The Journey of Dawn: The Beginning

'This will indicate thoughts'

"This will indicate Talking"

[This will indicate talking with kurama, although it will not happen for now]

'.'(dot) will indicate scenario change, pov change or any other kind of change, you will understand it i promise.

Hey everyone, I'm a new author here and I'm still learning the ropes. I'm hoping you'll be kind enough to collect me, read me, and stone me (Damn, that sound so wrong, figuratively speaking, of course). I'm only able to upload 5-7 chapters a week and believe me I work 60 hours a week so mass release is a luxury for me, but my chapters are pretty large so enjoy them (1500-2000± words). I'm open to any constructive criticism you have, be honest and give review, i can take it, believe me. Thanks in advance!"

...

Hah! Hah! Hah! Hah! A boy was seen exhaling in a remote and seemingly alone place, powerlifting a heavy boulder. The kid was 7 years old. The boulder wasn't heavy enough to amaze any ninja, but it was definitely amazing when done by a seven-year-old kid. "Yeah, there I go, there I go, let it out Naruto. Hh! 99, 100, I AM A MACHINE, YOU DON'T KNOW ME, SON. Who will carry the boulder? Of course, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto will. You don't know me, son."

The child was grunting and saying weird things while carrying the boulder in a squat position. Of course, the child was our beloved main character, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze, better known as Naruto Uzumaki, the demon, the demon fox, the reincarnation of evil.

....

In the war-torn landscape, the merciless sun casts a crimson glow upon the rubble-strewn streets, where the echoes of devastation linger like haunting ghosts. John, a weathered mercenary with eyes of sorrowful steel, clutches the blood-soaked photo of his fallen comrades, carrying their memories like an unyielding burden. As an orphan, he once sought belonging amidst the desolation, only to find his purpose wandering around the world feeling alive with only the thrill of the battlefield. Amongst the chaos, a child's tear-stained face emerges from the shadows, a symbol of the world's senseless cruelty. This innocent soul, kidnapped and brainwashed by the very fanatics he fought to annihilate, stirs his heart with empathetic urgency. With every ounce of strength, he blazes through the enemy lines, dismantling them one by one, the fierce symphony of gunfire and explosions surrounding him. As he clings to life, he yearns for a seemingly impossible world peace, where orphaned hearts find solace and the tendrils of hatred cease to choke. His final breaths echo the poignant truth that even in the abyss of war, the glimmer of humanity can rise, transcending despair to protect the fragile light of hope in innocent souls. In the midst of the war-torn chaos, John chuckles weakly, his voice tinged with a mix of humor and bravado. "Well, well, well... I guess I won't be missing any action-packed adventures now, will I?" he jests, his eyes flickering with mischief. "Dying heroically, that's how it's done, folks."

Looking at the tear-stained face of the kidnapped child, he winks playfully. "You owe me a rematch, kiddo! Next time, I won't go easy on you," he teases, his determination undiminished even in the face of impending fate.

With a dramatic flourish, he raises a pretend sword and pretends to duel the enemy lines one last time. "Take this, and that! Who said being a hero was easy?" he exclaims with a grin, embracing the absurdity of it all. The kid watches his savior dying while making dad jokes, his throat not working properly. He can't say thank you; thank you for saving him from hell. He can only see him taking leave from earth, a grand death as his savior mentioned.

His bodily organs cease to function, and he dies—or at least that should have happened. Yet, here he is, being reborn as Naruto Uzumaki. That's some high-level quantum multiverse stuff going on here.

...

He can sense two warm auras protecting him. How strange, he has no senses, yet he can sense them. He should have died; is this something similar to a lucid dream?

How peculiar it is! Then, after some time, amidst the chaos, he opens his eyes. He sees two humans, a man and a woman, shielding him from an absolutely huge claw and a fox-like being. The woman in front of him possesses vibrant, fiery red hair that cascades down her back in unruly waves, framing a face adorned with striking violet eyes that hold a mix of determination, sadness, desperation, and kindness. Her fair complexion is punctuated by a few scattered freckles across her nose and cheeks, adding a touch of innocence to her fierce and strong presence. Behind her is a man with sun-like blonde hair and a seemingly sad smile. The individuals in question are none other than Minato and Kushina, although he doesn't know at the moment who they are. Even though he can't think properly as his brain struggles to channel the thoughts he's having, he understands one thing: they protected him, and he can feel an emotional and spiritual connection with them. They protected and sacrificed their lives for him. Even though he doesn't understand what's going on, an invisible bond between him and Minato and Kushina forces him to become tearful. As an orphan, he never had any parental figures to love or be loved by. That invisible and illogical feeling clenching his heart is something he doesn't understand, to be honest. But he isn't able to control his emotions as he's used to. All emotions of being protected are subconscious feelings; he doesn't have the luxury to think and assess the situation. All emotions are forcefully impacting him. He cries. It's shameful for him to cry no matter the situation, as he trained himself mentally for any and every possible scenario. Yet it's not something he ever thought he should prepare for. His eyes are locked on the two figures in front of him, and he raises his hand to touch his mother's cheek. His longing for his parents and unexplainable love makes his situation worse, for sure.

Minato and Kushina POV

The village is under attack. An unknown entity infiltrated the village and unleashed the mighty Kyuubi in the middle of the village. I teleported the fox outside of civilians' range and protected my village. But amidst all this, my death knocked on the door. My precious son, my little Naruto, has to bear the pain my Kushina bore for so long as well. It hurts my soul to give my precious baby such an overwhelming duty, even though he didn't want it. But I can't really entrust anyone other than my own blood to bear the responsibility. Sensei said I might be the child of prophecy, but to be honest, I never thought I was one. But I would like to think my little Naruto will be the one to truly change the world, something I wished for. His mature eyes and the understanding aura are proof of my hunch, even though he isn't even one day old. "Be the hero you wanted to be, my son. I am really sorry I had to leave you early. Forgive your incompetent father. From now on, you will be Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze." Then I let Kushina have a talk with Naruto. I was an orphan; she was one of the first people who let me understand what being loved and cared for felt like. She has the right to be with Naruto more than me.

"I'm going to tell you everything, Naruto. I love you... and I always will. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for making you be born as a Jinchuriki. Naruto, listen carefully... You may not have been able to have a mother's love, but... the village acknowledges you now. You've finally found people who recognize you. As long as you can believe in that, then everything will be alright. I love you, Naruto."

These heartfelt words were spoken by Kushina as she lay dying after protecting Naruto and the village from the Nine-Tails' attack. Her love for Naruto and her hope for his happiness and acceptance by the village became a significant source of strength and motivation for Naruto throughout his journey. I hope my village honors my last wish as their Hokage, and my son lives a life as a hero of Hidden Leaf. At that time, Kyuubi was sealed completely, and Hiruzen came. I entrust my little Naruto to him and close my eyes for the last time.

Naruto POV

It's been 5-6 years after the incident, and I've somehow reincarnated into the Naruto world, with no cheat codes whatsoever. However, being born as Naruto Uzumaki is a cheat itself. I mean, my guy literally goes from the last of the graduation class to the absolute strongest one within four years. If he was to train himself from an early age, what would have happened? Not to mention Kurama. He has so much affinity towards natural energy that it seems unreal. And we all know who the top dog is when natural energy is involved in a fight.

I was a thrill-seeker in my early life as well. Normal people would have thought of joining MMA if they wanted to be the strongest, but I were someone crazy enough to join and later create a mercenary to feel the thrill. Of course, there were other motives in being a mercenary as well, but my inner demon yearns for battle. That's something I can't deny.

.....

"Huh, so you're training here again, Naruto." It was Hiruzen, the professor, and the Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaf. He was a similar figure to a grandparent for Naruto, although he didn't keep the promise. He was the reason Naruto didn't turn into a weapon. Of course, he didn't have a normal childhood either, but he was grateful he didn't have to endure "acting like a weapon" for the next 10-15 years or so.

"Yeah, I am. I'm gonna beat your ass one day, old man, Dattebayo!" "That would be a wonderful experience to have, Naruto. But I think you have a lot to learn even now." Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckles at the kid's amazement. How he conducts himself in hatred, how he gives the impression to different situations and acts upon them, speaks volumes of the maturity and mental strength this kid possesses. Yet he wonders sometimes how a kid can be this bright even with all the hatred going on. He wanted this kid to have a bright childhood, but…

He sighed and pulled out some money and a storage scroll. "Here's your this month's expenses and some necessary protein food you requested." "HUH! Thank you, Jiji! It's important for me to have some meat. You're the best, Dattebayo!" Hiruzen sighed again at the kid's weird choice of laughter and amazing body that doesn't go with a 5-6-year-old kid. Well, he has the genes of Uzumaki and two of the best shinobis' blood within him, he supposes.

After some chitchat, Hiruzen left, leaving Naruto alone.

Naruto is left alone in his supposed secret training ground, pondering what he has to do in the next few years. He's focused on physical training and, in secret, calligraphy and chakra control training. Upcoming times will be turbulent, no doubt. One thing is for sure: he has to be strong, stronger than anyone, to be free. His will to never bow down is something he inherited from his past life. He knows, especially in the Narutoverse, life is not a bed of roses. But he is someone who is or was used to hardship. The future is thrilling, and he's up for a challenge.

"It seems the future is gonna be fun. Dattebayo." Damn! That verbal tic is genetic, it seems.

{A/N: I've been thinking about writing this story for a while now. It's been on my mind to craft a tale, not just to improve my writing chops, but also to maybe dip my toes into the realm of pro writing. While the story might not immediately grab your attention, I'd appreciate it if you could hang in there with me as I dive into the details. I've gone for a different universe spin rather than sticking to the usual canon, trying to give it a fresh outlook. I'm planning to mix in some serious parts and chapters with slices of everyday life, to make the story pop with some fun and energy.

Wrapping my head around how to depict Hiruzen was a bit of a challenge. Some fanfics paint him as a bad guy, but it's important to recognize his smarts and strategic thinking. Sure, he might not have had the sheer power of folks like Hashirama and Tobirama, but he stood tall among the "failure four" and probably gave the other Kage a run for their money—maybe just the Raikage was his equal. His ninja and statesman skills mixed up and made his compassionate side less hidden. For some part he was incompetent but i dont think he was ever have any evil intention for naruto, it was just he had to choose between his freinds/village and naruto and he choosed the first one. That's how the main character sees him, at least. So, this character will mimic how Hiruzen's influence could've rubbed off on Naruto if he'd made it. MC will use hiruzens guilt and try to get somnething out of it.

Except the mc aka uzumaki namikaze naruto, every cannon character will have pretty much similar personality they have in original series, untill they get influenced enough by mc that is. The main character's personality is gonna go a whole different route from the original, bringing in a load of happiness instead of wallowing in sadness. This character will deal with his own emotional mess while also getting his financial and strength game strong. Gotta remember that money wields power in the Narutoverse—the daimyo's moves are all about that money muscle.

I know I'm just starting out as a writer, and I'm open to any pointers you seasoned readers can toss my way to level up my writing. I know you've got keen tastes, and I hope my storytelling keeps you hooked, as long as my writing skills don't take a nosedive. Along with creating some fresh characters, backstories, and missions, I can promise you that the big baddie won't be Kaguya or Jiren. So, jump in and soak up this story, and I'd be super grateful for your thoughts on how it's unfolding. Your feedback's gonna be golden in shaping where this tale heads.

Anata wa tsuyoi, ganbatte kudasai :3}