Hello again, everyone! It's time to add another chapter to this tale of crisis and heroes. I had planned on uploading this last weekend, but I had some things to deal with in real life. Plus the DDoS attack on Ao3 hit last weekend, so I didn't know how long it'd take to fix it. Now that I've got good access to Ao3 again, it's time to get the ball rolling again.
This chapter kickstarts a very important event in the history of the story, now split up into two chapters. It's time for our story's two young protagonists to meet for the first time. Seeing as there are no reviews to answer, let's go ahead and start immediately. I don't own Naruto or Dragon Ball in any capacity. I do own original characters, concepts, and ideas unless stated otherwise.
Voices
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"YELLING!"
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, a big twist at the end of a section."
"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"
"Whispering."
"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."
Mt. Paozu, Time Branch 147
Naruto could be found at the pond near Grandpa Gohan's hut, doing his best to practice his water walking technique. He wanted to make sure that he could balance himself before he tried to walk, standing completely still on the edge of the water. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he did so, then took a step forward. He channeled chakra to his foot as best as he could, meeting resistance from something below. He repeated this step several times as he walked across the area in front of him.
He opened his eyes, and his face lit up in excitement. His foot was perfectly level with the water. Finally gathering his courage, he took a peek at his progress. His face lit up in a grin as he saw the water beneath his feet, no ground to speak of. He took another step forward, followed by another. Unable to contain his excitement, he began to run across the surface of the pond.
"I'm doing it Uncle Fu!" shouted Naruto. He knew his uncle wasn't around to see this, but the purple man always seemed to know when he did something amazing like this. He leapt into the air, his grin never stopping. He caught something moving out of the corner of his eye, causing him to turn his attention towards the area. It was then that black eyes met cerulean as he saw a kid only a few years older than him jumping from tree to tree beside him.
This was just as much a surprise for Goku as it was for Naruto. There was a jolt between them as time seemed to slow. The duo immediately felt some form of connection, something they couldn't quite explain. Both boys took in as many details about the other as they could. This whole experience was like fate, a meeting that was bound to happen.
Naruto's eyes widened further as he finally looked at a certain furry appendage belonging to this stranger. 'Is that a real tail?!' Time slowly began to resume as the duo lowered towards their targeted landing zones. The blonde soon felt a familiar wet sensation, bringing him to realize that he was no longer focusing chakra to his feet. "DARN IT!"
Naruto plunged into the water below, luckily landing in a shallow part of the pond. Goku grabbed onto the branch of a tree as he looked to the area the blonde kid fell in. He quickly let go, landing lightly on the ground below. Thankfully the Jinchuriki quickly swam to the surface as he took a breath of fresh air. He swam to the bank, quickly resting on his hands and knees upon reaching dry land.
He looked up just in time to see the stranger with the monkey tail run his way, a concerned look on the boy's face. Naruto turned to sit on his butt as he tried to steady his breathing. Goku skidded to a stop nearly a few inches away from the grandson of Gohan.
"Are you okay?" questioned Goku. "That looked like a pretty harsh wipeout." Naruto chuckled in embarrassment as he took the saiyan's hand, allowing him to pull him to his feet.
"Yeah, I'm alright." answered Naruto. The whiskered boy crossed his arms as he gave the stranger a judgmental frown. "I haven't seen you around here before. Who the heck are you?" Goku smiled, oblivious to the judgment thrown his way.
"Name's Sarutobi Goku. I'm currently on a training trip to become a ninja of Konohagakure." Naruto's look suddenly went from that of an interrogator to that of an awestruck fan as he stood tall.
"You're training to be a ninja!? Like, the actual guys that go around fighting in the shadows and kicking serious bad guy butt!" Goku grinned childishly as rubbed the back of his head.
"Yep. I get to learn all kinds of cool jutsu and everything." Naruto's eyes shined even brighter as he took a few steps closer.
"AWESOME! I've always wanted to be a ninja." Goku let his smile return to normal as he lowered his arm from its place behind his head.
"Cool. So… what's your name?" Naruto's face went blank, realizing that he was letting this new guy be cooler than him. Ignoring a groan from Kurama deep in his mind as he smirked viciously. He struck a pose as he held up his hand in a victory sign.
"I'm Son Naruto. Around here, I am the King of Pranks! Only my uncle has ever escaped my pranking genius! To this day, the folks in town have no idea who drew a mustache on every man in town." Goku smirked and crossed his arms.
"Impressive. I think I've done better, however. Before I started my training, I was quite the handful." Naruto frowned at this notion, feeling like this was a challenge. If this "Goku" kid thought he could beat him at pranking, he had another thing coming.
"I once pranked my grandpa so many times, he now fears hearing three bells in a consecutive row. He also hates key lime pie and I'm not allowed near one." Goku chuckled as he shook his head.
"I repeatedly prank the top ninja of the village to see who was actually up to snuff. Almost every ninja was forced to wear pink uniforms until they could get replacements." Naruto resisted the urge to laugh, actually liking the sound of that prank.
"When we go into town, I prank all the snobby bullies for all the pain they cause. Every bully calls me the 'crazy fox kid' after I filled their rooms with nuts and unleashed a pack of hungry squirrels." Goku's face twisted into a confused frown as he opened his mouth to speak. "Don't ask." The saiyan closed his mouth as he tried to think, only to smile as he remembered something big.
"I've pranked my entire village in one day. Everyone was making fun of me, so I painted every house in the village pink. No one ever found out who did it, so a lot of shinobi had to take D-Class missions to paint everything back to their normal colors." A leaf blew between the duo, signifying the beginning of their standoff. This lasted for a solid moment before it was broken by the duo erupting into laughter.
"The whole village!? PINK!? When did you do that!?" Goku tried to answer the inquisitive blonde, but he was fighting his body to stop laughing. He finally took a deep breath as he calmed down slightly.
"Five years ago." This suddenly caused a new bout of laughter, the saiyan clutching at his gut. Naruto finally got control of himself as he shook his head.
"FIVE YEARS!? Goku-san, you are my kind of guy. My uncle had me training a bit before he left to grab something. I was about to head over to his house and grab some ramen if you wanna join me." Goku couldn't help but smack his lips at the mention of his favorite kind of food.
"Ya had me at ramen." Both boys hopped across the trees, making their way to the ramen. As they were walking, however, Goku began to notice that the trees were very familiar. "Hey, I think this is where I…" He was cut off as Naruto stopped in the middle of the path, his mouth hanging open and his hands on his head.
"He left!?" Sure enough, the area in front of them was the exact same area where Goku woke up. To Naruto, this is the spot where Fu's magic house would appear whenever he came to visit. "Why would he just up and leave!? I finally got that technique down and everything!
It was so cool but now I can't show him! You are so gonna get it when you get back, Uncle Fu!" Goku's eyes widened in realization as he pointed to the blonde.
"Did you just say Uncle Fu!?" asked Goku. Naruto looked at him with tears running down his eyes and nodded. "Purple guy, white hair, red eyes? Has a teleporting house?" The blonde's eyes went from tearful to slanted as he glared at the monkey boy.
"Alright. How the heck do you know my Uncle?" Goku frowned as he crossed his arms.
"He's my Uncle too. He was taking me on a super-special training trip before I fell asleep. The next moment, I woke up here. Alone and without a single scrap of food." Naruto's eyes widened as he put his hands on his hips.
"Oh it is so like him to just leave us in the middle of nowhere! He dropped me off with Grandpa to have him raise me. I love Gohan, but it would have been nice to see Uncle Fu more, ya know? What else isn't he telling me?" Goku harrumphed as he crossed his arms.
"I think there's a lot he doesn't tell us. Well, until we find him or he finds out, we're gonna have to keep each other company. So, he really left you all alone in the woods as a kid?" Their stomachs rumbled at the same time, seemingly shaking the whole planet. Naruto rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed by his stomach's outcry.
"Let's talk about this after lunch. It's getting around that time of day anyway. I think I still have a few cups of Ichiraku ramen back at Grandpa's. Does that sound good?" Goku's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Ichiraku's!? You have that restaurant around here!? I didn't know the old man had other stores!" Naruto once again felt his jaw drop at the news of his favorite food being from a restaurant. He pointed at Goku with a look of betrayal on his face.
"You have a restaurant of the stuff!?" Naruto took off for his grandfather's hut, stewing in jealousy. "Some guys just get all the luck in the world." Goku followed suit, his hands behind his head. He couldn't help but think about how likely it was for two strangers to know the same exact person and like the same kind of food.
Fu's magic house, Space between time branches.
Fu watched his nephews interact from the seeing bowl in his dojo, the object usually used for communicating with Shenron. He had, in truth, been watching them ever since Goku woke up. He was proud of Naruto for accomplishing what he could when it came to learning how to water walk. He wished he could have been there, but he had a lot of responsibilities to take care of. Speaking of, his smile dissipated as the image in the bowl changed to that of Time Space Shenron.
"You're concerned." stated the being. "Concerned over the future of these children." Fu rolled his eyes as he looked away.
"Thanks for stating the obvious." said Fu. "Why do I have to leave Goku on Mt. Pazao with Naruto and return to Konoha? I understand my responsibilities to the school and now towards Yota, but I've also been a big part of their training process. Can they really be left alone in the same universe with the timestream the way it is?" The dragon's eyes merely glowed in response.
"It is better for them to meet now. If not, they will meet at a time which is unfavorable to our current situation. They must grow a sense of camaraderie between each other and grow together. Besides, you are not acting like Piccolo and dumping them alone into an unforgiving wilderness." Fu couldn't help but let loose a short laugh as he nodded his head.
"I guess that's fair. No need for love that tough. Speaking of, any hints on what to do for that whole marriage thing I have to do? Anyone to look for in particular." Shenron actually chuckled at the purple man's attempts at getting a sneak peek towards the future.
"You will learn in time young Fu. For now, however, relax. You have students to teach, a child to raise, and a life to live. You haven't taken time to get used to the worlds you live in." Fu furrowed his brow.
"Something's gonna happen over the course of the year, isn't it? You're only this cryptic when something is going to happen." The dragon only made its eyes glow brighter.
"As resourceful as ever young Fu. Do not fret, I'll inform you when it's time to bring young Goku home. Until then, farewe..." The dragon's parting words were cut off as the door to the dojo opened. Fu turned around as the image of the dragon disappeared. Finding that Yota was walking in with a tired expression.
"Where's Goku-nii?" questioned the reborn boy. "I wanted to play tag with him." Fu sounded his understanding as he shook his head.
"Sorry, kiddo." Apologized the purple man. "I had to drop him off with the people who would up his training. It'll be a while before we go to pick him up." Yota's tired face turned to a sad frown as he sounded his disappointment. He sat down on the mat as he poked his fingers together.
"But I wanted to play with him. We just became friends yesterday, and now I can't even see him." Fu smiled as he walked over to the boy, crouching down to eye level.
"I know but look at it this way. Outside of boring law stuff and training my school students, I have plenty of time to spend with you and help you grow closer to controlling your kekkei genkai. When that happens, you'll be closer to becoming one of the coolest ninjas ever? How does that sound?" Yota thought about it for a moment, only to smile as he nodded his head.
"Okay. That way I can show Goku-nii how much I've grown!" Fu smirked as he ruffled the boy's hair.
"Oh trust me. You'll have plenty of time for that." Yota tilted his head, confused by the statement.
Mt. Paozu, Time Branch 147
Gohan was not expecting a new visitor to his humble abode. When Fu told him he was bringing a student of his to do some special training, the old man didn't expect the strange creature to drop off a boy with a monkey tail and vanish. Now he had to take care of two young boys for an unknown amount of time. He just hoped the strange man wasn't planning on making him adopt this Goku boy, especially since he ate far more than Naruto could. He felt a hole form in his wallet when Naruto finished his second bowl while their guest finished his FOURTH serving.
"Ah!" cheered Goku. "Ichiraku Ramen! The best of the best! No other ramen could compare!" Naruto grinned as he nodded his head.
"You got that right!" cheered the blonde. "Ramen is the food of the gods!" Several beings across the universe sneezed in response to this notion, including a purple cat that seemed to be deep in sleep. Goku couldn't help but chuckle as he leaned back a bit, feeling that his new friend was being a bit over dramatic. Gohan shook his head as he pointed to the boy.
"You still need to eat more than ramen." Scolded the old man. "Otherwise, how will you grow to be a strong warrior? No warrior has ever become powerful by eating only one kind of food." Somewhere in the galaxy, a boy with the same hairstyle as Goku sneezed as he punched an alien in the face. Naruto sent his grandfather the stink eye as he crossed his arms.
"Yeah, yeah. Like you haven't said that before." The blonde gained a determined grin as he pointed to the elderly hermit. "One of these days I'm gonna win in a spar against you, and you'll be eating those words!" Gohan chuckled heartily as he held a hand to his chest.
"We'll see when that day comes. Until then, you still have to eat your vegetables." Naruto grumbled once again as he aggressively stabbed at the vegetables in the ramen bowl. Goku grinned as he got an idea.
"Yo Naruto?" questioned the saiyan. The boy in question looked towards him, intrigued by the callout. "You're being trained by Uncle Fu, right? I bet that means you're pretty strong." The blonde chuckled as he playfully flexed barely defined muscles.
"I have been working on some of the techniques he's been teaching me." Gloated the whiskered boy. "Why?" Goku grinned as he stood up from his sitting position. He held his fist out to the blonde, a confident grin on his face.
"I wanna see what you're made of. Let's have a spar, you and me! I wanna see how far you've come in your training! I gotta know where I stand in the world." Naruto mirrored the saiyan's grin as he leapt to his feet.
"No ninja tools, no weapons, and no flashy techniques! Let's put our strengths to the test!" The two bumped fists before rushing outside. Gohan sighed as he put down his cleaning tools, walking out to make sure the two kids wouldn't go too far. Thankfully they were waiting on him to be able to referee the match, allowing him to stand on a large rock to the side of their makeshift field.
"This battle will be between two martial artists!" declared the old man. "No tools, weapons, chakra, or ki will be permitted for combat use. I shall determine when the battle is over, as well as who wins and who loses. Do both fighters understand?" The boys nodded, their grins never leaving their faces.
He nodded as he raised his left arm. "Fighters, take your stances." Goku immediately entered the academy standard stance, quickly rubbing his nose with his right fist. In response, Naruto assumed his father's martial arts stance. "On my mark!"
The wind blew through the area, ruffling the trees around them. The leaves shook as the boys kept their eyes locked, neither blinking nor looking away. A leaf snapped off its branch, slowly falling towards the ground. It landed exactly in between the combatants, Gohan enacting a chopping motion with his raised arm. "Begin!"
Naruto moved first, trying to get a punch in. Goku grabbed the attack with one hand while preparing his own attack with the other. The blonde combatant quickly dodged out of the way before punching at the saiyan's gut, surprisingly getting a reaction as his hand was released. He then flipped onto his hands as he went for a spinning kick, forcing his opponent to jump back in order to dodge. He hopped back onto his feet just in time to avoid a hard jab.
The duo then entered close combat, trading blocks and dodges. At some points they would get hits in, such as Goku landing a punch or Naruto kicking at his jaw. Gohan watched over the duo, slowly becoming impressed by how the fight was going. His eyes were more focused on his grandson, however, hoping that his anger wouldn't get the better of him. The two boys punched each other's cheek before jumping away from each other.
"This… is… awesome!" cheered Goku. "Only my buddy Lee could keep up with me back in the village! I love a fight where I have to try and think about how to win! You're a natural, Naruto-san!" The blonde Jinchuriki grinned as he rubbed his nose.
"Not bad yourself, Goku-san!" cried Naruto. "My blood's pumping and I'm not even sparring with Grandpa! You're so strong! It makes me want to go all out!" The boy's eyes slowly began to turn red, causing Gohan to frown.
"Naruto, no energy techniques!" scolded the old man. "That includes…" Goku held up his hand, stopping the elder mid speech.
"Sorry Gohan-sama, but I want to see just what Naruto is capable of!" announced the saiyan. "I say he gets to do whatever this is, and I get to use some of my less damaging jutsu! Does that sound like a fair change in the rules!?" Gohan hummed, his mind filled with concern as he contemplated the consequences of this change. He sighed as he realized there was only one way this would end.
"If that is what you wish, then I will allow it. The moment you lose control, Naruto, I am ending the match." Naruto grinned as he brought his arms to his sides, his palms facing outwards.
"Fine by me!" accepted the Jinchuriki. "Let's show him what we've got, Kurama!" Naruto's eyes fully shifted to red fox eyes as the Kyūbi's energy began to flow through him. Goku's eyes widened as a wave of pure energy washed over him. It was like a power on a whole other level.
Naruto rushed forward, his features more feral and his nails extended slightly like claws. Goku blocked a kick from the boy, only to grunt as it was like trying to stop a falling rock. Naruto then spun faster than before, sending a strong punch into his opponent's face. The saiyan was sent flying backwards, creating a dent in a tree nearby. Gohan was about to call the match, only for the monkey boy to be replaced by a log.
Naruto suddenly swirled around, only to be kicked in the face by two feet. He was sent flying back a bit, only to use his strength to stop himself as he slid across the ground. He was beyond shocked when he watched two instances of his opponent jump at him with his fist reared back. He raised his arm to block both of their punches, grunting as he felt the power behind each attack. Kurama chuckled from deep within the boy's mind.
"This child intrigues me." Stated the fox. "In the face of even a fraction of my power, he still wants to fight. I've only ever seen that level of determination once before. Don't let your guard up for a moment." Naruto nodded as he pushed the clones away from him.
He was not prepared for the third, however, as he was kicked in the back. The blonde was sent flying forward, but he used the momentum to punch the two clones in the face. They ended up dissipating, giving him a clue as to the technique's weakness. "Behind you." Naruto immediately spun with a kick, hitting the third clone in the side and forcing it to disperse.
He looked around, trying to find his opponent, only to feel the ground shift beneath him. He looked to the right to see a hole that was freshly made, only to jerk as Goku broke through the ground and punched him in the chin. Naruto was sent flying through the air as Goku landed on the ground, resuming his fighting stance. The blonde flipped in order to land on his feet, but it was clear that he was beginning to wear out. Naruto growled as he wiped some blood from his mouth.
"Now this… is a party!" Naruto brandished his nails as he rushed forward. Goku suddenly saw a flash as he looked into his opponent's eyes. For a moment he could see Kurama trying to call out to the boy. Before the fox boy could even reach his target, he felt the power being drained from him as Gohan placed a seal on his forehead.
"That's the match." Stated the old man. "Seeing as you lost control, I'm calling it here." Naruto looked down in defeat, a sad look on his face. He pulled the tag off of his forehead before running off into the forest. Goku watched where the blonde left, a disappointed look on his face.
Konohagakure, Time Branch 149
Fu watched over his students, making sure they were keeping to the training regimen he gave them. Over the time that had passed since he first took Lee and Hinata on as students, he had acquired a good amount more. He became known as the man who took orphans and those deemed hopeless and turned them into fighters. While there were those who still judged him for his unique complexion and his methods, many were hailing him for increasing the potential output of capable shinobi.
To be honest he was more doing this to raise the mortal level of the soon to be fused worlds and to try and help the new generation be better. Goku and Naruto would need strong allies in the battles that were to come. Besides, who was he to deny the potential of a student who's talent wasn't visible on the surface? It made things more interesting and it helped solidify his place amongst the people. With the responsibility he had now, he needed a good standing in this place.
"Tou-san!" cried Yota. Fu smirked as he looked towards the newest member of his clan. Yota had grown a bit taller since they dropped off Goku, ditching the small turban he had prior to his rebirth. He was currently wearing most of the dojo's uniform, though he was also wearing a pair of black shorts that allowed him to feel the wind better. Fu had allowed this since the boy needed to feel the wind for part of his abilities.
The boy skidded to a stop, a huge grin on his face. "I did it! I did it! I got my weather powers under control!" Fu's grin grew as he fully turned to his adoptive child.
"Oh really, Yota-kun?" questioned the purple man. "Show me. Create a snow storm in your hands. It can't grow bigger than your head." Yota nodded as he brought his hands together, keeping one above the other.
He took a deep breath before concentrating, causing the area around him to cool down. The other students started to watch as the boy began to form a cloud in his upper hand. It was then followed by an orb of wind that was meant to keep everything in the area. To the shock of all who watched, save for Fu, the cloud began to snow within the sphere. After a few minutes, the boy threw the storm in the air.
"Cool off everybody!" As soon as he said this, the storm ball burst into sparkles. The whole dojo was filled with a nice cooling sensation, causing many of the exhausted students to sigh in relief. "What do you think, Tou-san!?" The kids around him clapped in excitement, Fu joining them as he nodded his head.
"Impressive, Yota-kun. That technique could be helpful in harsh environments. I could also see a combat variant where you create an area of harsh weather that traps the enemy. Overall, you've made some remarkable improvements." Yota mimicked Goku's famous grin as he scratched the back of his head.
"That was amazing, Yota-kun!" cried Lee. The workaholic boy ran over to the group with a grin. "It is so inspiring to see you grow as a youthful warrior! I request to spar with you as soon as possible!" Yota chuckled in embarrassment as he waved his hands in denial.
"I don't feel comfortable fighting physically yet." Denied the weather boy. "I still have to start that training, now that I can control my emotions better." Lee sounded disappointed as he slumped forward.
"You really shouldn't have expected any less, Lee." Groaned Neji. The Hyuga prodigy was still wearing his clan attire, though it was clear that he too had been training with Fu's students. "He just figured out how to control his Kekkei Genkai. Let him catch up to everyone else in combat training before you try to force him into a battle." Lee shook a bit while looking down before slapping his cheeks and letting loose a determined shout.
"Yosh!" cried the devoted student. "I will wait for you to be ready, Yota-kun! I will do a thousand pushups every day while waiting! If I cannot do that, then I will run around the village for three days straight!" Lee ran off before anyone could stop him, causing Fu to groan.
"I can't wait until he graduates and becomes another sensei's responsibility to train." Groaned the master. "I love his devotion and want to see him succeed, but he's just too much sometimes." Neji nodded his head with his arms crossed, silently hoping he would not end up on the same team as Lee. Fu clapped his hands together as he looked at the students around him. "Anywho, back to work everyone!
Yota, keep practicing with that technique for now. I need to find you a good sparring partner for training your physical abilities." Yota nodded with a grin before running back to his training spot. Fu smiled, feeling the same pride as whenever Goku or Naruto would surprise them with their progress. His smile dropped as he remembered the deal he made a while back to make his clan even possible.
Over the past few months, Danzō had repeatedly sent Root spies and hypnotized individuals as potential suitors for the new clan. If Fu couldn't find a willing woman to be his bride soon, his clan would be null and void. That would also mean the bandaged fool could swoop in and take Yota away. The purple man would kill Danzō before he could even make the attempt, but he knew that it would only make things harder for him and Goku if the village was against him. It was getting harder and harder to find just the right woman to ask, making things much more stressful.
The purple man shook his head, putting himself back in the moment. He had to focus on teaching his students. Hours passed as the kids worked on everything they could. Lee eventually returned to continue his sparring sessions halfway through this period. Time flew by at a fast pace, even Lee showing signs of exhaustion.
Fu looked to the clock before nodding to himself. "Alright! Clock out time! Everyone go home and remember your exercises. Yota, head upstairs and get a bath before supper." Yota grinned as he nodded his head.
"Okay Tou-san!" cried the weather boy. "I'll be as fresh as a spring shower!" The boy ran upstairs as the dojo students slowly filtered out of the building. Fu respectfully bowed to Hinata and Neji as they left, the duo responding in kind. Soon the building was empty, save for the sound of Yota singing in the bath.
Fu smiled as he got to work cleaning up his home. He had a lot of work to do before he could even begin making dinner. He stopped in the midst of his cleaning as he felt an energy signature approach his front door. "Come in!" There was a pause in response before the door was opened, causing the purple man to look at the new arrival.
She was a slender young woman with light brown eyes and black hair with a violet tint. Her hair was styled into a short, spiky, fanned-out ponytail. She wore a gray suit made from a metal mesh that ran from her neck down to her thighs, a tan overcoat with a purple inseam and a pocket on each side, a dark-orange miniskirt, a dark blue belt, pale gray shin guards, a small pendant that looks like a snake's fang, and the standard forehead protector. Fu knew this woman as Anko Mitarashi, a member of the T and I department and an old student of the traitorous Orochimaru. The snake woman looked over the purple man before speaking.
"Are you Fu Nisekuma: head of the Nisekuma clan?" questioned Anko. "I was told by the Hokage that he lived in this house." Fu scanned the woman over, looking for any sign of brainwashing or genjutsu. He would soon find that there was nothing off about her, at least that he could detect. He decided to speak as he nodded his head.
"That would be me. If I'm correct, you're Anko Mitarashi of the Torture and Investigation department. Now, I don't think I've done anything to require that kind of visit. To what do I owe the honor of your presence." Anko wasted no time as she pulled a folded paper out from one of her pockets.
"A month before his second retirement, the Third Hokage set up a mandatory search for an adequate candidate amongst a group of kunoichi. Lord Fifth put that into effect last month. Out of all the candidates, he chose me. This message comes straight from him, detailing the responsibilities you will perform." Fu hummed as he happily received the paper from the woman.
"Well if it's from the Hokage I have to look it over. Let's see." Fu used magic to make glasses appear out of thin air, shocking Anko as he slipped them on. He read the contents of the message, furrowing his brow as he read over it a second time. Recognizing his confusion, Anko decided to speak once more.
"As you are the only known member of your clan, besides your recently adopted child, you fell under the old Clan Restoration acts. It was a unanimous vote by the shinobi council to save your clan from extinction. While normally the law would bring about the old tradition of having a harem of women, it has been discovered that the potency of your bloodline makes your clan more prominent than the average shinobi. By the law of Konoha, and by order of Lord Fifth, it is my intention to be your spouse." Fu looked between the paper and the woman, unsure what he should do in this scenario.
Mt. Paozu, Time Branch 147
Hours had passed since the battle between Goku and Naruto. The blonde of the duo spent most of his time to himself after losing control, seemingly sulking as he tried to ignore the monkey boy. He would go off into the woods to train, only returning when he needed food. Gohan tried to talk some sense into him, but the normally excitable Jinchuriki said nothing in response. It started to bother Goku just how distant his newest friend had become.
It was now reaching sundown, thankfully with a half moon rising on the other side. Naruto had gone off to do more training, only to not show back up. Goku couldn't help but begin to worry about the boy. So, while Gohan wasn't looking, the saiyan slipped off to find the wayward local. He used his energy sensing to look for the blonde, having no trouble in detecting a potential location.
What he came upon was a startling sight. He stood atop a tree branch as he gazed out over a field that looked like it was made days ago. A few logs and stumps could be seen littering the ground, some looking burnt. Goku was about to jump down when he heard Naruto roar. He watched as the Jinchuriki smashed down on a log, a boiling red energy creating the outline of a fox around him.
"I WAS IN CONTROL THE WHOLE TIME!" roared Naruto. "WHY CAN'T HE EVER SEE THAT!? IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT UNCLE FU REPLACED ME!" Feeling another bout of rage overtake him, the boy quickly brought his hands together to form his signature move in the center. "ONE TAIL STYLE: NINE TAILS VENGEANCE BUSTER!"
Naruto sent the attack into a fallen log, creating a small crater as the wooden object splintered. He huffed and puffed as the energy began to dissipate. He sat down on one of the stumps, as if he was having a mental conversation. He suddenly looked in Goku's direction, clearly still miffed. "You can come down."
Goku immediately leapt to ground level, landing straight on his feet. He walked over as the Jinchuriki looked away. "How's Mr. Winner doing? Bet Grandpa's giving you the star treatment." The shinobi-in-training shook his head in denial.
"He's actually been really worried about you." Revealed Goku. "You keep running off without saying anything. Did I do something during the fight to make you upset?" Naruto didn't respond for a moment as he looked straight into the horizon. He sighed as he hugged his legs.
"For starters, you probably hate me right now. As you can tell from our fight, I'm the Kyūbi Jinchuriki. Uncle Fu told me about how a lot of people in Konoha hate me for what the fox did. I figured you'd want to see as little of me as possible." Goku shook his head in denial as he smiled.
"Actually, I don't really care about that." Naruto looked his way, doubting his words. "Grandpa said that the Fourth Hokage wanted you to be seen as a hero, but you had to be sent away so the people would have time to heal. Really, having a big fox in your stomach just means that you keep everyone else safe. From everything I've seen, you're a good kid."
Naruto looked away from the saiyan, his eyes returning to normal as he looked to his hands. Goku decided to sit on a stump close by as he propped his head in his hands. "I heard you yell something about Uncle Fu replacing you. Is that also why you've been running off?" The blonde sighed as he nodded his head.
"It's just… I thought we had a special bond, ya know? Then I figure out not only does he have another nephew, but he runs a dojo and has a kid. I understand it was through a special jutsu to save his life, but it makes me feel like he just dumped me here without any plans to pick me up. It hurts because he's the closest thing I have to a dad in my life."
The boy looked up to the stars that were just now beginning to shine. "Gramps has a special place in my heart, but Uncle Fu does stuff for me that I see real dads do for their kids. I just want to have more time with him. Now I know I'm just a throwaway kid." He was about to say more, only for Goku to bonk him on the back of the head.
"Stop sayin' stupid stuff like that." Naruto whimpered in pain as he rubbed his head, returning his attention to his guest. "Let me tell you something, Son Naruto. Uncle Fu doesn't abandon kids. Until Yota came along, the only kid in Konoha that he had a close relationship with was me. Even then, he'd still leave for reasons I didn't know until now." The blonde boy grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Ow. That hurt." Naruto stopped rubbing as he turned in Goku's direction. In his eyes was a spark of hope. "You really think he cares about me that much?" Goku grinned as he nodded his head.
"Yeah! I'm positive that you are the kid he visits the most between you and me. In all honesty, I'm kinda jealous that he goes out of his way to leave the village and see you. No matter how much he doesn't tell either of us, the important thing is that you'll never be a throwaway kid. Uncle Fu will never replace you, or anyone he cares about for that matter." Naruto sniffled a bit in response to the pep talk, trying not to cry.
There was an emphasis to be put on "trying" as tears were running down his eyes. Goku stood up before walking over to the blonde. "There-there. Even great ninjas get to cry in times of peace, at least from what Grandpa told me." Naruto pushed the boy's arm away as he rubbed the tears from his eyes.
"I ain't crying. Just got sawdust in my eyes." Goku chuckled as he rolled his eyes, the action causing Naruto to smile. The blonde looked towards his guest with a small smile. "Thanks, by the way.
I think I needed to hear that. If you don't mind, I kinda have a request." Goku nodded his head in response to the local boy's words.
"I'm all ears. What's up?" Naruto suddenly took a pleading stance as he got on his hands and knees with his hands put together.
"Please teach me to do that awesome clone thing! It'd be so cool to be in so many places at once! The pranks, the ability to spar with myself, the ground coverage! I have to have it!" Goku laughed heartily as he crossed his arms.
"Tell ya what? Let's work together to get back at Uncle Fu. We'll both train our hardest so that we can blow his schedule out of the water! He won't know what to do with us and he'll have to up our training closer to where we want to be!" Naruto grinned, standing up as he nodded his head.
"Sarutobi Goku, you've got yourself a deal."
There's chapter 7 done and over with! It took me a while, but I think it's a pretty interesting start to this two part event. Goku and Naruto meet and bond after testing each other's skills. Yota shows progress in his training and Fu's school has grown in student attendance. On top of all that, Anko Mitarashi has arrived as a potential bride under order of Itachi.
How will that pan out? Will Goku and Naruto achieve their goal before Fu returns? Could Anko be the right woman for the time traveling uncle? Let me know what you think down below and I'll try to respond ASAP. Until next time, this is Inkaliber, signing out.
