Misplaced Princess

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing from the Naruto universe but I do have an imagination of my own.

Thinking (or flashbacks, etc.)

Emphasis

Biju, etc. speaking

Biju, etc. thinking

"So this is Toad Mountain?" Naruto asked as she looked around the lush green landscape surrounding her. Everything smelled really clean and the only thing that Naru could detect other than earth, plants, and maybe some flowers was something she couldn't quite put her nose to. "What does coconut smell like?"

Coconut had supposedly been in Sakura-chan's shampoo, and it was the only thing that she could guess was similar in the air here.

Jiraiya chuckled and ruffled her hair. "I don't know! I guess it smells sweet... I know that Orochimaru likes it in his girly, fruity drinks - but there's a bunch of other crap in those." He saw her face scrunch up in disgust at hearing his teammate's name. "Now, now, Naru-chan: what Orochi-kun did before you came here - to the present, or the past in your case - doesn't mean he'll do the same thing again," he paused and pouted when her expression didn't change.  "He did help you get out of that ROOT cellar."

Jiraiya grimaced at seeing the girl tense and fold in on herself at the reminder. "Maybe you'll have a chance to thank him sometime."

Crap. He thought he was pretty good with kids, but maybe not.

Naruto glared at him before shaking her head. "I can't believe you call him 'Orochi-kun.' That's just weird, 'ttebayo." She concentrated on that, trying to prevent the memories of that Danzo guy and his weirdos from invading her mind again. "I think I smell coconut. Sakura-chan said it was in her shampoo; I always wondered if that's what made her hair pink."

Jiraiya stared at her, wondering what the hell she was talking about before asking the key question. "Are ya smelling something? Cause if you are, that's toad oil."

"Toad oil?!" Naruto asked, her voice high and obviously surprised.  "I can't believe Sakura-chan was using toad oil in her shampoo! She said she hated the frogs and toads I used to bring to the Academy!"  Sakura had been mean to her for years, but in the beginning, the two girls got along just fine, although the pink-haired girl never liked the stuff Naruto brought from the lake or that one time from JiJi's pond.

Like with most kids, as soon as her parents had seen who their daughter was hanging out with, they must've said bad things about "the demon girl," and told them to stay away.

It was always like that.

But hey! Now she had Kurama and Kakashi for friends, and maybe that Genma guy - although he's a louse for not paying for my ramen - and Gai, too, right? They didn't seem to mind who or what she was, but she hoped they weren't just being nice to her because of her parents.

And wasn't that a weird thought? 

It's not like the first time I've wondered about it, though.

Naru sighed sadly as she walked behind her godfather to who knows where. All this time sitting around "under house arrest" was super boring and led to her thoughts and memories of things turning darker.  She had tried to read but just wasn't into it. The sealing book was cool, but her mom said her handwriting and calligraphy needed to improve drastically before she could make any seals.

"Here we are!" Jiraiya yelled out before charging forward, his bushy ponytail swinging behind him.

"Wait up," Naru called as she tried to catch up. It looked like they were headed to a cute little cottage.

"Jiraiya-chan!" Lady Shima yelled before seeing Naruto which stopped her in her tracks. "What - what's happening? Naru- Naruto-chan? What are you doing here?"

"Umm, Ero-sennin brought me?" the girl replied uneasily.

"For the gods' sake," Jiraiya mumbled before clenching his hands and getting louder, "don't call me that, you brat!"

Lady Shima sighed and asked for the two to come inside, speaking under her breath as she did so. "How many times have I heard that, now?" She took Naruto on a tour of her home, pointing out especially a bedroom that was "Minato-chan's, Jiraiya-chan's, and yours repeatedly," she said with some sadness. Naruto didn't quite understand what she meant by that, but simply tried to be polite for thinking of her, too. Lady Shima's husband came in and nearly flew backward at seeing her there.

"Naruto-chan! Good Lord, girl: Hagoromo did it again?" Pa groaned and shook his head, looking at Jiraiya in concern. "Well, this explains something the Great Toad Sage about another one of his dreams." Jiraiya got very nervous at hearing that. "Have her re-sign the contract, Jiraiya-chan, and we'll go see him."

Naruto watched as Jiraiya nervously pulled out a large scroll.  After rolling it out, she saw several names and handprints on it, but her eyes focused on four of them. Her father's name was there, his handprint was certainly smaller than it was now. Jiraiya's name was next to it, his handprint MUCH smaller than the hands she saw, and at the very end were the names and handprints of Hagoromo and Asura Ōtsutsuki. She felt herself shiver while Kurama both complained and purred in her mindscape, seemingly out of nowhere.

Shakily drawing blood from her thumb as Jiraiya had instructed her, she placed her long-ass full name on the summoning contract. Suddenly she felt much better - as if she was supposed to do that a long time ago.

She breathed in the fresh air outside the cottage and felt something resonate within her chakra coils: it felt wonderful. She didn't even hear Lord Fukasaku yell at her until he smacked her in the back with a stick. "YEOW! Why'd ya do that, you old geezer?"

"Naruto! Don't be rude! Pa here is one of the Great Sages of Mount Myōboku! You can't talk to him like that!"

"Sage or not, he hit me!"

"You were taking in nature's energy, Naruto," Lord Fukasaku said in exasperation. "By the Sage! We'll have to train her in senjutsu sooner than we have before, Jiraiya-chan. Now let's go see the Great Lord Elder." He shook his head at Naru again, then hopped away. Jiraiya, Lady Shima, and Naruto followed him.

"Who are you again?"

Pa groaned and jumped on and off Naruto's shoulder before she said something rude. The girl was always rather ill-mannered, even though she grew up with Hiruzen-chan during one of her past lives. He sighed heavily as Jiraiya-chan explained to the Great Lord Elder exactly who they were and Naruto's "predicament."

When Naruto first showed up today, he was - once again - suddenly filled with memories of her past lives - ones that he and his clan lived along beside her.

Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage, smiled at his little summoner and the pervert next to her. It was good to see her again. He'd promised Hagoromo to keep his mouth shut about the Child of Prophecy, to keep his secret even from Fukasaku-kun and Shima-chan. Hopefully, things would turn out better this time. He had faith and was happy that in the present, she, Minato-chan, and Jiraiya-chan were all alive and well for once.

"I had a dream about you, Naruto-chan," Gamamaru said rather cheerily - in a grandfatherly way. "It was similar to the dreams I've had of you before. You know that you will meet a creature with octopus tentacles who will aid you, and battle a young man with powerful eyes. You'll need a key, of course - other than the one you currently have. A ruined land will be your first test and salvation. Oh, and Inari-sama has a surprise in store for that fox of yours, as well."

Naruto was completely bewildered. "Ohhhhhh-kay?" She looked at her godfather for direction. "What does that even mean?!" The arguing tailed beasts in Naruto's mindscape were nearly giving her a headache, though, so it was hard to listen to his answer.

"You're in for it now," Kurama taunted almost gleefully to his other self in the cage opposite him. Inari-sama was going to bust his other ass.

"You don't know it's me! It could be you or both of us she'll 'surprise' for all you know," the larger Kyuubi said in fear: fear he hoped didn't show.

Both foxes agreed on two things and didn't need to mention them.

1. The toads were repulsive, but Gamamaru's dreams were always true prophecies. How annoying!
2. O-Inari-sama can be scary when she isn't pleased. They needed to figure this out and figure it out fast! Showing up in Naruto's seal to surprise them was something both could easily imagine her doing. She was such a trickster! And she was their goddess, of course: that went without saying.

Their increasing anxiety was getting to Naruto, too.

"Will you guys shut up? I don't know what the hell you're yelling and thinking about so hard using my head, but I need to find out what's going on!"

"What an idiot. We're not using her head! She's got rocks in there!"

Jiraiya had been considering everything he heard, too. Cryptic as always, you sly old toad, he thought, but was rather disgusted with the "octopus tentacles" comment. He was nearly certain that referred to that weird bastard, Killer Bee, whom he'd fought in the last war. How in the world he was going to get the Raikage to meet with and do... something(?) with his goddaughter, he couldn't imagine at this time.

Since the Great Toad Sage had gone back to sleep, Jiraiya followed Ma and Pa back to their house as he placated Naruto-chan by telling her that they'd discuss things back there.

"So you two obviously remember Naruto-chan. Care to tell us what that was all about?" Jiraiya asked his host as Lady Shima prepared tea and weevil biscuits. He knew from Inoichi-kun that Naruto had previously battled Uchihas, so he figured that's what the eye comment was all about. Then there's Nagato: he has powerful eyes, too. More powerful than the Uchihas', that's for sure... We've got to get him on our side quickly.

Pa sighed and looked at his wife, who just shrugged back at him. "I imagine she needs to learn to control that beast fox of hers like the jinchuuriki of the eight tails." He closed his eyes and rocked back, trying to push down the memories of grieving at her, Jiraiya's, and Minato's repeated and untimely deaths. He opened his eyes and smiled at two of his summoners, feeling enormously grateful that his summoners were healthy and the two of them were here again. He really owed Hagoromo more than he'd ever be able to repay. "I think you know that you and Minato-chan need to prepare her for future battles. How is Kushina-chan, by the way?"

Naruto perked up. "She's real nice and beautiful, too, 'ttebane! She - well," Naruto's expression changed entirely, "she got hurt when I was born and came here, ya know. Now her chakra's all wonky and terrible. She's not supposed to use it at all," she ended sadly.

Pa patted her hand. "She's alive, Naruto. That's a significant change for the better. Keep that in mind, and as any child should, help your mother as much as you can."

"I will: I promise! And I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way!"

"You've certainly never stopped trying, Naruto-chan. I'll trust that you'll do just as you say," he replied seriously and smiled as Naruto's eyes teared up. It never failed to amaze him, how humble the girl always was despite all her power.

Jiraiya looked on appreciatively; Naru-chan was a good girl. He cleared his throat. "Speaking of 'wonky chakra,' Naruto's chakra's messed up because she says she has two Kyuubis in her." Jiraiya nodded his head in agreement at the look of alarm on the elders' faces.

"It's actually one and a half Kuramas. Well, I call the nice one Kurama and the other 'Kyuubi.' Dad cut Kurama in half or something."

"What has gotten into you, brat?! I can't believe you just told them my name," Kurama snarled before groaning. "You and your fucking toads."

Great,  Naruto thought.  Now they were both pissed off at her.  She blew out a big puff of air and internally apologized to her bijuu. They didn't really accept her regrets. The sages' discussion was going on as Naruto yawned. She hadn't gotten any sleep and these geezers were talking over her head.

"...really needs to produce bijuu bombs, you'll need a safe place to allow her to do it in. Somewhere that she can blast those horrible things...

"Fuck that toad! My powers are amazing," the two bijuu said as one then glared at each other.

"So loud!" Naruto groaned and rubbed her head. 

Stupid loud foxes.

"...I'm sure that's what the other key refers to. It's not here, though, and that's alarming. I'd leave Inari-sama to the Kyuubi to deal with. She's a reasonable goddess..."

Both foxes began groaning and arguing about whether or not their goddess had already heard the other's complaints.

Naruto had just about had it with them!

"...Uzushio's the only place I can think of. I don't know if we can get in, though," Jiraiya said, trying to figure out where in the world to allow Naruto to train with her bijuu. It was still a new concept for him, that's for sure. He'd never trained Kushina before...

"'A ruined land will be your first test and salvation.' Perhaps it is as simple as that! Uzushio, Jiraiya-chan," Fukasaku said happily.

"Simple: riiiight," Jiraiya drawled and looked at his goddaughter. Why not, though? They could give it a go. If Naruto couldn't get into Uzushio, he'd bet his life that Kushina could - and she'd wanted to go back to her homeland for years. He'd just have to deal with Minato's wrath, which was coming soon anyway, he was sure.