Hey everybody this story is my first foray into Naruto Fanfiction. Naruto is my favorite anime and there is a lot someone can do with the characters. I will use time skips as the story starts when Naruto was a little kid. There will be some Kakashi, Sasuke and civilian council bashing. A smart/strong Naruto and he will have more bonds then just those at the start of the series. Hope you enjoy!

I don't own Naruto; if I did I would never allow Disney to do the dubs.

Naruto Uzumaki: Fox Swordsman chapter 1

It had been five years since the attack of the Kyuubi no Kitsune on the village of Konoha and only one person knew the whole truth behind the attack. Naruto Uzumaki the host of the Kyuubi had made contact with the Demon on his fourth birthday when the orphanage kicked him out and he was forced to live on the streets because 'that's what demons deserve'. When Naruto entered the seal the first time the fox was in its full, gigantic, demon form behind the bars in his sewer mindscape. Naruto remembered that day as the day he gained his first friend, someone who really cared for him.

Flashback no Jutsu!

"Yes Kit I am the Kyuubi, the nine tailed fox. And no I am not going to eat you." the fox said as it looked down on Naruto.

"Why? Why not? You are a demon you should want to kill me or take me over or something." Naruto sobbed not understanding.

"Kit if I ever tried any of those things Kushina-chan would never forgive me." Kyuubi responded in a sad tone. Naruto looked up at the fox wondering who this Kushina was before the fox continued. "She was your mother Kit and she was my host before you. The two of us were like family before THAT man ripped me from her seal and forced me to attack Konoha. But know this Kit I will always be here for you and I will always care for you. You will never be alone"

For about a month it was just the two of them. Naruto was barely getting by scrounging in the garbage and running from mobs trying to beat him. That was until he quite literally ran into a certain purple haired jounin.

"Umhh" Naruto grunted as he fell on his butt. 'Now they are gona catch me for sure.' He was scared of the crowd that was chasing him. He could hear the villagers shouts coming from around the corner but before they could get a line of sight on him he felt two arms lift him up and pulling him close. The jounin Anko then leapt onto the rooftops leaving the crowd confused having lost their pray.

"Damn ignorant fucking civilians." Anko cursed before looking down at Naruto. "You ok gaki?" Naruto was paralyzed; he didn't know what to think. No one was ever nice to him except Kyuubi and Jiji. He didn't know what to think about this ninja that he was face to face to. The fear and sadness was evident in his eyes. 'Man those villagers really must have done a number to him for him to be like this' Anko thought to herself before kneeling down to be at eye level with the boy. "I am going to take you to Hokage-sama now is that ok?" she said trying to be as soothing as possible. Naruto only nodded hopping she was really going to take him to Jiji.

Anko rarely shows her more emotional side to anyone. The only people who have seen her emotions are her friends Kurenai, Yugao, and Hana. But this boy she felt a connection with because of their similar pasts. How they both are hated for things outside of their control. When she felt this feeling of kinship to the boy she knew very well what he possessed, she swore to herself to help him and to look after him.

Sarutobi was angry, no he was pissed! After being told what had happened with Naruto he gave Anko custody, not that he really had much choice she was very adamant about taking the boy in. He hoped that living with Anko would give the boy some semblance of family, someone who loves him and cares for him. The boy was in for a very wild life and having at least one other person he can consider family would help him through it.

When the two left Anko actually smiled at Naruto and not one of her psychotic crazy bitch smiles. It was a real caring smile and she whispered in his ear, "don't worry Naru-kun Anko-neechan is here for you." As she held him close and the pair shunshined to Anko's apartment to get him settled in.

Flashback no jutsu release!

Naruto sat in his room of the apartment complex he and Anko lived in. The two of them had side by side apartments that were connected first by a hole that Anko blew in the wall and then later by a proper door. His life had changed so much after Anko took him in, she and Kyuubi taught him a lot about things like reading, writing, and being a ninja. He felt bad for not telling Anko about Kyuubi but the fox said it would be best if they kept it a secret.

He was lucky that Anko was working in the T&I department so she rarely left the village. This meant she would almost always come home at the end of the day and be there for him. She became his big sister, looking out for him. He would be starting the ninja academy next year. That was until the Hokage came to them for a most unusual mission.

There was a knock at the door and Anko got up from the couch where she was watching TV with Naruto. "Hokage-sama!" she said seeing him and 2 ANBU when she opened the door.

"It is good to see you as well Anko." The elderly Sarutobi replied taking a drag from his pipe. "You and Naruto are doing well I take it?"

"You bet Jiji! Anko-nee always looks out for me!" An excited Naruto replied from the couch. He really had settled in with Anko and she became the emotional support he really needed, like they were real family. Even when he had night terrors she would come into his room and hold him close till they passed.

"That is good to hear Naruto-kun." Sarutobi smiled "But I have a mission for the both of you." This caused both Naruto and Anko to tilt their heads in confusion. Then the Hokage continued, "You will both be escorting me along with my ANBU to a diplomatic meeting in Suna. And it is very important that Naruto accompany me."

Anko help up her hands making a hand sign. "Release!" she shouted trying to dispel what she thought was genjutsu causing the Hokage to facepalm. When that didn't work Anko just rubbed the back of her head slightly embarrassed. "Sorry Hokage-sama I just had to make sure."

Sarutobi sighed moving closer to Anko so they wouldn't be overheard. "I understand Anko your protectiveness of little Naruto but this mission has to do with his inheritance." Anko went wide-eyed before understanding sank in. She knew of Naruto's parents, after she came back to the village from Orochimaru Kushina took her in as a student and taught her. She was also there when Minato was in peace talks with Suna and the words 'arranged marriage' did come up.

"Alright gaki you heard the hokage! Pack a bag we leave in an hour. Right hokage-sama?" Anko grinned as the hokage nodded before leaving the apartment. Later that afternoon the group set off towards Suna.

The group traveled till just before nightfall where they stopped just before the border to the land of wind. After setting up all the tents and the ANBU doing their perimeter sweep the hokage called Naruto into his tent. Kyuubi having an idea what this would be about was restless in its cage. "Naruto what I am about to tell you is very important. It is also imperative that it remains a secret. Do you promise me that you won't tell anyone about this?" the hokage paused looking at Naruto who nodded. "We are going to Suna to cement an alliance that was formed and arranged just over 5 years ago by the fourth hokage and the kazekage. This alliance was to be cemented by the marriage of the kazekage's daughter to the fourth's unborn son."

Naruto tilted his head confused. "That's really interesting and all Jiji, but what does it have to do with me?"

The hokage sighed. "The fourth hokage's son is you Naruto. You are the son of the fourth hokage Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina Uzumaki. I am sorry so very sorry for the way you have been treated by the villagers but I couldn't reveal your heritage because then Iwa or others would kill you just because of who your father was."

"Kit I know this is a lot to take in, but remember what I told you before. Your parents loved you and I do too. But if the old man is trusting you to keep this secret then I think you should trust him with ours." Kyuubi said trying to keep Naruto from getting depressed over the revelation of his father. Kyuubi already told Naruto about his mother but avoided the topic of his father, saying it wasn't her place to say.

"I know Kyuubi, I know they did and the way I see it through you I will always have a connection to my parents." Kyuubi was greatly touched by this sentiment. "And if you think that I should tell Jiji then I will." Naruto lifted his head and looked at the hokage. "I understand Jiji and I have a secret to tell you too…" Naruto paused not really sure how to tell him before deciding to just get it over. "I have been talking to Kyuubi."

The hokage's eyes bugged out with that last statement. "WHAT?!"

"Kyuubi is not the bad demon everyone thinks it is. Kyuubi told me about my mother before and would teach me things when everyone else ignored me. It was forced to attack Konoha back then, and I also know that my mother was the pervious container." Naruto rushed trying to say as much as he could that would keep Sarutobi from really freaking out.

"Naruto I understand that." Sarutobi sighed. "Kushina told me as much before she had died. I was just surprised that you two were already talking. Well I trust you to keep all these secrets to yourself; I suggest we turn in for the night. Tomorrow we get to Suna to meet your future wife."

"Oh thank you for understanding Jiji!" Naruto smiled excitedly before it suddenly hit him. "WHAT? I'M GETTING MARRIED!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. It took Sarutobi a good while to talk him back down and get him to bed.

The next day was uneventful as the group traversed the desert and approached Suna. Upon arrival Sarutobi and his group immediately went into the Kazekage mansion to begin the talks. Naruto was not needed to attend these talks and was wandering around the grounds of the mansion. That was until he heard the sound of someone crying. He made a bee line towards the sound and found a red haired boy Naruto's own age sitting in the corner of the yard with his knees curled up to his chest. Naruto kneeled down next to the boy and said in the most calm and caring tone he could muster, "what's wrong?"

The boy looked up at Naruto and their eye's met. In that one instance an understanding passed between the two of them, they saw the pain and the loneliness that they had experienced in their eyes. They knew that they were both jinchuriki and both their Biju confirmed it. Naruto spoke first, "You are like how I used to be, before I found Anko-nee and others that cared for me." Then he broke out in a smile. "I will be your friend."

The boy was confused. "Really? You don't think I am a monster?"

"Sure I would like to be your friend! And I think you aren't a monster. What is your name anyways?" Naruto asked a smile still on his face.

"I am Gara, Gara no sabaku." Gara said his face impassive but a slight smile coming onto his face.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto smiled as he picked up a ball. "come on let's play!"

From a balcony looking over grounds a young girl stood watching the interaction between the two boys. She smiled to herself, "so that is the boy I am going to marry. He isn't afraid of Gara at all. Maybe I should be nicer to Gara too." And so young Temari walked down into the grounds to try to connect to her baby brother and her future husband.

A/N. and that's it for the first chapter. Hope everyone likes how I set this up and this story will follow cannon fairly closely there will be some differences. Next chapter will be a big time skip. Not going to give much away but it will be a small harem for Naruto with Temari on top. Not sure if Kyuubi will be in the harem or not or if she will take a more motherly role.