XxXxX
Just as Kurenai said, it took us another two and a half hours to reach Kazahana Castle by land and about an hour by sea, but once we crossed the waters via ferry and landed on a small port town, a light snow began to fall from the skies above. I pulled the scarf further up to cover my nose and ears from the brisk cold that now pushed against us while Kiba, Shino, and Kurenai all brandished heavy tan cloaks. The castle itself was surrounded by snow peaked mountains and dense woods. Its walls stood high with the entrance being a single slope leading to a thick wooden gate. There were several layers to the castle, with the top containing a large tower that overlooked both the castle and the mountain valley around it.
"It's beautiful." I heard Kurenai say as we neared the slope leading up to the gate. She must have never been here before like the rest of us. Our group moved up the slope until coming to a stop in front of the gate. Two shinobi appeared before us wearing clothing that indicated them as warriors of the Snow.
"What business do you have with Lord Kazahana?" One of the shinobi asked. He wore a strange looking armor that looked far more advanced than what I would expect from a small nation such as this. To which Kurenai approached holding a piece of paper.
"We are the envoys from Konoha." Kurenai explained as the man looked over the sheet of paper that was handed to him. "We're set to arrive around this time."
"Everything looks to be in order." The shinobi said before handing the paper back to Kurenai. "Open the gate!" Just as the words left his mouth the massive doors slowly opened. "If you'd follow me I'll guide you to your quarters."
"Thank you." Kurenai replied as we moved into the castle. A long street surrounded the lowermost layer of the castle where a small town could be seen inside the gates. This was where most of the merchants, smiths, and other people lived that couldn't afford the housing in the upper portions of the castle. The people went about their day as per normal, but we got many strange or curious looks from the populace as we made our way to the slope that led up to the middle area of the castle town. The gate was already open as we pushed ourselves into the diplomatic sector. Housing and other official buildings could be seen built into the walls, to which many higher officials could be seen going about their business.
"This is where you'll be staying during your visit." The Snow shinobi stated. We were looking at a three story building that sat close to the sloped gate that led up to the final portion of the castle which presumably housed the daimyō. "If you need anything at all please do not refrain from asking the clerk at the desk. Enjoy your stay."
We watched as the shinobi walked away to return to his post, but then three men simultaneously walked out of the hotel with wide smiles. "You must be the group from Konoha!"
"Yes, we are." Kaijme said as he opened the door and exited the carriage. "Could you have gone any slower you brat?!" I frowned as I began unstrapping the luggage.
"You need not worry about that mister. We'll take care of the luggage." One of the men said with a deep bow, mimicked closely by the other butlers. "Please head inside where the clerk will give you the key to your separate rooms."
"Thank you young man." Nao said as she passed by with a pleased looking Shou following closely behind. Hinata then exited the carriage with a now invigorated Akamaru in her arms.
"Hey there boy! You feeling better?" Kiba asked as the puppy jumped into his arms. He barked in delight that he was reunited with his master once again.
"Feeling better?" Kurenai asked Hinata, who weakly smiled. She looked to me and a sadness overtook her, but also a look of… understanding?
"Well lets get inside and out of this cold. No need to catch a cold out in this snow." Kurenai said as we moved into the hotel where a clerk awaited with a smile.
"You must be the diplomat's escort. My name is Riza and I'm the clerk of this hotel." The woman said. She had dirty blonde hair with dark green eyes. Riza must be about Kurenai's age if not a little younger if I had to guess.
"Nice to meet you Riza. My name is Kurenai and this is Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Naruto." Kurenai said as she pointed to each of us.
"Nice to meet each of you. Your rooms will be on the ground floor of hotel, but Lord Namikaze will not be staying here during your stay." Riza said, to which the group looked confused.
"What do you mean? He's under our protection so we need to stay near him." Kurenai asked with a defensive tone.
"Lord Namikaze will be staying in the noble house of Kazahana." Riza explained as the diplomats entered the room. "Now if you'd please follow our guide. I'm sure Lord Kazahana would love to meet you as soon as possible." I looked over my shoulder to see one of the butlers from before standing by the door with my backpack over his shoulder.
"This way if you'd please." The man said with a bow before walking back out into the snow. We moved out into the snow and followed the man up the slope.
"Naruto." I turned my attention to Kurenai, who was looking more concerned than normal. "I don't like the idea of you staying away from us."
"It's part of their customs for the blood relative of a foreign village to stay within the current ruling daimyō's residence." Shou explained as he walked up next to me. "You need not worry. Lord Kazahana will take very good care of you."
"There's also another reason I'm staying in their personal quarters." I said, making Team 8 look to me in curiosity. "In a way they'll be holding me hostage while active shinobi stay within their walls."
"Hostage?! What are you saying?!" Kiba shouted in anger, but Shou lifted his hands in an attempt to calm the boy.
"Hostage is a very strong term, but in a way yes. That is what is happening. It's an insurance policy in case any of you take up arms against them from within the walls." Shou continued to explain.
"But we would never do anything like that…" Hinata said softly.
"Of course you wouldn't, but that doesn't mean others would turn down the opportunity." Shou said as we entered through the doors of the castle to see a large room with pure white marble floors and pillars that stretched to the massive ceiling. Several doors led off into different parts of the castle, but by comparison the doors looks miniscule compared to sheer size of the room. Fabulous paintings lined the walls; all painted by people within the county and illustrating the frozen countryside that made up the Land of Snow.
"Why hello there! You are the diligent from Konoha I presume?" A man said as he walked around the corner from one of the pillars, followed closely by another man that was slightly taller. "My name is Sōsetsu Kazahana and I'm the daimyō of the Land of Snow." Sōsetsu had long, receding black hair and large black eyes with a pair of circular-framed glasses sitting on the bridge of nose. His expression showed that he was a generally good natured man, if his smile proved to be sincere. "And this is my brother Dotō Kazahana." Dotō was very muscular compared to the daimyo, but carried a very serious aura about him. His long black hair mirrored his brother's somewhat, but his face was very pronounced. Dotō nodded his head while keeping his serious visage about him.
'There's my target…' I thought as I watched the man introduce himself.
"Nice to meet you Lord Kazahana. I'm Kajime, and these are my companions Nao and Shou." Kajime said with a bow, which was mirrored by the other diplomats.
"Oh my. Please, just call me Sōsetsu." The daimyō said in embarrassment. His eyes then turned to me and smiled even brighter. "And you must be Minato's son. A pleasure to meet you my boy. I can see the resemblance!"
"Thank you Lord Kazahana. The pleasure is mine." I responded as I bowed deeply just as Shou instructed.
"Please call me Sōsetsu. It's weird being called lord over and over again." Sōsetsu said. "Then the rest of you must be the shinobi tasked with guarding Naruto and the diplomats?"
"Yes sir. My name is Kurenai, and this is Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame." Kurenai said as the three bowed to the man.
"Three young shinobi from three of the noble clans in Konoha. What a special occasion!" Sōsetsu said with glee as we began moving through the castle. We passed through a hallway and into a massive meeting room more beautiful than the entrance. "I hope your travels all went well?"
"We had a slight hiccup, but our protection detail handled it." Kaijme said as they all sat down at the table.
"Wonderful! I'm glad nobody was hurt. Butler, you wouldn't mind showing Naruto to his room, would you? I'm sure he's tired and could use some rest." Sōsetsu asked kindly. The butler bowed as he moved towards one of the doors.
"Actually Sōsetsu, I would like to make a request." Kurenai asked with a bow.
"And what would that be?" Sōsetsu asked.
"If one of my team could stay with Naruto during his duration within your castle."
"If it's danger that you worry of than I wouldn't think more of it. Naruto is safe within these walls as he's protected by my personal guard." Dotō responded with an irritated look.
"I know, but it is the Hokage's son, and if anything were to happen to him while under my protection…"
"I understand, but these are customs. I'm sorry, but if I allowed one of your shinobi to stay within the tower then it would break our foreign policy when it comes to handling shinobi within these castle walls." Sōsetsu responded in sadness.
"Then can a dog stay with him?" Kiba softly spoke. All eyes turned to him as Akamaru barked in excitement from inside his jacket. "I'm sure a pet would be okay, right?"
"I don't see a reason why not." Sōsetsu said as he looked to his brother, who shrugged in indifference.
'Good thinking Kiba.' Kurenai thought as Kiba bent in close to his companion.
"Watch over him and if anything happens come to us. I'm trusting you with this." Kiba whispered, only for Akamaru to nod and jump to the ground. The puppy walked to my side and wagged his tail in excitement.
"Looks like you're with me for a little while. Ready to see where we'll be sleeping?" I asked as we exited the meeting room after the butler disappeared through the doorway.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Shino asked as Kiba stared at the door where the two had disappeared through.
"It's the only way for us to have eyes on him while he's in here." Kiba softly smiled as he remembered when their blonde headed companion saved Akamaru's life. "He's in good hands." Kurenai and Hinata smiled and Shino simply nodded.
"Since that's taken care of lets begin with how these talks will be transpire over the coming week." Sōsetsu said as they prepared themselves for the hefty task discussing treaties.
XxXxX
"And here is your room Lord Namikaze." The butler said as he placed my backpack onto one of the chairs and bowed. My room, much like every other place in this castle, was completely made of white marble. The bed, the dresser, everything. Even the sheets were a mix of pure white and light blue. A single window was set into the wall with magnificent view of the castle and lands around it. My room was placed near the top of the tower that sat at the very center; making it the most secure placed in the complex.
"Thank you." I responded, to which the man quickly left the room and shut the door behind him. "What do you think?" Akamaru barked, making me chuckle. "Yeah, too shiny for me too." I moved towards the window and watched the snow softly fall from the heavens above. The glass was cold to the touch, but for some reason the marble inside was warm. How this was happening perplexed me, but it didn't matter. My mark was here, and now I needed to take in every aspect of his situation before making my move.
Akamaru barked, taking me away from my thoughts and back to the pup that was residing with me. "Don't worry little guy. Just thinking was all." He barked again and jumped onto the bed before getting comfortable. "Yeah, I could use some rest too. Haven't really been able to take it easy since we left Hakone this morning." I took off my coat and scarf before falling back onto the bed where Akamaru got comfortable near me. "Good night, Akamaru." The pup softly barked before resting his head onto the sheets.
XxXxX
"Glad to see you finally visit." The man from the void said as he leaned against a marble pillar that was broken in half. I looked at the man in confusion.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, knowing that he wouldn't have brought me here without a reason.
"Just wanted to check in on how you've been doing, and I must say you've certainly been busy." The ink eyed man grinned as he remembered all the people I've killed. "Killing for a profit? I did not expect this when I gave you my gift."
"…" I quietly stared at the man as he continued running through all the hell I must caused my father.
"You even took one of my abilities and morphed it into your own. Very impressive." His grin spread as he stared down at me. "In any case I wanted to give you another gift for giving me so much entertainment." My hand then began to burn as more power surged through the mark on the back of my hand. After the burning subsided he then began walking towards me.
"Going to give me memories on how to use it I presume?" I asked, making him chuckle.
"I could leave you to learning how to use it yourself, but you're young so I'll give you a handicap." His hand then touched my forehead and images of a woman using shades to trick, and even kill, unsuspecting targets flooded my mind.
"D-Doppelgänger?" I asked more to myself than anything. An ability that allows me to create a shade of myself that can distract and even attack enemies like a shadow clone. It even allows me to switch places with it in a pinch, but I can only create two of them at a time. The shade looks like a black misty form of myself that can attack and move just like me.
"I think this power suits your… current clientele." The man said as he began moving away. "Train with it and it will become a part of your instincts like your other abilities."
"…" I didn't initially respond as the dream world began to disappear. "Thanks… I guess."
XxXxX
A knock at my door awoke me from my slumber. "Lord Namikaze! Lord Kazahara wishes for you to join him for breakfast!" An unknown butler said from behind the door.
"I'll be ready in thirty minutes." I responded as I stretched and got out of the bed. Akamaru did the same and watched me as I walked into the bathroom for a quick shower. After replacing my clothes I opened the door to leave only to hear Akamaru whine at my feet. "What?" He jumped onto my leg before falling back to the ground. I sighed as I scratched the back of my head. "Right, right hold on." Taking off my scarf and storing it in one of my pockets, I picked up Akamaru and placed him within my jacket much like Kiba does. "Happy?"
The pup barked in excitement as I began my decent down the stairs towards the meeting room. A butler met me near the bottom of the stairs with a bow. "Right this way." The man said as we walked down the stairs and to a door that was about halfway up the tower. He gestured to the wooden door, to which I slowly entered into a conversation happening between Sōsetsu and a girl about two to three years older than me. Four shinobi stood in the corners of the room silently observing their protectorates. The room was once again lined with marble with a single window that overlooked the castle from around the halfway point of the tower. It would seem the upper portion of the tower was reserved for the Kazahana family and other various VIP's they deem worthy enough to stay amongst them.
"Now Koyuki I know that you wanted to travel, but now is simply not the time." Sōsetsu said to the girl, who audibly 'humphed' at the comment.
"But I want to see the world and meet new people! I want to be an actress one day and sitting here is only stopping my progress!" Koyuki exclaimed in annoyance.
"Please Koyuki. I really want to-." Sōsetsu's eyes then landed on me and he smiled brightly. "Ah, Naruto. I'm glad you could join us!"
"I can come back at later if you two need to talk." I said, but the kind man motioned for me to come over.
"Nonsense! Please, come and meet my daughter. Naruto, this is Koyuki. Koyuki, please meet Naruto Namikaze. Son of the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village." Sōsetsu said as I approached the table. Koyuki had long black hair with bangs that swept on each side of her face and light blue colored eyes much like my own. The girl looked me up and down before smiling much like her father did.
"Pleased to meet you Naruto!" Koyuki said before standing and bowing. To which I mirrored as well.
"The pleasure is mine." I responded, making her blush slightly.
"Such manners from someone so young." Koyuki said as she sat down. I took my own seat next to Sōsetsu who was at the head of the table.
"It is rare to find someone with manners such as yourself at young age. Your father must have taught you well." Sōsetsu said as he motioned for the butler to start bringing in our food.
'It was mostly Danzo who taught me my manners…' I thought as the food was placed in front of us. It wasn't a magnificent spread, but that's what made it great. Just enough to fill someone up, but not overeat at the same time. "I believe he did an okay job."
"And who is this little fella?" Koyuki asked as she smiled to Akamaru, who barked happily at the attention he was getting.
"This little guy? His name's Akamaru, and he's a friend of mine." I responded as I scratched behind his ear.
"Is he your pet?" Sōsetsu asked, to which the pup stiffened somewhat.
"Not really. He's more a friend than a pet." I responded. Akamaru loosened up at the comment as I continued petting the dog.
"How sweet." The girl then tapped her chin in thought before looking to me once again. "So you're from the Hidden Leaf Village, right?" Koyuki asked. I nodded to her answer before she looked at her father in a dejected manner. "See! How come someone as young as him can travel, but I can't?!"
Sōsetsu sighed as he rubbed his temples in annoyance. "He traveled here because of diplomatic reasons. Besides, traveling can be dangerous. Did you not hear of what happened during their trek here?"
"No? What happened?" Koyuki asked, completely unaware of the ambush we encountered on the way here.
"The Konoha diplomatic team was attacked by bandits and a few of the shinobi assigned to protect them were hurt." Sōsetsu then looked to me and nodded his head in appreciation at what I had done. "The shinobi told me of what happened. You did a good job distracting that nukenin until reinforcements arrived."
"You were attacked by a shinobi?! How did you manage to distract him without chakra?!" Koyuki asked, concern written all over her face.
"The nukenin was from Iwa, meaning they have an inherent dislike towards my father and subsequently me as well. He held one of my companion's hostage so I told them who I was to buy enough time for Yugakure shinobi to arrive and detain them." I rubbed my arm in feint discomfort. "Lets just say he was… happy to see me."
"Naruto was going to give himself up so the Konoha shinobi would be released. An honorable move if I do say so myself." Sōsetsu said as he eyed his daughter, who was staring at me in awe. He smiled before taking a sip of his tea. "Now lets eat our breakfast before it gets cold! We wouldn't want it going to waste now do we?" For the remainder of the breakfast we made small talk about what Konoha was like and that sort of nature, but I noticed Koyuki sending me funny looks every now and again. I feigned ignorance and acted like I never noticed them for better or for worse.
"That was delightful!" Koyuki said as she leaned back into her chair with a hefty sigh.
"It looks like Kaijme, Nao, and Shou should be here momentarily." Sōsetsu stood from his chair and bowed to us. "With that I must take my leave. Koyuki, could you be a dear and show our guest around the castle?"
"Umm…" She looked over to me, but I gave her one of my fake smiles. She smiled herself and nodded her head. "Sure. I would love to."
Sōsetsu grinned and walked to the door that I had entered through. "Have fun you two, and don't get into too much trouble."
Koyuki blushed deeply at that statement. "W-What is that supposed to mean?!" She shouted back to her father. He waved his hand over his shoulder while laughing at her daughter's embarrassment. Koyuki 'humphed' before looking to me still embarrassed. "Don't mind him. He's just being dumb like all fathers."
"Don't worry about it. My dad can be like that sometimes." I replied as we stood from our seats.
"So what part of the castle would you like to see first?" Koyuki asked as we exited the room.
"Up to you miss tour guide. I'm in your care for the remainder of the day." The princess grinned before grabbing my hand and pulling me down the stairs leading to the bottom of the tower.
"Then lets start with the snow gardens, shall we?" As we moved Akamaru barked in excitement until finally we made it to a set of double glass doors leading to a surprisingly green area surrounded by snow. Koyuki opened the doors and a weird mix of wet warmth and dry cold hit me. "Beautiful, isn't it?" I moved out into the green garden to see a light snow fall onto us, but none of the frozen water stuck to the earth. Flowers of different colors and trees stood high from the green grass below. A strange sensation washed over me as I looked around the area. Lush green plant life surrounded me, but the brisk cold air and snow flowed around me.
"It's…" I breathed in while closing my eyes and felt strangely at ease… for the first time in a long time. In Konoha I always had to look over my shoulder because of the line of work that I took on. This would constantly put me on edge, but here… "Beautiful."
Koyuki stared at my back as she watched me take in the world around us. For some reason the air in the garden softened and the world slowed to a pace that she could only describe as peaceful. The boy standing in front of her had, if not for a sudden moment, lowered his shields and took in the beauty that the garden had contained. Her entire focus was on the boy and the beauty that had all too eagerly come to surround his body. The gardens had, for just a moment, become a little more radiant.
A bark then returned us both to reality as I looked down to see Akamaru staring at the gardens with amazement as well. "You think it's pretty too, don't you?" I asked with a smile. Akamaru nodded his head as I let him down from my jacket to explore the gardens. Turning around, I smiled back at Koyuki with appreciation. "Thank you for showing me this. It's wonderful." A soft pink tinted Koyuki's cheeks, but she shook her head and coughed to cover this.
"R-Right. Well this is my favorite place in the castle." Koyuki walked up next to me and looked out over the gardens with me. "I always come here to relax and think."
"I can see why, but how is this even possible? These plants should be dead because of the cold." I inquired as we walked through the gardens.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I know it has to do with generators beneath the surface. The castle is heated in much the same way as the garden is if you hadn't noticed." Koyuki explained as we saw Akamaru jumping in and out of the bushes as we slowly walked along the stone path. "My father's a genius when it comes to technology and is constantly creating new ways to use this technology."
"Did he also create those chest pieces that your shinobi wear?" Koyuki nodded her head in acknowledgement.
"Not very many have been made, but I think some of the shinobi here wear them." She tapped her chin in thought as she tried to remember what her father had told her about the armor. "I think… about twelve were made, but it's still in the prototype stages."
"What does it do?"
"I was never told exactly, sorry." Koyuki said with a frown at not being able to say what the armor did.
"Don't worry about it. It's still a marvel that your father has created so much. You must be proud." Koyuki smiled proudly at my words.
"He's one of the best father's a girl can have. Now, would you like to explore the lower district?" Koyuki asked as we approached the door that had led us out into the gardens.
"Lead the way." I replied before looking over my shoulder. "Come on Akamaru! We're leaving!" A bark from a nearby bush was quickly followed by an excited puppy exploding out from said bush and running towards us. We both chuckled at my companion as he sat next to me. "You're going to have to walk for a little while because you have dirt on your paws." The dog whined as we entered the castle and moved towards the front gate. "No whining. You knew that was going to happen when you ran through the dirt." Koyuki chuckled at the pup's expense as we moved through the castle and out of the front gate. Koyuki was handed a heavy jacket by a maid near the front door, who briskly adorned the heavier jacket to protect her from the cold. Only the Noble District, which was made up of the Kazahana house, was heated it would seem. "Don't worry. I've been told that the cold helps build character." Akamaru shot me a dirty look, making Koyuki laugh even more.
"Going to the market district, Princess Koyuki?" The guard at the gate that led to the lower level asked. We would have to pass through the diplomatic district first, but it shouldn't take long from my past experience. The castle went from Market District, Diplomatic District, and finally Noble District. Lowest to highest of course.
"We certainly are. You wouldn't mind letting the guards in the area know that we're coming, would you?" Koyuki asked as we passed by him.
"Of course. Have a pleasant time." The man replied before disappearing to warn the guards in the Market District.
"I've heard of what happened with Kumogakure, but I still can't figure out why they'd try and take land away from you." I commented as we made our way through the Diplomatic District. It was cold and I wrapped my scarf around my neck in an attempt to insulate the cold bite.
"I'm not sure myself. Something about wanting one of our port towns near their border. Luckily your father pressured them to back down from expanding into our territory." Koyuki sighed as she thought over the situation that had come to pass. "We're an island nation completely covered in snow. Why would they want to take one of our port towns?" About two years ago Kumogakure tried to exert sovereignty over one of the port towns that lingered on an island off the coast of the Land of Snow. The Raikage claimed that it had originally belonged to them, but was taken when the formation of their village began. This, of course, was denounced by the Land of Snow, but without a strong alley Kumogakure could easily bully them into submission. Luckily for them my father saw an opportunity to both stop the Raikage's expansion while also greatly improving relations with the Land of Snow. The Hokage forced the Hidden Cloud to back down or risk war over a small port town. After some posturing the Raikage finally backed down.
"Sounds strange to me, but I couldn't get inside that kage's head even if I tried." I responded as we exited the Diplomatic District and into the market area.
"Want some lunch? There's this nice little kare raisu restaurant right around the corner that I like to go to." Koyuki asked as we walked through the snowy streets.
"Hello Princess Koyuki!" Someone said with enthusiasm.
"Good morning!" Koyuki replied with a smile. Then another greeted the young princess to which Koyuki responded politely. It wasn't long until at least seven people were around her talking about one thing or another. I decided to stand off to the side and watch the spectacle.
'This reminds me how the villagers back home treat Yui.' I thought, but then a paw rubbed against my leg. Looking down, Akamaru was staring at me with pleading eyes. "Alright come on." I picked up the pup and wiped his paws off the best I could before placing him between me and my jacket. The dog popped his head out from behind my scarf with a smile. "Happy?" The pup barked and nestled into his resting spot inside my jacket. After Akamaru was all ready to go I looked up to see Koyuki walking away from the group while waving at them.
"I hope to see you all soon!" Koyuki replied, but then grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the group of people. "Lets get out of here." Not wanting to disappoint I let her guide me to the restaurant which was right across the street. We entered the building to see a few people sitting at various tables, but for the most part disregarded us.
"Well if it isn't my favorite customer!" A woman shouted from the counter at the back of the building. The woman had gray hair with dark wrinkling skin and stood a little shorter than me. "Oh! And who do we have here? A boyfriend perhaps?"
"B-Boyfriend?!" Koyuki stammered as she quickly released my hand in embarrassment. "He's just a guest to the castle is all!"
"Is that right?" The woman said as she grinned mischievously at the girl who was bright red from the comment. She then laughed and turned to me while holding out her hand. "The name's Aimi. Pleasure to meet you."
"Naruto." I responded as I shook her hand.
"So you're the guest that came along with the diplomatic team from Konoha?" Aimi asked as we sat down at the table. Aimi stood to the side and pulled out a pen and paper to take our orders, but was waiting for my response.
"I am. My father is the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf village." I said, but Aimi didn't seem fazed at my words.
"So that's the reason Lord Kazahana asked us to be on our best behavior when you arrived. You know your father did a mighty nice thing for us when those cloud folks threatened to take our port towns. Can't thank him enough for that." She then looked to Koyuki and grinned. "So that's why you're trying to get into his pants. Can't blame you since he is a looker."
"I'm not trying to get into his pants!" Koyuki shouted before covering her bright red face with her arms against the table. "He's like three years younger than me!" Aimi laughed loudly as she slapped her knee to amplify the effect.
"I'm just joking! Now what'll you have? I'm sure you two didn't come here just to kiss and stuff." Koyuki groaned from beneath her buried arms. "The usual. Gotcha. Now how about you honey?"
"Same as her." I replied with a smile, to which Aimi nodded and wrote it down onto the piece of paper.
"Be out soon, and Koyuki." The girl glanced up at her to see her bowing. "Good to see you." With that Aimi disappeared into the back room to prepare our food.
"She seems… lively." I said, making Akamaru bark in agreement.
"Aimi is like the mother I never had. When I was young Aimi taught me everything my father never could." Koyuki said as she recovered from her embarrassment.
"What happened to your mother?"
"She died during childbirth. This left my dad to take care of me, but it's hard for your father to teach you everything that a girl needs to know. So, Aimi sort of taught me everything that my father couldn't." Koyuki smiled at the memory of her time spent here.
"Then that's something we have in common then." I stated as I scratched Akamaru's ear. Koyuki looked to me in confusion, silently asking me to continue. "I guess you could say my mother died during childbirth as well."
"Two peas in a pot then." Koyuki said as we enjoyed a comfortable silence before our curry was brought out by Aimi.
"And here you two go. Two plates of curry for the love birds." Aimi said, making Koyuki blush, but otherwise disregard the comment. "Enjoy."
"Does she do that with every guy she see's you with?" I questioned after Aimi disappeared once again into the back room.
"No, but I don't have very many guy friends. Most of my friends are some of the girls that live in the market district." Koyuki responded as I took a bite of the curry.
"Is it because of your dad?"
"No. It's because normally I'm uncomfortable around them, but when I'm with you…" She glanced to me and shook her head before taking a bite of her food. "It must be because of the dog." I chuckled before grabbing a piece of meat from my curry and held it up to the pup in my jacket.
"I know Kiba doesn't normally let you eat from his plate, but this can be our little secret." I grinned as Akamaru bit into the meat with delight covering his features.
"You really do get along with him well, don't you?" Koyuki asked as she watched us interact.
"Treat them nicely and they'll do the same." I commented. I placed a portion of the curry into my mouth and swallowed the spicy food down. "Do you not like dogs?"
"Of course I do! I've just never seen someone get along with their pet so well."
"Friend. He's my friend, not my pet. Besides…" I patted the dog on his head who barked in acceptance. "Akamaru actually belongs to someone else."
"Wait, so he's not yours?"
"Nope. This little furry ball of joy is just staying with me for a while." Koyuki simply smiled at the sight before sipping her drink.
"You must be very good with animals then." I declined to reply and decided to just eat my food instead. After we were done eating we left the building before Aimi could hassle Koyuki anymore.
"What's next?"
"Want to explore the Noble District a little more?" Koyuki asked.
"Sure, but I don't think there's anything more beautiful than the Snow Gardens." I responded as we moved through the streets and towards the Diplomatic District.
"I don't think there is, but there is something that comes close."
"Oh?" I questioned with feint curiosity.
"Follow me." Koyuki said as she led me back to the Kazahana house at the center of the castle. After entering the house with the tower at the center we made our way up the tower until we came upon the top floor. "This is my father's room."
"You wanted to show me your father's room?" I asked with a deadpan expression.
"Not my father's room exactly." She replied as she shook her hands in front of her. "But the balcony." We entered the room to see it was rather large with a single bed at the center with a desk and other books lying about the room. Several parts to machines that went far over my head strayed across the room in a chaotic fashion. "Sorry about the mess." Koyuki said as we moved around the equipment and towards a set of double doors. Opening the doors revealed a balcony that over looked the plains that was surrounded by snowcapped mountains. A single road led to a frozen lake and lined said lake until disappearing into the mountains beyond. Snow continued to fall from the heavens above, but the white marble beneath our feet was heated to a comfortable level. The bustle of the Market District was distant and the only sound came from the wind that flowed in over the mountains. "Maybe not as beautiful as the…" She then looked over to the blonde only to see a small genuine smile, much like the one I wore when we were in the Snow Gardens, gracing my features.
"Your country holds so much beauty." I commented as a crack in my mask formed, but something else surfaced that even I wasn't expecting. I couldn't form it into words, but this place held so much beauty that maybe, just maybe, I could feel at ease for just a moment. It was these small moments of bliss that kept my mind on track. These small moments that kept me from falling too deep into the hole that I dug myself into.
"Thanks…" Koyuki said before diverting her gaze away from me and to the lands beyond. 'It's like there's a different person beneath that face of his. When he see's something like this he grows comfortable enough to actually smile like this. Hmm…'
"So this is where you two have been." A voice from behind us said, making us turn to see Dotō standing inside Sōsetsu's room. Koyuki immediately got serious when the presence of her uncle made itself known.
"Have you been looking for us?" Koyuki asked as we entered the bedroom and closed the doors behind us.
"For you specifically." Dotō responded while crossing his arms. "Your father has asked you to meet him in the common room. I believe he wants you to meet the diplomatic team from Konoha."
"I see. Then I will take my leave. It was a pleasure, Naruto Namikaze." Koyuki said with a bow before leaving the room and descending the stairs. Dotō and I stayed silent for a moment, as if to take in each other's presence.
This silence was broken when Dotō walked towards one of the tables that housed a machine of unknown design. He picked up a piece of the machine and observed it with a small amount of curiosity. "I was never very good with technology like my brother is. The ability to create has flowed through his veins since the day he was born." After looking over the piece for a short amount of time he replaced it back onto the table before looking over to me. "Tell me. What is your true purpose for being here?"
"…" I stared back at the man with furrowed brows as walked towards me with that even look he gave everyone else.
"Why would the kage from Konoha send one of his children to a foreign land at the last possible moment?" Dotō leaned in close so we were nearly face to face. "It truly makes me wonder…"
"It's because it would be a sign of good trus-."
"Don't bullshit me!" Dotō exploded as he walked away in anger. Akamaru was growling threateningly from inside my jacket, but the man ignored the pup. "I know how shinobi work! They wouldn't send someone as important as you without a hidden reason. Was it to steal technology from us? Or was it to seduce the princess so one day you two would marry?"
"…" I simply stared back at the man as he racked his brain for answers.
"If you were to marry the princess then Konoha would control the Land of Snow since Sōsetsu's only child is Koyuki." His face then turned to knowing as he nodded his head at his apparent answer. "That's it… Konoha is hoping to absorb the Land of Snow into their sphere of influence by marrying off their son to the daughter of Sōsetsu. Well let me tell you the Land of Snow is mine! Do you hear me?!"
"I'm not here to seduce Koyuki, or steal technology. To be perfectly honest I'm just here because I wanted to travel outside of Konoha. That's it. There's no hidden agenda here. Just a boy's desire to travel." I responded, but Dotō didn't look convinced.
"We'll see about that." Dotō said before storming out of the room. I stayed silent for a moment as my cold eyes stayed on the door for a while.
I was broken from my trance by a soft whine and bump against my chin. Akamaru was rubbing his head against my chin in an attempt to comfort me. "Don't worry. It's all just a misunderstanding. I'm sure it will blow over." Akamaru still did his best to comfort me as I left the room.
'Something else is going on here, and it can't be good…'
XxXxX
AN: So here's the next chapter. I'm currently on vacation so I should have more time write chapters. I hope you all continue to read my story and enjoy it!
As always, I love you all!