The Demon Side of Life

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Prologue:
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17 year old Naruto Uzumaki took one look at the quiet kid in the corner of the classroom and grinned. About his height, pure-white eyes marking his half-breed heritage, waist-length hair pulled back, dressed completely in black. Yep, that's Neji Hyuuga alright. He hasn't changed in all the years that Naruto has known him and he doubted very much that the rest of his friends had changed either. Snickering, as *he* had changed drastically over the summer, the blonde senior walked over and claimed the seat infront of Neji, effectively hiding him from the sight of the absentminded teacher. While Dr. Lee is a nice, sweet woman, she had a temper a mile-wide and was not afraid to use it if necessary. She was a legend in Konoha High School that everyone learned about as soon as they stepped foot inside the school. Short pink hair, gentle green eyes, clad in a pair of nice jeans, a demure white blouse, and brown boots, she was the crush of most freshman males (and some of the bi females) and considered unworthy of her husband, the gym teacher Rock Lee. Many students and even some of the teachers wondered how loud, and sometimes obnoxious, Rock Lee won the heart of Sakura Haruno and why she agreed to marry him but that was a mystery that would most likely never be solved.

Bringing his attention back to the here and now, Naruto grinned as Neji just glared at him. Oh yeah, he's changed over the summer if not even one of his best friends recognized him. Staying quiet, wanting to shock his other friends, Naruto just watched as the rest of the class wandered in, some of the students looking at him confused. New students are rare at Konoha High, mainly because it's such a prestigious school and only the very lucky or very wealthy got in. Naruto, being the only son of Ryo Uzumaki of Uzumaki Enterprises, was a shoo-in but some of the students, like his friend Shino Aburame, got in through sheer genius and stubborness. Of course, it helped that Naruto sponsored him into the school.

Blinking, wondering why his mind kept wandering, Naruto smiled softly as Neji's sister, Hinata Hyuuga, gingerly and quietly walked through the door and immediately commandeered the seat behind Neji. The only half-bloods in the town, the Hyuuga twins had to stand up for themselves from the day they could walk and fought for every scrap of attention they could get. Half-elemental, half-human, the Hyuuga twins were considered abominations by most of the townsfolk until they turned 15. It was that summer that Naruto was attacked due to sheer idiocy and only the fact that Neji and Hinata lived right across the street saved him. He was barely able to get through the wards around their home when Hinata burst through the front door, white light already surrounding her hands as she laid them on Naruto, Neji following directly behind, fireballs forming in his hands and being thrown at Naruto's attackers. An unlikely friendship struck up during the innocence of childhood by a five year old Naruto had saved his life that day and proved to the town that the Hyuuga twins were trustworthy.

Jerked out of his thoughts by the ringing of the class bell, Naruto blinked as he spied Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, and Iruka Umino claiming the last three seats around him, Neji, and Hinata. The three are also looking at Naruto like he was the dirt under their shoes but he wasn't worried. They'll recognize him soon enough.

"Now, I trust you all have had a pleasant summer vacation," began Dr. Sakura Lee calmly as she looked at her assembled students. "As you are all seniors, I will expect some decorum from you. This is your last year at Konoha High School, let's finish it on a good note? I'd hate to have to flunk any of you. On that note, open your textbooks to page 11."

She watched, arms folded across her chest as the students quickly pulled their textbooks out of their bookbags and opened them to page 11. Eyes roaming the classroom, she blinked as she saw the glares given to Naruto Uzumaki from his 'posse'. Looking closer, she stifled her laughter. They're not glaring at him because they hate him, they're glaring at him because they don't recognize him and are wondering why he is sitting with them. Shaking her head in bemusement, Sakura crossed her legs at her ankles and continued her lesson. "Now, what can you tell me about half-bloods?"

"They're abominations," spoke Temari Sabaku tentively. A newcomer from Suna High School, she hasn't spoken much, if at all, since school started a week ago.

"But why?" asked Sakura gently, carefully watching the Hyuuga twins out of the corners of her eyes. She doesn't want to end up offending them due to their own half-blood heritage but it has become mandatory that every student of Konoha High learn about half-bloods and the supernatural races out there. Most are peaceful but interacting with them tend to be frowned upon. "Why are half-blood considered abominations? Why has our country denied them while others embraced them?"

"Half-bloods began to be considered abominations when a succubi and a human male married and bred," began Naruto calmly. "Their offspring, unable to handle such conflicting natures inside of him, went on a rampage and killed his parents, his succubi family, and his human family before King Kyuubi's ancestors stopped him and locked him away. The citizens, believing all half-bloods could eventually snap, began banning human's breeding with the supernatural, no matter the race. However, some humans could not believe that all of the supernatural races were evil and disobeyed the ban, which is why we still have half-bloods to this day and in all that time, only two have gone astray and that was due to their family and not due to their heritage."

"Meaning what?" asked Orochimaru, the Senior Class President, coldly. A nagini half-breed hated by most of the school due mainly to his attitude and not because of his half-breed status. The only person able to stand Orochimaru seemed to be his lover, Kabuto, who is of this moment leaning against Orochimaru and glaring at Naruto.

"I don't know many people, human, half-breed, or supernatural, who could deal with mental, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and *not* snap," retorted Naruto. "That was the reason for the two half-breed's rampage. They snapped, unable to handle the torture anymore."

"Settle down!" called Sakura when it looked like a fight was about to break out. "Naruto is correct," She grinned to herself at the double-takes from the students. "Half-breeds were consider abominations due to one incident. However, people seem to be changing their mindsets towards half-breeds."

"Yeah, right," retorted Temari under her breath. "Name one."

"The Hyuuga twins," said Sakura pointedly looking at Temari. "Feared and hated until Naruto innocently befriended them when the three of them were five and it's a friendship still going strong to this day I believe."

"They'd have to kill me to get rid of me," joked Naruto with a grin. Neji growled and shoved Naruto while Shikamaru, Shino, and Iruka chuckled. At break they're question their friend but right now they know better than to interrupt Dr. Lee. Naruto is the only one who can get away with it and that's mainly because he's somehow related to her.

"On that note," said Sakura glancing at the clock. "You have five minutes until the end of class. Your homework is that I want you to choose one supernatural race and do research on it. I want a three page essay on how they came to be, what their culture is like, their language, whatever you can put in it. It can be longer than three pages but no more than ten. Now get." The bell rang and the students skidaddled, Naruto, Shikamaru, Hinata, Shino, Neji, and Iruka waiting until the students left before leaving themselves. It's their break period so they're going outside.

"I like your new look Naruto-kun," murmured Hinata quietly as she clung to Neji's arm. The shy one of the Hyuuga twins, she only allowed her brother and her boyfriend Guy Lee (Rock Lee's son) to touch her. Her powers, healing and telepathy, allowed her too much insight into the human psyche for her to feel comfortable touching anyone but those she truly cared about and knew wouldn't mind if she accidently picked something up.

"Thank you Hinata-chan," grinned Naruto. "I like my new look too." He twirled around, showing off his new fit and toned body, his shoulder-length blonde hair, and his sparkling blue eyes. Now clad in dark blue jeans, black boots, and a black t-shirt, he looked like a gothic cowboy instead of the orange loud-mouth he'd been since first grade.

"What happened to you over the summer?" asked Shino. "I know you went to the capital to visit your parents,"

"Mom and Dad were busy so I explored the supernatural area of the capital," said Naruto with a grin. "It was awesome! You had vampires, werewolves, succubi and incubi walking, talking, interacting with each other and the power demonstrations were awesome!"

"Weren't they a bit leery?" asked Iruka gingerly. "I know a friend who stumbled in the supernatural area here and nearly lost his life."

"I think it helped that I stopped a human guard from beating the crap out of a werewolf cub in the middle of main street." Naruto pointed out as they reached the doors and walked outside. Commandeering their normal spot under the biggest tree in the schoolyard, the group sat down. "After that, they accepted me like I was one of their own and helped me learn *everything* and *anything* I wanted to know."

"So what are you going to do your essay on?" smirked Neji.

"Probably the vampires," said Naruto slowly. "Or possibly the werewolves. They were the coolest."

"I think I wanna do the incubi," said Shikamaru. "Everyone already about them."

"You're just lazy," retorted Shino. "I'll do elementals."

"Which ones?" drawled Neji as he laid down against Naruto. "There's fire, water, earth, air, metal, light, and dark."

"Forgot about that," muttered Shino. "Possibly fire so I can pick your brain Neji."

"What about you Hinata-san?" asked Iruka politely to Hinata. "What do you want to do your essay on?"

"Light Elementals," murmured Hinata shyly. "I know the most about them after all."

"Dark Elementals," said Neji before the group could ask. "No one knows anything about them after all."

"So we've got vampires or werewolves for Naruto, incubi for me, fire elementals for Shino, light elementals for Hinata, and dark elementals for Neji," said Shikamaru. "What about you Iruka? What do you want to do your report on?"

"I'm thinking about air elementals," said Iruka slowly. "Or werewolves if Naruto's not going to do them."

"Nah, I want vampires," said Naruto after a moment's silence. "I can pick the brains of the vampire family that helped me."

"And two weeks later we'll find you dead in the streets, the family complaining you wouldn't leave them alone," teased Neji as he laid his head in Naruto's lap. No one blinked, used to their shinanigans. The two aren't lovers, no matter how it appeared to be. It's a very strange relationship that people gave up trying to figure out.

"Will not!" protested Naruto as Shikamaru, Shino, Iruka, and Hinata snickered and Neji grinned. "I'm not that much of a pest!"

"Wanna bet?" grinned Shino before silencing, eyes wide.

"What's wrong?" asked Shikamaru seeing Shino's look. Shino just pointed and the group's eyes followed his finger to see Orochimaru and Kabuto somewhat hidden in the shadows, Orochimaru in front of Kabuto protectively and hissing at a bunch of other half-breeds. The white eyes gave them away.

"Oh crap," growled Naruto as he stood and began taking off toward Orochimaru and Kabuto. Neji and Hinata immediately followed, having recognized the half-breed gang. Shino, Shikamaru, and Iruka look at each other before taking off after their friends, knowing full well that pure human support can help in ways brute force can't.

"Awww, the half-breed's protecting his little elemental lover," purred the gang leader as Naruto, Neji, Hinata, Shino, Shikamaru, and Iruka got in hearing distance. "Isn't that sweet?"

"Back off Itachi!" snarled Naruto as he stepped between the leader and Orochimaru. "You're not *welcomed* on Konoha land!"

"And who is going to stop me?" drawled Itachi, his feline features gleaming in the sunlight as he glared at Naruto. "You? You're just a weak *human*."

"As our we but we won't let you attack anyone here," said Iruka coldly as he, Shikamaru, and Shino stepped forward.

"And you two?" sneered Itachi at Neji and Hinata. "You going to speak up for the half-breed you detest?"

"I'd hate to say it," said Neji calmly as he opened a spark of his power and summoned it to his hands. "But we're not humans dickwad."

"We're Half-Breeds," said Hinata coldly, her powers activating of their own accord and drawing on some of Itachi's coldness. However, the presence of her friends kept Itachi's personality from overwhelming her.

"Yeah, right," scoffed Itachi as he reached for Orochimaru, intent on pulling him off Kabuto. Fire exploded, racing up Itachi's arm and burning his arm and hand completely. He shrieked in pain and fell away as Neji pulled his next fireball and sent it flying into a nearby water pool.

"We warned you," says Naruto coldly. "Leave Itachi. I'd hate to have to waste my friend's time on you."

"Watch out Uzumaki!" snarled Itachi as his gang glared at Naruto, Neji, Hinata, Iruka, Shikamaru, Shino, Orochimaru, and Kabuto. "This isn't over!"

"Wanna bet?" retorted Naruto as the half-breed gang left. Rolling his eyes and scoffing in disgust, Naruto turned to Orochimaru and Kabuto. "You two okay?"

"Why'd you help us?" snarled Orochimaru.

"Because no one, not even you, deserves Itachi's dubious attention," said Naruto with a frown. "Wonder why their King hasn't stopped it."

"King? Naruto what?" asked Shino and Neji as one.

"We have a king, so do the supernaturals," said Naruto staring at his friends in disbelief. "You didn't know?"

"Nope," said Shikamaru. "Too much research."

"You're just lazy," retorted Iruka. "And their king is Shukaku, a badger shapeshifter who is more concerned with keeping his people from outright anarchy than worried about a local half-breed gang."

"True," sighed Naruto before yelping as the bell rang. "Gotta go! See ya at lunch!" He took off and Iruka, Shino, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Neji chuckled. Naruto hasn't changed at all.

"See you later Orochimaru, Kabuto," said Iruka politely before the group took off sedately toward the entrance, leaving Orochimaru and Kabuto staring at them in shock. Maybe, just maybe they've underestimated Naruto and his friends.

In the shadows, five demons watched Naruto, Iruka, Shino, Shikamaru, and Neji, knowing full well that if they died, their masters would have their hides. Why these three humans and two half-breeds commandeered the attention of five of the most powerful supernaturals on the planet is a mystery to the demons and one they don't dare understand. Their masters aren't the most powerful and respected because of blood-lines after all.

~TBC~

A/N: I know it starts a bit fast but I was hurrying to get this done.