Chapter 37: Swordsmen and Amplifiers
Another room yet. Naruto was getting used to the idea of falling unconscious one second and waking up inside an unfamiliar room the next. How many times had he done that? He looked around the room. The corners seemed so far away he felt vertigo pulling at him. Where was he? As he struggled to get his bearing, he felt the warmth of a hand over his. He looked to his right. A pink-haired girl slept beside his bed. Recognition crept into him.
"Sakura-chan?"
Sakura stirred and looked up. Lines of stress under her eyes told of sleepless nights. "Naruto!"
He tried to smile, but his facial muscles were still numb from sleep. "Where are we?"
"I'm glad you've come to. It's been two days."
Two days? Naruto couldn't believe he had been too exhausted he had to sleep for two days to recover. The other time he had slept for four days. He might be overdoing it a little. He made a mental note to be conscious of his limit next time. After he attained Shihai, he had become overconfident that he could do just anything in a fight. It was becoming a habit, and it could be bad.
Sakura was still speaking. "Were you really trying to kill yourself? You did four, consecutive Tajuu Kage Bushin Technique! Not a single shinobi in history has been able to do it and lived."
He could live with that achievement. But it was not her point. "Everything has turned out well in the end," he said.
"Is that all you can say? We were so worried!"
"I'm sorry. I was just trying to save those two kids."
"Argh!" Sakura inhaled a lungful.
Sakura was controlling her anger. Somewhat, it felt nice seeing her fussing over him.
She broke the silence. "I'm sorry. It was just…I acquired this phobia from losing you once. I just don't think that I can endure it a second time. I don't want to lose you, anymore."
That was unexpected. He felt his cheeks getting hot. He looked away, unable to decide how to respond. "Is that so?" he said. He began to feel uncomfortable. Didn't she know what she was doing to him? For the longest time, whenever something like this happened, all he had felt from her was her sincere concern for him as a friend. She exuded something different right now. He dismissed the feeling. Concluding things would only lead to pain.
He cleared his throat. He could indirectly ask about it by disguising it as a harmless joke. "Hey, stop staring at me. You are making me feel that you've fallen in love with me." His heart raced in his chest. Anticipation opened his pores. The room got colder.
Sakura sighed. "You're always reckless."
He was disappointed. It was just his imagination, after all.
She looked around as if being in the room the first time. "We're inside the castle of King Sagai. Princess Tamiko insisted that we took you here."
"A castle?" Naruto said. "So that's why it is so grand." He took in the room. The windows stretched high, almost to the ceiling. If the drapes were up, he thought that the room would have enough light for sunbathing. Expensive looking vases stood on well-made tables around the room, and at the far side, there was a shelf filled with thick volumes. The floor was so shiny it might show the underwear of maids. By the look of everything, he might be right about how they dressed: long skirts with frills at the hem.
"Hey, are you thinking something perverted?" Sakura asked.
Right on the mark. Naruto jumped as he returned to reality. Jiraiya's influence had stuck itself in his blood. Without complete blood transfusion, he would not be able to get rid of it. Or so he thought. He scurried to hide his embarrassment by thinking of anything to ask. "What happened to the snake?"
Sakura seemed not to understand. Had he spoken so fast that his words came out gibberish?
Sakura said, "You're weird. Why do you still care about that monster? Anyway, the Jonins sealed her again inside her cave. I think she'll not be waking up anytime soon."
"I see. And the guy?" He sighed to himself. He was glad for the change of topic.
"What guy?"
"The guy that the snake heaved out."
"Oh, that bastard. He's currently detained."
Naruto noticed the anger in her voice. He had heard this tone from her before when she spoke of Orochimaru or Madara.
"His name is Takeshi. He's the son of the Tsubasakage. He still hasn't spoken, yet, or rather he can't because of trauma, but the guards of the cave identified him as the perpetrator. No one knows why he did what he did, but I don't care. He should be executed for what he had done. He put his own people in danger."
She was really angry at the guy. He approached the issue using a roundabout route. This was something he had learned in Hensen no Kuusho from his talk on politics with the Third. He only remembered how when he focused enough.
"He'll not be doing that again. Maybe he was just curious or must have had a profound reason for doing that. We should give him another chance."
Sakura frowned. "If you knew that guy, you would not say that. He is trash. He uses his position to get what he wants. He once made a pass on me, you know. I will never forgive him."
"Geez, he must have done something terrible to you. You're not the type to bad-mouth people."
She blushed in anger. "I'd rather just forget about it."
Ripples of anger began to whisper inside him. He had known Sakura long enough to guess what she was mad about. Now he was regretting saving the guy. He should have left him inside the snake as an offering. It could already be considered attempted regicide, anyway, which was punishable by death.
Sakura sighed. "Let's just forget about him."
Silence filled the room. Naruto looked at Sakura. She looked like she had not had any decent sleep in days. Not being able to come up with a topic for discussion, he decided to ask about it.
"Have you been sleeping, Sakura-chan?" he asked.
"I was here, watching over you," she said outright. "I hadn't been able to sleep."
An urge to embrace her occurred to him, but he stopped himself. Then silence.
"This happened because of me," Sakura finally said. "Because of that stupid promise I forced you to make."
"You haven't forced anything on me." He was alarmed. Why had she suddenly brought this topic up? They were trudging on dangerous ground. He desperately sought of a way to escape the net closing in on them. Pity. He was not that smart.
"Don't act as if you don't remember. I know you remember it well. Could you forget about that promise for me?"
"Stop talking like that." He wanted to turn the wheel in the opposite direction to avoid the place they were currently headed. He knew that they were going towards the "hurt" zone. He forced a smile. "Sakura, it'd be better if…"
"But it's true! It was because of me! Sasuke was not worth dying for. I realized it when I lost you."
They were now in that zone. All he could do was to stay quiet. It was true that it had begun from that promise. But it wasn't that simple anymore. After meeting Nagato, who had believed that making people realize that avoiding the things that brought about pain was the only way to gain eternal peace, his priorities changed.
Somehow, Sasuke and Nagato were the same. Like Nagato had been, Sasuke was being consumed by his hatred. If he let him be, Sasuke would become a second Nagato, a second Pain.
However, killing Sasuke was not the solution. Even if he killed every villain in the world who threatened peace, he would just repeat history. He would die not knowing how to deal with people like them. He wanted to save Sasuke because he wanted to know the answer. And also because he was his friend.
He tried to veer away from the discussion. "I'm hungry! Is there anything to eat?"
Sakura hung her head, ignoring him, and muttered, "Master Tsunade told us that he might be still alive since his body was not found. I'd be glad if that assumption was wrong, if he really died."
Naruto just felt his arm swinging towards Sakura. When he realized what he was doing, he had already slapped her. Sakura looked at him with bewildered eyes.
"I will not apologize even if you ask for it." His voice was filled with contempt. He hated the sound of it. It was like someone was speaking for him. "You have no right to be glad about someone's death, even if he is your enemy. I don't want to hear that again from you. Ever."
"I'm sorry, but I will not take back what I said."
Anger took over him. It dictated the next words that came out his mouth. "Don't be conceited. You're not the only person important to me. You are taking our friendship for granted. Unlike you, I had a hard time finding friends. For that reason, I treasure every one of them however temporary they may seem. I'm not the kind of guy who throws away friendship just because a friend did something terrible. Every one of you is more important than my own life." He got up from bed and began to leave.
"Promise me to stop chasing after Sasuke," Sakura pleaded.
"Shut up!"
Why had it turned out like this? He had woken up with a good mood, feeling lightheaded from seeing Sakura by his side. The rocks rolled slowly and he thought it would be a pleasant day for him. Then a crevice appeared and the rocks tumbled into it. Why had Sakura decided to rub the sore spot? It would have been better hearing rejection from her, something like "I'm sorry I can't love you," than an appeal for him to stop with what he had decided a long time ago.
"Naruto, I love you."
The words stopped him.
"I love you."
There was a ring of sincerity to it, but it could be his imagination. After all, he had wished of hearing those same words from Sakura's lips for a long time. However, the situation was the same as the last. The last time she had told him she loved him because she didn't want him to go and meet Sasuke. It hurt more than being stabbed with a kunai a second time in the same wound. Ignoring it, he walked on.
Sakura began to cry. He was convinced it was fake, an added emphasis to poke his conscience. He wanted to hate her for it, but he knew he couldn't. He loved her. This small conflict would not change that fact. He reached the door. Listening if she had stopped, he lingered. She was still crying. He pulled the lever and went out.
…
He couldn't remember how long he had remained crouched at that place. The sun was almost over his head now, so it must be nearing noon. That discussion he had had with Sakura had called up unwanted memories. It was just fortunate for him that he had Yumiko to talk to. With her undivided attention and straightforward answers, he managed to pull himself back to the way he should be.
He sighed. He should forget what had happened and move on. Whispering an apology, he promised to talk with Sakura later. Right now, he should first find out where he had wandered to.
He was leaning against a ruin of a wall. It must have been a building destroyed by war. He could still see the charred edges left by fire on the surface. Some rubbles lay on the ground in untidy heaps. Pieces of wood were scattered everywhere. The place must have been left by itself for a long time since vines had already crept to cover much of the wall and what remained of the columns.
Suddenly, he heard squeals coming from nearby. A chill ran up his spine. More often than not, places ruined by war had ghosts in them, ghosts of those unfortunate people who had lost their lives abruptly and unnecessarily. He gulped. Was he being haunted?
The squeals came again. It was coming from a baby. My God, there had been a baby in here! Naruto closed his eyes and prayed.
"Whoever you are, please go to heaven, already. Your parents are waiting for you." He stiffened when he heard small thuds coming in his direction. The grass that entirely covered the ground rustled as the movement progressed. "Please, I'm not worth it. I'm sorry if I made a girl cry. She had gone overboard. She told me that she'd be happy if a friend of ours died. I couldn't control my emotions. Please, spare me."
"Gagabu!"
"No, please…I'll be good, I promise you. I don't take back my words." He felt a soft hand on his thigh. Somehow, it didn't feel threatening. He next felt the rounded belly of a small child. It was then that he realized that he had made a mistake. He opened his eyes and saw a familiar pudgy baby. She still had the gold lace around her forehead.
"Baba…" The baby was now trying to stand up using his body for support. He noticed her dirty hands and knees. They were stained by grass and dirt.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Ba! Ba!" the baby replied with conviction as if she could understand what he was saying.
Naruto found it cute. He couldn't help smiling. Setting the baby on the grass, he tried to clean her up. "Let's clean these dirty hands, okay."
While Naruto busied himself with the baby's right hand, she found her left hand interesting. She closed and opened it, and then, deciding that it must taste good, tried to put it inside her mouth. Fortunately, Naruto stopped her on time. The baby grimaced and let out a whine. She tugged at her hand.
"No, no. That's a good baby. Let onii-chan clean it up first, okay."
Not being able to take her hand back, she started to cry. Naruto panicked.
"Wait, wait! Please don't cry. Oh, no, what should I do?"
The baby was bawling now. Naruto picked her up and swayed back and forth. The baby's cry became louder. Sweat sprouted out Naruto's forehead. If he were to treat his situation as a ninja mission, he would instantly say Class S. "What should I do? I don't know any lullabies!"
"Calm down," a voice behind him said.
Naruto whirled around and saw a tall man with long hair. He had the same gold lace around his forehead like the baby's. The only difference was the man's center jewel was red.
"The baby can feel the agitation in you. Calm down and assure her that everything is fine," the man went on. "She is not hungry or wet, so it should be easy."
He understood what the man had said. He willed himself to calm down. Focusing on thinking pleasant things, he felt his heart slowing. His breathing returned to normal in a few seconds. The baby's cry became softer as if in response. Eventually, the baby quieted.
Naruto looked at the baby to check. Her nose was red and there were still tracks of tears on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I did that," he found himself saying. "Forgive onii-chan."
The baby sniffed once, and then shifted her attention on the tall man. She smiled and reached out for him. The tall man approached and took her from Naruto.
"Why are you here? Weren't you with Haruno-san?" the tall man asked.
"We had a little misunderstanding. I had to take a walk. When I realized it, I was here." He blinked. Without him noticing it, he had told the stranger the truth.
The tall man smiled, and Naruto became aware of how handsome he was. "By the way, I'm Sagai Haruo. I'm this child's father and the current king of Taka."
He couldn't believe it. He was expecting something more, like a beard and a large body. Wasn't that how kings should be? With a large belly and a huge body? Add it up with a receding hairline and it would be perfect.
"Why are you staring at me?" the King said.
Naruto blushed. "I'm sorry. It's nothing."
"Come. Follow me."
…
A maid escorted Naruto into the King's bathroom. It had a pool, a variety of potted plants, paintings, large windows, and circular columns painted with colorful depictions of dragons and snakes. The maid had said to make himself presentable for the king.
"You can take a dip, Asahi-sama. Please don't mind me," the maid said.
Naruto looked at the maid, incredulously. "Are you serious?"
The maid was obviously attracted to him. "If you will allow me the honor to wash your back, I will not forget about it."
"When the King takes his bath, are you allowed inside?"
"No. He doesn't tolerate a female's presence."
"I feel the same as the King."
The maid kept her stand. "Many people find me attractive. The King even told me I'm cute. Am I not attractive to you?"
Naruto looked her up. She had short, red hair, a nice complexion, a heart-shaped face, and a sexy body. He pushed away the dirty thoughts that began their intrusion into his mind. "That's not the point."
"We won't do anything immoral. I'm just going to wash your back."
He was being tested. And he felt someone watching outside. He could feel an aura of anticipation coming from the door. He got back to the girl. "Are you sure?" The presence got stronger.
The girl hesitantly nodded. "Y-yes."
"If you consent, I won't be punished, right?"
"I can just wash your back, Asahi-sama."
"What if I want more?" He deliberately raised his voice. "I mean you're cute. You're attractive. You're sexy."
The maid blushed. "You don't have to praise me too much."
Naruto ignored her. He was observing the door from the corner of his eyes. "Let's see. Close your eyes."
"Asahi-sama!" the maid admonished.
Now he could feel killing intent. He wondered why someone wanted to test him. He grabbed the girl's face and pulled it towards his. The girl braced herself on his arms, her eyes closed, tightly. When only an inch remained before the kiss, the door flew open.
"I knew it! You adulterous cheater! I won't let you off easily!" It was an adolescent woman's voice. The stranger came into the room, wielding two glistening katana in both hands.
"So you were the one who was testing me," Naruto said.
"I'm Prince Yori Sagai, the heir to the throne of Taka, and…" he glared at Naruto. "Your bride."
Naruto looked at Yori. Yori looked back at him.
"Say that again?" Naruto asked.
"I'm your fucking bride, damn it! What are you doing flirting with Aki?"
"Aren't you…a man?"
"So what if I am? Is it now my fault that I found out too early what you really are?"
Might he actually be a woman? Yori stood five-eight with slender shoulders and limbs, small waist, long neck, and short, wavy blue hair. His eyes were green with long lashes and a sad quality about them. His face was small, his eyebrows two perfectly feminine-thin lines, and his lips an excruciatingly appealing set of cherry flesh. His skin was impeccably smooth, rosy from health and white from pampering. The prince, indeed, looked like a woman. But was he?
"Is this a prank?" Naruto said.
"It's not," Yori said, quietly.
"Do you have a fever?"
"I don't."
"Are you sick in here, then?" Naruto pointed at his temple.
"Bastard!"
"Correction. I'm more of an orphan." This got Naruto thinking. "But I'm not sure. My father was good-looking."
"Are you playing me for a fool?" Yori raised a sword at Naruto. "You can't escape by pretending dumb. I'm going to kill you!" He started to dash, his two swords set like the wings of a kingfisher as it dived for prey. "Nitouryu: Backhand Swallow!"
…
The King was trying to make his baby daughter sleep. He was two floors down from his bathroom. Suddenly, the wall of his bathroom exploded. The King jerked his head in the direction of the explosion. He watched as large chunks of rock fell down to the ground. The baby groaned at the noise, but didn't open her eyes.
"What a lively day," the King commented.
…
Naruto evaded Yori's every slash. The two of them reached the woods within the courtyard. Yori was not giving Naruto any time to take a breath. Trees were felled one by one as Yori swished his swords like a berserker gone berserk.
"Naruto! Come back here!" Yori yelled.
This woke Naruto up. The young man knew his name. He raised his hand and called for his surfboard. The window of the room he had woken up in broke as his white surfboard came crashing through it. Leaping off from a tree, he climbed on his surfboard.
Yori looked up. "Naruto! Damn you! Do you think you can scare me with that? Nitouryu: Talon Guillotine!" He leaped off and crossed his arms across his chest, so that his swords rested at his ribs, protruding like horns if seen from the front.
Naruto, now in serious mode, came forward at him, and before Yori could execute the technique, he succeeded in grabbing his arms. His eyes penetrated into Yori's. "Who are you? Why do you know my name?"
Yori struggled. "Let me go! I will not answer you!"
Naruto tightened his grip. "If you don't want me to crush your bones here, you'd better answer me."
"Then crush them! I don't care! You have humiliated a gentleman of royal blood by your adulterous deed. I don't care what will happen to me as long as I kill you!"
"Then, I have no choice—" Naruto suddenly discovered himself clutching nothing. He looked up with wide eyes. "How…?"
The long-haired man between Naruto and Yori inhaled a lungful of air. "Lover's quarrel already? Young couples these days!" He sighed. "I want to be young again." He turned to Naruto. "Let's go down. The wind is strong here. We might get a cold."
…
Naruto, Yori, and the King landed near a fountain. When every one had gotten off, Naruto approached the King.
"Sir, who is this guy? He said that he was my bride," Naruto said.
"He is."
"He is? Are you kidding me?"
"In Taka, marriage between two males is perfectly normal. Don't you find my son attractive?"
The wind blew past. "Okay. I get it. You got me. I surrender. I've been had. Come on." A beat. "Will you stop this 'cause it's making my stomach sick!"
Yori collared Naruto. "Am I that unattractive, huh? Am I?"
Naruto ignored him. "Sir? Come on. This is enough."
A smile curved on the King's lips. "I see that you haven't finished your bath. Let's take a bath together then. Yori, you come with us, too."
"I won't accept this!" Naruto said. "Don't kid around with me! This is sick!"
The King's countenance smoothened. He looked at Naruto with cold eyes. "What if I say to you that the medical techniques of shinobis make us puke? Or their very presence makes our skin crawl? How will you feel?"
The King was pertaining to Sakura and the others. It hit Naruto like a hammerblow. He flinched, embarrassed with himself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."
The King smiled. "Let's talk about this like educated human beings." He started to walk. "In the bath."
Naruto glanced at Yori. "Sorry."
"Hmph! I'd be better off committing seppuku than marry a man like you. Cheater," Yori said. He walked up beside the King.
"Tamiko, is Mika asleep?" The King was talking to his eldest daughter, who had the baby princess in her arms.
"Yes, Father." She smiled at Naruto, raising a tentative hand to wave at him.
…
The King and Naruto sat side by side in the large pool of hot water. They had gone to a nearby floating island exclusive for the king's use. Yori was washing his back on the platform. He really looked like a woman from behind.
"Where do you want me to start?" the King asked. He noticed that Naruto was watching Yori. "Are you getting aroused from looking at Yori?" A bar of soap flew towards his face. He evaded it.
"Don't force any ideas in his head, Father!"
The King laughed. "He's very popular with guys."
"Seriously, I can't really marry him," Naruto said. "It's unusual. I get goose bumps just by thinking about it."
"Of course, you can't do intercourse with him—"
"Just stop! Stop, okay. Don't add to my stress." Naruto shivered. "That is nauseating."
The King shook his head, smiling. "You're really honest, eh. I find it rare to have someone talk to me like that. Usually, they kiss my ass to gain my favor."
"Did you really mean it when you said to talk about this like educated human beings? What you just said is pretty vulgar."
"An educated man knows more vulgarity than a peasant." The King chuckled, and then paused. "Marriage is commensurate to eternal service. For seventeen years, Yori hasn't had someone to serve but me. But thanks to you, he can now make use of his training. Yori is a superb swordsman and every bit a samurai. He is forever loyal. You will need him, trust me."
"I'm not bothered with that. I'm bothered with the fact that he sees me as his husband."
"Forget about the relationship. You have your own principles, and we cannot force you to accept ours in a matter of a day. I'm only asking you to accept him as your companion." The King poured himself some sake and drank. "Do you know that it was my first time seeing him this happy?"
"Happy? You think he is happy?"
"Since he looks like a woman, he needs to act tough. But I'm his father. I can see through his fake façade."
"You're a dirty dealer, attacking my conscience like this."
The King laughed. He changed the topic. "Those marks represent the Reverse Hakke Fuin, right?"
"Yes."
"So, you're now in the State of Shihai."
Naruto looked at the King. "Before I answer that, I need you to answer some of my questions first."
"Go on."
"How did you know my real name?"
"I also knew that Lotus-sama's real name is Hashirama Senju."
"You know who he is?"
"Yes. He was my master. Before I became king, I used to work under him."
Naruto gaped. "You mean you were married to him."
"Not anything like that. I was his student. In special cases, I had been his double." The King smiled at Naruto. "He is the greatest shinobi that has ever lived." He drank another cup of sake. "I know that you came from Konoha."
"That, too?"
"I read it from the message he had sent me." The King put his thumb and forefinger in his mouth and whistled. A familiar eagle entered the bath and perched itself on the King's shoulder.
"Yuudai!" Naruto blurted out.
The eagle harked. The King tapped the eagle's wing. It understood and flew away.
"Before you arrived, I'd already had his message," the King said.
"Was he asking anything of you?"
"Yes. He wanted me to send him Jin, my strongest samurai. Jin is in Ine, now, buffing up the security of the kingdom. The only remaining samurai who can match him in battle is Shinta. But Shinta's skill with the sword is second rate. He uses his brains more. I can only send my son or go myself. I was in a dilemma."
"You were in a dilemma? What's wrong with sending your son?"
"He's my heir. He can't freely go out of Taka on his own. I was already prepared to go if something like this didn't happen. The incident was rather a blessing for me and my Kingdom. Yori hates politics and is still too young to carry the responsibility of the crown. But I can't just ignore Hashirama-sensei's request."
Naruto glanced at the King, suspiciously. "Hmmm….something smells fishy."
"I know what you're thinking, but I didn't tell Takeshi to unseal the Queen of Serpents. It was just coincidence. As I said, I was already ready to go in Jin's stead."
Naruto crossed his arms, thinking. "A swordsman, eh. What could possibly be the reason Hashirama-sensei still needs a swordsman?"
"Shinobis and swordsmen are different. And Hashirama-sensei wants a swordsman who will completely be loyal to him. He cannot trust any swordsman who doesn't come from Taka." The King smiled, broadly. "That's why you two are now engaged." He tipped his chin to indicate his son.
"You could've just made him my apprentice!"
"He's older than you by one year. It can't be done."
Yori dipped himself into the water, sitting across his father and Naruto.
Naruto looked at Yori. Damn. He really looks like a girl. "Excuse me, Yori-san—"
"Don't be too formal with me!"
"You don't have to yell!"
Yori crossed his arms. "What is it?"
Naruto cleared his throat. "Are you g—?"
The King covered Naruto's mouth. He whispered to his ear, "If you ask that to a boy of royal blood, he can legally slash your head off. Even I am not immune from that. As it is, it's not safe. He's still mad about your adventurous escapade this afternoon. You have to discover it yourself."
"What do you want to know?" Yori said.
Naruto leaned over to the King. "He seems to be taking this too seriously."
The King nodded. "Be careful. He's quite the possessive type."
Naruto blanched. He stared gaping at the beautiful bishonen.
"Don't just stare there like an idiot," Yori said.
Naruto found what to ask. "How does shinobis and swordsmen different?"
"Something to be expected from someone who came from the East."
"Nani!"
"Basically, styles. Unlike shinobis, we swordsmen are dependent on our swords and focus more on kenjutsu. You, on the other hand, on your ninjutsu."
"I already know that."
"Are you being arrogant with me?" Yori stood up.
Naruto stood up as well. "Do you have a problem with that?"
The King calmly drank sake. "My, my. I'm glad to see you getting along well with each other."
"No way! Hmph!" Both the boys spat.
"Yori, can you show your husband how you use an amplifier?"
Naruto was intrigued. "Amplifier?"
"Amplifier is a type of armor," Yori offered. He got out of the water, wrapping a towel around his lower half, and went to his things. He produced a red and white ball from his knapsack and tossed it in front of him. "If you have summoning technique, we have this." The ball exploded into smoke.
Naruto waited with anticipation as the smoke cleared. His eyes widened when light struck it. It was indeed an armor. It stood ten feet high with long limbs and a samurai ogre mask. The limbs of the armor were red, while the head and torso were white, just like the ball.
"This is made of pure steel and carbon crystals. The summoning sphere acts like your summoning contract and draws the unit out from the dimension where we hide it. This amplifier, by the way, is called Auria," Yori said.
"How does it work?"
"By my own chakra. You are familiar with puppeteers, right? Amplifier engineers make it so that we can control the unit from inside using Agua jewels hammered into thin wires to act as an extension of our chakra circulatory system. We activate the oracle crystal here…" he pointed at the amplifier's chest, "…by filling it with chakra—" Yori stopped when he saw Naruto's blank face. He run to get his short sword and knelt in front of his father. "I've had enough of this fool! I'm better off committing seppuku!"
Naruto was immediately in front of him. He slapped the short sword from Yori's hands. "Don't be over dramatic. I don't like our engagement as much as you do. But I won't let you throw up your life just because I'm not what you expected me to be. I hate narrow-minded people."
"You have the guts to—"
Naruto pulled Yori up. He stared into the bishonen's green eyes. "Honor is not worth throwing your life for. Don't show how weak you are in front of me, especially your father. Besides," his tone changed, "I'm getting impressed, so don't go 'ack' on me and leave the explanation hanging." He put his arm around Yori's shoulder and pulled him close. "To tell you the truth, it's hard for me to understand unfamiliar things with words. Could you just demonstrate how you use it?"
"You're gonna take responsibility for this," Yori threatened.
"I don't understand, but okay."
King Haruo was smiling while he sipped his sake.
"Okay, let's get it over with." Yori went behind the amplifier and got inside it. Light came on from its eyes. The fingers moved, testing its mobility. Naruto could feel the pulse of chakra coming from the amplifier. "I'm ready, now." The voice sounded metallic.
"What do you say? Do you want to try it out?" the King asked.
Naruto smiled.
…
King Haruo was excited to see the match. For five years, except maybe Jin and himself, no one had defeated his son Yori in a kendo match. At a young age, Yori was already considered as the best Nitouryu swordsman in Taka. He was also the inventor of Nitouryu Tori Style, which comprised of techniques he had created by observing birds. To top it off, Yori was a prodigy in handling amplifiers.
Naruto, on the other hand, was simply described by Lotus as his ace. Lotus had high standards, and for him to give such commendation to a subordinate, Naruto must be something else. In addition, he had dominated the Queen of Serpents by killing intent alone. He was also a fourth-level Jinchuuriki, a Jonin S, and a shinobi who had defeated a Sennin. King Haruo wondered how long his son would last.
He took the two young warriors to the Royal Arena. In here, many battles had been fought. Men had killed men in this place. This was the epitome of Taka's long history of martial arts and sheer brutality.
The Royal Arena had been restored many times, but the restorers had kept its original design. It was a large circular structure made of clay bricks. It could house around ten thousand spectators. The battlefield at the center had a circular stage where the warriors faced off. Around the stage was dry ground, which in the past had caught bashed skulls, torn bodies, or decapitated heads. One would feel the heavy feeling of death in the air once inside the harmless-looking, gruesome structure.
"Wow, this is great!" Naruto said. "This is my first time seeing an actual arena."
"Simpleton," Yori said with the Auria's metallic voice. He didn't stop to ogle. He went straight to the circular platform.
Naruto followed and stood opposite Yori. King Haruo noticed excitement on his face. He got the impression that Naruto liked trying out new things and challenging himself. That was a good attribute for a warrior.
"An amplifier, as the word denotes, increases the strength of its user by ten folds or more depending on the level of mastery the user has acquired. Are you sure you want to fight me?" Yori said.
"Of course. I want to know the extent of a swordsman's power," Naruto said.
King Haruo had to smile. From books, he had read that most Jinchuurikis exuded cold, sinister auras. They were also loners and pessimists beyond help. But Naruto was different. He was confident and a positive-thinker. He also had this quality that gravitated people.
These impressions raised King Haruo's hopes. Being his son, Yori had been alone most of his life. No one wanted to be friends with him because he was the heir to the throne. Everyone bowed at his presence. People didn't show what they truly thought about him in fear of punishment. His conversations revolved around adult things. He had no one to talk to about things that he was interested in.
When Yori had learned about the incident involving the Queen of Serpents, he actually smiled, a genuine smile that King Haruo hadn't seen for a long time. Yori was adamantly refusing the arrangement, but he was smiling that smile. It was small and almost imperceptible that only King Haruo had been able to notice it.
"I'm not going to marry him!" Yori had said. King Haruo couldn't help but smile. His son was excited for the first time.
If Yori could be with Naruto, he might learn how to finally open up and be truthful to himself. From the look of things, Naruto had already begun prying off the lid on Yori's heart.
He said a small prayer of gratitude to the heavens.
"Final answer?" Yori asked.
"Final answer. So, what are you waiting for?" Naruto said.
"Show me your true strength," King Haruo muttered.
…
Yori believed that he would be able to defeat Naruto. A fool like Naruto wouldn't stand a chance against him. He was too strong for the shinobi. Even if Naruto was the rumored savior that defeated the Queen of Serpents using killing intent alone, his level of swordsmanship and piloting was only a bit lower than Jin's or his father's.
He started his attack. The Auria's speed made his perception of things pinpoint sharp. Fast moving objects seemed to float in slow motion in the air.
Ahead of him, there was Naruto. He raised his arm and delivered a punch. He deliberately missed. The strength of the punch caused a great explosion of dust and chunks of bricks. Parts of the platform were lifted from the ground. "How's that?" he said. He was expecting to see no one in front of his amplifier.
"Are you actually a bit blind?" Naruto said.
Yori looked up. Naruto was standing at exactly the same spot. The right arm of his amplifier was buried in the ground a foot away from Naruto. It was humiliating. He felt his cheeks getting hot.
"You!"
He pulled his arm and began his attack again. This time no more threats. Naruto somersaulted backwards, evading his every attempt to deliver a clean hit. Eventually, he cornered Naruto against the fence. He made his amplifier unsheathe its swords. "Nitouryu: Eagle Sweep!" He saw with grim satisfaction how his slash cut the air and how the pressure resulting from it sliced through the audience' seats. The sharp air pressure reached a column at the top, cutting through it. An X appeared on the column's surface. A few moments later, the column crashed down.
The level of damage was undoubtedly something to be proud of, but his target had been long gone. He cursed under his breath. He hadn't expected Naruto to be this fast.
"You really are serious about killing me, aren't you?" Naruto said behind him.
Yori whirled around and saw Naruto perched on top of the fence across him. He thought that his attacks had been for nothing, but the sight of Naruto breathing hard rekindled his spirit. He smiled. He knew he could do it. His amplifier's speed was enough to tire Naruto out.
…
Naruto couldn't deny the effect of using his full speed just to dodge the Auria's attacks. The weapon was amazing! He wondered if he could use one, too, then dismissed the idea as soon as it occurred. How would he handle such a foreign weapon if he could barely grasp the intricacies of piloting one? Besides, by inspection alone, he knew that no shinobi would be able to use ninjutsu inside an amplifier. Technique executions required absolute control of chakra: its amount and quality. An amplifier would not be able to provide the means for such requisite.
Putting that aside, he knew that he was at a disadvantage. He remembered his fight with the archer Kaguya, where even executing a technique had been difficult to do. Compared to the Auria, Kaguya was at the level of speed that he could still catch up to. The Auria was different altogether. Its speed alone prohibited him to use Kage Bushin Technique, for every clone he created, a fraction of his original speed disappeared. It was because he got the spring for his muscles from his chakra. Fighting against Yori was like fighting Rock Lee in a way. Only that Yori's weapon had an enhanced physical prowess.
Yori began his attack, again, and Naruto could not even see an after image of the amplifier. It was like it could disappear by sorcery. Now that he could not depend on his eyes anymore, he'd better employ another method.
"Sage Mode!" He instantly felt the amplifier's presence, and it was moving in a grueling speed. "Summoning Technique: Akira!"
The Auria appeared in front of him in the middle of slashing him in two. Fortunately, there was Akira, a master swordsman frog. Akira might be small, but his skill was the real deal. He was a red, tree frog with markings like the tattoo of a Yakuza's. His limbs were bandaged, and he always carried his sword with him.
"Just in time, boss. I'm bored," Akira said as he watched the approach of the amplifier's blade. He blocked the slash and twisted his sword, changing the course of Auria's blade away from Naruto. Using the misdirected momentum, Akira reversed his sword, clipped the hilt of Auria's blade, and jerked a twist. Auria's blade came off from its hand and flew away. The blade landed on its tip and planted itself in the pavement. Akira now used Naruto's shoulder to push himself forward. He sent a slash across the amplifier's torso. His sword sliced through it. It was a clean hit. However, it was not what it seemed to be. Akira noticed the inconsistency. "Boss, get away!"
Naruto found himself face-to-face with Auria. Yori had managed to use his amplifier's speed to step into the gap between him and Akira. The amplifier sent an incredibly fast straight towards him.
"Earth Release: Earth Wall!" As the wall grew out the ground, Naruto leaped and pushed himself against it. Auria's steel fist went through the dam, shattering it. Naruto skidded across the dirt.
Now Naruto was beginning to realize the difference in style between a shinobi and a swordsman. With the use of an amplifier, a swordsman could be a superhuman. And unlike a shinobi who converted energy into natural elements or into a system utilizing physical force to attack, a swordsman converted energy into pure power, like what Rock Lee and Gai had mastered. The only difference of Yori from Lee was he didn't have to worry about his body's limitations, for his metal weapon would worry about it for him.
"Now you know how far behind you are from me," Yori said. "Admit defeat and let's stop this. You need to train more."
Yori's words were filled with arrogance, but Naruto was thrilled upon hearing them. He threw away his inhibitions. He decided that Yori was worth dying fighting against. The future didn't matter for now. If he let himself be defeated in this match, how could he show his face to Hashirama, Tobirama, Hiruzen, his father, and mother? How would he defend that he had grown stronger after training for two years in Hensen no Kuusho? How would he affirm that he was deserving of Yumiko's powers? No more thinking. No more calculating. It was not him in the first place. Thinking was for smart guys like Shikamaru. Going all out was his way, recklessness his attribute. He would defeat Yori with everything he'd got.
"Akira, attack when you have the opportunity. I'm going all out!"
The samurai frog smiled. "Now, that's more like it. Okay, boss, I'd synch with you."
"Just remember not to do fatal damage! You know what I'm talking about. He's wearing armor!"
"Got ya, boss!"
Naruto called out his surfboard. "With Sage Mode, molding chakra is a piece of cake." He began to form seals. "Earth Release: Earth Columns!" Large, cylindrical columns grew out in a line towards Auria. One by one, growing with a promise of great damage one after the other, the columns shot out towards the sky.
"Heh. Is that all you got? Don't underestimate me!" Yori demonstrated his superiority in strength by cutting four columns with one slash. Evading another column, he detoured to fetch the sword that had flown off his amplifier's hand.
Naruto made columns grew where Auria was. Four columns shot up from the ground. Yori's Auria jumped on one and let itself be carried up. Naruto used a new innovation in the technique he had learned recently. He called forth a column that could bend on his whim, so that it could directly attack its target. The thick column rushed forward towards Auria like a snake.
"Nitouryu: Crow Swing!" Yori made his Auria whirled itself into a tornado, and then he free fell down the top of the snake-like column. The hardness of the earth column was no match against Auria's raging blades. They easily pulverized Naruto's earth column. "This is my victory!"
Naruto used the distraction provided by the column to fly near the Auria. "Let's see how a metal tornado fares against a true tornado. Sage Art: Wind Sphere Shockwave!" Naruto formed a medium-size Rasengan and thrust it into the Auria. Wind accumulated around the spiraling sphere, and in no time, a horizontal tornado was formed. It sucked up the centripetal force of Yori's Crow Swing and ate it up altogether. The tornado burst out, dragging the Auria with it. Naruto's tornado and the Auria crashed into the audience seat, bringing about a lot of damage to the structure.
…
Yori wasn't prepared for that attack. He couldn't blame himself, anyway, since it was his first time fighting against Naruto. But, nonetheless, he was impressed.
Naruto had stopped attacking. Even though he was an elite shinobi, he was still human. Utilizing chakra was like breathing. You needed to breathe when you had depleted the air in your lungs. Yori used the reprieve to get on his feet.
The red frog seemed to be waiting still for its chance to attack. He didn't know about what the frog was thinking, but if he were the frog, he would take the opportunity to attack now. He was grateful the frog had not made its move.
He got up from the crater and looked up at Naruto. Naruto was up there on his surfboard, breathing hard. He was right. The consecutive techniques had worn him out. He could now make use of his apparent advantage over him. With an amplifier, a small amount of input produced a big amount of output. That was why he did not tire, easily. And because the amplifier was made of steel and carbon crystals, possible injuries were maintained to the minimum.
"This is the last time. Surrender," Yori said. He waited for a reply, but Naruto just smiled. That arrogance made his heart contract. "As you wish." He twirled his blades and assumed an offensive stance. "You'll regret this. Nitouryu: Talon Guillotine—" His ears caught a rumbling sound overhead. He jerked his head up. Blinded by sunlight, he could only manage a glimpse of the falling object. The next thing he knew, something crashed on his amplifier. It was heavier because of gravitational acceleration. It pushed his Auria into the ground. Then there was only blinding light.
The fallen object exploded.