DISCLAIMER…or whatever: um, yeah…if I owned Naruto, I would say screw college and just do nothing but Naruto all day long…snicker

SPIOLERS: If you don't know who Obito is, then this might spoil something for you…but since its AU, I'm not really concerned about that.

NOTE: In this story, Obito is alive and Kakashi is dead. Sorry no KakaIru. Perhaps some angst? I don't know, I'm just writing this as a side thing between ridiculously long chapters of another yummy fic (yet to be posted).

First posted fic…be gentile with me I'm fragile. Doe eyes

Who wants NaruSasu? I know I do, but I will let the people decide…..maybe….evil grin

WARNINGS: Language and violence…nothing too naughty...yet. Um….spoilers….Hmmm….ugh….don't think so….oh well….

Enough of my idiot babbling…on with the friggin' story!

If It Went This Way…

Konoha was peaceful. Just like yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that. It had been this way for more than twelve years now. The people now expected it to always be this way. They'd grown fat and self-righteous in their security. They'd all become victims of a charmed, idealistic, life. They'd become victims of the peace.

No one had even questioned the stranger as he made his way through the bustling streets of the marketplace. No one cared about the bundle he carried under his arm. It had been easy enough for him to slip through the gates undetected, he wondered if it would be more difficult to penetrate the Hokage's defenses. He hoped it would. Then he could believe there was still hope for this village.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, you asshole!" The stranger tuned at the voice. A young boy was yelling and shaking his fist at an older looking man.

"What the hell did you just call me you little beast?" The old man rushed up to the boy and got in his face. He then grabbed the shouting kid by the front of his shirt and lifted him off his feet.

"I said YOU'RE AN ASS HOLE!" The kid's face showed no fear whatsoever. The man dropped the kid and pushed him into a wall, knocking the wind out of him. He punched the kid in his stomach and stepped back as the boy slumped forward to his knees. "Filthy bastard!" The boy choked. "You just wait!" He gritted his teeth against the pain in his gut and tried to stand.

"You hear that? This kid doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut!" The old bastard was laughing to his friends.

"Maybe we should teach him?" The man's friend grabbed the boy by his throat and shoved him back to the pavement.

"Yeah! We should!" The other called out as he cracked his knuckles.

"Yeah. You hear that kid? You're gunna get some free schoolin'!" The man grabbed the boy by his hair and yanked him back to his feet. The boy protested, only to be punched in the face by one of the man's friends.

Of all the villagers in the market that day, only one of them could even be bothered to turn and take notice as three grown men carried a screaming child into an alleyway. They didn't even care. They all knew that kid. He was trouble. It served him right. Demon.

The stranger made his way through the crowd to the opposite side of the street, cursing silently about the villager's apathy and complete disregard for one of their own, and a child no less. It seemed that this village had deteriorated to the point where they couldn't even be held to the wishes of the man who had provided them with the peace they so adored. He'd have to teach them a lesson on respect for the dead.

"Hahaha! Come on Monster! It's more fun when you fight back!" The boy felt the man's fist before he could even regain his footing. He cursed himself for being so weak.

One of the men picked him up and threw him towards the other two. They each grabbed an arm and held him up so the other one could continue to hit him without him falling down. The two that were holding him laughed as their friend beat the boy senseless.

The boy's eyes had started to sting from the blood that was now running freely into them. His vision started to darken and blur. He heard a terrible ringing in his ears from the blows to his head. He was terrified of passing out. There was no telling what these men would do to him if he passed out. Would they actually kill him? Did they hate him that much? He noticed that something had caused the man to stop hitting him.

"Mind your own affairs sir! There's nothing that concerns you here." Someone had apparently interrupted his beating.

"You must really fear that boy to be attacking him a group like that." The boy didn't recognize the voice, but he was glad that whoever it was had shown up though.

"This kid is a demon! A monster! He deserves to be punished!"

"Is that so? I see a child. If he were truly a demon, wouldn't he be the one attacking you instead of the other way around?" There was a pause. "Why don't you let me show you how a real demon behaves?" There was a noise. One of the men screamed. The hands that held him up suddenly fell slack and he dropped to his knees. He lay there panting and trying to regain his focus. He could hear the sounds of flesh connecting with flesh, flesh connecting with stone, and flesh connecting with dirt. Not being able to turn and witness the actions, he cheered inwardly for his mysterious hero, even though he was mad that he even needed to be saved in the first place.

Silence fell. The boy managed to crawl over to building and prop him self up against the wall in a sitting position. He wiped at his eyes with the front of his shirt and rested his head against the cold bricks. He sighed and closed his eyes, wondering if the people of this godforsaken village would ever accept him. Why did they have to be so cruel?

"Here."

The boy's eyes slid open. The man who stood before him seemed to be a ghost wrapped in shadows. His skin was pale, but his eyes were as black as pitch. He was clad in black and his spiky black hair was pushed away from his face by a pair of round, black goggles. The boy's line of sight trailed down the figure standing before him until his eyes fell on the object in the man's hand. A dripping rag was being offered to him. He took it and washed the blood from his face and neck. It was cold. It felt good against his battered skin. The stranger knelt down next to him.

"Thanks mister…for the rag." The kid tossed the bloodied rag back to the stranger who caught it without even thinking.

"Does this happen to you often?"

"Nah. Not really. Mostly people just ignore me. It's not like I couldn't fight them back, you know, but it would just get worse. They'd hate me more. Plus, in a couple of days, I'm gunna be full fledged ninja! I can't just go around fighting with civilians. I'm supposed to protect them!" The kids face was twisted into a faint but pained smile, and he had a peculiar look in his eyes

The stranger smiled back in spite of himself at the child's words. He was about to offer to heal the boy's injuries for him, but he noticed that the boy apparently didn't need his help. The visible scrapes and cuts on his skin were already beginning to heal themselves.

"So are you really the demon they claimed you were?"

"Maybe." The boy met the stranger's dark eyes. "Are you really the demon you claim to be?"

"Most definitely." With that, the stranger stood and nodded to the boy. "Since you are no longer in need of my assistance, I'll be on my way." He turned, picked up the bundle he'd left laying at the mouth of the alley, and went about his business, leaving the boy to his own devices once again.

The boy simply sat there and watched the man go. He thought that had to be the coolest grown up he'd ever seen. He was way cooler than that stupid old man Hokage! He wondered what made the man want to help him. He quickly got to his feet and ran out into the crowds of market place, scanning franticly for the dark stranger. He spotted him not very far off and shoved his way through the crowd to catch him.

"Hey! Hey mister! Wait up!" The man turned and saw the boy struggling to catch up with him. He stepped out of the way of the passing carts and carriages and waited for the kid. He appeared to have recovered almost fully by then. That was impressive. "Hey…I was just wondering, um…why'd you help me back there? I mean, no one else ever has, so why?"

"You said you were going to become a Shinobi of the Leaf did you not?"

"Yeah?"

"All Leaf Shinobi are comrades. One must never abandon his precious comrades when they are in need." The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded bandana with a silver plate attached to it. The plate was engraved with the mark of the Leaf. It was the symbol of his ninja affiliation. The boy wondered why the man didn't wear it proudly like all the other ninjas in the village did. The stranger slipped it back into his pocket and nodded his farewell. He then turned and ducked behind a crowd of people who were passing, and vanished from the boy's sight.

The boy stood transfixed in the direction that the mysterious stranger had disappeared from. That was definitely the coolest guy he'd ever met. The coolest NINJA he'd ever met! His thoughts drifted back over their brief encounter. He hoped that he'd get a chance to meet that man again. He wanted to know who he was. He was shaken from his day dream when a hand grabbed his shoulder. He jerked himself free and spun around on reflex; a part of him expecting to see one of the three guys who had just kicked his ass. His eyes met with someone he never would have expected.

"What the hell do YOU want?" He was annoyed about being bothered when he was busy daydreaming.

"Dead Last, who was that man you were just talking to?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Who was it?"

"Just a guy! I don't know. Damn. What's your problem?" The other boy was staring at the blood smeared across the front of his shirt and caked in his blonde hair.

"What happened to you?"

"Why the hell do you care? Uchiha Bastard. Not like you give a shit about anyone else but yourself anyway! You're annoying! Go away!"

"Tch. Loser." With that, the other boy shoved him out of his way and ran off in the direction that the stranger had apparently gone in.

The blonde watched the other boy's retreating back. He focused on the red and white fan on his shirt, the emblem of the Uchiha clan. He vaguely thought about how he used to see a lot of people with that emblem on their clothes, but not so much anymore… actually, not at all anymore. He shook away the thought. "What the heck was that all about? Stupid bastard. Always has to be better than everyone else. Hmph!"

THIS IS THE END IF CHAPTER ONE! YAY. Yeah, I know there ain't much going on yet, but there will be! And soon! Keep reading! And don't forget to review. I just LUUUUUUUUV getting reviews!