Chapter 1: What is Nothing

wesst1 does not own Naruto. Much of what is contained in this fic can be verified on Wikipedia and the Naruto Wiki.

" blah" Speech

blah thoughts

Blah Biju/ Inner Sakura

Mu- 1 Nonexistence; nonbeing; not having; a lack of, without. 2 A negative. 3 Caused to be nonexistent. 4 Impossible; lacking reason or cause. 5 Pure human awareness, prior to experience or knowledge.

It was a day like any other at the Konoha Ninja Academy, Umino Iruka was giving a lesson on ninjutsu and chakra and when these topics are discussed one question is never far from the students' minds.

"Sensei," asked his pink-haired student, Haruno Sakura, "how do ninja use elemental jutsu?"

"Excellent question Sakura, does anyone know the answer?" Iruka questioned.

"Nature Transformation is an advanced form of chakra control. It entails the molding and defining of one's chakra into an innate type of chakra nature, altering its properties and characteristics. Nature transformation is one of two necessary techniques for creating a technique, its counterpart being shape transformation," stated the ever brooding Uchiha Sasuke.

"Correct," stated the scarred Chunin Instructor.

"Of course you would know Sasuke-kun!" squealed Ino voicing the opinion of 99% of the classroom's female occupants.

"Now Ino, no interruptions," reprimanded Iruka-sensei. "Now can anyone name the five basic elements?"

"Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water," answered Sakura, Now Sasuke-kun will notice how smart I am, Cha!

"That is correct Sakura," Stated Iruka, "but what many people do not know is that there are three more Nature Transformations. Does anyone know what they are?"

At that the class got so silent one could hear the buzzing of Aburame Shino's insects, as the students though of what the answer could possibly be.

"Well don't feel bad these are rather obscure affinities, in fact only one person is believed to have mastered all three and his existence is believed by many to be a myth," Iruka stated. "They are Yin, Yang, and Yin-Yang release."

"Sensei," a certain blonde questioned, "who was this person?"

Iruka happy to know Naruto was paying attention answered, "The Rikudō Sennin."

"Six Paths?" questioned Naruto, "As in the Six Paths of the Desire Realm in Buddhist Cosmology?"

Getting over the shock of his student's knowledge of any religion Iruka stated, "I am afraid I can't answer that Naruto." Giving into his curiosity Iruka then asked his own question, "Why do you ask Naruto?"

"A better question is how does a baka like him know anything about Buddhism," proclaimed Inuzuka Kiba, Naruto's self-proclaimed rival.

"I know because I was talking to those monks in the village, Dog-breath!" yelled an irate Uzumaki.

"Settle down, both of you." Iruka then continued, "Back to my question, why do you ask Naruto?"

"I just wanted to know because if those Six Paths are the same then there should be one more Nature Transformation," stated a slightly smug Naruto.

"And that would be?" questioned the scarred instructor.

"Nothing."

Laughter could be heard throughout the Academy at that statement.

"Quiet, all of you!" the irate sensei screamed. Calming down he then admonished, "Naruto, I thought you had a serious question."

"But Sensei, I was being serious," Naruto cried. "The monks said that along with Yin and Yang there is Mu, nothingness. I think the same is true for Taoism."

"Naruto, I don't believe utilizing nothingness would be an effective style, even if it was possible," stated Iruka.

"Ha, I'm gonna be the Hokage someday so I'll bet I could create a ton of Mu style Jutsu and show everyone just how effective it can be," Naruto proclaimed.

"That should be easy for you Naruto," stated Sakura in a mocking tone.

"Really?" questioned Naruto, thinking Sakura was finally starting to see how great he was, and missing her tone of voice completely.

"Yeah, after all that's exactly what you are, a big nothing," Sakura finished, breaking the poor boy's heart in the process.

Hurt but not discouraged, Naruto went on to proclaim, "I'm not nothing and I'll show you that I can do it."

Sensing things were getting out of hand, Iruka quickly stated, "Alright class, that's enough for today, class dismissed."

Naruto was the first one out thinking, I'll show them, they won't laugh at me or call me nothing ever again. With that in mind Naruto went to find the monks and ask them to teach him about Mu.

From Wikipedia:

The desire realm is one of three realms or three worlds in traditional Buddhist cosmology into which a being wandering in saṃsāra may be reborn. The other two are the form realm, and the formless realm.

Within the desire realm are either five or six domains:

The six domains of the desire realm are as follows:

the god (Sanskrit, Pali: deva) domain

the jealous god (S., P.: asura) domain

the human (S. manuṣya, P. manussa) domain

the animal (S. tiryagyoni, P. tiracchānayoni) domain

the hungry ghost (S. preta, P. petta) domain

the hell (S: naraka, P. niraya) domain

Sound familiar.