Well, it's my first fanfiction story, and I'm nervous as hell, to be honest.
I got the idea while watching 300, and Naruto. I'm not exactly sure how it'll turn out, since I haven't found another story remotely similar...hopefully, it won't be too bad.
Hope you guys enjoy.
...
Sighing, a young woman took a deep breath, as she glanced around the forest; not wanting anybody to see her. She had been traveling almost a a few weeks now, having crossed the bordering mountains from the known shinobi nations, in an escape from what was to become of her son.
"...it'll be alright...I'll get away...and find somewhere to live, in peace..." she smiled sadly, before leaping up onto a nearby tree branch. Crouching down, as her feet hit the wooden surface, she began scanning what distance she could catch form the viewpoint.
"...I see a large river in the distance, but it seems rather far away...I could guess, maybe, a few dozen miles, at the least...I wouldn't be able to cross, though; it seems to be incredibly wide, even for water-walking...Kami, what do I do? I ned a bo-...wait! I see a small town!" she exclaimed happily, as a glimpse of small buildings caught her eye.
Just barely able to ake them out in detail, she moved her red bangs from her eyes, clearing her sight a bit further, in an attempt to see if the town was potentially friendly or hostile.
Once she crossed that river, she would be beyond any reachable point, by shinobi...a point, where the Kyuubi could never harm anybody, ever again...
...
"-on? Pai-...Paion! Awaken, you fool!" shouted a female voice, as the man, who had been sleeping, felt a swift strike at his cheek. Gasping, in surprise, he leapt up from dormant form, instinctively reaching for his blade, that laid to his side.
"Who in the name of Heracles!?...oh, it is you..."
Crossing her arms, in frustration and slight irk, a young woman; her soft dark-brown hair tied in an ornate ponytail, merely stared at him. He could tell, that she was attempting to peer into his very soul...
"Get up, Paion!...the troops are readying themselves for battle, and here you lay, like an animal that has no aspirations to survive...at least Androcles has been doing his share of the honor, at the Agoge..." she scowled, as the young man sighed.
"So be it, woman, I am on way, some daughter you are...how has Androcles fared? I last heard he had excelled in the Agoge?...I have not been able to check on the boy, as I have been in battle now..." asked the man, as he glanced at a set of bronze armor just behind the young girl.
"That was long ago, you withering old man!...he and Leonidas long since left the Agoge, due to the Gerousia and Ephors requesting they march into battle...I believe they are the youngest to have ever joined the reserves, being...I believe only fifteen?" replied the girl, as she kneeled down to fetch the man's greaves and helm. She could hear him chuckle from behind, as he began to place on his cuirass.
"...to think that a young infant, whose mother was meant to be made a Helot...has become a Spartan soldier at such an age..."
The girl nodded, handing the an his helm, as she aided him in putting on his greaves.
"It is astounding, indeed, father...he is a promising Spartan..."
Pausing, Paion looked at his daughter, before sighing. He had been wondering just why she had brought up the prospect of the young man...now, he knew why.
"Sophronia, why did you mention Androcles, anyway? I was led to believe that you held no interest in the boy, after all..."
Freezing from the shock of his discovery, Sophronia cursed herself under her own breath, before nodding.
"I do not, father...I...I...I merely seek to find a worthy Spartan, to whom I shall bear child..." she lied, hoping to the gods, that he believed her words. She did, however, take note of his rather long pause.
"...I see...well, you are but merely a young woman, one who is not yet ready to bear children...remember, that Spartans value the quality of the infant, rather then the amount born...though, it is true, that Androcles is a male of high physique, and rather steep honor, given his rise in skill..."
Scowling, the girl felt herself heat up, before glancing out the window to notice the thundering of footsteps.
"Father! The army is marching! You must hurry!" screamed Sophronia, as she thrusted a large spear and shield into his arms, huffing from the sheer weight.
"We will talk upon my return!" he shouted, as he sprinted off at high speeds, despite the weight he carried.
"Come back with either your shield, or you placed upon it!" she exclaimed, shaking her head as she watched his fading form join the numerous ranks of Hoplites.
He was a fine warrior...but a rather hopeless man...
Murmuring some select words to herself, she sighed in frustration, as she began attempting to plot a way in which she could get closer to Androcles. Had she been inclined to follow Spartan tradition in regards to relationships, it would have been rather simple...however, with her less-then-favorable opinion of a man and woman bearing families...it simply complicated matters.
Under normal circumstances, if a man was of good stock, and his looks were to the woman's liking, he would simply take her as his wife. Should the woman refuse, he could attempt to subdue her, in a display of power. If he overtook her by force, then she was to be his wife, regardless of opinion.
She was not against the former, but only the latter. Despite that, her main conflict was not in those customs, but rather in the limit of women a man could attain.
She did not, and would not, accept that Androcles take a mistress, should he choose her.
The thought of another woman caressing him, and possibly pleasing him in ways that she could not was...unfathomable, in terms of anger.
"I will not allow any husbands of mine to take another woman! I refuse to be the Hera, to any Zeus!" she shouted, before sighing to herself.
"...I am yelling at my own thoughts...I must be going mad..."
If only she was more Spartan, in behavior and thoughts...it cursed her, as she constantly felt out of place within the culture of romances.
She was just as loyal, however, to the city, and would gladly see her husband die in honor of Sparta, then live as a coward who fled battle. She would rather be executed upon revolt, then submit on her knees as a whore, to any man who was not a proven Spartan.
Now to somehow turn that Spartan valor, towards conquering Androcles...
...
"Hold the line! And ready yourselves, men! We shall give them nothing, but take from everything!" yelled a young man, as he placed a bronze helm on himself, a giant shield held just in front of his kneeling form. Behind him, he could hear the clatter of steel and metals, as his backline of soldiers readied their spears, while those beside him braced themselves for an oncoming wave.
They had managed to tail the enemy units the past few miles, however, they had made it impossible to break their barricades, due to the fact that they were camped within a mountain pass. With the surrounding cliffs being used as immovable walls of defense, even the Spartan offense was unable to give any damage to the Athenian forces. It wasn't until a scout reported a breach in the rear; a small crevice, in which a single Spartan could sneak through to a much larger path to the opposing forces.
With the Athenians had been so focused on defending the front; which was being attacked by Leonidas, he received no problems with his men sneak through the rear. The Athenian unit never suspected the attack initially, and was slow to recover as they proceeded to murder any opposition.
"Captain! The line is secure! We await your command!" shouted his lieutenant, from the back. Nodding, he allowed a smirk to appear on his face.
Eventually, even the dim-witted pompous fools of Athens adapted to battle...even if it was far too late to make a difference.
"Spartans! What is our profession!?" he roared, as the men began to shout in response with sync, and power.
"Ahoo! Ahoo! Ahoo!"
"What do we do, in battle!?"
"Never retreat! Never surrender!"
"HOLD THE LINE!"
With a swift thundering clash of shields and swords, the men grimaced as a shock of pain shot throughout their bodies, as their knees began to feel the urge to buckle from the sheer force of impact. Without pause, however, the back-lines began thrusting their spears and blades, stabbing through the charging hordes of Athenians, as the frontline held them back, using the shields as both barriers, and bashing weapons.
"PUSH!"
In one mighty heave, the entire frontline lunged forward, catching the Athenian warriors off-guard, as they stumbled back, only to see the Spartans quickly advance forward, stabbing through all opposition that crossed them.
It was a tactic that was executed with only excellence, and more noticeably, passion. A passion for battle that was seemingly unrivaled, as the Spartan forces continued tearing down any defenses or attack plans, the Athenians could throw at them.
It was the highest advantage, that any of them could wish they had.
The near-suicidal thought, that glory in battle was an honor that only the greatest could achieve. It drove them to war on any enemy, with no fear of death...and no fear of what they would face.
As the men finally began killing off the last of the survivors, a young man appeared, his face covered in sweat, as he wiped off a small trace of blood from his stubbled-beard. Behind him, followed a group of worn soldiers, who were glancing angrily at the red-haired Spartan's force.
"Would anybody mind informing me, just who ordered this damned tactic without informing me!?" shouted the young man, his dark hair clinging to his brow, as sweat cascaded down his face. He had been running for some time now, as he attempted to catch up to the remaining forces of his unit, whom had gone in the opposite directions of his orders.
"It was my order, Leonidas!"shouted a dark red-haired boy from the back, his tan skin glistening in its own sweat, as he panted for breath.
Leonidas, who was now seething in rage, let out a yell of anger, before throwing a small stone at the blonde, who nimbly dodged the incoming projectile.
"Androcles! You fool!...I love you as I would any dear brother!...but you are the most hard-headed man I have ever met!"
"You cannot deny that the plan itself, was executed to perfection, Leonidas! I ordered the men you placed in my charge to swarm the others from the rear and left flank, so that they would escape through the small pass to their right! There I would have a small unit of ten, myself included, attack the others as they escaped! The bottleneck exit, would only serve to nullify their superior numbers!" he replied, as a few nods and whispers of agreement arose.
"I could care less of the results, now! What I am enraged by, Androcles, is that you failed to inform me! I was expecting your forces to strike the ones I was facing, in order to corral them and then push them back!...instead, I was pressed to fight them all off, in order to push them back on my own! I started off with a unit of forty!...now I have a unit of only myself, and twelve others!"
"Enough! To the both of you!" roared a voice, as both Leonidas and Androcles snapped their heads back in sudden attention. There, before them, was a veteran platoon of soldiers, headed by none other then a tall, chiseled older man, his eyes piercing through the two with a ferocity that made both back down, slightly.
One of the Kings to Sparta.
Anaxandridas the Second, their father.
"Father!" they shouted in unison.
Without any further warning, the King swiftly struck both men across the face, as the two reeled backwards.
"Leonidas! A Spartan is to adapt, and succeed, in whatever objective they are given! Regardless of whether or not Androcles gave you a warning, you should have been at the ready for the worst! Regardless of how pampered you and your half-brother have been, at the hands of our Queen, you are a warrior! Descendant of Heracles, himself! You face an adversity with pride, and bravery!
"Yes, my King..."
"And as for you, Androcles...Spartans are to be one unit as a whole! You do not make a move, without the regard of your fellow men in mind, nor do you make a move that could potentially waste the lives of your men! Death upon the battlefield is the greatest glory that any Spartan could achieve, but it shall be for naught, should it be from mere failure to realize your own petty arrogance! You are amongst the most brilliant tacticians, that I have ever been graced to witness, and I am more then proud to call you and Leonidas my children...but you both have to get rid of these childish notions, of your arrogance. I shall not tolerate them.
"Yes, my King..."
"We understand, my King..."
"...as it stands...despite your lack of communication, and your petty rivalry...the people have heard of your exploits, from the skirmishes near the Hot Gates, to the battles near the coasts...
"Understood, my King" answered both men, as they nodded.
"Good, now report to the city, we have much to discuss...especially about you, Androcles...it seems that your mother wishes to speak with you..."
"M-my mother?" asked Androcles, as he gaped in shock.
Leonidas did not mention a word, knowing what this would mean. Androcles's mother, whose name was unknown to anybody but herself, him, his father, and Androcles, was...a powerful woman...she had come, as a young girl from the Western lands, before settling in Sparta. Here, she had met his father, Anaxandridas the Second. Initially, according to the older men, she had been vehemently against the Spartan culture of having more then one wife...but after some convincing, which he refused to wish to know...she agreed upon being his father's second wife, after his own mother.
By chance, however, his mother was informed to bearing a child, just along the same time as Androcles's mother was told she, too, was to bear a child for his father.
"Yes, K-...it is better that she tells you, Androcles...it i snot a matter, of which we can discuss in the open...now, come..Leonidas, you should join as well, for it affects you, too..."
"Yes, father..."
"Yes, father..."
...
"This is impossible...how could they find us? I made sure to cover any trace...I have not made contact with anybody since I escaped the nations..." whispered Kushina, as she paced around her chambers, biting down on her knuckles in anxiety.
Just earlier that morning, as she was taking her stroll through the roads of Sparta, a messenger had delivered a report for the King, from Greek scouts in the far Eastern boundaries.
According to them, they had witnessed a force of merely ten troops, all dressed in strange clothes advancing towards Greece. Kushina had not ben bothered with that, until she asked if there anything else of note to the troops. It was then, that the news caught her attention, as the man stated that the scouts had noticed a man leading the unit, who had been asking strange questions.
A man that wore a mask over his face, allowing only one eye to remain visible, while his hair was a strange color of polished steel. Along the route, they were also asking questions regarding a red-haired woman, who may have passed by no less the fifteen years ago. It was with this, that her fears had been realized.
Konoha had sent Hatake Kakashi, with a search party.
They wanted their Kyuubi back, finally.
If it was as she feared, then she knew that Konoha's forces would be upon them within the month, given their increased speed travel. She would have to invoke a plan, by which they would be either diverted from Greece, or held off just long enough to draw up lessons for her children.
She knew it was only a small amount, but she could sense a familiar aura, be it very miniscule, radiating from Leonidas.
An aura that radiated off nearly every Genin, from her days as a shinobi.
Androcles, however, she knew was a shinobi by blood, just as he was Spartan. His ties to charka from the line of her descendants was without questions or doubts, and his claim to Spartan blood was only more then enough to stake claim as a shinobi who would grow to be powerful, should he ever take up that path. She had afterall, taught him the basics to what chakra-enhancement was. Though, in truth, she had told him it was a trait to being a descendant of Heracles.
That's it! Androcles! He's the key to avoiding this!...but, that would mean...
"Mother? You have summoned us, I hear?" asked a familiar voice, as Kushina turned to see Androcles and Leonidas walking towards her, soft smiles plastered on their face, in contradiction to the blood stained across their armor and weapons.
She had on since grown accustomed to this, however,. Being the second wife to teh King had it's...eccentricities, after all...
"Leonidas, Androcles?...where is your father? I summoned him as well, so why is the fool late as always?" she asked, her eyes narrowing much to her childrens' fears.
They both knew her powers, abilities that even Athens had come to know.
The legends of her once suffering an ill-fated attempt to take her life, and how she had summoned a blue-hued aura, as she smashed her way through an entire force of elite assassins. The myths that stated, she had come to be known as the daughter of Zeus, for her terrible temper, and her sheer power.
It was said, that she once summoned massive chains from the back of her spine, when she discovered their father was on the verge pf death, as his unit was surrounded by many Greek enemies.
"Father?...he...I believe he is on his way, Mother...why? What has occurred, that has you so worried?" questioned Leonidas, as Androcles nodded in agreement to his half-brother's curiosity. He knew well, as did their royal family, that their mother was rarely ever perturbed by any events within Greek society.
Whatever change that had only recently taken place, was by no means a trifling matter.
"I am here, to the three of you...I was distracted from my goal, with a nearby commotion of incoming forces from the Eastern boundaries..." replied a gruff voice, as the three present turned to see Anaxandridas stroll into his wife's chambers.
"My love, you have arrived? That is good...but, in regards to those forces..."
"What of them, Kushina?...do you know anything of them?" asked Anaxandridas, as he crossed his arms in thought.
Kushina nodded.
"Yes, my husband...I do...they are..."
"Are what, mother?" asked Androcles, who was oblivious to Leonidas's tense posture.
Somehow, Leonidas just knew that the next few statements from their mother would not be good.
"...they are from my home lands...they are without a doubt, in the recesses of my mind, seeking to locate me..."
"Why would be seeking you, mother?"
"...to return me, to the village..."
"That is unacceptable! We will not tolerate these people, bursting into Greece with claims to our Quee-"
"We are Spartan, mother! We will battle with whoever, we deem an enemy! We will not stand by, as helpless infants, while foreigners come and desecrate Sparta!"
"You do not understand, love! Neither do the both of you, Leonidas and Androcles! These are not common men! They are not Athenians or Thebes! These are soldiers, who possess powers, at my extent, or even further!"
Upon registering those final words, Anaxandridas sank back, as he took in the weight of her statement.
He had witnessed his wife's wrath once, when she obliterated an entire army of Greeks, with only a slight challenge, as she had built up a sweat and exhausted herself only to a minor degree.
If they were to face an army of people, who would either match her abilities, if not exceed them...all of Greece was lost.
"...then what shall we do? It would seem as if making a stand, would be no more then an honorable sentencing of our own deaths in battle..." whispered Androcles, as they all fell into silence.
"...I would not say that, Androcles...there may be a way, for us to buy time to train our troops..." replied Kushina, as she closed her eyes in sorrow.
"...what would that be, mother?" asked Leonidas.
"...we must send Androcles in my stead, to lead them away from Greece...he alone, may convince them of y death, so that they may turn back..."
"So that is it?...I must sacrifice the ne of my own sons, in order to sate the hunger of these vagrants?" growled Anaxandridas, as he stood up. Kushina nodded, before glancing at Androcles.
"It is what must be done...Androcles, this is not a matter that either I, nor your father, can command of you...you must choose what your destiny shall be..."
Taking a deep breath, as he turned to look at Leonidas, Androcles caught a glimpse of his brother nodding in acknowledgment. He already knew what Androcles would choose.
"...so when should I leave?" he answered, giving the King and Queen a look, that told them he was set on buying Sparta time.
Kushina and Anaxandridas both nodded solemnly, as they took in his answer.
Kushina, for the loss of her son.
Anaxandridas, for the loss of a son who would have made a fine King, should Leonidas ever wish to vacate the title. And for the thought, of losing a child, while being unable to do a thing to protect him.
"...by the rise of the sun, tomorrow morning, Androcles...we will prepare a horse for you, and supp-"
"No horse"
"Come again, Androcles?"
"I do not wish a horse, I stated...I will travel upon foot, carrying only what I am able..."
"Why do you choose to do so?"
"Because, I am Spartan. This trek shall be only an extension to my Agoge, and a time in which I may seek to better myself as a warrior"
Had he been a more extrovert, Anaxandridas would have thanked the gods, for having delivered him a beautiful and independent wife, and sons who would be legends in Sparta, one day in history.
"Androcles, come with me...I must something in order for you to convince them that you are from Konoha..."
...
"So what makes you believe that Kushina is still alive, Kakashi?" sighed a sleeping Shikamaru, as he crossed his arms behind his head, in a lazy fashion.
The silver-haired Jonin sighed, before shaking his head at the young Genin.
"I don't, in all truth...but it's something that we'll have to discover...besides, their are rumors going around of societies to the East...there's always a chance, Shikamaru..."
"How do you think he'll react, assuming she's alive?"
"Sensei?...I don't know...he had a crush on her, as a child...but after that...incident, he isolated himself from everybody, including her...he says, he blames himself for everything that happened, and for not having been there for her...this situation would have been avoided, had he not gone into self-exile those months..."
Letting out a groan, Shikamaru shook his head, before yawning.
"Well, as long as I can get home before the Chunin exams...I've had to forfeit the last two..."
"No worries, we'll be back, well before then...c'mon, I see another city up ahead...go tell Ino and Hinata to come along with us, but also wake the other Genin and Chunin...we will have to prepare, should they be hostile..."
"If you say so...though, considering the way the city is designed...they seem to be potentially civilized..."
"At any rate, it is best to prepare..."
With that, Shikamaru left, leaving Kakashi to ponder his own mind.
I'll find you Kushina-san, and I'll bring you back to Konoha...you'll be happy to see how much has changed, and how Minato-san has become...