Stave 3
Clear and Present Danger / Another Dream of London
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[The Forests of The Land of Fire]
Naruto is trying to keep pace on his way to the Daimyo's pagoda. He wondered why that place is so far from where it was supposed to be. He knows that the pagoda isn't really across the street from Konohagakure and he senses no genjutsu fuddling his directions. So he finds a good hiding place to get him some rest and get some sustenance and set some traps to keep himself protected. And while he lies in his makeshift tent, he begins to have another dream.
›-Section Break-‹
Naruto, in his travelling gear, finds himself in a different part of London, at a shop of some sort, formerly run by an elderly man named Trent (surname) and his adopted granddaughter, Nell. They had been falling into hard times since the old man had run up a debt to a cruel and foppish man named Daniel Quilp. Nell's health was declining since Quilp wanted her for his wife, even though he is already married to a woman about Nell's age and a lovely thing she is, too. All of the opportunity wasted by that wicked man's greed.
And Nell's older brother, Frederick, wasn't much help either after he didn't keep his books balanced, causing his grandfather and his younger sister to go into debt and wander the streets and countrysides of London in the first place.
His whereabouts later turned out to be tragic in the end of the ordeal as he was found to be mugged and drowned in the River Seine in neighboring France.
The ex-Mrs. Quilp, Betsy by name, decided to help Naruto's cause to leave her husband, who later died from an unfortunate circumstance in the River Thames (after he fell into the river under the deep fog and drowned, due from his lack of swimming skills) and Naruto aided Nell until she became healthy again. Betsy began to fall in love with Naruto who treated her like a proper lady that her deceased husband couldn't, and even though the former had to leave town to begin selling, trading, and bartering goods, he promised to take care of his new lover before planning for their upcoming marriage.
The servant boy and Nell's good friend, Christopher 'Kit' Nubbles, was glad that Nell is feeling better and thanked Naruto and Dick Swivellus for helping him get out of a case of false accusations done by Sampson Brass (a crooked attorney). He liked Nell like she's more than just a sister and a friend and Naruto encouraged Kit to break the ice and asked Nell for a courting.
Speaking of Dick Swivellus, who helped Kit get out of prison, he was escorting Sampson Brass's sister's former maidservant (or rather her illegitimate daughter by an affair with the late Daniel Quilp some years prior), that goes by 'The Marchioness' or preferably Sophronia. They also thanked Naruto for setting them on the right path. Dick and Sophronia have recently been engaged to be married in due time.
-PC-
Currently, the Trents, their friends, and a man named Dickens are celebrating Christmas with the Cratchits who lived a few blocks down the street to Holborn and the Old Curiosity Shoppe (the store is closed for the days upon Christmas) and they took their feasting on the 2nd Floor and living quarters of the Shoppe. The Cratchit family of 8, including Tiny Tim, were glad that Naruto helped them with their living expenses after their old house was about to be foreclosed by Ebenezer Scrooge.
So Naruto, the new proprietor of the Shoppe, found the Cratchit family a house big enough for them to stay (with a deed included) and to help Tiny Tim find some comfort in his healing. Coincidentally, Ebenezer's mansion isn't far from the Shoppe, and Bob's job in the Lending Firm is much closer than his old, rundown home.
And as Naruto finished cooking up a feast fit for a king, or rather a small crowd, they said grace and gave thanks to the people that made things possible as they prayed. Even Ebenezer Scrooge was mentioned in their prayers. Tiny Tim also said, "God bless everyone."
After the amen was said, the party began sharing their meals and drinks together as they sat and talked about themselves. It was plentiful for the night and tomorrow on Christmas Day. They sing and dance to the men's instruments, including the use of the banjo and the violin.
Later, the friends and loved ones asked Naruto of a story, particularly a ghost story and he went like this from the stories he writes with Dickens with his side business, "It happened one dark and cold night on Christmas Eve. An old man had just finished with his rather dishonest job. He was close to returning back into his mansion when he heard a voice calling out his name. The man ignored the moaning at first, but he unlocked his front door and closed it as he is retiring for the night. Then the man heard that same moaning, beckoning out his name.
"It was a ghost of a different man, wearing his funeral clothes, a wrap that failed to keep his drooping mouth in place, and bore heavy chains, locks, and boxes as he approached the living man. The spectre said that he was once a businessman associated with the man when he was once alive. He used to rob the widows and orphans, and swindled the poor; sometimes all three on the same day, but he was deeply in the wrong. So the spectre ended up forging the chains of sin in his life, and when he died, he was punished to bear and carry the heavy chains until Kingdom-come, fearing that he is doomed to spend the rest of his deceased life in Hell for his sins. He warned the living man that the same fate would happen to him if he didn't change his ways, because his 「Chains」are much longer and heavier than the spectre's.
"So to save the man's soul, the spectre told the man that there will be 3 other spirits that will show him the way to a brighter future, or else the poor old man would face a torment of remorse, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. The 3 spirits would come by in a schedule - the first will appear on the following night at the stroke of 1, the second on the next night on the same hour, and the last spirit will show on the 3rd night on at the stroke of 12 and 66 seconds as soon as the last toll of the clock fades.
"Then the spectre showed the man the other deceased souls crying and bellowing from the graves in the ground and from the seas wanting to get to torment other people who were left out in the cold streets, but couldn't reach them. And soon after, the spectre was gone."
The friends and family became intrigued by Naruto's scary story as he took a brief refreshment.
Then Nell asked, "Then what happened, Mr. Naruto?"
"The old man went to sleep in his canopy bed, not knowing when those 「Spirits」will come. That was when he heard the sound of his clock chiming at 1. And soon enough, a figure of a young woman makes its presence known to the man.
"Who are you?" the man asked the first spirit whose presence is blinding from the intense radiance.
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past," the figure answered in a child's voice, "I'm actually the embodiment of your past."
"And the spirit took the man to the times where he grew up in dreadful hardships from his family life as he was growing up, where he had to take care of his nephew after his sister died from childbirth pains. And then came the time when he worked at a business with a younger, working partner. And another time when he fell in love with a woman that cared for him… until his love of money poisoned the man's mind and his relationships, causing them to be estranged or fatefully ended. Before the spirit left the man back to his canopy bed, she reminded him that these are the memories that he fashioned himself."
The old Mr. Trent was moved by Naruto's weaving of his tales, recalling the times that he had put through to himself, his good friends and even poor Nell. He couldn't help but pull out his handkerchief to wipe the tears from under his eyeglasses.
"Oh, but it's not over yet," Naruto said as he continued, "Then the old man woke up on his canopy bed, but then heard the chime of the clock strike 1 again. (Don't ask, that's how the story goes.) At first, the man's thoughts were playing tricks on his mind about the time, but then he noticed that outside of his bed, something is wafting through the curtains and is shining like gold through the gaps. It was revealed to be food, and not just any ordinary square meal, but it was a feast fit for many kings. Suckling piglet, the finest grapes off the vine, Christmas pudding, pistachio gravy smothered on a beef roast, any kind of food imaginable to please the eye, nose, taste buds, and the stomach.
However, the second Spirit showed himself to the old man and revealed to be a giant of a person wearing royal green robes and a wreath on his head and jollily said to him, "Enter, my fine man, for I am the Ghost of Christmas Present. Touch my robe and see what you're missing while you were sleeping in your lonely mansion."
"So the spirit took the old man to a few hours of the present where the civilians are walking along the avenues talking, shopping, and caroling songs of Yuletide. The Spirit shed drops of good cheer from his torch onto the passersby. They later stopped by the old man's clergyman's family who were living the best that they can do with what little money they have. But the family is still grateful for the old man giving them what was provided for, especially for the youngest son who is lame and crippled.
"But the old man asked the spirit about the fate of the poor boy and the spirit said, "I see a vacant seat in the poor chimney corner and a crutch without an owner carefully preserved."
"The old man feared that this shouldn't have happened to the poor boy and his family if the current future is becoming like this, should it be left unchecked. Then the spirit is worried about life the way it is, like an insect on a leaf pronouncing on too much strife on its hungry brethren in the dust as he guided the man to a different location.
"The old man was then shown where the miners and their families live and work in the bowels of the earth, but they weren't so easily disheartened from the hard times they had to scrimp and save. Then the spirit displayed the man of other places along the seas, across the darkened skies. To the boatman's hauling the fish from the nets, to the people in the lighthouses keeping watch for the ships at sea, and even to his nephew's house where he raise a toast to his uncle, no matter how grumpy or miserly the man is, because he's still family.
"However, the spirit's time has grown short. But before he left, the spirit warned the old man of two children hiding under the robes - a boy and a girl - both were ugly, clothless, and destitute.
"They are from man's darkest desires," the spirit said, "This girl is 「Want」 and the boy is 「Ignorance」. They are to be wary of, but the latter is to be warned the most."
"And then, the spirit left on the stroke… of midnight."
Naruto took a small break for a quick refreshment and loosening his joints before resuming the third part of his story. Mr. Dickens is taking notes on his ink and quill and the Cratchits became rather fearful, almost as if the old man was Ebenezer Scrooge himself. Betsy clung to her lover, wondering what will happen next.
"By the time the 12 chimes ended, the old man was encountered by a mysterious spirit shrouded in dark robes as black as the unlit night skies. He recognizes the third spirit as the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-come. The spirit took the old man to a time where all cheerfulness of Christmas is lost in the townships where crime and corruption are rampant, very rampant. They were talking about the funeral of the said man who has just recently been deceased. There were also people that took the dead man's belongings and placed them into rat-infested workplaces and prisons where even children were still working on Christmas Day.
"Then the spirit took him not only to the deceased's deathbed, but also to the young cripple's deathbed as his father mourned for his loss. His wife and children were taken away by the debtors and vicious slave drivers, leaving him all alone and very miserable.
"Then he showed the old man to a gravestone where he pointed out whose grave was it and its plothole begin to open in the path to Hades. The spirit of the future revealed his face to be like that of a familiar man he once met who then said to him, "This is yours, my friend. You're one of the richest men in the cemetery!"
"The spirit kicked the old man into the fiery hole where its casket opened a portal to a place where it was very ominous and evil. The spirit maniacally laughed at his latest victim's misery as the old man was being boiled alive on the way to his ghastly and grisly fate. He begged the spirit that he wanted to change his ways, but the latter kept laughing until suddenly… the old man woke up and found himself knocked clean out of his bed. What felt like three nights was actually an overnight from his perspective. The date is Christmas Day.
"And will the old man change his ways? To better manage his business trades with his clients? To help with other families in need? To find a way to redeem himself and ask for forgiveness and repentance in the land of Christendom? That was for the old man to decide as he got dressed and left his mansion on Christmas morn."
That was the end of Naruto's tale as the crowd applauded at the storyteller's ghost story. And Dickens said, "Good show, Mr. Naruto. I'm sure you've helped me inspire a good and haunting Christmas story."
"And I'm sure that this kind of story will be brought out in the years to come, sir," Naruto said as he moved to a more comfortable spot on the sofa with Betsy by his side. The Cratchit children were amazed at the foreigner for his ways to keep them entertained, especially for Tiny Tim. The young boy wishes that the old man or Uncle Scrooge had a change of heart on this Christmas night.
"And we shall see if Scrooge-san will come to see us in the morning or so," Naruto said as he stretched his limbs, "And I'm afraid that we must retire for the night, because the Sandman's a-comin', and Saint Nicholas and the Ghost of Christmas Present would soon come to our houses, bringing all sorts of cheer to every man's house."
And so, Mr. Dickens soon left the Shoppe as well as the Cratchits into their new home and beds. Swivellus and Sophronia decide to leave back to their home, while old Mr. Trent has already retired to his bedchambers. Nell and Kit went to their bedroom, and Naruto and Betsy went to their room for some overdue snuggling to at least keep themselves warm through the cold night on Christmas Eve for dreams of a better future in London. Their plans for a brighter future are much closer than they realize.
›-Section Break-‹
-PC-
That was when Naruto woke up from his dream. It was the same kind of dream that he had. It must have been the collection of books that he read by a famous man (not Jiraiya) that must have affected his dreams. Even the other Naruto's storytelling affected his mind about his past, present, and future.
And right now, the young man with no given name is still in danger. The whole village in Konoha wanted him gone, the ANBU hunters are after him, Jiraiya is likely wanted to abuse him with his stupid teachings and discipline by siding with the Akatsuki, Orochimaru's on the move with his plethora of misfit soldiers, Iwagakure and Kumogakure are likely sending down their men to hunt him down, too. And they're right on his tail, in fact, he is surrounded by all sides wanting to either capture him or kill him on the spot.
Naruto isn't really a praying man, but all he needed right now is a miracle to get him out of this trap of lies and deceit. But then, Naruto disappeared like a Reverse Summon, gone without a trace.
The pursuers became very enraged at their target's escape, so they took out their frustrations against each other, not knowing that there's another army coming towards them.
-PC-
[Unknown Realm]
The 2 Sages that summoned Naruto introduced themselves to him as brothers Hagoromo and Hamura, along with a number of people, explaining that they are Naruto's parents and loved ones who are very much alive, of which were Minato Namikazé (the former 4th Hokagé) and Kushina Uzumaki. They were also Reverse Summoned to let them be healed as they were to watch and wait to see if Konohagakure had been better off without them.
And what was Naruto's response for all of this? He gave Minato a body blow to the gut as he exclaimed, "Do you have any idea what happened to my life? I didn't have a good name and your people viciously attacked me with little to no reason at all! I couldn't make any friends since the old man Hokagé enacted laws that I don't really understand! The academy turned me down 3 times and I was about to be deported to a school where they'll rate me as a nobody! I finally made it to a Genin team where that imbecile Hatake, your former student, just didn't pay any mind to me! He even prevented me from entering the Summer Chunin Exams and let a different Genin member take my spot!" Naruto told about everything else, including the burning of his own house and the injuries of his girlfriend.
The parents didn't know what to expect their only son to live through such tribulations as they saw him break down in tears. They comforted Naruto to help calm his fears and worries.
"Naruto-kun!"
Somehow, Hinata somehow appeared through the Reverse Summoning sent by Hamura to send her to her boyfriend, with her leg healed by the Sages as she hugged her boyfriend.
However, the brothers Sages are very sorry that humanity in their realm has turned out this way when Toneri Hyuga, Obito Uchiha, and Orochimaru formed a deadly alliance with Danzo Shimura and they tempered the people's minds with their with their powers, causing almost everybody in the world to live the ninja life torn by wars over insignificant arguments and greed. That, and the Uchiha and Hyuga clans have grown complacent with their ocular jutsu, they were unaware of the genetic defects from their own families' inbreeding into the next generation.
So they proposed a plan to stop them from committing any further atrocities by calling the Shinigami to take out the key players responsible for this madness. But there's a problem: these four have those accursed abilities to prevent them from dying. So Hagoromo and Hamura, along with Naruto's parents, decided to train Naruto and Hinata to further their skills in mind, body, and spirit to stop the enemies' powers from within. Nobody said that those tasks would be easy without going through trials.
-PC-
[With Tsunade and company]
Tsunade was taken aback when Hinata "disappeared". She hasn't signed a pact with a summoning beast, but somehow, she's gone. Shizune hoped that Hinata and Itachi are all right, now that they are currently absent. And Anko hopes that Orochimaru or Danzo are here to spoil everything upon their destination.
Thankfully, the Pagoda is just over a line of forests and a river to reach over there. And after an hour of jumping and flying, they finally reached their destination.
The guards asked Tsunade about her reason for entry and she said, "I sent a messenger hawk to request an audience with the Daimyo."
The captain of the guards, overseeing the event, recognizes Tsunade who saved his life during the 2nd War and with his permission, the guards let them pass.
Upon entry into the palace something isn't feeling quite right with the atmosphere and it was the voice of one of the Daimyo's ministers talking to Danzo on the telephone, talking about an elaborate scheme to overthrow the Daimyo and his family, wanting to rule the lands without giving a second thought.
This deed worried the Captain as he told Tsunade that the Daimyo's minister of the right is in cahoots with Danzo to eliminate the Daimyo's family and take the spot as the new ruler of the land. So they hurryingly went to meet the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
-PC-
[The Daimyo's Court]
The Daimyo was anticipating Tsunade and her company to arrive as the Captain of the guards escorted them for an audience. But Tsunade, Shizune, and Anko didn't anticipate that the Daimyo is younger than he looks. He appeared to be in his mid to late 30's and is a very understanding man.
"To make this answer elaborate," the current Daimyo said, "I am not like my father, that lazy and lax previous lord of the land, nor my mother who has been rather cruel to animals and being too frugal with the budget, especially what she had done to poor Tora and his family of cats. I am my own person that noticed that some things needed to be set in the right place. But what I see is distrust and strife all over my land, discrepancies in testimonies and on the books, why there aren't enough med-nin in the teams, why the Ninja are so low in quality and relied too much on quantity, and why are the councils were not where they're supposed to be. To be quite frank, I am disappointed with almost anybody, including my father's ministers. They have held the reins for too long and it's time for them to step down and find new and more reliable people to step in. Now, is there something you want to ask of me, Tsunade Senju?"
"Yes," she replied, "Danzo has been elected as Hokagé without any news of your approval. He and the people have been causing an uprising against one of their fellow citizens."
"And who is this fellow citizen that has suffered such injustice that has caught my attention?"
"Naruto. Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki."
The Daimyo commanded his squad of ANBU to activate the silent seals to prevent outside interference and then he said, "I'm listening."
Tsunade, Shizune, and Anko explained the details to the Daimyo about what transpired all this time including Naruto's woes of not knowing who his family is, no thanks to Hiruzen and the elder council's involvement. Most of the Ninja Council were bribed into keeping Naruto (and possibly even others) from making good progress.
Then the Daimyo said, "I've been digging information with my trusted men for the last five years and I found that Konohagakure is actually in the red and have lied to my father and me about everything ever since the tragic events 16 years ago. I'm afraid that I'll have to declare Martial Law until they put themselves back in the black and have confessed their crimes, clan laws or no. I'll be the one deciding what's right or wrong around these lands and then I'll have a meeting with the other Daimyo to straighten everything out. Also, Danzo and Hiruzen are not your Hokagé in my book. They have caused too much trouble for anybody's liking. They are considered to be deposed and will be sent to jail, to be put in the monastery with their Chakra sealed, or to be put to death for their crimes. Are we clear?"
"Yes, milord," the Konoha women replied.
"Good. Men, deactivate the silent seals and call for the Minister of the Right."
The personal ninja obeyed and brought the said man in front of the Daimyo as the ruler spoke to the Minister first, "I have heard your deeds, Minister. You have faithfully served my father for many years."
The minister thinks that he is going to what's coming to him but when he looks at the angry look at the current Daimyo, this could mean something upsets him.
"However, I found out from my top associates that you were taking bribes from other nations, embezzling our funds, putting our good people and our soldiers to prison or to death for false crimes."
He brought out the secret photos of the Minister of the Right taking bribes from other foreign nations just to keep money in his pocket.
"You ignoramus! You have cost yourself your seat in our legislature! Your punishment is to retire from your office, don a monk's robe, and enter the monastery to repent of your crimes... or else!"
"You can't do this to me!" the deposed Minister of the Right yelled, "I worked with your father for many years! You won't have it your way!"
"The evidence and paperwork said otherwise, now leave this place and enter the monastery before I change my mind. Consider this as my act of mercy for you since it's almost time for the Days of Peace!"
The deposed Minister worried about his family's sake and his own livelihood as he was taken away from the palace.
"This is the limit! It's high time that the other Daimyo and their appointed leaders have an emergency meeting. I'm going to make sure that there will be peace on these lands one and for all!" the Daimyo declared as he called for his soldiers to prepare to go to the Land of Iron (a neutral country) to settle the matters. Tsunade, Shizune, and Anko followed suit to make sure nobody tried to interfere.
[Meanwhile…]
Danzo has decided to declare war on the other nations to prove that he (under the Konoha banner) is the mightest. He, Hiruzen, and the 3 councils have gotten word from the deposed Minister (who secretly refused the offer) that the Daimyo has made his move.
"Soon the whole world will know that there won't be peace on this Earth. And when all the people under my thumb, nobody would stop my ambition!"
Danzo contacted Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and the Akatsuki to ensure that his plans were done, unaware that the bandaged warthog was being watched… by concealing eyes placed in his hidden base.
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»-Line Break-«
A/N: As you know, this is a retelling of "A Christmas Carol" with other Charles Dickens stories rolled in, and a different twist.
I may not have finished this by Christmastime, but I promise that I'll find a way to finish this somehow.
And the heat will be on!
-blukmage19