Naruto: The Beginning

[Words:- 1668]

[3rd person pov]

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A tiny figure wobbled towards Tatsuya, her little legs staggering with each step. Her dark red hair was styled in two adorable buns, and her round cheeks were flushed with a deep blush. However, her high-pitched and energetic voice betrayed her innocent appearance, revealing a fiery personality.

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"You, whad are you doing here?" she asked clumsily, pointing her index finger at Tatsuya. Her speech was endearing, with a childish charm that made Tatsuya marvel at her cuteness.

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Without answering her question, Tatsuya reached out with his little fingers and gently pulled her cheeks. The little girl pushed his hands away, taking two steps backward, and shouted, "This area is off-limits to everyone, excluding me! And don't you dare pull my cheeks again!"

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Her tone was meant to be hostile, but it came out more like a cute tantrum. Tatsuya chuckled and asked in a teasing voice, "Sorry about that... So, why is this place off-limits to everyone except you?"

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Now that she was closer, Tatsuya could finally take a good look at her face, which was illuminated by the fading sunlight. Her eyes sparkled with a unique turquoise blue color, adding another feature to her already captivating charm.

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Mito's expression softened slightly, her turquoise blue eyes narrowing as she regarded Tatsuya. She seemed to be sizing him up, trying to determine if he was worthy of sharing her secret hideout.

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" Don't you know.. I'm Mito---Mito Uzumaki, and I'm not telling you anything", she huffed , proudly anouncing her name.

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Tatsuya, sensing her hesitation, decided to gently tease her. "Aww, come on. I promise I won't pull your cheeks again," he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

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Mito's face scrunched up, a small frown appearing . "I'm not worried about that," she lied, trying to sound braver than she felt.

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Tatsuya chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, really? Then what are you worried about?" he asked, taking a step closer to her.

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Mito's eyes darted back and forth, her mind racing. She didn't want to admit that she was worried about sharing her special place with him. But at the same time, she was curious about this boy who seemed so different from the others.

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Mito's face scrunched up, her turquoise blue eyes sparkling with a mix of curiosity and wariness. "You can't come here," she said, trying to sound firm, trying to reject him again but her voice came out more like a squeak.

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"I'm worried that you'll...you'll tell everyone about my secret place," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.

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Tatsuya's expression turned serious, and he held up his hand as if taking an oath. "I promise I won't tell anyone. I'll keep your secret safe," he said, his eyes locked on hers.

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Mito searched his face, looking for any sign of deception. But all she saw was kindness and sincerity. Slowly, she nodded, her wariness dissipating slightly.

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Mito's expression softened slightly, and she took a step closer to him. "It's my secret place," she said, her voice filled with pride. "I come here to play."

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Tatsuya's eyes lit up with interest. "Oh, yeah? What kind of games do you play here?"

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Mito thought for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I play hide-and-seek... and 'being a ninja', with myself" she said, giggling.

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Tatsuya laughed, delighted by her silly answer. "That sounds like so much fun! Can I play with you?"Meanwhile he pondered internally, 'Mito should be quite famous being the granddaughter of The Clan GrandElder.... So why isn't any other clan kid playing with her?'.

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Mito's face lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! But you have to promise not to tell anyone about my secret place."

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Tatsuya grinned and held up his hand as if taking an oath. "I promise! I'll keep your secret safe."

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So, what's your name, and why haven't I ever seen you before around here, hmm?" Mito asked, her face inches from Tatsuya's, her turquoise eyes sparkling with curiosity.

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"Tatsuya, that's my name. I'm new around here, that's why we haven't met before," Tatsuya replied, taking a step back as Mito's gaze seemed to bore into his thoughts.

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"Hmm, I see. So, where do you live then?" Mito asked again, her questions flowing like a never-ending stream.

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Tatsuya pointed towards the large house visible from the forest. "Hainnnn??? Ain't that the clan leader's house? Why do you live there?" Mito's voice was laced with confusion and curiosity.

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Tatsuya thought to himself, 'How does a child know the difference between houses? Aren't children supposed to be a bit slow?' But he was more annoyed by her loud voice, which seemed to be piercing his eardrums. 'Definitely, Uzumakis have highly boisterous personalities,' he mused.

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"Yes, your clan leader is my uncle, so I and my mom have come to live with him for a few years. Originally, I live in the Senju clan land," Tatsuya replied truthfully.

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"Senju... Who are they?" Mito asked again, her questions relentless.

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Tatsuya chuckled, trying to divert her attention he was becoming tired from answering her continuous queries. "Enough questions for now, Mito-Chan. Why don't we play 'ninja' now?"

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Mito's face scrunched up in refusal. "Not now, I'm going back home, Tatsuya. And don't use 'chan' for my name, hufff!" She snorted and ran back towards her house.

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Tatsuya chuckled, waving his hand he called out after her, "Hihi, Bye ,Mito-chan!"

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A loud roar of frustration echoed from a distance as Mito shouted, "Don't use 'chan', arggggh!"

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Tatsuya laughed, his gaze returning to the serene waterfall. The pleasant view had not only calmed his mind but had also led him to a chance encounter with the lively Mito Uzumaki.

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[Senju clan - Clan Head's Office]

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Butsuma's eyes scanned the green mission scrolls detailing the scouting of the outskirts of their territory. When he was finished , he lifted his head to glance at Hashirama and Tobirama, who stood upright before him, their faces a picture of attentiveness.

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A hint of confusion and bewilderment flickered across Hashirama's face.

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"You have done a satisfactory job," Butsuma said, his voice firm but measured. "Though encountering bandits on your inspection was unexpected, it did provide you with necessary experience."

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Hashirama hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "Father, was killing them really the only way . We were ordered to kill the hostages as well ? Couldn't we have just apprehended them?" He had already been cautioned by Tobirama against asking this question, but he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease.

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Butsuma's eyes narrowed, his expression stern. "Hashirama, in this era, it is either kill or be killed. No one will spare you because of your age or show you sympathy. Bandits like the ones you encountered are thorns whose lives, if not taken today, will extinguish innocent lives tomorrow. Do you understand?.As for hostages , you should remember being weak is a sin in this shinobi world. It was the right choice to deal with both the bandits and the hostages.Their could be a spy hidden in them,planted by some enemy clan" His tone brooked no argument.

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Just then, a messenger entered the office, bowing slightly. "Clan leader, the escorts of Lady Aina have returned. The lead guard requests an audience with you."

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Butsuma nodded. "Bring him in."

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As the messenger departed to summon the guard, Butsuma glanced at his two sons. Hashirama nodded, though it was clear he still harbored some dissatisfaction with the events that had transpired.

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"I understand, Father," Hashirama said, his voice measured, but the hint of unease still lingered in his eyes.

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The guard, responsible for escorting Lady Aina, entered the tent and spoke in a respectful tone, "Lord, I'm here to report some crucial findings from our journey." Butsuma grunted, indicating for the guard to continue.

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Both Tobirama and Hashirama leaned in, their ears perked up, intent on listening to the conversation.

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"During our travel, we were ambushed by Momochi clan ninjas. Although they were swiftly dealt with," the guard paused, allowing his words to sink in. Butsuma snorted, a hint of concern flickering in his eyes before he quickly masked it.

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"Hmm, that's not important. You could have simply included it in the mission report," Butsuma said.

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The guard continued, his voice reserved and low. "No, sir, that wasn't the significant part. It was that when the Momochi clan ninjas launched a sneak attack using the Hidden Mist jutsu, Tatsuya-sama somehow managed to discern the flow of chakra and the type of jutsu released by the enemy. He pointed out the directions from which they would attack, five seconds before the jutsu took effect."

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"Lady Aina speculated that Tatsuya-sama had awakened a new kekkei genkai," the guard added.

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Surprise and shock flickered across the faces of Butsuma and his sons, who had been listening intently to the report.

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Butsuma's expression turned stern. "You're telling me that Tatsuya awakened a previously unseen kekkei genkai? Did his eyes change color during this phase?" His question came out more as an order.

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The guard replied denying his suspicion, "No, Lord Butsuma they weren't white or red like the Byakugan or the Sharingan....Rather his eyes remained blue, but they seemed to be twinkling... almost unnaturally. However, it was difficult to identify from a distance."

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Butsuma hummed, closing his eyes as he pondered the matter. After a moment, he opened his eyes and commanded, "This topic stays within these walls. Ensure that no one speaks of this. Instruct your subordinates to maintain secrecy."

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The ninja saluted and departed, leaving the tent after bowing to the clan leader.

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Butsuma glanced at his sons. "Both of you, leave now."

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"Yes, Father," Hashirama and Tobirama replied in unison, exiting the tent as their minds wandered, pondering the discovery of the new kekkei genkai in their younger sibling.

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Butsuma stood up, making his way towards the clan library, his expression contemplative.

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[A/n :- Well the chapters frequency will now drop drastically due to my exams... Don't think the story had been dropped though.. ]