Hey guys! Thanks so much
for reviewing! It made me happy ::grins::
Note: I thought I’d explain the bit about
Naruto not ripping Tsunade apart. He has two reasons: 1.) Although he may not
be the brightest sometimes, he understands that the Examiners are strict, and
there are harsh penalties for anyone who second-guesses their placements
(meaning that Sakura would be in trouble, too), and 2.) He truly believes that
he’ll be able to protect Sakura while he’s there with her, so he didn’t want to
make an issue of it (plus, he was excited to have gotten in at all, and we know
how Naruto gets when he’s excited...) Anyway, I hope that clears it up a bit.
Oh, and yes, there shall be
Naru/Saku and Shika/Ino goodness, I promise. I’m a rabid fan of both pairings,
so naturally I have to write about them ::grins again:: Okay, no more babble. On
we go!
Chapter 2: Roots
He was four years old
again, a small, helpless child with no future, and no past. The streets in
which he moved were hostile, cruel, unwilling. He did not understand why people
looked at him the way that they did, with eyes full of fear, a fear that would
later breed hatred, scorn. Only one person showed him any kindness, though in
the beginning, it was out of a sense of duty.
The Kyuubi that resided in
this child was responsible for the deaths of Iruka’s mother and father, and the
resentment he harbored was hard put to be dissipated. Granted, he did
understand that Naruto himself wasn’t at fault, but with some things, it is
difficult to make the heart acknowledge what the mind can see clearly.
Iruka could not say what
drew him to the blonde boy. He visited Naruto every day at his hut, and made
sure that he had enough food and clothing. The Chuunin told himself that he did
it because his own hut was close to Naruto’s, and it was no burden on him to
drop by. The reality of the matter was quite different, however.
It was the eyes.
He was haunted by them,
haunted by the emptiness that he saw there, the loneliness, the desire to be
loved by someone, to have a family. When he looked into those eyes, he saw the
reflection of himself, of what he had lost.
That was the reason he
could not relinquish Naruto to the suffering he would endure. If he were to
abandon the child as everyone else did, what would that make him? In a sense,
he would be abandoning himself, for Naruto was the same as he.
An orphan.
Naruto was glad to have a
friend, though the stares of the villagers sliced through him like a dagger to
his heart. He never did mention that to his lone companion, and kept his
feelings bottled up inside where no one could find them. He became numb, going
through the motions day after day, putting on a happy, smiling face, because he
knew that was what children his age were supposed to be doing. Always cheerful,
always laughing, not a care in the world. The only time he allowed himself to
cry was when he was alone, at night, the stars bright in the vast canopy of the
sky.
The sky where the Ravens
flew.
He often thought about the
mysterious beings that were spoken of with as much fear as the Kyuubi. To him,
they were nothing more than myths, the same as Nine-Tails. He remembered the
storybook that Iruka had given him for his birthday, one filled with
illustrations that seemed to move as his eyes beheld them. The Ravens all had
the same faces, faces that appeared to have been carved out of marble, devoid
of any expression. They were tall, standing nearly seven feet high—though not
in the book, of course—and all but their heads were covered with sleek, black
feathers that blended so well as to seem like skin.
They did not look like
beasts in the pictures, but there was something about them that unnerved the
four-year-old, made him shudder. The expressions on their faces never changed,
whether they were covered in the blood of a kill, or lounging on a divan in an
opulent palace. He could see why people would be afraid of them, and why
The Edge was such an important part of their lives. He did not know any other
Konoha than the one that coexisted with The Edge, and the idea of a world
without the colony was unfathomable.
He knew, even at this age, that he wanted to go to The Edge, knew that
there, he would make a name for himself. He would not be scorned in such a
place, but accepted, because he would get in by passing the Test like all those
before him, and prove his worth. There, he would be one step closer to earning
the highest rank that the village had to offer: Hokage. That was his dream, and
he would stop at nothing to make it happen.
But...
Something lurked beneath his skin, something sinister. He felt it as a faint
whisper then, hardly the insistent thrumming in his veins of the present, yet
his senses were still able to hone in and make him aware of this other
presence. It was always there, lurking in the shadows of his mind, the one
thing that held him back, and filled him with doubt. Why did he feel like his
body was home to another?
--Kyuubi, why am I remembering this again?—
Naruto was confused, dazed, lost. Too much was happening so quickly...
--Be quiet, boy. Let the memories come. They are resurfacing for a
reason.—
He was in his hut with Master Iruka, and darkness had fallen. The two sat cross-legged
on the floor, an oil lamp as the only source of light between them. He was
frightened. He had heard a voice in his head, a dry, grating voice that made
his skull feel as if it were splitting.
“What did it say?” Iruka inquired gently, his tone not betraying his true
emotions. It’s too soon, he thought. The demon has only been sealed
for four years...why did he speak?
Naruto watched the flame of the lamp dance and flicker. “I’m going to
sleep.”
Iruka’s brow furrowed. “I’m going to sleep?” He repeated.
“Yeah. That’s all it said. But it hurt,” he tapped one of his temples, “in
here.” The boy tore his eyes from the flame. “Am I a monster? Is that why
everyone hates me?”
The question was blunt, and Iruka could tell that Naruto expected an honest
answer. However, he did not know how to answer such a question. An edict
had been passed when the Kyuubi was sealed that forbid any person to speak of
it to the child. Naruto, if all went accordingly, would remain ignorant until
the day he died. Iruka was faced with a rather difficult predicament. If any on
the Council were to discover that he’d broken trust, he would be banished from
Konoha forever.
But can I lie to him? Would I be able to live with myself after that?
“No, Naruto, you aren’t a monster,” Iruka said slowly. He reached out and
rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You’re familiar with the story of the
Kyuubi, correct?”
Naruto nodded gravely. “Nine-tails. The demon that almost destroyed the
village.”
Iruka hesitated, gathering his thoughts. He forgot about the Council, forgot
about the law...none of that mattered anymore. The truth was what
mattered, all of it, not some of it. The hand on Naruto’s shoulder moved to his
chest, directly over his heart, and Iruka spoke.
“Kyuubi lives there.”
Naruto was silent. He breathed in and out, his eyes unfocused. He wished
that he could say he did not understand Master Iruka, but that terrible voice
still rang in his ears.
I am going to sleep...
How could such a voice belong to anything but Nine-Tails?
“You said I’m not a monster,” he whispered, his throat raw.
“You are not the monster, Naruto. Kyuubi is.”
“Why?” Naruto asked, bowing his head. “Why is he inside me?”
“The Fourth had to seal him. It was the only way to stop him...”
Despite his age, the boy realized what Iruka was hinting at, and he did not
need to hear any more. For whatever reason, he had been chosen as the chalice
in which the Kyuubi’s essence was poured, and nothing could be done to change
that now.
“So that’s why,” he murmured. The flame from the lamp flickered again,
fading...
I am going to sleep...
“That’s why,” Iruka said, his voice quiet.
The flame died.
Naruto blinked once, then twice. A fog that had settled over his eyes like a
translucent curtain dissipated, and he was back in the corridor, facing the
Kyuubi. His mouth opened, but his voice was snared in a tangle of thorns, and
no sound came out.
Well, boy? Do not tell me you are at a loss for words! That mouth of
yours has never failed to run itself before.
“What?” Naruto snapped. The Kyuubi’s attempt at humor was lost on him. As
soon as he was ejected from the scene out of his past, an alarming sense of
rage broiled in his blood, a rage directed at the thing behind the metal
bars.
“What do you want me to say?” His eyes narrowed, and he got up close to the
cell. “That I believe your story?” His lips curled back into a sneer. “Well I
don’t. You’re defiling the Yondaime with that line of crap. He was a good man.
He gave his life to save the village from you.” Drawing back his arm, he
slammed his fist against the cell. Crimson dripped from his mangled knuckles,
tiny droplets spattering to the ground.
Was that really necessary? Now look what you’ve done. Your hand will be
bleeding in the mortal plane as well, you know.
“My parents died by the Ravens’ hands” Naruto said between clenched teeth,
ignoring Kyuubi’s last remark. “Master Iruka told me when I was little. He
would never lie to me, never.”
Kyuubi’s level eyes met with Naruto’s, and he sighed, dropping to his
haunches and resting his head between his front paws.
Shut up and sit down, he ordered. You are giving me a headache
with all this nonsense. I expected much more from you, too.
Against his will, Naruto’s legs gave out beneath him, and he crumpled to the
ground, swearing. Of course, the demon was not having that, and in an instant,
Naruto’s mouth clamped shut as if an expert weaver had stitched his lips
together with invisible thread. He flailed for a few moments, but soon gave up
when he realized his attempts were futile, glaring at Kyuubi instead.
Stop that, you idiot. Now, you will listen to everything I have to
say, and then you may judge for yourself. Only a fool jumps to conclusions
before he has heard both sides of a story.
In his mind, Naruto called Nine-Tails every vile name that he could think of
and then some. Kyuubi snorted, and his expression became thoughtful.
Perhaps it would be better to show you instead...
An onslaught of images came unbidden to Naruto’s head then, so many that he
could not separate where one began and another ended.
Relax and look, boy.
That was another command, so he did as he was told, and looked.
“My darling, it is time for you to wake. I have need of you.”
Kyuubi lifted his eyelids slowly, the light that he had not glimpsed for
nearly one thousand years driving into his skull. He squinted as his mistress
ran a hand through his fur, trying to make out her face, the last face he saw
before the darkness enveloped him so long ago.
Her features were as he remembered them: cold, hard eyes set in an
exquisitely carved face, lips the color of fresh blood, dark hair that cascaded
down her back like an obsidian waterfall. She was the most beautiful of her
kind, the Queen, and he was filled with the same desire to serve her as the one
that had spurned him to denounce his own kind when he was little more than a
pup. He had become her tool then, allowing her to use him as she would, and he
was her tool still.
She had bound him in sleep as a precaution when the time for him to
experience the Change drew closer, a time in which his body and mind would no
longer be under his control. That time had since passed, however, and he could
feel the difference in his chakra: it was more powerful, more precise. It was
as if he had been reborn.
“What do you wish of me, mistress?” He inquired, his voice sounding
strange in his ears.
Her lips turned up at the corners as she continued to stroke him.
“You have the ability to put on the skin of a human. In any other
circumstance, I would not ask you to corrupt yourself in such a way, but it
must be done, my darling. It is the only way to destroy the insects that dwell
in the village of Konoha,” she said the name as if it were poison.
“They are powerful, more powerful than humans should be. If we let them
continue on the path that they travel, their power may even outstrip my own.
That cannot happen. I will not allow it to happen.”
Placing her hands on either side of his head, the Queen stared into the
eyes of her servant.
“Will you do this for me?”
Kyuubi answered without a pause. “Yes, mistress.”
She smiled. “The Ravens shall fly, Kyuubi. Look to the sky, and when you
see us, you will know that your exile has ended.”
The scene changed. A young man with spiked blonde hair and crystal blue
eyes that sparkled in the light of the sun crested a hill overlooking Konoha.
As he made his way down to the entrance of the village, his legs wobbled a bit
beneath him. He was not used to this form, having become accustomed to moving
about on all fours as Kyuubi.
The Queen had given him a new identity before he departed. He was now
Uzumaki Arashi, age nineteen, a traveling sennin from the west. No one would
question his motives for coming to Konoha, since it was the custom for sennin
to leave their place of origin in search of ways to perfect their techniques,
and he could easily prove his strength if it came to that.
Villagers turned their heads in curiosity when he passed through the
gates, and he smiled impishly back at them, which earned him smiles in return.
He decided to try whistling as he strolled through the streets, and was quite
proud when he managed to produce a steady string of notes that rose and fell
with each step he took. His legs were a bit sturdier now, and he found that he
enjoyed standing upright. The perspective was different in this position.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a woman struggling with
a wicker basket full of potatoes. He knew that if he were to accomplish his
task, he would have to earn the trust of those who lived here, and so made his
way over to the woman.
“Here, miss. Let me,” he said, taking the basket out of her hands. It was
heavy, even for his standards.
“Oh, thank you,” the woman replied, genuine relief on her face. “I don’t
know how I’d have gotten that thing home...”
He grinned. “Not a problem.”
The woman noticed his attire, a blue long sleeved shirt with matching breeches,
and a red sleeveless kimono that he wore over top. Her eyebrows shot skyward.
“Are you a sennin?” She asked in awe.
“Yes, ma’am. Pardon my rudeness. I haven’t introduced myself. My name is
Uzumaki Arashi.” He extended the hand not holding the basket. “And you?”
“Ayaname Kotori,” she said, gripping his hand warmly. “Have you been to
see the Hokage yet? I’m sure he’d be delighted to meet you. He was a sennin
before he settled here.”
“Is that so? Well, well! A fellow wanderer!” He grinned. “I just arrived
myself, so I haven’t had the chance to get acquainted, I’m afraid.”
The woman Kotori smiled. “And what do you think of the village?”
“Beautiful,” he answered honestly. It was fall, and the leaves of the
trees were beginning to change color, gold and red and orange, and the effect
was marvelous to behold. “I’ve never seen a place quite like this one.”
“It is pretty, isn’t it?” She smiled again as a small house set in among
the trees came into view. “That one’s mine,” she said, and reached out her
hands for the basket. Arashi gave it to her. “Thank you so much for helping me.
I hope to see you again some time,” she added, a twinkle in her emerald eyes.
Arashi took the time to examine her face closely. She was young, he
realized, perhaps the same ‘age’ as he, and lovely. He saw humor behind her
eyes, and determination in the curve of her lips. The most fascinating thing,
however, was the way her hair shifted from blue to black when she moved.
Comely, for a human, he thought. But she does not hold a candle to my
Queen.
“I’m sure you will,” he said, and inclined his head. “Are you positive
you can carry that?”
Kotori shifted the basket so that it rested against one hip, one brow
raised. “I’m a shinobi. I could have done this alone, but I couldn’t turn down
a handsome young man, and a sennin, no less, who offered to help me,” she said,
and gave him a little wink before turning away.
Interesting. Very interesting...
The scene changed again. Arashi sat in a large plush chair facing a
mahogany desk. The man behind the desk wore a white robe and a triangular hat
was perched atop his head, which he lifted a bit in front to get a better look
at his visitor.
“Uzumaki Arashi, is it? Well met, youngster, well met! The sennin are a
dying breed these days, unfortunately.”
“They are indeed, Hokage-sama.” Youngster, hmm? How ironic. He
smiled. “I hear that you were once one of us, though I can see why you wouldn’t
want to leave a place like this.”
The Hokage nodded. “Once I stepped through the gate twenty years ago, I
never turned back. I feel like I’ve been here my whole life. The villagers will
welcome you as they welcomed me, I’ m sure. Do you plan to stay for a time?”
Arashi tapped his chin. “Yes, I think so. I know a few fire-element
jutsus, but I’d like to learn more. I’ve heard quite a bit about Konoha in my
travels. Your ninja are reputed for their skill.” Which is why you must all
be eliminated.
“They work hard,” Sandaime replied simply. “Well, I won’t keep you,
youngster. “There’s far better company to be had than mine.”
“Is that a polite way to tell me to buzz off because you’re busy?”
Arashi’s sarcastic attitude was becoming easier for Kyuubi to affect now, and
he did not have to pause and think about the words before they left his mouth.
The Hokage snorted. “Perceptive one, aren’t you?”
“I wasn’t given this rank for nothing.” Arashi retorted, and got to his
feet. “Good day, Hokage-sama.”
“Good day, youngster.” Sandaime said, and watched the sennin as he
exited, his hands clasped beneath his chin. “Uzumaki Arashi, eh? I believe I
like you.”
The scenes were coming faster now as they moved through the years. Night
was when Kyuubi shed his human skin, pacing back and forth, resisting his urges
to spill the blood of the villagers who slept peacefully in their beds, unaware
that a monster was in their midst. The Queen told him not to kill until the
time for the attack drew closer, but his bloodlust was becoming harder and
harder to contain. He forced himself to eat deer and cattle to abate the
gnawing hunger, though the meat left him unsatisfied.
During the day, he was Uzumaki Arashi, the man whom the villagers were
quite fond of. In truth, he was fond of them, as well. People waved to him on
the streets when he walked by, and he often stopped to chat with them about
their lives and their families. He shared some of his foreign jutsus with those
who wished to learn, and learned a few new ones in return. Within two years, he
was elected to the Council. Five years after the day he arrived in Konoha, the
Third had chosen the blonde sennin to be his successor. No one objected to
Sandaime’s decision. The people trusted Arashi with their lives, and they
believed that he would protect them no matter what the circumstances. But they
did not know Arashi’s dreadful secret. They did not know his true identity, or
his real purpose. They would never know.
But Kyuubi knew. He knew that he would have to slaughter them, knew that
he would be responsible for the destruction of the Leaf, and it made him sick.
Something was happening to him, to the heart that had once been black. The more
time he spent with these brave people, the more human his heart became. Demonic
blood still flowed through his veins, and that would always remain the same.
Now, he fought a battle in his mind, one that was driving him into madness. He
could feel the time coming ever closer after he was named Yondaime, the Fourth
Hokage of the Village of the Hidden Leaf, the time to kill. Only one person kept
him sane during the day, while he wore his human flesh, one who invaded his
senses even at night while he prowled as Kyuubi.
Kotori.
As fate would have it, he did see her again soon after that first day,
and many meetings followed. She was like a drug that left him intoxicated,
yearning for more, and more, and more. It was not long before he succumbed to
his human desires and took her as his wife. The only child she bore him was a
male, with the same blond hair and blue eyes as his father. They called him
Naruto. Whenever he came close to cracking, he remembered his wife and the
child, and, for a brief spell, that was enough.
Until he heard the call.
More images...
Blood.
Destruction.
Death.
Kyuubi had been unleashed, and Arashi could no longer hold him back.
Nights were now rivers of crimson.
And still, the people did not know. They fought and died, falling victim
one by one to the Kyuubi’s jaws.
One final scene materialized.
The Ravens were flying. Arashi felt his eyes move towards the sky, and he
saw them with their wings aloft, glittering scythes, their weapons of choice,
strapped to their backs. His breathing became ragged, and his eyes began to
change. With his last ounce of willpower, he remembered his family. He
remembered his people.
And he made the choice that would alter history forever.
“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!”
A perfect, solid replica of himself appeared. “Do not fail me,” he told
it before the fox took hold. “Find my son! Quickly!”
Kyuubi wrested Arashi’s awareness aside, and began the hunt. The replica
moved with a singular purpose. He knew what he had to do, and time was of the
essence.
The Ravens landed. Metal sliced through bone, and cries of agony filled
the air. The Queen herself advanced upon an armed shinobi who fought with the
ferocity of a berserker. Kotori sensed the presence behind her, and spun, her
eyes black.
“Come to me,” the Queen beckoned.
Steel clashed with steel in a heated battle.
The clone had reached his destination. The baby gave his father a level
gaze, as if he could sense what was about to happen. Taking a deep breath,
Arashi’s double began the seal.
Kotori was dead.
“Pathetic,” said the Queen as she ripped her scythe from the limp body.
Another of the Ravens who held a bundle in his arms stood next to her. The
bundle cooed.
“He can smell the blood,” the male said as his Queen took her son and
cradled him.
“Yes,” she smiled. “He is a Raven to his core, aren’t you Sasuke?”
The child cooed again.
Suddenly, the agonized cries were replaced with awed gasps.
The Queen looked up. The massive form of Kyuubi loomed before them, but
something was wrong. He was not moving, and his chakra was fading. She felt a
surge of power beyond anything that she had ever experienced before, and then
Kyuubi was no more.
Nearby, a baby with a seal surrounding his bellybutton wailed. The clone
vanished. The man called Yondaime had made the final sacrifice, and all around,
his people sensed that his life was spent.
But instead of despair, they were filled with hope, a hope that gave them
strength when there should have been none. Together, the shinobi of the Leaf
drove the Ravens back and away from their village.
It was the Queen who despaired.
Wounded, heartbroken from the loss of her beloved tool, she ordered her
kin to retreat. The battle was over. They had lost. Her eyes fell to her son.
He was unharmed, and stared back up at his mother, his face sober.
The child in her arms was the last hope of the Ravens.
The dust cleared. The people of the village mourned their losses even as
they strove to rebuild their lives. A fear had settled over them, however, fear
that the Ravens would return someday. Because of that fear, the Council created
The Edge. Sandaime would have taken up his old mantle again had he not died of
his injuries, so a new Hokage rose in his place.
Tsunade.
It was her decision to pass the edict that would keep Naruto unaware of
the demon that lived inside of him, but even she did not know the real truth.
Kyuubi lifted his head from his paws. His eyes met with his son’s, and he
saw tears pooled in them like tiny diamonds. With a flick of his paw, he
released the bind that held Naruto’s mouth shut.
Do you believe, boy?
The images were still playing through his mind. Naruto saw his mother as she
died, the Queen standing ruthless before her corpse, his father...
Kyuubi.
“Yes,” he whispered, the tears falling. “I believe.”
Kyuubi tilted his head to the side.
You do not deny that I am your father?
Naruto closed his eyes.
“No.”
That seemed to satisfy Kyuubi.
Good. Your acceptance will make this much easier for both of us. I must
explain something to you...the reason why I have awoken again.
“I’m listening.”
The Queen left her son here sixteen years ago to be raised as one of the
Leaf shinobi. I did not think anything of it, but that is only because the
effort in using the seal drained me. I would have roused sooner had I known she
would act soon. I believe you are acquainted with Uchiha Sasuke?
“More than acquainted,” Naruto spat, the mere mention of the name getting
his blood boiling. “We’re rivals.” He paused when a part of the vision returned
to him. “Wait...the Queen...she called that baby...Sasuke.” His eyes went wide.
“Oh you’ve got to be shitting me! He can’t be the same kid!”
He is. Uchiha Sasuke is the son of the Raven Queen Maya. And she has
decided it is time for him to return home. She sent out one of her minions to
brand him with a seal that will draw him to her. You must watch him, Naruto. If
he tries to leave, do whatever it takes to stop him. But remember this: no one
else knows of his heritage, just as no one knows of yours. It must stay that
way. Everything hangs in the balance. Do not forget.
Kyuubi moved forward in the cell until his nose was practically touching
Naruto’s.
If the Queen gets her hands on her son, all shall be lost. The Ravens
must never fly a second time, because that time will be the last.
Sakura lay in her mother’s arms, the tears cascading down her cheeks. She
tried to remain strong and accept her fate, but her emotions finally gave way,
and she cried as if her heart would break. This was not what she wanted, to be
only as good as her genes. Yes, she had been accepted to The Edge, but at such
a cost!
“Shh, it’s all right,” her mother whispered as she stroked her daughter’s
hair, though she would have given anything to spare her child this torment.
“It’s all right.”
“What will I do, Mama?” Sakura sobbed. “I don’t want to give myself away to
someone I don’t love!”
“I know, sweetheart,” her
mother continued stroking her hair as the chilling call of a wolf echoed in the
night.
“I know.”
Pain.
Pain was searing through
every inch of his body, and it all radiated from the two small punctures on the
side of his neck. He writhed on the floor as the seal took root, burning bright
for a few moments and then fading as if it never was. No trace would be left
behind for others to see.
The Queen’s subordinate
kneeled next to the Prince, and placed his hands on either side of his head.
“When you wake, you will
not remember any of this. The seal shall activate when the time is right, but
not yet. Sleep, now.”
His eyelids grew heavy, the
pain dulled, and he passed into unconsciousness.
The subordinate took one
last look at the Prince, and vanished, reappearing in the chamber of his Queen.
“Well?” She demanded. “Did
you see him?”
“Yes. He resembles you.”
Maya smiled. “Of course he
does. And is he strong?”
“He is the greatest of us,
I can feel it.”
The Queen’s smile grew, and
she reached out her hand for the male to kiss. “You have done well,
Orochimaru. I will not forget.”
To be continued...