NARUTO

Drifting

The World Out There

Three days later…

Naruto was suddenly woken from his peaceful slumber by his bedspread coming to an abrupt and shuddering halt. He gave out a yelp of surprise when he was tossed onto his front, coaxing tears of pain from his eyes due to the bad position he landed in. "W-What? What's going on?"

Why he hadn't woken up days earlier from all the noise and rattling surrounding him beforehand was a good question. It could only be assumed that the infrequent rocking of the surface he had been laying on basically kept him relaxed enough to enjoy his pleasant montage of dreams to be asleep for over seventy-two hours. Too bad the 'comforter' he had been lying across hadn't exactly been the ideal surface for his body to be sprawled over, something he came to the full realization of when he sat up and stretched out after his bad landing. The sounds of each of his vertebrae popping back into place one after the other could be heard echoing throughout his dim chamber.

Letting out a yawn, the blonde rubbed his eye and looked around his strange surroundings, "Man… how long was I out?" He blinked in confusion when he saw the stacks of crates and boxes. "Wait a second… this isn't my bedroom."

Figuring he was still dreaming, he pinched himself in an attempt to rouse his mind from its slump. When he opened his eyes again and saw that his world hadn't changed he groaned in annoyance and stood up.

"I guess I must have fallen asleep in the academy's equipment shed again. Damn. What the hell's with all the barrels lying around?" While he was scratching his head, the boy winced when he felt a sharp poke to his cranium and looked up to see a familiar companion perched on the unlit lamp hanging from the ceiling of the low-riding room. "Oh, hey Swift-chan? What's up?"

The bird chirped sharply, directing his attention towards the exit. Listening to her stressful exclamations for the next few seconds as she explained to him their current situation, the blonde blew a raspberry and gave his friend a dismissive wave.

"What? No way. How the hell are we not in the village anymore?" Naruto shook his head, stepping over several bags of flour and reaching for the canvas entrance, all the while laughing the entire way. "That's a funny joke, Swift-chan. If we're not in Konoha anymore, then that would mean I must have fallen asleep in some traveler's carriage. What kind of Shikamaru do you take me fo-" He was cut short when he threw open the drapes of the wagon and found himself staring out at an unknown countryside, covered with fields, small areas of forest, and winding roads stretching out as far as the eye could see. "Oh…"

"Hey!"

Startled, Naruto looked over to see the driver of the wagon pointing at him with an incredulous look on his face.

"What are you doing hiding in the back of my cart, kid? Get out of there!"

Blinking a few times, the blonde meekly raised his hand in a dumbfounded greeting. "Uh, yeah… hi! Umm… could you please tell me where I am? I think I'm lost." The swallow who had accompanied him on his journey perched herself on his shoulder.

The driver scratched his head, "Geez, how long have you been in there? You're in Gurētoribā no Tochi, son." (Land of the Great River)

"Guretoriba? Never heard of it," Naruto looked around while leaning further out the wagon. He could see he was in a hilly area with a lot of farmland and open field. Apparently the man had stopped beside a local food stand on the side of the highway to take a break from his long trip. After quickly taking in his new surroundings, the jinchuriki looked back at the stumped tradesman and addressed him with a new question. "Umm, do you know how far away from Konohagakure we are?"

He saw the man's eyes bug out. "Konohagakure? You're from that village?" The blonde nodded. "I left the Land of Fire three days ago! We're in a country to the far west sitting in between the Land of Wind to the south and the Land of Earth to the north." The man breathed in amazement. "I gotta tell yah kid, you're a long way from home."

Naruto appeared both bewildered and dismayed at that revelation. "Really? Ah crap… why the hell does this always happen to me?" Overcome, he then hopped out of the wagon and took his first steps across a road he'd never set foot on until now. "Oh well. Guess I'd better make the most of this." Looking left and right to check for traffic, the ten-year-old was able to ascertain the direction he had come from and where this man was apparently headed, before deciding to follow the road that the tradesman had been following.

Seeing the youngster head off down the highway the driver suddenly jumped back into life. "Whoa! Hey! You're going the wrong way, kid!"

Stopping for a moment, Naruto glanced back casually at the tradesmen while pointing down the route ahead of him. "There's a village close by, isn't there? That's where you were headed before you stopped."

"Y-Yes…"

"Then that's where I'll go. Thanks, oji-san!" With a kind wave and a smile the jinchuriki turned around and marched on, with his swallow companion riding atop his shoulder.

Betting on his knowledge of public transport, the boy figured he would be able to charter a ride back to his home village from the town and decided to take the lead in this unexpected adventure. Hopefully he would also be able to come across some more locals who could tell him more about this place he had wound up at.

He headed on, leaving a still bewildered looking driver behind who stared worryingly after him.

"Be careful, lad," the tradesman said to himself while stroking his mustache. "The great divide lies over that horizon… and I don't think you'll like what you're going to find there…"

XXX

A couple hours later…

"Whoa… now that is a big-ass trench," Naruto said to himself as he stood at the crest of the hill he'd finally arrived at and looked out over the rolling landscape of valleys and forests towards the great furrow he could see carved into the country. The line dug into the earth was about two kilometers wide and stretched from one vanishing point in the distance to the next; one of the largest natural formations he'd ever seen. He shook his head in amazement as he took it all in from end to end, disappointed that he didn't have a camera with him.

Though some mists toward the north concealed much of the trench, the boy still got a good enough look at the canyon, concluding that this view was by far one of the most amazing sights he'd ever seen.

"I can't wait to tell Iruka-sensei about this when I get home." Scratching his head as he marveled at the landscape, the blonde then looked down at the swallow nesting on his shoulder. "Did you know about this?" The bird merely chirped and ruffled her feathers. "Surprised? Yeah. So am I."

Deciding he'd had enough of taking in the sights at this distance the blonde began marching down the hill to continue on his trek. Spotting a farm house next to some dried up crops closer to the expanse of flats, Naruto instinctively headed there to see if anyone in the area could give him some proper directions to the village he was heading to. Honestly, even though it was a highway he still managed to get himself lost.

He needed a map… and something to eat.

Seriously, he was starving.

Perhaps while he was here he could poke around a little more and soak up some of the culture. He wanted to learn as much about this place so that he could tell Teuchi and Ayame the whole story in detail that was sure to come.

After following the dirt road that branched off of the main highway down to the cottage, Naruto stopped at the front door of the main building and gazed up at it wearily. The place was a little rundown and disused, with the only farm animals in sight being an ox, a cow, a donkey, and a few chickens asleep in their pen. There was a lot more space that would have housed a score of other animals, but they were all vacant. This had the boy wonder what exactly was going on with the owners of this establishment and its diminishing quality.

A few moments of consideration later and Naruto knocked on the door.

He didn't have to wait long for a response. "I said it before and I'll say it again, I am not selling my land to you dogs! Fuck off!"

The reply from inside had Naruto recoil in shock. Well that was a pretty unpleasant welcome.

Staring at the entrance for a few more seconds and wondering what had this person's panties in such a twist, the blonde frowned and knocked again. This time though he wasn't just greeted by a voice but by the door itself flying open and a crossbow being shoved into his face. "Didn't you hear me? I said fu-huh?"

Naruto gave a yelp and stumbled back, freaking out at the sight of the loaded weapon. The swallow on his shoulders also chirped in surprise, ruffling her feathers to the point she looked like a ball of fluff.

The person brandishing the projectile piece peaked over the crosshairs to see a child staring back at her in shock. Blinking, the farmer lowered her crossbow. "A kid?"

Looking up at the owner of the cottage Naruto found himself staring at a slightly dirty yet pretty young lady around her twenties. Sporting a perfect figure, she wore tight jeans, a buttoned up red and white checkered top with her midriff exposed and a straw hat. Additionally she had long, dull green hair tied back into a ponytail, bright brown eyes, a beauty mark under her right eye and had a piece of straw stuck in her mouth. She looked quite spunky based solely on her appeal.

Upon looking the person standing in front of them over for a good minute, they both eased up, with the farmer removing the weapon completely out of her stance and letting it hang at her side. "Well this is a surprise. What's a brat like you doing all the way out here?"

Before he could answer Naruto's stomach gave a loud growl. He covered it with both hands and grinned sheepishly up at the woman, who raised an eyebrow at him. Taking that as his answer, she smiled at him and propped her crossbow against her shoulder.

"Hungry huh? Been living rough?"

"Sort of," the blonde shrugged. He would have liked to tell her about his situation back home, but that would have taken him hours and it was a conversation he really didn't feel like shedding light on. Getting straight to the point seemed like the better option. "I haven't eaten in three days."

"You're not the worst case I've had stumble in here but still, I'd be a bitch to just turn a little squirt like you away from my doorstep." The woman stepped aside and ushered him in. "Come on. I'll get yah something."

"Thanks a lot," Naruto chirped before striding into the home. The swallow sitting on his shoulder remained, feeling just as curious about this place as her human friend. She was a bit hungry too.

OOO

Warm relief flooded through Naruto the moment he finished the big bowl of stew that had been laid out in front of him by the nice lady who had invited him into her home. With a big, satisfied smile on his face, the blonde patted his sated stomach and breathed out a warm cloud of soup air, at the same time looking down to see his partner Swift eating her own fill of birdseed from a small saucer also provided by the farmer.

"It's been really quiet nowadays. Not many people come walking passed here anymore," the farmer exclaimed with a smile. "I guess maybe because I'm so out of the way as well that I don't get that many visitors."

It had been while they were eating Naruto'd learned that the kind woman's name was Hanare and that she was the sole owner of the farm he was currently at. She had been looking after this place ever since the old man who had taken her under his wing passed away and up until a few months ago the place had been bustling with life and was one of the most prosperous farms in the area.

That was… until…

"You're the first person who isn't one of those salesmen scumbags to come knocking on my door in, I'd say, about a month."

The blonde looked up at her curiously. "Really? That long, huh?"

Hanare nodded. "It sucks. Though I don't mind the peace and quiet, I had to sell off a lot of my animals just to pay the bills. I'm down to my last ones now."

"No wonder the farm looked so empty when I passed it," Naruto murmured while standing up. "What about your fields? Everything growing in them looks dead… like they haven't been watered in ages."

"The crops were what made this place so profitable to begin with," Hanare stated, glancing out her window with a perturbed look on her face. Naruto noticed her stare and how concerned it became. "Ever since Gato came in here and built that God-awful eyesore up the river, this land's value and living quality practically went down the toilet…"

"Huh?" Naruto tilted his head. "River? Eyesore? Who's Gato?"

"Man squirt, where the hell have you been these past several months? Living in a hole?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly, "I'm not from around here. The outside world is still abysmal to me."

"Well… if that's the case," Hanare began, checking her watch. Nodding her head she then opened one of the cupboards sitting above her kitchen sink and grabbed a pair of binoculars. She then motioned for the boy to follow her and soon the two of them were standing out on her front porch side by side. Holding the specs over her eyes, Hanare looked out to the massive gorge they could see in the distance before she held the device down to the blonde. "To the North. The mist's clearing up now so you can't miss it."

Naruto did as he was asked and raised the binoculars to his eyes. When he eventually spotted the 'eyesore' Hanare was talking about, his jaw almost hit the ground.

"What the hell is that?!" the blonde nearly shouted, leaning forward and blinking several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He lowered the binoculars.

Even at this bloody distance he could still see the gargantuan structure as clear as day.

"It's massive!"

"Yeah," Hanare replied, folding her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "That monstrosity is called the Mugen River Dam… or better known as Gato's White Wall."

"Mugen River…" Naruto murmured.

"This river stretches across the entire continent. It's the largest canal in all of the shinobi nations," Hanare informed before her eyes narrowed tersely. "Well… it used to be. I'm sure you've at least heard of Gato Company. Its products and services are known worldwide. Ever since the boss came waltzing in here with his circus act and bought out every water and power station in the region, as well as every available estate up on that ridge, he then built that thing right next to the border. Now he's got a monopoly over the entire country."

Naruto's once puzzled and bewildered expression slowly transformed into a look of outrage as Hanare explained to him the situation. He glared out towards the colossus on the horizon; an enormous concrete structure stretching two kilometers with massive frames, cranes, towers, and the name Gato International stamped clean across its front where the water outlets sat. The problem with his initial analysis though; there was absolutely no water to speak of.

The massive river had been reduced to a small stream barely visible from where they were standing; a shadow of what he assumed it once was.

This explained why the place looked so devoid of life and in such a state of decay. Nothing and nobody was getting any water. The sheer size and height of the structure was also keeping a lot of the rain clouds from drifting over the lands. Everything, including the sky, was being held back by that towering blot on the landscape. It seemed impossible, but it was exactly as it appeared.

This determination to keep all of that water back just to get money from all the people in the country was unthinkable. Who would do this?

"This land used to be so full of life. Food was plentiful, the money flow was good, and people were happy. Boy, you should have seen this place when it was at its best. It was like paradise," Hanare said before shrugging. "Oh sure we talked about projects like creating small dams, reservoirs and stuff; like setting up a power station to generate energy through water and building a bridge to the other side to provide another path to the other countries… but all of that talk was put to rest when that man showed up." The farmer then shook her head. "Damn Gato. The people couldn't stop him in time and because of their dithering they're now suffering under his heel."

"That bastard…"

"No shit," Hanare replied, glaring hatefully at the monster towering over the dead river.

"Why doesn't somebody do something about him?" Naruto asked while glancing up at the farmer leaning against the entrance. "Where are the armies, the mobs, the shinobi? This is a whole country isn't it? Why doesn't somebody stop him or call for help?"

"No one can stop him or do anything about him because Gato is as much a monster as that gigantic wall of his," Hanare stated with a frown. "The person you're talking about here is one of the most powerful men in the world. He's conquered lands and felled opponents using only his resources. They are insurmountable. He doesn't just control the water and power in this land; he's also eliminated the daimyo as a threat to his operation here."

"What?"

"The country's leader has been all but dethroned. The money the lord once owned all went to Gato to pay for power and for water, and even that wasn't enough. Gato taxes everyone in the country to the point that he basically owns everything and everyone," Hanare said, gesturing to her farm. "Those who can't make a living or pay him are either kicked out, flee, or put to work under the boss, whether by their consent or not. Gato also wants my land to set up a factory because there are precious resources stored underground and is constantly sending envoys to my front door to negotiate. It's only a matter of time till he starts sending his other lackeys to… 'persuade' me."

"Persuade… you mean… intimidate you?" Naruto asked with wide eyes.

"Intimidate, torture, kill, beat, drug, break every bone in my body, whatever," Hanare listed with a careless shrug, as if none of that bothered her. "I'm just one person up against an entire army. Gato's not only a powerhouse in the industrial and economical world; he also has thousands of workmen under his wing. On top of that, he doesn't just have people who run his branches. That's just a front. Mercenaries, pirates, drug lords, criminal organizations and shinobi… he's got a whole underworld dancing to his fiddle."

Oh great, so this Gato man wasn't just a billionaire and magnate, he was also a criminal. The fact that apparently he was also such a big face in the world of business meant that nobody, not even the shinobi villages, could do anything about him. He was too big a symbol, too high up in the world, too much of a commodity. That was quite an intimidating thought.

Not only that, but the fact that Naruto was told that the guy hired shinobi to do some of his dirty work also put a bit of knot in his throat.

Just what the hell has been going on over here this entire time? How did the people of this region let things get this far?

"It was all quick, just so you know," Hanare said, stepping out of the doorframe and taking the binoculars from the boy as he gazed attentively out at the desert that was once a river. "Before anyone could do or say anything Gato had already bought out half of the country's industry. This place has now become one of the many assets under his control."

"So there are more countries out there under his boot?" Naruto asked, feeling his anger rise and his fist start to shake. "There are more people out there being controlled by him? Being bullied by him?"

It was an old story. Naruto had been on the receiving end of a lot of grief, displeasure and hostility his entire life. He knew exactly what that was like.

"Yes. And we're not the first either," Hanare replied with a firm gaze. "I'm sorry to have to tell you all of this, since you're new here. This place is dying. There's not much left. The people who stay in this country are either hanging on by a thread or have nowhere else to go." She then nodded down the road towards the dried up river. "You can go to the main village and see for yourself if you like. But I recommend that you get out of this country as soon as you can, unless you want to get spotted and taxed by Gato's 'collectors' for entering their territory. We're actually quite fortunate that he hasn't hired any shinobi to watch this place, since it's so far out of the way of any hidden villages."

She was about to step back inside, but noticed that Naruto was still glaring angrily out at the river. Hanare held onto the door handle and looked back at him, a little surprised to see him shaking so much. After a while of intense silence she breathed out and turned to face him.

"You may as well let it go. There's nothing you can do here. You're just one person, kid…"

"The hell I'm not going to do something about this bullshit," Naruto snapped, glancing over his shoulder at the stunned farmer. "And I'm not just some random kid either."

Hanare blinked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Then what are you, squirt?"

The jinchuriki smirked and raised his thumb up to poke at the goggles on his forehead. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to be Hokage some day!" He then stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled. The woman jumped a little when the swallow that had previously been inside suddenly flew right by her head and landed on the blonde boy's shoulder.

Hanare looked to see her guest was still looking back at her with a wide grin.

"A future Hokage can't just stand back and watch a whole country die right in front of him. He's got to take action, dattebayo, no matter how stacked the odds are against him," Naruto exclaimed before taking off at full sprint for the river. "It's time for me to raise hell!"

Startled, Hanare jumped forward and called out for him. "Hey! Wait! Stop, Naruto! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"The hell I am!" the blonde called back with a wave. "I'm the hero of this story! There's no way I'm going to get killed! Believe it!"

After seeing the youngster disappear and the trail of dust he left behind settle, the terrified looking farmer leaned back with a worried gaze slapped across her face. She furrowed her brow and bit her lip anxiously.

"Please… don't do anything stupid, squirt."

If he somehow lived through to tomorrow… somehow, she would eat her own boots…

OOO

Riverside village…

It was a quick run especially for the bundle of energy that was Naruto, who came into the village hoping to see a lot of people walking around. Indeed there were a few, a lot more than what he was expecting to see after hearing the whole story of this place from Hanare, but after taking some second glances and looks there were only two sorts he was able to make out.

First there were the villagers themselves, all looking ragged, worn out and broken. Everyone he saw from this group looked awful, something that had the jinchuriki stop in his tracks and drink in for a solid minute.

He could pretty much guess that their current states of appearance were all thanks to this Gato bastard.

The second lot of people that he could see walking in amongst the civilians, judging from their crude uniforms, menacing appearances, weapons, and the fact that a lot of them were walking around in packs, Naruto identified them as the boss's cronies. This pretty much made up the black and white population that was once a thriving riverside village. The whole thing was built on a wharf meant to stand above the flowing river, but was now a dry puddle in the middle of a dying land.

Even the vegetation that once surrounded the village had grown thin from lack of hydration. It was horrible.

"How can this place not get any rain?" Naruto wondered, looking up towards the dam he could see over the rooftops and the rainclouds caught behind it. "Is it really because of that thing? Is it some kind of curse that's keeping the skies empty?"

If it was then the blonde was definitely going to have to find a way to break it. He'd made this vow while he had been running down the hillside to get to this place, and he intended to follow-through with his goal no matter what.

Looking around him at the dilapidated buildings and spirit worn people a second time, Naruto could see that he had his work cut out for him.

Before he could start on anything though he had to find the village mayor or leader; whoever was in charge that wasn't under Gato's payroll. The blonde moved with purpose down the road, avoiding eye contact with the thugs, including the ones dining in the nearby bars and stands, yet still managing to attract quite a lot of attention from the weary and exhausted villagers.

It was uncomfortably quiet in this place.

"This is really depressing, Swift-chan," Naruto murmured, earning a tweet of agreement from the swallow on his shoulder.

While walking down the main road the blonde suddenly became aware of a commotion taking place not too far from where he was. Looking across the street the jinchuriki saw a small group of people standing outside a building and looking down. For what reason Naruto had no idea until his ears picked up the distinct sound of a sweet melody filling the air. Blinking, he approached to find out exactly what it was.

He was pleasantly surprised when he saw a girl with dark pink hair closely resembling red in color sitting against the wall and playing a flute. She was entrancing the people around her with her performance, earning coins for her efforts and playing a song that was so charming it almost drew Naruto himself into the realm of enchantment. However, instead of becoming completely mesmerized like the rest of the villagers surrounding her appeared to be, he instead smiled warmly and listened in from a distance.

Though the jinchuriki didn't know it thanks to his proximity with her, the young street musician was captivating her audience with a genjutsu that was only effective at a certain range, so she was in no danger of being found out by any perceptive onlookers. However, this definitely explained the number of people gathered around her and swaying to the heavenly notes flowing from her piece. She had lured them in and trapped them like flies in a web.

The girl appeared to be around Naruto's age, maybe a year older. She had lovely hair, a fair face, and beautiful brown eyes, yet covering this delicate exterior was the dirt and grime from an appalling environment and an ill-fated lifestyle. She was also dressed in worn out clothing that was tattered and filthy, something the jinchuriki figured she had attained from a long time of living out on the streets.

It was a familiar sight. Naruto understood this himself from his own experience; days which when he was down on his luck for the longest times.

When the flute music faded and the girl lowered her instrument, the few people standing around her dropped coins into her hat and slowly left the scene one after the other. It was when the crowd had finally dispersed Naruto was permitted a clear view of the tired looking girl, huddled up against the wall and clutching her flute to her like it was her only lifeline.

He was about to go over as well, but was unable to when he was suddenly shoved aside by a group of large men walking past him. The jinchuriki looked up in surprise.

"Hey! Brat!" one of the four men that came to stand around the girl shouted, forming an intimidating wall before her with their hands on their weapons. "Wow… that was some beautiful music there. The boys and I were really touched. However…"

"We're sorry to say this, but you're playing on our turf," another of the group exclaimed, leaning down further to leer at the urchin staring back at them with a vacant expression.

"You can't set up shop here and expect to kick down your profits. There's a fee that's charged to all freelancers in this town. Everyone has to pay it," a third stated, nudging his companion in the side and earning a snicker from the rest of his crew. "It's uhh… the law."

"You can understand us, right?" the leader asked, grinning as he placed his hand against the wall and keeping his eyes fixed on the adolescent musician. "Cough up… say… eighty percent of what you've made today and we'll be on our way. I can promise that you won't have any trouble from us."

Hearing this had Naruto scowl and clench his fists tightly. The more he watched the thugs crowding her, the more his jaw seemed to stiffen and his teeth start to bear. The bird on his shoulder sensed the rise in his frustrations, which had her ruffle her feathers in alarm before taking off to perch on a nearby roof.

She knew what was coming and didn't want to be anywhere near the vicinity when shit started to hit the fan.

"Well? Say something, brat," the lead brute exclaimed.

"You can talk can't you?" his second asked, kneeling down and grabbing the girl by the head, forcing her to look up at him. His grin widened when he felt the girl fight. "You know, you're quite the cutie underneath all those bangs. I bet you'd make a fine catch when you're older."

"That's an excellent observation, mate," the leader chuckled, leaning further down when the girl's head was forcefully turned his way. "Oh yes, a fine observation. How would you like to come with us? I'm sure the boss can find a fantastic position for you on the market."

The girl gritted her teeth and shook her head as best she could, but was strained from the right-hand thug's grip in her locks. "Hell no! Leave me alone!"

"Hmm? What was that? I don't think I heard you right." The leader reached down and grabbed the sword at his waist. "Did you say 'please cut out my tongue if I don't start cooperating with you? Was that it?"

"Piss off!" the girl snapped, throwing her head out of the other man's grip and rolling out of the way. Making sure to grab the money she made, spilling some coins in the process, she tried to make a run for it. Her escape attempt however was rewarded by her hair getting grabbed from behind before she was violently thrown up against the wall. She cried out when she hit the bricks and was held there with her arm locked over her head. "OW! LET ME GO!"

"You know, it's not nice to play and run!" the second said with a smirk, raising the girl off the floor a little more so that she was dangling like a lure. "We should teach you a lesson about respecting authority."

"Oh yes," the group's boss exclaimed, drawing his sword and holding it out. He tapped it against her hand in a threatening manner. "We should cut off some of your fingers. If we do that then maybe you'll start singing a different tune."

"NO!" the girl cried out, tears brimming in her eyes when she felt her arm being squeezed even harder then before and her body being thrust further up the wall of the building by the boss's crony. She gritted her teeth and held both her flute and money tightly to her with her only free arm. "H-Help… someone…"

"Or better yet, how about I break your flute and your fingers," the second said, watching his companion swing his sword around and prop it against his shoulder, allowing some breathing room. The man holding up the girl grabbed the girl's hand holding both her instrument and coins. "Come on… damn it… cough it up!"

"NO!" the girl shouted tearfully, thrashing her hand about in an attempt to fight off the mercenary, but to no avail.

Just as the villagers watching on the streets began to worry for the girl's safety and the men came even closer to relinquishing her of her precious items, the world snapped.

CRACK!

The sound of a sharp thud echoing throughout the entire area silenced all bystanders and antagonists. The redhead being held against the wall was suddenly dropped to her feet when her captor unexpectedly jumped several feet into the air.

With his head cocked upwards and blood flying free from his mouth, the thug climbed three full heights off the ground before beginning an incredibly painful descent, his companions looking up at his curling form in bewilderment.

The remaining three then looked down, where they saw to their utter disbelief a young boy with wild blonde hair with his hands in his pockets and his foot jutted skywards, standing inside of their circle. The kid had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and sent a kick straight up into a man twice his size with apparently no prior movement or windup leading into the blow. It was absurd.

"W-What the fuck?!" the head gangster choked out when he saw his second slam into the ground several feet away with a deafening thump. "H-How did… YOU LITTLE SHIT!" He spun around, swinging his sword straight down to slice the kid in two, only for his vision to fade to black when the one he was targeting leapt at him with a left overhand that blasted his face and upper body coiling backwards. Knocked unconscious from the one hit, the boss thug hit the ground with an even louder thud then his teammate's, like an anvil making landfall.

"You moron! It's just a kid!" the thug standing behind the attacking Naruto shouted before launching himself at the boy, aiming to grab his collar. "Stop screwing a-OOF!" He didn't have time to even start his assault when the runt he was trying to take from behind spun like a top, leapt into the air, and slammed a kick straight across his face. The ruffian literally spun through the air before landing painfully on his head.

Returning to earth gracefully, Naruto glanced over at the girl slumped against the wall and looking across at him in astonishment. Her tear strung eyes wavered under the sun when the boy sent her a grin before wordlessly back-flipping high into the air to avoid the fourth man diving at him from behind with a knife. He landed on the backstabber's back and dropped down to slam his feet into his beltline, at the same time grabbing the mercenary by the nostrils and pulling him into what looked like one of the most painful holds in recorded taijutsu history.

"OWOWOWOWOWOW-L-LET GO!" the grown man cried out in agony when he felt his snout begin to get pulled up to where his hairline stopped. His upper body was slowly bent backwards to the point where it was beginning to resemble the curve of an 'f'. "LET GO! LET GO! LET GO!"

"Hey! Run for it!" Naruto shouted, looking over at the girl leaning against the wall and looking on in awe. The red head responded with a blink and a jump in her shoulders. "Get out of here while you can. I'll hold them off. Go! Now!"

Not needing to be told twice the young musician nodded affirmatively before picking her things off the floor and sprinting into the nearest alleyway. She was gone in a matter of seconds, allowing Naruto to finish dealing with the trash littering the streets.

He kicked behind the locked man's knees, sending him dropping to the floor before releasing his face so that he sprang forward. When he did, Naruto quickly slammed his hand into the back of his head and rammed it straight into the ground, cracking the dry earth and splattering blood all over the road. Oh he didn't kill him, but the blow was strong enough to ensure that once he regained consciousness he'd find his face resembling that of Picasso's.

Scowling, Naruto looked up from on top of his out cold foe to see more thugs come rushing out of the nearby buildings and stands, all of them brandishing dangerous weapons from staffs, to swords, to chains, to knives. Dozens of them instantly surrounded the boy dressed in orange, cutting off all potential escape routes.

Conventional ones anyway…

But Naruto had no plans of running away. Not in this fight. Instead, he grinned widely once he'd made a head count of all participants and saw that every single one of them was baring their teeth at him. The villagers in the street backed off or made a great effort to conceal themselves where they stood, leaving the kid all on his own to fight the horde of mongrels.

"I've had a pretty dull week out in the forests breaking trees into splinters, so I've been dying for a good work out. You claw-hopping idiots better not disappoint me," Naruto said, standing up on top of the person he was perched on and slamming both of his fists together to produce an audible thump. His grin widened when he saw them all approach him at once.

"This is gonna be fun…"

OOO

Several blocks out, huddled in the shadow of buildings and backstreets after what felt like hours of running, there sat the young female musician. Breathing hard with her eyes shut tight and sweat dripping down her brow, the red head clutched her worldly possessions to her chest and held fast as her knees trembled and threatened to give out. However, knowing she was not free from danger, not while she was still in this village, she remained conscious of her environment and looked back down the road she had come.

She remembered the faces of those that had cornered her, their shadows, the cold steel of sword against her skin and their glares. She also remembered the flash of bright light and the person that had come to her aid. That boy, dressed in orange with a head of golden spiky hair, came between her and her antagonists and smote each of them with a single blow. It was the most incredible thing she'd ever seen in her life, especially from someone who appeared to be no older than her.

However, she knew that there were more of those goons hanging around the area. She was aware of their presence the moment she stepped onto that road. There had been an entire gang of thugs nesting in the bars, having lunch, counting cash, intimidating the locals, and everything else mercenaries did in their off time. Had her plight beforehand not attracted their attention than the boy's interference surely did. She had no idea what was going to happen to him now.

Gulping down breaths of air, the girl then rose from her place of rest and prepared to move out. However, when she looked around to begin walking again, she jumped back with a start and let out a shriek when she came face-to-face with the same boy that had leapt to her aid.

Naruto grinned from where he was hanging, upside-down from an overhanging pipe. "Yo!"

The young girl looked up and down several times, wondering when and how he had managed to catch up to her without her knowing. Blinking and shaking her head to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, she stared at him in confusion. "Y-You?"

"Yeah, me. Were you expecting someone else?" the blonde asked playfully while swinging back and forth on the pole, gripping the edge with his toes. "My name's Naruto, by the way. Can I ask what your name is, pretty girl?"

The musician blinked, "T-Tayuya." She shook her head suddenly when she eventually realized the absurdity of his presence and transformed her once bewildered gaze into a scowl. "Wait just a damn second! What or who in the hell are you?"

"I just told you," Naruto replied casually, suddenly flipping over so that he was hanging from his hand, "I'm Naruto… Naruto Uzumaki."

"Are you… like… a ninja?" the urchin now known as Tayuya asked while watching him sway, "If so, from what village?"

"Konohagakure. But I'm not really a shinobi. Not yet anyway. I'm still just an academy student."

"Seriously?" the surprised red head asked while looking for a head band or insignia. Finding none, she frowned. "Bullshit. You don't fight like a damn nose-wiping school kid." He fought more like a monkey more than anything else, but that was a point of view she was willing to withhold for the time being as he did technically save her life.

She was also too confused and bewildered to be spouting those kinds of nonsense observations anyway.

Frowning a bit, Naruto dropped from the pipe and stepped up to the girl. Tayuya backed down a little in response to his actions but remained where her feet were planted when the blonde's nose came close to brushing against hers. The proximity actually brought a bit of coloring and warmth to her cheeks, yet she maintained her expression of confusion and stared back as her savior inspected her up close.

"Why do you swear like that?" Naruto asked, tilting his head. "Did I do something wrong?"

Hearing his question, Tayuya furrowed her brow. "No. But you did do something really stupid." She stepped away from him with red in her face and gave him a hard glare. "What kind of crazy, brain-dead fool are you? Taking on those thugs on your own… you could have been killed."

"Bah! No one can kill me!" Naruto laughed while thumping his chest with his fist. "People have tried and people have failed. With my skills I can take on entire armies using only my left and right, no matter how many there are, no matter what kind of jutsu they use or how much power they have. I'm just that awesome!"

Tayuya shoved him in the chest. "Don't screw with me! You're not from this village. You don't know me. I'm pretty sure you don't know a single person in this whole damn country! Kids like you don't do crap like jump in to save some homeless kid getting picked on and mugged by a group of killers! Why the hell did you save me?!"

Naruto went from confused to hurt when he felt all the girl's anger and frustration directed solely towards him, and lowered his hands to his sides in surprise. Suddenly, all energy and cheerfulness he had previously been conveying just dropped like a stone plummeting from a great height. It all happened so quickly.

He didn't expect for the girl to just bark at him like that. All he wanted to do was cheer her up. The fact that she was also tearing up from the ordeal she'd just endured also had his mood sink with hers, and he backed up a little to give her some space.

Unable to think of anything else, Naruto responded to the girl's harsh questions with the most straightforward answer he could come up with. At least he had the right sense in mind to know when to take things seriously.

"You were crying…" He saw Tayuya visibly recoil at his reply, her tongue catching in her mouth when she watched him rub the back of his head anxiously. "You were being bullied and hurt by those men. I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. I wanted to help you."

Tayuya felt a lump get stuck in her throat, which she tried to swallow. "But… w-why?"

"I don't… really have a good reason other than that…" the blonde said while scratching his cheek. "Besides, since when did you need a reason to help somebody in trouble? I don't need one. Maybe I helped you out because I understand what it's like to be alone, to be picked on and to have to fight to survive. I never want that to happen to me again, and I certainly don't want to see it happening to other people. It really sucks, you know…"

Feeling a bit ashamed at her previous outbursts, Tayuya mentally backed at his words before quietly glancing down at her feet. Upon thinking on her words more carefully, the redhead quickly realized that what she said to him and how she said it was a really terrible way to thank somebody for a favor. The boy standing in front of her had only helped her with the best of intentions and was now appearing rather hurt from how she responded to him.

The musician bit her lip and looked up once again, where she saw the blonde rubbing his arm like he'd just been whipped.

"I… I'm sorry," Tayuya murmured, drawing his attention back to her. "I didn't mean to snap… it's just…" She heaved a sigh and shook her head. "It's been hard for me these past few months. I haven't eaten or slept in a warm bed in ages." Hugging herself, Tayuya ran her hands up and down her arms to show how dreadful she was feeling. It was an expression that did not go unnoticed. "Th-Thank you…"

Naruto gave her a look of momentary surprise before a grin flashed across his face, followed shortly by a laugh and a nod. "You're most welcome, Tayuya-chan."

The redhead subtly bristled at his affectionate suffix and blushed, "Hey! Don't call me that! What the hell's wrong with you?"

"What? Call you what, Tayuya-chan?"

"That! Blargh. What the fuck's with the chan shit? Don't call me that you weirdo…"

"Aww… but it's cute."

Tayuya blushed even more brightly and slammed her foot into the ground. "NO! IT'S NOT!"

Before she could formulate a more reliable comeback, the air was suddenly filled with the sound of a low growl that interrupted both party members from their exchange and prompted the red-haired musician to grab a hold of her stomach. The noise brought further embarrassment to the already distressed Tayuya, who then did everything in her power to keep her gaze from meeting her savior's.

Naruto smiled up at her. "Hungry?"

Tayuya nodded meekly.

"Me too. Come on, I'll get you something."

After fighting and beating the shit out of over fifty gangsters on the streets with his bare hands; hell yeah was he hungry. Still, he being famished didn't rid him of the spring in his step or the smile on his face as he escorted a now timorous looking Tayuya by the hand out of the alleyway.

XXX

An hour later…

Up in the enormous dam at the ridge of the massive river, in a guard house situated safely on the east side of the structure, life was going splendidly for one particular individual.

Sitting at his large oak desk right next to a large window giving him a splendid view of the entire countryside, a short man dressed in a black suit with spiky brown hair, round sunglasses and a thin mustache was busy enjoying his lunch of lobster with a side of salad and potatoes, all the while using whatever free time he had contemplating his next big scheme.

Things were going quite nicely for the head of Gato Company up here. All he had was a fuck ton of time, money and places to look forward to visiting on his next corporate retreat. In fact, he was so stress-free right now the boss was deeply considering going for a stroll around the waterworks to see how the pumps were operating. But with so many employees already being paid to do the job for him, he quickly dismissed that option and instead made plans to go visit a hot spring this afternoon.

Life was great. He couldn't have asked for anything more.

However, just as Gato was beginning to break more legs on his high-class dish to slurp up the rich white meat hiding inside, there was a sudden knock on his front door shortly followed by the entrance itself being thrown open before his consent could even be given.

The boss of the establishment looked up uncaringly from his spot, where he saw his two bodyguards, a young man with white hair, marks under his eyes, wearing a purple hat and a blue hooded jacket, and a larger, shirtless man with scars, brown hair, tattoos and an eye patch, come strolling on in. Both of them had katanas sheathed at their waists and both of them looked really intimidating; the perfect muscle for the head of an international conglomerate.

Wiping his mouth with a serviette Gato looked back out the window. "This had better be important. I've got a lot of paperwork to get through, so make it quick." Yeah, it was a lie, but he just didn't feel like dealing with his tagalongs at the moment.

He gave them his back, showing his lack of interest in whatever they had to say. It was rather unfortunate that he wasn't paying them any mind as he failed to notice that when his two hands eventually stopped before his desk, both of them were looking quite nervous.

"It's… not really important boss… but…" Zori began with a stammer, "But uhh…"

"What? But what?" Gato asked impatiently. "Spit it out."

"Well, you see, several of our men were assaulted down in the village about an hour ago."

"Yeah. Yeah. Well. Not really several men… a lot of our men… well… most of our men, I should say," Waraji chuckled.

"Most? Did they get into a massive brawl down at the bars or something?" Gato asked, wondering if this case was going to give him a headache. Honestly, the people he was giving orders to were such slackers. None of them knew how to take care of themselves.

"N-No. The street crew said it was some blonde kid around this tall, wearing orange and a pair of goggles," Waraji stated while making an approximate guess as to the height of the offender with his hand, holding it up around his waist for illustration. "He did the whole gang in. Many of the boys needed to go to the sick bay because of broken bones."

"What are they? Babies?" Gato spat, scrunching up his serviette and tossing it onto his desk before glaring across at the two brutes in his room. "I didn't hire a bunch of wusses to patrol my streets! I hired a bunch of ruthless cut-throats from the trashiest places on this continent to suck this place dry of everything it had. Did those guys lie on their resumes or something? How the fuck were they beaten up by some tiny brat?"

"It wasn't some ordinary brat, boss," Zori spoke up again, making gestures in the air. "They said he was some kind of demon."

"Yeah. He fought like a monster. Like a wild animal," Waraji stated with a nod while sweating quite a bit. "I didn't believe it till I saw the boys that got beat up myself. Over sixty of them…"

"WHAT?! SIXTY?!" Gato leapt out of his seat. "How? How is that possible?"

"W-We don't know!"

Gato fumed. "Well… who's the dead brat that took em out?"

This sounded dangerous. A boy only a few feet tall whose balls hadn't even dropped yet was able to take on a contingent of his mercenaries and win? That wasn't right, nor was it normal.

"We don't know. All we got was a description of the runt from the guys. Nothing else," Zori stated.

Gato clenched his fists before ramming one into his desk, shaking his pens and papers out of place. He then pointed towards the two firmly, "Get Jako off of his lazy ass and send him down there to hunt the brat! I want him found and brought to me dead or alive… I don't care. Just deal with him." The simplest action was the easiest course. Surely it wouldn't be that difficult. "And get Crow out of his fucking nest. I want him up here ASAP." The two men nodded before making haste for the exit, literally sprinting out of the office.

Though Gato didn't look it, the man knew this dance well.

Sixty of his men. That's over fifty percent of the people he hired to enforce his rule over the village down below. Because of their high number he figured, no, knew he wouldn't get any trouble out of the locals and would be able to carry on operations peacefully and without interruption.

However, when it seemed like he had a tight enough hold over the people, something small and piercing managed to slip unexpectedly into his midst.

This kid, or so he was told, he knew right then and there from the casualty report that he was a spider with a nasty bite despite how tiny he was. Venomous too. A person with strength like that, able to wipe out half of his men down on the valley floor, could easily undermine his whole operation here if he got too cocky and started thinking he could take on his armies here.

Problems similar to this had arisen in other places too.

Well, all you needed to have to deal with this kind of issue was a big enough shoe to stomp the pest out…

XXX

Sometime later…

Elsewhere…

Being more than happy to help out someone in need, Naruto paid for both his ramen and Tayuya's when he took her to the only place in the village that sold it. The two of them pretty much gorged themselves on noodles and broth, more so the red head then the blonde, and ate over a dozen bowls apiece at the stand, much to the astonishment of the chef. After which they then parted from the restaurant with sated bellies and sweeter songs playing in their hearts. The blonde greeted sunlight for the second time that day with a stretch and a groan, while the young musician accompanying him continued to hold her flute to her chest and look with interest towards the ninja in training.

"Man! That was great!" Naruto exclaimed while smiling towards Tayuya. "Hanare-oneesan's stew was filling, but nothing beats several bowls of ramen after three days without eating even a single smidge of food. I tell yah, I was close to passing out back on that road fighting all of those guys at once…"

"No kidding," Tayuya replied, continuing to look up at the boy as they turned into the street and began following it. With that topic on the floor, she raised an eyebrow at him. "W-What happened to those mercenaries anyway? Did you kill them?"

"Kill them? Oh hell no. Not those dumbasses. They weren't worth it," Naruto replied with a distasteful frown. "I just knocked all their teeth out. Dogs can't bite without teeth. Isn't that how the saying goes?"

"I guess. It's… still a pretty weird thing to say though," the red head murmured. Still, she couldn't help but giggle when she imagined those men running off without teeth in their gums. That had to be some spectacle if this boy was able to come out of that cluster-fuck in one piece.

Naruto caught onto her giggling. "Hey… you've got a cute laugh, Tayuya-chan."

"Wh-What are you talking about, shithead?" the girl snickered, breathing sharply to stop herself before looking away. "I don't have a cute laugh. You're being weird."

"But it's true. Come on," Naruto grinned while trying to sneak a peek at her flushed face. "Show me that smile, Tayuya-chan. Please! Pretty please!"

"No. Go away," the red head said while shoving him away playfully. "Idiot."

Naruto grinned, kicking his feet up into strides as he moved along, allowing time for the young musician next to him to calm down. Glancing across every once in a while to check on her, he then saw her readjust her flute in her grip, which instantly brought him back to the first time he saw her.

While on that note, he couldn't help but speak up on the matter. "You play that really well you know."

"Huh? My flute?"

"Yeah. It was really good. I never met anyone who could play an instrument like that so well."

"Oh…th-thanks," Tayuya exclaimed, brushing several strands of hair behind her ear while smiling at the jinchuriki. "I don't really know any songs… I just play it by ear. I mostly use my flute to cast genjutsu on people to get them to give me money for food. It's really nothing special."

"Nothing special? It's fantastic! You're fantastic!" Naruto said loudly while throwing his arms out, stopping them in their tracks. "I'd really like to hear you play for me again. No genjutsu this time, just straight up flute music."

"Really? Y-You mean it?"

"Yes. I really mean it!" Naruto nodded firmly, seeing the girl look at him in awe. He grinned even wider before turning to face the path ahead again. "Of course, before I do sit down to listen to you play I need to make one stop first."

"Stop? Where?" Tayuya asked curiously. "Aren't you new to this dump? Where do you possibly need to go around here?"

Naruto chuckled and pointed up towards the rooftops. "There!"

Following his gaze, the young musician looked towards the sky and squinted, figuring it would be somewhere far away. However, her eyes widened when her gaze fell upon the enormous dam towering over them in the distance further up the empty tributary. Double checking to make sure he was pointing in the right direction, Tayuya paled.

"There? Are you mental?"

"Nope. Just pissed off," Naruto replied while placing his hands on his hips. "I heard from Hanare-oneesan about what happened to this country and why everything here is so messed up. She said some Gato guy came here and built that thing, and now I have to take it down."

"How the fuck are you going to take that thing down?" Tayuya shouted at him, now looking terrified at what her rescuer was planning to do next. Looking at his expression, she could see he was being serious. She had no idea if he was just messing with her, trying to act brave or was actually planning to go there. Either way, she was scared for his wellbeing. "Don't screw with me. Are you really going to go up there?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"It's a fucking fortress!" Tayuya shouted, grabbing him by the arm and pulling on him roughly. "It's crawling with mercenaries and people working for Gato! The man is an industrial monster and a vicious gangster. I'm grateful to you for saving me, but what you want to do it… it's suicide!"

"I've broken into places more heavily guarded then that eyesore, for sure," Naruto grinned, his eyes not tearing away from the structure for even a moment. He placed his fists on his hips, ignoring the girl with her arms wrapped firmly around his limb. "Believe it. I promised Hanare-oneesan that I was going to do something about it, so I am, and when I set out to do something, I do it. I never go back on my word."

Tayuya gave him an incredulous stare. "You're crazy! I won't let you go up there!"

"I'd listen to the girl, kid."

Looking down in surprise, Naruto and Tayuya suddenly saw a large group of men stroll into their midst from the gaps between buildings on both sides of the road. They appeared like phantoms from the shadows, grinning sinisterly and dressed perfectly for the part of coldblooded killer. Any villagers in sight immediately ran for the hills the moment the dangerous mob of gangsters came into view and began to fill up the road. They soon came to block the kids' path completely, forming a tight wall of bodies before them.

Appearing even more intimidating then the last army of thugs from before, the two youngsters looked upon their ranks from left to right before focusing on the leader of the group, a tall man with black, sharp eyes, brown spiky hair pulled back into a short ponytail, and a goatee. He was also wearing a blue coat with yellow lining over a white top, and dark-colored pants underneath, and had a light blue scarf around his neck.

Tayuya stared at them nervously, "Oh no…"

Naruto blinked. "Huh? Who the hell are you guys?"

The large mob snickered in response as the captain of the platoon stepped forward with a wide smirk across his face. He brought his right arm out and flicked his wrist, a small tube popping out from a built-in slit that began to ooze a strange liquid. The substance dribbled down his hand before hardening into what both youngsters identified as a makeshift knife, which he then raised swiftly towards the pair.

"We're the discipline squad, boy," the leader Jako exclaimed with a menacing grin. "And we're here to teach the two of you a lesson for messing up the boss's staff."

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's note: Another one done. Awesome!

I know a lot of you were expecting an early Wave Arc. Fooled yah. Lol. But bare with me. It gets better. This small arc is all just a setup for the rest of the story to follow. Sure, the fic will follow a story close to canon, I'm just trimming it up a little to show the kind of mischief and mayhem this version of Naruto could get up to when unleashed upon the world.

This arc is basically one where Naruto meets Tayuya when they are both younger before she's shanghaied into Orochimaru's company, meets Gato before Wave, faces off against Jako before team seven's formation, and meets Hanare way before she's arrested by Konoha shinobi for supposed infiltration.

Now a lot of you are probably wondering about the characters I'd brought into this story. Let it be known they are not OC's. Jako and his gang as mentioned above come from an anime episode in Shippuden from the Konoha History Arc, Naruto Shippuden Episode 194: The Worst Three-Legged Race, where Team 7 was tasked with acquiring this gold statue from a group of bandits, and Naruto and Sasuke end up having their hands stuck together. In this story, Jako is working for Gato.

Hanare is also from Naruto Shippuden Episode 191: Kakashi's Love Song in the Konoha History arc, and supposedly has history with Kakashi Hatake. You can find out more about these characters by looking them up. In here she's under cover in an 'outpost' in a different country, and shows that she has a really flexible character depending on her role as a spy.