Yo everyone hows it going. Here's Agurra of the Darkness with the next installment of my newest story Shinobi of The Patch. I figured I should try to get at least two chapters of this story out before writing my other ones so that's why I'm writing this one now. Anyway the main think about this chapter is it reveals how Naruto's progressed as a member of the Patch up to this point along with a few other surprises that you might not have seen coming. I'd say more but why spoil all the fun. So if you want to find out the full details then get ready to read. So let's kick this game into high gear.
Disclaimer: Aggura of the Darkness doesn't own Shaman King or Naruto, sure would be cool though, would have made the anime series a lot long and closer to the manga but whatever.
-Shinobi of the Patch Start-
"He isn't worthy, he's just an outsider."
"The boy doesn't belong with us, let him dry out in the desert."
"What was the Great Spirit thinking in sending him here?"
These thoughts were just some of the many cruel words echoing within the mind of one unfortunate child whose blue eyes stared out at the setting sun, seen through a pair of massive rock formations in the distance.
The eyes themselves belonged to a familiar blonde haired boy, now seven years of age. Roughly three feet tall and currently dressed in a simple grey t-shirt with an orange fox face in the center along with the lower half of a Patch Tribe robe and shoes.
Seven years had passed since Naruto had been brought to the world of Shaman and placed in the care of the Patch tribe. In that time Goldva as well as several of the other members made it a point to teach Naruto in all the skills of both the Shaman and Patch. Of course Goldva made it clear not to mention to the young boy he'd originally been brought back from the dead or that he wasn't even from this world. All he was told was that the Great Spirit considered him a being of great value and that was it, which for the most part at the time didn't actually bother the young boy too much.
Naturally many would believe getting a second chance at life, especially one you originally didn't even get to live was a blessing. For Naruto however, it was a mixture of a blessing and curse. Due mainly to the fact that he was not technically born a Patch member left him the subject of animosity by some of the more bigoted traditional members, which while he tried to mask it was still hard to bare at times. Hence the reason he was currently sitting isolated from everyone else and just taking in the natural surroundings.
The blonde simply sat there, allowing the gentle breeze of the cool afternoon air to brush against him, somewhat quelling the uneasiness that plagued his young mind. Yet he still couldn't help but wince as he recalled some of the more recent invective words thrown his way.
He slowly brought his knees closer to his body, slowly burying his face in his lap. His grip on his knees slowly tightening as the words continued to resound in his mind like a drum. Various emotions swirled around inside his mind, though the one that stood out above as was anger.
"What the hell do they want from me, it's not my fault I wasn't born a Patch."
The blonde slowly felt his rage build up, at least as much as a seven year old can get before a familiar voice silenced his rage.
"You really shouldn't sulk like this Naruto, it doesn't suit you at all."
The blonde's blue eyes slowly turned before breaking out into a small lopsided grin at the sight of a familiar face, only to feel said grin drop and be replaced with an awkward smile at the close proximity of said visage.
The individual was a female Patch member with flat out ridiculously long hair that went all the way to her back, widely going in every direction like the mane of a Buffalo. She was roughly Naruto's age and wearing a small tan shirt, pants, feathered headband and simple shoes. Her eyes were wide and blue, peering at the blonde with worry and comfort. Promptly taking a seat beside him without making a sound and her eyes never once leaving the blonde.
Though she quickly turned to another nearby rock and placed her hands to her mouth, "I found him!" her soft voice almost inaudible, showing a clear lack of usage.
A series of footsteps were heard before another voice came out, "Geez Naruto, if you want to sulk the least you can do is let us know where to find you so we don't end up wasting half the day."
The footsteps finally came close enough that the individual could be seen. It was another Patch member evident by his tribal clothing, again roughly same age as Naruto and the girl. He was slightly taller than the other two by about two inches with dark green spiky hair, with a long braid reminiscent of a tail going down his back, a pair of orange rectangles on each cheek.
He was quick to position himself on the blonde's right side while the girl was on his left before they each raised their respective fists and smacked him upside the head, causing his face to kiss the dirt. Both didn't even glance at him.
"That was for making us spend three hours looking for you." The pair said in stereo.
Naruto of course quickly grabbed the back of his head while coughing up dirt and rock from his lungs, offering a weak glare to the pair. "Was that really necessary guys, were supposed to be friends after all right?"
Despite his rather obvious differences from the other Patch members and his lack genuine Patch blood, that didn't mean that all the members treated him like a leper. Beyond Silva and Goldva he'd managed to find friends in these two unlikely individuals. Rutherfor and Nichrom along with Naruto were the youngest of the Patch and had been friends for sometime. Ironically it was the blondes unusual appearance compared to the other Patch that actually helped draw Rutherfor to him, finding him to be strangely fascinating. Some argued that it was their mutually unusual characteristics that drew them to each other. Regardless her curiosity while providing him with a great friend did come across as creepy at times.
Nichrom on the other hand was a bit more traditional in terms of Patch beliefs as well as having a tendency to follow example of the adults, originally opting to ignore the blonde at all times. Though, he like Rutherfor was also rather curious of the strange blonde, which naturally drew him towards him. The end result was the trio becoming virtually inseparable as well as their own pillars of support when the need arose.
"You know Naruto, it isn't very becoming of you to be sulking over yourself, especially when you're about to take part in the Soul Searching Ritual."
Naruto body quickly tightened as Nichrom mentioned the ritual, something that he was excited for but at the same time dreaded. The ritual itself was supposed to be for coming of age Shamans of the Patch tribe in which they'd be placed in a heightened state that would enable them to meet their destined guardian spirit. Said ritual was different for every member, hence the reason he wasn't asking Nichrom or Rutherfor for help since they'd undergone the ritual themselves.
Naruto quickly took to twiddling his thumbs nervously at the prospect of the ritual. Even though the idea of gaining his own guardian spirit was an exciting thing to consider, he was worried because he wasn't a true Patch then the ritual itself would ultimately fail and that would only end up proving what the other members said of him. His hands quickly switched position quickly latching onto to Rutherfor's shoulders to stop her head from colliding with his as she got up in his face. Due to her rather unusual personality, the young girl had a complete lack of notion of personal space or respect for it.
"I thought we said no more sulking Naruto, it isn't helping you so quit it already." Naruto could only nod his head furiously at the girl who was quickly pulled back by Nichrom seeing the blonde uncomfortable stance.
Once she was again seated Nichrom let out a sigh, "It's okay to be a little nervous Naruto, we all get that way so its nothing to get all hung up on." Rutherfor nodded as well, though it wasn't doing too much for Naruto's confidence as both indivduals guardian sprits were hovering not far above them, "That's easy for you guys to say, both of you have your guardian ghosts and didn't have to worry about failing the test. But for me I'm afraid if I fail it, then I'll never be accepted by the rest of the tribe."
The blonde however, had his train of thought derailed by another much harder smack to his noggin, actually hitting the ground so hard he left a few cracks. Nichrom simply shook his head in slight discontent; clearly Naruto's confidence was still something of an issue that needed to be dealt with. Though he also found himself sweat dropping at Rutherfor's attempts to snap their friend out of his depressed daze.
"Was it really necessary to add your furyoku to that last slap? Seems like a bit of over kill don't you think?"
Ruthorfor however, simply stared down at the blonde with her strangely wide eyes, actually poking the downed boy to try and get him to move, ignoring the rather impressive bump that was in the back of his head along with the rather deep crevice left from her wake up slap.
Again her social and personal skills left something to be desired. Thankfully Naruto had long since grown accustomed to his friends rather odd greetings and managed to recover quickly enough, though still lightly rubbing his bruised head.
"Naruto, you really shouldn't worry so much about this. I mean you were chosen by the Great Spirit of all things, there's no way he'd pick you if you weren't meant to find your guardian spirit right?" Nichrom spoke calmly with a smile on his face attempting to cheer his friend up, though it didn't seem to work as the blonde resumed his sulking.
"I know that Nichrom, but everyone keeps on saying the Great Spirit probably chose wrong with me, how do we know they aren't right." The blonde's sorrow seemed to magnify and his green haired friend only frowned at his depression. True Naruto's self confidence was sometimes an issue he normally took said insults with a confident smile on his face. It was in part because of said strength in the face of adversity that Nichrom became friends with him and seeing him so broken about it really hit him hard.
Though Naruto quickly felt a light pressure and warmth on his shoulder, turning to find Rutherfor again close to his face with her massive eyes, though with enough distance to where she wasn't suffocating him. Her face looked calm and serene, a light smile adorning her face, the gaze in her eyes quelling the blondes sorrow.
"Even if things don't work out, you shouldn't be so quick to think everyone will turn on you. After all you know Nichrom and I will stay by your side." In response Nichrom also smiled and placed his hand on Naruto's other shoulder, "Seriously Naruto have more confidence in us, just remember we've got your back no matter what anyone says."
A feeling of elation rose in the pit of the blonde's soul as if the sun itself were rising inside of him, his confidence renewed, his face breaking out into the normal giant smile that his friends and other Patch members had come to love so much, "Thanks a lot guys, you've no idea how much that means to me."
The sight of their friend finally regaining his normally mirthful face renewed the pairs own joy as they felt there job had been done. Though Rutherfor still didn't seem completely satisfied. From the time she'd known him Naruto had always been a confident ball of energy with a small practically tattooed on his face. He rarely showed a depressed side and when he did it usually didn't last. Here however, there was still lingering signs of his depression and doubt present, like a dark cloud hanging over his head.
Naturally she felt compelled to ask the question that was on her mind.
"Why'd you suddenly start thinking this way all of a sudden?"
Oddly enough despite said thought being kept in her head, her blue-eyed friend actually turned towards her and in a strange sort of way seemed as though he could hear her.
"You're not gonna just let this go are you?"
The strange girl nodded while Nichrom merely let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his head in response, "You know I really hate it when you guys do that whole mind reading thing with each other. Can't we talk normally?"
Naruto of course laughed at his friend's irritation while Rutherfor's lips twitched slightly in response.
"Sorry about that Nichrom, it's just well sometimes that's the only way we can talk."
Nichrom didn't take the answer too well since it seemed more like a simple excuse but sucked it up and just sat quietly while the blonde attempted to explain what had happened to put him in his current funk.
(Flashback)
"Come on Naruto, Keep your guard up"
"I'm trying dammit!"
"Then I shouldn't be able to do THIS THEN, SHOULD I?"
(SMASH, CRASH)
A massive dust cloud quickly erupted in the orange dirt covered landscape of the deserts of the Patch Tribes home territory. Looking into the cloud was a relatively young skinny but still muscular looking Patch Tribe member with short spiky black hair, no shirt and a sporting the lower half of a white native American robe with blue and red markings. Interestingly despite his more traditional dress, this individual also had a distinctive set of black sunglasses covering his eyes, though even without the glasses one could tell he was looking at the cloud with exasperation.
With a collective sigh the individual placed one hand behind his head, rubbing it slightly, "Geez, Naruto I keep telling you to not leave yourself so wide open otherwise you're just begging me to hit you."
The sunglasses wearing Patch member await a response as the cloud slowly dissipated only for him to quickly jump back a three small rocks came towards him. With impressive speed he quickly smashed all three to powder with his fast fists, smirking at the vain attempt at a sneak attack. That is until…
(CLUNK)
In mere seconds the once confident Patch member was now filled with unimaginable pain resonating from a particular area of the body that should not be struck. The pain was so great one could actually see his eyes roll back behind his glasses while he clutched his male pride.
Though he was able to withstand it enough to make out a distinctive laughter and slowly looking up to see the smirking face of a seven-year-old Naruto, his eyes shut giving off the infamous fox like face he was known for giving to people. The young blonde was currently sporting a similar cloak as his comrade that covered his lower body while sporting a small brown undershirt with several tribal markings, particularly an orange fox face dead center.
The grinning child looked down at his fallen mentor with his clear blue eyes, still chuckling at his accomplishment, "Like you said Uncle Radim, keep your guard up."
The now identified individual Radim slowly tried to get up while painfully moving his hands from his sore spot to the ground so he could stand up properly. All the while he tried to make a scary looking glare, which failed miserably to threaten the blonde as it's pretty hard to look scary when you're hunched over in pain with tears in his eyes. Still managed to muster enough energy to edge out a weak glare at the smiling boy.
"That was a cheap shot Naruto, you're not supposed to aim below the belt." Radim tried to recompose himself as best he could to avoid any further damage to his image.
Radim was after all another of the Patch Officials particularly infamous both for his rather quick wit as well as his advanced mastery of Martial Arts. Thus it was pretty humiliating for someone with such skills and titles behind him to be felled by a seven year old whose only trick was a low blow to his sensitive area.
The seven-year-old Blonde however, merely looked down at his mentor with a slightly agitated expression, "You said always look for an opening, so I took the best one I could think of after I distracted you with the rocks. Besides I'm pretty sure you've told me countless times to always aim for my opponents weak spot right."
Radim aimed to make a retort when a new voice appeared, speaking in a wizened but somewhat crass tone. "He's right about that Radim you said all of that to him at day one. It's not his fault you don't think before you open up your mouth half the time or forget details like that. You really should stop making excuses for yourself."
The Patch member's eyes twitched while Naruto returned to his fox like grin looked at the source of the voice. Interestingly enough the voice did not come from a human, rather a large pelican with a long narrow beak currently perched on Radim's shoulder, now looking at said individual with disappointed eyes.
Of course the Patch official now finally recovered from his little episode got back on his feet and looked angrily at the bird, "Hey I get enough criticism from the kid and Goldva, I don't need to get that from you. Anyway you're my Guardian Ghost shouldn't you be on my side."
The pelican spirit merely turned its head sideways averting his eyes from Radim, "Just because I'm your Guardian Ghost, doesn't mean I can't have my own opinion once and awhile. Frankly you should be grateful I'm giving you advice, after all I know you better than anyone so you know what I'm saying is true."
Naruto simply sat there as he continued to watch Radim and the Pelican, Platinum Sword argue it out.
"Man Those two fight like an old Married Couple. You'd never expect it with how quiet PS is half the time."
Naruto immediately felt a presence near his left shoulder, though only smiled at the presence knowing it well. "Yeah, well its not like you're one to talk either Silver Wing."
The blonde's eyes turned to the source of the voice he'd been talking to, revealing a small Bald Eagle with humorously oversized yellow eyes, a brown feathered body and a short of three blue triangle like tattoos just above his left eye. Though probably the most noticeable thing about this unusual animal was the blue aura seemingly surrounding his body.
Though that wasn't really important as the birds head humorously seemed to grow larger in size and getting right in the blondes face, "HEY WISE GUY DON'T GO COMPARING ME TO THAT NEEDLE BEAK. I'm Way cooler than he is." The bird spoke with a slight huff only to hear a rather loud scoff from said Pelican.
Naturally the prideful eagle turned his attention to the other bird with a tick mark growing in size as he quickly got in said pelican's face, "I'm sorry I was talking with the brat, I couldn't quite hear you. Now what was that?"
Now normally one would expect a witty retort or some smart ass comment, however, Platinum Sword had a tendency to only speak to a select few people, typically Radim or Naruto thus feeling he didn't need to expend the energy he merely stayed silent. This of course only served to further anger the eagle.
Said eagle looked like he was about to mix it up when a familiar booming voice rang out.
"That's enough Silver Wing."
The eagle quickly cringed like a five year old after being caught with his hand in the cookie jar before slowly turning his head to find Silva standing not too far away. Silver Wing found himself feel even more embarrassed at the sight of the other four silver arm spirits looking at him with various looks of amusement, embarrassment and in Silver Horns case… To be honest it's pretty hard to tell what the hell expression he has.
Silva merely looked at his main guardian spirit with a sigh before turning his attention to Radim who was no longer locked in a verbal fight with PS, "Radim, I thought you were supposed to be teaching Naruto combat today, isn't it a little embarrassing to be fighting with your own guardian ghost, especially since Naruto will be receiving his soon?"
Radim sweat dropped at the comment and scratched his head slightly in embarrassment, "Well its not my fault, the kid hit below the belt. Then when I was pointing it out to him, Platinum Sword over here decided to get critical with me."
The bird responded with a hard peck to the side of his partner's head which resounded a loud clunking sound that echoed throughout the area. Radim's head sharply snapped towards the bird, clearly pissed of, "DON'T START WITH ME!"
Silva pinched his nose in frustration at the sight of his fellow Shaman Councilmen verbally going back and forth with his guardian spirit, it was pretty sad to watch.
"Hey, come on Silva, you don't need to be so hard on Uncle Radim. I still learned plenty so it's not like it was a complete waste of time right?"
Silva looked down towards Naruto and felt his face soften at the sight of the boy's innocent/playful expression.
It'd been seven years since Naruto had first arrived in the Patch Tribe, and as expected the boy needed some form of guardian to watch over him for the majority of his life. That duty had more or less been literally shoved onto Silva as he was one of the few Patch members at the time old enough to actually care for a child and the only one not completely opposed to the idea.
True he wasn't crazy about more or less raising an infant, however, over time he came to truly care for the young blonde as he helped teach him both about life and the ways of the Shaman. True Naruto didn't refer to him as Dad or father, the two definitely had the bond of a father and son, a bond that Silva truly treasured.
As such he had some difficulty being stern with the boy when his more mischievous side came out though he could easily become firm when the need arose. Despite all that, Silva along with several of the other Patch members had since made it a point to train Naruto as a means of preparing him for the destiny the Great Spirit had more or less foretold for him. As such Silva was in charge of teaching him Shaman techniques while Radim helped him with close combat.
Sadly not all was well within the tribe as several of its key members were rather harsh and even hostile towards the young blonde, viewing him as an outsider who didn't belong with them. Of course Silva was quick to protect him and thus worked to ensure the blonde could guard himself when the need arose.
Hence the reason he was currently giving Radim his infamous stare. Though being a Shaman did involve having a great deal of skill in utilizing one's furyoku, hand to hand combat skills could be the difference between life and death in a fight so it was essential.
"Radim, I understand you have a certain way of doing things but you should realize that in a fight people won't fight fair so you should expect the unexpected at all times, especially with Naruto. Frankly seems like he could teach you a thing or two" The last part he said with a slight mutter, though Radim was able to pick it up nodding.
The Patch member turned his attention back to Naruto who was chatting it up with the other silver arm spirits. Immediately feeling the eyes of his father figure on him the blonde quickly stood at attention on reflex while the spirits returned to their master's side.
"Now then Naruto, I'm afraid we need to cut this lesson short as Goldva wishes to meet with you concerning the upcoming Ritual." Naruto's eyes quickly widened in excitement at the mention of the ritual.
Since learning about Shaman and seeing spirits, Naruto had been relatively quick to make friends with many of the spirits of the Patch members. However, both Goldva and Silva told him that when he reached the appropriate age he'd go through a special ritual that would allow him to find his own Guardian Spirit, something he was looking forward to extensively. True he enjoyed talking with the spirits of the other patch members; the idea of having his own spiritual partner was well exciting.
Of course he looked up with glee, particularly shaking with excitement as if he'd just guzzled an entire bucket of sugar in one go…. Actually he did do that once, it wasn't pretty for anyone.
Silva quickly walked up to Naruto and more or less shook him out of his excitement and slowly started to push him along, "Come on Naruto, you know Goldva hates waiting for us so we'd better get a move on." The blonde managed to snap himself out of his energized state and finally began to pick up his own feet though not before offering a last wave to Radim who by now had managed to finally stand up right.
"You'd better be ready Uncle Radim. After I go through the Ritual with Gradma Goldva, you better be ready the next time we spar." The Martial Arts using Councilmen quickly paled at the idea of the already mischievous and admittedly skilled boy he'd been teaching having a spirit to back him up. Though probably the thing that scared him the most was the wonder of what kind of spirit he'd get and what powers it would command. Just thinking about it brought a serious chill to his spine.
Wordlessly he grabbed Platinum Sword and pulled out a small microphone that looked like a totem pole. Without a word of warning he promptly shoved his resisting spirit into the mike and quickly formed a massive double bladed sword.
All the while he was shaking and sweating at the horrors that came to his mind, "I need to train more."
"Pansy Ass," was all Platinum sword muttered out at his masters fears.
(Cave of Goldva)
Once again a familiar scene of the miniscule yet powerful leader of the Patch sitting before a fire and smoking her pipe in slice before a fire. However, in this case she was not alone, though she really wished the people before her were gone.
The First individual was relatively short man around Radim's height who also dressed in a similar manner with the lower half of a Patch robe and no shirt. However, his hair was much longer and reached down to his shoulders, actually concealing one of his eyes.
The second individual was actually more around Silva's height, though he actually managed to tower a few inches over him. Unlike the other next to him, this particular man wore his full Patch robe over his entire body. His hair was long and wild, with black spikes going in every direction. Probably the most interesting thing about him was the headband around his forehead with a pair of short curved, devil like horns the managed to pierce through his bush like hair.
These two individuals were Patch Tribe Council members, Namari and Magna. Both equally powerful and respected Shamans who like Silva and Radim were entrusted with running the Shaman Tournament. However, unlike the previously mentioned members these two were cold and cruel individuals, showing little honor or respect for anyone. In particular they were among the members of the Tribe who were vehemently against Naruto's induction, considering his mere presence within the tribe as an act of heresy.
Their avid hatred of the boy had only served to further distance them from Goldva as well as other members, which was a problem as the two already had a long history of trouble making. Nevertheless, the Soul Searching Ritual required a total of five Patch members to work and regrettably these two were among the only ones present, much to Goldva's and Silva's distain. It also didn't help they were already trying to halt the ritual itself.
"Goldva, you can't honestly be considering letting that little, pest to take part in this. The Soul Searching is a sacred ritual of our tribe that has been carried out for countless centuries to only the most worthy of Patch members. Allowing such tainted blood as his will only bring shame to our people and trample on everything we hold sacred." Magna spoke with a cold emotionless voice, though his disgust was obvious Goldva managed to keep her cool, silently smoking while she listened to their words.
Namari slowly brought himself to the floor, his single visible eyes scanning around the room as he propped his left elbow on his knee and put his chin in his palm. "It would truly be a shame for our ancestors ritual to become contaminated by the boy's mere presence, Perhaps….." his mouth slowly formed into a wicked grin while he eye narrowed in a snake like manner.
"We should send him back to the Spirit World where he belongs!"
Goldva's pipe immediately stopped producing its rich yet still foul smelling smoke as she could feel the presence of both Patch members Guardian Spirits begin to emerge. The looks on both members' faces obviously intended to enforce their vile threats and it seemed like she may need to be called to act.
"That's enough out of both of you."
All three eyes turned to another figure quickly entering the room. He was a man about the same height and build as Silva with a plain red headband secured around his forehead with a feather near each ear. His hair was shoulder length like Namari and Magna, though his was much curlier then theirs. On the center of his robe was a silver image similar to that of a bull. His face all the while was narrow with very thin but sharp eyes display emotions of anger and disappointment as he stared at the two Patch Officials.
"How dare you two have the gaul to speak of shaming our people's history while you aim to murder one of our fellow tribesmen and a child no less."
Namari and Magna sneered at the newcomer's implications, though Magna was the less reactant of the two. Goldva on the other hand let out a calming breath at having the pair being quieted. "Pleasure for you to join us Kalim, I trust that all is in order for the ritual tonight?"
The newly identified Kalim nodded with a passive look on his face, his eyes remaining glued to Magna and Namari, still clearly unsettled by their earlier comments.
Namari unfortunately picked up on this fairly easily and also was still a little peeved by Kalim's earlier statements hence decided to even the verbal score, "I'm surprised you're so calm about all this Kalim. After all I'd thought among all the lot of us you were the most loyal of the tribe and wouldn't dare allow our sacred traditions to be tarnished."
His last words spoken with a slight snake like hiss, the sinister intent behind them seeping into Kalim like venom as he needed to hold himself back from striking the serpent like Patch member.
Thankfully Goldva quickly redirected their collective attentions towards her by tapping rather loudly with her pipe. "That's enough from all of you. Regardless of your opinions or views on the situation never forget that as members of the Patch Tribe and judges in the Shaman Tournament you are obligated to behave in a higher manner of dignity and respect. I will not allow your individual opinions to bring about any issues, especially when pertaining to an important event like the Soul Searching ritual."
The wise old chief paused as she again smoked from her pipe before letting loose some of the cloud, "Said ritual is an important milestone in ever Patch members life and should be a time of joy and fulfillment. I will not allow your infighting to ruin it."
Kalim of course knew that despite Goldva technically calling all of them out, the brunt of her anger was directed at the other two Patch members. Of course Magna wasn't so easily swayed being the more serious and cold of the two, his facial expression remaining cold and hardened.
"Regardless of what you say Goldva the fact remains that said boy is not a true Patch member. He was not born a member nor does he carry our blood in his veins. The ritual is something only a true Patch member should be allowed to engage in and that boy, no matter what anyone says will never be a true Patch member."
His words were spoken with a clear hint of malice and his accomplice smirked at his tone while Kalim growled at his tribesmen's words. Goldva of course could only sigh sadly at the pairs words, "It is as I feared, Hao's arrival and Naruto's induction is slowly bringing ripples within the tribe. It will only serve to further complicate the fights to come and I can't help but fear the tournament when it occurs in the next seven years. I can only pray that the Great Spirit's faith in Naruto is well founded."
Regrettably things seemed rather bleak, as news of Hao's exploits across the globe had not failed to reach the Patch's ears. Word of various strange occurrences involving ghosts, otherworldly phenomenon and most disturbing of all countless fires appearing in several areas made it clear the reincarnating shaman was advancing his plans further in preparation for the tournament.
Of course Goldva herself still held some faith that the blonde boy had the potential to quell the coming storm, though the ritual itself would be the deciding factor as the ghost he ended up with would likely determine his ability to battle Hao.
Though before she or the other Patch members could continue they heard the sound of foot steps and quickly caught sight of Naruto and Silva entering the area. Goldva quickly sent a glare to the Patch officials ordering them to shut their mouths, lest they suffer the rather of her own guardian spirit, Big Chief. It seemed to shut them up but didn't stop Namari or Magna from send looks of hostility towards the blonde.
Silva of course was able to pick up on this as well ands looked at the to with a face of shared hostility though only directed at the two. Naruto on the other hand seemed perfectly ignorant of said feelings, maintaining a look of childish innocence.
Goldva of course quickly tried to hide the previous hostility in the room by readopting her normally neutral appearance when facing the two, "Glad to see you arrived on time Silva, Naruto. I trust his training with Radim is going well."
At the mention of Radim Naruto had to quickly hold his breath to keep from busting out laughing after the little stunt he pulled no less than a few minutes ago. Goldva of couirse being as observant as she was of course pressed forward, "Is there something the matter Naruto."
The blonde of course tried his best to erase the image from his mind but was close to bursting at the seems before Silva elbowed him in the ribs, promptly shutting him back up.
"You'll have to forgive him Goldva, The boy simply had some dust caught in his throat and was having trouble letting it out. Right Naruto." Offering a light glare to Naruto the blue-eyed boy quickly nodded which while it got a raised eyebrow from Goldva allowed the issue to die.
"Very well, now to the task at hand. As you are aware, the Soul Seeking Ritual will be taking place tonight. Silva, you along with those present shall enable the ritual to take place thus I will need you here with the others to prepare yourselves."
The young shaman nodded at his chief's words whilst Naruto waited patiently as Goldva's gaze shifted to him, "Naruto, keep in mind this ritual is a great honor for our tribe, hence you must take it very seriously. Meaning you are to arrive here at the time I tell you, not even a second late and prepared for what you will undertake. I trust you will be ready?"
The blonde shaman hopeful's head rapidly, obviously eager at the coming events which managed to make the elder Patch chuckle at his childish eagerness, "Once you've met your Guardian Ghost, we can begin your proper Shaman training and master all the skills that come with such a title."
Goldva's words resonated through the cave giving a indication to the severity of what was to soon occur. "For now you may leave Naruto, though I do expect you back here at the proper time. Understand?"
Naruto nodded his head quickly with a big grin on his face, "Don't worry about a thing Granny Goldva. I wouldn't miss this Ritual for anything, Believe it!" (Yes I included his Catch phrase in here. Don't get used to it.)
All those present collectively shuddered at the last two spoken words. While they had nothing against Naruto using them, the level of enthusiasm he spoke them seemed rather unnecessary and was a habit they had tried to rid him of for some time but to no avail.
Quickly trying to avoid further escalating the use of, The phrase that will never be uttered. "That's good to hear Naruto, no go on, there are some things I have to discuss with the others."
With a slight nod the blonde quickly left though not before get a light smile from Silva, yet from that quick glance Naruto could easily tell something was up and he was hiding something.
Making effective use of some stealth techniques he was taught the blonde quickly positioned himself against a nearby wall just close enough so that he could hear what the others were saying without being detected. He quickly opened up his ears to what was being dicussed.
"What do you mean you won't perform the ritual Magna, Namari. It's your responsibility to help your fellow tribesmen take part in this sacred event." Naruto's eyes quickly widened as he heard the familiar sound of Silva's voice.
"When will you finally open your eyes Silva. That brat is no tribesmen of mine, he shouldn't even be allowed to breathe our air much less take part in our rituals." Magna's emotions remained conserved as he maintained his calm air despite the obvious loathing in his voice.
Naruto felt his heart clamp slightly at the man's proclamation. He of course knew that he wasn't the most liked tribe member but he normally just rubbed it off as being something minor, relating more to his annoying attitude and not necessarily his heritage.
Thankfully for him it was evidently a sentiment that Silva clearly shared as the blonde heard the sound of stone cracking and the shaman's teeth gritting in anger. "How dare you even think such a thing. That boy is just as much a member of this tribe as any of us and deserves to be treated as such."
The blonde's felt a small degree of hope at his guardian's defense though it was silenced by the sound of Namiri's chuckling.
"Sorry to rain on your parade Silva. However, you and I both know that he was not of Patch blood and that's something you can never change. For all we know even if he does engage in the ritual it could easily fail. After all, the patch spirits won't choose just anyone, right?" His tone contained a lisp reminiscent of a snake and it was clear he took delight in each word he spoke, all the while enraging Silva further.
Naruto however, had long heard enough and fled the scene
(Flashback Ends)
"And that's how I ended up here. Starting to get it?"
Despite his tone seeming neutral, the blonde was clearly and understandably distraught over the patch members animosity towards him. Yet he'd grown somewhat accustomed to their behavior and had learned to a degree how to keep from showing said feelings, if only to avoid giving said jerks the satisfaction.
Rutherfor who was essentially a master at controlling her emotions seemed to remain all but expressionless as usual, however, one could she her face tightening slight as if it was struggling just to keep from breaking out into anger at her friend being denied something as important and even life changing as the Soul Selection ceremony. Nichrom on the other hand….
(Smash)
…Wasn't so good at controlling his emotions.
"I can't believe those two. They have no right to keep from finding you guardian spirit, you're just as much a member of this tribe as they are." The green haired shaman spoke with some regressed rage having used his own guardian ghost to destroy a small rock as a way of venting, "How can Goldva even allow those two to be a part of the ceremony. There's plenty of other Patch members who could do it, heck I'm sure my brother would be happy to do it."
Rutherfor finally finding her voice shook her head in disagreement with the suggestion, "All of them are currently busy dealing with matters relating to the tournament's preparation. It may still be a fair time away but given the circumstances they feel certain measures need to be taken." Her frown only grew deeper at the apparent helpless of the situation, "Doesn't help that Goldva wants Naruto to get his spirit as soon as possible, otherwise they fear he won't be strong enough for whatever the Great Spirit wants of him."
Any positive emotions that had originally be present all but crumbed up and blew away with the desert winds as the others realized their somewhat lousy situation.
"So essentially unless those two change their minds, Naruto is stuck."
Rutherfor silently nodded her head in response, her own sorrow towards her friends predicament evident through the small frown on her normally expressionless face.
Nichrom meanwhile was actually clenching his fists in anger, promptly slamming his hand against a nearby rock. It crack slightly though it obviously did more damage to his hand if the blood dribbling down the side was any evidence. Regardless the young shaman ignored the pain and remained steadfast in his focus.
"How can they honestly call themselves members of our tribe. Gaining one's guardian spirit is one of the most important moments in any tribesmen's life." Nichrom paused briefly before looking at his own guardian spirit, Yellow Whip and smiling. True the spirit was fairly silent most of the time but something about his mere presence helped make Nichrom feel almost more complete as an individual. It was a feeling held not just by the Patch but all Shaman as their ghost was a life long companion with whom they formed an ever-lasting bond.
To be denied the right to experience such a thing didn't really seem fair and Nichrom wasn't about to stand for it.
However, Naruto quickly placed his hand on Nichrom's shoulder and looked at him with a somewhat pleading look that made the normally hotheaded boy and the young shy girl qwell any feelings of aggression they'd held.
"Listen guys I appreciate the effort but there's no need to make things any worse than they already are. I'm sure Granny Goldva will straighten things out soon enough and I'll get my Guardian Ghost eventually."
Naruto against tried to maintain his more frequently confident, happy self but neither of his friends were buying into it. After all since he'd found out about Guardian Ghost's long before he'd been more excited than anyone about finally getting his own spirit partner and couldn't wait to come of age.
However, both also understood where he was coming from. After all both Magna and Namari were infamous for their unsightly behavior, meaning they wouldn't have any qualms inflicting pain on a few little kids who didn't keep their mouths shut. Plus they were older, more experienced Shaman meaning they could easily crush the trio despite two of them already having spirits of their own.
That still didn't stop either from feeling a somewhat deep sense of anger at their own helplessness towards their friend, especially now.
Nichrom tried to keep himself composed, reminding himself of Goldva's degree of influence over the other Patch officials. "I suppose you're right Naruto. Still you can't exactly blame us for being so on edge can you?"
The blonde simply nodded without saying much, Nichrom taking it as a fairly obvious sign he wanted to be left alone for the moment. Despite his reservations to the matter he chose to comply without any real fuss.
"Well, Just remember Naruto, you've always got us to turn to when things get too rough. Come on Rutherfor lets leave him be for now."
Rutherfor however, wasn't so quick to walk about, her attention still focused rather heavily on the young boy before her. Born from her own similar experiences of isolation by some of the more prejudice members of the tribe the young girl knew her friends suffering better than most and sought to pull him out of the darkness.
Yet she would not try to force it upon it, as it was a hurdle he'd need to overcome naturally and without her help. Though, even with said knowledge she still felt her heart close in a vice as she watch the boy stare into the ever setting sun, his gaze revealing his mind having long since drifted to a place where such anguish did not exist.
Despite this the girl felt compelled to reach to her friend, in some vain attempt to bring him back to reality and perhaps even take action against the injustice done to him.
Yet her hand was quickly halted by the strong grip of Nichrom who merely shook his head in silence, "Sorry Rutherfor but you know how he is when he's like this. Even though we're his friends there are just some times when people want to be left alone and right now that's what Naruto wants. We've gotta respect that, no matter how much we don't agree with it."
He quietly then released the girls hand and slowly walked away, though he obviously was still unhappy about the current situation. Rutherfor continued to stand for a few moments, watching her friend still stare off into space. She felt tempted to at least say something to her friend but found herself incapable of forming the right words. Instead she silently walked away from him though finding her eyes growing somewhat misty at her inability to aide her friend.
It wasn't long before the pair had departed and the blonde was now alone again. Naruto continued to remain entranced by the glow of the sun, his awareness of the world around him drifting, further, narry a thought to be found in his mind.
"You know, if you keep on staring at the sun like that, well your more than likely to go blind my friend."
Like a splash of cold water or punch to the face, the sound of the unfamiliar voice managed to shake the blonde from his trance. His focus regained he was quick to reopen his senses to try and detect the presence of the individual around him, though due to his age and inexperince he had limited skill in the art. It effectively showed by his inability to locate the presence, though something in his gut told him there was defiantly someone watching him.
"Now, now. There's no reason to get hostile, I can assure you I only happened upon you by accident and have no intention of bringing you any sort of harm."
Naruto found himself somewhat frowning at the voice, despite it seemingly holding a degree of sincerity, the tone seemed to hold much darker emotions, arrogance, lack of emphaty even a degree of possible psychosis. Due in part to his experiences with people like Magna and Namri, naruto had learned fairly early on not to trust people at first glance and now he was talking with someone he couldn't even see.
Closing himself into a stance he'd learned from Radim, Naruto attempted his best confident face and attempted to look tough before his invisible enemy, "if you don't wanna hurt me, then how come you're sticking to the shadows like a snake ready to strike."
The comment was obviously meant as an insult yet the invisible individual merely chuckled lightly, obviously not the least bit offended by Naruto's admittedly poor attempt at being threatening.
"Yes, I suppose that's rather astute of you. Then again you are a member of the Patch tribe so I shouldn't be surprised."
Naruto found his eyes widening considerably, partially that said individual knew who the tribe was but more by the actual acknowledgement of him being a member. It was one of the few times someone all but visibly classified him as one of the group, something Naruto rarely ever received. The acknowledgement actually provided him with some sense of comfort, causing him to lower his guard somewhat.
The voice hidden in the shadows smirked at being able to easily breach the boys defenses and prepared to move further in, "I suppose it would probably make a little more sense to talk with you face to face since I don't want you to think so lowly of me. After all what's the harm in showing a little good faith..hmm?"
Almost immediately Naruto's senses finally picked up on the individuals presence, made more obvious by the sound of his feet crunching on the gravel bellow them. It didn't take long for the stranger to exit the shadows and much to Naruto's surprise, the individual was actually a boy around his age.
He was around the same height as Naruto with surprisingly long brown hair that reached well passed his shoulders. The boys face was very narrow and angular with a pointed nose and normal brown eyes. The bulk of his body was clad in a tan poncho save for a pair of red pants and a pair of unusual shoes that vaguely reassembled gauntlets, except they were well on his feet.
The young boys facial expression however, is what drew his attention. At first glance he seemed harmless enough with a fairly calm smile on his face yet he could clearly see there was far more than he was letting on.
The stranger merely stared at the blonde for a few moments before chuckling again, "You know it can't be too comfortable to stand so stiffly like that. You really should relax a little more, after all I said I wasn't going to attack you or anything. Why would I?"
His obvious question did raise a good point as given his skill in stealth the individual could have struck Naruto at any point but didn't. Yet the blonde still couldn't shake a slight feeling of uneasiness he felt from the boy before him, almost as if a dark venomous cloud hung just above him, giving off a foul feeling in the air.
Despite this the young shaman decided it best to at the very least lower himself somewhat at the stranger had proven himself to be on the level up to this point and done little to give him any reason for mistrust. "So, any reason you're spying on me or did you just get lost?"
The stranger chuckled again at his rather blunt question feeling not the least bit concerned about his hostility, "Well I suppose you could say it's a bit of both. Truthfully I was just passing through till I picked up on your surprisingly high level of furyoku and well I just had to see for myself."
The comment about his furyoku level actually did rouse any suspicions from Naruto. After all he'd been aware of said fact pretty much his whole life and knew any shaman with half decent senses could detect it from miles away. Though at the same time it did mean that the stranger was a shaman like he'd figured which while interesting really didn't tell him much about the man.
The stranger continued to sit on the rock before lightly hopping to his feet and casually walking towards Naruto with his hands behind his head in a nonhostile manner. "Have to say, it's pretty impressive for you to have so much power at such a young age and yet to have it held back by such bigoted fools. Why to deny a shaman his right to met his Guardian Ghost is beyond justification."
His words seemed surprisingly genuine without so much as a hint of malice unlike his prior statements and caused Naruto to drop his guard even further, his fists actually starting to clench in anger as his mind slowly started to picture Magna and Namri, both looking down upon him with cruel smiles.
"You truly do hate them don't you. For denying you something that you rightfully deserve and for such a petty reason. As far as I can see you deserve a guardian more than either of them don't you think."
Naruto now actually found himself unconsciously nodding, despite his prior statements, deep down there was a part of him that truly hated the duo for denying him what he'd longed for so long and desperately wanted it to change.
The stranger continued to look at Naruto as he walked, though he'd slowly been growing closer to the boy, his face growing a smirk as he began to plant seeds of trust and anger within him. Now all he needed to do was dig a little deeper and seal the deal.
"What would you say if I told you I could help you find your guardian spirit without their's or anyone else's help?"
Naruto's eyes widened and looked to the young shaman before him with shock and awe, his eyes showing a hope at the solution being given to him. His mouth barely able to make out a simple, "You can do that, really?"
The stranger merely smiled in full, "Of course, I'm fairly familiar with the ritual and it would be easy to duplicate."
Naruto felt himself compelled to take up the offer yet a small part of him screamed to hold back, that there was something amiss. Yet in a moment his desire overwhelmed his common sense and he nodded, "Alright then lets do it." He paused for a moment before holding out his hand in a polite gesture with a smile, "By the way before I forget my names Naruto, what's yours."
The stranger happily took the blondes hand and shook it firmly, his face wearing a similar smile, "You can just call me Hao Naruto and it's a pleasure to meet you."
-Shinobi of the Patch End-
Okay, that defiantly took longer than I was hoping and I humbly apologize to all those out there who enjoyed my first chapter. Sorry again but this story has probably been the hardest to write about as well even though I've read the manga and watched the anime, for some reason it feels like this is a bit tricker to write with. Mainly since I'm focusing on the Patch tribe and there's only so much we know about them. Plus I find I'm better at writing Darker Stories and I'm trying to give this one a more traditional Naruto feel to it though that will mainly happen later in the story. Hopefully with a few more chapters I'll be able to properly nail this down, till then I hope you enjoy this.
On a side note I will now be working on Demon of Deadmen, Ninth Fist and Oracion Eight. Those chapters probably won't take as long but I will be able to return to this so don't worry. Also I have ideas for a Naruto Teen Titans Crossover and Naruto Future diary crossover. However, as it stands I don't think I can write them but if anyone's interested in giving them a shot let me know.
Now as is customary (Things I need to explain to save on questions people will ask)
Magna and Namri's attitude toward Naruto: This one is fairly easy so I'll be quick, these two are easily the most bigoted of the Patch and Frankly this behavior given Naruto wasn't born a Patch and easily stands out, makes their treatment of him well seem in character. Will serve as important character element in later chapters.
Naruto, Rutherfor and Nichrom: A bit of an odd collection of friends but they seemed like people Naruto could with some time befriend if given the chance. I felt these characters didn't get enough development in the manga or anime and figured what better way than to do it here. The trio's bond will be a key element in the chapters to come, especially when the tournaments concerned so look forward to more soon.
Soul Seeking Ritual: Essentially something I made up, I have no idea how the Patch members get their spirits, only that the spirits they all have were passed down through the generations so I figured a ritual was needed to explain it. Plus its sort of a right of passage thing which all tribe members go through and I figured it would make another good place where Naruto's different origin could be used to further escalate his feeling of isolation in the tribe by being denied the right to be apart of the ritual.
Hao's Early Appearance: Now I'm sure people were expecting him to pop up way later in the story but no I have other ideas. Naruto doesn't know much about Hao yet and also is a kid at this point meaning he's more naïve and trusting. As such this allows for Hao to use his wisdom and deception to gain the blondes trust while also capitalizing on his somewhat lousy life at this point. Hao makes allies from those who suffer from prejudice and it doesn't just have to be from humans. Additionally this will eventually give Naruto a first hand look at just what kind of threat he will likely be facing and help shape him for when the tournament arrives. No better motivator than meeting one of the worst psychos in history.
Alright well that's all I've got to say for now, hope you enjoy the chapter and if you're a new comer, check out my other stories as well. Look forward to the next chapter as it comes along with my other works. Till next time, Agurra out.