I in no way Own any of the characters or themes associated with Naruto, the rest of this story however is my own, and I own all rights to creative ideas expressed within. That is all.
So this idea just came to me while watching, believe it or not, Your Highness. Yeah, I know, but still, I have no knowledge of anyone using this premise for a story before, and I love the idea of it. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
I bring you chapter 1~
Once Upon a Time
Chapter 1
Once upon a time, the legends of old tell the tale of a brave man. Born a stable boy, he fought his way through the Great Third War, rising up through the ranks. His tale of bravery and might where beheld by all, and his strength was known to even the most fearsome of enemies. The King of the land, Sarutobi, watched the young boy grow into a man, and when the time was right, named him King of Konoha. Having had no children himself, Sarutobi was the only one who could choose a valiant and worthy successor, and through the many trails and battles this young man had fought, Sarutobi alone deemed him worthy of the title of King.
He ruled with a fair and just hand for many years, along the way meeting a fair maiden to whom he became engaged. Her hair shone the brightest of red, and her nature entrapped him, amazed him. The kingdom rejoiced, and Sarutobi watched on in joy, as the young couple grew very fond of each other. The two where madly in love, the very stars above seemed to shine brighter when one held there company.
But this time of peace, of love, was not to last.
Far in the lands of the east, a Great Wizard named Madara was gathering his army. He struck out against the peaceful Kingdom of Konoha, battling his way across the Lands, until His army of beasts was at the gates of The Great Castle. The battle waged, for many days and many nights, until The King of the land lead a valiant charge from the gates, spear heading his way into the middle of the Army, to strike Madara down. With their Master gone, the beast's that made up his army lost control, and fled before the might of the king. Peace returned to the land, and all was well once again.
But Madara, He was not as dead as everyone believed.
Barely alive and wounded terribly, he fled to the farthest reaches of the kingdom, and there he lay, gathering power. He slowly built his Army back up, but this time, instead of lashing out at those he had perceived as wronging him, he hesitated. He knew, of course, of the might of the king, and so he slowly planed. Through his studies of the Darkest of Magic's, He learned of Beasts so terrible, So Fearsome, they where only spoken of in the whispers of the night, in the farthest darkest corners of the world. And so he went out into the world, seeking the power of these beasts, so that he might tame them and use them as his own, to strike down the King.
After searching and searching for many years, he found one.
The legend states that sixteen years ago, in the northern mountains of the Kingdom of Konoha, A terrible beast, Summoned by the great dark wizard Madara, attacked. It tore its way through the outlying villages, destroyed any whom dared to stand in its path, till the fearsome beast reached the very gates of the Castle of Konoha itself. The King, a great and fearsome warrior, alone stood against this beast, and with the help of his aid, defeated the beast in combat, but sacrificed his own life in the process. This, my friends, is what the villagers where lead to believe. But the truth was a very different story.
The castle was in turmoil, solders and knights running around in a great panic, children crying out for their mothers in fright, seeming to sense the horrid nature of the beast descending upon them. Men said goodbye to their wives, before mounting their horses and setting out to face the terrible power that had befallen there kingdom. Minato, the King of the Lands, stood watching over the courtyard of the great castle, his eyes drawn far into the Distance.
The Kyuubi.
He could see the terrible beast from here, its colossal form towering over the landscape, as his army valiantly tried to stave it off. Biting his lip, he went over the thoughts in his head. Battle plans entered his mind, only to flee just as quickly as they came. He could see no alternative to the plan his great wizard had devised, but in doing so he would leave this world. Sighing, his head moving to the armor he wore, he let his hand trail softly over his family crest.
A cough behind him made him turn his way slowly to face one of his generals, Kakashi. Though still only a child, Kakashi was a born leader, and one of the fiercest warriors in the army. Motioning for Kakashi to step forward, Minato looked over at the Kyuubi once more, before speaking.
"What is it Kakashi?" Kakashi let his eyes trail slowly to the man who had once been his teacher, and was now one of his greatest friends, before he spoke, looking at the beast.
"Our forces are unable to drive it back, its pushing its way through Lord Hiashi's Land as we speak, and his Hyuuga are unable to contain it… what are you going to do my lord?" Kakashi spoke, seeing his king bite his lip. He knew the power the king held, and he could only hope that the king had a plan to defeat this terrible beast.
Minato stared at the beast, his hands gripping the railing as he looked upon it. His mind was consumed, thoughts of his new born child and his wife flooding into his mind. It was the only choice he had, and at least Kushina would be there to take care of him. Sighing he turned to Kakashi, before he spoke.
"Command our forces to fall back to the Castle, and summon my scribe. I will deal with the beast." Kakashi looked at his commander skeptically, but seeing the seriousness on his face, nodded and turned away.
"As you command, my lord."
Minato turned his gaze back to the great beast, only one thought penetrating his mind.
'I hope you can forgive me for what I must do, my son.'
That night, fighting the terrible nine tailed fox, Minato, King of Konoha, knew with all his heart and soul that he would be unable to defeat such a beast. So, he had his aid, in the hours before the great battle, conduct an almost forgotten ritual. Taking his new born son, he faced the beast and fought. After many hours, the beast was finally worn down enough that the ritual could take place, and in doing so, Minato gave his life to seal away the power of the beast into his son. Feeling the strength leave his body, he looked with sad eyes upon his son, and knew that the beast was well and truly defeated.
"Naruto, my boy… I am sorry I won't be there to watch you grow up... I can only hope Sarutobi will protect you... And you will always have Kushina" The child, of course, only stared at the man in a childlike delight, unknowing that his father's life was quickly leaving him. Minato, looking to his Squire, spoke once more, "Take him… Back to the Castle… and let no one know of the sealing of the beast into him…"
"Of course, my lord." The Squire spoke, before lifting the boy up and turning to rush towards the castle. Minato watched him go, a small smile on his lips, as his final thoughts drifted into his mind.
'Someday my boy… you will be king.'
The squire hurried towards the castle, the small bundle wrapped protectively in his grip, when suddenly pain flared in his back. He stumbled, and fell to one knee, gasping out in light pain as he moved his free hand to his back. Withdrawing it, he saw it was stained in blood, and glancing over his shoulder he saw a knife. His eyes widening, he stood suddenly and made to run for the castle, when his life was cut short.
The man behind him let his blade fall, cleaning it on the cloth around his body, before picking the small child off the ground and speaking, his voice but a whisper, lost upon the cold winter winds of the night.
"I have great plans for you, child. Great plans indeed."
At the same time, an assassin slipped into the bedchambers of the Queen, and silently in the night, he slit her throat. Making his way out, slipping into the Chaos that surrounded the castle, he vanished into the night air.
Several hours later, her body would be discovered, as well as the missing child. Sarutobi, after returning to the mantle of King, sent out search parties to locate who had committed this terrible deed, but it was all for naught. The assassin, along with the child who was taken, vanished without a trace, like smoke in the heavy wind.
To this day, there is still talk among the people of the great kingdom, of the boy who was taken. They dubbed him The Lost King, and many still held out hope that one day he would return, his sword gleaming and his armor bright, to lead them once more in the years to come.
But the child never returned, the mantle of King remained on the aged Sarutobi's shoulders, and ever so slowly, the search parties stopped. The whispers faded away to nothing but stories, told to children before they went to bed.
The Lost King was gone, yes, but not truly forgotten.
And Thus, Begins our story.
-16 Years Later-
It was dark, the air thick and cold in the winter nights of the northern mountains. He yawned softly, his eyes gazing outwards from the battlements of the castle walls, into the darkness that permeated the area. Guard duty was always so boring, but he was trained better then to let his attention lax from what he was assigned to do.
He let his eyes wander over the scars in the land, created sixteen years ago in the struggle against the beast, where the king had fallen. It was strange to him, that one of only minor noble blood could become king, but as the current king had no blood relatives alive, it made some sense. Still, he would not dwell on matters of royalty.
A movement in the dark caught his eye, and he hefted his spear into his grip, his eyes narrowing to see if there was anything there. The movement happened again, and this time he recognized it as a small animal moving across the ground. Sighing he let his spear fall to a stand down position, and relaxed, his eyes returning to scanning the land. Really, he felt like he was getting far too old for this.
Even though he felt that way, and even though this was just one of many minor castle situated throughout the land, and not even the great castle of Konoha itself, he knew that his duty was an important one. He saw another movement, there in the darkness, and his spear once more returned to its grip.
"Probably just another animal" He muttered to himself, straining to see what was in the dark. A flutter of something caught his eye, and he looked towards the forest edge, his eyes widening at what they saw.
A Man.
Something tickled at his spine, his instincts screamed for him to move, and so he did. Just in time too, as a blade sailed where he had just been standing. Turning to look to his left, he saw a small boy, standing there holding a blade. Opening his mouth to raise the alarm, he had to wait as the boy charged at him. Thrusting his spear forward, he was utterly shocked when the boy leapt over it, and landed on it. His grip kept it from being pushed down immediately, which was his demise. As the spears head traveled towards the ground under the boy's weight, the boy thrust his sword out, catching the guard in his stomach. He let out a chocked gurgle before he slumped over, the life leaving his eyes.
The boy's eyes narrowed as he watched the guard fall, before lifting the large man up and throwing him over the walls. Down below, another man dragged the body out of sight, before the boy continued on his way. He watched the ground, waiting for the clouds in the air to move across the moonlight, before darting his way into the empty courtyard of the castle. He had to move quickly, for at any second one of the guards patrolling the wall could turn around and see him. Reaching the castle walls he tried the door, but found it was locked.
Cursing under his breath, he looked up at the walls and frowned. It was a long way up, and it would take time, but the cloak he wore around him would cover him well, and blend in with the wall. Sighing gently, he let his hands settle into a few hand holds, before he started his ascent.
It took him just over two hours, with numerous pauses as guards looked upwards at slight sounds, to make it to the top of the main tower. Poking his head over the battlements he frowned seeing a guard with his back turned to him. This close to the Lords chambers they would undoubtedly station a better trained guard. One who would scream the second they detected an intruder, no matter the circumstance. Letting his body slip over the battlements, he settled against the wall just as the man turned around.
Hidden in the shadows, the boy stayed as still as he could. He knew that when caught most people's instincts where to move, thinking the person had caught them. In truth, most people who think they saw something would focus too hard on the area, missing the small signs of someone behind there. The guard was no exception.
He stared long and hard at the area the boy occupied, but after several seconds turned away, satisfied that there was nothing of interest in that area. The boy sat there with baited breath, till the guard was a ways away, before slipping to the door into the main castle. Closing it quietly behind him, he let his eyes dart back and forth in the dark, before he made his way down a barely lit corridor. He knew his way around the Castle, of course he did, and he had studied the layout of the castle for weeks in order to attempt this. Letting his body move to the wall, he peeked his head around a corner, only to draw it back quickly.
Two guards.
Growling out softly, he backed up when he heard them start to head his way, and dipped quietly into a bedroom. Turning around, he stopped suddenly, confronted with a blonde haired girl looking at him. The girl took in his clothing, before her eyes widened slightly in alarm. The boy dashed forward, letting his hand clap over her mouth, before he whispered gently into her ear.
"Shhhh…" The girl nodded softly, and he moved behind her, keeping his hand over her mouth. He could hear the guards outside, they had stopped and where standing outside the door. Eyes narrowing ever so slightly, the boy spoke once more, "I'm going to take my hand off, but if you so much as try to alert the guards, I will not hesitate to slit your throat, understood?"
The girl nodded softly, before feeling the weight of the boys hand leave her mouth. He was obviously an intruder, which was bad, but he didn't seem out to hurt her, so she decided to do as he said. Feeling his breath against her back, calm and steady, she blushed lightly before she spoke quietly.
"Who are you? What do you want?" The boy said nothing for a time, before he spoke gently in her ear once more.
"Who I am matters not to one such as you, fair maiden, but may I ask the name of one so beautiful?" the girl blushed harder, his voice speaking into her ear, and she knew he was having a fun time teasing her. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she waited a second before she spoke.
"Ino… Ino Yamanaka." The boy seemed to stiffen slightly behind her, before he relaxed once more. The voices of the guards where drawing away and she felt him grasp her hands before speaking once more.
"Well, Ino, It has been my utmost pleasure, but I must take my leave now."
It happened so fast. One second she was held there by him, the next she felt cloth wrap around her hands and tighten, and another clothe move over her mouth to muffle her voice. Eyes widening, she felt him lift her up before placing her on her bed. Her eyes darted to him, and she managed to catch a small glimpse of blonde hair, before he bowed and left the room.
'What a strange boy.'
The boy let his head peek out the door, before determining it was safe, and slipping into the corridor. Making his way down the hallway, he checked around another corner and was this time very relieved to see no one in it. Moving down it, careful to stick to the shadowy walls, he drew closer and closer to his intended destination.
'Just around this corner.'
Peeking his head around the corner, he bit back the urge to curse once more. Two guards were stationed outside of the bed chambers he needed to get into, and he knew the only way in would be to go through them. Dipping back behind the corner, he stood for a second in silent contemplation before he rubbed his head. He had no idea how to go about this, and he let his head fall silently backwards against the cold hard stone of the castle, his eyes gazing upwards.
He grinned.
The two guards stood outside the doorway, the late night taking its toll on them, but they remained vigilant. Coughing gently, one guard looked to his left, spotted a cat, and sighed, before turning back forward. Then he heard a noise.
"Aye, did you hear that?" The other guard stiffened, before he strained his hearing to see if he could hear anything. After a period of silence, he spoke.
"I din't 'ear nuffin." Both guards relaxed, and let their eyes travel forward.
The boy dropped, silently, in between them, and as they both turned towards him, he slipped two daggers into his hand, and flashed them both out sidewise. They cut deep into the guard's unprotected necks, slicing far into the soft tissue, severing the vocal chords just as he had been trained. The blood in their throats would keep them muffled, but no point in not having extra insurance. Glancing down at the two bodies, one still alive with his eyes filled with terror, he let his hand move to the door handle, before he opened it softly. He had little time.
Pausing as he opened the door slightly, he waited to see if his movements or the guard's death had disturbed the one sleeping inside. After a short period he heard nothing, so he moved inside the doorway and let his body slip into the shadows once more. Eyeing the bed in front of him, he moved slowly to it.
Moving forward, he crept slowly to the edge of the bed, and pushed the silk curtains to the side, before sparing a quick glance to make sure his target was in the bed. There, a lump under the blankets, about the size of a man. The still bloodied daggers in his hand dripped softly onto the floor, the noise barely audible over the sound of the fire in the torches. Taking a deep breath, he thrust the dagger into the lump, only to curse as a burst of feathers shot into the air. His spine tickled, and he jumped back, just in time to dodge a sword thrust from the lord.
"Interesting, I had received word that an Assassin might be coming after me, but to see one so young. This is indeed an interesting development. Lord Inoichi, at your service." Inoichi bowed softly, his head dipping low in front of the boy, as he smiled softly.
The boy growled softly, before he spoke gently.
"Nothing personal old man, just doing my job." Inoichi chuckled at his statement, before lifting his sword upwards and motioning for the boy to attack him, his fingers clinking in the armor he wore.
He was not disappointed.
The boy reached into his cloak suddenly, pulling out two short swords and charging. Thrusting his sword forward, Inoichi watched his target slip around his sword strike and launch his blades at his neck. Leaning back, Inoichi let the blades pass by his face before lifting his foot and shooting it outwards to kick the boy in the chest. The boy flipped upwards and over his foot, landing to the right of Inoichi, who twisted his sword in his grip and sent a slash at the boy.
Leaping backwards, the boy let the blade sail past him harmlessly, before leaping backwards and landing on his hands, twisting his body around and standing upright he looked at Inoichi, who only motioned him forward once more. Growling out, the boy launched himself at the man, his foot shooting out to kick him in the face. But Inoichi lifted his hand, blocking the kick, before thrusting his sword forward. The boy, still mid air, twisted his body and let his hand push down on the flat of the blade, redirecting it towards the ground. Thrusting his own sword forward, he watched as it drew closer to his target, only to be disappointed when the man leaped backwards, the heavy armor he wore seeming to be naught but a feather on the imposing man. The man's blade disappearing from under his hand caused him to stumble forward slightly.
Inoichi, seeing the boy falter in his step, lunged forward, his sword moving out to cut into the boy's neck. But the boy saw it coming, and moved his blade into the way just in time. There was a resounding crash, the sound of metal on metal heard loudly throughout the room.
The boy heard voices from outside the door, no doubt drawn there by the sound of the blades, and biting his lip he spared one last glance at Inoichi, before he leapt backwards and out the window. The guards burst into the room not a second later, and Inoichi just looked at them before he spoke, his voice loud and harsh over the sound of their armor.
"In the courtyard!"
The boy hit the battlements suddenly, before lifting himself upwards and starting towards the stairs down into the courtyard. He stopped, suddenly, when he saw a group of solders coming up them, before turning around and seeing more coming from behind him. Growing softly, and biting his lip, he let one of his blades slide slowly out of there scabbards, just as the guards reached him. Glancing to his left, then his right, the boy spoke softly.
"Well, come on then, I don't have all bloody day." One of the guards growled out at this, before he launched himself at the boy. The rest where soon to follow behind him, and all the guards slowly started to converge on the boy in front of them.
The boy watched the first guard reach him, before reaching out and gripping his spear, pulling it forward and past him into the gut of a guard that attacked him on the other side, before he let his body slide along the length of the spear. Placing one hand on the attacking guards back, he lifted him up and over his shoulders, tossing him over the battlements, before he quickly spun around the sword lunge of another guard. Gripping the guard's hand, he turned it backwards, before pulling said guards arm behind his back. Using the guards arm, he deflected a sword strike, before pulling roughly on the sword and breaking the man's arm. Turning around quickly, he let the sword flash outwards, impacting the base of the neck of the guard, and watched the man crumple.
Moving one more around another spear lunge, he kicked his foot out and caught the attacking guard in the face, and heard the satisfying crunch of the bone breaking, before he turned to face the other guards. Dashing at the closest one, the boy let his sword impact the man's stomach, spearing him through, before he turned once more and caught the hand of a guard swinging his sword at him from behind. Kicking the man off his sword, he twisted his body and brought his sword out along the guard he had caught stomach, watching his blood seep out suddenly. Letting the man drop, the boy stood there, as the other guards seemed to get more cautious in how they dealt with him. Frowning, and knowing he had little time, the boy glanced over the battlements, before grinning. One of the guards with a spear lunged at him, but the boy jumped over the strike, and landed on one of the battlements softly, before back flipping off it, and disappearing into the night air.
The guards rushed to the wall, and looked over it trying to see if they could find the boy. No sign of him, until one guard shouted out.
"There!"
The boy pulled himself out of the hay pile at the base of the wall, before waving cheekily to the guards, and taking off into the forest. He had just made it into the forest, and was currently snaking his way in and out of trees, when he heard the softest of whistles behind him. Turning his body quickly, his hand shooting upwards, he snatched the arrow intended for his head out of the air, before turning to face the one who had attacked him. His companion, Itachi, had already fled into the night, as was standard practice for their group. If one was captured, it wouldn't compromise the whole guild.
He was shocked, however, when he turned around for the second time only to face the same girl from before. He had thought she was beautiful then, but now, with her eyes alight with fire and a bow in her hand, an arrow already notched and aimed at him, he found her majestic.
"Ahhh, Fair Maiden, what a pleasant surprise." He spoke, his voice jovial and full of mirth. The girl kept her arrow trained on him, the surprise of his earlier feet of catching an arrow hidden deep behind her mask of fury. Growling out, she spoke loudly enough that any guard combing the area for the boy would hear it.
"You tried to kill my father!" She pulled the string of the bow taught, and kept it focused on him, as he seemed to glance away from her.
His eyes, the deepest color of blue she had ever seen, soon found her once more, before he spoke once again.
"I am only doing what I am paid to do. Surely one such as yourself would understand that, fair maiden." He spoke, bowing ever so slightly in front of her. Inside, however, he was sweating. If he didn't deal with the girl now, he could very well be caught. Plans raced inside of his head, none of them seemed like they would work, and less and less came upon him as he heard the heavy clunk of armored guards heading his way.
"Silence! I will see you hanged for your crimes." She spoke, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly at him, "Guards! He's over here!"
As she spoke that, she looked away for one second, which was all the time the boy needed. Suddenly dashing forward, he let his body dip low to avoid the arrow she had released at him, and in less than three seconds reached her. Letting his hand dip upwards, he wrapped it around her neck before pulling his body behind her, and turning it towards the now emerging guards.
"Gentlemen! It would normally be my pleasure to decimate you in combat, but as you can see I have my hands slightly full, "He spoke, indicating the girl in his arms, who was struggling against his grasp. Chuckling gently as he saw the guards stall, he bowed his head once more before he kept speaking, "Of course, if you choose to follow me her life will be forfeit, and it would be a shame to kill one as gorgeous as this. Please, stay here."
With that, he pulled her backwards into the underbrush, fighting against her struggles. A good shot with a boy she may be, but she was never trained to out power someone such as himself, who had been trained from a young age to do what he did. He traveled for awhile, deep into the forest, dragging her along with his hands over her mouth to keep her quiet; till he judged he had moved far enough into the forest they wouldn't be able to track him until daylight fell. Letting his hand off her mouth, he gripped her arm and pulled her along, all the while listening to her shout.
"What on earth do you think you are doing! Unhand me this instant you ruffian, I will not allow you to treat me this way! You will unhand me at once, and let me return to my castl— "She was cut off, suddenly, as the boy rounded on her, and his blue eyes flashed deep blood red for a second. She felt the blood in her veins chill at the sight, and her voice caught in her throat as the boy spoke.
"You will hold your tongue, fair maiden, for you are now the only chance I have of escaping this retched kingdom alive. Once we have traveled beyond the bounds of your kings lands, I will release you. Until then, please do us both a favor and be quiet." His tone left no room for argument, so she just nodded mutely and let him pull her along. Only minutes later they arrived at a large tree with a horse tied to it.
Lifting himself onto the horse, the boy lifted her up after him, before kicking the horse and letting out a soft cry. The horse neighed, before it took off like a rocket into the night. Ino sat on the horse, her arms wrapped around her captor's stomach, her mind a torrent of thoughts.
Hours ago, she had been getting ready to go see her friend in the Great Castle, Sakura, and now here she was, being kidnapped and forced against her will to travel with a boy who could be no older then her, but could kill grown men with such ease. She didn't know exactly what to make of the situation, but she knew that life wouldn't be the same until this boy had finished taking her to wherever it was he was going.
Laying her head against his back, she sighed and felt exhaustion take over her. Feeling her eyelids droop, she suddenly remembered that she didn't know the name of the boy who had taken her. Moving her head up till it was near his ear, she spoke softly.
"If you're going to take me captive, you could at least do me the courtesy of telling me your name." the boy chuckled softly, before he spoke just loud enough to be heard over the din of the horse.
"Naruto." She waited for him to add his surname, but when it seemed he wouldn't, she spoke up her unasked question.
"Naruto what?" The boy turned around and grinned at her, his hood falling off his head as he did so, revealing a boy with sun kissed blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Her eyes felt droopier than ever, and she wondered idly in her confused state as to why.
"No surname, Just Naruto." With that, the girl fell limp against his back, and he chuckled once more. The sleeping powder was effective as always, and she wouldn't wake up for at least the next couple of hours. Urging the horse on faster, Naruto let his mind wander over what had happened in that castle.
And more importantly, how he was going to explain it to his guild leader Pein.
-The Next Day-
Ino stirred, groaning softly as she tried to get more comfortable in her bed. Growling out as it didn't work, she moved to fluff her pillow, but when her hands reached it her eyes shot open. This wasn't her pillow; in fact it wasn't a pillow at all. Letting her eyes travel to what she had in her hands, she recognized the cloak, but from where she didn't know.
Sitting up, she realized she was on the forest floor, and everything came back to her. Meeting the boy in her room, being tied up, breaking out of her bonds in time to hear the shouts of intruder, going to the forest to cut the boy off, and being taken captive.
Looking around, she saw the boy standing not too far off, his back turned to her. This could be her chance. Standing up slowly, she started to sneak her way towards the boy, when his voice stopped her. He was talking to someone.
"—Think I know that? It was the only choice I had; besides, once I reach the border I will release her. All I ask of you, my old friend, is to tell him that I'll be late. I have the situation under control." She peeked her head around the tree to try and catch a glimpse of who he was talking to, only to see an individual dressed as he was last night. The man was standing in front of Naruto, before he spoke himself.
"Alright Naruto, I'll let him know. But you need to be careful; you have a whole country looking for you now." Naruto waved him off, before he replied.
"Bah, you know me, I've gotten out of sticker situations then this." The man grumbled under his breath, something that decided sounded like 'Indeed', before he turned and hopped on his horse. Bidding a farewell to Naruto, he took off into the forest. Now that the man was gone, Ino seized her chance. Leaping at the boy quietly, she brought the rock she had picked up down towards his head.
Naruto felt his spine tingle, and twisted around just enough to let the rock sail past him, before gripping the girls arm and slapping it hard, causing her to drop the rock. Pushing her backwards, he watched her stumble and fall, before he spoke.
"Ahhh, Fair Maiden, you're awake." He said with a smile, while Ino blushed and sputtered indignantly.
"S-stop calling me that!" she huffed slightly, averting her gaze so that he wouldn't see her blush. Naruto chuckled under his breath, before moving to his campfire and turning the rabbits he had caught earlier on it. She moved to sit next to him, but kept her distance, and watched what he was doing. Several minutes went by in silence, before she spoke again, her voice once more taking that haughty tone she so often used with him.
"Why are we sleeping in the forest? Why couldn't we at least go to an inn or something?" She spoke, glaring at him, while idly picking a twig out of her hair. Naruto watched, grinning at her antics, before he opened his mouth and responded.
"I can't do that, and you know that. I have the whole country looking for me as it is, going into a town would be foolhardy, especially while bringing you along, fair maiden." She huffed once more. Of course she knew that, but she was hoping that she would be able to convince him to go into a town, where her chances of escape would be much greater. Watching him turn the rabbits on the fire, she growled before she spoke once more.
"So how does it feel? To kill for a living I mean, must be great knowing people are terrified of you just before you kill them." Naruto stiffened slightly before he laughed, turning to her and speaking, his eyes flashing that blood red color she remembered so clearly.
"Fair maiden, you know not of what you speak. I merely do what I can to survive, and if that means I have to kill in order to watch out for myself, then I will gladly end the life of another. But take comfort in the fact I don't kill woman, especially those as… Enchanting as yourself." She blushed once more, before screaming out angrily.
"Stop calling me that!"
Naruto merely laughed at her outrage, before pulling one of the rabbits off the spit and handing it to her.
"Eat, you need your strength." She looked at the rabbit, before she begrudgingly took it. Letting the aroma of meat travel to her nose, she felt her mouth water slightly, and she suddenly realized how hungry she was. Taking a small tentative bite out of it, she savored the flavor, before taking another small bite.
Naruto watched her out of the corner of his eye, grinning as he saw her eating the rabbit, before he took his own rabbit and took a large bite out of it, chewing it and savoring the flavor. He had eaten nearly all his rabbit when he noticed she was still taking small bites, and he had to stop himself from choking because of his laughter.
She glared at him, her eyes narrowing dangerously, before she spoke under her breath.
"What are you on about now?" Naruto grinned at her, and she fought back a blush once more. Assassin or not, captor or not, he was not in the least bad looking. Naruto finished his bite, before he turned to her and spoke.
"It amazes me, you castle type, always so polite and well mannered, look at you. You've barely touched the rabbit I've given you, small measured bites, so befitting of one of your status Fair Maiden." He chuckled, before taking another bite out of his rabbit. She glared at him, looking at her rabbit once more, "You know, if you don't take larger bites, you'll never truly appreciate the flavor of the meat."
Glaring at him once more, she decided to spite him, and took a large bite out of her rabbit. The flavor flooded her mouth at once, and she felt her eyes widen slightly in surprise at the taste. Naruto grinned softly before he went back to eating, satisfied that she would eat her fill quickly now, before her voice interrupted his thoughts.
"And might I ask where you learned to cook so well, Assassin?" She said, looking at him once more with a glare. Apparently his amusement at her shock at the taste hadn't gone past her, and it had apparently irked her a bit. Smiling softly as he finished his bite, he spoke once more.
"My name is Naruto, Fair Maiden, and when one survives on their own for so long, you naturally strive to make things taste better. I guess I just took it a level above what most would." Ino growled once more at the nick name he had apparently chosen for her, before shooting back her reply.
"If I am Fair maiden, then you are Assassin. Stop calling me Fair Maiden and I'll call you Naruto." Naruto laughed out loud at this, before he leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear.
"Then I guess I'll just have to deal with Assassin, for calling you anything but what you are would be a shame."
She pouted.
-End Chapter 1-
Read and Review, I wanna know what you all think. Also, Unit will be updated soon, so no worries on that. As you can see, I thrust you right into the action on this one, and the whole story line as well as the time line will be explained over the course of the story. So sit back and enjoy.