Running his hand through his wet hair, Naruto sighs as he feels the cold water run down his back. With strides, he walks to a deeper part of the lake and sinks into the water, swimming for a few moments before returning to the surface.
Naruto shakes his head a few times, feeling the wet strands sticking to his forehead. Swimming calmly closer to the shore, he stares at his reflection in the water. There were very few times he could take a bath in these last few years.
After that battle with the royal army, they were required for several other missions. The mercenary group even became somewhat famous for a while, this before their catastrophic loss in the attempt to protect a mining company in the kingdom. Many died that day.
Sighing, he ran his eyes over his body. The scars on his chest and back increased in number, although not by that much. The claw marks still on his cheek matched his appearance even more as he grew older.
Seventeen years old, many mistook him for a full grown adult. Large muscles that, along with his great height, contributed to his beautiful and even terrifying appearance. Beauty and danger ran together in his eyes and face to the point that he even earned a nickname among the mercenaries. Yellow flash. A respect that his speed and strength won in his favor.
Naruto closed his eyes before leaving the lake, feeling the water still on his waist and holding back a small smile. A few feet away, someone was watching him with slightly panting breaths. Although, his stalker didn't have much time to admire him, since a loud noise still in the forest alerted whoever that person was, and the person ran off in fear of being discovered.
- Tsc, your fans are getting braver and braver... or stupid.
Temari walked calmly towards him with an expression in a mixture of tiredness and irritation. In those years she had grown a lot, being considered tall for a woman. Her muscles were outlined by the clothes she wore, although she didn't have as much mass as Naruto, or some other man, but it was enough.
The girl sat on her legs right next to Naruto's clothes and sword that were near the shore of the lake.
- It's not something that bothers me.
He replied, walking away from the lake, not bothering to show his body. In fact, he was already used to being naked around other people, a consequence of all those years traveling with a group of mercenaries.
- Aren't you ashamed? You're in front of a lady.
She scolded, although she didn't make the slightest effort to look away.
- Pff, you've seen it all anyway, what difference does it make? Besides, you're not like the other ladies.
She arched an eyebrow.
- What do you mean?
A dangerous tone in her voice.
- I mean that you're not delicate much less dull like a lady, so I don't need to worry about words or actions around you.
She snorted.
- Well, I'm sure if your stalker were here she'd be having a wonderful time.
He arched an eyebrow.
- Someone's in a bad mood.
She sighed, running her hand through her hair as she watched him put on his clothes.
- It's Mifune. He wants me to stay here during the next battle, but we're short of people since that attack years ago. We need everyone we have.
She said, and Naruto sighed lightly, scratching the back of his head.
- Well, I guess I understand your anger. But since you didn't attack me the moment I got out of the water, that means you managed to convince him otherwise.
He sat down beside her, leaning his sword on his shoulder and hugging it gently as he always did.
- Yes, but it was a very stressful process, especially since Ryuzetsu doesn't want me to go.
He smiled.
- She has to get used to this, you are a mercenary.
- I know, I wish she could see that. It would be easier for both of us.
Naruto leaned back against a tree and they sat in silence, watching the lake water reflecting the morning sun. That was normal between the two of them, just being silent before or after a day of training, enjoying their presence.
Naruto, as much as he would not admit it, liked Temari, she was... nice, although he had lost the knowledge of the definition of that word long ago. She was different, perhaps the closest thing he could call a friend. He didn't know exactly, he had never had a friend, outside of course of Gamakichi and his brother.
Temari, on the other hand, felt comfortable around him. Not just a feeling of gratitude that he had taught her how to use a sword and had opened so many doors for her, but something more. Despite his typically neutral expression, she had spent enough time with him to know his body language. In a way, she knew sides of the boy that the others didn't, and that made her... happy.
He wasn't just a boy who lived to fight like most of his companions thought, although even after so much time, she still had trouble deciphering him completely.
But moments like this were moments when she let herself relax. She didn't have to worry, not with Naruto by her side.
... Although, at that very moment, it was a little difficult to relax with him still bare-chested.
- Really, you could at least pretend to be embarrassed.
He arched an eyebrow.
- Why? Does it bother you?
- No - she answered too quickly. - I mean, yes... argh, you're so fucking annoying.
He grimaced in confusion.
- What did I do?
- Nothing, you... - She sighed in defeat. - Christ, I can't stand you.
He grimaced even worse than before, but quickly shrugged when he saw that she wouldn't say anything more. But, Naruto knew Temari well enough to know when she was restless, or maybe he just had good eyes for that sort of thing.
He rested his arm on his knee and sighed.
- What? You're nervous.
She glanced over at him, looking a little afraid.
-... I turned twenty-one a few months ago.
He winked.
- As a present you gave me this sword.
She placed her hand gently on the handle of the huge sword on her back, custom made by Naruto who paid with one of his remaining rings.
-... In all this time I have never given you anything, on any of your birthdays.
He arched an eyebrow.
- Is that what's bothering you? Well, you don't have to, I've never celebrated my birthday. It's not that important.
- What do you mean it's not?
- I don't know, it just isn't. I think that after I killed, after the things I did and went through at a young age, the rest just lost its meaning. Birthday is not something that concerns me.
She stared at him, shortly after looking around, making sure that no one was around.
-... How long until you turn eighteen?
- Oh, I don't know, about six months.
She moved, placing a hand gently on Naruto's shoulder. The boy stared at her hand for a few moments, a callused hand, but small and with small details that made a female hand evident.
Soon, he looked away and back into her eyes. He had gotten used to her touching him, he was not repulsed, not like he was with others.
- After Daimaru died, as well as some of our women in the attack, I did a lot of thinking. The life of a mercenary is cruel, and there is no guarantee that we will return from the battlefield. There never was.
He nodded.
- Yes, and what does that have to do with my birthday?
-... I never repay you, you know, for everything you've done. And I don't want to die without at least doing something, giving you something to remember me by.
He smiled, though a little awkwardly at the soft tone she rarely used.
- The scars you left on my body are enough, I can't forget them.
She laughed.
- Well, there's that, and that's when I realized. You're not interested in jewelry, or accessories, blades and other weapons you already have. But what I can give you are memories.
- Memories?
- Yes, good memories, happy even... pleasant ones.
He stared at her.
- What's the matter with you? You're strangely calm today, much calmer than I've seen you in years. Even sweet, and that scares me.
She smiled.
- Scares you?
- Yes, this isn't how you normally are.
He shrugged.
- I'm always like this with Ryuzetsu.
- But you love her.
She was silent, as was Naruto, who blinked a few times before digesting what he himself had said, and looking at Temari with eyes gleaming in surprise and confusion.
- Wait, you don't-
- No, I don't love you.
She cut him off, arching an eyebrow as she saw a hint of relief and hidden disappointment. "Well, I think I don't love you."
She removed the sword from her back, as well as the knives hidden in her clothes, and turned to Naruto.
- As I said, after we suffered that great loss, I gave it a lot of thought...I want to make sure that I am marked in your mind. A happy memory.
She touched his shoulder again, this time a little harder. Positioning herself beside him, she slipped her leg over Naruto's waist and sat on his lap, both hands on his shoulders, both legs on either side of his broad body, and her eyes staring straight into Naruto's blue ones.
The boy stared at her, the ocean blue being more visible and intense because his eyes were wide open. Surprise, confusion, fear, all running through his gaze.
- You...
He tried to say something, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth. Temari smiled, and gently placed her hand on his chin. Without averting her eyes, the girl began to approach Naruto slowly, as if afraid of scaring him, until their lips touched.
A simple kiss, shy at first, getting a little deeper as the girl hugged Naruto's neck.
They separated a few moments later, both staring intensely at each other.
Naruto felt strong, unfamiliar sensations run through his entire body, concentrating mostly between his legs. The feel of Temari's body against his, so different. The feeling of her arms embracing him so lovingly, so unique, with such a contrast from the punches, squeezes and blows that had already hit his skin.
The feel of his lips touching hers. Soft, warm lips, the smell of the woman on his lap invading his nose and inhibiting his senses. He never thought he could feel such a good sensation coming from someone else's lips, not after that nobleman.
- You... are you sure? You said... you said you didn't love me...
- And what does that have to do with anything?
- I mean, isn't that... isn't that something that, I don't know, you do with someone you love?
She blinked a few times, until she started to laugh lightly, bouncing softly on Naruto's lap with every instant she laughed.
- No. - I mean, technically, yes. - It's just pleasure, just fun. If both parties are interested and agree to it, I don't see why not do it.
- I, I mean, I never-
- I know.
He blinked.
She rolled her eyes, and moving closer to him again, she sealed his lips with her own, running her hand gently along the golden strands and allowing herself to be consumed by the unconscious ferocity of Naruto's soft lips.
Naruto, for his part, though slowly letting himself go, was wary of touching her. Images of the past returned in his mind, and although he was not afraid of Temari's touch, he was afraid that his touch would hurt her. Not as training, not that kind of physical hurt, but... something he almost suffered.
That fear of his was soon cast aside when Temari gently grabbed one of his arms and put it around her waist, which allowed him to use the other to touch her freely.
His arm tightened around the girl's waist, while the other slowly ran down her back and finally came to rest on her thick thigh.
The kiss deepened when his mouth was invaded by Temari's tongue, who was taking control of the situation due to the boy's clear inexperience. Naruto was lost at first, but soon concentrated on imitating her movements, to the point where both their tongues seemed to dance in coordination.
The heat from their bodies became warmer as their touches became more intimate. Temari ran her hand down Naruto's bare chest, scratching lightly with her nails and leaving a trail of reddened skin. Naruto, in turn, ran his hand up her thigh to her ass, where he squeezed lightly at first, increasing his strength when he heard a low, muffled moan from Temari still between the kiss.
The girl pulled her lips apart and took off her shirt. Naruto's eyes immediately fell on her breasts, almost as if they were hypnotizing him. Instinctively, he ran his hands down Temari's body until he felt that incredible softness of her skin. The girl's body trembled slightly as she felt Naruto squeeze and play with her breasts.
His blue eyes mesmerized by the gentle movements they made with each squeeze, exploring their full extent like a curious child. They weren't very big, but they were perfect.
The smell of Temari's skin excited him, and slowly, he drew his face closer, licking her pink nipple with desire.
His mind went cloudy, and his eyes seemed to glaze over as he heard Temari's moan, louder now. A soft moan, the softest he had ever heard in his life, and it was enough to make his body tremble.
He continued his work, running his tongue across that pink nipple, sucking, marking, biting. A moan of pain mixed with pleasure escaped Temari's lips, who smiled and put a hand in his hair.
- Not so hard.
He stared at her and bit again, this time more gently, making the girl moan again, without looking away from the boy's burning blue eyes.
Placing both hands on Naruto's face, she pulls him into a kiss again. Naruto grabs the girl by the waist and lifts his body together with her. Temari tangled her legs around his waist, and shivered slightly as she felt the cold, wet grass on her back as she lay on the ground.
She tugged gently at Naruto's golden hair as she felt his large, calloused hand wander down her body, lowering it ever so slowly, patting the occasional scar, exploring every inch of her body until it reached the hem of her black pants.
The girl's skin was smooth, of a softness that Naruto was not used to and even wondered if it was possible for something to be so soft, especially Temari being a warrior. In precise but slow movements, Naruto removed the girl's underwear, as well as his own pants.
Temari smiled slightly, at first a fearful act, but one that soon became a strong expression of lust. She could see in the blue eyes that stared at her as he explored her body, that strong flame that she occasionally saw on the battlefield or a fruitful day of training. Eyes, now, filled with desire.
Sliding her hand down the muscles of his abdomen, Temari soon finds her way to his already erect cock, marked by the one piece that kept him from being naked. It was thick, as large as she had imagined it the first time she saw it.
Their breaths began to echo in the wind as their voices grew louder between the burning kiss. Naruto's hand slid inside the only fabric covering Temari's intimacy, and the girl gasped as she felt Naruto's strong fingers play with her clit at first and then explore the full length of her pussy.
She interrupted the kiss and moved on to kiss Naruto's neck, who felt a shock run through his entire body. He closed his eyes tightly at first, remembering the rough tongue and the horrible feeling of having that nobleman do the same thing years ago. But this time it felt different, the girl's soft tongue and sweet lips tingling his skin and sending waves of pleasure through the surrounding area. His erection was throbbing, and he felt his thoughts becoming increasingly cloudy.
Temari, in turn, began to masturbate Naruto, playing with the tip with her fingers in a light tease, smiling and biting her lips to stop a moan when Naruto, in turn, increased the speed of his hand and lightly squeezed her clit.
Naruto lacked technique, which was expected, but his strength and the desire present in every movement made Temari unconsciously incline her body in search of feeling more of his touch, which occasionally made her bite her lower lip to stop a louder moan.
Leaning her body once more as she feels another spasm of pleasure, she pulls Naruto close and lightly bites his ear.
- As much as I would like to continue the teasing, we don't have much time.
She said in an erotic whisper, paused by occasional moans.
Naruto felt a slight tightening around his waist and understood what she meant. A small smile broke out on the girl's lips as she saw Naruto position himself between her legs. As much as she wouldn't admit it, he was beautiful. His unique golden hair and blue eyes made him enviably handsome, like a golden flower on the battlefield carrying with it the sharpest of thorns.
Grabbing Naruto's erection, Temari put the tip at her entrance, and induced him to slowly penetrate her.
They both moaned softly, with Naruto gritting his teeth as he felt those intense new sensations slowly coursing through his entire body.
Temari closed her eyes and hugged Naruto's torso, feeling herself being filled slowly. He was too big for someone of his age, but then again, the boy was always too big.
After a while, Temari gasped at being filled completely, and with one eye open, she looked at Naruto's waist connected to her crotch. A smile was born on her lips, followed by a bite on her lower lip still getting used to the boy's size.
Temari absentmindedly rolled her eyes in delight as she felt Naruto move inside of her, and put a hand to her mouth, she almost moaned loud enough for the whole camp to hear.
-... You can move... slowly.
She said in a husky voice, and Naruto did. Gentle movements but so hot that Temari's mind threatened to go blank, giving full attention to the pleasure and pain coursing through her body.
Naruto tried to control his moans, letting an occasional few escape through his lips. These were completely new sensations and as intense as any he had ever felt in his life. He felt as hot as he had ever felt before, felt as if he was being swallowed up every time Temari's insides tightened around him.
His blue eyes, for a few moments, focused on Temari's contorted face, each time he sank gently inside her she rolled her eyes, bit her lips and that only served to excite him even more. His eyes then fell on the girl's breasts, and he promptly took one of them.
Taken by surprise, Temari moaned loudly, this time without having her hand to stop her. At that moment, she no longer cared. They were far enough away from the camp and if by some chance someone heard, so be it, moaning was not a rare thing in a mercenary camp anyway.
- You can... ahn... go faster.
Naruto promptly did so, feeling his body even hotter with the way she said those few words, feeling his body act on its own every time he moved and those sensations invaded his being, feeling his instincts screaming for more every time she moaned, louder and louder.
Temari entwined her legs around Naruto's waist, not letting him out of her completely and forcing him deeper, making her once again roll her eyes and arch her body in a bow shape.
Naruto closed his eyes and embraced the girl's torso, squeezing her tightly in his arms and sinking his face into the hollow of her neck.
- Faster.
She moaned, and his movements began to echo through the place, the sound of skin against skin only made their bodies hotter and clamor for each other. Naruto's mind by this point was clouded, and his instincts took over his body. He forgot his surroundings, he forgot the forest, the other people, everything, only Temari existed next to him.
- Mmm... ahn... more... aah... harder.
Naruto held Temari's waist tightly and lifted his body. His cloudy blue eyes stared into the girl's pleasure-filled green ones, and soon, his movements became stronger, faster. Temari closed her eyes and arched her body again, gritting her teeth and moaning almost in a growl, saliva dripping down the side of her mouth and her hands clawing Naruto's abdomen.
- I... ohh... Naruto...
The way she said his name, calling out to him, caused Naruto to grab both her arms and pull them down, continuing his strong, precise movements.
Temari couldn't speak anything but moan, occasionally saying meaningless words, or at least, trying to.
Naruto groaned as he felt her insides tighten around him, and with a deeper thrust, he feels a strong jet in his groin. Temari babbled some senseless things as she came, and Naruto just recorded that scene in his mind, but without stopping his now smoother and calmer movements.
He never thought he would see Temari in that position... he never thought the sight of a woman cumming could be as beautiful as that, and before the girl could catch her breath, Naruto increased his movements again, this time turning her over, making her back to him while his hands squeezed the girl's thick ass.
They continued for a while longer, until they both finished at the same time.
Both were sweating, Temari was panting, and Naruto was still mesmerized. Temari's legs were trembling, but both were satisfied.
Naruto got off the girl and let himself fall beside her. Temari picked up some of her clothes and covered her, but she also lay down, still panting, staring at the leaves of the trees above her.
Glancing up, she glanced at his face, and smiled when she saw his dumbfounded expression. Calming her breathing, she turned toward him and laid her head in one of his arms, hugging his chest.
- So? What did you think?
He looked at her, and her smile widened as she saw that he was lost. This was the first time she had seen that look on his always so impassive face.
- I... I feel amazing, actually. It's almost... I... I don't know how to explain it. It's like nothing I've ever felt in my life.
She closed her eyes softly.
- I can say the same... gee, hard to believe it was your first time.
- Why?
- Because it didn't feel like it.
- I just... followed my instincts, I guess.
- Good instincts you have. For the record, I've never felt anything like it either.
He arched an eyebrow.
- But you've done it before.
- Yes, but... well, let's say a young boy, only a few years older than me, didn't bother to pleasure me, and a rich, drunk man wasn't able to last more than a few minutes, even though I managed to get a good bit of money.
He stared at her for a while, and then laid his head on the floor.
-... So, sex isn't always the same?
She arched an eyebrow.
- No, depending on the partner, sex is just as good as the one we just had, but it can be bad to the point of making the person lose interest... although this was the first time I felt really good.
Naruto looked at her again, and for a few moments, allowed himself to get lost in the genuine smile she had on her face. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he had seen that smile.
-... I see... Does that mean I did well?
She laughed lightly.
- Yes, it means you did very well indeed.
-... That wasn't just a gift.
He said, being a statement rather than a question. Temari stared at him with a frown for a while, until she sighed in defeat.
- Maybe I just used an excuse to relieve some accumulated stress, who knows. And of all the men in what's left of our group, you are the most decent, even though you are the youngest.
- Wow, that is one of the few good things you have ever said about me.
She gave him a little punch on the shoulder, and he smiled. Also, one of his rare genuine smiles.
- And well, now you have a pleasant memory of me, and I have one of you, in case anything happens on the battlefield.
She ran her hand gently over the fingernail marks on his body, caressing his scars lightly.
They were silent for a while, until Naruto sighed loudly.
- I think we'd better get back.
He said, turning his face in the opposite direction from Temari, who looked at him confused.
- We don't have much time, I know, but out of curiosity, why?
-'Cause we're naked.
- So what?
- So I feel like I want to do it again.
She turned her gaze to Naruto's half erection, and a smile came to her lips as she lowered her hands.
- That's not such a bad idea.
Running through the soldiers' bodies, Naruto jumps over a wagon and shoots his crossbow towards one of the enemy soldiers, the arrow hits the armor and doesn't cause any internal damage to the man, but the force of the impact was enough to distract him for a few moments.
Still running, Naruto delivers a slashing attack on the man, hitting him in the chest. His reinforced blade penetrated the armor and blood gushed out. The man falls to the ground, dead, with his upper body almost completely severed.
Throwing his body forward and sliding across the ground, Naruto reaches one of the cannons, where the man responsible for activating it had taken an arrow in the face and died, and quickly, he aims the cannon at the fortress gate ahead and ignites it.
Naruto put his hands to his ears and gritted his teeth as the cannon fired and the gate was destroyed, allowing his soldiers to enter the enemy fortress.
Jumping over the sandbags, Naruto picked up his sword again and ran towards the entrance. Further ahead, there was a small pile of bodies killed by cannon fire coming from the fortress wall. Naruto quickly scales the bodies and jumps over them with his sword raised in the air.
In one extremely strong move, he splits the enemy soldier in half with his attack, literally leaping through the blood still in the air without stopping running.
Entering the fortress, he runs toward the stairs, deflecting an arrow with his sword on the way.
Climbing the steps, he parries a sword attack from his enemy, forces his arm to the side, and drives his blade into the man's neck. But before the man's body fell to the ground, Naruto held him by his chest armor and forced his way up, using the dead soldier's body as a shield from the numerous arrows shot in his direction.
After climbing a few more steps, Naruto grits his teeth, the veins in his arm bulging and his muscles extremely flexed. In one swift and strong movement, he hurls his sword at the archer in front of him. The blade penetrated his armor and stabbed into his stomach, deep enough to pierce his organs, but not deep enough to pass through his body.
The archer staggered backward and fell to his knees. Naruto threw the dead soldier's body aside and ran toward the enemy.
Movements as fast as the previous ones were almost impossible to see in the eyes of the enemy. Naruto grabbed his sword again and pulled out from inside the man's body. Using his shoulder as momentum, he leapt forward and pierced the body of the next archer, throwing him from up there soon after.
With the way clear, Naruto climbs the remaining steps and reaches the top of the wall. Looking back, he widens his eyes slightly and throws his body to the side, dodging a few spears thrown in his direction.
Running, he hides behind one of the cannons up there. At his back, he takes his bow and arrow and points them toward the men running along the top of the wall.
His cold blue eyes followed them, and his arrow aimed at the man in front of the small group hit the enemy in the leg. The armor defended him, of course, but the force of the impact was enough to make him fall.
Spears were thrown in their direction, and the rest of the soldiers climbed the stairs and ran towards their enemies, who, seeing that they would not get out of there, surrendered.
Naruto looked at Mifune, who was raising the flag of the country of fire over the wall, announcing their victory.
The boy sighed and removed his helmet. A victory was a victory, but he didn't like working for the kingdom directly. He didn't like that country, if he were to be honest with himself. There was a lot of injustice, like boys being sold as sex slaves, men and women sold as property and discarded at the slightest sign of resistance or in the breach of their duties.
Hunger, inequality, racism... he was never one to pick sides, but that didn't mean he didn't see the flaws involved.
Descending the stairs, he walked over to Temari, who was wiping the excess blood on her sword, almost as large as Naruto's.
The woman smiled in his direction and walked over to him, giving him a deep kiss as she approached, requiring her to stand on her tiptoes to be able to kiss him.
- You were great.
He said as they parted, and Temari smiled.
- I have always dreamed about the day when I would be proud to split a man in half with a sword. Although I always thought the sword would be of a more normal size.
- Well, it's a good thing that man wasn't me then.
He passed his arm around the woman's shoulders as he saw a few glances in her direction. Temari was strong, a great warrior, and had proven this many times, but the nonconformity of some men was visible. Visible and annoying.
But, no one dared say anything as long as Naruto stood there, his size and physique alone were enough to scare. Not to mention that Temari would certainly break anyone's neck in a fight.
It had been two days since they had sex, and honestly, Naruto felt pretty good. Temari was far more caring than she let on, as well as a great companion. His moments alone where once very good, now became better... he never thought that sharing a good view of the night by a lake with someone would be so good.
He just had a slight doubt of what that thing they had was... Temari said she didn't want a relationship and that it was just sex or something like that, but occasionally she was the one who would look for him and start a conversation, plus she was the one who first started acting affectionate. His father had once mentioned that women were complicated beings, now he understood.
Temari hugged him back and started to say a few things. However, Naruto's instincts screamed.
The girl's sweet voice was muffled in his ears. In fact, all the noise around him became muffled, distant. The surroundings of his vision blurred, and his restless eyes raced around the surrounding area.
The winning soldiers were relaxed, some even began to take off their armor, something normal after a battle. Something he never felt comfortable doing.
A chill ran down his spine, and it was then that he widened his eyes.
The surrounding walls collapsed, leaving a few loose chains indicating that they were what held up the false walls, carpets were thrown sharply from the earth-covered floor, and enemy soldiers advanced.
It was a trap.
Spears pierced the bodies of distracted soldiers, war cries mixed with cries of pain and warning littered the place.
Naruto pulled Temari behind him and deflected an attack coming from one of the enemies that went towards him, showing his superior strength to the man and cutting off his arm with one swift movement.
Another soldier in dark armor and purple snake-shaped crest advanced towards him, but Temari attacked him, letting the weight of her huge sword hit his arms and killing him by piercing its blade into his neck and dropping his body to the ground soon after.
It didn't take long for them to be surrounded. Naruto threw his back against Temari's and held his sword in attack position.
A man advanced towards him, however, Naruto crouched his body slightly and used the greater reach of his blade to cut his enemy at the waist, and finally, with a diagonal strike, penetrate the man's body, causing his blade to stick a few dozen centimeters between his opponent's shoulder and neck.
Temari dodged a piercing attack with her sword and lowered her body, imitating Naruto's movement and cutting her opponent's waist. Another soldier attacked her before she could kill the first one, and getting up, she spun her body around and severed his arms with a vertical attack. Turning again, she drives her sword into the man's neck while kicking the other soldier away.
Two soldiers advanced towards her at once, she defended the first attack, but was not fast enough to dodge the second one completely, resulting in a rather deep cut on her cheek.
A punch hit her in the face, and she gritted her teeth but countered, ignoring her attacker's helmet and driving her blade into his head.
However, there were too many of them, and one of the soldiers manages to land a blow on her abdomen. This wouldn't be much of a problem if the man in question wasn't huge and using a hammer as a weapon. Temari's body was thrown to the side and she fell to the ground, moaning loudly in pain and feeling blood trickling down her newest wound.
She stood up, and in reflex, defended the man's next blow. However, his physical strength, as well as the weapon he was using, were superior to the woman, who was again thrown backwards, giving the perfect opening for the man, again, to hit Temari with a blow from his hammer.
The armor did a good job of defending her, but the impact of the blow still hit her, and she widened her eyes as she felt the air being expelled from her lungs before she fell to the ground. Ribs were certainly broken, as were damaged organs.
The man advanced towards her and raised his hammer, however, Naruto drove his sword into his stomach, so hard that the blade ignored the man's heavy armor, but it was enough to keep the blow from getting too deep.
Naruto drew his sword and spun his body around, taking a step to the side, he severed one of the man's arms, and finally, decapitated him with one more strong move.
As soon as he had killed his opponent, he ran to Temari and helped her to her feet. He didn't ask if she was okay, he was seeing the blood in her stomach.
An irritated slap echoed from his mouth. Hugging Temari's waist with one arm, and after defending from an enemy attack, he screams in anger and decapitates the man with a strong single arm movement.
- Naruto! Temari!
Mifune's deep voice caught his attention, and both he and some of his other companions appeared at his side.
- She's hurt!
Naruto shouted, focusing his eyes for a few moments on the wound on Mifune's chest, a cut, apparently deep due to the blood oozing out.
- Don't worry about it. I'm a mercenary, I've always been prepared for something like this.
He said, and even though he was wounded, he managed to hold two soldiers at the same time, killing them separately.
But it was obvious that he was worn out, he was getting pale by the moment, and he was already panting.
- I'm fine!
Temari shouted, reaching for her sword. But Naruto picked it up and put it away in the sheath on the girl's back.
- No, you're not! Even I would be like this after that guy's blows!
- We have to get to the horses, we have to get her out of here.
Mifune said.
- You too-
- I told you not to worry about it, kid! Come on, take her in your arms, we'll cover you all the way to the horses.
Naruto grumbled angrily, but nodded, taking Temari in his arms after putting away his sword and starting to run as fast as he could out of the fortress.
His eyes focused on the path he had to follow to get to the horses, several soldiers running just ahead of him, many being killed by cannon fire or spears thrown in their direction.
The sound of shouting behind him, as well as the clatter of metal against metal, only made him grit his teeth harder and run faster.
He could see, out of the corner of his eye, Mifune and the others dealing with some soldiers as they ran. The enemy didn't seem to want to leave any soldiers alive, or loose, as some mercenaries were captured rather than killed.
After a while, Mifune managed to grab the reins of a horse that had run scared across the battlefield. Naruto placed Temari on the horse, but before he could get on, he widened his eyes and grabbed his sword, throwing his body to the side and counterattacking the blow of one of the soldiers chasing them.
Cannon fire passed dangerously close, and the horse spooked, knocking Mifune to the ground and running toward the forest with Temari on the verge of unconsciousness on his back.
- Oh, shit!
Naruto shouted angrily, getting into attack position and running his eyes over the soldiers who quickly advanced towards him.
- Heh, I never thought I would die fighting alongside such a promising young man.
Mifune said, dodging an attack from one of the soldiers and counterattacking with a piercing attack on his throat, pushing the soldier's body aside soon after.
- Oh, please, spare me this talk.
Naruto said, fending off an attack and using his own strength against the man, severing his hands and finally piercing his chest.
- Don't talk as if we are already dead.
Naruto said again, deflecting an arrow with his sword and dodging another blow, rolling to the side.
Mifune leaped over the boy and pierced his sword through the head of the attacking soldier, defending against the blows of the other opponents that came his way.
Naruto stood up and spun his body around as he spun his sword at the same time, throwing the swords out of the hands of the soldiers caught by the little blond tornado, and finally chopping the first soldier he saw. Soon, two soldiers attacked Naruto, and he defended both swords with his own, getting his legs bent due to the force of two men on him.
Mifune, however, pierced the chests of the two men one after the other, knocking them to the ground and ridding Naruto of both of them.
The boy nodded to the older man and acted quickly, slitting the throat of the soldier who was approaching just behind the man.
Mifune threw a knife at a soldier to his right and moved toward one to his left, leaping and piercing his skull with a vertical attack from top to bottom.
One soldier would attack the elder from behind, however, Naruto defended the attack with his sword and pierced the man's chest.
The two mercenaries fought in sync, a great show of death seeking life on the battlefield, a deadly dance that spurted blood like flower petals.
But, Mifune's chest wound was made worse by his movements, and at one point, he fails to block one of the soldier's attacks, and is pierced by a sword.
Naruto turns around and widens his eyes at the sight of the sword going through Mifune's heart, but before he could do anything, his sword is abruptly knocked out of his hand and he is knocked violently to the ground, swords and spears were aimed towards his head, and ropes tied his hands and legs together.
The next thing his mind noticed, after only a blank, numb time, was his body being carried away, his strength being bought as a slave.