Chapter Text
-Fox & Monkey-
Prologue:
“Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!” [[A/n: Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu]]
Empowered by the Curse Mark at its first level, Sasuke inhaled deeply and exhaled flames after forming the required hand seals. A flock of fire took shape, like malformed birds, resembling the mythical phoenix.
Naruto, seeing the flames rushing toward him, instinctively leapt backward, causing the fire to crash against the water. The blond never expected the attack to be a distraction, as Sasuke was instantly face to face with him, matching him in the evasive jump. The result was a solid kick to the left side of Naruto’s torso, sending him flying diagonally toward the water.
The Uchiha, his Sharingan active, watched the outcome with a smile.
Knocked down, but not defeated, Naruto prepared to stand atop the water. He barely turned in time for Sasuke to land a powerful left punch to his abdomen, knocking all the air out of him and forcing him to double over from the impact.
Without wasting time, Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar with his right hand, lifting him to an appropriate height, while in his left hand he formed the technique that had once been unique to the sensei of them both: Kakashi.
The sound of chirping birds flooded the entire area.
Naruto tried to make him react, to make him come to his senses, but it was useless. Cornered, he was forced to draw upon the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox. The orange chakra cloak slowly formed around him. Naruto’s physical traits began to change, becoming more feral. His fingernails grew longer and sharper; at the same time, his canine teeth enlarged and his eyes took on their characteristic red color.
“It’s too late for you!” Sasuke shouted as he drove Chidori [[A/n: One Thousand Birds]] straight into Naruto’s lung, piercing clean through and out his back. Naruto had no chance to dodge it.
“This is over,” Sasuke declared, releasing his grip on Naruto’s collar and letting him fall into the water.
Naruto couldn’t move from the damage. He couldn’t breathe. Whether from the injury to his lungs caused by his opponent’s attack or from the water filling them, as he futilely tried to draw in oxygen while sinking deeper and deeper.
His thoughts went to his so-called best friend, to his friends in the village, and to the loved ones he had gained in this recent time. He was no longer alone… yet here he was, killed by the one he believed to be his brother.
“Becoming Hokage…” He thought with regret. “…was probably never a dream I could achieve. Maybe… maybe this is for the best.”
The fox sealed within him was in a panic, those pessimistic thoughts being the last thing it heard. It remembered something similar not too long ago, when darkness had surrounded everything.
It had already lost contact with the brat’s consciousness.
What none of those present noticed was the reaction taking place among the energies involved, or within them themselves. It wasn’t just Sasuke’s rage and Naruto’s desperation, nor the senjutsu of the Curse Mark or the chakra of the Tailed Beast.
Both were vessels for a rivalry that had been brewing for centuries. It was a recipe for disaster, and now Naruto was caught in it.
Because no body was ever found in the Valley of the End, even after the battle had concluded.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
“Come on, you have to keep up with my pace! How do you expect to finish my training if you can’t even keep up?” The old man shouted, moving at a steady jogging pace in a zigzag pattern as he was followed by two boys. Because of the large milk crates they were carrying, it was difficult for them to keep up. The black-haired boy with wild hair managed better, while the bald boy could barely breathe.
“One! Two! One! Two!” the old man continued, setting the rhythm.
“One! Two! … One! Two!” shouted the black-haired boy, trying to match his master’s pace.
“One! … Two! … One! … Two!” The bald boy followed, struggling to keep up.
“Remember, if you want to become strong, you must...” The old man stopped abruptly, noticing the body of a blond boy ahead, badly injured and slumped against one of the trees. The wild-haired black-haired boy, always attentive to his master’s rhythm, came to a halt. The bald boy, however, wasn’t so lucky and collided with the boy in front of him, dropping his load.
“Goku! Krillin! Forget today’s training!” He shouted with serious concern. “Help me take this boy to Kame House! I hope he can hold on.”
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
“R… res… sp...” The voices made him dizzy; he couldn’t hear clearly. His head was killing him, though that was the least of his problems. His entire body ached.
“R… respond… Boy! Respond!” At last, he could hear properly, and when he opened his eyes, the light immediately blinded him.
“You’re awake.” An elderly voice said. “How many fingers am I holding up?” the same voice asked, but the light still forced him to close his eyes and wait for them to adjust.
Once his vision returned, he managed to answer.
“Two,” he said with difficulty.
“That’s a good sign. You’ve been asleep for two days. For a moment, I thought you wouldn’t make it, but to our surprise, you’re recovering at an astonishing speed.” the old man continued.
“I see…” It was clear the boy was still disoriented. “What happened to me?” He asked.
“That’s what I wanted to ask you. Injuries like those don’t happen on their own.” This time, the blond boy could see the old man clearly. He was bald, wearing red-framed sunglasses, with a large beard and an equally impressive mustache. He wore orange clothing and what looked like a turtle shell on his back.
“I don’t know.” The boy said, confused.
“Then where are you from?” The old man asked again, now a bit curious.
“I don’t know.” He repeated.
The old man fell silent, thinking it over. The damage must have been quite severe.
“You don’t remember? Do you at least know your name?”
The blond boy searched his mind for a few seconds, trying to find any memory, and fortunately, he did. In truth, it was the last remnant of his former life. The only reminder of his past etched into his memory, the name given to him at birth, his only identity for now.
“Naruto… Uzumaki Naruto.”