Author Note - Thanks again to Have a Little Feith for editing for me. Now onto answering some reviews.
Vaxadeki: At this point, I would place Naruto's power similar to season three but with him looking more around Shippuden. It is hard to gauge Naruto's power and skill due to his attack is now his defense and hence he has to exercise that clever little brain of his a lot more, but I will say Naruto actually looks like his Blank Period self, but with longer hair, instead of his Shippuden self. Raphtalia looks around 20, so that's where Naruto's physical appearance ends up at.
Guest: Just to be clear, is this Naruto going to be a woe-is-me emo edgelord? Or is this a gain strength and wisdom/intelligence each chapter type? Actually, I really don't know if this story falls into either of those categories. I wrote this story as a fun character study of Naruto as he develops into an anti-villain instead of an anti-hero. Why does everyone have to make any bad string of events into a mope-fest is confusing for me unless there is some real meat to the context like with Naofumi. The Shield Bro is done excellently as an anti-hero.
Also... Spider Bow, Spider Bow, Does Whatever A Spider Bow Can!
... Sorry, sorry, had to get that out of my system.
Onto the chapter! Hope you guys and gals enjoy it. It got me emotional when I wrote it.
Music played and tables filled to the brim with food were scattered about a huge grand hall. A regal man wearing gems and a purple mantle held up a glass at the upper level of the hall.
"Thanks to our heroes, the battle was splendidly won. And tonight we celebrate." The regal man yelled out. "Enjoy yourselves to the fullest!"
Cheers came from everyone throughout the room… Except for me. I hid in the shadows and took a seat at a window.
"Weren't the heroes fantastic?"
"Our country has nothing to worry about."
Are all these people of nobility? Their clothing was all flashy and seemed what would be formal of this world.
"And the latest reports say there were very few casualties." I heard some people talking and caught the leader knight lying through his teeth about facing off a monster around the ladies.
"Keep blowing hot air," I sighed as I stared out the window. I bought up the Help Menu and searched through it.
Help
Persons or objects can be registered to allow them to be teleported with you when summoned by the hourglass.
"Dammit." I could have teleported more people with me? Did the others know about it and just didn't bother to register the knights?
Just thinking about it pissed me off… And made me feel worse.
"Boss, you are usually the life of the party."
"Huh?" I looked up and found Kaus sat right next to me. "Oh… Just… I don't feel like eating." I felt sick to my stomach.
"Tch. It ain't as good as your cooking, but it is tasty." Kaus said as he took a bite out of what looked to be a rib. "Come on, try it."
"… Fine," I took one of the ribs and bit into it. My eyes widened and my stomach betrayed me. "Dammit." I tore into the meat furiously.
"Ah, there you are, Master." Matthew walked up with Iruka-sensei and Raphtalia. "Are you alright?"
"No… I want to leave." I didn't like the glances these nobles gave towards us. They were probably talking about the rumors about me.
"At least stay around for the reward," Iruka-sensei sighed as we all sat together. "Here. I made you a plate for you."
"Thanks." I took it begrudgingly.
Though, Iruka-sensei kept glancing around. I know the feeling as it felt everyone was watching us. Add in that we were in enemy territory, it made me wonder which of these nobles was the king.
"How can you… still be happy at a time like this?" I was not liking being paranoid as shit. It just made my stomach knot up more.
"We survived our first Wave together." Matthew chimed out. "Of course we are going to celebrate."
"Yes. Even if… we can't return to your world… We can find a new life here." Raphtalia chimed with a smile. "You gave us a purpose and we will help you find one as well."
"But…" I crushed a piece of bread in my grip. "I put everyone in harm's way due to my actions." And if not for Tate-chan and my clones… We could have all died because of it.
"And we… will stand by you," Iruka-sensei stood up and ruffled my hair. "That's one… promise we can… all keep."
"Indeed." Matthew nodded as did the others.
"Guys… Thanks," I sighed as I put my plate on my lap. "And sorry. Things may get rougher from here on out."
"What do you mean?" Raphtalia asked before she gasped when I caught a glove thrown at me. I looked at the thrower and found the Spear Hero glared me down.
"Naruto, Shield Hero, time to fight." The Spear Hero demanded. Everyone went silent and looked towards us. "I heard you made poor Raphtalia your slave and she obeys your every command." The Spear Hero said with venom.
"And why do you care?" I really didn't want to deal with any of the other heroes at this moment.
"Watch your tone," I raised an eyebrow at the Spear Hero.
"Raphtalia is my slave. Why are you worked up about it?" I said with a little disbelief. Why was the Spear Hero so wound up? Wasn't slavery a normal thing here?
"You listen up! You can't be saying it is okay to enslave others!" The Spear Hero clenched his fists as he spoke to me.
"Do you even hear yourself?" I mean, I don't like enslaving people… But… "Slavery is legal here. Or have you not paid attention in town to all the slaves used for everyday work." I saw demi-humans and beastmen doing various jobs from moving stuff to tending to their masters' needs in this crazy place.
"But we are heroes in this world. We shouldn't behave that way and you know it!"
"You have a right to your opinion." I snorted, "But I disagree." I got up from the window seal and put my plate on it.
"Let's do this!" The Spear Hero pointed his spear at me. "And if I win, you'll let Raphtalia free."
"I refuse," I pushed his spear out of the way and looked him right in the eyes. "Do you even know how things work in this country? Or are you so focused on your past world to not care about the rules here?"
"Bastard! How can you be so cruel to enslave an innocent girl?!" The Spear Hero shouted as I walked away from him.
"Master Naruto!" My party followed and I could hear the whispers burning through the halls. Damn hypocrites. I bet most of these nobles owned slaves.
We walked down the stairs when a knight with a spear stopped me.
"It has been brought to my attention that you, a hero, have been using a demi-human as your slave to fight for you." I looked up at the regal man and flinched at the hot hatred in his eyes. "You violated our customs and that is unrepentable. I order you, accept the challenge!"
"The hell? No." I yanked down my mantle and the regal man actually gasped out at me. "I know your customs quite well. Why the hell are you so focused on dueling over a demi-human when you all hate them so much?" I hissed out.
"You fiend," The regal man gritted his teeth before he glanced to the side.
"Hey! They don't need to fight!" Raphtalia shouted in frustration. "I'm with Master Naruto of my own free-"
"Agh!" Ouch. A knight landed hard on the floor below. Iruka-sensei dusted his hands while he glared at the men.
"Iruka-sensei! Thank you!" Raphtalia said in relief before her ears flattened. "Oh no."
"Draw your swords!" The knights surrounded us and I clicked my tongue.
"You poor thing. You've been placed under a curse that forces you to support this coward." The regal man said in a painfully fake tone of sympathy. "Heed my order or I will take her by force."
"Master Naruto," Raphtalia looked at me with fearful eyes.
"We will fight in your stead, Boss," Kaus growled and the knights shifted uncomfortably at the lizard man. "As if I let you bastards lay a hand on the pipsqueak."
"I agree. If you want a fight, then one of us will gladly fight you." Matthew added as the Spear Hero came up.
"The hell. You're defending him even after he enslaved a poor girl?" The Spear Hero said in shock.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but almost every demi-human in this country is a slave." Matthew sighed as the Spear Hero's eyes widened. "Master saved us from miserable deaths inside cages. So, of course, we will fight for him."
"That and why the hell would you want to fight your fellow hero, kid?" Kaus snorted, "Aren't you heroes supposed to be allies?"
"What the-You're all slaves?!" The Spear Hero shouted recoiled back. "Why the hell are you defending that coward? No, scum!"
"It's due to the curses placed on them." The regal man said before he snapped his fingers.
"Shadows?!" Several Shadows appeared out of nowhere and restrained Kaus, Matthew, and Raphtalia. Iruka-sensei leaped out of the way and landed on one of the pillars. "Cheater! Why the hell do-"
"Aagh!" I turned to Iruka-sensei and found him knocked out by a Shadow.
"Heh. There's no way you can run away from this, you coward."
"You're a scumbag!" I roared out and the Spear Hero recoiled from my fury. "I will win and you will return my party to me!" A burst of laughter caught my attention and I looked past the Spear Hero.
"And how exactly will you win without them, Shield Hero?" The red hair swordswoman snickered and the people around me laughed.
Dammit. No one expects me to win…
Too bad for them.
I have a horrible habit of breaking expectations.
"The duel between the Spear Hero and Shield Hero shall now begin." I glanced at the swords within the room.
"Why… do they have an arena in a castle?" I sighed out at how tight space was. It was worse than that time I accidentally got locked in one of the academy's storage closets. Thankfully, no one asked me why that happened and I rather kept it that way.
Damn ghosts.
"The duel will end only when one of the combatants is either pinned or admits that he is defeated."
I flinched as the door opened and light spilled into the dark room. I walked out and found a huge dirt lot before me. Spectators sat on seats that lined the openings in the walls surrounding the lot.
"This duel will take place in the presence of King Melromarc and the Pope. Hence it is legitimate and official."
"Jeez. All this for one fight?" I whispered as the Spear Hero waved at spectators as he walked towards me. I looked to the regal man - King Melromarc - and saw my party tied up behind him. "Dammit. Why the hell are these people doing this to me?"
Then again, I did rain on the king's parade with running from the summoning. Probably this was my punishment for that.
"Sir Motoyasu!" I heard a cheer and saw the red-hair swordswoman near one of the walls. "Best of luck!"
Great. I will have to be watching my back if one of his teammates was on the battlefield.
"Remember the folktale about the irresistible spear and the immovable shield?" The Spear Hero - Motoyasu - asked with a spin of his spear and got into…
The hell?
I guessed it was a fighting position. It was worse than the first year academy students trying to do taijutsu for the first time.
"Naruto, be a man and admit defeat," Motoyasu said in a smug tone.
"No. I never heard such a folktale. Nor shall I just give up," I sighed as I lifted up Tate-chan and changed her to the Light Metal Shield. I adjusted my stance and focused chakra to my soles.
Motoyasu changed his spear from its plain form into a nasty looking spear to be on the wrong side of. It was cool and such but looked silly to me in Motoyasu's untrained grip.
"Begin!" The announcer shouted and Motoyasu rushed right at me with a war cry. He leaped into the air and slammed his spear into Tate-chan. He unleashed more strikes, but I easily blocked them.
"Not too bad. I guess the Shield Hero has some moves."
"Heh! You got that right," I grinned back at Motoyasu and unleashed a punch of chakra to my feet.
"What the?!" Motoyasu lost his balance as I shot straight in the air. I put my hands together in my favorite position. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Five clones popped into existence and we landed on the ground a ways from Motoyasu.
"You can make clones of yourself?!" Motoyasu gritted his teeth. "Cheater!"
"This is a combat technique, so it ain't cheating." One clone laughed.
"Think you still can wipe the floor with me?" I taunted as Motoyasu narrowed his eyes at me. He turned his spear.
A skill?
We all rushed forward as he turned his spear again and it glowed. Motoyasu gripped the spear and charged forward. "Chaos Spear!" He unleashed a barrage of strikes. We all gritted through it and surrounded him. Blood dripped from my shoulder where one of the strikes got me.
"He is actually going to strike with the shield?" The red hair swordswoman giggled as we changed our shields.
"What can you do to me?" Motoyasu laughed as he struck out to one of my clones. And got an armful of spikes from the Animal Needle Shield. "Ow! What the-" He grazed my Two Head Black Dog Shield and the heads came to life and bit down on his shoulder hard.
"The hell!" Motoyasu spun his spear around to force us back only to get needles and dog bites in return. "Bastard! Fight fair and square!" We all leaped back and he narrowed his eyes down onto one of us. "You're the real one!" Motoyasu charged and his spear was deflected and needles pierced his body.
"Sorry. But Boss is behind you." Motoyasu's eyes widened and turned just in time for me to slam my Two-Headed Black Dog Shield into his back.
Cool! The effect activated and one of the heads even bit Motoyasu in the ear.
"Got you!" Motoyasu snarled as he swung his spear at me.
"Air Strike Shield!" My clone protected me as I leaped back away from Motoyasu. Wait a second… I wonder.
"Kick him!" I shouted at the closest clone and he dropped down with a sweep kick at Motoyasu. Motoyasu jumped but found himself knocked down when another clone punched him with his shield. A useless clang sound came from the attack, but it did land Motoyasu on his back.
"Air Strike Shield!" I shouted and a shield appeared over Motoyasu.
"What the… Get this off!" Motoyasu shouted as he struggled to get up. I grinned at the new use for Air Strike Shield.
I just won.
"It can't be…"
"At this rate… The Shield Hero might win."
No. I have won. The rules stated pinning the opponent was how to win. I glanced up at King Melromarc, but he looked away from the fight.
That damn bastard. Guess I will have to win this the hard way.
"Dammit!" The Air Strike Shield timed out and Motoyasu got back to his feet. "Tempest Spear!" A whirlwind formed around the spear and he shot it straight at me.
"Shield Prison!"
"Air Strike Shield!"
A prison made of shields and chains engulfed me and I almost lost my footing when the cage rocked from the impact of the spear. I heard cracking, so that attack must have broken my clone's Air Strike Shield.
Wait… It moved so…
"What the hell?!" I ran in the prison straight at Motoyasu. I could sense him strongly and tried to roll him over… Dammit. Well, at least he had evasion skills. I had to give him that. "That is not fair!"
"Whoever said fighting was a fair game?" I blocked Motoyasu's spear with the Light Metal Shield when the prison disappeared and leaped back. "Where I was taught to fight, anything goes."
"You really are a scummy bastard." Motoyasu wheezed as my clones and I surrounded him again.
"Does that lowly Shield Hero think he can win against the Spear Hero?"
"Have you any respect for the sanctity of this duel!"
Hecklers? Damn hypocrites. Didn't this world have magic? How could using clones be against the rules? It wasn't like I was using monsters as my weapons… An idea that had crossed my mind several times this past month with how clingy Balloons were if I wasn't careful.
"Still, you're at the disadvantage, Motoyasu." I grinned as I looked over the panting hero. "I've been trained to fight and known for my stamina. Do you think you can keep up with me for the rest of the night?"
"Of course! I will free Raphtalia!" Motoyasu roared as he rushed at me. "Stop beating around the bush and fight me!"
"I am, you mor-" My eyes widened and I ducked.
"Gagh!" Something hit Motoyasu in the stomach and he coughed from the hard hit.
Wow. I didn't think I had to quite literally watched my back. I glanced back to see the red hair swordswoman gnawing at her nail in frustration with her other hand out.
"Cheap… shot!"
"From your own teammate," I corrected as I blocked Motoyasu's attack. "I can't use magic… Yet."
"Then how do you make clones?!"
"Jutsu." I leaped back and my clones and I put our hands together. "Like this one! Harem Jutsu!"
"What?" Motoyasu gasped as we all poof into smoke and…
"Oh, Motoyasu-sama!"
"What a strong boy you are!"
"What… What?" Transformed as naked ladies, we clung onto Motoyasu… And in his moment of shock, we all used the Two-Headed Black Dog Shield. "Owch!"
"You really had that one coming," I snickered, remembering Motoyasu's female-only party.
"That's it! Let's end this once and for all!" Motoyasu roared as the head of his spear glowed red. I felt power building up in the spear and switched to my Light Metal Shield.
"Air Strike Shield!"
"Shield Prison!"
My clones formed several barriers between Motoyasu and me. Motoyasu's spearhead turned to lightning as he raised it up to the sky.
"Lightning Spear!"
"Substitution Jutsu!"
"What the-?!" I gasped as I found myself up next to King Melromarc and his attendants. The knights trained their spears on me when I heard the crack of lightning and the sound of metal breaking and ripping apart.
"Why the hell-No." I saw one of the four seats behind the king empty. I jumped right out of the pavilion. "Dammit! Dammit! FUCK!"
"You dodged it?!" Motoyasu gasped as I rushed into the smoke created by his skill destroying my clones and their skills. "You won't dodge a second-"
"Kaus! You fucking bastard!"
"Huh?" Motoyasu paused as I screamed and yanked out my scroll. I unsealed all my healing medicine and began to apply it all over the large hole in Kaus's gut. I could see the ground if not for the blood.
"S-Sorry, Boss," Kaus grunted as my hands glowed orange. "But… I couldn't bare… to see you… die."
"Idiot! My defenses were high enough!" Fuck it! Potion Efficacy! Work your stuff!
"You're a… terrible liar," Kaus grinned at me. "Stop it… I… don't think your medicine… can save me."
"But I can save you! You better not fucking die on me!" I pushed more of the chakra into my hands and the organs and such began to reform. "Promise me you won't die!"
"M-Medic!" Motoyasu shouted. "Get a healer!" He ran up to me and stood there. "I… I did this?"
"Of course you fucking did!" I grabbed more healing medicine and slathered more to Kaus's insides. "Why Kaus? Why the hell did you substitute for me?"
"Heh. Because I trust you… to save this… damn world, Boss." Kaus hacked and blood dribbled down his chin. "Thanks for… all the… yummy food… you gave me… I wished I could have… eaten your cooking… one last time."
"And I will cook you up something special, so don't you dare talk-" My hands stopped glowing. "The hell?!" I looked at my status and saw my MP was at zero. "I've.. run out of chakra?!"
Was the only reason I wasn't dead was due to my HP still being up thanks to the Healing Beverage?
"Dammit! Where's that healer!" Motoyasu screamed, yet no one came down. "Can't you see we have an injured guy down here?"
"Kaus?" The lizardman went silent with his eyes wide opened. The amount of blood he had lost… "Come on Kaus… Wake up!" Tears formed in my eyes as I felt for his heartbeat. "Dammit Kaus! Wake the fuck up!" I screamed at top of my lungs before I tried to revive him with blowing into his mouth and doing chest compressions.
But… I known it was useless. The organs and tissues had stopped reforming. Medicine had no effect on the dead. I still kept at it for a few minutes before I couldn't breathe anymore.
"No… Kaus…" I choke out and pulled Kaus into a hug. "Why? Why did you do this? I was the one supposed to protect you, not the fucking other way around!"
"I… killed a man?" Motoyasu whispered as he took a step back. "Wait… How did he get-"
"Hmph! To think the Shield Hero would use one of his slaves as a shield!" King Melromarc roared over the crowd. "I rule Sir Motoyasu as the winner of the duel as the Shield Hero cheated!"
"You… used him?" Motoyasu gritted his teeth and pointed his spear at my head. "You scum! How could you treat a precious life as disposable?!"
I hugged onto Kaus even tighter.
Of course, they would think I used him as a meat shield. They never saw a Substitution Jutsu before.
Kaus… I'm so sorry.
Why? Why did you give your life to protect this mangy human formed fox?
"I knew you would win, Sir Motoyasu." The red hair swordswoman clung onto Motoyasu.
"But… at the cost of a life," Motoyasu growled out. "Damn bastard. You will pay for this trickery!"
Trickery?… Oh, right. I was the fox, so of course, everyone believes I tricked everyone. Couldn't they just all shut up and leave me alone to mourn.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I felt my fangs become sharper in my mouth.
Someone walked up to me as I buried my face into Kaus's chest. "Too bad, Shield Hero. You must be so upset about your loss." That damn woman! "It really is a shame that you'll have to fight all by yourself." The swordswoman's laughter made me grit my teeth.
Bitch. How dare you laugh above Kaus's body?!
"Your fighting was brilliant, Master Motoyasu." King Melromarc chimed as he greeted Motoyasu.
"Sir."
"Now I know why my daughter, Malty, chooses to believe so much in you."
The swordswoman chuckled. "You see, Papa."
I gasped and looked at the trio.
"I got to say, it was a total shock to find out Myne was the King's daughter."
"I am." The princess hummed out, "But I fight to contribute to the world's peace."
The bitch princess! How could I forgot about the only warning I had from the book!
No… This whole duel was a setup. Maybe even the feast was a trap. That's why no one expected me to win. It was rigged from the very start!
"Why?" The word creaked out of my throat.
Why did they hate me so much to want me to fail? At least the villagers of Konoha had very good reasons to hate me… Yet, I've only been in this world for a month and this King Melromarc already showed nothing but contempt towards me with blocking the borders and now this!
I didn't choose to come to this world. They summoned me. They wanted it.
So why were they doing this just to me?
"Because humans are stupid, narrow-minded apes." My past self snorted at me. "To think history would repeat itself with you."
"History… repeating itself?" I whispered out as my grip tightened on Kaus's body.
This all happened before to my past self? Was it the reason I attacked Konoha?
"The people enslaved by the cowardly Shield Hero has been given their freedom by the triumphant Spear Hero."
So… That was what they were after? Just like how the Fourth Hokage became a legend with defeating me, the mighty fox.
The mighty Spear Hero defeated a lowly criminal to free those the criminal enslaved. It would be passed down generation to generation as for how the Spear Hero stood far above the strength of evil.
And that evil… it was me once more.
"Our country doesn't need the Shield."
"Execute the Shield Hero right away for his misdeeds!"
This.. was worse than the villagers. I could feel the heated glares and words aimed at me. Was this… what those who were deemed "evil" felt?
"You better leave before they attack you." My old self advised, but its voice seemed so far away now.
"It's about time we set this poor girl and the other two free." I heard Malty's voice and looked up. They had Iruka-sensei, Matthew, and Raphtalia lined up before me a ways. Several robed men came up to them.
"Begin," King Melromarc ordered and all three of their chests were exposed. "With now looking at one of them.. One of you is a human slave… Deplorable." King Melromarc snarled as the robed men pulled out white bottles and poured the contents over their chests. The crests glowed before disappearing off their chests. Their names faded off my status to nothing.
Their slave pacts were terminated.
"There, you are free now. Be grateful for Sir Motoyasu's kindness." All three of them were untied and…
"Naruto!" Iruka-sensei ran right to me with Matthew and Raphtalia. "Are you al-"
"Stay away from me!" I screamed out of fear.
No… I don't want them to die. I don't want them to die as Kaus did.
This world wanted to take everything precious away from me.
"But Master Naruto."
"Leave this monster behind!" I snarled as dark emotions swirled all around me.
I'm cursed. Am I cursed to be hated no matter where I go? I'm screwed if I got back home and I'm screwed in this twisted world as well?!
"This world… isn't worth saving at all." I hissed out in a whisper. I felt my shield pulsed.
I finally recognized the darkness hidden in me.
All my hatred towards the villagers I had buried deep within… To the cruel life I had to live…
The hatred now lit anew by that bitch princess and her father and roared like an inferno!
The pulse from Tate-chan gotten stronger.
((Curse Series Shield conditions met))
My hatred was somehow absorbed into Tate-chan and my field of vision warped. Tate-chan felt like she was on fire.
"Hey! Don't go near that murdering-" A slap echoed throughout the area. I glanced up and found Raphtalia had slapped Motoyasu.
"You're the murderer and a cheat!" Raphtalia roared out at Motoyasu.
"Sir Motoyasu set you free and this is how you pay him?" Malty growled at Raphtalia.
"We never asked to be freed!" Raphtalia hissed out.
"But, wait a second, I thought he was abusing you and treating you badly. Just like the poor soul he killed by making him his shield."
"You fool! You know nothing about Master Naruto or us!" Raphtalia clenched her fists. "He never abused me! He never made me do anything I couldn't do! He only activated the curse when I was too scared to fight. He did it to protect all of us!"
Motoyasu slammed his spear down in anger. "And that's the problem! Nobody should be forced into a fight!"
"And what the hell you call the duel you forced upon Master Naruto?" Motoyasu flinched back at Raphtalia's words. "You forced him into this fight and now Kaus is dead because of you! He escaped the ropes first and used the Substitution Jutsu to protect Master Naruto from that… that kill shot!"
"But… But he tricked you?" Motoyasu questioned himself. "Enslaving people is wrong and-"
"So what?" Matthew stepped in and moved his mantle.
"Your arm?!" Motoyasu gritted his teeth. "He did that to you?!"
"No. It's a birth defect." Motoyasu flinched under the heated glare of the rabbit man. "I thought I was going to rot in that hell hole when Master bought me and gave me a purpose." Matthew turned to Raphtalia. "She was so sick, I expected her to die. Yet Master made medicines and treated her."
"But… He's not that kind of person!"
"You have no right to judge Naruto!" Iruka-sensei howled and grabbed Motoyasu by the collar. "As his teacher, I watched over him for six years!"
"S-Six?! But we've been-"
"Yes. Naruto and I were summoned with you lot a month ago. I took the death blow meant for my student if I took away from your conversation the other day as you all dying, too."
"But he enslaved you?!"
"The crest was my idea. We didn't know who to trust and used the crest as a means to protect ourselves from people disguised as one of us." Iruka-sensei pointed at me. "Go ahead and check his chest. You'll find a crest on Naruto's chest as well."
"A hero… a slave?!" Motoyasu rushed over to me. "Show me your chest! That has to be a lie!"
Damn bastard. I threw some punches at Motoyasu.
"Don't attack him, Naruto!" Iruka-sensei shouted and the monster crest activated. I howled out in pain and gritted my teeth.
Why? Why couldn't I hurt this bastard? He killed Kaus!
No…
My eyes widened. I killed Kaus. If I just found a way to end the fight sooner…
"The Shield Hero was enslaved?!"
"Was he being controlled?"
"Unlikely with how cruel he was to his fellow slave."
"What the hell is this?!" Motoyasu glared right at Iruka-sensei. "You were his slave? How did you make your student your slave? No… Why? Why did you twist him into the monster he is now?!"
"Mon…ster?"
Right. I was a monster. I killed countless people… And Kaus was added to the body count. That was why everyone hated me.
Nobody trusted me and will never do so. Not after Kaus's death.
"I can never do anything right," I whispered out as the flames of Tate-chan got hotter and darker. I felt the flames webbed across my body.
"Stop it, Motoyasu." The Bow Hero and Sword Hero walked out onto the lot with grim faces. "She is telling the truth about… her dead comrade. We saw him used magic to swap places with the Shield Hero."
"And that is why the Shield Hero lost the duel," King Melromarc huffed. "He has used cheating magic since the beginning!"
"Sadly, you're wrong." The Sword Hero looked at Malty. "Your daughter attacked the Shield Hero from behind with magic before the swap. I found it fitting the Shield Hero dodged and Motoyasu got hit instead."
"What are you talking about?" Malty shrugged.
"It was hard to see, but it was clearly wind magic." The Bow Hero added. "And that 'cheating magic' the Shield Hero used was a skill, just like the ones Motoyasu was using the whole time. I know as I have a similar skill." The king flinched at the Bow Hero's scolding glare.
"I think you were imagining things." Malty looked up to the crowd. "The audience didn't see a thing."
"The king told everyone to keep quiet. The nobles agree there was foul play. Especially when the Shield Hero pinned Motoyasu and was not called winner then." The Bow Hero then glared at Motoyasu. "And you, Motoyasu. Why did you even think of using that skill on the Shield Hero? Didn't you use it to finish off the boss?"
"Yeah. Not only did the royalty interfere with a sacred duel, but you also went in wanting to kill the guy, didn't you, Motoyasu."
"No. With how powerful his defenses are, I needed to-"
"His party member sacrificed himself to protect him," The Sword Hero gingerly rubbed his side. "How are you going to make up for killing his party member?"
"How can you be siding with him?" Motoyasu said in horror. "It's wrong for a Hero to have slaves! He was the one to kill his own slave."
"Right," The Bow Hero snorted. "And you were the one to force him into a fight he didn't want to fight. Think about it. If you hadn't had this duel, that lizard man would still be alive."
"You are no hero," Raphtalia snarled as she pushed past everyone and walked towards me. "Master Naruto."
"Stay away!" I shook my head and buried my head back into Kaus's cooling chest. "You're free now! Use it to get away from me!"
Hot tears blurred my vision. I… I couldn't bare to see anyone else die because of me. It was too painful! Worse than the crest on my chest!
I understood why the villagers hated me if taking their loved ones hurt this much.
"I'm not gonna leave you, Master Naruto," Raphtalia got closer to me. "I made a vow to be your sword."
"Yet I broke mine," There was no safe place to return to. What would Raphtalia do after the Waves? Same with Matthew? Iruka-sensei?
How could they continue to live in this messed up world if they stayed with me?
"So what?" Something covered me as my fury and hatred boiled over. "This shield has protected me over and over again. We may not have the safe passage you promised… But we still have you."
"But… I'm a monster. A terrible monster." I gritted my teeth. "Because of me, hundreds of people have ended up like Kaus!"
"And that is in the past." Iruka-sensei's voice. "You're not the Nine-Tailed Fox anymore. You're Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."
"You gave us our lives back and with that, we trust you with our very lives." Matthew's voice cut through the darkness around me.
"Don't you remember during the Wave? You still used your shield and strength to save many lives. You defended us all."
"But Kaus… He… He's dead because-"
"It's not your fault!" I finally saw Raphtalia's face and there were tears in her eyes as well. "Kaus wouldn't want his death to be in vain. Just as you protected us and gave us our lives back… Kaus did the same for you!"
"But he shouldn't have!" I roared out and felt my body on fire. "I'm the Shield Hero! It's my job to protect people… And I failed the ones' closest to me."
"And is it not okay to fail?" Raphtalia asked as she hugged me. "To me, you will be the kind master who puts everyone else before him. You pushed yourself too much and suffered a great deal… So please… Please let us be with you in your pain. You don't have to do everything alone."
"A…lone?"
"You are hardworking and kind. You do your job selflessly and we want to help you save the world… Even if it's just saving a few people… from what… I have gone through," Raphtalia sobbed out. "If the world speaks ill about you, I'll tell them they are wrong. I'll defend you and remind them of all you did."
Raphtalia sniffled and tightened her hug on me. "You're the one who saved me… And gave me a sword… And a purpose to my life."
"Purpose?" Raphtalia moved back slightly and Matthew and Iruka-sensei stood right behind her.
"I'll always be your sword." Raphtalia put her hand on my shoulder. "And I will always be standing right next to you. No matter what."
"I became a magician because of you, Master. Please let me be by your side as well as your magic." Matthew kneeled down with his head down. "My past life is no more. I want to serve you to the fullest of my abilities."
"Naruto," Iruka-sensei kneeled and looked at me at eye level. "I'm proud of you. No matter how bad things get, I'm not going to abandon my precious student. We may not be able to return to Konoha… And you may not be able to become Hokage… But that doesn't matter if we stick together. We've… become like family and that is why it hurts so much. And we'll get through the pain together." Iruka-sensei put his hand on my shoulder and the fury faded away. The heat slowed as the tears pour from my eyes.
I unleashed a mighty cry and sobbed into someone's chest. I cried and cried until I passed out. When I came to, Iruka-sensei had prepared Kaus's body and we burned his body as the morning's rays lit up the empty arena.