Scorpion Sage(editing)

Prologue✓

Within the Land of Fire, where one of the greatest shinobi villages resides a young boy. A boy of age six, who stared as his parents lovingly trained his little brother. The way their eyes lit up with amusement whenever the little gaki tripped over his own feet. The way their voices became higher as they encouraged him, whenever he messed up. That boy of six years, couldn't help but feel a burning intensity of envy. He couldn't bare to see how the parents, who once showed him that same love, proceeded to cast him aside. It was at this point, where the negativity reached an all-time high, that he decided to run. Away from this blissful scene and away from the people.

This young boy went by the name of Naruto. Bright yellow hair with azure blue eyes. Yet those eyes became that of a darker shade as tears streamed down his cheeks. He ran past the villagers, past the shops, past the off-duty shinobi, and into the forest. For how long was a mystery for Naruto but when his breath became short, he stopped near a big tree to rest. It's unfair...how they treat me... Indeed ever since that dreadful night, when a giant fox rampaged on the night his brother was born, things have changed drastically. The fox was put into his brother as if it didn't matter that they were putting something dangerous into a baby.

The villagers weren't told of what happened. They just thought that the Hokage sent the beast somewhere else and since it hasn't come back, then all was safe. The civilian council on the other hand...Naruto shuttered at the thought of them. He wasn't blind to the looks they give his brother nor is he blind to the corruption that ran through them. They make his skin crawl while causing anger to course through his veins.

So many thoughts in his head with so many emotions. The boy sighed then laid down on the grass, staring up towards the sky. Should anyone be near, they would've been able to hear the sounds of soft crying from a lonely boy. Wait...What's this? Someone was near, and they did hear. A pair of individuals, one old and the other, that of a young boy not much older than Naruto. They appeared not too far from the child and stared. At first, they weren't sure who they were seeing but when the sunlight hit the body, bright yellow was all they could see. It was then that knew who it was. So the older man approached, with the boy at his heels. 

"Naruto? What's the matter and how did you get this far?"

Jolting up in shock, Naruto stared at the newcomers for a moment until both the words and who was in front of him registered. "Oh! It's you Gramps!" Looking at the younger companion, he wondered who it was. He was most certainly older than Naruto, but not by much- while wearing Anbu uniform. This explained why he doesn't know who he is. However, the black hair with dark eyes to match along with his stoic expression gave him a clue to his heritage. An Uchiha hanging out with Gramps...Making eye contact, the Uchiha spoke, "You're the Hokage's eldest son." It was more of a statement than a question but somehow it still irked the child. "Tsk, yeah that's me...HEY wait! What are y'all doing here anyway?"

The older male looked slightly amused but quickly went back to being serious. "Ahh, but I asked you first my boy. Why all these tears?" Being reminded of what he was doing before, caused his curiosity to vanish. "Oh...It's nothing Gramps. I'm alright." Twiddling his thumbs, he vaguely notices the man sitting down next to him while the Uchiha stood by on guard. "I might be old but I'm pretty sure...that when someone cries it means they're in pain. So Naruto, what's really bothering you?" Such caring tones caused the young boy to cry again. He spilled everything to the two individuals, finally revealing his emotions to someone after being alone for so long.

They listened and frowned at what the Hokage has done. The old man was more disappointed than before. While I can understand training the youngest to handle the power of the Nine-Tails for later in life...neglecting the other is entirely different. The child is feeling the effects that could lead him on the path of darkness. Yes, as the old man thought of the situation, it wasn't looking too good. He knew firsthand what neglect can do to a person. The way neglect can cause someone to take a darker path in order to gain recognition. While it's true that there's the other possibility of Naruto not taking the path, he wasn't going to take any chances. He's from powerful bloodlines and it's best that he stays loyal to the village. He wishes for attention. To be trained like his brother huh? Maybe I can do something with this...

"Naruto? I might have a solution to this problem, however-..."

"You do Gramps!? What is it?"

"First, I would like to ask you a question. A very important one at that. I need your honest response to this. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir..."

"Do you hate your brother for having what you want?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at the older man. Hate his brother? He never even thought of putting "hate" and "brother" together. It was so foreign and wrong as if someone was saying there was no more ramen in the world. However, with his Gramps staring at him with such a grim expression, he thought upon his question. Did he hate Menma? Could he possibly feel such an overwhelming emotion for the brother that was always eager to see him in the morning? Could he hate the carbon copy of himself- besides the hair of course, who is beginning to look like he was the only one who was ever going to love him in this world? The answer was there in his heart.

Looking his Gramps in the eye with a firm belief, he answered with confidence. "No."

"Why not?"

"He's my brother. He isn't responsible for the actions of other people towards him. They decided to change, not us. I can't hate him for that."

The Older male smiled in satisfaction. So he's not lost yet... With a huff, he got up from the ground and held out his hand towards Naruto. "Come along now. I think it's time for us to go." Naruto tilted his head in confusion while grabbing his hand. "Where are we going?"

"Well, we're going to start your training of course! You said you wanted to be the best, well now is the time to get started. There's a base not too far from here, where the special Anbu resides. They'll be able to help you on your journey." Naruto smiled brightly as the color of his eyes returned to its beautiful shade. Excitement coursed through his veins at the thought of becoming stronger. With the help of his old man, he'll be great in no time and then he'll be the beacon that his brother looks towards.