A short stocky man with a red beard pulled on the reigns of his cart slowing down the horse in front of the gate to Konoha. He paused to marvel at the village hidden in leaves taking note of the buildings and its people.
"So this is where you came from my old friend." The man thought as the two gate guards approached him.
"Hello traveler," One said in a slightly friendly but cautious tone, "What brings you to our village?"
"I've come to seek refuge for myself and the lad in the back," the man at the front of the cart replied, "I have an old friend here who said if I was ever in need of a place to stay to come here."
The guard eyed the man slightly taking in his appearance. The other guard walked up with a clipboard and asked the next question as the first guard walked to the back of the cart, on alert in case it was a trap.
"What are your names?" the guard with the clipboard asked as he got out a pencil to write with.
"My name is Dirk and the lad's name is Lloyd Irving." The now named Dirk said unbothered by the scrutiny he was getting.
The first guard peeked into the back of the cart seeing an anvil, a dresser, tools, a couple lumps of metal, pots pans and other generic stuff for a home. He also noticed a small boy who could only be 5 or 6 sleeping in back with a red jacket and brown hair. He flashed a quick hand signal to the guard with the clipboard before returning back in front of the cart.
"What is with the anvil?" the first guard asked joining his companion at his side a little less tense on account that so far Dirk was looking less and less like a threat.
"I am a blacksmith by trade and took everything I could to continue once we got to settle in," Dirk responded.
"Last question," The guard with the clipboard said without looking up, "Who is this friend of yours?"
"Well judging by the fact you have his face on yer' mountain," Dirk said pointing to the Hokage Mountain at the other end of the village, "you all must know him quite well… Minato Namikaze."
When Dirk said this both Guards looked up at the stocky dwarf with wide eye expression that quickly turned to anger the guard without the clipboard waved two fingers in the air as the clipboard guard now looked at Dirk with disdain.
"I thought you said you were here to see a friend?" The guard said in a monotone that was rising with anger.
Dirk unaware of what was wrong answered honestly, "I said I come to seek refuge with a friend who told me to come if I ever needed a place to stay, but yes I would honestly visit my friend since it's by his word I've come here now. Actually, if it ain't too much trouble why not go fetch him he would vouch for me since there seems to be some kind of problem?" Dirk said in questioning tone. This seemed to set the two guards off and with a final hand signal; the cart was soon surrounded by a squad of ANBU.
"It's bad enough you try to sneak into our village with the poor refugee excuse, but to claim to know the Yondaime and NOT know he died," the guard spoke to the wide-eyed and terrified Dirk with icy venom laced in his tone. "I don't know what village you're from but they need to get updated information before they try this again!"
If Dirk wasn't shocked before he was certainly shocked now. "Minato dead…," he said closing his eyes when he opened them again the pain was evident on his face. "If only I had known then I made more of an effort to come visit sooner. I was so looking forward to seeing how everything turned out for ya…" Dirk muttered.
"Enough of your lies," the guard yelled with heated breath, "Tell us who sent you now or enjoy your time with our interrogation team."
"Dwarven vow number four" Dirk began in an angered tone of his own. "Lying is the first step toward thievery." He stuck a hand into the cart pulling out a box tossing it at one of the guards. "I am not lying when I say I knew Minato or that we were friends."
"Enough." The Lead ANBU soldier said in a monotonous but powerful voice, "Take them away." He commanded and the rest of the ANBU squad closed in on Dirk's cart.
Dirk was about to shout in protest since no one bothered to look inside what he tossed to the guard. When another masked ANBU ninja blew in with a whirlwind of leaves. "Stop," the new masked Ninja said halting everyone.
"You should be protecting the Lord Hokage, Inu" The lead ANBU stated masking his feelings in a monotonous voice.
"Lord Hokage would like to have a word with this gentlemen, he has tasked me to bring him to his office," Inu replied lazily as if he had better things he could be doing than saving Dirk a trip to Ibiki.
The lead ANBU stared at the dog masked ninja without saying a word. Behind his own masked raged an inferno of anger and contempt for Inu, who once again was meddling in business he should stay out of. After a few tense moments an unseen, unheard signal was given and the ANBU squad called by the Guards disappeared in the same way the new ANBU had appeared in front of them.
"Now that that's settled," Inu said in the same tone as before, "Dirk was it? I am to accompany you to see the Hokage. We should be on our way its best to not keep him waiting."
Dirk was unsure if he even wanted to go into the village now, after all, it was only moments ago when both he and the unconscious six-year-old were almost arrested. This was a moot point, however, because Dirk was smart enough to realize that if he ran he soon be caught and would look guilty of being the untrustworthy person the guards thought him to be. "What about the lad and my cart, after a warm greeting like that I kind of doubt the safety they would be in left alone out here," Dirk said not mincing words or hiding the tone of his anger in what just transpired.
The boy can come with us unfortunately, the cart well have to remain here you have my word it will be left untouched IF you return," Inu said as if he had already known that question was coming and preplanned the response.
Dirk though stubborn by nature saw the futility in arguing with the ninja even if he were to bring the cart straight to the Hokage's office door the fleet-footed shinobi could still destroy it in an instant if they wanted too so it wouldn't be safe. Cursing in Dwarven tongue he nodded at Inu. "Where can I park this so it is out the way?"
Inu nodded in return and directed the dwarf to the inside of the gate to the parking area of sorts for out of town carts. After Dirk parked the cart Inu came over and picked up the still sleeping Lloyd. Dirk while hesitant at first said nothing to this, though only 6 the boy was about as tall as Dirk now and been awkward for him to have carried the boy. Inu lead Dirk through the village as several civilians and shinobi stopped and stared at the two. They stared at Inu because even though ANBU were to be seen as shadows not meant to stand out in public eye, Inu had still garnered some fame or infamy as being one of the protector ANBU of the villages Jinchuuriki. They stared at Dirk because of the diminutive size compared to the ANBU beside him, and his physique, in general, he was a curiosity the likes of which some had never seen.
"Hmpf," Dirk began noticing the stares and whispers, "Act like they never seen a dwarf before."
This comment caught Inu by surprise, though with the mask and his training to not show emotion you wouldn't have been able to tell. The trio safely made it to the Hokage tower without incident and was now standing in front of the receptionist/secretary to the Hokage.
"I'm sorry without an appointment you will not be able to see the Hokage today, he is much too busy to take anyone without an appointment today." The elderly woman behind the desk said without looking up.
"Ya haven't even asked us fer our names yet and you're already turning us away," Dirk responded, while Inu kept quiet smiling with glee behind his mask at the argument about to unfold.
It was no secret that the elderly woman was a pawn of the civilian council and though her job description may read as ASSISTING the Hokage in his day to day activities. What she actually did was keep everyone away from him as the council try to usurp more and more power into running Konoha. The third Hokage realized this early on into his second reign, however, and with the use of some seals left by the former head of the village and having a banner pole installed next to the only window to open up in his office… was instead solidifying the power the Hokage held especially with the Shinobi part of the council when he wasn't drowned by paperwork.
The secretary let out a very audible sigh of disdain, "Fine what's your name?"
"Dirk I was…" Dirk started but was quickly interrupted
"Not on my list," The secretary responded in slightly mocking tone. "Come back tomorrow maybe The Hokage will be able to speak with you then."
Dirk became red in the face by the blatant disrespect, Sure he wasn't some noble or the Chosen one, but damn if he be slighted again by someone who couldn't even look him in the eye, the first being the guard with the clipboard. Very quickly the interaction between the secretary and the dwarf bubble down to nothing more than a shouting contest, much to the joy of the Inu masked ninja. After a few minutes of the back and forth between the two, Inu calmly walked over to the door and knocked twice in a particular spot releasing chakra with each strike causing a seal on the other side of the door to light up.
"Enter!" The Hokage muffled voice answered from the other side of the door. Inu pulled Dirk away from the secretary both two heated into the argument to notice what Inu did.
"Lebiz tad was a taraglos taror!" Dirk said as the door slammed shut.
The Hokage sat at his desk stunned for a moment never heard the language Dirk had just spoken and half expecting the Peculiar man would realize where he was. When it became clear that this wasn't going to happen, the Hokage faked a cough grabbing the dwarf's attention.
"I have brought the man causing the disturbance at the gate as you requested Hokage-sama," Inu said with a slight bow.
The Hokage gave a slight nod then with a wave of his hand dismissed Inu who once again Shunshin away, the whirlwind of leaves he and the ANBU used before, after setting the young boy down on the couch that sat in the office. In actuality he only moved to a corner he had vacated to retrieve the dwarf but with the small genjutsu, adapt skills, and a few seals Dirk would be none the wiser if he was here to harm the Hokage or Konoha. He would not get the chance.
"Now then, I am the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, leader of the village hidden in the leaves." The Hokage began as he sat up in his chair. "Dirk was it… I've asked for you to be brought to me because of your claimed relation with my predecessor and former successor Minato Namikaze, our Yondaime Hokage." Inwardly he thought, "Rather legitimate claim or not it does take some time out of all this blasted paperwork."
Dirk looked at the aging man behind the desk with scrutiny," what does it matter if I knew Minato?" Dirk thought at first, "If I am to believe he is the leader of this village why would he take time out of his day to question me personally, I shouldn't probably look a gift horse in the mouth, though." Dirk decided he would go along with being questioned by the leader of Konoha after all, he might figure out why this was a big deal for them. Dirk nodded his head and said "I'll tell you whatever you want to know," Dirk took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the Hokage's desk.
The Hokage gave Dirk a small smile before speaking, "Come in," A Blonde hair shinobi walked in from the open window wearing a jounin outfit.
"Hello," the unnamed man said unceremoniously as he stood to the side of the Hokage.
"This gentleman is Inoichi Yamanaka he really great at discerning the truth from lies, so this point forward what you say I highly suggest be just the truth." The Hokage said to the dwarf in a non-threating but powerful tone, "Now then, how did you know the Yondaime," The Hokage asked his face no longer having the smile it had moments ago but instead a stern neutral face much like that which was carved on the monument behind his office.
Dirk sat back into the chair still weary of the two in front of him but without much of option he spoke "I met Minato years ago back when was a young lad," Dirk stopped and scratched his beard a moment as he looked up to ceiling trying to recall, "Think he said he was a genin," Dirk said with questioning tone if he pronounced it correctly," of Konoha whatever that man used a lot of strangest words I never heard before like sensei, shinobi, Konoha, though I now know it's your village…"
"We get it," Inoichi said getting Dirk back on track.
"Ah…sorry," Dirk said slightly embarrassed "any way he said he was on his first mission outside of his country when his team was attacked. The last thing he remembered was falling into a purple colored whirlpool before he awoke in a cave above my house. That was sight to see some blonde hair boy with a metal plate on his head in weird clothes tumbling down a hillside" The man chuckled as he thought back to the memory as the two in front of him sweat dropped.
"Tumbled?" This time the Hokage spoke up.
"Aye, it was early morning and I was getting ready to start digging a trench for a little river I was planning to have to go in my front yard, Next thing I know I hear this loud yell and turn to see something with yellow hair tumbling down the mountain side." Dirk responded still thinking back to that time, "As he was rolling down he hit this bit that was slanted outward rolled off of it and it launched him high into the air till gravity took hold of him and he plummeted down right through my roof."
The two shinobi listen intently at this far-fetched story. Both thought back to how the Fourth Hokage was and could easily picture this happening while he was a fresh genin. "He probably would still do it today if he were alive and could get away from Kushina long enough." Both Ninja's thought solemnly.
"So I patched him up, he helped fix my roof and a week later he gone back up the mountain side and never came back." Dirk continued, "At first when he started talking about the whirlpool I had figured he had hit his head harshly when he fell. When he didn't come back I gone up looking for the lad and found no trace of him and no whirlpool… I prayed that maybe he gone back home and not been captured."
"Captured?" The Hokage asked. Dirk then went on to explain how where he lived was close to a human ranch and how the Desians would kidnap humans to stuff into the ranches to do manual labor till they perished.
"So imagine my surprise when the lad showed up back in my roof a few years later." Dirk continued after his explanation of the Human ranch,
"Don't you mean on?" Inoichi said interrupting the dwarf once more.
"No, I do in fact mean IN," Dirk corrected as what he told them next made them both face palm. "He had come up with this new technique that would help him with this war you all were having he told me he crossed enemy lines to come to me so he could get stronger. Much like last time he claimed to have found the whirlpool again and when he come out of it, fell off the cliffside and got stuck halfway through my roof
"Why did he come the second time exactly?" Inoichi asked with slight pink mark on his head, "Not to be rude but I feel no chakra at all coming from you," Though not vocalizing the fact, the Hokage also sensed this, "either you're a master of hiding your chakra, the likes the world has never seen before, or the more likely scenario you have such a minuscule amount of chakra that you would have never been considered to become a ninja."
"Chek-RE?" Dirk said puzzled at the word he pronounced incorrectly, "Never heard that before, and Aye I was never a ninja. Too many jumps and useless movement I say after watching Minato practice. True fighting should be done face to face with both feet planted on the ground."
Dirk ranted for several minutes about how true combat was supposed to be fought. To both his and the Hokage's surprise Inoichi, quietly at first but quickly rising voice, started shouting back defending the art of fighting ninja would use. Both got into a very heated argument that went on for several minutes. Inoichi denouncing Dirk's way of fighting as too costly for both sides in a fight even if you won you still walk away horribly injured or worst. Dirk stating that their no honor in the sneak tactics ninja's would use. This was put to an end when the Hokage gave a very forced cough that conveyed that the debate of the art of war was over and continue answering the question nearing ten minutes ago.
"Sorry," Dirk mumbled the apology before speaking normally, "Minato came to me, not for battle practice but because I was a blacksmith and helped him make the knife in that box I gave to your gate guards."
The Hokage pulled out said box from his robe as if he had it the entire time, baffling Dirk as to when and how the older of the two ninjas in front of him acquired it. Opening it up revealed a special three prong Kunai that both immediately recognized. This made no sense to either man since both knew that the Yondaime Hokage had made these by himself. The only other person who would have been trusted to make them would be Kushina. Very possible that while rare to find Dirk could have just forged this himself and is trying to pass off a forgery. Yet if that was indeed the case wouldn't Dirk very obvious limited knowledge of the ninja world not be so… limited?
"He hasn't shown any of the tell-tale signs of lying," Inoichi thought, "Maybe as far-fetched as the story sounds it might be true."
The ninjas looked at each other and had a telepathic conversation in their minds thanks to Yamanaka's clan jutsu. He shared with the Hokage his findings of the interview, interrogation, and how he was starting to believe this story. The Hokage let out an audible sigh and then issued the order that they been putting off. Inoichi looked at the dwarf as he made a hand sign, Dirk confused was about to say something when his world went black. Inoichi had proceeded to use another one of his clan's jutsu one that allows him to search through someone else's memories.
After a few minutes of silence, Dirk/Inoichi said, "Dirk/Inoichi taught the Yondaime how to forge his special kunai for his signature technique he wanted a unique kunai that were more durable and…" Dirk/Inoichi audibly sighs at this," Stylish than standard. I believe he had Dirk help since from his other memories I can see he is quite skilled in forging and if everything else is to be believed with where Dirk lived very few would be able to duplicate it." "The skill it takes alone to make a pretty good forgery would have to be done by a master." Inoichi/Dirk thought.
"Rumors could be spread about the kunai and add infamy to an already deadly jutsu," The Hokage said interrupting Inoichi. "Well, that explains one of the many mysteries you were surrounded in Minato" The Hokage thought as he nodded to Inoichi to end the Jutsu. Dirk body slumped into the chair as he began to lightly snore.
"There one other thing my Lord," Inoichi said back in his own body, "the kunai seal is different from the others I've seen, Like raw first draft for his technique on it. The Yondaime gave it to Dirk for safe keeping in case he passed away before passing on the flying god technique."
Dirk awoke to the two Ninja's staring at him once more waiting patiently for him to wake up. "Why's my head feel like I was out drinking last night like a young beard fool." Dirk half mumbled while putting a hand to his head.
"I apologize, Dirk," the Hokage said, "we had to search your mind to make sure what you said was truthful, the pain should die down in a moment, now that we indeed know who you are why are you looking to take up residence in Konoha?"
"From what I saw in your mind you were living in a nice place by yourself in the woods, nice home you built," Inoichi spoke as if he stood at Dirk's very home at one point, "It seems such a shame to give all that up, and if you don't mind me saying so you seem to be the type that enjoys the solitude that you had."
True to the Hokage's word the pulsing pain Dirk had felt in his head was slowly ebbing away however the frown on his bearded face remain, "It's for the lad…I ran across his mum one stormy night a few years back…she had been a runaway from the Human ranch that was nearby," He sighs and face contorts with grief, "She was taking her final breaths when I got to her. The poor soul had fallen from a cliff after taking a deadly sword stab through the stomach there wasn't much I could do for the young lass. She had been clutching to the boy for dear life who as far as I could tell hadn't been hurt and asked me to keep him safe… Dwarven vow number two never abandon someone in need. I took the boy to raise and protect at my home and buried her in the garden." Dirk looks over at the boy who rolls over falling off the couch and waking up; he chuckles lightly at this before looking back at the ninjas. "Your right, I didn't want to move but HAD to in order to keep my promise. Things were getting worst the desians were becoming bolder in searching the woods. It was only matter of time till they found my home. I thought back to Minato and remember him telling me about Konoha, and if I ever needed help to come find him here. It was a last ditch effort but I went to the cave one more time and found the whirlpool this time, it was some kind of magic, you would probably need an elf or half-elf to figure it out. We jumped in and came out somewhere on a hillside near another village. We didn't go in, though," Dirk pulled out a hand-drawn map with message on back side. "Minato gave me this last time I saw him in case I ever needed to come to him."
The map was, to no surprise, that of the land they were in now with an x on the mountainside near the village of Iwagakure a hostile village to the leaf. It was no surprise that Dirk would have been told to stay away from it since that village was one they were at war with during time Minato probably gave Dirk the map. Even today while not in a war, most Iwa ninjas had kill on sight orders for any Konoha ninja, the Hokage frown at this even though the war had been over for a while now there was still so most animosity out there between the five great ninja villages.
Lloyd slowly got up and walked over to Dirk rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Dad, have we gotten to your friend's village yet?" The boy said before he comprehended where he was at. Once the boy did realize it however he stood behind Dirk as if hiding from the two other people he could see in the room.
Dirk chuckled at this, "Aye lad, we made it somehow without you drawing any bandits or other things thanks to your snoring." This caused the adults to laugh as the young boy fumed the somewhat harsh atmosphere from before was no longer there.
Done with questioning and seeing as it was getting late, the Hokage welcomed Dirk and Lloyd into the village doing the necessary paperwork then and there to make them official citizens. Dirk could swear he heard him mumble something about paperwork but didn't say anything. At his request, the Hokage locked up the kunai in the vault to keep from unwanted hands if someone else besides the intended recipient were to learn the Flying Thunder God jutsu there be no telling what damage it cause. He did promise Dirk though that when time was right a certain person would receive the blade as the person he believed the Yondaime wanted to pass the technique down to was already walking among them even if that person was unaware of it at the time.
With help of the Hokage day's later Dirk was able to get a small cozy home on outskirts of the merchant district large enough for him to make forge. He would continue his trade until the end of that year before both he and Lloyd were admitted to the Konoha Hospital. The doctors tried to do everything for the two even to point requesting the Hokage to send a message to one of the Sannin, Tsunade, to see if she could combat the mysterious illness that was slowly sucking the life out of the two as day by day they became weaker. Tsunade never came, and sadly Dirk passed away after being confined to the hospital room for two years, The last thing he ever did of significance, and years later was guessed to probably be what saved Lloyd's life, was give him his mother's final gift, a round sphere he had the doctors attach it to the boy with a mounting piece he called a key crest. The doctors attached this strange item to the boy's chest instead of his hand like Dirk had requested but this didn't stop the effects of the strange sphere from saving the boy's life. While the boy still got weaker as the days went by the noticeable day by day changes were 10 times slower than what they were for the dwarf. This gave Lloyd another gift, a gift that two people needed but only one received time. Enough time to meet a knuckle-headed orange jumpsuit ninja in training on a night that would become the start of an adventure.
A/N
That does it for the start; let me know what you all think. For those of you that only know of NARUTO Tales of Symphonia was a game that came out back in 2003 in japan and rest world a year later on the GameCube and PS2. Since then it's been re-released in special anniversary editions on ps3 and Steam. For those Symphonia fans who have never heard of Naruto. It was anime/manga came out in Shonen Jump back in 1999 with first anime adaptation showing in US in 2005. I won't go too much into eithers plot here since both are easy to find online.
That does bring me to my next point however since the world were starting in is Naruto the beginning will be Lloyd heavy, and when we take our trip to Sylvarant and Tethe'alla it will be more Naruto focus. This does not mean we won't follow Naruto at all in the start of this, It just means that the elemental swordsman will be our main focus. Likewise we will still have parts of chapters following Lloyd as we begin the Journey of Regeneration.
I still plan to continue both this and Bargain Ally so those who were able to look past the mistakes in my first story and liked it don't worry it will continue.
At this time I know the story will contain Pairings but I don't know who will be with whom. Doing a crossover opens up the chance to have pairings never done before since were taking two worlds and combining them. So if you have a suggestion leave with your review.