❝𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑲𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒉𝒂❞

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 1: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒂𝒈𝒆'𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

It was a peaceful morning in Konohagakure as the people carried on their daily lives. Neighbors greeted each other with a wave and a smile and strangers acknowledged one and other with a nod of their head. People milled about in the crowded supermarket as people were buying food, browsing the stalls, or even just talking with friends.

"Get back here!"

The cry of the ANBU was a regular occurrence and only a few people lifted their heads to watch a streak of orange flash overhead.

"Oh great its at it again."

"When will it just disappear?"

"I hope they beat it to a pulp when they catch it!"

The grumbles were over shadowed by the orange blur's boisterous laughter. If he didn't already have a bad reputation then many people would have probably said that the boy had a heart warming laugh with a smile to match. However he was always playing pranks.

Today he had done the impressive feat of sneaking into the ANBU locker room and rigged up several paint filled gas release pellets. Any ANBU present were now painted orange as they chased the delinquent down. The ANBU never guessed to check the fence as they went speeding by. Part of the fence dropped away to reveal a laughing blonde as he pointed at the direction the ANBU just ran. His senses began to warn him his death was approaching so he took off towards the Forest of Death, the best place for him to hide. He ignored Iruka's cries and angry shouts behind him as he ran through the forest as fast as possible.

He continued laughing until part of the ground opened up into a small tunnel and he slid several hundred feet before being dumped unceremoniously on the ground.

"Ow."

The blonde began to take in his surroundings as his survival instincts took over. A sudden burst of light illuminated the room which caused Naruto's eyes to focus on the crystal with the swirling colors. Naruto, being naturally curious, got up and brushed himself off before approached the strange crystal. He felt an indescribable feeling of familiarity at the pulling sensation the crystal gave off. The next thing he knew, Naruto had lifted his hand which he just brought to rest on the crystal. A massive flash of light filled the room as Naruto felt himself leave that dimension.

"Where am I?"

"You are in a place that is beyond human comprehension."

"Who are you?"

"I am most commonly referred to by you shinobi as the Sage of the Six Paths."

"Wow...why am I here?"

"You seem to have found my crystal. I'm glad it was you Naruto Uzumaki. I have been watching you for the longest time and I feel that you deserve my gift."

"Gift?"

"My powers. Every single last bit of my powers and memory now goes to you. It is up to you to achieve what I have failed."

"And that is?"

"Peace. Achieve peace and you will be greater than I can ever hope to be. Good luck Naruto."

The beam of sheer power tore through the ground and shot into the sky. Many people were frightened by the sudden appearance of such a strange phenomenon.

"It was probably the demon brat!"

The veneral mumers of agreement ended the discussion swiftly. Now if only they knew how right they were.

Naruto felt felt his entire body being restructured and improved. His small muscles were now developed and he put on some extra height. He looked lean, strong, and one might dare to say predatory after his baby fat disappeared. He went into the hole as a young boy but now he looked much more like a young man. Once Naruto felt like he was no longer burning alive he turned his attention to the box next to the pedestal where the crystal once was. He opened the box and found the Sage's robe inside. The he threw the material on and found that it seemed to adjust to his size. The robe had white sleeves and shoulders while the rest was grey. A sash like red belt ran around his waist. Naruto noticed that the robe perfectly revealed the six new magatamas that were burnt into his chest much like how the Sage's necklace appeared. The magatamas were all the same color. Unlike the Sage's Sharingan red color they were a deep blue color, much like his eyes. The staff was the next thing Naruto noticed. Like the clothes, once he grabbed it the staff shrunk to the appropriate size for him. He quickly placed the staff on his back. He then started to feel a slight tingling in his eyes. At first the blonde didn't think much about it but now he was experiencing some of the most incredibly unbearable pain he had ever felt. The poor Genin collapsed onto his knees as he frantically clutched his head, hoping that the pain would stop. The pain finally subsided and Naruto was able to stumble to his feet. He quickly grabbed the box with the robes in it and climbed out of the hole. He was happy that the staff didn't clank around unless he wanted it to. He heard the sounds of the ANBU on their way and he quickly disappeared into the forest as he made his way home.