Naruto - Warlord
AN:
Hey folks, i managed to squeeze another chapter through before christmas, if barely. I have to run in like 5 minutes as im writing this, so i apologize for being brief.
Got some very positive feedback after the last chapter, although a bit fewer reviews than before, which i suspect is because of the chapters currently being a bit slow. That's fine though. Some or your kind words reached me when i was having a really bad day too and that really, really helped me, thank you. At this pace, i might be able to squeeze out another chapter before i travel away for work shortly after new years eve. Its going to be some time before il be able to post again after that.
I am currently very sure of the future pairing of the story, but it is NOT going to be what you think it is! That is all i will be revealing, but do not be afraid to let me know your thoughts on the subject. It was actually several of YOU who influenced me to make the decision i did, but expect it to be a little while until it is revealed.
A last question for you folks. In the future, I will have to make a decision regarding this story, as the "arc" comes to a close, so to speak. When that happens, would you folks prefer a "continuation" as a seperate story, OR have me just continue this one? A part of me wants to make it 2 separate stories, one continuing where this one lets off, but i realize that most would probably prefer me to just continue this one until the very end (which is going to be in a good long while). Let me know, alright?
Chapter 14, ENJOY!
Chapter 14
Some days had passed since the meeting with his officers and Naruto reflected on it with a sigh as he covered himself with a cloak over the rags he wore. He was currently residing inside his personal tent which was big enough to house a small party of 5.
Temari hadn't said much over the last few days. After the meeting, she'd simply left and Naruto hadn't seen hide nor hair of the woman since. He figured she was still around to relay some last minute orders to the shinobi that would be left behind, but her absence was worrying.
His officers had been absolutely horrified at his plan, Ryu and Shou more than anyone else. Ryu had very nearly screamed at him and called him a madman, but reigned himself in at Naruto's harsh reprimand. The responding 'As you command, my Lord' from Ryu, spoken in a colder tone than what Naruto had ever heard from his friend cemented Naruto's position among them in a way Naruto hated. He truly hated this position and the responsibility it laid on his shoulders.
Naruto shook his head and continued to focus on dressing himself. He couldn't let his convictions falter.
Despite their protests, they had all relented to his plans in the end. None but they would know for now, not until his officers felt it absolutely necessary to inform their fighting men of the nearing battle. Shou would take the lead of the operation against the mines, delegating the responsibility of infiltrating the city to the other officers when the time arrived to ensure they'd somehow pass the gates when the battle began.
They had glossed over the details over the last few days, Naruto guiding them as best as he could before they had to stand on their own legs for a whole month. He worried for them, despite the confidence he had in his people.
Just as he finished dressing himself in the slave rags that had been secretly procured by one of his men, one of his officers called him from the outside.
"My Lord, Temari is here to see you."
Naruto sucked in a sharp breath of surprise. Seemed like she was still around.
He considered sending her away, not particularly keen on anyone seeing him in the rags he currently wore which barely covered his modesty, but he figured he couldn't afford sending her away before they had one last conversation.
"Send her in.", Naruto called back, steeling himself for the coming conversation.
A moment later, Temari entered with a frown, freezing at the entrance of the tent upon seeing him. Observing her, Naruto took note of her gaze as she ran her eyes over him, pursing her lips with a hint of worry.
Smirking at her, Naruto held out his arms as if presenting himself.
"How do I look?", he chuckled at her. After a moment of silence, she smirked back at him.
"Like you belong here." Her smirk quickly vanished however as she stepped further into his tent, her expression set into on of worry and curiosity. "Are you sure of this?"
Naruto glanced at her with amusement, before turning around to pack away the last of his things; he wouldn't be seeing any of it again for a good while, but his men had promised to take care of it.
"I am going to, with the help of my loyal men, sell myself into slavery from which I may or may not return from.", Naruto chuckled and shook his head as he packed. "I'd like to say I'm sure, but I would be raving mad to not have some doubts about this."
Temari sighed and seated herself at a sitting pillow at the corner of the tent, a few feet away from Naruto. A companionable silence was left between them, the quiet only broken by the sound of Naruto rummaging around and putting away his stuff.
"I think you're absolutely mad, you know.", Temari muttered silently. Glancing at her from over his shoulder, something in her eyes made him stop what he was doing. "And irresponsible. These people are looking for you to take care of them, and now you're just abandoning them for an entire month?"
"I'm not abandoning them.", Naruto argued easily. "I am absolutely confident in Shou's ability to lead our people in my absence."
"But YOU are their leader.", Temari pressed with a deepening frown. "You're too valuable to them to leave like this, putting yourself in unimaginable danger for an entire month. Why don't you send someone else? Seems to me, it would be the equivalent of us sending our own Kazekage on a suicide mission. It doesn't make sense."
Naruto sighed. Turning around to face her completely, he sat down on his rear, considering his words carefully.
"...While my people have come far, none are anywhere close to my level of fighting capability. You, as a shinobi yourself, surely understand this.", Naruto began somberly, noticing Temari's rapt attention. "'How can I expect my people to follow unless I lead?' This is a question I have asked myself since the beginning of my elevation to this position. I had thought I knew the answer to this question already, but I've recently found myself unable to properly answer."
"Why?", Temari frowned. "You're saying it yourself; how can you expect them to follow unless you lead them? You're not going to be leading anyone from behind the city walls, confined by slavery."
"Aye, and that is true.", Naruto chuckled, smirking self-deprecatingly. "And you're probably right. As their lord, I have absolutely no place to put myself in such risk. But let me ask you something else, something of which has kept me up in the nights contemplating." Naruto took a deep breath and fixed Temari with a hard look. "How can I ask my men, the very men who look to me to lead them to a better future, to risk their lives and their health if I am unwilling to do so myself? How can I ask them to condemn themselves to slavery for my plan to work, if I am not prepared to give myself to the cause?"
Temari paused at this for a moment, before she frowned.
"I am sure if you asked them, someone would volunteer in your stead."
"Aye.", Naruto chuckled morosely. "You're right about that, some of them would probably take my place if I asked, bless their bleeding hearts. Doesn't make it right." Naruto shook his head and returned to his packing. "No, it has to be me. While I am sure they could take my place, I have no right to ask. As the best fighter among my people, it only makes sense that it is I who put myself in this risk."
"...So that is your plan then.", Temari shook her head in incredulity. "Sell yourself into slavery with the hopes of somehow, someway, ending up in 'The Blood Gauntlet', with other fighting slaves that you have somehow convinced to fight and rebel with you."
Naruto chuckled and sent her an amused smirk.
"The way you put it makes it sound incredibly stupid."
"Because it is.", Temari smirked back at him as they shared a small laugh. She schooled her features again quickly enough. "You're putting way too much into chance and luck. A few days ago you didn't trust me any further than how far you could throw me, and now you're putting your life in my hands, hoping that when i return from 'Sand' that I'm bringing with me some sort of solution to rid you of those bracelets." Temari frowned. "You are going to be cuffed with chakra dampeners, you realize that, right? You chakra wont help you much in any of those fights until I return."
"Even more reason for me to not send my other men in my place.", Naruto shrugged. "Even with my chakra weakened, I am still the best fighter here. How can I expect them to succeed if I myself am unable?"
"You're impossible.", Temari huffed with a shake of her head, making him laugh again.
"I know."
"And arrogant."
Naruto glanced at her with an amused smirk.
"You forgot to mention devilishly handsome."
"Don't flatter yourself.", Temari snorted with a roll of her eyes. "Your nobility is going to get you killed one day."
"We have different definitions regarding nobility, I think.", Naruto shrugged, feeling himself bristle at the mere mention of 'nobility'. How he hated that word and everything that came with it. "But I digress. I have taught Shou as much as I have been able to do up until this moment. Should I perish one day, he should be capable enough to continue leading in my stead."
"Is that why you're doing this then?" Temari cocked her head. "Are you that self-destructive that you're already preparing the succession when you're gone?"
"No, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared, with the lives we live.", Naruto denied, but couldn't help but wonder if there was some truth to her words. He quickly pushed the thought away. "I trust Shou to be able to take the outer walls by himself. I can only trust myself to take the palace from the inside."
"IF, and only IF, you're somehow able to find your way into slavery beneath a master who intends to send men to the 'Gauntlet' during 'The Day of Silence'.", Temari threw him a look of condescension. "And that's a big IF, isn't it?"
"If I am unable to enter the 'Gauntlet', then I will just have to aid Shou in taking the city from the inside before we both move for the palace.", Naruto shrugged. Finally folding his armor and halberd on top of his packed gear, Naruto wrapped the bindings of his backpack shut before he stood to stretch. "But no matter what, the slaves need someone to lead them, someone to show them the way forward. Someone to ignite the fire that is already there."
"So, Shou will lead your people.", Temari pursed her lips uncertainly. "While you will lead the slaves?"
Naruto sighed as he was reminded of a similar conversation with Shou.
"I hate those words, you know.", Naruto muttered in resignation. "'Our people', 'your people', 'my people', 'their people'..." Naruto shook his head as he turned to regard Temari. "They are all my people, just as much as they are yours. We all have a common duty to our fellow man. I don't believe in such small minded concepts like 'us' and 'them'. We're all the same when we're stripped of our different cultures."
"And what about the locals here then, practicing the slavery that you hate so much?", Temari snarked back at him. "Are they your people as well?"
"I do not regard monsters as my own.", Naruto muttered, a dark look settling on his expression. "Those who cannot see the value in the lives and freedom of people everywhere, no matter where they come from, deserve no place among us."
Temari looked like she wanted to continue to argue with him, but finally relented with a resigned sigh.
"You're more idealistic than I thought you'd be." Temari suddenly giggled, shaking her head as she gave him a surprisingly warm grin. "No, that isn't true at all, is it? Thinking back on it, back as a shinobi you were still quite the idealistic one, weren't you?"
"Aye.", Naruto smiled back, rubbing the back of his head with a bit of embarrassment. "Always running around, yelling to everyone that I was going to become Hokage."
He must have been more wistful than he thought he was, as Temari gave him a sympathetic look.
"I think you've done good with the hand you've been dealt though.", Temari murmured, smiling softly at him. "I am sure you're always going to wonder how you'd do as a Hokage, but maybe this is what you were always meant to be."
"Maybe.", Naruto nodded back with mixed emotions. He'd lately brooded often about the weight of his responsibility, but maybe she was right in him being exactly what he was supposed to be.
Before they could continue their conversation further, Shou announced himself and entered the tent.
"It's time, my Lord.", Shou muttered. Sending Naruto a significant look, he waited for a confirming nod, before he left Naruto and Temari to say their goodbyes.
"...So it begins?", Temari whispered somberly, looking at Naruto with a worried expression. Her worry was flattering and very reassuring, considering how they'd been at each others throats since they met again.
"So it begins.", Naruto nodded and stepped towards the exit. Temari stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll will be back as soon as I can.", Temari glared at him, her fingers digging into his shoulder. "Don't you dare die before then. Gaara would never forgive you."
Naruto could only chuckle, smiling at her as warmly as he could. Giving her a nod, he grasped her connecting hand comfortingly for just a moment before he resumed his exit.
Leaving Temari in the dark of his tent, Naruto wrapped the cloak tightly around himself to avoid recognition. He disappeared into the organized gathering of some trusted few, all cloaked and disguised, who wordlessly moved along with Naruto under the burning sun to hide him from view.
First step of the plan was easy, yet tasteless, as they had to bribe one of the local caravaneer's who was passing through. When a dozen cloaked and suspicious looking individuals came up to the passing slavetrader some distance outside of the gates, the slavetrader was understandably suspicious of their intentions. When Naruto and Shou explained that they wanted him to sell one of them, namely Naruto himself, to slavery and pitch the sale for an interest regarding fighting men, the man had looked like he'd very nearly blown all his blood vessels in shock. The substantial bribe they were offering for him to do as they asked, as well as for his silence, eventually wore down the man's hesitance as he took the money.
Removing the cloak from his person, Naruto was left in rags that barely covered his modesty, much like the rest of the slaves in the city were dressed. Hono's collar was now refitted to fit his neck, clasped shut around his flesh with discomfort. While the collar had no key or lock to keep it shut, removing it was punishable by death, yet the temptation to remove it were still laid bare for every slave to suffer.
Naruto realized he was going to get intimately familiar with the urge to remove it, seeing how uncomfortable the hard leather collar was already after just a few minutes.
"Remember.", Naruto whispered, feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable with his body exposed. He hated this, but to understand and work together with the slaves, to be able to call himself one of them, he'd have to suffer their fate, if only for a little while. "Don't let our people into the city unless absolutely necessary from now on. If they recognize me-"
"I know what's at stake.", Shou muttered softly as he stood close, having a last minute conversation while hidden among the other cloaked officers among them as the many different caravans passed them by both to and from the city. The slave master and his own caravan waited patiently at a short distance away, minding his business as he took stock of his wares. "I will do my duty, as we all will."
A soft murmur of agreement came from the officers around them and Naruto felt pride well up inside of him. Emotion heavy in his chest, Naruto could only nod in response as he took a moment to gather himself.
"You have all come so far.", Naruto began softly and looked around. "I am proud of you, as you should be of your own accomplishments. No matter what happens, Shou will lead you in my stead. Come what may, I am honored to have spent the time I have been blessed with among you." While many of those around him didn't look directly at him, since they were trying to look inconspicuous, he could tell they were all listening by their stiff postures. The expressions he could see, looked grim and hesitant. They all hated this. "Remember your duty. One way or another, we'll meet again."
Shou reached forward and clasped his arm with a grimace.
"One way or another.", Shou agreed, his tone thick with emotion. "I'll follow and make sure the trader keeps his end of the bargain. If he doesn't...", Shou let his sentence trail off. Should the trader get stupid and do something other than what they had paid him for, it was clear that Shou intended to silence the man.
"You know what to say if our people ask about my absence?"
"That you have momentarily returned to the 'Hidden Village in the Sand'.", Shou responded without missing a second, much to Naruto's gratification.
"Good." Naruto took a deep breath. "Lets get this over with." Tightening their hold over the other's arm, Naruto smiled one last time. "Tell Ryu I am sorry, yeah?"
Ryu had been angry about the plan, especially when Naruto had pulled rank on his arguments. If there was one thing Naruto regretted thus far, it was that he hadn't said goodbye to his best friend.
"You can tell him yourself when you return, my lord.", Shou grinned, yet Naruto could easily see that it was forced. Naruto merely snorted at Shou as they each let go of one another. Always the optimist. He couldn't pay it any further mind.
This was it. Shou, Ryu and all of his people were out of his hand for now.
For appearance sake, Shou tugged Naruto along by the rope on his collar as they searched among the caravan for the slave trader. Finding him quickly enough, Shou relented the rope to the trader with a stiff and barely disguised expression of disgust. The slaver quickly put the chakra dampening bracelets on his wrist, as they had agreed to, before he pulled him over to one of the many slave carts that the caravan pulled towards the city.
He could instantly feel the drain of his chakra, almost as if he was out of breath and running on empty, but he figured he'd adjust since he had such a large amount of chakra in him.
Naruto attempted to catch one last glimpse of his friends that had become like family, but they had already disappeared among the crowd. His heart was pumping now, nerves settling in as the trader shoved him inside a carted cage filled to the brim with other slaves of varying ages.
Naruto quickly observed the other occupants of the cage and couldn't help furrowing his nose at the strong smell of excrement. The state of the slaves were horrible; their eyes were hollow and lips cracked and dry. Most of them were malnourished and looked like they were close to death, so Naruto assumed these slaves had been travelling for a long time.
Frowning, Naruto looked at a young man deeper into the cage, still as stone with his mouth hanging open. His eyes were glazed and Naruto suddenly realized the foul smell wasn't only from the excrement of the tightly packed slaves; the man was dead and looked like he'd passed away a good time ago.
Disgust reared up in Naruto and he couldn't help but look away as the slave trader yelled for the caravan to resume their journey towards the city.
He wanted to help these people, more than anything. Seeing the cruelty of the vile culture they now resided in, he couldn't help but wonder how much he'd be able to stomach before he lost his nerves, dropping the mask and killing someone he shouldn't.
The slaves next to him were so starved, dehydrated and exhausted from traveling through the desert that they hadn't even noticed another one, Naruto, packed in among them. He wondered if the slave trader was smart enough to realize that he couldn't sell any of them if most of them were starved to death or killed by the heat of the sun, but something told Naruto that a short lifespan was expected from most slaves, meaning that they always needed fresh batches of flesh.
As the cart shook along the road, Naruto closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander, dreaming of better days in 'Kisara Valley'.
Much of the caravan dispersed as they arrived within the walls of the city, the corpses of some unlucky slaves looming above the entrance from ropes as a warning. The collar around his neck felt more heavy than before, but he tried to put his mind away from it.
He wasn't about to grow cold feet now.
The cart shook as the horses pulled them ahead, and Naruto took the moment to observe the locals as they milled about in the moving crowds. None seemed to pay the new arrivals any mind, which suited Naruto just fine. The very few eyes he managed to catch merely sneered at him in disgust. Naruto had to remind himself that he now filled the role of a slave and would do so dutifully, quickly removing his eyes from the foul and arrogant glares he caught.
He had once resigned himself and his people to the fact that they would have to do things they wouldn't be proud of. He had a feeling he would very soon regret that determination.
They eventually arrived at the 'Bazar' where Naruto had bought and freed Hono. Minutes passed in worry for Naruto as the slave trader disappeared for a while, his guards still hovering near his stock. Looking over at the other inhabitants in Naruto's cage, none of the other slaves had reacted to the new environment, still sitting all quiet and hollow like.
While Naruto had resigned himself to try and look for Shou among the many faces, the slave trader returned and set his men into motion. Yelling at them to get the slaves moving, Naruto managed to see the platform of which he had observed traders sell their stock from suspiciously vacant, before the guards had opened their cage and harshly pulled him out after the rope on his collar.
The guards herded the slaves towards the platform, fastening their ropes upon the slave posts that resided next to it. Naruto didn't see what they did with the dead slave that was left in the cage. He sent a silent prayer for the young man's soul and tried to put it out of his mind.
As he stood among the other despondent slaves and waited, he realized he was getting a lot of inquisitive attention from the locals around. Naruto frowned and looked around thinking something was wrong, but he quickly realized how he must have looked among the other starved slaves. He was big, strong and looked well-fed compared to them and many interested buyers had taken note of him. He wasn't sure whether or not this was a good thing.
Eventually, the slave trader came to begin his sale, the guards watching over the slaves faithfully as the crowd waited with baited interest. Naruto's stomach did a tumble as the trader passed him and Naruto couldn't help the relief he felt upon seeing another slave chosen as the first auction.
Naruto reminded himself that he was here to be sold. This was what he had chosen. He needed to get his shit together.
Minutes passed as slave after slave was sold and Naruto was growing anxious. He was almost relieved when the trader walked towards him with a determined expression.
Sidling up next to Naruto to unbind his rope from the pole, the slave trader whispered to Naruto.
"...I don't understand how one would give themselves to something like this, but it isn't my business...", the slave trader began with a frown, greatly surprising Naruto by the worry which tinged the trader's tone. "...Are you absolutely sure you want this? No turning back once we get you up in front of the crowd..."
Naruto was surprised and almost touched by the trader's consideration, but any good-will Naruto could have had towards the man was squashed when he remembered the other young man in the cart, dead from either starvation or dehydration. At Naruto's cold nod, the trader merely sighed before he put on his brightest grin as he pulled Naruto towards the platform.
Despite being acutely aware that this had been the plan all along, Naruto couldn't help but feel extremely vulnerable and intimidated as the trader dragged him up on the stage in front of the crowd.
"This one should be interesting for any looking for a fighting man!", the trader exclaimed with a bright grin as he came to a stop in the middle, ignoring how Naruto snapped his head back angrily to loosen the collar's grip around his neck. Naruto let his eyes roam defiantly over the crowd, a sick churn in his stomach barely masked by the seething anger that was building due to his discomfort. Their eyes rested on him as they evaluated his worth, the crowd's greedy gaze touching him with a perversion that Naruto was well prepared for. "Recently and shamefully discharged from our great Daimyo's 'Royal Army' and seized in chains for his crimes, I was barely able to convince his jailers that his death would be worth much more in gold if thrown in the fighting pits than the executioner's block!" Naruto instantly latched onto the sale's pitch of the trader; he'd have to remember his words and build a backstory upon it very quickly. While there was surely a lot of room for the backstory the trader had provided to go wrong, it would explain to any potential buyer his more healthy state compared to the rest of the stock. A part of him was worried he didn't look like someone from the Land of Wind, but he remembered Temari; she had an even paler complexion than himself and just as blonde. His appearance shouldn't be too questionable, surely. "A rarity for anyone looking to get their hands on a truly superb specimen of fighting potential! Do we have any initial offers?"
Immediately as he asked, several people raised their arms and started shouting their offers for Naruto. The trader quickly set himself into action as he called out the highest offers, the prize increasing every time as the hungry crowd attempted to outbid one another.
Naruto couldn't help the disgusted expression on his face as he observed the crowd and quickly lowered his gaze to the ground. He didn't have any illusions before going in to what he was going to be reduced down to, but thinking and preparing for it were something completely different than actually standing there, offered up to a bunch of predators like a piece of meat.
And right now, that was exactly what he was. A piece of meat with little to no value.
Naruto tuned them out for awhile until he grew impatient as the minutes stretched on. There were eventually only 2 bidders left, stubbornly attempting to outbid the other. The crowd was whispering excitedly at one another as they watched the spectacle and Naruto could overhear some of the locals talk nearby.
"...Never seen bids go this high..."
"...Think we're going to see this one in the pits...?"
"...Maybe he intends to participate in the 'Gauntlet'..."
Naruto's nerves did a tumble as he overheard the last one, but he realized they were talking about the buyer. Naruto shook his head; While the crowd's gossip was of interest to him, the result was now, in the end, out of his hands.
Eventually, one of the bidders tired of the auction and shook his head with exasperation. The crowd exhaled in amusement while the trader grinned widely at the winner; he'd made an enormous payoff with this one.
Grabbing hold of Naruto's leash, he tugged Naruto along sharply and he had to restrain himself to keep himself from snarling angrily. He found it easy to act the role of an angry slave, since he had no reason to fake the anger he felt inside himself.
Coming up to the winner of the auction, the trader gave him the leash as Naruto took a moment to observe the man who would, for now, be his new 'master'.
The man looked like he was in his early forties, with only a few streaks of grey in his hair and stubble. He had a light five o'clock shadow with his light brown hair cut short. He would have looked like a military man, if not for the bright red silken robes he wore, its golden patterns setting him apart from those around him. His expression was set in a cold and disinterested expression, merely glancing over Naruto before he tugged him along, Naruto following nervously as the master's 2 guards flanked him.
As they left the 'Bazar', a woman met them in the first street they arrived at. She was well dressed in silken robes and looked to be just a few years younger than Naruto's new 'master'. She was an attractive woman, raven hair which reached her hips with an unblemished and flawless face. She would have looked like any of the locals around them, if not for the slave collar around her neck.
Naruto gazed at her warily as she looked at Naruto's master who led them towards her. He quickly noted that despite her status as a slave, due to her collar, she had no leash connected to it and seemed like she waited for them on her own accord.
The sight made him frown.
As his new master arrived passed the woman, he ordered her to follow which she did without any signs of confirmation. She walked next to him, with only a single step behind in distance, most likely to show deference to her master as they were in a public space. Despite her status as a slave, Naruto couldn't help but feel that she was strangely comfortable with her close position next to her master.
Naruto's frown deepened in thought. This development could potentially have some consequences, if slaves within their society had positions of respect and comfort. The slaves content with such could prove a threat to his mission.
They walked for a good long while, none in their company sharing any words as they simply walked in silence. They eventually came upon a more quiet quarter of the city. The houses had stopped and left room for more spacious estates, walled off and removed from the public's eyes. Guards opened the exterior gate, a white and ornate looking metal gate, and let them inside the welcoming gardens with words of welcome and show of deference, bowing deeply to the return of the master. The outer garden seemed to stretch around the estate within the squared, walled-off area, a graveled path leading them towards the main entrance while a single path, padded with plates of stone, led the way into the gardens. The estate itself was built like much of the rest of the city with painted sandstone. The outer design, while simple in itself, had many decorations with exotic flowers hanging from the windows and the walls. While the estate looked to be quite tall, Naruto didn't think it was tall enough for 2 stories. The main entrance in itself was a large wooden double-door, engraved with the same ornate pattern he'd observed on the gate. Naruto figured it to be a family symbol.
The master opened the doors and entered the foyer. As Naruto was pulled inside, he quickly took note of his surroundings as he was already planning an eventual escape, should the need arise. There was a wide, open space in the middle of the room that was constructed with tiled marble. While it was empty as of that moment, the space was most likely used as an area to host guests of occasion. A path framed by thin pillars of sandstone followed the edges of the square room and Naruto could see several doors to adjacent rooms. The master quickly disappeared into one of these, followed by the slave of obvious stature.
Before he could question their absence, the guards quickly grabbed hold of the dropped leash and dragged him harshly along towards the opposite side of the room. Entering a room which led into a narrow staircase, Naruto was led into the basement which honestly looked more like a dungeon than anything else.
The dungeon was locked behind bars and a door of iron, the atmosphere dark and dusty. As soon as the guards opened the narrow corridor and led him inside, a strong smell of sweat and excrements filled his nostrils and Naruto did his best to refrain from grimacing. Before he could observe any further, the guards opened a door to what was obviously a cell where they pushed him inside.
The door slammed shut behind him, the lock clicking in place automatically. Frowning, Naruto figured he could safely deduce that he'd just been introduced to his new 'home' for the foreseeable future. His cell had very few features in it. The cell was narrow and small, barely leaving him enough room to take a few steps in any direction and lit by a single lamp in the ceiling. There was a single bed inside the room, wooden and way too small for his larger frame.
A bucket stood in the corner next to the door, but Naruto didn't have to question its supposed usage. He didn't want to think about that at all.
Steeling his nerves, Naruto took a deep breath despite the strong smell of the dungeons and sat on the bed.
"...And thus we wait...", Naruto murmured and closed his eyes. Meditation, for now, would be his only past time.
It felt like hours until Naruto was finally disturbed again. Hearing the lock turn in the door, Naruto's eyes snapped open with a scowl. A single guard greeted him as the door opened, giving Naruto a bored expression.
"Come 'ere.", the guard drawled irritably. Naruto quickly rose and moved to comply. The guard removed the leash from his collar and nodded towards the exit of the dungeons. "Walk."
Naruto didn't ask any questions despite his curiosity and did as ordered. He was moved back up into the estate and eventually found himself outside a door of which the guard knocked on carefully.
"Come in.", a voice called from the other side. The guard opened the door for Naruto, who warily stepped into what he quickly observed to be a small office. In the middle of the room was a small desk, filled to the brim with scrolls and books with bookshelves littering most of the space along the walls. There were no windows in the room, but a few strategically placed lamps gave enough light for there to be a comfortable amount of glow in the room to read if one should be so inclined. Naruto's new master sat behind the desk, looking expectantly towards the guard who quickly strode over to relinquish the leash. "Leave us."
Naruto arched a brow in surprise; the man was unafraid to be left alone with him, despite his larger frame. Foolish confidence? Naruto didn't think so.
The guard quickly left as ordered, shutting the door behind him as he did so. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little bit apprehensive as he gazed warily at the man behind the desk.
"Your weapon of choice?"
Naruto blinked at the sudden question.
"I'm sorry?"
The man looked at him with an expression of disgust and irritation.
"Your weapon of choice. What is it?", he muttered distastefully. "Speak, before I lose my patience with you."
Ignoring the anger which welled up inside of him, Naruto removed his eyes from the man and looked low in deference.
"Halberd.", Naruto muttered. "Or axe, if need be."
"Halberd?", the man scoffed, but arched his brow in surprise. "Unusual choice for a weapon. Is that your arrogance speaking or is that what you were trained to wield?"
Thinking quickly, Naruto figured the man to be speaking about his false backstory as a member of the 'Royal Army' of Wind.
"It is what they trained me for, although I can use other weapons if need be."
"We shall see.", he stated, scowling down his nose at Naruto. "It's late, so I will be brief. As of this moment, any thoughts or dreams of a future outside of these walls are forfeit. Cast them out of your mind and give yourself to me as your master. Do so, and I will give you the chance to fight and die with some amount of dignity, which is more than what you deserve." Naruto refrained from answering his biting words. "My name is Isamu Matsushita, but you will refer to me as Master."
Before he could continue, a knock on the door was heard. Upon Isamu's yell of confirmation, the slave woman from before opened the door and entered, eyes held low.
A small smile tugged on the corners of Isamu's lips, his eyes softening just a bit before the expression disappeared behind the cold mask of disgust he showed Naruto. The expression lasted only a second, but Naruto's former Shinobi training allowed him to pick up on it easily.
Interesting.
"Master.", the woman bowed in deference, receiving a nod in return.
"This is Mari.", Isamu gestured to the woman. As Naruto glanced at her, Mari tilted her head at him in greeting. "She carries my orders among the slaves and are to be obeyed as if it was myself when I am absent." Fixing his attention back at Naruto, Naruto did the same. "I will be honest with you. I did not buy your worth to be spent in menial work, I did it to have you fight and die in my name. Disappoint me and I will appease the crowd with your blood even if you win. Please me and I will let you have a place among my elite fighters, the lucky few who will be remembered for years to come, long after someone betters you and sends you to the afterlife. Do you understand so far?" Naruto nodded. The man obviously thought himself a benevolent master, but Naruto was already fantasizing about squeezing his neck until his eyes popped out. "Tomorrow, you will begin your training among the rest of the recruits. You're a bit late to the initial training and will be expected to pick up the slack, but with your background as a member from the 'Royal Army', I have no doubt you will do adequately. If you do not..." Isamu shrugged and let his words trail off. Naruto inwardly grimaced; his meaning was obvious and not lost on him. "Mari will see you back to your cell. Tomorrow, we will outfit you with something suitable, although we do not currently have a halberd for you to neither practice with nor fight with. Will a two-handed axe of some kind be suitable?"
Naruto gave the question a quick thought. While a two-handed battle-axe would, depending on its design, have much shorter reach than a halberd, it was similar enough for his recent months of experience with a halberd to count.
"It will, Master.", Naruto nodded and kept his eyes low.
Gods, how he hated this act.
"Good.", Isamu nodded and waved him off.
Wordlessly, Mari gestured for him to follow her out of the office and Naruto was all too eager to leave.
They quickly found themselves back in the dungeons outside of his cell.
"Your training begins at sunrise.", Mari muttered to him with a dispassionate expression. "The guards will unlock your cell. Follow the other fighters to the training room and report to the 'First Instructor'." Receiving a nod from Naruto, Mari locked the cell as he entered.
Naruto let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Moving to his bed, Naruto lowered himself on the thatched layer of his resting place, grimacing in disgust; he could feel the uncleanliness of the bed as it had obviously been a long time since it had been washed. Naruto figured himself to be sleeping on at least 5 layers of old sweat from previous, most likely dead, owners.
Naruto pushed those facts away from his mind, focusing instead on what was important.
He'd successfully infiltrated the slave population of 'The Ivory Docks'. Despite any unpleasantness that may have followed, he'd thus far managed to do exactly what he intended to. Now, he merely had to survive until the appointed hour while making some new friends along the way.
In truth, it would be far from that simple, something Naruto knew painfully well, but didn't want to think about.
Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, he folded his arms behind his head as he allowed himself to rest on the bed.
While Mari herself had been unreadable, Isamu obviously had some affections for the woman. Where they reciprocated or not? There was something here that could be used in the future, Naruto was sure.
Plotting and thinking long into the night, sleep eventually claimed him, filling him with dreams of a home far, far away.
Morning came too quick for his liking, as his cell was opened by a guard, yelling and roaring for him to get his rear in gear. Not wishing to step on any toes just yet, Naruto quickly moved into the dungeon corridor as quick as he could as the guard went on his way to open the rest of the cells. Following those who was already out further into the dungeons, Naruto suddenly found himself in an underground pit that was filled with sand. Logs, gear and dummies littered the edges of the pit and there was no proper architecture regarding the walls, just the sharp edges of unmasoned rock. The pit of sand was large and wide, big enough for a large group of warriors to practice in without interrupting one another. Standing torches were placed around the area with a single elevated platform overlooking them. He assumed the only access towards the platform was from the estate floor and only used by the privileged master and his chosen few.
Seeing no openings within the fighting pits, Naruto worried they'd choke on the heat from the torches, but the cool temperature made him stop and think. There was obviously some form of ventilation there, even if he couldn't see any.
A few guards oversaw their activity from the platform, making sure they didn't skip out on their training.
All the other slaves in the pit wore the same slave rags as Naruto, except 3 slaves who conversed as the rest lined up in waiting. They wore some well used leather vests and Naruto assumed that they were the instructors and the oldest veterans among them.
Minutes passed until the 3 instructors finally came up to them where they waited. 2 of the instructors stood a bit behind the first one, a clear show of deference. Naruto assumed that man to be the 'First Instructor' that Mari had referred to.
The man was well into his forties, his chiseled face marred by several scars, the most profound one going all the way from his temple, over one of his eyes and over his lip. His graying black hair was fastened in a ponytail, matched by a goatee. His steely, orange eyes bore down on Naruto as soon as he saw him.
"We have a new recruit.", the man rasped, his voice as broken as his body which was as riddled with scars as his face. Naruto felt some apprehension upon having this man's attention, as it was obvious that he had lived in this hell hole for a very long time. Naruto also spotted the pair of chakra dampeners on the man's wrist, which was a cause for concern if anything. "Step forward." Naruto quickly did as told, taking a couple of steps forward to separate himself from the rest. "What is your name?"
"Naruto.", Naruto quickly responded, hoping by everything that was that the man wouldn't ask any more probing questions.
The first instructor's eyes ran over him and his body, frowning at whatever it was that he saw. After a moment, the instructor barked out at another slave that stood among the rest.
"Tamaki, step forward!" One of the slaves, well trained if his physique was any indication, ran forward in obedience. Naruto watched the instructors whisper together with some amount of confusion until one of them brought forth some blunted training weapons. The other slave, Tamaki, was given a wooden spear while a two-handed axe was thrown at Naruto's feet.
Naruto quickly picked it up and steeled his nerves. They were obviously testing him against one of the other slaves.
"Tamaki here has already had a week of training, but Mari has informed me that you've had some prior instructions.", the first instructor's rasping voice mocked him, his expression set in a calculating glare. "Show us what you can do, Naruto."
Nodding, Naruto fixed a scowl upon the other slave who he would be fighting in a few moments. The wooden training weapon in his hands felt much lighter than the halberd, but Naruto didn't have the same access to his chakra that he had prior to his enslavement. He would have to take that into careful consideration.
The instructor yelled for them to begin and Naruto lowered himself into a combat ready stance, hands spread apart in their grip upon the weapon. Considering his opponent's superior reach due to his choice of weapon, he was going to have to be ready to block first.
Seeing his opponent ready and waiting to block, Naruto quickly moved on the offensive and stepped forward. His opponent moved back nervously, obviously still very green regarding combat.
Naruto would exploit his lack of experience by everything it was worth.
Dashing forward with an angry roar, Naruto kicked up a wave of sand towards his opponent's face. Surprised by both the sand and his roar, Tamaki stabbed forward and into Naruto's waiting block. Using the handle of his weapon to push Tamaki's spear to the side, Naruto forced his weapon into a circular motion as he moved onto his retreating opponent, before shoving Tamaki's spear to the side and away from them both. Naruto harshly elbowed him across the face as he did so, quickly hooking the bottom part of the axe's blade behind his opponent's head.
Grunting in exertion, Naruto kneed him in his chest before he flipped Tamaki around and onto his back, pulling him with the weapon hooked onto his neck.
Ending the fight with his axe resting upon Tamaki's throat, who curled up to hack and cough his air back into his lungs, Naruto glanced expectantly at the 'First Instructor', who now watched him with a calculating stare.
Naruto was quickly ordered by the other instructors to join the rest in the lineup along with Tamaki. The 'First Instructor's' eyes lingered on him for a moment longer before he barked his training orders at them, quickly pairing them off to begin.
A figure on the platform caught Naruto's eyes as he began sparring with another of the recruits. Isamu, the estate's master, was looking at him with a thoughtful expression. Naruto had gained his attention now and would hopefully not be brushed of as useless. He only hoped he hadn't condemned Tamaki, the other slave, in doing so.
Come what may, Naruto would have to do whatever he could, no matter how tasteless a task it was, to make it out in the other end.
Im embracing myself for a couple of comments i just KNOW some of you are going to send.
Thanks for reading, see you folks next time.
MiNdZeRo here, signing out.