Author: G.A.M.M.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The Vagabonds
Part I:
Wanderings
Chapter 0:
'Prologue'
"Looks like that's it for you kid."
A blonde five-year-old crumpled at the feet of a Kumogakure shinobi. A small lavender-eyed girl ran over to the boy and tried to rouse him.
"Now, now... can't have you doing that."
The Kumo shinobi whacked the girl on the back of the head, knocking her unconscious.
"Might as well take them both. Maybe the boy is worth something."
The Kumo shinobi transformed into a Konoha Chuunin and walked away with a child tucked under each arm.
By the time he had cleared the gates of Konoha and summoned his hawk, Konoha had raised the alarm.
It was too late.
Hyuuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto were gone.
"You're kidding me right?"
Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, sat in the office of the Sandaime Hokage.
"The boy is Minato's son and the Kyuubi no Yoko's Jinchuriki. The girl is the heiress to one of Konoha's strongest clans."
"You're asking me to infiltrate Kumogakure alone? Even my abilities have limits."
"That didn't stop you from sniffing around Amegakure. Or did you think I was unaware of your movements? What were you looking for anyway?"
The Toad Sage shifted nervously. It was not something he wanted to discuss.
"Amegakure can't be compared to Kumogakure. Breaking into Kumo's ANBU HQ is nearly suicide. Amegakure is unimportant."
For the time being. He thought. Sorry, Sarutobi-sensei. Now isn't the time for me to tell you. It's probably nothing anyway. After all, peace was his dream...
Hiruzen sighed, puffing on his pipe. "Nearly, perhaps, but I wouldn't ask if I had a choice. Naruto is too valuable to remain in their hands. Hiashi is ready to go to war to get his daughter back. It can't come to that."
Jiraiya rubbed his temples.
He wasn't sure if his headache was coming from this kidnapping business or the jug of sake he had drunk last night. In either case, what Sarutobi was asking him was utterly insane. He couldn't just waltz into Kumogakure and expect a warm welcome. He was the eminent writer of the Icha Icha series, and though his reputation did afford him some immunity, Kumo would be suspicious if he showed up out of the blue. Especially considering what they had just stolen from Konoha.
"What you're asking can't be done. I don't possess the skills necessary for an operation like this."
"You possess most of them. As for the rest..." Hiruzen pulled a scroll out from under his desk.
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Is that what I think it is?"
"A shinobi of your caliber should have no trouble completing the mission with the help of the techniques contained within this scroll."
"You're handing me the Forbidden Scroll... and hoping I'll use it to save them. Are you going senile already? I may be strong, but if I were captured..."
Hiruzen snorted. "I trust you will not fail me. You are the strongest shinobi in Konoha other than myself."
"That may be true... but even if I succeed, if I come back with those kids in tow, it's going to mean trouble.
"I agree, they cannot return here, not for some time. If we flaunt Kumogakure's failure for all the shinobi world to see, they might start thinking about another Shinobi War."
Jiraiya shivered. I won't go through that hell again.
"Assuming I succeed, what would you have me do with them?"
"Take them with you." Sarutobi suggested.
"Absolutely not. I'm not a wet-nurse."
"They will be safest on the move, especially with you at their side. Hire someone to help you if you must. Teach them if you will. Just keep them safe. That is all I ask of you."
Jiraiya paced back and forth, trying to find a reason to decline.
He's right. They would be safest with me... but I'm not cut out for this kind of thing. Those brats will be at me day and night. How will I sleep? How will I eat? How will I do my research, let alone get laid or get drunk? Hiring someone to take care of them would be too risky. I can't hire another shinobi of Konoha, it would be too obvious. A civilian would just be excess baggage; another person to protect... That rotten old-bastard. I guess I have no choice.
"Fine, but this is not a permanent solution. I'll toughen them up a bit and bring them back when they're ready to be Genin. This whole thing will have blown over by then."
Hiruzen nodded and handed him the scroll. "Good luck, my student. This is an S rank mission. If you fail, this mission does not exist."
"Yeah, yeah. I know the deal."
Jiraiya also knew the odds.
If I live through this one, I'm starting a bucket-list.
"Raikage-sama, we have a problem."
"What is it?" A asked.
The Kumo ANBU bowed deeply.
"I am sorry to report that Yugito Nii has been badly injured on her most recent mission. She is near death, and we need a new container."
The Raikage stroked his chin.
"What about that girl we captured, the Hyuuga? How is her mental conditioning coming along?"
The agent seemed perplexed. Why bring up the Hyuuga prisoner?
"Its only been a week, sir, but the reports are encouraging. She is rather weak of spirit. I believe we can break her sooner rather than later."
"Very good. Transfer the Nibi to her at once. You have your orders."
"Sir... wouldn't one of our own ninja be pref-"
A leaped out of his chair and slammed his fist down on his desk.
"You think I make this decision lightly? Yugito was a valuable tool beyond compare, second only to Bee. Do you really think I'd sell her life so cheaply if I didn't have another choice?!"
"But, Raikage-sama, why choose a foreign ninja when-"
"I will not risk," A said coldly, "losing another loyal ninja of Kumogakure. With Yugito in her near death state, the chances of a successful transfer are much lower than usual. The Hyuuga girl is disposable. If the transfer succeeds we will wait until she is stable. We will finish her mental conditioning and learn her clan's secrets. Even one as young as she can be forced to activate the Byakugan, this we know from our spies. Then we will take her eyes and transfer the Nibi to another container. This way, we can minimize the risk to the permanent container. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, sir."
Naruto kicked the empty chamber pot around his cell.
He had thought the people in Konoha had been mean but these people were the worst.
Her screams had kept him awake last night. They had taken the little girl he tried to help and done something to her. She had screamed all night and there had been weird flashes of blue light. There had been another person screaming too, but they had stopped. The girl had kept screaming.
He really felt sorry for her.
When they dragged her back to the cell adjoining his, she looked awful. Her expression was haunted, her body was bruised, her was hair disheveled and there were dark rings around her eyes. She looked pale and frightened. He had tried talking to her, but she didn't want to talk. Naruto understood there were some things people didn't want to talk about. What happened to her must have been one of those things.
"Go away... you're not real. Go away!"
She had chanted that over and over again for hours before she finally fell asleep.
Naruto wished he could have some ramen. Maybe the girl could have some too. Then she'd feel better.
There was nothing ramen couldn't fix.
A soft rustling sound caught his attention.
"Hmm... this must be the place."
A white-haired Kumo ANBU strolled into the dungeon. He was young, lean and dark-skinned like many of the mean Kumo men.
He walked up to the cell.
"Hey, kid. You Naruto?" The man asked quietly.
"Umm... yes?" The little blonde answered hesitantly.
"Alright good... is that girl over there Hinata?"
Naruto looked at the slumbering girl. "Is that her name?"
"Was she the one who was brought with you?"
"Yes."
"Then she's Hinata. Stand back."
The man's hands flashed in a series of hand signs and suddenly the hinges on the cell doors swung silently open.
"Hmph... guess that doton jutsu was forbidden for a reason. This full transformation was useful as well. Alright kid, I'm busting you out of here, so keep quiet."
The man went and picked up Hinata, then beckoned Naruto to come to him.
"Okay, hold on, kid."
A scroll appeared out of thin air and the man bit down on his thumb.
Then the world went white.
"Jiraiya, you dare bring others to this holy place?"
The sleeping forms of two children rested under each of his arms.
"I had no choice. It was the only way."
"You know they are not allowed here." The Great Toad Sage croaked.
"Please forgive me this one time. The blonde one is Minato's kid."
"Hmm... in that case I will forgive you this once. Once you have rested, you must leave with them."
"Thanks, I owe you one."
Jiraiya set the kids down.
First he checked Naruto. He didn't seem to be suffering from anything but an empty stomach.
He checked the Hyuuga girl next.
Looks like they put her through the wringer... wait a minute. Somethings not right...
He summoned a little chakra and placed his hand over her abdomen.
Oohhh shit. Sarutobi is going to kill me.
He recognized that seal. The sort used to seal a Bijuu into a Jinchuriki.
They are never gonna let her go now. They had two Jinchuriki in the palm of their hands... well score one for me I guess.
He made some adjustments and brought her seal up to par with Naruto's. Perhaps in time the Hyuuga girl would use its power as Minato had intended Naruto to use his.
One thing was certain.
Jiraiya's life was going to be anything but dull for the next eight years.
He felt bad for the kids. What sort of life could he offer them on the road? What sort of reputation would they have when they returned to Konoha? They were both Jinchuriki and they were both going to be raised outside the village. He could only imagine what people would call them. They would be the outcasts, the exiles, the outsiders, the fugitives, the rascals, the wastrels, the wanderers, the rejects, the homeless, the hobos, the bums, the derelicts, the tramps, the vagrants, the pariahs. They would be personae non gratae.
They would be... The Vagabonds.
A/N: Thus do I begin another Naru/Hina, though I'm unsure if I'll turn it into an epic like ANBU.
All I really have in mind is the ending a few other things. This fic will be gritty, but also feature a lot of comedy. N/H will be stronger than cannon (esp. H), but not super-powered. Anyways, I'll try to post all of Part I before I leave for boot camp in two weeks. Then I'll be on an unavoidable nine week hiatus.
This was a short prologue. The rest of the chapters will probably run around 5k words on average. At least until I finish Part I and N/H return to Konoha.
Stay tuned for some Jiraiya epic child-rearing skills. Next chapter:
'You Can't go Home'
-G.A.M.M.