Chapter Six: No Good Deed.
"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished."
{Konoha?}
[?]
Naruto woke up from the weirdest dream he had ever been in. His body was wrapped in bandages, whilst his eyes were blurry. Next to him was Sasuke, similar bandaged, and sporting a nice little broken left arm. Naruto's right arm had been broken as well, meaning that their jutsu had indeed clashed.
Still, he vividly remembered falling into the rift after throwing Sasuke out…
"Hey, bastard, what happened?" Naruto questioned whilst feeling his head swim. "When did we get the hospital?"
"About three days ago, you idiot." Sasuke grimly answered before looking down at his broken left leg. "You are such a loser, why the hell did you sleep longer than me?"
"Jeez, I don't know, maybe because I ran a frigging gauntlet getting to your ungrateful ass!" Naruto argued back with flames in his eyes. "You should be glad you're awake, ya know! One more punch, and I'd done you in!"
"Sure…whatever, idiot." The Uchiha jabbed before looking at the hospital room. "You were tossing in your sleep, something about a Lady Kali, Chief Ghira?"
"Oh, yeah, that…that was just one heck of a weird dream." Naruto murmured before feeling his legs starting to move. "Hah, look at that, I have both my legs working!"
"Good for you…" Sasuke grumbled before looking down at his broken. "I guess you won, this time around."
"Yep, now I'm officially the strongest of team seven, ya know!" The blonde shinobi celebrated before getting up. "I'm gonna go head to Ichiraku, Sasuke?"
"Shove that ramen up your- "
Naruto slammed the door shut behind him, cutting Sasuke off. "Yep, with pleasure, you duck-haired asshole! Woohoo, finally I'm awake, man that was such a weird dream!" The blonde ran across the hallway, nearly bumping into Shizune. "Sorry, Shizune, comin' through!"
"Naruto, you idiot, watch where you're going!" Sakura yelled from besides Shizune, and then realized. "Damn it, get back into bed, you moron!"
"Hell no!" Naruto laughed before opening a sliding window. "Konoha, here I come!"
He leapt out, smiling as he felt the warm air rush around him. He smiled brightly before closing his eyes. However, just as he preparing himself to make contact with the solid stone streets of Konoha, his feet blasted through cold water!
His eyes opened wide before seeing himself emersed in ocean water. He swam upward, stunned near stupid about the sudden change. Breaching the surface, he draws air into his lungs, his heart beating rapidly. He looked around as he got on top of the water, using the water walking technique to view around him.
"What the hell, no, I was just in Konoha!" Naruto felt his heart beating faster and faster. "What, no-no-no!"
Suddenly the water shifted upwards, falling into a rift above the sky. Sasuke suddenly appeared in his curse mark state, grabbing Naruto by the collar. He smirked, his unnatural dark lavender hair whooshing toward the rift as he held Naruto aloft in the air.
"So, you thought you were in a dream?! Let me show you a nightmare!" Sasuke declared before throwing Naruto toward the rift. "You'll never come back home, I won, you lost! No one will ever remember you, no one!"
Naruto flew into the rift, the scenery changed as the water rushed around him. His eyes widened tremendously as looked back up toward the rift. It was starting to close, he flipping himself backward, getting his feet onto the water. He ran up the stream as it flowed from the rift, watching it close. His thoughts raced hundreds of miles an hour, and he only knew one thing.
"I have to make it! I have to make it! My dreams, everyone that I care about, I need to be there for them! I've gotta make it!" Naruto leapt from the final stretch of the stream of water from the rift, fumbling through the air as he slung himself toward the closing rift. "C'mon!"
Too little too late, Naruto's hands brushed the final specks of the rift as it fully closed. He felt himself falling now, his hands reaching out. He collapsed downward into the darkness as he felt his body rush into the sky over Menagerie.
"No-no-no!" Naruto yelled out as he struggled, trying activate his shadow clone jutsu. "No!"
He fell into ocean below, slamming downward as his body was wrecked against the waters below! He struggled to breathe as blood escaped from his mouth. He felt his body ache in pain as suddenly another version of himself appeared just above…and another…and another!
They flopped down, dead, raining almost. He swam, strugglingly upward, breaching the surface of the water as he saw Kuo Kuana in the distance. Save…it was one fire. He breathed hard, shaking as he barely made onto the shoreline.
Naruto coughed up a wad of blood from his mouth as dozens more of himself fell from the sky. There, on the beach he saw Kali and Ghira. Both of them looking at him. They seemed afraid of him, and when he reached out toward them a giant paw snatched them from the air.
"No!" Naruto screamed as he whipped around to see from the ocean the giant form of The Nine Tailed Fox emerged. "What are you doing?! Stop!"
"Why should we stop? After all, brat, you brought me into this world with you. You're just as much at fault for this!" The Nine Tails roared before tossing Kali and Ghira into his mouth like mere snacks, and he chewed. "I've never eaten cat before, the bones a little extra crunchy."
"Why?! Why do you always do this, stop this, give them back!" Naruto screamed to the top of his lungs.
"Weren't you just happy to be in Konoha, I thought you liked them better as a dream? Oh, Lord Hokage." The Fox chuckled darkly as Naruto suddenly had a haori emerge around him. "Now act the part."
The giant fox reared his hand back, poking out with his index claw before spearing Naruto right through his gut. Lifting him high into the sky, he watched as the blonde shinobi threw up blood onto the white nail. Smiling horribly at the child's pain, he slid him off the claw before letting him fly into the air.
"Know this, brat, no matter where you go…I'll always be with you! I'll always exist, and this…" The Nine Tails turned to the burning Kuo Kuana as Cloud and the others tried to leave. "Will always have a chance of happening!"
Naruto tried to reach out to Cloud, only the Nine Tails to suddenly roar out, releasing a stream of fire that engulfs him and the others trying to run away. He fell down onto the burning ground, flames danced and avoided him as if he a plague bearer. A leper to even the fires wouldn't touch.
"Why…" He heard her voice and looked up to see Kali coming from a burning building, gored nearly beyond recognition. "We took you into our home…we treated you like family, why did you hide this monster from us…are you the monster?"
Ghira suddenly wrapped an around his neck from behind, having picked him off the ground. His face was mangled. "You little bastard, we took you in, we saved, why did you do this?!" He growled into Naruto's ear as the giant fox approached them. "You didn't warn us, you lied to us about the tattoo…and when we needed you the most, you betrayed us all!"
"Ghira…wait!" Naruto choked out before feeling his neck pop as Ghira jerked his hand back.
"Monster…"
Naruto twitched on the ground as his eyes dulled over. He saw the gored Kali and Ghira crouch down near him. "If you had told us, we would've made your death painless…but now you're just a demon." He stated before looking over to the ocean as hundreds of Razor Fins emerged out and took to eating the hundreds of other dead Narutos in the sea. "You should've died that day, that we could've lived!"
"I…didn't…" Naruto struggled shaking violently as he caught a pair of red eyes emerging from a building. "Who…what…"
"Oh, don't worry about it too much." This version of him stated before his red eyes fell upon Ghira and Kali. "I'm here to help you, ya know!"
Before he could do anything, Kali and Ghira were speared through the chest by this version of himself. He hoisted them up, sending their broken and mangled forms away with a throw of his arms. He laughed callously before looking over at the Nine Tails. The fox smirked as this darker version of himself grabbed him by his blonde hair.
"You know, all those dark thoughts you have, have to go somewhere." This Naruto stated before licking his lips, his black sclera. "What happens when it gets full, and what happens when we bring our big fuzzball out to play?"
"Do you think you belong here, look at this dream…we're monsters. We don't get happy endings, when have The Gods ever been so kind to us? The villagers back in Konoha had every reason to fear us, and this place is so ignorant to the truth…why conform? You can be godlike to them, you wouldn't ever have to feel the sting of jeering every again." The dark version of himself stated as his own blonde hair turned red. "We can be more than human, much more, we can be demons."
"Ne-ver…" Naruto choked out as blood ran down his lips. "I'll never…join…you…"
"Oh, why wouldn't you want to join yourself? C'mon now, ya know, you're acting like a crazy person." The redheaded version of him sneered before looking over towards Blake Belladonna. "Oh, there's the bitch right there, we should just do this!"
A snap of his fingers, and all this Blake could do was look up before the giant paw of The Nine Tails slammed right upon her. The dark version of him laughed with glee before whistling as the giant fox picked his paw back up, and revealing nothing but a bloodstain on the ground. This Naruto, Dark Naruto, just held his wrist out and shrugged.
"Guess that kitty cat didn't have nine lives." He laughed before tossing the broken form the original down. "The Nine Tails is right though, so long as we exist without a purpose…why not just let it all go?"
"They were kind to us, why would we ever want to hurt them?!" Naruto screamed as he felt his neck heal. "Why would we ever want to kill them?!"
"Simple!" Dark Naruto rounded on him with a joyful expression. "When has anyone ever thought about us as human?! You want to know the truth of it all, you're hurt that you'll never get to earnestly wear the cloak of Hokage, and you're bitter! You're adapting outwardly well, but I'm here to prove to you that you're not alright in the head!"
"Screw you!" Naruto screamed before forming a clone next to him, and forming a rasengan. "I'll never become you, this is just a nightmare, get out of my head!"
The redheaded Dark Naruto laughed before holding his right palm out. The Nine Tails lowered both his hands down just above it. A giant red orb formed right above Dark Naruto, and smiled as it replaced the moon in Naruto's vision. He laughed as Naruto futilely slammed his blue rasengan against his giant red one. Instead of blasting him away, the rasengan collapsed down into another rift.
The Dark Naruto laughed as he reached in, catching Naruto. "Oh Naruto, c'mon, I got you…oh please, my bestest friend don't let go…oh no!" He mocked whilst snickering under his breath. "Do you honestly think Sasuke was trying to help you?! Please, that bastard was just dragging it out to make you suffer, but hey…what do I know, ya know."
"Get off me!" Naruto yelled as he struggled.
"With pleasure, enjoy the freefall, snacks will not be provided…" Dark Naruto growled before letting Naruto fall back into the rift.
Only for the cycle to repeat itself once more.
Back into the endless sea…
{Belladonna Estate: Naruto's Room.}
[4:00am]
Naruto was breathing hard as he got up from the bed. He struggled against the nightstand before falling over. He breathed harder before lurching. That nightmare had been intense, the most intense one to date. He shook his head as he felt burning around his stomach. He looked down to see his seal glowing before it finally stopped.
The nausea ended with the seal stopping its glow. Was the Nine Tails trying to break out of him?!
He got up from the floor, and walked into the bathroom quickly. He looked into the mirror, seeing that his eyes were their normal azure color. Devoid of any red. He took a moment, taking a deep breath before sliding onto the bathroom floor. Feeling the burden on his shoulders, and if dinner had been anything to go by, Naruto was currently facing the reality of everything around him.
Of all things, Naruto got chastised a little bit by Kali for going after a Grimm. Him, chastised because he chose to do the right thing?!
"Children shouldn't fight Grimm…"
"You're lucky to have not been hurt."
"Shinobi, or not, just don't put yourself in harms like that again."
What did they know?! Yes, was it kind of them to worry, but Naruto went literally all of his life prior without needing that kind of worry. The blonde breathed in deeply as hot tears flowed down his face. He struggled up from the bathroom floor, and grabbed some clothes before exiting the room. He snuck past the guard, easily enough, and ended up running into the garden.
He found a bench near some of the plants, taking a seat to enjoy the cold air, hoping it would calm him down if even a little bit. The blonde sighed, and took a moment to look at the broken palm trees behind him. His eyes focused on sky above them, seeing the shattered moon hanging menacingly above.
He'd never get used to that. Taking a moment to refocus himself, Naruto clutched at his chest when it came time to start thinking again. What was happening, what was this rapid heartrate, and shortness of breath?! He moved a finger toward his jugular, having learned to count his heart rate when him and Shizune had some run ins.
"One…two…" he counted the seconds openly before finishing at the one-minute mark. "Two hundred…and fifteen…?
He fell down off the bench onto his knees, tears spilled from his eyes as fear overtook him. Was he really having a heart attack at the age of twelve?! Weas this just another nightmare, he wanted to go home! Tsuande would have all the answer, and without thinking, he bit into this thumb. He needed to get out, he needed out, he wanted to go home!
He stopped himself short, what was he doing?! This wasn't right, he knew it, why was he doing though?! He shook with his hands mere inches from the ground, blood dripping from his thumb that slowly began to seal itself. Leaning back onto his behind, Naruto brought his legs up to his chest, and rocked back and forth.
"I need to calm down, I need to calm down! It was just a nightmare, I don't have to warn them about the Nine Tails…I have a good thing going on here, right?" Naruto scrunched his face up before thinking of his team. "I miss you guys, please, if you're out there and somehow here this…please…please find me. I'm sorry if I was ever…a burden…or a poor student…I should've fought harder!"
"Naruto?" Ghira's voice came from behind him, and then he felt the man kneel down next to him. "Hey, hey, what's wrong, Naruto?"
"I'm just, I'm sorry…I…" Naruto felt the dam burst as tears broke from his eyes. "I miss my friends, I miss my teachers, I just…I wanna go home!"
Ghira sat next to him, he knew what this was. He didn't say anything, instead he draped a hand around him, and held him close. Both of them sat like this as Naruto let his feelings out. Tears fell onto the ground as he breathed harder, sobbing almost against him. The tween shinobi just found himself being held by the much larger man, who patted his back.
Both sat there for minutes, allowing Naruto to just let it out. The blonde shinobi stopped crying before moving off the man. He looked away, slightly blushing from embarrassment. Ghira sat there still, having came out for some air after looking over his papers, and finding their ward here out in the garden crying.
The large panther faunus sighed as he still kept his arm on Naruto, who didn't try to push it off. It felt pleasant just having some sort of contact. They sat there for a few minutes in silence, as Naruto continued to control his breathing.
The pregnant pause was broken, and birthed forth from Naruto's mouth.
"Why are you all so nice to me, you don't know a damn thing about me." He said before looking at Ghira as fresh tears fell from his eyes. "I know you all say I don't owe you, but I do…and I'm not a child…I'm not your kid…"
Ghira remained silent, letting Naruto get it out.
"So, please, tell me if I'm just having a long dream…and this is all in my head. Maybe he killed me, and this is just me hanging around limbo…" Naruto clutched his knees to his chest as he spoke. "You know damn well I'm not from this world, ya know. I just…I…shouldn't have…"
The chieftain sighed under his breath. Patting the blonde' back whilst sitting there. Staying silent, Naruto hadn't taken to be called kid by Kali too well, he had zoned out after the dinner. Kali knew something had shifted in him after it, and Ghira felt it in the air as the blonde retreated without eating more food.
"Ghira, I'm really sorry for this, I just- "
"Don't you ever be sorry for this." Those words made Naruto stop cold, Ghira looked right into his eyes. "You're a warrior, yes, but a child still. Whatever world you've came from, whatever life you had, it's hard to let go. You're suffering in silence, because you don't want to burden us with more…well that's frankly not your healthiest choice."
"In Konoha…my village-"
"In Konoha, if they taught you hold your emotions in, then they're damned fools." Ghira stated with anger in his voice. "I'm sorry, but it had to be said. Because seeing you, someone who had just saved lives, out here broken…breaks me."
"I'm sorry- "
"Do not apologize for having a soul!" Ghira said loudly before facing the boy fully. "You are a living being, with feelings, and thoughts. It is impossible for one to always hold things in. This isn't something to be sorry about, because I've seen what holding things in does to people…it destroys them from the inside."
"I'm not trying to hold things inside, it's just that I don't want to be a burden, ya know." Naruto said whilst looking away from Ghira in shame. "I'm not supposed to cry openly, shinobi aren't supposed to…"
"Then screw those rules while around me. You've got permission to cry your heart at around me." He hugged Naruto closer before looking up into the sky. "There's no such thing as having shame for being hurt on the inside, so if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here…"
Naruto looked at him, then slowly tears filled his eyes before scrunches his face up. "T-thank you, ya know." He emotionally thanked him before smiling softly. "You're really are a cool guy, ya know."
"That's twice…the ya knows." He pointed out, trying to alleviate the situation of its stress. "You're gonna have me saying it…ya know."
"That was horrible…" Naruto lightly laughed before trying his tears. "You gotta say it from the chest, like this, ya know!"
"Ya know."
"Ya know!"
"Ya know!"
"Ya know!"
Both looked at one another before Naruto found himself chuckling. The tears drying up as he felt the man's arm leave his shoulder. He looked down at the ground, slightly blushing before looking back at the man. Ghira looked down, and smiled at him.
"What's on your mind?" He asked whilst shifting to sit in front of him. "Go on, don't be shy about it, I mean I just saw you cry."
"I had a horrible nightmare…" Naruto admitted before taking a deep breath. "I…dreamed that this was all just a dream, and I was back home. Then I fell…here." He half-truths before looking biting his lip. "I wanted to be my village's leader when I became a shinobi."
"A leader huh?" Ghira questioned him with a smile. "What would you do with that type of power?"
"Heh, well I'd help anyone I could, ya know." Naruto thought about himself dreamingly wearing the Hokage Robes when he was older. "But…now that's impossible."
"Hmm…" The chief of Kuo Kuana hummed before he smiled slightly. "Don't ever give up on dreams, even if they seem impossible right now. You never know."
"Ghira…I'm not able to be Hokage here…" Naruto sighed whilst he looked off toward the distance. "I…don't know what I should be."
"Life has a funny way of putting things like this in front of us. A path forward with so many forks in the road, where each path is different." The man took a deep breath, and smiled. "It reminds me of a poem."
"What poem is that?" Naruto inquired whilst listening to the man.
Ghira smiles before looking up at the air. "It is something I follow. The Road Not Taken, it's about a man who is met with the choice of an easy path, or a difficult path. If takes the easy path, life stays the same, and he'll continue forwards with nothing changed…but if he takes harder road he may just discover a newer purpose." The large man smiled before looking over toward Naruto. "I think you're one to take the hard road."
"I never was blessed with anything special about me." Naruto admitted before blushing a little bit. "Still, I don't know what I am supposed to be. I mean, saving those people felt right…"
"You want to save people? Well…there's the Menagerian Guard." Ghira pointed out whilst smiling. "Though, you're still too young to officially join."
"Damn…" Naruto cursed before bringing his hand to his mouth. "I'm sorry, earlier I was upset, but now I don't have a- "
"Shut the hell up with the apologizing." Ghira cursed with a smile on his face. "We're two men talking with each other."
Naruto smiles before looking up at the sky. "Hey, so…you don't mind me staying here for a little bit, right?" He asked whilst turning back to Ghira. "I can earn my fair share, I mean…well…you all like fish, ya know."
"Heh," Ghira laughed under his breath, "so…you'll earn your place by going hunting?"
"Pretty much." Naruto summarized before shrugging. "I gotta feel like I'm doing something, ya know."
"Well, I'll keep it as our secret deal then." Ghira held his pinky out. "Pinky promise."
"What do I look like, a five-year-old?" Naruto deadpanned before holding out his hand. "I shake."
"Ha!" Ghira boisterously chortled before shaking Naruto's hand. "The deal is set then!"
"Right, I'll be going fishing tomorrow! Better get some sleep…" Naruto stretched before yawning. "Hey…thanks for you talking to me, ya know."
"Don't thank me for doing the right thing." Ghira smiled before getting up, patting the boy's back. "C'mon on now, let's head in, Kali is probably nosing about looking for me."
"Yeesh, you trouble?" The blonde questioned with a small laugh.
"Something like that…" Ghira hinted at before Naruto blushed a little bit.
"Eww…"
{Kuo Kuana Docks.}
[Two Weeks Later, 1:20pm.]
Blake Belladonna was walking with Adam as they made their way towards the docks.
The Kuo Kuana Docks were big, one of the largest of any city. Argus, and Vale City, were the only inland docks that were bigger. Quays lined the streets, water lapping at the sandstone, and moved rocks from civil engineering helped ease the impacts of the ocean. Both of them were walking with a sense of purpose as they came towards a ship.
It was a transport ship, a medium sized cargo vessel, that was a football field in length. It had a single cannon turret along the deck, whilst the back was filled with containers. Adam was here for Sienna, who had other matters to attend to at the moment.
Sure enough, an Atlassian captain walked down the gangway. He had his nose up in the air as workers managed the cranes to start unloading goods. He simply looked down at Adam, not of hatred, but just indifference. He offered his hand out to the redheaded bull faunus.
"I expected Sienna to be here." He merely said whilst Adam took his hand firmly. "You are?"
"Adam Taurus." The redhead answered flatly.
'Ahh, the protégé. As you can you tell I'm not really supposed to be here. Sienna owes a me a finders fee, since these weapons were not easy to sneak out of Argus City." The Captain stated whilst one of the cargo doors opened to reveal body armor. "The White Fang seem to be more militant, are you all getting ready for something I should be avoiding?"
"Human," Adam got his attention, "Lady Sienna wants only for Menagerie to be prepared for Grimm. What better way to be prepared is to have more guns, and ammo."
"That is true, young man, my name is Khayin." The captain stroked his grey hair softly. "So, when can I expect my finder's fee?"
"Are you planning on leaving the port tonight?" Adam inquired whilst crossing his arms.
"No, we were promised three days layover. My men, and women are tried, and hungry." Captain Khayin stated whilst crossing his own arms. "Where is the nearest pub?"
"We don't have pubs here, in Kuo Kuana." The redheaded faunus answered whilst resting a hand on his left hip. "We have bars."
"Well, beer is beer." Captain Khayin laughed before looking over at the cat faunus next to him. "Why, hello there beautiful, who are you?"
"None of your business." Blake answered him whilst placing a hand near her training sword. "No offense."
"None taken, sassy breeches." He boisterously laughed at the girl before sighing. "Adam Taurus, when my crew unload the ship, we'll be heading into Kuo Kuana for some drinks. No need to provide shelter, we'll sleep on our ship."
"Very well then." Adam nudged his head to Blake. "I'll get with Lady Sienna on this finders fee."
"You do that." The Captain dismissed whilst turning back to his crew, and walking back toward them.
Blake looked toward Adam, who turned back to her after watching the captain walk off. "So, what's really going on?" She asked whilst crossing her arms. "Normally, my father handles these things."
"It's all need to know at the moment. However, I'll go ahead and tell you it's not great news." Adam replied whilst they began to walk away. "We lost an entire team of our own Hunters."
'W-what?" The daughter of the chieftain was stunned. "When, and how?"
"We don't know exactly how, but we lost them nearly two weeks ago. Ever since then we've been monitoring a very large dust storm forming in the wastes. It's slow, and it's against the wind." The bull faunus bit his lip. "It's looking like a horde."
"Crap baskets." Blake cursed before moving closer to him, slightly scared. "Is that why Sienna is circumventing my dad?"
"Yes." Adam answered honestly, whilst seeing other ships in the bay coming in. "We may do a call up if the horde shifts toward our direction."
"I'll join in the defense!"
"You most certainly can try, kitten." Adam lightly chuckled before shaking his head. "No, you're not ready, and these will be actual Grimm not the dummies we've set up."
"If that stranger living in my house can kill a Grimm, so can I. He's just slightly older than me, whey couldn't I do it, I'm the daughter of the chieftain!" Blake argued whilst they turned a corner, going inward from the docks. "It's such crap, my father dotes on him."
Adam sighs before looking toward the road. "Truth be told, a Razor Fin isn't that super tough of a Grimm. However, it's because of how he did it, and where that makes it truly remarkable. You don't ever fight a specialized Grimm in their turf, you force them out." He grumbled under his breath. "Not to mention his multiple powered base semblance."
"Are we even sure it's a semblance at this point, he constantly claims otherwise." Blake corrected Adam whilst both took a seat on a nearby bench. "It's so stupid, because something is telling me that he's hiding something, and generally he seems okayish…but something is off about him."
"Yeah, I don't fully trust him either, but if your father insists on placing him under his watch, there is little I, or Lady Sienna can do." He agreed whilst going over the situation. "If I had my way, I'd have prove himself as an ally."
"What would you do?" She asked.
"I'd send him with the scouting parties." Adam answered quickly before leaning back on the bench. "We'll know then if he's truly even capable of being amongst our people."
"I heard that he isn't even a faunus, but a weird human." Blake told him whilst leaning forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Her hands under her chin, thinking. "I don't understand why my father insists on keeping one of them in the house."
"Your father insisted on bringing that human doctor, Vista, here as well. Granted, that was a good call, considering the man was trying to come here to begin with. Still, I'd love to have seen a little more vetting, considering that H.F.I. are threatening actions against Menagerie in their little propaganda." Adam took a moment, and looked up toward the sky. "I still don't believe his story about falling dozens of thousands of feet, and surviving the fall."
"Me neither, that's why it's off. If he was a normal human with just a weird semblance, he'd still died on impact. Yet, my mother told she found him with a good majority of his bones broken. He'd died if she hadn't given him first aid." Blake then sighed before leaning back on the bench herself. "Sometimes I do get the feeling he's a good person, but there's something underneath it all…no one is just so nice as to cook strangers dinner."
Adam shrugs as he looked down at the street, watching people walk by. "If he is from another world, does that mean humans are from another world?" He pondered openly before rubbing his chin. "Or does his world have Faunus as well?"
"That's the thing, he acted like he never had seen a faunus before." Blake stated whilst watching people walk by as well. "If his entire world is just humans, then perhaps that is where humans originally came from."
"No…that's just too outlandish." He laughed under his breath. "However, what if there is a world just full of a faunus by a different name?"
"Reminds me of the old legend of The Sailor and The Endless Sea." She said whilst thinking back about the story. "About a faunus woman, who unlocked a semblance that allowed her to journey across other dimensions."
"Heh, what are the odds that she ended up on his world, after all wasn't that book written by the supposed Sailor?" He questioned whilst creasing his hands together in front of him. "A great fantasy novel for sure."
"Yeah, but the way the story is written, it details several of those worlds. Like a world full of caped heroes with singular powers, a world where swordsmen fought demons of the night, and a world full of people who could control the elements." She giggled a little bit. "There's also The Rusted Knight & The Ever After."
"Ah yes, a story of a human girl falling into the void, coming out the other side forever changed." Adam remembered the story, but scoffed at the main character. "Yet, that Rusted Knight is a bit of a character."
"Indeed he was…" Blake sighed longingly whilst blushing. "Uh, sorry, sorry…"
Adam chuckles under his breath, looking her in her eyes. "Should I dye my hair blonde, and grow a wolf's tail?" He inquired teasingly.
"If it would match your blue eyes." She joked back before punching him lightly in the shoulder. "So, oh my birthday, I'm joining up…and was wondering if I can placed in your squad."
"You'll probably being doing manual labor." He warned her before placing arms behind his head. "Like cleaning guns, lugging supplies and ammo. Really, the grunt work."
"I don't care, if it means I can be away from here, and exploring the world." She replied before staring out toward the docks. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't the chieftain's daughter, everyone constantly expects everything out of me…but I'm not my father."
"Hmm, and everyone wants me to be like Sienna." Adam pointed out before placing a hand over her shoulders. "We're not meant to replicate our family's, Blake, but to find our own paths."
She shifted a little, and then had an errand thought appear in her mind. "That Naruto acts like he's never been taking care of a day in his life. Just the other day, she had to force him to stay at home and rest for once." She grumbled under her breath. "Never seen my mother give that look, and it was after his eighth "Ya know.""
"What was he trying to do?" He asked whilst shifting his gaze away from her, feeling a little dejected at the kid's mentioning.
"Stupid idiot was trying to go fishing for us again." Blake stated with crossed arms. "I still think he's got some sort of hidden agenda."
"Hmm, where is he now?" Adam wondered.
"Try right behind you."
Both Adam and Blake jumped up in surprise, nearly yelling as they turned on a dime to see the blonde in question standing right behind them. He had the biggest grin across his face. Chuckling openly before sticking his tongue out at both of them.
"Sorry, couldn't resist, ya know!" Naruto apologized sheepishly before seeing both of them glare at him. "Aww, c'mon now, I was just joking!
"Why?!" Blake whined whilst seeing looking away. "You nearly gave us a heart attack!"
"Well, jeez, I'm sorry. I was sent to find you. Your dad is wanting to talk to you." Naruto answered with crossed arms whilst shifting standing behind the bench. "He said that it was important."
"Okay, fine, guess we'll head that way then." Blake grumbled before walking past him. "Well, aren't you coming?"
"Me, nah, I'm going to the beach. I know your mom will get mad if I bring you all another grouper, so…" He got out a book with pictures in it. "I've been looking at this, a book that details the fish around Kuo Kuana…um The Kuo Kuana Fishery Guidebook."
"Why don't you just go shopping?" Blake suggested whilst putting both hands on her hips. "You don't always have to go diving in the water."
"I could probably ask Lady Kali for some money to do so, but I feel like that's taking." Naruto rubbed the back of his head still, blushing a little bit. "So, no, I'm not doing that, ya know. Anyway, it's not just about the fish, I love swimming. I used to do it everyday almost in the summer back in my village. Man, there was this one swimming spot- "
"We don't care." Adam interrupted him before walking away with Blake. "C'mon Blake, let's leave the hero to his fishing."
"Y-yeah." Blake was a little uneasy about how forceful Adam was when he cut the conversation, but followed him regardless.
Naruto stood there, watching as they went into the crowd of busybodies along the dock's road. He didn't let them see it, but that had hurt him just a little bit. Sighing, he put his hands in the black trouser pockets he had on. Walking along the dirt road as he made his way toward the beach.
"We don't care, we don't care?! Really that's the response to someone making friendly conversation! Sheesh, she's starting to remind of Sakura when she gets in a mood." Naruto pursed his lips in thought before sighing. "It's stupid to think of it any other way, she still thinks I'm some sort of bad guy in disguise. Cloud is right, she is way too guarded to just let anyone in."
Stopping at the crossroads between the beach, and inner Kuo Kuana, Naruto sighed. He watched as the clouds above were sparse, the sun beaming down radiating July heat. A month has gone by since he arrived in this world, that or a little over a month. He wasn't really counting the days. Naruto took a minute to stretch before going for a jog.
He did this back in Konoha, why should he stop a routine?
As his footfalls impacted the sandy dirt, he felt eyes on him. His clothing fluttered loosely, with his sash holding his trousers up. The yellow sash fluttered in the wind as he continued his relatively light jog. He had a bag over his shoulders that contain a beach towel, along with a knife given to him by Cloud for self-defense.
He saw several people spare a glance at him.
"Isn't that the hero I seen on the MVN?"
"Man, he's just a shrimp of a kid."
"I don't think he's natural, something is weird about those things he does."
"I heard Atlas was creating synthetic humans, maybe he's one of them."
"Should we split him open, and find out?"
"I heard he's under the protection of Ghira."
"That old fool, Sienna is going to replace as The High Leader Of The White Fang before long."
"Who cares what he is, that little girl and her grandfather are safe because of him."
"He saved the family that fire."
"Yeah, with all that power though, why isn't he doing more?"
"He needs to do more!"
Dozens of gossipers, and yet just like in Konoha before, he heard how they viewed him behind his back. He had very little supporters there, and more detractors here. His heart panged with a very familiar, old pain in it as he started to jog a little faster. He felt his brow gather sweat from humid shoreline as he turned to go a long way around toward the beach.
He saw various market stall, and buildings along the way. It reminded him of Konoha in how they were set up, with shudders down on bars that wouldn't open until later that night. Stopping at another crossroads, jogging in place, he sighed to himself before looking up on the buildings.
"I just want to get away from everyone…maybe I'll start morning routines a little earlier since I missed out this time around." Naruto concluded for himself before crouching down. "Okay, here we go!"
He leapt up onto the roof a building, and began to sprint across them.
{Kuo Kuana Beach.}
[Thirty Minutes Later, 2:30pm.]
Warm sand rubbed at the bottom of his feet. With him just laying out on the beach. He had carried a towel with him in a pouch on his left hip. Naruto laid under the blazing sun, arms behind his head as he took the rays of the sunlight beaming down over the tan colored sands. He saw two birds flying above him, one red and yellow, and felt the winds wash over him.
He laid into the sand on his towel. His thoughts going toward what had happened earlier.
"You know what, despite her attitude, I still think deep down she's a good person." Naruto thought to himself whilst watching the birds dance in the air. "I get it, I do, but on the other hand I've been nothing but nice."
He had been laying here for the last twenty minutes. Staring up at the blue sky. He missed doing this with Shikamaru. Gods above him, and Naruto could lay here on this shoreline and just watch the clouds roll by. The young soon to be teen sighed as a lone tear made its way out of his right eye.
"Was my sacrifice worth it, Sasuke? Did you get home, did anyone miss me, do they think I'm dead? I wonder what it must be like to realize that you were the one that got your wish. I'm gone, hope it was worth it to you, you duck haired bastard." Naruto gripped the towel he was laying on. "Prick, you had everyone's love, and admiration. You'd been happy, but I guess that's the point, you swore you were going to kill Itachi. Hopefully you can now, otherwise what was the point?"
His mood soured as he thought of his rival, and comrade. Taking a moment to lean up, the blonde let the waves of wind rush over him as he saw the clouds in the distance gathering. He could smell the salty rain on the air from the distance, soon another storm would come to Menagerie. This time around, he wouldn't be falling into it. He planned on helping, perhaps using it as a training moment!
There was really nothing left for him. He wasn't a citizen of Menagerie, his name meant nothing here, and whilst he may have acted the role of the hero, it's was pure circumstance. Naruto Uzumaki would always do the right thing, but sometimes, he hated the bitter aftertaste of it all. He remembered the little girl, Matilda, and her Grandfather Tucker being happy.
That's what mattered to him, they were alive and happy. In a way, perhaps he should feel that way as well, but deep down he didn't. Somewhat wishing, for reasons he himself found complicated, that he didn't ever wake up. In a world full of strange, new, people. Once again, Naruto bit back these thoughts.
He hummed for a minute, closing his azure eyes before sighing. The blonde hair on his head waved from a strong gust of wind from the ocean. He imagined himself back home, in The Land Of Fire, and sitting upon the southern shoreline. Perhaps, if he could ever go back, that's where he'd like to be. The more he thought about it, this feeling of longing filled him.
His friends, memories, and life was back home. Ghira, and Kali had been welcoming, yes. Cloud was a good friend, and the others were nice to him. Still, he wondered and worried about Sakura, and even Sasuke. The trio had grown close, almost like family, even Naruto had remained the odd one out.
Dark thoughts filled his head.
"If I ever seen Kakashi sensei again, I'm going to slug him in the face for ever teaching Sasuke that jutsu." Naruto glowered mentally before taking a deep breath to calm down. "No, Naruto, it's not his fault ya know. It's that bastard's fault, because he knew better, I was like a brother to him…damn you Sasuke."
Shirtless, he forward up before crossing his legs.
"I'm fully healed now. Still, why do I have this pain in my chest, why is it that when I look out into the waters…all I wish for is a chance to change my choice. Maybe I should've been selfish for one, and just threw him in the rift in my place!" Naruto gripped the sand before taking a deep breath. "I don't belong here, no one here can understand me, and it's killing me. So, yeah, if these thoughts somehow reach you, screw you, Sasuke."
"Your thoughts are a little darker than normal…Hehe."
"Oh, great, peanut gallery is talking…" Naruto mentally bemoaned before taking a deep breath. "Well, better get to fishing."
"Truly pathetic, really, all that shinobi training to be reduced to a glorified servant boy…"
"I'm not listening la-la-la-la, ya know!" Naruto began to mentally yell as he got up. "Shut your trap, ya big dumb furball!"
"Oh come now, you know I'm right, you just need to realize it."
"Why is it when I get depressed, you egg it on, sheesh. You know what, I got a quick fix for this." Naruto focused really hard before taking a deep breath as he severed the mental link that the Nine Tails tried to establish. "Sweet-sweet silence…at least I can happy knowing that I can put smiles on other's faces."
"For now…but when will it be our turn?"
Naruto's eyes widened at the last errand thought, he didn't think that off the top of his head. It had come from out of left field, out of nowhere. Just appearing in his head, he pressed his hand onto the left side of his head. Where had that come from? His headache started right after, and it was strong to the point of making him second guess going swimming.
Two weeks since Ghira found him the garden, Naruto had been going to Vista for some therapy. Breathing techniques, ways to keep himself calm. Ghira told him once he turned fifteen, given his skill level, he could become a captain of the guard within months. Still, Naruto had the itch to fight. If Ghira was going to accept him, and allow him to stay under his own roof, Naruto at least had the duty to do something make sure no monster ripped the roof off their heads.
He stared out into the ocean waters, his eyes fuzzy from the sudden onset of head pain. It was strong enough to where he felt his own heartbeat inside of his cranium. It was a wafting thump-thump-thump, and it never stopped. His chest was tight, he used his other hand to grab at it.
What was going on, why was this happening, why now?!
His heartbeat was rapidly increasing, and he felt short of breath. Tears broke from his eyes before placed both of hands over them. Taking a long sob, Naruto put his face into his knees, hugging them closely before feeling his body jerk a little between the sobs.
"This is such bullshit, why am I the one that gets thrown into these situations! Why couldn't Sasuke just have been a better friend, why didn't I just throw him into the fucking rift!" Naruto's eyes widened tremendously as he felt the inner voice of his head switch. He took a deep shuddering breath, feeling a familiar heat in his eyes. "Turn it off…turn it off…turn it off…"
His azure eyes had changed to crimson lights. He took a deep breath, counting down before opening them back to their normally blue color. He had let his emotions take him for a brief ride, never the safest thing to do since that bastard inside of him capitalized on such things.
The eyes of the young shinobi shimmered with unshed tears before he took a deeper breath this time. He did so several more times, with the reality of never going home sinking in, Naruto was finding it harder to stay stabilized. His mood swings were coming, and going. His felt urges, and itches, the ball of pent up aggression in his stomach growing more fierce.
Exhaling one last time, he took a moment to close his eyes, and listen to the world around him.
"You look sick." Naruto's eyes widened at the sound of a woman's voice interrupted his attempt at finding inner peace. "I do have some migraine medication."
He looked up to see a woman with a dark complexion, with gray-black pants on, and black vest with an opening at the middle. Adorning her forehead was a rather large red jewel. She held out a bottle to him. A small smile on her lips, her ambers observing him whilst he reached over and took the bottle. She handed him her canteen.
"Normally I don't let people drink out of my canteen, but you look like you've got a lot of things on your mind." She stated whilst Naruto got one of the pills out and took before sloshing the cold water down his throat. "What is your name?"
"I'm Naruto, nice to meet you um…"
"Oh, my name is Sienna." She greeted him whilst taking back her medicine bottle. "So, you're the hero that saved that man, and his granddaughter. I've heard a lot about you, about how you're an outworlder supposedly."
"Sienna…where have I heard you name before…" Naruto draws a blank before shrugging. "Anyway, yeah, that's me I suppose. Although, hero is a bit of a stretch, I'm just doing what's right."
"What you were trained to do, I'd presume?" She presumed whilst noting his downcast look. "You're a warrior, at least that's the way I see you carry yourself."
"Oh, I'm not a warrior I'm- "
"A shinobi, so I've heard. I've heard what you said about it, and honestly it just sounds like a warrior to me. So, tell me, what's got you in a doom and gloom?" She questioned him, crossing her arms. "Normally any young boy who gets called hero eats it up."
"Well, maybe I'm not like other kids?" Naruto retorted with some annoyance. "I hate the fact that everyone sees me as such…where I come everyone my age is already trained to fight as shinobi."
"So, child soldiers." Sienna murmured a little whilst looking at him. "Tell me, Naruto, why didn't you milk that for all it's worth? You could've had several girls eating out of the palm of your hand…heroes aren't common."
"Well, I'm not from here, ya know. I just don't see the point of milking a good action, it detracts from the goodness of it." Naruto said whilst sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "If you do a good deed expecting recognition for it, you didn't do it because it was a good thing, ya know."
"Hmm, that is a very true statement. A good deed should be done without the expectation of appreciation. Being a hero can be a thankless job I've heard, then again, you just told me that describing you is as that is a bit of a stretch." She pointed out before tossing her towel down. "Do you mind if I sit here, I usually come here to meditate."
The blonde shrugged, and she laid her towel out before sitting down cross legged on it. Naruto sighed before sitting back down on his own towel. She and him both watched as seagulls flew over the ocean waters, and an aircraft flew past the horizon. A bullhead he had came to learn.
"Menagerie is a beautiful place." She stated before looking over at him. "She is always in need of her protectors, and thusly her protectors have a lot expected out of them."
"Yeah, I can tell, my friend got reassigned because of something going on. I hope he's doing okay, wish I could help out." Naruto sighed before watching the wave crash on the shore. "I just…it's…"
"You're a young man with a skillset focused solely on fighting, yet you have no cause to fight for?" Sienna surmised while he looked at her. "Trust me, I understand."
"Really, well describe it to me then, how do you think I feel?" Naruto asked dejectedly before facing back toward the water. "Because, as far as I can tell- "
"You're alone by the looks of it. You've got no one, no cause, and maybe your dream is gone? You are trying to find a reason to not only continue, but having meaning in your existence." She said whilst noting the bewildered look on his face. "I've been in those types of shoes, it's very humbling. To have your entire life ripped away from you, forced to start from square one. It empowers you in a way, but it also embitters you in many others."
"I'm not bitter." Naruto lied whilst biting his lip and looking back toward the ocean. "Just mad at myself."
"Because you feel left out. That life has screwed you over significantly. Kid, you don't have to lie to me, there is no reason to lie to a stranger. Especially one with empathy to your situation, human." She stated matter-of-factly before smiling. "So, did I hit the nail on the head?"
"That'd be the feeling." Naruto looked away slightly dejectedly. "I just don't get it, this world is…weird. I don't understand why people hate your kind when there's bigger problems running around…like that shark thing."
'That was a Razor Fin, they're tough Grimm. I saw the video, you handled yourself like a Hunter. You're powerful, you're needing a cause." She took a deep breath with her legs crossed. "You're young, how old you?"
"Twelve, going to be thirteen in October." Naruto told her before looking away. "I just want to find something, ya know."
"I have friends." She stated before nodding her head. "If you had the opportunity to join a cause, and fight for said cause, would you?"
"Depends on what I'd be doing." Naruto answered her honestly before frowning. "I'm not going to go and hurt innocent people, ya know."
"Who said anything about hurting innocent people? I certainly didn't. What if my friends mainly hunted criminals, and Grimm? Wouldn't you be interested in that?" She inquired, trying to bait him. "They make a difference."
"I'd be interested…" Naruto admitted before looking at her. "What is it?"
"You're healed up by the looks of it, why don't you consider joining the Menagerian Guard?" She pointed out whilst he looked over the beach. "Then again, despite the fact that you're human, perhaps a more active organization."
"Like…listen lady no offense, but get to the point, ya know." The young shinobi urged her, whilst crossing his arms. "I'm thankful for the medicine, truly, but…I just…"
"Joining The White Fang. More specifically," she cut anymore preamble. "I need someone who can take the fight to Grimm. My people struggle, Ghira's people struggle, and we're all struggling. These Grimm, creatures of darkness, don't make our lives easier. Better to put them to the sword, and hopefully clear our home of them." Sienna said before looking off toward the distant waters. "You may be a child, yes, but I know you're tired of sitting on your hands if this mood is anything to tell by."
Naruto frowned a little bit, she wasn't wrong. "I'm tired of just feeling like some lost kid. I guess since you know about me that much, you probably guess where I'm staying." He sighed before clutching his knees closer to his chest. "They say I don't owe them anything."
"Yet you feel different?"
"Of course, I feel differently about that! They saved my life, and anytime I try to repay the favor they're always saying I'm doing too much…I just feel like that I'm doing too little." Naruto admitted before replaying her name in his head. "Why did you seek me out, because I come here everyday around this time, and I've never seen you once?"
"Guilty as charged." She held her hands up jokingly. "I sought you out because I've been pondering to myself what kind of person you are…and without your need to brag about the heroism I think you'd make a great fit for a squad of Grimm slayers."
"So…" Naruto took a deep breath, and thought about it. "I'm not saying yes, but what if I did?"
"Well, first off, I can officially make you a citizen of Menagerie, not just a ward of The Belladonna. Second off, from what I hear you told them you'd pay them back financially for helping you. Well, whilst we don't have a constant rate, we do have a mission rate. The harder the mission, the more lien." She stated whilst watching his flicker a little bit, and then she knew he was curious. "You'd receive training in firearms, I highly doubt you know how to use one."
"I think guns are too loud, and limited." He stopped her, crossing his arms.
"Well, that's an opinion. Although, to be fair, I don't use them either." She agreed whilst noting the curiosity in his eyes. "Plus, it's a great way to get recognition for your duty to Kuo Kuana."
Duty…he missed hearing that word, a goal to focus on.
"And I'd be helping everyone…" Naruto added whilst thinking about it. "I'd be helping people, and making sure that a team I'm with comes back…I overheard someone talking about a team that recently didn't come back."
"Ah yes, Alpha Team." She sighed before shrugging her shoulders. "It happens, Grimm hunting is the most dangerous job there is."
Naruto took a moment and thought. "Your name again, just I can remember it."
"Sienna Khan."
"Okay, well Ms. Khan, it was nice talking to you…but I'm going fishing. Thank you for the medicine my migraine is going away." Naruto thanked her before getting up. "As for your offer…can I have time to think about it?"
"I can give you two weeks." She stated whilst holding up two fingers. "If you haven't answered me by then, perhaps I was wrong to assume you for someone dutybound."
"No, it's not just that…" Naruto sighed before looking off towards the water. "I just need time to focus on it, ya know."
"Well, good luck fishing. I'll hopefully hear from you in the next two weeks." She stated before getting up, and walking away. "Don't get yourself killed before then!"
"Yeah, thanks, I'll try not too…" Naruto then felt a memory of his click. "Wait a minute, Sienna…isn't she Ghira's rival or something?"
"She…was making sense though, I do need something. I'm not skilled in anything else but fighting." Naruto closed his eyes before taking a moment to feel the winds brush past him. "I'll just have to think it over, hopefully I can find my answer."
Naruto took off running from the shoreline, and onto the water's surface as he targeted a school of fish nearly eighty feet out. Once he reached them, he cut the chakra flow from his feet and jumped before diving into the cool ocean waters. His azure eyes adjusting against the blurriness, and finding his target.
He got out the knife he carried with him, and struck!
{Belladonna Estate.}
[Two Hours Later.]
Knock, knock, knock!
The main estate doors opened to reveal Naruto carrying a smaller bag than usual. He smiled brightly, having taken a walk to air dry from his little ocean excursion. Cloud, who had been reassigned by Ghira, smiled.
"Another fishing trip?" He laughed.
"Another fishing trip, this time I caught seabass!" Naruto announced taking off his sandals at the door. "I'll have to go wash up, I kind landed right into the middle of a feeding frenzy."
"Yeah, you do reek of dead fish." Cloud laughed whilst playfully holding his nose. "I'll suppose I'll give this to Lady Kali."
"Sure, I'm gonna head upstairs." Naruto said with a smile before quickly jogging along the wooden floor. He nearly ran into another guard before quickly dodging around them. "Oops, sorry, ya know!"
"Just watch it next time!" The large guard called out before shaking his head. "Young brats."
"Heh, well, looks like we'll be eating good again!" Cloud stated, watching as the large guard smiled. "Let's get this to Lady Kali."
Him, and the guard walked toward the kitchen area. Seeing Lady Kali sitting at the coffee table, drinking some tea. She eyed the bag in Cloud's hands, rolling her eyes. She lightly places her tea saucer down, and smiles.
"Seriously, again, even after I told him that I'm comfortable giving him some money to shop for it?" She asked exasperatedly, and then smiled. "Guess it can't be helped, where is he now?"
"Upstairs, showering, I assume." Cloud stated before looking out toward the garden. "I see Chief Ghira is giving Blake a talking to, what happened?"
"It's about how she's been rude to our guest." She stated honestly before grabbing the bag from his hand. "Naruto has more than proven himself a non-threat, her acting like he still is, is just being plain rude at this point."
Cloud nods his head before sighing, "I noticed something though, it took him longer than usual." He rubbed his chin. "Do you think he's okay, something is telling me that he's stressed about something."
"Naruto takes things seriously, granted he's not from here, but I assumed that he'd still be like a child." Kali replied before getting the cuts out. "Ooh, some good fillets in here, Tucker really does wonderous cuts with that fillet knife of his."
"Is there enough for the guard?" Cloud asked, noting the lightness of the bag from having taken it from Naruto. "Usually he brings enough for not just you all, but for all of us."
"Oh, there is indeed plenty." She laughed before thinking about it. "Maybe he'd do well to join the Menagerian Guard?"
"Well, that's the thing, I don't think Ghira is willing to make the exception, and if he isn't Saber won't." Cloud pointed out before watching the large guard from earlier open the garden door before allowing Blake and Ghira in. "Lady Blake, Chief Ghira, Naruto Uzumaki arrived back at five with another hefty bounty."
"Hmph, good for him…" Blake muttered before walking past the kitchen, and toward the stairs. "I'll be down for dinner."
Ghira sighs, pinching his nose, "Blake doesn't trust him still." He said with a sigh before looking over at his wife who was counting the cuts. "Grouper?"
"No, this one was seabass. I guess since he's going fishing, he's wanting to start catching other things." She shrugged whilst smiling a little bit. "Give Blake time, sweetheart, I'm sure she'll come around eventually my love."
"I hope so, she's just as stubborn as I was in youth. Uncompromising, and unwilling to change preconceived notions about someone." The chief of Kuo Kuana walked over to Cloud. "What's the situation with the guard around the house?"
"Two at the front, two at the back, one in the hall, and of course there's little old me opening the door for guests." Cloud answered methodically before placing both hands at his hips. "Do you think you'll reconsider Naruto joining the Menagerian Guard?"
Ghira shook his head, "no, he's still too young. The minimum age is fifteen."
"Chief…look I get it, the apprehension, but Naruto isn't like other kids…" Cloud rubbed the back of his head. "I extremely doubt he'd ever be."
"I understand that, but I have responsibility to everyone under my roof. Him living here makes him my responsibility." Ghira stated before looking past Cloud. "Didn't Naruto come in?"
"Yes, he's currently in a shower and- "
"I'm done with my shower…" Naruto said from right behind him, making everyone in the room jump in surprise.
Kali, and even Ghira yowled like a cat would in anger from a surprise. They saw Naruto standing there, wearing a T-shirt that Cloud had loaned with a band name on the front of it. His hair was flat against his head, the spikes weighed down from the drying dampness on them. He wore a pair of black shorts that one of the guards had given him, with a blue diamond pattern going up the side.
"Brother Gods above, how are you that stealthy?!" Kali screeched whilst pointing at him. "I didn't even hear you out of my cat ears!"
"Hehe, well, it's the training! Besides, when I was a kid, I used to have dodge villagers because they thought I was cursed because of my whisker marks." Naruto laughed whilst slightly lying, and then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I got pretty good at avoiding detection, ya know!"
"You poor dear, the fact that you're laughing about that shows mountains of what kind of life you had prior to here." Kali thought to herself before cracking a slight smile. "Well, you're just in time help me cook, if you want."
"Well duh, I'm not getting too bad at it." Naruto laughed before going over to her second apron. "You know, it's kind of weird, for some reason this thing feels a little tighter than usual."
"Well…you've been eating like crazy." Ghira nervously pointed out.
"Huh, wow, and the weight is holding? Sheesh, I need to pick up on my regimen then." The blonde shinobi chortled before patting his stomach. "Hey, so, where's Blake at?"
"In one of her moods." Ghira waved off as he looked at Naruto. "Say, you seem happy today, what's up with you?"
"Well…" Naruto nervously thought for a moment whilst getting some seasoning out. "I got offered something, but I don't you'll like who it's from."
"Hmm…was it one of the sea captains wanting protection detail from you?" Ghira inquired whilst sitting at the table. "Don't get me wrong, that request was made to me today, but given how you are still learning about Menagerian culture…well…"
"Oh, no, I totally get it. I'm not ready to go away from this place, ya know." Naruto stopped him whilst agreeing with the point being made. "Still…it has something to do with fighting Grimm."
"Huntsman Academy?" Kali asked whilst sliding a cutting board over to him. "Granted this means your pretty much going to have to leave here."
"Well, that was a thought, but I'm not looking forward to doing school all over again." Naruto strapped the hairnet to his head. "I got offered a place…in The White Fang."
Ghira, Kali, Cloud, and even the large guard from before stopped. They looked at him, stunned deaf from what he had just said. He was human, mostly, so the idea of him becoming an actual White Fang member was farfetched.
The chieftain of Kuo Kuana gathered himself, looking at Naruto. "So, who made this offer?" he questioned.
"Sienna, Sienna Khan, she seemed really nice about it…" Naruto saw the look on Ghira's face before sighing. "Is there something wrong?"
"Plenty of things wrong." He growled a little before sighing. "Sienna is not to be trusted at her word. Naruto, if you choose to take her up on that offer, there's always a catch."
"Well, I overheard Blake wanting to sign up at thirteen." Naruto stated whilst cutting the fillets, seasoning them after he was done. "Besides, she brought up a good point, I have skillset that's perfect for fighting."
"Yet, you are still just…" Kali stopped herself short when she saw Naruto stop cutting midway. "No, I'm not going to say it."
"Okay, well, I'm sorry if it seems rude of me to argue. I was born into a lifestyle of war, and violence. I'm far from a kid, ya know." Naruto pointed out before continuing cutting. "It's really I know, and honestly, all I ever wanted was to be a great shinobi."
"Why not wait a few years, and join the Menagerian Guard?" Kali suggested whilst cutting peppers. "It's involves protecting Menagerie if that's it."
"Because I can't sit on my hands." Naruto replied whilst looking up at her. "It's not that I am saying I'm not grateful, but I want to do things that matter to me."
"You saved that family from the fire last week." Cloud pointed out.
"Yeah," Naruto looks over his shoulder, "and I once again I felt the rush I've been missing for a while."
"Naruto…"
"No, wait, just hear me out. Listen, I get it, Sienna is your rival or something. However, if I can make difference somehow, anyhow, then I want to do the right thing." Naruto interrupted Ghira before smiling. "I'm not going to come back in some box, ya know. Besides, if I have to live the rest of my days here…might as well do something with them."
"You're already doing something with them…" Ghira thought as he frowned. "If you wish to join with Sienna, then please just be safe about it."
"Well, she seemed nice…" Naruto mumbled a little bit.
"Wait, Sienna personally came to see you?" Cloud inquired.
"Yeah, why wouldn't she?" Naruto answered before moving fillets into a skillet.
"Because Sienna doesn't meet with someone unless they are deemed valuable." Ghira answered for Cloud, whilst looking over at Naruto still. "Did she offer you anything?"
"Well…" Naruto thought about it. "She said that I'd have a place, and that I could be an actual citizen."
"That's it, Naruto, if you wanted that I can sign off on that right now." Ghira stated whilst watching the boy frown. "What?"
"That's just cheating, ya know. If I need to earn something, then I earn it. There's no shortcuts to the roads of success." Naruto stated proudly before thumping his chest with pride. "I want to be an actual citizen, and have earned that right…plus with all the things you've given me…maybe pay you back financially for it."
Kali just pinches her nose, "jeez this kid, how many times do we have to tell you not to worry about that stuff." She nagged at him. "I mean it, getting you clothes is an act of kindness."
"Well, as a book once said, kindness begets kindness." Naruto shrugged before he smiled. "Besides, with Blake going in…"
"Blake is free to make her own choices, and she's fully aware of them. Naruto, as much as you may think you are aware of her, you're not. Sienna can be manipulative." Ghira warned him, and then he sighed. "I'm not saying you're not allowed to go…"
"But you'll be disappointed." Naruto provided the end whilst starting on another fillet. "Still, the thing is, it's my choice. Think of it like this, if I am able to do great things, and I help Menagerie doesn't that make your life easier?"
"Will you worry about yourself for once?!" Kali suddenly yelled as she turned to him, stunning the room. "All I hear about day in, and day out, is how you want to pay us back. You don't owe us anything, really for the final time. Be selfish kid, sheesh, it's not that hard!"
"…"
"…"
Naruto took a deep breath, and sighs, "I just don't want to turn into a bad person."
"What makes you think you'll turn into a bad person for just being a little selfish?" Kali inquired whilst watching him getting back to cutting the fillets. "It's perfectly normal to be a little selfish."
"Yeah, I get that it's normal, ya know. Still, I'm not normal…" Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head through the hairnet. "I'm just Naruto Uzumaki, wayward shinobi, biter of Cloud's ankles."
"I'm going to smack you if you bring that up one more-"
Clack!
Clack!
Clack!
"D-did you just clack your teeth at me?!" Cloud yelled whilst feeling red in the face. "Jerk!"
"Hey-hey-hey, come near me to give me a beating I'll frog you, and then bite your right ankle." Naruto warned Cloud when he got up with his fist balled. "I'll serve you up!"
"Oh yeah?!"
"Yeah, ya know!"
"Boys!" Kali yelled whilst looking between Cloud, and Naruto. "Stop yelling, I've got a small headache."
"Pfft…next time, when we spar." Cloud stated whilst biting his cheek dejectedly.
"Whatever, butt nugget." The blonde stated before getting back to his task at hand.
"What's a butt nugget?" Kali asked whilst seasoning the meat in front of her.
"An egg." Naruto answered before sighing. "I told Sienna I'd think about it, so…I'm thinking about it."
Ghira sighs before looking at him, "as much I hate to say it, you're mature enough to make your own choices. Just…Naruto, please promise me if you get the feeling of being setup you'll clear out." The chief of Kuo Kuana implored the young shinobi.
"I promise, on my life, ya know!"
{White Fang Headquarters.}
[8:00pm.]
Adam Taurus was jealous, and he was currently sitting at a large table where dinner was being served. Sienna looked at her venison, smiling whilst a glass of red wine was poured in front of her. Being the second had it's perks, and being essentially the High Leader in all but name was paying off. Adam saw his food in front of him, and sighed whilst looking over toward Sienna.
"Lady Sienna." He started whilst finding the words. "I've been made aware by Blake, who's overheard an interesting conversation that you offered that hero a place amongst our rank?"
"Yes." She didn't deny it, she slowly cut into her cherished meal. "What of it, Adam?"
"You are aware that Victoria, ever the good spy for us on that human doctor, says that he's mostly human correct?" Adam questioned her whilst cutting into his venison steak, slowly just like her. "I'm not saying it's the wrong choice…but…"
"You're jealous, aren't you?" She jumped at the conclusion, as if he had been a deer she'd been hunting.
Adam looks away, slightly angered by that quick guess, simply because it was correct. "For the last two weeks, all Blake talks about when we're alone is that human. Yeah, she doesn't like him, but why would she constantly talk about him?" He asked Sienna.
"It's hard not to talk about him. You've seen the video, you know well that isn't just simple aura manipulation. That kid is something special, human, or not. Better to have him as an asset than a potential enemy." Sienna figured whilst cutting a piece of venison steak off, and putting it into her mouth. "Hmm…this quite lovely."
"So, we make this one exception, bringing a filthy human into our ranks?" Adam glowered slightly before feeling Sienna do the same to him, making him back off a little. "I'm just saying, it's a bad move, and most of The White Fang will not work with a human."
"They will if I command it." She insisted before placing her knife on the plate. "I am not one to be trifled with, if I see an opportunity no matter how unorthodox, I will take it."
"So, what's next, he reaches adulthood and you assign one of our own to pursue him?" Adam cheekily inquired before smirking a little bit. "If that's the case why not…"
"Because then we'd monsters, Adam." Sienna reprimanded him quickly for his train of thought. "He's still but a boy, with no desires of a man."
"Oh please, the fool is obviously nearing the bloom." Adam waved off before looking at his adoptive mother. "Regardless though, it's in bad taste."
"Our kind used to drink literal piss water from sewage. If this tastes like an old stale wine…Then it at least it offers fortitude, and political gain." She raised her wine glass up, and smiled. "To The White Fang."
"To The White Fang!" All guards in the room called out.
Adam took his wine glass up, joining in at last, "To The White Fang."
"Now, all we do is play the waiting game. As for your issue with your little girlfriend. Don't think too much of it…" Sienna laughed before sighing. "Blake would be a fool indeed to think about joining my ranks, and hurt you."
"So…you're not replacing me?" Adam asked.
"Of course not, at the end of the day, powers or not, that boy is a human."
End Of Chapter.