Naruto: Dragon's Maw

This is my attempt at Patriot-112's challenge and I would like to thank him for letting me take a shot at it. I'm testing the waters to see if it draws any interest. It is a secondary story for me as my Naruto/Star Wars crossover Naruto: Lunar Eclipse is my main focus so it won't be updated that regularly. The original challenge is as follows:

Challenge:

Type of fic: Naruto-Ninja Gaiden/DOA crossover.

Summary: Naruto is banished from Konoha, by the manipulations of Danzo and the Sandaime's teammates, after completing the Sasuke Retrieval Mission after bringing said Uchiha back. He is stripped of the Toad Contract and leaves the village, losing all love for it, except for a few people. He journeys to the land of Rivers where he discovers a new summoning scroll, and a powerful spiritual being transports him to a place where he will be accepted.

Rules:

1. You are allowed to choose which animal will be Naruto's summons.

2. You are allowed to let three people from the Naruto universe to go with him.

3. Konoha bashing is optional.

4. Harem is allowed for Naruto (DOA girls included).

Bearing that in mind….

My personal spin on the timeline is Naruto leaves after the Invasion of Pein arc right after Danzō becomes Hokage so it is an AU after chapter 450 of the manga. I'm also not sure about a harem but if there is one, Hinata will be in it. I'm going to study up a bit on how harems worked in Feudal Japan to see how plausible it is. So, without further ado, here is:

Chapter 1

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Ninja Gaiden or DOA

Shimura Danzō was many things; highly intelligent and ambitious, the founder of the Root program, and a village elder in Konoha. But now, after so many years of maneuvering in the shadows he had achieved his goal; he was the Sixth Hokage. Tsunade with her weak teachings about the Will of Fire was in a coma. Konoha lay in ruins but the people survived. They would rebuild even stronger than before now that they had a strong Hokage leading them. Danzō had waited so long for all the pieces on the chessboard to fall into place. Now he was in control.

He looked over his forces and found one problem though; Uzumaki Naruto. The foolish boy was a powerful asset to the village and the village hero yet he was dead set on finding the rogue Uchiha Sasuke. Initially the boy fought him tooth and nail but Danzō made a decision that would forever change the fate of the Shinobi nations. He would let Uzumaki go look for the Uchiha and Naruto would conveniently disappear. Danzō long wanted the village's demon container under his control so making Uzumaki vanish and reappear as a Root agent after a few years of conditioning would work out beautifully and would keep the Akatsuki away as well.

He quietly convinced Koharu and Homura this was the best choice of action and within a few days, Naruto was given a hero's sendoff by the village. He was quietly tailed for miles by two followers: A Root agent that was to wait until Naruto was in a position to ambush….and Hyūga Hinata. For three days Naruto walked blissfully unaware of his two tails but as he set camp up for the night Hinata revealed herself to him. "Naruto-kun…."

Naruto nearly wet himself in fright. "Hinata? W-what are you doing here? I'm going to find Sasuke….It's dangerous!"

Hinata smiled sadly, "Didn't I say I wanted to be with you? I….I….love you Uzumaki Naruto. Don't leave me behind again. Let me help you."

Naruto heard her confession during his battle with Nagato but it was somewhat blurred to him. He had avoided thinking about it because he was not sure how to react. Now there was no avoiding it though. He always though Hinata was a sweet and kind person (if a little weird) but looking in her eyes and at her earnest expression he knew she was being honest with him. He liked Hinata but did he like her that way? He didn't know what to say….

"How cute, it seems the container of the fox has an admirer." spoke a sarcastic voice. "Since you managed to defeat Nagato I guess I'll deal with you myself." said Tobi as he stepped out of the shadows.

Naruto saw Tobi throw a kunai at Hinata and he dashed over, tackling her out of the way. "Don't you Akatsuki ever give up?" screamed Naruto as he stood up with Hinata behind him.

Tobi cackled, "You're the one who should give up. Sasuke's already joined me and it's only a matter of time before we bring peace to the world."

Naruto threw a kunai that phased through Tobi and Tobi countered with a roundhouse kick that knocked Naruto into Hinata sending them both down. This went on for nearly twenty minutes as Naruto and Hinata got pummeled without laying a finger on their attacker. They tried to withdraw but Tobi was too fast for them to escape. The Root agent appeared from nowhere and attacked Tobi (Danzō's orders were to bring back Naruto alive) but Tobi used a kamui on the agent and the Root operative vanished from that plane of existence. "Now for you two…." Tobi said chuckling at the fear in their eyes.

Naruto snapped out of his stupor and yelled "Hold on tight to me Hinata! Reverse summoning jutsu!"

Seeing his quarry was about to escape, Tobi said angrily, "Oh no you don't!" as he caught them both in a kamui. He couldn't have cared less about the Hyūga girl but she was clinched tight onto the fox container so he captured them both. The two space/time jutsus collided and Naruto and Hinata silently vanished into thin air. Thinking he had them, Tobi teleported into the pocket dimension to finish his capture….they were gone! Tobi unleashed a growl. "I'll find you boy!" In the end, Naruto and Hinata were never found….it was as if they ceased to exist.

The Sacred Wilderness….

Naruto and Hinata awoke feeling like they'd been run through a meat grinder. They'd only known darkness and pain along with the sensation of free-falling. The only solid thing they had to hold onto was each other so they held on tight. Their endless voyage came to a halt in a forest they did not recognize. They looked around bleary eyed and saw a massive cave entrance but soon passed back out from exhaustion as it started raining on them.

It was the sight of these two wet, bloodied warriors lying passed out on the forest floor that greeted Hayabusa Jô and his comrade Genjiro as they passed the fabled Orochi Cave. As the two teens were lying outside of it the two veteran warriors assumed they had escaped the cave. "Those two kids were either very brave or very foolish to have entered that cursed place Genjiro. Let's see if they are still alive. Most die from the poison in there within an hour of escaping. I don't know of anyone who lived to tell about the horrors within." Jô said somberly. With a nod from Genjiro they disentangled the two teens from each other a laid them side by side in the nearby camp.

An hour later, Genjiro called his friend over. "Jô, as bad as these two look they aren't showing any signs of poison or death. They are bloody and bruised but the damage seems to be limited to external injuries like they were beaten all over repeatedly. I don't see any signs of broken bones or anything life threatening. How do you think they survived? I'm shocked to say it but the boy's wounds actually seem to be healing before my very eyes."

Jô looked over his friend's shoulder and saw that Genjiro was right. The two veterans were preparing a pyre for the youngsters but seeing that they might actually live they stripped the pair and started cleaning them up and bandaging them. Genjiro was a bit shocked at the odd styles of ninja gear the two were carrying. The Konoha ninja's kunai and shuriken were obviously of a design like they'd never seen before. They also saw Hinata's byakugan eyes and assumed she was blind (not unheard of but surprising nevertheless).

Within an hour or so the two youths were wrapped up like a pair of mummies. The field dressings did the job but Jô and Genjiro weren't medics and their efforts were a bit….embarrassing. Genjiro put on a fake smile and said, "Well, as long as none of our healers back home see what we've done, it should all be good, right?"

Jô shrugged and said, "We'll have to be on guard for predators. The scent of blood may attract them. How old do you think they are?"

"Considering the shape they're in it's hard to say." replied Genjiro. "I'd guess they're in their mid to late teens."

"A little younger than my son Ryu then. They're old enough to know not to go into the Orochi cave." Jô said in a disappointed tone.

"They may not have known about the cave's legend or curse. Do you think they are even from around here?" asked Genjiro. "They are obviously ninja but the style of clothing and their weapons are totally foreign to me. Even the mesh armor they wore under their clothes was of an odd fashion. They aren't from the Black Spider clan. Do you think old Muramasa could tell us what kind they are?"

"He'll be the first person we talk to when we get these two back to the village. It's quite a mystery, eh Genjiro?" Jô said with a gleam in his eye. At Genjiro's nod he said, "Get some shut-eye. I'll take first watch. Maybe our young friends will wake up in the morning." With that the two Hayabusa ninja called it a night.

The last thing Jô expected that night was the teen-aged boy to wake up and start looking around. The boy was stealthily examining his companion to see if she was alright. "Don't worry youngster, she's just resting. You were both in bad shape when we found you." he spoke quietly.

Naruto turned to face Jô rapidly and took a defensive stance. "I won't let you hurt her!" he hissed. His ice blue eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

"Why would we hurt her after we bandaged her up?" asked Jô in a calm tone.

The boy seemed to relax a little but was still on guard. "Are you with Akatsuki?"

Jô noticed the boy had an odd accent he didn't recognize. "I'm afraid I've never heard of this 'Akatsuki' you're talking about. I'm Hayabusa Jô of the Hayabusa clan and we found you on our sacred grounds. Can you tell me who you are and where you are from? You shouldn't move around too much; your injuries were pretty severe."

Naruto relaxed a bit seeing this Jô person wasn't hostile. "I've never heard of a Hayabusa clan. Are we in Fire Country? We're from Konoha and I'm Uzumaki Naruto."

"Well young Naruto, I can't say I've ever heard of Fire Country or Konoha before. We speak the same language but your accent is different than any I've ever heard."

"Have you ever heard of the Elemental Nations? That's where Fire Country is." asked Naruto.

"I'm afraid not" answered Jô. "These Elemental Nations, they are part of Japan, yes?"

"Japan? I've never heard of it."

Genjiro sat up. "You two are talking to loud. Can't a man sleep? If nothing else, keep quiet so that poor blind girl can sleep. I'm sure her hearing is much more sensitive to make up for the blindness."

"Whoever said she was blind? Hinata can see fine." Naruto whispered to the other two.

Genjiro paused, "I hate to break this to you but whatever happened in the Orochi Cave made her eyes go white. I assure you she's blind."

Naruto looked at Genjiro in the darkness like he'd grown a second head. "Hinata's whole family has the byakugan. Of course her eyes are white! She can see far better than a normal person; her whole clan can. We must be way out there if you've never heard of the byakugan and the Hyūga clan." He pause a moment. "What cave are you talking about? The last things I remember are being attacked and reverse summoning to Mount Myōboku."

"Mount Myōboku? That place is an ancient myth!" stammered out Genjiro.

"It isn't a myth! It's where my friends the toads live! I've been there to train for months on end. Let me show you. Summoning jutsu!" A pattern formed around Naruto's hand and his chakra flared slightly. There was a puff of smoke but nothing happened. "What the hell? Just how far are we from Fire Country?! I'm a Toad Sage. I should be able to summon a toad from anywhere."

Jô knew his history and legends. "Mount Myōboku was a legend even 500 years ago during the Warring States Era here in Japan. I remember my grandmother talking about it when I was a child. That technique you used is unlike any ninpo I've ever seen. You are quite a mystery Uzumaki-san. We need to go back to the Hayabusa Village and investigate this."

Hinata groaned. "Ouch….Where are we Naruto-kun and who are the two ninjas with you? For all that matter, why are you and I covered in bandages?"

"I'm glad you're awake Hinata." said Naruto. "These two ninjas are from the Hayabusa clan. They patched us up. I think my reverse summoning sent us somewhere else. They've never even heard of the Elemental Nations."

"I need more sleep Naruto-kun. I'm exhausted. Can we all talk in the morning?" she asked tiredly. "I'll patch us up with the mystic palm jutsu then."

"Your friend is right Naruto-san. You were both beat up pretty bad. Rest until morning. You are safe with us." said Jô.

"Alright Jô-san, we are in your care." Naruto said as he lay down by Hinata. Soon the pair were fast asleep.

The next morning….

A primal roar echoed throughout the forest. Naruto's stomach was talking to him. Hinata cracked one eye open at the noise. "Are you hungry Naruto-kun?" she asked. Hinata sweat-dropped when she realized he was still asleep. A few minutes and several roars later she heard Naruto talking in his sleep. "Ramen…."

'He's definitely alright.' thought Hinata. 'I doubt we'll find any ramen in the wilderness though.' She heard a rustle and activated her byakugan. "Why are you hiding in a tree ninja-san? For all that matter, where is your friend from last night?" she asked Genjiro.

Genjiro hopped down from the tree behind her and said, "How did you know I was up there young lady?"

"Nothing can hide from a Hyūga's eyes. We can see 360 degrees. You are moving your left hand towards you kunai. You need not worry, I am no threat."

Genjiro asked "You can see behind you?!" with shock evident in his tone.

"Yes, what part of 360 degrees do you not understand?" said Hinata. "Oh, it seems your friend has been catching fish for breakfast." She said as she pointed into the forest. A few minutes later, Jô emerged from that point from behind the foliage leaving Genjiro flabbergasted.

"I see you're awake young lady." said Jô kindly. "I hope you and your friend like fish. Hinata, wasn't it?"

Hinata nodded, "Yes, I am Hyūga Hinata and my sleeping friend is Uzumaki Naruto. You are...?"

"I'm Hayabusa Jô and my friend standing behind you is Genjiro. We found you by the Orochi Cave and brought you here to patch you up."

Hinata bowed her head. "Thank you so much for taking care of us. We never intended to become a burden." Naruto's stomach roared once more. "He should be awake soon." she said sheepishly.

Naruto awoke a soon as the smell of fish cooking hit his nose. He sat up and saw Hinata sitting nearby. She had the bandages around her right arm removed and was using the mystic palm jutsu to heal her arm much to the fascination of Genjiro. Jô was also amazed but wasn't gaping like a fish like his friend as her discolored and scraped skin was mended and turned back to a healthy ivory before their very eyes. Hinata smiled at Naruto from under her sloppy bandages and said, "Good morning Naruto-kun. Once I'm done healing my arms do you want me to check you over?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. My body will be back at one hundred percent by this afternoon because of….you know."

"It's fine Naruto-kun, I understand." said Hinata brightly. "After breakfast I'm going to go down to the lake and scrub myself clean. Jô-san has our uniforms over there drying. They are torn up and stained but we can make due for now."

Naruto nodded. "When you clean up I'll make some shadow clones to guard you. Make sure to heal that pretty face of yours, the bandages are hiding your smile."

Hinata stuttered out an, "O-of course N-naruto-kun!" as she thought to herself 'He thinks I'm pretty!' She was actually glad for the bandages were there. They hid the atomic blush she was currently sporting.

Hinata was feeling a fainting spell coming on when Jô chimed in. "Breakfast is ready. I hope you like fish. There is plenty to go around so eat as much as you like."

Much to Jô and Genjiro's shock Naruto was soon eating at speeds that defied the laws of physics while Hinata ate in a completely proper and dignified manner. Genjiro said to Jô, "I'm glad we got ours before Naruto-san started in. The boy must be famished. I hope he doesn't make himself sick eating so fast."

Hinata giggled. "Forgive Naruto-kun. He has a very fast metabolism. He always packs away massive quantities."

Within fifteen minutes Naruto finished eating and patted his stomach. "Man, I needed that. Thank you for breakfast Jô-san. I'll catch us lunch to make up for it."

Jô was still a bit shocked by the way Naruto inhaled his breakfast. 'Where did he put it all –and why didn't he throw it up afterwards?' thought the Hayabusa patriarch. "It fine Naruto-san. You just take it easy. I don't think you'll by in any condition to go hunting for a while. You two just rest and focus on healing. Speaking of healing Hinata-san, how exactly did you heal your arms? I saw a green glow around your hands and your wounds started to disappear."

"That was the mystic palm technique." explained Hinata. "The green glow you saw was healing chakra. Have you never seen it before?"

"We've never heard of this 'chakra' at all. Can you tell us about it?" asked Genjiro.

Naruto and Hinata looked at each other puzzled. Naruto shrugged and said. "It's the stuff we ninjas use to cling to trees and do ninjutsu; maybe you have a different name for it here?"

Jô asked, "What exactly do you mean by 'cling to trees?' Can you demonstrate? Perhaps we do use the same thing but I'm not sure."

"Show them the tree walking exercise Naruto-kun." said Hinata. "I'm sure our new friends will understand then."

"Sure thing Hinata-chan!" said Naruto as he hopped up with far more energy than an injured person should have.

Hinata was in her own world. She wanted to let out a squeal and say 'He called me Hinata-CHAN! Maybe we can get closer at last.' Fortunately, she was able to keep it together and settled for mentally doing back flips.

Naruto walked over to a tree and said, "Here we go. I'm sure this will clear things up." Then he walked vertically up the tree and eventually stood upside down on a branch that could support his weight. "That is what we call the tree walking exercise where we come from. He skipped down from branch to branch and asked, "What do you guys call it?"

Genjiro sat there gaping in awe. He said, "We call that impossible!"

Jô just face-palmed at his friend's antics. It was obvious to Jô that their new friend's definition of ninja was quite different from the Hayabusa clan's or any others he'd heard of. This begged the question of where they were truly from. Where was this "Fire Country?" The things these two could do seemed like the legends he'd heard about as a child about "the masters of old." He had always put little stock in these stories and yet what was just demonstrated to him was like a fairy tale that children heard as bedtime stories. This definitely bore further investigation….

Jô decided to ask more about chakra before Genjiro made the Hayabusa clan look worse. "Tell me more about this chakra Hinata-san, I find it most impressive."

Soon Hinata explained how it was a combination of spiritual and physical energies in harmony that enabled them to perform ninjutsu. She explained that there were those among them that made splendid ninjas without chakra though, like Lee. In return, Jô explained that they used Ki which was spiritual energy that they performed ninpo with. It seemed that the training methods they used were totally different. The Konoha ninja were training to combine their energy from a young age whereas all ninja Jô knew of trained those abilities separate with very different results. They agreed they could learn much from each other.

It was mid-morning when Hinata stood up and said, "Forgive me Jô-san but I really must take a bath now that Naruto is back from his. These bandages are starting to itch a bit." She saw Naruto walk back into the clearing with his hair still wet and his orange uniform spattered with rust colored bloodstains despite the fact it was fully clean. His sage coat was slightly tattered but he looked good to her. "Naruto-kun you look healthy as ever. Can you make a couple of shadow clones to escort me and guard while I bathe?"

Naruto smiled and four shadow clones appeared. "Keep Hinata-chan safe boys." The clones all answered with a "Yosh!" and took Hinata where she could clean up and finish healing herself.

Jô had to ask, "Those clones were solid, Naruto-san? One was carrying Hinata-san's clothing for her."

"Yeah, shadow clones are solid and can act independently. They take a boat-load of chakra though. Hinata-chan could probably make one or two without risking her life." answered Naruto.

"What about you Naruto-san?" asked Genjiro.

"I can spam out hundreds of them without even feeling the drain. My chakra pools are unusually large –and please call me Naruto, the –san makes me feel old."

"Just call me Genjiro then, Naruto. You should probably address Jô as -sama though, he's the head of the Hayabusa clan."

Naruto blushed, "I'm sorry, I didn't know Jô-sama."

"Don't worry about it Naruto, Jô is fine as long as we're outside the village. Does Hinata-san prefer informality too?" asked the Hayabusa leader.

Naruto scratched his head. "I'm not too sure. She's the heiress to her clan and many call her Hinata-sama but I just call her Hinata-chan."

"We'll have to ask her then." said Jô.

"Well, I'm getting hungry again, what do you say you and I catch some lunch Genjiro?" asked Naruto.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" Genjiro asked doubtfully. "You were a wreck when we found you."

"I'm fit as can be!" said Naruto as he did a standing back flip. "Let's go hunt down a deer or boar so we'll have plenty for dinner too."

Genjiro shrugged. "Okay, let me get my gear. Do you need to borrow a bow?"

"I haven't tried to use a bow in years. I might hit one of us instead of our lunch. I'll be fine with my normal kunai and shuriken." replied Naruto.

Genjiro looked a bit confused and then said, "Well, let's start hunting then." and the two set off.

Jô sat back in contemplation. 'Neither one of them carried bows, swords, nunchacku or anything but kunai and shuriken.' He assumed they'd lost their gear but perhaps not. He would ask Hinata when she returned….

With Naruto and Genjiro….

The two were moving silently through the underbrush eyeing a group of wild boars. They were big, really big. Naruto didn't seem to think much about it but Genjiro thought that perhaps these boars were unique to the Hayabusa Sacred Wilderness. It wouldn't be the first time he'd seen unusual or oversized animals here. Unfortunately another predator or something spooked them and the boars took off. Genjiro was going to say they should look for another target but Naruto bolted after them with visions of roast pigs in his eyes. Genjiro shook his head and took off after Naruto blaming the young man's exuberance on his youth. He just hoped Naruto didn't get attacked by them; boars could turn vicious when cornered.

Ten minutes later, Genjiro was less than thrilled. The pigs led them through every natural obstacle possible and Naruto hadn't given up the chase yet. Genjiro rounded a corner and saw Naruto standing there staring….at a BOAR that was ten foot at the shoulder! Genjiro's good eye widened in terror. The beast was having a stare down with Naruto and if it charged the boar would hit with the impact of a speeding bus….

Genjiro was even more shocked when the beast spoke. It was a mononoke! "So….you're the one whose presence I felt. Why were you chasing my children, human?"

Naruto didn't bat an eyelash. "I was hungry for lunch." he simply said. "Why else would I be chasing pigs all over the forest?" Genjiro almost had a heart attack at the boy's stupidity!

The massive beast took a step forward. "And what's to stop me from crushing you human?"

"If you try you'll regret it." said Naruto. Genjiro watched silently in terror as Naruto started to glow and an unseen wind started blowing his coat around.

The boar grunted and then charged. Naruto held out his hand and stopped the massive beast dead in its tracks. Genjiro watched as the massive boar and Naruto glared at each other. Neither gave an inch in the battle of wills or strength. After what seemed like an eternity to Genjiro the beast backed off. "You have stared into the eyes of death and brought it to its knees. I see it in your eyes and stance. You are truly a Sage."

Naruto said, "If I had known they were summoning animals I never would have hunted them in the first place. Please accept my apology."

The boar grunted again. "I accept your apology Sage but I must know, where do you come from? I thought your kind was extinct."

I am Uzumaki Naruto, the Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku. Who do I have the honor of speaking to?"

"Call me Razorback, Toad Sage. I am a mononoke of this forest. The great summon realms broke up long ago. I have no doubt of your word but no one has been to Mount Myōboku in centuries to my knowledge."

"I was in an accident. I can't seem to summon the toads and I ended up in a land I don't recognize where people don't use chakra." explained Naruto.

"Chakra?!" Razorback said in a shocked tone. "That is a word of the old world when the Nine Spirit Beasts roamed the earth."

"You mean like the Kyūbi?" asked Naruto.

"Sage, are you telling me you know the story of the nine-tailed fox Kurama?"

"Kurama? Is that his name? I thought it was Kyūbi. He never told me his name is Kurama." said Naruto confused.

"You are a riddle wrapped within an enigma Toad Sage; to have talked to Lord Kurama you would have to be from the olden days of legend. I do not understand how you got here but you should solve this mystery. My children and I must go know. I would seek out Mount Myōboku if I were you. Perhaps you will find your answers there."

"Whatever happened to Ky- I mean Kurama, Razorback?"

"It is said that all the spirit beasts were sealed away somehow but Lord Kurama was a clever fox and vanished from this world. He may still be waiting to return today. That is all I know."

"Thank you Razorback, I'd best go back to my friend. He seems a little intimidated by you." said the young sage gratefully.

"He should be. Farewell Sage of the Toads."

Naruto turned around after bidding Razorback and his family farewell and walked over to Genjiro. "Sorry Genjiro. I was so hungry I didn't realize they were summoning animals. We'll have to catch a regular animal to eat."

Genjiro was staring and said, "Your eyes….they are like a toad's and you stopped the charge of that beast like it was nothing!"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Oops…." He released his Sage mode and his eyes turned back to normal. "Sorry, I forgot I was still in Sage mode. That boar Razorback was strong. He was testing me to see if I was the real deal. I guess I passed his test though. Shadow clone jutsu!" About fifty Narutos appeared. "Go out and find us some grub and bring it back to camp. Genjiro's a bit shaken up. I'm taking him back." His clones saluted and dispersed into the surrounding forest. "Let's head back Genjiro, I think you need a break."

"I think what I need is a strong drink after that. Jô's not going to believe this." Genjiro muttered as they made their way back to camp.

Back at the Hayabusa camp….

Hinata returned from the lake feeling cleaned and refreshed. Most of her wounds were healed as they were mainly bruises and cuts. She wasn't in top form but she figured with a couple more days of healing she would be fine. Her shadow clone escorts brought her back to camp safely and then spread out in a guarding formation in the four cardinal directions. She found Jō carefully maintaining a beautiful sword as she approached. "That is a superb katana you have there Jô-san. I can tell you maintain it with great care."

Jô sat the blade across his lap. "You are a sword wielder Hinata-san?"

"Oh, no. I'm a taijutsu specialist. I've never handled a blade much longer than a kunai. My clan discourages sword use though I don't agree with them." replied the heiress.

"They discourage using blades?" asked Jô very puzzled. "Your clan would be at a disadvantage without at least basic sword training."

Hinata nodded. "I agree but the clan's doctrines revolve around the Jūken style of taijutsu. To step outside of that is frowned upon although I myself am guilty of it."

Jô smirked, "So you're a bit of a rebel Hinata-san?"

Hinata blushed. "It's not that I am a rebel Jô-san, it is simply a matter of our clan's traditions causing us to stagnate. We have fought the same way for generations and change is needed to survive and adapt to our potential foes. However, our elders do not feel that way about many traditions that I seek to change."

Jô nodded in approval of her line of thought. "That reminds me; Naruto said that you are your clan's heiress and that you are referred to as Hinata-sama, do you prefer this? While I am always referred to as Jô-sama as I am the Hayabusa clan head I much prefer to be informal when outside of clan functions. Jô-sama makes me sound like a stuffy person."

"I feel the same; please just call me Hinata or Hinata-san. I'm used to it but I'm not fond of formalities. Naruto-kun is very informal. He refers to our village leader as baa-chan." she said with a giggle.

Jô stifled a chuckle of his own. "It seems your friend is quite a character. He took Genjiro hunting although I'm not sure he's fully healed."

Hinata explained, "Naruto-kun has a healing ability. It is a….bloodline of sorts. He can heal overnight from injuries that take others weeks to recover from. If he said he was healthy I'm sure he was; although he pushes himself too hard sometimes…."

Their conversation was interrupted when Naruto and Genjiro arrived back at camp. Genjiro was talking agitatedly to Naruto. "You act as if you talk to mononoke on a daily basis! Do you know how insane that sounds?"

Naruto patted Genjiro on the shoulder. "It really wasn't a big deal. Razorback was just protecting his kids. Anyway, no one got hurt so no harm, no foul right?"

"Have problems hunting Genjiro? I see you came back empty handed." asked Jô.

Genjiro looked at Jô bug eyed. "We ran into a massive boar mononoke! We're lucky we came back alive!"

Naruto piped up. "Oh, come on Genjiro. He wasn't that big. I mean, the toad boss is several stories tall! Anyway, after I visited with him Razorback seemed nice enough." Naruto turned to Hinata. "Hi Hinata-chan! Are you feeling better since you washed up? You look much better!"

Hinata blushed prettily and replied, "I do feel much better now that I clean. What's this about a mononoke?"

"Genjiro's making a mountain out of a molehill. We were hunting some boars and it turned out they were summoned creatures. After I apologized to the leader Razorback everything was cool." explained Naruto. "By the way, I've got about fifty clones combing the forest for some lunch so they should be along shortly."

At the same time, Jô was listening to Genjiro with raised eyebrows. "That boar was the size of a city bus and charged Naruto! Naruto activated his Sage powers and stopped it with one hand!" ranted Genjiro.

"It's not a big deal Genjiro!" cut in Naruto.

"Yes, yes it is Naruto!" retorted Gengiro.

"Perhaps we should all sit and discuss this quietly instead of scaring the whole forest with the noise." said Jô authoritatively. "What exactly happed?"

Soon Genjiro and Naruto sat down and explained what had happened in detail although Genjiro's version sounded like they'd had a run in with a Boar God and Naruto acted as if he'd been visiting with Tonton. The whole time Naruto's clones brought in food and were preparing it as Jô and Hinata listened.

After they finished, Jô spoke. "Judging by your lack of reaction I'm guessing this sort of thing isn't that uncommon where you are from Hinata-san?" She nodded and Jô smiled to himself. "It seems we have made some interesting new friends Genjiro. Perhaps we could learn some of their ninja ways and teach them some of our own in return. I'm under the impression they will be staying with us her for some time as we don't know where their home even is or if it still exists. From what that mononoke said it sounds as if you come from another time my young friends."

"Do you know how crazy that sounds Jô?" asked Genjiro with a sweat drop.

"You do realize in this day and age the idea of ninja clans and mononokes sound ridiculous to most people of this world Genjiro?" Jô quipped back.

"Point taken." pouted Genjiro.

For better or for worse it seemed that Hyūga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto were in a different time and place. They were pilgrims in an unholy land….

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, that sets up the premise anyway. I don't know how well this will be received but it won't update that often. Otherwise, I'll just leave it up as a one-shot. Blue out. 8/7/14