Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mended Hearts ((Revised)) ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, but I don't.

 

Summary: AU Naruto hides many secrets from Konohagakure no Sato. As time continues, Naruto's precious people learn the hard way that many secrets are best left untouched, and that Naruto is not at all what they believed.

 

New Summary: AU Beginning and ending with his name, Naruto's past is veiled in mystery. Even as Kakashi teaches him the meaning of affection and love, Naruto's secrets come into the open, and it falls to Naruto's precious people to protect and support him as his father's name and legacy threatens to crush him and destroy the Hidden Village of the Leaf.

 

5/28/2008: Greetings! This is SanadaSayuri, back from the grave! As many of you many have previously noticed, the older version of Mended Hearts has been taken down. While I'm waiting for inspiration to strike from my muses, I decided to fix up Mended Hearts! Well, then. Here is the new and improved Prologue! I will be updating this story once a week, so please look forward to it.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Prologue~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Fear…

 

The scent of his prey's fear was thick in the air, clogging his throat and leaving an oily aftertaste on his tongue.

 

Fear…

 

Anger…

 

Desperation…

 

All were emotions the Hunter was accustomed to sensing, one that he had lived intimately with for many years.

 

His ears twitched as he caught the sounds of harried breathing and the rustling of leaves. He could hear the faint rustling of cloth and the scraping of sandals against bark, and the sound of small twigs breaking, and the nearly inaudible clinking of weapons and money stored in clothing.

 

He flicked a wrist, launching a shuriken in the direction of the sound. There was a soft thunk of metal impacting wood. He lifted his head and sniffed lightly at the air, stifling a sneeze as the scent of warm copper filled his nose.

 

Blood…

 

His prey had gotten careless, and had been injured.

 

He paused at the sight of something dark and wet glistening on the leaves.

 

A gloved hand plucked the leaf from the branch, bringing it to his eyes, hidden behind the white porcelain mask.

 

He recognized the coppery smell…

 

Blood…

 

His prey's blood, most likely.

 

How careless to leave a blood trail… a voice murmured in the deep recesses of his mind.

 

Distantly, he acknowledged the thought, and dropped the leaf and leapt from the branch on which he stood. He had a prey to catch…

 

He could see his prey now, a shadowy figure darting through the moonlight dappled trees.

 

The Hunter increased his pace, gently sliding one of the two kodachi strapped crosswise across his back from its sheath.

 

There was a blur of movement, and the corpse of his prey fell to the ground, headless. He stood on the tree branch, looking down on the headless corpse, his hand gripping the severed head by the hair as blood dripped from the tip of the kodachi onto the leaf strewn ground below. He vanished in a swirl of leaves and reappeared on the ground and tossed the head onto the corpse.

 

Efficiently, he cleaned his blade with a fistful of grass and leaves before sheathing it. Swiftly, he performed several hand seals and summoned several large carrion birds that converged on the corpse, feasting on fresh meat.

 

Minutes later, the patch of forest was empty, and the blood soaked ground was the only sign that the corpse had been there at all.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The Hunter slipped through the forest silently, a shadow flitting from one shadow to another. The walls of the village loomed ahead of him, and with a slight ripple of chakra, he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

 

He reappeared on the roof of a random building just inside the village wall, and he flitted through the shadows of the village and slipped unseen and unheard through the open window of his apartment. In silver light of the moon in the center of the sparsely furnished living room, he removed his weapons, placing his swords and chakrams lightly on the glass table beside his kunai and shuriken pouches.

 

Slowly, he removed the white porcelain mask to reveal a face mask which covered his lower face and large and expressive cerulean eyes.

 

Silently, he vanished into his bedroom, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Naruto leaned apathetically against the railing of the bridge that Team 7 normally met on, wordlessly reflecting on the mission the night before as he stared sightlessly out over the water. Sasuke and Sakura had yet to arrive, and there was no doubt in the blonde's mind that Kakashi would be late once again. The blonde sighed. What would father say if he knew that his son at seven had began training as a Hunter, as a murderer? Naruto wondered, for the thousandth time since he had taken up the position of Zeiguwa.

 

---“Do you think father would be proud of me for walking this path?” a seven year old Naruto asked, looking up at the calm face of the Sandaime through the slits in the mask.

 

The Sandaime glanced at the child. “Yes, Naruto,” the Hokage said softly, “Your father would be very proud of you. Very few children can reach your level of proficiency in the ninja arts as quickly as you have. And fewer still can bear as heavy a burden and destiny as that which is on your shoulders for as long as you have.”

 

The child smiled up at the Hokage, although it could not be seen behind the mask.

 

“Then I will fight. Not only for this village, which father died to protect, but for my own precious people, few in number they may be!”

 

The Sandaime's smile was sad. “I am glad to hear that, Naruto. Fight for your precious people, and you will be strong that way.”---

 

Naruto felt two familiar chakras approach, and he plastered on his happy go lucky smile.

 

“Ohayo Sakura-chan!!! Sasuke bastard!!!” he yelled, turning.

 

Sasuke merely grunted while Sakura shrieked, “Don't insult Sasuke, you idiot!”

 

Naruto fixed his features into a sad pout before allowing it to slide beneath an energetic smile as he yelled, “Oi, Sasuke bastard! Fight me!”

 

And so it continued, even as he picked a fight with the surviving Uchiha and dodged angry punches from Sakura, at least until Sakura's attack connected.

 

“Yo!” Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke an hour later. Right in time to see Naruto hit the ground, twitching. A sweatdrop appeared on the back of the silver haired jonin's head.

 

You'd think that after three years on the same team, Naruto would stop giving Sakura a reason to hit him, he thought bemusedly.

 

“You're late!” Sakura yelled.

 

“You see,” Kakashi said, “I got lost on the road of life.”

 

“Liar!” Sakura yelled, immediately followed by a groan of pain as Naruto levered his body out of the imprint in the ground.

 

“Damn woman,” he growled, “Do you really have to hit me that hard?”

 

“What did you say!?” Sakura screamed.

 

Fighting against and beside Konoha's ANBU is usually a test of skill, Naruto thought absently as he ran from Sakura's fury, but a lesson or a mission with Team 7 is usually a test of patience.

 

Kakashi's sole visible eye curved in a smile. Going on missions with Zeiguwa-sama is usually a test of skill, but training or a mission with Team 7 is a lesson in patience and self restraint, he thought amusedly.

 

“So what are we doing today?” Naruto asked.

 

“Well,” Kakashi said, “We have a mission to…. Find the Fire Lord's wife's cat!”

 

“WHAT!!!” Sakura yelled.

 

“Not that cat again!” Naruto groaned.

 

Sasuke grunted in agreement.

 

Three hours and five sets of claw and tooth marks later, Team 7 returned the cat to the Fire Lord's Wife, and the three genins were dismissed.

 

“Finally!” Naruto yelled, as he took off.

 

He still had to hand in his report to the Hokage, he remembered, a report he had yet to write. And he had yet to polish his chakrams and his swords, he realized with a guilty wince. His favored weapons had served him well over the years, and he had neglected them for almost a year since he had brought Sasuke back from the Hidden Sound Village.

 

That simply won't do, he thought.

 

Once safely ensconced in his apartment, he stripped off his orange jacket, and tossed it on the couch. He picked up his mask and carefully cleaned off the dried blood before placing it on the counter separating the kitchen from the living room. He spread out a scroll and stylus on the low wooden table in the center of the room, and wordlessly, he knelt down on the cushions and began to write out his report. When he finished, Naruto put away the stylus and left the scroll spread out on the table so the ink would dry.

 

He picked up his chakrams and kodachi as well as a bottle of oil and a soft cloth and sat down on the stool next to the counter and inspected the chakrams and swords for nicks and scratches. He nodded in satisfaction when he found none, and began to polish his weapons. The movement was hypnotic and almost ritualistic, and the blonde allowed his thoughts to wander…

 

---“Hokage-sama,” a nine year old Naruto said, looking up at the older man through the eye slits of his mask as they left the Hokage's office together.

 

“Yes, Naruto?” Sandaime said, looking affectionately down at the boy.

 

“I do not think the Katana or the kodachi is very suitable for me as a Hunter's weapon,” Naruto said firmly. “I am simply too small to use them effectively at this time. Perhaps in the near future they will be a good choice, but for now, I think a different weapon would be more suitable.”

 

Sarutobi studied the young boy sadly, remembering a time when the boy had been a loudmouthed brat, one whose innocent hands had been stained by the red of paint instead of the red of blood. He compared the calculating blue eyes of the mature boy in front of him with the expressive and sparkling cerulean of the child Naruto had once been.

 

“Which weapon do you have in mind?” he asked.

 

“I'm not sure at the moment,” the boy answered, “Something short range and can double for a ranged weapon would be most likely. We may find out after a visit to the weaponry shop.”

 

The Sandaime nodded and he led the way to a weapons shop…---

 

He carefully sheathed his swords and carefully set them on the counter before polishing his chakrams. The thin metal disks were his favorite weapons, and to be able to use them to their full potential meant that one had to excel at taijutsu. A wry smile crossed his lips, one that didn't reach his blue eyes, as his hands moved through the rhythmic task of polishing the deadly disks.

 

He had gone to Maito Gai for training in order to gain mastery over the use of the chakrams, and the six months in which Maito Gai had fixed his sloppy stances and drilled the proper usage of the chakrams into his head had been among the most grueling in his admittedly short life. The time before he had become a Hunter, when he had stuffed all the information he could find about ninjutsu and self trained in taijutsu and the use of the kunai and shuriken until he was exhausted did not count. He finished polishing his weapons and laid them on the counter, taking care that they did not scrape. He stood up and walked over to the table, picked up the scroll, and began to roll it up.

 

Naruto laid the rolled up scroll on the table before returning to his bedroom. He paused and winced at the sight of the dirty and stained uniforms scattered here and there in the room. It seemed he would have to make time to do his laundry today. He sighed as he put on his uniform before stepping out of the bedroom and pulling on his boots. He strapped the shuriken and kunai holders to his thighs, and hung his daggers on his belt and attached his chakrams to the loops on the back of his Hunter vest. He strapped the kodachi to the harness, crossing them over his back to provide for easier access, and for the additional protection the metal sheaths provided.

 

He slipped on his mask and picked up the scroll, then slipped unseen out of his window and stood for a moment on the roof of the apartment building, his masked faced turned up toward the sky, relishing the feeling of the sun and wind in his hair and on what bare skin the hunter uniform did not cover. Briefly, he wished that he could stop to enjoy the day without being the Hunter or the loudmouthed brat his peers saw on a daily basis, before he vanished in a puff of smoke.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He reappeared on the roof of the Hokage Tower and leapt off. With a soft feline grace, he twisted in the air and slipped through an open window. The Hokage Tower was always bustling with activity, no matter what day it was, for ninja were tools, and tools did not get holidays, and there were always missions to be handed out. Naruto channeled chakra to his feet and attached himself to the ceiling, quickly making his way to the Hokage's office. Once past the sixth floor, the crowds began to thin, and by the eighth floor, the halls were completely empty. He dropped from the ceiling and landed soundlessly on the polished wood floor. Naruto rose from his crouch and calmly made his way toward the tenth floor where the Hokage's office was nestled.

 

The ANBU standing guard inclined their heads as a gesture of respect as he entered the receiving room.

 

“Konnichiwa, Zeiguwa-sama,” the secretary said, smiling, warm hazel eyes sparkling.

 

“Sakamoto-san,” Naruto said, allowing a hint of affection to lace his voice.

 

From his earliest years, Sakamoto Sayuri had been one of the few civilian villagers who did not see him as the Kyuubi, even going so far as to buy him clothes and food, or to comfort him when he had a nightmare, or to take him out to eat. Over time, many of them had either mysteriously disappeared or abandoned him, unable to withstand the hatred, while others ignored him when the villagers got violent and snuck him aid later that night. Sayuri, however, was one of the few during his childhood years, besides two unknown ANBU, Iruka and the Sandaime, who took the threats and attacks head on with good grace, and never abandoned him and openly helped him. For that, Naruto held her in high esteem, and he trusted her implicitly, more so than he did Iruka (difficult though it was for him to admit it), who had been his teacher, brother, and friend since his academy years (for even now, Iruka continued to help him, to have faith in him and worry about him though Naruto was no longer his student and ward).

 

“The Hokage is expecting you,” Sayuri said, as her eyes gave a different message.

 

I'm glad you're safe.

 

Naruto nodded and passed her desk wordlessly. Behind him, Sayuri smiled, he had gotten his message across.

 

I am here.

 

He paused in front of the heavy oak door and knocked, although it was not necessary. He had made no attempt to mask his chakra as he crossed the receiving room, and he did not doubt that the Hokage had already known of his arrival.

 

“Come in!” Tsunade's voice was muffled by the heavy door.

 

Naruto entered, ignoring the tightening sensation in his chest and focusing his eyes on the woman in front of him. No matter how many times he entered the office, the difference in the presence and material possessions inside always made him…

 

No! Concentrate on the present! Don't get distracted!

 

“Hokage-sama,” his voice, muffled by the mask, was steady and inflectionless, and he radiated authority and danger.

 

“Good afternoon, Zeiguwa,” Tsunade said. “I trust that you are well?”

 

“Aa,” he replied. He placed the scroll on the desk. “My report.”

 

Tsunade opened the scroll as Naruto recited the happenings of the previous night in a methodical monotone. Silence fell when he finished his report. Tsunade sighed and put the scroll to the side and studied him with sharp eyes, taking in the stained and dirty uniform and the seemingly relaxed posture that placed the gloved hands in a favorable position to quickly reach his weapons, and the lithe and powerful muscles that were coiled and tense, ready to spring at the enemy with the feline grace that had gained the Hunter his name.

 

“Thank you,” Tsunade said finally.

 

Naruto nodded and made his way over to the window.

 

“Naruto,” Tsunade said, stopping him in his tracks.

 

Naruto turned and fixed calculating cerulean eyes on her, making the Godaime shiver at the vast difference between the Hunter in front of her and the boisterous boy who had convinced her to return to the village a mere three years ago.

 

“Are you sure you're alright?”

 

“I'm fine.” Naruto's eyes softened slightly behind his mask, and his chakra lost some of its edge, and his lips shifted into an unseen smile. “Just a little tired. It was a long night.”

 

Tsunade relaxed and nodded, and with a slight gesture of her hand, dismissed him. Naruto gave the Hokage a quick nod and vanished out the window. He sensed Mizuhebi the Water Snake enter the office, as he leapt away across the rooftops. He winced as he heard Tsunade's startled yell.

 

“Why can't you people just use the goddamn door!?”

 

Several ANBU on their way to the Hokage Tower to hand in their mission reports flinched at the sight of the most elusive of the Hunters wincing at the sound of the Godaime's voice. If even Zeiguwa, who was mostly immune to the Hokage's destructive temper was afraid, then the Godaime was having a very bad day…

 

We're doomed…. Was the ANBU's collective thought.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A/N: Well, there is the new prologue. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review and tell me what you think of it. I look forward to hearing from you all.

 

SanadaSayuri

 

SanadaSayuri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CSA Version 7 Mended Hearts What Are You Hiding?