Chapter 3: Nature
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Madara had once taken Naruto out of the confinements that they had called home when he was just 4 years old. They weren't out of the place for any normal reason, the family was never normal at all.
He had taken Naruto to a battlefield; one that was filled with blood and bodies of the dead. It was quite the perfect timing when they finally managed to get there.
"It seems no one is here," said Madara, his tone was unwavering — it showed no weakness at all. He looked down at Naruto, whom was looking the bodies. Any regular person with no experience as a Shinobi would think Naruto was just an emotionless kid, but that's not true. . . to some extent.
Madara saw his face, there was some conflict in his mind due to the sight of the dead bodies on the ground. "Naruto, do you know the thing called the Cycle of Hatred?" Asked Madara as Naruto's head snapped towards the elderly Madara.
"You talk about it, but I don't know what it exactly means." Naruto answered, his head and eyes snapping back towards the dead bodies once more. Madara nodded, also looking back to the dead and rotting corpses on the ground.
"In the most simplest form it means: negativity attracts negativity, while positivity attracts positivity." Madara explained, putting his hand on top of Naruto's shoulder. "What does that negativity and positivity part mean?" Asked Naruto, seemingly confused on what Madara was trying to explain. Madara sighed.
"Alright, if a person were to take the life of another person and that said person had a family that he cared for, what would the family feel towards the person that killed their father/husband?" Asked Madara. Naruto pondered for a moment before answering.
"Hate," said Naruto, answering the question that was directed towards him. Madara nodded, seeing how Naruto was quickly catching up to what he was trying to explain to the boy.
"And this will have them be in a much more negative state than in a positive one. This causes a problem, the family will be much more prone to being angry and negative to the point where they too will spread the negativity." Naruto slightly widened his eyes, he fully understood.
"Then if the family does something in any way negative to another person, they too will possibly be put in a negative behavior and will also be more prone to negative thoughts and feelings; it's an infinite cycle that grow from one person to another?" The last part was more of a question than a statement.
"Correct, see these bodies on the ground? They too have love ones, and they too will suffer like many people — The Cycle of Hatred."
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Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Naruto thought, repeating the same word over and over again with no signs of stopping. He jumped in the air and threw a kunai at one of the dented target boards.
It landed inches inches away from getting the bullseye.
Naruto sighed and walked towards the target boards, intending to pull the kunai out of place. It has been a week or two since he last played chess with Madara. But Naruto just couldn't wrap his head around something.
How am I always naturally talented at the things I do? Naruto thought, clenching his fists tightly as he stared at the kunai engraved near the bullseye. He had only started for about half-a-year now and he was progressing at a phenomenal rate.
He didn't like the idea of himself being fed by a golden spoon.
Too much talent will only eat me up; I need a solution. Naruto thought, unclenching is fists and grabbing hold of the kunai that was on the target boards. Naruto wants to work for the strength.
Do I hold back? No, that's not it. If I were to hold back, grandfather wouldn't be pleased. I am also not very good at faking and making it seem and look authentic. Naruto thought and thought and thought with the kunai in his hand. His mind was an absolute storm.
Naruto gave out a deep sigh, letting go of this thought for now and turned around. He move on to another topic in his mind as he walked away from the target boards.
My birthday is in a about 6 months. I still can't fathom on how it's already May — almost June. Naruto had gotten his first task the day after his 5th birthday. And it was quite a fun day.
I shouldn't rush my training, I have plenty of time to improve. Naruto was about to enter the vast forest, but a pair of kunai was thrown directly towards him. Naruto reacted to this with a jump to the air.
Another pair of kunai was shot towards him.
Shit. Thought Naruto, using his own pair of kunai to deflect the opposing kunai that was thrown straight at him. While in mid-air, Naruto snatched the kunai that the opponents had thrown at him.
He landed on the ground safely.
"Damn it, Toshi! We had one chance! We needed his gear to survive!" Naruto looked to the side and saw 2 people hissing at each other. He slightly narrowed his eyes at them.
"Shut it, Kyo! We can take care of the kid; it's two to one!" Toshi hissed back, slightly glaring at Kyo. Naruto observed them slightly, they didn't have the best teamwork and communication.
Naruto looked at their forehead proctor — they were rogue-nin from Kirigakure. Naruto slightly tensed up, he knew his limits. Naruto is barely a genin. He also had to take into account on just how strong these two could possibly.
"Who are you?" Asked Naruto, readying himself with his kunai at hand. Toshi and Kyo snapped their heads towards. "We are rogue genin from Kirigakure — the Saza brothers." Naruto was internally relieved that they were just genin.
"Rogue genin? Don't you think that's quite dangerous." The last was part was no question. They glared at him. "We could say the same thing to you." Kyo remarked, getting into an unfamiliar stance.
"Touché"
Naruto got into his own stance and readied himself for combat. He was honestly quite nervous to fight even genin. His eyes were focused right on them. "We'll end this in a split second." The two rushed towards him with a quick speed.
He gritted in annoyance, dodging one punch after another.
They're not giving me room to get a punch in. Naruto thought, a bead of sweat rolling down his head. "What's wrong? Can't keep up?" Kyo asked arrogantly. Naruto said nothing.
Seeing as he couldn't capitalize on an opening, Naruto backed away to analyze the situation. His eyes darted from one limb on their bodies to another.
What's the best way to demobilize them? To break their bones. He just needed one good opening to turn the tides to his favor, but that's is not happening anytime soon. So, Naruto used a better option.
RUN!
Naruto turned around and jumped on the trees above. "Running away? Such a coward." The two followed suit, never losing track of Naruto along the way.
They're stronger than me, so I'll have to use my wit this problem. Thought Naruto, looking back at the two brothers that were currently tailing behind him. He was restricted.
I have yet to learn the wall-climbing technique — I have too much chakra to learn it quick enough. Thought Naruto, taking his gaze from the brothers and looking towards his right.
There was a tree.
Without much thinking, Naruto outstretched his hand towards the tree and gave it a tight grip. He was feeling the intense burn from the friction being created between his hand and the tree itself. Ignoring the burn, managed to swing his body around the trunk of the tree.
The momentum carried and his body was honing towards Toshi.
"Dodge!" Yelled out Kyo. Toshi used his forearms to block — it was a bad idea. "AGHH!" He gritted his teeth in pain. Naruto managed to use his advantage in physical strength to damage Yoshi's forearm. Toshi landed on a tree, holding his arm to ease the pain.
"You'll pay for hurting my brother!" Kyo jumped towards him. Naruto slightly widened his eyes as he was still in mid-air. He had to tank the punch off. Naruto felt the force of the punch hit his face.
Naruto was now entering a free-fall. He looked to the side and saw another tree right next to him while he was falling down from the high height. I'll have to take a gamble. Naruto thought. He placed both of his hands on the tree firmly; the same with his feet. Naruto was planning to slow himself down by using the tree bark.
The burning from before now transformed into absolute pain. The skin of his hands were now getting cut off by the bark. Naruto saw the slithers of blood drip off of his hand. He felt the wind rush from the side.
He was tackled right off of the tree and onto the ground below.
"You little shit!" Yelled Kyo, throwing a punch towards Naruto's head. He managed to dodge four in a row. "Stay still!" Yelled out Kyo in rage, about to throw one last punch.
"Your yelling annoys me," said Naruto, bringing his hand up and covering Kyo's eyes with the blood that covered his hands. Kyo was now distracted with getting the blood off of his face.
Naruto capitalized on this by clenching his other bloodies hand to a fist and punching Kyo in the face. Kyo was pushed back a meter away or so. Naruto got up immediately and looked around the area.
Where's that guy Toshi? Asked Naruto, jumping back to create distance between him and Kyo. He heard noise towards his back and jumped in the air. Naruto looked down to the ground and saw that Toshi had tried preparing for a surprise attack on him.
If they even get one good hit off of me, I'm dead. Naruto mused, landing beside a tree. The two brothers got up from their position with an angered expression on their faces. "How is this kid so good at a young age?" There was a hint of jealousy laced in their voice.
"Tch, it doesn't matter, Toshi." Kyo was also jealous of Naruto's strength at a young age. They were immediately reminded of a person. "Do you think he's that Uchiha prodigy that Konoha hold?" Toshi asked Kyo. He shook his head.
"I doubt it; this guy is much younger than him. The other one should be around 11 or 12 right now. I think." Kyo responded to Toshi's question. But there was no time to waste.
"Let's finish him," said Toshi as the two started rushing towards Naruto. He breathed in and out as he saw them quickly approach him, his hand still stung from the blood. He saw the blood slowly evaporate alongside with his cut.
Kyuubi?
Naruto was distracted and the two brother took advantage of that with two punches to Naruto's face. His face scrunched up from the two impacts to his face.
Naruto was launched away far from Toshi and Kyo. Before they could land another punch off, Naruto regained his balance and dodged the two punches. A bead of sweat dropped to the ground.
I need to run and formulate a plan. Naruto though, turning around and jumping away from them. The two brothers trailed Naruto with no intent of losing track of him.
Naruto soon saw a clearing out of the forest. Shit. Naruto cursed in his mind, seeing that the clearing was just the same cliff that he normally used to train at. He looked back and saw that Toshi and Kyo were cornering him.
"Looks like you're cornered." Kyo smirked in satisfactory. They finally had him in their hands, ready to be killed. "You gave us a tough one. If we were to have met just a month or two later, you would have been able to take us down. You are talented and that talent pisses me off." Toshi and Kyo advanced forward.
Naruto relaxed and stopped standing in his stance — they thought he had gave up. "Good, you have accepted your fate." Their footsteps became louder. Naruto started to pull something out of his holster. "A chess piece?" They narrowed their eyes at him.
Naruto's dull and emotionless eyes looked at them. "Do you know what this specific chess piece is? It's the King." Naruto held it out for display. "And do you know what a King does?" Asked Naruto, his eyes were casted upon them.
They didn't answer.
"I'll answer for you," said Naruto, still holding the King. "They manipulate, deceive, and lie; they and the Queen are second to the Emperor." Naruto informed them as he put the chess piece back into his holster.
"And you two are the pawns, while I'm the King that controls your every move." They were aggravated at such claim, they charged towards him. "Bullshit!" They yelled in unison.
Naruto smirked, he liked this feeling — the feeling of being the on top of the world — the person who manipulates people and their actions.
This is his true nature.
He sly and cunning, like a fox. Naruto suddenly noticed that he was able to see Toshi's and Kyo's exact movements. His perception of the world had changed. He had 1-tomoe on his 2 eyes.
Did it activate due to the feeling that I had? Naruto asked himself as he found himself charging towards the two brothers with one kunai being held tightly in his hands. Naruto was now able to predict their movements much easier.
"Sharingan?! He's an Uchiha?" Toshi couldn't say more as he suddenly felt his body fall to the ground. Naruto was standing on top Toshi's back. His scarlet eyes reflected the moonlight.
"I won't hesitate to kill you. While I am strongly against killing a person, if it benefits me in the end I'll do it." Naruto told them, stepping off of Toshi, whom was feeling absolute agony.
"S-stay back! Y-you monster!" Kyo yelled out, he was being beaten by a 5-year old boy. Naruto did not falter one bit. Kyo gritted his teeth. He charged towards Naruto.
"DIEEE!" Yelled Kyo, aiming his kunai at the unfazed Naruto. In a split second, Naruto kicked the kunai away and kicked Kyo to the ground. Naruto smashed his face with his feet to knock him out.
Toshi's pain made him unconscious.
While all this was happening, there was a man with white-hair observing from a distance. He had a wide smirk plastered right on his face as he saw the fight.
The plan worked — he didn't unlock it the way I expected him to, but he unlocked it: the Sharingan. Madara thought as he disappeared in a blink of an eye.
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AN(Shaxoss): I would like to explain Naruto's character.
Naruto — while he strives to break the Cycle of Hatred and bring peace, he won't hesitate to kill an enemy if it benefits him in the long run. He dislikes how he has had everything given to him since birth — he wants satisfactory when getting stronger.