Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto; it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto Shonen Jump and Shueisha. Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi and Shonen Jump. I own nothing. I am just a humble fan.

Author's Note: Hello everyone. I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. I hope you all have a great 2024. I am back with a new chapter. Please read and review generously. I hope you all enjoy it. We are now going to embark on some mini-arcs. The first one deals with Naruto and Female Inuyasha, and how their relationship starts and grows into a bond. After this arc, we will see Naruto and Kikyo's arc… before shit hits the fan and the true story begins. I hope you continue to enjoy this ride. Without further ado, let us begin.

Chapter Three- Arc One- The Blonde and The Silver-Haired Woman

Feudal Era- Kikyo's Village

The sun was shining and the birds were chirping as the one known as Uzumaki Naruto lay in a shack recovering from his injuries as he slept peacefully with a blanket covering him. Two people were inside the shack watching him sleep peacefully. Both individuals were curious about him and how he appeared inside a meteor.

The two individuals were Inuyasha, the half-human dog demon, and the village's priestess, Kikyo. While Inuyasha had a distrusting, calculating expression on her face as she eyed Naruto up and down, Kikyo was lost and thought as to what she discovered.

The jewel had glowed bright and had unleashed a pillar of energy… and then that meteor had emerged. And for a brief moment, she had sensed something vile and nasty within the jewel that disappeared as soon as she turned her gaze upon the Sacred Jewel.

The energy that the jewel released was frightening. It had swept over the land and created an earthquake that had rocked the Plains of Musashi. And then a meteor appeared out of nowhere with a man inside of it; a man with whisker-like birthmarks on his face and a seal that she had no idea who crafted.

She had never seen such a man like this before. She had never seen this kind of hair color in her life as well. The man possessed a muscular physique complete with many scars. He reminded her of the Village of Demon Slayers who had dedicated themselves to the fine art of demon slaying.

Yet, there was something about him that gave her pause. His body carried scars, especially one that was quite close to his heart. And then there was the matter of the seal on his abdomen. The seal was complex intricate and detailed. She had never seen such calligraphy before and such detail. She wondered if a priestess had made it. If so, it truly was a priestess with power greater than hers. The seal seemed to hold something back, something that reminded her of the jewel. She had no idea what it was but it felt powerful. Was the seal holding back something malicious from emerging?

Perhaps, she was not the only one with these thoughts. Inuyasha had been staring at the blonde and her expression was caution and curiosity mixed with distrust.

Kikyo was the first to speak as she broke Inuyasha out of her thoughts. "Tell me, Inuyasha. What makes you stare at our guest so deeply? It is kind of rude to stare like that at someone. I have to be cautious as well, befitting my duties as a priestess… but this is a bit much."

Inuyasha shook her head. "Yeah, well, whatever."

"Inuyasha, I know you had a difficult life. You had to survive the only way you knew how. I can understand that. You had no support or help. You had family and they should have helped you. I can understand why you are so distrustful of others… but this man is defenseless. He cannot do anything to anyone here. What is bothering you?"

Inuyasha was shocked. "Kikyo… this man is not normal. I don't even think he's human… let alone half-demon."

Kikyo smiled. "Of course, he is a human, silly. He bleeds red. Kaede and I cleaned his wounds and dressed him ourselves…"

"That is not what I mean! Kikyo, can't you sense it?"

Inuyasha now had Kikyo's full attention. "There is something that is inside of him. And whatever it is… it seems like it's full of hate. It's a kind of hate I have never seen before. It is sleeping inside of him, but it's there. "

"Kikyo… whatever is inside of him is unlike anything I have ever felt. This guy is stronger than anyone I have ever seen. He is more powerful than either of us and more powerful than my older sister, Sesshomaru. I know this guy is gonna wake up. And when he does, we need to be ready. If nothing terrible happens, great. If something terrible does… I have no idea if we will survive."

Kikyo was left to her thoughts. Though she and Kaede had dressed and cleaned his wounds, they both noticed that his body was healing at an alarming rate. Perhaps, there was truth to what Inuyasha was saying. It did not hurt to be cautious.

XXXXXX

The one known as Naruto had opened his eyes as he got up slowly with a groan. His wounds had healed as he took in the surroundings, he found himself in. He noticed that he was in some kind of shack with a fire that had been prepared to keep him warm. He was dressed in some kind of white clothing that belonged to one of those fancy Daimyo's he heard so much about.

He closed his eyes and tried to wonder where he was. There was this sinking feeling inside his gut that he was no longer near Konoha or anywhere near the Elemental Nations. He could sense there were people around him… or wherever he was. He was not alone, that was for sure.

He was shaken out of his musings when he saw two people enter the shack through the wooden veil; one walked in with elegance, and the other walked in without any sense of decorum, barking questions and demanding things.

Naruto observed the two individuals who walked into the shack. One was dressed like an elegant priestess. Her expression was soft and gentle… and yet cold and cautious. Naruto noticed how beautiful the woman was. He always thought Sakura was a beauty… and he had to say, she did not measure up to this woman. He could sense a powerful fire emanating from her. He could see that those beautiful black eyes of hers were trying to judge him, to understand him, to figure out who he was.

As for the other woman, Naruto was somewhat surprised by what he saw. He had never seen a woman with dog ears before. She was tall for a woman and dressed in a red robe with a lean physique befitting a fighter. Her silver hair was lustrous. And those gold eyes of hers were trying to pierce the depths of his soul.

However, he had observed something special about the two of them. Both of them were tortured, lost souls who had experienced some kind of pain and suffering. The raven-haired woman was able to hide her pain through the mask of cold indifference and calm, but the silver-haired woman was unable to hide her aggression and rough tone. Naruto simply smiled. This would be amazing. Time to have some fun.

XXXXXX

"I am sorry… but are those real dog ears?"

The silver-haired woman named Inuyasha was irritated now. "Yeah, they are dog ears. So what? You got a problem with that?"

Naruto smiled. "No, I don't. I am sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I have never seen dog people before. And I have seen some weird shit in my life… but have not seen this."

Before Inuyasha could say anything else, it was Kikyo who asked her to stay calm.

"Your apology has been accepted. I assure you, Inuyasha did not take offense to what you said. You were just curious. I assure you, Inuyasha has been called the worst thing in life. And the difference… she is still here and thriving."

Naruto nodded gently. "Yeah, I know that truth. People can be cruel. And they hate and blame others for things that are beyond a victim's control. Trust me, I get it."

Inuyasha narrowed her eyes as she continued to stare at him. Kikyo herself had many questions. This could not be a coincidence. This mysterious man and the Sacred Jewel had to be connected in some way. She had never told Inuyasha or Kaede… but when the meteor had landed, she could sense something was wrong. She could feel the jewel becoming tainted with evil. She had no idea what this all meant. She needed answers for her own sake.

"Well, fear not stranger. You are a guest in my village. My name is Kikyo and I am the priestess and protector of this village. And you have already met Inuyasha."

Naruto smiled at Inuyasha who turned her face away.

"The two of us have questions for you. I hope you can answer them. It is not every day that a man emerges from a meteor following a purple pillar of energy shooting out into the sky."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. It seems things for him would never be the same. He went from one dangerous world to the next. While he could sense that Inuyasha or Kikyo were not here to cause him harm, he could sense that this world was just as dangerous as the one he was born in. He needed to remember his lessons and keep things on the down low.

"Well, I can tell you, my name. My name is Naruto. Apart from that, I cannot say anything else."

Inuyasha spoke next. "Why… Do you have something to hide from us?"

Naruto smiled. "We all have our secrets, don't we, Inuyasha? I choose not to share them. And can you honestly blame me? You two are strangers. You can't trust me right now and I can't trust you. With time, maybe I can share some things, but for now, no."

Inuyasha smirked as she cracked her knuckles. "You got a mouth on you, you know that?"

Naruto smiled as he cracked his own knuckles. "Nah, I just say what I want to say, hag. You want to go a few rounds?"

As Inuyasha showed her nails, Kikyo became the voice of reason.

"We… we understand your hesitance. Yet, you are a stranger and an unknown quantity who we know nothing about. You can understand our hesitance and the hesitance of the villagers who live here. You would not mind if someone watches over you while you are a guest in the village?"

"Sure, I got no problem with that."

Kikyo smiled. "Good, Inuyasha will watch over you."

Inuyasha looked at Kikyo. "I am?"

"Yes, you will. It is a good thing. I trust you in case things go wrong. And I am sure our guest will be on his best behavior, correct?"

Naruto smiled. "Sure."

"Then it is settled. I suggest you go bathe yourself, you smell. There is a river near the outskirts of the village, clean yourself there well. Inuyasha will be around to make sure there is no trouble.

Kikyo then left the shack as Naruto smiled at Inuyasha.

"Well, I guess I am in your capable hands, huh?"

Inuyasha simply responded by giving him the finger. Naruto smiled and returned the gesture with two middle fingers. Inuyasha huffed as she left the shack. Naruto sighed to himself as he wondered what new turn his life would take.

He missed his friends already. He missed Iruka-Sensei, Sakura, Kakashi-Sensei, and Sasuke. He even missed the Perverted Hermit and Granny Tsunade. He also missed Hinata and the rest of his friends and Old Man Teuchi and Ayame. He even missed Gaara.

He had no idea how much he missed home. Now that his home was taken from him, he wondered what the next step should be. He had learned he had parents, the Yondaime Hokage being one of them… and that his mother loved him. His mother protected him from that mysterious presence that wanted to devour him. He had no idea what it was. It was beyond him. He could not fight it; not in the current state and condition. He would need to train, and figure out a way to do battle with that creature. Something in his gut told him it would not be the last time they would meet again.

However, there was something that intrigued him. The creature knew him, or more importantly, knew who the Fox was. This was concerning. The fox had remained deathly silent since they arrived in this new world. He needed answers and he had a suspicion the Fox had them. The Fox was quiet when he saw the creature. This did not bode well.

There was no point in thinking about it right now. Right now, he needed a bath. That would be fun.

XXXXXX

"Damn… the water is cold. I miss the way I could take a shower now. It's true… you don't know what you have until you lose it. And I bet there is no Ramen in this place. Just my luck that whatever piece of shit I fought had me end up here."

Naruto found the river near the outskirts of the village. With the small cliff surrounding the river, he was able to bathe in privacy. He dived down into the water as he swam, his thoughts warring in his mind.

He had lost his friends and mentors; people he kept close to his heart. He had lost an opportunity to connect with his mother and learn more about his father. He had lost his dream of becoming Hokage. And worst of all, he failed to save his friend from the darkness.

Speaking of Sasuke, maybe he was right. Maybe, he never tried to understand him. After all, Sasuke grew up with a family and had forged his bonds. And when he lost his family at the hands of his brother, it must have cut him so deeply. Sasuke was right and wrong. He grew up without a family, but he understood suffering and loneliness. He spent the first twelve years of his life alone. He knew what bonds meant. If it was not for Iruka-Sensei, who knows what would have happened.

He hoped that if Sasuke was alive, he would not waste his second chance. Yes, he was unable to understand him, but that was no excuse to join Orochimaru, a man who brought misery to others. It was no excuse to turn your back on those who still cared for you. He wondered how his friends were doing and if anyone missed him. He wondered what happened to Gaara and hoped that Gaara turned his life around.

He decided he had enough of his swim and emerged from the water. The sun was shining on him and he sat next to the fire and gathered the clothes that were placed there for him. He wore his clothes and noticed that Inuyasha was watching him the whole time.

"Well, did you get a good show? See something you like? I had no idea you were such a pervert."

Inuyasha sputtered as she tried to hide her shameful face. She felt the need to retort and clear things up.

"Don't flatter yourself, whiskers. I… I wasn't staring at you…"

Naruto laughed. "Relax, I was just teasing you. You have been sitting there all this time? Don't you feel bored? Does it hurt?"

Inuyasha scowled. "Why do you care all of a sudden about how I feel?"

Naruto responded gently. "Well, I am a pretty good observer. You look like you are in pain. You are going through something. If you want, I am happy to listen."

Inuyasha bristled. "I am not going through anything! And even if I were, I don't want or need your help at all. You are an outsider."

Naruto smiled. "True, I am an outsider. Yet, something tells me your life sucks. And you are bottling up your emotions. Trust me, I am a good listener and observer. This world has its problems. And I know what its like to be scorned and mistreated for things that are beyond your control. Your ears are not normal. You look human and something else. And I guess because you look special and unique… people hate that. People hate what they cannot understand and its easy for them to blame then to try and understand."

Inuyasha smirked. She did agree with that point. Men and women could be cruel. She should know, she was a half-demon. She was not appreciated by either side. And after her mother died, she was chased away by members of her family. Her mother was the only support she ever had. She was the one who shed tears for her. Perhaps, she knew that her life would be difficult.

And then there was her sister, who regarded her with indifference and hate. Her sister, Sesshomaru blamed her for something that was beyond her control. She had no idea why she was so hated.

"You are right, whiskers. The world is a cruel place. I don't need you to tell me that. I just came here to tell you that I don't trust you and that there is something about you that I cannot understand."

Naruto smiled. "That's fine. I just hope I can convince you that I am harmless. And there is something that I should let you know. Just because I sympathize with you and feel sorry for your pain, does not mean that I am going to take your shit. You should never judge anyone in this world based on preconceived notions. Anyways, I am going back to the village. Feel free to continue watching me from the shadows."

Inuyasha scowled once more before sticking her tongue out at him and leaped away impressively. Naruto shook his head.

"Poor woman. She has had it rough."

XXXXXX

Night had fallen upon the village and everything was quiet save for the chirping of the birds and the animals huddling together. Naruto noticed the villagers had given him a wide berth and kept their distance. He noticed the children were quite curious as were the adults, but they were cautious. Naruto did not blame them. He was sure his appearance had garnered some interesting reactions.

He was enjoying a walk in the night sky as Kikyo asked him to find Inuyasha and pass a bowl of stew to her. He had found the woman sleeping high up in a tree without a care in the world.

"Yo, Inuyasha. Come down here. I brought a bowl of stew. It smells good."

"I am not hungry."

"Oh, how can you pass up a bowl of this?"

That's simple. It sucks."

Naruto laughed. "Maybe so. I thought we could eat together and enjoy seeing the stars in the sky. I know you don't trust me. I promise I am not here to harm anyone. I am just trying to live my life now, day to day."

Inuyasha had landed next to him as she took a bowl from his hand and ate in silence, occasionally watching him. Naruto smiled as he too ate his dinner, enjoying the peaceful silence and watching the stars. Tomorrow would be a new day and he would work hard to find his answers.

XXXXXX

Chapter End

That is the chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. This arc with Inuyasha and Naruto may end up lasting 3 to 5 chapters. Please read and review generously. I hope you all have a great 2024. Stay safe and well wishes.

See you all in the next update.