Disclaimer: I wish I did, but alas I do not own neither Naruto nor Blizzard Entertainment.
I hope you are ready for a wild ride.
Evil comes in many forms, but none were ever as powerful as the Prime Evils. They were the Lords of Hell itself. The Prime Evils were three demons of unworldly power, each with methods of destruction and corruption to tempt or ruin any mortal soul. However, such as Evil was and always is they were not satisfied with just mastery of their own domain. They sought to enslave and dominate everything, including the realms of mankind and the ramparts of Heaven itself.
Good, by its own nature, is benevolent and relies on subtle methods of non-interference. Kami, by her own hand, is mostly willing to let mankind find its own way though tough times. However, it did not mean that her Angels could not act if those of Demonic origin would strike mankind directly.
It was by this hand that the War of Sanctuary occurred. Sanctuary was one of the realms of mankind, where many different versions of magics and weapons reigned. It was a place of great beauty and where Evil only reigned in the hearts of some. However, the Prime Evils saw this realm as the first of many places to conquer.
Initially, the forces of Mankind were not able to hold back the onslaught of Hell's forces and lost battle after battle. It took a bit of time before Mankind would swallow its pride and started to work together.
The first to unite were the mage clans. Their ability to bend elemental forces of fire, ice, and lightning to its will was extraordinary, but the inability of the clans to work together hindered their ability to fight the Prime Evils. After a long struggle, Horazon managed to unite the mage clans, forming the Horadrim. However, they knew just their might would not be enough to turn the tide and looked to find allies against Hell's armies.
Help came from the Barbarian and Druid clans from the mountains of the far West. Both clans were great warriors but differed slightly. Barbarians lived for combat, glory, and honor. Their massive strength and endurance allowed them to wear massive sets of armor and even wield gigantic swords in each hand. Their two-sword fighting style was legendary for its way of cleaving through large sections of the enemy. Also masters of any weapon, they could easily take any weapon found on the battlefield and use it to their advantage. Unlike their one-time brethren, Druids lived to be at one with nature itself. Druid could command the winds and earth, including fire from the earth's core, as well as the ability to call upon the beasts of the land. Those Druids who were so in-tune with the animal kingdom could even shift into beast forms and fight with their strength.
Their combined force drove the armies of Baal, Lord of Destruction, and Mephisto, Lord of Hatred, from the base of Mount Arreat east to the city of Travincal in the country of Kurast. There, the combined force of the Horadrim and the Barbaric-Druidic Alliance was able to join forces with the Priests and Knights of Zakarum, commonly known as Paladins. They were able to wield holy powers and protect others with its blessings. With their combined force, Mephisto was captured and sealed within the temple of Zakarum inside of the first Soulstone.
The Soulstones were given to mankind by the archangel Tyrael after they were discovered by his counterpart, the archangel Izual. These stones had the ability bind the souls and power of the Three inside the stones, keeping their influence away from mankind. With part of their forces shattered, Baal retreated across the ocean to the Lands of the East and joined forces with his brother Diablo, Lord of Terror. The Priests and Knights of Zakarum stayed to protect the temple. The Barbaric-Druidic Alliance also stayed behind to protect Mount Arreat as something of great value was contained at the summit.
The forces of the Horadrim then sought a new alliance and managed to work out a treaty with the great Amazon tribes of the eastern plains. These women of tremendous stature were able to bind elemental powers to their bows and javelins. Combined with their accuracy and speed, they were able to keep the forces of the Diablo and Baal at bay. After a great battle in the desert outside of the oasis of Lut Gohlein, Horazon and another great mage, Tal Rasha, was able to separate Baal from his forces. Tyrael then lent another Soulstone to bind Baal and seal him within one of the caves in the Canyon of the Magi, only accessible through Horazon's Arcane Sanctuary. However, it was not without cost. Tal Rasha had to stay to help maintain the seal on the tomb and help contain Baal within the Soulstone.
With Hell's forces cut into a third of its original strength, the combined might of the Horadrim, the Amazon, as well as other adventurers along the way drove Diablo back. Diablo made his last stand and fell in the catacombs underneath a church outside of the village of Tristram. There in the catacombs, Diablo was sealed inside the final Soulstone. Some of the Horadrim and Amazon stayed behind to augment Tristram's local forces.
However, Tyrael was deceived by his own ally, the archangel Izual. Izual was Tyrael's most trusted counterpart and was vital in the early stages of the war. However, before Mephisto's defeat, Izual wanted to lead a direct assault upon Hell itself to force the remaining Prime Evils. Tyrael refused, stating that he was only going to assist Mankind in its victory and not directly attack Hell's forces.
Feeling betrayed by one he once saw as a brother, Izual tried to lead the assault on his own and was defeated. Unknown to Tyrael, Izual was turned by the Three and they came up with the idea of the Soulstones. With the essence of the Three sealed in the stones, they could influence Mankind directly. Mankind's greatest strength and weakness was its free will. Knowing this, with the direct influence of the Three, Mankind could be turned from the Light of Good and driven into the Darkness of Evil.
This started to take shape over a century's time and first began in Tristram. Townsfolk there turned missing and strange creatures started to come from the catacombs. Most of Tristram's forces were decimated by the Diablo spawned minions; however Tristram was never razed to the ground. The town elders, led by an old Horadric mage Deckard Cain, looked for adventurers to investigate the cause of the minions. Many adventurers failed but one lone wanderer managed and found Diablo.
The wanderer defeated Diablo, and removed the Soulstone. However, long term exposure to the Soulstone caused him to be possessed by the spirit of Diablo. After a few months, Tristram fell and a dark wanderer made his way west. Along the way, the original allies started to fall under the spell of corruption from both the wanderer and the other Soulstones.
However groups of adventurers banded together to combat this spreading evil. One such party of adventurers was group of five consisting of a tall blonde Amazon marksman named Mia, a muscular redheaded male Druid named Baerach, a dark-skinned and noble man called Anstrum who was a Paladin, a voluptuous raven-haired sorceress by the name of Selene, and a quiet brunette Assassin named Alexia.
The Assassin Guild was formed when the Horadrim broke against the weight of greed and petty differences. Assassins were trained in martial arts, traps, and manipulating shadow forces to their will. They used claws and blades strapped to their wrists and forearms as extensions of their bodies. After long periods of training, assassins could imbue the claws with elemental energy, use mental attacks and even create a solid clone. These abilities were honed to enable an assassin to defeat any skilled mage or sorceress who turned from the Light.
Originally, Selene and Alexia clashed but though their shared adventures in the party, they learned to trust each other. Alongside Baerach, Mia, and Anstrum, they defeated many of the minions from the pits of Hell as well as those corrupted souls. However, their toughest test started when they heard rumors of a dark wanderer spreading corruption and terror along its path as he made his way west.
Arriving first at a rogue Amazon encampment, the five scoured the Amazon Plains and made their way to Tristram. There they freed Deckard Cain from the minions of Diablo and returned him to the encampment. He told of how the wanderer fell under the spell of Diablo and destroyed the village, caging him and setting out towards the west in order to free his brothers. However, they were not able to give chase as the area was besieged by one of Diablo's generals, the Demoness Andariel, who managed to possess many of the Amazons. The five vowed to free Mia's compatriots and fought their way to a monastery that the demoness was using as a command center.
After the group defeated the Demoness Andariel, they followed the dark wanderer to the city of Lut Gohlein. Unfortunately, the jewel of the desert also befell the corruption that came from the Soulstone within the area. The group was able to free the city from the clutches of the army of minions led by the demon Duriel, but was not able to stop the wanderer from freeing Baal from his prison. Baal already had possessed the mage, Tal Rasha, adding his vast magics to Baal's dark powers.
The two crossed the sea to Kurast, which already fell under the spell of hatred wove by the Lord of Hatred, Mephisto. Anstrum led the party and followed Baal and Diablo throughout Kurast. They managed to defeat the Lord of Hatred at the Temple of Zakarum, obtaining his blue Soulstone. Tyrael then led the party to the Pandemonium Fortress, an Angelic Outpost just outside the gates of Hell itself. The party gained entrance to Hell and battle through, defeating Izual and then Diablo itself, grabbing his red Soulstone. They even managed to secure the Hell Forge and destroy the Soulstones, or so they thought.
However, all was for naught. Baal used the time that Diablo gave to lead his army up the slopes of Mount Arreat. The party naturally followed and launched counter-attacks from the Barbarian stronghold Harrogath. It was found out from Deckard Cain that inside a keep at the summit of Mount Arreat was the Worldstone, which the Barbarian clans were charged with guarding, alongside their Ancients. The Ancients were warriors of such renown that Kami blessed them with the gift of eternal life and charged them with guarding the gate of the keep. Barbarian clans saw the Ancients as their deities and it became a rite of passage for young Barbarian warriors to climb to the summit and face a trial against the Ancients themselves. No one was able to pass into the keep without defeating the Ancients, unless a ward kept by the elders of Harrogath was used.
One of those said elders, Nilithalk, betrayed Mankind by giving the ward to Baal, allowing him to bypass the Ancients. The party tried their best and managed to pass the Ancients' trial and made their way though the keep, reaching the throne room. Baal was waiting and sent his Generals to defeat the party in wave after wave. It was not enough to defeat the force of Light and Baal retreated to the Worldstone Chamber. After a long and exhaustive battle, Baal was defeated and his body liquefied, leaving the yellow Soulstone behind.
Worldstone Chamber
The group was worn down and famished. The long road of battle and struggle led them to this final battle inside the hallowed halls of the Worldstone Chamber. Baal was a tricky bastard and managed to keep the group at bay with his appendages, mana-leeching ice waves, and life-leaching fire breath. He even managed to duplicate himself after he started to obtain damage. However, between Mia's hailstorm of arrows, Anstrum's holy auras, and Baerach's claws from Werewolf form along with his bear companion, Baal was wounded badly and weakening fast.
Seeing an opening, Alexia nodded to Selene, readying a coordinated attack. Selena focused her mana and launched a barrage of Frozen Orbs, spinning wildly at Baal, with icicles spraying off each orb from every rotation the orb spun. Under the cover of the orbs, Alexia charged electrical energy into her right foot and launched into a Dragon Flight kick as the orbs impacted Baal. She disappeared from sight and reappeared at the point of impact with tremendous force, dealing the deathblow to the greatest of the Prime Evils.
As the great demon lord melted away, the group let out a sigh. Baerach turned back into his human form with a sickening crunch. He reached into his pack and gave a slab of meat to his bear companion and sent him home. As the bear disappeared, the chamber started to rumble.
"As if things couldn't get any worse." Mia grumbled, notching an arrow in her longbow. "Anybody know what's going on? Selene?"
Selene closed her eyes and concentrated, then immediately fell to her knees, which prompted Anstrum to rush to her side.
"What happened, my lady? What did you sense?" Anstrum asked as he helped her to her feet.
Selene groaned in complaint. "Massive chaotic energies are swirling. It feels like everything is tearing apart."
A deep growl came from the beastly Baerach. "I sense it too. I feel the complaints from my animal brethren though the link. It seems they are afraid."
"Afraid of what, Baerach?" Alexia asked curiously while scanning the area, looking for any new enemies.
"Nature itself." He said grimly. "It seems everything is falling apart. Were we too late?"
Just then, a white light filled the room and a being of Heavenly presence descended into the chamber. A hooded figure shimmering in light landed near the ruby walkway leading to the Worldstone. Streams of energy fluttered from his back like wings made of ribbons. He was carrying a large sword that gave off a strange aura. Everyone present instantly knew who this was, for they met him before.
Tyrael spoke with a booming voice that echoed in the vast chamber. "I am impressed, mortals. You have overcome the greatest challenge this world has ever faced and defeated the last of the Prime Evils. However, we are too late to save the Worldstone. Baal's destructive touch has corrupted it completely.
Given enough time, the Worldstone's energies will drain away and the barriers between the worlds will shatter -- the powers of Hell will flood into this...Sanctuary...and eradicate your people and everything you've labored to build. Therefore I must destroy the corrupted Worldstone before the powers of Hell take root. This act will change your world forever -- with consequences even I cannot foresee. However it is the only way to ensure mankind's survival.
Go now, mortals. I have opened a portal that will lead you to safety. May the Eternal Light shine upon you and your descendants for what you've done this day. The continued survival of mankind is your legacy. Above all else, you have earned a rest from the endless battle."
With those words, Tyrael opened a portal radiating with a red energy. The group nodded and performed one last sweep, looking for anything of value to take along their journey. Seeing nothing other than a few gold coins, they group went through Tyrael's portal one at a time.
Alexia turned to Tyrael, who gazed back at her and nodded slightly as he started a prayer meant to give his sword the power to shatter the Worldstone. Alexia shed a lone tear, knowing that things were never going to be the same and then went into the portal.
Normally a portal would close after the last person meant for the portal passed through its apex. Unfortunately, no one noticed the yellow crystal that was laying at the edge of the portal. The crystal glowed and grew in power as Tyrael finished his prayer, launching his sword in a pinwheel motion. The great sword imbedded itself into the Worldstone and it shattered. The yellow crystal grabbed two shards of the Worldstone and they changed to a blue and a red crystal, and then dropped into the portal.
As soon as the portal closed, Tyrael noticed a growing evil aura and hung his head. He knew Baal managed to escape once again and their efforts, even to seal off this realm to Hell's forces was in vain. Now another realm was in jeopardy. Tyrael quickly vanished from the chamber and reappeared in Harrogath in front of Deckard Cain.
The old Horadric Mage knew this was the end of his road. Feeling the energies of the world slipping away and the endless quakes emanating from the earth beneath his feet, he knew the end times have arrived. He worried that the Light had lost their battle against Baal and the world was doomed to everlasting Darkness. He said a quick prayer for his soul and the souls of those he met along his travels, then awaited his fate. Fortunately, fate sometimes changes its mind.
"Deckard Cain, do not despair. Your time is not done yet. I have more work for you, my friend." A booming regal voice proclaimed to him.
Turning, Cain saw the majestic visage of Tyrael and gave a sigh in relief. "What is asked of me now?"
"It appears that Baal and his brothers have eluded their fate and corrupted the Worldstone. This realm is changing. However, it seems that the Three followed the heroes that defeated them to another realm where I sent the heroes to rest. They will need your guidance again."
With a wave of his hand, a red portal appeared and Cain instantly knew it was for him. Sighing he walked to the portal and stepped through, but not before muttering his final words for this realm. "I really need to get a desk job or a warm bed next time."
Sighing, Tyrael ascended back to the Heavenly plane and started to search for where exactly the Lords of Hell went to, as well as what heroes may be there to help in the fight.
Konoha Village
It was always the most humbling of days when someone you knew died. For everyone present, it was the second funeral for the Sarutobi clan in three years. The first was for the Sandaime Hokage and this one was for his son, Asuma. Everyone was in attendance dressed in black and in somber remembrance, just like the last funeral. Standing there, barely holding back the tears like last time was a teenage boy with blond hair, blue eyes, and whiskers-like marks on his face. Standing next to him was a young brown haired boy with his hair in a slight ponytail. He was wiping his eyes and whispering the name of his uncle Asuma, mourning the loss of all of the family he had left.
As the teenager was about to console the last of the Sarutobi clan, a blinding red flash burst from the sky. Everyone shielded their eyes from the light. As it faded, the blond teenager looked up along with the rest of the funeral party and saw three streaks, blue, red, and yellow, dance across the sky falling off to the horizon.
"Naruto-niisan, what do you think that was?" the Sarutobi heir asked sniffling as he recovered from his tears.
"I have no idea, Konohamaru. Maybe it was an omen." Naruto replied gloomily.
The young boy turned up to his blond haired rival and looked to see if he found anything of note from his face. For a moment, he saw a look of grave concern on the blonde's face, but suddenly a grin appeared as Naruto looked back at his friend.
"Don't worry, Konohamaru. It probably was a good omen. I bet it meant we will take down those bastards and we will live out our dreams." Naruto said smiling.
"Are you sure, niisan? Those guys that took Asuma away were very tough, from what I heard."
"Don't you fret. It is nothing a future Hokage can't defeat." Naruto replied confidently. However, inside Naruto did not feel the same confidence he proclaimed. For some reason, a chill crept into his very being and for the second time since he put on his Konoha hitai-ate, he was… scared.
Ichiraku's Ramen Stand
For some reason, all Naruto could think of after the funeral was to go to his favorite Ramen stand, but not to eat. Of course, if the owner Teuchi or his daughter Ayame were there, he'd probably eat a bowl or twenty.
However, this feeling of dread that enveloped him caused him concern and he needed to talk to friends. He could have sought out his senseis, Iruka or Kakashi, or even his wayward master Jiraiya, but for the life of him, he felt like the Ramen stand was a good place to start.
'Ano… if anything, I will at least get a friendly face and a warm bowl of ramen out of it. Nothing clears the blues away like a bowl of Kami-spawned goodness.' Naruto thought.
As he approached the old stand, he noticed no one was inside. 'Odd. I didn't think they would be closing shop today. I would have sworn they would reopen after the funeral.' He sighed and turned back towards his apartment. 'Maybe at least, I can go and change out of these depressing robes.'
Again the pull reached him and he turned back to the Ramen stand, letting his feet propel him to the stools inside.
'Alright, what is this!?! Why can't I just go home? What is drawing me here???' He mused to himself.
'I am.' A dark voice inside his head replied.
'And who is this??'
'Who else is in your head, kit?'
Naruto gulped as he realized who was talking to him. There was only one other entity that inhabited his body. It was the bane of his existence since birth, the reason he was hated and scorned by the villagers, and the source of his healing powers. The nine-tailed fox itself.
Naruto made his way to the store front and found the entrance unlocked. His body walked inside under its own power, guided by the foxes mind and made its way to a seat in the far back. As soon as his body was seated, he fell into a trance and his mind was brought before a large golden cage. The lock was covered with a paper seal and the hallway to the room was dark and musty. On every trip before hand, the pipes lining the walls were dripping and there was water on the floor, however this time the place was dry.
'Nice to see you again, kit. Even though, it always is in the worst of circumstances.' A guttural voice uttered from a pair of red slitted eyes on the other side of the cage in front of Naruto.
'Great. Seeing you is never fun. I thought Sasuke got rid of you.' Naruto pointed out with an irritated tone. The last time Naruto was in this chamber, Uchiha Sasuke, his one-time teammate, pulled him in with his Sharingan and silenced the great fox.
'Like that bag of flesh could. If the Yondaime couldn't fully stop me, how do you think the Uchiha would?' the fox glared back at its human host.
'Ok then. Now explain why I am here.' Naruto retorted getting into a firm fighting stance.
'You felt that presence didn't you? That was a completely new evil that showed up.' The fox replied with a hint of trepidation in its voice.
Naruto picked up on the vibe coming from the fox. For a moment, he thought the bad demon was actually… afraid.
'Are you worried about that? Usually you sound so menacing, but not this time.'
'Not afraid or worried, like you may think. I am actually concerned. Those three streaks held the evil that we sensed and they were so far away but their full aura was enough to saturate the air with its stench.' All of a sudden, the fox looked up towards the ceiling. 'It appears we have company so I will end this conversation. We will need to talk again, especially if this new evil is going to upset the balance. Now get out of here.'
'Balance? What do you…' Naruto tried to reply before he was forcibly removed from his mindscape. Shaking his head, he noticed his senseis, Kakashi and Yamato standing in front of him in their full Jounin attire complete with green vests and black ANBU suits.
"Nice to see you join the land of the living, Naruto. What just happened?" Kakashi, the lazy silver haired Jounin asked.
"Not much," Naruto replied scratching the back of his head as he scanned the area. "Are we clear??"
"Why are you asking that, Naruto?" Yamato asked warily.
"I had a conversation with it." Naruto stated calmly, looking both Jounin directly in the eye.
Both ninjas looked back at their pupil and grew concerned, and it was clearly evident on their faces. It was obvious as much as they tried to hide it. The two men scanned the area real quick and then cast a silencing jutsu. After a small shimmer pulsed throughout the stand, they sat down next to Naruto and motioned him to continue.
"For once, I was glad that the fox talked to me, and worried as well." Naruto stated gloomily. Kakashi caught the look on his face. Never has he seen Naruto act in such a manner. Usually his spirits were high and he never shown the look he had now. If Kakashi didn't know any better, he would have thought Naruto was… scared senseless.
"What did the Kyuubi mention?" Yamato inquired, also concerned with the look on Naruto's face. He may have only dealt with him for one mission, but he could tell that this is not the confident and upbeat ninja that he was most of the time.
Naruto let out a sigh and looked at both ninjas dead in their eyes, letting them know how serious the situation was.
"Kyuubi sensed a powerful evil from that display in the sky. In his words, he was concerned and wanted to talk again if the evil he sensed would upset the balance. I do not know about you two, but anything that is evil enough to concern the Kyuubi can't be a good thing."
Kakashi and Yamato took a minute to take it in before deciding on a course of action.
"Did he mention anything else??" Kakashi asked.
"Not as of yet. I do not think he really knows what it was that came from the sky but the aura that it gave off chilled my soul at the funeral." Naruto stated plainly looking absently at the door.
Kakashi nodded. "Alright Naruto. Head back to your place and pack up, just in case we need to set out. Yamato-taicho and I will speak with the Hokage. After we are done, I will meet you at your place. We will continue our training unless we are told otherwise."
"Hai!" Naruto exclaimed as he took off for his place. For some reason, he knew that a mission would be coming shortly and there was no time to waste.
The Great Naruto Bridge
Alexia dashed out of the portal looking upon a massive bridge overlooking a straight between the mainland and an offshore island. Brandishing her claws, she took note of her surroundings and saw her team just in front of the bridge, looking at a bronze plaque adorning the right stanchion of the bridge.
She approached her team, calming down and hiding her claws. Noticing the plaque they were reading, she took the time to analyze it.
The Great Naruto Bridge
Dedicated to the actions of one Uzumaki Naruto and his team
They showed a village and a nation that there were heroes still left in the world.
Taking in the words of the plaque, she gazed upon Selene leaning against Anstrum for support while Baerach and Mia scanned the horizon taking in the new environment.
"Well, from the looks of things, we know there are decent people around here if this plaque is true. It also means there is a village nearby. Do you sense anything, Baerach?" Alexia asked of her bestial teammate.
"From the smell on the air, there is a fishing village just on the other side of this bridge. I do not sense any evil intent here. I also sense a familiar scent. I know he didn't come with us, so it can't be who I think it is. Either way, I say we scout ahead." Baerach replied. With a wave of his hand and a cawing sound emanating from his lips, he looked towards the horizon. In a few seconds, he spotted a couple ravens flying over to meet them. He cawed at them and in response, the two ravens blinked, cawed, and flew off to the other side to the bridge.
After a couple minutes, the ravens returned and cawed a report to their human counterpart and with a nod, he dismissed the two avian scouts. "It appears that there is a small conversation going on at the other side of the bridge. The two scouts could not fully pick out who they were, but one seemed to have a grey cloak on and carried an old walking stick. If my impressions are correct, I believe a friend of ours is up ahead."
"Anyone object to us going into the village??" Alexia asked the group.
"Let's go already. I hate wasting time here." Mia stated slinging her bow upon her back and started to pace the area.
"There should be not problems with going on ahead. Coming to this place in front of a bridge dedicated to someone of honor and heroism truly must be a sign." Anstrum stated sheathing his broad sword and shouldering his massive shield.
"I do not believe there could be any problems with this. Perhaps chance has smiled upon us this time." Selene smiled as she latched her casting rod to her belt.
"Alright then, let's move out." Alexia replied and led the way with the others staggered behind in a simple defensive formation.
Looking around, the air was brisk and the sun shining. There was a crisp breeze on the air and the smell of the sea filled everyone's noses. As they marched forward, they started to see the appearance of the group in front of them. As noted, there was a graying old man wearing a gray cloak and leaning upon a staff. Next to him was a man wearing a gray flannel vest and tan pants. On his head was a conical straw hat. He was tanned from many days in the sun and wore glasses and a beard. There also was a woman and a teenager next to the man and they were actively listening to what the two were discussing.
When they got within fifty meters, the old man cocked his head as if he sensed something and then turned towards the party's direction. As he glimpsed upon the group approaching him, a smile graced is wise face and he waved them over. Alexia spotted this and sped up slightly, allowing the group to approach the man who seemed friendly. When they got within a few meters space, they instantly recognized the man in front of them.
"Greetings, young Alexia. I am glad to have met you again, and I see your group is no worse for wear." Deckard Cain replied in his usual olden sage voice.
"Greetings to you as well Master Cain. It is a surprise to see you here. How did you get here?" Alexia asked warmly at the man they once rescued many moons ago. Over time, the group looked upon his council warmly and always was vital to their success.
"I imagine it was the same as you. When the quakes started and the energies of our realm fell apart, Tyrael sent me here. He stated that you may need my council once again. I arrived in the middle of this village. Initially the response was not the warmest of things but Tazuna here and his family took me in." He replied motioning to the man in the straw hat and the other two people. "I was about to head out heading for a village called Konoha that these people told me of. They told me about a boy named Uzumaki Naruto and they stated he would be one to trust. Supposedly, he freed these people from a tyrant and helped protect this man while he finished the bridge you just crossed."
"Yes, we read the plaque on the other side of the bridge, sage." Baerach replied. "Are you sure Konoha is where we should head?"
"I am quite sure, Druid." Cain retorted in their familiar style. Neither two ever called the other by their name but rather by their title. Even though most saw this as disrespectful, for the Druid and the Horadric Sage, it was actually quite the opposite.
"If I may intercede here, since there are more of you and you have been reunited, it might be best to spend the night here. A messenger bird was sent along over an hour ago telling of your arrival and intent to go to Konoha. Someone from Konoha would come to escort you to the gates. I was trying to explain this to your friend here, but he wanted to go anyways in hopes of finding you along the way. By the looks of things, except for the young lady in black and red, none of you are ninja and would most likely be deemed suspicious if you approached the gates as a group." Tazuna interjected. "I am sure my daughter would not mind boarding you up for a couple of days, while we wait for your escorts."
"Hmmm… Your words do have merit and your hospitality is appreciated, especially since you helped our friend here." Anstrum replied. "I have no problem waiting here. What do you think, my lady?"
Selene looked upon the Paladin's face and smiled. "I think that would work just fine."
"Well then, we will stay." Alexia responded. "Thank you for your offer Tazuna. If you would not mind leading the way?"
With that, Tazuna nodded and motioned everyone to follow him as he led the group towards his house. The young woman and the teenage boy walked behind the group and talked amongst themselves.
"This is a very interesting group, kaasan. I liked Cain-sama. He seemed nice." The teenage boy stated looking up at his mother.
"Cain-sama did seem rather pleasant, Inari-kun. It will be nice having visitors again." The mother responded with a gentle smile.
"Do you think Naruto-nisan, Kakashi-san, Sakura-chan, and Sasuke-san will be the ones coming from Konoha, kaasan?" Inari looked hopefully at his mother.
"I would not be surprised. You remember Naruto-kun promised he would come back. Do you think he would break his word?" the mother asked warmly.
"I wouldn't be surprised Naruto-san would be sprinting over here as soon as word reached Konoha, Tsunami-chan!" Tazuna answered for his daughter and grandson.
Inari smiled the warmest smile he had for the longest time. He knew that very soon, he would be seeing his niisan and hero once again.