Back again! Still not quite in Mareth yet but worry not, I promise it's coming. In the mean time I hope you enjoy the chapter.
(Marshalanime does not own Naruto or Corruption of Champions)
This whole situation was, odd. Naruro and Jiraiya had been making their way to their next destination when some guy barely older than he was burst out of the forest, completely out of breath. Before he'd even caught his breath he was asking if one of them was Jiraiya of the Sannin. The relief that washed over him was all but glanced over as the guy reached into his bag and pulling out a letter, all the while begging the old pervert to save his village. Now here he was sitting in what he assumed was the town square as Jiraiya spoke with whoever it was who ran this place.
Glancing around the blond couldn't help the uneasy feeling that crept over him. This place looked like it'd seen better days. Even with the sun shining there was a layer of gloom that hung over Ingnam. The shops that were open had little to offer. The trees that dotted the village seemed unhealthy despite being full of leafs. The water was murky but not from anything he could think of. Perhaps it was because everything looks 'almost normal' that it effected him so much.
As Naruto was beginning to wonder if he should go and spy on this counsel meeting Jiraiya was called to something caught his attention. Moving through the sparse crowd was a pair that stuck out for than anyone else.
The first was a rather tall woman with extremely short blond hair with a torn cloth tied around her head. She was decked in armor though it was clear that not a single piece was meant to go with the rest. If he had to guess he'd say the scrapped and dented armor was scavenged from sets that had been tossed away or potentially from fallen warriors. The katana she had strapped to her side didn't seem to be in any better condition than her armor but the greatsword she had on her back was a different story. The weapon was the only thing on her that didn't look like she had to rummage through trash or search a corpse for. The handle was made of sparkling gold with some kind of blue gemstone taking its place at the center of the guard where the handle met. While he couldn't see the blade the sheath was made from the purest white ivory with an ornate design engraved in more gold.
Her companion was man around Naruto's height. While it was clear even under all the armor that his companion had an admirable set of muscles he couldn't make such a clam. He looked like he never lifted anything heavier than a few pounds in his life, he body being devoid of any visible muscle or fat. He had bark brown hair that was loosely slicked back with a few parts sticking up here and there. He didn't wear anything out of the ordinary save for the scuffed up lab coat he had on.
The pair were on a mission and they weren't going to stop for anything.
The home of the once great Nomur, a man who potentially held more power than anyone else in Ingnam. The large estate he owned was a testament to Ingnam's lofty past though like the nation it to had seen better days. The walls that surrounded the place were cracked and defaced, the gardens were barren and dead, and any window close enough had been smashed to pieces by anyone with a good throwing arm.
There was a guard set at any of the estate's entrances along with other men who patrolled the grounds. Not one of them would stop anyone from destroying the place. The guard were not there for Nomur's protection, they were there to ensure that the old man never left the build again. The two men at the main entrance didn't even react to the pair as they walked passed.
The inside of the building didn't fair any better then the outside. From the entrance no possessions could be seen, nothing of value, only empty walls covered in dust. In Ingnam even the wealthy struggled. Over the years Nomur had taken to selling his worldly possessions in a vain attempt to maintain his wealth.
The pair didn't bother taking in the sights. They were here for Nomur and knew exactly where he'd be. Ever since he announced his crimes he always stayed in the same room, his study.
Creaking open the door them were met with a sight they had been expecting. Unlike the rest of the building this room still had Nomur's things in it. Bookshelves filled with knowledge and stories, a desk with documents on it that hadn't been touched in months, a carpet that had been worn down over he years, and in the large chair in front of the empty fireplace was Nomur.
The past few months had not been kind for the man. Despite his age the man had been extremely healthy and able bodied. Now he didn't have the strength to get out of his chair, his skin was loose and thing, his grey hair unkempt, and his body was little more than skin and bones. After he had told the new counsel everything he knew they had left him here to waste away. It was only by the kindness of his great grandson that he'd been able to stay alive this long though it was not meant to last.
"Grandfather" the man in the lab coat greeted the man with a sour look n his face. Nomur had been there for him every step of his live, taught him everything he knew, gave him everything he'd need to be successful. Seeing the man like this even after everything that's come to light was hard for him.
"I know why you're here" the old man said, his voice quiet and his body unmoving. "As I've said before, I can not help you with your task. So let it go. The shinobi will handle it from here" Nomur told them. Every time his great grandson brought that woman with him they asked the same thing. He understood her plight fully, but he could not bring himself to tell them what they wanted. He didn't want any more of Ingnam's people to march of to their end.
"Grandfather pleas-" the man was pleading when his friend spoke up.
"You damn old fool!" the woman yelled with fists clenched. "My father is gone because of you and you expect me to let these outsiders, people who know nothing of our suffering, to take this away from me!?" the woman raged, her green eyes clouded by anger. Time and time again she let her friend speak for them when it came to this, this monster! The people had trusted him. She had trusted them. Her father had trusted him!
Her friend didn't want to see his grandfather mistreated further but knew that his friend had a point, that her anger was justified. He'd step in if she tried to assault the man but he could not bring himself to silence her.
"This time of year Ingnam would be readying their new champion for their journey. They'll be expecting one to arrive within the next few days. You'd fall the moment to step through the gateway" Nomur told them.
Before his friends rage could biol over even further Nomur's grandson attempted to reason with the man. "I'll be there with her! They would not be expecting two people. We'd take them by surprise" he argued as he moved in front of his friend, throwing his right hand over his chest and the other out to the side.
"I am more aware of what you can do more than even you are. Do not over estimate yourself. You have little combat expertise. At best you'd serve as a distraction" Nomur's words were harsh but necessary for the two to understand just how outmatched they were. Even during Ingnam's glory there would be little their forces could do to push back against this threat.
"If it's a mistake to go then we'll just have to live with it" the blond said through gritted teeth. If only they didn't need this an to tell them where the portal was. The new counsel reuses to even hear them out so they were out of options.
For a while Nomur stayed silent. These two fool-hearty whelps were hell-bent on going through with this, even though she'd been saved from the fate that her father met, even though his grandson had a bright future ahead of him, their stupidity nearly brought a smile to the old man's face. It reminded him so much of his early years. He'd refuse to listen to reason and charged right into trouble.
Fine, he'd tell them, but only after he heard what their listener had to say on the matter. "You're one of the shinobi they brought in, no? Please come inside. It's not much these days but make yourself at home" Nomur said, confusing the pair at first before they heard the window open up.
On the other side of the small room stood a young man still in his teens with bright blond hair, orange and black clothes, and the kind of headband that many shinobi would wear. Not sure what to expect the older blond placed a hand on her katana and while he was just as on edge as her Nomur's grandson tried to calm her down with a gentle hand on her arm.
"Shinobi, I have a favor to ask of you" Nomur's hoarse voice told the teen. From his position Nomur couldn't tell if the young man was even paying him any attention but still he continued. "I haven't the wealth to pay you for even the smallest task, nor do I have any possessions worth your time. All I have left in this world is the dying breath of an old and tiered man. Please, keep these two safe for me. They know not what lies ahead of them and they need all the help they can get" Nomur requested of the boy.
After a moment of silence, "Yeah, I'll keep them safe. Just tell me what I have to do".
Nomur had told them what they came for and shared one last goodbye with his grandson before the trio left. In the square Naruro had first saw the pair the trio met back up after gathering their things. Naruto and the armored woman both carried packs with what they deemed essential. Their third companion however had much more and while his friend simply shock her head at the sight Naruro had to ask "What's with the cart?".
"Why it's for discovery my young friend" the man told him as he put the cart down to rest his arms. The cart was admittedly on the smaller side but it was still impressive that someone of his stature could pull it around. Inside the wooden cart were small crates, parcels, and bags. "Brute strength along wont solve anything. So I intend to unravel all of Mareth's little secrets" the man told him before looking back at his cart and then into the distance where the black rock of Mount Ilgast loomed and the portal resided. "Though getting everything I need to Mareth might be a bit of a hassle. If need be I hope you wont mind lending me a hand" the man said to the younger blond.
"Eh, I'll think about it" Naruro told the guy and while he was a bit odd at least her was talking with him. The guy's friend only grunted and glared at him from time to time.
"Well hopefully that wont be an issue..." the man was saying before something occurred to him, they didn't even know one anothers names. "Sorry for not saying this earlier but I'm Fitz and the lovely grump to your right is Audrea" Fitz told the blond as Audrea muttered to herself. With a grin Naruto introduced himself to the pair before Audrea started to walk away telling them that they need to get moving. Having no reason to disagree with her the two men quickly fell into place behind her.