Naruto: Journey to Lyonesse Remastered
Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
There are quite a few changes this chapter as there were some major plot holes in the original. Here is Chapter 2. Enjoy!
ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Since many have asked, Shizuka and Hinata are having separate adventures in other places so there won't be any direct Naruto/Hinata/Shizuka interaction for several chapters. I'd like to thank Lord Farsight for inspiring a few scenes in this chapter.
Last time:
Naruto followed Kraven over to the impatiently waiting Benibara Steelside. She assumed the blonde man was arguing with Kraven for an outrageous protection fee but in this case she was willing to pay. When she saw Kraven a Naruto approach she put on her 'socialite smile' and said in a friendly way, "Well hello there; I trust we have an accord for you to escort us to Whorl?"
Naruto looked into her calculating light green eyes and said. "Yeah, I'll escort you over there. Let's get going."
Naruto was about to turn and start walking when Kraven said, "Mr. Uzumaki; might I introduce Lady Benibara Steelside. Lady Steelside, this is Mr. Uzumaki Naruto."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Uzumaki." said Benibara as she held out her hand for him to kiss her knuckles. (Truthfully she didn't to have Naruto touch her; he was covered in slime after all.)
Naruto just bowed slightly and said, "It's nice to meet you. We should go." Then Naruto turned and started leading them towards the Whorl Arcology.
Benibara was a bit incensed at Naruto's perceived lack of manners. 'Just who the hell does he think he is? Doesn't he know who I am?' she fumed. Calming herself she said to Kraven in a whisper tone, "So how much damage has this done to my bank account Wilhelm?"
Kraven thought, 'Here we go!' "He didn't ask for anything my Lady. He's from outside the barrier and has never even heard of Lyonesse. He didn't even know what an Arcology was. All he asked for was a shower to wash the slime off of him which I'm ninety nine percent sure is heavy water." He saw his mistress' eyes widen and then Kraven could literally feel the gears whirring and clicking in her head.
Benibara gave a beatific smile that basically frightened Kraven and she said, "How fortunate for him that he fell into the hands of the generous Steelside family then."
….
Chapter 2
The Streets of the Undercity, Lyonesse
Kraven was cringing at what Lady Benibara had in mind for Mr. Uzumaki. The manservant sighed and wondered what would happen next when he saw Naruto suddenly stop. The blonde commanded, "Stand still and stop talking. Something is ahead of us." They saw Naruto pull out a kunai knife in each hand and tense himself. Six wolf-like creatures about the size of Inuzaka dogs came out of the darkness with their red eyes glowing.
Benibara and Kraven stared in shock and horror at the beasts. They were dire wolves! A heavy rifle was the only thing that would pierce their hides short of artillery. The only place Benibara had seen one was at the zoo and it frightened her terribly even with the bars in between them. They were doomed.
Naruto said, "Pack animals eh? I really don't like killing animals unless it's for dinner." He laid on a massive killing intent and said, "Why don't you pups go home? There's nothing for you to eat here." The dire wolves started whimpering and cringing away but the alpha of the pack lunged at Naruto. The orange wearing ninja simply said, "Wind blades." as he motioned with his arm. The alpha stumbled back before it literally fell apart, sliced into pieces. The other dire wolves howled and whimpered in terror before they fled in fear.
Naruto turned to the other two and said, "Well, I think it's safe for now. Let's get going." Kraven and Benibara seemed a little hesitant and Naruto frowned. "The smell of blood will probably attract other predators." he said as he pointed to the sliced up gore that was once a dire wolf. "Shame about that animal's hide though; it might have made good leather." Then Naruto held up his hand and said, "Hold on a second." Another dire wolf leaped out of the darkness snarling in rage at Naruto. The Sage caught it by the throat making it yelp in fear as he didn't budge an inch. Channeling chakra into his hand Naruto crushed the wolf's windpipe with a massive crunch that made Benibara and Kraven wince. The blonde held the wolf up until the massive animal went limp as Naruto lowered it to the ground; dead. "This must have been the alpha's mate; shame." muttered the blonde. "It's just another reason I really hate killing animals." He got out a damp scroll and sealed the dire wolf's body in it. "At least I can tan the hide from this one."
'My god!' thought Kraven with wide eyes. 'What is he? No human being should be capable of that. Have people outside the barrier….evolved somehow? If one dire wolf is loose in a populated are they send an armored, ten man squad with heavy firepower to kill it. He just killed one with his bare hands!'
Benibara stared in unabashed awe. 'He just took out two dire wolves without so much as a scratch. Mr. Uzumaki didn't even break a sweat! I don't care what it costs, he will be mine!'
….
Whorl Arcology, Ground Entrance
Naruto led Benibara Steelside and Wilhelm Kraven the rest of the way to the Whorl Arcology without further problems. More hostile wildlife appeared but quickly scampered away when Naruto unleashed his killing intent upon them. The group of three arrived at the Ground Entrance to Whorl and found it was heavily fortified with lots of gun emplacements and armored troops. A spotlight turned on to them in the twilight as they approached and a voice boomed out over a speaker. "HALT! Identify yourselves and state your business at Whorl Arcology!"
Benibara took command at this point. She frowned. "I am Benibara Steelside you cretins! Open the doors and let us pass before I become cross. I've had a long and tiring walk home and you are barring my path."
Murmurs went through the armored troops and the reinforced door soon opened revealing several people in medical garb that completely hid their features. "Please forgive our impertinence Lady Steelside." said a medic. "Please enter and we will detoxify you and your companions from the streets."
The three travelers were ushered in and the medics immediately started running rod like scanners over them for toxins. One medic came up with a pistol shaped scanner and took readings from the back of Benibara and Kraven's necks. "Your medical biochips show you are both very stressed mentally but physically unhurt. We need you to strip off your clothes and step into the detoxification stalls." Benibara was obviously irritated and griped about the inconvenience of it all but stepped into the next room. Kraven simply waited his turn….
The medics came over to Naruto and started scanning when one said, "He's covered in heavy water! Take him in for a full decontamination. I can't even get a reading on his biochip. It may be damaged." The medics tried to hustle Naruto into a separate room but the blonde wasn't budging. "What the hell are you people trying to do?" asked Naruto angrily.
Kraven came over and said reassuringly, "Mr. Uzumaki, You are contaminated with heavy water. I know you've never been inside an Arcology before but you need to be thoroughly cleansed so no one else gets contaminated or sick from it. Trust me, it is perfectly safe and the medical staff here means you no harm. They are professionals."
"What do you mean he's never been inside an Arcology?" asked a medic in confusion.
Kraven simply said, "He is from outside the barrier and is under the protection of the Steelside family. These are by the orders of Lady Benibara Steelside herself. The family will sort out the legal matters and his citizenship papers after he is decontaminated. I trust you don't want to incur my Mistress' wrath."
The medic cringed. "No, no! Of course not. We will take good care of Mr…?
"My name is Uzumaki, Uzumaki Naruto." said the disgruntled ninja. "What exactly are you people going to do?"
We're going to take you in that room where you can disrobe and we can thoroughly cleanse you and give you a medical checkup. Once we are done with that we will provide you with clean clothing and dispose of your old, contaminated clothes."
"What about my weapons and belongings?" asked Naruto.
"Weapons?" asked the medic in a shocked tone. "T-they will be decontaminated and held here until the Steelside family gets you a weapons permit or you leave Whorl."
"I'm disliking this more and more with every second Kraven." growled Naruto. "Tell Lady Benibara to forget about owing me anything. I'm heading back out into the streets."
"Mr. Uzumaki please be reasonable!" pleaded Kraven. "Long exposure to heavy water could make you very, very sick or even kill you. You must be cautious."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "And my weapons…?"
"I assure you they will be returned to you as soon as possible." said Kraven. "You are new to Lyonesse. Let the Steelside family help you get settled. They do owe you a great deal for saving Lady Benibara's life."
"Fine." huffed Naruto. "None of my gear better turn up missing or there'll be hell to pay." He went through the door with the three slightly frightened medics.
Kraven sighed. "Whew; I was afraid he'd lose his temper for a moment." Then a medic took Kraven to the same detoxification chamber that Lady Benibara had just vacated….
….
Meanwhile; Benibara was in the waiting room and cleared to enter the Arcology. She was detoxified but as her dress was contaminated the platinum blonde was currently wearing white medical robe. Her hair was down as well since it also had to be washed thoroughly. Benibara was a bit disgusted with her current appearance and had already called home to bring her some proper clothes. She certainly wasn't going to be seen in public dressed like this! A few minutes later her Mother Rosalie arrived. She was beautiful and looked like an older version of her daughter with amber colored eyes. However; Rosalie looked kind instead of cold and strict like her child.
"You had us frightened to death when your limo went down Benibara! What happened to you out there and where are Wilhelm and your Enforcers?" Rosalie asked worriedly.
"Everything is under control Mama." said the Steelside heiress. "Kraven is getting decontaminated and I have a new Enforcer of sorts. I'm sure you and Daddy will approve of him."
Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "Then where are your old Enforcers Benibara Steelside?"
"They're kind of ummm….dead Mama." said Benibara dreading the reaction she was going to get.
"WHAAAT?! Tell me what happened young lady and tell me right now!" screeched Rosalie.
Benibara said with cold eyes, "Please let us discuss this at home in private! You're making a scene Mama."
Rosalie's amber eyes narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips. "If I want to make a scene over the safety of my daughter's life then I will make a scene damn it! Just because I'm one of your Father's Mistresses and not his wife doesn't mean I can't tell you what to do little girl. I don't care if you are the sole heir of the Steelside Family fortune! When we get home you have a lot of explaining to do."
Mother and daughter glared at each other for a few moments until Benibara looked down and said, "I'm sorry I worried you Mama."
Rosalie calmed down and hugged her child. She said, "You know I'm only upset because I love you Benibara. Never forget you are your Father and I's most precious treasure."
Benibara hated how her Mama could break through her carefully constructed barriers that made Benibara Steelside the aloof and untouchable socialite she was and the sole heir to the Steelside fortune. The younger woman figured she'd never be able to stop wanting her parent's affections….
Kraven exited the decontamination chamber a few moments later also wearing a white robe. "Lady Rosalie, I'm so glad to see you in good health. I'm sure Lady Benibara is as well."
Rosalie smiled. "It's good to see you as well Wilhelm. You should wear white more often. I can't remember the last time I saw you in something other than a drab grey or black tux. Benibara says you hired a new Enforcer?"
Smiling, Kraven said, "Mr. Uzumaki should be out in a little bit. I'm afraid he was heavily contaminated so it may take a while. If I may say so myself; I believe Mr. Uzumaki would be an excellent protector for Lady Benibara. Once we are all safely behind closed doors there is a great deal to discuss. We owe Mr. Uzumaki a great debt of gratitude."
"I see." said Rosalie rather intrigued.
….
In the meantime the blonde ninja was in a tiled room and had been blasted with several coats of different colored liquids and scrubbed raw by three medics. Now he was naked and was being air dried by blowers in the center of the room. As he stood in the designated circle in the middle of the room he felt completely exposed and embarrassed. He heard a male medic's voice come over the speaker. "You are one hundred percent decontaminated Mr. Uzumaki Naruto. How do you feel now that you are all squeaky clean?"
"Violated…." said Naruto in a chilled voice.
"…."
"…."
"Well, um….sorry about that." said the medic's voice uneasily. "I assure you that the medical check won't be nearly as invasive. Let me ask you a few questions before we start the scan about your cybernetic implants. Do you have a datajack?"
"No"
"Wired reflex enhancements?"
"No"
"Any cybernetic replacement parts such as limbs or organs?"
"No"
"Biochip enhancements?"
"No"
"Adrenal booster chips?"
'No"
"How about visual recorder chips?"
"Look, I really hate to interrupt but I don't know about any of the stuff you're talking about. Me right forearm is a cloned replacement for the one I lost in battle. I don't have any mechanical parts inside my body…." said the frustrated blonde ninja.
The medic's voice paused and said very unsurely, "Are you saying your body is one hundred percent biological?"
Naruto nodded. "Yes, where I come from we don't have any of the things you're talking about. Sticking mechanical parts into your body sounds kind of bizarre to me."
"Okaaay." said the medic. "Just stand still and the lasers will map your body and check your physical condition. We'll have a scan soon and provided there are no abnormalities we'll let you get dressed."
"Just get on with it please." groaned the blonde.
"Right; hold still please." said the medic. Naruto saw a ring of lasers emit from the ceiling and starting with his head then moved down his entire body at an agonizingly slow pace. Ten minutes later they hit his toes and turned off leaving him blinking from the light intensity.
Inside the scanning room….
"This is….unbelievable." said the doctor checking the scans. "I've never seen a human specimen this close to ideal before. His physique is perfect."
"I'll say; he's hung like a horse." said his lady assistant.
"Mari, will you behave like a professional and stop eye-humping the subject?" asked the doctor.
"Why should I doctor?" asked Mari indignantly. "I've seen sculptures of the human form that don't look near this good. Every part of him is lean muscle. Look at these scans! There's not one bit of waste or excess fat upon him. Just look at that body and tell me you don't feel something –aside of inadequacy of course. I bet he's an absolute animal in the sack. I wonder if he's single."
The doctor grit his teeth at Mari's insults and then smiled cruelly, "He's under the personal protection of Lady Benibara Steelside; Mari"
"Nooooooo!" wailed Mari. "Why are all the good ones always taken or gay?" she lamented.
….
Naruto heard the now smug sounding voice of the doctor came over the speakers. "Mr. Uzumaki, feel free to get dressed in that robe we provided. You are in perfect health. I'm sure once the Steelside family gets you citizenship you may wish to get a medical biochip installed just in case. Once you're dressed please exit through the door with the lights on above it. Have a nice day."
The Sage would have sworn he heard a woman's voice wailing in the background….'Oh, well. I really don't want to know.' he thought to himself.
A few minutes later Naruto stepped out into the waiting room where Benibara and the others were waiting. "Mr. Uzumaki, I trust you are all decontaminated?" asked Kraven.
Naruto recoiled slightly. "Yes, I'm quite clean Mr. Kraven. Unfortunately they've impounded all my belongings and destroyed my clothes so all I have is this robe on my back."
Rosalie piped up, "Not to worry Mr. Uzumaki. I'm Rosalie Benibara; Benibara's Mother. I understand we owe you a great deal of gratitude so we'll provide you with some new clothing."
Naruto bowed slightly, "It's nice to meet you Lady Rosalie. I hope we can get along. Where might your daughter be? Is she still getting decontaminated?"
"No, she's getting dressed. I had to bring her some clothing to wear since she couldn't bear to be seen in public wearing a medical robe." answered Rosalie with a smile.
"I see." said Naruto with a sweat drop.
Soon Benibara came out dressed in a suit/skirt combination with a gear pattern on it and her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She looked like a CEO headed towards a board meeting. The platinum blonde looked at her Mother and said, "This is the best I could do with what little I had."
Rosalie smiled. "You look lovely as always my dear. Shall we go to the car? I believe Wilhelm would like to get dressed and we need to get some clothing picked out for Mr. Uzumaki. I'm afraid the robe is all he has right now."
The car ride proved to be an odd experience for Naruto. He'd been in a carriage before but this hovering box shaped thing was completely alien to him. Rosalie seemed very interested in him and where he was from. It felt like a job interview or something to the whisker marked ninja with all of the questions she was asking. He was surprised that she didn't ask about the trip from the streets to Whorl but figured the Benibara was keeping quiet about it for some reason. Kraven was gently explaining the situation and Rosalie seemed to be very pleasant. Naruto was glad Rosalie wasn't like her daughter Benibara; the girl acted like a spoiled princess as far as he was concerned….
….
The Steelside Mansion
Magnus Steelside was immensely relieved. He'd just gotten off the phone with his beautiful Rosalie and their precious daughter Benibara was unhurt. He wanted to know everything that happened but Rosalie told him Benibara didn't want to talk about it until they were home in private. Magnus was a large and very powerfully built man in his late forties with blonde hair and a full beard who was the de facto ruler of Whorl Arcology. He was also an exceptional martial artist. Magnus found out long ago after he divorced his wife and had many mistresses that he could probably never have children. There were artificial ways in other arcologies but such things were frowned upon in Whorl.
Then he met Rosalie who was a model. He took her in as one of his mistresses and by some miracle she became pregnant with his child. There was lots of suspicion that he wasn't the Father but the paternity tests came back positive and his precious treasure Benibara was born. Benibara was beautiful like her Mother but she got her light green Steelside eyes and strict personality from Magnus. The Steelside patriarch couldn't be more proud of his daughter. Benibara was being trained as his successor in the weapons industry and in the martial arts just as he had been by his own Father. She was currently being a socialite as far as the nation of Lyonesse was concerned but in reality she wasn't social at all. Benibara was building up a network of 'friends' that would be useful to her later. The only thing Magnus didn't approve of was his daughter's habit of going through men like toilet paper. He just hoped she didn't wind up pregnant by some singer or movie star….
Magnus often thought about making Rosalie his wife. As he'd grown older he found more and more that it was her company alone that he desired most. She was much closer to him than his ex-wife or various other mistresses had ever been. There were no secrets between them and he truly loved her. She had been content to be his mistress for nearly two decades and he was afraid that if they took that final step that the beautiful relationship they shared would be ruined somehow….Magnus was so lost in his in his thoughts that he almost missed the call that Rosalie and Benibara were home. Straightening his impeccable business suit Whorl's leader went down to meet them at the garage.
The light green eyed man arrived at the garage just in time to see Rosalie and Benibara step out of the limo. Magnus noticed his daughter looked rather disheveled and had to wonder what happened but before anything he embraced Benibara in his arms feeling glad she was safe at home. He then hugged Rosalie who looked fabulous as always. Turning back to Benibara he said, "How are you precious?"
"I'm just glad to be home Daddy." She said leaning against him. It was at times like these Benibara felt like a little girl again; safe in the arms of her Mama and Daddy.
Wilhelm Kraven stepped out of the limo looking less than dapper in his white medical robe. Magnus chuckled and said, "Wilhelm, I can't say the 'I just got out of the shower' look is the image you usually project." Magnus Steelside was known to be very particular about the way his employees dressed. The Steelside family had an image to uphold. In this case though; he was joking. Wilhelm had been a manservant to the family for decades and obviously they'd had a rough time.
The goateed Wilhelm chuckled weekly. "I don't think the 'I just got detoxified after travelling out in the streets' look suits me either sir." Magnus laughed.
That's when Naruto clambered out of the limo also wearing a white robe and Magnus raised an eyebrow. 'Where are Benibara's Enforcers and who is this young man? I hope he isn't one of Benibara's boy toys. I told her specifically not to bring them home with her.' That's when the Steelside patriarch noticed Naruto's whisker marks. 'Are those tattoos?!' he wondered.
Wilhelm spoke up. "Lord Magnus, allow me to present Mr. Uzumaki Naruto. He saved both my and Lady Benibara's lives after her two Enforcers died. Mr. Uzumaki, this is Lady Benibara's Father, Lord Magnus Steelside. He is the patriarch of the Steelside family and a powerful figure here in the Whorl Arcology."
Naruto bowed and said, "It's nice to meet you sir."
Magnus was a bit taken aback. "You saved my daughter's life Mr. Uzumaki?" he asked surprised.
Naruto was about to reply when Benibara interrupted. "Uzumaki Naruto saved Kraven and I from over twenty thugs of Mr. Ren and ended that crook himself without asking for payment in return. We owe him a great debt of gratitude Daddy."
Kraven added, "He did that and more Lord Magnus."
The big man held out his hand a shook Naruto's vigorously. Naruto noticed that Magnus had a powerful grip and adjusted his to match it. "I thank you Mr. Uzumaki for saving my precious treasure's life. I'm very interested in hearing exactly what happened. Perhaps we should all sit down and talk together."
Rosalie smiled, "Magnus, we should get some appropriate clothes for Mr. Uzumaki and let everyone eat before we have a discussion. Can't you see they're all famished?"
The Steelside family patriarch covered up his faux pas with a cough and said, "Of course; we'll do just that." He snapped his fingers and two maids came up. "Take Mr. Uzumaki to a luxury guest room and get him some proper clothes. Let him tidy up and dinner will be served promptly at seven o'clock."
The two maids curtseyed and went to lead Naruto off but Kraven said; "If I may sir; Mr. Uzumaki is new to Lyonesse so he made need some help with our technology and way of dress."
Magnus and the two maids goggled for a moment before Magnus said, "What do you mean by 'new' to Lyonesse Wilhelm?"
"Mr. Uzumaki was covered in heavy water and came from outside the barrier Lord Steelside. Lady Benibara and I literally saw him fall out of the sky." explained Wilhelm.
Seeing Benibara nod in agreement Magnus said, "Well, that was unexpected." Turning to the two maids again he added, "Make sure to stay in the room with Mr. Uzumaki and tend to his needs."
….
Two hours later the orange loving ninja was at dinner with his had a terribly embarrassing time with the two maids showing him how all the bathroom fixtures worked and how to get dressed. Now the Sage was in an expensive dress suit that restricted his movements to the degree that he felt like he was in a straight jacket. As he sat at the dinner table; Naruto was wondering what the hell he was eating and how he should act. He knew it was some sort of fish and apparently seaweed but that was as far as he got. The whiskered blonde was carefully observing the way the others ate so he wouldn't make a mistake with his table manners. Naruto figured Magnus Steelside was something akin to a daimyo so he was trying to behave. 'I'd sell my soul for some ramen right now….' he that dourly. At any rate, Magnus seemed to be observing him intensely and Lady Rosalie was pretty much carrying the conversation along with Naruto giving the appropriate answers when necessary. He noticed Benibara was shooting him glances from time to time but couldn't figure out why.
After dinner they came into a large room with sofas and were rejoined by Kraven much to Naruto's relief. Kraven seemed to be the only one that was willing to take the time to explain things in Lyonesse to him. Naruto was essentially a stranger in a strange land….
"….So you believe Ren was behind all of it Benibara?" asked Magnus.
Benibara nodded. "Yes, Mr. Ren said it was his intention to kill everyone but me and hold me hostage while having his way with me." Magnus crushed the metal mug he had in his hand when he heard this. "However, Mr. Uzumaki took the fight to him and when it was all over Ren and most of his thugs were dead. The remaining ones were disabled or unconscious. After that Mr. Uzumaki agreed to escort us back here to Whorl." Then Benibara got excited. "He even killed two dire wolves to protect us! He killed one of them with his bare hands!"
Magnus wondered if his daughter had a head injury. So did Rosalie. "Wilhelm; did you actually run in to anything even akin to dire wolves?" ask Rosalie.
Kraven was hoping Lady Benibara would leave that part out. It was all true but even having experienced it he found it hard to believe. The manservant figured to others it would sound ludicrous. "….I know it sounds unbelievable Lady Rosalie but Mr. Uzumaki did in fact kill a full grown dire wolf by crushing its throat with his bare hand. If I had not been there I wouldn't believe it myself but I saw it happen."
"It really did happen Daddy!" said Benibara irritably.
Magnus tapped his forehead and said, "Not even Master Xian*① could accomplish such a feat Benibara. I'm sure you're both mistaken."
"I believe Naruto is stronger than Master Xian Daddy." she said in an indignant tone. Then Benibara got a gleam in her eye. "I'd even be willing to place a wager on it."
Magnus got a matching gleam in his eye to his daughter's. Light green eyes stared into light green eyes for a few moments until Magnus grinned. "You're serious then." His daughter nodded. "Alright, if you're that confident how about we bet on you singing twice at the Steelside Gala next month when I win?"
Rosalie sighed. The yearly Steelside Gala was an event that Benibara always sang at. She had a voice like an angel and loved to sing in private but she despised singing in public. Every year Benibara agreed to sing once after much coercion from her Father and inevitably Magnus and Benibara would end up making some silly wager that she would have to sing twice instead.. Magnus had never lost a bet but it didn't stop Benibara from trying again every single year.
Benibara smiled predatorily and said, "If I lose I'll sing twice but if I win I don't sing at all. Naruto will win."
Magnus held out his hand to shake on it. "Done." Both Father and daughter smiled evilly while Rosalie shook her head.
"You will fight for me won't you Naruto?" asked Benibara with puppy dog eyes.
Naruto had two thoughts. 'The cold hard ice princess looking at me like that is just….wrong' and 'Since when am I Naruto to her instead of Mr. Uzumaki?' Naruto asked, "Are you asking me to spar with someone? I'm not entering a death match for some wager."
Magnus laughed boomingly. "Were asking for you to have a friendly spar with our local master of the martial arts; Master Xian. I assure you he won't hurt you too badly."
Naruto perked up then. "Well, I'm always up for a spar but I can't fight in these clothes; they are too restricting."
Benibara was beaming at him. "We'll get you some appropriate sparring clothes Naruto."
"When is the spar then?" asked Naruto.
Rosalie was feeling the déjà vu and said. "Let's set it up in the morning after breakfast. I believe we are all drained from today's events."
"I can't wait to hear more of that lovely voice of yours precious." teased Magnus.
"I can't wait for the peace and quiet of a silent gala Daddy." quipped Benibara.
Rosalie motioned to Kraven, "Wilhelm; I think you and Mr. Uzumaki have had a long day. Why don't you escort Naruto to his guest room so you both can get some sleep? Tomorrow will probably be….taxing for him."
As Kraven led Naruto off they could both hear Father and Daughter taunting one another….they were like two peas in a pod….
….
Master Xian's Dojo
After breakfast in the morning, Magnus eagerly led Naruto and the others into the dojo. He was enthusiastically looking forward to winning the bet with his daughter. He also was excited to see if Mr. Uzumaki held a candle to Master Xian. Everything Magnus knew about fighting was taught to him by Master Xian. The old master was so powerful he once told Magnus that a fight could be decided by merely looking into the eyes of one's opponent. Magnus could believe it. More than once Magnus got arrogant with his fighting skills when he was younger and Xian could humble him with just a glare before he proceeded to put Magnus in his place physically.
Master Xian was an aging man that was incredibly physically fit. He had a shaved bald head and an iron gray moustache and wore a simple white fighting gi. His presence was not one of overwhelming power but rather wisdom. Xian was sitting in the lotus position meditating in his dojo when his student Magnus entered. "Master Xian; I bid you greetings."
Xian looked up seeing his pupil and said. "Magnus my boy, it's good of you to come see this old man -and you brought little Benibara too. I trust you're here to make sure her skills are up to par. The girl doesn't practice enough. It's good to see you as well Lady Rosalie. While I'm happy to see you it's unusual. What's the occasion?"
Magnus coughed and said, "Actually Master, Benibara has a potential new enforcer that I'd like you to spar with to gage his proficiency if it's not too much trouble."
Xian sweat dropped. "You and little Benibara made another wager didn't you Magnus?" asked Xian in a resigned tone.
Magnus laughed weakly and said, "Well, something like that."
Xian stood up and said, "Very well. I'm not a circus performer to entertain you but since you are entrusting Lady Benibara's protection with this person I will test them. Bring this person before me."
Magnus motioned Naruto forward and said, "This is Mr. Uzumaki Naruto Master. Naruto, this is Master Xian, one of the strongest fighters in the world and my teacher. I'll bet you could learn lot from Master Xian if he finds you worthy."
Naruto stepped forward and bowed before he locked eyes with Xian and felt a crushing killing intent from the old man. Naruto unleashed his own killing intent that easily matched Xian's. The two kept ratcheting up their killing intent and the others in the room felt like they were suffocating from the pressure. Rosalie and Kraven were both completely petrified. Benibara knew what was going on but was still very frightened. Magnus was sweating profusely. He'd felt severe killing intent in matches he'd participated in but they were nothing on par with this. For his part Master Xian's brown eyes were locked with Naruto's blue ones. Xian was sweating heavily. Naruto's azure pools spoke of fathomless power. Xian was giving his all but Naruto didn't seem to be phased in any way.
Finally, Xian vanished. Magnus had never seen his Master move so fast in his life. Naruto fell into his toad stance and defended a minute or two as Xian tried unsuccessfully to break his iron like defense. 'He seems to use something similar to the Strong Fist. He's not nearly as good as Lee but he's still a Jonin level in tiajutsu.' Naruto thought to himself. The Sage started a counterattack and the edges of his hands glowed with chakra. Naruto struck like a bolt of lightning and shattered Xian's defense; landing a brutal open palm into the older man's solar plexus that knocked the wind out of Xian and sent the old Master tumbling back. Xian laid still for a few moments before he struggled to sit back up.
Xian was wheezing from the impact and shakily settled back down in the lotus position. "I cannot defeat this one Magnus; Mr. Uzumaki had already won when I locked eyes with him. I concede."
The oppressive killing intent vanished and Naruto bowed again and said, "Thank you for the spar although I don't appreciate you using killing strikes against me."
Xian bowed his head, "I beg your forgiveness Mr. Uzumaki but I knew it was the only way I could think of to possibly defeat you. I am truly humbled by your fighting prowess. Tell me, where do you hail from? I've never seen a style such as yours."
"I'm from outside the barrier of Lyonesse. I come from a village called Konoha." explained Naruto as he sat down across from Master Xian in a meditative position.
"Then you are a Master there no doubt?" asked Xian.
"I am a Sage." stated Naruto.
Xian's eyes went wide. "A Sage?! No wonder you defeated me with such ease. Even in my prime I would not have stood a chance against you. Thank you for holding back against me."
Magnus was openly gawking as the two fighters talked. Naruto had spent a minute or so gauging Master Xian's skill and then ended the fight in one hit. Master Xian was a champion who lost only one fight in his entire career in the inter-arcology competitions and he lost to the champion in the final bout. The Steelside Patriarch was in awe….
For her part Benibara was thrilled. She wanted to squeal like a fangirl but managed to control herself. She'd hoped Naruto would win but he totally dominated Master Xian. It was incredible!
Wilhelm and Rosalie were just glad it was over. The pressure from the killing intent had been so overwhelming they could hardly breathe.
Finally Benibara broke the quiet with an evil crackling that should have been accompanied by lightning and thunder. "Guess who doesn't have to sing this year Daddy! Bwahahaha!"
Reality suddenly hit Magnus like a ton of bricks and he cried out. "Noooooo!" He adored hearing his little girl sing. Rosalie watched with a flat look on her face as her lover and baby girl made absolute fools of themselves over something as trivial as singing….
….
Later that same day; Benibara Steelside railroaded things through and Naruto got his citizenship papers and a job as her personal Enforcer in record time. Normally it took months to become a citizen and get a weapons permit but with the Steelside family finances pushing things along it took mere hours. Now the heiress had dragged the whiskered blonde down to the clothiers that specialized in combat gear called Slate's (which was coincidentally owned by the Steelside family as well). In reality, Benibara pulled Naruto in there to play dress up with him (after all, what good's an Enforcer if they don't look stylish?) Besides, the light green eyed beauty would have been lying if she said she didn't find the blue eyed ninja attractive. But then again, why wouldn't she be attracted to a man with so much raw power?
Naruto was sitting and quietly going through his gear they'd picked up from decontamination. "What a mess…." he muttered under his breath. 'My shuriken, kunai knives and ninja wire are all okay. The smoke and flash bombs were okay too. But my scrolls and various tags were al demolished by the heavy water.' He decided to do his best to unseal his stuff from the damaged scrolls when he got back to the room he was staying at in the Steelside Mansion. If he could unseal things he could make new scrolls with his sealing supplies as well as new explosive notes. 'I wonder if Hinata-chan and Shizuka are alright….' he wondered. 'I've been so caught up in my situation that I haven't had time to think of a plan to find them….'
Then he heard three people marching towards him and looked up to see Benibara there with two Slate's clerks…."I want him dressed in Casual Badass." she said to the male and female clerks that whipped out measuring tapes as if they were weapons….
Naruto wondered 'What the fuck?' as the clerks closed upon him like hungry predators. Soon; Naruto was being shown everything that was padded and leather with faux chain mail and spikes so that he too could be a Casual Badass. Finally at his wit's end after being forced to try on numerous outfits that looked more like something out of an action movie than proper ninja attire he said "Hold it! I need combat gear to protect you with Lady Benibara. I'm not here to put on a damn fashion show!" The clerks gasped at his audacity in the way he spoke back to Lady Benibara as if he was her equal or something. They waited for her legendary temper to explode at the disrespectful blonde Enforcer….
Benibara raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Very well Naruto; what would you pick out? If it looks good on you I'll approve." The clerks were baffled that she hadn't detonated like a bomb.
….
After getting all the Casual Badass stuff away from him Naruto looked at one of the clerks and asked, "What do you have in mesh armor?" The male clerk tried to show the blonde examples of heavy combat chainmail and objected to Naruto's choice of some lighter weight armored mesh because it wouldn't stop bullets. The Sage shook his head and explained, "Mesh armor is good for knife fights and hand to hand. The best way to prevent injury from bullets is speed, agility and flexibility that the heavy gage chainmail would prevent. Let me check the fit on these three brands." he said pointing towards three light to medium weight types. Then Naruto went on to pick out non-reflective clothing that made no noise went it rubbed against other surfaces.
What was really an injustice in Naruto's mind was there was no orange –everything was gray patterns of urban camouflage. He was sitting down trying on some metal toed combat boots (apparently they didn't have heavy gage sandals in Lyonesse) when he heard a slight whirring noise. The whiskered ninja looked over his shoulder and saw an eight foot fully armored person or robot aiming and arm mounted gun at them. He yelled "Get down!" as he tackled Benibara to the floor and shoved the two clerks down as well. A spray of bullets shot over their heads wrecking everything in the store. Naruto had Benibara cradled below him a lowered her to the floor. She was obviously terrified from the look in her light green eyes.
One of the clerks shrieked, "Where are the Security Police?! That's a class three military grade cyborg! They aren't allowed inside of Whorl!"
Naruto peeked over the bench and saw the gunmetal colored cyborg stepping forward slowly through the smoke and debris from the first attack. It had some sort of laser sight and was searching about to see if the initial salvo it fired had done the job. There were screams and the sounds of people running away outside but the cyborg ignored the noise and focused all its attention on its target(s). Naruto saw the empty clip from the machine gun fall to the floor as the cyborg pulled out another clip to reload. The orange loving ninja pried himself loose from Benibara's death grip on him and whispered, "Stay down and stay quiet. I'll deal with this."
Naruto drew a kunai and darted it into the cyborg's gun barrel just as the man-machine opened fire again. With the kunai jammed in the muzzle the shots went off prematurely and totally demolished the gun. The cyborg was staggered by the blowback from the explosion and wasn't prepared at all when Naruto appeared in front of it with an oodama rasengan in hand. The results were predictably catastrophic as the rasengan ground through the heavy chest armor into the soft human flesh behind it. The massive torque of the rasengan kicked in about halfway through sending the gunmetal giant spinning with a gaping hole completely through its chest and out its back….
The metal giant flew out of the shop through a wall and into a polished stone bench outside having lost its good arm and breaking both its legs off at the knees in the process of spinning rapidly through the metal wall. The stone bench was reduced to gravel from the massive impact. It twitched a couple of times and then fell silent. Naruto stepped out to have a look at the body and found the armored cover/helmet had been blown off. It was a man with gouts out blood flowing from his mouth and nose. There was no doubt he was dead. Naruto walked back into the store and said. "He's dead. It's safe to get back up now."
Benibara looked up over the bench she'd taken refuge behind and saw Naruto standing there with his right arm up to the elbow dripping with blood. She'd been holding on to the blonde for dear life when he suddenly vanished and she heard the explosion of the gun. A second later she heard a horrific sound of tearing metal followed by a screaming/gargling noise combined with the sounds of a garbage disposal grinding. Then there had been a massive crash followed by dead silence. Now Naruto was standing out in the open facing her and the two clerks that had also stood up. She said, "Naruto; there's b-blood! Lots of blood on your arm! We need to call a medic and-"
"It's not my blood Lady Benibara. It's the enemy's. I'm fine; see?" said Naruto as he wiggled his fingers and flexed his arm. "I do need to wash up though. I-" He was cut off as the Steelside heiress hurled herself against his chest in a hug and started crying her eyes out.
"I w-was so scared!" she cried as she clung to Naruto for dear life. He gently wrapped his clean arm around her and took her over to the bench to sit down. The Sage did his best to comfort the distraught girl. The two clerks were thanking him profusely and were all out of sorts.
The Whorl Security Police Forces arrived minutes later armed to the teeth with anti-cyborg equipment. Their Commander came over and looked at the shattered remains of the military grade cyborg and said, "What in the hell happened here?" He came in and heard Naruto talking calmly to one of his troops who was taking statements from the witnesses.
Naruto explained, "That cyborg tried to kill Lady Benibara so I dealt with him accordingly as I am her Enforcer. Once I eliminated the threat I came back in to make sure everyone was okay. You guys arrived a few minutes later."
"Why is there blood all over your arm when you say you're not hurt?" asked the security officer.
"I just rammed my arm up to the elbow through that man's chest so of course I'm covered in his blood!" explained Naruto as if the officer was a complete idiot.
The Police Commander shook his head and called in the medics. Lady Benibara and the store clerks were a bit shell-shocked (with good reason) and they all needed to be checked over for injuries; especially the Enforcer. One thing was certain; this was going to make a hell of a report to his superiors….'Lord Magnus is not going to be happy.' thought the Commander….
….
POSTSCRIPT:
*① Xian: It's pronounced "Shan."
This chapter ran extremely long due to corrections and whatnot. I originally was going to cut it down in length but would have ended up with a cliffhanger at the cyborg scene. Anyway, mainly character development and world building with bits of action thrown in here and there. Lyonesse is still a big mystery to Naruto and he's trying to soak it all in. Next chapter we'll see more character development and the story behind the cyborg's attack. See you next time. Blue out. 12/16/18 -Original Version 3/27/15