A/N : And so, I give you my newest fic. Do bear in mind that this will be a mass crossover, have an abundance of both Canon Characters and Original Characters.
Discliamer : I dont own anything in this fic. Each show, character and world belongs to their respective creators. I don't own Zeno who belongs to ZenoNoKyuubi. I own any original techniques unless stated and any original characters shown.
Chapter 1
Origins
Naruto always wondered what it was like. Outside of Konoha…outside the elemental countries…What was it like beyond them? He lay down and looked up at the sky. He was luck the training ground was empty at this time. He could use a nice long rest from all the glares. He sighed and scratched his undernourished belly. He was surprised that not one of the villagers or ninjas of Konoha were chasing after him. Especially since today was the 7th Kyuubi Festival and his 7th birthday as well.
He pondered some more about the existence of life outside the Elemental Countries. He was interrupted from his musing when he heard a strange whirring sound. He quickly sat up, eyes wide with fear thinking it was a ninja ready to attack him. He furrowed his brow however, when he was met with a white and blue whirring vortex.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
"Eh? What the hell is that?"
As soon as he stood up, he was met face to face with a barrel to the face. He gulped. Somehow, he knew whatever it was seemed very dangerous. He dared to look up and stared at the person wielding the weapon. He was tall but then again, most adults are to him. The owner took a step forward and each step made a clink sound. Naruto risked taking a glance and saw that the man was wearing black cowboy boots with…stars at the back…wait…Oh right! They're called spurs!
He had on a pair of jeans held up by a brown leather belt and a golden buckle with a cobra engraved it.
"Hey, hey, kiddo. When faced with a weapon, you're sposed to look up in the opponent's eyes." His voice was smooth with an odd accent. Naruto gulped and looked up. His eyes were red and he had slicked black hair which was also held back by a black stetson. Upon closer inspection, he was also wearing a black tank top with a black coat over it.
He gulped once more and merely uttered out something indiscernible. "Whatever, kid…" He took out a small handheld device and looked into it. While looking at it, he snuck a glance at the boy. He was short, if not underdeveloped. Bright spiky blonde…azure blue eyes…white shirt with some kind of leaf thing in front and green tattered shorts. All in all, he wasn't really intimidating…He's just a kid! A scrawny, underdeveloped kid! But HQ couldn't make a mistake like this..The energy levels off him are way too high…It's either the case of sealing or the Kyuubi is a notorious shape-shifter.
"Ugh…I hate these kinds of missions." The stranger reached into his pocket and attached something similar to magnifying glass to the side of the device. He looked through it and sure enough, most of the energy was in his belly.
Naruto was nervous. He could've gotten away but damn his curiousity! This man just came out of nowhere and pointed some weapon at him. "Hey, kid…"
"Wh-what?" He took a wary step back but the man cocked his weapon at him once more. "Don't move, kid…" He gave a small grin towards him and spun the cylinder. Click. "Hey, kid…Let's play a game…Where I come from, you have a pretty big bounty on you. Buuuut…depending on whether this gun of mine shoot it's only bullet…we'll see…20 tries, kid. I can see the potential. How bout it? Wanna take a chance?" The man grinned and pulled down his Stetson, partially covering his face.
A game…where he will live…or die…He had heard of this game before. It was a game ojii-san always played with the other Kages when they came over. "Um…O-okay then, stranger-san…But...what will I get if I win?"
"Stranger? Heh. Kid, I've been called many things but that ain't one of 'em. Call me Zeno. Everyone does. And your prize if you win..." Zeno looked him in the eyes...and saw something akin to curiousity. I'll probably get blasted for this but... "I'll bring you to a new world. I can see from your eyes. You want to explore, don't you." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.
Naruto merely nodded, barely controlling his excitement and sat down with his eyes closed. "I-I'm ready, Zeno-san." Zeno nodded and got ready.
Spin…Click. "Heh, how long will your luck last, kid?"
Spin…Click. "Hmm…"
Spin…Click. "The hell?"
Spin…Click. "Motha-!"
Each spin and each click only served to piss Zeno off. It was not until the 19th click where he literally blew up. "Damn it! That does it! This shot will kill you, damn it!" Naruto was clearly enjoying himself, laughing whenever Zeno made a face at every click. He jumped however, when Zeno screamed.
Spin…spin…spin…spin…"This is it, kid…Get ready…" He cocked the weapon and pressed it against Naruto's forehead. "Get ready to die, kiddo…" Click.
"Motherfuck! Damn it, damn it! How the hell is this fucking possible!? Goddamn it! That's it. Kid gloves are off!" He opened the cylinder and place three more bullets. "One last chance…That's all I need…"
Naruto was highly terrified. It wasn't a game anymore, not to his knowledge. He wiped sweat from his brow only to freeze at Zeno's glare.
This is it…one last chance…Spin…Spin…Zeno licked his lips and his finger twitched. That was all it needed…Click.
"…"
"…"
"I hate you and your luck, kid…"
Naruto scratched his cheek and sighed in relief. He's safe! That was when he remembered. "Hey, hey! You lost, Zeno-san! Now you have to take me with you!" All nervousness and anxiety gone, he grinned brightly at Zeno who glanced at him. The bounty hunter sighed and patted Naruto on the head. "Well, damn, kid. I guess you're right…" He placed his stetson on Naruto's head. "Come on, kid…It's gonna be a bumpy ride…" He pressed a button on his device and they disappeared in a flash of blue and white light.
The feeling of going through a vortex was quite new to Naruto and he didn't really want to go through another so soon. It felt…odd…Like your muscles were suddenly twisted and tightened and ending with them being 'smooshed' together. It was uncomfortable and made the bile in his stomach rise.
"Hey, hey! Not on the coat, kiddo! We're almost there!"
Naruto held it in and soon, a bright flash of light was all that he saw. He had closed his eyes as soon as the light reached him. When he felt weightless in the vortex, he felt as if he was floating now. He dared to take a look and open his right eye. What was laid before him could not be said in words. He was a seven year old so all he could shout out was "That…is…AWESOME!" His legs went into overdrive and he rushed forward, intent on exploring the place before he was choked by his own shirt.
"Gak!"
Zeno smirked and flicked his stetson upward which he had taken off from Naruto's head as soon as he attempted to rush off. "Relax, kiddo. We gotta meet the Boss first. I mean, I've broken so many rules just by bringing you here. I'm surprised that I haven't been arrested already…"
As soon as he said that, alarms rang off and in a split second, they were at the end of barrels and pointy tips. Blink. "That was fast…"
"Zeno, Zeno, Zeno…Looks like you've broken one of the many rules of the Crossed Gates. Never. Bring. A. Bounty. Into. HQ!"
Naruto turned to the owner of the voice and saw one of the most beautiful women he ever…well…saw! She was quite tall, probably as tall as Zeno, give or take a few inches. She had mocha coloured skin and had short white silvery hair with black hairtips and a pair of white fox ears on her head. She had slitted brown eyes which twinkled in humor with a small smirk on her full lips revealing a small fang which had jutted out from her upper lip. She was dressed in a black camisole which was a size too small, revealing her midriff, a small black and red jacket with short sleeves and a pair of black and red shorts revealing her oh so attractive thighs. Her outfit was completed with a pair of black knee-high boots. In one hand, she was holding onto a black katana with a glowing red edge while in her other hand was an assault rifle. One of the 'old' models.
Zeno merely smirked and tipped his stetson back. "Now, now, boss lady. Lemme expla-" Bang! Wince. Zeno was now sporting a small cut on his cheek courtesy of the Boss' rifle. "…Weapons down, boys. Come on then. Let me hear your…explanation. Bring the kid with you." She shouldered her katana and walked off, swaying her hips in each step.
"Zeno-san…who was that?"
"That, kid, is the boss of the Sherrif's Office."
"Sherrif's Office? But she said this was the Crossed Gates…"
"Sounds too sci-fi like. I'll call this place whatever I damn well please, kid."
Zeno roughly pushed Naruto forward and they began their walk to HQ. What greeted the young boy's eyes was a large castle-like structure. It was easily several stories high, high enough to partially block the sun. It's colour theme consisted of grey, white, blue, black and red. In the middle of the castle was a large door, presumably the main entrance. The left side of the castle was filled with shouts, screams, explosions and the like. A training area, maybe? While the right side was very quiet with curtains drawn close. "That, there are the dorms, kid." Naruto barely heard him as he was in awe at the place.
The large silver doors opened with nary a sound and Naruto's jaw dropped once more at the sight. The inside was very high-tech with chrome floors, the walls were made out of metal and there was a rush of both people and robots. All activity stopped at the sight of the Boss, Zeno…and a kid? Mutters filled the place.
"Isn't that Zeno?"
"Yeah. Seems like he messed up this time…"
"That kid…Isn't he the recent bounty?"
"Oh? You mean the class A bounty? Yeah, I think it is. Only Zeno was free so he took it…What Is he thinking bringing the kid in…"
The Boss glared at everyone, her ears twitching. "If you have the fucking time to gossip, then you have the time to do your fucking job!" Activity started up once more and The Boss walked forward, as if her sudden outburst didn't happen. Zeno sweatdropped and scratched his cheek before looking at Naruto who was cowering slightly.
"She's scary, Zeno-san…"
"I know, kid, I know…"
Nevertheless, they continued the walk to her office. Her office wasn't quite far, if you counted going through several vortexes and teleportation pods 'far'. She kicked the doors open and she walked in and got behind her desk. "Take a seat, boys…Before I decide to end you here and now."
Zeno warily took a seat on one of her plush chairs while Naruto did the same. "Zeno. As I've said you've broken a rule. And it was to never bring a bounty into HQ. You know the punishment, right?"
Zeno's eyes darkened and he nodded stiffly. "Of course. I am to be either executed or banished into one of the End Realms. But though my actions are…reckless as you would say, since when have I never given a good reason in doing so, Boss?"
The Boss growled and slammed her palms onto her desk. "Goddamn it, Zeno! He's level A! We can handle a level A, no problem! But don't you think of the consequences!?"
Zeno growled and stood up. "Goddamn it, woman! This kid…I can't kill him for the most obvious reasons! He's a child and that bounty is stuck in his belly! Look at him, Boss!"
The Boss growled and pointed her rifle at Zeno but stopped when an innocent question entered her ears. "Um…excuse me…Boss Lady? But…what did Zeno mean by a bounty stuck in my belly?"
She stared at the young child, looking towards Zeno with an incredulous look. "You're kidding me…He doesn't know?"
"I checked. The energy came from his belly."
The Boss groaned and slapped her forehead. "God…These bounties are getting ridiculous…" She turned towards and walked towards Naruto before kneeling down. "Kid…you know what a bounty is?" Nod. "Good. Then I have this to say. We have a bounty for the Kyuubi and it's inside you. Now, if we kill you, by extension, we'll be killing the Kyuubi as well…Now, hold up! We're not going to kill a kid like you. Which is why, we're finding a way to extract the beast inside you with an experiment we're currently working on."
Zeno scoffed and looked to the side. "Since when was it started?"
"A few minutes ago."
"Well damn, those RnD guys work fast. But with the issue about the bounty out of the way, what are we going to do about the kid? He's got something special about him, Boss. I suggest we train him to be a bounty hunter." Zeno pulled his stetson down, partially shadowing his face and by extent, his grin.
The Boss sighed, stood up, placed a hand on her hip and looked over Naruto a few times who was still confused over the whole ordeal. He didn't mind about the Kyuubi. At least he knows why Konoha hates him and finding out that it will be taken out makes him pretty glad. He looked at The Boss who was staring at him with eyes that glowed slightly.
"Fuck. You gotta be kidding me…He's got the aura and the body limiters on him…"
Zeno's grin turned larger and he took his stetson on Naruto's head. "Hear that, kid? Looks like you'll be joining the trainees in a few days."
The Boss growled and looked to the side. "This is just a trial basis. Until we're sure he can handle the training."
Naruto still didn't know what was going on but at that time, his story was ready to unfold.
