Shadow of the Empire - chapter 8/Shadow and Sun
A/N Any changes to canon (both AGK and Naruto) are intentional and not oversight. Trust me, the amount of research and thought that goes into each chapter is enormous. Big thanks to Risss for listening to my ramblings and dropping some occasional insight.
I have a discord: XJHnCAchN
-/\/-
As the sun rose above the capital, Naruto arrived at Esdeath's quarters. At Kakashi's insistence, he wore his red haori over his day-to-day shinobi outfit. He held a bouquet of flowers (also Kakashi's idea).
After three knocks, Esdeath opened the doors. She was dressed in her usual uniform. It seemed to be a bit… tighter around her body though. Naruto's hand with flowers shot out as the shinobi tried to cover for his embarrassment. He totally didn't check her out from top to bottom.
"Oh my. Oh my." The general accepted the flowers and smiled. For a change, it was not the triumphant smirk or expression of bloodlust that Naruto had seen before. This time, she seemed… relaxed. "Those are lovely. Thank you, Naruto~."
"Y-yeah. Should we get going?" Man, this was his first date and he was already ruining it.
"By your lead." Esdeath put the flowers in a vase by the doors and stepped out of her room. "I trust you have everything planned?"
"Ay-yup." The blond saluted before breaking into a sprint. "Let's go!"
Remember Naruto, the best date is the one where you treat the other side as a friend, and the whole thing as just spending time with a friend. Naruto was still skeptical about following any dating advice given by Kakashi of all people, but it's not like he had any better option available.
The pair left the imperial palace and went into the city. Naruto led her through the morning crowds until they arrived at a quaint little ice cream shop located on the edge of the wealthier district.
"Seriously?" Esdeath couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Hey! It's not like they sell Ramen anywhere in this city." He protested.
"If you miss it so much, I could request the palace cooks prepare you some." The general didn't even try to hide her amusement. "Nevermind for now. Well, let's see what they have to offer."
Naruto paid for their orders and they sat at one of the tables outside. Esdeath ordered a triple sundae with chocolate, mint, and cream scoops, crushed cookies, cut strawberries, and chocolate sauce. Naruto got a double sundae with orange and caramel scoops, sprinkled with shaved chocolate, cut brownie, mandarin pieces, and chocolate sauce. This early in the day, there weren't many other clients. Only an old couple drinking tea inside the shop.
The pair sat there, awkwardly waiting for their orders.
"So…" Naruto tried to begin, but once again he had zero idea what to do. He always chased after Sakura for a date that he never thought about what a date should actually include. And Ero-Sennin was definitely not helpful in that department. "Uh… what are your hobbies?"
Esdeath blushed lightly, looking at how adorably lost Naruto was. Despite the brutal efficiency that he could show in combat (from what she heard from the Jaegers), he was so… bashful and shy. It was hard to believe that the man before her was the same as the one who slaughtered hundreds of bandits in the span of minutes.
"Ah." She realized that she was just staring at him while he waited for an answer. "My hobbies." She smiled to cover up her previous distraction. "Well, for once I enjoy training. It's something that always gets my blood pumping. But above that, I love battle. Fighting, the whirlwind of emotions and blood, the chaos, the suspense…" She closed her eyes, relishing in her imagination.
"Huh… cool I guess." Naruto wasn't entirely sure what to think about it. "Well, like I mentioned I also love training. And spending time with my friends." His bright smile brought Esdeath back from her imaginary battle high.
"In that case, I would also say that my hobbies include spending time with my subordinates." She decided
"Not friends?" Her companion questioned, tilting his head to the side.
Esdeath let out a dry chuckle. "Friends are… liability. And inevitably will backstab you if a chance presents itself." She recalled Najenda's treason, how the woman deserted in the middle of a military campaign.
"That's… a rather grim look." Naruto pointed out. "I mean… it must get lonely, right? Without anyone to talk to about anything."
"Lonely? Whyever would I be lonely? Do not be mistaken. I spend a lot of time with my subordinates."
"So… your subordinates are your friends?" Naruto guessed, clapping his hands.
"What a ridiculous notion. Of course not. A friend is someone equal to you, and I have no equals." She corrected her hat, which at some point slid off to hide her eyes in shadow. "Well, not until you came."
"Huh… I guess friends should be equal, but is the chain of command changing that much? After I returned from the training trip most of my friends were already chunin while I was still a genin and it didn't stop us from being friends despite them having a higher rank than me."
Esdeath noted down the unfamiliar terms in her memory. The command structure of the shinobi was much simpler than that of the empire, but given their specialization that was not exactly a negative. "But you see, they might have gotten a head start over you, but you were always stronger than them. So it was only a minor setback. And look at you now, you've left them all behind."
"What? No, I didn't. Neji is still a Jonin while I'm only a Tokujo. And… well, I wasn't always the strongest." He chuckled awkwardly. "Ugh… I was actually the worst in my year at the academy. And I failed the finals three times before managing to graduate."
"Pardon?" Esdeath blinked. Then she blinked again. "Impossible. I have witnessed your power first-hand. Between your infiltration skills and the clones you must've been a formidable soldier even when you just started."
"Nope." Naruto fondly recalled his first 'test' with Kakashi. Just thinking about it made him feel phantom pain in his rear and his stomach growled. "I didn't even know what chakra is. The only thing I had going for me was my stamina. Man, Ero-Sennin had to go through all the basics with me during our training trip."
"Ero… Sennin?" Esdeath chuckled at the nickname.
"Oh yeah! Jiraiya of the Sannin. He was kinda weird." And so, Naruto launched into an elaborate (and very subjective) description of Jiraiya, which then moved to other people in his life. Esdeath just listened, trying to memorize as much about her lover as possible. According to Bolz, listening to your significant other was the most surefire way to keep the relationship going. His suggestions were the most valuable since he was the only one married among the Jaegers.
=/\/=
Kakashi seemingly materialized inside Spear's chambers. His sudden appearance caused both Tatsumi and Spear to let out girlish shrieks.
"I really couldn't care less." The shinobi deadpanned as he watched Tatsumi frantically jump away from Spear and rush outside.
"Yes… Anyway… Master Kakashi, what brings you here?" The woman pushed past the embarrassment to save herself from making a bigger fool of herself in front of the ninja. "And uninvited at that."
"Ah. Forgive me for interrupting your… security review." His mask and headband made reading any form of facial expression tedious, but Spear would swear he found this amusing. "I believe you've heard about the death of the Prime Minister's son, Syura. I merely wanted to check on you to ensure your safety." He shrugged. "After all, if someone managed to get to him despite so many guards, who's to say they wouldn't go after you next? Especially with the shifting political climate." Spear's eyes narrowed. There was some hidden message here. "Then again, it might be that whoever did it might choose to go after Prime Minister's supporters. It really depends on what's their angle."
Ah. There it was. There was no proof, but the last few months in the capital have taught her to read between the lines. "That would be most terrible. My father has just recently been appointed as chancellor. His position in the court is still tenuous." As she was talking, the woman already started scribbling the list of names. "Prime Minister's block is much more populated though and I fear they do not have proper security in place."
"It is indeed worth investigating." Kakashi scanned the room. "Tell me, milady, what is exactly your father's position? In my studies of Imperial laws, I am yet to hear about chancellorship." Kakashi walked around the room, approaching random baubles and looking at the tapestries.
Spear caught on to the idle talk and kept up the game. "It's an old position. One that was abolished decades ago. The power in the Empire used to be separated between the Chancellor and Prime Minister until the latter ended up inheriting all of the responsibilities. In his wisdom, the Emperor saw fit to reinstate it with its past responsibilities after my father arrived in court."
Kakashi paid attention to what she was saying, but he also picked a flowerpot from a table by the window. He pried the bottom open to reveal a small recorder. The newer kind. Must've been imported from Jomon. Probably Haru no Kuni, given that he has seen similar on set. With naught a sound, Kakashi stabbed the device with a kunai and then pocketed it.
Spear took a sip of water from the nearby decanter. "As things stand, both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor are tasked with realizing the decrees of the emperor. It used to be that the Prime Minister had full authority to write laws and enforce them as he saw fit, but with the new reform, he lost a lot of that power. Now, the position of the Chancellor is the one that creates the laws while the Prime Minister is called to enforce them in the way they see fit."
"So Honest is now subservient to your father?" Kakashi asked. He also picked up the fireplace poker and stabbed it through the wall. When he pulled it out, there was some blood on it. A faint groan could be heard from inside. "Sorry, I had to deal with the assassin." He apologized, though there was no hint of any remorse.
"Of course. You have my thanks. And alas, the relation between Chancellor and Prime Minister is much more complicated. Chancellor has the right to create laws, but he may not decide how they are to be enforced. So while my father could make it mandatory for all children in the Empire to be required to attend school, he cannot force the construction of new schools or opening schools to the poor. Chancellor is strictly limited to setting the laws, but he may not force direct actions. Prime Minister, in turn, can no longer set laws but is free to enforce the laws that exist as he sees fit. He also has the control over treasury. The Emperor remains the supreme judge before all and he decides on all conflicts. Or courts, where judges appointed by him…" She stopped, seeing as Kakashi started to go through hand seals. When she looked at him, he also lifted his headband to reveal a red… eye… with spinning… dots…
The world turned red and black. She felt dizzy.
"Forgive me. I wanted to make absolutely sure that no one would witness our conversation. This is my final precaution. Everything you're seeing right now is an illusion. This is happening inside your head."
"You… You have this kind of power?"
"Yes, the Sharingan is a powerful tool. Anyone who gazes into the eye will instantly fall under its influence. Here, I can speak truthfully and skip the double-talk. Honest has become too much of a threat to the mission and I wish to curb his influence."
"You're talking about assassination." Spear realized.
"No. That would be too problematic. A man like him would have a lot of safeties in place and the power vacuum his sudden death would cause could be detrimental to destroying the Revolutionary Army. But, if he were brought before the court and tried for his many crimes… if Honest were convinced, none of his supporters would dare to stick their heads out."
"You know a lot about how to destroy a country…" The woman noted, feeling much less at peace next to the man now. There was something deeply unsettling about how he talked about things like murder and schemes. Even most gutless politicians usually showed at least fake emotions. The shinobi, on the other hand, was entirely clinical. It was unnatural.
"I spent over a decade as a black ops operative. Most of it as a captain. I know how to ruin the country so it never comes back. Or how to ensure that no insurrection happens in the ruler's lifetime."
"A-anyway." She stumbled over the words. The red-and-black world reminded her that this was an illusion. She had no idea what was happening to her in reality. "If my father and I tried to bring Honest's many crimes to light right now, we would be dragged away from the throne room in chains as the Prime Minister and his sycophants convinced the Emperor that we were just traitors trying to destabilize the Empire. My father is still new and Honest has too many supporters who leech off of his depravity."
"But if said supporters died a mysterious death, one by one, your father could ensure that more honorable people took their place," Kakashi suggested.
"That… could be a solution, but my father is, frankly, too honorable himself for such politics."
"But you aren't." The shinobi pointed out in a flat tone.
"Wouldn't a series of assassinations make you and your… subordinate look incompetent?"
"Only if anyone suspects it's anything but natural death. And besides, death is only one a tool, often not even the most efficient. Or effective."
"Yes. Yes." Spear took a breath to calm herself. Was the man in front of her even human? Humans are supposed to have emotions… "I have the list of Honest's most ardent supporters ready. Take it and go… and please don't contact me unless it's urgent. It would be safer for both of us."
"Of course."
The illusion vanished in a blink of an eye. Spear found herself sitting in the same space she was, but the list she has just written was gone. As was the shinobi.
She would've thought it was just a dream if it wasn't for the bloodied poker still laying around.
=/\/=
Naruto kept on his tale until their food arrived. As they ate, he occasionally dropped an extra tidbit or two in between spoonfuls of ice cream. Esdeath found herself genuinely laughing when she heard how Naruto's book manuscript prevented the war in place of an actual treaty.
There was one thing that didn't give Esdeath rest though.
"You keep saying that you were weak. That is a lie." She spoke as she finished her ice cream.
"What? But I was the worst in my class. And then Sasuke was constantly the better one." Naruto turned his head to the side, trying to find some logic in what Esdeath said.
"But the moment you received proper training and guidance, you excelled. And you've mastered the Rasengan within a week, a feat that took your master years."
"No, it took the Fourth three years to make it. And besides, Konohamaru learned it by accident…" Naruto still had trouble living it down.
"And the shadow clones? You've mastered a technique said to kill any user in one afternoon without fail." Esdeath defended. She would not accept her love having such a low opinion of himself when it was obviously not true. He was strong and thus had to have always been.
"I… well… I told you how I have a lot of chakra. The shadow clones are a lot like normal clones but can fit as much chakra as you put. So I kinda cheated because there was no need to control and I could spare wasting chakra. Jiraiya-Sensei helped me get better at it. Now I don't waste so much." Naruto shook his head.
"I refuse. You were not weak. As you said, you've always had more chakra than anyone you knew."
"I was though. When I first graduated from the academy, anyone could've beaten me. Everyone's weak when they first start." Naruto said, making eye contact with Esdeath who scoffed.
"All you needed was a good teacher and you soared past all of your classmates. Just because you were not helped to realize your potential before doesn't mean you were ever weak, merely weakened."
"Anyone can get strong if they have the determination. Bushy Brow has zero talent for genjutsu or ninjutsu but he is super-awesome and can go one on one against even the best."
"Well, clearly he always had the talent and didn't realize it before." The General dismissed the argument.
"Nah. Bushy Brow just punched a rock a lot. He refused to give up until the rock gave up first." Naruto smiled, remembering the story the boys told in the onsen back on his last birthday. Huh… it's been quite some time ago, even before Asuma… yeah.
Esdeath stared at him, unsure how to react to that statement. Her gaze snapped to a nearby rooftop for a second, but she shook her head and looked back at her date.
Naruto let out a nervous chuckle, noticing that they both finished the ice cream.
"So…. I have prepared one more thing but it's probably a long trek for you. I… kinda forgot that normal people can't just tree-hop."
"A long walk with you? I don't mind at all." The smile returned to Esdeath's face, for the time being, she chose to disregard the talent against hard work debacle. But the questions kept nagging her at the back of her mind.
The trek ended up taking several hours. Naruto first led her out of the capital. They happened to walk through the main market street and both did some light window-shopping. After they exited the capital, the couple entered the forest, and… the shinobi got slightly lost. Obviously, he tried not to show it. But Esdeath only watched his pitiful attempts and tried not to laugh. In the future, she would remedy her lover's lack of forest navigation ability of course. It was just unthinkable that he would not be able to hunt with her.
In the end, Naruto managed to find the tracks that his clones made while getting things ready and he got them to the forest clearing. There was a small creek going along the side of it, and a single willow in the center.
Under the willow, someone left a large blanket with a picnic basket. To Esdeath it seemed almost miraculous that no wild animal has decided to rob them before they even arrived, but she just waved it off as a stroke of good luck.
"Well, our 'little trek' has certainly left me famished." She poked some light fun at Naruto, who fought off the blush. The way she looked at him made it clear that she knew perfectly well they got lost on the way.
"Then let's eat! I got Bolz to make us some food." The blond ran to the basket and started pulling out all the different plates.
His girlfriend(?) walked over to him slowly, amused at his eagerness to please her. Their walk was mostly in silence, which allowed her to stare at her lover all she wanted. Naruto definitely lucked in the looks department. While on the shorter side, it didn't matter much. Thanks to him being roughly equal to her height, it opened several interesting avenues. Maybe she couldn't stare down at him and force him to…
A slight shiver went up her spine as she pushed such thoughts away for now. There will be time for that soon. She comforted herself.
As they ate the food, it was now Esdeath's turn to talk a bit about her past. The more Naruto heard, the more parallels he could draw. But not between Esdeath and himself, but between Esdeath and Sasuke.
"When you are faced with the wilderness, you either perish in the cold or claw your way to the top." Esdeath smiled. "This is what my father taught me. The strong survive and the weak die. In the end, my clan became weak and they were killed."
"That's… incredibly grim. And not true at all. People can get stronger. And just because someone is weak doesn't mean they should die. Everyone's important to someone."
"Naive." The general scoffed. "What does it matter in the face of a wild beast?"
"It matters because the world is not static. People don't just stay the same. Everyone can change."
"Almost all humans prefer to be weak. They think that working in a group will give them strength. But relying on the strength of others instead of your own is a weakness. The Northern Tribes believed in the strength of their leader, but it was ultimately their demise. As soon as I defeated their precious little prince, they were all as good as dead."
"Was this your revenge then? Did you find the people who killed your clan and killed them?"
Esdeath's cold, piercing laughter echoed across the clearing. As Naruto observed her, he felt a shiver go down his spine.
"Oh, my Naruto. Those responsible for the death of my clan have long since been dead. They perished not long after the massacre of the Partas Clan, killed by yet another tribe. One stronger than them."
"So it wasn't revenge?" Naruto wasn't sure why it was such a relief for him. He really needed to stop drawing parallels between Esdeath and Sasuke.
The general didn't answer. She looked away, focusing on the nearby stream. When she spoke, her voice was no longer as cheerful as before. "I won't lie and claim that I didn't take pleasure in their suffering, Naruto." She finally admitted. "More than usual. When their prince was finally under my heel, defeated and utterly broken, it was perhaps one of the more exhilarating moments of the campaign." With each next word, her voice got more and more… Naruto didn't know how to name that emotion. It was not happiness, but she seemed more energetic. "This time, I made sure that the North will never have enough strength to stand up on its own. I took my time to pacify them, to bind them so completely, that for generations none will even whisper about rebelling." She was now cackling.
Esdeath froze when she felt someone grabbing her hand. She let her guard down to the point she didn't notice Naruto scuttering closer to her to put his hand over her.
"Look, I… I get that you wanted vengeance. To make them suffer as you did… but… that doesn't actually make things better. Those people…"
"Were savage murderers who would just keep invading the empire and killing, plundering, and raping." She sent him a glare. "While your naivety is endearing, there is a line between being idealistic and being delusional. The world is not a pretty place. As I've told you before, some people do not care about understanding. They'll just do what they want. Your idealism will one day get you killed. And worse, it will get others killed with you." She pulled her hand away. "While I deeply care about you, do not be mistaken. I shall not endanger others under my command because of my feeling for you."
"Esdeath…" Naruto stopped himself. The images of the prisoners dying under the onslaught of danger beasts came to the forefront of his mind. "I…"
That bandit knew he would die. He gained nothing by unleashing the beasts. It was purely an act of hatred. A stray thought betrayed Naruto.
"Maybe… maybe you're right." He admitted, though the words barely passed through his throat. A part of him felt ill just admitting it. "It doesn't justify lashing out at the world though! Maybe some of the northerners were ruthless warmongers, but surely some of them were only trying to defend their homes."
"And yet, they chose to oppose me." Esdeath waved her hand. "And even if they could be spared, how would you guarantee that they do not seek vengeance against the Empire?"
They would hate it. And they would go back to killing. Naruto shivered. He would not surrender to the cycle of hatred. He would find a way. But… He knew, deep down, that Esdeath was also right. Not everyone was willing to change. Still, he will never give up. He will break that cycle… somehow…
"Let us discuss something less heavy." Esdeath noticed that her date was getting depressed and decided to take it upon herself to fix that. "You've talked about your teacher being a writer. Is there a chance for me to read some of his works perhaps?"
"Eh… Most of his works are just trashy smut stories." Naruto waved. "Really boring stuff…" [1]
The general blushed at the implication. She has secretly got her hands on one of those books prior to the date to look for… inspiration. If Naruto considered it boring. She barely held back a giggle. And with his stamina…
"Uh… Esdeath? You're getting a bit red." The shinobi decided to point, bringing his date back to reality.
"Oh? Boring? And what would you consider… not boring?" Straight for the kill.
Now it was Naruto's turn to turn beet red. "W-well… Uh… I don't… that is… maybe we shouldn't discuss this on the first date? It's kinda early for this kind of talk?"
"I disagree." Esdeath purred. "It's a perfectly normal subject to discuss. I'm simply curious what are you looking for in… books."
Naruto shifted a little. "I… Oh! Wait!" He started patting his pockets and pulled out another book. "This is a copy of Ero-sennin's first book. It's kinda niche and didn't sell all that well, but I actually liked it. And the main character is named after me. Or rather… well, the other way around." He chuckled. "Anyway, uh… how about we… Maybe we could…" Quick. Find some distraction… "How about a spar? We both like training, right?"
"Oh, I could definitely spar with you a little, Naruto~" Esdeath stood up, swaying her hips as she did.
Naruto swallowed, hard. "Y-Yeah."
Esdeath covered her mouth to hide a giggle that escaped her. Naruto was just so cute when he got flustered. She wished to see more of that.
"Okay, some ground rules." The shinobi grinned, feeling his blood already start flowing faster. Some friendly sparring would be nice after a quiet first part of the day. "No instant-kill attacks, nothing that's too lethal, no maiming, and we try to keep the damage to this place to a minimum." Standard rules that he always had with Ero-Sennin on their travels.
"That's acceptable." Esdeath pulled out her saber and took a battle stance. Naruto grabbed two kunai and similarly prepared.
"On three?" He offered.
"Three," Esdeath shouted as they launched at each other without further warning.
Naruto reflected the initial slice of her saber with a swipe of his kunai. When he tried to retaliate with another, Esdeath was able to leap away without getting cut.
They circled each other for a moment. After the initial exchange, neither was willing to commit again. The general ended the stand-off by stabbing her sword into the ground, sending a wave of ice at Naruto, who launched high in the air.
Over twenty copies landed everywhere in the clearing.
"Get her!" One of them shouted and they all launched at her. Esdeath was forced to keep sending waves of ice with one hand while the other was busy blocking several kunai with each swipe.
The last thing several clones saw before being cut in half was Esdeath grinning among chunks of ice that flew in the air. Her hair flowed unrestrained behind her, making everything other than her seem to vanish.
The real Naruto fell out of the sky with no warning right at Esdeath, just as she was recovering from her spin. The general leaped out of the way at the last moment. Her outer tigh still got nicked.
"Yeah! First blood goes to me." The shinobi cheered.
Esdeath sat up, taking advantage of his flash of distraction. She brought her finger to the wound and scooped the drop of blood. Naruto watched as she brought it to her lips and licked it.
Yet again he was reminded of one of the better scenes from his sensei's books.
"You are good." Her lips were now painted with blood. A stark contrast to her pale skin. She stood up and dusted herself off.
Seeing as she no longer held her sword, her opponent sheathed his weapons and rushed forward. The pair engaged in a fast exchange of vicious blows. Esdeath found herself on the defensive. While her unarmed combat skills were better on the technique level, Naruto had strength, speed, and stamina on his side. She could feel those hits even if she blocked them.
She crouched low under one of Naruto's punches, then proceeded to attempt a leg swipe. Naruto jumped up and over her leg, then returned the favor with a kick of his own. And while Esdeaht tried to dodge or catch it, she was too slow to react to such a strange attack. Frog Kata was a rare style and the shinobi took full advantage of that.
The end result was that both of them landed in a heap of interlocked limbs. With Naruto on top and Esdeath pinned down. Though as he tried to reorient himself, he ended up face-to-face with the general as she wrapped her legs around him, holding him in place.
"Looks like it's my win." He quipped, only to feel something poke him just under his rib.
"Are you sure about it?" His opponent smiled.
"Yeah." With an impressive show of speed, Naruto flipped them over three-hundred-sixty degrees. By the end of the maneuver, Esdeath was somehow disarmed and her knife stabbed way out of her reach.
"Well, looks like you're free to claim your prize then." She was taunting him. Those eyes were very telling what she wanted.
With the adrenaline still flooding his veins, the blond slowly leaned forward. He was maybe an inch away from the general's lips when a loud roar echoed from the edge of the clearing.
Naruto and Esdeath leaped to their feet. A single Danger Beast stood there, barring its teeth. It was another Apeman, similar to the ones the Jaegers fought in the bandit fort.
"I hate being interrupted like this." Esdeath scowled. She thrust her hand toward the beast, sending a massive ice spear right through its head. With three more mutilating its body soon after. "Now, where were we?" She turned back to Naruto, who rubbed the back of his neck and did everything to avoid looking her in the eyes.
"I think… I think we should go back to the palace for now. It's been a long day…" He suggested. A clone was already packing the picnic basket.
The pair made their way back to the palace, with Naruto doing his best not to look at Esdeath for too long. No matter how hard she tried to catch his attention. In fact, it seemed that the more she tried, the harder he avoided looking directly at her.
When they arrived back by her chambers, Esdeaht was quite frustrated. Up until that damned danger beast arrived, everything was perfect. But suddenly, her Naruto was acting strange.
"Well… I had lots of fun." He tried to walk away with that, but she grabbed his hand in a near vice-like grip.
"I refuse to end it like that. You will explain to me why are you acting so strange all of a sudden." She demanded without any space for arguments.
"Uh… I.. that is… Look, Esdeath. I really had fun. Like lots of fun today. Probably one of the best days I had in my life. But… by the end I started to feel like… we moved too fast there. I mean it was only our first date and… well… You and I-" He was interrupted when Esdeath pulled him into a tight embrace and kissed him.
Naruto could still taste blood on her lips. Her blood, a part of his brain reminded him.
The other parts were more focused on how tightly she held him and how her breasts were squished into his chest. Despite his vest, he was very much feeling them.
She guided one of his hands to her lower back. Esdeath wanted to deepen the kiss, but she was now low on air and had to separate from him for a moment.
"That," she started, "was my first kiss. I hope you'll treasure it."
"Uh… It was mine first too…" Naruto refused to even remember the accident with Sasuke on their graduation day. That never happened and anyone who tried to tell him otherwise would be used to practice the thousand years of pain thingy that Kakashi used during the bell test.
Reluctantly, Esdeath let go of his hand. "Very well. If you are still hesitant to commit I shall give you a little more space, but I hope you'll remember." She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "All this can be yours, you only need to ask."
Naruto nodded, almost in a daze. He forced himself to walk away. He needed to find Kakashi, stadt.
=/\/=
A/N: This chapter is being cut in half to avoid making it 20k words long.
Again, if anyone's interested, I have a discord. Invite: XJHnCAchN
[1] yes, Naruto did call Jiraiya's books boring in canon. And he confirmed he read the manuscript. Naruto chapter 407, page 12
