Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Guardian ❯ History Lesson ( Prologue )

A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists.

L. Ron Hubbard (1911 - 1986), Science of Survival

 

Prologue

History Lesson

 

The streets of hidden leaf bustled with life as its countless residents made there way to and from their many tasks, errands, and jobs. People were calling out to relatives and friends over the crowd and loud noise, trying to be heard over the equally demanding shouts of the many vendors that were scattered along nearly all the streets of Konoha.Even the 'Shinobi roads', the affectionate title given to the rooftops of the houses, were busy as numerous ninja from different classes, levels, and clans made there way towards their respective mission destinations, or from work to report their missions and get some rest. Others, were going to the training grounds of the village or, like the genin, were heading out to meet with their instructors.

 

Most of the houses were scattered around in an uncoordinated manner, being built wherever the people found space. But that didn't make it any less stable. Unlike most villages with such a uncontrolled structure the houses weren't weak. Nor did they give way to wind, rain, or fire easily, despite their close proximity with each other. It was a juxtaposition that most non-shinobi people on their first time through Konoha completely missed, seeing only a ramshackle orderless building style with lots of character but little refinement.

 

If one bothered to look they would see that the houses were all fairly new. There wasn't a single building that looked more then ten years old. Not even the mighty buildings of the Uchiha sector looked as old as the family history would suggest they should look. Even allowing room for the idea that Konoha was a ninja village and thus prone to occasional attacks that would leave inevitably damage the surrounding structures, it was almost unnatural to see such an old village look as if it had only been established a couple years ago.

 

As odd as they houses were the residents of the village. The people of Konoha were cautious bordering on the edge of paranoia, more so then was normal for a shinobi village with a civilian populace. A stranger coming through would not have noticed it of course. But to Iruka as he walked down the streets it was as obvious as the bright light of day. No one went unnoticed in these streets. Every person was studied by every other person and no one could get in without notice, even if the village usually kept its large gates wide open and welcoming with only two stationed guards. The village had learned its lesson six years ago, when a demon fox had gotten inside the protective walls disguised as a human. Back then they were unprepared for such a vicious attack and they had paid a dear price.

 

The village itself was old, even its station and title of 'Konohagakure' were new. The remnants of the first settlement still lingering deep within the shrub grown canyons behind the village. But the current settlement was open, existing beside the granite rock walls and stretching into the mighty forests of Fire country beyond. The village had a long and old history but it had only been a shinobi village for the last five or so generations. That was not a very long time comparatively speaking.

 

Fire country, the land deserved that name well. The first village, the one lost and overgrown in the canyons had been wiped out by a volcanic eruption of legendary proportions that left only a few survivors. But the people had persevered and rebuild, thus the spirit of the village was old. It was one of the first villages in the country and had held the title of capital before the great eruption. All his, of course, was mostly inconsequential as it was all in the past, but it was never-the-less a great source of pride to the village residents.

 

And despite the new buildings, new location, and new position in Fire countries political hierarchy, the village still had an air of timelessness about it. So Iruka mused as he looked up at the hokage monument from the viewing platform and gave Yondaime his daily thanks for the Fourth's honorable sacrifice. Maybe it was the ancient reddish golden rocks of the canyon, which the village was nestled against, that gave that impression; having been thrust up and out of the ground by the flaming activities of the land long before any humans walked the world. Or maybe it was the almost never-ending forest that hugged the village. The trees old and strong in their own right and their roots clinging stubbornly to survival despite the fire that ran beneath the rock they dug through. The wild trees of the forest weren't beautiful, they were tough gnarled things with hard bark and bitter leaves. Nothing like the sakura trees that had been imported into the village. But they held a beauty in their own right, with their strength to withstand the greatest storm and earthquake.

 

And just like the rocks and the trees which they lived beside, the people's memories ran far and deep. Everything physical from that day may have been wiped out but the people remembered. They remembered Yondaime running into the village in panic trying to warn them, even as the stranger walked in through the gates completely unhindered. And they remembered when the crimson haired enemy had stopped in the center of the village and transformed into a monstrous nine tailed demon. In the end the village had lost many loved ones, many lives, and their leader.

 

The ground had quaked for days after that battle. The nearby volcanos that had been dormant for thousands of years erupted in grand explosions. Throwing flaming explosives of rock on top of the already devastated village. For months after the initial attack and the sealing of the fox the people stayed in the shelters dug deep into the canyon walls. Only coming out to receive supplies and aid that had been sent from other village of the Fire country and allied shinobi villages.

 

Those were nightmarish days, many people lost hope and killed themselves in that all consuming darkness underneath the ancient rock. And many more lives were lost between the injured, the forgotten, and the plague that had been bread in that cursed underground environment. When after three months of living like this the people found out that the fox had been sealed and not killed, they predictably wanted nothing short of death for the child. And Iruka was no exception. The panic and mob that formed from at the spreading of that news caused even more people to lose their lives as the shinobi lay down a martial law so strict that people couldn't use the bathroom without permission and escort.

 

But eventually the smoke and ash cleared from the skies and the sun shone down from white clouds again. And when the people left the shelters they found their village almost completely buried beneath rubble, rock, and ash. But the never-ending green forest was still there, albeit damaged and charred, and the canyon rock had remained unchanged and lo and behold the hokage monument was still standing. The three and a half faces looking over the desolation that had once been Konoha and saying that there was still work to be done, forbidding anyone from simply leaving. The resilient stone faces brought hope to the people and they rebuilt the village.

 

In that time they had also completed the Fourth's portrait in the rock. Iruka looked upon it and wished with all his might he could erase that entire year out of existence and make everything how it had once been. Bring back all the dead and lost souls who had suffered so much. And hate, he hated that year, hated the demon fox, and most of all he hated Uzumaki Naruto. Everybody knew the boy and what he was, if not by sight then by word of mouth at the very least, and Iruka was one of the most outspoken of the Uzumaki haters in the village. But there was nothing to be done about it, the Third protected the boy and didn't let anyone even entertain the idea of seriously injuring him. That didn't mean Iruka thought less of the re-elected hokage, he just didn't agree with the old man in this particular area of debate.

 

"Ahh! Iruka, how good of you to be on time. Considering some people in this village it is a very appreciated talent." Iruka turned around to see the Third himself walking towards him. The Hokage didn't look any older from the young man's memories but then again it was very hard to look older then Sandaime already did. In his arms he held a small white parcel; two tiny fists and a black haired head poking out of a clean white wrap.

 

Iruka gave a respectful bow to his superior. "Thank you for the compliment and I'm sorry to here about your daughter sir."

 

"No, no. Apologies aren't needed. It can't be helped after all, she missed him so much." Iruka flinched, he had actually been expecting the summons. He was, as mentioned before, a very outspoken Uzumaki hater. Outspoken enough to start a mob marching towards the Hokage tower to see the child executed, of course he had not intended it to turn as ugly as it did. When the crowd started becoming too violent the Shinobi interfered trying to calm them down and send them off. Things had quickly escalated into a full out riot and once again people had died. One of the shinobi to have lost his life in it was the hokage's son-in-law, the daughter and wife dieing of a broken heart during child birth without ever seeing her son soon after. The third could easily take Iruka's leaf protector and even exile him from the village as revenge, there was enough evidence going against him.

 

"Now then," the old man spoke up in a far more authoritative and business like voice, "I'm sure you are aware that I have to get a new guardian for Uzumaki, every couple of weeks. There seems to be a woeful lack of proficient shinobi with either the time or patience to care for a young child." Iruka could only nod mutely in response.

 

"Well recently I have found that there is no one among the civilians at all willing to watch over him, so that course is not an option either, and the child can't very well be left alone." Iruka would've liked to disagree on that. The child could be left alone for all he cared. Somewhere in the forest in the middle of a pack of starving wolves preferably. But he knew better then to speak his mind right then.

 

"And so I have decided that, current situation being as it is with the rest of your team has already re-assigned to other positions and you finally off your probation, you shall watch over him for the next four weeks." Iruka gaped staring at the hokage for a while before being able to gather his wits.

 

"B...but sir-?"

 

"No 'buts' Iruka, this is a direct order. The boy is expecting you at his apartment tomorrow morning." The Third's eyes had taken on a cold and dangerous gleam, that vanished in the next second into the warmth and gentle smile of a loving grandparent. "I'm sure you'll do fine." He said before turning around and walking off, towards one of his secretaries that had appeared at the foot of the stairs calling for the third and waving some loose papers.

 

No...this couldn't be happening. Iruka stood there completely at a loss for words, his mind refusing to absorb and accept this news. The hokage was not punishing him, not directly in an official court. Instead he had stuck the poor chunin under the same roof with the creature he despised more then anything else in the world. Irrationally Iruka thought that somewhere in the village, behind the country's most powerful seal, a demon fox was laughing all of his nine tails off.

 

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Published on: Unknown

Updated on: June 28, 2007