully limp at his side. Again, unfazed, he sighed tiredly, this time, as he then looked away from his arm and, for the first time since he came to; at his surroundings.

He was at the bottom of a gorge which had a lake being fed fed from a river that came from a waterfall. Naruto gaped in awe at the cliff-side where the waterfall was as two imposing, in Naruto's opinion "very cool", looking figures stood opposing one another in challenging postures. The waterfall was the thing that stood between them and it too was breath taking. All of it, in Naruto's young eyes was beautiful. The stone figures, the waterfall, the river, and the lake, which seemed to span off for miles on out; all of it was impressive and visually beautiful in the evening hour.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he settled himself down on the grass in a sitting position, trying to be mindful of his arm as it reminded him of its condition immediately. Naruto knew that the Hokage, or "Oji-san" as he affectionately called him, would be sending out ANBU to locate him so it would be best to stay put and wait for them. He decided to occupy his time by taking in all the scenery that was lit under the moon in a very pleasant glow.

"Come to me, child."

Naruto's body stiffened. He thought he was alone out here. Something, or someone, was calling out. By the sound, it was feminine but the voice was so rich, it couldn't possibly be human.

"You need not fear. Please, come to me."

Naruto gulped. He could hear the voice clearly that time as well as where it was originating from. His eyes slowly descended upon the lake where he could see ripples coming from the surface. There was no wind in the air and no wildlife, which meant someone was causing those ripples. Naruto was beginning to feel his panic come back to him and the urge to take flight. However, there was another sensation: curiosity. Much to his surprise, it overcame the other feelings as he was soon painfully back on his feet, his eyes glued to the Lake's surface as he slowly made his way. He was cautious, as he has always been, living in the day-by-day tests of survival; he stopped five feet away from the water's edge and his eyes widened as the lake took on a luminescent glow. Naruto, at this point was nervous. Who was this person, where were they? His trust was tangible and he has never been gullible when it came to people stating things to him under "It'll be ok" or "You have nothing to fear". Too many counts of being tricked, hurt, both physically and emotionally, poisoned; all under the pretense of kindness by those around him. He was wary about this stranger calling out to him, but, again, his curiosity wanted to see where this was going to go.

Naruto Uzumaki, I promise you you'll receive no harm or deceit in our meeting. I know of your life and the betrayals and pain that comes with it. I am NOT one of those who wish to take advantage in order to hurt you."

Naruto's eyes widened, in a larger size, this time. Had this person, or whatever it was, read his thoughts and what he was feeling right now? His young mind couldn't comprehend anybody having the ability to do that. Granted, living in the Shinobi world, Naruto has been told of many of the fantastic things ninja do, by the Hokage. However, this wasn't in the old man's itinerary of lists of things shinobi can do.

Deciding to be brave about this, Naruto unsteadily walked forward about two feet more and was just a foot away from the water's edge. It was here that the glowing water seemed to rise up on high in the middle of the lake. It rose ten feet high in the air as a gyser before some of the water came back down and what was left astounded Naruto. It took on the shape of a woman. With long hair, a thin frame, and features that he has seen on woman in their middle years; Naruto's breath was seemingly gone as he gaped at the spectacle before him. He was rewarded with something more as the 'water woman' began smiling and one of her arms went behind her as the other made a welcoming gesture.

"Young Naruto Uzumaki, I welcome you, the brave boy whose life had been destined to carry with it a terrible burden few would be able to endure."

Naruto blinked, owlishly, after hearing her speech. His vocabulary, for his age was limited, in some cases more than what it should be; however, he heard one word he was having difficulty understanding than the others she used.

"D-Destined?" He croaked out.

The woman made out of water smiled and nodded. "Yes, 'destined'. However, I'm here to change what your destiny was to be as Avalon has decided to grant you a new one."

Naruto cocked his head to the side in confusion. "Avalon? Who's that?"

The woman smiled, amused by the child take on what she had said. "Avalon, dear boy, is not a person but a paradise that foresees all whom it chooses to be its champion; to become the greatest in their time." She then clasped her hands together and slowly pulled them apart. In between them, a heavenly glow seemed to grow in her watery palms and then seemed to encompass them as she brought her hands farther apart. Naruto felt the light to be blinding, he used his only available hand to shield his eyes. Much to his relief, the light soon faded. When Naruto looked back at the woman his breath was hitched in his throat as his eyes nearly bugged out at what he saw next.

In the woman's hands, was a sheathed sword. It was beautiful and mysterious at the same time. The scabbard was sapphire-blue, laced with intricate gold designs from top to tip. The hand-guard was a brilliant silver and curved close to the handle. The handle was wrapped in brown leather and the end piece was almost in a diamond shape with a ruby adorning its center.

Naruto was transfixed on the weapon, sheathed, in all; he didn't know how long he was looking at it but he soon snapped out of his spell as he heard the mysterious woman talking again, smiling again.

"I present Excalibur to you, Naruto Uzumaki. This is your inheritance from Avalon. It will take you many places and bring victory in the darkest of times that are sure to come in your future life as a shinobi. It will also make people look up to you and bring respect from those that doubt your strength." She then sighed as she looked down at the weapon in her hands. "However, like the weapon itself, this gift is double-edged. Many will want to have this blade for themselves and thus will seek your death to obtain it."

Naruto took a step back, startled, after hearing that warning. However, his mind was too happy at the prospect that he, the "Demon of Konoha" would be given a treasure such as this.

The mysterious woman closed her eyes before slowly opening them and looking at Naruto with a look of saddened seriousness. "Naruto Uzumaki, before Excalibur can be given to you, Avalon deems it essential that your body and soul is purified. For it won't let something as sinister and malicious as the Kyuubi no Kitsune, even though it resides within you; warp its benevolent purpose."

Naruto nearly fumbled backwards as his eyes widneed in confusion, shock, and fear at what the watery woman had said.

"W-What d-did you say?"

The woman took a look of confusion before her eyes widened and she smiled sadly at the boy. "I see. So no one has told you what has been put upon you or rather in you, Naruto."

Naruto shook his head viciously.

The mysterious woman nodded. "Well then, the day you were born, the fourth king, or Yondaime Hokage, in your language; when all else failed, decided to put the soul of the beast that had terrorized the village into a new born babe. That child, in time, would drain the Kyuubi of all of its chakra, all of its life and existence; thus saving your village." After seeing Naruto's reaction to this important revelation, she easily predicted where his thoughts and emotions were leading him to next. She raised a placating finger up, "However, Naruto, this does NOT make you the demon itself, or a demon because of it. You are your own unique, kind, person. One of such that Avalon was to seek you out and make you its newest champion."

Naruto closed his mouth, which at first was about to cry out in despair at his fears becoming real, but the woman took away all the doubt and worries he was about to make and instead told him what he needed to hear. Her words comforted him more than he has been in a long time and he was happy. Naruto then gave her one of the rarest things he would ever bestow upon an individual, even those closest to him. A genuine smile.

"Thank you." He whispered, a single tear shedding from his slightly damp eyes.

The woman smiled and nodded. Her features returned to their seriousness from before as she looked at the sword.

As I said before, Naruto, Excalibur needs to purify your soul and body of the Kyuubi before it can accept you as its new master. I will not lie, it will hurt more than you've ever experienced or have endured. Will you accept this?"

Naruto was ready for this question as he had already made up his mind. How could he possibly deny her? She was going to rid him of the very thing that the people of his village hated him for. Although, putting on a brave front, the prospect of pain WAS a little unsettling and he tried not to betray the brave image he was showing.

"Yes, ma'am." He said politely, which caused her to chuckle at his eagerness to please her. She nodded and then brought the blade high above her head, the point of the still sheathed blade pointing down towards Naruto.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

Naruto nodded and then screwed his eyes shut and braced himself as much as he could for whatever was to come.

The woman then threw the sword down at Naruto, the sound it made, in Naruto's ears, was that reminiscent of a screetching hawk swooping down on its prey.

As the sword drew near, the scabbard soon left the weapon and landed solidly next to Naruto, who opened his eyes in surprise by the sound, however they soon became wider as he glimpsed at the rapidly approaching weapon as the, now naked, blade was glowing an indescribable color that seemed otherworldly. However, Naruto's eyes went from awe to shock as he felt the blade skewer him through his belly.

Unknown to Naruto, no blood came from the penetration, more so, it went completely through Naruto, hilt and all, burying itself in the ground behind him.

Naruto, though, had felt it. His mouth contorted into a shape appropriate for some emitting an ear-piercing scream. No sound came out of him and his body fell like a puppet who's strings had been cut and his whole body twisted and contorted like a flopping fish on dry land. Naruto's eyes then rolled back into his head and he became still, twitching for every few seconds until stopping completely and then his eyelids closed.

Around Naruto, a mist of red chakra swirled from his abdomen and from it an image surfaced. The Kyuubi with a full set of fangs which would have been snarling at a time, were now giving out a painful yowl. The yowl soon died out as did the image. The chakra, though, slowly descended back into the confines of Naruto abdominal area.

When Naruto awoke, he felt as if he had been sleeping for weeks on end, if not months. Groaning and blinking several times, he placed his hands on the surface underneath him and his eyes widen as it soon registers in his mind that he was lying on grass. He rose his body up and shaked his head several times, trying to remove the cobwebs as he tried to recall how he got out doors. He then registered it was nighttime as the light from the was absent.

"Naruto."

He heard a pleasant woman's voice. It wasn't Ayame-chan but it sounded familiar. When Naruto looked to the place where he heard the voice and who it belonged to, it all came back to him. Running from the people who chased him from the village to the forest, coming to the lake, meeting the mysterious water lady, finding out why his home hated him, and then-

Naruto's eyes widened as he finally recalled what had happened before he closed his eyes. He immediately looked down at his stomach and was surprised to see his white t-shirt clean with no bloodstains. It became apparent to him as he felt around that his broken arm was fixed too! Naruto looked at the woman on the water who was smiling at him. She also seemed to be gesturing with her head. Naruto looked at her confusedly before looking around and then stopping at what lay behind him.

It was Excalibur. The sword was buried two feet from him and the scabbard lay at his side. Naruto felt his heart in his throat as he slowly gulped. He then, slowly, reached out and let his fingers graze the handle of the sword. It was then that he felt encouraged as a voice inside of himself was cheering him on and its spell worked. Naruto's whole hand soon wrapped tightly around the handle and he slowly lifted out of the confines of the earth. To his surprise, it was light and he could hold it in one hand without trouble. His eyes widened as something else happened. Things were coming in his mind, telling him things about the sword. It filled his head with information like the history of the sword, previous owners, jutsus applied to the sword, kenjutsu-katas, etc. It wasn't over-powering and it seemed to work with his intellect and mind pace. When it was finished Naruto had smiled at the sword before mouthing a 'thank you' to it. Whether it was the sword who was filling his head with the information, or something else, he just felt it was appropriate to give thanks to whomever was helping him. He had always been polite and grateful to those that have helped him. He never took for granted anyone who gave him kindness, for it was rare. For that matter, he turned back to the mysterious woman who was made of water and gave her a look of appreciation as well.

The woman smiled and nodded in response.

"You've done remarkably, young Naruto. Better than some who've had to go through something similar that I have seen."

The woman then closed her eyes and looked as though she was thinking.

Our time together is about over. Others are on their way here to bring you back to your village. I advise you to hide Excalibur as I had said before, should anyone learn of it, they will attack, lie, or try to convince you to give it away, in order to have it for themselves. Though they will never be able to wield it, as it is now forever linked only to your soul, it'd be wise, my dear boy; to wait until you are strong enough to fight these people before revealing it to the world."

Naruto nodded but then look scared as he soon caught upo with what she had said earlier.

"Wait! Miss! Are you really leaving? Please don't leave me! I don't even know your name!"

The woman opened her eyes and smiled. She opened her arms and seemed to glide down from where she was perched on the geyser of water, which seemed to flow with her; to Naruto and enveloped him in a, surprisingly, warm, hug.

"I'm a afraid I do not possess a name, dear, sweet, Naruto. I have been known simply as the "Lady of the Lake" or "Mistress of Avalon", As for my leaving you…Please, do not fret. I will ALWAYS be watching and will take immense pride in the accomplishments you are sure to make in the years to come. Remember Naruto, even though this will be our only meeting, I, Avalon; we will always be with you."

Naruto was sobbing into her shoulder, which if he would have been more observant, he would have realized that this woman, despite being of water; portrayed herself nude and may have been a little more weirded out. Being innocent and naïve had its moments. However, despite being ignorant of the fact, he was clinging onto her as if life depended on it. He loosened his hold, though, when he felt her hand come underneath his chin and raised his head so he would be looking at her. He reluctantly opened his eyes and he saw her lovely visage, smiling at him.

"Grow strong, Naruto Uzumaki; use Excalibur to wipe the evil away from this world and rightfully set your place in history."

Naruto nodded as he wiped away the stranded tears with his free hand, the other holding Excalibur, tightly.

The mysterious Mistress of Avalon smiled as she nodded and then floated back to the middle of the water.

"Farwelll." She said and as soon as the words were uttered, her whole body exploded into a splash of water that seemed to slow as it rained lightly onto the surface of the water.

Naruto wiped away the remaining tears from his eyes and then stood.

"Have you found him?" A voice came from behind him, far out into the forest.

He's over there. Let's make this quick, the Hokage is in a bad mood already for him having been chased out by the villagers." Replied another.

Naruto stood rigid as it became clear to him that he was about to be taken back to Konoha, the place where everyone, except a select few, hated him. He looked at Excalibur in his hand, he then remembered the Mistress of Avalon's words. Naruto walked over, picked up the scabbard, and re-sheathed the weapon. Nodding, he then recalled what the sword had taught him and uttered, "Toku" (Hide). The results were instantaneous; the blade shimmered until it was invisible. Naruto then parted the back of the collar of his shirt and slid Excalibur all the way down till the tip of the scabbard went through his black pants and it met his tailbone. However, in its invisible-state, it gave nothing away visually and his clothes looked as though they were just as they always were. Naruto sighed in relief and wiped his face with the back of his hand. His eyes then went wide as he then looked over to the water's edge, at his reflection.

The whisker-like birthmarks from having the Kyuubi inside of him, were gone. His cheeks were completely unblemished. How was he going to explain their absence? He doubted heavily that even the Hokage would buy a "I don't know" answer from him. In the end, he would have more trouble and people would think the worst of him.

With this in mind and knowing how limited his time was before the ANBU would be there, Naruto looked desperately for an answer to his predicament. He soon found it in the form of some earth that was relatively black. It was a temporary solution and he didn't have any other ideas to go on. So grabbing a three fingers full of the earth, he quickly went back to the water's edge and began making the lines he was well known for, in addition to the other things. He decided it was expectable for now just as the four ANBU members came into the clearing.

"Ah, here you are." Ones said, lazily; his face hidden by an Inu mask. "Come, we're here to take you back to the village. The villagers will think twice about harming you while we're around and the Hokage is anxious to see you."

Naruto nodded dumbly as his mind was going through a multitude of things; his thoughts were scarcely on the present.

He walked forward and took the outstretched hand of another member whose mask resembled a neko.

"I'm happy to see you're safe, Naruto-kun." She said, warmly.

Naruto smiled at her. She was one of the few who was both kind and concerned for him whenever she has gotten word of something happened to him. She always visited him before the Hokage if he was ever in the hospital.

"Thank you, Neko-san." He replied.

She nodded and then turned to the Inu-masked ANBU leader. "Taichou, should we get going?"

Inu nodded and soon the three of them, plus Naruto, were traveling through the forest on their way back to Konoha.

With Neko holding his legs as he was on her back, Naruto had onr of his arms wrapped tightly, but not constricting underneath her neck. Naruto used the other to reach and touch the hilt of Excalibur behind him. He was grateful that it masked its weight as well. It clung to him and never moved despite the pace they were going.

"Nothing's ever going to be the same." Naruto thought. A smile crept onto his face, threatening to become one of his fake grins that he used around the village, although this time it would be an honest one. "I think I'll like it, though."

To be continued….

A/N: Please review and tell me what you think.

Q-n-P