Piercing the Shroud
Chapter 3
How did he find himself here? His arms were tied tightly behind his back, his legs bound at the ankle and rope ran over his mouth, rendering him unable to speak or move. He was sitting in a boat on the water, gently rocking back and forth with the waves. He glared to his left, only to see the girl he had tried to save in the exact same predicament.
'Stupid girl. She was being too loud!' He mentally thought as her eyes turned to lock onto his. They stared at each other for a brief moment before she turned her head the other way. 'Why is she so stupid?!'
Naruto closed his eyes and replayed the events that had led to his present dilemma.
"Well, well, well…I see we have a few children playing hero…"
Naruto quickly spun around as the girl screamed. One of the bandits had entered the tent, a lantern in one hand and a hammer in the other. A maniacal grin was plastered onto his face, the dim glow of the fire accentuating his rough facial features.
Out of pure instinct, Naruto leapt at the bandit, swinging the kunai across the man's face. For a second time that night, the sharp metal edge drew blood.
"Augh! You little shit!" The man's arm with the lantern quickly moved to cover the wound, the light from the lantern allowed for a better view of the injury. A deep red slash started from just below the bandit's right eye, went across the bridge of his nose and ended slightly above his lip. Blood was flowing down the wound, staining the bottom half of his face red.
Evidently, the wound had not been deep enough as the bandit swung the flat side of the hammer into Naruto's stomach. He winced as pain exploded from his injury. The kunai came flying out of his hand and landed in front of the bandit's feet. He clutched his stomach as he curled into a fetal position. He heard the wind whipping as the hammer descended once more and his body went rigid in preparation for the pain.
Smack! Blinding pain. Blinding pain on his sides. That's what he expected, but not what he felt. He cracked an eye open, only to see that the leader of the bandits had caught the hammer in mid swing.
"Don't hurt the merchandise."
"Since when did this little shit become merchandise?" The bandit with the hammer scowled as the red line twisted with is face in rage.
"Since right now."
"Look what he did to my face!"
"Get it cleaned. You'll get a little extra pay. Now, why are you still here?" The leader spoke with unchallenged authority as he let go of the hammer. The bandit recognized the question as an order to leave. Glaring at Naruto one last time, the bandit turned around and exited the tent.
"Now for you…" Naruto could do nothing as the leader came at him with rope. His feeble attempts to struggle only caused more pain in his abdominal region. Within minutes, he was completely immobilized along with the girl he had tried to save.
'So much for that plan…'
"We're here." Naruto's eyes snapped open as he observed his surroundings. From the clearing in the middle of the forests of Fire Country, the entourage had traveled through a strait and was now resting on the shores of the Land of Waves. The little wooden boat that the group traveled in was now on the shore, laying on its side in the bright yellow sand. Moderately large, but in poor condition. The brown wooden hull was wet with moss and algae that clung onto the sides of the boat. Cracks and holes could be seen on the bottom of the boat. How they managed to stay afloat, Naruto was clueless. He had more than expected the boat to capsize or fill with water mid sail. Regardless of the condition, the boat had sailed smoothly and deposited its passengers onto the beaches of one of the chain of islands near the Land of Waves.
The island was bland: endless beaches on both sides and rocky hills that stretched endlessly towards the center of the island. There were no trees. Only large piles of rocks.
"Hey boss, where we supposed to be goin'? This place ain't got nothin'!"
"Shut up and watch." The leader moved near a pile of rocks that lay in the sand. He got down on his knees and began to spread the sand, his hands substituting for shovels. "Help me out here you bums."
Setting Naruto as well as the other girl on the sand, the remaining bandits moved to help their leader scrape the sand, creating a small shallow hole in the ground. From his vantage point in the sand, Naruto couldn't see what they had found or were looking for, but he could hear a soft clanging of metal. A sharp screech caused the boy to wince in pain as the bandits lifted a giant metal plate until it seemed to stand and then sink backwards into the sand, the unused hinges producing the unimaginably painful sound.
Both prisoners were slung over the shoulders of two of the bandits as they approached the hole. Naruto turned his head and peered to the side, catching a glimpse of what lay underneath the sand. There was a large entrance in the ground, previously covered by the large trapdoor entrance that now lay on the ground, creating a giant square imprint on the sand. A set of concrete stairs led to the darkness below.
As the group descended into the underground bunker through the long array of staircases, the leader pressed his hand on the side of the bunker, a seal appearing on the wall around his hand. It briefly glowed before the horrid screeching of the metal hinges reverberated through the air once more. The entrance snapped shut, plunging the group in absolute darkness, and a low rumbling could be heard from the earth, as the sands shifted to cover the trapdoor, effectively hiding the bunker from unwanted eyes. Lights briefly flickered before turning on, illuminating the chamber.
It looked as Naruto had expected it to. The room itself was large, with a ceiling that peered way above his head: a clear indication of how far they had traveled down. The ground and walls were made of cracked concrete with pieces crumbling forming piles of dust on the floor. Wooden beams that were heavily eroded and moldy acted as the support for the ceiling. Their damaged appearance seemed to buckle under the weight of the ceiling and all the sand above it. There were wooden crates and boxes that were stacked across the room, creating towering pillars that seemed like they would topple over at any given moment.
Sitting on one of those boxes, was a ninja; it was a bald man wearing a standard ninja garb. Naruto recognized him as a higher ranked shinobi – either Chuunin or Jounin – by the vest that he wore. What the boy didn't recognize however, was the Hitai-ate that rested on the man's forehead. Living in Konoha for so long, it was strange to see a headband with a symbol not affiliated with Konoha. Instead of the usual leaf engraved on the metal plates, this man wore strange shapes, curved an elliptical. They reminded him of clouds. 'Kumo?'
"Welcome, friend, and just in time too. I was beginning to think you had backed out of the deal." The ninja stood up and shook the bandit leader's hand. "Let's see the goods, shall we?"
The leader motioned for the bandits to place the two children down. They were taken off of the shoulders of their captors.
"Stand up straight." The children complied as they locked their eyes onto the ninja. He walked up to the girl and bent down, leveling his face with hers.
"Purple hair and golden eyes. My, my, my…did you really manage to nab one of the main house members? Any member of the Fukumoto clan would've sufficed but one of the main house? I'm impressed you even got to her!" Her golden orbs peered angrily into his brown ones. "And one with the infamous Fukumoto arrogance. How sweet!"
"Listen here, I went in with 50 men. I came out with only 6 of them, and this stupid little girl. Kumo had better pay well, or else the Boss is going to be furious." The bandit leader eyed the ninja warily. So it truly had been Kumo who was trying to kidnap this girl. But now the question was, why?
The cloud ninja let out a boisterous laugh.
"Of course, of course. I've got the money right here, but you see, now we're in a bit of a predicament. I don't think you understand what you've got your hands on there. That's a main house member of the Fukumoto clan. They're not going to just let it go. Hell, I'd reckon they'd gone straight to Konoha for support because of it."
"How? I thought the clan was outside Konoha jurisdiction."
"They are. However, the clan is excellent friends with the Fire Daimyo. So much so, that the he has granted them asylum within the Land of Fire. Messing around with the clan is like messing around with the Fire Daimyo himself and he will no doubt force Konoha's hand."
"She can't be that valuable. Konoha can't go to war on a whim like that!"
"Not on a whim… You see, Kumo had tried to take a member of the Hyuuga clan – one of the main branch girls – and that little escapade almost pulled us into a war. If the Fukumoto clan goes to Konoha – which I'm sure they will – then that puts Kumo in a tight spot. If we're discovered with a main branch member of the Fukumoto clan, Konoha will be on the doorstep to Kumogakure within a month's time. They will be killing two birds with one stone: revenge for the Hyuuga and for the appeasement of the Daimyo and the clan."
"Then what do you suggest we do? The Boss is expecting 7 figures by tomorrow morning."
"And he shall receive six. I'll give you a portion of the money right now, but I can't take the girl. It's too much of a political gambit to bring her to Kumo right now. Until we build up relations with Konoha, I'm afraid you're going to have to keep her." The ninja went to the wooden crate he was sitting on and popped the lid opened. He reached in and pulled out a black briefcase. Opening it, he turned it to face the bandit leader. "Six figures."
Inside, Naruto could see stacks of bills. There was so much money in the case, it could probably sustain the child for a year. He turned to look at her. She was expensive.
"I'm not going to make decisions on my own, but I'm sure the Boss will agree. Now what about this kid?" The leader pointed to Naruto, who eyed the ninja.
"Who is this? Doesn't look like he's a member of the Fukumoto clan… Yellow hair and blue eyes. Not a clue. Where'd you find him?" The ninja pulled up Naruto's chin and moved it side to side, observing the entirety of his face. Then he circled around the boy and eyed him up. "Strange marks on his cheeks, though."
"We found him last night, actually. He was trying to rescue the girl."
"Ah, some affiliation with the clan I presume. Hm, I sense he has quite the chakra capacity. Tell me, can he fight?"
"He did this to my face." The man Naruto had injured last night stepped forward, the once bloody wound had turned into a wicked red line.
"Very good, very good. Unbind his mouth. Let him tell us where he's from." The bandits undid the mouth bindings and threw the rope onto the concrete ground. Over the course of his capture, the rope dug into his cheeks and chaffed his skin, creating a series of red marks where the skin had been rubbed raw. Naruto moved his jaw in different directions, stretching the muscles. It felt much better, having the freedom of speech.
"What do you want with me?" Naruto spat at the ninja. He had no idea what was going to happen to him. At least he knew the Kyuubi would step in if he was about to die. But otherwise, he was on his own, and by the looks of it, his current predicament did not require the Kyuubi's intervention.
"We want nothing from you. The question is, what did you want from her?" The ninja's eyes darted to the side to briefly glance at the Fukumoto girl. It was obvious that his relationship with her would be his ticket to survival.
"My name is … Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm … her friend." Out of his peripheral vision, Naruto could see the girl's eyes narrow at his declaration.
"Is that so?" The ninja turned his head towards the girl once more, awaiting her answer. She looked at neither at them, choosing only to stare at the concrete floor in front of her. Naruto hoped she would vouch for his lie. Luckily for him, the girl gave a curt nod. "Well this is a surprise. What was your name again, boy?"
"Uzumaki Naruto."
"Uzumaki. I haven't heard that name in years. Tell me, where are your parents?" Naruto only shook his head. It hadn't been a lie. He truly had no parents. He was an orphan for as long as he could remember. "Hm. You have no physical features that coincide with the Uzumaki, but you do have unusually large chakra reserves. If you truly are an Uzumaki, then you will benefit Kumo greatly. Your clan was renowned for their long life and endurance, and I expect it to show in the future."
He had never known of the name Uzumaki outside of Konoha, and was surprised at the recognition. Not only did he have a clan, but they were respected and revered for such high qualities. Evidently, his large chakra reserves came not only from inheriting the Kyuubi's power, but also from being born with the blood of the Uzumaki running through his veins. He almost thanked the ninja for the compliment, before catching and berating himself for such an action. This man still treated him as an object, a tool, and Naruto was not about to bow to such treatment.
"How much is he worth?" The bandit leader questioned as he tied the rope around the boy's mouth once more. He was trying to get as much money as he could out of the deal. "Quite a lot right? An Uzumaki and a friend of the Fukumotos. He must have some value."
"Yes, yes. Calm yourself. He is indeed, a rare find. Many of the Uzumakis have either died or disappeared. In fact, some of the world even though they had become extinct: extinguished when Uzushiogakure was brought to the ground." The leader's eyes lit up with those words. The rarity of Uzumaki blood must've meant it was worth something and value equated to money.
"Excellent. So how much do you want for him?"
"7 figures."
"You are most gracious." The leader bowed in respect to the Kumo nin. All it took was a few words and a few bills, and the ninja had the leader in the palm of his hands.
"But, I cannot receive him right now. If he has affiliations with the Fukumotos, then it will be most inconvenient if he was to say something." He paused before he reached into the crate and pulled out another suitcase, this time, not opting to open it. Everybody knew the enormous amount of cash already inside. "I propose the same trade. I'll pay you two cases for the two children, but you keep them for now. They're the property of Kumo but you're free to do whatever you want with them. However, Kumo expects them to be in perfect condition when we are ready to complete the purchase. You will get the rest of your money then. Plus interest. Is this fair?"
The ninja held out the two briefcases, one in each hand, and waited for the bandit to take the cases. The leader promptly walked up and took both of them, signaling an agreement. The exchange was done. Naruto and the Fukumoto girl were now Kumo property.
"Let's go boys. We're done here. Time to break the news to the Boss."
"Wait here." The bandit leader left the room they were in, locking the door behind him with a click. The room the two now found themselves in was a simple office with lime green tinted walls. There was a large window with the blinds down, blocking out most of the light of the sun. What light could pass through dimly lit the red wool carpet, the brown leather couch, the standard office table with random pieces of papers littered across it, and the expensive office chair. The girl was sitting on the couch, staring intensely at Naruto. Since his capture, he never had an opportunity to speak with her. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he took it.
"Thanks for helping me back there." He was referring to the little lie about being her friend. He had no clue where he would be had she rejected the notion.
"Whatever." She turned away and a small tear ran down her cheek. "Daddy's not coming is he?"
He had heard the men talking back in the camp. By the time her father or any rescue party reached the clearing, the bandits would have been long gone.
"No." The girl only nodded at the response and wiped the tear away. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
The girl turned back towards him, her golden orbs locking onto his blue ones. She wore a frown on her face, but it was to be expected. Not every day do you get kidnapped and sold to money. "Fukumoto Setsuna."
"Hey, don't look so sad." He gave her a sheepish grin. He knew she was scared, afraid of the future. The way she acted was a clear indication she had been protected by her family all her life, and this was the first time she saw the real world. He only wondered what that must have felt like; being protected by a family. "I was kidnapped too, you know. Before I tried to save you."
She looked up at him curiously. There was a brief moment of pause before she motioned for him to continue.
"There was this guy called Souza back in Konoha – that's where I came from. I was sleeping in my bed when I woke up and saw him there. He had blood all over him and it was really scary. He knocked me out and brought me to a cave." He remembered the scuffle he had with Souza, and the conversation that proceeded.
"How did you get out?" He wondered whether or not he should tell her the truth. It was only a few months ago that he had learned of the Kyuubi himself and up until his little rescue mission, the Kyuubi had been with him every step of the way; mostly because it resided in the boy's body and had to follow his every step. Was this secret worth revealing? He decided not to take the chance.
"I… I had a friend. Yeah, a friend. He came and saved me." Could he truly call the Kyuubi a friend? Despite all of the assistance, the demon hadn't spoken to him since its declaration of neutrality. Unless the boy was going to die, the fox would not interfere, and as of right now, Naruto had yet to find himself in a life and death situation. Ironically, he kind of missed the fox. The Kyuubi was excellent company and an interesting figure. The fox was always a mentor and source of wisdom and knowledge, constantly guiding Naruto's hand. Had the fox not helped him, he would have died within the first week in the forest. Should he not have helped this girl?
He stared at her and reflected on his decision. Had he not helped her, he would have still been living in the forests with the Kyuubi by his side. Yet that scenario simply tore at his heart. He could not imagine himself abandoning another in trouble. Perhaps it was because he had been abandoned himself and he could relate to the pain of having nobody, of being ripped from a world he once knew and placed into one he didn't. Or maybe it was because his tirade with Souza had reminded himself of what it felt like to be rendered helpless of one's own fate. Regardless of which it was, Naruto realized he would not have abandoned her. He would have to apologize to Kyuubi, but he would never take back his decision.
"As long as you're sure." That voice. Kyuubi's voice rang within the boy's head. How he missed the deep rumbling of the fox's voice. 'Kyu?' There was no response. It wasn't a dream or a hallucination, was it? No. Naruto was sure he had heard the Kyuubi speak. Perhaps he had not been completely forgiven yet.
"A friend?" The girl's question broke him out of his train of thought. He would have to try and talk to the Kyuubi later.
"Yeah. And now since I'm your friend, I'll be the one to save you this time. Right?" He chuckled.
"Hmph. I don't need your help." A pout growing at her lips while she lifted her chin up in protest.
"Yeah, remember what happened last time you said that?" Naruto could only laugh at her reaction. Her face ran red from embarrassment as she recalled why their escape had failed. Had she only kept her mouth shut, they would have been far away from here.
"Sorry..." She looked down at the carpet and grumbled. It was obvious she didn't apologize much.
"What was that? I didn't hear yo –!" His sentence was cut off as her hand flew from her lap and onto his cheek. "Ouch! That hurt!"
"Well you were being mean!" Naruto rubbed the side of his stinging cheek that was now turning red. She seemed to have a relatively short temper and from the pain on his face, getting on her mad side was definitely not entertaining. He supposed he deserved it for taunting her. She was easily provoked, it seems.
An awkward silence encompassed the next few minutes before Naruto decided to break it.
"So what's so special about your family?" She rose an eyebrow. He was curious about her family? It seemed like harmless information to divulge.
"Our clan has a kekkei genkai that involves the elements and chakra. I don't know much about it, but daddy said I was the best one to inherit the family skills. I was supposed to learn how to use it when I grew older." A kekkei genkai. A bloodline limit. Naruto stared at awe as he somewhat envied the girl. She was lucky to be born into such a clan. Naruto wished he had one.
The two conversed for another hour, talking about their respective lives up until their moment of capture. Setsuna was the 2nd daughter of the Fukumoto clan, yet was born with incredible potential. This was why she was constantly pampered and prioritized by all the family members. Her siblings, both younger and older, were put into the background and Setsuna ascended to the spotlight. Perhaps this was also the reason she was the first the bandits had targeted. She seemed to be the most valuable one. Despite her spoiled nature, she was mentally stronger than he expected. When she realized her father was not going to save her, she only shed a single tear before gathering herself back together. It was in this, that Naruto had gained a new respect for the girl. Despite her attitude and spoiled nature, she had a strong mental fortitude.
And in turn, she listened while Naruto recounted his past few years and the struggles he had to overcome in order to live. Being pampered by her peers, Setsuna had never seen the evil side of the world, the side that would attack children or ostracize them from society. She was shocked at his story. Whereas she had thought she had it rough by being kidnapped from her family, this boy's life was much more devastating. For him, every day was a game for survival. He lived in poverty and solitude, two things she would never experience. And while he had applauded her for her inner endurance, she now saw the boy next to her in a new light. His life was full of struggle and he was able to overcome the obstacles in his way.
And over the course of this hour, the two sat in peace and a formed a bond of friendship. This serenity however, this happiness, was short lived as a soft click could be heard, indicating the door had been unlocked. The two children turned to see it swing open and a person enter the room, only to take a seat in the expensive office chair.
"Uzumaki Naruto and Fukumoto Setsuna." The person took a brief pause before smiling. "You work for me now."
Hello everybody and thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed the chapter. Tell me what you think of the story.