Naruto: Trapped Under Ice

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Akame ga Kiru

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, I managed to churn out another update despite all things. I really need to get back to my regular stories but I just haven't been able to stay focused due to real life problems in general. Here's chapter 4; enjoy!

Last time:

Naruto said, "Anyway, Sakura-chan and I are waiting for final instructions from the Hokage before we depart. We were wondering if you'd like to come back to Konoha with us until you're fully recovered. If you don't want to; I'm sure we could-"

"I'd love to go back to your home Village with you Naruto-kun!" answered Esdeath excitedly. 'Yes! More back rubs!' she cheered mentally. It seemed the whole 'building an army to get revenge' thing had slipped Esdeath's mind temporarily….

Naruto and Sakura both smiled at her eagerness and Sakura said, "Once we get our orders we'll make arrangements then. We'll have to get you some additional traveling clothes though. It's about five days by ship and then another three days traveling through Fire Country at a civilian pace. Since you're already up and around why don't you exercise and then you and I can do some clothes shopping?" Naruto was preparing to escape in a body flicker when Sakura grabbed his ear so he couldn't get away. "Naturally Naruto will be coming along to carry our purchases like the proper gentleman he is. Isn't that right Naruto?" Sakura said with a manic look in her emerald eyes.

Naruto knew there was no escaping now. He shivered at Sakura's crazed look and said, "S-sure thing Sakura-chan! I'll tag along with you and Esdeath-chan." he said in a frightened tone.

Sakura nodded and smiled as she released his ear. 'Now you're committed pack mule!' she thought evilly. "I don't know what your tastes in clothes are Esdeath-san but I'm sure we'll find something you like…."

"Excellent!" said the light blue haired woman. Esdeath had never really done much clothes shopping (she preferred her uniforms) but she thought this might turn out to be interesting.

Naruto just cowered in fear and prayed that Esdeath wasn't like Sakura and Ino when it came to shopping….

Chapter 4

The Snow Country ship Ice Skater

It was morning and Sakura groaned irritably in her cabin which was next to Esdeath's. Esdeath was getting her morning back rub and was moaning like a bitch in heat….Sakura wanted to go over and smack Naruto around but he honestly believed he was just giving Esdeath a simple massage….

Flashback….

Naruto was sitting on his bunk in his cabin just after they boarded the Ice Skater and unpacked their things. Sakura was lecturing him against using a seduction hijutsu on Esdeath. She'd already told him that if Esdeath decided to force herself upon him that she wouldn't help the blonde ninja out at all.

"But Sakura-chan, it's just a relaxation technique." said Naruto in denial. "For you to actually use it as a seduction technique you have to give a full body massage and reach around the front as well." he explained as he motioned from his chest to his abdomen. "I haven't touched anything but Esdeath-chan's back and shoulders above the waistline."

Sakura face palmed. "You do realize that you probably have the most potent chakra in the Elemental Nations don't you? Your 'technique' is far more effective than anyone else's could ever be as a result!"

Naruto huffed. "It's just a basic relaxation technique Sakura-chan. I can't believe you think I'm trying to seduce Esdeath-chan."

"Have you considered giving her a normal massage?" asked the frustrated rosette.

The blonde ninja cocked his head to one side. "It's the only kind of massage I know how to do Sakura-chan. I didn't know there was another kind." Then Naruto crossed his arms and said gruffly, "None of the other women I gave massages to complained that I was trying to seduce them or anything."

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Sakura. "Just how many women have you….given your so-called back rubs to?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know Sakura-chan. Ero-sennin had me do it a lot because I had a knack for it. It wasn't like I kept count!"

Sakura's jaw hit the floor. 'Is he really that dense?! It must be genetic.'

The two teammates bickered a while but finally Sakura's face fell and she said, "You're an idiot. I give up." rotating on her heel she left Naruto's cabin.

Flashback end….

That was three days ago. Now the genetically oblivious idiot was driving Esdeath into orgasmic bliss every single morning for the past three days -and there were still two to go before they reached Fire Country! Sakura had come up with a hypothesis: In spite of the fact Naruto was a pervert he had indeed done his best to resist his Master Jiraiya-sama's utterly super-perverted ways and teachings. It wasn't like he was some kind of skirt chaser that was always out whoring. Sakura was proud of him for that. On the other hand she figured Jiraiya had 'innocently' trained Naruto in these so called relaxation techniques in order for Naruto to drive women wild and turn the blonde ninja into a total sex machine. Sakura figured that Jiraiya had taught other 'innocent' things to Naruto that probably would make him an absolute animal in the sack.

Sakura hated to think of her brother figure that way but she figured Jiraiya-sama would pull something like that (that and she loved Sasuke-kun of course). The rosette had come to one conclusion though; when Sasuke-kun returned like he said he would Sakura would force him to learn those hijustsu techniques from Naruto so Sasuke-kun could give Sakura orgasmic massages -lots and lots of them. She knew sure as hell that Orochimaru hadn't taught Sasuke-kun anything like that and she'd be damned before she went without from the Uchiha that owned her heart….and kept her waiting. Judging by Esdeath's sighs and panting in the next cabin Sakara figured Naruto was a full blown master of his craft. The rosette just shook her head….'My teammate is either a genius at seducing women or a complete idiot….(sigh) oh, who am I kidding? He's a total baka.'

Fire Country, the Gates of Konoha

Team Kurenai arrived in the morning with Akame and Leone in tow. They were generally in high spirits and Leone and Akame were looking forward to getting a nice rest with actual beds instead of camping. Izumo informed them as they signed it, "Hokage-sama is expecting you and your two guests so report there first."

Shino nodded and said in his usual monotone, "Understood."

Izumo and Kotestu both took a good long look at the buxom blond Leone as she walked in. Izumo simply said, "Daammnn….what a woman." once she was out of earshot. Kotetsu silently nodded in agreement with Izumo's astute assessment. They both wondered if she might not be related to Tsunade.

Konoha road to the Hokage Tower….

"So your Hokage is your general?" asked Leone. "It's kind of hard to believe this whole village is a military dictatorship given how peaceful it looks."

"All hidden ninja villages have similar governments that are ruled by a Kage." explained Hinata. "Most of the civilians in Konoha are related to ninja clans or work in an industry related to ninjas. If you wanted to see a more 'normal' city you would want to go to the Fire Capital or another large city."

Akame's eyes shifted around. She caught glimpses of ANBU observing them from a distance on the rooftops. Unlike Leone that seemed fairly relaxed Akame was on edge. Leone turned to her younger companion and said, "What's wrong Akame? You seem tense."

The black haired assassin simply said, "We are being watched."

"It is to be expected." said Shino in his monotone. "You are armed and potentially hostile so naturally you are being monitored. This is a ninja village. Nothing is going to happen as long as you don't do something out of turn."

"You have nothing to worry about." assured Hinata. "You are simply going to see the Hokage and talk to her."

Leone patted Akame's head affectionately. "Just go with the flow Akame. It will be alright." 'I hope.'

It wasn't long before Team Kurenai submitted their reports and exited and Akame and Leone were allowed to enter the Hokage's Office. They saw Tsunade sitting behind her desk with Shizune standing at her side. Tsunade said, "I am Senju Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage. I welcome you to Konoha. Team Kurenai has appraised me of you unique situation….and your previous indiscretions. May I know your names please?"

Leone could feel the power radiating off this woman and gulped. Akame simply kept a level head and said, "I am Akame, an assassin and this is my partner Leone. I realize our actions in Frost Country were reckless and we are hoping to procure your assistance in contacting Snow Country diplomatically to prevent another incident from occurring."

"I see. Can you explain to me your situation in detail?" asked Tsunade. "I know the general state of affairs from Team Kurenai's reports but I would like to hear it from you directly so there are no misconceptions."

Akame decided that hiding information from this woman would be a very bad idea. Tsunade's presence was quite overwhelming. "We came from our home continent looking for a political prisoner that was a former General in the Imperial Army and was locked away by the corrupt Prime Minister of the Empire. We are members of the Revolutionary Army that wishes to overthrow the Prime Minister and the Empire. It is our intention to invite this former General to join our side against the Prime Minister."

Tsunade's amber eyes stared hard into Akame's red ones. "And what do you intend to do if this former General refuses your invitation?"

The assassin said in a cold tone, "Then we are to execute her regardless of the consequences."

Leone nearly jumped in panic. "Ahaha! What Akame-chan means to say is-"

The Fifth Hokage cut Leone off with a glare. "I believe what Akame-san said was perfectly clear." She looked back Akame. "I appreciate you honesty. That could lead to political repercussions however. If this person is already free and part of Snow Country's citizenry then I can't exactly make arrangements for you to potentially kill a person..." Tsunade pause and looked at Akame and Leone a moment before she asked, "Your target wouldn't happen to be a Teigu using young woman name Esdeath would it?" Akame was impassive but Leone flinched ever so slightly. Tsunade then said, "You hide it well Akame-san but your partner didn't. I can make arrangements for you to talk to her but you can't kill her unless some questions are answered. I understand you have a mission to complete but you aren't in your country so you'll have to play by our country's rules. Is that acceptable Akame-san, Leone-san?"

Leone was sweating heavily from the pressure and Akame was showing small signs of fatigue. Swallowing, Akame said, "I accept your terms Hokage-sama. We will talk to Esdeath without threat to her person….If necessary we will take further steps under your guidance. We didn't travel from another continent to make more enemies."

"….And you Leone-san?" asked Tsunade.

Truthfully Leone was torn but she saw Akame's decision was made. "I accept you terms as well Hokage-sama."

The pressure in the room seemed to lighten as Tsunade leaned back. "Very good then. Esdeath-san is already on her way here so I will be able to arrange a meeting between you once she arrives." Leone and Akame couldn't quite hide their surprise at this news. Tsunade then asked, "Have both of you been immunized for diseases on this continent and checked over? As a medic I can't have you dying of a minor disease or inadvertently spreading some kind of a plague from you home continent."

Leone said with a sweat drop, "Actually I never thought of such a thing…."

Hearing 'medic' started the wheels in Akame's head turning about her little sister Kurome but she was in no position to ask the Hokage for such a favor at this point. Sensing no ill will Akame said, "If you have a treatment facility we are willing to submit to an examination for everyone's safety."

"We are?!" asked Leone in a shocked tone. "Says who?!"

Akame cocked an eyebrow. "Says me. The commander put me in charge of this mission remember?"

The cat like woman fidgeted and then said, "Alright Akame you win. But if they murder us in a hospital then I'll blame you forever when we get to hell!"

….

Team Kurenai was given the task of escorting Leone and Akame to the Konoha Hospital. As they walked along the two members of Night Raid were quietly making conversation and looking at the peaceful village.

"Did you see the huge rack on that Hokage woman?!" asked Leone astonished. "Damn, I wonder just how big she is."

Akame's head pivoted mechanically towards her stacked blonde companion with an utterly flat look. It wasn't like Leone's assets weren't proudly on display.

Leone saw her partner's emotionless stare and asked "What? What is it?" She started to sweat as Akame's dead stare continued to bore into her.

Finally Akame said. "You can shut up now." Leone pouted and Team Kurenai shook their heads and sweat dropped.

As they entered the hospital they saw a black haired woman with a baby girl coming towards them. She smiled softly and said "Hi kids! How is my team doing?"

Hinata answered first. "Kurenai-sensei! We're so glad to see you. How is baby Mirai?"

Kurenai came over and noticed the two guests her team was escorting. Shino handled the appropriate introductions and Hinata held little Mirai who cooed and giggled as the Hyūga heiress baby talked to her cutely.

Leone said, "Gee Akame, with the fair skin, black hair and red eyes I'd think you and Kurenai-san were related."

Everyone looked back and forth between Akame and Kurenai before the two answered in synch, "I'm sure it's just a coincidence." Everyone blinked and Kurenai and Akame looked at each other in surprise before they said in synch again. "I'm sure we can't be related." Both women stared at each other and Kurenai said, "Well I'd best take Mirai home. It's time for her feeding." Scooping up Mirai from Hinata Kurenai said her farewells and departed.

Kiba stared at Akame and said, "Maybe you two are related somehow."

"Don't be ridiculous Kiba." said Shino face palming. "It was just a fluke."

'That really was pretty strange….' thought the whole group. Akame just remained silent and wondered….

Fire Country, Port City two days later….

It was morning and Esdeath was practically glowing with happiness as she disembarked the Ice Skater with Naruto and Sakura. She'd never had a better trip in her life! 'If Naruto-kun can do that with his hands what can he do with the rest of his body?' She wanted to giggle like a schoolgirl but years of discipline kept her from doing so. She had an image to maintain after all….

Esdeath's euphoria was completely lost upon Naruto but her smiles and shy blushes at Naruto were painfully obvious to Sakura as they had breakfast in Port City. "Well, it's just about three days at a civilian pace to Konoha Esdeath-chan." said Naruto. "We'll have to spend at least two nights in tents but that shouldn't be a big deal."

"I guess I'll have to share a tent with you Naruto-kun…." said Esdeath shyly as she blushed.

'I'm nipping this in the bud!' thought Sakura decisively. "Oh, that won't be necessary Esdeath-san. My tent is a double so there will be plenty of room. Naruto has a single so it would be way too cramped for the both of you. Besides, you need a good night's rest given you're convalescing. Naruto would wake you up when he crawled in and out to take his turn on watch." Sakura's tone was friendly but it also conveyed that she would hear no arguments on the subject. Esdeath pouted knowing she'd been foiled….and Naruto was clueless as ever….

After eating they hit the road for Konoha. Naruto was soon talking to his resident furry partner Kurama. "I'm telling you Naruto, the Hyūga girl has already staked her claim. This foreign woman is trying to do the same. I foresee one almighty catfight coming up."

'What are you talking about Kurama? I'm sure Hinata-chan and Esdeath-chan would make great friends.' said Naruto. 'I mean they are both quiet and turn red a lot….and they both pretty and have beautiful blue hair. They have so much in common. I'm sure they'll hit it off easily.'

"I'm talking about territorialism here Naruto." said Kurama with a sigh. He felt a migraine coming on. "You DO understand the concept don't you? You know; when females get territorial."

"I understand territories fine Kurama." said the blonde. "Fire Country is a territory; Lightning Country is a territory, Wind Country is a territory…."

"Exactly. And what happens when one country marches into another country's territory Naruto?" asked the fox hoping to get through to his totally oblivious partner.

"Well, generally it's a declaration of war." stated Naruto after thinking for a minute. "Hopefully it can be diverted through diplomacy. I still don't see what this has to do with Hinata-chan and Esdeath-chan though."

"Females who are territorial declare wars on each other ALL THE TIME Naruto." said Kurama as if he was talking to a slow child. "When your Mother Kushina claimed your Father as her territory she started thrashing any woman that even LOOKED at Minato with a hint of lust. I'm telling you it WASN'T pretty." 'Of course she was totally oblivious that Minato was head over heels in love with her for years….Oh gods; history is repeating itself! It must be an Uzumaki thing!'

"Kurama, it isn't like Esdeath-chan is planning to invade Hinata-chan's house." laughed Naruto. "Don't be silly. There are no territorial disputes going on."

Kurama's jaw hit the floor at his partner's idiocy. He buried his head in his furry paws. 'I think I need to cry now. Naruto's level of ignorance about females is so great that it's like a dead albatross tied around my neck. He isn't going to get the idea until some girl ties him up in a chair and uses him as her talking dildo while screaming I LOVE YOU at the top of her lungs! I give up….'

While Kurama was lamenting over the injustice of it all Naruto was brought back out of his thoughts by Sakura talking to him. "I'm sorry what did you say Sakura-chan?" asked the blonde.

Sakura motioned ahead to a puddle in the middle of the road about a hundred yards ahead of them. It was hot and dry out. It obviously hadn't rained in days….Both teammates got a nauseating sense of déjà vu remembering their first C ranked mission and the Demon Brothers. "Oh give me a break…." muttered Naruto under his breath as he face palmed. He activated his sensory ninjutsu and said quietly, there are two in the puddle and three up in the trees branches overhanging the road."

Sakura said, "I'll shake them down and you take them out. Esdeath-san needs to be protected."

Esdeath raised an eyebrow hearing the conversation between the two teammates. She scanned ahead and while she didn't see anything but a puddle but she did sense a weak killing intent. Naruto said quietly, "Brace yourself for a shockwave Esdeath-chan." before the light blue haired woman could really react or reply she saw Sakura's foot raise and then hit the ground with a minor earthquake that made her stumble. She saw the puddle seem to evaporate and two shocked ninjas appear and fall flat on their faces. Another three ninjas fell out of the trees and landed unceremoniously on their backsides in a tangle of bodies.

See the five trying to clamber to their feet Naruto saw their scratched forehead protectors were from Grass Country and blurred through the hand signs as he threw a brace of shuriken. "Shuriken shadow clone jutsu!" said Naruto as the three shuriken he threw multiplied into a wall of a thousand spinning metal streaks of death. The ensuing bloodbath was easily predicable and Easdeath had stars in her eyes as their five would be attackers were sliced to bloody ribbons. Naruto made five shadow clones that went forward and checked what little was left of the bodies.

One of the clones called out, "They aren't rigged boss; should we take their heads for bounty?"

Naruto nodded. "Go ahead and take the heads and anything else of use. Dispose of the rest while I look them up in the bingo book."

Esdeath watched with fascination as the clones effortlessly cut off the damaged heads and searched for anything useful on the bodies. Naruto himself was identifying the missing nin's heads as his clones finished up and then used minor fire jutsus and reduced the remains to ash. After that was done Naruto sealed up the heads and belongings (and cleaned his three shuriken he'd thrown). Then Sakura used an earth jutsu to erase the fact there had even been a clash. The light blue haired woman marveled at the ninja's efficiency. To her or anyone else coming down the road it looked like an ordinary summer day without a trace of bloodshed. Best of all it was obvious that Naruto and Sakura hadn't even broken a sweat….

Flashback, Esdeath's Imperial Academy days….

"So what exactly were these Ninja's Professor?" asked Esdeath in interest. "If they were that powerful why didn't we try to co-opt them or at least use their methods?"

The Professor got a gleam in his eye. "The ninjas left no traces of themselves Officer Esdeath. It was said that entire Imperial squads would vanish and not a single trace of them could be found of them. Some books have theorized that the ninjas weren't completely wiped out and may have interbred with existing clans. Some clans that are known for their great assassination skills date back to the earliest days of the Empire and have completely unique and secret skills passed down from generation to generation. Who is to say they might not be descended of the Ninja Clan? Some of us in this very room might carry Ninja blood within us. It's pure speculation but I personally don't find it to be that farfetched."

Her fellow officer Najenda looked over at Esdeath after class ended and said, "Just think of the possibilities Esdeath." Najenda's purple eyes were sparking with energy. "What do you think we could do with an army of these Ninjas? I'm going to read up more on them and learn more." Esdeath eagerly nodded at her friend. The possibilities were right there for the taking!

Flashback end….

Esdeath was shaken out of her musings by Sakura who said, "We need to take these heads to a bounty station and collect on them. Are you up to a detour of an hour or so?"

The light blue haired woman nodded eagerly. "Certainly I'm up to it. What you and Naruto-kun did was quite impressive. You'd never know there was a battle here."

"Ninjas leave no traces." said Sakura with darkness in her green eyes. "It's an unwritten rule."

Esdeath's blue eyes gleamed with excitement. 'Yes, very impressive. I wonder what else you can do. That old geezer was right. Those of us who can truly harness the power of our Teigu may well be of ninja blood ourselves….'

Konoha, Training Ground Eight

Akame sneezed. 'Someone must be talking about me….' She looked across the sparring grounds at her opponent Hinata. Akame had taken a liking to the quiet girl. Hinata was using juken without full chakra (though it still hurt like hell) and Akame was using the Murasame with its sheath on but it could still knock someone out. The red eyed assassin noted the cold fire in Hinata's eyes as she activated her byakugan and quietly said, "Come…."

The two young women charged each other in a flurry of strikes that were total blurs to the untrained eye. Kiba, Shino, Leone and surprisingly Hanabi were all watching eagerly as the two combatants danced and glided around each other. Both Akame and Hinata's style were about precision and finesse as opposed to Kiba or Leone who were more brawler types. Since Team Kurenai was in charge of keeping Akame and Leone out of trouble they came up with the idea of sparring yesterday and everyone seemed to enjoy the strenuous workouts. The ninjas and the members of Night Raid also found a mutual respect growing between them. For Akame and Leone in particular it was….nice. Back home the idea of sparring with your friends just for fun was unknown to them.

Hanabi was watching Hinata and Akame spar with her byakugan active. 'Nee-chan is right. Akame-san has instinctively learned to channel chakra through her body to enhance her strength and speed without using her Teigu at all. At this point Akame-san isn't channeling any chakra through her blade period. Her chakra control is very refined and efficient. I believe she could learn tree walking and water walking easily….On the other hand; Leone-san relies entirely on her Teigu belt to regulate her chakra and when she has it active she's very wasteful of it. She's lucky she has large chakra reserves….Of course they've probably built up a lot from her burning so much chakra needlessly over time. Teaching her even the leaf sticking exercise would be a hard job.'

Kiba and Akamaru were sitting by Hanabi in the shade of a tree. He'd been sparring with Leone earlier and he was amazed at how similar her Teigu's ability was like the Inuzuka all fours jutsu. He actually would have said the Teigu was created from knowledge based on Inuzuka techniques but given it was made a thousand years ago on another continent he found that idea impossible to believe. Still, the similarities were astounding. It made him wonder what other kind of Teigus existed out there….

Leone was watching with interest as Akame and Hinata went at it. 'Akame has an edge in raw strength but Hinata seems to have an edge in maneuverability. They are pretty well evenly matched in speed. I'm not sure but I would guess Akame has more endurance. It blows my mind how Hinata can catch the flat side of a sword and alter its trajectory. That's unheard of! Night raid could really use some ninja allies. I wonder if there would be some way to get their help…?'

Shino called out "Time!" and Hinata and Akame backed away from each other and bowed to end the spar. Both girls were hot and sweaty but it had been rather intense. "That was a good spar you two." said Shino. "Get something to drink and relax."

Hinata and Akame came over to sit with the others and quickly retrieved their water bottles. "That got pretty extreme Nee-chan; Akame-san." said Hanabi excitedly. "I think you'd make a good team they way you compliment each other."

"I agree." said Shino. "Now that we've all worked up a good sweat we should wash up, grab a bite to eat and then decide what to do this afternoon."

Hanabi said, "Let's go to the hot springs and soak Hinata nee-chan! Please?"

Hinata smiled and said, "The hot springs do sound nice. What do you think Akame-san, Leone-san?"

Akame smiled softly and nodded and Leone said, "To the hot springs then!" with gusto in her voice.

….

Konoha Hot Springs

Hinata was rinsing Hanabi's hair before they got in the springs to soak and Hanabi quietly confirmed Hinata's beliefs that Akame would make a fine ninja. It was a shame they couldn't train her….The Hyūga sisters soon came out to the springs to join Akame (who was soaking) and Leone (who was drinking).

"This place has pretty good sake." said Leone in a satisfied tone. She had a good buzz going. "Do you want some sake Hanabi-chan?" she asked teasingly.

Hanabi said, "No thank you. I'm not old enough yet." and scooted back on Hinata's other side. They heard a scuffling on the other side of the fence to the men's side and both Hyūga sisters immediately activated their byakugans. That's when they saw Ebisu staring through a peephole in the fence directly at Leone. "Nee-chan, it's a pervert!" whispered Hanabi as she sank into the water to further conceal herself. Sinking down as well; Hinata sighed and pulled a senbon needle out of her hair and darted it into the side of the peephole so it wouldn't actually travel through the hole all the way. They heard Ebisu let out a girlish shriek followed by a splash of him falling backwards into the water.

Hanabi then heard Sarutobi Konohamaru's voice from the men's side. "What the hell are you doing Ebisu sensei? You'd better not be peeping again or I'll tell Moegi-chan and she'll beat the ever living hell out of you!"

"Be quiet Honorable Grandson!" hissed Ebisu back.

About that time Moegi drifted over to where the Hyūga sisters were. "Hi Hanabi-chan!" she greeted in a friendly tone. Don't you worry, I'll pummel Ebisu-sensei after we all get out. Here's your senbon back Hinata-san."

Hinata smiled and nodded. "Thank you Moegi-chan." said Hinata. 'No wonder Naruto-kun calls Ebisu-san a closet pervert….'

Leone and Akame were soon introduced to Moegi who was only too willing to try some sake from Leone. Hinata and Hanabi changed both Leone and Moegi's minds with their patented Hyūga sister's double glare attack. Leone and Moegi just pouted….and Akame secretly smiled.

Within the hour the girls were dressed and met up with Shino, Kiba and Akamaru to get some food….

….

Yakiniku Q Barbeque

Hanabi watched in unabashed awe as Akame packed away more barbeque beef and pork than she thought was humanly possible. Being raised as a proper lady Hanabi was really trying not to stare….'It's….it's like a huge wagon wreck! It's so horrible to see but you just can't look away!' thought the young Hyūga girl as Akame inhaled yet another piece of steak.

Poor Hanabi would never see meat the same way again….

Fire Country, Bounty Station

Naruto was quietly counting up the ryo bills for the four C class and one D class missing nins they'd taken out. Soon he'd given Sakura her half of the cash and they decided to grab some food while they were there and have a late lunch. As Esdeath, Naruto and Sakura sat down to eat the blonde said, "From what the bounty records say; I guess those guys deserted before the last war from Grass Country and have been highwaymen ever since. What a waste."

Sakura nodded in agreement and Esdeath asked, "Do you often face such foes? They certainly weren't of your caliber."

Sakura shook her head. "Most ninjas of that level prey on civilians. They should have withdrawn when they saw our forehead protectors but didn't. I guess they thought they could take us with numbers alone. Any decent chunin team could have taken them out without much trouble. I really don't know what they were thinking. It wasn't like any of us were carrying any obvious valuables."

"Perhaps their luck just ran out." said Esdeath. "I'm sure you both would have preferred much more challenging foes."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Actually Esdeath-chan, we just want to keep you protected and get home safely."

Esdeath smiled shyly and blushed a bit. 'It makes me really happy to hear him say that.'

The group of three was soon heading back to the main road that would lead them to Konoha. The morning had been far more eventful than planned….

POSTSCRIPT:

And done. This chapter was a little shorter but it was a good stopping point and I really want to start writing about Esdeath's arrival in Konoha. We'll be seeing that next chapter. It seems Akame has more skills than meets the eye from a ninja point of view. What will that portend? Also, will Ebisu change his evil peeping ways after nearly losing an eyeball to Hinata or will he consider Leone's rack worth the risk? See you next time (whenever that is). Blue out. 12/13/15