Journeys: Shadow of the Leaf
Chapter 1
A/N- I don't own Naruto, not to mention the many characters and abilities I will likely be referencing. That said, Drakus is mine. If you want to barrow him let me know, the character himself is a traveler (all will be explained). In a way you could call this a mass crossover, but really it's more they know Drakus, as opposed to them knowing Naruto and the gang. Journeys is a long running series of mine, and this is the first part I have every felt like posting, therefore there will be a lot left unknown for now, things that will be revealed in flashbacks and conversations. Pairings and the like are largely undecided, I'll be advancing the ages a bit, so some of the potential pairings are not quite so creepy early on. However, it's less that they will all be older and more akin to the fact that the academy will just run longer. I'm intending on this being a small 'harem' for both Naruto and Drakus, no more than perhaps three apace. For Naruto I've been leaning toward Tenten/Ino/Fem-Haku I'm rather undecided on the latter two, however, I'm liking the idea of Tenten being there thus far as the 'main', as she's not used to often. Drakus I'm utterly undecided, I know who will be friends and the like, but the pairings I'm unsure on.
Drakus himself is based (loosely) off of my character I use in Warhammer 40k. For those that know of the game (and a great game it is ^_^) you will see some things you know, but all in all I'm keeping things close to the vest for the character, there will be no guns and the like though, honestly, I hate guns, and dropping them into series like this is a bit annoying to me. I'm intending for our resident fox to be trained by him, Naruto will end up stronger, but I'm going to be keeping him from gaining that instant, godlike, power that so many seem to enjoy. I will admit, some such tales are fun, but I think a character is much more entertaining when there is a struggle for that power (thus, I hate the bloody Sharingan). Drakus didn't get his strength overnight, and, for the most part, he is not some uber character that can take on all the elemental nations (Those characters annoy me even more) Drakus is strong, little more than a low Jounin in terms of ability outside of raw fighting strength, but that will be shown in time.
"On your feet boy."
A low groan echoed through a dim, filth encrusted ally.
"ON YOUR FEET!"
Slowly blue eyes opened to see a shadowed form staring down at him; it took a moment for his vision to clear enough to make out the figure. The man was huge, at least to him, he didn't think he even reached the man's waist; he was looking down at him with his arms crossed, as though expecting him to jump up instantly.
After another moment of the boy gawking at him he watched him pull his legs up underneath him and push, it took him longer than it should for a small boy, if he had to guess it was due to his underfed state. He had spotted the bare feet from behind a rubbish bin in the ally and was more than a little shocked to see the grime smeared face of a blond boy; he looked to be no more than four. It took him a moment of studying him to see he was simply asleep, he couldn't decide if that was better or worse than the boy being knocked unconscious.
Once he was standing, using the wall to steady himself a bit, he looked back up to the face of the man to see a hard scowl and shrank back a bit, unsure what this giant was going to do, one too many encounters with other villagers told him that look was never good, however, he was surprised to see that this angry look didn't seem to reach his eyes. In the past it had been the other way around and that was something he couldn't really understand. Others would lure him in with smiles or at least neutrality, but had hate filled eyes. After another moment of trying to figure out the man he was shocked to see his face split in a massive grin and extend a hand to him, a deep, rumbling voice echoing in the streets.
"You got up on your own and you didn't run! Good! Now, what's your name boy?" He quirked an eyebrow when the boy just shook his head. "Eh!? You have a name don't you?" The boy nodded. "Well?"
The boys head lowered a bit, dirty blond hair obscuring his eyes. "If I tell you…you'll get mad at me…"
The big man scowled again, the boy shrank a bit more looking as though he was trying to pull into his threadbare white shirt, the orange spiral looked like it was almost worn off. "What are you? Simple? I've never met you, so why would I get mad at you if I heard your name?"
The boy flinched slightly at the word 'simple' but gave a half shrug, "E-Everyone else does…"
"Well I'm not everyone. You tell me your name, I'll tell you mine. Now speak pup! Show you are a man!"
The boy scowled a bit, if anything the man's grin grew slightly, "Uzumaki Naruto!"
He let out a bark of laughter, and for the first time the boy noticed he looked…weird, he had longer fangs, even longer than his own lightly over-pointed ones, and when his laughter died down he saw the man's eyes were yellow, not white, with brown pupils. However, despite his feral looks it seemed his hair was well kept, not overly done, but not ragged like some of the kids with marks on their cheeks he had seen. It was swept back toward the back of his head, but not slicked; kinda like he just ran his hand threw it after getting it wet and just let it dry. "What!? Fishcake!? Man, you got the short stick. The names Drakus, and I've taken a liking to you pup. Come on, were getting food. I've been in the woods too long and I want someone else to do the cooking! Time to see what meat this town can offer…" Naruto swore he could hear the man slurp back his drool at the thought.
Before the boy could act he found a hand on the back of his shirt lifting him from his feet and dropping him on his shoulder. Now in the better light he could see he was wearing a heavy fur cloak despite the heat of summer and looked to have a number of odd necklaces and badges all over his chest and arms. He looked around him for a moment in shock, he'd never been up his high before, he didn't even notice the looks of shock and disgust coming his way. Then the man's words came back to him making him scowl. "Hey! I'm not a fishcake!"
"Never said you were fishcake, I said your name was fishcake, fishcake."
The boy growled before crossing his arms and looking away, "It's not written that way!"
The man cocked an eyebrow as they turned down a side street, "Oh? Maelstrom then eh?" The man paused a moment, his nostrils flaring to test the air before he turned down another street. "Better, you don't look like a fishcake, got the wrong eyes for it."
Naruto was silent for a moment, was that a complement? Who the hell was this guy!? He was trying to decide what to do about this man when they stopped in front of building that Naruto was familiar with, it was a place where he couldn't even walk past without being chased. "I…I don't think tha-"
He snorted before pulling open the door, "Hello, welcome to Udon's Grill-" the man behind a small podium froze at the sight of the giant, and the boy on his shoulder. The man stood a head above himself, and he considered himself to be quite tall.
"Well? Speak man! We're here to eat, is there a wait or something?"
"No…no sir, however, I'm afraid that the…boy…is not allowed on the premises."
Drakus's eyes narrowed a bit, "Why."
The maître d' thought for a moment, the pause not lost on the man before him even as the boy's eyes looked down again, not wanting to hear the answer. "Well, the boy was chased from restaurant after trying to steal food." The man gave a smug smile, seemingly proud of himself for his fib.
The large man scowled a bit and looked to the boy on his shoulder, "Well?"
Naruto shot the man several quick glances before giving a half nod, "Ya…I took food, but they threw it away, I thought it was ok…" If anything the man's features twisted further in rage.
His roar shocked the whole of the restaurant and several of the people on the street outside paused to look into the window, "WHAT!? You eat from a REFUSE BIN!?" Naruto shrinking once more was enough of an answer for him, his head whipped back to the smaller man who hid slightly behind the little podium. "You, will we be allowed to eat here?" The man shook his head slightly, "Very well. Naruto. Tell me, where is your favorite place, we will go there. Then, I have a man to see."
Naruto seemed to perk up a bit at the thought of going to his favorite place. "Ichiraku's!!!" Drakus chuckled a bit at the outburst as the boy lept from his shoulder and moved to the door, "Come on!"
He moved quickly to the door, less he was left behind but as he pushed the door open yellow eyes locked on the maître d' once more, "We're not finished here…" the scent of fear filled the air.
As the pair moved down the street, this time the boy leading the way, Drakus was taking note of the reactions from the people, he was getting quite a few odd looks, he expected as much though, after all, a man his size wearing a wolf pelt didn't go unnoticed. "Tell me kid, what is this 'Ichiraku's'?"
Naruto shot him a brilliant smile before rounding a corner and waiting for his companion. "It's the best ramen in the whole world! Come on!"
The larger man's shoulders fell a bit, ramen? "Damnit kid, I said I wanted meat!"
"Well…they have different kinds of ramen…I like the pork ramen…but the miso is good too. Oh, and the beef…" The 'conversation' continued like this until the pair found themselves before a small curtained bar with the sign for 'Ichiraku's Ramen' proudly displayed up top. The boy was quick to dart under the overhanging curtain and leapt up onto a stool, almost bouncing in place at the thought of his favorite food.
Deep laughter echoed as Drakus made his way in to sit beside the young blond who seemed to looking toward the back room for something. "Now, now kid. Give them a minute." Naruto just pouted a moment before crying out with a loud 'Oi', not long after an older man who seemed to be in a perpetual squint made his way to the counter. At first he saw the larger man, his brow furrowing before smiling at the blond.
"Well good afternoon Naruto, who's your friend?" It was clear to Drakus the man didn't trust him, but if anything this made him like the old man more.
"This is Drakus-san, he said he'd get me lunch! Drakus, this is Teuchi-san, he runs the place, and makes the best ramen ever!"
"Oh?" A suspicious gaze landed on the large man, he was a bit shocked that he could look him in the eye despite the fact he was sitting down. His look was quickly masked by a grin at the boy's introduction, "Well, that's nice of him."
"Ya ya, I'm a good guy, get your food pup."
He cast a timid eye to the larger man, "All I want?"
His wolfish grin came back, slowing the long teeth once more, "All you want."
The face splitting grin erupted once more before Teuchi gave a low chuckle, "You're going to regret that boy."
Drakus tilted his head slightly in confusion before his jaw dropped at what spilled from the boy's mouth, "Ten bowls of pork! Two miso to start!"
"What…but…NO!"
Naruto shot him a pleading look, "B-But you said…"
He sputtered for a moment as the old owner laughed, "He's got you there kid."
His eyebrow twitched a moment before his grin returned, "Alight...If we're playing this game…Kid, I'll get you all the noodles you want, but if I do this then you're coming with me to my meeting."
Naruto thought for a moment but shrugged, if this guy had wanted to hurt him he would have done so by now, "Ok, I've got nowhere else to go."
He caught Teuchi's deep frown before shouting into the back the order then looking to Drakus. "I don't know. Surprise me old man, I just want meat. Lots of it."
"You can pay right…sorry to say, but you don't look like much."
The wolf grin widened, he liked people who didn't mince words. "Don't worry, even if I don't have anything you want it can be charged to the Hokage."
That caused both of them to gape, "Now see here son, you can't just 'charge' things to Lord Hokage!"
He looked at the old man in confusion before his posture shifted a bit, into one a bit more regal, "What, Sarutobi-san is still the Kage of this village, correct? He has not named his successor to my knowledge." The duo nodded and he then seems to go back to his laid back ways. "Then I don't see the problem."
Naruto gaped slightly, "how do you know the old man?"
Teuchi turned to begin preparing the noodles but kept his head half turned to listen, he was just as curious, it seems ramen shop owners were almost as bad as bartenders. "Heh, old man…Kid, this guy is the old man, Sarutobi-san more like a fossil…" He chuckled a bit at the mental image he had, "To answer you kid, I knew him back when he was just a pup himself, but I'd say the last time I saw him was six, seven years ago, night of the Kyuubi attack." His eyes shadowed at the memory, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Naruto's mouth was slack at the news, this guy fought the Kyuubi!? "What happened? Jii-Jii doesn't tell me anything, I only know a little from a book I took from the academy."
He quirked an eyebrow at that but shrugged, "I don't know what all they put in that book pup, all I know is what I saw, huge, glowing red fox, a giant frog with a blond on it. I didn't get to see much, I was tasked with a squad to try and keep some of the tails busy. Took all I had to keep two back from the others. Got the scars to prove it…"
He paused before looking around the little bar for a moment as the pair listened with wide eyes, Teunchi had been in the shelter that night with his daughter, all they could do was listen to the roars, the screams. The shaking and the feeling of dread was still something that haunted his dreams, but to face it directly, and keep part of it at bay at that? He noticed the man make a sipping gesture and his wide grin as the chef brought up a small bottle of sake' and a cup of tea for Naruto. The large man thanked him before his eyes dulled again in memory. "Your fourth was a great man, not many would sacrifice themselves that way. I've never seen a being like your shinigami before, but no matter what I still think the price was too high. Having your soul eaten? Man…the bastard could have cut him a break…he was already offering his life after all…" He knocked back the dish in his had before re-filling it. "Anyway, as suddenly as it was there it was gone, dropped me fifty feet on my ass when it vanished. Afterwards your 'Jii-Jii' had his hands pretty full, but I got to talk to him a couple of times, mostly about that night, like now, he wanted my opinion on the whole thing. Then I finished my business and left." He chuckled a bit in memory before his nose crinkled slightly, his head locking on the passage leading to the back room before a small, brown haired girl came out with a massive tray filled with meats and vegetables.
If anything the boy's eyes were even wider, "B-But they said the fox could destroy everything with just ONE tail, and you had TWO!" The big man shrugged, "Wow…you must be really strong!"
Drakus's smile faded somewhat but gave a small nod, "Strong…ya, some have said that…"
His grin returned as a large bowl was placed before him, brimming with meat; the sent drove him to salivating again as he saw the boy nab a pair of chop-sticks and after a small prayer dove into the ramen with a vengeance, his mouth hung open slightly at the sight of him literally inhaling the ramen. After a moment he looked to the old man and who he presumed was his daughter and gestured slightly, going back and forth between the blond and the narrow eyed man. "Ya…that's the look he gets every time someone sees him eat for the first time…"
He could only voice one word as he watched the boy move onto the next bowl, seemingly oblivious to the heat of the soup. "Hhhhoooowwwww…."
The little girl giggled at that, again, not the first time they had heard such a thing. "Everyone asks, no one knows."
He took up his own set of the sticks as he watched the boy from the corner of his eye, shaking his head with a deep, guff chuckle. 'I have seen battle scared veterans, starving immigrants, creatures beyond imagine and even the spirits of the dead, but none of them attacked a meal quite like this…' After taking a large portion of the noodles and blowing for a moment he began to eat, pausing to grin at the chef and offer his praise before attacking it not unlike the boy, but with at least a bit more control, this stuff was hot...
After what had amounted to almost twenty bowls of ramen between the two of them and several bottles of sake' Naruto let out a hefty burp, one quickly followed by Drakus who let out a bark of laughter. "Right! Now this is what I was after! Kid, you head on to the tower and keep your jii-jii company until I get there, I need to pay…" He made a show of searching his cloak for a moment while Naruto dropped from the stool.
"Okay, I'll see you soon, and thanks for the food!" The fur clad man just waved him off before resuming the search. As the boy vanished around the corner both Teuchi's eyes and his own locked, the once narrowed eyes opening a bit, giving him the appearance of a stone faced snake.
"Ayame, go into the back for a minute will you?" The girl gave him a strange look but nodded and scurried off, taking a tower of bowls with her. "Now. What is your business with Naruto." It was less a question, more of a warning.
The wolf grin appeared once more, "Protective of the pup, eh?" The chef didn't move. "Maybe you should be the one to tell me. What's wrong with him? This city seems as likely to hang him as to hug him."
The elderly man stiffened slightly, his face a mask of shame, "It's not something were allowed to talk about. You'll have to ask the Hokage."
Drakus quirked an eyebrow, if he had to ask the village leader then it was something serious. He sat there for several long moments, his mind abuzz as he tried to find the answer. He pushed the question aside, letting his mind continue it's work as he turned his attention back to Teuchi. "I found the kid in an alley, thought he was knocked out, but he woke up after I shouted at him. Pup seems to have a good heart, but it's heavier than any I have ever encountered. There's a fire in him though, one I think could be kindled into something great…" A small smile graced his features as his eyes took on a far off look. One that made the old ramen cook smile slightly. "However, that's going to be up to him. Now, about you, if everyone else treats him like that, why not you?"
The man stiffened once more, he wasn't used to people being quite so blunt with him, however that quickly passed as a wide smile of his own appeared. "Heh, I'm not that complex a person Drakus-san. The boy loves my cooking, anyone who loves ramen that much is okay in my book." The pairs laughter echoed though the street, causing quite a few odd glances at the estranged shop.
"Well, if that's all it takes for him to find a place, then all the better. Now, I have a meeting to attend to, and I'm sure that the pup is driving the 'old man' mad by now. I have a feeling I'll be frequenting your stand quite often my friend. Until then." He made a strange symbol with one hand, his eyes closed as he mumbled something before grinning again and standing, this time reaching easily into his cloak, the furs parting enough to allow the old man, and his reemerging daughter, a glance at the 'clothing' he wore underneath. Whatever it was it shown in the dim light as though it was some form of precious metal.
"Before that, there are enough people that don't use his name, if you're going to be around him much, at least call him Naruto."
His grin returned to that of a wolf before placing something into his empty ramen bowl. "We'll have to wait and see about that Teuchi-san. Names are things that earned in my world, and it's something that must reflect the individual. So who knows, maybe he will end up being as you say. A Maelstrom."
Teuchi watched until he turned a corner before looking at the object and went white as a sheet. The little girl was a little scared at first before her father reached into the bowl and drew out something that was about the size of an egg, as he turned it over in his hands she gasped, it was a gem, raw and uncut, bits of rock interlacing it's ice-blue depths.
*thud*
Two bodies fell to the ground. Yes, that was a good tip.
