The Hunchback of Notre Dame (A Naruto Tale)

Chapter 3: Gypsies

    While Naruto longed to be apart of the world below him, a fellow soldier named Sasuke walks into the village with his horse Pakkun reading a map.  Sasuke shakes his head and toss the map away then looks at his horse. "Huh, ya leave town for a couple of decades and they change everything." he sighs. He notices two guards walking by "Excuse me, gentlemen, I'm looking for the Palace of Justice. Would you--" he asked but they ignore him "hmmm,I guess not." they continue to walk around the street. Meanwhile, in a corner, a gypsy woman and her goat are dancing for change. A woman and her child walk by, but the woman steers her child away. "Stay away, child--they're gypsies. They'll steal us blind." she scolded her child. Sasuke intrigued by the woman's dancing drops several coins into the hat on the ground. All of a sudden, a boy on top of the wall whistles. Everything comes to a halt, and all scramble for cover. As the goat grabs the hat, coins fly everywhere. 

    "Sakura!! Come On!!" the little boy yelps as he runs to hide, Sakura stops to help the little goat grab the money. As she's gathering the change, the guards arrive.  "All right, gypsy, where'd ya get the money?" the first guard asked " For your information, I earned it." Sakura explained "Gypsies don't earn money, right Konan?" the guard retorted  "Yeah your right Hidan"Konan nodded then looked at the girl "You steal it?" he asked "You'd know a lot about stealing!" Sakura snapped as the guards tried to arrest her "Troublemaker!" Hidan shouted but was kicked in the face by Sakura "Maybe a day in the stocks will cool you down." Konan snapped. The little goat suddenly headed butted the guards releasing the gypsy "Nice work Akumaru, lets go!!" Sakura smiled as they took off down the square.  As the guards begin to chase, Sasuke blocks them with Pakkun, and they fall to the ground. Hidan falls in the mud Sasuke then looks at Pakkun "Pakkun! Sit!" he commands and Pakkun obeys and sits on top of the guard. 

 "Oh, dear, I'm sorry. Naughty horse, naughty!" Sasuke scolded the horse  "He's just impossible! Really, I can't take him anywhere." "Get this thing off me!" Hidan yelped "I'll teach you a lesson, peasant!" Konan sneered as he whips out his dagger. Sasuke responds by pulling out his shiny katana"You were saying...Lieutenant?" Sasuke asked. Konan realizes who he is " Oh, Captain! At your service, sir!" Konan salutes Sasuke as he bends down to Hidan "I know you have a lot on your mind right now, but...the Palace of Justice?" he asks. As the Guards clear a path for Sasuke and Pakkun to the palace, Sasuke sees some coins on the ground and drops them in the hat of an old man sitting in the street. As he passes the "old man", the figure pulls his hood down to reveal Akumaru sitting on Sakura's head. Sakura looks at him curiously. Sasuke tries to move along but Pakkun refuses "Come on, boy. Pakkun! Heel!" he orders making the horse move. 

     As the guards make their way to the prison below the palace, Hidan knocks on the door. "Your honor, the Uchiha you hired is here" Hidan says "Let him in then" Danzo replied then looks at the guard whipping a prisoner "Guard!" "Sir?" the guard asks "Ease up. Wait between lashes. Otherwise the older sting will dull him to the new." Danzo ordered "Yes, sir." he nods then returns to his job. Danzo then turns to Sasuke "Ah, so this is the gallant Captain Sasuke Uchiha , home from the Fourth Great Ninja War." Danzo smiled "Reporting for duty, as ordered, sir." Sasuke answered "Your service record precedes you, Sasuke. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your calibre." Danzo added "And you shall have it, sir. I guarantee it" Sasuke nods "Yes. You know, my last captain of the guard was, um, a bit of a disappointment to me." Danzo explained as a whip crack and a scream interrupts Danzo. Sasuke appears startled at the crack.

   "Well, no matter. I'm sure you'll whip my men into shape." he sighs "Uh, thank you, sir, uh, very, uh, trem--uh, a tremendous honor, sir." Sasuke struggled to find the right words as they walked to the balcony of the palace. "You come to Konoha in her darkest hour, Captain. It will take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled." Danzo said "Misled, sir?" Sasuke raises an eyebrow "Look, Captain" Danzo shows him below "gypsies. The gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the peoples' lowest instincts, and they must be stopped." Sasuke is surprised by Danzo's odd request "I was summoned from the war to capture fortune tellers and palm readers?" the solider asks. 

   Danzo shakes his head slightly "Oh, the real war, Captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years, I have been taking care of the gypsies, one...by...one." On each of the last three words, Danzo crushes one of three ants on a tile. He flips the tile over, revealing scores of ants scurrying around underneath.  "And yet, for all of my success, they have thrived. I believe they have a safe haven, within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles." the judge explains "What are we going to do about it, sir?" Sasuke asks. Danzo then slams the tile back down upside down, and turns it, crushing the remainder of the ants. "You make your point quite vividly, sir." Sasuke slightly nods "You know, I like you captain. Shall we?" Danzo places his hand on his shoulder then sighs as he hears  the crowd below cheering loudly. "Oh, duty calls. Have you ever attended a peasant festival, Captain?" Danzo asks "Not recently, sir" Sasuke shakes his head "Then this should be quite an education for you. Come along" Danzo smiles.