The Yellow Maelstrom

Summary

Shortly after failing the graduation exam, Naruto steals the forbidden scroll and finds a scroll addressed to him inside. Armed with it, he will strive to become the best as his heritage is revealed to him and he rocks the Shinobi world as a force to be reckoned with.

Hi all,

This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction although I've been reading them for almost a year now. Decided to try my hand at writing one. Let me know what you all think.

Remember, I don't own Naruto.

"Normal Speech"

"Thoughts"

"Kyuubi Influenced Naruto or Kyuubi"

"Kyuubi Thoughts"

Jutsus being used

Chapter 1 – Revelations

He was tired and sweaty, but he had done it! He had stolen the Forbidden scroll of seals from the Hokage tower and had learned one of the techniques in it like his teacher Mizuki had told him. He had just failed his genin exam for the third consecutive time and was very downcast. His Sensei Mizuki had told him of the alternate exam. That's why he was now here. Practicing the Kage Bunshin Technique, and he had just got it right. To say that Naruto Uzumaki was excited would be an understatement.

Naruto sat down for a quick breather before looking at the scroll again.

"Um, let's see. I've got the Kage Bunshin no jutsu down. Hmm… next Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Kunai Kage Bunshin No Jutsu, Bunshin Bakuha. I'll copy these down to learn later," He thought with a large grin plastered on his face. He quickly reached into his Hideous orange jacket and pulled out an empty scroll with ink and brush. 'the benefits of being a prankster' he thought.

After copying down the three techniques, he quickly skimmed through the next part of the scroll and saw something that would forever change his life, though he didn't know it at the moment. Right there on the scroll was his name written "To Naruto Uzumaki".

Curious as to what it was, he studied it for a bit and noticed that it was a blood seal. Now many would have thought that he would not have such advanced knowledge, but he knew this because the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, usually delivered his monthly allowance to him in such scrolls. Therefore identifying one was a menial task for him. He quickly nicked his thumb with a kunai from his equipment pouch and smeared the blood over the seal while pouring chakra into the scroll. Immediately, another scroll appeared.

He was curious about it but put it into his pocket for later along with the scroll containing the copies of the shadow techniques.

As he stood up beginning to wonder weather or not his sensei would show up, he heard someone enter the clearing, huffing from having run a long distance.

"You!" said an angry voice from behind him. He quickly turned around and smiled when he saw his academy teacher Iruka Umino.

"Heh, hey Iruka-Sensei, I found you." Said Naruto.

"Baka, I found YOU!" Shouted the teacher.

"I only managed to learn one of the techniques on the scroll but you'll have to pass me for sure!" grinned an enthusiastic Naruto while pumping his fist into the air.

Now this confused Iruka as he pondered 'he's been training, no wonder he's so exhausted. But what's he talking about graduating…..'

"Mizuki sensei told me about the alternate graduation exam," continued Naruto eagerly, "he said if I learnt a technique from the scroll I'd pass for sure".

" Naruto.." began Iruka, but he was quickly cut off by the sound of six kunai heading towards him. He quickly turned around but was so shocked to see who the attacker was that he took the weapons head on.

He stifled a gasp. "Mizuki" he breathed out venomously. "Why?"

Mizuki simply snorted and said, "I see you found the gaki for me. Congratulations, you just signed your death warrant along with the demon gaki over there."

Naruto could not believe what he was hearing. The teacher who was always smiling at him wanted to kill him! He started to panic and almost broke down until he heard the voice of Iruka telling him

"get away from here Naruto, just don't let Mizuki get his hands on the scroll, he's using you to get it for himself."

Naruto was shocked, but made to get up and run. Before he could make but 5 steps, Mizuki took six shuriken from his equipment pouch and flung them at Naruto at an incredible speed.

Iruka saw the attack and tried his best to remove Naruto from its path but in so doing ended up with three of the weapons in his chest and shoulder while the others missed and lodged themselves into a nearby tree.

"Why do you protect him?" sneered an angry Mizuki, "after all the things that this demon did you still stand by his side? Why do you protect a demon that killed hundreds of innocent people?"

"Stop it Mizuki!" exclaimed Iruka, "You know we're not supposed to speak of this. It forbidden for a reason!" stated Iruka. He tried to stop Mizuki from telling Naruto about the Kyuubi sealed inside of him.

Mizuki however had no intention of stopping and continued on. For years he had wanted nothing more than to wring Naruto's neck or stick a kunai in his throat. Now that he got his chance, he definitely wasn't going to pass it up.

"Naruto, do you know why everybody hates you, why everybody treats you so bad like you did something, why nobody wants to be your friend? Off course you don't know it's an S class secret after all. Listen well you little demon, twelve years ago the Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi instead he sealed it into a baby. And do you know who that baby was? Can you take a guess or are you too dumb to figure it out?"

Naruto stood shell-shocked. All the things that he had once thought were a coincidence were now being explained. No wonder he always suffered the worst beatings on his birthday, October tenth, which was coincidentally the day the Kyuubi was "killed". No wonder all of the parents told their children to stay away from him and he was always alone. The Kyuubi was sealed inside of him. He was broken from his musings when he heard his other teacher shout out

"Please Mizuki, stop it". But the cry fell on deaf ears as he continued on. "You were the one chosen to contain the Kyuubi, you are the Nine Tailed Demon Fox!

'No' thought Naruto 'am I really the Kyuubi. If that's the case then maybe I should just die'

Mizuki, seeing his chance took a fuma shuriken from his back and flung it full force towards the paralyzed Naruto while screaming out "dieeeeeeeee".

"Nooo" shouted Iruka as he pushed as much chakra as he dared into his legs and was a blur as he sped towards Naruto.

The next few moments looked like a blur to naruto as he looked up after feeling a warm liquid fall on his face. "W-why-y?" he stuttered out. "Why did you protect me?" Naruto was at a loss for words. He knew that Iruka cared for him as a student, but to go to such lengths was unimaginable to him. Having never been shown such compassion

"I protected you because you're precious to me." He said. "You and I are a lot alike naruto. We're both orphans, and pranksters at heart. We both grew up alone and ended up seeking attention in the wrong way. If only I'd seen it; how much you were hurt. Growing up alone, I could've helped you more because I've been in your situation. But I didn't and I'm sorry Naruto. From now on I swear to protect you Naruto, to help you as much as I can. Now, get out of here, run as fast as you can towards Hokage-sama and explain everything to him."

"Hai, Iruka-sensei," said Naruto with tears threatening to fall from his eyes, "Arigatou, for accepting me."

With that said, he shot forward in a sprint towards the Hokage tower.

"Now look what you've done." Said Mizuki. "Now I'm gonna have to search for him and kill you afterwards" he laughed.

'Naruto' was running through the trees when suddenly 'Iruka' appeared behind him saying "Naruto, hand me the scroll before Mizuki catches up to you."

'Naruto' promptly turned around and head butted 'Iruka' as they both fell to the forest floor.

"How'd you know that I'm not Iruka?" asked Mizuki as the Henge that he had slipped away.

"Because I'm Iruka" he replied as the henged Naruto turned to Iruka.

"Heh, why to you protect that demon Iruka?" asked Mizuki. "You know that it killed a whole lot of people 12 years ago. It even killed your parents Iruka! Don't you hate that stupid fox for killing your parents and leaving you homeless?"

"You're right" replied Iruka, "I Hate the fox for doing that"

A small ways away behind a tree, Naruto immediately broke down with his shoulders slumped. 'To think that I thought that he actually cared for me' thought Naruto. But hearing the next few words that were spoken by Iruka immediately changed his mindset.

"I hate the fox sealed inside of Naruto, but I can never hate him! He may not be the brightest student, and he may be clumsy and pull pranks but he's one of my precious people and one of the future Hokages of Konohagure no Sato. He's Naruto Uzumaki. Believe it!"

"Whatever Iruka," said Mizuki. "I was saving you for after I killed the demon brat but I'm gonna be finishing you off first."

With that, he quickly removed a giant shuriken from his backpack and flung it full speed towards Iruka.

'So this is how I die' thought Iruka 'I'm sorry Naruto, I couldn't protect you.'

Naruto, who had been looking on all the time, was amazed by the words that his teacher had spoken. And after hearing such a confession from his teacher would die before he let him go so easily. Mustering as much strength as he could, he flew through the air and kicked the shuriken out of the air. When he landed, he stayed in a crouched position with his blonde hair overshadowing his face.

He then said "If you lay even one finger on Iruka-Sensei, I'll Kill You"

Mizuki simply laughed out loud and said "You and what army punk!"

Here was the dead-last of the academy threatening a Chuunin with death. The very thought was laughable at best. It was downright hilarious to him. While being caught up in his own musings, he failed to notice the faint outline of chakra that began to seep out of Naruto while he prepared himself for his jutsu. He still continued to taunt Naruto by saying,

"Tell you what, I'll give you a chance before I kill you."

Naruto, not wasting anytime time said "whatever you dish out, I'll send it back at you a thousand times harder. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Numerous puffs of smoke later, a sea of orange was the only thing that could describe the scene before the two academy teachers.

Both stood with their eyes bulging out of their sockets as they gazed upon the technique performed by Naruto. Never in their lives would they have expected the dead-last of the academy to be able to perform a B-ranked Kinjutsu in the span of mere hours let alone master it to such an extent! Here was the same person who couldn't even create a Bunshin even if his life depended on it mastering a Kinjutsu.

Mizuki was in an entranced state, he couldn't believe his eyes! So Naruto merely took advantage of the situation and shouted to all of the clones

"CHARGE".

Before long, all that was left of Mizuki was a bloody pulp for his body. Naruto, while grinning like an idiot rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and said

"Ne, Iruka-sensei, do you think I went a little overboard?"

Iruka having had little time to process all that he had seen immediately perked up and just smiled at his favourite student. Here he thought that Naruto was a slow learner and would probably have to repeat the academy another year, but it seemed that he earned the right to be called a genin and he would be sure to honor what Mizuki had told Naruto, even if it was with evil intentions.

"Come over here Naruto" he said.

"Heh" laughed Naruto when he arrived.

"Close your eyes Naruto."

Naruto did as asked and closed his eyes and was about to ask what was the matter till he felt cold metal against his forehead and hearing his teacher say

"You can open them now."

"What…"

he began saying kinda confused until he saw that his teachers forehead was bare, the exact place where his Hiate-ate used to be. He gasped.

"Congratulations on passing Naruto, I expect great things from you" said the Chuunin.

He almost didn't have time to complete his statement before he was enveloped in a bone crushing hug from Naruto with a cry of

"Iruka-sensei!"

"Omph" stifled Iruka as Naruto literally crushed him. "Easy there, we've got to get to the hospital and get this looked over ok"

."Sure thing Sensei" replied Naruto enthusiastically.

And so the two began their slow trek back to the village proper, both wearing identical smiles on their faces while dragging an unconscious Mizuki and the forbidden scroll behind them.

Unknown to Naruto and Iruka, a deep rumbling was currently sounding in his head saying "It is time".

And that's all folks.

Please read and review.