Well this is an unexpected development eh?

Another Naruto fanfiction.

Yeah started this one awhile ago, lost interest, thought up Sealed Away in the shower and spent the rest of the night binge writing that powered on caffeine and cream puffs.

Not as long a story as the one behind Lightman Legacy but you guys/gals get the point.

So when I eventually post this I will probably be on vacation in Florida. I'm pre-writing a bunch of stuff so I can give you guys a number of updates by the time the end of the week comes.

Things that will (probably) be updated:

-Gone Ghost

-Sealed Away

-Village Idiots

-This

So look forward to those.

So here's chapter one, or how Naruto screws everyone over without knowing it.

Uzumaki Naruto POV, Konoha...

Naruto wasn't quite sure when he figured out people didn't like him.

Maybe he always knew.

Whatever the case four year old Uzumaki Naruto had decided that if people in Konoha didn't like him then he had no reason to stay in Konoha.

It had not been the easiest decision to be honest but getting kicked out of the orphanage at age four to fend for yourself was perhaps one of the biggest reality checks one could receive. And by kicked he meant literally kicked, it had hurt a lot.

He had been on the streets for about a week when he realized he really didn't want to stay in the Leaf Village for the rest of his (potentially short if he couldn't find a good source of food soon) life. So after that sudden revelation he started to form a plan to leave. Also a plan to get some form of food. Apparently there were these things called ryo with numbers on them that were very important for getting food. Also clothes. Everything really as it turned out.

So it was Naruto began looking into how exactly to get himself money. As it turned out most people made money doing these annoying things called jobs in order to earn an honest living. What kind of annoying crap was that? This was supposed to be a ninja village or something right? Why would anyone try and be honest about earning money?

Not that Naruto knew much about being a ninja, other than the fact that he wanted to be one. It was just so cool!

But that was besides the point. The current problem was acquiring food and money. After that he had to figure out how to leave Konoha. He could worry about being the coolest later.

So Naruto watched and waited, occasionally a good piece of food would be dropped out of a bag or roll away from a wagon. Sometimes he got lucky and found someone willing to sell to him, even if they weren't exactly pleasent about it. Money on the other hand was a tad more difficult to gather. Most people tended to keep it in their pockets or inside pouches inside their pockets.

Surprisingly people didn't alway pay attention to their money. That didn't make a lot of sense to Naruto, if he had money he would always keep an eye on it. So being the kind soul he was, Naruto decided to relieve people of their somewhat ignored funds thereby putting them into the hands of someone who would take better care of it.

In other words he started pick-pocketing people.

His first attempt was less than stellar.

It had seemed simple enough. Walk up to someone reach into their pocket and take their money.

The man in question was speaking with a shopkeeper, haggling over the price of a pair of sandals.

"These are clearly of a superior make sir!" The merchant said aghast.

"And I'm telling you." the buyer jabbed his finger. "That golden shit from kami's ass is still shit."

Naruto quietly snuck up behind the rude man and saw a wallet hanging out of his back pocket. Problem is it was kind of high up (for a four year old anyway.) He had to stand on his tiptoes to be able to reach it. The edge eluded him, just out of his grip.

He gave a little hop and managed to get a firm grasp on the wallet. With a grin he yanked pulling it out of the pocket. He was not able to celebrate however as the man he had just taken it from froze and began to turn.

Naruto made the smart choice and took off as fast his legs could carry him. He heard a shout of "Hey you!", but kept on running, wallet clutched between his hands. He didn't stop running until he made it to the alleyway he normally stayed in. It didn't smell as bad as some of the others and there were a few boxes that gave some form of shelter on rainy days.

He collapsed against the wall and took some deep gasping breaths. He stared at the wallet in his hand. He had almost been caught. People already didn't like him, what would they do to him if they caught him stealing. He flinched just thinking about the possibilities. Maybe he shouldn't even try?

No. He narrowed his eyes. Like hell he would just let them decide what he did. Why should he care about what they thought of him. He was Uzumaki Naruto and this was his life and no one had any right to make his decisions for him, dattebayo!

It was a bit difficult at first and he nearly got himself caught numerous times in the beginning but he soon started learning the tips and tricks for getting away with it.

For starters, no Shinobi and Kunoichi. They're smarter than civilians. Maybe when he was better at it but for the time being he wasn't going to risk giving a trained killer the excuse to beat the shit out of him. Whatever shit was, but from the context he'd heard it used in, it was not good.

Also a distracted victim is an easy victim. It was quite simple to set things up so a canopy falls on a stall or a vendor table collapsed. Then as people were staring just slip in and nab a few pouches out of pockets.

Always having an escape plan was also a good idea. While he had not had the misfortune of getting caught just yet, he had gone through a few that he barely dodged by the skin of his teeth. If necessary he had to be ready to abandon an entire venture at anytime throughout the duration.

And that was just the basics.

Occasionally he would run into other kids on the streets. They were there for a variety of reasons but it seemed like none had been kicked out of the orphanage like had. Those he talked to agreed it was weird that there was so much dislike towards him specifically. He never really became friends with any of them but at least they treated him like a person.

Eventually, through his various means of gathering cash he amassed quite a bit. Enough to buy food and clothes for awhile anyway. Unfortunately, Konoha lacked merchants who were willing to sell him the goods he needed to survive at a fair price, if at all.

So he looped back to wanting to leave Konoha. Which seemed it would be notably more difficult than he first assumed due to the fact it was, well, a ninja village. But that was nothing a little bit of planning and initiative couldn't solve!

He noticed that occasionally foreign merchants came into Konoha. He would normally be able to buy from them before they left and they were far less hostile than the local sellers. Normally these merchants traveled in groups and would have wagon caravans to transport their goods and families if they had them.

So he waited until a caravan was preparing to leave the village. The day of departure he gathered up what he had (his ryo, some food and a set of extra clothes) and sneaked onto one of the wagons used solely for storage. He hid himself under a few boxes and a rug, he had to wait for a couple hours but eventually the wagon began rolling away. He couldn't stop the knot from forming in his stomach at the paranoia that someone would notice him and kick him out.

Naruto briefly wondered if anyone in Konoha would miss him or even notice he was gone.

Nah, nobody would care.

Sarutobi Hiruzen POV, Konoha...

At this point in his life, Sarutobi Hiruzen prided himself in maintaining a level head and not lashing out at those who upset him.

This was one of those times his patience was tested.

"What do you mean you have no idea where he is?" Hiruzen asked, allowing a twinge of annoyance to enter his voice to show his displeasure.

"I mean I have no idea where he is sir." Inu responded and despite his neutral tone, his body language indicated he was more than a little peeved.

"Clearly. Perhaps I should have elaborated, I wish to know how this could have been allowed to happen and why I was not told of it sooner." He clarified.

"I- I don't know sir." Inu admitted. "I've only recently noticed discrepancies in the reports I've been getting from the squad set to watch the orphanage. When I looked into I discovered that the matron had removed him from her care for a variety of reasons ranging from bad behaviour, to concerns for the health of the other children. I did a background check into the squad and more than a few of them lost close family members in the Kyuubi attack."

Hiruzen sighed and leaned back in the chair. He should have known this could've happened. Too many people had ill-will towards the boy for what he contained, some not seeing the difference between the prison and prisoner. Others knew he was just a child but were reluctant to allow themselves or children near him due to concerns at how well the seal would stand against the test of time. He should have known that Minato's last request would go unfulfilled. The man had been brilliant and powerful but he always was a tad naive when it came to human nature.

"Have you begun searching for him?" Hiruzen asked the ANBU captain.

"I have squads searching now but he was removed from the orphanage months ago. For all we know he could b-" Inu stopped and swallowed. "He could be dead by now sir."

"Keep searching, I won't accept it until I see a body. Also bring the squad that was supposed to watching him and the orphan matron to T&I, I want a full interrogation, see if it was completely of their own free will that they allowed this to happen and find out if they know what happened to him after."

Inu nodded and said "Hai." Before departing via shunshin.

Hiruzen sighed and turned to look out the window towards his chosen successor's face. He felt regret naw at him as he thought about the man dying wish and how people had stomped on it. Now the man's son was missing and possibly dead. He should have personally checked up on the boy. He could only think of what could happen if Iwa got their hands on him.

Shimura Danzo POV, Below Konoha...

Danzo was not a happy man right now.

True he rarely experienced joy at this time in his life, but that was besides the point.

The point was that the village's Jinchuuriki was missing.

He had just received word moments before that the boys "protectors" had shirked their duties and had allowed him to be forced out of the orphanage. Personally, Danzo could approve of such treatment as it would lead the child to become more malleable if he was shown even the smallest bit of positive attention. But the fact that the it would drive the child to dislike Konoha was unacceptable and would have to be remedied. Professionally however Danzo wanted to flay the men for ignoring their duty do to emotional decisions.

His Root ANBU would never be caught disobeying orders like that. And it was because of those men's actions that the Jinchuuriki was now missing. As in what could potentially be the village's greatest asset was now missing and potentially dead.

Upon receiving the report Danzo had called for some of his best operatives.

"You will search the entire village. If you cannot find the Jinchuuriki within a week's time report back to me for updated orders." He directed at his subordinates.

"Hai Lord Danzo." Was the simultaneous acceptance of his order. They had no qualms with being sent out to search for the weapon on their master's orders. That was what they were trained for after all. They had no problem with retrieving the child most others foolishly saw as "the demon".

They departed and Danzo was left to stew in his thoughts. The fact that Hiruzen had naively thought that the boy would be accepted as the hero the Yondaime had wanted him to be seen as was folly. Now because of that folly the village may have just lost one of it's greatest weapons. Danzo silently swore that if his Root found the boy first he would train him into the villages greatest asset.

He paused for a moment and entertain the idea of Konoha's more legitimate forces locating the Jinchuuriki first. He could still use this event to turn things in his favor siting Hiruzen's failures with the boy thus far as reason for him to be placed under his own authority. He could probably sway the council to his way of thinking but there was also the underlying concern that Hiruzen's failures would cause him to regrow the backbone he somehow lost as he entered his elder years.

Of course there was also the rather concerning possibility that the Jinchuuriki was dead rendering the whole matter moot and costing Konoha a powerful weapon. If that was indeed the case Danzo was very tempted to have some citizens… removed.

Then again there was the other possibility that the asset was alive and had been abducted by a rival village thus weakening Konoha and strengthening its enemies, all of which still had their respective Bijuu/Jinchuuriki. The addition of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki to those ranks would be a very unfortunate development.

Because, as much as Danzo hated to admit it, Konoha was weak right now. The village had lost a large portion of its shinobi force during the Kyuubi attack along with the Forth Hokage and previous Jinchuuriki who had been a force to be reckoned with in her own right. To be honest for holding the title of the strongest Shinobi village they did not have much to show for it. Hiruzen was getting on his years, Jiraiya was rarely in the village because of his spy network, Tsunade was off Kami knows where drinking her life away and Orochimaru had become a missing nin.

All it would take was a few well placed and timed attacks and Konoha would be at the other nations' mercy. This could not be allowed to stand. Danzo needed to find a way to keep the Leaf Village strong, but how?

A large number of ideas ran through his mind. Each of them rather morally questionable but, that was beside the point. Danzo squashed down what small fractured shadow remained of his conscious.

It was for the good of the village after all.

Jiraiya POV, Grass Country...

Jiraiya had actually been doing important stuff when he got the message from his Sensei.

Really, he was!

In fact there wasn't even a Hot Spring or Bookstore in the town he was in!

He had actually been conferring with a man who ran a little antiques shop on the corner. The man was indebted to him because of a mission he had done years ago for half price in the assurance that the man would give him information that might prove useful for him.

The town was on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass. His informant had heard rumors of suspicious activity happening in the Land of Earth and he was looking into it.

Then he had received Hiruzen's message.

Naruto had gone ago apparently and no who cared had found out until he was long gone.

So here he was in the middle of nowhere and his godson could potentially be dead or who knows what. Kami the kid was four, how the hell had they managed to lose track of a four year old?

He shouldn't have left the kid alone but damnit he had his reasons. He couldn't just drag the kid around as he went about his duty as Konoha's spymaster, not to mention the kid (through no fault of his own) reminded Jiraiya of everything he had lost the day the Kyuubi attacked. He didn't blame the kid but it hurt just to look at him, he reminded him so much of his parents.

And now the kid was missing because Jiraiya had shirked his duties as his Godfather.

He could never face Minato and Kushina in the afterlife if something had happened to their son because he hadn't been around to take care of him.

With a sense of determination he set off towards Konoha. So determined was he, that he didn't even consider stopping at a hot spring for research.

Okay the idea did cross his mind but he never acted on it.

Uzumaki Naruto POV, Somewhere in the Land of Hot Water...

Naruto groaned as he pulled himself out of the back of the wagon. They had been traveling for three weeks straight before they finally stopped. He had snuck out a few times when they stopped to let the horses rest, to go to the bathroom and change or wash his clothes in a nearby water source. He had used up his food supply after the first week and had to resort to pulling some freeze dried stuff out of one of the crates. It tasted terrible but it kept him alive.

He hobbled away from the caravan before anyone could notice him and ducked into a nearby alleyway to rest on a ground that wasn't constantly moving underneath him. He silently decided that he was never getting on a carriage again unless he had no other choice. Going by foot my take longer but at least you didn't feel like throwing up afterwards.

When Naruto finally regulated his breathing and did not feel like throwing up he pulled his bag over his shoulder and walked down the alleyway towards the other end that opened into a different street.

He paused at the edge and stared at the completely different skyline. This was a new place where people had never seen him before. Would they dislike him like the villagers did? Would living here be any better than living in Konoha?

Only one way to find out. He smiled and walked into the future.

Yeah this actually started out as a completely different story then I realized I could work with this.

Fun fact this was going to be my first Naruto Fanfic but I kinda lost interest in the original idea.

Speaking of Naruto fanfics I gotta ask.

What the fuck?

No seriously what the actual fuck? Gone Ghost, a story which I have put a lot of time, effort and care into and basically placed me as an author on this site, has nearly been overtaken in follows and favorites by Sealed Away. A story that has literally one sixth as many words and most of which was written on a weekend I had nothing else to do with myself on.

I mean… just… just… HOW?!

Ya know what forget it. If I wanted to rant about Naruto fanfics we'd be here all day.

Whatever.

Until next time, see ya!

~FriTik

R&R