Demons of Family and Destiny:

Announcement:

Hi everyone. To clear-up the confusion, this story was my first shot at fanfic. writing but after 2 years the drive to continue it dried-up. Not because I dislike the story, but my own writing-style evolved, sparking a desire to re-start Demons of Family and Destiny.

At first, I removed these chapters and added the re-write in their place, but later came to regret that decision and is about reading what you enjoy or exploring different ideas and possibilities. After getting grumpy over some other writers deleting their dis-continued stories,

I came to a different decision. These originals are staying up, but are admittedly a "discontinued" story. Nothing new will come, but that doesn't mean people who did enjoy the first-round should not be able to re-read something they enjoy.

In the middle of Covid-19 lockdowns, losing something entertaining was a bummer. Hence the reason these are back, and the re-write is now a separate story on its own: Roronoa-Uzumaki: Family, Fate and Freedom.

Read, Enjoy, and Review, please. Especially something you like here and want to see again in "Family, Fate and Freedom."

Chapter 1: The Beginning: who are you?

It was the early afternoon of another day in the major shinobi village of Konohagakure, as villagers and shinobi alike wandered through the streets. Different members were browsing various shops, spending time with friends and loved ones, or simply enjoying the nice weather.

Although, those who passed by the front gate glanced around apprehensively. Some frowned at the figure nearby, while others were intimidated and wished the object of their fear would pass by unaware.

The person receiving these glares glanced around. With a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Fufufufufufufufufufu! You truly enjoy terrifying everyone we encounter. Don't you Zoro?"

The man glanced to his right, and his smirk settled from satisfied to amused. "You enjoy making people squirm in fear even more than me, Onna."

Amongst the crowd were three individuals whose unique clothing suggested that they were foreigners of the Land of Fire.

The man who had been drawing terrified glances had short light green hair and scar running down his left eye, which was closed; he was wearing a long dark-green coat, which was closed at the waist by a red sash, with a green haramaki underneath but no shirt, and a black bandanna tied around his left arm. What drew the attention of everyone passing by was a large scar brandished on broad, muscular chest; one that ran from his left shoulder to his right hip. While the shinobi were uneasy of the three katana resting on this right hip, and the ease of his stance the reflected a master swordsman. One was white sheathed with a white guard, another was black sheathed with a gold guard, and the last was black sheathed with a flower shaped guard.

Next to him was a slightly taller woman, who had long black hair that reached her lower back, blue eyes, a defined nose, tanned skin, long and slender limbs, large breasts, and a slender waist. She wore a completely purple outfit consisting of high heeled boots, some skinny jeans, a low hanging tank-top that showed off the top of her chest, an open jacket worn over the tank top, and purple tinted sunglasses. She also had a small light purple backpack that was slung on to her left shoulder.

Last was a twelve-year-old girl, who had long dark green hair, the man's black eyes, the woman's defined nose, and tanned skin. The girl was wearing a purple t-shirt that was tucked into her tan pants, brown high heeled boots, and had a red sash tied around her waist with three normal katana tucked into her sash.

These three were Roronoa Zoro; known to the world as "World's Greatest Swordsman" and "Demon of the New World", Roronoa-Nico Robin; who is labeled as "Devil's Child", and Roronoa Olvia; whom was affectionately nick-named "Hell Spawn" by her parent's nakama.

Of course, all of these epithets meant nothing in this land. As two hundred years ago, a large war was waged between the natives of a mass of land that resided in the New World known as the Shinobi Nations and the Marines. This conflict ended with a treaty which stated that both sides would cease all diplomatic and regal contact between their lands. Despite this, a wayward trader or pirate crew would still visit the nations, but ultimately the two worlds slowly became unknown to each other.

This situation was a blessing in many ways, however. On a broad-scale, this kept the Elemental Nations independent of the oppressive elements of the World Government. Particularly the god-complexed, privilege-obsessed Celestial Dragons, the destructive Marine Admirals, and the dominance of the Yonko who ruled the New World.

On a more immediate-perspective, both Roronoa Zoro and Nico Robin are wanted by the World Government and had thousands of enemies outside of the Shinobi Nations as former Mugiwara Pirates. The crew had disbanded after eight years of discovering the legendary treasure One Piece, with each member now living their own lives. After their separation, Robin requested that she and her husband travel to the Shinobi Nations as her discovery of the Rio Poneglyph had mentioned a man known as the Rikudo Sennin (Sage of the Six Paths), and she wanted to research about him. Beyond this, the pair would search for an island to settle down on with their, then nine-year-old, daughter Olvia. Once they had arrived, the family visited the shinobi villages of Kumogakure, Sunagakure, and many of the minor villages across the past three years. Until they finally decided to head towards Konohagakure, which was claimed to have the largest collection of knowledge. Now they stood at the village's main square, deciding on what they would do first.

"Papa! Mom can scare people in a much more amusing way than you do. Almost every time it happens you both laugh together!" exclaimed Olvia.

As the family chuckled at her observation, the girl looked around in wonder at the open streets and the faces carved into the monument. "Wow. This village is quite beautiful!

"Yes certainly it is, Olvia." agreed Robin, smiling at her daughter's awed expression. "Don't you agree Zoro?"

Zoro shrugged, "it's okay, I guess," in a bored tone.

"Aww, you're so boring papa" whined Olvia.

A frown crossed his face at his daughter's comment. "I'm not boring, I just don't get all wide-eyed at nature like you two" Zoro idly grumbled.

"But why?" asked Olvia. "You always liked lying under the Sunny's tree whenever you took a nap."

"It's because it was shady, but didn't block out all of the sunlight. I wasn't interested in every single leaf on it" explained Zoro.

"You don't have to be interested in everything about the tree, just how it looks" argued Olvia.

"It looked like a tree," stated Zoro, growing slightly frustrated.

Robin couldn't help but stand back and giggle as she watched her husband and daughter go back and forth in their argument. 'They are both so stubborn' thought Robin smiling.

"How come you had to marry such a bland guy mom?" asked a pouting Olvia.

"Now Olvia, your father might not appreciate everything in explicit detail as we do. But, do you honestly believe that someone who is the World's Greatest Swordsman, and feared across the world as a demon can be considered bland?" Robin asked, with a slight smirk at how her daughter got flustered.

Olvia's eyes darted to her father, and she scratched her slightly red cheek. "Um, n-no, what I meant was that-"

Zoro ruffled his hand through his daughter's hair. "That's enough Livy" said Zoro grinning.

Olvia sighed in relief, before smiling at her mother. 'She nailed me flawlessly that time.'

He then looked to his wife, "Why don't you go to the library and read about that sage guy; while Livy and I go find some place to train" suggested the swordsman.

"Are you sure that is the best idea Zoro? What if the two of you get lost?" asked Robin with an eyebrow raised and a teasing smirk.

Zoro got a tick mark on his head, but before he could argue Olvia groaned. "Oh come on mom, you know that my sense of direction is way better than papa's" claimed the green haired girl. "Come on papa, let's go train" exclaimed Olvia, and the two left, walking beside the forest.

Robin smiled in amusement. "Olvia-chan. You might be right on that topic. But you're sense of priorities is slightly off. Where are we staying tonight."

Olvia froze. Then walked back in embarrassment over her forgetfulness.

"We'll find the hotel that chunin guard mentioned first. Then I can start my research in the village's library, while you find a training field for your father."

"Robin!"

"Now, now, Zoro-koi." The archaeologists replied in a teasing voice. "Did you forget looking for the stairs to a cliff-side training field and becoming stuck in a sewage pipe?"

Zoro stiffed in his own embarrassment. "Th-tha-THAT WASN"T MY FAULT! THE SHITTY DIRECTIONS LEAD ME THERE!"

Robin and Olvia broke-out in pure laughter! While Zoro's frown was so intense it terrified the hotel receptionist when they arrived.

Once their bags were stored in a two-bedroom suite, Zoro grabbed Olvia's arm.

"We'll come meet you at the library once we're done! Come-on Livy!" shouted Zoro, before leading his daughter away.

"Alright. I will wait for you both until that time comes." replied Robin. 'Fufufufu, It is fortunate her sense of direction is better than Zoro's' thought Robin with a smirk. 'At least they aren't travelling away from the "forest" training grounds.'

0…..0

20 minutes later, in an alley behind the Hotel.

'So the library is just past the academy' thought Robin, as she dispelled the eyes that she had bloomed all over the village. Stirring from where she'd been leaning against a wall behind the hotel, the raven-haired woman began her walk to her destination; which was on the other side of the village.i

As she walked through the village, Robin marveled at the peace and prosperity that surrounded her. She smiled in approval of finding such an open community despite its militant role in foreign politics. There were no wanted-posters plastered everywhere. Shinobi and civilian were interacting casually with each other as she passed by. There was a true felling of unity between the regular people of the village that Robin could appreciate. Even as some people gazed in jealousy and awe as she passed by, with a few wolf-whistles here and there.

However, as she was approaching the academy, Robin saw a group of people storming out of the courtyard.

Some of the party were older children, sported some small bruises and dirty scratches; yet Robin noticed the sinister little smirks on their faces, which dissolved into sad frowns when the adults looked at them. Each of the adults, presumably their parents, kept glancing back to the courtyard spitefully.

Robin stopped in her tracks! Her entire being grew cold and fearful as the looks in their eyes forced her into memories of her childhood at Ohara; when she received those same type of stares and sneers from everyone around her.

"That little freak had better stay away from our kids," growled one of the adults. "Why has lord Hokage even let it join the school?" another disdainfully voiced. "He's a complete monster, just playing helpless to have the chance to hurt people, and worse. He deserved that beating."

The group barely noticed Robin as they moved passed her. The woman was frozen by such familiar and repulsive discrimination. A tear travelled down her cheek as their words trigger additional memories, taking her deeper into her past of being alone and hated by everyone but her precious few. Then watching the only home she had destroyed, those sparse sources of comfort brutally murdered, her mother staying behind to die, her one true friend killed before her, and the decades she spent being hunted for a lie.

Robin was brought out of her trance, though, when she heard the sound of someone crying just over the academy wall.

She quickly induced that that the crying must be coming from the 'little freak' that those adults had been scorning. Her face formed into a sharp frown, and she came to a decision. Taking a deep focus breath and relaxing her face, she steeled her resolve to find this poor victim and give whatever comfort she could.

Robin entered the courtyard and glanced around, finding a small child with bright blonde hair sobbing as he sat sideways on a swing. With her own anger towards the former crowd growing, she approached the child and tried calling to him softly.

"Excuse me little boy, are you alright?" she asked.

Naruto's POV:

'Why! W-w-hy-hy d-do th-th-ey do th-this-s to-o me? I gu-guess Iruka-a sen-sei w-was wr-wrongg…'

Naruto was crying on the swings. While feelings of loneliness, confusion and pain were all too painfully familiar to him, now they were even worse. A group of bullies had attacking him moments ago. After fighting back, the group had begun whining to mislead their parents. Who quickly came own to scold and beat the nine-year-old child, calling him "terror," "monster," "insult," "disgusting," "hooligan," and "murderer."

'Why? W-why does so many people hate me so m-much? Wha-'

"Excuse me little boy, are y-"

"Yyyaaahhhh!" Naruto yelped!

The voice's next words missed Naruto's ears as he fell off the swings, and into something moving! Looking around he saw dozens of hands and arms gripping his body! The sight brought the frightened boy to hysteria, and he began thrashing about, frantically try to escape their grasp before someone added more to his suffering! He had begun to shout for help from someone, anyone-Until….

'Huh! What…what feels so soft?'

He felt his head resting on something strangely warm and soft. A gentle motion passed through his hair, and an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Looking up, he saw the face of a beautiful woman. Her hand was softly caressing his head, soothing him with each gentle stroke. She appeared young to him, with raven-black hair, sharp features and blue eyes. Every part of her face was coloured with a sight he had never seen before; sympathy and compassion.

"I'm sorry for startling you whisker-san" spoke the woman, giving him an apologetic smile. "I heard you crying from the road and came to see if you were alright."

'She…did…she just ap…apologize to me?' "B-but why?"

The woman's smile dropped at that and a sadness filled her eyes. "Because I once lived the same life as you."

'The same as me…? Wh-I-'

"Being alone," she continued. "It…it hurts in ways that be barely be spoken. Their eyes carry this veil of anger and blame. They…" she stopped to take a deep, visible breath. "-they will whisper to everyone to stay away from you. Everything is unfairly blamed on you, even if you were not around at all. It…it can be worse…" her voice grew quiet, visibly struggling to speak.

Naruto's eyes widened, and he believed her. He saw a familiar look in the woman's eyes that he saw every night…in the mirror. The honest and tender look in her eyes and her soothing touch made him feel strangely warm and open. He began to calm down. And became open to the torrent of pain, confusion and sadness that had gathered inside of him.

His vision became blurred with tears, and he heard a voice beginning to cry around him, unaware it was his own! He grabbed the woman in a desperate hug, as a multitude of pain, frustration and confusion began to pour out of him in emotional sobs!

After a few moments, he began to feel light and another strange feel ebbed into his soul.

POV End.

Robin saw the boy's eyes starting to well-up with tears, and his entire face trembled. His hands flew up to her shirt, and clenched to her like a lifeline. Her heart constricted as he continued to wail in her arms. She realized this was likely one of only times the boy had seen or felt some else concerned for him; possibly even the only time.

She hugged the child back, patting his head and patiently waited as he sobbed in her arms.

'Fufufu! Twenty years ago I never would have imagined doing this. Luffy and the others have managed to bring me so far and change me so much that I was able to live the life I had always dreamed of. Amazing nakama, a wonderful husband, and a beautiful child; all things that I had given up on since Ohara. Thank you everyone.'

It was only when Robin finished her thoughts that she'd noticed that the whiskered boy had fallen asleep. "Perhaps I can help to change your life for the better, eh whisker-san?" whispered the raven to herself as she came to a decision. She gathered and rose from the ground. Turning towards the exit to the playground, she set out to find her family.

End.

[1]- This is my personal opinion. However, since Konoha is a military village, it would be logical to place foreigners or those temporary staying in the village far away from where children are likely to be found unsupervised. This would prevent them spying on classes of children or from abducting a clan-member.

[2]- By this point in Naruto's life, the only people he had personal contact with were Iruka, the Ichiraku's and Hiruzen Sarutobi. Teuchi and Ayame could comfort him slightly, while Iruka could relate to him as a fellow orphan and Hriuzen could only recognize his situation as a jinchuriiki. None of them would be able to empathize with the rejection and isolation he experiences. That is why Robin's sympathy would be much more impactful than theirs; in my opinion, anyways.

i This is my personal opinion. However, since Konoha is a military village, it would be logical to place foreigners or those temporary staying in the village far away from where children are likely to be found unsupervised. This would prevent them spying on classes of children or from abducting a clan-member.