Naruko laid down on the head of the Yondaime. She was now the summoner of the four heavenly rulers and their kin. She was put up another rank. She was a Senmonka, an expert. But before her initiation into the wider circle of hunters, she still had to go through her punishment. She shivered when she remembered it.
Flashback
Naruko hung upside down by her feet from a tree. Her arms were bound tightly behind her back. She was gagged and blindfolded. Which was to prevent her from talking and intimidating others. Listening, that was all she had to do for now. The tribe's council had decided that she'd be hung up for a week, whilst they discuss the appropriate punishment for her faults. Today she would be punished. She listened and heard people gathering. They all quieted down when the hunter's council stepped out of the tent.
"We have gathered here today, to punish a member of our tribe, Naruko has left the tribal grounds to go into the settlements of outsiders. These excursions have put not only herself, but also the entirety of the tribe in danger. For these crimes, she shall be dragged by her feet along the forest floor. She shall be pulled by Kage Hogo-sha. As for her doings in the settlements, she shall be allowed to keep whatever she might have collected and is also allowed to keep doing them. As after this punishment she will be Senmonka. She will be able to leave on her own choosing. Now commence the punishment."
Naruko was roughly dropped to the floor and once again tied up by her feet. Lying on the ground she could only prepare herself mentally for the pain that was to come. It had been made clear she would not get special treatment just because she was royalty and she had been foolish enough to think that she could out smart her guardian and now she was going to pay the price. She felt a tug and then she was of. Hogo-sha pulled her across the entire forest. Over meadows, through streams, along the rocky riversides. He let her smash into trees, boulders and other rocks. When they finally returned to the camp Naruko truly regretted her foolishness, but never once had she whimpered because of the pain. She had forced herself into absolute nothingness concerning pain and it was good.
She was cut loose and let go. After a brief ceremony she was declared Senmonka and was sent to her tent. The next day came and she was awoken by Nagai Ha. He led her to a small clearing and they started gathering herbs and other bounties of the forest. Neither of them said a word but both knew what the other was thinking. After they were done gathering the things the needed, they headed back. Back at camp they headed to the main tent of the Holy Mother. Nagai Ha gave her their bounty and she started preparing a pill.
"Today you will prove that you are worthy of another rank. Eat this pill and you shall gain our bloodline limits. The first you already know. We call it Chishiki no Kyoyo, Sharing of Knowledge. Our second Kekkai Genkai is the most difficult to awaken, which is also the reason that it is used as a step between Expert and Master. We call it the Orion'aigan, the Orion Eye. Some of us also call it the Huntsman's Eye. It has a couple of stages.
First the Awakened Stage. In this stage your senses will be enhanced tenfold as well as your reflexes. You will know you have awakened it when you look into a mirror. Your iris will have expanded and covers all of the seeable surface and you pupil will be in the center of four small lines, like a crosshair. On top of that it will work together well with the blood of the Kitsune in you.
The second stage is simply called Sight. And what it does is enable you to see great distances up close. As you can imagine as a hunter this is very useful. And the best part is that it will work in harmony with your Dragon and Serpent blood. That blood will enhance Sight even more allowing you to see the insides of your prey. This includes, chakra pathways, Tenketsu, Blood pathways and Organs. In addition to that you are able to see from multiple angles at once, as you have the powers of the Kage Bushin. You can see if you have come to this stage if the crosshair around your pupil is completed by a circle going through the lines. Normally high stress situations bring forth this stage.
The third stage is called Mirroring. As the name suggests, anything you see with your eyes after coming to the second stage will be copied if you want, and that means anything. But remember, just because you saw and know how to do something, even if you know it into the smallest detail, you still need to practice it. To see if you have reached this stage, you will see a cross appear on outside of the crosshair. This stage has to be matured until it has four crosses in a square formation around the crosshair. Will come forth when you battle another shinobi in life and death.
The fourth and final stage is somewhat mythical. Ever since the ancient times there have only been a handful of tribe members, who have achieved this stage, so all I know is from the stories of the elders. The final stage is called Apex, because it is supposed to make us the strongest hunter around. Problem is to get it you have to suffer a life threatening injury, and escape death, for a friend. As you can see it's the main reason there are not many fourth stage wielders around. Matter of fact there hasn't been one for over five hundred years. Now what advantages it is supposed to give are increased endurance and stamina. On top of that the metabolism will be enhanced which results into an increased healing rate. Something you shouldn't need to worry about. As you have not only our Hanyou blood, but also that of the demons and the four heavenly rulers, your healing rate is nearly instantaneous to anything that is not a decapitation and a ripped out heart. More fatal injuries will take some time but nothing that should take more than a good night's rest. On top of the stamina, endurance and healing factor, the fourth stage will make your muscles and bones denser. Again something you needn't worry about. With your heritage in blood, your muscles and bones are already ten times denser than the average Shinobi. Now going by the descriptions from the elders, the fourth stage is visible through another quartette of crosses making a three cross line along the crosshair.
Now that is that. Eat this pill and you should feel a little nauseous. Take a few hours rest and you should be able to gain memories through blood. It might taste a bit bitter."
Naruko nodded and downed the food pill. She swallowed and nearly wanted to puke. But she did not let it show. She started to feel nauseous, but as soon as it came it went again. Naruko sat there and looked around. She heard Nagai Ha muttering but didn't further do anything.
"Well it seems you are ready. I have one hand held behind my back, tell me how many fingers after drinking my blood."
He cut his arm and held it over the cup. He let a bit pour into it and handed it to Naruko. Naruko drank it and soon saw his actions.
"You had two fingers behind your back." Naruko said.
Nagai Ha nodded and then gasped. Naruko had developed the Orion'aigan. Well she awakened it. He nudged the Holy Mother and she seemed to be as shocked as he was.
"Well Naruko-chan, it seems you are now a Masuta, a master. Train well to become a shadow."
Naruko nodded and left with Nagai Ha. They walked to a clearing and sat down.
"Alright Hime. We have a lot to do. Your training with Kyuubi-sama has to stay confined inside of your mind scape at night for now. I will be teaching you stealth and the fighting styles of other realms. Two in particular. They were both two of the most disciplined, feared and well trained soldiers in their time. One is called the Roman Empire. And the other one was simply called Sparta. Both of them head weapons and styles and armor not really suited for shinobi, but it will be useful when you enter Kari no Sekai, the Realm of the Hunt. Now make as many Kage Bushin as you can and divide them into three groups."
As soon as the words left his mouth the clearing was filled with an army of Narukos. Soon the groups stood and were organized. Nagai Ha gave a sip of blood to a clone who drank it and then dispelled. All the other clones instantly had the knowledge the clone had and one group rushed of. After that he gave out scrolls describing the styles the weapons and the armors of the two once great armies.
Naruko studied every day. She drove herself to exhaustion every day. Quite a feat, if you consider she had the stamina and endurance of a rampaging army, adding to that came her freakish healing factor, which healed any and all muscles instantly. So after half a year she had mastered everything, now all she had to do was find a way to get the items needed for them. She quickly found that she could just make them and read up on forging as quickly as she could. Another month later she could forge anything and had made herself a nice setoff Roman and Spartan armor. The only problem was that the armors were not meant for the use of females. So she had to tweak a little here and there to make it fit around her chest area.
Naruko awoke and did her usual morning ritual of hunting cooking and eating, when Nagai Ha came into her tent.
"Hime, the hunt calls. Get ready."
Naruko did. She decided to go with the Spartan armor. She quickly got everything on and triple checked if everything was in working condition. Her sandals were there, her shins were protected by shin protectors. Her uniform skirt was how it should be. Her chest armor had enough room not to squash anything without getting in the way. Her front arm protectors were strapped tight and her helmet was comfortable on top of her head. She donned on her cape and strapped her sword scabbard on. She checked the swords edge and traced the odd design form. She sheathed her sword and picked up her sword and spear. Then she left. Outside of the tent Nagai Ha was waiting for her. He nodded and then did a few hand signs and they found themselves on a beach. In front of them hovered a mysterious figure. It was the Shinigami. They walked up to him and bowed.
"Shinigami-sama." Nagai Ha started.
"We have followed your summoning and will punish the sinners as much as you see fit."
"Good… I see your apprentice has already come quite far. Tell me your name child, your full name."
"It's Naruko Uzumaki Namikaze, Musume no Kyuubi and daughter to the four heavenly rulers."
"My… My… Namikaze, you say. I have a Namikaze in my sealing jar. Namikaze Minato I believe his name is."
"That is my father."
"I see. I hope you know I cannot give him back to you without a cost. Tell me, would you be willing to punish and hunt sinners in the afterlife like you are going to do soon on a more regular basis?"
"I would, if I could see my parents again."
"Parents? I only hold one Namikaze Minato. Though I could search for your mother, if you are to accept this deal…"
Naruko thought about it for a moment and soon came to an agreement with herself.
"I accept the deal, however, I would like to set a few things in stone so to speak, before we do anything."
The Shinigami nodded for her to continue.
"I would like to have the power to bring back the dead loved ones of my precious people, for a price and with your consent of course."
The Shinigami rubbed his chin and then started to chuckle.
"My. You certainly are her daughter. But that term is agreeable. As you accept the deal, we will do it like this. I will enter into a partial summoning contract with you and I will give you this sword as a proof of our contract. It is called Soul Cleanser. Strike down your foes with this weapon and those who have committed sins out of free will, will be sent straight here. If you have someone who you want to resurrect, you will do the hand signs I will put into your memory when we are finished talking. And before I forget, I will need two souls per person you want to bring back to life."
The Shinigami pulled out a completely black katana. Naruko took it and sealed it away.
"Thank you, Shinigami-sama."
The Shinigami nodded and disappeared in a flash of light. Naruko turned back to Nagai Ha.
"What are we going to do now?"
"You heard him, we punish. Come on, I know a good spot where numbers matter little."
They jogged and Naruko started going over the conversation they had with the Shinigami.
"So why are we doing this exactly?"
"Everything has a purpose. When the tribe was exiled from the demon realm we kept our immortality. And in a world filled with mortals those who do not die have no real purpose. There is an old saying that goes 'Better to die with purpose, than to live without it'. As we were immortal, we couldn't have a purpose in life, as humans were too scared of what they do not understand. Then one day Shinigami-sama offered us a purpose after we had been in contact with Kyuubi-sama and the Uzumaki. He said that he would let us follow our ways in our own realm. So we decided to accept and ever since some of the tribe are punishers. Normally they are Masters and Shadows. Here we are."
They were at a canyon only about fifty men wide. They walked a little in and then stopped.
"The canyon will funnel them. It won't matter how many come, here numbers matter not. Make a few hundred clones and reinforce them."
Naruko did what she was told and soon a small army of Narukos stood at the funnel point. Standing at the ready. Shields strong pointing to the entrance and spear ready to strike. Just like the ancient Spartans. When the hordes came she and her clones stood strong and struck down all of them. After hours of constantly battling wave after wave of bodies finally they relented and the waves stopped. Naruko dispelled her clones and let out a breath, while Nagai Ha just sat there and applauded. Her line had not broken once. She felt a pain in her eyes and instantly she could see the injuries the bodies had suffered. She had unlocked the second stage.
"Well Hime, I believe you beat my record. It took me two years of strenuous work to become a Kage Kariudo, you did it in one and a half. This means, we will begin the final part of the tribes training tomorrow."
Flashback end
Naruko was looking at the clouds drifting by and soon found herself in another memory.
Flashback
Naruko sat once again in the tent of the Holy Mother. It was the ritual of shadows. The first step of the two stop training. She sat in front of the fire with her upper body exposed to the heat. The Holy Mother was behind her drawing the signs of the Kariudo and her other alliances on her back. After another hour the Holy Mother was done She had the swirl of the Uzumaki, a fox head, a dragon head spitting flames, symbolizing the Ancient Dragons , a serpent head with a bamboo background, symbolizing the Forest Serpents, a dragon head with wings behind it, symbolizing the Mountain Dragons, a serpent head with bubbles coming from its nostrils. And finally the sign of the Kariudo a bow with a drawn out arrow ready to shoot and two wrist bracers with blades coming out of them. Naruko had drawn the four heads and told the Holy Mother How to put them down. She wanted the Uzumaki swirl in the middle and then have the other six symbols set around it in a circle. After the Holy Mother was done she clapped her hands once and the ink started to glow. This part of the process was very painful, but again Naruko showed her pain resistance was pushed so high even this, what most members of the tribe described as the worst pain of their existence and passed out from, was nothing more than normal. After the ink had resided Naruko was sporting yet another tattoo on her body. It was located on her upper back in her shoulder region. It would be covered by her top so it wouldn't be noticed. Naruko looked at the Holy Mother and she smiled.
"Good luck out there, Naruko-hime, the tribe trusts you and will listen to you. And also know that we are here to help, okay? We will be here and follow you through the waves of the ages. You may leave now. I look forward to seeing you at the ceremony."
Naruko nodded and left. Outside Nagai Ha waited for her. He walked away and she followed. Soon they were at the entrance of a cave.
"Walk the paths and trust your instincts. When you reach the central cavern open the box and retrieve the items that are contained within it. The rest will be explained by the Guardian Spirits of the Past Realms."
Naruko nodded and wandered through the caves and tunnels. After a couple of hours she finally made it to the central cavern. In the center was a box like Nagai Ha had said. She walked up to it and saw in it lay forearm protectors. She put them on and turned her wrists to make sure they didn't constrict her, but when she flexed the muscle, a blade sprang out. Now she was intrigued. She flexed her muscle again and the blade retreated. Again she flexed her muscle and the blade sprang forth once again.
"It seems someone has finally come. Welcome child. If you wear those bracers, then you are here to become a Kage Kariudo," someone said behind her.
She spun around and went into her Kitsune Taijutsu stance. The figure seemed unimpressed.
"Calm yourself huntress. We are the Guardian Spirits of the Past Realms. We are here to teach you the techniques of the Art of the Silent Hunt."
Naruko relaxed and sat down. The Guardian did the same.
"Tell us your name child."
"It's Naruko."
"Naruko… Maelstrom if my memory serves me correctly. That is a fine name you have there. Hold it in honor. But let's get down to why you are here. Don't want to spend eternity with a senile old geezer I'm sure. Now Naruko. As you know, the Hanyou are a tribe of hunters and they are very skilled in this profession. But only the most skilled of hunters are allowed to actively hunt human prey. The last Hanyou who came her was a youngling, much like you. His name was Hogo-sha. But that was over fifty years ago. But back to topic. The reason why only the most skilled of Hanyou are allowed to hunt humans, is because the hunting methods you learn up until you become Kage are for hunting animals. Hunting humans is different. Because humans will want to find and capture you for killing another human. This is why we teach the Art of the Silent Hunt to only the most skilled. If you have proven to be smart, strong and collected, you have the capabilities of a true hunter and are allowed to hunt humans."
The figure looked at Naruko and noticed she had been listening intently without asking questions. Her eyes showed awareness no child her age should have and her body was tense ready to act at the slightest provocation. He sighed. It seemed she hadn't chosen this path out of free will but was more or less forced into it out of necessity.
"Now the Art of the Silent Hunt has three pillars. Speed, Stealth and Precision. Now the most important thing is stealth. The bracers you wear are basically the definition of a blade in the crowd. To hunt a human without being noticed, you must learn to blend into the crowd. Become part of it. Move like the people and you will become invisible to those that look for you but yet still in clear sight.
If you are spotted you have to get away as fast as you can. For that we learn parkour. It helps us get around quickly. We can use it to get away and to get to our desired location with little trouble. It can put you in position to strike from above and observe the coming and goings of the crowds. So if you want to we will start training."
Naruko nodded and got up. The guardian got up and walked over to her. He put a hand on her head and it started to glow blue. After the glow reseeded, Naruko now had the knowledge of the guardian. She knew all the methods to blend in, how to disappear in plain sight. But she knew she had to practice.
"You now know how you have to move, but now you have to prove that you can do so as well. Knowledge is the key to every battle, but practice is the door to victory."
And so a great many crowds appeared and Naruko practiced her blending abilities. After a couple of hours she could hide among the crowds and not be found by the guardian. The man smiled at her.
"Very good job, young huntress. Now show us your speed. Run the course until you break down, as fast as you can. We will be following you."
And so it went. There was now a forest, busy streets and rooftops. She started to run. She used everything Nagai Ha had taught her. Thankfully due to her healing factor, torn muscle fibers heal instantly, allowing her to keep running without stopping. She kept running and after another couple of hours she finally managed to shake off the guardian. She quickly hid in a bush and waited. After five more minutes the guardian landed in front of her.
"You did well, huntress. Now please come out of that bush. You still have to practice your precision. Now you will learn how to effectively use your wrist blades. Now for an effective assassination you will target the neck, the lither and the kidneys, when you are in a crowd. When you are on the run aim for the sternum and the spine, or jump on their backs and aim for the neck. When you are rushing at two opponents aim for the spine and the sternum. In crowds with two targets take the neck. When you attack from a perch aim for the neck with one or two opponents. Now use these targets to practice."
Naruko did what she was told. Doing the movements over and over, until she had perfected them. It was now two days ago that she had entered the cave system and thanks to the extensive use of the Kage Bushin no Jutsu, she had squashed a couple of yours training into a day. Now she could return. As she walked back to the exit she went over everything she had learnt in the past two days. Soon she was outside and saw Nagai Ha mediating. He looked up and saw she had new forearm protectors. He nodded and they left. They walked to the Holy Mother and Naruko waited outside while Nagai Ha went inside. He soon came back out with four scrolls.
"These are the scrolls of the hunter. They describe the Kariudo Taijutsu, Kenjutsu and the Kariudo Himitsu Jinpu. The last one describes how we hunt our prey. Study them, memorize them, and practice them. Your final test will be a hunt."
With that he walked off and left her to her own devices. Naruko made her way to her favorite tree top. She sat down and started to read the scrolls. Whenever she had finished reading a paragraph, she made a group of twenty clones and had them go through the movements the paragraph described. After a couple of hours later she had finished the scrolls. She made another army of clones and had them work on chakra control. She walked to Nagai Ha and asked him to spar with her. She dispelled the clones she had practicing the contents of the scrolls. She instantly had the experience the clones had gathered. They both settled into the Kariudo Taijutsu stance and started. Throwing punches, dodging, blocking and countering. They exchanged blows for an hour when Naruko saw an opening and capitalized on it. She stepped into his guard and drove her knee into his lither.
"Dead."
That statement ended the match. Nagai Ha hadn't budged, but that was because his pain tolerance was a lot higher than with normal people. A normal person would have died from a crushed lither.
"Well done Hime. Come to the Holy Mother in an hour."
Naruko nodded and decided to go for a run. She ran across the forest and decided to do another scavenging hunt, seeing as it was already dark and there would be less people on the road. She went from trashcan to trashcan and quickly scanned through it. After an hour she quickly made her way to the camp. She had made clones to bring her scavenged items to her cave and had them copy the contents on a fresh scroll. After which the clones destroyed the old ones. They dispelled just as she entered the tent of the Holy Mother.
"Ah… There you are Naruko-hime. I hear you have beaten Hogo-sha here in a spar. He says you are ready for your final trial. You will hunt down this man. He is responsible for hunting a large group of our hunters, when we were still in Uzu. He is old, but we still have to hold him responsible for the torture he put out kin through. He was once a high ranked samurai, so be careful. It does not matter how you bring him to justice, all you have to do is leave a few of his bandits alive. We want it to spread that the Uzumaki are not dead. Wear this so they have a name for you."
She handed her a black trench coat with dark crimson stripes and in bright Kanji stood on the back Crimson Huntress. Naruko took the trench coat and put it on. Like all of her clothing, it was made from a cloth only the tribe knew how to make. It was extremely tough, nearly impossible to break. It was also waterproof, breathable and isolating, depending on what weather she had to deal with. And it would grow in size along with her.
"Now I believe for your title it is only appropriate to have a fitting weapon. This bow is made of the very heart of these forests. An old branch that was broken off during a storm. The Forest Spirits gave the branch to us and we made this bow. It is called Ma Shotto, True Shot. The hunter wielding this weapon will never miss. Its string is made out of the hairs of the spirits themselves and it has been baptized in their blood as a blessing. Also I have done what you asked and communicated to the Shinigami. He has given his approval and has exchanged his katana for two ninja-to. Their names are Horobi and Kiyomeru. You are the only one who can wield these three weapons. If someone else is to take them without your consent, they will burn until nothing of them is left. Now here is the picture of the man. Good hunting."
"Where would you have me start looking for him?"
"An old lumber camp a few hours north of here. It has been abandoned for many years and it's where he should be if my kin informed me correctly. Look for the samurai in golden armor."
Naruko nodded and left. She transformed into her fox form and started running towards the camp. She ran for about three hours when the tress she passed were younger than the others. She knew she was close so she moved more cautiously ahead now. Soon she found the old camp. It was surrounded by a high wall made of logs. It sickened her to see the forest being used in such a manner. Sure they too had a few wooded structures and items, but those are strictly dead trees or the wood had been brought by tribal hunters from other parts of the lands. Most of their weapons and structures were made of bone. She looked around and found a high tree with thick enough branches for her to stand on. She quickly climbed it after she went back to her human form. Once she was comfortable on the branch, she took out her quiver and her bow. She activated her Orion'aigan and searched the entire camp. Nagai Ha hadn't been lying when he said it was useful for hunting. She could scout out the entire camp, without leaving the cover of the tree from her vantage point. She saw her target after a couple of minutes and decided to go into the camp and have a few clones surround the camp and cover her. She made eight clones and had them spread out around the camp in equal spaces from each other. One took over her spot while she started to sneak towards the camp. She then entered the camp and stuck to the shadows. Using the multiple visual fields of her clones she maneuvered around the bandits and made her way to her target. In the center of the camp stood a tree. She climbed up it and waited. She had the entrance to the tent of her target in her sight and waited. Before long he came out and the bandits started gathering around him.
"Men we do one more raid and then we move to another place. There's a big caravan coming through here and we will take it. Kill the men, sell the women and children. You know the deal. Sharpen your weapons and…"
He didn't get any further. Naruko had jumped down and rammed her wrist blades into the back of his neck and crushed him under her. Everyone looked at her in shock and disbelief. This girl had come out of nowhere and just killed their leader like he was nothing.
"You shouldn't have provoked the Hanyou," Naruko told the corpse.
"The Uzumaki live and all who oppose will be crushed. Come at me or flee. The choice is yours."
The bandits charged. Naruko utilizing the entirety of her training dodged and countered every strike. As she wanted her clan to be feared again, so she only maimed them. She signaled her clones and they started to fire arrows at the bandits, killing them. Soon few bandits were left and they started to run. Naruko's clones stopped firing and let them go.
"I am the Crimson Huntress, I will kill some of you now."
The bandits that were still conscious screamed as Naruko got out her Horobi. She struck into the stomach, executing them without remorse. She killed them all. There was no need for them anymore. Her clones had spotted a squad of Iwa Hunter Nin and so they would spread fear. After she had killed one or two of them. She got out a scroll and sealed the body of the leader and then started to run again. She ran straight to the Hunter Nin. Her clones had already relocated and had their arrows aimed at them. She stopped a few paces in front of them and heard them breathe a sigh of relief.
"You can come out now." She said with a cold voice.
Slowly they came forth. The white masks reflecting the few rays of sunlight. One of them had three vertical stripes on his mask. He stepped forward.
"We ask you hand over the body of Yasutoro Miagami. He has a bounty within our village and we were sent to eliminate this traitor."
"I believe that you will not get him, Hunter Nin-san. He is my prey and I will keep the prize of my hunt."
"Then we will take him by force."
The man charged. He engaged her with Taijutsu. He threw rapid combos, but Naruko just dodged them all. She saw and opening and used it. She ducked under a left hook and slammed her right palm into his side. He fell over dead. The three remaining Hunter Nin stared an in shock at their now dead leader. They saw he was bleeding from his left side. Naruko grinned feral at their confusion. After practicing with her hidden blades she could release and conceal them in an instant before and after her strike, leaving her opponents clueless about the death of their comrades. She now took out her to ninja-to and held them both in the backhand style and charged. She slashed at them savagely. Spinning around her opponents always getting into their blind spots and then striking. After a few minutes the Hunter Nin were severely injured and it was clear two of them would not make it back to their village. They tried getting distance between them and the… Whatever she was. Naruko let them and looked at them. She positioned herself over their fallen comrade and put her foot on him.
"Akuma Shuhō: Shatai Kasō no Jutsu"
A pulse of red appeared from her foot and immediately burnt the body to nothing. Naruko still staring at her opponents smirked. She charged at them and then in a flash disappeared. The Iwa Nin looked around. They stopped when they heard a whisper. And the two injured felt their hands being taken.
"Akuma Shuhō: Shatai Kasō no Jutsu"
The two injured Nin felt the pulse of heat and were turned to hot air before they could even scream. The last Nin just took off and fled. Naruko gave him a friendly wave and then returned to the camp where her clones had already begun the process of cleaning everything out. They sealed everything in scrolls after they had organized everything. After that they sealed it all in one scroll and gave it to the original. Then she left. Nature would reclaim what was taken and everything would be as it should. She walked back to camp. She knew she wouldn't make it back before nightfall so she decided to stay in the forest overnight. She climbed up a tree and went to sleep.
The next morning came and Naruko continued on towards her tribe. A couple of hours later Naruko was back at the camp. Nagai Ha had been waiting for her. He walked to the main tent and sat down. Naruko had followed him and sat down. She took the bowl the Holy Mother handed to her. She cut her arm and filled the cup with blood and passed it around. They drank a sip of it and handed it back to Naruko. Naruko drank the rest of it and waited for her elders to talk.
"You have done well, young huntress. The kill was clean and the seeds of fear have been planted. You have completed the training as a hunter of the Hanyou. Please accept this necklace as a sign of your heritage and your standing within the tribe."
The Holy Mother handed her a pendant made from the metal they call Dragon Scale. It was the metal used in her clothes. It was turned into to silk like threads and then weaved into the cloth. Her pendant was black as night itself and in the middle of the amulet was a bow with its arrow drawn back. Naruko thanked the Holy Mother and was allowed to leave.
Flashback end
Naruko grasped the pendant in her hands and once again fell back into the past.
Flashback
Naruko was on top of her favorite tree overlooking the clearing. She was talking with her mother.
Mindscape
Naruko sat in front of the hut with her mother. She was resting her head in her lap.
"Kaa-chan, I have completed my training as a huntress and Nagai Ha said we should use this year to train in the shinobi arts. I have already mastered the Kitsune Taijutsu and Kenjutsu, but I know there is much more out there."
"There is, Naru-chan, there is. But tell me how is your training going in the Roman and Spartan Arts of War?"
"It's going great. Thanks to my clones I am almost completely through both of them. But it's weird, they use shields and rarely two swords."
"Well you have to remember, musume. They come from a very different world than us. They battled with the things they thought were going to help them the most. The shields as you know were used as a shield, but also as an offensive weapon. And it can protect you when you don't have the time to dodge."
"Yes I know, but it just feels weird."
"That's what happens, when you do something new. It will feel weird for a time. I felt the same way when I first wielded a sword."
"So would you teach me something new?"
"Sure. I'll teach you a very ancient style. Muay Thai. It is a very destructive Taijutsu style and relies on all of the body. Elbows, knees, hands and feet. With those you pound your opponent into submission. But with that power comes a price. You damage yourself as well, if your body is not used to the stress."
She looked into Naruko's eyes and smiled.
"But as my daughter you don't have to worry about that. Your bones and muscles are already far beyond the strength and density of most ninja. And with your healing rate any damage you sustain will be healed in a few minutes max. Now make couple of hundred clones and have them copy me."
Naruko did as she was told and spent a most of the day in her mindscape and then continued to do the same exercises in the real world. Soon she had the style down and they moved on to the next. After a couple of months, Naruko had mastered seven ancient Taijutsu styles. The next three months, she spent with the dragons, to learn from them Taijutsu, Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu. After that she visited the Hokage.
Naruko walked through the village with a monotone expression on her face. Her mother had taught her how to give out more potent killing intent, and along with the teachings of the dragon clans, she could now literally stare someone to death. She walked down the main street straight to the tower. She entered and went straight to the Hokage's office. She knocked on the door and got the go ahead sign to enter. She did so and shut the door.
"Ahh… Naruko-chan. It is very good to see you again. What brings you here?"
Naruko walked up to the desk and put a scroll down on the table. She unsealed the body of the ex-samurai. Though he had no more armor on. Hiruzen gasped. He knew very well who he was looking at.
"I have slain this man and I want the bounty," Naruko said in her cold monotone voice.
"I see."
Hiruzen got out a piece of paper and signed it.
"Go to the mission desk, they will give you your money."
Naruko nodded and left the room. She walked down to the mission desk and met the academy teacher who had taught her a few things. She put the paper on the table and he looked shocked.
"Na- Naruko-chan. Wh… What is the meaning of this?"
"Simple, Iruka-san, I am here to collect my bounty for the assassination of an A-Rank criminal Yasutoro Miagami."
"Of course, wait. What!? Are you telling me that you went out of the village and searched for him and killed him without any sort of experienced ninja backing you up?"
Umino Iruka started rambling again and Naruko just stood there with her monotone expression. Soon Iruka calmed down and gave her the money. She took it and put it one of her inside pockets inside her trench coat.
"Hey Naruko. My shift is over in a minute. How 'bout we go out for ramen and catch up a little. What do you say?"
Naruko thought about this and as she did have the day off, so she could stick around the village for a little longer to catch up with one of the five people in the village who didn't treat her like a pest.
"That would be nice."
Naruko sat down in a corner and started reading a scroll Nagai Ha had given her at the end of their training. It was the 'All you can know: Basic Seals Guide'. She was reading it to further her training. She was particularly interested in Weight, Gravity, Resistance and Storage Seals, which were all described to the smallest detail in the scroll. Soon Iruka was relieved from his duty and they headed out. They walked to a small ramen stand, run by the Ichiraku family.
"Hey, Oji-san, Ayame-nee-chan. I'm back."
"Naruko-chan!" came a voice out from the back.
"I am liking the outfit Naruko-chan. It suits you."
Naruko nodded as thanks.
"I would like to have to beef ramen please."
"Of course Naruko. And what would you like to have."
"I'll have the same please."
"Okay. Tou-san, four beef ramen."
She turned back to Naruko and looked at her. She had seen her very little in the past few years, so she was curious as to where the girl had been.
"So Naruko." Iruka said.
"The villagers have been targeted by a list of heavy duty paint pranks and most ninja weren't spared either. You don't supposedly know anything about that do you Naruko?"
As always Naruko kept on a straight face and showed no emotion.
"I do not know what you are talking about, Iruka-san. The last two and a half years I have been living outside of the village."
Iruka and Ayame were shocked.
"WHAT?!" they both yelled.
"Well, you see. I got taken care of so you don't have to worry, Ayame. I was safe the whole time. By the way, I have an offer for you. Where I am living, there are too many rabbits and the customs of those who look out for me is to only take as much from the forest as is needed. Now if you were to make a request for a few rabbits a day, in exchange for readymade ramen, I could hunt more rabbits and regulate the population more. So would you be interested in this deal?"
"Very much so. How about this. You bring us two rabbits and the ramen we make with one goes to your caretakers and the other we keep to sell."
Naruko had written down all the details and put down the insignia of the Hanyou and gave the scroll to Ayame. Ayame looked it over and signed. She gave the scroll back to Naruko and Ichiraku Teuchi brought out the food.
"So Naruko, where exactly do you live now?" Iruka said.
"In the forest."
"And why are you not living in the village if you were adopted?"
"Whomever said I was adopted? I live in the forest outside of the village walls because quite frankly, this village was not safe for me and I couldn't protect myself."
"Oh… Would you like to talk about it?"
"No. The past is the past. Talking about it will not change it, so it stays where it is. It turned out good in the end and that is all what counts."
Ayame and Iruka were baffled at the level of maturity of the girl in front of them. The old Naruko would have been brash and crying out how she was not going to let herself be kept down by anyone. But this new Naruko, she was cold, calculating and if the recent rumors were to be believed, had no problem killing. Of course the two didn't believe the rumors, but they sure were saddened by her change in persona.
"So if you aren't adopted, what are you, or are you now living in an apartment?"
"You could say I am a ward of sorts. And no I do not have an apartment here in the village. I have spent the last two and a half years acquiring skills I will need in the future."
She drank the rest of the soup and paid.
"It was nice seeing you again Iruka-san, Ayame-nee-chan. But I must go now. Have a nice day."
She left the stand and headed back to Nagai Ha. Back in camp Nagai Ha was waiting for her as always. She handed him the scroll and left to her tent. In her tent she sat down and got ready for the next hunt. She put on her Spartan armor and got back outside. She performed the jutsu and found herself in the Realm of the hunt. She made a small company of clones and started marching to one of the many shrines dedicated to the Shinigami. She bowed down and said a short chant.
"Sworn to serve,
to punish the sins of the departed.
I stand, a wall
let them crash against me
for sins once done
punished for eternity
I stand as summoned
Lord of Death reveal
the hordes I am to punish."
The shrine glowed bright white and out of the light stepped the Shinigami. Naruko and her clones held their right hands above their hearts and with a synchronized "AH-HOO" put their spears into the ground. The Shinigami chuckled. This was not the first time he had summoned the girl to punish sinners, but it always amused him to see her like this. She was a real soldier and she did her duty well. She came for a fight, that much was clear, but he had summoned her for a different reason.
"I see you have arrived, young huntress," said the Shinigami.
"I have summoned you for something other than fighting today. I see you are confused, let me explain. Do you still remember the day we first met in this realm of existence? I told you I would seek out your mother. I have done this and I have found her."
He stopped to see the reaction of the young girl in front of him. As per usual, Naruko's expression never changed.
"I have also decided to set one Namikaze Minato into this realm. You have given me enough replacement to fill the emptiness his absence. I have sent him off to one Uzumaki Kushina. They are in a small village north of here. I told Minato that he will be getting a visitor. March north and see what you can learn from him. I wish you luck."
With another "Ah-Hoo" the small company of Narukos started their march. It didn't take long for them to come to the outskirts of the town. The people that saw the army eyed them cautiously. Naruko and her army marched to the center of the town. By the time they had reached it the entire town was outside. The army formed up behind Naruko in three rows of twenty five. Naruko eyed the crowd and decided to let a little fear fill their minds. So with a synchronized "AH-HOO" they rammed their spears into the ground.
"People of this settlement," Naruko started with a loud voice, displaying authority.
"I am not here to punish you. I am here to look for two people. I know they are here, so may Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato step forwards, please."
It didn't take long for the crowd to split up and two people stepped in front of the crowd. These two people were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina. They looked shocked at what they were seeing. Naruko not wanting to have to deal with possible skirmishes, decided to have this discussion elsewhere.
"Come with me."
They marched away. After a couple of minutes, they stopped on top of a hill. It had a large plateau atop of it.
"Form a perimeter half way down the hill. And three of you start scouting for water, stone for quarrying, clay and a good spot for a mine."
"AH-HOO!" the clones yelled and left.
Kushina and Minato were shocked. This was a little girl who had just proven her might by walking into a town filled with rapists, murderers, thieves and many others and had shown not one sign of fear. In fact, it was the other way around. The people in the settlement were quite cautious when they saw her.
"It's nice to finally meet you face to face, Kaa-san, Tou-san."
The two were still musing about what they had seen. Wait! Did she just say Kaa-san and Tou-san? The two found themselves on the floor.
"Nice to see you back in the world of the living. Please have a seat. I hope you are able to stay conscious. You are probably wondering how in the name of all things holy I can stand here. Well the answer is quite simple. I have risen to the rank of Kage Kariudo and I am now the leader of the Hanyou Tribe."
"So the Hanyou upheld his word then?"
"Yes he has, and much more. He has trained me, taught me and raised me. He saved me from the village that I am sworn to protect. I really hope that you know what consequences your actions had for me, Tou-san."
Minato looked down in shame. He knew the life of a jinchuuriki was hard. And the fact Naruko had never changed the tone in her voice proved to him, the life she had must have been worse than she let on.
"I know that your life must have been very bad for you, Musume. But there was no other way, I hope you can forgive me."
"I know what occurred on that night. And I do not resent you for what you did. I would have most likely done the same. Nether the less what you did was a disgrace to the title you hold as father. So I am going to give you the rights to that title back, because of the circumstances."
"Thank you."
Minato got up and walked to the girl in front of him and embraced her in a hug. He was holding back tears. After a while he let her go and sat back down next to his wife. Kushina had been quiet the whole time through spoke up.
"Naru-chan, how old are you now?"
"I am seven turning on eight in a few months."
"I see. And did the old man look out for you?"
"He has as much as he could, but the council has not made things easy for him. He and Danzo-oji did the best they could without it interfering with their work, but it only did so much. So after a particular incident I was adopted into the tribe and trained in their ways and I now am their leader as the clan head of the Uzumaki Clan."
Minato and Kushina were very impressed. Here was their seven year old daughter and she had already become head of the Uzumaki Clan.
"Well that is good. Tell me Musume, are you going to enter the academy this year?"
"I will enter as soon as I turn eight. Kurama-kaa-san has is teaching me all she knows."
"You can already communicate with the Kyuubi?!" both parents asked shocked.
"Yes, and please don't call her that. Kurama-kaa-san does not like that name."
"Kurama-kaa-san?"
"Yes, I have become the heiress to the Throne of Demons as Kurama-kaa-san's daughter and blood kin."
This was too much for the two elder shinobi and once again fell into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. Naruko sighed and again jabbed a pressure point at the neck of her parents. Seconds later they came by and sat back up.
"My sweet little Naru-chan. We couldn't be more proud of you." Kushina said.
And so they sat there talking for hours about the past. Naruko even made a clone which she let Kurama take over. It was a very funny scene seeing Kurama and Kushina verbally tearing down Minato. Naruko even showed them her true form with already two fully developed tails. Soon though Naruko said she had to get back to the tribe.
"It was very nice meeting you, Kaa-san, Tou-san. By the way, here is a map of the surrounding area. This plateau is big enough for a decently large mansion. I would like for you to start constructing it. I don't care how it looks, but the entire plateau has to be surrounded by a wall. Please do this. I will try and visit whenever I can."
With that Naruko left and was back at camp. And as always the first thing she saw was Nagai Ha. It was kind of amusing and she thought it was kind of sweet.
"Was the hunt successful?" he asked.
"I didn't hunt today, I had a good talk with my parents though. Shinigami-sama, found my mother and has released my father into the Realm of the Hunt. I have told them to construct a mansion on a plateau so if there ever is a bigger battle, they will not be caught in the middle of it."
"A very wise decision. Tell me Hime, what are you going to do now?"
"I am going to perfect the skills I have. And I have to go talk with the Holy Mother. I will see you later, Nagai Ha."
Naruko made her way to the main tent of the camp. As always the Holy Mother was there.
"How nice of you to visit, Naruko-hime. What can I do for you?"
"I was hoping you could give me some prey to hunt. I am turning eight in a couple of months and I will not be able to spread fear as easily as now. I am thinking of doing a few raids in some countries and I am hoping you will give me your blessing for this."
"You have my blessing. Please do be sure to strike fear. Talk with your blood kin in the area, they will be able to help you."
Naruko nodded and left. Over the next couple of months rumors of a relentless girl arose. She did not care for laws or treaties. If you had a price on your head and were her target you were dead. Hunter-nin all over the Elemental Nations were talking about the Crimson Huntress. If she had the same target as them they left and made sure they were offering the highest bounty. So after her time was up Naruko returned and the next day she headed out to the Hokage.
Flashback end
Naruko got up and sighed once more.
Horobi = Perish
Kiyomeru = Cleanse
Akuma Shuhō: Shatai Kasō no Jutsu = Demon Technique: Body Cremation Technique