The Shinobi Sorcerer

By Castlecrasher009

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. You know the rest.

Long, long ago, there existed a group of beings, known as 'The Sisters of Alorra'. These sisters were gifted in the art of magic and mysticism through the use of 'Mana', and were blessed with eternal life and beauty. They used their powers to cultivate life in the world and protected it from the dark powers that wished to conquer it. For thousands of years, the Sisters remained in obscurity, preferring to remain hidden within their wooded realm and out of the affairs of man.

Then one day, man began to be plagued with unnatural diseases and calamities. The Sisters sensed these disasters were caused by dark forces who were attempting to destroy the nearly powerless man and harvest their souls to empower themselves. And so, the Sisters journeyed into the realm of man and used their magic to save their souls and drive the dark powers back into the abyss from which they came. Having bared witness to their power and benevolence, man praised the sisters and revered them as great spirits and bestowing upon them the title of 'Sorceress'. The Sisters then chose to remain in man's realm and continued to aid man by healing the sick and wounded and offering them council.

The Sisters even began to acquire a following as many young women came before them in hopes of learning magic. The Sisters accepted the young women and took them in as apprentices, teaching them their ways. For hundreds of years, peace continued between man and the Sisters as the number of followers grew. However, that peace was shattered as a group of men calling themselves 'The Holy Order of Iliad' rose to power and began to influence the world of man. The Order saw the Sorceresses as beings of evil, blaming them for the disasters that gripped man, and labeled them as 'Witches'. As the Order's influence spread, more men joined them in their quest to eradicate the witches. One by one, the followers of the Sisters of Alorra were hunted down and executed. Man's hatred of the sorceresses began to affect many of the followers, being forced to watch as their 'sisters' die, and gave into their hatred, becoming the witches that they were accused of being. Eventually, only a handful of loyal followers remained. With man turning against them, the Sisters gathered their remaining followers to take them back to their own realm where they left man to their fate.

Ages passed as the Order took dominion over the world of man and 'guided' them down the path of their own design while the Sisters remained in their seclusion. Then the dark powers returned, and with it, the near fall of man. The world was thrown into chaos as the dark powers ravaged the lands, causing calamity after calamity until at last, the event known as 'The Great Cataclysm' razed man's world and left the race nearly extinct. It was only by the intervention of a man known as 'The Sage of Six Paths' did man's world survive.

With peace returned to the world, man was free to reclaim his realm once more, but not before the Sage gifted them with the ability to use a power called 'Chakra'. With chakra, man carved out a new civilization for itself, one where battles between good and evil were waged not in light, but in the shadows. The age of 'Shinobi' had come. But some things of the past refuse to remain forgotten, and events were in motion that could spell disaster for all. This did not go unnoticed by a certain group of magical beings.

It was time for the Sisters of Alorra…to return.

Chapter One: Enter Naruto Uzumaki…and a Sorceress?

It was a beautiful morning in Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The sun was rising in the sky, casting its warm rays upon the village. The birds were singing as they flew above the building tops, and the villagers were waking up and beginning their days with warm smiles on their faces. Yes, you could not ask for a more tranquil scene…

"NARUTOOOOO!"

…If you don't count the small squad of shinobi chasing after a twelve year old blonde boy with whisker marks on his cheeks wearing a jumpsuit with so much orange that you had to be blind not to notice him and green goggles on his head, running away while laughing like a loon.

"Naruto, get back here!'

"You've gone too far this time!"

"When I get my hands on you!"

"HAHAHAHA! Give it up you guys! You'll never catch me!"

Naruto Uzumaki was having a blast. Why wouldn't he? After all, he had just pulled off the most bold and daring prank he had ever conceived, painting graffiti all over the Hokage Monument. The giant busts carved into the side of the large cliff face that loomed over the hidden village were covered in various colored paints as they depicted things like facial markings to expressions to specific words describing the busts themselves. The real kicker was that nobody had noticed him doing it until after the prank had been done.

Seriously, this was a village full of highly trained shinobi, and they didn't even notice him doing it?

"You guys are just mad because you don't have the guts or the brains to pull off something like this. Losers!"

And so, the boy led the group of shinobi back and forth, up and down, and every which way you can think as he continued to taunt his pursuers. Eventually, he jumped down from the roof and landed next to a fence before bolting back up towards the roofs again, with the shinobi following closely behind. The various shouts faded away as the ninja got further from the spot, and once everything quieted down again, a part of the fence shifted and rolled away, revealing Naruto hiding behind a large sheet of paper made to resemble the fence. The boy grinned, as he looked towards the direction his pursuers disappeared.

"Hahaha! That was too easy. Idiots."

"Naruto!"

"Gah!"

Naruto jumped and quickly spun around to find the one person who seemed to always find him no matter where he was, his teacher in the shinobi arts, Iruka Umino.

"Oh, hey there, Iruka-sensei."

"Don't you 'hey there' me, Naruto. What do you think you're doing? Not only are you skipping class, but you also defaced the Hokage Monument!"

"Oh, come on, Iruka-sensei, it's just a prank, and besides, if a whole village of trained shinobi fail to catch me up there painting the monument until after I've done it, then they need to have their eyes checked."

Iruka sighed as he grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt and started to drag him off. "That might be true, but that is still no excuse for you to be doing it. Now come on, class started over an hour ago and you are going to attend it, even if I have to tie you up to make you stay. You're also cleaning up the monument after class."

"What? Oh, Come on, Iruka-sensei, you don't expect me to clean all that up by myself do you? That's cruel and unusual. It's not fair. Seriously, it'd take me forever to get all that paint off. Have a heart."

Iruka ignored the boys' pleas as he dragged the boy towards the academy. He was quite use to Naruto and his antics by now, so his begging would not work on him. Unnoticed by the both of them, someone had watched the entire event with delightful amusement, as melodic giggles filled the air. The angelic laughter came from a figure sitting on the edge of a roof that was most definitely female. The figure was dressed in a white cloak with only the bottom half of her face visible, which revealed beautiful white skin and alluring pink lips that were curled up into an amused smile. Siting on her lap was a small white cat with a golden collar wrapped around its neck. Hanging off the collar was a small pendant with a seven-pointed star with archaic symbols carved inside the boundary of each point. A slender hand reaching through the folds of the cloak petted the content feline as it purred away on her lap while the woman gazed upon the defaced monument with glee.

"What delightful mischief." She spoke in an otherworldly voice that would bewitch anyone who heard it. Her gaze turned to where Naruto was being dragged away and her smile changed from amused to adoring. "You certainly keep things interesting around here. Don't you, Naruto?"

- Later – Ichiraku Ramen Stand –

Naruto and Iruka were setting down on a couple of bar stools while enjoying a nice hot and steamy bowl of ramen, courtesy of the ramen chief Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame. As Iruka had promised, he had tied Naruto up once they got to the academy and Naruto was forced to participate in class. Iruka then proceeded to reprimand Naruto in front of the entire class, informing him that if he didn't take his training seriously, he was going too fail the final exam a third time. Iruka then made everyone review the transformation jutsu, which Naruto had done, but used his own variant called the 'Sexy Jutsu', turning himself into a sexy girl whose private parts were only covered in an obscuring smoke. This lead to Iruka having a nosebleed as well as making him use his 'Big-Head Jutsu' to yell at Naruto for pulling that stunt. Later on, he made Naruto clean off the Hokage Monument. Naruto complained nearly the whole time, but Iruka was stubborn and told him he wasn't going home until every bit of paint was gone. When Naruto commented that 'It's not like there is anyone waiting for me', Iruka then offered to take the boy out to eat ramen, which was all the motivation the boy needed and got the cleanup done in record time. So, here they were after sun down and eating ramen at their favorite food stand with the chiefs all too happy to fill their customer's bellies with ramen (and subsequently fill the register with money.)

"Naruto, why did you paint graffiti over the Hokage Monument? You do know who the Hokage are, right?" Iruka asked the lad in between bites of ramen.

"Sure I do. They're the best shinobi of the village." Naruto answered as he finished off his bowl. "Each one of them was the greatest ninja of their time. Everyone looks up to them, especially the Fourth, since he was the one to defeat the Nine Tailed Demon Fox twelve years ago."

"Then why did you do that if you look up to them?"

"Because I'm going to surpass them all, that's why?" Naruto said as Ayame brought him another bowl of ramen. After thanking the girl, he dug right into the yummy bowl of noodley goodness, and completely missing the loving look the girl gave him. As the girl moved away, Naruto continued. "I'm going to become the greatest Hokage who ever lived, and then everyone will stop disrespecting me and look up to me. Believe it!"

Iruka stared at Naruto for a few moments, milling over the declaration Naruto had just made.

"Um, Iruka-sensei?"

"Hmm? What is it, Naruto?"

"Could I, maybe, wear your headband, just for a little while?"

Iruka smirked as he thumbed his headband; the symbol of a ninja and the marking that identifies which village he is affiliated with. "So, you want to wear my headband, huh? Sorry, Naruto, but you are going to have to earn yours if you want to wear one. You'll have to pass the test tomorrow."

Naruto, who was understandably displeased with having his request denied, glared at his sensei before turning back to his meal. He vowed then and there that he would pass the test and earn his headband.

- The Next Day – Konoha Ninja Academy –

Today was the day. The day of the final exam to graduate and become a shinobi of the Leaf. All the students arrived and took their seats as Iruka and Mizuki, the assistant teacher, came in and began to administer the test. Naruto had performed decently during the paper portion of the exam, he performed admirably during the physical portion, making good marks in throwing kunai and shurikens, and having a good taijutsu form did well in sparing. Now, though, came the ninjutsu portion of the exam. He was able to perform two of the three necessary jutsus to pass, the henge and the substitution jutsus, but now came the one jutsu that he could never perform correctly, the clone jutsu.

"Alright, Naruto, just make three clones and you will pass the exam." Iruka announced as he and Mizuki sat behind a desk with several leaf headbands rested, waiting for the students to take after they passed.

Naruto looked determined as he made the hand sign for 'Rat' and focused his chakra. The energy swirled around him as he built it up for the technique.

"Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto was suddenly covered in a cloud of smoke, and when it dissipated, it revealed the fruit of his labor.

A pale, sickly clone laying in a heap on the floor next to him.

"You Fail!" Iruka shouted as he took one look at the poor excuse for a clone.

Naruto was crushed. He had failed. Again. Even after he put so much effort into passing this time. He was almost in tears.

"Iruka, why don't we give Naruto a break? He did decently during the rest of the exam and he made a good attempt on this portion. Can't we cut him some slack this time?" Mizuki asked his fellow instructor.

"Mizuki, everyone else was able to make three decent clones, but Naruto was only able to make one, and it looks absolutely horrendous. I'm sorry, but I just can't pass him." Iruka spoke with finality.

Naruto couldn't help but feel betrayed as he lowered his head and slowly walked out of the exam room. He has never felt so bad before.

- Minutes Later – Outside the Academy –

Naruto sat down on a swing hanging from a tree in the schoolyard as he watched the other students get congratulated by their friends and parents while wearing their shiny new headbands. The new ninjas had nothing but smiles on their faces as they swelled with pride and their parents were all too happy to heap praises upon them and promises of celebration upon their return home. But Naruto was not smiling, and he was not swelling with pride. Quite the opposite, actually. Naruto couldn't feel any lower than he did right now. Instead of proudly displaying a Leaf headband and telling everyone 'I told you I could do it!', he hung his head as he felt the shame of failure. It didn't help that he could hear some of the adults talking about him from afar.

"Is that him, under the tree?"

"Yeah, the only one who didn't pass."

"Che, serves him right."

"Just imagine if he actually became a ninja. I mean he is the-"

"Shhh! We're not supposed to talk about it."

Naruto wondered about what they were talking about. He had heard the villagers whispering behind his back and every time they would talk about him like this, others would quickly silence them. It was like some big secret that no one could speak about. Honestly, it was getting annoying. Feeling his depression worsening, he went for the one thing that would always make him feel better. Unzipping the front of his jumpsuit a little, he reached in and retrieved the one item that had been his since he could remember. Hanging from a long, thin metal chain was a small blue crystal intricately wrapped in silver wire threads. The crystal had been his one and only possession since he was a baby and he guarded it zealously from others. That, of course, didn't stop some people from taking it, claiming that he had stolen it or that he didn't deserve something so beautiful or valuable. But by some stroke of luck, it always seemed to find its way back to him. It was an item that offered him comfort. It was almost like magic. Any time he felt lonely or depressed, he would just hold the item and he would feel better, as if he could feel a comforting presence coming from the crystal. If he had to describe it, it felt like someone he couldn't see wrapping their arms around him and hold him in a warm embrace. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say that this one crystal has been the thing that has kept him going all this time. And now wasn't any exception a he felt warmth emanating from the crystal and flow through him. Naruto closed his eyes and basked in the feeling letting some of his depression wash away. But he knew that not all of it would disappear, as there was always that desire to have someone who genuinely care for him, to love him unconditionally.

To be his family.

"Meow."

Naruto's eyes popped open as he looked down to see a snow-white cat looking up at him with a pair of blue slitted eyes. The cat raised up on its hind legs as it put its front paws on his leg, seemingly asking for his attention.

"Hey there, kitty. Where did you come from?" Naruto asked as he bent down, picked the cat up, and placed it in his lap. He started to gently pet the cat and it responded by purring loudly, enjoying the boys touch. "I guess you really like that, huh?"

The cat meowed again in response.

"*Giggle.* It looks like Azreal just made a new friend."

Naruto looked up to see what he thought was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The woman in question wore a long white hooded cloak held closed by a single chain anchored at the collar that reached all the way down to her feet. The woman's face was visible from under the hood, revealing some slightly curly platinum hair, alluring blue eyes, attractive pink lips set on a heart shaped face. The cloak was partially open, showing that the woman was wearing a long white dress that started at her shoulders and ran down to her ankles. The dress was form fitting, contouring to her body as it fit loosely around her legs before wrapping around her wide hips, slim waist and noticeably large bust. The dresses front opening dipped down from her shoulders and revealed a substantial amount of cleavage. She also wore several golden chains that wrapped around her abdomen from under her bust line to around her waist, creating an elaborate design. From around her neck hung a small golden necklace with a clear crystal wrapped in golden wire threads.

Naruto was left speechless as he watched the woman calmly approach him, a smile ever present on her face. The boy was amazed not only by her beauty, but also because he saw nothing but genuine kindness from the woman. Having been on the receiving end of tremendous amount of hate and scorn, he had picked up a 'sixth sense' on negative emotion from others. The fact that he didn't sense a single shred of negativity, and could actually fell the positive feeling for him coming from her was almost foreign to him.

"Hello, child. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Naruto snapped out of his trance and blinked a couple of times before his eyes squinted together as he gave a sheepish grin while scratching the back of his head. "Ah, ahahaha. It's, uh, nice to meet you too, miss…"

"Aurora. And I see you already meet Azreal." The woman, now known as Aurora, said as she looked down at the white cat as it continued to purr in his lap.

"Ah, yeah, I guess I did. Anyways, my name is Naruto Uzumaki and I am going to be the next Hokage, believe it!" Naruto declared with his patented grin.

Aurora's eyes widened for a moment from the boys declaration before she brought a hand to her mouth as she giggled, Naruto decided that he really like the sound she made. "I see. Well, future Hokage, may I ask what you are doing over here all by yourself while all your friends are celebrating over there." The woman asked as she motioned over to the crowd.

Naruto face fell as he felt his shame well up inside him as he stared down at his feet. "I…didn't pass the exam to be a shinobi, so I don't really want to be with those other kids right now. Also…I don't have any friends since no one once to be my friend."

Aurora frowned when she heard that, but quickly smiled again as she walked behind the boy. Naruto was a bit surprised when he felt the woman start to gently push in on the swing.

"Well, I would like to be your friend, if that is okay with you." Aurora said as she continued to push Naruto on the swing, but not too much as to knock Azreal from the boys lap.

"You want to be my friend, but why?"

"Does someone need a reason to be a friend?" Aurora asked with a kind tone in her voice.

Naruto sat there silently for a minute as he swung back and forth before a small smile graced his face. He felt really happy that someone seemed to genuinely want to befriend him.

"So, what will you do now?" Aurora finally asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Hmm?"

"Now that you failed the exam, will you just simply give up?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he felt his determination return full force. "No way! There is no way in hell I'm giving up, not now, not ever. I'm going to become a shinobi even if I have to keep trying until I'm forty years old. I will succeed and show everyone that I'm not some screw-up, and then I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage." The boy spoke with conviction as he thrusted his fist into the air.

Aurora's smile widened, pleased that Naruto had such determination and drive to succeed.

'Naruto, you really are just like-'

"Naruto."

The two looked up to see the assistant teacher, Mizuki, waving at the boy. "Do you have some time, Naruto? I'd like to have a talk with you."

"Uh, sure, Mizuki-sensei." Naruto said as he stood up, allowing Azreal to jump down from off his lap. The boy turned to Aurora and bowed. "Sorry, Aurora, I gotta go. Mizuki-sensei wants to talk to me about something."

Aurora nodded her head and gave him one last smile. "I understand. Good-bye for now, Naruto."

Naruto smiled and started walking towards his teacher.

"Naruto."

Hearing Aurora call his name, he turned back to the white dressed woman as she walked up to him.

"I want you to know that there are many people who really do care about you, even if you don't see it. You must never give into despair and stay strong, for someone close to you might need your strength to save them from despair."

Naruto stood there for a moment before slightly nodding. The young boy then walked over to Mizuki and the two left the academy grounds. Aurora watched the two disappear around the corner before looking down at her feline companion and slightly inclined her head in their direction. The cat immediately took off in the same direction and in a single second disappeared from sight. With that, Aurora started to leave as well.

"Excuse me."

Aurora stopped in mid step and turned to find two women approaching her.

"Can I help you two?"

The two woman reached her and seemed to look around for a moment before leaning in to talk to her.

"You seem to be new around here. We saw you talking to that boy, and we felt that we need to warn you about something."

"…And that would be?"

"You need to be careful around that thing. It may look like a child, but it's actually a monster. If you are not careful, you could get killed."

Aurora stared blankly at the two woman for a moment before she smiled once more. However, unlike the smiles she gave to Naruto, this one lacked any warmth at all.

It was not a pleasant smile.

The two woman suddenly shivered as a feeling of dread overtook them, as though death had passed right over them.

"You know, young ladies like yourself shouldn't be talking about things they cannot comprehend. Just some friendly advice." Aurora spoke before turning and leaving the grounds. The two woman just watched her go completely rooted to where they stood with a sense of dread filling them to the brim.

- Later – Leaf Village Rooftops –

Naruto and Mizuki found themselves sitting down on one of the many rooftops littering the Hidden Leaf's skyline. The sun was just starting to make its decent so the village was bathed in a bright orange glow. The two were talking about the exam as they watched the sun fall closer and closer to the horizon.

"Listen, Naruto, Iruka-Sensei is tough, but he is not against you."

"But why? Why is it always me?"

"Because he wants you to be strong, Naruto. But that will not happen if he goes easy on you. He is like you, you know, an orphan without friends or family to call his own."

"But, I really wanted to graduate this time."

Mizuki chuckled as he turned and looked at his student. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to tell you."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, clearly curious about what Mizuki was talking about.

"It's a secret, but I'll let you in on it."

Mizuki had the boy's undivided attention now, and he knew that Naruto would do exactly what he would tell him to do. What neither of them noticed was a small white cat sitting on a nearby rooftop staring at them with a pair of glowing blue eyes.

- Elsewhere –

"My, my. It would seem that our dear assistant teacher is up to something."

Aurora was sitting in a comfortable cushion chair in a dark room lit only by candle as she gazed into a glowing orb that hovered over out outstretched hand; images of Naruto and Mizuki displayed on the surface of the ball. She was able to see and hear everything through her little friend who had tailed them since they left the academy, and she could say that the hunch she had about the grey-headed shinobi was spot on. The man was up to something and he was using Naruto's desperate desire to become a shinobi to trick him into doing something that could be potentially disastrous. The blonde narrowed her eyes as she closed he hand around the orb, making it disappear into nothingness. She tapped her chin in thought of her next course of action. She could go and put an end to whatever plan Mizuki was plotting, but she really wanted to see Naruto's potential, especially if she was going to go through with what she had planned for the boy. But at the same time, she didn't want him to get in over his head and get hurt if things went south. Taking a moment to make her decision, she held her hand out towards the corner of the room where an object rested against the wall. Said object was a long white wooden staff with a large clear crystal held on the top of the staff by wooden spokes in a twist basket configuration that wrapped around the crystal. The staff suddenly levitated into the air before floating into open hand. Gripping the staff firmly, Aurora stood up and walked to the center of the room.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to go see the old man, then. I need to talk with him about Naruto, anyways."

The woman tapped the object in her hand two times on the floor, and the room lit up in a white light that grew brighter every second until both Aurora and the light vanished into thin air. With the only occupant of the room now gone, the candle that illuminated the space flickered and extinguished itself, almost like magic.

- Hokage Tower –

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage and current ruler of Konoha, was busying himself with his least favorite part of his job, paperwork. The elderly leader was going over the final results of the tests for every student in the academy in his private study, and was entering the names of those who had passed into the ninja registry. Hiruzen had been the longest running Hokage to date, having been inaugurated during the First Shinobi World War and serving through the Second and Third, leading Konoha to victory in all three, the old shinobi was extremely wise and had gained numerous titles, such as 'God of Shinobi, or 'The Professor' since he has said to have mastered every none bloodline based jutsu the village of Konoha had on record. He was also one of the few people who openly supported Naruto, since the majority of the village shunned and ostracized him. It pained him to see the boy suffer, especially over something he had no control over. Unfortunately, he had very little power over the civilian side of the village, since the civilian council had used the incident with the Nine-tailed Fox attack and the subsequent sacrifice of his successor to seize as much power as they could before he could retake his position as leader. As such, he could not force the civilian to treat the boy fairly, especially since they seemed to have the support of the council elders. Sometimes he really wondered what his predecessor was thinking when he made the civilian council. They just seemed to do nothing but cause trouble.

Finishing up another student's report and adding his name to the list of active ninja, the wise old leader placed the booklet aside before picking up the next report in the stack. Opening it, he read the name of the one person he wanted to see succeed since the boy had first told him he wanted to be a ninja. He read Naruto's report, noting his grades in general and he had to frown when he saw how poorly his marks were. Sure, he knew about the boy's tendency to skip class and pull pranks, having to reprimand the boy on several occasions, but he also knew that a lot of these scores had nothing to do with Naruto's lack of trying. Just like with the civilians, there were quite a few ninja in the ranks that didn't like the boy, some of them even outright hating him. Unfortunately, many of these people were the instructors at the academy, and had taken almost every opportunity to sabotage the boy's education. Hiruzen would do all he could to try to make it fair for Naruto, and in the beginning had terminated a lot of instructors for their conduct towards the boy. However, once again, the civilian council got involved in the matter, and forced Hiruzen to stop administering such harsh punishment to these ninja by using the fact that many of their children were students in the academy and that continuously terminating instructors was detrimental to the students' studies because they would have to constantly adapt to the new instructors style of teaching. Once they got the backing of the elders, it was all she wrote for Naruto being treated fairly, and Hiruzen couldn't fell anymore powerless in the matter.

So, it was with a heavy heart that he looked at the final results and stared at the word 'Fail' in big red bold letters. The man sighed as he scribbled a few notes in the report and finalized Naruto's scoring. This was his third attempt and the boy just could not seem to catch a break. He would have to find the boy tomorrow, take him out for some Ichiraku ramen, and try to lift his spirits with his favorite food and some encouraging words.

"I see you have seen the results of you academy's 'efforts' to educate young Naruto again."

Kunai in hand, Hiruzen was already in front of the desk before the last syllable was uttered. His eyes narrowed as he looked around the study as he tried to locate the unknown person who had infiltrated the tower and had made it into his study.

"Who are you?! Show yourself!" The Hokage demanded of the intruder.

"If you insist, and is that anyway to talk to a lady?" The person said as a figure shimmered into view in front of the old man.

Hiruzen quickly studied the person that appeared before him before his eyes widened in shock. "Y-You…"

Aurora smiled gently at the old man who led the hidden leaf. "It has been some time…Hiruzen."

- Sake Bar 'Hidden Flask' – At The Same Time –

Mizuki sat at the bar as he drank some sake and waited for the right time to set his plan in motion. It was so easy for him to convince Naruto to take the 'secret exam'. The little fool had no idea that the forbidden scroll he had instructed the boy to retrieve contained some of the most dangerous jutsus in the village and the boy was going to bring it right to him. He patted himself on the back for the fine acting job he had done since he first became an assistant teacher at the academy. Everything he had done was so that he could gain the boy's trust and it has lead up to tonight, where he would take the forbidden scroll for himself and leave this worthless village with all the power it contained. Knocking back another shot, he grinned as all his effort was now bearing fruit. Now he was just waiting for the right time to enact the next part of his plan.

"It seems you are having a very pleasant evening, Mister Ninja."

Mizuki calmly but quickly turned to his right to find a man who seemed to have come up and sat down beside him some time during his drinking. The man was wearing a large grey trench coat with large buttons along the front right side. The long sleeves were cuffed and secured with two large buttons similar to what kept the coat closed at the front. Under the coat was a brown vest closed with several large buckles and a dirty white shirt under the vest. His legs were covered in grey pants with a pair of thigh high leather boots on his feet. His hands were covered in dark leather gloves that completely hid his skin from view. The lower half of his face was covered in a black mask that stopped just below his eyes, which wear covered by a pair of black round shades. The top of his head was covered by a large brimmed hat with the sides and back buttoned to the head and had a low crown. Overall, the man was oddly dressed for the current location.

The coated man turned to regard Mizuki and spoke in a conversational tone. "Is there any special reason for your high spirit tonight?

"I have my reasons." Mizuki said as he took his sake saucer and tipped it back, letting the alcohol burn his throat on the way down. "But I wish to keep them for myself if you don't mind." He finished when he could breathe again.

"Fair enough, I will not pry if you wish it."

Mizuki eyed the man curiously. "Who exactly are you, mister? Haven't seen you or your style of dress around here."

"Me? I'm just a simple traveler from faraway lands, here to see and sample these lands commodities. I must say that your…sake is quite enjoyable."

"Yeah, well, 'Firebrand Sake' is a Konoha specialty. You'll rarely find this vintage anywhere else." Mizuki commented as he poured himself another saucer full and downed it. If there were something he could honestly say he was going to miss about Konoha, it would be the sake.

The man eyed the saucer of alcohol as the ninja beside him drank the liquid before turning away as Mizuki finished swallowing. "Indeed. I may have to procure myself a few bottles before I leave this village."

"You do that." Mizuki commented as he glanced at the wall and saw that it was almost time to enact his plan. Quickly finishing off the sake, he threw some ryo on the bar and started to leave. "Well, I have places to be so good luck on your travels." And with that, Mizuki left the bar and headed towards the Hokage Tower in order to 'report' the theft of the forbidden scroll.

The coated man watched the ninja leave before he reached into his coat and pulled out a small glass vial containing some black liquid. The man chuckled as he thumbed the vial. "Oh, mister ninja, I'm afraid that tonight will likely be your last night in this world. I am so looking forward to seeing the results." The man said as he pocketed the vial and remembered how the ninja had completely missed the sleight of hand he had done with the sake bottle while the ninja wasn't looking.

- Forest Outside of Konoha – Three Hours Later –

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

*Poof!*

Naruto panted as he looked up to see the results of the latest attempt to learn one of the jutsus he found in the forbidden scroll. Just as Mizuki had instructed, he had snuck into the Hokage Tower at nightfall and located the scroll secured in a locked cabinet. A quick lock picking later and he was in route to the meeting place with the large scroll on his back. Making it to the abandoned shack in the forest outside the village walls, he immediately started to learn the jutsus in the scroll. It was to his irritation that the first jutsu he came upon was a clone jutsu, but after reading through the scroll, he realized that it was the only one that he could possibly do since he was just an academy student and didn't understand the mechanics involved in performing any of the others. So he begrudgingly started working on the accursed jutsu that was the bane of his existence and after an hour of trying, he finally saw the result he was looking for. For there, standing before him, were twenty perfect copies of himself. The boy took a moment to fully register exactly what he had done before a large grin spread across his face before he jumped and cheered.

"I DID IT!"

"Yeah!" All of the clones shouted as they cheered alongside their creator. Naruto continued to jump up and down before he suddenly got dizzy from overexertion since he used up a lot of his strength in trying to perform the jutsu for an hour. He wobbled and started to fall forward before one of the clones ran up and caught him.

"Woah, careful boss."

"Ah, Thanks." Naruto said as the clone helped him stand again. "Huh?" The boy suddenly realized something as he turned to the clone and patted its chest with hiss palm. Normally a clone was simply an illusion without substance, only used to confuse opponents and give the user a chance to either strike or run away. But these clones were all solid!

"Woah! You guys are real! Awesome!"

The clones all grinned while Naruto continued to cheer and proclaim just how awesome he and this new jutsu were. Finally, after about ten minutes of celebrating, the clones dismissed themselves and Naruto sat down to recover his strength as he waited for Mizuki to show up. After another fifteen minutes, someone did show up, but it wasn't Mizuki.

"I…I found you...Naruto!"

The boy looked up to see his teacher, Iruka, looking a little winded as he glared down at his student. Naruto reached behind his head and scratched it as he sheepishly grinned as he chuckled nervously.

"Ah, caught me already, huh Iruka-sensei. You're pretty quick. I only had time to learn one jutsu."

Iruka studied the boy for a moment as saw that he had been doing some intense training while he was here. Honestly, he was feeling a bit prod of the boy.

"But listen, Iruka-sensei, I'm going to show you this awesome jutsu and then you'll let me graduate. That's how the test works, right?"

"Huh? What test are you talking about?" Iruka asked, clearly confused.

"The test where I retrieve this scroll and make my way here, then learn one of them and then show it to you guys. Mizuki told me about it. He said if I passes the test, then I can become a ninja. Isn't that how it…goes?" Naruto trailed off as he noticed the expression on Iruka's face.

Iruka stood there in slight shock as he suddenly realized something. Mizuki had been the one that had raised the alarm about Naruto steaking the forbidden scroll. If he had been the one to tell Naruto about where the scroll was located and how to get it, then…

Just as he had connected the dots, Iruka heard the distinct sound of kunai cutting through the air and turned to see a hail of the blades flying towards them.

"Naruto! Look out!" Iruka shouted as he pushed the boy out of the way and braced himself for impact. Naruto fell to the ground and looked up to see his teacher get impaled by a few of the kunai. Iruka grunted in pain as he glared up into the trees to see his assailant.

"So it really was you, Mizuki."

Mizuki was kneeling down on a large branch, wearing his standard chunin clothing plus a cloth cap with the leaf headband attached to the front. He had a pair of giant shurikens attached to his back as well.

"Naruto, give me the scroll." Mizuki demanded of the orange wearing blonde.

"Wait a minute. What's going on here?" Naruto asked, clearly confused by this turn of events.

Iruka yanked a kunai out of his leg and turned to Naruto.

"Naruto, don't give him he scroll! He tricked you into stealing it for him so he can use its power for his own purposes."

Naruto glared at the assistant instructor for deceiving him. But Mizuki casually turned to the boy.

"Naruto, Iruka is just saying that because he doesn't want you to pass."

"Don't listen to him Naruto, he's trying to deceive you!"

"Oh, I'll tell you who has been deceiving you. You've been deceived your entire life."

"No, Mizuki!"

"They have been lying to your face for twelve years, Naruto, ever since the decree was made."

"Wha…what decree?" Naruto asked, completely confused and slightly apprehensive.

"Everyone knows about it except you. Even now, Iruka would do anything to stop me from telling."

"Don't do it!"

"What Decree? What does everyone know except for me?"

"The decree that the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox is sealed inside you."

Naruto's eyes widened. He held the Nine-Tails?

"The spirit of the Nine-Tails that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body. You ARE the Nine-Tailed Fox!"

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled, frustrated that he couldn't keep such sensitive and dangerous knowledge from the boy.

Naruto was in compete shock. Suddenly everything made sense to him. The hateful glares, the abuse, the unfair treatment, the shop owners denying him access to provisions, and even the instructors sabotaging his education. It all made sense now.

"That's why this village will never accept you! Even Iruka hates you." Mizuki stated as he reached behind his back, took one of the giant shuriken, and started spinning it at a high rate. "Now die, Naruto!" Mizuki threw the shuriken and it cut through the air like a buzz saw. Naruto snapped out of his shock but was too slow to dodge the giant shuriken as it sped towards him. Just as he thought he was going to be sliced in half, a large form suddenly jumped between him and the shuriken.

*Shrick!*

The boy stared at Iruka in shock as the instructor leaned over his form with the giant shuriken stuck through the flak jacket from behind. The teacher cough up a bit of blood as the blade had penetrated the armor enough to cut deep into his back.

"…Why? Why, Iruka, sensei?"

"Because…you and I…are the same, Naruto. I was an orphan too. When I lost my parents, nobody seemed to care…They were all too busy…to notice me…and I felt like I had been forgotten. My grades plummeted…and I started acting out and became the class clown. I did things to get noticed, and then I had to pay for them…it was hard. I know that is how you feel, Naruto. You feel lonely and it hurts. And I…I could have been there more for you. I…let you down, Naruto. I'm sorry. No one should be forced to be alone and suffer like that."

Mizuki chuckled and not wanting Naruto to focus, decided to mess with his head a little bit more.

"Don't make me laugh! Iruka always hated you. He was orphaned because the Nine-Tails killed his parents, and now the fox is inside you. He's just trying to get the scroll away from you."

Naruto was still very confused, and decided that he needed to get as far away from the two as possible. So he immediately sprinted away, hoping to outrun the two chunin.

"Naruto. Narutooooo!" Iruka cried out to the fleeing boy as he disappeared into the dense foliage. He felt like he had just failed the boy, and was powerless to do anything to help him.

Mizuki laughed as he landed on the ground near the wounded teacher. "You know that once he makes up his mind, nothing can change it. He's going to use the scroll to get revenge on the village. You saw the look in his eyes, didn't you? Those were the eyes of a demon."

Iruka reached behind him and pulled the giant shuriken from his back before he stood up on wobbly legs.

"Naruto…is not…a DEMON!" Iruka shouted as he turned and threw the shuriken back at Mizuki. The chunin simply leaned to the side a let the weapon sail past him and into the forest.

"You're a joke, Iruka. A soon as I deal with Naruto and get the scroll, I'll be back for you." Mizuki then jumped into the trees and began his chase while Iruka struggled to remain standing. He refused to allow Mizuki to hurt the boy. He just hoped that he would be quick enough to stop him.

- Hokage Tower –

Hiruzen was sitting in his chair with his hands hovering over a clear crystal ball sitting on his desk. During his little chat with Aurora, one of his shinobi barged and reported to him that Naruto had stolen the Forbidden Scroll. The Hokage immediately order a search and retrieval of the boy and the scroll, went back to his desk to retrieve the crystal ball, and started to use it to locate the boy training with the scroll in question. He was looking at an image of Naruto as the boy sped through the forest canopy. The Hokage had seen and heard everything that had transpired when Iruka arrived at the clearing and he frowned at the result of the traitorous chunin when he blatantly told Naruto the truth about the Nine-Tails.

""That Mizuki has a big mouth. He made Naruto so confused that he doesn't know whom to trust. What's more, Naruto is very distraught from the truth, that he could do something foolish, and inadvertently release the Nine-Tails. If Naruto keeps tampering with the scroll, it could bring disaster to us all."

"I'm very surprised with you, Hiruzen. I thought you would have more faith in Naruto than this."

Hiruzen looked up and over at Aurora who was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the desk, watching the crystal ball along with the Hokage. The woman had the hood of her cloak down, revealing her long platinum hair that flowed down the back of her neck and disappeared back under the cloak. The old Hokage raised an eyebrow as he regarded the smiling woman.

"You seem to be taking this situation rather calmly, my dear. As protective as you are of the child, I'm a little surprised that you are still sitting there when you could be saving him. With your powers it would be a very simple matter."

Aurora giggled into her hand and looked back at the crystal. "Oh, I am perfectly aware that I could stop this entire fiasco any time I wished, but that would not allow Naruto to grow stronger if I fought his battles. Don't worry, if he gets too far in over his head, I'll step in. Now, let's get back to watching, I think that things are about to get interesting."

Hiruzen just nodded before he turned back to the crystal ball, anxious to see how this play out.

- With Naruto –

Naruto was still running at full speed when Iruka suddenly burst through the canopy and started keeping pace with the boy.

"Naruto, listen to me. Everything that Mizuki said was a lie. You need to give me the scroll and quickly. He's coming after you right now."

Naruto suddenly changed directions and proceeded to body slam the chunin instructor, sending them both to the ground below. Iruka landed on the ground harshly and rolled a few times before stopping while Naruto skid to a stop on his feet, panting heavily.

Iruka groaned as he struggled to lift himself up off the ground while Naruto pulled the forbidden scroll off his back and leaned up against a tree.

"How, Naruto…" Iruka said a she turned and glared at the boy. "How did you know…" Iruka suddenly exploded in a cloud of smoke and Mizuki appeared in his spot. "…that is was me and not Iruka?"

Naruto chuckled before he himself went up in smoke and revealed Iruka, and the scroll was actually a log. "Because I'm Iruka."

"Humph." Mizuki grunted as he stood up. "Why are you defending that freak? He's the one who wiped out your entire family."

"I don't care what you say; you're not getting your hands on that scroll."

Meanwhile, Naruto was hiding behind a nearby tree, listening in on their conversation with the scroll clutched to his chest.

"As if you could stop me." Mizuki continued as he taunted the weakened Iruka. "Don't you get it, Naruto is just like me. He's going to use the scroll for his own power and gain and use it for vengeance. That is how beasts are. He will pour all of his rage into the scroll and destroy the village." Iruka was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"You're right."

Naruto gasped as he clutched the scroll harder, having heard Iruka's admission.

'So, Iruka does hate me. He thinks that I'm some kind of freak.'

"That is how beasts are…but that is not what Naruto is."

Naruto's eyes widened while Mizuki looked at Iruka as if he had just said something that was absolutely ridiculous. Iruka just continued.

"Naruto works hard and puts his all into whatever he does. Sure, he might mess up some times, and everyone jumps on him, but all his suffering only makes him stronger. And that is what separates him from the beast. He is nothing like the Nine-Tails. He is Naruto Uzumaki of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

Naruto was silently crying, hearing that someone out there finally believed in him like his teacher did. He had finally found someone who recognized him as a person, rather than a thing.

Mizuki growled as he glared at Iruka and reached back to take the last giant shuriken from his back. "You really believe that? Fine. I was going to kill you later, but I might as well do it now." Mizuki spun the shuriken and dashed straight at Iruka, ready to end his life. Iruka just lowered his head and prepared himself for death.

'So, this is it…'

In the next instant, a blur shot out of the forest and Mizuki grunted as Naruto came in and flying kneed the chunin right in the chin, sending the assistant flying back and the shuriken flying off into the forest. Mizuki landed harshly on the ground while Naruto came to a skidding stop.

'Naruto!' Iruka thought, surprised to see the boy coming to his rescue.

Naruto slammed the scroll on the ground on one of its ends and glared at the downed traitor.

"If you hurt my sensei again…I'll kill you!"

"Big words for a little brat." Mizuki said as he got back up. "I could completely annihilate you in one move!"

Naruto put his fingers in a cross sign and readied his technique. "Take your best shot. I'll give it back a hundred fold."

"Bring it, Nine-Tails!"

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

*POOF!*

Iruka's eyes widened as he witnessed something that he would remember for the rest of his life. The whole clearing they were in was not littered top to bottom with over a hundred copies of Naruto, and they were all ready to bring a severe beat down on the traitor.

'Naruto…Those are all solid clones. He has mastered an extremely difficult jutsu.' Iruka thought as he grinned in pride over the boy's accomplishment.

Meanwhile, Mizuki couldn't believe what he was seeing as he looked around at the literal army of clones surrounding him. The poor chunin fell back as his body was not working properly due to the shock.

"If you're not coming over here to fight…" One clone spoke and another clone continued. "Then we'll just have to bring the fight to you."

Mizuki couldn't say a thing as he realized that he was about to be on the receiving end of a severe ass kicking. As the horde of clones descended upon him, Mizuki screamed to the heavens until it was drowned out by the sound of fists impacting flesh.

- One One-sided Beat Down Later –

Mizuki lay on the forest floor with his face completely swollen and bloody thanks to Naruto and a hundred clones. Said blonde was standing over him scratching the back of his head and chuckling nervously.

"Sorry, I kind of got carried away, there. Are you alright, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka grunted as he got into a sitting position. "Yeah, I'm alright." 'Incredible. Naruto said that he wanted to surpass all the Hokage before him, and I'm starting to think he can do it.' Iruka thought as he came to a decision. "Naruto, come here for a second."

"Huh? Sure thing, Iruka-sensei." Naruto said as he walked up to his teacher.

"Close your eyes." Iruka instructed as Naruto did as he was told. He felt his goggles pulled off his head and a second later, something else put in their place. "Okay, you can open your eyes again."

Naruto opened his eyes to see Iruka standing there with the boy's goggles in hand and his leaf headband missing.

"Congratulations, Naruto. You passed."

Naruto stood dumbfounded as he now wore Iruka's headband.

"And to celebrate, we're going out for ramen tonight."

Naruto's mouth moved as he tried to control his emotions until he couldn't hold it anymore and lunged at his teacher.

"Iruka-sensei!"

Naruto tackled Iruka in a hug and they both fell back against the tree, laughing away as the horizon began to light up.

However, their celebration was short lived as Mizuki's unconscious body suddenly started to convulse violently before his eyes shot open and a loud gasp escaped him. The man's eyes had suddenly changed to show his sclera had turned pitch-black while his pupils turned solid blood red.

"GRUUUUAHHHHHHHHG!"

Both Naruto and Iruka turned quickly at the sound as they watched Mizuki continue to spasm violently on the ground before it started to grow and change. His arms and legs elongated and grew claws as his torso expanded, ripping his clothing away as the skin turned grey. His back bulged up into a hump and his neck elongated like his limbs. His face became long and his hair turned white and grew out into messy mane. Finally, his teeth became razor sharp and he let out an inhuman roar.

"GROAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

"What the hell!?" Naruto shouted as he watched the traitor turn into a monster.

"What's going on here?" Iruka asked, stunned at the sudden and unexpected event.

- Hokage Tower-

"What in the name of Kami is that!?" Hiruzen shouted as he beheld the former human turned monster as he stood upon its long, lanky legs. He was just about to order the retrieval team in to bring everyone in safely when Mizuki suddenly and unexpectedly transformed. The Hokage stared at the abomination until he noticed Aurora stand up and walking to the center of the room, her staff in hand. She turned back to the old man and for the first time saw and expression on the woman's face he had never seen before. She had lost her smile and instead was completely focused.

"I'm going." Was all she said and tapped her staff against the floor twice. The floor lit up as a large circle suddenly formed under her and several intricate lines and symbols appeared within it. Once the circle was complete, the woman was enveloped in a pillar of light and completely vanished. Now alone, the Hokage turned back to the ball and watched as the creature advanced on the boy and his teacher. He could only pray that Aurora was quick enough to help them.

- With Naruto and Iruka –

"GROOOOOAAHHHH!" The monster roared as it raised its clawed hand to deliver a bone-crushing blow to its two victims.

"Naruto, get away!" Iruka shouted as he pushed his student aside and lunged at the monster as he pulled a kunai from its holster. He tried to strike down the beast but was swatted aside by the creatures long and powerful arm. Iruka tumbled along the ground before he came to a stop and coughed a few times. The blow had broken a few of his ribs and he could no longer find the strength to stand.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted before he turned and glared at the monster as he brought his hands back up to a cross sigh.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jut-Gack!" Naruto began to cast his new jutsu again but a long clawed and wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. Naruto chocked as he clawed at the hand holding him up but could do nothing as the creature brought his face closer to his razor sharp teeth. Naruto could do nothing as the beast opened its mouth wide to bite into the boy.

'No, it can't end like this, not when I just became a ninja!' Naruto clinched his eyes shut and a lone tear fell from his eye. But just as the monster went for the kill, a ball of light suddenly slammed into its side, sending it flying through a nearby tree and slamming painfully against a large boulder. Naruto dropped down on the ground since the beast lost its gripped when it was hit. The boy gripped his throat as he coughed a few times before looking up to see his savior. Imagine his surprise when he saw the very same woman that had spoken to him earlier that day walking up to him with her hood down, carrying a long white staff with a glowing crystal on the end pointing at where the monster had been knocked away.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Aurora asked as she stopped beside the boy.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Naruto replied as he stood on shaky legs. Before anything else could be said, the creature got back up on its feet and growled at the one who kept it from its kill. The beast roared as it charged the woman, intending to take its pound of flesh and then some from the interloper. Aurora waved her staff around and the crystal glowed brighter. Just as the beast lunged, it was enveloped in a blueish aura and found itself suspended over the ground. It thrashed around to try to free itself but nothing it did aided him. Aurora glared at the creature before swinging her staff towards a nearby tree and the beast followed the staff, slamming into the tree hard and momentarily stunning it. Aurora then tapped her staff against the ground where a small green circle appeared under it. Another, larger circle appeared below the monster and several roots sprang up around the beast and wrapped themselves around it. The creature roared and fought against the bindings but could not break the roots that held it. Aurora then lifted her hand and pointed her palm towards the monster and a ball of fire erupted from her hand.

"Go to hell, you monster." Aurora coldly stated as the ball of fire shot from her hand and slammed into the creature, engulfing it in fire. The creature let out an ear-piercing screech as it burned away and before long was nothing but a pile of ash and a black mark against the tree.

Aurora huffed at the remains before relaxing and looked back at the young boy standing beside her, who was staring at the woman in wide-eyed wonder.

"Whoa…." Was all Naruto could say at the amazing display.

Aurora smiled at the boy, but when they heard a groan coming from the downed teacher, they both immediately rushed over to tend to him.

"Iruka-sensei." Naruto reached his teacher and dropped to his knees beside the injured man. "Ah man, we got to get him to the hospital."

"That will not be necessary." Aurora said as she knelt down beside Iruka. She placed her hand against the man and seconds later, his body was enveloped in a light green aura. Naruto watched in wonder as Iruka stopped groaning and all his visible injuries disappeared. Iruka opened his eyes, surprised that the pain from his chest vanished and he started feeling much better. A few seconds later, Iruka stopped glowing and was able to sit up. The man blinked a couple of times before he looked himself over, see that all of the injuries he had sustained over the night were all gone.

"I'm….healed? How?"

"Magic, of course."

Iruka and Naruto turned to the woman and both blinked. "Magic?"

"That's right. Magic is my specialty, after all."

"Who are you, miss?" Iruka asked, quite curios about who the woman was.

"Oh my, how rude of me. I didn't introduce myself. Well then, allow me to properly do so. My name is Aurora, but I am also known as 'Aurora the White Sorceress'."

"Sorceress?" Naruto and Iruka asked.

"Yes, I am a sorceress, a woman who can perform magic. Now, I'm sure you have many questions but I believe that this conversation needs to be held in a better location and including someone who would like to see the two of you. So, let us depart shall we?" Aurora suggested as she pointed her staff towards the Forbidden Scroll that lay on the ground nearby. The scroll glowed a brief moment before it floated off the ground and over to the group. Before Naruto or Iruka could remark on the ability, Aurora tapped her staff twice on the ground and a large white circle appeared below them. A few seconds later, the three people and one scroll vanished in pillar of light and the forest was calm again. Nobody had noticed a shadow hiding behind a tree nearby who had witnessed the entire battle from start to finish.

"Hmm, how disappointing. He was destroyed so quickly I wasn't able to gather as much data as I wanted. Oh well, his reaction to the blood was promising." The coated man said as he turned around and casually walked away from the scene, all the while whistling a slow tune.

- To Be Continued –

{Author's Notes}

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Why oh why is he starting yet another story when he hasn't updated the ones he's got in months, right? Well, I'll tell you this. My muse is one fickle bitch! I cannot get into a story unless I have something in my head that just keeps my imagination going on all cylinders, and even then, it has nasty habit of stalling out. I'd be able to sit here and write something for a good bit and suddenly, I'd lose my motivation and would not be able to get it back. This is mostly due to me hitting roadblocks in the story where I would have to figure out how to blend the crossover elements together where they would flow naturally through the story. This can be a challenge sometimes. So, to my loyal readers, please just be patient with my while I try to overcome these problems and wait for the updates which I promise will happen…eventually.

Now then, about this piece of work. You will notice that is in fact not a crossover and is instead my first original story set in the Narutoverse. This one is a story that combines Ninjas and sorcery together in what I hope will be an exciting and fan piece of literature that will keep you coming back for more. The first chapter includes a prequel that explains a bit about how the story will progress. We see that there has been some events during the pre-shinobi era where Magic and sorcery where the tools used instead of jutsus. Now, this is not based on any anime or movie and is instead something I created from several sources and knowledge of fantasy magic in general. So expect a lot of twists and turns in this story as the past begins to catch up with the present and all new troubles effect the Naruto world.

Now, I'd like to tell you all that for this story, I will be open to suggestions and ideas that you, the readers, would like to contribute. So, if you have an idea about a creature, spell, situation, or just a general idea that you might think is good, let me know in either the review section or through PM's and if I like the idea, we will discuss it in detail and I will incorporate it into the story, while giving you credit for it of course. Just remember that I am the author and I do have final say over what goes into the story and how it ultimately plays out in accordance to the plot.

By the way, I challenge anyone to figure out what Mizuki got turned into. I'll give you guys a hint; they eat the corpses of the dead.

I'm going to label this one as T for teen for now until I get further into the story and start getting into the really dark part of the story. After that, expect a lot of blood, gore and nightmarish creatures and an M rating. As for the pairings, well, if you haven't noticed, I am a harem writer so….yeah.

Anyways, in the next chapter we will see exactly who Aurora is and what her connection to Naruto is. He also gets started on the path to being a shinobi sorcerer.

Peace.

(Post-Script: Broke up the summary so that it will be easier to read. Sorry about that, guys.)