Hey guys! Zeratide here, with the first chapter of the sequel to Blade of the Fox. This one's just to ease us in, familiarize us with what's happened in the amount of time that's passed and to set the scene; namely, that of temporary peace. So, without further ado, here is the first chapter.
Naruto took a deep breath, hefting the blade in his right hand, feeling the weight move through the air. The seven men and women surrounding him hefted their own blades, and three of them charged him; one from the right, one from his front-left, and one from his rear-left. Very good tactic, he thought as they advanced, they plan to have me face against one while the other two attack my rear. He quickly strafed to his rear-right, removing the advantage and forcing them to take him on face-to-face. One of the attackers aimed an overhead blow at his right shoulder, but he deflected it to the side, reaching forward and grabbing him firmly by the collar with his left hand. A hard shove sent him sprawling into his allies, and the three went down in a tangle of limbs and cloaks. Three quick stabs had each of them lying still.
The other four, obviously the most experienced, all formed in a loose ring around him, moving forward one step at a time in sync. Naruto quickstepped to the side, but they swiftly moved to compensate, and he knew he would be unable to outmaneuver them. Pre-emptive strike, he thought as he adjusted his stance, crouching so low that it looked as if he were about to touch his chin to the ground. His left hand shot out, grabbing a handful of loose sand, and he tossed it in a circle around him, blinding his attackers for a few precious moments. He hopped diagonally around a blind slash, adding a stab to his opponent's heart as he went by. Twisting as the woman fell to the dust, he performed a high kick, the steel toe of his boot connecting with a second enemy's forehead. As he fell back grunting in pain, Naruto continued on, locking blades with a second woman.
As the two struggled in the deadlock, the final enemy finally managed to clear the sand from his eyes. Growling in anger, he raised his sword and charged forward, clashing at the back of Naruto's head. Slipping out of the deadlock, Naruto ducked just as the blade passed through where his head had been. The woman fell back as the sword collided with her face, and Naruto stabbed the final man in the stomach.
"Dead, every one of you," Naruto said as the Assassins picked themselves off the ground, groaning in pain while the audience cheered. Tenten pinched the bridge of her nose where Kiba's dulled blade had collided with her, and Hinata painfully rubbed her breast where Naruto had stabbed her with his own dulled blade. "Apprentices, you should take a lesson from your seniors; it is better to wait and feel out your opponent before you attack. Although, when your opponent is me, you should probably run the other way." The senior Assassins laughed at the Apprentices' embarrassed looks, before Naruto motioned for them all to leave.
Four years, he thought, watching as the young Apprentices ran throughout the field. Despite the scant amount of snow, they had transformed an entire field just outside of the village into a fairground, covered with pavilions, shows, games, and restaurant stalls celebrating the anniversary of the end of the Templars (namely, Sasuke's death). Four years since Sasuke's death… four years since I was seventeen, too young to really know where my life would take me. At twenty-one, Naruto stood at six foot one, with shaggy blonde hair that unbound fell to his shoulders under his cowl, though the hood was down at the moment. Rolling his neck, Naruto strode through the cold grounds to the jousting lanes, watching several of his mid-ranking Assassins make the run. Why is it that the medieval games always do so well? Naruto wondered. A number of rifle games were on the other side of the field, though few people perused them. I suppose there's just something more satisfying about facing your opponent man-to-man…
"Daddy!" a small voice called, and he turned around, sighting a flash of pink-blonde hair before he was bowled over. "Daddy, Mommy was wooking for you…" Naruto smiled at his three-year old daughter, Ame, mussing her hair as he kissed her cute round nose. She had inherited her father's energetic nature alongside his whisker-like birthmarks, though most of her features were her mother's; she was practically her mother's clone. Her hair was pink with blonde streaks running through, and her eyes were mismatched; one was the emerald of Sakura's, and one was the cerulean of her father's. "Wook what I found, Daddy!" she announced, happily showing off a little squirrel she had somehow managed to catch. "Can I keep him? Pwease?"
"Sorry honey," he said, pulling the squirrel gently out of her hand. "He probably has a family, and his little ones will miss him." Ame pouted, her lip sticking out, and Naruto gave her a soft smile. "I'll tell you what, why don't we ask your uncle Kiba if the Inuzuka have any puppies they'd be willing to let you have, okay?" Ame grinned, nodding her head wildly as Naruto released the squirrel. "Now, off with you." Ame ran toward the Ichiraku stall, grinning and talking excitedly to Ayame. Rising back to his full height, Naruto rolled his shoulders, the hem of his Grand Master Robes rising and falling with the motion. God, I'm stiff lately, he thought as he scanned the crowd for his wife. Guess I've battered myself up pretty good though, what with the training for the fair I put my men and myself through.
Spotting Sakura's head above the crowd, he wove his way between the people, his training still allowing him to blend seamlessly, despite his fame amongst his people. Nobody noticed their Hokage as he walked, and he preferred to keep it that way at this particular moment; if they did notice him, there would likely be an endless stream of people congratulating him on the games, and a number of foreign Assassins wishing to speak with him. I never should have revealed the Elemental Nations to the outside world, he grumbled inwardly to himself. Sure, William Miles was pleased to hear that there were more members of the Order, but it's been such a hassle to try and keep our existence a secret from the common people. As it turned out, Desmond Miles had managed to save the world while Naruto was working to find a way to contact the outside Assassins, but Naruto still wanted to try and keep his homeland isolated, free from the judgment of the outside world. Ninjas, Assassins, all they'll see is barbaric murderers, despite our technological advancements.
Finally reaching Sakura, he gently strode up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. "You called, my lady?" he murmured, and a small smile curled her sultry lips, further accentuating the beauty she had grown into. Motherhood and a little more time to grow had given her a decent figure, and her expressions were always softer now that the Nations were in a considerable state of peace.
"Yes, I did," she said, turning and raising onto her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. She wore a simple set of clothing to the fair; comfortable jeans that framed the curve of her hip, a warm green sweater over a pink t-shirt, and boots flecked with a small bit of mud. "I thought that my husband might want to join me for a horseback demonstration over at the southern pavilion." Naruto grinned, holding out his arm, and Sakura laughed, looping her arm through his and resting her head against his broad shoulder as they walked. The vendors all recognized him and gave him subtle nods, but they did not speak to him on his request. "You know, I think that 2016 is a much better year for us than 2012 was," she said casually. "After all, for most of that year I was Sasuke's concubine, but then lo and behold you sweep in and save me. We've had a full year together this time, just like the last three years."
"And I know that we'll have many more," Naruto said, kissing her forehead. As they finally reached the horse track, Naruto whistled to the Konohamaru, who had taken a job as stable boy under Rose since the end of the Templar threat. "Hey, Konohamaru. Do me a favor, bring me Kaze and Dancer, and ask Rose to add us to the lists." Konohamaru nodded, making a brief message in sign language before running off. Poor boy, he thought to himself. The night of the raid on the Templars, he had his tongue cut out. Hasn't spoken since. Still though, he could have been one of the two-thirds of the thieves that didn't survive, so he's lucky. They waited for several minutes, before Konohamaru reappeared, leading Naruto's black stallion Kaze in one hand, Sakura's roan mare Dancer in the other. Rose was close behind, dressed in her usual denim jeans and white t-shirt, a wide-brimmed sunhat on top of her head. "How are you not cold?" Naruto asked her offhandedly, giving her a friendly hug.
"Well, you get to running around enough around here and your body takes care of the rest," she replied, shaking Sakura's hand. "So, you wanna be entered into the lists, eh? Which one? We got the races, we got the tricks, later on we'll have a jousting tournament as opposed to the demonstration your boys are giving out there." Naruto allowed Sakura to go first, listening as his wife signed up for the race and the tricks, before Naruto put down his own entry in the race and jousting. Rose went off, shouting orders to her dozens of assistants, and Naruto and Sakura changed into riding clothes.
"Naruto," a voice called out behind him, and he turned to see Sai standing a polite distance away, giving him a friendly smile (which he had finally mastered after three years of practice). "Master, I have some routine reports I would like to discuss with you."
"Go on," Sakura said, lightly kissing his cheek. "I'll do the tricks while you two talk. Then once you're done, I'll make you eat my dust during the race." She grinned mischievously, before walking off, adding a little extra sway to her step to tease her husband.
"This is about my children, right?" Naruto asked. After Sakura had found out about his arrangement with Hinata, and a few other surprises that Naruto himself hadn't known about, she had made her then-fiancé sleep on the couch for a month and a half. Afterward, she had forgiven him, but she always became rather grumpy when they were talked about in front of her.
"Yes Master," Sai replied. "Just the routine information. The Hyuuga twins, Kushina and Roku, have been doing well. Hinata recently began teaching them some of the Hyuuga techniques, and they have been showing the early signs of the Eagle Sense ability you possess. Shizune's son Hiroshi-" one of the surprises, Naruto thought, "-has unfortunately been unable to show any of the signs of possessing shinobi abilities. He therefore will be unable to join the Ninja Corps, though he ought to make a fine Assassin nonetheless." Sai trailed off then, and Naruto gave him a curious glance.
"And what of Kya?" he asked, referring to the child Temari had given birth to nine months after their Christmas affair. Yet another surprise. She should at least have sent a message letting me know of her condition. That was an uncomfortable New Year's Party.
"She seems to have gotten into a little bit of trouble here at the fair," Sai said, averting his eyes. "Evidently she decided to play a few pranks. One thing led to another, and now half-dozen guests are glued to as many toilets." Naruto groaned, palming his face in embarrassment. "I'm afraid that's not the end of the list, my friend."
"Please tell me you're joking."
"I'm afraid not. She currently is hiding from the Assassins you assigned to keep things under control, and she seems to have a nasty little habit of showing up behind people and painting lewd symbols on their backs with spray paint." To illustrate the point, Sai turned around, displaying a blue, childish depiction of the male genitalia.
"…If I'm not back in time for the race, ride Kaze in my stead."
Kya giggled as she hid in one of the dozens of decorative bushes that dotted the fairground. Her whisker-marked face was smeared with dirt, her blue eyes shining with mirth, and her sandy-blonde hair was a tangled mess of twigs and leaves. She wore a pair of blue jeans with both knees torn up and a purple sweater over a light green shirt. An orange scarf was wrapped around her neck and lower face, leaving only her eyes and above visible. She silenced her giggles as a small group of Assassins went by, marked with her blue paint, obviously looking for her. They looked in every direction, before moving on. Once they were gone, she giggled again.
"Kya," a stern voice said behind her, and she froze, before slowly turning to find herself face-to-face with her father. She squeaked as he lifted her out of the bush, struggling as he set her over his shoulder.
"Daddy!" she shrieked, squirming as he casually strode through the fairgrounds. "Daddy, put me down!" He adjusted her on his shoulder, bouncing her into the air for a minute, and she shrieked again, though this time it ended in a laugh. Her legs bounced against his chest as he walked, and she managed to pull her can of spray pain out of her sleeve, aiming it at his back.
"Don't even think about it," Naruto said, reaching over his shoulder with his opposite hand and pulling the paint out of her hand. Looking it over, he snorted as he read the brand. "Sheesh, if you're gonna prank someone at least get the good stuff." Kya giggled, before he picked her up off his shoulder, holding her in front of him. "Now, can I trust you to walk next to me without running, or am I going to have to carry you all the way to your mother?"
"I'll walk," she said meekly, her eyes downcast. Naruto sighed, kneeling down in front of her as he set her down.
"Kya," he said, pulling down the orange scarf so she could see her entire face. "I understand that it's hard for you… not being able to see me all the time. Your mother and I… well, your mother and I were… uh…" Naruto took a deep breath, scratching his beard in embarrassment. "Well. Your mother and I are both strong-willed people, Kya. If she would have consented, I would have bought you guys a place here. For whatever her reasons were, she wanted to raise you on her own, Kya, and she's done a wonderful job." Of course, it's unfortunate that Kya inherited my skill at mischief… poor Temari. "Just… promise me you'll be good for her, okay? I'll make a deal with you: when you're at home with your mother, you be on your best behavior, but while you're here with me, you and I will pull all the pranks you want, okay?"
"You might regret that promise," Temari said as she walked up, gently taking Kya into her arms. Naruto rose to his feet, taking in her appearance with a quick glance. She had dressed similarly to their daughter, opting for a blue scarf rather than an orange one. Motherhood had changed her since she was nineteen. Her breasts had expanded slightly, and her body had become slightly more curved, as motherhood was wont to cause. All in all, Temari was now a stunning woman of twenty-four. "How have you been, Naruto?" she asked, giving him a friendly smile.
"Busy," he replied, turning back to the horse track and beginning to walk in that direction. Temari followed alongside him, holding Kya to her chest, the little girl's head resting on her mother's shoulder as she fell asleep. "My men and I have been training for three months to make sure that we would be able to put on a good show. The fairground took about two and a half weeks to clear and assemble completely, I had to go through a mountain and a half of paperwork to assure that all of it would be on record, and I had to deal with dozens of other tasks a Hokage must. By the way, what do you think?" he asked, turning and pointing at his carving on the mountain. "Personally, I think it's a very good likeness."
"I see that time has not tempered your sense of humor," Temari teased, pushing his shoulder gently. "I take it Sakura hasn't either." Naruto smiled, wordlessly continuing on. "She wasn't upset with you for inviting us here, was she?" Temari asked.
"No. Sakura may not be happy with me about my children, but she does not deny me the right to see them. Anyway, here we are," he said, walking into the track.
"Naruto!" Sai called from his right, running over with Kaze. "The race is about to start, Master. You won't have time to change, but if you hand me your weapons you ought to have a decent chance." Naruto cursed under his breath, tearing off his bandoliers, sword belt, bracers, holsters, and finally his outer cloak, leaving him in his leather boots, black trousers, cloth belt, and black silk shirt with the slit to the sternum. Temari and Kya were already in the stands by the time he got Kaze to the gate, and as he leapt into the saddle, Sakura appeared next to him, leading Dancer to her lane.
"You almost missed it, dear!" she called out. "Are you that afraid to go against me?" she teased. Naruto grinned, silently reining Kaze up in his own lane. Twelve other horses reined up next to them, and Naruto closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he gently rubbed Kaze's neck. He felt the horse's every breath, the beat of his heart, the movement of every powerful muscle, and Kaze seemed to feel him too. The buzzer sounded, the gate dropped, and they launched forward, hooves flying and muscles rippling. Naruto's eyes shot open, and instantly he saw every detail of the track; the slightest change in grade, the firm earth as compared to the loose earth, and the place where Kaze would set his hooves, without fail. The stallion knew his every thought, and Naruto did not have to give any indication in order for Kaze to go where he wanted. All but Sakura fell far behind, and husband and wife raced neck-and-neck as they neared the halfway mark, then the three-quarter mark.
"Come on, boy," he whispered. "Faster." Kaze reared his head back, letting out a screaming neigh, before he launched forward, his legs flying as he shot ahead, faster than they had ever run. Sakura and Dancer were left in the dust, and Naruto and Kaze breezed past the finish line.
The crowd's cheers fell on deaf ears as Naruto and Kaze slowed, the young man proudly rubbing the horse's neck. "Beautifully done, my friend," he murmured into Kaze's neck. Kaze nickered happily, trotting toward the exit, and Naruto turned in the saddle to wave to the crowd. His eyes landed on a cloaked figure in the highest row, feeling the man's intent gaze burning on him. Naruto blinked, and he was gone.
Well, there's our introductory chapter folks. Hope you enjoyed. Review and tell me how I did.
-Zeratide, out.