Claymore and Naruto: Children of Destiny
Scene 01: First Encounter, Part 1
by Geor-sama


"Can you do it?" Sasuke asked, with a faint smirk "Can you kill me?"

"I have to." Naruto said adopting a loose stance. "I can't let our friends die because of revenge."

"Hn, pretty words," Sasuke snarled "setting yourself up as the hero when you're really only continuing the betrayal of Konoha against the Uchiha!"

"The only person I'm betraying," Naruto growled ominously, eyes narrowing "is the person I swore to bring you back to. The person that loves you with all of her heart and who because of that love couldn't kill you when she had the chance. That's who I'm betraying Sasuke, and who I'm protecting...my most precious person."


Uzumaki Naruto woke up with pain lancing through his body and a groan on his lips, but he would have been more surprised if the pain had not been there. It was an old friend, a companion that had been at his side all his life: sometimes as emotional pain and at other times physical. Mentally he shook it off, pain didn't matter when compared to the fact that he was still breathing – though why exactly that was so surprising escaped him for a moment.

Clenching his eyes shut for a moment he pushed through the pain, shoving it into a small part of his mind so he could ignore it. Letting out a heavy breath he reopened his eyes, taking in what he could see of his surroundings with a calmness that he wasn't known for. Obviously he was a lying in a small clearing and it was night, but curiously he couldn't hear any insects or wild animals moving in the underbrush.

"What are you?" A feminine voice asked just beyond his feet.

Naruto twitched slightly from his spot on the ground, wondering how she had snuck up on him like that. Admittedly he was exhausted, hurt and more than a little out of it, but still he should have noticed her arrival before she said anything. Lifting his head, neck and shoulders screaming at him, he focused on her thankful that besides his enhanced healing, the presence of Kurama inside his body had left him with enhanced senses.

Despite this however, it was still hard to make out details, all he could see was that the woman was an ethereal beauty with long, wavy pale blonde hair wearing pieces of armor over a pale body suit with a cape and the large hilt of a sword visible over her right shoulder. It was almost a second hand realization when his own training told him that the way she was standing there was at once both casual and alert.

"Hi." Naruto managed nervously, trying to hitch a friendly grin to his face while mentally berating his reaction. He should have been past that when speaking with a pretty woman, especially women that seemed perfectly capable of causing him long-lasting physical harm. His smile disappeared a second later as the woman casually reached up and drew her sword, revealing a large sword that looked far more brutal than he would have preferred.

"What are you?" The woman asked once more, sword angled away from her body.

"Uh, a ninja?" Naruto asked, glancing uneasily between the sword and her. Sensing that his response didn't sit well with her, he tried again "Uhm, I'm Naruto the next Hokage of Konoha."

"What?"

"I'm a Shinobi." Naruto said slowly, wondering just how far he was from home. His name was pretty well known thanks to the war, but even then there should have been a reaction to the words Hokage and Konoha.

"You do have Yoki," The woman said slowly, as if considering something "you could be from the first Generation."

"Er...ok." Naruto said, easily figuring out that Yoki was this places term for Chakra, but the way she had said the term gave him good idea that it was similar to the chakra of Kurama. He made a mental note to ask Sakura, when sudden realization washed over him and it hit him that he had been fighting in a war-

"Are you part of the Organization?"

"Huh?" Naruto managed blinking stupidly at her, trying to grapple his thoughts and fractured memories under control. It was only belatedly that he realized that he was still lying on the ground and he really needed to get up. His thoughts were disrupted however, when he registered the fact that the woman was suddenly standing over him and her sword was descending from high over head toward him.

Swearing Naruto rolled to the side, avoiding the blade that buried itself in the ground and scrambled to his feet throwing a kick to her stomach as he did so. No sooner had he regained his feet and turned to face her, he was forced to duck under a slash at his head and jumped back, putting some distance between them. Landing with a skid his hand reached for his weapons pouch but found on a single kunai.

Brandishing his pitiful weapon, he eyed the woman who had paused momentarily, really not liking the odds he now faced. She was fast, her reflex's top-notch and she could take a hit: considering that his muscles were screaming, his breathing was labored and his chakra was at such an all time low he didn't dare try and call on Kurama's or attempt any real technique this was going to be an uphill battle all the way.

"You are skilled." The woman admitted, adjusting her sword slightly.

"I'm a Shinobi." Naruto said proudly, flashing a cocky grin and holding his head high "The greatest Shinobi to ever live."

She didn't respond verbally, but she suddenly disappeared from view with pseudo-motion. Eyes widening, he leaned back as the air stirred, the tip of the blade coming with an inch of his throat and then lifted a foot up to avoid the blades sweep at his ankle. Rebalancing as it came hurtling back at his mid-section; he kicked her hands hard forcing it back causing the woman to stumble from the sudden shift in momentum.

His opponent recovered however, pivoting around using the momentum to make another slash at his head. Naruto brought his kunai up, blocking the blow even as the impact sent him skidding away with such force that he almost fell over from it. Recovering from that particular clash, he shifted his stance in preparation for the next attack wishing he could call the fight off – but he doubted he could talk this woman out of whatever she was doing.

"So, do you have a name?" Naruto asked, hopeful that she would decide talking was the better option.

"You may call me a Claymore." The woman responded and suddenly she was gone in another blur of speed. Naruto pivoted and tried to stab her as she reappeared behind him, but she managed to twist aside. Naruto grimaced, but pressed his attacks, shifting tactics so that he could stay in close and keep her from freely using her sword but she soon enough realized his plan and slammed a fist into his chest sending him flying.

Pain flared to new levels from the blow, but he ignored it for the moment and let his shoulders fall back so that his weight carried lower. A second later his hand touched the ground and using his momentum and his hands performed a series of back flips before landing in a low crouch. He did not like the fact that she could apparently punch as hard if not harder than Sakura – then noticing the blade of his kunai blanched seeing the way it had nearly been sliced in half from blocking her earlier attack.

"Look, I think maybe we got off on the wrong-" Naruto started to say before he dodged to the side as the Claymore appeared before him, sword cleaving the ground apart yet again when it struck. Seeing an opening his life-long training kicked in and he hurled the kunai at her in her unprotected side, which he instantly regretted as she some how managed to bring her blade around in time to deflect his ruined weapon.

The kunai careened off at an angle, disappearing into the dark forest and left him weaponless.

"Oh shit." Naruto said, wondering if he should risk a Rasengan despite his low chakra. Then his eyes widened as he noticed the familiar spike of chakra unique to Jinchūriki, yet even as he registered it he noticed that the woman had disappeared before he could even notice. He moved out of instinct but not quite quick enough to avoid the attack completely, the blade slicing briefly into his leg before he managed to escape.

He didn't have a respite this time as the blade came at him in a blinding flurry of slashes and cuts, coming closer and closer to actually hitting him. Naruto's breath come in short painful bursts as he dodged each attack, before ducking beneath a slash at his neck and planting a hand used it as a pivot point to sweep at her ankle. She jumped over the attempt, and he sprang away while tossing a handful of dirt at her face as he did so.

His injured leg tried to buckle from the shifting weight, and taking the brief moment of distraction as she wiped the dirt from her eyes, he pulled on a tiny portion of Kurama's chakra to heal the wound. Sadly while it healed the wound, there wasn't enough to give him any kind of edge since he couldn't risk having what little remained of his chakra consumed. Leg recovered he looked up just as the woman finally cleared away the last of the dirt he had thrown, staring at him with silted golden eyes.

"Ok, can we just-" Naruto started once more, before she pulled her arm back and flung her sword at him with blinding speed. Anger and frustration exploded within Naruto and with every ounce of speed he still possessed dodged to the side, while reaching out to grab the hilt of the sword as it hurtled passed him. Landing he pivoted fast, tearing the blade from its path and hurling it right back at her, forcing the woman who had been charging at him to dodge to avoid getting impaled with her own sword.

She landed gracefully, golden eyes wide as the blade itself drove itself into a nearby tree.

"I'm fucking tired of you ignoring me!" Naruto shouted his already ragged breathing taking on an even harsher tone, and his entire arm felt like it was dislocated from his little trick just now. But it didn't matter, if this woman wanted to play badass, then he would do the same, and Uzumaki Naruto was damn good at being bad ass lately. "I do not want to fight. This fight is over, do you understand?"

The moment of expectant silence collapsed when a new and timid voice spoke. "Teresa?"

Cautiously, against his better judgment, Naruto let his attention drift to the young girl partially hidden behind a tree. The clouds over head were drifting across the moon, dimming the light, so it was hard to tell but she didn't look scared, just uncertain. Naruto puzzled over that but decided if they were travelling together it must not have been the first time the girl saw something like this.

"I told you to stay in the camp." The woman, Teresa apparently, said coolly her gaze never wavering from him even as her gold eyes faded.

"Look," Naruto said, his gaze returning to her "I'm tired, sore and utterly confused. So how about we stop fighting and talk this out? I'll tell you everything I know and you can answer a few of my questions."

Teresa didn't respond before she crossed the clearing calmly and pulled the sword free from the tree it had struck. Sheathing it over her shoulder without a flourish she paused, glancing back at him. "Do as you wish." That said she moved to the young girl and they both started walking into the trees.

Frowning, Naruto cautiously followed the pair.


Teresa watched him with unblinking eyes, taking in his every move, the way she might a Yoma she was hunting: He sat crossed legged on the other side of the fire across from her, back against a tree listlessly eating the leftovers of the game she had hunted for Clare earlier. The way he was dressed was not only unusual but a sign that he had been in a serious fight.

That was actually part of why she had attacked him in the first place, Awakened Beings (both male and female) often wore such tattered clothes. It also hadn't helped that while they spoke the same language he used terms that were either completely nonsensical such as 'ninja' and 'Hokage' or what could only be an ancient pronunciation for 'Senshi'. His clothes, combined with the odd words the strange Yoki he had made it imperative that she discover his true nature, and to gauge his skills.

Ultimately she decided that while he was an ancient warrior, possibly one that had been created even before the first generation, he had amazingly not awakened. His Yoki had never spiked to any significant degree, and his skills had been superb. All things considered, Teresa was inclined to believe his claim of being the 'greatest Senshi to ever live', she actually wondered what the fight would have been like if he had been in better condition.

None of that meant that she should be relaxing her guard around him though, after all the only male Senshi of significant skill was the Abyssal One of the North, The Silver White King Isley. The fact that Naruto was here, alone, meant that there was more to the situation that what she knew and it could potentially pose a serious threat to not only her own safety but that of Clare. Glancing at her companion Teresa ensured that the younger girl was asleep before turning her attention back to the man expectantly, wondering if what he would tell her.

"I believe it is time we talked." Teresa said after a moment, arms crossed over her chest, looking for any sign of dishonesty.

"Right," Naruto said, meeting her gaze and holding it. It almost seemed that he was staring at her soul, at her inner-most secrets, it was a little unnerving to be honest, but then he started to talk. He started haltingly, but as he began to relive it the words flowed faster and faster explaining a world and war that seemed outrageous beyond imagination.

He talked for hours, finishing when the moon had reached the peak of its journey across the night sky. Teresa didn't move, or speak, letting her mind churn over everything he had told her, knowing that he had held a few things back. After a moment she blinked once, head tilting to the side just slightly.

"So you're telling me that this Madara actually intended to use the moon to take control of the world?"

"Yes." Naruto said with a fractional nod.

"So you fought a war against him, but now have no idea where you are."

"Pretty much."

"I see." Teresa said slowly, frowning slightly. "As far as the Organization or I are aware, there is no place beyond this land. Many of those called Claymores suspect that there might be other continents, but no ships have ever found such a place."

Naruto's face fell at that, his gaze drifting to the fire. Teresa watched him for another moment before dismissing him and turning her mind toward his story and what she knew of this world. Was it possible he could actually be from another world, but then how could he have gotten here? Naruto admitted he didn't remember much about the war he had been in.

No, Teresa decided after serious contemplation, the answer was probably far simpler than that. His war had been before the first generation and the Bijū he mentioned were the catalyst for the creation of Yoma, and the creation of Senshi were based on old memories of those he called Shinobi. As for why he was so confused that too was simple: His battle against this Madara and Sasuke had resulted in being trapped some place in a state of suspended consciousness, and when he finally did regain his self-awareness he was left in a daze without any memories of anything that had occurred in the intervening years.

"So," Naruto said after a moment, his gaze turning back to her "What the hell is the Organization?"

"The Organization is the only thing that stands against the Yoma that infest the world." Teresa answered and then sensing his next question before he asked it, added "They do this by creating us, half-human and half-Yoma warriors."

"They make Jinchūriki?" he asked, but it was clear he was speaking more to himself than her. Even still she noted the odd word and the anger behind it.

"Yes. Much like how in your time they used children for the process, they do the same here. We are taken in as children by the Organization and turned into a weapon with which to protect the humans."

"Damn it." Naruto snarled, his eyes flashing with anger.

"We are a necessary evil," Teresa said, curious at his display of emotion "our lives before becoming Warriors are not pleasant. Most are little more than animals, many have seen their family's eaten alive by Yoma while others have experienced the helplessness of being a toy for a Yoma. Such pasts make us the perfect weapon to unleash upon the Yoma."

"Is there really no other way?" Naruto asked eyes troubled.

"Yoma can assume the shape of anyone they consume, with their memories and personalities. They are impossible to detect for anyone other than us, and even if they could be faced by a human it is rare for any to be skilled enough to slay one." Teresa explained closing her eyes "But even those few humans who can slay a Yoma would fail against the rare packs and they would be nothing before a Voracious Eater."

"Voracious Eater?"

"Long-lived Yoma of extreme power and appetite, very cunning creatures that even Warriors struggle against." Teresa said "The worst of them are the three known as the Abyssal Ones: Isley of the North, Luciela of the South, Riful of the West. They are powerful beyond anything imaginable, even the highest ranked of Warriors known as Claymores dare not stand against one."

"Like a Bijū." Naruto murmured, before sighing and his eyes closed "It's all fucked up."

"It's the world in which we live."

Naruto snorted at that, and Teresa allowed a faint smile at the noise. A moment later he blinked and stared at her intently "What did you mean 'my time'?"

"It is simple," Teresa said with a shrug of her shoulders "You claim this war consumed the world, yet you are here. With the fact that we have never once found evidence that there was a land beyond this one, in all the centuries that we have been alive and looking, there are only two options. One, you are from another world and have crossed over to this one. The other, and far more likely, is that you're war was in our past and for whatever reason, you ended up in a state of suspended consciousness while the world slowly rebuilt following the devastation of the war."

"Uh…"

"And to be honest, considering either option, I think it is more likely that the second one is true." Teresa said, giving him a faint smile "Literally you are 'The First', the spiritual ancestor to all Senshi that have come since you're time."

"But, but…" Naruto sputtered, staring at her with wide eyes and disbelief obvious in his countenance "I mean, I don't remember details but I know I beat Madara. We won the war, so how could everything change so much?"

"I don't know. I was not alive then, we have no record of such an ancient conflict either, but you say this Madara was planning to use these…Bijū…correct?" Teresa asked, and then at his silent nod continued "So maybe, once you defeated him they broke free and overwhelmed the gathered forces so badly that they had no chance at recovery. You have even said that without Shinobi there was no way for anyone to stand against these creatures, meaning they would have free reign to devastate the world."

"Oh kami…" Naruto murmured, looking stricken and he reached up grabbing either side of he had clenching his eyes shut. "No, no, no…that cannot be, you have to be wrong, I couldn't have slept while everyone was dying…"

"It is only a theory." Teresa said, guilt squirming in her mind upon seeing the kind of grief she was causing the man. "The only one that I can see with everything I know, but I am far from infallible."

Slowly he pulled his hands away from his head before nodding despondently after a moment, but otherwise remained silent staring at the ground between his feet. Teresa almost sighed at the sight, startled to discover that she could experience sympathy even for total strangers. Such small odd emotional response had started to become more and more frequent, most likely thanks to the presence of Clare.

"You said something about ranks." Naruto said, his tone subdued "How does that work? As ninja we have Genin, Chūnin, Jōnin and the very top a Kage."

"Rank is simple, there are 47 of us at any given time and each is assigned a district in one of the four regions. But basically, the lower the number the weaker the Senshi is." Teresa answered blandly. "However, there is not a radical difference in power between similar numbered Claymores, not until you reach 10 – 1. The jump between Numbers 6 and 5 is huge… as it stands I would say that in the terms of Claymore Rank you would match me as Number 1."

"Cool." Naruto said, brightening slightly, grinning widely before blinking "Hey, you mentioned something about a first generation a couple of times. How many Generations has there been?"

"There is no way of knowing for certain, because while Claymores may mature they do not age beyond full physical maturation." Teresa said "I have been alive for two 'generations' and there are some who have been alive since even before my 'generation' came to be. Most however, do not last that long as they lose themselves to the pleasure of using their Yoki and end up dead."

"Huh?"

"Within the Organization, those that humans call Claymores have a lost generation. The First Generation, made up of only male Senshi, and it was their failure that led to the understanding that only females were capable of serving as Warriors." Teresa said, closing her eyes "They became utterly addicted to releasing their Yoki, living only to fight so that they could experience the sensation. Naturally the more fights you enter, the shorter your lifespan becomes."

"Ok," Naruto said slowly, giving her a curious look "But how can anyone become addicted to Yoki?"

"Releasing Yoki often feels like the best sexual release imaginable," Teresa said, giving him a knowing grin "It is such that every time I release even a fraction of mine I am left aching."

"Er…" Naruto managed, cheeks turning red before he coughed into his hand averting his gaze from her "I-I think I'm going to sleep..."

"Very well." Teresa said, amused at his reaction.