Chapter 4

Here the next chapter. Thanks for reading

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Several months have gone by since Naruto had wound up India with Amiya. After he got better he helped Amiya out around her place and village to repay her for her help. Amiya after asking around, she found him a job in a local blacksmith forge, so he could earn some money before he had to leave. During those months the blond found himself really liking the woman in a big sisterly way. They would talk and he would tell her about Hinata and where they lived and some of their adventures he and Hinata had went on and Amiya would tell him stories about her father and how he had traveled around the lands, learning many things, from magic's too the martial arts. Right now the two were sitting down in her home, it was night and they were quietly eating some soup by the fire.

"Naruto," Amiya spoke breaking the silence and getting the teen attention. "That seal on your stomach, what does it hold," she asked. She had her friend look it over the copy of the seal, she had made and he had told that, he has never seen anything like it before, but believed that it held something very powerful with it. She had wanted to ask Naruto about it weeks ago, when she had first learned of this, but couldn't bring herself to do it, for some reason. However, today might be the only time she gets a chance to learn of what such a complex seal could hold.

Naruto looked down wondering if he should risk telling her or not, 'Well I guessed she has a right to know for all the nice things she has done for me.'

"It holds that fox I told you about. When I was just a baby when it attacked my village and the only way to stop it was to seal it away in me," he answered tensing up wait for her reaction.

She seemed to think about it for a moment before looking back to him. She saw the slight fear in his eyes, "It's alright I'm not going to doing anything. But I am amazed that you hold back such a beast." Naruto eased up a little she then reaches into her robes and pulled out a scroll "Here," she handed it to him, "This is a map. In it are several mark places from here to China they're all friends of my father, back when he was traveled around a lot. I know all of them when I was young they're very nice they might help you out on your journey," she explained.

He looked at her a little surprised "I couldn't you've done too much for me already," he spoke.

She smiled "Don't worry I know why Kyuubi brought you here?"

The blond eyes widen, "How do you know its name I never told you he answered,"?

She chuckles, "Back when my father was on his training journey all over China and India learning all he could. He came upon a huge nine tailed fox called Kyuubi that was attacking a small village. He fought with it, to save the villagers from its wrath and in the end managed to hold it back for several days until the people had all gone to safety. Kyuubi was very impressed by my father's power and bravery and let him and the villagers go. I think the fox brought you here, hoping that my father could train you. Unfortunately my father died many years ago, but these are the people and friends he learned everything from. If you go to them they might teach you as well," she told him.

The blonde's eyes were wide "So is that true fox," he spoke into the seal

"Hump!! Yes boy," was all he got.

This was amazing to the blond, but it brought up several questions about the fox now.

"Thank you for your help, but I can't I have to get strait back to Hinata as quickly as possible if I go on this training trip it takes me several years," he answered.

"Do you really think that woman will simply give her back to you!" Amiya began, "She tried to have you killed. She isn't just going to give Hinata up without a fight, it may take you a little more time to get there, doing it this way, but once you're done. Then, you'll have the strength and skill to free her and protect her," she finished.

Naruto thought about what she said for a while. 'She had a good point,' he thought, 'he only got away because they underestimated me the last time and even then I almost died in the process. Next time I face them again. I won't get off so luckily. No! Next time they won't underestimate me they'll just killed, he realized. Memory of what the fox told him came to mind and he let out a sigh, 'I guess I have little choice. If I want to save Hinata I need to get as strong as possible,' he looked up at the woman "Thank you Amiya, I guess your right. I can't simple run in head first anymore." He spoke feeling a little down.

She smiled and nodded "Have faith Naruto, Everything will work out in the end. Besides you told me before that Hinata was very strong. So she will be fine," she told him trying to comfort him.

Naruto smiled a little "Yeah she may not think so herself, but she's very strong," he answered a little happier now.

The two went back to eating their meal, Naruto thought about the fox some more. Something told him that it had a lot to do with how both he and Hinata had wound up in this world and maybe it knew away back home. 'After all it can't be a coincidences that we wound up in a world where the fox had once been,' he thought.

Back in it seal the fox smirked 'So the boy finally putting the pieces together,' it thought with a chuckled, 'Maybe there's hope for the boy yet.' It thought before going back to sleep.

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It was night out as Hinata sat gloomily practicing playing her koto given to her by Azame. The woman was setting close by drinking tea with another woman by the name of Taka Yin she was a mast koto player and had come upon Azame request to teach Hinata, the two women were long time friends.

"So how is she doing," asked Azame?

"Very well! In fact, she has a natural talent for it and has learned several songs already. They're a little gloomy and hunting, but I think that will draw a lot more people to her. She has kind of a mysterious sad beauty about her that men seem so like.

Azame nodded, "Good, but do you think she is good enough to play in front of other," she asked?

"Yes more than good enough." She paused, "Why"?

"Well, I asked a bar owner to let her play at his place. The man agreed and I figure it gives her a chance to get out of here and get some experience playing in front of people," she explained.

Yin nodded "I see. Well you're right it might be good for her to play and get used to the pressure of playing in front of people." the woman nodded before taking a sip of tea quietly for a moment. "Azame? May I ask why you gave her that particular set of clothing," she asked?

Azame glanced over at her, "No reason I figure I rather give them to her, than let them gather up dust. Besides it better than the rags she had on."

The woman looked at her skeptically for a moment before looking back to Hinata, "Alright that good for today. Go and give your hands a rest Hinata," Yin ordered. Hinata looked over at them and nodded before taking off the finger pick and got up and left the room.

"What is it?" Azame looking at her old friend a bit annoyed now.

"Hinata looks just like Nekome minus the eyes," she spoke.

"I haven't noticed," she answered

"Azame I know you miss her and all, but Nekome died a long time ago, you need to let her go," she spoke.

"I know that." she answered coldly before looking down, a sad look cross her face. "I did let go of her, but still when I saw Hinata for the first time I just wanted to be close to her."

The woman sighed "And let me guess that boy she loved didn't die at the hand of bandits. You got rid off him, didn't you?"

"So what if I did, it was just some boy with nothing. I can give her everything she wants," she answered looking back up at her.

"And what if he isn't dead or if she finds out what you did. She may try and kill you."

"Hump! she won't and even if she did," the woman looked back down, "I would let her, besides I'm dieing anyway," she answered looking up at her a tear running down her face.

The woman looked at her a little surprised "You mean you couldn't get a cure for that poisons," she asked.

"No and I got maybe months maybe a few years at best, but I don't mind, I have Hinata now and even if she hates me. I still treasure this last few moments I have," she answered

Yin looked down and sighed. Some years ago Azame was in a village attack by the Shichinin-tai and got poisoned by Mukotsu, but she had managed to get away barely. But the poison has been slowly killing her over the years. She has gone everywhere looking for a cure, but has yet to found any. "I supposed I can understand now why you did this, but you need to tell her the truth as to why you did this," she answered.

"I will," she answered she took her cup of tea "Come on let's talk about other things," she spoke.

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Hinata walked back into her room, she then quickly closed the door and place a stick in-between door and wall locking it. She sighed before quickly moving to the opposite side of the room and she knelt down and lifted up the floor board revealing large compartment. Reached in, she pulled out a large bundle of items. 'Good she got them for me,' she thought unrolling the large bundle.

First was a pair of black baggy pants and smock with large black rolls of fabric and a long plain dark purple kimono with heavy chain mail and scale armor. There were several old style kunai and throwing stars and a long chain with a weight on one end of it, and finally a katana with a ring on the end of its handle, for the chain.

She had spent some money Azame had given to her to get these things she needed. After befriended one of the several girls that work here as a maid and got her to go and buy them and hide them here for her. She didn't want Azame to know about it and she was going to keep it that way. Sounds of footsteps caught Hinata attention. Seating the stuff back into her hiding spot and placed the floor board back. She quickly went over to the door and pull the stick out and then went over to the mirror in the room and sat down. she grab a brush off the small table and started to brush her hair.

Azame came into the room she smiled seeing Hinata setting by the mirror brushing her hair. "How are you doing?" she asked going over and setting down.

"Alright... I guess," she answered

Azame gently took the brush from her "Here let me," she spoke Hinata relinquished the brush and let her brush her hair for her. "You're doing very well at playing the koto. So well in fact that I got Mao-san to let you play at his bar," she spoke.

Hinata brightened up hearing Mao's name "Really?" she asked with hope.

"Yep, you start there in three days," she answered smiling at seeing the girl's happiness.

"Thank you Azame-sama," she spoke turning and hugging the woman who gently hugged her back

"You're welcome," she chuckled set the brush down and lean in a placed a genital kiss on her cheek. "I'm glad you're happy for a change," she spoke leaning back.

Hinata face blushed a little from the contacted and nodded her head.

"Alright I have another friend coming in a week she's really good at poetry and she said she would teach you. I will also start teaching you as well in a few places." She explained before getting up. "Well I must be going I have things to deal with you know. I'll see you tomorrow morning early," she told her before leaving her.

Hinata waited for a few seconds till she was sure Azame was gone. Since day one Azame had been getting more and more intimate with her contact. Hinata started realizing the woman likes her and not in a friendly sort of way. She wasn't sure how felt about this. She didn't hate it, but she wasn't too sure she liked it either. Getting up and putting those thoughts away for later. She went over to a wooden bucket of water made several hand seals, there was a puff of smoke and when it cleared, another Hinata stood there, the water in the bucket gone. Hinata smiled, it was a water clone. She remembered a couple of her family members doing them once or twice and had remembered the hand seals need to do it. It took her some practicing and time, but she managed to make a clone with little to no flaws. The only different about her clone and her was that it was an inch or two shorter. Something that wasn't all that noticeable

"Go and get in bed," she ordered it. The clone nodded and went to the bed and laid down.

Hinata went back to the loosen floor boards and took out her stuff's and quickly changed into the black baggy pants and black smocks. she then wrapped the black strips of cloth around her feet and going up to her knees and then wrapped her hands and up upper arms. Pulling out the plan dark purple kimono and throwing it over her shoulder's. She then went to the open window and leaped out and started to leap across the roof tops.

She had plans, first was to get as strong as possible and learning all the magic this world had. She learned that the people in this world could use pear spiritual energies. She would use her job as an oiran to fund her activates and gain info and knowledge she seeks. Then, find the bandits that took Naruto away from her and make them all pay. And finally she would find away back home. She knew that Naruto would want her to find away back if she could.

Hinata came to the forest and leaped into the trees disappearing into darkness of the forest, unaware that someone was watching her.

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Back in India

Naruto sat down in front of his fire, eating some bread Azame had given to him. He looked up into the night sky wondering what Hinata may be up to. He hoped she was OK. He sighed as he looked down. Hey fox he spoke into the depth of his mind.

"What boy?" it grunted.

"You know any jutsu," he asked?

"Many...?"

"Teach some to me," he answered.

"Didn't I say you're not getting a thing from me boy," the fox stated flatly!

"I know what you said, but you also said I had to get stronger and you're the only one here that knows any jutsu so you have to help me."

"Hump!! Fine boy I'll teach you some, it answered seeing the boy's point, "but nothing else's!"

"Thanks kyuubi," he answered

"Whatever... will start tomorrow morning," it told him before going silent again.

Naruto leaned on to his side resting his head on a small pad he had brought with him. He lets out a yawn "Be safe Hinata," he whispered before closing his eyes and going to sleep.

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Hinata stood before a man dressed in a baboon pelt. "Who and what are you," she demanded coldly getting into a fighting stance. The man had just appeared out from the forest during her training without warning.

"Naraku," the man chuckled.

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End