Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: The Fox Ninja.
(Believe it! The kanji just below Naruto's name translates into Fox Ninja; bet'cha all didn't see that coming.)
Okay, there are a ton of recent Naruto/Dragon stories or stories somewhere in them where Naruto has a connection with dragons and this idea has been bouncing around in my head screaming 'WRITE ME!' So I am.
Presenting a story that will blow your mind(Though it probably won't)
Of our one and only
Our most famous and favorite Most Unpredictable, Knuckleheaded Ninja!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NARUTO UZUMAKI
STARRING AS HIMSELFAND WITH THE WHOLE GANG SUCH AS
HINATA HYUUGA
SHIKAMARU NARA
SASUKE UCHIHA
KAKASHI HATAKE
THE SANDAIME HOKAGE
GAARA OF THE DESERT
TEMARI OF THE SAND
KANKORU THE PUPPETEER
SAKURA HARUNO
AND THE REST
WITH HIM IN
NARUTO THE FOX NINJA: THE RETURN OF THE DRAGON HEIR
EPISODE I
A HOPE REBORN
CHAPTER ONE
REBIRTH OF A DRAGON
As the fight, no duel, continued with neither ninja so much as giving an inch as their kunai clashed as steel ground against steel and stress and protesting metal could be heard through the wooded area, such was the strength of the combatants. Finally, one kunai failed under the strain and shattered as the owner's opponent drove their kunai into the heart of the other with a sadistic glee upon their face. As two bystanders look on in horror as that sadistic fiend buried their kunai even deeper. The fallen duelist than fell from the branch upon which the two had met and as the duelist fell, we see a young blonde hair boy with black fox like whisker birthmarks, three to each cheek, dressed in an orange jumpsuit with blue trim and shoulders with a white with black lined collar turned into smoke. The previous look of sadistic victory upon the opposing duelist vanished like the body into the smoke.
A blur of movement, a flash of yellow and orange, and the second duelist is sent flying from a vicious back flip heel kick to the face. Ruby red blood follows the flying duelist as he crashes up against another branch before falling into another as the person realizes what had happened as the person coughs up more blood.
'He made me bleed and injured me greatly?!? Greatly enough to COUGH UP MY OWN BLOOD!?!' The person loses it and howls in anger before turning yellow slitted eyes, much like those of a snake upon the offender.
"NARUTO UZUMAKI! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY! I WILL KILL YOU SLOWLY TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR MAKING ME BLEED MY OWN BLOOD YOU WORTHLESS GENIN! FOR I AM ORCHIMARU OF THE SANNIN, THE SNAKE PRINCE!" the now identified Orchimaru the Snake Sannin pulls of the skin that had once been the face of a talented Grass Kuronichi Genin he had slain shortly before the Second Exam of the Chuunin Exam.
His true face is paler than death with a tinge of purple to the coloring with a small nose and mouth as well as purple face paint that follow his eyes to further give the impression of a snake. His voice now sounding male, but at female pitch as he yells at Naruto Uzumaki the Hidden Village in the Leaves most Unpredictable, Knucklehead Ninja.
"I told you not to underestimate me, because I'm tougher than I look, BELIVE IT!" Naruto retorted with a cocky fox like grin and his sapphire eyes shinning with pride and determination.
And with that said the two were once more fighting, but this time, Orchimaru pulled out his infamous sword, Kusanagi, the Grass Cutter. With it and its long blade and his terrible prowess with it, Naruto was quickly run through as the shimmering blue blade cut through his stomach and out his back all the way to the green scale like hilt with a blue bead shaped like a tomoe set in the bottom of the handgrip. Orchimaru grinned victoriously in his sadistic manner only to lose it as he coughed up blood.
"WHAT!?" he shouted in surprise as he looked down at side where Naruto had slammed a second kunai into his liver, going through and burying part of his hand in Orchimaru.
The next thing shocked the wounded Snake Sannin even more.
"SUMMON THE HOKAGE!" a breath and slight choke, "THE MISSING NIN ORCHIMARU IS SLAYING GENIN!" Orchimaru began punching, smacking, doing whatever he could do to shut up the blonde genin and to break free of him.
Naruto's reputation for being the loudest of ninja not just in dress and movement, but in voice was well earned as the village, several miles away, heard the call and ANBU were on the move as was the Sandaime Hokage. They came like the wind; the Hokage arriving after several teams of ANBU had ahead of him and stopped cold like the ANBU.
"HURRY!" Naruto shouted as Orchimaru desperately tried to break free of the boy as all including his team mates, the ever brooding Sasuke Uchiha and the pink haired green eyed Sakura Haruno, watch in horror as Naruto's life was now lost.
"EVEN IN DEATH! LET GO!" the Snake Sannin finally broke free, but lost his sword and one of his arms.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" it was Kakashi Hatake, his ANBU sword drawn and his Shanigan eye revealed with tears flowing from both of his eyes as he watch his student fall with the sword and arm to the forest floor far below.
"NARUTO!" one of the ANBU yelled and moved to grab the boy, but was stopped by the appearance of the Snake King Manda.
"Why have you summoned my Orchimaru," demanded the Snake Boss.
"Kill them, eat them, I don't care! Just KILL them!" Orchimaru was furious.
"SUMMONING JUTSU! ENMA!" the Hokage called out as tears flowed from his eyes.
"SUMMONING JUTSU! ANUBIS!" Kakashi called out summoning the Dog Summon Alpha.
"Manda and Orchimaru, it is about… time," Enma noticed the Hokage's eyes and that of others.
"What has happened Kakashi?" inquired Anubis.
"Orchimaru…killed…killed my student…Naruto," Kakashi said as more tears appeared at the painful admission.
"You were quite fond of the boy Sarutobi, I shall be your instrument of revenge," Enma said.
"No, this is entirely my fault for not finishing this ten years ago!" the Hokage looked like his name, the Fire Shadow, as he readied to battle Orchimaru, his most wayward student.
"Come then you feeble old cote and fallen shinobi! I shall kill you!" Orchimaru yelled.
"NO!" A powerful voice commanded, seemingly coming from every direction as it continued, " IT IS I WHO WILL KILL YOU ORCHIMARU!" a voice filled full of killing intent directed at the Snake Sannin and the Snake King declared.
Rising in all of his returned glory was none other than the Nine Tail Fox, Kyuubi no Yoko.
"I SHALL HAVE MY REVENGE TWICE OVER FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE! AS PROTECTOR OF THE LAND OF FIRE, FREE OF EVIL TAINT AND CONTROL, I SHALL PROMISE YOU THAT AND YOU…WILL…BELIEVE…IT!" the fox smirk he gave Orchimaru told that he had been freed of evil's control and HIS control, by the blonde brat.
"I SHALL BE BACK AND WHEN I DO! I'LL LET MANDA AND HIS SNAKES FEED UPON THE WHOLE OF THE LAND OF FIRE!" Orchimaru declared as he and Manda escaped underground.
All the assemble ninja and a large number of civilians stood in terror as the mighty Nine Tail Fox stood after the duo's escape. Then without warning the Nine Tail Fox collapsed and disappeared in light.
"Where'd he go?" asked one ANBU.
Another ANBU with long purple hair spotted a man dressed in battle armor with a fox's tail and ears lying on a branch further below alerted her allies and lead the others to him. They rolled him over gently to see not only fox whiskers, but red hair and not yellow and his skin had a bronze shine to it as yellow eyes opened one colored red with blood from internal injuries.
"The boy…find him…he may yet live…" the man rasped out.
"Who are you?" the Hokage asked as a medic began to tend to the wounds out of instinct.
"You know who…the Nine Tail Fox…Kurama…but I am free now of…the taint that caused so much…so much misery and…and death…Naruto freed me… by…by being Naruto…" and with that said, the Nine Tail Fox fell into blackness of unconscious.
The assembled ninja were in shock and awe at what was said. The Nine Tail Fox was named Kurama and was the Protector of the Land of Fire, but had been under evil's influence. There had been legends of how the Nine Tail Beasts had once been great protectors, but now it seems that it could possibly be true. Kakashi shook his head. Kurama said that Naruto might still live.
"HURRY UP AND FIND NARUTO!" Kakashi heard Sasuke yell at Sakura, and that got everyone looking for the blonde enigma.
As the forest floor was being scoured, no one notice a Leaf Genin cell secretly grab the Kusanagi and Orchimaru's severed arm, or at least they thought no one notice them as they also tried to slink away like common pickpockets.
"ENEMY SPIES!" Hinata Hyuuga shouted as she had found that Kabuto's Nin-Info Cards to be a little too exact in strength and capabilities, such as information on missions and ninja strengths and weaknesses as well as the strength of each village that had been partaking in the Exam and now with Orchimaru's arm and sword being secreted away by him and his teammates…
The three took off running at the raised alarm. Several teams of ANBU begin their pursuit but are stopped by the giant snakes that roam the Forest of Death. They barely avoided death themselves from the huge serpents. The monstrosities advanced, the ninja already set in the plan of action reduced them to shreds of flesh and bone and short lived clouds of smoke. Yet, for all they could do, the trio escapes. Or had they.
Hiding just beyond the range of the accursed Hyuuga's bloodline, the Byukugan, the three settle to rest and wait.
"Orchimaru will want these back now Kabuto," Yosei said.
"Don't remind me about the obvious or would you rather I kill you or have you let them know where right here," Kabuto said in a cold deadpanned voice.
Little did the trio know that they were sitting a top a roof of a hidden cabin, though being in a hidden village, might have helped them learn to notice things that were actually hidden. Yet, they are oblivious to the fact that not more than several meters away is a hole in the roof with blood around. Naruto's point of impact.
Inside the Cabin Naruto lay in a growing pool of his own blood. He had long since learned that a Ninja's life was not long or proud, but he was a ninja anyway and he planned as Hokage to increase the rate of survival for the ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, no promised.
Now, with so many promises left unfulfilled, he would die. He had died two weeks earlier, deadlocked with Orchimaru.
A crash.
A bang.
The drawing of a sword.
Naruto's lifeless gaze was stared into by a young man in simple clothes.
"Such a waste," the man remarked in a voice sick of needless death and destruction. The voice of a man, who had seen too much, had lost all hope, and lived out a dying tradition.
It was then he noticed the sword he had taken from with-in evil's grasp and fled to the Forest of Death with a few others. He saw the blade resonating with the boy as a blue energy enveloped him. He knew the sword was trying to save him, and for the first time in a long time, he felt great hope.
Long have many nearly perished only for this blade to revive them.
Now as he watched, something about now told him about the fact that the boy was more than meets the eye.
And then there was a bright flash, as blue energy shot through the hole in the roof as the energy marked the greatest thing to happen to the man in more than twenty years, to many more in more in than fifty… An heir had been found.
Caught in rather rough weather, a ship plowed on, hopping to outrun its pursuers. As the ship began to pass the Land of Fire, the look out cried out.
"Chakra Pillar off the port bow!" and a special crystal held aboard ship began to glow, before breaking free of his bound position, shooting out and towards the Pillar of Chakra, where a young man's true heritage is about to be discovered and is discovered.
Astral Realm
"WHY DO YOU SEEK POWER?" one of the disembodied voices spoke, clearly male and clearly strong beyond strength.
"YES, WHY?" a female voice asked, but one that tells of limitless compassion and caring.
"Because I'm gonna be the next Hokage, Believe it!" young, strong, determined, but kind and caring, this young voice of a boy answered.
"YOUTH!" another male, just as strong as the first, but clearly proud voice spoke, "YOU KNOW NOTHING OF POWER! TO HAVE IT FOR A MERE TITLE!"
"Like I care what you say! The Hokage is NOT a MERE title, but a position of respect and responsibility!"
"OH! YOU WANT RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY. WHY?" A female voice inquired, clearly wise and firm, but gentle and understanding.
"To protect those most precious to me! TO PROTECT THE VILLAGE!" the boy was sincere in his words as he continued, but this time wise and sagely, "Because even if they don't accept me, even if they hate me, I will protect them from harm and enemies and lead them to peace and tranquility. It is my dream, it is not some sad ambition or a pathetic goal, it IS my drive! I want to protect the village, the same as all the Hokages before! With my life if need be!"
There was a flurry of discussion as the many upon many voices spoke, remaining the young teen of a council of sorts. The voices talked in a language that Naruto did not understand, but somehow knew what they were saying. He listened to them and then the talking ceased as the clearly strongest, wisest, and most powerful of the voices spoke. It spoke in a way that reminded him of the 3rd Hokage, Sarutobi.
"YOUNG ONE," the boy gave his full and undivided attention, "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"
"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto spoke only his name and nothing else in a clam and polite manner.
"WHO ARE YOU'RE PARENTS?"
"I'm a… orphan, I do not know who my parents are or even from whence they hail," Naruto's tone was a sad one, one rarely heard anywhere else, but the confines of his home and when no one else is around.
"SUCH SADNESS," the voice was silent for all but a moment, "THE HATE OF YOU IS CLEAR. WHY?"
"I contain the Kyuubi-no-Yoko who tried to destroy Konoha, the day I was born," Naruto lowered his gaze, not out of shame, but in knowing the reply to that answer, but he was surprised by the reply.
"CONTAIN? NO MY BOY, FREED!"
"What do you mean?"
"THE NINE TAIL FOX IS A CHAMPION OF THE LAND OF FIRE, TAINTED BY EVIL, BUT YOUR HONEST AND PURE HEART AND STOUT CHARACTER HAS LONG SINCE FREED HIM OF EVIL'S GRASP! YOU ARE A HERO AND HEIR TO OUR LEGACY AS IS YOUR RIGHT BY BRITH, WE GRANT YOU THE TITLE OF PRINCE THE LAND OF SKY, HEIR TO THE GREAT SKYE DRAGON EMPIRE!!!!"
"!..." Naruto was both confused and silent.
Of course he had heard of the Skye Dragon Empire. It was once the most respected empire on the face of the planet. Now it had no true heir and had fallen into decay and decadence. A nation that was as twisted and evil as any that had come before and even more so. Why would he be named the prince and heir of the…
"Why me?" he asked, honest and childlike.
"YOU ARE ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE ROYAL LINE, THE TRUE ROYAL LINE!" a soft female voice spoke, seemingly closer than the rest as a pair of astral arms, slim and feminine, brought him into a loving embrace. The kind a mother would give her child.
"Mother…" Naruto said, knowing the feel from instinct.
"Your father and I were the last hope. I was but a simple homeless girl and your father was the First Crowned Prince. When his guard was taking him out from the city during the coup, I aided in his escape and we fled together to where some of my family resided, to the Village Hidden in the Leaves where a family friend became your father's Jounin Sensei, Jiriya of the Sannin, and the family was none other than Tsunade of the Sannin," there was a pause, but she continued as she remembered those glory days long ago and long gone, "The war though, shattered her heart and she began to become cold, so she left, planning on getting the problems out of her system, only to learn of our deaths. She hasn't been back since. But you were never alone as those who are members of the old royal guard were always at your back, but so few are left and only one remains in the village, Teuchi Ichiraku," Naruto's mother watched as her son practically jumped.
"Does he know mother?" Naruto wondered if the respect he got from them was genuine or not. Was it because of his heritage, the promise of a man who died, or was it true respect, the kind he truly craved.
"No, he does not know, he was in charge of your grandfather's personal guard, the Imperial Flower Troop, who also happened to be your grandfather's many wives – GIGGLE – Naruto you're expression!" Naruto truly looked like he just saw one of Gai's and Lee's Hugging Sessions and ate a really old and really sour lemon with a barrel of salt.
"I can possibly understand that, but mother, how come you were homeless?" Naruto asked as he brought himself under control.
"That is a tale for another time, but know this, I am always there for you and so will those who came before you," and with that Naruto saw his mother, his father, and his many ancestors, all nodding their approval. Then his father spoke.
"Naruto, as you can guess at what I did and it's true," Naruto's father was none other than the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, "and as for the fox, I knew what happened the moment I heard of his rampage."
A moment of silence.
"You see Naruto, we, and you, are descendents of the Ten Tail Dragon who took human form and founded the Skye Dragon Empire in the Land of Sky to give people there and in its boarders safety and security. The empire was founded to protect, not oppress the people of the world. Now it is your turn to write a chapter in the great book of life and bring back the light that has been hidden. For Naruto, 'the darker the darkness is the closer to the light you are.' Be there Naruto, be there for the people and especially be there for those who are precious to you."
"I shall father, mother, honorable ancestors, I shall be there for the people and those I hold dear and precious, for without a true reason to fight the darkness, I shall be swallowed by it," wisdom, sagely wisdom hidden by hate and anger, now shedding forth its brilliant light.
"Then go my heir and shine forth the light of hope and freedom!" the Ten Tail Dragon, Ryu spoke, "and you shall be known as Ryudo Hayabusa! My son and heir!"
Naruto was bathed in a brilliant light of gold, silver, blue, and green. None overpowering, none vying for dominance. When the light cleared, Naruto stood, dressed in the battle armor of the Ten Tailed Dragon, but that was not all. He had horns that came out from where his hairline met his forehead that curved back gently, kindly lending to his appearance as a champion. Twin Dragon Wings spouted from his back, lending to his appearance as a guardian as they were blue and teal-green and though leathery, held the appearance and feel of feathers. For in truth, they were feathered wings.
Naruto had been born again anew, though still Naruto, his appearance was fitting for the boy who would claim his birthright and restore peace to wherever evil used that which was his to do evil and harm. He was now also Ryudo Hayabusa, the heir of the Ten Tailed Dragon and First Crown Prince of the Skye Dragon Empire!