Yo! How's everybody doing? Sorry its been like 5 months since the last update (School is hectic) hopefully y'all remember what happened in the last chapter. Well I hope a 6000+ word chapter compensates for it...

Bold - sounds

Italics - thoughts

*Disclaimer: Characters belong to Kishimoto-sensei*

"What are you d-doing in here?" The princess asked in shock.

She had bumped into the wall where the light switch was, turning it on only to see an elderly woman. The landlady – Yujiyo, her name tag read – was startled from being caught but her expression quickly changed to a death glare. In her hand she held Hinata's sack of coins. The woman had also stuffed her jewelry in the sac, Hinata guessed from seeing her dangling golden necklace.

That's all our money. I can't let her have it.

Yujiyo's once soulless eyes changed and held desperation. Without answering the princess's question, the woman kicked Hinata's knees making her fall to the wooden floor. For an old, frail-looking woman, she had a strong kick.

The woman proceeded to abuse the seventeen year old by stomping on her. Hinata could only curl up in a ball the best she could. Growing tired of continuously kicking her victim, the landlady stopped. She headed towards the door, but before the doorknob turned Hinata made her move.

She wasn't just going to let the woman leave with their money. Hinata stretched out her legs to stop the door from opening. With all her might, she then swung them forward until they met another's legs. Yujiyo fell on her rear end and groaned. Taking the chance, Hinata jumped on the woman. Her legs straddled Yujiyo's stomach to stop her from moving. The obi on her kimono became loose from stretching the garment too much.

The woman underneath the Hyuga heiress struggled to get her off. She had let go of the pouch from the sudden fall. Seeing that Yujiyo was trying to reach the bag, Hinata kicked it farther away. The stick she held earlier had landed beside the bed which was way out of her reach.

I need her to pass out.

They wrestled, trashing about until Hinata was the one underneath the other. By now, her obi could slip off any moment. The kimono would swing open but it was the least of her worries. During their fight, they had rolled to the other side of the room, conveniently beside the bed. The older woman was panting, hovering over the tired out princess. Hinata lay beneath her, panting just the same.

"Just let *huff* me go. I have to *huff* do this. I'll kill you if I have to." Although she said this, Hinata didn't flinch. She looked desperate but her gray eyes were sad. There was a reason for this.

"I..I can't!" She yanked her wrist away from the hands of the intruder. Giving all her might, Hinata punched Yujiyo's chin. Being thrown off guard, Yujiyo bit her tongue as her jaw was slammed upwards. The tip of it started to bleed, Yujiyo knew from a coppery taste swarming her taste buds. The woman slightly got off of the girl underneath.

The Hyuga took this chance to escape. The stick was within reach and in one swing, the landlady was slammed into the ground; her head hit the wooden structure with a large amount of force causing her to lose focus. Blood soon dyed the ground copper red due to the stick's attack on her head. The pain was too much to bear for the elderly woman and so, Yujiyo fainted.

Success! Hinata cheered in victory. Ah! Realizing what she had done, Hinata knelt down to check the stranger's pulse. She sighed in relief. The woman was still alive.

But now what should I do?

She had the choice to throw the lady out but it wouldn't be right. The place was owned by Yujiyo; she could easily come back in with her keys. Naruto would know what to do.

Just in case Yujiyo woke up, she decided to put the lady on a chair and tie her to it. She remembered the teachings of her private teacher and tied the rope securely. Yujiyo wouldn't be able to move by herself.

The wound on Yujiyo's head wasn't severe enough for stitches but enough for a worrisome amount of blood to seep through to her gray hair. The ointment Naruto used on her before was given to the woman. The princess disinfected then applied the ointment, dabbing it on ever so carefully.

The sack of money was returned to its former spot and was hidden under many layers of clothing. For extra precaution, Hinata hid her bag in a drawer filled with blankets. She re-tied her obi and continued with her after bath routine. Her hair was still wet and tangled from rolling on the ground.

After drying and brushing, Hinata waited for Naruto's arrival. She didn't know the time but already her eyesight was fading. Her third pill was already taken just before bathing. The room would grow blurry, becoming only clear when focusing really hard. She saw less and less until darkness was once again welcomed.

The thought of taking in another pill dawned on her but the after effect would cause her great pain. Plus with another pill her sight would only last less than twenty minutes. It wasn't worth it.

There weren't any sounds coming from Yujiyo besides her deep breathing. The woman hadn't woken up yet. It was still safe for Hinata. She just hoped it stayed that way till Naruto came back with food.

OoOoO

A sound of a beast roared out loud for one to hear. Naruto rubbed his stomach in annoyance.

"I'm so hungry!" He shouted to the wide open air.

The sun was making its way down the sky. The last he ate was earlier that day, before he met Oakley. And even then it wasn't enough to fill his stomach.

It was strange though. All the shops he visited where all closed or shut down. Not even a decent restaurant was open. There was no one he saw out on the street, just wild chicken pecking the dirt ground for food. For a second, he thought of taking one to fry but thought better of it. It would take forever to prepare it.

Turning an empty corner, Naruto sighed. There was nothing on this street either.

After ten more minutes, the blond gave up. He just hoped that there was some food in his bag he could share with Hinata.

Standing before the Lily Inn, Naruto sensed another's presence in his room. There was Hinata's warm, vibrant aura. Then there was a sickly, tainted dark aura threatening to harm the princess. Whatever the stranger was trying to do, it wasn't good.

"Hinata!" Naruto ran up the stairs and barged in. It wasn't locked. He had locked the door before leaving – checking twice to make sure – so how could the person enter?

Eyes wide, Hinata gasped at the sudden entry. "Na-Naruto-kun?" She sat nicely on a chair looking unharmed.

Naruto relaxed. "Are you alright?"

Before she could answer, there was a growl coming from another person.

"RELEASE ME!" All eyes turned to Yujiyo. The landlady: this explains how the door was unlocked. She had woken up before Naruto arrived. She was angry from waking up to find out that she was tied to a chair.

Naruto was astounded. He saw the wound on the old woman's head. "Did you do this?" He said, amazed rather than angry.

The princess nodded. "I can at least defend myself from others."

"Well you tied her up pretty nicely. What happened while I was gone?"

Hinata explained the whole incident. The woman came in to steal their money and attacked Hinata.

"She tried to kill you?!" His voice rose as did his anger.

"Threatened to!" Hinata corrected. "She said she has to take the money. There's a reason and I'm willing to listen to it."

"Umm….Hinata? Has it worn off?" Naruto had walked to her left side while she was talking, facing the position he was in before.

Hinata bit her lip in embarrassment. She nodded and lowered her gaze. "I already took the last one for today."

Yujiyo was occupied trying to wiggle out of the knots to pay attention to the two. She didn't see nor hear their conversation.

"Well that's a problem." He thought for a second before speaking. "Just don't move...I guess…I'll talk to the landlady."

Hinata agreed. It would be for the best; if Yujiyo did anything dangerous, Hinata would be at a disadvantage due to her disability at the moment.

"It's useless, you're just harming yourself." Naruto spoke the truth. Hinata tied the ropes pretty tight and in a way where one couldn't free themselves alone. "Now tell me why you're here. Depending on your answer, I'll let you go."

The woman thought for a minute. It was her only hope at the moment. Her energy was far too drained to continue struggling. Plus, she was in pain from the aftermath of her small fight with Hinata. Her head was aching for medicine to help fade the banging in her head. The scraping from the rope on her wrists weren't helping either.

No one was going to rescue her if the travelers abandoned her there on the chair. She'd be alone, stuck there to die, and unable to save them. She didn't want that.

"I'll talk." She stared at the masked man and began her tale. She confessed her crime along with charging their stay for a higher price than the usual.

Naruto and Hinata listened carefully. The woman seemed desperate for money.

"Reason?"

Yujiyo hesitated. If anyone heard, she'd be beheaded.

"You said that you'd talk." Naruto unintentionally spat out. He was growing impatient and his stomach wasn't helping; it was craving nourishment.

"It began with the town mayor," She just hoped that no one was listening in on their conversation. "he borrowed a large sum of money from her majesty, Queen Alysa, for our farming and for renovations of this town. During the two months after receiving the money, our lands grew dry from the sudden heat wave. It didn't rain, neither does it now. In the end, the mayor couldn't pay it off. As payment, she took our people; all the young ones at least."

Yujiyo's voice quivered as tears formed. She shut her eyes to stop them from falling. "I-I'm sorry for this. My children along with my grandchildren were taken. The only people left in this town are the elderly or the incapable." The tears failed to comply.

In a rush, the princess came running to the woman. Naruto watched carefully at Hinata's actions. He didn't notice her brush past him a second ago. How did she know where the woman was sitting? How'd she know where to walk without her vision in just a short amount of time? She held a handkerchief in her hand and was dabbing the woman's tears away. Hinata was truly kind; her facial expression showed concern for the woman she barely knew – the woman that almost killed her.

Yujiyo was stunned at Hinata's show of worry. Considering what the woman did to her, she thought that the female teen was angry and despised her like a regular person would. The elderly woman cracked a small smile, showing her yellow teeth. "That's enough, thank you."

Hinata smiled back, feeling the small warmth in Yujiyo's presence.

"And what's the reason for taking our money?" He had a feeling as to why. No wonder the town was practically empty.

"Queen Alysa told us that we would have to pay back the loan to get our people back. It's been a month already and we haven't gotten past half the amount yet. The time limit is tomorrow but her majesty may make an exception." She said, half knowing that it probably won't happen. Yujiyo along with the remaining town's people only had hope left.

"We can help you!" Hinata shot out her hands and held the woman's wrinkled ones.

Naruto patted Hinata's head. "Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren't-cha Hime?"

The said princess blushed. "Gomen.."

"It's alright 'cause I was just about to say the same thing." Kitsune turned his attention back to the elderly woman. "We'll take them back for ya." He said the next sentence venomously. "That 'Queen' of yours is up to no good. Whatever she plans to do is not going to be pleasant."

Were these two travellers really going to help her? Her town's people? They had just arrived to the country and were willing to face the Queen. "It's dangerous though; the Queen will behead you if you're caught!"

Naruto had cut off the ropes while she was talking. The woman stood beside him rubbing her now free wrists.

Naruto scoffed. "Dangerous? Compared to what I've done in the past, this is as easy as finishing ten bowls of ramen. I'm doing it even if you say no. You could tell me anything, but I won't be convinced to stop."

Yujiyo frowned although she was quite happy. "Have it your way; I'm heading towards the castle tomorrow with the money just in case the Queen accepts. If she doesn't that's when you young people will step in, got it?"

The blond nodded. "Now…the price…"

"Price? I thought it was free."

"Heh heh, nope." Naruto held his growling stomach. "Two meals….please? I'm dying right now."

OoOoO

"You haven't said a word in a while. What's wrong?" Hinata was pretty quiet but the vibe Naruto got from her was unusual.

They departed from Meadowfort a few hours ago. Yesterday night, Yujiyo had fed them vegetable soup; it was easy for Hinata to eat without being caught blind. They decided that her blindness should be kept as a secret; if anyone were to find out, it would heighten their chances of being attacked by the enemy. It was just a safety precaution.

Telling Yujiyo that they wanted to go earlier to the capital, she gave them a small wagon and horse. The earlier they went, the more time they had to gather information about the missing villagers. The elderly woman would meet up with them at the castle later on in the day.

"Oh…it's just that I didn't know." She replied. She sat at the back of the wooden wagon, leaning against the front seat where Naruto sat. He was holding the reins of the horse to guide them to their destination.

It took her a second to come up with words to explain her predicament. "The country beside us was doing such an awful thing. The people were suffering and I didn't know. I could've done something for them."

"It's not your fault, Hinata-Hime. It's another country's problem; you wouldn't have been able to interfere without the Queen's consent."

"Yes, that's true….but…" She couldn't come up with any words to say.

"Don't blame yourself; we're helping them now aren't we? It's not too late." He said optimistically.

Hinata smiled, accepting Naruto's words of encouragement.

"You know, you truly are kind Hinata-Hime."

"Eh?" She looked at him confused as to how this popped up. "What do you mean?"

He thought about the memory of the princess amusing the children and her sudden rush to cheer up Yujiyo. Not only that, Hinata had forgiven Yujiyo for wanting to kill her and instead wanted to listen to the older woman's reasons.

"All the princess' I've met were mostly spoiled, snotty brats. Your different from them; a kind, brave young girl that sympathizes with her people. You truly care for the citizen's wellbeing, a suitable Queen for the future."

Hinata turned her attention away from Naruto's back. She blushed at his compliment. "T-thank you, but I wouldn't say I'm Queen material. I have many flaws; I lack confidence, leadership abilities, and there's also the issue of my inability to speak to a large crowd. Males too...I'm not good with them."

He laughed. "Are you saying that I'm not a male? You speak fine to me."

Hinata shook her head. "No-no I didn't mean that! You're a male just umm...different."

That was true. Now that she thought about it, she didn't stutter anymore. Not even a week had passed since their meeting and already she was comfortable with the man. She didn't feel the need to hide or run away when talking with him, nor did she feel the uneasiness of being around him.

Naruto grinned. "I'm different from other men, huh? Well thank you, I'll take that as a compliment. Back to what you were saying before about your flaws, well I don't think it matters. You don't have to be perfect to lead a country or do anything for that matter. Everyone has their flaws; no one is perfect on their own. Your other half will fill them in for you so quit worrying about it, don't put yourself down." He released one of his hands from the horse's reins and went to pat Hinata's head.

"I'm happy father chose you." Hinata said too quietly. A large, gracious smile plastered her face at hearing her knight's words.

"Huh? What was that you said?"

"N-Nothing, just talking to myself."

OoOoO

She spent the next few minutes watching the scenery. The grassy plains stretched forever. The sky was getting cloudy, signifying the sign of rain. Hinata remembered the words of Yujiyo, they were struggling through a heat wave. Now that she thought about it, it was rather hot in Meadowfort. The air changed significantly as of now it was cool.

"Ano, didn't Yujiyo say that it doesn't rain?" The princess questioned.

Naruto had also noticed the change of atmosphere. He grasped the reins tightly in anger. "It's only a guess but it could be the work of magicians. It was planned; the Queen hired the magician after the mayor borrowed money, to change the weather. She wanted the mayor to be unable to pay her back."

Hinata glared at the field of corn they were passing by. What a horrible person the Queen was. "But why did she take the people?"

"Who knows, but taking almost ninety percent of a town calls for something unpleasant."

OoOoO

An hour or two passed, according to Naruto, the capital of Proessa was near. He estimated twenty minutes till their arrival.

A drop of rain splatted onto Naruto's nose. A few more drops fell until it started to spit. "The rain is going to get harder. Hinata-Hime, in my bag could you get out the box with an umbrella sign on it?"

The princess compiled and opened up his knapsack. Inside, she saw many things the size of children's toys. There were a few orbs that were the size of marbles in one corner, each with something different in them. A crumbled paper rested between his clothes with vials of potions. There were also different kinds of weapons: a sword, knives, a bow and arrows, and other weapons she couldn't name. The tent and sleeping bag from the other night were also sitting in there. She dug around until she spotted small boxes. The lids each had their own logo, she grabbed the one with a red umbrella embedded on it, then closed the bag back up again. Once the box was pulled out, it returned to its normal size.

"Now throw it in the air and chant the words 'dalla fral umbrella' to open it."

After copying Naruto's instructions, the lid opened and a poof of smoke erupted out. In a second, a clear tarp wrapped itself over the wagon and horse. Hinata stared at it, amazed at the magic behind it all. She watched as the rain drops splattered onto the magical material above her. Everything inside was dry.

"Now we can keep ourselves warm and dry from the rain. By the time we arrive, the spell should ware off." He explained to the curious Hyuga.

"If you don't mind me asking, who's the magician that makes you all these stuff?" Hinata asked. She was fascinated by all the magical items he owned.

"Back at Arcadia, we have a few magicians. I usually ask my friend, Shikamaru, he's a rank six mage and sells his stuff cheap to me. However, when I need supplies and not near the guild, I just go into magic shops and try to find strong items for cheap."

Out of the six creature types (Kai, Yunomi, Shape Shifter, Wild, Yokai, Fein), only three are able to become magicians: the Kai, Yunomi and the Fein. On a child's tenth birthday, they are tested to see if they can wield magic by completing a series of spells. If they can't then they are not qualified to be a magician. Those who are able to wield magic are put into mandatory magic classes to control their abilities.

The higher ranked a magician becomes, the stronger their magic is. There are ten ranks, one being the weakest and ten the strongest. The number of magicians drop as the rank gets higher because it gets harder advancing to the next rank. It could take a Rank Four magician over ten years to get to Rank Five. There are only three Rank Ten mages in the world and only one mage that is higher than ten, that person is given the title 'The Oracle'. The Oracle is the strongest magician in all of Vinea and achieves immortality. Since it requires a large amount of life energy (Chakra) to do magic, the life of a mage is increased to live longer.

"That reminds me, Hime, do you still have the life crystal Oakley gave us?"

She pulled the necklace out of her kimono. It was still gray. "It's here."

"Good. Have mine." He pulled the necklace off his neck with one hand. Naruto then handed it to Hinata to take. The crystal was glowing orange, fading out to gray with every beat of his heart.

She took it although she was as confused as a Psyduck. "But why? I've got my own."

"It's so that we know each other's status. We're exchanging crystals. If anything happens to either of us, the other will know."

That made sense. Hinata then slipped hers off as well. The gray crystal dangled in front of her eyes as she questioned it. Why was it not glowing like Naruto's? Was something wrong with it?

"Ano...it's not working. My crystal is still a solid colour."

"That's because you didn't activate it yet. Hold the life crystal in your palm, make sure that it's fully covered. Then try channeling your chakra into it."

She did what he said but it didn't work. Naruto looked back to see the outcome. The crystal was still not glowing.

"Try closing your eyes and concentrate on moving a large amount of chakra to your hands. It'll then transfer it to your crystal." He explained.

Once again Hinata clasped it into her hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the chakra streams inside of her. Her focus was moving a large amount of chakra from her heart to her hands. The chakra emitted a warm feeling as it was transferring to the crystal. Thinking that it was enough to transfer, Hinata opened her hands. There, lying in her palms was a glowing crystal, warm and beautiful.

"I did it!" She smiled brightly. She stared at it amazed as it dangled from the string. It was her first time using her chakra and it worked!

She was smiling from her achievement which made him contagiously smile back. In the time they spent together, it was the first time he saw her expression like this; a beautiful wide smile, her pale eyes shining with delight and excitement.

"Wah, your chakra is beautiful." She had given the necklace to him. A milky purple crystal glowed against his chest. "It's the same color as your eyes, light lavender; a rare shade for chakra."

He tucked the crystal inside his cloak before he saw it blink rapidly. Hinata's heart sped up. Although it was unintentional, he had complimented her eyes, saying that they were beautiful. She tucked her legs in to her stomach and buried her warm face with her arms. She didn't know what the colour 'light lavender' looked like, but Hinata liked the sound of it.

OoOoO

They set the carriage and horse in the company of a villager, telling him that they'd pay once they come back.

They were welcomed with beautiful scenery once they entered the capital city. It was bustling with lively people and animals. The dirt path was transformed into a stone pathway that the citizens drove on with their fancy carriages and magic vehicles. The buildings looked as marvelous as the clean and smooth ground. From what they saw there were no cracks in the walls or moss. It was a clean city.

They strolled the city as the rain pittered and pattered on top of their umbrellas. There were people of all races interacting with each other, too busy to notice the two new faces.

Hinata looked up at Naruto. He had put his mask back on once they arrived. "So what are we going to do?" Hinata asked.

"While Yujiyo gets here I want to check out the Queen and her castle. We need to find a way to sneak in for later. If the Queen does not accept the money Yujiyo is giving, then the plan is to enter the castle without anyone knowing. Then find the Queen and make her tell us where the villagers are."

Hinata nodded in response. It was a simple plan that even a kid can think of.

Naruto stopped in front of a building that read "Fernard's Inn".

"While I'm doing all that, I want you to stay here."

Hinata stared at him in disbelief. She thought they were going to do it together. "No! I'm coming with you. I want to save them."

Naruto rested his hand on her shoulder. They stared into each other's eyes, both showing determination. "It is best if you stayed here. Your safety is my priority; if we head in together who knows what troubles you could get into."

"I'm trained! I could fight too." Like Hanabi, she was also trained to fight. Her father thought it was necessary for a princess to know the basics in case of an emergency happened. She wasn't as skilled as her younger sister and definitely not at Naruto's level, but Hinata could help in some way.

The man sighed. "You're a princess; if anything happened, your country will be at war with Proessa. We have to keep your identity and location a secret. The Queen or anybody else can know that the princess of the Sun Empire is wandering the streets."

She was the first to look away, feeling defeat. Her knight was right; her father would not sit still if anything happened to her. However, she still wanted to save all those people. "I understand."

Her downcast expression made Naruto feel guilty but it was for her safety. "Gomen, it's for the best. Let's head in now."

The door knocked the bell atop the doorway. The elderly man at the counter heard this and turned to face his customers. "Welcome to Fernard's Inn, how many days will you be staying?" He repositioned his spectacles due to them falling when he bowed in courtesy.

Naruto raised one finger. "Just one night. A room with one bed please."

Hinata held her warm cheeks to hide her blushing. One bed?! That can't mea—Am I hearing right?

"A room with a bed.." The owner looked through his list of room availability and found one.

Nope, she heard correctly.

Naruto paid the amount the man asked for before receiving a silver key. "Room 38, up the stairs and to your rig-"

Brring, brring brring!

The clock on the counter rang loudly interrupting their conversation. It stopped once the elderly man slammed the bell. "Excuse me for a minute." He rushed out the door baffling his two customers. A few other residents came out of their rooms and followed out the door.

Hinata and Naruto exchanged questioning looks at each other. What was going on? They too decided to exit the inn.

The rain was still splashing down onto the ground. All the villagers had stopped what they were doing and headed to the largest street. What's more, they all kneeled on the cold, wet ground without their umbrellas or anything to cover their heads.

They headed to the crowd with their umbrellas.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked a woman that was about to run past them.

"New in town? Either go back inside or close your umbrellas and follow what everybody else is doing. Hurry, the Queen is about to arrive!" She said in a rush of words.

Becoming even more curious, Naruto complied. He recommended Hinata to go back in but she too wanted to know what was going on. Their clothes got wet along with their hair, and the pebbles on the hard pavement stuck into their flesh as they kneeled.

Everyone stayed where they were, unmoving and quiet. Off in the distant, the sound of a chime rang. It got louder with each passing minute. Queen Alysa was coming closer, making her way down the long street.

Five minutes of waiting and alas she arrived. Naruto frowned while Hinata stared agape as the woman made her way.

The Queen wore a beautiful red kimono. All sorts of accessories clung to her clothes. The conical hat she wore had a red veil that hung to hide her face. Long, straight black hair fell beneath the hat to approximately her knees.

She sat inside of a large fancy palanquin while five people carried her. The five people – her slaves – looked gravelly tired. With no shoes, bloodied worn out feet, they trudged their way through the rain swept street. They were given little coverage from the rain, wearing old rags and shredded bandages. Their wrists were handcuffed together. The slaves ranged in age and gender; a forty year old Fein man that had a limp in one leg, a middle-aged man and woman that looked starved, and an adolescent Elf female whose legs were chained together. What's more, all of them had a black collar around their necks. All were attached to chains held by Queen Alysa.

Naruto tried his best to keep his urge of wanting to punch the lady. Treating them like so was unforgivable.

The bell on the palanquin rung once more then she was placed on the ground. The Queen emerged from the palanquin holding a staff in one hand and the bundle of chains in the other. She turned to a slave, beckoning them to come forward.

It was the female Elf. She held a scroll in her hand and began reading it. Hinata watched as the pink-haired Elf, being about in her mid-teens trembled as she read the name. The girl didn't want to do it, knowing that whoever's name was called out would bring them misfortune.

"Taro…Youshi…" She quietly spoke.

"Taro Youshi, stand before your Queen!" Queen Alysa commanded.

A man quickly stood up with a dreadful face. The color of his face turned pale and if it weren't for the rain, his forehead would show sweat drops. One could tell the man was nervous due to his hands. They fidgeted around till he shoved them behind his back so his ruler did not see. "Y-yes, your majesty?"

"Step forward."

The crowd shuffled in order for the man to stand facing their ruler. With a snap of her fingers, a slave went to get something from the palanquin. The person came back with another collar and handcuffs.

"Taro Youshi, you have not paid this month's taxes. Law dictates that one who does not meet the deadline shall be punished."

The man began crying once he saw the chains. "Please don't do this to me! I paid last month's, I'm just late by two days. My child was sick and needed medication! Look, I promise you I will pay by the end of this week! Please spare me!" He went on his knees and bowed till his head hit the ground, pleading for mercy.

The crowd looked away for his pleas will never convince the authority of the Queen. The rules were the rules. If you don't listen, you'd be punished.

"Raise your head."

Believing that he had been forgiven, he followed her command. He smiled up at her only to feel something lock onto his neck. His happiness only lasted a second before he understood what it was. "NO! You can't do th-"

Queen Alysa tugged the chain causing him to choke for a second. "Raise your arms before your lying here cold."

His tears poured down along with the rain as the slave handcuffed him. He had no other choice but to follow her orders. The slave brought him over to one of the wooden poles of the palanquin and instructed him to carry it when the time comes.

Queen Alysa tapped her staff on the ground. She faced the audience as she spoke. "To the Youshi family, if you do not pay this month's fee by tonight, you also will be taken away. If wanting Taro Youshi back, you must also pay the same amount he owes the empire. Thank you for your time, see you tomorrow." The woman said heartlessly.

The crowd watched their Queen go back into the palanquin and depart to a different part of the city before getting back up. As everyone headed back to their shops and homes, Hinata noticed a small child crying for her father as she was pulled by her teary-eyed mother.

They had walked into their room without saying a word to each other due to the scene they just witnessed.

"That was sickening." Naruto spat out. He threw his bag on the ground in anger. "How dare she treat people like this!"

Hinata frowned. She sat on a chair looking out at the rain as she dried her long hair with a towel. "The villagers at Meadowfort...that's what happened to them. They've become slaves." She mumbled.

Naruto sat on the bed, making it creak. His cloak hung on a hook for drying purposes, and his kitsune mask sat beside him. He was also drying his face and hair with another beige towel. "Our mission has changed. We're not saving just the villagers; we're going to free all the slaves. Taking down the Queen comes first though."

He had taken out a piece of paper from his bag and was writing something on it. Minutes later, he folded it up and put it in an envelope. The princess watched as he pulled chalk out and drew something on the ground with it. It was a magic circle filled with many unknown words and symbols. Blood dripped from his bitten thumb onto one symbol. It slowly filled the magic circle until it started glowing. The room was brightened by a bright light all of a sudden then dimmed back to its regular colour.

Her lavender eyes grew wide at what she saw next. Sitting in the middle of the circle was an orange toad with purple markings. He summoned a frog?!

"Yo Naruto, what is it this time?" The toad spoke. The toad caught Hinata's gaze, then looked around the room to see the one bed. "Naruto so you finally got a girl," It whistled. "and she's pretty hot. Have fun tonight, kid."

Both their faces reddened tenfold. Hinata covered her face in embarrassment. She forgot about the one room one bed issue.

"Shut up Gamakichi! We're not like that!" His face was completely shaded red. "I don't intend to do anything to you tonight, so don't worry Hinata-Hime!" He said to her.

"HIme? What is a princess doing in a hotel room?" Gamakichi asked.

"Long story short, I'm helping her find the Oracle. Now, getting to the point on why I summoned you, I need you to send this back to headquarters." He handed the letter he was writing to the toad. "And this one too." He found a crumpled letter at the bottom of his bag. It was the one he wrote in the Sun Empire before Hinata's cousin came in.

"Alright, I'll be sure to hand it to master. See ya later, Hime-sama, Naruto." Gamakichi waved his small hand and disappeared in a poof. The magic circle disappeared along with the blood as if nothing was there in the first place.

They sat there in silence, both not knowing what to say.

"D-don't get any wrong ideas, a one-bed room is cheaper and I'll be at the castle tonight…I promise I won't touch you in an indecent way throughout our journey. " He fumbled out, still embarrassed at what his toad friend said. Naruto did not want to cause her any discomfort being in his presence.

Hinata let out a chuckle that went unnoticed by Naruto. So that's why he chose a one bed room.

"Eh nani? Why are you laughing?" He was confused. "Did I say something wrong?"

She waved her hands in front of her to deny. "No, it's just that I haven't seen you flustered over anything. It's a first." She said with a sweet smile adoring her face. "I trust you, Naruto-kun. I know that you won't be harming me in anyway."

Naruto wasn't expecting her to say that. What's more is that he wasn't expecting to blush at her sudden smile. It was beautiful along with her cute laughter. It was a first for him today to see the princess' excitement, laugh and smile.

It wasn't until she sneezed that he woke from his daze. "Ahh, you're still in your wet kimono. Warm yourself before you catch a cold." Naruto shooed her till she got into the bathroom.

The door locked and the sound of water came through the wall.

"She trusts me, huh?" He grinned really wide from the sudden boost of happiness from her words. "Alright! Time to get to work." His body took a stretch before getting off the bed.

He grabbed a few supplies from his bag and put them in his hip pouch. After putting back on his mask and still wet cloak, he left the room.

OoOoO

A large gate stood in front of Naruto. He made it to the castle thanks to the directions he was given from the inn keeper. Large walls surrounded the place making it impossible to see the palace from the ground. The gate was also guarded by four soldiers. Dressed in armor from head to toe, it was hard to know if they were staring at Naruto.

He walked closer alerting the guards. They blocked the closed gate entrance for safety precautions. "State your business."

The masked boy raised his hands to show he meant no harm. Still, they did not budge. "Just here to site see. I just arrived to the city and was wondering if tours were open for the castle."

"Tours? Sorry sir but we do not have those here. Now, scram if you do not have any other business."

"Alright, thank you for your time." He politely said, although they didn't need it for their rudeness.

Hmm..the entrance is blocked off by those guys. Their armor looks like a hassle to move in, I could always beat them up. Naruto thought while he walked around the houses near the gate. He stared at the wall, the tip of the palace was seen from his position. But thanks to these walls even if I do get in, who knows how many are inside waiting.

He searched for the tallest house on the block. When he found one, there was no way to get on the roof. He had to climb onto a table then to a balcony to get to the roof of the neighboring building. The roof was quite slippery from the oncoming rain. He had a chance of falling but it was the only way to get to the tall building's roof. Once he got on, Naruto ran till the edge and jumped to get to the tall building. The distance wasn't far luckily. His feet landed and slipped on the wet roof causing him to fall.

Naruto cursed. His pants were completely wet from the fall along with his underwear. His legs were freezing cold and so were his wet gloved hands. There was another roof higher up that he had to climb up. He grabbed he edge and heaved himself upwards.

"There we go, up at last." He dusted the debris off his hands and stared down at his accomplishment. Luckily there was no one in the area to see him or else they could've screamed for the guards to come.

Naruto turned around to see the castle except he saw something surprising. He wasn't alone on this roof; a person wearing a black cloak stood in front of him. Naruto guessed the person had the same intentions as himself; he was staring at the castle without making a sound. Naruto speculated that the person was a male due to his body build.

Shit! Another person, hopefully he didn't hear me. He jumped back down in an attempt to flee but stopped once he heard the familiar male voice.

"Dobe."

The figure turned around. An all too familiar face - mask to be precise - caused Naruto to grin.

"Sasuke-teme."

"I've been waiting, Naruto."

How'd y'all enjoy that? Sasuke's been introduced and another naruto character was too through hints (try guessing who that other person is)

Ah, hope that made sense 'cause I wrote most of it on my phone in the middle of the night. Hope y'all enjoyed it, follow/fav/Review?

Thanks for reading, Happy Holidays everyone and I wish you a safe and an amazing 2015.

Till next time, - Fred

P.S, the story still needs a cover, if any artists out there wanna draw one, feel free to pm me