A/N: There will be a bit more divergence, but worry not; we'll still deal with Zabuza and Haku soon enough after this. Who knows? We may even find Sigmeyer in Nami no Kuni. But for now, we'll have a bit of a diversion. Otherwise, do read and review, would you kindly? And please keep it classy!

…

[Hokage's Office]

"The mission you're on is simple enough," explained the Hokage, striking a wooden match to light his pipe, "I'd have assigned this to Team Kurenai, but they're already out on a mission of their own. Besides, you're the only team with sensory specialists that I have available at the moment. Anyway, you are to help Sigurin find her father."

"He's been missing for almost a month now," added Sigurin, almost fidgeting in her armor, "My father is a wanderer; always out looking for adventure. He's not a bad person, but the problem is that he just won't stay still. I've heard word that he was seen in these parts, before heading north."

There was a certain tone in the girl's voice that made it clear to Naruto that she was sincerely worried for her father. He suddenly felt the urge to comfort her welling up in his chest as she fidgeted nervously. Aw man, I just wanna hug her now.

"You all have by the end of the day to prepare for this mission," added the Hokage, puffing on his pipe, "I would recommend you prepare for a long trip, and get plenty of rest. You are to meet the client at the southern gates. Dismissed."

Kaori nodded in assent, leaving the entire team to their own devices. "By the way Naruto, I have a request," called the elderly Kage, catching Naruto just as he was about to cross the threshold, "Sigurin was robbed on the way here. Apparently, she managed to fight off the bandits and get back our upfront pay, but she doesn't have enough money to stay at an inn. Would it be too much if I asked her to stay with you for the night?"

Having a look at the armored girl, Naruto could not help but feel sorry for her. On top missing her dad, she was robbed on the way to the village. She was most certainly not in a good place, and yet he could not help but admire her determination. "I think I can put up with her for the night."

"Splendid," replied the Hokage, "Now, go get your supplies and rest up. It's likely you'll be out for a few weeks."

Sigurin followed Naruto out the door, squeezing through the frame to accommodate the bulky shape of her armor. "So, where are we going now?" she asked, walking in stride with the younger boy.

"We're gonna go to this store that Kaori-sensei took me to once," he answered, "If she catches me with even one pack of instant ramen in my storage scroll, she's gonna burn it to a crisp."

"Well that's not nice," snorted the onion girl

"You're telling me!" Naruto agreed, "She just keeps taking me out to all sorts of places and asking me to order anything but ramen!"

"Did you enjoy any of it?"

"Well yeah, but that's not the point! I wanna enjoy my ramen whenever, wherever!"

"Then I guess you should be more appreciative," chided Sigurin, "I think she wants to teach you that the there's more to the world than just ramen. It's like my father teaching me to eat my vegetables…"

As she trailed off, Naruto noted that the client had suddenly gone silent. "Sorry about that," he said, "I didn't mean to…"

"No, no, it's quite alright," Sigurin interrupted, waving her hands in dismissal, "I really needed to speak of him anyway."

Naruto nodded in appreciation. "Cool."

There was a silence between Naruto and the client as they walked the streets of Konoha. "If I may ask, what is this 'ramen' you speak of?"

…

[Old Kingdom Smith and Forge]

Andore busied himself at the forge, watching carefully as the billet he'd put inside slowly began to change from a cherry red to a bright yellow. It was made of twenty-four alternating layers of cast iron and spring steel, which would be stretched out and separated into nine pieces. Each piece would then be twisted in a different direction, before all nine would be welded together and twisted and hammered into a single billet. It was a large, multi-purpose hunting knife for an Inuzuka planning to go out in the wilderness.

With Tenten out of town on a mission, he was left alone with his thoughts and his work. The only thing Andore prayed for was that nobody would come to the shop at the moment. His grizzled appearance had frightened off far too many customers to other forges. As far as he was concerned, a few loyal customers was far better than a legion of unreliable ones. Not to mention, I'm already on a bloody government contract as it were.

As he began to stretch out the billet, Andore heard the sound of the bell ringing. "Bloody hell," he groused, placing the piece back in the forge, "I swear, nobody wants to leave me alone…"

Stepping out into the shop, the old smith looked down at today's visitor. Her violet hair was done up like a pineapple, and she wore a minimal amount of clothing under her overcoat. She only wore a fishnet mesh made from spring steel cables. "Hey there, old man!"

"Well, 'tis good to see you again, Anko," greeted Andore, "I suppose you're here for more o' the usual?"

"Not today, I'm here for a special order," Anko chirped, looking through the wares on the shelf, "I heard you did one for Kaori and was wondering if you could do something for me?"

"Ah, so yer lookin' at one of them 'trick weapons' my granddaughter and I have fashioned?" asked Andore, a knowing smile on his bearded face, "Marvellous work they are; I helped to make the blades, while she learned to make the moving parts. I hear they are popular with you shinobi. So you have something new for us to make?"

Anko nodded, unfurling a roll of parchment in front of the old smith. Andore studied the schematics carefully, grunting thoughtfully as he read every detail written in a different script. "This looks simple enough," he drawled, contemplating the drawings, "Where'd you find it?"

"Found it while I was on a mission raiding one of Orochimaru's bases," answered Anko, "Looked like something he wanted to arm his troops with. Makes me wonder what it would've been like if they managed to make a working copy of it."

"Well, the weapon can be done without question," Andore noted, interpreting the finer details in the blueprint, "Although, I don't have any siderite on hand. It's a simple design, but it has to be built to exact specifications, or else it would not work properly."

Anko stared at Andore as though he'd just sprouted a second head from his shoulder. She was wide-eyed in confusion as she tried to comprehend what she'd been told. "You can read that gibberish?"

"That 'gibberish' is an old script called 'Futhark,'" answered Andore, reading the words on the scroll, "'Tis a dead language, but it is seen from time to time in ancient artifacts from the days before the discovery of chakra—and especially on pieces of titanite." Noticing that Anko was silent, he sighed. "You can't be a good smith if you don't learn tricks from the ancients, so I dabbled in archaeology for a time. 'Tis also the reason I favor traditional smithing techniques to these newfangled noisemakers you young'uns call tools nowadays."

Sighing in exasperation, Anko took the parchment back. "So, all you need is some siderite and we'll be good to go?"

"Indeed," answered Andore, "But that in itself will be difficult. On top of being hard to hammer into shape, siderite comes from the stars; finding enough for this project is about as likely as that blonde slug-wench winning at them casino games. And even if by some odd stroke of luck you hear of someone that has found a meteorite, a fist-sized piece is likely to bankrupt you."

"Hmmm…I wonder…" Anko drawled playfully in thought, before pulling out a sealing scroll. She immediately cut her thumb before wiping it across its surface as she unfurled it; a puff of smoke issuing forth as the item was pulled from the scroll. As the smoke cleared, Andore found himself looking at a large, shiny rock.

"By the gods, is this what I think it is?" asked the smith, looking on in wonder.

"The snake was either lucky or rich enough to find it," explained the Snake Mistress, while Andore pulled out a jeweller's monocle to examine the meteorite, "Honestly? I dunno, but it looked like he was about to get an expert on siderite to work it. You think this is enough for the project?"

"'Tis more than enough," answered Andore, studying the hunk of siderite, "And from what I'm seeing, this is very good quality siderite. The project is simple enough for me to do within two weeks, fit and finish included. As I will have the honors of bringing this weapon back to life, it will be built free of charge. But if you come back with anything broken, I will begin to charge you accordingly simply to find the siderite. Am I understood?"

"Loud and clear."

…

[Naruto's apartment]

"Well, we're here," chirped Naruto, unlocking the door, "It ain't much, but it's home."

In one hand, Naruto carried a set of disposable storage scrolls that he'd bought at a place that Kaori told him would set him up quite nicely with provisions for missions at a reasonable price. Coincidentally, it was owned by the Akimichi clan, and so it was more than guaranteed that it would contain dishes that catered to a shinobi on a long job. The problem was that nobody knew what was in those ration kits, adding a level of excitement with every purchase; something about marketing 'surprise meals' and adding a bit of variety. Sometimes people got chicken and rice with mushroom sauce in one package, others got pork and beans in vegetable stew in another. Still though, for those with specific requirements such as vegan diets and food allergies, specially-tailored packages could be requested ahead of time for a slightly higher price.

Either way, these were made and packed in-house by a clan that was extremely strict on food safety—at the very least, Naruto could always trust Akimichi-made food. Due to their near-obsessive insistence on following all health inspector regulations to a T, the entire clan took it personally with anyone that even thought of sabotaging a meal to do harm. I'm pretty sure Choji and his dad would have some choice words with food-poisoners, he thought wryly, And they'd probably throw in more than a few punches and groin-kicks for good measure.

Turning the knob, Naruto allowed his guest entrance into the apartment. Sigurin had a look of the surroundings with a keen eye as she walked in. "This is where you live?" she asked, "It seems too small."

"Well, at least you get all the space you need," Naruto answered, placing the scrolls on the table, "So, anything you need before we get to dinner?"

"If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like some help in removing my armor," said Sigurin, tenting her fingers nervously, "It's hard to do on my own, and it's late."

"Figures," Naruto sighed, "Tell me what to do and we'll get to it."

"Let me put down my sword and shield, then we can start with my helmet…"

Naruto reached for the sides of her helmet, before pulling it off to reveal the face of a girl around Kaori's age…if not somewhat younger. Her straw-colored hair was done up in a bun behind her head, and she looked back at him with tired, coffee-colored eyes. No doubt from searching for her father for a long time.

As he continued to follow her directions, Naruto understood why Sigurin needed help. While she could clearly do so on her own, it probably would have taken a good half hour or so if she weren't in a rush. A second pair of hands may even have shortened that to about fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. It was a problem exacerbated by the girth of the armor, as well as his inexperience with armor in general.

"I apologize for having to ask this of you," she explained, taking off the plates on her arms, "Normally, I would have a squire back home to help me put it on and take it off."

"No problem, always a first time for everything," Naruto replied, undoing the buckles from her leg armor, "How can you walk around in this anyway?"

"I've been wearing armor for a long time," answered Sigurin, removing her cuirass, "As a young girl, I'd had to get used to wearing armor in order to become a knight."

"I'm sorry?"

"A knight," Sigurin repeated, placing the fauld on the table, "A warrior-noble. I suppose in these parts, you would be calling us 'samurai.'"

"Wow, didn't think I'd have nobility in my apartment," Naruto noted, "And that should be the last piece."

"My family is not exactly prestigious, but we are still nobility."

As he took in a better look at his guest, he was able to take in more details about her. She wore a chainmail shirt that was sewn onto a leather jacket, and her tough pants were tied at the knees just above her boots. Beneath her under-armor, Naruto was able to notice that she had a slightly smaller bust than Kaori, and she was a bit shorter with slightly thicker curves. Overall, it looked less like the body of someone that wore armor for most of her life, and more like a normal -if physically fit- civilian girl in her mid- to late teens. If Kaori-sensei is on the sexy side of the scale, this girl is more on the cute side.

"If we can just get my armor off the table, we can take inventory of our provisions and equipment," suggested an eager Sigurin, "Then we can try out this 'ramen' of yours."

"Right, well, let's see what we've got."

After removing all of Sigurin's gear, Naruto unfurled both scrolls on the table, allowing him a look at the contents. Each line was simply labeled as a meal, and a number; no doubt with a proprietary storage seal hidden. There were twenty-one lines in each scroll, organized into three columns and labeled from 'Breakfast 1' to 'Dinner 21,' each containing a mystery meal. From what that Akimichi salesman told him, each seal on the scroll worked only once; meaning he couldn't seal the meal back.

As he examined the scrolls, Naruto checked for signs that they had been previously used. Finding nothing wrong, he heaved a relieved sigh as he began to roll the scrolls back up. "Yeah, they look good."

"How so?" Sigurin asked, examining the scrolls for herself.

"I don't see any signs that they were used at all," explained Naruto, "That, and Kaori-sensei told me that the real scrolls are written in an ink that only the Akimichi would use. Something about hand-mixing their own ink from bone ash."

"Not a surprise, my people make ink that way too."

"Anyway, let's put these away so that we can get to dinner."

The scrolls were rolled up, and placed in a bag near the table, leaving Naruto to get water for the ramen. "Do you live here alone?" Sigurin queried.

"Yeah, for as long as I remember," Naruto answered, preparing the vegetables and frozen dumplings while waiting for the water to boil, "I was told my parents died when I was born, and that they were good people."

Sigurin regarded Naruto with shock, before her expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"Don't be," Naruto interrupted, "I'm already used to it. Besides, I've got a team now; they're probably the closest thing I've got to a real family."

Naruto threw two ramen blocks into the boiling pot before turning his attention back to the onion girl. "What about you? You got anyone waiting for you at home?"

"No, all I've got is my father," answered Sigurin, "My mother passed several months after he left. I'm bringing my father home so that he can at least come to pay respects before continue his adventures."

Looking on at the saddened girl, Naruto felt the urge to hug her. "Wow, you're really worried about him, aren't you?"

Sigurin nodded in assent, a wistful look in her eyes. "I miss him dearly."

The rattle of the pot lid caught Naruto's attention, causing him to hop towards the pot with a pair of chopsticks to jab into the noodles, swirling them around to break them up and cook more evenly. "Well, don't worry," he said, pouring the noodles into a colander before running them under cold water, "We'll find your old man and you can bring him home, or my name isn't Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!"

"Thank you."

The rest of the night continued silently as Naruto made the ramen soup from two cans of chicken broth. He then allowed the dumplings to boil in the pot, while putting the noodles and vegetables in the two bowls. As soon as the dumplings floated in the boiling liquid, he divided them evenly before pouring the steaming broth over the noodles. To finish off, he sprinkled a little spice over both bowls.

Once the dinner was prepared, he handed Sigurin a pair of chopsticks. "Here, not as good as what's in the restaurants, but one bowl of ramen for you."

"Thank-you, but I've got my own eating utensils," Sigurin replied, setting aside the chopsticks before pulling out a small leather wrap from a satchel. She unfurled it to reveal three metal items: a spoon and a knife, and what appeared to be a small, two-pronged pitchfork.

Picking up the fork, she twirled it inside the soup to extract a small bundle of noodles on the metal utensil, before eating.

Naruto looked at her with an expectant expression. "Well? How is it?"

…

[Elsewhere]

Crows cawed, picking away at the bodies of two warrior teams with metal headbands, with either two rocks, or three clouds engraved upon them. Each had died with a look of abject horror frozen on their face. All in all, a complete slaughter of eight warriors in strange, thick cloth vests.

Through the cacophony of cawing, a large man stood silently by, surveying the carnage with a giant cleaver in hand. His entire body was composed of muscle, accentuated by the fact that he wore little in the way of armor or clothing. Whatever modesty he had was covered by a fur loincloth, cloak, and boots. He wore an abdominal cuirass and a pair of heavy chains crossing his chest. A large nose took up the majority of his squared face, its flattened profile giving him a somewhat leonine appearance. Short, spiky black hair splayed out in all directions, as glowing red eyes inspected the battlefield; in addition, two small tusks jutted from his lower jaw, making him look like an oni.

Sitting on a boulder, the giant contemplated the fight he'd just interrupted. He'd happened across these warriors by chance, but what he saw interested him to no end. These people were throwing what looked like spells at each other, while fighting with strange, leaf-bladed daggers. From time to time, he'd even seen them flinging small, flat blades at each other.

He remembered the sudden rush in his veins while watching the skirmish. If it were any other time, he would have simply observed before challenging the strongest warrior. Now? With humanity wielding a general fighting style that emphasized mobility and a heavy use of magic? How could he possibly sit back and let these soldiers do all the killing? Wishing to see for himself how strong these new warriors were, the swordsman had leaped into the fray. As the two teams scattered, the swordsman flattened his first victim upon landing before eviscerating a second.

Upon recovering from the shock of his sudden appearance, the remaining six soldiers from both sides of the conflict split up, gathering together in an attempt to fell him. He distinctly remembered the fates of each and every one of them: how he'd initiated the fight by punching one of the rock-people in the middle of a spell so hard, that his neck snapped.

He could still hear his comrade's cry of rage as he dove at him with a pair of daggers. The swordsman parried his airborne soldier's daggers with an upward swing, keeping him in the air. After recovering from the first swing, he bisected the soldier in a single chop.

The third member of the rock-people managed to complete his spell, sending an avalanche of dirt and rock in his direction. The swordsman's response was to sidestep the spell, before rushing the wizard. Before the spellcaster could weave any more magic, the swordsman grabbed his face and pulverized his head with a single squeeze.

After that, all that remained was the team of cloud-warriors, who saw this as an opportunity to make their own attempt to slay him. Glad that they intended to stay and fight, the giant charged, an action mimicked by the opposing team. He recalled killing the first of the cloud-warriors with a single punch, shortly before chopping his airborne colleague in half.

The only remaining warrior was a woman with a pair of short swords. Before she started the battle, she sheathed her blades in lightning. She was agile, finding no trouble avoiding his attacks throughout the fight; however, he never gave her a chance to respond. As the fight progressed, the giant felt he could cut loose, sundering her blades before cutting deep into her shoulder.

The demon scoffed. And you call yourselves men? he mused to himself, spitting upon one of the male corpses, Pitiful!

As he surveyed the battlefield, the swordsman thought carefully to himself about the encounter he'd just had with these magical warriors. True, they were stronger in many ways than the soldiers he'd massacred long ago, but they were still very fragile. While the woman was killed in just under four minutes, each of the men died within one. Still, if skirmishes like these had this much excitement, I'd like to see what a war would look like, thought the giant.

A smile creased his lips at yet another thought. Perhaps I may yet find a worthy opponent in this place…

…

[Gates of Konoha]

The morning was fairly quiet as they strolled down the street, making sure the well-armed and armored knight was at least well-supported in the event she had to fight━she was paying them after all. The girl seemed to be in slightly better spirits since she stayed in Naruto's apartment, and it showed in the subtle bounce in her step. No surprise, considering she traveled alone while looking for her father.

As they met at the town square, Kaori eyeballed everyone's gear; barring weapons, Team Eleven traveled light, as anything oversized was kept in a storage scroll. Naruto kept his hankyu, as well as his and Sigurin's provisions in a storage scroll at the small of his back; his longsword and was holstered at his left for combat, and the machete over the scroll for general use. Apparently, Taka did the same for her larger sword, keeping her smaller blade at the ready. As Kaori's weapons were hidden, and Hanabi only needed her fists, there was no need for anything other than their provisions. Sigurin shouldered her massive sword, ready for battle while her shield was in the offhand, speaking volumes of how strong and fit she was.

"So I understand the client spent the night at your place, Naruto," Kaori stated, as Team Eleven neared the gates, with their client in tow.

"Yeah, she was good company," answered Naruto, wondering what his mentor was getting at.

Kaori smirked mischievously. "You get a look under that armor of hers?"

"He actually helped me take it off," replied Sigurin.

"See anything good?" asked Kaori, pressing on.

The onion knight looked towards the jōnin kunoichi, scoffing. "I wasn't naked, if that's what you're insinuating. I am still a girl, after all."

Kaori let out a simple 'hn.' "But seriously, what did you do?"

"Well, after we bought our supplies from that store you showed me, I decided to have her try some ramen," answered Naruto, "I still haven't gotten an answer about it yet, dattebayo!"

"It wasn't bad," she answered honestly, "It's just different from the foods I'm used to back home. Perhaps when we have a chance, I'll cook something for you to try."

"Hey there!" called out a voice from the side. Team Eleven and their client turned their attention to the security booth near the gate. Naruto recognized them both as Izumo and Kōtetsu, the two guys who always hung out with each other. Out of every shinobi that chased him after a prank, both of them were a close second to Iruka.

Izumo waved them over as they crossed the threshold into the Hi no Kuni wilderness. "You two get guard duty again?" Kaori asked, half in amusement.

Izumo sighed in resignation. "Yeah, we drew the short straw on who did the week shift. Especially after that Cho-han bet Kōtetsu made last month. Thanks to that, we're rotating our shifts between each gate every day."

"Well you could've stopped me y'know," rebuked the bandaged shinobi, "Instead of…oh, I dunno, staring at the dealer and her tattoos?"

Izumo rolled his eyes in exasperation. Eager to change the subject, he turned his attention back to Team Eleven. "So I take it you guys are out on your first mission outside the village?"

Hanabi beamed at the two guards. "Yep."

"Well, you guys watch yourselves," Kōtetsu advised, "It's probably a low-ranked mission, but be on your guard all the same. You never know what's gonna happen on a mission."

"It's just a C-ranked mission," Kaori replied, "But all the same, we'll be careful."

The two guards waved at the shinobi team and their client off as they left the gates. Team Eleven strolled down the dirt road, taking in the scenery as they kept their eyes peeled. Nothing much to see, considering the path they took. Still, it was a beautiful day, the occasional chirping of birds; a good omen that lifted their spirits.

"So, what can you tell us about your dad?" asked Kaori, after five minutes of silence.

"He should be wearing armor exactly like mine, but with a larger sword," explained Sigurin, "When he's not in armor, I suppose the polite way to describe him is portly. He's also got a round nose, dark hair, and a thick mustache; you really can't miss him."

"Basically, we're looking for another onion-man right?" Hanabi queried, "That should make my job easier. You have any leads on where he could have gone?"

"The only one I've got is that he stayed in Konoha for a few days, and was last seen heading north of here," answered Sigurin, "I'd heard mention of a spring situated beneath a great tree, filled with water that could make someone stronger. Perhaps I can find him there."

Kaori silently racked her brains for the location Sigurin spoke of. After a minute of quiet thinking, she heaved a sigh. "Well then, it looks like we're gonna have a long trip," she said, pulling a compass out of her pocket, "We're heading northwest to Takigakure."

"Takigakure?" Naruto parroted.

"Yeah, that's the only place I can think of with water that does exactly what she says," Kaori added, "They're not a major shinobi village, but they're still strong enough that they never fail to send some very high-quality shinobi to the Chūnin Exams. Last I checked, we weren't exactly on the best of terms with them; prolonged conflicts rarely foster good foundations for relationships and all."

"She's right," Naruto noted, "No point in thinking about it when we still have a long ways to go."

There was nothing more to be said━they simply had a long trip ahead of them. Team Eleven continued down the road with their client, keeping their eyes and ears open for any threats to their escort mission. As he observed the way Sigurin moved, Naruto saw the signs of an experienced fighter; there was a grace and confidence in her movements that belied the cumbersome appearance of her armor.

The walk down the road was silent as they watched for threats from all directions. While they were technically working a missing persons case, it was still an escort mission at its core. Even if Sigurin could take care of herself in a fight, the job would fail if she died.

A snapped twig broke the silence, followed by movement in the bushes, prompting Kaori to pause mid-step and make the hand-signal to halt. Within seconds, more twigs were broken, and it was joined by rustling leaves. The way the vegetation moved around suggested that they were surrounded.

"Manji Formation!" Kaori barked, "Defend the client!"

The three genin surrounded the client in a defensive formation, weapons drawn and ready: Naruto gripped his longsword in both hands; Taka quickly grabbed a fistful of shuriken in one hand, and wielded her shorter blade in the offhand; and Hanabi slipped on her gloves and into a fighting stance as she activated her Byakugan. However, they also stood a respectable enough distance away so that Sigurin could swing her massive sword if need be, while still being able to jump in and support her. At the same time, Kaori stood outside the formation, changing the grips on her cane while igniting her flame and activating her Sharingan.

"Hanabi, how many are we looking at?" Taka asked, keeping her eyes open.

"I'm seeing at least fifteen, maybe twenty enemies out here," answered Hanabi, the veins by her eyes pulsating.

Charging out of the vegetation was a gang of no more than twenty armed bandits, quickly encircling the team and cutting off their escape. Most of them were thugs equipped with a variety of weapons and armor. Quite a few of them on the lower end of the spectrum wielded kodachi and tanto (possibly with poisoned blades) and fought in the clothes on their backs; likely pretentious nobodies. On the other side, many of them wielded anything from rusty katana to well-made naginata, and wore armor━die-hard mercenaries -possibly a few rōnin- by the look of it.

There were also a few shinobi and kunoichi in the mix with scratched-out village crests. Several of them wore flak jackets, while others simply chose to fight in casual outfits; every one of them had a kunai or shuriken at the ready. They looked at his team with cold, calculating eyes, likely preparing a jutsu to wipe them out. Each of them carried themselves with an air of experience, which seemed to indicate that there were no genin among the bandits.

Naruto was startled from his thoughts when he heard a loud guffaw. "Well, it seems we've got a good hit here!"

The bandits parted way, allowing passage for the speaker. He was a hulking man in a suit of heavy armor, shouldering a rather large axe with a d-guard grip and a back spike. His bulbous helmet had two large eye holes, as well as a grill punched out where his mouth would be. The rounded shape of his well-worn plate armor, along with his thick frame, gave the impression of an obese man.

The armored hulk turned his attention to Sigurin. "So another idiot from Tamanegi no Kuni that's wandered way too far from home!"

Sigurin recoiled in shock. "You've seen someone wearing armor like mine?!"

"Oh, and a girl too! It seems me and my men will have some fun with you after we have a look under that armor of yours! And maybe some of the ladies too!"

There were jeers and taunts coming from all around. "Ah yeah, Bazuso!" sneered one of the men, "She sounds so cute, I wanna be the first to crack open that armor of hers!"

Whatever shock Sigurin had felt had boiled away as she growled in anger. "I've heard of you! You're Bazuso!"

Naruto kept his eyes on the attackers, watching for any of them to make the first move. "You know this guy?"

"We of Tamanegi no Kuni have put him on your Bingo Book as a dangerous mercenary and murderer," she explained, "Around here, he's apparently a mere highwayman that is gaining influence. Also known as the 'Bear-Slaughterer,' the 'Grey Knight,' and most infamously, the '30-Man Slayer.'"

Bazuso scoffed, holding his axe in both hands. "You've done your homework girlie. And you're right, I've just found that banditry pays in both money and power."

"You may be a disgrace to our people, but you have answers I want," Sigurin declared, pointing her sword at the bandit leader, "Tell me, where did you see the man that wore armor like mine?"

"The strong have no need to answer to the weak!" Bazuso roared, "Get them!"

On command, the bandits swarmed the shinobi team. Kaori pushed up her glasses with the handle of her cane…before stabbing a hapless soul through the ribs with her cane and incinerating several more with a short wave of flame. With the bandits burnt to ash, the Uchiha heiress kicked the impaled victim off her cane, transforming her weapon as she did so. As her cane changed, it rent a larger hole in the bandit; once freed, she swung her whip-sword at a nuke-nin in midair, sawing off a leg right below the knee.

Naruto handled his share of bandits with his sword and flame in conjunction. Sometimes, he would use the orthodox method of striking down opponents with the blade, before blasting the ones that got too close with explosive pyromancies on the fly. Other times, he would grab the tip with both hands, use the guard to disarm opponents, and then finishing them off by hitting a vital area with the strong of the blade. As much as I'd hate to admit it, my time in the painting did me a lot of good!

Even without her longer blade, Taka held her ground well enough, throwing shuriken to distract targets so she could stab them. The Fuyuki girl seemed to favor thrusts over slashes, keeping calm throughout the carnage, watching out for opportunities to stab at vital organs. She only slashed when things got too close for comfort, or to set up her target for a stab. In order to defend the client, she made sure to prioritize enemy shinobi before going after more bandits. If Kaori-sensei taught her, she'd be unstoppable, Naruto mused to himself.

Hanabi clenched her fists before outright punching nuke-nin across the face or landing an uppercut in their gut or chin. Her unique version of the Jūken attacked multiple tenketsu at once, meaning her victims were suffering from multiple chakra-related problems simultaneously. Another part of the reason she used her fists instead of her palms like most of her clansmen was that the physical pain was just a distraction from the devastation she'd already caused at the point of impact. Already, Naruto could see several bandits clutching their bodies, and squirming on the ground in agony, showing how different Hanabi was from her older twin.

Meanwhile, Sigurin dealt with anyone who managed to get past the defensive formation. She parried a thrust with her shield, countering with a heavy a slash to smash in her opponent's cuirass and several ribs. Her armor absorbed a few Raiton and Katon jutsu throughout the fight, allowing her to continue fighting uninterrupted. Sigurin didn't use any jutsu herself; she probably didn't even need them as she was still moving deftly in spite of her bulky armor.

The bandits paused in their assault to catch their breath, giving Team Eleven and their client a moment of respite. From the number of headbands they'd seen among the dead, they killed most of the nuke-nin bandits. The non-shinobi bandits on the other hand, suffered far worse losses. Still, the bandits had taken their fair share of blood; while everyone on the team was very careful, they were still tired out and with minor wounds. That left Bazuso, and seven survivors of his gang; all of whom were shinobi. It didn't help that he hadn't participated in the assault at all.

"Impressive," Bazuso bellowed, hefting his axe in both hands, "You ladies have taken out the majority of my gang, but it doesn't matter! Not one of you has the power to face me! Least of which being that pet you have with you!"

Upon hearing that, Naruto snarled. The giant warrior guffawed. "What's the matter, boy? Feeling helpless now that I've told you how weak you really are?! You probably couldn't do anything without those women helping you anyway! What, you want your momma to go help you now?! Or are you going to let your client do all the fighting for you, like the whelp you are? C'mon! Fight me! I dare you! I challenge you to a one-on-one duel!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the armored oaf as he spewed insults rapidly; the grip on his longsword tightening as he glared daggers at Bazuso. On top of insulting him, the moron had the nerve to insult his entire team. "Can I please go shut him up now?"

"Cool it, Naruto," Kaori assured, keeping her cane and flame ready in the even the shinobi decided to attack, "He just wants to separate us so he and the remainder of his gang can have an easier time dealing with us."

"Yeah, do as your bitch of an owner tells you, boy!" Bazuso shouted, "And when I'm done with you, I'll be enjoying their flesh as I show them all where they all belong; in the bed with me and my men!"

It was clear that all the women in the area were offended by the insult; each one doing their best to resist the urge to charge in without a plan. "Naruto, you have some new jutsu for your flame, right?" Kaori whispered, trying to keep a level head.

"Yeah," Naruto replied, his tone betraying his hesitance.

Kaori looked back to the surrounding shinobi. "You confident you can take that asshole on your own? This isn't the Painted World y'know."

"If it means shutting his big mouth, then yeah; I'm pretty sure I can fight that idiot myself."

"Then we work together on this," explained Kaori, "You're going to draw his attention while I take the rest of the team to deal with his shinobi support. We'll try to finish them off quickly so that you'll get support. Remember, the client wants him alive for questioning, so aim to cripple."

"What about me?" asked Sigurin, in between pants, "I can't in good conscience leave you people to do all the work! I'm fighting with you!"

"We can't risk it," Kaori shot back, "You're our client; survival should be your biggest priority. If you die, then we can't get paid; besides, you won't be able to find your father if you're dead."

Whatever Sigurin had to say on the matter was left on the tip of her tongue, when Naruto turned to face her. "Leave that iron-headed idiot to us," he said, loudly enough for Bazuso to hear, "We'll see to it that he lives to talk."

Sigurin huffed in frustration. "Do as you will. But I'll watch your backs."

"What're you bitches waiting for?!" shouted Bazuso, "Are you all as cowardly as the dickless boy you've got with you?!"

"Hanabi, support her," Kaori ordered, "She's joining us after all." At this, Sigurin turned her attention to the Uchiha heiress. "Remember ladies; nobody interrupts his fight except for us.

Hanabi cracked her knuckles. "With pleasure," she answered, cracking her neck. At the same time, Sigurin rotated her shoulders.

Turning her attention to the only boy in the group, Kaori saw Naruto glaring daggers at Bazuso. "Go on, Naruto," she ordered, "Remember, if you can't beat him, then just hold him off long enough for us to come help you."

Upon receiving his orders, Naruto lowered his shoulders to rotate his neck. "Got it."

As he walked towards his opponent, Naruto rotated his shoulders before igniting his flame. Bazuso stepped forward to meet him halfway, hefting his steel axe on his shoulder. "I see you've got some balls, but you're gonna regret it when you lose your head over some wo-"

Bazuso's taunt cut off as he watched Naruto slamming a flaming palm against his chest, channeling Katon chakra into it. He could feel the fire filling his heart and lungs, commanding his body to send adrenaline through every blood vessel. His chakra system flared up, gradually flooding every muscle fibre with power, stretching his body to the limit. A red miasma began to surround his body, flickering in the air as though he were set on fire.

As the tremors subsided, Naruto took a deep breath before gripping his longsword in both hands. He began the fight by quickly rushing Bazuso, bringing his blade down on the knight, barely giving his opponent time to block with the haft of his axe. Every step forward was punctuated with a fast, overhead swing that bit deep into the haft upon contact. After catching the blade of the longsword with the beard of his axe, Bazuso proceeded to kick Naruto away to give him some breathing room before swinging the axe low in an attempt to hack off his opponent's legs.

At the same time, the remainder of Team Eleven and Sigurin kept a good distance away, intercepting shinobi that attempted to interrupt the fight. However, the first of the remaining nuke-nin to die was accidentally killed by his boss's axe, as he tried to intercept Naruto in midair. True to Bazuso's title of "30-Man Slayer," he had the strength and stamina to knock around lesser men with ease; and apparently, he'd also acquired the agility to catch shinobi off-guard. His lackey was tossed aside like a ragdoll into a tree━the impact exacerbating the axe wound in his chest.

Sigurin swung her shield, rending a gash through a shinobi's flak jacket before running the tip of her massive sword into an opening in the cloth armor, piercing through the sternum and the spine. After kicking a bandit off her sword, she turned to watch Hanabi sending her stunned opponent flying with a heavy uppercut before hopping away from a Katon jutsu. After swinging the corpse off her blade, Sigurin charged with her spiked shield raised; catching the enemy shinobi unawares upon landing. Her tackle had come to a complete stop as she crushed the nuke-nin against a tree, at the same time piercing a lung on the spiked boss.

Fencing with her opponent, Taka ducked and wove through the nuke-nin's strikes, watching for opportunities for the killing stab. Before she could capitalize on an opening she'd created, Kaori swung her bladed whip downward to bisect her opponent. The jōnin quickly turned her attention to a kunoichi in the middle of casting a jutsu; her response was to create a long, whip-like stream of flames to harass the enemy ninja, breaking her concentration as she caught flame. Distracted with trying to put out the flames on her body, the enemy kunoichi was impaled on Kaori's cane. She didn't flinch when Taka used her short blade to cut into her target's ankles, before stabbing them through the back.

Between his boss being occupied, and being the last member of his gang alive, the surviving nuke-nin fled. As Hanabi was about to give chase, Kaori gently grabbed her by the shoulder. "We've already won. Besides, I have a feeling he'll think twice before getting involved with bandits in the future."

With the rest of the bandit gang accounted for, Team Eleven and Sigurin turned their attention to Naruto just in time to watch him duck under an overhead slash aimed for his neck, one hand grabbing onto the blade. He followed through by stabbing his opponent in his exposed armpit, spearing through a few rings of chainmail before going into his shoulder. Bazuso barked in pain, as he released his hold on the axe. As his opponent staggered, Naruto grabbed the tip of his sword with both hands, swinging the strong of the blade into a chink in Bazuso's armor behind his knee. The Pyromancy he used enhanced his muscle strength, breaking through the chainmail and eliciting a scream of pain as his sword bit into Bazuso's leg. The bandit leader was brought to his knees, snarling in agony as he nursed the stab wound in his shoulder. Blood pooled under him as he tried to stanch the bleeding.

After pulling his sword out of Bazuso's knee, Naruto suddenly flinched as his head throbbed. The Pyromancy that Kurama had taught him increased the force of his blows━the tradeoff was that as the adrenaline rush wore off, he could feel the constant burn licking at his nerves. As his body cooled off, the pain began to subside, leaving him tired. His legs turned to jelly as he collapsed to the floor from exhaustion. Hanabi was quick to catch him, pulling a panting Naruto towards her as she held him up with some effort.

Kaori walked in front of him, gently pulling his face to hers. "You did good."

"Thanks, sensei," Naruto acknowledged in between pants.

Nodding in satisfaction, Kaori turned to Sigurin. "I believe you had something to ask him?"

Sigurin shouldered her sword, striding confidently towards Bazuso. As she came to a complete stop in front of him, she stepped on his axe and pressed her blade to his neck. "Tell me where you saw the man in armor like mine, and I'll make your death quick."

"Fine!" he yelled, "We saw him heading this way to Takigakure! But he's not gonna last long there! Not with the Bakiraka watching the borders!"

"Who are the Bakiraka?" asked Sigurin, clenching her sword in anger.

"They're a clan of assassins who mainly patrol the borders of Takigakure," explained Kaori, "They're the remnant of an ancient civilization originally from Kaze no Kuni that serves as the village's black-ops and special forces soldiers since the Clan Wars. I've dealt with some of them abroad during my time as an ANBU and I can tell you for a fact: while they're not technically shinobi, they're no slouches either. The average clansman is capable of fighting an ANBU or a chūnin on even terms without chakra."

"I'm sorry, 'without chakra?'" Naruto asked in disbelief.

Kaori nodded. "Yeah, but that's not to say that they don't use chakra at all. It's just that they're masters of stealth and exotic weaponry first, and chakra specialists second."

Bazuso chuckled weakly, the blood loss beginning to take over. "That dumb idiot's probably been killed by them! I hear the Bakiraka are so skilled with torture, that they scare even the legendary Morino Ibiki! Serves him right for ruining our last job—we would've made a lot of money off that green-haired bit-!"

Whatever else Bazuso had to say came to a halt when Sigurin brought her sword down on his helmet. The heavy blade smashed through hardened steel, splitting his head down the middle. Satisfied with her kill, Sigurin extricated the blade from the corpse.

"What now?" Kaori asked, a sympathetic expression on her face.

"We stay on course," answered Sigurin, "I don't know if he's dead, but I still have to find him."

"Then we're gonna have to take a knee." At this point, the Uchiha heiress turned her attention to her team and pulled a small black book from her satchel. "But first, we've gotta make sure that we don't waste this opportunity to get some easy money. As soon as Naruto recovers, I want you three to identify the bodies; if they're in the Bingo Book, decapitate them and seal the head away. Once you're done with that, then you guys can take your break. I'll cremate the bodies."

The genin of Team Eleven turned their attention to Kaori as though she'd grown a second head. "I must have misheard," Sigurin interjected, looking towards Kaori, "I thought I'd heard that you would seal the heads away, then cremate the bodies?"

"No, you heard me right," Kaori replied calmly and matter-of-factly, "You see, the dead still have value in the world. Even I find it unsavory to do this, but if we just leave the bodies here, someone else might claim their heads and the bounties attached to them."

"Criminal or not, they still deserve a burial!" Sigurin exclaimed in outrage, "Why are we just handing their heads over for money? Wouldn't that make us no better than the bandits we just killed?"

"In your homeland, what you consider dishonorable, we call pragmatism," Kaori shot back, "Out here in these lawless lands, survival is your number one priority. Besides, shinobi do this all the time; especially the bounty hunters. In all honesty, I'd much rather see to it that this dirty money gets put to good use later than to be seed money for new bandit gangs."

Naruto agreed━it was a matter of survival outside the villages. Other than one's own team, nobody was to be trusted. On top of that, they had to make use of every resource they could find just to live for the next day, a lesson that he'd learned in the Painted World. Well, at least I'm not so squeamish about having to do this, he thought.

…

[Kiln of the First Flame]

Strolling idly through the weapons graveyard, Kurama found herself wondering as to which weapon she wanted to touch next. So far, she'd heard the tale of many Chosen Undeads, Bearers of the Curse, and a good number of Ashen Ones in the last week. While their stories were varied and interesting in their own right, she wanted to touch more specific weapons to see their stories unfold.

Eventually, a shimmer caught her eye. Upon closer inspection, she saw a pair of blades planted in the ground in an x-shape. The golden weapon was a curved sword with a smooth edge and a black spine, guard, and grip. Its partner was a large, silvery dagger with a barbed and poisoned blade. Dangling from their grips on a chain was a large, bronze ring with a hornet crest carved into the main setting.

Curious about the owner of such magnificent blades, Kurama touched the ring, watching as images of a woman in blue clothing filled her mind. Underneath the fluttering, light-absorbing cloth, she also wore what looked like a suit of light armor fitted on a gracile body. She also wore a segmented helmet with a featureless white porcelain mask, and plaited, silvery blonde false hair pieces flowing behind her head.

The way she moved in battle was as graceful as it was effective. The golden edge of her sword distracted and parried away blades, getting her barbed dagger in position for the killing stab. The woman carried herself with a sort of natural dignity, as most gods and goddesses of Lordran were wont to do. There was also a certain disdain she felt for humanity that she shared with the divinity of that ancient kingdom; tempered by knowledge that not all humans were as bad as her people made them to be.

As she looked through more of her memories, Kurama saw that the blue hornet was not alone; that she had companions that she cared for above all else. While she did reciprocate the friendship of her peers, only one of them had truly earned her love. In the end, her love was lost to the Abyss in Oolacile, protecting the she-wolf pup he'd raised.

After the fall of Lordran, she'd spent her last days watching over and praying before the grave of the man she loved. Fittingly enough, her sword-dagger pair was located next to the massive sword and shield near the fossilized bones of a titanic wolf. In the same proximity was a gnarled wooden greatbow fit for a giant, the mighty Dragonslayer Spear, and a massive gilded hammer.

"The hornet and the wolf, eh?" Kurama mused to herself, taking her hand off the ring, "And it seems that you two will be together forever, along with your colleagues. May you rest well with the Abysswalker in your arms, Lord's Blade Ciaran."

As she continued her patrol through the graveyard, Kurama began to wonder if she brought her imprisonment upon herself. Could she have better appreciated her freedom if she hadn't wasted her younger years with her eyes clouded by hate? Would she have found love like Ciaran did?

Kurama sighed, looking sadly up at the dusky skies of the Kiln. "Was there really another way, father? Could I have avoided this sad, desolate place altogether?"

…

[Unknown Location]

Naruto found himself in a desert of ashen sand, standing on a stone dais before a gathering of thrones. In the area, he'd spotted a number of dessicated corpses bleeding black blood, with crowns on their heads. Something about them disturbed him to no end, prompting him to examine the bodies. From the shape of the wounds on their necks, it looked like someone, or something bit them all to death; like they were trying to eat them. And on top of that, there were signs that they were cut apart before being killed.

Disturbed by what he'd just seen, Naruto's first thought was, 'What the hell happened here?'

The sound of sand shifting broke his train of thought. Naruto turned towards the source, listening as it crept closer. As he waited with his sword in hand, Naruto watched as a crowned corpse crested a dune, silently screaming as it dragged itself about on the sand with only one arm. Even though its eyes were mere sockets, he could sense fear from this sad creature as it desperately tried to flee its attacker.

Against all common sense warning him not to go, Naruto climbed the dune to see a large, masculine figure on all fours. He could make out a pair of armoured leggings, as well as what looked like waist guards. The figure's cape folded over his head, one arm holding a rather large and damaged old sword, while the other was pressing against the ground. The motion under the head of the cape implied that the giant was eating something.

The giant suddenly turned his attention to the dune Naruto stood at, revealing a face that was hidden by a blood red hood. A thick gray beard spilled out of it, giving the impression of an old warrior.

"What? Still here?" The giant asked, before turning to face Naruto. As he stood up, the hooded giant slowly reached out to the young shinobi, exposing the large, gaping hole in his stomach. Naruto also noticed that the broken sword was planted in the chest of another crowned corpse—this one looked more mangled than the others. "Hand it over, that thing. Your Dark Soul."

Naruto clenched his sword tightly while backing away slowly.

As he did, the old giant reached further, as though in desperation. "For my lady's painting," he explained, almost pleading. Then, the red hood threw his head back as though screaming in rage. Naruto flinched as the crazy giant wrenched the sword out of the ground, his victim still impaled on the broken tip. As the giant hefted the broken blade onto his shoulder, Naruto's grip on his own sword wavering. He could barely move when the giant swung his blade, throwing the half-eaten corpse in his direction.

…

[En route to Takigakure, morning]

Naruto woke with a start, massaging his forehead. He had no idea what that dream was about, but he had a feeling that it had to deal with the Kiln; or rather, a weapon stored in the Kiln. The nightmare he'd had was too vivid to be a dream, which meant that it was probably a memory. Whose memory, he had no idea, but he had every intention of seeing Kurama soon about this particular one.

As he looked down, he found himself with Sigurin sleeping next to him, and out of armor. She was wearing that outfit he'd seen her in before they left. It was a modest set that consisted of a buttoned long sleeve, trousers with buttons at the knees and ankles━overall, it looked like the versatile hybrid of pyjamas and a tracksuit. From what he could see, it was made of a thin, but durable fabric; possibly canvas. A closer look at her only made her cuter asleep than awake. Not a surprise that he would be sharing a tent with her; he was the only person that had her share of the supplies. Plus, he was able to help her put on her armor at record time.

Still, he needed to check on the rest of the team. As he walked out of his tent, he found Kaori and Hanabi sitting at the campfire, waiting for the kettle of tea to boil with Taka nowhere in sight. He could not help but privately giggle to himself as he saw their bed-hair…not that it detracted from their natural beauty in any way. "Morning!" Hanabi chirped, upon noticing him, "Sleep well?"

"Just fine, thank-you," Naruto yawned, stretching his back.

"And onion-girl?"

"Still sleeping," Naruto replied, cracking his neck, "Trust me, after all that wandering, she's gonna need it." Once he'd stretched himself out he stood over by his team. "Where's Taka?"

"Washing up at the pool," answered Kaori, tying her ebon hair up in a bun, "You mind checking up on her? Tea's almost ready."

Naruto took a deep breath before heading off to the nearby pool. As he strode through the woods, he took in the sight of nature that surrounded him. A much better scene than the abandoned city he was stuck in, but still just as dangerous. If it wasn't bandits, it was likely to be wild animals that killed the careless.

The view of a large, natural pool soon filled his field of view, fed from the waterfall at the cliff face. According to Kaori, it was a landmark for shinobi on missions to know they were near the border of Takigakure. This particular waterfall however, was apparently far from the most impressive one in the land.

As he looked around for Taka, Naruto found her clothes and hitai-ate neatly folded up close to the pool with a towel nearby━a surefire sign that she was in the water. However, the first thing he noticed however, was a small red object that peeked out from the folded squares of her clothes. Before he could investigate the item, Naruto heard the sound of someone breaching the water. A quick glance to the pool allowed him to have a look at Taka in the nude. Her features were slender, her curves somewhat modest for her age, but still developing well.

Quickly realizing what he was doing, Naruto turned away. "Saw anything you liked?" Taka asked playfully, stepping out of the pool.

"You actually look very nice," he answered, keeping his attention away from his teammate, "I just didn't know you were going to wash up that much."

"No excuse to ignore personal hygiene," Taka noted, somewhat closer now, "What's up?"

"Tea's almost ready," Naruto replied, resisting the urge to turn around, "And for that matter, so's breakfast."

"I see."

Naruto could hear the svelte, subtle sound of fabrics rubbing against bare skin as Taka began to dress herself. "Well done against that iron-headed oaf," she noted, "You're very skilled and strong to be using a sword and your fire against him. You used your head, and every part of the blade to win."

"Yeah, well I had some pretty good teachers," replied Naruto, his back still turned to her, "Though you're not half-bad yourself."

"I taught myself how to fight with a sword in hand; to the point that I can wield two at a time. Though I suppose my style is more a cheap copy compared to the real thing."

Naruto perked an eyebrow as he heard that remark. "A copy?"

"Of Kaori-sensei's kenjutsu style," explained Taka, "I found out pretty quickly that the thrusting sword agreed with me very much. I studied her technique from afar, before she started mentoring you in your brutal, but versatile two-handed swordplay. You can look, by the way."

Turning to face Taka, Naruto watched her place a red pendant around her neck and tuck it under her shirt. "I guess we have something in common then, dattebayo."

"So, how is it?" Taka asked, walking with Naruto to the campground, "Learning under Kaori-sensei that is."

"She was hard, but fair," Naruto answered honestly, walking beside her, "I mean, yeah, she does still threaten to burn my stuff for not listening to her. Truth be told, I believe she would follow through on it. But she's never been mean to me more than she ever needed, and helped me when I really need it."

"I think I can understand why she's so invested in you," Taka noted, "As a matter of fact, it's the same reason why I want you to help me take over the capital and overthrow the Fire Daimyo."

The suddenness of the admission froze Naruto mid-stride, quickly turning his head to regard Taka with wide-eyed disbelief. The tension was broken as she giggled. "I'm just playing. My ambition isn't so petty as sitting on the Fire Daimyo's throne…it's much bigger than that."

Naruto heaved a sigh of relief, chuckling nervously before continuing down the path. "You freaked me out there, dattebayo! For a minute there, I thought your 'secret ambition' was to take over Hi no Kuni or some shit like that!" As the laughter subsided, he began to regard her seriously. "Honestly though…dethroning a Daimyo? Iruka-sensei talked about someone in class that tried to do exactly that; although that was during the Sengoku Basara, about a hundred years before the Clan Wars, only he wanted to take over the world. A daimyo so ruthless and ambitious, that he was called the 'Dairokuten Maō' because he actively hunted down the early shinobi not on his side, and killed them all brutally."

Taka was silent, but the smile she wore promised no end of mischief. "But I do believe you could help me later on down the road."

"How so?" Naruto queried.

"Spar with me when we settle down, and we'll discuss it further."

There was nothing to be said after that. Taka wore a mischievous smile on her face as she settled down for breakfast with the entire team, and their client. Sigurin was already up and cooking a wild chicken for breakfast. The bird was spit-roasted, then sprinkled with a good amount of herbs and spices for good measure before being served to everyone. Not exactly one of the things her people were known for, by her admission; but she'd promised to show off more. When it was time to leave, Team Eleven witnessed Naruto helping Sigurin suit up, his Kasai Bunshin working like an assembly line to place pieces of armor on her body in record time.

The walk down the road was fairly quiet, and rightly so; they were near the border of Takigakure. Guards were up as they readied themselves for a fight with the infamous Bakiraka clan, and the three genin surrounded the client in a protective triangle. In preparation for a potential conflict, everyone armed themselves to fight more seriously. To that end, Naruto and Taka had their swords sheathed, but ready to draw at a moment's notice; Hanabi, Sigurin, and Kaori had no need for such preparations, as their weapons were already on hand.

"Halt!" barked a voice from the trees, freezing everyone in place as a stern figure stepped out of the foliage, and onto the road. He wore quilted armor with metal plates sewn in on vital areas. His helmet looked like a teardrop, or a chestnut, and his face was obscured by a veil of chainmail. Dangling at his side was a sword with a stalk-shaped pommel and a small D-guard.

The stranger was soon joined by figures appearing out of nowhere, cutting off their escape. The team was surrounded by entourage of slim men and women wearing nothing but large headbands and capes, dyed in a light-absorbing indigo. Naruto noted that while the armored individual wore boots, his entourage was barefoot, with bandages wrapped on their ankles.

"Shinobi of Konoha, you are trespassing on Takigakure lands!" declared the apparent leader, "We of the Bakiraka clan have you surrounded! Lay down your arms and state your intentions, or we will slaughter you all!"

…

A/N: To reiterate, the primary crossover here will be Soulsborne and Naruto. Other than "Berserk," all other cameos will be minor by comparison…though I wouldn't rule out identifying the brave soul that slew the Dairokuten Maō as the original "Onimusha" himself. Though I wonder, who managed to identify the killer of both the Iwa and Kumo teams? What was the blueprint Anko just gave to Andore? Who did Siegmeyer save from Bazuso and his bandits? And what pyromancy did Naruto just showcase?

Also, before I forget: props to NorthSouthGorem, UnitedOsprey1991, and Soleneus for making this chapter happen.

…

Vocabulary

Cho-han—a Japanese dice game involving two dice, and a bamboo cup. The dealer, known as a 'tsubofuri' rolls the dice in the bamboo cup, and then overturns the cup onto the floor. Players all try to guess whether the sum of the dice is going to be even or odd. A tsubofuri is always shirtless so as to dispel any accusations of cheating, often displaying their tattoos. Sometimes women are tsubofuri, but that's considered an improper job for a woman.

…

Cameos/References

Andore's new piece—pretty much what Ilya Alekseyev did when he made the Furyan Ulaks…combined with what Tony Swatton did to make Sokka's jian.

Futhark—this is the script that was inscribed on every bit of titanite you'd find in "Dark Souls". There is also a large block of text written on the side of the Kirkhammer in "Bloodborne," and is found in the rest of Yharnam.

The process for ramen—my dad showed me to make ramen noodles this way so I could cut down on the grease…and to avoid using ramen packets.

The demon swordsman—those of you who follow "Berserk" should know him by description.

Bazuso—from "Berserk."

Naruto's new pyromancy—"Power Within"

Bakiraka clan—also from "Berserk"