- I've told you: hot summer nights are perfect for watching stars. – Emese stretched, then cuddled to Kese's bare chest. He just chuckled and remembered she hadn't called him to the vineyard for watching the beautiful, clear starry sky.

- Yeah. – he sighed. After two fierce hours, his mind was finally clear, and he enjoyed the sight of the endlessness; but his lover's voice poked his musing and her finger poked his nose.

- What's inside that bleached head of yours? – the falconer lady smiled at him.

- ... I was just thinking about the constellations.

- Really? – she was surprised by his response. – Do you know some?

- Yes. – he pointed up. – That long one is Hydra. And there are Wolf, Scorpion and, I think, Serpent. And there is my favourite: Eagle. I know the name of a few stars in it: Tarazed, Alshain, but I like the brightest one the most. Its name is Altair. – he pronounced that name with care and great respect. He was silent for about a minute, then sighed and sat up. – I should go. – he looked around. – Where is my shirt?

- I know where it is. – Emese smiled slyly.

- Where?

- Come closer, I'll tell you.

- Well?

- Closer... – her hand began caressing him.

- You sly woman... – he whispered into her ear. – You hid it... didn't you?

The falconer chuckled, but the blacksmith didn't waste any time: he immediately and slowly began interrogating her, and so her chuckle soon turned into moaning. Sweat drops appeared on his body as he moved and moved; her claws dug into the skin of his already scratched back. The nude sky watched their naked dance; her lover's and her god's name left her mouth when they reached their limits, and bathed in the lake of pleasure.

- You sly woman... – he breathed again after he calmed down. - It was under you all along.

She smiled and gave the blonde's shirt to him, and he got up to get dressed properly. - What's this? – she stroked the skin in the middle of his back. There was a spiral on it, about the size of a child's palm. In the dark it seemed grey or brown, but it could have been even black.

- I can't believe you've just noticed it now.

- Your muscles attracted my attention. Is it henna?

- No, it's not. It's a se... a secret. – he smirked. She pouted, but he thought she didn't have to know about it. Because it was a seal he had got from Emiko.

When he had been thinking about leaving the island and working in a country full of shinobis, he had realized his chakra level might be suspiciously high for a mere civilian. He had asked Emiko if she could help hiding or restraining it. "It would be even more suspicious if we hide all of your chakra", he remembered the old lady's words. "And restraining it would be a very dangerous move and a waste. Your body molds your chakra naturally on its own, and if you don't let it flow naturally out to the outside, it would accumulate inside your body and cause unforeseeable impacts on your chakra system. But I don't know what certain consequences there would be because no one has been stupid enough to have this idea." Kese had taken it as a compliment. "I suggest Uzutora Fūin*. It stores chakra and let out a minimal amount of it, so you could use it for smaller jutsus. With this seal, those who can sense or see chakra would consider you a normal people. They wouldn't notice the seal, nor the stored chakra, because the seal has a limited hiding option also. It does not hide the accessible chakra, but keeps it on a normal level; in addition, on the same level in every clone you make. And if you need more chakra, you can open the seal a little; if you need all of them, you can release the seal and get access to all of the stored chakra. Do not break it, for god's sake, just open or release; I'll tell you everything about it" Not to say, he hadn't understood it at first, so Emiko had explained it less difficult.

"Imagine a barrel with limitless capacity and a spigot on it. You constantly pour water into the barrel from above and the spigot is always open a little. As time passes the barrel would have more and more water, despite some always flow out of it. If you need more water, you open the spigot a little more or completely. If you need all of it, you turn the barrel over then throw it away. But if you are not careful, you could break the spigot. This means, if you try to force chakra out of the seal without opening or releasing it first, the stored chakra would surge out because you accidentally removed the spigot; then got stuck, because the barrel – the seal - patched the hole by itself. In this case, you have to install a new spigot immediately, or your body would run dry because it wouldn't get chakra to live and function or the chakra would accumulate like I said before." He shivered because of these words; Emese noticed it, and hugged him from behind. Her body's warmth and softness gave another urge to the blonde.

"The seal's embodiment will be a spiral, the symbol of my clan. It will fade away in a few days, but when you want to see how much it has, just force a little chakra into its structure, and it becomes visible right away. It will show you how much chakra it has stored: the more chakra it stores the longer the spiral becomes.'

- Emese, we really should go now.

She just chuckled at him. - We haven't even come.

- We had, a few times.

"If you open or release it, a mark appears on your skin. The seal's spiral would be a long, dark stripe on your back then, and in contrast with your skin, it would resemble to a tiger's stripes. Well, not exactly, I know. It wasn't me who named this technique."

- You don't have stubbles tonight. – she panted, sitting on his lap.

- I don't have stubbles tonight. – he moaned as he was pressed to the ground. – You have to deal with it... You sly... sly woman...

Kese thought he was going to choke to death thanks to the gulp of water he had accidentally swallowed into his lungs; all because of Karcsa's disturbing question a minute ago. - Are you finished dying? – the Magor boy asked him while placing another arrow on the string of his bow. It was the blonde's last afternoon on the island, and Karcsa challenged him for a little competition. When Kese told him about Ushimaru's letter, the Magor boy became utterly upset, and the blonde thought he had got over it and wanted to talk or just simply hang out with him until he could. However, Kese had never suspected his friend had another reason underlying.

'How the hell can he stay so indifferent?!' he stopped coughing and wanted to believe he had misheard Karcsa. - What?!

- I said: for how long do you have sexual relationship with my aunt? – he aimed and shoot, and hit the bull's eye with little effort. He was so focused on his weapon he wasn't even concerned in showing emotions, and when he didn't get an answer he turned to the blonde. – Yes, I know about it. Don't make a face like that.

Kese tried to articulate, with little success. – How? When?

- I've suspected it for a while, so I followed Emese to the vineyard a few nights ago. And all of a sudden you were there too, and... – he blushed and turned back towards the deer-shaped target dummy.

'Please, don't turn your bow towards me.' Kese watched uneasily as he readied another arrow. - How much did you see?

Karcsa's arrow missed the target. He blushed even more and hid his face. - You don't want to know it. You do not want to know it.

Kese at first didn't understand his reaction. But when he did, he yelled. – All of it?!

- Get back to my fucking question, damn it!

The afternoon passed and the blonde was in the forge in the middle of his last night on the island. He had been secretly working on it for a while. He had done everything well, just like he had learnt from his father. And it was almost ready; he couldn't wait to finish it anymore.

- I thought you were sleeping. – his father's voice startled him out of his concentration and his work. The blonde's head turned towards the entrance of the workshop. - It's past midnight. You won't get up early.

- Csík can wait for me.

- But the tide won't. – Tas stepped next to him and examined his apprentice's work in the light of an oil lamp. – You can finish it in Siplak.

- No. I'm almost ready. I want to do it here.

The older blacksmith walked around the table, sat down in front of the blonde and watched him working.

- A remarkable mechanism.

- Difficult.

- How could you invent something like this?

- It's not my invention.

- Then how?

- It's a long story. – he sighed, put down his tools, and straightened his back.

- Is it finished? – Tas asked, and his son nodded.

Kese rolled up his left sleeve, and fastened the blade's straps to his forearm in a so familiar way. Then he bent back his wrist, so it wouldn't pierce through his palm, tensed his muscles, and...

Clang. The hidden blade snapped out perfectly, quietly and ruthlessly. Kese almost heard it crying for blood.

He watched it in upmost awe - and joy. None of his earlier works had made him feel like this. It wasn't glinting; he created it to be matt, to be less conspicuous and eye-catching. He had used the metal he had got from the horsemen of Siplak; and it was darker, stronger, but not less resilient than his usual materials. It had been hard to work with also, but seeing the results, it was worth it.

He retracted the blade, then ejected it again, and again until the older blacksmith spoke, disturbing his musing.

- What will you use it for?

Kese looked up and saw worry in his father's eyes. He put on an innocent face and replied. – Self-defence, of course. – for the blonde it seemed Tas wouldn't like to believe him. – Why do you ask?

- It looks rather an offensive weapon than a defensive one.

- Best defence is offence. – Kese stated. – If someone attacked me, I would counter. I can take care of myself in this kind of situations, and both of us know this well.

Tas nodded a few and watched as his son took off his blade and placed it inside a leather bag. – If you sold some of these or the plan itself to the shinobis, you wouldn't have to worry about a living ever again.

- Money doesn't really motivate me.

- You'll think otherwise when you have a family.

The blonde sighed. – Maybe. But, father, I... I don't want to sell it. I don't want anyone to know about it at all.

- Why? – Tas' question sounded suspicious.

- Imagine that I would sell these or the plan. Shinobis would get a liking using it, because it's stealthy, fast and effective. It would be everything they need now, that they are losing their chakra and getting more and more dependant to weapons. They would buy it up quickly, then use it on their missions. Imagine how much assassinations they'd perform using this, and it would became a symbol of silent and ruthless kill. Every shinobi, and civilian too, would get frightened and they would fear these blade. So what would be the solution for this common hysteria? Everyone would go to the blacksmiths or to me and order for themselves, rather steal or kill to get one; some would copy and build more of it. Sooner or later, everyone would have one. Imagine a world, where everyone has a blade hidden up in his sleeve. They would fear leaving their house, walking down the streets; they'd fear someone would stab them from behind just because they wanted to. Not only shinobis would use it, but civilians: craftsmen, merchants, usurer and thieves along with frightened honest men, women and even children. Imagine the chaos this hidden blade might bear if I casually decide to sell it one day!

The forge was flooded by silence as he finished his words. His father was nodding, showing that he understood what he meant. Both of them watched the leather bag resting on the table, which hold that scary piece of metal.

- You must be tired. – Tas' voice broke the silence. – Let's go back into the house and sleep a little.

- Yes. – he stood up, threw his tools into another bag, then stopped. – Father, will you be okay without me helping you? Can you handle everything here? And mother, and the little ones? Will they-

- Don't worry, son. – he interrupted him with his calm voice. - We'll be fine.

The next morning Kese stepped to his family on the docks. His voice was a little sad, but full of excitement. - We're ready to leave. – he said, and his sister immediately jumped into his arms.

- I'll miss you so much! - Jolánta sobbed. – Do you have it?

- Don't worry. It's here. – he pulled out the leather string of a necklace from under his shirt, and showed her the pendant: a small piece of beech wood with little spots burned into it. The Magor girl had made it with her own little hands, and had given it to his brother. It was lighter than his key, which he decided to keep in his pocket, tied to his belt. – I'll keep your ladybug right above my heart. – he said, putting the pendant under his shirt.

- Always?

- Always.

He hugged her tightly once more, then stood up and stepped to Rozi. She touched his face and kissed his forehead. – Take care. Be good and happy! – she only said that, trying to hold back her tears. – Will you ever come back? – she whispered cautiously.

- Don't cry, mother. – he smiled. – I'll come back, I promise. – he then caressed his younger sister's cheek who was sleeping in her mother's arms. – Do not forget me, Csepke! – he said jokingly, then embraced them.

At last, he stepped to his father; he placed his hand on his son's shoulder. He didn't say a word, but his eyes told many things to the blonde. – Thank you. – Kese spoke. – Thank you for everything.

Tas smiled. - I have a feeling you would do more than just forging out there. Take care on your adventures.

The blonde was surprised by his words, but grinned and nodded. He stepped onto his uncle's boat, and immediately began his journey. Kese was floating away, and had a strange, heavy feeling inside his chest as he watched his family on the docks, then the island getting away from him, as they disappeared into the horizon.

The wind was very nice to them; he arrived at Siplak's port the next morning. Csík accompanied him to his wife's father, Aba's* house, then bade farewell and returned to the sea. Kese was to meet the blacksmith the next morning, and Aba had offered him to stay at their house for the night, where the blonde was asked to speak about himself a little, then he was given some advice.

First of all, not to expect any good from Ushimaru. He was known to be an untrustworthy blacksmith, barely commissioned by the local people, who didn't even know where he got money he so liked to spend at the inn's pub and at the whores of the village. But the blonde himself could hope to get asked because the villagers had known the inn's sign had been made by him, and some of them had heard about his help at the stables, too. To his question, Kese got to know that the stables had been empty for a month or two: the horsemen took their horses with them to the capital city or sold them to Konoha. This made the blonde a little sad because he wanted to see and ride their fierce stallion.

After lunch he went out for a walk in the village and the other parts of the island. He found it strange it wasn't as wet as last time. It was warm but a little sultry; seagulls and other birds were gliding in the air everywhere. The blonde discovered a few shops near the port, heard some silly rumours, then returned to Aba's house. He got ready for the next day and went to bed early.

In his dream, he was one of his few ancestors he hadn't known well. In addition, he was the man he resembled so much; he didn't see himself, he just knew it.

He was sitting on a large rock, enjoying the warm breeze and the peace in the middle of the war. His team was not fully present for they were waiting for the last of them to arrive. The boy with silver hair seemed impatient and phlegmatic at the same time; the girl was relaxed and calm. They were walking up and down, when the blonde heard noises from behind, then the voice of two children. He smiled, turned to them and got to see his team's fourth member, another boy with dark hair, eyes and goggles. At this point, his dream blurred into another scene. He saw dissipating clouds in front of him as he stabbed into something, then the scared face of that dark-haired boy came into his vision again. – Don't be careless! – he spoke, then turned his attention back to the battlefield. 'He's way too fast', the blonde thought, watching the silver-haired boy. 'He won't be able to stop before the enemy strikes, I have to interfere!' He then rapidly mobilized his chakra, and in the next moment, he was at the silver-haired boy. He pushed away the enemy's sword, grabbed the boy while touching and leaving a kanji-like sign on the enemy's foot, and then he was at the exact same spot he had been less than a full second ago. The other two children rushed to their teammate as they noticed them. 'I've marked him', the blonde though and dropped his backpack. He didn't hear its noise as it hit the ground – he was already holding a kunai at their enemy's throat. That ninja gulped and started to speak, but Kese couldn't understand it, the dream was fading away. The last thing he could see and feel was the squishing redness, the lack of mercy and his own cold blood.

When Kese opened his eyes he immediately felt goose-bumps racing down on his body, from his neck to his toes. He was speechless inside his own mind, he was amazed so much by that man's doings, mostly by the technique he used. But before he could make a note about that, he fell asleep again; and he was somewhat glad he returned into that man's body. But this time, the dream was disorganized, consisting of flashes, faces and fast events mostly. He saw a lively village, full of people; a white haired man with a scroll on the back of his waist and a huge frog or toad at his side. He recognized that place and that man, he had seen them in his own, lone memory from before. Then he saw strange, three-pointed kunais with kanjis on their grips; a pretty young woman with red hair smiled at him then went furious; a dark skinned, muscular blonde man with a lightning-like glow around his body scowled at him. And then, something surprised him: he felt like he used that technique from before, against this dark skinned blonde man. He couldn't describe it: he was just at another place all of a sudden. Then he saw a large, shining orb, inside of it what seemed like a hurricane. He held it in his palm, and pushed it against some flesh, which looked...

Kese opened his eyes again. – Tentacle? – he breathed. – Really? A giant tentacle? What a weird dream. – he blinked away his sleepiness as he realised it was past dawn. – Why did I have to wake up? It was so interesting! – 'Though I didn't understand half of it', he thought while getting dressed. 'But at least, I got to see this man; I barely knew anything about him. He must have been a shinobi. And it feels like he was close to me in my lineage. Could it be? Could he be my...my real...?' He bit his lips. 'It would be too nice to be true...' he sighed. 'I've barely seen this man, and now, all of a sudden two dreams about only him! Why?', he left the room he had slept in, had some breakfast, then packed all of his stuff which he intended to bring with him to Ushimaru's house. He thanked Aba and his family everything, said goodbye and left.

He had found Ushimaru's house and forge the day before, so he arrived there quickly. It was at the edge of the village, near the harbour, and seemed rather big for a lonely man. He knocked several times and waited for about ten minutes before the door opened and a blowzy and very sleepy dark haired man in shorts (or underwear?) who smelled like sake and vomit blinked at him. – Who da hell arh ya?

- I'm Kese from the Silent Island. I'd be your new apprentice, Ushimaru-san.

* Uzutora Fūin: Whirpool Tiger Seal, an original technique.

Aba is the quarter-Magor father in law of our favourite blacksmith's uncle, Csík. Kese and Dombi stayed at his house when they went there to help the fishermen of Siplak supple the stallion, in chapter 2 of sequence 2.

Reminder: Silent Island is autonomous, but Siplak is already in Land of Water territory.

~~~For those who hasn't read or watched Naruto~~~

In this world "countries operate as separate political entities and are presumably all monarchies, ruled by daimyō (feudal lord), who stand equally in rank with the Hidden Villages' Kage (see later). The Naruto world is similar to feudal Japan in many aspects; those countries maintain balance between themselves through nothing but power" (source: Naruto Wikia). During the Fourth Shinobi World War they created an alliance amongst themselves (plus samurais), and they managed to achieve a great cooperation and synergy.

Amongst other smaller ones there are four great nations (and their capital): Land of Fire (Konohagakure or Village Hidden by Leaves); Land of Water (Kirigakure or Village Hidden by Mist); Land of Wind (Sunagakure or Village Hidden by Sand); Land of Lightning (Kumogakure or Village Hidden by Clouds); and Land of Earth (Iwagakure or Village Hidden by Rocks). More info about the Naruto world's geography and about the villages at the source: Naruto Wikia.

"Kage (literally meaning: shadow) are the leaders of one of the five most powerful hidden villages and are generally acknowledged as the most powerful ninja in their respective villages and nations. The Kage oversee the activities of their villages, from sending ninja teams out on their missions to making the hard decisions regarding the safety of their people." The five Kage and their village: Hokage (meaning fire shadow) for Konoha; Mizukage (meaning water shadow) for Kiri; Kazekage (meaning wind shadow) for Suna; Raikage (meaning lightning shadow) for Kumo; and Tsushikage for Iwa. (Source and more info: Naruto Wikia)

Thanks for reading! If you have any question, don't be afraid to ask. ;)