Hello readers,
I'm trying a new approach with this particular fanfic. This fic took a lot out of me. :(
Had two books in front of me and about 3 websites open in front of me. Baah the research for this fic was painful!
But finally the first chapter took shape. I agree it's a little shaky. I don't have a clue how this fic can be executed, squeezing Naruto into the frame of the "fox and the hound" and historical events. Altogether I think this is over ambitious of me and so readers if you think this story is interesting enough please help the literally struggling writer in me pull this off by giving your comments and reviews.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and company! And I would like to add I am neither anti-Semitic nor anti-German. All I am writing came from accounts from historical events and interviews of people who were affected by the events. The people depicted in this story are a work of fiction though and not to be confused with real people. I too, have not been to Germany personally, so forgive me for any errors to places and names.
"National Socialist Germany wants peace because of its fundamental convictions. And it wants peace also owing to the realization of the simple primitive fact that no war would be likely essentially to alter the distress in Europe... The principal effect of every war is to destroy the flower of the nation... Germany needs peace and desires peace!"
Adolf Hitler - 21st May 1935
November of 1932
The shrill sound of the school bell woke me from my sweet slumber. I opened one sleep drawn eye to face a very irate homeroom teacher, one Mr. Iruka Umino.
"Naruto! If you continue to keep slacking off how will you ever be chancellor of Germany?" Mr. Umino chided tersely. "Your grades are deplorable and your behaviour unbecoming. Who will elect you?"
I merely mumbled blearily, "Mmm….will be chancellor…you just wait."
The class roared in laughter at the display of utter defiance. "Mr. Umino, how can Naruto be chancellor? He's a Jew!" Laughter followed this statement again.
"Children this is not the way to speak about your fellow classmate! We shouldn't judge a person based on his or her ethnic identity." Iruka sternly reprimanded and tried to quiet the class.
"But that's what Adolf Hitler said. All Jews are the problem!" A chorus of acknowledgement flooded the class.
"Then Hitler is WRONG!" I shouted furiously, forgetting my place.
The class grew deathly silent, I could tell they were about to lynch me. Of all the stupid things to say I just had to aggravate the crowd.
"Class, I think its time to leave don't you think," Mr. Umino offered. He really is a kind soul but I'm afraid he's going to get in trouble for protecting me one day.
"Jewish sympathizer, I bet he is part Jew himself," I heard someone mumble as they walked out of the classroom.
Only when Mr. Umino and I were alone in the class, did he finally sigh and turn to face me. "Naruto, you should know better then to say that. The Nazi party is becoming stronger and gaining more support everyday. He gives Germany hope after the Treaty of Versailles (1)."
"I know Mr. Umino. It's just that I find it hard to cope now. There are more and more people speaking ill about me and my family. When we go out and stuff, we get weird stares. My father says its nothing but it still makes me feel funny, like I have two heads or something."
Mr. Umino didn't say much, he just bent down to give me a hug. "I'm sorry Naruto, I can't say it will get better, but in any event, please don't give up on yourself. A twelve year old shouldn't worry about these things."
I could only nod in reply, I had little idea of how worried Mr. Umino was about me. I bid him farewell and left the classroom in a hurry, I had forgotten that I was suppose to go to my neighbour's place today. I stepped hastily out of the classroom only to be pulled aside roughly.
"Oh hello Sasuke," I smiled sheepishly.
"Dead last, I was waiting outside your homeroom for half an hour!" my best friend demanded.
"Sorry Sasuke, Mr. Umino kept me back," I laughed uncomfortably and rubbed the back of my head in a nervous gesture.
"Hurry lets go home! Our parents must be waiting," he said as he dragged me down the hall towards the courtyard where we kept our bicycles.
Our homes stood at the edge of the Berlin overlooking the river Spree. I met Sasuke at her banks one day when I snuck out of my house to go fishing by the river. It was warm and sunny and I fell asleep whilst waiting for the fish to bite and did not stir till it was sunset. I awoke to see a boy with the darkest coloured eyes staring right back down at me.
I must've had a fright for I fell into the river pulling the rather distraught boy into the river with me. He was so furious he forced me to accompany him home to explain to his parents why he looked like a drowned rat. That was actually how I found out he was my neighbour, and a rather unconventional way of making a friend I might add.
We stopped our bicycles outside of the Uchiha Manor that stood at the corner of the street and raced into the main hall. The annual community meeting had just started and the adults were engaged in a rather heated debate. My father was embroiled in the heart of the argument and was furiously defending his stand on the issue.
"The Nazi Party is poisoning the relations between the people. We shouldn't attribute the problems of the whole country on the backs on one people," my father declared, to the utmost resentment of the majority.
"The Nazi Party whom you treat with suspicion is promising Germany the glory of our forefathers. The fatherland will rise again with the leadership of the Nazi Party," Itachi, Sasuke's prominent older brother, counter-argued with great passion.
"People let us listen to reason. The Jewish community has always been part of us, we won't so easily write the Jews out of hundred years of existence. There is nothing to fear," Sasuke's father, the ardent pacifist, replied urging the crowd to settle down.
I felt a sharp tap on my shoulder and turned around quickly to investigate. All I saw was Sasuke with a finger on his lips and a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. Quietly, he beckoned me to the front door; it's just like Sasuke to skip any important meeting.
I followed him out of the main hall, like Alice followed the white rabbit out of reality and into a wonderland. He broke into a mad dash for the familiar secret spot by the river that only two of us know, daring me wordlessly to follow every single step of the way. The soft breeze that followed us egged us on, calling us to the Spree's embrace, until we collapse onto the soft grass and laughed, heaving breathlessly.
"Your father will kill you later for this, Sasuke!"
"Hn…"
"Arhh you were never the type to care anyway."
Sasuke sat up and stared out across the river watching the sunset over the crimson horizon. I turned on my side to watch the red sky cast a brilliant fiery hue onto Sasuke; he really looked breathtaking like that. Would we be able to sit like this side by side forever, I wonder?
"Sasuke?"
"Yeah dead last?"
"Don't call me that you bastard."
"Hnn…"
"Sasuke…do you think we'll be friends forever?"
He frowned in deep thought, as though he was calculating the probabilities and the possibilities. "Hmm… I'd say we'd have a high probability of that becoming reality?"
"Really?"
"We're neighbours, we see each other everyday. By the laws of proximity, we should continue to be friends for a long time," he stated matter of factly.
"But everyone says I'm different… I'm … I'm…"
"A Jew?"
"Yeah," I sighed and covered my eyes with my arm. "They hate me. I can tell, they say we're the cause of the pain of the entire Germany. Will you hate me too one day?"
"Don't be stupid, moron. I'll never hate you because of what you are." That he concluded, turning to look straight into my eyes. I could tell he was sincere and that meant a lot to me. I truly was happy that even if everyone hated me, at least I have Sasuke. I smiled brightly at him and was about to thank him, however the sound of our parents calling for their respective sons, brought us back to the reality that we were in trouble.
"Dead last! Meet here again tomorrow," Sasuke called over his shoulder as we ran back to our homes to face our punishment…
End of Chapter.
1) The terms of the Treaty of Versailles imposed upon Germany at the end World War I sowed the seeds of World War 2 by stripping Germany of territory and requiring her to pay huge reparations to the victorious powers. The demands in Germany for vengeance were given added stimulus when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party came to power in January 1933.
A/N: took me three days to write this and even longer to plan. I thought this story felt amatuerish, but my friend told me that its only the first chapter and therefore too early too tell. Please leave a review to help the struggling newbie continue to write this story and if you want please give some ideas.