"Talking"
'Thinking'
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Fairy Tail or anything else that may pop up in this story.
Warning: The first part of this story is pretty much taken directly out of Naruto manga chapters 500-504.
Minato Namikaze was a great man and an extraordinary shinobi. He was considered by many to be a ninja that appeared only once every generation, a true genius. He was a man who was given flee-on-sight orders by an entire country, a man whose abilities had lead him to become the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure, a man who took shape manipulation and Jikūkan Ninjutu (1) to some of the highest levels attainable, a man who proudly carries the will of fire in his heart and soul. However, despite all that, he was a man that was just moments ago brought to his knees.
It wasn't due to pain or exhaustion that he was kneeling on the ground either. It was because of the horrendous situation he suddenly found himself and his family thrust into. Not even an hour earlier was he staring at his son in joyous awe as he finally entered the world. Just being able to see him and the face of Kushina when she first laid eyes on Naruto brought more happiness to him then he ever thought possible. Unfortunately that moment was just that, nothing more then a short fleeting moment.
No more then a few scant seconds past before everything began to go to hell. Out of nowhere Biwako and Taji were struck down, and a man wearing a black hooded cloak and a mask with a single eye hole was holding Naruto threateningly. Minato tried to defuse the situation while trying to figure out just how and when the man entered the room. That tactic quickly fell through though when the man threw Naruto into the air with hopes of impaling the newborn on a kunai. Minato, knowing that at the moment his son needed him more, left Kushina's side and rescued baby Naruto. And even though he wasn't expecting the exploding notes on the underside of Naruto's blanket, he completely protected his son from the harm of the explosion and resulting fall. Getting his bearings he was quick to use his Hiraishin no Jutsu (2) to get Naruto to his safe house and out of harms way. After gently placing him on a bed he left to save his wife.
He ended up getting there just in time to save her from being crushed by the recently released Kyuubi. After a glance at the masked man and the Kyuubi itself Minato used his jutsu to once again appear in his safe house. He carefully put the weakened form of his wife on the bed with their son, allowing her to see and hold him. Seeing those two like that, with Kushina gingerly hugging Naruto like it was the last time she would ever be able to, caused an immeasurable amount of rage to well-up inside him for the man that caused this to happen to his family. Grabbing his coat he left to take care of the situation and kill that man; leaving a mother lovingly cradling her son for what was the first and probably last time.
Minato appeared on the Hokage Monument, on top of his own head after using the Hiraishin. The Kyuubi, having immediately sensed him, stopped its attack on the village to attack. The Kyuubi gathered chakra in its mouth at a rapid rate and launched a fully charged Bijūdama (3) at the Kage. Minato simply made some hands seals and when the ball of chakra came close enough it looked like it not only hit an invisable barrier, but was sucked into it. The explosion from the attack could be seen for miles, considering that's how far Minato sent it with his Jikūkan Kekkai (4). With the attack diverted he made to go inform the Sandaime what was happening, but never got the chance.
The masked man appeared again and fazed through Minato's response to his presence. The man tried to suck him into a vortex that seemed to form from his mask, but Minato teleported away to safety. The masked man followed him, and after a few words were exchanged their battle began in earnest. Despite the fight being rather short it was no less intense. A battle of speed between two space-time users were a split-second difference in attack was what was needed to win, and that split-second was awarded to Minato. Through a combination of his Hiraishin no Jutsu and Rasengan he was able to not only deal a devastating blow, but apply a seal for his Hiraishin as well. When the man jumped away Minato was on him in an instant. He stabbed the man in the gut with his special kunai and placed a Contract Seal on him, breaking his hold on the Kyuubi. After a few more short words the masked man teleported away.
Once again appearing on the Hokage Monument, Minato appeared just in time to see the Kyuubi preparing another Bijūdama. Acting quick he used the Kuchiyose no Jutsu (5) to summon Gamabunta on top of the Kyuubi, pinning it down. However, the Kyuubi still had the Bijūdama in its mouth and ready to fire. Mere seconds before it could though Minato teleported himself and the Kyuubi to just outside his safe house which was several miles away. The explosion was even larger than the last one, but Minato managed to get his wife and son out of it unscathed. With Naruto in Minato's arms Kushina used her Chakra Chains to restrain the fox for what she planned on doing next.
And now Minato kneels before his wife, holding his son as he listens to his wife talk about drawing the Kyuubi back in and killing herself to put off it resurrection. As he listens he just stares at her with sad, almost helpless eyes as he thinks about his love dying. He tries to tell her not to; he tells her all the life changing things she's done for him and attempts to tell her how despite all that he can't save her. Kushina interrupted him however and tells him she's happy that he loved her and that it was Naruto's birthday. Tears being prickling at the corners of his eyes as he listens to his wife speak and his son cry. It was only when she told him that she could only picture happiness if she'd lived, if they'd been able to live like a family, that the tears fell free from his eyes. It was as his tears fell that Minato thought back on his life with Kushina. All their happiness and sorrow, all their missions and adventures, all their love, everything she's ever done for him. Thinking of all their times together led him to a decision, and with determination set firmly in his eyes he refocused on the present.
"If there's...one thing...I regret...it's that I won't get to see...Naruto grow up." Kushina rasped out.
Minato sat completely still for a moment just staring at his newborn son. He spoke soon enough, wiping the tears from his face as he did.
"Kushina, there's no need for you to die with the Kyuubi. Use your remaining chakra so you can be reunited with Naruto!"
"Huh...?" Kushina didn't know what he was talking about and was too tried to try to figure it out.
"I will seal your remaining chakra inside Naruto with a Hakke Fuin (6). Then I will take the Kyuubi down with me. Since I'm not the host, I can use Shiki Fujin (7)." His voice never wavered as he told her his suicidal plan.
Kushina was utterly shocked. "But...with that seal you'll..." She was interrupted before she could finish.
"There's one more thing..." Minato began. "I can only seal half the Kyuubi's power. It's just not physically possible to seal it completely. It's not strategically feasible either. If you took the Kyuubi down with you there won't be a host until the Kyuubi is revived, and the biju balance will be thrown out of whack. With Shiki Fujin I can seal half the Kyuubi's power forever, and the other half..." Minato drifted off for a second as he thought about Jiraiya and the child of prophecy. Looking at his son again he steeled his resolve and finish his sentence. "...I will seal within Naruto with Hakke Fuin!"
Kushina looked devastated that her husband would ever recommend such a thing, but he didn't give her a chance to speak.
"I know what you want to say, but Jiraiya-sensei talked about the coming revolution and the catastrophes that will come with it. Today, I realized two things. The masked man who attacked you, he will bring catastrophe upon us! And this child is the one who will stop him. As the host, he will clear the way to the future. For some reason, I just know."
Kushina tried to say something, but she just couldn't. She could only watch as her husband set Naruto on the ground and did several hand seals. When he finished, it didn't seem as though anything happened to anyone other then Minato. Only he could see behind him the ghastly and incredible form of the Shinigami in all its glory. Large thin purple frame covered by a billowing white robe, black clawed hands with prayer beads on the left hand, black teeth holding a dagger in its mouth, and horns sprouting from a mass of white hair that was currently holding the soul of the man who summoned it. Yet despite its terrifying presence, Minato didn't have an ounce of fear in him.
Turning to his wife he told her, "Have faith in this child! After all, he is our son!"
Kushina had a scowl on her face as she heard him say that, but Minato wasn't done speaking.
"After I use the Shiki Fujin, I'll seal your chakra inside Naruto. You won't get to see him for very long once he's grown up, but I want you to help him out when he tries to control the Kyuubi as its host." He finished.
Her scowl turned into an outright glare. "But he's our son...and...I don't want him to have to bear that...burden!"
Minato just took it as he looked at her and waited patiently. He knew his wife better than anyone, so he knew she was far from done.
"And why the Shiki Fujin?" She yelled at him. "Just...so I can see him when he's grown up? And it won't even be for that long. There's no reason for you...to die for that! I wanted you...to stay with Naruto and watch over him as he...grows up! So why? To preserve the balance between the bijus? For our country, our village? There's no reason to sacrifice Naruto for that!" She added much quieter with an exhausted look, "You shouldn't sacrifice yourself for me."
After she finished, Minato gave her a neutral look as he gave his reply.
"Abandoning one's country, abandoning one's village, that's the same as abandoning one's child. As someone whose country was destroyed you should understand that best, shouldn't you? You know the harsh life that awaits those without a country. Besides, we are a family...of ninjas!"
He said the last part with a stern look on his face, one Kushina matched.
"And..." Minato continued. "Even if I were to live, I could never compare to you."
That, judging from the stunned look on her face, wasn't what she was expecting to hear. Minato kneeled down so he was looking at Kushina eye to eye, picking up and cradling his son as he did.
"Even if just for a short time; there is something you can give him as his mother that I never could, that is a mother's role. I'm not doing this just for you, I'm doing it for Naruto! I am willing to die for my son; that is my role as his father." After that was said the two just looked into each others eyes for a moment. Kushina's looked sad and a bit fearful as Minato's held nothing but raw determination and conviction.
During their little stare down the Shinigami finished its preparations, so the sealing of the Kyuubi no Yoko could finally begin. Minato handed Naruto to Kushina as he stood and faced the Kyuubi. Once he was facing his target the Shinigami plunged its hand into Minato's soul, the hand shooting out of his abdomen as that happened. The hand stretched and firmly grabbed hold of the Kyuubi's arm since the beast couldn't move under Kushina's chains.
"Seal!" With that one word, all of the Kyuubi's yin chakra was ripped out of it and sealed within Minato.
Even though he felt paralyzed under the heavy chakra he willed himself to move. After all, the hardest part was still to come.
"Ok, now for the Hakke Fuin. I'll seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto!" Minato said.
With everything now ready he summoned the ceremonial pedestal and after getting Naruto, placed him on the throne. It would of worked perfectly if Minato didn't overlook one thing. Kushina may be a very powerful kunoichi, but she had her limits just like everyone else. As she went into a coughing fit the bindings holding the Kyuubi in place loosened enough for it to move.
The Kyuubi turned its head in their direction and prepared its attack. As much as it wanted to impale its former container, the man who took half its chakra, and their child; the kyuubi decided to take no chances and simply obliterate them all. With that in mind it gathered its chakra for another Bijūdama.
"Kushina! Are you alri-" He stopped completely as he felt the chakra the Kyuubi was gathering.
He looked over his shoulder and his eyes widened in horror at the massive ball of destruction pointed in his families direction. He barely had two seconds to consider his options before the attack was fired. He acted on instinct as he flew through hands seals and reached deep down, pulling out the chakra necessary to use his Jikūkan Kekkai to protect his loved ones. As the ball of devastation impacted his barrier, Kushina got over her coughing fit and looked up.
"NO!" She cried out as she saw what was happening. Panic and unbridled fear entered her eyes as she turned her sights to Naruto.
Minato was confused when he heard his wife shout that. He stopped the attack from killing them and was in the middle of transporting it somewhere else, so why would she sound panicked. Looking to her and following her line of sight, he felt himself go numb at what he was seeing. The ceremonial pedestal that Naruto was situated on was disappearing, just like the Bijūdama was.
Minato felt himself go cold as his mind realized what was happening. Once the pedestal was summoned, the summoner can't do anything else but finish the sealing. If the summoner was to do something else with his chakra, a portion would go to do the same thing to the pedestal. So if someone used a fire jutsu without first completing the sealing, the throne would be set a fire. In this case however, his Jikūkan Kekkai was sending Naruto somewhere else; somewhere Minato couldn't direct since it's already halfway through teleporting and his focus was only on the Bijūdama when it started.
It only lasted a few more seconds, but to the two parents it felt like an eternity. They watched as their son was transported somewhere away from them. At that moment they were in their own world. They didn't see the Kyuubi, the Shinigami still holding Minato's soul, the Sandaime that was just outside the barrier around them, or anything else. All they could do was stare at the spot were their son was as disbelief turned into cold hard reality for their minds. Minato was going to die, Kushina was to weak to draw the Kyuubi in and was going to die as well, their son was gone, and the Kyuubi was still free without a nearby usable host to seal it in.
"No...what have I done?" Minato choked out in a broken voice as he fell to his knees, tears once again falling from his eyes.
Kushina was shaking where she kneeled as tears streamed down her face. She wrapped her arms around herself and let out a bloodcurdling scream for her son.
"NARUTO!"
It was a beautiful day all around the country of Bosco in Earth Land. The sun was out, there were a few clouds just floating along in the sky, and there was a nice cool breeze to keep the summer heat bearable. One creature was especially thankful for the somewhat chilly breeze.
"Ah...this is nice. I should come up here more often." A strong, yet soft and feminine voice said to no one.
The creature was just lazily floating by on the surface of the ocean, fairly close to land. She was just going with the flow of the waves as she stared up into the sky, watching the clouds as they past by her vision. An occasional animal would swim or fly up to her, but they fled quickly enough when she showed she didn't want to be bothered.
"Hm, that cloud looks like a set of fangs." She absentmindedly told herself.
Content just drifting in the waves of the ocean with the cooling sea breeze, the sun warming her without being in her eyes, and the occasional cry of a seagull as the smell of the ocean continued to play with her nose; she closed her eyes as sleep began to win over consciousness. At least that would have been the case if she didn't suddenly hear someone crying their lungs out.
"Whoever that is better shut-up soon, or I'll give 'em a piece of my mind. I'm having too nice a day to have it ruined." She said to herself as she tried to drown out the crying.
She soon realized that despite her best efforts, the sound still got to her. She let out a sigh as she began making her way to the source of the noise. It was coming from a cliffside a little bit away. Bosco was a country that had mountain ranges on its northern and southwestern borders. The mountains in the south eventually flattened out into a large forested area that spanned several miles to the east. And at the center of the country was hilly grasslands and plains where almost all of the towns and villages were located; there were hardly any in the mountains cause it was hard to find a flat, solid foundation to build on.
As the creature got to the cliff, she emerged from the water. She was easily able to reach and surpass the height of the cliff. The creature had a long serpentine body that was covered in turquoise and sapphire scales. She had a pair of webbed, clawed three digit hands but no feet. There were three dorsal like fins along her body; one just under the crown of her head, one at the middle of her body, and the last one was was right above her mermaid like tail. As she began to search for the noise with her deep blue eyes, she unfurled her wings that were wrapped around her body so she could swim easier.
It didn't take the serpentine like creature long to find the source of the noise. Not far from the edge of the cliff was one of the scarce trees on the rocky ledge. Under the shade of the tree was a small pedestal with burnt out candles surrounding it. What caught the beings attention though was what was on the thing. It was a blonde human baby.
"Now what is a hatchling like you doing all the way out here?" The creature asked knowing she wouldn't get an answer. Taking a quick look around she couldn't see or hear any humans anywhere around here. And to her knowledge the closest human settlement was a couple dozen miles away.
"How interesting. It doesn't seem like anyone has been here for awhile, but then how did you end up in this sad predicament?"
As the baby continued to cry the serpentine figure reached out with a clawed hand and brought the little throne over to her. The baby just kept crying as it was moved closer to the cliff. When the baby was practically on the edge of the rock formation, the female began to make shushing noises.
"Shhhhh...Quiet little hatchling, there's no need to cry."
As she talked she gently tried rocking the baby, which was hard since what he was on wasn't designed to be rocked in the slightest. After a couple of minutes the baby quieted down and opened its eyes. They were eyes just as blue as hers, the deep blue of the ocean itself. The creature smiled when she saw those eyes, and chuckled when the baby began reaching for her. As the baby was reaching for her she noticed a glint of light coming off the babies wrist. Looking closely showed it to be a silver chain bracelet with a small plaque on it. Narrowing her eyes she saw that something was written on the slab, so she lowered her head to get a closer look. On the far right it looked like there was an inscription of a leaf, and on the far left was a spiraling circle. In between the two symbols was a name.
"Naruto Uzumaki. I suppose that's your name, even if it is an odd one. How sad that a hatchling like you is abandoned." She said with some sympathy in her voice.
As she was closer to the baby, she was able to get in some of the finer details. Like how the baby was a boy, and how he had three whisker like marks on each cheek. As she made to raise back up, Naruto's hand reached out once again. Deciding to see where it would lead, she moved closer and let the baby touch her snout. As he touched it he had a look of awe on his face, and any thoughts of leaving the boy where he was left her mind with that look.
'It won't be that hard to find a village to drop him off at. The hard part would be doing that without anyone seeing me.' She thought to herself. As the boy touched her snout again, he let out a small giggle that surprised her. He looked like a newborn, too young for such an action. She found herself grinning at it none the less. Naruto merely looked at her razor sharp teeth that were bigger than a full grown man, let out a yawn and closed his eyes.
'Hehehehe. You are one interesting hatchling. Perhaps I can let you tag along with me after all. It does get rather lonesome by ones-self, and if I change my mind I'll just drop him off somewhere near a town and be on my way.' Having made up her mind, the creature gently picked Naruto up and held him close to her face. Naruto opened his eyes at the motion, but didn't make a sound.
"Since I know your name and you'll be coming with me for awhile, you should hear my name as well; even if you don't understand it. I am Leviathan, Dragon of Water. I hope for many interesting times with you hatchling."
Naruto just stared at the dragon before he began crying once more. Leviathan let out a sigh as she put him back on land.
"I suppose the first thing I should do is get you something to eat."
Fourteen years later
A young man was currently running through a forest of Bosco. He had deep blue eyes, tan skin, spiky blonde hair that was in a low ponytail reaching the middle of his back, three whisker marks on each cheek, a silver bracelet on his left wrist, and the only clothing he had on was an orange bathing suit. Some might question why he was running, and there is a simple reason for that.
"Get back here you oversized flying rat!"
The reason is a hawk stole his bag. The boy had just finished shopping in a somewhat nearby town and was returning home with the supplies slung over his shoulder. He was about halfway home when out of nowhere, a hawk came at him and stole his bag right out of his hands. Ten minutes of running later they entered the forest, and now twenty minutes after entering the forest the chase is still on.
"I swear if you don't get down here right now I'm gonna make you my dinner for tonight you flying chicken!" He shouted at the bird.
The bird ignored him as it flew into a more densely wooded area. The blonde managed to keep up for awhile, but navigating the trees got to be too much and he quickly lost sight of the Aves.
"Dammit! How is that thing flying that fast in a forest? Why is it even flying in a forest in the first place when it can fly above it?" The blonde asked himself as he slowed down. He may have lost sight of the bird, but he could still try to track it by the branches it broke on its path.
He tracked the bird for about fifteen minutes. It got harder as the trees began to thin out some, but he was persistent. It was only a few minutes later that the boy began to hear voices, though he couldn't make out what they were saying.
"So that bird probably belonged to someone, huh. It sounds like there's at least four people, maybe more." He mused to himself as he slowed down so he could approach stealthily.
"Not bad. I didn't think humans could hear that well."
The boy stopped where he stood and dropped into a fighting stance. He scanned the branches of the trees, since the voice came from above, but couldn't find the speaker. He heard the speaker, but he can't see or smell anyone, just some cat sitting on a branch. A cat... wearing clothes. He blinked up at the feline.
"Did you just talk?" He felt a little stupid asking a cat that.
The cat gave a grin in turn. "And what if I did?" It said in a feminine voice.
"Nothing, just curious." Naruto said as he returned to a more relaxed stance. He knew there were animals around, but his senses hadn't seen the cat as anything more then an animal of the forest. If she wanted to attack him she would have done so when he had no idea it was coming.
The cat raised a brow in response, something else the boy didn't know cats could do. "That's it? No surprise or shock about a cat suddenly talking to you. Just a calm response." It almost sounded like she was disappointed with his reaction. The blonde shook that thought from his mind.
"Nah, a talking cat isn't that weird. Hell, considering who my mother is I consider something like this pretty tame. Though you wearing clothes is a bit odd." He responded with a wave of his hand. "By the way, my name's Naruto Uzumaki."
"Oh... and just who's your mother that something like a talking cat seems normal to you? And by the way, a boy wearing an orange bathing suit in a forest doesn't get to talk about what someone else is wearing." She said while jumping down to the ground. As she landed Naruto got a better look at the feline.
She was a bipedal black cat with large golden eyes. She was wearing an orange over shirt that had two white stripes on each shoulder and black pants. Around her waist was a beige sash, and she had beige leg warmers on both legs. Her feet were bare, as was her hands and arms. Her tail was as long as she was and was resting in the air next to her pointed ears.
"My mom ain't anyone worth mentioning right now, and I wear a bathing suit because I'll end up in water one way or another soon enough." Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders. "A better question is what your doing here. You obviously know theres people that are stealing stuff close by, so what exactly are you doing so close to them koneko (kitten)?"
The cat looked amused at what he called her. "You have the answer to that in your own question."
"So they stole something from you." He replied after replaying what he'd said in his head. The cat nodded in the affirmative.
"Yep, but I was going to wait to get it back. I don't really feel like fighting so I figured I'd steal it back after they went to sleep."
"What'd they take from you. I'm gonna go get my stuff back, so if you want I can get your stuff too." Naruto offered.
"Aw, how sweet offering to retrieve a girls stolen things. However, I going to have to decline. I'll get my stuff on my own." She stated. "I will give you a warning though. If you plan on getting your stuff back you'll have to go through half a dozen men. That hawk is a pet of their's, so you'll have to deal with that too. Think you can handle it kid?"
Naruto scoffed. "Please, six guys and a bird. I can handle that in my sleep. If that's all it was nice meeting you koneko."
Naruto waved to the small cat as he headed in the direction of the still talking voices. They weren't very far away, but enough so no dialog could be understood. As the cat watched him leave the amused look left her face to be replaced by a more serious one. Once he was out of sight she jumped back onto a branch of a tree and jumped to another one. As she jumped from branch to branch she never made a sound.
'That boy...there's something different about him. He's definitely a mage; when he dropped into that stance I could feel him prepare his magic to attack, but that's not it either. I know my own strength and yet standing near him...I couldn't help but feel I was a prey standing in front of a predator.' She caught up to Naruto fast. Stopping on a branch, she made sure to hide herself as she looked around. In front of her was a small glade, though the sky was still blocked out by the canopy of the trees surrounding it. The men were all there sitting around a small fire and Naruto was hidden behind a bush just shy of being in the clearing. 'Alright kid, let's see what you can do.'
As Naruto stayed crouched out of sight he was able to hear the men talk. He wasn't really interested in what they were talking about, but he did hear them say stuff like haul, raid, and next target. They were thieves, or bandits, not that it made much of a difference to him. He let that thought drift away as he caught sight of his bag. It was on top of a pile of other crap, but it was definitely his bag. Since he just confirmed these were the guys whose asses he was gonna kick he got ready to attack.
He held his right hand in front of him palm up and a royal blue magic seal formed over top of it. A sphere of water roughly the size of his head appeared, and when it did Naruto pulled back his middle finger like he was about to flick something. As he did that the sphere of water shrunk in size till it was only as big as a marble. Picking one of the six as his target, Naruto unleashed his magic.
"Suiryu no Atsuryoku Shotto (8)."
Up in a tree, a felines eyes widened as she heard the name of the attack and watched as it hit its target.
The man that was hit never even realized anything happened. One minute he was talking, and the next everything went black. His companions could only stare in shock as something hit their friend. A second later they heard a crash and looked to see their comrade go through a small young tree before crashing into another one and sliding to the ground in a clearly unconscious heap. The five remaining men panicked as the tree their comrade went through hit the ground.
"What the hell just happened!"
"What the fuck just hit Raven!"
"That would be me." Naruto said calmly as he strode into the glade. That shot had more then one purpose. It was meant to take his target out, but he also used it as a gauge. Not one of the men had seen it, heard it, or been able to react to it. They couldn't even tell which direction it came from. All that told him he wouldn't need to use anymore surprise attacks or go all out in this fight.
"What the...it's just some kid." One of them said disbelievingly.
Another one stepped forward and growled out, "Who the fuck cares? If he attacked and took out Raven then the little bastard's gonna die!"
Hearing that snapped the others out of their stupor as they all pulled out weapons. Naruto stared them down before smirking, showing off his unusually long and sharp canines. Raising his hand he gestured them to come on, to which they happily obliged. Naruto merely waited patiently as his attackers began to get within striking distance.
The first one to attack swung his sword in a wide arc trying to decapitate the blonde. Naruto waited till the last second before leaning back just enough for the blade to pass centimeters away from his face. While the blade was still passing over him his left hand shot out and grabbed his attackers wrist. Naruto then spun into his attacker with his elbow out, ramming it into his throat. The man dropped his sword as he went into a coughing fit, but Naruto caught it and slammed the hilt into the man temple. He dropped like a rock.
Naruto jumped back to avoid a downward strike from a sword, and went into a roll to avoid a piercing attack from a lance. Stopping in a crouched position, he jumped into the air to avoid a low kick from the third man. Flipping in the air allowed him to avoid another slash from a blade. While upside down Naruto threw his hands to the ground for balance and did a split kick. He hit both men that just attacked him in the stomach making them both double over. Flipping forward he used the foot that was in one of the guys stomach to do an ax kick on the head of the other one. It hit hard and was even more effective when it brought the head crashing into the hard earth.
Once again on his feet, Naruto used the sword that was still in hand to parry an attack from his left. The lance flew harmlessly by him but its wielder was quick to try it again. Naruto was pushed back as he continued to dodge and parry the strikes before he felt his back hit a tree. The man had a victorious look on his face as he went for a finishing strike. Naruto smirked at this as he reversed his grip on his sword and stabbed it into his assailants foot. The man gave a cry of shock as his attack went wide from the sudden distraction of pain. Taking advantage of it Naruto stepped next to the man and grabbed the back of his head, bashing him into the sturdy trunk of the tree.
Naruto looked at the remain two as they eyed him wearily. They looked at one another before nodding and circling around him. He now had one wielding a sword on his left and an unarmed fighter on his right. After a very short moment they rushed him at the same time. Naruto avoided both fist and blade as they came at him, though he couldn't help but notice how close they came to hitting each other; their teamwork was atrocious. Finally having had enough playing around, Naruto dodged a fist as he kicked out with his leg. He hit the knee of the unarmed combatant who gave a cry of pain. Turning his focus to the sword coming at him he caught the blade between both his hands. His attacker looked flabbergasted that he caught a sword, but Naruto paid no mind. Falling back and to the side allowed him to stab the man whose knee he kicked out in the shoulder. Letting go of the blade, Naruto delivered a left haymaker to the sword user that lifted him off the ground and sent him into not only the surrounding foliage, but to the land of slumber as well. Naruto didn't even give the last of the six a chance to figure out what just happened. He spun around and landed a roundhouse kick right to his face that sent him tumbling across the ground before skidding to a stop. The man gave no indication of getting back up.
Naruto was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet with a smirk on his face and fists at the ready. "Whoo! Don't tell me that's all you guys got. My blood just started pumping here." He didn't even get a groan in response.
"Fine, whatever. Not like I expected all that much more from you guys anyway." He said as he stopped bouncing and shrugged his shoulders.
He was about to make his way over to his bag before he heard a cry from behind. Diving to the side allowed him to dodge the hawk that came at him. The hawk kept going until it landed on a branch and turned to stare at the blonde. Naruto let out a sigh as he got to his feet.
"Despite what I said earlier I don't feel like making you my dinner, but seeing how I'm pissed-off at you this will be your only warning bird." His pupils suddenly became slitted as he bared his fang like canines. "Beat it!"
The bird didn't waste a second as it flew as fast as it could away from the teenager in fright. Naruto grinned as he watched the bird hightail it out of there and surveyed his handiwork. He nodded to himself in satisfaction before heading over to grab his bag. It was easy to get seeing how it was on top, but Naruto set it aside and continued to shift through the pile of things. He'd give a sniff from time to time, and when he picked up a grey tinted lacrima he nodded in satisfaction.
"You can come out now koneko. I know you've been watching since before the fight started." He said to the hidden observer.
The cat jumped down into the clearing, but before she could further move or speak she lifted her paws to catch the lacrima Naruto had picked out.
"I know you said you wanted to get it on your own, but I figured since I did so much already I could do a little more." He finished with a big grin on his face. The feline looked at the lacrima before giving Naruto both a curious and serious look.
"How'd you know I was there, and how'd you know this was mine."
Naruto pointed to his nose. "My smell's even better than my hearing. I could smell your position and your scent is all over that lacrima." He clarified. The cat seemed to accept that and placed her possession in a pocket.
"Thanks." She said as she made her way over to him. Naruto waved it off as he went back to picking through the pile. He pulled out several hundreds of thousands of jewels and started shoving them in his bag. That gave the cat pause. "What are you doing?"
Naruto snorted before he responded. "What? You made it sound like you were only interested in getting your thing back, and I sure as hell ain't returning all this shit. That would take to much time and this little detour's made me late enough already. Besides I stopped a couple of thieves, I think that deserves a reward."
The feline shrugged her shoulders. He was right about her not going out of her way to take the stuff back, so she really couldn't fault him either; he did after all stop the thieves. When Naruto was done claiming his reward he closed his bag and threw it over his shoulder. He then lifted his head in the air and took several long inhales. After that he turned left and began walking away.
"Where are you going, if you don't mind me asking?"
Naruto gave the only other conscious occupant of the clearing a suspicious look. "Why do you want to know?"
"You know what they say about cats and curiosity." She answered with a wide grin.
"You mean that it kills you." He answered with a grin of his own. "Meh, if you really want to know I'm heading to the sea. You're more then welcome to join me, but you might actually die if you do."
"Oh...and why is that?"
Naruto wagged his finger at her. "Now that would be telling. You should be happy I'm giving you any forewarning at all. I could just sit back and watch the show that's bound to unfold."
"I'll take my chances." She answered after a moment of thought. 'Especially if your going to see what I think you are.'
"Alright, suit yourself koneko." With that he began leading the way to the ocean with the cat right behind him.
"By the way, my name is Yoruichi Shihoin. Nice to officially make your acquaintance Naruto." She said politely from his side. Naruto seemed to ponder her name for a second.
"Yoruichi's a nice name, but I like calling you koneko better." He flashed her a grin, one she returned right back.
"Well if you want to use lame and obvious nicknames I'm calling you whiskers."
Naruto's laugh echoed throughout the entire forest.
About two hours later
The small hike through the forest was made without incident. Naruto and Yoruichi made some small talk through the trip talking about random things. Apparently Yoruichi was new to the area and was aimlessly wandering around. She found her way into the forest and took a cat nap, which was when she had her lacrima stolen by the same hawk that took Naruto's bag. As for Naruto himself, he told her that he was somewhat of a drifter. Him and his mother constantly moved up along the coast of the different countries and had only recently ended up back in Bosco. When they exited the forest they stopped talking as Naruto got a nervous look on his face and Yoruichi took in the sight before her.
"That's a nice view." She mused.
Before them was a massive cliff that hung over the ocean, enabling you to see clear skies and miles of crystal blue ocean. One could hear the waves as they crashed against the cliffside and the cawing of seagulls and other birds. It was an all around nice place; quiet, relaxing, and serene.
"Hehe...yeah, it's really nice." Naruto said, nervous look still in place. Yoruichi looked at him quizzically. The fact that he seemed nervous put her on guard.
"Are you alright? You're acting a bit odd."
Naruto didn't answer for a minute. He just stood there looking out into the ocean before he let out a sigh. He had a resigned look on his face as he looked at her and spoke.
"You should wait here, maybe back up a little even. You might get hurt if you're too close."
Yoruichi rose a brow in question, but took a step back regardless. Naruto faced the ocean again and started walking to the cliff edge after dropping his bag on the ground near Yoruichi. When he was only about a foot away from the edge he stopped. He took a deep breath and yelled.
"MOOOOOMMMM!"
At first nothing happened, but a second later Yoruichi fell to her knees as she felt the most powerful magical energy she had ever felt crash down on her. Her breath hitched in her throat and she began to involuntarily shake as it felt like the ocean itself was bearing down on her. It wasn't long after that a serpentine creature exploded from the water and positioned itself in front of the cliff. Yoruichi felt her eyes widen to impossible size as she took in the majestic looking being in front of her. 'A dragon! A real living dragon!' She had never really felt fear before or been afraid of anything, but looking at this dragon caused a primal shiver of terror to work its way up her spine and into her soul.
The dragon looked straight at Naruto, who looked almost as fearful as Yoruichi at the moment, and narrowed its eyes.
"You're late." While the voice was calm you could hear the annoyance bubbling just under the surface. Naruto quickly tried to explain himself.
"Look mom I can explain I-"
That was as far as he got before an extremely forceful blast of water hit him. The blast destroyed the entire section of cliff he was on and sent him plummeting to the water. Leviathan's tail got in the way of that though as it hit him back into the air and right into the path of the dragon's backhand. Naruto hit the water at an angle, causing him to skip several times before slowing down. Before he could stop though he was hit with another powerful jet of water that sent him underwater and caused massive waves to form. With her punishment done, Leviathan turned her attention to her wide eyed guest.
"It has been a very long time since I've seen one of your kind. I wonder what you're doing out of Edolas little Exceed."
Yoruichi noticed that the force that was pressing down on her seemed to vanish. Standing up straight again she looked at the dragon in awe before schooling her features to her usual look. She was slightly disappointed with herself for freezing up like that, but standing before a legendary dragon, she figured it was alright.
"You know about Edolas and Exceed?" She asked with a firm voice.
"Of course. Dragons are not as young or ignorant of the world as humans are. We may not reside in Edolas, but that doesn't mean we don't know what happens there."
Yoruichi accepted that answer. Looking slightly past the dragon she was unable to see Naruto in the ocean. She might have just met the blonde, but after seeing the power of the attacks she was worried he might be dead.
"So...is Naruto alright? It doesn't look like he's surfaced yet." To Yoruichi's surprise the dragon chuckled.
"My son will be fine. All that was was a little tough love. I've put him through much worse on a daily basis and he's come out fine. He's just staying out of sight incase I'm not through with my punishment." Leviathan explained.
"So you really are his mother?" She already heard the answer, she merely wanted it verified.
"Yes. I adopted him as my own about a decade ago. That aside I'm still left wondering what an Exceed is doing in Earth Land."
Yoruichi's face became unreadable. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't tell you that." It took a good amount of willpower, but after this Yoruichi can proudly state that she's one of the few not to back down from a dragons stare. Leviathan looked at the Exceed for a second more before chuckling again.
"Alright. It doesn't matter to me either way, just trying to sate my curiosity." She told the small cat. "Not to be rude, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now."
"Why's that? There are a lot of questions I'd still like to ask you." Yoruichi inquired. Leviathan looked to the sea with a smile before looking back to her.
"Because my son is coming back and I have important things to discuss with him." She informed her. "I'm also giving you a warning not to listen in on us, or else you won't be accomplishing whatever it is you're in Earth Land to do. And don't think you can hide from me little Exceed, cause if you do I guarantee you won't leave this place alive." The dragon finished with a slight growl.
Yoruichi knew when not to push her luck and simply nodded her head. She turned around and made her way into the forest, out of sight and hopefully out of hearing distance. Just to be sure she continued on for a bit more; she had absolutely no intentions or interest in pissing-off a dragon.
With her gone Leviathan was left by herself for a couple minutes before something shot out of the water near the cliff at high speeds. It passed by Leviathan, who didn't so much as twitch, and landed on the earth in front of the dragon. Deep breaths could be heard as a drench Naruto stood up from his crouched position and restored the air to his lungs. Taking a glance around he noticed something off, and realizing what it was turned to his mother.
"So... no more punishment?" At the dragons smile he let out a breath he was holding. His mothers punishments hurt. "So, did you scare off koneko with your display of tough love?"
"No, that's not what caused her to leave. Though I still may have scared her." Her answer caused Naruto to wonder what had happened, but he never got the chance to ask. "Naruto, I have something very important to talk to you about." Her face became very serious and Naruto stood ramrod straight.
"What is it?" Outside of training his mother was an extremely laid back dragon. She had a go with the flow type of personality with a few exceptions, like being on time when you say you will be. To see his mother this serious he knew what she was going to say was important, especially since she used his name.
"I'm leaving." She simply said.
Naruto blinked. "Oh. Well where are we going. Must be somewhere really dangerous if you're giving me a warning."
"I'm leaving alone... and I'm not coming back." She said in a regretful tone. Narutos reaction was predictable.
"What! What do you me-"
"Naruto!" It wasn't shouted, but the forcefulness and tone behind the voice stooped Naruto dead. "Why I'm leaving isn't important at the moment. It's something you'll come to understand in the coming years. What I am going to tell you is something that will help us both in the future."
Naruto made no attempt to interrupt again. He could tell this was something big, so he put his trust in his mother and focused his full attention on what she was about to say. Leviathan, seeing she had her sons absolute attention, continued.
"Listen carefully, because I'm going to explain why we dragons teach others Dragon Slayer magic."
An hour later
Yoruichi stood from her seated position as she saw Naruto come into view. She was lucky that he took a straight path into the forest like she did so that they ran into each other. However, as Naruto got closer Yoruichi was able to see something was amiss. Even from this distance it seemed like sadness was pouring off him in waves, but it never showed on his face. His face only show silent contemplation, to what Yoruichi couldn't even begin to guess. It didn't take long for him to reach where she was, and when he did he gave her a questioning look.
"What are you still doing here? I figured you'd be long gone by now." Despite asking the question his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
"I was hoping I'd be able to talk with your mother after you two finished your talk. It's not everyday you meet a dragon after all." She decided not to ask about what was discussed or why he seemed upset. It wasn't her place to ask and even if she did she didn't think he would answer her.
"Sorry, but that's not possible now. She's already long gone." His voice sounded depressed.
"Gone? Gone where?" She asked before she could stop herself.
"Hell if I know. Said it was time for her hatching to leave the nest and be on his own." He started walking again after that. Yoruichi followed after him.
"Sorry." She meant to avoid bringing up what he was down about, instead it was the first thing she says.
"Don't worry about it. You had no way of knowing she was gone and besides, being the curious cat you are I was expecting you to ask." His lips twitched up into a small smile for a second when he said that, something she returned.
The two walked in silence for awhile after. It wasn't a comfortable silence, but it wasn't an awkward one either. During their walk Naruto reached into his bag, which was slung over his shoulder once more, and pulled out a canteen. He took a long drink of it before offering her some. Finding out it was water she declined, not all that thirsty. A short time later Yoruichi decided to break the silence.
"So where are you headed?"
"Figured I'd go back into town and choose what to do after a good nights sleep in a bed. Why?" He turned his attention to Yoruichi as he took a few sniffs of the air.
"Well I'm heading that way myself, and I figured since we're walking together now that we could travel there together." The feline offered as her ears twitched.
"I'd like that." He replied with a smile. "So what are you going to do when we get to town?"
"You know, this and that. Haven't made up my mind yet, but a good nights sleep does sound nice." She paused for a second. "You do know we're being followed right?"
"Yep, for awhile now actually." He stopped after he spoke, something Yoruichi mirrored.
From behind trees and other plant life dozens of men suddenly stepped out. There were at least thirty in total and they had Naruto and Yoruichi completely surrounded. All the men had weapons drawn and they looked downright bloodthirsty. One of them spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.
"A blonde haired kid with whiskers wearing only a bathing suit. This is definitely the brat boys." A murmur of agreement followed him as several of the men got sadistic grins on their faces.
"Can I help you?" Naruto asked calmly. He didn't know who these guys were but he wasn't intimidated in the least.
"Yeah! You can shut the hell up while we beat the shit out of you for messing up six of our guys and stealing from us." A roar of agreement came from the surrounding men.
Naruto thought about it before recognition flashed in his eyes. Yoruichi chuckled from his side as he set his bag on the ground and cracked his neck.
"Aw, you made some friends. Be sure to play nice now whiskers." She said as she eyed all of their attackers. Naruto snorted.
"Sorry, but that's not gonna happen. I'm not in the greatest mood and venting might really help me out." He grinned as he clapped his hands together, his magic seal glowing brightly as it appeared. "Bring it on chumps!"
Finished
1) Jikūkan Ninjutsu: Space–Time Ninja Technique
2) Hiraishin no Jutsu: Flying Thunder God Technique
3) Bijūdama: Tailed Beast Ball
4) Jikūkan Kekkai: Space–Time Barrier
5) Kuchiyose no Jutsu : Summoning Technique
6) Hakke Fuin: Eight Symbol Seal
7) Shiki Fujin: Dead Demon Consuming Seal
8) Suiryu no Atsuryoku Shotto: Water Dragons Pressure Shot
Alright, this is a new story I plan to take my time with since I want it to be original, which I hope it already is. And for everyone that's going to ask; yes, Naruto will go back to the Elemental Countries and we'll find out what happened after he left, but it'll be a little while. Just a heads up too, Naruto is going to be older than in canon. He'll be Itachi's age with Itachi being the older of the two.
The bracelet was my way of Naruto keeping his name without it being some retarded, unrealistic coincidence. As for when he got it, Kushina put it on him when Minato left them to fight Kyuubi and Madara. And for his name on the bracelet being Uzumaki and not Namikazi, meh, I like Uzumaki better. There will be flashbacks about Naruto's time with Leviathan. I won't completely spoil what they'll show, but they will be very important, just like the dialog between Minato and Kushina was. Also, I don't know if anyone's done it already, but I had to add Yoruichi from Bleach and make her an Exceed. You can expect other characters from different mangas and games to pop up in this story too. I already have several characters in mind.
As a heads up this story won't be updated for awhile. I did a poll recently with this story as a choice for starting, but continuing an already existing story was the winner. However, since this was runner-up I decided to give everyone who voted for it a sample of what's to come in a couple months. Sorry but that's what I decided. Till next time...
Peace Out