Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Lorei, Everything else is the property of the genius who invented the World of Naruto, I worship at you holy feet.
Star: Isn't that a bit much?
Nebula: Not really, there are other authors who have a level of worship from me that's on a much higher standard
Skye: 'I worship at your holy feet?' How can you get worse than that?
Nebula: I can't remember the name of the person who invented Naruto, I remember the names of all the ones that I truly worship
Star: Like Natsuki Takaya-sama, Stephenie Meyer-sama, Rowling-san (Her respect got slightly lowered after disappoitment in the sixth book) and last but definitely not least Goodkind-sama
Nebula: Wow you got all of them, didn't realize you actually paid attention to my worship of these awesome authors!
Star&Skye: We have no choice we are stuck in your head!
Nebula: Yeah, yeah, but you don't have to actually pay attention to what I'm thinking!
Skye: Never mind just get on with the first chapter of Angels Within Temptation.
Nebula: Read and enjoy!
Prologue
Okay I admit, at first when I woke up I thought 'Oh god how drunk am I?'
Now mind you, actually voicing this was probably pretty stupid, but when I usually wake up I don't have a pounding headache, amnesia and there isn't a really hot guy standing next to the hospital.
He laughed; it was such a happy laugh, full of a kind of innocence and an absolute zest for life.
With that laugh, I fell in love.
He told me his name was Arashi Kazama, my name?
I don't think much importance but it's Lorei.
My last name I could never recall so the Sandaime gave me the general last name that most orphans take on; Uzumaki.
Arashi-san showed me around the village and I was granted citizenship.
Not as a shinobi or anything, just a civilian.
After that I figured I would probably never see Arashi-san again.
Then he started popping up at the ramen stand where I had begun working at.
I continuously kept telling myself 'He isn't here to see you, he just loves ramen a lot' didn't work at all.
We talked a lot, about almost everything.
After about 3 months, one day he just kissed me.
It was very nice and because of the whole amnesia thing it was basically my first kiss.
He apologized saying he was sorry but he really liked me and well actually he was talking really fast so I didn't catch the rest of it but it was annoying me so I kissed him back.
We started dating after that, I met his sensei a couple of times.
I did not know it was possible for a man to be that perverted.
I told Arashi-kun if I ever caught him with one of Jiraiya's books I would burn the book.
He told me that he never even touched his sensei's Icha, Icha books. Arashi-kun was a jounin so I met his genin team quite a few times.
We never introduced ourselves as a couple, with the war against Iwa, it would be too easy for them to kidnap me and use me as a hostage against Konoha.
We got married; it was an extremely small ceremony, just the Sandaime and us.
Not even Arashi-kun's students knew, Jiraiya, Tsunade-neechan, and Orochimaru-san did know of course but that was about it.
I got pregnant soon after we were married.
I was so happy and so was Arashi-kun.
The Sandaime had Arashi take over as the new Hokage, the Yondaime awhile before I showed up.
He always smiled so brightly when he came home.
He talked to my belly a lot while I was pregnant, it made me laugh.
I was almost at my due date the night the Kyuubi attacked.
The battle went on for days, so many shinobis died.
It was late afternoon of the third day when I went into labor, in an isolated hospital room, Tsunade-neechan helped with the delivery.
Arashi-kun came in to the room a few minutes after little Naruto was born, he drew something on his stomach that I couldn't see, then laid Naruto back on the bassinet that he had been in.
Arashi-kun then turned to me, his face pale and unshed tears in his eyes.
He then mouthed to me 'I'm so sorry' and 'I love you' then he rushed back out in to battle.
I may only be a civilian but I'm not blind, when the power surge burst through the room and straight in to my baby, leaving three whiskers like scars on both of his cheeks; I felt it. Naruto started crying the minute that red chakra entered the room and started being sucked into the seal on his stomach.
A few minutes later Tsunade-neechan was informed that Arashi-kun had died sealing the Kyuubi away.
This is where my story begins; the story of the mother of the village pariah.
NARUTO
ANGELS WITHIN TEMPTATION
Saga 1: Embers of a Nation
Chapter 1 theme song "Blue" By Eiffel 65
Chapter title:
Fallen in a Sense of Grief and Happiness
'Yo listen up, here's a story about a little guy that lives in a Blue World...'
Chapter 1
The village council sat behind the long table, throwing looks that ranged between disgust and pity at the eighteen year old young woman sitting in a chair at the other side of the room who was holding a small bundle and rocking it back and forth; a detached smile on her face.
"We motion to execute the Kyuubi host to get rid of the demon once and for all. It is likely with the fox sealed inside him the gaki will be just as bad." A middle aged man spoke up, many of other members of the council making nodding motions as well.
The young woman's face shot up, her eyes panicked. "No, don't kill my baby!" she cried, her hands clutching the bundle closer to her chest.
"The Yondaime, wouldn't wish the boy to be killed, he wished for the boy to be seen as hero for being the Kyuubi's jailer and can't you see you are distressing Lorei-san?" The Sandaime protested.
"If you are going to kill my baby you will have to kill me first, I don't care if I'm only a civilian you aren't killing my baby! Don't most of you people have children around his age? Please show him mercy, he's my baby!" Lorei whimpered her brownish-blonde hair falling in her face and sticking to the tear tracks running down her face.
"We will leave the Kyuubi gaki alone for now, but we will not give up on this line of thought Hokage, we will follow the law you set down of never speaking of the jinchuuriki to the younger generation as well." The council leader digressed waving his hand in a dismissive gesture.
Lorei nodded and quickly left the room, the bundle still in her hands.
"Shh, Naru-chan see they aren't going to hurt you! Okaa-chan loves you enough to make up for all of the silly billies around here and don't worry there will be other people who will love for just being you. Like when Tsunade-neechan comes back, she'll adore you! You look just like her younger brother Natawaki, he died awhile ago. She's really upset right now because of everything that happened but she'll come back, I know she will! Now we got to go back to the apartment the Sandaime gave us. Know one knows who your father was, except me, the Sannins and the Sandaime, so we can't stay at home. Sandaime-sama says it's for the best because Iwa shinobi would probably try to assassinate you in revenge for your father's action during the war and it isn't likely that the ANBU would be very helpful in protecting us." Lorei whispered giving a weak smile, smoothing back the blonde fuzz on the baby's head.
The small child yawned and snuggled in closer to the affectionate touch and embrace "Okaa-chan loves you, Naruto sweetheart"
7 years later
A small spikey haired blonde boy ran out the doors of the academy smiling as he ran to his mother who was waiting just outside the gates
"Okaa-san, Iruka-sensei says we're going to start working on jutsus tomorrow, isn't that awesome!"
"Of course it is Naruto! Do you want to wait a little bit so we can treat Iruka-san to some ramen? I want to thank him for helping me with my groceries the other day, I now he's busy with the Academy and all so it was very kind of him to help me."
"Uh huh, Iruka-sensei is the best of course we should treat him to some ramen! Are we going to Ichiraku's or are you making it Okaa-san?" Naruto smiled happily
"I think we should take him to Ichiraku's, I want to save some ingredients to make some bentos for tomorrow's lunch, I don't want you eating ramen all the time, you'll never grow any taller if all you eat is ramen!" Naruto's mother laughed, patting her son on the head.
"You're not that tall either Okaa-san!" Naruto giggled
"Ahh but I'm done all my growing anyway, so it doesn't matter as much!" Naruto's mother smiled, looking up as she noticed someone moving towards them.
"Lorei-san, what are you and Naruto-kun still doing here? Aren't you two usually at home by now?" the brunet chuunin asked the two.
"Oh me and Naru-chan wanted to ask you if we could treat you to some ramen as a thank you for helping me with my groceries the other day, and for being so kind to Naruto." Lorei asked gently, Naruto holding on to her hand and gently leaning against her.
"I don't want to be a bother Lorei-san, but if you insist…" Iruka trailed off
"Of course we do, right Naruto-kun?" Lorei smiled her chin length bangs swirling around her face, the honey blonde bangs resettling next to her ears.
Most of her hair had been swept in to a bun at the base of her neck but her bangs wouldn't stay in and fell around her oval shaped face.
The group made their way to the popular ramen stand at a sedate pace, Lorei naturally avoiding the roads that held a greater concentration of civilians, mainly the ones who could remember what happened seven years ago.
"Maa, maa Iruka-sensei you never mentioned what your favorite flavor of ramen was. You're our guest so we should treat you to your favorite ne?" Lorei grinned as the three of them sat down.
"I'm partial to miso ramen, but really I'm fine with just about anything, you two are being very generous, all I did was helping you with the groceries Lorei-san. You needed help and as a shinobi it's my job to help out." Iruka said quietly
"Yeah but you're the first person I can ever remember helping Okaa-san with something! I help how I can, but Okaa-san says she can do it herself" Naruto told the academy teacher.
Iruka turned and gave the young woman a half shocked look, then sighed "I see… I'm extremely grateful for this show of thanks, I accept it whole-heartedly" The three of them then proceeded to order their ramen and ate quietly.
4 years later…
"Team Seven; Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto" Iruka smiled as he read the last team on the list.
"Please wait here for your jounin instructor, don't be worried if he doesn't show up soon, he has a reputation for being extremely late." Iruka then left the classroom giving the remaining students a wave.
"He better got here soon I know only one jounin who has a reputation for being chronically late; Hatake Kakashi. I wanna get home and tell okaa-san who my teammates are, I promised I would…" Naruto muttered staring at the door.
"Stop acting like a baby Naruto, you're such a mama's boy!" Sakura sniffed
"What, I'm a mama's boy just cause' I wanna keep my promise to my okaa-san? Okaa-san just likes knowing about my life, she worries. Being a shinobi is dangerous, but she respects that it's what I want to do. She just wants to know who is in my cell because she cares." Naruto retorted quietly Sasuke made an hn sound, turning his attention back to the door.
Uzumaki Lorei wandered around the small apartment she shared with her son worriedly.
Shouldn't he be back by now? Well unless Kakashi-san got infected by Obito-kun's lateness before he died…
"He'll be home by suppertime at the latest; I should go get some groceries… I think I'll visit Ko-chan too; I have some extra ryo to treat her to some dango" the young woman muttered.
Lorei grabbed her purse, walked out the door and locked it.
She quickly made her way to the ANBU interrogation headquarters where her friend worked at. Lorei slowly walked in to the building "Anko-chan, are you here? I have some extra ryo, I was thinking of treating you to some dango… I heard that nice guy that owns the stand and doesn't glare at me is having a sale too…" Lorei called in to the building.
The hyper, dango-loving, genin sensei hating kunoichi bounced in to the room
"Rei-chan, you're gonna buy me dango? Oh I heard Naruto-otouto finally graduated from the Academy, something about the Forbidden Scroll and Mizuki being a traitor?" Anko babbled.
Lorei winced, the movement barely showing on her face "Hai, he did graduate, I think his jounin-sensei is Kakashi-san and from what I heard he picked up Obito-kun's…habit."
"You mean being ridiculously late for everything and only showing up on time if you show up late?" Anko blinked, Lorei nodded
"Ouch, Naru-otouto still has that patience problem doesn't he?" Lorei nodded again
"He has stopped sneaking in pet frogs… The landlord got mad about the ones he found the first couple of times; we aren't allowed to have pets…"
"Does he still call his wallet Gama-chan?"
"Hai"
"Do you want any sake?"
"Iie, I don't need any, but do you have any soda crackers?" Lorei beseeched her friend
"Yep, I keep some around in case I get really hungry and things are too busy for me to go get dango" Anko proceeded to pass her friend a couple of the square crackers, which she nibbled on quietly.
"You still love wearing that kimono don't you?" Anko asked pointing at the padded white kimono her friend was wearing.
"Hai, it was a gift from my husband, it's all I really have left of him…" Lorei muttered, staring at the ground.
"Yo, Kurenai-chan you're a jounin-sensei?" Anko called over to the red eyed woman who was walking down the street with her new students.
"Yeah Anko-chan, oh and hello to you Uzumaki Lorei-san!" Kurenai smiled
"You're Naruto-kun's okaa-san?" whispered out the girl with the pale, pupiless eyes.
"Hai, oh and you would Hyuuga Hinata-chan right?" beamed Lorei "Naru-chan said you are a very sweet girl!" the shy Hyuuga blushed crimson at the compliment her crush's okaa-san had given her.
"Arigato, Uzumaki-san" Hinata stammered
"Awww you're such a kawaii girl!" Lorei cooed, patting Hinata on the head
(A/N Lorei isn't being condescending, she's just a bit eccentric and mentally she wee-wah's do to the trauma of not having a past due to amnesia, her husband dying, never being able to grieve properly due to the secretism of her and Arashi's relationship, the councils yearly attempt to have Naruto executed along with their assassination attempts and how the villagers treat her and her son)
After Kurenai and Anko talked for a few minutes the two groups went their separate ways.
After they got a little ways away Kurenai spoke
"Lorei wasn't being condescending in anyway there. She's eccentric, and she is a very sad person on the inside. From what I remember of her before Kyuubi's attack 11 years ago, she was quite a bit like Hinata-san, but her husband; Naruto's father died. No one knows who her husband was, except that he was a shinobi. Think kindly of her, that's all I really ask." The red-eyed woman sighed
"She doesn't judge anybody, even if everyone judges her first." Hinata nodded along with Shino and Kiba, who just shrugged shoulders not really understanding what, was going on.
"Uzumaki-san seems like a very nice person, and the thought of her being condescending never crossed my mind." Hinata said quietly.
Naruto backed away from the door chuckling as he looked at the prank he set up for his jounin sensei.
"Baka, you shouldn't do that!" Sakura yelled "He deserves it for being so late!" Naruto yelled back.
A few seconds later a silver haired masked shinobi entered the room, the eraser falling his head.
Naruto laughed, Sasuke turned his head away and Sakura, while laughing in her head spoke up
"Sensei, I told him not to do it!" her voice practically a whine.
"My first impression of you three…" the jounin said lazily
"I don't like you."
'I'm Blue Da Ba Dee, Da Ba Dai, Da Ba Dee, Da Ba Dai...'
Nebula: So what do you think?
Star: Yeah, Lorei and Anko are friends, it's sorta the outcast thing that brought them together.
Skye: Lorei is probably the only person who would get away with calling the 'dango bitch' Ko-chan
Nebula: Which is kinda funny. So please read & review
Star: As for the song... (Shrugs) It fit in some totally weird way
Skye&Star: See You Next Time!