8:30

Chapter Three

The ride was over. The sled pulled up on the shore of the capital city, also known simply as Jackal's Den. I could see the city walls towering over the snowy hillside.

"You have thirty minutes to get to the palace. It's past the town square." The sled driver didn't even turn around to face me. She simply shrugged off some freshly fallen snow from her shoulder and said, "Jackal doesn't like tardiness."

I nodded even though I knew she wasn't looking and hopped out the sled. I took one last glance at the dogs and woman. "Thanks," I said. The woman huffed and snapped the reins. Within a few moments she and the sled faded into the icy mist.

Naruto started to stir. He lifted his head up and his eyes fluttered open.

"Mm. We there already?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Yep," I said with a smile. Naruto yawned and lightly pushed off my shoulders, which was his way of saying to put him down. I held him still. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep more?"

"Positive," he snapped. I was surprised by his curtness, but simply placed him down. He stretched and started walking towards the city.

"Grumpy ass brat," I grumbled and quickly followed after him.

The entire capital was surrounded by a large cement wall, trimmed in iron and steel. The only entrance and exit is a simple wooden door bolted in the same metals that strengthen the entire city with in. If anyone were to attack, they'd have to enter the city one by one or knock down the wall altogether.

Two human guards stood at the entrance, holding large spears. Swords and daggers were holstered to their hips. They were warriors. No doubt about that.

"Who are you?" The guard to the left asked. His entire body was covered in leather and furs. Any exposed skin was riddled with battle scars. Pale against his darker completion.

"Kyuubi," I answered as I snatched Naruto's hand and pulled him to my side. "I'm the new mercenary Jackal hired."

"The demon?" The other guard said and smiled deeply. He looked like he was in his late forties with his tired grey eyes and wrinkled face, but his shoulders looked sturdy. I guess Jackal doesn't care how old someone is as long as they can fight.

"Yes," I nodded.

His smile softened. The younger guard turned around and waved up at the top of the wall, where a gate keeper waved back. Then the door opened.

"You ready, Naruto?" I looked down and asked.

"Yeah, but I should be the one asking you that" he replied. His hand squeezed mine tighter. Those blue eyes looked so pensive.

I decided to ignore the comment, considering I didn't know whether or not I was ready. Honestly, I didn't have a choice in the matter. I had to be.

No matter what.

8:40

Jackal's Den sure is simple. The inner houses and stores were made of brick with wooden roofs. Every building had a chimney, huffing continuous trails of silver smoke that smelled of meat and stews. Despite the freeze, the capital seemed lively and warm. People were walking about the city, gathering supplies for dinner or running errands. Nothing special. The city streets were paved with flattened stone and the rest was filled in with ice. Every now and then, Naruto and I would see a chicken run by or hear a cow mooing in the distance.

"This place is so different from Amaris…" Naruto said with wonder as his eyes scanned the city. "I guess Jackal actually takes care of his people."

I glanced down at Naruto and shook my head. "I wouldn't peg Jackal as the nice guy just yet. Yes, he doesn't enslave everyone in his country and yes, he does provide for his people, but he doesn't care if a few people have to die for his cause. He demands warriors. If you can't fight, you're on your own."

Naruto pondered this for a moment. "Isn't that how we've always lived? On our own…"

"Agh," I growled, "A six year old brat shouldn't say such depressing things!" I tussled his hair roughly.

Naruto grumbled and fixed his hair back. He looked up and sighed. "There it is."

I followed his gaze and my eyes fell upon the castle. It looked more like a stone mansion than a castle, but it was bigger than any of the other buildings in the Den.

"I guess Jackal doesn't appreciate luxury as much as Oda," Naruto huffed.

"All Jackal desires is Oda's head on a platter. Luxury is the least thing on his mind." I said and breathed deeply.

Time to face another king.

9:00

"He's going in with me," I growled ferouciously at the man guarding the entrance to Jackal's military room.

"Jackal made it clear that you, Kyuubi, would be the only one to enter," the guard replied stiffly as his hand slowly reached down towards the dagger attached to his hip. "The only one," he emphasized while glaring down at Naruto whom clasped to my side.

My lips curled back, baring my fangs. A terrible sound bubbled from my chest.

"My companion will not leave my side," I hissed.

"It will be ok," Naruto said softly as he pushed away from my side.

I looked down at him and said, "No, you will—,"

"Stop being a baby about it and just go," Naruto snapped. My ears flattened to my head.

"Naruto…" I murmured. "But I—,"

"It's ok," he grinned. "I'll be waiting right out here."

My lips pressed into a hard line as I stared into his determined eyes.

"Fine." I spat and snapped back to the guard. "If you so much as touch him, I'll slice you in two."

The guard sneered and huffed at my threat, but I could see the subdued fear in his eyes. Then he pushed open the door and let me pass. I spared one last glance at Naruto as the door shut behind me. That gentle smile he wore before was gone, replaced with such a look of apprehension and fear. My eyes drilled shut, trying to cast the image from my mind before I turned back. I had to do this. For me. For Naruto.

There was no turning back now.

I looked forward and surveyed the area. There was one large rectangular table centered in the room and sitting at the very end of it was a man.

In a word, he was beautiful. Tall. Slender. His skin was like porcelain, pale and refined. His eyes were such a clear, deep blue, shadowed by his light blonde hair. We were alone, staring at one another. I couldn't help but think this is what Naruto would one day look like. A gentle looking man, with strong shoulders and quiet eyes.

Somehow I knew this man was Jackal. The rumors of his looks were true. The rumors of his ruthless nature must be true as well.

"You're Kyuubi," he said, his voice like silk. It didn't sound like a question, but I nodded anyway.

"And you must be Jackal, the Northern king," I forced a polite smile, fangs and all.

He simply stared at me in silence. Although his eyes didn't move, I could feel him scanning me.

"I am the Northern king," he finally pronounced, "Soon, I will be the only king." He stood up and pushed in his seat. Then he walked over to me and reached out his hand. He moved strangely. Too smoothly and quietly for any human. I shook his glove-covered hand. His hand shake was surprisingly gentle, but of course firm. When I tried to let go of his hand, he held on tightly. I looked up, confused and slightly annoyed. His eyes were boring into mine like the freeze that blazed on outside.

"The rumors were true," he breathed. "You do have his eyes."

My brows twitched upward. "You mean the fox demon that gave you your name, don't you?" I asked quickly.

"The demon who gave me my name," he began. "Yes, you're red eyes look just like his. How it brings back memories of when I was young." He sighed quietly and let go of my hand. "Some claim you may be the demon's descended or reincarnation."

I looked down and furrowed my brows. "I don't know. I don't remember anything past eight years ago. One of Onagi Oda's priest said I was nothing but a lowlife demon found in a field with no memory or general knowledge of anything. Oda trained me for eight years before I—well—"Before I found Naruto and escaped.

"Many demons have red eyes anyway." Jackal said with a light smile. "I'm glad you're here anyway, Kyuubi. You are known as one of the best warriors."

I inwardly took pride in his praise and said, "Thank you for hiring me after knowing my affiliation with Oda."

He shook his head and replied, "You're just another victim of Onagi's ridiculous cult. I'm satisfied that you choose to come here. Now," he began, "my generals will be here soon to discuss a breach in the border that occurred this morning. I understand that you took care of it, but the matter must still be discussed."

As if on cue, four men and a woman entered the room. They all immediately sat at the table, completely ignoring my presence. Jackal smiled and returned to his seat. He gestured for me to sit to his right. The chair to his left was empty, yet no one sat in it. I wondered who it was for and why they hadn't arrived yet. I sighed and plopped down. I could tell this was going to be a long and most likely annoying meeting. I couldn't help but think of Naruto, waiting for me outside.

"It seems Kakashi is late as always," one man announced enthusiastically, "A man should always focus on punctuality!" He was strange-looking to put it simply with eyebrows large enough for hawks to perch on.

"Now, now, Guy" Jackal said calmly, "He's running a few errands for me. He'll be here shortly."

The walking eyebrows of a man huffed and folded his arms, "I'll have to show that Kakashi what it means to be a part of this glorious battle against evil and tyranny! If he ever shows up, that is."

Jackal chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. "I'm sure he'll be—,"

Suddenly, the door flung open so hard that it practically flew off the hinges and a man came strolling through with his nose buried in a small book. No, not a man. A demon.

"Hello, one and all. Barbarians and stooges. How are you?" he murmured as he scanned the pages of his book. He was a slender demon, manlike in form. The only demonic distinction was his scent. His hair was a gray and spiked.

"Actually," he continued quietly, "I think we have more important things to discuss." He sighed, put down the book to reveal his face half covered by a navy cloth mask and walked to Jackal's side, sparing a quick and slightly interested glance at me before he sat in his seat. I couldn't help but notice one eye remained shut with a light scar running over the lid. Hm. He was like me. A demon mercenary.

"Well, there you are, Kakashi, my friend," Jackal smiled and nodded at the demon. "How did everything go at the border?"

"Oh, it was quite the show," Kakashi began as he stared into my eyes. Boiling red meeting black. "You should have seen Kyuubi go. He was like a walking blender."

"Wait," I stood up quickly, "You were there?" I glared.

Kakashi tilted his head and sighed. "I shadowed you the very moment you entered Kurama."

I slammed my hand on the table and growled. "You didn't think to help?"

"You didn't need it," he smiled underneath the mask. My blood began to sizzle with anger. This bastard must have seen everything, even when…wait. He must be that ghoul the sled driver was talking about. Ha. Ghoul. He acts more like a lazy ghost to me.

"Any casualties, Kakashi," Jackal interceded.

"None but the enemies," Kakashi replied.

My eyes widened and then narrowed into furious slits. My voice dripped with venom as I whispered, "He's wrong. There was an old woman who lived off the border. She gave my companion and I a place to stay the night. She died in the fight."

"Really?" Jackal asked, seeming surprised. "After the walls were completed in the capital, I thought everyone nearby evacuated inside. She must have stayed. That's a shame."

I growled and slumped back into my seat. "A big damn shame. She was kind. Maybe next time you should check to see if your citizens actually want to be caged inside walls."

The tension in the room sky rocketed at my comment. It was quiet for a moment until a woman with blonde hair and somber brown eyes began to speak.

"If everything is taken care of at the border," the woman general started, "let's talk about Kyuubi's first mission." I glared at the woman. I was pissed off and she was already trying to throw me into work. Slave-driver.

"Ah, yes, Tsunade, good idea." Jackal smiled lightly and then turned his attention to me. "I know you've just arrived here," Jackal said as if he was concerned, "but you start your first mission tomorrow morning." He reached into a small bag hanging on his chair and pulled out a map. "Here we are," he pointed, "there's a small platoon of Oda's supposedly finest warriors traveling through the west of our borders. The area is unpopulated and we assumed the recent blizzard would snuff them out. Yet, Kakashi spotted them a few weeks ago, nearing the outer villages."

"Five survivors of the sixteen that originally entered," Kakashi added. He didn't look like someone who enjoyed his job.

"If Kakashi spotted them, why didn't he take care of it?" I just had to ask. Kakashi seemed lazy but lazy enough to let a problem like dangerous invaders to persist? He couldn't be that bad if he was one of Jackal's generals.

"Kakashi is strictly assigned to watch over my country, until he regains his strength. So far he has been the only demon in my army. As you can imagine against Oda's numerous demon mercenaries, it has taken its toll on him. That is why when a scout spotted you outside Oda's territory, I sent for you. Imagine my surprise when I found out you had a human child as a companion." Jackal smiled. He seemed rather happy about that last part.

Hmp. It's hard to believe Jackal's army has persisted so well against Oda's fleets with only one demon fighting on their side. Kakashi must be one hell of fighter.

"Now back to the mission. Somehow, the survivors have disappeared. No one has seen them since, but I have a feeling they are still alive, hiding out in the forest somewhere. Six warriors, no matter how strong, have no hope of doing anything but dying out there in the current weather conditions." Tsunade continued. She didn't seem to enjoy the idle chatter just as much as Kakashi didn't seem to enjoy his work. These generals were strange to say the least.

"If so, why do you need me?" I asked.

Jackal leaned back in his seat and straightened up, seeming tired and almost vulnerable. He surely wasn't what I was expecting considering the rumors of his ruthlessness. He sighed, "Well, they may be enemies of Kurama and its capital, but I don't like the idea of them freezing to death or starving. Track them down if they are alive and bring them back here. We will lock them up, question them. Maybe we can learn something new."

I was shocked. If I didn't know any better, I could swear he was sending me out on a rescue mission. This Jackal is strange. Nothing like Oda.

But then again, no one is like Oda.