Naruto Raised by a Wild Horse
"Speach"
'Thought'
I will refer to Ranma in male or female terms depending on his/her form at the time.
A week and a half later. Earth Country
Naruto was bored. Ever since his new mother had stopped their journey in this border town between earth and fire country to gather her bearings he'd been helping her learn about the area. Now they'd been here for two days and they were only a days travel from the border. He hadn't felt happier in his life when he'd been able to tell the border guard that Mama-Ranma had adopted him.
Mama-Ranma had looked weird when he'd told the rock ninja that, but she hadn't told the man different. Why else would Jinai-san have left him with Mama-Ranma? He'd been adopted at last. He never knew having a parent could be so great. His mama made sure he ate lots of food and went to bed at night. She didn't tell good stories, but the ones about the stupid pandas and training were funny.
That was something else. His mama had already begun his training. She had showed him how to medi-tate. She said it was better to do it under cold waterfalls, but they didn't find any on their journey yet. Of course, his mama had special techniques too. She could move really fast, freeze things, and best of all become Papa-Ranma.1
She had to have hot water to change into Papa, and while it took a few minutes it was realy cool. It was like the transformation jutsus he'd seen ninjas use, but not illusion. In order to train Naruto was to go to the grocier for the inn's cook and return as quickly as he could to build up his speed. It was taking longer than he'd thought for the store owner to gather the supplies though.
Here the market sellers didn't give him mean looks at all. This place was so different than Konoha, and less expensive as well. He could buy candy for ten ryo instead of the two hundred ryo charged in Konoha. Rock country must be a great place to live if food was so plentiful.
While Naruto was waiting for the inn's order to be filled he decided to practice his stealth on the big guy sleeping at a guard station. Several guard stations were place throughout the town to maintain the peace like a police force. This far from the hidden rock village though it was more of a punishment post. It would only be a little fun.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Ranma now understood why her father had set her to training so early in life. Little kids were a handful when they didn't have something to occupy them. Right about this age Genma had found the neko-ken training manual.
She would never think about doing such a thing of course, but she did have the kid doing some chores around the inn they were staying at for the next few days. It had been a week since they'd left the forest of Fire country and began traveling the more mountainous terain of Rock country. Apparently, the countries of this area were named after elements of nature.
Crossing only one checkpoint on the way into the country it was necessary to lay claim to Naruto as her own kid. Signing the paperwork entering the country was pretty binding to Ranma. She had basically promised to protect the kid as her own. Naruto had been so happy when he'd told the guard his name was now Saotome Naruto.
He believed she'd adopted him.
Which, in her own mind, she figured was better than kidnapping him. If he was being sold to those thugs by someone from the orphanage that village obviously not safe for him. He'd be a good student with all of his enthusiasm. He'd even accepted the curse as if it was something normal in his life. Of course, the curse was apparently weakened greatly for some reason. It took several minutes for the change to take effect compared to the near instant effects of before.
Just another strange thing to happen in her life at this point.
Suddenly, a loud clang of metal on metal took her attention from serving the tables in the dining room. The door slammed open and a blonde blur raced behind her legs. Following the blur was a bear of a man holding a very large hammer. Easily ninety pounds, the hammer was held in an easy grip even though the male holding it was apparently angry.
"Where did the brat go?!" He bellowed into the building sending the few lunch customers out a side exit or up the stairs. This would be very intimidating if his long beard wasn't braided with bright pink and yellow bows tied into it.
"I take it he was the artist that created that masterpiece." Ranma asked setting her tray on a nearby table and looking at his beard.
"Arg, of course, he ran from his rightful punishment. I, Akumo the Mighty, will deal with the runt." He hefted his hammer in his right hand in a menacing, although, dimwitted way.
"Right, ya got a bad situation there. See, I'm takin care of him as he's my kid and student. Can't have him getting injured to early into his trainin. Wouldn't be responsible of me." She stepped into Akumo's reach and took him by the beard.
"Now you." She yanked down on his braided beard. "Are gonna leave here peacefully or I'm gonna get upset."
After saying this the owner of the establishment rushed in with the town constable after having left with the rest of the customers in a hurry. The town constable was a ninja from the Hidden village of Rock and perhaps a year older than Ranma.
"Akumo! What are you doing? You aren't supposed to be chasing around children. It's against the terms of your parole after all." At this point the constable takes notice of the tiny redhead holding the much larger and likely stronger man by his long whiskers, and becomes more serious.
"Miss, if you'd let him go I shall be remove him from this establishment post haste." The Rock nin bowed respectfully to the, percieved, strong young woman.
Ranma released her hold on Akumo who was now flustered that his country man was seeing him humiliated.
"Restin, I wasn't gonna hurt them. Just teach the brat a lesson." Akumo complained to the now named Restin.
"You deserve the embarassment of wearing those ribbons if you allowed a child to do that to you. We shall have to work on your awareness in the future. It is ill befitting for an Rock ninja to be so careless." Said the younger but, obviously, superior ninja who's headband was wrapped around his upperarm. Akumo's own headband was tied to his belt.
At that point Naruto peeked out from behind his mother's, and sometimes father's, legs.
"You're a ninja?" He asked of the bearded man.
Forgetting for a moment the boy's actions Akumo nodded with a big toothy grin.
"You're not a very good ninja." Was Naruto's guileless responce.
"Why you!!" Akumo lifted his hammer only to have the head fall off the shaft. (Bad imagery I know ;)
Akumo looked at the red head buffing her fingernails on her silk shirt. Even Restin was reviewing his observations for when she'd made the attack. Finding no indication that she'd even moved aggressively Restin was intrigued.
"That was quite impressive. You are ninja trained? A missing nin perhaps?" Restin asked ignoring Akumo who was getting teary eyed at the loss of his weapon.
"Trained in ninja arts? No. I'm a martial artist although I have studied some basic ninja tactics and weapons." Ranma wasn't going to mention that she'd studied those same techniques while being attacked by ninjas. Learning skills through experiencing them was the Anything Goes style at it's core.
"Your attack just now wasn't ninjutsu?" Restin asked curiously. Akumo was now openly weeping over the remains of his favorite hammer.
"Not every thing is ninjutsu you know. Just because you call it a ninja technique doesn't make it one." Ranma said with a scowl. The information she'd gathered on the ninja's of this world showed that using chakra and flashy moves was the norm. In fact, most of her normal low power skills would be viewed as jutus or blood limits.
"My apologies. Most skills as such would be normal for a ninja. To find non-ninjas with such skills is rare. What is your purpose her in Rock country if I may ask?" Restin was pleasant enough in his questioning.
"We are on a training journey." Ranma said as she stood with a relaxed hand on Naruto's head.
"So the boy is your apprentice?" Restin asked intrigued.
"She adopted me and is gonna teach me to be the best ninja ever." Naruto informed the ninja.
Retsin looked at Naruto and smiled at the exuberance youth brought. Nodding his head he glance at Akumo who was trying to fit the two pieces of his hammer back together with super glue.
"I have a proposition for you." Restin told the newest residents of his small town.
aaaaaaaaaaaa
Konoha One month after Ranma's Arrival
The Sandaime was furious as he sat in his office with paperwork covering his desk. There standing before him was the Anbu captain Hatake Kakashi. A powerful ninja in his own way Kakashi had some bad habits. Such as being late to every appointment made with him, and not being as observant as he should be outside of battle.
"You mean to tell me that Naruto has been missing for four weeks and you are only now telling me?" The Hokage had spoken in a mild voice but his anger was apparent.
"Lord Hokage who ever planned the abduction was very cautious. They place a powerful genjutsu on the orphanage employee that reported on the boy's situation each week." Kakashi stated in his defense only realizing to late his mistake.
"Employee? I made it clear that I wanted the boy monitored closely by an Anbu member at all times. Why is it you use a civilian to monitor him?"
"Sir, it was felt that the resources could be better utilized..." The Hokage's raised hand quieted the Anbu Captain.
"I see..." Sighing the leader of Konoha became much more grim. "Hatake Kakashi, you are hearby relieved of all duties pertaining to the Anbu forces. You are to leave your mask with me and may not perform any missions for the next month while your actions for the past year are reviewed. Dismissed."
Hatake Kakashi, ninja prodigy, removed his mask and left his leader's office. Disappointed not in his loss of position, but in the fact that he had failed in, not his duties, something far more important. He'd failed his teacher and his leader in protecting one small boy.
aaaaaaaaaaa Someplace Hidden
A small group of individuals was meeting to discuss their plans
"The plan worked?" A hidden person asked. The voice was male, but that was all that was distinguishable.
"The demon container is no longer in Konoha, and the copy-nin has been relieved of his post for dereliction of duty." Came another voice.
"But the boy has not been found or dealt with? The thugs employed have all been silenced, but none knew of the boy's location." Voice number three.
"That is a concern, but our immediate goal has been accomplished. The Uchiha prodigy is most likely to be made Captain of the Anbu, and will become more powerful with time. He will be a powerful ally when the time comes." Said the first voice.
"I still believe this course of action is flawed and dangerous. The blood of his ancestor flows too strongly within him. He is dangerous to us." Third voice claimed.
"Perhaps, but the plans have started to move forward and cannot be stopped now. Our discussion of the situation is a waste of energy and time. We must press on and make preparations. Hopefully, Itachi will not discover the truth of his clan before the time is right." Second voice said halting a fight before it began.
Darkness deepened as the future changed course from what it was to what it could be.
TBC Well, I'm going to give this story a shot. It might be a while between updates but who knows when the muse will strike. Now to work on one of my other stories. Later. Oh and reviews are all welcome. Good? bad? Why? Let me know.
1. The chestnut technique allows ki to enhance the bodies speed to superhuman levels. The soul of ice chills the user and surroundings to different levels of cold. The jusenkyo curse could be seen as a transformation jutsu only not illusion based. And Ranma didn't use the neko-ken to cut the hammer it was a combination of speed and sharp cloth technique using a loose thread from the long sleave of her shirt.