Three years: You'll be a Shadow Hunter by then
Three years later
Two figures stood on top of the Hokage Monument. They were standing on top of the Fourth's head, overlooking the village of Konoha Gakure no Sato. They had been in and out of the village for the last three years. Not voluntarily, but with what happened during the time and the inability of the tribe to act, the council thought it be best to keep a rather open connection towards the Hokage. So every other week they would come here and have a chat with the village's leader. Today was one of those days and right now they were procrastinating by swimming in the memories of these past three years.
These figures were one Hogo-sha or Nagai Ha, Kage Kariudo of the Hanyou Tribe. He wore black shinobi pants and his body was covered with black war paint. His black hair was more stubbles than anything else.
Next to him stood an eight year old girl long wild looking blond, red hair that was tucked into two piggy tails that moved in the wind creating the illusion of a sunset. She was wearing an armband around her right upper arm with four scaled tails, she was not wearing any shoes. Her body was covered by a sleeveless top that ended a little below the rib cage, showing her muscular stomach, like with her companion, her body was also covered with black markings. Along with that she wore a loose trench coat with dark crimson stripes on a pitch black base and in bright crimson was the Kanji for Crimson Huntress. Her black ninja pants covered her legs below the knees. This was Naruko Uzumaki Namikaze, Musume no Kyuubi no Kitsune, the princess of the Hanyou and of the four heavenly rulers. She was going to be enrolled into the ninja academy and therefore had to talk to the old man, as much as she hated it. But now she was still floating in the seas of the past, thinking about everything that had happened during the time she had been with Nagai Ha.
Flashback
Five year old Naruko got out of the tent and saw that Nagai Ha was already up. He was holding a bundle of clothes. He threw it at her feet.
"Put that on."
She was taken aback by the sudden change in personality.
"Hime, just because you are royalty does not mean you will be any getting special treatment. You will be trained like every single hunter before you. Now get into those clothes."
Naruko nodded. She got into the outfit and got back out of the tent.
"Until you complete this stage, you are a novice, meaning you are the lowest part of the food chain. The younglings do not count, so don't let them fool you. Now as a novice you first will learn how to hunt, meaning tracking, hunting with a bow, killing, and fighting with the styles of the mythic times. Now come, breakfast will not find itself."
He walked off and she followed. They left the camp and headed deeper into the forest. Soon they came to a clearing surrounded by bushes and trees full of fruit and berries.
"All of these berries are eatable."
He pulled out a scroll and unrolled it on the floor. He put his hand on it and some smoke appeared. With the smoke came a basket. It was about as big as her shin.
"Fill this with fruit and berries. Then step on this seal and I will return."
He gave her a seal tag with kanji for 'return' written on it. Naruko nodded and started picking off the fruit and berries she thought were ripe. Meanwhile Nagai Ha transformed into his blood bond. He headed straight through the growth of the underbrush. He jumped up a tree and headed around the clearing. He created a shadow clone who went into the other direction. He ran and soon found. There were three ANBU sitting on a branch watching the girl. He crept up silently behind them. Once he was behind them he spoke up.
"You know, if you do not know an enemies' strength you should not stay this close or you may be spotted. My clone is telling the other squad the same thing. Keep your distance, the Leaf had its chance now it is the tribe's responsibility. Go home."
He glared at the three but they stayed. Nagai Ha sighed. He took in there scents and instantly recognized them. The man wearing the Weasel mask was no other than Uchiha Itachi himself, the man with the Dog mask was the fabled son of Konohas White Fang, Hatake Kakashi, the woman with the Cat mask, well he did not know her name, but he did know she was one of the two ANBU who he encountered right after his exile from the tribe.
"So you want to play like this. Now then, I hope you remember what I told you all those days ago, your scent smells delicious, Hatake Kakashi, I hope you are no longer mourning about you teammates, Nusumi Ai you of all people should know that I mean no harm to those who do not wrong me. Now tell your Hokage I will come by him in a few days."
The ANBU tensed but left. Just then he got the information from his clone that the other group of ANBU had also left. Just then he was brought back by the seal. Naruko had done a very good job. All items seemed to be ripe and she had made sure to be careful storing them. He sealed the basket away and looked at her.
"Well done hime. Now come we still need meat."
He walked off and she followed.
"First rule of hunting. Don't get impatient, it takes time to find your prey. Rule number two. Search with all of your senses. Feel your surroundings, listen to the sounds of the forest, hear out your prey, smell the air, find the scent of your prey. Search the ground for the tracks. Use your hands to feel them and determine what you are hunting."
He let Naruko walk in front so she could start tracking down their food. They came across some tracks. She crouched down and inspected them.
"It's a deer." She said.
"Correct and as mating and offspring season is over we can hunt whatever we want. Now let's follow these tracks and see if we are lucky."
They followed making sure to be as quiet as possible. Soon they were at a clearing and it was filled with deer. Nagai Ha had his eyes on a Stag, at the border of the clearing they moved towards him silently, always staying down wind. He got out another scroll and silently unsealed a bow and a holster full of arrows. He handed the bow to Naruko, who took them carefully.
"Now when shooting an arrow, pull the arrow as far back as you can, aim carefully."
He embraced her and helper her by moving her body into the right positions. He pulled the arrow back and aimed for the area where the neck met the head. And then he released the arrow and it flew straight to his target. The stag collapsed and Nagai Ha rushed towards it with Naruko by his hand. She was looking a little pale, but watched what he was doing. He pulled out the arrow and put it back in its holster. He resealed the bow and the holster and stored the scroll back in a storage seal he had on his underarm, something that didn't go unnoticed by Naruko. He unsealed a ninja-to and got to work. He cut the throat and let the blood flow out. He cupped his hands and collected some of the blood. Naruko hesitated but followed his example and drank the blood. She gagged but the liquid stayed down. Nagai Ha sealed up the deer and headed back to the camp.
Back at the camp he unsealed the deer and the ninja-to and skinned the deer and put the skin aside and started cutting off the muscles from the bone and put them on a pile, then he took out the lither and sent the rest to his blood bond.
"Nothing gets wasted. Our existence in this forest is protected by the forest itself. Wi do not harm the forest by cutting down trees, we kill what we need and use all we can. Any food source that is available. That is how the tribe survives. Bring the meat to the Holy Mother. She'll store it. After that come to me for your physical training."
To say it was difficult was an understatement like saying an Akimichi had a healthy appetite, it was downright gruesome. Every day she had to run, do parkour and have awareness, all the while Nagai Ha threw kunai and shuriken at her. He made her build up her strength. Then she was trained in every weapon there was. Every day was the same and soon she had completed the novice level.
Flashback end
Naruko looked at her guardian, the last three years had been hell but he had always kept to his word.
Flashback
Naruko was sitting in front of the Hunters Council. She had just cut her arm and was passing around her blood. Soon everyone had had a sip of the liquid and the rest was returned to her. She drank and studied the reaction of the council.
"Hogo-sha, you surely drove her through the ground, but she is still willing to go on. Naruko-hime, you are truly every bit like your mother. She also never stopped until she had completed a lesson. You are no longer a novice, you now are a Deshi Shuryo, an Apprentice Hunter. Now what question do you have for us?"
Naruko was deep in thought. There was so much she wanted to know but she also knew that sooner or later she would get an answer for them all. So she decided to concentrate on her training.
"Before I ask, what would I be learning to become an Adept Hunter?"
"You would be meeting a powerful being."
"Is it the reason I am hated in the Leaf?"
The council was shocked. Here sat a cold, calculating, yet sweet little girl who had never done a wrong in her life and she had just asked about the one thing the entire next phase of her training would be about.
"Yes, you will meet the reason."
"Okay, then tell me, why?"
"Do you know what happened on your birthday?"
"Yes, the Kyuubi mo Kitsune attacked the village, but it was defeated by the Yondaime Hokage."
"Yes, but do you know how the Yondaime defeated the demon?"
"He killed it, didn't he?"
"No, no mortal can kill a demon, a demon lord none the less. No the Yondaime gave up his life to seal the Kyuubi no Kitsune inside of a child that was born minutes before. You are that child, Naruko-hime."
Naruko was shocked. She held the Kyuubi. Maybe the villagers were right about her being a demon? But before she could continue her thoughts, she was pulled back to reality by the council. Thankfully due to her training her expression had never changed the entire time.
"Naruko-hime. You may hold the demon, but that does not mean you are one. You are its prison, its jailor. You are you, and it is it. Unfortunately, the villagers cannot see the difference between a sealing scroll and its contents. Kyuubi was the one who attacked the village, but it was not done willingly. She was forced, so please do not become filled with prejudice like those foolish villagers, so please listen to the other side of the story."
"And how would I do that?"
"Well as you will now be learning your blood bond, you can ask her. Surely, you have noticed that foxes do not mind your presence, which means you are a friend of the Kitsune and they will be your bond of blood. And as you already hold their Queen, you shall meet her tomorrow morning after you gather the items on this list. You will be a Deshi once you have an agreement standing with the Kitsune. But before you do that, please drink my blood. You will gain all of the tribesmen powers."
Flashback end
Naruko remembered the talk she had with the once fierce demon lord.
Flashback
Naruko had woken up early to gather the items required for her blood bonding ritual.
"Let's see… I need these medical herbs. Then I need to find water and I need to find some rabbits."
She ran through the trees along the branches. She stopped when she jumped into a bush and looked around. She saw animal droppings and quickly knew they belonged to rabbits.
'If I put some of these nuts on the ground around these bushes I should be able to catch some rabbits using snares.' She thought.
And she did. She then memorized where she set up the traps and left. She ran along the tree branches to a small stream. She jumped down and landed at its shore. She unsealed a canteen and filled it with water. She resealed the canteen and drank some water from the stream.
"The herbs I need grow only in moist areas, meaning if I follow this stream I will find them." She muttered.
She started walking along the shoreline and soon found what was looking for. A big patch of medicinal herbs. She picked a few handfuls and sealed them away. She then jumped right back into the trees and headed back to her traps. When she arrived, she saw her luck hadn't let her down. All of her five snares had caught and killed rabbits for her to take. Just to be sure she broke the necks. She sealed away the bounty and headed back to the camp.
Back in camp, Naruko headed straight to Nagai Ha and handed him the scroll with the items. He unsealed them and nodded approvingly.
"Well done hime, now all you have to do is offer them to your bond. You are able to understand and to speak with the foxes. Find a family of Kitsune and bring them these offerings. In return they will give you some of their blood. Fill this veil with it. After that return to me. Understood?"
"Yes, sensei."
She ran back into the forest and sped to a fox den she had often visited before, hopefully they would accept her offerings. She jumped down from the branches and landed in a clearing. She saw the entrance of the den. She walked over to it and sat down a respectable distance in front of it. She waited and a couple of minutes later, the foxes came out. They sat down in an open semi-circle so she could see them all. She looked at the ground. She may be a human, but that didn't mean she stands over everything in her path.
"What brings you here, young Hanyou?" a grey fox said.
"I apologize Elder, but I am not a Hanyou." Naruko spoke in a submissive tone.
"Yes, but you are under the Hanyous protection and their future queen, as the last of the Uzumaki bloodline. Therefore you are part of the Hanyou Tribe. Now tell me, why are you here." The fox said in a friendly tone.
"I am here to ask of you to share your blood with me as my blood bond."
"That is a great thing you ask of us. As you know we ask for a certain list of things, have you brought these things? Without those items, considering you for a candidate to join our species would be fruitless."
"I have the items you ask for."
She started unsealing her bounty after getting the scroll out of her sweater.
"Here are the medicinal herbs, the water and five rabbits."
The foxes walked up to the displayed items and took them into the den.
"All of these bounties are very fresh, tell me young hime, when did you go hunting for them?"
"I started at sun rise, so I had enough time to not rush."
"I see. You have a good head on your shoulders. Many younglings would have tried to gather the items as fast as possible, but seeing that it is already some hours past sunrise it only shows you followed all the teachings of your tribe. We accept these gifts, now as a blood bond is a pact of blood where two sides can call upon each other for help, what does our kind gain from you, if we would go through and share our blood with you."
Naruko thought a bit about what she knew about the Kitsune. Then she spoke up.
"I am a prankster with a very creative mind, I know that your kind also enjoys a practical joke every now and then. Also I never go back on my word, which is also something I share with your species."
The fox got up and walked over to Naruko. He stopped in front of her and stared into her eyes. He then turned back and sat down where he sat before. He then looked back at her.
"Your words hold truth. We accept your proposal. Come forth child."
Naruko got up and slowly walked over to the elderly fox. In front of him, she sat down once again.
"Take your blade and cut open your arm so I can lick the blood as acceptation of you into our kind. And vow your undying loyalty towards our species."
Naruko did. She brought forth her ninja-to and slowly cut open her underarm.
"By the blood now flowing from my body, I, Naruko Uzumaki, swear to help the Kitsune in any way I can, in order for them to live freely on the lands that, by birth, belong to them, until I breathe my last breath."
The fox had licked up the blood and the wound had already healed. The fox looked at her and nodded.
"The Kitsune accept you as their own, now all that is left to do is to prove your loyalty, by doing the Trial of the Kitsune."
"And what is it that I have to do?"
The Kitsune smirked.
"You must prank and escape from your to be pursuers without engaging in a fight. Your target will be the settlement of fox haters, by the name of Konoha Gakure no Sato. Take my blood and give it to your sensei. He is to give it back to you. I will send Awa with you. She will see if you truly are a real prankster."
Now it was Naruko's turn to smirk. She unsealed the veil and cut a fine line at the fox's shoulder. He yipped and out of the den came a fiery red fox kit. It looked at the old fox and nodded. Naruko had filled the veil with blood and had resealed it back into the scroll, which she put back into her sweater. She then looked at the fox.
"Hello Awa, I'm Naruko Uzumaki. I'll be showing you the most awesome prank you have ever seen."
Naruko had an evil glint in her eye. Awa seemed uneasy but still jumped atop of Naruko's head. Naruko nodded to the old fox and ran back to the trees. After a few minutes she landed in the camp. She walked straight to Nagai Ha. She handed him the veil and left again. She ran along the branches. After a while she stood atop the Hokage Monument staring down upon the village. She was smirking. They would regret what they did to her. But first she had to get supplies. She jumped down to the village, rolling the excess momentum off. Thanks to her insane healing factor, denser bones, muscles and of course Nagai Ha's training she did not injure herself when jumping down from extreme heights. She made her way through the village and soon found what she was looking for, a shop with pain supplies. She snuck in and took what she needed. She then proceeded to sneak out of the shop and hid in a back street. She then prepared her prank. After five minutes she was done. She rushed out along the streets putting paper tags in front of entrances of buildings and soon she was standing back on top of the Hokage Monument. With a small pulse of chakra she armed the seals and soon enough the first ones went off. She laughed slightly and jumped back down. All she had to do is be found by a mob, be chased and get away. Can't be that hard, right? Right. As she walked through the streets she soon enough found herself standing in front of an enraged villager with orange paint all over him. He stared at her.
"It was you, you filthy demon brat, wasn't it?" he seethed.
"I have no idea what you are talking about. Now please, get out of my way."
"You bloody monster. I'll have your head this time. We should have killed you long ago. Come here."
He lashed out at her but she turned and ran off. Very soon she had a mob chasing her. As always, they were craving for her death and giving her a long list of colorful names. Naruko was now gaining distance from the mob. She was using her parkour skills to the fullest and soon the villagers had given up the chase. After making all of the tags go off and then destroying them with a chakra pulse. After that she left and headed back to her camp. When she arrived Nagai Ha was already waiting for her. He looked at the fox.
"Has she fulfilled her end of the bargain?"
The fox nodded and jumped down from its vantage point.
"Good. You can go back to your family now, Awa-chan."
Again, the fox nodded its head.
"Come along Naruko, we have work to do."
He walked to her tent and sat down. Naruko did the same.
"Now in order for you to talk to the Kyuubi you have to meditate. You have dive deep into your soul. Once you are deep enough, you will be able to enter your mindscape. Enter it, find the fox, make a deal with it, come back and drink the blood. Do you have any questions?"
"Yes I do have one. Can I meditate somewhere else, or do I have to do it here?"
"It would be best if you do it here, however, if you want to you can go somewhere else."
Naruko nodded and headed back into the trees. She climbed and climbed and soon she was on the tree top. She was overlooking the hidden clearing her camp was located in. She sat down and closed her eyes. Taking deep breaths, she soon found herself inside of a sewer system.
"Wow, my mind is a sewer. Who would have thought?" she muttered sarcastically.
She walked the tunnels and after a few hours, she found a big cage. She saw the kanji for 'seal' written on a tag high above her reach. She looked inside of the cage and saw a monstrous fox lying down. She heard sniffling and sobbing from the fox. She coughed to make her presence known. The fox spun around and stared at her. Naruko could see tears in its eyes.
"Young one, how did you get in here?"
"I meditated." Naruko responded.
The fox flinched at her cold tone.
"I'm sorry, for all you have been through. I am truly sorry. I understand that you hate me. But it wasn't my fault. I was being used. I didn't want to attack the Leaf."
Naruko was taken aback. This was the supposed unforgiving Lord of Demons, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and yet here was the very same fox told about in countless stories apologizing, and saying it was being used. That was something she couldn't believe. Wait, it was being used?
"You were being used?"
"Yes, I was forced out of my previous container and then summoned in the village. I had a vision of my kit being killed in your village, naturally I went on a rampage. The problem is, I never had a kit to begin with, so I know I was being manipulated. "
"Okay, tell me everything from the start."
"Like I said, I was forced out and then saw a red eye staring at me. Next thing I know is I am in the village trying to find my kit. After that blank. The next thing is me waking up here."
The fox began sobbing again.
"So you were forced to attack. I understand, Kyuubi-san."
"Really?"
"Yes, you have no fault for being forced. And even though the villagers don't see past their fears. I forgive you."
"You really do? Naruko you are the kindest person I have ever met. Though all the things done to you because of me you still forgive me. That… That's the sweetest thing… I… I thank you."
The fox again had tears in its eyes, but it didn't care. She was grateful and she would make sure this little girl would know it. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She then looked at Naruko.
"Naruko, why are you here exactly?"
"Well, I have been adopted by the Hanyou Tribe, and am now their princess."
"So they are still serving me and the Uzumaki." Kyuubi mused.
"And I am here to talk to you and come to an agreement with you, so I can become part of the Kitsune and have them as my blood bond."
"You what? This is perfect then."
Kyuubi smiled. She knew exactly what she was going to give the girl. But first she needed to change forms. Kyuubi slowly shrunk and turned into a voluptuous woman in a blood red kimono. Her nine tails swishing through the air behind her. On her head were her fox ears and like Naruko she had six whisker marks on her cheeks. Her blood red hair was flowing down her back. Naruko saw her and was amazed. She looked so much different than before.
"So Naruko-chan, you want to make a deal with me so you can have the Kitsune as your blood bond? I see no problem in that, but we have to have an agreement right?"
Naruko nodded.
"Well how about you change this, into something more livable. All you have to do is think about what you want."
Naruko closed her eyes and everything was engulfed in a white flash. When the flash faded, they were on a big clearing surround by a dark forest. In the middle of the clearing stood a small hut. Kyuubi looked around and was in awe. I t was beautiful, but one thing was off. She didn't find the seal anywhere. But then she spotted it. It was a collar around her neck.
"Could you change this, Naruko-chan? I am no pet, you know?"
"Oh, sorry?"
Again a small flash of light and the collar was gone. And again she didn't see the seal.
"Where did you put it this time, Naruko-chan?"
"Well it has to be either on a cage or if it's like an open world it has to be on your person. And as you didn't want a collar I went for a tattoo, it's on you back. I hope you don't mind."
"It's okay. No worries. Now how about that deal."
Instantly Naruko shut off all of her emotions. She went cold and listened.
"As you want to be in a bond with the Kitsune, how about I adopt you as a kit?"
That was something Naruko had not expected. But as she thought it over it would be nice to have family.
"I would like that, Kaa-san, but how would that work?"
"Well as you'd be my heir, I would over time give up one of my tails at a time so you would become the new Kyuubi no Kitsune. That would be something that would cost me my tails and my title, so in the end once you have attained your ninth tail, I would become an ordinary fox."
"That is a great cost for you. But what is it you would want in return?"
"Well, I'd like to be allowed to view your memories outside of the ones where I healed you, I would like to have full access to your senses, as it does get very boring in here. And then there is the sentimental value of finally being able to raise a kit of my own."
Kyuubi giggled a little when she saw Naruko's blank face. Quickly to compose herself, she looked at the fox human.
"And you would do this because?"
"Well, ever since that night almost six years ago I wanted to have a kit. And seeing as you are an orphan it would be as if you were my own. And I could teach you."
Naruko perked up when she heard that she would learn.
"You could teach me?"
"Kit, you don't live over a dozen centuries without learning things. And I as a Kitsune was always curious and wanted to learn as much as possible so I studied among humans. And I now know a great deal of things of the human world. So do you accept this agreement?"
Kyuubi was taken aback by the reaction. Naruko didn't move she just looked up.
"I do, Kaa-san. Thank you."
"Okay, Please go back to the tribe and I will teach you tomorrow when you have free time. Stay safe, musume."
Naruko awoke from her trance and jumped down to the tribe's camp. She took the fox blood from Nagai Ha and drank it. Immediately her torso was covered in tattoos like Nagai Ha's.
"Well done, Hime. Tomorrow we talk to the council."
Flashback end
That was about two years ago. Again she looked at her fellow hunter and smiled.
Flashback
Naruko sat in front of the Council of Hunters and had already received her new rank. She was now a Jukutatsu Shi Shuryo, an adept. She was thinking about the question she would ask.
"Who were my parents?" she asked after a few more minutes.
Nagai Ha sighed. He had hoped she would ask this when she was older, but it couldn't be helped.
"Naruko-chan. Your parents were both very powerful shinobi who had a lot of enemies. Your parents wished for you to learn of their identities when you were older and were of Chunin rank. If you insist I will answer, but your parent's spirits would be at ease."
Naruko looked at him and she had an idea.
"I understand Nagai-kun." She said with a mischievous smile.
'Sometimes I think it was a bad idea to have her meet with Kyuubi-sama. It never is easy, especially when she is wearing that smile.' Nagai Ha thought nervously.
"But if you think about it, I already am on Chunin level."
'This is going to end badly.'
"And how is that?"
"Well, if you look at my rank and then looking at the ranking in the village then you can see that if you compare the two ranking systems, I am in fact on Chunin level. Am I right?"
Nagai Ha was baffled. Here was a barely six year old girl, coming to conclusions many experienced people would have a hard time getting at. Thinking over the things she said and had to admit, she did have a point. He sighed. This was not going to be easy. For her and for him.
"You truly are a Kitsune, Hime, I'll leave you that. Fine. But you are not going to like this. So swear upon your heritage as heiress to the throne of demons that you will not move out of this circle. Also I will place a restriction seal and a binding seal on you. Do you agree with these terms?"
"Yes, I do."
Nagai nodded and drew the seals on her. He sat back down and sighed.
"Fine then Hime, I will tell you about your parents. I will start with your mother, Uzumaki Kushina. She was a very powerful kunoichi known as the Red Death by her enemies and in the village as the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. She was a very interesting personality. Always headstrong and proud. She was sent away to Konoha Gakure no Sato from Uzushio Gakure no Sato. She was the second jinchuuriki to your demonic mother, Kyuubi-sama. She had a special ability to form chains made of pure chakra. This ability led to her being captured by Kumo Gakure no Sato, who wanted her to control Kyuubi-sama for them. It was during those faithful minutes that your father rescued her, seconds before the tribe, and proved himself worthy of her. Later they would marry and become renowned for their skill. Kushina was a master at Fuinjutsu, Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu. After some time she was pregnant with you. During her labor a masked man appeared and forced Kyuubi-sama to go on a rampage. In the end she died, sacrificing the last of her chakra to force Kyuubi-sama inside of the seal. What else is there to say? Ah, yes. As a member of the Uzumaki Clan, she had an exceptionally strong life force, granting her incredible stamina, endurance and an extremely long potential lifespan. The oldest the tribe knows of is roughly six hundred years. She also had great rejuvenating abilities, along with a very quick rate of healing of all injuries, which was boosted by Kyuubi-sama. And as all Uzumaki she had extremely large pools of chakra which were equally as potent. This was also boosted by Kyuubi-sama. I think that raps her up. Is there anything else you want to know?"
During the entire time Naruko sat perfectly still and hadn't shown any signs of emotion. It was both amazing and frightening. She looked at him.
"Did she care about me?"
Nagai Ha nodded.
"She did, she loved you very much. Her final words to you were 'Naruko… you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering. Remember who you are! Find a goal… a dream… and don't stop trying until it comes true. There's… there's so much more that I want to say… to teach you… I want to stay with you… I love you. 'Her final words to me were 'Do not waste efforts on the dead Kage Hogo-sha, watch over our daughter, protect her, and teach her. Promise me, you will do this for me. Promise me.' And I can tell you without the shadow of a doubt, that she loved you very much and that she would have done everything to be with you. In the end her sacrifice was made so that you could live. I know that words do not make anything better when it comes to these kind of things, but they make the burden to carry lighter."
Nagai Ha stayed silent for a while. He kept his eyes trained on her. The council had long since left, so there was no one who could disturb the peace. As he studied Naruko, he saw for the first time, in the time she was with the tribe, her mask drop. She looked heart broken. He wondered why it surprised him. She may already be a Jukutatsu Shi Shuryo, but she still was a six year old child. He transformed into his blood bond and slowly walked over to her. And just like the night he had revealed himself to her, he curled himself around her and let her cry. Sadly, it didn't take long for the mask to force itself back onto her features. He got back up and walked back to his spot. He transformed back and looked back at Naruko.
"I thank you, Nagai Ha. I needed that. Please continue. Who was my father?"
Nagai sighed once again.
"Your father was a great man, who did an unforgivable act as a father and a very noble and honorable thing as a leader. He was feared by a lot of countries for his skill and cunning speed. He had the abilities of the sensor and of the Senjutsu. Due to his actions in the last Great Ninja War he made an enemy that despises him till this very day. He was known on the battlefield as Konoha no Kiiroi Senko, Konoha's Yellow Flash. As a matter of fact his skills were held so high that he was considered a prodigy among his peers. He was the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, the man who sealed Kyuubi-sama inside of you. I know this is hard to digest, but please think about it. If you were in his shoes, would you have done things differently? I do not ask you to not to hate him, you have every right to, but also try to forgive him. He knew you would have it tough and for all it was worth, he did apologize for his actions. And I know he would give anything to be here with you."
Again the mask faltered but only briefly. On the outside she appeared as calm as the ocean's breeze, but on the inside she was in turmoil. But as always that died down as quickly as it came. He sighed, but at least they could continue her training.
"Okay then Hime, do your physical exercise and meet me back at our clearing."
Naruko nodded and took off. Nagai Ha walked to the clearing. He sat down and pulled out a scroll and a brush with ink. He put the scroll on the floor in front of him and started writing.
Honorable leaders of the four heavenly rulers,
The time has come for you to reunite with your summoners. The last known member of the Uzumaki Clan is finally ready. She may be young, but I guarantee she will overcome all of your expectations. She has a strong character and is a fast learner. It is my hope that you will acknowledge this call and help our hime to fulfill her dreams. If you accept this call please give a transport seal to Inazuma, so he can return it to me. We would be using it to visit your realms, so she may be evaluated.
Aal zii do whirling kran mahfaeraak aak mii nau un ven (May the spirit of the whirling tides forever guide us on our paths)
Kage Hogo-sha
Kage Kariudo no Shuzoku Hanyou
He rolled up the scroll and summoned one of his blood kin. It was a waist high cat. Along his light brown fur ran white streaks in a lightning bolt pattern. The cat looked up to Nagai.
"What can I do for you, Shinzoku?" the cat said with a deep, thundering voice.
"I need you to deliver this scroll to Kruziik Dovah Jun, Strunmah Dovah Jun, Feykro Vith Jun and Okaaz Vith Jun. Tell them it is of great importance."
"So it is finally time. I will do it, but the next of your bounty goes to me. I do not care what it is, just make sure it will fil me."
With that he disappeared. After some time Naruko came to the clearing. She had dropped her Henge and you could see her fox ears and her fox tail. She sat down on front of him and awaited instructions. Nagai looked at her.
"How far is your training with, Kyuubi-sama?"
"I have acquired the Kage Bushin no Jutsu and know its secret benefits. My chakra control is now on high Chunin level due to the Kage Bushin training. As of now my academic knowledge is relatively good, but considering I have a few hundred years to of knowledge to comb through it is fairly good. I have also started with Fuinjutsu and have already read the first through fourth books of the beginner series. I have mastered the basic stances of the Kitsune Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. Kaa-chan says I am on mid Chunin level in both Taijutsu and Kenjutsu."
"And how is your scavenging hobby going along?"
Naruko stayed still as always but she now was nervous. She may be royalty, but that did not mean she was above tribal laws. And law was any hunter below the rank of Shuryo Senmonka was not allowed to leave the camp without a hunter of that rank or higher to escort them. And Nagai had made perfectly clear that she would not get special treatment because of her status.
"Did you really think you could get away from me that easily? I didn't become a Kage Kariudo just by sitting around? Now tell me, how is your collection going, and have you started reading those items yet?" he asked with a feral growl in the back of his throat.
She looked down. Looking up would be a sign of defiance and that would make the situation worse than it already was.
"I am now at about three hundred scrolls all of which I have copied on to new ones."
She stopped when she heard a sharp growl.
"But I haven't practiced any of them yet." She added quickly.
"'Yet' being the key word in that sentence." He growled.
"When were you planning on starting?"
"I was going to start when I started at the academy."
"Be glad that I already planned the day, so you will not be punished for your blatant disrespect for our laws, because you will no doubt need all of your energy. But do not think I will let this offense slide, you will be punished at a later date, severely. I will talk with the Holy Mother about just how extensive your punishment will be, and if you are allowed to keep doing your hobby, or if all of your treasure will be destroyed."
Naruko was shocked. That was a very severe punishment, but it was also fair. She was not above anyone, even with her status. Actually her status meant that she should be a role model. No matter how she looked at it, rationally, she was at fault and the punishment would be fair. Her actions could have spelled disaster for the tribe.
"Now, what we will be doing today is following. We are going to visit the realm of the Heavenly Rulers, as the last of the Uzumaki, you are entitled to have a combined summoning contract with all four of their people. That is if you can succeed in all of the four trials."
Just then Inazuma returned. He looked at Naruko and bowed to her then he looked at Nagai Ha.
"Here they gave me this seal after they read the scroll. They were quite surprised to hear that an Uzumaki had survived Uzu, but it's not that surprising, with the contract scroll back in the depths of Mu'ul Strunmah, Kushina-sama could never sign it and therefore all connections to this world was cut off. They are looking forward to meet her in person. I'll take my leave, remember to bring me some bounty, Shinzoku."
And with a puff of smoke, he was gone.
"Very good, now then, let's get going."
Flashback end
Naruko had taken off her trench coat and sat down. She looked at her arms after she had remover her fore arm protectors. Each lower arm had two tattoos that symbolized one of the four species of summons she had a contract with. As she traced the tattoos, her gaze fell upon the fingerless gloves she wore to conceal the Uzumaki swirl on the back of her right hand and she remembered the trials.
Flashback
Naruko stood on a beach of a gigantic island. She turned around and looked at the sea, and saw a massive bay. To the North of the island were towering mountains. To the West stretched a vast forest that put Hi no Kuni's to shame. And to the East stretched a grassy plain with a lot of animals. She looked at Nagai and saw he had started to walk towards the mountain range. The walked for hours and the closer they came to the mountain the less wildlife they encountered. This got her on edge. After a few more hours they had reached the entrance to an enormous cave. Nagai Ha stopped.
"Walk in and be prepared. The trials will test you. Good luck."
He turned around and left. Naruko turned back to the cave and entered. She walked to the middle of the cave and st0opped. She looked around the cave and out of nowhere appeared four great beasts. To her left stood on two legs a being with two wings, covered in scales and fierce red eyes. Its toes had sharp talons and the tail had a row of spiky scales running up to its lower back. It stood tall over her.
The being in front of her was no different. It stood on four legs and had a long snake like body, neck and tail. Behind the front legs was a pair of stunted wings. It looked at her and the deep orange eyes seemed set fire to anything they saw.
To her right lay curled on the floor lay a snake like creature with little fins along the back. It had fiery blue eyes. All of these beings were massive in size.
She turned around and nearly choked on her own breath. In front of her stood a giant of an animal. Standing tall on four legs, it had a massive body with a long neck, long tail and two giant wings, fully expanded. It looked down upon her, staring straight into her eyes. She forced herself to not flinch and to stand her ground. The mighty beast kept staring at her for a few more moments and then nodded.
"Kage Hogo-sha was right, you have a strong will for your age, youngling." Said the mighty creature in a friendly tone.
"I see puzzlement in your eyes, please ask away."
The creature seemed to smile and Naruko nodded.
"Well, I have never seen or heard of an animal like you, I would like to know what kind of creature you are, if you don't mind telling me."
"I will do that, but first I must say I am impressed by your manners. Many of our younglings should take you as an example in that area." Said the being on two legs and then started laughing.
"Here I am talking about manners and like the old geezer I am, I forgot to introduce myself. Hello, I am Kruziik Dovah Jun, I am the elder of the Ancient Dragons. We are the first in our family tree. Before the gods granted us salvation in this realm, we came from a world not unlike your own. The major differences would be that there was no chakra and there were no humans. The lands were ruled by giant lizards that grew into true sizes. My kind thrived during that time, we fed of everything we could get. But all that had to change. After many millennia a meteor struck the world and my kind was wiped from the face of the world that was the moment when we were rescued and sent here.
Now luckily, some of my kind found that the world's oceans were a much better hunting grounds and so they stuck to the waters of the world and over the course of time they adapted to that lifestyle in the water and the result of those adaptations are the sea serpents. While most life on land had been wiped out by the meteor, life in the oceans thrived and after a couple of millennia some of the sea serpents returned to shallower water in bays and rivers and eventually they returned to the land. Now over the many millennia they were gone, the lands had changed drastically and the sea serpents had to adapt once again to a new surroundings. This took of course a lot of time and the end result were the forest serpents.
Now the forest serpents had to deal with new challenges. The prey had grown more cautious, quicker and smaller. And there were now more efficient rivals. This let to one of their special abilities, mimicry. The forest serpents had one more enemy, even their fire couldn't stop. Humans, they drove them further and further away from their homes. And eventually they were wiped out like the serpents of the sea, they were hunted to extinction. And as with my kind, they were granted passage to this realm.
And lastly we have the mountain dragons. As the name suggests they live in the mountains, where they were forced to live due to the humans hunting them. They survived by raiding the livestock of the local farmers because food was scarce in the mountains. In return farmers hired soldiers to hunt them down and kill them. In the end we all came here and enjoyed life ever since. Of course a habitat like this comes with a price, for us it was the summoning contract with the Uzumaki Clan. Did that answer your question, youngling?"
Naruko nodded.
"That is good. Now, did Kage Hogo-sha tell you that you are able to gain the contract of combined summoning?"
Naruko nodded.
"Yes, he also told me that I would have to go through trials to prove myself."
"Yes, youngling. You have to perform four trials, one for each of our species. These trials are there for you as a summoner to show that you follow our basic principles of life. Each trial will test one of our four pillars, meaning each trial will be done in one of our forms. My form will showcase your ability to take charge, keep a cool head and take over. So basically you are displaying your power. Power is the truth of a leader, if you are to summon one of our kind, you have to prove that you are able to lead us. This trial will be done in the form of my kin. We are the Ancient Dragons." Kruziik Dovah Jun said.
"The next trial will prove that you are capable of defending our territory if we ever need help." The four legged snake, Feykro Vith Jun, said.
"There may be a time when we are threatened to be invaded by another summon species. If that were to happen, we would summon you and you would have to help us. This trial will show us that you are willing to do anything to protect, even kill. It is the undeniable truth of life. Death is sure to follow conflict, so you have to prove that you are willing to get blood onto your hands. This trial will be done in the form of my kin, the Forest Serpents."
"The third challenge will be the proof that you are not just a fighter, but that you also are capable to let your emotions and feelings out and enjoy the calmer side of life, all the while still being able to strike at a moment's notice." Okaaz Vith Jun, the snake like creature said.
"Like I already said this trial will test your ability to assess and act accordingly to any situation. This trial will be done in the form of my kin, the Sea Serpents."
"The final challenge will be a test of trust. It is a ritual practiced by my kin since the days of old. In a relation between summoner and summon, trust is invaluable. If we are to truly accept you, you have to prove that we can trust you, as do we have to prove that you can trust us. This trial will be done in the form of my kin, the Mountain dragons. And it will be done with me, Strunmah Dovah Jun. Do you have any questions?"
Naruko looked up at the mighty dragon and smirked.
"When do we start?"
Now all of the kings were smirking. Truly Hogo-sha had not been exasperating when he said that the girl had a strong character.
"We begin now. Meet us at the plains."
And with that the four beings disappeared in a flash of speed. Naruko sighed and ran out of the cave. As she was running she transformed into her blood bond and ran as fast as she could. Soon she had reached the plains. The four kings stood in line awaiting her. She stopped a respectable distance in front of them. Kruziik stepped forward.
"Now you will have to drink some of my blood so that you can have our knowledge. Now back when we weren't summons, we did not have chakra. This island has the same characteristics as that realm. This means that you are prohibited to use chakra during the trials. Now drink. And the blood will transform you."
Naruko did and cut a line into the hide of the dragon and drank it. She instantly transformed into an ancient dragon. She looked back at Kruziik.
"Good, now what you have to do is something a male normally does, but as you are the summoner and have to prove your worth it will do. Now what you are to do is wind the fire rocks and then challenge an alpha male and take over the territory. Now begin."
Naruko took off and flew around. Thanks to the memory transfer she knew what she had to look for. A mountain peak with a metal that acts as a catalyst with the hydrogen gas that served as her fuel for her fire but also as her lift. She landed at the peak and started to crush some of the rocks. She then took off again. She headed to the center of the territory. As she headed there, she saw a blast of flames. It was the alpha. He was trying to sway her, but she kept on flying. She saw him start to fly towards her. She started to rise and head into the clouds to break the line of sight. She made a sharp turn so that she was behind the alpha. Again the experience she had gained from Kruziik paid off. She now was flying behind the alpha. She took a deep breath and let her entire payload go and it hit square on. The alpha roared in pain and left the vicinity. Naruko flew back to the kings and landed. They seemed impressed.
"Well done. That was a very impressive tactic you used there Naruko. I and my kin accept you as our summoner. Well done."
Next Feykro stepped forward.
"The next trial you will find an intruder to this island. Find the intruder and kill him. Drink my blood and begin."
Again Naruko cut a line in the hide of the king and drank some of the blood that started to flow out. She instantly transformed into a forest serpent. She nodded and headed of into the forest. She knew she first had find out who this intruder was. So she started thinking and drawing on the knowledge she got from Feykro and the other kings.
'Let's see… What did Kruziik say about the Forest Serpents? Right, they had competitors, so all I have to do is find a predator and kill it.'
Naruko stealthily walked through the forest. After some time she found a herd of dear. She positioned herself downwind and waited. It didn't take long and she saw a Tiger trying and failing to take down. The Tiger ran off again and Naruko followed the Tiger and soon found him. She hid in the foliage and started mimicking a deer. The Tiger sensed a potential meal but is cautious. Naruko tried a change in pitch. The prey is distressed, an injury perhaps? The tiger charged and pounces, but it fell for the trap. Naruko kills it. She picks it up and drags it back to the four kings.
Soon enough she was back at the starting point. She dropped the Tiger and sat back where she sat before. Feykro looked at her and nodded. He stepped forward.
"You have proven that you can and are willing to kill in order to protect our lands from intruders. I and my kin accept you as our summoner."
Next was Okaaz. He leaned forwards and stared at her.
"The next challenge will prove that you are more than a fighter. You have an obligation not only as a female, but also as a member of our species. You will watch our hatchlings and protect them from any threats. You will be doing this for three hours. Stay vigilant and watch out for predators."
Naruko nodded and again cut a line into his hide and drank the blood of the Sea Serpent King. She transformed into a sea serpent and jumped into the sea. She dove deep. Soon she found the hatchlings. The dozen or so small sea serpents. She drew up on the memories of Okaaz and instantly knew how to keep them in line. She circled around them, which gave her also the chance to observe her surroundings.
As the hatchlings played with each other Naruko spotted several specks in the distance. They were growing in numbers. She let a small cry out into the distance. When she got no reply she became cautious. She let out another cry and ushered the hatchlings into a small cave.
"Stay here and wait for me. I will be back to get you." She told them.
She hid the entrance with a few algae. She then hurried towards the intruder. Waiting in the path of the intruders. Positioning her body in a spiral she waited. Soon she saw whom the intruders were. They were sharks. Just like she had, they too stopped when they were close enough.
"What does the Shark Clan have to explain the intrusion in the waters of the Sea Serpent Clan?"
"Bounty girl, nothing more."
"Bounty? And what kind of bounty would you be talking about? Last I know, the territories of the Shark Clan hold more treasures than ours."
"We are talking about prey, little snake!"
"My, my. I am a snake now? If you hadn't eaten all of the fish in your territories you wouldn't have to starve. Leave now or I will remove you forcefully. And I can assure you, food will not be your greatest concern." Naruko snarled viciously.
"Are you threatening us, filthy worm?" the biggest shark growled threatening.
"No, I am stating a fact that is a warning to you. Now leave."
In blind fury the lead shark charged. Due to her superior flexibility, he missed her body. He was enveloped by her. She started to crush his body. The other sharks started to charge. Releasing the shark she started dodging the hostile sea inhabitants. It was a bloody fight and Naruko didn't leave without quite a few bite marks along her body. The Shark Clan hadn't gone without losses. Their leader was injured three of their party were currently drowning on the seabed. Others were bruised and now all of them were surrounded by the Sea Serpent Clan.
"Nosuma, what in the world are you doing here?"
"You know exactly what I am doing here, now hand over you fish."
"I think not. You will leave this instant, or I swear by the waters around us I will make sure the Shark Clan is wiped of off the face of the world."
The shark growled but reluctantly backed away and left, his kin following him. Feykro turned to Naruko.
"You have done well, little one. The plan was actually, that my mate was to attack you and test your skill, but you have proven yourself capable of battle and ensured that the next generation was safe and charged the enemy with courage and wit. You were able to not only stall them, but also to injure some of them. You have proven yourself to me and my kin. We accept you as our summoner."
They went back to the meeting point and then her final trial was ahead of her. The trial of trust. Strunmah Dovah Jun stepped forward. He looked down upon the girl.
"You have proven yourself to be a talented fighter, who can be relied upon and who is capable to defend us. Now with this trial, we prove each other our mutual trust and that we will not abuse the powers each of us has. You will take part in our mating ritual of trust. We will fly up into the heavens and interlock our claws and plummet towards the grounds. Before the ground we shall split apart and burn the ground in a circle. Now drink my blood and follow."
Naruko did what she was told and drank Strunmah's blood. She transformed into a Mountain Dragon. She leapt into the air and flew towards the sky. High above the clouds Strunmah and Naruko interlocked claws and they plummeted towards the ground. Just before the ground the split apart and spread their wings. Releasing a pillar of flaming fire and burnt a circle into the ground. Both of them landed and got back to their places. Strunmah stepped forwards and spoke.
"You have proven you trust us and that we can trust you even in the face of death. I and my kin accept you as our summoner. Well done Naruko."
Naruko transformed back into her human form and looked at the four kings. They stared back at her and nodded to themselves. They move around her and stood in a square around her.
"In the tongue of our kind we will now greet you as one of our own." They said in unision.
"Un lahney los ol vuld ol klo do tiid. Mu nu lost yun vahmaan benix un fron. Mu valokein hi, Naruko, fah hi lost gevahzen hin bal ahrk zin. Mu fen kriist naal hin reid ol fen hi kriist naal un. Hi los nu dovah. (Our lives are as ever shifting as the sands of time. We now have a new member among our kin. We welcome you, Naruko, for you have proven your worth and honor. We will stand by your side as will you stand by ours. You are now a dragon.)"
Naruko nodded as thanks. Just then another huge Mountain Dragon landed. This one was covered in red scales and had a slimmer frame. She walked up to them.
"Has she been initiated?"
"She has, Sahqon Vrii (Crimson Scale). She is now one of our kin."
"Very good. Hop on, Mal Gein (little one)"
She put on of her wings to the ground and Naruko walked up and sat down behind her head. Sahqon jumped to the air and flew off. They flew for a short while and landed on a plateau of the biggest mountain overlooking the ocean. Naruko got off of the dragon and looked back at her for further instruction.
"Walk into the caves, search for Gein Voth Mindah. Tell him you have been initiated. He is to give you the sign of our alliance. He is to choose your rank among our kin and he will provide you with the knowledge of the Uzumaki."
Naruko nodded and headed to the entrance once there she followed her gut and soon found a mighty Mountain Dragon. He was not as big as Strunmah but still towered above her. If she had to guess he was trice the height of herself. He seemed old and as she walked to the rocky pedestal in front of him, she noticed his skin was wrinkled and covered in scars. Finally she stood in front of him. He looked at her and smiled.
"You must be little Naruko. I am happy you found me so quickly. I presume that little Sahqon is still as beautiful as ever. But anyway, why are you here what message are you to deliver to me?"
"I am to tell you I have been initiated into the clans of the four heavenly rulers. You are to give me the sign of this alliance and determine my rank among your kind. You are also to give me the knowledge of the Uzumaki."
The elder dragon nodded. He held out his palm and it started to glow in a faint blue light. When the light reseeded there was an armband with four scaled tails.
"Take it. It symbolizes the alliance the four kings have made. As for the elder knowledge of the Uzumaki."
He formed a fist and again it was engulfed by a blue light. He relaxed his fist and spread out his palm and with a puff of smoke a big scroll the size of herself appeared.
"This scroll contains everything of value the people of Uzu and of the Uzumaki Clan wanted to have secured before there walls were breached. Many of our kin fought and died alongside you're ancestors and it is good to know that it was not in vain and some had escaped the slaughter that was the invasion and destruction of the Village Hidden in the Whirling Tides. I also give you this."
It was an emblem with a swirl.
"This is the emblem of the Uzumaki. It has been given to them by Rah Do Onikaan, the God of Wisdom and Kinship. It was around since Uzu was founded and it gives you the ability to know those apart from those without blood of the Uzumaki. This is the symbol of the clan head and gives you full authority over the entire clan, village and country. It will bind with your body and will appear as a tattoo."
Naruko took the emblem and placed it on the back of her right hand. It started glowing brightly, but soon it reseeded and all that remained was a tattoo in form of the Uzumaki Swirl. The elder dragon nodded.
"Now as for your rank amongst our kin, I pronounce you princess of the alliance. You have no doubt drunken the blood from the four kings, so you bear there knowledge and abilities. You are now Shulmah Kulaas (Sunset Princess). Aal Bo do klo do tiid fah alun Kos KO hin hindah. (May the flow of the sands of time for ever be in you favor.) It was nice meeting you, Shulmah, but it is now time for your departure. I hope I will hear a great many things about you from our kin."
Naruko nodded and then left the cave. Outside stood Nagai Ha along with the four kings and Sahqon. They all looked at her. Nagai Ha held a cup and Naruko knew what to do. She took it and cut her arm in order to fill the cup with her blood. She gave it back to Nagai Ha who then took a sip and poured a little bit into each of the dragon's mouths. Then he looked at her and smiled, along with the other five dragons and serpents.
"It seems we have gained another child, eh Sahqon." Strunmah joked.
"It would seem so. Welcome to the family, Shulmah Kulaas. I hope you will do well in the future."
"Well done, Hime. Now we will return home."
With a puff of smoke they were gone.
Flashback end