Got Nothing but Time V2

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/50527735.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories: F/F, F/M
Fandoms: Naruto, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Relationship: Uzumaki Naruto/Sothis
Characters: Uzumaki Naruto, Sothis (Fire Emblem), My Unit | Byleth, Rhea (Fire
Emblem), Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama, Kagero (Fire Emblem), Hyuuga
Neji, Tenten (Naruto), Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata, Flayn (Fire
Emblem), Seteth (Fire Emblem), Edelgard von Hresvelg
Additional Tags: Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Strong Uzumaki Naruto, Adult Sothis (Fire
Emblem), Fódlan (Fire Emblem), Female My Unit | Byleth, Byleth
becomes a Jinchuuriki, Sothis is inside Naruto, Fuuinjutsu Master
Uzumaki Naruto, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2023-10-03 Updated: 2024-02-10 Words: 146,278 Chapters:
29/50
 Got Nothing but Time V2
by Another_Shy_Gamer_2

Summary

Seals are known to have almost limitless capabilities—a known secret amongst the Shinobi
of the Elemental Nations. One of these limits, apparently, did not exclude imprisoning a God
from another world within your newborn son. Huh, seems Minato was a bigger genius than
they'd thought.

Or

Sothis finds herself in the body of Naruto Uzumaki and doesn't realize how big of a change
she's made. Meanwhile, Kurama's new host isn't exactly a pushover.

Notes
See the end of the work for notes
 Chapter 1

Unknown Location

Ever since she'd first opened her eyes on the continent of Fodlan, Sothis has had very few
instances where she could say she was honestly at a loss—situations so inconceivable that
they left her scrambling for a possible resolution.

And who could blame her?

Everything she'd done from her birth to the day of her 'permanent' rest in Fodlan was all,
partially, according to her design—her sudden death of her flesh being one of the few things
she didn't foresee—a death completely unprecedented and at the hands of the same race she
sought to help.

Luckily for the humans, Sothis was not vindictive.

Humans are flawed creatures. Their emotions made them predictable, yet their potential to
grow through said emotions has proven time and time again to be their ultimate strength.

However, more than her lack of fury upon her awakening, there was...confusion.

For one, she knew she'd rested for far more than a few days. The flesh that once bound her
spirit was no more, the proof of it being more petrifying than she liked to admit.

A war.

Her bones forged into a weapon meant to slay her own children.

Her children's bones forged into weapons for war.

Seiros...

The memories never stopped. Like a tale, they played in her mind on repeat. The agony of
her children, the war that followed, the vengeance—all of it played out as if she were there to
witness it. By the time she played through them all, she was aware of the events that had
occurred in her absence and the state of the world she'd left behind...

She needed to get home.

She desperately needed to get home...

Did she? Was that truly her wish? The thought has plagued her nonstop on many occasions.

However, even if she wished it, there was a reason for her lack of action. As embarrassing as
it may sound, she does not currently possess the means to do so.
She was by no means, weak. No, the holy energy she could feel running through her spiritual
form was more than enough to turn back time and even spill into the outside world. She was
sure she could even recreate a kingdom within this void simply by willing it into existence.

The problem was: if she attempted to go too far beyond the void, something suppressed her
advance; quite harshly. Extending her power, she found the source of the compression to be a
dome that stretched above her. Symbols she'd never seen before aligned the dome and
congregated into a single piece of paper that hovered on the outside of the barrier. She'd tried
removing the parchment, but to her frustration (and bafflement), she received a violent shock
that actually made her, even in spirit form, feel pain...

Fascinating.

That did not, however, mean she gave up, however unsuccessful she was. After attempt after
attempt and failure after failure, Sothis could honestly say she'd never felt more frustrated in
her entire existence.

She didn't know why or how, but someone, somehow, has imprisoned her very being.

Yes, this empty void was a prison.

And she was its prisoner.

How, humiliating.

She had created worlds and could create life simply by willing it. She could create beasts
feared by men and build civilizations that could strive for millennia. She could turn back time
itself and even split the lands with just a flex of her power

And yet, all her power, contained so easily by a piece of paper.

How humiliating indeed...

...

Which circled around to the situation currently at hand.

She had thought the prison was simply meant to contain her. To stop her from reaching the
outside world at all costs while giving her the sustainability she would need to continue
existing.

To an extent, that was not far from the truth. It was definitely meant to keep her contained.
However, the small cracks she could feel in the strange dome surrounding her held small
holes that periodically fed on the Divine energy she subconsciously released while giving her
the ability to glimpse through the void and into the world beyond, telling her that her purpose
would be far more profitable to her warden.

That was only confirmed the day she was introduced to said 'warden'.

"Get down from there this instant, Child!"

...Said warden she has had the displeasure of 'entertaining' since the day he'd 'materialize'
within her prison.

"Take that out of your mouth! Do you wish for your end to be swift?!"

Of all her millennia, both spiritual and physical, she could not remember a single instance
where she'd had to deal with an issue such as this. Sure, she'd had children in her days, but
they were all born asexually with an intelligence rivaling even the oldest and most
experienced human while being twice as tall as the crawling gremlin. If she had to guess, he
was but four name days and was as curious of the outside world as she was upon her first
descent to civilization—the big difference being, of course, that she was a Divine, and he was
a child severely lacking in common sense.

"I said put that down you ignorant buffoon! Hey! Are you daft? Listen when I am
speaking!"

It was as if her words were wind. The child continued running amok within her prison as if
the dangers around him were nonexistent (which, technically, was the truth, but it was better
he learned the dos and don'ts within this world and had no consequences than for him to
perform them in the outside world where the consequences were much more severe). She had
thought the creation of common human tools and toys was enough to entertain the child
instead of bothering her endlessly like he once did on their first meeting, but it would seem
the child had far more energy within him than she was sure even he knew what to do with.

The last straw was drawn when the ball the child was playing with knocked over a particular
vase near the base of her throne.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI!"

Stopping on a dime, the boy slowly turned until he was looking up at her from his position on
the playground she had created and up to the stone throne she sat upon. Standing to her feet,
the jewelry she wore chimed as she descended the many stairs until she was standing before
her 'ward'. Hands on her hips and a frown prevalent, she looked down at the blonde child who
stared up at her equally childlike form. His face was void of emotion, yet she could
practically feel the fear and apprehension practically shimmering from her glare.

"I am displeased," she stated plainly. "Do you know why that is?" His gaze continuously
broke her own, but Sothis was having none of it. "Look at me, Child." Big green eyes
focused on her own, and she made sure they never broke contact this time. "Do you know
why I am displeased?"

"B-because." His voice was soft, as if speaking any louder would get him struck.

"Because what?"

"B-because I... Because I, break something..."

"'Broke', but that is correct. And what were you not doing once more?"
"I was... I was not... I-I was-"

"I do not speak gibberish, Child. Speak clear sentences before I lose what little patience
I have remaining."

She could see him gripping the ball closer to himself while continuously finding the ground
more interesting.

An action she had no patience for.

Her hand came to his chin, rectifying the situation by lifting his chin up to maintain focus on
her.

"Look to me and speak, Child."

Water began building in his eyes, but it did nothing to deter the Goddess's mood.

"I, was not listening, O-Onee-san," she would have further reprimanded him for using the
foreign title instead of her name if she hadn't already known it to be an effort in futility.

"And what will you do the next time I call for your attention?"

"I...I will listen, Onee-san."

"What else?"

"And, and I will stop what I'm doing, Onee-san."

"What. Else?"

"And I will come to you immi, immediately," Satisfied, Sothis released the boy and allowed
him to compose himself.

"Very well. I believe you understand, so I am willing to forgive you this time. However,"
her glare deepened, increasing the boy's unease. "I will not be so lenient if we must have
this discussion again. Do I make myself perfectly clear, Child?"

"Yes, Onee-san," he answered immediately, his bright orbs never leaving hers until she
willingly broke contact to head back up to her throne.

"Good. Now, if you've learned your lesson, carry on. And, please, be mindful of your
surroundings next time. I do not wish to continue replacing that which you seem to
eventually break."

"...But-" Sothis paused in her ascent to look back to the boy now staring back at the ground.
"N-none of it is real. W-why do you care if, if I break anything?"

Sothis sighed at the question. Of course the child didn't yet understand the importance of
mindfulness. "Whether or not I can 'fix' it isn't the problem, Child. It's about principle."
"Pr, prin-cee-pull? What does that mean, Onee-san?"

Sothis stared at the boy analytically. His eyes were filled with innocence—the kind only a
curious child his age could give. With a sigh, she about faced and descended back down to
his level. At the last two steps, she sat on the third and motioned for the boy to sit next to her.
"Sit, Child."

Willingly complying, the boy quickly moved to sit next to the older girl. Sitting so close they
were almost touching, the boy looked up to Sothis who looked down at him with neutrality. It
was a look he rarely got from anyone else, and it made the boy happy despite how strict she
usually was.

The brief gaze they shared was broken by the Divine who looked out to the playground and
the void beyond it.

"Look out, Child. What is it that you see down there?"

The boy looked to the playground in the distance, ignoring the void that stretched behind it.

"It's the playground from the orphanage I live at, Onee-san."

"Correct. Now what do you see."

The boy had only taken his eyes off the playground for a second and it had already changed
to a completely new scene. It would have shocked him if not for the fact that he'd seen this
multiple times in the few weeks he'd known his Onee-san. Now, it was simply a new
discovery that he was always eager to see. The current discovery, however, was very familiar
to the blonde. Stone made up most of the floor, while roots and other greenery made up the
rest. Pillars of stone stretched to an endless ceiling, and vines hung from a nonexistent
support.

"Uhm...stone," the boy answered unsurely.

"You are correct, yet incorrect," the reply got the blonde's attention to be placed on the side
of his Onee-san's head. "You see stone, yet I see much more. These stones, once
untouched by nature, was a place I once called home. A home made for me by my own
children, no less." The boy's eyes widened in shock. Moments later, he began hearing the
sound of multiple footsteps in front of him and turned his head to see instinctively.

What he saw baffled him further.

People, both with and without similarities to his friend, were walking and talking with
various mixes of expressions and emotions. The stones that once looked worn were now
bright gold and reflected light from the sun that was once absent in the void. If the scene
couldn't get any better, the two giant lizards that he'd only seen in story books were currently
nuzzling against each other by the window on the far left of the room. It was a scene he'd
only seen and heard in stories the orphanage patrons told. He was tempted to even go out and
join the children running about if not for the words spoken next by Onee-san.
"My children once walked these halls. Walls built from the sweat and tears of the ones I
loved became a place where I was most happy. It was a sactuary filled with praise for
my name and joy the likes of which you may never witness in your life. It, was a place I
once called home... However," a snap and a blink later, the world around him transformed
back into the halls that was but a shell of its former glory. "It is no more, and this hall is but
an illusion built by my own design." Looking to her left, Sothis could see the boy was
confused and let out a sigh. "In lament terms, this is but a figment of your imagination;
it's not real. The consequences of destroying this place are inconsequential compared to
your world simply because it is a world of my own creation. If something is broken here,
it can easily be replaced with just a thought. You feel no pain here because I will it as so.
I govern the rules of this realm because it is my own."

The Divine stopped her speech to frown down at the boy. "That being said, destroying my
work, as little effect as it has on myself, is the same as disrespecting me in my own
home. Do you understand now, Child?"

"I-I'm sorry, Onee-san. I, won't ever break anything ever again."

Sothis shook her head at the childish comment and said, "Do not make promises you cannot
keep, Child. You are human and still so young. Perfection will forever be beyond your
grasp, and it is not something you should waste your life trying to pursue. I simply wish
for you to err on the side of caution in the future. "

"I, I don't know what that means, Onee-san."

'Like talking to a,' the Divine did her best to reign in her frustration via massaging her brows.
"Just, be more careful, Child. No good comes from recklessness, nor will I tolerate it. If
you wish for this place to remain hospitable, then you will do well not to anger me
again. Am I clear?"

Her peace said, she turned and marched back up to her throne without waiting for the boy's
confirmation. The sudden drowsiness she felt told her the boy's time here was nigh. Soon, he
would wake, and she would sleep for a few days to replenish the energy she'd lost
'entertaining' her warden. She only hoped she could get more done with the time given in
their next meeting.

"O-Onee-san!" This time, Sothis didn't even try to hold in the frustration that left her lips.

"What is it now, Child?" Her irritation was clear, effectively causing the blonde to
instinctively react by making himself as small as possible. In doing so, he also lost the will to
ask what was on his mind. Unfortunately for him, time was not a luxury Sothis currently had.
She could feel the drowsiness hit her like a War Hammer and soon even standing would
become problematic. "Speak today, Child," she urged, arms crossed and foot tapping
rhythmically against the stone steps. Standing at about 4'8, she didn't really strike as an
intimidating figure, but the sternness in her tone and the fact she spoke even more
commandingly and intelligently than the caretakers at the orphanage made the blonde shiver.

"I, I just, I... I wanted to, I hoped you'd... maybe we could, hopefully, pl-pl-play with me..."
His question was innocent, something she'd come to expect from a boy of his juvenescence.
The look in his azure eyes was pleading and shone with a want that honestly made Sothis
uncomfortable. The feeling was unfamiliar to her, and the longer she looked into his eyes, the
harder it was for her to simply walk back up to her throne.

"Why," she instead asked, getting the boy to break eye contact and look to the ground,
abashed. "Have I not given you sufficient entertainment, child?"

"...Yes. But...but none of them are, are real. I can hear and feel them, but, its not the same
because they are not really there."

That actually gave the Divine pause. So young, and yet already partially understood the
intricacy of escapism. And here she thought he was lacking in intelligence.

"I-I'm happy that you help me, and I really have fun with them, Onee-san. It's... It's just, it's...
not the same. I, I want... friends... real friends."

"...I see." The curt reply was promptly followed by a sigh. "But as I said before,
simulations are the limits of my current abilities. Attempting to invoke my will into the
outer world will have lasting consequences the likes of which your body is not ready
for."

She'd thought that would be enough to end it there, but his tightened grip on the ball told her
otherwise.

"...But, you're very smart, Onee-san. Can't you, help me make friends?"

Sothis mirrored the boy's 'permanent' flat stare with one of her own. "Do you honestly think
me capable of arranging playdates? Better yet, what advice could I possibly give in a
world whose cultures and etiquette greatly differ from my own?" For a moment, there
was silence. Sothis didn't know if he just didn't have an answer to her query or just didn't
have the comprehension to understand it but he finally looked down and began shuffling in
place.

"Then...then what if we play something you want to play, Onee-san?"

"And what enjoyment would you get from playing games you are too young to even
grasp the complexity of?"

The boy didn't quite understand some of the words his friend used but did understand a 'no'
even if it wasn't exactly what she'd said. Likewise, Sothis didn't need the boy to show
emotion to know what the disappointment meant.

"Uuuuuugh! Fine! FINE!" she reluctantly conceded. "I shall, indulge you this one time.
And ONLY this time! Am I clear?"

The boy replied in the form of throwing his hands high and letting out a loud, dull 'yay'...
right before he seemingly vanished into thin air.
Now that her 'distraction' had left her, she was all too aware of the drowsiness that threatened
to close her eyes without her permission. Turning back, it took a mental effort she didn't
know she possessed to levitate her body up the rest of the stairway and into the stone throne
that was far more comfortable than it had any right to be. She didn't know when she'd next
see the boy, but she dearly hoped it wouldn't be any time soon. She had better things to be
doing with her time...than entertaining a toddler, not even one of her own blood. Her top
priority should be finding her way back to Fodlan...and finding the last of her children.
Every...minute she wasted trapped here is a...minute they were...alone. She need to... her
lands will... help...

But...she would worry...that...when the time...came...

For now...she...

...would...

Fodlan

(Unknown Location)

The Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest Bijuu to ever walk the Elemental Nations, opened his
eyes for the first time for what felt like an eternity. His vision was unfocused, but the feeling
of freedom from his limbs for the first time in literally a century was what shook the cobwebs
from his mind and the blurriness from his vision. Raising one of his forelimbs to his face, he
was amazed to see the familiar shackles missing and nowhere to be seen. On further
investigation, he found that not only could he now stand and walk about, but there was far
more room in this new stone-wide landscape that stretched for what seemed like an eternity.

Then he noticed the gate that blocked him from the only corridor in the void. He noticed the
thin piece of paper with familiar markings and lettering he'd never forget. He noticed the
familiar chakra behind the tag and what that meant for his fate.

And he definitely noticed the small, green-haired figure looking up to him on the other side of
the bars with widened eyes and shaking limbs.

His look of shock, which was mirrored by the one on the small child's face that was definitely
not Uzumaki Kushina, was only momentary.

The next moment, his chakra flared angrily and he charged at full speed towards the small
monkey that didn't even have the right of mind to flee. His maw and human-like paws
slammed against the cage—the Bijuu not at all surprised that the bars held firm despite his
size and power. In fact, it only pissed him off more and he began clawing and screaming at
the child who'd fallen in absolute terror. He could smell the wretched smell of feces coming
from her, but was too lost in rage to even scrunch his nose in disgust. Lifting his maw, his
voice rang loud and clear through the prison—the name he bellowed surely heard by the
Gods themselves.

"NAMIKAZEEEEEEEE!"
 Chapter 2

When she next woke, it was to the feeling of her body being gently rocked back and forth by
what felt like two tiny hands. Cracking an eye open ever so slightly, she was greeted by the
sight of an 'ecstatic' 4-year-old inches away from her face—the 'excitement' shown from the
way the boy bounced on the balls of his feet at her awakening instead of showing it through
normal human expressions.

"Onee-san, you promised we'd play a game this time."

"...It would seem I did." The Divine sighed, raising her head from the stone it'd been
perched on before stretching her limbs wide to release any tension she'd gained during her
nap. "Well, I am a Divine of my word, so I will indulge as promised. Come. Sit, Child."
With just a thought, a wooden table and a stool appeared before them. Sitting up, Sothis made
another jester for the boy to sit, which he did with vigor, circling around to hop on the taller
stool across from her. Practically bouncing in his seat, the boy looked at Sothis expectantly.

"What are we playing, Onee-san?"

"Since I do not know of any games to entertain children, we will be playing a tabletop
game that was famous in my realm." With yet another mental image, a board appeared on
the table between the two. The board, 8x8 in inches with funny black and white patterns
covering the top, held small pieces of what looked to be horses, castles, and other pillars the
boy was not familiar with. The boy blinked owlishly at the board before looking back up at
his friend confusedly.

"What's this game called, Onee-san?"

"This, Child, is known from my home as the game of 'chess'. It was invented by one of
my sons as a way to pass the time while improving strategic capabilities. It was inspired
by a kids game known as Checkers and later evolved into what you see before you. It
grew to be quite popular over time. Mass gatherings had even been organized, where
some of the greatest minds across Fodlan attended to compete for the title known as
'Grandmaster of the Board'. Though the game had very few applications in real war, it
challenged the minds of both players and their ability to think multiple steps ahead. It's
not really a game meant for children your age, but it is the only version of it that I can
tolerate sitting through."

"Wooooooaah... I bet you were really good at this game, Onee-san?"

A haughty sniff was her reply. "I had better things to do than sit around and play tabletop
games."

The boy's owlish stare hadn't diminished despite the haughtiness.

"...So, you weren't that good?"

The Divine's haughtiness was suddenly replaced by a different kind of arrogance. Hands on
her hips, chest puffed, and chin high, she looked the picture definition of a cocky noble as she
said, "I'll have you know that I was more than adequate. Though many humans and
races gathered looking to spread their name, only a few ever came close to besting me.
To this day, I remain undefeated—one of the many accomplishments I carry with
pride."

If the Divine wasn't too busy reminiscing in her glory, she would have caught the skepticism
even through the boy's placid features. "But you said you didn't play, Onee-san? How did you
get so good if you didn't practice?"

"Hmph! As if I needed practice. From the moment I picked up my first piece, I knew
the game was meant for me. My pieces practically move themselves into the correct
positions—baffling even myself at times. I was so good at this game that it became
somewhat of a 'right of passage' to be defeated by me. I remember my youngest, Seiros,
would practically drag Daphne to the table every morning to play. I swear, the faces
Seiros used to make when she lost were of incalculable value. She was never good at the
game, but held a determination unrivaled by her siblings. If only I could...could..."

Sothis trailed off, suddenly remembering where she was. The blonde, however, did not seem
to mind his friend reminiscening the past and said, "You sound like you really liked your
family, Onee-san."

"...Yeah." She said wistfully.

"Onee-san?"

"Hm?"

"What's it like to have a family?" The way his friend looked at him made him fear she would
not answer, which became relief when she did.

"Do you not know the feeling of having kin?" It was no real surprise that the boy shook his
head. She knew he was an orphan and had no friends, yet surely he knew of his own parents,
right?

The shake of his head answered that quickly enough. "I never knew my parents. I was an
orphan from the beginning. The kids at the orphanage think I'm weird, so they don't play with
me, and the caretakers don't like me for some reason. I was very lonely until I met you."

Despite the confession, Sothis did not feel sympathy. He was but a child that was dealt a bad
hand. Many unfortunate souls were like him back in her world, and there would likely be
many more. The only thing that set him apart from the others was the fact that he was born
special. What else do you call a child such as him and his 'situation'?

"...I suppose a family is like having one, or many, around you that support, care for, and
love you unconditionally." She started, deciding to answer the boy's query. "Depending on
your role, it means to be better and do better for your loved ones. As a mother, I was
responsible for setting an example for my Children. Children grow through
observation, so my actions reflect my children. Being with them, raising them, was a joy
I cannot even put into words. Being around them, as well as watching as they grew into
their own, brought me happiness. I cannot hope to understand what it is like to be a
child, but I do know that family is there for you to lean on and be a pillar to build
from."

"Woooooah." The blonde whispered dreamily at the end of his friend's explanation, not even
he expecting such an in-depth explanation from the usually stern woman. "I want a family
now." He declared, something building within him.

"Family isn't something you can simply have on a whim, Child. It most cases, you are
born with it. In your case, you must first be fostered into one through adoption. If that
fails, then you must build one of your own."

"How do I do that, Onee-san?" Sothis paused, noticing subtle twitches of excitement showing
on the boy's face.

"To create one's own, it is typically done through marriage. After marriage, other
'means' are required...that of which you are too young to understand the complexity of,
nor am I willing to explain any further." Deciding that was a good place to stop, the
Divine brought their attention back to the board, the way the boy deflated bringing no joy to
her. She was only halfway through opening her mouth to explain when the boy interrupted
her.

"Can I ask one more thing, Onee-san?"

"...Go ahead, Child," She waved, trying to hide her frustration at being interrupted.

"What is love?"

The question honestly caused her pause. It was not one she was expecting from a child, nor
was she prepared to answer. The sheer complexity of it was such that not even she
understood, yet has undoubtedly felt it many times before in her life. A hand came to
massage her chin as she thought about the best way to answer such a difficult question.

"It is, joy, I suppose? It is sometimes unconditional, all-encompassing, timeless and

expansive, something that even a Divine cannot truly explain. It is a feeling that must be
experienced to be understood. As a mother, I loved my children to the point I was
willing to fulfill their every need, guide them through whatever, and protect them more
fiercely. It was a feeling I don't think I've ever felt before. It is a force like no other, and
is said to be the most powerful emotion one could feel. I cannot explain it further than
that."

The blonde sat with rapt attention as his friend spoke. He didn't understand the feeling she
was talking about, but it intrigued him.

Just like that, questions began to form in his head. If it was truly as powerful as she said, then
could it fix him? Would he be like the others if he felt this 'love'?
It was with that thought that a realization came to him.

"I would do anything for you, Onee-san. Does that mean I love you?"

His friend's eyes went flat. "You've barely known me a week, Child. One is not capable of
developing such a bond within such a short timeframe."

"...Then, how can I love you?"

"I cannot answer that, Child. It is something only you can." The more she answered, the
more the blonde did not like the answer. It led to a question he wasn't so sure he wanted an
answer for.

"Do you, not love me, Onee-san?"

"I consider you company, Child, but I do not love you. As I've said before, that takes
time. You are not one of my children, so I do not bear the same unconditional love I held
for them." The admission made him feel something ugly. He didn't understand what it was,
but he knew he didn't like it. Yet still, he held on to her previous words, almost desperate.

"Then, will you eventually love me?"

"...It is a possibility." The words immediately erased the ugliness inside. "I may harbor no
feelings of love for you now, but the same cannot be said for the future. Nevertheless, we
are one. I am likely to be with you till your end, so it is inevitable that I feel some way
towards you before your life comes to an end. Just pray that 'hate' isn't one of them."

A determined glint came to the boy's face as he said, "You're all I have, so I want to love you,
and you love me, Onee-san." The boy's confession brought a smirk to the Divine's face.

"That is the future, but this is now," she pointed back to the game board, the blonde
following along after his curiosity was sated. "This here is the Pawn. It can only move
forward two squares at the beginning, and one after-"

Konohagakure

Orphanage

Suzuki Yami had many ambitions in life, most of which were fulfilled while the rest lay in
hiatus until further notice. Everything she'd ever set out to accomplish had been given the
time and dedication she thought prudent for the task. If she wanted a certification, she put in
the work to get it. If she wanted a job, she was not above playing dirty to make sure she was
the best candidate. If she wanted a one-night stand, she knew exactly what bar to go to and
who to chat up. She learned from a young age that nothing in this life was given to you, and
the actions you took to achieve success always bore fruit in some way, shape, or form. Her
father had always told her to 'work hard in the present so you don't have to in the future' and
she'd taken those words to heart to this day.
At age 24, she'd gotten her own merchant license and was only days away from opening the
store she'd invested in.

That is, until she utterly and royally screwed up.

No one is perfect. People often chase perfection and are never truly satisfied despite the time,
money, and effort they put into it. Yami's lack of perfection was all too clear the day she
made but one simple mistake and destroyed her business before it could even open. A
mistake that not only cost her the biggest opportunity in her life but also dropped her back
down to square one. She became penniless, jobless, and if not for her father, nearly homeless.
The tears she shed the day she ended up back on her father's doorstep were the longest she'd
ever shed since her mother's funeral. It felt horrible—like she'd lost her very purpose to live.
Like she was trapped in a pool of misery with no one to pull her out.

But, as they say, that's life, and when it kicks you down, you are expected to get back up or
end up like those bums in the slums.

Though her dreams of becoming a merchant were forever shattered, the connections she
made during her rise proved to have pulled her through. Though she could no longer pursue
her dream job, the job that was offered to her was arguably a more fulfilling path. Good
hours, safe environment, decent pay, great staff, and all she had to do was watch some kids?
It didn't get any easier than that.

Though some of her ambitions remained unfulfilled, she could honestly say she didn't regret
it. At age 28, she was still single and had no kids to her name, but after working in an
orphanage for 6 years and dealing with the little devils for over 12 hours a day, she could say
with full confidence that motherhood just wasn't for her. She worked here at the orphanage
for the paycheck, and she was not ashamed to say so. It paid her bills, kept her off the street,
and away from shinobi activities. That's how she liked her life—stress-free and away from
any real danger.

That is, until the Kyuubi attack.

Yami knew firsthand how life could change over night. Her first taste of it was when her
mother died. Being a shinobi, her mother and father both knew the very real likelihood that at
any moment she wouldn't come home. It was a reality that they both accepted and went
through with their marriage despite her father being a civilian. Despite their adversity, they
bought their own house, built their own small business, and had her.

Then her mother died in the war. She was only 9 at the time and didn't understand why her
mother was never coming home, but her father was always there for her and did his best to
fill the gap her mother left despite working himself to the bone. Shortly after, her father lost
his business, and he had to find new work to pay off the house. Despite that though, her
father made sure to make enough money to send her to school. Her meals at home were
nothing compared to the years before her mother's death and the business flopping, but
knowing her father was doing everything for her future was something she could never repay
him for. The loss of her career was definitely a setback, but the gain she got from losing it
was hardly a loss at all.
The Kyuubi attack, however, put all her previous experiences to shame by a large margin.

She got lucky that night. Instead of going home, she decided to take an extra night shift with
the orphanage's keeper and pull in a little overtime to help ease her father's shoulders a bit
with the bills.

It was that very same decision that saved her life but cost her the last moments she would
ever have with her father.

The orphanage had been far enough away from the attack to not have been hit when the
Kyuubi attacked, but the damn beast practically landed on her house and destroyed
everything and everyone within the vicinity. Her father, her remaining living relative, was
gone—crushed under his own home, no doubt in his sleep. If that didn't make things even
worse, the orphanage's keeper had been killed by flying debris while trying to escort the
children to the shelters; the sight of her being decapitated just yards away still haunts her to
this day.

Days later, she was all too aware of how her life had changed once again. Being the last of
her family held a weight on her shoulders far heavier than she'd ever thought possible. Going
to work became even more of a chore than it was previously, and she couldn't remember the
last time she'd had a genuine smile.

Then the Hokage himself came to the orphanage. The grandfatherly old man known as
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked right up to her one day as she was tending to the garden with a
woman she'd never seen before and a bundle of sheets in the old man's arms. She
remembered being so surprised that she'd embarrassingly dropped the watering pot, spilling
its contents into the grass. She remembered stuttering helplessly as the Hokage laughed her
off and asked to come inside. She remembered sending all the kids to the playroom for the
rest of the day while her and the rest of the staff gathered in the staff room. She remembered
accompanying the Hokage introducing herself as the new orphanage's Keeper. She
remembered the new rules and procedures being placed into order—specifically for the child
in the Hokage's arms. She remembered asking just who the kid was that was being brought
into their orphanage. She remembered the serious look that crossed the new Keeper and
Hokage's face before four masked men appeared in the room and 'sealed' them inside.

Then she remembered the Hokage revealing the 'not so secret' secret behind the boy in his
arms.

Half the staff quit that day, leaving about 8 keepers to watch over 76 newly orphaned children
among the 31 that were already present. It was a choice given to them by the Hokage after the
big reveal and the fear he no doubt saw in their eyes. Soon after, there was one hand in the
air. Then another. And another. And another. And another. Until there were only eight out of
the 20 still employed. She was sure that, just like her, the only reason the rest of them didn't
quit was because they had no other job to go to. Most of the ones who'd quit were either
young and still had other options available to them, or too old to deal with the shitstorm that
would come with their new orphan.

She remembered the Hokage firmly stating that the safety of the child was in their hands and
they were to make sure no harm or mistreatment would come to him if at all possible. He said
it so firmly that it almost sounded like a threat—a threat Yami wasn't dumb enough to not
take heed of. If they wanted the immortal super demon that had not only killed her father, but
just over 200 shinobi and 400 citizens, then who was she to speak up against the man who
apparently knew what was best for the village? She would do her job as a caretaker and have
as little interaction with the little demon as possible. That was the plan, at least.

However, as time progressed and wounds failed to heal, she became all too aware that the
baby wasn't exactly what you'd call 'normal'. For one, the whiskers on the boy's face were a
dead giveaway to who he was. The only other thing that could possibly give it away more
would be a sign slapped on his back saying 'I'm the Kyuubi'. The other fact that wasn't very
noticeable was that the bangs of the kid's hair seemed to have just changed over night. Once
showing signs of blonde growth, it suddenly morphed into a bright light green in the front.
When the new keeper saw the demon's sudden transformation, the boy disappeared from the
orphanage for over a month. He appeared shortly after, but it was still a weird experience that
ended up being nothing.

Then came the glaringly obvious trait that screamed 'abnormal'.

Babies did not have a form of communication per se. However, when there is something
wrong with them or they are feeling anything in particular, the most obvious sign they give is
crying. It tells whoever is around that there is something either wrong or something they
desperately need, which gives humans the signal to tend to their needs.

This kid, however, hadn't let out so much as a yelp since he'd arrived.

It absolutely terrified the rest of the staff, she more so. He had never, ever, shed even a single
year. He had not shown anger, joy, hate, or empathy for Kami's sake! It was as if he had not
been born with the ability to show any emotion other than the neutral stare glued permanently
to his face.

Then again, what exactly were they to expect from a demon? The demon could probably be
plotting all their demises and no one would ever know. He could be learning all their ways
through sight alone while shutting down all other functions to save energy. Then, once all
their guards were down, he would take the form of the nearest human he knew all the
functions of and 'replace' them when the opportunity arose.

The idea was completely and utterly ludicrous and probably just her paranoia as the daughter
of a kunoichi, but what else was she supposed to think when there's a living bomb at her
place of work and she couldn't tell a soul about it even if everyone else also knows it?

Nothing; apparently. And that's exactly how it remained four years later.

The boy was older now, coming to just below her knee in height with a poker face that could
put even the best gambler to shame. To absolutely no one's surprise, the demon's social skills
were nonexistent, and the other kids regularly avoided him.

Not from anything it did, mind you. In fact, she'd seen on many occasions where the demon
tried socializing with the rest of the kids but fell flat—in some cases, literally.
But Yami was smart. If it was a demon and it was recording everything that had been done
and said to it even in its younger years, then she didn't want to be the first one it came after
personally in the future when it reached full maturity. Looking out for herself more than
anything else, she interacted with it.

The first and obviously glaring problem was that it barely knew how to converse. It was
probably an act—it patiently waiting for her to put her guard down with its ignorance before
taking her soul in a back alley, but over time she wasn't too sure if it was an act or not.
Despite it showing no emotion, there was a clear cloud of depression hanging over it
whenever it watched the other kids play.

So, in an act of stupidity, she decided to teach it how to read and speak. It was her duty, and
she did it out of fear, not kindness. No one else would do it, so it was the perfect opportunity
for her to get some brownie points with the thing before it inevitably killed everything around
it once it regained its true form. Maybe it would spare her, or kill her quickly and painlessly
when remembering this small act of kindness...maybe...

Either way, to absolutely no one's surprise, the thing picked things up easily. She had only
started teaching it for a week, and the very words she taught it were being spit out into
sentences within the month. A month later, it was writing in perfect Kanji! Kanji drawn
leagues better than her at that age! Ain't that some shit? It took her years of practice and
handwork to get her handwriting legible and the demon did it in less than a month! How is
that fair?

It would also seem that training the thing had some unforetold consequences.

She had told herself that she was simply being kind to the demon to preserve her own life
instead of out of the kindness of her heart. She thought there was nothing wrong with that,
seeing that it was just human nature to want to preserve your own life over others.

However, she should have known that not everyone would be as smart as her. Her co-workers
had on numerous occasions tried 'dissuading' her from teaching the demon human tongue, but
she shrugged them off. They were all either too scared of the demon and what would happen
to them if they were close or too blinded by their own hatred to see the bigger picture. This
wasn't about kindness, but necessity. If she wanted to die a painless death or live in whatever
'utopia' the demon makes of the land after its eventual rise to resurrections, then she didn't
want to be the one remembered negatively. Nothing more, nothing less, for the umpteenth
time!

As expected, they began to distance themselves from her, along with nearly everyone outside
of the orphanage as well. Names like 'demon lover' or 'demon whore' have begun making
their way to her ears almost daily now. But that was OK. Yomi didn't have many friends to
begin with. Her father was her only true friend, and he was killed by the same thing that was
so powerful and wise it lived dating back to the Rikudou Sennin himself. That meant it was
immortal and was more than willing to hold a grudge seeing that it waited nearly 100 years to
get revenge on Konoha after its defeat by the First Hokage. If losing a couple of friends is the
price to pay for her survival, then so be it.
But that wasn't all. 'Fraternizing' with the demon unintentionally made the thing prefer her
company to the other kids and workers. To be honest, she didn't know what to think of that.
She was happy that the demon had finally noticed her efforts, even if she couldn't see exactly
what it thought of her through that poker face it wore, but she also didn't know if she should
fear what exactly it was planning for her. If it was a nice demon (which chances of that being
true were slim to none), then she'd succeeded in her mission, and her survival for the future
was all but guaranteed. However, if it wasn't so benevolent, then she could only hope
whatever it had planned for her would be quick and painless.

But that was the future, and this was now.

Now included was her watching the thing move different shapes of rocks and pebbles on a
checkered pattern written neatly in the dirt.

It looked like a Shogi board, but the moves it would make with the pieces and the
arrangement of said pieces at the beginning of the game were foreign to her. At a glance, it
would simply look like a kid had created a game of his own and was entertaining himself.

But this was no boy.

The game was no doubt one he'd played many times, seeing the fluidity in which it moved
the pieces and analyzing which move would be good and which wouldn't. A game that
looked to challenge the mind, however limited it may be while playing by itself.

The demon looked up to her and she immediately put on the joyless smile she'd always given.
What the thing did in its spare time was of no importance to her.

What was important was her survival, and nothing would get in the way of that.

Fodlan

Hevring

Byleth knew she was different.

She was only 7, but stood out in a crowd like a red stain on white robes. For one, her hair was
blue. Not the most unnatural color out there, but it was more than enough to draw the eye.
The second was her utter lack of presence. That may seem weird considering her previous
statement, but that was more of a visual thing. Most highly trained fighters and mages were
able to instinctively feel the mana in the air to tell if there were people nearby. The mana in
their bodies would resonate with the mana around them and act somewhat like a beacon. It
was difficult to perform, and very few people were able to always have it on, but even the
few who did, for whatever reason, did not think the same logic applied to her. She was like a
ghost—a very visible ghost whose permanent poker face did not help her case. It seemed to
terrify those same amazing fighters, but she was still too young to truly understand why.

The last two, and most glaringly obvious, things you'd see the moment you saw her were the
four marks on her cheeks that closely resembled whiskers—the second being the permanent
ink on her stomach that held strangely patterned symbols the likes of which no one in Fodlan
had likely ever seen.

But believe it or not, she didn't always look like this. In fact, it was only a few days ago when
she was completely normal—well, more 'normal' than she is now, at least.

It was just like any other day. Her father had needed some supplies before they could
continue on their next mission to Rusalka. She wanted to ask her father what type of mission
it was since they were traveling all the way there from Hevring, but decided against it since
she knew he'd reply the way he always does: It's adult business, kiddo. You'll know when we
get there'.

Anyway, she had been told to wait outside the smithy where they were currently getting their
supplies. Being the kid she was, her attention span wavered easily and she quickly grew
bored of the toy sword her father had given her to keep her occupied while he worked. She
wanted to play with someone, but the only one who was usually willing, her guard at the
time, Finnie, was too busy doing 'adult talk' with the flower girl across the street (despite
being a girl herself). Bored and out of options, she decided to take a walk around the small
village. She figured if she got lost, all she had to do was ask the nearest villager to point her
in the right direction to her father. After wondering for about 30 minutes, Finnie, who looked
out of breath and was sweating profusely, found her and gave her a harsh scolding before
dragging her back to the smithy.

However, halfway there, Byleth began to feel… wrong. She couldn't describe the feeling at
the time considering she wasn't privy to a whole lot due to her age, but it felt like something
was twisting in her heart-

No, the problem was her heart.

For as long as she lived, she never heard it beat. Not even once. Now, it was suddenly beating
really fast. Faster than even she thought it was supposed to beat for a normal human being. It
didn't hurt, but it felt very uncomfortable. Scared, she had reached out to ask Finnie if she
knew what was wrong with her body. Finnie was a leech, but she was really smart at times
and Byleth was sure she would know what was going on.

That's when her body jerked, and she began to feel the worst pain she would ever experience
in her life. She had fallen to the ground and began writhing while screaming at the top of her
lungs from the agony she was feeling in her chest. It felt like someone was reaching into her
chest and pulling out her heart. She remembered the tears running down her face and the
absolutely terrified look on Finnie's face as she panicked to find a solution to her sudden
agony.

She could barely see through blurry eyes, but something else was apparently happening since
she saw multiple blurs run past her. Finnie was looking even more distraught, and eventually
picked her up and began running with her somewhere that was, hopefully, her father. If
anyone knew, then her father would know what to do about the pain she was feeling that was
not going away.
Not even a minute into their run, she was dropped harshly on the ground and rolled a few
meters before coming to a stop on her stomach. The pain had now stretched to her entire
body, and it felt like she was on fire. She just wanted the pain to stop. She wanted her father
—no, anyone—to stop the pain she was feeling. She opened her eyes desperately and looked
through her tears to find anyone who would be her savior.

What she saw instead was something she wished she could forget every day. Finnie, her
blonde strands painted to her face by the sweat, was staring right back at her with wide eyes
that held no light. Despite the pain, Byleth was able to scan down the woman's face and
would throw up if she could at the sight. Her entire body, from the neck down, was gone. But
more than her body, it was where her body was that raised the already distraught girl's fear to
the max.

A…beast, for a lack of a better word, was tearing and ripping apart what used to be Finnie's
body. The monster towered over her easily and had a width of about 4 meters and length of
over 8. It's entire skin was blackened, and bones outlined its dark skin. Past this monster,
there were multiple other similar monsters raiding the village and attacking anything that
moved. She was sure some of the mercenaries were fighting off the beasts invading this place
and could scream for help, but she was too focused on the monster tearing her friend apart
and the pain she was still in to think properly.

Then the monster turned its gaze to her, and she felt real fear. Its red eyes were locked on her,
and she could do nothing but shake in place. It suddenly began sniffing the air as if looking
for something on her. As if finding a better meal, it casually tossed away the mangled corpse
in its opposable hands and slowly walked towards her.

She would never forget that moment. She felt fear, pain, and anguish, but as the monster grew
closer and closer, the pain began to become more and more bearable until a new emotion
began bubbling in her gut.

Rage. Pure, unadulterated rage. Rage for that monster for taking away one of her friends, rage
for the people these things killed mercilessly, and rage for all the pain she was in. She just
felt, so, angry!

She didn't see her skin reddening. She didn't see the bubbling aura erupt from her body. She
didn't see the scarred whisker marks forming on her face become more feral.

All she saw was red.

Then she was on all fours and charging right at the beast that had killed one of her friends.

It didn't even get a chance to put up a fight. It was tackled to its back with the force of a wind
spell. She began to use her now-elongated nails to tear open the beast while it writhed in
agony. She did not stop clawing at its stomach, throat, and anything else she could get her
hands on until it was no longer moving.

Once it stopped moving, she moved like an enchanted arrow towards the next big beast and
did the exact same, disregarding the little humans that got injured by standing in her way.
These beasts needed to pay for killing her friend, and she wouldn't stop until every last one of
them was dead.

When all had been slain, she stood huffing in the middle of a bloodied village. Multiple
corpses, both human and monster, lay at her feet while she was covered head to toe with the
blood of both. Those who got in her way were slain, and those who looked like monsters
were slain. No one was given mercy because none deserved any.

Even the human that was slowly walking towards her. His orange armor, blonde hair and…
familiar…

"D... Dad?"

It was the first time she'd heard her voice outside of the screaming she'd been doing since
before her rampage. It was deep and sounded scarier than she'd ever remembered it being.
This, this wasn't her. This couldn't be her!

She finally got a good look at her surroundings, and her eyes widened almost to inhuman
proportions. The bubbly red aura had begun flowing to her stomach, disappearing completely
soon after.

But she wasn't paying attention to that. All she could see was the destruction that was once a
peaceful village. The bodies that lay motionless everywhere—some killed by the monsters,
while the others…others…

Before she knew it, she was engulfed by strong arms. She glanced to her left and was met
with a mop of blonde hair. Seconds later, she could hear soothing words being whispered into
her ear, and tears began flowing down her cheeks for the second time in an hour. That day,
she showed more emotion than she'd shown her entire life, and showed much more years
after.

When next she woke, it was on something very hard. Blinking away the blurriness, she
weakly pushed herself to her feet and absentmindedly acknowledged the fact that her body
was no longer in pain while she checked her new surroundings. She had never seen a
dungeon before in her short life. Most of what she'd heard of it were from stories told by the
other mercenaries or Finnie jokingly saying she'd take her there if she was ever a bad girl.

Seeing the bars, bones, and chains that surrounding her immediately confirmed what was
honestly one of her worst fears. Tears immediately began to build in her eyes, and her body
shook uncontrollably at the reality. If not for the fact she was outside the bars instead of
inside them or the fact she knew her father would never leave her in such a scary place, she
would have already broken down.

Instead, she began her trek forward and through the scary dark halls. Aside from the sounds
of rats and crickets, it would seem she was the only one here. The corridors were all narrow
and seemed to go on forever, but after walking for what felt like hours, she could confirm that
she was the only one here. She was about to start calling for her father, damn the
consequences, when she saw the only stairway in her long walk. It seemed to go down, but
she didn't yet know if it lead either deeper into the dungeon or out of it since there were no
windows to check her landmarks. Torches lit the path all the way to a door below that seemed
far too ominous for her liking.

Swallowing her fear, she pushed her shaking legs to the door and hoped the exit was down
there. Sandaled feet echoed through the corridor all the way to the door that was a good 7 feet
taller than herself. She feared she wouldn't be able to open it, but to her surprise, it opened
easily despite her strength and size. With a single push, the door opened fully, and she
immediately knew this wasn't the exit. The room she had opened was yet another dungeon—
one almost 50 times larger than the one she's seen before. Bars so larger it looked as if it
could hold back a dragon stood before her. Giant torches lit the room a soft golden color and
made the darkness behind the bars even scarier than before.

Despite the fear she was feeling in this room and despite not being able to see just what those
bars held behind them, Byleth stepped forward. She didn't know where the exit was, but she
could only hope it was somewhere in this room.

Halfway through her search, movement had her suddenly frozen stiff. Slowly, she turned her
head to look into the awaiting darkness once more.

A giant-no, titanic pair of red eyes looked back down at her, and for the second time in her
life, her heart leaped into her throat. For the first time in many years, she lost control of her
bladder.

And as the creature roared a name, she lost consciousness completely.

 Chapter 3

The first time the boy met the Hokage, he would later admit it wasn't exactly during his
'proudest' moments.

For one, he wasn't exactly in what you'd call a 'good mood', even if most couldn't tell by
looking at him. He'd been thrown out of four stores today alone, and he still didn't understand
why. He'd even brought money to pay for the items he wanted, but none of the adults would
take his money—some even going as far as to accuse him of stealing even though he'd found
that money himself. He even asked Suzuki-san if it was right to keep the money, to which she
happily replied with 'anything you find is rightfully yours to keep'. Onee-san said the same, if
not in bigger words that went in one ear and out the other.

So why wouldn't anyone take his money? He knew he didn't steal it, so why did they not
believe him? Why did they keep kicking him out when he tried defending himself? Why did
they keep calling him a demon? Absolutely none of it made sense to the boy, and it only left
him bitter and sad.

If he was being honest, he didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse that he could physically
show how much their words and actions hurt him. If they knew, would they have taken his
money then? Was it because he was different from other kids that everyone hated him? Why
was being different so wrong, and why did everyone care so much? The question made the
boy feel something within, which only increased upon not understanding the ugly feeling
filling his body.

And it was in that moment of confusion that he bumped into a wall, which was just weird
because he was sure he was walking down a street and not an alley. Slowly looking up, he
noticed the wall was red. Correction: It was wearing red and white. Said wall also had a face
—wrinkled, but a face none the less.

And that same face was smiling down at him.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise," the wall said in this grandfatherly tone that seemed to want
to put him at ease. "Now what is a young man like yourself doing walking the streets at this
hour?"

The boy blinked at the wall. Looking around him, he noticed something significantly
different about his surroundings than before. For one, the sun was now behind the tall gates,
and the street lamps had replaced the light the sun took with it. Looking back up at the wall,
the boy thought about an answer he could give. None came, so he replied with a simple shrug
that was followed by a chuckle from the wall.

"Well, how's about I walk you to your home? Wouldn't want you getting lost now, would
we?"
Despite the grandfatherly assurance and lack of hostility, the boy made no move to follow the
old wall. "Suzuka-san said not to go with strangers."

The wall chuckled as if he'd just told a joke. "Ohoho! My boy, surely you know who I am."

"No." The immediate flat response made the old man trip despite standing still. He
recomposed himself quickly enough, but his smile was somewhat strained.

"A-ah, you were far too young when last I visited... but surely an orphan knows the-"

"How did you know I was an orphan, old man?"

The wall faltered. "Uh, well-"

"First you want to tell me to walk with you, then you assume I don't have parents? You are
very suspicious, Ji-Ji." The wall's jaw hit the ground at his accusation.

"Wha! Me? Suspicious?!" He pointed at himself animatedly before directing his attention to
his hat. "Don't you see the symbol, brat? I'm the HOKAGE!"

Despite the outburst, the boy didn't even twitch. He remained composed despite the wall
seemingly losing his cool. Gears were currently moving in his head at the word 'Hokage', the
word sounding familiar even if the old wall was suspicious. A moment later, a fist met his
palm and he stared up to the old man with recognition. "Ah... you're Lord Third. This makes
sense now."

The newly revealed Hokage composed himself after finally getting recognized and tried to
bring himself back to their previous topic. "Hmph, well, at least you aren't ignorant. Now, as I
was saying, how's about we get you back to-"

The man was interrupted as a hungry stomach made itself known. The boy blinked up at the
Hokage before looking down to the sound's origin, to which his stomach once again howled
from lack of substance.

"Ah... I'm hungry..."

The Hokage smiled at the opportunity given.

"Say, my boy, have you ever had Ramen?"

Ichiraku Ramen Shop

"Here you go! Two Large Miso Ramen Bowls on the house! Hope you two enjoy!" Hiruzen
gave his thanks to the Ramen Shop owner before looking over at the youngster next to him.
The boy's chopsticks were already separated and digging into the broth. It would seem that
even though the kid didn't show emotion, that didn't necessarily mean he didn't feel them.
That eager slurping was definitely excitement if he'd ever seen it.
"Ohohohohoho! Slow down, my boy. I promise the food is going nowhere." His words fell on
deaf ears. The boy continued to absorb the bowl, Hiruzen opting to follow his lead. Hiruzen
was only able to get a few noodles into his mouth before he looked over and saw the boy had
already finished, soup and all. From the way he longingly looked at the empty bowl, Hiruzen
could deduce that one just wouldn't cut it. "Oi! Teuchi-san, another bowl for the lad."

"Coming right up, Hokage-sama!"

The second bowl was out in no time, and the boy tore into it with equal vigor. It was the same
for the third bowl and the fourth. It wasn't until the fifth that he slowed down considerably,
finally choosing to savor the noodles over inhaling them. The Hokage had tried starting
conversation with the boy on many occasions, but the boy seemed content with only giving
short and to-the-point answers. It matched what his ANBU had described, but it didn't make
it any easier to deal with personally. He was going to try his luck at conversation again when,
to his surprise, it was the boy who took the initiative—through noodles and broth, of course.

"Jiji, what's a Hokage?" The words were barely recognizable with the food still stuck in his
mouth, but the question made the aged man's eyes widen.

"Oh? Asking me a question for a change? And here I thought you only tolerated this old man
because he was buying you dinner." Despite the man's lighthearted tone, the boy's face
remained the same mask he'd held throughout their entire encounter. He seemed frozen for a
moment before the noodles he hadn't finished disappeared behind his lips. Swallowing, there
was another lull in the silence before the boy spoke so low that the Hokage almost didn't hear
him.

"...No one really listens when I talk, so I don't."

Hiruzen's smile dropped, Teuchi's chopping in the background also slowing at the boy's
words. "And who told you such a lie, my boy?"

"No lie, Jiji. Just a fact. When I want to make friends, everyone ignores me. When I want
something, no one helps, so I stopped trying." Saying his peace, the boy went back to
slurping the remainder of his noodles, his vigor from before noticeably missing. Hiruzen
looked back down at his own bowl that was now cold and noticeably soggy, but even if it
wasn't, he'd already lost his appetite. Pushing the bowl aside, the Hokage looked over to the
boy who'd just finished his own. Even though his face was unreadable, the atmosphere told it
all. And Hiruzen was resolved to change that.

"Say, my boy, do you want to wear my hat?"

The child's answer was a confused blink. The only thing the blonde could find that was even
remotely unique about the hat was its weird diamond shape and the single kanji on the front
that was surrounded by white while the rest of the hat was red. From his lessons with Suzuki-
san, he could tell the Kanji on the front stood for 'fire', but it didn't make it any more
interesting.

"Not really. It's just a stupid hat." The blonde's reply, surprisingly, got the old man to smile
wider.
"Ah, but this isn't just any stupid hat, my boy. It's a special stupid hat." The old man spoke,
removing said hat from his head and revealing his gray locks to the world. "Tell me, son, do
you know what a shinobi is?"

The boy didn't know where the old man was going with this, but he nodded slowly anyways.
"Suzuki-san said they protect the village from bad people and hurt those who hurt others." As
lacking as the answer was, the old man nodded.

"You are correct, my boy. However, there is more to a shinobi's life than just protecting and
serving." The aged Hokage smiled fondly at the hat in his hands. "A shinobi's job is to defend
their homeland from threats both inside and out. A shinobi is someone who is willing to risk
their lives for their home and the people within it. A shinobi is one who trains relentlessly to
protect the things and people they care about and open a future for the home they are
protecting. A shinobi is one who willingly goes through days of torture to keep the secrets of
their home away from those who wish harm upon their loved ones." An old hand rubbed the
Kanji almost lovingly as this look came across his face that the blonde could not understand.

The words that came next were said in almost a whisper, "…for the true measure of a shinobi
is not how he lives, but how he dies."

Silence once again engulfed the two, but looking over at the blonde told Hiruzen it was no
longer filled with that fertile awkwardness. In fact, the boy looked to be paying more
attention than he had in the last hour since their meeting.

"This hat, my boy, is a symbol that you understand and uphold the shinobi code. The one who
wears this hat is not only viewed as a true shinobi, but also holds the power and allegiance of
all Konoha shinobi. In other words, this hat is the symbol that you have not only been
acknowledged as the strongest ninja in the village, but have also achieved the peak of a
shinobi's career in Konohagakure no Sato."

"So, I ask again: do you want to wear my stupid hat?"

The boy hesitated while looking at the hat outstretched to him.

"But, I'm not the strongest... and I'm not a shinobi..."

"Maybe, but as Hokage, I also make the rules. Which means I can let anyone I want where
my stupid hat." The boy looked up at the grandfatherly smile the old man gave before
looking back down at the hat. With clear hesitation, he reached out and grabbed said hat.
Taking it from the old man, the boy absentmindedly thought about how much heavier it was
than it looked before placing it on his own head.

It felt, heavy. It wasn't very comfortable at all, yet the old man willingly wore it every day.

"Jiji," the boy whispered.

"Yes, son?"

"Do you... Do you think, an orphan like me can, become Hokage?"

A smile grew as Hiruzen reassured, "My boy, anything is possible with hard work and the
Will of Fire. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

The boy sat on the words and Hiruzen was content to let his mind wonder.

"Then, can I be a shinobi, too?"

Outwardly, Hiruzen's smile grew wide, but inwardly, he felt a relief he'd never known was
there be lifted from his shoulders.

"What's your name, my boy?"

Brown orbs met green for what felt like the first time.

"...Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

Unknown Location

Sothis sat on her throne as she observed the old man through her ward's eyes.

The boy was being groomed, something that was painfully plain to see. It was to be expected
of the leader of a nation where their main source of military strength began with training their
young to eventually be their front-line force, but that didn't mean the Divine approved of this
world's motives or methods. However, as bright as she liked to believe her ward to be, it
would seem he was not yet mature enough to catch such subtle hints of manipulation.

...But that was no concern of hers. What the boy wished to do with his life was ultimately his
choice (not that he really had much control of it either way). She only hoped he lived long
enough for her to find a way to free herself and return to her own realm.

She only hoped he would keep the shenanigans to a minimum...

Oh, who was she kidding? Trouble in her new life was an inevitability the moment she was
placed in Naruto Uzumaki's head.

Fodlan

Church

Four days.

It had been four days since the incident in Hevring.

It did not take long for word to spread. In the Adrestian Empire, it was not uncommon for
villages to disappear. In fact, the Adrestian Empire was home to many demonic beasts, with
just one being enough to challenge a battalion. But a horde of them? The thought alone
would bring even the toughest warrior dread.
And his daughter had done the impossible and killed more than even an army could handle.

Looking down on the girl who hadn't even twitched in her coma since that day, Jeralt looked
to the man who had called him back into the room. He was removing the straps that Jeralt
had reluctantly allowed, a contemplative frown on his face as he did so. The man, a priest,
was the only hope Jeralt had of finding out what happened to his daughter. He'd been to
healers across the Adresian Empire, even nobles, yet none of them could find even an inkling
of something wrong with the girl. Everyone of them said the same thing in the end, and it
pissed him off so much that he nearly threw a healer through a window. Out of options and
running out of patience, Jeralt decided to go to the one place he thought could help her: the
Church.

Thankfully, the church was a minor one southwest of the Hevring and not the monastery, the
fact being the only reason Jeralt yielded in the end, even if the priest was likely to report this
to Rhea afterward. Nevertheless, he was out of options, and his child's continued existence
was more important than his paranoia.

Now, he stood quiet as he listened to the priest give his final analysis.

"Well, I can at least assure you that there is nothing externally wrong with the child, Sir
Jeralt." The mercenary immediately sighed, not in relief, but in frustration. Yet another
person to tell him the exact same thing. "Sir, I don't believe you're grasping the importance of
my words." The remark caused Jeralt to focus intensely on the priest.

"So you've found something then?" He asked, sounding more desperate than he thought
possible for him. The priest confirmed it not with a gesture, but with words.

"The mana within is like nothing I've ever seen before. Everyone has the potential to wield
Miracle magic, but in order to do so, there must first be faith in the Goddess as well as mana
to pull from. That mana is located in the soul of every living being, a gift given by the
Goddess upon her first descent onto Fodlan. However, and I cannot stress this enough, your
child's Mana pool has been dangerously tainted by a malicious, almost living aura that I'm
not even sure is of this world."

Despite his years as a warrior and mastering the art of suppressing his emotions, Jeralt found
it difficult to fight the worry from showing on his face.

"I do not know what this foreign substance is, nor do I know how to remove it safely without
it tainting my own. I have tried making a connection to the source by way of linking our
cores through my own miracle mana, but the foreign substance tried clinging to my own. If I
had let go even a millisecond later, we possibly wouldn't be having this conversation."

The priest let out a sigh as he lifted his glasses to rub his tired eyes.

"Sir Jeralt, I have seen a lot in my day. I have cured diseases and even helped exercise a
demon once upon a time. However, I fear this case may be far above even the Archbishop
herself. In fact, I doubt anyone short of the Goddess herself can fix the battle that is currently
raging inside this child."
Jeralt felt himself age a few years at the man's deduction. He felt his knees begin to weaken,
and he was increasingly finding it hard to control his breathing. He began thinking of how all
of this had come to be. What had they done in the last week for such a curse to be placed
upon them? Who had they angered? Was this Rhea's doing? Was this why she wished to keep
her? Question after question plagued him, yet there was only one he could ask at the moment.

"What, are my options?"

The sigh from the priest was answer enough.

"You, may not like my answer, Sir." Instead of answering, Jeralt simply stared at the priest.
His tired eyes said enough, and the priest whispered a short prayer before his voice returned.
"Truth be told, you only have two—both of which can be considered cruel, depending on
your perspective. The first is to do nothing. Thankfully, the malevolence within her seems to
have made a home in her core. It does not seem to be attacking any of her vitals or even
attempting to break free. In fact, it is constantly giving off pulses of mana that are slowly
spreading through her body—merging with her blood cells and making her far healthier than
any human being I've ever given a physical examination to. I would not be surprised if she
was capable of lifting carriages or even boulders in the near future. The symbiotic
relationship with your daughter has destroyed any chance she ever had at wielding any form
of Miracle magic, but the physical benefits may-"

"Sir, please. Just, get to the point." Jeralt stopped the priest as he suddenly began trailing off
topic.

"R-right. Sorry. To summarize, the malevolence has molded into your daughter's core and
now survives by feeding off whatever mana her body naturally takes in. However, like every
boon, there is always a drawback. I have examined her body, and what I've found is,
troubling. When the malevolence broke free from her core, it not only allowed her inhuman
feats, but also changed parts of her anatomy—the scars on her face and long nails are proof
of this. With this, and the mindless rage you described, I can conclude that the malevolence
also has a grip over her sanity... which leads to the problem. Inside her core, the malevolence
is harmless to anyone not seeking it, including herself. However, the pulses I mentioned
earlier could possibly affect her mentally over time—more so if the girl loses control. Seeing
that you are a soldier, Sir Jeralt, I do not need to tell you the dangers of a walking
Bolganone."

Jeralt felt worse the more the man revealed. It was long and winding, but he understood every
word and kept hoping for some good in it all, even if he knew the chances were slim to none.
"So...how long do you think, she can keep going on...?"

The priest shook his head. "In this case, Sir Jeralt, it's not about 'how long', but 'when'. The
power you speak of is like nothing I've ever heard, even in text. It's demonic, a power no
priest or human should even be near, let alone connected to. I can only hope you make a
decision thinking not only of your daughter but Fodlan as a whole."

Jeralt's anger spiked at what the priest was insinuating. "Are you implying that I..." He
couldn't even finish his sentence, proving the state he was currently in.
"I do not suggest such hard and cruel actions without a heavy heart, Sir Jeralt. Your daughter
is still but a child and has yet to see the world. Dimming her light at such a young age is not
something I wish on anyone, let alone their parents. However, you must also be able to live
with the consequences of your decision. As I said before, the malevolence may not only
affect her physically, but mentally. We have no idea if her core will hold, but even if it did, it
would be meaningless if her mental state slowly morphs. Watching as she changes and
morphs into something completely unrecognizable to the point where she no longer sees you
as kin is a different kind of cruelty in and of itself. If that ever comes to pass, then you cannot
deny that the alternative would assuredly be the lesser of two evils..."

Both stayed quiet at the end of the priest's words. By this point, Jeralt's head had lowered,
thoughts of what he should do and images of the future plaguing him. It was a decision he did
not wish to think about, yet he was forced to accept the responsibility. It was his daughter
they were talking about, yet his morality failed to speak over the typhoon that was his heart.

"...In the end, it is your decision, Sir Jeralt." The priest ended, adding no pressure to the
distraught father.

"...Can I have some time alone with my daughter."

The priest nodded without hesitation and exited the room, leaving Jeralt alone to look down
at the sleeping form of his child. She looked at peace, as she had for the last four days. Her
sleeping face reminded her all too much of his late wife and what she would do in this
situation...

It only took him seconds to notice the tremble of her lips. Soon after, a single tear ran down
her face, followed by many more. Lids began shakily opening, and big blue eyes the color of
the ocean peered up at him. It wasn't till he saw the fear those blue orbs held that he knew
she'd heard at least part, or even everything, of what he and the priest had said.

"D-Dad," her voice was shaky, this being the first time he'd heard an emotion other than the
stoic countenance. "Are you *sniff* a-are you really, going to...to-"

"No!" Jeralt didn't think about whether she still had injuries, nor did he think about the
choices he would have to make. He engulfed his daughter, his only child, into his arms and
allowed her to grip him tight and cry freely on his shoulder. "No. No, I won't, nor will I ever,
kid." A determined glint shone in his eye as he made comforting strokes to her hair. "Don't
worry, kid. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise... I swear it."
 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Sothis stared incredulously at the child standing before her throne, the words he'd declared to
her upon his arrival hanging in the air.

"I want to be a Shinobi, Onee-san."

"Yes, I heard you the first time, but why did you think it prudent to inform me?"

Naruto blinked.

"Because I wanted you to know."

"Yes, but have you not forgotten that I am capable of seeing the world through your
eyes?" The blonde's silence was telling.

"...Aren't you, happy for me?"

The Divine raised a brow, genuinely curious about the question. "You have simply found a
way to fulfill a purpose in life. It is an achievement all humans gain at some point. If I
were to congratulate you on that, then I must also congratulate you on giving your body
proper nourishment for healthy growth...something of which you've been neglecting of
late."

"...You don't have to be mean." The boy said, his cheeks puffing out in an attempt at a pout
but falling flat without the assistance of a furrowed brow.

"There is far more I could do if I wished to hurt you, Child. Finding your way in life at
your age is commendable, but you are still but a child—a child still naive to the world,
no less. What matters and deserves praise are your accomplishments, not your goals.
You may think my words harsh, but I am simply trying to dissuade you from
celebrating accomplishments that mean nothing until work is actually done. You may
not appreciate it now, but you will in the future."

Her peace said, she got comfortable in her seat once more and closed her eyes. Soft footsteps
echoed in her ears, and the feeling of a body in front of her had her peeling her lids open once
more. Sea-foam eyes, followed by blonde hair, greeted her, the boy literally inches away
from her face. Of course the boy had no understanding of the word 'bounderies'.

"What, Child."

"...Can you help me?"

Sothis raised a brow, not expecting the question. "Pardon?"

"Be a shinobi. Can you help me?"

Sothis didn't need long to think on her answer, nor was it what the kid expected it to be.

"No. No, I cannot. Nor will I."

"...Why? Why can't you help me?"

Seeing that she was likely not going to get any sleep, she sat up and leaned against her fist.

"It's not a matter of 'can't', Child. What you ask of me is simply something I do not
wish to have a hand in, especially since you do not fully understand what you have
willingly signed up for. It is, however, irrelevant. It is my choice, and you will respect
that."

"But I do know what I'm doing, Onee-san." The boy tried arguing, not quite yelling, but
definitely with a higher octave than before. "I'm going to become a shinobi. The strongest
shinobi. The Hokage. That way, everyone in the village will have no choice but to
acknowledge me."

Sothis sighed and shook her head at the sheer naivety the child was showing. "I thought you
bright, Child, but it seems I must now retract that." Naruto looked confused at her words.
"The life of a Shinobi is a life filled with gray. It offers promises, yet greed and
opportunity are always hidden beneath the surface. I have explored the world outside
during your absences, and the little I've seen is enough for me to understand the world
you wish to delve in. Those who do not have coin are often taken advantage of by the
strong, and the strong are taken advantage of by the stronger. Allies who you think are
kind are likely using you to further their own gains. It is a world of greed, betrayal, and
hatred, and you think joining an organization, one that thrives off sabotage and murder,
to be wise? No, I will not give my aid, nor my powers to one who could potentially be
the greatest threat this world has seen."

She could tell the boy was stunned. He wasn't expecting her denial, nor was he expecting the
words that followed. Alas, whether he understood her or not, he did understand that she
refused to help him. His he dipped in disappointment as he said, "But, I wish to be strong."

"And there are many other avenues to strength, Child. You are but a kid who does not
yet understand my words, but you will. In the future, you shall thank me, for you will-"

"No." The kid interrupted her, his usual placid features now showing a small frown. "If I
don't become a shinobi, then there will be no future for me. Nothing will change. I'll still be a
nobody with no friends or family, and people will still look down on me. Becoming strong is
the only way for me to be acknowledged."

Sothis understood the boy's anger, yet a bit of irritation began seeping in as she tried to
continue, "As I've stated before-"

"I'll show you." The boy interrupted once again, a determined glint in his eyes. "I'll show you
that I can become Hokage on my own. I'll become the best, and I'll do it without any help. I'll
become strong—the strongest. You'll see."

With that, the boy disappeared from the mindscape, leaving the Divine to stare at where he'd
vanished in silence. A sigh left her lips as she got comfortable once again. To think the
Hokage had such an impact on him with just one encounter...

"Such a bright soul, yet so desperate..." The Divine let out another sigh. "He'll be back."
She finished, the words sounding almost reassuring as she fell back into slumber.

Konoha

Two week later...

It turns out there was quite an oversight that Naruto missed when applying for the academy.

Granted, he should have seen it coming. All the benefits the Academy Principal whispered
into his little ear was enticing, but need he remind you, he was only 4-years-old and still
didn't understand the significance of 'reading the fine print'.

'Orphans who enlist in the academy must be registered by a legal guardian upon their first
day of attendance. However, if there is no legal guardian, the child can declare independence
and will be granted a place of residence through village funds.'

Did you understand any of that? Naruto sure didn't. All he understood was that he could
finally leave the orphanage and join the academy.

Now, living alone doesn't necessarily sound like a bad idea to any prepubescent child. Most
kids would love the freedom that comes with not being told what to do all the time by adults,
having the independence to make choices for themselves, and not having to ever listen to
people constantly scolding them for their 'mistakes'. But alas, the reality of living alone was
all too real.

For one, he had absolutely no idea how to cook, and the fact that no one would particularly
sale to him either was also a harsh reality to him. He also had no idea how to clean aside
from picking up toys, he had no idea how to generally take care of himself aside from taking
a bath, and he had no adult to speak to (physically, at least) if something went wrong. 'You'd
be dead within a week' as his ghostly Onee-san so bluntly stated.

But what other options did he have?

The answer is none.

The only other option he had was to be adopted, but he knew that was a reality that would
only remain in his dreams. To put the final nail in the coffin, he'd asked Suzuki-san to adopt
him, but even she had turned him down. She had tried cheering him up and explaining to him
the reason why she couldn't, but all he could hear was her denying him the first real favor
he'd ever asked of her.
Now, walking alone through the dark streets of Konoha, the blonde's mind wandered
aimlessly. His ghostly friend Onee-san was currently sleeping once again, not that he'd had
much to say to her since that day. She had made passing comments every now and then but
otherwise hadn't spoken to him. As much as he wanted to see her and ask for help on this
matter, he needed to prove himself. If he didn't prove himself, if he didn't show his friend that
he was not just a stupid kid, then maybe, just maybe, she would acknowledge his dream. She
was his only true friend (even if she was mean most of the time) and he wanted to prove
himself to her more than anyone else.

It was as he was crossing another alley that he was forced to stop. A blur of black was
speeding his way; it moving so fast that he wasn't even sure he could get out of the way in
time.

Before he could even process what the figure was or why it looked to be in such a hurry, he
suddenly heard a very weird and nasty sound ring through his ears. Confusion hit him first,
not understanding what had just happened or why it had suddenly become so hard to breathe.
Something warm began filling his throat, and it wasn't until he coughed that he looked down.

Something was sticking out of his neck. It looked familiar, yet in his state of shock, he
couldn't place where he'd seen it before. He tried reaching up to it, hoping to pull it so he
could breathe again, but his arms felt heavy. A sensation he'd never felt before began building
within him. He didn't know what it was, but he knew he didn't like it. It made his entire body
shiver like it was cold, and it made him feel like running away even if he couldn't.

His legs began feeling weak as red liquid began escaping his mouth. The lack of oxygen
began to hurt unlike anything he'd ever felt before and he stumbled back in desperation. His
back met a hard surface, feelikg himself slide it as his legs gave out shortly afterwards. He
tried opening his mouth to scream for someone to stop the pain he was feeling, but all that
came out was gurgles and red that kept escaping his mouth. Out of options, he turned to
within and tried begging his one true friend for help—one who could definitely stop this
agony he was feeling.

To his growing horror, there was no answer. He tried moving his body but no longer had
function in his arms. He tried the same with his legs, but found that not even willpower was
enough to get them to move.
It was as he was desperately trying think of a way to stop the place that was causing him so
much pain that he realized something no 4-year-old should ever realize.

He was dying.

He was dying alone, and where no one could help him. He was dying before he could truly
experience the life he didn't really even know. He was dying before he could make any real
friends or find the family he'd always wanted. He was... just dying...

And in the midst of his life leaving him, the only one that came to mind was his very first and
only true friend. If he were gone, who would she talk to? Who would she scold now? Would
his Onee-san even miss him if he were gone? Was she still mad at him? What would happen
to his friend if he was gone?
Tears mixed with blood as they streamed down his face—now realizing he would be leaving
his only friend far too early.

As his body began to go numb and his eyes began losing light, he could only think of one
thing.

"Li…ve…wa...to..."

As if answering the only wish he'd ever had, reality shattered the world to a pause—a purple
haze covering the Elemental Nations and the lands beyond.

Unknown Location

"-body is not suitable for the latest experiments. It does react well with the chakra and
has...Sir?"

A very pale, raven-haired man in a lab coat blinked as he came out of whatever trance he'd
seemingly been in. "Yes, Kabuto-kun?"

"Is everything alright?" It was rare for the white-haired teenager to see the man who had
changed his life so loss, but at that very moment, he looked as if he went to summon a snake
and got a gecko.

Said man blinked ever so slowly before giving his reply.

"...No. Everything's fine, Kabuto-kun. Please, continue with your evaluation." The white-
haired teen seemed to hesitate for a moment, but cleared his throat and went back to his
analysis. Meanwhile, the ravenette listened to the analysis as if he'd just rewound the scene
and played it again. He looked down at the coffee mug held in his hand and couldn't help but
get lost in its calm surface as a thought passed through his mind.

'...What...?'

Omegakure no Sato

Red hair swayed as it's bearer's head snapped to look behind him. The dark, empty corridor
stared back at the redhead, it's silence bringing no comfort after the foreign feeling of
something rubbing against his chakra.

"Is there something wrong, Nagato?" Despite the call of his name, he did not remove his eyes
from the darkness. After what was likely more than a minute, he assured himself there was no
danger and turned his ripple patterned eyes to the woman joining him on this mission.

"Nothing, Konan. Let us proceed."

Fodlan
Church of Seiros

Rhea jolted awake. She checked her surroundings, a desperation in the motion she hadn't felt
in millennia. When she found nothing, she calmed herself, whipping away the sweat that had
accumulated on her brow. Looking to her bedside, she found the painting of her faith
glimmering from the moonlight reflecting off the glass surface. The paint, that of a woman
descending from the heavens, reopened the hole in her heart that seemed to never be able to
stay filled.

"Mother..."

Konoha

Naruto suddenly stopped on a dime and began coughing uncontrollably before falling on all
fours. Heavy breaths followed his sudden lack of air, the boy breathing as if air were no
longer a commodity. The quivering took hold of him next, the boy unable to fully gain a hold
of any of his motor functions.

A hand absentmindedly came to his neck, as if expecting it to no longer be there. A second

later, images invaded his head, and bile, along with the little he had eaten that day, emptied
from his stomach into the dirt.

'What, happened?' he asked no one after emptying his stomach, looking forward in hopes of
finding answers. A shiver suddenly went up his spine as he saw the end of the alley. Visions
of a Kunai sticking out of his neck nearly had him vomiting once more, but the one who'd
thrown such a weapon brought back his shivers of fear.

"Hide NOW you idiotic child! Quickly, before your fate is renewed!"

He didn't have time to question the voice of his friend since his body was too busy
subconsciously following orders. Taking cover in the bushes conveniently to his left, he made
sure not to move as he peaked through the leaves obstructing his view. Moments later, his
heart nearly stopped when he saw the same black figure once again running towards him. Not
a sound left his lips this time as he watched the figure get closer and closer. Thankfully, the
blur ran right past his hiding place and down the path he had previously come from.

He didn't even have time to feel relieved since the second his eyes followed the blur, he
witnessed it falling to the floor in a boneless heap courtesy of another man in a white robe.

Many things happened after that. More people in robes, along with Konoha shinobi and even
shinobi wearing strange animal masks, appeared to take the body away. Naruto did not know
how long they were there, but he felt it was an eternity before they all finally dispersed.

Only when he was sure everyone was gone did he leave the bushes and run as far away from
that place as possible. What he experienced that night would give him nightmares for the next
few months.
Fodlan: ?

Jeralt looked down to his burned arms.

The same arms that had held his little girl as she thrashed uncontrollably moments ago.

It had happened again.

His daughter had lost control once again.

Despite his promises to keep her safe, despite his reassurance that everything would be OK,
he was unable to protect his child once again.

Doubly so, since the cause of her sudden transformation was due in no small part to the man
currently held before him in chains.

The dastard, Renly, brother to his former lieutenant, the same who'd died during Byleth's first
'awakening' of her powers, had stabbed his little girl—right in front of him, no less. A boy,
like his sister, who had sworn his loyalty to him. A boy who once vowed he'd held no grudge
for his sister's death and swore his sword under oath.

That same boy had run his little girl through the moment he was able.

Yet his little girl did not die.

Though her heart was pierced and blood escaped both her mouth and breast, the wound was
not fatal. Before his eyes, he watched as the wound closed. Before his eyes, he watched as
Byleth's face turned from surprised agony to rage. Before his eyes, bubbling red, demonic
mana began rising from her skin. Her hair became wild and spiky, while her eyes turned red
and her pupils became slits. The marks on her face became futile, and her nails became sharp
as steel. Everyone, including the craven traitor, fled upon witnessing the sight, knowing what
would follow shortly after.

But Jeralt did not run.

Immediately, he brought his girl, his joy, into his arms, ignoring the way his armor seemed to
heat up at the contact with the demonic energy. She began to thrash, her small arms wiggling
furiously as her snarls began to become more feral the tighter he squeezed. The demonic
mana that escaped her began to rise the very dirt around them, even turning nearby stones
into rubble, yet he did not falter. Even when the heat of his armor against his skin began to
become unbearable, he did not let go.

Instead, he began soothing her. Rubbing her hair softly, he began whispering soothing words
into her ear. He wasn't good at this at all. He did not know the right words to say, nor had he
ever, yet he said any and everything he knew from his own upbringing for this moment. He
did not know how long he held her, but he knew it worked. Eventually, the mana began
receding. The air that had once been thick with killing intent had all but ceased. The demonic
energy surrounding Byleth eventually retreated back within her and Byleth had stilled.

He succeeded.
Byleth had fallen into a slumber, and Jeralt thanked his lucky stars that another town did not
suffer yet another tragedy for his daughter.

It was a blessing.

Yet there was something that now needed to be done.

The boy, no older than 19 name days, had been caught within the hour. He had foolishly
believed he'd have enough time to escape in the panic and had paid for it with an arrow to the
knee.

It would not be the only wound he suffered before his death.

Gathering all his mercenaries before a podium outside the town's walls hours later, he stood
above the boy who had run his daughter through. His arms were tied in front of him, along
with his legs, despite the arrow that was still lodged in his kneecap. Two men held him in
place while the boy glared angrily at him, yet the malice was heavily overshadowed Jeralt's
own growing fury.

Despite there being over 200 warriors present, all was quiet. Not a soul dared to speak since
he'd stepped on the stage to confront the man who'd nearly succeeded in murdering Jeralt the
Blade Breaker's child.

The boy was dead.

They knew.

They all knew.

It was Jeralt who finally cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter. His voice was
cold, colder than any of them had heard, and they all knew there would be no mercy on this
day.

"...I have treated you all fairly." He spoke, everyone able to hear no matter how far they were
from the front. "I have treated you all like men. I have equipped you, paid you well, given
you shelter, and given you names befitting a warrior. I have given you respect of not only
myself, but the Realm. I have treated you all fairly and justly, no matter your background or
upbringings...And yet, here I am, still facing treachery."

The sound of someone spitting echoed at the end of his words. Yet, Jeralt did not remove his
eyes from the boy who'd already dug his own grave. "Ta hell with yer equality. I only fought
for my sister. And that demon-"

His scream of agony stopped his tirade. The arrow that was in his knee had been lodged in
further and snapped off courtesy of Jeralt's iron boot. Despite the clear show or cruelty, none
in the mercenary band moved to help or protest. They were loyal to one, and any would be
fools to charge the Blade Breaker, armed or not.

"...I have asked nothing of you in return but to fight at my side." Jeralt continued, ignoring
the writhing and whimpering boy before him. "However, it would seem I have been too
lenient as of late. You all think me weak for showing compassion? For showing mercy and
sheltering the weak?" Not one amongst them thought of such a thing, and even if they did,
they were not foolish enough to say such things out loud. They have done things that went
against their greed, but never have they even dreamed of thinking Jeralt weak. "That ends
today."

Walking away from the still-whimpering boy, Jeralt retrieved a stick that had laid untouched
at the end of the podium. Heaving it up for the rest to see, they now saw the object for what it
was.

And so did Renly.

The boy's anger turned to fear, and he was pleading for his life before Jeralt had even made it
back to him.

His pleas went on deaf ears.

The men holding him seized his arms and held them out onto a chair brought by a third. He
was then forced to his knees, pleas of mercy still leaving his treacherous lips all the while.
Jeralt gripped the sledge hammer, putting all his fury before him to do what needed to be
done.

Before he could go through with it, a shuffle of green caused him pause.

Byleth had walked onto the stage. The stoic, permanent mask she had held before that day
had returned as she stopped before the man that had nearly taken her life. Jeralt faltered for a
moment, but knew he could not back out of what he was about to do—even for Byleth.

"Kid, you don't need to see-"

"No, Father." Byleth interrupted him, her voice calm, and her eyes never leaving the man
who now held hope for the child he nearly killed. A hope that was shattered by her next
words. "I want to watch."

Jeralt stared at Byleth, his child. This was definitely not something a child should witness, yet
her eyes did not waiver. She was determined to see this through, no matter how this would
make her feel afterward. He honestly didn't know if he should be happy that the demon inside
of her somehow gave his little girl the ability to actually show human emotion, or curse it for
turning her life into a nightmare. Either or, he couldn't back down now. This needed to be
done, both for his image, and his revenge.

The boy was pleading again, this time to Byleth. Yet again, his pleas fell on deaf ears. Byleth
was unmoved, even when the boy began cursing her name. Jeralt looked to the crowd one last
time, to the crowd of warriors that watched with stony eyes or held breaths.

"Let this serve as a lesson to traitors, or anyone who wishes to bring harm to our
organization, or my daughter." His peace said, he swung the hammer back behind him.

The sound of shattering limbs were followed closely by screams of agony.

Byleth didn't so much as flinch.

OMAKE

Suzuki Yami: Part 1

Suzuki knew she lost points with the Demon Fox when she reluctantly denied his will for her
to be his legal guardian. The fact terrified her on a whole new level, and she quickly tried
explaining herself, but she knew that even though his face lacked emotion, her words were
going in one ear and out the other. When the fox turned and walked away despite her plea for
him to listen to her excuses, she almost wet herself in fear. When he did not return for curfew,
she had all but lost hope. Visions of her painful demise, just like everyone else's, began
playing in her head, making her fear skyrocket to new heights.

Without thinking, she left the orphanage in the hands of the other workers and went in search
of her Lord. It was late, and she was a woman who was not particularly strong and very
vulnerable. The fact that Kumo was currently in the village made her feel worse, but her
death via the fox was more terrifying than anything a mortal could do to her, so she continued
searching late into the night.

During her search, she turned to an alley somewhere around the Hyuuga territory and hoped
beyond all hope that she'd find her Lord there. Other alleys were fruitless or held less than
savory individuals, but held no signs of her Lord. This one would probably be no different,
but it never hurts to check either way.

The moment she took a step forward, her entire body shook, and she almost fell to her knees
at the phantom pain she suddenly felt in her neck. Shakily checking the area, she was
confused when there were no signs of injury, but the phantom pain was unmistakable, and it
made her look down the alley with dread. Every living instinct within her was yelling at her
to not go down that alley, and she had no idea why. There didn't seem to be anything in there
aside from dark patches and trashcans, but her gut was telling her otherwise. Seeing that her
gut had never been wrong before, she quickly 'noped' and did a full 180 on the spot—
disappearing quickly down the street and missing the speeding figure that passed not seconds
later.

She had to find him before it was too late.

Thankfully, her desperation bore fruit. After resigning herself and returning to the orphanage,
she spotted him along the way. He seemed to be out of breath, but those unique eyes never
left hers. Moments later, he was running towards her, sending a spike of fear through her.

What was he about to do? Would he kill her for her treachery? Would he disembowel her?
Tear open her throat? Consume her insides? Subject her to a lifetime of torture? Only Gods
knew what the demon fox was going to do to her the moment he-

He collided with her and nearly knocked her off her feet. Two arms wrapped around her, and
she feared the worse. Upon realizing her spine wasn't instantly snapped, she hesitantly
opened an eye and peered down.
 He, was hugging her? But why? Had she not failed him? Had she not disappointed him? Was
he not going to consume her soul?

If, if he wasn't going to kill her, then that could only mean...

She had been given a second chance!

A second chance to keep living and not disappoint the one who had chosen her out of
everyone else and to continue living just a bit longer. She still could not grant his will, but she
would make sure he was well accommodated so his transition into the ninja academy was
less troublesome. Even if it was something as mundane as cleaning or cooking, she would do
it and continue to live.

Because she had been given a second chance. And she would do everything in her power to
make sure she did not waste it again.

Chapter End Notes

Current Ages in Scene:

Byleth: 8 (cannon 9)

Naruto: 4
 Chapter 5
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The Ninja Academy.

A school built to train the next generation of shinobi to protect the Leaf. The place where
children go to learn, have fun, and train to become loyal shinobi of the Leaf.

And today, Uzumaki Naruto, future Shinobi and Hokage of the Leaf, would show everyone
what he was capable of.

Waving goodbye to Suzuki-san, Naruto eagerly made his way into the building, ignoring (or
not seeing) the glares of adults and teachers alike. Unlike the other kids, he didn't need an
adult to walk him to class, which, to him, already put him ahead of them. Walking to his
assigned room, he stood in the doorway of the class and stared up at the 1-C sign hanging
above the door. The chatter of excited students was muted as excitement jittered within the
blonde. Pass this threshold lay his future. From this day onward, he would train, get stronger,
smarter, and be one step closer to proving to his friend wrong. He would be Hokage one day
and nothing was going to stop him!

Taking a deep breath, his placid features sharpened ever so slightly before he walked
forward.

The sound of chatter became apparent once more, even more so. In nearly every seat sat a kid
casually conversing with another, smiles on their faces, and likely just as excited as he to
become ninja. The sight would have brought a smile to his face if he had been able. Scoping
the class, he searched for the best place to start his year.

He found it unoccupied in the top-right corner of the room. Smiling internally, he made his
way up the nearby stairs, passing by students who seemed to all pause their conversations to
look at him. It wasn't exactly odd. The same thing happened whenever he was at the
orphanage, so he had expected it, even if it somewhat unnerved him. By the time he'd
reached his seat, the class had gone completely mute.

They were all staring at him.

Hushed whispers followed soon after, whispers that often included his name or 'that boy'.

But that was OK.

Because one day, he would get them all to acknowledge him.

A voice at the front of the class called all attention away from him. Their sensei, a tall,
glasses-wearing, brown-haired woman wearing the Chunin uniform, had everyone back in
their seats within seconds before introducing herself as Juri-sensei. Shortly after explaining
some gibberish Naruto didn't care to listen to, she went from row to row, allowing the
students to introduce themselves.

It was simple: say your name and what dreams you had for the future. So far, there have been
no problems. Everyone's dreams, though not nearly as great as his, were all received well,
with Juri-sensei throwing in a joke or two behind some.

Until it was his turn.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Unlike everyone else, his name wasn't said nearly as cheerily as when she called on the rest
of the class. Her tone was cold, and the glare behind her glasses was unmistakable. All eyes
were on him now, but unlike the cheer from before, it was replaced with an uneasy silence.
Eyes that once held curiosity now held contempt or mockery as he stood to his feet.

That's OK.

Everything was fine.

Because he would show them.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto... and one day, I'm going to be Hokage."

The silence that followed was deafening.

The laughs that broke it hurt more than the silence ever could. Hurtful words were thrown his
way, Juri-sensei doing nothing to stop or even reprimand them. In fact, the smirk on her face
only made him grip his fist tighter. They were laughing at him—laughing at his dream.

But that was fine.

Sitting back in his chair, he allowed them all to laugh.

They could laugh all they wanted, because one day he would become Hokage. Then they
would all have to acknowledge him once and for all.

They would see.

They would all see.

One Week Later...

This was his day.

After a week of anticipation and non-stop training, it was finally time for him to show off his
skills.

To prove he wasn't weak.

To show everyone that he was not someone to be walked over like so many already have.

And he could say it was fate that his first opponent just so happened to be well-known, if the
cheers from the rest of his classmates were anything to go by.

Neji Hyuuga.

A brown-haired kid about three inches taller than him with strange pupilless eyes and a look
of complete indifference on his round face. Similar to the other Hyuuga girl in the class, he
wore a short white yukata with a black shirt and spandex underneath. His trademark Hyuuga
poker face was in place, but he was sure that would all change after he'd pounded it into the
ground. He would make sure he—no, everyone respectd him when this was all over.

"Alright, you two. Remember to make the seal of confrontation before you start."

It was impossible for Naruto to stop the jitters as his right index and middle fingers connected
with the Hyuuga across from him. The boy still looked as plain as a stone, but he was sure
that would change once he realized how much stronger he was than him.

The moment their fingers parted, they both took five steps back and waited for the match to
begin. To the blonde's awe, the Hyuuga got into a stance.

His left arm was extended towards him with his palms open while his right was pulled back
to align with his stomach. His feet were spread, and the intense focus in his eyes honestly
made his confidence waver.

His momentary nervousness was fleeting before the confidence in his own abilities replaced
any doubt and stood in a somewhat awkward stance as he waited for the sparring to
commence. No matter what he learned outside the academy, there was no way he trained
harder than he did. He would prove today that even without help from adults, he could be
strong—stronger than anyone in this village.

And that first step would be pounding this guy's face into the dirt.

And that's exactly what he set out to do the moment Juri-sensei's arm swung down. Not
wanting to give his opponent the chance to strike first, he was already in front of him and
ready to strike. Raising a fist back, he was sure the only reason the Hyuuga didn't so much as
flinch was because he was still in shock from his sudden speed—which would all change as
soon as he introduced his fist to his face.

Naruto honestly didn't know what happened next.

One moment his fist was heading towards the Hyuuga's face, and the next his chin had been
forcibly snapped up and his chest felt like it was pelted with rocks. The last thing he felt
before his feet left the ground was the feeling of something slamming into his stomach,
taking the air out of him before rocketing him back.

Not a moment later, the ground introduced itself, and the pain it brought was nothing
compared to the burning feeling he could feel coming from his chest. It was as if someone
was continuously poking at a bruise, and it didn't stop no matter how much he curled or tried
blocking out the pain.

What made everything worse was the voice that spoke in the now-quiet yard.

"Winner by ring out: Hyuuga Neji!"

The pain was sent to the back of his mind at those words. Pushing himself to an elbow, his
eyes widened in horror as he saw himself at least 5 feet away from the makeshift circle that
was their battle ground. In the center of that circle stood the Hyuuga, who was looking back
at him with those unwavering strange eyes. It may have meant something to a trained
individual, but to Naruto Uzumaki, all he could see was the Hyuuga looking down on him
like everyone else.

The eyes that looked down on him as if he were nothing and would always be nothing. As if
he were just a pebble in the road. As if nothing he did would ever be good enough to reach
his level.

A strange feeling was surfacing.

Every part of his body felt shaky the longer he looked into the Hyuuga's eyes. It only grew
once the boy turned on his heels and walked back to the cheering group of students,
completely dismissing him. However, his eyes never left the Hyuuga's form even when he
was swallowed up by the crowd.

Juri-sensei was saying something to him, but it fell on deaf ears. He realized what this was. It
was foreign to him. He'd never once had such a feeling course through him like it had now. It
overtook his thoughts, his body, and he was sure even his usually placid features.

Shame.

He was ashamed.

All those hours of 'training' he did alone and he just realized how far he was from being the
best. The bragging and confidence he had were all but shattered, and thoughts of his
arrogance began to overwhelm him. Doubt began to flood his mind, and it became more and
more impossible to stop it.

On this day, something within him fractured.

Some time later...

It has been four months since then, and even he has begun to question his dream.

Since the day of his humiliation, he had found out quite quickly that mostly everyone in the
class was far ahead of him in both smarts and physical exercise. Despite his determination
and willingness to learn, there was just no way for him to catch up. They all had parents to
support them, and if they didn't, they had teachers helping them long before he even joined
the academy.
It was very demotivating.

However, that did not make him quit.

He still trained daily, pushing his body to its limits and studying as much as he could.

The problem was, he didn't understand the material like the others did. Math was typically
taught by parents and caretakers, yet despite Suzuki-san's help with language, she did not
have the opportunity to teach him Math before he'd moved out.

Worse, now that he lived alone in the apartments gifted by the Hokage to orphans of the
academy, he had to take care of himself without the help of adults. By the time he got home,
he was hungry. After cooking instant Ramen, or getting some from the nice folks at Ichiraku,
he only had enough time to study and train for about an hour, maybe two, before he was
asleep for the next day. In short, he didn't really have the time, and even if he did, there was
little he could do on his own to improve his grades.

Then one day, he came to the realization that he just might not be able to become a great
shinobi on his own.

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

The blonde jolted at the call of his name. Standing to his feet, he looked around frantically
before his eyes landed on an unamused Juri-sensei at the front of the class—the usual
unapproving frown that she typically held only for him on her face.

He had fallen asleep.

And Juri-sensei wasn't happy; well, she was never happy with him, but looked more so at the
moment.

"Since you have the time to sleep in my class, then you have time to answer the question."

Naruto blinked at her, it being clear after moments of silence that he didn't know whatever
question that had been asked. Juri-sensei sighed and said, "If you'd put as much effort into
studying as you do sleeping, then your grades wouldn't be so poor, Uzumaki."

The comment garnered a laugh from the rest of the class, Naruto shrinking in sudden
embarrassment. "I asked what jutsu the Fourth Hokage was known for. Even a novice should
be able to answer this, Uzumaki."

Naruto immediately searched his brain for the answer. The Fourth, his hero, was the one who
stopped the Nine-Tails. He was the second youngest Hokage and was also known to be very
fast. There was something about him written in the textbooks, but he couldn't understand
some of the symbols and was too ashamed to ask for help.

He, didn't know the answer...

Like always...
He could feel his embarrassment rising already, the stares of his classmates growing in
intensity the longer he took to answer...

Like always, the words 'I don't know' were about to embarrass him once-

"Hiraishin." The world suddenly froze. A voice he hadn't heard since he'd been saved that
night rang through his head. It made him look around frantically. "The answer is the
Hiraishin, Child."

Before he could speak to his only friend, the world around him unfroze, leaving him back in
the awkward silence.

"Well?" The impatient voice of his teacher brought him back to his predicament.

"Hiraishin, Child." The irritated voice of his friend spoke once more, making him gulp
before answering.

"Hiraishin, Juri-sensei."

Juri blinked, her look of impatience replaced with surprise. "That, is correct." Her voice came
soft, softer than he'd ever heard her words before. Coupled with the surprise on her and
everyone else's faces, it was a treat Naruto didn't know he needed. "Well done, Uzumaki...
Though please make sure you get enough sleep before you come to my class." She said,
Naruto noticing that, unlike usual, her words sounded more like an actual lecture than her
simply speaking in anger. It made him actually feel like a student for the first time since he'd
said his name.

He sat down slowly upon Juri-sensei continuing the lecture, but couldn't follow even if he
wanted to. Thoughts were racing through his head at a mile a minute, the most prevalent
being the reason why he was able to answer that question in the first place. Gratitude filled
him as the image of his friend appeared in his head.

"Thank you...Onee-san."

Location: ?

"So you've finally built the courage to stand before me again."

Naruto looked to his feet in shame. He had meant to speak with his friend since that night,
but he couldn't. Just days before, he declared he didn't need her help. He declared that he
would become a shinobi on his own and that he did not require her help or that of any adult to
achieve that.

He was proven wrong that same day. And instead of apologizing and thanking her like he
should have months ago, he acted like a coward—like a kid...

He understood now.
He understood why he was making no progress. Why he was behind, and why he was getting
no better in class. Why he still couldn't win a single fight in the Taijutsu class, or was always
humiliated.

He needed help.

He couldn't do this alone.

"If there's something you wish to say, then speak." Naruto gulped. His friend's tone was
sharp as always. It spoke of a warning that she would not entertain foolishness of any kind.

He decided to just say what he had been meaning to say all day. "I'm, sorry." He apologized,
making sure to maintain eye contact while his fingers twiddled together. Yet Sothis remained
unmoved, making the silence feel so much more uncomfortable than it otherwise would have
been if she'd simply refused his forgiveness.

"...There is nothing to forgive, Child." She waved off, bringing relief to the blonde
instantly. "You are but a child. It is to be expected of you to show childish tendencies...
Though I will admit, you are more stubborn than any I've met or raised."

"...Sorry."

"There is no need to apologize a second time, Child. The first shall suffice... But
forgiveness is not why you're here, is it?"

"Can, you help me? Help me to become a shinobi?"

Sothis was unmoved by the request—hard to be when she knew exactly what the boy would
ask.

"Did you not comprehend our last conversation, or did you simply remove the memory
entirely? I told you before, I will not assist you in the art of murder."

"Th-then don't teach me how to kill!" He retorted, desperation spilling into his plea. "Just
how to fight! To do math! I can do the rest on my own!"

"It matters not what I teach you, Child. The profession you pursue demands a need for
murder. This world demands it. Anything I teach will eventually be used to further that
goal, and I have no wish to fuel such a cycle of hatred. If you cannot see that, then we
have nothing more to discuss." Her words held finality. She knew the blonde knew it, and
she was sure this would be the end of their discussion. The boy would not pester her any
longer, and he would finally put an end to his foolish ambitions.

Apparently, she did not truly know Naruto Uzumaki and what he was willing to do to achieve
his dreams.

"Then I'll just have to change the world!" Sothis's eyes widened, the determination in his
eyes, a child no less, enough to move even her. "I'll stop the cycle of hatred! I'll make the
world a better place! I'll get stronger! Strong enough to protect! Strong enough to not need to
kill anyone!" He paused, his fist clenching as he remembered the words she'd said to him not
long ago. "I, won't make promises I can't keep. I, may kill someone one day... But I swear, if I
kill, then it will be my last option. You're the only friend I have, the only one I can depend on
to treat me fair. If it's not you, then I, I won't ever become Hokage, and I can never change
this world, so please," baffling her further, the boy got on all fours, prostrating before her in
complete submission, "Please, please help me!"

Sothis remained silent in the wake of the blonde's heartfelt plea. Such words were not so
easily spoken—by a child, no less. What he spoke of so casually wasn't something that could
simply be done in a lifetime. It would take one, if not two. Even if he were to shake the
foundation, it would still take decades for change to set in, not to mention the wall that was
human nature. He could abolish the shinobi system all together, but even if he were the
strongest across the land, it would not stop the next generation from building the cycle once
more. It was a never-ending loop that no one, no matter their ambitions, could break
completely. The boy knew not what he was promising.

And yet, the surety in his voice and the determination he exuded made her not want to crush
something that could possibly evolve into greatness.

"And how exactly do you plan to set out on such an arduous task?" She asked,
challenging the boy further. He opened his mouth to reply many times, yet nothing came out.
The smile she wore grew at his lack of an answer. "So eager, yet doesn't even know where
to begin. I'd expect nothing less of a child." The comment turned the boy's cheeks crimson
—he truly knew not what he was getting himself into. He was but a kid. A kid making
promises he knew not the depths of.

But if he was so determined, who was she to destroy such a dream for such a bright soul? A
soul she knew was destined for greatness? A soul bound to her own?

Standing from her throne, she calmly walked down the stone steps to stand before the boy.
His cheeks were still colored with embarrassment, yet looked her in the eye and nowhere
else. She could already see the future in his eyes.

He would be great.

One of the best things to happen to this world.

It was in his blood as well as his soul. A soul of the purest white.

She would like a hand in molding that.

"Very well, Child." The confirmation was like a beacon to the boy. Immediately, his eyes lit
up, his jaw slack and his mind blank. "If you are truly willing to accomplish such a feat,
then I am willing to assist you in your endeavors... However," her brow suddenly creased,
bring the boy down from the high he no doubt was about to go into. "You will not use what I
give or teach you against the innocent. If you are to change this world, then it will be
through understanding and not submission. That is the world you have promised, and I
expect you to keep your word. I am not delusional enough to believe you can achieve it
without bloodshed, but going down a darker path just because it's easier does not befit
the image of the one I favor. The moment you stray from your path, even once, will be
the moment I no longer consider you worthy. You are now my chosen, and I expect
nothing less than perfection. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

She made sure that every word was pointed so the boy would understand the weight behind
them. He was a bright soul, yet even the brightest can be corrupted. With her help, he would
be a force that could truly bring change to this world.

His answer came in a form she was wholly unprepared for.

The boy suddenly shot forward, and the next thing she knew, his arms were wrapped around
her waist. Eyes as wide as dinner plates, Sothis looked down at the mop of gold and green
hair, her arms out awkwardly as if not knowing where to put them. She had hundreds of
children before, yet she hadn't held even one of them in such a way, nor were they ever so
forward. She was preparing to reprimand the boy but stopped upon hearing the muffled
words in her breast.

"Thank you, Onee-san. Thank you so much."

Whatever she had ready on her tongue was swallowed, no longer having the urge to scold the
child. Instead, the awkwardness vanished and an arm found its place around his back while
the other came to gingerly run through his hair. She would later deny the smile that came to
her face was anything but affectionate.

For now, she would allow this moment... Just this once...

Fodlan: ?

Jeralt never worried when Byleth disappeared. Whenever the little one wished to be alone, he
could find her in one of three places.

The first is her room, wherever that may be for the night. The next would be the highest point
in town. For reasons unknown, the girl recently found a hobby in climbing high places.
Where such a love came from, he knew not, but as long as it brought the girl even a little bit
of peace, then he really didn't care. And as for the third...

The clacking of wood against wood met his ear far before he'd reached the clearing. His eyes
landed on the cause, momentarily stopping to take in the sight of his daughter swinging at the
dummy, using the style they'd gone over countless times since she was old enough to hold a
sword steady. Her form was impeccable, hitting the wooden dummy in its vitals like he'd
taught her. It nearly brought a smile to his face if the girl hadn't suddenly chunked the
wooden practice sword straight at him.

He snatched the training object from its trajectory effortlessly, lowering it to give an
incredulous brow to the heavily heaving teal-haired girl. "I could've lost an eye, y'know." He
joked, trying to bring the girl's spirits up, if even a little. To his dismay, the girl's reaction was
to turn away from him and slowly stumble to a nearby bench. Feeling slightly disheartened,
he followed suit, sitting next to the girl who was leaning forward to catch her breath.
Silence reigned between them—a silence Jeralt was used to by now. He didn't know if it was
normal for a father and daughter to always share such an atmosphere, but he supposed this
was just how they were.

But alas, even he felt the need to fill the lull at the moment. Something had obviously been
bothering the girl, and with the long list of concerns she no doubt had, it was only right for
her father to soothe them.

"Your form is good. A few years and you'll be unmatched." He started, opting to start with a
compliment to dissuade any notion that he was upset for any reason. She'd finally caught her
breath, yet she still remained with her head down, making it hard to see if his words had any
effect. Seeing that the path he'd opted to go down was having no effect, he decided to just rip
the bandage off. "Still thinking about that day?"

The words had a much-needed effect. The girl stiffened, and even though he couldn't see her
face, he knew he'd hit the mark.

"I warned you, kid. That wasn't something you needed to see."

"...I wanted to." Her soft reply had him listening intensely. "He hurt me," a hand came to her
chest, specifically her heart, where the blade had run her through. "He made the monster
come out again. I could've...hurt people again. Killed people. It was only right that I watch
him die. To show him that he failed and that I would live while he died... But..."

"...Didn't make you feel better, did it?"

A soft shake of the head was her reply.

"I, think about him a lot. Not that he nearly killed me, but how easy it was for him to kill me.
How easy it is for the...monster, to come out. It...it scares me that I can hurt you, or my
friends one day. And it scares me more that they could all, turn on me...like he did."

Jeralt's eyes widened. Byleth was shaking, and though her face was covered, he was sure the
small droplets falling to her lap wasn't sweat. This was the second time he'd ever seen her cry,
and like before, it twisted a knot in his gut. He knew what ailed her, yet even as her father, he
could do nothing to reassure her. It was painful—more painful than even being run through.

"...I'll be honest with you, kid, I don't know how to fix this." He decided honesty would be
the best course, bearing his weakness before his daughter. "I've run into many problems in
my life, yet the one I don't ever seem able to solve is how to protect the ones I love." He
joined the girl in leaning forward, thoughts of his former failures clouding his mind. Her head
turned to meet his eyes, and he did his best not to wince at the bags in her eyes. "If I did, if I
had the ability to make sure no harm ever came to you, no matter the circumstance, then you
better bet that hair of yours that I would tear my arms off if it meant you would be safe."

His peace said, a lull passed between father and daughter. Both were now lower than they had
been at the start of the conversation, and now that it had reached its peak, neither wished to
continue. Rather, Byleth returned her head back down while her father looked dejectedly
back down to the dirt.
 Moments later, he felt something soft press against his shoulder. Looking to his right, he saw
blue hair. Byleth, his daughter, was leaning against his shoulder. Once again, he did not know
what to do. The girl wasn't saying anything, and he didn't know if this was the time to say
anything or keep silent.

He chose the latter.

They sat in silence, just allowing the ambience to play in the background. His words wouldn't
change much, if anything, but they came from the heart. They came from the most important
person in her life.

And for now, that was enough.

Chapter End Notes

Current Age in Scene:

Byleth: 8 (Canon 12)

Naruto: 5
 Chapter 6
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Location: ?

Naruto silently followed his friend as they walked to the door that had appeared in the
darkness. Once past, the blonde was shocked to see what was held behind.

Where there had been nothing but void before, there was now a room with revolving
stairways. Shelves filled with books towered over them, and scrolls lay spread over multiple
tables around the room. He did not know the number of books there were, but he knew there
were a lot. Enough to nearly fill the entire Ninja Academy.

"I see you're impressed." Sothis stated amusingly, turning to smirk down at the blonde
taking in the room. "Your mindscape is vast. Since we are one, I have taken the liberty of
forming somewhat of an archive of both my and your memories. Though my thoughts
will remain my own, you are more than welcome to visit and partake in any knowledge
I've already gathered from your lands."

Naruto nodded absentmindedly before going to the nearest shelf. Under each row of books
were titles in a pen he'd never seen before. Next to them were even larger shelves, and further
down, he could see more of the foreign language scribbled along every edge.

"You are not quite ready for anything on this side, Child." Sothis spoke behind him,
garnering his attention. The Divine suddenly raised a hand in the air, and Naruto bore witness
to a book flying from somewhere upstairs and into the awaiting hand. He still couldn't read
the title, but he knew his nation's language when he saw it. "In order to build you from the
ground up, we must first plant the seed of your foundation. All the knowledge I've
gained throughout my life is stored in this place. It shall be where I impart your
education for the foreseeable future. You shall also be free to come here and learn
whenever you see fit. You'll need to work harder than your peers to catch up, so
impudence will not be tolerated. Am I understood?"

Sothis waited for a reply but got none. Looking down at the boy, she found him deeply
engrossed in his palm.
Moments later, he raised it high, much like she had not long before. There was an instant
reaction as something from her side once again glowed bright before flying off the shelf and
into his awaiting hand.

Naruto brought the book down to eye level and wasn't really surprised he couldn't read it.
What did surprise him were the images that suddenly filled his head.

A pillar of light descending to the land. A tall, parakeet-haired woman walking the land while
passing down her blessings. Multiple people dressed in white robes now kneeled before the
woman on a throne. The people with slightly lighter hair laughed alongside the woman,
praises being given in a language he could not understand. All these memories and more
invaded the youth's mind in uncontrollable waves before the book was promptly snatched
from his grasp.

He looked to his friend, who was now standing expectantly with a frown on her face and a
hand on her hip. "What did I just say?" Naruto gulped, his attention span getting him into
trouble once again. Shaking her hand, she let one of the books in her hand go, letting go and
allowing it to float back to where it came from. "If you can't even follow the simplest of
instructions, then I won't even bother wasting my time with you."

Inwardly, the boy panicked before grabbing a hold of the Divine's hand! "No! I'll listen! I'll
listen!" He pleaded, trying to convey an emotion he couldn't show. Sothis's eyes narrowed
further, but relented.

"Very well. Then come. There is much for you to learn, and little time to be wasted."
Turning on her heel, she made her way deeper into the labyrinth of books, Naruto hurrying to
keep pace.

As she said, he had much to learn.

One Week Later

Konoha: Hokage Tower

Naruto stood before the towering structure known as 'Hokage Tower'. He's been here before,
multiple times actually, yet unlike those times, he was here for more nefarious reasons.

Specifically, because his friend all but demanded he come here and commit a crime that
would likely have him captured, or worse.

"Are you sure this is OK, Onee-san?" He asked for the umpteenth time, the nervousness of
what he was asked to do refusing to go away.

"Uuuuuugh! I shan't repeat myself again! Do as I say, or I shall wash my hands of you
here and now!"

Not wishing to anger his friend, he did as she asked and reached within himself as she'd
taught him. A feeling, much like putting a key into a lock, could be felt deep within him. He
couldn't put it into better detail, but he knew it was what he was looking for. Grabbing hold of
the metaphorical key in the lock, he twisted and-

*CRASH*

The sound of glass shattering echoed around him. Peaking an eye open, both eyes soon
widened at what he was seeing.

The world had turned violet. A silence unlike any he had ever known surrounded him, giving
him a sense of unease. Checking his surroundings, he made sure the coast was clear before he
froze.

Standing just yards away was a woman. Her expression was uncaring, the complete antithesis
of how his inner thoughts currently were. She was taking a step forward, heading somewhere
only she knew.

Yet the leg never touched the ground.

She was frozen, along with her expression. Not a bit of life could be seen in her, and it both
fascinated and terrified him. What exactly had he done?

Looking around further answered that question.

It wasn't just the woman who was frozen, but everyone around them. The birds, the people,
the animals, the leaves, the trees, and even the smoke from a nearby chimney were all
motionless, as if something had turned off a switch.

He had truly stopped time itself!

"Well? How long are you going to stand there with your jaw on the ground?" The voice
did not come from within him, but from next to him. Turning, he was dumbstruck further.
There stood his Onee-san, in the flesh, walking in his world. Upon seeing his widened eyes,
the Divine smirked. "If you've nothing to say, then just follow." With that, the Divine
walked inside the Hokage Tower, with Naruto quickly stumbling behind.

...

The duo walked through the main hallway towards their destination. Through their short trek
through the lobby, they have gone completely unimpeded. Everyone they passed—Shinobi,
clerk, Anbu, man, and child—all were frozen in place, either sitting or in mid-stride. It was
truly fascinating, and it was he who was gifted such a power. Thoughts of how he could use
this played in his head before Sothis brought him out of his reverie.

"We are here." She stated, standing before a door the blonde knew all too well. Before he
could say anything, though, his friend was walking forward.

Instead of opening the door as he expected, the woman continued her stride toward the
structure before passing through it all together. Naruto blinked at where she had disappeared,
not exactly believing what he'd just seen. Lifting a hand, he placed it on the door, yet he did
not phase through it like his friend had. Not willing to test his curiosity, the blonde pushed the
door open to follow his friend. He found her already searching the room.

And sitting behind a desk that held a clear view of the village behind it was none other than
the Third Hokage himself, looking right at him.

The sight of the man made the boy freeze up. Suddenly, he was all too aware of where he was
and what he had been caught doing. Whatever excitement he held had all but vanished, being
replaced with fear and shame—like the child he was.
"What are you still standing there for? Help me look for it!" His friend suddenly yelled at
him, yet he couldn't remove his eyes from the man who seemed to be glaring him down.
Frustrated with his inaction, his friend floated over to tower over him, breaking his staredown
with the Hokage and forcing him to look up to her instead. A frown twisted her features, the
Divine pulling off the look only mothers could give their children. "What is it now? Did I
not warn you that time is of the essence?"

"H-Hokage-jiji." He stuttered. Turning her head towards where his eyes had been glued
moments ago. Her eyes met the stern gaze of the Hokage before a sigh left her, a hand
reaching up to massage her brow.

"I swear, humans only understand the simplest of things when a demonstration is had."
Turning from him, his friend floated away to hover near the Hokage. His heart practically
went to his feet as he watched his friend hover right in front of the old man, yet he still
remained unmoved.

"As I've said before, no one other than you and I are capable of thought or movement
while the flow of time is halted. We are one, so your body is capable of withstanding the
distortion of time, but without my blessing, all have no choice but to adhere to my
power or have their bodies torn asunder. That also means he," she pointed a thumb
towards the frozen geezer, "does not currently know what is happening before him. Now
that I've repeated myself for the LAST time, get to searching before we lose our chance
for the day!"

Fears put to rest, the blonde stepped forward, yet his eyes never leaving the Hokage. Only
when he was out of the Hokage's line of sight did he seem to finally believe his friend, to
which she rolled her eyes and continued her search. It took them nearly an hour of searching
through files, scrolls, and other useless papers that meant nothing to them, but they finally
found what they were looking for.

Under files upon files was a key. A key that would get them to where they needed to be.

Smiling at their success, she motioned for the blonde to follow her out of the room and to
where they needed to be. They were nearly back in the hall when the blonde stopped. Feeling
her ward was no longer following her, Sothis peered over her shoulder at the boy, who
seemed fixated on something on the wall. Floating over until she was next to the blonde, her
gaze stopped on what he was looking at.

It was a picture. A picture of a blonde man with spikey blonde hair similar to her ward's and a
Leaf head protector strapped to his forehead. He wore the typical Jonin vest, yet over that
was a cloak of white. She couldn't see more, seeing that the picture only captured everything
slightly above the chest, but it was enough to raise suspicions within the Divine.

The similarities between him and the blonde were almost uncanny. He was but a boy, yet if
the boy shared his blue eyes and erased the whiskers, he would be a younger carbon copy of
the man.

"How peculiar." The words escaped her, a hand coming to her chin in thought. "You two are
nearly the spitting image of each other."
Naruto looked at his friend.

"Who?"

Sothis looked back at the boy, trying not to let her frustration show as she pointed at the
picture. "Are you blind? Him. The blonde." Naruto looked to where she was pointing. Long
and hard he stared, yet his eyes never wavered in any form of recognition or
acknowledgement. Instead, he had a question.

"What picture?"

The Divine turned to her ward, staring right into his eyes. They showed not even a hint of
deceit or mischievousness. The boy was being genuine, and for the first time since her
awakening within the boy, she felt dumbfounded. Turning back to the picture, she inspected it
further than she had before. To the best of her knowledge, nothing seemed out of the
ordinary. It was simply a picture in a frame. Reaching out to it, she felt her mana rub along
the edges.

Nothing changed. The glass, the frame—nothing about what she was seeing altered it even
the slightest. She looked back at her ward inquisitively. "Child, what is it that you see me
doing?"

Naruto blinked before tilting his head to the side. "You're, touching something? I think?"

Sothis looked at the picture before looking back at the boy. "And can you see what I am
holding?" An immediate shake of the head was her answer. A frown marred her face as she
glared at the picture. She knew the boy was telling the truth, yet she did not understand why
he couldn't see what she was seeing. It was plain as day, and anyone could see it. The Hokage
wouldn't put something like this up if people couldn't-

Her eyes suddenly widened. Closing them shortly after, she allowed the mana to flow from
her hand and into the picture.

The effect was immediate.

The picture began to distort before melting away like a mirage. In its place was a square hole
at least four times the size of the picture frame, and inside the hole was a large scroll.

Sothis, the Progenitor God of Fodlan, was stunned speechless.

An illusion. An illusion, of all things, had fooled her; a Divine?

But how? How was something so simple able to fool her senses? Was the illusion simply that
powerful? Or were her powers still so weak that such a simple trick was enough to get past
her? Was she still prone to falling for such things? It was a worrying thought. She could feel
her divine power coursing through her, a power foreign to this land. Yet, despite her ability to
manipulate time, she was still this weak? How? How could she miss such a thing when the
could easily-
Her eyes widened as her head suddenly turned to the boy, the confusion still in his eyes. "Tell
me, Child, what have you been seeing on this wall?"

His brow raised, but he replied, "A hole? And a scroll...? Do you, not see it, Onee-san?"

Her suspicions were confirmed. Somehow, someway, he had seen through the illusion from
the beginning when she, a Divine, could not—and from his words, he had done it
inadvertently. Just...just what was her ward?

"Is there something wrong, Nee-san?" Said ward spoke, breaking her from her thoughts.

"It's...nothing, Child." She diverted, opting to turn back to his discovery. With a wave of her
hand, the scroll levitated from the hole and to the ground. Its length was taller than Naruto
himself, its weight likely overtaking them both.

"'Scroll of Seals'?" Sothis read the cover out loud, getting a curious look from the blonde.

"What's a 'Seal'?"

"We're about to find out." With no further preamble, they unwrapped the scroll until it was
open completely. The sheer length of the thing was too much for even the room, forcing the
blonde to push the remainder of it out of the room and down the hall. By the time they were
done, they bore witness to rows upon rows of information written in characters not even
Sothis could translate. Some characters were easy enough, like 'explosion' and 'clone', yet
without the rest of the information and whatever 'hand-signs' meant, they couldn't use
anything within the scroll...yet.

Making sure she and her ward got a full scan of the scroll, she nodded to herself before
heading towards the door. With the key, the boy could get into the storage room, where they
could gain all the information they needed to start his real training.

"Onee-san..." Naruto called out to her before she could reach the door, sounding weaker than
she expected. "I... don't feel so good..." Sothis floated back to the boy, who she now noticed
was pale and breathing heavily—immediately understanding the cause without an analysis.

"It would seem you have reached your limit... No matter. We've gained valuable
knowledge this day. We'll just have to complete our task another time. Brace yourself,
Child. I shall now return time to its proper flow."

"B-but what about the scroll?" The blonde said nervously, looking at the unsealed scroll still
stretching to the hall.

"Worry not, Child. It shall return to its proper place once the pulse resets. All you need
to worry about is your footing upon our return. Now, brace yourself." Not arguing
further, he did as his friend asked and braced himself.

The world around him shifted, a feeling of vertigo hitting him before the world as he knew it
began to fade away. It lasted for but a moment, and the next, he was standing in front of the
Hokage's Tower once more. The eerie silence of the frozen space had now been filled with
lively chatter once more, the sounds oddly sounding louder now that they had returned to the
blonde's senses. The feeling of needing to throw up had subsided, yet the feeling of weakness
still remained. He was all too aware of how tired he was and could only think about how
much he now needed his bed.

"You've done well this day, Child. Now, head home and rest your mind. Tomorrow, I
shall have the scroll translated—then we get back to our original goal and your training
can truly begin."

The words brought joy to his being. He didn't know what they had found in that scroll, but if
it could help him achieve his goals, then he couldn't wait to know what was inside.

He was one step closer to becoming Hokage.

Fodlan

Location: ?

Byleth stared up at iron bars.

The structure, standing taller than any building she'd ever seen, towered ominously over her
as she peaked through the opening and into the dark abyss. From an outside point of view,
most would think the cage was empty. There was no clear sign of life to be found, and
whatever beast it could possibly contain left no evidence of their stay.

But Byleth knew.

She knew that, in the darkness, something dark lay in waiting. She knew from the way the
hairs on her neck rose that nothing but death lay ahead. She knew that just one step closer
would be enough for just one claw to impale her.

So she did not move forward. Instead, she waited. Waited to be acknowledged. Waiting for
the beast to open its eyes so she could finally take a good look at the thing that had terrified
her since that day nearly six years ago.

Her patience was rewarded.

In the darkness, two eyes opened. Bright, crimson-red slits looked down on her, the pressure
around her suddenly increasing and making her legs buckle. Yet Byleth stood through it.
Bullets of sweat dropped down her face, she glared defiantly up at the demon who smiled
down on her cockily.

"So, my warden finally deems me worthy of her presence." The voice was deep, truly
living up to the 'demonic' image she had held of the thing for so long.

Gulping her saliva, she steadied her voice enough to give a reply. "I'm here for answers."
Despite her efforts, her words still came out shaky, but she could be forgiven, seeing that a
being that could very well be the Devil stood before her with killing intent far greater than
anything Fodlan had to offer.
The demon's smile widened, causing Byleth's heart to quicken. "And what makes you so
sure I'm willing to answer? I owe you nothing, and what I want, you can't offer. You've
wasted your time if you thought to seek answers from me."

Despite the clear dismissal, Byleth pushed forward. She needed answers, and even if she was
terrified, she would get them. "What, are you?"

"It matters not what I am. What matters is what I'm going to do once I'm finally free."
The words made Byleth feel cold. Her eye dilated, and the fear she felt increased tenfold—
the demon's grin widening at her despair. "Did you honestly believe I would be held here
for long, human? This cage is temporary. Though not as fragile as I may like, it can only
remain as long as you live. Once your death is assured, I will know freedom once more.
Be it soon or a hundred years from now, I will know freedom, and you, along with
everyone you love, shall know my wrath."

Byleth took a step back, the fear and hopelessness of her situation truly settling in. A chuckle
came from the fox as he watched the girl tremble in her boots.

"Now run. Run along, little one, and live with the fear of knowing that my freedom will
one day be at hand."

Byleth vanished from the mindscape.

...

A breath escaped Byleth's throat as she shot up from her bedroll. Heavy breaths left her lungs
with sweat accompanied by trembling limbs following shortly after. Looking around, she
found herself back in her tent, no demon or cage in sight. The relief she felt at that moment
had her breaths steadying and the rapid beating of her heart slowly subsiding. Looking to her
left, she noticed the empty bedroll belonging to her father, knowing he was likely taking care
of other business before joining her for sleep.

The thought of her father, alive and well, immediately soured her mood once again.

Knowing she would get no more sleep this night, the bluenette stood from her bedroll and
made her way toward and out of her tent. As expected, it was still dark out. Stars covered the
sky, not a cloud to be seen blocking the view. Wind blew against her skin, yet she felt cool
with the cold sweat covering her body. Making sure no one was around, she headed towards
the nearest training grounds. Arriving, she immediately took hold of a nearby training sword
and began going through the swings and thrusts her father had shown her so many times
before. Soon she fell into a rhythm, sweat building once more as she tried to forget her
dreams.

"Once you are dead, I will know freedom once more."

The words echoed in her head like warning bells.

Her swings increased in speed and ferocity as she attempted to drown out the demon's words
through exhaustion.
"Be it soon, or a hundred years from now, I will know freedom, and you, along with
everyone you love, shall know my wrath."

Her muscles screamed, the pain doing its best to dull the fear. In its place, anger quickly rose.

"Now run. Run along, little one, and live with the fear of knowing that my freedom will
one day be at hand."

The training weapon was launched from her hand, splintering a nearby tree on impact. The
girl was heaving again, her breaths coming out quick and uncontrolled.

Yet despite her exhaustion, anger boiled within herself. Anger at the Gods for putting her in
this unjust situation, anger at the demon for wanting to destroy everything she loved, anger at
a future she knew held nothing more than bloodshed and unhappiness.

But most importantly, anger with herself. Anger that she couldn't think of a way to solve this
and anger that she always put those around her at risk simply by existing. It infuriated her
more that she couldn't even take her own life lest she doom her friends, her father, and the
rest of the world.

What exactly could she do to stop what she now knew would come in the future? What
exactly was out there that should could use to quell this demon inside of her?

"Live with the fear of knowing that my freedom will one day be at-"

"NO!" Byleth shouted to the heavens, a foot stomping to the ground, and likely waking
everyone within an 800-yard radius. Unknown to her until she was discovered, her nails had
elongated, piercing into her skin and drawing blood from how hard her fists were tightened.
Her teeth sharpened, and crimson-red eyes stared through the camp as the demon's words
continued to plat through her head.

"You, along with everyone you love, shall know my wrath."

She wouldn't let that happen.

She swore-

The glow of orange suddenly had her looking skyward. Arcing lights soar above the treeline,
brightening the already dazzling view of the night sky.

Byleth was nearly too late to react when the lights suddenly descended on the camp. Jumping
out of the way of an orange, she kept moving, making herself a harder target to hit. Stopping
behind a tree, she waited for the rain to cease. They did, but the flames they brought with
their arrival caused the forest around her to rise into a blaze. The clashing of steel followed
closely afterwards, causing Byleth to resort to instinct and grab any steel she could find.

They were under attack, but they would not find her wanting.
Chapter End Notes

Current Age in Scene:

Byleth: 12

Naruto: 5
 Chapter 7
Chapter Summary

Current Age in Scene:

Byleth: 12

Jeralt: 300+

Fodlan

Location: Jeralt's Mercenaries' Camp

They were under attack.

Around the camp of the Jeralt Mercenaries, men screamed in agony, tents burned, and the
sounds of combat spread throughout the forest. The fighting hadn't been dragging for long,
yet men and women by the dozens lay dead on the soil, in their tents, or even on fire from the
rain of arrows that started the mayhem.

The mercenaries were quick to act, grabbing shields and anything sharp to fight off the
invasion. Many fell victim to the surprise attack, but many more pushed back to engage the
enemy head-on.

In the center of the camp, where most of the battle currently takes place, Byleth removes her
sword from a now-dead bandit's chest. Swiftly, she brought up her steel to deflect the
incoming axe meant to split her in half. It slid cleanly off before she expertly countered with
a slash to the man's neck—the spurt of blood hinting enough that the man would die before
he hit the ground.

Leaving the man to die, she reached to her side and, with pinpoint accuracy, threw it into the
neck of a nearby bandit poised to kill one of her comrades. There was no time to hear the
man's thanks before she was engaging another bandit.

This is how the pattern continued.

Byleth would engage an enemy, leave them bleeding, then engage another who had either
killed one of her allies or was in the process of doing so. The bandits were relentless in their
assault, and despite Byleth's efforts to defend her allies, she was simply outnumbered. She
knew not where they came from or how they gathered in such numbers without anyone being
the wiser. All that mattered currently was staying alive, saving as many people as she could,
and finding her father.
Amidst the burning chaos, she searched desperately for her father, but the billowing smoke
made it almost impossible to see. It did not help that whenever her guard was down even
slightly, there was almost always someone there to try and run her through. They did not
succeed, yet every attempt caused her to tire more and more until she could barely breathe
through her exhaustion and the smoke filling her lungs.

In the end, she was forced to abandon the camp and whoever was in it to get fresh air. Along
the way, she found some of her fellow mercenaries doing the same, yet there was no time for
banter. She could barely breathe, and she knew she was a few seconds away from blacking
out when the edge of the forest came into view. Pushing her sore muscles forward, she
charged the clearing. A clear sky greeted her upon her emergence from the forest.

An arrow to her shoulder was all she felt next. Pain filled her shortly after as she gripped the
stick implanted in her shoulder. It only made the pain worse, the scream she let out being
accompanied by ragged coughs as her body finally tried to get the smoke from earlier out of
her lungs. Adding to her problems, tears blurred her vision, which meant she couldn't see
whoever had just shot her.

Byleth grew frustrated. The whistling of arrows over her hadn't stopped since she'd first hit
the ground, and she was not ignorant to the sound of her men's screams of agony as they fell
by the dozens. A slaughter was being had, and she was on the receiving side of it. For the
first time in her life, she desperately wished for the demon to come out. To kill anyone and
everyone who would dare harm her allies—her friends.

And yet, the demon within her was silent. She felt no sudden rush of anger or surge of power.

But why? Why did it choose now, of all times, not to help her? To abandon her? It frustrated
her to no end.

A sudden tug against her hair brought her out of her thoughts. Instincts immediately kicked
in, and she immediately went for her dagger to jab at the one yanking her, but was stopped
when two pairs of arms restrained her own.

"Found her!" A man's voice yelled over her, the tugging on her becoming more violent the
more she resisted. At some point, the blade she had hidden was dropped thanks to a sharp
twist of her arm that nearly snapped it out of place. Moments later, she was being dragged
across the dirt despite her resistance. When they reached wherever they were heading, she
was forcibly pulled up to her knees, the two arms from before holding her steady. No longer
feeling the itchiness of smoke, she peeled her eyes open to take in her new surroundings.

She was immediately met with a sight straight out of a nightmare. Surrounding her were men,
both in red armor and without. She couldn't see over the wall of men, but she saw many more
behind them, their numbers likely in the triple digits.

And being forced to kneel in front of them was her gagged father, along with a handful of his
followers, with steel poised to run them all through. She immediately met her father's gaze,
relief filling his features, yet she could see the grimness hidden beneath. He was obviously
worried about her, yet she knew there was more behind it.
So lost was she in thought that she didn't even notice the man standing in front of her father
until he started walking her way. Stopping in front of her, he knelt down until they were eye
level with each other.

He was old. If Byleth were to guess, the man was likely in his seventies, yet he walked as if
the heavy armor he wore weighed nothing. He was balding, but his lack of hair did nothing to
diminish his presence. His face was drawn and wrinkled, and his watery steel-blue eyes
further hinted at his age. He was either putting on a really good show to not look weak, or the
man's bone structure hadn't yet grown brittle.

His armored hand came out to grab hold of her jaw, turning it to and fro before an almost
disappointed sigh left his lips.

"A beautiful thing too... Such a shame." He spoke, the meaning in his words not meaning
anything to her as she watched him walk back towards her father. She was dragged along,
stopping just meters away from her father as the man began speaking once more. "Now that
you are both present, we can begin the trial."

Trial? What trial? What kind of trial involved attacking a legal mercenary band and burning
down a forest? What farce was this?

"Four years ago, on this very day, a life was taken. A life of a boy no older than 16 name
days. He was a misguided youth, yes. Angry at a system he thought unjust, he ventured out to
a world unknown, eventually finding purpose in a group of sellswords known as the Jeralt
Mercenaries. There, in a place I thought him safe, with a man I myself thought worthy of his
name, he found a purpose, found love, and became a man I was no longer ashamed to call my
son. He was safe, and that's all that mattered."

"Then, on the 23rd of the Blue Sea Moon, my boy, my innocent son, was publicly executed—
brutally and without mercy or a trial." The reason for this farce was revealed, Byleth
watching as her father's eyes widened in realization. She knew, like her father, who the old
man spoke of and who he likely was. How could she forget when the memory of that day had
been so embedded in her thoughts for weeks after?

Yet 'innocent' wouldn't be the word she used for the traitor. He was a member of Jeralt's
Mercenaries Company. As the leader, her father held the right to pass judgment on him. As
for a trial? There was no need for one. He tried to have her killed, and failed. He committed
treachery right before her father's eyes. His fate was practically sealed—more so if she hadn't
survived. If they'd known he was the son of a noble, they would have had the Church of
Seiros deal with him, seeing it would be a noble's issue then, but it became a mute point if the
boy hid his identity—especially seeing he had no crest.

This 'trial' was truly a farce.

"His body? Left to rot. His honor? His justice? Denied by the Church of Seiros. And his
killer? Allowed to roam free while my boy rots six feet under a pile of dirt!"

The soldiers surrounding them began to become rowdy, jeers and other unsavory insults
being thrown their way as the Old Man's speech became louder and more passionate.
"I ask you, good men and women of Fodlan: was justice truly served? Can it truly be called
'justice' when the man who brutally murdered a child is free to continue living unchecked and
unpunished? When his bravery to do what needed to be done was responded to in kind with a
punishment only fit for rapists, thieves, and murderers? Who is more evil? The one they
deem fit for such a punishment, or the ones passing it down? Tell me truly, who is more
evil?"

The man had charisma; she would give him that. If their blood wasn't boiling before, it
definitely is now. Most, if not all, were calling for the blood of her father. People who likely
didn't even know the traitor or the full story were invigorated by the old man's speech and
ready to lop her and her father's heads off.

It sickened her.

And it was beginning to seriously piss her off.

"But his crimes of murder aside, what if I told you there was a secret he has been keeping? A
secret that not only threatens the people around him, but maybe even the entire continent of
Fodlan?"

Now what nonsense was he speaking? For as long as she'd known her father, he had always
been truthful with her. In fact, the man was practically an open book. Anything she wanted to
know, he would tell her. Anything that was important, he would tell her. That's just the kind
of man he was. What did this old fossil know about her father that she didn't already know?

"On this continent, there are dark secrets. Secrets within the Church of Seiros, The Adrestian
Empire, The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and even the Leicester Alliance. Secrets so grave,
so terrifying, entire villages have been burned to the ground simply to keep them buried. I
once called it all a bunch of hogwash—just rumors passed down to create unrest and
propaganda. Yet, the night before my son's murder, a letter reached me. In that letter, he
spoke of one of these secrets—of the truth behind the disappearance of the town in Hevring."

Byleth froze. Her heart dropped to her stomach, and she suddenly felt cold all over. He
couldn't be about to do what she thought he was. He couldn't possibly reveal that to all these
people?

"He spoke of no unnatural force that day. To the rest of the world, they were told it was a
Demonic Charge that caused the deaths of untold numbers and that it was the Jeralt
mercenaries who put the beasts to the sword. Yet my boy knew the truth because he was
there. A truth that ultimately got him killed! It was not Demonic beast who slaughtered the
townspeople, but a girl. A single girl. A girl he said was capable of slaying Demonic Beasts
with but a swipe of an arm. A girl, once the daughter of a prestigious noble house, now
corrupted through inhumane experiments condoned and carried out by the Church of Seiros.
A girl I myself once thought dead, now used as a weapon to carry out Rhea's twisted system
of oppression! And now, that girl now kneels before you!" With a flourish, he pointed at her,
his face as convincing as his speech. "Lorelai Citri, heir the lost House of Citri!"

There was an unsettling silence following the man's 'reveal' of her 'lineage'. Every eye turned
to focus on the bound 'heir of Citri', mixes of horror, disbelief, and anger on their faces, while
Jeralt stared at the back of the old man as if to burn a hole through his skull with his eyes.

And Byleth?

She was unmoved.

The words of the man continued to play through her head over and over, yet she still couldn't
fully process it.

No. It wasn't that she couldn't process it, just couldn't believe what he'd just said.

This man wasn't just revealing one of the worst days of her life. This man wasn't just reviving
a memory she wished to remain locked in the deepest parts of her mind. This man wasn't just
using her memory as a way to get whatever twisted sense of justice for his son.

No, it was worse.

Far worse.

He was using her. He was slandering her father while using his son's death as an excuse to
further his own goals in dealing with whatever grievances he had with the Church of Seiros.

This was never about revenge for his son at all. This was about politics. And though Byleth
didn't understand what his gain was, she understood that-

"YOU DASTARD!" She couldn't stop the roar that left her lips. The familiar feeling of anger
was back, and it shone brighter than it ever had before. The signs of the Demon's energy
merging began doing its job of altering her body, yet she could care less about something so
trivial. All she currently cared about was using every bit of strength her small body had to
break free from the men holding her and get to the man using her for his own selfish deeds.
"YOU LYING DASTARD! HOW DARE YOU! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! I'LL KILL
YOU! I SWEAR IT ON THE GODS I'LL KILL YOU!"

The grizzled old man took a step back, his composure broken briefly from her outburst, yet
regained it upon realizing the girl wasn't capable of breaking her men's grip on her. Turning
to his soldiers, he spoke out once more, "Witness it, soldiers! See with your own eyes the
truth! See what the Church of Seiros has done to one of our own! A Noble! See for
yourselves what has become of her and what could become of anyone, no matter their
lineage! But fear not, for I shall not allow the Church to sully her no longer!"

Through the bloodlusted haze, Byleth watched as the man pulled the sword at his side from
its scabbard. If she were in her right mind, she would have noticed from its strange rusted
coloring and the way it seemed to glow that it wasn't a normal sword. She would have also
noticed the way her father's face suddenly twisted into desperation as he tried breaking free
from his own captors. She would have realized the severity of the man's words before and
now and understood what was coming next. Unfortunately, her anger at the man
overwhelmed all her senses, the need to break free and tear the man's head from his shoulders
being her one and only concern.
Now standing before her, her efforts to break free increased. She could feel the hands on her
struggling to hold her, and the liar was just within reach. He wouldn't even see it coming
when she ripped his throat out.

"Hear me, brave soldiers of Merceus! On this day, we finally put to rest one of our own."
Almost there! She was almost free! Just a bot more and she would have him! "But rest
assured, soldiers, for on this day, justice shall be served!" The grips were breaking! She was
almost there! "I shall rid this world of evil, and we shall all rest easy knowing Fodlan will be
safer tomorrow than it was today!" Byleth felt the exact moment the arms around her lost
their grip. At that same moment, her legs were pushing off the dirt and charging the liar. She
was just inches away, and she would have his-

She was suddenly halted mid charge.

Out of nowhere, she felt weak, and all of her limbs felt too heavy to keep up.

But why? She was fine just a moment ago—great even. So why? Why was her body refusing
to move? The liar was right in front of her. She could kill him if she just reached out, so why
were her arms refusing to move? And what was that he was pointing at her?

Byleth looked down and was further confused. Something long, rusty, and glowing was
embedded into her chest. Following the rusty-looking object up to the one holding it, she saw
a hilt.

Ah, it all made sense now.

He had run her through.

Straight through her heart.

"Rest, child of Citri. Rest knowing you have been freed from the clutches of that witch Rhea
and her ilk. Rest easy knowing there will be justice for you and your family." The man
actually sounded sorrowful, but why? And who was Citri again? Why couldn't she think
straight anymore? Why did her chest hurt again?

Ah, she remembered. She'd been stabbed.

This man had run her through.

She couldn't breathe. Why couldn't she breathe? Where did the pain suddenly come from?
Why did it hurt so much? Why wasn't it stopping? Where was her father? Why wasn't he
stopping the pain like he always did?

Her chest was moved once more. The rusty object was leaving her chest.

It hurt.

It really, really, really hurt.

The world was suddenly turning.

She was now on the ground, but...why?

Why was everything suddenly getting blurry?

Why were those soldiers just looking at her? Why were they not saving her?

Where was her...Dad? Why...was he...not...helping...

Why...was it get..ting...dark?

Where...fa...ther...

Whe...

Location: ?

Sharp teeth grinned down at the still form of his jailer. Around them, the mindscape was
falling apart. Stone slabs fell from the ceiling, breaking apart violently as they smashed
against the ground. The chakra he had typically flooded through the place began seeping out
through the newly formed holes in the walls, bringing glee to the Fox.

The girl was at death's door.

If the blood pooling around her wasn't an indication of her coming demise, then the rapid
decline of her mindscape surely was. It was happening a lot sooner than even he would have
expected, yet he wouldn't be one to complain when a blessing was put in front of him.

Soon, very soon, he would be free. Soon, his chakra would be free of this vessel, and in 5
years time, he would know freedom once again. He would seek out the bearer of those
accursed eyes first, then he would lay waste to-

A sudden spout of dizziness had him stumbling to the ground. It wasn't exactly odd. The
death of his host meant his as well, however temporary. He had expected the feeling of fading
away, yet this was different. His chakra was leaving him, as it was meant to, but why couldn't
he feel it entering the atmosphere?

It was with that thought that the unexpected happened.

His cage began glowing. Looking around frantically, he watched as the lights began glowing
brighter and brighter before it all began to gather towards the gate where the girl lay. As if it
were never there, the light vanished. When it returned, it did not do so in its bright color, but
in red. In front of his very eyes, a symbol was being drawn. The state of confusion soon
turned to dumbfoundment as he realized what was being drawn in front of him.

The symbol for 'death'.

The moment the character was fully drawn, Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, felt pain unlike
anything he'd ever felt rock his entire body. Blood and chakra were being forcibly pulled
from every pour in his body. His screams were enough to shatter eardrums, yet no one was
there to save him.

This was wrong! This was all wrong! Why was this happening? He was meant to be free after
her death! Meant to finally seek his vengeance! So why?! Why was this happening?! Why
was the seal-

Through the haze of pain and anger, he suddenly understood.

The Yondaime.

This had to be his doing.

The seal.

It wasn't what he thought it was. It wasn't meant to simply keep him contained. No, the
Yondaime was smarter than that. He surely knew it was impossible to keep him sealed. He
knew his child and descendants would forever be in danger as long as he, the Kyuubi,
continued to draw breath.

He knew this the day that woman spoke of a new seal.

The Yondaime was smart. Too smart to be a clanless nobody with not an ounce of special
blood. His reactions, his smell, his soul—everything about the man was wrong!

Then he saw the seal. Through Kushina's eyes, he saw the seal he once said would 'solve all
their problems'. He should have taken it more seriously.

But now he knew. Now, as his body began to shrivel as the seal wrung him like a dirty rag, he
knew he should have taken the Yondaime as a serious threat to his continued existence. The
seal wasn't meant to simply keep him contained. It wasn't even meant to have his child, the
original host, merge with his chakra over time.

It was meant to be used as a failsafe. It was meant as a means of protecting the child. It was
meant to be used as a threat. A threat that Kurama now knew to take very, very seriously.

A threat that could carry out, and succeed in, killing the Kyuubi no Kitsune—for good.

The beast growled at the symbol of death, which might as well have been its embodiment.
Even in death, the Yondaime spites him. For the first time he could ever remember, the
Kurama was afraid. He did not wish to die. To die with no chance of ever coming back.

He truly hated this world.

Desperate to cling to his existence, the fox looked at the still body on the floor. He was
getting weaker, and his vision was growing dark, but he still had time to reverse this
outcome. What he was about to do went against his pride; every vein in his body was
screaming against the actions he was about to commit. And yet it was the only way to ensure
his survival.
Pushing his will to live over his pride, he allowed what meager chakra he had left to move
towards the still form. Her eyes had completely turned to glass, but he was sure she could be
saved. With a growl, he watched as the chakra engulfed the human, immediately doing its
work to repair the girl back to normal.

His gamble paid off.

Instant relief coerced through him as the mindscape around him paused in its self-destruction.
The sound of a heartbeat echoed throughout the mindscape, bringing further relief to the
immortal being. One by one, the slabs of stone began to return to their rightful place in the
ceiling and walls, while the darkness began to recede.

In the cage, Kurama glared at the symbol of death, still hovering over him like a threat
despite everything going back to how it was. Eventually, the light it emitted began to fade
before the symbol melted back into the seal on his cage. Breathing heavily, the fox did his
best not to look at his feeble arms as he observed the girl on the ground. Her eyes were still
glassy, yet there was no doubt in his mind that she was alive. He'd pumped more than enough
chakra into her to bring her back from the brink of death, along with dealing with whatever
had killed her on the other side.

All he needed to do now was wait. Wait for his body to regenerate, and wait for the aftermath
of the one who dared kill his host.

But for now, he was tired. It was becoming harder and harder to keep his eyes open, and he
welcomed the peaceful serenity of his dreams.

"Live," he mumbled, cursing the Yondaime, cursing his weakness, and cursing how much
this moment had potentially changed he and his hosts future symbiotic relationship.
"Live...and know, this is the last time, I shall give... my..."

Fodlan

Valbar Maxwell

Valbar Maxwell sheathed his sword upon the Demon girl's passing. It truly was a shame. A
few years, and she would have surely grown to be a beauty. It was just unfortunate that her
involvement with that man aligned all too well with his ambitions. He knew not her true
origins, nor how she was given such a curse, yet it all mattered not in the end. With her death
and the story he forged, he would have the army he needed to challenge the Church. They
would finally stand a chance against Rhea and end her reign of lies once and for all.

Drowning out the cheers of his men after the murder of a child, Valbar marched to the bound
man, whose eyes spoke of disbelief. Even when he was before him, those eyes never left the
girl.

It was honestly sad.

Despite his crimes, he held no ill will towards the mercenary. His first son was a pariah in the
family. Loud, brash, and often prone to violence, it was inevitable that the boy would cause
him trouble somewhere down the line.

Which was why it was a blessing in disguise when he left the manner with his own free will.
The letter he left behind was rushed; his idiot of a son likely wrote it the same moment he
decided to leave. It spoke of wanting adventure and to see the world, yet he wasn't fooled.
The Jeralt Mercenaries, along with the woman he couldn't get off his tongue every second he
got, had left town that night. It didn't take a genius to know the boy was infatuated, nor did it
take many cells to know where his so-called 'adventures' were taking him. He knew where he
was, and he had no problem with the decision he had made. It was unfortunate to hear of his
death, but let it be known that Valbar didn't waste an opportunity when one was presented.

With his boy's death and the details of his letter, it gave him all the reason he needed to gather
the forces he needed. Finally, he was able to get his houses under one banner. Finally, he had
the troops to be taken seriously. Finally, he had the opportunity to make a change where it
was needed. It was just all unfortunate that the small price for it was a child and a group of
sellswords.

Unfortunate indeed.

Kneeling down to the still shocked man, Valbar opted to at least look into the eye of the man
whose daughter he'd just murdered and who he'd soon condemn to the same fate. There were
no words he could likely say to quell the man's heartbreak, yet he at least deserved final
words. With but a tilt of his jaw, the man holding the mercenary at sword-point cut the rag in
his mouth, the cloth dropping unceremoniously to the ground.

Jeralt still remained unmoved. Unbothered by the man's lack of response, Valbar spoke, "As a
commander, I shall grant you final words before your beheading." It took a while for the
mercenary to even acknowledge him. When he finally did, it wasn't the reaction he expected.
The face that turned to meet him was carved from stone. The shock on his face had vanished
as if it were never there, and though he could feel the killing intent from the man, he showed
not even a hint of it on his features. When he spoke, his voice was calm yet held a hint of a
warning. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"

Valbar did not give the man the incredulous brow he wished to give. "I think you, of all
people, should know the significance of what has just occurred, Jeralt. I thought you many
things, but lacking an understanding of politics was never one of them. You took my boy, my
son, Jeralt. It is only right, as a noble, that I seek justice."

"You and I both know this had nothing to do with that boy." Jeralt replied just as calmly. "But
seeing that you dodged my question, I take it you have no idea the true ramifications of your
actions."

Valbar's brow furrowed at the man. This was not simply the ramblings of a desperate man. He
was too confident—too detached. It spoke of something he wasn't privy to, and that honestly
worried him.
"Then enlighten me, Jeralt. Educate me on the mistakes I have made." Valbar decided to
humor the dead man. He was to die anyway, so what harm would it be if the man wanted to
give him information that he was apparently lacking?

The mercenary's gaze went to the dead girl once more before returning to the noble. "That
girl...my daughter, meant something to Rhea." He revealed, as if it was supposed to be some
threat that would have him quell in fear and retract his well-laid plans. "I know not what her
purpose was to be, nor what she truly is, but I know Rhea favored her. With her death, you've
not only doomed your entire house, but every ally, man, woman, and child, you hold under
your banner."

"...That's it?" Valbar finally showed his incredulousness. "That's the reason why you're so
confident? Because you thought I would fear Rhea's wrath?"

"I know her wrath is the last thing keeping you up at night. If it was, you wouldn't have
conjured up such a scheme. Seeing that it took you four years to retaliate, I'd say you were
extremely thorough in your planning. No one would be the wiser of what had happened here,
and you'd have accomplished your goals... Not that it'll matter soon." Unexpectedly, the
mercenary began scanning his surroundings. "I can see why you'd think to be confident. How
many men did you gather for such a small band of mercenaries?"

"Enough," Valbar said simply, to which a smirk twitch on the merc's face so fast one would
have missed it if they'd blinked.

"You should have brought more."

Valbar suddenly felt uneasy after the words. The hairs on the back of his neck were rising,
and he had the sudden urge to get as far away from here as possible. Standing, he drew his
sword and placed it at the merc's neck. The time for talking was over, and he truly needed to
leave this place before whatever bad feeling he had fell on his shoulders.

"Any last 'wisdom' you wish to pass?" He didn't know why he asked. He'd already heard
enough, yet his honor demanded he give the man that much.

"Just a few words. The very same someone should have given your son." The sound of fear
behind the noble began to crescendo. In front of him, men were backing away, a look of
absolute terror on their faces as they watched something behind him.

Valbar almost didn't want to turn around. That bad feeling had turned into alarm bells,
constantly ringing and telling him danger was extremely close. When he finally built up the
courage to turn, he wished he hadn't.

The girl, the one he made sure to twist his blade in not a few minutes prior, was on her feet.
She was slumped forward, her hair covering her features, while standing on unsteady feet.

All of that was not as unsettling as the bubbling energy surrounding her.

Then her skin began to peel, revealing not blood and muscle but a blackened flow of red that
seemed to be constantly moving. Slowly, her head lifted, and Valbar came eye to eye with not
blue but bright red eyes, the color of blood.

Then she let out a feral scream to the heavens before a pillar of red consumed her hole—the
beam splitting the clouds while the shockwave that followed nearly knocked Maxwell off his
feet. Winds stronger than any typhoon he'd witnessed blew trees and men in full plate armor
to the ground. Through the man-made storm, he could see the one who had created it.

A sphere of incandescent red and purple circled her form. Even from here, he could feel the
heat and raw fury rubbing against his skin. Power, stronger than any crest or divine will he'd
witnessed, was before him, and it brought true fear to his heart. When it all stopped and he
was able to see clearly once more, he didn't even know if what he was seeing could be called
human anymore.

Where the girl once stood, she was now on all fours. Where her skin was unmarked, it was
now red and black in a constant flow of moving lights. Where her eyes were red and her
mouth was delicate, now there were white voids with sharp spikes for a mouth.

And behind her, flowing back and forth lazily, were four tails.

Even through his fear and the sound of his throbbing heartbeat, he could still hear the almost
cocky voice of the mercenary.

"You should have aimed for the head."

Konoha

"Is something wrong, Onee-san?"

Sothis looked down at the boy calling for her attention. She blinked, completely forgetting
what had suddenly interrupted her train of thought. She felt it was important, like something
major had just occurred, yet she couldn't put a finger on what it had been...

"It's, nothing Child. Now, where were we?... Ah, yes! On with the-"
 Chapter 8
Chapter Summary

Current Age in Scene:

Kagero: 13

Hiruzen: Too old for this shit

Byleth: 12

Naruto: 5

It didn't take long for Sothis to realize that her ward's ability to see the unseen was a very
recent occurrence. In fact, it took only a few steps away from Hokage Tower before the boy's
attention was captured by something on the nearby roofs. Thankfully, through his eyes, she
was able to see what he saw without suffering the humiliation of having to exert power to do
so.

On each building were hooded figures wearing white blank masks depicting an animal. It was
the first time she'd seen such figures, yet she would admit that the fact they were all looking
directly at her ward put her off.

How did she know Naruto was the only one capable of seeing them? Simple: despite them
being in plain sight, no one around them seemed to be observing the out-of-place figures
looking down on them in broad daylight.

"Onee-san, why are so many ANBU looking at me?"

ANBU? Is that what they were? The Hokage's personal force and guards? The 'Black Ops'
she'd heard about only in hush whispers? Why were there so many, and why were they all
looking down on the boy? Did they somehow catch wind of their activities? If so, how? None
should have been the wiser of her capabilities, nor what they'd been doing during a Pulse. So
the question was: why were they here, and had they always been or was it after their
activities?

"Onee-san?"

No, they didn't know. She was sure of it.

"Onee-san, are you there? W-what should we do?" The stutter in her ward's voice finally
broke her from her pondering. Taking in the possibilities, she opted to take one of the safer
routes without using another Pulse.
"...Stop looking at them, for one, and stop speaking out loud. I can hear your thoughts
just as clearly." She immediately instructed, the boy following without question. "Now,
walk straight home, and do not look up or back. If the worse should come, I shall bring
us back to the morning." Naruto did as she asked without question, trusting that his friend
knew what she was doing.

As expected, they were followed.

Even 30 minutes into their walk home, the masks still followed. Even when they were safely
inside the house, the masks waited patiently outside. Even when the boy was safely inside his
room, the masks were at his window.

Before, she was sure her powers were absolute. Everything that happened within her powers
would go as she had ordained, and no force would be able to break through the flows of time
or have any inkling of what had occurred before or after the Divine Pulse. Now, being
surrounded on all sides just after their first true use of her power with the boy, she wasn't so
sure anymore. It made an unwanted feeling rise within, and she hated it. What did she have to
be nervous about? There was nothing these people could do to her; she knew this to be true.

Yet, she thought the same about her flesh. She was already proven wrong on that front, so
what was so different now?

No, they couldn't. She was sure of that. Unlike that time, her current form was spiritual, and
though she and her ward were one and the same, she had a chance at revival while he did
not...

Her ward...

Was, was what she was feeling 'fear' for her ward? Fear for what may happen to him due to
her own actions? Did she, a Divine, fear for someone? What did he think of her for getting
them into such a mess?

The moment the thought settled was the moment she stomped it ruthlessly.

Absurd! Completely absurd! inconceivable! She did not harbor such insecurities! Ever!

But if it was not so, then what was it? What was she feeling and why-

"Onee-san, there's someone in my room."

The words had the Divine seeing through the blonde's eyes in an instant. From what she
could see, the boy was still at the entrance of his bedroom. If she were looking through
normal eyes, then nothing would have been out of the ordinary other than the fact that
someone clearly neglected to make up their bed in the morning. However, through the
Uzumaki's eyes, your eyes would immediately be directed to short figure currently looking
down on him from the ceiling in the corner of the room just above his bed. Like the ANBU,
she wore a dark cloak to cover her body, but unlike the Black Ops, her face was clear to see.
Widened, pastel-colored eyes stared down at his own. Her features were sharp, long, raven
bangs covering one side of her face completely. In normal circumstances, Naruto would have
considered the woman cute, probably cuter than even that Sakura girl he'd seen occasionally
at the Academy.

But alas, they were not at the Academy. He was in his room, and she was hovering over his
bed while clearly not expecting him to be able to see her. If it wasn't for the Konoha
headband clear to see around her neck, then Naruto would have already bolted from the
room. Instead, with the ignorance of a child, he opted to speak to the one who was clearly not
supposed to be in his room.

"What are you doing in my room, Shinobi-san?" Instead of an answer, his intruder's eyes shot
wide open.

What occurred next happened in a blur.

First, there was the shattering of glass from his window imploding, followed by something
dark moving to the shinobi faster than he could blink. Before he could even cover his face on
instinct, Naruto felt himself being carried before something pressed into the back of his neck.

The last thing he saw were ANBU restraining the intruder before his world went dark.

Hound, ANBU Captain, and the one currently responsible for the protection of the
Jinchuuriki of the Leaf, looked to the now sleeping boy in one of his agents arms. Getting a
nod from the agent, confirming the boy was indeed asleep, he turned to where the young
intruder had been detained on the ground by two more agents. He didn't know if he should be
surprised or not at who they had apprehended.

The girl, an heir, no less, did not struggle. It was likely because she already knew the severity
of her crimes and did not wish to add more to her plate, yet if she was smart enough to know
that, then why even do something so stupid and straightforward in the first place? And more
importantly...

He looked back to Naruto, a new-found curiosity shining within. They did not catch anything
out of the ordinary when the boy entered the apartment, nor did they catch any form of
chakra being used within a 50-meter radius. If they didn't catch anything, then how did the
boy?

Not long after that thought, a powerful chakra signature appeared in the living room of the
small apartment. Turning, he greeted the wizened Hokage as he made his way into the scene
followed by two of his own personal ANBU guards.

Hiruzen took one look at who the ANBU had detained before a heavy breath left him.
"Kagero-hime, I know you to be a lot of things, but imprudent is not one of them." He spoke,
sounding more disappointed than upset. "I'll allow you one chance to explain yourself before
I have ANBU take you in for questioning."
Despite the threat, the young woman did not show any sign of fear. Face still on the ground,
she peered up to the Hokage and explained herself cordially, "Hokage-sama, I had reason to
believe that your lives, along with the lives of everyone in Hokage Tower, were at risk."

Hiruzen remained unmoved despite the claim. Despite who she was under and the clan she
belonged to, he did not sense an ounce of a lie leaking between her words.

"Explain," he said simply, the girl not hesitating in reporting her findings.

"At 1400 hours, on my way to report a mission, I found the Jinchuuriki standing before
Hokage Tower. I do not know what he did, but not long after, he released a large
concentration of concealed chakra that not even I would have caught if not in the vicinity.
Nothing seemed to come of it, but I was skeptical and wished to monitor him until I knew for
certain what he had done. I do admit my rashness in decision-making and should have
immediately reported it, but I swear on my name that I had nothing but the safety of Konoha
in mind."

Hiruzen listened to the report with open ears and mind. Looking to one of the ANBU holding
the girl down, he watched the gorilla mask give a shake of the head, confirming there were no
irregular patterns in her chakra.

A hand came to rub the bridge of his nose shortly after. As much as he wished for this to
simply be poor judgment, he knew he couldn't simply dismiss her claims. Despite her clan
(and that man), her sensing abilities have proven to be far beyond those of her peers. Her
confession may or may not be entirely truthful, but he couldn't see any reason why such an
active Jonin would pull such a stunt other than having genuine suspicions.

A sigh left him, knowing the next few days would be a headache.

"You have not necessarily committed any major crimes, Kagero-hime. Your actions may have
been rash, and some may argue that they break the 'No Contact' agreement between the clans,
but I believe your testimony of 'reasonable suspicion'. However, I will still have a Yamanaka
check the validity of your claims just to be sure. Will that be a problem?"

"It will not, Hokage-sama." She replied immediately, further throwing off any suspicion.

"Though you will not be charged, I shall still have you serve a punishment. I will also be
reporting this to Shimura personally." A slight hint of fear faded as fast as it appeared; the
mention of her clan head seemed to cause an emotional response where all else failed.

"I, understand, Hokage-sama."

Interrogation done, he gave a gesture to the ANBU holding the Jonin before they disappeared
with her in a puff of smoke. From behind, Hound led Cat into the room, holding the sleeping
form of Uzumaki Naruto. Placing the boy in the bed, Cat awaited Hiruzen's next order.
Hiruzen gave the sleeping boy one last longing stare before giving his final order (hopefully)
for the day.
"Take me back... And send a summons order to Danzo." Without preamble, the ANBU did
what they were told, the personal guards taking the Hokage back to his desk while Hound
took his place outside the apartment and Cat went to relay the message to the Shimura head.

Going unnoticed by all, an invisible figure hovered observantly over the blonde's sleeping
form.

Location: ?

"What happened," was the boy's first question upon seeing his friend in their shared little
world. "Did I die," was his second, not so unreasonable, comment.

"If you had, we would not be speaking, Child." Sothis reassured plainly, her thoughts still
filled with what she had observed through her spiritual form. They hadn't been found out as
she feared, yet they hadn't gone completely unnoticed. That woman, whoever she was, had
felt her Divine Pulse, yet knew not what happened beyond it.

It was unnatural. No mortal should be able to sense the energy of a Divine. It was simply
impossible. Unfathomable. Inconceivable. What exactly was up with this world and
completely breaking her expectations?

"...Well, since you are here, I see no reason why we should waste this time. Head for the
archive... Don't give me that look, go now!" Sothis urged, admonishing the boy when a hint
of displeasure twitched on his face. The boy did as he was told, slumping in defeat as he
made his way towards the door in the void.

Sothis followed close behind, but couldn't shake the feeling that their ordeal wasn't quite
done just yet.

Next Day

Hokage Tower

She should have known.

Of course they wouldn't let such a thing go. It was in their nature to be paranoid, so she
should have seen this coming.

Before her ward was the Hokage, along with three other figures. One was easily identifiable
enough, being the shortest in the room and the one to nearly give the boy a heart attack not 24
hours ago. No longer bearing robes, the girl now stood in the standard uniform for a Jonin of
Konoha. Next to her stood a similarly dressed blonde man with pupiless blue eyes, the only
difference between the two being the red vest over the Jonin one. ANBU also lined every
corner of the room, something her ward noticed immediately upon entering the room.

Finally, next to the Hokage stood a scarred man whose hair closely resembled that of a
pineapple... Weird. She knew not who he was, but she could see the analytical gleam in his
eyes, which likely meant anything said by her ward would be heavily scrutinized.

This was not good. Not good at all. She knew her bright child, which also meant she knew he
lacked any form of subtlety. One blockheaded reply would likely be all it took to get them
found out, the possibility might as well be inevitable.

She knew she should have used another Pulse yesterday when she had the chance...

Well, there was no dwelling on 'what should have beens'. Their worries were all currently in
the present, so they would deal with them now.

Which was why the world around them was frozen, and she was looking sternly down at her
little problem child (even if their ordeal wasn't necessarily his fault).

"Now, listen and listen closely, Child. When asked a question, you will repeat what I say
and only what I say. No unnecessary remarks. Do I make myself clear?" The boy nodded
furiously, yet it brought no reassurance to her. "Haaaaaaaaah, why do I get the feeling this
is going to be a disaster..." She muttered, not at all feeling as if they would leave this office
Scott-free.

"Don't worry, Onee-san. I promise to only say what you tell me, and I always keep my
promises, dattebayo." Sothis remained unimpressed, even with the little slip of his verbal
tick. Nevertheless, there was no reason to waste her power worrying over the inevitable. All
she could do now was pray that the boy didn't get them into too much of a bind.

*CRASH*

The moment they came out of the Pulse, the Jonin from yesterday immediately had a hand on
the sword behind her, prompting the other Shinobi (and shadows) in the room to suddenly be
on guard.

'Ah, this one truly can feel my power,' Sothis thought, staring into the eyes of the mysterious
Jonin woman, prompt and ready to cut her ward down if given the opportunity.

"Did you feel something again, Kagero-hime?" The Hokage, the only one unmoved by the
woman's sudden hostility, asked calmly.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." She confirmed, getting furrowed eyes from the Jonin standing next to
her.

"I did not feel anything, Hokage-sama." The blonde man said, the pineapple one also nodding
in agreement.

Instead of answering the unasked question, Hiruzen made a wave of his hand, the shadows
immediately sheathing their tantos at the gesture. "At ease, everyone. There is no need to be
on edge. I promise everything will be solved before the day is done."

Immediately, the two male Jonin relaxed, while it took the woman until she was prompted
again by the Hokage to sheath her tanto. Sothis felt the tension in her ward ease once the
threat of death was no longer in the air. Hopefully, this will be the last time they put the boy
on the edge.

"Naruto-kun, sorry to pull you away from the Academy at such short notice. I know just how
important your education is. However, there are concerns we have with actions taken
yesterday that we wish to put to rest."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Naruto replied, as his friend instructed him to.

Hiruzen's grandfatherly smile brightened at the answer and said, "Good, my boy." With that,
he jestered towards the blonde Jonin, "Naruto-kun, this is Inoichi Yamanaka. He'll be asking
you a few questions, and we need you to answer them all truthfully and to the best of your
knowledge, okay?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Getting the OK from the Hokage, Inoichi stepped forward until he was kneeling in front of
the stoic child. If he hadn't been told before hand of the boy's permanent ashen expression, he
would have immediately found it suspicious. Expressions on one's face were the quickest
way of conveying emotion, yet seeing someone, a child, devoid of such a natural human trait
was truly unsettling.

"Good evening, Naruto-san. To begin, all I need you to do is place your hand in my palm and
we will begin." The boy looked down at the palm held out in front of him, yet did not hesitate
to place his smaller one on the Yamanaka's. Immediately feeling the boy's chakra flow, he
noticed just how unnatural the boy was.

His chakra flow was extremely slow, almost like a corpse. Putting a hand to his wrist, he felt
for a pulse and was surprised to find none. He couldn't entirely hide the frown on his face. He
wasn't a shadow clone—that, he was assured of. He also wasn't a Genjutsu either, which
threw away any doubt that the boy before him was, in fact, Uzumaki Naruto. Hokage-sama
warned him that the boy was special for a Jinchuuriki , yet he never knew the debt of such a
thing until now.

Shaking away his thoughts, the Jonin began his questioning. "To start, can you tell me
something true about yourself?"

Naruto did not answer right away. In fact, he didn't answer at all. Almost a full minute went
by when the Yamanaka began to look uneasy.

*CRASH*

"Why are you just sitting there, you baffoon?!" Sothis yelled, suddenly appearing above
the now-frozen Yamanaka. Naruto looked up to his friend and blinked.

"But you told me to only repeat what you say. You didn't say anything, so neither did I." The
greenette's mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish, trying to say words but unable to get
them out. He was right, in the literal sense, but completely wrong in the common. A hand
eventually came to her face, not believing she had to spell it all out for the child.
"Within reason, Child. Within reason."

"...What does that mean, Onee-san?"

"It means that I expect you to use your own judgment. If you think what is being asked
is simple, then you shouldn't need me to tell you what to say."

"But you said-"

"I KNOW WHAT I SAID-" Sothis stopped herself, fist shaking from wanting to bonk her
bright little idiot over the head. Calming down, she looked down at the shrinking boy, hoping
her next plan of action would solve their problems. "Ok, change of plans. If there is a
question I wish to answer for you, I shall use a Pulse to do so. If not, then you are to
answer it yourself. Simple enough?" The boy nodded in confirmation. Sothis put on a
frown so her next words were taken seriously. "But be warned, the more I answer, the less
chances you'll have to use a Pulse. Do not say anything that will compromise us,
understood?"

"Hai, Onee-san."

Assured that the boy was ready once more, the Divine nodded in satisfaction.

*CRASH*

Back to reality, Naruto found Inoichi not in front of him, but back in his position next to the
Kunoichi. Said Kunoichi was in that stance again with her hand on her sword, prompting
everyone else in the room to ready themselves for the unseen threat...

Ah, they were back at the beginning.

Deja vu hit as they went through the previous 5 minutes all over again until Inoichi was
kneeling before him asking that same question from before.

"To start, can you tell me something true about yourself?"

Remembering his friend's words, he replied, "I like Ramen. It's really good."

Inoichi smiled at the answer. "I see. Maybe I'll treat you to a bowl one of these days. Now,
tell me something that isn't true."

"...I like veggies." The reply garnered a chuckle from both the Yamanaka and Hokage.

"Between you and me, I'd be happy to never see another vegetable in my life. Just, don't let
my wife hear you say that, or we'll both be eating greens till there's no more in Konoha."
Inoichi tried his hand at humor, a bit put off that the boy's chakra signature showed a very
slight sign of joy, yet his expression remained unmoved. "OK, now I'm going to be asking
you more serious questions. Make sure to answer truthfully, OK?"

Naruto nodded, ready for whatever.

"Good. To begin, start by telling me what you did yesterday afternoon. Specifically, around
1:45 PM."

Naruto's eyes went up, trying to remember everything he'd done before coming to Hokage
Tower yesterday. "I had just left from Ichiraku's and was heading here."

"I see... And what did you come to Hokage Tower to do? We were told you were standing
outside for quite some time."

*CRASH*

"...I wanted to see Hokage-jiji." The boy replied, not missing the subtle tense of the
kunoichi..

"And why didn't you go inside?"

*CRASH*

"...I started feeling dizzy, so I went home."

"Dizzy? Do you know what suddenly caused it? Nervousness perhaps?"

*CRASH*

"...I do not. I just felt dizzy, Yamanaka-san."

"I see... And did you do anything when you arrived at Hokage Tower?"

"Ask him to elaborate." Sothis immediately voiced, the boy doing as his friend asked.

"Can you elager-" the boy paused. "Elag...E...e-elager..."

"Uh, sorry? Can you repeat that, Naruto-kun?"

*CRASH*

The moment they came out of the Pulse, the Jonin from yesterday immediately had a hand on
the sword behind...her...wait...

Inside the blonde's head, he could practically feel the incredulous stare his friend was giving
him.

"...Did you just use one of our Pulses because you didn't know how to pronounce a
word?"

For once, Naruto was glad his friend was currently in his head. At least there, she couldn't see
the blush of embarrassment on his face.

Once again, they watched things unfold until the blonde was asked questions once more. To
Sothis's frustration, the boy didn't remember any of her answers, leading to yet another
moment where the blonde was left staring wonderingly into the Yamanaka's eyes. One Pulse
later, and a very stern talking to, they were back where they'd left off.

"Can you, explain, Yamanaka-san?"

"Did you, perhaps, perform a chakra flare, or any kind of jutsu while you were here?"

"I did not, Yamanaka-san." Suddenly, the man's brow furrowed, meaning nothing good for
the blonde.

"Are you sure, Naruto-kun? Know that I can tell when you're lying, so please be truthful with
me." He said sternly, a bit of nervousness creeping up within the blonde.

"He does not yet know you are lying, Child. Reiterate your previous statement." The
reassuring voice of his friend cooled his worries.

"I did not use any jutsu yesterday, Yamanaka-san."

The blonde held his breath, the stern gaze of the Yamanaka staying on him for a brief period
before he asked his next, and final question.

"Did someone else do anything? Someone, perhaps, we cannot see?"

Naruto was unable to stop the widening of his eyes before the Yamanaka's stern eye caught it.
The way the blonde was too stunned to answer afterward was all he needed to make whatever
analysis he was making.

"I see. Then there is nothing further for us to-"

*CRASH*

"Get a hold on your emotions, Child!" Sothis suddenly appeared in front of him, startling
the blonde back to reality.

"S-sorry, Onee-san. I got scared." He admitted, shame filling him.

"What is there to fear? Did I not say you would be fine as long as you have me? "Does
your trust in me mean so little?" Naruto sank lower into his seat, the accusation beginning
to crush him from within.

"Its just, when he asked that, all I could think about was how I could protect our secret. Like,
what if they take you from me? I don't have any other friends, so I'll...be lonely without
you..." His voice trailed off until it was no more than a whisper. Inside, the genuine fear of
him losing her spread. He feared not only for himself, but her as well. It was, touching.

Yet this was not the time to dwell on such insecurities. There was a time for such things and
now wasn't one of them.

"I am not going anywhere, Child." She first reassured. "I am not only within you, but a
part of you. Our fates are intertwined and not so easily broken, so cease these doubts. I
am here to stay."

The boy looked into her eyes as if searching for a lie. When he found nothing but annoyance,
he lowered his head in submission. "Thank you Onee-san. I, feel better now."

"Good." She nodded, already preparing to use the next Divine Pulse. "Now, prepare
yourself. We have enough for one more Pulse, so make sure you don't waste it."

"Hai, Onee-san."

...

"Did someone else do something? Someone, perhaps, we cannot see?" Inoichi pushed,
knowing this was the most delicate and dangerous question he was to ask. His chakra had
given him no reason to doubt any of his answers so far, yet this could significantly change
that. Like the Hokage, he hoped the Shimura was simply paranoid, but since when had
anyone in that clan acted on anything that wasn't in the shadows?

'Gods, for once, please let it be baseless paranoia...'

"...I don't know what you're talking about, Yamanaka-san." Inoichi checked the boy's chakra
flow. It was steady, as it had been throughout the rest of his questioning. Not finding any
signs of a lie lifted weights off his shoulders he was glad to be rid of. He smiled at the
blonde, giving a silent apology through his eyes. "Thank you for being truthful with me,
Naruto-san."

"Just a moment, Yamanaka-dono. I'd like to ask one last question." Inoichi was about to stand
and return to his position when Kagero's voice stopped him. He gave a glance back to her, yet
her stern glare was focused entirely on the Uzumaki. "Uzumaki-san, if you had power, power
strong enough to make a difference, how would you use it?"

It was a very straightforward question, yet Inoichi didn't see the need for such. Nevertheless,
he observed the boy's chakra as he replied quicker than he'd expected.

"I would use it to change the world."

Inoichi looked at the boy in surprise, not expecting such an answer. With the things he'd
heard, along with the boy's unfavorable living conditions, he expected anything but.
However, it wasn't his answer that truly surprised him.

It was the way his almost dormant chakra suddenly came to life in what he thought was
excitement. Where there was once a spark, there is now a small campfire. It was as if he
wasn't simply answering a question but stating a dream.

What, a truly remarkable young man.

"...I see." Hearing the words from the Shimura, he smiled at the boy before saying, "You are
going to be a remarkable Shinobi, Uzumaki-san." His peace said, he finally let go of the
Jinchuuriki's hand and moved back to the young Shimura.
"Have your fears been appeased, Kagero-hime?" Hiruzen spoke in the conclusion of the
interrogation. Kagero nodded to confirm, yet Inoichi couldn't help but feel the
disappointment emanating from her.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I no longer believe Uzumaki to be a threat to Konoha. However," the

Kunoichi made sure to stare into the boy's curious gaze as she said, "I can't help but be
disappointed in you, Uzumaki."

Inoichi turned to the Shimura, not understanding the need to push any further. He was about
to voice such until he saw the Hokage's very subtle shack of his head in his peripheral.
Silenced, he had no choice but to listen as the Shimura continued in a direction he didn't think
was wise.

"You are to be the future of Konoha, yet your work effort is less than desirable. I'm told you
wish to be Hokage one day, yet you don't even know what that means yourself. The title of
Hokage is not something one simply decides to be. It is a title given to those who are not only
strong in body and skill but also in mind. One who has gained the respect of their allies and
the fear of his enemies. You say you wish for that title, that respect, yet you don't even have
the mind yet to put your village first... A pity."

The words were spoken like a true Shimura—harsh yet not without truth.

Inoichi felt for the boy, yet there wasn't an ounce of a lie in her statement. It took far more
ambition to become the Hokage than the boy likely knew. It took everything the Shimura said
and more—most not even living to see such a dream. It was a lesson the boy needed to learn,
yet, as a father, Inoichi didn't think it wise to reveal such a harsh reality when the boy still
had room to grow into their world.

And the boy?

His features were stoic like usual, yet his fist balled and shook in front of him while his brow
twitched uncontrollably. He didn't know if it was anger or frustration he was feeling, yet it
was the first show of emotion he'd seen from the boy.

To further throw him for a loop, the boy didn't seem to argue any defense as a child typically
would. Instead, his gaze broke from the Shimura and back to the Hokage before saying, "Can
I go now, Hokage-jiji?"

"Ah, yes, my boy. An ANBU will be waiting outside to take you back to the Academy." The
Hokage replied with his usual gentleness. Not giving any show of confirmation, the boy
simply hopped from his seat and headed for the door.

Halfway there, he suddenly stopped. Before the Hokage even began to ask if something was
wrong, the boy had turned around and began walking towards them.

He came to a stop right in front of the Shimura heiress.

Big, seafoam eyes stared up at the cold, indifferent eyes of the future head of the Shimura
clan—both unwavering in their expressions. In the end, it was the Shimura who broke the
silence. "Is there something you'd like to say, boy?"

"...I'm remembering your face." The flat response of the blonde caused a shiver to run up the
Yamanaka's spine, while it only furrowed the brow of the young Shimura heiress.

"Is that a threat, boy?" She asked, the hostility in her voice unmistakable where the blonde's
was absent. Still, Yamanaka Inoichi would swear to this day that he felt the words spoken
next by Uzumaki Naruto.

"I just want to remember you as one of the people who'll one day acknowledge me as
'Hokage-sama'."

"...Well, that happened." Sothis spoke, feeling the need to fill the silence following their
swift exit after the boy's 'declaration'. He had said nothing on their way out, and had barely
had any thought other than frustration. Even now, he said nothing, despite her attempts at
being amicable.

Opting to let the boy dwell in his emotions, she sat quiet as the ANBU waiting for them
teleported them across the rooftops towards the Academy.

Upon their arrival, the ANBU wasted no time in making himself scarce, leaving the blonde
standing in front of the Academy gates. Minutes went by, Sothis joining her ward in staring at
the entrance in silence.

Eventually, the Divine could take no more.

With just a thought, the world stood still once more, and she was floating in front of the
motionless boy.

"I think I've put up with your silence long enough, so talk. Get what you need to say off
your chest and be done with it." She said sternly, arms crossed and finger tapping
rhythmically against her arm as she waited for a reply. It took more silence, but eventually,
the boy was able to put aside his frustration to ask his friend a question.

"Onee-san, you believe I'll become Hokage one day, right?"

Sothis raised a brow, not exactly believing that to be the root of his frustration. "Is that
what's bothering you? A few words and you begin to doubt yourself and my judgment."
When she received no reply, she let out a sigh.

Turning to the nearby tree, she motioned for the boy to follow, who did so without complaint.
Arriving, they both sat under the shade, Sothis having to levitate her body less she fall right
through the ground. They simply enjoyed the silence and shade for a bit before Sothis spoke,
hoping this would be the last time she'd have to have such a conversation.

"I believe you can achieve more than just becoming the leader of this village, Child." She
said honestly, the boy's eyes fully on her while she stared towards something only she could
see. "I've told you many times before, you are a bright child. You work twice as hard as
any other, a quality not seen in many. Your determination to succeed in a village that
demonizes you is admirable. You are kind, where the world is cruel. You say things that
can be childish, yes, but you've also said things that have even moved myself. You have
a way about you that is unique, and I know those who truly know you feel the same."

Finally looking to the boy, she seemed to contemplate something. Eventually, her hand
reached out to his cheek, surprising him further. A serene smile blossomed on her face before
she said, "You've already proven your worth to me, Child, so there's no need to ever
think I do not believe in you."

The way he looked at her was like she was the only one in the world. Despite it not being his
intention, his expression brought a warmth to her heart she couldn't describe. It only seemed
to grow when he suddenly leaned into her hand, whispering words that only made her
emotions feel more out of place.

"If you believe in me, then I don't care what anyone else says."

What she saw next momentarily made her speechless.

Her ward, the stoic, hardheaded, stubborn, bright young man was, for the first time since
she'd know him, smiling. It didn't split his face, nor did would it have been visible to most,
but from this close, she could see it clearly.

She didn't know how, but it was one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen. Just as much
as when she'd brought her first child into this world.

"I'm going to become Hokage one day, and I'll change the world like I promised."

And she believed every word.

 Interlude: Kagero

Interlude: Shimura Kagero

Shimura Kagero watched the Jinchuuriki march from the room in silence, the clicking of the
door shutting behind him echoing like a ringing chime bell.

His last words replayed in her head—words of naivety and lack of understanding. Speaking
of such delusions of grandeur when he knew not the responsibilities and burden that came
with it made such a child unfit for the position of Hokage. If not for her suspicions, he would
not be worth her time.

"Well, Kagero-hime. Have anything to report?" The Shimura heir turned to the Hokage. She
knew the report she needed to give, yet she also knew the importance of her findings. The
village would gain nothing from hiding this information, nor would there be any gain if she
revealed it. Unfortunately for her, no matter how much she wished to keep this information
for her father, it was likely the only thing keeping her from T&I.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," she said reluctantly, ready to reveal what she'd suspected and concluded
about the Jinchuuriki. "It is as I suspected. Uzumaki Naruto has developed a Kekkei Genkai.
I know not what it is, but I suspect part of its ability is to suppress his emotions willfully. I
know not his other abilities, but I do know his uses are limited and very sensitive to my
chakra. I also suspect it is the reason we cannot feel the Kyuubi's within him."

The Hokage looked ponderous, likely contemplating which parts of her statement were true
or false. Fortunately for the old man, nothing she said was a lie. It was her true suspicions
about the Jinchuuriki piled into one report, though that did mean she didn't augment certain
information.

"And which questions did he use such abilities on?"

"Only the third, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen immediately looked to the Yamanaka for confirmation. As Shimura expected, the
man shook his head. "Uzumaki-kun's chakra flow is unlike any I've ever dealt with, Hokage-
sama. Typically, a youth of his age's chakra stream is vibrant since their bodies are naturally
full of energy. However, his chakra flow is slow. If I hadn't been connected with the boy, I'd
likely question if he was even alive."

The Yamanaka's analysis was not too far from her own. As a sensor, she prided herself on
sensing the flow of chakra within a given area. Due to being born with Hyper-Chakra
Sensitivity, her sensing abilities grew to be far better than those of the average Shinobi. She
could sense a Shinobi several miles away, even if she couldn't see them, and could feel
chakra being molded. It was a skill her father noticed in her and made her worthy of his
teachings.
Yet, if her eyes weren't directly on Uzumaki Naruto, she wouldn't even know he was there.
Just thinking of him weaponizing such an ability was a terrifying prospect in a world where
the unnoticed prosper.

"I see..." The Hokage gave a smile to Shimura and said, "Thank you for your honesty,
Kagero-hime. We are truly fortunate to have you. You are dismissed."

Kagero gave a brief salute to the Hokage before disappearing in a shunshin. Appearing
outside Hokage Tower, she was just in time to see the Jinchuuriki disappear down the road.

The true extent of his power plagued her. She felt her analysis of the boy's Kekkei Genkai
was accurate, yet knew there was more to it that she simply couldn't figure out. If he was
truly capable of suppressing his emotions at will, then what was the point of that first pulse?
What exactly did he do yesterday, and why was she the only one capable of sensing it?

Her brow tightened. It mattered not what his intentions were. What truly mattered was, until
her investigation was concluded, Uzumaki Naruto was a threat to the Hidden Leaf.

Leaping from her perch, she headed straight to the Shimura compound. She needed to report
her findings to Danzo-sama immediately.
 Chapter 10
Chapter Summary

Current ages:

Byleth: 12

Naruto: 5

Fodlan

Aftermath

Jeralt knew slaughter.

He'd witnessed slaughters with his own eyes—even been a part of a few during his time as a
Merc. One-sided skirmishes either so short they fail to even be called such or one-sided
battles where the victor displayed such overwhelming might that the defeated barely caused
the victor to sweat.

What Byleth did wasn't either. What she did might as well be called judgment, because what
he saw was definitely an execution.

And it all started with Valbar.

The poor bastard didn't even have time to raise his sword or order his men. One moment, he
was stuttering to speak, and the next, Byleth, at least he thought it was her, had two hands in
the man's mouth. A second later, the upper half of his face was ripped off with ease to land
somewhere in the crowded surroundings. Valbar's headless corpse fell limply to the ground,
shock settling into the whole army as they saw their commander fall.

Then chaos ensued.

They did not fight, for they couldn't. Before a mage had time to cast a spell, the red blur had
already ripped out their hearts. By the time soldiers went to strike, their limbs were chewed
off. Before they had a chance to run, they were grabbed and torn apart. And before they could
gather, a mighty red fist crushed them to paste.

This wasn't a fight.

It was genocide.
Men and women alike prayed and begged for their lives. But how exactly does one plead to a
beast for mercy?

Answer: You can't.

Herded like cattle, the remainder of Valbar's men cowered as they began to pray to the
Goddess. Pray for whatever sins they've committed in their lives to be forgiven. They prayed
for the Goddess herself to come down and save them from the nightmare ready to claim their
lives, and for a moment, they thought the Goddess had answered their prayers.

The beast that had been slaughtering them was heaving heavily in front of them. Breathing so
heavily you could see its breath, the men momentarily grew confident that they could leave
with their lives. It only took one of them to turn and run before the rest followed. In their
haste to escape, they never felt the wrongness in the air. They never saw the demon lift its
face as red and blue particles began to condense into a ball in front of its open maw. It was
twice the size of a tether ball before the beast swallowed the thing whole. Its stomach
expanded to 10 times the size of the ball, and Jeralt thought for a moment that his daughter
would implode. What actually happened, thankfully, wasn't so. Instead, something far more
terrifying happened. Byelth opened her mouth towards the escaping soldiers.

A beam of light large enough to engulf the entire Officers Academy wiped out what remained
of Valbar's army. Jeralt was both blinded and deafened by the screeching sound of the beam
of light. The power the beam emitted was not something mortal hands could produce. It was
not the power of a demon, but of Gods. Only godly-level beings could make him feel this
level of fear. Only Gods could so easily rip men and women apart so carelessly. And only a
God could completely eviscerate a man down to the atom, along with anything and
everything 5 kilometers behind it.

That marked the end of this conflict.

Nearly a thousand men, dead. Nearly all his mercenaries, aside from a handful, were dead or
missing. If he and his men hadn't made the wise decision to get out of dodge, they would
have likely suffered the same fate as Valbar's men.

And Byleth?

He found her in a crater of her own making. The skin on her body had been peeled off to the
muscle, and her eyes were rolled to the back of her head.

And yet, miraculously, she was still alive.

Being more careful with her than he'd ever had, he wrapped her in wet blankets from the
nearby stream and carried her away from the forest along with the remainder of his men.
They needed to get as far as possible away from there, and hopefully not have their tracks
followed as they went into hiding to lick their wounds.

That was three days ago.

Since then, Byleth has remained unconscious. The injuries that would have normally taken
weeks (if not killed them within minutes) healed in less than a day.

As for the last of his men?

He had them all dismissed.

They did not protest much, yet he did not fault them. He'd seen what they had, and it was a
miracle they stayed as long as they did. They wished to say their goodbyes themselves to the
one they'd watch grow up, but settled on writing their goodbyes on parchment. They were
good men, and Jeralt knew they would make something out of themselves—even if he
wouldn't be there to see it.

Now, it was only him and Byleth, like it had been at the beginning. He would have never
believed their adventures would end like this, yet he wasn't entirely upset about it. Now, he
had all the time in the world to raise his daughter without the responsibilities that came with
being a mercenary for hire. He would miss it, of course, and there was no doubt in his mind
that Byleth wouldn't stand to be in one place for very long. But as long as he was with her,
his daughter, he didn't care.

It was on the fifth day that Byleth finally woke.

He'd stepped out of the abandoned shack they'd stayed in for but a moment to get some water
when he arrived back to find the bed she'd been sleeping in empty. His heart sank to his knees
immediately, thinking the worst.

It turns out he didn't need to search at all.

Just out the window, he found her. Walking out to their backyard, he found the girl, training
sword in hand, and brutally assaulting a tree who'd likely slighted her in another life.
Calming his racing heart, he stepped from the house and into the dirt.

A wooden sword was launched in his direction, giving the him a sense of deja vu as he halted
the sword in its trajectory.

Unable to stop the smirk from twitching on his face, he said, "I could've lost an eye, y'know."
Using the same words as he had that day, he hoped to get a rise out of the girl this time
around. Alas, history repeated itself as his girl turned from him to slowly stumble and slide
down to her rear on a nearby tree.

Dropping the training sword, he made his way over to the girl before plopping down right
next to her.

Like before, silence reigned over them. Jeralt didn't know what to say, and Byleth was likely
stuck in her own thoughts of what she'd done a few days back. However, unlike how history
has repeated itself before, it was Byleth who was the one to cut through the silence with a
whisper.
"I killed them." Jeralt looked to his daughter, unable to see the emotions in her eyes in no due
part to her hair once more. "Man, woman, I killed them all."

"Un," was all the mercenary could reply with. With silence spreading once more, Byleth tried
forcing out the words that would likely haunt her.

"Did I-" She hesitated. "Did I, kill who's left?"

"No." Jeralt immediately reassured. "Not a single one of my men died by your hand. Those
who remained escaped with their lives, but were dismissed days ago." Byleth felt the relief
nearly crush her, yet the numbness of what she'd done to men and women, likely only
following orders, knights who believed in a better cause, men she remembered begging for
their lives as she ripped them apart, still made her heart heavy. "...I'm still too weak."

"Don't take this the wrong way kid, but I don't know a single man alive who can wipe out an
army the way you did." Jeralt said before he could stop himself, realizing how crude that
must have sounded in a situation such as this.

"I don't want that power."

"Even if it's what ultimately saved our lives?"

Byleth's fist tightened. "I could have killed you."

"But you didn't." Jeralt stated firmly, making sure to put extra emphasis on his words. "I was
next to Valbar when he died. You looked right at me after you killed him. Instead of killing
me, you went after his men, meaning you consciously ignored my men and me to take out
Valbar and his ilk. Even if it was for that one moment, it means you were in control, and you
can control it."

"But I don't want it!" Byleth finally snapped, her snarl, for the first time since she could
remember, aimed at her father. "I don't want a power that is only good for myself! I don't
want a power that potentially hurts everyone around me, including the people I care about!
It's nothing but a curse! I'm the reason everyone-"

Byleth choked back a sob as tears formed in her eyes.

"If, if it wasn't for this curse, that day would have never happened. The mercenaries wouldn't
have been targeted, Finnie would still be alive, and...and..." A hand came up to grip her hair,
frustration leaking in with the sorrow and regret. "Why, why was I even born? Why is simply
living a curse? Am...am I also the reason Mom is-"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!" Byleth flinched at her father's shout. The man was now
kneeling, still taller than her as he looked down on her with a fury she'd never seen. "You are
not a curse, Byleth Eisner! You are my daughter! Sitri Eisner gave her life so you could live!
You are not a mistake and you are not a curse! You are a blessing, and I'll be damned if I'll
allow whatever is inside of you to make you doubt her sacrifice!"
Byleth cowered at her father's anger. It was the first time he'd truly ever yelled at her. It made
her feel like the child she was, not even having the breath to defend herself.

Seeing the effect he was having, Jeralt straightened his features to neutrality and returned to
his seat next to the girl. A mumble of 'sorry' left his lips, yet he honestly couldn't say he
meant it. The words were cutting deeper than he thought possible. If she had continued, he
didn't know what he would have done. Most likely, he would have said and done something
he definitely would have regretted. So he did what they were both good at.

They sat in silence.

Byleth's tears soon dried up, her thoughts still running a mile a minute. Eventually, they came
to a conclusion—one she should have asked years ago.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"How, do I become strong?"

The question made Jeralt look back to the girl, his eyes searching. "Didn't I already say-"

"I know what you said, and...what I've done." Byleth cut him off, fist tightening as she tried
to find the right words. "I mean strong. Strong enough to protect, strong enough to not lose
any one... Like you." Byleth looked up to her father, strands of hair stuck to her face, tear
streams going down her cheeks, and her eyes red and puffed.

And yet, Jeralt could see the determination behind it all. "I now know you can't always be
there to protect me, which means I need to learn to protect myself. So, how do I become
strong—strong enough to never lose to anyone ever again?"

Jeralt broke their gaze, looking at the yard to figure out the best way to answer. It was a kid
question if he'd ever heard one. Only a kid would ask something as ridiculous as how they
could always win without fail. That was simply unrealistic, yet he knew what she meant and
knew her heart was in the right place. It also happens that he knew exactly how to answer her
question.

"That, not even I know, kid. Epecially since I've lost countless of times in my life."

"You've lost before?" The girl actually sounded surprised, as if the thought alone was
unfathomable. It made him chuckle.

"Plenty of times, kid—both on the battle field and off. But it is those losses' that made me the
man I am today. Without loss, there can be no growth, and without growth, there is only
stagnation." He turned to her, his lips curling into a smirk. "If you wish to become strong,
then you must first lose; a lot."

Byleth didn't seem to understand, but was willing to seek answers. "Then, how can I 'lose' to
get stronger?" Jeralt smirked, standing to his feet to walk and retrieve one of the training
swords from a nearby barrel. "To become strong, you must first lose. To lose does not mean
the end. As long as you live to see the next moon, then it is an experience that only makes
you stronger. And to become stronger, you first need experience." He arrived back at his
daughter who looked up to him with big, interested eyes. It brought a fond smile to his face.
"What's say you, kid? Ready to lose?"

A smile of her split Byleth's face as she reached out to the sword held towards her.

Yet, despite the relief and joy on her face, it did not reach her eyes.

"Yes, Father."

Konoha

Training Ground 3

"On with the experiments!" Sothis declared, sounding more excited than her ward. With
just a thought, she made the world stand still before extending her hand towards the empty
field of Training Ground 3.

Scrolls of all sizes suddenly surrounded them. Unrolling all at once, instructions on their
future plans revealed themselves to the duo.

"Now, which one should we start with?" Sothis pondered, checking over the jutsu of
various shinobi they'd observed over the last three days.

"What about the one from yesterday?" Naruto suggested, getting Sothis to look at a scroll on
her right.

"You mean the flashy ostentatious lightning spell those kids used against that cat?" She
asked, remembering a group of shinobi children chasing a fat cat before it ended with one of
them using this lightning technique to paralyze the poor thing. If not for the Jonin suddenly
appearing to give their congratulations on completing some 'mission', her ward surely would
have confronted them. "I believe that may be a little too dangerous for you, Child. Try
something else."

"Then the fireball one. The one that the Uchiha guy used."

Sothis sighed, seeing where the boy's train of thought was.

"Let's leave the elements for later... much later. I don't yet trust you with such powers,
and it would be more beneficial to use something less 'bold'."

"Aaaaaaaawww," the blonde pouted, the puffed cheeks not having nearly the same effect as
they would with a frown. "But all the cool ninja have big and flashy techniques." And as true
as that was, Sothis couldn't for the life of her understand why. Wasn't the whole point of
being a shinobi not to be seen? If so, why were there so many techniques that went against
that rule? And why was she likely the only one questioning that?
"This is an experiment, Child. We will achieve nothing if our Pulses are all used healing
you from backlashes caused by these techniques failing. Please pick something that is
less likely to blow up in your face." The blonde was disappointed but complied, thinking
back to all the jutsu they'd observed.

"Then what about the transforming one? It could help me get groceries without the adults
kicking me out or charging me extra."

"What's the point of learning something you're already set to learn in a few months at
the Academy? Think harder, Child." The blonde's brow twitched ever so slightly at the
incredulous tone of his friend.

"Then what about the invisible-"

"No." She interrupted flatly, seeing no need to explain herself after what they'd witnessed
how that old man used it in the bathhouse. The last thing she ever needed was for her bright
one to fall victim to even the smallest temptation when she wasn't watching.

"What's the point of asking me if you're gonna keep saying 'no' to the ones I want?"

"Because I expected you to use your head. Yet I am constantly reminded of the fact that
you are but a child," Sothis said with a shake of the head, reminding herself she was not
speaking with one on her same intellectual wavelength.

"But aren't you technically a child as well, Onee-san?" The question left the Goddess slack-
jawed at the blonde, as if she couldn't believe the boy had just asked such a thing.

"I-I am NOT a child, you buffoon!" She shot back, stomping a foot against the air in
frustration. "I've lived multiple millennia! Much longer than even your records have
recorded!"

"But you don't look much older than me." The blonde pointed out, nonplused by his friend's
defensive tone.

"That's because this form is more comfortable." Sothis explained, as if she were talking to
a...wait.

"Form? Wait, you already know the Transformation Jutsu?"

"It is not a jutsu, Child. I simply revert my body back to its younger years. Far more
limitless compared to the limited applications of your kind's 'transformation'."

"Cool," the blonde said in awe before realization popped into his head. "Can I see it?"

Sothis blinked. "Pardon?"

"Your transformation. Can you show me?"

Suddenly, the Divine began to sweat. Feigning a smile, she tried to placate the blonde by
saying, "Th-this is hardly the time for such a thing."
"Why not?" Naruto asked, beginning to suspect the uncharacteristic awkwardness of his
friend. "Are you nervous?"

"I am NOT nervous, nor am I ashamed of my looks, Child! It's just that-" She trailed off,
not exactly sure how to explain the reason behind her hesitance. Unfortunately, leaving a
child unanswered for so long had him draw his own conclusion—one not too far from the
truth.

"Are you not able to-"

"Ah! The Summoning Jutsu! I think this one will do just fine!" She pointed to a scroll
conveniently floating behind him, expertly dodging an embarrassing revelation.

"Ah, I really wanted to learn this one!" He predictably exclaimed, the boy's short attention
span having him forget about their conversation altogether. Allowing the other scrolls to
return to whence they came, Sothis took the scroll in hand to observe the writing.

"Hmmmmm, this one seems quite easy. There are also only five hand signs. Quite
surprising for such a unique technique." With another thought, a second scroll appeared
before her, unraveling itself in the same moment. "Hmmmmm. The Kuchiyose no Jutsu is a
space-time ninjutsu that allows the summoner to transport animals or people across
long distances instantly via blood. Before an animal summoning can be performed, a
prospective summoner must first sign a contract with a given species. The contract
comes in the form of a scroll, on which the contractor uses their own blood to sign their
blah blah blah."

Opting to save time, she skipped to the part she was looking for. "If one does not possess a
summoning scroll, the summoning can still be performed. However, instead of
summoning, the user shall be summoned to the species for which they share a natural
affinity too... interesting." Sothis massaged her chin, taking in the information. "So, without
a contract, you can potentially summon yourself to an unknown-"

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Jutsu)!"

*POOF*

The world returned to its natural flow. In the brushes of Training Ground 3, four ANBU
officers' eyes suddenly bulged at the disappearance of the Jinchuuriki. At once, the figures
landed in the spot the boy had been in not moments ago, yet not even their fellow Hyuuga
brethren could find where the boy had suddenly vanished to. Sweat began building inside
their masks as, with heavy, terrified hearts, they reluctantly returned to Hokage Tower. None
were very eager to report, nor did they think the Hokage would believe their story.

Location: Fodlan

Rhea released a breath as she skimmed through yet another sighting of this so-called 'demon'.
Similar reports have been coming in nonstop in the last four days, the people becoming
restless the more the legend spread.
At first, she thought it nothing more than a folktale. A tale some bard sang to the right people
after the unexplainable phenomenon that was the disappearance of a village in Hevring and
the multiple dead demonic beasts left behind. She didn't know the exact tale, but the one
thing that was common amongst them all was that the 'demon' was cloaked in red in the body
of a child, moving at speeds the human eye couldn't follow and destroying anything in its
wake. It was all rubbish, something Rhea had no interest in entertaining.

Now, years later, the "Scourge of Fodlan", as the commoners had started calling it, was
spotted once again. However, unlike before, there were living witnesses and proof of its
passing. In a forest north of Aegir, a trench two times the width of the Officer's Academy and
nearly 3 kilometers long had appeared seemingly out of nowhere—witnesses claiming to
have seen a 'beam of light' before the trench was found. None actually saw the so-called
'demon' but after many reports of finding dismantled corpses near the trench, knights and
mercenaries alike, Rhea could no longer write it off as some 'folktale'... As if she didn't have
enough to worry about already.

Stacking the reports, Rhea stood from her work desk to walk to and onto her balcony. The
night breeze brushed against her skin, the star-filled sky always doing its job to calm her
mood. Remembering just how many times she had sat with her mother to gaze at such a sight
always warmed her in even her darkest mood, bringing peace to the storm that was her heart.
If only peace could return to her heart... if only...

*POOF*

The feeling of someone behind her had the Nabatean turning on a dime. Instincts honed over
millennia had her reaching into her robes for her hidden dagger, ready for whatever threat had
entered her chambers unannounced.

The first thing she identified was their numbers, which were only a single figure. The next
was yellow, the attire they'd decided on being anything but stealthy. They wore bright blue
shorts with an orange shirt—not at all what she was expecting of an assassin.

Lastly, there was their size.

They were small. Like, the child couldn't be no older than four name days for the Goddess's
sake...

Still, Rhea did not let up her guard. She knew humans knew no level to their cruelty. If this
child was truly a trained assassin, then she would give him no quarter.

Yet, the longer she observed him, the longer she began to doubt that. The boy looked around
as if confused—as if he truly knew not how he got here. On top of that, he was skinny—not
exactly malnourished, but skinny to the point it was concerning. After watching the boy
observe her room while ignoring her completely, the Archbishop relaxed her killing intent
slightly and moved to reveal-

"You stupid, rash, idiotic little numbskull!" An irritated girl's voice caused her to pause.
"Do you even think before you act?! Is there even a brain in that skull you call a head?!
What do you think would have happened if that skill backfired, huh? What do you
think would have happened if you were summoned into the vacuum of space itself?
Worse, what would you have done if I did not travel with you? Do you ever once think
of the consequences of your actions? Well? Do you? I asked you a question, Naruto
Uzumaki and I expect an answer!"

Rhea stared blankly at the lecture in front of her, wondering where the voice had originated.
Meanwhile, the blonde had begun shrinking in on himself the longer the voice laid into him.
From the way he cowered, it gave her the impression that someone was standing over him,
yet there was no one she could see from her vantage point. Concluding that her view was
likely obstructed by the moonlight reflecting from the balcony's tall doors, Rhea opted to get
closer. Upon doing so, she could see why she didn't catch the second figure.

For one, she wasn't standing over the blonde, but floating—not the most unnatural thing Rhea
had ever seen. What was unnatural was the fact that the girl in blue robes was completely
transparent.

And if that didn't catch her attention, then her hair definitely would.

To simply say it was 'long' would be drastically undermining its length. It traveled down to
her feet and completely covered her backside. The only reason Rhea even knew the girl wore
blue was because of how the cloth seemed to extend out past the hair. It's color, a fern green
she was all too familiar with. And the ears pointing from her...wait...

It...it couldn't be.

Taking another step forward, she unintentionally alerted all three figures to her presence.

Rhea's breath caught the moment she could clearly see the face of the girl. She was young—a
lot younger than she 'd ever seen her—but the hair, the facial features, the ears, the ornaments
adorning her head and hair, and those robes belonged only to one she knew.

Rhea's lips quivered, and tears began to well up as she desperately prayed this was not a
dream. The sudden recognition of the features of the woman she held above all made her
entire body tremble.

"Seiros?"

Hearing her long-buried name was all it took to make Rhea, the Archbishop of the Church of
Seiros, break down into uncontrollable sobs.

Omake

Suzuki Part 2

When her Lord moved out, Suzuki made it her mission to tend to his every need. If he needed
food, she would get it for him. If he needed his place cleaned, she would be there. There was
no line she wouldn't cross for her Lord, and she set out to prove that—for her continued
existence, of course
That night, she apologized profusely to her Lord. He did not accept her apology, nor did he
speak, but he did not need to. The fact she was alive spoke volumes. He was giving her a
chance. A chance to correct their behavior and make sure they all fell in line.

And she would not fail him.

She already had a plan in the works. These people were unreasonable. Their hearts overwrote
their common sense, something that just couldn't be allowed if they wished to see the land
their Lord was to create. They needed to see the light, yet she couldn't play off their hearts.

So, her only option was to play on their fear.

That night, she visited the homes of every vendor she could without looking suspicious,
avoiding the Shinobi vendors for obvious reasons. What was she to do at these places? Well,
it was quite simple.

In his current form, they do not fear him. It was small and non-threatening, and it didn't help
that her Lord opted to play the long game over the direct.

She would have to, adjust that slightly.

Suzuki wasn't a shinobi, but she did learn a thing or two from her mother. It just so happens
that the one thing her mother was very good at was Genjutsu. She was no Uchiha, but she
made illusions believable enough to fool the common Shinobi—and while Suzuki couldn't do
that, she could fool a civilian easily enough.

Like, for instance, creating illusions of her Lord standing in the hallways of her targets,
having them feel a feeling of impending doom, or manipulating their dreams so every night
they sleep, they are reminded of the destruction brought to all non-believers.

Every night, she visited—and every night, the visions and nightmares got worse. The non-
believers, of course, reported this all to the council and the Hokage, and of course, there was
no evidence to be found. Suzuki herself acted as a key witness to her Lord's whereabouts, and
the look of approval she got from the Hokage brought her peace. It was tiring, of course. She
lost many hours of sleep on this mission, but she knew the fruits of her labor was soon to pay
off.

After a month, it was time to put her last plan into play. The non-believers were at their
breaking point, but she knew now that they truly feared her Lord. Whenever he walked by,
her Lord was not met with anger, but with fear. They no longer threw him out of stores, nor
did they make snide comments. They feared him, and that's all she needed.

But fearing him wasn't enough. Fear meant nothing if there was no loyalty. They feared him,
but now it was time for them to fall in line.

On her last visit, she made sure the nightmares were worse than all their dreams combined.
The fear she felt from men and women alike brought her joy, but it was time for the final part
of her plan.
At the end, she created a vision of her Lord. He stared down at them all in his mighty fox
form and said but a few words. "Kneel. On October 10th, kneel before me, and I shall
accept you all."

A week later, on October 10th, over 100 civilians prostrated themselves before her Lord.
They said nothing, but neither did her Lord. In the end, they all understood, as she suspected
they would. For their survival, for their children's survival, they had to fall in line.

And Suzuki would make sure they would be remembered when his day of reckoning was
upon them.

...

Naruto and Sothis stared blankly at the row of prostrating bodies, confusion clouding both of
their minds.

"...Onee-san, why are all these people bowing?"

"...Your guess is as good as mine, Child."

 Chapter 11

Seiros smiled tranquilly at her tea, a glow about her that anyone who knew her could clearly
see; if you hadn't witnessed the past 20 minutes, you wouldn't even be able to tell she had
been balling her eyes out. Bright brown in color, its smell hinted at an herb she'd had many
times, yet despite the delicious aroma, she had not taken a single sip from it. Looking up, she
found that the other two occupants of the round table did not share her thoughts.

The whiskered kid was carefully sipping at the cup while his floating companion hovered
over him. She could tell the heat of the brew was a bit too much for the boy by how tiny the
sips were. If it wasn't for his expressionless reaction, Seiros thought the scene would have
been cute.

As for Sothis? Her nostrils twitched as she took in the aroma of the brew. "This
tea...Chamomile? You still remember my favorite brew?"

If possible, Seiros's glow seemed to brighten as she replied, "Of course I remember, Mother.
Hard not to when you used to make us repeat the brewing to the point where even the
temperature was proper."

"Hmph! Your memory is clearly failing you, Seiros. I remember having to repeat myself
multiple times to get the lesson to finally stick into your head. I mean, honestly, you
failed so many times that I began wondering if I'd accidentally dropped you during
your infancy."

"Your expectations for brewing tea was simply too demanding, Mother. How was I meant to
brew when you were constantly over my shoulder?"

"What did you expect? There's only so many times I can watch you screw up before I
begin to worry about our supply. I had to make sure you didn't right."

"It, was difficult, at the time..."

"How hard is it to brew tea? Your siblings did it well enough, and you are of their blood.
What sets you from them?"

"Maybe the fact that I was but a few Moons while my siblings were many name days?"

"Hmph, excuses like always. You truly haven't changed at all, Seiros."

"And you are just as impatient as I remember, Mother." Despite coming off as insults, the two
greenettes' smiles were something only a mother and child could share. It made Naruto
suddenly feel like an outsider peeking in, which would simply not do.

"Onee-san," the blonde broke the serene atmosphere, getting both pairs of eyes to fall on him.
"Why does she keep calling you 'Mom'?"
The expressions on the mother's and daughter's faces were both one of incredulousness.

"I know you not to be daft nor blind, Child." Sothis said. "Look at her. She's my spitting
image!" Naruto looked to the daughter, who seemed to have taken the comment as praise.
Despite Sothis's claim, he couldn't see the resemblance.

"But isn't she older than you?" The slack jaws courtesy of the mother-daughter duo were
picture-worthy.

"Y-you brainless buffoon! I've told you I am NOT a child! It's this form that is young,
not I!"

The blonde blinked at the Divine. "Then how old are you, Onee-san?" Sothis opened her
mouth but considered the question. Both hands then came to her face as she began counting
on her fingers.

"I do believe it is impolite to ask a lady her age," Seiros said, coming in with the save.

"Why?" Was the boy's flat response, causing the mint-haired woman's smile to strain.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions, Child."

"That's because no one ever really answers them, but I learned that if I continue to ask, then
someone eventually will answer me."

Instead of deeming him with a reply, Seiros turned to the still-counting Divine. "You have
quite the peculiar vessel, Mother.

"Sothis halted in her count to take in what had been said. When she did, her nonexistent chest
puffed out in pride. "He may not look like much, but he is a bright child—one that has
gained my favor."

"I see..." Seiros gaze turned analytical as she looked to boy who her mother says has gained
her favor. "Tell me, boy, where is your father?"

"I don't have one." The blonde replied flatly, getting a look of shock from the Archbishop.

"Did something happen to him?" She asked, Sothis able to hear a hint of loss in her voice.

"He died." The blonde said before a strange look crossed his stoic features. "At least, that's
what Hokage-jiji says. I don't think he's lying, but whenever I ask who my Dad is, he never
really answers me..."

"Ho, kahgei?" Seiros tested the foreign word, it sounding strange on her tongue. "I'm, not
familiar with the term."

The boy blinked. "You don't know who the Hokage is?"

"More like she doesn't know what a 'Hokage' is, Child." Sothis piped in, getting him to tilt
his head in what Seiros thought was confusion.
"But everyone knows what a Hokage is. He's the strongest. How do you not know?"

"She doesn't know because she is not familiar with the terminology. The language of
your world is foreign to that of Fodlan."

If possible, Naruto looked even more confused. "But we're all speaking the same language,
aren't we?"

Seiros peered at the boy. "Have you not realized you've been speaking the Nabatean's tongue
this entire time, Child?"

Naruto blinked at the Archbishop as if she'd grown a second head. "No I haven't. I've been
speaking Elementian."

Seiros looked lost for words at the admission while a hand came to Sothis's chin in thought.
"Hmmm, I hadn't even realized it. The differences are subtle, but there... This world
may not be as separated as I'd once thought."

"I, don't understand." Seiros voiced, to which Sothis was all too ready to elaborate.

"Fodlan, it is not of the same world as my ward's, but is of the same plain of existence—
possibly stars away, but connected all the same. It would explain why I was able to
grasp their language so quickly."

"Wait, Mother, you are not making any sense. Same world? Not of Fodlan? Are you saying
he comes from the Blue Star as you are?"

Sothis looked perplexed at her daughter's words. "Blue Star? What are you talking about,
Seiros?"

"Where you come from, Mother. Surely you remember, no? How the legends say you
descended from a Blue Star onto Fodlan?" Seiros pushed, looking as if her world would fall
apart if her mother did not confirm the statement. Sothis's face scrunched up in confusion, but
she gave no confirmation.

"I, do not remember coming from...somewhere... A star... It's, familiar, but..." A hand
went to her head as if it would burst. "How did I get here? Why did I come? It's all so,
foggy..."

This was all becoming too hard to follow for the Jinchuuriki.

Other worlds? Plain of existence? It was becoming 'adult talk' again, and whenever there was
'adult talk' the adults in the situation typically always left him out, which was completely
unfair.

Thankfully, Seiros brought a more worrying matter back to the blonde. "Tell me, boy, are you
not Byleth Eisner?"

The boy blinked at the Archbishop and replied, "No, I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
A hand went to Rhea's head, a look of bewilderment similar to her mother's crossing her
features. "This, doesn't make any sense..."

"Who is this 'Byleth Eisner'?" Sothis queried. "I've not heard the name before. They
must be of some importance for you to mistake my ward for them. Could they, perhaps,
be one of my grandchildren?"

"That, is not too far from the truth, Mother." Seiros assented, hesitant under her mother's
analytical gaze. Thoughts suddenly warred within her, fist tightened under the table as she
suddenly found the wooden structure to be very fascinating.

"Well? Are you going to explain or not?" Sothis did not miss the way the woman tensed
more at her words. After nearly a minute of silence, the woman finally built the courage to
reveal whatever it was she had hidden.

And what a revelation it was.

Konoha

Hiruzen looked down at the four ANBU prostrating before him. They'd been like that for the
last 5 minutes—a small show of cruelty they were sure not to forget after this meeting.
Considering the situation, they deserved far worse, but it was hard to blame someone for a
perceived 'failure', especially if you witnessed said 'failure' with your own eyes.

"...So, you mean to tell me Naruto-kun simply 'vanished'?" As hard as it was to believe, it
was true.

Through his telescope orb, he'd seen the exact moment the boy had entered the training
grounds. The ANBU had cleared the area as their job demanded, and the boy did not enter
with any third party. There were no seals present at the scene, and the boy did not do
anything that warranted suspicion aside from the sudden need to go to Training Ground 3.

Then, as the ANBU had reported, he vanished. Not in a puff of smoke, not a slow dissipation
of one's form, not even an afterimage. The boy was simply there one moment, then you
blinked and he was gone.

Hiruzen remembered his eyes nearly leaving his skull, much like the ANBU, at the
impossibility. No self-respecting Shinobi would believe that the boy simply 'disappeared', let
alone their freaking Jinchuuriki.

Which was why he had to, at the very least, put on such an act. This way, at least no one but
he and the ANBU in the room knew he also fell for whatever trick the Uzumaki likely pulled.
Sorry, Cat. It wasn't personal...well, it was, but surely she wouldn't see it that way, right?

"It is as I've reported, Hokage-sama. My watch has lost track of the Jinchuuriki. We take full
responsibility for this blunder."
Cat, the ever-devoted one she is, was already taking all the blame. This made it all the easier
to shift any blame off his shoulders. Sorry, Cat, but you volunteered, not me.

Just as that thought passed, a knock sounded at his door. Dismissing the ANBU into the
shadows for now, he called out for the one on the other side of the door. Upon opening, the
Jonin he had called in prior to his ANBU's arrival.

Shimura Kagero walked in to stand tall before him, her features as stoic as ever. "You wish to
see me, Hokage-sama?"

"...I suppose I don't need to ask?" Hiruzen started off the bat, knowing well that the 13-year-
old already knew their situation.

"...Hai, Hokage-sama. I was already in the midst of investigating when I was summoned...and
no, Hokage-sama. ROOT had nothing to do with the Jinchuuriki's sudden disappearance."

Ah, blunt as ever. At least that saved him the need to play these games. "And your findings?"
To his disappointment, the girl shook her head.

"There is not even a trail, Hokage-sama. However, I did feel another surge of the
Jinchuuriki's chakra before the events. I believe it has something to do with the Jinchuuriki's
sudden disappearance."

A hand immediately came up to massage the bridge of his brow, a headache forming. "And
what do you think are our chances of finding him?"

"Truthfully? I do not find the odds favorable. Without a trail or a trace, then the only thing we
can really do is search every nook and cranny of the village, or wait until he finds his way
back."

That headache was getting worse.

"...Continue the search, but stick to your agents and keep things discreet. We do not need a
panic."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Monastery: Rhea's Room

The three sat in silence amidst the end of Seiros's tale—or more like 'confession'. Most went
right over the younger boy's head, either not knowing, or caring, about such history.

The only thing Naruto found worth listening to was the fact that Seiros 'created' someone.

The mother, Sitris (he thought that was her name at least) was created in hopes of reviving his
Onee-san. In order to do that, she placed his friend's 'Flame Stone thingy' inside Sitris, who
turned out to not have what was 'necessary' to revive his Onee-san. When this 'Byleth' was
born, she was 'stillborn'...whatever that meant. To save her life, the Sitris lady asked Seiros to
take her heart, the Flame Stone thingy, and place it inside Byleth. She did so, and in doing so,
she created the 'perfect vessel' to revive his friend. If not for this 'Jeralt', Byleth would have
likely been...um...played? Played with? Until she had the perfect body for his friend.

It all sounded evil and mean...Yet the boy couldn't say he was particularly interested in it all.
He had his friend, so why should he care about something that ultimately ended up not
hurting anyone?

But wanna know who did care?

Sothis—the 'Progenitor God' cared very much.

A haunted look marred her features. Her daughter's words had clearly struck her far more
than any other in the room. Memories of a time far past played constantly in her mind—
visions of a society she'd built herself.

In a society, and time, she could honestly say she was 'happy'.

"Julius...Penelope...Athena...they're all..." Her voice sounded lost, far from the commanding
confidence it once held. Seiros saw this, and any melancholy she was feeling was replaced
with panic.

"F-forgive me, Mother. It was not my intention to bring you such sorrow. I should have been
more considerate of how such a reveal would make you feel."

"No, Child. I, needed to know this... Thank you, Seiros."

The Nabatean felt no joy despite the thanks. Instead, determination filled her. After centuries,
the time had finally come for her to fulfill this world's rightful order—for this world to go
back to the way things should have been.

"Mother, we cannot bring back the dead, but we can build from the past to a better future."
She started, succeeding in getting her mother to look at her in confusion. A smile came to her
face as she said, "You have found a vessel, Mother. A vessel more perfect than even its
predecessors. In a few years, it will be ready for you to take as your own, and you can
reclaim what is rightfully yours." Seiros missed the way the boy looked at her, but did not
miss her mother's.

"Seiros, what are you implying?" Sothis asked, a warning in her tone. Unfortunately for
Rhea, she was far too ecstatic to hear it.

"The boy, Mother," Seiros said, looking to said boy as if he were but a solution rather than a
human being. "He is the key, Mother. The one capable of holding your being. With his life,
you will be able to be reborn again!" Rhea became more animated as she spoke, her smile
looking almost deranged. Naruto, on the other hand, was beginning to feel ill. He didn't
understand everything the lady said, but he knew he didn't like it. Her smile looked scary, and
he didn't like the way she was looking at him. It made him feel like he wasn't a person, but a
thing; much like the people back home. This woman was looking at him as if he could be
used, and he wanted her to stop. "If you will allow it, I can take you to your throne now. I'm
sure sitting upon it will give you the necessary power for you to-"
"You will not harm this child."

Seiros froze upon hearing the words. Over and over, the words played in her head, yet she
still couldn't compute what she'd just heard come out of her mother's lips.

"I'm, sorry?" She had to speak, trying to get understanding where there was none.
Understanding on why those words had been spoken and why her mother was now glaring
down at her while floating almost protectively in front of the vessel.

"I care not for whatever machinations you have for him, nor will I allow them. This boy
has gained my favor, and I have sworn to nurture his growth until he has become
worthy to stand above all. I will not tolerate any harm to come to him, even from my
own blood."

Seiros gawked, her tongue failing her upon hearing her mother's words. "M-Mother, this...I
don't mean to question you, but, surely you jest?" She tried, her tone now desperate for
understanding as she turned to reasoning. "This world needs you. Only your leadership can
restore it to its natural order—like how things used to be. He, is but one boy—one life for
potentially millions more you can nurtur! Only with your power can these people fall back in
line! A-and if it is children you seek, then you can make more! It will be just like-"

"I've heard enough, Seiros." Sothis said with finality, the Archbishop's mouth shutting
immediately upon hearing her mother's stern tone. "I have heard your words, Child, and I
have heard enough. You are far too ruled by your emotions. They have blinded you to the
point of-"

"I-I am not blind, Mother! These humans cannot be-"

"Do not interrupt me when I am speaking!" Seiros cowered—actually cowered—under the

sudden pressure her mother's glare exuded. A hand clasped over the fist in her lap, a nervous
gesture she'd held since long ago. Her entire body had stiffened, her body that of a woman,
but her mind reverting to that of a child once again—a child who rarely garnered her mother's
ire but witnessed and feared it all the same.

Watching her child cower before her brought Sothis no joy. Rarely had any of her children
drown her ire, but she knew how to be firm when needed. Coddling was never her path, and
now wasn't the time to start. She believed in a firm hand, and she needed to make sure Seiros
remembered that.

When next she spoke, it was not with gentleness but with the sternness of a mother.

"Listen and listen well, Seiros. I care not for the lies you have spread, nor the things you
have done since my absence. It is a discussion we shall have for another time, and be
assured that you will answer for any and all of your actions. But for now, you will heed
my words. Don't speak, listen." Sothis added at the end just in case the point hadn't gotten
across yet. "There will be no more of these 'creations', nor will there be anymore lies. My
time has come and gone, and I will not live knowing what my child has done to bring me
flesh once again."
Seiros's bottom lip trembled at the words.

"Furthermore, there will be no more blood shed under my name. Ever. It is NOT based
on my teachings, and these lies will cease along with any plans you have for these
children. Humans are not toys to be played with, nor manipulated. They are meant to
grow under guidance, not oppression. Cease this at once, or so help me, I'll have you
bend over my knee before all of Fodlan! Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Seiros did not feel the need to point out how outdated such a punishment was, especially
considering the woman's age. The stern frown on her face said that she was more than ready
to follow through with her threat, and Rhea had no plans on being humiliated.

The grip on her fist tightened, Seiros's lip trembling as she remembered everything taken
from her—remembering who was taken from her. How losing one life changed her life
forever and turned her into the woman she was today. All the things she'd done to avenge her
mother, all the things she'd sacrificed to see her again, how could she just forget all of it?
How could she forgive?

"I...I can't." She couldn't forgive. She could stop the lies; they meant nothing to her. She
could admit them proudly, but she would not apologize for them. Humans have proven they
can't be trusted. If not for her lies, there would have been no order. The humans would
continue to go unchecked with their blasphemous ways, and she would be left alone once
more. "I, I can't forgive them. Not after what they've done to you."

The sigh Sothis let out held disappointment, her following words twisting Seiros's gut further.
"...You've lived for so long, yet you still act like the child I raised."

"Why, Mother? I, I just don't understand." Seiros sounded almost pleading, desperate to
understand her mother's lack of animosity—desperate to understand how her stance hasn't
changed even after knowing all that's become of her and her children. "After everything
they've done, after everything they've taken from us. They've proven they cannot be trusted!
They've proven that force is all they know! So why? Why do you defend them? I just, I just
don't understand..."

Tears were falling down her cheeks once more. The battle between yielding to her mother's
wishes and her hatred warred within her like a storm. She couldn't let it go.

"It hurts, Mother. This pain... I, I don't want to lose anymore..."

She tried. For years, she tried not to think about what she had lost, yet even after millennia,
the past still haunts her dreams. The screams of her brethren, the pleas for mercy, the
children, she couldn't-

Something soft and warm touching her hand stopped her sobs cold. The touch was followed
by that same warmth rubbing against her head, forcing her to acknowledge its source.
Through blurry eyes, she found a head of yellow standing next to her. Blinking away the
tears, she could now clearly see the blonde kid standing next to her on the tips of his toes.
Despite garnering her attention, the boy did stop in his menstruations, his stoic face
unchanged as those seafoam orbs peered into her eyes.
"There, there. Don't cry, Lady." She heard him whisper, the Nabatean unable to keep the
confusion from showing. Seeing her confusion, the boy explained his actions by saying, "My
Onee-san did this for me once. It made me feel better."

Seiros didn't understand. Did the boy not listen to what she'd said? What she had done? Or
did he simply not comprehend? He was young, yet he should still be able to understand her
words and the hatred she held.

"You, should hate me." She voiced just that, yet the boy's hands did not stop, nor did his
features change.

"You gave me my Onee-san, and she means everything to me. You are also her family, so I
can never hate you." The words were spoken like a true child. He knew not the depths of her
crimes, nor did she think he knew what would become of him if she had succeeded in giving
her mother flesh. In the end, his words were but wind. "I'm also going to change the world
one day. To do that, I need to understand people. I don't think I understand you yet, but I
know people hurt you, and you hurt people because you're still sad."

The hand on her head left to join the one on her own. The boy's features suddenly changed.
His brow furrowed ever so slightly, and she could now see a determination many wouldn't be
able to catch on his stoic face. "So I'm going to fix you. No matter how long it takes, I'm
going to help you until you like people again. That's a promise, and I always keep my
promises, dattebayo."

Seiros stared at the boy who couldn't be no older than five. He was but a child, yet he held a
fire she could not deny. He was but a child, yet he spoke as if what he would do was fact and
not ideal. It was like a light in a sea of dark you just couldn't ignore. It was bright, inviting,
and warm. It reminded her of...of...

Her gaze broke from the boy to her mother. The disappointment was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, she was looking down—not at her, but at the boy. A big, dare she say, proud split her
face. It was a sight she hadn't seen in millennia.

At that moment, she understood her mother's words from before. She turned back to the boy,
a vision of shock on her face as she looked at him, truly looked at him for what she thought
was the first time. His words were but wind, but they calmed her. They did not change how
she felt, but the look her mother gave him was, reassuring, as if she truly believed his words
even though he was just a child.

Hesitantly, a hand came to rest on his cheek. The whisker marks were, surprisingly, rough
against her hand. His expression did not change, yet the way he leaned into her touch did
things to her heart she didn't think possible.

"You were right, Mother," she said wistfully, a smile coming to her face as she stared into
those Seafoam eyes. "This boy, truly is special."

...
Seiros smiled serenely as the moonlight glinted off the cobblestones of the monastery's
courtyard. She had been living here since she was chosen by the Church of Seiros as its
leader, and she wished to show it off as one of her accomplishments to the one she held above
all. A big part of her wished that seeing this would be enough for her mother to reconsider,
give Fodlan a chance once more and take her rightful place above the humans. But alas, she
knew her mother, and knew that once her mind was set, there was no changing it no matter
what.

Sothis and Naruto followed Seiros in wonder, taking in the sight of the picturesque statues
and ornately carved arches. They had heard of the place from the Nabatean but nothing could
compare to the grandeur of the place in its evening splendor.

Seiros paused in the center of the courtyard, gesturing grandly to the towering spire of the
Monastery Chapel overshadowing them both.

"This is my home," she said with a smile. "It is here that I have worked alongside the Church
of Seiros for many years... and it is here that I have found the peace I need to aid in my
mission." Sothis nodded in admiration, feeling her own soul ignite in the presence of such a
holy place dedicated to her. She would be fooling herself if she didn't acknowledge the pride
she felt in her daughter for building such a structure in her name.

Meanwhile, Naruto couldn't help but think of the homeliness of the place and the legendary
heroes and divine creatures that had likely passed through its gates. The knights they passed
greatest him with a smile, which was already a vast contrast to the glares he got back home;
they, for some reason, not acknowledging his friend at all.

As the night wore on, Seiros led them through each section of the monastery, pointing out the
unique features that made it such a special place. Each step brought a new story or lesson,
until eventually, the pair found themselves standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the
sprawling landscape below. As the wind blew across the cliff, they felt as if they were
standing between the heavens and the earth—the divine chanting of prayers carrying up from
the Monastery echoing in the air.

Seiros smiled warmly next to her mother, wishing she could enjoy the scene even more with
just a little bit of physical affection. 'This is where I come to find my strength,' she whispered,
her voice barely audible over the night breeze.

Sothis nodded, finally understanding why Seiros had chosen this place as her home. With a
shared smile, the three stared out into the night, feeling blessed to share this moment together
in such a place as this.

When they were done, they returned to her quarters. Small talk was shared between the
mother and daughter before Sothis brought her attention to a more pressing matter.

Rhea observed the parchment she'd signed. With this 'contract', the boy would be able to
'summon' her, as well as the other way around. She didn't exactly understand how that
worked, nor did she understand the need to do these 'hand-signs'. It sounded needlessly
complicated when using words was a lot more efficient, but she wouldn't question her
mother.
They now stood in silence, Seiros understanding what needed to happen, yet not wishing it
to. Nevertheless, she asked her mother one last question, "When, will I see you again?"

"We cannot say," Sothis let her down. "The world this one inhabits is not kind. He is an
important asset to his village...which means we must now deal with the repercussions of
his rashness upon our return." Said buffoon looked away sheepishly. Disheartened but not
deterred, Seiros decided to go for a compromise.

"Then will you promise to visit? It won't be much, but it will bring me much joy to have you
by my side, even for a bit. You may also use that time to regain what was lost. You have not
been here long, yet your divine power agrees with Fodlan."

Sothis blinked rapidly at the claim. Looking down at her hands, she reached in to pull on her
power. Her eyes widened at what she found.

"Wow, you're right! I feel... I feel almost complete. My power is flowing through much
more smoothly than it had ever before..." Sothis paused as a realization came to her. "Is
this why you can see me? Because I am now complete?"

"I know not, Mother. However, if that is the case, then it is prudent that you return often."

The Divine's eyes narrowed at her offspring. "You're only saying that to get me to return,
aren't you?"

Seiros smiled innocently and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

A bit more banter was shared before Sothis reached into her mind to find their way home.
While she searched, Rhea looked down to the blonde boy who also met her gaze.

"You make sure to take care, OK?" She said, kneeling down to come into eye contact with the
boy.

"You too, Priest Lady." The name brought a smile to her

"And make sure you listen and take good care of my Mother, OK? She can be a handful at
times, but she always means well."

"I heard that," said the mother while continuing her search. Naruto stared into the warm
look of the Archbishop before replying not with a confirmation, but a promise.

"I'm going to keep my promise, Lady. I'm going to fix you, then you can love people again."
Seiros smiled, a hand coming to cup the boy's face.

"I look forward to it."

Konoha

Naruto appeared back in the same clearing he'd disappeared from in a puff of smoke. A quick
scan of his surroundings told him he was alone, which likely meant the ANBU had already
reported to the Hokage. It had only been 4 hours in Fodlan, yet he dreaded what the Hokage
would be forgiving once he was found. Dreading the very thought, he opted to quickly head
back to his apartment before anyone caught him.

He didn't make it even a few steps before someone landed in front of him.

It was a face worse than the Hokage's.

Kagero looked down at the blonde, her features equally placid. Nearly a minute went by in
silence before the girl finally spoke, "...Would you like to explain yourself?"

Naruto didn't have an excuse, so he used a lie he thought was acceptable. "...I wanted to play
hide n' seek with the village."

A pregnant silence stretched after the obvious lie.

Kagero did not shunshin them back to Hokage Tower like the blonde thought she would.
Instead, she grabbed him by the ear and walked him silently back despite his flat protests.

And Sothis?

She sat quietly as her ward was dragged from the training field, through the village, and
straight into the Hokage's Office.

It was a fitting punishment for his blockheadedness.

Byleth

Location: ?

Byleth's eyes opened to iron bars.

The jail was eerily quiet, as was the norm, however, unlike the many times she'd found
herself here, the malice in the air was strangely absent. In fact, the oppressive aura that had
permeated the jail since her first visit had completely vanished.

It didn't take Byleth long enough to understand why.

Peering into the darkness, she found the demon.

She didn't even know if what she was seeing was a dream or not.

His usual red-orange fur was now pale. The once-flowing tails behind him were now
grounded, and its expression showed exhaustion. His physique had shrank considerably, now
resembling an oversized starving animal rather than the overwhelming, proud, and
threatening beast he was. If anything, he looked as if he were at death's door.

Byleth said nothing as she took in the sight. Only days prior, this being threatened not only
her life but the people around her. It threatened to do unspeakable things—things that she
would be powerless to stop. Now, looking upon it, a shell of its former self, she felt...nothing.

As if sensing her gaze, its eyes turned to meet hers, hatred immediately replacing the tired
expression. "What do you want, human?"

'Goddess, even its voice,' Byleth thought upon hearing the demon's scratchy voice. Not
feeling fear, or much of anything for once, she opted to ask the obvious. "What happened to
you?" The beast snarled at her, but did not answer, leaving Byleth to draw her own
conclusions based on her memories. "Was it because of what happened? Did I, take took
much of your power?"

To her surprise, the beast answered in the form of a snort. "Do not be so arrogant as to
believe you can take anything from me, human. My condition is simply the byproduct of
an oversight. Nothing more."

"I remember quite differently." That got the Fox's attention, Byleth giving a frown of her own
to the demon. "When I was dying, I saw you. I could barely see, but I saw that," she pointed
up at the piece of paper with the strange symbols, "It absorbing your power... You looked
scare."

"I WAS NOT!" The fox roared, its pride breaking through its exhaustion. Unfortunately, that
one shout seemed to take nearly all his breath. Immediately, he began heaving even more, yet
his glare never let up. "You *heave* know not what you speak, human."

"Then explain it to me. Explain what happened. Explain what you are. Explain why you're
inside of me. Explain everything to me so I can stop being ignorant!" Byleth shot back, her
own anger rising. The fox opened its mouth, and Byleth felt, for a moment, he was about to
tell her something for once instead of spitting out the same threats after all these years. Her
hope died when the fox simply huffed before turning its head away to rest on his human-like
hands.

"I've nothing more to say to you, human. Be gone."

"...You can't kill me, can you?" The accusation had a red eye glaring at her once more. The
look held a warning, yet Byleth was not detered. "That's why you saved me, because if I die,
then so do you—permanently."

The Fox growled, but still did not refute her words. At the silent admission, something within
the Eisner clicked into place. Memories of the pain, suffering, and the lives she'd taken
because of this beast, this monster, played through her head briefly. But most importantly, the
threat he had made her not days ago came to the front.

In an action that surprised both her and the demon fox, Byleth began laughing. It started off
as a little chuckle, but quickly grew into loud, uncontrollable cackles that unsettled even the
weakened beast. At first, she didn't realize what was happening. She'd never laughed so
loudly before, or truly, at all. But as she stumbled, the laughter becoming painful to her gut,
she began to realize what was going on.
The manic laughter was a symptom of her sanity, something she had been trying to hold onto
all these years. The beast's words, followed by the revelation she'd come to on her own along
with his silent confirmation, had finally fractured that fragile wall.

When her laughter stopped, unsettling silence followed. The bangs of the girl covered her
face, the Fox unable to discern the human's emotion without his chakra. When she started
moving, he was surprised, but did not otherwise react. She got within range of his nails to
pierce her through the bars, but still did not react.

Then she walked right through the bars.

The Kyuubi's mouth fell open in wide-eyed astonishment. He was not expecting the stupidity
of the human, and it showed. She came to a stop in front of him, her face devoid of fear, or
any emotion for that matter.

In a move that confused him further, she held her arms wide, looking to him almost
expectingly. "What are you waiting for? Go ahead. Eat me. Kill me. It's what you wanted,
no?" Even if he was at full power, the Kyuubi was far too stunned to act. He had met human's
who'd lost their wits before, but none like this. This was another level of insanity that shook
even him. "This is why you ruined my life, right? Because you wanted to be free? Well, this
is your chance. You're a big, bad fox and I'm just a kid. You're stronger than me, so do what
you promised and kill me. Then we can both be free... permanently."

For a moment, he was tempted. It would be easy. So easy in fact that he wouldn't even need
to waste a drop of his chakra. With just a finger, he could squash her like the insect she is,
freeing him and herself like he wanted.

The consequences of that action was a quick reminder of why that was a bad idea. The pain
of having his chakra, his life force, drained from him through every pore was a pain so
excruciating that it made him, the strongest of his brothers and sisters, cower in fear. It
shamed him, but despite his pride, he did not wish to die.

And he now knew the human knew this as well. A smile, just a manic as her laugh, split her
face.

"If you've come to flaunt your false confidence, then you are wasting your time." He
tried confidence, not wishing for the human to win in any manner.

She was unphased.

"But it was not a waste. In fact, I now know more about you than I had previously... much
more. For so long, I thought you a mindless curse meant to punish me for whatever crimes I
committed in my past life." A smile came to her face, making the one on the demon's face
drop. "But now I know you are intelligent, and that you can also be 'reasoned' with."

"I will not give you my power." The Fox growled, already knowing where this was going.

Her smile dropped, and the temperature in the cell seemed to fall with it.
The Demon Fox didn't know how it was possible, but her killing intent suddenly leaped
through the roof. It wasn't enough to cow him, nor did it hold a candle to him at full power,
but it was enough for him to notice it. It made him pay attention in his current vulnerability.

"You see, that's where you are wrong." She said calmly, turning her back to him to travel
back to the iron bars. "You see, this is my body. I make the decisions, and I now control my
life. Thanks to you, I lost a home. Thanks to you, I lost friends. And thanks to you, I forever
put my father in danger. People are likely to come after me now, and I'm not foolish enough
to believe I can protect him on my own. He is the only thing currently keeping me in this
world. Without him, I have nothing to live for, and I will not hesitate to take you with me...
So here's what's going to happen."

She paused at the gate, resolving herself for what she would say.

"You give me power. Whenever I call for it, you'll give it to me—enough to protect my
father, and to defeat any who come for us. Do that, and I'll think about keeping us alive.
These are my terms, and there will be no negotiations."

"I won't-"

"You will." The mindscape shook in the wake of Byleth's words. Kurama eyes were wide, the
killing intent in the air rising to proportion that were beginning to rival a Biju. He knew not
how this was possible, but he knew it was unnatural. It felt as if the girl was using his chakra
to intimate him, and it was working. "You will give me your power and you will do as I say.
My life may mean nothing to me, but your life means even long as you remain useful, then
you can continue living your pitiful existence. This is my body and you no longer have
control. The only thing you now live for is as an energy source to protect my father. He dies,
and you die—end of story. So, you can fight with me," Byleth looked over her shoulder, a
coldness in her now crimson slit eyes that spoke the truth of her next words. "Or you can
perish with me."
 Chapter 12

Interlude: Seteth

Seteth had always been incredibly aware of Rhea's behavior.

On a regular day, she was cordial. Her image as the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros was
one meant to uphold peace and fairness. Her title afforded her no opportunity for weakness,
and she has shown none since her inauguration. Usually, he would be able to pick up when
something was wrong.

But for the past few days, even he has struggled to make sense of her strange behavior. He
noted that she was being overly cheerful, a glow about her to which he hadn't seen in
centuries.

Seteth knew Rhea better than anyone.

She wasn't cruel, but apathetic. She cared not for the likes of man's 'dreams', but was driven
by one thing and one thing only; and it was not the Order. Those who followed the teaching
of Seiros were looked upon as the 'accepted' while those who did not were ruthlessly crushed.
It was her way of keeping order in the world, even if she ultimately did not care for humans.

No, her true goals lay within the depths of the monestary—a goal that has failed for centuries.
That seemed to be her driving force—a force he prayed succeeded for her own peace of
mind, if not for his.

Then, a few weeks ago, he had seen Rhea smile, truly smile, for the first time in what felt like
forever.

At first, Seteth found it endearing, but after some time, he began to feel a bit worried. What
was the cause of her sudden change in attitude? Could it be that she'd found a breakthrough
in her research?

The thought of her finding something after all these years brought Seteth joy, but his curiosity
and concern for her kept him asking questions. He had asked her about her sudden happiness
and what had caused it, but she was tight-lipped. He tried pushing, but she kept evading them
with that smile that now seemed radiant.

That was most unlike her.

Despite her constant dodging, Seteth saught to find the truth behind her smile. It had been
days since, and he had not found any success despite his diligence. He had even gone as far
as asking his daughter for advice.

Her reply?
'Its a girl thing, Brother.'

Safe to say, the advice did not sit well with him. He was just at his wits end when he noticed
something a few days back.

Around Rhea's neck was a necklace. Unlike her robes, Rhea did not adorn any jewelry on her
body; most were sown onto the fabric of her outfit. It was a simple thing—what looked to be
some kind of red spiral symbol connected by a string. It looked out of place with the gold and
splendor of her robes, yet she did not look at all worried about it. In fact, it seemed to make
her glow brighter, if possible.

Of course, being one to conform to propriety, he inquired about it. To his astonishment, her
face lit up, yet she revealed nothing other than 'it was a gift'.

If that didn't scream that something had happened, then Seteth was a dense fool. Of all the
things he'd expected it to be, love was nowhere near the top of the list.

Where had she met this man? Better yet, when had she had the opportunity to meet one? To
the best of his knowledge, she had not left the monastery without him being far behind. The
chances of her intermingling with the knights of Seiros were even less likely. They rarely, if
ever, spoke with the Archbishop if not for reporting important matters, and when they did, it
was either Alois or he who were the ones reporting. A noble family was ever more unlikely.
To his knowledge, there were none foolish enough to court the Archbishop, and even if they
were, Rhea had no love for humanity. So, if it weren't any of those options, then who could it
possibly be?

Deciding that pondering the possibilities would get him nowhere, he decided to be more
straight-forward.

Standing before her door at the reasonable hour of 2000 hours, Seteth thought of how he was
going to bring the matter up. If Rhea had truly found love in another, then it was no business
of his to intervene. It may not look favorable to the public if she were truly infatuated with
someone, but he was sure Rhea cared not what the masses thought. He could bring up how
this could potentially bring scrutiny to the Church of Seiros if she were found to be in
relations with a noble, but once again, would she truly care? The smile he'd seen her wear in
the last few weeks came back to him, giving him all the answers he needed.

Not finding a proper reason to bring up the topic, Seteth opted to retreat and draw up another
plan of action.

That is, until he heard voices behind the closed door.

Immediately, he was before the structure once more. Rhea's voice was easy to identify
enough, yet going by the multiple laughs he could hear, there was more than one behind this
door.

Seteth gulped. Propriety told him that eavesdropping was not only uncouth, but highly
criminal. Not only that, but he was listening in on not only his friend, his family, but the
Archbishop of the Church of Seiros. There would be no excuse for what he was doing if he
were caught.

And yet, hearing Rhea laugh, genuinely laugh, was enough to forgo all ramifications and put
his ear to the door.

A voice he'd never heard before was speaking, their voice slightly high in pitch, yet very
boastful. It spoke of something about a 'blockhead' but he couldn't make out the rest of the
sentence. Rhea spoke up after this, her tone higher in pitch than he'd heard, which hinted that
she was either happy or on the brink of laughter. Sure enough, the three voices were enough
to send her giggling once again, it sounding not nearly as enthusiastic as the other two.
Another voice piped in, and it sounded...familiar...wait.

Was that...Flayn?

Since when had they had such late nights together? And without informing him?

Seteth felt a bit of frustration build within him despite who it was aimed at, but squashed it
ruthlessly. There had to be a reason for Flayn not informing him of this development, so he
would hold out judgment until she told him personally. For now, he needed to listen further.
Rhea may not reveal anything to him on the matter of love, but he was sure Flayn had the
charm to bring up the topic. He'd just have to wait for said topic to surface.

It was as he was thinking that when, all at once, the voices stopped. Blinking, Seteth looked
to the door as if it had suddenly become see-through.

Was he caught? Did they somehow catch on to him? But how? He had made no sudden
movements; no noise. How could they-

"Seteth, I would appreciate it if you'd come inside instead of eavesdropping on my quarters."

The voice of Rhea answered his question easily enough.

Despite his heart nearly leaving his chest, Seteth stood to his usual confident gait and opened
the door. He was immediately greeted by the sight of the four voices sitting at a table in the
middle of the room. Tea cups sat in front of them all, yet he only recognized two of the four
occupants.

Rhea and Flayn were easy enough, both of them giving him smiles he thought could pass as
smugness despite their serenity. Next to them sat two shorter figures, one more so than the
other. The girl bore the same hair color as his own, but the fact she was lying on her side in
midair was more eye-catching than the resemblance.

The boy, however, was definitely the most out of place. He was blonde, yet his bangs were
the color of Rhea's own. Whisker marks adorned his face, and the deepest seafoam eyes he'd
seen stared back at him emotionlessly.

Seteth was momentarily stunned. Rhea's hair may have been dyed to a slightly darker shade
for her role as 'Rhea', but he knew her true color as Seiros. He did not know the boy, but the
patch of hair in his front was enough to make him speculate in the short time he had been
observing him.

To think, of all the things it could have been, Rhea, the immaculate one, had a child.

But, but how? When had she been with child? Who was the father? How did they have time
to elope? Where is the man now? How was she able to hide her pregnancy? Why did she not
trust him with such a secret but was willing to confide in his daughter? And who was the one
next to the child? Was she a distant cousin? A Nabatean he did not know of? Maybe a new
crest bearer Rhea wished to introduce to the masses?

Letting out a sigh, Seteth prayed to the Goddess. The scandal this would bring would be
bigger than he'd originally thought...

Fortunately for him, it wasn't long before he'd found his fears weren't warranted. Instead, they
were completely and utterly stomped out and replaced with a reality he never thought he
would live to see.
 Chapter 13
Chapter Summary

Current Age in Scene:

Naruto: 6

Bird:15

Weasel: 13

Kagero:13

4 months later...

Uzumaki Residence

"Ah, good morning, Uzumaki."

Naruto blinked at his living room. Turning, he took a glance back into his room, specifically
his window, then his alarm clock. The light from the window confirmed it was day, while his
alarm clock solidified it. Turning back to his living room, he rubbed his eyes clear of any
lingering sleep before blinking away the blurriness. His living room came back into focus.

Unfortunately, so did the stranger in his apartment.

A lull fell between the two until the younger one did what he thought was perfectly logical.

He slowly back up into his room and closed the door behind him.

For a moment, the boy allowed what was behind the door to process. When it fully
downloaded, he turned from the door and walked to his closet. Changing out of his pajamas
and into more comfortable clothes, he put the problem in his living room out of his mind and
exited silently out of the window.

...

Naruto could practically feel the subtle gazes from the other students in the class—their eyes
filled with both disbelief and curiosity.

There was nothing wrong with him, per se. He looked, smelled, and acted the same as he had
since day one. At this point in the academy year, everyone knew him for either his eyes, hair,
his status as dead last, or his dream (something he was quite vocal about whenever anyone
wanted to challenge it).

Surprisingly, it was nothing he said or did that attracted such attention from his piers. In fact,
they weren't particularly even looking at him. Yes, he got the occasional glance, but mostly it
was all reserved for the teenage Jonin standing directly behind him.

The 'home wrecker' (as Naruto dubbed her) had been here since he had first arrived—her
eyes following him all the way to his seat. For a brief moment, he thought Juri-sensei would
be his savior. Surely there was some rule against stalkers in class, no?

To his shock, all his sensei did was give the woman a brief glance before continuing her
lecture as always.

Naruto's hand was raised in response to her careless disregard for her students' safety. His
sensei called on him, and he boldly spoke his peace while pointing at the Jonin, "Can you
please call the Uchiha Police? This lady is stalking me."

The Chunin took one glance at the Jonin before incredulously stating, "She is here on
Hokage-sama's orders. Please show some respect for our Shinobi and follow along as
instructed, Uzumaki-san." With that, she went back to her chalkboard, leaving Naruto with
the urge to slam his head against the desk.

...

Naruto peaked around the corner, searching for any sign of his stalker. Random pedestrians
walked and mingled about; smiles spread as they all went on with their daily activities.
Seeing the coast cleared, he stepped from around the corner and headed straight to his usual
training post.

He wasn't surprised to find her there, already waiting for him.

In hindsight, he should have known this would happen. This was a Jonin, while he wasn't
even a Genin yet. She likely had experience in tracking, while he had no idea how to even
blend into a crowd. Why she was so persistent on following him after their last conversation
was a question he wished he had the answer to. Nowhere to run, the blonde decided
confrontation was his only option—revealing himself to the Jonin who immediately
acknowledged him upon exiting the cover that were brushes.

"Ah, I was waiting for you, Uzumaki-san." Her voice held courtesy, as if seeing him was
more business than joy.

"...I don't know what this is called, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal." Naruto decided to shoot
back.

"I can assure you, it is not." She 'reassured'. "I have already received a permit allowing me to
continue my investigation into your case. Until my investigation is concluded, I have
permission to observe you at all times as long as it's within the supervision of a Jonin or
ANBU operative."
Student stared at Jonin. Neither showed any sign of emotion, yet the constant twitching of the
blonde's eyebrow spoke of irritation. Soon, the blonde broke eye contact to stare at something
next to her. "Is that why they are here?"

The Shimura heir did not look at where the blonde was looking. Upon speaking his peace,
however, two figures materialized next to her in a murder of crows. Both ANBU, one
wearing a weasel mask and the other white and bird-like, were now plain to see for those who
couldn't, both at least a head taller than the Shimura heir. Despite how unsettling the
Uzumaki found the ANBU, he did not flinch under their analytical gaze. Shortly after, the
bird one spoke, his baritone voice speaking to the Shimura head while rubbing his chin. "It
really is as you said, Kagero-hime. He truly is unaffected by Genjutsu."

"Yes, but even I did not expect it to apply to even that of the Sharingan. This Kekkai Genkai
truly is unlike anything I've ever seen before." The Shimura finished, Naruto starting to feel
uncomfortable from all the eyes looking down on him as if he were a specimen.

"Is there a reason there are two of you?" The blonde asked, for curiosity's sake.

It was Weasel who answered.

"Not necessarily. I'm just here to keep an eye on my team member while Bird tagged along
for his own reasons. Kagero-san is very straightforward, so her intentions can come off as
hostile at times."

"More like a stalker. I can only imagine what the villagers were thinking as she tailed our
friend here through Konoha."

"Ah, when you put it that way, I guess that would look kinda suspicious."

"I do not believe we are here for idle banter." Attention returned to the Jonin. As expected,
her face had not changed despite the allegations, yet neither did she deny them. "I am here to
conduct my investigation, Uzumaki Naruto. The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can end
this."

"...I have nothing to say to you."

The silence that followed the denial was staggering; both Weasel and Bird had the pleasure of
seeing the Shimura heir's features morph through various expressions. From anger, to
disbelief, to pain, to anger, to disgust, to disbelief, and back to anger, it all played like a
rapidly moving slideshow. It was as if her face was unable to decide which emotion to
display, so it went through them all. It eventually landed back on her stoic mask, but there
was no hiding the fury in her eyes nor the venom in her voice as she said, "...What?"

"I don't trust you." The boy stated plainly, the heir's fists tightened to the point they
threatened to break skin as her mask broke into that of frustration.

"I am a Shinobi of the Leaf. You should have no reason to distrust me." She managed to grit
out, getting a rare frown in turn from the Uzumaki.
"You questioned my dream. That is enough for me to not even like you."

"You know not the responsibilities behind title of Hokage. Therefore, you are unfit."

"I know enough that I want to be it."

"You are acting like a child."

"I am a child."

"Ok, you two. Break it up." Bird stepped between the two glaring parties upon seeing the
Shimura's subtle reach to her tanto. "There's no need for this to turn into a shouting match.
We can settle this a bit more civilly."

"He is disobeying direct orders," Kagero gritted out, getting a disappointed shake of the head
from Bird masked ANBU.

"He's a kid, Hime—and not even a Genin yet. Trying to force him to talk will get you
nowhere. You have to think smart—stoop to their level a bit. Offer something that will peak
their interest. Kids are gullible, which means they are very stupid and vulnerable to
persuasion."

"I can still hear you." Ignoring the academy student, Kagero calmed herself. Bird saw this
and smiled behind his mask. Princess successfully quelled, he turned and kneeled down to
eye level with the Jinchuuriki, admitting the boy's flat stare to be slightly unnerving.

"Listen, kiddo. What Hime is trying to say is that she needs your help. The Hokage believes
that you and everyone else in the village may be in danger, and Hime here is the only one
who can help you."

The blonde was confused, even if his face didn't show it. "Why would I be in danger? And
why would everyone be in danger?"

"Well, you have a very special power, and Hime believes you know how to use it.

"But she said it's an...in, vesti, meant?"

"Investigation, and it is. I wish to know if you are a threat to thmmmphmmmmm-" Bird
silently thanked Weasel for silencing the young head before she killed any chance she may
still have.

"How about this? You tell us what we want to know about your abilities, and in turn, we'll
give you something. Sound fair?"

"...Can I ask you to take off your mask?" Naruto didn't know how, but he could feel a playful
grin appear behind the mask.

"I could, but then I'd have to kill you." Weasel, and even the Shimura, stared incredulously at
the tallest of their group. The bird-masked ANBU could only hold the façade for so long
before he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Just kidding! But we really
can't tell you that. We'd get in big trouble for releasing such confidential information to just
anyone, so be reasonable here. Isn't there anything you want? Maybe, want to learn?"

The blonde revealed his first show of emotion with widened, interested eyes. "You'll teach
me? Anything?"

"Within reason," Bird reiterated. The boy seemed to think on it for a moment before he
pointed at the Jonin.

"Can you teach me how to avoid her?"

Weasel stopped Kagero's hand before it could touch her tanto.

"I'll do you one better. How about I teach you a super cool technique. One that can fool even
the Hokage." Bird held up a finger before the boy could agree or disagree. "But, you have to
give us something in return. Deal?"

Location: ?

"I was wondering when you would arrive."

Naruto stood still before his friend's throne. His eyes were wide—wider than they'd ever been
—and slightly dazzled as he gazed upon the stranger sitting before him.

Green locks of hair flowed in waves like a river over her shoulders and down her back. Her
pale and creamy skin seemed to shimmer in the light, and her playful green eyes shone like
small stars. Long legs connected to an hourglass frame, her body covered by a familiar blue-
violet open fabric. Her face was a perfectly pointed oval, while her chest bore huge mounds
that could attract the eye of any man. The 'woman' sitting before him held the appearance of a
Goddess in not only aura, but body as well.

"Speechless? Fufufu, that is to be expected. I have had books written about my beauty,
y'know." The velvet voice of the woman spoke, her leg swinging hypnotically as she leaned
on the arm of the throne.

"Wow~." Naruto awed, eyes practically shining as he realized exactly who was sitting on the
throne. "You're really, really pretty, Onee-san! Like, the prettiest girl I've ever seen!"

The compliment made the Goddess point her nose high as if expecting it. "Well, of course
you'd think so! I AM a Divine, after all. It is only natural that you would look upon me
with awe...

"Is this what you truly look like, Onee-san?"

"That is correct, Child. This was the form I first woke to in Fodlan... Although," her
haughtiness fell as she frowned down at the new lumps of flesh weighing her down. Without
much thought, she began poking the lumps of flesh, right in front of the chils. "Having these
lumps are as bothersome as I remembered. Honestly, must these things be so large?"
Naruto silently watched as a spectator. Any normal man would have been attracted to the
sight like a moth to a flame. Naruto, however, did not yet have the knowledge or physical
capabilities to be affected by the sight. That did not, however, mean he did not have
questions.

"...What are those, Onee-san?" The boy asked, to which the Divine answered exasperatedly
before she could think about what was being asked.

"They are a wonder known as breast, Child. They are meant for babe's to feed in their
infancy, yet they easily draw the attention of men and women alike. It is a mystery I
have yet to truly understand..."

"...Can I touch them?"

"I don't see why-" Sothis nearly choked when the boy's words caught up to her. Almost
instinctively, she covered her chest, her entire face beet red as she looked both embarrassed
and scandalized by the boy's question. "Wh-wh-who do you think you are asking such a
thing?! I am a lady! You cannot so casually ask-"

A sudden light emanated from the Divine's body, covering her completely. Naruto blinked,
and in that same millisecond, his friend had returned to her previous, much smaller form.

Sothis blinked in confusion, her arms still covering her chest, which was now a shadow of
their former selves. Realization hit her, and fury quickly replaced the confusion as her foot
repeatedly stomped the ground.

"Oh, for the love of-now look at what you've done! You have any idea how hard it is to
maintain that form? Gods, to think a laps in concentration was all it took..."

"Ah, so it was just a transformation?"

Sothis's frown, now more of a pout, leaned against a fist as she replied, "In a sense, Child.
Though mine is more permanent than illusion...or it would be if I had the energy to
maintain it. Stupid world and its stupid lack of Faith..."

Naruto watched his friend muter, her face set into a pout as she drew circles into the stone
armrest. It was as he was watching this that he suddenly remembered why he was excited to
come here.

"Ah, that reminds me. I have something to show you. I learned two killer jutsu today."

Sothis raised a brow at the boy who was now bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement.
"You learned something in my absence?"

Naruto nodded and answered, "An ANBU friend of the Home Wrecker taught me. We
worked all day on it."

"Home Wrecker?... Ah, the woman from the Tower... And what does this and your
training have to do with my form?"
Instead of answering with words, the boy answered with a hand sign. Smoke twice his size
covered the boy, and Sothis found herself intrigued for a brief moment.

A moment that died even quicker than it appeared.

Before her now stood Seiros. Standing in a stance that would garner the attention of most
men, with one arm around her head and the other on her hip, her daughter's beautiful face
looked upon her with cold indifference. Around her, smoke clung to her most 'womanly parts'
like a second layer of protection.

Ah, did she forget to mention Seiros was very naked? Naked as the day she was born? A
sight no respecting parent should see, no matter the role? If the scene couldn't get any worse,
her youngest, her beautiful youngest, blew a kiss at her in a way that she thought was meant
to be seductive but fell flat without the emotion.

Sothis was violent by no means. She has spanked her children once or twice, but never had
she picked up a sword or tome. Yet, seeing her ward, a child no less, so blatantly disrespect
her daughter's innocence turned even her to violence.

From her throne, she leaped into the air and towards the Seiros transformation, wounding her
feet back. She timed her descent perfectly, her form immaculate despite never doing this
before. Once in range, her legs shot out, performing the picture definition of a 'drop kick' on
the transformation. The boy reverted back to normal, but not before tumbling down the long
stairway leading to the throne to land on his back. Sothis met him at the bottom, and the
lecture he received that night while in pain and blood running down his face was one he
would never forget.

That night until morning, they went over the importance of dignity, modesty, and boundaries.
In hindsight, it was probably a good thing that he showed her before he did the Hokage. If he
had, Sothis might have actually killed him...and even if she didn't, Seiros definitely would.

Konoha: Training Ground 3

After Naruto's departure

The three watched the blonde Jinchuriki walk away, a soft breeze filling the silence that
followed.

"...Well, seems the kid is more stubborn than I'd thought." Bird said sheepishly, a finger going
up to scratch his chin.

"Not quite," Kagero reassured, getting the attention of the two ANBU. "Right after the deal,
he used it again—his Kekkai Genkai."

"Ah, that skill you were telling us about earlier? The one where he suppresses his emotions?"
Kagero nodded, to which Bird frowned behind his mask. "You think he used it to hide what
he was truly feeling?"
"Yes and no. I can see why he'd wish to hide his emotion, yet I cannot see why he would need
to use that if he only received benefits from your exchange."

"Maybe that's because he has more to hide than just a singular ability." Weasel piped in, to
which Kagero shook her head.

"I have observed him for some time now, yet I have never seen him use any technique other
than that. Reports say he has been unemotive since he was born, hinting that he has been
passively using it since he was a child. If that is the case, then he has only recently learned
how to weaponize it. However, I am skeptical if that is the only ability he possesses. The only
thing that comes into question is 'what'."

"Do you think it's the Kyuubi's abilities?" Weasel decided to state what likely everyone else
was had thought at one point or another.

"No," the Shimera denied. "I know the Kyuubi, and his chakra isn't nearly as pure as the one
the boy uses. I've never met Kushina or the fourth, but I'm positive they did not show this
such abilities. Digging further into that only has led me to questioning the former
Jinchuuriki's infidelity..."

"Ah, that's a dangerous train of thought." Bird warned.

"Yet it is valid. Neither had a history of green hair in their line, yet their child is born with
such? His eyes as well? What else am I meant to conclude?"

"I understand how such a conclusion can be reached, Kagero-san. However, do not be so
quick to make such assumptions. I have met and spoken with Kushina-san many times, and I
can assure you she is not such a woman." Weasel argued, getting a frown from the usually
stoic Shimura.

"Decisions based on personal feelings are dangerous, Uchiha. You of all people should know
that."

"It is not personal, Kagero-san. Just an observation. I am simply using the knowledge of what
I already know to conclude an otherwise hopeless case instead of taking things at face value.
I also know that mutations are not an impossibility. The First Hokage and Orochimaru of the
Sannin should be proof enough."

"I do not base my investigation on 1% chances, Uchiha. Sometimes looking at what's right in
front of you is the best course of action."

"And jumping to conclusions too quickly leaves a wider opening for error."

On the side, a hand came up to Bird's face as the two continued. Trying to talk sense into a
Shimura was like trying to milk a bull. They were all teammates once upon a time, yet she
truly hasn't changed. Was he always meant to be the mediator for this group?

"No matter the case, I shall not be deterred." Kagero huffed, finally putting an end to the
argument. "He can fool your eyes, but he will not fool my senses. The quicker he reveals
what he is hiding, the quicker I can end my investigation. Until then, I will not be swayed."

"Maybe jutsu aren't what he wishes to learn." Bird spoke up. "He is an academy student. He
is at the bottom of his class in every subject and hasn't gotten any better. Naruto-kun is goal-
driven, meaning he is likely to gravitate towards things that will help him achieve that goal.
Jutsu may sound promising on the surface, but they ultimately mean nothing if they don't
help him in the long term—that term currently being the Academy."

The Jonin's brow furrowed, understanding Bird's words but not why he looked to her,
particularly at the end. "I have nothing he wants, nor am I willing to teach a child a Jutsu."

"On the contrary, you have one thing we do not. Time."

"Time?" She asked, still not catching on. The same could not be said for Bird, who smirked
mischievously behind his mask.

"Ah, you did just declare yourself to him, did you not Hime?"

"I'm a woman of my word." Kagero said in reply, a sweat drop appearing on Bird at his
innuendo going right over the girl's head.

"What I meant is, you have time to train him in other aspects—Taijutsu, for one." The
immediate furrow of her brow told Bird the idea was not well received.

"You wish for me to train a child who is potentially a threat to my home?"

"To be fair, he will always be a threat to the village, no matter his allegiance." Weasel pointed
out.

"True, but I see no alternative. You could try and force him, but I doubt you'd want to deal
with the power of the Nine-Tails if you fail—and even if you succeeded, dealing with a
pissed-off Hokage is arguably just as bad. I hear they are pretty close."

The Shimura had to regrettably agree. Despite her age and skill, she was nowhere near the
skill of the man known as the 'God of Shinobi'. She'd sooner take her chances with the One-
Tail. "I, will think about it... Until then, I must report back to the Hokage." Bidding each
other farewell, the three Shinobi went their separate ways.

Unfortunately, this would be the last moment they would share together. A week from now,
Bird would be found dead, and not a day later, Weasel would kill the entire Uchiha clan
before fleeing Konoha as a Nuke Nin.

Two Weeks Later...

Uzumaki's Residence

"Good morning, Uzumaki."

Naruto blinked at his living room. Turning, he took a glance back into his room, specifically,
his window, then his alarm clock. The light from the window confirmed it was day while his
alarm clock solidified it. Turning back to his living room, he rubbed his eyes clear of any
lingering sleep before blinking away the blurriness. His living room came back into focus.

Unfortunately, so did the stranger in his apartment.

A lull fell between the two until the younger one did what he thought was completely logical.

He slowly backed into his room and closed the-

The door suddenly became difficult to close. Looking up, he found a hand. Looking past that
hand, he found a face in the crack.

"Let us not have a repeat of yesterday."

Naruto blinked slowly at the Hater before turning to his window. An ANBU mask in the
shape of a dog met his gaze. He tried pouring every ounce of pleading he could muster
behind his eyes, hoping the ANBU would understand the code. He received a thumbs up for
his troubles, Naruto resolved to make sure he was the first ANBU fired when he became
Hokage.

Seeing no other option, he let go of the door and followed the Hater to his Kitchen table.

Sitting in silence, the blonde thought about being anywhere else but here. He has nothing to
say to this lady, and he had no intention of revealing his friend to her. She was wasting her
time, and, in extension, his.

"Is this going to take long? I have class to get to." He said, the silence stretching longer than
he'd like.

"I've already informed your teacher that you will be absent for the day. I will do the same
tomorrow, if necessary." She replied in that stoic tone of hers.

"...I have nothing to say to you."

"And that's fine. But understand that the more you avoid this, the longer my investigation
lasts. If you waste my time, I will waste yours. The sooner you tell me what I wish to know,
the sooner this all ends."

"...But I don't even know what you want, lady." The way her eyes narrowed told the blonde
she saw through his lie.

"Talking to yourself, lack of emotions, randomly disappearing out of thin air, seeing through
even the strongest Genjutsu, you are far from 'normal' no matter how you try to hide it...
However, but I now understand I am being unreasonable. I would not so readily reveal my
secrets to someone I do not trust either, so how about a compromise?"

Naruto stared owlishly, wishing his friend wasn't asleep so she could translate what this
woman was saying. His silence prompted the woman to continue.
"One month. For one month, I will teach you how to truly fight like a Shinobi. In exchange, I
simply wish to know what that source of energy is. Do this, and I will consider my
investigation concluded."

Naruto sat on the words.

He was a kid, but surely she didn't think he was that stupid, right? A month of training for his
secrets? That wasn't even close to being fair and Naruto was all too eager to voice it.

"Repeat after me, Child." Naruto blinked, but did not question his friend at a time like this.

"One...year?" He spoke, he himself confused by what he was told.

"...3 months." Kagero renegotiated, to which Sothis told her ward to double down.

"A year."

"5 months."

"A year."

"Six. It is as high as I am willing to go."

"...Eight months, and you... also have to teach me a new jutsu. Take it or leave it." Naruto
didn't understand why his friend was tolerating her, nor was he certain this was even the
correct path. But he trusted her. And if she thought this was the right path, then he would
follow it.

The Hater did not look happy. Her brow was furrowed, and Naruto was sure she was thinking
of any possible way to smother him in his sleep. Alas, a sigh left her, and she agreed. "Fine.
Eight months, and you shall immediately give me what I want. No delay. Do we have a
deal?"

"Take it, Child." His friend said almost lazily, to which he nodded in confirmation.

"Good. Then meet me at Training Ground 13 every day after class. If you miss even a day,
then this deal is off, and I shall find other means of concluding this investigation. Do I make
myself clear?" Naruto nodded, not needing his friend to tell him to do so.

Shortly after, the Jonin dismissed herself; through the front door, surprisingly. Now alone, he
reached in and asked the question he'd been meaning to ask. "Why, Onee-san? She will know
about you."

"She will not." Sothis said tiredly. "She has nothing. She doesn't even know what it is that
she is looking for. Feed her a believable lie, and she will accept it. It will get her to cease
this nonsense, and you will be better off with the knowledge she bestows upon us."

Naruto hummed in understanding, it all making sense to his adolescent mind.

"Now, sense you now have a free day..."

*CRASH*

The familiar filling of time halting rocked the blonde. Suddenly, his friend materialized in
front of him, a rare eagerness emanating from her.

"Summon us to Seiros. It has been some time since I've seen my daughter." The blonde
suddenly shared his friend's eagerness. Typically, they made it their goal to visit the woman
once or twice a week, but they had found their time limited as of late. She was always eagerly
awaiting them, which made their every reunion special. Going through the necessary hand
signs, the blonde slammed a hand on the ground and immediately summoned a puff of smoke
before him.

They should have known something was wrong the moment they realized the smoke wasn't
nearly as tall as the woman herself. In fact, it was only a quarter of what it usually was, and
also dissipated much quicker.

Laying before them was definitely not the Nabatean. For one, it was not a person or living
being, but an inanimate object.

A double-edged, two-handed blade that had the pointed edge of a blade, but had the fuller
designed like a human spine with one side sharp, the other with vertebrae edges. The guard of
the blade resembled that of a dragon's wings while the rain guard was wide and had a hole in
the center.

It was a sword.

Sothis and Naruto blinked rapidly at the now-glimmering tool of murder. At once, both of
their bodies tilted to the side, visible question marks appearing above their heads.

"Huh/Nani?"
 Chapter 14
Chapter Summary

Current ages in Scene:

Naruto: 6

Kagero: 14

Flayn: Legal Loli?

Seiros: Fossil

Sothis: We are unworthy

Hiruzen: Too old for this shit

Fodlan

The Monastery

"...Mother, where did he get that?"

Sothis glanced at Seiros briefly before returning her attention to her ward. In his hand was the
sword he'd summoned. Holding it in both hands, he thrust it high into the air, a dazzled look
on his face she'd never seen as he loudly proclaimed, 'I have the power'.

It turns out the summoning failure was not due to incompetence on her ward's part. He had
performed the jutsu perfectly. Everything from his technique to his chakra control was
immaculate. They had never reverse summoned any objects other than Seiros before, so how
and why has such a thing occurred? Well, that's why they were here, and why her ward was
currently holding the sword high as if he were some shirtless barbarian in a play.

The moment lasted for about two seconds before the sword wobbled in the boy's hands. She
acknowledged his attempts at bringing it down, but it didn't stop the sword from tilting back
and-

*BONK*

*CLATTER*

...Fall—the flat side of the blade (thankfully) bonking the boy on the forehead before
clattering to the ground. Hands on the offended area, he blinked several times before glancing
their way as if they were the cause of gravity taking its course.

"...That's what we are here to find out." Levitating the sword from the ground, Sothis
hovered the weapon in front of her, a hand on her chin as she observed it in full. "It's, weird.
I feel a, connection with this thing... Seiros, is this one of those 'Relics' you spoke of
before?"

Seiros looked pained. Her fists were tight and her body tense, the unwillingness to answer
plain to see. "It, is, Mother... This one is," she swallowed, her mother raising a brow at her
pause.

"Well? Out with it already." Sothis said impatiently.

"...It, is called the Sword of the Creator. It is the weapon Nemesis used in his crusade, and the
weapon forged from...from..." She did not wish to continue. Just the thought of what Nemesis
had done was enough to bring up memories she did not wish to resurface.

Thankfully, she did not have to. Sothis was able to draw her own conclusion at her daughter's
unwillingness by touching the sword. Memories of her flesh came to her, closely
accompanied by the life she once lived alongside the people she once held dear. A memory of
her sacrifice to the world, followed by a memory of her briefly seeing a man carrying her out
of her resting place.

The memories ended there.

She did not feel sorrow or want, but she could not deny the feeling of regret that filled her.
Knowing that she would likely never know what life felt like again brought a strange feeling
to her chest.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Seiros spoke through her mother's trance, yet did not break her gaze
from the sword that was once her body. "If you wish for me to give it a proper burial, then I
shall-"

"No." Sothis said firmly, correcting her tone moments later. "No, it is, fine. There is no need
to put such a useful tool in the soil. I would feel more at eased if it is used."

"Are you sure?" Seiros asked unconvincedly, to which her mother nodded.

"I am. In fact, I shall hold onto this until the Child is ready to use it. It is to my understanding
that only he can, no?"

"That is correct, Mother. Only those who bear the Crest of Flames can wield this relic."

"And how do you know he has the Crest of Flames?"

Seiros went to answer, but paused. That, was actually a good question. She knew Byleth,
wherever the girl may be, had the Crest upon her birth, yet she did not know if whatever
event that had occurred had also switched their Crest within her. Looking back to the boy,
who was now entertaining himself by toying with the lamp tome on her nightstand, she
thought on it.
"...One moment." Sothis watched Seiros as she walked to the nightstand. Her ward backed
away quickly, but he was not the target of the Nabatean's attention. Opening the dresser in the
stand, she pulled out a flat device of some sort.

Blinking, Sothis floated closer, getting a clear view of the item the woman had procured.
Curious, she asked about it, to which her daughter replied, "This is a Crest Analyzer. It was
gifted to me by one of my subordinates at the Academy. Truly, I never thought I'd have a
need for it till now."

Naruto and Sothis both looked at the machine in fascinated awe before Rhea asked the blonde
for his hand. He gave it without hesitation, eager to see what it did. A ping sounded before a
symbol appeared above the device—Seiros immediately letting out a breath of relief.

"It would seem that he does, in fact, bear the Crest of Flames."

"Is that good?" Naruto asked, to which Seiros gave him a warm smile.

"It means that you and Mother's blood are true, and you are destined to bring peace." Naruto
stared owlishly at the Archbishop after the reveal before turning to Sothis with his chest
puffed out, a fist on his hips, while the other gave a peace sign—the posture exuding
confidence where his face didn't show it.

"See, Onee-san. Even destiny believes I will change the world."

A hand came to her head as the Divine sighed. "Must you encourage his ego?"

Seiros smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A knock at the door had all present looking to the front of the room. With a confirming 'you
may enter' from the Archbishop, the door swung open. Naruto's eyes widened immediately at
who it was and ran forward.

"Flayn-san!" The daughter of Seteth grew a smile upon seeing the blonde charging her. Her
arms instinctively opened to embrace the child, spinning him around as she giggled.

"Ah, I knew I sensed my favorite little troublemaker!" She chirped, holding the boy out in
front of her to get a better look at him. "Wow, it's only been a few weeks since I've seen you
and you've already grown at least an inch!"

"It was my birthday recently. I think I'm finally hitting my growth spurt."

"Waaaaah?" The green-haired girl looked ashen at the statement. "It was your birthday, and
you didn't tell me?"

The blonde scratched his cheek in what Flayn thought was embarrassment. "I forgot... I
typically don't celebrate it." Flayn's jaw dropped at the admission.

"That won't do at all! You're young! Your name day is very important at your age! Oh, I
know! We have to bake you a cake! Every birthday boy needs a cake! How's that sound?
Want a special cake for your birthday?"
Naruto fist pumped before a determined look appeared on his face. "I'm ready to eat cake."

Without further preamble, and as if the blonde was the only reason she'd shown up, Flayn
hoists the boy onto her shoulders and charges out of the room and towards the cafeteria.
Sothis and Seiros watched this in silence, neither having words for what had just occurred

"...Flayn is the one you said couldn't boil an egg even if she held a cooking log, no?"

Seiros gave a strained smile to her mother's question. "She has many talents, but I do not
believe cooking to be one of them."

A hand went up to massage her brow the deity's brow.

"Then I suppose I should stop her before she kills my ward... Coming along?"

"You go on ahead, Mother. I will join you shortly." Sothis looked ponderous at her daughter's
decision but did not argue as she floated out of the room.

Upon their departure, Rhea turned to the sword now propped up against her dresser before
returning to the Analyzer. Picking it up, the Crest of Flames showed itself once more. Tilting
it to the side, a much dimmer shape appeared as a simple circle. Unlike before, it now shone
bright—brighter than even the Crest of Flames—like the sun behind a horizon.

"How, peculiar..."

Konoha

6 months later

Shimura Kagero knew there was something off about their Jinchuuriki, yet not even she
would have ever had a guest of the magnitude. Reading his report, you would find nothing
out of the ordinary. On paper, he was just an antisocial child who could challenge a ROOT
agent in apathetic behavior. If not for the heterochromia of the scalp and the whiskers, he
would be a completely normal, talentless academy student.

She kept this opinion even after the discovery of his Kekkei Genkai. In fact, that day and the
day following only nailed her opinion of the boy. He was worth nothing more than being a
weapon for Konoha, and she stood by that. His naivety stretched far, and his lack of results in
the academy won no points with her. His Kekkei Genkai, and his status as the Jinchuuriki of
the Leaf, were his only redeeming traits—nothing more, nothing less.

On day one of their training, he showed his inexperience and naivety. Her fighting style, one
nurtured by combining the efficiency of the ANBU style and the ruthlessness of ROOT, was
ill-fit for him—not because of its difficulty, but because of its foundation. It was a style
meant to dispatch your enemies quickly and ruthlessly.

The problem?

The boy, in his own words, stated, "I will not kill people".
Yes.

The boy, one who wished to be a Shinobi, the Hokage of the Leaf, did not wish to kill...

She nearly left then and there for the idiocy and stubbornness—to hell with her promise. If it
weren't for her investigation and not wanting to fail the Hokage or her father, she would have
done just that. Instead, against her better judgement, she taught him a less lethal Taijutsu and
Kenjutsu style, one meant to fight dirty, yet keep the target alive.

It was within the first month of teaching him that she realized she was wrong.

At the beginning, he seemed unremarkable. He failed to process even the simplest of things,
and no matter how she forced it, he just couldn't keep his footing. It was embarrassing to
watch, and after the first day, she didn't think he would last a week, yet alone eight months.

Then, a day later, things changed. He was the same on motivation, but his skill suddenly went
through the roof and beyond.

The big difference?

His Kekkei Genkai.

After day one, he seemed to use it in their training almost religiously. She still knew not what
it truly did, but it definitely did something. Where he was incapable of catching his footing
and following what she thought were simple instructions, now he got down to nearly an art
form after ever use of his line. It was as if his Kekkei Genkai was guiding him, and it scared
her.

After four months, she was forced to teach him something new. He had all but mastered the
style in such a short amount of time, and she had to acknowledge that. She still couldn't
believe such a thing was possible, but it was. So, she trained his Shurikenjutsu, followed by
real-world scenarios.

He mastered Shurikenjutsu within a week. A month later, he'd gained the instincts of a
seasoned Chunin.

His growth was unnatural.

It reminded her of the Sharingan. The famous copy wheel eye was known for its ability to
skip years of training and dumb it down to months, weeks, and sometimes even seconds—
Copy Nin Kakashi being a great example. After the sudden change in the boy's skill, she
wouldn't be surprised if they'd all been fooled and those unnatural eyes were, in fact, a
Dojutsu similar to the Sharingan. It would be the only way to explain his growth.

But in truth, it scared her.

Konoha was known for producing prodigies. Orochimaru of the Sannin, the Yellow Flash
Namakazi Minato, Copy Nin Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi—they were all geniuses.
Orochimaru and Kakashi were geniuses that came once or twice every generation. Their
skills were extraordinary, yet their genius hadn't truly blossomed as quickly. Minato and
Itachi were geniuses that came every hundred years. Their genuis spread nearly from birth,
their later years only proving they were molded by the Gods themselves.

And Uzumaki Naruto?

"I, cannot teach you any further." The stoic mask of the boy did break upon her admission, a
trait she'd come to accept as a mystery she'd probably never solve.

"Why?" He replied, Kagero finding she was slightly ashamed of what she was about to admit.

"Our deal was that I'd train you in the art of combat, and I have done just that... However,
you," she hesitated. "...exceeded my expectations. I do not believe there is anything else I can
teach you at this moment."

"...But our deal was 8 months."

"That it is...which is why I am going to modify our agreement—to your benefit, of course.
This way, the agreement is not broken, and you leave fulfilled." Reaching behind her, she
pulled out a scroll. "This scroll contains a technique I believe you will find useful." She
handed the scroll over to the boy, who took it eagerly. He read the heading, and his brow rose
in question.

"Seals?"

"You are an Uzumaki." Said the Shimura. "It is in your blood to utilize Fuuinjutsu. It is not
my specialty, but I am willing to teach you the basics. After that, you must pursue the art on
your own. Once you master this, then I will consider our deal fulfilled. Is that acceptable?"

The boy stared her down for a moment before turning his attention to the scroll. It was a gift
given to her by Danzo-sama himself. She now knew what he saw in the boy, yet she still
didn't think it wise to give him such tools to one day use against them. However, she had
never questioned her father, and she would not do so now.

The boy took the scroll without further preamble, and Kagero couldn't stop the dread welling
up inside of her.

If Orochimaru and Kakashi came every generation, and the Fourth and Itachi came every
hundred years, then Uzumaki Naruto was a genius that came once every millennia.

1 month later...

Uzumaki Residence

"Jiji, am I a Jinchuuriki?"

Hiruzen nearly swallowed his pipe from the gasp that left his lips. The question was
definitely not something he was expecting to be asked upon entering the boy's apartment, nor
was it something he'd thought he'd have to deal with for a few years at the very least.

After a few seconds of choking and regathering his composure, he looked into the eyes of the
stoic boy, whom he would be proud to call someone special in his life. He knew Uzumaki
Naruto was bright for his age and knew it was only a matter of time before he came across
the truth, but never this soon. But, like everything, problems you hold off always come back
to bite you right when you least expect them. Hiruzen only wished the boy was older before
he heard the truth from his mouth.

With a flair of his chakra, the ANBU around the apartment at key points in the area, ensuring
no one would eavesdrop on their conversation. Hiruzen put on the mask of the leader he was
supposed to be and stared intensely at his favorite 'unrelated' grandson. He couldn't be any
more enthusiastic about the conversation he was about to have, even if a kunai was at his
throat, but from the look in the youth's usually vibrant eyes, he knew there was no way out of
this.

Better now than never, he supposed.

"Before I answer that, Naruto-kun, may I first ask why such a question has crossed your mind
and how you've come to the conclusion?"

The boy's features stayed put as he answered the man he currently had mixed feelings about
calling him his grandfather, "I picked up Fuuinjutsu recently. I was in the middle of
completing one of my assignments when the topic of sealing items into scrolls or paper tags
came up. It was as I was completing the assignment that I started having questions: 'If you
could seal objects into other objects, then would it be possible to seal things into other living
things?'"

Here, the young Uzumaki's brow seemed to crease ever so slightly into a frown.

"It was as I was thinking this that I remembered the seal that appears on my stomach
whenever I use chakra. Before I delved into Fuuinjutsu, I had no idea what the characters on
my stomach were or why they were there. I tried asking people at the library about it to see
what the characters meant, but no one would tell me. They all looked scared to answer, and
whenever I asked a Shinobi, they always avoided answering me."

Hiruzen would have defended the actions of his Shinobi, but he couldn't since it didn't seem
the blonde was finished.

"That same day, I remembered many people on my birthday saying the word 'Jinchuuriki' at
me—a word that I found meant 'Power of Human Sacrifice'. I asked the Shinobi what that
meant also, but none of them would give me a straight answer. I was gonna give up, but then
I remembered something else that happens every year on my birthday... The Kyuubi
Festival."

Hiruzen remained still, silently applauding the boy for his detective skills but also cursing
him for retaining the sharpness his father was known for.
"Everything began piecing together after that. The Kyuubi attack 6 years ago, my birthday,
Jinchuuriki, the hate from the villagers," Naruto was now openly glaring at him, the first
show of genuine emotion he'd ever seen on the boy. "Jiji, am I a Jinchuuriki? And if so, what
does that really mean?"

Hiruzen stared into the furious eye of Minato's legacy, hoping desperately that this was all
some terrible dream or Genjutsu. He was wholey unprepared for this day. In truth, he wished
it would never come at all. He wished to have either died before this day would come, or the
boy was old to ease the topic in and he was grown enough to make rational decisions.

But alas, he wasn't, and he truly had no other choice at this point.

A breath left the Hokage before looking down to his unrelated grandson—preparing to give
news he wasn't too keen on revealing. "Listen, Naruto-kun. What I'm about to tell you can
never leave this room. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" He did not receive a verbal or
physical answer, yet Hiruzen knew the boy understood the severity of releasing this
information to the public.

And so he told him everything, beginning to end. From the day the Kyuubi attacked, to the
eventual sealing of the beast. From the Fourth's words of how he wanted Naruto to be held as
a hero, to the eventual law that was passed to protect the boy from the village he called home.
Nothing was left out, and Naruto stayed silent throughout it all.

Once he was finished, the Hokage sat with bated breaths as he waitedfor the blonde's
response. He had told him everything he knew and the blonde barely blinked throughout the
twenty-minute-long explanation. That's why it was so baffling to him when he did finally
speak.

"…And what of the Fourth… is he, my father?" The flabbergasted look the Hokage showed
told the young Uzumaki more than he would have liked. "…Will you tell me who my mom
is? Or will you keep that from me as well?" At this point, Hiruzen had his head down in
shame. Hisnsilence was taken as his answer, and the blonde could only lower his head in
disappointment in the one man he was sure he could trust with his life. "May I, be alone for
today, Hokage-sama?"

...

Sothis watched the old man leave the apartment in silence. Words were spoken in the wake of
his departure, but she didn't think her ward even heard them. Turmoil raged within him, yet
she did not think it wise to comfort him just yet. This was a battle that he had to wage alone.

When at last he rose from the chair and stumbled away, Sothis waited until he had reached
his bedchamber and closed the door behind him before speaking.

"What will you do now, Child?"

Naruto did not show any acknowledgement of her words. Instead, he merely flopped down
onto his bed and lay there, staring up at the ceiling. Sothis sighed as she hovered nearby,
patiently awaiting his answer.
"I will do nothing."

"You will do nothing," Sothis repeated with a frown. "Do you think that is the wisest course
of action, Child? Will it bring you peace?"

"There's nothing I can do," Naruto murmured.

Sothis' frown deepened.

"There is always something that can be done. You would do well to remember this lesson in
the future."

Silence fell upon the room once more, and the Goddess sighed, turning to leave the room.
Her hand paused on the handle of the door when she heard Naruto call out to her.

"Onee-san?"

She looked over her shoulder at the young man, her emerald eyes glinting.

"Yes, Child?"

"Thank you."

Sothis' lips curled into a faint smile.

"Of course."

A few months later...

Location: ?

Coming across the Forbidden Scroll had to have been their greatest discovery. Unlike the
other scrolls, the knowledge held within the Forbidden Scroll was invaluable. It's simply held
a versatility that was unmatched no matter what they pilfered from the Hokage Tower.
Fighting styles, Jutsu, Kenjutsu—the possibilities that the scroll held were simply endless.

Want an example?

Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu).

This technique alone was worth everything in the scroll. With only a single hand sign, you
could create a physical clone of yourself that could act on its own as well as take orders. If
not amazing enough, anything the clone learns, the original will learn upon it dispelling. The
implications and strategic advantages this gave one were nearly endless.

And its downfall? Your chakra is split in half—given to the clone to survive at least one hit.
Problem? The clone can only take one hit before dispelling, giving only 8/10 of the chakra
back to the user. Those with above-average chakra will suffer little to no drawbacks aside
from chakra loss, but those with low reserves will die of chakra depletion before the clone is
even made.

Did any of that matter to Uzumaki Naruto? A boy who had above-average chakra despite
being just a child? Heck no! Did he learn the justu? You bet your ass he did (much to Sothis's
annoyance at having to deal with multiple of her blockheaded idiot).

Would you like to know what else they found? No? Well, get ready, because that wasn't even
the best part!

Bunshin Daibakuha (Shadow Clone Explosion).

A Clone Jutsu much like the shadow clone, but less chakra-intensive. Creates a clone of the
use that explodes when coming into contact with force.

Kokuangyo no Jutsu: Infinite Darkness Technique.

The user places a hallucinatory darkness on a target's eyesight, causing them to see nothing
but black. It was a Genjutsu, which had many applications in combat, yet Naruto felt as if it
was cheating. Nevertheless, Sothis had him take it down.

Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation).

A Jutsu said to bring back the dead with a 'proper sacrifice'... Sothis didn't like that one.

Summoning: Rashoumon.

Summons three big ass gates... that's really it.

Then there was the big one.

Hiraishin: Flying Thunder God Technique

The very same signature Jutsu of the Fourth Hokage, which he also used to end the 3rd Great
Shinobi War. And that technique was now in his hands. There were more Jutsu, but these
stuck out over all.

Not even one of these techniques was useless.

Both Naruto and Sothis could think of many applicantions for the Jutsu laid before them.
Some were more difficult than the other, but with Sothis's ability to both freeze and reverse
time, she was sure they would be no challenge to them.

But there was one technique that caught the attention of the Uzumaki over even the Hiraishin.

Naruto blinked at the last Jutsu printed on the Forbidden Scroll. Unlike all the other
techniques, there were rows of rows of explanations for just this one. Reading it, he noticed
that there were no hand signs for this technique. In order to utilize this, one had to control the
chakra within, allowing it to flow towards certain channels in order to achieve the multiple
stages of the technique.
Unlike the others as well, there were numerous pros but many more cons. The pros all leaned
to improvements of the body, giving one abilities and speed one wouldn't normally be able to
achieve. In a way, you break your limits, pushing your body to heights it couldn't reach in its
normal state. The cons were there to counter the many pros it offered. Though you become
superhuman, it isn't for long, and it's at a cost. A cost that, if your body isn't shaped enough,
could cause more permanent damage than it was worth.

But then there was the ultimate technique.

It was a technique that made it the strongest option on the scroll by far, but also happened to
be the second worst fate amongst all of them—the ultimate fate for those seeking true power.

And yet, Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of it.

"Eight Gates, huh?"

 Chapter 15

Interlude: Hyuga Neji

He was facing that boy again.

The blonde, untalented dead last of last year.

Not that it was too surprising to the Hyuga.

The boy, Naruto Uzumaki, was an orphan. He was born with no family to call his own, and if
there was anything special in his blood, it would never have a chance to flourish.

Not like it really mattered.

Unlike himself, the boy was completely talentless. His grades were abysmal, his skills in
Taijutsu were wild and uncoordinated, and the less to say about his shurikenjutsu, the better.
He knew not what delusions of grandeur went through the fools head when he decided to
become a Shinobi of the Leaf, but it was clear that he, over all, did not belong here.

Alas, it mattered not in the end. Whether the fool would fail the graduation exam or become
fodder on the field, what truly mattered was Neji's own goals. Goals that exceeded whatever
childish ambitions any in his class held for their future.

Making it to the center of the ring along with the blonde, he unflinchingly stared the boy
down, much like he had in all their previous encounters. If he had to give the boy one thing, it
would be those eyes that seemed to look right through you, along with that unmoved
expression that didn't faulter no matter what he went through.

It still wouldn't save him.

Fate itself was against the Uzumaki, and it was already ordained that the boy would, once
again, fall by his hand.

"Alright you two, make the seal of confrontation."

Neji did as his sensei instructed, his fingers connecting with the blonde's. Their arms moved
up and down to complete the seal before they separated and took their proper positions 10
feet away. Neji moved his body into the known Hyuga stance while the blonde relaxed into a
stance he hadn't seen before.

Arms out in front of him with open fists and spread legs, the boy looked ready to wrestle—a
sharp contrast to the tight fists approach of the academy's kata. Strangely enough, despite the
Hyuga never seeing it before, it looked good. He actually looked as if he knew what he was
doing unlike before, and it made the intimidation factor increase.
Yet it still mattered not. The outcome would remain the same, and he would be victorious.

"Begin!"

Neji charged forward with speed he was sure his opponent wasn't ready for.

A wall of dirt met him halfway. Despite his speed, Neji did not have time to close his eyes
before the dirt met his pupils. Blinded, the Hyuga still thrust forward, hoping to hit the
insolent disgrace who had just blinded him. To his shock, something connected, but it wasn't
his fist. Instead of the pain he meant to inflict, it was he who felt it instead.

Hard and fast the blow came, nearly knocking him off his feet. He knew not what he was hit
with, but he knew it was enough to almost send him into unconsciousness. Another blow
from behind to his kidney followed after the first, knocking him from the shock and having
him instinctively go to cover the offending area.

He paid for the defensive opinion with another hard blow that bent him forward.

Coughing while retreating, Neji furiously rubbed at his eyes until they were no longer
impeded. Regaining visibility once more, he glared at where the blonde stood a ways in front
of him. He was still in the odd stance from before, looking as if he hadn't moved.

Gritting his teeth, chakra built within the Hyuga, veins appearing around his eyes signaling
the activation of his Dojutsu. At once, he had a clear 360° view of his surroundings and knew
that even if he fell to the same trick, it wouldn't have nearly the same effect as it did before.
Charging forward once more, he made sure to keep an eye on every little movement, making
sure he wouldn't fall for any other tricks the honorless cur had up his sleeve.

Fainting a right straight, he watched the Uzumaki fall for it completely and swept a kick to
his leg.

The blow connected, and the blonde buckled. Not wasting the opportunity, Neji struck out
once again to attack one of the visible chakra points through his all-seeing eyes.

It was deflected.

No time to curse, Neji launched multiple strikes in succession, hoping to gain the upper hand,
but the blonde's seemed adamant on blowing away his expectations. He countered the
Hyuga's assault, striking back with a few quick and precise blows that Neji was forced to
admit would have hit if the blonde was even a bit faster. He continued to hammer away,
pushing Naruto back and pushing the limits of his own technique.

In the end, the Neji proved to be the faster of the two.

One mistimed block was enough to be the blonde's downfall. A jab to the arm disabled it
completely, allowing the Hyuuga to finally break through the blonde's defenses. With
multiple jabs to key chakra points, the blonde came undone. One last palm strike, aimed for
the center of the blonde's chest, was sure to be the deciding factor for the fight.

He missed.
Time suddenly slowed for the Hyuuga. The blonde had twisted his body at the last minute to
dodge his attack. But how? He should have the strength to-

Something cracking against the side of his head suddenly made the Hyuuga see stars.

His vision became blurry, and Neji was all too aware of how hard it suddenly became to
stabilize his legs. Stumbling about, the fear of falling entered his psyche as he fell to a knee-

"M-match!"

Horror filled the Hyuga as he realized what he'd just done. Standing back to his feet as if it
would change the decision, Neji looked to his sensei, fear in his heart but defiance on his
face. "I-I can still-"

"Winner: Hyuuga Neji!"

Wind whistling through the yard was all that could be heard after the declaration.

Neji, more than anyone, was flabbergasted. How did he win? He knelt. He hit the ground
first. That was a clear victory to the Uzumaki, no matter how he meant to protest! The blonde
was the clear-

Looking at his opponent, he could now see why such a decision was declared.

The blonde was heaving heavily, standing with one arm limp while the other hovered over a
chakra point he'd closed earlier. In front of him was a line—a line he was no longer inside—
and Neji finally understood the decision.

He had fallen out of the circle. The blonde had stepped out of the circle, making Neji the
winner by a technicality. One would think that would make him happy, yet as he walked back
to his oddly quiet classmates, fury burned within him.

He'd won by a technicality, and most definitely would have lost under different circumstances
—and to the dead last of all people!

Fury couldn't describe the emotions Neji went through for the rest of the day.

And it only got worse from that day onward.

No one knew what the blonde had done, but he had improved by leaps and bounds.
Classmates he'd struggled against previously now either won by the skin of their teeth or
were outright decimated. Soon, none other than he was able to challenge the blonde.

Until a year later...

"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

Neji lay still in the dirt he was firmly planted in.

He had been defeated. After years of proving his superiority and demonstrating the difference
between him and the bunch of clanless nobodies around him, he had been defeated by one of
the very ones he looked down on.

It was almost poetic, in a way. He put so much stock in how fate was decided at birth and
how it was inescapable. He was born a Hyuuga, and despite how he hated his family and
being a slave to the main branch, he still shared their blood, meaning he was blessed with
gifts and opportunities low-borns did not possess, nor would they ever. He, along with every
clan, was born to be above them; fated to be so. How else would you explain something so
unfair?

Yet, here he lies, defeated by an orphan with nothing other than his name to carry behind him.

Yes, it truly was poetic.

Fate could not be changed...

Unless your name was Naruto Uzumaki.

He was the exception to this twisted world.

 Chapter 16
Chapter Summary

Current ages in Scene:

Naruto: 12

Neji: 13

Tenten: 13

Kagero: 19

Hiruzen: Too old for this shit

Danzo: Old enough for this shit

Many Years Later...

Konoha

Seafoam eyes opened upon the ringing of an alarm. An arm immediately shot out to cease the
noise, the body sitting up moments later. It didn't show on his face, but he was excited.

Today, he took the first step toward realizing his dream.

Today is the day he will become a true Shinobi of the Leaf.

Jumping out of bed, he immediately went to his closet. On a hanger was his get-up—what
would be his everyday look from this point onward. It was nothing special, definitely nothing
that could rival any of the clan kids in class, yet it was his. Taking it off the hanger, he was
dressed in seconds and observing himself in the mirror.

An orange, sleeveless zip-up vest with a long-sleeved green turtle neck underneath adorned
his top, while orange cargo pants covered the bottom. A pouch was safely secured to his leg
via white tape, along with a bigger one strapped behind him.

And now, tied around his head was the silver plate of his success in becoming a Shinobi of
the Leaf. The green custom Hitai-ate matched well with his getup, a complete contrast to the
orange jumpsuit he'd seen a year ago. Unfortunately, Suzuki-san and even his friend insisted
it clashed with his eyes and he parted ways with the garment in deep regret.

Speaking of Suzuki-san.
Naruto sniffed the air, the smell of breakfast hitting his nose. Making sure he had everything
one last time, he exited the room to be greeted by the caretaker at the stove, cooking
something that smelled divine. Upon his entrance, the woman turned to him in surprise.

"Oh? I wasn't expecting you to wake for another hour. Give me a moment. The breakfast is
almost done." She said, her hands never stopping in their ministrations on the stove.

"That's fine, Suzuki-san." Naruto replied, moving to sit at the dining table. As she said, his
wait wasn't long, and before he knew it, breakfast was being served. He waited for the
woman to sit before mimicking her in clapping her hands together.

"Itadakimasu~." They said in unison before digging in. Randomly, pieces of food would lift
into the air and vanish like an old school magic trick, but thankfully, Suzuki never
commented on it. Smiling up at the boy as another piece of bacon vanished, she spoke, "This
is your big day, isn't it?"

"Un." He grunted in reply, taking a bite out of the toast before going for the eggs.

"I have no doubt you will pass, Naruto-sama. This village will definitely need someone like
you protecting it."

"Un."

"Do you have everything you'll need for the test?"

"Un."

"Have you studied properly for the test?"

"Un."

"Anything you would like to ask before you go?"

"Nothing that I can think of."

Suzuki nodded and said no more. Instead of conversation, they both say companionable
silence as they finished the rest of their food. Some may look ok the outside and think it
weird, but this was how their relationship simply was. Neither had anything further to say on
the matter, and Naruto knew the woman was more of a woman of action and not words. It
was how they were, and Naruto did not wish to change it.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO!" A shout interrupted the peaceful atmosphere, garnering the duo's
attention to the front door. "I HAVE ARRIVED FOR OUR MORNING JOG AS
REQUESTED! ON THIS DAY, LET OUR YOUTH SHINE BRIGHTER THAN ANY
OTHER, FOR TODAY WE SHALL NO LONGER BE STUDENTS, BUT GENIN IN
SERVICE TO THE LEAF!"

"Your friend is as exuberant as always." Suzuki smiled as the blonde stood to his feet, plate in
hand. "Ah, do not worry about the dishes. I shall take care of them." Blinking at the woman,
Naruto sat the plate back down before moving to the door. Following the boy, Suzuki
witnessed the boy strapping a pouch to his leg before covering both feet in blue sandals. She
waited for him to stand before speaking once more, "Good luck, Naruto-sama. I shall have
the celebration cake ready upon your return."

The words caused the boy pause. Turning to the woman fully, his face showed indifference,
but she could see his true feelings through the bright green of his eyes. His hand suddenly
came up, a thumb aimed her way. She also could have sworn she saw the boy's lips twitch
ever so slightly. The boy, 12 years now, graduating a year earlier than his peers and ready to
take on the world by storm.

"I'm gonna pass, dattebayo," was his last reassurance before leaving the apartment to the
caretaker, a smile of her own spreading across her face.

...

"Ah, if it isn't Naruto! I have been waiting eagerly to challenge you once more!"

Naruto blinked at the teen before him. He'd like to believe it was simply his eyes playing
tricks on him this early in the morning, but the teen had definitely gone through a drastic
change in both looks and attire in the last 24 hours since he'd last seen him.

For one, the tang suit he once wore had been replaced with a short-sleeved yukata and black,
baggy pants. His eyes were still as bushy as ever, but the braided ponytail he once wore had
been cut short to allow his hair to fall freely over the silver plate that was the headband
strapped around his forehead. It seems he wasn't the only one pushing for change in
themselves today.

"We doing the usually?" Naruto asked, already stretching his limbs in preparation for their
daily routine.

"Yosh! To the gate and to the academy! Your determination rivals my own, but I'm sure today
will be my-o-oi, I wasn't ready! Naruto-san, it is unyouthful to cheat-ah! Wait for me!"

Hokage Tower

Sarutobi Hiruzen let out another sigh as he took a drag from his pipe. On his desk, a certain
blonde was zooming through the streets of Konoha with another blur not far behind.

If it were normal circumstances, he would be happy to see his surrogate grandson enjoying
what little activities that seemed to genially excite him, but the times were not as joyous as he
would have liked. Even years later, he still had to acknowledge the abnormality of his growth
and everything that came with it.

The boy had gone from the bottom of the class to the top in what was no doubt the quickest
turnaround anyone had ever seen. From matching even the best in his year at Taijutsu,
delving into the art of Fuinjutsu, and finally passing the Academy with no Jinchuuriki
incidents, one could be forgiven if they were a little unsettled. Hell, the discovery of his
Kekkai Genkai, one that made him completely immune to Genjutsu, was already a point of
discussion. It would explain his eyes, seeing that he definitely did not inherit the blue or
lavender of his parents, but it would not explain the main dilemma that had brought him so
much anxiety over the past few years.

The Nine-Tailed Fox—and whether or not it was even still living within their resident
Jinchuuriki.

After Kagero's observations, he'd had his ANBU observe his chakra on a daily basis as a
precaution—the fear only added after receiving multiple reports of the boy seemingly
speaking to someone none of them could see. He remembered the heart attack he nearly
suffered knowing that the beast could seemingly speak to the boy anytime it wished and
nearly called Jiraiya back to the village. Thankfully, he had sense enough to wait for his
ANBU to report before he'd done anything rash.

Only for what the Hyuga ANBU reported to have him messaging Jiraiya that same day.

It was a revelation that not even his old bones were prepared for.

Not only did the boy show no signs of the beast within him, but he had the chakra reserves of
his mother before she had become a Jinchuriki.

That was absurd.

Completely and utterly absurd.

No Jinchuriki before the boy had such reserves. It was the Nine-Tails, for Kami's sake! The
beast that gave Kushina the reserves of three Hashirama! The boy should have been that by
now, if not bigger!

But what frightened him the most was the implications of what this could mean for not only
him but the Shinobi world as a whole.

If the Nine-Tails wasn't within the Uzumaki Natuto, then where exactly had it gone? It was a
fear that not even Jiraiya could relieve him of.

The seal was still in place and undamaged from what the man had observed upon his return.
The boy, at Jiraiya's request, had been sedated upon his arrival, giving them full access to the
seal in case the boy or the fox somehow found a way to alter the seal while he was awake.
Hiruzen knew the real reason why his student wished to take such an action, but did not
question it considering the severity of the matter at hand.

To his disappointment, Jiraiya found nothing.

There was no break in the seal, no alteration, and no chakra signature from the fox. There
was nothing, and Hiruzen didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Whether the fox was
still in the boy or roaming somewhere in the Nations was a thought that had him lose sleep
for many nights.

And asking the boy himself?

"I've never talked to a fox, Hokage-jiji."

Another puff of smoke left the old man, his pipe being placed back on his desk. All he could
truly do was wait. With his graduation, the time for the boy to use the Fox was quickly
approaching, and the truth would reveal itself whether the boy wished to or not.

*Knock Knock*

A knock on his door had him looking up. His secretary introduced another problem he didn't
wish to deal with at the moment.

"Hokage-sama, Councilor Shimura Danzo is here to speak with you."

Hiruzen let out another puff in place of a sigh as he called out, "Let him in." His secretary
opened the door and right behind her walked a heavily bandaged man who wore a black
cloak over his white yukata that hid his completely bandaged right arm. The right side of his
face was also bandaged, covering his right eye, while wrinkles showed his forehead and a
scar in the shape of an 'X" covered his chin. He walked in past the secretary with his only
free arm holding a wooden cane that clattered every time it hit the floor. He stopped before
the Hokage's desk and stared down intensely at the old man who stared back at him with
equal intensity.

A pregnant silence covered the room before Danzo was the one to 'break the ice' as the young
ones would say. "…From the look in your eyes, you're finally taking my concerns seriously."
Hiruzen sighed for the umpteenth time that day, causing the old Warhawk to sit in the nearby
chair to the Hokage's desk.

"…To be honest, I still haven't a clue what we've found." The Warhawk raised his only
visible brow, expecting Hiruzen to elaborate.

And Hiruzen did. He told his old friend everything his ANBU had discovered recently and
the conclusions they'd drawn. All the while, Danzo sat there, unmoved and listening to every
word.

"…I see." Danzo muttered upon the conclusion. "And Jiraiya?"

"Nothing," Hiruzen reported. "No signs of the fox or any new Jinchuriki. The only thing he's
discovered recently was a lead on Orochimaru and a possible base near the land of Kusa."
The look on Danzo's face told the Hokage he didn't believe that for a minute (how he could
read a man with no discernible features other than a twitch of the eye being beyond the
ANBU in the rooms' minds).

"I see... Regardless, things cannot remain as they are. Though I may not have agreed on all of
Namikaze's decisions," Understatement of the century. "I cannot see him as someone who
would foolishly throw away power he and his wife no doubt had the tools and skills to
contain. Namikaze was many things in my eyes, a fool being one of them, but lacking in
intelligence he did not."
"…For once, I agree with you, old friend." Hiruzen reluctantly concurred. "This would be a
lot easier if Minato clued me in on the project he was working on, but alas, he took his
research to the grave." There was a period of silence between the two before Hiruzen spoke
almost accusingly, "I'm guessing the reason you're here is because you've found a solution to
this problem." Not showing even a hint of emotion after the accusation, the Warhawk nodded
and got a puff of smoke, thankfully not in his direction, in response. "Then let's hear it. At
this point, there aren't any bad ideas that can be put forward if the worst comes to pass."

"...Usually, I would admonish such thoughts being spoken, but for once, I share the
sentiment." A rare chuckle left the Hokage's lips in the presence of his former teammate.
Danzo suddenly reached into his robes, putting the ANBU around them on edge. A folder
was pulled out and placed before Hiruzen. The Hokage glanced down at the file before
looking back at the Warhawk quizzically. "The boy has recently graduated. This gives us
opportunity. Opportunity not presented before. On the field, a Jinchuriki thrives. The
opportunity for him to use the fox's chakra rises, more so in matters of life and death."
Hiruzen eyes narrowed, understanding where the man was going with this.

"Is this what you were after all along? To have one of yours closer to the boy at all times."

The Warhawk shook his head. "You and I both know if I wish for the boy to be watched,
there are better ways for me to do so without the need to risk one of my agents. No, this is to
put both of our worries to rest once and for all." Danzo gestured towards the file, "The one I
present before you is my Clan's best, one I raised since she was old enough to hold a kunai.
She is special, more so than any in our compound. I will even go as far to say she is possibly
the only one in this village capable of finding the truth, even if she must resort to more
'unsavory' means."

Hiruzen stared down his old friend, trying to catch any hint of a lie or deceit. He couldn't, and
opted to take a look at the file presented to him.

His eyes widened at who he saw, unable to hide his confusion as he looked back at the
cripple. "Why take such a direct approach? With her, no less? What changed?"

"...Though my views on Shinobi have not changed, watching the Uzumaki has opened my
eyes over the years to... exceptions. Any of my teachings would be a detriment to an already
promising talent, even if his current loyalties are in question."

Hiruzen didn't have a word to say to that. He knew Danzo, and he knew the man wasn't one
for praise, especially the one he thought to be nothing more than a weapon for years. What
exactly the blonde did to get on his good side, only Danzo himself would know.

"...I will allow this." Hiruzen finally relented, taking the file and placing it in a nearby
drawer. "I will brief the appointed Jonin of his relief and put your agent in."

Danzo nodded, Hiruzen catching a brief moment of satisfaction on the man's features. "That
is satisfactory."

"...One more thing," Hiruzen spoke once more before his friend could prepare to depart.
Taking in another puff from his pipe, he stared into the eyes of his friend, making sure to put
a bit of killing intent into his next words. "For the first time in years, I am putting my trust in
you, Danzo. For your sake, I pray you do not break that trust, for not even your network will
be able to save you from my wrath. Are we clear?"

A smile appeared on the Shimura's face.

"I would expect nothing less from you, Hiruzen."

Ninja Academy

Yamada Juri stared down at the two heaving kids that had stopped her from closing the
sliding door. Blonde and raven-haired, both were heaving heavily while drenched head to toe
in sweat. It wasn't the first time the duo had nearly been late. In fact, it was a reoccurring act
that she had nearly sent the two home for on multiple occasions.

Yet they do this today of all days?

She had every right to send them home. She had a zero-tolerance policy for tardiness, and the
two had shown just that on multiple occasions. Her position as sensei demanded that she
follow the rules.

Looking at the desperation in both their eyes made her think otherwise...

"...I'm not even going to ask. Just get to your seats."

"H-Hai, Juri-sensei! Thank you, Juri-sensei!" Both boys gasped in unison before hurrying to
their respective seats.

Making it to their seats at the top right of the class, Naruto sat down and leaned back in his
seat. The air from the window was a Godsend the Uzumaki was all too eager to take
advantage of. The wind blew through his clothes, cooling him down and bringing his body
back to life.

"It would have been quite vexing if you had missed this day due to your own ego." A
voice echoed in his head, yet the blonde was too tired to even defend himself. "Got nothing
to say? No quip? Or do you understand for once the error of your ways?"

"...Too tired. Can't think. Defend myself later." Was his reply, getting a chuckle from the
voice.

"Talking to yourself ago, Uzumaki-kun?" A different voice interjected, getting him to tilt his
head in its direction. The smiling face of a double-bun-haired girl looked back at him, leaning
on an elbow and smiling smugly at him. Why the girl had opted to sit next to him of all
people this year still remained a mystery to him to this day, but he and Lee weren't sitting
alone for once, so he simply never questioned the gift horse. "Got nothing to say? You know
it's not nice leaving a girl waiting."

The blonde's reply was to turn his head back up and say, "Too tired. Can't think. Defend
myself later." The repetition of words garnered a chuckle from the girl before she turned to
pay attention to the sensei gathering their attention.

"Alright, everyone. First and foremost, congratulations on officially becoming Shinobi of the
Leaf. Through your hard work, you've shown you are ready to push yourselves to greatness
and truly reach your full potential. It has been an honor being your sensei through this
journey, and I want every single one of you to know that, as your sensei, I am proud of every
single one of you." The usually stoic face of their sensei suddenly morphed into a smile that
brightened her features considerably. If someone were to walk in now, they'd be hard-pressed
to find even one student who did not share the smile of their sensei's joy. "That being said, I
must warn you all that from now on, life will only get harder. You will need to be even more
vigilant on the field, for a mistake here may get you a bad grade, but a mistake on the field
could cost you or your comrades their lives. Remember this one lesson, and I promise you
will all become great shinobi. Does everyone understand?"

A chorus of 'Yes, Juri-sensei' echoed, getting a smile from the woman before she reached to
retrieve a piece of paper on her desk.

"Good. If there is nothing else, then I will begin calling your assigned teams. Each Shinobi
squad is a pair of four, including the sensei. The sensei you will be assigned to will be your
sensei till you are Chunin, so give them the respect that they deserve." With another chorus of
agreement, the Chunin began calling names. Groans, mumbles, and cheers spread as each
team was called, most having no problem with the selections.

Then there was the last group.

"And lastly, on Team 4 under Shimura Kagero will be Hyuga Neji, Higurashi Tenten, and
Uzumaki Naruto."

You could hear a pen drop in the silence that followed. Everyone was looking at one of the
three team members, each taking the attention in their own way (that is, being unbothered at
all).

"Hey, isn't that team stacked?" Someone whispered in the background, followed by a variety
of speculations and complaints from other students. Despite the sudden chatter, Juri talked
over it.

"These are the teams chosen and there will be no changes. Your Jonin Sensei will be here
shortly to pick up each team, so take this time to get to know your new team. If there is
nothing else, I thank you all for the 7 years we've spent together and wish you all the best of
luck as Shinobi of the Leaf.

...

After waiting an hour, it did not take long for their high to settle down to annoyance. The first
20 minutes after every other student had vacated the room with their sensei was excusable.
The next 20 was inexcusable, and the last was just unprofessional. Mixed with the frustration
of waiting for an hour and being in the room with two of the most anti-sociable people in her
year, Tenten decided to speak her mind.
"What the hell is taking her so long?" She snarled, looking to the only other occupants in the
room to see their reactions. Neji was still sitting in front of her with his arms crossed and a
leg over the other in what a lot of her classmates dubbed his 'holier than thou pose'. She
couldn't see his face from where she stood, but she was sure his eyes were closed, increasing
the image tenfold.

And next to her, Naruto had, at some point, pulled out a book to start reading while gesturing
a finger and looking up to something over his shoulder... Ah, he was talking to himself
again... Not weird at all...

"How are you guys so calm? Don't you at least think this is a little unprofessional? I mean,
it's been an hour! How much longer is she gonna make us wait?"

Neji and the blonde glanced over to the kunoichi for but a moment before returning to their
own devices, forcing a tick mark to grow on the girl's face before she crossed her arms in
frustration. "I swear, 'patience' better not be some kind of hidden test."

"I highly doubt that to be the case." Surprisingly, the Hyuga spoke. "It will be the job of our
team leader to lead by example. It would be shortsighted of her to give us a test we were not
given notice of—even if vaguely."

"Oh, is that what's happening?" Naruto also piped in, getting the attention of both his team
members. "The waiting, I mean. It would make a lot more sense if this was all some kind of
test she's giving us."

"Did I not just state how unlikely that was?" Neji retorted, irritated at having to repeat
himself. "No self-respecting Jonin would have us complete such a vaguely impossible test as
newly graduated Genin. We know not who she is, what she looks like, or even any of her
affiliations, yet you think she expects us to find her? Such a test is unreasonable."

Naruto blinked slowly at the Hyuga, as if not comprehending before looking at the less
hotheaded Tenten. "Then, is this a test of patience?"

The girl raised a brow at the blonde and said, "Uh, I was joking, y'know? You can't really
mean you believed that, right?" The slow blink he gave in reply was very telling. A sweat
drop appearing as her opinion of the boy dropped slightly.

Turning from the girl, he pointed at the corner closest to the entrance of the room. "Then why
has she been watching us for so long?"

A moment passed with his teammates staring him down. A moment that lasted about a
fraction of a second before to head turned to find...

Nothing.

There was no one there.

Frustration built in the Tenten as she turned back to scowl at the blonde for the tactless jape.
However, Neji wasn't so easy to dismiss it as such. Staring intensely at the wall, he willed his
chakra into its proper place before veins began spreading around his eyes. His clan's famous
Dojutsu appeared, allowing him to see the world in black and white.

What, or better yet, who he saw had him shooting to his feet. Tenten jumped in surprise,
looking to the back of the Hyuga before returning her gaze to the corner. There was still
nothing there but a door, yet Neji's reaction put her on edge.

That's when she noticed something odd. Some kind of distortion bent the lining of the corner.
With a glance, you wouldn't catch it, but now that she was staring right at it, she could clearly
see the twist in reality.

"You all are more than your papers say." The Genin tensed at the feminine voice. Slowly, the
distortion faded, and the once vacant corner was illuminated into a form. The hand seemed to
be covered by a black gauntlet that held a curved blade along the top. "I did not expect much
from you, but you seem to be more than what I've observed." If there was one thing they
could say about the woman they were seeing, it was that she was definitely…unique,
amongst the kunoichi he'd met in his life.

No man could deny that she was a beauty. Long brown hair in a ponytail ran down her back
while bangs covered the right side of her face completely. A yellow scarf wrapped
comfortably around her neck and tied in the back to run down to her thighs. She wore a
revealing rouge pink tunic that hugged most of her admittedly large figure and had a long
flap that covered the middle (and hopefully back) of her lower body. Over the tunic was a
brown stomach guard held together by a red rope holding two curved blades. On her arms
were brown forearm protectors with embedded curved blades along the arms and long pink
fingerless gloves underneath that went to her mid-biceps. Thigh protectors protected her outer
thighs while shin protectors went up to her knees, and to finish the look were square-toed
sandals and a tanto hidden behind her.

"Please tell me that attire isn't common. I do not need your thoughts straying more than
they already do."

Ignoring his inner spirit, Naruto decided to speak on behalf of his teammates. "Shimura-
sensei?"

"That I am, Uzumaki." The revealed sensei confirmed, her voice firm yet weirdly practiced—
as if she'd studied for this exact conversation many times before. "We shall save introductions
for later. For now, you are to grab your things and meet me at Akimichi's Barbeque within 10
minutes. If you are late by even a second, I will personally make sure your Genin careers end
here. Am I understood?"

The seriousness in the Jonin's tone made the three Genin nod hesitantly. Without further
preamble, the Jonin suddenly blurred out of sight. The three looked to each other briefly
before making their way to their assigned destination.

Their shinobi careers were about to begin.

 Chapter 17
Chapter Summary

Current Age in Scene:

Naruto: 12

Neji: 13

TenTen: 13

Kagero: 19

Sothis: ?

Hiruzen (Updated): Wrinkly old prick

Location: Akamichi's BBQ

Kagero entered the establishment of the Akamichi and was immediately greeted with a
friendly female face. The plump Akamichi woman greeted her and immediately asked for the
number of occupants and a name.

To her surprise, she had been expected. The woman guided her through the restaurant,
shinobi and civilians alike enjoying their meals or eagerly awaiting it. They eventually came
to stop at a booth near the back.

A booth that was very much occupied.

The woman bowed to her and departed, but Kagero had not yet seated herself. Instead, she
stared blankly at the blonde boy seated in front of her with a look of indifference.

"Took you long enough, Kagero-san." The boy spoke, somehow exuding smugness through
his placid expression. Instead of indulging the boy with a reaction, she scooted herself into
the seat opposite him.

"It has been some time, Uzumaki... Though I am curious on how you made it here before
me." She spoke shortly after, the blonde tilting his head and exuding that placid smugness
once again.

"I ran." He stated flatly. Kagero did not believe him, as always.
A waiter came by, and Naruto ordered what was likely the most expensive thing on the menu,
Kagero not far behind. The waiter bowed and then departed, the Akamichi girl coming by to
fill their cups with tea.

She thanked the woman and took a sip, the blonde still staring her down with those green
eyes that seemingly looked right through you.

"You've grown taller," she decided to say to fill the silence.

"So have you... along with other things." The blonde hinted, yet the woman remained
unmoved.

"...That is highly inappropriate."

"As inappropriate as a grown woman stocking a prepubescent child?"

"I was gathering information on a potential student. What is your excuse?"

"I was making an observation on a stalker. May need it if I report you to the Hokage."

"...You are as insufferable as I remember."

"And you are still as boring as I remember." Despite the jabs, a smirk twitched on both their
faces so fast one might be forgiven for missing it. "Were you always planning to be my
sensei?"

"I was not." Kagero answered immediately. "In fact, I had no plans on being your sensei
again. Recent developments are the only reason our paths have intertwined once again."

"Awwwww, and here I was hoping you finally realized after all these years how boring your
life was without me." Naruto said, trying to come off as playful but sounding more deadpan
with the needed emotion behind it. Likewise, he didn't believe her, but did not voice it.

"I suppose I also do not need to tell you that you are not yet a Genin, no?"

"You're supposed to test us after this, right? Something about teamwork?"

"Hai... though that is not information an academy graduate should have."

"I always have my ways, Kagero-san. You should know this by now."

"Was it your 'friend'?"

"...Maybe."

Kagero shook her head. As always, the boy remained as elusive as she remembered.
Memories of their agreement and time together shortly flashed through her mind—
specifically, the end of it. As promised, she fulfilled her end of the deal and eagerly awaited
for the boy to fulfill his. He did, but at the time, she didn't realize the answer he gave would
be of any significance until much later on.
'I have help' was his answer. Of course, she pushed further, but all he gave her was, 'That is
my secret. I have help'. With that, they concluded their time together, and she immediately
reported to the Hokage, then her father.

She hadn't spoken to the boy since. The Hokage had made the foolish decision to remove the
ANBU watch from keeping tabs on him, but due to his constant disappearing act and his
insanely increase in skill, the ANBU were forced back upon him.

Safe to say, in the grand scheme of things, it didn't matter. Hiruzen was content with being
the passive old fool, and the boy was left to his own devices. At some point, he learned to
evade the ANBU and even her agents all together. If it weren't for him actively revealing
himself to them, Kagero feared they would never find the boy. She knew not what kept him
attached to the village, but she dearly wished it was not taken. If it was, Kagero wasn't so
sure they would be able to find him ever again.

"...Tell me something, Uzumaki. Do you still plan on becoming Hokage?" She honestly didn't
know why she was asking. It had been 6 years since she'd last seen the boy, and despite her
thoughts on his naivety, she could not deny he held talent that far surpassed any in his age
group. If he were not to become a Hokage, then he would for sure become an S-ranked Nin.

As she expected, the boy smirked before pointing a thumb at the metal plate covering his
forehead. "I made a promise and I plan to keep it. This means I've already started towards my
dream. I'm still gonna become Hokage one day, and you're still gonna one day call me
'Hokage-sama', dattebayo."

The boy truly hadn't changed at all.

There was no need for her to say anything further.

As if on cue, his teammates arrived shortly after. Both looked puzzled that their blonde
teammate had somehow made it here before them, but a quick gesture from their sensei told
them this was not the time.

The two Genin slid into the booth with the blonde, the Uzumaki shimmying over to make
room for his team members. They weren't too packed in, but their close proximity to each
other was definitely far from comfortable. Silence ensued as the Jonin sensei seemingly
obversed her students. This went on for about a minute before she finally began.

"Before we begin, we shall start off by introducing ourselves. I shall lead by example. My
name is Shimura Kagero, and I am the heiress of the Shimura clan. My likes are my village,
and my dislikes are those who wish to cause harm to it. My hobbies are art, and my only
dream is to improve the standing of my clan." Finished with her introduction, she turned to
the bun-haired girl at the end of the Genin's side. "You start, girl. State your name, likes,
dislikes, hobbies, and dreams."

The girl looked hesitant from the 'no nonsense' vibe the woman gave off, but gave her best
smile and introduced herself with gusto. "My name is Higurashi Tenten. Um, I guess my
hobbies are training and, um, spending time working at my family's shop. My hobbies
include learning and collecting new weapons. I also enjoy improving my Fuuinjutsu
knowledge. Um, the only thing I guess I dislike is traveling for long periods of time. As for
my goals, well… that is…" Tenten suddenly turned meek, poking her fingers together much
like a certain Hyuga girl. "…t-to be as strong as Tsunade of the Sannin..."

"...How admirable." Her sensei spoke, sounding detached in a way that replaced Tenten's
meek behavior with confusion, then a bit of anger. Turning from her, Kagero now stared at
the Hyuugs expectantly. The boy looked as if he disapproved of her attitude but did not speak
on it.

"...My name is Hyuga Neji. My hobbies are training and meditation. My likes only consist of
herring soba and improving my skills, while my dislikes... there are many, but I suppose
spices. My only goal is to never lose. To anyone." Finished, he stared down the Shimura
head, daring her to say anything against him. Instead, she observed him a bit more before
dismissing him altogether and turning to the last of their group.

The blonde blinked at the expecting heiress. "You already know me."

"That may be, but this is a team exercise. You are expected to participate no matter the
circumstances."

"We literally just talked."

"Good. Then that means your vocal chords aren't broken and you can speak—to the team this
time."

"But we're not even officially a team yet."

"You won't be if you continue."

Taking the threat for what it was, the blonde caved. "...My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like
Ramen, and I hate dishonesty. My hobbies are training and spending time with the little
friends I have. My goal is to become Hokage one day and change the world... Happy?"

Getting what she wanted, she turned to observe her students once more before getting to the
matter at hand.

"Now that we are all acquainted, it is time we move on to why we are here. As you may
know, this team is stacked with more talent than the others. Do you know why that is?"

All three Genin answered in order.

"Because the village wishes to train the best to lessen unnecessary casualties?"

"So the village doesn't waste their time on fodder when they can have more experienced
soldiers on the field."

"Because the Hokage is an asshole who knew I didn't want to be on a team with you but did
so just to spite me?"

Three pairs of eyes looked to the Uzumaki blankly.

"...You are partially correct, Hyuga." Kagero brought attention back to her. "You three are all
geniuses in your own right. You possess incredible talent in your fields, far exceeding those
of your peers. It is talent that the Leaf cannot afford to waste. We could have easily split you
into even groups to better the weaker bunch, but, forgive my frankness, the talent in your year
was very…disappointing."

She couldn't have worded it any better if she were at Kunai Point. Most of the kids in their
year were, to put it simply, unsatisfactory. They were children who had ambition but did not
possess the drive or skill to carry out said ambitions. There was no doubt in her mind that
maybe two or three other teams would pass this year while the others either dropped out or
were sent to the Genin Corp. That fate was better than having the real world smack them in
the face when they were already on the field.

"It is indeed bias that we prioritize the more talented, but Konoha is not currently in a
position to care about equality. We are still licking our wounds from the Kyuubi attack 12
years ago, and we are not foolish enough to send unprepared Genin into the field. It is why
we broke tradition and selected no one for Team 7, and it is why you three are on a team."

In other words, there were high expectations for the three, and everything they did from here
on out would be judged.

A sigh left the Shimura as she frustratedly stated, "Typically, there is a test that follows your
graduation. However, I see no need to do so. Due to what is riding on this little 'project', I
cannot exactly fail you. Instead, we will immediately start your training. Afterwards, we shall
complete a series of D-ranked missions until I deem you ready for something harder. My goal
is to have you all complete at least a B-rank mission before your Chunin Exams. Are there
any objections to that?"

The silence was confirmation enough.

"Good, then I suppose there is only one thing left to say." Reaching behind her, the woman
pulled out three scrolls and placed them all on the table. The Genin blinked at the scrolls
before looking back to their sensei in confusion. "For the next 6 months, you all shall be
living under my roof. These are sealing scrolls holding various essentials from your homes.
They are also your key to getting into the compound. Lose this, or leave the compound
without it, and you shall be punished. Do not worry about getting permission from your
guardians. I have already informed them of this matter, and they have all accepted."

The Genin were actually stunned at the revelation. Not once did they hear of this, nor were
they expecting it, so to say they were upset would be an understatement.

"I do not recall giving consent." Neji, surprisingly, was the first to speak out.

"Your consent is not needed. You have a headband, but you are not yet Shinobi of the Leaf.
Therefore, you are not yet adults, and your parents or legal guardians are allowed to make
decisions on your behalf. Also, your guardians each sign a contract that is directed to every
Genin after their test. It states that your enlistment into the ranks, and that I am now your
direct superior. That also means that these," she pointed to the scrolls, "are considered direct
orders. Failing to comply is the same as insubordination."
Neji and Tenten were left slack-jawed. Could their guardians really have signed off on such a
thing without their consent? If so, why? Was this really how all this was supposed to go?

In Naruto's case, he was not nearly as upset as his teammates. Out of spite more than anger,
he raised a hand to bring light to a hole in her statement. "I don't have a legal guardian." He
said, to which the Shimura replied without missing a beat.

"The Hokage signed in your stead."

His hand slowly lowered.

'...That wrinkly old prick...'

"If there is nothing else you wish to say, then let us enjoy a meal before heading to Training
Ground 3. I wish to get an assessment of your skills before your true training begins."

Location: ?

Sothis yawned as she awoke from her slumber. Through blurry eyes, she observed her
surroundings, taking in the monotone atmosphere that was her 'prison'. As always, it
remained devoid of life without her ward. But alas, it was quiet, and that's all she truly
wanted.

Stretching out her limbs, she sleepily snapped her fingers, a hand supporting her face on her
throne as she awaited the rift in the mindscape to change. When it did, she was greeted with a
ripple of reality opening before her like an eyelid. Whatever she expected wasn't what she
got.

The view was pitch black.

Blinking, she snapped her fingers a few more times, thinking there was an error in her spell.

Nothing changed.

Slightly annoyed, she opted to call out to the darkness, hoping to receive answers for her lack
of vision.

She did almost immediately.

"Good afternoon. Sleep well?"

"Better than expected." She replied to the voice, yet was slightly confused. "Afternoon?
And you're still asleep? Were you not meeting your teacher before my nap?"

"I was, and I did. I'm now in Training Ground 3." Sothis raised an incredulous brow at that.

"And why are you sleeping?"

"I was bored. There's isn't really much for me to do right now."
"How so?"

"It's complicated..."

"Well uncomplicate it and tell me the situation."

"...I think it's better if you see with your own eyes."

Sothis rolled hers, but stood from her throne. With another thought, she was out of the
mindscape and in the real world. She was immediately met with greenery and a clear blue
sky...

And a kunai flying towards her. A panicked squeak left her as she dodged, her arms flailing
about and momentarily forgetting she was intangible to the outside world. She looked to
where the blade landed somewhere in the forest behind her before turning to where it came
from.

She was greeted with a skirmish.

A boy, Hyuga Neji (she believed), was squaring off against a much taller woman. In the back,
a bun-haired girl was throwing multiple sharp objects at the woman, but her weapons found
no purchase in their target. After marveling at the sight, Sothis looked around, hoping to find
her ward somewhere nearby.

"Down here."

The voice did not come from around her but from beneath her. Looking down, she found
what she was originally looking for—not in the form of a body but a head. Spiky blonde
followed by green met her eyes. Circling till she was Infront of the head, she could finally see
the stoic visage of her ward—his eye staring not at her, but the fight happening yards away.

The Divine had no words.

Not even when the boy casually asked, 'how was your sleep' did she deem him with a reply.
Eventually, the boy caught on to what she was thinking and observed his current 'situation'.
"...You're likely wondering how I ended up like this. Quite funny how it happened,
actually..."

Flashback

Team 7 stood in the middle of Training Ground 3 eagerly waiting for their sensei to reveal
this 'test'. Reaching to her side, Kagero pulled out a small silver bell and held them before
her Genin team. "This test is simple. All you have to do is take this bell from me and you
pass."

The three Genin blinked, confused at such a short explanation.

"Um, that's it?" Tenten voiced to which the woman nodded.

"That is all. Take this bells from me and I shall consider it your victory."
"What is the catch." Neji asked skeptically.

"There is none. This test is simply for me to gauge your abilities. That is all. No catch, no
hidden test." Despite the reassurance, the Genin still looked skeptical.

Naruto raised his hand next, hoping to clear up something personal. "Does it matter how we
take the bell? And how long do we have?"

"It matters not how you do it, just as long as you take them." Kagero reiterated. "I will give
you two hours to attack me. In that time, you may-"

The sudden explosion of chakra followed by the blonde suddenly being right in front of her a
blink later, had the Jonin suddenly leaped back. Eyes sharp, she landed on her feet at least 30
yards away from her original position with her hand on her tanto and her eye focused on the
three Genin. All but the Uzumaki were suddenly on guard, the boy now occupying the spot
she'd stood a second ago.

A jingling caught her attention. Looking at the blonde, she noticed a familiar bell in his hand.
Looking at her own, she noticed the absence of one. Back to the Uzumaki, she was greeted
with a tilted head and eyes that radiated arrogance.

"...Now what, Kagero-sensei?"

Flashback end

"...I see you are utilizing your abilities to the fullest." Sothis said flatly, to which the boy
shrugged in spirit.

"We're Shinobi, and she said to get the bells by any means necessary. If she didn't want us to
cheat, then she shouldn't have made such exploitable rules." The comment caused a smirk to
twitch on the Divine's face.

"Still doesn't explain your current situation." She pointed out.

"I was getting to that... After our hard-earned victory, she challenged us to a rematch. She
fought valiantly, but she was no match for my awesomeness."

"...You did it again, didn't you? That, what did you call it? Instant Transmission?"

"Hey, hate the player, not the game. Anyway, being the sore loser she is, she challenged us a
third time. This time, however, I was forbidden from 'utilizing that accursed energy' as she
selfishly put it. I complied, and her clone did this to me before she even said 'hajime'. The
nerve, right? Cheating on a test. How professional."

The amused smirk stayed this time around. "And your team? Have they deemed you not
worth saving?"

"No, they tried, but Kagero-san kept targeting them, so they left me here. Don't blame them,
really. She looked really upset whenever they tried."
"How vindictive."

"Quite."

Both shared a silent moment to watch the battle, their eyes following as Tenten was suddenly
flung across the field with her own shooting star.

"...I think they need help."

"Possibly..."

"Do you not wish to aid them? This is as much your test as it is theirs."

"No need. I've already passed—three times now."

Sothis raised a brow at that, to which the boy seemed to move something in his mouth before
opening it. A shiny object rolled onto the grass, jingling all the way. Sothis observed the bell
before looking back at the boy it came from.

"Has that thing been in your mouth this entire time?"

"Yes... I was keeping it safe." Sothis stared owlishly down at her ward before returning her
attention back to the skirmish.

"...Do you think she knows?"

"More than likely."

"Then why is she still going?"

"I accused her of going easy on us after the second round. I don't think she liked that."

They watched as the Hyuga was flung across the field while the bun-haired girl began
frantically throwing any and everything she had at the sensei, who seemed to weave and
deflect the projectiles with expert precision.

"...And have you learned anything from this, Child?"

"...I've learned that she's either really weak, still going easy on us, or I'm just that awesome.

"...You are something else, Child."

Later...

Shimura Compound

Moving into the Shimura Compound was a simple affair. Since their things had, technically,
already been packed, all they truly had to do was follow their new sensei home after the
beating they received—well, two of them, at least.
The Shimura Compound itself was in a remote area located on the far east side of the village.
Most of the houses were connected to the mountain in some way, and due to its close
proximity to the Training Ground and the Hokage Tower, it made travel quite simple.

Despite being the heir, Kagero lived in a house on her own next to the main. It was two
stories, a traditional Konoha-styled structure with tatami flooring and sliding doors. Their
room mirrored this, a spacious corner of the house that they were all meant to share.

As the trio unpacked, they couldn't help but think about all the memories they would make in
their new room. Naruto envisioned many late-night conversations with friends, while TenTen
imagined practicing her weapon skills and perfecting new techniques. Neji, with his calm
demeanor, envisioned peaceful mornings watching the sunrise from the balcony.

As time passed, their new room became a sanctuary of comfort, growth, and camaraderie. It
saw laughter, tears, and countless unforgettable moments. The balcony became a place of
solace, where they often found themselves reflecting on their journey, their dreams, and what
they meant to one another. With each passing day, Naruto, TenTen, and Neji continued to
grow as shinobi and as individuals. Their bond, forged through their shared experiences, only
seemed to strengthen in their new domain.

The room became a symbol of their unbreakable friendship, reminding them that they were
never alone. In their new room, Naruto, TenTen, and Neji found not just a place to call their
own, but a safe haven where memories were made and dreams were nurtured. In time, they
would become well-respected Shinobi of the Leaf and change the world of Shinobi for the
better singlehandedly...

...As if things were that simple!

In reality, upon entering, conflict was immediately had. They were told that not only would
they not be getting their own rooms, but everything other than a toothbrush and futon would
be shared indiscriminately. Yes, that meant their equipment, room, money, and even bath
were to all be shared between each other.

Tenten was the first to dispute this, very adamantly. Naruto and Neji were both impartial, yet
they did not stop their female companion from airing out their grievances for them. As
expected from the Shimera, she did not care. In fact, she was quite ruthless in shutting the
Higurashi down with an ultimatum: 'follow my rules, or return to the academy.' It was a threat
that worked quite well.

Next, they were introduced to the rules of the house.

One—always wake up on weekdays at 6 a.m. for breakfast, then training. Any who does not
wake up on time will not eat that morning, and training will be twice as harsh for everyone
due to the tardiness of one. Quite unfair, but they've long since learned that that particular
word doesn't exist in their sensei's dictionary.

Two—any and all 'grudges' are settled in the dojo. Any fighting done outside of training or
the dojo is punished by spending a day in 'The Box', which was basically a big square room
in the basement none of them wanted to ever visit.
Lastly, none are to venture outside the compound without express permission from their
sensei. It was one of the rules none of them agreed with but were forced to comply with.

Now, sitting in their shared rooms, the trio were given time to themselves to place their
belongings in peace. Their training would begin in the morning, and they were all too ready
to get their asses kicked; notice the sarcasm. Occupying the area in the far right corner, Neji
sat in seiza, his eyes closed in clear meditation. On the other side of the room was Tenten,
sitting similarly under a table while tending to the weapons she had on her.

Unlike the two, Naruto was not as active. Laying on his back with his arms under his head,
knees up, and a leg over the other, the blonde filled the silence by humming a toon neither of
the Genin recognized. Unseen to his teammates was the green-haired deity casually observing
them from above.

"So, this is where you are to stay for the foreseeable future... It is marginally better than
the apartment, if nothing else. Though I don't appreciate the lack of freedom." The
blonde agreed with his friend. This would make traveling to Fodlan a lot more difficult than it
ever was before.

It wasn't like they had to go. Traveling to Fodlan was more of a hobby than anything
nowadays. It was a time where Sothis could see her child and descendants freely, and Naruto
could interact with a world he thought was more of a fantasy. It was time well passed when
he wasn't training, so to say he could no longer do such was more than disappointing.

"Wow. I believe this is the first I've seen a weapon such as this." Sothis had moved from
observing the room to hovering over Tenten's work table. On the table was a sickle and chain.
Not a weapon most frequented by Shinobi of the Leaf, but was somewhat a signature item to
the Higurashi's fighting style.

"This one reminds me of you...if a lot more broody." She was now in front of the Hyuga,
observing his features curiously. "This one has those eyes, no? Do you think he could see
me if they were active?" The thought had her floating closer to the boy's face, observing his
face intensely.

At the same instance, his eyes snapped open, causing the Divine to gasp and jump back. He
stared right at her, and Sothis almost feared he could see her before he turned his attention to
something at the center of the room.

That something just so happened to be her ward.

"Naruto, tell me something," the boy called out, garnering the attention of both the Uzumaki
and Higurashi. "Back at the Training Grounds, you moved at speeds that not even our Jonin
Sensei could follow—not once, but thrice. Was it a Genjutsu?"

Naruto blinked at that before glancing to ceiling in thought, thinking of the best way to
answer. "I don't know any Genjutsu," was what he ended up going with, getting a frown from
the Hyuga prodigy.
"Then what was it? None of us saw you move or even reappear. Other than Genjutsu, I see no
other way you could have performed such a feat."

"Hmmmmm... You know what? Let's go with that. I used a very convincing Genjutsu on you
all before we left the academy. In fact, I've been using Genjutsu on the entire village for the
last 12 years. You all are actually apart of my simulation, and I allowed you to see 1% of my
true power. I'd tell you more, but then I risk you escaping the matrix, and I'd be forced to kill
you."

Neji scoffed at the gibberish his teammate was spitting. "If you were going to patronize me,
then I'd rather you'd not say anything at all."

"...Fine, I'll tell you the truth, but you're likely not gonna believe me." Neji was unmoved by
the statement, prompting the blonde to take him seriously and answer him truthfully. "I have
an interdimensional loli goddess who has been living in my head rent-free since I was a kid.
She holds the power of time, which means she can stop and reverse it at will. She is the direct
cause for my improvements over the years and is the reason why I often talk to myself. She is
also the reason part of my hair is green and why I often know what people are thinking before
they say it. I one day will inherit all of her powers, which also means I shall replace her and
become the new almighty Proginator God of the Realms."

Pen-dropping silence followed the blonde's revelation. Somewhere through the dialogue,
Tenten's expression morphed into that of extreme incredulousness, Neji's pupilless eyes
slowly dimmed, and Sothis was silently wondering what a 'loli' was.

"You're wasting your time, Neji." Tenten spoke up, pinning her incredulous stare on the
blonde. "Tried for years to crack that egg head of his, but his lips are sealed tight... Doesn't
help that he's a douche about it."

"That's mean, Tenten-chan. I'm only protecting my secrets like any good Shinobi would. I
don't see either of you spilling your secrets whenever someone is curious." Naruto defended,
his teammates silently admitting the blonde's point. "How about this, Neji. Teach me how to
use the Gentle Fist and I'll tell you one of my secrets. Sound fair?"

"If that is your idea of fair, then I dread to see how you broker."

"I'm surprisingly good at it. Once tricked this redhead into buying a hinged kunai after she
ripped me off. Haven't heard from her again, though I hear she and her sisters are looking for
me... which I don't know if that means I'm gonna get lucky in the future or if my life is in
serious danger..."

"...You are entertaining, if nothing else."

"I live to please...which reminds me of a joke. What do you call a man with no body and no
nose?" Tenten groaned while Neji simply raised a brow. "Nobody knows..." Instead of the
laughs he was expecting, both of his teammates returned to their devices—leaving him
blinking while Sothis looked on amused.

"Your humor is still something to be desired, Child."

The blonde pouted at the deity in that way only his poker face could pull off.

"Flayn would have laughed..."

...

Hours later, the sun had been replaced with countless stars, a midnight sky, and a crescent
moon. The village that was once vibrant with life had descended into silence, faint shadows
of passing Shinobi being the only signs of life on the streets.

Inside the Shimura Compound, the three Genin now lay peacefully in their respective futons,
their breaths slow as their bodies rested from the day's activities. In their dreams, they were
completely unaware of the figure descending from their ceiling.

A cloaked figure.

It looked upon each of them, its eyes lingering on Naruto, before turning to the Hyuga. The
figure slowly extended its arms, the fingers of its hands forming hand seals.

Tiger.

Horse.

Snake.

Ram.

The figure pointed its index and middle finger at the forehead of the sleeping Hyuga.

There was a soft flash.

Neji's eyes shot open, but before he could even breathe, his mouth and limbs were wrapped
tightly before he was pulled into the ceiling. One dealt with, the figure moved on to the next.

It now hovered over the sleeping form of Tenten, caution in it's every move.

Tiger.

Horse.

Snake.

Ram.

A single finger was pointed at the forehead of the young kunoichi, and, like Neji, she too was
dragged into the ceiling.

That only left one.

The figure turned its attention back to the last sleeping person in the room.
Tiger.

Boar.

Monkey.

Ram.

The figure aimed, a single finger extending forward...

A second later, the figure found itself on its back. It didn't know how or why, but in that
single moment, its prey had woken up and struck. A fist crashed into the figures face, causing
the figure to reel back from the attack.

Naruto stuck to the ceiling with his assailant, his face a mask of indifference. "Who are you?"
The figure got to its feet, its hood having fallen back, revealing the face of a woman. The
blonde blinked, confused at what he was seeing. "Sensei?"

As if her name was the signal to continue, the Shimura charged forward.

Her left hand grabbed at the blonde's shirt and he was prepared to counter.

It turned out to be a faint.

The moment he went to counter, she was twisting her body while dipping low for a leg
sweep. The attack forced the blonde to fall back to the ground, but not before throwing three
hidden shuriken at the woman.

As expected, she dodged the projectiles with expert ease and even grabbed one from its
trajectory to throw back at the Genin.

Naruto rolled out of the way of the incoming blade, but as he came out of the roll, he saw a
pair of feet swinging towards his face. He leaned back to avoid the attack, but a second later,
a hand grabbed his right ankle, and his vision was turned upside down. His assailant then
slammed his upper body into the wooden wall of the house. Before he could recover, he was
flipped again, and the wall became the floor. Finishing the combo, a kick sent him crashing
through the shoji screen doors leading outside.

Kagero followed him outside, but as soon as she exited the building, she was met with a
volley of Kunai. The woman weaved through the weapons, her body twisting and spinning
around the projectiles with an unnatural ease. She came to a halt once she was clear of the
danger and stared at where the blonde should have been.

The hallway was empty.

The woman frowned, her eyes darting around her. A small tingle in her head had her turning
around and blocking the incoming punch. The woman pushed the Genin back, and the boy
landed gracefully on his feet. Naruto wasted no time in attacking, launching a flurry of
punches and kicks at the woman, all of which were blocked, deflected, or dodged with ease.
Kagero ducked a right hook and used her momentum to launch a kick at the blonde's exposed
chest. Naruto blocked the attack, but before he could push the kick away, the woman pulled
her foot back, spun, and landed another kick to his side. Naruto was sent stumbling away, but
recovered quickly and held a hand out in front of him.

Kagero charged, but was shocked when a flash of light blinded her. She came to a stop,
rubbing her eyes to regain her sight.

It was a moment too long.

When she regained her vision, the boy was in front of her. Instead of his fist, he wielded a
sword. Through the darkness, she saw its unnatural red glow along with its bronze color.

Seeing the sword had her reaching back to her own tanto with the speed of a Jonin. Her blade
met the blonde's, stopping him in mid-air. To her ever-growing surprise, the top of the blade
began coming undone. Pieces of the blade were shown to be connected by some sort of
thread. It fascinated her for a moment as she watched it slowly begin to disappear behind her.

Suddenly understanding the danger, she dove and retreated from the now-revealed whip
blade that would have surely wrapped her up not a second later. Her retreat was followed by
the sword extending towards her.

The weapon seemed to have a mind of its own, moving with the precision and accuracy of
the user, and even with the speed of a Jonin, Kagero found it pressing to keep up. Its
versatility was shown in the tight hallway, giving the Shimura little room for error as it filled
nearly every hole. Sending projectiles proved useless, the blonde able to knock it clear from
the air with the whip. However, it gave her the opportunity to weave through the writhing
threaded blades and close the distance.

Her tanto met the hilt of the whip blade once again and the two exchanged a flurry of blows.
The blonde was able to keep up well enough, but it was evident who was the more
experienced swordsman.

It was when he was pressed that his fighting style began to change.

His strikes became more erratic.

More desperate.

His blocks became more wild and unpredictable.

Kagero had her opening.

In a flash, her left hand pointed a finger at the blonde's torso.

Before the blonde could register the motion, something shot from her finger, attaching itself
to the boy. With a yank, he was pulled forward as the Shimura jumped back. The hand
holding her tanto pointed a finger at the blonde as well, the same sticky fluid shooting
towards the boy and wrapping his hand completely. Jumping wall to wall, she continued the
act, the strings sticking to the blonde all over as she quickly and efficiently began circling the
now-bound Genin.

When she finally came to a stop, she was standing before the blonde who was blinking
rapidly and looking down to himself.

He was in a cocoon. All around him, silky threads stuck to the walls and ceilings, holding
him in place. The entire house was thrashed, yet that seemed to be secondary to the fact that
he was now captured.

"You are good," the woman began as she made the finishing touches to her bindings. "Why
not use that power from before? There were multiple opportunities to finish the fight, so why
hold back?"

The blonde blinked at the heiress and said, "I was trying to stop you."

Her eyes narrowed. "You should have gone for the kill."

"I don't kill people," the boy said with a bit of firmness in his tone.

"And that is your greatest weakness. You are clever, and that will take you a long way, but
there will come a day where you will need to be more decisive in your blows. If I had truly
wished to kill you, I would have done so. Your ideals are admirable, but they will only lead
you and the ones you hold dear to an early grave. That is not me forcing my ideals on you,
but a simple fact. The more you hold out on your opponent, the closer you come to death.
Leave them alive, and they will have the opportunity to kill someone close to you. You may
not like it, but that is our world, and you will do well to remember it."

"Duly noted..." The blonde said flatly before glancing at something behind her. "Oh, and you
might want to dodge. Like, right now."

The Shimura followed the advice without question and sidestepped.

Her timing couldn't have been more perfect.

From the corner of her eye, she caught the blur of an arm poking forward. When she saw the
attacker's face, her eyes slightly widened.

"How?"

The figure jumped back before she could bring her tanto down on her extended arm.

It was Neji.

He had managed to dodge and retreat, now glaring at the woman he called Sensei, "Your
threads are troublesome, but they are useless against the Hyuga. You would do well not to
forget that."

The woman's expression returned to its normal stoic demeanor, looking unimpressed by the
statement as she voiced, "That was your only chance. You will not get another."
"I wouldn't count us out just yet," came yet another voice from her six. Glancing over her
shoulder, Kagero was met with the form of Tenten standing smuggly at the end of the hall
with, surprisingly, another blonde Jinchuuriki next to her. "You really had us in the beginning,
Sensei. If not for Naruto, we would have all been captured."

"...So that was your plan? To free your friends?" Kagero asked, not needing to look back to
confirm the blonde in her trap had disappeared. The blonde answered by pulling his eyelid
down and sticking his tongue out childishly. "...It matters not your numbers. You three are
still outclassed here. Your only option is to surrender." She warned, setting herself up to
attack once more.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Tenten warned, motioning for the Shimura to look down.
Humoring the girl, the woman looked down.

She saw nothing, but her senses were screaming that something was wrong.

"Underneath you are explosives—a landmine, of sorts. Move even an inch, and the entire
compound goes boom. It may or may not get you, but it will be more than enough to get
every ninja in Konoha over here faster than you can say 'Yandaime'."

The woman was quiet.

"Do not bother trying to detect the explosive tag." Neji suddenly added. "It is hidden from
even the Byakugan. If you truly read our files, then you would know how good Uzumaki's
seals are."

The woman glanced between her Genin, said Genin not breaking eye contact even once at her
gaze of steel. For several moments, there was only silence.

Finally, the Shimura sighed, dropping her guard completely. "I underestimated you... It is my
defeat."

Tenten grinned victoriously, but her expression faltered slightly at the sound of chuckling.

Kagero's smile was wide, something none of them would have ever expected from the stoic
woman. "Very impressive. Very impressive indeed. You've won, and yet I find myself
laughing."

"And why is that?" Neji questioned, his guard not dropping a single notch.

"Because this proves that you are more than your papers say. It means the Hokage was right,
and you all will truly be worthy assets to the Leaf." The woman responded, making chills run
down the three Genin's spines.

"What do you mean by that?" Tenten asked, her tone cautious.

"As I've said before, my goal is to have you all at Chunin level before the next Exam. I have
now taken into account your skills and abilities, and I can now devise a training plan that will
best utilize them. The only problem I see is that your instincts are all lacking. I'm going to fix
that."
Turning around, the woman began walking away, much to the shock of the Genin. There was
no explosion following her departure, which now made the Genin look as if their entire act
was a bluff.

It was not.

Tenten and Naruto had seriously planned to blow the woman sky high. The fact that it didn't
brought unease to them all.

Stopping at the stares, she turned to look over her shoulder, her brown orbs oddly shining in
the dark and giving the Genin a sense of dread. "Your real training begins now."
 Chapter 18

Interlude

Danzo

The Shimura Clan, one of the very first clans to join the village of Konohagakure no Sato in
its founding days.

The number of members in the clan was abysmal compared to the others, yet their worth
wasn't found in numbers but in their willingness to go above and beyond for the village they
called home.

Yet there was an interesting fact about the Shimura.

You see, despite being a clan, the only power they held was in politics. Only four of the 18
members were current Shinobi, while the others were either Shinobi accountants, recorders,
or interrogators—a clan well-known to be low in manpower. The only clan currently lower
was the Kurama, which was only due in part to the Kyuubi attack along with their heiress
currently struggling to control her Kekkai Genkai.

Now, you'd think the Shimura Clan would be inferior to other clans—strength-wise, at least.

On the surface, you'd be right.

With only 18 members, the only acting Shinobi in their 30's and the rest of the clan well
above the age of 50, there was no competition they could give the other major clans. They
were practically near extinction, and everyone knew it. They were no longer a threat, either
as a force or politically.

That's where you'd be wrong.

In the eyes of the other clans, the Shimura were a lesser clan that had no pillar of support left
to keep them up. However, to the Hokage and the elders of the village, the Shimura held a
power more than capable of rivaling even the Hyuuga Clan in no part due to the current
leader and the heir he raised himself.

Danzo, the War Hawk as he is known, the one who had raised his own army in the shadows
and did any and everything in the make sure Konoha stayed the strongest in the Elemental
Nations, stood over the woman he had put an investment into over 15 years ago.

Shimura Kagero.

A youngling born out of wedlock from a now deceased Shimura Homura.

Danzo knew almost immediately that the kid was special. Despite holding no Kekkai Genkai,
she could challenge the best agents he had to offer. She took to their way of life better than
any he'd had before, to the point where she was officially recognized as the one to be the heir
to the Shimura legacy.

Now, Shimura Kagero, age 19, adopted daughter of Shimura Danzo and the heiress of the
clan, kneeled before him as she prepared to deliver her report from her current 'mission'.

"Report." The gravelly voice of the clan head spoke through the silence, making the woman
before him lower her head slightly in respect.

"I have both good and troubling news, Danzo-sama." The War Hawk revealed nothing
outwardly, yet his silence prompted the younger Shimura to speak. "I've found the
Jinchuuriki and his team to be more than adequate as Shinobi of the Leaf... Though, in regard
to the 'mission', I'm honestly not sure of what I've found."

"…Explain." The Shimura head urged.

"I observed the Jinchuuriki once again, as you've ordered. As I predicted, the power he
possesses has only grown stronger along with his convictions. There is still no sign of the
Kyuubi, but I believe I will have the opportunity to pull it out in the coming months before
the Chunin Exams."

"…And the problem?"

The girl hesitated, something Danzo noted wasn't common for her. "I, fear that there is little I
can teach the Jinchuuriki. He is far past his peers to the point I believe he should skip Chunin.
If he held even an ounce of experience, then I could see him as a jonan within the year. He's
developed his own style of fighting and even procured a weapon of his own. It is unknown
where he got it, but I believe it is from this 'benefactor' We still know nothing of."

"...And this 'unknown'? How sure are you that it is not the Kyuubi?"

The kunoichi raised her head until she was looking into the eye of the man who had raised
her since she was but a naïve little girl. "I remember Kushina and the Kyuubi's chakra like
the back of my hand, Danzo-sama. I can say with absolute certainty that, whoever or
whatever it is, it is not the Kyuubi. At this point, I'm ready to believe the Kyuubi has, in fact,
disappeared to places unknown."

Danzo didn't bother checking for deceit in his adopted daughter's eyes. To this day, she has
never lied to him. Since that was the case, it meant it was time to look at the situation at hand.
Now that the truth about the Jinchuuriki had been confirmed, the only thing left to do was to
either figure out how to see exactly what Jinchuuriki was hiding behind that seal or have the
blonde willingly spit out the truth himself. A Yamanaka was out of the question for obvious
reasons, and Danzo knew the blonde wasn't one for revealing secrets. A more subtle approach
was all they had, which meant he would have to move plans of the future a lot closer than
expected.

"How long will it take?" He asked, not needing to explain himself to the girl who knew him
better than any other.
"Not long, sir. Four months max. He'll be more than ready for the Chunin Exams by then.

"Good. Continue to observe and report any new developments. This matter is no longer
delicate. Use your skills and resources as you see fit and get the results we need." Danzo's
tone suddenly became harsher as he made sure to get his point across and show the
seriousness of the situation. "Failure is not an option. Is that clear?"

The answer came immediately in the form of a lowered head and a "Hai, Danzo-sama" before
she disappeared in a blur of leaves.

Now alone, Danzo turned on his heels and headed to the entrance that would lead him to his
personal underground tunnel—all the while thinking of a certain blonde-headed Jinchuuriki
that had gotten his attention years ago.

The boy who was not controlled by his emotions. The boy who had shown more than
adequate qualities for a shinobi. The boy whose true genius could only be seen through the
shadows. The boy held talent that far surpassed even the greatest genius of this and previous
generations. Kagero may have been the perfect shinobi to run ROOT and protect Konoha
from the shadows, but Uzumaki Naruto held the potential to be everything he wanted in a
shinobi in the light.

Danzo had no illusions that he was getting old. It was a fact that he could no longer deny, and
the position of Hokage wasn't getting any closer to him. Soon, the time would come for
Hiruzen to pick a new successor, and Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi were not suitable
candidates for the position. One had practically turned her back on her village, the second
was a lecher who was more interested in women than owning up to his duties, and the last's
drive as a shinobi was nonexistent.

He had found a more than suitable successor for his legacy, but six years ago, he found a
suitable Hokage—one he believed he could eventually morph into doing the things that
needed to be done. Now, it was his successor's job to make sure the Jinchuuriki followed the
path he'd paved for him, even if he had to cut some loose ends to make it so.
 Chapter 19
Chapter Summary

Current ages in Scene:

Naruto: 12

Neji: 13

Tenten:13

Kagero: 19

Fū: 11

Shibuki: 16

4 months later...

…45 degrees northeast, 50 meters away. About 40 feet from the ground. Immobile. Charka:
average. Seems to be the one planting chakra tags around the forest. Definitely the girl.

…No massive chakra signatures nearby. Blonde still unaccounted for.

…!

The voice quickly did a 180 and stood at the appropriate stance to combat the chakra
signature that had gotten the drop on her. As she predicted, a figure dashed from the bushes
and right at her. Prepared, the disguised woman deflected the quick palm strike to her
midsection and did the same for the one's aimed for her jugular, right breast, shoulder, and
thigh.

On the seventh strike, she finally found an opening in the form of an overextended jab center
mass and quickly grabbed the appendage with her hands. She made to counterattack, but her
ear warned her of the sharp whistling of something coming in fast behind her. Moving just
slightly to her right, the kunai that would have no doubt disabled one of her legs soars by,
right into the free hand of the Hyuuga before her.

Quickly releasing his arm, less she wished to lose her own, she backpedaled and had to draw
a kunai of her own to deflect the projectile the Hyuuga had just thrown in retaliation to her
retreat. Once again, he was on the offensive, and she did everything in her power to keep up
with the speed and ruthlessness of the Gentle Fist.

After receiving one too many close calls with the Hyuga intentionally giving her openings
just to have a random weapon thrown at her from the kunoichi in the trees, she decided to
change tactics and quickly used another opening to retreat into the forest and towards the
younger kunoichi constantly stopping her advances. Much to her frustration, she could feel
the bun-haired girl quickly retreating at a similar speed the closer she got.

Just when she could feel she was making progress, something at her legs suddenly glowed
bright, and she had but a split second to jump away from the exploding tag that would have
taken off her legs. Landing a few meters away, she was caught off guard once again when
another flash beneath her warned her of the danger she was in. She was able to jump, but not
far enough from the blast radius, the heat on her skin visible as her body flailed through the
air like a rag doll.

She was able to get her footing back before she hit the ground, but quickly about-faced her
previous target and continued to her mission objective. The Genin sent after her were far
more than she expected, and she had no intentions of being captured by brats. Much to her
growing frustration, the Hyuuga was outpacing her, and she knew it was a matter of time
before he was back on her.

In a desperate attempt to gain space, she reached into the pouch at her hip and pulled out four
paper bombs tied to kunai. With the swiftness of her Jonin status, she put some chakra into
the tags before hurling one with pinpoint accuracy at the chakra signature quickly closing in
on her. She did not stop in her haste as the explosion rocked the forest. Instead, she remained
focus and continued to monitor the Hyuuga. As she expected, it didn't stop him for long, and
he was quickly gaining on her once again. Putting just enough chakra to delay the next kunai,
she casually dropped them on the branch below her and waited for her plan to bear fruit.

As she expected, the Hyuuga didn't hesitate to go around the trap she had planted. However,
it didn't matter in the end. A smile came to her face as a bang sounded out where the Hyuuga
suddenly stopped. Flash tags sure were useful when you needed them.

Not wasting a moment, she put all her strength into her legs, feeling she was getting closer to
the waypoint. The Hyuuga was moving again, but she was sure she could get there before he
could catch up to her. Just when she could see her goal in the distance, she was forced to stop
as a purple barrier suddenly blocked her path. She made to go around it, but found herself
suddenly blocked on all sides by the same barrier.

Before she could question what was going on, something landed at her feet and immediately
got her attention. All she could see was a tag with writing she'd never seen before her eyes
flew open in shock as thousands of volts of electricity shocked her stiff. She screamed her
lungs dry in complete agony as every part of her body felt as if she were being stabbed with
needles.

It lasted for only a few seconds, but the damage was done. Once she could see clearly again,
she could only notice that the barrier was down before the Hyuuga suddenly appeared in front
of her and struck her hard in the abdomen, immediately disrupting her chakra system. Bile
escaped her mouth at the crippling move, yet she didn't get a chance to even think. The earth
below her suddenly shifted, and the woman suddenly found herself being wrapped up by
what looked to be dark tendril with chips of bone connecting the wire. The moment the rope
touched her skin, she could feel her already damaged chakra stream become nonexistent
before she was forcefully pulled into the ground to her neck.

Now closer to the dirt than any human had a right to be, she struggled for freedom but found
none. It was as three figures appeared over her that she realized there was no getting out of
her situation.

She was captured—by Genin, no less...

A fourth landed behind the Genin, immediately garnering their attention.

Kagero looked down at one of her agents before nodding to the Genin in approval. Though
there were a few oversights here and there, there was nothing she had to comment negatively
on. Their teamwork was leagues better than it was four months ago and their skills today
proved it.

A smirk came to her face as she observed her team, the Genin who were nothing more than
academy students not long ago.

They were ready.

Next day...

Hokage Tower

"Ah, Team 4. It's always good to see you." Hiruzen greeted the 'star' Genin of the year,
always eager to hear their progress whenever he was able.

"Always a pleasure, Hokage-sama." Kagero bowed, followed by all except the Uzumaki who
was too busy trying his best to keep his eyes open and his head steady. In fact, on closer
inspection, Hiruzen noticed the very obvious signs of sleep deprivation on all the Genin. The
only one who didn't show it was the Hyuga, yet not even the prodigy could hide the bags
under his eyes.
"So, how is there progress coming along?" Hiruzen inquired, wondering just what the source
of their fatigue was.

"They're getting there. It was a bit rough at the beginning, but they have proved worthy of
their titles. Our latest training has involved bodyguard work and staying awake. I believe this
is their 50th hour."

Hiruzen stared owlishly at the straight-faced woman, thinking there was some joke in there.
Sadly for him and Genin, there wasn't.

"Is, that so...?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I believe it will greatly increase their efficiency on the field once they
are Chunin."Kagero answered stoicly, Hiruzen unable to stop the slight bit of sympathy he
now had for the sleep-deprived younglings—two of whom had now passed out while
standing. His sympathy grew upon seeing their Jonin Sensei look towards the now-sleeping
Uzumaki and Higurashi. "You can ask them yourself how their training is going. They're
awake, after all."

At that moment, Tenten stood stiff, her eyes shooting wide and fully alert as a large grin
spread across his face. "We are, Shimura-sensei! Loud and clear, Shimura-sensei!"

"...Good," Kagero agreed, missing the girl deflate and elbow her blonde teammate upon
turning back to their leader. Hiruzen's face remained passive even when the woman voiced
the reason for her visit. "Now, Hokage-sama. We need a new mission."

"...Well, I have a few D-rank missions." The Hokage said, trusting his Jonin's teaching
methods and moving on to the numerous papers on his desk. "Cleaning the Inuzuka
compound, cleaning the Aburame greenhouses, and babysitting for the Akimichi's are the
only ones we have on-"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, we decline all D-ranked missions until further notice."
That statement surely woke the Genin up. All three were now looking to their sensei, their
eyes wide and hopeful. "We've completed the necessary quota for Genin regarding D-ranked
missions and request we choose something higher on the board."

The Hokage gave her a weary look, glancing towards the children before returning to the
woman, her own expression remaining neutral and unreadable.

"Very well," Hiruzen conceded. "I'll give you another C-ranked mission. The last mission was
well received and I believe this one will-"

"Forgive my continued impertinence, Hokage-sama, but if it is possible, I would like a

mission where they can show the fruits of their labor."

Taken aback, Hiruzen leaned forward, a hand supporting his chin.

"What exactly are you expecting, Shimura-san?"

The Jonin turned to the three Genin, a thoughtful look on her face.
"I'm expecting them to be used for what they were intended, sir. They're a month and a half
away from their first Chunin exam and have yet to take on a significant mission to fit our
quota. I wish to take a mission to remedy this while testing their ability to perform as a unit."

"...Are you sure they are ready?" The older man was more than aware of the skills of the
three children and was more than certain they could complete the tasks required for a B-
Rank, but there was also the concern that the trio would find themselves in a situation they
wouldn't be able to handle. Were they really ready for such a responsibility?

"I'm positive," was the Jonin's only response. Hiruzen looked to the children, saw the
determination and confidence they held, and sighed in defeat.

"Very well. I have a B-rank available for as early as tomorrow morning. Get some rest and
report back tomorrow. Also, pack for a days travel. You'll need it."

"Are we really going on a B-rank mission, Kagero-sensei?" Tenten exclaimed the moment
they were out of the room, her tired eyes replaced with stars.

"It is as I said. You've worked hard, and your efforts should be rewarded." Their sensei
answered, getting a jumping fist pump from the bun-haired girl before hugging her sleepy
blonde companion. "Save the celebration for later. I am giving you the day off. Do what you
will until tomorrow, but be at the Gate no later than 0600 hours. Got it?"

"You got it, Kag-oof!" In her excitement and process of untangling herself from her blonde
teammate, she completely missed the man and mint-haired girl passing on her left. One could
argue that if not for her sleep deprivation, she would have easily seen the man coming. Even
then, nothing would excuse the chop to the throat she delivered to the unsuspecting man upon
her salute attempt.

Several things happened in that split second.

The first was the flabbergasted look of both Tenten and the mint-haired girl, followed by the
choking of the man the Genin had chopped. Next was Tenten's immediate attempt at an
apology, and a furious look appearing on the face of the female stranger. Before Tenten knew
it, killer intent like she'd never felt before erupted the moment she turned. Instincts she'd
gained over the last 4 months of training had her turning on a dime to meet the threat.

She was met with a fist, then pain, then darkness.

The body of the Higurashi was not simply sent flying, but soaring. She broke the sound
barrier, not only impacting the wall but going right through it. At the same moment the fist
connected, a hand grabbed the perpetrator's arm while a tanto burst through her chest
courtesy of the Genin's sensei. Neji went in pursuit of his teammate, while Naruto's eyes were
wide as he saw the sword piercing through the mint-haired girl's chest.

Despite the wound, the girl only showed a moment of pain before her body erupted into a
tower of red. The blond was able to jump back, but not before watching his sensei get
consumed completely. The shockwave caused the blonde to cover his face, yet the force of
the wave had him crashing through the same wall his teammates disappeared through. The
last he saw was debree and the sky before-

*CRASH*

"It is as I said. You've worked hard, and your efforts should be rewarded." Their sensei
answered, getting a jumping fist pump from the bun-haired girl before hugging her sleepy
blonde companion. "Save the celebration for later. I am giving you three the day off. Do what
you will until tomorrow, but be at the Gate no later than 0600 hours. Got it?"

"You got it, Kag-oof! Ah, so-" Before Tenten knew it, killer intent like she'd never felt before
erupted the moment she turned. Instincts she'd gained over the last 4 months of training had
her turning on a dime to meet the threat no doubt aimed at her.

She was met with a fist and-

The threat already being dealt with. The surprised look of the shorter girl trying to rearrange
her face was what she was greeted to before the girl was suddenly elevated off the ground.
Her elevation lasted for but half a second before she was reintroduced to the ground—this
time on her back. In the same second, an orange blur landed on her, one hand holding the
girl's arm over her head, another with a kunai to her throat, and a leg pinning her remaining
arm to the ground. Any fight the girl held died upon realizing her current predicament.

And like that, in less than 3 seconds, a disasterous future was averted.

Sitting over the girl who would have likely been the cause of the Third Great Shinobi War,
Naruto looked down on her with indifference while her pupilless brown eyes stared back in
shock.

A beat later, her surprise morphed into a scowl. "G-get off of me, asshole!" The girl growled,
thrashing around and getting angrier the longer she realized it wasn't working. Naruto was
surprised at the girl's strength. For someone shorter than even him, she was freakishly strong.
If not for his special seals, she would have likely overpowered him by now.

"E-excuse me," a hoarsed voice asked, the blonde turning his head to see the robed man
smiling pleadingly. "Sorry, Shinobi-san, but could you kindly let go of my friend?"

...

"I'm so sorry!(x2)"

Now outside Hokage Tower and with a full explanation of events given, both Tenten and the
man bowed profusely to each other.

Now that Naruto had a better look at him, he looked important. Blue and beige robes covered
his torso, followed closely by sky-blue baggy pants and a long red scarf around his neck. He
had soft features with a ponytail that didn't at all help distinguish his gender. If not for his
voice, if you glanced too fast you might have mistaken him for a girl.
And speaking of girls, his mint-haired companion stood next to him, arms crossed, head
turned, and a pout on her face. She wore the standard Shinobi sandals and white arm warmers
along with loose white cloths around her chest and waist, the fishnet underneath being the
only thing to hide her modesty.

Seeing this, the man quickly turned to the girl with a pleading look on his face. "You
apologize too, Fū. It's only right to do so when you're the one in the wrong."

The now-revealed Fū looked scandalized at even the thought. "Why should I apologize,
Shibuki-san? She's the one who needs to watch where they're going!"

"It was an accident, Fū. You can't go around hitting people for honest mistakes. You're going
to get us in a lot of trouble if you continue like this."

"Hmph, whatever."

"To think such a brat nearly killed us all." The voice of Sothis commented in the blonde's
head. Unsuccessful in getting his companion to break, Shibuki turned to Team 4 with a
sheepish smile.

"Sorry about her. She takes protecting me a little too seriously. She means well, but it often
gets her in trouble."

"It's fine, Shibuki-san. I would have kicked her ass anyway." Sothis allowed a hand to
massage her brow at her idiot's statement. Outside his head, Tenten's jaw dropped, Shibuki
paled, and Fū looked more flabbergasted than angered. Words failed her, yet her constantly
morphing features told of an approaching explosion.

"You, YOU-!" She seethed, her fist balled and ready to be used.

"It is best that you do not start fights against those who are your betters, girl." Neji,
surprisingly, added in, getting the tick mark on the Taki girl's face to boil over and her eyes
whiten in rage. She was quick, but Shibuki was quicker, grabbing the girl by the waist before
she could rightfully assault the duo.

"That's IT! Let me at em! I'll kick both of their asses! I swear it!" Next to her team, Tenten
gawked at the two smirking boys.

"Seriously, guys? The ONE time you agree on something and it's this?"

"I know you. You're the new head of Takigakure, Shibuki, no?" Kagero spoke up for the first
time, getting the man to smile nervously while still struggling to hold back his short
firecracker.

"Y-yeah, that's me. I'm still getting used to the whole 'leader' business, so forgive me if I don't
seem like much."

"Oh? What brings you to Konoha, leader-sama?" Asked Tenten, getting the man's smile to
brighten.
"Oh, nothing in particular. I just wanted to see the sights and learn about our ally. Plus, I got
some scrolls to give the Hokage. I was planning to only be here for a few days, but..."
Shibuki suddenly looked solemn, as if a bad memory had resurfaced. "In truth, an incident
has caused us to be here longer than expected."

"What kind of incident?" Asked the blonde, causing the man to turn away.

"It's best not to get into the details. Just know that we'll be out of your hair soon enough."

"No one is trying to kick you out of the village, sir. We were just curious." Added Tenten,
though that only made the Taki leader even more nervous.

"As nice as your words are, I don't think everyone shares your sentiment." Briefly, he glanced
down at the mint-haired girl whose struggle was replaced with a pout. The glance was so fast
that many wouldn't have even been able to see it. In the same instance, a smile replaced his
glum look. "Anyway, sorry about the trouble. We have to be going now. Hokage-sama is
waiting for us."

Bowing to the team, he turned and began to walk away, but Fū had other plans. She broke
from his grip and gave the two boys a harsh glare. "Just so we're clear, you're only alive
because Shibuki-san was here. The next time we meet, I'm gonna kick both of your asses and
feed you to Chōmei!" With that, the girl turned on her heel and marched back into the tower,
Shibuki giving an apologetic nod as he followed.

"...What an odd girl." Tenten stated once the duo were out of sight.

"She is a foreigner. What can you expect from such people?"Said the Hyuga, causing the
bun-haired girl to frown at him.

"I don't wanna hear anything from you two! What was the point of provoking her like that?"

"She started it." The blonde defended himself and his fellow brother-in-torture. "Had she not
tried to kill us, we wouldn't have even interacted."

"Still," Kagero interjected, getting the three to turn their attention to her. "You should have
handled it more carefully. That girl, she's a Jinchuuriki."

"Jinchuuriki?" All three spoke, though only two were truly clueless.

"She is the container of the Seven-Tailed Beetle. It is why most do not find them welcomed
here. Bringing your Jinchuuriki to a village outside of the Chunin Exam is the same as
declaring war. If not for his inexperience, circumstances, and status as allies, it could have
very well caused a diplomatic incident... You three would be wise to watch your words and
actions around her next time."

The three Genin all showed their own version of shock before looking back to where the girl
had disappeared. To think they were a few words from angering someone who could
potentially destroy their entire village.

Tenten sincerely hoped that when they met next, she would forget this day ever happened...
The Next Day...

Konoha: Front Gate

"You've got to be kidding."

Fū stared in open disgust at Team 4, all looking either unamused or exasperated at finding out
exactly what their mission entailed. The group held eye contact for a few moments before the
mint-haired girl turned to her leader.

"Shibuki-san, can we go back and request a different team?" I'm willing to wait another day if
I have to."

Shibuki sighed, knowing this would be the outcome the moment he found out who would be
escorting them back to Taki. "Unfortunately, we've overstayed our welcome, Fū. If we go
back with complaints, I fear it won't end favorably for us."

The logic had the girl's face scrunched up in childish frustration. Not saying another word,
she gripped tightly onto the red sack over her shoulders and marched towards the awaiting
Team 4.

Tenten, being the de facto 'personality' of the group, was the first to speak upon the girl
getting within range. "Hey there, Fū! Small world, isn't it? Ready to get-"

Instead of stopping, the Taki girl walked right past the Genin, muttering a 'Let's get this over
with' before heading down the road, leaving Tenten slackjawed. Her face eventually
scrunched up in frustration as she watched the girl slowly get smaller down the road. "What's
her problem?"

"Clearly, she woke up on the floor instead of the bed." Naruto answered, getting a nod of
agreement from his teammates.

"Sorry about her." Shibuki apologized, walking up to the quartet. "Fū really is a good person.
She just warms up to people slowly."

"If that's the case, then we're all 'good people'." Neji stated, to which Shibuki scratched his
chin nervously.

"Have you confirmed everything with the Hokage, Shibuki-sama?" Kagero asked, to which
the man readily nodded. "Good, then we should be off." She looked to her Genin, all of
whom paid close attention to her stern gaze. "Remember, this is our first B-ranked mission,
so I expect you all to be vigilant. Taki is a two-day walk, and we are expected to protect both
the Jinchuuriki and Shibuki-dono until they are safely back within the walls of Takigakure.
Does everyone understand the mission?"

Naruto and Tenten gave an over-the-top salute, while Neji simply nodded his confirmation.

"Is travel always meant to be this boring?"

Naruto grudgingly agreed with the goddess floating overhead.

Since their departure from the village, none have really said a word. Aside from some light
banter from Tenten and Shibuki, none have really tried digging up conversation. Neji and
their sensei were taking point, but they weren't very sociable to begin with, and Fū didn't talk
to them for obvious reasons. It had been nearly 8 hours since their departure, and though
Naruto had no problem talking to his friend, he knew she was quickly growing annoyed at
the lack of activity around them.

To save them from further boredom, Naruto approached the only one in the group who would
surely give his friend the entertainment she deserved.

"Sup, Neji." The Hyuga turned to his blonde teammate. His pupilless eyes met the boys,
awaiting the reason for the sudden conversation. "Soooooo... nice weather, huh?" The Hyuga
stared him down for a moment, looked up to the clouded sky, then back to the Uzumaki. He
hadn't said anything, nor had his face changed, yet Naruto couldn't help but feel he was being
judged. "...Good talk, Neji."

Accepting that his fellow Genin wished to enjoy his silence, he moved slightly forward until
he was walking next to his teenage instructor. She glanced down at him, her face as placid as
his own.

"Soooooooo... nice weather."

"Get back in formation, Uzumaki."

"...Good talk, Sensei." The blonde slowed his speed considerably until he was back in his
position next to the mint-haired girl. Floating down from her vantage point, laying down on
an invisible surface with her fist propping up her face, Sothis stared incredulously at her
ward.

"You're intentionally doing this, aren't you? You have to be." The divine accused Seeing
he was losing points, he looked to the one person who, for sure this time, would give her the
entertainment his friend desperately needed.

Fū felt his gaze and turned, the glare on her face becoming more pronounced as she spat out a
'what'.

"Sooooooo... you're a Jinchuuriki, right?"

A hand immediately went to the goddess's face. Tenten, Shibuki, and even Neji looked back
at the blonde, Shibuki's of fear, and his teammates with a look that screamed 'seriously'. As
for Fū herself, her face morphed into various emotions. There was shock, fear, confusion, and
finally anger. If looks could kill, then the glare she gave him would have killed him ten times
over.

"Who told you that?" She snarled, looking to the back of their sensei before eventually falling
on the Taki leader, who was currently holding his hands up and shaking his head rapidly in
denial.
"A lucky guess." The blonde eventually answered. The girl didn't look convinced at all. "So,
you're a Jinchuuriki, right?"

Instead of deeming him worthy of an answer, she huffed and continued her previous efforts in
ignoring him. Seeing that the conversation wouldn't continue, both Neji and Tenten continued
to their devices while Shibuki sighed in relief and followed suit. Naruto stared at the side of
the girl's head a moment longer before returning his attention and following their example.

"...Good talk."

The group continued their travels in silence, using nothing but the ambience of the forest life
to fill the silence. Sothis had long since given up on finding entertainment in the outside
world and opted to find peace in her world with tea, while everyone else found peace in the
silence. In his peripheral, Naruto saw Fū glancing at him yet did not speak another word.
This went on for nearly half an hour until the silence was finally broken once again.

"What if I am..." Naruto turned back to the mint-haired girl. Her pupilless eyes looked back
at him with an expression of uncertainty, even if it was slightly covered by the furrowed
brows. "What if I am a Jinchuuriki? Got a problem with that?"

"...Not really." He said truthfully. "Kinda hard to be when I'm one too. Would be very
hypocritical, don't you think?"

At once, the entire group stopped on a dime. All eyes landed on the blonde, expressions of
shock and disbelief on all of their faces—even on that of the usually composed Shimura. The
blonde blinked at the attention he was getting, suddenly feeling like that was the wrong thing
to say.

"Y-you're joking, right, Naruto? You're not actually serious, right?" Tenten asked, desperation
and nervousness clear in her voice. Naruto blinked at his teammate, not understanding her
sudden nervousness.

"Why would I not be serious?" He replied plainly, causing the worried look on Higurashi's
face to grow.

"Why did you never tell us?"

"You never asked." He replied, pausing for a moment. "I think I'm the Jinchuuriki of the
Nine-Tails, if that's important. He was sealed into me when I was a kid, which is why I have
whiskers. My father and mother both died sealing him into me, which is how I became an
orphan. Ah, Biju can't die, so they seal him in as a host so they can stay controlled. I've never
seen the fox personally, but the Hokage himself confirmed this, which is also why I have a lot
of chakra."

"Wait! Stop! STOP!" Tenten said desperately, her hands waving in front of her dramatically
as if it would somehow hold back the revelation the blonde was casually spilling. "You can't
just casually reveal something like that to us! This is something you build over time and
eventually reveal with trust! TRUST! Saying it so casually like that makes it feel less
important—like you just denied us an opportunity for a great team bonding moment!"
Naruto blinked owlishly at the exuberant girl and said, "I'm sorry I ruined your expectations."

"Chōmei says you're lying." Fū finally replied to the statement, now glaring warily at the
blonde, who stared back at her unphased.

"Why would I lie about that?"

"I don't know, but it makes me want to kick your ass." She growled, the grip on her sash
growing tighter. To fight the accusation, the blonde simply pulled up his shirt. With a small
application of chakra, proof of his status appeared in the form of a seal. Both Tenten, Fū, and
now Shibuki's eyes widened as they gathered around to see the ink that had appeared on the
blonde's stomach.

"He's telling the truth." Shibuki gasped, stepping back. The mint-haired girl's brows
furrowed, her anger slowly turning to confusion.

"How? I thought I was the only one."

"Apparently not." The blonde answered, to which the girl looked to him with a curiosity she
hadn't held before.

"Is there anything else you want to tell us? Any other deep, dark secrets we should know
about?"

"Hmmm..." The blonde placed a finger on his chin and closed his eyes. "I also have a small,
cute goddess in my head who likes tea, bacon, and sweets and occasionally talks in her
sleep." Liquid being spat out followed by choking echoed in his head as he continued, "She's
also insecure about her height, very smart, and the kicker is an omnipotent being capable of
stopping and reversing the very flow of time along with changing the very landscape as we
know it."

While Sothis choked on the tea she conjured, the rest of the group looked at the blonde with
looks that said they didn't believe a word of what he'd revealed. Luckily too, because the
goddess wouldn't have only reversed the damage he'd caused but strangled him for good
measure.

"Yeah, I think that's about it. Any more questions?"

"Do you have a death wish?" Sothis snarled into his ear, her form appearing before him.
"Or have you gone insane? Pray it's neither, because if Seiros finds a way to give me
flesh, I will celebrate by finding any and every way of making your life miserable."

"Oh, and she's currently talking right now. She says 'hi'."

Fū slowly turned to Tenten while the goddess she couldn't see fumed above her. "Your
boyfriend is either really stupid or really brave." To her confusion, the girl's face suddenly lit
up.

"I'll take the second option." Neji spoke up—the first words he had uttered the entire walk.
"But only because the alternative doesn't make any sense."
"I'll go with the stupid option." Fū added, to which the blonde pouted in that way only he
could.

"Wait! Back up!" Tenten shouted, pointing at the blonde angrily. "This anti-social idiot is not
my boyfriend! He's too plain, boring, and way too much of a loner for my taste."The bun-
haired girl suddenly paused, realizing how her words must have sounded, before turning to
the blonde apologetically. "No offense, Naruto."

"...That hurts me more than you'll ever know, Tenten," the blonde replied flatly, letting the
flap of his shirt return to its natural place and covering his seal. "But that's OK. I'm into taller
and curvier women anyway."

The silence that followed that statement suddenly made the atmosphere uncomfortable.
Shibuki felt he wanted to be anywhere but here, and even Neji felt the danger the blonde's
words had potentially created.

While Tenten suddenly grew quiet, Fū felt confused. She didn't know what it was or why it
was compelling her to react to the blonde's words, but she frowned all the same and said, "I
don't know why, but I feel like you just gave me a legit reason to kick your ass."

"Are you all done?" Everyone turned to their leader, the woman looking wholly unamused.
"Can we continue, or do you all wish to spend the next two days chatting like housewives?"

All gave their own forms of confirmation, reluctant or no, before they all turned forward to
continue their journey in silence—Sothis quietly returning to her own world.

A few minutes back into their walk, Tenten decided there was a question she just needed to
know. "If you don't mind me asking, Shibuki-dono, where are your guards? You're a Kage,
no? Shouldn't you have ANBU or Jonin protecting you at all times?" The Taki leader seemed
to withdraw within himself at the question, the grip on his travel back growing tighter as he
looked to the dirt. The Higurashi saw this and immediately waved her hands to reassure the
man, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to! I was just curious, is all."

"No need to apologize, Tenten-san. It is only natural for Shinobi to ask questions about their
mission. In truth, we do not possess ANBU. We only have Jonin, and very few at that. The
ones who were with us were... they, perished in an ambush."

The mood around suddenly became somber.

"It is why we came to the Leaf and why this mission exist. We were being pursued by a group
of missing Nin. If not for Fū, and my Jonin's sacrifice, I dont think we'd had made it."

"Your village is kinda weak."

Naruto's sudden proclamation left everyone speechless, the most so from Shibuki. The Fū
turned to the blonde, looking as if she were a fish out of water, trying to process the words
that were uttered. The obvious happened and she showed her displeasure by gripping the
blonde by the collar of his shirt.
"Say that again, asshole! I dare you!"

"I-It's quite alright, Fū." He assured, stopping Fū while giving a sad smile to the Genin. "He
is right. You four are basically escorting us home because I am weak."

"Th-that's not true, Shibuki!" Fū tried defending, but a shake of her leaders head stopped her.

"There is no shame in admitting such, Fū. Takigakure doesn't have many Shinobi, you see.
We have no 'elite guard' or anything, so most are simply Jonin, who can lead. There are very
few in our village who ever reach the title of ANBU, and those who do typically either don't
stick around such a weak village since our funding is pretty low."

"What about Genin and Chunin? How do they make money if the village isn't supported?"
Tenten asked.

"They are given missions within the village, but they are limited in what they can do. We
don't have an academy like yours or an actual military force, so there is not much we can do
outside the village. Our main source of income comes from trade instead of a daimyo, so it
gives us a little flexibility when it comes to comfortability."

"Why is Takigakure so lacking?" Asked the blonde, to which the Shibuki became visibly
more reluctant to answer.

"Well, you see, a lot happened recently."

"Like what?"

"A bunch of Taki Nuke Nin invaded and tried stealing our sacred Jutsu." Fū spoke up, seeing
her leader's hesitance. "They were after our village's sacred water. It is said to increase the
strength and chakra of an individual by a lot while also lowering their lifespan by even more.
Took the entire village hostage and killed a lot of people just to get a bottle of it."

The three Genin stared at the female Jinchuuriki, intrigued by her words.

"And? What happened next?" Tenten asked, somewhat eager.

"I kicked their asses." Fū stated proudly, before slightly flinching as if being pinched. "With
Chōmei and Shibuki-san's help, of course..." She finished sheepishly, everyone looking from
the mint-haired girl to the Taki leader, who did his best to hide his embarrassment.

"It was nothing, really. Fū did most of the work. I was more of a distraction than anything."

"Forgive me for asking, but are you truly a Kage?" Neji asked inquisitively, getting the Taki
leader to look a bit put off.

"S-sorry?"

"I've noticed this for a while, but your way of speaking and even your mannerism do not hold
the same level of levelheadedness and authority that is typical of a Kage. In fact, aside from a
bit of chakra, you seem no different from a civilian. It makes me wonder if your claims of
being Kage to a village are true or not."

"Neji!" Tenten reprimanded, but it was far too late. Shibuki's head was low, the words having
obviously hit a sore spot. Seeing this, Tenten immediately went in for damage control.

"Don't mind him, Shibuki-sama. Neji is just very blunt. Tenten tried, but received no answer
from the downtrodden Kage. "Sh-Shhibuki-sama?" She tried again, concern clear in her
voice.

"Sorry, just... got some unpleasant memories resurfacing." He replied, forcing a smile on his
face. "Let's focus on getting home, alright? There's still a long way to go." With that, he
looked ahead, deliberately not making eye contact with the Hyuga, who returned his
attention.

Next to him, Fū snarled at the back of Genin's long-haired teammate before turning that same
glare towards the bun-haired girl. "The next time either of your boyfriends say something that
pisses me off, I'm killin' em both."

Instead of feeling threatened, Tenten hung her head low in defeat.

"Why me..."

...

Hours later, the sun had set, and the party of six sat comfortably around a campfire. After a
quick dinner courtesy of some field rations given by the Shimura, they'd all settled in for the
night. Neji, Tenten, Shimura and Shibuki were asleep, their light snores and the occasional
shift the only things disturbing the silence.

Awake were the two Jinchuuriki by the request of the mint-haired girl herself. Similar to
earlier, Fū was constantly glancing at the blonde. Around the 30-minute mark, she suddenly
whispered to get his attention. When he turned, he was greeted with a fist being held out to
him. Blinking at it, he looked to her, confused.

"Bump your fist against mine. Chōmei says she wanted to talk to you."

The blonde blinked.

"Is Chōmei the-"

"Yes, Chōmei is the Seven-Tails. Now, bump me and stop leaving her waiting." Despite not
looking it, the blonde was hesitant. Sensing his reluctance, the mint-haired girl's eye
twitched. "What, are you afraid? Scared of a girl or something?"

"No," Naruto replied quickly, frowning slightly. "Just... haven't met another Bijuu before. It's
kinda weird to meet one now, you know?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. She's not that scary... Just don't say anything stupid
and she won't have any reason to squash you."
That did nothing to alleviate the blonde's fears, yet despite his hesitancy, he did as the girl
asked and lightly tapped his fist against hers.

His world immediately went dark.

Location: ?

Sothis gazed with halflit eyes from her perch on her throne into what was meant to be a void
of nothingness—a void that, sense day one, had ultimately never changed. Once upon a time,
she used it to entertain her ward in his infancy, yet those times have long since passed. She
has had no reason to change it sense, and was content with looking out to the peaceful
serenity that was nothingness.

Now, for the first time in what felt like forever, that void was filled almost completely.

First, standing before her was not just her ward, but a third party. The mint haired Jinchuuriki
girl looked around her living space with confused awe before her gaze inevitably landed on
her. Yet, despite her attention, the Divine's was captured by a much bigger elephant in the
room.

That elephant being the Titanic beetle currently obstructing her view from her usually empty
space. Moving her gaze ever so slightly to her right, they landed on the blonde.

"I knew you would eventually bring trouble right to my doorstep, but even I would have
never expected to this extent..."

Location: Taki Outskirts

The forestry leading to the village hidden in Waterfalls was a flurry of activity. Branches
creaked under the pressure of movement, blurs flashing as they jumped from tree to tree.

Ahead, a single blur stopped for a moment, glancing into the distance where his intelligence
told him of a traveling force not a day's march away.

"They're two days out."

Behind him, multiple blurs stopped next to him. They looked forward, each nodding their
heads and saying their own acknowledgement.

"Then let's make sure we're ready."

 Chapter 20
Chapter Summary

Current ages in Scene:

Naruto: 12

Neji: 13

Tenten:13

Kagero: 19

Fū: 11

Shibuki: 16

Imposters: Voted out (RIP)

"Wooooow. She really is small."

Fū observed the Goddess much like a curious child.

Just like a child, her curiosity was not limited to sight. With a finger, she took it upon herself
to poke and prod at the greenette's cheek, becoming more bold the longer she went
unpunished.

This was unmoved, yet not unphased. Despite the girl poking her in the face, her gaze was on
her vessel and her vessel alone. Her expression hadn't changed since their arrival, but she was
sure her threat of unimaginable bodily harm was heard loud and clear.

"Fū, what you are doing is rude." The Titanic beetle spoke up before the blonde could. Fū
blinked back at her beetle friend, looked back to the girl whose cheeks she currently had
stretched, then back to the beetle.

"But, Chōmei, she's adorable." Fū reasoned, to which a tick grew on the goddess's head.

"If you wish to keep your hansh, shen you whill remove shem shish inshtansh."

Thankfully, the Divine's threat was taken seriously. Fū's hands immediately returned to her
but remained held up as she backed away slowly. Sothis's glare watched her until she was a
safe distance away before her attention turned to the giant beetle now in her home.
"You are not one of my siblings, yet your energy is familiar. Name yourself, Youngling."

"For the love of..." With just a thought and a flash of light, Sothis transformed from her
younger body into her older persona. Now older, she pushed herself up on her throne,
crossing her arms under her newly developed bust and crossing her long legs—now giving
the impression of one with power compared to the little girl everyone seemed to think she
was.

"Forgive my ignorance." Chomei immediately apologized, to which the Divine waved her
off. "I sensed no chakra in your transformation or your form. And yet, you take the
form of a human. Am I correct in assuming you are not of this plane?"

"I am not mortal, if that is what you are implying," Sothis said simply. "My name is
Sothis... And I am now curious about what other beings there are in this world aside
from you, beast. Are there gods in this realm as well?"

"You speak as if you are not native."

"If I was, I doubt I'd have found myself in this situation." The Divine pouted.

"Ah, so you too are a prisoner to the machinations of man," Chomei said solemnly, as if
finding a sister-in-arms.

"I am no one's prisoner." The Divine spoke firmly, her voice no longer cordial. "My ward
and I have a mutual partnership. I trust in him to shape this world into his image,
something I have decided on my own free will to see through. If I did not wish it, then
my power shall remain my own."

"You say that, yet you are bound to your host much like I am. There is no shame in
admitting such."

"Is there a reason you wish to speak to the boy?" The Divine decided to bring it up, no
longer interested in the direction in which the conversation continued to fall.

The beetle was quick to answer.

"Yes. It is you who I wish to speak to more than your container—in regards to your
current living situation."

So this raised a brow at that.

"Go on."

"As you may already know, you were not the one meant to be inhabiting this child's
body. It was meant for the Nine-Tailed Fox, my brother."

"You speak of matters we've already concluded. Get to the point already." Sothis waved
off, the Bijuu a bit taken aback at the way she was being regarded.
"...Then, I suppose, I have but one question. Do you know what became of my brother?
The Kyuubi?" Sothis raised a brow at the question, making Chōmei feel the need to explain
the reasoning behind her query. "We Bijuu possess the ability to communicate with each
other telepathically, yet I and my siblings have been unable to for years. He is not the
most loving sibling, but he is still kin. If you know of his whereabouts, then it would put
me and my siblings at ease knowing he is okay."

Despite the answer, Sothis was stumped—not because of the question itself, but because of
the questions it suddenly brought up.

Why hadn't, in all these years, she ever questioned where the fox had gone? Why did the idea
not cross her mind until this moment? Had she gotten distracted? Was such a fact so easy to
slip into her mind?

The goddess didn't even realize she had gone quiet until the Bijuu called her name. Focused
once again, her face hardened. "I do not know the whereabouts of your sibling." She
confessed, the beetle lowering her head.

"I see. That is unfor-"

"However," Sothis cut her off, giving the Bijuu the most honest answer she could. "My
daughter once said I was meant to reside within another, yet I first awoke inside this
place four years after his conception and the supposed 'sealing' of your brother. I am
told I was meant to be within another, which leads me to believe your sibling now
resides within the one originally meant to be my vessel."

"I see..." the beetle mumbled, though there was a small amount of hope in her voice. "Then,
if I may be so bold to ask, if you are able to reach him, would you be so kind as to
contact Fū? It would put my siblings and I at ease knowing he is okay."

Before Sothis could even reply to that, Naruto's lips were already moving.

"We'll find your brother." He stated this, causing the Titanic beetle to focus on him. "I don't
know when we will find him, but we definitely will. It's a promise."

"*Sigh* You are far too eager to make such declarations, Child." Sothis said
exasperatedly, to which her ward held his chest out in pride.

"I can't change the world if I'm not willing to help people."

"I am as far from 'people' as it gets, but your words aren't lost on me," Chōmei replied,
her wings flapping in what everyone thought was excitement. "It is not often that we Bijuu
find humans willing to help in any way other than their own self-interest. One could
easily mistake your kindness for having ulterior motives."

A hand came to the blonde's chest in mock offense, the not-so-subtle accusation not going
over his head as the beetle may have liked. "Gain? Me? I'll let you know that I'm well known
for my chivalry."
"The day I believe a Shinobi to have chivalry is the day my elder brother fraternizes
with another human."

Naruto didn't know why, but he suddenly had the strong urge to sneeze.

"I want to help because I want to; there is no reason more than that." The blonde said it more
seriously, getting a flat stare from both the beetle and even Fū.

"Chōmei, this guy is weird." Fū whispered, pointing at the blonde.

"That is certainly a way to put it." The beetle mused. Seeing that he was being made fun of,
the blonde turned to the only one unfazed by his words.

"So this, they're being mean." He said it flatly, to which the goddess raised an incredulous
brow.

"And what of it?"

"Make them stop."

"And how shall I go about doing such? "I need to remind you that this space is shared,
not my own."

"I don't know. Zap them? Step on them. Insult them back. Let them know my wrath."

"Are you mad?"

"Kinda."

"That's not what I... *sigh* you're acting foolish again."

"But you-"

"No 'buts'; we are done speaking. And you two, if your business is concluded, then be
gone."

"Oi, watch it, midget! We leave when we want!" Fū shouted back, admittedly not her best
choice of words given the circumstances. A snarl appeared on the Divine's face before her
hand shot out. Fū, Naruto, and surprisingly Chōmei as well, only had a second to process
what the girl was about to do before they were blasted back by an invisible force and straight
into darkness.

In the waking world, Fū and Naruto separated violently, both now on their backs with their
legs in the air. Fū recovered first, shooting to her feet and pointing at the blonde angrily.
Countless expletives left her lips, all aimed at a green-haired'midget' the now awake party
couldn't see. Meanwhile, Naruto gave the best look he could muster, knowing his friend
could feel it.

"I thought you couldn't do that." He accused.

A 'hmph' was his answer.

...

The two-day journey to Takigakure turned out to be less eventful than the Genin would have
liked. Other than telling them which formation to assume, their sensei did not speak. Ever
now and then, Shibuki would draw the courage to speak, but for the most part, he did his best
to avoid anything to do with Taki if it did not pertain to history.

Fū was no different, but unlike the unwelcoming atmosphere she had maintained throughout
the beginning of their journey, she occasionally broke her silence—an action that
suspiciously only happened when she was next to her fellow Jinchuuriki. Soon, that would
lead Tenten to join the two, which normally brought in the Taki leader and even Neji on rare
occasions.

Now, two days later, the seemingly 'arduous' journey was coming to an end.

High in the trees above, Fū scanned for something the Genin couldn't see. About 5 minutes
later, she returned to the ground with news. "Almost there. I've sent a signal flare for our
Shinobi to converge on our position. You just have to stand by now until their arrival."

The news brought an exhausted 'finally' out of the Higurashi, while the others all nodded in
agreement.

"Alright." Shibuki announced, "We should take this time to rest and refill our canteens by the
nearest waterfall. Does that sound good to you, Kagero-dono?"

"That is fine."

The Taki leader smiled at the Sensei's confirmation and quickly removed the bag from his
shoulders. The rest followed suit, each taking out a canteen and either drinking or filling it.

"Ah, that's good!" Fū exclaimed after gulping down half her bottle.

"Mmm." Tenten hummed, the water cooling her throat as it went down. "So, Fū, what does
Takigakure have that Konoha doesn't?"

The question came as a surprise, though not one that was unexpected. Tenten had been trying
to get information out of the Taki girl for the last few days and had yet to get even a word
from her. Even now, the greenette gave her the same look of indifference she had since their
departure.

"...What?"

"Takigakure. Y'know, what do you like about it? What things do they have that Konoha
doesn't?"

"There's nothing special about it."

"Bull." Tenten said it almost immediately. "You're just saying that to get me to stop talking,
aren't you?"

Fū rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious." She defended. "Taki's just a place to call home."

"Then what do you do for fun?"

Fū shrugged, which caused a frown to grow on the weapon Mistress's face. "I don't really do
much. If I'm not training, eating, or talking to Chōmei or Shibuki-san, I'm sleeping."

"Then what about school? I know you didn't have an academy, but you had school still, no?
Lectures? Did you at least have fun there?"

The question was met with a flat stare, one that the kunoichi took as a no. "School is school.
You go in, sit through lectures, complete assignments, then go home. I didn't have time for
fun."

"Really?" Tenten was questioned skeptically.

"You didn't have any friends you hung out with during lunch?"

"I didn't have the time. The faster I got through classes, the quicker I could train."

Tenten's eyebrow twitched, and the conversation started to sound more like a certain blonde
and Hyuga she knew. "You didn't have lunch? No breaks? Nothing? That can't be healthy."

"It's not, but I made the most of my time. Being strong is all that matters to me. Once I'm
strong enough, She trailered off, not deeming it necessary to continue.

Tenten didn't buy it.

"Once you're strong enough, what?"

"Nothing, nevermind." Fū answered, her tone leaving no room for discussion. "Are the scouts
here yet? Typically, it only takes a minute or two for them to get here." She asked, looking to
the sensei for confirmation. Kagero answered, but with a question—a question aimed at
Shibuki instead of the Jinchuuriki.

"Shibuki-dono, you are recognized well by your Shinobi, no?"

The sudden question had caught the Taki leader flat-footed. "Well, relatively speaking. There
are not many, but every Shinobi of Taki has recognized me as the new Takikage."

"Have you had any insurrections or disorders in your ranks lately?" The question further
confused the Takikage, but the three Genin suddenly laser-focused on their sensei.

"You do not have to worry about such things, Shimura-san. I trust my Shinobi explicitly."
The man stated that the group was slightly surprised by the firmness in both his tone and his
face.

"I see. Thank you for being truthful, Shibuki-dono. Hopefully, your words ring true." With
that, the woman continued forward in silence.

A confused Fū leaned over to whisper into her fellow Jinchuuriki's ear. "She always walks
with that stick up her ass."

Naruto leaned closer. "I think she only takes it out when she sleeps. But between you and me,
I have a theory that it's too far up there to get out." The woman currently being slandered
looked over her shoulder at the Genin currently talking behind her back to find the mint-
haired duo heads turned up and away—their lips puckered as if trying to whistle but failing.

Not ten minutes later, the group was stopped. Three figures landed in front of them. From
their color scheme, flak jacket, and the headband around their foreheads, they could easily be
mistaken for ANBU. Thankfully, Team 4 had been well informed two days prior of Taki's
Jonin, so no sudden movements were observed. The leader, a plain-faced woman with green
hair, walked forward, a smile plastered on her face as she saluted their kage.

"It is good to see you again, Takikage-sama. We feared the worst when word of the attack
reached."

"Everything is fine, Nanao-san." Shibuki was reassured, walking forward. "We had some of
Konoha's best escorting us. I'm sure their presence alone deterred any on our tail."

The Taki Jonin looked from her leader to the Konoha Nin and immediately nodded her head
in their direction. "Thank you all for your support. It would seem we once again owe Konoha
a debt."

"Hm," Kagero nodded in assertion, her Genin oddly silent in their mutual reply.

"If you do not mind, we will take it from here. Please allow us to escort you home, Takikage-
sama." The woman motioned for their Kage to step forward, Shibuki and Fū ready to say
their goodbyes. Before they could, however, the Konoha Jonin held a hand for them to stop.
Nanao followed the gesture before looking at her fellow Jonin in confusion. "Is there a
problem, ma'am?" She asked, to which the Shimura heiress immediately retorted.

"Forgive me, but our mission is not yet concluded."

Nanao blinked at the Jonin Sensei.

"I'm, sorry?"

"Our mission is to escort the Takikage to Takigakure. Not halfway, not on the outskirts, but to
Takigakure. Until we have seen this through, then our mission is not yet complete."

"I don't think that is necessary, ma'am. I can assure you that Takikage-sama is safe in our
hands." Taki Jonin reassured her, her tone a bit clipped. Unfortunately, Kagero remained firm.
"It is my job as Jonin of the Leaf to make sure the mission is carried out to the letter. In this
case, that means delivering the Takikage to his proper destination. If something were to
happen to our client and it was found that we did not follow our mission parameters, then it
could potentially ruin relations with future clientele as well as Taki. I'm sure you can
understand that, Nanao-san."

Taki Jonin seemed ready to say something but closed her mouth. She turned to her leader, the
man giving her a 'what can you do' smile before she sighed. "Well, if our Kage is fine with it,
then we have no choice. I guess they don't call you guys the best for nothin'." She joked
before motioning one of her Jonins forward. The guy, a blonde, immediately stepped towards
the group, his hand reaching into his pouch to pull out what looked like clothes.

"Please wrap these around your eyes while we travel the rest of the way. Sorry, but it is
protocol. I'm sure you understand." The man spoke, and Kagero saw the irony in his words.

"...Very well." Closing her eyes, she allowed the man to approach her, the Taki Nin extending
one of the cloths to wrap around the woman's eyes.

A split second later, a kunai entered his head through the underside of his jaw, killing him
instantly.

Everyone reacted to the sudden killing of their comrade differently. Some, such as the
remaining Taki Jonin, were frozen in shock, while others, mainly Shibuki, were too slow to
comprehend the situation. Nanao, however, immediately ran through hand signs.

The Shimura heiress didn't hesitate, immediately ducking low and drawing her blade in an
upward motion. The swing was met by her opponent's katana, the blade cutting through the
air before she drew her tanto and sliced through the man's stomach.

Nanao reacted fast, throwing her hands in the air as a wall of water appeared in front of her.
A wall that was cut apart before it's true attack could even be formed by the heiress's sword.
The Jonin tried to move out of the way but wasn't quick enough to avoid the spinning kick
that sent her careening through the air and into a tree.

The remaining Taki Jonin immediately ran at the enemy, drawing their blades and aiming to
end her life. Their attempts were thwarted by the incoming kunai. To the Taki Nin's credit,
they were quick enough to knock them out of the air, but it did not save them from the Hyuga
and Uzumaki that appeared in front of them.

A well-placed palm strike to the chest of the right Nin forced blood out of his mouth as his
heart stopped on impact, while a devastating kick to the abdomen sent the right Nin flying.
Both Nin fell, one dead and the other severely injured. The Taki Nin, who witnessed their
deaths, now realizes the danger of not only the Jonin sensei but the Genin as well.

Behind them, Tenten guarded the Fū and Shibuki, the latter too stunned to speak, while the
former practically growled at the Konoha Jonin. "Why the hell are you attacking our
Shinobi?" Fū yelled, yet the woman didn't answer, too busy keeping an eye on the downed
Nin and her surroundings.
"Neji," she called her Genin's name; he already understood what she wanted.

"We're surrounded." Neji called out, his Byakugan eyes spinning to get a full picture of the
enemy. "Multiple squads, at least 15, no, 20. All Jonin and all within 50 meters."

Kagero nodded, her face remaining passive as she continued to watch her surroundings.

"Hey! Answer me!" Fū called out once more, her patience drained upon glancing at the dead
bodies of her fellow villagers. They may not have been anything to her personally, but that
didn't mean she would so idly stand by while her future comrades were slaughtered.

"They are Taki Nin." Naruto was the one to speak up, his eyes never leaving the Jonin in
front of him. Fū and Shibuki's expressions turned confused as they looked to the Taki Nin, as
if staring would make them understand the truth.

The two men were silent, but a smirk appearing on their faces told the truth.

"I'm curious. What gave us away?" The right Jonin asked, his smugness evident in his tone.

"The four of you have been trailing us for the better part of an hour." Kagero answered
plainly. "You all reek of killing intent. I've seen Genin with better control than you."

The two men snorted.

"And yet, you let us get close." The left pointed out

"Unlike you, I'm no fool." The woman stated: "No Shinobi worth their salt uses themselves
as a false extraction team—not to mention your subordinates positioning to make sure none
escape than a protective formation. You may have fooled me if you hadn't pulled that first
rookie stunt, but your killing intent was more than enough to suspect foul play. Had you
gotten any closer, then I would have been more than happy to put you all down."

The two men's smirks fell as the woman's statement processed, the Shimura heiress taking a
step forward.

"Now, if you would be so kind, I ask that you surrender, and your deaths shall be painless."
The two men shared a glance, with the left's eyes twitching before his head shook.

"Too bad, but I think you've got something wrong." As if that were a signal, the 20 Shinobi
Neji had pointed out earlier revealed themselves around them, all of them wearing a gray
uniform that Shibuki and Fū immediately recognized.

"Y-you're-" Shibuki gasped, his face ashen.

"You fuckers again?" Fū shouted, getting the smirk on the man's face to widen further.

"That's right, 'Takikage'. I thought this was over. That demon of yours can kill our leader, but
our spirit still remains strong. We were promised both Taki and the Sacred Water, and we'll
damn well get it or die trying."
"Fitting last words," Neji jabbed, getting a scoff from both men.

"You talk big, but I think you forget your situation. There's at least 30 to your six. I'll admit,
the Jonin may be worth something along with you brats, but that's not nearly enough to
balance the dead weight behind you."

Two of said 'dead weights' grew tick marks at the blatant disregard.

"...Uzumaki."

Like Neji, Naruto didn't need to be told what to do before doing it. His hands came up, his
middle and index fingers crossing to form a seal the team knew intimately. A mass puff of
smoke clouded the area. The Shinobi surrounding the group prepared for the incoming attack
but grew increasingly nervous when none came. When the smoke cleared, their jaws
threatened to fall off their faces.

Below them were no longer a group of 6, but an army of green and orange that nearly
covered the ground completely. The blonde kid had multiplied himself to equal, if not
surpass, their numbers entirely. To increase the fear factor, a bronze sword manifested in all
of their hands at the same moment it took for their jaws to hit the ground.

All at once, the clones charged, and chaos ensued.

The Taki Nin were unprepared, and it showed. While the clones were nowhere near as skilled
or experienced as the real deal, they were more than capable of putting up a fight. They
moved as one, their swords meeting the kunai of any and every imposter they could find.
Their enemy was able to defend one or three, but what exactly could you do against an army
of swords that could also apparently turn into a whip at will? There became no room to block
or dodge, and soon, their flesh was greeted with blow after blow from the strange weapon.

Thankfully, the sword seemed to only deal blunt damage. Many who fell to a clone only
found themselves either unconscious or wrapped up in the whip sword. Those who found
themselves on the other end of Shimura's sword or Neji's palms met their end brutally. Those
who went after Shibuki directly in a last attempt at taking the man's life met a similar fate via
being captured and becoming pin cushions for Tenten's armor.

Almost 5 minutes into the one-sided fight, the original Naruto found himself engaged with
the two Shinobi from before. Out of all of the imposters, they were faring far better than the
rest. Each clone that engaged found themselves either being cut, kicked, thrown, or even
impaled by the two, yet he couldn't say they came out completely unscathed. Cuts and bruises
were scattered across their bodies, proof that they had been through hell and back.

Seeing his opportunity, Naruto charged forward towards one of the men. Using a recently
dispelled clone to hide his presence and get within striking range. The moment Jonin realized
the blonde had closed in, it was far too late. He brought up an arm to block instinctively,
absent-mindedly understanding that the sword was blunt and would rather lose an arm than
his life.
The blade glowed before cutting through the arm that blocked him, the arm falling to the
forest floor. Shock overcame the man as he stared at the stump that was now his arm. A
swinging roundhouse sent him flying, his world going black before he'd even hit the floor and
not noticing the bleeding on his arm stopping all together.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Turning his attention from the falling man, Naruto stood ready to receive the second imposter
charging him, fury clear to see in his eyes.

Unfortunately for the guy, he never made it. A green and white blue met him halfway, folding
him like a lawn chair before sending him flying into a nearby tree. Unlike Uzumaki's show of
mercy, he wasn't so lucky. The crack that sounded both from the tree and the man's bones told
the Uzumaki that if the punch hadn't killed him, the impact certainly had. Looking at his
attacker, he found Fū... floating? On closer inspection, he found constant motion behind her,
his vision able to see the thin layer that was likely insect wings courtesy of the beetle inside
of her.

Turning to him, she smirked, looking smug at stealing one of his opponents. She opened her
mouth to gloat, but the blonde didn't give her the chance. Reeling back, he allowed his sword
to extend, flying towards his fellow Jinchuuriki, who dodged desperately. The tip of the
sword snapped the head of the kunoichi, who'd been moments away from running the mint-
haired girl through, before the sword wrapped around the woman like a serpent. Pulling, he
sent the kunoichi into a nearby tree, watching as she went limp and unconscious immediately.

Before he could even turn, Fū was in front of him, a fist full of his shirt in her hand and
nearly pulling him forward the branch he currently found perched on.

"Hey! What's the big idea? You trying to kill me?" Fū roared, understandably furious.

"I knew you'd dodge." Naruto replied plainly, getting the fist in his shirt to tighten. "Can you
please let go? Kinda in the middle of something."

Fū looked ready to say more, but the sounds of battle around her reminded her of the
situation at hand. Her grip loosened, but she didn't fall completely. "You do that again, and I'll
kick your ass."

"Noted." With that, Naruto was free, watching as the girl dropped low and on top of another
Shinobi.

"What a personality." Sothis japes, getting an 'un' from the blonde before his attention is
focused back on the remaining enemies.

...

"So, did they all have a death wish, or are they just dumb?" Tenten asked, the last enemy
either dead or unconscious, or currently being interrogated by their sensei somewhere in the
forest. Either way, the Higurashi did not really care.
"Probably a bit of both." Naruto mused, looking down at the last man he'd knocked
unconscious. "They definitely had the numbers on us, but the skill was something to be
desired." The blonde stopped to think for a moment. "Or we're just awesome. Yeah, I like that
better."

"Does it really matter?" Fū asked incredulously. "They were underlings of that Suien prick
and Amegakure missing Nin. That's all you need to know." She finished with a huff.

"Suien?" Neji queried.

"The guy I told you about before The one who invaded Taki Some of his lackies got away
before I could kick their asses. Guess I now know where they went."

"We're lucky this was an ambush. Who knows what would have happened had we arrived in
Takigakure without your help?"Shibuki said, walking forward with a frown. "I guess I owe
you all my life. You have my eternal gratitude."

"It's our job, so don't sweat it." Tenten waved off. "Although, I gotta ask. Did you have
history with that guy, Shibuki-sama? The Suien guy, that is."

"You could say that." The leader sighed, his expression becoming solemn. "Suien was a
former Taki Shinobi. He was also a Jonin of Taki... and my former teacher." He revealed, but
didn't get much of a reaction from the Genin—not that he was really surprised. "I didn't train
under him for long, but I never knew him as a cruel man. He was strict, but what sensei isn't?
The harder you understand the world, the better you are prepared for it, after all—even if,
even if, I was once a craven."

"I told you not to say that!" Fū suddenly shouted. "You're not a coward, Shibuki-san! We both
saved Taki together and fought that guy by ourselves! What kind of coward does that?"

The man flinched but didn't disagree.

"Sorry, but as for Suien, I never really understood what made him change. He says it was for
power, but was it really? I thought I always knew him, that I could one day bring him back to
the village, and things could go back to how they used to be—he as my sensei and me as a
student. But... that day, I..."

"You killed him." Naruto stated more than he accused. Shibuki shank more, his fist tightening
in his robes.

"He was someone dear to you, Shibuki-sama." Tenten said, understanding. "It is often hard to
hate those you love, even when they hurt you."

"But I should! It's my duty as Takikage. He may have been my teacher, but he still committed
treason and nearly killed Fū and my people. I should hate him; I know I should, but I just"

"You loved him like family, not a traitor." The Higurashi said, the Taki leader looking away
in shame as tears began welling in his eyes.
"But it doesn't matter now, does it? You're Kage now, and he's dead. No matter how much
you regret, there's no way you can change the past. What you can change is the future." Neji
said it more harshly. Instead of growing angry, Shibuki fell deeper into his sorrow. Where the
display made Tenten uncomfortable and Fū helpless, it only made Neji feel disdain. This man
was meant to be the leader of his people, yet he was showing such weakness so easily. It
disgusted him, yet he had nothing more to say to the man he now thought less of.

"This is pathetic." Inside the blonde's head, Sothis made her thoughts known. Naruto looked
inward, trying to get a better understanding of the goddess's words. "This man is meant to
be the leader of a nation, however small it may be. His people look up to him for
guidance, yet he is so weak-willed.

"He's human." Naruto argued, to which the goddess scoffed.

"Being human does not excuse weakness when in a position of power. In this world,
people devour the weak. He is in a position of power he himself accepted, yet he is so
easily broken. Those who cannot accept the burden that comes with power are not fit to
lead."

"That's kind of harsh. And insensitive."

"Do not lecture me on sensibility, child. He is a leader—one meant to lead his people. A
show of weakness is a show of vulnerability. If their leader cannot lead, then what hope
do his people have? Your will is never questioned because we were never coddled. He on
the other hand," Naruto was forced to focus back on the downtrodden Kage, "who has not
yet had his eyes unveiled. It's only a matter of time before"

*WAM*

Naruto, Sothis, Tenten, and Neji watched in open-mouth astonishment as the Kage was
suddenly sent flying.

Naruto, Sothis, Tenten, and Neji watched in open-mouth astonishment as the Kage was
suddenly sent flying.

"Get off your sorry ass and move on!" The shout came from Fū, the Jinchuuriki marching
towards the downed Kage with a snarl. "Do you have any idea how hard I've worked?! How
many people have suffered because of you and your inability to get your sh*t together?!"

Shibuki, too stunned to speak, could only stare in shock at the girl who had socked up.

"You may have had a reason to hesitate, but who the hell cares? We fought against him! We
saved our village! Stop acting like you've had such a hard goddamn life just because one little
thing changed your life! In my eyes, my life is 10 times worse than yours will ever be, yet
you don't see me throwing a pity party! You're Kage now, for fucks sake! Now get out of
your self-pity pile and ACT like it!"

Everyone remained gobsmacked, the Kage's face frozen in shock while the Genin, and
Sothis, followed the greenette.
"B-but-" Shibuki tried, but was reminded of the punch from earlier via his friend popping her
knuckles.

"No buts! Get your act together and be a Kage! It's your responsibility, so own up to it, damn
it! And I swear, if I have to punch you again, then so help me. I'll make sure to do it with
Chōmei this time. Got it?"

At the threat of being hit by not only her friend but the literal demon inside of her, Shibuki
immediately nodded.

"Good. Now, let's get moving. If these guys killed off the original guards, then it's only a
matter of time before the new ones arrive. We'll wait for them on the outskirts."

Without another word, Fū picked up her red satchel from before and began walking into the
forest, passing the Sensei, who had apparently completed whatever she had been up to with
the survivors. Meanwhile, the still flabbergasted Genin and Kage followed the girl's back
until she was almost completely out of sight.

"W-well," Sothis's coughed, her tone a mix of impressed and surprised. "I, suppose that's
one way to approach it."

"She's definitely passionate." Naruto japed, Sothis rolling her eyes at having her words from
earlier used against her.
 Chapter 21

Interlude: Tenten

Uzumaki Naruto was weird.

That was the conclusion Tenten came to upon his introduction.

The day started off easy enough. Her adopted father had walked her all the way to class. His
smile was big, and she could have sworn he had tears in his eyes before he let her walk into
the class. She remembers the butterflies in her tummy as she finds her seat at the end of the
middle row. Two girls, Tsubaki and Saki-san, sat next to her, but they were too busy talking
to each other to speak to her. It made her feel sad at first, but she reassured herself that she
would talk to them at lunch.

Not long after, the teacher, Juri-sensei, welcomed them into the classroom and had them all
introduce themselves. The butterflies in her tummy returned the closer they got to her,
causing her hands to sweat and the sound of her heart to echo in her ears. Thankfully, she
remembered the breathing exercises her father had taught her, and by the time it was her turn,
she was able to say what she wanted.

But then Juri-sensei, for some reason, glared at the corner of the room. Her voice became a
lot harsher all of a sudden, and the way she said the next name just sounded mean. Turning,
she was able to get a clear view of who had made her sensei so angry.

In the corner, a boy sat all by himself. He was tan; there were strange winker marks on his
face; and he had the biggest, greenest eyes Tenten had ever seen. She couldn't take her eyes
off of him. For some reason, it made her feel weird. Her cheeks felt warm, and the butterflies
returned in full force.

It was his voice that finally pulled her out of the weird feeling. Unlike hers and the rest of the
class, it wasn't as happy. In fact, it sounded very dull, like whenever her father was talking to
that customer, he said he didn't like it.

And his dream was to be a hokage.

It sounded uninspiring, kind of like his voice. It was like he was reading it off a piece of
paper, yet somehow he made it sound motivating.

By the time he finished, the butterflies in her stomach were gone. Unlike other students,
sensei didn't urge the students to clap. She simply went to the next student, which was just
weird and mean. It may not have been the best introduction, but Uzumaki-kun had feelings.

It only got worse as time progressed.

Juri-sensei would almost always call on Uzumaki-san, to which he was almost always unable
to answer the questions. The class would then laugh at him, with Tenten even admitting doing
the same once or twice.

Uzumaki-kun would also almost always be put against Neji Hyuga during sparring class. To
say he simply 'lost' would be an understatement. The Hyuga never went easy on anyone, and
the bruises he left behind were always something none of them looked forward to getting.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that Tenten began asking questions.

Did sensei not like Uzumaki-kun? Did Uzumaki-kun do something wrong? What did he do,
and why does everyone make fun of him?

It got weirder at recess.

Tenten was able to befriend Tsubaki and Saki at recess. Since then, they have played ninja a
few times and even had lunch together. They were a lot more talkative than she'd expected,
but Tenten didn't mind. They were willing to be her friends, and she had fun.

However, she couldn't help but notice the blonde from before. He was always sitting alone.
At lunch, in class, and at recess, he was always alone. She had seen him try and go up to
other kids, but none of them would let him play with them or even let him sit next to them.

After a week of this, she decided it had to be her turn to talk to the mysterious blonde.

But she couldn't do it alone. She was still wary of that feeling she had when she first saw
him, and if any of the rumors about him being a 'bad boy' were true, then she wanted friends
to be there with her.

So she asked Tsubaki and Saki-san.

Their reaction surprised her.

They openly looked disgusted at the idea. They said that they wanted nothing to do with the
'weird blonde' and even went as far as to say they wouldn't be her friend anymore if she
talked to him. That had shocked her. She was shocked so much that it nearly brought a tear to
her eyes.

But she never brought it up again. She continued her school life with her friends and never
once brought up Uzumaki Naruto's name again.

Then he suddenly changed over the night.

She didn't mean that by his outward appearance. No, he was still as blonde and plain as the
day he introduced himself. He still had no friends, and he still sounded as dry as the Suna
desert.

The 'change' had more to do with his actions. Where he'd rarely get an answer right when
Juri-sensei called on him, he now got almost all of them correct. Where he would have been
almost sulking during recess and lunch, he was now reading. A year later, his skills in
Taijutsu went from nonexistent to more than capable. He still wasn't anywhere near Hyuga
Neji's skill, but beating nearly everyone in the class, including herself, when he couldn't even
beat the lowest was a huge leap in improvement that was almost unnatural. It had only been a
year, and he went from dead last to the top of their class. Like, who does that?

It brought back the interest she had in the boy when she'd first laid eyes on him.

She tried to talk to him several times. But every time, he'd find a way to disappear. One
minute, he'd be sitting in the corner, reading, and then next, he'd be gone. It was like a magic
trick. A very frustrating magic trick.

But it didn't stop her. She was determined to figure out what his secret was. How could he
improve so quickly? Was he actually that smart and just dumbed it down for everyone else?
Why didn't anyone like him? Why was he so good at magic tricks?

Eventually, the curiosity won her over, and she found herself tailing him.

His routine was simple. He would leave school and head straight to a training field. In that
field, he'd walk a few yards until he was smack dab in the middle. He would search his
surroundings thoroughly. He would begin talking to himself.

Then he was gone.

*Puff*

There was not a trace left behind.

Blink, and you'll miss it.

The fu-

After watching him vanish into thin air, she was determined to know his secret at whatever
cost.

So she followed him again.

Turns out, this wasn't even a one-day thing, but nearly an everyday one.

And every single time, he somehow vanished into thin air! How?! It wasn't fair! She wanted
to do that too! And seeing that she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out how he was doing it,
she decided to confront the magician himself.

Right before he could leave his seat, she was in front of him, determined to know his secrets.
It was unfair that he already knew Ninja magic and none of them didn't! She had a right to
know, just like anybody else. Yes, that sounded right to her. It was fair; it had to be. Surely he
would see that too, no?

Want to know what he told her?

"I train really hard."

That was it. That was his answer.

'I train really hard.'

That was his big secret—how he was able to practically vanish into thin air.

'I train really hard'.

The words stayed glued in her head all the way until she confronted him again the next day.

She had hoped to catch him off guard, but the blonde, being the magician he was, was able to
see her coming a mile away. He didn't give her the time of day, choosing to instead dodge the
topic of ignoring her all together.

This went on for two years.

Two. Years.

Two years later, she STILL knew nothing. Not his hobbies, not how he performed his tricks
—nothing. She knew nothing about him, yet that only increased her interest in him.

Before she knew it, she was sitting next to him in class. The friends she once held close
stopped talking to her altogether while others in class started giving her a wide birth.

But that was OK.

She had found a much more interesting way to fill her everyday life.

And it was worth it.

Uzumaki Naruto was weird, but maybe being weird wasn't all that bad.
 Chapter 22

It was as Fū said. About 30 minutes later, while standing on the outskirts, a group of Taki
Nin, this time legit, greeted them. Shibuki was able to playcate them, yet that did not stop
them from questioning the bruise on his cheek. Thankfully, the man was able to placate them
by saying, 'It was something I deserved', but that did not stop the suspicious looks they
garnered before and after they were blindfolded and taken to the village hidden in waterfalls.

Arriving at the village, the group found it a relatively peaceful place, and the people, while
wary, were more than happy to have the Takikage back home safe and sound. As expected,
the village was mostly surrounded by water. Several platforms and bridges connected to the
surrounding trees, giving it more of a tropical feel. There were some people fishing, but the
majority seemed to be either working or shopping. It was a very stark contrast to the bustling
village that was Konoha.

"Well, here we are, everyone. Welcome to Takigakure."

"Hm, not bad." Tenten remarked, a smile on her face. "A little damp, and not as lively as
Konoha, but not bad."

"Well, not every village is as big as Konoha." Fū grumbled. "Bigger isn't always better,
y'know."

"Fū is right." Shibuki added in. "Unlike larger villages, most people here are acquainted. The
close proximity makes it easier to build circles and relationships with each other, as well as
keeping the crime rate low. People are also a lot happier and more friendly if treated right."

"That's kinda stale." Tenten argued.

"You say that, but not everyone likes large crowds. I find a little peace and quiet every now
and then helps keep the mind fresh. "Hm," Naruto hummed, thinking about the Taki leader's
words.

"Well, it's not my cup of tea, but I can see the thought process."

"Haha! It's an acquired taste, but I promise there are few who are dissatisfied with our
arrangements."

"Riiiiiiiight."

The conversation seemed to slowly die down after that, with the rest of the walk filled with
quiet observation of the village activity. When they arrived at Takikage's tower, it was no
surprise that the building wasn't even half the size of Hokage Tower. Entering, they were
greeted by a single staff member behind a desk, a woman, who smiled amicably upon seeing
them. Shibuki greeted her back before turning to the escorted party.

"Well, I believe this is where your mission ends, no?"

"Indeed," Kagero immediately answered his query.

"Ah, w-well, if that's the case, why not stay the night? I can put you in one of my finest suites
in the-"

"That won't be necessary." The Konoha Jonin shot down, her Genin all looking towards her
with their own forms of disappointment.

"Aw, Sensei. Can't we stay the night?" Tenten whined, the other three following her example.

"We do not have time to waste, Higurashi. There is still much to be done."

"Come ooooooon Sensei. We have, like, two months before the Chunin Exams! One day isn't
gonna make much of a difference." "She's right," Shibuki added, much to the Genin's joy.
"We've traveled nearly three days. The least you can do is allow your team to rest, even for a
couple of hours, no?"

"...It is as I said-"

"Oh get the stick out your ass already, lady!" Fū suddenly exclaimed in frustration, garnering
the stoic stare of the Konoha Jonin. "You act as though closing your eyes once will kill you.
Your village isn't going anywhere. Just take the damn offer and stop trying to act cool."

"Th-there's no need to be so rude, Fū." Shibuki said nervously, to which the Jinchuuriki
huffed and looked away. The Jonin woman seemed ready to reprimand the green-haired girl,
but instead of doing so, she surprisingly relented.

"Very well... But only for the night. We leave as early as dawn. No later." Her ultimatum
given, she turned, heading to places only she knew. An excited grin grew on the face of the
greenette immediately upon the Jonin's departure before she turned to her fellow Jinchuuriki.

"Hey Naruto, wanna see something cool?"

Naruto blinked at the greenette.

"Depends on where you're taking me."

"Nowhere suspicious. Promise!" Fū paused, her eyes turning to land on the other two Genin
behind the blonde. Her eyes immediately rolled as she said, "Fiiiiine. I guess you two can
come along as well."

"I think I'll pass." Neji said flatly. Attention then turned to Tenten, who sighed not long after.

"I'll pass too. I know when I'm not wanted."

Fū's smile returned in full throttle as she took her fellow Jinchuuriki's arm in hers.

"Come on, Blondie! Trust me, you're going to love it!"

trained on the giant tree that seemed to make up most of Taki's center.
"It's a Banyan Tree," Fū informed, the blonde nodding in understanding. "It's actually a lot
older than it looks. Supposedly, Taki was actually founded because of this tree. We also call it
'The Beginning'. The tree itself is named after a God, so it's only natural to call it such."

"Huh." Naruto let out.

"Hm." Sothis was followed by a hum.

"..."

"..."

"...So-"

"Don't."

"Fine..."

Fū looked over to the blonde, a brow raised.

"Something wrong?"

"Nothing," Naruto replied, his eyes never leaving the tree.

"Right... Anyway, though this is a tree, there's a secret inside that only I know about. Follow
me!"

And without waiting for a reply, the green-haired girl dragged the blonde towards the tree—
specifically, towards a hole in the bark. Fū dipped inside first, the blonde following soon after
without much hesitance. Dropping into darkness, Naruto found himself grabbed once more
by the girl as she walked them forward. Somehow, she easily navigated her way through the
darkness, guiding him until there was a light on the ground. Looking directly into the light,
he saw blue, followed by a ladder that led to the blue.

Like before, the greenette led down the ladder, with the blonde following not too far behind.
Once the ladder was climbed, the two emerged inside what looked to be an underground
littoral cave. Beneath them was a lake—a lake that somehow emitted a light that illuminated
the entire cave. Inside the lake, hundreds of fish of different colors swam, along with coral,
seaweed, and other plants majestically waving in the water. The lake spanned at least 2000
feet in circumference, making it all the more fascinating.

"It's beautiful." Sothis spoke in awe from above, having appeared to get a better look at the
water below. The blonde agreed silently, not taking his eyes away from the fish family
currently swimming in circles below.

"Cool, isn't it?" Looking up, Naruto caught the smirk of his fellow Jinchuuriki. "First found
this place when I was five. Been living here my whole life."

"Cool." The blonde said simply before his hand was captured once more.
"Come on! I wanna show you my house!" Naruto allowed himself to be pulled further into
the cave, he and his friend just now noticing the wooden structure that had gone unseen at the
end of the lake.

It wasn't a house, but a cabin—the lack of a door made it more of a shack than anything else.
Different colored wooden pillars and boards—looking as if it were one huff and puff away
from being blown down.

"This is... a shack."

"It's my home! Made it myself!" Fū said proudly, hands on her hips and all.

"I can see that..." The blonde said it flatly. Without waiting for the blonde to fully decide
whether or not it was safe to go inside, Fū decided for him and dragged him inside.

What greeted the two was a messy and cramped space. The room was divided into three
parts. One part was a living area with a small couch that seemed to have been dragged in,
along with a coffee table that was littered with different objects. The next part was the
kitchen, or at least, what Naruto thought was the kitchen.

There was a stove and oven, a sink, a fridge, and a few cupboards, but none of them were
connected to each other. In fact, the sink was connected to the wall and not the cupboards, the
fridge was on the floor, and the oven was sitting on a separate counter across from the stove.
The only thing that seemed remotely connected was the fridge, which had a door leading to
it, and the sink, which had a drain that led somewhere in the ground.

The final part of the house was the bedroom, or at least what Naruto assumed was a bedroom.
There was a small cot, a single pillow, and a thin wool blanket.

"Welcome to my humble abode!"

Naruto didn't reply as he examined the house. Fū eagerly waiting for his praise.

"Well? What do you think?"

"It's..."

"Amazing? Yeah, I know."

"It's... something."

"This place is a mess! How does anyone live in this filth?!" Sothis voice sounded out more
harshly, not that the girl could hear it.

Fū frowned, Naruto believing the girl heard the harsh criticism for a moment.

"You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. I can tell." Fū pouted. "I know it's a little cramped, but I have nowhere
else to go. This place is mine, and I have no plans on changing it."

"That's admirable." Naruto complemented, his words getting the attention of the Jinchuuriki
once more.

"Really? You're not gonna make fun of me or anything?"

"Why would I? I can understand what it's like being alone, so there's no reason for me to
judge you. As long as this makes you happy, then that's all that matters, no?"

Fū blinked.

"Oh, uh, yeah." Fū replied dumbly, looking away while rubbing her neck. "Well, uh, since
you're here, want to help me with something?"

He raised a brow.

"Name it."

"Can you help me clean up?" The girl's smile returned as she pulled a broom out of nowhere.

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn't as enthused.

"Seriously?"

"Yup! You're a guest, and guests should always help their host, right?"

"I can argue that I was brought here against my will."

"Yeah, and I can throw your ass out."

"Sounds more like a reward than a threat."

"I'll break your legs."

"That's a threat."

"Stop being a smart ass and help me. Come on. Please? Do it for your girl friend?"

The blonde actually became silent at the choice of words.

"My, what?"

"Uh, your girl friend?" She said again, the blonde looking to Sothis to see if he'd misheard.
He hadn't, and neither had the Goddess. Confirming that, he looked back at the girl.

"I heard what you said. What I want to know is how we suddenly became such."

Fū looked at him as if he were the one who'd suddenly forgotten a few steps in their
relationship—if they even had that.
"Yes, but why are you my 'girlfriend'?"

"Are you stupid or something?" The blonde's brow twitched. "I'm a girl, and I'm your friend.
Therefore, I'm your girl friend. Did they not teach you that in school?"

"More like no one ever taught her the importance of homophones and punctuation."
Sothis remarked, the blonde not disagreeing with the Goddess's assessment.

"First of all, that's none of your business. Second, I don't remember giving you permission to
become my girlfriend. And third-"

"I don't remember needing your permission, either." Fū interrupted him before he could clear
up the misunderstanding. "You're my boy friend, and I'm your girl friend, whether you like it
or not."

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?"

"Want me to really break your legs?"

"I like my legs how they are. But thank you for asking."

Fū huffed and turned, crossing her arms.

"Hmph. I don't care what you say. I'm gonna treat you how I want. Now, if you want to stay
here, you have to help me clean. Got it?" Naruto thought on it, deciding if this was worth
arguing over or not.

"...Fine." He relented in the end, Fū cheering in joy at his decision.

"That's the spirit!"

The blonde grumbled as he was given the broom, Fū taking her own broom and began
helping clean the mess that was her home.

By the time they were done, the light in the cave had dimmed considerably, a sign that
wherever it originated was dew to sunlight.

"Well, that should be it." Fū said as she placed the broom against the wall and sat
comfortably on her couch. "How'd you get so good at cleaning, anyway?"

"I have four friends, and they're all girls. Cleaning is a necessity if I don't want an earful
whenever they're over." Naruto explained, taking a seat on the grass that was her floor instead
of a seat.

"Hm, I suppose that's fair. Shibuki and Chōmei are my only friends, and they don't
particularly care how my place looks, so can't say I understand."

"Only two? No other friends?"

"Mhm. People in this village tend to ignore me, so I see no other reason to talk to others aside
from Shibuki and Chōmei."

"I see... Sorry about that."

Fū raised a brow at that.

"Why are you apologizing? You're not the one at fault. If anything, I'd think you understand
me more than anyone as a fellow Jinchuuriki. We're different, and most people don't
understand us. We're monsters, after all... Well, me more than you. Tell your friend I meant
no offense."

"She says none taken." The blonde gave the Goddess's reply. "Your reasons are sound, but
that's no reason for us to be alone. Friends aren't something we should be scared to make. In
the end, they're what kept me sane and motivated to achieve my dreams."

"Really?" Fū said, sounding unconvinced.

"Chōmei and Shibuki-san are your friends, are they not? Do they not motivate you to be
better? Give you a reason to live on?"

"Well, yes, but..." The girl trailed off, starting to understand the blonde's point of view.
"Sometimes, I think about what would happen if I hurt them, y'know? I can't always control
Chōmei's chakra, and I know I have a bad temper. I just feel like I'll eventually hurt them or
let them down one day..." She finished, her head dipping slightly at the thought.

"Nobody can be perfect, Fū. It's true, we might mess up, that we might say something they
don't like, or lose them all together. But I'd rather live knowing that I had something good
than not taking the chance at all and missing something great."

Fū looked up at the blonde, meeting his sincere, green eyes.

"You're, more mature than any kid I've met my age." She admitted, to which the blonde heard
a snort in his head.

"I think a lot of people would disagree with you there... But they're just haters."

"They are," Fū laughed, moving to lay on her stomach as another topic of conversation arose.
"So, I've been thinking. I've never really seen you smile. Why is that?"

"Huh?" The blonde blinked, caught off guard by the question.

"I asked why you never smile. Are you not happy?"

The blonde went to answer and realized he had no answer to give. True, he had felt happy
and had smiled on numerous occasions. He had had moments where he felt anger and even
sorrow, but none of them ever lasted. He knew he was different, that he didn't share emotions
like others, yet why was that? Had he never asked this question before? Had anyone even
asked before this? Was it because of the Crest Stone within him, or was it because of Sothis?
He honestly didn't have an answer, and he doubted Sothis did either.
"...I don't know." The blonde answered honestly, and the greenette raised a brow at the lack of
confidence.

"So, you just, don't?"

"Un. I never really questioned why, to be honest. As long as I had my friends, that was
enough for me."

"Huh. I guess that's not a bad way to think... Even if you're weird for thinking that."

"This coming from the girl who doesn't understand how incorrect punctuation can shift
the entire dynamic of a conversation." Sothis commented, with the blonde agreeing but not
voicing his own thoughts on the matter.

"Un." was what he ended up saying, unintentionally killing the conversation. The two sat in
awkward silence before the Taki resident suddenly sat up.

"Wanna see what the lake looks like at night?"

"Sure."

The blonde was quickly pulled along, the two finding themselves on the lake, watching as the
fish below illuminated the water around them. There were not as many as before, but the new
lighting that came with nightfall surprisingly gave a new perspective to the lake.

"Wow." Sothis let out, the blonde silently agreeing.

"Cool, huh? When it's night and the water is still, it looks as though the fish are swimming in
the air." Fū explained, beaming all the way.

"That is a good description of the sight." Sothis complemented.

"Mm." Naruto hummed, not taking his eyes away from the lake.

The two Jinchuuriki remained on the lake until they felt their feet slowly grow numb from the
cold. Fū suddenly stretched, a few pops echoing from her joints as she said, "It's getting late.
We should hit the hay."

"Un." The blonde agreed, moving towards the ladder.

"Uh, where are you going?" Turning back around, he met the incredulous brow of the Taki
girl.

"Um, to find where I'll be staying for the night?" The blonde said confusedly, getting a raised
brow from the mint-haired girl.

"What are you talking about? You're staying here for the night."

"Huh?" The blonde said dumbly.

Fū pointed back at her shack and said, "I got an extra futon back at my house. You can sleep
in it. Better than sleeping in some stupid stranger's house, right?"

"But you're a stranger."

"...I'm going to pretend you didn't say that." Without further delay, Fū dragged him back to
the shack; the blonde, thankfully, was not protesting.

Almost 20 minutes later, he lay in a, thankfully clean, futon next to his new 'friend' who slept
comfortably on a mattress next to him. Despite feeling comfortable and tired from the day's
activities, both were wide awake, their gazes burning through the roof.

"Hey, Fū?"

"Hm?"

"You asleep?"

"Nope."

"...Want to meet the rest of my friends?"

Fū turned on her mattress to peer over at the blonde on the floor.

"And how will you do that exactly?"

Not saying anything, Naruto removed himself from his futon and stood in the middle of the
shack, leaning up to an elbow to observe. "Prepare to be amazed," was all he said before
biting into the tip of his finger. Blood was drawn, and with a quick sequence of hand signs,
he finished it by slamming his hand to the ground.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Uh, was, something supposed to happen?" Fū finally asked for the anticlimactic spectacle.
On the blonde's part, he blinked at the grass where his hand landed, confused as to why his
summoning had failed. Thinking he'd messaged something up with his hand signs, he went
through the entire thing once again, this time a lot slower. His palm met the ground once
again.

Nothing.

He repeated it once more, making sure he used the right amount of chakra this time.

Still nothing.
He tried combining the two solutions together.

And still, nothing.

Eventually, he was simply smacking his hand on the ground, changing the amount of force
each time in hopes of getting a different outcome. It only took Fū about 20 times of watching
it to get annoyed. "Performance issues?"

"...Kinda." The Genin answered honestly. "To be honest, this has never happened before."

"What were you going to do? Summon them here?" Fū asked, not entirely sure how he would
accomplish such a feat.

"Yes, actually... Although, now that I think about it, I don't believe I've ever actually
summoned them here. Usually it's me going to them." He said thoughtfully while rubbing his
chin.

"Then why not just take us to them?" Fū suggested, to which the blonde immediately shot
down.

"Can't. Tried before on my team one day during training. It didn't work."

"Well, maybe this time will be different."

"I doubt it."

"You'll never know unless you try."

"...Fine." He relented, telling the girl to grab onto his shoulder. Once she was in contact, he
tried the summoning again. To the surprise of no one, it failed; again.

"What am I doing wrong..." Naruto voiced, not understanding the failure of his jutsu.

"You're forgetting a very key action, child." Sothis spoke from within, getting the boy's
attention.

"What would that be?"

*CRASH*

He was answered with a familiar sound, the world distorting as time came to a halt. Sothis
appeared before him, floating as was her usual. "I've thought this for a while, but I believe the
reason you were able to connect to my world is because a part of you is already connected.
Using my power acts as a conduit, which is why you are able to travel there but no one else
is. Would explain much since Fodlan is not your typical 'summoming' realm."

"Ooooooh." Naruto awed in understanding. Now that he thought about it, there wasn't a time
in Konoha where he did not use a pulse to travel to Fodlan since he was always being
followed. They'd stopped since his graduation, yet he hadn't exactly had the chance to go
since he'd moved in with his new team. Good to know...
With that thought in mind, he went through the hand signs one more time, hoping Sothis's
hypothesis was correct this time. Sure enough, a hand on the ground later and a large puff of
smoke filled the room. Time resumed, and Fū covered her eyes from the sudden cloud filling
her vision. When it dissipated, Naruto and Fū bore witness to the fruits of his labor.

Standing in the middle of the shack, twin drills of green her running down both sides of her
face and wearing a black dress, a girl only slightly taller than them blinked in open confusion
at the pair—a pastry of some kind hanging from her lips. Her confusion vanished upon seeing
Naruto, it quickly being replaced with surprise.

"Rarutoh?" She spoke, her voice muffled by the treat.

"Hi, Flayn." The blonde greeted, thought about it, then shot his arm wide and exclaimed,
"Surprise."

Flayn swallowed and immediately ran over to engulf her surrogate in a hug. "It's been far too
long, little guy! We were worried when you suddenly stopped visiting."

"Sorry," Naruto apologized, his friend pushing him back to take him in fully.

"Oh wow, it's only been a few months, and you've nearly outgrown me!"

"I've been training really hard."

"I'll say! Your shoulders are so tense, and I can see you're finally shaving off that baby fat. A
few more years, and the ladies will be all over you."

"Ehem!" Fū cleared her throat, getting the attention of the recently summoned Nabatean.

"Speaking of the ladies, who might this young maiden be?" Flayn asked, Fū immediately
puffing her chest out in pride.

"I'm one of his girl friends."

"No, she's not." Naruto immediately denied it, not missing the way Flayn covered her mouth
in shock.

"Hey, we talked about this already! If I say you're my boy friend, then you're my boy friend,
and I'm your girl friend! She's your girl friend too, isn't she?" Fū pointed to Flayn, who
immediately cupped her face and waved off the girl's words amusedly.

"Oh no no no! I'm more of a sister than anything! Besides, I wouldn't want to get in between
what you two have."

"We have nothing." The blonde tried explaining but was twarted once again by the girl,
whom he was beginning to find annoying.

"Don't mind him. I've learned that Konoha Nin are ashamed to admit their relationships."

"Oh my, is that so?" Flayn chuckled, Naruto turning his flat stare on her.
"Do not enable her. You only spread her stupidity."

"Now, now, Naruto, there's no need to be so rude to your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Don't you know that denial is the first stage of-"

"I'm going to send you back now."

"Wait wait! I only tense!" Flayn said frantically upon seeing her surrogate brother make that
funny hand sign. A relieved sigh left her when his hands returned to her side. "So, why have
you summoned me, Naruto? I do believe this is the first, is it not?"

"It is." Naruto confirmed, turning to gesture at the mint-haired girl behind him. "I wanted to
introduce you to my new friend, Fū."

Flayn immediately bowed to the girl and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fū. My name is
Flayn, and I've known Naruto since he was but a child. If you want, just think of me as his
elder sister."

"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you, too." Fū said awkwardly, not used to someone being so formal
to her.

"Aren't you two just adorable." Flayn tensed, finally stopping to observe her surroundings for
a bit. "So, where are we, exactly?"

"We're in the Elemental Nations—specifically, the Land of Waterfalls. We're currently inside
a tree, and this is Fū's home."

"I, see." Flayn said, trying to keep her tone cordial despite noticing the poorly built structure
above her.

"Do you know where everyone else is?"

"My brother and Rhea are attending to matters outside the monastery at the moment. I believe
they said they'd be gone for a week at the most."

"I see. Then it's good that I only summoned you. Wouldn't want them to be mad at me."

"There's no need for that. Of all people, I believe catching Lady Rhea's ire is the last thing
you'd have to worry about. She's more worried about catching yours, if anything." Flayn
finished the last part under her breath, getting a tilted head from the boy. "By the way, where
is Lady Sothis? Is she sleeping?"

"No, she's been up there this entire time." Flayn blinked before looking up to where the
blonde was pointing. The way she stared right at the area the blonde pointed at without
recognition told both the Goddess and her host that she had gone completely unseen.
"It seems not even my own blood can see me in this world." Sothis observed from above,
watching as Flayn continued searching for her to no avail.

"Are you guys talking about the midget?" Fū voiced, a snarl of frustration appearing on
Sothis's face at the question while Flayn's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"M-m-midget?! Y-you cannot speak so rudely of Lady Sothis, Fū! It is not only improper, but
rude!"

Fū raised a brow at that.

"But she is a midget. Why is it wrong to call her what she is?"

"By that logic, you're also a midget." Naruto stated, getting a huff and turn of the nose from
the brown-skinned girl.

"I'm young. I still have years to grow. She's likely thousands of years old and chooses to be a
midget. We are not the same."

"Child, your 'girl friend' is one wrong word away from me smiting her on the spot." Naruto
opened his mouth but closed it, suddenly thinking it wasn't such a bad idea.

"H-how's about we do something fun? Get away from the negativity. How does that sound?"
Flayn suggested, not sure why she felt the girl's life was in peril.

Fū's face morphed into one of thought before it suddenly lit up.

"You guys want to go diving? Show you what the lake is like underwater at night."

"Diving? This late? Is that safe?" Flayn questioned, not so sure about the activity.

"It's perfectly safe!" Fū reassured before retreating back to her bed to dig up something
behind it. She returned with multiple strange devices and gear. Flayn did not recognize them,
but Naruto did almost immediately.

"Are those rebreathers?"

"They sure are, my blonde comrade." She said, tossing one to each of them. Next were the
suits, followed closely by the slippers, caps, goggles, and a long, pointed stick that Flayn,
Naruto and Sothis all observed curiously. "Harpoons. For the fish we'll be catching." Fū
explained at their confusion, to which the Nabatean's head shot up.

"Fish? Catching? As in, we'll be fishing? Underwater?!" She exclaimed, an excitement in her
voice that Naruto rarely heard.

"We sure will! You guys ready?"

"Oh, most certainly! This is going to be so exciting! I have so many questions, yet I cannot
contain my excitement!"
"Heheheh. Glad to know someone is. Well, what are we waiting for? Get those suits on
already!"

Before Naruto could even process the girl's words, she was already removing her top. At this
point, any normal hormonal teenager would have looked away, maybe even blushed at the
sight of a girl undressing before them.

Naruto did none of this.

Once her top came off, he stared. Then her skirt came off, and he stared. It wasn't until she
was halfway to pulling down her fishnet that both Sothis and Flayn's brains caught up to what
was happening and quickly put a stop to it.

"Fū!" The Nabateans exclaimed, running to cover the girl while Sothis did her best to cover
her ward's eyes—something that proved difficult seeing that even what little physical form
she could muster meant nothing to the boy who constantly did everything in his power to take
a peak. "You are a lady, Fū! You cannot change in front of boys! And you! It is
ungentlemanly to stare! Wait outside until we're done!"

The blonde did not oblige but was forced to do so when Sothis decided escorting him out by
the ear was easier than obstructing his view. Now outside, the Shinobi and Goddess sat in
silence, one floating in clear disappointment, while the other now began understanding his
actions more and more.

"Sorry, Sothis. I don't know what came over me. Felt like I had to see. It was a matter of life
and death... You understand, right?... Sothis?"

The Divine did not deem him worthy of a reply. Giving up, he silently undressed into the
skin-tight suit, oddly adjusting to his size despite it looking a few sizes too short a moment
ago. Now dressed, he waited for the other two to finish, hearing their chatter from here and
wondering how much longer they would take. Apparently, not long, because they were out
and dressed before him only a few minutes later. Their suits were equally as tight, yet he
couldn't help but be drawn to certain 'parts'—noticing that unlike Sothis, they were a lot less

"Yoo-hooooo, Earth to idiot! Are you ready or not?" The blonde blinked back into reality,
noticing Fū was a lot closer than he remembered.

"Sorry, I'm ready when you guys are." His fellow Jinchuuriki narrowed her eyes but ignored
whatever was on her mind to turn and address them all.

"Alright, you lot! This isn't like anything you've ever done before! It's dangerous and deadly,
so I'll only say this once. If I tell you to surface, then you do it! No questions, no hesitation,
no exceptions! Since I am the captain of this expedition, we're going to do what I want, and I
say we have a friendly competition!"

"Who made you captain?" Naruto tried, but went ignored.

"The goal is simple: catch five fish within the time limit! The smaller the fish, the more
points you get! Last place has to cook the fish! Are there any questions?"
"Loud and clear, oh, great leader." Flayn played along, while Naruto raised a hand.

"Why are smaller-"

"Good! Now, just remember: surface if I say so, and powers are not allowed! I don't wanna
see anyone dead! Ok? Then, without further ado, GO!" With that said, Fū dove into the lake,
a small splash being her only marker of entry. Flayn followed soon after, the two leaving the
blonde behind briefly before he placed the breathers in his mouth and followed after.

Elsewhere

Taki

Kagero held out a hand to allow the fist-sized arachnid to land safely in her palm. Eight eyes
looked up to her in interest, a sight that was lightly nightmare fuel for anyone with
arachnophobia. Bringing up her free hand, she placed a scroll on its back, the spider having
no problem carrying it despite its size.

"To its proper destination. No delays." She instructed. If anyone were looking, they'd likely
have been shocked speechless to see the spider give a salute before disappearing in a puff of
smoke.

Reaching out, she allowed her senses to roam more freely, connecting with the chakra
sources around her. She found her Genin easily enough—Tenten having turned in early while
Neji was busy going through his clan's kata.

Naruto's signature was, erratic.

He wasn't alone, the Seven-Tails, along with another she'd never felt, kept him company.
Their signatures showed patterns of exertion, something that was typical for exercise.
Whatever they were doing, they were constantly in motion, going deeper and deeper
underground only to reappear at the surface.

She knew not what he was doing, but she hoped it was at least productive.

Inside the Banyan Tree

"Get that one! Oh! That one is worth more! Forget about the big guy and focus on the
smaller ones! That's too small! Hurry! Time is of the essence! Where are you aiming?
Do you want to lose?"

Naruto tried his best; truly, he did.

The water was a lot clearer than he remembered, and his goggles gave him the ability to see
the fish clearly. Yet, with Sothis screaming instructions in his ear and Fū stealing his catches,
he couldn't help but feel as though he was at a major disadvantage. It didn't help that Flayn
practically adapted like a fish to...well, you get it.
The blonde was struggling, his limbs burning from the effort and his head struggling to
concentrate with a voice constantly nagging every minute of every second.

"We're in last! Hurry, Child! I refuse to lose like this!"

Maybe he'd lose on purpose... Just to spite her...

...

"It's sooooo good!" Flayn cheered, chewing slowly to savor the taste of the cooked seafood
courtesy of her surrogate brother.

"Not bad, Naruto. I didn't think you knew how to roast fish." Fū added with a mouth full of
said fish.

"I didn't." The blonde admitted, not admitting he had to use three Divine Pulses just to make
sure he got it right—an action that made Sothis more grumpy than she already was after their
loss.

"Come on, loser! The fish are running out, and you're dragging your ass!"

...Maybe he'd leave Fū's a bit colder this time, just so she could choke once or twice...

...

"You're definitely cheating!" Fū exclaimed, pointing at the blonde across from her accusingly.

"Am not." Naruto denied, his arms crossed behind his head as he sat on his futon.

"Are too! There's no way a loser like you could be so lucky!"

"Sucks to suck."

"Now now, you two. No need to fight."

"But Flayn, he's cheating!" Fū exclaimed, with actual tears in her eyes.

"It's chess, Fū. There's not really a way to cheat."

"Then how else do you explain him losing to you when I beat you?!"

"It was by pure luck."

"No, it wasn't! You, you guys are just toying with me! You have to be!"

"No, you just suck."

"Say that again and I'll kick yer ass. For real this time."

"...You don't have the balls."

Fū did, in fact, have 'the balls'. Jumping from her bed onto the blonde, they rolled about,
eventually leading them outside the shack to continue the wrestling match that had ensued.
Flayn and Sothis followed, the Nabatean acting more as a referee while the Goddess was on
standby unless the childishness before her suddenly turned into an accident.

...

The three greenettes lay peacefully near the lake, their heads all together and forming a
triangle with their bodies. Each had their eyes closed; the light from the lake illuminated their
skin.

"This is the life..." Flayn sighed, simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the cave.

"You got that right, sister. I could lay here forever." Fū agreed, her smile wide and content.
The silence passed between the three, their tired bodies no longer capable of continuing any
other ideas they might have had for the night. "...Hey, Naruto?" The moco-skinned girl
eventually spoke again, getting the attention of the other two occupants. "I, don't think I've
ever had this much fun before—like, ever." She said, her smile becoming even brighter than
before. "Thanks...for treating me like I'm human."

"...Don't mention it." Naruto responded, the girls hearing the generosity in his tone. "You
deserve happiness like anyone else. I hope, someday, you'll be able to believe that, Fū."

Fū craned her head upward, her gaze fixated on her fellow Jinchuuriki's head for a moment.
She eventually returned to looking at the cave ceiling, her heart beating faster as she felt her
cheeks suddenly heat up as the words repeated themselves in her head over and over.

Flayn said nothing, opting to let things play out.

'I don't ever want this day to end.' was Fū's last thought before she drifted off to sleep, her
two new friends following shortly after.

Next Morning

Taki Outskirts

"I once again thank you all for your support." Shibuki bowed before Team 4, Fū and his
surrounding Shinobi doing the same as the Konoha Nin took the thanks in their own way.
"Know that you are all welcome to visit anytime as long as we are given prior notice. You
have gained a friend this day, and I look forward to our next transaction."

"We appreciate the gesture and accept your generosity." Kagero answered for the group. "If
there is nothing else, then we shall be off."

"WAIT!" The group turned to the voice, immediately being greeted with a Jinchuuriki.
Ignoring the rest of the party, Fū marched up to the blonde. Naruto waited patiently for her to
speak, noticing that, for some reason, she looked everywhere but his eyes. Eventually, she
held out her hand, saying nothing else while looking at something in the trees. Despite being
confused, he held out his hand to receive the item, she dropping it in his hand despite still
looking away.

The blonde stared owlishly at the small pouch now in his hand before looking back up at the
girl who still refused to meet his eye.

"What is it?"

"I-It's dust. Made by Chōmei herself. Just, think of it as a souvenir from me, OK?" She said,
her voice trailing off at the end for some reason.

"Oh... Thanks. I will." He didn't know why, but the atmosphere suddenly grew
uncomfortable. "We have to go now. Till we meet again?" He spoke, holding out a fist much
like she had to him when they'd first connected. Fū blinked at the outstretched hand before
her confident smirk returned and she connected her fist with his.

"Damn right we'll meet again. And make sure the rest of your girl friends know that I'm your
best."

Fū didn't see it, but Naruto could literally feel how everyone around them drew their own
conclusions from the girl's words.

"...Please fix your vocabulary next time we meet. Would be embarrassing to call you my
friend when you're still an idiot."

"Don't think I won't kick your ass just because I like you now." Fū warned, yet it did not hold
the same bark as it did before. "Take care, OK?"

The blonde's mouth twitched upwards, something the girl would remember for weeks on end.

"You too, Fū."

...

"...Sssssooooooooo, you and-"

"Nothing happened." Naruto cut off Tenten before she could insinuate anything. That did not
stop the knowing smirk from appearing on the girl's face.

"Whatever you say, I'm just glad we can finally go home, and I can sleep in my own bed for
once."

"We're not heading home just yet."

Tenten stopped on a dime, her jaw lack as she looked to the back of their sensei.

"Wh-what do you mean, Sensei? Isn't our mission over? Don't we have to report back?"

"I reported back last night. Our mission has already been closed, but an urgent mission has
been assigned to our team since we are already within proximity. An A Rank, to be exact."
The Hyuga and Uzumaki both perked up at the news, their sensei turning around to meet
their eyes.

"We're heading to the Land of Snow."

A/N: Basically, a fluff chapter for Fū lol

Originally, this chapter had Fū and Naruto transport to Fodlan and hang out with
Flayn, but ultimately they scrapped it to have Flayn arrive in the Elemental Nations
instead. It just didn't make sense for Naruto to suddenly disappear with Taki's
Jinchuuriki, especially if Kagero knew where they were the entire time. Something tells
me that would make a diplomatic incident that I really did not want to leave holes in:

This is officially the last chapter of 2023... hopefully. My goal is to have the next 8
chapters finished before January 1st, so I will have enough chapters backed up and not
feel rushed to get another chapter out. Those eight chapters will include the Land of
Snow movie, along with one final mission that is important to Naruto's character
development. Within those eight chapters, we will see Byleth again, but this time older
and a lot less forgiving. You will see what I mean in the future.

Below is a preview of the next chapter. It's not much, but I hope you enjoy the little that
I've already written! As always, thank you all for your support, and I hope to see you all
in 2023!

P.S. I also posted another story called 'Even a Loser Can Rule the Underworld'. It is a
Highschool DXD X Medaka Box crossover with Kumagawa Misogi reincarnated as Rias
Queen. I only posted it as a one-shot right now, but if enough people like it, I will
continue.

Chapter 18 Preview

Yukie Fujikaze sprinted through the town, looking back occasionally to make sure her tail
wasn't on her. She could not see her pursuer, but she did not stop in her sprint to safety.
Turning into an alley, she moved swiftly, turning any and every corner she came across.
When she was finally satisfied that the pursuer was not behind her, she slowed her sprint to a
trot and took a deep breath, taking stock of her surroundings.

Construction blocked her in, but there was no one in sight. The relief it brought had her
letting out a sigh.

"Oi, Princess." Yukia nearly jumped out of her skin at the familiar voice. Turning, she found
what she was dreading. Her pursuer, a blonde kid with green bangs and wearing a
combination of green and orange, stood before her. His face held a look of indifference, yet
she could oddly feel a sense of irritation coming from him. "Please don't run again, Princess.
I can't protect you if you run."

Yukie scoffed at that.

"You? Protect me? Don't make me laugh, Kid." Despite the jab, the boy did not react. "How
old are you anyway? Eight?"

"Old enough."

"That's not an answer."

"Age doesn't matter when wisdom can be gained through harsh experiences."

"Ooooh, fancy words. You get that from a book, Kid?"

"One of my closest friends once told me that... and my name is not 'Kid'. It's Naruto."

"Riiiiiiiight..." Yukie stared into the blonde's eyes, admitting the unique sea-foam color to
match well with his hair and outfit. Moments later, she sighed in defeat. "Alright, Kid. You
win. Let's go..." She dragged herself forward, defeat in her posture. The blonde's eyes never
left her for a moment, but that would prove to be his undoing.

The moment she believed she was close enough, she casually raised a lock of her hair and
exposing her ear. With a click of her earring, a red stream shot from it and at the Shinobi's
face. His hand immediately shot up to block the stream and Yukie was already moving before
the effects of the pepper spray could set in. Turned out of the alley, she was greeted with
another, but with a street clear to see at the end. She pushed her tired legs, looking to lose the
Shinobi in the-

Something suddenly wrapped around her. Yukie barely had time to scream before her arms
were bound tight together and she fell to the dirt. Unable to brace herself for the impact, her
face impacted the dirt roughly, making her see stars for a moment. Forcing her vision to focus
once more, she found a pair of sandals obstructing her view.

Looking up, she found the blonde looking down on her—holding the hilt of what she thought
was a double edged sword. Unlike before, the look of indifference on his face pissed her off
something fierce.

"This is for your own good, Princess." Was all the boy said before he began walking out of
her vision. It didn't take long before she realized she was moving along with the blonde.
However, where she was clearly running before into the alley, now she was being dragged
out—she letting her displeasure be know to any and all who could hear.

"H-hey, you stupid kid! Let me go! Help! HELP! Don't just stand there watching! I'm being
kidnapped! Help!" Despite her pleas, no one moved to lend a hand. Despite the boy being,
well, a child, the headband strapped around his head was more than enough to deter even the
most chivalrous soul. He was a child, but they knew even a child with Shinobi training was
worth at least 10 civilian bodies. Risking their lives for a woman, even the famous Princess
Gale, wasn't enough to risk their necks for.

Yukie's screams and pleas continued all the way till they were clear of the town. The moment
they touched the road, they were stopped by three blurs landing in front of them. For a
moment, Yukie thought she was saved.
The metal plates around the arm, forehead, and neck of the individuals killed that hope
instantly. Naruto looked to the three Shinobi that stopped silently before lifting his sword
towards them—unintentionally dragging Princess Gale forward in the process and garnering
her ire once more.

"I found the Princess."

 Chapter 23

Fujikaze Yukie sprinted through the town, looking back occasionally to make sure her tail
wasn't on her. She could not see her pursuer, but she did not stop in her sprint to safety.
Turning into an alley, she moved swiftly, turning any and every corner she came across.
When she was finally satisfied that the pursuer was not behind her, she slowed her sprint to a
trot and took a deep breath, taking stock of her surroundings.

Construction blocked her in, but there was no sight of life anywhere around. The relief it
brought had her letting out a sigh.

"Oi, Princess." Yukia nearly jumped out of her skin at the familiar voice. Turning, she found
what she was dreading. Her pursuer, a blonde kid with green bangs and wearing a
combination of green and orange, stood before her. His face held a look of indifference, yet
she could oddly feel a sense of irritation coming from him. "Please don't run again, Princess.
I can't protect you if you run."

Yukie scoffed at that.

"You? Protect me? Don't make me laugh, kid." Despite the jab, the boy did not react. "How
old are you anyway? Eight?"

"Old enough."

"That's not an answer."

"Age doesn't matter when wisdom can be gained through harsh experiences."

"Ooooh, fancy words. You get that from a book, kid?"

"One of my closest friends once told me that... and my name is not 'Kid'. It's Naruto."

"Riiiiiiiight..." Yukie stared into the blonde's eyes, silently admitting that the unique sea-foam
color matched well with his hair and outfit. Moments later, she sighed in defeat. "Alright,
Kid. You win. Let's go..." She walked forward, defeat in her posture. The blonde's eyes never
left her for a moment, but that would prove to be his undoing.

The moment she believed she was close enough, she casually raised a lock of her hair to
expose her ear. With a click of her earring, a red stream shot from the canister and at the
Shinobi's face. His hand immediately shot up to block the stream and Yukie was already
moving before the effects of the pepper spray could set in. Turning out of the alley, she was
greeted with another alley, but with a street clear to see at the end. Pushing her tired legs
forward, she ran forward in hopes of losing the Shinobi in the-

Something suddenly wrapped around her. Yukie barely had time to scream before her arms
were bound tight together and she fell to the dirt. Unable to brace herself for the impact, her
face impacted the dirt roughly, making her see stars for a moment. Forcing her vision to focus
once more, she found a pair of sandals obstructing her view.

Looking up, she found the blonde looking down on her, holding the hilt of what she thought
was a sword. Unlike before, the look of indifference on his face pissed her off something
fierce.

"This is for your own good, Princess." Was all the boy said before he began walking out of
her vision. It didn't take long before she realized she was moving along with the blonde.
However, where she was clearly running before, now she was being dragged—she was
letting her displeasure be known to anyone who could hear.

"H-hey, you stupid kid! Let me go! Help! HELP! Don't just stand there watching! I'm being
kidnapped! Help!" Despite her pleas, no one moved to lend a hand. Despite the boy being,
well, a child, the headband strapped around his head was more than enough to deter even the
most chivalrous soul. He was a child, but they knew even a child with Shinobi training was
worth at least 10 civilian bodies. Risking their lives for a woman, even the famous Princess
Gale, wasn't enough to risk their necks for.

Yukie's screams and pleas continued all the way till they were clear of the town. The moment
they touched the road, they were stopped by three blurs landing in front of them. For a
moment, Yukie thought she was saved. The metal plates around the arm, forehead, and neck
of the individuals killed that hope instantly. Naruto looked to the three Shinobi that stopped
silently before lifting his sword towards them—unintentionally dragging Princess Gale
forward in the process and garnering her ire once more.

"I found the Princess."

Present Location: Port City

"We truly cannot thank you enough for what you're doing for us." The diminutive director
spoke, scratching the back of his head nervously as he tried his damnest to keep his eyes on
the Kunoichi in front of him and almost her...asset—a task proven difficult seeing as his eye
came right up to her bosom. And here he thought such attire was only reserved for porn and
novels.

"It is our duty as Shinobi of the Leaf to complete the mission given. Nothing more."

The director's nervous laughter grew in pitch at the straightforward answer.

"Well, um, nothing should happen, but I look forward to your company. Feel free to mingle
however you please. Oh, and don't let their looks fool ya! My staff is top-notch! Nothing but
professionals in this bunch!"

"...Professional." Tenten could help but mumble next to her sensei, turning to where she'd just
seen one of the cast members get smacked across the face for his hand wondering a little too
close to a passing woman's backside.
"...Professional," Neji echoed, a similar thing happening to his left, only the guy succeeding
in grabbing a woman, only to be rewarded with pepper in his eyes and a kick to his groin.

"Ahem, yes." The director nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his head once more. "As
you can see, they are all very experienced in the industry. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to
make sure the set is ready before sailing. Anything that's ours is yours, so don't hesitate to
ask!" With that, the old director scurried off, yelling at one of his staff about matters none of
them paid particular attention to.

Turning, Kagero looked over her Genin, preparing to give orders before she realized
something quite obvious.

"Where is Uzumaki?"

"On the boat... Fishing with the princess." Tenten confirmed, somewhat exasperatedly.

"He said he had a feeling we were going to need food. Wanted to get a head start on it." Neji
added, just as exasperated. Their sensei acknowledged their words before turning to walk
onto the boat. Ignoring the flurry of activity going on throughout the ship, the trio sought out
their blonde member. They found him hanging off the edge of the ship railing, doing exactly
as the Genin said he'd be doing.

Thing is, he wasn't alone.

Sitting next to him, arms restricted to her sides and a fishing pole tied to her back, was none
other than their 'top priority' for this mission, Fujikaze Yukie. Face a modicum of calm, she
looked to the approaching Shinobi; the fight in her long since deminished since her capture.

"Oh great. As if one of you wasn't bad enough, now I'm forced to deal with all four of my
kidnappers. Tell me, you guys get your rocks off from seeing your victims tied up?" The
movie star drawled, observing the incoming Shinobi before her gaze landed on their leader.
Her eyes seemed to look the woman up and down before saying snidely, "I know this one
does."

Despite the clear insinuation, it slipped right off of the Sensei's skin as she turned to the
blonde hanging over the edge to ask, "Is there a reason she is still restrained?"

"She tried to run again." The blonde stated simply, not looking away from the sea.
Apparently, nothing else had to be said on the matter because Kagero simply nodded before
looking back at the unamused and unashamed princess.

"It'll take two days to arrive in the Land of Snow. Please do not cause anymore trouble for us
until we get there, Yukie-sama."

The Genin expected the woman to snark back, but was slightly taken off guard when her head
fell in what they thought was defeat. "You really have no idea what's going to happen, do
you?" She said softly, almost impossible to hear over the water and movement around them.

"There is no need to worry about your safety. My team is more than capable."
Yukie snorted at the words.

"And I'm supposed to just take your word for it? That I'm apparently safe because some
bimbo in a wet-fantasy costume and her kids say they can protect me? In that country?"

"It is our mission to protect you, and we will. All we ask is that you are cooperative and stay
out of danger." Kagero reaffirmed, not at all affected by the woman's insult.

Yukie shook her head, almost looking disappointed.

"Doesn't really matter what I do while on this trip. As far as I'm concerned, you killed me the
moment you accepted your 'mission'. The least you can let me do is grieve while I'm here.
How about making yourselves useful and grab me a bottle of sake? If I'm going to die, then at
least let me have a few drinks before I kick the bucket."

"Geez, what a drama queen." Tenten whispered to her teammate, the Hyuga oddly agreeing
silently. The look the actor gave the Genin told them she had heard and was not impressed.

"Don't worry, Princess," Naruto reassured, looking down to make eye contact with the
actress. "I may be small, but I kick ass. You'll see. Just wait until someone tries something-"

Nearly at the same moment he turned, the string on the fishing pole moved. Not a moment
later, the string was pulled. It didn't matter what was on the line. What mattered was that the
fish not only yanked the pole, but the blonde as well. One moment he was sitting on the
railing, and the next, he was yanked off the edge and into the sea. Team 4, the tied-up Yukie,
and anyone who'd seen the blonde get pulled into the sea looked over the deck—most
shocked aside from the Shinobi.

Strangely enough, no one jumped in to save him. Whether no one knew how to swim or
everyone was sure the Shinobi kid would survive, time ticked by. It wasn't until a full minute
had passed that one of the actors was ready to jump in.

Thankfully, it was not necessary.

He did re-emerge, but not alone. Arms high, the boy held a fish. The fish dwarfed the blonde
in size, likely capable of feeding over 10 men. And yet, despite this, he did not seem to
struggle to hold it up as he loudly proclaimed, "I caught dinner!"

The cheers from the crew, the relieved look from his team, and the flabbergasted expression
on the princess's face were definitely worth giving them a scare.

The Next Day

The Genin of Team 4 would willingly admit they never thought they'd see themselves in their
shoes. Becoming Shinobi of the Leaf, they knew it would afford them more opportunities
than they would ever get from working a basic desk job, but even then, they would have
never thought they would be escorting a movie star, much less Princess Gale herself.

And the kicker? They got to watch how all the magic unfolded.
Bodies sprawled about the deck, the scene on the ship was one of battle and loss. Leaning
over the body of one of her closest comrades was Princess Gale, tears in her eyes and putting
on a performance that would truly put even the best kunoichi to shame. Everything from her
words to the crack in her voice spoke of someone in anguish, Tenten not sure she could put
on such an act even on her best day. In fact, it was so good that tears were building in her
eyes. It was truly a scene of mourning that only Fujikaze Yukie could perform.

"All right, stop. Sandayu. Eye drops. Make it quick. Any longer and my eyes'll dry out."

The image and atmosphere promptly shattered at the actor's casualness. Instantly, the Genin
were reminded that this woman was no princess, but an actor—one who seemed to be able to
flip a switch at any given moment.

Next to them, a bespectacled man with a goatee ran up to the princess—Sandayu, she
guessed. Eye drops held over the actors eyes, liquid fell, the bottle was closed, Princess was
happy, and he was back at their side within seconds.

"The more I watch this, the more I find it hard to believe that this is actually Princess Gale."
Tenten couldn't help but mutter, her blonde teammate giving an 'un' in confirmation while the
Hyuga and Shimura stood as stoic as statues.

"Please, do not let her behavior off the camera cloud your judgment of her." Sandayu voices,
a smile present despite his heaving breaths. "Fujikaze-san is a dedicated actress who puts all
her being into each of her roles. She is a woman who can change from a crying widow into a
hardened vigilante within seconds. That is why we love her."

Looking away from the man, Team 4 observed the actress once more. She was back in her
act, tears freely streaming down her face as the camera took in every bit of it. About a minute
later, the director called the scene, a cheer of applause traveling through the ship as Yukie and
the former 'deceased' men around her stood—satisfaction written on all but the stars' faces.

"And that is also why we need to get her to the Land of Snow ASAP. This movie is supposed
to premiere in less than a month!" The director suddenly shouted, looking at Team 4 with a
wide grin. "I don't know what it is, but I can feel it! This movie will be my greatest
masterpiece yet! The world will see Yukie as the talent she is and we'll make history!"

"...I don't see the reason for all of this excitement. Aren't they just practicing for a
play?" Sothis voiced her question, pulling the blonde from his interest in the scene.

"Yeah, but it's not a play. It's a movie... Sorta like a moving book."

"Moving, book?"

"Mmm hmm." Naruto confirmed, pointing back at the box with the lens not far from them.
"That's a camera. It takes pictures, and a projector shows them on a screen. That's how a
movie is made."

"I see..." The blonde could tell Sothis wasn't 100% following his explanation, but it was
better than nothing. "And this...'movie' will show her acting? And the public will pay to
see it?"

"Um. They'll pay a lot too since Princess Gale is very popular. It helps that the world knows a
lot of the movies she does are true stories."

"Truly? And people pay to see such things when a book can easily save the memory and
be revisited?"

"Some people like seeing the action instead of imagining it... Like you, for instance."

"Me?" Sothis perked a brow at that.

"You enjoy watching my life more than me telling you about it. That means you like seeing
more than visualizing."

"...Huh, I never thought of it that way..."

"You seriously talking to yourself, kid?"

Naruto blinked as his surroundings came into focus once more. The first thing he noticed was
Princess Gale herself standing in front of him. Glancing around, he realized that his team was
nowhere to be found, along with the camera crew. Eventually, his eyes landed back on the
actress, her uncaring stare a stark contrast to her previously distraught demeanor.

"...I was talking to my imaginary friend."

Yukie snorted, not saying anything as she walked past him without a care. Seeing his ward
walk away, he followed at a measured pace, much to the princess's annoyance.

They ended up in the ship's dining hall, Yukie hounding the chef for a bottle of sakè before
they found themselves seated at one of the tables at the back of the hall. The cap of the Sakè
bottle was popped off almost the moment Yukie's rear hit the seat, pouring her a cup of the
liquid before downing it just as fast. She was in the middle of pouring her second shot when
she finally acknowledged the kid sitting across from her. With a sigh, she pushed the shot
glass towards the kid, the blonde looking down at it blankly.

"Drink up, kid. Consider it a professional courtesy."

Naruto stared at the shot glass for a moment before looking back up at the actress.

"I'm still a kid."

The woman raised a brow at that.

"You're old enough to kill, yet not old enough to get wasted?"

"Yes... and I don't kill people."

The incredulous stare Yukie gave the blonde lasted almost a full minute.
"You're joking..."

"Why would I joke about that?"

"Kid, you're a Shinobi. It's in your job description to kill people. You're either a fool or
delusional to think you never will."

"...Why?" The question seemed to confuse the woman, so Naruto continued, "I want to know
why it is bad that I don't want to kill people. Why is it so wrong?"

"Because they will try and kill you." She said it as if the answer were obvious.

"And that's reason enough to take their life?"

"It's kill or be killed, kid." Yukie said simply before taking the shot in the blonde's place.
Pouring another shot, she continued, "That's the way of the Shinobi. Hell, that's how this
world works. If you're not strong enough, then you'll either be taken advantage of or killed.
Make an enemy? Kill them or they will take everything you love. It's a shitty world, yet it's
one we live in and one you can either adapt to or get swallowed up in."

"That's a very shallow way of thinking." Yukie paused the shot glass midway to her lips at the
blonde's comment. "You're right. The strong are the ones who decide who lives or dies.
However, if all the strong choose to kill, then when will there ever be change? How can we
make a better world when all leaders think the same?"

Yukie's glass came back down to the table. Her eyes showed hurt, a sight Naruto had seen
before.

"It's idealistic thinking like that that gets people killed. Good people." Yukie whispered
before downing the shot and going for a refill. "I don't know if anyone told you this kid, but
there is no room in this world for idealists. People like that dream big, but die young. Take
my advice to heart before you end up like the many others before you."

"Is that what happened to you?" The question froze the actress in her spot, a look of hurt
flashing across her face for a split second. Flashes of fire and blood splatter played through
her mind, a time that no amount of alcohol had been able to drown out or make her forget.

"...That's none of your damn business." She hissed, pouring her third shot and downing it just
as quickly. Her actions had been more frantic this time, almost desperate, as she poured her
fourth. "Look, just shut up and drink the damn alcohol already."

"But I'm not done talking-"

"But I'm done listening, and I'm in no mood for a therapy session from a brat. Now, you can
either drink with me or I'll have you replaced with that stuck-up team member of yours. At
least he knows how to keep his mouth shut."

Naruto looked between the woman and the shot glass. Eventually, he caved and reached for
the shot glass. Without hesitation, he downed it much like he'd seen the actress do the last
three times. Regret hit him almost instantly as the burning of his throat combined with the
taste nearly had him gagging.

"Don't knock it back like that." Yukie chastised as she grabbed the small cup from the blonde.
"It's meant to be enjoyed, not gulped. Let the taste sit and enjoy the burn."

"How do adults enjoy this stuff..."

"With patience, willpower, and years of experience. Now, let's continue." Yukie went to pour
the next shot, only to find the bottle empty. "Oi, Chef, another bottle on the double!"

It took all of two days to arrive at the Land of Snow. By then, Team 4 was more than familiar
with the princess, having seen her work on set. Neither of them had anything particularly
good to say about the woman in their time of guard duty, but they could finally rest well
knowing they'd finally made it. Their contract would last 4 more days, but who wanted to talk
about the negative anyway?

Standing on the shore, the Genin of Team 4 stood before their Sensei expectantly, waiting for
her to give orders. To their surprise, it wasn't orders, but something else none of them would
have ever expected.

"You have all conducted yourselves well on this mission so far. For that, I wish to present you
with somewhat of a reward."

The Genin looked among each other, a feeling of confusion passing between them.

"A reward? Like...a jutsu?" Tenten asked, excitement shining bright. Her teammates did not
show the girl's exuberance, but the shine in the Uzumaki's eyes and the way Neji became
slightly more tense showed they were just as excited.

"Something of the sort." The Shimura said, not exactly denying their hope. Reaching into her
pouch, she pulled out three scrolls before tossing them towards the Genin. "What you hold in
your hands are Jutsu I specifically picked out for the three of you. In order to learn the Jutsu
inside, you must first decode what is written within the scroll."

At that, the Genin looked over the scrolls curiously before they each opened them one by
one.

"Survival." Neji voiced, pondering the meaning behind the singular word written within.

"Only in death does duty end... How mysterious." Tenten read, her sarcasm evident.

For Naruto, the scroll did not start with words, but with a location. A location with a crystal-
like image in the center surrounded by pillars that he was apparently meant to decipher in a
land not his own. Below the image, his message was even more ominous than that of his
teammates.

"'Progress is impossible without change. Those who cannot change their minds cannot
change anything'... More forward than the others, I suppose." Sothis echoed the words. If
the blonde didn't know any better, the biggest task looked to be on his shoulders...

"The time limit for this task is the end of this mission. Do take it seriously, for my decision to
give you more in the future will depend on the success of this task." The Sensei informed her
team. Before they could move it on, Naruto raised a hand.

"Any particular reason you are giving this to us now and not on the way home? Feels as if
this is out of the blue...and a bit out of character."

Kagero stared at the blonde for a moment, likely deciding whether or not to answer his
curiosity. "This task is meaningless outside of this mission. This is an opportunity to gain
experience, which I am sure you will not get on any other mission. It will look good on your
careers and likely open you to more missions in the future."

"...What are you not telling us?" Neji asked aloud, his teammates silently agreeing.

"There is nothing more for me to tell. The purpose of this mission is to test your abilities.
What I have given you is a bone—a chance. If you look underneath the underneath, then I
have faith you all will pass. Whether or not you succeed is entirely up to your efforts."

The Genin hummed at the response before turning their attention back to the scroll.

"Shinobi!"

The call of their titles had the entire team on edge as they turned in the direction of the voice.
Running up to them were the familiar forms of the director and Sandayu, panic clear to see
on their faces.

"What has happened?" Kagero questioned, allowing the men to catch their breaths.

"Y-Yukie! It's Yukie! My star has gone missing!" The director screeched, shocking most of
Team 4.

"I-I was only away for a few seconds to grab her make-up. When I came back, sh-she was
nowhere to be seen." Sandayu tried explaining, the panic on his face more akin to fear than
anger like the director. "We've already searched the ship and the town. N-nothing! Nothing!
Not a trace!"

"Calm down." Kagero ordered, looking towards her students, particularly the blonde.
Understanding what she wanted, he shook her head. Getting confirmation, she closed her
eyes and focused. It only took around half a minute before the tension in her body left and
she looked back to the director and servant. "Worry not. She will return shortly."

The two looked taken back by the statement.

"What? Just like that?" Sandayu asked, not sure if he should be relieved or not.

What sounded like an angry tirade answered his question. Walking from the town was a
familiar blonde. Behind him, tied up and cursing like a sailor, was their missing princess. The
director and servant met the kid halfway, disregarding the blonde to scold the princess who
had suddenly gone quiet upon seeing them.

"Yukie-sama! Do you know how worried we were?! And look at the state you're in! We'll
have to find a new dress! Again!" The director shouted, getting a scoff from the woman.

"Hmph. I'm not some brat. If I want to go for a walk, then I'll damn well do it."

"I didn't know sneaking around counted as 'just going for a walk'." The blonde said, his eyes
closed tight for some reason. As the director and servant argued and scolded the woman,
Team 4 finally caught up to them. The second blonde seemed relieved upon feeling his
counterpart nearby. "Boss, I caught the princess... Now, can you please dispell me? My eyes
are killing me."

The Naruto with Team 4 blinked slowly at the other, confusion clear. "Uh, Boss. You're the
original."

A moment of silence passed between the two.

"Ah... You're right..." Team 4 looked to the original incredulously, not understanding how one
could forget they were a clone or not. "Sensei, can I please take a dip in the ocean? I got
pepper spray in my eyes."

"...Do what you must, Uzumaki."

Getting confirmation, the blonde moved towards the ocean about 30 yards away from the
group and ready to hop in. Problem was, he never let go of the rope. Yukie protested upon
being dragged, but it suddenly became louder and more frantic upon realizing where they
were heading.

"W-wait! Wait damn it! Hey! Untie me before youheyAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"YUKIE-SAMAAAAAA!"

A *splash* followed by the cry of the servant and director indicated that Naruto had
succeeded in what he set out to do—a not-so-willing tagalong following close behind into the
depths. When they were pulled from the sea, a shivering Princess Gale demanded the blonde
be as far away from her as possible (for her own safety) or she would refuse to film the rest
of the movie regardless of her contract. The director agreed, and the blonde was put in the
only place he could reasonably be as far away from the princess as possible—that being, the
back of the caravan.

It was a fitting punishment, but definitely worth it.

...

Walking through cold weather wasn't a problem for Shinobi. Their chakra was more than
enough to keep their bodies warm or cool in most climates if properly trained, added with the
discipline of training through harsh climates back in the academy. It was why the only thing
the Shinobi had to wear on this journey was a cloak. It was more for practical reasons like
hiding your movements from enemies, but it also gave slight protection from the wind.

However, though they were prepared, the same could not be said for the rest of the caravan.
Heavy jackets, scarves, boots, and gloves were the only things protecting them from the
harsh climate, and it barely did much at that. Add in the fact that they were now heading up a
hill towards higher ground and you got quite the recipe for unhappy employees.

The only thing saving them from freezing to death was the multiple stops they took along the
way, the current being their final. Hot cocoa was passed around in droves, a delicacy Naruto
had never had. Of course, he readily shared with his friendly ghost, both consuming the drink
in the trees—far away from those who didn't understand that it was perfectly normal to give
your ghost something to drink.

Now on patrol after being fired from his last job, Naruto and Sothis observed the people
below as they were setting up the cameras and various other props around the area. It was a
sight the blonde had become accustomed to during his stay, one he'd likely miss once he left.

"This, movie thing is fascinating. To think humans would do so much just to see a bunch
of pictures on a screen." Sothis commented, none the wiser to the white foam stache on her
upper lip from her chocolatey beverage.

"It's called entertainment." Naruto retorted, a similar stache on his own lip.

"And that is not found reading a book? Or painting? I can see the attraction, but I feel
as if it takes away from the experience your imagination gives."

"Some people don't have time for books or the talent for paintings. One takes hours, if not
days, while the other is not easily picked up. A movie can put all of that into one without the
work."

"...Sounds lazy if you ask me."

"Says the one who would rather float than use her own two feet."

"I resent that remark. Floating is just as difficult as walking. Never insult what you do
not understand, Child."

"I understand that you like to hear everything but the truth."

"And I understand that your talents in debate are lacking. Now, tell me, what is that
man doing?"

Naruto's eyes looked from the group below to the man in the direction Sothis pointed. He was
a large fellow, almost twice the size of the director. However, where he looked feeble, this
man was stocky. His features were harsh, almost as if he had been through many battles in his
life.

"That's the guy who died back on the ship... Looks like he is actually working for the
antagonist."
"Antagonist?"

"Villain. The bad guy of the story."

"Hmmm... So what was his purpose for betrayal? Was it money? Power? Love?"

"I don't know. I haven't read the script or watched any of the movies."

"Then how do you expect me to follow this if you yourself do not know what's going
on?"

"It's supposed to be like a mystery. We're supposed to find out his motivations through the
rest of the movie."

"That's stupid. Why can't I just be told now? Why must I be left in suspense?"

"Suspense is often well received in movies and books; more so in movies."

"And there is no way to simply ask the author his motivations?"

Naruto turned towards the Goddess, his eyes incredulous.

"Why would you want to do that? It would ruin the movie."

Sothis frowned back and said, "My experience is already being ruined while being held in
this 'suspense'. Why can I not simply be allowed to know his motivations?"

"I told you, it's because it would ruin the movie. Holding the audience in suspense is what
makes a good movie great. If they told you everything at the beginning, then there would be
nothing to look forward to. No excitement. It's almost half the reason for watching the movie
in the first place."

"And if the outcome is either asinine or lackluster? You expect me to waste time on a
twist that potentially ruins any enjoyment I have for the story?"

"Who in their right mind thinks like that? The journey of the story is what attracts you, and
the twist or suspense is what often keeps you. Take away either, and you don't have a story—
just a bunch of writing on a page. I thought you of all people would understand that
considering the amount of books you have in my head."

"Hmph, my books are all meant for educational purposes or to pass the time. If ever I
have a book with such a plot device, I simply skip forward to see what awaits me. If I
find it entertaining enough, I resume where I left off. If not, I find something else to
read. Simple as that."

Naruto allowed the words to process in his head as he looked at the Goddess as if she were a
fish climbing a tree. Then that fish suddenly grew legs and began tap-dancing to a tune about
fearing the edge of dawn.
"What about my life? Isn't the enjoyment you get from watching me because of the
suspense?"

Sothis scoffed.

"I already understand where it's going, so I am never surprised by an outcome. I'm
simply entertained by the journey. Nothing more."

The comment nearly made a gear in the blonde's mind go off track.

"...Are you stupid?" Was all he could think to say in the end. The Goddess has the nerve to
look offended.

"Am I interrupting something?"

The greenettes forcefully halted their discussion to turn their attention towards the voice that
has joined them. Now standing on the same branch as they were sitting was Team 4's Sensei,
the woman looking down on them with a face of indifference. Naruto blinked at the woman,
looked to Sothis, who was likely only a floating cup in the woman's eyes, then back to
woman.

"Ooooooooooo a floating cup~. How mysterious~." He tried, wiggling his fingers to add to
the act.

"Save it, Uzumaki. I've long since grown numb to the supernatural surrounding you."

Kagero responded, her words earning her a grin from the 'ghost' who continued sipping at her
beverage. "What do you have to report? Have you found anything out of the ordinary yet?"

The Uzumaki thought about it before looking down at the actor that had started the argument
between him and his friend. "Nothing...other than the plot twist."

"...I see." The woman acknowledged. The blonde thought that would be the end of their
conversation, but to his surprise, she proceeded to sit down next to him. He stared at her,
confused on the reason why she suddenly decided to prolong her stay, but got nothing from
the taciturn woman. Since she did not seem interested in talking, the blonde decided to follow
suit and turn to the action down below.

Almost five minutes went by before the woman finally decided to speak.

"Tell me something, Uzumaki, what is it that motivates you?" The blonde and Goddess
turned to the woman, both blinking in confusion at the sudden question.

"Um, excuse me?"

"Your teammates—they both have a clear motive for being Shinobi. Neji wishes to prove a
point to his clan, while Tenten wishes to be known. Each has something that drives them, be
it anger or grandeur. You have sworn to be Hokage, and yet I can see no reason why one who
is ostracized, belittled, and abused by so many would want to protect the same people who
despise him. So I ask again, what is it that motivates you?"
"...May I ask a question before I answer yours?" He asked.

"I am willing to answer as long as you keep your word to answer my own."

The blonde nodded in agreement before being as blunt as he could, "Is the reason you don't
trust me is because I'm a Jinchuuriki?"

"Yes."

"...Didn't even have to think about it." Sothis commented absentmindedly at the woman's
lightning-quick retort.

"But why?" He tried getting her to elaborate. There was a pause between the two, the woman
looking away in a motion that Naruto took as hesitence; a first for the woman.

"...You are far too intelligent for a Jinchuuriki." The woman finally admitted it. "Aside from
the Academy and myself, you have received no prior training from any other Shinobi, and yet
you have skills on par with a Jonin and an S-rank Jutsu that isn't even taught to Jonin. My
only guess is that you learned outside of the ANBU supervision during your...disappearances,
which only leaves the logical conclusion that you were not taught by someone, but
something. It would explain your intelligence, but it makes me trust you even less. The only
reason you are even here and not permanently stationed in Konoha, where it is safe, is
because you have those in high places that favor you, and that I am not Hokage."

"...Y'know, this may sound weird, but in a strange way, I think she actually cares about
you." Sothis commented once more, the blonde having to stop himself from turning an
incredulous brow at the greenette. Instead, he looked down, his eyes staring at the man below
them. It was a while before he decided to answer, and when he did, he didn't bother to look
back up.

"...I made a promise to someone." He started, knowing the one in question would know who
he spoke of instantly. "I want to be Hokage to prove everyone in the village wrong about
me...but that is only a stepping stone to my actual goal. I don't want to change only Konoha,
but the world. To make it a place actually worth living in and not this constant need to fight
and kill. I promised her I'd do it, and I always keep my word."

"...So that's it? Are you seriously telling me that your motivation stems from love?" Naruto
looked to the woman, surprised to hear what he thought was disgust in her tone even if her
face was good at hiding it.

"And what is wrong with that?" He challenged. "Why is it OK for others to be selfish with
their dreams, but mine is considered naive?"

"Your dream is no dream for a Shinobi. It is the dream of an idealist." The Shimura spat, her
face slightly contorting into rage. "Wars are not won by those who show kindness to their
enemies. An enemy you leave alive is an enemy that will one day return to kill someone
precious to you."
"But if you kill everyone just because someone tells you they are your enemy, then it makes
us no better than machines and nothing will ever change." Naruto shot back, feeling himself
getting riled up at the sudden turn of the conversation. "In order for there to be change, there
first needs to be someone willing to go above and beyond. In order to stop this cycle of
hatred, you can't do it through hate. Understanding is the only way things will ever get better
in this world."

"Human hearts are not so easily swayed by words. Action does." Kageri countered. "Without
power, you can change nothing."

"And without hope and leaders willing to lead by example, then there is only stagnation."

"You believe you can change the world by sticking to such morals? No man in history has
ever changed the world without getting their hands dirty, and you will be no different,
regardless of whether you become Hokage or not."

"I won't know unless I try."

The two stared each other down, both locked in their convictions and waiting for the other to
crack. In the end, it was the older who looked away, not in defeat but in disappointment.

"I thought you'd mature over the years, but it would seem you are still the same naive child
you were 7 years ago." The woman said. The blonde had a retort at the tip of his tongue for
the remark, but felt as if saying it would somehow prove her point. Instead, he watched as she
stood up, looking down at the proceedings happening below. "Despite your naivety, you are
the most skilled among your fellow Genin."

She paused to look back at him, the blonde feeling as if she were trying to convey a message
through her eyes.

"Do not let your naivety get your team and those around you killed." With that, she left,
hopping from tree to tree before stopping on one to the far east of the group.

Relieved the conversation was over, Naruto looked to his cocoa, the once warm beverage
now cold. Losing interest in the drink, he turned to his friend, her mug held securely in her
lap as her legs kicked back and forward distractingly. He was going to go back to his watch,
but a question suddenly arose in his head—one he didn't think needed to be asked, but one he
saw no harm in asking.

"Sothis?" The Goddess looked his way, her eyes curious. "Do you think I am naive?"

"Of course I do." She said almost immediately, her tone that of incredulity, as if he should
have already known what her answer would be. Naruto wouldn't say he was hurt by her
bluntness, but he couldn't say he was completely unaffected either. "I told you years ago,
what you seek to accomplish is a futile task. The hearts of man are not so easily swayed.
I have accepted you not because I think it is possible to change the world through
pacifistic means, but because I do not believe you to be so easily swayed to mortal
desires. I've seen your desire to use my power for man, and that is why I accept you."
"...Then you agree with her then?"

"I did not say that." The Goddess denied, a frown taking place at the accusation. "Her way
is more extreme, even if there is truth in her words. She is the perfect personification of
this world—one who accepts it for what it is and adapts accordingly. You two are
complete opposites, yet you both care in your own way."

Naruto blinked at that.

"You truly think she cares about me?" he asked, getting a chuckle from the Divine.

"She would not be so persistent otherwise." The blonde thought on the words before
turning back to where the Shimura was perched. He didn't fully believe his friend, but maybe
there was some truth to her words.

A loud noise from that same direction had the duo turning towards it. From the tunnel in the
distances, a large medal contraption can be seen emerging on the tracks, dark smoke emitting
from a large pipe at the front of the machine. Naruto and Sothis stared at the machine
curiously, the Goddess's curiosity peaked.

"What is that thing?"

"It's a train." Naruto immediately answered his friend's question. The Goddess became more
interested as the moving metal machine grew closer. Looking below, Naruto noticed the
actors continuing their work despite the incoming contraption. Yukie was locked in combat
with the man they once thought dead while her other companions battled unknown figures
around her.

Screeching brought his attention back to the train. The machine had stopped right in front of
the scene, the actors finally stopped their work to look confusedly at the contraption.

What happened next occurred within the span of 5 seconds.

One second, a large man appeared on the top of the train before aiming his metal-like arm at
the actors.

Two seconds, the arm shot forward, going right for Princess Gale herself.

Three seconds, Kagero appeared out of thin air, deflecting the arm and immediately shooting
toward the man.

Four seconds, there was a sharp noise, followed by Kagero suddenly coughing up blood.

Five seconds, a large explosion erupted from where the Shimura had been halfway to the
train.

The explosion caused chaos to ensue, but Naruto saw none of it.

His eyes were too focused on the charred form that was slowly descending from the sky.
 Chapter 24

Dread and panic, a combination that was normal when building suspense and intrigue on the
set. Oftentimes, actors perform outrageous stunts and activities to hype themselves up for the
role they will be playing or even make a particular scene more genuine with their reactions.

Unfortunately for this scene, this was neither an act nor some elaborate hox to scare actors for
genuine reactions. What was happening now was real—very real.

The once joyous caravan of technicians and actors ran in every direction, some running
aimlessly into the forest while others hid in hopes of being overlooked by their sudden
attackers. Behind them, explosions continued to erupt, trapping some in the inferno while
others barely made it out with their lives.

In the center of it all, Fujikaze Yukie sat frozen. Wide blue eyes stared at the form that lay
limp in front of her. Red painted the snow around it, the same color that had found its way
onto her face. Next to the body, glassy eyes stared back at her, the permanent look of shock
etched onto the woman's face and giving reality to the situation she was in.

Then there was the man standing over her.

Hair as blue as ice with equally cold eyes, armor with a familiar symbol on the cap he wore,
and a tongue he used to lick the blood from the blade he'd used to decapitate the Leaf Shinobi
right in front of her.

Fire.

Screams.

Blood.

Death.

Nightmares that had once plagued her for years returned in full force.

Her hands shook.

Her breath was unsteady.

Her mind was racing.

Her eyes were glazed.

She felt sick. Everything felt so wrong and it was getting increasingly difficult to control all
the images running through her head.

It was only when she was lifted up from the ground by her collar that she became fully aware
of her situation. The sudden movement had her looking up. The face of the Shinobi killer
began to come into focus, yet the ringing in her ears did not cease. The face of the individual
wasn't familiar, yet his cruelty was.

Then a word—no, a name uttered by the man spoke louder than any he'd spoken yet. A name
she knew all too well. A name she dreaded hearing and the one responsible for the worst day
of her life.

A scream sounded in her ears next.

A scream so loud and panicked that it terrified even her.

Her ears ring even more, and it took till her throat was hoarse to realize the screams were her
own.

The man now looked frustrated, but she was too caught in her panic to see it.

What finally forced her silence wasn't the man, but a blur. One moment he was holding her,
and the next she was sitting on the snow once more. It lasted for but a moment before she felt
arms sweep her from the ground and felt the wind against her face. Her vision was still
blurry, but she could still make out a new, smaller silhouette.

Be it the blood rushing to her head or the memories, she suddenly felt weak and her lids
closing.

The last thing she caught was a blur of yellow and green before her world went dark.

A few moments ago...

Upon the first explosion, Tenten was forced away from her position, two employees in each
hand. It was a struggle just to keep hold of the two, their combined weight and mass a clear
obstacle in their way as she tried dodging the horde of kunai that began reigning down on her
from the direction of the train.

She found cover behind a tree at least 100 yards away, dropping the two men who seemed
confused but thankful that their lives were still intact. No time to check over them, she shot
from cover the moment she was able, charging back up the slope with a kunai of her own in
hand. She saw her targets atop the train, most taking aim at her while ignoring the rest of the
fleeing crew members running down the hill. Moving in unpredictable patterns, she chose her
targets and threw them with pinpoint accuracy.

And missed.

The thought alone made her gape, but the incoming metal storm had her taking cover once
again. With plans running through her mind a mile a minute, she almost didn't hear the
burning tag until it was nearly too late.

The explosion rocked the forest once more, destroying her cover and giving her enemies the
illusion that she had been killed in the aftermath. In truth, she had replaced herself with a log
at the last minute, now high in the trees as she looked down to the battlefield below.
The people on the train were still firing into the forest, yet there were no casualties that she
could see.

As expected, orange covered most of the chaos, proof that her blonde teammate was already
on the move and evacuating the caravan as their training had demanded. Scanning further,
she found her Sensei engaging with who she thought was the enemy commander. Thinking
her sensei likely had it handled, she searched more and found Neji. Like their Sensei, he was
engaged in combat with the snow Shinobi who had kicked off the initial explosion that
ignited the skirmish. Not hesitating, shuriken was pulled from her pouch and thrown at the
big guy.

To her continued bafflement, she missed again. It confused her, yet she clearly saw it this
time. Her attack came close and was immediately deflected, as if some invisible wall had
shielded him. She did not get to ponder it, however, because a new figure appeared above her.
She only had enough time to raise her guard before she was sent flying via an axe kick.

Righting herself mid-air, she landed safely in a nearby tree, looking up at her floating attacker
with a scowl.

Pink pigtails poking from the sides of a beanie were the second thing she noticed before the
metal wings on her back. Like the big guy, she wore chakra armor in the form of a long-
sleeve shirt that went to her knees but not before splitting on both sides at her waist. Green
pants, leg warmers, and sandals completed her look along with the cocky smirk that told the
Higurashi all she needed to know about her new adversary.

"Careful, little one. Would be a shame to lose that pretty head of yours~." The woman
taunted. Tenten would have loved to respond, but the woman was already diving at her once
more. Forgoing projectiles, the Genin pulled out a scroll and two tanfa appeared in her hands
in a burst of smoke.

Deflecting the diving kick with her new weapons, Tenten opted to hop from tree to tree,
mindful of the ninja still waiting to get a proper shot at her from the train.

Meanwhile, on the ground floor, Neji and his opponent were at a stalemate. The wide man, at
least twice his size in girth, was too slow to hit him, yet the Hyuga quickly found dealing
with the man a task in patience. Though he could get around his armor with Taijutsu, his
vitals were well protected because of it while the armor itself negated his gentle fist entirely.
To make matters more annoying, kunai didn't work either and the men on the train made it
difficult to make any decisive blows without risking a kunai in his side. It was a frustrating
strategy; one Neji was not so eager to compliment being on the receiving end, and all

"Gotta say, I'm disappointed, boy." The gravelly voice mocked, a smirk present on his face. "I
always wanted to fight a Hyuga. A shame it had to be a brat barely worth his salt."

The insult slipped off the Hyuga like the air it was. This man was just another enemy, another
obstacle to overcome.

"Truly?" Neji spoke back, humoring the man as he thought of a plan of action. "You act like a
warrior, but without that armor, you are no different than the average drabble playing ninja."
Neji didn't need to be a mind reader to know the insult got under the man's skin. The fact that
he was immediately charged was proof enough. Ready for the man's attack, chakra went to
the Hyuga's eyes. Veins appeared around the organs, the sign of his clans Dojutsu shown to
the world. The world around him turned black and white, and he was ready to engage once
more.

...

Naruto clashed swords with the Jonin, sparks flying as the man's powerful strikes were
expertly deflected away from him before he countered, swinging horizontally at his exposed
midsection. The man's speed proved worthy of a Jonin and was able to keep himself from
being bisected at the hip by deflecting the attack upward and leaving the blonde open for
attack.

Another blade nearly took his head off for the attempt. The man was forced to retreat back a
few yards, yet the smirk on his face never vanished.

Landing next to the blonde, Naruto gave a quick glance to his Sensei before snapping his
eyes back onto their opponent. She looked fine for the time being. Her stance was as perfect
as it would ever be, and she looked as new as when the fight first started. Despite that, the
blonde stuck close to her, almost protectively.

Across from them, the Snow Shinobi's grin grew wider as he spoke, "The Village Hidden in
the Leaves. I have to say, I'm honored. The last I'd seen of your kind was Hatake. Tell me,
how is my old friend doing? Still running away?"

Neither Konoha Nin answered, one not knowing the man personally while the other likely
did not see it fit to answer.

"Oh? The silent treatment I see. Well, it does not matter. I'll just send Hatake a little present.
Maybe your heads will be enough to make him visit again." The man said with a grin as he
pulled his arms back before throwing them forward, summoning countless amounts of snow
shuriken to throw at the Leaf Nin. The duo were forced to split apart, an action the man saw
and immediately capitalized.

Now, if one were to see this from an outsider's perspective, almost anyone with sense would
think to go after the Genin. Being the younger of the two, the gap in experience and likely
skill would be a no-brainer. Uzumaki Naruto was not a normal Genin by any means, but his
opponent likely didn't know that, and logic would deem him the likely target.

To his absolute astonishment, he was disregarded entirely. In fact, the man even showed his
back to him as he went right for his Sensei. From how far away he was, he could see the man
bring his sword up high, a move that wasn't practical at all and held too many openings to
count.

And yet his Sensei brought her tanto up defensively. A feeling of deja vu flowed through the
blonde's body before his eyes glowed and his body filled with power. In less than it took to
blink, he was in front of the two Jonin, his sword deflecting the chakra-enhanced blade before
it could make contact with his Sensei's. With another swipe, the man retreated back, a look of
frustration crossing his features before he readied himself once more.

Glancing back briefly, he saw the blank visage of his teacher, completely unaffected and
seemingly unaware that her life would have ended if he hadn't redirected the attack.

It was suspicious.

A suspicion that had grown into an inferno after all her deaths.

Yes, 'deaths'

Not once, not twice, not even thrice. Six times, the blonde had rewritten fate to save the
woman.

The first was when she first defended Yukie from the big guy before engaging and being
immediately shot out the air by the Snow Shinobi and their strange kunai firing crossbows
before her spontaneous combustion moments later.

On the second, after seeing her fate, he immediately pulled her back before she could become
a human pincushion. Assured of her safety, they took cover before he used shadow clones to
ensure the safety of the rest of the crew, taking his eyes from the woman. He did just that,
finding Neji combating the metal-armed man while Tenten fought another woman with
wings. Almost a minute into the evacuation, another Snow Shinobi showed himself by
bombarding the actors with exploding tags. He was able to evacuate them in time, but
somehow, some way, their Sensei got caught up in the explosion, killing her instantly.

On the third, he alerted everyone to the dangers of the train before it even stopped. By the
time it did, the enemy had no one to shoot upon their arrival. They were free to engage the
enemy on their terms, a battle that nearly turned in their favor. He allowed his Sensei to fight
the Snow Jonin leader alone while he acted as support for his team. He looked away for only
a second to defend himself from a barrage of incoming kunai, only to look back and see her
falling to her knees, her throat gushing blood before the man finished it via decapitation.

On the fourth, he fought alongside her, beginning the question of whether something was
wrong with her or the Jonin was just that skilled. He was, in fact, skilled, maybe on part with
the typical Jonin, yet he clearly couldn't keep up with their tag team. During this, Naruto
confirmed that something was definitely wrong with his teacher. She moved slower than he'd
ever seen her, and not once did she even try using those strange webs of hers. She still kept
her skills, yet she fought as if her style was completely new to her. Despite that, he was able
to keep her alive.

One moment was all it took for the tables to be turned. Through the orders of the man, the
kunai barrage focused solely on them, splitting them up for only a moment. That was all it
took for his sensei to somehow take a kunai through the neck and bleed out in seconds.

On the fifth run, he went as far as challenging the man alone, catching him before he was
even able to confront his sensei while leaving his clones with the confirmed sluggish woman.
He was good, no doubt, but that was more due to his reflexes than his actual skill with the
sword. His sensei was far superior with the blade than he was, and even with the strange
armor, there was no excuse why she should have ever lost to the Snow Shinobi. And yet still,
even after he was forced to retreat, he found her laying in the snow, kunai in her back, and a
shaking Yukie under her. How the actor appeared when he knew he saw Sandayu evacuate
her, the blonde didn't know.

On the sixth and final run, he confronted the woman. Rewinding back to the end of their
conversation, he asked if there was anything wrong with her before her departure. She didn't
exactly answer, just giving him this look of indifference, but he pressed and made sure there
was nothing she was keeping from him before the battle. Unsurprisingly, all she told him was
to 'keep his duty in mind' before returning to her perch on the far tree.

From there, events unfolded as he thought fate wished. The train appeared, but he took the
place of defending Yukie from the metal-arm man while evacuating the rest of the caravan.
Leaving his team to deal with the metal arm and wing woman, he engaged to Jonin with his
sensei, sticking to her like glue to paper. Not once did he leave out of her sight, and the fact
he could feel frustration coming from both Jonin's were red flags he just now began picking
up. Now, here they were. At a standstill, practically no charges left, and only one thing
Naruto could think to do to save the woman's life.

"Sensei," he spoke finally, feeling her eyes land on him, "we are outnumbered and fighting on
their terms. We should retreat." He reasoned, wanting more to see her reaction than to follow
through with his plan.

"...Agreed. Ready yourself. I shall make a distraction." Kagero said, unaware of the turmoil
boiling in the blonde's head. Unfortunately (or fortunately for the blonde), they didn't get the
chance to enact whatever plan the woman had as she was forced to parry another strike from
the man before using his free hand to toss a smoke bomb on the ground. Not giving the
woman a chance to act, he grabbed her hand and began hopping away as fast as he could. It
was as good a chance as they were going to get, and he would not waste it.

Raising his arm high, two fingers pointed to the sky before a bright light shot from his
fingertips. A moment later, a loud *POP* echoed through the battlefield, a signal he and his
teammates used in training as a means of telling the rest to retreat and group up. Looking to
his left, he hoped to see his teammates following the signal and was pleased to see their own
smoke bombs covering their side of the field.

That was when he saw something out of place.

His eyes widened marginally at the site, unable to believe what he was seeing. Sitting in the
snow was Yukie, a look of petrified shock on her face as she stared into the flames ahead.
Questions about why and how she was still here after giving his clones orders ran through his
mind, the impossibility stunning him for the briefest of seconds.

Those few seconds were enough for his sensei to suddenly kick him in the side with enough
force to send him flying. As he was sent soaring through the sky, he watched as his sensei
charged the downed Yukie, but not before catching the back of the Snow Shinobi heading the
same way. He landed in a tumble, desperately righting himself before he shot back to his feet
to-
He froze.

Disbelief filled him as he witnessed a sight he'd once prevented come true in the end. Laying
in the snow was his Sensei, her life liquid painting the snow red from the new hole created
through her decapitation.

A scream.

He didn't hear it at first. His mind had been shocked into a numb silence as he witnessed his
Sensei fall. Only when he heard a shout from within his own head did he come back to
reality. Tearing his eyes from the corpse of his Sensei, he saw her killer, now holding Yukie
in the air with her collar—a scream of fear the likes he never heard before echoing through
the mountains.

Before he knew it, he was moving. He didn't know what he used to get to the woman so fast,
but when he got within range, his fist was already reeling back and shooting forward.

The Snow Jonin didn't even have time to brace for the blow before he was sent flying like a
missile through the forest. Catching the actress in, ironically, a princess carry, Naruto allowed
one more look at the corpse—a glance that lasted for but a second. That was all the time he
had before he shot into the woods, dodging incoming kunai and disappearing into the forest.

Some time later...

Neji rapped on the wooden door of the abandoned hut two times, followed by repeating the
actions exactly four more times as per the code. After the fourth knock, the door cracked
open just enough to put a finger through.

"...Nice day for a stroll, don't you think?" A familiar female voice asked behind the door.

"...Why waste time when there's work to be done?" Neji replied back, not even getting half
way there before the door swung open just enough for him to squeeze in. It closed just as
quickly as it opened, literally feeling the relief fill the room. Glancing back, he saw Tenten
put away the kunai, a relieved look crossing her features as she gave him a tired look.

"Please tell me you have good news." The kunoichi asked, hope in her voice despite likely
knowing things were likely to only get worse in their situation. Looking around, he saw that
the rest of the crew's hope was more genuine. The only two who didn't show an ounce of
emotion were Naruto and Yukie, the former for obvious reasons and the latter due to her
sudden case of unconsciousness on the ground next to the blonde.

"None, unfortunately." He reported, likely dashing any hope anyone present may have had.
"The dock is completely filled with Snow Nin. They are stopping people at random; my
guess is to make sure we aren't disguised as civilians. What makes matters worse is that they
have completely halted all vessels from entering or leaving. Any who protests or looks even
slightly suspicious is being detained. They also... somehow already have wanted posters of
us," he made eye contact with each of his team members, "which tells me this attack was
premeditated. The chances of slipping away on a ship with this many people are unlikely. Our
only option is to lay low until things blow over and the dock is moving again."

Finished with his report, he allowed it to sink in with the rest of the occupants. To say the
news didn't sit well was an understatement. Most everyone looked sick, and even some began
sobbing. The only ones who seemed capable of keeping their cool within the caravan were
the director and, oddly enough, Sandayu.

After a while, the director looked right at him, his calm facade surprising even the Hyuga.

"Tell me something, boy. What are our chances of leaving this place? Alive, to be more
specific." Neji stared at the man, silently admitting that he didn't know how to answer.
Eventually, he walked to the nearest wall to lean on and cross his arms.

"We have an entire Shinobi force looking for three Konoha Nin. Even if I am optimistic about
our skills, I am not confident in taking on an entire nation. Chances of casualties during
escape are almost guaranteed, while capture or death is almost 95%."

"So in short, we're fucked." Someone spoke, speaking nearly everyone's mind on the matter.
It didn't help at all that the Hyuga did not answer.

While the others dwelled on their situation, Naruto warred with his own thoughts. In his
head, events played over and over again, the blonde trying to make sense of it all and the
possible reasoning behind it.

Shimura Kagero was dead.

The thought alone seemed impossible for one of the most skilled kunoichi he'd met, despite
her obvious dislike for him. To make things worse, they weren't able to collect her body in all
the chaos, making him and his team's mood all the more agitated. Now they had just gotten
news that they were stranded in a land where the entire nation was after them while their
leader was dead? It seems things just kept turning from bad to worse. And to think it all
happened in the span of 3 hours.

But despite their situation, the blonde couldn't help but get stuck in his own head. Gazing at
Princess Gale, the turmoil just continued to grow.

Any who knew Shimura Kagero, truly knew her, could tell it was her upon observation. She
was straightforward, almost robotic with her answers, much like Naruto's classmates claimed
him to be. She said very little, but when she did, it was meant to be taken as if it came from
the Hokage himself. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that she would give her life for the
mission if it called for it. In fact, Naruto was sure she would do almost anything, no matter
how immoral, to make sure Konoha came out on top—such was her almost fanatical loyalty
to Konoha.

That's why it was so out of character for her to simply throw her life away to keep Yukie, an
actor, alive. If she died, they would fail the mission, of course, but one failed mission would
not hinder Konoha in any capacity. They were a civilian caravan with no one of large
importance other than a celebrity on a movie screen. She had no political importance as far as
the world was concerned, so why would such a fanatic throw her life away for someone she
likely considered a nobody?

It suddenly hit him.

Not once did the Snow Shinobi go after Princess Gale with lethal intent—the last being
arguably the only instance, yet the blonde still suspected foul play, or at least a truth he just
wasn't seeing. If their goal was to ultimately capture Princess Gale, then that would bring a
bigger picture to things. It explained her constant attempts at escape, her attitude towards the
land of snow, and why his sensei was willing to throw her life away for her.

He remembered coming to this conclusion after nearly half an hour of contemplation while in
the void between time. Sothis hadn't said a word, allowing him to go through his thoughts
unabated. There was only one person who could likely give him the answers he was looking
for, and that woman was currently waking up.

Naruto saw her begin to stir, the blonde waiting patiently before the woman fully opened her
eyes and sat up. The moment she did, all eyes landed on her, and Sandayu was at her side in
an instant.

"Yukie-sama! Are you okay? What happened out there? Why did you run off?"

Yukie didn't answer at first, taking a moment to compose herself before her face scrunched up
in an expression Naruto thought was confusion.

"I... What?" Her voice was scratchy, a hand going to her head as she tried to remember the
events of the afternoon. "I, I didn't... All I remember is..."

Her sentence cut off abruptly, her expression changing into something unreadable as her eyes
darted around the room. Not finding what she was looking for, a sigh of relief left her.

"How long was I out?" She asked, Sandayu looking as if he had more to ask, but refrained.

"For the past 2 hours. We found no injuries, so we were relieved. You only fainted."

"Is she well enough to talk?" The voice of Neji spoke, suddenly standing over the woman.
His stoic expression was not reflected by the rest of the occupants, a clear indicator of the
tension in the room. Yukie must have picked up on it, because she suddenly looked
uncomfortable under the Hyuga's gaze.

"Sh-she is, but-"

"Then that's enough." Neji cut the assistant off before grabbing the woman by her collar. In
the blink of an eye, a kunai was placed at her throat. Everyone was up in an instant, their
cries for reason unheard as the Hyuga glared down the now frightened woman.

"Wh-what is the meaning of this?!" The concerned Sandayu shouted, yet the Hyuga did not
acknowledge him as he pressed his kunai closer.

"Who are you, and why was our Sensei willing to die for you?"
Yukie didn't say anything at first, her eyes widening in disbelief as she stared at the Hyuga
before her gaze shifted to the rest of the people present. Despite the protest, no one was
stepping forward to stop him, making her nervousness increase.

"I-I don't-"

"Back there, the enemy only went for you. They didn't bother with anyone but you."
Surprisingly, Naruto spoke up, for once backing up his teammate's actions. Even Tenten,
despite recently standing with the others, had suddenly turned to their side when presented
with the facts.

"Y-You can't be serious?!" Sandayu tried again. "Why would they-"

"QUIET!" Neji snapped, pressing the knife harder, causing Yukie to squirm. "We just lost our
Sensei because one of your own failed to mention she was an important target to the Snow!
Now who are you and why were you targeted?! Answer, or I will-"

"ENOUGH!"

The voice silenced the room, a chill going through the occupants. Everyone looked to the
source, shocked to see the director standing up, staring firmly not at the Hyuga, but Sandayu.

"It is alright, Sandayu. We do not blame. None of this is Yukie's fault. We simply wish to
know the truth."

Sandayu looked back at his employer, his gaze pleading, but the man was firm. He sat back
down, leaving the room tense as the Hyuga waited for a response.

"...She, Yukie Fujikaze... Her true name is Kazahana. Kazahana Koyuki. And, she is the
granddaughter of the late Kazahana Sōsetsu... And niece of the current Daimyo, Kazahana
Doto."

Snow Country: Train

"Careful damnit!" The overweight Snow Shinobi snapped at one of the medical specialists
looking at his dislocated arm. The woman apologized, but the man still had half a mind to
split her skull open right then and there—a clear indicator that his mood hadn't cooled even
the slightest since the end of the skirmish. It wasn't just the fact that those Konoha brats
managed to escape, though that was certainly a major cause for his sour mood.

No. What had truly soured his day was his failure to capture or kill his primary target. If not
inferiorating enough, the brat he had dead to rights was capable of dislocating his fuckijg arm
before running like the little shit he was. He swore to the Shinigami himself that the next time
they met, he'd pound the brat into the ground till he was an unrecognizable lump of flesh in
the snow.

"Aaaaawwwww does your booboo hurt too much, Mizore? Want me to hold your hand until
you're all better?"
"Fuck off, woman!" Mizore snarled at his pink-haired companion, the woman laughing at his
response. Unlike him, she looked relatively unscathed, a sign Mizore believed to be due to
her getting the weakest of the Konoha brats rather than any real skill on her part. In fact, he
doubted she would have faired any better against the Hyuga than he, if not been completely
dismantled from the start. That, he would have paid to see.

"For once, can you two not be so loud." The duo looked across from them where their team
leader sat. Compared to a dislocated arm, he was arguably worse. The entire right side of his
face was swollen, the red in his sclera being a clear indicator that a blood vessel had ruptured.
His left arm was in a sling, while his right held an ice pack to his face. He hadn't said much
about what happened to him during the skirmish, but Mizore had no interest in asking. Seeing
him impact a tree after being sent flying through the forest like a bullet, by a Genin no less,
was all Mizore needed to know. Whether the blonde kid got a lucky hit in or not was of no
importance.

"Oh? Someone's upset we lost our catch?" Fubuki teased, a cocky smile on her face. "If it
makes you feel any better, I'm sure we'll find him again. I'll even hold him nice and still while
you get in as many blows as you want to heal your ego. Sound good?"

The frown the man sent her had her cackling once more. "The boy is not important." He said.
"What is important is that their Sensei is dead, which means so is their leadership. All that's
left are some untrained civilians and three Genin. When next we meet, they will be dealt
with."

Mizore's smirk returned, the idea of facing the Hyuga brat again pleasing him greatly.

The three were interrupted by the door to the medical cart opening. Immediately, the three,
along with the medical ninja, got into a kneel as the imposing visage of a man walked in.
Standing taller than them all at nearly 7 feet with a square, double-chinned jaw along with a
defined physique that was visible even under his robes was their leader and employer. A man
known for his cruelty as well as the power he held over the Land of Snow.

"Lord Doto," everyone voiced, the named Lord giving the room a once-over before his eyes
landed on the injured leader of the three Shinobi.

"Nadare, report." The man ordered.

"Most of our targets have escaped, including the princess, Lord Doto." The named Nadare
reported not once looking up from his bow.

"I see." The man replied, looking at his injured subordinate with a frown. "You are injured."

"I underestimated the opposition, Lord Doto. I shall not do so again." Nadare replied, earning
a grunt from his employer.

"I trust you won't. As for your targets, I trust you've already prepared accordingly."

"Hai, Doto-sama. We have trackers searching the woods as we speak. They will not get far.
I've also sent word ahead to be on the lookout for fugitives disguising themselves as Shinobi
of the Leaf. Once my injuries have healed, I shall join the search myself."

"I appreciate your thoroughness in the matter. However, the last will be unnecessary."

Nadare finally looked up, his brow slightly creased in confusion. "Sir?"

Hands behind his back, Doto walked past his subordinates to observe a vile on a nearby table.
"I've already taken the liberty of making sure our dear princess has nowhere to run."

"How so, my Lord?" Mizore asked for the group.

Turning his back to the vile, Doto looked back at his subordinates, his grin wide.

"I have been assured that our lost princess and her friends will find their way back to us
without you even needing to lift a finger. In fact, it is almost guaranteed."

Snow Country: Cabin

Team 4 and the actors listened to the story told by the attendant with wrapped attention. The
cold that hadn't affected Team 4 as much as the actors was somewhat prevalent now after the
revelation they had been hit with.

A princess, an actual princess, was one of their clients. To make matters even more
unbelievable, the current Daimyo, Kazahana Doto has been hunting her since she was a child.
Hoping to throw the man off their trail, she became an actor, an idea that her attendant,
Sandayu, who turned out to be a samurai of her late father, put together—hiding in plain
sight, he put it. It was both an ingenious and risky idea, yet it worked for years.

Problem is, they went to the one place where she was likely to be recognized instantly, a
move that just felt stupid on her attendant's end yet made more sense considering randomly
disappearing after word of filming in the Land of Snow had already been known knowledge
was far too suspicious to just let go. They could have disappeared one night and never
returned, but the acting business was their only safeguard, and simply leaving would likely
have them found within the year. It was a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation if
the blonde had ever heard one.

On a more positive note, the support the woman received from her fellow actors despite lying
to them for years was somewhat heartwarming, especially from her director, who was ready
to continue shooting the movie despite their situation. He was talked out of it, thankfully, yet
that did not stop his exuberance.

That did not, however, mean that everything was resolved.

Neji was pissed—understandably so.

Despite the overall change in atmosphere and forgiveness, it did not change one crucial fact
about their mission.
"So, what I've gathered from this is that your lies have rounded back to Konoha, am I right?
We were sent here on an A-rank, but in reality, it is closer to a high A-rank and should have
been handled by a more experienced team. Instead, we were sent out of convenience, which
ultimately cost us the life of our superior." The Hyuga laid out the facts, growing angrier the
longer he looked at the revealed princess, who replaced her fear with indifference.

"I understand your anger, Shinobi-san." Sandayu pacified. "However, I specifically asked for
an A-ranked mission, particularly for this reason. It is stated in your clause that an A-rank can
be subject to change over time without warning or the need to disclose personal information.
In all actuality, we stayed within that clause and were assured of our right to privacy when
the Hokage himself acknowledged the mission. We may have left out information, but that
information does not warrant the need to raise the rank, meaning the terms of our contract
have not been broken."

"...Spoken like a true man of the court." Sothis echoed her thoughts, Naruto silently
agreeing yet oddly not commenting or removing his gaze from the samurai.

Neji no doubt felt the same and said, "I've half a mind to deliver this woman to the Daimyo
myself."

The look of horror that crossed Koyuki's face was anything but acting. She looked genuinely
terrified, and it showed on every crease of her face.

"Y-you can't!" She pleaded, a level of desperation in her voice they'd never even thought the
woman capable of. "You don't know my uncle! He will not pay you! He-he'll kill you, then
he'll kill me!"

"This is outrageous! We have a contract! If Princess Koyuki dies, then the Land of Snow will
never know peace!" Sandayu followed up, yet it seemed to be going in one ear and out the
other for the Hyuga.

"He's right, Neji." Naruto, not so surprisingly to the Genin but to that of the princess and
samurai, spoke up in their defense. "It would be an entirely different story if he hired us for a
B-rank and had such information withheld. We'd then be liable for compensation, and he
would likely be in a cell back in Konoha for intentionally leaving out information retaining to
rank. As far as Shinobi law is concerned, he is innocent."

Sandayu looked relieved at that, while Neji looked on with frustration.

"A word of advice, though, Sandayu-san." The blonde continued, looking into the eyes of the
man. "Though you did nothing wrong in the eyes of the law, I'd advise against repeating this
in the future. You're getting away with this because it is Konoha you decided to put your trust
in, but Shinobi are known for keeping grudges. Remember that next time you wish to be
political."

A bead of sweat ran down the samurai's face, the man nodding in acknowledgement of the
statement moments later. Neji remained glaring at the man, but eventually walked away from
the princess altogether and headed right for the door. "Naruto, Tenten, a moment, if you will,"
he spoke before opening the door and disappearing behind the door.
Naruto and Tenten gave each other a confirming nod before following their teammate—the
blonde leaving a few clones behind just in case. Upon walking outside, they found their
teammate walking further into the woods, prompting them to follow.

They did so for nearly a minute before Neji finally stopped, allowing the blonde and kunoichi
to catch up. For minutes, the Hyuga stood there, the atmosphere becoming more ominous the
more they went without speaking. When he finally spoke, it was clipped, and it was clear he
was holding back his frustration.

"We need to discuss our next course of action." He stated rather than suggested, leaning
against a nearby tree.

"What else is there to discuss?" Tenten asked. "We're stranded, our Sensei is dead, and we are
contractually obligated to continue the mission. Seems pretty straightforward to me, even if
I'm 100% aware we're screwed."

Neji shook his head, his glare hardening.

"Our only realistic option is to wait until the docks are no longer guarded before sneaking
away on a ship. However, that could take anywhere from weeks to a month. Three weeks is
more likely due to trade, but that doesn't solve how we get 30 bodies out of here without
being seen, let alone keeping them fed. The chances of escape are slim to none with the
bounty on our heads, we've lost our leadership, and we have no chance of reinforcements. We
are on our own out here, and I know your views, but I'm not so keen on continuing a hopeless
mission for a technicality."

"That's not-" Tenten started but trailed off when she didn't think her point was valid. "There,
has to be another way than just giving up on these people."

It was easy when they were following orders, but now that they were left with the role of
leader, when multiple lives were at stake and there was no guarantee of survival, Tenten
realized the burden of leadership. How exactly were you supposed to choose your life over
someone else? Someone completely innocent who you swore to protect? How would you
even tell them your decision? How could you live with yourself? It wasn't such an easy
decision when you're potentially the one with lives on your shoulders...

"...What if we had reinforcements?" Two heads turned to their blonde teammate, both not
understanding the words at first.

"We've already established the likelihood of that, Naruto." Neji replied.

"Yes, but what if we did? What if we had people we could trust, who were good fighters and
possibly had the means to take the fight to the enemy?"

Neji raised a brow, a pondering look now on his face, while Tenten looked on expectantly.

"And where would we get such allies?" Tenten questioned. Naruto looked between his fellow
Genin, scanned the area around them, then looked back to them, his brow slightly creasing
his face into a look of seriousness they'd never seen from him.
"What I'm about to do, you can't tell anyone, not even the Hokage himself. That is my one
and only condition. Agreed?" Tenten and Neji looked to each other, then nodded—neither
having anything to lose at this point. "Not even the director or his crew. Not the Hokage. No
one."

"We promise, Naruto." Tenten spoke for the two of them, Neji crossing his arms in
expectation of whatever the blonde was about to do.

"You sure about this, Child?" Sothis asked, making sure there were no doubts in her ward's
decision.

"We don't have much of a choice." He thought back, mentally going through the proper hand
signs in his head. "We won't survive long without help... And I think I could use their opinion
on some things."

"...Very well. Do what you must." Getting acknowledgment from the Goddess, Naruto
reached within and-

*CRASH*

Once again in the void between time and space, he thought about the best way to make his
thoughts into reality. A few days ago was the first time he'd ever summoned someone to the
Elemental Nations, yet that was only one and he wasn't so sure how to even summon
multiple. Closing his eyes, he tried visualization, hoping their faces and key words like
'Fodlan' and 'Nabatean' would help him in the summoning process.

"Here goes nothing." Biting into his thumb for blood, he went through the proper hand signs
while molding his chakra accordingly. A moment later, his palm met the snow, the world
returning to normal as he felt the Jutsu bare fruit.

A puff of smoke filled the area, causing the two Genin to cover their faces while the blonde
simply waited for the cloud to clear. The moment it did, three figures appeared. Their
confusion was evident as they looked around, wearing garbs that were foreign to the rest of
the Genin. The older woman of the group seemed to snap out of her the quickest upon
locking eyes with the blonde, her green eyes widening in recognition.

"Naruto?"

"Hi Seiros."

The moment they heard that voice, the other two summons looked forward and down to the
familiar blonde, one still confused and the other now excited.

"Naruto! It is so good to see you again so soon!" Flayn exclaimed, running up to her
surrogate little brother to ruffle his multicolored hair.

"Hi again, Flayn."

"Naruto, what is the meaning of this?" Seteth spoke up next, his face mirroring disapproval,
unlike his female counterparts.
"Hi to you too, Seteth."

"Um, Naruto, who are these people?" Tenten spoke up from behind the blonde, the Nabateans
suddenly taking note of the other two Genin.

"Oh, are these your friends?" Flayn asked, her hand not stopping in its motion through the
blonde's hair even as he turned to acknowledge them.

"Guys, these are my-"

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-WHAT THE HELL?!"

Another voice caught everyone's attention. All heads turned to behind Rhea and Seteth, the
duo doing the same upon realizing where the voice originated.

Three eyes widened in recognition at the shivering, brown-skinned, mint-haired girl hugging
herself tight while looking at the one who she believed somehow summoned her to this
frozen wasteland.

"U-U-U-Uzumaki?! Y-y-y-you ba-ba-better have a ga-ga-ga-good explanation f-f-for this!"

 Chapter 25

"How is this possible?"

Naruto, company, and their new guests were all crammed in the same hut they had evacuated
to, the space just barely big enough to fit the group of seven, let alone the 30 who were
already inside. Thankfully, most had agreed to wait outside for an indeterminate amount of
time or retreat to one of the four rooms. Those who weren't were huddled around the fire, lost
in their own conversation while pretending not to be interested in the happenings of what was
going on in the far room.

The group that included the director and Sandayu, the Archbishop and her two Saints, Team
4, and Fū (the topic of discussion) sat in the main room of the cabin, the latter two seated on
the floor while the former four remained standing. Tenten was the one speaking, her shock at
the appearance of the foreigners evident on her face.

"I too find myself curious about our current predicament." Seteth spoke, looking at the
troublesome blonde before turning his attention back to Flayn. "You said this is where you
disappeared a few days ago, correct?"

"It is, brother." Flayn confirmed, looking a bit unsure. "Though the climate has changed quite
drastically since my last visit..."

"We're in the Land of Snow." Naruto replied, causing Seteth to look to him with apparent
skepticism.

"The Land of Snow? Are you telling us that you've summoned us to your world?"

"In little words, yes."

"Wait, time out! What the hell are you guys talking about 'your world' and what are you doing
in the Land of Snow?" Fū interrupted, surprised at their current geographic placement.
"Better yet, what am I doing here?! What the hell did you guys do to bring me here?!"

"I agree with the girl. An explanation if you will, Young Naruto."

The blonde looked from the Nabateans to the Taki girl, not exactly sure where to start. In the
end, he decided it was best to start introductions first.

"First, let's clear up some confusion." Turning back to his teammates, Naruto began by
gesturing a hand to the three people from Fodlan. "Guys, these are my friends from another
world."

"...What?" Two voices of incredulity spoke simultaneously.

"...I get the feeling you guys don't believe me."

"Naruto, you've lied so many times that it's kinda hard to take anything you say seriously."
Was Tenten's flat remark.

"...But I've never lied to you. Not even once. In fact, I've never told a lie in my life." The
deadpans he received were actually warranted this time. "...Ok, that was a lie, but I swear that
was the first."

"Wait, then what about me? What part do I play in this?" Fū pointed at herself impatiently, to
which Naruto stared back at her aimlessly.

In truth, he had absolutely no idea why she was here or how he had summoned her. There
was no correct explanation he could think of, and the ones he did made zero sense. She was
no Nabatean, nor was she related in the slightest. Why she was summoned alongside the rest
was a mystery the blonde felt went deeper than his pay grade.

"...Your hair?" Was the first thing that came to mind. Fū looked unimpressed. "...Extra
baggage?" Was the second thing that came to his mind.

It was not received well, as evident by the way she casually began cracking her knuckles.

"If you wanted me to kick your ass then all you had to do was ask."

"Children." The two stopped at the voice. Turning, they were both greeted by Seiros looking
at them with a look neither could discern. "Fū, was it? I understand your confusion and do
wish the answers you are looking for come willingly. However, I think it is best we start with
why we're all here. We do not exactly have the luxury of time."

The woman looked right at the blonde at the last remark. Since their arrival, he could feel the
strain of keeping not one but four individuals present at once. He was sure he could last for at
least 2 hours, maybe even three if he had a chakra pill, but effectively being chakra dead in
enemy territory wasn't something he wished to be made fun of if he made it out of here alive.
He didn't know how she knew, but he was thankful she was looking out for him nonetheless.

Seeing Fū reluctantly back down with a pout and cross of her arms, the blonde looked to the
group and began, "I guess it's better I start from the beginning."

...

"...I...I have no words."

"I think, 'what the fuck' would suffice."

The reaction from Seiros was expected.

The Taki girl...well, that was expected too.

"This is indeed cause for such drastic measures." Seteth spoke, his aura of disapproval
replaced with calculation. "And what have you all decided on?"
"Nothing yet," Neji said sharply. "Those options are the only ones we have. We have no
others—at least, none worth considering."

"I see... So you are stuck with either fulfilling your duty, or abandoning it. Stick with it, and
you risk your own lives for strangers, and the likelihood of success is lower than 5%.
Abandon your duty and you keep your lives, but in doing so, damage your home's reputation,
damn 30 innocent lives and likely the entire nation, and a possible monarch to a tyrant... My
word. The ramifications of the latter alone are staggering. The fact children are forced to
make such a decision is... appalling."

"It is the reality of our world...and one we willingly chose." Tenten spoke, the kunoichi not
exactly fond of the way he spoke of their age.

"But you shouldn't have to. I've known that this world isn't particularly kind to its denizens,
but seeing it for myself truly puts things into perspective. You truly have been forgotten by
the Goddess."

"I resent that statement." Sothis commented, likely at the fact she didn't know the
Elemental Nations existed until her 'awakening'.

"We are not here to speak on morality and what is right and wrong. We are here for solutions
—one Uzumaki put faith in you solving." The Nabateans all looked to the Hyuga, his
uncaring nature evident since their arrival. Nevertheless, he was right. This was not their
world, and they had no right to put their views on a matter that was irrelevant to their current
situation.

"...Apologies. You are right." Seteth conceded, bowing his head before looking back at the
trio of Shinobi. "In that case, I do not see many options for your opposition. You are in
enemy territory with very few fighters and resources while also being anchored by civilians.
No matter how I look at it, this is not a winning battle."

Neji looked visibly frustrated at the answer and said, "You are just repeating what we already
know."

"Yes, but that does not make it any less true. Before you make a plan, you must first map out
your current situation and opposition. Once that is established, a solution can then be
constructed."

"Is, that your way of saying you will help us?" Tenten asked hopefully.

Seteth answered not by speaking, but by looking to Seiros. In turn, everyone looked to the
woman, understanding that their next move wouldn't be decided by Seteth but by his
suspected superior.

The woman did not leave them in suspense and smiled.

"I owe Naruto a debt I can never repay. It would be remiss of me to deny the only request he
has ever asked of me." The tension left Team 4 at the words of affirmation. Seteth followed
up by walking to the center of the room and kneeling to the wood. Lifting a finger, it began to
glow brightly before he began running it along the wooden canvas, much to the shock of
Neji, Tenten, and Fū.

When he was done, a makeshift map of their surroundings was burned into the ground. In the
center, there was a triangle circled, while around it were multiple dots. On the far left were
what looked like waves, indicating it to be the docks, while on the top right were tower-like
structures, indicating the possibility of a castle somewhere in the distance. He pointed
towards the triangle, with the rest understanding that this was most likely their camp.

"Now, the situation is that the enemy is currently concentrated around the docks, effectively
preventing your escape. We cannot overlook the possibility of there being other docks, but
going into unknown territory, especially so close to the enemy stronghold when your supplies
are low is suicide. Since waiting for things to blow over isn't an option with the size of your
group, there are only two real options available to you."

He tapped the dock, getting everyone to focus there.

"Your safest option is to get everyone on a boat and off the island. To do this is simple." His
finger glowed once more, burning its way into the wood and creating two more triangles on
the outer portion of the dock. "At dawn, we have a group of two or three create a distraction
for the caravan in the north. That group will lead the main force away from the docks, while
the remainder will lead an attack on the dock itself. If we are lucky, enough forces will be
carried away in the distraction, allowing the civilians to board the biggest vessel and escape."

"Wait, what about the ones staying behind?" Fū pointed out the flaw, yet Seteth was ready.

"Not to worry. For this job, there is only one capable enough to cause such a distraction while
guaranteeing his safety back on the boat."

Almost in sync, all heads looked to their resident army maker, the boy blinking at the sudden
attention before giving a thumbs up.

"Once Uzumaki has successfully led away the main force and we have successfully taken the
dock, we will immediately sail out... Uzumaki," Seteth looked at the boy, his stare firm but
serious. "Your job is to lead them as far away from the docks as possible. Once your mission
is complete, you will make your way back to the docks as quickly as you can. We cannot
delay departure for more than a couple of minutes. Do you understand?"

The blonde gave a firm nod, his serious expression mirroring the Nabatean's.

"Good. Now, for the rest of you, the attack on the dock will be split into two parts. First will
be a quick assault from the South. Once we have their attention, we can have our second
force come in from the front in a pincer. When the battle is won, the civilians will be loaded
onto the most able ship and we shall sail immediately."

Finished with his explanation, Seteth looked around, waiting for the questions to come in.
One came, but not in the form he was expecting.
"So basically, we're running away?" All heads turned to Fū, the girl raising a brow at the
looks she was getting. "What? That's what it looks like. We all run away and that Daimyo
prick gets to keep getting away with his bullshit? Doesn't sound much like a win to me."

"And what exactly would you have us do?" Seteth's voice was sharp, the tone surprising the
girl. "Fight? Take the challenge to the enemy directly? With a group of 7 capable fighters
against untold numbers? This is about survival, not personal feelings and woes of grandeur.
Lives are at stake here and as one who has seen war and its unpredictable nature, know that I
speak true when I say there is no shame in retreat. Living to learn from the experience is
better than allowing others to die due to your own ego."

Fū looked stone-faced in the wake of the man's words. Almost robotically, she turned her
attention to her fellow Jinchuuriki as if asking 'does he know who he's talking to'.

"Don't," was all Sothis had to say to get the blonde to not back his self-proclaimed 'girl
friend'. He could almost feel the girl's disappointed eyes on the side of his head the moment
he looked away.

"I know how you feel, Fū, but my brother is right. As much as it pains me to say, there is
nothing we can do for this country currently." Flayn tried soothing the girl. Fū looked to her
fellow greenettes owlishly, the Fodlan resident feeling her resolve waver at the look of
disappointment on the girl's face. Eventually, Fū looked to a nearby corner, her displeasure
evident.

"When should we initiate this plan?" Neji spoke, eager to be done with this island and
mission as soon as possible.

"It would be wise to wait a few days—a week at most. In the meantime, recon is in order. The
more informed we are about our enemies and escape routes, the less likely our plans are to
fall apart."

"We will have that covered. I suppose you all will return to prepare?"

"If you have no further use of us," Seteth looked to Naruto, the blonde nodding in
confirmation before standing to his feet. "Then I suppose we have an accord. Be sure to rest
easy in the coming days. When next we meet, it shall be ready for-"

The sudden sound of the door creaking open caused everyone to turn in its direction. To the
surprise of most, in walked Princess Koyuki, that look of complete indifference present on
her face as she took in everyone in the room.
"Have you all finished deciding my fate?" She asked self-deprecatingly.

"We have decided on our next course of action, yes." The princess's gaze landed on Seteth.
Her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion at the new face, particularly at the foreign and clearly
expensive way they dressed.

"And who are you supposed to be? Don't remember seeing you 'round here."
"We are allies. You can be assured of that. I take it you are Princess Koyuki Kazahana?"
Seteth answered, standing slightly taller with his hands placed properly behind his back.
Koyuki looked slightly taken aback at his mannerism. Her stance suddenly became more
guarded, as if she were ready to bolt at any wrong move.

"Who are you people?" She asked instead, showing obvious worry in her tone and stance.

"No friends of your uncle, if that is your concern." Seiros spoke for the first time in a while,
standing to her feet and greeting Koyuki with a warm smile. "I am Rhea, and these are Seteth
and Flayn. We've been informed of your situation and plan to help in any way we can."

Despite the radiant smile and the way it tried to reassure her, the princess fought the urge to
give in, knowing well the situation they were in and the hopelessness of it all. "Y-you're all
wasting your time. Unless you have an army, then there is no saving us. My uncle... That
man, he will not let me leave this island alive. Even if I do, he knows who I am now—what I
look like. I will never be free after today."

"There is always a way, Miss Koyuki. Please, do not give up hope." Flayn tried consoling, yet
the princess was having none of it.

"Do not give me lies! You all know as well as I do that we're all dead! If he doesn't kill me
now, then he'll kill me later! Even if, even IF, we escape, we are only prolonging the
inevitable! You should have never dragged me here in the first place! Now you've doomed us
all!"

"Princess!" From behind her, Sandayu appeared, quick to try and calm the woman down.
Unfortunately, his efforts were rewarded with an elbow in his side as she turned her back to
the group and stormed out of the hut entirely.

A moment passed where no one moved. Only the sound of fire crackling was heard before
Sandayu gave a deep sigh, bowing to the group. "I am terribly sorry, everyone. The princess
has had a trying time these last couple of years, so her behavior is expected. I shall talk to her.
In the meantime, I ask that you please do not hold her words against her."

"It is fine. Please continue to comfort her in these trying times." Rhea remarked, the assistant
bowing in acknowledgement before quickly rushing after the princess.

"...Anybody else feel shitty?" Fū felt the need to speak out.

"We shouldn't let her words sway our judgment. We will see this through until the end,
whatever it may be." Seteth remarked, the moco-skinned girl not at all pleased by the answer.
While the discussion continued, Naruto stared intensely at the door, his face showing no signs
of worry, yet gears were running through his head.

A few days later...

Sothis and Naruto looked down the hill at the tied up Koyuki currently being dragged back to
the cabin by one of the blonde's clones. Their faces showed no sign of caring, as if they'd
seen this scene more times than they could count, which, to them, they had. In fact, at least
three times in the last six days did they have to use a pulse since Sandayu (as was quickly
becoming expected at this point) somehow 'lost track' of her on more than one occasion.
There was incompetence, then there was Sandayu.

Yet, Naruto honestly couldn't blame the guy.

Princess Koyuki clearly had no intention of trusting in them, believing only she could save
her life seeing that no one 'believed' her about her uncle's obsession... Well, it ran deeper than
that, no doubt. In fact, Naruto knew he'd feel somewhat similar if he knew without a shadow
of a doubt that someone would kill him and no one was willing to solve his problem in a
more permanent matter... Which was one of many reasons why his mind had been in turmoil
these last few days.

"...Hey Sothis?"

"Yes, Child?"

"You ever get the feeling that the choice you're making is the wrong one? Like, you will
regret it deeply if you act on your head and not your gut?"

Sothis' eyes turned upward, supposedly thinking back to such a time in her life.

"...Can't say I do, Child." She eventually answered, immediately understanding that it was
not the answer the blonde was looking for from the way air left his nose. "...When I was
flesh, my decisions impacted millions, my children included. The thing about being a
leader is you must take heed of the fact that your actions affect not only you but
everyone who follows you. You are responsible for them, and they are depending on you
to guide their fates... Though I do not think I'm the best to talk on the subject
considering where my children are now..."

Despite the words, Naruto did not allow the mood to grow somber and retorted with, "At
least you still have Seiros."

"I suppose I do... Though I suppose grandchildren are not in my near future."

"Why is that?"

Sothis raised at the blonde.

"Do you honestly see Seiros with child? Better yet, do you see her beholden to another?"

Naruto didn't have to think on that. In fact, he was sure another version of him would have
laughed at the thought alone.

"I can see your point."

"Yes, but we are not here to talk about that, we are talking about you. You believe it is
right to help that girl and these people, even if the cost may be yours and their lives?"
"Not just that," Naruto confirmed without confirming. "It's just that, I feel that we came here
for a reason, and running away isn't that reason.

"You wish to go against your friend's wishes."

"I don't want to, but my gut is telling me something. It's telling me that running is not the
right move. Something's gonna happen here and Koyuki is the key to everything. I can feel
it."

Sothis looked at the boy curiously, noticing the seriousness in his expression, one rarely seen.

"...Are you sure? Listening to the heart and gut over the mind often leads to a lot of pain
and hardship."

"I know, but I'd rather have hardship than regret."

Sothis chuckled at the words. In the end, she would allow him to guide their fate as he always
had.

"If you feel so strongly about it, then I accept whatever decision you ultimately make.
All I ask is that you err on the side of caution. Our fates are intertwined, and I do not
wish to die because of block-headed decisions."

Naruto thanked the Goddess with a nod before focusing his attention back on the hut. His
mind was set, but he wished to confirm one last thing before their escape plans tomorrow.

"Boo!"

Suddenly dropping in front of the blonde was a familiar face—one who smiled expectedly
while hanging upside down and being only inches away from their nose touching.
"...Hi, Fū." The Taki girl's smile was immediately replaced with a pout at the lack of response
from her fellow Jinchuuriki. Unlike the Nabateans, Fū had not returned home upon the
conclusion of their strategy meeting. Thankfully, sharing her chakra with him was more than
enough to keep her here, yet his and his team's worry was more about the fact that Shibuki
was likely having a mental breakdown at her sudden disappearance.

"You can at least pretend to be scared, y'know." She said, the two sitting in silence before the
blonde dramatically shot his arms up.

"Aaaaaaah," he tried without any internal inflection. His reward was his fellow Jinchuuriki
immediately bursting into laughter, her arms covering her exposed stomach as if trying to
hold in the giggles.

"Wh-What the hell was that?! N-next time just stay quiet!" Fū said, the girl practically crying
in the midst of her hysterics.

"It's not my fault you can't tell when I'm being serious." He retorted, crossing his arms and
trying his best to look offended. Unfortunately, it only made the girl laugh harder.
Eventually, she hopped down from her upside-down perch to join the blonde on the branch.
Her laughter slowly died down and her smile remained, a comfortable silence settling
between the two.

"Soooo...whatcha doin' up here?"

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

"It's clearly not nothing if you're thinking, so spill it."

The two stared at one another, the Taki girl not relenting her gaze while the Uzumaki looked
on impassively. In the end, the blonde relented. "I have a theory. However, I'm missing a
piece to the puzzle, and I feel like the princess is part of that piece."

"You try asking her?" Fū suggested, to which Naruto shook his head.

"No point. I know she doesn't know anything, and even if she did, it wouldn't solve the
mystery." A hand went up to the blonde's chin, his thoughts running once more as he tried to
make sense of the madness that was the last week.

"Well, you won't find the answers in that head of yours, so why not retrace your steps? Go
over everything you know with that strange power of yours."

"That's actually what I was about to do." Naruto admitted before a thought came to mind.
Looking at the girl, he bluntly asked, "You want to see something cool again?"

...

Naruto and Fū landed in what was clearly once a battlefield. The snow had no bodies for
evidence, but kunai and broken trees still remained. In the center of the battlefield, a
particular spot was where the two had stopped.

It had been a week, but despite how the elements covered it, Naruto couldn't forget the place
where he had seen his sensei met her final demise. It was one of many places where the
woman had met her end, yet this particular place stood out above them all due to its
significance.

"Sooooooooo what are we doing here exactly?" Fū asked upon watching the blonde stand
around for what was now a couple of minutes.

"I wanted to confirm something."

*CRASH*

With but a thought, time stood still. Fū blinked at their surroundings, confused and awed at
the way the snow around them had suddenly just stopped.
"Soooo let me guess. This is that little girl in your heads' power and and this is one of those
things that's going to give me a headache if you explain it, isn't it?" She asked, knowing full
well the answer.

"...Kinda. This is just one of her basic abilities. I can interact with things in this place, but
anything I do will revert once time flows again."

"...I was gonna say how cool that is, but now I'm kinda disappointed." She said, the blonde
somewhat glad Sothis had decided to sleep instead of accompanying them on this little
venture.

"It has its uses... though this isn't what I wanted to show you."

With another thought of a gear turning counter-clockwise, the blonde watched as the snow
around them went from being still to moving in reverse. Fū watched in stupified awe as the
world moved backward, her jaw hanging open slightly as the trees flapped uncontrollably,
fallen leaves rose into the air and found their rightful spots, and the sky went from night to
day as clouds followed. It was like pressing rewind at a movie theater and the mint-haired
girl was slowly losing sanity the longer she tried to process what was going on.

It took a minute before the world stopped moving, leaving her and Naruto standing in a now
untouched frozen forest.

"Y-you, you just reversed time?!" She looked from the sky to the blonde, her mouth ajar and
mind on the verge of mental collapse.

"Technically, no. In truth, this is simply a vision of the past. Six days ago, to be specific. It's
one of Sothis's many abilities, though I try to use it as little as possible due to the strain it puts
on my body and mind for the rest of the day." Naruto explained as if it were a simple D-rank
Jutsu and not an ability that bordered godhood—far more than she thought even Chōmei
could do. If she can take one thing from this, then that would be that it was, hands down, the
coolest thing she'd ever seen, period.

Leaving the girl in her flabbergasted state, Naruto continued to rewind time until he got to the
moment he was looking for. Eventually, to his left, he saw a familiar train returning to its
previous position where it all started. Snow Shinobi ran backwards till they stopped before
them, surrounding the area the blonde had been looking at previously—the snow having been
cleared completely to show the greenery below.

He watched as a fire suddenly emerged between the Snow Shinobi, actually making the
blonde pause in slight shock. Moments later, he allowed the event to continue its rewind until
the moment before the fire was started. When he stopped once more, he wasn't surprised to
find what exactly had been set ablaze.

"Holy shit." Next to him, Fū joined in, looking down at the Jonin she'd literally traveled with
only days prior, now dead in the snow with her head removed from her body completely. It
was a sight Fū suddenly wished she hadn't seen, yet one Naruto seemed to be taking in stride.

"What, happened to her?"

"She died." Naruto answered the girl almost immediately, the blonde contunuing his
investigation by rewinding to the beginning and allowing the events that had transpired six
days ago to play out for them like a movie. The moment it got to Kagero's demise, he paused
it right before the woman could be decapitated. Sea foam eyes observed the scene
analytically, trying to find something to solve the issue that had been running through his
head for nearly a week.

"So, this is how she went..." Fū commented. She didn't know the woman personally other
than their very brief interactions during their mission, none of which she remembered fondly.
However, seeing her go out, like this of all ways, unsettled her. "I'm, sorry of your loss." Fū
felt the need to say to her friend.

To her slight annoyance, the boy ignored her. His eyes seemed to be focused intensely on the
scene in front of him, seemingly analyzing something she couldn't see. Over and over, the
world rewound, the two watching the woman's actions moments before her demise for what
felt like hours—Fū going completely ignored whenever she asked the reasoning behind it all.
Eventually, the scene paused once again. This time, his attention turned from the Jonin to the
princess kneeling behind her. Lastly, he turned to look at something in the distance.

The sudden widening of his eyes told Fū he'd found something. Turning to see what he was
looking at, she was only further confused to find nothing but forest no matter how she
squinted her eyes.

"I knew it." The blonde whispered, Fū raising a brow while looking back and forward from
where the blonde was looking. Apparently, whatever he found, the girl did not.

"You knew what? What did you see?"

"Something I hadn't before," was all he said.

*CRASH*

In the blink of an eye, the vision of the past was gone, replaced with the reality of the present.
Nature moved with the wind like it was meant to once again and left Fū with more questions
than the answers she was looking for.

"C'mon! Don't leave me in suspense! What did you find?!"

"...We should head back." Naruto suggested, Fū clearly frustrated on being ignored.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell you found or not?"

"When I know more...but not today." He finally answered, turning to look at the girl for the
first time since before the vision. "Before that, can you catch me?"

Before the girl could question the request, the boy suddenly leaned forward and-

*THUMP*
Face met snow as the Taki girl failed to heed her friend's request. Fū looked down at the limp
form of her friend, unsure whether to help or laugh.

"...I think I overdid it."

"I think you did." Fū mocked the muffled voice. "Want me to carry you back?"

"...I would appreciate it."

Smirking to herself, she reach down to turn the blonde onto his back before putting both arms
under him and lifting with ease. Her smirk turned smug as the blonde looked up to her with
slightly curved brows that made him look constipated.

"...Please don't carry me back like this."

"What? Never been carried like a princess before?"

"No, and I don't want to start."

"Well, it's fortunate that you don't get a say in this." With that, the girl turned on her heel and
began hopping back to the hut. In her arms, Naruto thought about the looks on everyone's
faces when they returned while he did his best to burn his gaze into the side of the Taki girl's
head.

"...You will rue this day."

"I don't think I will."

The next day (Night)...

Snow Country Docks

"...Hey Yuto, you ever think about what life would be like if you were rich? Like, filthy rich?
Rich to the point your zeros have zeros?"

Yuto raised a brow at his fellow guard, the query catching him off guard. "Really?"

"Just humor me, old man. What would you do with that kinda money?"

"...Well, if I did, I guess I'd buy a boat and sail to places I've never been. See the world, ya
know?"

"You can do that with your current boat you twat."

"No, not a dinghy, fool! A proper boat. Like one with a bedroom and a kitchen. Hell, maybe
even a pool. One of those big ass fancy ones with a captain's hat and all. Oh! And a bunch a
babes! Can't be a ship captain without women and saki on deck."
"...Seriously? You can do anything you want and the only thing you want to do is drink with
some broads in the middle of the ocean?"

"Oi, it ain't all women and booze, asshole! You're forgettin' the adventure! Ain't shit ta see on
this island but mountains and snow. The women are often covered to the neck and what little
can be seen isn't enough to get my imagination runnin'. I've heard there's women in the South
that wear shorts so short they stray on the line of modest and prostitute."

The way the man wiggled his eyebrows made the younger of the two laugh.

"So basically, you want to travel South just to get a boner?"

"It ain't just for that, lad! The South is also home to beaches, tropical storms, and exotic foods
with hot women being a bonus! Can't say much about the weather, but everything else sounds
like a damn vacation."

"Don't know about that. I hear it gets really hot down there, in the Land of Sand specifically.
They say the heat is so intense, even the clothes stick to your body."

"Damn, I'm drooling just thinking about it, heheh."

"Sounds like the only things on your mind are boobs and ass..."

"Oi, stop judging a single man for having dreams! Married men like you have no right to
judge us!"

"What can I say? Can't join the game if you refuse to play."

"It ain't about refusing, it's about those who got it and those who ain't. Natural pretty boys
like you have no right to...to..."

"To...?" The younger of the two turned to look at his older partner, only to stop in his tracks.
The man was looking at something in the alley they'd nearly passed, his eyes as wide as
saucers and his jaw practically on the ground. Curious, he looked to where the older man had
his eyes glued.

"Fuuuuuuck meee..." Left his mouth in a whisper as he joined his comrade in his state of
stupification.

There, leaning against a nearby wall, was the most beautiful creation the two had ever laid
eyes on. Long green hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders, her body covered in a
blue yukata that hung loose. Her body was curved to perfection, and her breasts were large
and plump, yet not so big as to detract from her slim physique. Despite the cold, her attire
revealed a healthy amount of cleavage and skin, her legs covered only to her upper thighs
while her feet were bare.

And her face.

By the Shinigami, her face.

Even the stars themselves were jealous of her beauty.

"Hey boys," The woman spoke, her voice as smooth as the silk she likely wore. If they had
even had a brain cell left, their training would have kicked in and they would have been on
high alert. Unfortunately for them, it was scientifically proven that there were two ways to a
man's heart, and one often spoke for the majority of their actions. "Fancy a night stroll?"

The men gulped, their eyes trained on the woman as she began walking essentially sensually
towards the duo.

"N-n-never seen you round here before, ma'am." The older one spoke, the woman nodding in
response, her smile growing wider.

"Ah, forgive me. I tend to stay indoors nowadays. It's quite hard to keep to myself when such
strong and able men patrol my street daily."

Said 'strong' and 'able' men were silent, their faces a mixture of awe and lust.

"Y-you said you were from around here?" Kaze asked, thoughts of his wife keeping him in
line even if he could begrudgingly admit that this woman and his wife would not even be in
the same conversation if the topic of 'sexiest woman alive' was brought up.

"Oh yes. I have a nice shack near here, and it just so happens that I've been feeling a bit
lonely as of late. Would you care to accompany me for the night? I'm sure you've heard it's
quite chilly out, and brave men like yourself deserve to unwind from all~ that stress, no?"

She was now mere inches away, her hand lifting and placing itself on their chests. The men
were frozen stiff, not moving even as she moved her lips in closer towards their ears.

"We can do it here, but I prefer my own home."

The implication of her words and the way her other hand began stroking their chins caused a
certain part of their anatomy to grow, their blood rushing to a place neither would dare speak
of.

"W-w-we can't!" Kaze shouted, being the voice of reason in the very suspicious yet very
arousing situation. The woman was undeterred.

"Oh? Are you sure, dearie? You sound quite unsure."

"N-no, we can't. We're on duty and-"

"Ah, then I suppose it can't be helped." She said somberly, her sensual smile turning to that of
disappointment as a hand went up to cup her perfect face. "If you do not wish to join me for a
night, then I suppose I'll just have to get another."

"Wh-WHAT?!" Yuto shouted, a sigh leaving the woman at his exclamation.

"Well, my house is cold, and I am lonely. If you do not wish to keep me company, then I'm
afraid I must seek it elsewhere."
"H-hey now, wait a minute!" The older Shinobi pleaded almost desperately. "Th-there's no
need to be so hasty! My friend was just joking! Yes! All just a joke! What a jokester, am I
right?!" He elbowed his partner, his look of fear and anger very telling.

"I-I can't," the younger man whispered, sounding pained but desperate to be the voice of
reason.

"Shut up and live for once, boy! This Goddess is offering her bed!"

"B-but I'm married!" Kaze whispered back in a vain attempt of an argument.

"Married?" The woman cut into their silent conversation, her grin growing even wider as she
looked over the younger of the duo. "How interesting~. Your wife is a lucky girl."

"Y-yes. I love her dearly." He squeaked.

"Hmm. You must tell me more." She walked over to the younger of the two and began
stroking his chest once again.

"S-stop..."

"Stop what? Don't you want to share stories with a lonely girl?"

"D-don't touch me..."

"Is it because your wife is a jealous girl? Does she not let you play with others?"

"I-I'm married..." The young man repeated weakly, his resolve shaking more upon looking
down at the obvious show of cleavage poking out of the yukata.

"Yes, I am not the one you've sworn yourself to. However," a hand came to her mouth,
blocking the view from the older Shinobi as she whispered, "What she doesn't know, won't
hurt, no?"

The younger Shinobi felt himself give in to the offer.

"I-I guess she-

"Shhh." A soft finger was placed on his lips. "Let's go somewhere more private, hm?"

His head was already nodding before his brain could catch up. The woman gave him a wink
before taking the hands of the two Shinobi, leading them deeper and deeper into what would
no doubt be paradise.

When the men woke the next day, their heads would be pounding as they found themselves
tied up and alone in the same back alley they'd foolishly slipped into.

In the meantime, Naruto stood over the two unconscious Shinobi, lumps on their heads and
their eyes rolled back.
"It is almost frightening how good you are at that." The voice in his head said, the blonde
understanding that the statement was not to be taken as a compliment.

"Just feels as though I was born to do it, somehow."

Sothis did not comment on that, but did on a completely different matter that was somewhat
related. "How many have you replaced so far?"

"At least 36. 38 if we're counting these guys." He stopped for a minute before adding, "40
now. One of the clones just got two more."

"...Please tell me they did not use the same method." Naruto stopped moving. A hand
immediately began massaging the Goddess's brow upon reading the boy's thoughts. "If
Seiros finds out-"

"She won't." He assured, pausing to think more on the matter. "...Unless you're a snitch."

"...Call me that again and I'll do it out of spite."

The blonde, wisely, kept silent.

Assured that at least half of the patrols in the North had been taken care of, he reached into
his pouch and pulled out an object. The object was round, and standing tall above it was a
fuse. He was sure this would be more than enough to alert the rest waiting outside.

With a single handsign, three puffs of smoke appeared in the alley. Four blondes now stood
ready before another puff of smoke covered the original. The face and attire of Princess Gale
now stood before the clones. Not needing to be told what to do, two clones immediately
transformed into the faces of Tenten and Neji while the only remaining Naruto picked up the
hinged Koyuki. Immediately, they bolted out of the alley.

Moments later, the town lit up in the brightest bonfire the Land of Snow had ever seen.
 Chapter 26

"Holy shit!" All clearly heard the exclamation from Fu down below. For once, they couldn't
blame her for her use of profanity. In fact, if they could pick up their sacked jaws from the
ground, they were sure they would have said the same thing. "Guys?! I think that's the
signal!"

"No shit!" Tenten yelled back instinctively while reading her tonfa. While she prepared, Neji
looked to the nearest Naruto clone.

"You sure we can depend on your friends?" He asked, to which the clone immediately replied
with a nod.

"Trust me, they are strong. Once we fulfill our part of the plan, they will do the rest." The
clone assured, it being enough to quell the Hyuga's doubts.

Together, Team 4 and clones waited for the final signal for their plan to commence while
watching as the town slowly burned in the inferno. It did not take long for Fū to realize their
cue from the blonde.

Through enhanced vision thanks to the Biju in her stomach, she saw multiple figures being
led to the North by four figures. As planned, she waited 10 minutes for the figures to get far
enough away before she hopped down to ground level. Before she could hit the ground, four
translucent bug-like wings sprouted from her back and began flapping in a consistent but
quick motion, allowing her to float just before she would have hit the ground.

Hovering above Team 4 and the clone army, Fū smirked.

"You guys ready to kick ass?" She shouted, to which the army of 100 all raised their weird
swords to the air in silent confirmation.

"Don't let your overconfidence turn into incompetence." Neji warned, to which Fū scoffed.

"Yeah yeah, whatever, killjoy. Nobody asked you." Not at all making a friend out of the
Hyuga. Instead, she turned back to the clones, her smile bright once more as she exclaimed,
"I said, ARE YOU READY TO KICK SOME ASS?!"

The clones repeated their earlier motions with a bit more enthusiasm, while Tenten turned an
incredulous stare at the Hyuga.

"Who's bright idea was it to appoint her as leader?" To answer, all Neji needed to do was
glance back at the army of clones. It was answer enough.

Pleased at what she was seeing, Fū turned to the town and pointed forward.

"THEN LET'S GO KICK SOME ASS!"

...
"Over here! Quickly! Throw some water on it!"

"We tried, Sir! It's still burning!"

"God, what is this fire? Why isn't it extinguishing?!"

"I don't know, but if we don't find the cause soon, it will spread!"

"Where the hell are the rest of our forces?! Have they caught the princess yet?!"

"They haven't come back yet, Sir!"

"Fucking useless! Send another team North and cancel the search! And make sure they move
their asses! I'm not dying because of your incompetence!"

"Sir!"

The Shinobi immediately took off, leaving Jonin Ibara to curse his bad luck. Of all the times
to be caught with their pants down! He knew this day would come—prepared for it. They had
sentries planted on every corner of the city for Kami's sake! He'd made sure personally that
every corner of this town was swept and clean of the little bastards! Hell, they were meant to
be dealing with some green horn, wet behind the ears Konoha Genin who didn't know their
asses from their elbows!

Where in the report did it say the little shits were insane enough to set half a town ablaze?!

"Sir!" Another voice called. It was a lower-ranking officer, no doubt here to add more bullshit
to his already overflowing bucket of problems.

"It better be good news." He warned, but the panicked look on the young man's face told a
story before it even left his lips.

"We-we're under attack, Sir! T-The South! At least 100 enemy forces are pushing our flank
back!"

Ibara was silent, his teeth grinding against one another as he processed the words. Who the
hell was helping the brats? The Land of Fire was 5 days out at the very least. Even if one of
them somehow managed to escape, they wouldn't expect reinforcements for another week at
the most. It didn't make any logical sense.

"Sir, are you-"

"I heard you, damnit!" Ibara snapped, getting his thoughts back in order. They still had
enough men to defend the docks. The retreating brats were likely a distraction. Whoever was
backing them clearly had better brains than the kids, which made the burning of the town
much more believable.

That also meant that the attacking group either held the brats themselves, or the Princess
herself. Escape through the docks is their only option, which means the likelihood of the
brats using the confusion and chaos to escape is high.
His mind set, he turned to the messenger and said, "I'll gather forces to charge the South. In
the meantime, gather a team to defend the boats with-"

"Sir!" A different voice called, pushing Ibara's patience to its limit. Turning, he was met with
yet another man, out of breath, with a look on his face that said anything but good news. "S-
Sir, our troops. Th-there's infighting! Our forces are turning on each other!

Ibara did not allow the shock to show on his face, but inside was a different story.

Treachery? Did he really hear that right? Since when? How? The only possible explanation
he could think of for this would be the enemy infiltrating their ranks.

Yes, that made sense. They had strict regulations to out traitors. Every hour, each individual
would report to base after their patrols. Each return, they were given a specific code to which
identify themselves to superiors. The latest report was about 45 minutes ago...which was
right around the time the attack had commenced.

This was no coincidence. This was coordinated. Planned; he'd even say to perfection. It
would have taken heavy observation as well as continuous practice to time such an attack and
replace guards with their own troops. It was so calculated that it scared him. Whoever was
backing the brats were professionals. The kind that were a menace and pain in the ass.

But he could still salvage this. They still had numbers and an advantage that they didn't have.

The ships. That's what they were here for. Without them, whatever hopes they had would be
soon be crushed. Regardless of if they won or not, he would have the last laugh.

Ibara turned to the new arrival, ready to give the order.

"S-SIR!" A third voice, this time belonging to a female, interrupted him yet again. At this
point, he didn't even bother answering. He simply waited for the news to drop. To the
surprise of no one, it was not good news. "A-an army! Another force is-"

BOOM!

Ibara covered his eyes at the bright light that had temporarily blinded him. When he was able
to open them again, he blinked the spots away before his eyes landed on where the woman
stood.

Where she once stood panicked and heaving for breath, she now stood twitching
uncontrollably. Her body and clothes were chard. The faint spell of Ozone lingered around
her along with the burning spell of wood. Before falling forward, a screech echoed through
the town forcing his eyes upwards. It was clear to see what she had been so in a hurry to tell
him.

"Dr-dragons?" He heard one of his subordinates speak in awe. Unfortunately, neither of their
eyes were deceiving them.

Thousands of feet in the sky, two leathery creatures circled the town like vultures ready to
devour their prey. A sight he never thought he would see in this non-fiction world were right
before his eyes. They weren't as big as the things of legend and story books, but there was no
mistaken that majestic form. If things couldn't get anymore bizarre, from atop the beasts,
several illuminated the creatures before shooting down to the ground.

It was evident where that bolt of lightning had come from now.

A cry of pain had had the Jonin and subordinates' gaze back on ground floor. A body was
sent flying in their direction to land right in front of them. In the direction of the body,
multiple figures wearing orange charged past to engage any and every Shinobi they could.

And yet, none of them caught Ibara's gaze like the one leading them forward.

From the flames, a slender figure emerged. The first noticeable thing he could notice about
the woman was the sword in her right hand and the shield on her left. Despite the clear
danger they posed, the rest of her nearly froze his instincts. Luscious pale green locks fell on
either side of her face, a frame of porcelain skin. Her clothing, from what he could see, was
foreign in nature.

Her armor, a stunning blend of gold and white, shimmered from the flames. The intricate
pattern on the breastplate depicted some kind of symbol—a golden sun with elegant wings
surrounded by a halo of light. Adorned with gems and pearls, the armor exuded a regal and
formidable presence befitting royalty. Under the armor, she wore a long battle dress with gold
linings; the left side split all the way to her hip. A long white cape flowed behind her,
embroidered with delicate golden thread that sparkled with every step she took in her sandle
heels covered by gold greaves. To finish the look, on her head she adorned a bronze crown
with wings poking from each side.

Everything told Ibara that he was looking at royalty. From the crown to the outfit, even the
way she furrowed her brow as if he were beneath her, it all spoke of someone who lived and
breathed power and authority. And yet, all these features paled in comparison to the most
distinctive one on the woman.

Her eyes.

She had two pools of vibrant emerald. Eyes that seemed to bore into his soul, yet felt as
though she was looking through him—as if he were but an ant in her presence. He recognized
those eyes. He had seen them before in his very own Daimyo. The biggest difference was
that, unlike the Daimyo, she did not need threats or an army to erase someone from existence.

The fact that she did not waste time with needless monologue and charged him upon their
eyes meeting only gave her more points in the Jonin's book. Instantly, a kunai was in his hand
as he held it at the ready.

He was completely unprepared for the sudden burst of speed she showed midway.

Her sword clashed with his knife, sending sparks flying as the two pushed against each other.
Ibara could feel the muscles in his arms bulge, every muscle fiber straining to hold the sword
aloft. The power that she presented from a single swing was nothing like what her form
would have suggested. If not for his years of experience reinforcing his limbs instinctively, he
was sure the blow would have broken through both his kunai and arms.

Allowing the blow to slide off his weapon, Ibara ducked a swipe from the blade while
stepping into the woman's space. As he aimed for her torso, the woman spun, her cape flying
around her in an elegant twirl as her shield blocked the strike before she retaliated with an
overhead slash. Before it could come down, he kicked himself back several feet, using her
shield as leverage. In that same moment, his hands slung through hand signs before stopping
on the tiger.

He wasn't capable of so much as thinking the name for his Jutsu. It was all he could do to
lean out of the way mid-flight before the arrow of light the woman had shot at him with but a
point in his direction. No hand-sign, just a point. As if the Gods were practically spitting on
his luck, he just so happened to clearly be fighting not only royalty but a Kekkái Genkai user
as well. He truly had shitty luck.

The moment his feet touched the ground, his hands started signing for the second part of his
Jutsu. As expected, his opponent wasted no time in closing the distance. His eyes kept her in
his sights, watching as she leaped into the air. In a graceful arc, the sword in her hand was
drawn back, glowing as she prepared to cleave him in two.

Before her sword could fall, Ibara placed his hands on the ground, and a wall of stone rose
from the earth to halt the attack. The wall gave him time—more than enough to weave
through hand signs once again while retreating. As expected, the woman cleared the wall of
rock (likely in a single leap), but by the time she reached the top, his Jutsu was already
prepared.

"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Technique!"

The moment he uttered the words, a giant reptile of rock broke from the wall, barely missing
the woman as she landed. Its size was comparable to the houses around it, its mouth wide
enough to swallow multiple bodies whole as its jaws opened to unleash a barrage of stone
shards at her. She sidestepped out of the way, able to dodge the incoming projectiles with
ease.

Unfortunately for her, the dragon wasn't her only opponent.

Before the woman could catch her footing, a multitude of rocky shuriken appeared in the air
before her. Instantly, they fell upon her, the woman's shield being the only thing saving her
from being impaled. While she defended, Ibara continued weaving signs.

"Earth Release: Stone Cannon Technique!"

The dragon, along with every rock on the ground, lifted into the air, each one forming into a
ball of light. Moments later, they shot towards the woman like meteors. Dust and debris
exploded from the ground, smoke billowing into the sky as the rocks slammed into their
target. For a moment, he allowed himself to believe he actually got her.

He should have known by now that the Gods weren't that giving.
Standing tall with her shield up was the unscathed form of the beauty, not a scratch to be seen
on even her immaculate robes. Around her, a

dome-like structure of light seemed to have formed a barrier of sorts around her. Around the
barrier, symbols of unknown origins lined the edges of a polygon-like star that rotated in the
air. Even from here, he could feel the power it emitted, and it spelled no good feelings inside.

With the flick of her wrist, the dome dispersed, and she was on him with a single leap. One
moment he was preparing to create distance once more, and in the next second, he was sent
flying through the air. He grunted as he rolled through the chaos in the street but righted
himself and began the process of weaving signs, his dragon ready to-

His body suddenly seized up. Pinpricks of pain shot through his limbs as his muscles
tightened against his will. Through his peripheral, he could see lightning dancing along his
skin, yet he couldn't understand where the Jutsu that hit him had come from.

A sudden gust of air later, and he'd found the cause.

Ah, he'd made the rookie mistake of neglecting his surroundings. The dragon from before had
taken off into the air once more, but not before the rider, one the Jonin could now see clearly,
took a chunk out of his own bastardization. Not a second later, his opponent cleaved the head
of the rock dragon off completely before making a mad dash towards him.

Ibara cursed his own carelessness. Of course the woman had an ally, and of course said ally
would use this time to strike him when his focus was on his enemy. Such a rookie mistake
would cost him.

With his body paralyzed, he could do nothing as his enemy closed the distance between them
and reeled back.

Despite getting shield bashed in the face, despite feeling his brain rattle in his head, and
despite his vision going dark almost immediately, he still couldn't help but think:

"What a woman."

...

Seiros did not allow the fall of the enemy commander to stop her stride. The moment the man
hit the ground, she focused her attention on the shocked subordinates—their eyes filled with
fear as the strange metal shooting crossbows trembled in their grips.

She did not let the hesitation last for long.

The moment she was within reach, she cleaved one of the crossbows in half with her blade,
the wood splintering beneath her might as the soldier could only watch as the blade followed
up with the side smashing into his face. In the same motion, she drew Mana to the hand
holding her shield and pointed it at the nearby volley of Shinobi aiming at her back. Bright
ruins surrounded her before condensed rays of light shot from her hand and at the Shinobi
with pin-point accuracy. They were impaled, immediately dropping their weapons in agony.
Not a second later, the Nabateans appeared between them to deliver deviating kicks and
shield bashes that knocked them unconscious upon impact.

Instincts had her bring up her shield just in time to deflect a stream of those strange knives
from impaling her from up high. Looking above the shield, she saw the outline of at least
seven figures reloading their weapons from atop a nearby roof.

Before she could even think to act, the figures were forced to vacate the rooftop due to the
barrage of weapons that suddenly rained down on them. One of Naruto's friends, Tenten, if
she was correct, landed in front of her, foreign weapons in her hands and a look of
seriousness she didn't expect from a child.

"We need to hurry to the docks. They're trying to burn the ships." The girl stated, getting a
frown from the Archbishop.

"Then let's not delay." Doing just that, Seiros found herself sprinting alongside Tenten down
the street.

Along the way, there was opposition, and Seiros was able to see Naruto's friend in action.

For someone so young, the girl had amazing control that bordered on inhuman, able to
manipulate her weapon to such a degree that Seiros couldn't help but wonder if the weapons
themselves had a mind of their own. Not a single weapon thrown by the girl missed its target.
Be it a knee or one strategically to the hip and pelvis, the girl's accuracy was far greater than
any knight or rogue she'd faced over her century of life. If she hadn't seen this for herself, the
Archbishop wouldn't have believed the girl capable of such skill and uncaring regard for
inflicting pain.

They finally reached the docks, giving them a moment of relief that lasted enough to breathe
in once.

Once was all they were allowed.

Many ships were damaged with signs of fire spreading throughout nearly every ship. If that
didn't get their blood running fast enough, then the Shinobi practically filling nearly every
corner of the dock most definitely did. The icing on the cake? Upon their arrival, every single
one of them turned in their direction. Now the duo had over 100 metal devices pointing their
way.

"...Retreat?"

Rhea's legs were already moving the moment the question was suggested. At the same time
she twitched, the army let loose, firing their weapons and nearly catching both before they
were able to take cover behind nearby houses.

Tenten was the first to poke her head out, but quickly sucked back upon a kunai getting far
too close to sheathing itself in her forehead. Thankfully, that glance was all she needed to
formulate their next plan of action, and she made that known to her current ally. "Hey Lady, I
have an idea! But we need to get closer!"
"How close?!" The Archbishop shouted back.

"Closer than this! Can you grab their attention to the center?!"

Seiros didn't waste time answering. Whispering a few words under her breath, she held out a
hand towards the Genin. Runes circled the momentarily startled girl before a dome of pure
light appeared over her. A moment later, Seiros was on the move again, using her own light
shield to charge their adversary.

The barrage of projectiles started back up, but this time they were unable to get even close to
meeting flesh. Any and all projectiles bounced off the dome harmlessly, shocking the Snow
Shinobi to silence.

With a grunt, the woman threw her shield out, the golden relic spinning like a buzzsaw before
it impacted a couple unfortunate Shinobi blocking her way to the only ship she saw
functional. With a single leap, she cleared the distance from the dock to a nearby boat,
catching her shield and landing expertly in a roll.

Three Shinobi charged her immediately upon her landing, kunai in their hands and murder in
their eyes.

With a quick draw of her sword, a beam of light flew from her blade, knocking the three men
back before they could get too close. Her shield met the face of another, and a quick spin was
used to kick a third in the stomach, launching him off the ship and into the sea.

No respite was given to the Nabatean. Almost all at once, every available body charged her,
the men forgoing their range advantage to engage her directly. The Archbishop met them all
head-on, her sword and shield meeting her opponents head-on and not missing a beat.

Even as she cleaved one's arm off, smashed their faces, or kicked their knees out, Seiros
refused to let her momentum falter. Her shield came up to block a swipe from behind before a
reverse thrust smashed the attacker's nose, forcing them to recoil back and away. The moment
they did, a burst of light from her shield forced another group to cover their eyes.

It was then that a kunai found itself lodged in her left thigh, the woman's face contorting into
a slight grimace at the pain. She quickly recovered and brought up her shield, only for a
volley of shurikens to bounce off it.

Raising a hand to an oncoming trio, a series of glowing arrows materialized and shot forth,
their aim true as they found their marks. Before any of the remaining Shinobi could recover,
Seiros leaped over them, her shield bashing an unfortunate man in the face and forcing his
body into the path of his fellow Shinobi.

As she landed on the mass, her leg gave out, the pain flaring in her leg causing her to buckle.
A sharp hiss escaped her lips before she reached for the knife and quickly yanked it out. At
that exact moment, she was forced to activate her shield once more due to the barrage of
kunai giving her no chance to catch her breath.
Unfortunately, the spell was made with haste, making the dome overall less useful against a
barrage of concentrated fire. As expected, the shield shattered halfway through the barrage
and Seiros was forced to leap from her position.

She realized her mistake the moment she saw nearly every Shinobi pointing their weapons at
her mid-fall. In the position she was in, there was no room to dodge, nor cast a defensive
spell. The spell wouldn't hold against such overwhelming force, and there was no way to
defend against so many oncoming projectiles with her shield alone. There was no viable
option here that wouldn't lead her into becoming a human pincushion...Well, there was one,
but she didn't-

"COVER YOUR EYES!"

Tenten's sudden scream echoed out through the dock, forcing the woman to instinctively do
as ordered.

A brilliant flash of light illuminated the entire docks moments later.

Seiros landed safely onto the boat, yet despite her lids being closed, she could still set the
blinding light. It wasn't until the light dimmed slightly and the sounds of metal clattering to
the ground followed by people howling in agony did she open her eyes. Around her, the
Snow Shinobi were stumbling about, hands on their faces as cries of 'my eyes' and 'I can't see'
left their mouths.

It was then that the Genin landed next to the Archbishop. Like her, she observed the
groveling Shinobi with interest. At once, they looked to each other.

An understanding was reached without a word being spoken.

...

"I don't care if it kills you! Don't you dare stop filming!"

"Yes, boss!" The cameraman yelled back to the director, taking in the destruction around
them despite currently running for his life.

Thankfully, the Shinobi kids proved to be worth their Hitai-ate. The orange army around
them ensured that not so much as a needle came within 10 feet of them, making their journey
to the docks a lot safer than they would have thought otherwise.

Of course, there were a few close calls... Like now, for instance.

The man had come out of nowhere, rushing their group as his hands moved through signs.
Before they knew it, the snow was rising and a dragon, a freaking DRAGON MADE OF ICE
nearly ended them all in one fell swoop.

It might as well have been a bug considering how easy and swiftly it was dealt with. The
green haired girl, name still unknown, dove right at it while covered in red with a fist reeled
back. An uppercut that could have been used as a meteorite rocketed right through the
dragon's maw, tearing the creature to shreds as the pieces rained down to the earth.
On the ground, the one with the strange eyes charged the now flabbergasted Shinobi and, he
shits you not, poked him so hard and fast the hits sounded like gunshots. OUCH! They didn't
know if the man lived or died, but considering he immediately dropped like a puppet without
its strings, they were going to go with the latter.

Thankfully, they made it to the docks with no further incidents.

Allies greeted them upon their arrival.

Around them, bodies upon bodies of Snow Shinobi covered the docks—some bleeding while
others mangled or groaning and agony.

At the end of the docks, a beautiful woman in foreign-looking armor stood. In her hands was
a shield and sword—a blade as sharp as steel and the shield as pure as the brightest white. A
sense of awe overcame most of the staff as she motioned for them to make haste toward the
ramp leading to a ship she had seemingly secured.

The Director wasted no time following her directions, practically pushing the crew ahead of
him as he yelled, "Get your asses on the ship and be ready to sail! We can't finish this movie
if we're all dead! And don't you DARE stop recording!"

They made it to the ship, and despite the obvious damage, the sails were still intact.

Tenten met the crew on the ship, the girl seemingly already the one preparing the ship to sail.

"Are we all good to leave?" She asked, scanning their group for any missing bodies. Fū sat
comfortably in the crows nest while Neji and Seiros stood guard near the ramp. The rest were
accounted for, including Sandayu and Princess Koyuki strangling unconscious on the
servant's back.

"Ai, lassie! We are all here, but what about your friends?" One of the members questioned,
looking back at the carnage around them. Neji stepped forward, his Dojutsu active as he
looked through the town. Through the fire and battle, he saw the wyverns flying above. On
top of them, three figures could be seen, one lone while the other carried a girl along with a
blonde he knew all too well.

"They're making their way here... Along with our enemies. We should set sail as soon as
possible." The Hyuga explained, getting no objections from anyone.

"Alright then, set a course and get us the hell out of here!"

"Ai!"

As they got to work, a sudden gust of wind blew through the air, drawing attention. From the
sky, two dragons appeared, carrying the last three members of their group. As planned, they
began their part of the plan while circling the slowly moving vessel. Around them, runes of
green encircled their bodies before their arms glowed brightly.

In their hands, blades of wind began to form, swirling and rotating at speeds that created an
audible buzzing sound. From atop their mounts, Flayn looked to her brother and nodded.
Shouting the name of their spell, the siblings pulled their arms back and released the torrent
of condensed wind onto the docks. Any Snow Shinobi left were blown back by the powerful
gust of wind, their bodies flying aimlessly into the air before crashing against any and
everything not nailed down.

However, while Seteth's spell acted as a barrier to the enemy, Flayn's acted as a source of
speed for the escaping caravan. Wind pushed against the sails, propelling them further from
the docks. The two did not stop until the ship was but a speck in the distance, making sure to
let off one final gust to propel their flying mounts forward towards the disappearing ship.

No one followed them.

No one stopped them.

They had all escaped with their lives, leaving the enemy in disarray.

It couldn't get more flawless than that.

...

"Three cheers to our saviors!"

Cheers rang through the air, filling the ship to the brim with excitement and happiness. With
the recent skirmish won and their lives intact, celebration was a necessity to maintain the
spirits of the caravan.

Tenten looked about, the scene around leaving her speechless. Around the deck, people
mingled, surrounding Naruto's friends as they tried pushing mugs of beer into their hands. It
was not unlike a party—at least, it wasn't like the ones in the movies she'd seen.

No, this was different. The atmosphere was far more relaxed than the forced smiling that had
been a constant for the past week. Here, everyone could simply be themselves. A dance of
sorts was underway, where different individuals would start dancing at a specific time before
changing partners, continuing until the manmade beat faded.

It was the most festive thing she'd seen of late and she couldn't help but feel the joy spreading
through the ship.

Up high, Neji sat with Fū, the latter trying to make conversation while the former did
everything but reply.

And in the center, Naruto watched the festivities, an untouched drink in his hands. Beside
him, Seiros sat, the woman sipping her drink with a small smile. She had been silent for the
most part, content to observe the group from the sidelines as she watched the fruit of their
hard work.

With this victory, they would make it to the next port without the fear of being ambushed in
their sleep.
And yet, her young companion did not seem to be at all satisfied. One may not be able to tell
with the perennial ashen stare, but she knew him personally and knew he would typically be
at the center of attention.

He wasn't now.

It was quite curious to see.

"Is something the matter, young one?"

Her inquiry gained a side glance from the blonde. Despite not saying anything, the look in his
eyes spoke for him. He was thinking, likely on the matter regarding the princess below deck
and the country they'd left behind. They've had the conversation numerous times at this point,
but it seems the boy is still not accepting of their decision.

"You may not think it, but you did the right thing. It may not seem so now, but I promise you
will understand later." Seiros commented, yet the boy was unmoved. Slowly, he turned his
attention to the rum in his hand. Likely thinking to drown out his thoughts, he threw his head
back and consumed the alcohol in one go. It only took a single gulp before the mug left his
lips, along with any alcohol he hadn't consumed. A hand went up to his mouth to cover it, his
face turning green for a moment before he swallowed one more time. A shiver rocked him
before his tongue rolled free and an audible 'blergh' left his mouth.

"That-That was awful." He groaned, his face contorting into a grimace that was nothing short
of disgust.

Seiros merely chuckled at the sight.

"It is an acquired taste."

"The only thing I've 'acquired' from drinking alcohol is pain and PTSD...which makes me
believe adults are inherently masochists."

Seiros found a hand going to her face to cover her growing grin.

"It is not the journey, but the destination, Child."

"Then I'd rather not take the journey at all." The blonde retorted, setting the drink down on
the ground before standing to his feet. "I think I'm going to turn in early."

"Mind if I join you?" Seiros was quick to ask, much to the boy's confusion. "If you don't
mind, it has been some time since I've spoken to Mother." Understanding her train of thought,
the blonde nodded. Together, they left the deck and the loud noise that was the festivities,
opting instead for the quiet that was the sleeping quarters.

The moment they opened the door, the two were hit with a wave of heat. Torches had been lit
along the walls, casting a glow into the corridor. With the windows and vents closed, the
temperature was higher than usual as evidenced by the many individuals standing in the halls
compared to their rooms.
They made their way towards their room but paused upon seeing a familiar face closing a
door behind them.

"Ah, Uzumaki and Seiros-sama. As always, it is a pleasure." Sandayu greeted them, bowing
at the waist before the two.

"Likewise. How is Lady Koyuki?" Seiros asked.

"Sleeping, I'm afraid. The Midnight Lily of your country is as powerful as you say. Honestly,
I'm surprised."

"I am glad it could be of some assistance." The greenette replied, a small smile on her lips.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some business with the director. If you will." Sandayu
bowed once more before moving past the two. He slipped past Naruto, but was not able to
completely pass the blonde as he was grabbed by the arm. The attendant looked down at the
blonde, confusion plain to see behind his glasses.

"Something the matter, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto didn't reply right away, his grip firm on the man's sleeve.

"...I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for us. If not for you, we would have
likely never found that cabin and would have been left to the elements. Truly, you have my
thanks."

Sandayu blinked down at the boy, taken aback by the sudden thanks. A small smile began to
spread on his lips before he bowed his head slightly in thanks.

"It is my pleasure. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. It is thanks to you that
Princess Koyuki is safe once more and away from Doto-sama's grasp. It is a debt I don't think
I can ever repay."

"...It was nothing." Naruto replied, loosening his grip on the man ever so slightly.

"If that is all, then I truly must be on my way." Sandayu said with a hint of urgency. Pulling
his arm, he aimed to walk away but was surprised when the grip on his arm tightened. He
winced slightly at the strength behind the blonde's grip before giving the blonde a nervous
look.

It was far too late to see the fist coming before it slammed into his stomach.

The wind left his lungs and his vision became white. Despite the kid's size, the punch bent his
entire body around it like a paperclip. A moment later, he was sent flying back. His back
smashed into and through something hard before his body tumbled about the canvas. The
cold was introduced to his skin, yet it was nothing compared to the pain in his stomach. He
began to cough uncontrollably as his hands went to the offended area.

On the deck, the festivities stopped on a dime upon the body breaking through the door
leading to the sleeping quarters.
A moment later, the blonde emerged from the hallway, people making way for the shinobi
who walked towards the fallen attendant with a single-minded purpose. The attendant's
writhing stopped upon the blonde grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and forcing attention
back to him. Ashen green eyes stared down at the attendant, fear overtaking him as the boy
looked upon him with a look that was far too calm for his liking.

"I'm going to ask you once and only once. Where is Princess Koyuki?" The man shuddered at
the question.

"...W-What are you-"

*CRACK*

Fist met skull before the man could even finish his sentence. He went limp almost
immediately, causing the blonde to blink owlishly at the body before looking at his fist.
"Oops..."

"Uzumaki!" The voice of Seteth cut through the silence. The crowd parted ways for the
Church affiliate, Flayn and the director following close behind. Instead of looking to the
blonde, all their eyes landed on the one he stood over, unconscious and blood leaking from
his broken nose. The question that left Seteth's lips was no the question any were expecting.

"Who, is this man?"

Naruto looked back down to the unconscious body. As he'd already noted before, it was the
attendant. However, his face was no longer that of the clumsy man. A square jaw replaced the
pointed one, along with a clear absence of facial hair. His body was visibly lighter than the
older man, and the youth on his face was an even bigger indicator that the man before him
was not, in fact, Sandayu.

"A spy." Naruto answered after some time before adding, "I just interrogated him."

Silence followed the explanation. Instead of humoring the boy, Seteth walked over and
kneeled before the blonde and unconscious stranger. Naruto didn't know what Seteth was
thinking, but he knew he'd come to the same conclusion the blonde had moments ago.

"He is of the Snow." Naruto nodded at the statement, it also having the unintended effect of
sending a wave of panic through the remaining crew. "How did you know?" Seteth asked, the
man looking both surprised and impressed.

"A week ago, there was a Sandayu watching moments before my sensei died. He was using a
Genjutsu to conceal himself, yet also claimed to be the one who showed us the cabin an hour
later. It didn't add up."

"...Excellent deduction, Uzumaki." Seteth looked back to the body with a contemplative look
on his face. The fact someone could so easily cloak themselves into the faces of their allies
was a worrying thought. He'd taken that knowledge for granted, seeing that he never thought
the day would come when he was actually on the receiving end, but it would seem he would
need to be more vigilant. Moments later, he turned to Flayn, absentmindedly noting the
presence of Rhea before he ordered, "Flayn, call everyone to deck. Make sure everyone is
accounted for."

"There's no need for that." Naruto stopped him, the boy standing to his feet. "This man is the
only imposter on the ship."

"And how would you know that?"

"I made sure of it. In fact, I made sure we were far enough away from the Land of Snow
before acting." The blonde revealed, shocking the man further.

"But, why? What purpose could that possibly serve? The Princess is-"

"Not here anymore. They took her during the confusion at the dock." The Genin interrupted,
shocking the cast and director who let out an audible 'what' at the information.

"You little shit! How long have you been keeping this from us?! Why didn't you pursue?!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, riling up the rest in a combined mass of growing anger.

A single clap was all it took to silence everyone once more. Stepping forward from the crowd
was Seiros, her face a mask of calm despite the mood around her. Her eyes stayed glued to
the blonde, the boy unflinching despite the intensity of her gaze. When Seiros finally spoke,
it was not accusatory. It was calm, something that had been lost in the revelation.

"Naruto, please explain yourself."

The boy did not show it, but he was grateful for the woman's presence and ability to defuse a
hostile crowd. He didn't know if what he said next would be taken well, but he hoped what he
was about to reveal wouldn't suddenly turn her hostile as much as it would Seteth.

"...To simplify things, the original me is already in pursuit, along with my team, Fū, and
Flayn. We were hoping to take care of everything while you made sure everyone was safely
away from the country. The boss knew you wouldn't approve, so he didn't tell you. He also
wanted me to apologize in advance since this is something he and his team needed to do no
matter what."

A pregnant pause followed the explanation. No one knew what to make of the blonde's
statement. It was as if a bomb had been dropped in their midst. No, it was more accurate to
say a bomb was dropped and the aftermath was finally reaching them.

Seteth, before anyone else, reacted first. His attention immediately turned to Flayn, the girl
looking no worse for wear. Yet oddly enough, the smile she gave felt wrong somehow, as if it
did not come naturally to her.

That's when the truth of the blonde's words finally set in.

"Please, tell me this is some sick jape." Seteth asked, hoping beyond hope that what the
blonde had said was some elaborate prank his sister had cooked up for shits and giggles.
"...Sorry, but its the truth." To his horror, the fake confirmed his fears. To make matters
worse, she suddenly disappeared into a puff of smoke, all but shattering any hope that this
was some sick jape. Almost mechanically, his head turned back to the blonde. The boy-no,
clone's face maintained its mask of placid neutrality, yet Seteth was sure the clone could feel
the volcano that was about to erupt within.

"...If it will prolong my life a little longer, the boss promises to have Flayn back home before
sunrise."

Seiros' shoulders shook uncontrollably while Seteth was contemplating all the ways he could
end the clone. Soon, giggles left her freely moments after the blonde disappeared before
Seteth could enact any acts of murder he could think of.

It was all just like the blonde, down to the last comment. What else could she do but laugh?
 Chapter 27

Land of Snow: ?

An Hour Before The Escape Plan

While the combination of Genin, actors, and Nabateans awaited to enact their escape plan, a
third party treaded through the forest. Garbbed in ragged robes meant to detract attention,
they walked with singleminded purpose. Every few steps, they would scan their
surroundings, ensuring they weren't being watched or followed.

It wasn't until they'd reached a clearing that they dropped their guard completely. Shifting
slightly, the groan they heard was a swift reminder of what was at stake.

Coming to a stop at the edge of the clearing, the figure scanned their surroundings once more.
Finding nothing, he planted his feet in the snow and waited.

It was only moments before he heard the sounds of engines approaching. Soon enough,
multiple figures riding snowmobiles entered the clearing. One by one, they stopped before
the figure, each covered head to toe in protective white furred coats and pants. Despite now
being surrounded by nearly 100 men ready and capable of killing him in many differnet
ways, the figure looked unbothered.

From the lead, the rider dismounted. A mountain of a man walked forward to meet the figure,
a smile immediately appearing on his face upon seeing the unconscious woman on the
stranger's back.

"I see you kept your word." He said, tone low and firm.

"Yes, Lord Doto." The figure replied, clearly masculine.

Doto hummed in response before motioning the figure forward. He moved with a hurried
pace towards the Daimyo, the man now atop it, making room for him to place the woman on
his lap. He did so, the unconscious Koyuki not making a sound.

Doto smirked at this, pleased at finally having the woman in his grasp.

"You've done a great service to your country, Samurai." He said to the robed figure, yet the
man remained indifferent at the comment. "And what of the Genin?"

"They'll likely succeed in their plans to escape. However if everything goes well, the decoy
should sink the ship before they reach land. None shall survive." The man confirmed,
pleasing the Daimyo greatly.

"Good to have an able body I can count on to get things done." Doto looked back down at
Koyuki's sleeping face. A hand began to trace over her cheek before it went down to her
neck. Thick fingers grabbed the necklace hidden under her shirt. His face practically lit up
upon securing a pendant in the shape of a crystal.

A single pull later, and the clip securing the pendant snapped. He held the crystal between
two fingers, marveling at its beauty. The way it gleamed and sparkled in his hand told of a
dream he'd been waiting to fulfill for years on end.

But now was not the time to marvel. Time was of the essence.

Placing the pendant in his coat pocket, he turned to the samurai and said, "Come. There is
much to be done."

Instead of doing so, the figure shook his head.

"Unfortunately, I have unfinished business, Doto-sama. I will be sure to join you once it is
done."

The Daimyo could only shrug at the man's choice.

"Very well. See to it that you finish quickly. My generosity is not unlimited."

With those words, he revved the engine of the snowmobile, his subordinates doing the same.
Soon they all sped off, leaving the robed man alone in the clearing.

The figure watched the Daimyo's forces leave with indifference. It was only until they were
far enough away that the engines could no longer be heard that he felt a presence land behind
him.

Slowly, the man turned, his posture straight as he greeted the Genin who had appeared.

"Ah, so it was you after all. Can't say I'm surprised. I always thought you were more than
your rank may show."

Naruto did not reply to the greeting, making the man chuckle.

"I take it you are angry with me? Understandable. Betrayal never comes from the enemy,
after all. You are young, so you may not have yet experienced this before, but I can assure
you it shall be a constant in your line of work."

The blonde remained quiet. It was clear from the tone the samurai was trying to use that he
wanted some form of reaction, but the blonde wasn't giving it. He didn't want to know what
this man had planned for Princess Koyuki, nor did he want to learn anything else about the
traitor. Truthfully, despite it all, he just had one question for the man.

"...Back in the forest, when my Sensei...passed, she wasn't herself. What did you do?"

The figure smirked at the question.

"Truly? No inquiries on my motives? Maybe even inquiries on what Lord Doto-sama has in
store for the Princess?"
A hand raised from the blonde's cloak. In it, a sword appeared, silencing the man. "I won't
ask again, Sandayu-san."

Despite the clear threat in the blonde's tone, Sandayu looked unfazed. In fact, it made his
smile grow wider, knowing his next words would likely cause conflict.

"I removed a threat."

And as expected, the blonde reacted. In the blink of an eye, a sword was being swing at the
samurai's neck. In the same instance, Sandayu drew his own sword from his hip to block the
incoming decapitation.

The two weapons clashed and sparked as the two men pushed against one another, their
respective expressions of stoicism locked in a struggle for supremacy.

Despite being larger, Naruto had the advantage, his muscles bulging against Sandayu's sword
as he tried pushing the man back. Still, as the two wrestled against each other, Sandayu's lips
twisted upward.

"I didn't take you for one to lose their calm." He mocked. The blonde replied by breaking the
standstill and sending multiple strikes at the man's defenses. In spite of the Genin's ferocity,
Sandayu was able to parry, dodge, and block, not giving an inch as the blonde kept the
onslaught of strikes coming. With the speed at which the two engaged, it was only a matter of
time before a mistake was made.

It didn't take long for it to arrive.

Sandayu, while old, was still manageable. He'd had years of training to make sure his form
and technique were flawless. Even so, the blade he was up against was no ordinary blade, nor
was the child wielding it.

In an attempt to get the upper hand, he forced chakra into his blade, a shining blue aura
overtaking it as he readied to block another strike from his adversary.

What he didn't expect was for the blonde to mimic his actions almost at the exactl same time
he did. Instead of the blue, the blade shone with an orange hue, reminiscing of flames.
Whether it was inhuman speed or just bad luck, the blades clashed.

Barely seconds into the fight and a blade had already snapped in half.

Sandayu's eyes widened at the sight of his broken blade, yet his broken blade did not stop
him from blocking the spinning kick that sent him flying back. Feet skidding across the
ground, he came to a stop a few yards away.

He looked back at his opponent, only to find him inches away from him once more. A hasty
raise of his broken sword was what likely saved him from being cut in half. Unfortunately,
despite the block, it was not enough (once again) to stop the Genin's unique blade from
cutting through his own blade like a hot knife through butter. A hiss of agony left his lips as a
long gash appeared across his torso.
Sandayu was quick to counter, kicking the Genin away as he gripped his injury. The blow
was blocked, of course, but it was enough time for the samurai to assess his wound. The
wound, thankfully, wasn't too deep. It was enough to break the skin, but the samurai knew it
was not luck that saved him. The blonde held back at the last possible moment, almost as if
rethinking his decision mid-execution.

How...disappointing...

"A sword that cuts through blades. And yet, its wielder lacks the resolve to do what is
necessary. How wasteful." The man commented. As expected, the blonde's face remained
placid as he stood in a stance with both hands on the sword and his feet apart. It looked
somewhat comical considering the sword's length was the size of the boy himself, and yet the
ashen stare gave a bigger weight of intimidation than the sword itself.

"Surrender." The blonde stated simply.

Sandayu scoffed.

"You must be joking."

"You're outmatched. Surrender."

Sandayu's mouth twitched at the comment.

"You speak as if you've won."

"I could have killed you, but I didn't. Surrender and tell me where they are taking Koyuki-
san."

"And if I don't?" Sandayu challenged.

"Then I will beat the answers out of you."

The answer actually got a chuckle from the samurai.

"Oh, how very threatening. Perhaps if you were a bit more mature, I would have taken you
seriously, but alas, I'm afraid you aren't quite there yet. You have the spirit and strength, but
the rest..." He trailed off, leaving the blonde to speculate on the untold words. Seeing that his
wounds weren't life-threatening, the samurai stood straight, his posture stiff, and the hilt of
his broken sword held towards the blonde. "Tell me, Uzumaki, have you ever faced death?"

The question threw the blonde off.

"...What?"

"Death. Have you faced it? Do you know what it's like? Have you ever experienced it?" The
man's expression was neutral, as if asking the blonde his favorite color.

Naruto remained silent for more reasons than one. Yes, he has, technically, faced death. It
may not have been permanent, but the memory of slowly fading away is not a memory the
blonde ever wished to dig up.

Apparently, his lack of reply confirmed something with the samurai.

"As I thought. I can tell from your eyes. You've not faced the finality of death. How could
you, someone who is only a few months out of the academy, possibly hope to understand the
gravity of killing a man?"

"I know what it means."

"You don't. Not really." Sandayu swiftly countered the boy's reply. "The reality of life is that
there are only two paths: life and death. If one wants to live, then they have no choice but to
take the life of another. In this world, only the strong survive. If you have any chance at
saving Princess Koyuki, you'll have to take the lives of her captors. Lord Doto is a powerful
man with allies and connections the likes you cannot fathom. Under his rule, he has brought
jobs and stability to the Land of Snow—more so than the late Daimyo could ever hope to
accomplish. It is why I've given him my loyalty, and my sword. With his power, the Land of
Snow shall continue to prosper, and soon, we will spread our knowledge and influence
further into the major villages!"

Naruto said nothing in response to the man's tirade. The further he went on, the more it
sounded like the mumblings of a madman, and Naruto had no intentions of entertaining a
madman. Especially when he had friends to save.

Gripping his sword firmly, he disregarded the traitor's words entirely.

"I will end this quickly, then I will get my answers before helping my friends and saving the
Princess."

His declaration caught Sandayu off guard. The grip on the hilt of his broken blade tightened
momentarily before he argued, "Truly? Is that what worries you? The safety of some
strangers, not the vengeance of your leader?"

There was a momentary lull between the two. When the blonde replied, it wasn't at all what
the samurai was ready, nor wanted, to hear.

"...My Sensei's death was tragic, but not unexpected. It's the price you pay for living the life
of a Shinobi. Killing you will not change what happened."

So naive! The words echoed in the samurai's head, his teeth grinding in frustration.

"Then why are you here?"

Naruto took a breath before lowering his center of gravity.

"Because, unlike you, I don't leave my comrades behind."

In a flash, the blonde disappeared. No flash, no blur, just simply 'vanished'. It was a technique
he'd perfected over the years—one the likes Kagero herself had trouble reacting to even if
she'd seen it a hundred times.
An outsider's perspective would say that the blonde was simply moving at a speed their eyes
couldn't perceive—not necessarily impossible, but an action said to be inhuman. In reality, he
simply used a Divine Pulse to halt time altogether and move into position, this time behind
the unaware samurai.

His current choice was directly behind the man with his sword reeled back. A single,
powerful strike to the back of the man's neck would surely be enough to send the man into
unconsciousness. Starting time again, he reemerged, now able to interact with the outside
world and allow his arms to follow through-

Sandayu ducked.

The action literally froze the blonde, his body still following through the motion of his
actions, but the blonde himself unable to move. His eyes were glued to the samurai now
turning to him in agonizingly slow motion. His arm was coming up, and despite missing a
blade entirely, he was able to wound the blonde in a spray of blood.

Absentmindedly, he could see the chakra sword created, yet his widened eyes weren't from
the new pain on his torso. In fact, it was secondary to the shock of what he'd just witnessed.

It wasn't even the dodge itself that shocked the blonde. Samurai or not, it wasn't an
impossible feat. There were plenty of people in the world who could react. Even if they did
not know where the attack was coming from, experience or muscle memory could play a big
factor in saving their lives.

No, the true shock was the way he did so, followed by the motions afterward.

And the last thing Naruto ever expected was to get a sense of deja vu.

*CRASH*

Time rewound to the moment once again, redoing what had already been done. The blonde
followed through with his swing, and as expected, Sandayu dodged and followed up with an
upward swing of his newly formed chakra blade.

Time was halted again. The samurai's blade stopped mere inches from the boy's torso,
allowing the blonde to take in the man for a moment.

Starting time once more, he watched as Sandayu swung at empty air from behind the man.
Fist reeled back instead of his sword, the Uzumaki sent a devastating punch into the man's
liver. The blow sent him flying, skipping across the snow before eventually sliding to a stop.

Sandayu did not move, but the blonde was not taking any chances. He quickly leaped to the
downed Samurai, the man growing in pain at the liver shot. A glare was sent his way, yet
Naruto was unfazed. His lips parted to speak, but before he could, a foot met his face,
knocking him out cold.

Land of Snow
Dock Outskirts

15 Minutes Before The Escape Plan

"Guys."

The group of three turned to the incoming voice, not exactly surprised to see their friend
walking towards them.

"Is it time?" Neji asked immediately before Tenten or Fū could get a word out.

"No." The blonde was quick to say before following up by holding out a hand. "Give me your
scrolls." The trio was a little taken off guard by the sudden question. "The scrolls our Sensei
gave us. Let me see them."

"Why?" Tenten asked, not understanding where this was suddenly coming from.

"You will see when I show you. But I need the scrolls."

With hesitance and a bit of suspicion, his team did as asked. Both handed over their scrolls,
the blonde taking a second to read the title before unwrapping them all onto the snow. The
messages written for them were all revealed to them, leaving only Fū confused at the sight as
she read each out loud.

"'Survival. Only in death does duty end. Progress is impossible without change. Those who
cannot change their minds cannot change anything.' Is all of this supposed to mean
something?"

"We don't know." Tenten answered with a shrug. "Not like it matters anymore. They're all-"

"These are choices." All heads turned back to the blonde. He was still looking at the scrolls
intensely, yet there was a frown in place of his usual placid stare. "All of these. They are
choices we could have made on this mission."

"And how did you figure that?" Neji asked, for once intrigued by the blonde's train of
thought.

"Survival," he pointed at the scroll in question. "This route was the easiest. We would have
sacrificed the client and saved our own lives." He pointed at the second scroll. "Only in death
does duty end. It is saying we follow our duty till the end. It is the path we ultimately ended
up going down and the second most difficult choice."

"And the last?" Neji interjected upon the blonde stopping to stare at the scroll given to him.

"...It's a choice I would have made." He answered before looking to his team. "The scrolls we
were given, they all reflect our mindsets. Neji would have chosen survival, Tenten would
have chosen the mission, and I...I would have chosen to save everyone, including the Land of
Snow."
The frown left the blonde, and in its place was a look none of them could decipher. Tenten
was looking at the papers differently, trying to get into the mindset of the deceased woman
and what this all could possibly mean.

Neji, however, did not allow any of this to cloud his judgment, and it showed in his words. "I
still do not see why this is relevant. We've already chosen our path, and the whims behind a
dead woman's actions mean nothing now."

"Sesnei isn't dead."

Everyone stiffened. Even Fū, who had been quiet till now, had her eyes widen at the words
that sounded more like a fact than anything else.

"What?" Tenten was the first to break the silence, the shock evident in her tone.

"The scrolls are not a testament to a dead woman's ideology of her students, they are the
thoughts of a living one. It's all too convenient for it not to be." The blonde continued. "She is
not dead. I'm almost positive of that now."

"So that's it? We are going off of convenience and not what we saw with our own eyes?" Neji
scoffed, trying to be the voice of reason for the sudden madness the blonde was spewing.

"I'm simply connecting dots. You can choose to believe me or not. Either way, I can't leave
this island just yet."

"Are you out of your mind?" Neji asked, taking a step towards the blonde. "We've already
decided on our next course of action—spent a week planning for it. You're going to throw all
that away and put the lives we already swore to protect to what? Play hero?"

"It is more than that." The blonde remain calm despite the Hyuga's obvious anger. Looking to
the civilians cloaked behind snow, Naruto revealed, "Sandayu was a traitor. The real one
escaped with the princess and delivered her to the Daimyo. The one we have with us right
now is a decoy, likely a Snow Shinobi in disguise."

A look of bafflement crossed the Hyuga's face before his Byakugan activated and he looked
towards the civilians. Sure enough, the illusion broke before the Hyuga's Dojutsu and a man
he didn't know replaced the samurai in black and white. Even if his Byakugan hadn't caught
the change, the clearly superior chakra level compared to the rest was a dead giveaway.

"You can't be serious..." Tenten's tone was disbelieving, not from the fact her teammate was
right, but the fact she didn't pick up on it.

"And why didn't you save her?" Fū asked, her tone accusing and a bit disappointed.

"I couldn't." He admitted. "By the time I realized what was going on, Sandayu was too far
away. By the time I caught up, he was already handing the princess over to the Daimyo along
with over 100 men. I couldn't risk bringing them here and putting the lives of everyone else at
risk."
"So now what? We discard our current mission to chase suicide? For a woman who is no
longer our problem? That is madness." Neji challenged, becoming more heated by the
minute. "If Sandayu is a traitor, then the mission is void. We have no more obligations here."

"I know." Naruto surprisingly agreed, before finishing with, "That is why I'm doing this on
my own."

The two Genin and the jinchūriki blinked at the statement.

"You're...what?" Fū asked, unsure if she heard the blonde correctly.

"I will stay behind while you guys get everyone to safety." He clarified, not an ounce of
doubt in his tone. "I will rescue the princess at any cost, even without my team. I've already
made my mind up about this."

"Naruto-" Tenten took a step towards the blonde, only to stop herself, unsure of what she
could possibly say to convince him otherwise.

"Don't do this." Neji spoke in her stead. Despite how he felt about the matter and how idiotic
his fellow teammate was being, he did not wish for his death. "There is no honor in pursuing
this endeavor."

"This isn't about honor, Neji." Naruto denied. "It's not about me wanting to be a hero. It's
about being able to live with myself afterwards. Regardless of what choice Kagero-sensei
wanted us to make, I won't allow someone who put their lives in our hands to die. Not only
that," the blonde's brow furrowed, a look of determination aimed at the trio. "I made a
promise to her. A promise that we would protect her, and I never go back on my promises."

The two Genin and Jinchuriki didn't say a word as they stared at the blonde. He had already
made up his mind, and they knew there was no changing that. Their answer was what he was
waiting for now, and each of them knew it. They only had two choices, yet neither was
exactly an easy path to choose.

Well, for two of them.

"Well, when are we going?" Fū stepped forward, hands on her hips and a smirk on her face.
"Don't give me that look. Whose ass do we have to kick to save the princess?"

"Fū," Tenten looked to the Jinchūriki with a look of disbelief.

"Why are you so surprised? As his best girl friend, it's only right that I follow wherever my
boy friend goes. It's what a true girl friend does. So, when are we leaving, and whose ass do
we need to kick to save the princess?"

Naruto gave the mint-haired girl a thousand-yard stare, making it impossible for anyone to
determine whether he was grateful or not for the girl's acceptance to follow him. In the end,
he turned away from her and to his teammates, waiting patiently for their choice.

Tenten looked between Neji and the Taki girl, a battle roaring both within and on her face. In
the end, she relented. "Let's get one thing clear, Uzumaki." She pointed at her blonde
companion. "If we die, it's your fault, and I'll haunt you in the afterlife for making me die
with you."

The blonde took the statement as confirmation from the bun-haired girl before looking to
their final member.

Neji looked to the trio, all now looking at him expectantly. This was foolishness—all of it
was. Their path would surely get them killed, no doubt about it. However, logically speaking,
returning to Konoha without a team and a failed mission did not sound any more motivating.
If he returned, word about their attempt would surely reach the village, and being known as a
coward till the end of his days did not sit well with him.

In the end, he gave up.

"...You are gonna get us killed, Uzumaki."

That was answer enough, and all Naruto needed to hear. He had his team, and now all he
needed was a plan.

"...I don't know whether to call you all brave or complete imbeciles." The comment from
the Goddess did not get a retort. Now wasn't the time for sly remarks, but a plan. A plan he
already had cooked up, and one they would need help with.

Luckily for him, he had a big sister that would cross worlds for him if he asked.

Present Time

Mountain Range: Rainbow Glacier

Koyuki knew this day would come.

She knew running was futile, she knew her uncle would catch her eventually, she knew
running from her problems would never last, and she knew she would eventually end up here.

The Rainbow Glaciers.

Tall, almost colossal-sized glaciers said to hold the secrets of the island. They were rumored
to hold the treasure troves of a dead kingdom long forgotten, one Doto believed to be capable
of giving the Land of Snow the tools to challenge even that of the Five Great Hidden
Villages. Koyuki didn't know if it was true or not, but at this point, she didn't care.

Around her, Snow Shinobi, the very ones likely responsible for her servants and father's
murder, surrounded her. Standing on all her flanks were Doto's personal Shinobi, the same
ones she'd seen murder the Konoha Jonin. As for her, she sat despondently in the snow, her
gaze glued to the ground.

A sudden yank of her hair caused her to yelp in pain as she was forced up to her knees. From
behind her, the kunoichi spoke, her tone as mocking and cruel as the rest of her ilk. "Watch
closely, Princess. This is the start of a new age for your country, after all."
Koyuki did so, forced to watch as her uncle walked to the alter that would supposedly reveal
the 'treasure' he slaughtered his own family to obtain. Inserting her pendant into the alter,
everyone watched as gears seemed to turn and light began to shine from the alter. Soon, the
light began traveling towards the colossal glaciers before lighting them all simultaneously.

Almost immediately after, stream began to emerge from the glaciers. Around them, snow and
ice began to melt, revealing the greenery hidden below. Looking further, they could see the
same happening miles away, however slow the pace may be.

Confusion quickly spread through the Snow forces, but none was more baffled than the
Daimyo himself. In fact, it would be a severe understatement. On top of the confusion, he
was pissed. Rage filled every ounce of his body the longer he watched the winter turn to
spring around him. The more he saw, the less he believed, and soon denial set in.

Eventually, his rage turned to an individual. Marching from the shrine, he made a beeline for
Koyuki, Fubuki releasing the girl upon seeing her leader's target. Koyuki was then lifted off
her feet by her neck, her limbs flailing as she struggled to breathe.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" He screamed, his rage palpable. "WHERE IS THE
TRUE SECRET OF SOSETSU?! ANSWER ME, GIRL!"

Koyuki did her best to answer, yet the lack of air made that difficult.

"Sir!" At the call, Doto looked away from his niece and to one of his men currently stumbling
towards him.

"WHAT?!" He roared, the man shaking in fear at his leader's anger and not at all looking
forward to seeing what would happen after he delivered his report.

"S-S-S-S-Sir! T-the castle! It's, it's-"

"SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!" Doto roared, in no mood for the man's inability to form a
coherent sentence.

"Th-the castle, my Lord! It's burning!"

That was not what Doto was expecting. In fact, no one was. All eyes, even the Koyuki's,
turned to the distance where they could just make out the smoke rising from the roof of the
castle. It didn't take long for their jaws to drop before an explosion lifted half of the building's
roof into the air in a cloud of debris.

Doto gaped at the burning castle, his grin loosening just enough to drop the princess back to
the ground. Koyuki coughed violently, her breath coming in deep gulps to take in all the air
she could. When she could finally think clearly again, she looked to the distance where
everyone had their eyes currently glued.

The sight of Castle Doto burning brought mixed emotions to her.

Pleasure, seeing her Uncle's undeserved work burn after everything he has done.
Confusion, over the culprits.

Fear, of the unknown.

Despite it all, she watched, even as Doto began shouting orders.

Then she saw something. Through the smoke, something emerged. An enormous
black...bird? No...It was too big, it was too much of a shadow. Whatever it was, it was large,
and it was-

"Wh-what is that thing?!" She heard someone shout, and everyone stopped once more to stare
at the castle. The giant, bird-like shadow was growing closer. It wasn't until it was only
halfway to them that she, and everyone else, realized the sheer size of the creature.

"Dr-dragon." Someone whispered, the single word alone to make most step back in fear.

"Dr-dragon." Someone else called, the word, more like a title, igniting the fear in the hearts of
nearly every man present. As if to further confirm what they were seeing wasn't some sort of
Genjutsu, in the maw of the creature, a second sun was being born before their very eyes. It
grew brighter and closer, bright and closer, bright, closer, bright...

"DRAGOOOON!"

The final scream finally forced the rest to pick up their legs and run for the not-so-
metaphorical hills. The moment they did, flames impacted the ground, melting and burning
away everything it touched. The shockwave from the blast alone knocked many back, the
snow itself covering their bodies and making their escape all the more difficult.

With the burning of snow, steam quickly followed, covering the field entirely. Through the
chaos, Koyuki could hear Doto scream orders, yet her eyes were too busy focusing on the
sky. Through the steam, she could see the flying creature soaring away before it turned and
began tilting to the side. Soon, it was facing them completely once more, a sight that must
have surely brought terror yet only made her feel numb.

"It's coming back!" Someone yelled. The moment they did, someone stopped in front of her.
It was one of Doto's personal men, the leader, if she wasn't mistaken. She couldn't see what
he was doing, but the way his arms were moving was more proof than anything that he was
casting a jutsu.

'Ice Release: One Horned White Whale!'

From the snow, ice gathered, cluttering into one giant mass of ice. Like its name suggests, it
formed into the shape of a whale, nearly twice the size of the reptile. Unfortunately for the
Jutsu, it did nothing to stop the dragon from charging. With a mouth full of flames, it met the
whale head-on, melting through most of the creature before the flames impacted the ground
once more.

More screams were heard, followed by the shockwave from the fallen whale that blew
everyone off their feet and clouded the land in steam and debris.
...

Mizore pushed himself from the ground, coughing up snow and ash as he tried peeking
through the debris. Lifting a hand, he notes that he could barely see it, let alone anything
beyond it. Cursing, he walked forward, calling out to his fellow comrades to no avail.

"Damn creature." He cursed again. Of all the things he expected in this line of work, a thing
of mythical fairy tales wasn't one of the things he ever put on the list of things to ruin his day.

And why now of all times? Was it the brats? But they escaped, didn't they? Shouldn't they be
sunk at the bottom of the see by now? He swore, if Doto didn't string that bastard Sandayu
up, he surely-

A sound had him turning on a dime.

Mizore looked around but saw nothing. Nothing but steam and snow.

Another sound behind him had him turning again. Following this pattern one more time
brought both nerves and anger to his core as he yelled, "Oi! Stop screwing around and show
yourself!"

Silence was his answer.

In spite of himself, Mizore began walking through the steam once again, making sure he
could see and feel everything. He hadn't taken two steps before he heard something running
at him from behind.

Turning, he swung his metal arm in an arc, anticipating the blow before he even saw his
enemy.

He met empty air.

His ears picked up something behind him once more, but before he could turn-

*SNAP*

"AH!" A scream of agony left his lips as he fell to a knee. He could see a pink blur disappear
into the debris, but the red hot pain in his leg forced him to pay attention to more important
things. Looking down, he shook, almost afraid to see what he had feared.

In spite of the hope, an unnaturally twisted leg met his gaze. The sight alone was enough to
make him hyperventilate.

More footsteps had him desperately looking around. The fear made it impossible to think
straight, but the pain reminded him that his life was very much in danger.

He received a swift reminder of that upon feeling his jaw leave its socket from yet another
blow that rocked him—his head slamming into the ground before he could comprehend what
had happened. Through the pain, he struggled to pick himself up, but it all seemed futile. Fear
was beginning to take over, and the large man suddenly became all too aware of his mortality.
When he heard the footsteps again, a scream of panic left his lips. Desperately, he tried
crawling away, yet he could barely get a few yards, his attack was on him.

Surprisingly, they did not attack. Upon seeing who it was, however, the man's brow widened
in shock. The Konoha Genin from before smirked down at him, twirling a kunai her hand that
had a familiar tag attached.

"Y'know, I think I just realized something." The girl spoke before the tag attached to the
kunai was lit. "You guys depend way too much on your armor." With that, she dropped the
kunai.

To surprise Mizore further, lights began to shine all around him, much like the explosion tag.
In a last attempt of desperation, Mizore looked back up, hoping to plead for his life to the
child.

But, like the wind, she was gone.

Light covered him completely before an explosion rocked his world.

...

"Damn dragon!" Fubuki yelled her rage as she cleared the steam covering the ground. Her
own mechanical wings flapped as she glared at the reptile that had appeared out of nowhere.

It was coming their way once again. Anger gripping her, she flew towards the creature. From
the mechanism producing the wings on her back, a slide opened. From the slide, small
missiles began shooting out, the projectiles rocketing towards the creature at high velocity.

They exploded on impact, covering the dragon in smoke and giving Fubuki a sense of victory
for but a moment. The moment passed, and the dragon burst from the smoke with its mouth
opened wide.

A hard flap of her wings stopped the creature from taking a bite out of her. Cursing to herself,
she tried to create distance.

She was not at all expecting something to shoot from the dragon's back and wrap around her.
It looked like a rope, but the strange blades she could see stretching from its origin spoke of
more. Unfortunately for her, she was yanked along with the dragon as it turned once more.

It wasn't until she was suspended above the dragon that she realized what had grabbed her.

On the back of the dragon were two familiar figures, and one of them held the hilt of the
sword towards her. The fact that it was the Konoha Genin once again infuriates her further.

Why were they here and not at the bottom of the sea? And where the hell did they get a
dragon? All this and more rumbled in her head as she desperately tried to free herself.

Her attempts were thwarted once again by the dragon that suddenly decided to shoot
upwards. Her body followed unwillingly, the cold wind against her face becoming
increasingly uncomfortable as she glared at the creature's back.
That's when she noticed one of the Genin jumping towards her. It was hard to see, but she
was sure it was the Hyuga, and now he was...spinning? She didn't have to wait long to find
out what was happening before a dome of blue covered him completely. She felt the whip
sword release her, but by then it was far too late.

The dome crashed into her, the woman screaming as she felt as if she was being ripped apart.

In reality, she was.

And the less said about her remains, the better.

...

"Lord Doto!" Through the steam and debris, Nadare spotted his liege.

The man looked as if he'd seen better days. His coat had burn marks in some places, along
with tears throughout his entire get-up. His long, raven hair was disheveled, and above his
brow was a stream of blood going down his face. It was the first time he'd ever seen the man
in such a state.

Upon seeing him, Doto relaxed slightly.

"What took you?" Was all the Daimyo said as he turned to continue looking to the sky.

"My apologies, my Lord. I had some difficulties navigating the field." Nadare explained, yet
it didn't seem like the man cared for his excuses.

"And Koyuki?"

"Right here." Behind him, he yanked the woman forward by the hair, the girl letting out a cry
of pain as she hit the ground. The sound of her pain got Doto to look their way once more.
Slowly, he walked towards the downed girl, crouching to get eye level with her. When she
didn't look up to him, he followed Nadare's example and pulled her hair up to force her eyes
to meet his.

"You've no idea the headache you've caused this day, girl." His eyes burned with fury and
frustration, yet the girl's expression showed little to no remorse for her actions. In fact, he
would dare say she almost looked amused—a far cry from the fear and helplessness she'd
shown since her capture.

"What's wrong? Upset things aren't going your way, Uncle?" She mocked. The words had
Doto gripping her hair tighter but not falling to her bait. Releasing her, the man turned his
gaze upwards once more, the steam clearing just enough to make out the dragon in the sky.

"Nadare."

"On it." The Shinobi was moving before the Daimyo could even finish. A Jutsu already came
to mind as he began weaving through-

"Clench your teeth."

The sudden order confused him. There was no time to question it, nor was there even time to
follow through with it. Bursting through the steam and debris was a red blur. It bubbled, had
green hair, and was the size of a brat.

That 'brat' crashed into him with the force of a speeding train. His feet left the ground as he
was folded like broken chopsticks. Blood erupted from his mouth, followed by unmeasurable
pain as he rocketed backwards.

He didn't know how long he was airborne, nor did he know when exactly he came to a stop.
All he remembered was an explosion of pain in his back before all the pain suddenly
vanished.

Slowly, the man opened his eyes to the world again. White surrounded him, yet it was not the
debris or steam from before. It was snow, which explained why he was so cold.

He slowly sat up, taking in the sight around him. Around him were trees. Somehow, the
impact had carried him all the way to the forest... Damn.

That didn't matter, though. The pain was gone, and he needed to move. The Daimyo was in
danger, and this was no time to be on the ground.

Now, if only he could move. Why was it that he couldn't move? The pain was gone, so he
should be able to move, no? Where was a medic when he needed one? And why were his
legs...over...

His eyes stayed on the pair of legs lying next to him. It was the same pair of legs he saw
every day. The same pair of legs he'd had attached to him just moments.

"...Ah." His situation finally began to dawn on him. "Damn...kids..."

...

Koyuki looked from where the red streak had disappeared with the Snow Shinobi. Slowly,
she turned back to Doto, only to see the man staring back down at her. The fury he had before
was gone, replaced with a stoic countenance. It may sound weird considering she knew her
Uncle's face, but the stare looked, familiar, yet off—as if she had seen it before, but on
another's face...

"Na...ruto?" She whispered, hoping against hope that for once, fortune favored her.

As if to answer her prayers, Doto was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. When it cleared, she
could feel tears come to her eyes at the sight of her savior. "What took you so long?" She
choked, tears running down her face as she rushed to wipe them away.

Naruto looked down at Koyuki before speaking in that monotone that always sounded weird,
yet at the moment filled her with joy.

"The hero always arrives at the last minute."

*SCREECH*
The familiar screech from above had the duo turning to the sky. The dragon was losing
altitude quickly. That wouldn't have been a cause for worry if it wasn't for the multiple black,
shadow-like serpents biting into their scales.

To make matters worse, it was headed right for them.

Thinking quickly, Naruto scooped Koyuki from the ground and jumped.

The dragon landed exactly where they had been, the serpent's disappearing upon contact with
the ground. Thankfully, they were able to get far enough away to not be crushed, but that
seemed to come second to the blonde who immediately rushed to the downed reptile.

"Flayn!" He yelled, worry evident in his tone.

As if her name was a trigger, the dragon glowed bright before her massive form shrank to the
size of a girl. Naruto was by her side in an instant, looking over his older sister's figure
frantically for any signs of fatal injuries. There were none, thankfully, but the fact she had not
yet opened her eyes was more cause for concern.

"Is she alright?" Naruto turned at the voice, relaxing once he saw the face of the speaker.
Tenten, closely followed by Fū, Neji, and Koyuki, stopped to kneel in front of them, looking
the dragon girl over carefully.

"Yeah. She's just unconscious." He reassured, much to everyone's relief.

"YOU DAMN BRATS!" Everyone turned at the voice. In the distance, Doto stood alone, his
coat gone to be replaced with black armor that protected his torso fully. Going from his face,
he was livid. His teeth were grit, and they were sure if he could burn them alive with his stare
alone, then they would all be dead ten times over. "YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT
YOU'VE DONE?! WHAT YOU'VE DESTROYED?!"

"What we destroyed?" Koyuki was the one to react, getting to her feet and marching forward.
"You're the one who's been abusing this Land for years! You're the one who murdered your
own brother, and for what? Power? A treasure that was not rightfully yours to have? Don't
you dare sit there and blame others for your own greed, Doto!"

"IT IS MY DAMN RIGHT!" The Daimyo roared back, The princess's words angering him
further. "It is my birthright as a member of the royal family! My duty to take this Land to
heights that your fool of a father could never accomplish! And I will do that! With, or without
his damn treasure!"

Ending his tirade, his hands came up, going through a few signs before stopping on one.

'Ice Release: Black Ice Serpent Technique!'

From the ground, multiple black substances emerged. The substance formed into a reptile,
large and bulky with large glowing red eyes. With its form, it shot towards the group at
speeds fast enough to cause worry.
The group dispersed in different directions, Naruto picking up Flayn while Neji carried
Koyuki further away from the battleground. The serpents followed each of them and, for the
most part, were able to keep up.

In Fū's case, it was getting a little too close for comfort. Even while flying through the sky,
the girl found it difficult to dodge the serpents that came at her with lethal precision and
relentless ferocity.

"Uh, Chōmei, a little help, please? I'd really like to not die to a stupid snake!" The insect-like
wings on her back buzzed loudly before red began bubbling around her body. Surrounded by
her chakra cloak, Fū could feel her muscle strain. One tail was all she could manage, but it
was enough of an enhancement to get her out of trouble.

Diving, she weaved through the trees, the serpents following while crashing through any and
everything in her way. In a turn of events, Fū did a 180 and headed right for the creatures,
over them, back out of the forest, and shot towards the Jutsu's creator.

Doto saw her coming. Instead of dodging, the man brought up a fist to slam against the
ground. Ice walls shot up from the ground, surprising the girl who moved too fast to stop.
Raising her fist, she smashed through the wall of ice, her momentum stopped slightly but not
fully. When she finally saw Doto again, his fist was raised.

And slammed right into her unprotected face.

Fū was sent tumbling past, her aura dissipating along with her chakra cloak. Her body
bounced a couple of times before crashing into the snow, groaning from the pain as she felt a
bruise begin to form. Snow and white dots filled her vision, but the encroaching darkness at
the edge of her vision was much more concerning.

Dismissing the downed girl, Doto turned to the incoming footsteps.

Kunai bounced harmlessly off the forcefield that formed over him, the Daimyo almost
looking incredulous at the action. Sizzling caught his ear, and he was forced to look down.

*BOOM*

An explosion overtook him, the heat and shockwave making him stumble back. The
forcefield held, protecting him from the worst, but that was all he could afford before the
whistling of kunai was heard once more.

'Ice Release: Black Ice Wall!'

With only three hand signs, ice in front of him began to darken before shooting upwards. A
good number of the projectiles exploding against the barrier, yet they barely made a dent.

Sensing something behind him, he turned to see the veined eyes looking up at him as he
reeled his hand back. He was able to move his neck out of the way of the Hyuga's strike just
in time, not wishing to know if the armor was capable of blocking the clan's famous style or
not.
Neji wasn't deterred, using the former ice wall to spring himself at the man once more with a
kick. It landed, but Neji would be lying if he said it really did anything. The most it did was
make the man stumble before he swung his arm back in an attempt to catch him mid-air. He
maneuvered gracefully before landing and sending two strikes to the taller man's leg.

A theory was proven right as his palms simply bounced off, the chakra forcefield apparently
capable of protecting him even against the Gentle Fist.

Seeing the failed attack, the Hyuga boy retreated, dodging an incoming punch by moving to
the side. The moment he made space, Doto made hand signs. In a matter of seconds, serpents
were on the Hyuga once again.

'Rotation!'

The dome of rotating chakra appeared around him as he spun, slicing the serpents with ease
down to their last particle. When he was finally able to stop, he could feel exhaustion from
using the technique set in. He could also see Doto right in front of him, fist raised and murder
on his face.

Neji's eyes widened, yet he couldn't move fast enough to dodge the attack.

The impact had him flying, his body spinning as pain rocked him.

The expected crash wasn't as hard as the hit. He felt arms wrap around him before he even
felt the ground below. His vision was darkening, but the Hyuga did his best to remain awake.

Naruto looked down at his teammate to make sure he was OK before looking back to Doto.

The man glared at him, a hatred Naruto was familiar with even if it was much more palpable
than the ones he received back home.

"Do you see it now, shinobi?" Doto spoke, practically spitting their title out. "This armor was
crafted by my own hands—my own blood, sweat, and ambition! With it, I can turn ordinary
civilians into threats capable of taking on the Hidden Villages' best! This is proof that I was
chosen to lead this country to greatness!"

Naruto said nothing at the man's rambling, content to simply let him waste his breath as his
teammate recovered. Next to him, Tenten landed, carrying an unconscious Fū in her arm.

"I hate to say it, but I think we're at a clear disadvantage here." Tenten admitted, the words
feeling like ash on her tongue. "Got any ideas? I'm willing to take anything at this point."

"...Just one." Saying that, Naruto stood, creating a clone for his downed friend before
stepping forward. He heard Tenten call his name, but ignored it as he walked further and
further from the group. When he stopped, he was just far enough from the Daimyo to dodge
anything he threw his way.

"What's the matter, boy?" Doto called. "Come to sacrifice yourself for your comrades?
Noble, but futile. The only way any of you are leaving this island is with rocks tied to your
feet at the center of the ocean!"
Despite the threat, the blonde was unmoved. Slowly, he closed his eyes, breathing in and out.

"I've always wanted to see how I'd match up against a real opponent." Naruto's words had
Doto raising a brow. He was about to scoff until something in the air shifted.

He could see the wind pick up around the boy, his bangs beginning to stand tall as his skin
began to visibly darken.

"I've always wanted to try this technique out."

Wind picked up faster, blowing against the trees and snow and creating a small cyclone of air.

"Always wondered what would happen if I pushed my limits."

Doto could feel it. It was similar to how the red girl felt, yet slightly more menacing. It was a
feeling that sent shivers down his spine.

"But truthfully..."

The wind began to swirl faster, creating a large funnel of air around the boy. It was like a
hurricane, but much, much more compact.

"I just really want to hurt you right now..."

Steam began to rise from his skin as the cyclone around him became more powerful.

"You hurt my friends, and my family..."

The snow in the surrounding area was blown away.

"So I'm going to hit you, very hard..."

The snow in front of him was blown away, the force enough to send cracks in the earth. Doto
had never seen anything like it. The boy's aura, his power, it was...It was terrifying.

And it was coming right for him.

"Word of advice."

The blonde got into a stance, as if he were about to charge.

"This is gonna hurt."

He disappeared.

Doto saw the streak of light blonde became. He saw the shockwave that blew snow and dust
alike.

He did not see, but felt the fist buried in his stomach, shattering the armor completely. The
hurricane followed with the hit, and soon he was sent rocketing back like a bullet. His vision
went blank long before he even impacted the glacier behind him.
Good thing too, because the last thing he would have surely liked to see was his body being
responsible, quite literally, for the change in Sosetsu's history.

...

Koyuki held on tight to the greenette in her arms as the shockwave threatened to sweep them
from their cover. It felt like a hurricane had suddenly hit, shaking the trees around them as
well as blowing away any and everything in the vicinity.

When it finally calmed down to a breeze, she could finally breathe again, relaxing the tension
that had formed in his muscles. She was almost hesitant to open her eyes, the fear of the
outcome weighing on her greatly, but did so anyway.

It was like the forest had been turned over.

Broken trees and uplifted roots were the first thing she saw, followed close by dirt and rocks
scattered about. Of course, it was to be expected, but never would she have guessed one boy
was capable of such destruction.

Despite seeing the destruction the blonde had brought about, Koyuki couldn't help but notice
something odd.

Where was the snow?

When did it become so warm?

And why was it so...bright?

"Princess!" A voice had her turning. Landing next to her was the bun-haired Konoha girl,
closely followed by her long-haired companion with the brown skin one over his shoulder.
"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" The girl asked, concern evident on her face.

"I'm fine." Koyuki reassured, causing the girl to give a sigh of relief.

"That's a relief. For a second I thought you got caught in the crossfire."

"I'm fine, really. Your friend made sure I-" Eyes widening, Koyuki looked around, noticing
the trio were one member short. "Wh-where is Naruto? Is he okay?"

The concern was clear in her voice, which the Tenten found both heartwarming and amusing.

"Have a look for yourself."

Kneeling down, Tenten took the unconscious Flayn into her arms before shifting her carefully
onto her back. Once the greenette was safely secure, she held out a hand to the princess who
readily accepted the help.

Standing, she followed the Genin towards the opening in the trees. Once they stepped
through, the light nearly blinded her, but she was able to adjust well enough to see the
landscape beyond.
What she saw had her jaw slowly dropping.

All around them, snow was replaced with lush green. Countless variations of flowers
blanketed the area, giving the land an almost surreal look. Above, the clouds were gone,
showing a clear sky the Land of Snow hadn't seen in decades. The rocky monuments she
once thought were glaciers shone brightly with a rainbow hue that reflected light to the lake
below, once hidden by ice.

"Th-this..." Koyuki stuttered, shocked at the sight before her. "Is this..." She walked forward,
the grass below her crunching as she drew closer to the lake shining over the hilltop. Soon,
she was running, nearly stumbling a few times to get a look at the sight below. When she
reached the edge of the hill, she could see the lake in its entirety.

And at the edge of the lake stood a lone figure.

"Naruto..." The name left her lips involuntarily before she hurried to his side. He turned upon
hearing her footsteps, and she couldn't help the smile that came on her face. It was probably
preordained that she got here when she did, because the moment she got close, the blonde fell
backwards.

She rushed to catch him, able to stop him just in time from crashing into the ground. Worry
took her again, but soon left upon seeing the soft rise and fall of his chest.

"Idiot." She breathed out, relief replacing the worry as she laid him gently on her lap. Soft
fingers moved to push the bangs out of his eyes, her lips slowly lifting upwards as she saw
the peace on his sleeping face. "You, are the strongest Shinobi I've ever had the pleasure to
meet."
 Chapter 28

Interlude: Doto

Location

Castle Koyuki: Prison

Deep underneath the formerly known Castle Doto was a labyrinth of a place that, surprisingly
(considering your point of view), wasn't used very often. Despite the long corridors being
filled on all sides and all 15 floors having cages capable of holding over 2,000 human
occupants, nearly every cell was unused and devoid of life.

On one of these floors, strategically placed at the bottom floor, were two prisoners—one
taller and heavily bandaged, while the other wore a simple white kimono. Both figures hung
in the middle of the cell, hands bound tightly by cuffs chained to the ceiling while their feet
dangled from the ground. On their stomachs, a mechanism, ironically created by one of the
occupants, was strapped to their abdomens, sealing off their chakra and thwarting any hopes
they had at escaping. Their heads were bowed, yet the anger and resentment in the taller of
the two was evident.

Outside the bars, the new Daimyo of the newly named Land of Springs, Kazahana Koyuki,
stared despondently at the two men behind the bars. One was responsible for the worst day of
her life and taking nearly everything she held dear away from her. Seeing that she'd done the
same in return, however unintentional, was simply poetic.

As for the other...

Koyuki didn't even glance at Sandayu. The man hadn't said a word even during his
imprisonment, and that was all for the better. The sooner she could forget about him, the
better. She was here for one thing and one thing only.
"Your sentence has been decided." Her voice echoed through the silent prison, reaching the
ears of the prisoners and two guards standing close by. Neither man looked her way, yet she
could practically feel the hate filling the cell. "For your crimes of treachery, the punishment,
is death."

As expected, despite the decree, neither man was moved.

"... Fortunately, I've decided death to be too kind for your crimes." She stepped forward,
getting closer to the cell so both could hear her words in their entirety. "For the one who
murdered my father, my people, and any chance I would have at knowing my family, your
punishment is much more severe. For the rest of your lives, be it 20 years from now or 100,
you shall rot here. And when you die, your remains will be burned to ashes. No one will
remember you, and no one will mourn you. This, is the price of your actions."

At that, instead of the rage and despair she was hoping to hear from either man, the cell filled
with deep, bone-chilling laughter. The two guards behind Koyuki gripped their spears tighter,
ready for the prisoner to try anything, but relaxed when the laughter died down. Finally, Doto
lifted his head, his demeanor calm despite the rage in his eyes.

"You truly think you've won, girl? That the Land of Snow is yours?" He asked, yet chuckled
further when the woman remained neutral. "You truly are foolish, niece of mine. Whatever
peace you have now is only temporary. When the Five Great Villages find out about your
little ascension, then and only then will you truly realize how cruel this world truly is."

His grin grew wider.

"Your people will realize that you do not have what it takes to lead, what it takes to do what
is absolutely necessary for their survival. And when that time comes, they will seek me out,
just like they did 12 years ago." Laughter filled the cell once more, Koyuki gripping her teeth
at her uncle's amusement. "Run along, little Koyuki. Sleep well, and know you are only
warming my rightful seat as the leader of this nation."

Koyuki's fist tightened, desperate to find a comeback to his statement. Sadly, nothing came to
mind.
In the end, she walked away, doing her best not to allow the man's echoing laughter get to her
more than it already had.

Back in his cell, Doto was finally able to calm himself. Yes, soon the higher-ups in Konoha
shall see her weakness. They will see that she couldn't even hope to fill his shoes, and once
they find out he is still alive, he will reclaim his throne. It was just a matter of time.

"Do you truly believe that, Doto?"

The former Daimyo was slightly caught off guard by the voice. Turning, he looked at the
smaller form hanging across from him. The man was still looking to the ground, the same he
had been since they'd first put them in the same cell.

"I asked a question, Doto. Do you truly believe in what you say?"

"And who are you to demand answers from me?" Doto scoffed, dismissing the man entirely.

The sound of mettle cackling to the ground had his head shooting back to his cellmate. The
man had dropped himself to the ground, chains clattering as he bent down to undo the
shackles on his legs. Once he was done, a grunt left Sandayu's throat as he stretched his
limbs.

"Nothing to say now?" Sandayu spoke again, lifting his head to stare at Doto with with calm
cerulean eyes.

Instead of answer the question, Doto grit his teeth and spat out, "You had a way out this
entire time?"

"I did...for me." He emphasized before holding up what looked like some kind of lockpick.
With the same tool, he effortlessly used it to crack open the tool on his stomach—the same
chakra devise he'd made specifically to thwart situations like this. Watching it fall helplessly
was shocking enough, but watching the man throw the key out of the cell and into the hall
nearly made him pop a blood vessel. "As for you, your usefulness has come to an end."

"U-Useful?" Doto muttered, utterly confused at the statement. Before he could inquire
further, Sandayu reached for his face. As if his skin were clay, he pulled it off, hair and all. A
face he did not recognize shook free her long hair while the skin she once wore slowly turned
white in her hands. Soon, stern, ash-brown eyes stared into his own, causing the former
Daimyo's brow to furrow.

"Who are you?" He had to ask, if not for curiosity, then for his sanity.

"You do not know me, nor is my name of any importance. However, you know my father,
and it is because of him that I stand before you at this moment."

Doto was puzzled. Not only did he not know the woman, but her face didn't ring any bells in
his head. Not only that, in the last 12 years, he only known of three work-related partners.
Two of which are currently in Konoha, and to the best of his knowledge, neither has
daughters. As for the last, he perished a weak ago to those brats, and he for sure didn't have
any children. If it were someone he'd killed over the years, then who this woman could
possibly be would remain a mystery forever unless she told him herself.

"Kazahana Doto, 12 years ago, my father put you in power," the woman started, quieting the
man's thoughts. "12 years ago, my father supplied you with men and supplies to take this
country. 12 years ago, my father covered up your rise to the throne long enough to ensure
your transition was unchallenged. And 12 years ago, you swore your loyalty, that as long as
you were in power, Konoha would never want for technology and steel."

The gears in Doto's head began turning long before she ever mentioned the village hidden in
the leaves. It clicked around the time she spoke of the coverups. It set in at the mention of his
loyalty. By the time she was finished, his face was pale as a ghost.

"So tell me, if you are so loyal, why is it that you have been selling to our enemies?"
"Th-that's-" Doto tried, but nothing came to mind. He had been careful with his dealings. He
had made sure everyone he dealt with had gone through the proper channels and background
checks. So how? How in the seven hell's was he found out?

"Nothing to say? Well, your excuses matter little in the end." Doto suddenly felt the woman
flare her chakra. In an instant, four figures appeared. Two emerged from the walls of the cell
while two dropped from someone outside the cell. They all wore masks similar to those of
the ANBU of Konoha, yet where Konoha ANBU wore masks of animals, these were simple
black—as whatever creature they were mimicking was devoid of emotion.

One of the ones outside opened the cell while the other stepped inside, holding what looked
like a short katana. The sight of the katana made a pit grow in the Daimyo's stomach—even
more so when the woman casually grabbed it from the figures awaiting arms.

"Despite your treachery, I must thank you." The woman said out of nowhere, taking the man
aback. "Thanks to you, I was able to confirm a theory for myself. Thanks to you, I have
uncovered secrets I never would have otherwise. Have solace in knowing that your reign
benefited Konoha till the very end."

Doto wanted to rage at that, accused a woman of sabotaging and everything he could
currently think of. Unfortunately, all those thoughts were dashed when the woman swiftly
drew the sword from its sheath.

"You were right about one thing." She spoke as she stepped forward. Doto suddenly saw his
life flash before his eyes. "A new age will come to this nation... But unfortunately, you will
not be around to see it."

Before Doto could even open his mouth to plead, the woman in front of him. He didn't see
her sword arm move, but he did see the spray of blood that pushed from the line made across
his throat. The former Daimyo felt the sharp agony of pain, yet he couldn't focus on that. He
couldn't think of anything but the feeling of his body losing heat as the world slowly went
dark.

"Konoha thanks you for your service."

 Chapter 29

Konoha

Hokage Tower

Sporadic acts of violence aren't a particular trait the Genin of Team 4 were known to possess.
If anything, out of all the Genin teams that had passed in the last few years, Team 4 was
practically tame despite the Uzumaki tied to their rank. In fact, the only time a problem arose
with the team would be their first ever Tora mission (the less said about it, the better).

So, imagine the Hiruzen's shock when a message arrived from the Land of Snow (now named
Springs) telling of a new Daimyo.

...Well, in truth, it wasn't necessarily a 'surprise' considering the true nature of the mission
he'd sent the team out to complete. It was one of the many outcomes he and Danzo had
predicted; the old hawk more so, as if the events were already preordained. Even now, it was
hard to think someone could plan that far ahead. Say what you will about the man, but at least
he's thorough.

And speaking of Shimura, there was the letter attached to the Daimyo's.

Hiruzen had to read the report multiple times just to make sure he'd read it all correctly. Even
after the tenth time, he was sure he missed something important that could explain the
madness on the piece of paper. Unfortunately, Kagero-hime was anything but a jester, so he
had to accept what he'd read to be reality—no matter how unreal it may sound.

To quickly summarize events, Team 4 arrived in the Land of Snow where they were soon set
upon by Snow Shinobi. Shortly afterwards, they were forced into hiding and eventually
received help from a 'mysterious' third party claiming to know their resident Jinchuuriki. An
escape plan was made, and the civilians were successfully evacuated. However, due to the
contractor's 'treachery', they lost Koyuki to Doto and opted to inact a rescue mission. The
mission was successful, the land of Springs was born, Kazahana Doto was dethroned, and
Kazahana Koyuki has ascended as the new Daimyo. The 'Land of Springs' was then founded,
while Doto was later murdered in his cell.

All in all, nothing of value was lost, and the Genin made it safely back to Konoha with no
further incidents.

That was 9 days ago.

Now in the present, Team 4 stands before him. Kagero stood next to her Genin, as calm and
disciplined as ever. Next to her was her Genin. For the most part, the 24 days that they were
gone did very little for them in the looks department. They look as youthful as they did the
day they left, not growing even an itch.

The major difference?

Killing intent, the likes Hiruzen never expected from the Genin, filled the office. It was
coming off in waves, so much so that the Hokage himself found himself unconsciously
gripping the armrest to not react. If he didn't know any better, he would say fully matured
Konoha Shinobi walked through those doors.

And it was all aimed at their Sensei, their eyes boaring into the side of the woman's head as if
trying to set her aflame with their eyes. Kagero took it in stride, the woman not even giving
her students so much as a glance since they'd walked in.

"We've completed the missions assigned, Hokage-sama." The kunoichi spoke, her Genin still
set in their death stare.

"That's good to hear." Hiruzen retorted, looking to the Genin before putting his gaze back on
the heir. "Um, I hope there weren't any, complications."

All at once, three Genin turned to the Hokage.

"She's a witch."

"She left us to die."

"We want a new Sensei."

The three all spoke over each other, their voices overlapping into a single blob of anger.
Hiruzen had to keep himself from reacting, though he couldn't help but notice the accused
didn't so much as flinch at the accusations.

"Is this true?" He had to ask, the words she would say already playing in his head before she
even opened her mouth.

"I did what was necessary, Hokage-sama."

Yep. Almost word for word.

"And what part of abandoning your students in a foreign nation to fight a war 'necessary'?"
Neji pushed.

"Let's not forget we had to sail and travel all the back to Konoha by ourselves." Naruto
added.

"Have anything to say for yourself? Or are you going to keep making excuses?" Tenten
finished, all eyes judging the Shimura equally.

"I was close at all times, Hokage-sama. Their lives were never truly in danger."

"You mean like Sandayu? The man you conveniently 'replaced' as well? It makes me wonder
what actually happened to him."

That statement finally got the woman to turn her attention to Higurashi, her brow furrowed
into a light frown.
"Sandayu was dead and replaced long before I ever met him to confirm the contract. It was
Doto's men who you met, and it was he who whispered ideas to the director about filming in
the Land of Snow. If not for me, your throats would have been slit in your sleep long before
you ever touched land. Meanwhile," she turned to the blonde. "If anyone's loyalties are in
question, then it would be Uzumaki procuring foreign entities, not to even mention the
Jinchuuriki. All of whose loyalties are in question."

"They were friends, and I trust them more than I will ever trust you." Naruto shot back.

"No one outside of Konoha is your friend, Uzumaki. Trusting those whose loyalties do not
align with Konoha will only put your comrades at risk."

"Kinda hypocritical coming from someone who so easily abandons their comrades. Makes
me question your loyalties."

A new killing intent was beginning to surface in the room. The usually composed Shimura's
eyes suddenly gained an edge, her pupils dilating as she stared down at the blonde Genin.

"My loyalties are to Konoha. As is yours, Uzumaki." She spoke, her voice dropping an
octave as she stated the fact. Unsurprisingly, Uzumaki stood his ground, turning to the
woman to give her a glare of his own.

"My loyalties are to my friends and allies, while enemies are anyone who puts them in
danger. You are very close to being my enemy."

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

The clap cut cleanly through the building tension. At once, all eyes turned back to the
Hokage, his expression anything but amused as his hands fell back to his desk.

"That's enough, all of you." He spoke, voice hard as he brought a pipe to his lips. A puff of
smoke later and he was looking to the three kids awaiting his word. "Team 4, Konoha thanks
you for your outstanding work. Since your mission went far above what a C-rank demanded,
we shall pay you for a B-rank along with your first C. It will be ready for you downstairs. In
the meantime-"

A rapping on the door had the Hokage pause for a moment to hail the interruption in. His
secretary peaked in, the woman looking over the Genin to make eye contact with her
superior.

"Hokage-sama, Shimura Danzo is here as you requested."

"Ah, just in time." The old man said before giving his attention back to Team 4. "For your
hard work, I'll be putting your team on administrative leave for the next week. Take this time
to relax. If nothing else, then you are dismissed."

Without another word, Team 4 bowed and turned to exit the room.
"Not you, Kagero-hime." Hiruzen stopped the woman before she could move. A bit of
satisfaction filled the three Genin at hearing that, their moods lifting considerably as they
cleared the room. Kagero stood unfazed, awaiting her leader's orders while the secretary
ushered the new figure in.

The moment Danzo entered the room, Kagero had to force herself not to kneel out of habit.
Her job done, the secretary excused herself before closing the door, leaving the three to their
business.

"ANBU," the single word was all the hidden shadows needed to drop from their hidden
positions. At once, they all made hand gestures before the room was momentarily illuminated
in a purple hue. When it disappeared, everything returned to how it was—not even a spec out
of place.

"All clear Hokage-sama." All intoned at once before a nod from there leader had them
jumping back into the shadows.

"...Were we successful?" Danzo was the first to get things going, getting straight to the point.

"In a sense." Hiruzen answered before taking another hit from his pipe. "Kagero-hime, is
everything you've reported 100% accurate and without fabrication?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Everything I have written is what I have seen."

Hiruzen let out a sigh at that, hoping that at least some of it was at least a bit exaggerated.

"Dragons," Danzo said with a hint of incredulity. "They are said to be creatures of legends
and fairy tales written in children's books. You would have us believe the boy is capable of
summoning such creatures."

"It is what I have seen, Danzo-sama." Kagero confirmed, her stoic disposition acting more as
proof than the words themselves.

"And these, strangers. You say they were summoned?" Hiruzen pushed.

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Uzumaki ventured out into the forest and returned with three unknowns,
along with the seven-tailed Jinchuuriki." The statement was expected, yet it still surprising to
the former teammates. "To my knowledge, Uzumaki himself doesn't understand how she was
summoned. As for the foreigners, I am sure they were not natives, and I am even more sure
they hold a connection with Uzumaki's mysterious benefactor. I also believe it was they who
summoned the dragons, not Uzumaki himself. Wherever they hail is where the creatures
reside."

A hand went up to rub the aging Hokage's brow. To think the mysteries surrounding his
surrogate grandson only seemed to grow the further they dug into his secrets.

"I take it there's more?" Danzo asked pointedly, to which his heir's brow furrowed and she
began to contemplate. It was for but a moment before she was spilling her thoughts.
"Just, a query. One I must speak with Might Guy personally to confirm. Unfortunately, the
mission wasn't successful in proving the Kyuubi's continued existence. Uzumaki is simply far
too skilled to force him into such a situation without putting him into conditions where we
may potentially lose him or his trust."

"...So, in short, we've made little progress." Hiruzen lamented.

"No, the information we have now is more than we did a month ago." Danzo corrected before
turning to his heir. "You continue to do Konoha proud, Kagero."

Kagero immediately bowed at the waist at what was no doubt a praise worth 1000 pounds in
gold.

"I only do what is best for Konoha, Danzo-sama."

Seeing no further reason to hold the woman, Hiruzen raised a hand to dismiss her. She was
about halfway through opening the door when the Hokage called out to her. Turning, she held
her gaze with the aging Shinobi.

"Word of advice. What you or I may deem as 'necessary' may not be the same for your Genin.
Next time, try understanding their point of view before allowing them to confront potential
Jonin scenarios. Understood."

Kagero took a moment to process what was being asked of her. It wasn't hard to find the
meaning in the words, though the reason for them was a mystery to her.

"I, do not." She admitted. She trusted them and their abilities. If she did not, they would have
never been nominated for the mission. How they could be upset over giving trust, to a Genin
no less, was beyond her. She would go as far to say it was downright ungrateful.

"A good leader will always understand their subordinates, Kagero-hime. Expecting them to
always understand you is unreasonable."

For a second, Kagero thought to challenge the advice.

A Shinobi was meant to follow orders, no matter what they may be. To question it was
unthinkable—as unthinkable as defying her father, regardless of what his intentions may be.

Looking at the man in question, she sought to gauge his reaction to the Hokage's words. His
face didn't change even the slightest, so she relented and bowed.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

The words felt like a lie on her tongue.

Fodlan

Mess Hall
"OK, now that we finally have some time away from possible interruptions..." Sothis
started, her voice as sweet as candy as she lovingly caressed her ward's head before-

*TWACK*

Naruto rubbed his head soothingly as he desperately tried to ease the growing lump on his
head. Floating in front of him, the Goddess's hand smoked as she glared down at him with
Divine fury.

"What were THINKING pulling out such a dangerous technique like that?! Do you
have any idea the strain you put your body through with such a stunt? Or, let me guess,
you weren't thinking at all, were you?! How many times must I tell you that acting in
such a brash way only leads to accidents and potential death!"

"I don't see what the big deal is..." The flat reply nearly caused the Goddess to burst a blood
vessel in her temple.

"You tore every muscle in your body! That's not to even mention the damage you did to
your bones! The pain alone was enough to knock you unconscious, Child!"

"But you fixed me."

"It's the principle, Child! The PRINCIPLE!"

She all but screamed, the blonde thankful no one was around to hear her voice. Taking deep
breaths to calm herself, a hand went to her brow to ease the growing headache. "I don't even
know why I bother. You're just going to do it again like the wreckless buffoon you are."

"Flayn said that's part of my charm." Naruto commented, smiling knowingly before popping
strawberry into his mouth.

"There is no 'charm' in being reckless, Child. And whatever charm you do possess
cannot be seen if you were to perish in your reckless endeavors." Sothis argued.

"But I had to protect my friends. There was no other way I could think of to break through his
armor without killing him." Was the blonde's defense.

"So killing is off limits, but potential permanent brain damage is OK?"

"At least he'll still be alive to think about what he'd done...and pay for the medical bills."

"Th-the stupidity..." Sothis had no counterargument to that, though it was mostly due to the
fact she was too flabbergasted by the statement that she nearly shut down.

"I really don't see the big deal." The blonde popped another strawberry into his mouth before
continuing. "I didn't kill anyone. The only one I hurt was myself, and I kept my promise.
Why are you mad?"

"Why must I have a reason to acknowledge your suicidal behavior or the clear lack of
care you show for yourself? Does the possibility of death not warrant caution?"
"But I can't die." Naruto said with surety in his voice. "I made you a promise—a promise that
I would change the world. I can't die before I fulfill that promise."

"You would put the weight of mere words over your own life?" Sothis asked. In truth, she
was slowly beginning to develop genuine anger. She was frustrated at the boy for refusing to
see anything other than the self-destructive path he chose to walk down, but in truth, she was
frustrated with herself for allowing this to go on for as long as it had.

"But my promise to you means everything to me." Naruto spoke, halting her thoughts for the
moment. The sheer intensity in the seafoam orbs that looked up to her spoke of sincerity and
an emotion not easy to make out through his ashen stare. "You are the reason I'm no longer
alone. Without you, I would have never met so many great people. I would have been alone
in this world, no friends or family to call my own. You are the reason I have something to
protect, and are my reason for living. If I can't do something as simple as keep my word, then
I have no right to call you my friend. My will to live will never be as strong as my desire to
protect what is precious to me."

For the longest time, Sothis was silent. For the life of her, she couldn't think of a single thing
to say to that, her mind coming up blank every time. The words had taken whatever fight and
anger she had inside of her and stomped it viciously into the flooring.

How exactly did one react to that? Was she even meant to say anything? Why was he still
looking at her like that, and when did it get so hot in here?

Sothis suddenly found it hard to look at her ward and turned away. Absent-mindedly, a hand
went up to her bangs, twirling the strands idly. Soon enough, she realized how long she'd
been lost in her thoughts and decided to say whatever first came to mind.

"W-well, I suppose I'll take that to mean you truly value our relationship, so I'll let this
slide...for now." She ended with a slight mumble while finding the roof to be particularly
interesting.

"Excuse me."

A voice cut the atmosphere.

Instantly, both turned to the source; their surprise a testament to how deep they were in their
conversation. Due to the lighting (that being a candling in their hand), not much could be
seen of the new arrival in regards to her attire aside from her upper body. A simple sleeveless
beige shirt adorned her top, it's dampness a sign that some form of exertion has taken place.

As for the arrival themselve?

A pale face adorned with hair as white as her skin looked on with intense violet eyes. She had
a lithe, delicate form that gave a hint to her younger years. If that wasn't enough, then her
stature would be a greater indicator.

She was short.

Like, Sothis short.

In fact, if the two were put side by side in the Goddess's younger former, she'd only stand
over the Goddess by 2 inches (approximately 4 inches taller than Naruto himself). The only
clue to her maturity was the slight baritone in her voice, and even then, you'd have to be
looking for it.

"Sorry if I disturbed you. I wasn't expecting anyone to be around at this time of night."

"...It's fine. I just got here." Naruto was able to reply this time, while Sothis observed silently.

The woman's eyes glanced at the bowl of strawberries that was still half full before a small
smile played across her face.

"Late night snack, I suppose?"

"I was actually bringing this to share with a friend of mine... Guess I got hungry along the
way." Naruto admitted, taking a moment to glance at the bowl of fruit before offering, "Want
some?"

"Maybe another time." The girl chuckled. "I don't believe I've seen you around the monastery
before. Are you a new student?"

Naruto truly didn't know how to answer that. In the past, he and Flayn did their best not to
mingle with any of the students since there was no logical explanation for his presence. The
best they could do was introduce him as a relative if the need arose, yet even that excuse has
holes—more so in this situation, so what could he do?

"I'm a student."

The sigh Sothis let out was audible.

"Oh? From what House do you hail?"

Damn...

"...The Leaf."

Quiet passed between the two, both unmoved and expressionless.

"You're not a very good liar." The girl intoned.

"That's what my friends say...though I'm starting to believe I'm not very good at telling the
truth either." The comment gave the unintended effect of making the girl cover her mouth
melodic chuckles escaped.

"You're interesting, if nothing else." She commented before gesturing to the spot next to him.
"Do you mind if I sit? It's not often I get the chance to speak to those outside my house."
Not seeing any reason to deny, Naruto nodded and the girl sat, placing the candle down next
to his own. Now closer, he could make out her expressions more clearly, her eyes holding a
curiosity he wasn't able to see before.

"You are not native to Fodlan, are you?" She decided to go right in, that inquisitive look not
leaving her eye.

"...Do you always creep around this late at night?" The blonde countered, to which a smile
grew on the girl's face in return.

"For the most part. I often find it hard to stay asleep, so I walk to keep my mind active."

"Isn't that counter-productive?"

"Only if sleep is my end goal. It is common for those in my position to sacrifice sleep in
order to perform the duties expected of us. However, a tired mind will only serve to make
matters worse in the long run, so I often take Arum Lilies to ease me back to sleep."

"That, uh, sounds kinda unhealthy." He decided to say, even if he didn't truly understand what
'Arum Lilies' were.

"If it were anyone else, I'd agree. Unfortunately, I've little choice. My ambitions demand that
I make small sacrifices in order to see a brighter future. How about yourself? Why are you up
this late?"

Naruto blinked at that. He did not have a conventional answer for the question, but he did
have a question he wanted answered.

"Are you a princess?" From the way she talked to the way she sat, all the signs of nobility
were practically falling in place. If the girl wasn't a noble then he would eat his sword.

"Are you related to the Archbishop by any chance?"

There was a lull in the conversation. Naruto stared at the girl blankly while the stranger
leaned on a fist—a knowing look in her eye from throwing the blonde's tactics right back at
him.

"Tit for tat, Child." Sothis commented amusedly.

"...No." He begrudgingly admitted.

"Then what is your relationship to the church?"

"...You ask a lot of personal questions for someone you just met." The blonde stated, his
training kicking in at the realization.

"True, though I do believe I am justified in this matter, especially when one as mysterious as
yourself appears." She said, her meaningful smile dropping ever so slightly.

"How am I suspicious? If anything, you're more suspicious than me." The blonde accused.
"The fact that you do not know who I am, yet are currently taking sanctuary in the manestary
is questionable enough to raise suspicion. The only reason I do not suspect you to wish me
harm is that even the most common civilian is aware that Arum Lilies are poisoness. So
much so that a single drop of its nectar is enough to put a babe to sleep, permanently."

Naruto stared at the girl aimlessly. It had been a while since he'd fallen into such a trap and it
felt somewhat humbling. It was his own fault of course, but at least it was from someone he
was sure he could take and not another that witch or another Shinobi trying to get the better
of him.

"...So you are a princess," was all he could think to say.

"In a sense." She chuckled. "Though it is not a term we use in the Empire. In truth, I am
heiress to the throne of Adrestia." She said with a bit of flair, sitting straighter with a look of
expectance crossing her features.

"Where is that?"

The question made the heiress visibly sag in shock. Despite her upbringing, her mouth hung
agape and all elegance left her as she stared bewilderedly at the blonde.

"You, are either very ill-informed or the most remarkable actor I've ever met." She said,
hoping her words would bring a reaction. Unfortunately, the only thing she received was a tilt
of the head and that same unemotive stare she couldn't see through. "If, you do not mind me
asking, how old are you?"

"Twelve." The boy answered easily enough.

"Only two name days..." The heiress mumbled to herself. "And where are you from?"

"A place far far away."

The incredulous stare the white-haired girl gave him mirrored the Goddess in his head.

"You do realize such an answer only makes you more suspicious."

"...Sorry. Force of habit... And you wouldn't believe me if I told you, nor can I. I wouldn't be
a good Shinobi if I did."

"She...nobee?" The girl tested the unfamiliar word on her tongue.

"It's, uh, a job... A very, conspicuous one..."

"I see. And what is it you do as a 'Shinobi'?"

Naruto thought of the best way to answer that question without being too informative.

"I help people for a living... Mostly our own, but there are times I get to travel outside my
home to other countries. Like recently, I saved a princess."
"Did you now." The girl said with some curiosity at the blonde who visibly stuck out his
chest in what she assumed was pride. "And would you care to share such an adventure? Or
am I not worthy of such a tale?"

"Only if you're not easily jealous." Naruto shot back, the beginnings of excitement feeling
him as the chance to retail his adventures had finally come.

"I'm not so sure about jealousy, but I do know I'm intrigued enough to listen. I only question
if your storytelling skills are as good as your boast."

The blonde's excitement only seemed to grow at the challenge.

Taking a moment to organize the events, he began his tale.

Without giving too much detail of his home, he spoke of his ventures.

He told her of his mission to Taki and of the girl they met via her sending his friend through a
wall. He spoke of the ambush leading to her village, as well as her poor vocabulary. He then
went on to tell of the mission to snow and how a famous actor princess turned out to be an
actual princess. From there, he could tell that the more he went on, the less believable it
sounded to someone not affiliated with the Shinobi world.

But nevertheless, she listened—all the way till he got to the part where the Land of Snow
became the Land of Springs.

"My, your work sounds adventurous." The girl commented, even if she questioned the
validity of the story.

"It has its ups and downs, but I can't think of a better job." Naruto replied proudly, to which
the girl gave him a knowing smile.

"Well, if there's ever a time your passion for the sword runs dry, I have every confidence in
your ability to be a bard. Though, you'd do well to add a bit more tone to your dialogue."

There was a giggle, but not from either of the two present.

Suddenly, the girls expression changed from amusement to curiosity. There was a question on
her mind—one she'd been meaning to ask since the boy had first revealed his profession.

"Sorry if I'm being blunt, but why the life of a mercenary? Surely there are alternatives to
making a living than being a sellsword, no?"

The question caused Naruto pause. He was sure the girl didn't mean to put him on the spot,
but it was the first time anyone had asked him that or any reason why he wanted to be a
Shinobi other than Sothis. It took him off guard, and for a moment, he struggled to answer.
When he did, he spoke wistfully, as if remembering better days.

"...Because where I'm from, it's the only job where I can make a change." He admitted,
turning away from the girl to look into the slowly diminishing candle on the table. "In the
beginning, I only did it to be acknowledged. I wanted people to see me for who I am and not
who they thought I was. I learned that that reasoning was shallow. Though I still wish for
people to see me for who I am, I gained a new reason for becoming a Shinobi."

He finally looked back at the girl.

A smile spread across his face as he proudly declared, "I made a promise. A promise to
change the world. To change the world for the better—one where we end the cycle of hatred.
That is why I am a Shinobi, and I swore to never go back on my word." He positively
beamed after his declaration, the pride he felt in himself, and the hope that she would
understand.

"...I see." Yet, despite his rarely seen exuberance, the girl's face had fallen to neutrality. "And
tell me, what do you plan to sacrifice to achieve such a dream?"

"...Sorry?" The blonde asked, the smile sliding right off his face.

"I wish to know what you plan to sacrifice in the name of peace." She stated more sternly, her
brow furrowing as she tried to get across the seriousness of her question. "In order to change
the world, sacrifices must be made. Without sacrifice, your promises are nothing but words."

The joy that had filled him vanished.

"Do not mistake my words for an act of cruelty. The world you envision is one worth
building. If humans weren't so fickle, then peace would have been obtained long ago. But as
long as man shall want, a society of everlasting peace will forever be unattainable. That is
why I say change comes with sacrifice."

The girl broke eye contact to look at her hands. Lavender eyes stared intensely through their
palm, opening and closing it as if to make sure it was actually there.

"Much like you, I too have ambitions of change. And to achieve those ambitions, I must take
from others. That is an inevitability, and one of which I cannot avoid." She admitted, the
words carrying a weight unknown to the blonde. "If I wish for the majority to be happy, I
must upset, and sometimes kill those who oppose me. If I do not, then best case, they shatter
my dreams. Worst case, they take away something, or someone, precious to me."

"So you just kill them? Just because of what they could do?"

"Yes." The girl replied almost immediately. In a rare show, the blonde's brow furrowed and a
look almost resembling that of a snarl appeared on his face.

"Then you only repeat the cycle. Nothing will change, and you'll be back to where you
started."

"And by sparing them, you give them the opportunity to win." She shot back, a challenging
frown of her own present. "There are certain people in this world who will not listen to
reason and need to be put down. There are monsters in this world who will never change and
have committed acts so vile that they deserve to suffer for eternity. By allowing them to live,
to walk free, you become part of the problem."
"Everyone deserves a second chance."

"NO THEY DON'T!"

The shout traveled, combining ringing of table as a fist slammed against the surface. The
nearly-burnt candles fluttered, threatening to send the room into darkness yet held.

Naruto did not break his gaze from the girl whose eyes held a fire that seemed to pry into his
very being. Regardless, the blonde did not back down. He refused to. What she spoke of went
against everything he believed in. In the Nations, everyone thought like her, which was why
there was never change. Change would not come if he thought like they did, and he refused
to allow anyone to force him into believing so—no matter how many people tried to dissuade
him.

Surprisingly, it was she who broke their gaze first. The anger on her face seemed to melt
away into surprise before she looked away entirely. A deep breath later, and she had returned
to a state of neutrality.

"Forgive me. I, lost myself for a moment." She apologized, yet it did nothing to quell the
blonde's mood.

A pregnant silence passed, neither having anything to say to the other. The only thing that
had changed was that the blonde was no longer glaring at the girl, but joining her in staring
holes into the table.

"...It is not my intention to dissuade you from your dream." She started once more. "I, simply
wish for you to understand the world for what it truly is." Unseen to the blonde, the girls
hands came together to rest on the table. They were trembling, forcing her to tighten her grip
so he could not see her weakness. "There are monsters in this world. Monsters who destroy
with no remorse and will not hesitate to take everyone and everything you love if given the
chance. All I ask is that, going down your path, you do not allow them to take that chance.
The only thing worse than a tragedy...is living knowing you could have prevented it."

Finishing her spill, she hesitantly glanced over at her fellow stranger, hoping her words were
meaningful council.

The boy hadn't even flinched during her speech. In fact, the only change she could see aside
from the scowl was the clenched fist she had on the table.

Sighing to herself, she stood from her chair, the screeching of the wood against the floor
sounding louder in the lull.

"It would seem presence is no longer wanted. I shall take my leave." Despite how the
conversation had turned, the heiress gave a bow of respect. With that, she turned and made
her way to the exit, the Shinobi not so much as glancing in her direction.

...

Upon leaving the mess hall, a figure immediately greeted the girl.
His elderly face and brown hair were the first indicator of who the man was, yet despite the
grandfatherly smile, she was on edge.

"Ah, what a coincidence it is running into you at this hour, Lady Edelgard." The man greeted,
his fake surprise combined with his sickeningly sweet tone making the heiress want to vomit.

"...What do you want." The heiress asked plainly, her gaze never leaving the older man.

"Ah, must you be so shrewd? Is a greeting not in order in encounters such as this?" He
continued despite the girl's obvious hostility.

"That is certainly the case in some retrospect. However, I neither want nor welcome your
presence. So I ask again: What do you want?"

The man chuckled at that, his face taking on an expression she recognized as genuine
amusement.

"Cold as always. It is good to know that aspect of you hasn't dwindled even the slightest.
Keep it. It shall prove useful in the coming days."

The words were as ominous as his sudden look of seriousness.

"We've found it."

The three words were like bells ringing in her ears. Her eyes widened to the point they
threatened to leave her sockets, while her heart began racing rapidly.

"Where," was all she asked.

"West of Aegir, in a cabin only 5 miles away from the capital. Rumors of brigands and
overzealous lords going missing have made way to my spies. Most haven't returned, but one,"
a grin, wide and inhuman, spread across the man's face. "The nearby villages call her the
'Angel of the Woods', and yet the bodies she stacks is nothing short of demonic. It is her, no
doubt."

"...And why have you deemed me worthy of such information?" Edelgard asked, having a
sinking suspicion of where this was going.

"My dear, it is because, just like Kronya and I, you have been chosen to take part in its
retrieval." The man explained, his grin now downright inhuman. From his robes, he pulled
out a mask. It was white in color, with the right side of the mask painted red in patterns
similar to flames. "It shall be your first task as the Flame Emperor. No doubt, the completion
of this mission shall prove your loyalty once and for all. Do you accept?"

Edelgard took hold of the mask, forcing down every instinct within her to not flinch away
from the worm's hand. "And when do we move?" She asked next.

"Tomorrow," was his answer. "Do make sure you're in the appropriate attire. Our lord hates to
be disappointed." A nod was all the confirmation she gave before turning on her heel to
march back to her room. She didn't even get three steps before the worm called for her again.
Looking over her shoulder, she found the man not looking at her, but at the door she had
walked through not too long ago.

"The boy." He asked, curiosity lacing his tone. "He feels...familiar... Who is he?"

Edelgard glanced to the door of the mess hall. Their conversation immediately flashed
through her head, a mix of dreams and aspirations.

"...No one important."

Takigakure

Fū blinked several times upon entering her home.

It was clean.

Very clean.

Like, unnaturally clean.

Her floor was dirt and grass, and even then, it was as flat as paper itself. The clothes that
were once sprawled across her home for easy access were all neatly stacked in a pile on her
bedroll. Even the things she salvaged from the junkyard stood in the corner next to the couch,
it's status as 'tripping hazard' no longer a possibility.

And finally, there was the blonde sitting on her bed, staring at her as owlishly as she had been
observing her new surroundings.

"...How did you get in?" Was the first thing that came to mind, to which the blonde slowly
leaned to the side to look behind her at the doorless entrance.

"I knocked, but no one answered." The blonde replied.

"So you thought it was OK to let yourself in?" She asked.

"You weren't here, and there was no sign to say you were busy. Plus, I didn't think you'd
care."

"I don't, but a warning that you're dropping by would be nice." Fū smiled before walking over
to join the blonde on her bed. "So, what brings you here? Couldn't wait to see me again,
huh?"

Despite the playful jab, her friend didn't reply, nor even acknowledge that he'd heard her. It
made the smile she had fall right from her face.

"Is something wro-"

"Let's fight."
"Huh?" Fū stared dumbly at her friend, wondering if she heard correctly.

"Let's fight." Naruto repeated, turning fully to the greenette with an expression she couldn't
describe.

"You, want to fight? As in, you want to willingly get your ass kicked?" She asked, just to
make sure.

"Yes. You can hit me as hard as you want, as long as I can do the same. No powers, no Jutsu,
just hands." The greenette's excitement was palpable at this point. Naruto held up a finger
before the girl could get too excited. "In return, you can't ask why I'm here, and you can't ask
what happened. Deal?"

Fū was on her feet before he could finish. A wild grin was on her face as she eagerly cracked
her knuckles.

"Keep your secrets and get your ass outside, Uzumaki! I've been waiting to cave that face of
yours in for far too long!"
End Notes

This is a cross post from Fanfiction. Decided to post this here just in case I have a need for
lemons in the future.

Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!