Chapter 1.
It was a clear, sunny day in the village of Konoha, and
everyone was going about their business as usual, especially a young
blonde haired girl called, Uzumaki Naruko.
She sat in a bosons
chair high above the village, her long blond hair pigtails, gently
moving in the wind, and a pair of goggles on her head, glinting in
the sun. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Naruko giggled as she spread paint
over the Hokage faces.
"NARUKO! COME DOWN HERE!" shouted a
man as a crowd began to gather.
"WHY DON'T YOU ACT LIKE A
NORMAL GIRL." Another shouted.
"YOU'RE IN DEEP TROUBLE WHEN
THEY GET YOU DOWN FROM THERE." A third one said.
"Oh you're
just jealous because I've got the guts to do something like this. I
RULE!" Naruko shouted as she laughed loudly.
"NARUKO! GET DOWN
FROM THERE IMMEDIATELY!" The third Hokage called out as he walked
on the scene.
"No way." Naruko replied, sticking out her
tongue, and continuing to paint the thirds stone face.
"WHAT?!
HOW DARE YOU?! THAT'S MY FACE!" The third shouted.
"Lord
Hokage... I can't apologise enough for her behaviour." Iruka said
as he walked up.
"Oh... Iruka." The Hokage said, as Iruka took
a deep breath.
"OK NARUKO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE
DOING? GET DOWN FROM THERE AND GET TO CLASS IMMEDIATELY!" Iruka
shouted at the top of his lungs.
"OH CRAP! Iruka Sensei! I'm
screwed." Naruko squealed.
A short while later Naruko and
Iruka were in the academy class, and Naruko was tied up and sitting
on the floor.
"You get off on tying young girls up don't you
Iruka sensei?" Naruko pouted. "I should report you."
"Oh
give me a break Naruko." Iruka sighed. "It's so you don't run
away."
"I KNEW IT! You're a lolicon rapist!" Naruko cried,
jokingly.
"WOULD YOU QUIT IT WITH THE JOKES!" Iruka commanded.
"Tomorrow is graduation, and everyone in your class will almost
certainly pass and become ninja. While YOU have already flunked out
TWICE! And you go and choose NOW to start acting up?!"
"So..."
Naruko said, defiantly.
"Grrr..." Iruka gritted his teeth,
"THAT'S IT, because of you, THE ENTIRE CLASS WILL BE REVIEWING
HENGE NO JUTSU."
"WHAAAAAT?!" the entire class said in an
uproar.
"Just come down and conjure up a transformation, which
looks like me." Iruka explained.
One by one the students
took their turn in transforming into Iruka, until eventually it was
Naruko's turn.
"Next up... Uzumaki." Iruka said, checking
his list.
Naruko stepped forward and brushed her one pigtail aside
as she grinned.
"Here I go sensei." Naruko winked, playfully.
"TRANSFORM" she cried as she charged her chakra.
Iruka's jaw
dropped as before him stood an older, naked version of
Naruko.
"WHA!!!!!" Iruka cried as blood shot out of his nose,
propelling him backwards.
"I call it my Sexy Jutsu." She
laughed. "It's really just me though when I'm older." She
grinned.
"Y-you think you'll look like that?" Iruka said as
he got back on his feet.
"Yep... I'll be super hot." Naruko
said.
"ARE YOU A COMPLETE BAKA?!" Iruka said, "WASTING YOUR
TIME ON SUCH A STUPID TRICK!"
Naruko just laughed her head
off.
But she wasn't laughing for long, as later that day she
was stuck washing the paint off of the stone faces, mumbling as she
did.
Iruka looked down, keeping an eye on her, from
above.
"You're not going to leave here until all the paint has
been removed." Iruka said with a strict tone.
"SO WHAT!"
Naruko shouted defiantly, "It's not like anyone is waiting for me
at home."
Naruko then continued on with her work.
Iruka stood
watching her, and could see she was working hard. But what she had
said, had also struck at him.
"Naruko." He said.
"Now
what? You want me to go faster?" Naruko pouted.
"Actually."
Iruka started, "How about after you're through, I... I treat you
to a bowl of ramen."
"REALLY?!" Naruko shouted up,
excited.
"Just one though." Iruka said.
"ALRIGHT!" she
shouted. "Now that's motivation!"
Naruko quickly returned to
work, humming, but stopped a second later.
"Wait." She
grinned, she couldn't resist saying it. "Isn't dating your
students wrong." She laughed.
Iruka nearly fell off the statue
when he heard her say it. "IT'S NOT A DATE!" he shouted.
Naruko
just laughed.
Later that evening, Naruko and Iruka were sat at
Ichiraku's, and they were both enjoying a bowl of ramen.
"Naruko."
Iruka said, "Why, of all the places, did you decide to deface the
Hokage monument? You do understand who the Hokage are, right?"
"Of
course I do." Naruko replied. "To be Hokage you have to have been
the best Shinobi in the village. It was the fourth Hokage who saved
our village by defeating the demon fox."
"Ok then... so why?"
Iruka asked, curious to her intentions."
"Because one of these
days I'll be Hokage." Naruko replied as she slurped up more
Ramen. She then turned to Iruka with a serious look on her face,
pointing her chopsticks at him and announced, "I'm gonna surpass
all of them, and be the greatest Hokage of all time, and then
everyone will respect me at last." Naruko ate some more ramen and
smiled as she swallowed it. "And what'll make it all the more
sweet, is that' I'll be the first female Hokage."
Iruka was
a little surprised by her seriousness, but smiled a little.
"Say...
Sensei! Can I ask you a favour?" Naruko said, putting her hands
together praying he would say yes.
"Another bowl of Ramen?"
Iruka asked, sure that was it.
"Uhh... actually... I was
wondering if I could try on your headband on." She said, pulling a
cute pose, and looking at him with puppy-dog eyes.
"My... This?"
Iruka smiled, adjusting his headband a little. "No. Not yet Naruko.
Not a chance." It's a badge of adulthood. You'll get one when
you graduate."
"WHAT?!" Naruko pouted. "No fair."
"So
that's why you took those silly goggles off." Iruka laughed.
The
next day, everyone in class was nervous, and Naruko's heart was
pounding, as she waited her turn. Not long ago Iruka had announced
what the final exam and she was nervous. "Bunshin?! It's my worst
Jutsu. Why did it have to be Bunshin?" she thought over and
over.
Several of her classmates had already gone ahead of her, and
then her name came up.
In the next room Iruka and Mizuki were
waiting, patiently, and kept their eyes fixed on Naruko as she
strolled to the middle of the room and stood before them. She was
acting cool and calm, but she was nervous underneath. She took a deep
breath. "Ok... You can do it Naruko." She thought to herself. She
grinned, and charged up her chakra. "BEHOLD! A PERFECT DOUBLE!"
she cried out.
OOONG!
Naruko looked to her side and, began to
sweat as she saw a terrible, sick looking Bunshin sprawled out on the
floor next to her.
Iruka was less than impressed. "YOU FAIL!"
He shouted.
"Wait... Iruka." Mizuki said, turning to his
fellow judge. "This IS his third time, and she actually managed to
basically conjure up a bunshin. Even if it was... flawed. Why not
give her a break?"
Naruko smiled excitedly, hoping Iruka would
change his mind.
"No Mizuki. Every other student is supposed to
generate three bunshin. Naruko barely made one. With all due respect,
this doesn't merit a pass." Iruka said.
Naruko wasn't happy.
She was mad that she hadn't passed, and mad at Iruka, for not
letting her.
A short while later all of the graduates had
gathered outside to meet up with their families and friends to
celebrate.
Naruko of course was sat at her usual spot on a swing
under a nearby tree. She sat, as she sadly listened to all the
heartfelt congratulations given to the graduates.
"Hey... isn't
that the girl who--?" said a girl, noticing Naruko sat by
herself.
"Yeah." Said another girl, "She was the only one to
fail."
"Well , it serves her right."
"Yeah. Can you
imagine if they let HER become a Shinobi...?!" the second girl
said, "I mean think about what she is..."
"Hey... don't go
there."
Naruko pulled down her goggles to hide the fact that
tears were forming in her eyes. Their words cut into her, deeply. And
a moment later, she was gone.
The third Hokage approached Iruka,
who was looking over his class of graduates. "Iruka... I would like
a word with you later."
"Of course, Hokage-sama." Iruka
replied.
Not too far away, Naruko was walking down the street,
alone.
"Naruko." Came a voice from behind
her.
"M-Mizuki-sensei?!" Naruko said as she turned to see
him.
"Naruko. Come with me." He said, and the two of them
moved to a higher place, away from the crowds. "Iruka is a really
serious guy, y'know. His parents died when he was young, so
everything he's done, he did by himself with a lot of hard work and
discipline." Mizuki explained.
"So?" Naruko said, sadly.
"What's that got to do with me?"
"You remind of when he
was your age." Mizuki replied. "He's thinking he's helping
you to grow. So try to give him a break. Try to understand where he's
coming from. One orphan to another."
"But... I really wanted
to graduate." Naruko sighed.
Mizuki could see the disappointment
on her face, and he grinned slightly.
"Ok then! I guess there's
no choice." He said.
"Huh?!" Naruko said, confused.
"I
have a secret, one I've kept for a long time." Mizuki said.
That
night, the Third Hokage was wandering around his house, when he heard
someone creeping through it.
"Naruko?!" he said, as he saw the
young girl creeping through a room. "What are you doing in my house
in the middle of the night?"
"Errr..... SEXY JUTSU!" she
cried in a panic.
The sight of the sexy, adult, figure sent a
shock through the Hokage, causing him to pass out from the blood that
shot out of his nose.
Naruko knew she didn't have much time, so
she ran to the archive room and quickly found the scroll she was
looking for.
And as she made her escape, Mizuki watched from the
shadows, grinning.
Iruka was lying in bed, thinking upon his
earlier meeting with the Hokage. It was a discussion about Naruko,
and how she, and him, were not so dissimilar. A thought which
reminded Iruka of the day his parents were killed by the demon, year
ago.
A knock on the door though, interrupted his thoughts.
Iruka
got up and answered the door, to find Mizuki in a panic.
"Hey...
what's up?" Iruka asked.
"It's Naruko." He replied, "She
somehow found out about, and stolen the secret manuscript."
"WHAT?!"
Iruka cried.
A short time later, Shinobi were looking all over
the place for Naruko, angry at what she had done.
Iruka had
decided to check the forest first though, and before long he had
discovered the blonde girl sitting on the ground.
"GOTCHA!"
Iruka said, with a glare.
"About time." Naruko grinned,
happily as she stood up. Iruka then noticed how exhausted she looked.
"Hee-hee. Although you were so fast, I only learned one
Jutsu."
"You look exhausted. What have you been doing?"
Iruka asked, something didn't seem right.
"Oh... Just wait
until I show you." Naruko said excitedly. "Some of the Shinobi
arts are so amazing, and when I show you, you'll have to let me
graduate."
"Huh?!" Iruka said, surprised.
"So... she
came here to practice her ninjutsu? Working her-self to exhaustion."
He thought to himself.
"Naruko..." Iruka said, "What's up
with the scroll you're carrying?"
"What...This?" Naruko
said, "Mizuki-sensei told me about it, about this place and that if
I could show you I'd learned the Jutsu in this scroll, you would
let me become a Shinobi." Naruko looked excited and happy as she
explained,.
"Mizuki?!" Iruka thought, unsure what was going
on.
Suddenly Iruka sensed danger as several kunai shot through the
air. Iruka pushed Naruko to one side and out of danger as they
impacted him, pushing him against the nearby hut.
Mizuki stood in
a nearby tree, two large shurikin on his back. "I'm impressed
that you figured out where to go." Mizuki shouted down.
"Now I
understand." Iruka said.
Naruko looked on, confused as to what
was going on, why did Mizuki attack?
"Naruko... The scroll, give
it to me." Mizuki ordered.
"Huh?!" She said, "What... What
is this?!"
"Naruko, don't let him have it. Protect that
scroll with your life." Iruka cried out. "It's more dangerous
than you know. It holds secrets of a forbidden ninja art. Mizuki used
you to get it for himself."
Naruko gasped as she shot to her
feet.
"Even if you've read it, it will still be meaningless."
Mizuki said, "I can show you what it means."
"MIZUKI... SHUT
UP YOU FOOL!" Iruka said, as he realised where this was
heading.
"Do you what really happened twelve years ago during
the attack of the demon fox?" Mizuki asked Naruko, grinning. "There
was a decree passed. A part of that decree was that everyone but YOU
would know the truth."
"Except me?!" Naruko said, surprised
and hurt. "Why... Why not me? What are you talking about?" Mizuki
just laughed. "WHAT DECREE?!" she shouted, a tear in her
eye.
"That... No one must ever tell you... that what you are...
IS the demon fox!" Mizuki answered, with an evil grin.
"W-What?!"
Naruko said, her head suddenly swimming in confusion, "Wh-what are
you talking about!!"
"STOP IT!" Iruka shouted.
"In
other words, Naruko." Mizuki continued, regardless of Iruka, "It
was you who killed Iruka's family... YOU are the nine-tailed fox
that nearly destroyed the village." Mizuki laughed as Naruko began
lose focus, more tears appearing in her eyes, as she remembered how
bad she had been treated, for the first time it made sense. "The
fourth Hokage trapped you and sealed you in your current form, and
since then, you've been made a fool of by everyone in the village,
despised. Didn't you think it was strange?"
Mizuki pulled out
one of his giant shurikin and began to twirl it, as Naruko,
distracted by the pain in her heart, just stood there, frozen in
place.
"If Iruka was to be honest too, He'd admit, he, HATES
YOU TOO!! No one will ever accept you" Mizuki added as he threw the
shurikin at the young blonde girl.
As Iruka saw it glide through
the air, his mind was filled with thoughts of Naruko.
"You never
knew a parents love. Since the day you were born, you've had it
hard, despised by our entire village, the best you ever hoped for was
attention, not love, and you found you could only get that by getting
into trouble. So willing to get any criticism as long as, someone,
was so willing to pay you any amount of attention!" Iruka's eye
filled with tears as he moved.
THUKK!
The shurikin impacted
Iruka in the back as he covered Naruko.
"W-why?" Naruko asked,
confused.
"I... I was so lonely without my parents. I was just
like you, trying to get attention, becoming a class clown, just so I
would be noticed, it was better than being a nobody. But it hurt so
much." Iruka said as his tears streamed down his face. "I... I
know I was tough on you, and it must have hurt. Please... forgive me.
Maybe if I had been a better teacher... no... a better person,
neither of us would be here."
Naruko was unsure what to feel, it
was all too much, so she quickly got up... and ran.
Mizuki
laughed as he jumped out of the tree, "Naruko has a one track mind.
Now that she knows the truth, she'll use that scroll to take
revenge on the village!" Mizuki said, almost pleased, "I mean,
did you see the look in her eyes, those were demon eyes. Reminds me
of the old saying 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'."
"You
don't know her at all." Iruka said as he achingly removed the
giant shuriken.
"I don't need to know her to kill her. I just
need the scroll." Mizuki said as he leapt up and away.
Back
at the Hokage's office, the third Hokage had witnessed the events
unfold, and could see in his crystal ball that Naruko was hurting,
and was being driven over the edge by anger, hatred and an
overwhelming feeling of loneliness.
The third was worried that the
fox that had been sealed inside of her could be released, and with
the scroll in her position, she would be a deadly force.
Naruko
sped through the forest as fast as she could, but Iruka was coming up
behind her, faster.
"Naruko. Give me the scroll, it's what
Mizuki's really after." Iruka shouted, But Naruko just moved and
impacted Iruka, sending him flying to the ground.
"W-what are
you doing Naruko?" Iruka asked as he got back to his feet, and in
a puff of smoke, revealed him-self to be Mizuki. "How did you know
I wasn't Iruka?" he asked, annoyed he had been found out so
easily.
"Easy." Naruko chuckled, as she revealed herself to be
Iruka. "Because I am." He stated.
"I see." Mizuki said.
"It's so noble that you're trying to save your the murderer of
your parents . What will it achieve?"
"She'll keep the
Scroll safe from you." Iruka said, slumping down against a
tree.
"You're a fool." Mizuki said, "She maybe a girl, but
we're just the same. I can use the scroll to achieve limitless
power, while the demon inside her hungers for it. You were right to
fear her."
Naruko was sat, hidden, nearby and listening to
everything that was being said, and tears began to roll down her
cheek, "Iruka... Iruka-sensei really hates me?" she thought, "So
it's true."
"You're right. I hate the fox demon." Iruka
stated, "But not Naruko. Not her. She plays me up a lot, she's
awkward in her training, clumsy even, and screws up a lot. But I
respect her, she tries her hardest, works with all her might to
overcome those challenges. And even though people have mocked and
ridiculed her, it's only made her stronger, given her empathy. She
knows pain. "
Hearing this made Naruko cry even more, but this
time happy with the words she was hearing.
"She IS NOT a demon.
She is a citizen of Konoha, the village, hidden in the leaves."
Iruka stated, "She is Uzumaki Naruko."
Mizuki gritted his
teeth, annoyed at all of Iruka's babbling. "That's so sweet
Iruka. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Mizuki said,
sarcastically, as he pulled out his second large shurikin, "I WAS
going to leave you for later, but I guess I should end this now. So
say goodbye."
Iruka just smiled, Naruko could be long gone now,
and it made him happy she was safe and sound.
But as Mizuki rushed
at him, a flash of orange moved quickly into view, striking at Mizuki
and sending him flying.
"Naruko?!" Iruka thought, surprised to
see her.
"Keep away from Iruka-sensei." Naruko threatened as
she placed the scroll on the ground, and glared at Mizuki "Or I'll
KILL YOU!"
"NARUKO!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT OF HERE!"
Iruka screamed.
"Hah! Loud-mouth little girl! I'll kill you
with one blow!" Mizuki said, confidently as he laughed.
"Bring
it on, jerk." Naruko said as she performed a hand sign. "Anything
you give me... I'll give it back a thousand fold."
"You're
welcome to try, little girl" Mizuki said.
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO
JUTSU!" Naruko shouted. The immediate area suddenly filled with
countless Bunshin, all perfect copies.
Both Iruka and Mizuki were
shocked at the sight.
"What the?!" The speechless Mizuki
gasped, as he looked around, startled and confused.
"Come one
loser, you said one punch. So bring it." All the Naruko's said in
unison.
Mizuki was frozen to the spot, "How did she--? when did
she--?"
"I guess I'll go first then." Naruko grinned as
all of the bunshin jumped in at Mizuki.
Iruka sat and watched,
smiling at his student.
"Amazing. She generated a thousand
bunshin, but no only that, they're all solid, flesh and blood
replicas. One of the highest calibre Ninjutu's." He smiled. "I
wouldn't be surprised if she does become Hokage one day."
A
short time passed and Mizuki lay unconscious on the floor, beaten
black and blue.
"Tee-hee. I guess I got carried away." Naruko
giggled in a cute way.
"Naruko. Come here for a second." Iruka
said. "I got something for you." Naruko did so. "Now close your
eyes."
Naruko obeyed and closed her eyes tightly, and after a
few moments Iruka chuckled. "Ok... you can open them now."
Naruko
opened her eyes to proud and a smiling Iruka. "Congratulations."
Iruka said, happily, "You graduate. And to celebrate. I'm taking
you for ramen."
Naruko, began to whimper, happily as tears
welled up in her eyes, and suddenly she jumped into Iruka's arms,
happy to finally be a ninja.