BIG NEWS! I've got what is quite possibly the biggest news since humans learned the earth was not flat!
Okay, so it's not that big, but I do have pretty important news for you guys.
By now I'm sure you know that I've been working on publishing a novel. Well, guess what? That novel is now officially published! That's right, the novel is now available in both paperback and Kindle eBook on Amazon. This is the first step into a new journey for me, one that I hope all of you will join me on. I know this is asking a lot, but I was hoping all of you would support me by ordering a copy (or if you're too young to have a credit card, getting your parents to order a copy), either eBook or paperback, and reading it. There is a link to my books Amazon page on my profile. If you don't want to use the link just type in American Kitsune or A Fox's Love on Amazon's main webpage and it should take you right to it.
If you need any incentive to order yourself a copy, then tomorrow is my birthday, I'll be turning 25 if any of you are curious, and no gift could be greater than knowing that the people who have read my fanfictions are now reading my first original novel.
Thank you all for supporting me!
P.S. I know some of you may be worried that I'll stop writing fanfiction now that I'm a published author. You can stop worrying. There are only a few reasons I would ever stop writing fanfiction and publishing a book or even multiple books isn't one of them.
Chapter 22: Mission to a Land Filled with Snow
"So...what's up with the big ass TV?"
Minato gave his son a very familiar smirk, one that Naruto had seen numerous times...in the mirror. It was the exact same "I know something you don't know" grin that Naruto himself got sometimes when he wanted to be infuriating. The younger of the two blonds had to admit, being on the receiving end of that smirk was annoying. Very annoying.
He really should apologize to Anko for having that look on his face near the beginning of their first real date.
"This isn't just a normal TV," Minato gestured to the large television that was taking up nearly the entire left wall in the Hokage's office. Bigger than he was tall and at least one and a half times as wide, the flat screen looked like something you'd expect to see in a rich nobles personal theater, not the office to the leader of a military village. "This TV is special."
"How so?"
"Because it's set up to allow us to contact the spirit world."
Naruto perked up. He had been told a bit about the spirit world from Kyuubi and his dad. It was not the equivalent of heaven or hell, but more like a station between worlds where a soul's fate is decided. In other words, it's a junction in which numerous planes connect, though it connected far more closely to the human world than the demon world.
"It took me a long time to set this thing up," Minato frowned as he looked at television. "Or, to be more precise, it took me a long time to get the damn thing connected to the Spirit World. The chakra of the Elemental Nations makes getting a signal from the spirit world nearly impossible. I had to create an entirely new seal just to receive good reception."
That had been a bitch and a half. Even though Minato was easily the world's premiere seal master (his wife was better, but she wasn't around anymore), it took him nearly a month of having shadow clones working on it nonstop to create. The headache he'd received via information feedback had nearly killed him...again.
Which would not have been cool; he had no desire to die for a second time.
"So it works?" asked Naruto, intrigued. "You can get a connection to the spirit world from here?"
"Yes," Minato turned the TV on by pressing a small red button on his desk. The once dark screen became white and gray with static. "I tested it last night."
"I see," Naruto paused, "I take it this is the reason you called me in?"
"Yes, there is someone who wants to meet you."
The two stared at the screen as the image began to clear. The static soon disappeared, several waves of lines ran up and down the surface, then it began to sharpen and form a cohesive image. This image, which appeared to feature a large wooden desk had a person in it.
"Ah, Minato-san," the person on the other end said, unsurprised. He had apparently been expecting this call. "I am glad you called me so soon." He turned his head slightly to look at Naruto. "And this must be your son. I can see the resemblance, though he reminds me a lot of Raizen as well thanks to that hair."
Silence. Several crows cawed in the distance, the annoying sound somehow managing to reach those in the Hokage office despite the windows being closed. Naruto stared at the person on the screen, blinking, not quite sure how to respond yet. His brain had temporarily left him.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the person in the television set said. He didn't seem to even notice the awkward silence, and if he did, he was keeping his awareness masterfully concealed. "I am Koenma, current ruler of the Spirit World."
Several seconds of more silence ensued. Then...
"Pfffft! HehehehahahahahahaHAHAHAHA!" Naruto began to laugh uproariously. The young man with long, spiky blond hair fell down on his rear, his hands wrapped around his stomach as tears of mirth began streaming from his eyes. Soon enough, he was on his back, his feet kicking up in the air as he continued to laugh like a madman who'd just been given a handful of plastic explosives and told to go wild.
Koenma did not look amused, if the thin looking slits for eyes were any indication. "Is there something you find amusing, Naruto-san."
"HAHAHAHA! You bet your...hehehehe...you bet your bratty little ass there is!" One arm left his stomach so he could point at Koenma with a quivering finger. "I can't believe...hahahaha―oh god!―I can't believe the ruler of the Spirit World is nothing more than a snot nosed brat!"
Indeed, Koenma, the ruler of the Spirit World, looked a lot like a toddler. His brown eyes were big and round, much like a child who was only one or two years of age. His face was pudgy and round, and he was so, damn, tiny! Not only was his face that of a child, but his body looked like it belonged to a baby still in their nappies as well! He looked like nothing more than a baby with a red obi sash tied over the waist of a pink-trimmed blue robe that was being worn over brown pants and black shoes. The...ruler of the Spirit World was also wearing a bib, and sitting on top of his head was a large hat with the characters Jr. on the pink trim.
He also had a binky in his mouth...which really did nothing to help correct his toddler image.
"Uh...Naruto...sochi..." Minato said hesitatingly. The second blond in the room looked almost afraid. His eyes kept shooting towards Koenma, then back to Naruto, constantly shifting between the two. "I really don't think you should be saying such things about Koenma-Sama..."
Of course, Naruto was not listening to his old man, busy as he was laughing.
"Who'd have thought that the ruler of Spirit World would still be in Diapers! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Several tic marks had formed on Koenma's head sometime during Naruto's break down. These tics only proceeded to grow in size as the blond brat continued to roll all over the floor of the Hokage's office, laughing maniacally at the very, very young-looking ruler.
"I'll have you know that I am perfectly potty trained!" Koenma sounded like he was trying to keep his composure. Trying, and failing. "And I'll also have you know that my physical appearance is in no way conducive to my actual age. I have lived for many millenia; I'm far older than even that Kyuubi demon you are so fond of."
"Sure, sure," Naruto chuckled. He had finally stopped rolling around on the floor and was now sitting up with his arms stretched out behind him and being used as support for his torso. There was a large grin on his face. "Whatever you say...brat! Bwahahahahahahaha!"
Not too longer after speaking, Naruto began to roll around on the floor again, his mirth unable to be contained. His left eye twitching with a violence it did not know it was capable of, Koenma looked at Minato. "Are you sure you're son is up to the task of being a Spirit Detective, Minato? He does not seem very reliable."
Minato was sweatdropping. As he looked at his son rolling around on the ground, laughing at one of the most powerful beings in the universe, he could not help but agree. Still...
"I assure you, my son is more than capable of making an excellent Spirit Detective," he defended his son because, well, what kind of father would he be if he didn't? Parents were supposed to have faith in their children, and Minato had faith in his, despite the fact that he was beginning to seriously question his son's mental stability. "I think he's just taken aback by Koenma-Sama's appearance."
Koenma sighed. "Yes, yes, I suppose I can see where he is coming from. Still..." he glared at the young demon who was only now coming down from his second bout of laughter. "A little self-control would be appreciated."
"Ha...sorry, sorry," Naruto snickered a few more times before calming down. Standing back to his feet, he looked between his father and the...baby who was supposed to be in charge of the Spirit World. "I didn't mean to...laugh so much." Yes he did. "So what's this you said about being a Spirit Detective?"
"Are you finished acting like fool?"
Naruto paused, actually considering the question. Slowly, he nodded. "I believe so." For now at least, he added to himself.
"Very well," Koenma nodded. "I do not know how much you know about our situation, but the Spirit World has always had issues keeping an eye on the Elemental Nations; that chakra humans possess on this continent interferes with our abilities to see what's going on there somehow. I had someone there to keep an eye on things, a woman by the name of Boton, but she disappeared several decades ago and we have not heard from her since."
"Huh?" Naruto scratched the back of his head, "That's interesting and all, but I fail to see what it has to do with me. Do you want me to find this person?"
"It would be nice to know what happened to her if possible, but that is not what I want from you," Koenma said. "What I need is a presence within the Elemental Nations, someone who can keep tabs on everything going on. You're father could do it, but I have recently learn that he's retaken the Hokage seat." The toddler ruler glared Minato, who scratched the back of his head in a manner eerily reminiscent to his son. Koenma looked back at Naruto. "Minato suggested that you would be the perfect candidate to fulfill this role. Should you accept, it will be your job to keep an eye on the Elemental Nations and present any abnormalities you find to me. You may also have several missions to complete from time to time."
"I see..." Naruto scratched at his cheek with an index finger. "I guess I can do this...for a while at least. I've got my own ambitions to complete, but so long as this whole 'Spirit Detective' thing doesn't get in the way of my goals, I don't have a problem doing them."
"I am pleased to hear that," Koenma said, "and we've already got your first task lined up for you." Naruto perked up a bit. This 'task' Koenma spoke of was probably the real reason his old man had called him here. "Several months ago a young Ice Apparition by the name of Yukina was kidnapped a man named Ganzo Tarukane, the person who we believe founded the Black Black Club."
"The Black Black Club?" Naruto actually looked disgusted. "What the hell kind of name is that?"
"It might be a terrible name, but the Black Black Club is comprised of some of the most powerful and wealthiest crime syndicates and Mob bosses in the entire world," Koenma informed the young demon.
"Well...whatever," Naruto dismissed his thoughts on the stupidity of that name and got back to the discussion at hand. "So why did this Ganzo―which is a horrible name by the way―kidnap Yukina."
"Because Yukina is an Ice Apparition." Knowing that Naruto would not have the slightest clue as to what he was talking about, Koenman quickly extrapolated. "As an Ice Appartion, Yukina has the ability to produce beautiful gems known as Hiruseki Stones. These gems are extremely valuable, worth several thousand ryu each."
Naruto whistled. "That's quite a bit of money, especially if this Yukina chick can produce them indefinitely."
Koenma nodded. "We had been tracking Ganzo through our spies when, several weeks ago, he disappeared from our radar. He hasn't been seen since. We have reason to believe he's set up shop in the Elemental Nations somewhere, though, whether he has done this to hide from our presence or because of some other reason, I don't know."
"I see..." Naruto hummed thoughtfully. "Do we know where this Ganzo character is?"
At this, Minato finally began speaking again. "We have actually received several reports that he has been spotted in the company of Dotou Kazehana, the current Daimyo of Yuki no Kuni. This is very fortuitous for us because I actually have a mission here that will give you an excuse to travel there."
Sitting back down behind his desk, Minato grabbed one of the many scrolls that littered it. After checking the scroll, he tossed it to Naruto, who opened it and checked it's contents as well.
"Your mission will be to protect Yuki Fujikaze, the famous movie actress, while she and a filming crew make the next of the famous Princess Gale movies. You will be given a squad to accompany you. Because we are a little understaffed thanks to the invasion and the increased number of missions we've recieved, you will only be able to select from the young genin who participated in this years Chunin Exams."
Naruto nodded, but did not stop reading the scroll.
"While there, you will also ascertain the whereabouts of Yukina. This side mission is, of course, off the record. No one else is to know about your role as a Spirit Detective. There is no telling what would come of the knowledge that the Spirit World now has a presence in the Elemental Nations."
"Got it." Naruto rolled up the scroll and looked at his father. "Is there anything else?"
"No. Go and prepare for the mission. Gather what supplies you need, then come back here to meet your team."
"Hai!"
Birth of the New Demon King
Naruto stood at the foot of his bed, staring at all the items on it as he tried to determine what tools he would need for this mission. There were a large number of sharp, pointy implements and several other items and accessories that most ninja use when on missions.
"Let's see...kunai, definitely. Ninja wire might be useful too, though for what, I have no idea. Shuriken? I don't really use those, but I guess I should take a couple dozen with me..." the blond paused in his rambling to look up at the ceiling. "Come to think of it, I don't think I use any ninja tools these days." He looked back down at all the ninja tools and sharp, pointy objects on his bed and scratched the back of his head. "Guh, why is this so much harder than I remember it being?"
"Probably because you don't need to use flimsy weapons like this anymore."
Naruto's expression took on a look of delight as he spun around.
"Kyuu-chan!"
Kyuubi, or Kit as she was known to the populace of Konoha, only had enough time for her eyes to widen before she was pulled into a kiss that took her breath away. She opened her mouth, though whether this was done in surprise or because she wanted to say something shall never be known. That's because the moment her mouth opened, Naruto's tongue was there, caressing her tongue, her teeth, the sides and roof of her mouth, and exploring the deepest reaches of her oral cavity. All she could do was moan as her blond mate and lord ravaged her mouth.
Her back was soon pressed against the door. Her hands were forced to grip onto Naruto's jacket as her legs had turned to jelly and would no longer support her. To help keep her up, or maybe just because he desired to feel more of that luscious body pressing against him, Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly to him.
It was only after Naruto felt he had thoroughly explored the red-haired vixens mouth that he pulled back. A string of saliva stretched out between them. This liquid connection was broken by Naruto, who leaned back in and licked at Kyuubi's lips, earning a shiver from the woman he was holding in his arms.
"N-Naruto-Sama," she gasped in surprise. "What...what was that for?"
"Do I need a reason to kiss you?"
Kyuubi blinked at that. His words caught her off guard. "Well, no. I was just curious what I had done to deserve such a...passionate ravaging."
"I'm going to be leaving on another mission," Naruto told her, even as he leaned in and began to plant kisses on her exposed neck. Kyuubi moaned and tilted her head to allow him better access to her sweat spots. "It's an A-rank and will take me to a place called Yuki no Kuni."
"That's...oh!...that's pretty far from, from here," Kyuubi's words were interrupted by several pleased gasps whenever Naruto hit one of those small areas of skin that were ultra sensitive to his touch. One particularly load noise was induced when he lightly nipped at her skin just under her jaw. "Yes! Right there!"
"It is far away," Naruto's tongue trailed a small path up her neck, reaching her ear which he proceeded to nibble on. Kyuubi's beautiful voice let him know she approved of this action. It soon turned into a gasp, however, when his strong hands roughly grabbed a plentiful amount of her deliciously tight rear end. "That's why I feel it's important we make the most of our time right now."
"I-I see, ahn!" A knee pressed against her groin, rubbing against her crotch in all sorts of delicious ways. The cloth of her tight, black shorts rubbed against her folds, creating an incredible friction that had her gasping and moaning. "T-Then, you should do...ah!...do your best to give me a proper good bye."
Naruto smiled against her collar bone. "Don't worry, I intend to."
It was not long at all, barely a few seconds later in fact, that Kyuubi found herself laying on her back on the bed, Naruto pressing down on top of her. His mouth was ravishing her's again, but this time she was prepared and gave as good as she got. Soon enough, clothing was being flung all over the place, leaving the pair completely nude.
It shouldn't need to be described for people to know where this was going.
Birth of the New Demon King
In another room, one that was not far from Naruto's and Kyuubi's, Kurotsuchi buried her head underneath her pillow. She was hoping to block out the sounds coming from the room next to hers, but was having little success.
"OH FUCK YEAH!"
"YES! YES! YES!"
"KEEP FUCKING DOING THAT, YOU MOTHERFUCKING CUNT!"
"DAMN YOU'VE GOT A FUCKING AMAZING MOUTH ON YOU!"
Yeah, those were the sounds she was trying to block out.
Why oh why did that blond bastard give her the room right next to the lesbian couple? There were plenty of unused guest rooms they could have stuck her in, but no, that damn Namikaze and his vixen had to shove her into a room right next to the two lesbian lovers, one of whom appeared to be incredibly vocal...not to mention ridiculously vulgar.
This was probably some form of revenge or something. That blond didn't seem like it, always acting so congenial and all, but he could be a damn sadist when he wanted to be.
Regardless, this was unforgivable. First chance she got, Kurotsuchi was going to show that bastard what happened when you pissed her off. Oh yes, Naruto was going to rue the day he imprisoned her in this place; he wouldn't know what hit him...
"Kukuku..."
"OH FUCKING HELL YES, KIN! KEEP DOING THAT FUCKING AMAZING THING YOU DO WITH YOUR TONGUE!"
Kurotsuchi's face began to steam.
"Dammit! SHUT UP YOU FRICKIN LESBO!"
"AH! AH! FUCK!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
Birth of the New Demon King
Within a harsh land covered in ice and snow stood a tall, fortress-like mansion. This indomitable fort, which was nestled within the shadows of a gigantic mountain, appeared to be a bastion within the barren landscape. Several large towers rose up from the ground, six in all, and were connected by an enormous wall with barbed wire. It surrounded the mansion proper, keeping all manner of inscrutable characters and beasts out.
The mansion was a very large, very ostentatious building. A manor built in the Western style that had begun to spread across the Elemental Nations ever since several groups of foreigners migrated this land to escape war in their homelands. Designed in the neo-Renaissance architectural style, the manor had square towers built into each corner and was sitting on a large terrace that gave way to several kilometers of maze-like walls covered in ice and snow. The showpiece central hall was incredibly long and nearly eighteen meters high, its roof a full glass skylight that allowed those looking up to gaze at the endless snowfall.
It was within this hall that a meeting between two powerful people was taking place.
Ganzo Tarukane stood in front of the much more imposing figure of Doto Kazehana. Their appearance couldn't be more different from each other. While Ganzo was fat, gelatinous and looked more like a giant tub of lard given human shape and thrown into an expensive business suit, Doto was large and imposing, his entire form covered by a white, full-bodied cloak that came with a small shoulder cape attached to it with blue and yellow trim. Despite this difference in height and his counterpart's intimidating presence, Ganzo did not look the last bit concerned.
"Doto," the man said, smiling in a very unpleasant manner, like a greasy salesman who was trying to pull one over on you. Neither the expression on his face nor the way he addressed Doto without the honorific befitting his status of a Daimyo endeared the man to him. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"Do not play ignorant," Doto's voice, in contrast to Ganzo's "smoker's voice" was deep and imposing, just like the man himself. "I offered you sanctuary in this country after you were chased out of your own in return for Hiruseki Stones, which you promised you could provide in abundance." Doto stared down at the man, who still did not appear very concerned. "I hope you have a good explanation for why you have yet to come through on your side of our bargain."
"We have been having a few issues with the one who produces the gems," Ganzo admitted, "She is being most resistant than we expected. Even torture doesn't seem to work."
"Then you obviously haven't been trying hard enough," Doto responded, to which Ganzo twitched. A smile formed on the taller male's face. After the number of times this man had upset him, it was good to see something that could anger this tub of fat. "But not to worry. I have brought two people who will be able to do what you clearly could not."
While Ganzo grit his teeth at the man's audacity to suggest others could accomplish what he couldn't, the door leading to the world outside burst open. A gust of cold wind blew in, sending with it a good dose of snow. The cold caused Ganzo, who was still not used to the intense cold in this country, to shiver. Beside him, Doto stood as bastion of calm, seemingly not bothered at all by his countries sub-zero weather.
The sound of heavy footfalls alerted everyone to the new addition to their little meeting. No. Two new additions. The first and most imposing of the two who had entered was a man stood several feet over Doto and several times more muscular. He had a light-brownish skin tone, a long, pointed chin and was sporting a crew cut. Covering his eyes were a pair of sunglasses. His olive green trench coat and same color pants helped to conceal his ridiculously muscled physique .
Sitting on his shoulder was another man. He had a very bedraggled appearance and looked vastly different from the man whose shoulders he was sitting on. Unlike the more imposing figure, who appeared to be an Elemental native judging from the structure of his face, the older looking male had many characteristics similar to foreigners from the west. His long, unkempt gray hair swayed within the wind that blew in through the door. His blue button up shirt rustled as he brought up a hand to reveal long, pointed fingernails, which he soon set on his matching colored pants. Together he and the much taller man presented very contrasting but no less imposing appearances.
"Ganzo, I would like to introduce the Toguro brothers." Doto smiled when Gano finally showed some emotion: fear. He obviously knew who these two were. "They will do what you could not."
Birth of the New Demon King
It only took a couple hours of constant running for Naruto's team to reach the port city they were to meet their client at. Ninja, even genin, were trained to be more than capable of making that kind of distance in record time. The average Konoha genin could travel at well over eighty kilometers per hour by jumping through the trees.
After receiving his mission, getting packed, sort of, and...giving Kyuubi a proper goodbye, Naruto had sent his shadow clones to chase down the shinobi he wanted for this mission and had them meet up with him at the main gate of Konohagakure. The group of four had then set out for the city that was there meeting point.
"Oh man! This is so awesome!" Kiba was looking excited about the upcoming mission, not that Naruto could blame him. The Inuzuka boy was a lot like Naruto had been before his transformation into a demon: loud, brash and obnoxious. Though some people would probably say Naruto was still obnoxious. "I can't believe we're actually going to get to see Yuki Fujikaze! Man, she's a total babe!"
"You're crass words aside, I do have to agree with you." Shino pushed his glasses up his nose, the glint from the sun reflecting off them. "Why? Because even I know how beautiful she is from watching her movies."
"Ugh, you two are a couple of pervs, you know that?" Ino wrinkled her nose in disgust. The look quickly disappeared, however, when she thought about the other people they would be meeting on this mission. Soon enough, her eyes were sparkling as she clasped her hands up to her face. "Ooh~ I can't wait to meet Michi-sama! He's such a hunk!" Her eyes then widened and she looked at Naruto with a small blush. "Oh, but you're much hotter than he is, Naruto-kun."
While Naruto merely sighed at the girl's fangirlish antics, Kiba leaned into Shino and cupped a hand to his mouth so he could whisper in his friend's ear without being overheard by their blond― the female blond―teammate. "She calls us perverts, yet she's the one drooling over meeting one of the actors...and Naruto." He grimaced. "Damn that's creepy. Even creepier than when she was drooling over Sasuke."
"Indeed," Shino nodded in agreement. "But I have come to expect this from women. Why? Because they are hypocritical when it comes to issues like sex."
"I hear ya."
Up on Kiba's head, Akamaru barked out his own agreement.
"What are you two whispering about?" Ino asked, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Nothing."
The two leaned back away from each other and attempted to look as nonchalant as possible. Kiba began whistling to himself and Shino continued to sit there with his hands in his pockets.
Ino glared at the two some more, but huffed and looked the other way when she realized there wasn't much reason to get angry when she didn't even know what they were talking about. Still, she couldn't help but feel like they were making fun of her. Call it a woman's intuition, but she knew those two were saying rude things about her.
While his team bantered with each other, Naruto kept surprisingly quiet. He was going over all the information he had acquired from both his old man and Koenma about the mission, or missions as the case may be. There was a possibility that the two objectives had nothing to do with each other, after all.
Not that he actually believed that. All reports state that Doto was incredibly militaristic and ruled Yuki no Kuni with an iron fist. There was no way he'd let someone like Ganzo into his territory without getting something in return, and there was even less of a chance of this Ganzo having snuck into the country undetected.
"Oi! Naruto!" Kiba's brash voice snapped the blond-haired demonic ninja out of his stupor. He looked over at the smaller boy, a single eyebrow raised.
"What is it, Kiba?"
"Nothing, you've just been so quiet it's kinda freakin' me out. I'm just not used to you being so silent, ya know?"
Naruto tilted his head to the side, considering. "Yeah," he nodded slowly, "I guess I can see where you're coming from." Before his change Naruto had been loud and brash. He still was to some degree, but he also had the ability to tone his enthusiasm down when there was no need for it. "I was just going over the mission details."
"Ah, I see, I see," Kiba nodded, grinning. "It's a pretty sweet mission if you ask me. I mean, we're going to be protecting The Yuki Fujikaze. How cool is that?"
"We're not just protecting Yuki-san, though," Shino added in an attempt to curb his teammates enthusiasm. "Our job is to guard the entire crew while they shoot the film."
"I know that," Kiba scowled, "I'm just saying that we're also guarding Yuki Fujikaze, which is the best part about this whole gig."
"Agreed."
Ino facepalmed as she watched the two boys antics. "Ugh, men."
Before the long the sea of trees soon parted to reveal their destination. Like most port towns off the coast of fire country, this one was a large, bustling city, maybe even bigger than Konoha in sheer population. Most of the buildings were also built in the more western style architecture due to their stability and sturdiness. Elemental buildings, beautiful as they were, did not hold as well when dealing with the salty air of the sea.
"So this is the place, huh?" Kiba looked at the stalls lining the sides of the street they were walking down. Their group was attracting quite the crowd, though that might have just been due to the large, muscular blond without a shirt. "It's pretty big. Most of the towns we've been to with Kurenai-sensei were really small."
"It is much bigger than most towns in Hi no Kuni. Why? Because port towns need to be large in order to stock, store and transfer all of the goods they receive from other nations." Shino pushed his shades up the bridge of his nose. "They need a lot of warehouses to store all of the items they receive, and they need to have places to live for the people who will be dealing with those items, not to mention hotels and inns for traders that come to order and trade goods."
"Thank you for the lecture," Kiba rolled his eyes.
"You're welcome."
"I wonder if I can do some shopping before we leave here," Ino mused to herself as she also stared at some of the stalls. There were a number of beautiful items on sale, like this necklace she saw dangling from a hook.
"Maybe when we come back from our mission," Naruto answered, "We'll have to pass through here when we return. For now, let's just focus on meeting our client."
It wasn't long after the group entered the city that they arrived at the meeting place. It was a large building, rectangular, and with a half-cylinder roof made of metal. The surface was slightly rusted, more from the salty air than due to age. All around them people were running every which way in various degrees of panic.
Kiba, Ino, and Shino all stared at the large congregation of people rushing to and fro, shouting and yelling and just generally freaking out. Something had obviously happened before they got here, the question was: what?
"What do you think is going on here?" Ino voiced the obvious question.
"I don't know," Naruto said, "but I intend to find out." He started walking into the midst of the panicked group of humans. "Come on you three. Let's see if we can't find our employer."
It took them a bit of time asking around (which took far longer than it should have due to how frantic everyone was), but they eventually managed to uncover the location of one Sandayu Asama, the man who had hired them for this job.
At the moment, the man in question was currently screaming into a wireless radio, looking more than a little frazzled. His short gray hair was an unkempt mess, and even his trimmed beard, which Naruto imagined was normally neat and tidy looked like someone had run a rake through it. His dark blue business suit likewise reflected his state of panic, ruffled and creased as it was.
"I don't care how long it takes! You have to find her as soon as possible! Keep searching!" The man closed his phone, releasing a deep sigh as he did so. Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, the man was so busy stressing out he did not even hear the four sets of footsteps coming up to him.
"Having some problems, Asama-san."
He did hear the voice directly to his left. Eyes popping open, the man spun around his surprise, a hand clutched to his chest. Upon completing his rotation, he finally saw the four standing behind him; a young man with shades and a long overcoat covering his entire body, another young man with a feral look in his eyes and a dog on his head, a blond girl about the same age, and an older looking teen in a long trench coat and no shirt that showed off his incredible physique.
"You..." the man took a deep, calming breath to steady his nerves. When he was positive he would not die of a heart attack or something, he gave the group a closer inspection. That was when he noticed the headbands they were wearing. "You four, are you the shinobi I hired?"
"That's right," Naruto said for the group. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, with me are my squad mates: Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Yamanaka Ino."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," remembering his manners, Asama stuck his hand out, which Naruto took in a firm shake. "I apologize you had to see me like this, we're...having a bit of trouble right now."
"I could tell," Naruto's lips twitched. "You seem to have lost someone. Would you like us to help you look for her?"
The relief Asama felt was palpable on his face. "Would you? That would be great!"
"So who are we looking for?" asked Kiba.
"It's Yuki Fujikaze," Asama answered, "Our wayward princess has been missing from her dressing room since this morning."
"Kidnapped?" That came from Shino.
"I almost wish that were the case," Asama moaned in complaint. "No, our princess has simply...run away." Upon seeing several raised eyebrows, the older gentleman endeavored to explain the current situation to the shinobi he hired. "This isn't the first time Yuki-san has disappeared on us. Ever since she learned we would be traveling to Yuki no Kuni to film the next movie, Yuki-san has been trying to run away. This is the seventh attempt this month."
"I see..." Naruto sighed. So they were dealing with a runaway princess. Great, just great.
Turning to his comrades, Naruto began barking orders. "Shino, I want you to release your Kikauchu to try and locate Yuki-san. Kiba, you'll be going with Asama-san to Yuki's dressing room. You should find something there that has her scent you can use to track her. Ino," he looked at the blond, who flushed under his gaze. It was such an intense look it caused her panties to dampen. Naruto almost wrinkled his nose, but kept his control firm as steel. "Use your Shintenshin no Jutsu to take control of a bird and take to the skies. It'll be easier to find Yuki if we had a birds-eye view."
The three ninja under his command quickly did as told (though, Ino did swoon a bit first). Soon enough, Naruto was left alone to his thoughts.
"Let's see, if I were a runaway princess, where would I run to?" He looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day; the sky was clear and blue, the sun shone down upon with Earth, caressing his face with its rays of light and there was a mild breeze that carried the scent of salt on it. Naruto sighed. Such a gorgeous day and he couldn't even enjoy it. "Somehow, I get the feeling our troubles have only just begun."
Birth of the New Demon King
Finding the actress who had apparently disappeared from her dressing room wasn't all that difficult. There were only so many places a woman like her could hide in a city like this, and only a few places a woman like her would hide.
That being said, Naruto honestly had not expected to find a woman of Yuki Fujikaze's stature hiding out in a dingy old bar, drinking, a lot. As in, she was consuming copious amounts of alcohol. It was only after several seconds of heavy thinking that he was forced to admit he shouldn't have been surprised. Who would ever expect a world famous actress to be sitting in a sleazy pub that looked like it hadn't received a good cleaning in decades?
The woman in question was currently nursing what had to be her sixth shot of...something; she wasn't quite sure what she was drinking. All she knew was it was strong and hard, and when all you want to do is drown your troubles in alcohol, that's really all that mattered.
Lifting the glass of amber liquid to her lips, the actress to one of the most famous movies in the Elemental Nations downed the shot like a pro, drinking it all in a single gulp.
"Ah~"
Releasing a deep sigh of satisfaction as the hard alcoholic substance burned its way down her throat, Yuki slammed the glass down on the table.
"Hey bartender! Get me another one of these!"
The bartender, a large man with an even larger pot belly, looked at the woman in mild exasperation. "Don't you think you've had enough miss?" he asked, not bothering to stop cleaning his glass. The girl was looking more than a little drunk. Surely she couldn't afford to drink anymore, not unless it was her desire to suffer from alcohol poisoning.
Yuki glared at the man behind the bar, her drunken eyes narrowed even as she blinked to keep them in focus. "Who do you think you are? My mother?" The woman snorted. "I'm a paying customer, you shouldn't care about whether or not I've had enough and just get me some more of this stuff." She tapped the now empty glass with her finger. "Capiche?"
"Yeah, I got you," the man grunted, doing exactly as told and sliding her another drink. "Just don't come crying to me when you wake up with the mother of all hangovers."
Yuki did not answer, merely giving a snort that caused the bartender to shake his head. It was people like her who made him wonder why he even got into the bartending business in the first place.
As the bartender left her to her own devices, the blue-haired female began drinking from the new glass. She decided to nurse it this time, rather than down it all in one go. As she sipped at her drink, her hand went into the neck of her shirt, where she then pulled out a small, beautiful gem attached to her necklace. Even in the dim lighting of the room, the gem in her hand coruscated with a brilliant light.
Staring at the pretty bauble in her hand, the woman unconsciously delved into memories of a long time past. Her fingers soon closed over the gem, tightening into a clenched fist. With a grimace on her face, she shoved the gem back under her shirt.
"Go back to Yuki no Kuni," she snorted, as if the very notion of such a thing happening was preposterous. She took another sip of her drink, letting the alcohol slowly burn its way down her throat. "It'll be a cold day in hell that I go back there."
While Yuki was wallowing in the misery that was her life, several feet away, a man sitting at a table in the corner of the room stood up. This man's entire body was cloaked from head to toe in a dark brown trench coat. Even his head was covered by a wide brimmed hat that kept people from being able to see his face.
It was clear to all those looking his way that the man was absolutely sloshed. He was swaying on the spot, and his breath reeked of alcohol. The god's only knew how much he had imbued.
After leaving some money on the table, as well as a generous tip, the cloaked man began making for the exit, which took him right next to Yuki Fujikaze. As he reached the woman with long blue hair, his hand reached out for her, if only for a second before it was knocked aside and his body was shoved out of the way by an unknown person ramming into him. The man, who opened his mouth to retort, was unable to get even a word out before he snapped his jaw shut.
Those eyes, those cold, glaring purple eyes with ripples in them were glaring at him with enough venom to down an Elephant. Looking into those eyes made him feel like he was staring death in the face. His death, to be precise.
Seconds later, the drunken man was scurrying out of the bar, leaving Yuki alone with the man who had just walked in. Snorting, the teenager with wild blond hair sat down next to Yuki, who was studiously ignoring his presence.
"You've caused your director and manager a lot of problems, Yuki Fujikaze."
The woman didn't even look at Naruto as she snorted. She just took another sip of her drink, then set it down on the table.
"And who are you to say that to me?"
"Apparently, I'm your new babysitter, since it seems you need someone to keep an eye on you twenty-four seven."
The woman twitched at the babysitter remark, but didn't respond to his taunt otherwise. "So, what? You here to take me back or something? Cuz I can tell you right now I'm not going back to that place!" No longer concerned about nursing her drink, the actress in hiding slammed it back without care. "I've decided to quit filming the Princess Gale movies. If they want to keep making those movies, they'll have to find someone else."
"I see..."
"What's with that face? It's not like it's unheard of for films to switch actresses; it happens all the time." The woman still hadn't done more than glance at him out of the corner of her eye, busy as she was staring into her glass of ice.
"I don't really care about any of that," Naruto declared, "All I care about is getting your ass back to the filming crew and your manager. If you want to quit, or whatever, take it up with them."
"Tch, you're such a joykill."
"And you're just a drunk wallowing in her own misery."
"Hmph! What would a kid like you know about life?"
"A lot more than you'd think."
"Whatever," Yuki muttered, "Let me tell you a little secret; actors are the biggest bunch of fakes you'll ever meet. It's a dirty, rotten job that only the lowest of lowlifes would ever want. We stand up there in front of the film, acting so others can ogle and admire us." She shook her head in disgust. "Really, all those fools who think we're so cool, who want to be us, they have no idea what kind of people we really are."
Naruto sat there, listening to the woman run her mouth without having any real clue as to what she was taking about. Actors are the biggest fakes? Really? Did this woman not realize that he was a fucking shinobi? Lying, cheating, stealing, killing, these were stables of ninja life. They were the most ruthless, hardcore killers in the Elemental Nations, and all shinobi excelled at acting to prevent suspicion being cast on them when on missions. This woman knew nothing.
Finally giving the young man sitting by her side more than a sidelong glance, Yuki eyed him up and down with a drunken leer. He wasn't a bad catch at all; wild blond, rock star like hair, tanned skin, and incredibly toned muscles. Not to mention those abs...really, the only thing creepy about him were those strange ripple eyes, and she could ignore that if she stared at his body. "Say, you're pretty hot. How would you like to find out what it's like to be with an actress?"
"I'm sorry to say you're not my type," the young man replied. "And even if I were willing, you wouldn't be able to keep up with me."
"Is that a challenge?"
"Take it however you want," Naruto stood up, "Now, I do believe you've had enough to drink. It's time to go; Sandayu-san is waiting for us."
Yuki's leer turned into a scowl. "And I already told you I'm not going!"
Grinning like the woman had just said something stupid, Naruto said, "You say that like I'm giving you a choice. I was told to bring you back, they never said I had to convince you to go back willingly."
"Wha―" That was all Yuki was able to get out before Naruto pinched the cartoid artery and cut off the flow of blood to the brain.
Several seconds later, the woman slumped forward against Naruto's chest. She was out cold.
Sliding one arm under her legs and the other around her shoulder, Naruto lifted the famous actress into his arms. But not before putting several coins on the table to pay for Yuki's drink.
Heedless of the bartender watching him go, Naruto left the bar. "Sorry about that," he said, then paused. "Actually, I'm not sorry. You deserved it."
Humming a small tune to himself, the blond began making his way towards the designated meeting point.
Birth of the New Demon King
Doto Kazehana sat on his throne within his fortress of a palace, smiling as he rolled one of the many Hiruseki stones he had been able to wring out of that wretched creature in his hands. To think something worth so much could be produced by that worthless whore's tears.
"These will fetch a hefty price on the black market." His mind was already working out the best way to sell these gems. Hiruseki stones were worth a lot of money due to their rarity, even more so in the Elemental Nations than anywhere else. Demons were a rarity, ice apparitions even more so.
Behind the Daimyo of snow country was Younger Toguro. Like a silent sentinal he stood there, not saying a thing. Sitting on his shoulder as per usual was his brother.
Doto's musings were interrupted by the appearance of his most trusted Jonin. After said man cast a quick glare at the Toguro brothers, he knelt down before his lord, his head bowed in submission.
"Ah, Nadare," Doto pocketed the Hiruseki stone and focused his attention on the Jonin. "What news do you bring me?"
"I have learned that the famous actress, Yuki Fujikaze, is coming to Yuki no Kuni to shoot the next of the Princess Gale movies."
"Yes, I am already aware of that."
"She has the hex crystal."
"I see..." Doto leaned back on his metal throne, his fingers idly tapping against the armrest. "So she has the hex crystal. "Splendid, this is absolutely splendid." Not only did he now have a good source of income, he could now claim the Kazehana treasure.
"There is no question about it, this actress is Koyuki Kazehana," the ninja identified as Nadare spoke with absolute confidence. "The informant I had shadowing her confirmed the hex crystal was in her possession. She is the genuine article."
"Heh, taking care of one little girl," one of the other shinobi who had entered the room with Nadare chuckled, a smirk playing on his face. "This should be a piece of cake."
"I wouldn't get so confident yet," Nadare continued, his tone quickly turning sharp and serious. Dot raised an eyebrow. His subordinate almost sounded worried. "Koyuki is not alone; it seems the filming crew has hired a team shinobi bodyguards for this."
"Who are they?"
"Three of them are inconsequential," Nadare dismissed the genin of the group. They would be easy enough to deal with. It was the last one that would cause them the most problems. "Their Jonin leader is the biggest threat; Naruto Namikaze."
"The son of the Yondaime Hokage?" Doto leaned back in his seat, his expression pensive.
"And the one who killed Orochimaru of the Sennin in single combat."
"Hmm..." Doto frowned to himself. "This could be a problem."
While Doto spoke with his ninja, Younger Toguro silently perked up behind them.
"This Uzumaki Naruto," Younger Toguro spoke up, his voice a deep, base rumble. "Is he strong?"
Nadare and the other two shinobi present looked at the much taller, much more muscular man with confused, blinking eyes. Doto, on the other hand, merely contemplated the man he had hired as his bodyguard.
He then turned back to his three most powerful shinobi.
"Nadare?"
Understanding the unspoken prompt, the man kneeling before his lord spoke honestly. "Currently speaking, Uzumaki Naruto is being hailed as one of the most powerful shinobi in the entire world; an S-class ninja with a flee on sight order. He not only managed to kill Orochimaru in single combat, but is rumored to have utterly decimated Oto's ninja forces immediately afterwords."
"Hmm..."
Nadare frowned, but continued pressing his point. "Fighting against a person of his caliber is suicide." As strong as Nadare liked to consider himself, he was not so arrogant as to believe a battle against Naruto would end in anything but his untimely death. "Even if myself, Fubuki and Mizore fought him together it would still end in defeat."
Doto raised a single eyebrow at the Jonin. For him to say something like that, this Naruto must be incredibly powerful. "Even with that new chakra armor I gave you?"
"It is said that Naruto's raw strength is enough to shatter boulders without chakra reinforcement," Nadare answered. "While I'm sure some of that is just rumors, all rumors have a grain of truth to them. And Naruto's physical prowess is well-known."
"And what do you think about all this?" Doto turned his head to look at Younger Toguro and his brother.
At first, the large man said nothing. He merely stood there in silent contemplation. A moment passed, then two, finally, the man smiled. "I think that I would very much enjoy meeting this Uzumaki Naruto to see if he is everything you have made him out to be."
Before I end this chapter I would like to just say a few first.
First, I want to thank everyone who reads my fanfictions. Very few things give me greater joy than knowing you like reading my stories.
Second, I would like to thank everyone who plans on going onto Amazon and ordering a copy of "A Fox's Love." There are absolutely no words in the existence of man that can describe how grateful I am for your support.
And finally, I would like to mention the SOPA. Apparently it's back again. If you want to sign the petition to stop Obama and the government from trying to make fanfics illegal in America, please go onto google, type SOPA petition and sign it.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.