Authors Notes: And here we go again!
New poll is up! Should Sasuke be disqualified for showing up late during the finals?
First off, I want to say Thank You to everyone who has supported this story so far. Currently, this marks one of my biggest and most successful stories I have written, which is a huge personal accomplishment for me, and it wouldn't have come about without all of you, so thank you.
Now, in the last chapter Princess Koyuki's true identity was revealed to the rest of Team 7. Sasuke is being, well Sasuke, though now that he knows she is a princess, expect him to be a bit more arrogant and go with his usual spiel. Should be entertaining to see his superior Uchiha flirting, only to get shot down.
Also, this chapter is going to have a few scene jumps between various locations as there are a few things I want to cover both with Naruto and his team, as well as things that are happening in Konoha while he is away.
Lastly, as many of you noticed I uploaded a new story titled Remember Me, so if you haven't already read it, feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. First chapter moves a bit fast, but it is mostly to set up for the coming chapters.
Review Corner
3headed-dragon – Well, harem list isn't officially capped off just yet. As glutton for punishment I am, I am still taking suggestions for more girls to be added and the door is open for Fubuki to be added, though she will probably be a background girl with Koyuki being the main focus. And yes, her being a spy was a popular recommendation from readers.
CrimsonStarBlade – Yes, that is a Devil May Cry reference. Originally I wasn't going to name the characters in Naruto's books, but thought better of it and decided the DMC characters would fit perfectly for it. As for the Sasuke omake, I have a different idea that involves him trying to steal Naruto's taijutsu style. All I can say is R.I.P. shins.
Biginferno – Fear not, I got plans for our dear Izumi. Some of which were already hinted at in the previous chapter. And yes, I have plans for the old perverted frog in later chapters surrounding his reaction to Naruto having so many beautiful women, as well as the Slug Princess herself. Should be entertaining.
Dovah117 – More Sasuke humiliation, coming right up!
HyperA2019 – The only one of Naruto's parents that is coming back fully is Kushina, but that won't be until way later. Minato will make another appearance, but it will be short and will be there, more so to allow Naruto to dish out some retribution of his own.
Thor94 – I figured it would be a nice twist to have Danzo be responsible for the formation of the Akatsuki, though for his own agenda though.
Harem
In a relationship - Anko*, Ayame*, Fem!Haku*, Fem!Kyuubi*, Hana*, Hanabi, Hinata*, Mei, Sakura*, Tsunami*, Yugao*
Has yet to court - Ameyuri, Fem!Hidan, Fem!Jashin, Fu, Fuka, Hokuto, Ino, Izumi, Karin, Karui, Kin, Konan, Koyuki, Kurenai, Kurotsuchi, Kushina, Mikoto, Natsuhi, Pakura, Rin, Ryuzetsu, Samui, Shion, Shizuka Shizune, Tayuya, Tenten, Temari, Tsume, Tsunade, Yakumo, and Yugito
Those with * next to their names have been marked and completely mated with Naruto.
One last note, since no one seemed to have caught the reference in Izumi's flashback from Chapter 21, I will reveal it here. In short, it wasn't Itachi that attempted to kill her, but rather Obito. Main reason why I focused on only the right eye changing.
Now, can anyone figure out the reference in the last chapter?
Spotlight
Figured I would share some love with two stories that I have been following, and have been extremely addicting to read.
Crossing Boundaries – by SelenetheNerd: A Naruto/Bleach crossover that is truly unique. With Naruto being a former/current Espada. Real fun to see our blonde idiot be portrayed as someone who commands respect from those under and around him. Give it a read!
From Ninja to Shinigami – by jacke44: Another Naruto/Bleach cross over, I am noticing a pattern here. Starts off during the month break during the Chuunin Exams, in which Naruto returns to Wave to train himself and stumbles across something that will change his life. Lots of unique twists and a good dose of comedy to balance it out.
Darkness Falls
Chapter 23
Kazahana Castle
"What do you mean, you failed!?" The large man that sat upon a large, ornate and luxurious looking throne exclaimed as he looked down at the two snow shinobi he had dispatched to acquire the lost princess. "And where is Mizore?"
"Mizore is currently in the hospital being treated for a concussion, a fracture skull, three cracked ribs and a cracked sternum from his fight with the Konoha shinobi." Nadare reported from his kneeling position, though clearly shocked at how much damage his large teammate had suffered from the blonde genin.
"And who is this Konoha team that has given my elite so much trouble?" Doto asked, though in a tone that made it evident he was not amused.
"A team of three genins, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura, and Naruto, lead by Kakashi Hatake, the copy cat ninja." The lilac haired snow shinobi responded, not knowing the other two genin's names as only the arrogant Uchiha proudly stated his clans name.
"I see, a Uchiha and the infamous Copy-Cat of Konoha." Doto commented. "No wonder Mizore is in the condition he is in then."
"Actually sir, it was the blonde one, Naruto that put Mizore in such a condition." Fubuki added from her kneeling position.
"A mere genin put one of my Elite in the hospital?"
"He utilized a brutal taijutsu we have never seen before." Nadare explained as he produced the dented chakra armor that Mizore had been wearing, much to the shock of the large middle aged man that sat upon the throne, whom took in the damage done to the piece of armor.
As he looked at the battered armor, Doto was deep in thought. This armor was designed to absorb unnatural punishment, both physical and jutsu alike, and yet a mere genin with an unknown taijutsu style had obliterated it. He would need to have his development team focus on designing a stronger armor that can better withstand such an onslaught, though mostly for himself. The others can get their upgraded models later, if they survive their encounters. After all, they were expendable tools.
"What are your orders, Doto-sama?" Fubuki inquired.
"For now, you will do nothing." The man stated as he rose from his seat, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "Right now, they will have no choice but to take the south pass through the mountains. It is there, we will set an ambush in three days. That is when you will strike, kill everyone and bring the princess to me."
"Understood, Doto-sama." Both snow shinobi replied in unison before departing the throne room, leaving the larger man to his thoughts.
'Soon, my dear niece.' Doto mentally snickered. 'You will give me the final key to the weapon that your father built, and with it I will keep the entire country locked in an iron grip.'
Meanwhile as the pink haired snow shinobi walked along side her teammate in silence. While her face wore her trademark, cocky grin, on the inside she was worried. Worried for her best friend and those with her, as she had no way to get word out of the planned ambush without arising suspicion. She could only hope and pray the Konoha shinobi as a whole would be able to keep everyone safe.
'Please be safe, Koyuki-hime.' She silently prayed.
With Team 7
"My team and I have discussed the issue, and we have agreed to continue on with the mission." Kakashi informed those in front of him with is trademark eye smile, whilst the lone Uchiha smirked arrogantly from behind the masked jonin.
Asama, Koyuki, Naruto, and Sakura all silently and subtly exchanged looks between one another. Knowing for a fact there was no discussion between the entire team. Simply because through out the night, and into the morning hours, Naruto had sat up with the princess. Pouring over the script and discussing what changes could be made to enhance the story further. Sakura along side them, also adding her own tidbits as needed, or conversing with Koyuki when the blonde was editing the script.
Though Naruto had winked at Koyuki causing her to blush slightly, as if to tell her 'I told you so.'
"I see." Asama finally spoke up. "That is good to hear. We should make landfall by this afternoon. After that, we will take a caravan along the southern pass in between the mountains to get to our destination, a small quaint village."
Upon hearing the travel plans, Naruto stepped forward and looked down at the map that was spread open on the table, clearly marking the path they would be taking. Though something didn't sit well with the blonde hanyou, and he knew exactly what it was.
"Here." He stated, catching everyone's attention as he pointed to the pass in question that passed right between the two large mountain ranges. "This area is where we will most likely be attacked."
"And how do you know that, dobe?" The Uchiha questioned.
"I agree Naruto, how did you come to that conclusion?" Kakashi inquired, looking towards the blonde genin.
"Simple, right here is the prime place for an ambush." Naruto explained. "Being on the low terrain, we will be at a disadvantage in terms of visibility, while they would have a clear advantage due to their positions on the higher ground, giving them a clear view over the field."
The silver haired jonin frowned at the explanation. Though he couldn't fault the logic. If the snow shinobi were to attack them again, it would be the perfect place to launch an ambush. Not to mention with the layout, it would be fairly easy to box the caravan in and to pick them off at their leisure. Of course, that led to another question the masked jonin had. Why were the snow shinobi after Koyuki? There had to be a bigger reason then just her being the missing princess. Mentally shaking away his questions for the time being, he looked to his genin team.
"Sasuke, you will be watching over the princess today, try to make a good impression." Kakashi stated with another eye smile towards the raven haired teen, before turning his attention to the other two. "Sakura, you will be guarding Asama-san and the film crew. Naruto, I want you to keep a look out for any threats."
'It really seems that Taida-sensei is trying to keep Naruto-kun and Koyuki-hime apart.' Inner Sakura commented, earning a mental nod.
'Pretty sure it's because the Uchiha-teme has shown interest in her, now that he knows she is a princess.'
'No doubt.' Inner replied with a growl. 'Though with his social skills in talking with women, this is a disaster just waiting to happen.'
"I will be retiring to my room for the rest of the afternoon." Koyuki stated, before looking to the producer. "And I will not be doing any shoots today."
"Of course Koyuki-hime." Asama replied with a slight bow of respect.
Pushing up from the table, the wayward princess made her way out of the room, while the others separated to do what they were instructed to do. Only to frown as the Uchiha quickly fell into step behind her at an uncomfortable close distance for her liking. Reaching her assigned cabin on board the ship, she paused at the door before turning to face the Uchiha, seeing that he fully intended to follow her into her bedroom.
"I have no need for you inside my quarters, Uchiha-san." She briskly stated, causing the Uchiha to scoff.
"You say that now, but here soon you will be begging me to come to bed with you." Sasuke smirked, ignoring the scowl that grew on the princesses fast. "After all, only I will be able to give you a strong heir for your throne."
"Before you thought I was a stuck up, spoiled little bitch." Koyuki narrowed her eyes towards the Uchiha. "But now that you know my true identity, you think I am just going to invite you into my bed."
"You would be a fool not to." The raven haired teen cockily replied. "I am the last of the mighty Uchiha clan, you should feel honored to bare my children."
"If I were to invite anyone into my bed for the sake of siring an heir for my throne, I would take Naruto-kun before anyone else." The young princess stated, though unsure why she singled out the blonde genin over everyone else.
"And what does that dobe have that I don't?" The Uchiha demanded, infuriated that yet another woman would chose the blonde loser over him.
"Let's see, he's strong, intelligent, and above all, compassionate." Koyuki listed off the top three qualities the blonde hanyou possessed. "Now, I have no need of you."
Not giving the brooding Uchiha a chance to respond, she disappeared into her room and roughly shut the door behind her, letting out a huff of frustration and mentally cursing the masked jonin for assigning the egotistical emo as her personal guard. Why couldn't Naruto have been instructed to guard her. She found his presence much more enjoyable, not to mention they could talk about a number of things as the blonde made himself very approachable, no matter the topic.
Meanwhile Sasuke glared at the door, once again having his pride bruised from the princesses rejection to his advances. Scoffing he turned and left the doorway, putting his hands in his pockets as he stalked away. Grumbling about how the blonde dobe was ruining everything for him, as he slowly made his way to the deck of the ship, where he could see Kakashi and Naruto near the massive mast of the ship, talking about something, only coming in to the tail end of the conversation.
"That taijutsu style you used yesterday, who taught you?" The masked jonin inquired, looking to the blonde genin. "It's not a style I have ever seen before."
Naruto looked to the silver haired jonin for a few seconds, not sensing any negativity from the man, surprisingly. It seemed Kakashi was genuinely curious.
"Actually, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto began. "I created it myself."
"Can anyone learn it?"
"Yes, and no." The blonde answered honestly. "This style requires years of body conditioning. While it is feasible for someone to learn it, they wouldn't be proficient in it until years later."
"As if you could create your own style, you probably copied it from someone else." Sasuke spoke up, catching the twos attention. Naruto only shaking his head, while Kakashi sighed at his favored student.
"You are suppose to be guarding Koyuki-san." The masked jonin chastised the raven haired teen, though earning a cocked eye brow from the blonde next to him.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted with a shrug. "She refuses to allow me to enter her room."
'Meaning he probably tried to flaunt his Uchiha arrogance on her.' Naruto thought to himself, earning a chuckle from the kitsune girl.
Kakashi only sighed and shook his head, not saying another word about it. 'She probably rejected him right away. I told him not to rush anything with her and to make a good impression.'
"And whats so special about your taijutsu style anyways?" The Uchiha asked, clearly not impressed by it. "If a dobe like you can do it, it can't be that effective. At least not in your hands. But a true elite like me, could no doubt make it better."
"What's so special about it?" Naruto grinned. "Is that even if you copy it with your precious little pink eye, it would be useless to you."
"You dare insult the power of the Sharingan?" Sasuke demanded.
"Kick it." Naruto suddenly said, catching the Uchiha off guard while gesturing towards the mast.
"What?"
"Kick it, as hard as you can." The blonde instructed, much to the confusion of the raven haired teen and even Kakashi, who was wondering what Naruto was planning.
"What use would it be to kick the post?" Kakashi asked.
"Fine, if the vaunted Uchiha is too scared to do it, I'll do it first." Naruto shrugged before taking a stance, bringing his leg back and swinging it forth. Driving his shin into the large wooden mast, causing the deck in the immediate surrounding area to shake and groan under the power of the strike.
What surprised the two Sharingan users further, was that Naruto made no reaction upon the impact. Almost as if he didn't feel it. Not wanting to be outdone, Sasuke copied the strike. However, when his leg made contact with the massive chunk of wood, he let out a cry of pain and fell to the deck, holding his shin. All while looking up at his blonde team mate.
"That is why it is useless to you." Naruto explained. "As I told Kakashi-sensei, this style requires years of body conditioning before you can even begin to be proficient in it."
"And how many years did it take you?" The silver haired jonin asked.
"I started creating it when I was six years old." He replied with a shrug.
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock at the implications of what the blonde was saying. If it was true, Naruto could very well be a protege. It also made the masked jonin wonder what else the blonde genin knew that he had yet to display. He really needed to get an updated dossier on Naruto as soon as he got back to the village.
"If you had this technique the entire time, why didn't you ever use it in the academy, dobe?" The Uchiha asked as he struggled to stand, trying not to put any weight on his bruised leg.
"Look underneath the underneath, isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?"
However, before the trio could converse any longer, a black puff of smoke erupted just in front of Naruto, putting both Sharingan users on edge as they took defensive positions, albeit Sasuke still favoring one leg. Though Naruto simply knelt down in front of the now clearing smoke, which revealed a slender, light blue snake with golden eyes.
"Hey Nagni-chan, how are you doing?" Naruto greeted the new arrival as he extended his arm to allow the snake to crawl up and into his jacket. Knowing full well that his current location wasn't exactly ideal for his slender friends.
"I've been doing good, Naruto-ssssama." The snake hissed from inside the blondes jacket. "Though we do wissh you would sssummon uss more often."
"Sorry Nagni-chan, I will try and use my summons more often in the future." The blonde smiled to his summon. "So what brings you here?"
"Mistresss Anko wished to inform you that you have a new guest ssstaying with you." The blue snake answered.
"I see, thank you for letting me know Nagni-chan. You should head back to your realm and warm up."
"Thank you, Naruto-sssama." The snake hissed once more before disappearing into another cloud of smoke.
"Naruto, you have a summoning contract?" Kakashi asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"That, was my snake summon." The blonde replied. "Anko-chan allowed me to sign it just after I graduated as a reward."
'That wasn't the only reward you got that night either.' Ahri added with a mischievous grin as she replayed the memory of the night he graduated. Causing the poor blonde to blush slightly.
Though Naruto quickly shook it off as he began to ponder just who was now staying at his compound with his girls. He knew Yakumo was there and wondered briefly if Kurenai had moved in temporarily to reconnect with her student, though he quickly dismissed that theory. Anko wouldn't have sent a snake summon for just that. Mentally shrugging, he decided he would find out when he finally arrived at home.
"How do you have a summoning contract, dobe?" Sasuke demanded.
"Very easily. My Hebi-hime allowed me to sign hers and I passed their test." The blonde grinned. "Anyways, I believe I should be keeping a look out for any potential threats. So, if you'll excuse me."
Having nothing left to say, Naruto left the two Sharingan users to their thoughts. Kakashi was once again surprised at what the young blonde had displayed, and the fact that at such a young age, he was able to gain a summoning contract. Meanwhile, Sasuke was seething with jealously that the blonde loser had abilities that should be his, not wasted on some talent-less loser.
'Just how much are you hiding, Naruto?' Kakashi thought to himself before turning to Sasuke. "You should probably put ice on your leg to prevent it from bruising further."
Konoha, A Few Hours Earlier
Izumi was bored.
With her target out of the village for an extended period of time, and as most of the girls her target was with were active shinobi, she couldn't really follow them around. Leaving the ROOT member with very little to do until Naruto returned to the village. Though there was one, the civilian girl who helped run the ramen stand her target would frequent. While she had no intention to harm the young ramen waitress, she did figure she could at least get some additional information on Naruto.
She knew she should have reported her mission a failure after Naruto had made her out in the theater, but she had taken the blondes advice and continued on and acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Unconsciously, she gazed at her left hand. The same had that Naruto had grabbed hold of to prevent her from fleeing when the usher had asked for their tickets, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks as she recalled the memory.
'I am just looking to get more information on Naruto-san.' Izumi mentally told herself as she made her way towards the ramen stand. Unaware of the two groups that were tailing her from a distance.
For the past few days, the fallen Uchiha woman would occasionally find herself watching over the girls Naruto was involved with from a distance. Namely Yugao and Anko. Watching as they would laugh and joke around with one another, and of course their main topic of discussion would be about Naruto, causing a pang of loneliness to wash over her. Though what she found most amusing is how the two would humiliate another individual, Hayate Gekko. A man who seemed to have an obsession with Yugao, from what Izumi could determine.
Within a few minutes, she found herself in front of Ichiraku's Ramen stand. Taking a deep breath, she entered the stand and took a stool at the counter. She didn't have long to wait as Ayame bounded out from the kitchen to greet her.
"Welcome to Ichiraku's, what would you like miss?"
Izumi frowned slightly, a little embarrassed as her social interaction had been severely limited since she had joined ROOT. Only going to places operated by those with ROOT connections, and their meals were always the same. So this was the first time that she actually had to order something herself in years.
"Forgive me for asking, but what does Naruto-san normally order?" The Uchiha woman asked, though not missing the suspicious look from the ramen waitress.
"Well, I honestly don't think you could stomach what Naruto-kun orders." Ayame answered. "So far, he is the only one currently can handle it."
"I see." Izumi frowned.
"So you know Naruto-kun?"
"We met briefly and he highly recommended this place." The Uchiha woman replied with half a lie. In truth, Naruto had never recommended the ramen stand, she had just observed him coming here frequently to eat.
"I see." The brown haired waitress smiled. "Well, if your interested in trying some of Naruto-kun's favorites, how about what he use to have all the time?"
"That sounds pleasant, thank you."
With the order received, Ayame disappeared back into the kitchen to relay the order to her father, whom was currently tending to the cooking and dishes. While Izumi sat awkwardly on the stool, awaiting her order. She could recount the few times she had observed Yugao and Anko sitting in these exact spots, laughing and conversing with one another, but she had no one. Causing another pang of loneliness.
After a few more minutes, Ayame had returned and placed a moderate sized bowl in front of her, full of miso ramen with a mixture of pork, beef, and chicken. At the scent of it, Izumi's could do nothing to prevent her stomach from growling in anticipation of the dish. Giving her thanks, Izumi slowly began to dig in to the bowl, allowing the flavor to explode in her mouth.
"Naruto-kun use to love that dish before he found his new favorite." The ramen waitress giggled, making small talk with the woman.
"I see." Izumi replied. "So what can you tell me about Naruto-san, what kind of person is he?"
"Oh, are you interested in Naruto-kun?" The waitress teased, earning a slight blush from the Uchiha girl. "Or, is it for your task given to you by that old fossil?"
This caused the Uchiha woman to freeze, mid bite of her food. Slowly casting her eyes towards the brown haired ramen waitress, whom was sporting a knowing grin on her face while she struggled to contain the giggle that threatened to escape from her lips.
"You look surprised." Ayame commented with a giggle that escaped her lips. "You really shouldn't be, Naruto-kun tells us everything. So of course we knew you've been tailing him, and we also know all about that old war hawks obsession with turning Naruto-kun into his personal weapon."
For her part, Izumi was unsure of what to do. She hadn't expected the girls Naruto was involved with to be aware of her assignment to tail the blonde, as they never showed any signs of knowing who she was or what she was doing. Though, she supposed it did make sense, with how close he appeared with all of them. She had observed that much during her encounter with him at the movie theater.
"Relax, if Naruto-kun deemed you a threat to him or us, you wouldn't be here right now." The ramen waitress said, breaking the woman out of her thoughts. "As for your mission, afraid there is not much I can tell you that you don't already know. Unless you want some more, private information, for that; you would have to ask Anko-chan."
The implications caused the poor Uchiha girl to blush, completely missing the second figure that entered the ramen stand, until an arm drapped over her shoulders, snapping Izumi out of her thoughts, only to see a grinning snake mistress in the form of one Anko Mitarashi.
"Was wondering when you were going to finally stop in." Anko stated as she took a stool next to the ROOT member. "The usual, Ayame-chan."
"Coming right up!" The ramen waitress exclaimed before disappearing back into the kitchen.
Before Izumi could reply to the snake mistress, another body took the seat on the other sided of her. Looking to her right, she could see the purple haired ANBU woman, Yugao. Feeling trapped, the young Uchiha woman quickly finished her ramen and went to leave the payment for it so she could leave, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. Looking to the offending hand, she saw the person who it belonged to simply smile at her.
"You should stay and chat." Yugao offered, removing her hand from the girls wrist, earning a nod of agreement from the snake mistress.
"I…. very well." Izumi conceded, seeing no way out of this.
And so, over the next hour the four women conversed with one another. At first, Izumi had kept quiet and only spoke when one of the girls would bring her into the conversation, but as time passed she found herself opening up more and more. Gone was the earlier tension Izumi felt earlier, instead replaced by a sense of companionship. By the time she was ready to leave, she had done something she hadn't honestly done in nearly a decade. She laughed. A true, heartfelt laugh.
Parting ways with the two women, Izumi made her way towards one of the many Root safe houses on the outskirts of the village. While she couldn't say she got any useful information to report on, she did get a handful of embarrassing tales about her target, making her giggle slightly as she recalled the stories both Anko and Yugao had shared with her. As she neared the safe house, she shook the thoughts from her mind and took on a stoic expression before stopping in her tracks, just as twelve blank masked ANBU surrounded her on all sides.
"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded.
"Izumi Uchiha, you have been found guilty of treason against Danzo-sama." The leader of the group spoke up with an emotionless voice.
"Under what grounds?" Izumi demanded, settling into a defensive stance.
"Dining at a non-Root affiliated establishment, conversing with non-Root affiliated personal, and failing in your mission assigned to you."
"I have already reported that Naruto-san is out of the village on a mission, effectively halting my own mission until he returns." The Uchiha woman argued, though not relaxing from her stance. "As for the rest, I was gathering further information."
"Regardless, you have shown disloyalty to Danzo-sama and his cause," The leader spoke once more, drawing his tanto. "And for that, you must be removed."
"Bring it." Izumi challenged, pulling out a pair of kunai.
Not waiting for them to attack, the Uchiha woman charged the leader of the group and made a diagonal slash along his chest, before spinning to block an attack coming from behind her, while delivering a strong kick to her first target to knock him away.
Parrying the attack away, Izumi jammed her kunai into her attackers throat before using a kawarimi to replace herself with another one of the Root ANBU that surrounded her, allowing him to take the attack meant for her as she jumped back to avoid another strike, that barely just missed her, leaving a small scratch on her arm, causing her to wince slightly in pain. However, she didn't have time to dwell on her pain, as she quickly rolled out of the path of a volley of kunai aimed straight towards her, though one had managed to strike her in her right calf. Severely limiting her movement.
Favoring her injured leg, Izumi stood defiantly against the ten remaining Root ANBU. Going through a series of hand seals before launching a fireball towards the group, though catching none as they quickly evaded the attack and descended upon her. Delivering a brutal kick to her chest, sending her back into a tree, causing her to cough up a small amount of blood and spit before her body crumbled to the ground.
The Root ANBU did not let up, as the ten remaining members sent another wave of kunai towards their target, this time hitting their mark, striking deep into her body, though fortunately she had managed to cover her vital areas. Wincing in pain that racked her body, she could only look up to see the leader of the group slowly approaching her as her eyesight began to dim.
"This ends now." The leader spoke as he approached the now vulnerable Uchiha woman, bringing his tanto into a striking position.
'I just wish I could have spoken to Naruto-kun one last time.' She thought as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate.
However, the strike never came. Weakly cracking her eyes open, she saw none other the Anko and Yugao taking out the remaining Root ANBU, with the snake mistress using her snakes and kunai to dispatch her opponents, while the queen of blades cut hers down with quick and precise slashes. Within minutes, the two kunoichi had dispatched the Root ANBU. The last thing the young Uchiha woman saw before darkness claim her, was the two women approaching her.
"Anko-chan, take her to the compound. Haku-chan should be able to address her wounds." Yugao instructed the snake mistress, whom quickly moved over to pick up the bleeding Uchiha girl. "I'll clean up here."
Nodding, the snake mistress disappeared in a swirl of leaves as she shunshined to the Uzumaki compound to get the girl in her arms treated for her wounds.
One Hour Later
Cracking her eyes open, the first thing Izumi noticed was that she was laying on a soft bed, instead of the ground she had blacked out on. Gingerly lifting her arm, she found her woulds were dressed and cleaned, making her wonder who had treated her. The last thing she remembered was the two women from the ramen stand coming to her aid.
"You're awake I see." A voice sounded from the doorway, prompting the injured Uchiha to glance over a the new arrival, seeing a young woman with black hair standing at the door way with a tray of what appeared to be food. "How do you feel?"
"Like shit." Was the Uchiha girls blunt response as she laid her arm back down, though her answer had earned her a small giggle from the young woman.
"That is to be expected." The black haired beauty replied as she knelt down next to the bed. Placing the tray of food on the stand next to the bed. "While not life threatening, your wounds were severe."
"Thank you for treating me…."
"Forgive me, my name is Haku, Haku Momochi, soon to be Uzumaki." The young woman smiled. "And you are?"
"Izumi, Izumi Uchiha."
"A pleasure to meet you." Haku smiled as she helped her patient sit up comfortable in the bed so she could eat. Izumi groaned in pain, but was able to position herself, despite her body's protest.
"Thank you." The Uchiha gave a soft smile as she accepted the food tray. "So what happens now?"
"For now, you stay with us." Yugao answered from the door, catching both girls attention. "I highly doubt you will be welcomed back into Root as of now. Anko-chan has already sent a summon to Naruto-kun to inform him of your stay here."
Izumi frowned at that. Not that she wouldn't be welcomed back, the attack on her was proof of that already. It was how the swords mistress spoke of her now former affiliation so casually.
"I thank you both for rescuing me." Izumi said, turning to back to her food, though not touching it just yet. "Did you follow me?"
"Actually after you left, we noticed the two groups following you, so we tailed them." The swords mistress replied, stepping fully into the room.
"I see, thank you once more."
"When Naruto-kun gets back, he will take a look at those seals on the back of your neck and probably have them removed. Shouldn't be too hard, it looks like they were incomplete the last time they were reapplied."
Izumi narrowed her eyes at this information. Danzo had denied having any seals placed upon her, stating that her promise to serve him was all he needed. In exchange, he would help her track down Itachi. Something she had come to learn he had neglected to do, stating one reason or another. However, what troubled her was when the seals were placed upon her, and why were they incomplete. Worse yet, what would have happened if they were complete?
"After all, he did the same for Yakumo-san." Yugao continued, causing the Uchiha woman's eyes to widen.
"Yakumo-san is here?" She asked, concern laced in her voice.
"Yes, Naruto-kun was able to get to her before that old war hawk could finish the seals placed upon her. Is there a problem with her being here?"
"No." Izumi replied softly, looking down at her food. "But there may be a problem with me being here."
"Why is that, Izumi-san?" Haku inquired.
"I-I was the one who henged as Kurenai-san to isolate Yakumo away from everyone for Danzo-sam…. Danzo's purpose." She admitted with shame of her past actions.
Silence emanated through the room, before Yugao walked over and knelt next to the bed. Placing a comforting hand on the former Root's shoulder.
"I am well aware of how Root operates, and I am positive that during that time, you were acting under the seals influence." Yugao reassured the young Uchiha. "As I said, only the current application of the seal looks unfinished. I do not doubt you had a complete seal at some point."
"Besides, everyone under this roof is to be treated as family." Haku smiled.
'Family?' A long forgotten concept for the Uchiha woman. A simple concept that brought tears of joy to her eyes, despite her fighting them.
"I….. thank you." She smiled.
Yuki no Kuni, Present Time
Kakashi groaned as he listened to the princess protest to his assigning Sasuke to watch over her. It seemed that the last Uchiha had been a bit too overzealous in his flirting with the young actress that she refused to have him anywhere near her. Forcing him to assign Sasuke to watch the film crew and have Sakura watch over the princess, and keep Naruto on look out. This seemed to calm the princess down, though seemed to upset Sasuke. Though it was clear to the masked jonin that Koyuki had wanted Naruto to be assigned to her. For what reason, he didn't know, but he could see a slight disappointment in her eyes when he assigned the pink haired genin to her.
Shrugging off the memories of the last hour of the ship ride, the silver haired man watched as the crew began to load their crates and supplies onto the strange looking vehicles he had never seen before. It appeared to be a horseless carriages, that moved on their own. Trucks, he was told they were called. A strange name he thought, but shrugged it off as he entered the one that everyone was in.
Soon, all the cargo was securely packed into the various of trucks, and the convoy began to slowly creep through the snow cover roads. If his team of genin were in shock to see the vehicles in action, they didn't show it. Sasuke was brooding over in the corner, completely ignoring the film crew he was suppose to be watching out for, whilst Sakura and Naruto watched as the snow flew by. Koyuki wasn't far from the two lovers, scanning over the script for the movie they were about to start officially filming.
"I am going to head up top." Naruto announced as he opened the window and swung outwards, landing with a soft thud on the top of the truck they were in.
Sakura only shook her head in response and close the window to prevent the heat from escaping. Knowing full well her mate would be alright. Smirking a little, she approached the distracted actress, and sat across from her.
"Excited to start officially filming?"
"I am." Koyuki smiled. "And I am glad it is a movie I can be passionate about again."
"Soo, who do you think will play the male lead?" The pinkette questioned, knowing full well they had yet to cast a male lead to play opposite of the demon queen that Koyuki was poised to portray on the big screen.
"Honestly, I don't know." The young actress frowned. "Our usual actor declined to be in the movie, though I don't blame him. He absolutely hated that smut as was appalled that I had been forced into it."
"Well, how about Naruto-kun?" She grinned, catching the blush that grew on the princesses cheeks.
"I-I don't know." She stammered, much to the amusement of the pinkette. "I mean, I wouldn't mind and…."
"You like him, don't you?" Sakura giggled.
"I-…. yes." Koyuki blushed, using the script to cover her face in a bashful manner. Unable to deny that she found the young blonde attractive. Not simply in looks, but also his compassion and intelligence as well.
"Then why not ask him to do it?" The pink haired kunoichi inquired.
"I suppose, but what about you?" She asked, looking to the pink haired teen. "Aren't you and him…."
"Oh that?" Sakura giggled as she leaned in close to Koyuki's ear and whispered. "I don't mind sharing."
This caused the poor princess to severely blush, bringing the script up once more to cover her face. This of course caused Sakura to chuckle lightly, though not too loudly, not wanting to attract any attention from the two Sharingan users.
'Perhaps he would be the perfect choice to play the male lead.' Koyuki thought to herself as she continued to cover her face with the script, waiting for her blush to fade away. 'After all, he did say the hero was based off of his own experiences.'
However, before the two girls could continue their conversation, the truck came to a halt. Prompting those inside to wonder why they had stopped. They silent question was answered as Naruto opened the door.
"Avalanche blocked the path ahead, going to take some time to dig through." He informed those inside.
"Alright, might as well stretch our legs while we can." Kakashi commented as he ushered the rest of his team out of the vehicle.
Nearly an hour had passed since the trucks were forced to stop, with many of the workers grumbling about the cold conditions. Though they couldn't complain too much as Asama had pitched into help dig out the path way. The only one who was unable to pitch in, was Koyuki herself. Not that she didn't try, but none of the workers would allow her to help. As such, she had stayed in the truck, reading the script to memorize her lines.
Of course, this did not sit well with the Uchiha, as he had started to rant and rave about how such peasant work was beneath him once again. Shouting out his frustration, ignoring countless warnings to keep his voice down, unless he wanted to unleash another avalanche upon them. However, he merely scoffed at the warnings, and continued his rant. It wasn't until a distant rumbling sound that the Uchiha shut his mouth.
Without warning, a tidal wave of snow crashed over the center of the convoy, causing alarm among the workers and film crew, as the truck that Koyuki had resided in was swept down the mountain under the torrent of snow.
"Shit!" Naruto cursed as he threw down the shovel he had to the ground, and to the surprise of those around him, dove into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
"Salvage what supplies you can, and pack them in to the remaining trucks!" Asama ordered, after the avalanche had calmed down. Fortunately, they didn't lose too many trucks, but the middle aged man was still concerned over the safety of the princess.
"Congratulations Sasuke," Sakura spoke up. "Your arrogance may have finally killed our client."
The pinkette didn't wait for a reply, as she moved forward to help gather what supplies could be found that was no scattered across the hillside. Meanwhile, Kakashi was equally disappointed in the raven haired genin. Sasuke had be warned countless times that such loud noises could trigger another avalanche, and he had ignored those warnings.
'This is not going to look good on the report.' Kakashi lamented. 'I can only hope Naruto is able to find her, and that she is safe.'
With Naruto
The blonde hanyou had quickly found the princess, homing in on the seal he had placed on her a few days ago. When he arrived, he found her buried under the snow and unconcious, no doubt from being knocked around the inside of the truck. A small amount of blood coming from a would on her head. He quickly assessed her injuries, and was relieved to find them non-life threatening. Gently, he picked her up in a bridal style fashion and proceeded to make his way out of the crumpled truck. It was a sheer miracle that she only suffered minor injuries, considering the condition the truck was in.
Knowing that the sun would be setting soon, Naruto knew he had to set up camp and get her out of her wet clothing before hypothermia set in. Taking a quick glance around, he spotted a cave not far off. Wasting no time, he quickly moved towards the cave opening, and was pleased to see it offered plenty of shelter from the elements. Gently, he set Koyuki down, and proceeded to create a dozen of shadow clones.
"Alright, we need to set up camp and get a fire going now!" Naruto began barking out orders. "You two, get fire wood and get a fire going, And you two, take this ninja wire and set up a line to hang her cloths on to dry. The rest of you are to be on watch to ensure no hostiles comes close."
"Hai!" The clones responded and set to work completing the tasks given to them.
Meanwhile, Naruto removed his jacket and rummaged through his scrolls. Finding the ones he was looking for, he quickly unsealed a tent and sleeping bag. And instructed a few more clones to set them up as he began the embarrassing task of undressing the unconcious princess. As soon as she was nude, he moved her into the now set up tent and wrapped her up in the sleeping bag before quickly proceeding to remove his own clothing, knowing he would have to use his own body heat to keep her warm.
Once he was also nude, he took care to apply a special seal to his own body, to prevent anything for suddenly popping up before he entered the tent and closed it behind him, and finally slipping into the sleeping bag. Wrapping his arms around her frigid body.
'This is going to be awkward when we wake up tomorrow.' He thought to himself, with Ahri snickering a little in the back of his mind.
Before long, the blonde hanyou succumbed to sleep, just as the crackling of a freshly started fire began to sound just outside the tent. Signifying that his clones and succeeded in starting the campfire. With any luck, they would keep the fire going all night, and Koyuki's cloths would be dry. Otherwise, he was sure Sakura would give him a hard time if Koyuki and him arrived with the princess wearing his cloths and jacket.
Additional Authors Notes: And that's a wrap!
Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Yes, the seal Naruto placed upon himself was to prevent him from getting aroused. Also, we had Sakura teasing the poor princess about casting Naruto in the movie. Not to mention, Izumis is now officially out of Root, and we saw why she still had a bit of her personality in the form of an incomplete seal. Not to mention, she revealed that she was the one impersonating Kurenai months ago. How will Yakumo react?
Next chapter is set to finish up the Land of Snow arc.
With that said, feel free to leave your thoughts in the reviews, or send me a private message!
