I do not own anything.
POISON DOVE & MAELSTROM FOX
Chapter 10 - Trouble Just Around the Corner
The aftermath of the battle was and will always be something like swimming through open water. Powerless and defenseless, leaving one vulnerable to being tossed aside by the waves and tides that governed the blue kingdom. Where one would end up they usually had no idea, from time to time nor could they even recall where they had been. Semiramis had never personally stepped onto the battlefield herself, but she'd seen it in her first husband and witnessed it in her kingdom's armies returning home from war. The looks of pride, worry, and dejected numbness on their faces more often than not told her what she needed to know. Now she had a first-hand idea of what those soldiers had experienced.
She wasn't quite sure she liked it that much.
Securing Naruto was her first priority. He seemed a little fidgety when she moved forward to collect him; given the events of the last hour, she couldn't exactly blame him. The blonde's eyes periodically moved to meet hers as if searching for something. Semiramis knew a part of him was wondering why she was helping him, tending to him and scouting the area for other potential enemies like Jiraiya. Without truly thinking it through, she took him by the cheek bringing them eye-to-eye. In all honesty, she somewhat preferred his usual sky-blue than the bloody shade they'd become during his "possession". To her, it simply seemed more natural and indicated what he was - a stupidly honest fool whom she'd be bound to.
When they arrived back in town, there was chaos as one would have expected, mass chaos. It seemed the fires that the rogue ninja had started had been contained and put out. With that matter out of the way, the next piece of business was tending to the injured.
Semiramis watched citizens and workers move from place to place, some carrying others on stretchers and carrying the wounded themselves, provided they could walk or support the weight.
"H-Hey." Sounded her blond Master.
"I'll consider helping after I've made sure you're secure." Honestly, would it have hurt this boy to think about himself every once in a while? It wasn't like one selfish thought or moment was going to be the end of the world or stain him forever. That she knew of. "If you see or sense anything out of the ordinary, let me handle it."
"I thought you wanted me to prove myself." Whispered the blond.
She snorted. Even after a day such as this, he still had it in him to get in a wisecrack or two. Semiramis supposed she couldn't blame him for that, he was a fox, and they were nothing if not crafty creatures. "Let's just say we've moved beyond that point. At the moment, I simply need you somewhere safe where I know no one will come after you."
"Semiramis," Began the whisker-faced ninja, digging his feet into the now muddy ground. The Servant stopped in her tracks and turned to face her Master. Identifying the reason was hard, but she despised seeing Naruto's usual golden spikes put down by the rain. Hell, she realized just the sight of him being anything but brought and upbeat came off as unnatural to her despite knowing everyone had a sour spot or a dark side. She'd just seen his dark side and obviously what he'd shown her was weighing heavily on his mind. Perhaps too heavily. "I'm sorry you had to-"
"Finish that apology and it will be the last thing you every speak using those lips and that tongue." Snapped the cold and decisive voice of the Assassin. Naruto promptly shut up and stood at full attention. Faintly, she was aware they were making a bit of a scene in the middle of a rainstorm while people were rushing from place to place trying to fix up the damage done by a sudden and unwarranted attack. To onlookers, they very much must have looked like a couple having a lover's spat. Though Semiramis loathed to even dwell on the thought, she decided to let it pass seeing as how she had a more immediate problem to deal with. Something told her that was going to become a trend with Naruto. "When we first met, I…sensed a power inside of you. A power that was in no way shape or form human. I accepted that and as your Servant, chose to give you the benefit of the doubt. Not to mention I deduced that just as I have my secrets, you have yours. I respected that. For that reason, I chose to say nothing until you felt safe enough to come to me."
Her words had the intended effect of shocking him into silence. But of course, it didn't last long. "W-Wait, y-you…you trusted me that much?" He stuttered out, looking at her completely flabbergasted. Again, she couldn't quite blame him given her past behavior toward him.
The Servant inhaled a quick breath then stood at full attention. Normally, this side she never would have shown to a complete and total stranger…but Naruto was no longer a complete stranger in her eyes. He'd moved on to something more…perhaps something a bit higher than merely being useful. What that was, she had no idea, but in time she'd figure that out as well. "Well, trust is vital to build up a good Master-Servant relationship. Like I said, everyone has their secrets, even supposed fools and lunatics. In spite of being a little bit of both, you've proven yourself to be a…capable Master. Capable enough that I'm willing to respect your privacy, and should anyone threaten you, they will answer to me as I made those rogue ninja did. As your Servant, I will always remain at your side when danger comes."
A minute passed, then two, and then Semiramis noticed the tears forming at the corners of the human's eyes. Tears of…happiness? Seeing them caused her gut to lurch and the urge to wipe them away nearly overpowered her common sense. Knowing Naruto if he regained the ability to move or think, he would have tried to play them off as mere droplets of rain. She wouldn't hold it against him if he did. In the back of her mind, she recalled the conversation they'd had before setting on onto the town and her realization at how alike they were behind their respective fronts. Maybe that was why she felt this attraction to this blonde-haired ball of energy whose body housed a power she knew needed to be handled with caution.
His hand went to his eyes while his face turned away. Naruto's reaction was well within the realm of what she was expecting. "T-Thanks, Semi-chan. T-That…that means a lot to me, really it does."
"Good." She huffed, looking away herself with a slight coloring of her cheeks. "Now then, follow me back to our hotel room so I may put up some barriers to protect you from any more unwanted visitors."
"Well, I guess if I'm going to be grounded by anyone, I'd rather have it be you than Pervy Sage." Mouthed the genin.
"…Since I went with you, I suppose I'm also at fault." Admitted the dark-haired woman with a reserved yet still somewhat haughty frown.
"So you're willing to be grounded with me?! Awesome! You rock, Semi-chan!" With that, the boy hurled himself onto his Servant causing her face to screw up, yet she made no attempts to push him away.
Gods above, is this boy going to be the death of me? Thought the female Servant as a light crimson blush began to work its way through her cheeks. It was a good thing Naruto was too engrossed in the hug to notice for if he was Semiramis feared she would have had to take steps to knock him out. Even more, that insufferable sage wasn't around because if he saw this she'd never hear the end of it from him. Glancing upward, she saw a brief break in the dark clouds that had moved in and obscured the blue sky for the last few hours. The storm was lifting, but why did she feel like she was sailing headlong into a typhoon?
It was almost an hour when Jiraiya arrived back at their room telling them the surviving rogue ninja had been "taken care of". Naruto had taken his words at face value while Semiramis merely kept her thoughts to herself. In private, she'd go to the old sage and get the information she needed, then she'd pay the surviving kidnappers a "visit". If her suspicions were true then they wouldn't be the last ones to come after Naruto; while killing them certainly appealed to her, she knew they were better off alive when they could spread the message her Master was not to be touched.
"What about those weird floating heads? Are they all gone?" Naruto immediately asked, casting sideways glances at the window as if he were expecting to see them staring back at him ready to attack.
"There were originally four of them, two of them were dispatched and you let the remaining pair go." Answered the black-haired member of the group with some measure of annoyance. Apparently, whenever he tapped into that demonic power, Naruto's memory tended to go rather sketchy. A few days ago, she would have considered that a plus, but now was a different story; not to mention she'd watched him let the remaining demon heads go free after seeing one risk its life to save the other. If he didn't exactly remember that then something told Semiramis he would in a few days. "Granted, after the display I highly doubt the last two will come back to cause trouble." Crossing her legs, she grinned at Naruto. "And if they do, you can always show them what a true demon looks like, Master."
A visible shudder ran through Naruto while Jiraiya shot her a rather venomous glare she remained unfailingly calm over. Her words had been pointed and meant to gauge their reactions. She wanted answers and this was how she was going to get them.
"Those ninja that came after them, you said they were from one of the Hidden Villages, correct? Which one?" She asked.
"The Hidden Cloud," Jiraiya sounded, rubbing his brow. Damn, history must really love writing itself into a pattern. As he thought the words, his eyes couldn't help but peer over in Naruto's direction. For the most part, he seemed remarkably well-adjusted and in good health in spite of the fact he was a stone's throw away from being kidnapped and then God knew what. A part of Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder how he'd react to knowing his would-be-kidnappers came to the same village that had once tried to take his mother from her home and whose Kage was perhaps the arch-rival of his father. Maybe it's best I keep us as far away as possible from the Land of Lightning.
"The Hidden Cloud…aren't they the same ones that tried kidnapping Hinata when she was little?" Inquired the youngest of the three with a small frown, recalling the tale Neiji had told him. Though geography and history hadn't exactly been his strong suit, he'd heard the village mentioned a few times. It was usually never in a positive light.
"The same one, the village has a…somewhat militaristic mindset. Still, these four were rogue ninja. I checked their identities with my contacts." Spoke the old ninja. "All of them were rogue ninja who'd been cast out of the village. The leader was an ex-Anbu captain who I believe planned on using you to get back into the Cloud's good graces. It's not at all an unusual thing to think."
Visibly before the two, Naruto's hand went to his stomach as if he were dealing with some unseen pain. Semiramis watched his facial expression turn dark and withdrawn out of the corner of her eye. The crimson power she'd seen was indeed a curse upon the boy if it brought attention such as this to him. Even if Naruto was a ninja, there was only so much a person could put up with.
"So, this Hidden Cloud Village has a history of attempted kidnappings? And they're still active?" She offered.
"Well, of all the Five Great Nations they possess the strongest military, something they're quite dedicated to maintaining." Sighed the Sannin, recalling his past engagements with the Hidden Cloud's forces. The shinobi of the Hidden Stone were known for being quite stubborn while the Cloud's were at times outright merciless when it came to accomplishing their goals, just barely losing out to the Sand as far as how they handled their ninja. "In the past, they've carried out several covert actions that have put them on the outs with various Hidden Villages, including our home the Hidden Leaf. You could argue that's normal between ninja villages, but the Hidden Cloud seems to enjoy playing around with fire. That's probably how they managed to acquire those floating heads."
"Speaking of which, what the hell were those things? I've seen some weird summonings but those things were just creepy." Naruto questioned.
"Ōkubi, to be honest, I doubted they existed since the last recorded, scratch that, credible recordings of them are over two hundred years old. They're demons and spirits that are said to appear as heralds to disasters, and in some cases even create the disasters." Explained Jiraiya, watching Naruto's face go from nervous to outright horrified. "Hey, hey, they're just stories! Nothing to get scared about!"
"Except for the fact we just fought them and they came pretty damn close to overwhelming us." Quipped the female of the group. "Based on what you've just said, I'm willing to venture that at some point the Hidden Cloud's search for military strength brought them to the Ōkubi's resting place where they proceeded to tame them and bend the demons to their will. What's baffling to me is that the village would allow such powerful assets to be left in the hands of rogue ninjas."
"About that, I looked up the names of the survivors. Their leader was Maebara Hino, a former Anbu captain who was forced into exile after a mistake during a mission that cost the lives of six jonin-level ninja as well as caused the village to lose face with some of its neighbors."
"So he was planning on using Naruto to bargain his way back into his village's good graces. Decent enough plan, pity he forgot to take me into account."
Chuckling at the Servant's oh so obvious show of arrogance, Jiraiya turned his attention back to his godson. Naruto looked to still be mulled over his words and struggling to accept the full scope of what was being said. He'd already told the boy he'd have to make peace with pursuers coming after him for the Nine-Tails within him, but this was the first time since Itachi and Kisame that the attempt had been so blatant. Not to mention, Maebara and his team had come much closer to capturing him than the two Akatsuki members, which did not bode well for when the time came for the blond to face the two rogue ninja. It all further showed Jiraiya that they needed to step up their game, fast.
"Shinobi from the Hidden Cloud are being made aware of this incident as we speak." Said the white-haired sage, attempting to ease the tension in the room.
"Is that wise? Based on what's been discussed, what's to stop the recovery team from making an attempt to grab Naruto as we speak?"
"I'm standing right here." Grumbled the subject of the conversation.
"Yes, so you better be listening." Semiramis casually fired back. "This is your safety at stake here so do please try to pay attention."
While the genin soured, the Servant and sage exchanged a heated glare between one another.
Jiraiya spoke first. "That's why for the next few days, Naruto is going to be staying inside. I've pulled some strings to make sure there's no more excitement for a while."
"So you're basically grounding me, knew it." Grumbled the Jinchūriki.
"Hey, you kinda have it coming after the stunt you pulled." Fired back the Sannin with a roll of the eyes. "I told you to stay indoors and look at what happened."
"Considering how you'd been targeted as well, staying inside would have only prolonged the issue, not avoided it." Sniped the slit-eyed female, causing Naruto's mood to immediately improve while Jiraiya's soured. "It's useless to assign blame, what matters is the danger has passed and we must take steps to ensure this mess doesn't happen again."
No sooner had she spoken the words did Semiramis notice a change in the two men before her. A short but powerful look was exchanged between the pair. Though short, Semiramis was able to tell what information flew between them was deadly serious and more than likely need to know. It took a great deal of her willpower to keep from wrapping her chains around their necks and demanding the information out of them, Jiraiya more so than Naruto. Odds were nine to ten that he was the one who knew a great deal of what was going on while Naruto much like her only knew what she needed to know. That was going to have to change. Semiramis made sure Jiraiya knew that in the silent wave of aggression she directed his way, causing the perverted sage to turn to her. Gone was the humor and joking mood, he got the message that this was serious and was going to treat it as such.
Outside their hotel room, the rain clouds began to recede, physical proof that the danger that had gripped Komaki City had passed. Evening light began to shine through the darkness, illuminated the once bustling town that had been forced to go on lock down since the mysterious attack began. As word spread that the threat was over and culprits had been apprehended, or at least most of them, the citizens began to pick themselves up in full. It was obvious to everyone the town's expected nightlife was going to be put on something of a hold until further notice.
From the window, Naruto watched it all with a sullen expression while Semiramis watched him. She knew what needed to be said to comfort him, but actually speaking the words and providing the emotional support needed was proving difficult. When it came to matters like this Onnes was the one who did the comforting, mostly because she was the one in need of it, not the other way around. Since he was her husband, she considered it acceptable to show her emotions around him and no one else.
She was out of her element, which was becoming a trend with this new Master. Semiramis didn't know if she was supposed to be angry at Naruto, herself, or Zelretch, perhaps all three for good measure.
"You want to go out and help with the relief work, don't you?" Her voice was soft and distant as if she weren't sure she was saying the right thing. That was exactly the case.
"Back home I did work like it before. Sometimes they were really boring missions and other times I had fun." Stated the blond, looking out the wind with eyes filled with melancholy. "After…after gramps died in the attack on the village there was a lot of rebuilding, even if things were bad, me and the others had fun."
"Your village has been attacked before?"
Realizing he'd just revealed a rather critical part of his past, Naruto turned to her with wide eyes. Rather than press onward, Semiramis merely stared at him as if awaiting his decision; she'd left the next few moments entirely in his hands. I guess she wasn't kidding about the trust part. Thought the whisker-faced blond, lightly scratching the back of his head in shock. "Would you…like to hear the story?"
"I'd rather you tell me it than see it through your memories." She answered.
Smiling a little, he turned about in his seat in order to face her. "Well, almost two years ago there was this big event called the Chunin Exams. See, every couple of years all the Hidden Villages send their genin to a certain village where they have to go through all these crazy tests to see if they're ready to move up a rank. The Leaf was the last village to host the exams and I was super excited for it."
"But I take it something happened, didn't it?" Inquired the Servant.
His smile melted and gloom overtook his face. Clearly, the memories weren't fond ones, far from it. "That's a pretty big understatement. See, a rogue ninja from the Village, Orochimaru, used the exams as a front so he could destroy it and kill the Third Hokage. He roped the Hidden Sand Village into helping them…after he killed their village's Kage." Pure rage seethed through his voice and his hands tightened into fists that caused his knuckles to turn white. Obviously, whoever this Orochimaru character was, he was far from the blonde's favorite person. "During the exams' third stage, he launched this big attack that nearly wiped the village and everyone in out. We…the Grandpa Third stopped him, but…he…he…"
"He didn't survive the battle, did he?" Softly finished the Assassin, causing her Master to look down in order to hide his emotions. Once more, she used Naruto's reaction to build a mental picture of who this Third Hokage was. He must have been incredibly close to her Master to draw such a strong reaction.
"After all the Sound and Sand ninja fell back…and we…buried Grandpa Third, we got around to reconstructing the village. It wasn't easy, especially since his death was still weighing on everyone's minds, mine included."
"Still, you used the civil work to take your mind off his death, didn't you? There's nothing ashamed wrong with that, Naruto. I must confess, whenever I had something weighing heavily on my mind, I would often turn to building projects and such to de-stress myself." Said the female Servant, pushing a few black strands behind her ear. "You want to go down there and help not only to take your mind off recent events but because you feel guilty, don't you?"
His brows rose in surprise. "How'd you figure that out?"
A haughty smile grew on the face of the pale-skinned beauty. "Simple, I'm a queen. Learning how to read the emotions and thoughts of others might as well be a requirement for ruling. Not to mention, you're rather easy for me to read." Immediately catching herself, she added, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, most of the time anyway." Who am I kidding? If I can read this child so easily, what of his enemies? Can I teach him to harden his heart while he's slowly corrupting mine? Shaking her head free of the thought, she coughed into her fist. "Naruto, while there's little doubt in my mind your aid would be a help, the best way you can repay these people is not causing a scene. They can rebuild without your help, not to mention I highly doubt any of them blame you since those rogue ninjas left such a trail of destruction singling you out would be highly unlikely. Let it go and enjoy the quiet time you have now. You may never know when danger will find you and when you'll get a break from it."
Stunned, Naruto stared at his Servant with a gaping mouth so big Semiramis was sure she could have stuck her entire fist into. The impulse to walk over to him and shut it close herself was strong but she denied it.
"Semi…Semiramis, you're…you're really smart, do you know that?" Spat out the blond, still looking dumbfounded.
Hearing the statement, the Assyrian Queen rolled her eyes. "Again, comes with the territory of being king. You ever become a ruler, I'm sure your intelligence level will jump a few notches."
"Why does everyone always have to take a swipe about me about that?" Groaned the young man, throwing his hands over his head.
"Would you rather they target your fashion sense? As far as ninjas go, wearing a bright orange jumpsuit seems to be a surefire way to get yourself caught and executed." Quipped the monarch.
At that moment, one might have considered cutting things off right there. Naruto wasn't one of those people. "Yeah, well, having hair so long it drags along the ground seems like a good way to get it stepped on."
Instantly, Semiramis' eyes narrowed and her killing intent flared. Dead-eyed, Naruto sat upright in his seat and stared down the invisible snake that lingered behind his Servant, its golden eyes glaring at him and his blue eyes glaring back. In the silent battle, neither side was willing to back down, but one had to in order to prevent a scene from being made.
Semiramis chose to be the bigger person, reluctantly. "Touché, Master." She grounded out but not without a gleam of admiration shining in her eyes. "Regardless, people will always find something about you to criticize, that' simply how life is."
With a shrug of acceptance, the blond fell back into his seat. Either he realized he was walking into a fight he had no chance of winning or he wanted to change the topic to something else. When he spoke it the latter, "I…guess I should tell you about what it is you saw, shouldn't I?"
"If you feel up to it, I'm willing to listen." Coolly answered the female.
Taking a deep breath, he glanced downward at his stomach. "About thirteen years ago, this huge demon fox attack the Leaf Village and nearly wiped it off the map. The Fourth Hokage stopped it…by sealing it into-"
"You." Semiramis finished with a voice as soft and feathery as if she were stating the weather. Predictably, Naruto's reaction was one of shock and complete awe of her reaction, or lack therefore of one. "Naruto, I do not know how things operate in this world, but in mine such things are…somewhat par the course. A monster being sealed inside of a human child? I've heard of such things having to be done when the threat was too dangerous to be permanently dealt with or there were no other options. Why you were chosen I can only speculate, but the decision he made was no doubt one he had to do. This fox, I suspect it possessed nine tails, did it not?" Despite still being stunned, he was able to nod his head in agreement. "I thought so. In my world, there is a legend of certain nine-tailed fox, one feared as one of the Three Great Monsters of Japan. Foxes can be some of the most destructive beings encountered if one's luck proves to be that rotten."
At her words, Naruto's eye twitched and his hands came together. "Is…that what it was I? I was just…unlucky? Unlucky that my parents didn't want me?"
Her gut lurched and tightened itself into an angry knot. This attempt to steer the conversation into a less hostile direction had failed, resulting in things becoming personal, too personal for either of them. Still, a part of Semiramis knew she had to push on because if she didn't, it was going to come back to bite her in the ass later on. Plus, the more she needed about that demonic power inside of her Master, the more she could prepare for the future. "Does it really matter considering you've managed to come this far alone?"
At first, Naruto went wide-eyed at her words, but quickly enough they softened. "I…at first I…was alone, but then I…made friends. Grandpa, Old Man Ichiraku and Ayame, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura, and my other friends…including you Semi-chan."
Fire colored her cheeks hearing her name included the list of her Master's loved ones. Wait! Wait! This is moving too fast! And in the wrong direction to boot! Screamed her inner queenly self while demanding to know how they'd arrived at this point. "T-Thank you, a-and to answer the question I-I'm sure is building on y-your lips, I see you and this fox as two separate people. You are my Master and will remain so into the foreseeable future. Until I'm given reason to that will not change, and some overgrown furball inside of you isn't going to change that."
From deep within his subconscious, Naruto heard an extremely hostile growl followed up by a string of curse words that would have made a person's face flush red. All he did was smile and jump off his seat then run into his Servant. "Thanks, Semi-chan! I needed to hear that!"
Despite the instinctive annoyance she felt, there was a part of Semiramis that was…happy. Over the moon almost. This boy has completely forgone formality and proper conduct when speaking to royalty, or hell, just handling a Servant! He's treating like I'm a…I'm… A corner of her mind shouted for her to wake up from this dream and return to cold and harsh reality. This couldn't be real, there was no way possible this was really happening.
She was being hugged.
She was being cherished.
She was being valued as a…person.
Slow as a turtle, the Assassin's hand worked its way up to Naruto's shoulder. She could have summoned her palm spikes and stabbed him in the throat, bringing a quick and mercilessly death to the blond. Or she could have merely cut him then pulled away to watch as his body slowly succumbed to the poison in her blades. It would be a slow and painful demise fit only for those that had gone against the queen. Option number three was her simply crushing his bones, killing him in an instant.
Semiramis could have done all of those things.
She did none of them. What she did do was simply shut her eyes and enjoy the moment.
"So, I take it Naruto told you?"
The black-haired Servant materialized into the posh seat directly across from the Sannin. Even with the darkness of the jet-black room, his old eyes could make out every detail of her face and body as well as read her mood. She'd played nice since he'd gotten back and over the next day as repairs to the town had been made. Now with her Master audibly snoring away in bed and the waning moon silhouetted behind the window, she was done with holding herself back.
"Told me what, he is host to a demonic spirit whose power puts it on the level of a natural disaster?" Her tone was entirely mocking, which given what he knew about Semiramis was entirely natural. "The beast was sealed inside of him when he was but a baby so I doubt he knows the full details. Based on how he was treated back in his village I suspect you, your leader, and your fellow higher-ups never told him the truth." A solitary nod answered her question. "Why? I'm willing to protect Naruto, but in order to do that, I need to know what to expect."
Heaving out a heavy sigh, Jiraiya made himself comfortable in his seat. A quick glance in Naruto's direction told him the boy was still sound asleep. That was his go ahead. "The beast sealed inside of Naruto, the Nine-Tailed Fox, it's actually part of a group of nine extremely powerful and extremely dangerous creatures known as the Tailed Beasts. Each one is a walking mass of malefic chakra and power which has, since ancient times, been revered and feared as living forces of nature and disaster. Humanity, in its infinite foolishness and wisdom, has hunted and captured these beasts and sealed them inside of humans in an attempt to turn their immense power onto their enemies."
"Human weapons." Semiramis coldly spat.
"Exactly. Almost every one of the Five Great Nations possesses at least one Tailed Beast that's been sealed inside one of the village's ninja. That ninja is known as a Jinchūriki." Both turned to the sleeping blond nestled in bed only a few feet from them. Semiramis looked to her Master with eyes filled with interest while Jiraiya eyed his student with sorrow. "They're…a lot of people can't tell the difference between a beast and its container."
"Naruto told me that years ago the fox attacked the village and nearly succeeded in destroying it." Said the Servant before shutting her eyes in quiet sadness. "The villagers believed Naruto to be the human form of the Nine-Tails, did they not? I assume this world possess stories of fox spirits shape-shifting themselves to cause trouble, right?"
"Sadly, yes, even though those are mostly just stories parents tell their kids to get them to go to bed." Grumbled the toad sage, scratching his nape. He'd traveled far and wide and heard many ghost stories, but only a handful turned out to be true. Fox spirits changing shape and causing chaos was not one of them, but he doubted his words would be believed by a majority of the village. "Naruto…the reason why he was chosen to be the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki…was for a variety of reasons, but one of the big ones was the fact he was the Fourth Hokage's son."
At last, he got a surprised reaction from the Assyrian Queen. Keeping her mouth shut, she looked to Jiraiya then back to Naruto, who was continuously sleeping soundly.
"This…he's…Naruto is royalty?" Open-mouthed, all she could do was stare at her Master, completely and utterly unable to imagine Naruto as being on similar footing to herself.
Finally given the chance, Jiraiya chuckled at her face. He would have given anything to see the expressions of those who'd already written Naruto off learn he was the son of a Kage. Alas, his bliss ended almost as soon as it began. "It's…tradition you could say that the Jinchūriki is always related to the Village's Kage in some way, shape or form. Naruto's mother was the previous Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, if you ever met them you would be able to tell they were related."
"Y-You speak as if you knew them. You did, didn't you?" Spoke the woman, having recovered somewhat.
He got up from his seat and walked over to one of his bags. After rummaging through them, he came back to her and held out a photo. Taking it in hand, Semiramis looked over the two people pictured in the photo along with Jiraiya.
Naruto had his father's looks for the most part, but his face had a sort of babyish quality he clearly inherited from his mother. A part of her chuckled at how Naruto had nip-picked at her hair when his own mother possessed scarlet-colored strands almost as long as her own. She couldn't deny her Master's mother possessed beauty that no doubt must have garnered her a fair share of admirers. The man who'd won her heart seemed to be an older and much wiser looking version of Naruto himself. Their smiles, oh their smiles, without a doubt she could tell these were the parents of her kind-hearted Master.
"Naruto…he believes they abandoned him." She spoke in a monotone.
"That…" His hands went to his forehead in a futile attempt to stem the wave of regret and self-hatred within him. "Minato was my student, I personally trained him and fostered his growth. When I learned he was dead along with his wife, Kushina, I…I couldn't…I was too ashamed to face Naruto."
"Too ashamed to come and claim responsibility for the son of your favorite student?" Though it was quiet, Semiramis' voice cut through the air like a dagger. For probably the first time since knowing him she felt true anger at the white-haired man, and if not for Naruto sleeping a few feet away, she knew she would have lashed out at Jiraiya. Verbally and physically. "Your shame kept you from collecting Naruto leaving him to a childhood of pain and ridicule, do you think you can make up for it now?"
Her last words had come out as a snarl. Jiraiya didn't blame her for being angry with him, anyone with a sense of decency would have been. "I've had a lot of screw-ups, things I wish I could do over again; I know for a fact I'm going to take those things with me to the grave. But before that, I want to at least try to make up for some of them. Maybe I will, maybe I won't," Harden eyes met Semiramis' sharp golden orbs. "I'll be damned if I don't try, and I'll be damned if I don't do better for my godson. That's part of why we're on this training journey."
Digging her nails into the arms of the chair, Semiramis calmed herself. Foolish and perverted he may be, this man loves my Master as if he were his own flesh and blood. Softly biting her lips, she realized Naruto had somewhat underestimated how beloved he was and how he was no longer alone. A dark feeling rose up inside of her and threatened to show itself in the presence of the Toad Sannin, but she suppressed it if only for the sake of her pride. "You said before that the Tailed Beasts' power have been sought out as they make vastly powerful weapons, right? Someone else has made an attempt to kidnap Naruto because of the demon within him, haven't they?"
"Yes, that's actually why I left earlier." Once more, he stood up and came back with pen and paper. Right before Semiramis' eyes, he scribbled down what seemed like a cloud. "In this world, there exists a shadowy organization known as the Akatsuki. They're a fairly new group, but there's no underestimating the fact they're extremely dangerous, each member is an S-ranked missing ninja from one of the Hidden Villages."
"And they're after Naruto and the rest of the…Jinchūriki?" A stone dropped in Semiramis' stomach as the realization struck her she'd had it easy for the past couple of weeks. Way easier than she'd expected.
"Yes, why, no one knows. That's what I've got my contacts trying to figure out, but here's something for you to sit upon. Each Tailed Beast possesses enough destruction power to level an entire village in minutes, and possibly an entire countryside if unchallenged. Not even ninja such as myself have the power to oppose a fully-powered Tailed Beast if it goes on a rampage, but methods of controlling them exist, like sealing them into a human host."
Though she already had a feeling of the answer, Semiramis still had to ask the question. "What would happen to a host…if their Tailed Beast were…removed?"
"They'd die." Answered Jiraiya in a cold voice.
The other stone dropped.
"The Akatsuki is without a doubt one of the most dangerous groups running around, almost a year ago two of their number came after Naruto and were it not for my arrival, they would have captured him."
"Have they made any other attempts at stealing away the boy?" Questioned the Servant.
"No, but in time they will." Answered the writer. "When they do, Naruto has to be ready, he must be."
Her hands nearly crushed the arms rest. "If the previous engagement is any indication, he's a long way from being ready. Jiraiya," His eyebrows rose in slight awe at having her call him by his name. "If this partnership is going to continue then I am going to ask something of you - use every fiber in your body to prepare this boy for what is to come. Is that clear?"
"Hey, you're the one who just dropped in out of the blue. I actually care about the kid, why else would I be out here trying to teach him everything I can?"
"Then it's time we picked up the pace." Fired back the queen. "Our enemies will not take their time in coming after Naruto so we must adjust."
"I agree." Jiraiya smirked. "That's why tomorrow I'm going out with Naruto to teach how to start controlling the Nine-Tails' power."
Semiramis looked at the ninja with a raised eyebrow before turning back to Naruto. "Somehow, that idea seems…like it's going to be a challenge."
"It's either that or sit by and do nothing, besides, Naruto's already learned how to draw on the fox's power for combat purposes. All we're going to do is take that a step further." Responded the male. "As a Servant, I'm kinda hoping your connection with Naruto will be enough to help him from going berserk on us. Think you're up to it?"
Arrogance colored Semiramis' face. "What an idiotic question, of course I can handle it. If it will increase Naruto's chances of survival then I will give this procedure my blessings, and should things go wrong I will step in and restore order just as I did the last time."
Chuckling, Jiraiya held out his hand. "You'll have my back, great. I knew you had a heart beneath all those black chains."
Her mouth twitching, Semiramis gripped the sage's hand by the edges. "Just don't forget these chains can break steel and stone alike as if they were paper. And don't do anything that will cause permanent or bodily harm to my Master."
Over in the bed, nestled within the body of the sleeping genin, a red-furred fox chuckled. Though all had thought he was quietly dozing away his imprisonment like his vessel, they were wrong.
And the time was coming where he'd show them just how wrong they were. Starting with that pointy-eared wench that had attempted to poison his host. She was going to pay for that, dearly.
"Heh, it sure did clear up a lot, didn't it?" Said Naruto, stretching his arms upward to the evening sun.
"Let's take that as a good omen, besides a little sun never hurts especially after a rainstorm like one that we had a few days ago." Spoke the senior ninja.
Silently walking alongside the pair in spiritual form was Semiramis. Though she didn't particularly share the optimism of the pair, even she had to admit a shining sun was preferable to more rain and thunder. She'd had quite enough of both for the week and was grateful for the warm and pleasant weather. Rather or not Jiraiya's boasts would hold remained to be seen, she could only hope her Master's blood wasn't shade beneath these golden rays.
The "arena" they were heading to was a private area which could be rented out for shinobi and other users for their personal usage. Where Jiraiya had procured such money, Semiramis had to admit she was mildly curious about but didn't exactly dwell on too much. It appeared big enough that they can stretch out their legs and for Naruto to exercise his demonic power. Semiramis hoped whatever damages they did incur wouldn't be too extensive, this time Naruto likely would take the blame for them unlike what had happened in Komaki City. Repairs were still progressing along, hopefully those repairs wouldn't have to extend to this facility.
Naruto.
It'd taken some…getting used to being able to communicate with Semiramis through his thoughts. In fact, Naruto was still finding it a little hard to believe. Then again, almost every day he learned something new about his Servant, something else that made her existence all the more mesmerizing to him. Yeah?
You realize today you're going to be taking a big risk, right? I mean you've gotten that through your thick head, haven't you?
You know, it almost sounds like you're worried about me!
Ignoring his mental laughter, she psychically gripped his shoulder as Jiraiya made the preparations for the training. I AM as far being your Servant is. There's no underscoring how dangerous this is going to be.
If it wasn't dangerous then it wouldn't be worth doing.
Pulling away as to hide her emotions, Semiramis couldn't help but smirk. What her blond charge had spoken to her just further reinforced the bond between Naruto and Jiraiya. Something stronger than teacher and student relations bound them, and that slightly infuriated her.
Patiently, she waited and watched as the duo made their way to the center forested field that sat in the center. As she suspected, it was wide and spread out enough that they could "play" for their hearts' content. Semiramis thought she was prepared for anything that could have come as during the noon exercise.
Then she met the scroll toad.
"What in Anu's name?!" Screeched the black-haired woman, practically jumping back in shock and disgust as the black and orange-skinned amphibian literally crawled out of the older man's throat…right in front of the Servant and her Master. Said Master looked only mildly disgusted unlike her. "Y-Y-You had that thing inside of you this whole time?!"
A yellow-colored eye of the said thing twitched. "Ah, so this is her, the…woman I've heard so much about."
"They've been talking about Semi-chan where you toads live?" Asked Naruto, looking surprised.
"Oh, believe me, this…woman has caused quite a stir on Mount Myōboku." Answered the scroll toad. He very much lived up to his name, what with his stomach quite literally looks like a scroll. Naruto couldn't help but stare at the newly summoned creature in awe as his Servant eyed the talking animal as if it were a ticking time bomb. "Jiraiya, the fact you've summoned me can only mean-"
"Yep, Gerotora, it's the Nine-Tails." Spoke the white-haired sage.
Disheartened, the amphibian slaps his forehead in annoyance. He knew a headache was coming, he could feel it in his bones and practically taste it on the sweet-scented air. "Oh, give me strength. Does the…woman know?"
"…Woman?" Snapped the female, eyeing the toad with venomous eyes. "Yes, you disgusting little-"
"She knows." Groaned Jiraiya. His hopes that at least Gerotora would be able to make peace with Semiramis had been dashed. All he could do was hope his other aspirations for the day won't be shot down as well. "Let's get this started. Naruto, this is Gerotora. Believe it or not, but you and this guy are going to be getting close for the rest of today and the future."
Naruto's gut lurched. "W-W-W-What kind of s-special do you mean?" The urge to jump behind Semiramis was strong, who herself felt the faint urge to grab her Master and pull him behind her.
Sighing, the toad…stood upright, which was somewhat natural given its main body was in-fact a scroll. "Naruto, I am what you could call a 'key' to the seal on your stomach that keeps the Nine-Tails in check. Jiraiya, if you'd please."
In one swift pull, whole feet of the scroll wrapped around Gerotora's body was unveiled, revealing its contents to the Master-Servant pair. Naruto's mouth dropped, Semiramis' remained shut though her eyes narrowed. She had little experience with eastern magecraft of any kind, but what she was staring at was no doubt extremely high-class work. What immediately drew her attention was the thick spiral insignia on the center, she faintly recognized it as being similar in design to the seal she'd spotted on Naruto's stomach. Putting a hand to her chin, she glanced back at the blond finding he'd picked up on the resemblance as well. The toad hadn't been lying about being the "key" to some extent.
"Usually I wouldn't be summoned unless you were planning on doing something reckless." Sighed the amphibian. It was clear who he was referring to by using the word "you". Jiraiya remained resolute as the two faced one another. "I can't talk you out of this, can I?"
Naruto was getting worried and decided to make his worry known. "Talk him out of what?"
The sage turned to his student. "We're going to loosen up the seal on the Nine-Tails." As he expected, the blue-eyed teen's eyes widened and his mouth sucked in an intake of air. "Naruto, if you're going to learn how to control the Nine-Tails' chakra, you're going to have to open yourself up to it. You can't learn to swim without getting wet."
"Except he won't need a towel if this goes south." Gerotora said. "If the seal is damaged who knows what would be needed to repair it, provided we can repair the seal at all. The minute it's loosened the Nine-Tails is going to know, and when he does, you know what he's going to do."
Semiramis recognized that her time had come. "That's why I'm here. Should the fox act out, I will put it back in its place."
Gerotora regarded the Servant with sharp and analytical eyes. Much like with the previous toads, she stood her ground and did her best to filter out the instinctive malice and disgust for the amphibian.
It worked, somewhat. "Gah, I supposed I should try to ask the host himself, but I get a feeling he's in agreement with you two, isn't he?"
"Yep, one-hundred percent." Laughed the third of the trio, throwing his hands back behind his head.
Slapping his forehead in annoyance and defeat, the toad only said one thing. "Humans."
Technically, I'm only half-human. Thought Semiramis, feeling her lips twitch.
As the ceremony got underway, she placed her hand on Naruto's shoulder. It felt soothing to be able to touch him and not have him jump in his skin or constantly look at her with a hint of suspicion. Those that knew her often were reluctant to so much as get within the same breathing space as her, and not without warrant. Curiosity got the better of her as she peered over her Master's shoulder, catching her first full glimpse of the so-called Eight Trigrams Seal on his stomach. Though sealing magic was far from her area of expertise, she could recognize quality work when she saw it. The sight almost made her sorry to have to undo some of it. Beneath her, Naruto braced as Jiraiya stepped forward, then slammed his fingers directly into Naruto's stomach. Even if they weren't physically connected, Semiramis was sure she would have felt the wild surge of energy that rushed through the boy's body.
In her mind's eye, she saw the massive locks beginning to turn and click.
The first fell away followed by another.
Hehehehehehe…you know, I think it's high time you and got introduced, properly. Please, allow me to introduce myself…
While Semiramis had faced many men throughout her life, only a handful had managed to elect this response from her.
Only this creature's voice was enough to make her break out into a cold sweat. Everything around her, almost every one of her senses, save for her sight and hearing, went pitch-black. Feeling panic rush through every fiber of her body, Semiramis turned to her Master only to find he wasn't there, neither was Jiraiya or Gerotora. Semiramis was standing in darkness, complete pitch-black darkness.
I am Hatred Incarnate.
Drawn by the voice, Semiramis looked ahead and froze.
The same crimson eyes that had appeared in Naruto's head stared back at her, except their size had been magnified by ten. So too had the bloodlust and malice held within them; Semiramis knew without a doubt what she was looking at was a beast, a monster of pure hatred and malice that would happily tear her to shreds if she was foolish enough to stand between it and its objective. A gaping maw filled with teeth sharper than any blade she'd known during her life smiled down upon her. The maw opened so slightly, releasing a wave of malicious heat that had the Servant cooking in her dark clothing.
And you…have trespassed on MY territory.
From out of the frying pan and into the fire, huh? Well next chapter will be the "formal" meeting between Semiramis and our favorite giant nine-tailed fox. And Jiraiya will get to know what it feels like to be a human ping-pong ball. Fun times, everyone!