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I apologise for the lateness of this chapter. Between house stuff, work, and other stuff happening in IRL, I wasn't able to get this chapter out until now. However, in addition to this chapter, Chapters 1 and 2 have been remastered and have replaced the old chapters.
Without any more delay, here is the next chapter. Chapter 49: Soldiers
A bored sigh gusted past Heishi Gaado's lips as he and his partner patrolled the southeast section of the forest surrounding the High Priestess' temple. "Just two more months." He muttered to himself, taking care to keep his tone low. His partner for the evening, Mumei, was a stickler for protocol. "Just two more months of night shift then you can move to a different shift." Every new soldier was required to spend at least six months on night watch before they could move to another shift or train for a new position. Unfortunately for Heishi, not a single exciting moment had happened since he had started night shift.
Snap. The sound echoed from their right, deeper in the dark woods.
The soldiers froze, their hands automatically snapping to the hilts of their swords. His slight fatigue instantly banished, Heishi turned to the right. Nothing. Just dancing shadows at the edge of his torchlight. Taking ten steps off of the path towards the direction the noise came from, he held out his torch, searching the shadows for any enemies. Nothing.
"It was probably an animal." Mumei called from the packed dirt path, "We will still report it to the Captain as per protocol." He paused, "We need to continue our patrol."
"Right." Heishi didn't move. His hair stood up on the back of his neck. Something wasn't right. Closing his eyes, he strained his ears, listening for something; anything out of place.
Nothing.
"Heishi." Mumei's tone was firm, "We need to go. We have to finish our patrol route on time."
"Yeah, I guess you are right." Heishi gave the area one last sweep before turning back to the path. He began making his way towards his now openly impatient partner. "I'll be there in a moment."
Snap.
The sound of a twig breaking echoed next to him, the sound seeming thunderous in the quiet. Mechanically, Heishi tuned to his left. A pair of eyes stared back. The soldier stared at the man. The man was dressed in dark, loose clothing. The man had on a mask made of leather, and the only identifying mark was an embossed symbol of an eight headed dragon. The metallic symbol gleamed in the torchlight. Heishi knew that symbol. Everyone did. It was the symbol of Moryo the Dominator.
Heishi's breath seemed loud in the stillness of the moment and his muscles began to tense.
He blinked.
The cultist snarled and hurled himself at Heishi. A dagger flashed in the torchlight. Twisting, Heishi instinctively winced at the metallic screech of the dagger scraping along his bronze breastplate. Swinging his torch at his attacker, Heishi forced a temporary retreat. Dropping the torch, the soldier drew his sword, the unmistakable shing impossibly loud in the stillness of the night. Readying himself, Heishi cut a glance over at Mumei. There was another dagger wielding cultist circling his partner.
"Rhaaaa!" The cultist charged at Heishi, the dagger in his pointed directly at the soldier's heart. The edges of the dagger began to glow dull orange. Heishi planted his sandled foot. His heart thudded in his chest. The cultist drew near. Heat began to shimmer off of the dagger.
Pivoting on the balls of his feet, the soldier stepped to the side and thrust his sword forward. Warm, thick liquid splashed onto his arm, drenching his hand in blood. The cultist gasped in pain as his momentum carried him past Heishi, the sword tearing out of the man's side as he passed. The dagger slipped out of the cultist's numb fingers as he staggered a few steps forward before he slumped to his knees.
Adrenaline pounded in Heishi's veins and he turned towards Mumei. "Mumei, we need to…" His voice trailed off as he stared at his partner's still body, "Mumei?" Heishi spun around in a circle, checking for additional enemies. Not seeing any, he bent down and reached for his fallen torch. There was Mumei's killer out there somewhere, and he couldn't have gotten far.
Pain, white hot searing pain, shot through his right shoulder. A shout of agony tore out of his throat as Heishi hurled himself away from the pain. His sword slipped out of his blood-slicked hand, clanging on the forest floor. Something slammed into his side.
Dry leaves crunched beneath him as he tumbled to the ground. Clutching the gushing wound on his shoulder, Heishi stared at his attacker. It was another cultist. Then...he saw another and another. Moving around him to continue northwards; moving towards the temple. The soldier swallowed and then took a deep breath. He let go of his bleeding shoulder and reached for the satchel he kept at his side. Fumbling blind, his fingers brushed several different items before they grasped the cylindrical object he was looking for. His ears began to ring from the blood loss, and his head pounded in time with his heartbeat.
"Why?" he rasped, "Why are you doing this?" He inched towards his still lit torch lying on the ground.
"Because Lord Moryo has risen again." There was an amount of unsettling devotion in the cultist's tone, "We will establish his thousand year kingdom."
"The High Priestess will stop you." Heishi inched closer to the torch, "Moryo will never win."
"Do not speak the Master's name heretic." The cultist stepped forward, "Or I will do worse than let you bleed out."
"You know what's funny?" A slightly hysterical chuckle bubbled up out of Heishi's chest as he reached within arm's length of his torch, "You're going to lose in a moment." The puzzlement on the cultist's face made it more amusing to the dying soldier.
The cultist hesitated, and Heishi moved as quickly as he could, one last final act of defiance. Swinging the cylindrical object into the open flame of the torch, he held it there waiting. The cultists charged forward, weapons glinting in the torchlight.
A faint hiss began to emit from the object. Then… with a whoosh, the white flare shot off into the sky. "You...lose." Heishi pulled his hand away from the torch and laid back, content knowing that the High Priestess would not be taken off guard. As the cultists descended upon him, furious curses spewing from their mouths, Heishi closed his eyes...and smiled.
The other units quickly responded to the flare. They all knew what the white flare meant: The followers of Moryo were attacking. Quickly, but with purpose, the soldiers divided up into their units and readied themselves. Archers tested their bowstrings and the foot soldiers drew their swords and hefted their shields. The spear men formed rank behind the front line.
"This is it." Gaido rubbed his hand over his bow frame, "This is the night the High Priestess said I'd die." After speaking with his unit, Gaido had sought out Naruto for advice on what to do about the High Priestess' vision. The blond Uzumaki had told him that while he didn't believe in Shion's visions, it wouldn't hurt to put on an extra layer of armor. Feeling the thin layer of leather armor shift uncomfortably beneath his breastplate, the archer couldn't help but wonder if Naruto was right. Fate, Naruto had explained, was something that could be changed.
"Naruto-San," Gaido hesitantly approached the shinobi who was studying at a table in the library, "Can I talk to you?" He paused, considering the pile of books surrounding Naruto, "You are busy. Sorry." His head lowered in shame, "I didn't mean to bother you." Naruto Uzumaki was, after all, a heroic shinobi, and no longer needed a guide.
"Where are you going?" Naruto's puzzled voice brought Gaido's saddened thoughts to a screeching halt. The soldier's head snapped up to face the shinobi's direction. The Uzumaki had closed the tome he had been reading and gave Gaido his full attention. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I uhhh…" Gaido had never really thought his plan though. He had mostly assumed Naruto wouldn't talk to him. Lacking any other idea, his story spilled out. "I was just visited by High Priestess Shion. She said I was going to die. Tonight." He swallowed, feeling like a young child, "I don't want to die."
"Your death is not set in stone." Naruto pushed the chair back and stood up, "There is no such thing as Fate. No outside force controls our destinies." Moving around the table, he reached out and placed a hand on Gaido's shoulder. "I refuse to believe that. I make my own choices."
"But…" Gaido wanted to believe in Naruto's words, "The High Priestess' visions have never been wrong." He shook his head, "Maybe it's different for you, but I'm just a soldier. I'm nothing special."
"You're wrong." There was something in Naruto's tone that held Gaido's attention, "You are special. You matter." Taking a deep breath, the Uzumaki stepped back, once again fully in control of himself, "I won't deny that there is something with Shion's eyes. Maybe she gets a glimpse of what could happen. I dunno." Naruto shrugged. "But what I do know is that you should never lay down and accept when someone else tells you that you are going to die."
The Uzumaki's eyes practically blazed. "Fight it with everything you have. Fight fate."
Defiance swelled within Gaido, and for the first time in his life he decided to take his fate into his own hands; to chose what he wanted to live for, and if necessary, to die for.
Movement at the edge of the clearing broke Gaido away from his thoughts. Countless cultists emerged from the forest, slowly stalking towards the temple and the assembled troops. Gaido swallowed and then steeled himself. They would not kill the High Priestess, not while he was alive. High Priestess Shion would defeat Moryo, and though her actions, the land would be saved.
Snagging an arrow from the quiver beside him, the archer drew back the drawstring and waited for the commander's order.
"Steady..." The commander's calm voice washed over the battlefield, "Steady..."
The cultists began to charge.
"Steady..."
They drew nearer. The foot soldiers readied themselves, shifting deeper into their stances, shields at the ready.
"Fire!"
Arrows streaked through the air. Cultists dropped to the ground, perforated by the steel-tipped rain. But still the survivors charged on, and even more appeared from the woods, streaming out onto the battlefield. The pained screams of the cultists as they wreathed on the ground, dying and in agony, pierced the air. Gaido loosened arrows as fast as he could draw them, firing into the mass of enemies assaulting the temple. Knock back the arrow. Draw back the string. Release the string and follow through.
Knock. Draw. Release.
Knock. Draw. Release.
It was the frantic pounding on her bedroom door that roused Shion. "What?" She made no attempt to hide her annoyance at being awoken in the middle of the night, "What do you want?"
"Shion-Sama," The thick wooden door muffled Taruho's voice, "The temple is under attack. We must take you to safety."
A spark of fear shot down Shion's spine before she ruthlessly suppressed it. "I haven't seen my death. I can't die." Flinging the covers off of herself, she hurried to the door. Pausing, she composed herself and opened the door.
"Let's get this over with." The High Priestess looked almost bored, "I need to pack my robes and other items needed for the ritual."
"Sakura-Chan and Haku-Chan, could you guard Shion as she packs?" Naruto didn't turn away from his defensive position facing the outer walls of the temple, "Honoka-Chan and Hinata-Chan, can you stay with Taruho? I'm going to check the temple again to see if any enemies have snuck in."
Shion frowned, but didn't protest as the two Kunoichi moved past her. Closing the door once again, she gestured to a small pile of half opened boxes resting in the opposite end of the room. "Those need to be repacked before I can go. I have not sorted through the items yet."
"Look." Sakura stepped forward, "We don't have time for your high and mighty attitude. I'm going to seal everything in those boxes and Haku-Chan is going to help you change."
Shion blinked. A moment later indignation followed. "Who do you think you are?" Her lavender eyes narrowed, "I am the High Priestess."
"I don't care." Sakura fired back, "We are here to ensure that you stay alive and can complete the ritual." The kunoichi stepped close to Shion, "And if that means that we have to knock you out, wrap you up in your 'special' robes, and cart you out like a sack of potatoes, we'll do that."
"I-I never…" Indignation flared in Shion's chest, "Y-You…"
"Lady Shion, I apologize for how Sakura-Chan's said what she did." Haku placed a soft hand on Shion's arm, "But your soldiers are dying out there to ensure that you will survive. We must leave the temple."
"Fine." Shion did her best to not show how Haku's words sent a deluge of guilt washing through her, "You must help me change though."
"Of course Lady Shion."
"Is Shion-Sama alright?" Senna ran towards Naruto, uncaring about propriety, "Does she need my assistance?"
"She's fine." Naruto smiled reassuringly, "We will keep her safe." He paused, scanning the shrine maiden for a weapon. "Do you know how to fight?"
"All priests and shrine maidens have been given training in self-defense." Senna nodded, "We are prepared to die for the High Priestess." She took a deep, fortifying breath as she remembered Shion's prediction, "I will die for Shion-Sama."
"It might not going to come to that." The blond Uzumaki shook his head, "You don't need to die for her because she said you would."
"But the High Priestess said that I would die when the temple was attacked…" Senna attempted to smile bravely, "I..I'm ready to die."
"Screw that." Naruto concentrated, spiking his chakra, "I don't believe in fate." White smoke poofed into existence, "I choose my path." The smoke dissipated, revealing two dozen clones. "I need someone to guard her." Naruto ordered, "And three more of you to go find the other priests and shrine maidens. Get them to safety and protect them." The Uzumaki quickly scanned the area. "I need twelve to stay and take up defensive positions around the temple. The rest of you go help the soldiers outside." Unsealing the weapon scroll from one of his storage seals, his normally light blue eyes almost seemed to glow in the dim light, "Arm yourselves. Take no prisoners."
"You are going to die." Haku's hands stilled momentarily as she tied the sash around Shion's waist, "I have seen it." The High Priestess tilted her head back to glance at the ice user, "You, Hinata Hyuga, and Sakura Haruno all die in the same battle." When Haku didn't react, Shion frowned in confusion. "Normally people leave me when they hear that they are going to die."
"I do not believe in fate, Lady Shion." Haku carefully secured the sash, ensuring that it would keep the High Priestess' traveling robes closed if she needed to run, "I believe we choose." She glanced up at the shocked young woman, "We all are free to make our choices, but we are not free from the consequences of that choice." Stepping back, Haku analyzed Shion's outfit. "You are ready to travel."
"I...yes." Shion distractedly replied, most of her attention on Haku claim to not believe in fate, "I am ready to travel once my things are packed." Turning back to grab the small scroll detailing how to complete the sealing ritual - she had memorized it long ago, but it never hurt to bring it along - Shion felt her breath catch at Haku's next question.
"In your vision, what happened to Naruto-Sama?"
"He…" The memory of the terrible fox beast threatened to paralyze her, "...He died of course."
"I see." Haku bowed politely, "Please excuse me. I will go assist Sakura-Chan in sealing your belongings." Placing her hand on the closed bedroom door, the ice user paused, "Lady Shion, after we are safely away from the temple, we will talk more about your visions." The young woman swept out of the room, leaving only cool, almost cold air in her wake.
Shion shivered. "What was that? Why didn't she care that she was going to die? She cannot avoid her death. No one can." No longer wishing to stay in the strangely cold room, the young blonde woman carefully placed the small scroll in the fur-lined pouch at her side and exited the room. As she reached the threshold, she couldn't help but look back at the room. "Is this the last time I will see this place?" Shaking her head, the High Priestess banished the uncertainty plaguing her. The High Priestess, after all, did not feel fear or uncertainty.
Exiting the room, Shion turned towards the items she had informed Sakura about. "How far have you come on the…" She trailed off as she stared at the bare wall. Where had all of the boxes and bags gone?
"I finished sealing the last bag just a few minutes ago." Sakura patted the large scroll under her arm, "Got them all categorized and numbered." Tilting her head at Shion's stunned expression, the pink haired young woman raised an eyebrow, "What?"
"It's...nothing." Shion had heard of the ninja art of sealing, but it was quite another to witness it in person. "Let us leave the temple." Momentarily distracted by the blatant display of sealing prowess, she never noticed Haku's hand slip into the pouch containing the small scroll and remove it, replacing it with another hastily conjured copy.
Gaido's fingers burned, and his shoulders ached. He had been firing arrow after arrow into the cultists' ranks, doing his best to pick off the ones he could as the waves of cultists charged the front line. The battle was going well, all things concerned. Clad in the loose robes and armed with inferior quality weapons, the waves of Moryo's followers broke against the wall of shields held by the front line. There was a surprisingly few amount of fatalities among the defenders, given the sheer amount of enemies they faced. But the wall could not hold forever. And that wasn't including the enhanced cultists. The last one who had been enhanced with what Gaido assumed Moryo's energy - the purple aura surrounding the cultist had given it away - had lit it's hands on literal goddamned fire, and had taken taken four soldiers with him, and the shield wall had shrunk as a result. Gaido could still hear the cries of the soldiers as they burned.
The cultists kept coming and he was running out of arrows. The archer sent up a prayer that the runners would reach the other outposts soon. Spotting another of purple-hued enhanced cultists charging out of the woods, Gaido pulled his bow back and held his breath, lining up the shot. He released.
"Did you see that?" Botan crowed, "A single swing practically chopped his head clean off." The missing nin flexed his blood splattered hand, relishing the dark power racing through his veins. Having sworn himself to Moryo's cause, he was granted the dark chakra of Moryo. He, along several of the other missing nin who had also sworn themselves to Moryo were dispatched by their leader, Yomi. Their mission: Kill the High Priestess. Having taken out the last runner, there would be no additional help coming for the temple defenders.
"This…" Botan felt the dark power surge within him, as he began to stroll towards the main temple, "...is going to be fun."
The far left line died screaming. Fire swept through their ranks, leaving charred bodies and smoke-stained bronze in its wake. The lucky ones died quickly. The sickening stench of burning flesh cloaked the battlefield, and the dying screams of agony echoed in the clearing. The missing nin had arrived.
Moving faster than an arrow could fly, three ninja sprinted towards the front line, halting fifty paces from the defending line. The front line grimly braced themselves, knowing that every moment they held their ground was one moment more the High Priestess had to escape. They had taken their oaths, and they would face their death knowing that they held the line.
The right line collapsed. Kunai and shuriken buzzed from one of the charging ninja, exploiting the gaps in the shield wall with brutal precision. Some died from a mortal hit, but most were merely wounded, unable to keep up their shields after the throwing weapons sank deep into their arms or legs. The cultist army, sensing the weakness, swarmed the vulnerable soldiers. The archers exhausted their arrows trying to save their friends, no matter how many times they fired into the horde. The brave soldiers of the right flank slew cultist after cultist, but they could not stem the tide. They were butchered to the last.
The center section where the temple defenders held the stairway desperately closed ranks, holding off the army that now surrounded them on weary arms. Each wave of cultists claimed another defender, and those that remained could only grit their teeth and do their best to ignore the oozing wounds they had received.
Then...the cultists halted, backing away from the meager remaining guard. The archers, now out of arrows, drew their swords and rushed to join the last line of defense. Picking up shields from the fallen, they stepped up to the exhausted defenders, standing shoulder to shoulder for one last stand.
"Men," The Captain of the Guard didn't take his eyes off of the eerily quiet cultist army, "We are soldiers. Not a single one of us stand here alone. I am proud to call each and every one of you brothers. We have done the impossible: Hold back a number countless times our own. We have held the line."
He risked a glance to his men, noting their barely hidden exhaustion and the slight slump of their shoulders. "When I look into each of your eyes, I see the same thing that I feel within my soul. I see the same fire that the warriors of old had when they had faced the demons that plagued our lands. I see the determination that drove out the cultists," His arm swept outwards to encompass the enemy forces, "Much like the enemy we face today." He took a deep breath, his gaze steady beneath his bronze helm, "They did not falter then, and we will not falter now."
His armored bracer hammered into his shield, the sound echoing across the quiet battlefield. "Soon our reinforcements will come, and together we will drive back these monsters." Heads, once bowed in weariness, began to lift, determination filling their minds, "Songs will be sung of this night. We will be legends."
" . Hold." His sword crashed off his shield, the sound defiant, "We. Will. Hold. The. Line."
The defenders set their shoulders, and forty swords crashed against shields. A roar of defiance rippled across the shield wall. Sandaled feet shifted in the dirt, preparing for the next wave. They roared again, and the ground seemed to shake from the sound. They would hold. Help was coming.
"Moryo." The sound echoed from the mass arrayed against them. "Moryo." The chant was picked up by more and more cultists, "Moryo...Moryo." They chanted faster now, "Moryo...MORYO." The earth seemed to shudder under their unified chant, "MORYO...MORYO."
A ninja strode out of the chanting cultists, his pace slow and measured. Halting fifteen paces from the defenders, he waited for five other ninja to join him. Purple-black chakra swirled around their hands as they raised them. Each hand sign was formed deliberately and with almost sadistic slowness. The chant reached a crescendo.
They reached the final handsign.
Jagged spikes of earth erupted out of the ground, impaling ten soldiers before they could even scream. Five blades of water crossed the distance in an instant, cleaving through armor and flesh. A blast of fire cooked seven in their armor, searing the red-hot armor to their chests. Four died clawing at their throats, crimson life leaking around the shuriken embedded in their bodies. A bolt of lightning crackled through the air, arcing between three more warriors. They died convulsing. Tiny blades of wind sliced into vulnerable places between the bronze armor, and blood ran like water.
"HOLD." The Captain roared, "HOLD THE LINE!"
Sounds echoed and warped as Gaido pushed himself off of his back. When the fire blast had struck his section, he had flinched, his shield dropping slightly. It was the only thing that saved him. The shield had taken the brunt of the attack, the concussive force hurling the archer back. Forcing himself to his knees, he grabbed his shield. He would hold the line.
A ninja raced towards him, and ingrained training caused Gaido to raise the shield held in his hands. Dark power swirled around the missing nin's legs, and with a mighty leap, the ninja soared over the soldier's head. The ninja twisted, hurling deadly shurikens at the archer. Pain blossomed in the upper right section of his back. Collapsing, Gaido felt his head strike a discarded shield. Darkness claimed him.
Botan chuckled as he reached the upper level of the temple. He had beaten the other members of his team here, and with any luck - not that he needed luck with Moryo's power running through him - he would get to the High Priestess first. "I have heard she is beautiful. I think I'll have some alone time with her before I kill her." Movement flickered off to his right, and the missing ninja turned to see seven blonds - clones perhaps? - fly through the air towards the rest of his team. "What the fuck?"
Naruto's clones slammed into the enemy ninja like a raging tempest. The lead missing ninja died when the shadow clone slammed on top of him, a kunai driving deep into the ninja's heart. The other ninja were engaged in blisteringly fast close combat, desperately fending off blows that would have maimed or killed with a single hit. Two died on the spot, unable to maintain the speed. The remaining two ninja hurled themselves backwards, hoping to gain distance from the murderous shadow clones. It was the last mistake they would make.
The wind rumbled as the two clones blitzed through the hand signs for the wind blade technique, and within a scant few seconds, they unleashed a razored hurricane.
Blood painted the rampaging winds red, and the half of the cultist army died. Meat, bone, and viscera splattered the ground, the sickening smell of death wafting across the battlefield. The screams of the wounded rent the air, and the remaining portion of Moryo's army shuddered in fear and shock.
The clones began speeding through another set of hand signs.
The army broke.
The cultists turned and fled, seeking the safety of the forest. Chakra dissipated and four of the clones followed the fleeing cultists. It wouldn't do, after all, for them to attack defenseless villages. Two more clones swept outwards, rapidly assessing the soldiers still alive. Medical supplies were unsealed and basic first aid started. The final two clones began the grim task of sending off the wounded cultists.
"Oh shit." Botan staggered back, almost unable to comprehend the massacre that he had witnessed, "Oh fuck." Terror washed over him like a cold wind as a hand closed on his shoulder. Before he could react, the missing ninja was hurled back into one of the small buildings on the upper level.
Coughing as the cloying taste of blood filled his mouth, Botan felt pain spike through his tongue, but it was a distant realization. All of his focus was drawn to the blond clone that stalked through the door to the building and, with a flick of its wrist, slammed the door behind it. Pushing himself to his feet with a groan of pain, Botan brought up his hands. He would not go down without a fight.
The clone slapped a piece of paper on the wall, sealing lines spidering out from it. "You know…" Forty-Four began as it turned away from the silencing and vision blocking seal it had just activated, "I suppose I should thank you. It's been awhile since I could cut loose..." The clone's violet eyes gleamed as it tossed a crowbar up the air, catching it a moment later with a flourish, "You're a bit tougher than a normal human, aren't you?" A horrifying grin slashed across its face. "This is going to be...fun."
"The enemy army has been defeated." Hinata reported, "But almost all of the temple soldiers have been killed." She blinked, retracting chakra to her eyes, "Your clones took down the missing nin and the cultist army. The survivors are being treated by the shrine maidens and priests." The group, along with Shion and Taruho, were deep in the escape tunnels underneath the main temple. The blue haired young woman glanced worriedly over at the uncharacteristically quiet Naruto.
"How many soldiers survived?" Naruto's voice was emotionless.
Hinata sighed, a saddened frown creasing her lips. "Seven."
"Fuck." Naruto whispered, running an agitated hand through his hair. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself. As he turned away and visibly relaxed, Shion let go of the breath she had been holding. Ignoring the pang of misery at the thought that nearly two hundred soldiers had died to ensure she escaped, the High Priestess focused on the path ahead. They would be arriving at the sacred pool within the hour, and she needed to mentally prepare herself for the ancient purifying ritual.
"Perhaps," She wondered as she cast a glance at Taruho's back, "I can convince the shinobi to leave after the purification and not tell Taruho…" Frowning, she shook her head, clearing of the errant idea. "It doesn't matter. He will die either way. I have seen it."
The sacred pool of the High Priestess was located deep within an impossibly old cave, the crystal clear water located in a natural water basin at the center of the cavern. The high sloped walls of the water basin created a natural barrier from prying eyes, and the carved stone steps were smooth and lined with protective symbols. The cave itself was located a short distance away from the exit of the escape tunnels, and a waterfall quietly roared near its yawning entrance. The group stopped just inside the cave's entryway.
"You," Shion pointed at Haku, "Will assist me with the purification ritual. While you are not a shrine maiden, your part is not difficult." Haku glanced over at Naruto who nodded.
"It would be my pleasure Lady Shion." Haku bowed slightly, "I await your instructions."
"Good." The High Priestess gestured to off to the right, "After you retrieve the High Priestess robes, soaps, and fragrances from the…" She hesitated for a moment before shaking herself free of the childish wonder at the shinobi art, "Packing seal, proceed down these stairs. I will be waiting for you on the next landing."
After the High Priestess disappeared down the stairs, Naruto turned to the group. "Taruho, you are with me. We are going to wait outside and take care of any enemies that we see. Sakura-Chan and Hinata-Chan," The kunoichi snapped to attention, "I want you above these stairs, keeping watch for any ninja who could sneak past us." He tapped his chin, considering, "If at all possible, eliminate any enemies quietly so that Shion's ritual is not disturbed. Honoka-Chan," The blond turned to his clanmate as he unsealed a small scroll Haku had passed him and handed it to her, "I believe that this is the ritual the High Priestess is going to use to seal Moryo. Could you see what exactly it does?"
"Of course Naruto-Kun." Honoka bowed and moved over to a side wall to unseal her sealing texts, "I will start right away."
The stone floor was cold on her bare feet, and Shion resisted the urge to shiver as she continued to undress. Haku had retrieved the supplies for the purification, and Shion had bid the ice user to stay on the second level of the inner platform. The High Priestess proceeded alone down the final steps. Bittersweet memories of the last time she was here threatened to crowd her memory. "No." She chastised herself, "You cannot think of those times with Mother. You must be the High Priestess now."
Descending the final step to the small platform just above the sacred pool, Shion took a deep breath and moved over to the stone bench. Setting the folded High Priestess robes on the bench along with the soft towel, she reached forward and pulled on the bow holding her inner robe in place. The silken clothing shifted, silently dropping to the floor. Shivering, the young woman held her thin robes together with slightly shaking hands. "You have to do this." She tried to still her quivering hands, "You are the High Priestess. You must do this."
Buying herself a few moments, she clasped the opening to her robe with one hand and clumsily knelt to place the box of soaps and fragrances on the edge of the pool. Straightening up, she knew she could delay no longer. Biting her trembling lip, she focused on the slight pain the sparked from the action. "You are not allowed to cry. You are the High Priestess." Swallowing, Shion loosened her grip on the robe's edges and pushed it back. The soft clothing rustled, sliding off her shoulders. Acutely aware of how exposed she was, Shion stepped forward and down into the pool. "Do not think of the past."
"Naruto-San," Taruho turned to his companion as they waited outside the cavern, "Why were you angered by the temple guards' sacrifice?" The High Priestess' bodyguard did his best to adopt a reassuring tone, "Each of the soldiers knew what they were getting into when they swore the oath to protect Shion-Sama."
"It's not that." Naruto didn't look away from his vigil, "It's...just that I possibly could have saved them."
"I'm sorry?" Taruho blinked, wondering if he had heard the shinobi correctly, "You think you could have saved them?"
"At least a few, yeah." The blond Uzumaki nodded, "If I had created more clones or maybe attacked the cultists myself, I could have saved them." He shook his head, barking out an empty laugh. "Listen to me. Acting like I'm some kind of hero." Naruto glanced over at the stunned bodyguard, "I'm not. I may not have killed those soldiers, but I didn't save them." His fist clenched unconsciously at his side, "Because of my inaction, now someone has lost a brother; some wife has lost her husband; and…" His voice became a bitter whisper, "...Some little boy's dad isn't coming home."
"They did their duty." Taruho laid a comforting hand on the shinobi's tense shoulder, "They willingly chose to die for the High Priestess."
"Why do you people have an obsession with dying because it's supposedly your fate?" Naruto stepped to the side and took a deep breath, doing his best to calm down. "Sorry." He sighed, "I didn't mean it to come out like that."
"It's alright." Taruho smiled, seemingly at peace, "I have known how I was going to die for three years now." Unconsciously, his hand brushed the center of his chest. "I get impaled by my own sword, wielded by the hand of another. I think…" His eyes searched the surrounding area, "It will be soon." He shifted to look at Naruto. "When I do die, you will make sure Shion-Sama survives, won't you?"
"Why do you want to die?" Naruto scratched his head in bafflement, "You care about your life, right?"
"Of course I do." The bodyguard nodded, "But I care about Shion-Sama even more, both as a person and as the High Priestess." Taruho glanced around, verifying that Shion wasn't within earshot. "I don't want to die, but Lady Shion has foreseen my death, so it will come to pass." A small determined frown creased his lips, "I have made peace with my death long ago. Instead of agonizing over it, I decided to make sure my death mattered; that I protected someone." He gazed out into the lush forest once again. "I know now who I will die protecting: Lady Shion." Taruho turned to Naruto. "Don't you have someone you would die for to protect?"
"I would die for Sakura-Chan, Hinata-Chan, and Haku-Chan without hesitation." Naruto's voice was firm, but carried the edge of wisdom, "But I realized something after I nearly died: Dying for someone you care about protects them only once." There was something in his voice that captured Taruho's attention, "But growing strong enough to protect them and to also live yourself? That," Naruto nodded, "Is how you can protect them always."
"Interesting." Silence fell between the pair for a moment, "Perhaps it is different for you; given that you are a Shinobi. However," The bodyguard shook his head once again, "Lady Shion has foreseen my death and there is no escaping that fate." He paused, "I know that it sounds strange to you, but please respect Lady Shion's vision."
"Fine." Naruto blew out a semi-frustrated breath, "It's your life."
"It just doesn't make sense." Honoka couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Why do the High Priestess' seal things this way?" She was, Honoka freely admitted, slightly biased when she studied seals. Having grown up in the Uzumaki Clan, she firmly believed that her was the most advanced when it came to sealing. That being said, she wasn't going to deny that seals not created by the Uzumaki clan weren't useful, and a rare few - such as whatever sealing array Minato Namikaze used - even surpassed the Uzumaki's seals.
Despite her bias, there were a few simple rules that almost all sealing arrays followed, such as the same basic structure and rules. Sealing was, in theory, an evolving art. A specific sealing array was created to accomplish a task, and the moment a better sealing array was created or discovered, the old sealing array would no longer be used. It was simple logic: Why do something harder when an easier way - that was more efficient and better - was available?
That's what made the sealing designed array by the High Priestesses so baffling. Other than one section of the array she hadn't been able to decipher -or more specifically, one particular seal she had never seen before -, she had deciphered the sealing arrays. It was three interlocking sealing arrays that were surrounded by a fourth array that was linked seperately to each of the other arrays, rather than just linking in at the point where the other three arrays met. In the center of the arrays was an opening for an object that served as the focal point to the array.
Once the array was activated, the object in the center was used as a power source, keeping the creature sealed. However, what was baffling to Honoka was why the seal required a battery. Using objects as a power source in sealing arrays hadn't been in active use in hundreds of years, advances and understanding of sub-dimensional spaces making archaic designs such as external batteries pointless. Almost all seal arrays used to house a creature or object used one of two methods: Either it used a small part of the object's own chakra - such as with the seals that held back the biju - or it gathered minute amounts of ambient chakra from the world around it - such as a weapon sealing scroll.
If it was a powerful creature that needed sealed, and thus the sealing array required more chakra to activate initially, it was common practice to use multiple seal masters to activate the array. What was even more confusing was how the seal array stayed stable. The lack of a circular section on the High Priestesses' array that fed chakra back into the seal - keeping the creature from escaping - made the High Priestess' seal inherently unstable. Energy, no matter the form, didn't like to be constrained, and that wasn't even including the fact that there was an active presence pushing against the seal, trying to escape.
How was the seal not failing? The Uzumaki kunoichi sighed, allowing herself a brief moment of annoyance before she reached for the next scroll on Uzumaki seal theory. She would figure this out. If she was right, the Shinigami Mask was powering Moryo's seal…
It was a paradoxical feeling. The sensation of being clean and refreshed yet unclean and guilty over all of those who had died for her. Water softly splashed as Shion lifted her hands from the warm spring. "I wonder…" She stared at her hands, "How much blood has been spilled to keep my hands clean?" Shivering, despite the warmness of the pool, Shion felt goosebumps pebble her skin, "How many people have died because of me?" Wrapping her arms around herself, she fought the urge to submerge herself in the warm water once again. "No. I can't. There isn't enough sacred oil to spare."
Fully standing up, she made her way over to the stone steps that led out of the sacred pool. Pushing the memories of the time she had come here with her mother over ten years ago out of her mind, the High Priestess stepped out the water. "Haku, It is time for you to assist me." After all, the High Priestess did not feel such things as regret or guilt.
It was little over a half hour later when Shion, along with Haku, Honoka, Hinata, and Sakura emerged from the cave. "Are you ready to leave, Shion-Sama?" Taruho inquired, "Have you finished purifying yourself?"
"Of course I have." The High Priestess' tone was equal parts insulted and annoyed, "I have been studying the High Priestess scrolls for years."
"I apologize for my words, Shion-Sama." Taruho bowed, "But we must be off. There may be more enemies about; we will need to move quickly." Taruho gestured to Naruto, "Naruto-San has agreed to carry you so we may move more quickly to our destination."
"Him?" Shion scoffed, doing her best to hide her fear at the thought of being close to Naruto, "He is hardly worthy to touch me, let alone have the supreme honor of carrying me."
"I'll carry you." Sakura stepped forward, "That way your traditions will be satisfied and Naruto-Kun can discuss with Honoka some information she found." Of course, the pink haired kunoichi's decision was no way affected by the fact that she didn't want Shion close to Naruto.
"I suppose that would be acceptable." Shion hid her relief behind an haughty mask, "But," A lone eyebrow rose as she eyed Sakura's athletic form, "Are you sure you can carry me?"
"One way to find out." Sakura suppressed the smirk as she turned around, "Come on." She crouched down, "Climb on my back." As Shion carefully did her best to appear proper and dignified as she situated herself on the kunoichi's back, Sakura allowed a small grin to appear on her face. "Let's see how long you can remain on your high horse while holding on…" While she wouldn't let the client fall, the pink haired young woman saw nothing wrong with breaking Shion's "holier than thou" mask.
After an hour of traveling, the group made camp, given that the High Priestess and soldier not used to traveling at high speeds while on minimal sleep. While Naruto's clones were keeping watch, it was still too close to the battlefield to risk creating a fire, prompting Taruho to do his best to create a light sandwich out of the cooking materials he had brought for himself.
"Here, Lady Shion," He knelt down in front of the High Priestess, "I have made you a light snack for you." The bodyguard held out the sandwich, "I did my best to have an even balance of nutrients while keeping it flavorful."
Shion stared at the offered food like it was some kind of toxic waste. "I'm supposed to eat that?" Her pert nose wrinkled as she leaned closer to examine the sandwich, "Is...there supposed to be some kind of meat on it?" After examining it for another moment, Shion pulled back and squared her shoulders. "I refuse to eat such trash." Her hand swept out and smacked the plate from Taruho's hand, the plate clattering to the ground with a echoing crack. "Make me something better." A slim finger rose up to tap her chin in thought. "Make it hot as well."
"I apologize Lady Shion," Taruho was intensely aware of the sudden quiet from the Shinobi behind him, "But we are too close to the battlefield to risk starting a fire. We are in the open, and enemies could see the fire." Shion immediately crossed her arms."I apologize again. Please let me find a better meal for you."
"Don't bother." Shion stood and opened the flap for her tent, "I am going to bed." The sound of the canvas flap closing almost seemed to echo in the small clearing.
"Please don't think ill of Shion-Sama." Taruho bowed low, "She doesn't really mean it. She just feels helpless and is lashing out." Seeing that the shinobi weren't convinced, the bodyguard tried a different angle. "High Priestess Shion hasn't been outside of the main temple in ten years. She has forgotten what it is to interact with those around her." He bowed even lower, "Please don't blame her."
"We're not going to blame her." Naruto settled onto the cooling ground with a sigh, "Even if she is acting…" He searched for a word that both described their client and wouldn't also be too insulting, "...spoiled." The blond Uzumaki tilted his head to the side as he considered a sudden thought. "How old was Shion when she became the High Priestess?"
"She was seven years old," Relief surged through Taruho as he realized that the shinobi weren't angry at the High Priestess, "Six months after the previous High Priestess, Miroku-Sama, died after sealing Moryo."
Naruto traded a subtle side glance with Honoka, "How did the previous High Priestess die?" Having reviewed Honoka's notes on the High Priestess' sealing array, he couldn't shake the feeling that the unknown section of the array Honoka couldn't decipher was familiar somehow. After everyone had gone to bed, he planned on unsealing his books of specialized sealing arrays and comparing them to the unknown seal. Luckily, one of his clones had finished copying down the scroll, and now all that remained was to return the scroll to the small pouch on Shion's waist.
"We do not know." Taruho stood up and began rolling out his bedroll in front of Shion's tent, "Shortly after High Priestess Miroku purified herself in the Sacred Pool, young Lady Shion was kidnapped by a traitor. A note was left, informing Lady Miroku that her daughter was taken to Moryo's temple. The High Priestess gained entry to Moryo's temple while the army distracted his followers. Shortly after she entered the temple, Moryo's power left its followers. But only Lady Shion emerged from the temple." He sighed. "Shion-Sama has never spoken of what happened inside that temple."
"During the six months leading up to Shion-Sama's coronation as High Priestess, we moved the entire section of the demon's temple where Moryo's body had been sealed into a secret location."
Naruto blinked. "Wait. You moved the entire section of the floor and everything to another location?" Incredulousness laced through his tone, "As in, you picked it up and moved the entire thing?"
"Yes." The pride was unmistakable in Taruho's tone, "It took several hundred soldiers, architects, and engineers, but we accomplished it." Flattening out the edges of his bedroll, he glanced back at the Shinobi, "Is there any other questions?" They shook their heads. The bodyguard nodded. "In that case, I will retire for the evening. Please wake me if you need me to go on watch."
"So you have come…" The deep and malicious voice echoed in the stone chamber, seemingly coming from nowhere yet everywhere, "High Priestess." It paused, "Have you come to watch the last of your wretched line die?"
"No." High Priestess Miroku glared defiantly at the darkness, "I have come to rescue my daughter and seal you once again."
"Oh?" Something massive thudded in the dark, "How can you save something you cannot see?" The thud sounded out again, this time off to her right, "I am the all-consuming darkness." The floor began to vibrate. "I am the dominating will that subjugates all." The walls groaned under an invisible weight. "I am the eternal night. I am MORYO!" The pillars of the temple shook. "Fear me." The darkness swallowed the High Priestess. "Who are you to resist ME?"
"Fear you?" Miroku's was soft, "Fear the darkness?" A knowing smile tugged at her lips as she brought her hands to rest in front of herself, "No. It is not I who should fear." White-pink light began to emanate from her frame, "It is not the light that fears the darkness." The light increased, illuminating the High Priestess, "But it is the darkness that fears the light." Light began to flicker across her hair like tongues of fire, "I am High Priestess Miroku and I am the Light." Her robe began to glow, its brilliance shining like a beacon in the dark, "I am Miroku…" White light, hot and wrathful, began to radiate from her cupped hands, "And you took my daughter." The light grew brighter, "Fear me."
The High Priestess opened her hands.
Light exploded outwards, banishing the darkness, vanishing it in an instant."You…" Raw, untamed hatred dripped from Moryo's voice, "You dare?" The ground shook as the massive eight headed dragon stepped onto the center of the pillars, looming over the brightly shining High Priestess, "You will pay for your insolence."
Miroku's hand plunged into her robe, tugging out a mask. The air grew colder, and the great demon faltered at the sight of it. Holding the mask aloft in her right hand, the High Priestess knelt, placing her hand on the stone floor. Light flared, and Moryo roared in pain. Glowing pink-white lines shot outwards, shifting and bending to create sealing arrays.
"By my power be bound." The High Priestess' voice echoed in the chamber, resonating within the unhallowed halls, "By this Mask, be forever held." Wings of light burst into existence behind her, "By the Light that burns within…" Her head snapped up to lock eyes with the demon, "Go back to shadow."
"NO!" Threads of light arced outwards, wrapping around Moryo in an instant, "I am Moryo. I will not be stopped. I cannot be stopped." The demon's skin sizzled and burned under the Light. Sparks erupted from the ground as its claws scraped uselessly against the floor, attempting to forestall the inevitable. The Great Demon was dragged ever closer to the center of the seal, the strength of the Shinigami Mask far greater than the demon's might.
"If I cannot escape," Seething power exploded from Moryo's body, "Then I will take your child with me." One of the dragon's heads snapped towards something resting next to one of the pillars. Harsh purple light began to swell in its maw.
"Mom?"
Miroku realized a moment too late who Moryo's target was. It was the small and defenseless Shion who was resting against the pillar. Shion, now that Moryo's power was nearly broken, was waking from the forced sleep she was placed under. Shion's pink eyes sleepily opened, only to widen in utter terror as the dragon's maw raced towards her.
"Shion!"
Shion's eyes flew open as she gasped. Her heart thudded in her breast, and for the briefest moment, she nearly cried out for her mother. Reason filtered in moment later, and the young woman harshly reminded herself of the fact that her mother was gone. "Quiet. Mother is gone. You are the High Priestess. You must take care of yourself. You are not allowed to show weakness."
Biting her inner cheek hard enough to draw blood, Shion pushed back against the painful memories and the choking sensation of being completely and terribly alone. "You are the High Priestess. You are not allowed to show weakness." Despite her words and forced bravado, she felt warm, helpless tears slide down her cheeks. But it was alright. She was alone, and no one could see her could see her tears in the dark.
-Line-
-Line-
"What is mental privacy?" Inoichi wondered, "And do criminals still have the basic right of keeping their memories and thoughts private? Where do we draw that line?" Jiraiya had brought back the group of ninja who had conspired and then had attacked Hinata Hyuga, Sakura Haruno, and Haku. The Hyuga had invoked the clan law of Clan Attacker, citing that the criminal Hyuga had willingly taken part in a plan that nearly killed Hinata Hyuga. They had taken the man back to their compound for a clan trial, and then after the trial - and the punishment for his actions - he would be brought back to Konoha Prison.
However, Inoichi found himself being forced to make a choice he had hoped he would never have to make. Three of his clan members had directly attacked Konoha shinobi, influencing the three kunoichi to nearly kill each other. The issue was not their guilt, not precisely. The evidence Jiraiya had gathered was circumstantial. Normally the amount of evidence would have been enough to convict the three Yamanaka criminals, but given that the village rested on a knife's edge, hard evidence was required.
While it was simple enough to enter the minds of the rest of the criminal group, the three Yamanaka were different. All Yamanaka were trained on how to defend their minds from intruding forces. Inoichi knew that he could simply force his way past their mental barriers, but it would cause excruciating pain for them when he did so. To complicate matters even further, the three maintained that their actions were necessary to save the village and all those inside.
Unbidden, the memory of the warning the Kyuubi had given Inoichi all those years ago surfaced in his mind once more.
"...If something does happen to any of them, I will turn everything you love into ash..."
That was another thing to consider. While he trusted Naruto, the Kyuubi was an entirely different matter. "What do I do?" Taking a few slow, measured breaths, Inoichi couldn't help but wonder, What would Naruto do?
The screeching sound of the cell block door opening brought Uragiri Yamanaka out of his depressed stupor. Glancing up from his seated position to peer through the bars, he was surprised to see his clan head, Inoichi Yamanaka, approaching his cell. What could the Clan Head want?
Inoichi stopped outside of the bars and locked eyes with Uragiri. For a long moment neither man spoke.
"Why?" The question hung in the air between them, "Why did you do it?"
Uragiri broke eye contact and lowered his head. "I wanted to be a hero." He began finally, "I wanted to save the village from monsters." He chuckled, the sound empty and humorless. "I read the stories of the great ninja of the past, and I thought 'I want to save people like they did'". He glanced to the side, gazing into the past, "So when that man came to me and told us of the demon that was threatening the village, how could I do anything but follow his advice?"
"What man?" Something close to anger flickered deep in Inoichi's chest, "What did he look like?"
"He looked like…" Uragiri blinked as he realized he couldn't recall the man's features, nor anything unique about the man. Every time he tried to remember, the image slipped through his mental fingers like mist. "I…" He concentrated, using every ounce of his clan's training to focus his mind, "...Can't remember." He turned to his clan leader, helplessness cloaking him like a shroud, "I don't remember."
Inoichi was silent. Then...he spoke. "Will you let me view your memories?"
"Yes." Uragiri nodded, "He had proof and everything."
The Yamanaka Clan Head wove through the handsigns needed for his clan's most prized technique.
"Kokoro Sanpo."
Uragiri's mind was ordered, memory obs lined up along the hallways just like Inoichi would expect from one someone of his clan. "Former clan member." He corrected himself, doing his best to remember that Uragiri had willingly attacked the three kunoichi. But...Uragiri lacked the malice that most people who hated Naruto possessed. Shaking his hand and refocusing, Inoichi headed deeper inside Uragiri's mind, searching for the memory that Uragiri had supposedly forgotten.
Touching the occasional memory sphere as he went, Inoichi quickly determine where the memory he was looking for was located at. Approaching the memory sphere that was hovering innocently over the ground, the Yamanaka Clan Head took a deep breath and reached out to touch the memory.
"...Uragiri Yamanaka. Do you wish to be a hero?"
Inoichi abruptly found himself back inside the mindscape, the memory having ended right after the question. Blinking, Inoichi closed his eyes and concentrated as he reached out and touched the memory.
"...Uragiri Yamanaka. Do you wish to be a hero?"
Once again Inoichi found himself back in the mindscape. Frowning, he raised his hand and brushed his hand against the right side of the memory sphere, expecting the semi-solid surface to resist. His hand drifted through the memory like it was made of mist. A chill crawled up his spine. The ability to manipulate memories was exclusive to only two things: His clan's techniques and S-Ranks Genjutsu. Given that it was almost impossible - not to mention highly dangerous - to edit one's own memories, there was only one logical answer left: There was another conspirator, and he was capable of casting S-Ranked Genjutsus. A thought drifted through his mind, sudden yet seemingly familiar. "What if Ino had been the one targeted?" Anger flared within him at the thought. "What if she had died because of Uragiri?"
Inoichi felt protective, controlled rage flare within his chest. Part of his mind protested the sudden burst of emotion. The Yamanka checked himself, concentrating on the thought that had sparked his emotions. Slowly, the whisper's tone began to change, no longer sounding like his own voice. Inoichi concentrated farther, focusing on eliminating the foreign thought. It faded into nothingness.
Raising his hand once again, he reached out for the memory orb.
"…Uragiri Yamanaka. Do you wish to be a hero?" There was a brief flash of masked man, the bright orange mask seeming to shift and twist, "Do you wish to save your village from the monsters?"
The memory began to cloudy and then ended.
Closing his eyes, Inoichi released his technique. He reopened his eyes. Now he understood what had happened to Uragiri's memory. The masked man, whoever he was, had somehow convinced or controlled Uragiri to erase his own memory. Still, Uragiri was not even close to mastering his clan's techniques, and bits of the erased memory had reformed into the memory orb. Inoichi knew he had to view the memories of the other ex-Yamanaka. Perhaps he could construct what had happened using bits and pieces hidden within each of their minds?
"Did you see it?" Uragiri leaned forward, "Did you see who it was?"
"Not all of it." Inoichi's tone was halfway between pitying and cold, "Your memory is corrupted." Uragiri's exclamation of shock and distress echoed in the room.
"H-How?" Memories were precious to the Yamanka, and to have one permanently corrupted, it was almost unthinkable. Shame crawled under Uragiri's skin, and helplessness pulled him down, threatening to spiral him into depression. How could he ever get over this? His mind had been violated, and he couldn't even remember who had done it.
"I pity you." Inoichi's tone was quiet, "You have suffered a horrific violation. But," His voice firmed, "You weren't forced to attack those girls were you?"
"No." Uragiri admitted, "I had been trying to think of a way to stop them for months." He sighed, "I figured that if I captured them and took them far away, the Kyubi would follow. It would probably kill me, but Konoha would be free." He chuckled humorlessly. "Now that I've had time to think, since that's about all I can do in this cell, I realized how wrong I was. If, by some miracle, I was able to successfully capture the three kunoichi and not die in the process, Naruto would have taken me down long before I was able to escape. Then," The disgraced Yamanaka let out a despairing laugh, "He would have come right back here, hunted down anyone who helped me, and then went back to his clan compound. I would have caused only pain."
"I'm sorry." Inoichi stepped back from the cell bars, "You made your choice, and choices have consequences." Stepping away from his former clanmate, the Yamanaka Clan Head opened the heavy metal door and moved outside. He needed to informed the Hokage of what he had learned. The door closed behind him with a thud, leaving Uragiri in the dark.
On Naruto: Naruto knows that the soldiers signed up and made the choice to fight for the High Priestess and defend the Temple. Still, he feels, perhaps rightly so, that if he had just ignored their choices and fought the army himself instead, all those soldiers would be still alive. However, Naruto believes that each choice a person makes matters. Up until now, his resolve had not been tested. If this still doesn't make sense, let me know and I'll try to explain it in more detail.
On Clone 44: First, let me assure you that Clone 44's existence is on purpose, and there is an explanation of why it showed up rather than the 24th clone. While I don't want to spoil anything, let me say that each shadow clone is a tiny part of Naruto's personality - and then they are born solely from that personality bit, viewing the world through that lens- and 44 wasn't a...nice part of Naruto's personality, to say the least. To briefly summarize the previous times Clone 44 has been encountered, it was first seen when Naruto was designing the sealing chapter to remove Anko's seal. It seemed slightly amused by the thought of people getting hurt by Naruto's next major scene was when the group fought the Ultimate Summon Beast at the start of the Wave Arc. It used a crowbar to deal a brutal blow to the creature.
To my reviewer's direct questions:
R-king 93: That's the real question isn't? Why does he want Naruto to suffer while at the same time seeming so proud of Naruto? Rest assured that all will be revealed in time. This is something that I have been planning for a while now, so that story arc/section will be revealed in time.
Jose19: I'm unsure if you are still reading the story at this point, but Neji is close to his Canon level of strength and skill, while HotE Naruto and Hinata have progressed much farther than their Canon counterparts, mostly due to the fact that they are pushing themselves much harder than they did in Canon.
SweetestChick: Yeah, I was hoping that the reveal would take people by surprise. And thanks! Owning a home is awesome, but it's quite a bit of work (one of the reasons this chapter hasn't been posted until now).
Nin-Guest: Unless of course it's all a red herring...Heh. Anyways, I look forward to hearing what you think about the Yamanaka one. I'm planning one with Ino separately than this one, so don't worry that she has been forgotten.
Irritatedbookwor: As I was reading your review, I looked up Standing Outside the Fire, and I gotta say, you were pretty spot on. Well done. Honestly, you are right. Konoha does have quite a bit of morons in it. I'm a bit of a cynicist, and that comes out in my writing. I've found that, cynically speaking, if a lie gets repeated often enough, most people will believe it. Interesting that you mention Gato. I won't spoil anything, but...Gato did have a lot of money, and that had to go somewhere. Yeah...Anko is inappropriate, perhaps overly so. I started reading the Honor Harrington series just a little bit ago, and I'm hoping to get to "The Honor of the Queen" soon. Solid Recommendation.
Naruto-kun257: When writing HotE, I try to strike a balance between realistic and well, magical ninjas. I've done 40 hours straight before while working/activities/working again, and honestly, without a superpower, a normal person's body couldn't handle the stress. Even if there was someone who was skilled/powerful enough to do so, all it would take is one mess up (which the chances of it happening would skyrocket as they grew tired) for a Bijuu to obliterate them. Let me know if that makes sense. If not, I'll try to explain in more detail.
KadeBear: Shion was far too terrified by her Vision of Naruto's death (and by proxy, she is scared of Naruto as well), that she didn't want to risk angering him.