Disgaea: When Worlds Collide
By Random Writer 46
Chapter 3
Training and Vassals
It was finally done. After several weeks of non-stop work, something that the Prinnies were used to, the base was finally completed. Although it had taken longer than expected, what with the many Prinny casualties they had suffered during the Maderas incident, the remaining members of the Prinny Squad worked both diligently and fast, wanting to get their full day break as soon as possible. Naruto, finding himself with nothing to do as Adell and Taro assisted in construction, fell in line as well to help out, lugging lumber and steel where things needed to go.
Now, finally, it was done. A two-story, good-sized mansion. There was a basement, a dining room, rooms for Adell and him, and any other vassals that would follow. The Prinnies a large room full of bunk beds to call their own in the basement, which was something they rejoiced over. It was honestly rather hard for Naruto to believe the sort of treatment they constant suffered through under the hands of 'Lazy Rozalin' and 'Master Etna'.
Adell smiled as he admired their handiwork, standing in a small group outside of the mansion. They were down to four Prinnies now, Teddy and Obito included, due to an incident with gas a week earlier. But, with the Dark Hospital open, that wasn't going to matter very soon.
"Well, boys, we're finally done," declared the red-headed Demon Hunter. "First of all, we need a name for this place."
"Um, how about Holt Village II?" asked Taro, raising his hand. The boy had been diligent in his work as well, and whenever he wasn't working he was fiddling with the spear on his back. After the incident, he had gone back to Rozalin straight away, where he was told to look after Adell until the construction was complete. Although she would never admit it, Taro was sure that Princess was worried for his red-headed older brother's safety, something that made the cow-print boy smile.
"Does this look like a village to you, man? This is a secret base! It should have an awesome name," grinned Naruto as he put his hands behind his head. It felt good to see something that he had been working so hard on finally completed. "Nah, it should a name that's much cooler! How about… The Awesome Mansion of Naruto?"
"Dood, you're the vassal, not the boss."
"I'll be boss of whatever I want," cried Naruto as he struck a pose and stuck his finger towards the direction of the Prinny that had spoken up. "You show me a place without my name on it and I'll show you a couple of guys who need their asses kicked!"
"Whatever you say, dood."
"Do we really have to fight so early in the morning?" asked Adell, shaking his head. Indeed, it was rather early. About six, which was right after dawn. They had spent most of the night working on it; adrenaline and having the goal so close gave them the extra energy they needed to push it towards completion. "How about… Adell House?"
"Hey, why do you get to have it named—"
"Not bad," said Obito, nodding his head. "Simplistic, easy to remember."
"Um, I think that's great!" said Taro cheerfully as he raised his hand. "Everybody who thinks Adell House is a good name for the base, raise your hand! Majority wins."
Naruto sulked as he watched one pair of hands and four pairs of flippers rose into the air, as Taro and the Prinnies showed their support for their temporary lord's name. Adell smiled as the name was set into stone.
"Hurrah for Adell House, dood!"
"Well, now that's settled. Let's get to the Dark Hospital, we have Prinnies to revive, after all," said Adell with a gesture, and entered the manse through the main gate, as the other Prinnies and Taro followed behind. Naruto was at his side in an instant, unwilling to be left behind. "Oh yeah… After this, we'll get started on your training, Naruto."
The orange-clad shinobi beamed as he heard the words. Although he had willingly acknowledged himself to be Adell's vassal since the incident, to be honest his current level of strength was much weaker than even the second-weakest of his men. Thus, Adell had promised him training to try and get him up to the same level, even though it would probably take quite a while. The construction of the base had been Adell's main goal for a while now, and so his training had been put on the back-burner, now that it was done, though, they could finally get started on it!
Walking into the main corridor of Adell House, Naruto admired the construction. It was hard to think that it had been done mostly by peg-legged penguin demons, especially considering the level of detail put into the designs. Everything was perfect, and there was even water and electricity here too. He was pretty sure at least one of those Prinnies had a PhD in Engineering.
Soon, they found themselves in front of the infirmary room that had been dubbed the Dark Hospital. There, standing in front of the room, was a young woman whose name she did not give out. Her clothes were unorthodox and so was her staff, and every time Naruto saw her she had that same perpetually sleepy expression. He wasn't sure if her eyes opened up all the way, actually.
"Why, hello there, Lord Adell," said the woman pleasantly. "The Dark Hospital is finally open for business. Should we commence with a full healing?"
"That's a good idea," said the red-headed Demon Hunter. "Might want to revive all the Prinnies we lost in that fight too. It'd be better to have a full workforce again than barely anything at all."
"Very well, I shall get some new vessels ready. Please makes yourselves comfortable, I shall be with you shortly."
"What's going on here?" asked Naruto eagerly as he watched the woman inscribe a magic circle on the ground with her staff. A glowing pink line appeared wherever she touched. He was sitting on one of the beds in the infirmary, watching the proceedings with the curiosity of a cat. "What's she doing? Who is she?"
"She's a representative of the Dark Hospital, more or less an interdimensional order of medics and doctors," said Adell. "They're neutral in every conflict, and offer services to anybody willing to shell out the money. If you don't have one in your base and you're pretty serious about fighting… Well, you wouldn't last very long, that's for sure."
"Oh… Hey, what's that?"
The woman had finished drawing up the circle, and had dragged what seemed like the carcasses of about thirty Prinnies into the room. Their bodies were unmarked, but they were clearly lifeless; their eyes glassy with emptiness and their bodies falling forwards like puppets with their strings cut. The sight was rather bothersome to Naruto, who had come to consider the penguin demons much like friends.
"Prinny suits."
"Huh?" asked Naruto, looking at Adell. "Whazzat?"
"What, did they not tell you this before?" asked Adell, looking at him quizzically. "Prinnies are more or less the souls of human sinners trapped within Prinny suits, who work off their time in the service of people from all over the world. In a Netherworld, they usually work for low wages at exceedingly bad conditions, all so they can gather up enough money to pay Death for passage into the next world, where they await reincarnation."
"Wow… I didn't know Prinnies were so deep," said Naruto absorbing this new information. Although he had considered the penguin demons simple before, this new development changed things a bit. Inwardly, he wondered to himself how penguins so friendly could have been sinners in a past life.
Adell seemed to notice this.
"A lot of good people do bad things, you know," said Adell, crossing his arms as he waited for the representative of the Dark Hospital to finish with the Prinny revival. Although it was custom for members of the Dark Hospital to not reveal their names, sometimes it made it a little hard to address them. "I had a Prinny who reincarnated before who stole things in life to save up for his little sister's operation. Even though he had no choice… Well, Death judges harshly. There's nothing we could do about it. I heard even wilful mutilation of self is a crime large enough to get you to serve time as a Prinny, as well."
"Seems kind of excessive," said Naruto thoughtfully. "Wonder what Teddy and Obito did…"
"Best not to ask," said Adell. "Most Prinnies consider their previous lives to be… Well, not very becoming of them. A lot of them would rather just be considered Prinnies, and given the chance to redeem themselves. Would you see them differently if you found out they were mass murderers in their past life?"
"Yeah, you're probably right. Oh, hey. What's going on now?"
The woman had finished dragging the Prinny suits to several points about the circle, and was starting to chant in a language that seemed both unfamiliar and inhuman to Naruto's inexperienced eyes. The woman's hair started flying upwards, and her clothing too, as what seemed like an invisible wind blew at her feet. Light gathered around the magic circle, shining softly and illuminating the room.
"Just watch," said the red-headed Demon Hunter.
The chanting continued, and the light started shining brighter and brighter. Just when Naruto thought it couldn't get any stronger, the light died down, and suddenly twenty-something spheres of light appeared in the middle of the room, floating in mid-air. Naruto's eyes widened slightly, although he couldn't really consider himself to be shocked. After everything that had happened, from his coming to the Netherworld and becoming the vassal of a Demon Hunter who wanted to become kind of demons, his absurdity scale had been lengthened a bit.
The lights came down one by one, and entered the beaks of the Prinny suits. As the light entered and the beaks closed, the Prinnies blinked, getting up and dusting themselves off. Some of them even spread their flippers and yawned loudly, as though they had just gotten out of a rather long nap.
"…Are those… souls?" asked Naruto.
"More or less," said Adell. "They're concentrations of Mana, the energy that makes you… well, you. It gives you the power to live, gives you the power to exist. It's also the power that angels, demons, and humans use to fight. It gives us our abilities, and without them… Well, we wouldn't be much of a threat."
"Ano, ano," grinned Naruto as he bounced on the bed eagerly. The Prinnies had more or less all been revived now, and the representative of the Dark Hospital was now checking over the Prinnies that hadn't been revived, making sure their bodies were undamaged. "Does that mean you'll be teaching me how to use it too, huh, huh?"
It was awesome, in Naruto's opinion. He had seen what Mana had done, what Mana was capable of doing. If he came back to Konoha with even half the power that he had seen in Adell that day in the forest… They'd make him Hokage unconditionally, definitely! There was no arguing against that level of power. He wanted to set castles on fire too!
"Yeah," said Adell, patting Naruto's head gently. The blonde shinobi didn't say anything, although secretly he enjoyed the touch. Not a lot of people had been willing to come into physical contact with him back in Konoha, not unless it involved a beating, anyhow. "You're pretty eager. Wait till this is finished, and then we'll get to your training. Oh, Taro."
"Milk, big brother?" asked Taro, holding out a pan of little milk cartons. Naruto could see a ton of different flavours, from strawberry to chocolate and normal. "I went down to Rosenqueen for some refreshments. Oh, try this! I found a couple Unique chocolate milks in the Item World before we came here; completely forgot about it. You too, Naruto."
"Oh, thanks Taro. You sure you don't want one yourself? I know you love milk."
"Don't worry about it, Adell. I had a Legendary one just before I came, so I'm all pumped up now!" smiled the cow-print wearing boy. He nodded, before preparing to go on with his rounds. "I'm going to bring these over to the Prinnies. Since it's their day off and everything, I'm going to be super nice to them today."
He passed two of the cartons over to the pair, before continuing on with his rounds. Adell popped open the lid, before starting to chug it down like a maniac. Naruto, too, viewed the tiny bottle, before shrugging and popping the lid off as his mentor had done. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the brown liquid, which was glowing slightly. Looking over at Adell, who was still chugging, he shrugged once more and followed his lead, letting the milk run down his throat.
His eyes widened. The taste of the milk was like no chocolate milk he had ever had before. There was a rich flavour deeply ingrained within that reminded him of the highest quality of black chocolate, and the milky texture made him think of pastures and the cool breeze. Naruto found that he couldn't stop drinking; the milk was simply too great. Definitely the best he ever had.
"What—"
"It's a Unique item," explained Adell as he wiped his mouth with his arm. "Free of the imperfections that plague normal things, Unique items are basically perfect in every single way. Only Legendaries are stronger, and that's because they surpass perfection. You're gonna need to know this to go toe to toe against demons."
"Oh, so this is the world's BEST chocolate millk?" asked Naruto, as he looked at the empty carton, feeling a little sad. It had been so good, almost good enough to switch him from being a ramen fan. "Where do you get this?"
Adell smiled.
"The Item World. Don't worry, you'll get to know the place quite well," said the red-headed Demon Hunter. "The Dark Hospital is coming around now, get ready for a check-up. After we're done here, I'll take you to the Item World. It's where you'll be training."
Naruto grinned as he heard the news. Training, that sounded like music to his ears. He'd be stronger than a Hokage in no time, especially if Adell was the one administering the training! To think, that a series of events leading from his failure at the Academy would eventually put him on a path like this!
The healer looked him over several times, frowning at the state of his clothing as she patted him over. What little bruises and cuts that had not cleared up by now were fixed by a single touch from her fingers, and Naruto felt more and more refreshed each time. Soon, she moved onto Adell, who went through the procedure as though he had done it hundreds of times before, which he had.
After the examination, Adell stood up, beckoning for Naruto to do the same. The orange-clad boy looked at his mentor, grinning brightly, and Adell couldn't help but return the smile in kind. He couldn't really help it; he was weak against people who were both honest about their intentions and smiled freely.
"Come on, I'll show you the shops."
"Shops?" asked Naruto, looking puzzled. "What for?"
"Look at your clothing, it's all in tatters," said Adell crossly. "And your goggles are broken; it'd be better if you got some new clothing, something more practical. Demonic armour is many times better than human-made, after all."
"Hey, boyo, if you think you can tell Uzumaki Naruto-sama to ditch his orange—"
"I'm not telling you to ditch anything," said Adell, as they walked down the corridor towards another section of the base. Naruto wasn't privy to how all the corridors and passages worked just yet, not having seen the plans, but he'd get used to the place in time. It wasn't that big, after all, at least not as big as the entire Konoha civilian district. "It's just... Well, at your level you're going to need all the help you can get to even get to the Item General of an ABC Gum, so..."
"Lemme ask you a question, then."
"Shoot."
"Are you wearing armour?"
"Ha, are you kidding me?" smiled Adell. "When you're fighting at the level of a Demon Lord, armour isn't going to help protect you against an enemy strike. They'll just tear through you, armour and all. During times like that, you need to learn how to use your Mana to protect yourself, and... Wait, why do you want to...?"
"Alright then! I've decided! I'm not wearing any armour!"
Adell sighed.
"Well, at least change your clothing. Keep your orange if you want, I'm totally fine with that," said Adell as he scratched his hair. They turned around the corner, continuing down the passage. "Do try to keep a clean appearance, though. It's a lot less impressive if you jump into battle wearing nothing but a loincloth."
"Didn't know you were so big on appearances, and that would be pretty rad."
"I'm not, it's just that I've got a friend who's really detailed about this kind of thing," said Adell with a fond smile as he remembered the spoiled princess that he had taken care of during his journey two years ago. She had always bothered about the smallest things, from when his tie was crooked to when he burnt their food. Although annoying at the time, now that they were so far apart he was starting to miss her voice. "She'd kill me if she saw a vassal of mine running around wearing rags."
"Ooh, whipped, huh."
Adell ignored the jab as they entered the Rosenqueen boutique. Although nothing big at the moment, as he hadn't submitted any bills to the Dark Assembly yet requesting expansion, it was well-kept and clean, and there were already several Prinnies looking about the wares, trying to find something to buy. Prinnies, although notorious money hoarders, were also good at finding ways to waste their hard-earned Hell. He remembered the keychain craze a year ago, when half the Prinny Squad had filled their pouches with keychains. It ended when some yahoo put out a line of gunpowder keychains that were defective, and tended to explode at inopportune moments.
The Prinny losses were high that day.
Adell browsed through the wares carefully, looking for something that interested him. His shoes were starting to get a little worn, what with the constant burning and kicking and what not. He'd have to get himself another pair, and luckily enough he found a few that looked exactly like his old ones. Nodding happily, he brought it to the counter where male Warrior checked it out for him.
When he turned back, he was confronted with the Naruto's uneasy face, as the boy switched his gaze back and forth from the wares to Adell again.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, uh..." muttered Naruto. He looked downwards. "I... don't have any money."
"Oh, that? Relax, I'll pay for you," said Adell, waving a hand around. Money wasn't hard to get in the Netherworlds, especially when you were at the level of a Demon Lord. He was used to buying equipment far stronger than the stuff sold in this store, anyway... He'd really have to win some of those Senators, or maybe ask Rozalin to propose the bill for him. "Get whatever you need. Weapons, armour, whatever. I'll foot the bill."
Naruto's eyes widened, almost tearing up. Adell was taken back by the expression, and wondered to himself hurriedly whether he did something wrong. By the time Naruto grabbed him and gave him a huge hug, however, he decided that he probably did something right. Patting the kid's head much like he had done with Taro when the boy was younger, Adell looked towards the Warrior clerk for help, though the Rosenqueen worker did nothing but smile and shrug.
It took several seconds for Naruto to regain his composure, getting back to where he had been and wiping his eyes. Giving Adell a huge grin, he ran towards the equipment section of the store.
"Emotional kid you got there, milord," remarked the Rosenqueen worker, who was filing out what seemed like an inventory form. Adell turned, and saw the playful wink that the Warrior gave him. The Demon Hunter, in return, gave an embarrassed smile.
"He's my vassal," said Adell, looking at where the blonde kid was shifting through a pile of swords, looking much as a child did on Christmas Day. "He's got a lot of potential, and he's a good kid."
"Not to mention it looks like you've already completely won him over, milord," said the Warrior with a knowing smile. Although he wore the headband customary of his class, the rest of his clothing consisted of an elegant suit along with tie. "Loyal vassals are important to have when you go off into battle, especially ones who you can trust with your life."
"Ain't that the truth. Your name?"
"Call me Alfred," said the Warrior, still smiling. "I must attend to the stock now. When your vassal finishes his selection, feel free to call me out. I am at your beck and call."
"Right, thanks."
"Not a problem, milord. It is good to see a lord who cares for his subjects. A very refreshing change of pace," smiled the worker, who set down the forms he had been filling out, gave Adell a small bow, and opened the door that read 'Workers Only', before vanishing into the dark doorway.
"I did say that you could get whatever you want... but... Isn't that a little too much?"
Adell watched as Naruto attempted to lug the huge backpack full of all the weapons that he had bought, as well as all the ABC gums that Adell had instructed him to purchase. Every couple steps the kid would drop the bag where he was sitting, sighing in pain. The kid had really gone the whole nine yards, buying at least two of every kind of weapon he had found in the store. Although the amount didn't even dent Adell's wallet, he did wonder where the kid planned on putting all that stuff, or how he was going to use it.
Sighing for the last time as Naruto dropped once again, the red-headed Demon Hunter walked forwards and retrieved the bag from his limp hands, hefting it over his shoulder. Naruto stared at the sight, disbelieving. The bag that he had been struggling with for so long had been picked up by Adell with one hand – Actually, considering that it was Adell, it really wasn't all that surprising.
"Come on," grinned Adell. "If I leave it up to you, it's going to take forever for us to get there. I don't see the point of so many weapons, though... It'd be better for you to stick with one. Nice clothes, by the way."
Naruto's orange jacket had been shredded during the battle at Maderas's castle, and now he wore a simple black T-shirt with an orange spiral design on the front, as well as a pair of orange shorts. Black boots completed the get-up, and the goggles that had been destroyed were now replaced by a pair of Foresights, specialized demon goggles, that Adell had lying around.
"Yeah... yeah," groaned Naruto. He had been a bit annoyed that there had been no adequate substitute for his orange jumpsuit, but whatever. What he was wearing was close enough for now. "Where is the Item World anyway? Is it kind of like the Netherworld, or the Human World?"
"Kind of... both and not really," said Adell. "An Item World is a powerful spell that brings to life all the spiritual aspects of an item. Does your Human World believe that certain objects can contain spirits?"
Naruto thought back on it. Although he had never been too sure about it before, there were accounts of things in his world that were told to have souls and spirits within them... Things like swords, and teapots. Although he was pretty sure the second one was nothing more than folklore; who stuck demon raccoons in teapots anyway?
"Yeah... I think I know what you're talking about."
"...Well, the Item World is hard to explain," said Adell, scratching his hair. "Just wait. You'll experience it for yourself. Ah, we're here. Meet the Item World Guide."
Finally, they came to the end of their journey. There, standing in front of them, was a woman who looked just like the one who worked at the Dark Hospital. Had they not had different coloured hair and wore different coloured clothing, Naruto would've have a hard time telling them apart. The two Prinnies that he had come to know were also there.
"It's good to see you, Naruto," said Obito, bowing slightly.
"Wassup, dood?" said Teddy, waving his flipper.
Adell nodded to the woman, taking a piece of gum from the bad that he was carrying. The woman looked at the gum several times, before nodding. As Naruto watched, the piece of gum disappeared in a flash of energy, and soon that same energy had created a portal in the wall behind her. The portal looked much like a whirlpool, a vortex of purplish-blue energy.
Adell motioned towards Obito and Teddy.
"You two will follow Naruto, but don't support him unless he's seriously wounded," said Adell. Naruto gulped at this comment, although he didn't comment. The trust that he had for the red-headed Demon Hunter had been forged through a combination of vindication and danger, after all. It wasn't a bond that could break so easily. Adell turned to Naruto. "Look... you know what. The Item World isn't a cakewalk. It's going to be only challenges and pain from here on out, but at the end you'll be a lot stronger for it. I think you can do it... But do you think you can do it?"
"For sure," said Naruto, his eyes burning with determination. There were two sources for his will, one being that this was the road he would have to walk if he wanted to even see Adell's back on the scale, and the other being that for once in his life somebody believed in him. "Just you wait. I'll be kicking your ass in no time."
"Good talk," smiled Adell, turning back to the Prinnies. "Obito, do you have a couple Mr. Gency's Exits?"
"Yes, I do," said the Prinny commander, taking the object out of his pouch. It looked like a button, one of those things that some of the ninjas back home used to detonate their explosive seals, thought Naruto. "I even have a couple Unique ones... Pity they're Exits."
"Good," nodded Adell. "I'm counting on you two to make sure Naruto gets out of there alive. Prinnies can revive at any time, but most humans and demons... Well, we're not so lucky."
Both Obito and Teddy nodded, and saluted.
"Understood, Lord Adell."
"Aye-aye, dood!"
"Oh yeah. One last thing," said Adell. "Before you go on, take one of these weapons. Just one, though. You don't want to waste too much time on diversifying yourself right when you start out. I suggest something simple, like a sword or a spear, but that's just—"
"What kind do you use?" asked Naruto.
"Well, gloves, of course. They're not the easiest weapons to use for a beginner, especially considering your enemies will have much longer range at the beginning," declared Adell, lost in his explanation. "But once you train with it enough, you'll get a better grasp of your Mana than if you use other weapons, but it's strictly for experienced—"
He stopped his explanation as a grin appeared on Naruto's face.
"Oh, why do I keep answering your questions?" thought Adell, smacking his forehead. "I'm guessing you'll be using the gloves, then?"
"Yep."
Adell set the bag down before rummaging through it. Quickly, he found what he was looking for and flung them towards Naruto, who caught them in mid-air. He found himself looking at a pair of fingerless black gloves, not quite what could be called weapons conventionally. Yet, for some reason, they radiated more power than any of the kunai and shuriken he had ever handled before.
He turned them over, and inspected the metal plates on the back. With no small amount of amusement, he thought back to the fingerless gloves that the Jounin around the village had worn. This was basically the same thing, which was why he had picked it out. Yet, he hadn't expected it to radiate this kind of power.
"Those are Hoodlum Gloves. You picked out a good pair," said Adell. "I sense some Gladiators in there... Not very strong ones, but they'll serve you well. Alright now, off you go."
Naruto nodded, and slipped on the gloves. Instantly, he could feel power flooding him. Warmth from his hands reached his body, and all the way to his core. Already, he felt a little bit stronger than he had been, and ready to kick some butt. He walked towards the gate, before turning back to the trio.
"Just wait!" cried the young blonde boy, striking a pose. "By the time Uzumaki Naruto-sama comes back, he'll be several times stronger than before! The Netherworld better be prepared!"
Without giving anybody a change to retort, he took a running start and leapt into the vortex without hesitation. The Item World Guide chuckled slightly to herself as she watched the boy enter; it had been a while since she had seen somebody so fearless as to run straight into an unknown portal for the first time. Adell smiled as well, before turning to Obito and Teddy.
"Heh... With his attitude, he'll be fine up till the tenth floor," said the red-headed Demon Hunter. "Go with him as far as he can. I have confidence that he'll be able to reach the fifteenth floor at least, although he could probably go higher. But don't hesitate to get out of there if there's anything he can't handle either."
"Understood, Lord Adell," said the eye-patched Prinny with a small bow. "By your leave. Come on, Teddy, let us go support Naruto."
"Aye-aye, dood!"
"Sorry about interrupting your day off for this," said Adell apologetically towards the Prinnies. "I know it's not really often that you get a chance like this, so..."
"Don't worry about it, dood! Ain't no big deal to me. I like Naruto, he's a lot better than Master Etna and Lady Rozalin, dood. Of course I'll help him get stronger!"
Obito smiled secretively.
"I, too, wish to see how far he can go," said the eye-patched Prinny, thinking back to when he had first seen Naruto. It had been at the fire a few weeks back, on the day that Naruto was kidnapped. He had accidentally heard their conversation from where he had been, and it had surprised him to no end. To think that a human from his own world was here... Perhaps this Netherworld was... "It's... interesting to me. His dream... I wonder if he can achieve it?"
Before Adell could inquire further, Obito gave a flipper signal to Teddy, who saluted and followed after him. They entered the vortex, never once looking back. Adell sighed as he watched them go, until they completely passed through.
Obito was a bit of a mystery even to him. Although he had gotten to know the Prinny over the course of the last few weeks, being the intermediary between him and the rest of the Prinny Squad, he wasn't too fond of giving out details about himself.
Oh well... What would he do with his newfound spare time? He couldn't go out to try and take down a nearby Demon Lord, at least not yet. He wanted at least two vassals as strong as the Prinny Squad before he did so...
Hmm.
Didn't Rozalin want him to call?
Oh crap.
The Item World was not what Naruto had expected, that was for sure. In fact, the moment he arrived he had to fight the urge to rub his eyes at the absurdity of it all, before realizing that what was in front of him was completely real.
Yellow light streamed in from the sky, except there seemed to be no sun. No source of light whatsoever. Clouds floated in the air way above them, moving and shifting slowly as normal clouds did. It was almost rather scenic, had it not been for the truly strange part; the floating land he was standing on. All around him, hovering in the air, were floating islands of different sizes, elevations, and shapes. What surprised him even more was the variety in the sort of terrain that existed on the islands.
He was standing on grass, but the island right next to him consisted of sand. There seemed to be a snowstorm going on there as well, as well as a blizzard on the next island over, which was covered in snow. Naruto could hardly believe his eyes.
"It seems you're familiarizing yourself with the paradox that is the Item World," noted a rough voice from the side. Naruto turned his head, and his eyes came upon the two Prinnies that had been sent to support him. "...This is a tough, troublesome place. Look below the islands."
Naruto did so, and almost jumped. At the bottom was more or less nothing. The darkness below stretched into eternity; even the light from above could not reach the depths at the bottom.
"Do you realize?" asked Obito. "This is an insane place, where you will be tested to the limits. If you fall into the abyss, your life is forfeit. Although Lord Adell approves of you and believes in you, I will not be swayed until I see more of your worth in combat. You have one last chance to get out of here... One that I am offering. Will you take it?"
On the flipper was the object that Adell had called a Mr. Gency's Exit, whatever that meant. Its silver button gleamed seductively, as though asking to be pushed. Yet, without even a moment's hesitation, Naruto turned his back on the object.
"I see. This is your answer," said Obito, pocketing the device once more, and then turning to face Naruto. "May I ask why you go to such lengths to attain power? It isn't everything in the world, you know. Lord Adell does not require his vassals to do such reckless things, I should know myself. He is kind for a lord."
"I know that," said Naruto, clenching his fists. "I'm not stupid."
He looked upwards into the golden sky, and his hands relaxed. The goggles on his forehead that took the place of his old ones – Adell had called them Foresights – gleamed softly in the brilliant light.
"He's the first one who ever believed in me, you know," said Naruto, who turned about to face the Prinnies. Obito saw the fire in his eye, something that reminded him so much of himself when he had been younger. "He's the first person who ever said I can. He's also the first person to ever come to my rescue. He believes in me, so I'm not going to betray that trust. I'm going to pass his expectations, exceed them! I'll show him that his trust isn't wasted on me!"
For a second, Obito could swear that he saw a golden aura shine about him, although it disappeared in an instant. Perhaps it was simply a trick of the light...? No, he had seen the boy's Mana during the confrontation at Maderas's castle. It had been red, he was sure. Shaking his head, the Prinny cleared himself of frivolous thoughts.
"Those who believe in Uzumaki Naruto get rewarded!" cried Naruto as he pointed his finger at the sky in what he thought was a rather dramatic pose. "That's my Ninja Way!"
"Interesting, but right now you're not a ninja," said the Prinny. "You're a vassal. A vassal to a man who's contending for the title of Overlord. What's more important to you right now, being a ninja or being a vassal?"
At this, Naruto stopped for a second, his eyes wide. He had always thought of himself as a ninja, even if he didn't pass the test. The profession had always been so right for him, and it lead him on the path towards the only thing he thought he would ever get a chance at getting recognition for, the title of Hokage. Yet... to be a vassal, was it so bad? He had recognition here, and even friends. Above all else, he had somebody who treated him like something, who obviously thought he was important.
He found himself as a crossroad, with no idea where to go.
He had no answer.
"Don't worry too much about it, you don't have to answer so quickly," said Obito as he slapped a flipper down on the boy's shoulder. "I know it's a hard decision for you. Give it some time. Give yourself some time. You're not going to last long in the Item World with a clouded heart."
Naruto nodded numbly.
"Speak of the devil, dood," exclaimed Teddy, who had been silent the entire time the conversation had been going on. He pointed his flipper his flipper at the other islands. "Here they come, dood!"
Demons started to appear out of the shadows of the islands. Mothmen filled the air as Orcs and Zombies marched from their hiding places out into the open. They stared at Naruto and the two penguin demons hungrily, angrily.
"The Residents... They are here. A combination of the flaws within both you and in the item, given form by magic. Destroy them, and you'll find yourself becoming stronger with each kill," noted Obito. "From here on out, it's your game. Show me your worth, and make Lord Adell proud."
Naruto cleared away his clouded mind. Although he still had no answer at this point in time, he wouldn't let it get in the way of his fighting. Gripping his fists, he jumped off the island, preparing to meet the enemies in combat.
"Oh yeah, did Lord Adell mention that gloves increase speed, dood?"
"Well, no one can say that he doesn't know that NOW."
Naruto picked himself off the side of the tree he just smashed into, before going back into the fray. The rosy tinge that coloured his cheeks betrayed his emotions completely.
Three days ago, Naruto had been declared dead.
Twenty three days ago, Naruto had gone missing.
Now, he was legally dead.
Iruka sighed into his hands as he stared at the book he was looking at without really reading it at all. Twenty days ago, in the Academy, where he was supposed to be safe and under his supervision, Naruto had vanished without a trace, and now he was dead.
No matter how many times he repeated it to himself, it didn't sink in.
Naruto certainly didn't feel dead, he knew the blonde boy too well to see him just giving up and dying. Wherever he was right now, Iruka was sure that he was trying his hardest to get back home. There wasn't even a body, for God's sake. How could somebody be declared dead if there wasn't even a body, that's what he wanted to know. Konoha's system was just like that, though. With all the shinobi running around in this world, if you weren't seen for twenty days, chances were you were lying in a ditch somewhere with your head cut off.
Iruka couldn't see Naruto like that though.
Not that he was actively trying to.
He sighed once more. The Hokage had given him a temporary reassignment since then, citing 'stress' as one of the reasons that he had been given a break and told to arrange the old archives in the Hokage's tower instead of continuing his work at the Academy. Mizuki had been reassigned as a full-time teacher, now that he was working over here. He couldn't... he couldn't deal with his kids now. Not after losing one of them, without even knowing where he was or what his condition was like. He couldn't face them.
The reason Umino Iruka never made Jounin wasn't because of his skills or lack of talent. Although he wasn't a genius by any means, he was an exceptional taijutsu and weapon master, most adept in the use of kunai and wires. His talent was nothing to scoff at either, having been one of the rookie teams picked out for the Chuunin exam back in his day, and at another village too. No, the reason Umino Iruka never made Jounin was because of his reluctance to kill, which was an important part of most Jounin missions, and because of his terrible case of guilt and conscience, something that surely would've drove him insane if he started being assigned assassination missions.
Jounin were not well-adjusted people, Iruka knew that. It was the reason he wasn't nominated for the Jounin exam, because he was a normal person, as much a ninja could be, anyway. Although he didn't mind, really. He had more fun teaching the kids in the Academy, watering and feeding the seeds that would become towering trees that upheld the Will of Fire.
But now that he had once again lost somebody close to him, he wished he had gone through that Jounin emotional training course, just so he could hold back the crushing waves of guilt and depression.
His hand brushed by a nearby book, which he peeked at over the top of his arms, raising from his defeated position.
"The Biography of the Fourth...? Heh..."
Irony at its finest. Here he was, moping about his student and trying to forget about it at the same time, this book just happened to appear, reminding him about his student's dream which he might or might not accomplish. Ever. His mind was in a huge mess; chaos was strewn about his cranium. Perhaps a read would get him in more proper shape.
Flipping the cover over, he read through the first passage.
"Although the Yondaime of Konoha is perhaps one of the most well-known heroes of all time, there are many aspects of his life that did not pass into common knowledge... The Yondaime, real name Namikaze Minato, was an orphan from a nearby civilian village who was picked up after an unnatural flood... He was born with what seemed to be a mutation... pointed ears?"
Hidden within the book was a wealth of information that Iruka had never known before, including the fact that the Yondaime kept the true colour of his eyes, red, a secret with the liberal use of contacts and genjutsu, or the fact that apparently he had trouble mastering normal ninjutsu techniques, yet was easily proficient with difficult ones he made up himself yet others could never copy. There was even a recorded incident involving a Sharingan-wielding Uchiha defector who had been brought down by him... A Jounin versus Chuunin, with the Jounin losing! Not to mention the Jounin had access to one of the greatest Bloodline Limits in the world, and he lost...
He had, apparently, been unable to read Yondaime's chakra. Another Hyuuga branch member found out later as well during the Jounin exams, when he had tried to view his inner coil systems in order to shut them down. All he had managed to see, described by him, was a golden haze that had covered his inner body workings, allowing the Yondaime to beat down the man, who found his secret clan techniques rendered useless, at will.
The pointed ears, although strange, could be explained as a rare mutation; there were plenty of those in the world after all. The red eyes were rare as well, but red eyes were especially common in Konoha, with many Uchiha clan members taking wives who bore them children with no Sharingan but with natural red eyes. The Yuuhi clan was such a branch, but the Uchiha did not consider them important enough to annex, considering the only trait they kept was the red eyes and a tendency to gravitate towards Genjutsu. The golden haze and the strange jutsu Iruka attributed to a rare Bloodline Limit, perhaps lost forever considering that the Fourth had left the world without a heir.
Yet, it was near the end of this book that Iruka found the most shocking of revelations.
Prior to the Yondaime's grandest conquest, the one that would forever push him into folklore and history, the sealing of the Kyuubi, there were reports that the Fourth would often stare into the air before vanishing in a flash of purple light. He would return soon after, with a smile, explaining that it was a new jutsu that he had developed and was still trying out.
Purple light.
The same kind of thing that reports said had happened to Naruto.
Could it be...?
Iruka gripped the book, jumping out of his chair and preparing to look for the Hokage. He had found a clue at last. Hoping against hope, Iruka ripped open the door, unsettling the many papers and books on the shelves, sending pages flying into the air, and slammed it behind him as he ran out into the corridor.
He missed the passage at the end of the book, where it described his words prior to leaving the Hokage's tower before he sealed the Kyuubi, when he had been talking to the Sandaime, when he had explained why he was the only one who could seal the beast.
"The Shiki Fuuin isn't a technique for sealing demons, Sarutobi-sensei. It's a technique for sealing beings similar to yourself... Nobody else in the village has blood like mine."
Had Iruka been a bit more thorough in his reading, perhaps he would've found something that would've changed his view on the whole book. After all, a book was often also judged alongside the author.
The Biography of the Fourth, by the Netherworld Recorder.
"He's getting a little better now," said Obito approvingly, as he watched Naruto engage in battle with the residents. The orange-clad boy had gotten used to the speed boost that the gloves had afforded him, and was now bouncing around from island to island duking it out with the other beasts. "It's a big of surprise to me, considering that fact that he's human. In my experience, humans don't improve this fast."
"That's true, dood," said Teddy. "But there are exceptions, y'know. I heard, some time ago, that Lord Laharl came across a human who had the potential to become as strong as an Overlord, dood. He went back to his home Human World before he realized it, though."
"Captain Gordon, eh?"
"Yeah, that's the one. Strong as a demon, dood, but I heard he's eccentric too."
"Hmm... Too bad I was out on a long-term errand for Master Etna during that time," noted Obito as he scratched his beak with his flipper. "Heard quite a bit of wacky stuff went down around that time; I even managed to miss Lord Laharl's coronation too."
"Yeah, but... it might've been a good thing we missed it, dood. Fighting is good once in a while, but I'd rather not get blown up twenty-four seven, dood. It's true that we can get revived, so it's all good, but still..."
Block. Block. Punch.
Blocking two arm strikes from a nearby Zombie, Naruto grit his teeth and drove his fist into the chest of the monster. The rotting corpse flew back several feet, and fell into the abyss as it succumbed to gravity. Naruto took several seconds to recover, breathing deeply, before turning his gaze to the sky once more. Several Mothmen in the air had already started their attack, flapping their wings and dropping some sort of powder in the air. Naruto knew by personal experience now that touching that dust was the last thing he wanted to do, which meant that approaching head-on was out of the question.
Bending down, pumping power into his knees, Naruto blast off towards a nearby island, ricocheting off a tower that was situated on it. Bouncing towards the Mothmen from another angle, he gripped one of the monsters by the wing and executed a flipping kick towards the head that knocked it out cold.
The Mothman started falling into the abyss, unconscious, and Naruto, who by now had expended all of his momentum, pumped his knees once more and shot off from the Mothman's unconscious body, speeding up the demon's descent into darkness and allowing him mobility in the air once more.
With a cry, he engaged the rest of the demons, arms moving wildly and legs shooting out like bullets. Within seconds, the rest of the Mothmen had been defeated in mid-air, where they claimed superiority, and Naruto was bouncing off the last corpse and towards a small group of Ghosts on the side, which had been firing off spells at him.
"It looks like he's levelled up a bit, dood."
"Indeed, he has definitely gotten stronger," said Obito. "Well... He will have to be able to do at least that much if he wants to get to the Item General without relying on our help."
The last of the residents fell, and soon enough Naruto was at their side, panting slightly and with several superficial scratches on his skin. His clothing was only slightly ruffled, being of demonic origin and thus able to take hits easier. Looking upwards at the pair of penguin demons, the blonde shinobi scratched his head.
"There we go, I'm done," said Naruto. "What now?"
"Tend to your wounds first," said Obito, throwing him a couple pieces of gum. Naruto caught the objects in mid-air and stared at them oddly, before remembering what he had said before about medicine, and peeled the wrapper off one before popping it in his mouth. "That's ABC Gum, the weakest of medicines out there. But it should be enough to tend to your wounds, since you haven't sustained very many. You're very fast, which makes you better at dodging than most. But most Ninja are."
Naruto chewed on the candy slowly, remembering what Obito had said before about the path that he would have to take. He wasn't sure which one he wanted; he wasn't sure if either one was what he wanted as well. Was it possible for him to be both...? To be both a shinobi and a vassal at the same time?
Well, like Obito had said, this wasn't the right time for pondering. He was training right now, and it was never a good idea to train half-heartedly. Being distracted meant a higher chance of injury, especially when your training partners were live monsters who had no qualms about ripping you apart and feasting on your entrails. Naruto felt his wounds close, and removed the piece of gum from his mouth before chucking it into the abyss and watching it fall.
"Well, where to now?" asked Naruto, turning back to the pair of penguin demons. He had taken out all the monsters he had seen on the neighbouring islands. Each and every single one of them were either lying with their heads cracked open on the floating islands, or were somewhere down in the abyss they'd never be able to crawl out of.
He was stopped by Obito, who put up a flipper.
"Before we go anywhere, I must explain to you some of the intricacies of the Item World," said Obito, before lowering his flipper once more. "Before we begin, how much information do you know about the Item World?"
"Well, I know that it's created by a spell, and that it's got something to do with the thing we used to get in here, and that's about it," said Naruto, crossing his arms. "What are we doing waiting around for? I wanna get to where we're supposed to go by dinner time."
"Don't be impatient. Your information is partially right," said Obito. "The Item World is a manifestation of the item's character, more or less. It brings to life all the flaws within the object, and allows you to defeat them, letting you gain experience in combat as well as absolve the object of flaws, which makes it better. The flaws become Residents, the monsters you were killing off earlier."
"So, if I kill Residents, the weapon gets stronger?"
"Very simplified, but basically correct," said Obito. "But... there are three more types of monsters living here in the Item World. They will get more and more common as we head to the later levels, so it's best to tell you about them now."
"Well? Spill the beans. What are they?"
"Haste makes waste," said Obito, waving him off. Reaching into his pouch with his flipper, he took out an entire blackboard, which had Naruto widening his eyes. The eye-patched Prinny gestured over to Teddy, who complied by taking out several pieces of chalk from his own pouch. Obito drew several diagrams on the blackboard, before turning back to Naruto. "Alright, look. We have four different kinds of creatures here in the Item World. The face over here – the neutral-looking one – those are the Residents. They make up the bulk of the Item World, and as a rule they are always hostile. Take them down whenever you can, to gain both experience and to make the equipment the Item World belongs to better."
Then, with pointer he had taken out of his pouch, he tapped at the face next to the neutral-looking one. This one had a smiley face – or what looked like a smiley face anyway; Naruto knew now that Obito couldn't draw to save his life.
"The smiley face here represents Innocents; they are the true residents of an Item World. In a weapon that is truly perfect, something that is theoretically possible but highly improbable, an item would consist of nothing but Innocents. They are the representation of the crafter's will, and the stronger the crafter's will, the stronger the Innocents are. If you kill an Innocent, you will weaken your item, but this rarely ever happens because Innocents are neutral, sometimes even friendly, and will never attack you willingly. There are Innocent Towns throughout the Item World, where Innocents live. You can heal, buy things, and even go to the Item Assembly to strengthen the object. You won't have to worry about that for now, though."
With that said, Obito turned to the next face. This one was also neutral-looking, much like the first one had been, but there was something about the lines that suggested strength.
"These ones are Specialists, always for them first. You'll know who they are because they're the only ones, other than Pirates and outsiders like ourselves, to attack Residents," explained Obito. "To put it simply, Specialists are much like Innocents, being representations of the crafter's will, but they are not bound to weapons. Specialists, all of them, are warrior-types and serve the strongest. If you defeat them in battle, they will serve under you willingly unless they feel you don't deserve their service any longer, when they will leave. Defeat them in battle in the Item World, and they'll move from the object into your body."
"Wait! Into my body!?"
"Yes, or more specifically, your Mana," explained Obito. "It's not as strange as you think. The Specialists move into your Mana flow, where they'll strengthen you in different ways, depending on their type. The rarest and most prized of all are the Statisticians and the Managers. Statisticians allow you to grow faster, and Managers increase your Mana capacity. You'll see more of them as we go, so don't worry too much."
"Alright..." said Naruto, as he thought about it. "So you mean, if I defeat a Statistician in battle, and then he moves into my body, I'll be able to learn things at a faster rate?"
"That's the idea."
"Awesome!" grinned Naruto, as he thought about it. If he got enough Statisticians in his body, he'd be able to get twice as kickass, twice as fast! There had to be some catch to this... "Are there any backsides to having Statisticians?"
"You mean Specialists, and no," said Obito. "Once they start serving you, there are no drawbacks. However, the hard part is actually getting them to serve under you. Specialists, on average, are ten times as strong as the average Resident in an item, which means you probably won't be getting an Specialists, not for a while at least."
"Damn," said Naruto, his thoughts of attaining Adell-like power through gathering a mass amount of Specialists into his body went down the drain. "So, is that why you demons are so strong? Because you have access to Specialists?"
"Well, partially, I suppose," said the Prinny, as he moved his pointer towards the last face. This one was malicious-looking, and had an eye-patch, sharp eyes, and devil horns. "But before we get off the topic, I have to tell you about the last of the creatures you'll encounter here in the Item World, and also the most dangerous. In the case we encounter these, both Teddy and I will help you. As you are, there is no chance whatsoever of you defeating a Pirate."
"Pirate?"
Naruto cupped his chin, lost in thought as images of swashbuckling men with long, twirling moustaches invaded his mind with their peg legs, hats, bandanas, talking parrots, and plank-walking. Shaking his head and dispelling the strange thoughts, he turned towards Obito.
"So, what's this about Pirates?" asked Naruto. "They don't sound so scary..."
"You'll be surprised," said Obito. "Pirates are the scourge of the Item World. They're Residents and Specialists gone bad; forming gangs on Item World travelling ships that can go from Item World to Item World. The chances of coming across a Pirate gang are low, but it does happen about once in ten times, so it's not impossible. Their strength – remember this, and remember it well – can range from the level of a Specialist, to beyond even Lord Adell's level."
Naruto gulped, suddenly realizing what sort of danger he was in. If there were Pirates out there even stronger than Adell, then there was no way the pair of Prinnies acting as his bodyguards would be able to fight back against them.
"Don't worry," said Obito. "If Pirates that strong were to appear, then we'd use the Exit right away. There will be no threat to your life."
Naruto nodded, his worries fading slightly. Although they weren't completely gone, they had dispersed enough so that he couldn't feel the choking sensation in his gut anymore.
Iruka ran like he had never run before, charging up the stairs of the Hokage's tower. The tower itself was a good ten floors high, and he was afraid of bumping into people if he went at his max speed, so he ran at the pace of a civilian, narrowly avoiding hitting several people as his feet screeched against the floor.
The Hokage's tower was as much a maze as it was an office building; the place had been built to be nigh-on impenetrable by those who weren't familiar with its systems, a sort of cautionary act against invaders. To tell the truth, though, it really didn't do much considering that most of the time during invasions the Hokage, the one who was supposed to be protected by the system, was usually out on the front lines. However, the systems were apparently rather effective at repelling enemy spies.
Iruka found himself on the seventh floor, a floor devoid of workers, when the figure appeared in front of him, blocking his way. Iruka stumbled momentarily as he looked upwards at the silhouette.
The seventh floor was traditionally kept very dimly lit, as there were many ancient scrolls here with ink that faded when viewed under harsh light; it was a storage area for ancient relics, weapons, and other things that were of interest at one point in time. Thus, Iruka could hardly tell whether the figure, hooded and cloaked as it was, was a male or female.
"Umino Iruka..." said the figure in a gravelly tone.
It seemed he was male after all. Iruka didn't care too much about it, however, he was in a hurry. Cloaked figures weren't all that rare in Konoha, being a ninja village and all. Trying to raise his foot to continue on his way, Iruka found that he couldn't. His eyes widened.
"That book thou found... Forget about it," ordered the figure. Iruka looked upwards at him, and felt a chill settle in his spine. "That which thou read was not meant for human eyes. Forget about it this instant, and never speak of it to anybody else."
For the first time in ten years Iruka felt as if he was dealing with something completely out of his imaginations. The last time he had felt like this was during that A-class mission he had been sent on with his Chuunin team... it was on that mission too that both of his comrades had been slain and he had forever resolved to become a teacher, to make sure his students were ready for the real world before sending them out. Cold sweat appeared on his skin, and he reached for his shuriken holster, only to realize it wasn't there anymore.
Clack.
Iruka turned his eyes upwards, only to see that the holster he had been looking for had appeared in the man's hands. The hand that poked out of the cloak was both pale and slim, completely at odds with the voice it was connected to, which sounded like something that would come out of the throat of a stone God. The cloak billowed about the figure, and Iruka caught the glimpse of heavy chains underneath the black material before it vanished out of sight once more as the cloak came down.
"Stand thee down, Umino Iruka," chided the figure gently; well, about as gently as an angry tiger, anyway. He examined the holster for a short amount of time, before tossing it to the ground, where the button came loose and several metal armaments spilled out, making sharp noises as they impacted on the wooden floor. "This one is the Netherworld Recorder, of whose book thou have read. Said book is... one not meant to be comprehended by humans. Forget about it, and thou shalt be released from thy current predicament."
Iruka screwed up his courage, and bit out a retort.
"I'm sorry... but something like that is impossible!" cried out the Chuunin instructor, as he tried his hardest to break free of the unnatural hold that had locked his arms and legs. He was frozen in a battle ready position; the only part of his body that he could move was his head. He gripped the book he was holding in his hand for dear life. "This book holds a clue to where my student has--!"
"Thy pupil," announced the voice. "Has gone to a realm no human, especially one of this world, should ever seek to enter. But worry not; thou shall meet in due time. Give me that book and forget about it, Umino Iruka, and I shall free you from my Stillness and never enter thy sight again. What say thou?"
A realm no human should ever seek to enter?
Iruka's eyes opened wide as the words came to him. Images of all sorts of danger befalling Naruto... things that he should never have to imagine about his student filled his mind. All of the scenes culminated in finality; death, the only constant in the world of shinobi. Although he had never received Jounin-level emotional training, he knew enough about the human mind to know that this path lead to madness. Clearing his brain of thoughts involving his student in dire straits, he glared at the man in front of him.
It was clear that there was something... not quite human about him. In a room sealed like this one, there was no way his cloak should be billowing about like that. Judging by the size, thickness, and the way that the chains under his cloak were wrapped around him, the man under the cloak must've been wrapped in at least a couple tonnes of iron, and the pure fact that the man could speak and move about at all rang alarm bells in his head.
There was also the unnatural darkness that covered his face.
Of course, Iruka knew much about hoods. It was commonly worn by shinobi all throughout the Elemental Countries who wanted to conceal their identities, and were usually seen on Nuke-nin. Even in Konoha, there were times when hooded individuals would walk the streets, avoided by the normal denizens of Konoha. Iruka had seen a couple for himself, and always cautioned his students to avoid those kinds of figures.
But this hood was different; there seemed to be no light at all underneath. Instead of feeling as though he was staring into an enclosed space with a head contained within, Iruka felt like he was staring into the night sky itself; vast and empty and infinitely black. The figure shifted its weight several times, and the hood moved with his head. Each time that happened Iruka could swear that he saw stars and moons within the shadow of the hood, but each time the lights vanished right after, leaving Iruka with the feeling that he was staring into a mirage.
Iruka shook his head, and focused on his own bodily functions, ignoring the almost cosmic being in front of him for now. Calming his heart, lowering his pulse, and halting his sweat for a second, he opened his eyes once more and gave the figure one of the most determined glares he had ever given in his life.
He was a shinobi, for God's sake. This was something he could deal with. Superstitious wasn't a word included in his dictionary; there was no way the thing in front of him was anything but a man. There had to be a logical explanation for this; for everything.
First, the hold covering his body; a jutsu of some sort, perhaps. Probably Genjutsu, and if the enemy was a Genjutsu user it would explain the strange phenomenon going on with his hood as well. However, with the way that his body was frozen, there was no way to dispel the jutsu with a well-placed Kai. He would have to screw up his courage then, and challenge the Genjutsu directly.
The book at his side; the Biography of the Fourth. It was the book that he wanted; perhaps he was a spy or outside agent then...? But what would be the purpose of trying to steal a book that was nothing more than a biography? Iruka cleared his mind once more. No, this wasn't the time for musings and ponderings. He had to focus on the what instead of the why.
The figure shook its head.
"No... thou needs not to speak. I already know thy will," said the figure. "Thou leaves me with no choice then, but to wipe your memories and take the book from thou with force."
Iruka's eyes widened as the figure slid forth, as though floating in mid-air. Reaching one pale arm towards him, Iruka could see the energy – it wasn't Chakra for sure, it didn't look a thing like Chakra, nor did it feel like it – swirling about in his palm... The hand came closer... Ever closer... Almost touching his forehead—
"Thy will is strong... However, against me... Will is nothing."
His life flashed before his eyes. Clichéd or not, there was no denying that's what happened. Images of his dead parents fighting against the Kyuubi... Images of his humiliation during his years at the Academy. Everything that had ever gone wrong before in his life appeared before him, and everything that had ever gone right as well.
White lines shot out of his head, moving towards the palm, streaming like water. He reached into his mind, searching for things that weren't there anymore. He felt his feet lift off into the air, as he relinquished control over all aspects of his body, his face looking into the sky. Parents...? What were they...? Shinobi... what was that...? Naruto?
Naruto?
Energy swirled up around him, gathering into him, calming him. The image of the blond-haired, orange-clad boy that had been fading... It was now completely lucid, and clear. Clear enough for him to see his grin. Clear enough for him to remember what he had been doing.
Clenching his fists like they were gripping a lifeline, he ripped his eyes open, and glared into the hood of the figure in front of him. The figure, whose stance had suggested boredom, suddenly snapped to attention, realizing that the herbivore he had been hunting had finally been pushed into a corner. With a strangled scream completely uncharacteristic of normal shinobi, Iruka drove his fist into the side of the figure, before being bounced back several feet and landing on the ground, clutching at his fist in pain, the book gripped tightly under his armpits.
Iruka got up to his knees, staring at the monster in front of him. The white lines that had been absorbed into his palm were starting to reappear, making their way towards Iruka. The lines entered his head, and all of a sudden he felt clearer than ever. His fist ached; it had felt like hitting steel.
There was no question about it now; he could not win.
If the enemy was a ninja, he was definitely beyond Jounin level. A body that felt like steel, an ability to take away one's memories, the ability to hover, and a jutsu that froze people on the spot. Some of those techniques had been theorized, but had proven to be impossible by many shinobi. If he wasn't a ninja... Well, that just made things worse.
Gritting his teeth, he brought his hands up. He wouldn't be able to escape, that was almost for sure. His holster was on the ground away from him, which meant there would be no long-range attacks coming from him. He was rusty after years away from battle, and most of the jutsu that he had used in the past were now beyond his level, and even if he did manage to use them again there was a good change that he had forgotten many of the hand seals.
Just as Iruka was about to fight back, however, something strange occurred.
The book at his side started radiating light, rays of white spilling forth from within. Iruka's eyes widened as he watched, and the hooded figure seemed taken back by the phenomenon.
There was a flash of white light, and Iruka, along with the book, was gone.
The Netherworld Recorder took off his hood, looking at the spot where the Chuunin had vanished. His cloak halted around him as he stilled his power, having no more use for the Mana he had been summoning. His face under the hood was... almost normal-looking, had it not been for the pointed ears and the permanently closed eyes. He frowned as he glanced towards where the book had been.
He had been fully prepared to take that man's memories... and yet he had stopped him somehow. There was no reason he should've been able to react during conditions like that, especially not when he had already begun the extraction process, but somehow he did. The human, Umino Iruka, had done something none had done before when faced with the power of the Recorder; he had managed to overcome him.
There was no way a mere human who had never even heard of the Netherworlds before could've even had a chance against him... That lead him to only one conclusion.
His voice came through softly and clearly, completely different from when he had been using his power; the Netherworld Recorder's power. His energy had long since died down now. He was nothing more than a normal demon once more.
"...To think the Tome of Desires chose a human..."
Naruto's hand ripped through another demon, bursting through his chest like a bullet. Before letting the demon have a chance to gasp, however, he put his leg up to its chest and kicked, letting the demon fall into the abyss, trying to gasp for air fast enough for his punctured lungs to hold. He failed, falling into darkness.
They had gone through three stages now, and Naruto had quickly realized how it was that demons got so strong. The Item World run was more than a test of power, it was a test of stamina to fight through ten stages of enemies, mental fortitude for the long road ahead as well as keeping cool under pressure, and skill for minimizing damage as the attacks came straight on. The gum that Obito supplied him with healed his wounds, but they did nothing to combat fatigue and shortage of breath. This pace was unbelievable, but even more unbelievable to him was the fact that he was still holding on.
Although he was considered one of the ones with the highest stamina in the Academy class, this was on a whole different level. Whereas the instructors expected them to run a full twenty laps around the school every day in under four minutes, this world expected him to go toe-to-toe against about a hundred enemies each time he went up a level. Having battled against almost four hundred enemies now, Naruto found that he had long since exceeded the point where he thought he would collapse from exhaustion, as if something inside him was coming out.
He had never felt the level of extreme exhaustion he had on level two, when he had been surrounded by about fifty of those log-like monsters. They had come at him from all sides, some even trampling on their allies to get to him, and after beating a stage and then going through half of another he had felt ready to collapse. His sweat was staining the t-shirt Adell had bought for him, and his fists felt like they were coated and filled with lead.
He had watched them come closer, as if in slow motion. As the thin limbs of the monsters came down on him, he had fully expected either to be saved by Obito and Teddy or to die.
Neither had happened.
His fist, as if reacting somehow to the danger outside, had swung upwards like a cannon, dealing the arm of the demon a nasty uppercut. The limb had torn off the monster like a wrecking ball had impacted against it, and the monster had given a shriek of agony. Before Naruto knew what he was doing, he had launched into a frenzied rush, using his hands to tear into the monster. It didn't matter that the bark was hard and that his knuckles were bloody; at the end he had taken down fifteen of them in the space of twenty seconds, and the rest were inching towards him a lot more cautiously.
From that point on, his exhaustion seemed to disappear as he entered into the fight with a new determination. His arms swung faster, his legs moved smoother. In fact, he could even swear that his eyesight was becoming clearer, and his body a lot more reactive as he fought. Certain times he even felt the world slow down slightly, as if his entire body, mind, and consciousness had gone into a higher gear.
The Prinnies watched as their charge back-flipped off a monster and landed on another, dealing it a backwards kick that launched it into a tree, shaking the leaves and cracking its cranium. That Jack-o-Lantern would never be the same again.
"He's moving faster now," said Teddy, in awe. "Dood. He's flying."
"Amazing speed," agreed Obito, crossing his flippers. "He is progressing much faster than we had expected. At this rate, he might even be able to reach the Guardian without our help at all."
"Yeah... strange though. Humans shouldn't progress this fast in the Netherworld, especially considering he's alive, dood," said Teddy as he looked thoughtfully onwards. They both knew what he was talking about; humans simply did not work well with demonic training tools. Prinnies, being containers for human souls, suffered similarly to a degree, although due to the fact their bodies were of demon origin the effect was much less. "He's growing... and he's not stopping."
"Incredible indeed," said Obito. "I had my doubts, but it seems Lord Adell has picked a great vassal."
They watched as Naruto dealt with the remaining monsters, his fists flying like a hailstorm of bullets. Within seconds the rest of the monsters had been destroyed. A chunk of the island broke off and fell into darkness, as Naruto watched. He hadn't been the one to do that... It had been a Headless Knight that had been aiming for him; had he taken that shot, his neck would be off by now. He stared firmly into the abyss, the figures of the monsters he had sent scrambling were still visible.
Although he didn't look towards the Prinnies, he knew it. There had been one too many close calls for him, and never once did they move from their position. They would only move if an enemy clearly superior to him arrived... Otherwise, he was pretty much on his own.
Naruto knew he should feel angry, but he didn't.
He understood; that scared him.
The thrill of battle, near-death experiences, the pain when he got hurt, and the satisfaction he got for dealing crippling blows to his enemy. His body and mind thirsted for it. He could feel his rhythm speeding up all the time, shattering his previous viewpoint time and time again. His reactions were not planned out, they were there without him asking for them, twitch reactions he had no control over. There were times when attacks came from places he had no business sensing, yet he managed to react anyway without even realizing it.
He felt something in him grow... Something... quite different from humanity.
He relished it, and yet feared it at the same time.
Shaking his head and clearing his thoughts once more, Naruto turned to the pair of Prinnies. Seeing his face, they nodded, and Obito close his good eye. Within seconds, the Mana from the fallen demons had gathered together and formed a vortex in the middle of the air, swirling about. Naruto looked into the air, and found that he could see the next stage. Except... something was different.
"What are those things?" asked Naruto, pointing into the air.
"Geo Symbols," explained Obito. "Powerful concentrations of Mana, they affect the areas around them in a certain radius, depending on how powerful the concentration of Mana is. There is no way to tell what the effect of a Geo Symbol is, not until you enter the area. You see that green mist?"
"Yeah," nodded Naruto. There was a green mist surrounding the green Geo Symbol, which was shaped much like a miniature pyramid. Maybe it was simply his eyes playing tricks on him, but the monsters that entered the mist seemed to be moving... slower.
"Although we can't be sure... It appears that Geo Symbol is a speed down symbol. That means anything that enters will have its speed cut down severely; not simply speed but everything that controls the body," said Obito, glancing towards Naruto. "You must be careful. Enter that mist, and although you'll think everything is normal, you'll actually be acting much slower than usual. Although, those who are in the mist as well will be affected similarly, so at close range it doesn't change much. If they start attacking you from a distance outside, while you're inside..."
"...I'll get wasted, right?" asked Naruto, looking upwards at the next stage. "I'll be fine. Just gotta be careful."
Obito shook his head.
"Well, if you are confident," said the Prinny. "Go ahead."
Naruto nodded, and jumped into the portal headfirst. Teddy and Obito looked at each other momentarily, before following.
It didn't take long for Naruto to finish that stage as well, shredding the monsters like they were paper. There was a close call due in part to the Geo Symbol, but once he had smashed that (Geo Symbols could be destroyed), he had completed the level without a hitch.
It went like that for several more stages. If there was a swarm of monsters, Naruto destroyed them in a flash. If there was Specialists (and there were), Naruto took his time in taking them out; strong as they were, they were also fast enough to catch and damage him.
It was not until the eight stage that shit hit the fan.
Naruto looked out over the islands, clucking his tongue in annoyance. Almost all of them were covered in mists of several colours, and the worst part was that he couldn't see any visible effects on the monsters inside. The previous ones had all been obvious; monsters with bulging muscles, monsters that moved faster. These ones were subtler. Yet, it wasn't really anything dangerous; an annoyance, more like.
Just as he was about to jump into battle, however, he was stopped.
"Look out, dood!" cried Teddy, charging him and bringing him to the ground. Just as Naruto was about to yell at him for doing something so unexpected however, a large energy beam sailed over his head harmlessly and hit a nearby island.
BOOM.
Naruto turned his head, wide-eyed, to looked at the target of the blast. Or, what remained of it at least, which was not all that much. The island, struck by the force of the blast, had more or less disintegrated into bits and pieces, and flew around murkily in space before dropping into the abyss. An entire island, gone. Just like that.
He felt a jerking motion, and realized he had been pulled up. Obito looked him in the eye, before glancing towards the sky. Naruto followed his line of sight, coming across what seemed to be a flying ship.
"Pirates... what rotten luck," murmured Obito, although it was clear for all to hear. Taking the button out of his pouch again – the Mr. Mency's Gate or whatever – he poised his flipper to press it. "We're getting out of here. Don't worry about it, Naruto, you did good."
Naruto nodded, looking once more upwards at the ship. There was a band of white-haired demons on the vessel, and he could see them looking down at him. They held an assortment of weapons, all kinds. Here was an glowing, green-yellow axe; there was a black sword with two prongs. It was clear they were far beyond the level of the monsters he had been taking down, and probably stronger than the Specialists as well. He wasn't scared, however, not with Obito and Teddy there.
"...Damn..."
Naruto turned to look behind him, at the source of the voice, only to come upon the sight of the Prinnies looking at each other worriedly, before gazing at the button. How come they didn't press it yet? Naruto didn't know. His answer was made clear a second later when Obito put the button back into his pack.
"Rather annoying... There's a Geo Symbol around here forbidding the use of teleportation," said Obito, his Prinny brow furrowed. It would've been rather humorous, had Naruto not suddenly felt as if he had been thrown into a vat of ice water. "Stand down, Naruto. We'll take care of this one. You've done enough."
"Right, dood," said Teddy, looking upwards. The ship was coming down now, and appeared to be landing on an island close by. "My sword arm's gettin' a little rusty, dood. Time for a Prinny workout."
"Hey...! Are you guys going to be alright? These guys might be stronger than Adell!"
"We say that," said Obito. "But the chance of it is very small. There's also another way for us to get out of here without having to deal with the Pirates. You've done it yourself in several of the levels."
"It's a Geo Symbol doing this, dood," said Teddy. "You know what that means."
"Break it, and we're home free," said Obito. "Hide yourself, Naruto, and don't engage the Pirates even if it's the last thing you do. We don't know their level just yet. Let's go!"
Without another word, the Prinnies took off, blasting into the air with at least thrice the speed Naruto could do himself. He watched them charge towards the separate islands, destroying the monsters on the way with their machetes and barrages, searching for the Geo Symbol, before shaking his head and turning backwards.
If they told him to get some distance, then he would. They knew this place way better than he did, after all.
The Prinnies hopped from island to island, looking for the Geo Symbol. The monsters they encountered were of no problem to them, weak as they were. Nothing more than ground meat against the might of their machetes.
The Geo Symbol they were looking for, it had to be clear. A Geo Symbol that affected a whole world without a mist of any kind was of the strongest kind; it had to be bigger than the rest, at any rate. As long as they found it in time, there should be no problem.
Obito narrowly dodged a gun shot from behind him, and turned around to fire off several of his Prinny Barrages. The slicing energy blades cut through the woods of the floating island, cleanly dodged by the following pirates. The Prinny narrowed his one good eye. These Pirates were of a higher class.
Settling down on an open patch of land, he waited for the three pirates after him to show up. They did, white hair and unkempt clothing marking their class as Criminals. Each one of them held a separate weapon in their hands, each of them equally deadly. A sword user, a gun user, and an axe user.
"An Outsider..." grinned the one in lead. He was clothed slightly differently from the others, sporting a scarf that billowed out behind him. "It's been a while, hasn't it boys? You're trespassing on our property here... We're going to have to collect a fee. You can pay it in Hell, or in blood."
The other two, the gun user and the axe user, moved upwards, chuckling darkly. Obito gripped his machetes tighter, and focused, keeping his concentration at peak point. The moment he got distracted was the moment they would attack. Pirates were like wolves in this way; natural predators.
"I never thought the Ambling Pirates would've stooped to claiming territory on gum," said Obito in a nonchalant voice. "But I suppose you are the lowest of the Pirates after all. This might even be a step up for you."
They scowled, eyes darkening. Without warning, the one with the gun raised his hand. Obito ducked to the floor, dodging the bullet as it whizzed by over his head, its power and speed enhanced by the demon's Mana. His reflexes were good... Although not as strong as he was, these Pirates were at a similar enough level for it to be dangerous in a three-on-one fight.
With a cry, the eye-patched Prinny leapt into battle, charging towards the Ambling Pirates. The three Criminals took up their weapons, and the two with the axe and sword did so in kind, dashing towards the oncoming Prinny.
"C'mon, boys! We'll show this punk Prinny what the Ambling Pirates are all about! Are you two, underlings of I, the great Siegfried, going to take this insult lying down!? Have at you, sinner!"
He could hope Teddy would be able to find the Geo Symbol before trouble escalated.
Teddy himself was having his own troubles, as two Ambling Pirates cornered him against the wall. He held a single machete in his flipper, watching and waiting as the two white-haired demons drew in closer. They both held spears, weapons that definitely had a greater reach than his little butcher knife did. The fact that he was cornered and outnumbered also weighed heavily against him.
"Hehe, brother," said the larger one, who had several scars on his forehead. The spear he held was one that Teddy did not recognize, but it radiated dark energy, and purplish-pink liquid seeped from its blade. Being hit by that would definitely be dangerous, and more likely than not poisonous. "We'll be having penguin stew tonight. Hehehehe!"
The smaller one, who was smoother and less ragged looking, looked at the larger one in disgust. The spear he held was three-pronged, which made it more of a trident. Had his face not been drawn into a tight scowl, perhaps he would've been considered good-looking.
"That's disgusting, Sigmund. Prinnies are nothing more than rough cloth and Mana woven together into the semblance of a penguin. I'd rather eat paper," said the Ambling Pirate. "I have nothing against you personally, sinner, but this is Pirate policy. You wander around on our territory, you've signed your own death warrant."
"Hehehehe! Penguin stew! Penguin stew! Sigurd! Penguin stew!"
"Have you heard nothing I've said, Sigmund?" groaned Sigurd. He held up his spear, and the larger one did the same. They inched forwards closer and closer, and Teddy felt as if his nerves could burst at any moment. "Goodnight, Prinny."
The spear strike was blocked; Teddy had known it was coming. The trident was tricky to block, simply deflecting the blade wasn't enough. If one's weapon was caught in the prongs, the fight would soon become a nightmare for the one with the lesser range, which was Teddy in this case. The Prinny had struck at the base of the blade, near the part where the bar ended, and had managed to redirect the attack towards the wall that stood at his back.
Sigurd swore as his trident lodged into the rock, little pieces of debris flying out. He struggled to pull it out, and finally did so in a shower of rock, but by that time it was too late. Teddy struck, stabbing at his abdomen. Sigurd avoided the blow narrowly, twisting his body about and giving a return strike at the same time, which Teddy deflected once more. Both combatants hopped backwards, leaving space in between.
"EHEHEHE! PENGUIN STEW!"
Teddy barely had time to avoid the spear swing that had come from behind him, ducking it by the skin of his head as the spear impacted against a stone pillar nearby. The pillar was wrecked instantly, snapping in half as the force of the spear collided against it. Teddy knew spear forms, and this was no spear form. There wasn't a semblance of martial arts in this man, Sigmund. This was the wild strength of a berserker. Strong and uncontrollable.
But... that was a weakness too.
"GYAAAAAHHHH!" Sigmund cried, as he cradled his stump of an arm. Teddy hit the ground with a soft thud, landing cleanly on his peg legs as he balanced the single machete he held. His other machete laid a ways away, having been knocked from his flippers by the attacks of the pair.
"Sigmund!" cried Sigurd, looking at his partner "Get up, there's no time to—"
"He's right, dood," said Teddy, jumping at the hulking behemoth of a Criminal. His machete flashed through the air like a trail of lightning, and for a second remembered his past as a human. His flippers on the machete, for a second, felt like his hands on that old, rust-stained sword of his. "Dood, I'm not done with you yet!"
He flipped over the air, and landed on the other side of the Pirate, putting his machete at his side where sheath would've been had he still been human. For several seconds, nothing occurred, before several large gashes opened up on Sigmund's skin, which caused him to let out a bloodcurdling howl.
"Teddy Style: Prinny Showdown, dood!"
It was a hard fight, for sure.
The axe-user, whatever his name was. He had been nothing. Obito had taken him out in the three minutes at the beginning of the battle, and that was the end of that. The other two, particularly the one who called himself Siegfried, was another story however.
"Hmm, I have to commend you for taking out Siggeir," said Siegfried with a smile. He hadn't blinked an eye when Obito had vivisected his comrade in a horrific display of swordsmanship, and when the body fell to the floor and dissipated into Mana he had simply continued charging head on. "However, he was the weakest of our division of the Ambling Pirates. I'll have you know that even without Siggeir, Sivard and I are more than capable of taking you down. That axe fool simply got in our way."
"Less talking, more fighting," bit out Obito, dodging a bullet and blocking several sword strike at the same time. It was hard, fighting this dark two-pronged sword that Siegfried held. Every time the sword came close to him, he temporarily forgot what he was doing, which messed with his mental state something harsh. Although he was never a fan of bantering in a battle, this battle made it impossible for him to even do something as simple as that. And the paralyzing bullets that the gunner, Sivard, shot. One of them had lodged itself in his right leg, which was now numb.
He had expected adversity, but this was on another level. Their weapons were dangerous, made to kill through the usage of underhanded tricks like poison and amnesia, but such was the way of demons. Obito had gotten used to this kind of fighting style since he had been human in his previous life, so such a fighting style was nothing new to him.
No, their effectiveness was.
He was being controlled by the bullets, and his attention was effectively divided between the two. Siegfried attacked him constantly, hounding him like a stubborn raptor, never letting him have a second to assess the situation. What was truly amazing, however, was the way they worked together. Even without looking, Siegfried seemed to know exactly which direction Sivard's bullets would come from, and reacted accordingly.
Obito was fighting a losing battle, and he knew it. Unless he pulled out and did a trick or two they weren't expecting, he wouldn't be able to win. No news had come from Teddy's side either, so chances were he too was in the midst of battle.
The standard Prinny techniques wouldn't work. These guys knew the limitations of the penguin suit body, and took advantage of it at every point. The bodies of humanoid demons were flexible and strong, whereas the Prinny was awkward and clumsy. First, however, he had to make his chance...
There.
CLANG.
The twin machetes struck out against Siegfried's sword, surprising the Ambling Pirate leader. The blade flew into the air, before landing a short while away. It was the chance that Obito had been looking for; and he thanked the heavens for a second before dealing a harsh peg-leg kick at the Criminal's face which would leave a red, circular mark for a long, long time.
Several bullets flew in from the side, but since half of the combo had been taken out already, these bullets felt no faster than in slow motion. Obito avoided them easily, tilting his head.
There was a short period of time in which Obito hopped backwards, and Siegfried ran to retrieve his sword. The bullets didn't stop coming, but time and time again they were easily avoided by the eye-patched Prinny.
They stood against each other, now clearly separated. Obito stood on one side, grasping his machetes, and the two remaining of the Ambling Pirates stood on the other. They glared at each other, and Obito dropped his machetes.
Thunk, thunk.
They entered the packed and dry earth as though it was nothing more than soft soil, and the Ambling Pirate duo looked at him oddly, before Siegfried burst out with a harsh laugh.
"Hahaha! So, you've given up then, Prinny? That makes it much easier for us!"
Siegfried gripped his sword in what was clearly a special stance. His body was almost completely turned away from Obito, although his eyes were clearly glancing at him. His blade stood at his eye level horizontally, and the scarf around him billowed with the gentle caress of the Mana gathering at his hands.
Obito watched as Pirate charged forwards, and knew without seeing that a hailstorm of bullets was following right behind him. Without a word, he closed his good eye and flew through a series of flipper seals.
Remembering how it had felt when he had been alive, when he still had a chakra network flowing through his body, he channelled his Mana in the same way. The pathways that had once been there were brought back momentarily by the surge of demonic energy. The Mana flowed through the pathways like a network of aqueducts, and soon enough it had reached the right place; his throat.
He opened his eye, locking on his target. Siegfriend, and Sivard who was definitely behind him. Opening his beak, he gave a cry that reminded him of his previous life as a shinobi of the Leaf.
"Obito Style: Prinny Grand Fireball!"
From his beak, still open, came a fireball three boulders high and three boulders across. The flames burned with the fury of the sun and glowed an angry, demonic red. Siegfried had no time to even give a scream before the fireball mowed him down, leaving nothing but ashes, and melted all the bullets that came after into molten slag. Obito could see through the fireball that Sivard had noticed the attack coming, but did not manage to react fast enough, eventually sharing the fate of his leader.
Obito dropped to his knees (or the peg-leg equivalent), and breathed deeply. It had been a long time since he had attempted something like that, and Mana, although much stronger than Chakra, was also infinitely harder to control. The fireball, although perhaps ten times as strong as something he would've been capable of during his life, had not bent to his will. Raising a flipper, he felt at the edges of his beak. They were charred black. The Prinny Grand Fireball wasn't something he'd be attempting again soon.
Three done... He had seen six on the ship. That meant the other three were probably with Teddy. He'd have to find him soon; although perhaps he wouldn't be able to pull off his coup de grace anymore, it was his duty as a commander to look after his comrades.
Something that he hoped Kakashi had learnt since the last time he saw him.
"Sigmund, Sigmund! SIGMUND!"
The remaining member of the Ambling Pirates crowed in anger as he chanted the name of his deceased comrade over and over again. Teddy dodged the attacks as best he could, but they were coming at him incredibly fast; faster than anything a Criminal should've been capable of. His speed was almost at a Ninja's level, which was really saying something.
A normal Prinny would've been hard pressed to defend against the onslaught, but Teddy was no ordinary Prinny. He was a fighter, a warrior trained by the most horrid master in the known Netherworlds, Master Etna. He was a Prinny Squad member, and if he failed against this guy, she would definitely cut off his head. Then revive him. Then cut it off again. Maybe throw him in boiling lava.
Long story short, he could not afford to lose this fight. Oh, and Naruto's life might have hung in the balance too.
Teddy deflected attack after attack with ease. The strikes were coming faster and faster, yes, but the Pirate had lost his composure with the pain of loss. The strikes were telegraphed, and the Prinny could read them easily. With a quick slice, he deflected the trident away from the Criminal's hands, which landed behind him, leaving Sigurd defenceless.
"Sorry, dood, but you brought it upon yourself," said Teddy, gripping the machete with the grace of a master swordsman. Although the Prinny body was definitely more suitable for the dual-wielding of weapons, his training in his past life had provided him with mastery of a single sword. His weapon at the moment wasn't exactly the lovingly crafted katana he was used to, but it was good enough. "I'll say a prayer for you, so rest in peace now, dood."
"You... you sinner!" roared the Criminal, his eyes blazing. All the composure he had shown during their first encounter was gone, and he was now reduced to the same level of intelligence as his deceased partner. Unlike the other, however, he didn't have the force to back it up, and in the end it only made him weaker.
He came at the penguin demon with fists, but they were easily dodged. Without a weapon, this would be nothing more than a slaughter. Teddy closed his eyes for a brief second, murmuring a brief rosary, before opening them once again and gripping his machete once more and charged.
What he had not expected was for Sigurd to kick away the sword he held in his flippers. Sigurd grinned, suddenly composed once more, and Teddy realized that his entire thing had been an act. Light glimmered around the Crimina's hands, revealing what appeared to be a pair of Legendary gloves.
Before Teddy had a chance to react, Sigurd was upon him.
"KING OF BEAS—"
A machete punctured his chest before he had a chance to finish his attack, and Sigurd stumbled forwards several steps, looking down at the protruding weapon with shock, before his eyes rolled up and he collapsed, a pool of red liquid gathering around his prone form before he dissipated into Mana. The machete fell to the floor, covered in blood.
Teddy looked up, only to see Obito's figure arriving, slightly short of breath.
"Captain...!"
"You were careless," said the eye-patched Prinny, leaning slightly on his other machete. Teddy first noticed his beak, which was charred at the edges, particularly the front. "People like them don't lose composure that easily; he was fooling you the entire time."
"What do you mean, dood?"
Obito coughed.
"Take a look at him, he's a Ninja. He grew his hair long and changed his clothing, but he's definitely a Ninja. All along he was baiting you into taking away his lance and moving into close range so he could take you on at his best distance," said the Prinny. "If you have known he was a Ninja and fist-user from the beginning, there was no way you would have engaged him at close-range. He played you."
Teddy looked at Obito, slightly slack-jawed.
"It can't be helped," said the Prinny captain. "In your past life you were a swordsman, taught to fight fair fights. I'm different... I was trained ever since I learned to fight that enemies never fight fairly. But do try to observe your opponents more before engaging in battle next time. I may not be there to save you."
Teddy nodded, feeling admonished. He hadn't expected anything like that at all, and if the captain hadn't shown up he definitely would've been out for the count. He reflected on the incident momentarily, before looking up at his captain once more.
"Sorry, dood."
"Don't worry. What matters is that we're alright and that they were taken care of. Did you get all three of them?" asked Obito. If the remaining Pirates had been fully exterminated, there wouldn't be any causes for worries anymore. They'd be able to search for the Geo Symbol at will.
"Three? There were only two," said Teddy, nervously.
Obito froze, before grabbing the blood-stained machete on the ground and turning around, getting ready to sprint. Teddy looked at him, surprised, before Obito's voice shook him out of it.
"Naruto's in danger! We've got to move!"
Naruto knew he was in deep shit the moment the woman dropped in front of him, her disappointed glare showing the entire world that she thought he was nothing more than a bug to squash. Her white hair and her tattered clothing that might've caused a nosebleed in less dangerous situations affiliated her with the Pirates he had seen flying on that ship. The bow she held radiated power as well, power that Naruto wasn't sure if he could match.
He was scared, horrified. In front of him was something that might've been as strong as Adell, except definitely not as friendly. The pure power she was radiating had his stomach in a knot so tight he could hardly breathe, and his body was so stiff he wondered if he had turned to rock somehow.
She had no qualms about killing him.
He knew that for sure.
The woman tossed a lock of her hair backwards, looking at him with contempt. Her left arm gripped her bow, while her right arm touched the string. Instantly, an arrow that seemed to be made completely out of Mana materialized out of nothing.
"Just my luck... My brothers get to play with the strong ones, and I'm let off to hunt the weakling," said the woman, looking at him with barely concealed contempt. The mere stare was enough to send all of Naruto's danger senses into haywire, and the coldness was enough to freeze his sweat. "My name is Signy, just so you know who killed you. Bye-bye now, boy."
Had Naruto not known the attack was coming, he would've been skewered on the spot. As it was, however, the attack still nicked his neck, letting out a slight stream of blood as the arrow flew behind him and lodged itself in the ground, where it exploded with the force of a small explosive tag.
The blonde boy looked upwards at the Pirate, determined not to let her see his fear. His legs were shaking, but he had no time to worry about them now. The moment his attention drifted he was liable to become a walking human pincushion, something that was definitely not in his future career plans.
Her finger twitched, and he dove into a roll, avoiding the arrow by the skin of his teeth. The strike knocked several bits of his hair off, and he was on the ground now, getting up tentatively, but he was alive.
"Annoying cockroach," said Signy in distaste as she moved her hand away from the bow. Four arrows materialized out of nothing, and Naruto could feel his heart race. "For a bug, you're hard to squash. I'll do it right this time."
The moment her hand moved, Naruto dodged once again, shaky legs be damned. He avoided two of them, but the remaining two lodged deep into his legs, although thankfully they didn't explode.
The blonde shinobi hit the floor with a thud, crying out in pain as he gripped the ground and bit his leg. He had suffered wounds before, especially in the Academy when they did live weapon exercises, but nothing like this. The arrows made of Mana seemed to pour out poisonous energy, and each time they pulsed he could feel another sharp lance of pain through his entire body. He reached his arm back, gripping the arrow, but found he did not have the strength to pull it out.
CRAK.
Naruto cried out in pain as he felt the kick to his stomach, and opened his eyes to see the bare legs of the woman who had attacked him.
"Weak, weak!" said Signy, rubbing her hand on her forehead as she stepped on his back, pushing down with her strength. Naruto cried out once more, this time his scream lasted longer. It felt like somebody had suddenly dropped a couple tons on his back, and had he not reinforced it at that moment with Chakra (he didn't have a good enough grasp of Mana just yet), he was sure his spine would've broken. "Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak! Even weaker than a goddamn sinner! Shameful!"
She stomped down hard several more times, before shaking her head as Naruto's screams faded. Giving him a few more solid kicks, she realized that he was more or less out of commission, even if he hadn't faded into unconsciousness just yet.
"Boring. Off with you now."
Giving him a hard kick to the side, she looked towards the sky. Naruto, thrown into the air by the force of the kick, could do nothing more than watch as she pulled out another arrow out of nowhere. This one looked similar to the first one she had fired; the explosive one. His dimly lit mind could only think of his oncoming demise.
Except it never came.
A storm of Prinny Barrages flew in from both sides, catching the white-haired woman cleanly in the middle, creating a cloud of smoke. Naruto felt flippers grasp him gently from the air, and opened his eyes a fraction to see Teddy's face above his.
"It's alright now, dood," said the Prinny, setting him down on the soft grass beside him. "We'll take care of this, so you just lie back and rest for a bit."
"Less talking, Teddy, and more fighting," said Obito, gripping his machetes. Although he wasn't in tip-top shape, he was good enough to duke it out with a Pirate or two. The smoke cloud cleared, and the female Pirate within looked at them, slight wounds adorning her body. The Prinnies weren't surprised; Prinny Barrage was a useful move, but it lacked punch.
Signy glared at the interlopers, before gripping her bow once more. Three arrows popped into existence out of nothing; the explosive kind. She held them to the string of her bow.
"You're here now, sinners. My brothers are dead, then?"
Obito did not reply, which was the only answer that Signy needed.
"I see," said the white-haired Criminal. "That's... unfortunate. I'll have your corpses in return then."
"You think you can take down two of the Prinny Squad by yourself, dood?" asked Teddy, displaying his single machete with a stony face. "Dood, you're nuts."
"Maybe you think so," said Signy calmly. "But you'd be wrong."
The three explosive arrows flashed from existence, and instantly three smoke clouds went up into the air. Naruto grasped the ground tightly, feeling the wind ruffle his t-shirt and his shorts. His hair was flying everywhere, and he had to pull down his Providence goggles to keep dust from getting into his eye. Looking dimly forwards, he saw the Prinnies had taken flight, and were now coming down upon the bow-user at lightning speeds.
Instantly, another two arrows appeared in Signy's hands, ones that Naruto recognized. They were the same as the ones lodged in his legs right now; the ones that pulsed constantly with pain. They glowed gently, before once more being shot out of the bow.
Obito narrowly avoided his, but Teddy wasn't so lucky. The arrow lodged itself into his stomach, deriving a strangled cry out of him. He hit the ground with a thud, grasping at his chest in pain, as Obito landed on top the Criminal, and was going at her like a starved dog on a piece of meat, letting his machetes do the talking.
"Prinny Barrage!"
Signy's eyes widened, as she saw the machetes glow with blue energy. Without stopping her step, she took the arrow she had been defending herself with and drove it forwards into Obito's chest. The penguin demon's eye bulged, but held on despite the pain. Just as he was about to start the fight again, however, the arrow in his stomach exploded and sent him tumbling backwards like a rag doll.
Obito came to a rest a ways away, his entire body charred this time, as Teddy gasped in pain nearby, the stomach still lodged in his chest. Naruto, who sat up, the pain in his leg fading and the arrows pulled out, looked on in sudden despair. The Prinnies, his bodyguards, were out, and the only one remaining was the woman who was trying to kill them all.
"You were strong, but you were made weak," said Signy to the fallen Obito. An arrow appeared in her hand; the explosive kind. "Was it my brothers? Well, no matter. The weak perish in this world, that's the way it works. Off with you."
She took the arrow back against the string, and released.
For Naruto, time suddenly seemed to go in slow motion. Obito was damaged enough; another arrow would, without a doubt, finish him off. The arrow – he could see it clearly now – flew through the air like an instrument heralding destruction, and Naruto, although he knew it was impossible, struggled to stand up, to run, to block the attack that was meant for one of his protectors; one of his friends.
He didn't notice the yellow energy swirling about his feet, but Teddy, still under due to the effects of the poisonous arrow, sure did. The Prinny didn't even have the time to widen his eyes before Naruto was off like a light.
In a flash, the blonde boy had charged forwards at speeds he thought was impossible for him. Before the arrow hit the prone form of the Prinny on the ground, he gripped it in mid-air and hocked it away. It burst in mid-air, letting off a harmless explosion that did nothing but create winds strong enough to ruffle Naruto's clothing.
"...Wha—"
"TAKE THIS, 'TTEBAYO!"
Before Signy had a chance to react, Naruto was on her. A kick, bolstered by energy that glowed like the sun, struck her to the core of her very being, sending her backwards as if she had been hit by a cannonball. She broke through several trees before coming to a stop on a large stone wall, and coughed up blood as she came down.
Naruto stood where he was, exhausted. Sweat dripped down his body once more, and the golden energy that had enveloped him disappeared. He was spent, and it showed. The blood on his leg dripped down steadily, and suddenly he couldn't support his weight anymore, going down on one knee. Blood pooled around his legs from the wounds that had been caused by the arrows, and it was all he could do to keep from going unconscious.
This was it, he was spent.
Signy got up from where she had fallen, anger showing up clearly on her face. She held a hand up to her mouth, and took it away. Her eyes turned red at the sight of the blood that had been spilt, and her mouth twisted into the nastiest expression Naruto had ever seen.
"You... you dare spill my blood...?"
Suddenly, arrows, at least ten of them appeared on her hand. Naruto was too tired to be afraid, but he could feel the chill settle down once more in his body. She strung the arrows to her bow, her eye twitching madly.
"How dare you... How DARE YOU!"
With a roar like something out of a horror movie, the arrows were released, charging towards Naruto. He could see them now, somehow. Maybe the golden energy had affected him. However, he retained none of his energy, and so could do nothing more than watch as the arrows came closer and closer.
Feeling as if his doom had been sealed, he watched as the arrows came closer.
It was not to be.
A shadow jumped in front of him, its flippers already in motion. Peg-legs stood strong on the ground, and it didn't matter that the figure was charred black. It was still moving.
Obito went through the flipper seals, his body radiating agony. More than ever before, his body ached, but he kept on going. The Mana in his body wasn't going the right way, but it didn't matter. After what seemed like forever, he finally felt his throat blaze with burning Mana, and he opened his beak once more, prepared to fire his last.
"OBITO STYLE: PRINNY GRAND FIREBALL!"
It was less of a fireball, and more of a miniature sun.
The flames flew through the air, this time completely out of control. They swallowed everything they came across, trees, rocks, everything. The arrows coming in were neutralized by the flames, their explosions barely being registered, as the fireball continued on. Finally, it reached where Signy had been standing, and exploded in a fierce shower of magma, leaving a crater at least twenty meters wide and fifteen meters deep.
Naruto slumped, relief flooding his veins, as Obito collapsed, the rest of his energy spent. Horrid burn marks were evident on his beak; he had given up on controlling the fireball this time, and had poured his all into power. If that woman had survived, which was impossible, there'd be nothing he could—
"How... DARE YOU..."
Obito looked upwards, cursing God's name as he stared into the mad eyes of the woman he had attempted to destroy. If the arrow pointing at his head was any indication, he was liable to die in the next half of a second.
"TEDDY STYLE: PRINNY SHOWDOWN!"
For the last time, Signy went down in a shower of blood as Teddy flashed by her, machete swinging at the speed of sound. Her head came off, neck spewing horrid amounts of coppery liquid, and dissipated into Mana before she even hit the ground, showing just how spent she had been.
Obito smiled as he saw Teddy sheathe his machete by putting it back into his pouch, and let himself follow Naruto into the sweet, sweet realm of sleep.
"Are you alright?"
"Barely," said Naruto, as he bandaged his legs. Although the Netherworld medicine worked wonders usually, it was a whole lot less effective against a wound that went so deep. The arrows had penetrated his leg all the way to the other side, and pulling them out had been murder. "There we go. Done. I'm alright now, 'ttebayo."
"Good," said Obito, closing his good eye. His body had mostly healed, due to the heavy usage of several pieces of high class medicine, but he was still out of Mana, which prevented him from being too useful in battle. The Prinny Grand Fireball took a lot out of a person, unlike the Prinny Showdown. "Here you go, have some Ramen. I'm not sure if it's your kind of thing, but it works well on wound—"
"Ramen!?"
The bowl was snatched away from Obito's flippers instantly, and devoured in the blink of an eye. Obito had to wipe his eye several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things as a result of a head injury or something like that.
"Seeing your gusto, it appears you're better, then?" asked Obito.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" grinned Naruto as he finished off the last of the broth. Setting the bowl down with a smile, he wiped his mouth with his arms. The clothing that Adell had bought for him was now in tatters, his shirt more or less rags now due to the constant explosions, although he still kept most of his shorts. "Ahhh... That tastes great. Wait, if there's normal Ramen here, is there Unique and Legendary Ramen too?"
"Yes, why do you ask? Sometimes monsters in the Item World have that kind of--"
Obito sweat-dropped as Naruto began actively drooling. He probably would've gone on like that as well, had a distant figure not signalled the return of Teddy from salvaging what was left of the Pirates' booty.
Obito stood up to welcome his subordinate, as Naruto turned around.
"Captain! I looted their ship and their bodies, dood," said the Prinny, who was carrying a large burlap sack full of items. "I found some nice stuff in there, some Uniques. No Legendaries, though. They even had a pair of Unique gloves that should fit Naruto, dood!"
"Good work, Teddy," said Obito, as Teddy offered him the gloves. The Prinny captain inspected the item keenly, before nodding, satisfied. "These are good. A pair of Unique Hoodlum Gloves, with enough Gladiators in there to almost double the boost. Take this with you, Naruto."
He threw the pair towards the blonde shinobi, who caught it deftly.
"Hey! They're orange! Great!"
"I knew he'd like them, dood," nodded Teddy sagely. "Other than that, though, nothing we could use. I didn't find the Geo Symbol that's forbidding teleportation, either, so I dunno what we're going to do about that, dood."
"Hmm, that presents a bit of a hardship," said Obito. "Let's search once more—"
"Why?"
The pair of penguin demons turned to look at their young charge, who was looking at them with a confused shine in his eyes. The pair of Providence goggles sat on his forehead, keeping his hair from getting in his eyes, and the pair of orange Hoodlum Gloves had exchanged places with the standard black ones on his hand.
"What do you mean, why?" asked Obito. "After that Pirate attack, it's best to go back so we can get healed. Look at both me and Teddy, we can't protect you anymore."
Naruto's eyes took on a determined gleam.
"But we got here already! It's such a waste!"
Obito was surprised. No, surprised was a bit too small of a word. He was completely shocked.
"No way, you can't be telling me..."
"Hehe, captain, dood, it looks like he's serious."
"No way, nobody could still want to, not after all that."
"What are you talking about?! I can still go on!" cried Naruto, as he turned his hands into fists and standing up on his feet. The blood seeped through the bandages slightly, but he was determined not to let the pain get to him. "I want to go on, I want to get to the tenth stage and take down that Guardian you guys keep talking about!"
Obito shook his head in disbelief, as Teddy laughed humorously. The charred Prinny walked forwards, and thwapped Naruto on the head, getting an exclamation of 'ouch' out of the only humanoid being there.
"Listen to yourself!" cried the Prinny. "We're in no condition to protect you, if something happens, you know. Your leg is bleeding, and your energy is more or less spent! What are you going to do if something happens again!"
"I'll beat it, I'll take it down!" cried Naruto, his cerulean eyes shining with something that could only be described as courage; or stupidity, as Obito saw it. "You're the one who said the Item World is an unforgiving place, and I know that. I was ready for something like this all along, and I'm not going to give up until I can prove to Adell that his faith in me is right!"
"You might die!"
"I was ready for death," growled Naruto. "The moment I stepped in here!"
Obito glared into his eyes, and Naruto glared back. The Prinny captain, unwilling to turn away, found himself seeing into Naruto's eyes, and, with no small amount of surprise, found something in there that reminded him of himself a long time ago. That blind faith in those who paid attention to him, that manic behaviour that was half courage and half recklessness, and that kind heart which lay beating behind the surface. He found himself drawn in by the boy's endless enthusiasm and optimism, and saw, not for the first time, his boundless strength, determination, and potential.
These eyes were good.
Worthy of belong to both a good ninja, and a good vassal.
The same eyes he once had.
With a sigh, Obito turned away.
"Fine, have it your way. Just don't be angry if you end up in a Prinny suit like us here," said the Prinny captain, as he looked towards the rest of the islands. Behind him, he heard both Teddy and Naruto giving whoops of triumph. "Don't be happy just yet! This is the eight stage, and there are still enemies left. You still have to get past this stage, and the ninth stage, before you get to the Item Guardian and his minions. Just remember, if you want to give up, we can take you out."
"Yes, captain!" grinned Naruto, and both shinobi and penguin gave a unified salute. Obito sighed as he watched their actions, before sitting down. Naruto waved slightly, before running to the edge of the island. "I'm off, then!"
With that said, the orange-clad ninja leapt from the island in one large burst of speed. The Prinnies watched him go, as he immediately engaged in battle with a group of Mothmen.
"That boy's going to get himself killed," said Obito, sullenly.
"Don't be like that, dood," said Teddy with a grin. "It's great seeing a vassal with so much drive and energy! It's really refreshing, especially right after a life-or-death fight like that, dood."
"Hmm... He should be able to do it. Reach the Guardian at least," said Obito, looking upwards slightly. In the distance, Naruto was duking it out with a group of Zombies now, having already finished the Mothmen off. "...He'll overextend himself at this rate."
"Captain, dood. Why can't you just come out and admit you're worried about him?"
"Shut it, soldier!"
"Aye-aye, dood!"
Glancing at Naruto once more, Obito wondered about the golden energy that the boy had given off at that time. Once they got out of the Item World and rested up a bit, he'd research it a bit more. For now though... Let the kid have his fun.
Adell looked at the group that arrived out of the Item World gate with surprise in his eyes. He had expected Naruto to get a little beaten up, that was alright with him, but the extent of the damage to the whole group had gone far beyond his expectations.
Teddy was probably the one with the least amount of wounds, sporting a variety of minor bruises along with a puncture mark in his chest. He was holding up an unconscious Naruto, who was bandaged at the leg and had several nasty bruises on his chest (were those foot marks?) poking through what remained of his shirt. Obito was singed, and his beak was more or less all black, which made him look radically different.
"What happened?" asked Adell, accepting the unconscious Naruto from a weary Teddy. "What floor did you guys get to, and how the hell did you manage to beat yourself up like this?"
"Tenth, the kid beat the Item Guardian," said Obito, his voice slightly obstructed by his cough. However, the penguin smile on his face was evident even through the blackened beak. "I'll tell you the whole story, Lord Adell, but you're not going to believe it."