Leave the poor, broke college student alone. He does not own Naruto or Ranma, and he certainly won't be able to pay you.

Flames will be used to heat my dorm room, since my roommate seems to enjoy having it freezing cold twenty four-seven.

I will be putting up a poll soon asking for harem ideas for Gaara. I plan on giving one to Naruto, and Gaara will be coming into this story early one, so I need some ideas for it. Don't ask about Naruto or Kushina. Naruto's harem is already fixed, and Kushina . . . well, just wait and see . . .

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Two days had passed since Ryouga was found burnt, and nothing was going right these days in Nerima. Shampoo had disappeared since then as well. For all that she disliked Mousse's lovesick habits; he was still the closest thing she had to a friend, even in her childhood. Thus, having her airen tear the boy's arm off was making her feel extremely conflicted.

Cologne had no idea when her great-granddaughter would reappear, or if she would come back in one piece.

Akane, on the other hand, spent most of her time at Ryouga's bedside. Over a third of his body was covered in second and third degree burns, and the rest of him wasn't in good shape either.

He also had a habit of flinching whenever a redhead passed by the open door of his hospital room, even if it was a young boy being wheeled by in a wheelchair.

With the way that she was acting, even Soun could tell that she had lost respect for her engagement to Ranma. Genma, on the other hand . . . well, he spent much of his time hiding in Panda form at the dojo, so he didn't notice anything.

The only member of the NWC that hadn't felt the pressure was Ukyo, and even she was nervous. The poor girl was one of the few people who realized that all bets were off in this situation. The old Ranma was gone, replaced by someone who had no qualms about causing unnecessary pain. Konatsu, her ninja servant/friend was on high alert.

All of Nerima was under a dark cloud, and no resident wanted this one to rain on them.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A meeting of what was left of the NWC was in session at the Tendo Dojo. Mousse and Ryouga were still in bed, trying to recover from their injuries. Ukyo and Konatsu were still in hiding. Shampoo hadn't come back yet.

"We must use extreme caution in going against son-in-law. From all reports, she has gained far more power than she had before she was sent away and no qualms against using it" Cologne stated.

"Elder, don't you mean he?" asked Nodoka. "After all, he is my manly son . . . isn't he?"

Cologne sighed. "She seems to have developed a female identity in this other world. It would be foolish to refer to her as if she were truly Ranma."

Nabiki couldn't help but roll her eyes at this. This conversation seemed to happen quite a bit, and yet nobody truly realized how bad things were. She was thankful that Kushina was so willing to allow her to go back with her. The only way this family would survive would be if only two people had to survive on what little money that was left and even that wouldn't last long enough, if Saotome Genma had anything to say about it.

The panda waved a sign over his head Bah! All we need to do is knock him on the head. It worked last time, flip it will work again this time!

Suddenly, the sign splintered into pieces! Genma jumped, let out what could have been a Panda Shriek, and then fainted. A yellow puddle seemed to seep out from under it.

In the wall behind him, one of Mousse's kunai was found poking out of the wall, a roll of paper attached to its handle. Cologne, who was the first to recover, hobbled over to it, rolled the paper off it, and opened it. She paled dramatically, and then rushed off without a word.

Nabiki, who had an idea of what was going on, picked the note up from where the Elder had dropped it, and read aloud:

Dear Cologne:

I have your great-granddaughter held captive here. If you don't want her to end up hurt worse than Ryouga, you might want to come to the Kuno mansion for negotiations. Don't worry, it's been emptied of victims already.

Sincerely,

Uzumaki Kushina

Jonin of Konohagakure.

The crowd froze, and then, as one, rushed out the door. Only Nabiki was left, shaking her head.

"I only pray that they don't force her hand . . ."

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The NWC gathered at the Kuno house in a rush. Cologne was looking everywhere in fright. She felt a strange energy in the area, but no sign of Kushina or Shampoo.

And then . . . she sensed something.

"Well, I guess everyone is here. Time to begin the show."

The redheaded Kunoichi stepped out of thin air, walking with her hands behind her back. She wore black jeans and a black T-shirt, covered by a biker's jacket. Before anyone could speak, she let loose a wave of KI that sent everyone into a mind numbing terror. Since Genma was left behind, Soun was the one that ended up wetting himself and fainting.

Cologne stood her ground. "Where is my great-granddaughter?" WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!?"

Kushina nodded once, and then put her hands into a hand sign. Suddenly, Shampoo appeared. She was bruised, but not hurt too badly.

She was also covered in a unusual series of paper, and hogtied by wire.

Cologne tried to move to her, but Kushina stepped in front of her, shaking her head. "Sorry, Elder, but if you or anyone else takes one more step, I'll be forced to do something . . . rash."

"Yeah, like what, you perverted bastard!" yelled Akane.

"Like this." Another hand sign was made, and the entire Kuno Mansion blew up in a fiery inferno.

As everyone looked on helplessly, Kushina spoke.

"Where I came from, we have many arts. The art of Genjutsu can hide things and drive people mad. The Art of Ninjutsu can cause massive amounts of damage and do many wondrous things. However, it is the art of Fuinjutsu that is the most versatile. Shampoo is covered in Explosion tags, which did what you saw. Imagine what will happen to her when I set those tags off!"

"Ranma, my son! Why are you doing this?!?" yelled out Nodoka.

Kushina shook her head, and in a monotone voice, replied "Ranma is dead. All that I am is Kushina, and all that is left of him are memories. You have taken me from my own child, and I will not stand for it. I am sorry, but I will do whatever it takes to get back to him."

She then turned her gaze to Cologne, and a fire entered her eyes. "Either you vow, by all that is sacred and holy to you and your tribe, to send me back home, or I will see to it that yet another child is lost. It is your call."

Cologne stood there, frozen. Silence reigned for a minute, and then, in whispered tones, she spoke.

"The other Elders will not stop seeking you. There is nothing I can do to change that."

"Then see to it that they will have to come for me. Konoha and the other Hidden Villages are too strong for them to fuck around with, and much less damage can be caused there than here. Send me back, and fix it so that I will never have to come here again, and I will let her go."

Cologne stood there, and then, nodded. "So be it. On my oath as an Amazon Elder, and as a servant of the Mother Goddesses, I promise to send you back."

"When?"

"Give me three days to get everything ready, and then meet me in the Nekohanten. You will be sent back then."

"So be it."

As Kushina turned away, disaster struck.

"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE HERE!" yelled Akane.

Kushina ignored her and continued to walk away, so Akane, in her rage, summoned her mallet and charged.

Suddenly, there was a blur, and Akane was set flying in the opposite direction. Soun, who had just recently woken up, yelped and ran to catch her. He did so, and then smashed into a tree.

Everyone stood there in shock . . . at least, everyone except for Kushina, who had turned back around.

"She'll be fine, but her nervous system has been reset. If you want the secret to fixing her, then don't double cross me. Otherwise, she will never be a fighter again." Then she vanished.

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Nabiki lied on her bed, waiting for the others to come back. After a second, she spoke. "You know, it would be considered polite to knock."

Kushina materialized out of thin air again. "So I guess that genjutsu sensing technique worked, eh?"

They looked at each other in silence, and then Kushina stepped away and moved towards the desk. "Everything went according to plan, but your sister had to have the last word. I used a medical technique that killed her reflexes, so in case something goes wrong, I'm leaving the cure here for Cologne to read."

"When are we leaving?"

"Three days."

Nabiki nodded once. "Thanks for letting me come with you."

"As long as you're willing to train for your own protection, and help me with Naruto, I'll be happy." Turning around, she smirked. "You do know that I am going to up your physical training when we get back to my world, right?"

Nabiki nodded solemnly. "Training to fight is better than training to become a whore, which is what I'd end up doing if I stayed here. The Yakuza only stayed away because Ranma was willing to beat up their thugs whenever they entered the area. That won't last much longer."

They stood in silence once more, and then Kushina nodded once, and then turned away. "See you in three days."

She then disappeared in a whirl of leaves.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Three days later . . .

Cologne paced back and forth. Shampoo hadn't come out of her room since her rescue, and she hadn't eaten anything either. Soun and Genma, on the other hand, were staking out her restaurant, waiting to catch Kushina.

It was times like these where she actually wished Happosai was back in town . . .

Akane was stuck in the hospital, and was unable to defend herself from the male classmates who came to wish her well. They had heard that Ranma was gone, and thought they had a chance at her.

She was going to be in a world of hell, if she didn't get cured.

Suddenly, a shimmer appeared in front of her, and Kushina and Nabiki appeared. As Cologne raised an eyebrow, Kushina shrugged.

"She wanted to come, and she had a decent reason for it."

Nabiki nodded. "Our finances are so bad right now; it was either I do this, or sell myself to the Yakuza as a whore."

Cologne blinked, and then grinned. "I assume that is why Kasumi left in such a rush when her Doctor came for her?"

Both girls shrugged and grinned. The old women sighed. "I have everything ready to go. Follow me, please."

She led them into another room, where a magic circle was drawn on the floor. Cologne directed them into the center of the circle, and then asked "I assume that you might have something of your husband on you, that may help us guide you in? Your wedding ring would do, though you won't be able to take it with you."

Kushina hesitated for a minute, and then nodded. She reached under her shirt and pulled a silver chain out of it, a gold ring hanging off of it. She handed it to Cologne.

Cologne took it into her hands, and then started to chant. The ring glowed brightly, and after a few seconds, the glow transferred to the circle. Winds started to pick up around them, and the light grew brighter . . .

Just before the light reached its zenith, the door burst open, allowing the two girls to see Soun, Genma, and a crying Nodoka . . .

And then, they were gone.

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Over six years after the Kyubi attack . . .

Two cloaked figures walked the path towards Konoha. Having appeared three months ago, in the middle of Tsuchi no Kuni, the two had immediately gone underground. As Kushina was well known in the war between Iwa and Konoha, she was unable to do much in the way of shinobi travel. She had, on the other hand, a great chance to teach Nabiki the basics.

Nabiki had picked up the art of Chakra molding quite well. She knew enough about ki to make it work, and Kushina, after she had assimilated the memories of her past self, had developed several exercises to make the transition. All in all, with the training that she was given, Nabiki was easily at a low genin level.

Kushina, on the other hand, had only recently recovered from her pregnancy. Her shinobi skill set had come back to her, and after seeing her in action, Nabiki could easily see why she wasn't worried about taking on several Amazon elders should they come for her.

Hell, compared to Kushina, Ranma was barely at chunin level . . .

Nabiki winced slightly as she moved forward. The spar they had last night had left a few bruises on her, but after the last couple of weeks, the pain wasn't anything to complain about. Besides, she was in a hundred times more pain after they had started sparing when they got here. If it wasn't for those massages, she might have not been able to move much at all!

Flashback: three months ago . . .

Nabiki groaned as Kushina kneaded and massaged aching muscles. The workout today was extreme, and Nabiki had never been in this much pain in her life, but Kushina seemed to be a master of both pain and pleasure.

"For someone who only worked out to keep her form, you're pretty decent in a fight. Mind you, until you learn how to manipulate chakra, you are going to continue feeling like crap." Kushina remarked.

"Yeah well, I just have to pick up on that soon then! Not like I have much to distract me here . . . " Nabiki replied, somewhat wistfully.

Silence reigned for a minute, and then, in a low tone, Kushina asked "Do you regret coming with me?"

Nabiki hesitated for a second, and then sighed. "I would have been forced to leave home anyways; this was the best choice for me. It's just that . . . I just realized that there isn't much left from my old life. Kasumi has a chance at happiness. Akane and Daddy are too far gone to care, and everything I've ever known is now unfamiliar to me . . .

"And . . . "

Nabiki sighed again. "I gave up on the only person who I had ever developed feelings for for the good of the family, and now he's gone. I . . . I fear that I may never have that chance again . . .

Kushina sighed and smiled wistfully. "You know, I thought that once too . . . "

"You did?"

"Uh-huh. I met my first love back in Uzugakure, a few years before its destruction. We were best friends, and soon, we became more . . . "

"What happened?"

"She died in a mission about a year and a half before Uzu fell."

"I'm sorry . . . wait." Nabiki turned around to face the redheaded kunoichi. "Did you say 'she'?"

Kushina smiled at the girl. "As shinobi, we must understand that our lives may or may not last that long. Our lives are constantly at risk, and we must be willing to do what we must to live. While civilians may have issues with such relationships, veteran shinobi are lucky to find someone who they can trust, and who is willing to care for them when they are at their weakest."

Her smile then turned wistful. "As shinobi, to find that kind of love is rare. Therefore, we only have two choices. We can either ignore those feelings and try to find it in a form that matches what civilian society finds normal, or we can take a chance at happiness, no matter what form it may be in."

"My first love was a woman. My second was a man. Gender doesn't matter much to me; what matters is the person who is inside."

End Flashback

Nabiki couldn't help but remember that conversation. If Akane had subscribed to that philosophy, would there have been so many problems back then?

Could she subscribe to that philosophy?

As they neared the village, Kushina gave her a hand signal, and both girls fell into a run towards one side of the road. They left the road, and headed towards a rock in the middle of a field.

"I've probably been marked down as dead since my disappearance, and I'd rather not go through an interrogation, so we can't go through the main door." Biting her hand, she smeared a bit of blood onto the rock, and they watched as a tunnel opened up in front of them. "Minato and I used to use these tunnels for some of our late night rendezvous. We can get in through here."

She turned to Nabiki. "If we get to Sarutobi-sensei, we can get past that with his voucher."

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He ran.

For six years he had lived like this. The old man and the Ichirakus were the only ones who ever cared for him. Everyone else hated his guts for some reason.

Most nights, he was safe in his apartment, which the Hokage had given him when the orphanage kicked him out at age four. However, there were some nights when he couldn't hide there.

Like tonight.

Sometimes the ANBU would step in and save him before things got too bad. Other times he's see a masked figure joining into the hunt, and assisting the mob in their torture.

Tonight, he had to leap out of the window due to having a firebomb thrown into his apartment. Now, he was fleeing, while trying to dodge rocks, beer bottles, and the occasional kunai. His clothes were burnt, he had blood all over what rags were left, and he wasn't sure how much longer he would last.

Suddenly, having turned a corner, he ran into something. This happened to him occasionally. One time, after managing to escape the mob, he ran into a Kumo shinobi who was trying to kidnap a young girl. He had managed to distract him long enough for a Hyuuga to come, most likely the girl's father.

The old man had praised him for it, and the Hyuuga thanked him for the distraction.

Still, these raids continued happening every now and then.

He could hear the mob catching up to him, so he managed to get back up, only to find himself face to face with two older women. The first one, who was standing up, was a brown haired girl, with shoulder length hair. A traveler's cloak was draped over her, preventing him from seeing any weaponry.

The second one, the one he ran into, was a slender redhead, with long, flowing hair. Her build immediately screamed 'high level ninja', but her eyes . . .

Her blue eyes stared at him in a kind of shock-like trance.

As he leapt up to run from the two ladies (he didn't have a good track record when it came to running into people during these nights), the redhead spoke.

It was only a whisper, but the tone of voice it carried, and the word she spoke, stopped him dead cold.

"N . . . Naruto-chan . . . "

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COMING UP NEXT: The mob learns the true meaning of the word demon from the redheaded devil herself. Sarutobi gets chewed out, the council gets shot the bird, and Naruto's training and healing journey begins. Later, a Tanuki gets sealed, and another redhead joins the fun. Stay tuned!