"Christmas!" Naruto cheered as he got up that morning. he threw off his blankets and ran down the hall to his grandparents room. "Wake up! Dad!" He jumped on Rei. "Wake up!"
"You're son is awake," Deis said, her eyes still closed.
"He's your son too," Rei moaned. Naruto got off his chest, reached under the blanket, and grabbed his tail and started tugging him out. "Come on, wake up! I want to see what Santa left me!"
"It'll be there when its time to open them," Rei said, taking his tail back.
Naruto puffed up before jumping on him again. "And that time is now! Come on, dad!" Rei pushed him off him, making him roll to the foot of the bed. Naruto got to his feet, scrunched his legs, and pounced on him again, there he sat on him once more.
"Naruto, you do have a mother you can bother," Rei said, slowly opening his eyes.
"Nah uh," Naruto said, looking at Deis' oversize tummy. "I'm not jumping on my little sister. Get up! I swear I'll go get Konan!"
Deis just grinned at that. "You still think it was a good idea to introduce those two?"
"Not in the least," he muttered. "I'm up, I'm up," he told Naruto before yawning, revealing inch long fangs. He sat up, throwing Naruto off him, and got out of bed. Naruto ran on out while Rei helped Deis from bed and got dressed. "Kushina did the same thing, didn't she?"
"She did." She looked out the door and reached down as Naruto came back in, picking him up. She gave him a kiss and said, "Good morning, son."
"Good morning, mom," he said, returning the kiss. "I love you."
"I love you too. Is everyone else waking up?"
"They are. Can we now, please, please? Pretty please with ice cream, whip cream, and a cherry on top?"
"Hmm, you're making me hungry. Everyone needs to be up, Naruto, you know that. Head on to the den and wait."
"Okay," he said dejectedly. Deis set him down and Naruto walked out, head hanging.
"Wow, he was laying it on thick," Rei said, chuckling. "We should hurry."
"We should."
Outside their room, Naruto rushed out into the den, smiling. All the clan got together for this, so there were hundreds of gifts! Enough shiny paper wrapping to fill his room, with ribbons enough to wrap around the clan estate. Naruto looked around sneakily, and began to tiptoe to his. "Nya! Konan drop kick!" Two feet met his head, knocking him back. "Nya nya," Konan said to him, standing there proud. Naruto jumped back to his feet, his fur on end. "Morning, Putty tat!" She pounced on him, making them roll around. They did until Konan slammed his shoulders to the ground. "Pinned ya!"
"Let me up," Naruto said, pushing her off. Before grinning and jumping on her.
Only for Konan to twist and slam him to the ground once more. "Pinned ya again!"
She got up and rang the belt on her choker. Her hair was gathered into a large braid and tied to a gold ring that ended at her knees. She wore black pants and a green shirt that stopped at her hips. "Morning Konan."
She gave him a Cheshire cat grin. "You weren't trying to sneak a gift, were you?"
"No," Naruto denied. "And what were you doing here?"
"Nothing," she said, tracing circles with a foot, giggling.
She started to get closer to him, making Naruto nervous when he was saved by others of the clan coming. "Morning runt," one of the older boys of the clan said, putting Naruto in a headlock and gibing him a nuggy.
"Ah!" Naruto tripped him with his tail, "Cat pile!" He jumped on him, followed by Konan and other children in the clan.
"What's going on here," an adult shouted, getting them all to stop. Tiga stood there, tapping his foot. "Well?" When no one said anything, he went up to them and said, "In line, all of you." Over a dozen kids stood in line from youngest to oldest. "I want to know what was going on. Katarl?"
"I don't know, uncle. We just started playing," the teen replied.
"Uh huh." He walked down the line to the two he had no doubt caused it. Naruto and Konan stood next to each other, looking the definition of innocence. "Well?"
"Well what," they said at the same time.
"Who started it?"
"She did," Naruto said, pointing to Konan. While Konan pointed to him and said, "He did," at the same time. They looked to each other, shifted their fingers to point to themselves, and said, "I did? No, you did." They then pointed at Katarl at the head of the line and said, "He did it!"
Tiga shook his head, "Why did I let you two become friends?"
"Nya," Konan replied, smiling. "Rinpu-kaasan would have made you sleep in the den if you locked me up in my room." Tiga sighed, she was right, his wife would have. Seven months ago when they agreed to take care of her, his wife Rinpu and sisters, Nina and Mina fell in love with the girl. And he had a sneaky suspicion that Konan liked Naruto and that was why she picked on him. He knelt down and looked Konan in the eyes. He didn't say anything, just looked, trying to make her nervous. "Nya, nya." It didn't work.
Tiga straightened and sighed. "All right you kittens, into the kitchen, get some breakfast." They went into the kitchen and Tiga looked at the gifts. Luckily, none were sat on during the children's play. He snapped his head to the kitchen, already hearing bickering. "Don't make me come in there!"
"Yes daddy," Konan called.
Tiga leaned against the door frame and ran his hand through his hair. Though he wouldn't have it any other way, he did wish for a breather every now and then. "Morning uncle," a three year old said, walking up to him, sucking her thumb still.
"Good morning, Lilly." He knelt down and gave Mina's daughter a hug. "Ready for some presents?"
"I am."
"Lets get you breakfast." He took her into the kitchen and saw meats of all types being cooked. Most of the children already had a plateful and were eating. And Naruto and Konan were fighting over the last piece of steak, once again. "I'll take that," Tiga told them, putting it on a plate for Lilly. "What all do you want, Lilly?"
"Milk," she said around her thumb. He grabbed the carton before one of the boys could drink from it and poured a glass. "Um, Wakon."
"Bacon, Lilly." He got a few slices and put them on the plate as well. Going up to the stove, he grabbed a handful of sliced potatoes, put it in a pan with some eggs, green bell peppers, and ground sausage. "Smells good, doesn't it," he asked her even as he bat away one of the girls trying to sneak the steak away.
"It does," Lilly said, leaning forward. All the Uzumaki clan had a taste for meat, cooked bloody rare. Normally, they didn't eat like this. It would be a quiet affair with your immediate family but this was Christmas after all. Once the egg potato mix was done, he put it on the plate and cut the steak into small bits for her. Holding the glass with his tail, Lilly in one hand, and the plate in the other, he walked her over to a free spot at the table. He set the plate and glass down, dumped the boy that sat down in the chair on the ground, and set Lilly in it. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and a fork to eat with. Others of the clan came in and cooked their breakfast, giving the whole room a playful mood. When Deis walked in, she grabbed half the slices of ham to eat for her first plate. She always ate a lot, being a dragon and all, but now, they had to restock food every week. And they had a huge larder. Luckily, the dining table and room was also huge as it was difficult to fit several hundred clan members in to share a meal otherwise. Children running around, ducking between legs, hisses and growls over food, one big happy family.
"Alright, alright," Rei said, standing on a chair. "Has everyone eaten their fill?" No one said no. "Count off so we know we got everyone."
Everyone shouted, "ONE!"
Rei chuckled, "Now we just need to find the other three hundred and thirteen. Okay, into the den, families grab your gifts, and outside to the garden." It was a mess to get it done but Rei found it endearing. This was his family and tradition. They'd do it more often if it wasn't for the hassle. Once everyone settled down, Rei stood up. "Its been a full year since we last did this and that's too long! But this year has brought many changes to us. Some have left us behind, other have come into our lives." He picked up Konan and Naruto. "Two of our missing children have come back to us! So, don't forget among all the gifts and ribbons, the real meaning here. That today is the day to remember all we have and all we love. We are the Uzumaki and the most important thing to us, over this home, over these gifts, is each other. That is the true meaning of this day. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas," they all repeated. Rei set the two down and gave them a pat to go to their gifts.
Naruto opened his gift and held a little stuffed fox toy. Looking at it he swallowed a lump in his throat and cried a little before hugging Deis' leg. "Naruto?"
"Thank you," he told her.
"Santa got that gift for you," Deis said to him.
Naruto shook his head, "I know there isn't a Santa. Thank you mom." He held onto her and didn't let go.
Deis held him until her face turned white. "Rei, I need you to take Naruto."
"Why, whats wrong," he said as he picked Naruto up.
"It's time," she whispered.
"Now!?"
"Now," she insisted. "I'll...ah."
"Deis? Love, speak to me."
"I'll head to the clinic by myself," she told him. "I'll be fine, just have the doctors there soon."
"Right!"
"What's wrong," Naruto asked them, holding the fox close still.
"My tummy's upset is all," Deis told him. "I'll be back soon, Naruto." She looked to Rei, grimacing a little at the pain. "Hurry."
He nodded as she turned and walked away, trying not to scream and ruin the mood. Rei rushed over to one of the clan doctors. "Keep this quiet. I need you, some of your staff, and a white mage to go the clinic. Deis is having the baby."
The doctor went pale at that. "Ano, right away, sir. Honey, duty calls," she said to her husband. "It's Lady Deis. Can you get one of the healers? I'll get the midwife."
The man stuttered a moment. "You mean she's..." He looked around and saw people staring at him. "Today," he whispered.
"No, right now."
His jaw dropped. "Kids, your mother and I need to do something. Go to your grandmother and be good."
"What's going on, daddy," a little girl asked him.
"Yeah, dad, what's going on," Naruto asked Rei. "What's wrong with mom?"
Others heard them. "Is something wrong with Lady Deis?"
"Do you think it could be the baby?"
"She did leave in a hurry."
"Lord Rei, is the baby being born?"
"Is it a girl or boy?"
"Quiet down! I don't know if its a girl or boy, the baby isn't being born yet. She's just having some..."
"DRAGON GOD, THAT HURTS," Deis screamed from the other side of the estate. "REI! MY WATER BROKE!"
"...Yes its the baby." He looked around and spotted his sister. "Rinpu, take care of Naruto!" He set him down by her and looked around. Spotting Uzumaki Maria, he ran to her. She was a white mage from the Rand clan, married into he Uzumaki. "Maria-san, I need you to come with me!"
"Yes sir." She was a vary large woman, twice the size of Rei, even though she wasn't one of the princesses. All the Rand clan were large. Maria went running to the clinic with Rei hot on her heels.
"Don't worry, Naruto, she'll be fine."
"I know," Naruto said, smiling at her. "She is my grandmother after all. Strongest woman in the world."
—oo000oo—
"Just breath, honey, breath," Rei said, before taking a few deep breaths. "Don't worry, nothing is going to happen, everything will be fine."
Deis grabbed the doctor by the collar. "I'm fine, now either he leaves or I do. We are not both staying here!"
"Yes ma'am," she replied. "Lord Rei, I need you to calm down. You wife has been having children before your great grandfather was in diapers. She knows what to do."
"Oh...right." He held her hand then. "Just squeeze then." Deis looked at him, their hands clasped together, then back at him.
"And here come another contraction," the doctor said moments before it hit.
Rei's face began to twitch and he fell to his knees while Deis still looked calmed. A crack came from his hand. "Rei dear, I love you, but right now, you're being a pest. I've had enough children to know what to do."
"Y-Yes, love," Rei forced through gritting teeth. "Uh, doctor, I think my hand is broke."
Uzumaki Maria and Eboshi, the doctor, smirked at that. "I brought the needle with the pain killers," a nurse said, holding up a syringe over seven inches long, making Rei go wide eye.
"He needs it more than me," Deis said, letting go.
While Maria cast the spells needed to mend the bones, Rei stared at syringe. "What is..."
"This," Dr. Eboshi said, motioning to the needle. "Spinal anesthesia, a hundred ml. Latest in medical achievements. We didn't have it when lady Kushina was born since it came out ten years ago. The needle is so big because its injected into the spine. Normally, a woman the size of Lady Deis would take a three and a half inch long, fine needle. But, given Lady Deis' clan and skin strength, we prepared a titanium, spiral tip needle. The drug normally used is only three milliliters but again, given she is of the Dragon Clan, such wouldn't be enough. Don't worry, Lord Rei, we know exactly what we're doing."
"Uh, Eboshi, he isn't listening," Deis told her. "He passed out at 'into the spine'."
Eboshi looked at him and laughed. "Well, as my doctor said when my husband passed out. 'That's why women have the babies, men can't take the paaii..." She laughed again, remembering how scared she was when he passed out too. "Let's put him in a chair." She and the nurse grabbed an arm and set him in the chair. "Milady, I check to see if you're dilated. You'll feel a cold poke...alright. You're ready."
Deis shook her head. "Amazing, a thousand years ago, they just stuck you in a room with a midwife, the husband outside, worrying his head off, and wish you best of luck. Now there's needles, machines, pokes, prods, and..."
"Push," Eboshi interrupted. "...I see the head. Now, again... Uh oh."
"What," Deis demanded, suddenly very worried with those two words.
"The umbilical cord is around the baby's neck." Deis was at a near panic now. "Don't worry, we monitored the baby's heart rate, remember? It was well within normal ranges so it hasn't been suffocated. I just need to see if I can move it over the head or not." Deis looked down, trying to fight back tears the whole time.
"Well!?"
"...Ashakura, I need the seizers and the surgical scissors."
"Eboshi, what's wrong," Deis demanded.
"The umbilical cord is too short. So we have to alter the plan a little. I am going to cut the cord now and we have to get the baby out fast."
"Have you ever done this," Deis asked.
"Once...in medical school. It doesn't happen often. When I say so, I need you to push hard, Deis." Scared, she nodded. "Don't worry, everything will be fine." Eboshi held the seizers in hand ready for a moment longer. Then in one steady movement, she clamped the cord, slipped the scissors under it, and cut it. "Push." The baby came out and Eboshi held it by the feet, emptying the fluid from the lungs, and gave a slap on the butt, getting the baby to cry. "Perfect, you have a beautiful baby girl, green eyes, red hair, powerful lungs." She wrapped her in a towel and gave her to Deis.
"She's perfect," Deis said, falling completely in love with her. "So you're the one that was always kicking me."
"You're the one that ate all that spicy food," Rei said, having just been slapped awake. He looked at Eboshi as she moved to the baby and shined a flash light in her eyes, first the left, then the right. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, she is perfectly healthy," Eboshi said, smiling. "I told you there wasn't anything to worry about."
"You were right." She gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead.
Maria stepped up to her. "May I?"
"Yes." Maria took the girl for a moment to cast a few spells to strengthen her, just in case.
"You gave us quite a scare, little one," Maria said before giving her back and casting the same spells on Deis herself. "You're fine, milady. In a few hours, you can leave and in a few days, you'll be right as rain."
"Thank you, Maria," Rei said to her. "You are the midwife as well, yes?"
"It has been a few years but I think I can handle a child again." She brushed the baby's hair. "Name?"
"We thought we would let Naruto decide," Deis told her.
"Then I better go get him." She left and came back with an excited Naruto.
"See, I told you," was the first thing Naruto said to them. "A baby sister."
"You did," Rei replied. "What do you think her name should be?"
Naruto got up to them and looked at the girl in wonder. "...Carol. Uzumaki Carol."
"Carrol," Maria asked. "That's traditionally a Rand name."
"No, not Carrol, Christmas Carol."
"Oh," Deis said, smiling. "What do you say, Carol?" The baby cooed at them. "Carol it is then. Our sweet little Christmas Carol. The best gift I could ever hope. Do you want to hold her?"
Naruto looked at her, unsure. "Will I break her?"
"No, just watch her head." Naruto took her and slowly began to smile. Carol did as well before yawning and falling asleep.
"I love you, Carol," Naruto whispered, giving her back.
—oo000oo—
Author's Notes: Hope you had a Merry Christmas and happy Holidays, yall. No matter what you celebrate, that message is for them all. By the way, ever held an infant for the first time? Feels like you're going to break her, didn't it? I was scared mindless when I held my niece at that age.
—oo000oo—
As time went by and everything returned to normal, Naruto took to being an older brother like a duck to water. Always wanting to play with her, being no where around when she needed her diaper change. Faster than anyone knew though Carol was two, Naruto was ten, and Deis was calling in a special favor for a teacher to train him. "Hello," a tall woman said to Naruto one afternoon.
"Hello," Naruto said, looking up at her from his play. It was a game to help build ambidexterity. She had long black hair, tied up in a pony tail and two long bangs framing her face, wore a white yukata, and carried a bokken at her side. Naruto stared at it, unfamiliar with it as few traditional weapons were actually used in Uzu. "I'm Naruto."
"You may call me Suzuka."
Naruto watched her a moment before he went back to flipping the wooden knives between his hands. Suzuka watched a moment and smiled. Naruto caught the 'blades' between his fore and middle finger, flipped it over his hand and back into the air to catch another one. And best part, he had four. Naruto may have gotten nicked a few times but he wouldn't lose a finger over it had they been real. "Very good."
"Thank you," Naruto said before moving his hands and driving them into the dirt in a row, edge to edge. "Dad said if I can flip ten coins at once, I can start training to fight." Taking a deep breath, he took out the needed coins and placed them in his palms. Rolling his fingers, he began to place them atop his thumbs before flipping them. Naruto displayed impressive speed and agility in catching them. Yet, when none remained in the air, he looked down cast. He only had seven. "Not yet." He looked around for the other two and didn't see them.
Suzuka held her closed hand under his nose and opened it to reveal the other three. "These what you're looking for?"
"I didn't even hear you... How did you do that?"
"I'm very talented. Throw them again." Naruto did and this time, she didn't catch them, she cut them in half with a single swing of her bokken. Naruto picked one up and saw a mirror smooth cut. "My name is Ryu Suzuka, the last of the spell blades, Naruto, this is my chosen weapon, a bokuto. With this, I can cut man and metal in half or bruise and batter them as I choose. Your mother asked me to do this favor for her, to teach you. So I will, if you prove to me that you are worth it."
"How?"
"What do you want to be a spell blade for?"
"Why? I, I don't know, I just want to."
"I want you to have an answer by the time you get all ten and if you don't or I don't like the answer, I won't train you." She stood up and walked away.
Naruto watched her leave, looked back to the shine on the cut, and said, "Whoa."
—oo000oo—
Naruto had nine coins and would likely catch the tenth before the end of this week, yet he still had no answer. He was so desperate to catch it and have an answer, that was all he ever thought about. At the moment, he was standing a foot tall pole, on one foot, flipping seven real knives, trying to improve. He was so focused, he never heard his sister come running behind him. "Onii-chan!" She didn't see him practicing so she jumped on him without a thought. As Naruto fell in the ground, the knives went up and headed back down on them. Carol saw them, screamed, and closed her eyes. She never even hit the ground. Opening her eyes, she saw Naruto held her to his chest, under him, most the daggers in the dirt around them, and one in his shoulder. "Onii-chan, I'm sorry!"
"It's alright," Naruto told her, pulling the knife out. "No harm done, are you okay?"
"I am, you protected me like you always do!"
"And I always will, Carol-chan." He kissed her before ripping off his sleeve and binding the wound. "Now what is it?"
"Kaa-chan said dinner is ready."
"Okay, you go on, I'll get cleaned up and join you." She ran back and Naruto went from grinning to giving a pained grimace as he pull the other dagger from above his right hip. "...Ow. Too close for comfort." He walked to the clinic and had to wounds cleaned, closed, and bandaged.
"Do I want to know what caused these," Maria asked.
"Carol got a little excited and jumped on me while I was training."
"Is she..."
"She's fine, I was injured making sure she wasn't."
She gave a sigh of relief. "You're a fine older brother, Naruto."
"Its what I live for," Naruto replied. "The Dragon God help me if anything ever happened to Carol."
"A valiant reason to grow stronger, Sir Naruto of the Protective Watch. A knight could do no better."
Naruto grinned, twisted around a little to make sure there was no lasting harm, and headed to dinner. He ate quietly, assuring Carol he was fine and promising to read her favorite story to her tonight. And looking at her, he found his answer so simple, he couldn't believe it had been staring at him for so long.
—oo000oo—
Naruto caught the tenth coin and didn't look away from his father. "Well done, son. I knew you would do it." Naruto had changed much over the two years. He was stronger, taller, and the fur had almost grown to completely cover his body. "You may begin combat training now."
"Yes father," Naruto said, smiling.
"So, what is your answer," Suzuka said, walking into the room from where she had been waiting.
Naruto looked to her and said, "Carol is my reason. I have a family here, precious people that mean more than my own life to me. Tou-san and Kaa-chan can defend themselves, but Carol cannot. Whatever my original reasons for wanting it, I want this now to make sure nothing ever happens to her."
Suzuka watched him a moment. That silence stretched out for a long time before she said anything. "Five thirty in the morning, be outside ready. I will have a training weapon ready for you. You will first learn swordplay. Then, to draw out your mana. Finally, after learning all my skills, you will make you're own weapon, from the heartwood of a tree grown on your magic."
"Yes, master," Naruto said, bowing.
—oo000oo—
Naruto was ecstatic the rest of the day. Life couldn't have been more grand. He was grinning like a fox as he laid on a grassy knoll when the face of his first friend entered his vision. "You look happy," Ayame said to him.
Naruto jumped to his feet, grinning. Ayame had changed in two years. Fifteen and she was a treasure hunter and explorer. She was wearing goggles on her forehead, leathers over her body, and and boots with a dagger in one of them. On her belt was some gear she needed and more blades. She loved it and did it often when not helping her father with the store. Teuchi told him once he'd trade all the treasure in the world for one night not spent in worry. She had learned to fight, navigate above and below ground, trap building and disarming all from the Uzumaki clan. "I finally have a sensei," Naruto told her, his happiness evident in his voice.
"Great to hear," Ayame said, grinning. "Every time I see you, you look different though. Wearing clothes like that, how do you keep the girls off you?" Naruto still wore clothes like what he wore when he got to Uzu.
"Eh, I only have to worry about two. And even then, one of them just because she might kill me if I don't watch her."
"Konan and Din," Ayame said, remembering. "Good luck with them then."
"Thanks. Hey, let's go get some lunch, Ayame-chan."
"Sure," Ayame agreed, smiling. Naruto took her inside and began making them some sandwiches. As they ate, they just talked about her latest adventures when Carol came in.
"Ayame-oneechan!" Carol jumped on her and gave her a fierce hug.
"Hello Carol," Ayame said, returning the hug. "How are you doing?"
"I'm good! When can I go with you on a treasure hunt?"
"When you're older."
"You said that two monthes ago, I'm older now!"
"Heh, fine. When you are your onii-chan's age."
"Phooey," Carol said, pouting.
Naruto was grinning at them. "So you have best be a good girl, Carol. Its hard work to be a treasure hunter."
"I'll do it for sure," she said, pumping a small fist into the air.
"Good, until then I'm counting on you to keep your brother in line," Ayame said, poking her nose.
"Uh huh!"
Ayame chuckled before saying, "Naruto, dad wants me back at the shop soon so I better go. I'll see you later."
"Alright, bye Ayame-chan."
—oo000oo—
Naruto was up at five and outside at five thirty. He stood out there a moment before Suzuka walked up to him, holding a watch. "Five thirty." She held out a bokuto. "This will be your training weapon. You are to have it with you at all times. In the mornings, you will work with it, perfecting stances and building muscle memory for katas. In mid morning to after lunch, you will be learning to draw out your mana. Once you have, you will learn to control it instead. After two, you will infuse your remaining mana into this." She gave him tree sapling. "It will grow as you grow. Once you have perfected the skills, you will then carve your own bokuto from it, using nothing but the skills you possess and your mana."
"Yes, master," Naruto said, shifting his grip on his sword.
"Come with me," Suzuka said before walking away. "For the next month, you will not return home, you will be training with me out in the wilderness. You eat what you hunt."
"Yes master."
"While there, I will also teach you to use this," she said, poking him on the forehead. "Combat is more often determined by that than by strength." They walked for an hour until they were deep in the surrounding forest but they weren't alone. Naruto saw dozens of warriors from all the clans training in the early morning light.
"Master, why are so many here?" He looked to one of the Rand, a large man that wore plate armor, wielding a heavy hammer with a crystal head. He lifted up a libram, waved his hand and made it turn to a certain page. Seeing what he was looking for, he flexed the hand over the book and this design of light appeared over it and encircled his armor, making it glow. He lowered the libram and swung the hammer up on his shoulder, his face set. Several circled him, all with stone gray skin, the Stone Skin spell used to protect people from attacks so that it may hit but won't kill nor harm. They charged at him and the he grabbed the first by the neck, slamming the hammer on his chest in a blow that would have killed him without the protective spells. The Rand made a back swing without looking, cracking another up against their head, sending him back against a tree. That man's skin flashed stone and flesh a moment before the spell failed. The armored man then butted the head of his hammer into his latest attacker's stomach before giving him a punch that threw him away as well. A hammer of light appeared in his hand and he threw it at another, making it dissipate. "That's a paladin!"
"He is, Rand Matrim of the Holy Order of the Light" Suzuka confirmed. Matrim faced his last opponent, a woman wearing robes and holding a staff. The paladin charged her and sent a blast of light at her only for it to hit a barrier and break upon it like water on a rock. The woman smirked at the charging man before slamming the end of her staff down, making an explosion go off from her, knocking him from his feet. "Watch, he lost momentum." Matrim rolled back to his feet, swing his hammer to gain room as the attackers resurged forward. The man that lost his protection flipped over the hammer and slashed with his daggers, he left a mark of red blood over Matrim's neck and face. The paladin grimaced before the wound closed again. Naruto looked and saw several healers waiting on the sidelines. A blur rushed passed them, the first attacker was back on his feet but with no weapons. The paladin tried to catch him again but instead, the man slipped out of the way, grabbed his hand, and flipped him onto the ground. A martial artist. "Come with me," Suzuka said, tearing his eyes away from them.
They walked for a bit and Naruto saw even more people training to fight. "Forget dozens, there must be hundreds," Naruto stated. "Why are they training so hard though?"
Suzuka reply was, "War is coming, Naruto, we can feel it in the air, have felt it since you were taken two years ago. In that time, we have familiarized ourselves with things again and we have seen that the other countries have been following a pattern. They will war until losses force them to stop. They will rebuild. And then, something will happen to start the war all over again. When they took you, they were trying to do just that."
"What do you mean?"
"Naruto, you were what was known as a jinchuuriki. A jinchuuriki are considered the ultimate tool of the village because of their ability to call upon the power of their Bijuu."
"They were after Kyuubi," Naruto realized.
"Yes. Which means that they will regroup and either try to find him again or go after the others."
Naruto shook his head, "That won't do, I won't allow it."
She sighed, "Naruto, I agree with you, and I know your feelings must be in the extreme on this matter, but there is nothing we can do. The nine are scattered to the winds and there will always be those that will desire their power."
"There must be someway to keep them from their hands, from making more people's lives miserable."
"Yeah, take them yourself and lock them away," Suzuka shook her head. "But then you're what you hate." She led Naruto deeper into the forest, far pass the others. She stopped in a clearing near a waterfall. "This will be our camp. At night and on you're free time, what you do is you're business so long as you stay away from towns." She knelt down and drew a map of Uzu with a little of the surrounding waters and land. "This is Uzu, to the south is Mizu no Kuni. Now, the island's geography is this, most of the shores are to the south, many cliffs cover the other edges. This island is an extinct volcano, the widest in the world. This was caused by a shift in the continental plate. It is over two hundred mile across, three hundred from stem to stern." She drew houses around some of the beaches. "The heat caused by the volcano makes the whirlpools that surround our home. It took many generations to map out a safe path in by boat. For this, we relied on one of the fish clans, the Marello. Merchants mostly. The only port is here, a few miles from the main clan estates. You, as well as a good many of the Uzumaki, live in a village formed by the head of the clans and around a hundred others so they are able to communicate freely with eath other while the rest of the clan maintains a certain part of Uzu.. The Sora, as a flying clan, make many homes in the trees and prefer the warm climate." She drew a grassy plain with a house in the middle, in the middle of the map. "Here are the Uzumaki, of course. Plain runners and hunters, you prefer open spaces." Where the plains ended, she started drawing mountains. "The northern peak is the active volcano and home of the main estate of the Ryu. Here, the princes and princesses use the heat to smelt a rare metal called mithril, damn near impossible to work from its strength."
"Why the princes and princesses?"
"Because only as dragons can they get close enough to do it." Then she started drawing dots in the mountains and drew another large home on one of the cliffs. "Finally, the main Rand estate, here to the east. They live in the mountains using their strength and ease of moving earth to mine the mithril from the old lava flows. There are many mines in those mountains, only they know them all. The Rand give the ore to the Ryu. The Ryu smelt it and give it to the smiths here, one the west beach head. The smiths are from all clans, using magic to make the mithril malleable and then shape it. We are here, north of the Sora, south of the Uzumaki. Now, let's begin.
—oo000oo—
Sora Velve wasn't your usual windian, he was far from it. Growing up, he had no talent for magic of any form. Not even as a shaman. He grew up strong, like his father, Ryu Yusuke. His wings were silver in color, like his father, feathered like his mother, and the perfect blend of both in looks. Yet, despite the powerful magic heritage of both clans, it just wasn't in him. Instead, he was strong, very strong. He learned quickly his large size and strength was a unique attribute that was vital for the Pathfinders, the scouts of Uzu no Kuni. He possessed the warrior strength of the Ryu and the flight and stealth of the Sora. Right now, he was floating on the wind currents and rising heat of Kaze no Kuni. From the ground, he looked like a large bird and that was how he preferred it. Today, like most days, was just lazily sailing the winds, not really much to see.
An explosion of sand reaching several hundred feet into the air changed that. He looked to it and with his eagle like eyes, saw a several figures attacking a child, at least a dozen, and they were being slaughtered. The boy willed the very sands to slay his attackers. Velve stopped, floating on the breeze and watched, feeling something very familiar, and not liking it. He was a warrior, to be precise a dark knight. Through rune crafted weapons, he was able to perform felmagic, unholy magic as some called it. Originally they were a sec of once paladins sworn to defeat demons with their own evil power. Their power was second to few when they reached their peak. And while Velve wasn't near that strong yet, he was powerful. So when he felt felenergy in the sand and boy, it meant one of two things. It wasn't a boy at all, a demon in human form, or it was a boy possessed by a demon. And considering that most demons had vanished from the world, it was unlikely to be the first. A jinchuuriki. He pulled out an amulet from under his armor and pressed the rune on it. A illusion of Sora Aoi appeared before him. "Milady, I bring amazing word. I believe I found one of the jinchuuriki. A boy in Kaze no Kuni currently fighting off several attackers at once."
Aoi looked to where he motioned. "I shall inform the Ladies Deis. Hold your position, if he tries to leave, capture him, no harm is to come to him."
"Yes, milady." The illusion vanished and he took to circling them like a vulture. It was a short battle, the boy killing them all and showed no regret. He looked like the same age of Princess Din. Terrible thing to happen to any child. His charm glowed again and the illusion appeared, this time of Lady Bleu. "Yes, Milady?"
She blinked and grinned, "Velve! I haven't seen you since that summer you turned fifteen! I thought that was a wonderful night and here I'm told you have a gift for me, one of the bijuu? I'm going to have to consider taking you to dinner soon."
He blushed, "Uh, Bleu-san, is Lady Aoi there?"
"Oh yes I am," came from beyond the illusion.
Velve swallowed the lump in his throat. "Uh, some other time. You orders?"
"Catch," the illusion of Bleu said, tossing something to him. He reached for it on reflex and actually caught something. "That spell scroll with suppress his demon, leaving him as weak as a child and sending him to sleep. Capture him and return him to me if at all possible. If you deem you can't, don't try, don't be seen. And to that effect," Bleu cast a spell and he turned invisible. "You have thirty seconds before the spell wears off."
"More than enough time." He dropped into a dive and aimed right for the boy. He was about to read the scroll when the sand came alive again and started to attack him. Seeing he was still invisible, he realized the sand attacks any threat, seen and unseen.
"Whoever you are, come out so I can kill you and prove my existence."
"A person's existence is proven not by how they kill but how they live, boy," Velve told him, running out of time fast. He couldn't read it as he needed to be closer for it to work. A quick look said he was alone. "No allies?"
"I need none but mother," the boy told him.
"Heh, you say that now." The spell failed and Velve appeared before him.
Gaara had never seen anything like the man that now stood before him. Silver wings and hair, he wore a shiny silver, black trim armor. At his sides were weapons, several of them. Two long swords, an ax and mace, and this spear blade on a foot long shaft. "...An Uzu."
"Yeah, good guess." He grabbed the spear and it extended to full length. "I must thank you for the bodies." He stabbed the spear tip into the ground and the sand turned black, spreading to the ten meters around him. This green miasma rose from the ground and touched the corpses before they rose to their feet once more. Gaara gaped at them, shocked. He took a step back and they took that as the signal to charge. His sand came alive once again, crushing them once more but the bodies reformed and charged at him again.
"St-stay back!" he screamed, terrified. All at once, they stopped and fell apart. "Huh?" He tried to turn around but found two skeletal arms coming from the ground held him in place. "AH!"
"Finally you stopped moving," Velve said behind you. "I knew if I couldn't move to you, I would move you to me." He read the scroll and Gaara slumped forward. Picking the boy up, he flew into the sky in time to see in the distance Gaara's escorts back to Suna. Holding out his spear, the felmagic returned to the runes carved into it, returning the sand to normal. Gaara was gone, the wind destroyed all signs of them, and they would be none the wiser as to why.
—oo000oo—
Yagura set his cup of tea down, smiling at Rand Althor. "I do thank you for meeting with me."
Althor took a swallow of his tea and sighed. "Quite all right...at least it would be if you had stronger chairs," the chair he had sat down in was not only too small but too weak and had broke, "a little sugar and cream for the tea would be nice...thank you," the secretary had shakily put both inside his cup, "and if she would stop shaking and clutching at that kunai when she thinks I'm not looking, that would be nice too."
"Hoshi, this is our guest," Yagura told her, not that he blamed the woman. Rand Althor intimidated many people, including the Mizukage, though he was as soft as a kitten unless angered.
"Y-Yes, Mizukage-sama." She bowed her head and walked out.
Althor took a swallow of his tea and sighed. "Though, I must admit, I was a little hesitant when I heard the most distasteful rumor that you were waging war and persecution against those with bloodline abilities. And of course, you know that would count as most of the people of Uzu no Kuni. Though, I also heard that these last few years, you have eased up on that. By chance, it wasn't caused our interruption of the Kage Summit, was it?"
Yagura took a deep breath, thought how to word it without casting himself in a dark light, and decided to just say it. "Yes it was."
"I see. So, what did you want to talk about?"
"I would think that simple. Though Uzu no Kuni is a small country, the strength of the country is in no doubt to me. If Uzu plans to start or go to war, I would rather it not be against Mizu no Kuni, especially if the dragon that attacked Konoha is involved."
"Though she doesn't really concern herself too much in the wars of the rest of the world, she does take serious anyone that threatens her family. And as a war would likely bring itself upon her children, I would say there is a chance she will get involved," Althor admitted. "So, this is all to save your butts?"
"Yes. The land of Uzu itself is a fortress, damn near impossible to approuch, much less breach. Unassailable mountains, violent maelstroms. Then there is the people itself. It is a battle not even worth thinking about so eventually attacking Uzu is out of the question, which mean we would be on the defensive the whole time. Uzu doesn't have any territories and is mostly self-sufficient. No other country can say that. So a war with it isn't in the best interest of Mizu."
"Neither is killing off your people, driving away your warriors, and acting like a tyrant." Althor stated.
"I've made some bad decisions, I know, and some I can't even explain why, but I am asking for your help to prevent the worst I could ever make. The dragon clan descending on my village will destroy us, that is it. You hold the cards, sir, I admit it."
Rand Althor looked him over a bit before rising. "I must use the restroom, and while I do, I shall consider what you have told me and the efforts you have made to change for the better." He walked out of the office, nodded to his guards, two warrior priest of the Dragon God from the Rand clan, and went to the bathroom. He really didn't need to use it, just that he needed to get away from the man. Yagura gave off a odd feeling, one he didn't like. He noticed it two years ago and it is weaker now than then but it was still there. Washing his hands, he looked in the mirror for a moment to see a boy had entered behind him and was waiting patiently for his to notice. "Can I help you?"
"Not myself, sir, but hopefully, my father you can."
Althor turned to him and looked him over. The boy was just entering his teens but looked like he would be a bit feminine. "Name of you and your father?"
"I am Haku, sir, my father is Momichi Zabuza. Himself and a few others would very much so like to speak to you before you return to the Mizukage."
Rand looked in the direction of Yagura and could hear him still in his office. "Very well, Haku, lead the way." Following him out, he went down the hall into a meeting room. There, waiting for him, was a red haired woman with one eye covered and a ring on her left hand, two of the Seven Swordsmen of Mist, and a ninja with an eyepatch over his right eye. "Yes?"
"Rand Althor." the taller of the swordmen said with a bow, "I am Zabuza, this is my wife, Mei, my fellow swordsman, Chojuro, and this is Ao. We need your help, concerning Yagura."
Althor sighed, "I am not helping you assassinate him."
"No, not that kind of help," Chojuro insisted. "Ao, tell him!"
"What I am about to reveal is worthy of treason. I have a Byakugan eye under this eyepatch. It has let me see through many illusions in the time I've had it. Two years ago, its vision of the Mizukage was altered a little and I eventually realized that it was an illusion I was seeing placed on him. The night you revealed yourselves, that illusion started to break. We cannot break it alone, he is too strong. But, maybe with your help, it is possible."
Althor looked behind him, "So that is what I sense from him... Very well, consider it done. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to return." Without waiting, he turned around and headed back. "Yagura, after much consideration, I have decided I cannot accept as things stand. I must first do something."
"What is that?"
"This... Ramon, Peter, seal him!" The two burst into the room and in moments, chanted their spell and placed seals on Yagura to restrain him.
"What is this betrayal!?" Outside, the secretary screamed that they were assassinating the Mizukage.
"He is being controlled," Althor told the two before they all started going through the same chants. Light encased Althor's right hand before he rushed forward and slammed his fist on Yagura's forhead. With a flash of light, several dark runes appeared between the fist and head in a circle. "In the name of the Dragon God, lord of all creation, father of the two sisters, the sun and moon, I command you to begone from this man!" Yagura began to scream in pain before the runes shattered and the punch carried through.
Hitting the ground rather hard, he blinked at the ceiling a few minutes before gripping his head. "MOTHER FUCKER! What hit me!?" He sat up and cupped his head. "Hoshi, get me some Tylenol!" He shakily stood up and reached for his chair. "Man that hurts!" Sitting down, he looked to where to woman was still screaming. "Damn it woman, shut up and get me some blasted Tylenol!" He dropped his head on his desk before looking to Althor and his guards. After a moment, everything came back to him and he said, "Could you have done it without splitting my head like a melon?"
All three of them shrugged. "The Dragon God is a very physical god for his warriors," Ramon replied.
"Yeah, just be glad you don't have to get the healing hands spell," Peter told him.
"Feel better?" Althor asked him.
"Clearer. Hoshi, a bag of ice too!" He groaned before looking at him again. "...So where were we?"
"We were just getting to asking what we want of each other. You said you wanted to avoid fighting Uzu, I am about to say to stop this blood wars of your's. All of it. As well as that demon inside you gone."
"Done." Hoshi gave him the ice, a cup of water, and the painkillers. "Thank you." He swallowed the pills, drank the water, set the ice on his head, and passed out.
Althor looked to the two and shrugged. "All in all, a very productive day."
—oo000oo—
Author's Notes: Gomen it took so long, I started this on christmas and after a week got to where Yagura told Hoshi to relax but then it got put on the back burner. I reread it a few times to make sure everything was good and here is what I got. Note, Zabuza is still in Kiri because since Madara had to vanish for a bit, he couldn't be there to keep up the illusion so things were able to get better. Thus, the time was allowed for Ao to discover the illusion and get with those that could break it or if needed, kill him.