Episode 1: The Crimson Swordsman
In a village in the mountains there was a great commotion. A huge mob of people were gathered around to see a horrific sight. There, with a little girl, no older than five, in its grasp was a Yoma. It was eight feet tall and its body was dark green. It had gold-slitted eyes that dared anyone to try and stop it from having its meal.
The towns-folk all looked at each-other in silent despair. The only thing that can kill a Yoma is a Claymore, otherwise known as a Silver-Eyed Witch. Those pale-blonde-to-white haired silver-eyed half-human half-Yomas are the only thing that can take the Yomas on with their giant claymores, hence their namesake. Suddenly, a whirling noise was heard followed by a roar of pain, shaking the people out of their thoughts. As one, they all turned to see the Yoma clutching its stump of a right arm with the severed limb on the ground and the little girl running back to her parents. They along with the Yoma heard a voice speak.
"Coward. You think you can kill and eat anyone you wish? I don't think so. Prepare yourself for the Abyss monster, for it is waiting for you." As one, the towns-folk and the Yoma turned to the source of the voice. There, in front of the gate, stood a man in black and crimson armor. His face had an aristocratic look to it, with sharp eye-brows, thin lips, and elven-tipped ears. He had long pale-blonde hair with red tips at the end that reached the small of his back tied up in to a high pony-tail with part of it covering the left side of his face. His visible eye was sapphire blue staring straight at the Yoma without any hint of emotion, which made it shiver in fright.
His armor was interesting, to say the least. Underneath the crimson plate-armor was a black bodysuit with a half-skirt in the back reaching to the upper-half of his calves. Starting from his lower legs, they were protected with red plate-boots with a sharp edge pointing forward, meaning they could cut an opponent if used in a kick. On the waist was a circlet-like plate armor where the black skirt comes out of. On the forearms were two crimson gauntlets with a spring-loaded blade on each side, which meant they could be used for close-combat. The chest-piece had a symbol of a two-headed dragon facing both the left and right sides of the armor that looked to be breathing fire. The pauldrons on his shoulders extended to be dragon heads that appear to be roaring.
On his waist and back were two swords with two boomerangs. The sword on the right of his waist was a katana with a red guard and handle with a black sheath decorated with a golden dragon. The one on his left side was a kodachi with a black guard and handle with a red sheath. The boomerangs were red and were connected to make it look like he had small wings on his back that can be detached and thrown at an opponent to sever a limb or head. It was then that everyone figured out that he used one of those boomerangs to cut the Yoma's arm and released the child. All in all, he wasn't someone to be missed with.
He gave the Yoma a cold and emotionless look before speaking in an equally emotionless voice, "So if you think you can win come at me if you dare." He then got into a combat stance in which he extends his right foot and rest his right hand on the katana on his waist and waited for the Yoma to make the first move.
The Yoma roared at him before charging at the swordsman. However, the swordsman was not worried, and an instant later his visible eye flashed and he cried out, "HHHYYYOOOHHH!!! Hiten-Mitsurugi Style: DRAGON FLIGHT OF HEAVEN!!!" After he charged at the Yoma he stomped his left foot causing the ground beneath it to crack, giving him more speed and force. He drew his blade, making it appear as if it was a blur to those not trained in sword combat, and it struck, causing the Yoma to cry out in agony before being lifted up to the sky while being torn apart in the process. In the end, the swordsman sheathed his blade and pieces of Yoma littered the ground.
The swordsman looked back before sighing, "Damn it. I really wanted to have a little break from hunting Yoma." Next thing he knew the towns-folk were all over him, much to his surprise. An elderly man walked forward carrying a large bag of gold, whom he suspected was the mayor or village elder.
"Thank you kind sir! We owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be repayed. Please take this gold as a token of our gratitude. We were going to give it to the Claymore that we called for, but since you took care of the Yoma, you should receive the reward."
"I don't want it." the swordsman said, much to the surprise to the mayor and the towns-folk. He continued, "You called for the Claymore's help, meaning she should receive the reward instead of me. You will give it to her when she arrives."
The mayor was shocked but had to ask, "But what if she wants an explanation as to how or who killed the Yoma?"
"Tell her that the man who killed the Yoma will be in the forest north to north-west of here. Give her a description of what I look like so she will know who to look for in the forest. I'm sure that will be enough." With that he turned around and walked through the gate into the forest.
One of the towns-folk turned to the mayor and said, "Not one for staying is he?" The mayor nodded and turned back to the gate, wondering who that man was.
Next Day:
Everything returned to normal in the village, except for the people walking around the mess of Yoma blood and pieces. They decided to leave the mess alone for two reasons. One, so the Claymore can see for herself that the Yoma is dead. Two, they don't know what would happen if they so much as touch the blood or a piece of it. It was then that they all heard a commotion coming from the gate and turned to see the person they were all waiting for.
There, standing in the middle of the gate was the Claymore. She had curling pale-blonde hair that reached the small of her back. She had a beautiful face with a faint smile. Her skin was paler than an ordinary human's. She wore silver colored pauldrons with a white cape that reached her back. She also wore an armored skirt with a semi armored cloth shirt, probably meant to protect her from lighter blows. She also wore a pair of boots with metallic casing on the foot, but not the ankle so not hamper her movement and speed.
Her most important features were her deep silver eyes as she looked at the gathered people and the giant double-edged sword on her back. She had a black cloth near the neck that bore some kind of symbol. It was like the letter T but had two smaller lines connecting to the smaller line pointing down outwards. Her name is Teresa of the Faint Smile, Claymore rank One. In all, she was beautiful yet deadly.
She started to walk, but found the mayor of the town walking towards her. "What's the situation?" she asked. The mayor mentally gulped, figures she would get straight to the point.
The mayor put on a smile, or at least tried to. "The situation has been taken care of. If you will come with me I'll show you." Confused, she followed him to a shocking site. There before her, were the remains of a Yoma. She inspected it and found it to be the real deal. She also noted the cracked ground and inspected it as well and noted a human-sized footprint in the hole. She turned to the mayor.
"This is indeed the Yoma. But who killed it? Judging from the footprint, it would have to be a human that did the job."
The mayor nodded and answered, "It was indeed a man who killed the Yoma. But when we presented him with the money we had for you, he turned it down. Saying since we called for you, you should get it." As he said this, he presented her the bag he presented the swordsman.
She shook her head replying, "I don't need it. A man in black will come by a little after I leave to collect it. You will give it to him then." The mayor nodded and Teresa continued, "Do you know what this man looks like? Or where he went, for that matter?"
Again, he nodded before saying, "He has pale-blonde hair that reaches to the small of his back tied up in a pony-tail with some covering the left-side of his face. His visible eye is sapphire colored. He wears crimson plate-armor with a black body-suit with a half-skirt reaching to the upper half of his calves. He wields two swords, one a katana, the other was a kodachi." She nodded and gestured for him to continue. "He left for the forest north to north-west of here yesterday. You can catch him if you hurry."
She nodded and left the same way she came. However, before she even reached the gate she heard one of the towns-folk talk with the mayor. "Do you think it's a good idea to tell her about the swordsman, mayor?"
"He left specific orders to so. Probably because he knew the Claymores would want to speak with him to find out what his motives are or perhaps to form an alliance with him." Teresa couldn't help but agree with the mayor. It would make sense as when she saw the corpse it was like the wind itself reduced it to pieces. Hopefully when she catches up with this man he would provide her with the answers she seeks.
Forest north of the village
Teresa found the forest in record time. She took the time to look at the forest before going in. It was known as the Forest of Death because people say the spirits of the dead dwell within. However she steeled her resolve and took off into the forest. Teresa immediately used her Yoki senses to pinpoint the mysterious swordsman. During the time of her work she came to discover that humans have a unique energy signature. Hopefully she will be able to use her senses to find this man.
She then saw a campfire and walked there. There, sitting by the fire was the man she heard so much about. She took the time to study him, he was rather handsome. The way he sat was that of a warrior and swordsman. He matched the descriptions she was told of but actually seeing him was completely different. However, what she was sensing from him immediately caught her attention, it was sadness and pain, things she herself felt and tries to keep buried.
She was so busy thinking to herself that she almost didn't hear him talking to her. "Are you going to come and sit down or not?" Her eyes turned to find him staring at her with his visible eye. Hesitantly, she walked to the other side of the campfire and sat down staring at him.
"So you are the swordsman who killed the Yoma in the village?" she asked in a diplomatic tone, staring him down to see if he is lying or not.
He stared at her for a minute before answering, "Yes. I simply came into town and saw the Yoma about to kill a little girl. I acted out of necessity and killed the Yoma before it killed anyone." He said it all with a neutral face and voice that Teresa felt like she was talking to a mannequin.
Regardless, she continued, trying to find out his intentions. "Be that as it may, when I was about to leave I heard one of the townsfolk ask the mayor if it was a good idea to tell me where you are. The mayor said you left specific orders to do so, why would you do that?"
"Simple, I knew it was only a matter of time before I and what people would call a Claymore will meet. By giving the mayor instructions, I wanted us to meet because I knew you would want to know what my intentions are. Am I trying to steal your job of eliminating Yoma? No, although when I come across a village plagued by Yoma I move to eliminate them so the villagers could sleep a little easier at night. Am I trying to form an alliance with the Organization with which you serve? No, because I have no intention of becoming a puppet or tool."
She stared at him, gouging him, see if he was lying to her. When she felt none she asked, "One more question. How can a human like you kill a Yoma? Only a Claymore can do such a feat."
He looked at her before giving her something akin to a sad smile. "Perhaps I'm not human at all. Perhaps I am something more. Or perhaps you and your sister warriors are modeled after a race of warriors that the Yoma can not defeat or fool. As for no human can defeat a Yoma, that is where you are wrong. Any living, breathing thing can be killed, it's simply a matter of where to aim for and how skilled you are."
Teresa looked at him in confusion. Me and my comrades modeled after a race of warriors? What is he talking about? Deciding to ask the question aloud she asks, "What do you mean by me and my comrades modeled after a race of warriors?"
The swordsman looked at her, as if to determine if it is safe to inform her. Coming to a decision he answer, "In the west there is a land called Furya. There dwells a race of warriors called Furyians, or War Elves. They are distinguished by their pointed ears. I myself am a Furyian. The Furyians are masters of war and battle. That is why I was able to defeat a Yoma. When I said you and your sister warriors are modeled from a race of warriors I meant my people, the Furyians. The Furyians have the gift of nature on their side and are very perceptive of what goes on around them. That is also what I meant by a race Yoma can not defeat or fool."
Teresa looked at him as if he lost his mind, but saw the serious look in his eyes. Apparently there is a race of warriors out there but something just doesn't seem right. She stared at him before asking, "If these Furyians really exist then why aren't they helping humanity drive the Yoma off the face of the Earth? If they were here there would be no reason to create Claymores in the first place."
He looked at her with sorrow filled eyes. "Why indeed. What is wrong with helping other lands against this threat? Do we care more for our own lands, cities, lives than we do for the other lands? Or perhaps our leaders have grown arrogant in time and viewed the world outside Furya not worth fighting for? If Furya was attacked we would act, but if another land is under attack we do nothing? Those are questions I ask myself countless times my dear, and I assure you, the answers don't come easily. That is why I come to this land, to see what makes it not worth fighting for. But the more I travel in this land, the more I see that it needs help."
Teresa looked at him and could see the sincerity and pain in his eyes as he said those things. He just wants to help people even if others of his race would not. Thinking about it she sighed as she knew the decision she made will change her life. "If you would like, you can travel with me and help me eliminate Yoma."
The swordsman looked at her curiously and asks, "Oh, is that so? And why would you be with a member of a race who refuses to lift a hand to help their neighbors?"
"Just because you are from a race who refuses to help doesn't mean you are the race itself. Besides, I could use someone of your skills to watch my back. I also admit I am curious as to how you fight. So what do you say? Will you come with me?"
He looked at her for a moment before a small smile appeared. Slowly, he nodded and said, "I would be honored Miss..." he left it hanging in the air.
Teresa immediately discovered that they hadn't said their names and said, "Teresa of the Faint Smile, Claymore, Rank One."
The swordsman nodded and said, "Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki. So where is our next destination Miss Teresa?"
"Just Teresa, and a representative from the Organization will come by to inform me of my next assignment. We'll just wait here for him to get here."
Naruto nodded and laid down and said, "I see. Goodnight Teresa." He then slowly began to sleep.
But not before hearing her say, "Goodnight … Naruto." Which brought a smile to his face as he falls into slumber.
Preview
Naruto and Teresa have teamed up and are on their way to the the holy city of Rabona. While there Teresa finds herself curious about Naruto's past and wonders if there's more about his coming to her land than he lets on. Meanwhile facing a Yoma reveals what his sword is called.
Next time on Naruto the Blade Master Episode 2:
Tsukuyomi the Crimson Blade