The True Monster

Author's Note: This story is a Rosario + Vampire and Naruto cross over. As a general rule I usually don't like crossovers but I've always liked Naruto and recently discovered Rosario. This story is also a response to a challenge from D-FireX, and I like a good challenge. Since there is currently no option for filing stories under Rosario + Vampire it will go under Naruto. Any of you who are unfamiliar with Rosario can check out the manga at www. onetrue manga .com there is also an anime that you can find on youtube and other places. I don't think it's necessary to enjoy this story, but if you do and enjoy it so much the better.

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Naruto sat all alone on the bus except for the driver. He looked out the window at the sunlight and the beautiful countryside. He wouldn't see this again for three years. And when those three years were up he would finally go back to the village.

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Seven Years Ago

A very nervous and frightened eight year old looked around at the huge apartment. There was so much space! And there was no garbage anywhere and there were no spray painted signs on any of the walls saying, 'Die,' 'Demon,' or 'Monster.' And best of all the apartment was far away from all those horrible people who hated him.

"Well Naruto, what do you think?" A friendly voice called from the door way.

Naruto looked up to see the smiling face of his caretaker. "It's really great Iruka-sensei! Are we really going to live here?"

Iruka smiled and nodded. He didn't hold it against Naruto what had been done to him on that night his parents had died. To Iruka he was a fellow orphan who was lonely and didn't deserve the treatment he'd received. That was why he had volunteered for this mission.

"That's right Naruto. We'll be living here until you turn eighteen."

"What happens then?"

"Then we go back to Konoha."

The boy suddenly froze. "No! I don't want to! I don't want to go back to where they hate me, to where they want to kill me!"

Seeing the boy's fear, and knowing how justified it was, Iruka quickly knelt down before him and gently put his hands on his shoulders. "It's all right Naruto. Ten years is a long time, the Hokage thinks that after that much time the people will finally be able to accept you."

"But why do I have to go back at all?"

"Naruto," Iruka spoke carefully. "You understand why you are special and why so many people have… difficulty accepting you right?"

Naruto slowly nodded. The Hokage had explained everything to him before sending him away. "I am the Kyuubi."

"No you're not!" Iruka said sharply. "And don't ever say that again! You are the Kyuubi's container, what is called a jinchuuriki. You hold the Kyuubi within you but that is not who you are. The jailer is not the same as the prisoner."

"If that's true then why does everyone hate me?" Naruto demanded. "The whole reason we're here is because they almost killed me." He closed his eyes and shivered as he remembered the smell of gasoline and pain like nothing he'd ever felt before. "If that's true why would they do that to me?"

Iruka put his arms around the boy and hugged him tight. "Because when people are frightened they do terrible things some times. But the fault is theirs not yours, you are not to blame, not for any of it. Do you understand?"

"I… I guess so, but why do I have to back there?"

Iruka sighed sadly. "Because Naruto, one day you will have great power. For good or for ill you are the living legacy of the fourth Hokage. (Note, Iruka does not know Naruto's parentage. He is referring to the fact that it was the fourth that placed the Kyuubi into Naruto.) And the power you wield will be used in service of the village."