AN: I don't own Naruto/Star Wars: Legends


GRS 4:10:2


Night fell slowly for the group, constantly set apart from each other, with Aurra and Aayla hovering over Naruto, while Kyrisa and her Nightsisters sat off to the side. Each side had rancors hovering over them, but Brutus and the two with him were posturing far more protectively over their group than those the Nightsisters had were. Those over them watched, but otherwise simply rested and laid out near the Nightsisters. It was calm, and composed, but looked quite off compared to Brutus.

After the moon had begun rising, Naruto slowly began stirring, wincing and grabbing at his arm with a faint hiss from between his teeth. Slowly, his eyes opened, peaking up at them and slowly glancing between them. As he began regaining his composure, he slowly flexed his arm, staring down at it before sitting up, both of them trying to keep him in place as he ignored them and sat up.

"You probably shouldn't..." Aurra spoke softly, her hand on Naruto more firmly. Yet, when he pressed up, she relented and let him rise.

Aayla tried to hold him down longer, her hand on his chest, trying to get him to lay back down. "We should take you back to the ship. Get you looked over. Aurra wouldn't let us, and we have-"

"I'm fine..." Naruto slowly gripped her arm, pulling it off and placing it in her lap. "I'm just... ow..." Placing a hand over his stomach, he pulled it back slowly, seeing his vest covered in dried blood, but otherwise no external injury on himself there. However, he knuckles were completely scabbed over, his hands shaking lightly as he stared down at his inner palm and the scabs that ran across his fingertips as well. "... ah. I see."

"See what?" Aayla stared at his hand, then to him with a growing anxiety. "Naruto, what do you mean?"

"There are some things I don't need to tell everyone about." Naruto flexed and exhaled. Feeling Aurra place a hand on his shoulder, he paused, closing his eyes. "Not now..."

"Later." Aurra agreed softly, staring down Aayla. The two stared each other down, Aayla looking incredibly worked up and upset, Aurra trying her best not to look anxious. "We have other things to deal with. Like these... Nightsisters."

"Who?" Naruto leaned forwards past them, looking at the five women behind them. Staring at them, Naruto slowly pushed himself to his feet, ignoring their protests as he moved over towards them.

The other group - the Nightsisters, Naruto internally said the name again to try to remember it - watched his approach. Two of them gave him a side-eye, looking him over like he was some arrogant fool, approaching someone he shouldn't. The other three, the ones who had chased him, all were wary, likely having seen what had happened, and had almost certainly felt what had happened as well. Naruto had seen the Kalee who's experienced his rampage when he had been in control with Kurama's power; he could only imagine the stark contrast of how Kurama would wield it over him. Still, when he stepped up, while one seemed to keep her eyes on him with complete calm, he could immediately tell which of them he'd defended, as she stared away from him, fingers wrapped around each other until she was near white-knuckled.

"... are you alright?" Naruto's voice was soft, yet she jumped like he'd yelled it at her. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to find words that seemed to immediately flee, leaving her once more dropping her gaze silently. "You're not hurt?"

"...no."

"That's good." He let his gaze sweep across the women, watching the various looks they all gave him. Seeing the other two suddenly lean further away, Naruto felt a heat against the back of his neck. Turning around, he gently placed his hand against Brutus nose. "Hey brother."

Leaning against the rancor, he nodded and listened as Brutus made soft grumblings. Behind him, Aurra surprisingly gave a small snort of a laugh, covering her face and looking away when Aayla looked towards her in confusion.

"Don't give me that smell stuff, you smell like you've been in a forest. That's a good smell. I've been dealing with swamps, space, and other weird places." Naruto gave Brutus a swat on the nose, then winced and clenched his shaking hand again. "Ah... that's problematic. Haven't had this before. Must've been something new."

"It was impressive."

Naruto turned back to the women, immediately able to tell which of them spoke, as the others all were staring at her. Idly flicking her fingers, as though to wave them off, she smiled at him. "... pardon?"

"What you did. It was impressive. Destructive, clearly, but you fought a creature that gored and took out two rancors, and two powerful Nightsisters as well." Shaking her head, she slowly stood up. "I am Kyrisa, of the Nightsisters clan. These are my sisters; Ven, Terresh, Yenwin, and Kara. And you, maleing, are Naruto."

"I am." He had no idea what she meant by 'maleing', but it sounded like a somewhat derogatory term that he didn't need to acknowledge at the moment. He was too sore and tired to deal with that.

"Then we are acquainted now. I would apologize for how things began, but seeing how well you seemed to have handled things, I would presume that you had things well in control."

"Hardly. It felt like you all were going to try wearing me down, and lynching me."

"Strong words. Our actions likely spoke stronger."

He squinted at her, slowly shifting and turning to face them all. Cracking his neck slowly, he stared down at them with consideration. Something wasn't adding up in his mind, and he didn't know enough of them or why they hadn't attempted to overwhelm Aayla and Aurra while he had been unconscious. "Alright... what do you want?"

"Very blunt."

"I don't like being in the dark."

Kyrisa smirked, looking as though she were enjoying the discussion like light banter. "The shadows is where we learn who we truly are."

"And I know that in the dark, I am only so good of a person."

She paused at that, leaning back and seeming to more deeply consider his words. "... that is fair. Fine. Take a seat... Naruto."

The impression she was resisting calling him a maleing again was quite clear. Like she was choking on her tongue. Naruto didn't mind, or care, as he sat across from them, letting them move and position themselves more defensively around each other, with the sound of the rancor behind him moving to flank him. A moment later, Aurra and Aayla sat on either side of him, noticed and warily acknowledged by Yenwin and Lana, and mostly ignored by Kyrisa.

Taking a moment, Naruto considered those around him. Terresh and Ven were both anxious, tired, and worried; unlike Kyrisa, they seemed fidgety, and fearful. Kara and Yenwin seemed more at ease, but more focused on something else. As far as Naruto could tell, the only thing they might be worried about was Aayla and Aurra, which was fair enough. They were both skilled, even with Aayla's memory loss, and could hold their own in the training he'd given them. It made things easier in some ways, since they weren't focused on him, but their distraction was drawing his attention away. Not good, when he needed to focus.

Idly, he closed his eyes and tried not to groan. The whiplash his body felt from Kurama's cloak fading brought him back; too far back, to Abbaji. Suddenly he wasn't just sitting at a campfire with enemies and friends. He was seated around comrades, and those who could either be knocked out of his path, bartered with, or potential temporary alliance. What these Nightsisters would end up being, Naruto felt was likely the later, as they weren't bound or in any way 'captured'. They wanted something, but only the one leading them knew.

Kyrisa. Taking a look at her, he tried to take in what he could tell. She was likely one of the younger of the Nightsisters here, with only Ven being younger from what he could tell. Red markings covered her face around her eyes, across her cheeks and forehead, and even had one down her chin; likely something of their tribal nature, as she'd said they were part of a clan. Her pale skin was similar to Aurra's, but that meant little in a galaxy so large, as many other races shared similar traits. Idly, he noted their assortment of weapons, and that Kyrisa seemed the odd one out again. Staring at him with her piercing red eyes, she seemed to take his inspection as a compliment, though much the way Naruto had felt Qymaen - Grievous - had; as two powerhouse predators sizing each other up, and deciding if it was worth the energy to hunt, or to let each other pass by harmlessly.

"I have mentioned some of our purpose to your allies," Kyrisa slowly broke the silence, motioning to Aayla and Aurra respectively. "We, thinking you to be sisters of another clan with a maleing, thought to run you down at the behest of our leader at the time Ah'le. When we caught up in the shadows past the trees, it is clear that things were going wrong."

"Ah'le was not in her right mind to make such a call." Yenwin said softly, looking back to Ven and Terresh who gave her a disapproving look. "She was not. After our failure and lost of sisters, she wished for a victory. While she is skilled in her magicks, that did not make her wise."

"True." Terresh admitted after a moment of silence. "However, even her skill was not that of others. Yet she was more reckless, and proud of herself. I would believe that, if we had not failed as we did, we would have observed further, and discovered the danger this maleing possessed."

"If that hadn't happened, you wouldn't have seen anything." Naruto's reply was slow, and accurate, though it got a response he wasn't anticipating.

"Know your place maleing! Just because you sit with us does not make you our equal. You are not-" Kara snapped, eyes glaring at him heatedly until she suddenly began to choke. Holding her throat, she slowly shook her head, coughing and sputtering as she tried to take a deep breath.

Naruto slowly let his eyes flicker over each of the other sisters quickly, trying to see if it was something they'd done. Eventually he noticed Terresh, who was glaring down Kara with a look of distaste, as her hand slowly opened and closed. When Kara finally could breath clearly, she herself began looking over the others around her before snapping her glare to Naruto. Standing, she tried to give off the most imposing, regal stance she could manage.

"You dare maleing? After our allowing you around our fire, when you should sit in the dirt?! You should not-"

Once more, she was cut off, Brutus and the other two rancors suddenly lifting themselves into a more imposing and menacing position themselves. Kara stumbled back, falling back over the log she'd been seated at as she'd let out a yelp of surprise. The other two rancors perked up, slowly looking at the fallen Nightsister, then near immediately ignoring her plight.

As she sputtered and tried to pick herself up, Yenwin leaned over and clipped her ear harshly. "You would do well to pay attention Kara. Seat yourself and be silent."

"He spits at our feet and assails us despite his place!" Kara snarled, getting another clip against her ear, then grabbing her by the nape of her neck when she attempted to back away.

"You made a fool of yourself, and admit your ignorance. They are not of the clans, Kara. They are outsiders."

The word was said softly, with a hint of emphasis that was not lost on the three. An outsider. Someone from offworld. So they knew enough about that, yet they acted like they were still isolated, and ignorant too many things.

"Outsiders, yes." Naruto drew their attention back, staring down Kara. "Ones who do not wish trouble... but who have to take care of something here."

"We are aware of the galaxy, even with our... inability to leave, or to influence it with the power the world has gifted us." Terresh scowled at that, glancing to Yenwin with a faint gleam to her eye. "Are we certain of this? Of what Zalem is doing being bad for our sisters? If she is able to draw power, and to affect the galaxy, surely we will be able to-"

"Draw attention and get the wrong people looking at you?" Naruto cut her off, eyes narrowing. "Like, messing with something you really shouldn't?"

"Do not-"

"Kara, enough." Yenwin looked like she was going to move her hand towards Kara's ear, causing the younger woman to lean away and scowl. Turning back to Naruto, Yenwin looked him over, seeming to reconsider, or reappraise him. "You seem more aware of things." Slowly, she looked to Kyrisa, who had pulled something out. "Ah, a Jedi then?"

Naruto's eyes snapped to where hers were, seeing that his Naboo shoto was in Kyrisa's hand. Shifting, Naruto slowly held out his hand towards her. "... thank you for collecting that, and not letting it be lost."

Kyrisa turned it over in her hands, ignoring his gesture as she moved to inspect it further. "I have never seen such material. From an other world, or another place. And so cool to the touch..." Slowly, her fingers moved, flicking it on with the orange blade springing to life. "... what an odd coloring as well. Do all Jedi try to make themselves appear so... garish?"

"Depends," Aurra cut in, her expression darkening. "Though, I don't think that's what you're going for here. Give it back."

"Hm?" Kyrisa slowly ran her finger across the blade, staring at Naruto's extended hand. "You need this?"

"It isn't yours."

"I didn't see it belonging to you. Perhaps it was lost in the shadows...and it would be mine now."

Naruto knew she was trying to elect a reaction. If he reacted, then the Nightsisters outnumbered them five-to-three, not including the rancors. Odds he could overwhelm, but not while trying to think on keeping Aurra and Aayla safe.

Thankfully, Aayla seemed to have come to a conclusion. "So, you're thieves then?"

The response seemed to catch Kyrisa off guard, and made the others look to her pointedly. Slowly, she flicked the saber off, turning it and handing it over to Naruto slowly. "... not my color anyways."

Slowly putting it away, Naruto grimaced. They were getting nowhere, except that there was someone named Zalem, who was likely the cause for his vision from Hagoromo. If there was something on the planet that was causing his attention, Naruto needed to find some way to intercept it. These here knew of Zalem, and apparently something of what she was doing. They were not friendly, as Kara was making clear, but they'd stated that they weren't allied with Zalem either. That could make things easier. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. For how long then, would be the question.

"So this Zalem... what is it she wants?"

"Power. Conquest. To throw her power to the stars and bind them to her will." Yenwin replied, ignoring Kara's incredulous look. "A Mother she may be, but if she is bringing people to the planet who will cause us more issues, then she is going to be the death of many Sisters."

"If they come, we will crush them!" Kara stood, stomping her foot again. "We can bind them to our wills, and they will serve us!"

"Yes... like a rancor." Naruto let the ice in his voice be audible, not caring what she thought anymore. Kara was ignorant of the galaxy, and had grown up her own way. For her, it was alright. Except that it held no empathy, or understanding of basic decency that he knew.

The others caught on quickly, with Ven shifting and looking away as the most affected by it. Kara, oblivious, seemed to take that as a note of triumph. "Yes. We have conquered the savagery of this world, and bound them to our wills. Our magicks are more powerful than you could believe."

"Alright. Show me."

The flat, impatient way Naruto said it caught Kara speechless. She seemed to consider for a moment, as though trying to decide how bad of an idea it would be to actually attempt something in front of him. However, it appeared that she considered herself higher, and thus more powerful than Naruto, so the invitation was taken quite literally.

Reaching out, she focused and began a rapid string of words as she began chanting. Brutus lifted up and snarled, recognizing what she was doing, and was having none of what she was preparing to perform. As he began lifting up to stop her, he paused, feeling a presence that let him slow down, snorting softly. Next to him, the other two shifted, feeling a similar presence begin washing over them as well. Looking down to Naruto, they instead began standing more regally, with as much a look of condescension as such creatures could hold for a person.

Finishing her chant, Kara lashed out with the Force. Like ropes, and bindings, intending to lash the rancors behind Naruto to her will. There was skill to her technique, and power behind her that she wielded with all the grace of a thin vibroblade. Were she facing anyone else, one might find that her skill was more than enough to bind one of the rancor, though three was quite ambitious.

As it was, her bindings fell upon barriers and walls that had never been there before. Ones that actively seemed to allow the rancors to begin lashing back out, actively pushing them away, keeping her from binding them, holding them, and leaving them independent and free. Slowly, they tilted their heads, staring down at her with defiance, leaving her in a rapidly building realization of the situation she was in.

"... I'm waiting." Naruto could feel her attempts, and continued to strengthen the rancor behind him. If she was going to be arrogant, and attempt to throw words around as she was, he would show her in turn that he would fight her ever step of the way.

"I can control plants." Ven suddenly drew attention to her, shifting and rubbing her hands together. A faint whisper, almost like a soft song left her lips, causing some of the log they were seated on to begin cracking, popping and moving about her, making it into a more comfortable, almost nice seat.

Naruto watched her, nodding slowly for a moment before he covered his face slowly. He was still so touchy about the subject, so snappish, that he'd distracted them from his purpose, and the point of their conversation. "Yes, I do recall that. Forgive me, Ven, I'm... I have bad history with being bound."

"You were once bound?" Kyrisa quirked her head, seeming to perk up at that information.

"Once." Naruto held up a finger, then slowly curled it, a faint cracking from one of the stones near them as it suddenly cracked at his feet. "... I didn't take kindly to it."

Kara snorted and rolled her eyes, while Kyrisa seemed to take a moment to consider it. Yenwin frowned and gave Naruto a once over again, as though reassessing him. Terresh shook her head, but looked away when the stone cracked, seemingly not wanting to acknowledge what he'd done, or what he'd said. Meanwhile, Ven seemed to perk up more, staring at him with a look of deep consideration.

"...now that we've got that out of the way," Naruto cracked his knuckles, leaning back and staring them down. "Zalem is your enemy, and she's potentially knocking on doors that will bring your people danger."

"So you say." Kara muttered, not bothering to keep it fully under her breath.

Ignoring her, Naruto continued. "And, you attempted to raid her clan, but were thwarted." Rubbing his hands together, Naruto slowly sighed. This was growing more complicated, and more frustrating than it had any need to be. Never something simple. "Is it nearby?"

"It's none of your concern." Kara spat, though she immediately looked away when Yenwin gave her a disapproving look.

"Yes," Terresh said slowly, looking like she was deep in thought regarding this. "I, cannot say that it's more than a day or so, depending on travel, though it's mainly Ven's skills that allow us to do so. Otherwise we'd have to take much longer, more dangerous routes."

"Understandable. A skill like hers must be amazing out here."

"It's a lifesaver." Terresh nodded, giving Ven an approving nod. Ven just shrunk down at the praise, burying her face in her hands and muttering some muffled thanks. "You seem to be giving indication that you are, potentially, willing to raid with us?"

"No, not raid... not exactly." Naruto amended slowly, thinking it over as he shook his head. "I'm willing to assist, but I'm not going to attack them to let you enslave others from some petty rivalry."

"It's not petty. It is a long tradition that dates back to after Allya's daughters began to realize that enlightenment was for them to find." Kara snapped, seeming further upset at Naruto's dismissal of their traditions. Seeing that none of her other Sisters were standing up with her, she threw up her arms and walked away, kicking her feet and scowling.

"... I'll, ask later. Look," Naruto grit his teeth, looking between Yenwin and Kyrisa. They seemed to be the only two who were catching the gravity of the situation he was trying to explain, or at least were playing it up as though they were. "If she is doing that, then this world will be in danger. She'll be drawing attention from people who likely won't be easy to hold back, or stop, if she's foolish enough to think she can just contain them."

"Them? You think she'll be summoning people with what she's doing?" Terresh squinted, looking more concerned now that he'd mentioned that. Kyrisa and Yenwin additionally looked more considering, thinking over that possibility.

"I don't know for certain, but it's a possibility. The sort of people who won't understand what you, or I, are like. They'll act as they've been taught, and if you take any form of laziness as their true self, then you'll miss it when they slide in the blade."

"... how do you know this?" Yenwin watched his expression intently, reading it, and rereading it quickly. Slowly, she leaned back and hummed thoughtfully. "... these people... they're your people, aren't they?"

Aurra and Aayla stared at Naruto as well now, curious as well to this information. Aurra knew of Naruto's people, at least somewhat, but had never heard him speak so vehemently regarding them. Aayla knew nothing, and was hoping that knowing this would help her understand him, if just a little better.

Taking his time, Naruto eventually gave in, rising to his feet and giving each a look. "My people are shinobi... and they are some of the most dangerous warriors, and assassins, this galaxy has never seen. And if we're lucky, we never will."

Turning, he walked away, leaving the women behind around a slowly dimming fire as they all were given a moment to consider, and contemplate the strange, and confusing thing he'd told them.

[=-x-=]

The night stretched longer, and the majority of the group moved to get some sleep. Around the Nightsisters, one of them stood, watching the night warily, shifting about and occasionally standing to pace. With the other group, Naruto stood watch, gently opening himself to the Force as he let it sharpen his focus, keeping him alert even while his mind was wandering once more.

Thinking about his homeworld brought back thoughts of his father, and the few years he'd trained with him. It brought back thoughts to a childhood he barely remembered, and to the short time he'd been back on that planet. The people who he'd been forced to confront, and to fight. All the while, he was forced to recall Hagoromo's words; the warnings he gave about his people, and about keeping them away from the galaxy at large.

Part of him thought it over, recalling how different each of them had been. Some had seemed more violent than others, while others had been downright peaceful. If it were that easy to sift through them, Naruto almost thought that he could think to allow them to come into the galaxy. To give them a chance to have their eyes opened to ninshu, and to learn, grow, and overcome.

Yet, there was that violence. He knew his master had been passive, letting them do more than rightly she should have, but it had given him enough knowledge to understand that the people were dangerous. In some ways, certainly lethal to those they thought were against them, and in others too curious for their own good. And in a galaxy where a poorly interpreted look could pull a fight with the wrong person, it would more than likely end in a spray of blood, and a trail of bodies.

Shaking his head, Naruto dragged his hand down his face. This was crazy. All he had to do was follow what Hagoromo told him to do, and he could get off this planet. Turn it off, destroy it, just prevent his people from coming through the gate. In the back of his mind though, a faint whisper continued to tickle at him, questioning Hagoromo's decisions. He'd chosen to teach ninshu, but in a way that was easily misconstrued, weaponized, and turned into ninjutsu. At that point it wasn't his fault, but that didn't give him final say on if they lived on or left the world, did it?

Closing his eyes, he scratched roughly at the back of his neck, slowly curling it down the sides of his neck, suddenly feeling a choking-like sensation. Like a collar. Not in the Force, or his actual collar, but in memory. Swallowing heavily, he took deep breaths, shaking his head and trying to forcibly clear his mind. He needed to be focused, and alert, particularly if Kara was going to continue acting in the way she had been.

Hearing the faint crunch of dirt under heel, he slowly turned, eyes cracking open to stare towards the person approaching. Ven, seeing his eyes opening, slowed her approach, looking far more nervous, slowly shifting away, then making a clear effort to steel herself. Stepping forward, she made it almost up to him, then seemed to lose steam and begin turning away.

Staring after her, Naruto slowly sighed. "... yes?"

Freezing, she cursed and shifted back and forth, quickly turning and trying again to approach him. "I - yes, yes I - I need to speak with you."

"... you are." Naruto turned to face her fully, crossing his arms as he watched her shifting, nervous expression. Seeing her shrink away at his voice, he groaned, slowly seating himself. "I'm not going to bite, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, not you..." She glanced to one of the rancor, who snorted softly as it shifted, causing her to shift away further. "Your control and prowess with them is, scary. I've only ever seen Kyrisa have such immediate control, and maybe Mother Talzin."

He shook his head, a faint smile returning to his face for the first time in a few hours. "I'm not controlling them. It's Animal Friendship, and a form of... bond that I make. I let them know fully my intentions, and ask them to act with me. In return, I protect them."

Ven nodded slowly, moving to seat herself across from him. She'd brought a pack with her, shifting it into her lap as she sat down, staring at him pointedly. Opening and closing her mouth slowly, she seemed to struggle with her thoughts for a moment, shrinking in and flicking her fingers while staring at her lap, not making eye contact with him. "I... I have to ask you something. Something I need you to answer honestly..." She took a shaky breath, flicking her eyes to him as she forced out her words quickly. "Are you one who has escaped a maw, beyond beasts, and sight?"

"... what?" Naruto tried to piece that together, her words coming out faster than he could catch.

"Are you one who has escaped a maw, beyond beasts, and sight?"

The words were slower the second time around, and caused a faint flickering light of understanding as he leaned back and squinted at her. The Maw. The Maw. It had to be that; unseen, a literal series of black holes, and where his world was. Where he'd escaped from.

"I, may have."

A look of consternation crossed her face, followed by a discontent pout. "Yes, or no. Please."

"... yes."

It seemed for a moment that there was silence between them, each locking eyes with the other. Naruto wasn't sure why he said yes. He had no reason to tell her, though it told her nothing at the same time. Or, perhaps more than he thought, as he watched her expression shift rapidly; relief, curiosity, then a hint of excitement.

"That's good. The Singing Mountains would be happy to hear this." She whispered the last part, glancing back to the others with such a nervous expression that it looked like she might attempt to sink herself into the earth to hide. When there was no further sounds, she sighed, and turned the bag over in her hands, glancing between Naruto and it, before holding out her hands. "I was told by Rell, a great leader of our tribe, that you would be looking for this. I... don't know if this is too early, or too late, but it was what I was asked to do, and I will do it."

Naruto stared at the bag, slowly taking it in his hand and turning it over slowly. Idly, he opened the bag, staring into it to check the contents. Seeing only a book with a few papers, he slowly closed it and bound it, giving her a curious look.

"It is some of the stories of our people, ideas, and so forth." Ven glanced back to her group, chewing on her lip before quickly leaning closer to Naruto. "It is our history, our laws... and Rell said it would lead you to something. I didn't ask what, but she sounded like it must be something important. Something about a place of knowing, or understanding, would tell you more. She gave this copy of our Book of Law, and I... I trust her. More so because she said you would save my life, and not die."

Staring at it, Naruto hefted it slowly. It wasn't exceptionally heavy, but he had the impression that she carried it like it was both her greatest burden, and her most valued treasure. And her words, ominous, and pointed, struck home. Save her life, and not die. He had, hadn't he.

Slowly, he pulled out a scroll, and moved to a blank space. There were other things he'd hidden away, bent around to hide in a way no other being in the galaxy could grab, and he paused on a few fondly. The holocron of Sunrider, his mask, and a few extra blaster parts he'd picked up to try and mess with later. Moving past them, he placed it against the open space, closed his eyes, and pushed it down into the paper. He could do it as his father once had, and more quickly 'seal' it away, but while his way worked slower, it left him more confident that he could get it out when he needed too. His way wasn't for combat, but for times where they were needed; overall making it safer kept from anyone else who may get their hands on it.

Once it was gone, he quickly rolled the scroll closed, missing the startled, wide-eyed expression Ven gave him at that ability. Putting the scroll away, he scratched gently at his head. "I... I'm grateful. Whatever is in this book, I'll read as soon as I can. Just... I want to get through all this first. This always seems to happen, where we end up right when things get dangerous for people. I'm expecting as little as I can, but if this goes easy, I think I'll be most surprised."

"The clan of Zalem is not one that will be easy to approach, let alone stop in any way meaningful, if we aren't careful."

"Of course. That's why we'll be careful." Naruto laughed lightly, nodding to himself. "Careful... yeah. That'll work out fine." Shaking his head at his own sudden spurt of pessimism, he have her a more pleasant smile. "Get some rest. One of us will need to for tomorrow."

"I... I will." Standing, she brushed herself off for a moment, looking nervously back to her group. Staring back to him for a moment longer, she sighed, then made her way back, leaving Naruto to settle in, and think over the curious words and warnings she'd given him.


AN: For those who know, you know. For those who don't, don't worry, it'll be a later thing. Can't have that book out right now - it's confidential.

I felt like making sure to give personality and purpose to the Sisters was important, and this helped give a bit. For those who don't know the last bit, the Singing Mountain clan of Witches are actually the clan from who Nightsisters came from... because their leader tried to kill her mother. That means they should be bitter rivals, but Ven - a member of that clan - is traveling with them. Perhaps it is best not to mention that... well, as long as it's not important anyways.

It also gives another pointed look at Naruto's defiance; something I have pop up, but not be so brazen and blatant. Naruto pushes back a lot, and can be both stubborn and pushy. Combine that with power that a number of people can't always get through... and while it can be good, sometimes it just draws attention. The irony being that he is currently chastising them about Zalem drawing attention to their world, and drawing negative attention as well. A moment we can note, but that Naruto will still need to learn.

Also! Someone mentioned they enjoyed the Q&A I used to do. Honestly? I miss it too, but I don't get enough questions to fully go into things like that. Not like I used to anyways. If you guys want to see more of them, by all means ask questions, or feel free to shoot me questions on the Discord channel I've made: link is 44zTebp for anyone interested.

Thank you all for your reviews, they are always great to read. If you haven't seen, the Naruto poll is done, and now there is a poll to go over the pairing options for Anakin on my Profile page. I look forward to seeing who you choose, and how I'll be able to consider and use it through the building story.

May this chapter find you well, and may the Force be with you.