Hello everyone, this is my first attempt at fanfiction. I adopted this story from firedemonryoko with her permission and hope that you enjoy it. The original portion of the first chapter is left mostly unchanged, though some minor grammatical corrections have been made.
The Demon Ryoko stalked a human on a beautiful planet called Earth. Even though Ryoko usually hunted in the night, the day was so beautiful, she decided to get out and stretch a little. This time it was a handsome ninja boy from a nearby village, who radiated with chakra, which was strange for mortals. The boy was human, and therefore a mortal. He was of an average height, nice muscular build, and had dark features; Ryoko figured his age to be around 16. She smiled. She had gotten a little bored being all alone for a time, so she decided to play around a little, maybe settle down for a month in some ninja village.
Although Ryoko was a demon in her prime age of 734, her humanoid form was that of a 16 year-old. She could easily pass for one of his classmates. Ryoko wasn't skilled in the ninja arts, but she could still pass for a ninja after observing their kind for so long. Besides, she could easily beat hundreds of them if there was to be any trouble.
She noticed he was wearing a hitai-ate leaf band on his forehead, with the symbol of his village on it, the Konoha, the Fire Village Hidden Amongst the Leaves.
"Time for a little amusement," she muttered. She grabbed a hitai-ate, which she took off of the dead body of the last ninja she killed out of her pocket (the engraving was from the Village Hidden in the Mist before she sanded it out to make the metal appear blank) and tied it onto her neck.
The clothes she had on were those of a traveler, as her headband (that appeared to be blank, therefore having no home village) indicated. She wore a simple fishnet undershirt with a tube top and spandex-like shorts covered less than they hid, and a dusty traveling cloak, which hid more than anything else, giving Ryoko a mysterious look. Her spiky teal hair swung about, and her naturally golden eyes, common for an incarnated demon changed to flaming red.
Ryoko jumped out of the tree she was sitting in. The boy in front of her tensed up, sensing her presence. Turning around slowly and surely, he glared at Ryoko. She waved.
"Hey, sorry for alarming you." With light steps like those of a demon, and less of a ninja, she walked towards him.
He regarded her slowly, taking in her whole presence, looking deeper than just the looks. "Who are you?" his voice was deep, making him sound more mature than most of the boys his age.
Ryoko smiled reassuringly. "I'm just a traveler." The boy's eyes focused on her headband. "Ok, I guess I'm more than that, but can you tell me where Konoha is located? I've been looking around for awhile, but I don't deem to be able to find it." Of course she knew where it was. She visited it every day possible.
He regarded her for a few seconds. "What business do you have in my village?"
Ryoko pointed at her headband. "I'm a traveling ninja. You know..."
His eyes showed confusion.
"I guess you don't... Well, I'm a ninja who, rather than settle down and learn one village's techniques, travels around collecting and mastering different ones. Some may call my kind homeless, but I really prefer the term 'traveling nin'."
The boy still watched her.
Then it hit her. "Oh, I'm sorry for being so impolite, my name is Ryoko," she said, having no family name, and quickly realizing it, she hastily added, "... Masuda." She bowed to show respect.
The boy nodded. "Uchiha Sasuke."
"Well, Sasuke-sama, will you show me to your village?"
Sasuke shook off the daze he was in. "Of course." She seemed a bit strange to him. "Follow me."
Ryoko followed him, then walked up and next to him, trying to seem daring. Sasuke noticed her graceful light step, and asked her about it.
Ryoko had to think quickly, but she told him the truth. "You're not the first to notice. In the country of Rock, there is a special jutsu to hear down into the ground for attackers long range. I spent a couple of years there, so I had to learn." It was true; she was stalked by ninjas from the Rock country one time. "Though I learned it the hard way, when I was attacked by their Anbu on my first day there."
"Oh?"
"Yes, they must have missed the mark of a traveling ninja." She pointed at her throat and laughed.
Sasuke relaxed. He wasn't sure about this girl at first, but somehow she didn't seem hostile to him anymore.
They walked the rest of the way talking about absolutely meaningless issues, Ryoko talking 10 times more than Sasuke, but the atmosphere was easy and relaxed the rest of the way.
They came to a large wall with double opening doors that had the fire symbol of the Konoha Village on them. Ryoko whistled.
The guards saw them and stiffened. The two came closer to them, and one guard recognized Sasuke. He smiled and stood aside to let him through the gates, but the other stepped in front of Ryoko, who grinned apologetically.
"Oh, sorry... you will be wanting my papers then?"
The guard looked at Sasuke. "Not unless Uchiha Sasuke will vouch for you," he replied.
Ryoko smirked and pointed to her blank hitai-ate. "Isn't this enough?"
The guards stared.
Ryoko glanced at Sasuke.
"She's alright. She's traveling with me."
The guards nodded. "Ok, but we still need your name, place of origin, and business in Konoha," one of the guards articulated.
"Masuda, Ryoko. The other one is hard. I don't believe I know my 'place of origin', seeing as though I'm a traveling nin. My business is to discuss private affairs with the elders of this village and acquire wisdom."
All three ninjas looked at her in amazement.
"What? Like you don't want to acquire wisdom," Ryoko said, looking hurt.
"Very well. You can pass."
Ryoko stuck out her tongue and waved at them as she walked past.
"Strange..." one of the guards mused.
"I wonder where she really came from," said the other one.
"Oy, Sasuke! Wait up!" Ryoko ran up to the retreating Sasuke. "Can you show me where the central square is?"
Sasuke pointed. "If you go down that big street, it will keep getting wider, until it turns into what you're looking for."
"Thank you," said Ryoko, flashing her smile. "We will meet again, Uchiha Sasuke."
And she left him standing there.
He smiled a little, or just as much a Sasuke can smile. "Maybe..."
Ryoko walked into the central square and almost was run over by a big group of people barreling down the road, sitting on top of a cart full of vegetables. Not to seem suspicious to anyone who was watching, she flung herself out of the way and into a passerby. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that he wasn't paying attention because he was reading a book. The people on the cart jeered at her and she flicked them off, trying to stand up. Then she noticed that she was clutching at a tall ninja, who was also trying to pick her up.
"Oh, sorry," she muttered, cursing at herself for playing these foolish games to pretend to be a human.
"You all right miss?" the tall ninja asked. Ryoko stood up and looked him over. He was lean and handsome, although his headband and cloth was covering most of his face. He radiated wisdom and mysteriousness. Ryoko felt an electrifying jolt of excitement. But she hid it.
"Yeah, I think so. Sorry about that..."
He looked at her hitai-ate. "It's all right. I see you're not from here."
"That's right."
"You're a traveling nin, correct?"
Ryoko nodded. Things were looking good.
"So what is your opinion of our village so far?" he asked, leading her away from the street and the circle of shops.
Ryoko laughed. "It's a very busy town, I see. I hope my reputation hasn't preceded me and that that incident back there wasn't personal," she joked. But she knew that all senior ninjas knew about her existence.
The tall ninja laughed with her. "Hatake Kakashi," he introduced himself and held out his hand.
"Masuda Ryoko," Ryoko shook his hand.
"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
Ryoko stopped herself from baring her teeth and making a nasty comment. If he only knew. "I'm 16, why?"
"Oh, just wondering."
"I'm legal, you know..."
Another bout of laughter.
"I teach 3 chuunins your age," Kakashi said.
"Oh, so you're implying something?" Ryoko scoffed.
"Oh no, not at all."
"All right then, SENSEI," she teased him. She found herself being attracted to him... this human... then she came back to reality and wondered if a 16 year old really acted like she was.
Kakashi laughed. "If you've only arrived, I suggest you go get a room in the hotel, because they stop taking in people in less than an hour."
"Oh, so now you're trying to get rid of me?" she laughed more. "Men these days... peh."
Kakashi laughed. "I'll walk you there."
After Ryoko was signed in and settled at the cozy inn, Ryoko didn't know what to do. She had ample money (money that she had taken off of the corpses of the rich pigs that passed by her) and time.
Kakashi had excused himself and taken off but not before suggesting to her to go talk to the Hokage about her staying in the village for a while, if she wanted to train with the other ninjas. Ryoko agreed and headed to where Kakashi said his house was.
With no wait at all, Ryoko was led into a large hall, where an old man was sitting and painting something.
Ryoko coughed to get his attention.
"Ah, I have visitors, I see," he said turning to her.
"Yes, my Lord. I am Ryoko, a traveling nin. I came to your village to acquire wisdom and new techniques."
The old man regarded her for a couple of seconds. "But is that all?" he said knowingly.
Ryoko stiffened. "Yes, Milord. I am a bridge builder between ninja villages. I train to become a worldly nin."
The old man smiled warmly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude. It just seems that a girl of your age wouldn't be able to understand the difference between 'knowledge' and 'wisdom'."
Ryoko bowed again. "With all due respect, Milord, that's a stereotype of women."
"True. True. I'm sorry it came out sounding like that," he smiled at her again. "You may stay, Ryoko. You can meet the instructors later on today and choose whose cell you will want to be in. Do you have a place to stay for the time being?"
"Yes, Milord. My family has endowed me with a large inheritance, and I'm in no need of assistance in that area."
"Very well."
"Thank you, Milord." Ryoko bowed and walked out, relaxing only when she left the building.
Ryoko's stomach grumbled as she made her way towards the town center again. "Hm... that Kakashi guy said that there was a good place to eat somewhere around here..." Ryoko said, looking for the Ichiraku Ramen place.
"Damn it! If I could only fly, this would make it SO MUCH EASIER!" she cursed under her breath for trying to act like a human again.
"Ah ha! There it is!"
Ryoko walked into the covered little stand and sat at the long table. The chef came over and asked her what she wanted to order. After she ordered, she looked around to see who was making all the noise.
A couple of seats away from her, a short blonde nin, wearing all orange was making all the racket. It looked like he was looking for something in his pockets but couldn't find it.
"Damn it, old man, I know I had the stamp just a second ago!"
"Sorry, kid... No stamp, no ramen," the chef told him, walking over to make Ryoko's food.
"No RAMEN???" the kid started flipping out. He jumped out of his chair and stripped to his skivvies and shook his pants out. Out came the girlie mags, empty ramen containers, and kunai, along with some other stuff.
"Old man! I tell you it was just here!" he started taking off the rest, and Ryoko intervened.
"Whoa, hold it. I'll get you the ramen if you just put them clothes back on."
The kid went starry-eyed. "Really?"
Ryoko nodded. "But you got to put those back on," she said laughing and pointing at the heap of clothes on the floor.
They were on in a flash and the boy appeared sitting right next to her.
Ryoko shook her head. "What a fruit. Hey boss!" she called the chef over. "Get my buddy here some ramen, will you?"
The chef got his order and started making their food.
"So, what's your name, chief?" the blondie asked Ryoko.
"Ryoko. What's yours?"
"Uzumaki Naruto at your service," he bowed as far as he could do sitting, and fell off his chair onto his face.
Ryoko couldn't conceal her laughter after she saw his face come out from under the table. Naruto brightened.
"So where are you from, Ryoko-chan?" he asked earnestly.
Ryoko thought a bit before answering. "Lots of places. I've been in so many places, I don't remember where I'm from," she allowed a sentimental note come into her voice.
"You travel a lot then?"
"Ha-ha, its what I do," Ryoko replied. "Although I might stay here a little bit and train along with the chuunins in this village."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really? Then train with me and my cell!"
Ryoko was taken aback. "Sure, Ok," I'll think about it."
"I'm sure Kakashi-sensei wouldn't mind having you around, in fact, I'm sure he'll like you, if you know what I mean..." Naruto glanced at her from head to toe.
"Ha-ha, did you say Kakashi-sensei? I think I met him this morning."
"Oh yeah? So you'll train with us?"
Ryoko looked at the chef, thinking about the fact that she wasn't trained in the ninja arts. Oh, why not. "Sure. But you don't even know how well I fight, yet you invite me to train with you. Is it wise? What if I drag you down and my skills are so bad that you wont be able to train?"
"I'm sure they're not. Besides, you have the same smell as me. I'm sure you're good."
The chef brought over the food before Ryoko could ask him what he meant, and the two immersed themselves in their ramen, seeing who could slurp louder than the other. Naruto won, of course.
"Oy, you're good."
After stuffing themselves to the point when they couldn't breathe, Ryoko and Naruto walked off. Naruto promised that he would show her around the village.
After leaving the ramen stand, Ryoko and Naruto set off on their tour. Traveling around the village, Naruto proceeded to show her the wonders of his native home. Though Ryoko had secretly been to Konoha many times before, seeing things from the view of a native managed to put things into a new perspective.
Finally, the day came to a close and the two parted ways in front of Konoha's premier hotel, the Falling Leaf. As Ryoko tucked herself into bed, she contemplated what surprises tomorrow would bring.