King of Games

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Yu-Gi-Oh! Shame, guess I'll settle for fanfiction and pretend that I do.

Chapter 1

"YOU FAIL!"
Naruto clenched his fist as he felt the ropes around him being cut. Jonin Instructor Kakashi Hatake glanced at the three of them.

"Sasuke and Sakura will return to the academy, you Naruto are to report to the Hokage Tower Administrations Desk on the second floor. You will not be a ninja. How you became a Genin even is wonder."

Naruto nodded, numb. He wanted to rant. He wanted to scream. He had tried so hard, and Kakashi just crushed his dreams.

"W-why?" Naruto asked as the Uchiha and his fangirl walked away.

"What's that?" Kakashi asked bored. He didn't care for the Kyuubi container. He relished in the abuse he got to dish out and the bonus of failing him.

"Why can't I go back to the academy? I tried so hard."

Kakashi decided to speak frankly.

"Because no one wants you to be one. You'll never be accepted. Your taijutsu is a joke, you have no skill in genjutsu and we'll not even speak about your lack of skills with ninjutsu. You don't belong in the noble field of the ninja. I'm filing my report thusly."

Naruto looked down. "I did more in this stupid test than the bastard Sasuke and Sakura-ch…"

Kakashi laughed. "You think flailing about like your having a spasm means you did something, you need to get real brat. You're nothing more than a burden to this village. Resources are wasted on your stupid pranks and the time it takes to catch you to clean them, not to mention the manpower the Hokage wastes on keeping you out of trouble from the villagers."

Kakashi hated the time when he was ANBU and forced to rescue and watch the blond boy. I was a fucking captain, and I was forced to watch this…thing as it paraded about wearing the image of my former sensei.

Naruto was fighting to keep the tears back, but it was getting harder and harder with each word Kakashi spoke.

"Now, Uzumaki, report to the Hokage's tower, and I'll be there to file my report after making sure that the academy finds a suitable team for someone of Sasuke's caliber and possibly a team where Sakura will work with that she isn't a detriment to."

Kakashi vanished in a leaf shushin, Naruto finally alone broke down sobbing. I'll never be accepted. They all hate me. He thought, it repeated in his mind over and over.

His tears fell to the ground, as he collapsed to his knees and his body shook with heart wrenching sobs.

XX

Sarutobi watched as Kakashi appeared, he saw the look in the man's eye and he instantly regretted not watching the test.

"Report." He ordered. The other instructors were waiting as well.

"Team 7, consisting of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and the demon brat…"

"Hatake, I've spoken with you before about this. Use his name." The Hokage said cutting over Kakashi.

"Fine. Naruto Uzumaki; have failed. I have sent Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno back to the academy to be sorted with the next available group of students."

"And Naruto?" Iruka asked from where he was acting as the Hokage's assistant for the day.

"I told him not to bother applying again. He has nothing that will make him a ninja. I told him not to bother, and he can report to the tower later for assignment into a job class."

The Hokage was pissed. Beyond pissed. The killing intent coming off him slammed into the room full of Jonin and it brought them to their knees.

"HOW DARE YOU HATAKE!" The Hokage snapped. "If you've done anything to that boy, I will have you assigned to permanent D-Rank missions for the rest of your ninja career. If I let you live."

The Hokage rounded his desk. "I take it you vented your spleen on that boy while you had the chance."

Kakashi nodded, it was hard to breath.

Sarutobi snarled. "IRUKA!"

"Y-Yes Lord Hokage?" the scar bearing chunin said.

"Find Naruto, bring him here." He then turned to the rest. "DISMISSED!"

The Hokage knew that if any of them stayed he would need to replace Jonin. He looked at Kakashi who was still on his knees. "You better pray I can fix this Kakashi."

"Why bother?" the masked nin asked, the words coming to his lips hard as he found it hard to speak.

"BECAUSE YOU JUST CRUSHED MINATO'S SON'S DREAMS!"

"W-What?" Kakashi asked, his single eye widening. "B-But…"

"Naruto is Kushina Uzumaki's and Minato Namikaze's son. Minato sealed the Kyuubi in his own son no less than an hour after his wife's death."

"W-Wife? B-But…"

"I married them in secret. Minato went out of his way to protect Kushina from his enemies, both here in Konoha and outside the village. Only I, Jiraiya and Rin knew."

"Rin?" Kakashi's eyes widened at the mention of his missing teammate. "Why wasn't I told?" Kakashi asked.

"Why should you be told?" the Hokage asked. "I remember your reaction when I showed you Naruto hours after Minato's sacrifice."

Kakashi winced. He'd tried to kill the baby, had not the Hokage and Jiraiya been there he would have succeeded.

Kakashi looked down, and realized why he never been told and it made him feel even worse.

XX

Iruka looked everywhere for Naruto, the top of the monument, the training grounds, the ramen stand. What a time for my bloodline to fail me. He thought.

He finally looked for Naruto at the blonds' apartment and winced seeing the amount of graffiti on the walls and the smashed door. He rapped on it and when he heard nothing he popped the lock. He stopped in the doorway seeing the damage. The living room and kitchen looked totally trashed.

"Naruto?" He called out.

Moving further into the apartment he saw evidence of fire, and more graffiti. He's had it bad. Why didn't I ever know? Iruka felt sick of not checking on the blond. I didn't really see him until the Mizuki incident a couple days ago.

He entered Naruto's bedroom and turning on the light he winced. The dresser was knocked over and clothes were scattered all over the place.

Iruka was turning to go when he saw something that stopped him.

On Naruto's sleeping roll was an envelope atop Naruto's hitai-ate, the one he gave him after beating Mizuki.

Naruto wouldn't have left this behind. Iruka thought as he picked up the envelope and headband. He looked around and saw the pictures Naruto had been proud of were smashed on the floor.

Did Naruto do this? Or was someone lying in wait for him? Iruka wondered as he left the desiccated apartment, fear blooming in his heart at the thoughts of what could have happened to the blond.

I best get this to the Hokage. Iruka thought of the envelope that was addressed in Naruto's messy handwriting To the Hokage.

Iruka felt his stomach drop, as he'd been unable to find the blond for the first time since he started chasing him when he became his academy instructor or his regular times as a Chunin.

Please be okay Naruto. Don't let what Kakashi said to you force you to do something that could be dangerous.

XX

Sarutobi looked at the letter for the third time since Iruka had brought it and Naruto's headband back.

He couldn't believe it.

Dear Hokage,

I guess I should address you properly at least once. I've decided that Jonin Kakashi Hatake was right, I do not belong in Konoha, and I should accept the fact I will never be allowed to be a ninja.

It's okay I've come to terms with it. I should have seen it the first two times, hell even when Iruka-sensei put his hitai-ate on me after I stole the scroll for Mizuki-teme. I guess its time.

No one will ever see me as anything but the Kyuubi, and I will never get a fair deal in Konoha.

I'm tired Ojii-san. Tired of the hate, tired of the beatings, tired of coming home to find the roach infested apartment vandalized. I'm just so tired. So, I'm leaving. Since I never was a ninja I can never be marked as a missing nin, and as a civilian, well who cared. You and old man and his daughter at the ramen stand were the only ones to actually care. Iruka did after the scroll incident, but it was too late.

I'm leaving. Face it Ojii-san, where could I get a job in Konoha? Who would hire me? I'm not even allowed to shop for food or clothes, could you see me working anywhere in town fairly?

Take care of yourself. You were the only family I knew of or had for as long as I could remember and even that wasn't much as the village always came first over the cries of a lonely child.

I might come back someday to visit, know that I'll miss you. Tell Iruka-sensei he can have his headband back, I'm sorry I was a lousy student. Tell old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame, I'll miss them and their wonderful ramen.

Tell the rest of Konoha to kiss my ass. They never saw me, and they never knew me. And now, I hope they all rot in hell.

Goodbye Ojii-san,

Naruto Uzumaki

Beneath the boy's signature was a chibi-Naruto.

He's gone. He's left Konoha. Sarutobi nearly panicked. He wrote something on a scroll and sealed it. He then summoned a monkey. "Find Rin and give this to her."

The summoned monkey nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke.

She'll find Naruto and watch over him. She's my only hope for gaining that boy back to Konoha in the future if ever.

Sarutobi looked at the stack of papers. He's the only one who can take this job from me.

XX

Miles away…

Naruto Uzumaki with a simple pack slung over his shoulder walked the road. He walked out the gates of Konoha the gate guard waved and said "Good Riddance." While Naruto's response was to give the Chunin the finger before running into the bushes while the man swore after him. Naruto kept the kunai that were thrown as they were in better shape than the ones he salvaged.

See, already off to a better start. The blond thought. He stopped at Tanzuka Town and bought some newer clothes.

I like orange, but that was my old life. He thought buying tan cargo pants, a black t-shirt and a new jacket that was like his old one, but it was black as well.

Shopping had been an experience for him as he'd bought new clothes and food at reasonable rates, and had plenty of money left over afterwards.

His goggles were around his neck, and he had slipped the kunai holster around his thigh. He pulled out a picture of him and the Hokage at the ramen stand from his pocket and gazed at it. It was a picture of his precious people, the only ones to care about him. He touched a finger remembering it. In the picture Ayame kissed him on his cheek, while he was wearing the Hokage's hat. The Hokage next to him chuckling and old man Teuchi was behind them holding a bowl of ramen in each hand over their heads with a grin.

Goodbye. I'll miss you all. He thought touching the picture once more before slipping it into his jacket. He slipped off the beaten path, his eyes on the future.

XX

It was several days before he reached the port town. He found a ship that would take him beyond the mists, but he needed more money.

Looking at the message board, he saw it was filled with odd jobs. See, this is what normal people do. They don't expect ninja to do everything for them. He thought as he found several small jobs he could do.

And I can do more than one job at once thanks to the shadow clones. He thought of the painting and lawn care jobs.

Taking several flyers down he created clones and sent them on to do the assigned jobs. He then took a flyer for himself and after finding the address took up the task of dishwasher at a stand. The pay wasn't much but it promised a place to sleep as well as two meals a day.

I'll get money and take the first ship out in a month. He thought after learning that the ship that went to the world beyond the Mists that kept the elemental nations separated from the rest of the world.

XX

The stand he found out was going out of business in the week and he had to find another job, which wasn't hard. He worked for a woman that created fireworks and the pay was well since the product had the off chance of exploding.

Kohaku as she was called showed him that she'd lost her right arm when she first started when she made a batch too strong and it exploded when her brother had entered the shop smoking. A stray ash had set the whole thing off.

"Hahahahaha! I was lucky. All I lost was my arm, my hair and had light burns over half my body." She told Naruto as he packed a rocket.

The two were friends and despite his clones, Naruto found the other jobs didn't pay as much as he liked since he had to rent an apartment and food.

The amount I pay for the apartment here wouldn't have even paid a days rent back in Konoha. Just shows how much I was being screwed there. He thought.

Kohaku was next to him, her pipe was in her mouth, but not lit as she was working as well. Despite the pay not many people wanted to work around things that go Boom.

"So, you a ninja?" she asked.

Naruto shook his head. "No." He said as he tied the fuse in and sighed. "I failed the academy three times, and no one wanted me in my village, so I left."

"No one?" Kohaku asked.

Naruto shook his head. "I've been an orphan and I never knew my parents. The orphanage threw me out when I was five. If it wouldn't have been for the, for the Hokage, I would have died that winter. He got me an apartment and a monthly allowance, but it didn't matter."

"Why?" Kohaku asked and Naruto could see her curiosity.

"The villagers hated me, and for the longest time I never knew why." Naruto said softly.

"But you know now?"

Naruto nodded.

"You don't have to tell me kiddo. I'm just glad you're willing to help." She said around her pipe.

"May I ask you something?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Your pipe. Why do you carry it and put it in your mouth, but never light it?"

She laughed. "It was my grandfathers and it's a comfort. He taught me how to make fireworks." She said. "When he passed away I use it to keep him close."

Naruto smiled at her look.

"Now, let's finish this crate and I'll buy you lunch…but only three bowls of ramen." She said. The first day she'd found out how much he could eat he'd downed twenty bowls when she offered to buy him lunch.

Naruto laughed at this. "Sorry about that again. Its just I hadn't found any where that made ramen as great as Ichiraku's, and I'll admit Goroichi's is close."

Kohaku smirked. "Its alright. I should really watch it when I offer something." She wrapped another tube. "Truthfully I thought you were going to ask me about my arm."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm curious, but…it's cool. I mean I never knew prosthetics could move like that."

Kohaku smiled. "They usually don't. Usually the surgeons can connect some of the nerves. I was lucky. I was saved by the greatest medic's around, and she fixed me up and she knew someone who could make me an arm."

Naruto listened as Kohaku continued. "Well she managed to attach all the nerves and I was amazed at the amount of control the muscle and nerve attachments had."

She handed him another rocket to put in the box.

"So, you gonna stay around here?" she asked.

"No, I plan on using the money I make to buy a ticket on that steam ship." Naruto said.

"The one that goes beyond the veil?" Kohaku asked and Naruto nodded. "I figure if I'm going to have a fresh start it should be as far away from my village as possible." He said wrapping another tube after loading the powder.

"You certain you want to go. I hear the world there is vastly different than our own."

Naruto nodded. "I need to start fresh. Somewhere were they never heard of….of me." He said editing what he was going to say with the word "Demon" or "Kyuubi".

Kohaku continued to work and would look at the whisker marked blond with her.

XX

(Konoha)

(Hokage's Office)

Hiruzen Sarutobi scowled at the three biggest pains in his ass.

"The answer is no." he said.

"Hiruzen, we must do this. To let it run loose…"

"His name is Naruto and you can't place him in the bingo book. He was flushed from the ninja program by Kakashi Hatake." He said and no one could question the anger in his voice. "So he can't be placed in the bingo book, and that is for traitors and criminals, not for sixteen year old boy who is a civilian and left the village."

Danzo, Koharu and Homura all looked at him, and he almost grinned at the frustration radiating off all three of them.

There was a knock on the door and two people he did want to see entered. "Iruka, please wait." The Hokage said and looked at the pains in his ass. "This meeting is over. You will not issue anything on or about Naruto Uzumaki. You do and I will have the three of you executed, am I clear?"

They looked like they swallowed something foul. "Leave." The Hokage ordered and once they did with a glare at him, he sealed the door and activated the security seals.

The person with Iruka removed the Anbu armor and mask.

"Thank you for coming Rin. I'm sorry I had to remove you from your mission, but things here have gotten very bad."

The woman nodded. "I've been away for so long, I asked Iruka about Naruto, but he didn't tell me anything. What happened?"

The Hokage sighed as he hadn't really said anything in the message he'd sent for her and then he'd sent Iruka to escort her and give her the armor and mask to wear to hide her identity.

"Naruto hasn't had a good life…" the Hokage began and stopped when he felt Rin's anger wash over him.

"You promised me. You promised me if I took this mission, Naruto would be safe, would be raised with care. Tell me everything. NOW!"

Iruka was frozen as Rin glared at the Hokage who shifted in his seat and spilled his guts, from the day he conned her into taking the SS-Rank mission until Naruto leaving Konoha.

He showed her the letter, one he'd read over and over again since that day. She scanned it and scowled.

"Kakashi." She growled and looked at the Hokage. "What has been done about him?"

"He's training the Uchiha under the supervision of Gai. He's been given a strict schedule to teach him by and nothing more or less. The only reason he's doing that is because the council pushed for the Uchiha not to be held back a year while a team was formed."

Rin scowled. "I see. The village kissed the Uchiha's ass. I suppose Fugaku is proud."

The Hokage winced. "The Uchiha clan is dead. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it…"

She scowled. "My target didn't allow his women out of the house, servants did the shopping and we were banned from the second floor. I managed to collect a lot of intel, but I won't be able to go back, I broke the collar to come here."

The Hokage saw the light burns around her neck and knew her report would be something to read, but that would wait.

"I want to be released from service." Rin said surprising him. "I need to find him."

"And bring him back…" the Hokage started to say. wrong thing to do.

Her killing intent put Iruka on the floor and the Hokage gripped his desk. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I will go and find Naruto and I will do what I know his parents wanted and not only tell him about them, but I will train him if he still wants it and will protect him from anyone that means him harm."

She put the mask and armor on the desk and pulled out her ID. "I was listed as dead, so this is a formality. I can say one thing, if Naruto does come back, it won't be to stay. This village has done him and his father's wish a disservice."

She turned to leave.

"Rin, wait!" the Hokage called stopping her before she got to the door. He pulled out a scroll.

"In this is his parents jutsu library, as well as the Namikaze fortune. I had it removed the day Minato died as many on the council were planning on stealing it."

She took the scroll. As well as a recent photo the Hokage had taken with Naruto.

"Good luck." The Hokage said. "And tell him…tell him I am sorry for failing him."

Rin nodded and left. Iruka looked at the Hokage. "You don't want her to bring him back?"

The Hokage sighed. "She's right. We have no right to bring him back. His whole life…"

Iruka nodded. He'd used a henge to go around as Naruto for three days. What he'd learned had sickened him. He'd remembered who they were and then with Anko from the interrogation department and a squad of Anbu with the Hokage's orders began to arrest everyone who had over charged and attacked Iruka while he was disguised.

"I wish her luck, and hope she finds him well." He said.

"Me to my boy. Me too." The Hokage said.

XX

(Port Town)

Kohaku smirked as Naruto looked at the supplies. "Are you certain. I could…"

"Kid, you helped me meet my deadline as well as numerous extra's for the shop. This is the least I can do." She said patting him on the back with her prosthetic hand.

It had been a month and he'd enjoyed his time with the strange woman. "You've got your ticket?" she asked.

"Yeah, right here." He said patting the inner pocket of his jacket. His pack held clothes, travel rations and his pay Kohaku had gotten converted to gold bars since the money was different in the world beyond the mist and he would have to get the gold exchanged.

"You know, I think a lot of the shops around here are going to miss you kid. You kept things light, friendly and did awesome work."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Aw, it was nothing." He said sheepishly. "I just treated customers how I would like to be treated when I shop and went from there."

Kohaku handed him a package. "What's this?" he asked.

"Smoke bombs, minor explosives." She gave him a glove that he recognized as the one she would wear to create a spark to light fuses.

"You remember how to use this?" she asked and he nodded putting the ring with the flint and tinder on his thumb and forefinger of his left hand.

"I can't take all this…"

"You can and will. Use them for defense, and there's some for enjoyment as well." She grinned. "If you were just a few years older…" she said with a grin.

Naruto shook his head. "Shameless flirt." He said.

"You bet your sweet ass I am." Kohaku said with a grin. "Give me a hug brat."

She pulled him into a spine-cracking hug. He allowed it and was wrapping his own arms around her when he jumped and glared at her.

"Watch it. No playing grab-ass."

She laughed and hugged him tighter. "Take care Naruto. I'd hate to hear you got hurt. Send a letter every so often."

He nodded and backed away after she released him.

"You take care." He told her before joining those boarding the ship.

"I will…" Kohaku said softly. In the month he'd worked for her, he'd been hard working, fun and energetic and never complained.

"Wish there were a million like you." She said and waited until the boarding ramp was pulled up and the ship left the docks.

It was on the horizon before she turned and headed back to her house and shop, wiping away the annoying tear.

"Damn dust in my eye." She muttered as she walked the streets. Already the town seemed quieter, less cheerful without the blond.

Whatever village he was from, they were fools for treating him like shit and tossing him aside. I hope someday I can have a kid like him. She thought and stopped seeing a woman in front of her shop.

"Oh." She said and Kohaku saw she had short black hair and was wearing simple traveling clothes with a pack over her shoulder.

"I'm closed for the day." She said.

"That's okay. I was just looking for someone. A boy, sixteen years old." Rin said pulling out the picture of the Hokage and Naruto. She showed it to the woman.

Kohaku looked and saw it was the blond she'd just put on a ship.

"Cute kid. Sorry, never seen him before." She said and turned to let herself into the shop.

Rin sighed as she tipped her whicker hat. "I really need to find him. I've been gone a long time and I returned to our village to find him gone. Are you sure you've never seen him before?"

Kohaku looked at the woman's stance and the look in her eyes and it was the eyes, they showed sorrow and concern.

"Let me see the photo again." She said and looked at it. "I just saw him board the steamship to the world beyond the veil. They already left port and there won't be another one for a month." She said.

"Damn it." Rin cursed. She turned to go and make arrangements when Kohaku spoke again. "If you're looking for a place to stay, you won't find any. The festival is starting and all the inns are booked."

Rin cursed again.

"I have a spare room, and I'll charge you far less than one of those over priced thieves."

"Why?" Rin asked.

"Because…" Kohaku said with a shrug. "I knew someone who would do anything for anyone and you need help till you can find that boy."

"Thanks."

AN: Naruto arrives in the world and meets someone who will alter his destiny. Next time on the King of Games 02: "It's…"