Title: The Superhero

Summary: AU. SasuNaru. Sasuke never believed in superheroes. Until one night, one just saved him from certain death.

Important:

This is a SasuNaru with AU.

A SasuNaru with AU this is. :D

Chapter 1: Birthday

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

In the morning, he was the town's noisiest sixteen year old boy. He had blonde hair and incredible blue eyes. His skin had a healthy shade of tan which he hid underneath a pair of orange jacket and pants. The bright color represented his whole self as it was surrounded with optimism. When he smiled, it was very disarming. His cheeks had three scars on each and every time he was asked where he got them, we would say that he had that long before he could remember.

But even if he maintained this façade, people around him hated him for reasons that even he couldn't understand. People would pretend that he didn't exist and would most of time drive him away from their own children. That was why whenever he got a little attention, he would love every drop of it that he could get. That was why he was such a prankster and why nobody seemed to understand him.

He lived in a shoddy, little apartment by himself. It was near the outskirts of the village where we grew up. He was used to the danger that lurked about him, and it seemed to avoid him as if it already knew that it was him.

His name was Uzumaki Naruto and this was his persona.

At night, when all else were asleep, the creatures of the night come out and wreck havoc in the village.

The boy Naruto would tie a forehead protector, which bears the village's symbol, around his head. For him, it meant that he was the protector of the village. Before leaving his apartment, he would wear a sleeveless black outfit, topped with a bullet proof white, sleeveless jacket. He would call it, his ANBU outfit. He would explain the reason if he was asked. But nobody knew about it, so nobody asked. After putting on his clothes, he would grab his katana and head out. The boy would wander around and search for evil doers who fed on innocent people and give them the punishment that they deserved.

Just like any typical superhero, he hid certain characteristics, because things were just better this way. Nobody knew how strong and fast he could be. His eyes and whole personality would change whenever he called for this hidden power. He would grow fiercer and he would radiate an aura of immensely terrifying power. His senses would heighten, giving him the utmost defense and attack power that he'd need.

Even if Naruto was treated an outcast in this village, he couldn't bear to let it just waste itself. That's why despite of the treatment he received, Naruto still protected the village with all of the remaining power that he has.

Tonight, there was no moon. The village was deadly quiet and everything else was still. Even the trees were not whispering anything. On nights like this, that same boy with sunny hair and deep sea eyes would wander around in the shadows. His eyes have changed from sky blue to blood red and his scars have become more prominent. He would perch on a roof or a branch and listen for any slight sounds, even small cries of help was not lost in Naruto's senses.

Tonight, he stopped by the roof of one of the buildings near the entrance of their village. He stood there still and waited. Something would eventually come out.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

A boy with black hair entered the local convenience store. His coal-colored eyes scanned the place as he stepped inside. He went to the nearest vending machine and took out some small change. He inserted coins and when the machine beeped, he pushed a button. While waiting for his canned soda to come out, he looked beside the vending machine to see a poster that looked like a few weeks old.

The poster was big. It was really hard to miss. It had a large header on top that screamed 'The Red Fox' and just underneath it, was a black silhouette of boy with spiky hair. Everything else was black, except for the bright red eyes with slits for pupils. The boy observing the poster read the caption just at the bottom of the poster, 'Konoha's very own superhero. Thank you for being alive.'

He heard a thump and the boy got his can of soda from the slot. He opened the pin and heard the expected fizzle. As he sipped his soda, he looked at the poster again and muttered. "Bullshit."

Superheroes did not exist. Just recently, there was this mysterious boy who the people have aliased as the 'Red Fox'. He would pop up at the right moment at the right time. It was rumored that he had incredible speed and strength. Witnesses whom he had helped said that if you looked at his eyes, you would see nothing but red. Nobody could say how he really looked like, because he only appeared at night and darkness hid most of his identity. Newspaper publishers and television companies often offered a generous amount of money to anyone who could discover the hero's true identity.

The boy headed out of the store and checked his watch. It was two in the morning. He should be going home, but he didn't feel like going back in that hell hole. He lived alone anyway, and nobody was worrying about him at this time. This was his first time after all to head out by himself after midnight. After all, who would want to spend his birthday alone in his own house. He used to drink until everything else didn't make any sense during his birthdays. Okay, maybe not just during his birthdays.

But this year, he would only take a harmless can of orange soda and probably should be heading home. Even if nobody cared about him, he'd be damned he would be beat up to death in this dirty alley. He would just have to cross a few more blocks and turn right and head down the street that led to a mansion.

Even if he had a big house, the boy has mostly grown up without the guidance of any parent. Thanks to a very disturbing childhood history, his life now was in shambles. Therefore, anything happy or positive was not in his world. He didn't believe in redemption after years of hoping for it to be real.

He was almost near his street when he stopped in front of an alley that was just a block away from his destination street. He could take the shortcut, it might be much easier. Before entering the alley, he had a gut feeling that it was dangerous. But being the stubborn person he was, he ignored it and decided that he could take any danger anyway. He could defend himself very well… or so he thought. So, we continued walking until he was halfway in the alley.

In the middle, it lacked light, for the lamp posts were just located at the corners. The light wasn't bright enough to reach the innermost of the alley. He could still make out figures of the trash cans though, with the little light. As he was walking quietly, he was seriously thinking that he should NOT have gone here.

He couldn't remember details much, for everything happened all too fast. He didn't hear any sound as someone came from behind him and grabbed hold of his arms. A second figure rushed towards them and aimed a fist that meant to knock him unconscious. He raised a leg to deliver a kick at the oncoming intruder and successfully had his foot crash on the attacker's face.

He gave a smirk as he heard a small crack before the cry of pain from the attacker. He must've broken the guy's nose. Good. "Asshole."

He struggled and felt the attacker's hold on his arms weakening, but just then another one came rushing forward with a long knife that aimed for his heart. "You'll pay for what you did to my buddy, brat."

He was about to kick again but his mind already calculated that the attack was too fast and the knife would definitely hit his chest. He braced himself for the feel of the cold knife in his heart and shut his eyes.

But nothing came. He looked up to see what happened and found himself staring back at a pair of red, cat-like eyes. He gathered his presence of mind and looked at the other attacker who was unconscious on the ground, the knife laying beside his limp hand. That guy was on the ground along with the other one whom he just kicked unconscious.

His attention was brought back as he heard his rescuer say in a deadly whisper, "Let him go."

Then the hold on his arms was suddenly released, he almost fell back. "I-it's you." He heard his attacker stutter, before running out of the alley in fear. The boy who saved him turned around to face the brunette. But it was too dark to make out a face. So the rumors were true, that the only thing that you could see were his eyes.

With incredible speed, the mysterious boy pinned his two pale arms above his head, using only one strong hand. The other was pressed against the wall just beside his head. The length of the red fox's body was pressed against his as the brunette was flattened between him and the wall. He could feel the hot breath against his ear as he heard a whisper, "What's your name?"

He swallowed, "Why should I give it to you?" From here, he could feel the strength radiating from this boy and he knew that he had no right to speak like this in front of him.

"Because I saved you?" He could feel the smirk that came along with that statement.

He didn't ask for help in the first place. This stupid 'superhero' was making him look like he owed something. Which he didn't. "Bastard, I could have done it myself."

"Sure." The fox let him go and distanced himself a few feet away from the black-haired boy. He was still in the shadows so the brunette couldn't really make out what he looked like.

Seconds have passed without either of them saying anything. The fox, apparently, seemed to be bored. He nodded at the boy and started to walk into the shadow and away from the person he saved.

"It's Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke." He called after the leaving fox. He didn't know why he had given him his name. But he felt that it was some sort of gratitude for helping him tonight.

The fox stopped walking and almost looked back at him, "You're welcome, Sasuke." Then the fox jumped and suddenly vanished.

Sasuke stayed still for a moment then realized he was still in the alley. He ran to the exit of the alley, towards the direction of the source of light. As Uchiha Sasuke was going home that night, he would constantly feel a sense of security and a pair of red eyes watching over him.

This has been a good birthday, after several years.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

…to be continued.