Here is a new story for the GrimmFall universe~! :3
Lord Maximus: This was just something that hit me, and I had to do it. ^^' And as this is a prequel of sorts to both my stories, this takes place five years before GrimmFall and Wacky Races.
nightmaster000: Trust me, Penelope is trained to an extent, but not enough to escape. The reason she was the damsel is because well... it seems to fit and she is undertrained right now. And don't worry, the Hooded Claw has a few secrets that can make him a threat to Minato... XD! ;3
merendinoemiliano: This takes place before GrimmFall, five years before so don't worry, no other characters from my other stories will be involved. ^^'
GCD: What can I say? I wanted to throw it something out of the past for a twist! XD This will be the only time you see that though. ^^'
CT7567Rules: Keep reading and you will like it, I hope. ^^'
Sorry for the lack of an update! I have so many stories to focus on it can be hard to do others at the same time! XP
Note: If any reader has an account, please use that to review. If you do not wish to sign in to review, please at least put your account name so I can tell who you are. If you do not have an account, then please at least use a consistent name instead of 'Guest', as that makes the reviews seem impersonal to me.
The Death God had to admit, the two before him had many valid points as to why he shouldn't take the Hokage's soul along with that of the Kyuubi. It wasn't very often someone was able to change his mind. Vector Prime and Yen Sid were both before him, and seemed pleased with his choice.
"You have made the right choice, Shinigami." Yen Sid said calmly. "With her guardian on the move, we cannot take any chances. Her fortune is vast enough that it could set back the efforts of the heroes if the Sneekly Clan got their hands on it."
"Yes, and with him there to help her now, it will throw off the plans of the Fallen and Sammael." Vector Prime rumbled in agreement.
A snort escaped the ethereal being, but he didn't disagree. Yes, perhaps it was best indeed that the human's soul had been sent to a new realm instead of his old one, minus the Bijuu of course. He would be getting a soul in replacement soon enough, even if he had to wait almost 13 years.
Yen Sid looked at the Death God in response to the snort. "And he could help bring down the clan that has eluded you for years if he is there."
That thought made the Shinigami hum in pleasure. Yes, he had been trying to gain the Sneekly Clan in his grasp, only for the clan's leader to evade his clutches. But if this young soul could catch the clan's leader, then perhaps he would grant the young mortal's greatest wish in return...
Penelope moaned as she regained her senses, smoke filling her nose as she sniffed the air slightly. Her eyes went wide in horror as she remembered the explosion from the main engine compartment of Chuggaboom. She sat up, seeing Pockets standing up as well. The crafty and always-prepared member of the Anthill Mob looked shaken up as he put his shield away. Penelope then remembered her savior and looked down, only to see he was also unharmed, save for being unconscious and feverish.
"Are you okay, Penelope?" Pockets asked as he made his way over shakily.
"Yes, thanks to you..." Penelope said gratefully. She could hear ambulance sirens getting closer as well as police sirens.
It was only two minutes since the explosion when the ambulance crews arrived. Medics leapt out of the first ambulance that arrived, rushing over to the threesome while two more ambulances arrived to take care of the other members of the Anthill Mob.
"Miss Pitstop, are you okay?" The medic asked as he got down beside the heiress.
Penelope nodded. "I think so..." She replied before looking down at the unknown young man. "But he's not."
The medic frowned as he got to work on the young man. He could see no injuries on the blonde-haired male, but he was clearly suffering from a fever and severe exhaustion, if not an illness as well.
His teammate ran to the young man's side as well. "Male, genetic type is human. Name unknown. Age unknown, assumed to be mid-twenties. Appears to be almost 6 feet, feverish and suffering from severe exhaustion. Possible illness." The woman said as she began to check his vitals. "Heartrate is rapid, 110 bpm. Pulse is weak and rapid. Temperature is 90 degrees, signs of hypothermia setting in are clear. Aura levels are low as well."
As she said these words, the lead medic began to get oxygen set up. He slipped a hand under the male blonde's head, lifting it gently as he slipped the mask around the young man's face and over his mouth. As he was doing that, his teammate began to set up an IV for the male blonde, getting fluids ready so he wouldn't remain dehydrated. As she was getting that set up, the lead medic set the young man's head down and began to look him over for injuries. Much to the medic's surprise, there were none, which meant it was mostly low Aura reserves, exhaustion, hypothermia, and fever that were the main issues.
Once the unknown blonde male was getting oxygen, the lead medic looked to his teammate, who had finished setting up the IVs.
The female paramedic began to get the IVs into the young man's veins so he would be getting fluids. Once that was done, it was time to get him and Penelope to the hospital.
While the other, more critically injured members of the Anthill Mob were being treated at the scene, Penelope, her savior, and Pockets all loaded into the first ambulance and the trio were soon heading to the hospital directly.
Hospital
Pain filled his body as he regained awareness slowly. He didn't dare to move, lest he alert whomever he was with to the fact he was conscious. Instead, he let his senses guide him when it came to clues as to where he was.
He could feel sheets beneath his body, as well as over him. His head was resting on a stack of pillows, and he could feel an IV in his right arm. Sounds of a heart-rate monitor filled his hearing, and he could hear the voices of others around as well, albeit somewhat muffled due to some kind of barrier, most likely a door. The scent of medical supplies hit his nose. With the first three senses telling him he was in some kind of medical facility, he decided to take the chance and open his eyes. After a few seconds, sharp blue eyes opened slightly before they closed in pain due to the bright lights assaulting his vision. He turned his head away from the lights before opening his eyes again, only to see the machineary he had heard earlier. Sure enough, he could see the heart-rate monitor next to his bedside. He blinked before turning his head again, only to see a door off to the side, and some forms outside it; the forms were the sources of the voices he was hearing.
Looking around the room, he could see he was indeed in a medical facility, a hospital it looked like. He frowned a bit, wondering how he had gotten here.
Grunting, he managed to sit up, but the pain he felt kept him from attempting to stand. He could feel his feet though, which was a good sign; it meant he was not paralyzed. He then tensed up when he heard the door opening. He looked over, only to see the same young woman he had saved walking in alongside an... anthropomorphic bird? He blinked, unsure of what to make of this new development.
The young woman saw he was awake and smiled at him. "Oh, I'm so glad you're awake. Are you okay?"
He nodded, only to cough a bit to try to get the use of his voice back. "Y-yes... I... I think so..." he finally rasped out, feeling his throat's itchiness. He winced at the feeling, his hand moving to his throat.
"Do you need some water?" The bird asked in a human voice, making the male human stare back at... her?
"Y-yes, please..." He said before he coughed due to the itchiness of his throat.
The human-like bird handed him a glass of water, and he downed it in three gulps. He sighed in relief, the itchiness in his throat finally going away. He looked back at the doctor and the young woman with him and smiled. "Thank you." he said, his voice no longer raspy and hard to hear; his voice was back to its warm tenure and the two females blushed slightly, but he didn't notice it.
"You're most welcome." The female avian-like being replied. "And according to Miss Pitstop here, you saved her, so there is no need to worry about the hospital bills, since she is paying as a way of saying 'thank you'."
He looked at the female human next to the avian being. "You didn't have to do that." He said in surprise.
"Oh, I insist." Miss Pitstop replied. "You saved little ol' me from the dreaded Hooded Claw, so I can't just let that go unrepaid."
He shook his head. "I can't ask you to do that." He insisted.
"Well, too bad, because it's already been done." Miss Pitstop countered with a smile.
Realizing he did indeed have no say in this, he sighed. "If it's already done, I guess I can't say no then."
Miss Pitstop smiled before the avian-like being cleared her throat. "Now, we just need your name so you can be discharged."
He looked up, surprised before he spoke. "My name? It's Minato. Minato Namikaze."
The avian-like being smiled. "Well then, Mr. Namikaze, it appears the discharge papers are complete and you can go anytime."
Minato blinked before he looked at Miss Pitstop and gave her a smile. She looked away, an odd look on her face.
Penelope Pitstop felt her cheeks flushing at the smile her savior, Minato Namikaze, had given her. She had to admit, he did look very handsome, and she found herself trying to avoid eye contact with him because of it.
Then a thought crossed her mind. "Oh! What about the Anthill Mob? Will they be okay?" She asked the eagle Mobian next to her.
The doctor sighed. "They... apparently suffered the worst of the explosion. You, Mr. Namikaze, and the member with the shield were the only ones who escaped major harm."
Minato looked up, a frown flitting across his handsome features. "An explosion?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes. You are not be aware of it due to the fact you were unconscious at the time, but Miss Pitstop here and her protector were the only ones who made it out unharmed for the most part. The rest of the Anthill Mob were injured critically in the resulting blast."
"But why?" Minato pressed. "What led to this happening?"
Penelope looked at Minato. "I have an archnemesis, the dreaded Hooded Claw. He has been after me for years."
Minato's blue eyes went wide before they hardened into shards of ice. "I see." He said seriously.
For Minato, to hear this Hooded Claw had been after Miss Pitstop for years was disturbing to say the least. 'So that is who I encountered when I rescued Miss Pitstop from that trap... It also explains why she was in that trap in the first place.' He noted, his mind already racing as he tried to figure out why she was so sought after by this apparent enemy.
However, it also raised several implications he didn't like. 'Like how long has this Hooded Claw been after her. I know this person has been after her for years, but how many years is the question.' Minato thought to himself. He then looked back at Miss Pitstop. "Just how long has this Hooded Claw been after you? Like how many years?" The blonde-haired shinobi asked.
Miss Pitstop looked down. "Since I was a little girl..." She replied.
Minato felt the blood rushing from his face at the timeframe. 'S-shit... Since she was a child?! No wonder she seemed not as concerned about her plight when I saved her. She is more than likely in danger every day! It's a miracle she's survived this long!' He thought in amazement as he looked down. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Wait... how old are you, Miss Pitstop?" Minato asked as he looked back at Miss Pitstop.
"Oh, I'm Penelope. Penelope Pitstop." Penelope introduced herself. "And I am 17 years old."
Minato's face paled again. 'She's 17?! And this Hooded Claw has been after her since she was a child?! It's definitely a miracle she's been alive for so long with this person after her...' He looked down, feeling concern and worry for her building in his chest.
The doctor then spoke up. "Ahem... Anyway, you are free to go, Mr. Namikaze. Miss Pitstop here has offered to take you home."
Minato looked back up, surprised at the offer before he realized something. He wasn't near Konoha anymore, nor could he sense any of his Hiraishin tags either. Dread began to fill him as he looked down, a somber and yet worried look on his face. "I... don't think that will be possible..." He whispered softly, more to himself than anything else.
Mansion
The Hooded Claw was grinning at the news reports that were coming in. Reporters on the scene were talking with police investigators, trying to get the latest scoop while the police were trying to do their job unimpeded.
On the old TV screen, the remains of Chuggaboom could be seen in bits and pieces, with the majority of that annoying car now just a smoldering hulk. The Hooded Claw leaned in closer, trying to hear what the fate of Penelope Pitstop and her protectors the Anthill Mob were.
"So, what is the status of Miss Pitstop and her bodyguard team, the Anthill Mob?" A tiger Faunus reporter asked the police chief.
"We have heard that Miss Pitstop is unharmed. Sadly, for the Anthill Mob, it would seem that only one of them escaped the explosion unharmed. The other six are in critical condition and may not be able to resume their duties as her bodyguards." The police chief sighed.
For the Hooded Claw, while it was not the news he had been expecting, it was still better than nothing, as it meant the Anthill Mob was pretty much out of the fight now, and with only one of them able to do the job of guarding Penelope, then getting rid of the heiress would be even easier than expected.
"Well, while we may not have succeeded in getting rid of Pitstop, we did remove the majority of those shrimps who were protecting her." The Hooded Claw sneered evilly. "But I wouldn't be a very good guardian of her if I didn't try to hire a new bodyguard for her, now would I?"
He looked back at the Bully Brothers. "Bully Brothers, remain here. I am going to check up on Miss Pitstop, as the clearly devoted guardian that I am."
The Bully Brothers both nodded. "Right, Claw." They said as one.
With that done, the Hooded Claw made his way out of the old mansion and down to his car. With a swirling of colors, the Hooded Claw's outfit came off to reveal a man in a purple suit, with slicked back brown hair, kind eyes, and a smiling face. This was Sylvester Sneekly, Penelope's guardian.
Sylvester got into his car and headed down to the Pitstop Estate. "Oh, I do hope that poor Penelope is okay!" His features then changed from kind and caring to more sinister ones. "I wouldn't want anything sinister to happen to her." He said with an evil sneer.
Hospital
As soon as Minato was released, Penelope was guiding him to where Pockets was waiting. The lone member of the Anthill Mob had taken out from his Pockets Semblance a nice, reliable car and was waiting beside it. Penelope smiled at Pockets. "I see you were waiting for little ol' me?"
"Yes, Penelope. I am to take you and your savior back to the Pitstop Estate as soon as possible." Pockets replied. "Who knows when the Hooded Claw could strike again?"
Minato's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you know of this Hooded Claw?" He asked Pockets, who nodded.
"Yes. He has been trying to kill Penelope to gain access to her family's fortune since she was around seven or so." Pockets replied. Hearing these words, Minato felt the quickening of his pulse, which sent more blood rushing through his veins and made him more alert than usual. 'S-seven? This has been going on since she was seven?!' Minato thought in horror. He then shook his head. 'No... I can't worry about that right now. I have to find out where I am first. It's clear I'm not in the Land of Fire or even near Konoha anymore. But where am I? And how did I get here? That is what I need to know, and what I have to focus on right now.' He reminded himself.
Minato forced his mind back to the matter at hand. Pockets opened the door to the car, and Penelope got in the back seat. Pockets then shut the door and opened the door in front before gesturing for Minato to sit inside. Confused, the shinobi slid into the seat, only for Pockets to shut the door and make his way to the other door. The only member of the Anthill Mob opened his own door and got in before shutting it. He then reached up and grabbed a belt that went down over his waist and from his left shoulder.
Looking around, Minato saw a similar looking belt clip on his right side and mimicked Pockets's actions. He saw the other clip and hooked it in, hearing it secure with a click. Pockets saw what Minato had done and smiled. "I see you're all secured."
Minato nodded, confused as to what was going on. As a shinobi, he had never had to travel by vehicle before, preferring to use his chakra to get places quickly. Well, that and his signature technique. 'Speaking of...' Minato thought as he looked down at one of his hands. 'My chakra reserves are alarmingly low... too low for my liking. But how?' Minato frowned to himself as he clenched his hand into a fist. 'I don't know how I got to this world, or what is going on. I have so little information, and it bothers me.'
Pockets started up the engine of the car and Minato felt the vehicle leaving the hospital parking lot. A heavy sigh escaped the shinobi, deciding it was best to just rest and let himself recover before he began looking for anything that could give him a clue as to what was going on.
The ride back to the Pitstop Estate didn't take long, about 30 minutes in total. During that time, Minato had dozed off, softly snoring as Pockets drove them back. Penelope was in back, quite happy to be getting back home; after surviving a near-fatal explosion, she felt she could use the rest herself.
Pockets finally spoke up. "We're arriving at the estate, Penelope." His voice was a low tone, so as to not wake Minato.
Penelope looked out, and sure enough, she could see the gates of the Pitstop estate coming into view. "Oh, goody! I was worried we would not make it back before sunrise. I hope I didn't worry my ever-present, caring guardian Sylvester Sneekly." Penelope said with a worried tone.
Minato finally began to wake up, feeling sleep had done him some good. While he could feel his chakra levels were still alarmingly low, he had regained at least a bit of his chakra during his quick nap. His blue eyes opened before he yawned, stretching his arms above his head before he lowered them. "How long was I asleep?" He muttered groggily.
Penelope couldn't help but giggle at his question. The fact he had just woken up was somewhat cute, especially the way he rubbed at his eyes to try and get himself more awake. She finally regained her composure and replied to him. "You were asleep for about 30 minutes, pretty much the whole ride back to my place."
Minato looked out the car window, only for his eyes to widen and his jaw to drop in shock. 'This place is Penelope's house?! It's huge! Probably bigger than the Hokage Mansion even!' He thought in shock.
Pockets turned the car into the driveway, where an older model car sat, and came to a stop. At least, the other car looked older to Minato, who noted it was nicely kept up and was a deep maroon color.
The driver of the car stepped out, emerging from the driver's side door. He had slicked back brown hair, wore a purple suit, and had kind eyes and a caring face. His nose was long and pointed, and his round glasses sat on his nose. However, Minato got a twisting feeling in his gut as he looked the man up and down, and he didn't like it one bit. His shinobi instincts were telling him something was wrong, but as to what it was, he didn't know.
Penelope however, seemed to light up at seeing the man. She gasped and smiled before she got out of the car and ran to the man in the purple suit. "Sylvester Sneekly!" She exclaimed as she rushed to the man and hugged him.
"Oh, I was so worried about you, dear Penelope!" Sylvester said as he hugged her back. "Did that dreadful Hooded Claw hurt you?"
"It was a close one, but I'm alright." Penelope said in reassurance to Sylvester Sneekly. "The terrible Hooded Claw took out most of the Anthill Mob though with his most recent scheme..."
"Oh, that is terrible!" Sylvester gasped. "You poor thing! Let's get you inside and get you a nice hot cup of tea."
Penelope nodded. "Yes, that would be nice. I think Pockets could use some tea as well, since he is the only one who escaped harm." She added before looking back at the lone member of the Anthill Mob. Minato exited the car as well, making Sylvester Sneekly take note of him.
"And who, my dear Penelope, is this young man?" Sylvester Sneekly asked as he looked at Minato.
"Oh! Sylvester, this is Minato. Minato, this is my ever-present guardian, Sylvester Sneekly. Sylvester, Minato here is the one who saved me from my most recent perilous plight at the hands of the Hooded Claw." Penelope introduced. "If not for him, I would have died."
"I see..." Sylvester said with a smile, but something about it felt forced to Minato. He didn't say anything though, preferring to let Sylvester do the speaking. "Well, I must thank you for saving dear Penelope from that terrible menace. I do not know what I would do if anything happened to the dear girl."
"I wasn't about to stand by and let something happen to her if I could prevent it." Minato replied.
To Sylvester Sneekly, he very angry that he was now face-to-face with the very one who had freed Penelope from his most recent trap. However, as he looked the man, Minato, up and down, he was quick to note the blonde seemed to have a bit of an air-headedness to him, as he seemed to be somewhat dense. He also didn't look that strong, nor did he have an air of experience in combat around him. In fact, the young man seemed downright skinny, like he hadn't had enough to eat in a while.
Seeing all of this gave Sylvester an idea. "You know, not many can stand up to the terrible Hooded Claw. I'm surprised you were able to." He said with a sneer, but he made sure his sneer came off as a caring and concerned smile. "The mere fact you did shows me you have much potential as a bodyguard to dear Penelope. Heavens knows she is in dire need of more bodyguards since the Anthill Mob was almost wiped out."
Penelope looked at him in surprise, which made Sylvester grin mentally. "Oh, surely you can't be serious, Sylvester! He has just gotten out of the hospital!"
"Oh, I insist! He showed great courage in standing up to the dreaded Hooded Claw and his many minions! If that doesn't make him great bodyguard material, then I don't know what else does." Sylvester insisted.
Inwardly, Sylvester Sneekly took great delight in seeing Minato's face turn to one of shock and disbelief.
Minato was surprised at what he was hearing. "Wait, hold on! Don't I get a say in this?!" The former Hokage protested.
"Nonsense!" Sylvester exclaimed as he walked up to Minato. "You could use the money. I mean, you obviously haven't eaten in a while, what with how skinny you are. I'm surprised you were able to rescue dear Penelope Pitstop from the terror of the horrible Hooded Claw in your weakened state."
Looking down, Minato realized this man had a point. 'I'm surprised I was able to do that too...' He thought to himself. 'Especially given how I have almost no chakra to use...'
Sylvester seemed to take his thinking as a sign of acceptance of his offer. "Great! You're hired!"
Minato was snapped out of his thoughts at the sudden turn of events. "Wait... WHAT?!" He exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't even agree to the offer!"
"Well, dear Penelope is in dire need of more bodyguards, so I have no choice." Sylvester replied with a shrug.
Minato groaned. In a way, what the older man said made sense, even if the way he went about it was... disturbing to say the least. "At least let me think about this, okay?"
"Unfortunately, I cannot let you do that, as poor Penelope is in dire need of a new bodyguard." Sylvester insisted, giving Minato a glare that said he had to accept or risk leaving a helpless damsel to her fate.
A frown crossed Minato's face, but he realized he had only one choice to make, even if it was not the one he wanted to make. A sigh escaped the former Hokage and he nodded. "Okay... You win." 'At least, until I can figure out where I am and how to best handle this situation diplomatically and militarily.' He added as an afterthought.
Sylvester grinned, as that had been the answer he had been expecting. "Oh, excellent! You will start your new job right away!"
Minato frowned, but decided to go along with it, if only because it would give him potential access to books that could tell him where he was.
Penelope looked at Minato with concern, but as he didn't look too worried, she seemed to relax, obviously glad he would be starting his new job right away.
'But just what am I getting into here...?' Minato wondered to himself.
"And this here is the training gym where I do my training for being a Huntress." Penelope said as she was giving Minato the tour of the estate. "Although I still have a long way to go to become a very skilled one."
Minato looked around the gym, noting right away that it would be ideal for him to do his own training to keep his shinobi skills sharp. "Impressive." He said, glancing around again.
Penelope giggled at his response. "Well, I'm glad you like it. I hope you will be able to put it to good use as well."
The shinobi followed Penelope out of the training room and she led him down the hallway to where many members of her family had studied for generations. "And this is the family library." She said as she opened the large doors to show Minato the vast space filled with books. His eyes went wide as his mouth fell open at the sheer number of books.
Penelope saw his reaction and smiled. "Do you like to read?"
Minato just gave a nod in response. "Yeah..." He replied, still stunned. Then he realized she had asked him a question and shook his head. "Err... I-I mean yes, yes I do like to read." Minato corrected himself as he felt heat rush to his cheeks.
His reaction earned him a few giggles from the heiress beside him, which made the former Hokage blush even more, much to his chagrin.
Finally, Penelope regained her composure and looked at him again. "Well, I hope you will get much enjoyment out of the family library then." She said with a smile.
Minato gave her a small smile of his own, but he was not sure if he would even be able to read the language of this place since it was obvious he wasn't in his homeland any longer.
In his office, Sylvester Sneekly was chuckling to himself, so sure he had just found perhaps the most incompetent bodyguard around. The young man was somewhat thin and seemed to lack any experience in combat; judging by his somewhat dense air-headedness, it was assumed he was not very smart as well. 'And the fact I didn't have to train him makes him even more of a buffoon than I expected. He just agreed without any hesitation. This is perfect~!'
He sat back at his desk and brought up the young man's image.
"Name, Minato Namikaze. Gender, male. Age, 24. Blood type, B. Genetic race, Human. He is perfect as her bodyguard." Sylvester purred. 'Although a lack of school records is worrisome, but I'm guessing his parents didn't want him to lose his life, so they never sent him to a school or even bothered to teach him to read let alone perform math.'
Brushing it off as being correct, Sylvester didn't pay much more attention to the lack of school and medical records. After all, since he had found the perfect bodyguard for Penelope, it would be only a matter of time before she fell to him, along with the incompetent new hire.
Minato had elected to remain in the library so he could scour over the many books that were on the shelves while Penelope had gone on ahead to her guardian's office. The former Hokage found a book that looked interesting, but to his dismay, he found he could not read the title, let alone the contents of the book.
Glancing around, Minato found most of the books had the same unknown language as their primary language, although there were a few books that happened to be in his native language, much to his relief. The shinobi walked over to those books and picked one out. Reading the title, he found it was a book that could help him learn the language of this new world he was in, much to his delight and relief. 'So my home language is spoken here, at least enough to warrant a translation to their primary language.' Minato noted with some interest.
Minato carried the book over to a desk and sat down with two more books, one that was in his native language and the other in the primary language of this world. 'Maybe I can teach myself this new language, at least in terms of reading it.' Minato thought as he flipped open the translation book as well as the other two books. And thus, began his long hours of studying and self-teaching.
Minato wakes up and finds himself in a new world, having saved Penelope Pitstop. Upon release from the hospital, Minato finds himself hired as a bodyguard to Penelope by her guardian, Sylvester Sneekly ,against his will. Deciding to make the best of it, Minato goes along with it so he can learn more about this new world he is in. But will this former Hokage be able to adapt to his new home? Or will he fall victim to the perilous plans of the horrid Hooded Claw? Read and review :3 Well, enjoy~! :3