Disclaimer:
I do not now, nor have ever, owned Harry Potter, Naruto, Yuu Yu Hakusho, or Inuyasha. All of the characters of said books or series belong to their respective authors and creators and I'm just borrowing them and messing with their lives for the time being. The plot of this particular story and how I toss in characters from all these different plot-verses belongs to my own warped mind.
Summary:
Ever wonder what prompted Akatsuki to hunt for Naruto? Ever wonder where kitsunes came from? Ever wonder how ninjas would react to totally new environments? Well, wonder no more . . .
Authors Notes:
Okay, summary sucked. Help me out here everyone. Suggestions welcome.
Title sucks too, suggestions please, I can't think of anything.
For those of you who read my Yugioh-HP crossover fiction. Fear not! It has not been abandoned, merely tied up and gagged by the Naruto cast for the time being.
I was minding my own business doing school work when suddenly, a mutated ninja plot bunny leaped out of the computer screen and began to viciously maul me. It won't let go of my brain (which as you know is sometimes required when doing homework) unless I at least began writing this story. So . . . here I am.
Right, first off, this is a non-yaoi story. If you really, really want, you can take certain things I write to be shonen-ai but its not intended that way, so do so at your own desire.
This is going to be a future AU of the Naruto-verse. I'm taking liberties in places but trying to stay true to character, or at least how I feel their character will develop in the future.
Rated for Naruto and Kyuubi's bad language.
I apologize in advance if this chapter riles up any religious beliefs out there. Its not meant to be a doctrine of religion or anything like that. It's just a way to tie in the existence of the various kamis and youkai and such in the universes I'm using for this story.
I'm trying to cut down on author's notes so bear with me everybody.
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Notes:
Working on the assumption that the Naruto Genin kids are all about 12 with Gai-sensei's team being 1 year older in the current story arcs of the manga/anime.
Neiji, Lee, Tenten = 16
Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and all other Konoha ex-genin team members = 15
(unless otherwise noted)
Sensei ages will not really be mentioned or matter.
{{.....}} = Kyubi talking to Naruto
{......} = The rare occasions when Naruto directs his thoughts to Kyuubi, or when he talks while inside his subconscious
Hmm, there's a lot more translation notes than I thought there would be. I will be interchanging a lot of English and Japanese. It's whatever I feel sounds best at the time, so try to live with it.
Shinobi/Ninja = you know what they are, if you don't you're in the wrong ff.net
category
Sensei = teacher
Genin = lowest rank ninja, corresponds to apprentice rank
Chuunin = mid-level ninja, corresponds to journeyman rank
Jounin = high-level ninja, corresponds to master rank
Sannin = The Three Legendary Ninjas of Konoha: Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade
Konohagakure = Hidden Leaf Village
Hokage = [Fire Shadow], the leader of Konoha Village
Sunagakure = Hidden Sand Village
Kazekage = [Wind Shadow], leader of Suna Village
The five Kages are Hokage, Kazekage, Mizukage, Raikage, Tsuchikage for the five major shinobi villages of Leaf, Sand, Mist, Cloud, and Stone in the Countries of Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning, and Earth.
Kunoichi = female ninja
Kunai = shinobi throwing knife/dagger
Shuriken = throwing stars
Kitsune = fox
Youkai = demon
Taiyoukai = great demon
Tanuki = dog-raccoon-badger creature, a type of youkai [I believe Shukaku is a Tanuki]
Jutsu = technique
Ninpo = ninja spell
Bunshin = clone
Kage = shadow
Chakra = mix of spiritual and physical energy used to perform ninja jutsus, similar to
Chi/ki
Youki = demonic/youkai energy, like a youkai version of chakra
Kyuubi = Nine-Tails
Kami = god/deity
Sharingan = Uchiha clan's blood line inheritance technique, red eyes with black commas
Byaakugan = Hyuuga clan's blood line inheritance technique, white eyes with veiny
temples
Ero sennin = Perverted Hermit [aka Jiraiya]
Dobe = dead-last [Sasuke's nickname for Naruto]
Teme = you [as in 'you bastard'][Naruto often calls Sasuke that]
Gaki = brat
Kuso = shit
Tsukiyomi = Moonlit Underworld [Itachi Uchiha's sharingan technique]
(this is the translation I got off of one of the fansub anime's)
-san = honorific meaning Mr. or Mrs./Ms.
-sama = honorific of very high respect
-chan = honorific given to a child younger than you or to a girl, shows affection
-kun = honorific given to show friendship
Baka = stupid/idiot/moron
Taijutsu = physical body skills, styles of martial arts fighting
Genjutsu = illusionary techniques, mind altering techniques
Ninjutsu = stealth skills, the cool ninja skills that Naruto characters use with hand seals
Kawarimi no jutsu = body switch technique
Kuchiyose = Summoning
Fuda = piece of paper with a spell written on it
Godaime = The Fifth Hokage [Tsunade]
Yondaime = The Fourth Hokage
Sandaime = The Third Hokage [Sarutobi]
Uzumaki = swirl, maelstrom (large chaotic storm)
Shinigami = God of Death
Oi = a sound that's used like 'hey'
Hn = affirmative sound
Chapter 1: A Fox's Tale
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Eons ago, in the beginning, there was nothing.
No order, no chaos even, just a vast emptiness and within this there existed only one thing. The Infinite, the creative force from which all things began. Where it came from and how it began, none know but it, for none were there to see.
This All-being was alone, and decided to work to change that state. From this Infinite, all things were made. The worlds and the heavens. All life and all existence.
Over this great working, the Infinite created the kami's and great spirits to guide and to shape all that would come and all that was. With them came the creation of Order. And the kami's and many spirits came to embrace and embody this new force.
To balance this new force, the Infinite created an opposing force. To ensure that its creations would not fall into stagnation, Chaos was created to enable change. The Infinite saw that the kami's and many spirits had come to call Order their own and saw that Chaos should also have its champions and avatars. Thus, the Taiyoukai were given form and life. Some of the great spirits also joined with the force of Chaos. The power of Chaos and Change was theirs to hold and to embody.
The Infinite gave its creations for Order and Chaos immortality so that they would always rule over the opposing forces to bring balance to the grand creation of existence. Many great spirits of nature adopted the force of Chaos or Order as their own.
For Ages the spirits, kami's, and taiyoukai held sway over the world that would come to be known as Earth. Animals and Plants were their only company upon the world as they waged their conflicts and plots to sway things from one state to another.
As time passed for these immortal beings, many tired of what pleasures and experiences they could find in physical existence. Some sought out new experiences to have while many others tired of physicality and moved to other planes of existence. On these other planes the immortal beings continued their maneuvering and politicking to sway a situation towards their chosen force.
Others passed into a state of slumber, or took themselves away from the constant maneuvering and jockeying for position among the other immortals. There they waited for another age, once the world had changed to provide new experiences, or to simply await the end of all things.
When humanity came into existence, few of these immortal beings gave any thought or notice to this new form of life. To many they were simply another form of mortal creature that the immortals gave no more thought to than a human might to an ant. Some found enjoyment in tormenting or tricking humans, watching the disruption in their lives that caused humans to run about like frenzied ants, confused and afraid. Some found that they enjoyed being worshipped by these mortal beings. Others found that they enjoyed aiding the humans.
Thus it was that humanity came to ascribe the qualities of Good and Evil to these immortals. The force of Order was often considered a good thing by humanity. When a time of peace and prosperity occurs, it is Order that maintains that level of existence. Thus when change came through the force of Chaos, it was often unwelcomed by the humans. Often change would come through an act of destruction of some form. This was seen as a bad thing by humanity. Even so, the change that chaos brings can be seen as a good thing when it is a change for the better to humanity. Despite this, the concept of Evil was often ascribed to the forces of Chaos, and Good to the forces of Order. This is not to say that there is no Evil, merely that not all that is of Chaos is Evil. Just as all that is Evil is not necessarily of Chaos.
In time, some humans discovered the ability to sense and eventually manipulate the power of these immortal beings, and even the energy generated by life itself. Soon, the feel of the power of chaos that the Taiyoukai and Chaos spirits held was associated with Evil. While the aura of power and Order that was held by the kami's and spirits of Order was associated with Good.
So it was that the Kyuubi no Kitsune, one of the greatest of the immortal Taiyoukai and an Avatar of the force of Chaos and Change was known as a creature of Evil.
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The Kyuubi no Kitsune had existed for ages. Kyuubi could alter his size and appearance to suit his desires and would often use that ability to his advantage to play tricks upon other spirits and deities.
Often, when Kyuubi ventured onto the physical plane to create change and embody the force of Chaos upon the world, he would take on a size of gigantic proportions. With a swipe of one of his nine tails he could cause great tsunamis or level entire mountains. Kyuubi rarely paid attention to the lesser mortal beings that inhabited the areas he brought change into. They were beneath him and undeserving of his attention. Kyuubi's chosen area of chaotic influence was in the forces and forms of nature for he is a fox after all. He left the chaotic influences on humanity to other beings, never knowing, or caring that humanity saw him as a force of Evil of catastrophic proportions.
Kyuubi had come to learn of the urge to protect what was his from the creatures that shared his name. The animals that came to be known as foxes were called kitsune in the lands frequented by Kyuubi because they resembled Kyuubi in overall shape and an unpredictable and often trickster temperament. Kyuubi had taken an interest in these animals since they had first come to his notice. He had experienced living among them in the past, taking their form and size, and had seen how parent foxes would defend their kits against dangers even should the intruder be many times their size.
Kyuubi had found respect for these tiny creatures. Powerless though it was against such a being as he, a fox would still challenge him when he intruded upon the territory it considered its own, or if the fox felt its offspring were threatened by Kyuubi's presence. Kyuubi had come to somewhat understand this action and the emotions behind it and found the need to protect what was theirs an admirable notion.
While Kyuubi understood the foxes' desire to protect what they saw as belonging to them, he still could not fully understand the emotions that fueled the concept of family. Kyuubi had no family of his own, he had been created by the Infinite from the forces of nature and knew no mother or father or siblings. There were no feelings of love or emotional attachment between Kyuubi and the other immortals for many of them knew nothing of such emotions.
It had come to Kyuubi's attention that some humans had developed the ability to sense and manipulate the energy created and released by life. However, it never occurred to him that humans could ever develop this ability to the point where a human could rival or challenge one of the greater immortal beings. He had heard stories and rumors from other immortals that some humans could compel, bind, or banish the lesser spirits. It never occurred to him that humans might eventually have the same abilities over the greater immortal beings such as kami's or the taiyoukai.
Such illusions were dispelled the day Kyuubi encountered the first human he ever came to respect.
When Kyuubi entered the boundaries of Konohagakure, he had not expected a fight. It had never occurred to him that humans might challenge him for his right to pass through an area and bring change with him. When he had passed through lands where humans lived in the past, they had fled before him and had not dared to stand in his way. This was yet another reason Kyuubi held disdain and disinterest for humanity. That humans should flee, abandoning what they considered theirs and others of relation to them in concern for themselves, was disgraceful in Kyuubi's opinion. However, when Kyuubi encountered the Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf he found that not all humans were the same.
The Village of Konoha fought back when Kyuubi intruded upon their territory. Kyuubi was surprised by this action and angered as well. That these mere mortal humans should dare to bar him from his chosen path was unthinkable. Kyuubi struck out against the impertinent mortals and many were killed as Kyuubi continued deeper into Konoha territory.
However, as the Village of Konoha itself came into view, Kyuubi once more found its path barred. This time a human who was known as the Yondaime Hokage stood before him, and he had summoned one of the Greater Animal Spirits of Order to the physical plane to stand with him against Kyuubi. This surprised Kyuubi, and confirmed the rumors that some humans could compel and summon the spirits. However, it also showed that this human was strong enough to summon and compel a spirit of the greatest level. The next level of power among the immortals that followed Order would be a lesser kami. This realization gave Kyuubi pause as it considered the implications.
However, it was the Yondaime who continued the fight, forcing Kyuubi back in surprise at this bold move. Never before had a single human challenged Kyuubi. Kyuubi accepted the challenge. Knowing that he would be the victor of this fight, Kyuubi fought the Yondaime and his summoned higher spirit. Though it was apparent that Yondaime was outmatched, he continued to fight and hold Kyuubi back, drawing it away from Konohagakure.
With this realization, Kyuubi began to respect this human. He knew he faced a man who fought for what was his and refused to back down in the face of a stronger, larger adversary. This man fought for his village and territory, just as a fox fights for its den and territory. In Yondaime, Kyuubi found a human who was powerful enough to match some of the immortal beings in power. This was a human he could respect.
Though he respected this man, Kyuubi was not about to back down from a challenge fight. When the Yondaime admitted defeat, Kyuubi would leave. There were other places that needed change more than this area. But, Kyuubi would return and observe this human to learn more of the man who would challenge a Taiyoukai.
Imagine Kyuubi's surprise when Yondaime summoned a Shinigami to his aid. The God of Death was not a minor kami, it was a powerful mid-level kami who held sway in both the realms of Order and Chaos. Kyuubi had never had any dealings with the Death Kami before and realized his danger too late to escape.
That Yondaime would sacrifice his life to protect his village and territory, was yet another reason for Kyuubi to respect him. It was not until later that Kyuubi came to understand the concept of family and precious people. When Kyuubi did come to understand these concepts and emotions he gained yet more respect for the Fourth Hokage, and regretted his death.
When Kyuubi found himself sealed within the bellybutton of a human baby he sought to escape. Despite the great powers of Kyuubi no Kitsune as a Taiyoukai, he was unable to break the seal that the Shinigami had placed upon him. He found himself impotent to act outside of the seal and attempting to act within the seal placed great strain on the infant's body and threatened to cause the seal to collapse inward, quite possibly destroying Kyuubi along with the human. Kyuubi could not be certain of how being trapped within a mortal body would affect him should the mortal die and was reluctant to experiment and possibly end his own existence.
Angry at his situation and humans in general for placing himself into this predicament, Kyuubi raged impotently within the child and sought to find a way to unravel the seal. Finding this to be impossible, Kyuubi retreated within its cage and brooded. Angry and thwarted, Kyuubi discovered that it is possible for a Taiyoukai to sulk.
As Kyuubi remained within this vessel, he began to experience echoes of emotions and concepts that were not his own. Curious at the opportunity to learn of something he did not yet understand, Kyuubi sought out the source of these strange sensations and discovered that they emanated from the human child. Kyuubi found that he could watch through the child's eyes and sense what was around him through the child's senses, even if Kyuubi could not act himself, he was not blind to his situation.
Through the child, Kyuubi learned of humans and he learned how humans interacted with each other as the child learned. Through the child he learned of emotions he had never before experienced. He learned of loneliness and sadness. Kyuubi learned of jealousy and confusion as the child experienced these things. He learned how the child was hated and despised by other humans and felt confusion at this hatred just as the child did. As a fox demon, created from the forces of nature, Kyuubi had never experienced hatred or understood what loneliness meant. He had never felt hatred directed towards him or had felt it towards another.
While Kyuubi relished the sensation of new experiences, he found himself confused as to why these humans never seemed to show any of their more joyful actions towards the boy he was sealed in. He would see them smiling and laughing with others, and with their mates and offspring, but no one ever shared these experiences with the boy, and thus, Kyuubi did not understand the emotions that drove those actions.
It was not until the day the boy learned of Kyuubi's existence within him that both he and Kyuubi realized why the other humans always turned hatred towards the boy. This was also the day Kyuubi discovered the concept of a precious person and truly began to understand what that meant.
After that day, the boy Kyuubi inhabited began to experience a different kind of emotion that drew Kyuubi's interest like none of the previous emotions had. The loneliness and sadness feelings went away most of the time, and were replaced with new sorts of sensations that Kyuubi had no names for. In time Kyuubi was able to put a name to these feelings. Through his vessel Kyuubi now began to experience and understand the concepts of love, camaraderie, the idea of people precious to you, and family.
When the boy's friend who had become a precious and valued rival and comrade to the boy was thought to be dead in the Wave Country, the boy's rage and grief spilled over into Kyuubi, causing rage to flare up within Kyuubi as he experienced the boy's emotions. For the first time in over ten years Kyuubi released its youki in an effort to affect the world beyond the seal. To the Kyuubi's surprise, the boy's chakra capacity had greatly increased since the last time Kyuubi had tried, to the point where his body was able to handle some of the immense power of the Kyuubi. Lost in his rage at his comrade's death, the boy succumbed to the animalistic fury awakened in Kyuubi and lashed out at the supposed killer. It was not until the shock of recognition broke the cycle of rage that the boy was able to regain himself.
Kyuubi had begun to respect his vessel years ago when the boy would not give up on life or his dreams despite the way the other humans treated him. But his respect deepened many-fold when the boy finally looked inward instead of focusing outward and came to see Kyuubi.
On that visit, Kyuubi attempted to establish dominance over the boy through actions and words. Treating the boy as though he was nothing. Yet, the kid, who was infinitely less powerful than Kyuubi, did not back down. Instead, the boy, Naruto, stood up to Kyuubi and demanded that Kyuubi pay him rent for staying unwanted in Naruto's body. The gaki had impressed Kyuubi with his bravery and stubborn determination and Kyuubi had released its youki into Naruto's body. Naruto was able to channel the Kyuubi's youki and mix it with his own chakra and then manipulate it to his desire.
Since that day, Naruto had continued to gain Kyuubi's respect, though Kyuubi was not about to let the kid know that. Kyuubi knew enough about Naruto's personality to know that doing so would only inflate the gaki's ego twice as big as it was already.
Naruto had continued to grow in power and skill, if not in social graces or coordination, since that day. He had passed his Chuunin exam along with Uchiha Sasuke the second time through. Haruno Sakura had taken another year before she was able to pass. During this time Kyuubi's respect for Naruto continued to grow.
Which was why Kyuubi no Kitsune was so very frustrated with the current situation.
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{{Damnit gaki! Wake up!}} Kyuubi raged against the cold metal bars of the gate within Naruto's mind. Snarling as the delicate seeming paper fuda seal held firm beneath the onslaught of his lashing tails and ramming shoulder.
{{Get the hell up you stupid gaki! What are you waiting for! Wake up!}} With a snarl that reverberated down the echoingly empty hallways of Naruto's mind, Kyuubi lunged against the gate again. The rattle of the metal bars multiplied fifty-fold down the long dark corridors.
Far down the dark hallways, Kyuubi could feel the consciousness of his vessel. Barely stirring despite the cacophony of sound Kyuubi was making. Snarling again, Kyuubi paced in a tight circle before coming back to the bars and shouting again. {{WAKE UP!}}
Far down the hallway of his subconscious, Uzumaki Naruto stirred and opened his eyes.
{Nnnnngh?} Naruto opened his eyes and blinked up at a dank gray ceiling, backlit in reddish light and jerked back, smacking his head on the floor as a drop of cold water fell onto his face just below his Leaf forehead protector headband. {Nngh, what happened?} Naruto groaned as he sat up and looked around. {Huh? Why am I here?} Far down the hallways Kyuubi snarled his frustration. The chilling, bestial echoes surged and faded around Naruto's subconscious. Climbing to his feet and adjusting his forehead protector before setting off, Naruto headed to the source of the noise.
It wasn't long before Konoha's Number One Loudest Unpredictable Ninja arrived at the large semicircular room that fronted the bars that held the Kyuubi behind the seal. {Oi! You dumb fox! What'd you bring me here for!?} Naruto leveled his finger accusingly at the gleaming red eyes behind the bars.
{{Baka! You came here yourself you dumb gaki! I had nothing to do with it. Now hurry the hell up and wake up!}} Kyuubi snarled at the blond fifteen year old through the bars.
{Don't play dumb with me fox! I don't come here when I fall asleep. You brought me here didn't you!} Naruto stomped forward and shouted up at Kyuubi from the other side of the bars.
{{Stop wasting time you idiot! Wake up now! You can yell at me later, but wake up now! Or else there won't be a later!}} Kyuubi roared slamming his muzzle up against the bars and baring his teeth at Naruto.
{Ehhhh!?} Naruto shouted. {What do you mean there won't be a later!} Naruto demanded pointing at Kyuubi again, his eyes squinting shut in a familiar expression of confusion.
{{Don't you remember anything! You moron! You got yourself into a mess again and if you don't hurry the hell up and wake up then you won't be getting out of it! Now wake up you stupid gaki!!}} Kyuubi snarled slashing his tails as he lashed out around him with a wave of youki. Naruto stumbled back a couple feet before regaining his balance.
{You better not be lying you dumb fox! I'll kick your ass if you are!} Naruto shouted as he shook his fist up at Kyuubi. Kyuubi snorted as Naruto closed his eyes and willed himself back to the outer world. {Stupid fox . . .} Naruto grumbled before his mental image faded away.
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"Ohh? He's waking up."
"Hmm, give him another dose."
"Another? We thought you needed him alive. If you wanted him dead you should have said something." A rustle of cloth alerted Naruto to the movement of a presence at his right as the vaguely familiar voice spoke again. "We could have had some fun before coming here."
"It won't kill him, now hurry before he wakes up." Another, older, male voice sounded from the right, but closer to his legs, this one unfamiliar. Naruto tried to shift his weight, unable to place the familiar voice. He could barely move, his limbs were heavy and his thoughts came through sluggishly.
"Ohh, you've given him enough to kill a bull." A rustle of cloth indicated a change in direction of the speaker. "You should have let me cut off an arm or a leg then, eh? If he doesn't care about him, what's the harm?" Naruto stiffened at those words, and struggled to open his eyes, to move!
"Hn. Your methods are too messy Kisame." A third voice, a chillingly familiar voice jerked Naruto into full wakefulness. Adrenaline surged through him as he forced his eyes open and focused on the figure standing across the windowless chamber from where he lay. The black cloaked man standing there returned Naruto's shocked and then angry stare with a stoic nonchalance that set Naruto's teeth on edge.
"Itachi." Growled Naruto as he lunged upward, his hands automatically reaching for a kunai that wasn't there. However, he was jerked up short and slammed back to the cold metal table he was lying on by the cuffs at each wrist and ankle and the leather straps across his throat and bare chest.
"Naruto." Uchiha Itachi replied in a soft monotone, his sharingan eyes gleaming like fresh blood in the flickering firelight that lit the chamber from several braziers and dozens of candles.
Naruto snarled and reached within himself for the limitless tide of power that was the Kyuubi, ready to draw its chakra out and lash out at his bonds and captors with it. A chill hand with bony fingers gripped his shoulder painfully tight and pressed him against the table again as an aura of slimy cold emptiness slithered across his body, chilling him to the core.
"Now, now, we don't need any trouble from you." Naruto snapped his head around to glare at the strange man as he felt the sting of a needle in his arm. As a numb tingling rushed through him from his shoulder, his vision grew blurry. Naruto could just make out the dark bronzed skin of the stooped, narrow-shouldered man and his drooping, narrow mustache beneath an empty gaze from black eyes, before his world went dark once more.
{{KUSO!!}}
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To be Continued . . .
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Well it's a start. An 11-page, 4784 word start. sigh Why do I even bother trying to write small chapters.
I honestly don't know how fast updates will come for this. I'm not even sure if I'll follow all the way through with it. But I think the mutant ninja plot bunny will force me to get farther than this at least.
Let's see what sort of reviews I get for this. If I get good reviews as I go, I'll probably try to continue. But if it seems as though no one is reading it or looking at it, I might stop. Dunno.
Anyway. Update Please!
Tell me how I'm doing. Complain about no YGO-HP updates, I don't care, but let me know someone's reading this so I will have a non-mutant plot bunny reason to continue.
See you next update!
waves