Summary: Instead of receiving his father's looks and his mother's personality, Naruto receives the mirrored version of the package. Scarlet haired and timid, his unique hair stands out in Konoha but his personality certainly does not. These seemingly small changes greatly affect Naruto's life and the people around him.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in the Naruto universe. Naruto was made by Masashi Kishimoto and all rights are reserved to him.

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Chapter 2: How It All Began

Naruto never carried his sword to school or while he was in town. He knew he was skilled enough to cut down any civilians that attacked him, which was precisely the reason he kept his kenjutsu skills to himself. If he injured a civilian or even worse, a fellow ninja, then it would only justify the villagers' hate against him. The only tools he kept on him at all times were several smoke bombs and kunai, the basic essentials he needed to escape and to survive if he was in danger.

However, the rules were different at a training ground. Civilians never approached the training grounds as the grounds were usually occupied by ninjas training with deadly weapons and jutsu. Additionally, it was a criminal offense to trespass into a training ground without explicit permission from a jonin or above. Not even the most daring villagers would attempt to chase him into a training ground. Which was why he and his mentor was inside Training Ground 18, an ordinary training ground that was used for taijutsu and ninjutsu training.

The scarlet-haired ninja freely unsheathed his blade from his back and balanced the katana in his right hand. The blade was exactly two feet long and reflected the afternoon sun brightly off its metal surface. Placing his left hand to join with his right hand, the Academy student assumed his normal ready position and eyed his opponent.

His opponent happened to be the one that had trained him for three years. Even with his fox mask on, the man's aura of calmness did not go over Naruto's head. He knew that the agent was musing on Naruto's course of action and planning his attack pattern. The older ninja's unwavering attention towards him was a testament to this. The man's blade, a blade that was slightly longer than Naruto's own, made a small hole in the dirt as the man himself looked relaxed. But Naruto knew this was just a ruse. Despite his friendly demeanor, the masked ninja did not go easy when it came to training.

After a minute of contemplation by both fighters, the older ninja dashed towards his younger counterpart. His hands were firmly on his weapon as he quickly brought his blade onto his opponent. Naruto did not waste any moment to block the incoming blow with his own sword. Even while he was blocking his opponent's strike, Naruto was studying his attacker intently.

The most important part of kenjutsu is reading your opponent and exploiting any openings. The ninja in training remembered from his countless spars with his teacher. You want to make sure to end the fight as soon as possible. If you take too long, your opponent will be able to wear down your guard and other enemies might come to his aid. If you're too hasty, you will leave an opening for your opponent to strike. Strike quickly, but smartly.

Naruto freed his blade from the lock and slashed sidewise, but the masked ninja parried it and countered with a stab to the red-haired ninja's midsection. Seeing that the strike was too quick to be blocked, the young ninja flipped backward to avoid the move. This caused him to lose his footing slightly and the ANBU agent wasted no time to take the initiative. Fox swiftly closed the distance and made a sweeping strike to knock the blade out of Naruto's hand. His strike was met with Naruto's own counter strike, which managed to halt the attack.

While he was holding back his opponent's strike, Naruto's right arm began to burn from the wound he had received earlier. He bit his lower lip in an effort to hold back the pain, but the strength in his right arm slipped away. His mentor's blade finally broke through Naruto's guard and the young ninja found himself stripped of his weapon. Instinctively, Naruto reached into his kunai holster with his right hand to continue the fight but the flat end of Fox's blade was on his neck before he could move.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard today. I should've known the wound was worse than it looked" The masked ninja nimbly sheathed his blade and tended to the boy's arm. The cloth that was wrapped around the wound was wet with blood, as the wound had split open during the spar. Carefully unwrapping the bandage, the ninja inspected the injury. "This cut needs to be stitched. Why didn't you tell me that the cut was this serious?"

Despite the pain, Naruto still managed to flash a small grin to his trainer. "If you had known, then you wouldn't have let me spar with you or you would've faced me half-heartedly. I thought I could hide it until we finished."

Instead of scolding the boy, the older man merely sighed. "I know you want to spend every minute practicing and improving your techniques, but you need to know your limits. Go home for today and rest. I don't want you to be injured while taking your exam, no matter how strong you are right now."

The red-haired boy nodded in reply, but the ANBU agent had a suspicion that the boy would ignore his warning and train later on in the day. Before he continued to talk to Naruto, Fox pulled out a small string and a wooden needle to close the wound. Naruto gritted his teeth as the man skillfully closed the gash and wrapped his arm with a brand new cloth.

After he finished, Fox made sure there were no other injuries on the boy before pulling something out of his pocket. He knew Naruto needed something to keep him occupied from any physically extensive training, so he handed Naruto a gift to keep him occupied. "The scroll in there contains a C-ranked jutsu for you to practice. It's a handy Wind jutsu that can be of use in the future. I already know you'll be training later today, so I'm giving you this one to practice with. If you pass your graduation exam, I'll teach you a new jutsu that'll make you stronger than you already are. But promise me that you won't get into any trouble and to take it easy until then. "

"I will, Fox-san." Naruto scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile before he continued. "Instead of learning that new jutsu after graduation, is it possible if I can receive something else if I manage to pass the graduation exam?"

Curious, the older man folded his arms and gazed at him. "Did you want a new sword?"

Naruto's face turned as red as his hair as he shook his head. "No! I mean, the sword I have right now is very nice and it's still fairly new. I would be grateful, but I wanted to ask if I can see your face directly if I pass the exam."

"Hmm," The masked man said as he contemplated his pupil's request, "I suppose I can do that. And I'll teach you the jutsu too as a bonus."

The excited reaction from the boy surprised Fox. But he soon realized that despite Naruto's maturity and skills, he was still a child; a very lonely child that had few friends. Although Naruto spent most of his time training, he still cherished every moment he spent with his mentor. To Fox, the request was merely trivial as it was a minor request. If Naruto became a ninja, he had every right to see the face of his guardian. To Naruto, seeing the face of his closest friend and comrade after all these years was worth celebrating. To the boy, seeing Fox's face behind the emotionless mask was worth more than anything else, even a powerful jutsu. Fox had the luxury to have friends that he could consult with and be with. Naruto had just Fox and he had never seen Fox's face.

With this realization, the masked ninja's face fell. For once, he was grateful he donned the mask as he did not want Naruto to see his facial expressions. He gave one final nod to his student before disappearing from his pupil's sight.

As he traveled back to the Hokage's office to report his daily activities, Fox recalled the very first time he reached out to Naruto. It was shortly after he had been beaten by several of his classmates after class. The masked ninja had found the red-haired boy sporting multiple bruises and cuts in an alleyway.

He had always watched the young boy from afar for years. Ever since he had entered the academy, he was assigned to watch over the jailer of the Nine-Tails. His instructions had been explicit; Naruto was to be protected from life-threatening harm and to be watched for any psychological instabilities. Though the Hokage had trust in the boy, the elders on the council did not. They were concerned that the boy would be corrupted by the Kyuubi' chakra and insisted on constant surveillance.

After watching the boy for some time, he wondered if the elders had gone senile. Whether it would be old civilians or young school children, every person that saw the red-haired child would routinely abuse him. Yet despite all the insults and injuries, the boy never fought back. He never displayed any signs of being influenced by the fox. If he had never been told about the Kyuubi within him, Fox would have never suspected that Naruto was the most dangerous weapon in the entire shinobi world.

And what made Fox doubt the claims of the elders was the fire in the boy's eyes. Despite all the mistreatment, he suffered from his own people, his eyes never wavered. The red-haired boy never showed emotion to his tormentors and remained calm in all situations. And when he was alone, he always trained or studied by himself. Every time he was knocked around by the villagers, the flames in his eyes grew stronger as if he had something to prove.

It was after a particularly violent day that Fox finally decided to approach the boy. On that day, Naruto was beaten by several of his peers for winning several practice spars against his classmates at the Academy. After several long minutes of punching and kicking, the bullies had left him alone in the alley.

Fox had watched in the shadows, emotionless to the act of brutality happening in front of him. He did not understand why the talented young ninja would refuse to fight back when just hours ago, he had defeated the same bullies in sparring sessions. Curious, the man had stepped out of the shadows to ask Naruto directly.

"You're finally coming out of the shadows?"

The young man froze at the boy's words and realized that the boy had been aware of his presence for some time.

"I know you've been me watching me for years now. I'm not a fully trained ninja yet, but I have sharp sensory skills."

Fox stepped forward out of the shadows to confront the boy. When he did, Fox was greeted by a small boy with his right hand stretched towards him. "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki, but I would assume you would already know who I am."

Unnerved and impressed at the same time, Fox shook the boy's hand. "I do. You can call me Fox. I'm tasked with watching over you."

"Are you tasked to watch over me? Or are you supposed to protect me?"

A moment of silence passed between the two as Fox contemplated how he would phrase his answer.

"Both, but only to protect you if someone is trying to kill you."

Naruto's eyes bore into the older ninja's mask, his eyes fighting back tears. "Why? Why do you have to wait until I am about to die before you can come to protect me?"

The bitterness of the young boy's voice revealed the small fissures in the boy's calm composure. To Fox's relief, there were no signs of dark chakra emitting from Naruto, but he realized that the boy was angry. Underneath the calm demeanor, a storm was steadily brewing. And the ANBU agent realized that his previous assumptions of Naruto were misguided. The boy was mellow for the time being, but he was a ticking time bomb. If his loneliness and abuse continued, it was entirely possible that the red-haired boy would fall under the influence of the Kyuubi.

"I'm sorry for not being able to protect you from all the torment and abuse," Fox stated as he reluctantly patted the boy's head. The words that came out of his mouth were unplanned and they surprised even himself, but he knew it needed to be done. For himself, for the village, and most importantly, for Naruto. "From now on, I will be here to train you so that you'll be powerful enough to survive by yourself against anyone… and to also be your friend."

"Really?" Naruto looked overjoyed but also wary at Fox's statement. "Were you ordered to become my friend by the Hokage?"

Fox shook his head and crouched down to meet the boy eye to eye. "No. I'm doing this because I want to, Naruto. You're talented and respectful despite all the misconceptions about you. You should be praised and treated with respect, yet everyone looks down on you. I want to train you because I want you to be better; so that you can be acknowledged even by the villagers that hate you. And I sincerely do want to be your friend, a friend you can talk to and rely upon when you're in trouble."

The red-haired boy looked conflicted, and Fox knew why. Naruto never truly had a friend in his entire life. The few kids that played with him when he was younger were forced to stay away from Naruto by their parents. Naruto being skeptical and cautious about creating friends did not come off as a surprise to him. At the same time, it was quite obvious that Naruto longed for a friend, a single person to be with him through his struggles.

"Trust me," Fox entreated. "I won't leave you."

There was still hesitation in the boy's eyes as he looked at the ANBU agent, but in the end, he nodded. Fox offered his hand for the boy to take, and Naruto firmly grasped it.

When Fox entered the Hokage's office and stood in front of the Hokage, he knew exactly what he had to say. He wasn't going to let Naruto go easily. Naruto was his student and friend, and he was Naruto's only friend and mentor. And he didn't want another jonin to treat Naruto like a weapon or an outcast. Fox wanted to make sure that Naruto was trained like a regular student, a very skilled student but a completely ordinary one regardless.

"Hokage-sama, before I begin my daily report, I would like to request for something. "

"Ah, Fox-san," Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage and the "God of Shinobi," sat behind his desk with a pipe in his hand. He was old for a kage, as most kages tended to die early due to the constant amount of wars and battles occurring. Many shinobi tended to believe that older leaders such as the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage were just old men sitting in their chairs until they could find a successor. However, the Sandaime Hokage's ability to analyze and read any situation never faded. Judging by the man's voice and sense of urgency, the Hokage had a strong hunch of what the ANBU agent would ask for. "Go ahead, I am listening."

"I formally request to be placed as the team leader of Naruto's genin team once he passes the graduation exam."

Sarutobi smiled.

"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!"

A slash of wind sped across the air and slammed into a makeshift wooden target. The target was cleaved cleanly down the middle just as Naruto sheathed his sword.

The jutsu that Fox had given Naruto was called Kamaitachi no Jutsu (Slashing Wind Jutsu). It was an offensive jutsu that utilized Naruto's katana, as the blade acted as a medium to create a burst of wind that could slash through small boulders. He had already practiced the jutsu for hours and had a good grasp of how to use the jutsu and when to use it.

However, as Fox had said, the jutsu did not put any physical stress on Naruto's body. The red-haired boy had heeded his mentor's warnings and had avoided his usual physical training for the day. Naruto knew that if Fox discovered that he had been training regardless of the man's warning, the older ninja would scold him for hours.

Even if he did get scolded, Naruto knew he wouldn't have minded too much. He knew that Fox was trying to look out for him and train him to become a powerful ninja. From the very beginning, the older man pushed him to his very limit so that he could shatter his glass ceilings quickly while making sure that Naruto was healthy and happy. In the past three years, Naruto had trained relentlessly and honed his skills to graduate the Academy and become an official ninja. To the young student, training was just a means to become stronger to protect his home. Even if he was hated by the villagers, it was his duty to protect them.

After all, he was the weapon of Konoha. The container of the feared Nine-Tailed Fox.

Everyone assumed that he didn't know the reason why he was hated, but Naruto was naturally curious about the hatred the villagers had for him. When he was eight years old, he was met with the same type of hostilities from his Ninja Academy classmates that he also faced from the villagers. After learning the henge jutsu to disguise himself, he began to research in the restricted section of the library that was only available to ninjas or ninjas in training.

In the library, he discovered that his birthday coincidentally aligned with the day of the Kyuubi rampage. He also discovered that it was likely that the beast was sealed away instead of being completely destroyed. He reasoned this because the Kyuubi was incredibly powerful and the fact that the last two sightings of the Kyuubi were within Konoha. If the beast was not destroyed by the First Hokage, then it was highly possible that the beast was not vanquished the last time it appeared and was instead sealed in something or someone. Added to the fact that the Fourth Hokage was a master in fuuinjutsu only validated his theory.

Additionally, the colorful nicknames that the villagers showered him with were also a dead giveaway, along with the strange seal that appeared on his stomach whenever he used an extensive amount of chakra. Naruto deduced that the fear of the Tailed Beast's destructive power, combined with the hundreds the Kyuubi killed on his birthday, was the reason why he was detested by his fellow villagers. And though he did not like being berated and harassed, Naruto could almost understand why the people of Konoha hated him. The Kyuubi was very much alive within him and it was certainly possible that the beast could take over.

Which was why he continued to train. He longed to become powerful enough one day to contain the beast within him and to prove that he could be a ninja for the Hidden Leaf despite his curse. His belief in that dream had wavered when he was younger, but it was reaffirmed when Fox began to train him. If one person could see past the bias and rumors, he firmly believed that others could also. Naruto just needed time, time to become stronger and to dispel the exaggerated rumors surrounding his status as the jailer of the Kyuubi.

Naruto could see that the sun was setting and knew it was dangerous to be at the training grounds at night, but he drew his sword once again to practice one last time before leaving. After all, he didn't have time to sit on his hand and wait for opportunities to come to him.

At least, not while the village hated him.

Thank you for reading my latest chapter. I will be continuing on Chapter Three right away, so stay tuned for more updates! If you wish to become a beta reader, feel free to send me a DM, as I am always looking for people to help me improve my story.

I do apologize if this chapter feels a bit slow. I wanted to properly introduce the background story behind the main characters before I continued, so I added in this chapter before we get into the action. The story will have more action next chapter.

As for replying to reviews:

Ezeakel: The identity of the masked ninja will be revealed either next chapter or the chapter after the next one. But he is a character that is already familiar in the Naruto universe. I did leave some subtle hints in the story (very subtle ones), so feel free to guess till the chapter comes out. He will not be on Team Seven (oof) and he does not know about his mother as of yet. Though, he will learn of her and Minato sometime in the future.

Chaos537: But it would make sense. The villagers don't like Naruto and if they discover the Hokage is protecting the "demon brat" with his special ops team, then it'll probably cause a lot of backlash against the Hokage. The villagers don't have much say in shinobi matters, but they can still make some noise about the issue and even get some shinobi to join their side. Naruto will be strong, but he will not be "god tier" strong. At least, not for a long time.

Ginocide02: I actually read the Tale of the Setting Sun before finishing this chapter! Though I do admit, I nearly threw my phone across the room reading the Tale of the Setting Sun. I won't spoil anything, but the story is just depressing at times. I'll try to keep this story as interesting and light-hearted as possible. However, that does not mean I will not kill off characters. Ninjas die. Life happens. It will happen in this story, sometimes when you least expect it. But I digress :).

Thank you all for the support and comments so far! Until next time.