Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Ghost Guardian ❯ Awakening ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

CrimsonCat101: I'm a bad girl aren't I? I started another story! It to is of epic proportions!

…

I know, I truly have my hands full don't I?

Well, enjoy! I will probably update ADR, unless this story grabs my attention un-expectantly…

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does however…

REPLACED: 7/29/07 I changed the Fourth's name to his real name Minato. Let me know if you see Arashi's name pop up somewhere, although I think I got them all...

Ghost Guardian

-Awakening-

Kyuubi laughed maniacally as he felt another human die beneath his paw. He could feel, smell, see, and hear death all around him as he rampaged. Thrashing his nine mighty tails, and wreaking the havoc he craved so much.

His tails changed the landscape from a lively forest to a barren wasteland, where only blood seemed to decorate the battlefield. Mangled, twisted, and trampled bodies were spread about the background, drowned in pools of blood.

He laughed as he felt small metal objects imbed themselves within his red fur, only for the weapons to fall out harmlessly to the ground. His body regenerated in seconds, leaving no trace of the previous cuts.

A sinister grin spread across his face, as he swiped his tail at the line of humans who had thrown the metal weapons at him. They died as they were flung across the field, landing in crippled piles of flesh.

It was then that he noticed a giant toad enter the field, the humans around him cheered as they saw the towering amphibian.

The fox growled fiercely at the newcomer, daring the being to attack him. Kyuubi then realized it wasn't the toad the humans were cheering for, but rather the human perched atop its head.

How dare they mock him by thinking that a single human could stop him! He, the Kyuubi, was the greatest of the Bijuu, a testimony of his greater power. They think a simple bag of flesh could even pose a threat to one such as himself? He laughed at the idea, as he charged forward at the last chance of hope the village had left.

The Yondaime watched the great demon charge blindly into his downfall. The Hokage reflected upon his life, knowing the end was all to near. He watched his life play before him in a mere second, as the Kyuubi dashed towards him. His hands flashing through well rehearsed hand seals, as his thoughts drifted back to the battle before him.

A child…his child lay at his feet screaming from the lack of attention and care. The newborn's scream mixed with the screams of those that lay in pain, from wounds or loss of loved ones.

His mind was clear as finished the last hand seal and shouted, “Shiki Fuujin!” (Dead Demon Consuming Seal)

The Kyuubi stopped in his tracks.`What is this?'

Minato knew the Shinigami was behind him, only he, the user of the technique, could see the Death God. Minato felt the Shinigami's cold hands grip his soul, as he watched the Death God begin ripping out the Kyuubi's soul.

Kyuubi's howls in agony could be heard by all, the pain filled sounds made everyone stop whatever they were doing, and watch the Kyuubi's gigantic form collide, with the hard earth.

Lifeless.

The Kyuubi's form began dissolving into a swirling mass of energy, that the Shinigami now held in his hand. The God of Death placed the energy into the newborn at Minato's feet. The menacing red chakra seeped cleanly into the seal, until it disappeared entirely.

The Shinigami then faced the Hokage expectantly, “My deed is done. Now it is time to pay with your soul.”

Minato nodded, and grinned, “I know.”

The Shinigami looked slightly confused as to why this human, at such a young age, accepted death with open arms. “Why is it that you accept death so willingly?”

Minato looked slightly startled by the unexpected question, but replied nonetheless. “I saved my village. Giving my single life, to save many. If one life can save the pain of hundreds, I see no reason to regret.”

The Shinigami then looked at the child, “What about your son?”

The Yondaime looked at the small child, knowing he wouldn't be there to watch him grow. He wanted to be with his son, but he knew such a thing was not possible.

“He is my son. He will prevail with whatever tasks he is given.” Minato said sternly, believing every word that he had said with utmost confidence.

The Shinigami knew the fate of the child, one such as he knew every beings fate. The man he faced was unlike any other human he had come across. To give up so much to protect others, and believe them to be such kind-hearted souls was naïve. He knew that the child would not be seen as a hero like the man had asked.

The Shinigami then went into thought, what if he meddled with fate's written path? The Shinigami loved to meddle, and to watch the results of his meddling would be very amusing. This human and his son were different from the rest of the human species, to which only fueled his curiosity of the possible results. That's when an idea struck him.

“Human you are defiantly different from those of your species. You believe the world to be as kind as you, but this is not true. You are very naïve.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Minato questioned.

The Shinigami continued as if he were never interrupted, “I will give you and your child a gift in ten years time.”

“What gift?”

“The gift of a guardian.”

Minato felt his soul enflamed in hands of the Death God. As fast as the pain came it left.

He watched as his body fell from atop Gamabunta's head…

Wait! How was he watching himself fall?

Before he could say or think anymore, the world went black.

Minato snapped his eyes open abruptly, only to see a bright blue sky…

`Is there a sky in the Shinigami's stomach?' He thought before getting to his feet, and taking a look at his surroundings.

He was standing in the middle of a bustling street of Konohagakure. `Konoha is inside the Shinigami's stomach!'

He mentally slapped himself for that outrageous thought, deciding that wherever he was, it was not the Shinigami's stomach. He chose to learn exactly where he was, by asking around.

People passed by him without sparing him a glance. He found that odd, but proceeded to look around regardless. That's when he spotted a familiar face watering some plants outside a small shop. Minato knew Inoichi, so he decided that this was indeed Konoha. He advanced towards the man, millions of questions running through his head.

“Inoichi!” The Yondaime called as he approached the blond.

The man continued watering his plants, not acknowledging his presence in the slightest.

“Inoichi?” Minato questioned only a few feet away. Wondering if maybe he couldn't hear him, he reached out a hand to grab his shoulder.

However, what happened was not what was expected.

His hand slid right through the man's figure!

As soon as he saw his hand go through him, he jerked back his hand instantly.

What was going on? He couldn't be seen, heard, or felt. Deciding to see if his theory was true he stood in the middle of the street, and shouted, “CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!?”

Seeing that not a single person even noticed, he gravely concluded that his observations were indeed true.

“Hey! What the hell are you yelling for?”

Minato whirled around quickly to face the figure that had spoken. He was stunned to find a small boy, with spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, and peculiar whisker-marked cheeks.

“Hellooo, I asked you a question.” Naruto waved a hand in front of the man's impassive face.

Minato was frozen as he went into deep thought. `Okay so this kid can hear and see me…That's a start. Should I follow my only lead or continue searching for others…Maybe I should go along with this kid and find out what's going on first…I could probably find other leads while going with him…Kid it is.'

When Minato came back to his senses, he looked back at the kid, only to find him glaring at him, his eyes narrowed dangerously in irritation.

“What's wrong?” Minato questioned, unknowing the reason the boy was so angry at him.

“Welcome back Driftwood, I thought you were brain dead for a second there...or mental.” Naruto added.

“Driftwood?” Minato questioned cocking an eyebrow at the nickname.

“Well yeah! You got so lost in your own thoughts, that you didn't hear a word I said. I was practically screaming!” Naruto whined, flailing his arms to add effect to his speech.

“Oh, sorry kid. “Minato said sheepishly.

Naruto looked at the strange man as if expecting him to say something. After waiting for a few more seconds under the uncomfortable silence that had befallen the conversation, Naruto finally asked for the answer he was waiting for. “So?”

“So what?” Minato replied clueless as can be.

“Soooo, why were you yelling like that?”

“I was…” Minato began.

“Hey! There he is!” A man called at the end of the street, gesturing with his arm for others to follow him.

Minato thanked the interruption by the man. If he hadn't, he would have been forced to give a stupid excuse like his dead student Obito.

Naruto's eyes widened exponentially, “Gah! How'd they find me so fast?”

The Yondaime looked at him unbelievingly. I mean how would someone not find him? The kid was dressed in a bright orange jumpsuit that screamed, `I'M RIGHT HERE!'.

Minato noticed that man along with the others were chunin by the vests they wore. He had no idea why the chunin were after the boy, but if he helped him, he might answer some of his questions.

“Hey kid,”

“Yeah?”

“I know a way to lose them.”

“Nani?” Naruto asked with genuine curiosity. It was odd for a stranger to help him of all people. No one has ever done that before, so why would someone help him now. He didn't even know the man. If he wasn't careful, he might be stabbed in the back when he wasn't looking.

Could he trust a stranger?

Naruto watched as the chunin approached rapidly, pushing and dodging through the busy villagers in the street.

Without a moment to spare, the blonde man looked at Naruto expectantly, “Well, do you want me to help you or not?”

“Alright…how do we lose them?” Naruto hesitantly replied.

“Follow me.” The blonde man said, before dashing off at a light pace. Naruto didn't see it as a light pace however, and had to run as fast as he could to keep up.

Naruto followed him as the chunin began to steadily catch up, before turning a sharp corner into a dank alley.

“Hurry and open this.” Minato said as he pointed to ground. Naruto looked in the direction the man was pointing to and shook his head in disbelief.

“The sewers!?” Naruto exclaimed, to which the man answered with a simple nod.

“Hai. Now hurry if you don't want to get caught.”

While Naruto began to lift the lid that led to the sewers, Minato extended a hand towards the boy as his back was turned away from him.

Just as he had expected his hand slid through the boy, as if non-existent. Minato sighed and retracted his hand, while Naruto successfully removed the lid and jumped within the hole. Minato followed him, and landed in the murky water. Naruto closed the lid, after Minato had jumped in after him.

Just as the lid slid into place, a group of chunin rounded the corner. They inspected the alley briefly before confusion became etched upon they're visage.

“Where'd he go?”

Naruto grimaced as he trekked his way through the sewers. The mucky water sloshed at his feet as he trudged through the dirty liquid that ran halfway up his shin. The smell was beyond comprehendible for the young boy, making his nose wrinkle in audible disgust.

“This place reeks!” He exclaimed, as he reached a hand to his nose and plugged it.

“Hai, but there's an exit just a little further ahead that will lead us to the market street.” The man explained.

Naruto continued trudging through the water, unobservant of the phenomenon that was taking place behind him. The water's path was unaffected by the blonde man.

Minato noticed that the water passed right through him, but wasn't all to surprised. He lifted his foot for closer inspection and noticed that he wasn't wet or dirty at all. Of course he could still smell that disgusting fume that filled the air. Minato thanked that the boy wasn't observant. He moved silently through the water, following the said child.

As they made there way to the exit Minato's mind had begun to drift once again…

`Why do I pass through just about everything? I mean going through the floor doesn't sound so impossible anymore…maybe I can?' Minato thoughts then centered around making his foot go through the sewer floor. As soon as he did, his foot slid through the water farther then it was previously.

`Well that's interesting...' He commented. Minato went to continue walking behind the boy when he noticed his right foot was stuck. `Crap it's stuck!' Minato cried in thought, as he tried to pry his foot from the water filled floor. Naruto turned around when he heard a grunt from the man, and watched the spectacle before him.

`Wait! Maybe if I concentrate…' Minato's foot cleanly dislodged itself from the floor.

Naruto looked at the man oddly, “What was that about?”

“Um,” Minato began, `Time for an Obito excuse!', “I was grabbed by some weird fish thing.”

`Gah, there's no way he'll fall for that! What was I thinking?” Minato thought worriedly.

To Minato's luck Naruto's eyes widened with evident fear, “You mean there might be monsters in here?”

Minato was having trouble holding back his laughter, his lips pursed in effort of holding it in. The kid was truly gullible, that was for sure. It kind of reminded Minato of his younger self.

“Hai, it's possible…” The man mused, failing to hide the smile that spread across his face.

Of course Naruto was too dense to notice such a thing.

Naruto dashed to the exit up ahead, climbing the ladder hastily, and exiting the dirty sewers.

Minato burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer and followed after the kid. His mind still plagued by thoughts…

`I can pass through a lot of things, including floors, and probably even walls…'

`No one can see, hear, or even feel me except this kid so far…'

`It's almost like…like I'm some kind of ghost…'

Minato exited the sewer and stood by the exasperated child.

“You were kidding weren't you? I could hear you laugh down there, it echoed enough for me to hear you know.” The child huffed angrily.

The man shrugged, “Maybe, maybe not.”

Naruto glared at him before looking in the opposite direction in frustration.

Minato heard could've of sworn he heard the kid murmur something, but it was to quiet for him to hear. “What was that?” Minato questioned.

Naruto visibly huffed once more, still facing the opposite way.

“I said thanks for helping me escape those chunin.”

Minato looked at him curiously, “Why were they after you anyway?”

Naruto looked at him with surprise, “You don't know?”

The man nodded, which Naruto only gaped to. “How could you not notice, I mean it's so easy to see!?”

Minato looked at him in further confusion, “What's easy to see?”

“Just look at the Hokage monument.”

Minato turned to look at the stone faces, gaping as he did so.

The faces were covered in graffiti. Different paint colors sprawled across the faces of the village's previous leaders.

Including himself.

His face had red swirls on his cheeks, and…and were those EYELASHES!!

He turned to face the young prankster, his eyes narrowed in an intense glare. Naruto visibly shrunk under the glare, shivering as he did so.

The blonde man then smiled, his smile then turning into a large grin, and then finally into laughter.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the unusual behavior. After a short while Naruto asked him the obvious question.

“What's so funny?”

The man's laughter died down, until he was able to speak.

“I just find it funny that no one could catch you while you committed such an act. I mean come on, this prank is top notch, but I have to ask what made you do it.”

Naruto's eyes changed so fast that it stunned Minato. His cerulean eyes brimmed with undeterred confidence and determination as he looked at the monument.

“My dream is to become Hokage, surpassing all those before me.” Naruto proclaimed, in a voice that didn't seem as childish as before, but strong…

“I don't doubt that.” The man began, making Naruto turn to him quickly in surprise. “I believe that you will accomplish that dream.”

Naruto eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. Minato looked at the kid in shock, “What's the matter kid?”

Naruto looked away when felt his tears threaten to fall.

“No one's ever said that to me…not ever. They call me a fool, a dreamer, a loser, and dead-last, but…I'll show them all. I'll show them that I can be strong. Usually when I state my dream, I'm laughed at, or given silence. You…a stranger had helped me escape, and had even been the first to believe in me, it's not something that happens to me to often…” Naruto said solemnly, before turning back to face the blond man.

`Why do I feel different around this guy? I don't understand…' Naruto thought.

“I will become Hokage dattebayo! Also…for helping me earlier, is there anything I could do to help you?” Naruto asked.

Minato brought a hand to rub the back of his head sheepishly, “Um, well…I kind of need a place to stay for the night…if it's okay with your parents that is…”

Naruto grinned, “You can stay at my apartment, and I don't have parents so that isn't a problem.”

`I should have figured…' Minato thought.

“Thanks, I really appreciate this.” The man said, as Naruto started heading in the direction of his apartment. Minato followed the boy, until he remembered one of the questions he wanted to ask.

“Hey kid?”

“Yeah?”

“How long has it been since the Kyuubi attacked?”

Naruto looked at him with obvious confusion, wondering how the man did not know such a thing. “Exactly ten years from today, why?”

Minato froze in his tracks, `Ten years!? What about my wife and s-`

Minato looked at the kid that he was with him, blonde hair, blue eyes…

“Kid, what's your name?” The man asked in what seemed to be distress. He had to make sure what he believed was true…

Naruto looked at him curiously, “I'll tell you mine as soon as you tell me yours.”

“Namikaze Minato” The man said hastily.

“Uzumaki Naruto.” Naruto said, as he gazed at the man whose eyes widened even more.

`This kid…is my…son.'