A Different Path

Glitter Of Hope

Naruto's POV

Naruto crashed his chakra-covered paw on top of the Half-Blood, before he swiped his tails at him and sent him flying into a huge rock. For a few moments, the enemy stirred a little as his muzzle let out painful cries. Eventually, he collapsed from chakra loss and physical wounds. The shinobi were slowly starting to warm up after being frozen with fear.
"What's he doing?" Asuma squinted while laying against the bark of a tree. Naruto was still in his 'fox form' and so the others were anxious about his unpredictable nature.

"We're free! Heheh!" Kiba shook his arms and legs like a little child.
"He's stopped. Maybe it's time to get down there." Kakashi and the sensei were debating whether to join him or not while Sakura punched the dog-boy's head into some trees. Poor Kiba.
Naruto slowly walked towards the unconscious body as the others landed a few feet away from him, their eyes still cautious. The chakra cloak started to dissolve, revealing a calm blond who was walking on two legs. His clothes and chain mail were quite ragged right above his heart along with a red scratch and a black marking, thanks to the other's sharp claws.
"N-Naruto! You're hurt!" Sakura hurried next to him and tried to heal the bleeding wound.
"I'm fine." He raised his hand and nudged her away without looking, leaving the pinkette with her arms on her chest and a worried gaze.

He kept getting closer to the creature before kneeling down next to him.
"Wait! He might still-!"
"Shut it." Naruto's cold voice hurt Sasuke but he could tell something was off with the blond. Earlier, he seemed to be a little gentler towards the raven in particular so his current attitude didn't make any sense. Naruto raised his hand which sparked with a continuous orange glow and placed it on the Half-Blood's head, extracting the red chakra from him and dissembling the chakra cloak.
"Finally! This guy didn't seem worthy of my power anyway!" Son Goku ruffled his fur as he held his chin high and puffed in indignation.

"Always so cocky, Son.." Matatabi sighed while rubbing her furry temples with her paw, in the Tailed Beast psyche. Kurama chuckled and nudged Naruto who didn't seem to be amused at all. The fox narrowed his eyes and focused on his Jinchuriki's abnormal behavior.
"C'mon blondie! You aren't so serious usually!" Son settled down next to him, sending little waves of water in the sewer-like realm.
"Shush." The Tailed Beasts blinked with surprise and left him alone.
Kurama knew him all too well and was able to tell what was really bothering him.
The shinobi were anxiously watching how the chakra extraction was going.
"W-What's he d-doing?" Hinata looked up to her sensei.
"I don't know. He must be taking his chakra." Kakashi slowly nodded his head in agreement and spread his hand in order to stop the young Uchiha from interfering. Sasuke grunted, gritting his teeth. He didn't like feeling useless.

A few seconds later, the creature turned into the young man from before, somewhere around Naruto's age. He slowly stirred his eyelids open, blinking rapidly afterwards.
"So it was him.. And you knew.. Naruto? Are you-?"
"It's alright." The blond sighed with a little sadness.
"W-Where am I?!" His eyes widened at the sight of Naruto, shivering with fear.
"Calm down. I won't hurt you." Sasuke was surprised by his gentle voice, nothing like before. He almost seemed nice to the boy. "You're one of Orochimaru's pawns, aren't you?" The blond laid down to his level to make him feel more comfortable as the others surrounded the two.
"W-Who are they?" The boy huddled closer to Naruto, keeping his gaze on the shinobi.

"They're from the Hidden Leaf. They won't hurt you either. I'm Naruto, by the way." The Jinchuriki was taken aback by the other's closeness and given trust.
"He shouldn't remember me yet he still seems to trust me." He sighed in the Tailed Beast psyche.
"Of course he does. Trust doesn't go away so easily." Kurama ruffled his blonde locks.
"I'm H-Haru. Haru Hayashi." Haru's gaze traveled upon Naruto's chest opening as he suddenly gasped.
"N-Naruto, is that.. Is that what I think it is?.. The Cursemark?!" Naruto jolted slightly and hid his skin.
".. Yeah." Sasuke's coal-black eyes widened, sweatdrops rolling down his pale face.
".. Cursemark? Naruto?" The raven couldn't believe it. The same Cursemark he had gotten from the snake?

"B-But that's the Fire Cursemark! No one's survived it!" Haru placed his hands on the blond's shoulder and took a better look at the inscription, making Naruto flinch as he gritted his teeth. "The other prisoners said they overheard Mister Kabuto saying there's been only one person who's managed to live after being given that by Orochimaru.. Are you the one?"
The ninjas had open mouths and gazes filled with disbelief. Haru looked at Naruto, his eyes filled with admiration.
"Yes." He said no more before his Cursemark glowed.
"Tsk! It got activated by the snake's presence inside Haru's Cursemark."
"Close it off! Quickly!" Kurama wrapped his tails around him.
The excruciating pain brought Naruto to his knees and his hand clenching on his shoulder.

"Naruto! What's wrong?!" Sasuke tried to lay down next to him but the blond pushed him away, growling. Haru had a scared look on his small frame while the cold breeze formed goosebumps on his delicate, slightly tanned skin.
Naruto's eyes turned red once more and that was when Haru began to realize who the teen really was and why his name sounded so familiar.

______________________________
Heya! Another chapter up! Enjoy!
Vote
Comment
& Share!
~Until then!~
~Bella~
💕