A.N: Hohohoho... It seems that everybody know about Kamidori. But congrats to TheLastNanaya for answering it first. Now, I think I have already told everyone that I will mix the Visual Novel and the Anime of Season one. So there will be no Touka here (She's not my favourite by the way, no offense to the fans though). And that's final. For the first episode. I actually want to finish it in the last chapter. But, well, lot of things happen and I can't finish it in time. And I'm sorry if I put a cliff-hanger. That's pretty much not my real objection. And here's a cookie for you KeimaEgami *gives a jar for cookie*.
So yeah, sorry for the delay, shit happens sometimes... Wait, I've used that excuse before right? Well anyway, thanks for your reviews! I really appreciate that. I'll wait for the next review! And oh yeah, although it's late, but, Merry Christmas for anyone who celebrate it! And Happy Holiday for those who don't. Also Happy New Year! (I guess everyone celebrate this one right?) Happy Chinese New Year, Happy Valentine (Sadly I don't get any chocolate T.T), and Happy Easter.
And so, here I present to you... The Next Chapter! (Seriously, I need a better line than this)
"Character speaking"
'Character thinking'
THIS IS PURELY FANFICTION, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN DON'T READ IT!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Koihime Musou, Naruto belongs to Masahi Kishimoto and Koihime Musou belongs to BaseSon. And I also don't own any other part from any Animes that show in this story. All of them are belongs to their respectively creators. And I also don't own Kamidori or Kohakuren in the last chapter or in this one. They belong to Eushully.
Chapter 3: The Beginning of a Journey
A man walking in a corridor. He dressed in a yellow robe with red linings. His brown hair is tied in a bun. Walking next to him is a man in blue armour. They are walking in a hurry.
The man in blue armour started the conversation, "Chief, are you sure about your decision?"
The Village's chief look at him with questioning look, "Which one? The one that I sent that girl to Lin-lin? Or the one that I gave you recently?"
The soldier's commander answers quickly, "The one recently. Do you not trust that girl?"
The Village's chief scoffed at him, "Of course not! Why would I trust her? Or are you saying that you believe that girl is the legendary black haired bandit hunter?"
"No sir, that's not what I meant. But... don't you think all of this are too much for just a simple girl?" asked the soldier's commander.
"Bah! Of course not! You must not underestimate Lin-lin. That kid can be such a pain in the ass."
"Are you sure that you're not just exaggerating things?"
At this, the village's chief stop and look at the soldier's commander with fury, "Are you questioning my authority?"
The soldier's commander back away a bit, "No sir! Not at all!"
The Village's chief look at him for a moment before turning away and continue to walk, "Good, then I expect that there will be no problem. And have you order your soldier to do what I told?"
The soldier's commander bowed at this, "Yes sir, I have already dispatch them."
"Good, I'm waiting for the result commander, and I'm not the one who receives such a failure, understood?"
"Understood."
-(this is page break)xxx(this is page break)-
The Village's chief is a greedy one. He's a man that want everything, power, money, and respect. Despite everything that he wants, he has no skills to achieve that. Yes, he maybe rules this place in peace in the beginning. But then, bandits start to attack this village. How dare that lowlife! Then, this little brat, Lin-lin, start to wreck havoc in this city, HIS city. At first, he ignored those brats. But then, their pranks are beginning to annoy him. That picture of him is the last patience he had.
He like his office, lots of picture of him hanging on the wall. Nice furniture decorates his office. There's only one door and one window. This window faced the garden in his residence. The Village's chief like to watch his garden with peace. He enjoys the calm that it's provide. But now, is not the right time to that. He has some business to do. Especially with that bandit-hunter that just enter his village. He will need some cover for what he has planned.
When he bent down to pick some sparse paper, a shadow emerged from the window, covering the sunlight. The village's chief jumped out from his surprised. There, on window, a man in a hooded cloak with red clouds as pattern sitting and face him. He wears a mask with a fox pattern. The blue eyes can be seen through from the eye-slit. The eyes are glowing from the shadow.
"Wh-who are you? What do you want?" asked the village's chief.
However the stranger keeps silent. He does not move or speak. He just there, stares at him. Right now, the village chief tried to keep himself calm. He slowly crept to the door, only to find out that the door, magically, does not budge an inch. He trapped here, alone, with a stranger.
When he turns back, the stranger has jumped down from the window and looking at the paper on his table. Especially, on ONE paper. One that contains about the Village's chief's plan for Kan'U and Lin-lin. Mostly, it contains about how they dead. Full of lies of course.
The Village's chief slowly walks to the cabinet. He quickly opens it and search frantically. He's looking for his family sword. Only to find an empty pedestal where he usually put his sword.
"Looking for this?" a voice came from behind.
The Village's chief turns his neck so fast that he almost snaps his neck. There, the stranger holding his sword. He twirls it and examined it like a master swordsmen.
"You know, this is a good sword. It has that majestic aura that usually comes from noble things." The stranger stops his action and placed his eyes back to the Village's chief, "However, this sword was tainted. It tainted with your action and your policy."
Slowly, the stranger walking towards the Village's chief. His grip on the sword has not loosened. Fear creeping the Village's chief. He knows that this stranger is angry. Angry to HIM.
"St-stop! Don't walks closer or I will call for help!"
The stranger stopped and laughing like a crazy man.
"Hahaha, Oh my... to think that you're this foolish. So hilarious. You think you can scream for help? Have you forgotten that you command all of your troops to precede your plan? THIS PLAN!" The stranger shouted while throwing the paper that contains the Village's chief report about his plan, "You think this will work? You must have been crazy to believe this shit will work!"
"Wh-what do you mean?" The Village's chief asks trembling "I don't see anything wrong with my plan. It's perfect. And soon I will get what I deserve from beginning, RESPECT!"
"And that's the problem. You can't see clearly. This plan is trash. Even your abode knows it. Your soldier's general knows it. Showing that he's a lot better ruler then you." Explain the stranger. Slowly, he starts walking again. The blade is hold pointing at the Village's chief. "And now, is the time for you...to die"
Before the Village's chief could move, his accentor's sword has embedded in his chest. Blood dripping from the tip. His eyes widened from the shock. His mouth can only gapped at the sight. Slowly but sure, his body collapse to the floor. The stranger just stood there impassively. Not disturbed from what he has done. Then, with quiet voice, he whispered at the air, "Now, time to be a hero...again."
-(this is page break)xxx(this is page break)-
Kan'U just entered the bath inside Lin-lin house. She lets out a small sigh. This is has been a long day. Who knows that capturing a small kid can be such a pain? To be honest, she doesn't know that it will end like this. In one moment, they have been clashing sword with sword. They have been fighting until dusk. However, Lin-lin sudenly crying in the middle of fight. Make their fight have to stop.
"This has turned into something strange." Kan'u muttered, looking at the ceiling, "I wonder what Uzumaki-san is doing right now?"
Actually, she planned to go home straight after the battle. Then again, she cannot leave Lin-lin alone after their 'spar'.
"How is the water temperature?" Lin-lin's voice came from the outside.
Kan'U answered, "It's just right."
"Then I'm coming in too." Lin-lin come in and shouted, "Charge!"
She suddenly jumped into the bath-tap, making the water splashing everywhere.
"Hey! Don't jump in!" Shouted Kan'U, "Geez, even your way of entering the bath is..."
Kan'U stopped as she look at Lin-lin gazing on her chest, "What? What's the matter?"
"Your breasts are huge." Said Lin-lin bluntly. Kan'U immediately covers her breast and sunk in the water.
"What should I do to get that plump?" asked Lin-lin.
"What to do..." trail Kan'U, "Oh, yeah. It's ambition. If you have ambition in your heart, the outside will get big... I think."
"Really?" Lin-lin looked excited "Will they really get big that way?"
"Well, there's a theory like that..." said Kan'U uncertainly. "Or perhaps not..."
"All right!" Lin-lin get up from the bath and said, "If that's the case, I'll have ambition in my heart too!"
"Yeah. You should." Said Kan'U, "It's not a bad thing to have ambition."
Before she could say anything else, there's shouts and yells outside the house.
"BURN DOWN THAT HOUSE!"
They look at each other before jumped out from the bath. A fire-arrow flew from the window past Kan'U cheek and stabbed at the wall. Many and many fire-arrows began to stick at the roof and start to make it ablaze. The fire spread very quick as the house is made from wood or straws.
"Chouhi! Let's get out from here!" yelled Kan'U.
But before she could do anything else, a figure run inside the house and grabbed them. Red cloak covered him. 'Uzumaki-san' thought Kan'U. A yellow flash covered them and suddenly they already outside the house.
They are at a hill near the house. From there, they could see many soldiers shooting fire arrows to the house.
"My house!" cried Lin-lin. There's horror stuck on her face seeing the place where she usually sleep, place where she spent her life with her grandfather, and place where her friends gathering is burned right in front of her eyes.
Kan'U can only look at her with sad eyes. There's nothing she could do about them.
"Here's your clothes and weapon." Naruto's voice startled her. At that time, she realized that she's naked as she's just out of bath.
"Kyaaa! Pervert!" yelled Kan'U. Her hands instantly cover her private area.
Ignoring her yell, Naruto continues, "I'll go down there and deal with the soldiers. Hopefully I can stop the fire. You stay here and make sure she doesn't do anything reckless." Naruto pointed behind Kan'U. She turns around and looks at Lin-lin that's still standing there, shocked.
When Kan'U turns around to look at Naruto, he's already gone. And there's a commotion down where the soldiers are. Kan'U looks below and sees Naruto make every single soldier unconscious. His moves are fast, far faster than any human can do. The soldiers have no chance at seeing the attacker before they got hit behind their head and fell unconscious.
Not long, all of them are already knocked out. Naruto then look at the house that already fully ablaze. Looking at a well near the house, he then moves his hand into a blur and whispered something that Kan'U cannot hear. Suddenly, a gush of water burst out from the well and flew to the house. The water put out the fire but alas, the fire has done its purpose, the house is already burned. Sure it's still standing, but there's no way that house could still be inhabited again. The roof is empty as the fire consumed the very last straws. The pillars are black and look about to collapse.
Kan'U standing at the hill saw everything. As did as Lin-lin. She's amazed at how Naruto could control the water. Then a small wind flew at her and realized that she's still naked as did Lin-lin.
"Chouhi, let's get dressed before we go down there okay?" asked Kan'U as she start to put on her clothes on her. Lin-lin just stays silent and starts to get dressed.
When they get down, Lin-lin still keeps silent and says nothing. She slowly walks toward her already-burned-house and stopped right in front of it.
"I-I li-lived here si-since I was small." Her voice is small and trembling, "A-and then... Uwahhhhh!"
Lin-lin burst out of tears and fall on her knees. She just feel despair and lost. All of her memories are now gone. Turn into ash.
Naruto then slowly walks towards her. He put his hand on her shoulder and say. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't put out the fire faster."
At that time, Naruto could never know whether Lin-lin hear his apologize or not as she suddenly hugged him and burying her face on his chest, still crying. Surprised at the action, Naruto can only hug her back. He strokes her hair slowly and let her cried on his embrace.
-(this is page break)xxx(this is page break)-
"Uzumaki-san, are you sure about letting her join us?" asked Kan'U to her companion that sitting on a rock near the gate.
"Of course" shrugged Naruto "After all, what else we can do for her? Besides, it's her choice anyway. Not that she has any other option."
"She can stay at the village."
"And let her memories haunted her? It's better for her to move on. Besides, it's your idea in the first place, isn't it?"
-Flashback start-
Naruto lays Lin-lin gently on a mattress. Kan'U then put a blanket on her. "We should thank The Mistress for letting us stay here for the entire problem we have caused." Said Kan'U while still looking at Lin-lin.
"Nah, it's not like she's mind of it." Assured Naruto, "Actually, I think she likes her. She's immediately say yes when we're asking whether she let her stay here or not."
"If you say so. Well then, let's get going shall we? Let her take a rest."
"Yeah."
But when Kan'U was about to stand up, a small hand clutching her robe. A small voice came from Lin-lin's little mouth "Onee-chan, don't leave me..."
Kan'U stopped and look at her with sad look. "Um... Uzumaki-san, do you not mind if I..." asked Kan'U to Naruto.
"Of course not. Go ahead, accompany her. Besides, I'll go somewhere else."
"You're not going to sleep here?" asked Kan'U.
"Here? With you? Well, it's not like I don't min-"
"N-No! That's not what I meant!" shuttered Kan'U.
Naruto just chuckled at her antics, "Yeah yeah. I know what you meant. And no, there's something else that I need to finish before we left this village."
When Naruto just reached the door, Kan'U called him, "Uzumaki-san, wait."
Naruto stopped and look at her, "Hm? What's wrong?"
Kan'U look at him while fidgeting, "Um... if it's fine with you, can she come with us?"
Naruto stood there in silent as he look at her with a shocked look before saying, "Umm.. You do know that our 'lifestyle' is not what many people think suitable for a little child right?"
"U-uh, t-that's true." Said Kan'U feels depressed for some reason.
"Anyway, if she's okay with it, then I'm okay with it. Besides, I kind of responsible for what happened to her house."
-Flashback end-
"W-well, that's true, but..." trailed Kan'U.
Naruto look at her and smiled. "Ah, perhaps do you regret it because she kept calling you 'onee-chan'?"
Kan'U blushed and denied it "No! That's not it!"
"Then I don't see the problem. You heard it by yourself right? She wants to come with us. Even before we ask her to." shrugged Naruto, "Isn't that right? Kan'U-onee-chan?" teased Naruto.
-Flashback start-
That morning, Lin-lin is eating dumplings for breakfast. Kan'U are looking at her, sometimes she'll wipe off traces of food on her cheeks. Naruto just eating a ramen across them.
The Mistress are looking at them with a smile, "You know, all three of you just look like a family you know."
Hearing that, Kan'U stood up abruptly and denied it, "D-Don't say something stupid! I'm not old enough yet to have a daughter like her! At most, I'm old enough to be your older sister. Besides, I've never done anything before that would bring me a child..."
The Mistress, Naruto, and Lin-lin look at her with a shocked face for her action. Kan'U noticed their look and realized of what she has done. Her blush starts to deepened. She sits down looking embarrassed. An awkward silence fills the room with everyone still looking at Kan'U. It's Lin-lin who breaks the silence.
"Older sister? If you're an older sister, can I call you onee-chan?" asked Lin-lin eagerly.
Kan'U look at her smiling face, not wanting to wipe her smile, she just nodded, "W-well, that's fine..."
"In that case, you're my onee-chan starting from today!"Yelled Lin-lin happily.
"Eeehh! No, wait!" Kan'U raises her hands defensively, "That's not what I meant by maybe being your older sister..."
However, water start to shows in Lin-lin faces as she makes a puppy-dog-eyes, "I can't?"
Kan'U look at her face and start to feel guilty, "It's not like you can't..."
Before she could say anything else, Lin-lin jump at her and hugged her, "Yes! I got an older sister!"
"H-hey, I haven't accepted yet." Dodge Kan'U.
"Forget it. There's no way you'll get off from that, Kan'U-onee-chan" said Naruto while smirking sinisterly.
-Flashback end-
Kan'U blushed furiously, "D-don't called me that! That's not something that you should call me."
"But you let her called you that. Besides, you always call me 'Uzumaki-san'. My name is Naruto you know. Calling me 'Uzumaki-san' makes me feels old. Not that it's wrong though."
"A-argh! Do what you want!" Kan'U just pouted, feels that she's already lost.
A voice then called them from behind, "Onee-chan! Oni-chan! Let's go!"
From behind them, Lin-lin running to them with a smile on her face. Some of the Village's residents are escorting Lin-lin. They wave to her while shouting, "Came back sometimes! We'll miss you!", "Hope you safe on your journey Lin-lin-chan!", "Behave yourself Lin-lin-chan!". Between them, there's even the soldier's commander standing parting them.
-Flashback start-
"I am appointed to be what?!"
Back to the Kohakuren's place, we found our hero sitting and drinking with a man, no other than the soldier's commander. His head is covered with bandage, courtesy by Naruto hitting him back at the mountain.
Naruto look at him with an assuring smile, "Hm? Am I not clear enough? You are the Village's chief now. He's dead, so someone has to replace him. The peoples in this village are already agreeing. They won't mind about it."
A shocking face of soldier's commander doesn't change, "B-but! How come?! As far as I remember, my actions always make a hurt look at the village's civilian."
"Ah, you have to remember that your actions are the result of the village's chief's order. You, as a soldier, do not have any authority to him. And don't worry, the villagers are already know and understand that you actually never want to do all of those." Explain Naruto.
The soldier's commander still seems unsure, what if he make a mistake, what if he became a person like him? Like the previous village's chief? And what about the Imperial? As if reading his mind, Naruto continues to pursue him, "Don't worry about making mistake. Everyone makes mistake. But few of them admitted it and fix it. However, I know that you're not that kind of person. This village need a leader. And that is you. And don't worry about the Imperial; right now they're chaotic enough so that they'll never notice this."
The soldier's commander look at him, "But I never lead a village before. I don't know what I should do to begin with."
Naruto take a sip of sake from his cup before answering, "I already anticipated that. I know someone that knows how to handle a village. He has... experience if you like to say so. And ah, here you are. Let me introduce you to a friend of mine, Chojiro Sasakibe."
An old man with white hair approached them, His demeanour are calm and assuring. He wears a standard black suit of a butler's uniform. The soldier's commander looking at him and could tell that this man is very experienced with what he's going to do. Although his attire tells him that this man came from another country, albeit his quite usual name.
"Good afternoon, my name is Chijiro Sasakibe, but you can call me Sasakibe. From now on, I'll help you handling the government duty until you're ready to do it alone. Pleased to meet you." Said Sasakibe with a small nod.
The soldier's commander's jaw slightly dropped. Behind them, Kohakuren just look at them with a smile.
-Flashback end-
Lin-lin looks back at them and waves her hand, "Bye-bye! I'll come back again sometimes!"
Kan'U then looks at her and asks, "Are you sure about this? You still can change your mind about it."
-Flashback start-
"Hey Lin-lin, tomorrow, me and Kan'U-onee-cha-"
"Don't call me that!"
"I'll call you that until you call me Naruto and not Uzumaki-san. Back to the topic, you see, tomorrow we're going to left this village. And we're wonderin-"
"I'll come with you two!" Lin-lin enthusiastically answered before Naruto could finish his sentences. He just looks at her, "Are you sure? Our journeys will not like any picnic or something leisure."
"I'm sure! You two are my brother and my sister. Whenever you two go, I'll go to!"
"...Okay then, after you apologized properly to the villagers, then we're going to prepare to leave this village."
-Flashback end-
Lin-lin look at her with a determined look at her face, "I'm sure about it. If Oni-chan and Onee-chan want to go, then I'll come along. I'll come along whenever you two go!" finished her with a smile.
"Very well then." said Naruto, "Then let's get going now."
Thus, they begin to walks away. They walk until they reached the junction where one of the roads goes to the outside town, while the other one goes to the hut where Lin-lin used to live.
"We're going to the right of the solitary cryptomeria tree." Explain Kan'U, "Or should we drop by the hut one more time?"
Lin-lin thinking about it for a moment before answering "Nah, its fine."
However, Naruto noticed that she's been quite sulking. 'What's wrong with her?' thought Naruto.
Kan'U, also noticed this, ask her "What's wrong? Do you miss the village already?"
Still sulking, Lin-lin answered "Nope. It's just that none of the people in my bandit group came to see me off."
'Ah, so that's her problem'
"It must be because I wasn't a good leader, so that's why everyone..." Lin-lin began to sulking even more; her eyes were begun to watering.
"It doesn't seem so." Said Naruto suddenly.
"Yeah. There, take a look." This time, it's Kan'U who's speaking. She pointed at the direction to the now-burned-hut. From there, there's some layout of children who once belongs to Lin-lin bandit's group. All of them are waving to Lin-lin. Their sound can be heard faintly.
"Boss!"
"Get through warrior training and become strong!"
"We'll all be waiting for you to return!"
"Boss!"
They are waving and shouted, yelling their parting. One of them is flapping their flag. The smallest one is crying. All of their face filled with sorrow yet proud. For them to be parting with their beloved friend/boss.
"When you're come back here! This hut will once more standing! We'll rebuild it for you! So make sure you'll come back boss!"
Seeing this, Lin-lin start to cry more. "Guys..."
However, Kan'U soon following, "Don't cry. Its bad luck to cry when setting off on a journey."
Lin-lin quickly wiped her tears. But when she turns back, her eyes were already watering. With full of denial, she says, "I'm not crying."
"People remember others' faces when they part, until they meet again." Kan'U explains, "If you're a good leader, you don't want others to remember that pathetic look of yours, right? Now, wave at them with a smile."
Once more, Lin-lin wiped her tears. But now, when she turns back, she's already smiling. "Okay!"
"Guys, I'll be back!" shouted Lin-lin while waving her spear.
Naruto just look at the whole scene and memories come to his mind. Memories about a certain bridge from his homeland. Memories when he's still young. Memories about his adventure in Land of Waves. A parting memory.
'Hm, I wonder if that bridge still standing there.' Thought Naruto, 'perhaps someday I'll visit that bridge... If it's still standing.'
Naruto's thought are interupted by Kan'U, "Uzumaki-san, how about you? Do you still have some bussines or shall we go now?"
Naruto make a smile about his last encounter with Kohakuren
-Flashback start-
"So, this village is going to be stabile. But how about you? You said that you want to leave this village." Asked Naruto to Kohakuren in her office. A cup of sake on her hands.
"What you said is true about this village. But I already lost my interest here. I'm thinking about moving this business somewhere else. But don't worry, I'll send you a message about my place when I already found a place."
"But I'll travel a lot. How do you going to send me a message?" asked Naruto.
Kohakuren smirking about it, "Simple, make a lot of ruckuses. Isn't that what your speciality is?"
"...Sometimes I hate you."
"Yeah, I know it. Many people cannot handle my charming attitude."
"Perhaps because when you show that 'charming' attitude, some people interpreting it as 'signal of trouble'. Anyway, it's getting late. I wish to talk with you more, but I have to leave tomorrow morning. Send me message if you have news about this 'Shiroi-fudo' okay?"
"Anything for you... dear." Answered still smirking Kohakuren.
-Flashback end-
"Nah, it's already done. I'm good to go."
"Okay then. Let's go now Chouhi." Said Kan'U while walking.
"Okay!"
A.N: And that's it. I'm deeply sorry for the late. I have a national exam coming and I have to pass it or I'll be in lot of troubles. Luckily, I already have a pass from two universities. So what I need to do now is only pass this cursed-place-called-school. Wish me luck okay! Don't forget to review this and don't bother flaming, because I'll ignore it.