Reviewers;
TsukoBlue: Thank you. I needed that bout of encouragement.
Czar Joseph: Sasuke's mind is twisted yes, but I hope to include some of the Narutoverse into this story and I'll make sure to point it out for all to see.
Mangaka Shuzen: Yeah, any sort of bonding/bondage nowadays brings forth a certain sexy nature to it. And I can't have Sakura venturing off and doing everything on her own. For every benefit, there is a drawback hidden inside.
Blazing Torch: Naruto will be more powerful, but in this story, he has more of a utility power in which to make others stronger while also making his own self stronger. Trust me, by the end, you'll agree with that statement. For now, his role is now to protect Sakura. As for Ino? No, she is a royal and most other royals don't have the magical background. Plus, if I did, it would end up in NaruSakuIno as a pairing, believe me, I thought about that one! as well as the three of them versus Sasuke and A Goddess. No, I like Naruto and Sakura because in the Narutoverse, they are a great team of two. Thanks for the great questions.
St3rfire: Precisely why I did it St3r. Sakura's emotions after Naruto's banishment became broken and hurt her self and her magic as well as her maturity growing up, but with the seal bonding them, Sakura's emotions is still that of a teenager in love, and I always liked to see Sakura bouncing around smiling arm and arm with Naruto.
AN: Hey everyone! I suppose most of you loved the last chapter and while this one is transitory, it will contain details that I believe that you all will enjoy. After this chapter, we will have only ten or so chapters left until the finale, and I hope you enjoy the rest of this ride.
AN2: I have started work on the next story to begin posting soon, and I want you thoughts on it. It will be a High School AU, and features Genius, Baseball, Cheerleaders, and Simply Growing up in those trying years. Tell me what you think on that, will you?
Fire & Ice
Arc 3:Trust
Chapter 40: I Will Return For You
The small battalion of soldiers left the plains after another hour of rest, and though their bones and skin were burned aching, the Witch Queen herself had healed most of their worser-off burns and comrades and for that they were grateful. The soldiers reformed into their marching lines and walked back down the hidden canyon ledges, moving in a zigzag towards the canyon floor. As they moved, some saw the Queen and smiled at her newfound situation, because even though she knew how to move and traverse this land in the snow and her powers were for the most part restored, her hand never left Naruto's arm for a second, and when he slipped on some ice, she fell as well, before they burst out laughing and moved further down the road as if it was only a happy memory to be made.
Kakashi though, as they reached the floor and moved back towards the frozen city of Port Haruno, had figured out a possible theory of why they were so close. He had figured out after a few months after Sakura's initial demise that Naruto had been her lover and heartthrob, but now it was more than that. The idea that Sakura now belonged to Naruto through the seal on her right arm now helped with that.
Sakura's mind truly wanted to be at Naruto's side from her initial crush when she was younger and then when she had been with Naruto intimately a year ago, that crush was forever that of a lover. Those emotions were funneled through the seals and Kakashi had the theory that maybe Sakura Couldn't, mentally, emotionally, and physically, leave Naruto's side, unless he wanted or let her leave it. He'd have to check on that theory, but it was a good chance for that in the near future.
The group took a short break for water as they exited the canyon and into the beginning of the small forest, but as Naruto moved past the rocky cliff side, his hand was pulled to the left and Naruto spun around before hitting a body between him and the cliff itself, and he smiled at Sakura's underestimated strength and saw her hazed eyes staring fondly at him.
"You are really hyper all of a sudden, Saku-Chan." Naruto spoke as his hand came up to caress her cheek, and Sakura smiled wide as she kissed Naruto's lips briefly before pulling him closer to trail kisses along his neck.
"I fear it's not just me, Naruto. I think your bonding seal is making me really aroused at just the thought and sight of you and my mind is being pulled towards you."
"I'll change that once we get on the boat." Naruto assured her, but Sakrua's thumb caressed the back of his palm.
"Baka…I like feeling this way. I never want to leave your side." Sakura spoke hypnotically, in a trance that Naruto thought that schoolish teens had on their crushes.
"Sakura, I don't want you to feel like you're stuck with me or can love nothing and no one but me."
"I'll never feel that way for anyone else anyways. Plus, it doesn't affect my words, Naru. Just how I show myself and my love for you. And um, I was wondering…m-maybe…you could help me downstairs once we're in the open sea?" Sakura whispered in his ear, and Naruto held in a groan as her pelvis slid slowly along his hip.
"Of course." Naruto smiled before a slight flash of fear entered his lover's eyes. "What is it?"
"I-I've never liked being in the open ocean…I think I fear that I'll drown."
"Well, don't worry. I can swim for the both of us." Naruto smiled as his arms wrapped around Sakura's slim waist, and she giggled as he licked and marked her neck as his own. Sakura moaned lightly, biting her lower lip to hold in the noises that she wanted to make for him to hear. Damn, this seal was going to keep them indoors so much. Sakura's womanhood jittered at the knowing of what was to come.
"Alright! Let's move!" A lieutenant yelled out as men pulled themselves back to their feet and walked into the forest just ahead of them. As they moved, they noticed how the warmer weather began to grow cold once again and looked to Sakura who smiled bashfully as her powers continued to return to her and her body grew stronger. And soon, they exited the forest and down the small hill before they arrived at the gates of Port Haruno. The soldiers moved through the open gates, laughing at the knowing that they had arrived back to this city safe and sound. As Naruto smiled and moved his body forward, his arm pulled again back and he turned to see Sakura's boots stuck in the snow, ice holding her in place. "Saku?" Naruto asked, wondering whether Sakura had frozen her feet subconsciously or not.
"I…I didn't want to come back here until I defeated Sasuke." Sakura murmured, trying to keep a promise from so long ago.
"Well, you're not returning here just yet." Naruto smiled as Sakura looked to him confused. "You're just passing through. But once this is done, the war I mean, I'd like to return with you here to where we first saw each other."
The ice around Sakura's feet melted and she stepped forward, hugging Naruto, and kissing him briefly, she frowned at him. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Naruto, if I could, I would ask that you stay at my side forever. As a lover, as a friend…as my King…" Sakura whispered the last bit, and looked to see his reaction.
Naruto's eyes widened at the last words Sakura spoke, but he soon smiled and nodded. "I would return just for you, Saku." Sakura nodded at Naruto's answer and with that they moved through the city, their minds remembering what they had done here a year ago, before they reached the docks and sighed at the sight.
Inside the harbor were four ships, an extra one than before, but their sails were not well as they were on fire and their hulls looked smashed and ramed in random places from helm to stern. Sakura and Naruto walked quickly, as the admiral of the small fleet was speaking to Kakashi. At the sight of the Queen and the revelation that she was not indeed in shackles, the admiral's eyes widened and stared at Sakura guardedly.
"Why is the Queen not tied up?"
"We tried that way, and we almost died on the way here. She is coming willingly."
"Well, we were not fortunate either when we tried to come back to the harbor."
"What happened, Admiral?" Sakura asked and the admiral looked to her warily before he sighed. "We lost a hundred men and two more ships out on the open water. These ships appeared on our horizon...but they were not normal ships. They were on fire and it seemed like the crew was extremely small. We sent one of the ships to offer aid, but the fireship rammed it and exploded. After that, we all turned sail as the other ones chased after us. They were just as fast as the wind, and we had to sacrifice another ship in order to barely have time to make it in here before more ships could be sunk.
"When can we leave, Admiral?" Naruto asked and the man sighed.
"Not for at least three days. We need new sails, new hulls, and much of our wood is still on fire, so we don't even know where to begin. We first have to go through the city to try and find these essentials just to meet that deadline."
"…May I try?" Sakura asked and the admiral looked at her skeptically.
"How can you help?"
"Admiral," Kakashi intervened. "Queen Sakura has made a small castle and walls and houses all with just her magic these last few years. She has made plants grow where they cannot possibly grow. I'm sure she can help fix the holes of your ships at least."
Sakura smiled at Kakashi at that comment and smirked. "I think I can do more than that."
"How so?"
Sakura simply smiled and gestured to herself. "How do you think I got these clothes?" At the sight of the men staring at her creative powers incredulously, Sakura moved towards the edge of the docks, their eyes lingering on her body and stepped onto the edge of the pier that connected to the land before her right hand swung backwards suddenly and her body turned to face Naruto, who widened his eyes as Sakura bowed to him bashfully. "Naruto…I think I need your permission to leave."
"Uh…Of course, but stay around." Naruto affirmed quickly, Kakashi nodding his head at his correct theory proven right.
"Always…" Sakura's voice whispered and moved towards the edge of the dock before staring at the ships around her and smiled as she raised her hands and breathed in the fresh salt sea air. Slowly, Sakura moved her hands out to her sides and back in, moving with the wind as it picked up and men held their loose clothes tighter to their bodies.
Slowly, icy mist slipped out of Sakura's fingers and a trail of shimmering ice moved up towards the burning sails on the ships. The water from the harbor pulsed quietly as a small water spout shot out and burst into a mixture of rain, which dosed the remaining flames and cooled the wood of the ship. The trail of ice moved and froze along the horizontal and diagonal wooden beams, while underneath them, the ice shined and grew as small needles interlaced with each other, pulling strands of magical webbing between them.
The webbing turned into the start of a sail as the ice needles continued to weave in and out before they shot downwards, locking in place with the corners of another circular plank of wood, and the webbing surged down extremely fast, leaving no holes in their rush, and suddenly, after three minutes, the sails billowed in the breeze of the harbor, and the men gawked at how fast the four ships had regained their mobility.
Sakura's hands stopped briefly, as if changing tasks for her magic, before her hands shot downwards towards the water below her, before a liquefied surging of ice shot down into the waters from her hands, and sped around the hulls of the four ships, before Sakura let the current die in her hands and willed the ice to cover the wooden hulls of the ships and as they did, the water shined white as the brown color of the hulls turned a porcelain white as ice crept over the holes and up across the railings until all of the wood was as a white wood of a tree of a God.
The men looked to Sakura and back to the white ships. White trees were extremely rare, and never were they used to make something such as a ship as this. They were religiously guarded and used sparingly, but these ships glowed against the docks, and the sailors looked at the ships they'd soon be sailing and smiled at the chance to do so, even with the dangers ahead of them.
Sakura flexed her left arm as it felt chilly and her fingers cracked with tenseness and turn to walk briskly back to Naruto's side, before latching onto him as if a commoner girlfriend would do by hanging off his every word and limb. Naruto smiled and nodded as Sakura smiled at the shock on the Admiral's face.
"My guess is that you encountered Lord Sasuke's fireships along the way, and the heat from their warriors speeds their ships up greatly, but they can only be on the water for so long. No doubt that they are waiting for the chance to strike. I have placed my magic into the sails, so they should gain speed rather quickly, and the wood of the ship is as strong as metal in case they fire a volley. Also, I took out my magic from those terrible excuses for magical cannonballs and simply added an explosive layer to them for defending against the enemy ships. We should be able to escape now."
"A-Alright…Thank you, My Grace."
"Please,..Just Sakura…"
"Hai!" The admiral spoke before there was a quiet howl and Sakura's head turned quickly to see some of her own warriors approaching the city gates.
"Admiral, get ready to depart, but leave a ship for me to control. I'll want my own defenses to use against the enemy." The admiral nodded and began to order his sailors back onto the ships as Kakashi shouted to his men as well. Sakura pulled on Naruto's sleeve and gestured towards the entrance gate to the city and Naruto nodded before they walked there at a moderate pace.
As they reached the arch to the gatehouse, the sound of fifteen horsemen with eagles flying overhead and a small pack of loyal wolves at their sides slowed and stopped in front of them, their cloths covering their faces, but Sakura smiled, knowing who they were, because she could once again feel her magic inside of them. Sakura walked forward, Naruto letting her go as a familiar black haired woman stepped out of the saddle and walked forward, two soldiers and a wolf moving up behind her.
"Layla." Sakura smiled.
"So, you have decided to seek help, Sakura-Sama."
"Yes, Layla. I can't keep watching you all die over and over again. If we can win, then your girls won't have to fight."
"I know. You have told me these things so many times, but I didn't want you to leave us."
"I will return for you, whether the Alliance joins us or not. Just…try to stay alive. If you need to leave, do so. I want you, Layla, to stay and guard everyone."
"Of course I will, Your Grace. You did instill on me the most magical of your aura."
"And you can rebuild the walls for a while, yes?"
"Of course. We will keep Sasuke's men from running rampant across the plains."
"See that you do." Sakura sniffled as the wolf trotted forward and sat in front of her. "Hey Tanya. I hope I didn't frighten you." The wolf whined, knowing that her master of five years was leaving her and her pups. Sakura bent down and hugged her. "I know that you will keep Layla safe for me."
After another minute, Sakura stood back up and Layla nodded to her master, creator, Queen, and friend. "Will you at least take some of your soldiers with you? For protection? It would keep our minds safe in knowing that you are well guarded."
"I'll take eight, Layla." Sakura spoke as her captain nodded and eight soldiers stepped off their horses and crossed over, as some of the eagles, and wolves moved towards the group as well.
"Be safe, My Queen." Layla smiled, before a burst of icy snow swirled in the air, and as it settled, the scouting party had disappeared and Sakura look to those who were to stay.
"Alright, everyone. Let's get on the last ship on the right and let's get out of this harbor."
"Hai!"
Twenty minutes later, all of the ships unhooked their rope lines from the docks and turned their sails to the wind to begin their short journey to the walled inlet of the city. Sakura had tried and failed to move up the gangplank of her designated ship when Naruto was already on another ship and so now, Sakura stood near the open area of the back of the white ship, with Naruto at the wheel, both knowing that Sakura could go so far from his side.
Sakura had one of her soldiers at the front of the other three ships, to serve as a defender in case any of the enemy fire ships came close or bashed into the other ships to fight up close, and so she had a ship crew of five soldiers with a small pack of wolves and birds of prey to defend her in the lead ship. Sakura quickly pulled ahead of the other ships and made her way towards the wall.
Unlike when Naruto and the men came in, Sakura smiled as her hand moved in an intricate manner and the top of the center of the wall slushed to liquid sea water and slowly shrunk down from their height, until a good thirty feet of an aisle allowed for a ship's safe passage. Sakura's ship went in first, and the other ships followed, their sailors at the ready to fire their forward cannons.
Meanwhile, at the sight of the liquefying wall, outside it were thirty ships of fire, all docked next to the cliffs of Port Haruno's harbor entrance. And at the sight of an opening, each ship launched quickly, forming a barrier circle before the entrance, three ships deep in any direction, as they waited to crash into these ships that had barely escaped their grasp the last time.
But they were unprepared for what came next, for as the first ship surged out of the harbor, the creatures were amazed by the white color of the lead ship, and that cost them as forward cannons shot their loads straight ahead, barreling into the center ship as it exploded right away. As the men rushed to tighten their chokepoints, two siege crossbows along the front of the deck fired large arrows as large as a man at the ships to the side of the now destroyed and sinking center ship and as the siege arrows sunk into the water, the soldiers of fire noticed its icy glow as it seeped into the lowest parts of their hulls, and at the force behind it colliding into their hulls, the two ships in the closest ring imploded on the other, sending their soldiers flying across the sky, and hitting the cold water, where they exploded on impact.
By now, Sakura's ship had exited the inlet, and was followed by the second ship, but as Sakura had instructed, Naruto kept the wheel steady as they neared the center of the semicircular defensive and Sakura smiled as she squeezed her hands. Suddenly from below, the cannons exploded from a golden fire seeping into their fuses, and cannonballs layered in ice crashed into the ships along the sides of the semicircle, and hulls, masts, and cannons exploded into the air like shrapnel, striking the small crews deeply as they exploded from the heavy impact of the attack.
By now, the other three ships had exited the inlet, and as they did, the wall began to rebuild itself, locking the ships once more in the open sea. The crews of these ships however, were quick to angle their ships into their own semicircle, and let loose their own cannons, as more ships crumbled and blew.
Sakura nodded to Naruto and he placed a quick seal on the wheel, before rushing down to the cannons below deck, and using his speed over strength, quickly loaded the cannons once more, keeping the ship steady with the seal at the wheel. Sakura felt her magic being filled completely and fired again, as wood exploded a hundred yards all around them, but then Sakura saw the fires being lit throughout the second line, and sent an eagle into the air, as a warning for the sailors to brace for impact.
And there was a great impact, as cannonballs blazing in fire shot from the second and third lines, banging into the masts, sails, and hulls of the ships. Chain shots wrapped themselves around the wooden masts, fiery grapeshot cannonballs were let loose in high number towards the men, exploding all around the deck and hitting some more than others, but as the enemy's volley ended, the small fleet fired back, and the second line was destroyed before they could fire again.
Sakura's soldiers fired their two siege crossbows at the center of the third line and as they sunk another two, Sakura's wolves howled and the sound signaled to the captains and the admiral to set their course for the opening, however brief it might be. Their sails expanded greatly and they shot through the opening, their men firing one last volley at those in their range, as Sakura's ship chased after the third ship, leaving the fiery ships to chase after them.
Naruto returned quickly to the helm, and took over the steering as Sakura breathed lightly, for the first time, not having to use much of her magic that day. Sakura signaled to her soldiers and they left the crossbows at the front, and moved past four more crossbows on each of the sides of the main deck and moved up to the rear of the ship, where two last giant crossbows stood proudly, and after Sakura created a pile of huge icy arrows, two of the soldiers moved away to check on supplies, as two fired at the ships chasing them when they got too close for reasonable comfort.
The last soldier moved towards Naruto, who left the wheel at the soldier's request to take care of the Queen, and Naruto smiled at Sakura, before he sped towards her in a golden afterimage and took her to the captain's cabin just below them, and the turning of a key was heard before soft moaning filled the ship's vicinity. A quick silence seal was placed upon the walls, and soft giggling was heard as Naruto prepared himself to praise his Queen, and Sakura prepared herself to bond herself further into Naruto's comforting hands.
AN2: Just restating it for no doubt those who either skimmed over it or forgot already. I really want your input! So then, I have started work on the next story to begin posting soon, and I want you thoughts on it. It will be a High School AU, and features Genius, Baseball, Cheerleaders, and Simply Growing up in those trying years. Tell me what you think on that, will you?