Well, hello again, world! Well, for those of you who have been following me, I'm sorry I haven't posted anything new in Eyes of the Soul or Death's Shadow Walks...I go where my ideas take me! And...I normally don't like venturing in uber popular realms...as much as I love Naruto, I initially had no intention of writing a Naru fanfic because the fanbase is just so...BIG...and I like a little bit of intimacy...but this idea's been bugging me for forever and I had to write it down soooo...here I am!

Oh, and side-note, the character in this story is named Ari, but that's not to be confused with my character name *points to useraname above*. "Ari" has been the name that I have used for the character which typically refers to me, but the Ari in this story is a different person...I just couldn't think of another name for the girl and it suited her well. Just saying in case one day I write a crackfic involving me and my friends, I'm clearing up any potential for confusion now.

ANND, (shamelessly advertising here because I know I'm bound to get more views if I post a story for Naruto...I have no dignity) if you guys who are new to reading my fics and you're fans of either Inuyasha, Okami, Book Thief, Black Butler, or two, or three, or all four of these animes/game/book, you all should totally check out my other two crossover stories! Just saying! Because I'm not shamelessly advertising! XD

Well, anyway, enough of my boring chatter, so without further adue, I give to you, the PROLOGUE of my epic Naruto Fic, with Itachi in all his glory! Except he's not in this chapter! But he will be in the next! And pretty much every one after that! Mostly...

ENJOI

I come from a huge family.

My mother, Chinatsu Uzumaki, had one sister, my Aunt Mito, but she married into the Senju Clan of the Forest, and the brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, second cousins, great-uncles, grandparents, godparents, great-great-great god-grandparents, cousins of those god-grandparents, and whatever obscure relationship you can think of that my Uncle Hashirama had was impossible to count.

Then there was my father, Kurama. He was the eldest of nine, with six brothers and two sisters, his family was arguably the most powerful of all the world. They were certainly the most feared.

Take, for example, Uncle Shukaku. He is a round, sandy-haired, boistrous man, who is never ever serious, and he smells of rum. Being the youngest of nine, he was picked on the most and my father cursed and considered him the weakest (though that was probably a left-over grudge from a brawl between the two when Shukaku made a sad attempt of hitting on my mother, some time before I was born...needless to say, Dad wiped the floor with him). He is also a bit of an alcoholic. But he is the master of sand, able to move an entire desert if he so chooses, burying entire countries within it.

Then there is Aunt Matatabi. I called her Auntie Tabi when I was little, as I felt her name was too long. I saw her the most out of all my family when I was little, as I think she was closest to my father. And if she wasn't then, she definitely is now, after what has happened between her and I. She's a gentle, but stern woman with dark lavender eyes and long, beautiful sandy-gray hair that has a blue hue if you see it in the right light. She's the mischievous one out of the group. She's quite the acrobat and is very light on her feet. During their time, she was feared as the wind-dancer, because when she attacked her enemies, they would hear a soft whistle in the wind, nothing more, and the next thing they knew, a flash of blue, a cat-like smile, and then complete darkness. Entire clans would be wiped out before she just danced away, without making a sound.

I never saw much of Uncle Isobu or Uncle Saiken, but they're both greatly feared in the Land of Water-Isobu for his impenetrable armor, and Saiken for his ability to absorb anything-attacks, chakra, people...-and then reflect it back at his attackers if he so chooses.

Son Gokuu...he's a little too immature for me to consider him an uncle. Obsessed with his "hard-won" title of the Monstrous Ape in the West (because really, when you're a giant, four-tailed monkey, that decides one day to lift up a mountain and set it on top of a village, it's sodifficult to be feared by normal people...), Son is a hairy and boisterous man who gets along best with Shukaku. Really, you don't want those two in a room together. You don't know what will get broken. Just hope it isn't you. Or your village. Or your country...

Aunt Choumei is a filghty little thing. In my opinion, she is more of a wind-dancer thant Auntie Tabi considering the fact that she could actually fly, but hey, I'm not the one who comes up with nicknames! A playful (and remarkably lucky) woman, Choumei never really took part in disturbing the peace like her siblings, instead she preferred to maintain a peaceful life traveling (and gambling-that woman was richduring their time) and enjoying time to herself.

Then...Uncle Gyuuki...they say that Gyuuki and my father were the most serious out of the nine, considering that they were the oldest, but my god, I don't think that man has smiled a day in his life (which his funny when you consider the fact that his best friend is the biggest joker I know, second only to Naruto). When I was younger, I thought he hated me. Whenever I walked into the room, he would glare his fierce maroon eyes at me and grunt something or other at my father in disapproval before storming out the room. Only now looking back do I realize that Uncle Gyuuki's harsh demeanor was result of his concern for my well-being. A child of mixed blood. A half-breed. I was not one for this world. In a way, I'm still not. Gyuuki couldn't understand why my father, the great Kurama, the strongest of the tailed beasts, would fall in love with a human woman. And then conceive a child with her of all things. How long I would be able to survive in a world drenched in the blood of war was an unknown.

And it was for that reason, that I spend my early childhood feeling indescribably lonely.

Yes, I came from a huge family-it was more like two huge families, three if you separate the Uzumaki and the Senju clans-but that is exactly what it was: two families. Unlike typical marriages, there would be no union of families upon my parents' wedding day. You really couldn't call it a wedding day. You couldn't even call it eloping. And when I was born...well...that's when the real trouble began. My mother, father, and I lived as nomads. We couldn't settle in one place for too long, or shinobi would find us. That wouldn't start out as trouble, my father and I looked human enough. In fact, my mother would appear relieved when we ran into a group of shinobi. They would recognize my mother's Uzumaki red hair, and plea for her assistance in exchange for a place where a wandering and troubled family could seek refuge from war.

But the welcome could only last so long.

My father was unaccustomed to human interaction. And he was arrogant. He would struggle with getting along with the other shinobi...and on the battle field he just seemed...too strong. At first the shinobi would love it. His power on their side was heaven-sent! But there was something intimidating about his blood-red eyes. The way he sauntered around, arms crossed, his thick auburn hair pulled in a tight, tail-like ponytail that seemed to compliment eight sashes attached to his belt around his wait a little too perfectly. They would watch my mother, as kind as she was, she knew a little too much about the threats of the tailed beasts which they desperately hunted, but she wouldn't reveal enough of her knowledge to them. And then I, a little girl with her father's hair and her mother's ice-blue eyes, a playful and innocent girl, she seemed a little too accustomed to the horrors of war. Then rumors would float around of an Uzumaki, the sister of the First Hokage's wife, who supposedly tamed the Nine-Tailed Fox but then fell in love with it and betrayed the newly founded Village Hidden in the Leaves, running away. Suspicions would rise. I would wake with a start in the middle of the night. It was time to leave.

"It's the Kyuubi! Let's capture it!"

"And the girl! She must be powerful!"

How greedy humans can be sometimes...

But each time, no matter what the numbers, my father would wipe them all out in an instant, transforming from a wild-looking man to a monstrous nine-tailed fox, he would annihilate them in a matter of minutes.

And then we would move on.

And this pattern continued until one day we were approached by one man, and one-man alone.

"Nine-Tails..." the man said.

Father raised an eyebrow and instinctively stepped in front of Mother and me. Mom grasped my hand within hers and slowly began to reach for her katana.

"Hmph, you know who I am and yet you dare to face me alone? That certainly takes guts. Or a massive amount of stupidity," Father growled.

"My intention is not to fight you," the man said, "only to guide you. You see, you serve a greater purpose in life than this petty existence you wander in now."

Peering from behind my mother, I took a good long look at the man. He had long, wild, and dark hair. His face was aged from frown-lines and fighting. His eyes appeared tired yet fierce, and within them, I couldn't help but notice an intricate design in his red irises. I had heard of the Sharingan before, but this looked like something completely different.

And after what happened, I never forgot his face. Or those eyes.

"Oh please, you are a pathetic human, nothing more. Uchiha or not, you made a serious mistake approaching me alone."

At that, mother lifted her hand from her katana and placed it firmly on Dad's shoulder. "Watch it, Kurama," she warned, "this man is different from other shinobi...and I don't particularly like the aura coming from him."

"You should listen to Lady Chinatsu, Fox," the man scoffed, "I, like you, am not one who enjoys being trifled with."

Mom stiffened, "who are you?"

The man gave an evil grin, "Madara Uchiha."

I will never forget that name. I will never forget that grin. And I will never forget his eyes...

What happened after that was a blur. More words were exchanged, but Madara went after me first. He cursed me: "Filthy half-breed, you are nothing but a nuisance!"

That wouldn't be the last time the term "half-breed" was used in scorn towards me.

I had been struck in the head, and all I can remember are flashes: my father was provoked to change into his true form. Mother carried me away. He attacked us. Mother shielded me. Lots of blood. Father's roar of anguish before falling under the control of the Mongekyo Sharingan, and being forced to kill us. Tears falling from his fiery eyes for the first and last time. Mother smiling at me, exhausted, bloody, her life fading.

"My dear child," she told me, "this world is not safe for you...I don't know what world is, but I feel that peace will befall this land in the future. But not after great adversity. You are the bridge between shinobi and bijuu...you are the only one who understands both sides, and for that reason I have a feeling you will help pilot the road to peace...so please...live on...live on in another time...a safer...world..."

Mother's body began to glow and then a flash of light. And that was the last time I saw either of my parents.

When I woke up, I was lying down in the same place, but a red-haired woman in a green vest and a headband with Konoha's symbol engraved on it stared down at me.

"M-mommy?" I asked. My skull pounded against the dirt and my vision was so blurry, that this woman who stood over me looked almost exactly like my mom.

"Kushina, what is it?" a man's voice asked. The lady knelt down and pulled me into her arms. I looked up to see a blond-haired, blue-eyed man with the same headband as the woman eyed me curiously.

"Minato, I found her lying on the ground. She looks like she hit her head pretty hard," the lady said.

"Wh-where's my mommy?" I asked, tears welling in my eyes, "and what did that man do to Daddy?"

"What do you mean?" the lady asked, "no one is around, did you lose your parents?"

Scared, I nodded my head.

"What do they look like?" the man asked gently, "we can help you find them."

I shook my head, not sure if I could trust this man. But the man smiled and held out his hand, "I'm Minato Namikaze, I'm the Hokage. I'm here to protect you, there's no need to be scared."

At that I furrowed my eyebrows, confused, "I thought Uncle Hashirama was the Hokage..."

Kushina and Minato exchanged very confused glances. Surely this girl suffered head trauma, they must've thought.

Minato laughed and explained, "Hashirama was the First Hokage. I'm the Fourth Hokage."

I nodded my head, still confused, but I reached out and grasped onto his hand.

"You can come with us, and we'll help you find your parents, does that sound good?" Kushina asked.

I smiled and nodded, wiping tears from my eyes, "okay!"

"Great!" she said, "now, what do they look like?"

I began by pointing at Kushina, "well, my mommy looks a lot like you!" I said, "she's really pretty and has long red hair, just like you! Except her eyes are like mine."

Kushina smiled, "oh, so she's an Uzumaki?"

I nodded my head.

Minato leaned over to Kushina and murmured, "I haven't seen anyone from your clan in the village lately..."

Kushina shrugged, "perhaps they passed by and we missed them? They're bound to show up looking for their daughter sooner or later. Anyway, dear, what does your father look like?"

"Well, Daddy has long brown hair like me and red eyes...well, when he looks like us, at least."

At that Kushina and Minato gave me very confused looks.

"What do you mean, 'when he looks like us'...?" Minato asked, his voice low. I froze. Uh-oh...I wasn't supposed to talk about Daddy like that.

"Ummm..." I stammered, "I can't say."

Kushina smiled warmly and urged me to continue, "it's okay, dear, you can tell us anything."

"But normally people hate me when they know who Daddy is..." I sighed, my shoulders sagging.

"Well, I won't hate you, no matter what," Kushina promised.

I looked up and held out my pinkie, "promise?"

"I promise," Kushina said, pinky-swearing with me.

I sighed and began, "Well, my Daddy isn't like you guys. He's not human. He's really a giant fox!"

Kushina's face paled and she stiffened. Minato instinctively placed a hand on his weapon's pouch. At the age of four, I could never understand why people would react in such ways towards me when they found out what I was-what my father was. I was so young and naive, immune to fear of things that we don't understand. Because I was essentially everything most people didn't understand: Tailed Beasts, mysterious chakra, unconditional love...

"Oh dear God..." Kushina muttered out loud.

At that, my smile fell, and tears welled in my eyes, "you hate me now..." I whimpered.

Kushina snapped out of her trance and forced a fearful smile, "no I don't! I promised you, didn't I?"

"Honey, what is your name?" Minato asked urgently.

I turned to him and politely answered, "Ariala Uzumaki. Ari for short."