Bones, Chapter One: The Coming of the Horseman

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto, the characters within it, or Sleepy Hollow, and the characters therein. What I do own is the character Abraham Van Brunt Crane, and the idea for this story. Please don’t sue me.1

Chapter One: The Coming of the Horseman2

It was a sunny day in Konoha. Uzumaki Naruto, the town prankster and aspiring Hokage, was pigging out at a new local noodle bar. Not because the food was any better than Ichiraku’s, but because it was new, giving away all-you-can-eat buffets, and he was broke. He’d lost the last of his pay to his landlord, and hadn’t had a mission in weeks. He was coming out the door when he heard footsteps, no, hoofbeats, from a side road, and a person astride a huge black horse came barreling out. The beast was obviously in a foul mood, as it was bucking and pitching, trying to dismount the rider. “Damn it, Daredevil! Quit your bucking and calm down! We’re in a public street, and people are watching!”3

The horse stopped, and stood still. The rider, a tall, lanky boy of nearly fourteen, slid off of the steed’s back, and began to fiddle with the straps on his saddle. Naruto approached. “Hello. Who are you?”4

“Hello,” said the boy dryly as he continued to focus on the girth. “And I’ll not give my name till I know whom I’m speaking to.”5

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto, and I’m gonna be the next Hokage!”6

“Hokage, you say? By any chance am I to assume I’m in the Village Hidden among the Leaves?”7

“You sure are! Are you lost?”8

“Less lost than directionally challenged. Although Konoha was my destination. So it seems I’ve arrived. By the way, I’m Abraham Van Brunt Crane, at your service. And this is Daredevil.” The horse lifted a front hoof and brought it down on Crane’s foot. He didn’t flinch, but instead turned and smacked the horse across the head. “Devil, I said to calm down.” There was a pause, then, “I know it was my fault we ended up lost, but you’ve got no room to complain, you had no clue where we were either!”9

“Beast master?”10

“Less a master than a cellmate. I suppose you wouldn’t be so kind as to direct me to a hotel, and then to the Hokage’s office?”11

“Follow me!” Naruto took off at a dead run, and Crane vaulted back into the saddle and followed at a canter. Naruto lead the way back to his apartment building. “The landlord rents rooms out by the day, week, or month, and he has a big yard out back for Dead Devil.”12

“Daredevil. And thank you. I was simply going to check into a hotel until I could find a place to stay, but you seem to have saved me the trouble.” Abraham went into the landlord’s house, and came out ten minutes later. “I’ve secured room and board for myself and Devil. Now I need to see the Hokage. Mount up, and we’ll ride.”13

“I’ve never been on a horse before.”14

“It’s really quite easy. You just sit here behind me on the saddle, and I’ll steer. Just tell me which way to go.” Naruto ran up a wall, and jumped, landing on the saddle behind Crane. They took off at a breakneck gallop, the iron shoes on Daredevil’s hooves throwing sparks at every step.15

When they arrived, two ANBU checked Naruto’s I.D., and let them pass. The two guards stood looking at the huge, imposing steed left tied loosely to a pillar by the door. Naruto led the way up to the Hokage’s office. He knocked on the door, and a faint “Come in,” came through. He needed no further invitation. “Hey, Old Man! You’ve got a visitor!”16

The Third never even looked up. “I know, Naruto. The wall guards told me about a strange thin man on a large horse, who said he was here to seek a job. Please bring him in.” Crane stepped in. “Welcome to the Hidden Leaf. I’m the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi. You?”17

“Abraham Van Brunt Crane, at your service, Hokage-sama.”18

“And what brings you to our village? I heard from the gate guards that you were seeking employ?”19

“That enough is true. I do seek employ. I was told by my mother to give you this letter. There is a genjutsu upon it, as my mother didn’t want the information it contains to fall into any hands other than yours.” He took the letter from his jacket, which Naruto noticed was an old-style oilskin slicker.20

The Third examined the letter. On the surface it appeared to be nothing more than a correspondence from one friend to another. But when the Hokage released the genjutsu on it, he got a surprise. The letter was from a woman named Katrina Crane, in a small village named Sleepy Hollow. The name was vaguely familiar until he came to the second sheet. It was an ornate family tree, tracing the woman’s lineage back through the generations, all the way back to Konoha! And what was more, the boy who stood before him was a distant relation to the boy next to him! the letter went on, detailing how Abraham was schooled in the ninja arts, and held a level of skill equal to Genin or slightly better. He frowned at the last part, and made a mental note to discuss it with the boy at a later date. He folded the letter, and looked at the boy. “Your mother sent her regards, and speaks highly of your skills. Spar with Naruto, and if you pass I’ll employ you. Naruto, this boy seeks employ as a ninja. Test him.”21

The two squared off there and then. Naruto rushed Crane, and drew a kunai. It was blocked by a thick-bladed clip-point knife, and Abraham pushed back. Naruto’s shadow clone disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the real Naruto fell from the ceiling onto Crane, intending to go hand-to-hand. As Naruto’s first blow landed, the shadow clone that he’d thought was Crane puffed away, and he heard the boy’s voice behind him. “Akurei Tenohira Ryu: Shikon Rendan!” Naruto was pummeled mercilessly, as if two sets of fists were battering him from the outside, and another two from within. He slumped to the ground, unconscious.22

“Impressive. I do hope you haven’t beaten him to death, though. He is, as you say, kith and kin. You’ll be on his team. I hereby grant you the official rank of Genin. Welcome aboard, Abraham.”23