Author's Notes: This is my very first Naruto Fic, but my third fic overall (or fourth, if I bothered to count my red-headed stepchild fic, Digital Saviors), but I've had the idea in my head for months now, and I need to get it written before I go crazy or forget parts I like (Whichever comes first). And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring to you:
Prophecy
A Naruto Fanfic by Umbrus-Sama
In a time long since forgotten by the self-proclaimed "Modern" side of the world, the ancient elders told tales of things yet to come. Clairvoyance was a very prevalent trait among the ancients, and they would often travel to a vast canyon in the south and discuss their prophetic dreams around a great bonfire that never seemed to burn out.
There was a single instance, however, when everyone present at the great meeting simultaneously had the same vision. A young person (It couldn't be determined whether the person was a man or woman, as they only saw passing glimpses of the individual) with wild blonde hair and blue or green eyes (That was up for debate among them) saved the world from an unseen cataclysmic event that would have insured the apocalyptic end of the world.
That sparked some dissention when two tribes of the ancients had descendents who would fit the bill perfectly. The first was the Yamanaka clan, led by Yamanaka Inomaru. Another was the Namikaze clan, led by Namikaze Rasen. The other clans, quickly realizing how this was tearing the unity the Canyon of the Cosmos was supposed to bring, persuaded the factions to let the topic drop, but each still believed that their clan would eventually save the world.
Centuries passed, and it seems that it was the house of Yamanaka would be the first to save the world, as Yamanaka Inoki became a Cetra Miko and had a hand in defeating the "Calamity from the Skies" known as Jenova. Millennia later, the house of Namikaze would have their time to shine, as Namikaze Minato, last known descendent of the clan and Konoha's Yondaime Hokage, sealed the Kyuubi no Youko into a newborn child, ending what could've been the single greatest threat the world had ever known. It was accepted by the Yamanaka that it was to be the Namikaze that saved the world, and with the prophecy seemingly fulfilled, began to rebuild Konoha. However, this was merely the beginning, as two young men would have a hand in the fate of the world, and it would all start ten years after the Kyuubi's rampage, with one coincidental event…
- Prophecy -
The village of Konohagakure no Sato has lived in relative peace for the last decade, with no apparent end to its prosperity, barring that bizarre earthquake a year ago that the entire planet felt in unison. The Yondaime's predecessor, Sarutobi the Sandaime Hokage, was forced to resume his role as head of the village. He is the only one who knows the Yondaime's dying wish: for the boy he sealed the Kyuubi within to be hailed as a hero; to be celebrated as the savior of the village, as it is only he who stands between the fox spirit and Armageddon. As the Sandaime looks out of his window, gazing at the thriving town he has sworn to protect twice now, he sighs guiltily.
The villagers, as well as the vast majority of shinobi loathe the boy's presence, as they see him as the Kyuubi itself rather than merely its jailor. In fact, before the boy was a week old, he had 57 assassination attempts on his life. As a result, the boy was placed under constant ANBU surveillance and the Third had to decree that the knowledge of the Kyuubi within the boy was forbidden to discuss, especially in front of the younger generation, the boy included, and the punishment for breaking this law was immediate execution for treason. Sarutobi felt that this law would give the boy some chance at a normal life and the chance to make friends his own age. The parents, however immediately forbade their children from playing with him, making the boy an outcast. Anytime he would walk through the village, he was subjected to glares of pure hatred from parents, and was ignored by everyone else. The children, subconsciously picking up on their parents' irrational hatred of the boy, began treating him the same way.
The boy, completely miserable, began staging pranks of a grand scale, for no apparent reason if not to be acknowledged. And the boy was very good at what he did. The village's best chuunin, and even some of the jounin, simply couldn't catch the boy after his escapades were discovered. Only Lord Hokage himself, or Oyaji, as the boy came to call him, could discern his location, and even that was because of a crystal ball that allowed him to see any one person provided they were within the walls that surrounded the village. The aging Hokage, however never punished the boy, simply because he got a much-needed good laugh out of the child's antics.
The Sandaime saw a flicker of blinding orange making a beeline for his tower, and instantly knew that the boy was on his way. He was the ONLY person who wore that hideous shade, and though he claimed it was because it was his favorite color, the Hokage knew it was because it was the only thing the store owners would sell him, to make him easy to spot in a crowd. The Hokage sighed again, mentally preparing himself for the boy's visit. The last time he dropped by, the Hokage's office was neon pink for three days, and his hair was lime green as well.
Said boy was grinning like an idiot, while merrily jogging toward Oyaji's tower, one of the few places he felt at ease in within the village's boundaries. The glares were out in full force, but the boy carelessly smiled back at them, his whisker-birthmarked cheeks stretched as far as they could go. The villagers, though annoyed by his attitude, merely grumbled and returned to their daily business. He entered the tower and trudged up the stairs, mumbling darkly between his still grinning teeth about the sheer amount of levels the place had, and kicked open the office door, shouting "HOW'S IT GOING OYAJI!'
The Hokage sighed for what had to be the 50th time that day and simply responded, "Ah, Naruto-kun. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
Naruto pointed at the man and replied, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out for Ramen! Being cooped up in this office all day and all must be boring…"
"Ramen? Sounds good, Naruto, but it will have to wait until later today, as I have a meeting with the council soon…"
Naruto squinted his cerulean eyes at Sarutobi and pouted, giving his whiskered visage a very fox-like appearance. "Well, alright. I'll be back around seven, ok?" He asked.
"Seven should be fine. Now if you'll excuse me Naruto…" The Hokage trailed off.
Naruto, realizing that the old man wanted him to leave so that he himself could, flashed a grin at the man and spun around, tossing a "See ya then Oyaji" over his shoulder as he left.
The Sandaime had to prepare himself mentally again, as he had an hour before he had to meet with the council. He opened a hidden drawer in his desk and got out a little orange book, with the title 'Icha Icha Paradise'.
- Prophecy -
Meanwhile, about half a mile outside of the gates, a young man who couldn't have been any older than Naruto, slowly trudged unknowingly toward the village, and was clearly worse for wear. His spiky black hair was in desperate need of a trim, his purple gi and matching pants were ill-fitting, filthy and tattered, and he seemed to have given up all hope for shoes. His obsidian eyes were clouded and his stomach began to growl like a wild beast. He stepped out into the clearing before the massive gates, before simply slipping into the blackness of unconsciousness.
The ninja seated in the lookout tower to the left of the gates, a man by the name of Nara Shikaku, happened to hear the thumping sound the black-haired youth's body makes, and somehow managed to tear his eyes away from the sky to glance over the side of the tower.
Upon discovering the disheveled child, he calls "Hey Chouza! Inoichi!" Akimichi Chouza was Shikaku's teammate and best friend when they were Genin, and they remained close friends to this day with the third member of the group, Yamanaka Inoichi. Chouza, a rather portly man wearing body armor and with flaming red hair and purple face markings, glanced up from the Shougi board he and Inoichi were currently using to glance at his comrade.
"What is it Shikaku?" He replied. Inoichi, taking advantage of Chouza's inattention and begins cheating, also glanced at Shikaku.
"One of you needs to find Lord Hokage. Now. We have a problem." Shikaku explained, still examining the downed boy.
"Why?" Inoichi asked. He got up to see what Shikaku could've been so worked about. "Surely it can't be that…serious." He trailed off, seeing the youth as well. "Damn. Chouza, go find the Hokage. We have an unexpected guest, and he's apparently unconscious."
"R-Right." Chouza said, and with a single hand seal, he vanished in a puff of smoke.
Shikaku turned to Inoichi. "Take the boy to the hospital."
"And what are you going to do?" Inoichi snapped once he realized that Shikaku had passed all the work to Chouza and himself.
Shikaku smirked, before returning to his seat. "I'm remaining at our post; after all, we can't leave the village's gates unguarded."
Inoichi glared at his lazy teammate, before grumbling to himself and jumping down to retrieve the raven-haired youth. Shikaku returned his eyes to their 'rightful place': the sky above. He had a few hours left before he had to return home to the troublesome harpy he loved. He cringed, as he imagined Yoshino's response to that nickname.
As Shikaku resumed his original position, Inoichi recovered his newfound charge, and shot off toward Konohagakure's hospital, many questions racing through his mind. While running, he glanced down at the still unconscious boy.
'How did you end up in such bad shape, kid? You look like you've gone twelve rounds with Orochimaru himself.' The boy's prone body offered no answers. Sighing, Inoichi concentrated charka into his legs and sped up.
- Prophecy -
Meanwhile, Sarutobi had just finished Chapter Seven of his little orange book, and had a lecherous grin and a small nosebleed to show for it, when Chouza barged into the room, panting heavily. Sarutobi, with all the stealth his position as the best ninja in the village promised, quickly replaced the book in its hidden drawer and wiped his nose. He stared at Chouza with a hint of annoyance shining in his eyes.
"Ho-Hokage-Sama," Chouza gasped out. "You're needed at the hospital. We discovered an unconscious young boy there, and figured it would be best to report it to you."
The Sandaime's eyes shifted from annoyed to concerned in a heartbeat. "Is he one of ours?" The old man asked.
"No, sir. I've never seen him before, but the kid looks like he's really been through the ringer."
"Very well then." Sarutobi said, standing and leaving the office, Chouza trailing on his heels.
- Prophecy -
Inoichi finally arrived at the hospital, and flagged down the first nurse that passed.
"This boy needs help. Now." He said breathlessly. The nurse swiftly procured a stretcher and an empty room, and called for a Med-Nin. A diagnostic jutsu revealed that the boy was simply exhausted and needed little more than rest. Inoichi released a breath he was unaware he was holding upon hearing this news. He turned around to leave the room and came face-to-face with the Hokage himself.
"Hokage-Sama." Inoichi saluted. Sarutobi waved him off. "What's his condition, Inoichi?" He asked.
"The boy's just exhausted, sir. All he needs is rest." Inoichi answered.
"Any idea as to the child's identity?" Sarutobi asked.
"None, sir. No one seems to recognize the boy."
"I see. Well, would you mind sticking around here until our mysterious friend wakes up?" The Sandaime asked, using a light tone of voice with a hint of authority, signifying that it was an order, rather than a request.
"Not in the least, Hokage-Sama." Inoichi responded automatically.
"Excellent. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a council meeting to attend." Sarutobi turned and left the room, leaving the newly assigned (and still curious) Jounin and the boy alone. Sighing, Inoichi pulled up a chair and sat at the boy's bedside. About four minutes later, Chouza barreled in, huffing and puffing like a steamboat.
Inoichi simply looked up at his friend, who was bewildered by the fact that the Hokage was gone. "He left a long time ago." He gave a small grin. "You must be getting old to be breathing that hard, Chouza." He added with a chuckle.
"Aw shut it Inoichi. You're no spring chicken yourself, y'know." Chouza countered, and smirked when he saw his friend's expression darken. "I'm going back to the gates. Meet you at the bar later?"
"I'll be there" Inoichi replied, giving Chouza a 'thumbs up.' "Someone's gotta drink you and Shikaku under the table."
Chouza huffed in mock annoyance, and grinned. "We'll see old friend. We'll see." And with that, he left. Inoichi returned his attention to his charge, and wished he had a book or something to pass the time. He decided to go to the gift shop in the lobby to buy a pack of playing cards. He got up and left after casting one last glance at the blissfully unconscious youth.
- Prophecy -
The boy in question, however was sleeping any way but blissfully. Images flashed through his subconscious.
Himself fighting an older man with blonde hair and glowing blue-green eyes.
The man charging at him an inhuman pace, his fist crackling with energy.
Dodging the punch, and retaliating with a savage kick to the jaw.
Descending on the helpless man and mercilessly beating the older man to within an inch of his life.
Being frightened, and leaving the battered man in a pool of his own blood.
The boy awakened with a strangled scream. He frantically looked around, trying to identify his surroundings, but to no avail. A flash of yellow catches his eye, and he turns to see blue-green eyes boring into his own. A man with blonde hair…Wait! Blonde hair-
The boy tried to rise, but discovered that he was strapped to the bed. As he began struggling against the bindings, the man began to speak.
"It's alright kid! No one's going to hurt you here. You're safe." Inoichi said in a soothing voice.
The boy only began to struggle harder. He obviously didn't like waking up in strange circumstances, tied down of all things. "Let me go!" He rasped, his throat parched from non-use.
"I had to tie you down because you were thrashing about in your sleep so wildly." Inoichi explained. "Must've been some dream, huh? Wanna talk about it?"
The boy, who had stopped struggling at this point, solemnly shook his head in the negative. Inoichi, noticing the boy's forlorn mood, tried to change the subject. "So, uh…"
"Where am I?" The boy interrupted.
"The hospital in Konohagakure. My partners and I discovered you passed out just in front of the village's gates. I brought you here myself."
Satisfied by this, the boy asked, "Who are you?"
"Yamanaka Inoichi, at your service. What about you, kid? You got a name?"
The boy was silent for a time, and then responded, "I don't remember it."
Inoichi raised an eyebrow at this response, and gazed into the boy's eyes for a moment. Sensing that the boy was indeed being truthful, he stood up and began to leave. He glanced at the boy over his shoulder and says, "Sit tight kid. I gotta report your waking up to Hokage-Sama."
The boy stared at the now empty door, and then at the straps holding him down, before muttering sarcastically, "Like I have a choice in the matter." He began trying to remember his name, but every time he tried to think, all he got in return was a crippling flash of pain.
Inoichi returned a moment later, with Sarutobi in tow. The aged leader gave a critical look to the boy, and the boy swallowed nervously. He raised his left hand, and Inoichi quickly set to untying the youth.
"Now, Inoichi tells me, young man, that you can't remember your name. Is that true?"
Gohan nodded an affirmative to him, and then glanced over at Inoichi.
"Would you please try again to remember?" The old man asked kindly. The boy seemed more at ease with Sarutobi in the room, and complied with the Sandaime's request. Almost immediately, the boy's hands flew to the sides of his head and he grunted in pain. A blinding flash of pain later, the boy had an answer for the Hokage. He looked up.
"My name is Gohan, sir."
Author's Notes: Annnnd SCENE! This is the beginnings of a legend. One that will shake the planet to the very depths of its core. BTW, the Canyon of the Cosmos is indeed Cosmo Canyon, of Final Fantasy VII fame.
Now, I've gotten several PMs and a review, asking me if this was a crossover with Final Fantasy. My answer to this is a resounding no, although I am borrowing a few elements from the series. I won't rule out for certain that a character or two may or may not make an appearance, but it would be a cameo at best. No more, no less. Be sure to Read and Review!
Matane!
Umbrus-Sama
Miko - Priestess
Konoha - Leaf
Yondaime Hokage - Fourth Fire Shadow
Kyuubi no Kitsune - Nine-tailed Fox Spirit
Konohagakure no Sato - Village Hidden in the Leaves
Sandaime Hokage - Third Fire Shadow
Chuunin - Mid-Level Ninja; Journeyman
Jounin - Elite Ninja
Oyaji - Old Man
Icha Icha Paradise - Make Out Paradise
Genin - Rookie Ninja; Low-Level
Shougi - Japanese Chess
Hokage-Sama - Lord/Lady Hokage