Tooth and claw

Chapter 1

Naruto Uzumaki was screwed. Why was he screwed? He was screwed because the last thing he remembered was killing that bastard Madara, and asking Sasuke to return to the village, which the said young man promised he would do, while in tears. He was even more screwed because he did NOT remember falling asleep in a forest with a huge ass lizard with wings, nor did he remember using the transformation jutsu to look like he was ten years old again. Why, oh god, why?!?

'Calm down, kit. We are not where we were before.' Kurama's voice came to him in his mind. He rolled his eyes.

'No shit, Sherlock!' He replied, confused and exasperated, 'Where are we, oh noble and high and mighty demon lord? And why the hell is there a mutant reptile staring at me with them weird eyes of his?' He asked, and was rewarded with a slight headache as Kurama proceeded to remind him exactly how much he liked being in his head. Naruto, really not believing the creature in front of him to be real, went up to it and touched it, feeling its scales. Weird, it felt real. Very real. Almost as if it were...real....oh shit.

"Holy god, Kurama what's going on?!" He yelped, jumping away from the creature, that, for some strange reason, didn't look or show any inclination that it was going to eat him. That was a plus, right? ...Right.

"Calm down, kid. This big guy won't do anything to ya. Who are you, anyway? What's your name? How old are ya? Is you hair real? Ooh, your eyes are pretty. Hey, now that I think about it, Where'd ya come from?" A voice asked him. He looked up, only to see a man with the weirdest hair ever. Nah, Sasuke's duck ass hairstyle was worse. But this dude came in pretty close, though. Jet black, like Sasuke's, this guy's hair was, unlike Sasuke's, sticking straight up, and was all spikey.

"Hi. Good to know he won't try to eat me all of a sudden. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Twelve years old. It's real, I can hardly imagine wearing hair that isn't my own. Thank you, I get my eye color from my father. I'm from Konoha." Naruto replied absentmindedly, looking around him, keeping an eye, though less wary than before, out for the giant reptile. The man was silent, and then he grinned widely.

"I'm Ging. Ging Freecss." The man responded. Naruto nodded curtly, still gazing around the room, then his eyes traveled to the man.

"So, where am I?" He asked.

"With me." He answered. Naruto smiled, amused.

"So I've noticed. Where are you?" He asked.

"With you." Came the response. Naruto pouted at the answer

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Together." Came the reply. Naruto was amused, but slightly disappointed he didn't get an answer.

"I like you, Ging-san." He said, and the older male gave him a curious look, but dropped it.

"So, any idea how I can get back to civilization?" Naruto asked. Ging pointed East.

"Go wherever you wanna go. But I do suggest you go take the Hunter Exam. You would make an exceptional hunter." He said. Naruto cocked his head to the side slightly.

"Why?" He asked. Ging smiled again.

"You've got skills kid. I don't usually say that to many people, but you look like you've got what it takes to be a hunter." He said.

Naruto arched an eyebrow.

"Why?" He asked again. Ging grinned.

"You've had experience in battle before, haven't you?" He asked. Naruto narrowed his eyes at him.

"How do you know?" He asked. Ging laughed.

"You've got the mark of a warrior, kid. But, that isn't something a hunter should be." He said, smiling, then getting serious at the end. "