From the previous chapter:

I sat down where she pointed out and she also gave me something that seemed to be tea. I accepted it while in my mind; the words of the brown haired man spoke louder than any gunshot sound I've heard today, or bomb:

"These people, they will tell you anything you want to know, if they take you to their house, let them; if they give you food; eat it, no matter what it is. If they put you to work, feel grateful and work hard, and you'll be rewarded. As I see it, this woman took a liking to you so you're hers now."

She sat down in front of me while I stared absently at the beautifully and sweet scented tea, but she seemed to know what was bothering me so this time, she offered with a friendly air which I never thought it could be this sizable and open. You just couldn't refuse her or insult her. She takes you in her house with a smile on her face; she gives you food and almost offers everything you want on a silver plate, but why?

"So, Naruto… if you have any question?"

She said, almost asked to be asked, and I couldn't help but look back into brown wise eyes. As she waited and I just couldn't form any question while I was filled with them, I was confused, I was a stranger to her and her to me, but it seemed that here, there are just 3 types of people:

The first ones were the enemies who obviously hated this town, hated these people who were normal and who seemed to be harmless.

The second ones were the ordinary people, like her, who try and live like they used to, and accept their limited conditions.

The third ones are 'His army' and 'Him' in general. They were different, the saviors, or mostly, they seemed to act like they are above everybody, protecting them.

So, thinking this while I was somehow a bit impressed that she still waits for me to say something after I sorted my thoughts, I've put the tea down beside me, I got up from my comfortable place while she also stood up, a bit alerted by my sudden behavior.

I put my hands on her shoulders, and I stared into her eyes, attentive and serious and just then, one question arose above all of them, above all of my confusions, above my entire hesitation, so, even though I felt like I've gone crazy or something, I asked:

"Sisay, how do I become a part of His army?"

Warning: It's rated M for a reason and I mean it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. Although I'm pretty sure you all knew that...

The actual (new) chapter:

Chapter 4: Looks can be deceiving

The exotic big and green tree leaves spread wide before my blue eyes, which are not used to the intense colors, and my nose is the one which bothers me the most, because the smell isn't one to be met in every corner of any ordinary street.

The rays of the sun are getting weaker by the second as I try to move slowly, not to make any sound which can be heard by the unknown people before the leaves who surely aren't as silent as I am. I hide behind the leaves, big enough even though my mind says I should be in the middle of the desert, then that would mean that I found a mirage with a whole city in it and its citizens, not to mention a castle in the middle of a tropical forest. But I shouldn't have tried so hard not to be heard or noticed because a song filled the air with its notes and even if I wasn't yet beside them, I could hear them clear and loud.

Also, the sound of their carefree laughter was the one that calmed me instantly as I allowed myself to raise my head to look above and see.

The castle behind them seemed to be just another house at how carefree its guards seemed to be. Huge, muscled men stood before me on cheap wooden chairs, and even if their red cheeks indicated that I was right in my thoughts. They really were drunk but still huge, muscled and to top it, they were also with sharp swords attached to their belt. The song was really real, coming from a mandolin player.

I expected Him to have guards. My luck was that they were drunk and their only thoughts were directed to the fat big rotating pig above the fire. As they waited for it to be edible and after that, to be devoured; I didn't have any time to waste, I had to move while they were still drunk and hungry. Too hungry and too drunk to notice me.

'Calm down Naruto… maybe it's safer when it's already night, when they'll be already asleep. But what if the guards are replaced at midnight or something like that? If they'll catch me then I'll be the one rotating above the fire.' I shuddered at the thought, or maybe it was because of the cold wind dancing all around me while moving the leaves. Maybe the sound of their song and laughter reached me, but their fire sure didn't at all.

I really couldn't decide what to do so in the end, I ended up on the ground, hiding under the bushes and watching them eating the whole pig. My stomach growled as I stared wide eyed at one of the men who ate with a never-ending appetite right in front of me. As hours passed by, I was getting more paranoid; even thought that one of them would be able to hear the sounds of my empty stomach.

But nothing of what I imagined happened. Instead, I was incredulously surprised but not at how fast they ate a whole pig, or how much wine they drank, but at how deep they seemed to be sleeping. I felt as if even if I screamed I wouldn't be heard. Still, I didn't have enough trust in their snores to push my already unbelievable luck.

Therefore, with precision and silence, I advanced from behind the bushes, to arrive right beside the men who were sleeping on the ground. The fire was still lit so I could see very well even though now it was already night, and the moon took the place of the sun and as well, the stars took the place of the clouds.

I watched my every step, careful not to step on anything, the most important thing on which not to step on was in fact the face of the man whom I saw eating with a big appetite, I recognized him because of his red beard, and I really almost stepped on him but once again, I felt like this was my lucky night.

'Finally.' I thought as I looked back at the terminated men. One would think I was the one who fought them, because I was the only one who was now standing, but the smell proved otherwise.

'Well, now that I feel safe.' As safe as I could feel with the guards which are sleeping behind me, and the huge door and also me, while I apparently realize that I have no idea of how to get inside. I touched the door everywhere, and even the wall beside it, trying to find something to pull or to push.

'How the hell do I open this door?' I yelled inside my already tired mind as I stared at it with the arms crossed at my chest.

"Open Sesame." I said with my voice, and a bit too loud, to immediately realize that I forgot that I am not alone. As quick as being burnt, I looked behind me to check if I woke anyone up. As I looked at each one of them, I once again called myself paranoid, that maybe my voice wasn't louder than a whisper, and that in all this silence, where the only present sound are the burning flames of the fire and of some torches, it's normal to sound so loud in the middle of forest, and stillness.

'And to think that I wanted to become part of his army, if they all are like this then I prefer growing potatoes for the rest of my life.'

"So, Naruto… if you have any question?"

She said, almost asked to be asked, and I couldn't help but look back into brown wise eyes. As she waited and I just couldn't form any question while I was filled with them, I was confused, I was a stranger to her and her to me, but it seemed that here, there are just 3 types of people:

The first ones were the enemies who obviously hated this town, hated these people who were normal and who seemed to be harmless.

The second ones were the ordinary people, like her, who try and live like they used to, and accept their limited conditions.

The third ones are 'His army' and 'Him' in general. They were different, the saviors, or mostly, they seemed to act like they are above everybody, protecting them.

So, thinking this while I was somehow a bit impressed that she still waits for me to say something after I sorted my thoughts, I've put the tea down beside me, I got up from my comfortable place while she also stood up, a bit alerted by my sudden behavior.

I put my hands on her shoulders, and I stared into her eyes, attentive and serious and just then, one question arose above all of them, above all of my confusions, above my entire hesitation, so, even though I felt like I've gone crazy or something, I asked:

"Sisay, how do I become a part of His army?"

-She fell back to where she was sitting, with my hands still on her shoulders, as if my touch and weight crashed down on her. While my hold was light and gentle. The expression of her face was hardened by the lone emotion of surprise and confusion, but mixed together.

"You want to be part of His army?" She asked me as if something like this was unheard of.

"Yes. Why are you so surprised? Please tell me what I need to do." I asked her, still, I never took my hands off of her shoulders, but she rose up from her place and walked a few steps away from me, as if getting away from my words, my ideas and touches.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She said when she looked once again at me with a changed expression on her face. Worried or scared, I could not tell.

"You're sorry?" I asked because she didn't continue while I waited for an explanation. Even though I thought she won't respond, she responded with a hesitant voice.

"I don't know what you need to do, because this has never happened before." She said while she put her tiny hands on her now sweating forehead and looked around like a child who lost its favorite toy. Her calm was completely lost.

"Sisay, stop, and tell me what has never happened before?" I was already getting annoyed by her discomfort, not only because I knew I caused it, but because I couldn't understand the reason why. I once again took her by her shoulder so I got her to look me straight in the eyes and talk to me. To my relief or to my misfortune, she did:

"It never happened that an ordinary citizen, that the ones like us who live day by day under His protection to become part of His army!" She started calm, but she end up yelling the last two words. She was at the edge of desperation. But I suddenly understood while looking at the way she was actually looking at me. I was her responsibility and she didn't know what to do with me anymore.

The one who takes the newcomer by hand and brings it home has the responsibility to show him how everything works. Shows you what options you have. But the truth is another. You have just one single choice because that's what everybody chose before, and in fact, all that you ever have to do with the army is watching them when they come from rescuing another 'new ordinary citizen' and your feelings of gratitude for them. But that's all.

I left her sleeping in her small house filled with different flower scents, without an answer to the same question she kept asking me: "You're going to be like me, no? You're going to stay here and live a normal life like everybody else, aren't you?"

I remained calm and quiet, she kept asking but I never responded. Because I couldn't promise, I couldn't lie to her.

'I already promised myself the exactly opposite of an ordinary life.'

I've let my thoughts to get lost into the dense night, and I've directed my eyes to the keyhole. And that's when I also changed the whole direction of my thoughts, but not in the past, but in the present and also future.

'I have the keyhole, so I must find the key. Duh!' I ironically reproached in my head to myself, while I walked slowly and gracefully away from the door, stepping just centimeters away from hands, legs and well, bodies. Searching on their clothes, belts and being attentive at every single pocket, and in the end, for my luck to reach its top, of which I didn't even knew it existed, I found a sheaf of keys attached to the belt of one of the men. It took me more than 10 minutes to take it off.

And when I finally did, I proudly walked, while being careful not to step on anything, probably an eye, to the huge castle door.

'Why does it feel like it took me an eternity to get inside?' I asked myself amused and still happy about my currently good situation, but when the first key of the sheaf didn't worked, the second one didn't either, my happy ending evaporated and an angry feeling took control of my every gesture.

'You must be kidding me!' I yelled once again in my mind, but just then the key went in without any problem, the door made a sound which was specific, announcing that it was unlocked.

Walking inside His castle for the first time in my life while spending enough time outside of it, I was mesmerized by the high stone columns, the clean armors which are shining even in the dark, the red and black velvet carpets, and also the paintings covering the walls of splendor in their simplicity and warmth, paintings by the most talented artists who are struggling between their love for demons and angels.

I had to shake my head for I stopped at the first step I made when I got inside, right at the door when I was attacked by the colors and the finesse of His castle. I closed the door behind me without making any loud noise, and the castle was now even darker than when the door was open, but it didn't scare me. What had made me stop in my tracks once again wasn't even the splendor of the castle but the simple thought that I didn't know where to go.

So, I started moving, without any certain direction, because staying in place never got me anywhere. Even if my steps gently echoed in the silence of the grand place, I continued walking until I found a door at my left. I tried endless times to get it open but with futile attempts.

'It's locked.' I thought and advanced to the next door which was: 'Also locked.' I thought with annoyance. After trying more than five doors, I ended up on trying to unlock one of the doors with my keys. After trying too many keys, one actually worked.

'God! It's open!' I declared triumphant in my head. To hear the old door's creaking while it opened and also disturbed some dust on the also old floor.

'God...it's empty.' I thought with a frown on my face. I unlocked the next door, and then another one to realize or mostly, convince myself that the whole castle is empty. Nobody living in it, and probably, the Throne room is so decorated and clean just for the visitors who probably are allowed just there because the rest of it is empty.

'For the visitors or for the dumb thieves.' I thought as I sighted completely defeated in the darkness and covered in dust from the dusty rooms in which I've previously been.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" A commanding voice yelled to me just a few steps away. For me to stare at one of the guards who in the end haven't fallen asleep as I thought, and so, I started to run for my life on the empty corridors of the castle in the dead of the night with the guard after me.

"I'm going to catch you even if this is the last thing I do!" I heard him yelling behind me and without even knowing why, I childishly responded, maybe because of the adrenaline: "No, you aren't because this is not the last thing I do, I fucking swear!" Though I don't know how convincing I look with my blond hair dancing on my head and running as if chased by a deathly disease.

But after running until I was out of breath, I realized that the only way out it's the door which brought me in but it was impossible to go there. I stared at one huge window and frowned for the tenth time in that hour.

'But it's also impossible to jump from here.' I told myself as I felt something on my arm, to stare at one of the huge guards. 'Damn it.'

"Who are you and what are you doing here? I asked!" He yelled though now I was one millimeter away from him. I still struggled for me to get loose from his grab but none of that happened, instead, he tightened it.

'He can't make me say anything, after all, what can he do now? Kill me?' I thought to assure myself that one guard shouldn't have scared me. He asked me the same question two more times and he already looked like he was about to lose his cool, when from the corner appeared two more huge guards.

"So there really was an intruder." Said one of them, and the one who caught me looked once again at me as he talked to me again: "He is an intruder and I will cut off his tongue because he looks like he's lost his voice." His words accused me, and for one second I was sure that he will do what he said he will. And the other two guards convinced me more than anything to talk.

"No…I can explain…" I said stuttering, trying to buy more time to think about a plausible story.

'I wanted to explore His territory? No…I want to find out more about how I should become a part of His army because I don't want to grow potatoes?' The truth suddenly didn't sound as a plausible story at all.

"Well?" One of them asked and I actually thought that I had to say something, suddenly asking myself in the same time if this is grave enough to be sent to His prison, or, is there any prison in this damned place?

"I thought this was His palace." I said with an honest voice and also underlining 'His' so they realize at who I was referring about. All their faces paled as if they saw a ghost, and then I thought that maybe they really don't believe me, even if this is really the truth of the entire situation.

"You wanted to infiltrate in His place?" The one who caught me asked with a grave tone, and just then while looking at the three of them; I understood what they didn't understand.

"A spy? The enemies sent a spy?" The taller one said and just then I started to move my head to left to right and tried to find my words to explain, but they weren't attentive at me anymore.

"This it's horrible news. He won't be happy at all." One of them said and another one started what seemed to be for them just another statement which needed to be spelled out loud: "But what we should do with him now that we caught him?"

"You got it wrong! I'm not a spy!" I almost yelled with a smile on my face, though panicked and amused at how they really seemed to believe I was capable of being a spy, when the face of the black haired man with His gun directed at me appeared before my eyes, his eyes as black as this damned night, while I was now feeling ridiculous. 'I never even touched a gun before.' But my thoughts and feelings didn't matter as they just sent me a glance after yelling, but the idea already took other forms in their head, there seemed to be no way to believe me now.

'Great Naruto! What would an impostor say in this situation, or a spy? Right… I already said it! I'm not a spy my ass! Has no effect, how did it turn out like this?' Thought quite desperate while looking at their still pale faces, and this time really struggling to get out of his hold, when they all seized this, they all jumped on me, trying to tie me up. One of them really tied my hands and one of them must've put something on my eyes because I couldn't see anything anymore.

'This can't be happening to me.' Was my last thought as I was dragged away, and carried by someone, more ironic is the fact that we all should be by the same side but now I am one of the enemies of which I know nothing about. But I couldn't say or see anything, couldn't even hear anything because it was still a silent night and they were done talking. Going somewhere I don't know, but absolutely sure I will arrive no matter if I want or not, if I see or not.

I've never been more scared in my entire life.

To be continued…

Good to be back. Hope everybody liked it.

Oh, and this chapter is beta'd by konakisen. Thank you!