Original Posted On: April 12, 2021
Beta Read by: Crowfeast
OKAY, LETS READ THIS SHIT! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR HIGHSCHOOL DXD!
"Hey" = Speaking
'Hey' = Thinking
'Hey' = Memory
"Hey"= Sacred Gear/ Communication link/ Tailed Beast
Sage of Legend: Iroh's Journey
Kyoto, 1002…
"Lord Azulon." A nurse said as she opened the door. "Your child has been born, it's a boy."
Azulon, Emperor of Kyoto, walked through with a smile as he entered.
He was a tall fox yokai with seven tails, wearing an elegant kimono of various shades of red and gold as a white lotus pin sat on his chest, with his black hair pulled tight into a top knot with a thin mustache goatee combo.
"Dear…" Azulon's wife, Ayaka, whispered tiredly as she lay on the futon.
She had long, red hair and two tails as she weakly held their son.
Azulon teared up proudly as he saw his son's light amount of black hair and his single tail.
"What should we call him?" Akaka asked as she ran her hand across her son's head with a smile.
"Iroh." Azulon stated as he reached out for the newly named Iroh.
Ayaka held him out, and Azulon's heart swelled as he held Iroh.
'So… this is what it feels like.' Azulon thought as his tears streamed down into his beard. 'This unconditional love.'
Skip, 1093…
"Iroh!" Ayaka called for her son. "Iroh!"
"BWA!"
"AAAAAAAAGH!" Ayaka screamed as a young, teen-looking Iroh scared his mother, laughing as she caught her breath.
He was tall, with a thin-muscular frame. His black hair pulled back into a top-knot and his amber eyes full of life as he wore a silver and red kimono.
"Got you!" He said with a proud smile, his tail swaying back and forth as he laughed, only to go still when Ayaka grabbed his face. "AAAAAGH! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW I'M SORRY!"
Ayaka took a deep breath as she let her son go.
"Your father wishes to see you, my son." Ayaka informed him.
"Okay, mother." Iroh replied as he pouted a bit, walking away towards his father's office.
He knocked on the door.
"Father, it is I." Iroh stated politely.
"Come in, Iroh." Azulon called through the door.
Iroh slid the door open and was surprised to see two more people.
'Vampires.' Iroh thought as he recognized the signs of vampire heritage.
Lightly pointed ears, pale skin, animalistic eyes, slight uncomfortableness to the sun light.
"Dracul, this is my son, Iroh." Azulon introduced. "Iroh, this is an old brother in arms of mine, Dracul Tepes. This is his son, Vlad Tepes."
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Tepes, Prince Tepes." Iroh greeted with a bow.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Iroh." Dracul replied.
"Greetings." Vlad said in a soft tone.
Vlad looked like his father, black hair parted down the middle, and a black suit. Though his eyes held the sadness of a dislike for his life.
"Alright boys, we adults would like to talk in private, go and play in the garden." Azulon urged as he ushered the two out.
The two 'teens' nodded and walked to the banzai garden.
"So… what do you like to do for fun?" Iroh asked as he felt uncomfortable with someone he barely knew.
Vlad didn't respond.
'Well, he is boring.' Iroh thought with a deadpan as they arrived at the garden.
Iroh walked to his banzai, which he had been raising for a few months.
"They are trees." Vlad pointed out as he noticed the joy Iroh took in checking the tree. "What is so special about them?"
"Well, tending Banzai trees are a nice way of relaxing." Iroh stated with a bright, toothy smile. "Plus, it is nice to sit and drink tea next to them."
Vlad scoffed.
"That's boring." He replied, making Iroh frown.
"Well, then what do you think is fun?" Iroh asked heatedly, making Vlad glare at him.
"Training my hand-to-hand skills and drinking blood as I read a nice book." Vlad hotly replied.
Iroh smirked at this.
"You know how to fight?" He asked as he felt his blood getting warm at the thought of a challenge.
Vlad's eyes narrowed.
"Lead the way, Prince Iroh." Vlad said with a serious tone.
Ten Minutes later…
"Ah, now that is a good deal." Dracul chuckled as he tapped his fingers together.
"Thank you, Dracul." Azulon said as he extended his hand.
As soon as Dracul's fingers grazed Azulon's hand, they heard an explosion and felt the compound shake.
The two parents ran out and saw Iroh and Vlad fighting, fire everywhere as Iroh kicked it towards Vlad, who evaded before punching Iroh into the wall, punching the fox multiple times before Iroh burst into flames, pushing Vlad away.
"DAMN YOU!" Iroh shouted as he pushed off the wall, fist raised.
Vlad grit his teeth and went to counter.
Only for Dracul and Azulon to appear before their respectful son and punch them outside the head, causing the boys to imprint into the dirt.
"STUPID BRATS!" Azulon shouted as he picked Vlad and Iroh up, before slamming their heads together. "STOP DESTROYING MY HOUSE!"
"I—I'm shorry…" Iroh and Vlad replied with bruised faces.
Azulon sighed as he put them down.
"Sorry I got rough with your son, Dracul." Azulon apologized.
"No, I understand." Dracul said darkly as he stood over Vlad. "His mother will be hearing about this transaction against your son."
Vlad's eyes widened in fear as he broke out with a cold sweat.
Skip, two months later…
Vlad and Iroh walked around Kyoto during a yearly festival.
It was late at night with paper lanterns brightening the town in a vibrant orange and red glow.
Iroh stopped in his tracks, eyes open and mouth agape.
"Iroh…" Vlad said as he noticed his friend stopped walking. "Iroh, what is it?"
Iroh stared, not responding.
Vlad turned and followed Iroh's gaze.
Several feet away was a gorgeous female fox yokai.
She had long tan hair in a decorative bun, wore a gold and black kimono that snugly clung to her voluptuous figure. Her single fox tail swayed as she stood near the dance floor, not bothering to join in as the orange glow of the lanterns giving her tan skin an ethereal glow. Her red eyes shining like rubies.
"Oh, I see." Vlad said with a smirk as he gently nudged Iroh, who blushed.
"Not like that…" Iroh replied nervously as his blush got worse.
Vlad didn't buy it and shoved Iroh toward her, making him trip and faceplant before her.
She looked at Iroh and quirked an eyebrow as he laughed nervously as he got up.
"Nice night, isn't it?" Iroh asked goofily.
"Uh… yeah, sure." She said as she crossed her arms. "Whatever you say."
"Oh…" Iroh replied dumbly. "Uhm…. I'm…"
"Prince Iroh, son of Emperor Azulon and Lady Ayaka, I know." She replied as she glanced at him. "Everyone knows."
"Well, can I ask for your name?" Iroh asked as he felt pressure press down on him as Vlad sighed off to the side.
"My name is Marchosias." She replied as she put her hands on her hips. "I also go by Marco."
(Marco from Maos-Sama no Machizukuri)
"Well, Marco, would it be okay if I asked you for a dance?" Iroh asked, mentally praying for her to accept.
"Piss off." Marco replied without hesitation, making Iroh's mouth drop, eyes wide. "You aren't the only one. Everyone who wants to befriend me only wants to for my beauty or to have their way with me."
"No… but, please…" Iroh stammered as Marco scoffed.
"I'm leaving." Marco stated as she left the baffled prince alone.
"Damn, you got rejected hard." Vlad mentioned as he walked behind Iroh.
Iroh didn't respond as he closed his mouth and shook.
"I won't give up." Iroh declared to himself, passion flames in his eyes. "I will not give up until she accepts my offer!"
'Okay, he is an idiot.' Vlad thought with a smile as Iroh followed after Marco.
Next day…
"Please, let's go out for a meal?" Iroh asked Marco as she stood before many people in the busy street, livid as Iroh held flowers in his hand on his knee.
"Wow, the prince is asking a commoner out."
"She is a beauty."
"Probably some whore from the red-light district he fucked and is now just infatuated."
"Shit, if the Prince marries a prostitute then our royal family is in danger."
Marco heard these and shook with anger.
Iroh heard them too, and was shocked to hear these accusations.
But his mind was returned to Marco when she pushed the flowers aside and punched Iroh in the face, breaking his nose.
"Leave me alone!" She shouted loudly in embarrassment and anger.
"Wait…" Iroh gasped out as she stormed off, seeing the tears in her eyes.
Iroh grunted as he popped his nose back into place and followed Marco stealthily.
Iroh followed her to the slums, seeing Marco enter a small hut.
"Mother, I am home from work." Marco said softly as she knelt next to her mother. "I was able to get some medicine."
She was an elder fox, her body withered and old from a very long life from the nine tails she had.
"You are such a good girl, Marco." Her mother wheezed weakly.
Marco smiled as her mother rubbed her cheek.
"Why are you crying?"
"Oh, just some dumb boy asking me to go out with him." Marco shrugged.
"Hmmm." Her mother hummed as she looked toward the door. "Come on in…"
Marco was confused before she heard the door open as Iroh entered, scratching the back of his head with a nervous laugh.
"H-hello…" he replied with a bow.
"YOU?" Marco shouted, only to get a soft thwack from her mother.
"So, you are Prince Iroh, are you not?" She asked before she coughed.
"Yes, Ma'am." Iroh replied.
She smiled, motioning him to come closer.
"Why are you here?" She asked as Iroh sat beside her, Marco on the opposite side as she frowned at Iroh.
"I…" Iroh sighed as he could not think of a reason. "I saw Marco at the festival, and today I asked her out. But I heard some nasty things, so I wanted to see what was going on."
Marco's mother smiled weakly.
"You care about her, even though you don't know her?" She asked.
Iroh became serious and nodded.
"I want to learn more about her, but I know I went to far." He said sincerely. "I want to become her friend, and if the gods allow, I would like to go further."
Marco's mom smiled and closed her eyes.
"I would like that." She replied before she went to sleep.
Iroh and Marco walked outside.
"So…"
Marco punched Iroh again.
"How… dare you come here and spout that lie to my mother!" Marco stated angrily, Iroh not saying anything as she hit him again. "Wanting to get to know me! Wanting to be my friend!"
Punch.
Punch.
Punch.
… punch.
Marco calmed down as she took deep breathes to replenish her oxygen.
"I never knew my father, since my mother was a prostitute." Marco explained, knowing Iroh would want answers. "She got pregnant with me, and quit that life to raise me. When I learned this, I had to beg my boss to get a job, and work hard every day. All the while men seeing me and desiring my body, wanting to fuck me just to get their rocks off…"
Iroh stayed quiet as Marco got choked up.
"And now you say you want to know about me, well, there, now you know. So, get out of my life!" She stated as her eyes watered.
Iroh didn't say anything, his ears laying flat on his head.
He turned and left the slums.
'Thank the gods.' Marco thought as she collected herself. 'He is gone.'
Next morning…
*BANG, BANG, BANG*
Marco was roused from her sleep as someone hit the warning bell.
"Marco…" Her mother called worriedly. "What's going on?"
"I don't know. I'll go find out." Marco said as she threw on her clothes and ran outside.
There was a large crowd and she entered it, pushing toward the front.
"What's going on?" Marco asked curiously as she got to the front and gasped.
There was a large group of royal servants preparing large amounts of food as many carpenters were off in the distance building house structures.
"Didn't you hear?" A random slum dweller asked. "The prince announced that he would use his power to rebuild the slums, making it better and giving us food."
Marco was dumb founded as she remembered Iroh.
'Is he doing this just to impress me?' Marco thought as she felt her heart pound in her chest. 'He is stupid…'
She wiped her eyes, finding tears.
'But he has a good heart.' Marco thought solemnly.
Few days later…
"Hey!"
Iroh turned before a foot imprinted it into his face.
"PRINCE IROH!" a guard shouted before he turned to Marco, who was the one who kicked Iroh. "YOU DAMN BITCH!"
"Marco?" Iroh said as he motioned for the guard to stop. "Why did you…"
Marco extended her hand.
"I am here visiting my friend, right?" She asked cheekily with a cute smile.
Iroh blinked stupidly before he smiled, extending his hand.
"Well, of course, friend." Iroh said with a smile.
Skip, 1157…
The yokai of Kyoto were facing off against humans of Japan for months, it having gotten worse with the inclusion of monks and exorcists.
Iroh, now a general, had been on the front lines for that length of time with Vlad helping him.
He had returned home for the first time since this conflict started.
"Iroh…" Azulon stated as he and his son walked through the compound. "These humans are nothing like us. They are always fearful of everything they don't understand. So unwilling to talk and accept others, even each other."
Iroh nodded his head.
He was now older, more muscular. He had grown a beard and sideburns.
"Father…" Iroh asked as he saw Azulon grip his hands.
"Iroh…" Azulon shakily stated as he didn't want to say this. "Your mother… she is dead."
Iroh's eyes widened in shock.
"How…" he demanded, grabbing Azulon's shoulder. "TELL ME HOW!"
Azulon pushed his son's hand off of him.
"Human monks." He said clearly as he kept himself composed. "They said they wanted to talk. Ayaka urged me to trust them, and when we arrived at the location to talk, they sprung a surprise attack, and Ayaka pushed me out of their range… at the cost of her life."
Iroh growled, his chakra spewing from his body, shaking the compound.
"I am sorry…" Azulon apologized.
"It is not your fault, father…" Iroh replied aggressively. "It's the human's fault."
Skip, 1158…
Marco and Iroh kissed, the crowd cheering.
The Great General Iroh, who led an attack that lasted mere hours, devastated the human camps, drawing them out into the open before slaying them all.
Shortly after the conclusive battle, Iroh proposed to Marco, his girlfriend, now wife.
Azulon cheered as he clapped.
'I'm so proud of you, my son.' He thought as Iroh and Marco sat down after their vows. 'Now for my last announcement.'
Azulon stepped forward, everyone going silent as their Emperor cleared his throat.
"I, Azulon, have an announcement." He stated clearly. "Today is the wedding of my son, Iroh, and now Daughter-In-Law, Marco…"
Marco and Iroh blushed at the next set of cheers.
"I shall make this special occasion better," Azulon stated with a proud smile as he walked up to his son, taking the lotus pin off of his chest. "From today forward, Iroh is now Emperor of Kyoto."
He placed it on Iroh's wedding haori, Iroh looking dumbfounded as he was no longer Prince Iroh, but Emperor Iroh.
"Oh, sweetheart." Marco said as she cried happily.
Iroh hugged Marco, smiling as this was one of the best days of his life.
1159…
"Lord Iroh, it's a boy!"
Iroh entered the room, seeing Marco holding his son.
"Look, Lu-ten," Marco whispered tiredly. "It's your father…"
Iroh wept happily as he took hold of his son, who yanked on his beard.
'I love you, my son…' Iroh cried as he kissed Lu-ten's forehead.
1160…
Iroh and Marco stood as Azulon was buried, Lu-ten being held by Marco, unaware of what was going on.
'Father…' Iroh thought as he kept his emotions in check. 'I promise, I will take care of Kyoto to the best of my abilities.'
Marco leaned into Iroh, giving him comfort.
1164…
"Mom, where is dad?" Lu-ten asked as he tapped his mother's seven-month pregnant belly.
"He is off with Uncle Vlad." Marco answered as she knitted a scarf for Lu-ten. "He should be home in a few days…"
There was an explosion on the outskirts of the city.
"Mom?" Lu-ten asked as Marco shot up and grabbed him.
"What is going on?" Marco asked as many hidden yokai appeared.
"Lady Marco, humans are attacking Kyoto." One answered.
Marco growled.
"Take my son and evacuate the citizens." Marco stated as she handed Lu-ten off to them.
"Lady Marco?"
"I gave you your orders, now go!" Marco shouted, leaving no room for argument.
Marco left and appeared before the attacking humans.
"How dare you attack my home!" Marco stated as she absorbed nature energy and entered her giant fox form.
"It's a fox yokai!" an exorcist shouted as they realized what they were fighting.
Marco didn't give them an inch, tearing through their forces with ease before she felt an intense pain in her stomach.
'No…' She thought through the pain. 'No, please don't be true…'
She jumped back when many attacks were fired at her.
One human getting in close with his staff, channeled with holy energy and struck Marco in the spine.
Marco cried out in pain as electricity burned through her defenses and making her muscles spasm.
"BASTARDS!" Marco shouted as she spun around, her tails smashing the remaining humans.
Any survivors had already fled as Marco returned to human form, covered in injuries as she held her stomach.
'Please, hold on…' She thought as she went to move, but her pain was too much. 'Iroh… Lu-ten…'
Her eyes started to become heavy, slowly closing.
Marco felt a pulse of life, the baby in her womb.
'no… I need… to give you life…' Marco thought as she forced herself to live, focusing her remaining chakra into her baby.
"LADY MARCO!"
Hours later…
Iroh slammed the doors open and barged into the hospital.
"WHERE IS MY WIFE!" He demanded in a panic.
Without speaking, a nurse led him to Marco.
Iroh entered the room and saw Marco, covered in bandages, holding their second child.
"Marco…" Iroh gasped in fear.
Marco didn't reply, the only movements her body making was those of the baby moving in her arms.
"Marco…"
"I am sorry…" A doctor said sadly as he approached Iroh. "But Lady Marco… is no longer with us."
Days Later…
Lu-ten cried loudly as he stood next to his father, who held his baby sister as Marco was buried.
"AAAAAAAAAGhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaghhhahgahgahhhhaaaaagh." Lu-ten continued to cry.
"Lu-ten, it's going to be alright." Iroh said as he held Miko.
He took his son's hand and the trio left.
Iroh's face was a strict face.
'I promise…' he thought as he remembered Marco. 'I will kill those humans.'
With his mind made up, Iroh raised his children with hatred in his heart.
1173…
Iroh and Vlad stood before many human men.
'Finally, after all these years… I found them.' Iroh thought as he stood in battle armor with his face seemingly covered in Kabuki paint as he was in sage mode.
"Who are you!" one of the men demanded as they gasped.
They were all armed as Iroh stepped forward, fire coming to life around them, caging them in.
"I am Iroh, and you, killed my wife." He stated darkly as he took his stance. "I am here to kill you!"
Without hesitation, Iroh attacked, setting the men ablaze as he dodged their attacks, some evading his before they inevitability being burned alive by Iroh.
'Iroh, what have you become?' Vlad thought as he watched his friend murder these men.
Iroh gasped angrily as he stood, hands soaked in blood as he held the last living monk.
"Please… please don't kill me!" the monk begged.
"Mercy. Mercy? You think I'd give you mercy?" Iroh shouted like a mad man. "How could I have mercy for anyone who can't think to talk to us!"
Iroh tore the man open before setting him ablaze.
Iroh took gasps of air before recalling his flames.
'Marco…' Iroh thought as he calmed. 'What have I done… you aren't coming back… so why did I do this?'
His heart weighed heavily before he let out a cry, echoing though the air like a roar from a dragon.
Skip, 1320…
Iroh countered Lu-ten and Miko's attacks with ease, smiling as they worked together to attack him.
"Good, very good." Iroh said before he grabbed Miko's arm, lifting her up before throwing her into Lu-ten, sending both of them to the ground. "But your other hand-to-hand skills need work."
"Of course, father." Lu-ten said as he got up and helped Miko up.
"Are we done yet?" Miko asked as she shook herself off.
Lu-ten had Iroh's face and eyes, while Miko had Marco's face and eyes.
Lu-ten's hair was dark black like Iroh's, which had started to gray a bit, while Miko's hair was more golden from her mother's side.
"Why? You got somewhere to be?" Iroh asked as he poured some tea, which was off to the side on a table.
Miko blushed, putting her monocle back on.
"Little sis has a boyfriend." Lu-ten stated, making Miko tense and go red.
"STUPID!" Miko shouted as she tackled her brother.
"Oh, you do?" Iroh said in surprise. "When can I meet him?"
Miko nervously looked at Iroh as he sipped his tea.
'I thought he would be angry.' Miko thought as she got off Lu-ten. "Well, today if you want…"
"Okay, let's go." Iroh stated happily.
"Wait, father, I need to get ready, I can't go like this!" Miko shouted as Iroh took her hand.
Hour Later…
Yoshimaru, a young fox yokai, stood nervously as he waited for Miko.
'I can't believe I am dating the Princess of Kyoto.' He thought nervously. 'I am feeling anxious. I mean, yeah, we have been dating for a few years, but…'
"Hey, Yoshimaru!"
"Oh, Mi…" Yoshimaru started to say before he went stiff when he saw Lu-ten and Iroh with Miko. "ko…"
"Yoshimaru, I'd like for you to meet my brother, Lu-ten, and my father, Iroh."
"Nice to meet you." Lu-ten stated as he smirked as he shook Yoshimaru's hand.
Iroh shook Yoshimaru's hand, seeing how nervous the young man was.
"Boo." Iroh said with a smirk, laughing at Yoshimaru's reaction as he jumped and held Miko between himself and her family. "Oh, I like this one."
"Huh?"
Skip, 1327…
"Congratulations, Iroh." Vlad said as he and his wife, Lisa, stood before Iroh. "You are now Uncle Iroh."
He held out his son, Adrian, to his best friend, who was shocked.
"Me… uncle…" He mumbled as Adrian looked around the new setting before his eyes landed on Iroh.
They looked at each other for several seconds before Adrian laughed and grabbed Iroh's beard, pulling several strands out, making Iroh wince in pain.
"He… has a good grip… for his age…" Iroh stated through grit teeth, making Vlad and Lisa laugh as they took Adrian back.
"So, when are Yoshimaru and Miko getting married?" Lisa asked as she rocked her son to calm him down.
"Well, Yoshimaru hasn't asked her yet." Iroh stated as he poured some tea for himself and his friends. "Just nerves getting to him I guess."
He handed the tea to Vlad and Lisa, who thanked him.
"I see." Vlad said as he blew on his tea and took a sip.
"It's only a matter of time." Lisa said confidently.
Winter, 1329…
Lu-ten stood before his sister, father, and Yoshimaru.
"I am sorry I can't be there for the wedding." Lu-ten said sadly as he hugged his sister. "But I should be back in six months to a year."
"Lu-ten…" Yoshimaru said before he stopped when Lu-ten smiled.
"Take good care of my sister, Yoshimaru." Lu-ten said as he hugged Yoshimaru.
"Take care, my son." Iroh said as he hugged Lu-ten.
"I will dad, I will." Lu-ten replied before he turned and left to go fight.
Iroh, Yoshimaru, and Miko watched him leave, all worried and sad.
However, their sadness didn't last long as Yoshimaru and Miko were wed within the week, Iroh crying like a proud father as his only daughter was now married.
Three months later…
"YOU'RE PREGNANT!" Iroh shouted as he dropped his tea cup.
Miko nodded.
Iroh hugged her, crying.
"I'M SO HAPPY!" He cried. "IF IT'S A BOY NAME IT AFTER ME!"
"Father," Yoshimaru said with a laugh. "We won't know until they are born, but we will if it's a boy."
"And what if it's a girl?" Iroh asked as he returned to act his age.
"If we have a girl, we decided to name her Tamamo." Miko said happily as she rubbed her belly, holding her husband's arm.
Six months later…
"Sir, another human village has been successfully raided." A commander said to the leader of Kyoto, Iroh, and the Princess of Kyoto, Miko.
"Good," Iroh stated calmly. "Were there any complications?"
The commander sadly looked at his comrade, very hesitant to report what came next.
"Sir, we are sad to report… Prince and General Lu-Ten was killed during the raid." The commander said in reluctance. "He died protecting us from the other raiders."
Iroh was visibly disturbed from this announcement.
'Papa.' Miko thought as she gasped from the news of her brother dying.
Iroh, who was known as a ruthless man towards his enemies and a kind soul to his comrades, broke that day.
Miko stepped up and comforted her father.
Iroh stood up, his tears streaming down his cheeks and into his beard.
"I, Iroh, hereby step down as Kyoto's leader." He said shakily as he removed the White Lotus pin. "Miko, you are the new leader."
He placed the pin next to Miko, who was in shock.
"Papa, please, think about this." She begged before Iroh left the room, unable to stomach it anymore.
He walked through the compound, grabbing some items before making his way towards a special area.
At the border of Kyoto, a small cliff over looked its borders with a single cherry blossom tree.
Iroh sat down, and with one hand, he set up the picture and lit some incense.
"My son…" He muttered sadly as he stared at Lu-Ten's photo.
There was a sad silence, the wind pulling some of the blossoms from their branches.
"Leaves from the vine, Falling so slow, Like fragile tiny shells." Iroh sang softly as he looked at the picture of his now dead son. "Drifting in the foam. Little soldier Boy, Come marching home. Brave Soldier boy…"
Iroh choked a bit.
"Comes Marching Home…" He finished as he touched his chest, clenching the armor piece. "My little Soldier boy."
Iroh's ears twitched at the sounds of footsteps nearing him, causing him to stopped singing, and stand up, prepared to fight.
His eyes widened at what he saw.
A human woman, beaten and bruised wearing tattered clothes. She had large patches of burned flesh covering her bleeding legs, her long hair matted down as she weakly walked forward, her eyes looking forward bit not seeing anything.
In her arms was an infant, one Iroh couldn't see, but he could sense chakra in the child.
'A human and a hanyo.' Iroh thought as he rushed forward to the woman.
She looked up and saw Iroh.
She smiled but started to collapse.
"Woah, please, take it easy." Iroh said in concern as he gently placed a hand on her back.
"Please…" She begged. "Please… take care of him… I beg you…"
She held the child out to Iroh.
Iroh saw the child's face.
It was a baby boy.
He had tan skin, and his small cheeks had three whisker marks.
'So, he is a hanyo.' Iroh thought as he took the child from their mother. "I will. I promise."
Using the last of her strength, the woman smiled before collapsing to the ground, her blood soaking into the earth.
'I can't leave her here.' Iroh thought as he held the child. 'I shall bury her nearby, but first, I need to take…'
He unfolded the blanket from the child's head.
Iroh expected to see a pair of yokai ears atop the babe's head, but he didn't have any.
All he had was a pair of human ears.
Iroh checked his fingers.
'No ears, no claws…' Iroh thought in awe. 'He is a human child, but he has chakra.'
The baby moved a bit, before he yawned as he opened his cerulean blue eyes.
Iroh felt a sense of fatherly love grow for the child.
'This child… is the same as me.' Iroh thought as he looked towards the cherry tree, seeing Lu-ten's picture. 'He lost someone who he loved.'
Iroh became weepy eyed.
'Lu-Ten, is this… could this be a coincidence, or is this destiny that we would meet child?' Iroh thought as he held the child close, his beard brushing the child's skin as he cried.
The baby smiled a bit at this as he grabbed Iroh's beard.
'Now he needs a name.' Iroh thought through his tears and the twinge of pain in his face.
The wind blew gently across the area.
"Naruto…" a soft voice said. "Uzumaki…"
Iroh looked around, not seeing anyone around.
"Naruto Uzumaki, huh?" Iroh said as he looked back at the baby. "Hm, I think that is a good name, don't you, Naruto?"
As Iroh picked up his stuff while carefully carrying Naruto, Ophis floated in the air above him, smiling as she saw her son in good hands.
Prequel End...
I had some fun, and decided to show segments of Iroh's life.
I know, it was done rather quickly, so certain events might seem rushed, but its just fun, so lets enjoy the ride.