Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Frightening Truth ❯ 1 ( Chapter 1 )

 

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

Naruto brought a slightly clawed hand out and pushed the snooze button on his alarm clock. `Who cares if I am late anyway? Kakashi-sensei is never on time, besides…no one wants me there anyways.' Naruto winced at that thought. He had tried time and again to bury it in his false smiles and laughter, but it never went away. Maybe if his happiness wasn't just a ruse he could forget, but no one will ever know the real Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto scowled, his thoughts had completely woken him up. `Damn, I was hoping to sleep in today. So much for it being special' Naruto thought bitterly to himself. As he rose from his bed he plucked a kunai from his ever-present supply and deftly threw it at the calendar next to his bedroom door. The kunai hit its mark dead center. Contrary to popular belief Naruto was actually a very skilled ninja. His jutsus were top notch, his tiajutsu is damn near unbeatable and his acting was flawless. Naruto chuckled at his last thought. `Well, it is flawless. No one would ever guess that the Naruto they know and hate isn't even close to what I am really like' Naruto flipped the switch on his alarm clock and turned towards the bathroom, on his way out he plucked the kunai from its spot on the wall. He stopped and looked at the date for a moment before continuing his trek to the bathroom muttering in a dejected tone.

“Happy birthday me.”

The pages of the calendar fluttered slightly and a kunai shaped slit could be seen on the spot marked `October 10th'
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Naruto walked up to the bridge were Team 7 always waited for Kakashi-sensei. He could hear Sasuke mumble something like `dobe is late'. He smiled slightly and silently thanked Kyuubi for his heightened senses. Another little fact he kept hid from his fellow leafs was that his senses were way better than Kiba's. He sighed and plastered a fake smile on his face as he walked up to his teammates.
“Sorry I'm late Sakura-chan! My alarm clock didn't go off.”
The girl just glared at him and turned in a huff to stare at Sasuke. Naruto mentally shook his head and wondered why he picked that girl to pretend to be fascinated with. She had developed somewhat in the two years he had been on her team. She had a nice figure and her pink hair had grown down to the middle of her back. He didn't see why she had long hair. It only got in the way of fighting. Her face was thinner, but her eyes were the same green that he remembered from the Academy. The biggest change though was the way she acted outside their group. She was cold. It creeped him out sometimes to see her act like the human ice cube that she chased after.
Naruto sighed under his breath and followed her emerald gaze to the Uchiha ice cube. The only thing that had changed about him was the fact that he was taller. Naruto just didn't understand how someone could just -not- change. He has the exact same personality as before. Naruto shook his head and cut off his thoughts. There was no need to worry about people he didn't like. Just as Naruto was going through the long list of people he couldn't care less about there was a pop just above them.
He tilted his head up watched as Kakashi smiled innocently and waved.
“Sorry I'm late guys. The restaurant burnt my sushi.”
Naruto raised a golden brow before shouting the expected response to the ridiculous excuse. Kakashi turned to him and gave him a suspicious glance. Naruto's mind froze for a moment then jump-started. `I'm not getting rusty am I? Fucking Kakashi and his stupid explanations.' All of Naruto's thoughts screeched to a halt at his sensei's next words.
“Hey Naruto, when is your birthday.”
Before he could stop himself he sent a glare at the silver haired jounin, then quickly turned his face downwards to hide it. `Stupid bastard, why does he have to point out something like that, nobody has to know.'
Kakashi blinked and wondered if the glare Naruto just sent him was just a product of his imagination. The boy had turned his face down so fast he wasn't sure. Kakashi was just wondering about his birthday so he could get him something. He had forgotten the last year, and was determined to not miss this one.
“I don't know.” He lied.

“Don't lie.”
“I didn't.” He lied again.
Sakura swallowed hard. How could someone not have a birthday? She studied Naruto for a moment before speaking.
“How about we make today your birthday?”

He dragged his azure gaze from were it had landed on the pavement of the bridge and looked her in the eye.
“Why?”
Sakura took an involuntary step back and brought her hand up to cover her mouth. Those weren't Naruto's eyes. They were hard, cold, and intelligent. Naruto's eyes never got like that; he was a stupid, happy, loud-mouthed weirdo. Those eyes belong to someone who has lived a hard life. Naruto acted to happy to have had a hard life.

“B-because kids need to have a birthday, its part of growing up.”
Naruto snorted and turned and leaned against the railing, letting his eyes drop to the sparkling water of the river. When he spoke his voice was low and hard, completely uncharacteristic.
“I grew up a long time ago.”
There was a short uneasy silence before Naruto decided to cut off the conversation with a well timed `what the hell is our mission today?'. Kakashi shrugged and took out the scroll explaining what they were to do. Naruto put his body on autopilot and let his mind wander. This was put to a stop almost as soon as it started by Kakashi.
“Hey Naruto, are you even listening?”
Naruto didn't take his eyes off the river when he answered.
“Find a cat in the woods where we took the chuunin exam.”
Kakashi blinked, he hadn't expected that response. Usually the blonde teen would scream at the top of his lungs that he always paid attention because he was going to be Hokage. This time he just answered like a normal person. Kakashi shook it off and led them to the gate of the Forbidden Area (ya, I'm not sure if that's what its called, so if I'm wrong could you tell me?).
When they reached the gate Kakashi turned and assessed his team. Sakura was drooling over Sasuke, who was ignoring her in favor of glaring at the back of Naruto's head. Naruto was seemingly oblivious to the glare as he walked with his hands behind his head staring at the clouds. `Must be a habit he picked up from Shikamaru' the jounin mused idly. He smiled slightly at his team before turning around and opening the large doors. He motioned them to go forward, then tried to follow them. Kakashi's visible eye widened, he couldn't move. He tired to call them back, but it felt like a hand was squeezing his neck. He instantly recognized the jutsu and tried to break free.
Naruto's ear twitched involuntarily when he heard the quiet gagging sounds his sensei was making. He turned and caught a glimpse of a shadow hand letting go of Kakashi's neck. Naruto tensed and readied himself for battle. As soon as the hand released him Kakashi fell to his hands and knees and gasped for air, trying to fill his lungs incase the shadow hand tried to come back.
Sasuke and Sakura stopped in their tracks when they heard their sensei gasp followed by a dull thud. Turning, they saw Naruto standing over Kakashi, who was on his knees gasping like a fish. Sasuke noticed that Naruto wasn't acting like the smiling buffoon he usually was, and decided that something was wrong. Sakura had come to the same conclusion and was already inching closer to the fallen jounin, kunai in hand. She knelt, not letting her guard down, and helped the silver haired man to his feet. He nodded his thanks and glanced at the trees that were surrounding that path.
Naruto knew they were surrounded, he could feel it in his bones. With that in mind he looked Kakashi in the eye and said in an even voice.
“Our only hope is the Forbidden Area.”
“What are you talking about dobe, if we …”

Sasuke was cut off by Kakashi who nodded and took off in a sprint through the large gates, shouting behind him as he went.
“Follow my trail and hide yourselves, I'll distract them.”
Naruto nodded at him and grabbed his teammates' arms before sprinting after his sensei. `This is going to be a long day'
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Kakashi chanced a look behind him and caught a glimpse of orange followed closely by red and black. He sighed in relief then made a shadow clone for the team to follow. Kakashi jumped and landed lightly on one of the freakishly large branches that made up the canopy of the forbidden area. As he was watching the ground below him for signs of pursuit he heard the leaves rustle behind him. Before he could even turn he heard a strange voice shout `Shinn no Jutsu' (forced truth technique), and he was falling from the tree, immobilized. He blacked out before he hit the ground.

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Naruto glared when the shadow clone disappeared before showing them a suitable place to hide. He growled mentally and searched the branches above them. Naruto growled audibly when he saw six different branches shake simultaneously.
“Shit, they got past Kakashi-sensei.”
Sasuke, who also had his face pointed upward, said nothing. Sakura turned wide eyes on him and squeaked.
“How do you know that Naruto?”
Naruto ignored her in favor of baring his teeth and watching for more movement from above. He was so intent on seeing what was going on above he didn't notice the ninja beside him until he heard its clothes rustling, a telltale sign of making a hand seal for a jutsu. Naruto's eyes widened when he heard what was spoken.
“Shinn no Jutsu.”

Naruto noted absently that the speaker didn't shout out the title like most did. Suddenly the earth tilted and the moss covered roots beneath his feet rose to meet him. Naruto blacked out, absentmindedly wondering if the jutsu affected Sasuke and Sakura as well.
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Sasuke glared at the back of Naruto's head as he ran directly behind the shadow clone. `What is dobe thinking bringing us here. I hope we can come up with a plan…' Sasuke stopped his train of thought and, once again, glared at Naruto. `Why did he stop? Where is the shadow clone?' Sasuke clenched his fists when he saw Naruto look above them. He relaxed them and brought his right closer to his kunai holster when he saw the branches above them move. He narrowed his eyes. `Shimata, we are surrounded. If they were good enough to take out Kakashi-sensei we don't stand a chance. Kuso, why did I have to get stuck with dobe and fangirl?' Sasuke was brought from his musings when he heard Naruto speak.
“Shit, they got past Kakashi-sensei.”
Sasuke didn't take his eyes off the canopy, but heard Sakura ask about something that was painfully obvious.
“How do you know that Naruto?”
Naruto didn't answer her, surprising both of his team members. Sasuke tore his gaze from the treetops and looked at his companion. `Why is dobe acting so strange?' Before he could think of an answer to his unasked question he heard someone mumble something. His eyes widened in shock, he hadn't heard them coming. That was his last thought before his vision swam and he fell limply on the tree roots under him.

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Sakura was going to go insane. First Naruto passes up a chance to spend time with and receive gifts form her, then Kakashi-sensei gets attacked, now Naruto and Sasuke were running so fast she could barely keep up! This just wasn't her day. `Baka Naruto.' She just knew this was his fault somehow. Sakura `eep'ed when the shadow clone disappeared and the boys stopped suddenly, despite their momentum. She pulled out a kunai and used it to slow herself down, skidding to a stop neatly between the boys before replacing it in its holster.
“Shit, they got Kakashi-sensei.”
`How can he know that? The clone leaving doesn't mean shit!' Inner Sakura fumed.
“How do you know that Naruto.” She spoke, parroting her inner self. Sakura was surprised by how high pitched her voice came out. She dismissed it and waited for him to answer.
He didn't even acknowledge her presence. She was about to yell at him when she felt herself falling forward.
`What the hell!?!' she heard Inner Sakura scream before everything went black.
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Naruto was the first to rouse. He sat up and cradled his aching head in his hands. His head snapped up when he heard chuckling directly ahead of him. Before him was a cloaked woman, judging by the curves.
“Do you know what I did to you?”
Her voice was deceptively soft and soothing. `Its probably a jutsu that makes it so we cant lie, if the title is anything to go by.' Naruto narrowed his eyes and decided to play dumb. So he simply glared at her. She rolled her eyes and spoke in a not-so-placid voice.
“It's a specialized jutsu. It enters your mind and makes it physically painful when you lie. Only those of my bloodline can perform and release it.”
Naruto's eyes narrowed further and he dropped the act, there was something odd about this woman.
“Why?”
She smirked triumphantly before speaking again.
“You are smarter than even we gave you credit for. The Leader decided that the people of the Hidden Leaf should know the real you. You were our objective; hitting those three was just an added bonus. This mission should be fun ne?”
She turned on her heel walked a few paces before speaking without turning her head.
“My team and I wont allow you to leave this place until we are defeated.”
With that said she vanished in a puff of green chakra. Naruto scowled, then took in his surroundings. He was in a small clearing with tree surrounding him on all sides. There was a fallen tree dividing the clearing in half. Lying on his right was Kakashi-sensei, on his left was Sakura and beside her was Sasuke. He snorted and rose to get supplies from the forest to make a camp. As he was walking towards the tree line he glanced back at his slumbering friends. `How am I going to get through this one?'

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well here's the new and improved chapter. I am being lazy and I pretty much just changed a few sentences and added chapters 1 and 2 together. Well review please