DECLARATION OF WAR – SHAO CHIN APPROACHES
1 Year Later, Central Aturia
Though far in the distance, there is a clear view of the volcanic ring of Aturia, the ring that Naruto's group have been approaching for over a year now. Progress has been slow across the enormous land of Aturia, especially given the current circumstances of the group. Evading the Imperial Guard has been imperative given Naruto's current wait for a breakthrough.
Ming Dai, now a class 7 warrior himself, waits for Naruto to join him on that next level, knowing that the 7th Hokage's talent means he surely won't be far behind now. It's a waiting game though, when will he wake up. Just how amazing will Naruto be when he reaches class 7, he will surely be a fighter like no other on this level. Dai appreciates that Naruto's element of 'life' may be the hardest of all to break through in, but he is still impatient. All of Homeworld is waiting for Uzumaki's meditation to finish, for him to awaken.
In the centre of the volcanic ring is their target, the city of Taigai, the place where they can get the help that they will need to fight a war against Furst Jonas. This is another reason why he dares not instruct their group to get any closer, because once they enter into that volcanic ring their journey will become many times more perilous. The frequency of guard patrols will increase many times over, their strength will be much higher, and they will be desperately trying to find the 7th Hokage. When Naruto passes into that area, he will be one of the biggest targets in the history of Homeworld. That's why he needs to be awake.
Himawari joins Ming Dai near the tops of the trees, looking at the enormous volcanoes in the distance. These are far taller than any from their pocket-world, she imagines that it would take weeks for civilian to climb even the smallest of them, and she knows that there is definitely more than one they will have to scale on their route towards the capital.
"This is taking too long," Ming Dai says.
"Be patient, we're all working as hard as we can."
"He should have been awake by now; the war should have begun. He's the most talented man I've ever met, just how hard is it to master 'life' energy?"
"He'll wake up soon Dai, I'm sure of it. My dad definitely won't let us down," Himawari says confidently.
"Our travel has been too slow as well; we should have been at the edge of the volcanic region months ago."
Himawari shakes her head, "My grandmother being with child hasn't exactly helped that."
Ming Dai cringes at Himawari's archaic talk, as if dancing around the issue diminishes the gravity of the situation. They are supposed to be on a mission to save Homeworld here, but her father hasn't moved in over a year and her grandparents are having more children. This has been easily the most frustrating year of his life, working day and night to make sure that they can keep going.
"Their timing really couldn't have been worse," Dai complains.
"Don't you believe everyone has the right to have children?"
"I do, but we're serving a greater cause here."
"Yeah, that's why Homeworld's Military wasn't allowed to have children," Himawari reminds her friend. "My father believes in a better world, and I happen to know that you believe in that world too. I know it's inconvenient for you but bear with it, I'm sure my father will be grateful."
"Yeah, that's alright then," Dai replies sarcastically.
Himawari shakes her head at him, smiling. He spends far too much time complaining. It will be a great weight off his shoulders when he is no longer responsible for the wellbeing of this group, when Naruto wakes up and takes the lead once again.
"So, boy or girl?" Dai asks.
"Sorry?"
"Are you hoping it's a boy or a girl?"
"I don't really know," Himawari admits, "I'll be happy for them either way. I had an aunt before, you never met her. She was always very kind to me when I visited her and my grandfather. She was older than me though, it will be weird having a younger aunt or uncle. What do you think?"
"Family's not my strong point," Dai admits, "My mother is dead, and my father is the King of Gavaria. I have no siblings. My only real family was my master. Hopefully one day I will have a family of my own. Unlike Minato and Kushina I'm going to wait until the end of the war though."
"See, you can be patient?"
Dai smiles.
With a flash of gold, Minato appears at the bottom of the tree, calling up to his two travelling companions. They drop down when they see that he has come with a tiny guest to meet them.
"Say hello to your little aunt Himawari," Minato says.
Himawari is delighted, happily taking the tiny baby from her grandfather's arms. She's adorable and is indeed a lot smaller than her other aunt. Himawari loves her straight away, she congratulates her grandfather, telling him that his new daughter is adorable.
"Congratulations," Dai says, shaking Minato by the hand, "She has your eyes."
"Thank you."
Dai pragmatically jumps straight from sentimentality back to his usual pragmatic self.
"We don't have too long before we'll have to move from here, if we stay still an Imperial Guard unit is bound to come by," he explains, "How long will it be before Kushina is ready to move?"
"Aw isn't she cute," Himawari says, facing her baby aunt towards Dai.
"Yes, very cute."
"Can't we just wait a while for the little one Dai?"
"No, we can't. I don't think that a new-born is very likely to hold up against a captain of the Imperial Guard, do you?"
"Spoil sport!"
Dai looks back at Minato, who seems to be lost gazing at his daughter. Rolling his eyes, Dai waves his hand in front of the 4th Hokage's face, calling out his name louder and louder. Finally, he shouts to snap the Namikaze clansmen out of his stupor. He wonders if all the members of this family lose focus when they should be discussing practical matters. Regretfully, he is almost certain that if Naruto were awake, he would be just as distracted as his father and his daughter.
"Minato!"
"Sorry?"
"When can Kushina move?"
"Sorry Dai. If I help her with some teleportation we can probably move in a couple of hours."
"That soon?"
"Kushina's as tough as they come. I know you're worried about the Imperial Guard but when she's angry she scares me far more than any Homeworld soldier."
"Good. We need to keep moving as soon as we can. There's no knowing just what they will send after us if we don't."
Weiss Max's Residence
Colonel Zahra stands admiring the large wooden frame of the door to the grand hall. Not many people are even able to open such a grand door on their own, but she is amongst the selective group. Right now, she is willing to focus on anything so long as it acts as a distraction. She has come here with a cunning plan that will help to advance her career, but she knows the King will see through this right away. The King doesn't dislike cunning, but he does have a short temper. He is the last person she wants to upset in this push to better her position.
She hears a call from inside and enters into the main hall. The King is sat at the opposite end of the enormous table, a table she has dined at herself several times. Max often brings the most influential people in Aturia here to make use of their connections, or to put them in their place depending on how you look at it. She walks to the opposite end where Max is sat next to a fire, her footsteps echoing as her leather shoes tap against the marble floor.
She reaches Max's side and bows respectfully to the King. "My king."
"You wanted to see me about your ambitions, Zahra," Max reminds her, "I seldom have use for the feeble machinations of the Imperial Guard. If I find that you are wasting my time then General Rana will be disciplining you, I hope that is clear."
"It is clear my king."
"Then say what you wanted to say."
Zahra takes a deep breath and smiles before speaking. "Uzumaki Naruto has been in Homeworld for a long time now. We believe he has received help from Ming Dai, the pupil of Headmaster Sora to elude us until now. However, occasional reports from our patrols seem to indicate that he has spent most of his time here in Aturia. In fact, we have no reason to believe that he has left the borders of this kingdom since his battle with the mercenary known as Mars."
"What is your point?"
"I believe that as the General of the Imperial Guard in Aturia, my immediate superior, General Rana is responsible for not having captured Uzumaki Naruto until now."
Max does his best not to laugh allowed. This power play is as obvious as one can get. He has known Colonel Zahra for a long time and has considered her a valuable pawn in controlling the Kingdom of Aturia. Several times she has helped to defend their borders against the advances of the other royals both to the North and to the South. Zahra has a rare cunning, but he has never considered promoting her over General Rana before now.
"Do you believe that General Rana is incompetent?" Max asks.
"I believe that she has tremendous skill and power, but that she lacks cunning and brutality."
"And I suppose that you lack neither?"
"I possess a cunning and brutality that General Rana could only dream of," Zahra boasts, "If I were in charge of finding Uzumaki Naruto, I would have trapped him long ago. By now, you would have handed him over to the emperor and he would have been contained within the laboratories."
Max nods at the words. By mentioning the laboratories and specifically saying that he would have handed Naruto to the emperor, she is reminding him of the benefits he would receive from Uzumaki's capture. If he were the one to hand Naruto in, he would likely become the most favoured royal. He would receive more privileges in the laboratories, a higher budget and it's doubtful that the other royals could freely take land from Aturia anymore. Naruto may not be in Aturia for much longer after all.
"So, what is your point?" Max asks.
"I think that I possess the same power and skill level as Rana. I too am a class 8 warrior. I would like to be considered for the position of General of the Aturia Imperial Guard."
"You want Rana's job," Max summarises bluntly.
"Yes."
Max laughs. "General Rana was selected after extensive consideration, she was selected because she excels in many criteria, you may come to regret doubting her abilities. On top of that, if you disappoint me there will be consequences. You won't just be missing out on a promotion; you will have disrespected the King of Aturia. Are you certain you are willing to risk that Colonel Zahra?"
"I am my king."
"Very well, but I will need some evidence of the merits if I were to promote you. I can't just change my second-in-command without reason. If you can prove that you are superior to Rana, then I would be willing to promote you."
"And how can I prove that I am worthy my king?"
"It should be obvious to someone as cunning and brutal as yourself, Colonel Zahra," Max says, "If you want promotion to the rank of General, you must capture Uzumaki Naruto before Rana does. It should be easy for someone so cunning and brutal, right?"
"Yes, my lord, consider Uzumaki Naruto captured."
East Aturia
You would think that finding someone's scent from over a year ago would be impossible. In that time, over three hundred other animals have passed this same spot, a couple even stayed here, there scent sticking strongly to the spot. However, there is a tiny remnant of the 7th Hokage on this grassy patch, just a few particles, a few flakes of dead skin. That is enough for Shao Chin, for he is the perfect hunter, and there is nobody in all Homeworld who can escape his tracking.
The shinobi are much better at covering their tracks than the royals. While he found the royal conference in a matter of hours, it has taken him over a year to find the scent of Uzumaki Naruto. He has found just tiny traces of other shinobi, traces that he managed to follow back to the military academy, then, amongst the debris he found just a hint of his target. An orange thread from the distinctive attire worn only by Naruto. This was the start of his path of discovery, a path that has led him here to Aturia.
He is glad that Furst Jonas put him on this path. Hunting Naruto has been one of the greatest challenges he has ever faced. The Hokage and his team have covered their tracks far more thoroughly than any of the endangered beasts he ever hunted, they have moved swiftly, barely leaving a trace anywhere they have journeyed. But, hiding from him is impossible. Their traces are now getting strong, Shao Chin estimates that he will find them very soon. His favourite hunt is coming to a close, his pursuit of Naruto is almost at an end.
His head raises, to the west he detects the scent of soldiers, approaching fast. It seems that he has been spotted by the local Imperial Guard.
When the soldiers arrived, he takes note of their attire. Their uniforms are bronze, outlined by a thin gold line. These uniforms denote the rank of captain, he realises it is likely that they have never even been told of his existence.
"You there, state your purpose, why are you venturing in Aturia?"
"I am here to hunt, your emperor sent me."
"Do you think that we are going to believe that?"
"I am not concerned with what you believe."
"You're coming with us; General Rana will have to approve your presence here."
Shao Chin smiles, "I am going nowhere."
Shao Chin quickly pulls the bow from his back and draws three of his specially prepared arrows. The modified rounded tips are his non-lethal alternative to his regular arrows, readied long in advance for situations like this. He unleashes the trio of arrows, scattering them perfectly so that they strike three of the seven captains attempting to arrest him.
Two of the remaining captains charge him, using their elements to form blades with which they lash out at Shao Chin. He remains unconcerned though, he has been attacked by beasts with skills far beyond these captains. He dodges the incoming attacks easily, swearing that he could do the same with his eyes closed.
After he is clear of the attacks, Shao Chin pulls his knife from it's sheath. He grips it by the blade and throws it towards the first of the attacking duo, waiting for it to strike. He throws it perfectly such that the grip hits the captain in the rear of the head, knocking him unconscious. While the knife is still airborne, he strikes the other captain in the gut before slamming his head down into his knee. Shao Chin even has enough spare time to catch the knife before it hits the ground.
Five of seven captains down in the blink of an eye, he turns to the remaining two captains with a smile, as if inviting them to challenge him.
The pair are intimidated but they do not back down, raising their shaky fists and answering Shao Chin's invitation.
"Stop!"
Shao Chin noticed another smell a short way behind the captains. He spots a silver thread on the ground before his eyes rise up to look at the newcomer's attire. Silver with a bronze lining, denoting the rank of colonel. This man is one of the colonels of Aturia, that's likely to challenge him slightly more than these pitiful captains.
"You are Shao Chin, the great hunter, am I right?" the colonel asks.
"I am Shao Chin."
"Colonel Zahra has sent me with a message, you are to be given free passage in Aturia. If anyone gets in your way you need only say her name."
Shao Chin smirks. Someone is clearly trying to use his hunt for their own political gain in the Imperial Guard. It makes no difference to him though; he is only in this for the hunt. Once he has caught Naruto he will have to search for his next prey. Between Naruto and Furst there are only the ranks of the Imperial Guard and the royals, he will be spoilt for choice on who to hunt next, but it's almost certain to be one of them.
"Tell your subordinates not to get in my way again," warns Shao Chin before he makes off in Naruto's direction.
When news reaches Zahra of this encounter she is delighted. Now when Shao Chin captures Naruto she can claim that Rana's interference nearly prevented it. Now, when he is inevitably captured by this great hunter she will be the one to take credit as his enabler.
Day by day Shao Chin's capture of Uzumaki Naruto approaches. Day by day Zahra's ascension to General of Aturia draws closer. However, both of them underestimate the destiny that has surrounded Naruto from the day he was born. A crucial time in the history of Homeworld approaches. They must hope that their ambitions are fulfilled quickly, because it won't be much longer before the 7th Hokage's meditations are complete. It won't be long until Naruto awakens.
Author Note
Hi All,
I'm sorry that the introduction to part 10 isn't the most exciting chapter I've ever written but it's important nonetheless.
However, I've been planning part 10 for a long time and it may be the most important arc in this entire story.
On that note, I have yet to devise a name for Naruto's sister. So if anyone has any suggestions I will be happy to go with whatever proves popular. If nothing does then I will take one of the commonly used ones.
I hope everyone enjoys part 10 which is called Declaration of War
Thanks for reading,
Cbehrills
In Response to m'j doom's Questions
Regarding potential royal defections and regarding Hinata
I'm afraid I can't comment on either subject without giving spoilers.
I always like to see speculation though.
Thanks for reading.
In Response to Engineer's Questions
Regarding several subjects
Sasuke's element 'spacetime' is indeed double-transcendent.
With just chakra Sasuke would be a class 3 fighter, same as Naruto.
I've never really given much though to what class Shikadai is right now, but I suppose he would be class 4 at the moment (equal to what Clyde started as).
Commenting on any potential breakthrough for Inojin would be spoilers.
Thanks for being inquisitive, answering questions like these is always fun.
Thanks for reading.