Naruko had just turned nine when it happened. She was the same age as Alyssa was when she stormed Fuka with her fake Child and Miyu.
Miyu had been getting food, leaving the girl hidden as she had been trained so 'lovingly' by the citizens of Konoha, when she heard singing. It was a beautiful, if sad song, and the singer sounded like an angel. It took her a few moments to realize that it was the same lullaby Miyu played for her when nightmares of her treatment in Konoha woke her.
"Who are those little girls in pain
Just trapped in castle of dark side of moon
Twelve of them shining bright in vain
Like flower that blossom just once in year
They're dancing in the shadow like whispers of love
Just dreaming a place where they are free as dove
They've never been allowed to love in this cursed cage
It' s only the fairy tale they believe
They're dancing in the shadow like whispers of love
Just dreaming a place where they are free as dove
They've never been allowed to love in this cursed cage"
(It's Only the Fairy Tale, the song sung by Alyssa in Mai-HiME.)
Naruko was torn between going to see who was singing, or staying hidden like she was supposed to. In the end, her natural curiosity won out. She followed the voice into a cavern she didn't know was there.
When she reached the back of the cavern, she saw a strange seal on the rock.
Right as she was about to touch it, she heard Miyu's voice.
"STOP! Don't touch it!"
"Why?" asked Naruko.
"There is a Child behind that seal. I had thought they were finally destroyed when the Rikudo Sannin used them to create the nine bijuu. The Juubi was originally what remained of the Princess Star and what was left of the Orphans."
"So what is a Child?"
"A Child is an Orphan who has been bonded with HiME. Ever since the HiME star was sealed away, there have been no more battles. And I would like it to stay that way."
"Okay Miyu-nee."
They were about to leave when a large gust of wind hit them. Miyu was able to keep standing, but Naruko was knocked back...right into the seal.
"Naruko!"
In a manner reminiscent of Mai and Kagutsuchi, the seal began to crumble under her weight. A large roar was heard from behind the wall, as a massive golden dragon appeared. It had long tendrils and deep blue eyes like the ocean at night. The claws were at least three feet long in length, and dyed in topaz. It was long, at least the size of Kyuubi in length. It also had a tail that ended in nine distinct points, much like a fin. It looked straight at Naruko and roared again, before it butted it's head against her.
"Miyu-nee, what do I do?"
"You're fine Naruko. It won't hurt you. A Child will always protect it's HiME. But if you are ever beaten and your Child killed, then the one most precious to you will fade away forever, unless someone manages to recreate what Mashiro did when she sealed the star away."
"What's her name?" asked Naruko. She had the feeling it was a female.
"Why don't you ask her?"
Naruko looked at the dragon expectantly. Her eyes flashed, and Naruko said confidently "It's Arashihime."
"It looks like we'll be training in your Elements once Arashihime goes invisible."
"But I already know I'm a Wind type!"
"HiME had a special weapon that allowed them to fight against each other and the Orphans that were called Elements. For Mai, it was a pair of bracelets and anklets that created a fire whip and a shield at the same time," said Miyu.
The dragon bumped Naruko again, and she absentmindedly petted it. Once they were within sight of the next town, Arashihime vanished.
It wouldn't do for her HiME to get killed because of her.
"Now, for Element training, we need something that you can use almost immediately. Once you materialize them, then I can help you train to use them in a fight."
"How are we going to do that, Miyu-nee?" asked Naruko.
"Sparring practice. I don't want you to call out Arashi for this."
"Okay!"
Miyu charged, releasing her regular sword for this fight. Naruko bent in several ways to avoid the blade. It wasn't until she moved wrong that something finally happened.
A golden barrier blocked the attack, but otherwise did nothing.
"Well that's a start," said Miyu. Naruko was worn out from the fighting.
She helped the girl up and said "You go meditate while I bring back some meat."
"Yes, Miyu-nee," said Naruko.
It was dripping wet. She walked through the corridors like she had a thousand times before.
This time, however, their was something different. She could hear singing. It was the same song that she heard when she found Arashi. She could also hear growling, but the sound did feel angry to her.
When the corridor widened into a room, she could see the water that had pooled.
"So you finally found him," said the one who had been singing. It was a little girl, barely older than she had been when Miyu rescued her.
"Who are you?"
"I am your great grandmother Alyssa. I sang that song to all my children before I died. And this...is the one who was sealed inside you."
It was a massive fox, easily bigger than the Hokage Monument.
"The Nine-Tailed Fox..." she whispered in shock.
"Silence brat! If it wasn't for that damn Uchiha we would both be free!"
She didn't blame him for her parents death. She did feel sorry for him though.
She looked at Alyssa.
"Is there any way to change this to a forest? This sewer seems really depressing," she asked.
Alyssa jumped off the pipe she had sat on, and held out her hand. Naruko held it carefully, even though ghosts freaked her out.
"Envision what you want to turn this into, and I'll help you make it."
Naruko thought back to that little fox kit she had seen playing in the forest. He seemed so happy, yet terrified at the same time. So she swept away the sewer and created vast forests with a cave for the Fox to sleep in. Her chakra network became a spider's web of lakes, tributaries and streams. Her mind became the sun itself. Her knowledge became the stars. The sky was her emotional nexus.
She opened her eyes to a field of beautiful flowers. But the fox was still in a cage.
"How do I give him a collar?"
"You'll have to unlock your Element before that can happen. Once those awaken, you can figure out how to use chakra chains like your mother and her family so many years ago."
Naruko was thrown out of her mind by Alyssa, who planned to stay so that she wouldn't be alone.
Well, that and to chastise her descendant for using the wrong seal and leaving his daughter alone with that ungrateful village.
Naruko was ravenous when Miyu returned, and she ate without complaint. Miyu didn't flinch when Naruko brought up the Fox that she now knew was insider her.
"I knew after I rescued you. The people of Konoha still bear a grudge against it, but since it was sealed inside of you they took it out on the one they perceived as the Fox. Hiruzen Sarutobi should never have allowed that secret to be shared."
Naruko felt like crying. All the others out there like her (she had met the one who used bubbles, apparently he had figured it out immediately after meeting her) got to keep their status a secret, so why had the Hokage told about her? It wasn't his to share!
"It's alright Naruko. After that explosion everyone believe Naruto is dead and the Fox is going to reform elsewhere. You can be a regular shinobi now."
"I'll show that stupid village that they lost a great kunoichi, dattebayo!" said Naruko cheering up immediately.
"In the meantime, I saw a town roughly a day's walk to the East," said Miyu.
"Really? Which one?"
"I believe it's close to the Hidden Sand Village."
"Woohoo! They have a ton of Wind scrolls!"
"On the way to Suna, we will be trying to unlock your Elements. They are the only weapons no other shinobi can take from you, or be turned against you."
"Alyssa said something like that earlier," admitted Naruko. She had the great pleasure of throwing Miyu for a loop for once.
"What?"
"Alyssa. While I was meditating I saw her in the seal with the Fox. She helped me rearrange my mind so it worked better. I think she plans to stay there for the time being too," said Naruko.
Miyu looked both shocked and very happy.
"She also said that she was the one to draw me to Arashi," said Naruko.
"You were drawn there?"
"I heard the song you play on your audio file thingy, and I went to see who was singing. It stopped when I found that seal."
"Which song was it?"
Naruko cocked her head. She could hear someone requesting the song, and figured it was Alyssa telling her to sing. She knew the words, after all Miyu played it a lot whenever Naruko had trouble sleeping.
So she opened her mouth and began to sing it, unaware of the fact her hair started to glow like a miniature sun.
"Who are those little girls in pain
Just trapped in castle of dark side of moon
Twelve of them shining bright in vain
Like flower that blossom just once in year
They're dancing in the shadow like whispers of love
Just dreaming a place where they are free as dove
They've never been allowed to love in this cursed cage
It' s only the fairy tale they believe
They're dancing in the shadow like whispers of love
Just dreaming a place where they are free as dove
They've never been allowed to love in this cursed cage
It's only the fairy tale they believe"
"Alyssa..." whispered Miyu.
Naruko noticed her big sister was smiling in a way she hadn't seen before. Then she noted something else on her wrists.
She had four rings a pair of anklets and bracelets on each limb. They had three tomoe separated by a thick cord. Each circle had three different colored tomoe. Gold, white and blue. She touched the gold one and felt a breeze. The blue one felt both cool and hot, but it also felt really wet. The white one felt like static electricity. It sparked at the touch.
"I should have guessed there was a reason your Child was called Arashihime. You have the Storm bloodline, or something close to it," said Miyu.
"Storm?"
"Those three elements are Water, wind and lightning. We already knew about the wind, but we weren't aware the other two were so perfectly balanced with them. Fortunately I have some of their jutsu already on file, so we can work on those later. Some of them foolishly believed a storm would short circuit me," said Miyu sourly.
All it had done was boost her batteries and give her a few more centuries. Since the technology which created her had been lost, she found she could periodically recharge in lightning storms using small bolts. More dangerous but easier than trying to find an outlet.
Naruko trained in bringing her Elements out whenever they were alone, particularly at night. During the day they acted like a civilian pair of sisters. Miyu had an idea of how to disguise Naruko's training as a rather strong case of ADHD, which generally meant she had trouble sitting still.
It also helped that Naruko was given specific topics to avoid, namely jutsu, chakra or bijuu. Instead she talked about Magical Girl shows she had seen, which covered up most of her talk.
Because of her bright orange dress which made it impossible to actually miss her in a crowd, most shinobi would dismiss her as a genin or chunin in a heartbeat. She was simply too noticeable and loud.
At least now that she could make contact with the Kyuubi they had started to open a dialogue.
In exchange for allowing him to roam her head, he let her use small amounts of his chakra unless the situation warranted it. She was barely ten and she could already go up to a single tail without loosing control.
It helped that for some reason the Kyuubi didn't view Miyu as a threat or nuisance. Something about how she helped form the Bijuu by splitting the Ten-Tails for the Sage...
She spent the day wandering, acting like a civilian. All shinobi training was put on hold until they were alone, to avoid trouble. Unless she was attacked first anyway.
It was because of her wanderings that she ran into a red-head who Kyuubi hissed was his younger brother Shukaku. The one who went insane with bloodlust.
She tapped him on the shoulder, noticed he had a ball in his hands and asked "Want to play?"
The boy blinked twice before he asked "Is this a trick of some sort?"
"Nope," said Naruto, popping the 'P' sound.
"Are you from here?"
"Also no. My sister and I travel all over the place because of certain issues we have with Hidden Villages. My name is Naruko, what's yours?"
"Gaara no Sabaku."
"Wanna play Gaara-kun?"
Gaara's smile was only slightly terrifying. The two kept at it for hours and Miyu found her later eating takoyaki with the redhead. She immediately recognized him as the container of the first tail.
Which was why she approached him right as the the guard had become lax. They rarely paid him any attention anymore, unless the Kazekage felt like sending another idiot who had royally pissed him off on a suicide mission to kill their weapon.
At least ten of their chunin had jumped ship, so to speak, rather than deal with the ANBU coming after them for turning down the mission.
Gaara was very surprised when 'Mother' refused to kill the impudent woman before him. Apparently even insane the Ichibi recognized Miyu.
The next week the two left Suna, though this time Naruko had several new jutsu scrolls to practice with, all Wind styles.
Gaara bribed Temari with a full month free of death threats and actual civility if she got him those scrolls. In exchange Miyu gave him something new to read and a light that wouldn't hurt his eyes.
They left him while he studied how to make and possibly manipulate glass.