In the village of Konohagakure in the Land of Fire lived a ten year old boy named Naruto Uzumaki. He had fair, pale skin, almost like morning frost, shoulder length crimson hair and steel-coloured eyes. At first glance he was a boy like any other in the Land of Fire, but he was anything but ordinary as he harboured a very dangerous demon inside of himself. When he was just a baby he had the Nine-tailed fox sealed inside of himself, a very powerful and dangerous beast. Sadly that was also the reason why his entire village hated him, although it was not his choice to have a demon sealed inside of him. He never had any say in it, nor any control over it, yet he was constantly punished for it. There rarely was a day when he was not hunted through the streets of Konoha, pursued by an angry mob, being insulted and beaten. Nothing he ever did or say ever appease them, more just enraged them further.

His classmates were not much better. Naruto was a very smart student, perhaps even the best at the ninja academy, yet it was all for nothing. No matter how well he did he was always hated and described as a loser. Sasuke Uchiha who was considerably worse than him was hailed as this prodigy and admired by all, yet was truly just mediocre, even though he was older than Naruto and had more experience.

And with no parents he was truly alone. Nobody wanted anything to do with him, not even his team-mates and his sensei. Kakashi only really paid attention to Sasuke, nobody else, not even Sakura, their last team-member.

Right now he sat in the crown of the highest tree in Konoha, looking down at the village. Everything seemed so peaceful and its people were going about their usual days, looking happy. However, he knew that should he go down and into town everybody would glare at him and throw insults at him. He was tired, tired of everything, and he hated them more than anything else.

"There you are, Naruto." Looking around the redhead could see the only person that ever had shown any kind of kindness towards him. A white haired chunin named Mizuki. "Why are you hiding in here?"

Naruto didn't answer, just turned back watching the village.

"They threw insults at you again, didn't they?" Mizuki looked at him with sadness. He didn't need the boy's answer to know it was the truth. Coming closer he picked the boy up. "Come, I'll treat you to some ramen." He put the boy on his shoulders.

Naruto's cold look and blank expression never changed, but deep inside he was glad Mizuki did what he did. Each time the white-haired man came to him for a short while he felt appreciated. As they walked through the village to Ichiraku's Ramen stand people glared at both of them. Nobody in the village could understand what a good ninja like Mizuki ever saw in a demon boy like that redhead.

Mizuki knew people whispered behind their backs, but he paid them no mind, he didn't care what people said, he just wanted to help a poor, abandoned boy. And although he never saw Naruto smile he saw it in the boy's eyes that for the short time they spent together the boy was happy, at least a little bit.

Naruto never liked ramen and didn't understand what his friend saw in it. It wasn't healthy to eat so much of it. But he also never voiced this to Mizuki, since he knew it would hurt the chunin's feelings as the man adored that thing he called 'power food.'

Setting the boy down on a stool he ordered them both a bowl of ramen. He liked Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame a lot, especially since neither of them hated on the boy sitting next to him.

"There you go!" Ayame sat their food in front of them, with a wink towards Mizuki who blushed furiously.

Naruto looked between the two. He knew Mizuki fancied the shop owner's daughter, but he had no idea Ayame had a thing going for him as well. Shaking his head he tucked into his ramen instead.

"So Naruto," Mizuki coughed, hiding his embarrassment, "I was wondering if you'd be interested in another training session with me?"

Naruto's head snapped in his friend's direction. "Are you serious?" His eyes twinkling.

The white-haired man smiled at his young friend, and if either of them could see Teuchi and his daughter too were smiling. "Of course I am!" He grinned. "I'm sorry it took so long for another one, I was really busy." He hang his head. He wished he could spend more time with the boy, but his duties demanded his attention elsewhere a lot of the time.

Naruto looked into his bowl. "It's not your fault, I know you're busy."
"Thank you," he put a hand on the redheads shoulder, "but I'd like to spend more time with you. You're my friend after all."

Nauro looked up at hearing that, finding a grinning Mizuki. Taking his bowl he drank the rest of the content, then slammed it on the counter. "Of course I would!" He looked forward to it.

The white-haired man chuckled. "Very well! Meet me in the forest on the Konoha cliff in an hour, I need to take care of something first." He paid for both of them.

Naruto nodded and hurried off to his apartment when Mizuki was gone. Once home Naruto prepared everything he might need from scrolls to shuriken, as well as eating an actually nutritious snack.

Time flew by fast and before long Naruto was on his way to the cliff. The sun has already set and it was getting dark, which suited the redhead well, since at least nobody really saw him leaping over the rooftops.

Once atop the cliff he made to look for Mizuki. Walking into the woods he didn't hear anything at first, the entire area seemed silent. Shrugging he went deeper into the woods.

A silent rustling got the boy's attention and turning towards the sound he saw Mizuki running towards him in the distance. Naruto gave the man a shy wave.

However, it didn't seem Mizuki saw it. Actually, now that he looked closer Mizuki looked distressed.

"Naruto! Get away!" The chunin yelled at the redhead. "Get away form here!"

Naruto wondered what was wrong, and if, perhaps, the white-haired ninja too turned on him, but then dozens of kunai flew at the boy.

Reacting on instinct he reached into his pouch for his own kunai and went to deflect them, there was no way he could use his power on so many, and he couldn't deflect them all either. Naruto was hit into his shoulder, side and some of the incoming kunai embedded themselves into his legs as well.

Naruto fell to the ground, his injuries weren't severe, but they also prohibited him from standing up, least of all actually helping Mizuki.

The white-haired man tried to help the boy but there were far too many incoming kunai even for him. He too got hit, although a lot less than Naruto.

Able to move he wanted to make his way over to the boy and get him the hell out of there, but then more kunai were unleashed and all flew straight for the redhead.

Naruto's left arm was useless with the kunai embedded deep in his flesh, and with his right he held his side. Unable to raise a weapon to protect himself the boy closed his eyes and awaited his fate, only for nothing to happen.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and looked in front of himself. What he saw shocked him to the core. Above him knelt Mizuki, arms spread wide and leaning slightly over him, protecting the boy with his own body.

The white-haired chunin looked at his young friend, happy that he was able to prevent further injury to him.

The red-headed boy looked up at the smiling face of his only friend, blood was flowing from Mizuki's mouth. Coughing the man inadvertently spat some of it on Naruto, it landed on his clothes and on his face and hair.

Unable to keep kneeling the man fell on all fours and that was when Naruto could see dozens of kunai in the man's legs, arms and torso, blood leaking everywhere.

Naruto stared at the man, tears in his eyes. "Mizuki." He breathed.
With all the power he had left in his body the young chunin pushed the boy away from himself. "Go." He coughed up more blood. "Get….away!"

But Naruto made no move, he was frozen in place, tears falling down his cheeks. Somebody had attacked him and his only friend protected him, albeit at the price of his own life. Naruto was very much aware that his friend wouldn't survive, he was a ninja after all, not to mention he faced death at the hands of the villagers constantly. Nobody could survive such grievous wounds.

"Mizuki!" Naruto repeated.

His friend looked at the boy, he was shaking now uncontrollably, tears running down his cheeks and a bit of snot running from his nose. He wanted to tell him to get away, although he knew the boy was injured. He had to get away from there, save himself.

"My, my, I didn't expect a monster like you could actually have such feelings." Came a snide voice from beyond the trees.

Although in shock Naruto shifted his gaze to from where the voice came. Mizuki, having difficulty, looked as well.

Walking out of the shadows came Iruka, one of the teachers at the academy Naruto still went to not long ago. He always thought the man was indifferent to him as he always merely ignored him, but now the same man had a cruel smile plastered across his face.

Mizuki wanted to say something, but only coughed up more blood and collapsed to the ground. He couldn't believe his old friend was actually capable of this. He had never seen Iruka hate on the boy, so what changed?

"Oh dear, oh dear." Iruka looked at his friend. "I really didn't want you to get hurt." And he did seem to regret his friend got hurt. "But you had to protect this little monster." He shook his head sadly.
There were many things the white-haired ninja wanted to ask, but was unable to. Slowly the feeling in his body was abandoning him. He knew he didn't have long to live.

"Ah yes, yes, you want to know why I did this." Iruka saw the look in his friend's eyes. "Truth is I always hated him!" His face morphing into a mask of complete loathing when he looked at the redhead. "It was you you little monster! You who took my family away form me!" He sneered. "Or better said; the monster inside you!"

Naruto looked at the man in disbelief. He knew people hated him because of the fox that was sealed inside of him, he was fully aware of the beast. He became aware of it when he saved Sasuke's miserable life in the Land of the Waves. He understood people hated him because of the demon, although he had no control over having it or not, but to blame somebody's death on him? This was getting too far.

By now Mizuki's vision was getting blurry, he wouldn't last long.

"It really is too bad you had to pay for him, Mizuki." Iruka gave him a pitying look. "But you had to get in the way as usual, protecting the little monster." He sneered again. "Honestly what did you ever see in him?" He shook his head. "Not that it matters." He took out another kunai and ended his friends life, ending his suffering.

Wiping the weapon on Mizuki's clothes he looked at Naruto. "Now it's your turn, fox boy!"

Naruto stared at the now lifeless body of his only friend. Everything about his life was miserable with the only exception of Mizuki. He was the only one who ever treated Naruto like a human being, even a friend. And now he was dead, murdered in cold-blood.

Tears fell down his cheeks as he continued to look at his dead friend, unable to perceive anything else.

"I'm speaking to you!" Roared his teacher and kicked him in the face, sending the boy flying.

Naruto landed hard and spat blood. The kick was hard.

"Finally, after all these years I'll have my revenge!" Screamed the crazed man as he neared the boy.

The young redhead picked himself up and looked at the corpse of his dear friend, somebody he might have even considered a father figure to him. At that moment something snapped in him and he felt an overwhelming surge of hatred towards the man in front of him, the man who killed Mizuki, as well as the rest of the village, but most of all now Iruka.

As his hatred took over he could feel something inside himself break, and when it did a strange power started filling him. A power he felt once before when he faced a masked Haku, somebody he actually really liked and wished he could have been friends with. Somebody who had inspired him back then, but now he couldn't shake the belief the boy was wrong on all levels. Hatred like no other he felt ever before filled Naruto's heart.

Iruka froze in his tracks. He wanted nothing more than to end the boy and have his revenge, but something about him stopped him. Naruto was staring at him with blood-red, merciless eyes full of hatred.

Then, as he watched, red chakra started seeping from the boy. Chakra he saw once before when the great fox attacked their village, and it was coming from the boy in front of him, enveloping him.

The look the boy was giving him terrified him. "You monster!" He screamed before the boy launched himself forward directly at Iruka.

The man tried to defend himself from the boy's onslaught, but it was no use, Naruto was too strong. If it actually was Naruto at all. Those eyes spoke nothing of any sort of humanity. They were the eyes of a monster. A monster out for revenge.

Naruto roared as he lunged at the man before him, murder the only thing on his mind. He wanted to rip the man to pieces for what he had done to Mizuki.

He slapped the weapon from Iruka's hand with the single tail he now had, courtesy of the fox's chakra enveloping him. He then tackled the man and started pummelling him with his fists and slashing him with his claws, snarling all the while and shouting incoherent things at the man.

Iruka screamed as the redhead tore into him. He screamed at the top of his lungs, both from the agony inflicted upon him by the boy as well as for help and mercy, but no matter what he tried the boy didn't listen to him. If anything he seemed more furious by the second.

Naruto saw nothing but red as he continued beating the man beneath him with everything he had. When his frustration reached its peak he bent backwards and screamed at the heavens, unleashing a small shock wave with his power.

Once he screamed himself out he looked down at the man, his eyes going wide. Iruka was nothing but a bloody heap now. His face, or really his head unrecognizable as….well….a head. He had smashed and slashed the man's head into pieces. And his head wasn't the only thing. There were long claw marks all over the man's body.

He had killed him. He had killed Iruka Umino in his frenzy. The realization hit him hard. He wanted to end the man, but now seeing his handy-work was a whole different story.

The fox's power receded immediately and Naruto fell backwards, away from the corpse. Looking down at his hands he saw they were completely covered in blood. Looking himself over he himself was splattered in blood all over, the stench of it overwhelming.

His stomach heaved and the boy vomited. Once his stomach was completely empty the now crying boy looked at the broken form of his friend. Mizuki laid there, kunai still embedded in his body.

Naruto crawled over to him on all fours, unaware that his injuries were healed by the fox's power.

Once by his side the boy looked at Mizuki for a long time. The man was dead, he knew that, but was unable to look away, tears falling from his eyes.

Slowly he took the kunai and pulled them out of his friend's body, throwing them away. Once finished he turned the man over.

Mizuki's eyes were wide open. It brought more pain and tears to the boy. Slowly he reached out and closed them, then with all his strength pulled Mizuki to one of the tallest trees and laid him there to rest, hands crossed over his chest.

After paying his last respect to the man Naruto knew what he had to do. He couldn't stay. If people learned of what had happened here he would be killed for sure, or at least imprisoned for life. He had to leave the village.

With a last, sad look towards the white-haired man and a silent goodbye Naruto started running. He ran as fast as his young and exhausted legs would carry him.

He ran through the night, just to get as far away from Konoha as he could. He stayed clear of all settlements and people. Approaching anyone would be risky now. Surely sooner or later Konoha would find what had happened and would send our hunter nins after him, as well as send out wanted posters of him. He was a criminal now, a murderer, and he was sure Konoha wouldn't let him go unpunished. And he couldn't risk getting caught, nobody would believe him the truth. They all hated him and would think he killed both of them. They'd gladly twist all facts to suit them, no matter how much he pleaded with them.

He had to get out of the Land of Fire. He'd be found if he stayed there, but where should he go? The only place he really new apart from his home land was the Land of Waves, but there was no way he could return there, they'd expect that.

Imagining the map of the villages they studied at the academy he figured his best bet was to go north-west for now, he then could get into about five countries in the north and west.

It would be a dangerous journey, but he had no choice. Altering his course according to the rising sun he continued on the journey for as long as he could. When he reached beyond his limit Naruto found a large, hollowed out tree. The space wasn't very big, but enough for him to be able to rest there. The boy collapsed once he crawled inside, falling asleep practically immediately, that's how exhausted he was.

In his dream Naruto was forced to re-live the events of last night. Having to see his friend murdered, as well as seeing himself killing Iruka. Also he, for some reason, heard a demonic laugh in his dream when he realized he killed his teacher. It made him wake up with a start.

Breathing hard he didn't immediately know where he was. Only after several moments did he remember he was hiding in a hollow tree, which he used to get some rest after his escape.

Listening he waited if he'd pick up voices outside his tree or anything else that might be out of the ordinary. Finding nothing he crawled out, and looking up he saw the sun high in the sky, meaning it was late afternoon now. He slept through the entire morning and most of the afternoon. Soon the sun would be setting again.

When he was wondering whether or not he should continue on his journey his stomach rumbled loudly. From all that had happened to him the young redhead was surprised he actually felt hungry at all. Now he had no choice but to go hunting.

Naruto leapt form tree branch to tree branch as stealthily as possible, looking for any kind of prey like deer, heirs, even a squirrel would be something. However, even lying in wait procured no results as he found no living thing in the woods he was in.

Deciding to take a different approach he found a new hiding place in which he could spend the night in so he could continue his journey during daylight. It was a modest sized cave, not high enough to stand in even with his meagre four feet and six inches, otherwise it was spacious enough for him to stretch out.

Before laying down for the night he placed out various traps around the forest in hopes to catch at least one small animal for him to eat.

Laying down he stared up at the cave ceiling above him, apprehensive to go to sleep as he didn't wish to see what had happened in his dreams again, but soon enough his eyes started closing on their own accord. Before he even had the chance to realise what was happening he drifted off and into his dreams.

Once again he was forced to watch his only friend in his life die right in front of his eyes and being unable to change it. He saw from a different perspective the way he looked like when he was overwhelmed with hatred and rage and how he again killed his teacher from the academy. And the whole dream was once again accompanied by the same demon-like laughter when he raged.

Waking up with a start and covered in sweat he sat up and saw it was light outside. Although troubled he slept through the entire night.

Taking his things he scrambled out of his cave and out into the day. Although he rested well he felt tired, his whole body ached, and he felt dizzy. He needed to find water fast, even more than food. He was dried up, he had no water since before the events in the forest of Konoha. Combined with his exertion of his running away he sweated profusely because of it, and hence lost a vast amount of fluid in his body. How could he have been so careless? Such dehydration could have been easily avoided, now it could be life-threatening to him. If he didn't find water fast he could die.

Not waiting any longer he set out to find water. He didn't hurry as to preserve his energy and the last bits of moisture he had left in him.

After a few more hours he finally came across a stream. He came across water earlier, but those were no more than dirty puddles.

Now he was in dire need of water, barely holding himself up, his muscles convulsing from time to time, his tongue was swollen and his lips cracked.

When he got close to the stream he fell on all fours and crawled close sticking his hand right into the beautifully cool water. He brought it to his lips and drank greedily. It felt like somebody was breathing life into him once more, it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted and he couldn't get enough of it.

Plunging his hand back in he drank as much as he could take only for his stomach to convulse painfully. Naruto found himself in a fetal position clutching his stomach that felt like it would tear itself apart any second now. So much water on an empty stomach wasn't a good idea, it was agony.

For a long time he twitched on the ground, when it slowly subsided he got up and drank some more, this time, however, taking his time as not to irritate his stomach so much again.

Sadly he didn't have a canteen with him so he couldn't take water with him. On his way he'd have to travel to the next water body. However, before continuing on he decided to check on his traps.

Making his way back took only a fraction of the time getting to the stream as he now knew the way. However, when he got back and went through all of his various traps he found them all empty. He caught nothing.

He sighed deeply, his mood falling further. Looking at the sun he adjusted his course and continued on north-west as he did till now.

After another day of travel and several water stops he made himself comfortable high in the trees after being unable to find another cave or hollowed out tree, as well as finding no animals to hunt.

After another night of nightmares and a stop to another stream he set out on his journey. With a bowl of ramen and his small snack being the only meals before leaving Konoha he was famished and felt weak, but he continued on with an iron determination, there was no way he'd be returning to that place. He'd rather die than let himself be apprehended.

After a few hours of travel he stopped at a beautiful lake. The way the sun-rays were reflecting from its surface was mesmerising and Naruto found himself staring at it for a long time before taking small sips. Drinking on an empty stomach became increasingly worse and he wasn't sure for how long he would be able to keep going like this. He needed to eat something!

After having his share he got up and with a last look at the beauty he turned around only to find a team of four shinobi waiting for him. Naruto's eyes widened at the sight and he reflexively took out his kunai and prepared for combat, but he knew that they were older than him and at least chunin. He wouldn't have had a chance even if he wasn't famished, but he decided he wouldn't go down without a fight if that was what they wanted.

Looking at their hitai-ate he saw they were from one of the smaller lands surrounding the Land of Fire, specifically being from Takigakure.

"A feisty one." Smirked a woman with blonde hair. Giving him a once-over she stopped. He was filthy and covered in what looked like dried blood. Looking him in the eyes they all could see the boy had a dark, haunted look about him. Judging from his appearance they believed something terrible happened to the boy.

"What have we here." She looked to the boy's forehead. "A Konoha nin."
Naruto cursed himself, touching his forehead. He hadn't got rid of his hitai-ate, his stupidity in his actions amounting. Feeling threatened now he growled at the ninajs, his eyes changing colours to blood-red.

"Oh, a little monster have we?" One of them remarked.

This made Naruto snarl at them, he was sick of people calling him that.

"Is it possible he's like….her?" The woman's friend asked.

The woman nodded. "So it would appear." She then turned back to the redhead. "Mind telling us why are you here?"

Naruto remained silent only growling at them.

The woman shrugged. "Your choice." She turned to her comrades. "We'll be taking him with us. Seize him!" She commanded and the three jumped him. There was no fight as they unarmed him in a blink of an eye and pinned him to the ground. Naruto wanted to use the fox's power, but one of the nins behind him knocking him out.

Slowly coming to he found himself bound, his face pressed against a wooden floor. It would appear he was in some kind of building. Raising his head he saw he was in a marvellous room fit for a king.

Looking around he noticed the four that took him prisoner, then a man with long, dark hair standing behind a desk, and lastly a tanned, petite girl with mint-green hair and orange eyes. She seemed a little older than him.

"Ah, he's coming to." The long-haired man announced, everybody else in the room looked at him.

Naruto snarled at them, but was otherwise unable to do anything else as he felt too weak.

The woman that ordered his capture smirked again. "He's a wild one." She commented.

The long-haired man stepped around his desk and went over to him. Kneeling down the man looked at the boy.

Naruto could see the man had dark, but yet kind-looking eyes

"I'm Shibuki, the leader of Takigakure where you are right now." The man informed the boy. "Would you mind telling us your name?"

Naruto merely snarled again, only for him to be kicked in the ribs by the blonde woman. "Show respect, runt!"

"That's enough, Yashamaru!" He stopped her with a stern look. The woman bowed to him and stepped back. "Now if you could, please, tell me your name. If you do not we will have to contact Konoha and ask them if they are missing a young ninja. And somehow I have a feeling that's not where you want to go." His hypothesis proved right as Naruto paled at his words.

Sighing the redhead decided to go along with the man's demands. "Naruto Uzumaki."
The others gave him surprised looks. "An Uzumaki." Muttered the woman, who was obviously the team leader.

"Well, it's good to meet you Naruto Uzumaki." Shibuki smiled, and the undid the boy's restrains, helping the redhead to sit. "Now tell me why are you so far away from your village and covered…." he gave him another once-over, "in what looks like….blood."

Naruto really didn't want to, especially since it was still all too fresh and painful for him, but he knew he had no choice, otherwise he'd be sent back to Konoha where he'd surely be imprisoned. And so he proceeded to tell them the entire story of what had happened to him only days ago, forcing him to abandon his village. It was difficult for him to speak of it and he fought back tears all the while, but he managed.

When he finished Shibuki had a sad look in his eyes and even the stern woman who kicked Naruto had a softer look about herself.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss, Naruto." He gave the boy a sad smile. "But what about your parents?"

"I never had any parents." Naruto's look was cold and hard, it made the village leader sadder seeing how much it affected such a young boy.

"You're a Jinchuriki, aren't you." It wasn't a question, but a statement and Shibuki's look was serious, but he didn't know if that was bad or good for him.

Seeing no sense in denying it Naruto nodded. "Yes, of the fox."
"You're the Nine-tailed fox's jinchuriki?" Exclaimed Yashamaru only to receive another nod form the boy.

"Your life has been awful, hasn't it?" The village leader asked, his looked sadder than ever and he flinched at the hatred filled look he received form the boy.

"They abused me regularly! Beating me and insulting me!" The redhead spat. "They hated me although I never did anything to them!"

Everybody in the room sympathised with the boy, they all knew how jinchuriki were treated everywhere else. What terrible lives they led in their respective villages, prisoners in the open.

"And I'm not going back!" Naruto looked at the with a determined look.

"No, you're not." Shibuki agreed, stunning the boy. "I'll not let a young boy to return to such a horrid environment!" He smiled. "I'll grant you asylum here and you'll become a Taki shinobi. How does that sound?"

The red-headed boy looked at him for a long time, not believing his ears, but after a while his cold look returned. "And what will I be, your weapon now for a change?"

The man smiled at him warmly, confusing the boy further. "You'll be our friend." Shibuki chuckled at the boy's stunned face. He then bid the little girl to come to him. "This is Fu," he introduced her, "and she's the seven-tails jinchuriki."
Naruto couldn't believe his ears another jinchuriki? It was the first time he met somebody like him. He looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes, it made Shibuki chuckle again.

The green-haired girl grinned at him. "Hey there!"

The redhead wanted to say something in return when suddenly his stomach growled really loudly, making him blush and the others laugh.

"When was the last time you ate?" Laughed the village leader.
"Three days ago." His blush deepening.

"Well, that's no good. A young boy needs proper meals to grow strong." Grinned the older man. "We'll get you some food now and then we get you some new clothes and a place to stay, how about it?" He offered the boy a hand. Naruto thought for a few moments before taking it.

I was asked to write this story by draven32 and as promised this will be a full story. Sadly my progress is now slower thanks to a new job. Most days I come back home tired and unable to write much. So, please, be patient, the story will be finished, that's a promise. For now here is a little teaser :)