Naruto smiled to himself as he continued down the beaten path.. It wasn't his usual smile, that lit up his entire face and the surrounding area, but a small smile, filled with satisfaction. Stopping for a quick rest, He got out his water bottle and took a long swig. Then he splashed a bit on his forehead, wiping away the sweat from the long walk. Glancing at the sky, Naruto judged, with long experience, that it was almost noon.
"Well, might as well try to get to town before then." he muttered to himself.. Picking his bag back up Naruto jogged toward the town.
When he finally got there, Naruto entered with surprising ease, simply walking into the town. Nobody challenged him, as they would have in Konoha. Inwardly, Naruto wondered if this was because it was a bigger village, or because of the Fox. Maybe both. He decided, looking around for a hotel.
Finding hotel that didn't look too shabby, Naruto walked into the alley beside it.. Making sure no one was looking, he quickly made a few hand signs, focusing intently. "Transform," he muttered, activating the Jutsu.
A few seconds and a poof of smoke later, Naruto was replaced by a middle age man, with heavyset features and brown hair. Digging in his bag, he grabbed his wallet, filled by the Hokage, and walked into the hotel.
"How may I help you sir," ask the receptionist politely.
"I'd like a room for the knight." he replied in the same tone. It was a good thing his acting skills ere top-notch, otherwise the lady was sure to notice his nervousness. But the only thing she did was collect his money and give him a room key.
Naruto suppressed his excitement until he got to his room. As soon as his door was closed he gave a little dance of excitement, and threw down his backpack. It landed with a small thud and Naruto paused in his celebration, suddenly remembering the scrolls he was suppose to be studying.
Naruto shrugged off the feeling of responsibility, reasoning, thinking that he had just fooled the hotel staff pretty well, and he deserved. The six year old plopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He sat back up after a moment, unable to sit still. Going to the window, he glanced down and noted it was only about fifteen feet to the ground. He had jumped from higher before. With a shrug, he glanced over his shoulder, checking the lock on the door, then hopped out the window.
-X-
Naruto gazed around in wonder, similar to a child in a candy store, trying to take in everything at once. Naruto had happened to arrive at the town in time for a local festival. He had never been to a festival before, not daring to go to the one's in Konoha, and now he was determined to have fun. Feeling hungry, he bought a couple of sticks of dango from a kind old man. Walking away, he felt it was strange that he didn't question selling food to a child. Shrugging away the oddity, he munched happily on the snack, and peered around, trying to decide what to do next.
"And we have a winner" Naruto whirled around so fast he got dizzy for a second. Steadying himself, he saw a tall lady in a green coat sitting at a table. Her cards were laid down and she was frowning. Naruto pitied her for losing, until the announcer pushed a large pile of money over to her. Naruto frowned as the woman stood up suddenly.
"Where leaving." The lady said suddenly, and the girl beside her stopped cheering.
"But why, your winning."
"Because that's not a good thing." the lady said grimly, striding off.
Naruto blinked at the odd exchange but shrugged, disregarding it as a bottle-toss game caught his attention.
-X-
Yugo walked down the road casually, Glancing at the sky, heavy with clouds, she decided it was about noon. Time for lunch. Settling down at the side off the road, she opened her bundle that served as a pack and took out a canteen of water, taking a gulp of water she surveyed her food. A couple handful of nuts, a whole apple. She smiled to herself. It was a feast! Glancing around, she noticed that she had the good fortune to sit next to a patch of red berries. A quick taste aloud the Nibi to tell her they weren't poisonous, and she picked a few more off the bush. Gulping them down, Yugo hummed happily, picking mor berries off the bush.
After a big meal of berries and her apple, she had decided to save her nuts, Yugo leaned back and gradually drifted off to sleep.
-X-
Naruto was walking the less-used paths, slowly making his way back to the hotel. He had decided he should head back to the hotel and study a bit before he went to bed. Distantly he heard ruckus, but tuned it out. A moment later feeling of fear and panic pulsed through him for no reason. Glancing around, adrenaline waking him up, he noticed the ruckus and gotten closer, and decided to go investigate. Sprinting down the path, Naruto turned at the entrance of an alleyway. Some blind instinct was guiding him and he soon arrived at the scene. Five men, all dead drunk, huddled around and object that Naruto couldn't identify. It was lying on the ground. With a chuckle, one man withdrew a knife.
"Got you now!" Naruto hear him mutter. He raised the knife and struck downward.
"Stop that!" Naruto shouted angrily, getting between the man in his knife. The knife buried into Naruto's shoulder, but he had felt worse and didn't flinch.
The man glared at the small boy standing in front of him. "Move, boy!" he ordered. "That thing has been ruining my life for weeks. It dies tonight!" The men around him roared, cheering him on.
Rage bubbled up inside Naruto and he narrowed his eyes. All his life, Naruto had put up with similar behavior. He wasn't about to stand-by while it happened to others.
"Leave" Naruto ordered through gritted teeth.
The drunken men laughed. "or what?" one asked mockingly.
For a single instant Naruto's eye became narrow and a red aura surround him. "LEAVE!".
The men scattered and, scared out of there wits. Turning around, Naruto studied the bundle. The young fox kit hidden under the newspaper yipped happily at his champion.
Sighing Naruto crouched down and the kit leapt up onto his shoulder. "I should probably get you to your mother." Naruto yawned. The fading adrenalin rush had left him exhausted. Half unconscious, he clearly heard the Fox's voice in the back of his mind.
"Go find you bed kit, He's not going anywhere."
Nodding absently, Naruto yawned and headed back toward the hotel.
-X-
Naruto had some how made it back to the hotel and through the window, though he didn't quite remember how. Yawning, the small boy sat up and froze when he felt something on his head. Bringing his hands up slowly, He quickly snatched it off his head and held the sleepy fox upward. Naruto sighed in relieve. Defiantly not the trap he had been expecting. Naruto scowled at the fox and it wriggled happily. Getting up, he stood in front of the mirror and asked his reflection. "What now" Naruto's stomach rumbled and he laughed, "Guess that answer's that question!" Glancing at his bag a little guiltily, he added, "And I should probably start studying too." So Naruto rifled through his bag a pulled out a scroll and some food supplies.
Naruto quickly started to put together a small breakfast of cereal and orange juice. The milk and juice were both stored in special cases with seals to keep them cold. They were a gift from the Third. Munching on his breakfast, Naruto opened up the scroll he'd chosen at random. It read:
Storage Seal and the Purpose1
Storage seals are used to store object into smaller lighter scrolls for the convenience of the user. The scrolls can be set up to do several thing. They can be made to summon the object onto the scroll or even shoot out the weapon it might be carrying. These scrolls are usually used by merchant caravans and ninja's. Not all Ninja's use storage scroll, some never even touch the, since they can get quite complicated. But most Jonnins use them, most commonly on long term mission or patrols.
-X-
Yugo opened her eye's in the depths of her mind. The giant cavern she was in seemed to glow with a strange light, but she ignored it. It was usually like that. Walking up the the cage of the Nibi she sat down next to the stone bars.
"Hey, Ni?" Yugo asked quietly.
The great beast open it's eyes. "Yes, Yugo?" she asked stretching as much as she could.
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing? So much could go wrong."
The Nibi thought for a long moment. "Yes, things could go wrong, but you know what? Thing can always go wrong. For you it's even likely, being a jinchurriki. As for doing the right thing. I think so. For once you've found people who understand you. It's only right you should seek them out.
"…yeah…Thanks Nibi." Turning around, Yugo left the depths of her mind.
As she gathered up her things she heard she heard sounds behind her. Before she could hide, someone shouted, "Hey you!"
-X-
Naruto stood up around noon. After checking out of the hotel, in disguise, he left the cozy little town. After a couple hours of walking, he began to hear shout coming out the would, the voices filled with anger. Channeling chakra to his already sensitive ears, he also heard another sound. Breath racing in an out of a body, obviously fearful.
Frowning, Naruto set off in that direction, curious.
Naruto hid himself when he heard them get close. Unnoticed by him a fox kit slid into the bushes beside him. A lady burst into the clearing, holding a baby to her chest. She glanced behind her and looked around. Naruto gasped, seeing the wide pupils that filled her eyes. She was a jinchurriki. She spotted him at the same moment, her wide eyes flying to his cheeks. Stumbling forward a few steps, she held out her baby.
"Please…," she gasp, "keep her safe."
Naruto gulped. He heard the pursuers voices coming closer, shout obscene insults and vulgar words, that should have burned Naruto's ears, but didn't. He'd heard them more then once, always directed at him.
"Please…" she begged again, falling to her knees.
Naruto took the baby, his hands shaking. "Can't leave you here!" He said desperately.. "You're…" the 'like me' was left off. She knew already.
The woman shook her head. "Go…keep her safe. Promise me that?" Naruto hesitated, "Promise!" the lady demanded.
"I promise." Naruto said quietly. The fox kit, still unnoticed, crawled over to Naruto,. Continuing, it went straight up his legs and crawled in next to the baby, who, by some miracle, was sleeping quietly.
"Goodbye." Naruto whispered, and took off running.
-X- The Next Day
Naruto sat against a tree, to sorrowful to move. He only looked up when someone stopped in front of him.
"Umm...Naruto, why are you caring a baby" Gaara asked calmly.
Naruto smiled sadly. "Long story."
-X-
And so Gaara joins the Party!
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