Chapter 3: Settling In
"So, how much farther is it, Auntie?"
Aurora smiled as she led her nephew through the dense foliage of the forest behind the Hokage Monument. The pair had been walking at a sedated pace for almost twenty minutes as the sorceress led the young boy to where his new home was waiting. She knew that Naruto wasn't exactly the patient type; his hyperactive personality was a blaring indication of that, but Aurora wouldn't have him any other way than what he was. A hyperactive, prank-loving, ramen-guzzling, steel-willed boy with a heart of gold whom she loves with all her heart.
And now, she was going to get to show him just how much love she had for him, starting with getting him out of that rat hole that was his apartment and putting him in a place that he could really call 'home.'
"Just a little further, Naruto. The spot we're looking for is just up ahead." Aurora responded as she glanced over her shoulder and gazed at the boy who was keeping a step behind her walking with his hands behind his head. The woman giggled as she noticed that his eyes were in their trademarked "fox" squint.
Naruto, meanwhile, was just wondering what kind of house he was moving into, and where the hell it was for that matter. The boy had been running around this forest since he first had the strength to climb atop the Hokage Monument and he had since explored every single inch of the area up to the rear wall that sat miles away from the monument. If anyone had found a house hidden somewhere back here, it would have been him.
Deciding to wait and see where his aunt was leading him, he started asking questions.
"So, uh, what exactly can you do with magic, Auntie?"
Aurora tapped her chin in thought, trying to decide just how she was going to answer the boy's question. "Well, as you saw before, magic can be used for several things. One use, of course, is for combat. That is a category of spell craft in and of itself. Another is for teleportation or the moving of people and objects over long distances instantaneously. There is also magic for healing, communicating, divination, exorcism, telekinesis, telepathy, rune-making…" The woman turned to her nephew and gave him a warm smile. "The possibilities are endless, Naruto, and I'll be sure to teach you as much as I can."
Naruto stared up at his aunt with wide eyes, amazed at how much potential magic had and he couldn't stop himself from grinning at the prospect of learning such amazing abilities.
Aurora giggled at the boy's expression and she knew he was quite eager to learn the ways of sorcery. However, he was going to have to wait until he was settled into his new home, and as luck would have it, they had just arrived at their destination.
"Oh, it seems we have arrived."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked as he looked ahead and narrowed his eyes in confusion.
They had arrived at a spot where the trail takes a sharp right turn where it would lead to a training ground further down the trail. What stood before them was a large tree, much like the others that grew around them, only this one was hollowed out at the base and was large enough for a small group of people to fit inside. Naruto recognized the particular tree as one he frequently sat under whenever he roamed around the woods when he was younger.
For some reason, he always felt at peace when he came to this spot.
"I don't get it, Auntie Aurora." Naruto said, as he looked back up at the woman who had lead him there. "I thought you said that we were going to my new home."
Once more, a pleasant giggle left the sorceress' mouth as she smiled down at the young genin. "That is what I said, and I have lead you to it."
Naruto looked back between the tree and Aurora a couple of times as his confusion grew, much to the woman's amusement, as he tried to understand what she was talking about. There was nothing there but a big tree!
"Wait, are you saying that my new home is a big tree?"
"Something like that, but this isn't your home, Naruto, it is the door to your new home."
"Huh?" Naruto was now even more confused.
Aurora was thoroughly enjoying the confused look on his face, but she decided to give the child a break and clarify her meaning.
"You see, Naruto, I told you that the home was protected by a barrier that keeps it from being found, right?" Receiving a nod, the woman continued. "Well, what I failed to mention is that the barrier actually separates the home from this plan of existence and places it in its own space, sort of like how a storage scroll contains its own space for things to be placed in it that would otherwise not fit on a sheet of paper. The only difference is that it is permanently anchored into that space, so you can't bring it out to this plane."
"Huh? But if it is permanently sealed away, then how are we going to get it out?" Naruto asked with a worried expression. He didn't want to think he had come all the way out here for nothing.
Aurora held up a finger and winked. "We are not going to bring it out of the seal; we are going to go inside the seal." She then pointed towards the tree. "And this is the entrance."
Naruto blinked, now starting to understand what she was talking about. "So you're saying that my home has its own separate space that no one can normally get to except through this 'doorway'?" Naruto ended his question by pointing to the tree.
Aurora nodded. "That's right."
Naruto stood there for a moment before he suddenly jumped up cheering. "Woohoo! Awesome! It's like my own special secret hideout!"
Aurora laughed as she watched him bounce around for a moment. It always made her happy to see him like this. Healthy, happy and energetic.
"Well, shall we go see your new home?" Aurora asked as she then led the excited boy under the tree, where they stopped in the center of a ring of stone and moss right in the center of where the tree stood. "Now listen well, Naruto. The key that opens this door is a word that can only be used by someone who is either keyed into the seal or is unquestionably trusted by one who is keyed, understand?"
Seeing him nod, she lifted her staff in the air and spoke loudly.
"Sanctuarius!"
The moment she spoke the word, the ground lit up as a magic circle, not unlike Aurora's teleportation circle, appeared under their feet. Naruto noted that this one was a light green rather than the bright white that his aunt's circle was. As the light intensified, small specks of light started to float up from the circle and before long the entire hollow was filled with light before it abruptly vanished, along with the two occupants.
- Unknown Location –
When Naruto was finally able to see again, the first thing he noticed was that the two of them were still inside a hollow tree, only this one was quite a bit larger than the one they were in moments ago. The other thing he noticed was that instead of dirt, rocks and moss, there was grass growing in the hollow that possessed a shade a green he had never seen before in plants. It looked like a very bright green rather than the forest green that he was used to seeing. He looked about and noticed that the wood had a more grayish color to it rather than a light brown. There's also an exact copy of the magic circle that was used to transport them carved into the ground where they stood.
"Well, shall we have a look?" Aurora asked as she walked towards the opening that lead outside with Naruto following a step behind.
When they emerged from the tree, Naruto was finally able to see where they had been transported to and promptly went wide-eyed and slack-jawed at what all was before him.
"Whooooooaaa!"
Aurora giggled at the boy's reaction before she spoke. "Welcome, Naruto Uzumaki, to your new home. Welcome…to Karoline's Grove."
{Play "Chrono Trigger - Corridors of Time (Orchestral Remix)"}
The place was something straight out of a fairytale. The grove was huge! As large as the Hokage Monument was wide. The entire edge of the grove was lined with thick trees that had the same grayish bark as the tree they had just stepped out of with leaves that varied in color from bright green like the grass to deep purple. Within the grove, he could see all manner of plant life that he had never seen before. There were flowers in every shade of color imaginable. Tall stalks with curled up tops that glowed with a faint light. Mushrooms that were so large one could sit on them. There was also a large pond with crystal clear water that was feed by a bubbling spring from atop a pile of rocks. The water that collected in the pond then flowed down a small stream that snaked across the grove before it disappeared through the tree line. The grove also contained a stone path that started from the opening of the hollow tree and lead to the center of the grove, which included a wooden bridge that crossed over the stream. To his immediate right sat an old willow tree, its presence like a silent sentinel that watched over the entrance of the grove.
But what really got Naruto's attention was the single most largest living tree he had ever seen in his life that sat right smack dab in the center of the grove. The tree was a towering structure, over fifty stories tall with a canopy that stretched across the entire grove, keeping the land shaded with only streams of sunlight breaking through leaves at random places. The trunk itself was over one hundred feet in width, which firmly supported the tree's massive weight.
Now, seeing the tree alone would have been awe-inspiring as it was, but add in the fact that someone seemed to have built a dwelling right into the tree was downright mind-boggling. It looked like somebody had carved several openings into the side of the tree and built numerous rooms inside of the interior. The front door sat ten feet off the ground with a staircase leading up to the door, which was framed by a large gable roof. Naruto could see numerous windows doting the side of the trunk as well as several large balconies shaped to resemble shelf mushrooms placed seemingly at random. He could even vaguely make out structures built up inside the canopy.
"That…..that's my new home?" Naruto asked as he lifted a shaky finger up to point at the dwelling.
"You were expecting a small cottage, maybe?" Aurora asked; her voice full of mirth as she giggled at the boy's reaction.
Naruto was silent for a moment as he took a moment to take it all in before a huge smile broke out on his face.
"This. Is So. COOL! It's like the ultimate treehouse!"
Aurora's giggles turned into a light laugh. "I suppose it is."
Naruto started to bounce on his feet. "Oh man, this is awesome. I've never seen such a place before. It's incredible."
"There is no other place like it. That is for sure."
"GAH!" Naruto jumped at the voice that had suddenly came out of nowhere. Looking around, he tried to locate the source of the voice, but all I could see was the grove, the willow tree to his right, and his aunt who was sporting a very mischievous smile on her face.
"Wh-who said that?"
"Why, that would be me, young one."
Naruto turned to the direction of the willow tree before his eyes started to trail up its trunk until they landed on what appeared to be a face belonging to an old man.
Made of bark.
In the willow tree.
…
…
…
What the hell?!
"Hello, there."
"….Uhhh, Auntie? Do you see an old man's face in the willow tree that's talking to me?"
*Giggle!* "Why yes. Yes I do."
"Oh…then it's not just my imagination…"
Aurora just continued to giggle at Naruto's dumbfounded expression as she stepped passed the boy and addressed the talking willow tree.
"Hello, Old Willow. You look very well today."
"Ah ha ha. As well as a three hundred year old magic willow tree can be. And I see you brought Karoline's boy here today."
"Huh?" Naruto said as he finally snapped out of his stupor. "You knew my mother?"
Old Willow gave a hardy chuckle. "Why of course I knew her, my boy. This was your mother's home, after all. Why wouldn't I know her?"
Naruto had to concede that point to the old tree. Before he could say anything about it, he took a step back as the tree started to lean down to get a closer look at him.
"Hmm…yes. Yes, you do resemble her so. I see the same fire in your eyes as she possessed. A pure heart and soul, too. And courage, plenty of courage. And something else, too…" Old Willow's trunk creaked as it resumed its natural upright position. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"Uh? Oh, it's Naruto Uzumaki, Mr. Willow, sir."
"Naruto…Uzumaki, is it?" The tree muttered as a look of contemplation crossed his features. After a moment, the tree nodded. "Very well. I see no reason to deny you taking possession of this grove. I'm sure your mother would be happy to know that you have finally come home."
"Huh? How can you see all that just by looking at someone? And what do you mean you that you'd let me take possession of the grove? Isn't it my mother's?" Naruto asked, slightly confused by the whole conversation.
"Allow me to explain, Naruto." Aurora said as she walked over and stood beside the tree. "Old Willow here acts as both the guardian and caretaker off the grove. He sees that the grounds and tree are taken care of as well as guards the entrance to the grove. He also has the ability to judge a person's character just by looking at them. Should anyone with dark intention were to enter, Old Willow would see to it that they leave just as quickly as they came."
Naruto blinked as he looked from his aunt to the tree. "But, how can he do that? Isn't he just a tree?"
The old willow let out a deep laugh. "I maybe a tree, young Naruto, but I can do things that no ordinary tree can." To emphasize the point, the tree suddenly lifted itself from the ground using its roots to 'stand up' as it held his trunk above the ground while the vines from its branches waved and flicked as if they had a life of their own. "Now, if you will excuse me, I believe it is time I made my way down to the water to drink. I bid you two a good evening." Old willow turned and stared to make his way towards the edge of the pond as he used his roots to pull himself across the ground.
Naruto stared as he watched the old tree move at a slow pace towards the water while Aurora simply waved before turning to the stunned boy. "Surprised?"
"It's not something you see every day, that's for sure." Naruto acknowledged, earning another giggle from the white sorceress.
"Well I can assure you, Naruto, there are plenty of surprises hidden everywhere in this place, and you will see them all in due time. For now, though, I suggest we take a look at your new home."
Naruto nodded and the two made their way down the stone path that lead to the large tree in the center. As they approached the front door, Naruto took notice that the path actually splits off right at the base of the stairs and the two new paths would lead around the tree, splitting off at certain places were the new paths would then lead off in different directions. Apparently, there would be plenty of exploring for him to do when he got the chance.
Walking up the stairs, they finally made it to the front door of the home. Naruto noticed the very ornate design of the door in general as well as a brass plate with a seven-pointed star with archaic symbols affixed in the very center of the door. Right above the door hung a brass plate with the word 'Drasil' engraved in large letters. Aurora walked up to the door and turned to Naruto.
"Now listen, Naruto. This tree is named Drasil, and is the home created by your mother with her magic, along with magic gathered from the world itself. As you know, the 'gate' to the grove was designed to allow entry to either those who were amongst the sisters or those trusted by them. This door operates in the same manner. Only those amongst us can unlock this door and gain entry into Drasil. To do this, all you need to do is place your hand on this star and the door will unlock. Since I am your mother's sister, I am already keyed into the lock. You on the other hand have not yet been keyed. We will do so right now." She motioned him to step forward and the boy did so. "Now, place your hand up on this star along with me and you will be keyed into the seal."
Naruto nodded as he stepped forward and brought his hand up to touch the plate, just as Aurora did the same. The moment they touched the plate, the star engraved upon it lit up, flashing in a variety of colors for a second before it pulsed white. The light remained steady for a moment before it slowly faded away and a 'click' was heard in the door. Aurora removed her hand and turned to her nephew with a smile.
"Now you are allowed into Drasil any time you wish. This star is also tied into the 'gate' so you will be able to come and go as you please once you learn the words that activates the circle." The woman reached out and turned the handle on the door before pushing it open. "Now then, I welcome you to your new home, Naruto Uzumaki." Aurora bowed and presented the open door to the boy. Naruto stared at the opening in awe, letting the situation sink in before taking the last few steps that brought him into the place that he would quickly call home.
Naruto stepped across the threshold and immediately walked into a large hallway carved completely out of the wood of the tree. The passageway was lined with a series of ornate arches that lined the hall at equal distances from one another. On each arch support hanged a metal shepherd hook with a glowing crystal affixed to the end that illuminated the hallway in its entirety.
Naruto slowly made his way through the passage as his eyes took in all the intricate detail of the finely carved hallway. Before he knew it, though, he reached the end and stepped into the main area of the dwelling where his eyes widened in sheer wonder.
The tree's interior was massive! Over half of the Drasil's trunk had been hollowed out in a perfect cylinder that stretched all the way up to the base of the canopy. A central column stood tall in the center of the large room with a spiral staircase wrapped around the exterior. Naruto could see several landings set at equal levels that anchored bridges that would connect the outer section of the tree trunk to the column. The bridges were also lined with arches much like the entry hall and each arch was lit in the same manner. At the end of each bridge sat a balcony that would run around the circumference of the chamber. The very top, about ten stories up, the column connected straight into the ceiling where the stairs vanished from view through a large hole, showing that there was even more up above in the branches of the tree.
A quick glance around at the bottom floor where he stood revealed three arched openings that lead to other rooms. Since these openings did not possess doors, he could easily see into each room from where he stood. The room to his right contained a large wooden table with numerous chairs surrounding it, giving him the idea that it could be a meeting room for discussions. The room straight across from him also contained a table, only this one was long and narrow but was also surrounded by chairs. He wasn't exactly sure what to make of that room just yet, but he was fairly certain he was going to find out in short time.
The left room held a large bookcase along the wall with hundreds, if not thousands, of books sitting on the numerous shelves that stretched all the way up beyond his sight from where he stood in the main chamber. He could also see several stools, chairs and cushions scattered about the floor of the room.
A library, perhaps? Or a common room?
Regardless of what one specific room is, the place as a whole was simply awe-inspiring. Nothing, absolutely nothing he had seen before could come anywhere near the sheer marvel that was the magical grove where he now resided.
"Well, Naruto, what do you think?" Aurora asked as she smiled down at the speechless blonde.
"This…this…I-I can't even put it into words. I never imagined that such a place can exist." He turned to his aunt. "You're saying that mom made this?" He asked as he gestured to the interior.
"Well, she had a little help. Now then, how about I make up something for us to eat. In the meantime, why don't you explore a little? When I have dinner ready, I'll call for you."
Naruto looked around as he considered the suggestion. The place was bigger than anything he had seen, so it would take some time to look at every little thing. But that wouldn't stop him from trying and there was no time like the present. But there was one little question he had to ask.
"Well, I don't mind exploring but how exactly are you going to call for me when I could be anywhere in this tree?"
Aurora giggled as she bent down to get more eyelevel with her nephew. "Oh, don't worry about me not being able to contact you, Naruto. We sorceresses have our ways." With a wink, Aurora turned and left Naruto to his own devices as she entered the room with the long table and disappeared around the corner.
Naruto looked about trying to decide where he was going to start looking. But when you only have four passages to take and three of the four doorways show rooms that are clearly visible while the fourth is the one you came through, there really was only one option.
"Guess I'm going up." Naruto commented as he headed towards the central column and the staircase attached.
The column was pretty wide, about fifteen feet wide while the stairs spanned another ten feet out from the column's wall, just enough room to allow traffic to flow between people who were going up or down at the same time. As he ascended to the first landing, he noticed there were more light crystals attached to the column via more metal shepherd hooks. He got the suspicion that this was a reoccurring theme to the decor. Making up to the first landing, Naruto was finally able to see where the bridges lead. Along the walls, where the balconies made it accessible, were numerous green doors. Making his way across the bridge, he approached the first door and closely examined it.
The door was around seven feet tall and three and a half feet wide with an intricate design depicting a series of branches, vines and leaves growing from a large stem at the bottom of the door. In the center of the door at and the level of an adults head was a bronze plate with the engraving of a rune that Naruto couldn't decipher but he did recognize it from somewhere. After pondering over it for a moment, it finally clicked. The rune was the same as one of the seven on the seven-pointed star on the front door. Glancing at the other doors, he noticed bronze plates on the others only those possessed different runes.
Getting the idea that these symbols were some kind of identification for each room, Naruto shrugged before reaching out and turning the handle to open the door, although he did make a mental note to ask his aunt what the symbols meant later.
Inside the room, Naruto found what he thought was a quaint little bedroom. Just like with the rest of the interior, the floor, ceiling and walls looked like they were carved straight out of the tree. All the furniture was wooden as well, which included a bed, two nightstands, a set of drawers, and a bookshelf filled with books. The only thing not made of wood was the mattress on the bed, which looked incredibly soft and comfortable. Once more, the room was lit by light crystals that hanged from the ceiling in the form of a small metal chandelier. Two windows on either side of the bed provided light from outside as well as a view of the grounds below. There was also a door on the left wall between the bookshelf and the rear wall, but it was shut so he couldn't see what was inside.
"Huh…homey." Naruto commented as he took the room in before stepping back out and closing the door. He wanted to check out the other rooms to see what they held before dinner was called.
Turns out that all of the rooms were the same as the first one he found, bedrooms with similar layouts. He had to wonder why this place needed so many bedrooms. From the looks of it, this tree had enough living space to house a decent sized clan. Well, after about ten minutes of finding the same thing repeatedly, Naruto finally had enough and decided to see just where the column led. And so, the boy started the daunting task of climbing to the top. On the way, though, he found something most peculiar. One the third floor landing, Naruto passed by a large hole built into the column that was blocked off by wooden bars that curved down from the top of the arched opening to the sides of the opposite side from where they started, causing the bars to crisscross one another. Looking through the bars, he could see that the column was hollow just like the central part of the tree, only there was nothing inside the space like stairs or anything to traverse, only smooth walls illuminated by and unseen light and a straight shot down. Looking up, he saw that the space kept going with no roof in sight, so he had to assume that this was some kind of shaft that ran the entire length of the column. After making his observation, Naruto was about to move on but stopped when something caught his eye. There were two bronze plates stuck on the side of the column just right of the opening, but unlike the plates on the bedroom doors, these had arrows engraved on them. The top one pointed up while the bottom one pointed down. Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto reached out and touched the top plate. He jumped back a little when it started glowing like the plate on the front door. Staring at the glowing plate in wonder, his attention turned to the shaft when his hearing picked up the sound of humming coming from below. As the humming got louder, Naruto finally caught sight of movement from within as what looked like a bright glowing platform moved up the shaft and stopped right at floor level with the third landing. Naruto watched in fascination as the bars slid open, allowing him entry to the platform. A few seconds of cautious observation with nothing else happening, Naruto finally took a few tentative steps into the shaft and had a look around.
His earlier assessment about the shaft going the length of the column was spot on as he looked up and saw nothing but empty space all the way up. He also noticed that there appeared to be small niches carved out at equal intervals up the shaft with a glowing crystal embedded in each niche, providing light to the shaft. A look around at eye level reveled nothing with the exception of another line of bronze plates on the left side of the opening he had just came through, only there were five plates with the bottom one numbered '1', the one above labeled '3', the next labeled '6' then '9' with the top one labeled 'L'. Taking a closer glance, he noticed the '3' plate was glowing. Scratching his head, he tried to make sense of the whole thing.
"Let's see here, I pressed the up arrow outside and a platform moved up and stopped where I was and let me in, now I've got some numbered and lettered plates with the second one glowing." Naruto muttered to himself as he stared at the plates, more specifically the one glowing. "Hold on." The boy suddenly said as an idea came to him. "I found this hole on the third floor, and the number three plate is glowing. Maybe this is some kind of speedy way to get around to different floors." Deciding to give it a try, he reached out and pressed the 'L' plate at the very top. The plate started glowing and he watched as the bars moved back into their original position before the platform he was standing on started moving up the shaft.
"Whoa…ha ha! Awesome! Now this sure beats climbing stairs! Why can't the Hokage Tower have something like this?" Naruto asked as the platform lifted him up through the shaft and he watched as he passed by several glowing crystals and two more barred openings in the shaft as he headed to the top. After only twenty seconds of waiting, Naruto finally came to a stop at the top of the shaft and the bars blocking the way out opened up.
"Now that's convenient." Naruto commented as he stepped out, but stopped dead in his tracks at what he found.
"Whoa!"
Books!
Books everywhere!
As high up as four stories stood shelves and shelves of books, all circling a room that was as wide as the tree's trunk. A network of stairs and catwalks provided access to the vast archive of knowledge that surrounded him. Large stained glass windows provided light in the gigantic room while the floor was filled with a maze of tables, chairs, stools, benches and even couches for those who wanted to sit down and read.
It took him a moment to snap himself out of his stupor in order to take in more details of the room. Looking around, he could see that besides the giant bookcases, there were openings in the walls, which lead to twisting corridors, showing that there was even more to the structure than just the carved out trunk and the massive library he was standing in. A glance behind him showed that the column that seemed to stop at the trunk's ceiling actually continued upwards to the roof of the library and, he suspected, continued up further still. A spiral staircase just like the one before snaked up the column to the top with several bridges shooting off regular intervals, allowing easier access to the bookshelves along the walls.
"Sakura-chan would have a field day in here." Naruto said as his eyes trailed across the room as he stood in absolute wonder at the sight of a library that could top the village's public library in book count. As his eyes wandered, they suddenly caught sight of a door on the far side of the room, which appeared to be the only door in the library itself. Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto jogged across the room and stopped at the wooden barrier as he studied its features.
While it looked like any unassuming door, it was what was engraved on it that stood out. In the center of the door was the all too familiar spiraling leaf, the symbol of the village of Konoha itself. And right below the carved symbol was a clearly written kanji that was first thing he was able to read since entering the grove.
'Forth'
"I wonder what's in here."
Taking a moment to ponder, Naruto reached out and touched the handle of the door. He jerked back when the door suddenly glowed white. He stared as the white light started shifting into different colors rapidly, almost as if he was watching a rainbow flash across the wooden surface, before the light faded away.
*Click!*
"Hmm? What was that? What the heck was that light show?" Naruto questioned as he watched for anything more to happen. When several seconds passed and nothing more occurred, he tentatively reached out and tried the nob again. When the door failed to react to him again, he carefully turned the handle. The door opened with no resistance. Shrugging at the bizarre phenomena, he pushed the door all the way open and stepped into the room.
The room was apparently a large study, given that the most prominent items in the room were a large desk, a chair and several bookcases sitting against the walls that were filled with books and scrolls. A large window gave the room enough light to see and where one could look outside simply by turning around in the chair, although from where Naruto was, all he could see was tree limbs and leaves filling the view.
Walking forward, he let his eyes wonder as he took in the room until he finally reached the desk. His eyes widened when he spotted something sitting on the front edge.
The item was a kunai, only it was different from the usual shinobi throwing weapon he was used to seeing. The blade was much shorter than the standard kunai and had two prongs sticking out of the side of the blade. The handle was longer and was covered in strange writing and scribbles. The weapon was resting on top of a custom-built stand made to hold the kunai horizontally across the desk.
Naruto picked the weapon up and carefully examined it, wondering just where he had seen such a blade before but just couldn't put his finger on it. As he was examining the weapon, a flash of white and red caught his eye. Turning to his right, Naruto's eyes widened when he saw an object hanging on a coat rack in the corner of the room.
The object was a long-sleeved white haori with red flames motifs on the bottom edge and kanji written in the center of the back.
'Fourth Hokage'
Naruto's head shot back and forth between the haori and the kunai in his hand as realization struck him. The haori belonged to the Fourth Hokage and the kunai in his hand was the Hiraishin kunai, the very thing the forth used for his 'Flying Thunder God' Technique.
This was the Forth Hokage's study!
His Father's study!
"…Dad…" Naruto whispered as he gazed at the Hiraishin kunai in his hand with more reverence than he did before, see as how the place he stood in and the item he held was directly connected with the man he idolized, who he now knew was his father.
"Naruto, dinner is ready."
"Yipe!" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin when he suddenly heard a voice echo around him. Spinning around, he tried to find the source of the voice but found no one in the study besides himself. Confused, he tried to think of who that voice belonged and quickly realized that it could only belong to one person, the only other person who would be inside his new home.
"Auntie Aurora?"
"Yes, Naruto, it's me. I did tell you I would call for you when I had dinner ready."
"Ah…well, yeah, you did, but I thought it would be more like you shouting out to me or something." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head, feeling a little weird that he was talking to his aunt like this. "…how are you doing this, anyways?"
"Why, Naruto, did you forget what I am already? Telepathic communication is a very simple matter for someone like me. It's also easy since you are carrying your crystal with you."
Naruto patted his chest where his crystal was hanging from his neck under his jacket, remembering what his aunt had said about the sorceresses being able to communicate through them.
"Oh, yeah…I kinda forgot about that…"
He heard her giggle through the link. "Now then, come back down to the bottom floor and head to the back of the room with the long table. The kitchen is back in the corner of the room."
Nodding his head, Naruto carefully returned the Hiraishin kunai back to its resting place and left the study. He backtracked his way to the center column and hopped on the platform that brought him up to the library. Pressing the '1' plate, he waited as the platform lowered him back down the shaft all the way to the bottom floor before stopping and letting him off.
"I said it once and I'll say it again, that is just too convenient." The boy commented as he walked through the arched opening that lead him to the long table room. Walking pass the large furniture, Naruto found another opening in the right rear corner of the room and found himself standing in a large kitchen that looked like it could accommodate a crew of cooks who were trying to feed a lot of people. In the far corner of the kitchen was a nook with windows facing in the direction of the large pond where he could see old man willow with his roots dipped into the water as he slowly drank from the pond. In the middle of the nook was a table that could seat about six or seven individuals with a whole spread of steaming food. Sitting in one of the chairs was his aunt, who was waiting patiently for the boy.
"Ah, there you are, Naruto. Now come on over and eat, I made plenty for you." Aurora spoke with a smile.
Naruto nodded happily, as he walked over to the chair next to her and sat down in front of his portion.
"Huh? Oh, wow."
Apparently, his Aunt had prepared a dinner of grilled maceral, meat and potato stew, cucumber salad and a bowl of brown rice and miso soup on the side. While this seemed like your everyday meal form most people, for Naruto, who had been pretty much living on milk, cereal and ramen, it was a rare feast.
"I thought that making you something that was more customary for your village would be in order tonight." Aurora said as she picked up her chopsticks and prepared to eat.
"This is awesome. Other than when I eat at Ichiraku's, this is the most food I've had in one sitting. Itadakimasu!" Naruto declared as he tore into his meal. "Delicious!"
Aurora giggled. "I'm so happy you like it, Naruto."
The two ate in silence, enjoying their first meal together as a family. For Naruto, the whole experience was a novelty, having a home cooked meal made by a family member. He had often wondered what it was like to be like this, seeing too many times how other people in the village how had families to go home to at the end of the day, while he only had an old, rundown, empty apartment.
This…was really nice.
"By the way, Naruto. It seems that you found your father's old study, haven't you?" Aurora asked as she ate another stickful of rice.
Naruto perked up in surprise. "Huh? How did you know that?"
The sorceress simply stared at him with a pleasant smile, as if the answer was staring him right in the face.
Which it was.
"Oh. Right. Magic." Naruto laughed sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I did find it up in that huge library up in the tree. I didn't even think that I would find something of dad's here."
"Why would that be so surprising for you? You do realize that your mother and father were married, right? It would only be natural that your father would live here with your mother."
The boy had to admit that was true. If his mom and dad were close enough to be married then it would be reasonable to say that the fourth knew his wife was a sorceress.
"I guess so."
Aurora giggled. "Did you know that your father's 'Flying Thunder God Technique' was created by studying your mother's teleportation circle?"
"Woah, really?!" Naruto asked in surprise.
"It's true. Your father had spent days studying Karoline's magic circle in order to create a seal array that he could use with his chakra. The man had been so excited when he finally perfected it that he spent an entire evening simply zipping around the grove in a yellow flash. Your poor mother was so frazzled trying to catch him to make him come inside and have dinner with her. He ended up on the couch that night." Aurora laughed as she finished her little story.
Naruto was grinning at the mental image. "I would have loved to have seen that. I bet it was hilarious."
The two laughed and quickly finished up their dinner. Afterwards, Aurora cleaned up the dishes, aided by magic of course, and then led Naruto back up to the library level via the lift and guided him down one of the connecting corridors. The pathway was lined with windows, giving them a view of the tree's massive canopy, although, since it was nightfall, they really couldn't see very much. That didn't mean that there was nothing to see, as he was fascinated by what looked like fireflies that darted in and out of the leaves, briefly illuminating the canopy with a pale green light. Eventually, they came upon another part of the home, which was shaped in a large, round saucer and suspended by the large limbs that grew from Drasil's trunk. The structure was large enough to fit a whole house inside, and was lined with small windows. Upon entering the structure, the two passed through a relatively short hallway before entering the center of the structure. The interior was shaped in a circle with two levels connected by three small set of stairs. Along the wall on the second level were three doors, not unlike the ones on the eight upper levels of the trunk, only these were brown, rather than green. The second level floor was separated from the first by a rail that kept people from accidently falling to the first, which was bare save for a large circular couch surrounding a large center table.
The place looked quite comfy.
"This is our living quarters. Here is where we will find our rooms where we sleep and relax when we have nothing to do." Aurora explained as she led Naruto up to the second level and to a door with a green symbol engraved on the surface. "And this is your room, Naruto."
The boy looked at the door before turning his gaze up to his aunt. Seeing her nod, he reached out and opened the door.
Inside, he found himself standing in a large room, bigger than the ones inside the trunk of the tree. There was a queen size bed with two nightstands on either side with a pair of lamps to illuminate the room, a large bookcase, a small circular table with three chairs, and a large wooden drawer with a mirror on top. There were a pair of windows on either side of the bed and a large dome window in the center of the roof. A doorway provided and opening on the right wall, which led to a bathroom with a huge tub and a vanity with a sink. A closet sat on the far end of the bathroom, providing space and convenient access to his clothes.
"There are a pair of pajamas in the drawers that should be in your size that you can sleep in tonight, Naruto. Tomorrow morning, we will gather up everything you own in your old apartment and bring it here for you to move in permanently." Aurora said as she stepped forward and raised his forehead protector up so she could plant a kiss on his forehead. "Now get some rest, and I will see you in the morning." With that, Aurora turned and made her way out of the room. When she reached the open door, she turned and offered him one last smile. "Good night, my nephew."
Naruto watched as his aunt closed the door and left him to his thoughts. The experience was so surreal and completely unbelievable. Never in his wildest dreams would he ever think that he would see such a wondrous place, much less live in it. His mother must have been absolutely amazing to be able to make such a home. It definitely topped anything in the village, even the clan compounds and the Hokage tower.
Letting out a tired sigh as the events of the last two days finally caught up with him, the boy went over to the drawers and retrieved the P.J.'s his aunt left him before heading to the bathroom to wash up. Tomorrow would start a new chapter in his life and he wanted to be ready to take it on just as he had always done.
Headlong with a smile on his face.
- Konoha Village – Next Day –
'Oh man, that was the best night's sleep I've ever had. My old bed's got nothing on my new one.' Naruto thought to himself as he walked down the street that led to his apartment. The morning had started out spectacularly for the boy. He had gotten the best sleep he had ever had thanks to the comfy bed that didn't have any broken springs or tears in the sheets like his old bed had, nor did he have to contend with the constant drafts that came from cracks in the rundown walls. Instead, he slept warm and comfortable in his new home and woke up feeling like a million ryo. After he got out of bed and dressed, he made his way down to the kitchen where he found his aunt making him some breakfast. Eggs, bacon, toast and bowl of oatmeal. Something that was new to the boy but was thoroughly enjoyed. His aunt was turning out to be a wonderful cook. Afterwards, the two left Drasil and the grove to go and retrieve his belongings from his old home. Naruto had been in high spirit the whole morning; even to the point where he completely ignored the usual glares he received as he walked down the street.
"You certainly seem happy this morning, Naruto." Aurora asked as she walked beside the boy, her staff in hand, as she used it as a walking stick.
Naruto grinned at his blood relative. "I am happy, Auntie Aurora. This has been the best morning I ever had. I slept well and I got to eat more of your yummy cooking."
Aurora smiled once more. "Well, I'm very happy that you enjoy my cooking so much. I'm just going to have to spoil you with even more of it whenever I can."
The boys grin got even bigger at that statement. He was so going to enjoy having his aunt live with him. A moment later, he recalled something from earlier.
"Hey, Auntie Aurora, what were you talking with Old Willow about earlier?"
Naruto was referring to when Aurora had stepped over to the old talking tree for a moment as the two spoke to one another just before they left the grove. The white sorceress just giggled in response to the question, as if anticipating some great enjoyment that was coming latter.
"Oh, I was just asking him to begin the process of waking up the grove."
Naruto blinked, clearly not understanding what she had meant by that.
"Waking up the grove? What do you mean?"
Aurora winked. "You'll see."
Not getting the answer to his question, the boy pouted a little, which seemed to amuse the woman if the giggles were anything to go by. Before any more could be said, though, they were forced to stop when a middle-aged man stepped in front of the pair.
The man was clearly a civilian, as he had no ninja gear or forehead protector on his person. He was wearing a rather expensive looking kimono, though, showing that the man was rather wealthy to afford such things. A merchant perhaps.
The man took a moment to glare at Naruto, which caused Naruto to frown, before turning his gaze to the woman beside him as he put on a charming smile.
"Hello, miss. I couldn't help but notice you wandering around the village. Seeing as you must be new to Konoha, I wouldn't mind acting as your guide. How about I show you around our great village and we might get the chance to know one another a little better."
Naruto bristled; clearly offended that he was getting brushed off by a guy who acted as if he wasn't even there. Not to mention the he was trying to charm his aunt for crying out load. He would like nothing more than to punch this guy's lights out, but he couldn't because he would get into a ton of trouble if he did, especially since he is now considered an adult by shinobi standards.
Aurora simply stood there for a moment as she stared at the man. After a few seconds, she smiled. "I'm very flattered that you would offer to guide me around, kind sir. However, I am already accompanying this young man beside me and we are rather busy today, so I must respectfully decline."
Naruto couldn't help but to feel a certain satisfaction at seeing the guy get shot down like that, even though he hid it very well.
The man seemed somewhat shocked and offended that the beautiful woman before him would reject his offer in favor of walking around with that little monster, and was perfectly content with letting his opinion be known.
"With all due respect, ma'am, I highly recommend that you do not associate yourself with this…thing. You don't know him as well as we do."
Okay, urge to drive fist through face is rising back up again.
"…..And just why would I not wish to associate myself with the only family member I have here in this village, might I ask?"
The guy took a sudden step back as if he had taken a physical blow. "You…you're related to him?" The man asked in shock, an expression that was mirrored by every person within earshot.
Naruto was looking at his aunt as if she was crazy. Doesn't she know what she was doing to herself by announcing her relation to him?
Aurora seemingly ignored the shocked looks she was getting as she continued her conversation. "Of course I am; I'm his aunt after all. Now, this has been a pleasant conversation and all, but we really must be going. I bid you a good day. Come along, Naruto." The woman ended her conversation with the gentleman and started walking again with Naruto staying close. Behind the retreating pair, whispers and murmurs were already picking up as the citizens of Konoha were already discussing the newest piece of information about the demon child and it would not be long before this information spread across the whole village. The merchant was glaring at the pair and was already making plans to inform his shops and the merchant guild about this and the ban that should be placed on the new resident. If this woman was going to associate herself with the demon than she was just as bad as he was.
Meanwhile, Naruto was looking unsettled as he walked beside his aunt, something that she noticed rather quickly.
"Is something wrong, Naruto?"
"…Why did you tell him that?"
Aurora looked over at him curiously. "Tell him what, Naruto?"
"Why did you tell him that we were related? Now you're going to be hated like I am just because you're my aunt."
"And why should I be concerned about the opinion of bigots who are too blinded by their hatred of things they know nothing about?"
Naruto was quite for a moment as he tried to come up with a response. "…I just don't want to see you be treated badly, auntie. You're too nice of a person to be hated."
Aurora smiled. "That's very sweet of you, Naruto. It makes me happy to know that you care about me like that. However, do you think that this is the first time that I have been viewed negatively by a populace? Humans will always fear that which they cannot understand and control, and magic and sorcery falls within those categories." She turned to him. "This is something you will come to understand."
Naruto thought about it for a moment before nodding. If she was fine with it then there really wasn't much he could do about it.
"Instructing your nephew on the facts of life, are we?"
The two stopped and turned to the source of the new voice and found a very familiar figure walking towards them.
"Hokage-jiji!" Naruto shouted with a smile as the Third Hokage walked up to the pair with a smile on his face.
"Good morning, Naruto. Lady Aurora." Sarutobi greeted the pair.
"Good morning to you, Lord Hiruzen. Out for a morning stroll?" Aurora greeted with a bit of humor in her voice.
"Why, yes. I was just out seeing the state of my village. A personal inspection is necessary now and again."
The woman giggled. "Oh, I'm sure that your personal inspection is much more important than the numerous documents that require your signature waiting for you back in your office."
Sarutobi grimaced while Naruto laughed.
"Hahaha. She's got you there, Jiji!"
The third coughed into his hand as he tried to steer the conversation away from its current direction.
"Anyways, I was curious about what you two were up to today."
"Oh, we were just on our way to retrieve Naruto's belongings from his former residence and take them to his new home." Aurora answered in a conservative tone.
"Ah, so you've shown him his mothers' home that she made out of a tree, Drasil if I recall the name."
"Huh? You knew about that place?" Naruto asked, not expecting that the old man would know about the hidden grove.
Sarutobi laughed. "Of course I know about it. Your mother and father invited me over several times for dinner. I must say, though, as much as the title 'hidden in the leaves' holds true to this village, your mother took it to a whole new level with her home. Well, if you are going to collect his belongings, would you mind too terribly if I accompany you, I could help with the move?"
Aurora looked rather pleased. "That's very kind of you, Hiruzen. I would not mind if you helped. What about you, Naruto. Would you like for the Hokage to aid us?"
Naruto looked delighted. "Sure."
Sarutobi chuckled as he joined the duo and they headed straight towards Naruto's apartment. When they finally arrived, they took a moment to look the place over. Old, dilapidated and vandalized best summed up the building as everywhere they looked, the stone was cracked, the paint chipped and the wood rotted from severe neglect. The trio made their way up to the top floor where they were greeted by heavy graffiti along the walls that spelled out exactly what the villagers thought of the young boy who lived there.
Aurora sensed the discomfort coming from her nephew and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Naruto. You are done with this life. I can assure you that this place will never bother you again."
Naruto smiled at his aunt just as they made it to the front door of the apartment. What greeted them, though, was rather surprising.
A padlock was placed upon the door, baring entrance into the apartment. Affixed to the center of the door was a notice, posted by the civilian council, declaring the building condemned and that no entry was allowed.
The three stared at the notice with varying degree of emotion. Naruto was staring in disbelief, Aurora looked impartial but was gripping her staff tightly, while Sarutobi looked like he was about ready to tear someone a new one.
"Unbelievable." The third muttered as he flicked his wrist at the lock. The metal lock remained unmoving for a second before it suddenly fell apart in several pieces that clattered noisily on the floor.
Naruto stared at the remains of the lock wide-eyed, simply awed that the village leader was able to destroy something with the simple flick of a wrist.
"That was awesome."
Sarutobi couldn't help but smirk at the boy's comment. With the barrier removed, he opened the door and entered. What he saw inside made his blood boil.
The entire interior of the apartment laid in ruin. The walls were smashed as if someone had taken a sledgehammer and went crazy on the place. Any furniture that existed was now unrecognizable. The cabinetry had been pulverized. All clothing inside the apartment was completely shredded.
Everything that was within the apartment had been completely and utterly destroyed.
"My….my things…." Naruto muttered as he stared at the carnage in both shock and despair. Everything he had owned was inside this place, and there wasn't a single thing that was left for him now.
Sarutobi's lips were set in thin line as he surveyed the complete destruction of the blonde's home and all of his material possessions. He had thought that the villagers wouldn't have the gall to stoop this low. Apparently, he was wrong.
Aurora appeared to be the calmest on out of all of them, with her eyes closed and her breathing normal, but if one were to look at the hand grasping her staff, they would see it trembling as she tightened her hold on it to the point where a slight cracking could be heard.
A few seconds of tense silence, Aurora let out a huge exhale of breathe as she moved towards the center of the apartment.
"I suppose it can't be helped." The sorceress said as she stopped and lifted her staff above her. The crystal began to glow as she waved the tip around in a wide circle, the light appearing to trail behind the crystal until she made one complete rotation. The light stream connected to itself to form a halo above her head.
"Orbis Tractus Reversal!"
Slamming the end of the staff to the floor, the halo followed its movement and flew to the floor as it started to expand outward. When the halo collided with the floor, the energy shot out as it expanded in every direction, crawling over every surface it met until it had touched everything within the apartment. What the two males witnessed next left them speechless.
As if someone was turning back the clock, they watched as the apartment started to literally pull itself back together. Wood and plaster lifted off the floor and filled in the holes in the wall. The furniture reassembled itself and the broken pieces instantly mended. Glass and ceramic bowls and plates reformed into single pieces and stacked themselves back into the reformed cabinets. And the clothing re-stitched themselves and floated into the closet right back onto their hangers.
By the time everything stopped moving, Naruto and company beheld a room that looked like it hadn't been touched since Naruto left the premises the morning before.
"Wwwwwwooooooaaaaahhhhhh!" Naruto stared at the marvel that was his aunt's magic, as she had just undone all the damage done to the apartment as if it was a simple task.
Sarutobi took the sight before him in with clear bewilderment before shaking his head and chuckling. "I keep on forgetting what magic is capable of. It seems that you never cease to amaze me, Lady Aurora."
Aurora just smiled at both the praise and the job well done. "Now Hiruzen, you should already know that I make my living doing amazing things. Now then, I do believe that we have a job to do."
"Yes, I do believe you are right. Naruto." Sarutobi said, getting the blonde's attention. "Start collecting your things and bring them all to the living room. I'll help you pack them into storage scrolls so you can carry everything."
"Alright, Jiji." Naruto responded as he dashed off to start collecting anything he had of value in the apartment while Sarutobi and Aurora made themselves useful by grabbing anything they knew was needed. It took the three only an hour to collect the boy's possessions where the Hokage sealed the items into storage scrolls that were soon piled up on living room floor.
When the last few items were sealed away, Sarutobi looked around the apartment, which was now empty save for the rundown furniture that was eventually going to be discarded. The Hokage nodded his head in satisfaction before turning to his surrogate grandson.
"Well, we have everything that belongs to you in these scrolls, but to be on the safe side, is there anything else you can think of that we may have missed?"
Naruto thought about it for a second before snapping his finger. "Oh yeah, now that you mention it."
Naruto went into his bedroom and knelt down in the center of the room and started running his finger along one of the floorboards. Finding an edge, he pulled up with his finger, lifting up the floorboard to reveal an opening where he reached in and searched around.
"Okay….where are….got it!" The boy exclaimed as he pulled out a small envelop with a pleased smile.
"I've been setting aside some of my monthly stipends for a while now, I'm glad you reminded me that it was here." Naruto explained as he pocketed the envelop and returned to the others.
"Well, we certainly wouldn't want to leave something like that behind, would we?" Sarutobi remarked as he held up a large scroll. "Here is everything we sealed up, Naruto. You'll find seven smaller scrolls sealed inside this one that contains your possessions. I assume Iruka taught you how to properly unseal items inside storage scrolls, correct?"
Naruto nodded, remembering the lessons on how to utilize storage scrolls and what they could place inside of them, even though the teacher had to give him additional tutelage after class to get it to sink in.
Man, he hated complicated lectures.
Sarutobi smiled as he handed the scroll over to the boy. "Well then, if that is everything, then all that is left is to close this apartment up for the last time and surrender the keys, which you can just give to me. I have some business with the landlord anyways." The Third was not very pleased with either the lock barring access for the boy or that his stuff had been thoroughly destroy prior to Aurora's restoration spell, and he was going to have words with several people about it.
Woe be to those poor, unfortunate souls.
With everything finally in order, the three locked up the now vacant apartment and went their separate ways. As soon as Naruto and Aurora made it to the main streets, the white sorceress turned to her nephew and spoke.
"Well, now that we have your things, I think we should do a little shopping before we head for home."
"Huh?" Naruto responded as he looked to his aunt. "What kind of shopping, Auntie?"
"Clothes shopping. I believe a change in wardrobe would suite you well. While there is nothing wrong with your sense of fashion, I believe that your jumpsuit is just a bit too baggy for you. It also appears to be the only article of outerwear that you have, is it not?"
Naruto looked down at his attire and grimaced slightly. Truth be told, he didn't really wear the jumpsuit because he liked it, despite that fact that it is orange, but it was the only thing he could get that fit him since the stores refused to sell him anything. He had found the orange jumpsuit when one of the clothing stores threw it out and he pulled it out of the dumpster when no one was looking.
A choice of necessity, really.
"Well, if you say so. But I still want my new clothes to be orange if that's alright?"
"I believe that is a reasonable request. Now, let's go see what we can find."
Nodding in agreement, Naruto followed his aunt as she led him to the village's shopping district to see what they could find.
- One Hour Later –
News travels very fast when it involves the civilian businesses, and word had already spread about the 'Demon's Family', so it should not have come as a surprise when the moment that Naruto and Aurora entered any of the civilian controlled stores, they were immediately turned away by the scowling owners, informing them that they were not welcomed. While not at all pleased by the treatment they were getting, the two nonetheless took their leave peacefully and continued to look for an establishment that would serve them. But after an hour of looking, it was starting to look like a grim prospect.
"Uh…Auntie…maybe we should just quit. I mean, it's not like we have to find me something new to wear." Naruto said as they left yet another store that had kicked them out. The boy was use to this kind of treatment, having endured it as far back as he could remember. He just felt bad that his kind and generous aunt was being given the same treatment just because she was related to him.
Aurora just gave him her usual smile as she walked beside him. "Nonsense, Naruto. It's far too early to give up. I'm sure that there is someone who would be willing to provide service for us."
Naruto looked a little skeptical but nodded and turned back to the path ahead. "If you say so."
"WHAAA! LOOK OUT!"
"Huh?"
*WHAM!*
The boy's peaceful stroll was abruptly interrupted by the sudden shout and a large object colliding with him, which sent him tumbling to the ground.
"Oh my!" Aurora gasped when she witnessed her nephew being violently thrown to the ground by a speeding object. She looked down at the crumpled heap of legs and arms and saw just what, or rather who, had just knocked the poor boy off his feet.
The person was a young girl with brown hair tied up into a pair of buns on either side of her head that gave her the look of a panda. She had brown eyes and fair skin, much like what most of the village's residence possessed. The girl was wearing a pink sleeveless shirt that was held closed by three long clasps across the front. She also wore green hakama pants while a shinobi pouch was strapped to her right leg and the standard shinobi sandals on her feet. Wrapped around her head was a leaf headband, signifying her to be a member of the shinobi force.
The girl groaned as she lifted herself up and rubbed her head.
"Ouch. Teaches me to run that fast around blind corners." She muttered before she finally noticed the boy underneath her. "Oh shit!" She cursed as she jumped up and grabbed the boy, pulling back up to his feet. "Hey, you alright? I'm really sorry I ran into you like that."
"Uhhh…what hit me?" Naruto asked as he shook his head to clear his vision of all the stars he was seeing. When his thought processes were back to normal, he registered what the girl had said and grinned up at her. "Ah, it's alright. I'm fine, see. No broken bones." As he said that, he moved his arm up and down to show that he had no trouble moving the appendage.
The bun-haired girl sighed in relief, happy that she didn't seriously hurt the boy. "Thank goodness. I was worried for a second there."
It was around that time that Naruto noticed the forehead protector that the girl was wearing. "Hey, you're a ninja, right? That's cool! I just became one myself yesterday."
The girl blinked before noticing the headband that the boy was wearing as well.
How'd she missed that?
"Well I'll be. Got your headband, huh? Well, welcome to the force." She said before she pointed to herself. "Since we might be working together sometime down the road, how about we introduce ourselves. The name's Tenten. Tenten Higurashi." Tenten introduced herself with a wink.
Naruto returned the gesture with his own, patented smile. "Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of the Leaf, believe it."
"Hokage, huh?" Tenten remarked as she looked Naruto up and down. "Not in those clothes."
The boy pouted at the jab to his attire. Why did everyone had to pick at his clothing?
"Actually, we were just looking around to by him something more suitable to wear when you…ran into us." Aurora spoke up for the first time since the conversation began.
Tenten looked over at the woman and was left speechless from her beauty.
'Whoa! She's gorgeous!' Her eyes then traveled down to her figure. She internally grimaced when she noticed her proportions. She couldn't help but to compare herself to the blonde woman and became depressed when she realized that, well; there was no comparison between this mature beauty and her own still developing body.
'This is so unfair. How do I get a body like that?'
"Umm…excuse me, Tenten?"
The girl snapped out of depression when she noticed that the woman was talking to her and she coughed into her hand. "Ah, um, you're looking for clothes, right? Well, there are a lot of shops around here that specifically tailor to it. Have you gone down the main market strip?"
"We already did. They wouldn't sell to us." Naruto informed the girl.
Tenten looked shocked at this. "None of them? What the hell!? That's absolutely no way to treat a customer! I mean seriously! If my parents started turning away customers they'd be out of business in a month."
That caught the attention of the two blondes.
"Wait. Your parents own a store?" Naruto asked with some hope in his voice.
Tenten beamed. "Yep. Higurashi Weapons and Apparel. Family owned and operated."
Aurora looked rather pleased as she stepped forward. "Would you mind taking us to your store, Tenten? Seeing how many other stores have refused service to us, we would like to see if your family would accommodate us."
Tenten beamed a smile that could light a dark room. "Of course, Higurashi's never turns away a customer! I can even help you two out since I work there as well. In fact, I was just on my…way…there….OH CRAP! I'M TOTALLY LATE FOR MY SHIFT! I mean, I was late before, BUT NOW I'M REALLY LATE!" Tenten shouted, having realized that her collision with the blonde boy and following conversation had put her further behind in her schedule.
Her mother was NOT going to be happy about this.
Seeing the girl so distressed, Aurora attempted to calm her down. "Please try to relax, Tenten, I'm sure everything will be alright. How about you take us to your store and we'll take the blame for you being late. You can say that you stopped to help us and then offered to show us to your store."
"You'll really do that for me? Really?!" Tenten asked, her eyes brimming with hope.
"Of course. Anything for a sweet young lady like yourself. Now, let us be off. We wouldn't want to keep your family waiting any longer then they have already." Aurora responded as she gestured down the street with her staff.
"Right. Let's get going. Follow me." Tenten declared and the trio set a brisk pace down the road. They were unaware that a pair of pale, pupil-less eyes were following them as they peered out from behind a corner.
- Higurashi Weapons and Apparel – Ten Minutes Later –
"Mom, I'm home." Tenten called out as she entered the store-slash-home with Naruto and Aurora trailing right behind her. The establishment was set up where the store was built at the front of the building while the house was concealed on the backside. The front door of the house could be accessed from the side of the building. Within the store itself lay rows and rows of weapons, armor and a variety of clothing for both ninja and civilian and even in between, like armor mesh lined shirts and pants and even clothes with built-in weapons and scroll storage pouches. It was actually a pretty bright idea, really.
Before the group could get too deep into browsing around, a commotion in the back got their attention as the sound of rapid steps started getting louder and louder before a figure burst thought the curtain that separated the sales floor and the rest of the building.
"Young lady, you had better have a good explanation for why you're a half hour late for your shift." The woman that suddenly appeared said as she glared at the young teen, who was shrinking back from the gaze.
The woman was clearly related to Tenten, having the same features and looks as well as the manner in which she keeps her hair done up in two buns, only she kept hers contained by a pair of brocades held tight with ribbons. Her style of dress was also similar, a sleeveless red dress with a golden dragon embroiled on the front that hugged her body, showing her mature feminine curves all the way to her hips before flowing straight down to her ankles which were covered by the long ribbons from her sandals. A couple of slits cut on the sides allowed her legs to have free range of motion, which were currently set shoulder width apart as she gave Tenten a hard stare.
"I'm really sorry, Momma, I get held up by Guy-Sensei at the training grounds for fifteen minutes." Tenten explained as she tried to defuse her mother's anger.
She could be really scary when angry.
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Be that as it may, I know for a fact that it only takes you five minutes at most to get home when you hurry, so that doesn't excuse you for the ten extra minutes it took."
Aurora took that moment to come to the girl's rescue.
"I'm afraid it is my fault that the girl is so late, miss. My nephew and I were trying to find a store that would sell to us when we ran into young Tenten here. She offered to help us by guiding us to your humble store here."
The woman blinked in surprise when she finally noticed that her daughter didn't come in alone. She was so focused on scolding her daughter that she didn't even register their presence. A look of panic crossed her face before she started bowing to the two blondes repeatedly.
"Oh my Kami, I am so sorry I didn't notice you two before. I should have been paying more attention than that. It's inexcusable for me to ignore customers."
Aurora laughed before waving her hand at the flustered woman. "It's quite alright, dear. No harm, no foul."
A gruff laugh boomed out from behind the curtain that the woman had just appeared through, and not a second later, the largest man they had ever seen stepped into the room.
The man was built like an ox, with a pair of broad shoulders framing a muscular chest that could barely be contained by a dirty, soot covered white muscle shirt while his dark brown pants strained to contain his powerful legs. Add to the fact that the brown haired, bearded man was standing a good head taller than everyone else was and it was an imposing sight to say the least.
"Ah, always with your business etiquette, my little plum. I'm sure that these two don't mind you tending to your parental duties." The man rumbled out as he stepped forward and addressed the two blondes. "Welcome to Higurashi's Weapons and Apparel. I'm Sho Higurashi and this is my lovely wife, Mei-li. It seems that you've already met our daughter, Tenten." The man introduced himself and his wife, who smiled and bowed at her introduction.
"Greetings, Mister and Misses Higurashi. My name is Aurora, and this here is my nephew, Naruto. We were hoping that you would be able to assist us in finding some more suitable clothing for him." Aurora answered, bowing to the couple before explaining why they were there.
Mei-li looked the boy over and cringed. "I can see why you would. That jumpsuit is hideous."
Frowning at the remark, Naruto grumbled about it not being his fault. Mei-li then smiled.
"Well, if it's clothing you're looking for then you've come to the right place. My clothing line is stylish, practical and versatile. And considering that you're a ninja, you're going to want something that comes with some hidden storage space. Now, why don't you come with me, Naruto, and we'll see what we can come up with." Mei-li said, going directly into 'Saleswoman' mode. She then turned to her daughter. "And since you're now here, you can start your shift by helping out, Tenten. Now, be a dear and show them where we keep the clothing for the genin."
"Sure thing, Momma. Come on, Naruto; let's find you something that isn't an eyesore." Tenten declared as she grabbed the blonde boy's wrist and dragged him towards the back of the sales floor, Mei-li following shortly behind.
Aurora giggled at the sight while Sho let out a chuckle himself before the towering man turned to the sorceress. "Well, I should get back to the forge. Those weapons aren't going to make themselves."
"Oh, I assume that you make all the weapons that are sold in this store?" Aurora asked with a raised eyebrow.
Sho grinned at the smaller woman. "Sure do and every stich of cloth here is the creation of my lovely wife. Everything here is made right in this building. It helps keep costs down and taxes low when all you have to worry about is buying materials."
"I imagine so. Then I bid you a good day and good luck with your business." Aurora said as the sole male of the Higurashi house turned and walked back behind the curtain and disappeared from sight.
Aurora was just about to join her nephew in selecting his new clothes when a flash of blue caught her eye. Turning to look out the front window, she just barely caught sight of a figure ducking behind a wall on the other side of the street. Although she did not know who it was, she had the distinct feeling that this person was watching her or her nephew, given the fact that the person had only vanished when she had turned to look. Deciding to find out who this individual was, Aurora made her way behind one of the racks before activating her teleportation spell and vanished.
She immediately reappeared in a back alley behind a building, the one where she had seen the person spying on them hiding behind. Moving silently, she made her way around to the side alley and peeked around to find the very person she was looking for, and what she saw made her eyebrows raise in surprise.
It was a young girl was around her nephews' age, with oxford blue hair in a bob cut, that was peeking around the front corner towards the store she was just in. The girl was wearing a fawn-colored hooded jacket with two red fire emblems sewn on the sleeves and white fur lining the bottom. She also wore a pair of dark blue ninja pants, much like what most of the ninja wore, as well as the standard blue sandals.
Aurora 'hmm'ed as she moved out from behind the corner and slowly approached the young girl, who was completely oblivious to the woman's presence until she came right up behind the girl and leaned over to whisper into the girl's ear.
"So, what exactly are we looking at?"
"EEP!"
The reaction was rather comical, as the young girl literally jumped at the voice straight up in the air, almost clearing three feet before coming down on her feet. Apparently, her body was working faster than her brain as she tried to turn around while in midair, which meant that her feet came down uneven and uncoordinated. As soon as she landed, she lost her balance and started wobbling with her arms flailing until she pitched forward…
*BOING!*
…and suddenly found her face enveloped in something soft and warm.
Aurora blinked as she looked down at the young girl…who had her face firmly planted in her exposed cleavage. Both remained still for a moment until the young girl's head tilted up and the woman found herself looking into a pair of lavender tinted, pale pupil-less eyes.
"Well, hello dear." Aurora greeted as she smiled down at the girl. Said girls' eyes widened and a blush appeared on her cheeks when she realized exactly where she was.
Aurora blinked once more when she suddenly found the girl had moved from where she was to across the alley instantaneously. That was faster than teleportation.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The girl shouted as she repeatedly bowed at the hips to the sorceress.
Said woman just let out an angelic laugh before waving the offense off. "Oh, no worries, dear. It was just an accident. If anyone should apologize, it should be me for scaring you so badly." She knew that the girl would be greatly startled by her actions, but the opportunity was just too tempting.
The girl straightened and was finally able to properly look at the woman before her, who she immediately recognized as the woman who was accompanying the blonde boy she had been watching. She also should still be inside the store across the street since she never saw her leave it.
How in the world did she get out of the store without her noticing? And how did she manage to sneak up on her so quickly when she only lost sight of the woman for a few seconds?
The young girl's head turned rapidly several times between the store's interior seen through the front window and the blonde woman standing before her with a look of amusement on her face.
"How did…but you were…when did…?" The girl asked in confusion, unable to understand how the woman managed to do what she did.
Aurora couldn't contain her amusement anymore and laughed again. "Oh, my dear, anything is possible with magic." She made another waving motion when she saw the girl give her a look of confusion. "It's nothing for you to worry about. Now then, how about you tell me why you were spying on us."
At this, the young girl suddenly became very nervous and meek as she looked down to the ground while pressing her index fingers together while blushing. Aurora thought that it was an adorable sight.
"…Ano…I-I-I was…umm…I was w-watching…you and…N-Naruto-kun…"
The White Sorceresses' eyes twinkled when she heard the affectionate suffix added to her nephew's name.
"Oh. Are you a friend of Naruto?"
The young girl blushed harder as she found a small stone on the ground to be rather interesting at the moment.
"Ah….well….I just….you see….we were…class mates in the academy….and…"
"…So you knew him from the academy, but not really friends, huh? Do you want to be Naruto's friend?" Aurora asked, figuring that would be the reason she would follow him after they had graduated, among other reasons of course.
The girl started to press her index fingers together again. "Well…I…would like to...talk to him…and…befriend him…"
"Well, what's stopping you, my dear? I can tell you right now that he would welcome you as a friend." 'And maybe even more if my hunch is right.'
"….." The young girl remained silent as she glanced in the direction of the shop before blushing harder as she looked back down again.
'Oh dear. It seems that this one is a little too shy. Perhaps some gentle prodding is in order.' Aurora thought as she walked over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be so shy, my dear. If you want, I can help you. Just come with me."
"Oh…uh…I wouldn't want to…interrupt what you two are doing."
"Nonsense, sweetie. You wouldn't be interrupting. Besides, it's always nice to have more friends around; after all, they do say 'The more the merrier.'
"Oh…well…thank you…um…"
"Oh dear, where are my manners. I completely forgot to introduce myself. I am Aurora. May I have your name, my dear?"
"H-Hinata Hyuuga."
"Hinata. A beautiful name for such a beautiful girl."
"T-t-thank you…"
"Now then, let's go on in, I'm sure that my nephew is wondering where I am." Aurora suggested as she nudged Hinata's back with her hand and stated guiding the girl towards the shop.
"O-okay….Wait. Your nephew? Y-you mean that Naruto-kun is your nephew?" Hinata spun around to stare at the woman in surprise. It was a popular belief that the boy had no family at all living within Konoha.
"Why yes, he is. He is the son of my sister, who lived in this village for many years."
Hinata was completely shocked at this revelation. For the longest time, she believed that Naruto was an orphan without a single living relative, something that saddened her greatly. To know that he had found a relative that cared for him lifted her spirit immensely, if the soft smile appearing on her face was any indication.
Aurora was just about to guide the young girl in to the shop so that she could help the shy young thing break the ice with her nephew when they were suddenly interrupted by a new voice calling out.
"Hinata-sama."
The two turned to find a man in his early twenties with long black hair trailing down his back and the same pale, pupil-less eyes like Hinata's wearing a white yukata along with a white headband rapidly moving up to them.
"Hinata-sama, I have been looking for you everywhere. Your father has ordered me to bring you home. It's time for your meal."
Hinata blinked before realizing that it was indeed midday at this point. "O-oh, uh, I s-see." The shy young girl then turned to the blonde woman and bowed. "I-I'm afraid that this is w-where we pa-part ways, Miss Aurora. I'm sorry that I c-can't go in to greet your n-nephew like you suggested."
Aurora waved off the apology. "It's quite alright my dear. Perhaps the next time we meet we can try again. You just run along home to your family, I'm sure they are waiting for you to join them."
"Y-yes. Have a pleasant day, Miss A-Aurora." Hinata bid the woman with a bow before turning to leave, the older Hyuuga bowing before following after exactly two steps behind the young girl. Aurora recognized this as sign that Hinata held a significant position within the family and that the male might have been a servant of some kind. She would have to look into the Hyuuga families' social structure when she had the time.
Shortly after the two Hyuuga left, the sorceress entered the shop and made her way towards the back where the changing stalls were located. As she rounded the final rack separating them from her destination, she found Tenten waiting just outside one of the stalls as the sound of fabric rubbing and shifting could be heard on the other side of the curtain.
"Oh! There you are. I was wondering where you went off to." Tenten said as she spotted the blonde woman.
Aurora just smiled at the young woman as she came to a stop before her. "Oh, don't mind me; I was just having a nice conversation with a young lady while Naruto was changing."
Before anymore idle talk could be carried on, the curtain to the changing stall slid open as Naruto stepped out and presented himself to the crowd of females.
Gone was the orange jumpsuit, and in its place was an ensemble of clothing that looked quite good on the young blonde. The boy now wore a sleeveless burnt orange vest that was held closed with a braided cord wrapped around his waist like a belt. Under the vest was a black, sleeveless shirt with a long collar that covered almost all of his neck. A pair of long, black fingerless gloves covered his arms all the way up to the bicep, leaving his shoulders exposed. His legs and torso were covered by a pair of black shinobi pants with a utility pack strapped to his right thigh. A pair of black shinobi sandals finished the outfit.
To the ladies, it was definitely an improvement.
"Oh my, don't you look handsome now, Naruto." Aurora said as she placed her hand against her cheek.
"Hey, not bad. You're starting to look like a real shinobi now." Tenten remarked, as she looked the boy over. She really liked the fact that some of the clothing reflected her own fashion sense.
Naruto moved his limbs around as he got a feel for his new outfit before grinning to himself. "You know what, I think I like this. It's definitely better than that oversized jump-suit."
"I couldn't agree more." A voice said from behind. Naruto turned around to find Mei-li walking up to him with an object in her hands. "That horrid thing is nowhere near appropriate shinobi attire. Far too bright, completely inadequate for stealth."
Naruto chuckled at that statement. "If that is the case, then I fear for our village's future, considering that I used to lose pursuing jonin and ANBU while wearing it."
The elder woman giggled at the statement as she leaned down to present the boy with the item in her hands. "I changed out the cloth on your forehead protector, seeing how blue won't fit with your current attire."
Naruto looked and just as the woman said, the cloth of his protector had been changed from its standard blue to a deep black that fits the style of his clothing. The boy took the offered item before wrapping it around his head and adjusting the fit. Satisfied with its position, he turned back to his audience to receive the final verdict.
"What do you girls think?"
Tenten smiled as she flashed the boy a thumbs up. "Looking good. Now you really do look like a shinobi."
Aurora nodded her approval. "You certainly do make that look work."
"Then I am to assume that your approval means you will be taking them?" Mei-li asked the two blondes.
Aurora nodded her head. "Yes, I believe that these clothes will be adequate. I believe we will be purchasing a 'shinobi dozen' of these if we could."
The older sales woman clapped her hands together as she beamed a smile. "Wonderful. I'll ring it up at the counter."
As the two ladies moved up front, Naruto gave his kunoichi senior a questioning look. "Shinobi dozen?"
Tenten replied as she rubbing the underside of her nose with a smile. "A shinobi dozen is a lot like a baker's dozen. She's asking for about fifteen identical copies of the clothes you are wearing. Ninja's do this because of the likelihood that our clothing gets damaged while we're in combat so that we can have several spares on hand when we need it and not have to keep running back to the store for more every other mission. Your aunt is also getting a discount for buying in bulk."
"Oh…guess that makes sense." The boy said as the two moved to where the adults were just as Mei-li finished up the sale.
"Alright, you got fifteen sets of clothes on order. The ones he's wearing is the first set and the other fourteen I'll have to make but it shouldn't take more than a few days. I'll have the order filled by the end of the week."
Aurora nodded. "That will do perfectly, dear. As for payment, I'm afraid I don't have any of your currency, but I believe this should more than suffice." As she said this, she pulled out a brown pouch the size of a fist and poured the contents out on the counter.
When Mei-li and Tenten saw the objects that spilled on the table, their eyes grew so large, it was a miracle they didn't fall out of their sockets. Gems! Jewels! Diamonds! Precious stones of all sorts lay in a small pile on the counter. The two Higurashi females had never seen so many jewels in one place before. The pile was certainly worth more than what the order was worth.
"Miss Aurora! I couldn't possibly accept this! This is way too much for the order!" Mei-li cried out when she finally shook of her shock.
"Oh, nonsense, my dear. You have done such a wonderful job in helping us. Think of it a gratuity. I was already planning on using all this when we were shopping with the other stores. Such a shame they turned us down, they could have made such a profit. I guess you'll just have to take their share of it. In fact, I think we will be doing all our shopping here from here on out since you have done such a fine job. I'll be sure to bring such an amount with me every time. In fact, I believe I must just invest in this little shop of yours to help it grow." Aurora countered with a glint of mischief in her eyes. Let it be known that Aurora does not get mad at people who choose to insult her.
She makes them regret it for the rest of their lives.
Mei-li just stared at the woman for the longest time as the possibilities flashed through her mind. The small pile of jewels was worth more than what their store made in a month, and this woman was saying that she would spend that same amount for every visit. Not only that, but she was also declaring that she would invest funds in Higurashi's as well. These thoughts suddenly had Ryo signs flashing in her eyes before a huge grin appeared on her face. "Well, if you insist, I would most happily accept this payment. I certainly look forward to doing business with you in the future."
Aurora smiled back at the woman. "I look forward to it as well, Missus Higurashi." Aurora then turned to her nephew. "Come along, Naruto. It's time to head home."
"Alright, Auntie. It was nice meeting you Tenten. I hope to see you around. Maybe we'll end up on a few missions together." Naruto responded before turning to his fellow ninja and bid his farewell.
"Sure thing, Naruto. It was nice meeting you too." Tenten replied as she watched the two depart before turning to her mother. "I can't believe they would pay use like this. How much is this stuff worth?"
"Enough to keep this store running for months and then some. I think we just hit the jackpot with this customer." Mei-li said as she scooped up the pile on the counter. "And you can expect a huge bonus on your next allowance for bringing them to our store, Tenten."
"You really mean it, mama?" Tenten asked as she held her fists up to her face, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Of course, dear. Now, would you mind too terribly minding the counter while I'm out for a few hours? I need to take this and cash it in at the jewelers then head to the bank."
Tenten blinked in confusion. "But mama, it shouldn't take you that long to do all that."
A mischievous grin appeared on the woman's face. "That's because I'm going to rub the bank stub right in the faces of the merchant's guild. This will teach them to try to strong-arm me into joining them."
Tenten blinked again before a smirk appeared on her face as she nodded. She only regretted that she wouldn't be there to see the look on the greedy bastards faces. To say that she had a slight dislike of the civilian merchant's guild was like saying she had a slight love of weapons.
- Karoline's Grove – Later –
Naruto and Aurora appeared back in the grove after making their way through the village and back to the 'Gate Tree', as Naruto called it. With all of their business concluded, it was time to head home. Naruto stretched as they walked along the path towards Drasil, happy to officially be moved in to his mother's home.
"Man, what a day. Glad to finally be out of that old place."
"I'm sure you are. That building was not suited for anyone to live in, but now that is all in the past. Come along, now. It's time for lunch, and afterwards, we can begin your magic training." Aurora said from her place by his side.
Naruto smiled and pumped his fist. "Woohoo! This is going to be awesome! I'm going to be a magic shinobi."
*Giggle!* "I believe the term you are looking for is 'Shinobi Sorcerer', Naruto. But yes, you will be able to use magic."
Naruto smiled as he walked along the path, eager to begin his training.
*Growl!*
But first, he needed to fill his stomach.
"Oh man, I guess I am pretty hungry. Thirsty, too. Wish I had some water right now."
A slender hand held out a cup of cool water to him.
"Here is some water, Lord Naruto."
"Ah, thanks." Naruto said as he took the cup and started to drink…
*Speeeeeeewwww!*
…Until his mind caught up and he spit the water out in surprise. After coughing for a second, Naruto turned to find the person who gave him the cup, and promptly blushed at what he saw.
Standing before him was what appeared to be a girl in her late teens. She was definitely a looker, with a heart shaped face, flowing hair and hourglass figure with a slightly buxom physique. But what really stood out was the dominant color she had. Green. The girl was green from top to bottom. Her hair was a vibrant green, her eyes were emerald, hell, even her skin had a green hue to it. And the only thing she was wearing was tree leaves that barely covered her bust and hips, hiding her most intimate parts.
The green girl looked at him with concern clear in her eyes.
"Is there something wrong, Lord Naruto?"
"Ah…Wha…Who?" Naruto asked as he looked at the girl before turning to his aunt who was having a giggle fit.
*Giggle!* "Don't worry, Elena, you just took Naruto by surprise, is all."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lord Naruto." The girl, Elena, said as she bowed.
"Ah…uh, it's okay, like she said, you just surprised me." Naruto said as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Ah, if you don't mind me asking, who and what are you?"
The girl smiled as she straightened up and crossed he hands over each other. "My name is Elena, and I am a Wood Nymph, Lord Naruto."
"…a Wood Nymph?" Naruto asked.
"Allow me to explain." Aurora spoke up, gaining his attention. "Nymphs are magical beings who are the embodiment of nature. There are several types of nymphs in existence, each one in tuned with a specific part of nature. Wood nymphs are an example one such type. They can be found in any forest or wooded area."
"Huh." Naruto remarked as he turned back to the smiling nymph. "So, you're a wood nymph? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to help tend to the grove. We nymphs help cultivate to land and ensure its growth. Lady Karoline brought us here to help take care of her grove, as well as serve her and the other sorceresses."
"Hmm…wait. Us?" Naruto asked.
"Mm hm." Elena responded as she gestured towards the pond in the distance. Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out when he saw a group of green nymphs not very different from Elena were busy either splashing around in the water or were busy cultivating the nearby trees. One of the nymphs spotted the trio and called out to the others who turned, smiled and waved at them.
"Good Evening, Lord Naruto. Good evening, Lady Aurora."
Naruto waved robotically at the group of nymphs while Aurora waved with a smile. When it looked like the boy had gotten his thoughts together, he turned back to the nymph. "So…you guys are like servants or something?"
"That is correct, Lord Naruto."
"Uh, about that. Why do you keep calling me 'Lord Naruto'?"
"Because you are the lord of this grove, as you are Lady Karoline's son, you inherited it and us."
Naruto scratches his head, not able to dispute that fact. "Well, alright, but don't call me 'Lord', it makes me feel like an old geezer."
Elena looked taken aback. "I couldn't possibly do that, Lord Naruto. You are the lord here."
"You might as well get used to it, Naruto. Nymphs are very stubborn when they are addressing those they see as their superiors." Aurora spoke up as she placed a hand on her nephew's shoulder. She then turned her attention to the nymph. "Now, Elena, you may return to the others. Naruto and I will be in Drasil for the remainder of the day if you need us for anything."
Elena bowed to the sorceress. "By your leave, Lady Aurora, Lord Naruto." With that, the green nymph turned and skipped back over to her sisters.
Naruto watched her leave before turning back to his aunt. "Well, can't say that was expected. Where exactly did they all come from? I didn't see them before."
"Do you remember when I ask old willow to wake up the grove? That is what I was referring to. Old willow was going around waking up the nymphs from their sleep."
"Where exactly do they sleep? Are they using the rooms inside the trunk?"
Aurora shook her head in the negative. "The nymphs sleep in the woods. They stay inside large flower bulbs that grow out of the ground deep in the woods beyond the grove. When they wake up, the bulbs bloom and they come out. When they retire for the night, the climb back in and sleep as the bulbs close up again. Before our arrival, they were in hibernation, waiting for you to come and claim the grove."
Naruto nodded his head in understanding. He was starting to get used to all the oddities that was magic.
"Well, I believe we have dallied enough. Come along, it's time for lunch."
Naruto nodded his head as he followed behind his aunt as they made their way to Drasil. A smirk appeared on his face as he thought about what the next few hours would bring.
- Drasil's Library – Later –
Naruto and Aurora arrived on the library level after having their fill of lunch, which to Naruto's delight was homemade miso ramen. The boy swore that his aunt was competing with Ichiraku's for the spot of Naruto's favorite in the ramen department with the meal she made. After having his fill of twenty bowls, amazingly, they headed for the library to begin his training. Stepping out of the lift, the two walked over to the nearest desk and sat down.
"Now, Naruto, we will begin the lessons for understanding magic and the first thing to learn is what is known as 'The Trinity.'" Aurora said as she waved her hand at the desk. A small circle appeared as a brown book materialized in the light. The circle faded as the book landed on the desk. Opening the book, Aurora turned the pages until she reached a picture of a triquetra symbol with a large circle inside the arches.
"Now then, I'm sure that they taught you about chakra in the academy, correct?" Aurora asked as she looked to Naruto.
"Yeah, they did, but it kinda went over my head and the instructor didn't want to explain it to me again." Naruto said sheepishly, as Aurora nodded her head, figuring that was the case. She didn't trust the educators to properly teach the boy, Iruka being the exception.
"As I expected. Well, let me teach you something that is a little bit different from what they taught in the academy. Now, to understand both magic and jutsus', you must understand how the energy that fuels them is created. You see, there are three parts that make up a living being. The mind, which holds the knowledge gained through life, the body, which is the physical manifestation of us and acts as a container, and the soul, which is our spiritual selves. These three make up the Trinity of Life and are represented by the three arches in the triquetra." Aurora explained as she pointed to the intersect arches in the picture.
"As you can see, the arches intersect each other inside the circle. These intersections represent where the energies combine to form their respective powers. Now, what the instructors have taught you is that 'chakra', or willpower as we like to call it, and the energy that powers jutsus', is made up by combining the energy from mind, which they call spiritual energy, and the body, which is called physical energy, to produce chakra. This, however, is not an accurate description. What they identify as spiritual energy is actually 'mental' energy, spiritual energy is produced by the soul.
It is the combination of physical and mental energy that produces chakra, which ninja's use for their techniques."
Naruto nodded his head in understanding, happy to finally learn the lesson properly with someone who was patient enough to explain it to him. "So physical and mental energy makes charka. What to sorceresses use to make magic?"
"That would be 'Mana' which is produced by combining energy from the mind and soul. Mana is the power of mysticism and spirituality, and we use it in magic. This is what I will teach you to harness in the next few days."
Naruto took a second to absorb this knowledge before asking. "So. If chakra is body and mind while mana is mind and soul, what does body and soul create?"
Aurora smiled brightly at the boys' inquisitiveness. "I'm glad you asked that, Naruto. I knew that you were really a bright boy who was just cheated out of his education. To answer your question, the union of body and soul creates the energy known as 'Prana', which is called life energy, and it is what allows our bodies to move. These three energy sources is what allows us to live. Thus, they make up the Trinity."
Naruto looked wide-eyed at his aunt. Who knew that humans had such sources of power inside them?
"Now that I have explained this, there is something you must understand." Aurora continued with her lecture. "You learned that in order to increase your chakra reserves, you needed to strengthen both mind and body. Well, by doing this, you not only are increasing you charka, but also your mana and prana as well. By strengthening the mind and body, you are also strengthening the soul. You are increasing your overall reserves by studying and training, so we will be continuing the routine you had in school. You will be spending equal amounts of time studying here in the library as you will be enduring physical training, so be prepared."
Naruto grumbled pouted at the thought of having to keep studying, despite now being out of the academy. Aurora noticed this before she smiled and leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Now, now, Naruto. Don't pout. You're going to find that being a sorcerer means spending a lot of time reading as we constantly seek out new knowledge and spells to use. Sometimes we even are able to invent our own spells using this knowledge. Doesn't that sound like fun?"
His eyes lit up with the idea of creating new spells that now one has seen before. That was cool.
"Well, when you put it like that…."
Aurora giggled. "I'm glad you see it my way. Now, for one last lesson. You may be producing three different types of energy, but that does not mean that they will remain in those forms. The energies actually flow through each other, and this is what creates life. The energies share the same reserve, and by using one, you are decreasing the others as they change to fill in what is used up. So, if you overuse your chakra, you will use up you mana and prana as well. This results in what ninja's know as chakra exhaustion and can be fatal if you use it all up. Since you are leaning both jutsus and spells, use mist be extra cautious when using them, or else you risk dying from the strain, do you understand?"
Naruto nodded. "Yes, I understand, auntie."
"Good boy. Now that that is out of the way, we can begin teaching you how to draw out your mana. Fortunately, we have a way to do that using a magic circle used by our novices. We'll start immediately if that is what you want."
Naruto nodded his head with a determined look on his face, one that had Aurora smiling whole she lead her nephew back to the lift where they could go outside for the spell. Thus, Naruto Uzumaki began his journey down the path of a sorcerer.
- To Be Continued –
{Author's Notes}
Well, chapter three is done at last. This one shows some interactions with the village and Naruto's new home.
The idea of Drasil came to me as I tried to figure out what the home looked like. I wanted it unique as this story interacts with the realm of magic. My first thought was a cottage in a grove, but that had been done before. So has a large clan manor. I started thinking about a tree house and began looking at images of mystical tree houses on the web, but it wasn't until I found a picture of a tree with rooms built into the trunk did I come up with Drasil, the large tree home that reminds me of a world tree. Large enough to accommodate any number of guests and still have room for more. The grove itself is based on the elven areas found in World of Warcraft that I played when I was a teen.
I hoped there was enough magical elements in this chapter for everyone.
We see a little interaction between two of the girls in the rookie nine as well as the village populace in general. Expect a bit of civilian bashing as the story progresses.
Finally, Naruto begins his training by understanding the Trinity and how it is used.
A long chapter to be sure but works great as a foundation for the rest of the story. Let me know what you think and look forward to the next chapter somewhere down the road.
Peace.
