They were only a few inches away from each other. "You have lost, no mana, no backup. The only thing you can really do now is surrender."
Naruto delivered a heavy hook into Tushar's gut, causing the man to bend over and stumble. "Don't underestimate me"
Tushar smirked and returned his own gut punch that made Naruto sag, "Trust me, the time of underestimating has passed."
Naruto's fist burrowed deeply into Tushar's chest,"Good to know."
Whatever Mana Naruto had left flowed to Naruto's arm and compressed.
Tushar activating the third step and preparing for the oncoming blow.
"You and your attacks may have smashed Yash and Rajendra, but they shan't smash me."
"MILKY WAY: THUNDER GALAXY."
"CRUSHING EVIL: SPREADING THE TRUTH, EMPYREAN."
The compressed magic clashed with quickly rotating lighting. Clashing for several seconds before the lightning cracked, "He cracked my magic?!...he can break magic?!!!".
Naruto's fist tore through the remaining lightning and pierced Tushar's belly, The man letting out a cry of pain.
His insides pulverized and turned into a fine red mist, his upper body was now nothing more than a sack of skin.
Naruto stumbled before falling flat on his face, quickly standing back up before falling back down.
Azad watched from up above, looking around the battlefield. "Now we focus on reconstruction. Naruto, Aruna, I am forever in your debts."
Jiraiya, Hiruzen, Danzo, Homura and Koharu looked at each other for a few seconds. The news they had just received was not very pleasant.
"Jiraiya...you had three hundred men at your disposal, and you still couldn't find him." Danzo said as the grip on his cane tightened.
"No... It's almost like he's dropped off the face of the earth" The Sanin said as he sat up, "Tenzo, said some nine tails chakra was lingering around an abandoned ship station up in wave. So we spent days searching wave country."
He placed a small map on the table, "I checked every cave system and village in wind, no one's seen him."
"What about Iwa and Kumo?." Hiruzen asked.
"Nope no sightings up there either i--"
"Then why did you call this meeting Jiraiya?, you bring no good news and sit here acting all calm." Koharu said.
Jiraiya gave the woman a stern look before looking at Hiruzen. "I believe he's no longer on this continent."
"What?!" Danzo practically shouted.
"If he was here, he would've run into bandits or enemy nin or some other issue and his nine tails chakra would've kicked in and flooded the area. It would have lingered for days or maybe even years and give us a good path to find" Jiraiya said as he stood up and began walking to the door, "But that's not the case. Zero sightings, little to no chakra signature...he's most likely gone across the sea."
"Then how do we get him back?, we can't just send entire fleets to get him back." Hiruzen said as he stood up, Jiraiya turned the doorknob, "I'll be back in two months with a plan...till then, I recommend cancelling the chunin exams."
"What?, no why wou--"
"When I come back, ill come back with a team or platoon in mind. The exams would interfere with my plan, so I suggest cancelling them."
Danzo rubbed his temple and sighed, "We'll organi--"
"No...ill pick the team myself."
Jiraiya said as he walked out.
Aruna and Azad sat in the courtyard or what remained of it, Aruna sitting forward with her face practically in her knees. "What now?." Aruna asked.
"Reconstruction first...then I will fulfill my promise to Naruto, then we begin our campaigns."
"We will begin near the border of Urtalia, and we'll see what happens after that." Azad said.
Aruna pushed her red hair aside and sighed, "And what about the twelve tribes?."
"They can migrate here...or to luscina if they fell it necessary, it would be much closer" Azad said as his ethereal form flickered and beamed for a split second before returning to normal.
Aruna thought for a moment, her face tilting towards the weakening October sun, she was exhausted by battle, though the healers of this city had done their best to heal her.
"The Adnum tribe will join you, ill move my people here...a migration of this size on foot will take some time, a few months, maybe."
Aruna sighed and watched the construction workers scramble about the destroyed city, some stuttering along carrying heavy blocks or wood beams, "How many civilian casualties."
"A few hundred, the battle with Tushar and Naruto causing most of it." Azad responded as he watched the citizens simply walk around the construction and continue on with their daily lives.
That's how it always had been, the royal capital Aegium was always moving, it had no patience, Aruna sighed again, "I'm feeling a bit cold...let's walk Azad." She said as she stood up. Azad "Stood up", he more like floated and began hovering next to The chief.
The victors had partied, beginning the night before and breaking into the early morning.
Kavi limped about handing people alcohol and food, stopping occasionally to converse with his fellow tribesmen.
Naruto leaned on a pile of rubble and sighed, even with all the damage healed, he was still incredibly sore.
"Things are looking pretty lively" He muttered as he groaned, "Then why do you not join them?" Aruna asked as she and Azad arrived. "I'm tired...plus, I was planning to give that library a try." Naruto said, he looked back at Aruna, "Come to think of it, when are we going to get you a new body?" Naruto asked Azad.
"First we'll get new advisors, and I have a few people in mind. Then we rebuild the army, and then we will get me a new body." Azad said.
When news of the victory and Azad's plan reached, neighboring kingdoms immediately went on edge.
Lord Baldwin simply clicking his teeth and laughing.
As for Naruto, he looked at the small house and scratched his head, "Huh."
"What the hell is this?!" his inner voice asked.
"No...this will do."
For Naruto, who had not one possession to his name besides his clothing, to finally own something worth anything was perfectly fine with him.
"I'm going to keep growing stronger and eventually get something nicer."
"That bag of energy said he'd give you riches, you're not even making half of what he promised...the land i--"
"We just went through an invasion, if I can't get it all, then I'm fine with this".
Naruto slowly opened the door, one bedroom and a very small bathroom and bath. "This is our very first fortress." Naruto said as he sat down on the floor.
Naruto grabbed another massive barrel full of wine and began walking up the partially rebuilt steps, The construction workers watching him come up in awe, "Is this a new record?" one asked.
"No, last week he brought up a few dozen stone slabs and the week before that a massive cube."
His fellow workers quickly opened the makeshift gates and allowed him into the courtyard.
Azad and his two advisors looked up, Naruto grinned as he placed the barrels down and sighed.
Naruto sat on the ground and said hello to the advisors, "So what are we talking about." he asked, "The role you'll be playing as I get my body and rebuild the kingdom."
"Oh?"
"After more deliberation that it's best for you to be...my physical form, you'll make the public appearances, you'll meet with the diplomats and foreign powers, ill write out the instructions, speeches and terms" Azad said, Naruto thought for a moment, "Hmm okay...that's fine. Less work for me and more time to grow stronger."
Naruto opened his mouth but stopped as a group of girls walked by, "Who are they?"
"Palace maids." an advisor said simply.
Azad snapped his fingers, "Oh yes, I almost forgot, the library is now being restored, we got a few scholars from neighboring cities to help, so it should be up and running in a few months." he said.
Naruto stood up and dusted off his bottom, "Alright, ill pop in every once in a while, but don't expect to see me too much."
Adah stopped moving the broom and sighed, her friend Anima stopping with her, "You're not tired already, are you?." Anima asked as she leaned on her broom.
"No...but don't you think it's just a bit strange."
"No?... I don--"
"We've been here two months, and we've only seen the king once, and he's no older than us." Adah said as he sat on the small bench near the north wall.
"Well he was the nephew of the former king, so I don't know how old he could really be" Anima said.
"Yeah but--"
They stopped upon seeing Naruto, the blonde giving them a bow and saying formalities. Both girls watched him walk way before they began talking again, "See...who do you know has hair like that, and his eyes they are soo--"
"Oh, I get it...you have a little crush." Anima said, Adah smacked her shoulder and "Shut up."
Anima laughed as she grabbed her broom, "I'm just kidding...unless..."
Adah smacked her again and grabbed her own broom.
Naruto sat outside and watched the sunset. Grabbing a small Apple and biting into it, shivering at the cold sensation. "It really is...peaceful" Naruto said as he burped.
"With the small amount of money I get from Azad and my job, the price of food is relatively low...life almost feels normal."
Naruto yawned and stood up, "I didn't know two months could fly by so fast."
This was a strange dream. Much stranger than any other dream he'd had.
He ran his hands along the thick lead pipes and took quick note of the lack of temperature.
The yellow water felt almost nonexistent and only seemed to serve as decoration.
A thin red line flickered into existence. Floating just above the water, "Well, what are you waiting for?. Come on." The familiar voice said.
Naruto hesitated for a moment before he began following the line.
Naruto watched in wonder as red bubbles formed into the shape of a massive fox. Two deep red bubbles forming the pupils.
"Can you see me well enough?"
"Yes" Naruto responded simply.
"Good, ive been meaning to call you here but the seal made it difficult."
Naruto inspected the fox for several seconds before snapping his fingers. "Youre the nine tails...i was wondering why your apperance was so familiar." he said.
"Familiar?"
"Every once in a while id find a panflit with a drawing of you and a request for construction workers. Something about reconstruction of the village." Naruto said.
"Oh...anyway...ive been hoping to talk to you about my and your current situation." The bubbly mass said.
Naruto looked around and smirked, "Not to fond of your quaters."
"Even a monkey wouldnt enjoy living like this." the fox said.
"I propose a deal...a good one in my very humble opinon."
Naruto shifted and frowned, "This deal wouldnt happen to involve me releasing you would it?."
The nine tails laughed nervously. "Something like that."
The mass of bubbles grew, "Rip off half the seal and you'll be able to use a little over half of my chakra anytime your running low. By allowing my chakra to flow more easily it reduces the chances of you turning into a destruction seeking barbarian."
"But why cant i just ask you for chakra, that's much safer then ripping this seal."
"No not really, the seal strips my chakra down to its purest state, every bit of chakra that ive given you so far is white chakra, but theres more benifet if you use both." the fox said.
"Your already impressive healing would improve a few dozen times over, if i had my other half it'd be a few hundred times."
"This energy that you use called mana would increase ten fold...there are very little cons here."
"I mean youll be massively sore after every use and be out of commisson while your healing factor works on speeding up your recovery but hey thats avoidable...maybe."
There was a brief moment of silence as Naruto thought. This was undoubtley the greatest offer of power that he'd been faced with. To turn it down would mean missing out on years of progress.
From what the fox was describing there was much greater gain then loss in this situation.
"Okay...lets do it."