Chapter 002
One person though how this idea will work... Well I'll make it work, trust me. You'll still have all of the Naruto goodness, just twisted with a bit of Yu-Gi-Oh!
Naruto woke up the next morning, yawning as he saw chibi Kyuubi asleep at the foot of his bed in the guest room he was invited to stay. Not that anyone knew but Naruto, like Judai, held a Duel Spirit. Few Duelists he had met when he had gone to Duel Academy held Duel Spirits. Judai's spirit was Winged Kuriboh, and that arrogant jerk from Obelisk Blue, had the Duel Spirits of the Ojama Trio. They were the only two he knew with Dueling Spirits.
Now, if many question this, the adults of Konoha hate Naruto because not only was he alive, but he's now going to be a ninja for the village, but he is also the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi... whom is now sealed inside the card instead of him. Why? Because of that one other misadventure... where Naruto was one of the groups of duelists who'd been transported to that other worldly realm with Judai and his friends. The Kyuubi's demonic chakra flared when Naruto found himself cornered by a bunch of Fiend-type monsters, but somehow after destroying them all, it had been switched jail cells: she now resides in her own card and not within the original jailer. Sure the chakra has remained locked within Naruto, but the physical manifestation of the sealed demon was now locked within the card. And only he can see Kyuubi, unless she decides others can see her, to those with the awareness to see spirits such as her anyway.
But back to the morning at hand, Naruto left the bathroom after freshening up, and got dressed. He wore the same outfit, but the shorts are black. The jacket this time was a dark gray color, with long sleeves and tied around his waist. And this time, worn around his neck was a pair of dark green goggles. Though his Duel Disk still held the orange and white color scheme, he left the estate and headed towards the Shinobi Academy, to join the program. Like he had told Sarutobi yesterday, a bit of coffee, and he had cram studied until he conked out. Of course, somewhere among the wor, Sarutobi had slipped in something for Naruto to learn as part of his first line of jutsus... that can be talked of at a later time...
With his headphones worn, he switched on his CD/Mp3 Player he had safely in the right pocket of his jacket, and listened to his InuYasha CD. As he gently bopped his head to the beat of the song Come sung by Namie Amuro, he walked past the Jounin Bar. There sitting at one of the open booths, was Maito Gai along with Hatake Kakashi, Yuuhi Kurenai, and Sarutobi Asuma.
"So, this is Uzumaki Naruto, hm?" Kakashi spoke up, as the boy walked further away from the bar.
"Crawford Naruto. He tends to use the name Crawford more than Uzumaki," said Asuma.
"Crawford Naruto, eh? Sounds somewhat odd."
"He lived in the Outside for thirteen years," spoke Gai, "with an old youthful friend of Hokage-sama's."
"Father said he was to come back and become a ninja when he reached that age. Though I question how he'll fare in the shinobi world..."
=0=0=
Naruto knocked on the door of the classroom Sarutobi told him to report to in the morning. By the sounds of it, class was just starting. The door opened, and in the way was a pink-haired girl.
"Hello, is this Umino Iruka's class? 5-B?"
"Of course," she replied.
"And you are?" The sensei named Iruka called.
"Crawford Naruto. The Hokage may have posted a note in your mailbox this morning?"
"Ah, Naruto... yes, we've been expecting you. Class had just started." So he's the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki... I wonder if he knows... no, probably not. He's been living outside the village for thirteen years... Iruka hope the boy wasn't given much trouble on his return. He was one of the very few who had protested on Sarutobi taking the boy away from the village, the others being Toad Sannin Jiraiya, and Slug Princess Tsunade.
Naruto walked into the classroom, before Iruka. He knew that all of the students were looking at his Duel Disk. Sure the Shinobi Realm has technology, but nothing too advanced. "So Naruto... why don't you introduce yourself to the class...?"
"Sure thing. My name's Crawford Uzumaki Naruto, though I use the Crawford name more than the other name I was given at birth. I was adopted by my father Crawford J. Pegasus, owner of a multi-billion currency company, and sole creator of the game Duel Monsters." He unslots his deck and lifts the deck of cards for all to see, "I have an extended family who live across the world, I'm an unofficial family member of the Kaiba's, best friend with Mutou Yuugi, Yuki Judai, I'm ranked Number Two in the Top Twenty-Five Regional Championship of the United Kingdom, ranked Number Twelve in the Top Fifty Regional Championship of Japan, and ranked Number Nine in the Top Fifty Regional Championship of North America. I also own stock business of Industrial Illusions, the company my father owns, and so far helped avert two world crisis in the form of The Society of Light, and Nightshroud."
"... Okay, Naruto. Care to explain that... thing on your arm?"
"Oh, this?" Naruto lifted his left arm, "This is my Duel Disk. This is used as part of the game Duel Monsters. Here let me demonstrate." He turns it on, and the slide arms slid out, before Naruto brought his arm to his chest as the duel slots locked in place. The counter flickered on, revealing the number 8000. Now he knew he had gotten their attention. After everything had turned on, he switches the mode to Demo.
"Let me summon my signature card." He searches his deck, before pulling the card with his lips, and slotting the rest back into the deck case on his belt. "I call forth Kyuubi no Kitsune," Eyes had bugged out at the declaration of the name, "in Attack Mode!"
The swirl of lights erupted forth as Naruto slap the card into the Monster Zone, and when the lights faded... a cute little mewl was heard. All the girls went kawaii at the sight of an adorably cute nine-tailed fox, with its cute anime-like red eyes, no bigger than a medium sized teddy bear; the right size to scoop her up and cuddle her to your chest. The guys of the classroom sweatdropped as did Iruka and Mizuki. A boy named Uchiha Sasuke just grunted, not giving two cents a damn. He probably punts puppies across the street...
"What? Expected something else? Kyuubi is part of the Youkai Deck series, though I own only Kyuubi. My father gave me this card when he had completed the Youkai Series, and ever since then, Kyuubi is recognized world-wide as my signature card. She is a Level Six star monster, with the attack strength of twenty-two hundred, and defense strength of two thousand. Though I don't know why, Kyuubi is a Zombie-Type (though she would do better as a Beast-Type), her Attribute is Fire, and she has a card effect.
"While this card is in your Graveyard, you can Tribute 2 Zombie-Type monsters to Special Summon this card. If this card is Special Summoned from your Graveyard this way, it gains the following effect: During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent. When this card is destroyed and sent from the field to the Graveyard, Special Summon 2 Fox Tokens."
As he demonstrated, he removed Kyuubi from the field, and in its place, were two baby foxes with closed eyes, snoring quietly. "And if I was to Special Summon it from my Card Graveyard through the card's effect, THEN you get the Kyuubi that is depicted in the card's art detail." He showed Iruka and Mizuki the feral form of the bijuu. He switches the Duel Disk off, and the holograms of the baby foxes disappeared, and it locked back into place, while he slips Kyuubi's card back into his Deck Case, and snap the lid shut.
"Well, that was interesting, Naruto. There is a free seat next to Hyuuga Hinata. The girl with the pale lavender eyes."
He nodded and walked over to the indigo-haired girl, and sat down next to her.
"You got beautiful eyes, Hinata."
She broke into a heated blush.
"Excuse me, Iruka-sensei, but how come Crawford-san is just joining us?" asked the blonde girl, Yamanaka Ino.
"Hokage-sama trusts Naruto's abilities. His adoptive father from the note I had received in my mailbox this morning, was a smart man, and had tutors to grant him an early education in the Outside."
"The Outside, sensei?"
"Yes, as you know, there is a chakra barrier that fused with the energies of the Earth, and thus hid what is called the Shinobi Realm, from the Outside. Another name it has been referred, but not called, is The Mists, or Beyond the Mists. Naruto is in fact a genius from where he was raised... beyond the mists."
"When it comes to dueling," Naruto interrupted, "I'll admit I do skip lessons once and awhile... but dueling is my passion... learned that from Seto," he snickered to himself, "but I can prove I can catch up five years of your class teachings in these last three weeks, Iruka-sensei."
"I'll hold you up to that Naruto, however I know you can. Hokage-sama wouldn't say things that are not true. Speaking of which, class... time to head outside. Today's lessons are with kunai accuracy."
=0=0=
Most, if not all, Duelists have a signature card or in some instances a signature deck. Yuugi's signature monster was the Black Magician. Jonouchi's was Red-eyes Black Dragon. Kaiba's signature monster was Blue-eyes White Dragon. Then Judai's signature monster was his Winged Kuriboh, given to him by Yuugi in a chance encounter. Now, for signature decks, one such was Bakura's type with the Occult, or themes that represent chance, life and death, cards of that nature. Naruto's father Pegasus; his signature deck would always be his Toon Monsters. His friend, Ishtal Sekai, he would use the Gravekeeper's Deck, and fill it with cards that represented the magicks that existed since ancient times or represent in some shape or form i.e. Sennen Shield, Sennen Golem, The End of Anubis. For Naruto, his signature deck was intermixing some of his originality with the Frog and Ninja series. Add Kyuubi, a few Spirit monsters, and a healthy stock of other cards, and his deck is known as a mix, similar to the mixed decks that Yuugi uses during his teen years; back then when the Sennen Items were in play with the world.
Since he was just joining this class, he waited last, to get a good view-over of the target practice, using kunai. As he leaned against the tree shuffling his deck, something he does whenever he's bored or waiting calmly, the last student had gone up and shown good accuracy for his five throws.
"Crawford Naruto?"
Naruto slots his deck back into the card case, and walks up. Despite being asked about the Duel Disk, he's kept it on. His reasons were it is his only one and he'd hate to lose it. That and it'd be a pain in the ass to get it replaced, and that's just after getting in contact with either Seto or Pegasus, whomever is the first available.
"Have you understood the lesson?" Iruka asked.
"Of course. I mean it can't be different from card throwing," he replied.
"Card throwing?"
"Yeah, with a deck of poker cards. I was able to once draw a bit of blood with one throw when I was seven... probably could do more if they were thin metal card sheets finely sharpened to a point they can slice fingers."
Mizuki blanched at that happening to anybody, especially him... yes especially him.
"Can... that happen?"
"Yeah. There was this gang of thugs whom call themselves the Metal Card Club. Killing innocent people who, in crime forensics detected, were either duelists like myself, or have committed infidelities such as... you know." Finger motions and Iruka immediately told him to continue, "I was in downtown San Francisco, visiting Rebecca and Mokuba, when one day while we were out exploring this one shop that once housed a TV show called the Myth Busters we came across the Metal Card Club. They were also Kyuubi Hunters."
"K-K-Kyuubi Hunters?" Iruka choked out. Naruto looked behind him, and saw the students staring at him when he mentioned the bijuu's name.
He took out Kyuubi's monster card from his deck. "Kyuubi no Kitsune is recognized world-wide in the Dueling Community as my signature monster card. There were a group of men whom call themselves the Kyuubi Hunters because in one way or another, they want to attack my father by targeting me." He puts Kyuubi back in her deck case, and they were also the ones who sent that guy to duel me using a found card of the Orichalcos during the Rose Bowl Tournament.
"Why would they do that? I don't understand?"
Naruto shook his head. "I do not know myself. I have only met one other man whom sworn to get even with my father. His name was Keith Howard... when I was six years old he trapped me inside a warehouse and forced me to duel or I get killed instead. He had rigged an old Duel Monsters Playing Field with the quantity equaling a small cemetery field of explosives... he committed suicide when I beaten him by trying to blow up the ware house as well to insure that we all died with him. I and the Yugi-tachi whom come to rescue me during the Life or Death Duel had escaped with minor injuries... I was hospitalized for a month.
"I should have been paralyzed for life, but one month and I'm walking out of the Domino Hospital fully healed. But that's my crazy life being part of the Crawford Family... I share the same enemies my father has racked up."
=0=0=
"Have you found him?"
"Yes Master K-"
"DON'T YOU DARE! Never refer to me by my real name. I am MASTER DEATH! Do you understand me!?"
The cowering man bowed low again, trembling.
"You had better. Now, where is Crawford's son?"
Another stepped up. "The Hunters have tracked him to this area in the ocean... apparently one crew disappeared, but then appeared three days later. There's this hidden realm where ninjas exist. From what I had found, there's a world hidden behind a barrier made of the very energies of the Earth. To the people within that barrier, we're called the Outside."
The young man frowned, as he stared outside the large glass windows, to the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean. "I will send Team KH-M. Malfoy, Rain, you two shall find Crawford... use the Orichalcos cards we have in supply, but not in your first encounter. Beware that you can only use only one shard of the stone if you have no choice but to use the Orichalcos card. Use it wisely."
The two men bowed and swept out of the office.
"As for the rest of you, get out of my sight!"
They ran for it, scared of their boss.
"Damn low-life grunts... dad may have never killed Pegasus, but I'll kill his son for him..."
Cue the clap and flash of thunder and lightning.
=0=0=
The three weeks have passed, and Naruto sacrificed some sleep when it came to his studies. And proving himself, had worked to earn that Hitai-ate, which he now wore around his neck. Though he still enjoys the thrill of dueling, elsewhere two men have entered the Shinobi Realm, and were tracking down Naruto to the very village Pegasus sent him to on his thirteenth. Speaking of whom, Naruto had just left the Ramen Shop, having made friends with the owner of the shop Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame.
As he entered the Sarutobi Estate, he opened the front door and leapt to one side as three children failed to tackle him again. They were the Konohamaru Corps., three kids whom hang out most of the time at the Estate.
"Hello guys," Naruto greeted, chuckling as Konohamaru scowled playfully.
"One of these day's we'll grab you."
"That sounded odd right there, you know," Naruto teased, as he entered the home. Two weeks ago Sarutobi had found Naruto a place to live, but Konohamaru, whom had warmed up to Naruto, didn't want him to leave, so in light of things, asked the Hokage if he could just live at his home and watch over Konohamaru. He agreed. Besides the apartment he found for Naruto had only one other resident: Maito Gai. I wonder why...?
Closing the door to his bedroom, he slips the Duel Disk off onto the nearby table, switches his TV set on, and with the items he has carried with him from his old bedroom from the Outside, began playing his PS2. Naruto was a sucker for Grand Theft Auto games; which was Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.
And during the night hours, two unfortunate guards who had the night-shift duty, looked up the business ends of two guns with silencers attached. They wouldn't be found until the next shift which was nine in the morning the very next day. The same with the body of Mizuki Touji and the discovered Forbidden Scroll of Sealing in his back in some bushes near the gate tower.
"You have a great deal of strength Hinata," Naruto told the lavender-eyed girl, "You just need to find that strength inside of you, and bring it out. Trust me... you are not weak. I trust you."
She and Naruto have gotten along very well, but she was still treated coldly by her father, and the prick Neji whom Naruto hated him for. She blushed constantly whenever Naruto was around her, but being with him, has boosted her confidence levels up, though she was still shy at times. Her father doesn't help much, the teme...
"T-Thank you, Naruto-kun."
He smiled softly, and she gave a small smile back. The accessories missing were his Dueling Deck, and the Duel Disk he would usually wear. He left those back at home, sealed within a scroll he learned to do from Sarutobi. As they entered the school's front gates, Hinata suddenly felt herself getting jerked away, and then a cold piece of metal pressed against her forearms, arms locked so she couldn't escape.
"Hello Naruto Crawford, we've been searching for you," spoke Charter Malfoy.
Naruto turned around, and jumped back as a tall brute of a man pointed a gun at him. A female Jounin, named Yuuhi Kurenai, saw this, and immediately signaled ANBU while leaping down. Malfoy smirked as numerous ninjas with masks appeared, swords drawn. A Hyuuga member who as a Branch member assigned this task of watching Hinata, returned back to the Hyuuga Lot to warn Hiashi of what was happening.
"Make one wrong move," Malfoy then cocked the pistol, "and I blow her brains all over the pavement..." Now this was troublesome... it was attracting crowds already, one of them the head of the Hyuuga Clan whom just Shunshin into the area.
"Naruto Crawford... you disappeared three weeks ago, but on accident we discovered this barrier veil that hid a different world from the rest of us. Eerily I'm reminded of J.K. Rowling's books."
"And your name has no insignificant attachment to her books?"
"Coincidence," was the man's reply, holding the Hyuuga Heir hostage, "I see you don't have your Duel Disk... why don't you be a good little boy and retrieve it. The only way we'll free this girl is if you beat my friend here in a duel. If anyone tries to rescue her, I'll blow her head open."
"How do I know I can trust you? You're a Kyuubi Hunter," Naruto bit angrily, as the civilians all gasped at the taboo name.
Malfoy chuckled. "I am a man of honor, believe it or not. Win the duel, you'll rescue the girl, but if you are defeated in this duel, we'll kill her and return to headquarters. It's as simple as that, Crawford. Go."
Naruto growled but then turned the other direction, and ran back towards the estate. Hiashi however did not like the idea of the demon boy rescuing his daughter, so he charged Byakugan flared... and collapsed to the ground, his right knee blown from a gunshot Rain let out. Hinata screamed in fright, as the civilians jumped away, and the ninjas grew tense. Hiashi was on the ground, in horrendous pain, that two ANBU members jumped in and brought the fallen man back.
It was at the time Naruto returned, that the Hokage also Shunshin to the area.
"Ah, good Naruto. Now, shuffle your decks gentlemen, turn the Duel Disks on, and let us begin. The stakes of this match rests upon your shoulders Crawford. You win, she's freed. You lose, she dies."