Outcast with a Home
By: Sly Omi
Disclaimer: As pertaining to all chapters herein: I, Omi, do solemnly swear that I do not, have not, and will not ever own any claim to copyrights of Naruto, either in manga or anime form, or any merchandise thereof. I am writing this for fun, not with the intention to make money.
Raiting: PG, and unlikely to go up
Pairing(s): SasuNaru
Warning(s): You are reading this of your own free will. Ifyaoi or shounen-aioffends your sensibilites, turn ye back now. Failure to comply with this might result in your tender sensibilities being mortally offended, incurring mental trauma on your behalf. However, failure to comply with this also means that it's your own fault should that happen - I am morally obligated to do nothing about it other than laugh at you for not reading the warnings. Oh, and Sasuke plays the flute.
This stuff is, in fact, very important - especially if you don't know what in God's name a 'Tengu' is. So please read it before you skip to the story itself. You will wind up being found in varying degrees of confusion if you don't. So I am putting the prologue of the story after the pertinent information. That is why I R sooooooo smrt!111!oneeleven XD
Tengu are mountain and forest goblins with both Shinto and Buddhist attributes. Their supernatural powers include shape-shifting into human or animal forms, the ability to speak to humans without moving their mouth, the magic of moving instantly from place to place without using their wings, and the sorcery to appear uninvited in the dreams of the living.
The patron of martial arts, the bird-like Tengu is a skilled warrior and mischief maker, especially prone to playing tricks on arrogant and vainglorious Buddhist priests, and to punishing those who willfully misuse knowledge and authority to gain fame or position. In bygone days, they also inflicted their punishments on vain and arrogant samurai warriors. They dislike braggarts, and those who corrupt the Dharma (law).
The literal meaning of Tengu is "Heaven Dog." In Chinese mythology, there is a related creature named Tien Kou, or "celestial hound." The name is misleading, however, as the crow-like Tengu looks nothing like a dog. One plausible theory is that the Chinese Tien Kou derived its name from a destructive meteor that hit China sometime in the 6th century BC. The tail of the falling body resembled that of a dog, hence the name and its initial association with destructive powers.
The Tengu has evolved in both appearance and purpose over the centuries. Originally portrayed as an evil crow-like creature with a man's body, a beaked face, a small compact head, feathered wings, and heavy claws, the Tengu has since evolved into a protective bird-like man-goblin with an uncommonly long nose, wearing a small monk hat, and oft-times sporting a red face. Patrons of the martial arts, Tengu are credited with extraordinary skills in sword fighting and weapon smithing. They sometimes serve as mentors in the art of war and strategy to humans they find worthy. Tengu live in colonies under the leadership of a single Tengu, who is served by messenger Tengu (usually Karasu). More mischievous than evil, the Tengu are hatched from eggs like birds.
The following may or may not pertain immediately to the story, as the story is still being written. Some things will be mentioned in the story itself, others are just here incase you have questions - or to keep in mind throughout the story.
A. Sasuke is the last survivor of the Uchiha clan; all of whom were killed by his brother, Itachi, after Itachi's meddling with magic severed his sanity. Sasuke was seven when it happened; now he's seventeen. He became withdrawn from society as much as possible, sending Iruka out for important errands and other servants for lesser things. Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino are two of the many young women hoping to gain his hand in marriage, and he despises them all. He hardly talks to anyone if he can avoid it, but often stays out late at night on his roof, hoping for a glimpse of what he thinks is an angel that once saved him from drowning.
B. Naruto was always a screw-up among the tengu. When a demon fox went on a rampage against the arrogant humans who destroyed his earthly home, shrine, and two kits, Naruto was newly hatched. Thus he was used as a vessel for sealing the kyuubi and is shunned by nearly all other tengu. (The Tengu don't have much of a concept of time. The kyuubi attack happened before Itachi was born, but Naruto would be considered 16 by human standards.) He spent most of his time wandering the woods around Konoha – a village renowned for producing brave samurai – because he senses the sadness permeating the village and wants to help the people. His favorite person there is Sasuke, whom he saved from drowning.
C. The legend of the Kyuubi Tengu is well known among the people of Leaf, though it's not written off as one. Most of the people who were alive when the kyuubi attacked them died during the attack, but those who escaped remember it well – including the sealing. What isn't known is what Tengu the kyuubi was sealed in, but there is a small shrine dedicated to him/her in thanks for saving them.
D. The adults of Konoha (the ones of political importance, at any rate) have had dealings with the Tengu for many, many years. They keep a special shrine to Tsunade for communication purposes – the messages going back and forth through Shizune. Jiraiya, Hiashi, Kakashi, and Gai are the only ones who recognize Naruto for what he is; his wings will sometimes appear as 'phantom' wings since Naruto generally doesn't use them to fly anyway. (Neji suspects that there's a reason why Hiashi allowed Naruto to stay with them, but doesn't really think about it.)
There is a legend in Konohagakure, well known by all who have lived in the village from as far back as anyone can remember. It has been passed down in writing and story, and remarkably remains largely unchanged between the two forms. Children call for its tale at bedtime, adults reference it constantly to remind themselves of what they might well have lost - because there are yet those who know that the legend is no mere story, but a truthful recounting of what actually happened.
Shortly after Konohagakure was first founded, its powerful Shogun brought it to the forefront of villages in Japan in power, prosperity, and reputation. The Shogun recognized quickly that their village had been founded in the realm of a colony of Tengu, and quickly set about making good relations with them, asking for their protection and guidance in their woods. The Tengu agreed in exchange for a promise of assured, constant humility on the part of the Samurai while in their realm. An easy balance of mischief and watchfulness ensued. Though a standing army was kept and young men trained in combat, the villagers who lived there knew of nothing but peace and security. Their happiness lasted many long years, until all forgot that there had ever been anything else.
Until that peace was destroyed.
A young man, formerly of the Uchiha clan - the most prestigious clan of Konohagakure - became obsessed with increasing his power. In his quest, he attempted to summon the Kyuubi no Kitsune - the Nine Tailed Fox - hoping to harness the demon's power for his own. Instead he unleashed a rage so great that all the best warriors, samurai and ninja alike, could not contain it.
The people of Konoha called on their Tengu protectors, praying that they would look on them in mercy in their time of need. The Hokage heard their calls, and being fond of Konoha, she resolved to do what she could. She sent out many Guardians to help in the battle, despite the obvious uselessness of the gesture. The Kyuubi came after the Tengu colony soon thereafter. Houses were destroyed and Tengu maimed. The Hokage rallied her people and the remaining samurai of Konoha into a last battle to buy herself the time she needed to save them.
Her only option was a hatchling. The Kyuubi, she knew, could not be destroyed ... but it could be sealed. She sent out her Karasu to find her a hatchling and was brought back a young Tengu with a shock of blonde hair like her own, and with a heavy heart she brought him to the battle-field. There she performed the seal that would trap the Kyuubi into his body. The black spiral marks stood out like a tattoo on his stomach - but he merely blinked calmly up at her.
When the Hokage held the hatchling up to the crowd of warriors gathered, the hatchling smiled at them all. The humans of Konoha cheered for their child hero. The Tengu colonists averted their eyes and began to quietly pick up the pieces of their colony. Their eyes burned with a cold fire when they chanced to look at the little blonde hatchling and his bright baby-smile. The Hokage named the child Uzumaki Naruto for the spiral of the seal.
It was the first and last time Tengu and Humans came together in battle, but the people of Konoha were forever grateful to their Tengu protectors, and kept their woods free from harm and arrogance. A small shrine devoted to the Hokage had been erected many years before, but now there came to be a statue of the child who had saved their village by sacrificing his body. A new Shogun ascended to the throne, overseeing the repairs of Konoha. He took special care of both shrine and monument. Villagers noted that there was more of a cautious air in their home and in their woods, and acted accordingly.
But the most peculiar consequence of the war was the sudden appearance of a blonde child not two years later. Most often seen in the premises of the Uchiha compound, the child remained a mystery to all - for none could get close enough to him to see his face. He became known as the Forest Child, for he would slip away into the woods, and none could find him if he did not want them too. Yet no villager could bring themselves to be frightened of the Forest Child. And when Uchiha Itachi followed in his ancestors footsteps to become a wizard, driving himself insane and eventually slaughtering his whole clan, it was widely believed that it was the Forest Child who had saved Uchiha Sasuke - the last member of the prodigy clan of Konoha.