Chapter Text
Nine years old, beaten half to death, Uzumaki Naruto packed his things in the dead of the night. He looked at his belongings, a few kunai and shuriken he painstakingly cared for, metal chopsticks, a suit that was once orange and a graded test.
He failed.
It doesn’t seem as earth-shattering as it did when he received the paper. In the face of those drunken villagers, it mattered nothing. It meant nothing.
He glanced at the orange suit and looked back down at the clothes he wore now. The orange suit was stained red and black. Blood and mud. The stench of alcohol oozed from it and it made Naruto sick to look at it. Not for the physical reasons, but for all the emotional ones.
He snorted as he looked at it. Noticeable, huh? He shouldn’t have been. He really shouldn’t have been noticeable. Naruto closed his eyes. He’s leaving Konoha, for good maybe, or until he gets strong enough not to care.
Now that he thinks about it…was that freedom? He feels a tug in his chest and knows it’s not his, it never was…but he will make use of it.
He always did, even if that tug felt like it was ripping off his skin. He’ll hone it into power.
Like many, many nights before this one, Naruto imagined himself without the lines on his cheeks, without his blonde hair, without his blonde eyes. He imagined himself as a plain, neatly dressed, relatively talented boy, without the need to perform ridiculous acts to garner someone’s attention, even negative, but just for a few seconds.
Well, he got the attention.
He sighed as he shattered that dream. No need to get hopeful. Soon, in a few hours, he’ll be gone.
He loves the village, he does…
Does the village love you?
The voice that could scrape the abyssal plain of the ocean with how deep it was, asked. And Naruto thought the answer.
No, it doesn’t and it probably never will.
———————————-
Carefully, Naruto camouflaged himself to avoid the darkly dressed ninja that always followed him. He spent years evading them, this will be the last.
He slipped through the rowdy crowd that cared little for his presence when it wasn’t known and disappeared in the hustle and bustle of the nightly Flower District.
The people here, the ones that stayed and lived here, were nice. He ducked into the small alley he knew like the back of his hand and followed traces of red. When he came in front of the door he knocked lightly.
“Madame?” He called. Madame was a wise woman that helped raise him. She was in charge of a brothel Naruto spent a lot of his childhood in.
There was a muffled ‘coming’ and the door swung open. Madame was dressed in a black robe today, usually, she wears a purple one, he likes this one better.
She was a foreigner, that much Naruto could tell. When he was young he was very interested in her skin, it was dark and shiny when she put on makeup. He likes it, it reminds him of the mahogany floors in the training rooms for girls. He spent a lot of time there with Madame’s friends. Her face was kind as well. Nicely shaped. Her eyes were silver, like lightning.
And her hair was the prettiest he had ever seen. Black as pitch and wild as a storm. Madame always said hair is important in her culture, so one must care for it. She showed him how she cares for it a few weeks ago. He loved it, she even taught him how the braid those tiny little wisps of wild hair.
“Naruto, come on in.” The woman ushered him in.
“I’m leaving Konoha.” He stated simply as he closed the door.
“That is to be expected.” The woman, Madame, the only name he knows her by, nodded. “Where?”
“East, towards the sea. I feel like I need to go there.”
He doesn’t explain further. Madame always knows.
“East? You are an Uzumaki. Search for Uzushio, it will lead you well.”
Naruto nodded. Madame rarely explained things as well. Naruto liked that, she never asked for more questions.
“Do you need help leaving?”
“Yes.” He needs a disguise. Something to hide himself in.
Madame nodded. “I offer you this. I will change your appearance, it will most likely be unpleasant and painful, at the cost of maybe never turning back.”
“How should I change?” He asks. He wants whatever he can take. An overwhelming need to leave and a will to match.
“Gender, hair colour, eye colour. Your body will change, but you are still a boy if you wish to be one. You will have a permanent mark on you as a result.”
Gender is meaningless anyways, the villagers wouldn’t care if he was a boy or a girl. But…they would care and would leave him alone if they didn’t recognise him.
“I don’t care. Just change me, Madame.”
“Of course. Take your shirt off and lay on the bed, I will prepare supplies and explain.”
Naruto walked to the bed and shrugged off his shirt, it was stained with blood since his wounds hadn’t healed completely when he put it on.
“I will put a seal on you. It will be tattooed into your skin forever.”
Naruto nodded as he laid down. “A change of pace, huh?” He smiled at the young woman he knew she wasn’t. She was far too…something to be as young as she looked.
With eyes sharper than steel knives and hands more skilled than those of a surgeon. No, she wasn’t young at all.
In her hands, she held the tools.
And the sealing began. She soothed with sweet words and tales of endless whirlpools and alcove homes, houses filled with spirits and animals rich in chakra.
Six hours and he was done. Her skilled, calm, nice, soothing hands were placed on his back.
He felt chakra surge through him and his body started changing.
He felt it shift from one to another. It didn’t feel as devastating as she’d said others described. To be in a body not created for you. It didn’t matter much to Naruto, after all, a body is a body, a sack of flesh. Thought is what matters.
The skin of his lower back felt prickly and uncomfortable, but it was nothing compared to the already healed bruises given to him by those villagers.
“I shall put a change of clothes for you on the chair. Familiarise yourself with your new body while I prepare your things.”
“Familiarise?” He stumbled over the new word.
“Get to know.”
Naruto nodded and rose himself from the bed. He waddled over to the giant mirror and looked at himself. His body hasn’t changed much, it probably will when he grows up. His hair was grey, but not like an old person’s. Prettier and shinier. There were no lines marring his face and his eyes were silver, like Madame’s. She must’ve noticed him looking at them before.
He smiled at his new reflection. Frowned at it and made all kinds of faces. When that got boring he twisted and turned his body. It felt looser and more flexible. His fingers were more delicate too, just right for handling poison.
“What would you like to call yourself? I have a suggestion or two if you can’t think of anything.”
He shrugged, he has a few but he wants to hear Madame’s.
“Raeven?”
He repeated the name. “I like it.”
“Go dress. I prepared you some food, clothes, supplies and money for your trip. Just enough to reach Uzushio. I won’t be taking anything back, Raeven. I am helping you of my own free will.” She grabbed his head and ruffled his hair. “I wouldn’t have helped you if I didn’t want to.”
Naruto shuffled over to the big armrest and took off his own clothes. He could hear Madame clear the evidence of his tattoo. He put on the high collared black shirt first and then the light grey overshirt. The pants were loose and a good fit, also black. They were also airy and filled with pockets. He peaked into the backpack and found a stash of money, knives and kunai and shuriken and neatly folded change of clothes and bentos with food.
He looked on the floor and found standard ninja boots and socks. He pulled them on. They were the right size.
Madame leaned on the doorway and watched him.
“You expected this,” Naruto commented. Madame smiled at him mysteriously.
The smile was replaced by a frown. “You are a girl now, Raeven. You’ll need to protect yourself in a way most men don’t have to-”
“I know. Stab ‘em in the eye, kick their junk, punch their throat. No one will ever touch me without me saying so ever again.” He said and he means it. Never again will he let anyone lay a hand on him, no matter how strong.
Madame smiled at him. “I will miss you, Raev...the name is fitting for your sly personality.” She placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair. She bent down at the waist with a question in her eyes, he nodded and she brushed her lips on his forehead. “Good luck, Raeve. Be careful.”
He hugged her waist and she patted his head. “Thank you for your help, Madame.”
He startled when he heard the door open. Madame unwrapped his hands from her waist and walked to the entrance, Naruto was hot on her heels.
He felt cold dread wash over him when he saw one of the black-dressed ninja with masks and then he remembered, he looks different now. Such a little thing...and he is still the same, but treated so differently.
He cocked his head like he had seen Sakura do so many times. He needs to adopt girlish mannerisms, sans the mooning.
“What are you doing here, ANBU?” Madame’s voice was polite if a bit impatient. “I cannot offer my services without appointments and I am quite busy. One of my girls would be happy to help you, they are just a few houses over.”
“I am not here for your services. Have you seen a blonde-haired boy, about nine years old? He has marks on his cheeks.” The ANBU ninja asked. Hokage probably found his note, he smiled inwardly. He must be furious.
A satisfaction that was not his own flooded him.
“Ahh, Uzumaki Naruto. Yes, he was here two hours ago. We ate dinner and trained a bit, then he left. Is something the matter?” Madame said. Her acting is so believable.
“Uzumaki? Is that the boy that trains with us sometimes? He never said his last name...it sounds nice,” Raeven commented. She looked at the ANBU ninja. He was dressed in black from head to toe, she could distinguish two notable things, his dog mask and wisps of silver hair.
“He trains with you?” The ANBU ninja asked with worry. The dog at his feet snapped to look at Raeven, this dog was very intelligent. Naruto doesn’t particularly like dogs.
“Yes, but not in the way you think. We taught him how to properly utilise his body. Is something the matter, if it is not, I need to discharge my apprentice.” Madame said, her voice was tight now.
“Nothing is the matter, Hokage-sama needs to speak with him and he is nowhere to be found. Would you mind telling me where Naruto went?”
“He said he will go to his apartment and train a bit more. He is always so energetic,” Madame said wistfully. She laughed lightly. “He probably set up a prank and is hiding somewhere, you needn’t worry. Raeven, you can go now. The guards will meet you at the edge of Konoha’s land.” Madame patted his head and pointed him to the door.
Naruto squished himself awkwardly next to the shinobi. “Uhm,” Raeven twisted her fingers, “when you find Naruto, could you tell him I said hi? He knows I’m leaving, but...I left him something in his apartment...he’s lonely...so.” She looked away from the shinobi. It feels weird...doing this, acting. It’s not really acting...more like breathing without restrictions.
“Of course,” the shinobi said robotically.
“Goodbye Madame, shinobi-san.” Raeven ducked her head.
“Be careful and safe. Good luck and listen to your Misstress in Suna.” Madame waved her off.
“Of course. Goodbye.”
And Naruto, as he found himself on the main street of the Flower District, managed to breathe a little bit easier.
________
He scaled the wall of the building and silently, quietly as he could, he slid the window open and slipped inside. His boots were barely a whisper on the wooden floor.
The chair wasn’t flush against the table so it made his job a bit easier. He sat down on the comfortable chair and put his legs on the desk. He grinned into the dark.
They must know someone is in the Hokage’s office.
They sure do, brat. Do you know how many chakra alarms you set off and traps and-
I wanted to surprise them, demon fox.
More like wreak havoc.
Like you do not love it.
He was quiet after that. My, my. Wreak havoc indeed. He thought as he heard thuds of running footsteps behind the door. They really are slow on the uptake of a threat.
He crossed his arms and legs and leaned even further into the chair. The door swung open wildly and kunai and shuriken flew towards him.
He knocked them off course. “Is that really a proper welcome for your Jinchuuriki?” He drawled.
The three people at the door froze.
“You might wanna call Hokage-Jiji here. I mean...I did say I was gonna be gone for four years...”
You didn’t say the exact date, you sly little shit. They couldn’t have been ready.
My birthday is fitting for my return, is it not?
Ugh.
“State your identity!” The shinobi stuttered out. Clearly not really experienced.
“Uzumaki Naruto, the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails. Student from the Shinobi Academy of Konoha, student of Iruka-sensei. Son of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, born on October tenth, fourteen years ago. I came here to become a genin.” Naruto rattled off. “Now, inform Hokage-Jiji of my arrival,” he ordered.