Copyright Notice: I do not own Naruto or any characters that the creator of this amazing anime/manga owns. I only own the characters that I create as well as this particular story.

Authors Notes: This is the first chapter of The Rise of the Dragon. Many parts of Naruto the Dragon Mage will still be within this story, though I have added new characters and revised the chapter layout to give way to hopefully a much better story. Be aware that this chapter contains a suicide attempt, which is only there to let the readers to see the state that Naruto is in. Also, be aware that I do not take suicide lightly.

The class broke out in laughter as they watched the spectacle that stood in front of them. Too them the pitiful excuse of Ninja trainee was the funniest thing they have seen all day. In front of them stood a young blond-haired boy about the age of thirteen, who was trying and failing at performing the Jutsu that would allow him to graduate from the Academy.

"Quiet yourselves down right this moment!" roared the Proctor of the exam as he glared at the remaining students of his class. As his voice rolled through the room, the laughter started to die down though slower than it had originally started. Once the Proctor was sure that his students wouldn't risk another burst of laughter he turned and faced the young boy beside him. "I am sorry to say this Naruto but you have failed the exam and I doubt that you will ever be able to pass it. I must make the recommendation to your parents that they take you out of the Academy." the Proctor informed Naruto.

A look of complete horror flashed across Naruto's face as what the Proctor told him sunk into his mind. Before his classmates could take up laughing at him once more, Naruto turned and fled from the room and Academy. The young boy took refuge in his favorite spot to sit and think, which happened to be an old swing that was tethered to a tree outside of the Academy. As Naruto was swinging in hopes of clearing his mind, he was approached by two figures.

"Are you done pouting loser?" the pink haired figure inquired of Naruto in a mocking tone of voice.

"Shut up Sakura! It isn't my fault that I can't get the Jutsu down, I practice every day..." Naruto responded to the pink haired figure.

Upon hearing Naruto's words, the two figures started to shake with uncontained laughter. "Do you hear that Sakura? It isn't the little baby's fault!" the red haired figured choked out as his body was still convulsing with his laughter. Though it wasn't long before the figure known as Sakura turned from the group and walked away, which left Naruto to face the crimson haired boy.

Once they were completely alone, the crimson haired boy made his way towards Naruto and pulled him from his perch on the swing. Once they were close the crimson haired boy whispered something to Naruto's ear which caused Naruto's face to fall.

As the red-haired boy walked away from Naruto, they both were unaware of the shadow that was watching them. The shadow was extremely curious as to why the blond looked as if he had just been rammed through the chest with a sword. As the shadow watched the blond walk away its curiosity got the better of it and it followed after the boy.

Naruto stood alone in his room, the blackness of his surroundings giving him some comfort in what he was about to do. The kunai that he held within his hand glinted as the small amount of light that slithered out from his closed blinds fell upon his weapon. As he moved the kunai closer to his wrist the words that were whispered to him came flooding back to his mind.

"Why don't you go and end yourself, that way our family can regain the honor that you have stolen away!" and as the words echoed around his skull the blade sliced through Naruto's skin leaving a gash for the blood to escape. As the blood trickled down his wrist the door to his room opened.

"Naruto!" a female voice shrieked as she watched Naruto collapse to the ground.

The Hokage of the Leaf as well as his family stood in the pristine white hospital room listening to what was going on around them.

"Doctor, what is wrong with our son? I have stopped the bleeding so why hasn't he woken back up?" Naruto's mother inquired of the Doctor.

"Well Mrs. Uzumaki-Namikaze I do not know the answer to that, all I can tell you is that until whatever it is that is keeping him dormant mends, he will continue to stay that way." the Doctor explained to the heartbroken couple and with that the Doctor left the couple to deal with the grief about their child.

"Minato, how are we going to get our son back?" Naruto's mother inquired of her husband.

"I just don't know Kushina. We will have to do what the Doctor says and just wait for his body to heal." Minato replied back to his wife.

A cough brought the two away from their focus on their injured child. Both Minato and Kushina turned to the figure that was coughing and saw a red-haired boy that looked exactly like Naruto but was completely opposite in nature stood facing his family.

"Why do you even care about that useless piece of garbage? He isn't even able to access Chakra. He did us all a favor by trying to take his life but even that he wasn't even able to do right!" Naruto's brother spat back at his parents who were shocked at hearing the words that came out of their eldest son's mouth. Though it wasn't long after, that a hand came flying towards his face and a smack could be heard echoing throughout the room and hospital.

Minato's eyes flashed as his anger could be seen seething in his eyes. "Don't you dare talk about your brother as if he isn't as important as the rest of us!" Minato roared as his anger tore from his body.

Naruto's brother held a look of pure hatred on his face as he turned and bolted from the room.

As her son fled from the room, Kushina turned towards her husband. "Minato! Tai is just as much our son as Naruto is, you cannot just go around hitting him just because you are angry!" Kushina hissed out with venom laced words.

Minato's anger seemed to slip away as he watched his son flee from him. Looking back towards his wife, Minato's eyes resonated with sorrow. "I know my love..." Minato whispered back and as they looked into each other's eyes they never noticed the shadow slither towards Naruto.

Naruto stood in an all-white chamber like room and in front of him stood a tall ghost like figure that was dressed in all black. Looking around Naruto was confused by the fact that he saw no exit to the room and his confusion showed when he spoke to the figure in black. "Could you please tell me where I am sir?" Naruto questioned the man.

The man looked at Naruto as if he was looking through his skin and into his soul.

"Well young one, we are in a place whose name you wouldn't be able to pronounce though you may call it Limbo if you so desire. It's a place where those who take their own life go before, they pass on to their afterlife." the man informed Naruto in a voice that seemed to speak directly into his mind.

Upon hearing these words, a sad look spread across Naruto's face as the ordeal he put himself in finally came to him.

"So, I really am dead..." Naruto muttered back.

"As of yet that is not true. Your human body is in a coma while your soul is here with me. Once you pass through that door your body will fade away..." the man explained and before Naruto could state that there wasn't a door to pass through one appeared in front of his eyes and once again the man started to speak. "...this is something that I don't usually ask, but what caused you to make the decision to take your own life?"

Tears streamed down Naruto's face as he tried to find the words that could explain how he came to be here. Clearing his throat, Naruto looked up into the man's eyes and spoke in a voice that told him exactly how Naruto felt inside.

"I did what I did because I brought dishonor to my family and this was the only way for me to make up for my great shame..." Naruto muttered out as he cast his eyes downwards.

The man made a humming sound as he digested the information that Naruto just gave him.

"...and how is that you a child could have done something so wrong that it would have called for an action that was this drastic?" the man inquired of Naruto.

"I come from a family of Ninja, who all have access to Chakra and able to use Jutsu. I do not have those abilities and ended up failing out of the Ninja Academy. This was the only way that I knew could help them regain the standing that my existence has caused them to lose..." Naruto responded to the man's question and each word that left Naruto's mouth his voice grew louder and louder until it eventually boomed through the chamber.

To Naruto it felt like an eternity before the man spoke once more. "I am sorry young one...I wish there was something that I could do to help you..." the man muttered to Naruto and as his words were coming to an end a shadow started to expand from the ground, which caused both the man and Naruto to turn towards growing black mass.

As the shadow grew it started to take on a human appearance and soon a violet haired with extremely pale skin took the place of the black mass that was there just a moment before, and for just a split second it looked to Naruto as if the two were going to fight. Though before any blood could be spilled, smiles grew on both the boy's face as well as the elder man that Naruto has been revealing his life to.

"Kamatari! It is quite a surprise to see you. What has brought you to my domain?" the man inquired of the violet haired boy that Naruto now knew to be named Kamatari.

"I followed this boy from his world, and I think that I can be of assistance to the both of you." Kamatari responded and though before the man could respond Kamatari was speaking once more. "Before you send this boy to his afterlife, I would suggest that you send him with me so that I could train him."

The chambers Guardian didn't respond to Kamatari's offer he turned towards Naruto.

"What do you think of Kamatari's offer young one?" the man inquired of Naruto.

The offer seemed interesting to Naruto, though there was one thing that he wanted to know. "If I am trained by you, would I be able to become a Ninja?" Naruto questioned Kamatari with a voice that told them all of his longing.

"Naruto...with our abilities flowing through you. You would be able to such much more..." Kamatari replied and before Naruto could ask what that was Kamatari spoke once more. "...you would be able to rule your world." and as Kamatari's words spilled out into a chamber a door appeared behind the violet haired teenager that would lead Naruto to a different future than the one that his decision to take his own life was going to lead him.

Naruto didn't even have to speak his approval before he was being drug through the door by Kamatari.

Upon pushing through the door, Naruto's heartbeat started to spike as he saw the unusual sights. Though the world itself was similar to the one that Naruto came from, the flying gigantic reptiles caused Naruto to tremble with fear.

"What are those creatures?" Naruto stuttered with barely contained fear.

Though Kamatari knew how he felt the first time that he saw one of these creatures, he still let his laughter split the air around them. "Those are Dragons. They are one of my peoples and soon to be your people's weapons against our enemies." Kamatari informed Naruto and before Naruto could speak the words that he wanted Kamatari spoke out once more. "Before we get any farther into it, there is someone that you should meet."

With that Naruto was once more being drug by Kamatari, into what seemed to be a village for Kamatari's people though too Naruto it seemed too big to be a village.

Eventually the pair came upon a huge stone castle that was extremely well protected which Naruto was able to notice from the many guards that surround the fortress. Naruto assumed that they would be turned away though upon seeing Kamatari the guards stepped aside and let the pair enter into the castle.

Though Naruto wanted to question Kamatari on the reason that he was able to enter the castle so easily he felt that he shouldn't and thankfully he Naruto didn't have to wait much longer to find out the answer.

"Prince Kamatari! How nice to see that you have returned, what has brought you back to us after such a long time away?" a deep male voice called out as Naruto and Kamatari made their way farther into the castle. Hearing that Kamatari was a Prince was a surprise to Naruto and just when he was about to comment on it Kamatari responded to the armored male that was standing in front of them.

"Well Guard Captain, I came to introduce this boy to my mother. I figured it would be rude of me not to introduce my apprentice to the Queen." Kamatari replied back with hints of sarcasm in his voice and before the Guard Captain could speak again, Kamatari pushed past him. Not knowing what else to do Naruto followed after Kamatari.

Authors Notes: Here is the final revision of Chapter one of The Rise of the Dragon which was formally known as Naruto the Dragon Mage. Hope you all enjoy and as always review and let me know what you liked, disliked and all your other general comments.