This story once belonged to Solvdrage, but after several years of being on haitus, she has given me this story. The first four chapters are her writings with clean speech. And this story inspired The Bond Between Brothers. So if you want to find out why Shenron did it in that manner in my story but on a much larger scale, here it is. And please check it out. This story is now brought to you by a twenty-three year old Christian.
Ch. 1 The Wish That Changed Everything
"Reflect well on your desires mortals. For I shall grant any wish, but only one."
The Dragon dominated every facet of the night. There could be no doubt the legendary being could grant any desire. Emperor Pilaf stood in awe and blinked away the sudden brightness surrounding the Dragon.
"Speak your wish."
The Dragon's words echoed throughout the valley. Pilaf took a deep breath and turned all his attention towards the Dragon. The short blue creature's focus was so narrow he failed to notice the two strange bats approaching him from behind or the panicked shouts of his prisoners. He breathed deep.
"Eternal Dragon! I wish…" So close! Pilaf hesitated for a heartbeat and in that heartbeat, his aspirations were undone. Oolong reverted to his natural porcine form and in a moment of desperate bravery rushed forward to snatch the wish away from Pilaf.
He was going to wish for the panties of a hot babe, but all that escaped from his mouth was a pained scream.
"Oolong!" Puar screamed in a shrill voice, as a kunai pierced the Pig's shoulder.
"To gaze… upon.. . the mountains of Kumogakure and feel its breeze upon my face as I die…" Puar turned towards the hoarse voice. An incomparably ancient man stumbled forward and collapsed to the ground in a coughing fit.
"Your wish has been granted" The Dragon was compelled to grant the wish. There was, however, a problem. It would be a trivial matter to simply move the man through space and time to the location of his desire. The desired world stood out like a beacon to Shenron. The problem was that the strain of the transition between worlds would kill the man before he could even comprehend that the man's desire had been fulfilled. The Dragon attempted to open a portal to this mysterious world. A sudden flare of malignant power threatened to disrupt Shenron's work. This could not be allowed. Power flared from the Dragon and he compensated for the interference. His work was done.
Light danced across the earth and the sky. The Eternal Dragon had actually overcompensated for the strange interference. Instead of simply opening a small glimpse to the dying man's homeland, a massive gash in reality was opened. The two worlds were drawn together in a magical conflagration. Energy began to ravage the planet. Mountains materialized as the ground expanded in every direction.
"Oh no! The Dragon granted the wish!" Bulma shrieked.
"Was it Pilaf?!" Yamacha strained to see out of the hole Goku's Kamehameha created.
"NO!" Bulma screamed as the prison cell collapsed around her friends.
"AH! I wanted to see the Dragon!" Goku groaned in disappointment as he smashed a falling rock with a bicycle kick.
"I think we have bigger problems than you not seeing the Dragon, Goku!" Yamcha's voice was a mix of fear and anger. A large piece of debris was utterly destroyed by the bandit's Wolf Fang Fist.
Goku, Yamcha and Bulma scrambled out of the collapsing palace of Emperor Pilaf and rushed to Oolong's aid. They didn't even notice Pilaf on his knees staring into the magical cataclysm changing the world.
"Truly, there is no one as low as Pilaf right now…" The small blue creature wailed. He was wrong.
...
Far away, a mob was braying in panic. "This is truly the work of the Demon Fox!"
"Not even the Hokage can protect him for this!"
Naruto Uzumaki leapt from building to building trying desperately to hide from the mob. Why were they calling him the demon fox? The weight of his loneliness and the crushing blows of rejection caused bitter tears to flow from his eyes. He hadn't been doing anything!
'I was asleep!' Naruto cried out in mental anguish.
"Up there!" A Chunin Naruto didn't recognize threw a Kunai in his direction and the angry mob wheeled in his direction, but were slowed by another upheaval. The street ripped apart like paper and suddenly a river appeared through the middle of Konoha.
Naruto used the distraction and fled from the raging mass. The aspiring ninja looked up and saw a comet streak across the tortured sky. After a few tense minutes of hiding from some of his classmates, Naruto dashed down a side street.
He was exhausted, yet incredibly fortunate. If the girl pressed against the pillar had been anyone else, Naruto would have likely been discovered.
"N…Naruto-kun!" The blond haired runaway wheeled around and assumed a fighting stance.
"Who are you?"
"Hin-Hinata Hyuga… I-I'm in your class." She realized she was crying. Hinata had always admired Naruto for his boundless energy and determination never to give up. She especially loved his eyes. Now, the eyes that always had sparkled with good humor and courage looked… old. Hinata couldn't believe her village and even some members of the Hyuga Clan were now hunting down someone who didn't do anything worse than the occasional funny prank.
She took a calming breath. "I want… I want to help you! There is a path to a Hyuga shrine where you can hide until the Ho-hokage can calm everyone down!"
"Why?"
Hinata began to shake and pressed her fingers together. "I… I admire you. Please, Naruto-kun! You have to hurry!"
Hinata's words nearly glued Naruto into place. 'Admire?!' Her panicked shouts shook him from his reverie.
"Please hurry!"
"Thanks." There was an edge of distrust in his voice, but Hinata swore she heard some of the real Naruto coming back.
Naruto rushed into the woods as Hinata desperately wiped the tears from her eyes. She prayed that he would be okay.
The Shrine was exactly where the Hyuga girl had said it would be. Occasionally, he saw the writing on the shrine as waves of color danced across the sky. A flash of lighting allowed Naruto to catch sight of a scroll.
I wonder what it is! Naruto's natural burning curiosity overtook him and he opened the large scroll.
"AW MAN! It starts with the one thing I suck at!" Naruto found himself engrossed in the scroll even as the world was molded like clay around him.
"Enjoying your studies, demon fox?" The cruel voice had an edge of laughter in it. Naruto wheeled around in a fit of anger.
"Mizuki-sensei?" The man smirked at the child's shock.
"I'm so glad you're thick headed! Once I knew the direction you were headed, it was easy to plant that forbidden scroll on the Hyuga grounds. There was no doubt she'd help you. It'll be a trivial thing to obliterate you and claim you fled with the scroll after I stopped you from kidnapping the Hyuga heir. Not only will I get that scroll, I'll be a hero for driving the Demon Fox away!"
"Why does everyone call me that?!" Naruto tried to swallow.
"Think for once! Or is that your greatest skill, ignoring the patently obvious?! What happened on the day you were born!?' Mizuki was surprised that he was enjoying this. Oh well, no rule against having a bit of sport.
"Stop it Mizuki!"A new voice exploded from the darkness.
Naruto's eyes lit up. He never thought he'd be happy to see Iruka-sensei yelling at someone.
"Why should I? It's not like it's a secret anymore!" Mizuki cocked his head and turned his attention to Naruto. "You are the Demon Fox. The Hokage decreed that no one would tell you! It was sealed within you the day you were born! Remember the eyes of everyone, even Iruka!"
"Mizuki you monster!" Naruto thought that's what Iruka shouted. He couldn't tell, he was already running. The storm ravaging the skies was nothing next to the storm in his heart.
The child had been running so fast and so far that his body rebelled and he was forced to stop. Naruto tried to push himself into the tree to disappear. The raging storms were dying down and no new mountains or rivers had suddenly spawned under anyone's feet. The jailor of the Kyubi no Yoko wished for one last earthquake so the ground would swallow him whole.
"I can't believe you'd turn into the creature that murdered your parents to protect him!"
Iruka propped himself up on the tree despite the pain that shot through his leg. Mizuki had gotten lucky with his shuriken. "I won't let a fool like you get a hold of that scroll!"
"Then Naruto is a fool just like me! Whoever has that scroll can grab all the power in this world!"
Naruto felt like he was dying as Iruka agreed with Mizuki. It was true… No one acknowledged him!
"The Demon Fox would take any opportunity to gain power. But that boy isn't the Fox! He's a Shinobi of the Leaf! He's Naruto Uzumaki and one of my precious students!"
Naruto had longed to hear words like that since the day he was born. Iruka-sensei acknowledged him! For once, Naruto treasured the tears that fell.
"It'll be tragic, when the villagers find that your 'precious student' killed you trying to escape!" Mizuki raised his giant shuriken over his head and prepared to strike.
"Lay a hand on Iruka-sensei and I'll kill you!"
Iruka looked up in shock. "Naruto!"
"Shut up Iruka! Neither of you can stop me!"
Naruto slid into a horse stance and grinned feraly. "I only had time to master one jutsu. It's going to kick your butt Mizuki! Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Mizuki gaped in utter terror as the woods were suddenly filled with hundreds of very angry Narutos. "Ready for your beating?" The voices shouted. Mizuki barely had time to scream when the wrathful tide fell upon him.
Naruto canceled the justsu and helped Iruka to his feet. "I think I went overboard."
Iruka placed a hand on his favorite student's shoulder. "That was impressive, Naruto!"
The excitable young ninja was about to ask if that would be enough to graduate when dozens of shouts rang out in the distance. Iruka knelt in front of Naruto.
"You need to run, Naruto. I promise you that the Hokage will understand. I'll lead the mob in the opposite direction. I'm proud of you."
The Academy Proctor gave the boy a hug. Once again, tears welled in Naruto's eyes but this time he tried to fight them back. "But, Iruka-sensei…"
"We don't have time! Go!" Iruka watched as the orange clad child disappeared into the forests. It broke Iruka's heart.
'I'm making the right choice. Naruto's going to be Hokage one day. He'll be back and stronger than ever.'
...
Goku raced the clouds as he searched for the Turtle Hermit. The world was so different after the Dragon had granted that wish. The Flying Nimbus had taken the young warrior over a huge desert. Goku had noticed a small group training in the desert. He had thought about stopping and asking if they knew where Master Roshi was, but one of the people was radiating the desire to kill so strongly that Goku kept going. He didn't have time for a fight right now. The world had changed and if it brought more people like that red headed guy, Goku knew he needed Kamesenin's training immediately!
After passing over a giant forest, Goku finally saw another person. It was a kid about his age wearing a bright orange, but really dirty jacket. This guy wasn't violent like the other one. So, he brought Nimbus in closer.
"Excuse me!" The kid shot awake and pulled a weird looking knife.
"Don't do that!"
Goku scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Sorry! Uh, do you know where Master Roshi is?"
The kid stared blankly at Goku. "Who?"
Goku's shoulders sank. "Ah man. I was hoping you'd know. I thought someone as strong as you would know."
The guy in the tree puffed his chest up. Well, at least Goku thought it was a guy. "Well, I am strong! Why are you looking for him?"
"I need to get stronger! The freaky changes that happened after the Dragon granted that wish made me realize I need the Turtle Hermit's training."
"Training?" That got Naruto's attention. If he was going to become Hokage and have everyone acknowledge his strength, he would need help. "Think he'd train me?"
"Sure! I'm Goku by the way!" The boy grinned widely.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm going to be Hokage one day, believe it!"
"Ho-what?" Goku scratched at his temple. Naruto face-palmed. "Oh well, get on! It can't be too far."
Naruto swallowed and jumped and found that one foot found solid ground and the other went right through.
"Weird…" Goku mused as Naruto stared slacked jawed at the other guy on the cloud.
"You're one to talk! You have a freaking tail!"
Goku told the Nimbus to seek out Master Roshi and looked over his shoulder at Naruto. "Why does everyone say that about my tail?"
Eventually, the Flying Nimbus reached Roshi's island. The pair jumped off the flying cloud. Goku bounced with excitement. Naruto bounced trying to get feeling back in his left leg.
"Master Roshi!" Goku shouted. There was no reply and the two boys simply walked in.
"Oi! Old Man Roshi!" Naruto shouted after Goku again asked if Roshi was at home.
"I'm in here doing research!" A scratchy and overly excited voice called out.
"Okay! Hey, Master Roshi, it's Goku! Do you have food?"
The voice giggled at something. "Yeah, help yourselves!"
Naruto's face lit up. It'd been a day or so since he last ate. He wanted ramen. No… He desired ramen with an unnatural intensity. "Do you have Ramen?!"
"Yeah, bottom cupboard." Naruto heard, but desperately tried to ignore the old man shouting something about girls 'working it'. He would console himself with glorious, glorious Ramen.
Roshi always loved that show! He also loved beer. The Turtle Hermit entered the kitchen and choked on his whistling. "WHAT?!"
Goku was finishing off a ham and the other boy was pulverizing a bowl of ramen. They both swallowed. "What do you mean what?"
"There was enough food for six months in this kitchen!" Roshi ran to the refrigerator. 'Oh thank goodness, my beer isn't touched!'
"Uh, Master Roshi, we came for training." Roshi nodded at Goku.
"I knew you'd be here." The Old Man turned towards Naruto and light glinted off his sunglasses. "Who are you?"
"Naruto Uzumaki! I need to become stronger if I'm going to become Hokage!"
A bushy gray eyebrow lifted above the lenses. "Ho-what?"
Naruto face-palmed again.
"You must be from the lands that recently fused with this world. So, you two want training?"
Goku and Naruto nodded eagerly. "Then find me a pretty girl!"
"Heh! That's easy! Sexy no Jutsu!" Naruto laughed. There was a puff of smoke and a voluptuous blond woman appeared in the room. She had an impish smile and was posed provocatively. "Pretty enough?"
Roshi fell to the ground following an explosive nosebleed. Goku turned to Naruto as the prankster returned to his natural form. "I thought you were a guy."
"I AM A GUY!" Naruto shouted. Master Roshi twitched a bit as he muttered some completely inappropriate things. After a minute of babbling incoherently, he got to his feet.
"Impressive." The Turtle Hermit took a minute to a get a better feel for the orange boy. Kamesenin already had a good grasp of Gohan's grandson. Suddenly, a flash of something ancient and malevolent appeared in Roshi's mind. This is problematic, but whoever did the Seal was a clever one. 'The question is… whether Naruto was meant to be a jailor or a weapon. I guess I'll have to train them both to keep an eye on this.'
"I'm going to warn you. Whatever training you two may have received is nothing next to the Turtle School!"
The two boys jumped into the air and exchanged high fives. Master Roshi hoped they could keep that momentum. They'd need it to survive.
'I'm going to need a lot more beer.'
And there it is! I hope you all enjoyed chapter one. Next time Krillin makes his big entrance. Please review. It fuels my muse. And may God bless you.