Book 1: Hatake's pack of Pups

Chapter 1: Slumber

Its been ten years since Konoha's beloved Hokage and their treasured Uzumaki princess were stolen away from them and left six feet under. Ten years since the Heavens gifted the Leaf village with a child seemingly made by angels themselves. Ten years since the Kyuubi was sealed into a living vessel. Ten years since the Attack. And yet, the wounds made that night echoed into the future and still settle in today's Konoha where we see a young boy with golden hair and diamond blue eyes creeping through the shadows of the civilian market, hoping, praying he would not be caught.

You might recognise him. If you look closer you would see the resemblance to the late Yondaime. But ignorance surrounds the poor boy, for once the news got out that this cherubic child was the vessel of the malicious and vengeful Kyuubi no Kitsune the disgust and outrage ruled the minds of those too weak to see the truth. The one and only son of Kushina Uzumaki, the Whirlpool Princess, and Minato Namikaze, The Yellow Flash. Naruto. This boy with sunrays for hair and gems for iris's should have been treated like the prince he is, Should be treated with respect and love. But this is not the case. Since word spread like the plague and it was revealed too all that Naruto is the Kyuubi's vessel life had treated him with sticks and stones and vinegar to pour onto the already weeping wounds provided by those with a fatal mixture of bloodthirst and anger.

Now, Naruto had every right to be hateful, to despise his village and everything it stood for but didn't stick too...

But he couldn't. No matter how many beatings he took silently (For he learned young, if he wanted less pain he was to keep quiet and struggle not.) No matter how much he disliked how he would be ignored, he could not bring himself to hate the people as much as he should. In fact, he understood them. He could see the pain buried deep within the dulled eyes of those who stared at him in disdain. He noticed the longing in the tones that scolded him so vehemently. He watched. Watched and learned. Naruto knew he was a forgiving person. Sometimes a small voice in his head told him to not forgive. To hate. To run. To fight. He always ignored it, after all, he must be mad to listen to a voice in his head! No matter how wise it sounded.

"HEY! DEMON SCUM, GET LOST!"

Crud. He was so caught up in his head he didn't notice he had strayed too far into the moonlight. Naruto gathered his orange and white Yukata and fled, not daring to look behind him in fear of what he might see. Fleeing into the outskirts of the forest of death he scaled a tree and sighed heavily. Sometimes he wished he could venture out into public without being ostracized. Leaning back Naruto let his legs fall beside him and sway with the breeze that caressed his bare shins. Peace. A rare feeling for the small boy. Being so strange, so unfamiliar, even though he was the same as everyone else was tiring. Slowly, the song of the forest and the harmonizing winds lulled him into a deep slumber on top of the large oak he was inhabiting.

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"Naruto... Naruto....Child, open your eyes." An layered, far away voice echoed in his head.

Naruto's eyelids fluttered before they opened to see a forest. it was similar to the forest of death but the trees were... smaller. Almost unnaturally so.

"Naruto...Come to me..." That voice...

Sitting up Naruto looked around. He didn't recognise anything but he was getting a strong sense of Deja vu, like he had been there before. Suddenly a golden light flowed from his chest and Naruto flinched as a it shot forward and pulled at his very soul. Having no choice but to follow it Naruto stumbled forward on unsteady legs and followed the pull like a moth too a flame. Naruto must have blacked out at some point because the next thing he remembered was standing in front of a dark cave in a clearing. The golden light shone brighter before extinguishing leaving Naruto to face the darkness alone. The child's mind whirled as he tried to figure out what was happening when something from inside the cave sighed. The hot air swirled out of the cave with a sunset glow as it travelled towards Naruto and danced around him like flower petals dance in the evening wind. Naruto closed his eyes, savouring the soft caress of the strange power. When he opened his eyes again he saw something move from within the darkness. Naruto stifled a gasp when a glowing red eye snapped open.

The ground beneath his feet trembled as the cave started to collapse. A large piece of rubble broke away from the celling and started to fall, heading straight for Naruto. Seeing no way of escape he closed his eyes and crouched low, spinning his chakra into a weak shield, hoping it would save him. Seconds passed, then minutes and still nothing happened. Deciding to risk it he opened his eyes and was met with a stunning sea of rippling sunset orange.

"Hello, Naruto."

Naruto looked up...

and screamed.