Proeliator of Rutilus Diluculo

by Marutectz552

For him Fate is a meaning, it is worthless and so little to one man. He defied his own fate of being the savior of a world that had scarred him so. With him the world gave him his Sadness, for all his grief and anger that all were thrown upon him which brought fear to send his own world to the edge. So from as the Destroyer he becomes the Savior of a world anew, as he brings hope.

14. Chapter 14

"The Road to Strugeburg"

Naruto was sitting quietly at a small table inside of the tavern at the trading post he was in currently. His eyes flickered to the door as he knew Miria would be returning, or arriving for the matter with yet another client he signed onto the Akatsuki. It would've been nice to have contacts constantly on the move to get information about the Yoma, and the illusive Organization. However he didn't have the right amount of contacts yet, and add the fact they haven't even sent in the first updates. He scowled since it was unnerving him immensely as he couldn't get any word about them yet.

"Relax Naruto, kami your being impatient. It's only started, and it takes time to gather legitimate information. Just calm down." The blonds' mind spoke assuring to himself intently. Somehow he doubted that, and that was causing him to be uneasy. However the smell of Ever-Glade tea filled his senses, which made him calm down quickly. Sighing contently he sipped it, and shivered as the liquid was sweetening much to his delight. It was like a spicy fruit mixed in with the wonders of alcohol, oh how did it easily make his throat burn. His stomach twisted into some sort of rubber band before he gulped down a brief pint of air. This tea would remain on his list to order in every other tavern or so.

Though it was time to get back to reality here.

Naruto started to shake the shivers away he sat back in his chair as talk surrounded him inside the tavern. There were rumors spreading that Pieta was destroyed, and it was causing unease to move among the villages. The rumor of the city in the north destroyed by Yoma, and it was causing Naruto to laugh quietly as it was ironic. While Pieta was the main city of the north with its size it was the people wanting answers that got him to laugh. If he were some random traveler not on this quest since he was trying to find Yoma. It was funny since a stranger would know less yet the villages would know more about the rumors then he did alone. Part of his plan was actually taking place in front of him, and the best part was that he didn't need to intervene. This was the site he needed, the entire continent focusing their attention be it feared or curiosity onto the Yoma population.

All he need was time, and for once it was surplus in demand.

It made him smile before sighing to review the latest amount of contacts he made now. In just several days since he activated his Shi Furasshu-Suteppu so he arrived at the trading post in a mere six to seven hours. Despite being slightly exhausted for a bit, he slept inside the tavern's rooms and began to find anyone worth to the Akatsuki now. It was mainly some more clothing Merchants, the occasional fur trader, or hunter but there were catches to their agreements. Since these Merchants had always traveled alone, they would call upon the Red Dawn for shipments that were the merchants own "prized" amounts of the this one man who had one of the wealthiest trades available. Gold, or known to be as Aurum for the more scientific professionals.

He would guess one merchant would call on them in several months as gold was his main source of trade, and he would be receiving several wagon's worth from a mine in the central lands. The rich amount of resources gave the central land the most prominent population to live without fear. He was going there soon anyways so at the moment everything on that regard was going well. Still it prompted an interesting theory, could he discover a gold mine and then hire workers to mine the resources out? With that back up money in place he could do practically everything with it, bribe cities to let Claymores or his organization in. Possibly storing to pay loyal human contractors on a base for his organization as well, although that was in some far away thought process. There was time to think about that really, a base of operations was needed. It had to something similar to Madara's means of communication...

"The rings, they could work possibly." Naruto still had the original ten rings of the Red Dawn since Madara had to sync with the Jyuubi without interruption to be accepted as its Jinchuuriki.

The rings of Akatsuki were not just for some fashion design, it was much more underneath the small pieces of jewelery. It had taken quite a bit of time for him to understand that the rings were ten individual parts of a large complex jutsu that was needed to seal the Biju one by one. How Madara created that was something that even Naruto could get a headache trying to figure out. It wasn't why he made, it was what inside of it that counted to seal massive pieces of Yoki in a single space. From what he understood the inside of the jutsu which is called, "Fūinjutsu: Genryū Kyū Fūjin." In essence this was the only known method to forcibly draw out the biju from with its host body. The entire process had the basic component that made him, Madara, and his father much to his reluctance to be the most deadly shinobi on the planet. It was the wonders of Fuinjutsu, seals upon seals where everything seemed to be within reach. Every seemed to be within reach yet so far as to what it could done.

To date he had known that sealing arts were relatively one of the oldest branches of ninjutsu, since it had been used during all the Great Shinobi Wars. In the second great war it was a crucial factor for Jinchuuriki to be reliable or better yet loyal to their host nation. While in theory more complex seals could hold down a biju much more effective than the human willingness to corporate there was a fatal flaw. A flaw that made several counties question their own people, could they be above any other human? Yes, it was being human to express emotions. To be angry, kind or passionate since the sad fact of all Jinchuuriki they were human. He was himself human and without the seal he would've cracked long ago. Fuinjutsu could in fact be one of the most complicated subjects to master since there was only a handful of "masters". He snorted though, it was impossible to be the master of every jutsu or seal since people always invented new methods or anything when they trained.

The goal to totally master an art was a myth yet within myths there were truths.

The Sage of Six Paths for one used seals to divide the Jyuubi into nine smaller factions of itself, so in essence sealing was what made everything possible for shinobi. Seals were used in defenses around the villages, arrays miles around could be detected within the walls of a said Hidden Village. Konoha had the barrier where the seals prevented enemies from entering its border however the Invasion of the Oto and Suna Shinobi forces made a startling fear arose in the leaders. Seals had to constantly modified over the years to keep the enemy at bay, hell even Kumoagakure had the most heavily fortified walls of the villages.

At the cost of them constantly having new seal arrays overlapping the other, in theory made them stronger but weaker all the while. How? Naruto smirked, one little default seal could literally trash the overlapping arrays and that was crucial in getting the Eight tailed Jinchuuriki. "Well it was complex yet so very simple. I amaze even myself sometimes..." The blond sighed happily, one of the greatest accomplishments leading to the war was his ability to prove the impossible was nothing then a myth.

So in short, sealing was what drove the majority of villages in many directions. Civilians had used them without even realizing how convenient the shinobi provided for them, seals were used to connect electrical circuits around the village. Hell electricity was mainly Raiton based chakra provided by dozens of shinobi willing to spend their power for the average person. If he had to hazard, then these shinobi were the unsung hero's of all Hidden Villages everywhere. So point was, seals were what made the events in his land happen. Seals were the near most necessity he had to have for his Akatsuki, since for one the rings come back into play once more.

"I could use them, but how?" Naruto thought intently among the loud crowd inside the tavern. He mused while idly spinning his spoon inside his tea. His mind went over the information he had on the rings. He had a hunch that was potentially in theory one of the greatest communication systems around. These rings were more than special jewelry, hell they could practically send a signal of chakra to a source anchored to receive an outline of the chakra's source. Basically it was having a shinobi at point A talk to another person at point C.

It sounded good but that wasn't really how it went normally.

However in a standard perceptive Point B was usually the marker or markers used to send chakra signals between the two points. With the rings, in theory he could use Yoki and possibly his own chakra for any human to communicate as the first Red Dawn. So simply with the rings on one person he could send a message from point A, which would be the base to the member who was point C and B at the same time. That was how the members of the Akatsuki, with Madara communicated so quickly across countries.

Still despite the simple details, to make this happen would require at least hundreds of sealing arrays to create the anchor for the rings. He needed something, no somewhere large enough to establish that which wasn't in his plans for some time. To create base of operations so early wouldn't be worth the effort since he needed an information network to send in recent data. He had to get a grip on what to predict his enemies plan, he had to get that up and ready. Then he could think of a location somewhere on the continent for a base, still that would be a problem. Naruto wanted someone who he could likely trust to build the base or bases again which could be a possibility. "Ok I'm thinking too far ahead again. Kami Naruto remember to take two steps back and one forward." However that possibility wouldn't be right unless he calmed down to get his objectives done first.

"Great I feel like I'm on some suicide mission and well technically I was living one everyday." The blond shinobi frowned lightly, that was something he had to get his mind off of. He wasn't being hunted by hundreds of people, yet so he had the chance to act well...normally. It was his first piece of peace he had ever had quite some time, every person around him now as so predictable it made him smile. These people could be caught in a genjutsu of his and never know if it was from their god or his twisted pleasure. Then again the blond considered himself a survivalist not a masochist, that was Hidan's job. The genjutsu master chuckled, good times remembering his older associates.

If there was one thing to really be amazed was his ability to confuse demonic energy. This Yoki was more potent then his chakra yet it had that distinct feeling to his biju. It wasn't that they were the same, no one was more natural then the other. Biju's were corporations of chakra giving a twisted will of destruction and pointless battle instincts because of the fact they were part of one being, the Jyuubi. From what history on the beast said, including from his mentors the Jyuubi was being of free will that loved to cause chaos on some cataclysmic scale that nearly wiped out all civilization. Now that was something he didn't want to think about, ancient history as it was. Shaking his head annoyed the blond leaned back into his chair thinking about his current enemy. This Organization.

What did he know for certain? "I need a drink..." The blond was going to get a headache now.

Not the herbal drink he had currently. Some ale, thought Naruto lamented to himself as what was certain for this organization was not very much honestly. He knew that there were forty seven ranks, which meant forty seven active warriors for the continent. Now were there forty seven regions in this land, almost like a province? That was unclear, add the fact the top ten warriors were called 'single' digits. The ones he knew so far weren't totally powerful all around but more like specialized for whatever reason he knew not off. Ophelia, the impulsive woman who would've been a great addition to his candidates but she was dead. "Least you had some fun Clare." the mental scoff was at her. Next was just Miria, who was speed and Jean, if he was correct. Moving on to anything worth mentioning now.

Did this Organization have traitors like Miria or maybe Rubel. He stopped stirring his tea, now there was a man who was slippery as a snake. That man reminded him of Kabuto, Orochimaru's right had man and personal master spy. He had that feeling he wasn't totally speaking the truth on where he stood with the organization. So that source was potentially intriguing and now all he had was the generic Claymore soldier and their enemies.

The Abyssal beings and the awakened ones were nice but what about...he stopped!The blond had a semi epiphany about the average yoma, the prey of the Claymores.

"Wait a minute, could regular Yoma be...civil?" the train of thought crashed on this subject. Naruto smirked, no he did a full blown grin that made his eyes turn back into the Sharingan. Could he make a dozen, no several groups of Yoma be under his command to form a network and all the while letting them do what they wish. Killing humans to satisfy their hunger under his watchful eye? They seemed to be the type to respect power and fear, for him two bonus things he could do very well in.

Naruto again smiled at the prospect of having two species getting him information. What did anyone know about Yoma movement, humans only found their aftermaths. Corpses for one and did they have to be precise? Yes the information had to be quick to date, and with two of sub-networks he could practically connect the dots. Literally he could connect the dots on Yoma migration, hunting grounds and possible social spots since not many knew how these demonic beings met up to form a group. What was the reason, and how could he exploit it? Oh great, his effort to relax just sent him into a tense frenzy. Sighing lightly to himself, he needed to take Linda's advice to loosen up. Though staying with her was something not to be loosened up. Still if there was one thing he enjoyed now, it was this.

To feel and have a woman in bed, it was nice and it wasn't exaggerated by his former comrades back in Konoha when woman were checking him out so to speak.

The last thing he needed was to be stressed out over Tina's death and his past. Both which seemed to make him wince more often then angry nowadays. It was somewhat strange that he wasn't seething as much when the pain was fresh on him. Maybe he was some how adapting to have that massive heart wrenching experience, it was happening more often to him than anyone. He had been betrayed at birth, forced to house the kyuubi as a curse. It turned into a blessing for him years down the line but in short he was nearly broken beyond repair mentally. His sensei's massacre of the clan, the eyes of the village watching his every movement after it as if trying to make him be the blame and not else was his eyes being ripped out.

Oh kami, it was without a doubt one of the most painful, horrid thing that could happen to any child but to him it was basically loosing his dream of being a great shinobi. Well it was like that until Itachi did the one thing a shinobi did to another.

To protect a comrade out on the field, and the young blond then was the one that needed protecting. Itachi provided him with a way out to become of the most powerful shinobi of all time, the tool of using the Sharingan. "Rest in peace sensei, you will live on in my memory and your brothers." Naruto whispered to himself despite the bitter coldness of seeing his body he couldn't help but think in his brief stint with the Academy before stumbling into the Uchiha. Funny story how that happened because of a small thing no one really noticed.

While most would see it amusing to have a child pout about not being a proper shinobi, saying something to his younger self was like a slap across the face. "Every time when I asked questions on what a shinboi was the instructors spoke in some half ass excuse bull shit answer or just ignored me." That was what he experienced, the world against him and he had to find a way to get answers. Again despite being navie himself back then with the pranks and his petulant attitude not a soul questioned him about it or asked to stop. Which lead to indirect sabotage from nearly every person in his life, but hey how should have he known. Once more to his sensei, the only man he considered to be well...almost a father type of figure. Hell it was probably of the few he truly had, apart from the Ramen stand.

A small family indeed.

Naruto leaned forward onto the table with an arm propped under his chin to have a small smile form under his veil. His remaining hand stirred his tea out of reflexive practice and hobby. Breathing in through his nose he went back into memory lane for a moment feeling the warmth of the sun on his head. In his mind he was back in a clearing throwing kunai with the ANBU teen watching from a tree idly flipping a kunai. Chuckling lightly he looked over across the tavern, since it was no good to stay in the past now. Inhaling lightly the blond watched the crowd do its routine during this time.

The chatter around his table was without a doubt a mix of happiness, safety, and caution mainly due to him. Naruto witnessed several men around at the stools look at him as if spotting a predator among their forest. It was flattery to the blond anyways as he finished the remaining liquid in his cup, his green eyes drifted to the window curios as to anything passing by. So far nothing, well it wasn't anything too shocking. It had been a while for him to remain sitting in one place. Almost reminded him of drop off points and it was boring him. Hell, the feeling was just grinding on his nerves.

Naruto snorted, what could he do when this trip was over. The idea spot to just try to figure out what the best course of action? No he had done that a little too often. So what could he do to pass the time or somehow prepare in the future for a fight. Not that it wasn't bad of an idea it was just that, it was difficult. After all he was in some foreign land now.

If only he were alone then his training would start to…"Wait." he murmured, there was something missing. Being honest to himself the blond almost smiled again, he was slacking off in trainning with his strengths. He had to be ready to fight at a moments notice. All he had been doing was just acting from the shadows, and it would be a good time to start getting his muscles pumped. Rolling his shoulder, a positive crack made him shudder contently. The genjutsu master sat back in his seat relaxing under the sound and heat inside the tavern.

Some where near by a few people laughed about a joke. The blond hardly glanced at them.

"Oh yeah, I've not been sharpening my skills as often and I think some sparring is in order. Maybe against Miria? After all I need to be top of my game and she is determined to find out what I am. " That was one thing he needed to do daily, train, and keep practicing his elemental jutsu combos. Not to mention he needed Genjutsu and Taijutsu's styles all to be in use.

It was a known fact if one shinobi mastered a technique it was said they could use it on a whim.

That fact was false as a shinobi trained his or herself to mentally command the jutsu, and if the individual did not use the technique often the body does not respond to the mental call efficiently. In other words keep practicing for the best results down the road simply. What was the point in simply copying a technique that the body couldn't use properly? The Sharingan was certainly having a draw back, after all he had copied several jutsu from enemy shinobi but filly mastering them took time. It was better to get a good grip on a stolen element then to try to use it fully in battle. One of the many other things Itachi taught to him, never ever become reliant on one single strength.

"A shinobi must always have flexibility Naruto. You never rely too much on an ability that is natural to you. Always keep an enemy guessing your strategy, always be wary against all opponents." Well that lesson certainly helped a lot in his time when the man fled the village. It seemed like he would never truly forgot what that stoic teen said to him as an academy student, and well it lead to what he was. Not that he could have done better anyways.

Shrugging lightly he rolled his shoulder's before noticing something occurring at the opposite end of the tavern. The blond glanced over slightly intrigued at what was happening.

A barmaid with reddish brown hair and had a fair decent body to make some men locally drool. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that fact, several drunks were indeed literally drooling. Pretty pathetic n fact some men were feeling her up now per say and she was slapping their hands away. However what set him off was that there was a child sitting at the bar, near the far end where she watched the bar-maid snap back some insults. The little one asked a question to the bar-maid as she made her way back around the bar, though a sad smile was the answer.

Ah, now it made sense. The elder sibling supporting the younger one and with the elder one who was pretty came under fire from the drunkards. Sighing lightly he was debating whether if things got out of hand and should he help? Could they be anything to gain here yet the little girl drew his attention. The young child was a carbon copy of her elder sister, with the brown hair and those innocent emerald eyes. "I hate to say it but kids are a soft spot for me." the blond shinobi admitted reluctantly to no one besides himself.

The amount of Ale they drank was confirmed by the stacks of cups and glasses around them. He sighed worst comes to worst he was leaving when Miria showed up.

"C..c'm..on girl, we'…ll be nice to ya. R…right boys." The leader laughed drunkenly as the girl snapped back at them as her hand went across the man's face. Laughter echoed as the drunken man stood up violently, stumbling before yanking the girl towards the caused the little girl to start shrieking at the man, which the whole tavern turned their heads to the scene. Many didn't dare help the barmaid though their looks were sympathetic it made the lone shinobi scowl. If there was one other thing he despised was cowards, if one of these people could say something to stop it then he would be somewhat grateful to see others helping each other. But alas that's the world for one to see, a dog eat dog feeling.

The barmaid yelped as her pan of empty cups and plates crashed onto the floor. From what the blond narrowed his eyes on was her hand which had got a cut from the shattered glass on the floor.

"Ok. I may be a killer, but something like this is just this may lift my boredom and maybe it will pass some time." It was true that Naruto wasn't the most honorable person out there and he knew this halfheartedly. Well what was left of his heart and soul for the matter but who was asking? If he could somehow repair it then he would but the blond would settle for some time to pass up on now. It was small things he could use his time for and preventing rapist was a common occurrence for him.

He despised rapists and from the bandits it was clear he nearly killed them all when he talked to the leader. It was worth the time to stop this, and perhaps have fun in some warped way.

"Fuck off you bastard." The barmaid retorted hotly as she cupped her palm to stop the bleeding, and men laughed before the leader of the four merely used his foot to push into the maid's ribs. The result was the girl clenching her teeth before glaring annoyed at the men who made little motions with their hands and it made the barmaid pale. Her face went from uncertainty to fear as the little girl from the bar went down to her before pleading with the man to stop this. The child's pleas made the tavern's patrons wince before a few people tried to get up before the drunkard said something to his thugs.

Whatever the man said it worked to make the three thugs's cracked their knuckles warding off the other patrons who watched a bit fearful.

The little child was laughed at by the drunk leader before he violently flung her towards the middle of the room, and her head hit one of the tables.

The barmaid swore at the drunkards quite colorfully from Naruto's perspective as the entire crowd nearly up-roared to see the small child slowly getting up near the table she hit. The few who were near her helped to her feat as the child started to cry, either from her pain or her sisters. Whatever the reason was it made him scowl angrily before he slowly got up from his seat, the spoon he was using still slightly spinning in the direction he was going.

The patrons who saw the quiet traveler make his towards the little child's position made fear grow among them for the safety of the young girl.

XxXxX

The small girl sniffed as her head started to throb painfully as she slowly sat up from her place near one of the tables. Her sister was in trouble and she tried to plead with the men to stop to leave her sister alone. She cried knowing she was weak to do a thing about it and it made her head hurt even more. She tried to touch her head but instead she felt a trickle of something warm drip down her cheek. The little girl panicked as her hand came back with blood on it, so her heart rate started to pick up.

Her hands were shaking since she was scared now because she was bleeding. "Calm down, kid." A smooth voice from above her that made the girl jump while snapping her head to the owner. The child stopped to blink in awe to see a red cloud on the man's knee. It looked very pretty despite the tall man kneeling down now to see her wound, she was shocked to have someone she didn't know help her so openly. All she could do is have the man, who gently tilted her head to see the small cut on beneath her hair.

"Its just a small cut. It won't kill you young one but to be safe lets clear that up." the man said hovering his hand over her head before a searing warmth spread around her body. Naruto was using a very basic medical nin-jutsu that he picked up on over the years back in the village. It was a technique that he needed a hell of a lot of chakra control to even use. It was the most simple step into becoming a medical ninja despite that the role for the said position needed lots of precise charka control.

To the child's view she just felt his chakra healing her cut and for Naruto his hand was hidden enough inside his sleeve to cover the green glow from using the technique. So all in all he knew it was a small person winning situation for him. So having none of the villagers see it was also good since he didn't need some rumor of him being a warlock or something get out. Pretty strange if that did happen by chance though. So he healed her for a moment before standing up.

He patted the little child's head lightly before eye smiling down at her, "Don't worry about your sister. She'll be fine so go wait nearby." The child was a bit surprised to have herself gently pushed towards his empty table before he moved calmly towards the bar-maids position. Right now she was being pressed against by the man who was the leader. Oh he knew who this was, from his time in the village he was able to gather that this was a case of a spoiled brat. A brat who was going to get an ass kicking in his own mind literally.

The leader he knew was Jack Hilton. Gods forbid, some young hot shot farmer teenager that held the greatest yield of crops every year. He was the heir to the Hilton's Farm across the valley, and they provided most of the food to the trading post. Which gave him the thought he owned the entire village, and it was becoming violent to let him to act like this. The woman was gritting her teeth when the men pressed himself over her. She waited for the blows to rain down.

The fists never came down when she pushed the Hilton off of her, making him stumble into a table. It jerked violently as the man yelled out cursing her and told his men to beat her down. He said something drunkenly about beating a whore down and the woman felt fear course through her. At least her sister was okay and out of harms way. So she breathed deeply trying to stop her blood from her cut spilling out faster while bracing for the beating.

It never happened. The three thugs of Jack Hilton all clutched their throats before slumping over onto the ground. The bar-maid blinked confused as someone stood next to her, which made her glance up. A man in a black cloak with red clouds stood over her watching the incoherent teenager across from her. She simply couldn't believe what was happening, someone was defending her from the villager power? It was just, strange for some stranger to do this.

Naruto just watched as Jack moved to face him, he was stumbling slightly before facing him directly. Better yet directly as the alcohol within his system would allow him, and he stunk like a horse. It made the blond irritated when the man even started to speak to him, accusing him of some crap that he didn't need to waste his time on.

"Who the hell are you? What did you do to my boys?" the drunken male heir slurred out as Naruto merely frowned sighing lightly before replying. This was going to be an annoyance, and he hated pointless questions on occasion. "Your boys are asleep, obviously."The man snarled out loud before spitting at his feet, it made the shinobi annoyed even more now.

The comment made some in the bar snicker as the amounts of alcohol really made logic pointless now. Naruto smirked as Jack snarled out loud, "How!" spit flew from between the teeth. Naruto noticed this in some disgusted fashion. It nearly landed on his coat which made him scowl annoyed. Now this was going to get a whole lot more interesting to not kill this man, but how? Trying to not draw attention he had an idea.

The blond just came up with something to seemingly make this little annoyance turn into a fabulous way to be creative. He smirked at the idea itself.

Though why not torture the guy with some psychological amusement. He was waiting for Miria yes, and he needed definitely this to pass the time. So why not mess around?

He mused shrugging a bit before staring into the drunk's eyes, his sharingan was active swirling as multiple genjutsu's wrapped around them. The man was trapped before even releasing he was in for a hell to see, and he mentally spoke the illusion "Genjustsu Art: Genso heiya"

For Jack Hilton the world turned into a swirling mist of black, and white as he felt his heart drop dramatically as he coughed at the lack of air.

To the other patrons the two men merely stood against one another, and for some it was close to a brawl but they waited for the event that wouldn't happen visibly.

The Blond Sharingan Master merely smirked before the fun began inside the plain of the mind.

-Inside the illusion Realm-

Jack watched as he stood on some weird white ground, as the grass was some sort of blackened coloration. His heart raced as crows cawed around him, he looked up to see cross's appearing around him as the sky turned into white, and felt his breathe come in short intervals, hell his chest was chilling inside out.

"What in the god's is this?" The man's own voice just echoed as it brought a cold chill into his bones, this was place was unnatural. Hell he could imagine that this was hell itself as the birds cawed out again. His frosty breathe made him panic even more. His blood went around his body quickly as an amused voice arose around him.

"This place has no name, nor does it offer mercy Jack Hilton." The voice of the man from the bar made the drunken look behind him fearfully as the blond was above him on some sort of hill that sprung up. Ravens flew behind him, as two crimson orbs with their depths swirling watched with a flat stare. Although his smirk was proof that the blond was enjoying this mans fear.

Jack noticed that the bird's themselves had the same eyes as the man in front of him, and he hyperventilated as something gripped him from behind.

A girl was smiling at him, her head tipped to the side as if drunk herself. Her smile and eyes brought back the fact within his intoxicated mindset.

It was that whore the barmaid he realized as he in his alcoholic rage struck at the supposed "woman" who was masked by the grayish man felt something snap when the girl started to smile again, as if enjoying his frustration and fear in where he was. It just made him feel an unholy burning desire to snap the girl's neck in half. The man dropped to the ground intent on killing her, with his hands crushing her wind wipe. Hissing with spit from his teeth the man squeezed with all his might but it wasn't meant to be.

The Genjutsu master was slightly disappointed in the man's actions. It seemed anyone was always trying to cast the blame or the rage at another. "I'm afraid that will not work since this place has no boundaries for one to kill. Know this thought Jack Hilton, do not ever lay your hands on this woman or her sister again. I promise you if it does happen, this place will be your tomb..." Naruto trailed off smirking before snapping his fingers causally as if

An insane like laughter came from the maid's lips as Jack watched as the head of girl spilt to reveal some sort of reddish foxes face Blood spilt from the skin, as the body slowly rotted away leaving a blackened fox head.

However there was something wrong with the fox itself, its eyes were slit red like a demons! Those teeth latched onto his throat as it was like fire spreading into his body. It was as if someone was injecting a flame into his body, it burned so bad that his throat caved in on itself.

Jack gagged as the breath, never mind the teeth smelt like they were a thousand corpses lying out for weeks in an open field.

His stomach nearly made him vomit all of his food from tonight, and the voice of the blond man came from beside him. The hyperventilating man watched as Naruto appeared before him. "How does it feel to be helpless Jack? Ever wonder something you annoy could be above you on the food chain?" What happened next transcended the villager's fears beyond anything as a giant purplish Yoma roared as it welded upward from the ground?It appeared directly behind the blond demon before him, ever more did it start to howl in extreme delight.

The crows cawed around them, with the fox making the man gag again as blood leaked down his chin.

Naruto was still smiling as his eyes narrowed down.

"A…a Yoma!" the villager whispered as tears streamed down his face, and Naruto merely waved his hand as the Yoma roared as a sickening cracking filled the void around them.

"Yes a Yoma, quite interesting to see it so happy for a human?" the blond thought musing mocking the semi-sane man who cried on the ground. "Don't you agree?" the question sent shivers down the captive man's spine as one would pour chilling water over one's head.

The ravens swarmed around them as the skeleton of the Yoma in front of them snapped inside out.

The flesh ripped itself apart as another demon was sprouting from inside its shoulder bone with two miniature limbs pull itself upward from the host.

It was completely gruesome as blood, and organs flew into the air spraying Jack but not a drop hit Naruto himself. The man whimpered as the beast of a demon stumbled forward growling all the while.

"I wonder if he'll have any bones in his teeth. Care to have a small wager now?" Naruto asked glancing at the demon in the illusion as Jack screamed, and attempted to run the other way. He was met with a brick wall that held blood stains of others that were once here in the past. Other people who had their minds destroyed due to him, and they were all too comical to appear again.

The Akatsuki member merely turned around to see the man slumping down against the wall as it dripped blood onto his face.

"No…no what in the hell are you! What the fuck are you!" he screamed at Naruto who merely tilted his head before pointing at him, the lone ring that symbolized the word "scarlet" the red ring was round in the middle, and had a sliver grip on it."If you wish to stop this pain, then just look into this ring. Let your future be decided on your actions, take responsibility for your life or else..." the blond genjutsu master stated ominously, with the Yoma monster in the background slowly trudging its way to them. The poor villager did so but was captivated.

Jack watched the center of the ring as the lines of ink seemingly moved like a serpent, they moved around inside as if trapped.

He looked up to the blond before uttering fours words, "Are you a god?" The shinobi answered only this to the man before letting the ring tilt over to the side.

Naruto merely looked down as the front of the ring faced the man's face. "What am I? I'm me and you are nothing." With that said the ink kanji lines reared up, and impaled themselves onto the man's eye sockets.

Screaming was that could be heard as the demons of ink, Yoma, and this fucking hell rained down upon the blinded Jack Hilton as his screams were endless. To the male Akatsuki member, he was enjoying the show as the illusion swirled into a circular vortex ending the realm with a satisfied caster that passed the time on the outside enough for him to sense someone approaching.

-End illusion Realm-

Naruto finally stopped the illusion as he waited for the man to come back to reality. To the blond this was something he enjoyed now really, "I wonder if he'll be sane enough to say something?" the thought came to mind as he watched with amusement that the drunk's eyes had that annoying light in them.

For the drunk he was in a daze, as he shivered uncontrollably. What in the hell was that as tears threatened to go down the man's cheek much to Naruto's amusement. His eyes looked with the curious patrons now that he was back inside the bar, it had to be some trick! Yes, it was Jack finally came to as he looked to where the black cloaked man was.

Jack jabbed a finger into the blond, "No! Stay away from me!" he yelled out swaying trying to get away. The man quickly stumbled against a chair trying to keep on his two feet before tripping. When this happened Naruto merely used his index and middle fingers aiming at the forehead of the drunken male.

He smirked saying a single word. "Why?"

He flicked the man across to the wall where his head came into contact with the stone, and he was knocked out.

It was a simple joy for the crowd as they clapped, cheering on standing up to the four, and taking them out easily.

Despite helping the girl, the blond felt something stir within him again at the praises. It reminded him of that lost dream again, still he complied to these villagers. Naruto nodded his head to the applauding patrons before he offered a hand to the downed barmaid. "I apologize for the damage done miss." He spoke regretfully as the young woman blushed as she was lifted up to see green eyes watching her amused. "Your sister is near my table, if you wanted to know." he motioned back over his shoulder before sticking his hands into his pockets moving away.

The little child came from behind running hugging her elder sister affectionately. The girl didn't lift her head as Naruto walked away smiling sadly all the while. Kids were probably his softest spot yet despite the childhood he had was destroyed. Ironic now that he realized it, a child with no childhood friends loves children all the while. Man he was fucked up in the head, well a cause he could live with. It never bothered him too much to admit that regardless of his upbringing.

However he came back to reality to see many people smile at him.

Some of the crowd raised their mugs to the man in appreciation when he walked back to his table. The little child was gently ushered off her sister before the barmaid was attended to from the other employees. They took her to the back, as Naruto sat at the table folding his arms while looking to the door.

Despite that the little girl looked at him before moving out of the tavern into the outside, to find something to give to her sisters savior.

Naruto could sense that Miria had arrived, and from what he imagined things would be different hopefully. Her experience with that family, all made because he had to do it.

His mouth was in a thin line as guilt entered his conscious but it was for the greater good. The man paused at those two little words. It made him wince from his own anger at the mere idea. "What!" His mind replayed that phrase, that fucking greater good scenario Oh did he hate absolutely despise those words with a passion.

The greater good that was the saying which was used for the excuse of exterminating the Uchiha Clan, his daughter, and countless other operations both done by the Third, along with Danzou. Both men much to his rising anger did more harm than good to the world without realizing it, Sarutobi just made the public image while his rival was in the shadows. One was light and the other dark but they could have found alternatives before doing those plans of theirs.

He sighed, how much he hated that sick bastard Danzou nearly as much as the leaf village itself. He had to thank his surrogate brother Sasuke for killing the man, he had the pleasure of annihilating root's head. While he himself killed off dozens of leaf shinobi specifically on occasion, good times before the plan of the Akatsuki took hold.

Now that was the fun part of his trip with them.

He frowned since arriving here, there was still a mystery exactly in the world was he? Was he on the same continent as the elemental nations? Those questions just begged him to drive up the wall in some insanity fit. Sighing lightly he tried to remember the last moments before waking up in a forest.

He barely remembered the fight that started with him and Sasuke against his old sensei's with the elite of ANBU members. It was much later that something happened, but when exactly was it?Everything after that was blurred images. All he saw was black and white behind his eyes as he tried to remember. It left him with little answers and more questions to be asked later.

Shaking his head his mind would get those memories back eventually, you couldn't rush a mind to gain back what was lost. It came back, usually at some stressing point in time from what he imagined about the brain.

The shinobi started to crack his shoulder before he went back to his table waiting for his partner to arrive here in the tavern. Now that was something he could grimly imagine what she felt. Speaking of Miria, he needed to go over what he knew about her.

Frankly he knew nothing next to Miria.

That or her past which was ironic since she knew more than anything about him then him to her. Then again partnerships do have some trust built within their laces, as much as the analogy made him smile it would be hard to gain her trust. Not even his own willingness to part with secrecy was difficult but something would give it away, at some point. It was similar to how Kisame, and Itachi founded their partnership with little to no trust between them. It was only through battle did they seemingly work together in the best method's of all the pairings in the Akatsuki.

Only Pein, and Konan seemed to have the greatest of pairs, take in account they were together since they were kids. Then again that was a subject he didn't want to get into, whatever happened over twenty years ago was something to be remained buried.

Naruto just stirred the last remaining part of his tea before leaning back in his seat, as the chatter in the tavern centered on him.

Some patrons eyed him despite his kind helping hand to the barmaid were nervous as he merely just stood there for a second to make the drunkard become confused. They suspected something, well the more elder patrons did as the young appraised him which was fortunate now. If he could appeal to younger generations to help them, then the world would start to see the value of Akatsuki. At least this was all theoretical now, as it could take time down the road. "Yeah time for me to convince the youngest people to support my cause, oh just great."

Quietly finishing his drink he looked up to see the tavern door open, and with three people coming in. There was a man who looked he had seen the demons themselves, along with a similar dressed attire to the man in the tavern now, and with a child in the cloaked person's arms. Naruto felt his heart clench, damn he hated guilt when it came to children which forever solidify his soft spot for children.

Sighing he watched as the three came into the tavern, searching for any open tables in the near filled tavern. The cloaked one, now he knew as Miria looked over into his direction with the sleeping child. Naruto inclined his head to the four or so empty seats at his table, and his partner murmured something to the other adults, to which they followed her to his table.

The male Akatsuki member just watched this with a bitter feeling, and their pain of the child which was technically on his hands once again. He held his stomach in check before starting the report of the mission.

"I take it your trip was eventful getting here?" He said lowly trying to keep the conversation low to a minimal, since his question was answered from Miria. He noted her voice was slightly colder although a bit honest with him in all actuality. "More so then it had to be. How did your route get you here so fast before us."The woman wasn't so tolerable now, she was pretty shaken up despite the frost dipping in her tone.

Naruto could see the cold glare under the hat as he sighed leaning back, "I ran what else?" the woman wasn't happy with that answer. So he let it slide before telling his intentions in this town.

"So I gathered some new contacts, while searching on some rumors for potential candidates. A few prospects right now, I'm afraid." It was a half truth, yes he was gathering contacts but monitoring her with his shadows clones. He knew now the time for hitting the major cities were next up in line, and after that getting new member for his organization.

It was easier said than done though in any case.

Not to mention it was time to reveal some rather secret aspects about himself, and that was going to be difficult for her to to tell her he was some shinobi, a superhuman in this lands own words or some strange new being. Personally it was like being in a cage in front of a crowd.

He was human but not from around this continent though which was going to be major pain to explain, since he barely remembered what lead up to this. The only good side to this was removing some suspicion and having free reign to train instead of being so secretive. "I have our next city, it's Strugeburg we'll be leaving soon." Naruto informed her as she merely nodded, too quiet because of what she had done to humans, or was just in shock still.

He sighed lightly before looking to the weary merchants, "Was there any trouble coming here? You don't have to hold back as a contact you do have the right to give an opinion."He attempted to smile slightly but it was hard for him to do it.

If they saw his small sincere smile the couple barely acknowledged it much to the blonds' chest tightening. Miria looked at the two adults who had haunted expressions but smiled at her giving her the permission to tell what happened. She had full trust with them much to her brief shock before talking back to her associate for them, they needed the time to heal from the experience days ago.

"Nothing happened. Just a few eye opening decisions." Her answer was a lie but Naruto knew this, he knew what happened since he planned that little fight out. If she found out, well he was going to die or at least be waiting for someone to knife him in the back. Naruto sighed silently before making the effort to notch this as a success.

Nonetheless of what he thought it was time to go. He nodded before speaking back to the family. "Well this concludes our assignment from you. Please keep in mind we expect payment when a raven land's in your camp, and stay safe as merchants to wherever you go now. Please take care." He offered them his hand as the father merely shook it, though his arm was bruised lightly as the Akatsuki member ignored it.

It wasn't his place to reveal anything, and the mother of the family looked to her child, the girl as it was on Miria's shoulder sleeping. The Claymore smiled sadly before wordlessly handing her back, as the mother merely nodded smiling at her. It was strange to see this, well from other people to see the Claymore acting motherly in a sense.

It gave a small smile on Naruto's face before he finished the last part of his tea as the family moved out from the tavern no doubt going to find some rest in an Inn or something. When they left he turned to face Miria who seemed much to his gaze tired, and exhausted. It must take a lot out of certain claymore to even consider killing humans, he had to imagine that not even Clare, or the others would dare kill innocent people.

It was something he braced for constantly, when innocents were deliberately involved he steeled his heart before commencing whatever plan it was. Did he have to kill innocents, no but they might be caught in the crossfire often in this land. Sighing lightly he placed his cup down before asking Miria lowly, "What really happened on the way here, honestly." The woman looked up before breathing a bit looking away. His veil was apart, where his green eye met her silver orbs. She averted her gaze for one moment.

It seemed she didn't want to talk about it but her resolve won out and she slowly explained what happened.

"Along the way a group of human bandits attacked the family...they were raping the mother, and were about to the same to the child. I-I killed them." She exhaled heavily casting her gaze downward looking at her hands. She seemed to be in a daze which made sense to the other blond across from her. Her mind just hollowly asked about regular people around them.

"What makes a human do that, why…to her,she is just a child." She mainly whispered this to herself, here she was a half breed fighting to protect humanity but at the cost of them destroying themselves? It didn't make sense though Naruto across from her merely chuckled humorlessly, it was like he had asked the same question before getting an answer. She got the feeling she would have to hear this so she waited for him to talk.

Naruto offered his respect to the woman, leaning across the table before trying to touch her hand. The woman barely twitched as his hand met hers, the blond shinobi carefully speaking to her trying to offer her the light in what she had done.

"Miria you did what you had do to protect that family, to get the job done. I can't vouch for other people but to be honest humanity in general has always been mixed. I'm human and so are you. We know the temptation to do the most evil of things." Not to mention he still did after arriving here, being the hero in a sense never appealed to him but being a shadow was something akin to a vigilante. He wasn't some honor bond person, he had killed innocents all humans, and now he could add half humans to being manipulated by him. He sighed lowly, as from the atrocities he had committed to human kind in general was something very shady at best.

So it was debatable for him to be explaining human kind to her, odds she knew a lot more than him about this land. "Probably we have thought about it too but here! Right now in these cloaks we are in an organization to save the people here from the creators of the Claymores. Honestly I've seen what people do to things they fear, they kill it. That's hence the whole suspicious thing with you or any other Claymore." It was strange trying to explain this, as most times he was used to it but now it was like explaining his life story but warping it. He sighed deeply as the most disgusting part of human kind in general was its lowest point, being a criminal for now.

Nartuo himself was a criminal though not of choice. It was because it was the extremes of prejudice and anger that drove him off the edge. It wasn't his fault on his path if one were to see what had happened to him, but sadly the finger could be cast upon the one subject all wanted to avoid. It was politics which was the most brutal warfare in a sense.

It was probably the worst because it dictated who gained what, and how someone lived by. It wasn't like he was the master of that, no he was just using common sense whenever going into the arena. He could name certain elements of politics within Konoha back then that either wanted him dead, punished, becoming a living weapon, and having some CRA act implemented on him to remain in the village.

Those were the most insane of times if he could admit reluctantly, and life just a hell of a lot difficult after wards. Sighing he looked up at Miria since he was being honest about this. Comfort was not his forte to use with someone at all, it was like he caused suffering wherever he went basically.

"To be honest here I'm not very great at offering comfort to people Miria, I just move on learning to prepare when something like this happens. The only thing I can say about why is that humans, some will do the worst of things to sate their greed, or lust or whatever they wish to call it. I know sometimes I wonder if I should just throw myself into something as pathetic but I don't." Naruto tipped his hat so that she could see his eyes, and what he did made the woman blink shocked.

He eye smiled at her, a small smile on his lips as he just continued on. A part of Emiko stilled lived on in within apparently, the will to keep pushing forward. If there was one thing he needed to learn again was to ease on from the past, and push forward which he was doing now. It was time to fight on in the future, and it would be a blast.

"You want to know why I can? It's because I'm better than that." The man stated simply smiling fully, "Which is why I plan to take down the organization for my only friend, and getting rid of the disgust in this land." This was probably his most hypocritical saying he ever thought off, he did most of the pathetic of things back in his land. Killing people, destroying civilization as it was, and betraying everyone he knew of. So in a way was he trying to change himself? The question made the blond shinobi frown before seeing his partner was a bit too silent.

He looked up for a moment when her hand clenched on his, as if she wanted to believe in his words. It was painful to let her squeeze his limb but at the moment he dealt with it.

The Claymore took this in before closing her eyes as the screams from those bandits made her shut them out. If what he was saying is true then she did the world a favor. Everything had evil or the worst of things within them, Yoma were all in the last category that would kill of humanity. It didn't mean that people didn't kill people, just not as often.

She sighed it didn't help much but seeing the so called cold, emotionless man in front of her giving her comfort made her smile. In fact she laughed lightly much to the man's curious gaze as she looked up at his eyes that would be a story to know another time. Who, and where did he come from.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine. So why are we heading to Strugeburg?" Miria smiled for a moment before letting his hand go.

It made Naruto sighed leaning back in his seat thinking as he sat still. "The reason is that we have more than enough contacts in the North, I do intend to reach out over the continent you know though our goal is the east no doubt. However most of the population is in the center lands so we're spreading the word about Akatsuki now. From after that we'll have to train for some months before searching for candidates." The Claymore was somewhat confused as he smirked at her from his hat. She could see it clearly, and was waiting him to explain the so called training type of deal.

"So what happened here? Anything at all?" the woman offered curiously while leaning back in her own seat as well. The man across from her shrugged briefly, "Nothing too eventful. I was just being a good...Samaritan to the village." The Claymore raised an eyebrow at the quick answer. She was a bit skeptical because he answered instantly while her eyes drited around the tavern. All the said villagers were starting at him in either awe or respect for something he did.

Before she could question him a little hint literally popped up from the side of her partner. She watched as a little girl with a small white flower timidly approached their table. The girl was shyly trying to clear her throat to get her "friend's" attention. Miria sat back smiling at the sight of the blond man tilting his head at the girl, speaking warmly to the little one.

"May I help you little one?" Naruto offered kindly, much to the little girls red face. She softly spoke, "It's for my sister who you helped. Thank you mister." the child walked foward as Naruto looked at the offered flower. It was some sort of white wild flower, with purple edges leading up to its yellow center. Then the child shyly again stood up to Naruto before lifting his veil on the left side of his face, pecking him on the cheek before running off.

The entire tavern felt some sort of cuteness at the situation, especially from the few women cooing at the little one's affection for her sisters helper. Shame the elder sibling was in the back healing her cut now.

Miria hummed thoughtfully while raising both her eyebrows in amusement, her smile was palpable as her partner pulled down the veil. She caught him blushing from the boldness of the child and it made her smirk deviously. "Nothing eventful huh? Why do I sense you are lying here?" The blond let out a small snort to cover his embarrassed situation as the Claymore nearly laughed out loud from the little lie he tired to pull. Ah whatever he did it was well worth it for her to witness him flustered.

"It's not too important but I did stop a fight from breaking out in the bar. I wanted some peace, so that's all." The man said looking at her directly, her mischievous smirk made him wary of her intentions. She covered her mouth before giggling slightly, it was just a good time to get her spirit up. For something like this man, seemingly so cold and serious he actually does care about children. Such a nice little find to tease him yet it made her feel like she was slowly becoming human again.

She laughed as Naruto frowned before relenting with a small smile himself. Gently placing the flower within the upper fold of his clothes, it stood out on the black clothing. He then asked a mock serious question to ease off the tension that was nearly non-existent now. "So do you think it suites me?" the Claymore snorted before smiling while shaking her head. The question was a bit out of place coming from a person like him. It was just too funny and bizzare as they shared a small moment together.

A few minutes later Miria calmed down before sighing to regain her composure. Gods above did she need something to laugh at to ease her tense body. "So what are we going to do now?" She asked waiting for her partners response. The man shrugged momentarily before listing a few things off with his fingers. His answers were short to the point this time around which made Miria agree with the reasoning behind it much more easily.

"You and I have to get stronger no doubt. Which we have plenty of time. There's no rush but I do plan at some point to enter the battles myself. As of now I need to prepare myself, to remain alert, and to be ready." Naruto explained as he stood up before pushing his chair in, his eagerness to train again made him smile just like the times when he was younger before he turned completely serious. He needed to loosen up slightly when training on his elements, like water or fire. Wind he knew enough of, and created some strong offensive attacks from that. His control he had no doubt over but water, and fire were next on his list now.

"It's time to leave now, when we travel I'll consider explaining more things about myself. Perhaps I can trust you…maybe." Naruto abruptly trailed off moving to the door as Miria looked a bit confused about his last words. Trusting her, could he? She smirked, it seemed that Tina made an impression on him he couldn't hide. It seemed today was enough to soften him up for her to understand more about him. It was tempting no doubt.

This was something else she intended to figure out, this man in front of her. The seemingly ever so shadow like figure he stood out to be, trying to move along without detection from anyone. Her goal was to figure out, why? What was up with him, who was he, and why was he truly helping them? Tina, that was part of the reason for sure, but with his daughter that was something she needed a solid clue to go on. What was his past, it was all so many questions with the answers only from him. So would he trust her, and she in turn trust him? It was a chance gamble that could be a bit dangerous in more ways than one to go on.

She got up silently before getting her sword adjusted on her back since the tavern didn't seem to mind. Strange not to see human's eying her sword, it was like she wasn't there. Her eyes narrowed since the entire tavern wasn't shocked, or cautious to see a massive sword on her back. It was a dead giveaway, as the handle was visible since her hat wasn't on yet.

Walking to the door, she saw him leave it open before speaking a bit in a jokester like tone. "Ladies first." He nodded to the door smirking as the Claymore shook her head, he was trying too hard. Walking through the opened door she had the impression too trip him but she held it, he was being polite after all. Moving into the brisk morning she took a breath, heading south into a warmer climate would be nice for a change. Naruto stepped behind moving down the road as the raven Rei moved from the skies like a ghost himself landing on his right shoulder.

The road was quiet as the sun was peaking over the horizon, the blond shinobi nearly yawned it was definitely going to be a long walk till they stopped to make camp. If there was a place anywhere to train it would be the forest, maybe something could be used for his training. Using the trees as spring boards leaping while shadow clones launch kunai, or fire jutsu's at him? A bit flashy but with the opponents he could possibly face could do something similar in that regard with their swords, the dead Claymore Flora had that sonic wave type of attack, Jean had the twisting blade strike, and Clare the seeming Quick Sword of hers.

"I really need to start, tonight would be good." He thought calculating if he should let his partner Miria witness his skills. The skill of a shinobi of the elemental nations, and being a rouge ninja it made it all so much easier. Sarcasm was a bitch. Naruto knew that sighing annoyed, it would be a hassle to explain for her to satisfied. Well it would be better to explain to one person, where the said person held the lead of a group that would kill him if he were hypothetically a Yoma.

Just perfect.

On his way he stopped at the local general store were Miria gave him a curious glance as to why they were stopped here. Naruto looked back, "I need a new water canteen my last one was destroyed in Pieta." His answer reminded her that he was human, and needed something to drink as she sighed nodding. It was something trivial yet critical to the body of a human, they did need to keep hydrated on occasion.

Naruto walked into the shop with a bored look, he wasn't in the mood to waste time so he just went to the nearest canteen which was circular, and with a tan strap he placed over his shoulder. Approaching the clerk who was an elderly man with white man growing on his head, he lifted his hat. "I already paid for this, have a good day sir." He remarked hypnotically as the elderly man merely made some humming sound as if entranced by something. If one saw this they would see the old clerk nod his head as he waved good bye to the Akatsuki member.

"Have a good morning then traveler." The blond smirked to himself as his Sharingan activated, simple tricks of the mind were what made the world spun after all. It was easy to trick the mind into something that you wished, saved time, and sometimes preventing blood from being spilt over matters such as his.

Back in the village he was tempted to use his illusions to make any other shinobi to insane, but with the constant ANBU guards he did this outside more often to get his anger under control. Unlike Sasuke at first who he ignored was pampered by the village only wanted to be alone but the majority ignored that request. He only wished to complete his ambition, killing his sensei while at the time Naruto was the only person he respected since the Third wasn't much on his mind. It was only after when he left did he hate, the so called grandfather figure of his as well.

Returning to the woman, he spoke somewhat tired. "It's going to be a trip." Miria shrugged much to his chagrin, she didn't want to admit as a Claymore such trips were average since she traveled far greater distances in less time. The Claymore did say something that caused him to almost, almost laugh at loud. "Do I need to carry you there?" Naruto grinned to mostly at the joke, it seemed he this was going to good. He was beginning to like Miria, she was short to come back with a remark, while retaining her own amusement. This road to Strugeburg was going to interesting, that was for certain.

-Night Fall-

Miria sat around the small fire that was in the camp under a base of a large tree. The branches were hanging over her, as the gloomy orange light barely gave any the chance to see what was around them. However to her eyes which had Yoma blood flowing within her she could see as though it were clear as day. Night vision apparently was of the few "benefits" of having the demon flesh inserted into a human's body. The Claymore sighed as she sat against the tree itself, this was just perfect.

She had been here ever since her partner, since he wanted to stop here for the night. His reasoning was a bit rushed but it made sense to her, his words caused her to grow a bit suspicious. She had asked him why, and he responded as if telling her the most obvious thing in the world. "We have plenty of time Miria, where's the rush? I enjoy spending the time out in the wilderness, and I need to fill my water canteen." His light tone of amusement sent her on edge.

Was he trying to be funny, or was trying to interact with her? It was confusing in all honesty now. The tavern was for comfort but now, was it changing? Could they be changing on an emotional level?

Her partner was a strange man, even by from she had seen as his personality was hard to determine. Was he serious, or lax? It was a blend of both on his personal level, he was cold but somewhat supportive when he chose to be. It was a gamble of choice's she was trying to figure this man out, not even her contact within the Organization Rubel was like this. She had a feeling his motive was something to stopping the organization at best while having some sort of in cryptic mode to inform her. The last time she found out was when he told her of the continent was in all actuality a giant island in which there was a main land. A main land where another war was taking place, this happened right before she went to Pieta.

Breathing deeply through her nose she finally looked to where her Akatsuki cloak was on the branch, hanging their idly with a small breeze making it go, back and forth as though tempting her. That was another concept, this Red Dawn apparently was going to change this continent Isle, but how was the question. To answer that she would see at least see with more specific details anyhow.

Miria finally got a bit restless standing up grabbing her sword to go find her partner who was supposedly hunting for a meal, but that had been three hours ago when the dusk was around in the sky. She doubted the man could take that long unless he was up to something, but it was what that was unnerving her, until she could get something about of him then for all she knew her life could be in danger. She doubted that if she were to die then all of this so far, the War, her best friend, Clare, and the group would all be for naught. Biting her lip she began to walk in the general direction, intent on getting answers, or perhaps something from the blond man.

Wandering around the pitch black forest she heard the fire crack off in the distance as too find any sign of the man she was traveling with. Owl's hooted occasionally but it didn't bother slightly as her eyes drifted over the shadows tree's nearly cast from the moon. Sighing to herself where in the hell was this man at, he couldn't have fled she would've definitely known that. So what was he up to? Miria knew a headache when it came around since things like this rarely happened to her.

Why did she see this man, Kenji, such a difficult individual to read? She could tell at a glance what villagers thought based on their faces, they were like an open book at times much to her smirk. She was proud to be able to deduce what others thought, and what their intentions were. Yoma were somewhat predictable since she countered Isley's Battle tactics with her own, it was just his strongest Awakened Soldier that threw her off.

That was a situation where her life was truly on the line, and it was thanks to two people especially. Clare the youngest of them did the impossible, held off from awakening due to Jean a friend, while Slaying the Lion of a monster with this human Kenji Saito at her side.

She managed to hear from her comrades in the group during a morning to find out the details. Namely him moving so fast Helen barely could glimpse anything but air with a flash of yellow in the mix. He was some sort of yellow flash speeding human for sure from what her answer was when she awoke before he did at one point. That Black sword of his also being wielded so fluently like one of theirs in a instant barely being seen.

From what this was all leading to was him being an Awakened being in disguise but even that didn't make sense.

Miria calucated that the man she knew wasn't a Yoma. In her own mind and...heart she knew. He didn't kill to survive and feed since he was in Rabona with Clare, also in Torino so what in the hell was he! She scowled, "Damn it. Why is this so difficult to understand?" her own voice made her wince, this was something entirely different but what? It wasn't like he was from around here, since she had been in all parts of the continent, West, East, North, and South.

Could there be somewhere in the South was the most likely of things since he had tanned skin supposedly with green eyes, so was he from there No that was off as well, there would be some trace of that clothing he wore. Rumors of something strange happening could be possible but not likely at all.

She needed answers else growing stronger would be a secondary option which she needed to start on soon. So why not go find him to spar? It would at least pass some time while trying to gain some answers.

Miria's eyes shot up, as something splashed to the east. It seems that the man wanted to get water, and it partly made sense in why he was taking so long. Moving towards the noise she couldn't help but wonder what gave him those scars on his eyes, Claymore in general didn't have scars unless the original place where Yoma flesh is implanted in their positions of the implanted flesh all remained in the same general location.

Hers was on her abdomen, a good foot or two worth of faintly lined skin. The sight was gruesome at beast since it was slightly darker then her usual pale look. It was a reminder since it was that they were not full humans no longer. Still bring the past up in her recruit days were long gone, it had been a while since she last thought of that locked up room on a mountain.

Her eyes narrowed, in those days she had only a cell in some distant damp dark hall or a rare solitude for the disobedient to live in a dark room alone with just a sword. Perhaps they let Claymores who disobeyed a simple order to kill themselves from being alone, already a monster who was truly alone. She sighed tiredly those were the most grueling of times in her mind, she hated it sometimes. Moving along she came across a small clearing.

It wasn't like the one she had used back with the Merchant family, this was only a mere ten yards long that led down to a beach or something.

Beyond that there was a massive lake, a lake which was a clear blue surprisingly. Interested she moved down the clearing, which lead to a small dirt path to the lake's edge, maybe he was around here somewhere.

Glancing at tree she found the other Akatsuki cloak, the red clouds were there handing from a branch as it was moving slightly due to the small breeze in the air. Looking down his veiled hat was on top of some light purplish armor with a single black red lined scroll of some sorts. Curious she knelt down picking the parchment up.

"It's heavy. How is that possible?" The parchment was off it felt like there was a weight a small one at that within its contexts. Miria was getting somewhat suspicious now, what can make a paper weigh that much without tampering with it or whatever this was. Sighing here was the equipment now where was the owner of the belongings.

A splash caught her attention as she looked over to see in the center of the lake was a figure.

A figure that was standing on the surface of the water, and it made the woman stop in her tracks.

"What the hell!" Miria hissed out in shock as this was impossible. There was no way expect for a boat yet a fully grown man to be standing on the surface of the lake! Her eyes narrowed for a moment.

The Claymore looked above before jumping for a higher view which made it even easier to see the bare chest blond with his sword drawn. He seemed to be standing with two hands on the hilt standing firm as if waiting for something, or someone. Was it possible that he knew she was coming, no her Yoki signature was well hidden since she was practicing to make it hidden all together. So this was an answer she was searching for partly, not a Yoma or Awakened Being but not entirely human either. He wasn't normal which was obvious as she leaned against the tree's trunk ready to watch whatever was going to happen.

She watched as the blond opened his eyes which were red from what her sight could see clearly, and he took a breath before using a single hand making some sort of signs, it wasn't like anything she had seen before. What happened next made her conscious ready to demand, and threaten him for an answer when he was done.

On the lake Naruto breathed in and out calmly as he gathered the chakra to his arms, and legs. The warm sensations made him visibly relax as he focused only on his the enemies that were about to make themselves known. He breathed out as the water around him literally shake he needed to first get the amount of Suiton Manipulation in focus.

While in Futon it was required for a user's chakra to cut a leaf, the user needed mental focus to will his or her chakra into a sharp point. It was simple for him since his natural element was wind, but Water was not as strong but still with him due to his mother Kushina as a whirlpool ninja. Well she was from that country technically so Water was primary, and with his father as Wind from fire Country.

Thinking about the man nearly made his Chakra explode outwards as his concentration was vital, his body outlined with a pale blue before dying out slowly. "Alright expand your chakra, let it move itself into the water don't force it let it drench itself. Itachi-sensei did say he focused his chakra to burn, to become hotter than anything possible. Water has the basic theory behind it." Naruto took a breath as his chakra spread from the bottom of his sandals into the water as it was momentarily sending ripples into it.

The event was an effect probably from a chakra user using a mass amount of energy where the environment in his mind was used to Demonic energies. It made sense that a human's energy was out of place in this forest, so he raised a single hand before making a serious amounts of signs with them.

The blond had his eyes shut as his sharingan copied a famous technique exclusively known to Zabuza Momochi, the former Swordsman of the Mist one of the seven from what he could ask one of his own Sensei's associates Kisame Hoshigaki the man was likely the sixth seat in the seven positions. So the man in Kisame's mind was merely a rookie since he was the leader of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist back then in the past. There was more to their past but Naruto felt it wasn't important to go into that story now, there was plenty of time later to reminisce of that.

Sighing he created the one handed signs of tiger as he spoke the jutsu mentally, "Suiton: Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu". It was best to use the techniques of the element he was still training under since it gave the user that much more experience to use the said element in use, namely this would be water. He knew the pro's and con's of these clones not nearly as efficient as Shadow Clones, or Kage Bunshin No Jutsu but it had it was a great way to train in water. These clones held a tenth of his power but if he focused a group of ten water clones, and two long ranged Kage Bunshin then it work on his reflexes. The bonus was that since his speed he needed a physical workout established which he would do that in the future.

However Naruto knew that now was to get him warmed up. If this failed he still had the remaining personally assisted seals created by three people he allowed. Those were seals he couldn't use if he allowed it since they were memories of his dead, father figure. The man loved Konoha much to the sting his own heart had, the love of a younger sibling that was betrayed by the village itself which united himself with the blond. It was a bitter sweet twist of fate for him personally but it made sense in the long run. Still he chose three people to assist him in this project of sorts.

There was Itachi an adept at seals despite his ANBU career, Madara obviously a master in his own right since he had created that statue to hold all nine of the biju. He was an accomplished master of the art similar to the Fourth Hokage, and the Toad Sage. Madara was the one who technically was alive for nearly a century, and spent decades in the sealing arts.

So man was extremely intrigued by the prospect of this mimic, it was similar to an existing creation were a clone would have the power of a shinobi at the time who touched it. It was proven with the Kazekage Kidnapping, that downside was the clone being overpowered with another level the shinobi used. Still he took it further with another person.

The other person was Kisame much to his own smirk at the memory since the shark man was an excellent teacher in his own right, he pushed him over the limits countless times in a supposed spar or two. So he had asked him to help on the seal for its "purpose." The purpose was its own name, "Shiru nin-mimikku". The seals wereto mimic a shinobi or any human with their full power at the ready since they implanted a piece of themselves using chakra signatures to make the seals almost a living copy of the original.

The down side was that any knowledge of feelings of the originals was used by the seal mimics to answer any questions or have a few words spoken to the one in training. It was a bold aspect to create that took months of his time while doing his Shi Furasshu-Suteppu. The amount of seal arrays, set with anchors, and blood seals were just ridicules trying to search for an answer. It really was near impossible but he managed to get over seventy seals within the mimic sealing tag, it was difficult beyond something's.

Still his devotion to the sealing arts was unstoppable if he were to compare it while learning. The rate he learned to anyone else would be impossible since he wanted to kill his daughter's killers and it made him a monster in creating weapons like this. Also add the fact seals ran in his family's blood, though Naruto ignored that part before realizing something. Every generation created weapons, it was that the younger shinobi could make anything possible. Look from the first Hokage to the Fourth every successor always created a more dangerous weapon, and it was easy to imagine something surpassing the fourth eventually.

Moving on from those memories he watched as he lifted his head to see that at first seven Mizu Bunshin's.

Their forms slowly bubbled to the surface as the water stretched upwards, as the water limbs of the arms formed. The water was clear as Naruto watched calmly as the forms lifted themselves from a crouching position to a combat ready stance. An outfit of ANBU member but still had his face was created in the seven. Their eyes held the sharingan which had the real thing. While they couldn't use the advanced of Sharingan techniques the clones could still track his movement, and with their tenths of his own chakra they would be using forms on him. Which was what made him smile slightly, he had to fight with limited chakra using Jutsu was strict with him.

Naruto made a little condition with himself to as his hand went to his side with a lone kunai in his hand. His arms didn't have that dispensing mechanism he usually had, all he had was a thin layer of white tape that wrapped around his wrist up to his forearm. The rest of his upper body was bare since the water that had spiked around hit him in the chest, he suppressed the urge to shiver as he looked to the seven who got into a variety of stances crouched with their black blades pointing at him. Naruto got into his own stance as his kunai was in a reversed grip, his fingerless gloves thumb wrapped in the hole of the blade. All while his left hand held his nodachi thumb at the point of where blade met sheath.

A soft wind blew across the landscape, its cooling touch barely made any of the Bunshin or the original shiver.

Slowly the seven watched the lone single man before four rushed. One was rushing from his left, the second on the right, the third in front, and the last from the back. The blond recognized this from his time against an enemy squad.

It was a square boxing method to have all sides covered, a basic tactic as Naruto jumped into the air as the four followed swinging their blades. The clones slashed at their creator who kicked one off of him in its chest causing the unfortunate copy to have its chest cavity cracked. It dispelled with an explosions of water. "One down, and six to go." Naruto whispered quietly to himself as he landed on the water. Two clones viciously attempted to team up on their creator who side stepped between the strikes lashing out with his own blade, the clones disintegrated back into the water.

Landing with a knee crouched on the water's surface the blond looked up at the remaining three who watched with unflinching gazes, and he smirked. It was perfect before he rushed at them head on as he flung the kunai up in the air. The three Mizu Bunshin's rushed him as a blur became a streak of golden black. Naruto grunted as two clones locked up with his own nodachi, he shoved them back as the kunai came whistling down he caught it while sweeping lowly enough to stand one clone in the kidney.

It went down, which left two to go.

Panting he back flipped over a sword aimed at his back before the kunai landed on the neck of the enemy, killing the clone. Which left the last one who stood apart from the rest, and it was calm. It made the blond smile as it made hand signs, "Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu." A mass of water seemingly rumbled from behind the clone as a massive water dragon appeared, the eyes of the elemental creature glowed yellow as it roared out to kill its target. The blond merely shut his own eyes before using the first of his limited jutsu usage for this training. Suiton vs Katon, he needed to learn the inexperienced elements instead of already Futon which he mastered.

"Katon: Gokakuyu no jutsu." Immediately his own hand signs were creating the fire within, as his throat turned into a volcano of sorts. The heat was immense as he unleashed a massive flaming ball of orange and red of flame as it crashed into the Water Dragon. In a matter of seconds the lake turned into a mist as a giant explosion of fire meeting water took place. It was like a giant sizzling sound but with a sound wave exploding on contact.

The lake's surface trembled before the water settled out, and Naruto remained calm as a kunai came whirling at him. He dodged it before it melted into the water. "Hidden Mist Technique, this brings back memories with Zabuza, and Kakashi."

Remaining still he brought his sword up to his face, and went silent. His chakra went to his ears as the small steps of water leaking made him focus, he waited.

The clone came closer and prepared to dive at him. The original smirked, he spun around and vertically cutting a portion of the mist. It cleared up in an instant as the clone gapped with its mask cut off clean through the middle.

His own face was etched as it died, and Naruto merely pulled the black blade back.

He sheathed as the mist lifted around him, it was a quick warm up but it made his blood flowing. Sighing he looked to the sky for a few moments. He turned on his heel walking back as his foot splashed the water for a moment.

(You Are Here)

It was a good start to a work out, though he wanted to learn more upon his Kenjutsu, he needed an opponent who was skilled with a sword. Miria, was the one alright for that fulfillment and it was perfect though how to explain what happened to him that got him here in the first place was the thing on his mind. The truth sometimes made things worse or better pending on what the case was. Sighing lightly it was an annoyance to get out of the way.

Still his chest hurt every time when he got near her, it made him very uncomfortable, and his body was reacting to her presence.

Taking a breath he walked onto the shore line where his equipment was, and noticed something odd about them. Narrowing his eyes the scroll that kept all his items, basically everything he had was moved. It wasn't in the same position as before. Something was off here and he had an idea.

"I think Miria is…" the blonds' train of thought was violently stopped as something landed beside him as a hand clamped on his throat slamming him against the tree. He coughed out loud from the hit as he glanced up to see the silver eyes of Miria, who held her Claymore more against his jugular. It was quiet as the Claymore was willingly ready to threaten him to get answers, and it was answers she needed to be discussed now!

The Claymore had watched the entire spectacle from her position in her tree, the amount of what she saw literally blew her away. Whatever this man was, he had much to answer for. All this, water walking, doing things that no being in existence should create was doing the impossible. Scroll parchments that weighed over several pounds, elemental creations, all this was leading to something she had never witnessed before. Who or what the fuck was this man, Kenji Saito, hell she doubted that was real name now!

Her teeth were mashed as the man took a moment to breathe on the lack, as if that whole thing barely made him sweat. Her knuckles cracked as various images of the deaths at Pieta, the slaughters, and everything when she met him. Why didn't he interfere before, hell she knew with this man they had a chance to fight back against the creations that the organization would send against them. He was doing something she hadn't thought of, creating this Red Dawn to fight back, but how was the question. Who was joining him on this, the human contacts but she doubted they would fight.

Now so many questions arose in her mind, with the hand pinned against the tree her body nearly pressing onto him. Her face was contorted into a mask of anger, disbelief, and hope that shown within her silvery orbs to the one pinned.

They met eye to eye before she spoke out the simple question that had to be figured out, and it was eating away at her now. All this time to figure what this enigma of man was, and what the hell was he up to.

"What in the hell are you?" she snarled out lowly as her blade was pressed against his throat, the blond glanced down smiling at the blade before tilting his head. She was in no mood to see what he was up to right now. "Answer me! Now! Are you human, an Awakened Being who developed abilities no one has seen, or what!" to hear the desperation in her voice sent the blond on a mild guilt trip but he breathed out lowly, calming down as his hand was firmly on a handle of a kunai ready to stab her back but he relaxed to answer.

"Since you asked rather politely. I'm human what else?" his humor made the woman snarl as her pupils dilated into golden slits that made the blond raise his eyebrows as if not intimidated. Her foot stepped in under his legs as she pressed harder onto him against the tree. If one were to see this, the position was curious without the giant blade ready to kill the blond against the base of the tree. Not that many people where even around here.

"You're human? I hardly believe that, you're not like anything I've ever seen before. You're something else…" her youki surge went up as the blond felt the steel inch closer at his throat so his own eyes went into the Sharingan third stage, the tomoes spun ever so slowly as the ability to suppress a demon's energy at eye contact made the woman gasp at loud.

This was enough, and he would explain until her sword was away from his neck. He was the one going to be in control of this, not her she didn't realize the danger she was in being so close like this threatening him. "Miria, I'm telling you once to calm down, now…" he said lowly as the Claymore felt her demonic power loosen under this man's unspeakable control it was like he was suppressing it by his will alone! She struggled to remain upright as she wasn't going to stay down without a fight at all.

She snarled fighting back the mysterious influence which seemed to make her unnaturally tired now.

"I'm human. I can prove it by cutting myself so many times from you demanding, I bleed red. I'm just a human who isn't defenseless." Naruto said lightly he wasn't trying to hurt her at all, though he did tap her stomach area, with the edge of a kunai that made her pale. Yes he was armed, and was ready to defend himself so he gave her a silent choice back away so that he would explain or fight to the point where she would be annihilated. "Make the smart choice, please." He added the last part as his crimson eyes softened visibly as the woman struggled with herself, before sighing. She gave him a glare before stepping away with her sword still armed.

Breathing lightly Naruto cracked his neck before looking her almost a bit embarrassed he was caught though inwardly he knew it was best for her to know this sooner than later. "Well where do I begin? So what do you want to know Miria?" he asked sighing before leaned against the tree with his nodachi on his hip. The blond shinobi had the feeling this was going to be similar to an ANBU interrogation hearing in some room. He felt that feeling as the Claymore held her sword up, as if unsure what to do with him. It was somewhat heartwarming even for him, to know that she was taking a huge risk with himself armed.

Miria took a moment to compose herself before she breathed out to figure what questions to ask. She knew he would answer some of her questions, though not all and to make them all count she needed to think straight. Why was here, who he was, and what was he. Those were the basic three for now till he explained fluently or in honesty which was slim at best. Her silver eyes opened watching the man who folded his arms, patiently awaiting her interrogation or conversation which in either subject was debatable now. Her first question was simply this, "What exactly are you?"

Naruto leaned back closing his eyes before speaking as he came out with the basic information when a civilian asked about his shinobi status. "I'm a Shinobi." The Claymore tilted her head at the unknown term, he sighed. "I'm a ninja basically I'm just a warrior who fights from the shadows." Miria was having some sort of time processing this, and had to wonder where in the hell was this shinobi warrior from? He certainly wasn't from these lands, hell this "continent" in question was just a giant island out in some ocean somewhere.

Backtracking for a moment she then sat down across from him, under the gloom of a tree as the blond waited again for her to ask.

"Where are you from, I know that this isn't your homeland at all." She said flatly as the man smiled, as if amused at her annoyed tone. She wasn't going to be fooled when demanding answers so he explained once more the basic's from what he learned in the Academy, and from his sensei from a long time ago. "I'm from someplace far from here I suppose. Have you ever heard of the Elemental Nations, or the Five Great Shinobi Nations?" Naruto chuckled well naturally at her raised eyebrow, no apparently she hadn't so he was right initially that he wasn't in anywhere he knew at part of his own questions where answered, he wasn't near the elemental nations at all.

Sighing after a minute he went to explain which nation he was from since it was just basics after all and he wasn't going into too much depth of his past, yet.

"I'm specifically from Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. The Greatest of the Five Great Shinobi Nations, well at least it was." He shrugged at the part, from what he knew now that Kumogakure was in the lead spot though deciding a nation's strength was too complicating to understand right now. From what had happened that Konoha lost its Jinchuuriki, the Uchiha Clan, and the Namikaze Clan all in one go. Maybe the second strongest now realistically.

So a significant amount of power was gone from that village, possibly the other villages would notice that the praised Uchiha, and Namikaze would be gone from public eye for weeks before realizing what had happened. Still moving on he looked back up at Miria who was trying to understand a few things so far, and from his grin it wasn't making her comfortable either way.

Miria was sitting back now, as this shinobi in front of her lay calm once more waiting for her to ask again. She had trouble saying the word itself but she managed to ask this slightly curious in what this shadow warriors did. "So what does a shinobi specialize in, what do you do that's makes a shinobi as you say?" at this the blond in front of her smiled, it wasn't an evil smile but it made her stomach have a cold feeling.

This was a smile that was pushing her luck on what to gain from his, he wasn't angry no he was simply put amused at her question now.

Naruto laughed out finally, this was too much. Here he was thinking she would be asking incredibly difficult questions that make him on guard but this was too much. What did a shinobi do? They did everything and anything required that a client wanted them to do unless the mission hurt the village economically or prestige wise now. He laughed out loud for a moment as the sound was somewhat unnerving the Claymore before him. It was like all of his emotions were finally coming out now, and it was good to be somewhat normal without a mask. He needed to vent his emotions on something, and talking was one thing now to till the end.

Miria snarled a little lowly to grab his attention, and getting back to the point here though his laughter was genuine. "Sorry but when you asked that it was a little much. A shinobi is in theory the perfect specialist, we'll do pretty much anything from caring for some person's garden to high price assassination missions give or take. Usually the targets are anything, and we do them with little question since it gives the village center an income to keep an upkeep on equipment, and pay the shinobi in question who did the mission. I could inter connect all the inner workings but we would be here till the next morning for all I know." Naruto chose to stop, and shifted as he arched his back cracking it slightly.

Sighing trying to get comfortable was somewhat of a nuisance though he managed leaning back into the tree. It was silent for a few minutes as he looked back at the woman who was musing to herself on what she had learned so far. To his eyes it was nothing too important, yet.

Miria was taking this well, there was a hell of lot more questions for the man to answer but something was off now. Was his name truly his real name in itself? A shadow, yes he was a shadow, and it chose to be unexplainable to be an unknown. So what was the point in all this secrecy, he wasn't from any of these lands so was he from the mainland where another war was taking place. Her information from the Organization was vital to figuring out what the whole key was here, and could it be that this blond Shinobi in front of her be that key to victory? She doubted that now, and she pressed onward to figure out these shadow warriors.

"You've killed then, humans." She said with her face lowered as Naruto smiled grimly, oh he had done so. "Yes I have, and done more than that." Her eyes widened for a moment to see him smiling slyly as if daring her to ask, but she didn't want to fall for it. Something was wrong, and she needed something truly personal his name for one, along an insight to more of his past. It was eating her away at this prospect so she took a breather to relax her anxiety.

"Do you have a name then? I know the one you already use is an alias of some kind if I understand what you shinobi are. Secrecy and deception are obviously a part of it." Her answer made him smile darkly, the blond was enjoying her piece together this on her own pace as she realized he was letting her figure out that the inner workings of his fundamentals. Killing others, doing whatever it took on a mission, and pretty much sticking to the shadows of whatever casted on in a sense. He was sneaking around when fights occurred, and she had a sudden suspicion that this blond was following them on that awaken being hunt with Clare the first time around.

Her mouth felt dry now, and her stomach seemingly flipped this was sickening yet so exhilarating it made her nauseas.

"Well you pieced that together quite quick enough, yes Shinobi are masters of deception, and secrecy. More so than others I can assure you. Now for my name…well you have to earn that trust Miria." He smiled playfully with his eyes closed as the Claymore had the urge to slam his head into the ground, was he playing her for a fool! He knew her identity but not his, was it something to be hidden, did it matter to others what he went by? All these questions made the woman in question uneasy as the man in front of her this so person called "Kenji Saito" whose was but an alias.

She needed to know to understand the question, why. Why was he like this and why was he truly helping them? Her answers beforehand were a part of the reason and now she needed the full circle.

Naruto could see the anger behind her eyes as he opened his own ever so slightly to look at the lake. It was a beautiful night honestly if he admitted outright to it but he needed something to make it worth the effort for her to get his trust. He needed hers, and she needed his that was what he had to work on in the current time. He had enough contacts to wait till they reached the major city, and it was a perfect time to hone in on both of their styles of swords.

"Relax, Miria did I ever say you won't get my trust now?" his words made the woman glance at him curiously in what he was offering as he smirked standing on his two feet. The woman was anxious yet wary as to how he wanted her trust.

He spoke lightly about his little "challenge" per say.

"How about a spar session between us with our weapons, after all you need to get stronger right?" his amusement almost to honest gods around made her blush so she got up before he added the last part that had the woman stopped in her tracks. "A session on the surface of the lake, before you complain I have a little solution to the problem. Give it ten seconds." Naruto was smirking like a fox when he was around his daughter, there was truly no danger to him out here and with his two shadow clones that had "mysteriously" vanished well they were clever enough to prepare for this scenario.

The man knew she was out there and planned this out from the start. So now his patience was playing right out for him, a good time indeed.

Miria retorted, "It's impossible for me to stand on water, though what do you have in mind?" At her question a swishing sound of something falling from the air made her look at into the center of the lake to see chunks of logs slashing down. Where did they come from she hardly didn't want to imagine but there were dozens of floating pieces of lumber everywhere around for a seventy yard circle. It was perfectly laid out, and ready to be used.

She understood the concept, a platform spar.

Getting up on his feet the Shadow Clones dispersed from the forest as he took a breath in through his nose. It was time to see if his skills had dulled, and if they have well he needed to train right away just in case if anything happened that was beyond his control he could fight it out. Though some part of the blond knew if something was far beyond him, then the Kyuubi which was a friend in all but blood which was ironic since the biju was a corporate mass of Youki itself now.

Still without the fox he would likely die from an extensive amount of wounds though what considered being extensive was the key now. Without his head well he was dead, and the heart most likely which lead to blood loss now. Then again this wasn't some life or death battle, it was a spar nothing more.

Shaking his head lightly he moved to the edge of the water where the logs laid roughly seventy yards out.

The nearest log was in the middle of the ring of lumber so he turned to where the Claymore who was removing her cloak as well. Which it made it slightly difficult to concentrate since portions of her exposed body made his mouth go dry yet again. His body was reacting to her, and he needed to calm down so why not through fighting. It was helped make the mind focus onto defeating your opponent forgetting temporality the entire struggles one had. That was drilled into him when he was younger as well, Itachi knew what to exploit in a shinobi who was on the rise in terms of power.

"Well c'mon unless you're hesitating because you're scared now." Naruto teased her briefly since the woman in question was narrowing her eyes at him. Yup she was going to try to kill him or maybe break him in half during the fight which made it all better in his eyes. The more into the fight, the less he needed to worry about anything for now.

The Claymore crouched as her knees launched herself into the fair flipping on a log that stood vertically with a splash as he smiled at the spectacle. He walked out calmly relaxing under the moonlight that spiraled across the small lake now, and he watched the woman who stood calmly over the surface of the water, like a sentinel watching him.

"That was graceful, and I mean that honestly." He said to her smiling as he took his place on the opposite end of the log sparring platform that floated on the water. The Claymore watched with a stoic gaze wondering why he complimented her on her jump but know they were going to fight.

She took out her sword facing it at the direction where the shinobi got into a stance on the log which was roughly four feet long, and two feet wide. Miria took a moment to understand her surroundings, it was going to be a contest of stamina, and precision. Something she was good at that though she needed to pass that now.

"First blood wins the spar, though I'm not aiming to kill so consider that you don't do the same on your part." Naruto warned her that his intent was practice, not fatality which this wasn't something to scoff at either. In other words he would use his full ability to open up the lock on her mind, he wanted her to push to kill him while following the rule but someone in his mind he knew with what he had in store for her she would try to kill. That was the whole point in this now, to unleash that onto the humans who truly were evil. It was the organization, criminals, rapists, corrupt politicians, and everything that screamed humanities' injustice. It was going to be his way from now on, and if she failed then what was the point in her to keep moving forward then?

He grinned nonetheless it would be a great time to unloose his basic academy teachings he learned, if what Miria was planning to do now.

Naruto got into a stance where he space out his legs, and had his sword hand over the sheath ready to slash out. He smiled since his sharingan had copied Wind Cutter Flora's technique back in Pieta, since he had spare time to adjust to its movements. He could something now with his blessing that was still a curse now. Miria had her own ready now as they waited to see who would make the first move now. They waited in silence for a minute, as the wind blew around them in a gentle breeze.

A fish jumped several meters away before Naruto was off with a log splashing as he jumped around side to the side using the logs charging forward. Miria was a bit surprised to see him start the fight off but nonetheless met the blond in the center of the logs where something was up. He stopped only a good meter away though when he gripped the sheath of his sword, a blur appeared.

A shockwave exploded around him as the underneath was compressed as if something pushed it down, her eyes widened as her sword struck the black blur, and sparks were generated with the screeching of metal on metal. The sixth ranked warrior leaped to the side as a the blade hit the surface of the water with a monstrous after effect of something cutting deep into it. She was shocked, that was Flora's signature move, and for this man to have used it was saying something was out of the ordinary.

Hell it should have been impossible, but he lured her right out of the gate to test that move out, and she barely saw the movements.

It had the same fundamental motion but instead of a vertical swing his was horizontal into an upward sweep.

He didn't stop as Naruto dashed towards her as the log he was in went underwater as the warrior blocked his strike. Metal met metal again as their movements blurred into swifting shadows as the occasional yellow spark demonstrated how hard they fought. The blows went from left to right, to back and forth as speed met speed in a duel of precision.

Miria followed the other blonds' movements clearly as she determined what to use against him. Weaving away under a slash to her ribs, her claymore came up underneath skimming the water as it came up between his legs.

A sickening sound of flesh being cut made the woman widen her eyes as the man was now in two pieces. His eyes looked on in shock as blood splattered onto the water. What in the hell did she…did just kill him!

She killed another human!

The claymore's eyes widened as the horror hit her, no she didn't he was perfectly matching her blow to blow but why.

Her mind was whirling a thousand miles a second trying to comprehend in what she just did. Blood, red blood was the signature of a human and which the blond was. Her stomach was ready to unload its contents or what was left of it from her meal sometime ago. Why did she feel…so good about it though? Her anger got the better of her, when the man was seemingly matching her sword to sword as if playing with her. Was she that slow, or was it that these shinobi were masters of doing the impossible?

She didn't know, and hell her mind nearly shut down from the information that her only source was killed, dead from her hand alone!

Miria was in a state of shock she until she felt something tap lean against her back. "Why do you have a shocked face Miria? You didn't kill anything now." The voice of the blond said chuckling behind her as the Claymore looked back as there was the topless shinobi alive, and unharmed. Her mind was seemingly blank as her expression was confused, and most of all relieved which Naruto noticed much to his disappointment. He had to break her out of that routine, getting to kill a human was what had to be done, and he would get it done eventually. Still it would nice to have it sooner than later in this case for now.

She did kill those bandits but however she still felt the urge to protect them, but with this man he was alive.

Why was killing some damn difficult when it came to humans, those bandits were going to do the worst of what anything could do. Yet why was she feeling good about killing this person of all! It didn't make sense to feel this for a human, worry, relief, anger, and hell the urge to get him. Gnashing her teeth together her lips spilt from the pressure before it healed instantly as her mind started to calm down. All the while the blond shinobi was watching this all too amused, and interested in how she was breaking out of her shell on the matter.

"How…" she said that one word before he laughed out loud.

"Shinobi Art: Ninjutsu. That what you just saw was substitution, one of the fundamental ninjutsu a ninja must learn." Naruto also left out the fact that an Academy Student had to learn it to pass to become a gennin, although the said student wasn't able to become a gennin till an instructor passed them. She didn't need to know that yet, and it was comical to see her reaction as disbelief ran amuck. Sighing happily this was starting to turn out to be a good idea, schooling her in a fight with the basics of shinobi arts.

Even the simple things he had to have she had to be wary of him as he was now.

Miria watched him as he tilted his head back at her, as if wanting to take his time in this fight. "There are three main subjects for shinobi, ninjutsu obviously from what you saw now. Next there is…" another voice in front of her made the woman's eyes widen in shock as she looked in front to see the man in front of her. What threw her was the fact there was the said man behind her, hell she felt him clear as day, and to see some twin of him appear.

The replica spoke finishing the sentence the other started before

"Genjutsu, which is the perception a person has, namely his or her senses. Manipulating another's mind to see what the caster creates, and it's also useful to shock claymores. Funny isn't?" the blond said chuckling as the illusion leaned forward to the stunned Miria who merely watched as the other shinobi was smirking just like the one in the back. "I take it you're wondering how? I'll give you a hint, your demonic energy may dispel this illusion of me." The blunt answer made the Claymore snap out of her stupor as she flared the energy within her as the red haze went around her body. In a moment the one behind her was gone as the front remained grinning in place.

She was again caught off guard, she couldn't believe this to manipulate something on this scale was unheard off. Maybe trying to match one's Youki with another as the awakened being in Pieta did that, and Galaeta did that as well. Could they have the same ability, or was it? Her head ached painfully at what happening before her, this was coming on way too quickly. She needed time to understand this, she had to.

However what this man was implying he could make someone feel to be on fire in the middle of a rainstorm. Her mind was racing trying to comprehend this but Naruto still had one more lesson to give her the idea, hand to hand combat. Sheathing his blade he rushed forward speaking lightly as he weaved in, and away from her position in the center of his strides.

"Finally Taijutsu, hand to hand combat." He sped forward as the woman whirled around slashing with her sword as he smirked again. Three shadow clones appeared around him as he flipped over the three clones blocking the sword as it went through their bodies. Smoke indicated their deaths as he appeared behind the woman who glanced back in alarm. A fist smashed into her ribs causing her to cough out loud, the hits came in a flash as three struck her back.

The claymore stumbled down on a knee from the harsh fists.

She panted heavily as the stress of those illusions, and now this took her toll on her mind to believe this was possible. Grunting she got herself onto her feet to watch the blond who was watching with a bemused expression on his face, it seemed this was just entertainment for him only. Growing she didn't want to be just this pathetic, she had to fight back at least. Channeling her Yoki she dashed forward skipping off the logs before slashing with her claymore at the greatest speed she could muster right now.

The blonds' eyes widened as he flipped over her, a log was cut in his original place as a substitution came instinctively he landed behind ready with a kunai in hand. He moved up before her sword suddenly reversed grip slicing at his face! Ducking he came behind her before punching her in the neck making the woman gasp a cold pointy steel tip on his kunai knife was across her neck. He didn't move as the woman's back was in front of him with her sword under his arm, near his ribs. The water that landed on his exposed skin made him shudder briefly he felt something off about this.

Reaching up to his cheek, he felt something rush down his skin, and it made him laugh perfect again, an opponent where he couldn't totally mess around with. It was just the beginning of the adventure and he would by the gods enjoy it. All because of what he felt.

His index finger found out that blood was going down his skin. She technically won but he had the killing blow in place so he thought of it as draw, his smiling face didn't appear to be fazed as the woman glanced back at him her eyes amber gold. Apparently he wasn't the only one going too far during this fight. He watched her as she did to him with their weapons just inches from killing one another but he released his killing blow.

"You won technically but I had a killing blow, so it's a draw." He said stepping back away from her as those golden amber slits followed his every step as if determining he was a threat. It was somewhat interesting to see how someone like her a Claymore who was supposedly thought of humans as strange and confused beings. Now to throw him into the mix her way of seeing a normal person was cracked forever and it was just too funny. He laughed a bit again as the woman turned to face him and apparently Miria wasn't in the mood to hear it, too bad.

The shinobi walked calmly towards the shore, he wasn't particularly too worried about the silent Claymore who was glaring daggers into the pieces of his soul.

Walking on the surface of the water he walked by her a mere few feet before stopping for a moment.

Miria waited for him to say something about her form, but to her shock again he looked right at her with a small turned around while bowing formally at the waste, his hat on his head he gave the most charmed grin he had ever made.

"My real name is Naruto, Naruto 'Prince' rouge Ninja from Konohagakure no Sato."

Those simple sentences made the woman realize that this man was criminal, but not in similar to those bandits. This was something incredibly complex to figure out, and she doubted this man truly had the heart to do that to others. Rape wasn't in his eyes just hatred of the act, and she tilted her as he walked by to shore.

The Claymore just watched the night sky wondering what in the hell was happening to the world now. It was like something incredibly life changing was on the way, the calm before the storm as it was.

Sighing to herself she sheathed her sword before following Naruto now back to camp. She had many questions, and she did agree to one thing within her head now.

The Road to Strugeburg was going to give answers to her questions one way or another.

"End The Road to Strugeburg"

Author's Note: Well Oh my fucking god. It's done, yes my readers done. This chapter took quite a bit longer than I thought it would. I seriously nearly posted a version again under ten thousand words so I thought and relaxed slowly editing and adding on information with these two. I'm shocked, happy and relieved this is off my chest finally. I can end the voting polls and give you the results on my profile page or I could do it now. So I'll do it anyway when I've finished with a few other musings on my part.

I kind of chopped down on the large paragraphs since I felt it was better to see some dialogue between these two,I mean I look back and I occasionally wince at the fact some paragraphs are unnecessary too large. So a little experiment if people liked the smaller paragraphs during this chapter on that. Apart from that the genjutsu realm was NOT Tsukyomi from the Sharingan. Just to clear that little fact up now, that was a custom genjutsu that Naruto made during the war, I will explain how and why he made it sooner or later on in the story. Now with those little details lingering in my head, I have the results posted now on this page and all my explanations will be my Profile page when this chapter is uploaded.

So I'll share these first nine winners although be-warned that I have some changes to these voting results. To me these were opinions on what people wanted and most of them are challenging as it is to get the blond to convince them. If basing the characters from canon.

(1.) Riful 79 Votes 10%

(2.) Galaeta 78 » 10%

(3.) Alica and Beth 56 » 7%

(4.) Priscilla 55 » 7%

(5.)Isley 54 » 7%

(6.) Rubel 43 » 5%

(7.) Clarice and Miata 43 » 5%

(8.) Raki 37 » 4%

(9.) The Assassin 35 » 4%

Well there are the results for the preliminary nine members, and all my explanations will be under the sections for each Character, about how I feel they would be apart of the story while trying to infuse them with Naruto's influence, and I will again say that will take time. It could be months before I even update this story again as I have the drive to write out more chapters and slowly make my way up this long latter to hell here now. So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I thank the 110 People who did vote while using their minds to figure out the layout for the rest of the story. I'll be honest here, this is quite the project that I'm undertaking and there will be readers who think I'm doing a horrid job.

To those flamers: Do it yourself because your angry at me for trying. (That's my answer to the hardcore flamers, Critics just enlighten me on the mistakes that you see. Details and some justification is all I need)

Okay that is that and now I'm off to do whatever I do. Update the stories that I'm in the mood for, prepare for graduation in five or so months, and other world important events that decide my life. Yeah ha ha on the last part but whatever, so long and hope this was worth the wait for everyone following this story.

Do some reading and leave the review for all to see.