Hello again, how's everyone doing? This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter Naruto story, so bare with me. This is AU, so Naruto will be OoC, but hopefully in a good way :) The characters will be between 18-21 years old in this story. On a side note, thank you to those who read, reviewed and even favorited my one-shots, you have no idea how much that means to me. Anyways, I've rambled enough, so on with the story!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. This applies to all chapters in this story.
It was another day in the village of Konoha, and to him it could not have mattered a single bit. Everywhere he looked there were people talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves. Kids were playing in the streets with not a care in the world, oblivious to the many dangers that happened every second. The vendors were out shouting to passerby's to buy their wares, and the streets were just bustling with people going about their way to get to work or whatever the hell they did. It always seemed to be sunny and clear, adding to the cheerful atmosphere that the village held.
Quite frankly, he hated it.
It was the same routine every day. He would wake up, shower, get dressed, have a quick breakfast, and head on out to the office. On the way he would receive looks from the others, some of hate, some of fear, and others of indifference. He couldn't care less what these people thought of him, they didn't concern him. All that mattered was himself and the next job.
In no time at all it seemed he was already setting foot through the door of the large building. Actually, to him it seemed more like a tower than anything else, as it stood tall over all the small homes and businesses and was visible from a few miles at least. He walked up to the front desk and gave the secretary, a strange pink haired girl, his identification card.
"Uzumaki reporting in."
"Ever the formal one, aren't you Naruto? Go ahead and have a seat, the boss will be right with you," the girl, Haruno Sakura, exclaimed cheerfully as she handed him his card back. He found it a bit annoying that she could be so peppy this early in the morning.
With a slight nod of his head, he turned and leaned back in the nearest seat he could find. Naruto surveyed his surroundings. Usually the place was bustling with various other mercenaries waiting for a job to be assigned, but today it was devoid of the many life forms that usually roamed around. Not that he minded, the quieter the better for him. He gave a slight sigh and leaned further back into his chair, throwing his arms back behind his head and closed his eyes. He may as well get comfortable while he had to wait for 'the boss' to finish with whomever else was seeing her.
"Naruto?" a voice called a few minutes later. He looked up towards the secretary's desk and stood up.
"Lady Tsunade will see you now."
"Thanks," he said quietly and walked through the large double-doors next to the desk.
"Ah, Naruto. I've been expecting you."
As he walked into the familiar office, Naruto was greeted by his employer. She was, to say the least, a busty woman whose beauty was only matched by her temper, not to mention her ungodly strength. That was one of the reasons why she ran this mercenary company in the first place.
"Hn." The young man took his usual place in front of her desk, as he refused to sit, a sign that he wanted his visits brief and to the point. He locked his brilliant blue eyes with her golden ones and waited for her to speak.
"Business as usual, eh? Alright, I'll get to the point," the buxom blonde finished as she reached for a manila folder. "This one will be interesting, although I dare say one that's easy enough for your caliber." She tossed folder across the desk to him and laced her fingers together under her chin. A slight smirk appeared across her face.
He reached for the folder and quickly scanned over its contents. His brow quickly fixed itself into a slightly confused look, and he was slightly insulted by what Tsunade was asking of him.
"An escort mission?"
"Hai, but not just any escort mission. You should really finish reading the fine print before you judge it."
He was still unsure of her decision, but he decided to play along anyway. He carefully read over the mission briefing again, this time making sure to take it all in.
Tsunade watched his face as it gradually changed. It first showed indifference, then slight surprise, and finally, a look of inquiry.
"This is…?"
His employer smiled. "That's right. You are to escort the Hyuuga clan's heir and see that she reaches her destination safely. The sheer amount of money Hyuuga Hiashi is offering was enough to make me place you in charge of this one, seeing as you are my best man. But I'm warning you now, you screw this up, and I shall personally make sure that you never see another job in this country ever again. Do I make myself clear?"
She was attempting to scare him, but he didn't fall for it. Nothing scared him. Nothing. Especially not a woman who's afraid of a simple thing like aging.
"Crystal." His tone was cold and final, his piercing gaze never leaving her chilling one. She smirked.
"Good. I expect you to depart tomorrow morning at dawn. You will meet the caravan escorting the 'princess' just outside the village gates. Dismissed."
Naruto gave a nod of acknowledgment and walked out of her office.
The young mercenary was up much earlier than the sun was. It wasn't that he couldn't sleep, he just wanted to get an early start before his mission in a few hours. He did his usual routine and took time to make sure he was well prepared for anything. He was clad in black cargo pants and boots with a matching shirt, covered by a black still trench coat and gloves. Around his waist was strapped a simple sword, light yet exceedingly sharp. To him, it was his best and only friend. He cared for it more so than himself, making sure to sharpen and polish it each and every day.
He was exceptionally skilled in the fine art of swordplay. When he wasn't on a mission, he was practicing in the fields and forests outside of the village, ever honing his already-deadly skills. Of course, the sword wasn't the only thing he was good at. He also dabbled a bit in the archery field. There were some missions where close combat just did not work out, so he would have to rely on his stealth and deadly accuracy. His bow was specially crafted from the finest of wood, and small yet strong enough to be strapped comfortably on his back, allowing for easy access in a tight spot.
He surveyed himself in the bathroom mirror. His eyes were a deep blue, yet seemed so distant to those around him. His blonde hair was spiked naturally on his head, of which was bound by a black headband with his mercenary company's insignia, a spiraling leaf. On his cheeks were black lines, like whiskers, tattooed in sets of three on either side. To him it was a sign of one who was a warrior, a fighter, and one who knew no fear.
Leaning down over the basin that was his sink, Naruto splashed some water on his face to help refresh himself. With that done, he gathered up his over stuffed backpack along with his weapons and headed out the door.
It was a chilling morning, yet not as bad as he would have guessed earlier. On the horizon he could see the first morning rays peaking out. His home wasn't too far from the gate, so he took his time walking, all the while thinking of what was to come.
He thought about the Hyuuga clan. Of course, he had heard of them. There wasn't a person alive in the country that hadn't. The clan was by far the wealthiest and most influential of its kind, and for good reason. There were rumors abuzz between the village folks that there was corruption among the clan, some of which involved stories of murder, drugs, and a host of all kinds of ill-mannered foul play. Not that it mattered to him. As long as they were paying him, he couldn't care less what they did.
After all, he wasn't paid to think, only do.
This was why he loved his job. It was as simple as that. No emotions and thus, no problem. That was how it has always been for Naruto, and quite frankly, he was content with the fact that that was how it always will be. In fact, he wasn't even told where they were going, or why. Again, he wasn't paid to ask questions.
In what seemed like no time he saw the gates ahead of him, a group of people and what looked like a horse-drawn carriage crowded outside of it. They were all moving about, making sure everything was in order, that the horses were tied securely to the large vehicle, and whatnot. It wasn't his concern.
As he approached, he noticed something quite surprising about these people: their eyes were a solid, milky lavender color. There were no visible pupils that he could see. He had heard stories, but he didn't think that they were true. He had to admit, it was slightly odd, but they didn't seem any different otherwise.
"Excuse me."
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a cool, smooth voice that didn't sound too happy. He looked to his right to find a Hyuuga male staring him down, quite obviously bothered that the mercenary was there in first place.
"You are the one hired by Lord Hiashi, correct?"
Naruto nodded to him, staring at him with equal intensity.
"I am Hyuuga Neji. Let me make one thing clear before we set off. If it were my decision, you would not be here. I am more than enough to protect Hyuuga-sama's daughter. So I will only warn you once: stay out of my way, and stay away from Hinata-sama, got it?" he finished.
For the second time in two days, Naruto was trying to be intimidated, and once again he was not going to back down. He stared unflinchingly and gave his response. "I'll do what my job requires," he said with indifference.
Neji looked as if he wanted to say something more, but thought against it. He merely grunted and swiftly walked away towards the carriage. As he watched the hotheaded Hyuuga, the only thing Naruto could think of was what a long mission this was going to be.
That's the end of Chapter 1, I hope you guys liked it. Please review, those are what motivate me to write in the first place, lol :) The next chapter will be up ASAP, depending on when I have time to write it. Thanks for your time, see you soon!