Disclaimer: I do not own either series...as much as I wish I did.
This occurs at the beginning of Tsubasa Chronicles, though no knowledge of the series should be necessary.
The story occurs in Naruto AU where after the war, the shinobi nations all went back to a pre-war state. Most of the Shippuden plot did not occur. Tobi and Zetsu were defeated. Madara was not resurrected. Minato Namikaze's soul was never freed from the Shinigami. Neji and Tsunade did not die...etc.
Naruto and the Kyuubi (Kurama) are on a somewhat friendly basis, if only because both want the seal gone. Kurama, for obvious reasons, and Naruto because it has caused his father to be unable to be reincarnated and because the Kyuubi has vowed to not go on a rampage in the Elemental Nations.
There will be flashbacks and probably a whole arc in the fic to actually explain and fill everything in...
A blonde teenager yawned as he leaned back into his chair and stretched his arms before letting out a yell. "I can't take this anymore Kurama. Another few minutes in this stuffy room with these scrolls and I'll die," he moaned. The aforementioned scrolls sat in teetering stacks, taller than the occupants themselves, on both the table and the floor, creating a maze around both him and his companion.
A miniature nine-tailed fox looked up from his own scroll. "We can't take these scrolls out of the room nor would the administration allow us to make copies. We should be grateful that they let us in here in the first place." The fox's calm tone was belied by the twitching tails behind him.
Seizing the opportunity, the blonde asked, "Is there any other way? We've been practically shut in here for weeks and we still haven't found any lead in trying to reverse the seal. I mean, I've asked before, but you were always like 'Shut up Naruto. Let me read this. Concentrate on your own scroll Naruto.' You never actually answered my question."
Kurama growled. "I'm sure there are plenty of ways to break the seal if rituals involving human sacrifice and all were used. But since someone refuses, that's why we are going through all these scrolls. The only other way I can think of is going to the Witch of Dimensions and she allows asks for some lousy price."
"In your dreams fox. No way would I ever allow you to sacrifice any of these people" Naruto shot back before processing the second half of what his companion had said. "The Witch of Dimensions? Do you think she has the power to help?"
Kurama snorted. "Probably. But only if you agree to pay her price which is usually pretty high."
"High…like money-wise?"
"No, usually she will ask for something else. The Witch works by a system similar to equivalent exchange. The price is equal to the weight of the wish. No more and no less."
Naruto tilted his head as he pondered this information. "Then why don't we go ask her and hear the price before we decide anything," he suggested. "Is there any rule against that?"
"I do not believe so. But the Witch's Shop is in a different dimension. I only have enough chakra to do the jutsu to get there once so it is likely that we would do stranded there no matter if we do or don't pay the price…unless we ask for a way back as well."
There was a moment of silence before the blonde ninja asked, "Do you trust this woman?"
"Not personally" Kurama answered immediately before reluctantly following up the comment with, "since I haven't actually met her. But from what I have heard, she can be trusted to fulfill her end of the bargains. So professionally, I suppose I can. She will get the job done once she agrees."
Another lapse of silence in the conversation was broken as Naruto finally stated, "I'm fine with trying this new option. We haven't gotten any new leads even though we've gone through practically all the scrolls on sealing that are available."
Kurama sighed before agreeing. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt much to try. Shall we go?"
"Wait now?" Naruto asked shocked. "But we still have to tell everyone and prepare and all."
The fox shrugged. "Well there's no time like the present. Besides, they already gave you plenty of trouble just to travel around the Elemental Nations. How do you think they'll react to us going to another world?"
"…probably try to stop us," Naruto answered. "What changed your mind anyways? You were pretty reluctant earlier."
Kurama nodded, "Exactly, so we don't have to tell them. Besides, the trip shouldn't take long—just enough for her to reverse the seal and send us back if we agree to the price, though I suppose some supplies wouldn't hurt just in case we refuse her deal. And what can I say, you had some good points."
Naruto narrowed his eyes, "You even more desperate then I am to get rid of that seal, can't you? I didn't really try to convince you. But either way, I'm gonna send Tsunade-baachan a note, so that she can inform everyone else where we went."
"Fine." Kurama acquiesced, knowing that this was that least amount of protest he would receive from the blonde. "Just make it quick." He pointedly ignored the first comment.
~0~
It was raining yet when the duo landed in the yard of a Japanese-style house, in front of a finely dressed woman (who, Naruto thought, was really pretty but really, really pale) nobody was wet.
As Kurama, sitting in Naruto's arms and tired from the jutsu, rasped out, "Are you the one they call the Witch of Dimensions?" and proceeded to introduce the two, Naruto noticed two girls. One with short pink hair; the other with long lavender. Both had grey skin. Slightly shivering from the intense gaze they gave him as they caught him staring, the ninja turned to the last person. A teenage boy who only looked slightly more confused than Naruto himself felt. This was the home of the Witch of Dimensions?
As he heard the Witch ask for their wish, he cut into the conversation, "Can you reverse the seal that binds us?" he asked bluntly, dodging Kurama's paw which swung at his head.
The fox hissed, "Behave idiot. We want her to like us, not hate us," before raising his voice to address the Witch "I apologize for his behavior, this idiot has no tact"
The woman merely stared at the two thoughtfully before speaking. "I can get rid of the seal, but that is not the part you wish for, is it Uzumaki Naruto?"
Naruto twitched at being addressed by a being even the Kyuubi was wary of before revealing his reason to reverse the seal, "No…the seal used my father's soul as a sacrifice. As a result, his soul would not be able to be reincarnated and would instead linger inside the Shinigami's stomach. The complete reversal of the seal would, perhaps, free him, allowing my father to reincarnate."
"Breaking the seal would not allow your father's soul to escape. The full reversal whose end is to your desire would deal with death, the price of which would be too high."
Kurama asked, "Then does this mean you will not get rid of the seal?"
"I cannot reverse the seal, but there exists some in other worlds who do have such abilities. As always, there is a price for my help in this endeavor."
The Kyuubi grumbled a bit. "I suppose this is better than nothing," while Naruto excitedly asked, "What's the price?"
Instead of answering Naruto's question, the Witch told them, "Please wait."
Just as the woman finished her statement, a brown-haired teenage boy in a ragged cloak, clutching an unconscious girl, appeared in front of Naruto and Kurama, facing the Witch and her entourage.
"Please help save Sakura!" the boy cried in panic, not noticing the ninja and fox behind him. "They said that you could help her!"
The witch only asked calmly, "Her name is Sakura then?"
"Yes," the boy answered, agitation fading slowly.
"And your name?" The woman asked as she approached the couple.
"Syaoran."
As Kurama grumbled softly about arriving first and having precedence, Naruto focused on what the witch was saying.
She took Sakura's chin, lifting it up to examine the girl's face closely. "She has lost something very important. Memories. Precious pieces of her soul. Something scattered across many worlds. If she does not get it back, she will die."
As Syaoran clutched Sakura even more closely and even Kurama grew silent, sensing the graveness of the situation, the Witch rose from her position to call on the dark-haired boy behind her. "Watanuki. Go to the storage room and retrieve that."
As Watanuki went to retrieve whatever 'that' was with the two girls, she turned back to the brunette. "Do you want to save her? There will be a price."
"Yes! Anything! I'll do anything I can to help her!" the boy cried out.
Behind them, Kurama muttered softly, "Ooh, bad idea. 'Anything' can mean a lot. Foolish mortal."
Naruto nudged the fox with his shoe. "Or he could just be that desperate. The boy probably cares for the girl very much," the ninja said just as softly.
His nine-tails swished as Kurama snorted, "Then he's all the more foolish. Love indeed."
Their conversation was halted as two blobs appeared to reveal the arrival of a hooded blonde man on one side of the couple and a black haired ninja-esque man on the other. Both arrivals landed in front of Naruto and Kurama who watched the rather humorous routine that the new arrivals put on.
"Who the hell are you?" snarled the burly tanned ninja while the slim light-skinned man cheerfully asked, "Are you the Time-Space Witch?" The two shared a startled glance.
While the two introduced themselves, the ninja as Kurogane of Japan and the other as Fai D. Fluorite ("but call me Fai"), a mage of Celes, Naruto mumbled to Kurama, "They're like, exact opposite."
The fox nodded, "At least physically. We don't know anything about them. Perhaps their wishes are similar which is why we are all here. From what I heard, the boy, Syaoran, has a wish that involves going to different worlds and our wish would as well, unless we can just skip that part and have her break the seal," Kurama looked up hopefully, only to see Naruto's incredulous stare. "I figured not. Anyways, our wishes are similar so maybe so are theirs."
Just as he finished his thought, both men revealed their wishes.
Kurogane growled out, "I want to return from the world where I was" while the blonde chirped, "I want to never return to the world I'm from." Another look, though this time only one-sided as the ninja glared at Fai.
The fox gave a snort, "A comedy duo, the two of them. At least I was kind of right about their wishes."
The Witch gave a hum. "That's a hard thing to grant for both of you." She paused. "No, for all six of you."
"six?" asked Syaoran, looking around before seeing Naruto and Kurama.
Kurogane asked, "When the hell did you two arrive."
Naruto's right eye began twitching. "We arrived before all of you guys."
Kurama muttered loudly, "Ignorant fool."
Before the conflict could escalate, the Witch continued. "If you all pay separately, the cost would not be covered. If you all pay together, the cost would be covered, if only barely. You all have the same wish:" she turned to Syaoran and Sakura, "to go to different worlds to collect the girl's memories," the Witch turned to Kurogane, "to go back to your own world from a different one," she faced Fai, "To go to a world different from your own," and she nodded at Naruto and Kurama, "To find someone in a different world."
The Witch faced the five altogether. "You all want the power to travel to different worlds. While I cannot grant each individual wish, I can give you this ability—at least, if you give up your precious thing."
Kurogane was the first to ask resignedly. "Alright, what do I have to give up?"
"Your sword" the Witch said.
"WHAT?! I'll never hand over my precious Ginryuu," he shouted, backing away from the witch.
The woman merely grinned, "Alright, but I'm the only one in this world who can send you to a different world. So you'll be stuck here, never able to return home~" she taunted.
Kurogane scowled, "That can't be true."
"Nope. It's true" Fai disagreed.
Kurogane turned to the mage. "…Really?" He huffed angrily before shoving the sword to the Witch's face. "Fine. But I'll be back for it."
The Witch did not reply, opting to take to sword and levitating it to the lavender-haired girl.
Naruto did a double-take, when had the girls come back? He did not sense their return at all. His only consolation was that the boy, Watanuki, had not returned yet so not sensing his return was expected.
He turned back to the conversation, only to realize he missed what Fai had said about his price. Instead, Naruto watched as a red glow emitted from the mage's back before a tattoo of intricate swirls rose up and floated to in front of where the pink-haired girl was standing.
The Witch then turned to Kurama. "Your price will be a tail."
"WHAT!?" screeched Kurama, forgetting all about his earlier advice to Naruto about being polite. "Why would I ever do that? My title is the Nine-Tailed Fox. Nine. If I pay the price, I'll only have eight tails, not nine. That's also half my power gone."
"Be glad Kurama, that I only asked for one of your tails. If the other three were not present, I would have needed all of them," the Witch told the Kyuubi. "Besides you can still earn a ninth tail once again, merely not the same tail that you gave away, and what are the uses of your power if you are still tied to the boy?"
Kurama grumbled. "I still don't like this."
The woman added knowingly, "Oh and the technique you used to travel here won't be able to get you back to your world. It only works one way, to get you here."
"WHAT?! But..." the fox sputtered.
Naruto was also in shock. "Kurama! Did you know about this? This means that we pretty much have to pay the price."
The Kyuubi growled. "Of course not. If I knew, I would have never allowed you to persuade me to come here in the first place." A sigh of resignation. "Very well. I shall pay the price." As he agreed, one of his tails glowed bright red before bursting into bright particles and reforming in front him. It then floated to its place next to tattoo from the mage.
"Naruto. For you, the price is the necklace that you wear."
Startled, the jinchuriki grasped the blue-green stone of the necklace that Tsunade baa-chan had given him years ago. It was a promise, an oath to protect those precious to him. The blonde gritted his teeth. It was one of the first times that someone had believed in him and supported him outright. Now, he was trapped in this place unless he gave it up.
"Kurama." Naruto said calmly. "I'm gonna kill you. Tsunade baa-chan's gonna kill you."
The now five-tailed fox retorted, "Don't blame it all on me. This was as much your idea as it was mine."
Naruto sighed. "I suppose," he conceded. "Though when Tsunade baa-chan finds out, she's gonna kill both of us. Alright, I'll pay the price."
The woman nodded, unsurprised by his answer, before turning to the remaining couple. "You two. Your price shall be your relationship."
"Eh?"
She elaborated. "The most precious thing to you is your relationship with the girl so that is what I'll take. Even if all of her memories are retrieved, she will not be able to regain any memories concerning you, so there will no longer be any past relationship between the two of you. Consider carefully. Just what is your relationship with her?"
Syaoran paused for a brief second glancing at the girl in his arms. "Sakura…Sakura is the princess of Clow Country. She is my childhood friend. She is someone very important and precious to me. I will pay to price for it at least gives me a chance to save her."
The Witch of Dimensions asked, "Even if the relationship between the two of you will disappear, no matter how many feathers you collect?"
"Even then" replied the boy without hesitation.
"Very well." She turned to Watanuki who just arrived from the storage rooms, carrying something in his arms.
Naruto asked Kurama, "Do you think they timed that? It's so coincidental that right after all the prices were paid that he arrives with whatever she sent him to get."
"Who knows?" was the fox's uninterested reply.
The woman introduced the white creature in her arms. "This is Mokona Modoki. Mokona will be the one to take you to different worlds. However, Mokona cannot control where you will land, so your wishes all depend on luck to come true. Though if your wish is meant to come true, then it will. It is simply hitsuzen. A matter of fate, like how you were destined to meet here and now.
"Traveling to different worlds will be harder than you think. There are many worlds that are all different. You may meet people you know from past worlds—the same people in different worlds and with different lives. You may travel to a world with laws and customs you cannot understand, but you must keep living and traveling to find what you are looking for, not knowing where or when you will find it.
"Knowing this, will you continue on?"
The party of five (plus one unconscious girl) all nodded. Some added in their own cent such as Kurama's "Well, I already paid the price haven't I?"
The woman said, "Readiness and sincerity are qualities that are indispensible in accomplishing anything. Qualities you have. Very well"
As the white Mokona in her hands began in glow, Kurogane shouted, "Hey wait. Hand over the other one. You have two."
The Witch answered unapologetically, "Sorry, black Mokona is for communication only."
"Wait, so I have to travel with all of them?" Kurogane asked.
As Mokona jumped and grew wings, creating a magic circle underneath it from which emerged swirls of light that surrounded the six, she cheerily smiled, "Yup."
The last thing Naruto registered before being engulfed by Mokona was Kurama's shout of "What do you mean 'them?' Are we not good enough for you?"
He smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be bad after all. Though Tsunade baa-chan and his Sakura-chan were probably gonna kill him. Everyone else too.
~0~
Yuuko, shopkeeper of the wish-granting shop, the Time-Space Witch and Witch of Dimensions, (among other titles) stared up at the clear blue sky filled with a beautiful rainbow now that the rain stopped.
Though your journey will not be easy nor will it always be pleasant, may you all enjoy much happiness.