A/N: 'Sup! I've got some news for you all. Sadly, I will soon be moving-not from this site!-to another county, which is why I haven't been able to update near as often as I would've liked. I only just barely managed to sqeeze out the latest chapters for "Shinobi Menace" and "A Sage in Oz" with all the calamity and commotion going on over here. Between work and packing, and there has been a LOT of packing let me tell you, I've barely had any time to myself.

And then, of cooooouuuurse, an idea for a story just so happens to strike me while I'm at work. Pretty sure no one's tried this before. And if they have, meh, at least I got this damnable idea out of me head!

...May the Force be ever with you...!

"Strange, this one is."

~Yoda.

Foreign

In the deep black of space, a small, one man-ship careened toward an uncharted planet. Her pilot desperately tried to correct their course, but to no avail. The ship was going down, with or without his air. Gnarled and green hands wrestled with the yoke, struggling to control the careening, spiralling path it had taken, but to no avail. His craft was falling, faltering. Awry, things had gone. Discovered, his self-imposed exile on Dagobah had been. Forced him to leave, they had, forced him out of hiding.

Sidious.

Vader.

The Empire.

Only a year into his exile had he been before it happened. He'd woken from his hut to find stormtroopers wading through the bogs, shooting anything that moved. He remembered the shock he'd felt; thought himself to be safe here, he had. Undetectable. Wrong he had been. Terribly, horribly wrong. Dozens he had cut down and many more had he wounded before the star destroyers began their orbital bombardment, leaving him with no choice-the only choice-to abandon his sanctuary and seek refuge among the stars.

Planned for that, the Emperor had. The little craft he'd used to reach Dagobah was not equipped with any sort of offense; it had little shielding and a hyperdrive, no more, no less. Those shields soon proved to no match for the overwhelming might of the fleet awaiting him in orbit.

He'd barely managed to escape them and their star destroyers by jumping to hyperspace, but by then the damage had already been done; seconds after making the ill-fated jump, the hyperdrive gave out, and roughly deposited both the sundered ship and its diminutive pilot back into real-space light years away with no pursuit in sight.

Knew not, he did, whether he would be followed. Only that his location had been somehow betrayed. Of where he had gone only two knew; of them both, did he trust. Senator Bail Organa had been an adamant man of principle, and master Kenobi had his own reasons for wanting to keep well out of his former padawan's grasp. One them might've been forced to give up their wherabouts. This troubled him. If knew of his location they did, then know of Obi-Wan's they may as well. Know of the children, they might.

Fear the worst he did, for Padme's twins. If discovered by Sidious they were, turned to the Dark Side, would they be. Allow that to happen, he could not. But at the same time, there was nothing more to be done for it; his craft was battered beyond repair. He'd be lucky just to survive re-entry into the planet's atmosphere, let alone land. Trust the Force, he would, hope that it might somehow deliver little Luke and Leia from sharing a fate similar to that of their mother's, or worse.

The craft bucked beneath him, sending alarms ringing throughout the tny cockpit. He risked another glance at the planet, its lush oceans and rich landscapes passing by in a blur as he pierced the ozone layer and rocked into the atmosphere.

Friction burned the craft a rich orange red, to those below it might've looked like a streaking comet falling from the heavens. Bits and piecs of the craft fell away with its pained descent, forcing its pilot to call upon the Force once more to keep it from falling apart.

The small craft banked hard to the right, drifting toward what appeared to be a blur of deep, verdant green. The forest canopy rushed up to greet him swiftly. Far too swiftly. Long ears curled in displeasure as the first of many branches snapped against the ships' durastell hulll in a series of sparks, driving deep gouges into the metal. He tugged on the yoke again...but it was no use. The ship proved utterly unresponsive. If anything, the ship dived even further into the trees.

"A bad feeling about this, I have!"

A heartbeat later, his words proved prophetic.

The craft smashed through the trees with a mighty crash as trees snapped and the bark of a massive oak curled around the hood of the ship. Sparks spraying, the pilot banked the craft hard, skidding across the ground uuntil at last the vehicle came to a stop, a jolt running through it as its bulk threatened to tip from the momentum, only to crash back down to level ground with a muted thud. Out of the corner of his eye the pilot could only watch as what little remained of the thrusters toppled out the back of the ship as it ground to a halt, flailing in the view of the transparisteel window in a geyser of fouled fuel. The pilot had only an instant to watch as a spark struck the growing pile of accelerant, his large eyes narrowing in concer.

Then came the explosion; roiling toward him in a wave of death.

He wrapped the Force around himself like a shroud, effortlessly shielding his diminutive form from the worst of the blast. Waves of heat and flame rippled over him and passed harmlessly by, though the same could not be said for his unfortunate craft. The poor vessel suffered the full brunt of the explosion, buckling the ship's hill, shattering circuitry, warping steel. And then, just as swiftly as it had begun, the fierce firestorm was over, leaving

Groaning, and thoroughly shaken form the crash, the pilot tried to pry open the vessel's door with his walking stick; when that failed, a gesture of his his hand and a ripple in the Force battered the dented door from its hinges, sending it tumbling to the forest floor below.

The ramp lowered for him, allowing its pilot to emerge.

Grand Master Yoda stumbled out of the craft, covered in soot and ash but otherwise unharmed, walking stick firmly in hand. He took a few moments to dust himself over before surveying his surroundings-and his eyes widened with awe. He looked upon a foreign world, not unlike that of Kashyyk. Great, towering trees loomed over his head, sheltering his visage from the scorching rays of the afternoon sun. Shading his face with a clawed hand, the wizened jedi hobbled down the ramp to take in his surroundings.

Strange, this world was. Its lifeforms, stranger still. He could sense beings in the distance, each all around him, many with aptitude in the Force. Some had it, others did not. Untrained they were. Unaware, perhaps? He contemplated the matter a moment longer before a rustle in the undergrowth drew his attention.

"I think it fell over here!" A voice called.

Yoda tensed, readying himself, torn between fight or a flight. If here, the enemy was, then catch him unawares, they would not. Imagine his surprise when, instead of stormtroopers, a pair of teenagers erupted into the clearing, moving at such speeds it seemed as though the wind itself were propelling them.

"!"

The former Grand Master started in surprise, nearly falling from his perch upon the ramp. The Force shone brightly in these two, rippling-roiling-beneath their skin in tongues of unseen flame and power. It was almost a life unto itself, staggering in its power. And they were unware of it! His eyes saw the untapped power-the pontential-in these two, and his heart nearly wept at what had been lost. Fine jedi would these two have been if they had been discovered at a younger age!

"Minato-kun," a girl's voice whispered, a pale finger pointed in his direction. "Look!"

"I see it...

Yoda didn't have words for what happened next.

He found himself staring down at two youths-they couldn't have been more than thirteen or so-and found them returning his attention. A boy and a girl, each of which wore a strange metal plate around their foreheads, a practice he himself found most odd. Their clothing, odd as well, it was. In all his years, never had he seen such a thing. Isolated, perhaps then, this planet was? Traditional? He found these musings interrupted as the boy-a youth with blond hair and blue eyes-stepped forward and offered a hand in greeting.

"My name is Namikaze Minato," the boy introduced himself first, then gestured to his lavender-eyed companion. "This is Hyuuga," he paused-smiled at her, "Hana, right?" At the sight of his smile, the girl flushed deeply her cheeks burning a swelling shade of scarlet beneath the ebony tresses of her hair. She managed a meek nod beneath his gaze.

"A-And who might you be?" this directed at the grand master himself.

Yoda frowned, long ears curling in confusion. He hadn't understood a word they-the boy or the girl-had said. It all sounded like nonsensical gibberish to him. He exchanged a questioning glance with them, lips pursed in apprehension. If only there was some way to understand what they were saying...aha! The old one remembered his comlink, still present in his robe. He dipped a hand into his coat for the device, removed it, and-set it to translate-listening intently for an answer.

A few clicks later and he understood everything the boy-Minato-had told him and returned the offer in kind. A gentle heart he sensed in this one. This boy meant him no harm. A glance at the girl was more than enough to confirm that she too, had no intention of attacking him in any way. Strange, in a galaxy that now loathed and abhored its former protectors.

"Yoda, my name is." he replied, taking the young man's hand and shaking. "Pleased to meet you, I am."

"Ano...but just what are you?" this came from Hana, her large eyes were still regarding him with confusion. "You're like nothing I've ever seen...

Yoda chortled, and despite himself, felt his spirits lift, if just a tad. Many a time had he been asked this very question. Perhaps he could trust them with the truth?

"A jedi, I am, young one."

Hana seemed slightly dissatisfied by what she considered an enigmatic reply, but not Minato; a slight smile was tugging at blonde's lips.

"A jedi, huh? Can't say I know what that is." He exchanged a glance with Hana. "What about you, Hana-chan?"

The girl's cheeks burned a sunset pink.

"I-I can't say that I've heard of one either, Minato-kun."

Yoda blinked once; twice, thrice, his large green eyes closing and opening several times in the time it took him to process this information. New, this was. Everyone in the known galaxy knew what a jedi was. Even the most out of sorts backworlder knew this!

"So, you came here in that?" the boy, now known as Minato, indicated the smoldering ruin that had, only minutes ago, been the grand master's vessel. Now it was little more than scrap, marred and twisted around the trees, broken and battered beyond andy semblance of repair. Were it not for the Force, he'd never have made it out of there alive.

"My ship, that was." The grand master nodded. Then, something occurred to him.

"Have a spaceport, do you?"

Minato blinked.

"Spaceport?"

"If by ship you mean boat, then-

His words seemed to drift away into senseless babble as Yonda considered the two of them. There was a strong possibilty he wouldn't be leaving this world, at leat for a little while. His ship certainly wouldn't be taking him anywhere! What then, to do, about these two? Great potential he sensed in each of them.

"We should take him to the village." Hana decided, risking another glance at the wreckage. "The Hokage...needs to know about this."

"Would you mind?" Minato asked.

Village? Hokage?

Yoda sighed, running a three-fingered hand across his wrinkled forehead. He had the succinct feeling a headache was coming on.

"Too old for this, I am getting..."

(Many years later...)

Uzumaki Naruto, all of seven years old, fled from his pursuers like the demon itself was at his heels.

It was his birthday again and he had just turned seven years old the same day as the Kyuubi festival on October Tenth. Unfortunately, it was around this time that the villagers would form a mob to find the boy, and try to beat him within an inch of his life. Again!

Tonight was no different.

Once more the Shinobi supposed to be watching him were distracted from doing their job given to them by the Sandaime, and were not paying attention to the fact the one they were watching was being attacked by a bloodthirsty mob. As for the Sandaime himself had been naïve in believing that those guarding Naruto would actually do their job and wasn't paying attention to the boy currently in trouble. But this year, someone held a close watch on his well being, unbeknownst to him. This year...

...someone struck back.

An invisible handly seeming lashed out of nowhere and scattered the mob like wheat from chaff; ripping them from their feet as though they weighed naught but a kilogram. There was a silence. Men and women barely had time to blink before the unseen power struck again, battering bodies against the wall, like rag dolls, ripping the weapons from their hands, shattering street lights, plunging the streets into darkness. There was only the most fleeting sound to reach his ears, a rustle of cloth and then someone was there, barring him from the mob.

Wrinkled, old, green, small. These were the first words that came to the young one's mind when he laid eyes upon the grizzled little creature standing before him. But it had dispatched his purrsuers with a mere flick of the wrist, and for that, it had earned his respect. If not his fear.

"Harm this boy, you will not." It declared, gesturing with a hand.

For a moment, it looked as though they might protest-then a strange, almost blank look entered their eyes.

"Harm this boy, we will not." the man at the head of the mob repeated.

"Leave, you will." the creature rasped, beckoning once more with a clawed hand.

"Leave, we will."

One final gesture.

"Turn yourselves into the authorities, you must."

They nodded as one.

"Turn yourselves into the authorities, we must."

Naruto looked on, numb in disbelief as the mob did just that, they turned and walked back from whence they came. Even those who had fallen to the stranger's first strike began to comply; picking themselves to follow after their fellows. The boy could barely believe his eyes.

He waited until he was absolutely certain they were gone and then, only then did he turn to face the enigmatic creature that had rescued him from certain peril.

"Um...thanks?"

"Finally found you, I have." the creature declared with an emphatic tap of its walking stick. "Hmm." it frowned at his expression, as though sensing his distress. "Fear me, you should not. An ally, I am."

Naruto blinked. How did this guy know he was afraid?

"Who are what the hell are you?"

"A good question, that is." the little green man chortled. "Ask you the same, I could."

Naruto frowned, his whiskered cheeks pursing in displeasure. Alright then, two could play that game.

"The name's Naruto." he supplied warrily. "Uzumaki Naruto, ya know!"

The old one smiled.

"Yoda, my name is."

"Well um...thanks for that back there, Yoda-san."

"Your thanks, I do not require."

"Thought it was you, I did." He shambled forward, his walking stick clicking softly against the hard concrete of the street, "But certain, I had to be." The boy watched, on edge for any sudden movement as the wizened old alien made its way towards him. "Seven years it has been, since I saw you last. Time to fufill my promise, it is. Train you, I will."

The young boy frowned. Promise? Train? This wasn't making any sense! He didn't understand any of it!

"You talk funny."

Yoda chortled.

"Used to that, I am."

"Wait, what did you mean by promise?"

There was a silence, as they stared up

"A friend of your father, I was." Yoda supplied at last, his gravelly voice rasping with just a touch of emotion. "Trained him, before you, I did. Both shinobi and jedi he was, hmm." A touch of sorrow seemed to enter the old jedi's eyes. "A powerful warrior, did he become. Kind and strong, a gentle soul he was. Miss him, I still do."

Naruto blinked. Yoda had lost him after "A friend your father I was." He'd always thought he was an orphan; no one had ever made any effort to dissuade him of that notion. For someone to simply up and claim that he had a father...it was almost too much to take in.

"You knew my dad?!"

"Knew him well, I did." Yoda tapped him in the chest with his stick. "Tell you, they did not?"

Naruto froze. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"T-Tell me what?" The seven year-old stuttered. "What didn't they tell me?"

Yoda frowned.

"Son of the Fourth Hokage, you are."

A/N: Naruto, trained by Grand Master Yoda. Can you ASK for anything stranger? It's heavily implied that our little green friend both met and trained Minato-and possibly Hinata's mother-before in their youth long before Naruto was born. And since Naruto was born, it's also implied that our favorite jedi master has he's softened a bit toward the whole "a jedi must never love" melarkey. Cuz if he hadn't, MinatoxKushina would never have happened, and he wouldn't have been born to begin with! Him meeting Hinata's mother may seem inconsequential now, but it'll play a major role in later chapters!

As you can suggest, Minato made him promise to watch after his son when the time came. And as you can see, LO AND BEHOLD! That time has come! Pairing is going to be NarutoxHinata, or at the very least, a SLIGHT harem. We'll eventually see just who/or what/it was that revealed where Yoda was hiding and brought this all about. And what oh what has happened to Luke and Leia?! Just what will happen next!?

Stay tuned to find out...next time, on Maelstrom of the Force! We see a timeskip next chapter!

So...in the immortal words of Master Yoda himself...

...Review...You Must!

R&R! =D