Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/10092818. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage Fandom: Naruto Character: Uzumaki_Naruto, Maito_Gai_|_Might_Guy, Yuuhi_Kurenai Additional Tags: Realm_Hopping, Torture, Implied/Referenced_Rape/Non-con, Past Brainwashing, Kyuubi_has_a_run_for_his_money, Mother_Summons Stats: Published: 2017-03-05 Updated: 2017-04-18 Chapters: 6/? Words: 21985 ****** My Little Kitsune ****** by Ccox171 Summary Now when you use the summoning Jutsu you use Bird, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and Ram after you smear your hand with blood. Of course, when you have a hyper, attention deficient child so excited and the move your showing him is too fast to properly see the seals used, add in the fact you slap your hand down onto a flat surface after the seals and well, who wouldn’t see a seal or two wrong? Not to mention the fact you need to know what you’re trying to summon and have the proper amount of chakra to summon it. However, if any of these are wrong nothing will happen, Right? Notes I do not own Naruto. Anything you do not recognize is my own. This story is a Tragedy and very dark in some parts, involved mentions of Rape, Torture, Kidnapping, Abuse, Indian Spirit walking with a massive twist, most likely massive amounts of OOC (out of character) people. There is also mention of cheating, massive bitch fits, and Naruto's general adorableness. This is a work in progress and slow to update. ***** Chapter 1: NAA-roo-toh ***** Chapter 1: NAA-roo-toh “I know what you're going through Don't let it beat you up Hitting walls and getting scars Only makes you who you are Only makes you who you are No matter how much your heart is aching There is beauty in the breaking Yeah When you're broken in a million little pieces And you're trying but you can't hold on anymore Every tear falls down for a reason Don't you stop believing in yourself When you're broken Better days are gonna find you once again Every piece will find its place” “Broken” by Lindsey Haun. T7T7T7T7T7T7 It’s cold and raining, and the thin blanket the orphanage gave to the small child did nothing to help keep him warm. Finding the ruins of the old Hattori clan was lucky, but ANBU still pop up now an again, so being inside the ruins isn’t possible; The small wooded area surrounding the northern part of the estates was perfect though. Thankfully there are some broken sheds and small decayed little huts scattered throughout the area of the Hattori estates. Most of them were dry-ish and out of the wind at least, so the child didn’t really care if the one he chose to live in was covered in mold. He was more concerned with not getting sick and getting kicked out of school, a risk he just couldn’t afford. Being a ninja was the only thing that he could do, no one would teach him the skills he would need to be a civilian, so he fought to be a ninja. The child pulled the little blanket closer to him, trying to cover his little feet as he shivered in the cold hut. Looking up at the hole riddled roof, he debated going to a hut of better condition. A flashing of lightning and a sudden crack of thunder quickly changed his mind. And to think, It was still early in the morning and he heard the adults say that the rain would last until tonight. A small, angry gurgle sounded in the abandoned hut and the child clutched his stomach before he perked up. It was Sunday! Which ment the Old Man could spend a little time with him! which means he would be warm and full for a little! The Old Man, unfortunately, was very busy and didn’t have time to play with him like he had hoped. But, the Old Man decided to summon a playmate for him! He just couldn’t wait to find out who he would get to play with! So, he sat there in the plush chair in front of the desk, bouncing in excitement. But, the Old Man never called out to one of the guards, didn’t call one of the ANBU, but what he did do, made the little street rat orphan excited, ‘Cause the Old Man just did a new Jutsu! He has been learning the hand signs in class! Maybe he’ll get to do a Jutsu, And before any of the others! He paid close attention to the signs that the Old Man used, but he made them too fast. That little draw back wouldn’t stop him though, he would try. Being told not to try and summon anything until he had a contract didn’t make sense to him, so why listen? The little blonde boy who so desperately wanted to prove himself either didn’t know the dangers or didn’t care. He just had to wait until tonight. He was home now, still shivering in the rain and so very eager to see this new summoning Jutsu work. So, he used the little knowledge his first week of school taught him and gathered his chakra and formed the seals so very carefully. First Bird, then Dog, Next is Bird again Right? Now its Monkey, and last Rat. Take the hands apart and slam it on the ground. Nothing happened. Tears gathered in the little eyes as disappointment set in, but wait! He forgot the blood! He can’t believe he forgot it. Using a sharp stone he found nearby, the child dug painfully into his hand, bringing a bubble of blood to pool in his palm. But even then, with the blood and the Seals made the best his memory could do, The Summoning failed. So very, very heart broken the child wondered if it was worth it to try again. After all, he had to hurt himself every time he tried if he wanted to succeed. But, he could remember the Old Man telling him that pushing oneself past the limits of normal human abilities was what made a ninja, and to push past the limits, one had to train. To train was to work as hard as he could. And a truly great ninja never stops, they push past the pain and trying again when failure occurred, would do this again and again and again until they got it right. Well, the Old Man was the Greatest Ninja of all! And If the old man, who is Hokage, can do it, and He is going to be the next Hokage, then he should be able to do this until he got it right! Then maybe, just maybe, someone will look at him and not sneer, glare, or hit him. Over and over, with his frustration building with every failure, the child tried to summon. He threw the rock he was using to cut his hand into the wall of the broken down hut he called his home for now, breaking through the old wood and leaving a hole in the wall. He has to stop and think, clear his mind and figure out what was wrong. The Old Man always said he was smart, so he just has to use his smarts. He has the blood, he has the chakra, and he has the Seals. What was he doing wrong?! Not enough Chakra? No, he was almost positive he was getting the Chakra right, but just in case he’ll max out with as much Chakra as he can put into the summoning with the next attempt. Was there not enough blood being used? Not a chance! The Old Man used a Lot less than that when he summoned that monkey to play with him. The Seals? He knew they could be wrong, what with them being formed so fast he barely saw them to begin with, but he was sure that it started with Bird and Dog! Using a piece of charcoal from the small tiny fire that was long dead he went into the house and wrote on the driest wall: -Bird -Dog But the third one he wasn’t all that clear on, it could be Bird again or it could be Tiger… or it could be Ox… or it could be Horse! Damn it! Sighing in frustration, he wrote those down in the third slot, one right under the other. The fourth was Monkey, it had to be! It was the easiest Seal to make and recognize! And that joined the others on the wall to form: -Bird -Dog -Bird – Tiger – Ox – Horse -Monkey The last seal was tricky too. It could be Ram or it could be Rat! Rolling his eyes he added those to the wall, then quickly added Tiger as well. Written on the wall, in a rather bad writing was poorly drawn symbols was: -Bird -Dog -Bird – Tiger – Ox – Horse -Monkey -Ram – Rat – Tiger Well, if he was thinking of this right, then there should be… ten… eleven… Twelve possible ways to do the summons. Twelve! Well, he’ll try one more time today with Tiger and Rat in the place of Bird and Ram, he just hopes this one will work. Picking up the rock once more, he walked outside and into the freezing rain. He has to believe, really truly Believe that this will work! Taking a breath and holding it tight, he dug once again into the tender flesh of his palm, digging until both of his hands were covered in blood as it dripped to the wet muddy ground below. Thanking his luck that the rain had let up, letting the full moon peek through, lighting the forest in spooky shadows and beams of moonlight. As he pooled the blood into his palms and prayed that the rain wouldn’t start again, he began. Excitement builds as he forms the first Seal, Bird. Confidence that it Will work as he starts on the Dog Seal. Happiness that if he gets this right, he won’t be hated as Tiger take the place of what was once Bird as the third Seal. A memory Flashes and he sees families, happy and loving, proud and strong. He sees the loving Mothers dotting on their young children, wishing to be like one of those kids. Such happiness as Big Sisters protect their younger siblings from harsh strangers and bullies, desire to be a little brother. Fathers smiling with Pride at a Job well done as he lifts his child into the air, wanting a father of his own to do that. Strong Big Brothers teaching his little aspiring ninja how to throw properly without being hurt and the Seal for Monkey sets into place. Longing. An aching, bone deep, soul searing longing for someone to just love him as he was, no strings attached, no pain involved, and no betrayal. A longing for someone to hold him, kiss his hurts, to take care of him, praise him when he did good, encourage him to do better. He could see her slap the pervy old guy who always grabs him in the old alley by the orphanage, protecting him as he fights to protect her. And as Rat finishes, he thinks of everything he has ever wanted in a big sister, or even what he thought his mother would be like! Breathing deep, he pulls his blood stained hands apart, pushing as much Chakra as he could with his feeble skills into the feeling of wanting, and slaps his hand into the mud at his feet, wincing at the pain. A burst of smoke and he stumbled back in surprise, then joy set in and he almost shouted with glee. He did it! He summoned something! He didn’t know what it was, but he Did it! Then he heard it, this strange and harsh language. Well, one thing for sure, he summoned a female. He moves slightly, stepping on some leaves as he tries to see through the quickly thinning smoke and sees a dark figure. He was almost disappointed, he was trying to summon an animal not a human, did he do it wrong? She was well rounded, facing away from him. Her dark hair was long and heavy with water, curling slightly even weighed down as it was. Her oddly shaped pants were obviously waterlogged as the shear fabric of her long sleeves turned her pale skin dark. A flash of moonlight on copper showed some kind of decoration in her hair, partially hidden by the curls. She turns slightly, looking around and so very confused it seemed. He was unsure, did he summon her? Or was she a Jounin? He clears his throat, hoping to get an answer as she freezes and turns very slowly to face him. A flash of lightning lights up the area and he could see her face clearly, if only for a moment, but that was all he need to see as he reeled back in fear. Falling onto his butt, he stares in fear at what he thought was a human. Shadowed markings surround her eyes, running down her pale face, as her dark lips opened in surprise. She made a terrifying image to a child. She says something, trying to ask something or another but the child was too frightened to care. She takes a step forward, towards him and pauses as the child scrabbles back with a gasp. Tilting her head slightly in confusion, she opens her mouth in surprise as realization sets in. The child is afraid of Her! She quickly uses her shirt, her sleeves, even her bare hands to wipe and scrub at her eyes and face. Slowly, the dark markings fade into gray, then into nothing as her once dark stained lips turn peachy in color and her cheeks a rosy pink. She looks at him in concern, saying something in her harsh language, though her tone was gentle. Slowly she walks forward, keeping her hands within his sight at all times, stopping an arm’s length away from him to kneel down and again repeat what she said. The child shakes his head, still wary of the strange woman as he answers her the only way he could. “umm. ‘m sorry, I don’t understand.” She frowns, saying something else, slower, cautiously. He shakes his head and shrugs. She groans and bows her head in defeat. Shifting to the side, so she could rest on her hip instead of on her knees, she smiles and places her hand upon her chest and says clearly, slowly and emphasizing each sound. “Kris-tuhl.” She gestures to him, but he shakes his head, not understanding what she was saying. So, she repeats this, slowly saying, “Kris-tuhl.” And gesturing to him. He comes to understand on the fourth time and repeats her name if butchered into “Kes-shou.” His upbringing making it hard to say her name like she did. She shook her head and again repeated the sounds. His next attempt was slightly better. “Keree-shou.” Again, she repeats her name, smiling and gesturing encouragement for him to try once more. “Kii-riss-toh.” This time she says it the way he does, shortening the vowels and emphasizing the “Kaa-ris-tool.” trying to make it easier for him. Showing him where to shorten or get rid of the vowels and ending with “Kris-tuhl.” Once more. This time he nearly does it. He gets the first part but still forgets the last constants for her name. So, he tries again and eventually he gets it as right as he can. “Kris-tal.” She claps in happiness and bounces a little. Smiling fully, she again gestures to the child and he understand what she was gesturing for, so he tells her. “Naa-roo-toh.” He nearly laughed, It was her turn to try and pronounce His name! ***** What The Hell! ***** Chapter Summary Naruto meets Crystal, who just left her friend's wedding. Crystal tried to figure out who the hell would leave a child barely clothed out in the rain. Protective instincts emerge. Warning for Crystal's Potty mouth. Yes I know they are sitting in the rain while this takes place...but if a child is too scared to trust you right off the bat, you deal with the rain to try and help. Crystal’s dress(Cream base color is supposed to be periwinkle blue): http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/2849/ Crystal’s Shirt: http://darefashionusa.com/images/products/683.jpg Crystal’s pants: http://assets0.tobi.com/files/images/300/20116/24241/women/1/ 310x420.jpg?1248007465 Crystal’s Bag (except in purple): http://www.chemical-records.co.uk/sc/servlet/Info?Track=SPORTA General Idea of arch: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F1a6N2mHjRs/TZtyBrB4C9I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/dpLfs164NZU/ s1600/white+iron+arch+big+swag.JPG Wedding cake: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tZ0ZrHmMZrw/TBUDQMVHibI/AAAAAAAAA2E/1BSRG-f_ODQ/ s1600/calla+lily+blue+berry+with+pearls+buttercream+wedding+cake.JPG Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, the only thing I own is the plot and the OC, Crystal. Chapter 2 – What The Hell!!!! “Never made it as a wise man I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing Tired of living like a blind man I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling And this is how you remind me This is how you remind me Of what I really am This is how you remind me Of what I really am It's not like you to say sorry I was waiting on a different story This time I'm mistaken for handing you a heart worth breaking and I've been wrong, i've been down, been to the bottom of every bottle these five words in my head scream "are we having fun yet?" “How you Remind me.” By Nickelback. L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7. She couldn’t blame the groom when he left Kieran at the alter, not after he found out she was fucking his brother! So, Crystal watched in shock as her best friend went nuts, ripping apart the flowers and vines that Crystal had used to decorate the arch she helped her friend Dale Make. She had to wonder, did Kieran knew how many times she ended up hurting herself just to make sure her wedding was on time? How much of her own money she put into the wedding when they went over the wedding budget? Crystal moved to stop her friend as she started flinging the wedding presents at the wall of the house, the sound of breaking glass filling the shocked, horror filled silence the guests had fallen into as they watched her. She failed, but considering she had to duck over half the thrown presents trying to calm her down, well it was understandable. The guests finally started moving, running towards the exit of the garden as her best friend tore into the Peanut butter with chocolate ganache cake Kieran had asked her to make, flinging pieces of the home-made recipe all over the place, aiming for the straggling guests. She spent almost the entire day yesterday to frost and decorate that damn thing! She even made the fondant from scratch and hand chose the flowers on top! “KIERAN!” Screaming her name didn’t even faze her as she continued to throw cake and flowers around, Crystal was more than a little shocked at her friend’s behavior. Even as she grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the cake, Kieran was still swinging her arms and hit Crystal across the face in a cake covered slap. Both of them froze in shock before Kieran realized it was Crystal she had slapped and raised her hand to slap her again. She never connected as Crystal grabbed the hand aimed for her face again, her grip firm. “You Bitch! You’re the maid of Honor! You’re supposed to stop this Shit from ruining my perfect day!” Her response to Kieran’s tirade was to throw the hand away from her, causing Kieran to partially spin and almost fall into what was left of the cake. Crystal, on the other hand, was shaking with barely contained fury, a combination of pain, betrayal and anger. She was torn on what her next action should be. Should she run from the wedding and never look back. Or should she break down there and just cry her eyes out. Or would full out punching Kieran in the face for her audacity make her feel better. In the end, she chose a small combination of all of them, throwing her bride’s maid’s bouquet at the bride, before turning and stalking from the wedding as she yelled behind her to “Find a new best friend because I don’t want a shallow, back-stabbing tramp like you around!” Kieran, who had balanced herself and going to swing again had frozen in shock as her once best friend turned and all but stalked away. Crystal’s tears, held at bay by sheer strength of will, didn’t fall until she was well out of sight and a good five minutes down the road, her Zuca Travel Bag in hand. It just wasn’t fair! Worse still, was the fact that in her haste to get away she had forgotten that she doesn’t have a driver’s license, never mind a car! To proud to turn back and ask one of the still ranting guests leaving for a ride, Crystal walked to the nearest bus stop in her high heels, nearly tripping several times before ripping them off and shoving them into her bag. As the bus was almost a quarter of a mile away, she was understandably irritated when she got there and she still had another twenty to twenty-five minutes to wait. She stood there shivering for about two minutes looking between the rather tall bushes behind her to her black and purple travel suitcase/bag, trying to decide if it was worth the risk. A particularly cold breeze flowing up her periwinkle dress decided for her. She gripped the bag tighter before moving behind the bushes and pulling out a pair of dark blue bellbottom jeans and a black Bewitched Corset Top, along with her slip on flats and socks. Moving quickly, she unzipped the Black Lace and Periwinkle Bridal Dress and shoved it forcefully into the bag, shifting the dark blue velvet body pillow slightly to push the dress to the bottom of the bag. She zipped it closed and speed dressed into the jeans and top, hopping on one foot to put the socks and flats on. She stepped out the bushes, bag in hand, and glared up into the sky as rain started to fall. “Seriously?! Do you hate me that much?!” But, she was grateful for the perfect excuse for her runny make- up. She pulled her phone out again a few minutes later and nearly screamed in frustration. She still had about seventeen minutes left! Pacing near the bus stop sign, a passing car hit a puddle just right to send a wave of water crashing into her. Blinded by the water, and cursing the fact she was now freezing cold And wet, Crystal never noticed the cloud of smoke surround her. “You son of a Bitching bull dog! Can’t you see someone’s standing here!” Mumbling it, because she knew the driver was long gone and couldn’t hear her, Crystal didn’t bother with trying to yell it at him. Wiping the excess water from her eyes so she could see, she opened her eyes and suddenly wished she didn’t. Where was once a street with houses lining the sidewalk was now a lush and, at the time, spooky forest! Taking deep breaths, trying not to let panic set in, she spoke slowly. “What. The. Hell!” This wasn’t possible, it just couldn’t be! She knows, Knows, she doesn’t have any weird power to teleport or anything, so How? Looking at each tree and bush in sight, she declared the only logical thing to declare: She was insane. The only good thing she could possibly point out or even took notice of was the fact the rain has let up just as quickly as it started. A throat clearing from behind her made her freeze in fright before she slowly turned to see who or what wanted her attention. Shock and concern pushed her fear and panic down into near nonexistence as the image of the small, barely clothed child registered in her mind. He, or at least that’s what she thought he was, was wearing an old tattered shirt that fit him more like an off the shoulder dress. No shoes and only a pair of holey shorts, which she could only see because he had fallen back onto his butt with a gasp. That was Crystal’s first concern, her second was no less horror inducing. Bright blonde hair that refused to be hidden by dirt, leaves and gunk was plastered down to his head and hung slightly into his bright blue eyes, distinguishable even in the low light. She didn’t make any sudden movements, but slowly started to talk, hoping to put the obviously tense child at easy. “Hey there Kiddo. Well, this is just awful weather, huh? Say you wouldn’t happen to know the way to town would you?” no answer. “No? well how about where your mom and dad are?” again, no answer. Okay, she was getting a little worried, was he deaf? “No, again? Oh, good lord, I can’t stand it, you must be freezing!” She moved forward to hold him, try and keep him warm with her body heat until they found shelter, but the child scrambled in the mud and kind of half scoots, half swims back with a frightened gasp. She tilted her head in confusion, not sure what was wrong before the rain registered. Then the fact her make-up had probably run horribly, giving her a scary appearance, came to thought as she opened her mouth in an ‘o’ of understanding. She used her sleeves, her shirt, even her hands, bare as they were, to clean up the make-up as best she could. By the time Crystal was done, her eyes were sore and probably the dreaded color of pink but at least he wasn’t looking like he would bolt at any minute. “See? I’m not a monster, it’s just make-up, nothing more, Kay?” She stepped forward again, raising her hands and keeping them in sight when he tensed just slightly, letting her know he still viewed her as a threat. She reached him, and knelt down to his level and asked him, very calmly. “See? Not a monster, just me, and I’m not going to hurt you, Okay?” He shook his head, uttering something in what sounded like Chinese or Japanese. Well, one way to see if this was a joke or not. See if he reacts to what she says. Tone careful, she lied through her teeth. “Okay, I lied. I’m a monster in disguise and since you saw me I’ll have to eat you now.” He shrugs his shoulder and shakes his head, not understanding what she just said. She groaned and hung her head, all the while cursing the world in general for her luck. Well, hard way it is! She shifted enough to be sitting on her hip instead of her knees and placed her hand on her chest. That’s when she notices, with horror, that someone had carved thin lines into the child’s cheeks. Not wanting to scare him again she smiles and tries to teach him her name and maybe get his. Not the best first attempt, but he eventually worked through it and said her named, if with a heavy accent. She smiles in pride and does a little happy ‘yay! You did it’ dance while sitting. Calming down, she did the gesturing once more and knew he got it when he smiled, eyes bright with excitement, and said clearly and carefully. “Naa-roo- toh.” She took a moment to think over the syllables, saying each one in her head before trying to say it out load. Her first attempt of his name was a rather crude, “Nah-rue-toe.” He giggles, and does the same thing she did for him and said each syllable until she got it right. He even did her little happy dance, too. She fought with herself not to giggle with him. “Naruto.” She stated it, more of a command when she calmed down. He looked at her, his head tilted in curiosity. She opened her arms slowly, making sure not to make any sudden movements and gestured to come to her. It should be a universal sign for ‘hug’, right? He hesitated, not out of a ‘I don’t know you’ worry, but of a ‘will she hurt me if I trust her’ fear. He must have grown up around a lot of violence or was abused himself. Her patience and gentle smile was rewarded with an armful of shivering child, little stick thin arms holding on like she was the last link to life. He must not have a lot of people that even care for him if he takes even a hint of kindness and grabs on like that. She wrapped her own arms around him loosely, not wanting to scare him into thinking she wouldn’t let him go if he wanted her to. When he pulled back, breaking her loose hold on him easily as he looked up at her before he dived right back in and held her tight. She held him, glancing around and hoping there was shelter of some kind nearby. Grimacing at the ‘should be condemned and torn down’ wannabe shed behind Naruto, she picked up the child and moves towards it, wondering if he made the abandoned shed his home. Upon entering, Crystal nearly gagged at the rather strong moldy odor permeating from…everywhere. Taking stock of the hole riddled roof, the waterlogged floors and the little nest of soft leaves and moss covered in an old blanket, a bed of sorts she supposed. The large patches of Black Mold had her covering Naruto’s mouth and nose with her shirt sleeves and backing out quickly. He fought her, panicking that she might hurt him, before she set him down at the door way and ripped one of her shear sleeves off and tied it around his head to form a rather poor mask. She did the same with her other sleeve and tied a mask for herself. She started snapping her fingers to get his attention before pointing to the mold on the walls and floors and grasped her throat, making choking sounds, then tilted her head and stuck her tongue out, hoping he would understand that Black Mold is dangerous, it can and will kill someone who stayed and breathed in the spores long enough. She wasn’t sure if he did or not, as he giggled a little bit but nodded all the same. She made a ‘stay here’ gesture she was sure was going to come back and bite her in the ass later. She, didn’t quite run into the shed, more like power walked, and gathered anything of value or of use, like the small blanket, a pair of clothes in the only dry spot, turned around after a cursory look for anything else and left. He grabbed her hand as she pasted him and started pulling her to the right, Crystal didn’t fight him, hoping he knew of a better hut than this one. Naruto lead her to several huts and sheds, letting her inspect each one before she vetoed it for some reason or another, but always pointing out what was wrong so Naruto would know this condition wasn’t good. Fifteen minutes of this provided Crystal the chance to see a hut in better condition than the others, only a slightly leaky roof, a few fallen logs, not too damp. Not that bad, somewhat habitable, with an added bonus of a what looked like a water barrel out front, the only real concern she had was a couple of small patches of dark beige mold growing in some of the damper corners, worried it might turn black in a few weeks or so. But it was dry-ish and safe, so she nods and puts him down before going to the back corner where it looked to be driest and inspects it closely, noticing a squeaky floor board right off. Worried the board might give under the weight, Crystal knelt down and started prodding and pushing. When she pushed on the upper most corner it went down and slid to the left and revealed a rather large hidden cache. After making sure nothing was in the little niche, she worked on trying to get it closed again. When that was done she went outside and searched the area finding a few broken sticks and branches she could use for a fire and a leafy branch she could use as a broom. Coming back into the hut, she noticed that Naruto has squared himself away into a corner and was looking completely lost at what to do. Deciding it would be better to get him dry and warm, she set about making a fire in the fire pit first, sweeping the dry and the damp leaves and sticks from the ground around it to help the fire start and thanking her lucky stars that her friend…ex- friend always demanded she carry a lighter or match set with her. Soon a small, sputtering fire was going, now to get Naruto clean and into a drier pair of cloths…this isn’t going to be easy. She moved her bag to a cleared section of the room and opened it, pulling out two pairs of draw-string shorts, a large men’s tee-shirt, one of her old shirts and two pairs of ankle socks from the main compartment. Next, she opened one of the flap pockets and pulled out a pair of medium sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner, then a another, slightly smaller bottle of Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser and a small hand-sized bath sponge. Closing the Velcro of the pocket, she turned to the zipper on the same flap, opening it to reveal two thin towels folded up neatly. She set the towels and clothes, along with the two thick blankets from the main compartment, next to the fire pit, out of the range of the sparks but close enough to warm them. Thankfully there was a good sized pot shoved up against one of the walls, a highly dented and slightly rusty old pot but it should work to warm up the water for a improvised bath. Crystal filled the pot with the water from the water barrel and carried it over to the fire and placed it near the edges of the fire pit, slowly warming the water as she worked to sweep the rest of the debris out of the hut and found an old, dirty rope hidden under a small pile of leaves. She used the rope to make a clothes line to dry their clothes, even if it would get them dirty, dry clothes was better than clean clothes, but she could try washing the clothes by hand tomorrow or something. Well, she couldn’t stall anymore. Calling Naruto over to her she half gestured and half mimed taking his clothes off and washing. She could tell he wasn’t very happy with that idea, probably never had a warm bath before knowing her luck. So, she dipped her hand into the water and splashed some of it onto him. Naruto gave a startled little yell and started whipping the water away before he slowed down, realizing the water wasn’t cold. Again she made the gestures, but this time she got a slightly better response. He approached her slowly, letting her lift his shirt slowly, watching her like a hawk. He stripped out of his shorts on his own as she dipped the sponge into the water and started to rinse him after she got his attention. Not wanting Naruto to be naked in the cold air long, Crystal worked fast and rinsed his hair out, resorting to using a brush from her bag, and washed his body with the Cetaphil® and his hair with the shampoo and conditioner. Quickly unfolding the warm towel, Crystal set to drying him off and brushing his wildly spiky hair…spiky hair that was a bright ass ‘SUNSHINE’ yellow! Grabbing the smaller of the two shorts and her old shirt she handed them to Naruto, making a ‘go on’ gesture, he dressed hurriedly and fumbled with the way to big shorts. She had to tie them for him, and had to say the shirt was only slightly better on him then his last one, his old shorts, on the other hand, fit him a lot better. But these are warm and dry, he can wear the other ones after she figures out how to clean them without a washer. Over all he looked like a kid wearing his parents clothes, forcing her to stifle a giggle at the adorable picture he made. She sent him over to ring out and hang up his old clothes as she turned away from him and stripped down and quickly washed her own body and hair, shivering occasionally at the cold drafts. She had just finished rinsing her hair and was going to check and see where Naruto was and grab the other towel when said towel was draped over her shoulders. She turned and caught sight of a bright tomato red Naruto, eyes shut tight and just beginning to turn back away from her. She quickly ignored it and dried off, dressed in the other pair of shorts and shirt, picked up her wet clothes and towel, ringed them out and hung them on the rope next to Naruto’s clothes and towel. Grabbing the blankets and pillow next, she plopped them down on the other side of where they were bathing and picked up the bigger blanket and folded it into a square big enough for two of people of her size, and she wasn’t exactly small. Placing the dark blue body pillow at the edge of the square padding and Spreading the second blanket over the square and pillow, successfully making a small wannabe bed. She pulls back the covers and gets in before turning to look at Naruto and gesturing for him to join her. He looks at her like he wasn’t sure she was real, waiting for the cruel joke to be over and done with. She gestures again, more insistent, more demanding, and he quickly follows her instructions. She rearranged the blanket around them, making sure he was covered decently, if not completely, as he laid there, stiff. Afraid. Feeling bad she had frightened him into obeying her, she started humming the lullaby from ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ She always did find it really calming. She smiled slightly when she felt him relax, shifting closer to her for warmth as he slowly drifted off to sleep. She gently carded her hand threw his hair and stroked his cheek once before she settled down herself and feel asleep. Her last thoughts, her questions racing through her mind: How did she end up here? Where was she? Who was this child she felt so drawn towards? What has she gotten herself into? How was she going to get home? If she finds a way home, should she take little Naruto with her? Naruto, however, was still awake, pondering. She acted just like he imagined his own mother or sister would. She took care of him the best she could, with what she had. She even hummed him a lullaby! A soft sound startled him out of his thoughts, and he nearly laughed when he realized she was snoring softly. He didn’t think she knew where she was, but she was smart enough to get them some place safe. She was a little pickier than him about where they slept, but she obviously knew something he didn’t. she was kind enough to warm water for his bath, normally he had to bathe in the river or a pond. But, for all that she seemed perfect, She wasn’t. her voice wasn’t as sweet as bells or put angel’s to shame. No, her voice was low, gentle and slightly scratchy from disuse. She wasn’t a ninja, so she wouldn’t be able to teach him things like that, but it was okay. She was exactly what he wanted his mom to be like….but at the same time she was nothing like he pictured his mom to be. She was so very real, because he didn’t think he could think up and imagine such a person, not with so many barely noticeable, little flaws. And those little flaws he saw, only made him love her even more. Drifting off into sleep, Naruto thought one last thing before he blacked out: He had a Mother for his Summons! ***** Necessities of life ***** Chapter Summary Naruto needs to go to school. Crystal cleans up and tries to fix things. Gai shows up and things get weird. Crystal makes soup/stew! Disclaimer: Do I really have to put this before EACH chapter? I don’t own! There! Happy?   Chapter 3: Necessities of life. “Let it go, let it roll right off your shoulder Don’t you know the hardest part is over? Let it in, let your clarity define you In the end we will only just remember how it feels Our lives are made in these small hours These little wonders, these twists and turns of fate Time falls away but these small hours These small hours still remain Let it slide, let your troubles fall behind you Let it shine until you feel it all around you And I don’t mind if it’s me you need to turn to We’ll get by, it’s the heart that really matters in the end” “Little Wonders” by Rob Thomas   L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7 (Just a note: This first section has No P.O.V or, if it must have one, it’s in Naruto & Crystal’s P.O.V) Waking up slowly, Crystal snuggled her rather large teddy bear closer, burying her nose into the fur on its head. After that weird ass dream last night, She was quite content to just lay here and screw the rest of the morning. Her assistant, Kai could open the café as far as she was concerned. And Kai, even if he was a knuckle head, was rather talented at doing his job, despite his arguments about her café’s decor. Hell the moron could run the store by himself…just don’t let him near the accounting books and bills. Crystal shifted again, pulling the teddy closer to her as she damn near purred in contentment. On the other hand, Said Teddy bear woke up feeling slightly squished, if rather loved and full of warmth. Naruto glanced up at his Mother Summons and smiled groggily, overjoyed that last night wasn’t a dream. He was so glad he didn’t listen to the old man’s warning about Summoning! Maybe next Sunday he would introduce him to his new Kaa-san! Naruto’s face fell from the bright smile and began to pale; Today is a school day. He bolted up and dashed to his clean school clothes near Crystal’s bag and hurried to get dressed. Jolted fully awake by the sudden and violent move from her teddy, Crystal looked around dazed, and came to the conclusion that no, last night wasn’t a dream and had really happened. She had in fact found herself in a strange place with absolutely no idea of how the hell she got there. Had found a small, Neglected child and took care of him. Turning her blurry sight to the child, She watched as Naruto hurried around to get dressed, tripping over as he hopped on one foot to get his shoe like sandals on. She got up, picking up the brush from her bag along the way and began to fix his rather bad bed hair. He flinched at her sudden touch but calmed when he realized that she was just trying to straighten his hair a little. He wasn’t quite sure what to think, it wasn’t like he ever had anyone do something like this for him. So, He was curious, was this behavior normal for all mothers or was this something only she did? He turned and looked at her when she finished with his hair, watching her expressions and body language. She, in turn, watched him, knowing perfectly well what he was doing. He was most likely disliked for some reason or another, he was only doing what any child would do to survive. Children are very good at reading body language and facial expressions, mainly to determine if they were in trouble or not. But, taking into account that he didn’t seem to have parents and rather on edge around an adult, well he must have taken it to a new level. He was using this instinctive knowledge to avoid people who would hurt him. She smiled at him sadly, understanding, and simply held up his other shoe and nodded for him to finish getting ready. He took the shoe, his eyes lowered to avoid eye contact so she couldn’t see his conflicting thoughts. He has so many questions, but none of them could be answered. Well, couldn’t be answered yet at least. She couldn’t speak his language after all! But, he wondered; would she disappear while he was at school? And if she was still here, how would they communicate? Would she teach him her language? Naruto wasn’t sure it was a good idea, he didn’t know if he could learn it considering he was having so much trouble with his own. Or would he have to teach her his language? But, that wasn’t a very good idea either, for the same reason! And what about food? He barely had enough to feed him, how would he get enough for both of them? And then there is the fact she didn’t act like one of the people in the village, so did that mean she didn’t know him as the ‘Demon Child’ the villagers are always yelling at him? And, if she found out he was, would she start to treat him like they do? Or would she just leave? Naruto shook himself out of his thoughts and, after making sure his shoes were on, gestures. Pointing to her, then pointing to the ground; She used the same ‘stay here’ gesture, so she should understand, right? She must have, because she nodded and sat back down on the little nest she made last night. Naruto backs up to the door, pauses then makes the same gesture again. Hoping she will understand and stay inside the hut or at the very least the area. She smiled and waved bye. Blinking in surprise, he grins before he turns and takes off to the academy, hopefully he won’t be late. L7T7L7T7L7T7 (Just a note: you are now back to figuring out who’s P.O.V these are in. Cheers!) Well, considering his age, Crystal would have to say that the poor kid was running late for school. If she actually thought about it, she would be a more than a little disturbed that a five year old child was worried about being late for anything! Pinching the bridge of her nose, hoping to stave off the growing headache, Crystal sighed. Naruto, the little wannabe sunspot that he is, decided she was his new pet and is to stay here! Not gonna happen. Not that he thought that, she was sure, but come on. She knew that ‘stay here’ gesture she made to him earlier was going to bite her in the ass! But, back to the subject at hand, she just couldn’t stay in the hut! She had to get supplies for him on top of figuring out how to repair what little damage the hut had and cleaning it top to bottom. While She had no problem with a child living on their own, the child had to know how to do that before she would even think about actually letting them! She honestly didn’t know if she could even stay here, and she had to admit, the little guy grew on you. So, she was going to make sure he knew how to take care of himself, properly. As in; how to garden, grow veggies, fruit and berries so he won’t starve; how to hunt, skin, gut and prepare the meat of his kills; fishing and how to prepare those; how to cook in general; little home repairs that he could do to keep the hut in livable condition; sew rips and tears at the least or whole clothes at the best….half of that list she would have to learn herself so she could teach him properly. She didn’t know how to actually hunt, but she had the basic concept and form down. She doesn’t even like fish, so why would she even know how to go fishing? She wasn’t a carpenter, so any repairs she did or taught him would be novice level and based on logic until she could learn a better way or a better teacher. But, not to toot her own horn, she was a damn good cook and an even better baker, so that’s not even a worry. And considering she grew about half of the produce her café uses, she’ll say she was at least a somewhat competent gardener. Add in the fact that she was a rather big cheapskate and you have someone who learns to sew the holes in otherwise perfectly good clothes or just makes them herself…yes, she was a cheapskate, shameful? No, she makes more money doing that then the average person who doesn’t, so, no not shameful. Plus, she’s had people admire her clothes and ask her where she got them, and then bought one after she told them she made it! First things first! Clean this place out so she can see clearly what she has to work with! And perhaps make a better broom with some twigs and branches. After getting dressed in her jeans and torn corset top again, Crystal folded the blankets and shoved them back into her bag along with the pillow and their night clothes. She then proceeded in grabbing the leafy branch she used as a make shift broom and tore the leaves off, snapping the little side branches off of the main one. She was left with a branch that reached a little bit under her chest, about four foot or so, and diameter of about an inch or two. Putting that aside, Crystal got up and left the hut, searching the bushes and trees nearby for anything that she could use to fashion the broom head. She found some flexible twigs, an odd ass knife that she almost cut herself on, a few berry bushes that she was sure are poisonous, another good branch she could use as a handle for a child sized broom, and a mound of thin fallen leaves... that are all one plant. OH! She knew what this was now. It was Japanese forest grass, and it looks like it would work great for the broom head! Theoretically. Now to head to the hut, make a better broom, clean it up, and fix up the hut…oh joy. Using the odd knife, that looks like those ninja Kunai thingies, she cut some of the grass and carried it, the other branch and the twigs back to the hut. There she began to try and figure out how to make a workable broom head. Grabbing a handful of the grass and bunching them up about a foot from the ends, she tried to sweep using that. It didn’t work too well, it was pliable enough to sweep up the dirt and dust, but not ridged enough to sweep away the debris. She put those back with the rest of the grass…maybe she can make a woven grass basket? The flexible twigs are next to be tested, again gathered tightly about a foot from the ends and used to sweep. Again, those didn’t work well either, it was ridged enough to push the debris away, but not flexible enough to get the dirt and dust. She tossed those back with the rest, if nothing else she can use that as fire wood…or combine the two! Grabbing and handful of both, arranging them so the twigs were spaced between some of the grass. Again gathering the bunch about a foot or so from the ends, she tried to sweep. And succeeded with better success than before. The twig providing the stiffness the grass needed to push the debris and the grass providing the flexibility the twigs needed to grab the dirt and dust. Smiling at her triumph, Crystal gathered the rest of the twigs and grass and split it evenly into two piles, arranging them so the twigs were evenly spaced between the grass while make sure there was enough grass to act as filler. Now to tie it together and attach it to the branches. But, what to use…? Crystal blinked, then looked down at her hand, which was busy fiddling with the black ribbon on her top. That will work. She untied the little bow, and pulled the ribbon free, then poked sadly at the see through material that covered her chest right there. The only down fall she could find on this shirt: the little section were the ribbon goes is see through like the sleeves. Oh well, it goes to a good cause. Folding the ribbon in half, she used the Kunai to cut it in two. Grabbing one half of the ribbon she laid it out and placed about half the grass and twigs she’ll use for the broom on top the ribbon, making sure there was a good foot and a half on one side of the ribbon. Next she placed the taller of the two branches on top and placed the rest of the broom head on top of that. Tying it tight enough is what will prove to be the most difficult. But try she will. She spent five minutes trying to tie the ribbon around the broom head properly. Frustrated that the she couldn’t tie it, Crystal threw the piece of ribbon on the ground. Well, push comes to shove it is. She can tear off a small strip or two off of her night shirt, heaven knows it’s long enough. Grabbing the shirt in question out of her bag again and spreading it out, cutting off two half inch strips with the kunai. Using both of the strips to tie the one broom as tightly as she could. She successfully made her first broom. Now to make Naruto’s broom, this should be easier. Cutting another two strips off her shirt, she tied the second shorter broom and placed it in the corner. Now to clean up. Picking up the shirt and placing it back in her bag, moving the bag itself into the corner with the small broom. Sweep, Sweep, Sweep. Half hour later, the hut was as clean as she could get it without whipping out the serious cleaning supplies. Now to take stock of what needs to be fixed and replaced. Counting three holes in the roof, a crack in the wall, molded wall and floor planks that would need to be replaced, a few already broken floor planks, along with their neighbors, she would need to replace, and a slight bend off the hinges door. Now, it’s off to hunt for repairing supplies, hopefully she’ll be able to find her way back. She can take some of the clean planks and wood pieces from the other huts, maybe even some stone pieces that’ll last longer. Sighing she gets started by finding a long piece of wood, a stick really, to mark her way back to the hut here and heads towards her left. Going to each hut that they passed and searching it thoroughly for anything even remotely useable, bringing it back to their new hut and going back took about a hour and a half and over twenty five trips. Finally reaching the original hut she showed up at she cringed. It looked worse in daylight! There isn’t much she could use, or want to risk using, from this hut. But, this hut apparently held a carpenter at one point, for inside a wooden chest in the back corner was building tools. A hand saw, a hammer, an old fashioned hand drill, a chisel, and a woodman’s plainer. Unfortunately the planier’s blade is dull and rusted, making it unusable. The drill is rusted a little bit, a bit dull but still useable, if only a little harder to use. The hand saw, thankfully, only had a little rust around the handle and still very much useable. The hammer, however, will need a whole new handle for the head. The chisel is only a little waterlogged, but otherwise perfectly fine. Nearly dancing with joy at her luck, Crystal takes the tools and hurries back to the new hut, picking up stray pieces of wood that looked like they would make a good new hammer handle. She only hopes she can fix the roof before it starts to rain again. L7T7L7T7L7T7. While Crystal spent most of the morning going to the huts and gathering supplies, she hadn’t seen anyone other than Naruto and began to worry. What if they were lost in a jungle and no one else was around or they were dead? So when noon popped up along with the first sign of life, Crystal was both relieved and scared shitless. Mainly because the guy showed up out of nowhere when she fell off the roof she was trying to repair and caught her…in midair! She stood there shaking, scared out of her mind and not understanding a word of what he was trying to tell her! A dull ‘THUMP’ brought her out of her daze and they glanced down to see the wood plank she was working on. It took only a second to register that, before she snapped her head up to the roof and saw the hammer she fixed sliding slowly towards an oblivious man’s head! He was busy looking at the plank and she was already running the few feet between them. Slamming into him and pushing him back against the hut as he wrapped his arms around her firmly. The hammer fell, missing her just enough to only tangle in her hair and pull roughly, pulling her down with a slight, pained shriek, the man following after he lost his balance but still with the presence of mind to twist so he didn’t land on her. They landed on top of the hammer, the plank and her hair; causing her to be partially on top of him with her hair trapped under him. She was shaking slightly, stunned by her own bravado and the flash of pain from her hair being pulled, therefore missing the rather sunned look the man was shooting her. For once in her life she actively hated her hair being so long! A few moments later she realized, with absolute mortification, that she could feel more than she should of the man! He was wearing a green spandex suit…Eyes widening at the revelation, she jumped up, or tried to. She fell back on top of him when her hair pulled taunt and knocked her off balance with an eep of pain. He grunted slightly as she blushed a bright cherry red. Pushing off of him just enough to sit next to him, Crystal all but lifted, or more accurately, forcefully rolled his body off of her hair and took off into the hut, slamming the door shut behind her and just inches from the man’s face. He knocked on the door, shouting something, worry obvious in his voice. But, she didn’t exactly care, the creep was walking around wearing a green Full body Spandex Suit! Who the hell in their right mind does that?! He yells something again, obviously another question and with her not understanding a single word out of his mouth she responded with an indistinguishable sound half way between a ‘No’ and a ‘Yeah’; almost a ‘Neah’. Fifteen minutes later showed that he still hasn’t left, just puttering around the hut as he occasionally asked unknown, and unanswered, questions. She shifted her leaning position on the door and A sharp whack on the back of her knee almost caused her to fall down, informing her that the hammer was still tangled horribly in her hair. She spent the next ten minutes, paranoid at every sound, to untangle the hammer from her dark hair. Just as she finished she heard the sound of sawing out front, followed quickly by metal striking rock. Worried and scared she rushes out the door to see the man in question working on cutting boards. Brand new untarnished boards! And his apparent twin working at hammering out what looked like a new foundation nearby, by using some really big and broken boulders…with their triplet helping him. with what looks like an outdoor carpenter’s work shop! They had all the supplies and tools, brand new supplies and tools by the looks of it at that. Ten minutes later their quadruplet came by and dropped a few bags of cleaning supplies, blankets, pillows and padding for the floor in front of her stunned form, before he turned and headed over to help his siblings. Another ten minutes later showed that the man and his brothers worked at a crazy fast pace, as they had the stone foundation down and was starting the house frame. They were building a hut…Why are they building a brand new hut?! Another ten minutes of watching them and their quintuplet shows up carrying several bags bulging with food followed by a scantily clad young woman dressed in almost nothing but bandages, with dark hair and red eyes pulling a wagon like device with pots, pans, plates, bowls, and other things of the like. The two of them walk towards her slowly, making sure Crystal wasn’t going to bolt for the hut again. When they reach five feet away, Crystal backs up a step and makes a warning sound in the back of her throat. They immediately pause, the woman putting the handle of the wagon on the ground and raising her hands as she asked a question. When the woman didn’t get an answer, she took another step forward, and Crystal almost snarled at her as she backed up again. The woman’s eyes narrow and she turns slightly towards the man and says something in a rather cheery tone. Crystal didn’t react and the woman’s eyes widened in understanding. Especially when Crystal backed up into the hut with a startled gasp when the man appeared between the two of them, facing the woman he brought with him in a defensive position as he shouted “Nanie!?” or something to that effect, in a tone of disbelief, shock, and horror. The man and woman spent the next several minutes exchanging words at a fast pace. Suddenly the woman shouts something and the man pauses, his head jerking back. He turns slowly and looks at Crystal from the corner of his eye. Turning back to the woman he nods and steps to the side, allowing the woman to see her directly, and crystal in turn slams the door shut again. The sounds of their protest didn’t exactly inspire her to trust them. A sound at the little broken window and at the biggest hole in the roof caused Crystal to whip around and push her back to the door. The man stuck his head through the hole in the roof and smiled widely before a sharp crack sounded and with a short yelp, the man fell into the hut. Crystal gasped, checked to make sure nothing else would fall before going over to the man and grabbing him under the arms and pulling with all her might to drag him away from the unstable hole in the roof. Putting him down long enough to open the door again, Crystal dragged the man out of the hut before an ominous creaking sound filled the clearing and another section of the roof fell in. With a finale great pull, Crystal collapsed with the man in her lap, panting from the exertion as the woman hurried over to check on the man. He coughed from the dust and debris that fell with him and smiled goofily as he gave the woman a thumbs up. A half hour later, she had her bag out of the rubble and was sitting around a little campfire that the man and woman made. Deciding, since they obviously had more than enough opportunity to kill her if they wanted, Crystal got their attention and repeated the steps she took with Naruto and started teaching them her name. They had a hard time, but eventually they got it somewhat right. The man placed his hand on his chest and said, “Gai.” Well, that didn’t sound descriptive at all. Her pronunciation made it come out more as, “Guy.” But it was more than close enough for him as he smiled brightly and cheered, or at least that’s what she though he did. The woman followed Gai’s lead and made the same gesture and said, “Kurenai.” Crystal almost cringed, she knew she would butcher the lady’s name on the first attempt, but she’ll learn. She got it to “coo-ren-eye.” Before the woman was satisfied and she too, smiled and did that little cheer, thankfully her ‘cheer’ was a lot less enthusiastic than Gai’s had been. Glancing up at the sun, Crystal guesstimates that is has been around three hours since Gai first showed up. Thankfully, Gai and Kurenai went to help work on the little hut they were building. She really did hope they weren’t building a new one for her. Crystal watched as a rather comic argument occurred between Gai and Kurenai before the woman in question huffed and stomped over to her. From the way the brothers simply continued to build the hut at an impossible rate, she would say that Kurenai has been told to go play nice with the weird girl. Well, Crystal was thinking that a nice stew or soup would be nice considering the down pour they had last night and hoped something warm would help keep any cold away from Naruto. so, Crystal grabbed the big pot out of the wagon and hunted down the stream a good ten minutes from the clearing, after she set Kurenai’s task of cutting one inch cubes of meat. Nine minutes after she left, Gai shows up and gestures an offer to carry the half full pot back to ‘camp.’ The walk back was spent with Gai randomly showing off his strength by holding the pot in one arm and pointing to something and trying to tell her what it is. She would return the favor by telling him what it was in her language. So far she has learned that ‘Nagare (na-ga-reh)‘ is ‘stream’ and ‘Mizu’ is ‘water’ and ‘Ki’ is, she thinks, ‘tree’ and ‘Tori’ is ‘Bird’ and ‘ha’ is not him laughing but ‘leaf’…she’s still trying to figure that one. She had a hell of a lot of fun trying to pronounce ‘Risu’, then again so did he with ‘squirrel’, though she probably had better luck than him. When they got back to the little clearing, Gai placed the pot above the flames on a little stand that Kurenai must have made while they were gone. Gai and Kurenai have a very short conversation before he goes over to help his brothers, who apparently haven’t taken a brake even once. Weird. Turning back to Kurenai, Crystal saw that she did exactly what she told her, cut the beef into one inch cubes…and nothing else…as in the beef still had a shit load of fat on it…Did Kurenai know how to cook? Or is this how she’s use to cooking? Grabbing the Kunai knife from Kurenai she cut off some, but not all, of the fat on the cubes and put them in the pot, Kurenai took her queue and helped her. Didn’t know how to cook it is, looks like she’ll have two students. Crystal hunted through the bags of food and found lots of different vegetables and fruit, a couple of packs of different meats, a couple bags of instant ramen, a bag of what looks like sugar and a bag of what looks like flour. Grabbing a clove of garlic, Crystal used the handle of the kunai to crush it, proceeded to peel then dice it and place it in the stew. Hunting through the bags again popped up onions, potatoes, carrots and two small containers of salt and pepper. Crystal presented half of an onion to Kurenai after she peeled it and chopped it in half. And just to make sure, Crystal diced up her half of the onion in demonstration before she encouraged her to do it herself. She did a pretty damn good job, so she must have at least a little experience in cooking things from scratch. Adding the onion to the water and seasoning with salt and pepper, Crystal stirred it a little before she let it settle and cook…it would be a few hours before she began on the potatoes and carrots. Two hours of cooking and the stew smelled great…but it was missing something! Crystal frowned as she dug through the bags of food and finally found a thick bundle of what looked like very thin celery. Curious, Crystal pulled a small piece off and popped it in her mouth. To her surprise a strong celery flavor flooded her taste… and here she thought they didn’t have celery! She was pretty sure this was Chinese Celery, a stronger cousin of the celery she’s used to. Grabbing the Kunai again, Crystal sliced off three of the vine like stalks, cut them into slices, and toss them into the pot for Kurenai to stir in. Now, for the potatoes and carrots! After Cutting the potatoes into fourths, then cutting those fourths in half, Crystal added them to the pot and started on the carrots. Crystal chopped the carrots into inch long sections and pushed them a safe distance from her, Kurenai grabbed from the small pile of already cut carrots and added them to the stew. Once all the veggies had been added, Crystal dug through the dishes and came out with a good sized bowl(5in diameter, 3in depth) and a proper ladle. Grabbing the flour from the bag after checking and making sure it was in fact flour, Crystal added about a hand full into the bowl before she ladled some of the broth into it as well. Quickly stirring the mixture with a pair of chopsticks until the flour dissolved, Crystal added the mix to the stew as Kurenai stirred and repeated the process once more before she sat back and let the water thicken. Five minutes later, the smell changed from great to damn near divine and a loud rumble from Gai’s stomach echoed in the clearing like thunder. Both women looked at the blushing Gai, then each other, before they burst into giggles. Crystal looks up into the sky, taking in the western position of the sun, which means if she faced it north would be to her right. If she calculated correctly, or more accurately, if she remembered that elementary school activity right, then her shadow’s position means that is was somewhere between 5:30 ish and maybe 6:30ish in the evening. And if the school here was at least somewhat similar to the ones back home, that means Naruto should have been back an hour ago at the least! Crystal frowned in concern, hugging herself as unease set in…Where was he!? ***** Tourniquet ***** Chapter Summary Naruto gets a trip to the hospital. Crystal shows how protective she can be... Disclaimer: If only dreams like that could come true. Damn! Note: Okay, I AM aware that Gai is way, WAY out of character. But I think he would know to tone down his loud personality around an abused child and a woman who is rather tense at loud and sudden noises. I, personally don’t see Gai as a completely insensitive idiot, Do you? If yes, then take into consideration: Gai stopped using Justus when he found out his student, Rock Lee, Couldn’t use Chakra. This is regardless of the fact that he himself can use it just fine. (he Did summon a tortoise.) L7T7L7T7L7T7 Chapter 4: Tourniquet. “Do you remember me lost for so long will you be on the other side or will you forget me I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming am I too lost to be saved am I too lost?”   Evanescence – Tourniquet L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7 Naruto is late. Very late. By this time is had reached around 6:30 at best, 7: 00 at worst and Crystal was pacing back and forth, searching the trees around them every now and again. Kurenai had taken over stirring the stew when it became apparent that Crystal was more than just a little distracted. A whispered conversation behind her had Crystal glancing at Gai and Kurenai. It’s been well over ten Hours! Naruto should have been back! The couple behind her must have thought her crazy, or at the least paranoid and twitchy! Of course, they must know with her behavior that she was waiting for someone! She was so close to just breaking down and crying, or snapping and going on a Naru-Hunt! Where the hell is he! That kid can’t afford to miss a meal or stay out in the cold like this! A sharp snap of a twig had Crystal spinning on the spot and looking into the trees behind the old, fallen down hut as Gai and Kurenai jumped to their feet and took defensive positions. The sight that met her a few seconds later was enough to make Crystal cry. Naruto, little sunspot extraordinaire, was limping towards her with a big grin on his face, his right arm held tight to his chest. Once sun shine yellow hair was matted down with mud …along with the whole front of him! He had, at one point, attempted to clean up his face, and only partially succeeded, making it look like he was wearing a thin brown mask. His once semi-nice school clothes were torn and one whole sleeve was missing completely. His left eye swollen shut as a cut on his forehead steadily created a streak of red down the brownish skin. By the look of his limp his left leg or ankle was twisted, or broken, god did she hope it wasn’t broken! The arm on the other hand, was more than definitely broken, what with the bone sticking out as it was! But, it was the look in his eye that had her moving before Gai and Kurenai could even get over their shock: He was begging, hoping, that she would help. She didn’t need to see them to know that he had cuts and bruises, his posturing was enough to tell her that. Revelation shot through her when she reached him, making her stop, unsure if touching him would cause him more pain or bring him the support and reassurance he needed. She sobbed, hand covering her mouth as she fell to her knees in front of the child. Slowly she reached up and gently grabbed his offered hand, (raised in concern for her!) as he whisper what sounded like an aborted attempt to say her name. She shook her head, before she turned and yelled out, “GAI!!” only to choke off a bit when she saw he was already next to her and kneeling. Kurenai stayed back, the pot of stew already removed from the fire and covered. Crystal turned to Gai and made half hysterical gestures as she tried get her demand across. Naruto apparently got her gesturing as he whispered, much to the shock of Gai, “Kanojo wa isha o nozonde iru.” L7T7L7T7L7T7 Gai wasn’t sure what the woman wanted. Her frantic gesturing wasn’t helping him understand anymore than the mystery of a person not knowing Japanese. It was the child who got her gesturing and told Gai rather quietly, “She wants a medic.” Startled that the child could speak their language, Gai could only nod. It was actually understandable, ridiculously obvious now that he was actually thinking about it. The child, who is most likely hers, is badly hurt and in desperate need of a hospital. But getting the abused child to the hospital would prove a bit difficult. They didn’t want to hurt him, but it was apparent he wouldn’t go with them quietly or even trust them to help. The child was, in fact, keeping a very sharp eye on him and Kurenai, actually tensing when Gai rested his hand on his mother’s shoulder in reassurance. “Well, if she wants a medic, why don’t we take her to the hospital? I’m sure there are a lot of Youthful Medics there. What do you say, want to show her to the hospital?” Gai made very sure he kept a calm tone. Very unusual for him, but with this situation it was probably best. The child’s full attention is on him at the first word out of his mouth. The piercing look in those cerulean blue eyes makes him slightly uncomfortable, like the child was judging him. And he most likely was. The boy nods and grabs his mother’s hand and gently pulls. She doesn’t resist and stood up before he could put anymore strain on his body. Kurenai put out the fire quickly and picked up the pot of stew, ready to go. Gai raised his eyebrow at her, silently questioning. She shrugged, “It’s gotta be better than the hospital food. Plus she worked pretty hard on it, most likely for him.” Gai nodded, Kurenai had a point. But is she really going to carry that pot all the way to the hospital? “I don’t think she’ll care much either way. But did you hear that?” he turned to the child, hoping to, at the very least, put him a little more at ease. “Your Kaa-san made you stew!” Gai would later swear that he honestly was Not worried about the kid’s eyes popping out as the child turned, wide eyed to look at the pot Kurenai was carrying. “Really? For me?” his amazement was worrisome, but it didn’t make sense. For truly, the woman was rather protective and seems more like the dotting type than the abusive parent type. As the child swayed slightly, Gai made a note to stay next to the boy, to catch him if he collapses. It was doubtful the child would allow one of them to carry him to the hospital, otherwise he would have offered to carry him there. They moved slowly, watching the child carefully for any sign of him falling as his mother walked by his side. She was very subtle in her support, allowing the child to lean his weight on her and rest as she pretended to have gotten a rock stuck in her shoe, provided the child with plenty of opportunity to rest his hurt and tired body. And she did this without him saying a thing about his discomfort or pain. She even went so far as to point at the trees and bushes and tell the child their name, trying to get him to participate in her little naming game they played earlier. The village will be calm by now, most of the civilians home and the shop keepers closing for the night. This would make getting Crystal and her son to the hospital that much easier. Although, as soon as the ANBU sees them and tells the Hokage about it, He’ll want a report of the incident on his desk ASAP. A flicker from up above lets Gai know that he was right. Gaining an ANBU escort was not expected though. L7T7L7T7L7T7 He knew he was almost two hours late and that Crystal must be worried about him by now. But, this is expected. After all he was late to school by a full fifteen minutes after that fruit stand owner ‘dropped’ a bunch of old cabbages right as he was running by. He of course tried to apologize but the old guy wouldn’t have it. Naruto was forced to run as fast as his little legs could go to get away. In the wrong direction. Right into a litter of puppies whose mom wasn’t as happy to see him as he was to see the cute little fuzz balls. He got chased all the way to the school, only to get a detention because the teacher didn’t want to hear his ‘made up’ excuses for him being lazy! So he was stuck at school for a half hour writing over and over on the black board, “I will not be late for school.” If he didn’t know any better he would say the teach was trying to make his hands fall off by writing so much in such a short amount of time! He started walking home when he saw a sale on instant ramen! They could have dinner tonight, Both him and his mother summons! He is going to buy as much as he can with what money he has, which wasn’t very much to begin with, and hopefully they will have enough until his next allowance. The end result would only be twelve bowls of instant ramen… and him out of money for the next two weeks. Naruto couldn’t help but wince. He honestly thought those were on sale! The sign said they were! He told the suddenly happy clerk he couldn’t buy them and left the store empty handed. Walking back home with his head hanging in shame for his ‘failure’, Naruto could only hope his mother summons would understand. A sharp sudden pain radiating from the side of his head and he felt hands pull him roughly into the ally he had been passing. He tried to fight back, but the second blow to his head had him seeing stars as the mugger riffled though his things. Naruto was vaguely aware of his attacker saying something, but with his head ringing the way it was he could only shake his head. Apparently this wasn’t the right thing to do as the blurry man grabbed him by the collar of his school clothes and pulled him deeper into the ally. A sharp stinging sensation running along his right shoulder had him gasping as sudden clarity made him see the kunai being aimed at him. Naruto didn’t exactly think about his next action as he moved just slightly to the right and turned his head, watching in morbid fascination as the kunai cut through a few strands of his hair. His next action, just as quickly as the first, was to grab the man’s arm and bite down as hard as he can. “FUCK!” was heard rather clearly before he felt something cold smash into his head above his left eye. Suddenly everything was tinted red and he couldn’t see. Panicking at the loss of vision, he flailed about before someone grabbed his left arm sleeve and pulled him off balance to deliver a vicious kick to his stomach. A tearing sound let him know that his sleeve was gone as he went flying into the wall. To dazed to do more than get on his hands and knees and pray the world stops spinning, Naruto was left unprepared for the boot covered foot that came down hard on his left leg. The audible and deafening ‘SNAP!’ that echoed eerily was only a warning of the pain that followed the braking of his leg. Naruto tried to stifle his scream, really, he did. So the man picked him up by his broken leg and flung him into the other side of the ally. He landed with a shriek into a pile of boxes containing empty sake bottles as another audible ‘SNAP!’ rang out. Naruto tried very hard not to move, knowing the broken glass he was laying in would only cut him open more and very dearly hoped the man though he was dead or something. He heard a few thumps and then he heard another voice, someone else, ask exasperated, “What the are you doing Koji?” Koji answered the whispered question with a tone of annoyance. “It was a damn dog, okay? Fuckin’ thing bit me!” The new comer was concerned, as it was the most obvious emotion in her voice. “Was it feral? Did you kill it? Tell me you killed it if it bit you!” A scoff. “Probably, if not it will be with the kick I gave it. Come on, Saki, I want to go home.” He was leaving. And Probably right about the injuries if he was a dog, only he wasn’t a dog. He is the demon child, the one who healed at an impossible rate. He’s not stupid, he knows he’s not normal, who else could heal a broken bone completely in only an hour and a half? He held back a sob as he forced himself on his knees. The bone in his leg had thankfully set into place as he lay waiting for Koji to leave, which made limping home that much easier. His right arm, on the other hand, was broken too. Thankfully, the bone isn’t poking through the skin, which would require help from a medic if it was. So Naruto just limped his way back home, and oh so thankful he wasn’t that far from the tree line that led to his home. Limping though the woods proved to be far more difficult that on a dirt road. He tripped several times, sometimes in mud puddles, other times in little leaf piles. Unfortunately, his, a the time, fractured arm was now a broken arm again…with the bone sticking out! He would need help putting the bone back in. Naruto is almost home, so he can just get his Kaa-san to do it. or at least he hoped she would. Thankfully, most of the cuts had faded away into little scratches and bruises. Would she be mad at him for being late? Maybe if he brought back something tomorrow she won’t be as mad at him for being late? But, What if she left because he was such a poor son?! The though caused Naruto to pause suddenly and face plant into the muddy ground. He sat up quickly and used his uninjured arm to wipe away as much mud as he could. He couldn’t let that happen! No, he Wouldn’t let that happen! He’ll be the best son Crystal has ever, or will ever have! He Took a deep breath and pushed himself to his feet, gritting his teeth at the flash of pain in his leg in his now sprained leg. He stumbled the last few yards to the clearing, stepping on a twig that nearly tripped him as a spark of pain in his injured leg caused him to hiss slightly. A few more painful limps and he could see her! His Kaa-san was waiting for him to come home and looking so completely worried! A thought struck him and he couldn’t help but grin brightly as he limped towards her. She was worried. About him. something that hasn’t happened in…in….forever! He watched her the entire time, closely paying attention to how her eyes widened as her mouth fell open in shock. She looked him right in the eye, before suddenly she was right there in front of him. She raised a hand before she covered her mouth as a sob broke free. He took a step forward and went to grab her, afraid she might pass out or something. He wasn’t sure why she reached for him and stopped but she was clearly in distress! “Kaa-san” was barely whispered and she looked at his hand, looking so torn between holding it or just breaking down and crying again. He was going to say her name, actual name and not Kaa-san because she obviously didn’t know what it meant when she startled him. She shook her head and turned to look behind her and yelled out loudly, “GAI!!!” Bringing the two Ninja behind her to his attention. She sucked in a startled little breath when she saw the man, Gai apparently, almost directly behind her and kneeling down. The other Ninja, a woman, stayed back and moved a large pot from the fire and placed a cover on it, probably to keep what was in it warm without burning the food. Crystal turned to Gai and wide sweeping movements, gesturing to him as he stood there in front of them. He apparently didn’t understand his Mother any better than him, but at least he Knew her and what she was supposed to be like…for him at least and he really, really hoped that she was. So, Naruto whispered, much to the shock of Gai, “She wants a medic.” Though, Gai would need to learn that she was His Kaa-san. And if glares could kill, Gai’s hand, which rested on his mother’s shoulder, would have burst into flames and float away on the wind. L7T7L7T7L7T7 She was more than a little dazed as Gai led her and her little sunspot to the ‘hospital’, god did she hope he was leading them to a hospital. She could still see the surprise and amazement that Naruto expressed when Gai pointed out the stew she made. And the assessing look both Gai and Kurenai shot her after it. To be frank, she was half irritated and half relieved that Gai didn’t express a request to carry her Naruto, and for a number of reasons. Irritated because the child was hurt and she herself couldn’t carry him with harming him as he was nearly half her size. Relieved because she didn’t trust Gai or Kurenai as far as she could punt kick them, which wasn’t very far to begin with if she even could! Second, she had seen just how fast Gai and his brothers are, and taking into consideration she probably wasn’t in her world, let alone universe, she will consider those abilities the norm until further notice. Which means if he wanted to, Gai could grab Naruto and there is nothing she could do about it. Naruto could feel how tense she was around them, as he took the queue to be rather hawk eyed around the two. So, she decided to distracted him by playing that naming game, trying to get him to tell her what each of the things where, repeating it to him and he corrected her, then she turn around and tell him what it was in her language. Stir, mix and repeat. Of course, she kept in mind his condition and forced several stops. She couldn’t make it know she wanted to stop for him apparent, he Was a very independent kid…Frighteningly independent. But strangely enough very longing. Well, her thin little slip-on flats already had a hole in the sole of one, why not use the excuse of a rock in her shoe or stepping on a particularly sharp one as reason to rest for a little and let the kid breath? She was about 90% sure Gai and Kurenai knew what she was doing and 99% sure Naruto himself knew. He kept shooting her thankful little looks each time she did her little ‘rock in my shoe’ dance and balancing act to ‘get it out’ of her shoe. Little fact that she learned: Rokku means Rock, while Iwa means Rocks…as in plural of rock…a completely different word for the plural of another. When they entered the town/city, she had to change her strategies. Even as she looked around and stirred Naruto away from any dark alley ways they came across. Naruto hid behind Crystal, grabbing her shirt with his good hand, when they came across a man stumbling out of an alley way. It wasn’t hard to figure out when the man caught sight of Naruto and started yelling at him. Crystal put a rather quick end to that by kicking a stray bottle into his neither regions, causing him to collapse as he grabbed himself with a pained groan. Crystal didn’t care anymore about him saving face. She turned around, made sure his uninjured arm was against her, and picked up Naruto carefully. She turned to Gai, raised an eyebrow and made a ‘Go on’ motion with her head. Gai just kind of shrugged and continued at a slightly faster pace, leaving the groaning man behind them. They quickly passed by a large red building right next to a smaller…well thinner blue tower like building behind a burnt orange terracotta colored long rectangular building. The large faces carved into the side of the mountain behind the buildings made her jaw drop and Naruto to giggle. Naruto made a bit of an excited sound bringing her attention to the rounded end of the rectangular building. She would guess that was his school. They turned down a road and continued walking, the building and the carved faces behind them. The rest of the walk was rather uneventful. Beside the occasional flicker of something in the shadows moving, the walk to almost peaceful. To pass time they moved onto trying to translating family terms. So far she got that mother is ‘Kaa-san, and son is sono, daughter is Musume, and father is chichi. Until they got to the hospital and the nurses got all huffy about Naruto being hurt, put him on a gurney and carted him off into a room to be treated. Though Crystal honestly though she annoyed them a bit when she refused to leave his side, giving anyone who tried to separate them the stink eye and damn near snarling. Only calming down when she was insight of Naruto and able to stop someone else from hurting her sunspot. L7T7L7T7L7T7 Gai was at a loss. He knew it wasn’t possible. The woman was almost feral, uneducated, and rather rude at the oddest of times. He paid close attention to her since he met her and he honestly didn’t know how to deal with it. She was such a contradiction of personalities and expectations. One minute she was just staring at him, the next he though she was attacking him only to find she was trying to protect Him from a falling hammer. Which wouldn’t have done anything to him other than make his head a little sore. The next thing he knew, she was running into the broken down hut, frightened of him. Then when he begins to build her a new hut, because that hut she was living in was just…no, she stood there and watched in confusion, like she didn’t know why he would build a brand new hut Right there. When he showed up with Kurenai she acted much more…defensive, and refused to let them get much closer to her. Then she again ‘saved’ him when he fell through the roof of the old hut. Then they found out she couldn’t speak their language, which was weird just by itself. After that she showed a passion of teaching and caring, teaching Kurenai how to make an odd type of stew or soup of some kind, though it does smell good. She even showed a good deal of curiosity by at the least trying to learn their language. Then he discovered she has a child and he was more than horrified when said child stepped into the clearing. Startling enough, that brave and strong woman was crying! Not that he could blame her. He became suspicious when she moved so fast, she wasn’t a small woman but she wasn’t fat per say just healthy, very healthy. He had seen in the past how mothers who see their child hurt don’t really take into consideration the child may be hurt more than what they see. Crystal on the other hand seemed to be super aware of it, stopping herself from grabbing him and checking him over herself, instead she took her queue by how the child held himself. Then he saw just how small the child is and was stuck half way between horrified shock and relieved knowledge. Horrified because he thought, for a split second, that the plump woman wasn’t feeding her child and was abusing him. Relieved because it became apparent that the woman wasn’t the child’s birth mother and was in fact just recently part of the child’s life and there for didn’t starve him. Torn between the two because he didn’t know who took care of the child before Crystal found him and hoping Said woman didn’t do something to the child’s previous care giver that would get her in trouble. He felt a small spark of pride and approval when he realized that she refused to let them eat just yet because she wanted to make sure the boy got enough to eat first. He was shocked at her gestures and amazed that the child could understand her so well. His curiosity in her changed to admiration when she kicked that bottle into the old drunk who was yelling at the boy. He came to the notion that the danger she put herself in that morning wasn’t just a passing fancy of hers, she was trying to make a warm and dry place for the child that called her mom. And it became glaringly obvious as she was carrying the boy that she didn’t have ninja training, she had to stop a couple of times to rest and readjust her hold on him so he wouldn’t fall. Something a ninja wouldn’t do. He was shocked to realized that if she didn’t have Any Shinobi training at all, then her dive to save him despite the risk of injury to herself from a falling hammer was more instinct then situation awareness. It was when she Glared with such ferocity, even Kurenai And him stepped back in fear, when the nurses tried to make her wait in the waiting room away from the child. It was when she grabbed the head nurse by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her level and Growled “sono!” at him, the newest word she learned from them on the way there. After all that was done and the feral woman right next to the child glaring at the nurse cleaning him up. Gai watched her pull a few leaves out of the boy’s muddy hair with a fondly exasperated air about her, and It was about then, that he fell in love with the rather feral woman. ***** Territorial Claims ***** Chapter Summary The Hospital staff find out Crystal is not to be messed with. Disclaimer: This is what I own. ___________________________. That would be exactly NOTHING! Crystal’s Necklace (3spaces): http://www. mysticcrypt. com/celtic-knot-necklace-with-black-dangle-p-987. Html L7T7L7T7L7T7 Chapter 5: Territorial Claims “Like anyone would be I am flattered by your fascination with me Like any hot-blooded woman I have simply wanted an object to crave But you, you're not allowed You're uninvited An unfortunate slight Must be strangely exciting To watch the stoic squirm Must be somewhat heartening To watch shepherd need shepherd But you you're not allowed You're uninvited An unfortunate slight Like any uncharted territory I must seem greatly intriguing You speak of my love like You have experienced love like mine before But this is not allowed You're uninvited An unfortunate slight I don't think you unworthy I need a moment to deliberate” “Uninvited” By Alanis Morissette L7T7L7T7L7T7 He called her that word again, ‘Cawsan.’ It almost sounded like he was trying to say Carson but missed a letter or two. She honestly though he was trying to say her name, how silly of her. Of course, she remembered the terminology lesions with Gai, So she knew that he was calling her ‘mom’, it was kinda heart breaking. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she isn’t his mom. Which was odd, considering her ‘friends’ had a habit of calling her ‘The Heartless Bitch.’ Then again they weren’t really her friends, or they would have known just how territorial she can get over her close friends and family. It’s an animalistic thing she developed as a child, she even growls when she’s angry or upset and whines when she’s sad. Naruto discovered that little growling tendency of hers when the stupid nurse tried to get her to leave her little sunspot. She may not know what’s going on right now but she sure as hell wasn’t going to go against her instincts when they so actively made her sick at the idea of abandoning the kid. So, Crystal was just going to have to suck it up and deal because quite frankly, her instincts would just make her turn around if she tried to leave. And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Naruto didn’t have someone in his life to care about him. So, he’ll be Her little sunspot and she’ll play the part of mother and she’ll gladly bite, kick, punch, scratch and throw things at anyone who tries to tell her otherwise. After the nurses had gotten them situated and, under her hawk like stare, began to clean up Naruto, Crystal was…’gifted’ with the sound of a whimper from Naruto. She immediately glared at the offending nurses, and she says Nurses, as in plural, because you don’t whimper in fear when you get a sudden prod to a broken arm! Because of this she was tense, ready to move if her little sunspot needed her to. Which was good, because as soon as the nurse cleaning up Naruto’s face finished, she screamed something too fast for Crystal to catch and backed up, crashing into another nurse and knocking over a tray of medical supplies. Said nurse then proceeded to throw the downed medical supplies, including scalpels and things of that sort. Crystal snapped out of her shock, knelt in front of the nurse and full out decked the bitch. Needless to say neither Kurenai or Gai stopped her until she went for a third hit. Gai pulled her back and once she was calm and not trying to get to the bitch, placed her next to Naruto. The other nurses were flitting around and worrying over their co-worker (they should be worried about the child, an adult can deal.) when Kurenai decided to put her two cents in and the nurse being injured did not stop Kurenai from verbally ripping the deranged woman a new one. The nurse began to yell something again, and instinctively Crystal covered Naruto’s ears. The appearance of several people in white masks made her freeze and fight the instinct to pull Naruto to her completely and hide him. To her amazement, and complete bemusement, the masked people all but pushed the fretting nurses out of the room. Another one grabbed the deranged nurse and disappeared in a poof of smoke. Crystal couldn’t help but stare at the spot for a few minutes and wonder if her mind has finally cracked. A few minutes later she turned her attention to an older woman, around late fifties to early sixties, being escorted into the room by one of the masked ‘men’. The new woman was professional looking, dressed in a pair of black dress pants with comfortable shoes and light purple blouse under an unbuttoned, pure white doctor’s coat. Her graying black hair was pulled up into a braided bun as two strands of white were left free to frame her face, making her dark colored eyes stand out starkly against her pale skin. This woman was not an underling. She was a full fledged Doctor, and a highly placed one at that. She could tell Naruto caught sight of the Doctor when he relaxed and gave a near silent sigh of relief. Glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, she could see that oh so bright smile as he tried to wave, only to wince as he pulled on his injuries. The woman in turn gave him an exasperated smile, an almost ‘what am I going to do with you?’ quality as she approached. Crystal could easily like this Doctor, and moved back from Naruto to give her room without complaint or request. Said Doctor smiled at her and began to work on Naruto, her hands glowing green as she talked to the child, to Gai, to Kurenai, and to her. No, Crystal really didn’t mind this Doctor around her Sunspot at all. L7T7L7T7L7T7 Naruto found it rather irritating. Gai has been shooting his Mother Summon little looks. Even going so far as to touch her every now and again! It was completely unneeded he might add. She wasn’t swaying or acting dizzy or even showing any sign of attacking! So, why did he have to hover next to her, resting his arm around her? Kurenai and Gai are trying to explain what they are doing with Crystal, but he couldn’t bring himself to trust them. Then again he probably never would have been told if they didn’t want to know who she was. He made it very clear: He knows what happened and he’ll answer their questions the best he can. Gai started with his explanation first. “I found the Youthful young lady on the roof of that old hut! Thankfully I was already headed towards her when she slipped on some moss and fell from the roof.” Naruto twitched and his eyes widened. She…fell…from…the…roof! Even he knows that you can get hurt pretty badly and she was up higher than the trees he sometimes climes! Gai rubbed the back of his head and turned to Crystal, “I caught her before she hit the ground, I don’t think she got hurt by that but-.” Naruto ignored him and quickly turned to Healer Fumiko, “Could you check Kaa- …Crystal out and make sure she’s okay?” The healer blinked in surprise at the abrupt change in topic, but answered all the same, “After I heal you, Naruto-san. I’m sure she would rather I take care of you first.” “May we finish now?” he couldn’t tell if Kurenai was amused or just irritated. Gai shook his head and continued on with his story, “A board from the roof fell and I went to go check it out, next thing I know she’s pushing me out of the way as a hammer fell right where my head would have been!” Another twitch. He is never trusting his Kaa-san with these two ever again! “Then she’s looking down at me and the hammer is somehow tangled in her hair. She gets up and runs to the old hut and locks herself inside it!” Gai sounded rather…star struck. How disturbing. “Gai made some clones and sent them to get supplies for building, kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies, sleeping stuff, and food. He came and got me himself.” Thankfully Kurenai decided to take over the story telling. Apparently, Gai spent the time until he showed up building a new hut for them from scratch! Kurenai blushed, “Crystal decided to make a stew of some kind. She had me cut the meat as she went to go get some water. Gai went with her to make sure she didn’t get lost or something.” Naruto frowned. Gai was left alone with his mother? Kurenai smiled happily, “She even threw a rock at Gai when he got a little too curious about the stew! It was hilarious!” Gai shook his head, “She wouldn’t eat, even after the stew was obviously done. I can only guess that she was waiting for you. And after you showed up, well you know that.” Kurenai was the first to speak after the short silence fell. “Naruto-san? Who exactly is Crystal?” Were they kidding? Honestly, he called her Kaa-san by accident yes, but that Is who she is. “My Kaa-san. Why?” The descending madness after that was headache inducing. Where did she come from? “I tried that summon thingy and she popped out.” But that wasn’t possible! “she’s standing there, so it is.” No it’s not, now why can’t she speak their language? “I don’t know. I never really tried to figure that out.” Why do you call her Kaa-san? She’s not your actual mother. “I know she’s not my birth mother. But, She’s my Mother Summons! I summoned her, Why are you not listening?” He didn’t want them to take her away. He just found someone who actually cares about him and takes care of him and they want to take her away?! Never! He won’t let them take her away. He doesn’t know how he’ll pull it off but he has to protect his Mother Summons! Naruto bowed his head, hiding his frustrated tears as Kurenai and Healer Fumiko continued to ask him questions. How did you get hurt? Did she do this? “-GLARE- No she didn’t! How can you ask that!?” You still haven’t answered who is she? “She is my mother summons. My Kaa-san. Do you not remember?” Okay, Who is she other than your Kaa-san? Blank stare. “My Kaa-san! Nothing else!” And to add to his mounting frustration, Gai has wrapped his arms around His Kaa-san’s waist and shook his head ‘no’ when she tried to move closer to him. Naruto narrowed his eyes, She’s calm now so why is he still holding her? He needs to fix that. Now. Naruto huffed, then took a quick glance around. Spotting something on the floor next to the foot of his bed, That’ll work. L7T7L7T7L7T7 Obviously ‘Crystal’ didn’t trust them and damn near hated the nurses. She kept a very close eye on them and how they treated the child. Even as Gai hovered near her, placing a calming hand on her shoulder or arm to stop her from moving forward when the child in question whimpered. It put the nurses on edge. So much so, that one of the nurses made an off-handed comment about being extra careful with the child so the mom wouldn’t attack them. So, Imagine their complete shock when one of the nurse, specifically the one cleaning the child’s face, started screaming at the top of her lungs, “DEMON! DEMON!” The child just sat there like it was an everyday occurrence. Which for him, now that they knew who exactly he is, was the norm. The nurse back peddled and knocking over a surgical tray and another of her co-workers as she fell back on to her rear. Stunned by the nurses behavior, Gai and Kurenai could only watch in muted horror as the nurse began to fling the medical instruments hazardously towards the child, Naruto. The nurse had begun to scream about the Kyūbi coming back when Crystal knelt in front of the nurse and hit her hard enough to break her nose. Crystal reared back and hit the nurse again, splitting the deranged woman’s lip. Gai moved first, grabbing the angered woman away from the downed and bleeding woman. That didn’t stop Crystal from trying to get to her again, but she did eventually calm down enough for Gai to place her next to the now identified, Naruto. Of course it could be because of the fact that Kurenai decided to put in her opinion of the nurse. The language used had even Gai cringing in sympathy for the stupid woman and Crystal covering the ears of the only child in the room. Though he was curious about how she knew Kurenai was using rather bad language. ANBU showed up shortly after, took the nurse away and all but shoved the other fretting nurses out the door. The Healer in charge of Naruto while he was in the hospital walked into the room. To the shock of both Jónin, Crystal didn’t show any signs of aggression. In fact she backed up to make more room for the healer. The healer understood better than they did, because she merely nodded and set about healing the broken arm as she kept a running of odd ball comments and stories to the people in the room. Gai ended up wandering over towards Crystal as she stood at the other hospital bed. She glanced at him briefly, then proceeded to ignore him. She was a rather odd woman if he thought about it enough. She didn’t speak their language, which is odd. What other language is there? Add in the fact that her clothing isn’t like anything he has ever seen before. While her clothes weren’t civilian, it wasn’t ninja either. For one the shirt wouldn’t protect against anything, weapons and elements alike. The pants, while a bit better, offered only a little more protection. Her shoes reminded him of the winter boots, the ones that cover the entire foot up to the ankle. Though hers are a little different, not covering all of her foot just the bottom, sides, heel and toes. The necklace she wore, on the other hand, was of great interest. Connected to a long chain was triangular shaped pendent. The main body and center consisted of an intricately twisted metal circle. The three points the completed the triangle shape were two metal ‘wings’ extending out to connect to the chain, while the bottom point ended in a pure black stone of unknown nature. It obviously ment a good deal to her, as she unconsciously reached up to rub it between her fingers or play with the black gem at random moments. Gai could feel his hand twitch and decided to just do it. He knew Kurenai would give him hell about it later, but he was curious and trying to think of something else just ends up with him thinking about it again a few minutes later. So, as the healer worked on Naruto, healing every little hurt he had, Gai took to resting his hand on her arm, her shoulder, and boldly her back once. She didn’t make much of a deal about it, just looked at him then turned her attention back to the blonde haired boy after she shifted her body slightly and he withdrew his hand. Kurenai just gave him one of her, ‘your being weird again. Knock it off.’ Looks that she is so fond of giving him. He just shrugged it off, he couldn’t very well just tell her why he was curious. Though she would probably get it out of him sooner or later. He rested his hand on her shoulder again, this time on the one furthest away from him. Suddenly, Gai found himself crouched down with Crystal giving a short yelp of protest. To Gai’s confusion, a bedpan had went sailing through the space his head had been just moments before. And there knelt Naruto, panting in anger, his arm extended down as if he just…threw…something……Kid’s got pretty good aim for a five year old. Naruto narrows his eyes and looks around again, probably looking for more things to throw at him and finds a small alarm clock on the side table next to the bed. Picking it up and facing Gai again, Naruto yells, “Get your hands off my mother or so help me, I’ll prank you for a year strait!” He threw the alarm clock and Gai caught it right before it would have hit his nose. He’ll repeat it, the kid’s got pretty good aim. “Naruto!” just the shock and disappointment in the voice alone caused the one in question to hunch his shoulders and let out a little whimper. Crystal tried to stand up, and after giving him a dirty look when he didn’t let go right away, stood without resistance. She set her expression in one that said quite plainly, ‘you are in so much trouble.’ As she crossed her arms under her breasts. Naruto bowed his head, peeked up at her through his bangs and only got so far as to say, “But, Kaa-san!” before her hip cocked to the side and she narrowed her eyes slightly in displeasure. He went to speak again, to her, and she started tapping her foot as she raised an eye brow. Naruto’s third attempt was cut short by a sharp “Ah!” from her. The child looked at her fully this time, and she just shook her head, unfolded her arms and pointed to Gai, one hand on her hip. Naruto sighed sadly, nodded his head, got off the bed and turned to Gai. “I’m very sorry.” He went to turn away, but Crystal cleared her throat and made a questioning sound. Naruto turned back to Gai and tried again. “I’m very sorry I threw the potty pan and clock at you. I won’t do it again.” He shot Crystal a look that clearly asked if he did it right that time. she relaxed her stance and nodded, giving the child a reassuring smile in return. Gai, still in shock at the exchange, replied to the apology after she gave him a sharp prod with her elbow. “It’s alright. Nice aim.” Naruto beamed at him, “Really?” That little question was so full of hope. “Very nice aim, Kiddo.” Gai beamed himself. No one noticed one of the ANBU leaving after a silent conversation with the others. But then again, Gai and Naruto somehow started a small game of ‘Keeps.’ The rest of the ANBU were hard pressed to not laugh at some of Crystal’s reactions. ***** Shot In The Dark ***** Chapter Summary The Hokage gets involved. Crystal gets sent back home. Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, do you think I would be on here? WARNING: I can be a Devious little bitch when I want to be. You have been warned! L7T7L7T7L7T7L7T7 Chapter 6: Shot In The Dark. “In the blink of an eye, I can see through your eyes, as I’m lying awake, I’m still hearing the cries, and it hurts, hurts me so bad, and I’m wondering, why I still fight in this life cause I’ve lost all my faith in this damn bitter strife, and it's sad, it's so damn sad, oh I wish it was over, and I wish you were here, still I’m hoping that somehow” “Shot in the Dark” by Within Temptation L7T7L7T7L7T7 Sarutobi didn’t know if he should start banging his head on a wall or check himself in with the therapist. Cat, one of the few ANBU he trusted with Naruto’s safety, has just finished telling him that Naruto is in the hospital with a strange woman that he has called on several accounts ‘Kaa-san.’ He was understandably worried. Sarutobi knew for a fact that Naruto’s mother, Kushina, died helping Minato seal the Demon into their child. It was more than tragic they both died that day, leaving their only son an orphan. But for someone to claim to be Naruto’s mother? Did they even know the insult they dealt to the chatty red-head? Oh, He has quite a few words for this woman before he’ll send her to Ibiki! Even more worrisome is the woman’s apparent ability to curb the Jinchūriki’s more…exuberant behavior. Something even he, The Hokage, has trouble doing on occasion. On top of that, she is apparently ‘protective’ of Naruto. Going so far as to punch a nurse twice before the ninja in the room separated them. Not that he blamed her, or the ninja for waiting, the nurse had it coming with what he was told. Gai, the one who found her in the first place, has relayed that the woman is, by all appearances, a civilian. Who can move fast enough to not only attack a trained medic-nin without harm to herself, but tackle Gai away from a falling hammer. The theory of the woman being a civilian is further supported by Cat saying she hasn’t seen the subject use any kind of chakra and that her chakra pathways are too small for use. But, supporting the theory of the woman being a ninja-spy from an enemy village is the fact that chakra is surrounding the young woman in an almost aura like fashion. He can just see the paper work multiplying for this incident and he pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off the images and the headache pulsing to life. Decision made, he sent Cat to get Ibiki, signaled the ANBU, and left his office. After all, he had a child to visit and a worried mother to placate. L7T7L7T7L7T7 Gai was having a blast playing keeps with the little blonde energy ball. Raven sighed, after Cat left, the game got started in earnest. Especially after the healer made Naruto sit long enough to deem him healthy if a little sore for the next hour or so. Naruto would chase Gai around the room. Crystal, who was being carted around like a potato sack, kicks Gai in the back/Butt, or any available spot, and gets dropped. Naruto rushes over to make sure she’s okay, then proceeds to pull her over to a ‘safe’ spot and guard her. Gai would swoop in and steal her. although a few rather funny incidents happened that nearly made him laugh. Like the time Gai thought it would be great to henge into Crystal and then have Crystal hold her ‘twin’ as Naruto scratched his head. Though it was really disturbing to see the strange but calm woman do Gai’s Good Guys Pose. Sunset and everything. Very disturbing. Enough for Crystal to smack her ‘twin’ upside the head. Gai’s newest, and ‘absolute best idea’ is to stand on the ceiling. Crystal blanched and wrapped all four limbs around Gai. Tightly. And after she stopped shaking so much, proceeds to scream profanities at him, though that is speculation, he couldn’t actually speak her language, but her tone said enough. The way she was acting you would think the world was ending. Surely the ninja from her village did things like this regularly, right? Raven almost warned Gai, but decided it was better to see what she would do this time, considering both her legs and her arms were holding onto Gai. What they didn’t expect was for Crystal to look up….down and glare at Gai, Rear back and sink her teeth into the juncture were his shoulder and neck meet. Gai yelped/yelled, lost concentration and fell from the ceiling and landed on his back somehow. Crystal let go, kicked him in the knee and ran behind Naruto, who was beginning to laugh. Raven didn’t know what a “dum azz” is but he was fairly sure it wasn’t a complement. Gai let out a little groan. Crystal narrowed her eyes and huffed with a satisfied nod. Obviously she was happy Gai was in pain for his little stunt. Though he had to close his eyes and count to ten, so he didn’t burst out laughing when Gai stood up and Crystal ‘eeped’ and hid behind Naruto. L7T7L7T7L7T7 In her opinion, Crystal had every right to panic like that! Seriously! What kind of Fucked up world did she get dropped kicked into?! Okay, She can admit, she had fun playing ‘Keeps’ with Naruto and Gai, herself as the ‘keep’. It stopped being so fun when Gai decided to go witchcraft expert and turned into a copy of her. At first she was just shocked, then he did some kind of illusion and made a sunset appear and made some weird, and may she mention stupid, pose…looking like her…with a wide stupid looking grin firmly in place…Yeah she smacked the idiot upside the head. Thankfully that put the asylum escapee back in his proper body. She got over that easy, so he had a few extra abilities. So what? Super fast, super strong, and apparently able to change his shape…yeah a few extra abilities. Dear lord, she’ll develop a twitch before this is over! But no, Those little extra abilities didn’t faze her into a near panic attack. No, it was him walking on the Ceiling that had her praying to any deity that might listen! Honestly, what kind of idiot does that kind of shit to someone who obviously never encountered stuff like it before? So yeah! She’ll admit it. Proudly at that. She bit the S.O.B! (son of a bitch!) Needless to say, he dropped like a stone after a short yell of pain…though she could be wrong, he tightened his grip just a bit and it wasn’t exactly a ‘ow! That hurt!’ squeeze. Yeah, she was positive she was going to develop a twitch. Thankfully, or perversely, Gai pulled her closer and turned so he took the brunt of the fall. Of course, being the demented ‘Bad Ass’ that she is, she just had to kick him in the leg and call him a dumb ass. Crystal damn near did a little happy dance when Gai let out a little groan of pain, actual pain, and not something else. Of course him standing up and shooting her a look that said he would get her back, playfully she might add, was what sent her ‘Bad ass’ Image right out the window. Mortifyingly enough, she ‘eeped!’ She actually eeped! Her ducking behind Naruto was just the icing on the cake, so to speak. Glancing around quickly, she spotted a bedpan next to the bed her and Naruto were next to. She was going to go for the bedpan, it was ammo to throw at Gai, when the door right behind her and Naruto opened. Imagine her surprise when some old dude wearing a wannabe bathrobe walked right into the room. Even further, the ninja dudes all straitened up. who is this geezer? L7T7L7T7L7T7 Naruto was a little confused. Why did they stop playing? Even Gai had stopped. His mother grabbed his shoulder and pulled him behind her. Not knowing why she would do so, Naruto glanced around her to see an old man dressed in an old tattered bathrobe like outfit and smelling strongly of alcohol. Obviously the man was drunk. A second later his sight was cut off by Crystal moving in front of him again and pushing him back a little. That’s when he notices it. The tension. So thick and heavy he was surprised he didn’t feel it before! Taken aback by the situation, it didn’t take long for Naruto to come to the very simple conclusion that the man was not someone he wanted to be around. Crystal standing in front of him with a bedpan in her hand was enough to state the man wasn’t going to be nice about leaving. The man, slurring his words, told his Mother to, “Move aside, you daft girl!” He had heard enough drunken slurring to understand most of the words the man said. His mother, however, couldn’t even speak the language, so how did she know he wanted her to move? Shaking her head, adding strength behind her stance and adjusting the bedpan to be thrown, Crystal had the man sneering in anger. He took a small step forward, closer to his mother and peeked around her just enough to see the man. Immediately, the drunkard’s eyes focused on him. The red puffy eyes narrowed and the man huffed. “Why do ya insist on protecting the damn thing?! Just move outta the way!” The man was only a few steps away from his Kaa-san. Crystal must have noticed his new position because a second later his vision was blocked again as she moved in front of him, keeping one hand on him to keep him behind her. The man growled something Naruto didn’t quite catch and suddenly mom was gone and the man was there, kunai held above his head. There was a yell behind him, from Gai perhaps, a scrabbling of feet and metal against the floor. Then suddenly, Kaa-san was in front of him again, her eyes wide in fear as she wrapped her arms around him and they both fell to the ground. And then suddenly she was gone. Smoke surrounding him as he stared at the man that was behind her just a moment ago. Terrified, Naruto whispered, “Kaa-san?” as tears filled his eyes. He didn’t see the kunai burry itself into the drunkard’s neck. Didn’t see the Hokage glaring at the others in the room. He didn’t hear the clamor of voices trying to explain. Not even his healer trying, failing to get his attention. Didn’t notice how it suddenly got so quite in the room. All he could see was the very last of the smoke, his Mother, slowly disappear as it drifted up and away from him. He couldn’t feel the hand on his shoulder. Didn’t respond when the old man himself called him. He just watched, horrified as that little wisp of smoke got smaller and smaller. Then, She was gone. He screamed. L7T7L7T7L7T7 To be honest, Crystal didn’t exactly Want to know what the ass wanted with her sunspot. She just knew it wasn’t going to happen, not by a long shot. The drunken fool wore what was at one time a bathrobe or something similar, motioning with his hands for her to move aside…with one of those ninja knifes. Well, she is standing right in front of Naruto, who was being nosy and not staying behind her completely, moving wasn’t exactly an option. She doubted that the others could see the knife, she was a mere two feet away from him and almost directly in front of him. Crystal adjusted her stance a little, adding more stability and strength just in case, then shook her head ‘no’. That should be easy to understand, right? Apparently so, because the man scowled something fierce. He shifted his gaze to the left of her and a little lower, at Naruto. He said something else, not that she really cared what exactly he said, as long as he stayed the hell away from them. Again she adjusted her stance and blocked his view of her sunspot. The man growled, shifted and then charged. Crystal barely had time to register that he was coming at her, shocked the drunken idiot could move that fast. But she did recover fast enough to use the push to her advantage and spin around. The sight that met her caused a spike of fear to rush through her. Her little sunspot was standing there, looking so confused as the man raised the knife above his head. Gai and the others just registering the danger and beginning to move. But, She didn’t need to think. Seconds later she was in front of Naruto, so very scared that he would be hurt, and used her own body to push him down and shield him. Hoping beyond hope that he would be okay, that she didn’t hurt him and so desperately wanting a gun. She could already feel the knife at her neck, could see Naruto’s confusion and fear, she can hear Gai yelling. A sharp pain flared from her neck as the knife slid into her spine. She blinked and it was black. She was gone. L7T7L7T7L7T7 It was Horrifying! Raven was shocked by the events that took place just seconds before. Crystal and Naruto were next to the door, getting ready to continue their game again when the door opened. They had expected it to be another nurse or some other hospital staff coming to check on the racket they were making. To their surprise it was wasn’t a hospital employee but an old drunken and retired chunin. The man had lost his wife and child in the Kyuubi attack, and viewed Naruto as a weak and powerless version of the Kyuubi. They did a good job at keeping him away until now. The man was completely drunk, swaying side to side slightly, and slurring his words bad enough to make it hard to understand. The man started yelling at Crystal, demanding her to move. She didn’t, instead she firmed her stance and held the bedpan in a defensive position. The ex-chunin became enraged and before anyone could do anything even remotely related to moving, pushed Crystal out of the way. Everyone was moving by that point, Gai yelling for the man to stop. They were too far away, Naruto would be injured before they could reach him. But, Crystal wasn’t, she dived in front of Naruto, practically tackling him to the ground and creating a shield with her own body. The man didn’t even try to stop. The man was drunk enough that his aim was off and instead of going to stab the child in the chest or neck he was aimed for the shoulder. Unfortunately, Crystal placed herself in such a way that it entered the back of her neck dead center. To everybody’s shock, Crystal didn’t just kneel over and die, oh no. She just Poofed out of existence like a shadow clone! Raven’s mind was racing. He didn’t feel any chakra from her, Cat even signed that she wasn’t using any and didn’t have a well developed network. A civilian. But, she just popped like a clone! The Hokage had come in and killed the ex-chunin before turning and demanding to know what the hell was going on. He was less than pleased with the report. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!