Author Uozumi
Genre Action-Adventure/Drama/Romance
Rating PG-13
Disclaimer I do not own nor claim to own this. The characters, ect...contained within are not my property. This is an act of fandom and I do not make a profit from this endeavor. I also do not own the song contained within, it is property of its respective owner(s).
Summary The boy had once been something great. He had once been something he hoped one day to obtain. However, as he read the words on the scroll he found himself shaking. SPOILERS.
WARNING There will be SPOILERS for the latest manga chapters seeing as how this is set a few months later.
Chapter One
Chapter One: The Scroll
He had failed. Naruto had failed worse than he had ever failed before. He undid the tie of his headband and stared down at the metal insignia marking him a ninja of the Leaf. In a split second, he had thrown it across the room with enough force to make a loud smacking noise, but not enough force to send it through the wall and into his neighbor's apartment. It had been only two months since he ran off to rescue Gaara and finally he had stopped moving, he had nothing to do, and it all came at him instantaneously. Gaara was dead. They could have been there faster. Gaara was dead. Dead…
Naruto growled inwardly and then went over to his window. The small apartment he had since before he could even remember looked out onto one of Konoha's busiest streets. People were shouting and laughing, children running down the street, but the more he watched them his eyes seemed to recede, a cloud forming over them. He closed the curtains swiftly and turned away. The teenager sighed inwardly. After he returned from the battle with the Atatsuki, he had been sent out again and had finally returned to his apartment for a break.
When he returned to Konoha back in August, he had been looking forward to seeing everyone and admittedly hadn't seen everyone, but right now he didn't want to see anyone. His apartment looked well and wasn't too dusty. He had asked Sakura to look after it, so only two months worth of dust was everywhere rather than three years worth. He looked over at his closet and shook his head; he could clean later.
He was tired and worn out and as he walked into his room, he walked back out again. In the shinobi's room there were pictures of his friends and other keepsakes and mementos. It was a very small apartment and the bedroom was big enough for a fairly small bed and an even smaller night stand to be squished in there and he had so many things crammed in there….
Naruto sighed. He didn't want to think of Sasuke or Gaara. Closing his eyes, he drew himself together and then put his hands on his hips and grinned. "I'm home," he said to himself cheerfully. "I'm home," he said again a bit forcefully and then his grin slipped away and he frowned. He had to get out of his apartment.
Hinata knew what today was, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. She was coming close to her seventeenth birthday and talks were steadily increasing to prepare her to take over the Hyûga clan on her seventeenth birthday in December. She had worked hard these past three years and had come far from where she was during the Chûnin exams. She was by no means ready to be a Jônin, but she was strong enough that the elders of the clan felt that she could take over soon. If not this year, then most definitely next year when she was eighteen.
Sighing, she frowned inwardly, her mind going over all of the aspects of the business side of running the Hyûga clan. She understood it, but she kept going over it, a technique she developed to help her progress as a ninja. Hyûga Hiashi, her father, was almost fourty-five and it was time that Hinata take more responsibility in the clan. She would help lead the clan with her father until he was fifty and then she would take it entirely over. She was nervous but had resigned herself.
Hinata looked to her right and at the Yamanaka's flower shop. Only Ino was in there again, her green Chûnin vest clashing with the color of her work apron. Choji was in there talking with her about something. Hinata looked away. She last year she and Kiba had tried dating, but after one kiss they broke up - it was like kissing a sibling they had both decided. Seeing Choji and Ino together just brought up things she didn't feel like thinking about.
That's when the sixteen-year-old walked right into someone. She hadn't been on guard and chided herself as she stumbled slightly. Looking up, she went to apologize when she felt her cheeks turn pink and her heart jumped. "Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed in disbelief. There he was right there! Her heart fluttered again and she tried to push it back. They were older and school girl crushes should be behind her.
"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto returned with a wide grin.
She found herself smiling in return. Naruto could be infectious and his grin seemed to be extra big right now. Then she blinked and said hastily, "Happy birthday!"
He stared at her a moment and then asked, "It's my birthday?"
Hinata asked, "Your birthday is October tenth, right?" Maybe she had remembered wrong.
"Yeah, it is," Naruto answered as he continued to give her a look that seemed to be between disbelief and something Hinata couldn't pinpoint.
"Well, that's today," Hinata said.
"Really?" Naruto grinned even brighter. "I guess I wasn't keeping track of the date." He had one hand behind his head and then he dropped it. "Thanks," he added.
Hinata smiled. Then she said, "You must be busy." He was more active in the field than she was. For all she knew, he could be on his way to the Godaime to get a new assignment. That's what Kiba had told her when he saw Naruto a month ago - the boy had been off to see the Godaime, but was taking his time.
"No, just walking around," Naruto said, shaking his head. Part of him wished it though. He wanted to get out of Konoha, but he also knew he needed a rest.
"Oh, uh…" Hinata tried to pull herself together. She was almost seventeen and here she was almost reverting back to her twelve-year-old self! She finally collected herself and then asked, "Do you want to go for lunch somewhere? Or have you eaten already?"
Naruto gave her that odd look again and then he grinned. "Okay! We can - "
"Naruto!" a voice cut him off and the pair turned to look at another Chûnin walking up to them.
"Hey, Shino!" Naruto called out and motioned Hinata's former teammate over to them.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting," Shino stated as he came to stop by them. Hinata could tell that Shino had looked between them even if his dark sunglasses masked his eyes. "But the Godaime wants to see you, Naruto."
Naruto gave them a face somewhere between 'finally!' and 'what does that old hag want now?!'. "Okay," he said, and then he looked to Hinata. "Let's go out later, okay?"
"Okay," Hinata answered.
"How about six?" Naruto asked quickly. "You know, for supper?"
Hinata's mind went through her schedule. She didn't have any meetings at that time. She smiled and nodded. "Alright."
"Okay then," Naruto agreed and then waved. "See you!" Then he was off for the Godaime's complex.
Hinata stared after him and then looked at Shino. "Good luck," was all Shino said before he left to do whatever else he had to do that day.
Tsunade looked over at the paperwork on her desk. Jiraiya was in one of the chairs writing something down, most likely the plot for the next Icha Icha Paradise she reasoned. She had sent Shino out an hour ago and Naruto hadn't showed up yet. Not that it was surprising, but she wanted a break from the paperwork on her desk and to have an excuse to chase Jiraiya out of her office. He looked too comfortable writing in that chair as though accentuating the stress and amount of paperwork of her position.
That's when the door burst open. 'Finally,' Tsunade murmured to herself and looked up. Formality wasn't one of the strong points of the boy standing in front of her. He looked happier than she had seen him at the debriefing that morning at least. "Jiraiya, can you leave?"
The fifty-three-year-old looked over at his former teammate. They exchanged a look and then he nodded. "Happy birthday," he said as he passed by Naruto and shut the door behind him.
Naruto looked over his shoulder at the moment a door and then looked over at Tsunade. "What do you want, Obaa-san?" Naruto asked as he turned to face her.
Tsunade looked at him and then said in a serious voice, "Today is your sixteenth birthday, Naruto, and I have something I have to give you."
Naruto stared. This was almost bizarre. So many people were remembering his birthday and he had even scored a date. "What is it?"
Tsunade reached into her desk drawer and then pulled out a very simple scroll. "The Yondaime left this with instructions to give this to you on your birthday after you become a Chûnin." She paused. "It's true that you have yet to pass your Chûnin test, but I wanted to give this to you now because your skill far exceeds any Chûnin." She handed the scroll out to him. "Read this where no one else can see it. This is for your eyes solely."
Naruto took the scroll gingerly, his hand shaking ever so slightly. This was from the Yondaime to him! The Yondaime had been his hero since he could remember and even after he found out that the Yondaime sealed the Kyûbi inside of him, Naruto still liked him. He looked over at Tsunade and wasn't sure exactly what to say. Finally he managed a weak, "Thanks," before hugging her quickly and disappearing through the open window.
Scroll in his mouth, he hopped from rooftop to rooftop and then entered his apartment, sitting down on the floor and taking the scroll out of its protective covering. He stared at it for the longest moment, tracing his finger down the paper before slowly unraveling it.
Dear Naruto, the scroll read. I'm sorry for any pain I've put you through. What I'm about to tell you must remain a secret. You can say whatever you want to cover up the truth, but you cannot tell anyone what I'm about to divulge to you.
Naruto raised an eyebrow. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up and he felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep breath and read on.
I don't know however many years have passed, but certainly you know of the Kyûbi and I'm sure that Sarutobi-sensei has told you by now that you carry the beast inside of you. I want to say that I'm sorry and in a way I am, but at the same time I'm not. You'll come to understand this if you read on.
Naruto made a face. Not sorry? NOT SORRY?! He wanted to throw the scroll across the room for a moment but he took a few deep breaths. The Yondaime was going to explain. 'And he better have a damn good one,' the boy growled slightly, glowering darkly.
First, I'll tell you what happened that day. The day started out normal, not overly beautiful or overly anything. I was sitting in my office when a messenger came to me. There was one of the tailed beasts that were terrorizing all the villages at the time, perhaps there are even some left. There was a great movement to try and destroy them at the time at least.
Teams of Jônin accompanied me into the area outside Konoha. The Kyûbi was already beginning his attack, launching bursts of flames into our village, but he hadn't broken through the walls yet. The groups were assembled hastily and some Chûnin were put into them as well with some Genin as well. The Kyûbi would take everyone's efforts to destroy.
By the time I was told, several had been killed and when I arrived at the site of the attack, the Kyûbi had burst through one of the walls and was coming into the village. Confusion reigned and people were screaming. Buildings were burning along with anything that got in the way. We tried our hardest and eventually drove the Kyûbi back outside of our village walls. It was a grueling battle and everyone was tiring. We knew that if we didn't do something now, our sacrifices would mean nothing and Kyûbi would go back and finish off Konoha.
I couldn't allow this. As I went to confront the beast, it retreated. It is said that Shukaku, the one tail, attacked Suna twice already and they are expecting it to return again. That's why I can write this, that's why I know you will be created.
When the beast comes again, I will perform an ancient jutsu. This jutsu was developed centuries ago by ninja whose names were forgotten. I will seal the beast inside myself and then revert into a baby - into you. You are me. I am you. I don't know when this will happen, but I'm sure it will. I am prepared to do this. I can't practice this technique naturally, but when the time comes I know I will do it.
Naruto closed his eyes and held his breath a moment. He opened one eye and looked down at the scroll. You are me. I am you. He closed the eye again and then sat up straighter, looking down at the scroll. He had to finish it. He wasn't sure what to make of what he read or the twisting knots in his stomach and the cold chills he had throughout reading, but he had to finish the letter.
That's why I can't be sorry for what I did. I did it to save Konoha. I think that you might be able to understand my position.
Naruto, I write this because I know that you most likely want to know where you came from and why the Kyûbi was sealed inside of you. However, you cannot tell anyone what I have told you. Your life would become even more dangerous than it already is if people were to know that you are me. There will be people who seek you out not only for the Kyûbi inside of you but for revenge against me and my family.
I wrote this after writing Sarutobi-sensei
Then the letter stopped. Naruto stared at the last character of the last sentence for a long time and then surveyed the scroll. He paused and then tried to calm himself. He was trembling.
Standing up shakily, he went over to the small cabinet and retrieved a glass, filling it with water before looking at the clock. It was 6:15. He chugged the glass and then rushed off to the Hyûga mansion.
Post-Note Why did I chose to have Naruto be the Yondaime? Simple. One, they look a lot alike; thusly a lot of people assume that Naruto is the Yondaime's son. That might be true, however, I would hope that the Yondaime wouldn't put the beast in his own son, that and you never hear a word about Naruto's mother. My gut tells me that the Yondaime sealed the Kyûbi inside of himself and reverted to the form of a newborn.