Welcome to Mi'baroz, this is an old of my stories, it is an AU, it is a tale about a underwater society and how our main characters live in it, and how love blossoms in the middle of all that surrounds them. You are going to enter this underwater domain where differences are not well seen and the weak doesn't survives.
You are going to see a lot of Naruto Characters, I don't own anyone of them.
To all that know this story, I am working in it again!
Thank you to my beta for doing this so great.
Enjoy and review if you want ^^
Your appearance doesn't define you, it just tells you who you are not.
Mi'baroz, the most prominent city in the underwater kingdom, the capital where the king and absolute ruler of all has his home and castle.
A city with the most advanced technology and people of the sea. The centre of all the economy and development, where the military academy is and all the males and females in the kingdom want to enter. All the houses are of bright colours and elaborated patterns decorate them, all can be seen thanks to the city's light resources; the city is near a great canyon in the deepest part of the sea.
In the society all the people only have four options: to be dealers, one of the lowest ranks because they have to trade with the other living forms; military, the ones who protect the kingdom and have some of the most privileges; commoners, all the rest of the people who have small business and houses, have a normal life but are just above the dealers; and last but at the top of all, the royal family.
The people of the underwater kingdom have no name to be referred to, because they are so important that they don't need that kind of distinction; they just are.
This society is proud of their beginnings; all their history says that they are the beginning of all the other civilizations. Psychically they are superior to all of the other races on the planet; they have a muscular body that can swim at fast speeds, their bodies are flexible with lean muscles, four fins to move in the water, two that born in the cubit bone of their hands and the other two in the fibula bone and go out in the middle of the Achilles tendon. Their bodies can resist great pressure and they can do the change of profundity fast. They live around 400 years and have a healthy life, they usually die in sleep with no sign of any disease; they almost don't sleep, 5 hours at the most, less in the adults.
They have a gill system with two gill openings behind their ears; the females have a bone that protects them, covered with bright colours that shine with the light. They have a more evolved swim bladder that allows them to walk on the sea floor. Normally they have black, purple, brown or blue eyes that can see in the infrared spectra, ultraviolet and normal light too, that is possible because their brains work in ways no other living creature works. Their babies are born covered in a fibre that protects them from the elements; the cover can only be open from the inside, that shows how evolved this race is, and they know how go out into their world. None of them have lungs like the other races on the planet, but they have technology; they have devices that allow them to survive on the surface, and allow them to maintain their bodies at 20ºC, their normal temperature. Normally their skin and hair are of dark colours, and only the royal family has a white colour in both. They speak through infrasound with an ancient and elaborated language, they have no vocal cords like the rest of the races, and their voices can't be heard out of the water; they have special devices that can translate their language to the others, they are so uptight that they don't learn the others civilizations' languages.
The people of this civilization have a great sense of direction, and have an even greater sense of smell; they recognise their people from kilometres of distance, and they can detect fear and other emotions too. These people have a very developed body language, you can tell what they are feeling just by observing their movements, that's why they are a very reserved civilization and even reserved individuals. They don't show easy love or care, that is considered a weakness in the men, and men don't touch other people that easy; the females are usually more open with physical interactions, they are more prone to hug and touch others.
They are not a peaceful society; they are always expecting an attack from the surface, always vigilantes in their territory and destroying any possible threat. All the other civilizations are afraid of them, because for them those sea creatures are demons of the sea. The rulers of the other countries make treaties with them to have a safe travel over the seas, but they are careful just in case.
The king Sakumo is one of the most reliable rulers that the kingdom has had the privilege to follow; he is the one who gave a long-time peace for the entire kingdom. But he has a defect; he had an affair with a female of another country and he now has a new son, a monster for all of the people in the kingdom, but he is the younger son of the king and that's something that they can't deny; he has the skin and hair colour to prove it, and one red eye to show he is not pure.
All the members of the royal family have a military education. They always go fight in battles, actually the royal family are the faster and stronger warriors; it's a bad coincidence that the younger son of the king is the best of all, even better than the king himself.
His son's name is Kakashi, he is a half-blood and it shows in his blood-red eye. That foreigner blood comes from one of the most proud civilizations, the Uchiha, but he is obliged to wear something over his eye to not disturb the other people. Even his name carries the outsider stigma.
He is a handsome man with the education of a prince, but sad and alone, always with that expression on his face that all the royalty poses, the complete disinterest in his surroundings, but deep down he yearns for the opposite. He usually has the most humiliating duties for his people; he is the one in charge of the trades with the trading men of the others from the water civilizations. Of course, for the trading people, for a prince to come do business with them is a privilege, but they are just different. And for them it's a real spectacle to see him, because the prince has another unique characteristic: he is capable of breathing air like them. And he can speak out of the water too; he took time when a child to learn other languages because his father told him; knowing the future of his son, he saw with sadness that his son was a great tool for them, that's why the prince knows some of the royalty of the surface where he went to learn. The prince had a tendency to use a mask over his face when he is on the surface to block all the smells that surround him; that is what intrigues most of the people that have the privilege to talk to him, they all want to see what is under that mask.
Kakashi was lucky when he was born; his father was with his mother, near her in her land, because if he had been born with his own people, he most likely would be dead. His civilization doesn't allow mutations and differences, all are eliminated to maintain their purity, not matter who is, they kill them in the instant they are born, but with the prince they couldn't. Now all have to live with it.
oO0Oo
The prince Kakashi is walking in his parent's castle, his usually dress the royal robe a dark colour of blue that runs to the middle of his thigh, a necklace around his neck with the emblem of the kingdom, an alga with a thunderbolt in a silver material. Under that, a kind of long shorts in the same colour with silver strings at the sides. On his feet are sandals that are made of the same metal as his necklace, and usually at his waist is a sword named Crocea Mors, a sharp and light one made of fine metal, a hilt with the form of a T in the crossguard, simple in form but deadly in nature, with his scabbard attached to a belt made with the union of several royal symbols.
The underwater kingdom is rich in many things; they have minerals that are needed on the surface, food, metals that are stronger than the ones on the surface because they support high pressures, they have durable textiles and the most important for them, technology.
In contrast of the more modern cities on the surface, Mi'baroz is 100 years farther advanced; the people in the city have all kinds of services of communication at long or short distance, their homes have temperature control and light, with an advanced system of waste material disposition to prevent contamination, they consume only things available in their environment but they do buy food from the surface. They buy grains that are transformed to survive in the underwater environment; all the things that they buy on the surface must have a treatment for them to be of use for them. They usually cook their food, or sometimes not, that depends on them, but they use the heat under the sea floor to generate the energy for that matter; usually they use the water force to generate energy like light and a different kind of electricity that doesn't cause them harm.
In their cities are barriers that protect them against the strong marine currents, but they allow the water to keep flowing. The secure system of the cities are sharps and strong, they use a kind of plasma energy that comes with a mix of the other two main energy sources; that system is extremely lethal and fast. They have transport devices that move their people to short and long distances; those devices work with the energy that generate the water itself. These devices also can use the tides to move with panels and helms. The battle ships are fast and stealthy, can be hidden in all kinds of water and surfaces with an impressive system of camouflage.
oO0Oo
The prince stops near the door of the great salon where all the members of the royal family are summoned to have an important meeting. He can see his father surrounded by counsellors and security soldiers; he tries not to smile because he has been punished for showing his emotions too much in his life.
Sakumo looks to his side, feeling a small happy emotion come over him; he looks at his son who bows, showing his respect. The king softened his eyes and walked near his son, making his entourage stop and look with disgust at his majesty the young prince.
"Kakashi," the king touches the shoulder of his son in an affective gesture; that is the most the prince has had in all his life from his father. The prince keeps his head low, knowing his place, but he dares to say, "Father," with a tiny smile, almost imperceptible, but the king can sense his happiness.
"Come, we have a lot to do," the king gives his son a pat as he walks away; the prince stays standing with his head low, waiting for his father to enter first. He can feel the waves of distaste surrounding him, but he doesn't let that bother him. He is twenty eight years old; he knows that he is a kid, but he has his pride and a status that no one can take out of him. He knows who he is in society, no matter what the others think of him.
The prince hears a small laugh at his back; he turns around, ready to snap at the one who dared to laugh at him, give him a piece of his strength, but he stopped when he saw his uncle smiling at him openly. The only one in all the royal family aside from his father who really shows love for him, the one who teaches him all he knows.
"Uncle Jiraiya," he says smiling; despite him knowing that is not the right thing to do, his uncle embraces him and lifts him off the ground, spinning them both, making all the passersby look at them with displeasure for that kind of show of affection.
Kakashi tries hard not to laugh at his uncle's antics; he is the funniest man in the entire kingdom that he knows of, and is not afraid to show all his emotions.
Jiraiya is a tall man with all the signs of royalty but not with the attitude; he is a free man, he can travel all that he wants because he is the brother of the king and he allows him to be that way. Kakashi would kill to be like his uncle, but he knows that is impossible, not when what he wants the most is the recognition of his father and family.
"Shall we," said his uncle with an elaborate bow and a movement with his hand. The prince smiled a tiny, barely-there smile and walked through the double doors that lead to the grand salon, where every man of the royal family is gathered; he feels uneasy because all are observing him with a critical eye, he is the lowest in that place. He is turning his head down when his uncle touched him, and they walked to take their seats.
No matter how much the royal family wants to disapprove of the young prince, they can't deny that they need him. He is the only one in the entire kingdom that has his father's abilities with the elements thunder and water.
They start to talk of things in the kingdom. Kakashi is paying complete attention; Sakumo looks at his son, feeling proud of his kid, how fast he has grown to be a good representative of the kingdom on the surface. He knows that if Kakashi were not so different from all, he could be better than his brothers in other parts of their society.
"With eight ships travelling to the east borders of quadrant two, and they only have the authorization for seven, what do we do, destroy them or capture them?" asks the first son named Mizuki, who is in charge of the security of all the sea and loves to destroy the ships of the people from the surface; to him all of them should be extinct by now.
"We need to take from them what we need," says Kabuto, the second son, who is the one in charge of the technology area.
"Maybe we can clear this first before we take action," comments Dan, the younger brother of the king; he is the one who takes care of the maintenance of the cities in the kingdom, a noble man that wants to find a pacific solution for all, but is too weak to maintain his position because he is the only one who thinks in that way, but that is good for all the people in the kingdom because he takes good care of them and their homes. Kakashi is always waiting for something from him, because he is his uncle, but he never gets anything.
"You always with your ideas!" retorts Kimimaro, his son, with an angry expression. He is now the General of the Army forces because his grandfather asked for him to be; he and Mizuki have the same hate for the surface people, but he can't act without the consent of all the royal family.
"Respect for your father," says Jiraiya, hitting the man with his hand. "You may be the general, but he is the one who gave you life."
Kimimaro looks at his uncle with surprise, because no one hits the general; he blushes because of that and apologises to his father in a low voice.
The king, the one who executes all the laws in the kingdom, is thinking; he is making a plan, but he sees his little son writing something and he wants to know what his son is planning, because he knows that he has good plans. His area of trade is the best in the entire kingdom.
"What do you think, Kakashi?" asks Sakumo, making all the people in the room watch the young prince and keep quiet.
Kakashi, stunned at hearing his father call his name, swallows and nervously he speaks his thoughts.
"We can go and stop them, ask for their permission, and if they don't have any, stop them and demand a reward for their return," he ends his speech with a low voice because all the people in the room start to talk.
Jiraiya crosses his arms and smirks, looking at the king, who is surprised and proud because his son has gathered all the points of view and given a win-win solution.
"Well done," he says, making Kakashi open his eyes in surprise and smile a little before taking it off and bowing his head in submission.
All the people in the room are stunned by the answer of the young prince, but none let congratulations out; they all start to plan the strategy to follow. His uncle Dan looks at the boy and lets his eyes linger a little on him, appreciating that the kid is too much like his father.
After all is settled, they start to discus war plans against an Amphibious race that are creating havoc in more in the surface cities. Kakashi wants to go to battle but his father refuses his request; he accepts his negative answer but he is sad, they consider him good to make plans but not good enough to execute them, a failure and a nuisance in the eyes of the warriors.
The meeting ends, and all the members of the royal family go out to do their duties. Kakashi waited until the hall emptied to express his frustration by slumping in the chair he is in.
"It's not fair, I'm good at fighting, I could be of use," he lamented sadly, but the sadness transforms to frustration, and he stands fast and moves out of the room; to him it's not easy containing all his emotions.
Kakashi is feeling frustrated and he does the only thing that can calm him when all the pressure is too much for him: he goes to the military academy, and in one of their training places he practices alone for hours.
He is so focused on trying to control all his emotions that he fails to sense someone else in the room that is observing all his movements.
The intruder is looking at the prince only in his bottoms, how he is moving with grace; he smiled, admiring the beauty of that body and the perfect fit that it holds. He looks at the sad and stressed face and looks more closely at that red eye; the prince is crying, he can tell because the tears shine before blending with the water.
He is an instructor in the academy; he is the younger one, being ninety years old. He has tan skin, brown eyes and hair, a body trained to fight, and he knew the prince before when he was a child and no one liked him; since then he's had a secret interest in the younger son of the king because both have something in common.
The instructor moved and approached the prince with his own sword Zhanmadao (a saber with a single long broad blade and a long handle suitable for two-handed use, a standard weapon for the army, but with a charm having the symbol of the kingdom). Ready to battle, he does a strike; the prince blocked the blow with ease as he moved far from the stranger, and with a defensive and offensive stand he speaks.
"How dare you do that to a noble?" he asks with that aura that only the royalty have. The instructor stifles a laugh; with his sword pointing to the ground he answers.
"I saw you fighting against nothing and I thought you needed a partner, you looked like you needed company," he says with gentle eyes and a smile that made the prince uneasy.
The prince's brow furrows because he feels humiliated; he is a prince, no one can dare to speak to him with that familiarity, he doesn't need anybody, much less a soldier.
With his middle finger on the strong part of the blade he stands ready to battle; he looks menacing, but with tears on his face he also looks vulnerable.
They engage in a friendly combat, the instructor making all the movements deliberate to turn the serious combat in a comrade's practice. The prince is really impressed with the other man's abilities, he is catching him with ease; at some point he smiles and starts to have fun, different from his usual lonely self.
They finish their combat, tired but with a feeling of accomplishment; the instructor because he finally can be near the prince, and the price because he just met someone who does not sees him as a monster or a child and cares for him. He knows that a stranger won't do that just for the sake of doing it, the soldier most likely wanting something is the common conclusion, but the prince needs to believe that the soldier cares.
The prince takes a seat on the floor with his sword at his side; he smiles to himself with his head down, his heart is beating like no other time, then he starts to feel something that he's never felt before, an unknown emotion radiating from the other man. He lifts his eyes and looks at the almost black eyes that are staring at him; he feels his face heat and tries to move away because the emotion is making him feel different.
"Iruka Umino," said the instructor, giving a gentle and friendly smile that makes the prince suspicious, no one shows that kind of emotion in the open, much less be so close to another.
"Royal Prince Kakashi Hatake," he replies automatically, but when he sees the other man stay like he is and not do any kind of protocol movement, he smiles a little and says, "Just Kakashi," shyly, surprising himself for that; he is a prince, and he never ever let the protocol not be obeyed, but there is something in that man that is alluring and makes him feel free.
Iruka chuckles and the prince, after hearing that rich laugh, feels all the stress for the protocol vanish as he does the same.
"I've never seen you around here," starts Iruka, making small talk for the prince to be more at easy.
"Usually I'm not around," replies the prince, flirting a little unintentionally. But the instructor catches easily the nervous actions of the young boy. He knows how society can be with a kid, always killing all the natural happiness and spontaneity in the first years of education by the age of 6, but he sees how the prince has that purity there and is trying hard to suppress it.
"And why are you around this time?" he asks, trying to see more of that spontaneity in the prince. Kakashi, feeling that unknown emotion, takes Crocea Mors and starts to travel his fingers over the hilt, not knowing that the other man is observing every move he makes.
Iruka starts to feel a deep sadness and he does the only thing he can; he is not a normal underwater warrior, he is more than that, and he doesn't want to see the young prince suffer alone in that society.
Kakashi feels strong arms encircling him around the shoulders and strong legs on either side of him; he take one of his Hudieshuangdao and places it in the neck of the instructor, who stays still knowing that he's crossed the line, but there is something in the prince that is making him do things that are dangerous.
"Let go," says the cold voice of the prince, but he is not making another move to stay away from the man, because the sensation of being embraced and the skin to skin contact is something that he's never experienced before. But his education is telling him that he needs to be away from the man.
Iruka just sighs and with a crazy idea he moves his head forward, the blade of the small sword just lets him. Iruka smiles and kisses the shoulder of the prince, making him gasp at the intense sensation. He drops his small sword for the first time in all his life and stays stunned, rigid and confused.
The instructor just embraces him more closely and places his head on the lean shoulder, taking in the essence of the prince, who is so confused that he doesn't know what to do.
"Why were you crying?" Iruka asks, feeling as the prince sighs and slumps into him. All that care and warm feelings are what Kakashi wants the most; he feels all his vulnerability show and chooses to trust that man.
"I'm not worthy," he says almost inaudibly, he never utters out words like that, and hearing them makes his heart ache and the tears begin to gather in his eyes and blend with the water around them.
Iruka feels all that sadness, and can understand how it is to not be completely accepted for who you are; he himself fought many years to be acknowledged, he knows the feelings of loneliness and sadness, but it must be harder for the royal prince, because his differences are more noticeable and the royal family is more strict with the protocols.
The prince tells the instructor all his feelings and how he wants to make his father and his family proud, but he can't do that because he is a monster. Iruka just holds him and caresses his hair like no one ever did with him. Kakashi sobs and lets it all out, finally he tells him about the war with the Amphibious and how he wanted to go to battle, but they didn't let him go.
If Iruka wanted the prince before, now that feeling is stronger, and he wants the prince just for him and to protect him from the people who want to hurt him. The instructor lets the prince cry his heart out and waits until he is more at ease; he speaks to him the truth.
"If you're afraid of doing something that you want, you are never going to do it," he says to the prince with a gentle smile that the prince can't see but can feel.
Kakashi sighs, feeling tired, but taking those words at heart; he doesn't know why but he trusts Iruka. After a long time, the prince moves to stand, and Iruka lets him go. The prince clears his vision with his hand, he feels weak and humiliated from all the crying but it is the best feeling he has felt in years. He smiles openly and turns around to face the man who gives him hope and a sense of worth.
"I will do what I need to do," he says and is about to bend down for his weapons when Iruka moves, and he comes face to face with the prince.
In a husky voice he never expected to use, he tells the prince, "Good luck," and he gives him his two swords.
Kakashi just nods and walks out of the room, trying to be royal but his body is trembling.
The instructor just smiles and licks his lips; he wanted to kiss the prince but he is happy because he just touched that skin and hair. Maybe next time he thinks, stretching his body and moving to get ready for sleep, that is, if he can control his body after feeling his desired prince skin.
Kakashi enters the palace and goes to his room, feeling a mix of happiness and excitement; he's never experienced anything like that, and Iruka is a handsome man. He blushes and thinks, "I'm not a kid." Embarrassed, he changes his clothes and lies in his bed, trying to sleep.
The next day he walks calmly like always, but inside he is searching for someone desperately; he needs to find him, he is going to help him go to the front of battle, then catching a glimpse of long white hair, he walks faster while maintaining all etiquette at the same time.
"Uncle," he says in a low voice. His uncle turns around and smiles at see him; the prince approaches and bows politely to him, his uncle looks at him a little suspiciously because that is not common in the kid.
"Can I speak with you?" he says with his expression all polite and proper for a prince. His uncle is a little worried because the kid is always so different and happy; they changed him, he thinks sadly.
"Of course," he responds in the same polite manner.
They walk to a chamber that is used for reading and small reunions. Kakashi lets his uncle enter first and he closes the door, smiling when he sees that they have not been seen.
He turns and looks at his uncle, displaying a serious expression; he flinches when his uncle looks at him with hard and sad eyes.
"What it is, Kakashi?" he asks him in a monotone voice. Kakashi moves uncertainly because he never saw at his uncle act in that way; he smiles a little, trying to gain the favour of him by walking slowly and moving his head to the side. His uncle blinks, recognising the movement and smiles, feeling relived; the kid is just playing at being a grownup, he sighs at the revelation.
Kakashi, looking at his uncle's smiling face, feels at ease again. He approaches him and starts to relate all that happened last night, omitting important thing like the hugs and the kiss, but he tells him what the soldier told him, and asks him to help him go to the battlefield.
Jiraiya is stunned because he never saw the kid so happy and adamant to do something; that soldier did a great job with him, which is what the young prince needs to be more like his father. Confident and braver.
He says to the prince that he is going to help him, but they need to talk with his uncle Dan.
Kakashi goes to the battlefield with help of his uncle Dan; he has the standard helmet for battles, with a fin in the top and his mask on to avoid being recognised. His uncle Jiraiya helps him to cover his eye with a bandana that can let him see but hide his eye at the same time. He is wearing the military garments with his shield and all; he is excited, he is in the back of the battleship like his uncle told him to be. He is only going to come out if the situation deserves it, if not the commander of that ship has the authority to stop him.
All in the ship stays quiet; they are near the city that was attacked, and they want to act fast and furtively. They localize the main gathering of Amphibious and they get ready for the attack; those beasts are not going to capture one of their cities just because they want.
The battle rages, and Kakashi is seeing it from the security of the ship, but he can hear that in the field they have trouble with an enormous monster that the Amphibious have. He looks at the commander; he asks him to let him go help, the commander understands the prince and lets him go.
With his Hudieshuangdao swords in hand (a twin short single-edged blades that are as long as the forearm, with great manoeuvrability of spinning and rotating movements, easy to conceal; they have a small cross guard to protect the hand and can be used to aid in combat, are sharper from the middle of the blade to the tip, and is an offensive and defensive weapon), he kills those enemies in a low range, not wanting to attract too much attention to himself in case his brother Mizuki is near; he is in charge of the attack after all.
He is near the place where the monster was attacking; it is a mix between a lizard and a snake. It's bright green with the belly yellow and spots in black, has long, sharp teeth and a long powerful tail that is charging against the army; when he sees that Mizuki is about to be hurt by the monster, in a hurry he swims with all his speed to help him.
He saves his brother Mizuki by pushing him at the ground; the prince looks up and catches a glimpse of the silver in the chain on the prince. He opens his eyes wide, surprised when his brother moves and attacks the monster, pushing at the beast with strength that no person on the surface saw before. He uses the water to spell the animal out of the water; he swims after him and on the surface he moves his hand and uses a thunder as a weapon to kill him. That is something that is first to be see under and above the water from the young prince; the monster sinks in the water dead, the army of the underwater destroys the remaining enemies. The prince swims back to the troops and his brother approaches him with an angry expression; he knows who he is now for sure by all the elements he uses. He takes him by the arm and without word he takes him with him in his ship to the city.
Kakashi is placed in front of all the royal family to answer for his faults because he was not allowed to be out in the battlefield. He accepts his guilt and his punishment; he can't go out of the city alone, just when he has trades to do. No one mentions that he is the one who won the battle and saved the other prince; they all just look at the affront against an order.
He is hurt because of that, and his father is the one who gives him the speech, but then he called him to his private chambers and congratulates him there with his uncle Jiraiya. Dan was supposed to be there, but he is not.
His father embraces him for the first time in his life, and it feels wonderful, but he can't avoid comparing the feeling to when Iruka embraced him; it is better with the soldier. He feels a strong emotion in his throat but he doesn't want to cry in front of his father, he is so happy and feels so great; his father thanks him for saving his brother and the army in the battle, but he sees him fighting with the tears in his eyes and lets him go.
He pats his shoulder one more time and let him go. He goes out of the room, trying to suppress the happy feelings and look depressed for the entire world to see. Because he knows that he can't show his true feeling because the authority of his father can be damaged. The king stays in the chambers talking with his uncle about all the prince adventure. Jiraiya thinks all was worth it. Sukumo is really proud of his son.
Kakashi runs after being scolded by his father in front of the council of the royal family, but congratulated in private; he runs through the halls of the academy looking for Iruka, he needs to tell him that he was right.
Continue...