Chapter 1
"Come on, Ero-sennin! You should be teaching me powerful new jutsu, not reading dusty old scrolls!"
"I'll show you something new if you show me that you've mastered the Big Ball Rasengan, gaki," the Sannin responded absently, not even bothering to look up.
Naruto grimaced in frustration. Once again, his training was being neglected in favor of "research" for his Icha Icha novels. Sometimes, Naruto wondered how much more progress he would hace made if the white haired shinobi had taken a more active role in educating the genin. Still, Naruto had learned the original Rasengan in record time this way, although he still needed a shadow clone to make it work. It was hard to argue with results.
This time, however, the "research" was actually research, and Naruto doubted it had anything to do with his sensei's novels. Now that Naruto thought about it, Jiraiya had been acting unusually over the last few days. His temper had been shorter than normal, and he'd seemed distracted. And, of course, there was the sudden detour to these old ruins.
Naruto glanced over his surroundings again. They were in the ruins of a village on an island, just east of the Land of Fire. It had obviously been abandoned for quite some time, at least fifteen years by Naruto's estimation. Broken stone walls and pillars littered the area. Much of the surviving architecture was decorated with a spiral insignia identical to the ones on the blond jinchuriki's orange jumpsuit. A wide river flowed sluggishly through the middle of the dead village.
Jiraiya was reading through scrolls in what must have once been a record house. Most of the books and scrolls there had been burned or looted, but hundreds of the less important records remained. The toad sage seemed to be particularly focused on genealogies and the most recent of the village archives. Naruto could easily see why no one had wanted to steal them over the years. Judging by the occasional muttered curses coming from the crumbling building, Ero-sennin wasn't having too much luck finding whatever he was looking for.
He'd already been practicing for hours while Ero-sennin studied those old scrolls. The Big Ball Rasengan was surprisingly difficult. He could form it, but it would only last a few seconds after his shadow clone dispelled before it either fizzled or exploded. Well... Big Ball Rasengan, today's the day I conquer you! Then Ero-sennin will teach me an awesome new jutsu! Naruto thought as he walked out into the empty street. Maybe it will work better if I add more power.
The young jinchuriki formed a hand seal and created a shadow clone. Together, they formed a basic Rasengan, then slowly expanded it. He could feel it this time. It was going to work for sure. He fed it chakra until it grew to the size of his head, before suddenly destabilizing. Not again!
The chakra sphere exploded in his palm, obliterating his shadow clone and burning his hand. His chakra pulsed out in a wave of minor destruction. I added too much power that time, so I lost control of... Control! That's what I need to do! Chakra control exer-
A ray of light flashed out from a nearby doorways.
What was that?
Without thinking twice (or even once, if he was honest with himself), Naruto ran up to the doorway and peeked through.
"Ero-sennin? I think you should see this..."
The Legendary Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku, Jiraiya of the Sannin, felt like pulling out his hair in frustration. This was impossible! Not only had he been forced to put up with hours of Naruto bothering him, but the records were so incomplete! And even if he knew who had survived, tracking them down would be incredibly difficult. The Uzumaki clan had scattered and hidden all over the nations following the destruction of Uzushiogakure. Orochimaru... he growled to himself.
The Snake Sannin had sent a clone a few days ago. Apparently, the Akatsuki were interested in eliminating the former member of their ranks, so Jiraiya's former teammate was getting back at them by leaking information. He had given several vague hints about the Akatsuki's motives and goals.
"Did you know that there are always supposed to be ten official members? What could that mean, mmm?"
"Their plans involve a stone statue called Gedou Mazou. I can only guess as to how they got it. It was meant to be as unreachable as the moon in the sky..."
"Here is a little coincidence I found amusing: their most powerful member, their leader, is from the same clan as the jinchuriki of what is currently the most powerful Bijuu. Perhaps it would be amusing to watch him and your little apprentice battle. In any case, I would love to see your face when you see his face. Kukukuku..."
"You lose if they open all nine eyes."
"If you can't figure the answers out now, I don't think you deserve them... Tell your student that Sasuke-kun is... well... kukuku!
Still, Jiraiya had a something to work off of, assuming Orochimaru had been telling the truth: the Akatsuki's leader was an Uzumaki, and the identity of this Uzumaki would be particularly meaningful to the Toad Sage. His messenger toad had already reported that Konoha had no useful information. So far, he hadn't found a record of anyone who fit that description in Uzushiogakure's archives, either.
Maybe he was born after Uzushiogakure was destroyed, like Naruto. Or maybe any record of him here was destroyed. Or maybe he had never lived in Uzushiogakure. Or maybe something else entirely...
It seemed hopeless, but at the same time they were closer than they ever had been to discovering the identity of the Akatsuki's leader. If Orochimaru told the truth.
"Ero-sennin? I think you should see this..."
Jiraiya snapped out of his thoughts. What was it this time? If he had mastered the new Rasengan, his voice would be quivering with excitement. Now that Jiraiya's focus was back on the world, he could feel chakra gathering in Naruto's direction. What the... That's Nature chakra!The Sannin froze for a moment, before moving outside with a body flicker.
Almost instantly, Jiraiya was next to Naruto, looking at a glowing seal array inscribed on what appeared to be a doorway in the middle of the room. The pair stared at it for a moment, before the Seal Master walked over to it, inspecting it curiously.
Fascinating... It's some sort of seal based space-time jutsu, sort of like Minato's... But there's an extra bit here-what's it supposed to do? I've never seen anything quite like it before... And how is it gathering Nature chakra? Hmmm... That part there seems to be the power source. It looks sort of like that Curse Seal of Orochimaru's... I suppose that would make sense. It's not very efficient though. It's absorbing Nature chakra at a pathetic rate... But a self-sustaining seal powered by Nature chakra? It would take a genius to get it to work in the first place, and it's an amazing idea in theory... Just a smidgeon of chakra to activate and deactivate it, and it can remain on indefinitely after powering on... Come to think about it, why did it activate now? Naruto must have had something to do with it...
It was then that Jiraiya remembered he was not alone in the old room.
"Don't worry about it, gaki. This seal is attempting to create a portal. It's harmless unless you actually try to walk through it." Naruto, for his part, didn't look like he'd been worrying about it at all. Jiraiya continued speaking. "What were you doing before it activated?"
Naruto quickly explained his accident with the Big Ball Rasengan.
Jiraiya continued his inspection. Of course... It's supposed to activate when it comes in contact with Uzumaki chakra. These seals here strengthen it, which is probably why it survived the invasion... Mostly, Jiraiya was interested in where the portal led. The added group of seals at the destination address piqued his curiosity. More importantly, it was possible that some of the Uzumaki clan had escaped this way. Every bit of information he could gather on the Akatsuki could save lives and bring him one step closer to his dream.
Slowly, a portal began to form in the empty doorway before them. When it was fully formed, Jiraiya and Naruto peeked through curiously. On the other side was a forest, comprised of much smaller trees than those around Konoha. It wasn't any place that Jiraiya recognized immediately. After a pensive moment, he made his decision. The portal could remain open indefinitely, and even if it did close they could have the toads perform a reverse summoning to get to Konoha. It was possible it would lead to hostile territory; hopefully, the rewards would be worth the risk.
"Alright, gaki, make a shadow clone," Jiraiya said. "You're going to do a bit of exploring. Gather as much information as possible without being noticed. Think of it as spy training."
"Finally!"
Although no one could have told, Mystogan was smiling from behind his mask. There hadn't been any Anima incidents for over a week, and he'd been able to complete a string of missions. Once he got back to Fairy Tail, he was going to pick up another mission. There was nothing quite like saving people from monsters and evil mages. Their smiles reminded him why he fought so hard against Anima, the interdimensional magic from Edolas; they were what kept him more or less sane in his self-imposed isolation.
Then he felt a familiar sensation from one of the staves strapped to his back. Anima! Mystogan's smile disappeared. In a moment, his body vanished as well, turning into a fine mist that quickly dissipated.
The S-class mage rematerialized a short time later, a few miles from a small settlement known as Rosemary Village. Cautiously, he eyed the emerging portal in front of him. Clearly, this wasn't an ordinary Anima. It was much less powerful, much quicker, and seemed to be forming a two-way portal. Already, it was almost finished. What was the old man up to now? Or maybe it was the Exceeds again? In any case, it probably wasn't good. Mystogan began preparations for his Anima-suppressing spell. Even though this wasn't Anima, strengthening the dimensional barrier would almost certainly stop it, especially since this portal was so weak compared to normal Anima.
The portal solidified, and a little later a young boy in a bright orange jumpsuit jumped through. He had spiky blond hair, blue eyes, and a wide grin on his face. Three parallel lines marked each cheek, like whiskers. He was wearing a headband with some sort of spiral symbol that looked sort of like a snail. What..? The kid couldn't have been much more than 12 years old. He appeared to examine his surroundings shortly before his blue eyes settled on Mystogan.
"Who are you? Where am I?"
Mystogan didn't opt to answer. Instead, he continued to study the genin while finishing his spell. Hopefully, the boy would go back through the portal. Then, Mystogan could deactivate the dimensional rift without stranding him in Earthland.
"Hey! I'm talking to you, creepy staff man!" The blond seemed to be growing agitated as more time passed. He shouted a few more challenges and tensed up, looking as if he intended to attack the masked mage.
Being silent and intimidating obviously wasn't working.
"I am Mystogan of Fairy Tail. You must leave. Do not return."
The boy, apparently taking the S-class mage's advice, disappeared in a puff of smoke. Without skipping a beat, Mystogan threw his staves in a circle around the portal and released his spell.
"No fair! There was somebody waiting there! How am I supposed to be sneaky when somebody's watching from the other side?" Naruto exclaimed. He had been about to show Ero-sennin his amazing skills, but the man on the other side of the portal had ruined that.
He and Ero-sennin watched, hidden, as the jinchiriki's clone engaged the mysterious stranger in conversation. If it could be called a conversation. He had a feeling of danger about him, and a visible forehead protector, so he was obviously a ninja. His hitae-ite, however, had no visible symbol to mark his allegiance. Missing-nin? The only visible part of the strange shinobi's face were his eyes. He wore a tattered, dark colored cape, and bandages covered his arms and legs. He had a number of odd staves strapped to his back.
Ero-sennin looked worried about the turn of events. He still seemed determined to explore the other side of the space-time jutsu in front of them, though.
"Alright, gaki, on my signal dispel your clone. Then, we'll jump through and engage the missing-nin. I don't recognize him from the Bingo Book, so he's probably not particularly dangerous, but don't underestimate him. Let me handle it," the Toad Sannin whispered, "or if you must, use your clones instead of engaging him directly."
Naruto was about to protest when the mysterious missing-nin spoke for the first time.
"I am Mystogan of Fairy Tail. You must leave. Do not return."
Fairy Tail?
Jiraiya signalled Naruto before he could think any more about it. The genin dispelled his clone and followed his sensei through the portal.
Just as Naruto emerged there was a bright flash of light, and the space-time jutsu behind him disappeared.
Kuso, Mystogan swore silently as the blond boy from earlier and an older man with a mane of white hair leapt through the portal. He felt his spell activating and the portal closing, but the extradimensional duo had already entered Earthland. Now, it appeared they were stuck. Mystogan, however, had other problems to consider. The white haired man was charging to attack him.
Reacting swiftly, Mystogan dissolved his body into mist before the other man could reach him, and made his way toward his guild in Magnolia City. He would report the incident to Master Makarov, the wise, old leader of Fairy Tail. This whole situation was perplexing to the mage from Edolas. Perhaps the Guild Master would have some insight.
Jiraiya frowned. The missing-nin had somehow been able to remove the portal. He also knew a teleportation jutsu of some sort, and had gotten away. Thus, if they decided to continue forward, they would be forced to assume that there were missing-nin waiting to ambush them somewhere. Taking necessary risks, however, was part of what it meant to be a ninja. And who knew? There might be a lot of beautiful women in this part of the world. The self-proclaimed Super Pervert smiled lecherously. It had been far too long since he'd been able to do any research.
"Alright, gaki. Let's go find out exactly where we are."
"Are you gonna train me now, Ero-sennin? Teach me a cool new jutsu!"
Jiraiya sighed loudly. It appeared that being driven slowly insane by his apprentice was another necessary risk he would have to take.
Naruto concentrated chakra into the palm of his right hand, as a clone assisted. Spin. Power. Containment. A basic Rasengan formed, although it was larger than normal, and felt much unstable. More power, more control. He could do this! The Rasengan expanded. Much quicker than it should, Naruto noticed. Before he could slow it down, the now-huge Rasengan completely engulfed his hand and exploded.
"Aaaaargh!" Naruto screamed, clutching his burnt hand.
"You put way too much power into that. Now, you won't be able to use that hand for a day or two," Ero-sennin pointed out, as the pair continued their trek through the forest. "Think about that the next time you want to take a shortcut."
"I know that there aren't any shortcuts!" Naruto protested. "I didn't mean to put that much chakra into it..."
He needed more control. Since he couldn't use his hand anyway, now was the perfect time for some chakra control exercises. He didn't see any water nearby, so he would have to do treewalking. Maybe he could find a way to increase the difficulty. He walked up to the nearest tree, concentrated chakra along his feet, and began to walk up the side. He only made it one step before he fell. What?! Ero-sennin burst out laughing.
Apparently, he had used too much chakra. That was impossible, though. He treewalked all the time. There was no way he could have gotten the wrong amount. He tried again, this time ready to gauge the amount of chakra he needed as he went, like he would when waterwalking. He walked up to the tree, and straight up the side. This time he was ready, and he made it up the side of the tree without difficulty. He was using less chakra than he should be. Something was seriously wrong. Was he somehow tapping the fox's chakra without realizing it?
"Sensei! Something's going on here! My chakra control's all messed up. You think the fox is causing it?"
"Maybe you just messed up. You do that a lot."
"I do not! I'm an amazing shinobi! I never give up! And I never go back on my word..." Naruto trailed off. I will bring you back, Sasuke. "Anyways, could you come check the seal?"
Naruto watched as the seal master trudged over to his tree and attempted to walk up the side. For a moment, his eyes widened and looked a little unstabe. The Sannin recovered quickly, and continued to where Naruto stood.
"Odd... I don't seem to need as much chakra. Is that what happened to you?"
Naruto nodded. His teacher frowned for a moment.
"It obviously doesn't have anything to do with the fox, or it wouldn't affect me. We should probably check the seal anyway."
After a short examination, seeing nothing amiss in the seal, Ero-sennin continued to speak, thinking aloud like he sometimes did: "I can feel an energy from the atmosphere, mixing with my chakra. It's like a less powerful Sage Mode. It's not senjutsu, though: Naruto here isn't a toad statue, and it appears to be mixing passively, even while we're moving. What would happen if I did try to enter Sage Mode? Better to not try until I get better control of this new energy. Heh, maybe it's a good thing that missing-nin fled earlier. This could have caught me by surprise in a fight... Where are we? Maybe the toads will know something..."
Naruto nodded as his sensei spoke, pretending he could understand. Sage Mode? Senjutsu?... I'm not a toad statue?! Hopefully, the Toad Sage would explain what he meant by that. Usually when he got talking like that, however, he was as tight-lipped as a clam, and no amount of cajoling could get him to reveal what it all meant. Naruto, however, wasn't known for giving up.
"What's senjutsu?"
The Toad Sage ignored his confused student, and the duo got down from their tree. Abandoning his comprehending facade, Naruto asked more and more questions. As expected, though, he never got any substantial answers. Naruto watched Ero-sennin, who had a look of concentration on his face. From his comment earlier, he was probably preparing for a major toad summoning. Naruto could feel him gathering chakra.
Suddenly, the perverted sage bit his thumb, formed a few hand seals. "Summoning jutsu!" he cried out, slamming his bloodied palm onto the ground. A circular seal array spread out before vanishing. No smoke. No toad appearing. A panicky look crossed the Sannin's face. Naruto began to feel worried as well. Their portal had failed, their chakra control was messed up, and now Summoning jutsus weren't working? Even Naruto was realizing that they might be in major trouble.
After a pause, Ero-sennin began to speak. "Information gathering will absolutely vital. Make as many clones as you can. The Shadow Clone jutsu was originally created for reconnaissance. Whenever a clone dispels, you get its memories."
"Really?" Naruto asked. It seemed like he would've noticed something like that. It sounded sort of confusing.
"Just trust me on this one. You'll stay with me, and we'll follow up on anything your clones discover. Try to avoid attention, but that's not our first priority," Jiraiya ordered. "...And don't start any fights."
"You got it!" Naruto raised his hands in a cross, collecting chakra for a moment.
"Multi Shadow Clone jutsu!"
Puffs of smoke appeared in every direction. They cleared to reveal around 500 blond genin, who ran off in every direction. The original and Ero-sennin remained behind. Ero-sennin turned to Naruto again.
"I'll need you to concentrate, gaki. When a clone dispels, you won't notice the new memories appearing because it'll feel like you had them all along." This explanation didn't make any sense at all to Naruto, so he decided to just accept it. "You can catch memories appearing, but only if you pay very close attention. I'll help you with that..." Ero-sennin had an evil-looking glint in his eyes. Naruto gulped.
Makarov frowned as Mystogan finished explaining what had happened. They were in Makarov's private office in Fairy Tail. The room was small, like the man who owned it.
The Guild Master of Fairy Tail cleared his throat before replying. "Return to Rosemary and find the two of them as soon as possible. From your story, I highly doubt their motives are sinister."
"Understood."
"It sounded as if they were lost and confused. They are probably even more so now. You of all people should be able to understand that." Mystogan nodded as Master Makarov stated this. "When you find them, they will probably attack you like before. Avoid fighting them at all costs, even in self-defense."
The Guild Master paused for a moment before going on. "I suggest that you reveal your identity to them. I know it will be painful for you, but what they need is a friend in this new world, a kindred spirit, someone who can sympathize with them. You can be that for them. It is, of course, your decision."
Mystogan nodded once again, before dissolving into mist.
A/N: So, what did you think? Any feedback you have would be really nice. Was there anything that you liked? Was there anything that bothered you? Did anyone seem too OOC to you? Were there any quirks in my prose that interrupted its flow, like words repeated too often? Did you find any spelling or other errors? I don't have a beta, so I apologize in advance for mistakes I missed. Was the chapter length good? Should they be longer? Was there anything you had difficulty understanding? Do you have any questions? Any other comments or suggestions?
I have a few things to say. First, yes, this chapter didn't focus on Naruto very much. There will be more focus on Naruto in later chapters. However, I intend to have multiple viewpoints. This is not a story about just Naruto. Eventually, this will be a full crossover with many characters from both 'verses interacting. I don't think this can be fully captured while just focusing on Naruto. I am a little worried that I changed viewpoints a bit too often, though. Your input here would again be appreciated. Second, the story is set about a year into Naruto's training trip with Jiraiya, and at the start of the Galuna arc in Fairy Tail. Third, I haven't quite decided exactly how I want to balance power levels. I have a few ideas, some of which you've already seen the a little, but I'd like to hear your ideas on this. No matter what, though, neither 'verse will have a significant advantage over the other. Last, I'm still thinking about which pairings I should use, if any. Again, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. The most important thing for me here is believability. I will never try to force a pairing. So, if you want a particular pairing, please explain why/how it could/would/should happen.
Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read my story, and thanks in advance for your response and feedback! Hope you enjoyed it!