Ninja of the Void

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters associated with it.

"Talking"

Thoughts

Boy meets Girl

It was currently late at night as a pregnant red head wandered through her home. She gave off a yawn as she waddled to the fridge to get something to eat. As she looked inside, her hands unknowingly grabbed some pickles and a jar of peanut butter as she started dipping the shriveled cucumber into the paste. "The strangest things pregnant people eat".

But before heading back to her room she saw light was leaking out of Minato's private study. "Is he still working on that thing?"

Kushina slowly walked into the room as she saw her husband's back to her, he seemed to be working diligently over something. Looking over his shoulder, the blond man was looking into a magnifying glass writing small sutra seals onto a gear. After finishing this daunting task he carefully placed the component back into some strange round contraption.

"Mina-kun, it's already quite late at night. Just come to bed with me".

The fourth Hokage stopped what he was doing as he gave his wife a weak smile. "Sorry Kushina-chan, I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I just lost track of time".

Kushina chuckled at her husband's response. "Trying to over achieve as usual I see. But what are you planning to do with that contraption you got from the land of iron?"

The blond scratched his cheek as he thought of how he should word this. "Well when I saw this pocket watch I suddenly had an idea of something new I wanted to make".

"New?"

"Yeah, originally Hiraishin was created from my limited understanding of time and space. But from everything I studied, this can be considered the next upgrade. If my research is correct then this watch can easily replace Hiraishin in every way and then some".

"So what exactly can this new creation do?"

Minato gave a choked laugh at the question. "Truthfully I'm not entirely sure . . . ."

"But it's your invention!"

"Well I do know that with this watch I'll be able to go anywhere without needing a seal formula to go too. It should be capable of creating time-space barriers like Hiraishin can. But this watch is the accumulation of everything I know about time and space. With the combination of all these components, it could lead to the creation of an entirely new generation of techniques".

"It sounds incredible Mina-kun! But the war is over already. Such power isn't necessary anymore".

"Yeah that is true, but it really wouldn't matter either".

"What do you mean?"

"My research is still incomplete. There are still a few components missing from the watch to complete the full algorithm of the seal formula. Although it's already a powerful tool, it could still be so much more. Someday if I could complete it then this watch could easily be the strongest weapon in Konoha, no . . . . the entire world".

Kushina eyed the watch with concern. "Do you think it's safe for something like this to exist?"

Minato shrugged at this. "Who's to really say? But at this time, the watch is still missing a few key components. At this time of peace, there really is no need for me to finish it".

"So it's just another unfinished hobby of yours huh? But if you have that much time on your hands then there should be no problem for you to finish Naruto's room is there?"

The Yondaime gave a strained chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yes dear", and soon the wedded couple went to their room to sleep for the coming day. The day their son, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze would be born to this world.

~ 7 years later ~

Naruto now seven years old was once again alone on his birthday. As he sat alone in the darkness of his only room, he wondered why his life was like this. But there was one thing he was looking forward too as it has been for the last seven years. "Jii-san, you're here!"

The third Hokage walked in with his usual smile trying his best to cheer up the young blond. "Sorry I wasn't able to visit as much as I'd like too Naruto".

"It's OK jii-san, I understand".

The Sandaime patted the youth on the head as they then both sat at the table to eat the dinner the elderly Hokage brought with him. Like every year he celebrated his birthday, he would bring a cake along with candles as acknowledgement to him being a year older. Although he did bring gifts each year, this year was something truly special.

"What did you bring me this time jii-san?"

"Something your father most likely would've liked you to have".

". . . . I had a father?"

Hiruzen laughed at the silly statement. "Of course Naruto, you didn't just pop out of thin air. But before you open your present blow out your candles and don't forget to make a wish".

Naruto looked hesitantly at the flickering flames. "Do you think my wish will come true this year?"

"And what wish would that be?"

". . . . To have a friend?"

The elderly Hokage laughed again. "I suppose an old man doesn't make quite a good friend these days".

". . . . Sorry jii-san . . . ."

"No it's quite alright. You do need friends your own age".

Naruto nodded happily to this. He then looked to his candles while closing his eyes giving a silent prayer. "Please . . . . Let me have friends this year . . . ." and with that he blew out his candles. He then directed his attention to his present as he hastily opened it to find a strange contraption inside along with several binders of paper. "Thanks jii-san . . . . but what is it?"

"It's a watch Naruto. It tells time whenever you need to go somewhere".

". . . . and all this paper?"

"We're not entirely sure. But it seems to only react specifically to your father's presence. Seeing as you're his son, it probably has more use to you than anyone else as no one else can read it".

The young blond nodded to this. After a small pleasant conversation the two bid their farewells to each other as Naruto tucked himself in for the night. But just before going to sleep a part of him was still curious of the gift he got. So turning on his desk light, he looked over the watch to see many strange seals written over the cover. Naruto then popped open the lid to see as many of the gears were littered with many seal formulas. Then closing it up and setting it aside, he looked to the papers as writing mysteriously began to appear on it. Just from looking at page one, some strange sense of intrigue gripped him as he just had to finish what he was reading.

~ Several Weeks Later ~

Time seemed to have been passing him by as he was engrossed by his father's work. Due to this, his academics which were already poor began to slip even further down. But it wasn't like he cared since his teachers regarded him with scorn making it difficult to learn anyways. So most of the time when he was in class he hid himself behind a large book as he would secretly read over the notes and attempt to decipher what they meant.

But after a month's worth of reading and managing to 'acquire' the necessary parts he placed the last of the gears into their correct slots. As he closed it up, the watch then started to tick.

"Hmm, well it did say it was powered by my own chakra". A knock on the door then caught his attention to which he immediately knew who it was. "Welcome back jii-san".

The Sandaime smiled as he petted the young blond on the head. "So why are you still up so late?"

Naruto smiled widely to this as he flashed his now working watch with glee. "It works now! I managed to get my dad's pocket watch to work!"

The third Hokage looked in astonishment to how a seven year old kid managed to finish Minato's ultimate creation while a group of elite ninjas couldn't even get past the initial step. "Like father and son I suppose". "That's very good Naruto. Congratulations to your accomplishment". But in response, the young blond look down sourly. "Is there something wrong?"

"It's still incomplete as some of my dad's notes weren't finished. This was the best I could do on my own".

Hiruzen eyed the youth warily as he contemplated what he should do now. "I never thought Naruto would be able to complete Minato's final work. But it would be too dangerous for something this powerful to be in the hands of a child". But in looking at Naruto's smiling face as he watched the hands move, he didn't have the heart to make him give up his father's last memento. So after careful thinking he then got on one knee to look eye to eye with the blond. "Naruto, the next thing I'm going to say is very important. So I want you to listen carefully".

He nodded.

"That watch is possibly one of the most powerful ninja tools to ever exist. So you must keep it safe at all times".

"That's not a problem, I wouldn't want to lose it either".

"But more importantly don't ever abuse the power of the watch as you are now its holder and your parents would truly be upset if you misbehaved with it".

Naruto gave his sunny smile to this. "Don't worry jii-san. I promise I won't do anything reckless with it".

The Sandaime smiled to this as he acknowledged the sincerity of this child's promise.

But as he left Naruto didn't quite understand what he promised since as far as he was concerned, the watch was just a watch.

~ The next day ~

Naruto didn't have anything special to do as it was the weekend and there was no school for anyone to attend. So on this particular day he decided to get some exercise at he ventured through the forest. Like every weekend, it seemed to be an ordinary stroll until something caught his attention.

"Hey she's a Hyuga kid".

"Yeah, she's got the eyes".

"She must be that Neji's cousin".

"She's probably cocky too".

"She thinks she's better than us 'cuz of her family and talent".

The young blond watched from quite a distance away as three older looking boys had a young pale girl surrounded in the middle.

"I . . . . I'm not like that at all . . . ." she then stuttered as she dared not to look up at her aggressors. At seeing an opening she attempted to run only to be pulled back by one of the thugs.

"Trying to run off without saying you're really sorry? What a jerk!"

"Don't let her get away with that!" The boy then forced her to kneel on the ground as they all now towered over her. "Hey, say you're sorry".

"Apologize nicely".

"Say you're sorry".

"I'm sorry . . . ." she whispered out.

"Not good enough! Say it like you mean it!"

The pale girl then began to sob. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry".

Naruto had seen enough as now as he could not stomach anymore of this atrocity. "Cut it out".

Everyone then looked to the newcomer as one the bullies then stepped forward. "What do you want?"

"Hey, he's 'the kid'" then said the other boy. "The one who's always getting into trouble. The one everyone hates".

"Oh yeah . . . . that guy".

"That guy, huh?" The three bullies then laughed at this.

"I'm not 'that guy'" said Naruto feeling agitated. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm going to be Hokage one day. Remember that!"

"Hokage?" the bullies said in disbelief to which they then laughed again.

However the young Hyuga looked up with amazement of how much pride the young blond had.

"That's a bunch of baloney! What a stupid kid!"

But the young Hyuga thought otherwise as his very presence said something different about him.

"There's no way an idiot like you can be one!" as he then punched Naruto across the face.

The pale girl's eyes widened as she gasped at seeing the incredible display of hostility.

But even after taking such a hit, Naruto wiped the blood off as he stood up wearing a smirk.

"Wanna fight?"

"Better not regret it guys!" as Naruto formed a seal in front of him.

"What seal is he weaving?" one of the bullies then asked now slightly afraid.

"Clone . . . ."

"No way!"

"Jutsu!" But in a puff of smoke it didn't turn out nearly as well as he had hoped as his bushin didn't even look like him as it seemed about ready to drop dead at any moment.

"That's just terrible" the bullies then laughed once again.

But using that distraction Naruto tackled the lead boy to the ground as he began this assault. "Caught you off guard! How's that? I will! I'm absolutely gonna become the Hokage! And I'll prove you wrong!"

At seeing their fellow cohort get taken down, the other two bullies then threw him off as the three of them were now going to beat the stuffing out of him. However at the moment he landed on his back, a click sound was heard as everything around him started to slow down as their coloration began to fade.

Naruto then got up to see as his opponents were now like statues in front of him. He then looked to see an eerily glow coming from his pocket. He then reached in to pull out his watch to see it was now glowing as all the hands had stopped moving. Naruto looked in amazement at what his watch was now doing. "I thought dad was joking when he said it could stop time", then looking back at the bullies "but apparently not". So recalling the information notes, he knew how to turn off the effects. But before he did that there was something he had to do first.

The pale girl couldn't even fathom what had just happened. In a blink of an eye, the three bullies who were about to beat up her blond savior were now gagged and bounded on the ground with their own cloths as the blond stood triumphantly over them. She then slowly stood up poking her fingers together in nervous habit. "Thanks you . . . . for saving me".

The blond looked to her as he then flashed his favorite sunny smile. "Nothing a future Hokage couldn't handle".

She smiled at this. But then sensing her caretaker approaching she immediately went to hide herself unknowingly grabbing the blond to hide with her.

The elder Hyuga looked around as he curiously saw three boys on the ground completely gagged and bounded like cattle. But caring very little for them, he moved pass them to continue looking for his mistress. "Where could Hinata-sama be?"

"Isn't he looking for you?" Naruto asked as he and the pale girl were currently hiding together in a bush nearby.

She nodded as she couldn't quite find her voice to speak. ". . . . I just don't want to go home right now".

He nodded silently to this, and soon the elder Hyuga left to which the pair then reemerged leaving the area to another part of the forest. But unable to resist his curiosity, "So why did you not want to be found?"

". . . . Something happened at home . . . . and . . . . I just don't want to face tousan right now".

Naruto decided not to push this matter any further as it was clear she was bothered by it. So changing subjects, "I never introduced myself to you, my name is Uzumaki Naruto the next Hokage of Konoha".

The pale girl chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"And you? What's your name?"

The young Hyuga immediately froze at this question. ". . . . I . . . . can't tell you . . . ."

Naruto's eyebrow perched at this. "Hmm? why not?"

"If I did . . . . then you wouldn't want to be friends with me . . . ."

"So you wanted to be friends too!" said Naruto ecstatically.

She almost jumped at the energy the blond was giving off. "But I . . . ."

"It doesn't really matter what your name is because you are you right?"

The pale girl nodded happily to this. "Right".

"OK, so what's your name?"

"Hinata . . . . Hyuga" she then said hesitantly gauging what his reaction would be.

Naruto got into his thinking pose as he heard the last name. "Hyuga . . . . you're one of those noble families aren't you?" Hinata nodded slowly to this as she was now anticipating his rejection of her. But in contrast to her expectations, "it's nice to meet you Hinata-chan. You'll be my first friend. So I hope the two of us can get along well!"

Hinata for the second time almost jumped at the energy the blond radiated. But soon settled down into a smile, "and I hope too that we can be the best of friends".

The pair then sat together against a tree as they laughed in toast to the bond of friendship that was now formed between them.

To be continued . . . . .

Author's Notes: Now this will be the pilot of chapter to gauge whether or not if I should continue writing this story. Also understand I can't continue the story if no one is really reading it. So please review if you really wish for me to continue.

Now onto the story, I decided to take the anime route of how Hinata and Naruto first met to which this time Naruto actually won in this fight. Of course he has a powerful tool at his disposal, but it has his limits as I don't want him getting ridiculously powerful upsetting the balance of the story. Overall Naruto will develop the same with plenty of new and interesting tricks revolving around time and space manipulation. With Hinata being his friend now, she'll definitely improve a bit better than her canon counterpart.

So overall I hope I manage to keep the integrity of all the characters personalities the same (more or less)

So I thank everyone for taking the time in reading this fic and further extend my gratitude if you can review it as well.