//------------------------------// // A New Home // Story: Naruto Ryhmes // by anommalcolm //------------------------------// Within an old forest everything was quite. No sounds to be heard even from the animals. A flicker of movement could be seen in the distance passing through the trees. A shadow shoots from out of the brush to another tree. A man in light armor pads and an animal mask covering his face. In his arms is a small toddler. Blond hair rustled by the wind and wide blue eye’s looking around in fear. An explosion takes place near them sending the man and his charge to ground. The masked man takes off in a sprint the second his feet touch the earth below as he head for rock formation. He soon stops next to the massive stones seeing a small hole just large enough to put the boy. “Naruto listen to me.” He said to the child with a strong voice to hold the boys attention. “I need you to hide. Hide and don’t come out until I send Pakun in to get you! Okay?” The blond toddler nodded and scrambled into the hole. The masked man then turned around a kunai in each hand. Three figures clothed in black arrived, traditional shinobi outfit that showed no features what so ever. The Masked man charged forward and they countered. Only for the masked man to vanish and appear behind the central figure and drive the small knife into his skull. The other two quickly moved away from the masked man, both their hands going into a flurry of movement. When the landed they triggered the techniques, on launching blade of wind towards the masked man’s head and the other summoning numerous spikes of earth below him. The masked man twisted his body in a feat of agility the most Olympian gymnast would kill for, the spike barely missed and the blades of wind passed to high to damage him. Planting his foot against one of the spikes he launched himself to the wind user, the man tried to evade only to have the masked ninja intercept him with a swirl of leaves. Turning to face his final opponent as the wind user dropped to the forest floor he witnessed the man finishing the signs for another earth technique. The earth user slammed his hands to the ground and as the masked man went to dodge he heard a crunch to the side. There the cave where he had hidden the child was now collapsed. An incoherent roar of primal fury escaped the masked man’s throat as he appeared behind the earth user and slammed a lightning encrusted fist through his chest. Wrenching his hand free he quickly pulled out a scroll and summoned a pack of hounds. Leveling a finger to the now collapsed cave he barked, “Naruto has been buried alive, dig him out now!” The man stood back as his dogs went to work. He would have helped further but they are far better suited to this task than he is. His ears picks up the rustle of leaves signaling that he would soon have company. “Dog! What has happened?” A new figured appeared next masked figure now known as Dog. The new arrival was an old man surround by five other in similar masks to Dog. “Hokage-sama!” Dog said snapping to attention. “While guarding Naruto I was attack by three ninja who were here to either kill or capture him. I managed to get Naruto away from them and we fled into the forest as they had blocked my other routes. I was using the trees to stay ahead of them until they started using explosive tags. I then had to find a defensible position or barring that a place to hid Naruto. I arrived here and saw a small cave and told Naruto to hide there until I came for him. During the battle I managed to kill two of the intruders but the third decided to use his last technique to collapse the cave Naruto was hiding in. I summoned my hounds: immediately after killing the last of the group, to extract him if he is still alive.” Dog finished his report with that grim note. The Hokage sighed as he saw that the ninja hounds were making their way into the side of the hill. “Do you have any idea who these attackers could be from-” “Kakashi!” called a voice next to them interrupting the Hokage. “I’m sorry but we can’t find him” A small dog spoke. “Can’t find him?” Asked Dog looking down at his summons. “What do you mean, not even a body?” “Nope, nothing. But we did find something with some of his blood on it. You need to see this.” The dog told them. The Hokage and Dog followed the small hound. The ninja dogs had cleared out a much larger opening and revealed a large chamber untouched by the earth technique. In the center of the room was a large crystalline object. On the sides numerous seals could be seen. At the bottom though they could see a small patch of blood. “What is this?” Dog asked. A little lost from trying to understand the seals he was seeing on the object. The Hokage hummed to himself as he surveyed the entire room. Noticing more seals intricately placed on the floor, walls and ceiling. “I will have to contact Jiraiya to come have a look. It is obvious that this room was used for a ritual of some sorts.” The old man said as he leant in closer to the crystal to look at the seals. He recognized many of them but would definitely need a second opinion. But some the stood out most reminded him of the summons scrolls. “I believe Naruto may still live, but until we know exactly what this room was used for I fear he is beyond our reach.” [Break] Naruto was scared. First Dog had picked him up and started running. Then those bad men were chasing them. Then he had to hide in a dark scary cave. Now he was crawling through the cave for who knows how long to who knows where to side from the bad men till Dog came and got him. “Owie!” Naruto cried as he lifted his hand to his face. The palm had been sliced open on a shard rock. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes as continued into the cave careful of his now injured hand. It was too dark to see but Naruto remembered a gift from Dog for times like this. He pulled out a plastic stick from his shirt and bent it unto he heard a crack. Shaking the stick it started to glow an eerie green but that was still better then pitch black. He soon found himself in a large chamber and saw not too far from him was a strange thing. It was tall and sort’a round. It had a big hole in the middle. As he got closer to it he placed his bloodied hand on it. Naruto watched in wander as it began to glow, hundreds of squiggly lines began lighting up around the room. The object looked like a ring made out of crystals, kind of like the one’s in is Granpa’s office. He was startled by a loud noise and looking back he saw dust coming from the cave. He was going to be crushed. Back away from the dust and the sound of the cave falling Naruto wished to be somewhere else, somewhere safe, somewhere with a family. The glowing sigils flared brightly and Naruto suddenly felt tired. He rocked and fell backwards and through the crystal ring. Naruto blinked. It was suddenly much brighter around him but still dark. He was in a forest again. But this one seemed different. But now he could hear the animals now, and they didn’t sound friendly. Naruto did the only thing a toddler could do at the moment, he cried. [Break] A zebra was making its way through the forest looking around the ground. It soon stopped to finding a peculiar mushroom before picking it and putting it in a bag. The Zebra was decorated with bands of gold and on its flank was a stylized sun symbol. Her name was Zecora, and she was medicine zebra. (Note I am going to try and get the Dialog right but please forgive me if I fail. This is going to fry my spellcheck.) Her ears twitched as they heard a new sound that did not belong in Ever Free Forest. “Are my ears whispering lies, or do I hear a child’s cries?” Zecora rhymed. She went towards the source thinking some small pony got lost while exploring in the forest. Imagine her surprise when she finds a creature that she had never seen before. It had a blond mane but only atop its head and whisker marks on his cheeks. But the blue eyes are what caught her attention most. Zecora approached openly so as not to frighten the small creature too badly. “Little one you should cease your wails. Now tell Zecora what are your ails?” She asked in her rhymes speech. This had an immediate effect on the child as it quieted to stare at her in wonder. He smiled and reached out to her and Zecora saw the gash on one of his hands. “Oh my, what a nasty cut, we should get you to my hut.” Zecora told him before bending down in front of the child. “Here now onto my back. We should quickly be making tracks.” The child nodded and crawled forward wrapping its arms around Zecora to not fall off. Zecora gave a nod at this and stood back up. “Child hold onto me tight. For these woods are most dangerous at night.” Zecora warned before setting off for home at a stead trot. [Break] Zecora had gotten the wound cleaned and spoke with the child a bit more before putting him down to rest. Talk wasn’t quiet the right word, the child could barely speak but she got the details she needed. His name is Naruto and he was only three. Zecora shook her head at that the child was still a foal and she had found him lost in Ever Free. The next and most important detail was how he arrived. He spoke in his own limited way about a magic portal, so he was stuck here until one of his kind managed to track the magic that brought him to her. So the question now was what to do with the child, she could take him into town but considering his strange appearance she could not be sure if someone in the town nearby would take him in. She could take him to Celestia but getting a meeting with the Princess was difficult at the best of times. She heard a rustle and saw that Naruto was tossing in his sleep. “Zecora.” He mumbled in his sleep. Zecora smiled at this and walked over to him. Nuzzling the small thing she began to sing. The words were in her native tongue, a soft lullaby for the sleeping child. While she sang she made a decision. She would keep the child and care for him. If his family came for him, she would cross that bridge when it came.