Incarnation - Part 1

by Kyoto141092

There are many stories about dreams, tales of how they can connect two people. Some have said that dreams are visions of the future, while other claim they can be read like a story in a book. But... what if they were something else? A portal of sorts...or a meeting place? And what might happen if the will of fire encountered a heart of ice there? -Naruto/Esdeath -Lemons/action/ect.

3. 3 A Somewhat less than Chance Encounter

Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! Welcome to FanFiction!

Tonight we have a little treat, for the first time in a while the esteemed author has been able to post an update. And what an update it is! The third chapter of Incarnation! Now… without further adieu… the reader responses…

SHONENJUMP Guy: Yes Naruto is being a bit of an ass in the last chapter, however I have been trying to get across to readers just how unnaturally strong the connection between him and Esdeath already is. And yes… I made Naruto less of a "pussy" than he is in Canon. In this story if someone pisses him off he will not hesitate to "fuck them up!"

doomqwer: The connection between Naruto and Esdeath will be fully explained much later on. Don't hold your breath cause it's a major plot point. I didn't just decide to use the dream sequence rout just because it's cool.

dsuohbijk: Do you really even have to ask?

(two different people): If you don't like my jutsu fine… Dislike my jutsu all you want. I think they sound alright. But if you're so retentive that you can't read my story simply because of the jutsu names… well that you're problem. And no… I am not going to translate every jutsu into Japanese when some of them may only be used once in the whole story.

Paradoxity: Hey man don't feel bad. A lot of guys like romance more than their masculinity should strictly allow. I'm the same way. I'm at the point where I don't even want to read a story if there isn't any romance in it. Action is great, but if that's all you want… watch a movie. That way you can at least see the explosions.

Guest: It's hit and miss. No.. I won't make her submissive (in bed at least) all the time. But Naruto and Esdeath are on even terms. He has to have his time on top too ya know!

Finally An Avalable Username: Yes… Naruto can be a bit ruthless in this story. But that is partially because I have Jiraiya actually teach him like he damn well should have been taught in canon. And not just jutsu and fighting skills. But also teaching Naruto how the world works and getting rid of Naruto naiveté. (also I fucking love your username)

Now… on to the story!

(I don't own any part of Naruto or Akame ga Kill)

Chapter 3: A Somewhat Less Than Chance Encounter

Ooo

Ooo

There were many things in the world that had shocked Naruto in his life. The first and foremost had been that… ramen existed… The food of the Gods! And then less than a week later that… for some reason, not everyone loved the "food of the Gods" as much as he did.

That and many other things paled into insignificance now.

Why?

"The Capital is… HUGE!"

He simply could not believe that something could be so massive as to cover everything in sight! And he meant everything. Even the distant mountain in the distance was actually the Imperial Palace! Armen and Jiraiya glanced at each other. The Sanin was dumbstruck. Armen just sighed. "I thought I told the both of you that the capital was massive…"

Naruto whirled around. "Massive?! One of the Hidden villages is massive! This place is as big as ten of them in one place!" He turned back around gazing at the titanic spires of marble that rose high into the sky in the distance. "This city is… Hell! The Kyuubi might need a whole day to destroy this place! It's colossal!"

Armen swallowed hard at that and glanced towards Jiraiya.

"Don't ask."

He didn't, but turned back to the blond. "Hey! It might be night time, but there are still guards about. I'm not sought after but I'm still not strictly allowed to be here. And you both have said repeatedly that you shouldn't draw attention to yourselves."

Naruto suddenly became very quiet as if responding to his warning. His body was very still. Armen sighed. "Good then let's find an Inn for the night. I am very sore from all this traveling…"

"Jiraiya."

The Sanin's head snapped to Naruto's who's own gaze had been drawn to the side. Naruto never called him by his name unless he was very serious about something. It was almost a watchword for danger or readiness.

"What is it Naruto?"

"Blood… I smell lots of blood. And… rot…" His nose scrunched up in disgust. "It was faint, coming from the east… but as soon as I heightened my sense of smell it became overpowering. It's like one of Orochimaru's labs… only the scent of decay is stronger. It smells like a prison and a torture room mixed together…"

Jiraiya frowned and turned to Armen. "Know what it might be?"

"I don't…" He was also pale, but from the description, not the scent. He couldn't tell what they were talking about. He smelled nothing out of the ordinary. Certainly nothing rotten, nor the iron tang of fresh blood. "I don't smell anything wrong and I don't know why you would. This is a residential district, not an area with a prison or anything like that. In fact the area we're in isn't far from the homes of the moderately wealthy."

Naruto scowled. "I feel something bad…" He jumped over to Armen and bit his thumb. "Hold out your hand."

"What?"

"Just do it."

Armen nodded and gave Naruto his hand, watching as the boy drew on his skin using his fresh blood as ink. It disgusted him but he didn't move, already knowing this was a skill Shinobi like them possessed. Naruto finished a few moments later and spoke under his breath.

"Fuin!"

The blood shimmered and dried in an instant. Naruto looked up into his eyes. "Don't rub it off got it."

Armen nodded again and Jiraiya put a hand on his shoulder. "Listen, me and Naruto are going to see what's going on. You go find yourself a room for three at an Inn and leave word that we will be arriving. That mark will allow us to find you easily enough. Now go."

The older man gave him a light push and…. Seeming melted away into the night's shadows. Armen watched for a second and then jogged off to find the nearest Inn. He hoped fervently that they didn't do anything to get themselves in trouble. It would not go well for them as a whole if they did…

Ooo

Ooo

Naruto's eyes took in the scope of the mansion… It was huge. Almost the size of Hokage's tower, but not round in shape, and it had a far different kind of aesthetic… The white and brown walls, the dusky orange roof were styled with sharp corners and gave off a kind of noble feel. He guessed that was the point though. These rich people loved to flaunt what they had.

He frowned. That scent of rot and fleshly spilled blood. It didn't come from the mansion… but rather behind it. He growled inwardly and scanned the area for traps or some manner of security. He didn't see anything besides the one guard at the door, oblivious as a blind sheep to a skilled Ninja.

He drew out a kunai and darted across the deeply shadowed street and to the left side of the house. Then he ran along the side of the wall following his nose as the repulsive scent grew stronger. It was disgusting… but he knew that he needed to find the source. Some feeling told him it was important. And not just the fact that there generally weren't torture facilities in residential areas, much less wealthy ones.

He gripped his kunai tighter as his nose told him to turn left into the small wooded area behind the mansion. His apprehension only grew then… Under the scent of decay and fresh blood… he smelled the acrid tang and noxious sweet scent of poison. Something he was well acquainted with after raiding a few of Orochimaru's hideouts with his sensei. He hated that scent…

Naruto hissed in distaste as he broke through the trees on the other side of the woods… and stopped in front of a large shack.

His eyes fell on the door which was cracked open slightly, dim yellow light shining through. He froze as the smell of death overwhelmed him. It was making him nauseous…

He quickly cut the chakra running to his nose and shuddered. What was going on in there? He made up his mind and stalked across the clearing, aware that there were two guards at either side of the doors. They didn't even notice as he crept directly between them and placed his eye to the door. His pupils contracted at the bright light even inside, adjusting quickly…

What he saw made him sick.

Inside there were two blond women hovering around a girl… Her hair was long and dirty, once a glossy black, it had faded with neglect and filth. Her skin had probably once been fair.. but was now yellowed and purple from bruising… where her skin wasn't torn and red, crusty with scabs. His eyes trailed down her nude form. She was chained by her wrists to the ceiling while her ankles had been tied as well, stretching her painfully. Even now Naruto watched as the younger of the two blond women…. Little older than a girl… used a small razor to cut lacerations in her belly.

Blood poured out of the deep slashes. The red seeped, dripping down her body, overwhelming even his unenhanced senses at this point. The iron and rust, salty taste in the back of his mouth was overwhelming.

What they were doing to her… was wrong.

It would end now!

Without a sound Naruto was inside the room, the doors opening wide. Behind him two shadow clones disposed of the guards… He had no mercy for them. If they had any conscience or good in them they'd risk their jobs to bring this to justice. As it was they shared just as much guilt for letting it continue.

Naruto felt like nothing more than death incarnate as he strode into the room, silent as the death god himself. His blue eyes were cold as they fell on the two women. The elder looked up as he approached her pretty face registering surprise a split second before he nailed her hand to a table with his kunai. At the same moment he slapped a seal over her mouth that he had in a quick-use seal on his wrist. Her scream was instantly silenced as Naruto turned his attention to the younger girl.

Her blond hair was flipped to one side of her face as her head whipped towards him. Naruto's hand caught her by the throat. Her eyes flew open wide and she choked. He calmly… effortlessly, twisted. Then he dropped her, letting her corpse fall to the floor in a heap. His anger would not allow him to let her live a moment longer.

A moment behind him made him spin. He deftly caught the surgical blade that had been aimed for his neck and… staring into the older woman's eyes… snapped her wrist. She let out a silent scream and fell to her knees. Naruto sneered at the pain he was inflicting. She had no right to cry. The tears that suddenly welled in her eyes made him growl. "Pathetic excuse for a woman. Who do you think you are to torture someone like this?"

He gripped the corner of the seal covering her mouth, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. "The guards outside are already dead… and if you scream… I'll do the same thing to you that you've done to her… but trust me, I can make it last longer."

She gasped as he ripped the paper off her mouth. "Who?!"

"None of your business. I am someone who's found out what you've been doing. That and how you're going to help save this girl's life is all you need to worry about." Naruto pointed at the chain holding the girl and sent a tiny wind blade at it. As the razor of air severed the chain he made two clones, which caught her gently. Naruto turned his gaze back to the woman. "Let me be extremely clear. I don't care who you are. For what you were doing to her… you are the trash of humanity and you're lucky I'm undercover... or I would have dragged you straight to have you hanged. I will kill you got it. But unless you do yur best to heal her… I'll make sure you go down slowly…"

His gaze drilled into hers. "Understood?"

"No. Kill me brat."

Naruto scoffed. One hand lashed out and broke her nose, sending blood sheeting. He had no patience for this creature masquerading as a woman. People like her needed to be removed from existence. "Easily arranged. I'm not some brat either. I'm not going to tell you a second time. If you've poisoned her then administer an antidote. And don't think you can sneak anything past me bitch. I can tell when you lie and smell when you are trying something underhanded."

She scowled. "Why should I help you if you will kill me either way. Do I look like an idiot?! Go to hell!"

"It's not whether you die or not… It's how long it takes…" He cracked his knuckles. "Not that it matters. I told you that I wouldn't tell you a second time. I'm not wasting my time waiting for her to bleed out." Naruto pointed his finger at the center of her forehead. "Mini Air Bullet."

-PHFT!-

Red splattered the ground and wall behind her as she toppled to the ground. Naruto spat on her body before he nodded to his clones. "Do what you can until Jiraiya catches up." They nodded back and began to go over her wounds with a critical eye.

Naruto turned away and examined the rest of the room. There were corpses hanging all over the place… like pigs in a butcher shop storeroom. Orochimaru's hidden bases had nothing on this place. Where he had done his work for experimentation… making himself and his servants stronger, these two had been doing it out of enjoyment. They were evil beyond the standard definition. He could tolerate torture. He was a Shinobi. It may have taken a year for Jiraiya to drill that into his head, but he could stand it now. What he couldn't and refused to ever put up with was… this.

Those who tortured others in this way for nothing more than their own sick enjoyment. In his short time with the Sanin he hadn't encountered many who were like this. Rapist, murderers, and the scum of the world sure… but this? He didn't see this too often. It was disgusting and made the bile rise in this throat just to look at it all.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the 'racks'. If he didn't have more self control when it came to this kind of thing, he'd have already put this place to the torch with one of his bigger Fire jutsu. Either that or turned the whole place into a pile of splinters with wind… Not that it would help anything. It was just a way to vent his frustration. Shit like this wasn't supposed to happen. The 'law' was tasked with upholding order and peace. And this butcher house was most certainly against order. This was just carefully hidden carnage…

"Holy shit gaki… this is the worst I've seen since my time helping the Kiri rebellion."

Naruto turned at Jiraiya's voice. The older man was looking around with a grim expression. "Hey Sensei, this girl here is alive, but she needs toad oil to treat her external injuries as fast as we can. Otherwise she'll bleed to death before we figure out what's wrong on the inside."

"Got it."

Naruto walked away from Jiraiya who was already summoning one of the toads to fetch the healing oil. He stepped between the racks and cages, looking for signs of life among the dead. It wasn't long before he found some. Across the room, in a cage, was a young man. Naruto guessed he was about his own age, but frail and starved.

"Hey… are you awake?" Naruto grasped the boy's hand through the bars of the cage. "Wake up."

The boy seemed to stir slowly, his eyes drifting open. "W..what.. NO! Don't touch me again!" He leapt back from the front of the cage, only to see Naruto instead of his jailers. "Wait.. w..who are you?!"

"My name is Naruto. I killed the two women who were here torturing people. Give me a second and I'll have you out of there." Naruto nodded to him as the boy's shocked eyes locked onto his. The blond closed his eyes briefly and then funneled trace amounts of Wind chakra into his fingertips, sharpening the blades until they would cut through almost anything. Then he swiped at the cage bars, high and low. They fell apart with an iron clang. "Come on. I'm looking for survivors. We already have the girl down from over there. Do you know if there are any others that are still alive here?"

"No…" He muttered half heartedly. "Were the last two.."

"Can you answer a few questions then?"

He looked up. The dark circles under his eyes were so pronounced that to Naruto they looked like black coins. "Yeah… you… You saved me. I'll tell you anything you want…"

Naruto cut to the chase. "Who else is involved with this? What is their scam and who needs to die?"

"The.. guards are all involved… That girl lures people and travelers in. offers them a place to stay for the night, then drugs them and brings them here. Me… me and Sayo were separated from our friend Tatsumi… He had all the money and we had all the food and supplies. When we came here we couldn't by a room for the night and ended up meeting that… that bitch. She took us here and let us stay for dinner. They drugged our food…"

"Was she poisoned? I can smell it on the air, but I don't know what it is…"

"No… not yet." He coughed loudly and covered his mouth. Blood soon dripped between his fingers. "They were saying that they would do it tonight… and then make me watch…"

Naruto nodded. "I'm glad I made it in time, but who else do I need to kill to make sure this doesn't continue?" He growled out the last part, making it clear those left responsible were going to suffer.

"The… the woman's husband… The guards… I don't know who else. A.. a man came yesterday, but he didn't do anything… except talk with that woman.. He left and I never caught his name or face…"

"Good. Now how are you hurt?"

A wet chuckled made the boy's chest heave. "Every possible way I can think of. Just.. just help Sayo first okay.. I can handle the pain…"

Naruto smirked. "No need. Let me help you over to my sensei. He'll get both of you healed as best we can for now. Then it'll be time for me to go take out the trash. By the way… what's your name?"

"Leyasu… My friend over there.. is Sayo."

"Got it." Naruto put his shoulder under Leyasu's arm so he could support the other and walked across the room to where Jiraiya was already tending to the girl. He then let the boy lay down on the cool stone floor as Jiraiya smoothed the special toad oil over Sayo's wounds. Already they were healing… which was odd because usually only he healed that fast with the oil. "Sensei? How is she doing?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "You can't tell? The oil is working faster than usual… Not sure why but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Fine… but as soon as they can be moved… we need to get out of here."

"Right… I'll leave torching the place to you."

Naruto growled his thanks and bent to tend Leyasu's injures with his sensei. "I'm only sixteen for fucks sake. I'm not supposed to be saying that I'm too old for this shit."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Naruto… no matter how old you are… you're always too old for this… Now… stop being so pissed and help me."

"Right…"

Ooo

Ooo

Naruto was awake in bed long after Jiraiya and Armen… along with their two guests… had been asleep. The events of the night were nagging at him, along with a few other things that refused to put his mind at ease. For one he was furious about what he'd heard from Armen that such… things… were ignored by most of the higher ups in the Capital. How could they ignore that shit!? It was happening right under their noses and they couldn't rightly allow it to continue.

But then again it gave credence to Armen's original story about the Capital being corrupt to its core.

He really wanted to go to the guards after that and report everything, but common sense and a healthy sucker punch from Jiraiya settled that down quick enough. But it still left him feeling hollow. All those people who would never get to achieve their dreams, lured away by that… evil family… He had half a mind to send out a couple cozen clones to do that damned guards jobs for them. Maybe he could give a whole new meaning to the term vigilante. After a few dozen of those corrupt officials and their hateful benefactors were hanging from their necks in the street… maybe the Capital's government would sit up and rule their fucking country...!

And yet… again… that was what Armen wanted them here for. In his mind the Capital's government was already too far gone. He wanted them to save his home… by any means necessary. And Naruto was just beginning to see just how big a task that would be.

Originally he'd thought they were going to a village like one of the five big ones back home. They'd take out a few bad guys and maybe call in reinforcements if some bigger threat showed up… but now that was a ludicrous thought. The Capital was so massive that he could spam clones all day and all night and not see it all. He doubted even the most experienced street urchin or the oldest guardsman could even memorize a fourth of the massive city. It wasn't like Konoha… Konoha was a city that was called a village…

The Capital was a landscape… that was called a city. It wasn't so much a city as a terrain. A geography… How were they supposed to deal with the root of corruption here? He'd need to go full Biju mode just to make any progress!

The task, which had a week ago been exciting, now seemed daunting. And that wasn't even the only thing on his mind… No he had so many other things to worry about.

Of course there was the old one. The Akatsuki was still after him… and if they chased after him then he'd have to fight them with guaranteed no backup. And also there was his training with the Kyuubi's chakra. He still hadn't mastered the demon's power and it was starting to wear on him. How long would it take for him to be able to use the Kyuubi's power as Jiraiya said his mother could?

And then there was Esdeath… the woman of his dreams, literally. He still couldn't stop thinking about her. Even now, consumed by other things, she lingered in the back of his mind.

The very fact that his thoughts had turned to her… conjured her image… Granted he'd only seen her twice.. but as he'd realized before, he simply couldn't forget a single detail. It was as if his brain refused to surrender the clarity of her mental picture to time. The curve of her lips evoked a feeling in him that was so… hard to ignore. He wanted to hold… caress.. kiss.. nibble, bite… everything… He wanted to run his fingers through her bright sapphire hair, mark her pale shoulders… Every night he dreamed of that and so much more. If he didn't meet her again, either in that special dream or in real life, he was sure he'd go crazy.

Naruto growled into the softness of his bed. He just wanted her. Was that too much to ask? But it didn't seem to matter! It seemed that every time he went to sleep he was just tortured by visions of what he could be doing. And then both times he'd actually been with her in what he was starting to think was a connected mindscape, he'd been woken up! It was so infuriating that he almost wanted to kill Jiraiya that second time. His chest ached when he thought of what she'd been about to say to him… ARRGGG!

He hissed and forced himself to relax. There was no point in agonizing over it. He'd just have to wait… as much as it annoyed the ever loving crap out of him to do so. His eyes closed and he willed himself to fall asleep.

ooo

ooo

"Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes snapped open at the voice and he was sitting up an instant later. He looked around. Yes.. he was here. THIS place was where he'd met her twice before! He didn't see her immediately so she must be…

Suddenly he was tackled to the side by someone… oh he knew who it was… His head turned and his eyes alit on her perfect skin and blue eyes. She was smiling, grinning, her face blooming red even now. "Naruto!"

"Esdeath.." He was cut off as her lips slammed against his without warning. And that was all it took. Hands were set loose to wander as he pushed back, tasting her lips. They were like flower petals… so soft. Naruto felt his self control disappear then. Before another second passed her cool hands were crawling up under his jacket and shirt. Her tongue asked permission and he gave it. Naruto groaned as he was levered back. She straddled him as his hands found her toned belly, scratching along it with long strokes. Her muscles quivered under his touch, sending his restraint out the window.

He broke the kiss… much to Esdeath's obvious displeasure… only to kiss her neck, nibbling down to her collarbone. Esdeath's moan spurred him further as he bit her throat softly, marking her with his sharp canines. Every time he did so, her fingers would scratch across his chest and her legs would tighten on either side of his hips. Naruto groaned as his growing erection strained. Esdeath evidently noticed because she started to grind down slowly…

Her face lowered to his as he left off her neck. She was very red, her cheeks and neck painted crimson. At the same time her hands had retreated, now simply resting on his lower abdomen. She panted quietly, attempting to get her breathing under control. Naruto reluctantly did the same, but found himself unable to dull his excitement as she never stopped grinding.

They stayed like that for a moment longer before he managed to speak, somewhat out of breath. "So… how were you..?"

She took a deep breath and pushed forward to kiss him with as much passion as she could muster. He accepted it, his member throbbing hard with the beat of his heart. Meanwhile he dropped his hands from her belly… to the floor and levered himself up. Esdeath stayed like that for a second and then pulled back, her lips reddening from the force of the kiss.

"How do you think I've been doing?! I can't stop thinking about you and I can't concentrate on anything…" She bit her lip and leaned forward again, kissing him lightly. Naruto returned it, savoring the contact. His heart beat faster as Esdeath's tongue darted out to lick his lips. "…how about you?"

He chuckled. "Same here… You can't imagine how happy I am that we met again tonight."

"Oh… I think I can…" Naruto groaned as Esdeath gave another enthusiastic grind into his crotch. "But we have a lot to talk about… We don't know when we will be interrupted this time…"

"Sorry…" He sighed. "It's been my end both times. The guys I'm traveling with have been warned though."

"Good…" Esdeath practically purred. "Now… where are you..?"

"The Capital… A small inn on the west side near the residential district. It's called the Winking Wyvern or something." Naruto saw her eyes light up with excitement at his words. "Are you in the Capital too?"

"Yes!" She cried, leaning in for another deep kiss. It kept them occupied for nearly three minutes before Naruto broke it off. He made a mental note to beat the living shit out of Jiraiya for delaying this more than a week. The old man really had it coming…

"So.. where are you?"

"The Imperial Palace. But… I can be out in the city tomorrow early." Esdeath's smile was at once aroused and predatory. "Where can we meet?"

Naruto shook his head. "Don't know… I've never been to the Capital before. You know better than I, but I could ask for directions… I just don't want my traveling companions to see you yet."

She frowned. "Why not?"

He sighed as she stilled and leaned closer, her nose less than an inch from his. "Listen Esdeath-chan… I'm not from this country at all. I can honestly say that I don't know what I wouldn't do for you at this point… but it's all so sudden. We understand this attraction but they might not. Besides, I'm part of a military that's probably going to be opposed to yours in the near future."

"I see… Not a problem though…"

Naruto inhaled her scent as she spoke. Then asked, "Why not? You don't even know what country I'm from yet."

"Because I have no connections in the Capital that are worth keeping. There are things I enjoy but none of them do I absolutely require the Capital for." Esdeath's eyes focused on him more strongly. "I find myself unable to think of doing anything other than…" Her blush deepened even further. "…being with you…"

"I…"

"It doesn't matter." She placed one finger to his lips. "I am sick and tired of things getting in the way of me meeting you in person. And the gods have mercy on the soul of any living being who gets in my way now… So… Naruto please meet me Abrill's Blacksmith tomorrow. It's on the north side of the Capital and any guardsman worth his commission can point you in the right direction."

He nodded. "Will we speak there or go somewhere else?" Naruto captured her lips briefly before whispering in her ear, "I would like some real private time with you…"

Esdeath moaned in his ear, "Is that a promise…?"

"It is." He grinned. "And you should know, I never break my promise without an incredibly good reason… if that."

"I'll keep that in mind…" She shifted in his lap again and pouted. "So… now that our meeting is secure… tell me a bit about you. Since you already know what I am… I'd like to know what my future husband does for a living…"

"Um… I kill people?"

Esdeath started grinding again. "Mmm….more specific.." Another groan escaped him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, using the leverage to increase the pressure.

"Fuck… I'm a member of Konohagakure's military… the country across the sea to the west… I'm pretty low ranking right now, only a Genin, but I haven't had a chance to get promoted yet. I'm still technically on a training trip with my Godfather. We call ourselves Shinobi…"

"Shinobi?"

Naruto nodded. "You would call us an entire country ruled and governed by assassins, defended by assassins, who war with other assassin villages. Except when I say village I mean more cities… Kinda like the Capitals way to damned big to consider a city at all."

"How interesting…" Esdeath's lips found their way to his again, meeting his softly. Again he didn't even try to pull back, actually pressing forward to deepen the contact. But after a moments she withdrew, her eyes resting on his. "Assassins formed a government? That must be interesting."

"It's kinda normal actually. Only a few of us really fit the definition of true assassins anymore. I'm what's called a Ninjutsu specialist."

"And that is?"

"Someone who focuses on powerful elemental attacks meant to devastate large areas." He grinned. "I'd like to think I'm probably the most suited to Ninjutsu in my whole village. I was born with a massive amount of energy to draw from."

Esdeath smirked. "I can feel that… You radiate power. It's addicting in more than one way." She kissed him again, trailing down to bite at his neck. Her voice warmed his skin as she asked, "So why are you here in the Empire anyway?"

Naruto groaned, pushing Esdeath away and down. She looked up, suddenly finding him on top. Her lips formed a sultry pout. "Aw… I like being in charge."

"Heh… me too." He growled low in his throat as he cupped her thigh with his hand, running up to her firm rear and squeezing. Then he smoothed over to the center of her belly, scratching as he went. "I can't believe how good it feels to touch you like this… and you let me do it.."

"Why not…? I fully intend on making you mine… but that works both ways does it not?" Her finger drew down from his back to rest over his solar plexus. "And I get the feeling you aren't the submissive type. Am I right?"

He chuckled, stroking up towards the undersides of her breasts. "Good intuition… Esdeath-chan…"

"Chan?"

"A term from my country. Used for boys referring to girls usually. You're my girl aren't you?"

Esdeath's face bloomed a deeper shade of red at his words, even as she wrapped her legs around him. "Do I have to repeat myself? You are mine and vice versa."

Naruto's face descended till it was barely an inch from hers. "Good… I don't think I could stay away from you now." He dipped his head, kissing her milky white shoulder and then biting her. His sharp canines left her unblemished skin marked red. "I still don't know why this even feels like it does… but I can't seem to care. I just want to do it in the real world. This stupid dream is so god damned tempting…"

She nodded slowly, but her eyes had gone unfocused. Esdeath shifted under him, responding to his actions. "Don't.. you dare stop…"

"Why would I?" Naruto kissed her again, taking her lips between his teeth and sucking on it. Esdeath almost purred as he released it and kissed her again, hard.

Ooo

Ooo

Jiraiya frowned slightly as he observed his student. Naruto was lying in one of the beds they'd rented for the night in a local Inn. This wasn't disturbing or strange in and of its self. It wasn't as if they didn't sleep in a good Inn every chance they got. After all being a Shinobi was hard enough without having to sleep in the woods…

What made the act of sleeping strange in this case… was how active Naruto was. The Toad Sage scratched his chin in thought as he watched Naruto toss and turn. He hadn't stopped rolling over and adjusting himself for at least a half an hour. That was… odd. Jiraiya had always known Naruto to be a heavy sleeper. Nothing short of a brick to the side of the head would wake him up sometimes. And he rarely stirred. So… this restlessness was very unusual.

But that was really only foreshadowing.

What really alarmed him was what Naruto was muttering in his sleep. Or more to the point… the name he was muttering.

"Esdeath…"

Jiraiya's brow furrowed even more. What was going on? Naruto had been acting strange for a while now. Ever since the boat ride across the sea. It started out as him being a little less observant. And then it degenerated into outright listlessness. He wasn't even paying attention to where he was walking half the time, eyes focused inward.

Plus his temper had been going downhill fast over the last ten days. Now… Jiraiya knew that Naruto, unlike how most understood him, had a very short temper. He just masked his anger exceedingly well. So when Naruto threatened him with ripping his balls of and feeding them to him… it came as a bit of a shock. Sure Naruto threatened him… Sometimes several times a day. But he'd never made a threat like that and at the same time been completely serious.

Naruto abruptly rolled… off the bed.

-THUMP-

Jiraiya's eyes widened and he quickly shun-shined out of the room and back to his bed. He would ask Naruto about his odd behavior tomorrow… when there wasn't a chance that his student would try to kill him.

...

Blinking awake, Naruto found himself peering under his bed from the floor. His mind was blank for a few moments, attempting to process this latest interruption.

Why?

Why couldn't he just be left alone to sleep for an hour? Why was it that when he had an actual dream about Esdeath… he would have the full eight hours, but when he was speaking to the real one… it never lasted more than a few minutes? Granted this third time seemed to be the charm and he'd been able to spend…

But he had no idea how long it had been since he fell asleep. Time was quite forgotten when he was there with her. The last thing he remembered was Esdeath moaning into his mouth as he kissed her.

Fuck…

Naruto sat up, growling as he scanned the room. There was no sign of anyone else. The door was closed. Well, so much for carrying out his threat to his sensei… Naruto rubbed at his neck where he could still feel the phantom touch of lips. Damn… Now he couldn't even beat the shit out of anyone for waking him up. After all he'd woken himself.

He stood. Instantly his sharp eyes noted the depression in the leather seat of the chair… which was slowing rising back into place.

Almost as though someone had been sitting there a moment ago.

Naruto blinked and… a feral grin spread across his lips. Someone had been sitting in his room. Someone who was going to be in a lot of pain when they woke up. Of course… he couldn't know who it had been. Armen or Jiraiya. Armen made more sense though. After all Jiraiya knew he was serious about his earlier threat. So it probably wasn't him.

But he couldn't be sure so he'd just have to punish both of them. Not as severely as he initially planned for this situation, but still enough to instill a real sense of fear.

"Oh… fuck it. I don't give a damn." Naruto laid back down and closed his eyes. He would get back at them another time… At the moment he was more interested in thinking about his meeting with Esdeath the next day. Jiraiya and Armen's reckonings could wait.

Ooo

Ooo

The following morning.

Jiraiya let loose a mighty yawn and stretched his arms out to each side of the bed.

Well, to be more precise, he tried to stretch his arms out. What happened instead was he opened his eyes, tilting his head up to find himself… bound hand and foot… a meter in the air. Ropes, secured by kunai in the room's walls kept him suspended in the air.

Jiraiya was momentarily alarmed until his eyes adjusted to the light coming through the window. He then saw the note that was suspended about two feet in front of his face on ninja wire. He squinted to make out the writing.

-Jiraiya, if you are reading this it means the sleeping potion I made has finally worn off. You are currently suspended one meter off the bed, bound with that chakra adsorbing rope you love so much. The bed under you is strapped with kunai and razor wire. If you move too much the kunai will pull free of the walls and you will fall on the kunai. At the same time, if you channel chakra the explosive tags that are stuck in your underwear with go off. Feel free to help Armen when you get free. He is in a similar position, but seeing who he is… you may not have much time to get free.

Good luck.

P.S. I will be going out into the capital to scout today. I'll send a messenger toad if I learn anything. Also… any expenses incurred by the explosives will be on your tab.

Naruto Uzumaki.-

Jiraiya groaned and let his head drop slowly back. A few second passed. Then he heard the shouting from the room over. Sweat broke out on his brow. "Oh shit…."

Ooo

Ooo

Naruto sighed, a ten-thousand kilowatt smile upon his face. He strolled down the streets of the capital with his hands in his pockets and Esdeath on the brain. He simply couldn't imagine being happier at that moment… Or at least not until he met Esdeath in person.

Right now it was about ten in the morning. The sun shone high in the sky, casting its bright rays upon the capital. Naruto thought it looked like one of those amazing paintings that people did completely from memory. The city was a landscape… rolling hills of buildings and parks abounded. It was beautiful…

…And it also smelled, which annoyed him more than he was willing to admit. His sense of smell, which was much keener than the average human… or even the average Shinobi, was registering the taint of the street side gutters and the unpleasant scent of civilians emptying their trash. It didn't help that he could hear the disconsolate mutterings of civilians walking past him.

It didn't seem as though most people were nearly as happy as he was.

Naruto imagined that this was a sad thing. Wouldn't it be great if everyone could feel how he did right now? Going to meet someone like Esdeath… He let out another sigh and commanded his eyes to search out a guardsman as soon as he could. Currently he was heading north, although he had no idea if this was the right direction to find the black smith's shop that Esdeath directed him to. But… she did say that any good Guardsman could point the way. So first things first. He needed to find one.

And about ten minutes later he saw one.

It was an older man dressed in fashionable, yet oddly flimsy looking, armor. Naruto spotted him even as he jogged out of an alley and into the street. He could also hear the sounds of a commotion coming closer.

Thinking to get the information he needed before whatever conflict approaching them arrived, Naruto darted over to the man. "Hey! I was wondering if you could tell me where to find th….?"

Whatever he had been about to say died in his throat as he heard the frantic scream of a small girl. His head snapped to the side just in time to see six more guards dragging two girls out of the ally, their arms bound tightly behind them. Naruto instantly recognized one of them from the posters liberally scattered on almost every message board he's seen since he left the inn. The other looked to be no older than thirteen with cherry red hair and a badly bleeding gash on her forehead.

Naruto's eyes took in the scene with startling clarity as he realized what was happening. The older of the two girls was beautiful with long purple hair and somber eyes. Although her looks were marred by the shattered pair of glasses that had been jammed into her face, leaving the bloody imprint of the metal rims.

She was a member of Nightraid. She was one of the people listed on the wanted posters. And… although he hadn't caught her name, he guessed she was one of the people Armen had mentioned to them. About now he was wishing he'd paid more attention to what they talked about, instead of daydreaming about Esdeath and ignoring useful need-to-know information.

Obviously she had been caught and was being dragged to whatever counted for a prison here. Obviously this was not good for him. The very fact that there was a 95% chance that he and Jiraiya would be fighting the Empire at this point meant they needed Nightraid's cooperation. And Armen already told them that he could contact the Rebellion… and through them Nightraid.

Which meant… that he couldn't afford to let her be captured.

If she was captured she would likely die… But if he saved her then it might allow him and Jiraiya to contact Nightraid without having to go through his other contacts. That would be a big help if they could cut to the chase and meet with the front line fighters first.

Naruto growled low in his throat. He didn't want to take even this much time away from meeting Esdeath… but the benefits to the operation far outweighed the few minutes he would need to save her. After all… this might be a favor he could call in later if they needed it.

As a Shinobi he knew how valuable a debt like that could be.

So he simply couldn't afford to let her be captured. Esdeath would have to wait just a little bit longer…

Ooo

Sheele grunted in pain as the guards hauled her along the street. She didn't know what had gone wrong. One moment she'd been taking out the target with her bare hands. (she couldn't take her scissors since they were too well recognized) And then the next moment the man she was killing decided to use some unknown martial arts on her.

At first she was put off guard when she suddenly couldn't land even a single hit on the guy. And then she felt a fist like a steel ingot crash into her throat. Her ability to breath was instantly cut off and she fell back with a gasp. He was on her a split second after that and before she even realized it… she was captured.

It was a good thing she brought backup this time. Leone had come along… and thank god, Akame as well. With those two trailing them, there was no way she would get killed. At least as long as Leone and Akame managed to get an opportunity to rescue her. But for now she had to play the part of the defeated criminal.

She hated acting like that.

Sheele raised her head as the guards pulled her into the light of the main street heading towards the palace. She groaned in pain, which with how tight her bindings were, she didn't need to fake in the least. Her eyes showed her the six guards around her and the one in front, clearing the way… and… a blur?

A sound like a blade cleaving though water rushed in her ears and everything went black. She heard a scream, shouts, and several thuds. Her panicked mind told her this was just Akame and Leone making their move… but that wasn't what it was at all. A hand suddenly grabbed her and then an arm wrapped around her waist as she was lifted into the air…

Sheele didn't shout, keeping silent, as whoever it was hauled her away at a blistering pace. She, along with her rescuer exited a cloud of thick smoke and blasted down the street and out of the guard's sight. The city around her literally seemed to blur, details becoming indistinguishable. Before she could blink they were five blocks away from the alley she was just dragged out of.

The world turned ninety degrees and she barely restrained the urge to scream as the one carrying her took to the air. A scream rent the air at the apex of their leap and Sheele realized that the other girl who had been with her… was slung over the other shoulder. The red headed teen was far from silent.

A second later she felt the wind rushing past her face and her rescuer landed on the roof of the building. Sheele found herself unceremoniously dropped. But in a surprising twist, her bonds had already been severed.

When did that happen?

She drew in a deep breath and attempted to get her bearings.

She was sitting on a roof top quite a distance from where she was captured. Beside her was the girl who tried to save her for some reason. And standing only a few feet from her was… the most handsome young man she'd ever seen. Sheele unconsciously adjusted her damaged glasses and tried to get a better look at him.

He was tall with blond hair and deep tanned skin. His face bore three jagged black marks on either side… and as he took a breath she saw long sharpened canines. The most startling feature was his eyes. Blue as the sea after a storm… with slitted black pupils that reminded her of Leone in her battle form. He was very attractive and had she not been in this particular situation, she might have blushed.

But as it was she only stared stupidly as he scanned the rooftops around them. It required a moment before she was able to articulate a response to his impromptu rescue.

"Wh.. who are you?"

He seemed satisfied with the state of their pursuit… if there was any… and he turned to look at her. A feral grin pulled at his lips, again reminding her of Leone. "Ah… my name isn't something I just hand out assassin-chan." His grin widened. "You're pretty lucky I have a really strong conscience. Otherwise I wouldn't have broken my cover to get you out of there… Nightraid."

Sheele tensed. "You know who I am?"

"Well duh… You're picture is pretty much everywhere. And I'm usually observant enough to notice seemingly inconsequential details hours after seeing them. A few hundred wanted posters over an hour or so is certainly enough to jog my memory. Besides… I've heard a lot about your group recently."

"And where have you heard about us from may I ask." She grunted as she stood to look him in the eye. "No offense sir. I'm thankful you saved me, however Nightraid doesn't need any more enemies than it already has."

"Oh come on…" He raised one eyebrow. "If I had any intention in fighting Nightraid I would have let them drag you away. I only rescued you because I needed to contact your people sooner or later. You might say you got captured at a really convenient time for me."

"Again… I ask where…"

He sighed. "You're really insistent for someone who just got their ass saved. Sheesh… and here I thought people had manners these days." He rolled his eyes at her. "Listen, just like you wouldn't tell me where your secret base is just because I asked… I can't just tell you where I learned about your organization. Suffice to say me and my allies were brought in by someone who opposes Prime Minister Honest. I saved you because we're probably on the same side."

"Probably?" She frowned. "Why probably?"

"Because my allies aren't fighting to save your country. My allies are worried about our own country. Let me put it this way. I come from a country that Honest will eventually try to invade once he's done taking over this continent. I'm part of a group that will ensure that he won't bring war to our home. Like I said, we aren't here to save you. We're here to help ourselves and if that just so happens to kill Honest and bring peace back… that's good all around…"

He shrugged as if there wasn't any more else to say.

Sheele's frown deepened. "So you're from out of the country and you're here to make sure Honest doesn't take over your homeland as soon as he's finished conquering everything around the empire?"

"Basically."

"And… you would consider working with Nightraid?"

"Yeah… I mean from what I've heard about you, your group isn't the most powerful. I could probably kill most of your members without too much trouble, but your group has all the info we need on Honest and the Empire. Strengths, weaknesses and the like." He looked away from her, his muscles tensing with nervous tension. "Anyway. I saved you, told you why we're here, and offered to work with you at some point. That's good enough for me right now. We'll find a way to get in contact with you some other time. Right now I'm meeting with someone… She's probably waiting for me already…"

Sheele tilted her head as he cursed under his breath and paced to the edge of the roof.

"Who are you meeting?"

He didn't answer.

"Could you at least give me something to call you?!"

He turned back. "Well… let me think… How about this. You can call me Kitsune."

"Fox?"

"What? You got a problem with that?"

"No."

Kitsune sighed. "I'm taking off. Good luck." Sheele blinked and was about to call out when he suddenly paused. "Hey… do you know where Abrill's blacksmith is?"

"Sure, it's in the north sector of the city. You can find it if you follow Emperor's way all the way to Enderon's square. The smithy is on the left when you get there." She raised an eyebrow. "Why are you going there? That's the place that outfits all the guards in the north sector. Didn't you just kill a bunch of guards?"

"Kill no. I just knocked them unconscious. As for why I'm going there…" He smirked. "I have a date with the most beautiful woman on the continent. And I'd hate to be late… She'd probably turn me into an ice statue." He grinned, waved, and without a sound, vanished from sight.

A second later Akame and Leone touched down on the roof. The big blond rushed over. "Hey Sheele! Who was that, what was he doing, and tell me damn it if he's single!"

Sheele craned her head up at Leone as she answered. "Well… he told me to call him Fox, he's part of some force working against Honest from what I can tell… and… As for that last part he's apparently going on a date right now."

Leone swore in a way to make a sailor blush.

Akame walked over and knelt by the redhead, who seemed to be in shock still. She glanced back at Leone. "You should track him down and gather intel. I will help Sheele get out of the city."

"You got it! Time to crash this date…!"

"Leone… just watch."

"Aw… you're no fun."

Ooo

Ooo

Naruto followed the direction he was given to the letter, although admittedly he was questioning whether or not it was a good idea to mention where he was looking to go. What if that girl sent someone to spy on him? That wouldn't be good, at least not until he sorted everything out with Esdeath. Once he did that he could take her back to meet Jiraiya and Armen. That at least would allow them to pull together some sort of plan to deal with the Empire… He just hoped that whatever plan was made, he and Esdeath would be able to remain close.

Just being separated from her was torture at this point! He still didn't understand it… Maybe he wasn't supposed to. But the idea of Esdeath being… away from him for any extended period of time seemed unacceptable in his mind. It was abhorrent, uncool, and completely out of the question. She was his and he wouldn't allow anyone to tell him they couldn't be together. He didn't give a damn if she happened to be a General of the Empire or not!

"So… let's see, where am I? She said to go to the square and it would be on the… right… I think."

Naruto hummed to himself as he glanced around what he correctly assumed was Enderon's square. It was a bit crowded here for his liking. He always imagined that he would meet Esdeath in a secluded area… maybe in a forest? But now? Abrill's Blacksmith was a busy destination and obviously well guarded.

Was his dear Esdeath thinking at all when she told him to come here? Or was she so overcome with the idea of meeting him that she threw out the first place that popped into her head?

He stopped humming as he scanned the crowd. It didn't seem to him like anything abnormal or suspicious as going on… So why did he have a sudden tickle of apprehension tracing its way up his spine? And why were the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end?

Naruto realized the reason a split second later.

He was being watched. And not just the casual observation everyone in the city was subjected to. This was a highly focused watching… although whoever it was obviously needed someone to show them how to conceal their presence and intent. This spy… or whoever it was… he or she was just so damn blatant!

Worse still the pricking feeling was distracting him from his current objective.

Naruto grimaced and continued through the crowd, throwing caution to the wind. He would be damned if he went on another detour. He was meeting Esdeath right the fuck now. His eyes flicked from side to side as he moved like water through the crowded square, eventually finding shelter in an alley on the other side.

Abrill's blacksmith was just two buildings from him and through an open window… his eyes caught a flash of blue.

Pursuit was forgotten as he moved like death's shadow past the two guards in front of the blacksmith… They didn't even see him. He was invisible to them despite it being broad daylight. Such was the focus he had on her. Naruto cut through the intervening space like blade through flesh.

And then he was there.

…

Esdeath let out a startled gasp as his arms twined around her from behind, his lips brushing the graceful curve of her neck. She tensed and looked back as if preparing to dissect him with her sword… only to freeze faster than the ice she had control over. Her eyes… so blue… met his with their slitted pupils. Naruto would remember the next moment for the rest of his life.

She turned her delicate hands infiltrating his jacket, seeking out his skin and linking together behind his back. Then Esdeath leaned in… and kissed him.

Naruto let his eyes close as their lips met feeling nothing in that moment but her… his woman… against him. His hands traced upwards his fingers drawing a line up the small of her back. He found her general's hat and removed it, placing his hand behind her head… and pulling her deeper into the kiss. She didn't protest in the slightest, all but moaning into his mouth. The temperature dropped like as stone as Naruto asked permission and Esdeath granted it, opening her mouth to him. She tasted… sweet.

Naruto burned with an unnatural heat as her silken skin flowed against his. He couldn't hear the Kyuubi's shouts as he almost absent mindedly used the beast's chakra to keep himself warm. All he could hear was Esdeath… and all he could see was darkness. He felt… whole. As though a piece that had been missing just fell into place.

Surprise bit sharply as Esdeath withdrew. His eyes fluttered open even as he instinctively held her tighter. He didn't want to be separated from her even the slightest fraction. Now that she was in his arms it would take all of the Elemental Nations combined to part them. He inclined his head, looking into her baby blues. "Esdeath-chan?"

Her face was flushed and her cheeks were bright with a ruby tint. She leaned in again whispering past his ear. "Let's go someplace private… do my personal chambers sound… suitable?"

He shook his head. "Too far… You live in the palace…"

Esdeath's already red complexion darkened. "There's a nice inn nearby… if you'd like…"

Naruto found her lips again. Esdeath all but swooned into him, the temperature dropping so low that the others in the room fled the scene. He didn't even notice their departure. All he cared about was right in front of him. He broke the kiss reluctantly and rested his head on hers.

"I would like that…"

Ooo

Ooo

And that chapter is done! Yes! Finally posted!

Remember my dear fans to review, for oft as it has been spoken by many an author of assembled fanfictions… reviews are the life blood of productive writing and many a chapter was posted to a story often reviewed…

So… now I leave you with this chapter and the promise of a new one soon. Chapter four is nearly finished. All I need to do is pass it along to my BETA and then post it here!