Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: This story is not mine!! Read the original at fanfiction.net "Remnants of Uzushio by Loco Mortis"

Also I changed the name Mito -> Kasumi to suit my preferences so some sentences might be weird.

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The warring states were a time of great darkness for the ninja world. Various ninja clans battled non-stop. However, the chaos was ended by the truce between Hashirama Senju, leader of the Senju clan, and Madara Uchiha, leader of the Uchiha clan. They agreed to create the very first shinobi nation, made up of many other clans that agreed to the alliance. Alas, the peace woudld not last. Madara had been denied the position of Hokage, the leader of the village. Madara left the village and Hashirama chased after him. Hashirama was accompanied by his brother Tobirama and his wife Kasumi Uzumaki. Madara and Hashirama shortly started a battle of epic proportions and at one point Madara had summoned the Kyuubi to fight, but it was quickly restrained and Kasumi sealed it into herself. The fight soon ended in favor of Hashirama who ended the struggle by running Madara through the stomach and leaving him to die in the newly created valley.

As the years passed, Hashirama died in the first shinobi world war and his brother became Hokage in his stead. Tobirama later died in the second shinobi world war, passing the title of Hokage to his student Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, the most troubling event happened during the second war. The complete annhilation of Uzushiogakure, home to the infamous Uzumaki clan.

During the Warring States period, the Uzumaki clan were nomads, traveling from place to place until they eventually settled in Uzushiogakure. Uzushiogakure was located on an island surrounded by massive, naturally occurring whirlpools. The Uzumaki had created seals so that only people of the clan could safely enter the island. Unfortunately, the other hidden villages had deemed the Uzumaki clan to be too great of a threat to be left alone. Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Kirigakure had joined forced to exterminate the Uzumaki clan. For the most part they were successful, but they suffered heavy losses of their own. The Uzumaki clan had refused to go down without a fight, and even with being severely out numbered, the Uzumaki clan had managed to wipe out over sixty percent of the enemy forces before falling. That battle had carved the Uzumaki clan a place in the history books. A single clan had managed to defeat a little over two villages worth of ninja, over two thousand soldiers, before being defeated.

Kasumi had grieved for the loss of her clan and was known as the only Uzumaki left other than Kushina Uzumaki, her great grand niece. Kushina was sent to Konoha before the clan was attacked because she was to become the next jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. Kushina had an unnaturally strong chakra that could restrain the demonic chakra of a bijuu, which made her the perfect candidate for become the container. Kushina was understandably more than upset after hearing of her clan's fate, but was determined, as the Uzumaki heiress, to make sure her clan doesn't die off.

However, unknown to both of them, there were some Uzumaki left scattered throughout the elemental nations. There were a few Uzumaki who had secretly left Uzushio to continue wandering the elemental nations and eventually, those wandering Uzumaki had decided to settle down in one area or another. Despite their reasons for leaving, those few Uzumaki had made sure to copy enough knowledge to ensure that even though they were away from the clan, their legacy wouldn't be forgotten by their children. Most of the stray Uzumaki were settled in remote parts of Mizu no kuni.

-Fast Forward to 3 years before the Kyuubi incident-

Rei Uzumaki was having a bad day. First her water had broke while she was trying to take a nap, second her husband hadn't been there to help her to the village's medical center, and finally, when her husband did get there, he was getting on her nerves with all his panicked shouting about her having the baby.

"Dammit, Haru! If you don't stop shouting I'M GONNA TEAR YOU A NEW HOLE TO SCREAM OUT OF!" Screamed Rei as another contraction caused pain to rip through her body. The doctor in front of her was steadily guiding her through the delivery, instructing her to breath and when to start pushing. After another two hours of yelling and hand breaking, Rei was gently holding their newborn son while Haru was busy healing his hand with what little medical abilities he had. When he was done he got a good look at their child. The baby had dark red tufts of hair on its head, and when he opened his eyes the parents saw dark purple irises. Both parents had loving smiles as they stared at their child.

"He's an Uzumaki alright," Haru said with a smirk, his own purple eyes shining with satisfaction. Like his wife, Haru Uzumaki also had red hair, the tell-tale signs of Uzumaki heritage. Haru had sharp facial features and a thin scar below his right eye that trailed down to his to his jaw. His hair was shaggy and slightly spiky. Unlike his wife and son, his eyes were navy blue in color. Haru had a large build, but was not so bulky that it impeded his movement.

"Of course he is, you idiot. We're both pure blooded Uzumaki." Rei chided her husband softly so as to not disturb their newborn son. Rei had a heart-shaped face and slightly round eyes that were half lidded in exhaustion. Her hair went down to her shoulder and she had a fringe that covered her left eye slightly. Rei had a moderately curvy body type. Modest B-cup breasts, slim waist, nice hips, and had fair skin which made her vibrant red hair more pronounced. Her hair was currently matted down by sweat, caused by the exhertion of child birth. Despite the exhaustion she was experiencing, she had a 'glow' around her as she held her son close.

"So...what are we gonna name him?" Haru asked as he leaned closer to his wife.

"Hmm...how about Naruto? In memory of the maelstroms of Uzushio..." Rei said as she smiled sadly for the loss of her homeland. Both she and Haru had decided to leave Uzushio before they had started their family. They decided that a life in the country was better than in a crowded city, even if the people in the city were all family. They had settled down in a small town near the boarder of Mizu no Kuni and eventually Rei found out that she was pregnant with their first child, Naruto. But shortly after they learned that Uzushio had been destroyed and they grieved for the loss of the clan. They promised that they would keep the Uzumaki alive and would teach their child everything they knew about being a ninja, primarily the Uzumaki clan's trademark. Fuinjutsu.

"That sounds like a great name, Rei." Haru said as he kissed his wife's forehead. "I can already tell that he's going to be extremely powerful, and I'm not just saying that because he's my son. His chakra is already huge for his age...almost chunin level. Having this much chakra after just being born is simply absurd." Haru finished seriously.

"Then that just means that we'll have to train him sooner, rather than later." Rei said simply. "Especially since the Mizukage started the blood purges. He'll need to be able to defend himself in case we're not there." Haru could only nod as he silently vowed to protect his family from any threat.

-Five Years Later-

"Okay, Naruto. We've spent the past year training you in hand-to-hand combat, and you mother and I are proud to say that you are on par with an above average genin. This year, we'll be focusing primarily on your chakra. You'll be learning various methods to both control and master your chakra. Now, our clan has had a history for having extraordinary chakra. Some of the people in our clan had even developed special skills that are similar to bloodlines. They are similar in that they can't be copied or taught, but different because the ability cannot be passed down to your offspring. Each skills is unique, there are no two abilities that are the same. There were only a few recorded cases of abilities being awakened, but those people who did awaken their ability grew to be immensely powerful." Haru explained to the five year old Naruto, who showed no trouble following the explanation. "The most powerful Uzumaki that ever lived had such an ability. His name has long been lost to us, but he was a legend. His ability allowed him to control fire on a near God-like level. A flick of his wrist would create great columns of fire that would incinerate his foes in a matter of second"

Naruto was abnormally intelligent for someone his age, and he showed immense promise in what ever he was taught. He absorbed information like a sponge and was always looking for ways to improve whatever he was taught. He was currently hanging onto every word that his mom and dad said, interested in the rare trait of the Uzumaki clan.

"Your father is right Naruto, the stories tell of him being able to control even volcanoes. Almost every Uzumaki dreams of awakening such a power, but very few actually do. If you do have one, I'm sure it'll be unlocked at some point in your training because we will be training you to become one of the strongest. You're representing the Uzumaki clan after all." Rei said as she smiled at her son. Naruto was enthralled by hearing of his clans potential. He hoped that he would one day be as powerful as his parents believe him to be capable of, but he realized that he had a long way to go. He was determined to make his parents proud.

In the five years since Naruto had been born, he had grown quite a large amount. He was about three feet and eight inches tall, which was above average for his age. Naruto's hair was a little odd, though. On one side of his head his hair was shaggy and disorderly, he also had bangs that partially covered his right eye. On the left side of his head, his hair wasn't as long as the right side of his head and it was slightly spiky. Naruto's eyes were still a deep shade of purple and shone with an intelligence that was unheard of in a five year old. However, there was still a child-like innocence in his eyes that betrayed that intelligence. Naruto's parents on the other hand, haven't changed that much, except for a few wrinkles here and there.

"Alright, Naruto. That's enough explaining things, time for the practical stuff." Rei said as she started to instruct Naruto unlocking his chakra. Rei and Haru gave Naruto another, yet brief, explanation of how to unlock his chakra. Surprisingly, depending on who is asked, Naruto was able to unlock his chakra after a half-hour of trying. This only made his parents even more proud of their son, but they pushed their feelings aside and started to teach Naruto how to control his newly acquired chakra.

-Fast Forward Five More Years-

During the five years of Naruto's continued training they had brought his chakra control to a point where it was one par with Tsunade. Naruto had just kept coming up with new ways to train his control, mostly by combining concepts from other training methods. Naruto had even refused further training until his control was at a level he deemed satisfactory. The reason Naruto was so adamant about control was that his parents had told him that fuinjutsu required moderately high levels of control, and that the better your control was, the less chakra you waste doing jutsu and such. Naruto had also manifested his own chakra ability during a spar that almost went wrong. Haru had sent a lightning jutsu towards Naruto, who was unprepared, and was almost severely injured. Naruto's chakra ability happened to manifest in a strange way. Naruto's chakra had started to leak out and take a solid form, shielding him from the lightning jutsu.

Naruto was astonished that he had actually managed to gain this rare gift, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. After Rei had found out, Haru was harshly punished for almost killing her baby boy, and was sentenced to four months on the couch. Naruto had forgone naming his ability and immediately started to train with it. He After much training and experimenting, Naruto was finally able to master his new ability. It wasn't that hard considering the level of control he had. The great thing about his chakra, in Naruto's opinion, was that its versatility seemed to have no end. It had great offensive and defensive capabilities, and the only way to overpower his shield was if the attack had more chakra than the shield. That in itself was difficult considering how much chakra Naruto now had for someone his age, low-jounin to be exact, and his reserves would only increase with more training. There was a down side to Naruto's ability though. It was extremely taxing on his reserves and that was saying a lot in Naruto's case. He could only use his chakra ability for about twenty minutes before being too drained to continue. Naruto hoped to get his reserves to a higher level so he could use it more efficiently, but he wouldn't become reliant on it like most bloodline clans. A shinobi should be able to use many different skills proficiently after all. One-trick ponies tended to die quickly in the ninja world.

Naruto's parents had also showed him his nature affinity, which was lightning. This surprised his mother and father because they had expected water, like most Uzumaki. The only reason Haru knew a couple lightning jutsu was so that he could enhance his wife's water attacks during a fight. This would make learning jutsu difficult for Naruto as Haru only knew one or two lightning jutsu, and Rei only knew water and earth techniques. One jutsu that was immediately taught to Naruto, was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The Shadow Clone Jutsu was a high A-ranked reconnaissance technique that was known to almost every Uzumaki. It was easier to use than the standard illusion-based clone because the Uzumaki always had large amounts of chakra.

Naruto's training in taijutsu had also excelled far beyond his parents' expectations. His taijutsu was actually high chunin level, this would help him in a fight because who would expect a ten year old to throw a punch that could topple a small tree. The reason Naruto trained so intensely in taijutsu was because he believed that flashy jutsu were unnecessary in most cases. Jutus over complicated things. If you wanted things done, do it with your own two hands. To complement Naruto's close-quarter skills, his parent have taught him how to use a dagger that was about ten inches long and four inches wide. The metal had a black finish so that it didn't reflect light, making it perfect for assassinations. The dagger also had no guard and the hilt was wrapped in a simple black cloth. It was Naruto's tenth birthday present.

Lately, both Rei and Haru have been talking about leaving their current home and start traveling the world. The main reason for this is so that Naruto would gain experience and perhaps a few more techniques from those willing to teach him. Another reason, is that they hoped that they would find any other Uzumaki that had survived the genocide of their clan. It was currently around midnight and Naruto was fast asleep. Haru and Rei were in bed with Rei in Haru's arms. They were once more talking about leaving their quiet home.

"Are you sure that we should be traveling at this time? The purges have been increasing and I have heard of a rebellion that is about to start. I don't want Naruto to get caught up in that." Rei said as she rested her head in the crook of her husband's neck.

"There will always be a chance that we will be attacked by the Mizukage's forces, Rei. The Uzumaki are technically a bloodline clan. And even if they didn't think so we live in a deserted village. There are most likely several bloodline families here right now. A village far into the country is a perfect hiding spot for them. Too perfect. If I were the Mizukage, villages like this would be the first place I check." Haru said seriously. "The best chance we have to get out of Mizu, is to get out before the rebellion. That way we don't get caught in the crossfire of any battles. I'm sure we can all hold are own, even Naruto, but now is the best chance to leave. If we do get out, the first place we should go is Hi no Kuni. The leaf village is the most peaceful village, and they wouldn't be suspicious of a small family that escaped the purges of Mizu." Haru finished calmly.

"Yes, you're right. But I'm worried about Naruto...he's too young to experience the world we live in. All the bloodshed and violence. I don't want him exposed to that. Maybe if he were a bit older...but you're right. Now is the safest time to leave." Rei said as she silently worried about her baby boy.

"Naruto will be fine. He's the most skilled child I have ever seen. No one from our clan has ever been this talented at his age. As long as he remembers his training, and doesn't hesitate, he will be fine. And if not, we can help him." Haru reassured his wife. Rei turned her head to smile at her husband and gave him a kiss good night.

"Alright, it's settled. We'll be leaving Mizu no Kuni and heading to Hi no Kuni. We'll talk to Naruto about this in the morning after training." Rei said as she closed her eyes. Haru only nodded as he was already half-asleep.

-The Next Day, After Naruto's training-

Naruto was in his training clothes, a simple gi and pants, when his parents motioned him over to them. When Naruto walked up to the porch behind their modest home, he saw his parents sitting on a bench. As soon as Naruto was in range he was pulled into his mother's lap. Rei was a very touchy feely when it came to her family. Only her family saw this side of her, everybody else knew Rei for her calm and somewhat cold personality. Haru on the other hand was goofy and loved to mess with people. Teasing his wife was a favorite pass time for him. Contrary to what the other people in the village saw, Haru was capable of being serious when the time calls for it. This was one such moment where Haru showed how serious he can be.

"Naruto...how strong do you think you are at the moment?" Haru asked his son. Naruto was confused by his father's sudden seriousness, but answered the question regardless.

"Uhmm...I would say that my taijutsu is around high chunin without my chakra ability. With it, it's jounin level. My potential for genjutsu and medical jutsu is high, given my high chakra control. My skills with my dagger are decent... there is still room for improvement. My number of ninjutsu is lacking, but that doesn't really bother me. My chakra reserves are high jounin and my stealth capabilities are chunin at the moment." Naruto listed. "Overall I would say I'm at least a mid-chuunin due to my lack of experience." Rei could only smile at her son's modesty. Both she and Haru knew that their son was far more skilled than Naruto himself liked to believe, but to Rei, Naruto will always be her baby boy. Rei wished that all of the training he went through wasn't necessary, that the world wasn't filled with death and war. However, Rei knew that such thoughts were pointless. The world wouldn't change because one person wished it to happen. Change was a group effort, for it to happen all the nations of the world had to agree upon it. Change couldn't be forced. This was always something that Rei believed in, something that she passed onto her son. After hearing Naruto's self-evaluation Rei decided to give her input.

"It's good that you don't think so highly of yourself because of your skills, Naruto. I would hate to have to beat the arrogance out of you...but you're right for the most part. The lack of experience is what stops you from being as strong as most jounin. That is why your father and I have decided that the three of us will start traveling around the world. That way we will be able to get you the experience you need. We can also head to Kaminari no Kuni to get you some lightning techniques." Rei explained. Naruto then voiced his displeasure with going to lightning country.

"But Mom! I don't need any more jutsu. I'm fine with sticking to just taijutsu and fuinjutsu." Naruto complained. Naruto had been taught fuinjutsu the moment he unlocked his chakra. Naruto was proud to say that he was as good as his parents in his family's art. Haru was quick to silence his protests.

"Naruto, you're eventually going to need some ninjutsu. If you get overwhelmed ninjutsu is a reliable tool to fend off a large amount of enemies. You even said yourself that one-trick ponies make bad ninjas. You're starting to rely too much on your taijutsu." Haru said, being the voice of reason to his son. Naruto stubbornly refused to believe that for a couple minutes, but he eventually conceded to his father's explanation. Rei then decided to finish the conversation.

"Then it's settled, we'll be leaving in two days. That should be enough time to seal up our home. We'll take anything necessary and seal them into smaller scrolls for easier access on the road." Rei said as she set Naruto on the ground and went to prepare. Haru only shook his head fondly at his wife.

"Ahh, she always so thorough about everything she does." Haru said to Naruto. "When you were conceived, your mother practically planned every detail out for the entire time she was pregnant with you."

"You get that way sometimes too, Dad. Besides, there is no harm in being too prepared." Naruto told his father.

"You're right son, but sometimes the smaller details slip our minds." Haru said as he and Naruto walked into their house. "C'mon, let's go help your mother."

-Six Years Later-

The past six years haven't been the best for Naruto. Getting out of Mizu no kuni had been more difficult than expected. They had almost been killed by a patrol of five jounin. The family of three had defeated them, but had gotten a few new scars in the process. They spent the next four years going from place to place, finding different teachers for Naruto. Most of his teachers were missing nin, most because the family didn't want to get involved with the hidden villages. The way that Haru and Rei got missing nins of all people to train their sons, were by small favors. One of the missing nin that taught Naruto were Momochi Zabuza, in exchange for strengthening his sword with seals. From Zabuza, he learned the silent killing technique, something unique to Kirigakure. There were other less notable missing nin that taught Naruto. From those shinobi he learned various jutsu. He even learned some more lightning techniques from a Kumo missing nin while they were in Kaminari no kuni.

However, that was when everything started going downhill for the family. During the fifth year of wandering the elemental nation. Haru had caught a disease when they were in Kaminari no kuni. It was a rare disease that only one in five hundred people got it. It was fueled by one's chakra and over time it caused organ failure. It was an incurable disease. It was the epitome of bad luck that Haru of all people contracted the fatal disease.

Haru had died five years into their trip at the age of thirty-eight. He was buried in the remains Uzushio, joining his fallen brethren in the afterlife. They had build a shrine for him and the rest of their deceased clan.

Both Naruto and Rei were heart-broken at Haru's death and mourned for many months before they started their journey once more. After several months of traveling, they decided that they would go their seperate ways for a short time. They were currently in Hi no Kuni, and both wanted to go to different places. Naruto wanted to go to Konoha and see the Kyuubi festival. His mother wanted to go to one of the other festivals at a neighboring resort-typed village. The villages were relatively close to one another, so they saw no harm in splitting up for a short time. Normally Rei wouldn't let her son out of her sight, especially after her husbands death, but she was reluctant to enter a hidden village. Even if the Uzumaki clan had been allies of Konoha, they still did nothing while Uzushio was destroyed. Rei gave Naruto one last kiss on the cheek before they parted ways.

-At the Gates of Konoha-

Konohagakure no Sato, the village hidden in the leaves. One of the five great shinobi nations. As it's name suggests, the village is surrounded by thick, lush forests that were created by the Hashirama Senju the—the first Hokage. The village was surrounded by massive walls and the Hokage's tower was located right in the middle. There are four gates that allow people to enter and exit the village, each with their own guard station where you check in. That way everyone who enters or leaves the village is accounted for, any possible threats are noted and sent to the Hokage via Anbu.

It was a quiet and peaceful morning morning for the guards of the east gate. They were still drowsy from pulling an all-night shift and didn't notice a person walking up to the stand until he started speaking.

"Excuse me, are you two okay?" The voice sounded like a male who was in his teens and least. The sudden noise snapped the guards out of their daze. The guards were now alert and started to subtly evaluate the person in front of their stand. The young man looked to be around fifteen or sixteen and was around six feet tall. He had dark red hair that was long and shaggy on the right side of his hair while the left side of his head had hair that was shorter and slightly spiky. His right eye was partly covered by his bangs. The teen's eyes were a startling shade of dark purple, they also held a bit of mirth at catching them snoozing on the job. The unnamed teen had on a black, long-sleeved shirt with red spirals on both shoulders. Around his neck was a plain silver chain. On the chain were what looked to be two diamond wedding rings judging from how one was smaller than the other. He had pants that were also black in color. His hands were covered by finger-less gloves with metal plates on the back of them and on his feet were a pair of black boots. He was also holding a backpack full of traveling equipment.

"Ya, ya. What do you need, brat?" One guard said gruffly, obviously annoyed at being caught off-guard by a what looks like a civilian.

"Well, I was just going to inform you that I was entering the village...Was I just supposed to walk through? That doesn't seem like a very good way to guard a village if people can just walk through." The teen said with a smirk.

"No, people can't just waltz straight in, you stupid brat! You have to check in with us." That same guard said with a sneer.

"Well wouldn't it make more sense for you to be awake? Sleeping on the job hardly seems professional." The teen said, purposefully angering the guard.

"Shut up, you damn brat!" The guard yelled angrily. The other guard quickly interfered before his partner started to attack the boy.

"Hey, calm down. We can't attack people that come up to the gate without good reason, and this is not one of those times. And you," the second guard said sternly to the teen. "stop antagonizing him. We've been running this shift all night. We were a little drowsy, so thank you for waking us up. Now if you could tell us your name we will let you pass."

"Sure, sure. My name is Naruto." The newly named Naruto said with humor. The first guard was just so easy to aggravate.

"No surname?" The second guard asked.

"Nope." He lied. The guard quickly wrote something down on the piece of paper in front of him.

"So why are you visiting Konoha if you don't mind me asking." The second guard said pleasantly.

"I'm here for the festival. I hear that it's one of the best in the world." Naruto said with a smile.

"Ahh, the Kyuubi Festival." The guard said. The guard was obviously looking forward to it himself if the smile on his face was any indication. "Well, I won't hold you up any longer. You can go on through."

"Thanks." Naruto said as he walked past the gates.

As Naruto walked through the village he took in the sights. Various shop owners were getting ready for the day, stand owners were heading towards they usual locations, and a few kids were outside walking their pets. To the untrained eye the village looked like the perfect picture of peace. However, Naruto knew of what lies in the shadows of every hidden village. Beyond the image the happy civilians portrayed, there were shinobi willing to do anything for the right price.

Naruto walked for a couple more hours and watched as the village came to life. Men and women, going to and from work. Children running through the streets. Konoha certainly was a large village.

'Well, I better find a hotel. The festival isn't for another couple days...this is going to be a great vacation.' Naruto thought with a smile. Despite what the guard memebers thought, Naruto was far from a civilian.

As Naruto was walking around the village he was subtly observing the people around him. He was also aware of a few stares that he was getting, primarily from the females. He noticed a group of teen-aged girls near one of the food stands. They weren't being very discreet with their staring so he decided to have a bit of fun while he asked for directions. He slowly walked up to the group, noting their reactions as he did so. They obviously didn't expect him to walk right up to them if the stares of shock were any indication.

"Excuse me, ladies. Would one of you be so kind as to point me to the nearest inn? I'm new here and am looking for a place to stay." Naruto said with a smile. The girls' face quickly turned a pinking hue before one of them answered.

"Ummm... the only inn I know of is near the red-light district, but I wouldn't recommend it." The girl said with a slight stutter.

"That will be fine. Could you point in the right direction, miss?" Naruto asked. The girl pointed to a road and told him that if he kept walking that way he wouldn't miss it. "Thank you for your time, ladies." Naruto said with a tilt of his head and a smile. The girls' face turned bright red as he walked away. That was probably the only guy that they had seen in Konoha that wasn't a pervert or weirdo. Too bad he was a foreigner.

Naruto followed the directions he was given towards the red-light district. He wasn't opposed to going there, red-light districts were excellent places to acquire any information one might need. Soon enough, the hotel the girl mentioned came into view. She was right, it was hard to miss. Anyone who missed the blaring sign that said 'INN' in big bold print was brain dead. He was busy looking at the sign as he walked, so he missed the person that had walked into him. Naruto looked down and saw that the person, a girl, had fallen on her rear from the collision. She quickly gathered herself and stood with a huff.

"Watch where you're going you damned idiot!" She spat from her spot on the ground, eyes shut in minor pain. Naruto mentally rose an eyebrow at her violent reaction. She couldn't be anymore than thirteen years old. She was wearing a a large black hoodie. The hood was up so he couldn't tell what color her hair was. She was around five feet and two inches tall and had a petite build. She was also rather...ehh...developed for her age. The fact that he could slightly see her figure through her large coat gave away that much. The girl also had knee length white shorts. Like her hoodie. The girl had finally opened her eyes and got a look at the person she ran into. Male, tall, muscular, purple eyes, and...red hair? The girl was broken out of her thoughts by the boy.

"Hey, are you alright?" Naruto asked with a smile. "I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going." The girl was somewhat stunned by the sound of his moderately deep voice, but she answered with the same intensity as before.

"What were you doing walking around the street looking up like an idiot!? I could've have broken something by running into you." She said angrily as she got up from the ground. That was a lie on her part, but this guy didn't need to know that.

"I told you I was sorry...besides, why were you in such a hurry that you couldn't have gotten out of the way?" Naruto said accusingly.

"I was late for training! I still am! I don't need you slowing me down any more" The girl said, now thoroughly irritated with the stranger.

'Training?' Though Naruto. He then noticed the leaf headband that was around her neck, he hadn't been able to see it from her position on the ground. "Well excuuuuse me Shorty. If your training was so important why are you late?" Naruto asked with a smirk. This girl was cute when she was mad. The girl then seemed to get a little embarressed, but didn't lose her angry look.

"B-Because I overslept. Now will you shut up so I can get to practice already!?" The girl said. "I have to go across the damn village to get there and talking to you is wasting time!" Naruto then got an idea.

"Well how about I give you a lift to your practice, Shorty." Naruto said with a smirk. The girl once again got angry, this time with the nick-name.

"MY NAME ISN'T SHORTY!" The girl yelled. Naruto then turned to walk away, taking that as a no to his offer. However, the girl hadn't finished what she had to say. Her aggravated movements had been enough to jostle her hood from its place. Once the hood fell, it revealed shoulder length crimson hair to the world. "It's Kasumi Uzumaki!" Naruto had looked over his shoulder as he walked as she yelled at him. However, the hair and name took a while to register with his mind. Once his mind rebooted he turned around in complete shock.

"What?"

A/N: Okay, I know ending there might not have been the most favorable thing to do, but writing this chapter was more taxing than I thought. This is actually the first serious writing thing I've ever done, so I wanted it to be good. Any advice, grammatical or otherwise, is greatly appreciate. I'm gonna try to put some links to the pictures that inspired the looks for Naruto and Kasumi, I'm not promising anything thought. I also can't promise a steady update speed since school is right around the corner, but I will try to get at least some chapters in. I'm also going to put dates for my posts and any edits I do.

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Date Posted:August 2nd, 2013

Last Edit: N/A

Alright, this author's note has gone on long enough. See ya :)

-Loco Mortis