I OWN NOTHING

Am I happy to hear you guys enjoy what I'm doing with Glimmer and Naruto. I do admit, once again, she's the one character which potential I want to see used to the fullest.

-0-

Glimmer and Naruto had one question to make, the princess voiced it first, "Why does an innkeeper have a secret tunnel?"

The deer man had opened a trap door behind his establishment. It revealed a path with glowing mushrooms to light the dirt walls and floor. Wooden beams supported the structure as old but sturdy ropes moved a dusty mechanism. It was big enough to move with the supplies and the horses.

"During the war I was willing to lend it to the Resistance," the man said softly with his head hung low and a small smile. "Am I proud at least you can use it, Princess Glimmer. Even if it's not much, knowing carving it with my family could aid you princesses makes it worth it."

"We shall guard and protect it, then," the girl knew how vital such a thing could be.

"Are you sure you're fine helping us?" Naruto asked deeply concerned for the man, "The Horde will put your head on a pike for this."

"It's fine, I figured this inn wouldn't last as they have started to occupy more land," the man sighed. "I can take a separate tunnel away from here without any clue or lead to my son's place in Oakley." He smiled as he held up a map which he handed to them, "Here's the layout. You can't miss your way there."

Glimmer nodded politely, "We shall never forget this, sir."

"I plan on going back to Oakley once this war is over," Naruto told him with a grin. "Once I see you there, make sure to have already told the kids how I helped you. They love my stories."

"I will, thank you," the man said as he bowed and entered the tunnel along them.

Upon splitting up, it was the princess and her bodyguard with the horses and supplies once again. Only the blue glow of the mushrooms aided them to make reading the map much easier. While her magic could be a good light source, using it constantly like a torch would drain the plump princess. Considering they saw the Horde and that they'd be after them, she didn't want to be unprepared. So, she read the map.

"Alright, here's a fork," Naruto told her as he halted the horses.

"Turn left, then right and down the middle at the next turns," She said before letting out a sigh. "This map and tunnel system do help. I'm glad that Adora didn't find it."

"It's the cat I'm more worried about," he told her flatly.

"Didn't you say both were sore losers like you?" she recalled that part clearly.

"Of course, but I've got my good and bad times when I lose," he said and then ruffled his hair. "Both will come after us, but out of the two, the one who's more like me when I'm bitter is Catra. Adora just wants to improve herself. That beefy scorpion lady..." he raised a finger and looked up, then lowered his hand. "I think she's the least of our problems. She's too nice to even hold a grudge."

"But that cat girl wasn't a captain like the other two," Glimmer pointed out.

"Doesn't mean she's going to be less tenacious," he clenched the reins and continued. "I could see it in her posture and how she tried to defend her friend. Looking into her eyes just made it clearer. She's got a lot on her shoulders."

Letting silence end the conversation, he hoped nothing else was needed to be said. During his explanation, the pink girl thought on what he mentioned of not even knowing who his parents were. At the idea of no longer being capable of seeing her father or what it'd be like to lose her mother, an oppressive knot appeared in her gut. Just thinking of what others went through because of the war. Listening to someone who didn't even ask to be involved in it. It made her feel like she had it easy.

"Hey, if we see her again, I will back you up," she tried to cheer him up. "After all, I can fight, even if I'm no sword master myself I can back you up."

"Isn't my job supposed to not let you do that?" he asked back to his cheeky self with a grin to match his attitude. "After all, your mom thinks I'm more than enough to fight off anyone."

"Hey, I was trying to be nice!" she pouted adorably, puffing up her slightly rounded cheeks.

Boasting, he hooked a thumb to his face with a smirk, "You got the future greatest swordsman in the world, you don't need to praise me when I know I'll be the greatest!"

She gave him a sassy grin, "And you'll use that big head of yours to easily smash the competition?"

He grunted, "Hey, I beat two Force Captains on my own already. I'm certified to say I will achieve greatness in your history books."

A pause from Glimmer disconcerted him before she spoke, "I wonder... If we actually end this war and win, would it really be something we'd look back to like you said."

"What're you talking about?" he was confused, the melancholic look on her face was something he didn't expect.

Leaning to the side, the pink princess let out a glimpse of her worries, "Will it be something to remember my father fondly or..will his defeat be what people remember him for the most-" a quick karate chop to the head was what she needed." Ow! Hey!"

"Enough of that already!" he snapped angrily at her.

"Huh!?"

Naruto recalled some of old Hiruzen Sarutobi's words about what it meant to be a Hokage, "If you are going to lead, to replace your old man, you owe it to him and yourself to be far greater than he was!" he sneered at the path ahead and continued talking despite focusing on finding the exit, "Do you want to make sure no one remembers he lost? Be a queen who others respect so they forget that."

Sadly, Naruto's logic was focused on how he wanted to be better, not how others grieved for their loss, "He was my father! It's not wrong to wish that people remember him for the good man he was!" she yelled back. Angry tears welled in her eyes and made him feel sick, as if he had been kicked in the stomach. Regardless, he kept as straight a face as he could and didn't change his mind that easily.

"Ugh, then, I don't know, tell them you got to be the one who beat the Horde because of him!" he retorted. Glimmer went mute as he ruffled his hair again. "Just be yourself, surpass your old man, but don't think I want to see you cry if someone badmouths him." He clenched a fist and finally turned his face away from her, "Anyone does that, you tell me and I will shut them up."

Silence continued on their way to see Princess Perfuma as Glimmer debated what to say, "I..." she started but he had already stopped.

"We're here," He told her flatly.

-0-

Princess Perfuma and her kingdom were an odd sort. Humans and deer folk socialized around the trees and wore the same outfits Naruto had seen at Oakley. Peaceful didn't begin to describe them. After exiting the tunnel and looking at it from a safe distance, Naruto had to wonder how they remained afoot.

Defenses were lacking and the closest army at their disposal had to be the princess. A slim blonde with pink flowers and petals on her hair, a simple if elegant sleeveless pink dress and a green shall. She stood a few inches taller than Naruto, noted that her natural tan and freckles made her cute. And it came as a surprise to see them notice the duo and their cart since they hadn't talked much.

"Greetings," was the formal welcome they got from the young ruler, who had raised a hand to salute them.

Bringing the cart to a stop, the whiskered boy asked, "You're Princess Perfuma, aren't you?"

"Yes, and you are the warrior I've heard from Kukui's letters," the blonde princess told him with a carefree grin.

And Naruto's mood was restored, "What has the old man told you about me, then?"

Perfuma was nonchalantly said, "You're as cute as he said you'd be. Like a groomed fox on two legs."

Glimmer giggled after she brought a hand to cover her mouth.

It had the expected response on Naruto, who felt a vein bulge on a cheek and another on his forehead, "Why that old geezer..."

"Naruto, mind your manners," Glimmer chastised him after composing herself. She then tried to be all business after getting off the chart, "Princess Perfuma, it is great to finally see you. We brought the supplies you requested from Bright Moon. And, as you stated, this is the man known as the Forest Gale, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Ah yes, and I must commend you for appointing him as your bodyguard," Perfuma commented with a calm smile while her subjects started to take the supplies to her village. "Of course, since we are residents of the Whispering Woods, it is fair I at least acknowledge him." She bowed politely to the blond, "I've never done this before, though."

"Don't you have other warriors to fight back the Horde?" Naruto asked with his arms crossed.

"Not after our losses..." she said sadly, then tried to cheer up. "However, having you at Oakley has kept them away from us, and for that we thank you."

"I'm doing my job and honing my skills to be this world's greatest swordsman," he boasted when seeing some kids nearby. "After all, I am the one who will be at the top in all history books!"

Glimmer rubbed her face with a hand, "And to think a few moments ago we were so..." she slowed down when seeing children approach him.

"Are you the Forest Gale!?" a boy exclaimed in excitement.

"Did you really defeat a Force Captain!?" a girl nearly burst out with enthusiasm.

"Just one, didn't you hear I got two!?" he smirked as he held his fingers in the peace sign, getting the young audience to cheer. Clapping her hands, Perfuma flashed him a genuine smile that spoke of her immense gratitude for his actions, with a brief wave she took him off to the side as people smiled at his appearance.

Proudly, she told him, "Forest Gale… No. Naruto, words alone cannot express how genuinely grateful I am to you! You've given us something that nobody can take away."

He held up a finger, "It better not be a cliché thing like hope."

"No. You've given us a voice. A way to fight back and protect what we love. Hope is fleeting, transient, like cherry blossom petals," Perfuma extended one hand, flowers growing from it before they scattered to the wind. "What you did is so much more permanent and meaningful. You showed us how to protect who and what we value."

She led him to the edge of the village. There, he stared long and hard at what she was doing in return. The forest had become a massive bramble patch, thorns as thick as his arm, surrounded every square inch of the land from Oakley Village to beyond.

You can...control the plants?" he whispered in awe, having heard few shinobi had accomplished such a thing.

"It is… becoming very tiring however," Perfuma said, her expression one of weak wooziness and exhaustion before she exhaled. She motioned to a large tree, her eyes struggling to focus as she continued talking, "I am doing everything within my power to hold back the expanse of the Horde. But they are corrupting and rotting the land. The power of my Runestone is fading as they pollute and tarnish the forest."

Naruto snapped when he saw a giant glowing stone which light slowly died down in the trunk, "Why didn't you ask for our help sooner!?"

The tall princess could only look downwards in defeat, "We can't rely anyone to help us." Perfuma started and motioned for them to follow her, "We're on our own, we've been after the Horde's biggest victory."

Opening a tent, she showed them several men, women and children tending to their wounds. Fractions of a second later, the other two realized who was behind such a horrific state.

"Do you really think we can't help you?" he asked seriously. "Give me some credit, I'm far stronger than I look, and I need no Runestone."

Grimly, Perfuma turned away from him, "As much as it pains me, we cannot compare to trained soldiers. Most of our warriors were lost in the previous war. The Princess Alliance is no more, and the Resistance can't spare anyone. Two of your princesses are at the border against the Horde, and I can't protect anyone outside of the Whispering Woods... so I'll just take care of my own people."

Listening to such a sad tale, Glimmer stepped up, "That's not true! We can win if we stand together, Perfuma!"

"Would you fight an army alone just for us when more need you?" Perfuma asked taken back.

Their eyes, both pools of blue, weren't lying as the whiskered sword wielder gripped his sheathed wooden blade, "As far as I'm concerned, Pinky's mom told us to get you guys food." He started with a smirk which showed how pumped he was getting, "Now that we're done with that, we can do whatever we want. Wanna wreck an entire Horde facility on our way home?"

Glimmer nodded, then frowned, "Yeah...and don't call me Pinky!" she pumped up both fists angrily, her cheeks puffed up cutely.

-0-

Across the last line of sturdy trees, past a wall of strong, powerful roots, spiked bushes and thick vegetation not even a mouse could cross, Adora arrived at the Horde facility. Bandages had been applied to the cut on her left shoulder by Naruto while she wore a new long red jacket like a cape on her shoulders and the two top buttons buttoned. It was adjusted that way to cover her wound as the sleeves flapped. Catra flanked her side and Scorpia giddily followed them. The largest of the trio had her eyes fixed on the feline's tail, fighting the urge to touch it.

Catra was unhappy, "Do we need to be here?" she asked and pinched her nose, "Everything they do here is try to weaken... What was the name?"

"Princess Perfuma, apparently," Scorpia told her after fishing some files from her secret archives between her massive puppies. "It says here her powers over nature allow her to control plants, give life to any dead flora, and make this impenetrable wall which keeps us at bay. That's why we have the big machines to act as weedwhacker." She affectionately petted a huge tube twice her size which pumped chemicals into the soil, then pouted, "It's a shame though, they got some great crops here. You know, we should totally try the cider they-"

"Enough," Catra hissed frustrated, pinching and massaging the bridge of her nose. "Why are we here?"

It was Adora's turn to respond, "If you recall, the Forest Gale had a cart full of supplies. What other kingdom was close enough to need them?" she drew out her singlehanded broadsword with her good arm and took a few swings at the air, "All we need to do is wait for him to come over. Given the fact he helps the princesses, we will run into him. And when we do, we can all have a rematch."

"Fine by me, so long as I can make him pay for what he did," Catra growled when looking at Adora's limply hanging left arm. "I don't care if we use dirty tricks, I want to claw his stupid face off."

"I know we have to capture him, but do we need to scar him?" Scorpia asked, "I mean, look at those cheeks of his. Don't you want to poke them?"

"No," Adora and Catra replied flatly as one.

Scorpia just smiled, a claw up, "Come on, you know you want to. It's like petting a kitty or touching a sleeping puppy with its tongue out."

Catra groaned, "What part of-"

"Well..." Adora started in thought.

"You're kidding, right?" her partner asked in dry disbelief.

"Hey, I am curious to see if those are natural or some sort of war paint," The newly minted captain defended herself.

"I'll tell you once I rip them off." The cat girl smirked as she held up her claws.

"So..." Scorpia started, breaking all tension with her next question, "I know it's not a cute inn carved inside a tree, but do you girls still want to have a sleepover? Again, never had one, but it didn't stop me from at least knowing the basics." She pulled a notepad from her mammary glands, "I've got all the basics covered to have the optimal amounts of fun."

Once again, her smile was too pure to get mad at, Adora tried to find a way to let her down peacefully, "I... I'll think about it."

"Don't think too much or knock it off unless you try it," Scorpia told them. "We'd stay up late, do your nails and file my claws, try on pajamas and talk about cuties who caught our eyes." She blushed at the last bit, an eager, childish grin plastered all over her angular face, "Also, all the cider we could drink since we're-"

"Captain Adora, Captain Scorpia!" a soldier saluted them, his voice filtered by his helmet. He reported professionally with his hand up to his forehead in a typical militaristic salute, "We've got word that the Forest Gale and a princess have made contact with the enemy forces! Apparently, they're on their way to us!"

"Tell the troops to guard all entry points and be up to date with our security codes and protocols, now!" Adora ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Once the soldier left, Scorpia pouted.

Looking at her fellow captain who sighed dejectedly, Adora let a similar sigh, "We can have cider after this."

"Yay!" Scorpia's energy shone so bright it either nearly blinded Adora or shocked her to the point she ended up staring into the distance.

"You sit between her and me," Catra whispered to her captain and only friend.

Dismissing her worries, Adora turned to the two seriously, "Alright, if we know the guy, he'll most likely come at us attempting to remain hidden and use stealth and his trademark disguise mag-"

Loud echoing cries ended her sentence, "HE'S HERE!"

Everyone looked at the white-clad blond walking nonchalantly into the fortress mid-sheathing his sword. Once the last two inches of the silver-painted wooden blade were close to it, he drove them in with an echoing clunk. Behind him two approaching guards collapsed, their torsos sporting deep gashes which bled into the polluted soil.

"Admit... that was cool," Scorpia said in a soft whisper as she got on her guard.

"It took me three months to get that trick down," Naruto replied once he had all three a few yards away from him. "Who feels lucky enough to go first?"

"Do tell, Adora, does it offend you if I say you were utterly wrong or that we should have gone with my plan?" Catra asked as she flexed her clans, "Because I think it's time I take him out."

"Wait, something's not right." Adora gritted her teeth and glared at her fellow blond, "What are you planning?"

"I'm here to see if you want to try your luck." He told her cheekily and got into a battle-ready stance. "It's free to try the first time, the second time you attack me, I'll be taking a limb." His left hand gripped the sheath and his right tightly gripping the handle.

Catra snarled and readied her claws, "You are some new kind of stupid if you think attacking our facility on your own will be easy!"

"There he is, get him!" shouted a Horde soldier as two entire firing squads appeared in formation with rifles aimed at him.

"Wait!" Adora called at them, but Naruto rushed forward.

"Fire!" the order was given by Catra, not her. Fast as lightning, the blond dashed to the side as a pillar of fire and smoke erupted where all the condensed energy beams hit the floor. Every soldier tried to keep a steady aim and kept on firing while the boy started to zigzag with quick dashes. Like an act of magic, he blurred out of view, almost as if teleporting. More soil blew up as he closed the distance steadily.

"Too slow!" he chortled as he disappeared and reappeared in a burst of speed in front of an armored member of the Horde, then proceeded to flick his forehead.

"You little sh-" Hordak's soldier got out before the blond unsheathed his sword fast and hard enough to break the helmet's chin with the wooden pummel. The firing squad were knocked down like bowling pins as the boy sheathed his sword again and looked at the second group of gunners with a cocky smirk. Said smirk died down slightly when he noticed a third, then a fourth, and a fifth squad approach.

"Alright, time to play tag." He snickered and leapt high into the facility's wall, where he turned and – like any child would do – slapped his butt at them, "Come get some! Ah ha ha ha!" he got the desired result of a failed combined shot which caused smoking debris to fall off the wall. A good chunk was missing, meaning that the gunners packed serious heat, "Those are some crazy toys these guys pack."

His whispered comment cost him a few seconds of distraction, "You're mine!" Catra stated furiously as she clawed her way up the wall, flipped in the air, and sailed through gales of wind with a powerful dive kick. Naruto was no slouch and used his arms to block the strike, groaning at the deceivingly strong power of the cat girl's legs.

Once she hopped off and landed on all fours, he took his battle stance like he remembered, "Did you feel left out because I haven't kicked your butt yet?" he asked with a cheeky smirk and his blade aimed at her, his feet sliding to spread his legs and keep his weight evenly balanced, and the handle beside his head for quick and decisive strikes.

"Nah, I want to rub it on Adora's face that I beat you without the title of captain." She snarled, clawing the wall with ease and without scratching her nails. "Also, make you an easier target." Mentally kicking his own ass, Naruto dashed back, spinning around as more red beams barely missed his body. Only to be left open for Catra's right swipe.

"Tch, you're good" clicking his tongue, the blue-eyed warrior ducked under her strike and attempted to stab her on the gut. However, Catra's natural feline agility allowed her to cartwheel backwards and allowed her to send a double-heeled kick to his stomach. Unfortunately for her, he was no brute and quickly brought up his shin to take the strike which sent him skidding backwards.

"Keep firing!" Scorpia told the soldiers, and they did as told.

"Oh crap!" the blond exclaimed and sheathed his sword to run away. More shots were fired, blowing some of the railings off the wall with ease, "Those weapons of theirs can easily burn down a forest. Now it makes sense why Perfuma had trouble despite having the home advantage."

"Got you now!" Catra told him as she flipped over him and landed right in front of the young swordsman.

"And people call me stubborn!" he angrily snarled and side-stepped her forward lunge. Using Catra's own speed against her, he gripped her by the armpit, lifted her up, and sent her straight to the floor. She let out a pained gasp once her back collided with the solid steel. Despite his size and age, he was strong and skilled. Fighting was the one thing he was good at, he often said.

Catra beamed evilly, "Got you!" she exclaimed and sent both heels to his knees, getting an equal pained gasp from him. Rolling forward once he lost his balance, she wrapped her arms around one leg as she did so to bring him down. Once he lied flat on his back, the feline fighter climbed on top of him with a claw ready to strike down.

And her wrist was caught by Adora, "Stop!" Adora shouted while a platoon of gunners surrounded them, "Why did you tell them to fire!? Don't you see he's plotting something!?"

"I'm not letting him get to you, remember?" Catra defended herself angrily. "Besides, it worked! He's not only captured but also outnumbered and surrounded in enemy territory."

"Hmm..." Scorpia started, tapping her chin with a pincer, "Hey, wasn't there like a cute if chubby girl with him with feathery pink hair?"

"Oh no..." Adora realized now what Naruto's simple but effective plan was.

"Okay, the beefy lady is scary." The blond swordsman whispered as he kept his eyes focused on the gunmen and the three young women without helmets. "However, yeah, I had a plan. The plan was Glimmer's if I have to be honest." He snickered while they all turned to him.

"Where is she?" Catra asked, grabbing him by the collar.

Grinning weakly, he closed his eyes, "You know that trick with the sword I did before? It took me three months to do it on my own. However, there was a technique in my village which I just hated. And I mean the whole deal. Just thinking about doing it and failing at it again made me sick. And yet, I kept trying. Day after day, I did my best to perfect it. It took me two years, but it worked."

"Wait, now I remember!" Scorpia exclaimed in shock, "This guy can make a copy of himself!"

Grinning, the clone snickered, "Boss told me to lure you around and make you feel big for capturing me." he snickered once Catra realized what he was saying. "Yup, I let you beat me. But hey, good luck finding him and Pinky." And with that, he was gone in a cloud of smoke.

Furious didn't begin to describe how Catra felt as she raised a fist and punched through the steel without feeling pair or caring about her bleeding knuckles, "I'LL KILL YOU, BASTARD!" her raging cry made Scorpia and several soldiers step away from her.

"Enough, we need to find him, now!" Adora told her, helping her friend get up. "Then we can make him pay."

-0-

Inside the facility, hidden in an empty room after tying and gagging two guards with vines, Naruto, Glimmer and Perfuma sat down. All three kept quiet in a small break room. Nothing fancy about it other than the snacks and drinks, some coffee tables, and minimalistic but comfortable chairs. Currently, the swordsman was busy replenishing his energy while Perfuma used her powers to tie down the soldiers.

"Oh crud..." Naruto grumbled through a mouthful before wiping his mouth, "My clone basically told us to hurry up."

"I'm still...amazed you can do such a thing." Glimmer told him, "Are you sure your chakra isn't magic?"

"If I had done that jutsu the right way, it'd be an illusion, so...maybe?" he shrugged. "Anyway, don't expect me to use clones by the thousands. I use a lot of chakra to summon one, and with this food I'm barely recovering all the energy I burnt off with that one." He had emptied a small box of rations which he tossed off to the side, and it landed perfectly on the guards' heads. "I can make a few, but I'd rather not try my luck unless I want to end up too exhausted to fight back."

"Still, for you to learn to do such a thing on your own without any guide is...quite remarkable." Perfuma commented with a smile, clasping her hands.

"Believe me, if I had a proper teacher and at least a good scroll, I'd have mastered it in a heartbeat." He replied with a sigh. "Lots of trial and error to get this correctly, sadly. It almost makes me wish I was still at home... Almost." He liked where he was, to say the least. War or not, at least he was appreciated and praised.

"Oh, then I wouldn't mind welcoming you as a member of my kingdom." Perfuma cheered at the idea. "Your job as a guardian of Oakley has earned you more than anything I can do to repay you. And now this... I really can't find enough ways to thank you."

Glimmer felt an odd knot in her stomach as she approached the two, "Let's hurry, we can't dillydally forever. If the clone told us to move, the soldiers must be swarming the place already." As she said that, she put herself between her fellow princess and her bodyguard.

"Right, then we must go in that direction." Perfuma pointed at a seemingly random point, "I can feel the source of my forest's decay injecting its venom into our trees."

"Since your Runestone is connected to the forest, this is their perfect way to weaken your defenses." Glimmer stated. "That's...clever. Starvation tactics are the worst."

"What're you talking about?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Picture you are at war with a country, both of you have supplies." The pink-princess started. "If the enemy finds yours, they will try to cut it out. Be it food or weapons, they'll do their best to drain them."

"Just like we need the food our forest provides and the life energy of its trees to power our Runestone." Perfuma noticed.

"Alright, now I'm madder." The blond growled, "Let's burn this place to the ground... Uh, just a saying, I know it'd be bad to burn your forest."

Perfuma smiled brightly at that, "Thank you for your consideration, Forest Gale." Glimmer bit back a growl and moved forward. Soon the odd trio found their target. A large machine with three large cylindrical containers filled with a green venom. A dozen tubes were connected from the largest machine Naruto had seen in his life and inserted into several large roots.

"The soldiers will arrive soon after your diversion, so let's do this quick." Glimmer told her bodyguard as her hands glowed.

Unsheathing his blade, the blond got into his stance and channeled a large amount of chakra into the wooden edge, "Whispering Sword: B-"

"Found them!" Catra's euphoric cry was accompanied by her pouncing on the trio.

All three jumped back and Naruto was left to parry a punch from Scorpia, "Hey, long time no see!" she cheered and gripped his blade hard to try to snap it like a twig.

"Naru-" Glimmer exclaimed but had to teleport when Adora arrived and nearly got her with a swing of her blade.

"Step back!" Perfuma said as she summoned forth vines from the nearest plants...only for them to whither and collapse in the span of a couple seconds, "Oh no..." she gasped as Adora cut them and went after her with precision and coldness in her eyes. However, her next strike was a miss when Glimmer appeared in a flash, hugged Perfuma, and teleported both of them away.

"Hey, he's mine!" Catra roared at Scorpia and leapt at Naruto, kicking him from the side and leaving him weaponless, his sword in Scorpia's pincers.

"Sorry...do you want his sword?" Scorpia smiled sheepishly as she handed the cat girl his blade.

"What the...this thing is made of wood!?" the feline fighter yelled in shock.

"Are you serious?" Adora asked, then turned to the blond with her sword held high in her right hand. "What trick is this?"

"I'll show you..." Naruto smirked as he gripped a dry root, snapping it before infusing it with chakra, "...once I'm done destroying this place!"

"Don't let him near the machine!" Adora snapped to her fellow captain and cat friend.

Just as all three ran at him, a pair of bolts of glittering pink energy shot the floor in front of them, halting their approach, "Don't forget about me!" Glimmer cheered with a beaming smile atop the machine, waving. "Naruto, go ahead, I'll keep them busy!" she said before firing more magical bolts.

"Annoying, aren't you!?" Catra snarled and ran to a wall, kicked herself upwards, and landed on the machine to claw towards the girl.

"Stay away!" Perfuma exclaimed and used most of her magic to summon forth more vines. They landed on Catra's body, but the chemicals weakened them to the point it was just a momentary hindrance to her. A quick roar later, and Catra had torn the dried-up vines to shred with fire in her eyes. Both princesses swallowed some spit as she lunged at them.

"You two aren't getting out of here without a scratch." She hissed, "I'll make that blond asshole pay for what he did to Adora with you as examples."

Down on the ground level, Adora decided to engage Naruto, her sword clashed against the root, which was pretty much a dried-up branch, "What is your secret? Are you magical or related to a princess?" she had to ask as the two pushed each other back. Naruto ducking under her following swing to kick her on the side.

Smiling smugly, he swiped at the air, "What you see is what you get? A shinobi who's going to be the world's greatest- crud!" he heard the air being sliced by a fast-moving object and remembered Scorpia. Flipping over her stinger, he cursed his luck knowing that would do some damage.

"Do you want to finish your sentence?" the scorpion woman asked and stabbed his sword on the ground.

"No, the moment was ruined." He told her flatly.

"Oh, sorry about that, and sorry for having to knock you out." She beamed as she readied herself to fight.

"You're taking this too casual- wait, why are you leaving his sword on the ground?" Adora was at first baffled, but her realization shocked her.

"Because he can use anything as a weapon, he may as well use a piece of cloth like a whip." The beefier captain replied innocently.

"Huh, not a bad idea." Naruto mumbled under his breath, a hand on his chin.

"Hey Naruto, hurry it up!" Glimmer yelled as she teleported away from Catra for what felt like the umpteenth time. "I...I can't-"

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Naruto said, clasping both hands together. He took off running, throwing his branch into the air. His eyes started to glow, reflecting light as he traced a path in the air. He used one finger to form multiple rings in the air quickly before poking forward. In front of him appeared symmetrical hoops which he dashed through!

Perfuma couldn't believe her eyes, "That's-"

"Whispering Sword: Irradiant Blossoming Moon!" As he neared the machine, he caught and swung his branch forward, the world shaking as a great gulf of wind opened the ground!

"What's he doing!?" Adora asked.

Perfuma explained in shock, "That's one of the Whispering Sword's ultimate techniques. The Irradiant Blossoming Moon was said to have once cleaved the very skies. Once its name was associated with the idea of a Storm Ruler, one who could bring the clouds apart with a single wave of their sword."

"Do you think I'll buy that fairy tale!?" Catra sneered as she leapt at him.

"Wait, Catra!" Adora called at her, but Naruto was too fast.

Perfuma felt herself shake, "Naruto is far from that level of strength legends speak of, yet even with a branch, he still has more than enough power and strength to destroy this machine corrupting the land!"

Holding his branch in both hands, the swordsman breathed deeply and tossed the branch aside, "There, it's done." Before anyone could ask, the sound of steel grinding against metal echoed in the room.

And then, they saw it, the machine was split in two down the middle!

Glimmer held an arm in front of her face, "Hold on tight!" she exclaimed while holding on to Perfuma. The explosion that rocked them all back allowed her to see Naruto's form in the backdrop of the explosion. A shocked Catra could only scream as the blast sent her rocketing out through a window into a painful landing outside. Scorpia was quick to shield herself and Adora with her hard exoskeleton.

Once she realized what happened, Catra sat up with a gasp...only to gape at the destruction left behind in utter horror and shock, shaking as she realized she had lost, "Damn him..." she shut her eyes tight when a fresh set of tears welled up in her eyes, "CURSE YOU, FOREST GALE!"

-0-

"That was incredible!"

Naruto chortled as he received praise from Perfuma with Glimmer right behind him, "Hey, it's all in a day's work." He replied with a soft smile.

"Naruto, those moves you used were similar to the magical katas used in Mystacor!" Glimmer exclaimed in surprise. "How did you learn that!?"

Crossing his arms, he tried to recall how he came up with that, "Old man Kukui told me they were meant for meditating and channeling inner energy...I didn't think they were magic. All I knew was that I could use a couple of those moves to channel chakra better into my blade."

"Your affinity with this energy and skill... I should have gone to you and made you my knight." Perfuma said energetically. Then, she blushed slightly, "In fact, I wouldn't mind granting you the honor of being by my side. With that facility gone, I can properly use my powers to protect my people, and with you at our side, we can prosper."

Glimmer tried to talk, but her mouth only hung open as she extended a hand and looked at Naruto, who grinned casually, "Eh, I'm fine as Oakley's guardian." He waved off dismissively, and the pink princess felt a bizarre relief wash over her. "Besides, Pinky here needs me. She wants to fight off the Horde sooner or later." He turned to her with a smug smile, "I can't leave you alone, can I?"

"No, but you speak the truth about one thing." Glimmer turned to Perfuma, "Princess Perfuma, you've seen what the Horde is capable of. While I know you don't have warriors, we would be honored to have your support in future battles with them...as a proper alliance."

"You mean..." Perfuma was taken back, fear and doubt clouding her mind. "After our parents lost, we-"

"It's our duty to surpass them, to honor them!" Glimmer exclaimed with a hand on her chest and determination in her eyes. "One of many things they right was to stand for what they believed and give us a chance to live. Running won't do us any good, you saw how hiding or remaining behind our borders won't stop their attack. My father, King Micah, understood it. Therefore, I won't back down either. I will succeed because he gave us the opportunity to end this war. However, I can't do it alone..."

Extending her hand to the blonde girl, Glimmer didn't let her willpower waver, surprising Naruto who whistled to himself, 'Did she get that from what I told her a while ago?'

"Understood." Perfuma said and stepped forward, a smile on her face as she shook Glimmer's hand, "Consider me your ally for any battle in the future. For our people, and for our parents."

"That being said..." Naruto interrupted them with a sad sigh as he ruffled his hair, "Any chance you have any spare wooden swords around?" he looked at his empty sheath.

"I can craft it right here on the spot." Perfuma answered with a soft smile and a giggle.

"Heh, you're incredibly resourceful." He chortled.

Glimmer frowned, "So am I."

"Really?" he smirked cheekily, getting her to pout adorably.

Puffing her cheeks slightly, she got right on his face, "What's that supposed to mean!? If you want to see me fight, just let me have a battle and you'll eat those words!"

"Didn't your mom hire me because I would have to fight for you?" he retorted, "Sounds to me like I'm the better fighter and the one who'll lift the most weight."

Knowing his ego, she decided to sting it, "Oh, then should I tell the kids how you got blindsided by a cat lady and how her friend took your sword easily?"

"Lies and slander!" he snapped.

As the two bickered with each other, Perfuma smiled bashfully with a slight blush, "They sure are...lively."

-0-

And that's my rap!

Frankly speaking, despite how much I criticize the show, Glimmer is the one character I really want to see developed better with her status and duties. Also, yes, I've got a thing for women with meat on their bones since a great man once said men eat meat and dogs eat bones.

Anyway, yes, expect her and Naruto to get closer but nothing life-changing or full of subversions. I'll just put effort into a simple story and try to make it fun regardless of the clichés. Meaning, yes, I may make this a Naruto/Glimmer only fic. No harem.

Swordslinger out!