Disclaimer: Owning Naruto or World of Warcraft is not my thing.
Here's the next installment of The Legend of Uzumaki Naruto!
"Where is she, milord?"
"On one of her 'important' missions; she decided on a whim the place of her origins."
"Where is that?"
"It is not for your concern. She will return when ready, and the operation shall begin again. We must make haste for Stratholme. It is there that she intends to meet us. Come, soldier, there is work to be done."
"Of course, milord."
"Tsunade-shishou!"
The Hokage smiled widely when Mekkatorque's prediction came true. When Sakura met her at the entrance to the great hall of Stormwind Castle, she did so with both arms, embracing her master fiercely, which assured her that the girl was fine. Tsunade allowed herself a brief smile, and returned the hug with affection.
"It's good to see you're alright, Sakura," she said. Then she winced. "But you don't need to prove it on me."
Sakura released her master, and stepped back. "Sorry," she said, slightly embarrassed. "It's just good to have this back in working order." She flexed the bandaged arm for emphasis, and Tsunade observed it with a clinical eye: it moved well, without so much as a hesitation or wince, so she wasn't in pain. And she seems to have control of her strength again, she thought, rubbing her sides, where Sakura's arms had squeezed like vices a moment before.
"I am glad you have returned to health, Sakura-san," Gaara said, beside Tsunade, accompanied by his little smile.
"Thanks, Gaara-kun," she said. "You're looking better as well, which is just as good."
Sakura then spotted the others behind Tsunade, and after flashing a final smile at Gaara and Tsunade, she rushed off to see the others. Tsunade allowed a final brief glance at her apprentice, before turning forward to meet the violet eyes of a beautiful girl with golden hair, dressed in a flowing white robe. She stood next to Archbishop Benedictus, who looked as annoying as he had before, and another girl with short, dark hair. She walked forward, Gaara trailing a little behind her, and bowed to the girl in white.
"Kira-hime, I presume?" she said.
The girl nodded, and a small blush marred the emotionless, queenly façade on her face. She returned the bow, however, hanging her head to recompose herself. Kira's violet eyes then went up Tsunade's entire figure, growing a little wide around her chest area, which was quite common, before settling on Tsunade's face and her honey-brown eyes. For some reason, she felt the need to bow again, and blushed a little more.
"It is an honor," said Kira. "You're everything Naruto described you."
"That's not generally a good thing," Tsunade said. "Especially when his nickname for me is 'baa-chan'. But I get what you mean. You're not so different from what he said you were either; and I can see why he and Mekkatorque-san holds you in such esteem, for somebody so young. You're quite good-looking as well. No wonder he likes this place so much."
Kira blushed hotly, but managed to retain her voice. "Y-yes. I'm glad you could come. I hope this will be an illuminating and helpful experience for you, and it will also give you a chance to see the city, I hope."
"Yeah," said Tsunade. "I do believe it will be illuminating."
Kira then turned to Gaara, and bowed deeply. "And you must be Lord Gaara. Naruto has spoken much of you as well. It's a great honor to meet you."
"Likewise," said Gaara. "I am…pleased to be a part of this. But I cannot fully say whether my village will end up joining. I have come merely as an observer this time. There is still…much to be discussed."
"Of course," said Kira, nodding quickly. "But I am happy for your presence nonetheless, and your open-mindedness." She bowed. "It must a be a little difficult accepting something like this. But I hope that I can convince you of its worth anyways."
"There is nothing to convince," said Gaara. "Uzumaki Naruto assures me of its worth, and I do not deny it. I am merely debating its feasibility and application to my village." He gave her a small smile. "And I am here to determine that."
Kira smiled widely. "Thank you," she said earnestly. It pleased her that Naruto's name was as widely regarded in his world as it was in her own, at least among Konoha's allies. And Gaara was a good friend of Naruto's, which meant she had another ally; she just needed to make the idea as appealing and feasible as possible to him, so that when he returned to his village, he'd be able to convince its council of the alliance's worth.
Tsunade then addressed her again. "I'd like to have a talk with you, woman to woman, sometime, but I can see that now you're a bit stressed. Nervous?"
"A little bit," Kira said. "I honestly don't know what's going to happen. I requested the meeting, but now I'm not so sure having it on such short notice was a good idea. Don't worry, though," she said, before Tsunade could speak against her previous statement. "Everyone's convinced me that it had to happen sooner or later, and I just chose sooner. I will do my best to make sure everything goes well."
Tsunade nodded. "We'll talk about the funds issue as well, but that can wait until after. If it isn't too troubling, I'd like to see my room. I need a nap. It's been a few days since I've slept in a proper bed."
Kira nodded vigorously. "Of course! I should have realized. Kylia! Could you show Lady Tsunade, to her room? It's next to Sakura's—wait, why not just show everyone to their rooms? They're all on the third floor, and once they've settled down, they'll be free to wander the castle or city as much as they like." She smiled at the group of Naruto's friends, who returned the look in varying forms. Almost all of the men blushed in some way at her attention, and so did most of the women, though for entirely different reasons.
Kira hoped to eventually know all of them, as they were all Naruto's dearest friends.
"By the way," Tsunade asked. "Have any of the others arrived?"
"Two others, aside from you, Lord Gaara and the High Tinker Mekkatorque. King Magni Bronzebeard of the dwarves of Ironforge is currently residing in his residence in the Dwarven Quarter of the city, and Chief Vol'jin of the trolls, who resides near the walls of the city where most of the troll population is situated now. The others will arrive throughout the rest of the day and tomorrow," said Kira. "You'll likely meet both before then. I've invited them to dinner, along with you and Lord Gaara; you don't have to attend, but—"
Tsunade chuckled, cutting her off. "Don't worry about that. We'll show up." She then bade the young princess goodbye, and left with the others, leaving Kira, Mekkatorque and Benedictus alone in the great Hall.
The gnome turned to her, his eyes sparkling. "Quite the character, is she not? She reminds me a little of King Varian. She has apparently only been Hokage for a little more than two years, and yet she carries herself as a queen of many decades might."
"I think she's a vile snake," said Benedictus, with an accompanying nod.
Kira ignored her master, and continued to smile long after Tsunade was gone from her sight. The woman was somehow reassuring to her, and now she felt more than ever that this meeting was going to succeed.
Shortly after setting their things in their respective rooms—which were still luxurious compared to the small apartments, little houses, and traditionally simple family homes that they were used to—Sakura led them out into the city with Tsunade's blessing.
"Never mind you being my bodyguards and all," she had muttered. "But get out of here. I expect you back before this dinner thing, though, and I don't want you to treat this as a vacation in the slightest. Take not of your surroundings, and don't forget that you're shinobi first, tourists second."
Sakura impressed most of them with her general knowledge of the city, which she had absorbed from frequent trips to the city libraries and conversing with a highly respected scholar named Sevenius Coutrend. The man possessed a rather biting and sarcastic personality, and a severe limp, but seemed fond of Sakura's general love for learning and knowledge, and readily supplied her with countless books on Azeroth's history, from the beginning of the world to its current state of affairs. Sakura found it hard to treat the histories as anything more than wild fantasy, however. It all seemed so unbelievable, so outlandish, and so mythical that she felt at first that she had to take it with several grains of salt. But it was all as true as her own world's history, and even had accompanying biases. It did not stop her from feeling a little foolish, however, when she described a particularly outlandish tale to her friends that she remembered reading—it had something to do with talking pandas that brewed beer.
But otherwise, Sakura did little else that the city itself did not do to impress them. It was so vastly different, and yet so vastly similar to Konoha that nearly every moment they'd make a comparison of one shop to another in Konoha, or one street to one of Konoha's narrow roads. But what most impressed them were the people, and before long, they had split into several groups with each pursuing their own desires.
Kiba dragged Hinata and Shino into a large, popular pub (which was amusing in itself, as they had no word precisely for pub, and so Kiba took great enjoyment in repeating it as often as possible afterwards), where they were exposed to a multitude of colorful characters. Kiba quickly made friends with a small group of dwarves who introduced him to the wonders of no drinking age. Hinata had to leave and find Kurenai, who had settled down in a café with Asuma, to drag the drunken boy and his strangely yet similarly inebriated dog out of the pub, and eventually back to the castle.
Shikamaru and Chouji left Ino and Sakura to girl talk, and wandered about the shops and eateries, until they found a nice, peaceful park near the edge of the city to view the clouds. They shared their chosen cloud viewing spot with a strange creature that from Naruto's descriptions, they were able to identify as a tauren. Though initially a little frightened by his size, he was quite peaceful, and simply sat upon the grass a little ways away from them, his head turned up. They shared the little plot all afternoon, never speaking more than a few words between each other, but by the end, when they left to return to the castle at sundown, the tauren asked them, in a rumbling voice, whether they would return or not, for he had never quite met such peaceful humans who enjoyed his favorite pastime so much. The two shinobi left with a promise of returning sometime tomorrow, feeling much more at ease.
Gai and Lee dragged Neji and Tenten about the city with frightening earnestness, wanting to observe every facet of life in Stormwind and all the people it contained. They terrified more than a few locals with their loud voices and dramatic gestures, angered a few more, but puzzled the most. More than once Tenten had to assure someone that they weren't, in fact, escapees from the hospital suffering from insanity. They said this not quite believing it themselves.
Tsunade did little more than sleep, much to Shizune's annoyance and embarrassment. Wasn't she supposed to set a good example, instead of drooling over her pillow and making strange sounds all day?
Kakashi stayed with Sakura and Ino for a while, but at some point wandered off and wasn't seen again until they had reconvened at the castle. Nobody knew precisely what he had done, and he would give no hint to the matter. Sakura, however, suspected something unsightly, and probably perverted, so she didn't inquire much further.
Tsuwabuki left the city as soon as she could, wandering the forests around it in search of food, and again attempting to contact Naruto, who still wouldn't answer. It disturbed her that she couldn't feel anything through the connection, other than that he was alive. It was as if something blocked her, but she couldn't say what. She didn't particularly enjoy her wanderings either. The forest was strangely quiet, and everything she saw seemed restless and jittery, as if something was going to happen (which made it particularly hard to hunt). She did not smell or notice anything different in the forest, but she did not pass it off as her imagination. Something was wrong. Whatever it was, however, she hoped it would not interfere with the following day's proceedings. She eventually returned, and sought out Sakura, who was with Ino.
Sakura led them to the small, nice restaurant run by an old couple at the edge of the city, whose food and company she adored, and there she told Ino everything that had happened in Stormwind since she had arrived, which wasn't much. Inevitably, however, Ino brought up the subject that Sakura didn't want brought up.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" she commented offhandedly.
Sakura frowned at her, and glanced around. "Who?"
"Kira-hime, of course. No wonder she's a princess. She's just beautiful! I'm a little jealous; though you must be a lot more." Ino grinned slyly.
"Why? I'll grant you she's pretty, but so what?" Sakura said, idly stroking Tsuwabuki's head.
"Well, given that she's supposedly pretty fond of Naruto…"
"That has nothing to do with this. I'm not jealous of her because she's good friends with Naruto. I'm just not sure how to act around her."
"So you are jealous?"
"No!" Sakura snapped. "And why does every conversation we have revolve around Naruto?" She leaned forwards. "You have a thing for him or something?"
Ino pulled back, blushing slightly. "Of course not. He's sort of good-looking, but he's not my type. And I was just making good conversation, forehead-girl. It's better than arguing, don't you think?"
"We usually end up arguing anyways," Sakura muttered, sighing. "Naruto's a teammate, Ino. That's it. Don't look into it, okay?"
Ino regarded the girl coolly. She nodded, but she wasn't convinced. She knew Sakura like the back of her hand, because the girl was so much like her. Something like this wasn't something that she'd simply say outright over a simple conversation. She simply liked to tease, and get the girl to think about other, more girlish things, as something seemed like it was bothering her. She was pale and looked rather tired, which at first Ino had attributed to her recovery, but was unsure now. And the best way to get something out of Sakura was to rile her up, and hope she revealed it in her anger.
Ino chuckled. "Well, whatever. Kira seems like a nice girl anyways. Hopefully we'll get to know her more. Guess we know why Naruto likes this place so much, huh? By the way, when will he get back? Do you know where he went?"
"He went north, way north, according to the maps. To a place called the Plaguelands."
"Sounds scary. What're they like?"
"Pretty dangerous from what I have heard. But he'll be fine," Sakura said, with simple confidence.
"Why?" Ino said, grinning ever slier.
"He has a promise to keep," Sakura muttered. A worried look then passed her face, which Ino decided to ignore. She didn't want to ruin a perfectly good conversation with that topic. At least she knew what might be bothering the girl. She took a sip of her drink.
"So what's medical jutsu like here? Any different from back home?" Ino had been training as a medic-nin as well, though she knew she was nowhere near as good as Sakura. She did have a few abilities that Sakura didn't, however, which kept her from being even the slightest bit jealous of the girl.
Sakura smiled, and quickly progressed onto a topic they both enjoyed.
Throughout all of this, Kira worried and worried, and hoped fervently that everything was going to go well, and planned what to say. She had only Kylia to assure her of this, for Benedictus never liked making false promises, and had an inkling that something would happen. In such a situation, with so much at stake, something would go wrong. And with the festering blood between the members of the alliance, he was sure that it would take all of his and Kira's abilities to hold the tenuous bindings together. He lamented that Naruto wasn't there, either. The boy was their cement. There was much less chance of anything going wrong, if he were there.
They would have to make due, nonetheless.
After returning to the castle, they found that Tsunade was still asleep, but Kakashi suggested they fufill their duties as bodyguards for the rest of the evening. Kira quickly got them all something to eat, and met each of Naruto's friends briefly, before Kylia hurried her off to dress for her own dinner. But for those brief moments, Kira knew exactly why Naruto talked of them constantly—they were quite interesting.
Upon her departure, the shinobi split into their individual teams, with Kankurou and Temari joining in with Sakura and Kakashi, and scouted every inch of the castle to familiarize themselves with it. They then returned long enough to escort Tsunade downstairs, to where a series of heavenly smells gathered. They met Kira at the door, where Tsunade dismissed the bodyguards, telling them to get some rest.
Kira she graciously showed Shizune and Tsunade in, saying that Chief Vol'jin couldn't make it, as he was busy with a few matters of his own. Inside, they met the only of the other leaders to arrive—King Magni Bronzebeard. Tsunade found the dwarf to be to her liking; he was short, but filled with immense presence. His eyes were solemn, but twinkled like rare stones when he laughed, which erased the lines of terrible grief from his face. As wise as he was powerful, the king enjoyed a rousing discussion with Tsunade about their favorite drinks, much to Shizune's consternation and Kira's amusement. The Hokage delighted King Magni, who had never met a woman quite like her, so blessed with dwarven talents. "You'd be quite a home in Ironforge, milady. You might have to duck your head a bit, but I'm sure you'd find it quite satisfactory," he'd said, his eyes crinkled with mirth.
"I'll have to make a visit then," Tsunade had said, laughing.
Kira was beaming by the end. Tsunade was quite impressed with King Magni and the two got along quite well, and Mekkatorque engaged in a lengthy discussion with Gaara about his plans for the gate outpost, and possibly more defenses for the Sand and Konoha.
Kira went to sleep that night a little more comforted than before. She was surprised to find Tsuwabuki already in her room, asleep on the floor. She smiled even wider, and as she climbed into bed, she decided that things would go well.
That was what Naruto would think, after all.
The night elves came first.
It was mid-morning, and a trumpet blast sounded throughout the city, and soon Kira was awake and frantically dressing, with Kylia tumbling about the room in an effort to make her mistress look presentable, but only slowing the process. When they had finally finished, and Kira looked like the dazzling queen-to-be that she was, they rushed down to the great hall, where Benedictus and a large retinue of guards already waited.
"I thought you might sleep in," Benedictus said. "Quite unbecoming, my dear."
"Sorry," Kira mumbled, blushing a little.
Soon after this, a single messenger came through the front doors and announced the coming of Lady Tyrande Whisperwind and Archdruid Fandral Staghelm. Both night elves, looking as graceful and powerful as the last time she had seen them, albeit slightly lighter in complexion, entered the room at the same time, Fandral striding slightly ahead of his companion. Kira and Benedictus walked forwards to meet them.
"Welcome to Stormwind, Lady Tyrande, Archdruid Fandral" Kira said, bowing.
"We are happy to arrive," said Tyrande softly, lifting the girl's chin up to meet her eyes. "And do not be afraid to meet our eyes. You stand on the same level as us." Her beautiful eyes sparkled. "I am glad to see you in such fine health; you've grown even more beautiful than before."
"T-thank you," Kira said, blushing a little. Way to start off, she thought.
Fandral said nothing. The stony archdruid moved past Kira and merely nodded to Benedictus, who returned the gesture. Both elves went to sit at the expansive circular table that Kira had had crafted for this very occasion. It would take the place of the rectangular Council table that her father and grandfather had favored.
And it was already occupied. Tsunade lounged backwards, with Sakura standing a little ways behind, looking slightly annoyed by her master's informal posture. Gaara sat in silence next to Tsunade, in an upright posture.
"Lady Tsunade! Lord Gaara!" Kira cried. "When did you…?"
The woman turned and smiled at her. "I've been here for ages. I thought I might meet everyone as they come in. Makes it easier, in the long run."
"I did not want to be late," Gaara said, simply.
"Also, Sakura's going to be with me, if you don't mind. Is that alright?"
Kira glanced at the girl, who met her eyes almost in challenge. But Kira nodded, and gave her assent, which felt odd. Giving permission to an older woman seemed somehow incredibly strange. She glanced at Benedictus, but his eyes were still on the doorway.
Tsunade then stood, and turned to the night elves, who stood in the middle of the room, slightly surprised by her sudden appearance.
"I am Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure." She bowed, but did not lower her eyes. "I am pleased to meet you both."
"Tyrande Whisperwind, High Priestess of the Moon. It is good to make your acquaintance," Tyrande said, bowing.
"Archdruid Fandral Staghelm," the other elf uttered, but remained rigid, save for another nod. Tsunade recovered from her bow, and sat down as Gaara introduced himself in a similar manner. The two elves took their seats, as another series of trumpets announced the coming of another leader.
King Magni Bronzebeard appeared next, bowing to Tyrande and expressing his pleasure that they should meet once again, as the last time had been many years before. Mekkatorque came next, unaccompanied by any trumpets, as he had been within the tram station all night, fiddling with its configurations to stem his nervousness.
This was how they gathered—the former leaders of the Alliance in the room, speaking to each other as if no time had been lost. Each of them stood at a slight distance from each other, Mekkatorque and Magni on one side, and Tyrande and Fandral on the other.
Of course, that wasn't to say they all got along. They were leaders and acquaintances, but Magni had never been friends with the night elf leaders, and neither had Mekkatorque. For all the aid they had given each other, they had rarely met, only corresponding through messengers. And Benedictus stayed to the side, and never spoke to them, keeping his eyes focused on the doors. Benedictus did not have the familiar relationships that they did.
When the next trumpets blasted, the room, save for Tsunade, Gaara, and Sakura, tensed. The messenger announced (in an audibly nervous voice) the appearance of Chief Vol'jin of the trolls, advisor and war-brother to the Warchief Thrall, and leader of the New Gurubashi Empire.
The guards grew stalk still, and all sounds seemed to cease, when Vol'jin entered the room; he stood a massive seven feet, a light blue-skinned, wiry being with huge protruding tusks and a fiery Mohawk. He was dressed in thick leather trousers, and a leather harness with large pauldrons carved of wood; and he was covered in all manner of strange idols and jewelry befitting his status. He had clever and cunning eyes, just like Kira remembered, only his face was not lit with the smile she remembered him having.
She approached him immediately. "Chief Vol'jin, it is good to see you again." She bowed, but this time kept her eyes up.
The troll chieftain gazed down at her for a moment. He didn't react, making her fear she had done something wrong, and his clever eyes even narrowed slightly. Was this why he hadn't shown up for dinner? Was he angry with her, or worse, with the alliance in general?
"Ye need ta lighten up a bit, little princess girl, ye be forgettin' all da fun times we be havin'?" His face broke into a huge grin and before she could stop him, he swept down and gave her an all-encompassing hug. To her credit, she only squealed once, before bursting into laughter, as he set her down. She composed herself as quickly as she could, while Vol'jin entered the great hall, his eyes falling on the leaders who had already arrived.
He stopped, and stared for a moment, looking over each of them in turn.
"I am Vol'jin," he said, in Common. "Pleased to be meetin' ya." He waited for them for a few seconds to respond, in which most only stared. Fandral did not even glance at the troll, Mekkatorque remained stiff, and Magni's eyes grew stony, and the grief lines on his face even more pronounced.
Finally, Tyrande stepped forwards, and going against everything she had known for most of her life, she bowed to the great troll.
"We have met before, Chief Vol'jin, many times in terrible circumstances. I hope we can amend this soon enough."
"And I too, Lady o' de Moon. For me brudda's sake, I hope so too." His eyes switched to Tsunade and Gaara, who now stood as well. He grinned. "Ye must be de one me brudda's talked about, eh? Bit different from what he describin', ya know?"
"That brat," muttered Tsunade. "But I get that a lot. You don't normally look like I do at my age, for a human at least."
Vol'jin grinned, "Aye, dat true, dat true, mah sistah. But it be good ta meet yah, anyways." He held out a three-fingered hand, which she grasped, smirking. He was odd looking, she decided, but quite easy to get along with. He met Gaara in a similar fashion, and even managed to get the young man to award him with one of his larger-than-normal smiles.
The trumpets blasted again, soon after this. The messenger announced, again with some audible trepidation, the arrival of Thrall, Warchief of the Horde and ruler of Orgrimmar, and High Chieftain Cairne Bloodhoof, Lord of Thunder Bluff. The guards grew even more tense when they entered, for when both stepped into the great hall, it felt stifling, as if there was no longer any room to move or breath. Thrall looked more a Warchief than he ever did, with his chest thrust out and his electric eyes wide and searching. Cairne was so tall, and his face so full of wisdom, that even among the mass of wrinkles and graying hair that covered his face, he still managed to appear a true leader. He walked straight up, standing a terrifying eight or nine feet tall.
Only Tyrande managed to meet Thrall's eyes with something different from distrust; Magni stood a little bit higher, but managed to resist settling his hand on one of his weapons—two gigantic hammers that he carried everywhere. Mekkatorque forced down the swell of bile at the knowledge that many of his own kind had been slain by this orc and his forces. Fandral did not bother to hide his evident distaste for the two newcomers, but then again, his face had not changed from when Vol'jin had entered.
"With such an introduction," Thrall said softly, "why have I even come?"
Kira heart hammered twice as fast at the Warchief's words, and she hurried forwards.
"Welcome, Lord Thrall. How have you been?"
"Busy," the orc said. "You look well, princess. However, I am sorely disappointed in the manners of your visitors. They lack the common courtesy to even introduce themselves." He looked to them again. "I am Thrall, Warchief of the Horde."
Kira glanced back at them, hoping that they would respond. Tyrande stepped forwards once more.
"Welcome, Lord Thrall. It seems we are once again on the same side." She smiled slightly.
"Indeed," Thrall said. "I see that you have changed some, Lady. I never properly thanked you for your sacrifice."
"There is no need."
"You are too modest," the orc said. "You gave up eternal life. There are many who would not even consider such a thing."
"To preserve their existence, all would," said Tyrande, but her smile grew a little wider.
Thrall nodded, and then looked up to Cairne, who stood by his side and was gazing up into the stained glass window. "Old friend, perhaps you might demonstrate some courtesy as well."
Cairne shook the room with a rasping chuckle. "Very well. I am Cairne Bloodhoof. We are here for peace; now let us make it, or I shall leave forever. I must confess, I did not think it would be so hard as this, to face my old enemies. But let us cast whatever it is that binds us from speaking beneath the bridge, or under the bed, for now. Here is not the place to nurture old grudges. With that said, I am quite curious: what are those hammers you cherish forged of, great King of the Dwarves?"
Magni glanced down at one hammer, for a moment, and frowned. Then he met the tauren's eyes. "Thorium. Unfortunately, I came into quite a quantity of it several years ago, and could not resist."
"They are beautifully forged." Cairne looked to Thrall. "Rather like your Doomhammer, my friend. But I would go so far to say that they even appear greater—but then again, I am no blacksmith."
"Nor I," said Thrall. "But I trust your keen eye." He looked to Magni. "What would you say?"
"I would say I would love a chance to see it up close, but I can gather now is not the time," Magni said. He seemed no longer so tense, and the grief lines had faded to normality. "But may I see it later?"
"I see no reason why not," Thrall said.
"Thank ye, Warchief."
With this exchange, Kira's heart beat a little faster, but for another reason entirely. She looked up at Cairne, and found the old tauren looking at her. He winked, and she smiled beautifully.
"So you're the one that trained Naruto a bit, huh?" Tsunade's voice wafted from her chair. She faced Thrall directly, and caught his attention. He nodded.
"Yes. From your knowledge of him, I would hazard that you are the mysterious new addition to this alliance. You certainly carry yourself like the boy does. I am Thrall."
"And I'm Tsunade,' she said. "A pleasure, I suppose."
"Quite," Thrall said, frowning a little at her smile. It reminded him of someone's, but he could not remember whose. Cairne, after introducing himself as well, turned to Gaara.
"And who are you, young one?"
"Sabaku no Gaara, Godaime Kazekage of Sungakure," the young man responded.
"Another addition to this merry band of…" Cairne chuckled, "misfits?"
"A possible one."
"Ah."
Kira turned to her master. "They seem to be getting along, don't you think?"
"You'll find that matters of political discussion and small talk are very different things. The High Chieftain is simply wise enough to help break the ice, and ease tensions before the real work begins. He has no wish to fight in such a way." Benedictus glanced at her. "I know it is difficult, but please try to reserve yourself in this situation—you cannot let your emotions govern you. You want to appear a queen, not a child."
Kira looked away, chastened. "Sorry."
A moment later, the trumpets sounded one last time, and everyone turned towards the door, expectantly. Kira's heart began to beat louder; this was the portion she had feared the most. Sylvanas could be arguably the most dangerous addition to the group, for she was more unpredictable than any of the others. Kira never knew what she was thinking; that was a privilege only Naruto seemed to have.
When the messenger came forwards to announce the name, he appeared more confused than ever before, and tentatively, throwing many glances at Benedictus, announced not one, but two names.
"Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, the Dark Lady, Queen of the Banshee and Forsaken, and former Ranger-General of the Alliance," here he paused, and gulped in fear, casting one more glance at Benedictus, and then said, "and Lor'themar Theron, Acting ruler of the Sin'dorei, Regent Lord of Quel'thalas, and Protector of the Sunwell."
Lady Sylvanas strode into the room, beside a tall, gloriously decorated creature. He had hair as brilliant as sunshine done up in a topknot, eyes hard like emeralds, and was cloaked in a cape of woven blood, which rippled as he walked. With his head held high, he stared emotionlessly at the shocked, silent faces of the other leaders. Kira stared at the tall elf—for there was no doubt he was one—before walking forwards.
"Lady Sylvanas," she said, regally. "I'm glad you have come. Who is your companion?"
"You sound more like a queen every time I see you," the Dark Lady said. "But it remains to be seen if you are. And did you not hear the announcement? He is the guest that I have brought."
"Oh?" Kira said, in the same tone. "I thought that would have been your entourage. But why is he here?"
"Perhaps you should ask him directly."
Kira looked at the elf, Lor'themar, and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent Lor'themar. But may I ask, why are you here?"
He looked at her, his expression unchanging. He did not answer her at first, and merely looked into her eyes; she did not flinch away, for her part. This elf seemed quite like Sylvanas, and showing any sort of weakness before her would not do, especially in this situation.
"To partake," he said, softly, melodiously, "of the infinite power that you have gathered, dear Princess. Lady Sylvanas did not think…" he glanced at her, "that you would mind."
"But," Tyrande said, stepping forwards, "she should have thought that others might. I do not particularly wish to ally with someone who has ties with the Burning Legion."
"That is a lie," Lor'themar said, simply. "Please do not spread such tainting rumors."
Kira glanced between the two elves, eyes wide. "What do you mean, Lady Tyrande?"
"That is a grave accusation," Benedictus said, finally coming forwards. "One that shall be discussed in great detail, I assure you. But let us begin as we intended to. There is no reason to debate as we are now."
"As we are now? How so?" Sylvanas asked. She smirked at the old man, who hid his shudder of revulsion.
"Standing, Lady Sylvanas. Not all of us enjoy the benefits of prolonged youth. Let us sit and begin, and bring about this topic formally." He looked to one of the guards. "Grab an extra chair, my friend, will you?"
As they began to slide into their seats, Tsunade remained standing, looking at Sylvanas. The keen-eyed former Ranger caught this, and stared back, smiling terribly. "I do not believe we have met. But your arrogant countenance and strange dress, and the symbol on the headband of your follower suggest to me that you are of that annoying brat's world." At this, Tsunade smirked. "So I am correct?" Sylvanas asked.
"Quite. You must be the extremely old woman he keeps talking about. A pleasure, I'm sure." Tsunade sat down again, leaving Sylvanas half-shocked at her audacity, and half-appalled that someone who hid her wrinkles behind chakra had called her old.
Finally, when they had all seated, each facing one another across the massive circular table, Benedictus glanced at Kira, who stood. Her back to the stained glass window depicting her father, she took a deep breath, and began the inevitable plunge into probably the most important day of her life. A day she knew would not be soon over, nor would she ever forget. Before she started, she looked at the placid faces around her, and wondered how long they would remain like that. She took another breath, shuddering slightly.
"There are many things I have called you here for today to discuss, all of which I will inevitably bring up. But before that, I'd like to thank all of you for coming." She took another breath. "I am young, and have not been in this world for long. I have not experienced much of what you all have, and I probably never will. I recognize too, that some of you may be sitting across from those that you once hated, whose people fought with yours, who may be responsible for many things that you believe wrong with your countries." She faltered a little, and glanced around. Nobody showed a reaction, so she continued as best she could.
"But I also recognize that you would not have even bothered to come, unless you desired what this alliance had always, and always will advocate—peace. Peace for this world and its people, which before has only been a dream. And peace, also, for other worlds," she looked to Tsunade and Sakura, but thought of Naruto. "Worlds that are either far away, or very close, and whose people may not be so different from our own, in any aspect. But today, I have called you here to present to you the entirety of what I hope to accomplish with this alliance; which even after this has all been done, I hope we can remain together to continue this peace for as long as possible. I know to many of you this seems a naïve and pointless venture—that undoubtedly, at some point in our future history, more conflict will arise between us.
"But I do not believe this. I believe that we can instill in our peoples a will to cooperate; which just as hatred was fostered over so many years of violence, peace too can be nurtured, so that after many generations, our people will no longer have reason for the distrust that now separates them. I am going to continue hoping this, and I hope that you will as well. I once again thank you for your attendance. It will not be a waste of your time, I assure you." She stood up straighter and cleared her throat.
"I will not waste any more of your time with thanking you. I would like to present to you with the first plan for the future of this alliance," then Benedictus caught her attention with a slight nod, and she said, "But before that can happen, we shall perhaps address the issue that has since arisen." She looked, then, to Sylvanas and Lor'themar, who sat directly across from her. Sylvanas presented one of her languid smiles, but Lor'themar remained of blank, solemn countenance. "Lord Regent Lor'themar, would you please explain to me the principle reason for why you wish to join this alliance."
The blood elf stood at once, sliding from his chair like a living shroud. "If it pleases you, young princess."
Sylvanas interrupted. "Before you begin, Lor'themar, perhaps the young princess might call the other unknowns to speak up." She looked at Tsunade and Gaara. "I would like to hear their reasons as well."
Tsunade sighed, and stood up. "I suppose I should. It is however, exceedingly simple. I am here because I have been paid to. Lady Kira has offered her services to enlist the majority of my shinobi in her plan to help this world of yours."
"I see," said Sylvanas, her smile unchanging. "So we are to trust those who are governed by money? Mercenaries are difficult to place trust in—how do we know you are not to sell your services to another bidder, should they arise? And indeed, there are far more valuable things than gold that can be offered."
"The Leaf has never once gone against its word. All contracts are strictly binding, and until they have been completed, we do not accept the payment. Nor are we so greedy as to accept services from another source, once we have pledged to another. You may question this, but I assure you it is true. Nor are we greedy enough to accept any other form of payment. That is not how our system works, Lady Sylvanas."
"Interesting," the Dark Lady said, leaning back in her chair. "Many humans have said the same in the past. Indeed, some of our enemies were as righteous in the beginning as you claim to be. You have never faced a darkness as great as the one we now do."
"Perhaps," said Tsunade, "but my shinobi would not place their trust in a dictator, should I ever become one. If I go against the very laws of humanity, they will stop me, and anyone else. They have remarkable free will."
"What is free can easily be captured."
"Only for those who aren't willing to fight, and I assure you, Lady Sylvanas, that is not the case with my people. Think of us as your tools, if you must; as long as you wield us deftly, then we cannot harm you."
"I see," Sylvanas said. "And what of the young, red-haired one?"
Tsunade looked over to Gaara, who slowly rose from his chair. "I am Sabaku no Gaara, Godaime Kazekage of Sunagakure. I am here as nothing more than an observer. I am here only to be convinced that this is a worthwhile venture, so that I might take it back to my people and convince them. I believe that from what I have seen so far, there is much for my people to learn from yours—and perhaps vice versa." He bowed to everyone. "I can say no more. Is this agreeable to the Lady?"
Sylvanas went silent, and her face closed a little. The smile dropped off her face, but she nodded, and she then turned back to Kira, who was trying very hard to keep her composure, nervous as she was. Lor'themar was still standing, and had been patiently waiting for Sylvanas to stop.
"Forgive us, young princess. Lor'themar, you may continue."
The blood elf nodded. "As I said before—I am here to harness the immense power this alliance presents for my people. Lady Sylvanas informed me, once we made contact, of what this alliance could accomplish for my people. My people are in dire need of aid, you see; something that I believe this members of this alliance could aid us with—of course, in turn for our own cooperation."
"But for the risk of suffering betrayal and the hands of your true masters, Lord Regent, can you say this is a worthwhile agreement to us?" said Tyrande, standing just on Benedictus' right side. Her eyes were narrow.
"I know not what you mean, High Priestess."
"You know very well. Your people—they call themselves the Sin'dorei, do they not?"
"Indeed."
"And are not the Sin'dorei, the last remnants of the kingdom of Quel'thalas, led by the one called Kael'thalas Sunstrider?" Lor'themar nodded again. "And is not Kael'thalas Sunstrider allied with Illidan Stormrage…who in turn, served the Burning Legion?"
Brows knitted in confusion around the table. Thrall watched everyone's reactions keenly; he knew of Illidan Stormrage, but had never encountered him in battle. The Warchief looked at Tyrande and Lor'themar, staring at each other from across the room. He had never seen a more opposite pair—even their skins opposed.
Lor'themar nodded, expressionless. "You are correct, or at least partly. Prince Kael'thalas once served Illidan Stormrage as his ally; but no longer. Prince Kael'thalas, however, can find no way to return from where he now exists—the fallen world of Outland. That is the principal reason for joining this alliance: to retrieve our brethren and Kael'thalas from Outland, or join them there, to battle against Illidan and his forces of the Burning Legion."
"How do we know you are not lying? And do you not practice more forbidden techniques than anyone here?"
"And how do we know that you are not simply putting your personal beliefs before those of your country? Your history with Illidan Stormrage is not unknown. You must hate him." Though it appeared a jibe, his face nor his words reflected that. He remained completely emotionless. "And yes, we do use forbidden jutsu. But that is only because we are able to without many adverse affects. Forbidden jutsu are forbidden primarily due to their large chakra consumption. Our power lets us around that."
"That is not the topic at hand." Benedictus rose. "Settle down. Lor'themar, what do you have to offer, other than your military aid?"
"Volumes and scrolls of power that could be of great use to your soldiers, Archbishop. Many materials with which to build engines of war, create fantastic panacea, and prevent the deaths of countless innocents with new security systems. There is much we can give, and only a little we ask. Help us reunite with our displaced brethren, and help us discover a cure for our affliction."
"Affliction?" Thrall asked.
"There was a power we called the Sunwell, which granted us great power, Warchief. But in its absence, we have found that we cannot remain sane without its energies. Its power remains within us at all times, but with each use of it, a toll is exacted on our mind, something that we can only stem by draining the energies of other creatures. We desire freedom from this awful addiction, you see. We are sure that collaboration between our peoples can bring this."
Thrall slowly nodded. "That is…difficult. I know that my people have experienced something similar."
"All the better for us to ally. There is much we can share." He finally smiled. It framed his face beautifully, like a piece of fine jewelry. Kira wondered how much of what he said was true. Looking at Benedictus, she couldn't say, other than that her master most certainly saw something wrong with the elf's plea.
"Your plea is indeed admirable, and we can no doubt use your help," said Benedictus. "What else does anyone have to say on the subject?"
"Lord Regent, mon," said Vol'jin. "What promise can ye make dat your warriors not…adversely affected, by dis affliction? Would dey be a liability?"
"No. We do not allow any in the service unless they have ample control of themselves. We have devised many mental techniques for reigning the side-effects of the Sunwell's power."
"I wonder if that's true," Fandral rumbled. "Can your willpower win out, when you have conceded to this addiction for thousands of years? Your kind ended up creating it due to its greed, blood elf."
"From what I have heard, Archdruid, it matters not to you. Your kind are not even intending to fight, only aid in other means." Lor'themar tilted his head. "Is that not so?"
Fandral scowled even greater than before. "It is indeed, but you did not answer the question."
"The belief that after generations, we can change for the better, is exactly what this alliance is founded upon, or so the young princess tells us. Please give us the benefit of the doubt, until you have seen for yourself."
"I am curious," rasped Cairne Bloodhoof. "Where have you been for these long years? We have heard nothing from you during all the last war, before it ended due to our many individual problems."
"Ridding ourselves of a Scourge problem," said Lor'themar. "Led by a traitor to our kind. We have rebuilt, and are now ready to enter into this alliance."
"All in all," said Benedictus, "you seem to be a perfect candidate, Lord Regent." He looked around again. Vol'jin, Cairne and Thrall were whispering to each other, as were Magni, Mekkatorque and Tyrande. Fandral was frowning, but looking nowhere in particular. "If anyone does not have anything else to say, we could have a vote. For all those in favor of the Sin'dorei entering the New Alliance, raise your right hand."
Thrall, Vol'jin, Cairne and Sylvanas, all raised their hands. Benedictus swept around to the others, and then said, "To all those opposed, raise your left."
Magni, Mekkatorque, Fandral and Tyrande did so. Benedictus frowned. "Some did not vote. Lady Tsunade?"
The apparently young woman shrugged. "I don't feel we have a say in this, either way. We are mercenaries, and it isn't our place to contest who or who does not enter this alliance. We will work with them regardless."
Benedictus nodded, and then turned to Kira. "I do not intend to vote. But Princess Kira, what is your decision?"
"I…" but then Kira faltered. She stared at a spot on the desk in front of her, her brows knit and her eyes closed. She honestly did not know what to do. There was something so profoundly wrong about Lor'themar that she did not know whether to trust him or not. At the same time, she trusted that each of the leaders knew what they were doing in their decision. Tyrande knew most about these people, especially their mysterious leader, Kael'thalas. But Lor'themar would never be able to hide from Thrall's insight and Cairne's wisdom. They either trusted him, or wished to know more about him—and only through the alliance did that seem remotely possible. She chewed her lip, one more time, and then spoke.
"I…will vote for the addition." She raised her right hand. "At this point, I think we need all the aid we can get. But I want a promise from the Lord Regent."
"Anything, young princess."
"Don't betray our trust." She nodded, and offered the rigid blood elf a smile. "And don't call me 'young princess.'"
Lor'themar smiled back, but it was not warm. "Of course, Princess Kira."
Benedictus glanced out the windows, where the sun was no longer so bright. "Perhaps we should adjourn for the day. There is much that needs to be discussed. We shall continue tomorrow?"
"Yes," said Kira, sighing. "Of course. Thank you all for coming."
They rose to leave, and Kira immediately sought Tyrande's eyes, as she and Fandral moved towards the door. When she caught it, Tyrande affixed her with a powerful stare. Kira felt her heart plummet, and her breathing stop. She had never seen a look like that in Tyrande's kind eyes.
You just made a terrible mistake, they said to her.
A mistake that will cost you dearly.
Tsuwabuki padded through the gates into Stormwind Castle. Her mind remained on edge, and no amount of running or hunting changed that. The forest was just as disturbed that day, as it had been the previous. Only now it seemed worse, and the animals seemed less fearful, and more ferocious. Ever one of her prey had attempted to attack her before she had killed them, from the rabbits to the squirrels. It was wrong. Prey was not supposed to fight predator—not like this, in nature.
It had been a beautiful, sunny day, and remained so until the sun set upon a clear sky, revealing the thousands of stars that its light had shrouded them behind. The air was crisp, which made her nose twitch, but there was no wind. But the day done, Tsuwabuki returned to the castle, and as soon as she entered, made a beeline for the great hall, where Kira's scent was still fresh. She found the girl sitting at the table, her chin resting on the hard wood. She padded up, nudging her arm, and looking expectantly up.
"Oh," Kira mumbled, "hello Tsuwabuki. How was your day?" Her voice was soft and distant, and so the fox knew that there was something wrong. She placed her muzzle against the girl's side, making Kira smile a little and begin to stroke the fox's head. Tsuwabuki felt Kira relax a bit into her, and she wondered what had taken place that day to have made the girl so obviously depressed. Had the meeting not gone well?
Kira glanced slowly up, to her father's figure, which gazed down on everything in the hall. She felt tears sting her eyes. How stupid could she be? She had made a mistake, using the very reasons that Sylvanas had at first been reluctant to join. She had been too stupid, and naïve! She had just done something that may cost her a fatal error in the future.
She wanted to think what she had done was correct. But Tyrande's look, and the very circumstances of the alliance with the blood elves made her think otherwise. How could she be that stupid? She should have delayed it a bit, maybe talked to Benedictus and some of the others in private before making her decision. How impulsive, stupid, common could she be? No wonder Tyrande was angry with her. And though Benedictus had not expressed it—no wonder he was disappointed. No matter how she tried to reason—that Thrall and the others had used an impartial judgment to decide their positions, and that Lor'themar was being truthful, it didn't help. She had been too impulsive, too moronic, to realize her mistake until it was too late.
Father, she thought, looking up at the image. Can you help me? What would you do? How would you rectify this situation?
The image didn't speak. Her father was dead, making her eyes swell with tears again.
What had she done?
Then Tsuwabuki's ears pricked up, and she turned swiftly, jerking from Kira's slight grasp, to see Sakura, just as she entered the room. Kira turned at the sound as well, frowning.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, softly.
Sakura glanced around. "I was on patrol. Tsunade-shishou said that I wasn't exempt from duty even while here. What are you doing here?"
Kira turned back to the desk. "Thinking."
"About today, I suppose?"
"What else?" Kira's voice became slightly bitter. Sakura walked further into the room, frowning. She didn't know what to say. Evidently, Kira believed something had gone wrong, whereas Sakura thought it had gone quite well.
"What's wrong? Today wasn't that bad."
"It was. You just wouldn't understand."
At this, Sakura arched an eyebrow, disliking the girl's tone immediately. It was for this reason that she didn't like talking with Kira. Whether consciously or not, she always assumed that Sakura was from such a low level of society or personage that she would never be able to understand. Kira was indeed quite different from Sakura, but not so much that her situation was totally lost on the pink-haired shinobi. She didn't even attempt to try and explain, either. Throughout their infrequent, and generally bitter exchanges while Sakura had healed, Kira had never once bothered to explain to Sakura her situation, and had always adopted a tone of superiority when Sakura had given her opinion. If it wasn't for her first meeting with the girl—and the genuine equality she had shown to Naruto—she would have just assumed it was Kira's personality.
What she had told Ino was correct. She had no idea how to act around the princess. Kira seemed to automatically assume herself better, but just around Sakura. But Sakura had had enough.
"Why not?"
Kira glanced at her. "What?"
"Why wouldn't I understand?" Sakura had stalked up to the table, glaring down at Kira.
"I'm not in the mood," Kira muttered, turning away again. "It's just complicated."
"So why didn't you say that? You always seem to think I never understand. What's your problem, anyways?"
"I don't know what you mean," Kira said, instantly turning back, and meeting the emerald gaze. "What's yours?"
"My problem is that you always seem to assume yourself better than I am!"
"I think nothing of the sort," Kira said.
"Your tone lies, hime-sama. It's bothering me, quite a bit. I don't know how we got off on the wrong foot, but I want to know now. What is your problem with me? I don't understand it!" She was nearly shouting at this point, but she didn't care.
Kira stood hotly, abandoning her queenly disposition for something far more suiting her age. "How can I, either? You can't blame me for this! From the very moment we met, you've seemed to disagree with everything I say! Whether it's medical knowledge, or some historical debate, or even what Naruto's been doing, you always seem to find some fault in what I say, and argue against it!"
Sakura frowned, and fell into the trap Kira had set up. "No I don't!"
"See!"
"Well," Sakura snapped, "can you blame me? I needed to take you down a few notches, with that arrogant tone of yours. Just because you're a princess doesn't mean you know everything!"
"I don't!"
"Exactly! So stop pretending you do! Everything you say you expect everyone to agree with you on!" She jabbed a finger at the girl. "No wonder you always have that other girl tagging along with you. She probably agrees with you on everything."
Kira's face burned. "No she doesn't! And I don't expect everyone to agree with me! Were you not at that the meeting today? Did you not see me make the final decision?"
"That's probably what you were in here all depressed about! Because not everyone agreed with you, you think you've failed, don't you? You think you've made a big mistake, before anything has even happened!"
The rising red of anger mixed with the red of embarrassment, and Kira shook a little from the combination. "Of course not! Why would I think that?"
"Oh, that's right. Since Naruto would've probably agreed with you, that's fine, right?"
"What? What does Naruto have to do with this?"
Sakura crossed her arms, her glare intensifying. "I'm actually surprised you didn't mention him today. He's all you seem to go on about."
"What are you talking about?" Kira nearly screamed. "Naruto is a friend, and I'm grateful to him! He's the one who essentially made this possible! Why shouldn't I mention him, from time to time? He's your teammate, and you hardly talk about him at all, or even want to! What is it with you? Out of sight, out of mind? Did you even think about him once when he was here? You always get annoyed when I start talking about him, which I do because he's on a very important and dangerous mission right now, which you should respect! You didn't even put up a fight when you were decided to stay here—did you not see the look on his face? Do you not care about him? Have you forgotten him?"
Sakura had taken a few steps back, struck dumb by her words. Because Kira didn't know what she was talking about, and because her final words had struck home an emotion she had recently begun to feel, especially with her recurring dreams of Sasuke.
'Have you forgotten me, Sakura?'
"I…of course not!" she spluttered. "I think about Naruto all the time, I just don't want to mention him every minute we're talking! Naruto isn't the center of the world, you know! And he can't do everything! You just expect him to, don't you?"
"What!"
"You're taking Naruto for granted. He's not always going to be here! And he's not perfect, either! He can't do everything you think he can, and he won't always be there for you! You have to learn to think of yourself! Just because he's done all of this for you, doesn't mean he's going to be there to save things all the time! He's succeeded all of the time, until now, but he's still human, yet you seem to think he's some knight-in-shining-armor who'll always be there to fight the worst enemies, and win over the hearts of everyone else, but he can fail, too!"
"I know that! But Naruto won't break his promise to me, that's not what he does!"
"So you think that he'll be immortal until he completes whatever he's done? You think he can't fail? He can! And he's not going to be here forever, to help you! This isn't his world, you know. This is yours, and Naruto's dream lie in ours! He can't become Hokage if he's left slaving away to you for the rest of his life!"
"I…!" But Kira couldn't say anything. As angry as she was, Sakura's words did find their way into her brain, and soon her heart. All at once she deflated, and took a step back. Her face drooped, hidden behind her golden hair, and she didn't say anything else, while Sakura fumed for a few more minutes, almost glad of her triumph. But soon her anger, too, disappeared, and they were left standing in perfect silence.
Moonlight lit the stained glass window, which sent its glow throughout the room. The different quality of light illuminated her father like a ghost, as if he was standing and watching Kira's back from heaven. She raised her head a little, and despite Sakura's best efforts, she spotted what Kira's eyes contained. She immediately looked away, not wanting to feel ashamed of her words. They had needed to be said. Even if she didn't truly believe some of them, and was even being hypocritical, they had needed to be said.
Kira opened her mouth to speak.
But another voice appeared.
"Be quiet, little friends. I am listening to him."
Sakura's eyes grew wide, and Kira whipped around. Across the table, seated in the very chair that Kira had sat in that afternoon, which was now turned to face the back of the hall, was the moonlit figure of a woman.
Sakura's hands balled into fists, and she stepped forwards. "Who is there?"
The woman didn't respond at first and just continued to sit and watch the window. Then she got up, slowly, her beautiful golden hair caressing her back, and turned to face the two girls. She wore a crimson dress, which clung to her figure, and exposed excessive cleavage. Her face was smooth and slightly tan, and familiar in a way. Her eyes were a clouded violet, like a purple cloth stained with blood.
"He says, 'Why are you here?' But isn't it obvious?" The woman's face broke into an almost childish smile, but it chilled both girls more than if she glared. "I'm here to look upon the ugliest window ever made. Disgusting, hmm?"
Her dress was stained, but the stain looked curiously like the emblem that had only twice graced the hall.
"And he also says, 'Why are you wearing that? What has happened to you?'" she said.
The emblem of the Scarlet Crusade.
Naruto did not notice Hisari's condition until later in their second "day" of travel, since their infiltration of Tyr's Hand. She kept it mostly hidden, and so he did not notice it until upon glancing back once, he spotted that her eyes no longer glowed green. They were dull and hollow, and he then noticed she no longer carried herself with grace or the haughty pride of before. Her moments were slow and sluggish, and she was slunk forward, as if extremely tired. Her face was sickly pale, and only shined with a sheen of sweat. She looked ill, and dazed, but she never wavered from her path.
Naruto looked ahead to the others, who all seemed lost in their own thoughts. It was impossible to tell what Myrdraxxis was thinking as usual, though Fen seemed to have joined him in that endeavor. Yamato was constantly occupied with staring at their surroundings, hoping to catch some wind of their destination, The Light's Hope Chapel, which they would soon reach. Sai did too, but only to memorize the ugly, distorted forms that he would later paint.
Naruto glanced back at Hisari again. She didn't seem to notice his attention, and just stared forwards. Then her foot struck a branch, and she tripped, and fell.
And did not get up.
"Oi!" Naruto caught everyone else's attention, and ran back to her, turning her on to her back. Her eyes were half-closed, and she was mumbling something. Naruto glanced at Fen. "What's happening?"
"Dunno," Fen said, frowning. "This has never happened before." He glanced at Myrdraxxis, who shook his head.
"Oi! What's wrong?" Naruto shouted at Hisari, pulling her up close to his face, trying to get her eyes to focus on him. When they did, she stared at him for a long time. "What's wrong!" he shouted again.
"I have used…it too much. It must be replenished…"
"What?" Naruto shouted.
"Shit," Fen said. "She used too much of the Sunwell's power in her body. She relied on it too much."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that hasn't been replenishing it as needed. Her body runs off this stuff, just like ours does chakra. This stuff doesn't come back like chakra does—she needs to convert chakra into it. If she loses too much, she dies, but if left at a low level for too long, she succumbs to withdrawal symptoms—which can drive anybody quickly to insanity."
"But how much would she have needed to use for her to suffer like this?" Yamato muttered, looking at Fen.
"A lot, but this stuff is way easier to use than chakra, and that means way easier to misuse. You can exhaust it just by getting angry enough to push it out. That's why it rarely needs hand seals. And keep in mind she's been warding off undead the entire time she's been here, and hasn't taken the time to refill."
"So how do we make her better?" Naruto asked.
"Let's get her somewhere safe, first," Yamato said, suddenly glancing around. "It doesn't seem like we're going to be able to do much here."
Through the mists, the darkened forms were now getting closer—far closer than ever before. Their moans began to increase, and soon they could hear footsteps all about them, lumbering slowly towards them. They were all around them. Slowly coming, each moment, making Naruto's heart beat faster and faster.
He clenched his fists.
"Shit!"
Finally done. I'm really sorry about the wait, but I've had computer troubles (all of my own stupidity) and lots of work to do, which made it difficult to write. I hope this chapter makes up for it.
Since I hate disappointing you guys, and I know I'm not updating as fast anymore, would anyone like the idea of me starting a FFN forum? I have no idea how to do it, but if everyone likes the idea, I can look into it. I'd be able to keep you guys updated about the status of the chapter, so you can look forwards to it coming out sooner.
And also, because I know some of you are disappointed with my meeting (reunion?) between Thrall and Tsunade, I've decided to do a sequel to that omake from before.
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and this omake! See you soon, hopefully!
Omake—A Reunion?
Thrall met her eyes as soon as he entered the room. He stopped, stunned, unbelieving of the sight.
It was her!
She was standing right there, as rigid as he got every time he thought about her, staring at him with wide, beautiful honey-colored eyes, and red, full, gorgeous lips slightly parted in something like surprise. And though she was wearing considerably more than what she usually did, he could still imagine her, in all her glory, behind the green gi and blue pants.
Tsunade gasped. The hulking, armored, green being that had just entered could not have been more handsome. She remembered him! Every bit of detail that she had imagined (far more frequently than was necessary) was there in startling reality. He was here! That beautiful, heavily muscled, curvy-tusked, blue-eyed orc!
They both stared at each other in silence from across the room. Neither noticed the others glancing at them in puzzlement. Thrall did not feel Cairne's hand in his shoulder, and then his forehead, or hear his constant questions of "What's wrong, old friend?" Neither did Tsunade feel Sakura's nudges, and ever increasingly harsh demands to wake up and introduce herself. Kira was looking between the two expectantly, wondering what on earth was going on.
"You…" Thrall finally said.
"You…" Tsunade finally said.
They both stared at each other for a moment. Then, in two blindingly fast movements, they met in the middle of the hall, in the most horrifying union of bodies that anybody had ever seen. Metal clashed against cloth, and two pairs of hands tore through both, until there was nothing left but flesh.
Like the scene of a crash, nobody could look away.
Cairne, in all his life, had never seen such a terrifying thing. It was only his age, however, that kept him from having a heart attack. He'd seen many terrible things. This was just the worst.
Mekkatorque fainted dead away.
Fandral had dropped his angry countenance, and had leaned forwards, his mouth open and drooling. Tyrande smacked him in the face automatically, which is the response all women have for perverts standing right next to them. She however, did not change the look of disgust—and interest—on her face.
Vol'jin tilted his head to the side, muttering, "I've nevah seen dat position."
Sakura promptly suffered an aneurysm. She would survive, and thankfully remember nothing of the day.
Gaara tilted his head to the side, his eye twitching. "It's…so angry."
"W-w-w-w-w-w-what is t-t-t-t-t-that?" Kira screamed.
"My dear girl," Benedictus said, sighing. "Must I give you that talk? Well…it all begins with the birds and the bees…"
Lee and Gai would later comment, nine months later, that the horror given birth to was conceived "in a fit of incredibly not-youthful passion, something we'd rather all forget about it."
Hope that was enjoyable!
General Grievous