Naruko-chan



Disclaimers: I don't own Naruto or any character or concept from Ranma. 'Nuff said? Good.

Now read on.

Author's Notes: This takes place when Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, etc, are 16. I got some really

good plans for this fic. ::laughs evilly:: On the other hand, it could be worse. I could be posting

my "key to human insanity" fics. If you want to know what they are, say so in your reviews and I

might post them.

Chapter 1



It was a typical day in the lives of Team 7. They were on their way to get a new mission.

Kakashi had been not so fashionably late, as usual, and with a dumb excuse. Naruto and Sakura

were practically foaming at the mouth for something to do, other than Kakashi's dumb training.

"Ok, Tsunade-baba, what do we got today?" Naruto asked the Fifth Hokage with his

usual lack of respect. "A C rank mission. All you have to do is go somewhere and protect the

said place, Jusenkyo, the Cursed Springs." Naruto groaned. "Cursed Springs? Isn't there anything

tougher?" Sakura jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Shut up, Naruto!" Tsunade chuckled.

"You leave tomorrow. And by the way, Naruto, remember that I can kick your ass when you call

me 'Tsunade-baba'"

"Whatever you say..... OLD HAG!!!"

__________________________________________



The next day, Team 7 had collected their things, and departed, Naruto complaining all the

way. "Kakashi-sensei, do we have to protect these dumb springs?" he asked. Kakashi sighed

"Yes, Naruto. All the Chunnin teams take at least one turn guarding the springs for two weeks,

and we haven't taken a turn yet." Naruto grumbled a bit, but shut up, thinking of the money he

was earning with the mission. 'I wonder why he shut up so fast?' Kakashi wondered, but just

shrugged, and pulled out one of his "Come Come Paradise" books, thinking 'Who cares?'

_______________________________________



About a day later



Team 7 finally arrived at Jusenkyo, after about a day of travel. They relieved the chunnin

team that had been there for two weeks (Hinata's team [1]), and started training. A week into the

mission, all was well, and Naruto and Sasuke were sparring. "Come on, dobe, you can hit me

harder than that." Sasuke taunted. "Trust me, you don't want me to. After all, you wouldn't want

me to mess up that face, eh, winged prettyboy (2)?" Naruto shot back. This sort of taunting went

on for quite a while as they sparred, until Sakura showed up. "Sasuke, we'll finish this later."

And with that, Naruto went off to flirt with Sakura, who quickly got pissed. "Naruto, leave me

alone!!" she growled, aura flaring. Most people would have backed off at that point, but not

Naruto. He was flat out too stupid. Of course, Sakura got even more pissed, and slugged him in

the jaw. He went flying backwards, and flew through a sign saying "Danger! Spring of Drowned

Girl", and into said spring. Kakashi and the caretaker (whose name is Saotome Ranma), hearing

the splash, came running from where they were discussing the village (he *is* from Konoha after

all).

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm so sorry!!" Sakura kept saying over and over. Ranma dove into the

spring to get Naruto. Kakashi tried to calm Sakura down, wondering why she was acting like

that. Naruto would probably be fine. It wasn't like he had a glass jaw... Oh yeah, Sakura knew

that the springs transformed people. Ranma dragged Naruto out of the pool, soaking wet.

Immediately, Kakashi noticed something... *different* about Naruto. He seemed smaller,

almost... female... "he fell in the spring of the drowned girl, didn't he?" Ranma sighed. "Yes, and

I can only hope that he didn't swallow any water." Just then, Naruto coughed, and a stream of

water spurted from his/her mouth. Ranma facefaulted, muttering "So much for that hope." He

stood up, with an immediate change in attitude. "Kakashi, go tell the Fifth what happened."

"But..." "No buts, Kakashi. I'll take care of them." With a nod, Kakashi ran off. "Umm... is

Naruto going to be ok?"Sakura asked, sounding nervous. "Yes and no." Ranma responded.

"What do you mean?" The guide muttered a prayer for patience. "The basic idea is this. If you

fall into, or are knocked into a spring here, you turn into what the spring turns things into. For

example, Naruto fell into the 'Spring of the Drowned Girl'. This means that when hit with cold

water, he would turn into a girl, and when hit with hot water as a girl, he would turn back."

Sakura let out a gasp of understanding. "So if we pour hot water on Naruto, he'll turn back!" She

turned to go run for some hot water, and Ranma grabbed her arm.

"It's not that simple. If someone drinks or swallows the water, intentionally or otherwise,

they will be stuck in that form forever." "Do you mean that Naruto is *stuck* as a girl forever?"

Sakura said, disbelief in her voice. "Unfortunately, yes. There is a side effect, too. She will have

forgotten most of her life. A sort of temporary amnesia, while her brain rewrites her memories.

After all, it wouldn't be very good for a girl to remember her life from a male perspective. The

only thing that won't be rewritten is her name. It'll be totally erased. You and your teammate

must give her one, very soon. Especially if she wakes up before Kakashi gets here with the other

team." "Ok" Sakura nodded, now looking determined. "Oh yes, one more thing" Ranma said

"she will not remember anything about Jusenkyo. If she did, her mind would go into some sort of

fatal error loop. I've seen it happen. It's not pretty." Sakura nodded, and turned to go find

Sasuke, but stopped. "Ranma-san, how do you know about all this?" Ranma chuckled. "It's my

job. Also, when I was your age, I fell in the same spring as Naruto. I was able to get it reversed,

but I hadn't swallowed any of the water. Lucky for me, none of the springs affect me anymore."

"Thank you, Ranma-san."

______________________________



Sakura let out a groan of frustration. Sasuke was absolutely no help in coming up with a

new name for Naruto. He'd come up with dumb ideas like "Naruto Jr." and "Dobe-chan." Of

course, Sakura's ideas hadn't been the best, but they'd been better than *his* (her ideas were

ones like "Narue" and "Nodaka"). Then it hit her. "Sasuke-kun, how about we call her Naruko?"

"Sakura, you know I could care less. This *is* Naruto we're talking about, right?" he said,

sounding bored. "Don't be so sure about that, Sasuke-kun. Her memories have changed. Her

whole personality might have changed!" She realized something. "Y' know, if her memories

have changed, her feelings toward certain people might have changed too...." Sasuke groaned. "I

know what you're thinking, and I really hope not."

_____________________________



The next day, Kakashi showed up with Gai's team in tow. "Dammit, Kakashi-perv," Gai

was yelling. "What's going on?" Kakashi was visibly pissed. Only Gai could get under his skin

like that. "Gai, shut the hell up. I'll tell you in a minute!" Lee spotted Sakura and ran over to her

with a cry of "Sakura-san!" She started to get pissed, and her aura flared. "Now, now, Sakura"

Kakashi said, sounding amused. "That's how this whole mess got started. Lee, for your safety, I

suggest you back off." He did, rather grudgingly. "Kakashi, are you going to explain or not?" Gai

asked. "Yes, and I want all of you there." he pointed at all the members of Gai's team in turn,

then turned to start walking toward the cabin where Naruko was staying. He didn't get even one

step forward. Naruko was standing on the porch of the cabin, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

Everyone's jaws dropped, and the guy's noses started to trickle blood. She was beautiful. It

didn't help that all she had on was the bottoms of Naruto's usual orange ensemble. "I know this

might sound stupid, but..... do any of you know who I am?" she asked. Sakura snapped out of her

semi-trance, and realizing that all the guys were almost comatose, turned Naruko 180 degrees

and marched her back into the cabin. "It's all right, Naruko. I'm here to help."

With Naruko out of sight, the guys came out of the mini-comas, and the lone girl outside stopped

wishing she was a lesbian, and wiped her mouth. "Kakashi... Who was that?" Gai asked,

dumbfounded. Kakashi sighed. "That.... was Naruto....." Gai's head whipped around. "You're

kidding, right?" Kakashi sat down on the picnic table. "Unfortunately, no. Naruto fell in the

spring of the drowned girl, and swallowed some of the water. Right now, she's in the temporary

amnesia stage. No one consulted me, but I guess her new name is going to be Naruko." he

mused, while everyone else sweatdropped at the obvious stupidity of that statement.

______________________________



A half hour later, team 7 had packed and left the springs, leaving Gai's team in control at

Jusenkyo. As the walked, Naruko and Sakura talked, in hopes that some of Naruko's memories

would return. No big ones did, but they did manage to get Naruko to remember where stuff was

in Konoha, especially where the Ichiraku ramen shop was. When they stopped for lunch, Sakura

and Kakashi discussed where Naruko would stay. "Sakura, I hope you don't mind Naruko staying

at your place." "Of course not, but why my house?" she inquired. "For one thing, Sasuke would

forgive Itachi, or commit seppuku before he'd let Naruto *or* Naruko into his house. For another

thing, people would get weird ideas if she stayed with me" Sakura shrugged. "True. Everyone

knows that you're almost as big of a pervert as the Ero-sennin." "You don't have to say it like

that...." Sakura stifled a giggle. Kakashi looked as pathetic as a wet cat (3). "Sorry, Kakashi-

sensei. Well, why wouldn't Naruko stay at her house?" "Well, with so many of her memories

missing, she's very vulnerable right now. Some people might take advantage of that." Sakura

nodded. "That makes sense. I don't think my mom will complain." That finished the subject for

that time and place, and they shut up and finished their lunch.

___________________________________



As they reached Konoha, team 7 split up and went their different ways. Kakashi and

Sasuke went to their separate apartments, and Naruko and Sakura to Sakura's house. "Naruko,

that's my house. Come on!" They ran towards Sakura's house, and dashed inside, remembering

to take their shoes off. "Mom, we're home!" Sakura shouted. "What do you mean *we*? And

why are you back from Jusenkyo early?" Mrs. Haruno asked as she walked into the entryway,

sharpening a kunai. "Mom, ix-nay on the usenkyo-jay! Anyway, meet Uzumaki Naruko. She's

gotta stay with us for a while" Mrs. Haruno frowned. "May I ask why?" "That has to do with

usenkyo-jay. Could we talk in the living room?" "Sure... I guess... "Mrs. Haruno said, sounding

confused. "Naruko? Could you stay here?" asked Sakura. "Sure, Sakura." Mrs. Haruno walked

into the living room, Sakura close behind. "Sakura, what the hell is going on?" "Well, Naruko is

the reason I came home early. Two days ago, Uzumaki Naruto fell into the Spring of Drowned

Girl at Jusenkyo, and swallowed some of the water. In essence, Uzumaki Naruko used to be

Uzumaki Naruto." Mrs. Haruno blanched. "Are you saying that sweet girl is the bearer of the

Kyuubi?!" "Yes, mom" "Well, if she swallowed some of the water, that means she remembers

nothing, correct?" Sakura nodded. "You haven't forgotten. Good. Less to explain" "That's why

you didn't want me to say anything about Jusenkyo. Terminal error loop, right?" Sakura nodded

again. "Well, I *guess* she can stay here..." Sakura jumped up, trying to hold in a squeal.

"Thanks mom! See you later" She dashed out of the room to tell Naruko, leaving Mrs. Haruno

shaking her head and laughing. "She's definitely my daughter!"

End of Chapter 1



A/N: Use the numbers to find the info!

(1): Can anyone remind me what the number of Hinata's team is?

(2): "Winged Prettyboy" is a Megatokyo refrence. See volume 1 of Megatokyo to find out. Hint:

It's in the Shirt Guy Dom section

(3): Has anyone *seen* what a wet cat looks like? It's PATHETIC!!! I can imagine Kakashi's

hair drooping like that.... Heh....