The trip was difficult, but not because setbacks occurred, but because the occupants of the lonely boat that was leaving Shinaime continued to repeat in their heads the horrors of the last night. It wasn't just Neji who had suffered losses. Lee and Tenten didn't know anything about their parents. They could be alive or dead. They had not been able to find out before the escape. Mired in sadness, the three barely spoke during the entire journey.
The sun passed over them and sank below the horizon twice before they saw land. On the morning of the third day they glimpsed the silhouette of the coast. After the long journey they were finally reaching the lowlands. From the bow of the boat Neji watched the approaching shore. It didn't shine with a golden glow like the magical Shinaime sand. But it didn't matter, those beautiful beaches would now be opaque due to the effect of the ashes. Neji had no idea what they would find there, and he knew for a fact that the humans and other creatures were hostile toward the elves. He wished he had his father next to him to hold his hand. His heart shuddered with pain as he remembered that this would never happen again. He felt a sudden urge to cry, although judging by how much he had cried on the trip, it was incredible that he still had any tears left. He restrained himself from breaking down. He had to be strong and brave, like his father had been.
The boat docilely approached the coast. Lee dropped the anchor, which sank quickly into the water until it stuck to the sea floor. They were about to descend when Tenten stopped them.
"Wait. If we meet humans and they see you they might attack us," she said, referring to Neji. "You should at least hide your ears." She took off the long cloak of her Guardian uniform and gently placed it on Neji. Then she pulled up the hood, hiding his head. "This way no one will notice that you are an elf."
They got out of the boat, knee-deep in the water, and walked toward the shore. Once there they looked in all directions, but there didn't seem to be anyone else around. They continued inland and stopped to take shelter from the sun under the bushes that grew on the high dunes. The sand was thick, and even though the morning sun fell directly on it, Neji had a feeling that if he took off his shoes and touched it, it would be cold.
"What do we do now?" Lee asked. The three friends looked at each other. None of them had much knowledge about the lowlands.
"We must take Neji to Mildith," Tenten replied. "Only there will he be safe."
"And where is Mildith?" Lee asked.
Both humans looked at Neji waiting for him to know the answer. "Well, I know is towards the West, at the opposite end of human territory. But I don't know what's in between." He had only flown across the lowlands, and at the height reached by the elven-trained phoenixes, not many details of the terrain could be made out, even with his keen eyesight.
"I think we just have to walk and find out," Tenten concluded.
"But we are in human territory," Lee added. "What if we come across a village?"
They began to evaluate what direction would be prudent to take. But not knowing what lay beyond the dunes, any path could lead them to face aggressive creatures. They were arguing when a voice coming from somewhere above them startled them.
"Do you need help?".
The three friends jumped back, drawing their weapons in a reflex action. Lee and Tenten brandished their swords, while Neji took his bow and readied an arrow, aiming for where the sound came from. On the dune immediately above them, peering through the sparse bushes, they saw the face of a human boy. He was sitting up, and his black hair tied in a high ponytail had traces of sand on it, as if he had been lying down until he heard them talk.
"Stay back!" Tenten shouted, threateningly pointing her sword at the stranger in case he decided to attack them. "We will not hesitate to kill you if you force us."
The boy raised an eyebrow, not frightened by the warning. "I wouldn't force you to do that," he replied. "But it seems you are lost."
"Of course not," Lee responded, feigning confidence. "We know perfectly well where we are, and in fact we are leaving right now." He looked at his companions for support, and they nodded. They began walking to the left, putting distance between themselves and the stranger.
"Good," said the boy behind him. "But if you go in that direction you will end up in the fishermen village, and they are not very friendly. I don't know if you know this, but elves are not very appreciated around here."
They stopped in their tracks and turned to look at the stranger. He watched them with a strange mixture of interest and drowsiness. "Elves? What elves? There are no elves here," Tenten answered nervously.
The boy raised an eyebrow again. Then he extended a finger and pointed it at Neji. "What about him?"
The friends looked at each other. They had barely reached the lowlands and had already been discovered by the first person who saw them. Lee waved a hand in the air. "You're crazy, he's a human just like us. What makes you think he is an elf?"
The boy remained calm. "For starters, his clothes. Nobody around here wears that kind of clothing. From this distance I can see that such fabric does not even exist in the lowlands." Neji looked at his clothes, which were peeking out from under Tenten's cloak. He was still wearing the pale blue robe he had worn for the succession ceremony. "But especially because of his eyes. Humans don't have eyes like that. From here I can see they have a strange effect. And I bet he has pointy ears under that hood."
Neji didn't know if it was really very obvious that he was an elf, or if the boy they had encountered was especially observant. In any case, they had already been detected.
Lee stepped forward and pointed his sword at the boy again. "If you propose to turn us in, I will have to finish you off."
The stranger did not flinch. He smiled sideways relaxedly. "Calm down, swordsman.I don't pretend to turn you in. But maybe I can help you . I know the area, and you obviously don't."
The friends exchanged glances. "Why would you be interested in helping us? You don't know us," Tenten replied.
The boy stood up, brushing sand off his pants with one hand. In the other he carried a book. He was wearing light brown pants rolled up to the knees and a green blouse made of coarse fabric. "Curiosity." He jumped and came down the dune, landing in front of them. He was quite tall, almost as tall as Lee. His physical build was thin, bordering on scrawny. He didn't seem like a threat at all. He looked at Neji carefully, as if he were studying a very unusual object. "I've never seen an elf before." Given his proximity, the three friends were on guard again, but the boy didn't show any desire to attack them. "Relax, I'm not armed. And even if I were, I don't even know how to hold a sword. But I can help you find your way. Where are you heading to?".
The boy did not seem hostile. In fact, his countenance conveyed kindness. But he was a stranger and he could be deceiving them. "We can't trust him," Lee told his friends in the Elvish language. "He may be trying to set us up."
"But if he wanted to turn us in he could have raised the alarm without talking to us," Tenten replied.
"We can't make assumptions," Neji added. "Both things could be true."
"If we go and leave him he could accuse us of other humans," Lee insisted. "Should we kill him?"
They felt fear of that idea. None of the three had ever killed anyone. Meanwhile the boy watched them with fascination.
"Are you speaking Elvish?" he asked. Now he looked really excited. The sleepiness had completely disappeared from his face. His black eyes had widened and jumped from one to the other of the three friends without missing a detail, even though he couldn't decipher the sounds they were making.
"I think we would rather stay alone," Tenten replied, trying to sound confident. "And we will appreciate it if you don't tell anyone we're here."
The boy shrugged. "Whatever. But anyone who sees you will realize who you are. Dressed like that you won't be able to get very far." It was true. In addition to Neji's distinctly elven clothes, Lee and Tenten's armor and uniform would catch the humans' attention. They didn't know what to answer. The boy continued. "Look, if you wait for me here for a little while I can bring you some normal clothes. And something better to cover the elf. Maybe that way you can go unnoticed."
The friends looked at each other again. They had no certainty about the boy's intentions, but they also couldn't risk continuing and running into someone less peaceful.
"And how can we know you're trustworthy?" Neji asked.
The boy shrugged again. "You cann'. But from what I see you don't have better options."
There was no way to refute that statement. They could only hope that the boy would not betray them, and that he would actually be willing to help them for no reason. Still not entirely convinced, they agreed to his offer. He walked away, leaving them alone again.
While they waited hidden among the dunes, they continued discussing what to do, but no matter how much they debated, they had too many uncertainties to make any decision. After about an hour the boy returned carrying a bag on his shoulder. He dropped it heavily on the sand in front of them. Inside were human clothes for the three of them. He turned around to give them privacy. The friends got dressed, feeling strange at the contact with those unknown fabrics on their skins. Even the colors were different from what they usually wore. Elves preferred pastel tones with pale silver and gold details. The colors of human clothing resembled the landscape: shades of greens, browns and grays. Now Lee and Tenten looked like normal lowland people. Neji's eyes and ears still gave him away, but for him there was a much larger cape than the previous one. With the hood he could perfectly hide his ears and face from him. When they saw themselves dressed in such strange clothes, they inevitably smiled and burst into laughter. It was nice to laugh at something so silly after all the previous distressing events.
"Much better," the boy said as he looked at them in their new vestment. "Now, where do you want to go?"
"To the west," Neji answered, and the others nodded.
The boy hesitated. "Well, that's a little vague. Where do you want to go?"
"We can't tell you that," Tenten clarified. "Just tell us what we will find in that direction."
He spread his arms to the sides of his body. "That depends on how far you want to go. There are many things to the West: human villages, the giant's meadows, the lycanthropes area…". Indeed, they had never had contact with any of those creatures, and would probably not be welcome anywhere but in Mildith. The boy must have noticed they didn't know the places he had named, because he offered them another option. "Maybe my father can help you. You are lucky it was me who found you. My family is probably the only one that doesn't despise magical creatures. If you come with me to my village, my father will give you a better solution."
That was taking too much risk. Even in disguise, entering a human village as an elf could end very badly for Neji. But they had no one else to turn to. The friends looked at each other, sharing the same thought.
Tenten shook her head. "We cannot enter a human village. They could discover us."
The boy let out a relaxed laugh through his nose and waved a hand in the air, calming her. "Humans don't pay attention to anything. They are always immersed in their boring lives."
The friends exchanged glances again. "Okay," Lee said, the expression on his face hardening. "But if this is all a trap you will regret it."
"Don't worry," the boy reassured them. "Follow me, it's this way." He began to descend from the dunes inland. The four of them walked towards the village, leaving the beach behind. Lee carried all of their belongings in a large bag, which were also the greatest evidence of their origin.
"What were you doing alone in the dunes?" Tenten asked as they moved forward. "Are you a vigilant?"
The boy laughed softly. "No. I was just hiding from my mother. Every time she sees me idle she sends me to fetch water or cut firewood. I come here to read and just, hang out."
"So you're not a warrior?" Lee questioned.
The boy laughed again, this time heartily, as if the comment had really amused him. "Not at all".
"And are there many warriors among humans?" Neji asked. That was what worried them most. Sure, anyone who hated elves could try to harm them, but it would be much worse if they were experienced combatants.
"Not many," the boy explained. "Most of them died in the war against Madara. Those who survived are now dedicated to other things. Like my father. He was a warrior, but currently works in the village organization. Now, can I ask you a question?"
The three friends exchanged glances quickly. "We won't tell you anything about who we are, where we come from, or where we're going," Tenten clarified, frowning.
The boy shook his head. "It's nothing like that." Then he looked at the bag Lee was carrying with their original clothes. His black eyes flashed for a second. "Those armors you were wearing are made of white gold, right?"
They didn't expect that kind of question. "Yes," Neji replied. "It is elvish gold."
The boy's eyes widened as if he had discovered an amazing find. "I read that only elves can shape it, because to do so you need magic, and like, a lot of it."
They looked at him strangely because of his enthusiasm, but they nodded. Then the boy pointed a finger at Neji, or rather at the device he carried on his back. "And your bow. "Can I see it for a second?"
The elf looked at his outstretched hand and seemingly harmless face. He didn't like the idea of giving him his weapon, but the truth was that he couldn't do much without the arrows. After hesitating for a moment he took it off his back and held it out to him.
The boy took it and brought it close to his face to analyze it. He touched a finger to the taut rope and gently slid it to the side. The material shimmered upon contact and moved with his finger along the rope. A dazzling smile appeared on his face. "Amazing".
"It's magic," explained Lee, now also a little infected by the boy's emotion. "The elves cast a spell on the rope to make it stronger. They also do it with our weapons." He tapped with one hand the place where he had hidden his sword.
The boy nodded while still admiring the arch. Apparently he already knew that information, because he had gone directly to touch the rope. Neji thought he understood. Humans didn't have any contact with magic, and logically they must be fascinated by it. In Madara's case the fascination had gone too far, but a little was not bad. However, Neji thought he remembered another version told by his father and other elves. That men feared magic. If that was true, it meant that the human they had encountered was maybe not the most ordinary of them all.
After a few minutes he returned the bow to its owner, taking the opportunity to look him in the eyes. Neji noticed how he tried to see them better from under the hood. Certainly the eyes of elves and humans were not the same. The color in a human's iris was static. In those of the elves they moved constantly in a slow flow, like that of clouds crossing the sky. Not even when sleeping did they stop moving. He understood why the boy was interested in them, so he didn't look away, but he didn't let him see any more either. Neji, on the other hand, could see him perfectly, with every detail of his face exposed to the clarity of the day. From beneath the shadows of his hood he searched his eyes. They were very black, deep and shone with intelligence.
They saw the village in the distance at the end of the road. There was no entrance or fence. The houses simply started in the middle of the path and interrupted it. The boy led them there with confidence. Neji adjusted the hood of his cloak, praying that no one would wonder who this stranger with his face covered was.
But as they crossed the village he realized that no one was paying attention to them. People screamed and shouted words to each other that Neji didn't understand, but that, from the intonation, seemed like curses. Men and women went from here to there busy with their tasks, carrying firewood or water and skinning the hunted animals, sharpening their daggers from time to time to make the work easier. Dirty, disheveled children ran around the adults, spinning around while playing with each other. These people were very different from the ones Neji knew.
"These humans are nothing like the ones I've seen," Tenten whispered, observing with disgust a man sitting on a barrel who was engaged in the task of tearing off his toenails with his teeth and then spitting them into the air.
The boy turned over his shoulder to look at them. "Sorry if it's not very refined," he said, smiling with embarrassment. Then he turned down a small street where there were no more people nearby. They continued until they stopped at a beautiful house built with logs, located at the opposite end of the village, a little away from the others.
They entered through the back into a kind of stable. Or at least that's what Neji thought when he felt the pungent smell as soon as he walked through the door. And he wasn't wrong. The floor was partially covered with straw, and at one end a horse was dozing in a small corral. There were also some shelves full of things and quite a bit of clutter. In one corner he saw a large chest of weapons where he assumed those of the owner of the house would be, but it was covered in dust, as if it had not been opened in years. Apparently humans were not orderly and neat like elves, and that went beyond personal hygiene. It also included their homes. The boy asked them to wait for him while he checked if his parents were there and he left. He returned shortly after with a relieved expression. "They are not here". He carried in his hands a metal jug with water and three bowls. The three friends drank, suddenly remembering they had not eaten or drank anything since leaving Shinaime. The water tasted slightly different, but it quenched the thirst.
The boy opened his mouth to say something but at that moment sounds were heard coming from the front door. The boy's lips tightened momentarily, though he soon regained most of his relaxed demeanor. He told them to wait there while he explained the situation to his parents.
They heard him walking, and then two unknown voices intervened. One of a man, who greeted the boy friendly. The other of a woman, not so calm. "Where were you? You had to go get firewood. There's almost nothing left."
The boy's voice answered softly. "I'll go in a moment. But first I have something to tell you."
"What did you do?" the woman asked in a reproachful tone.
"Nothing," the boy responded, but he sounded nervous. "You see, I met some people today. They're not from around here, and they need to get somewhere. I thought maybe Dad could help them by showing them the way. They are in the back…"
The three friends approached the door to listen to the conversation. The man spoke, looking calm but suspicious.
"Where do they come from?"
"Well, I have an idea, but I didn't ask them so I don't know for sure. The thing is, two of them are human, but the other one is, well, a little different. In fact, he is very different…"
The woman burst in again with her reproachful tone. "Please, not another wolf-child. You can't bring every creature you meet into the house."
"He's not a lycanthrope, Mom," the boy responded with annoyance. "But he's a little… Well, a little… Elf."
Neji felt like hitting his forehead. It was the worst introduction he had ever heard in his life. It didn't take long for the woman's screams to break the air.
"THAT?! AN ELF! YOU BROUGHT AN ELF TO THE HOUSE?!"
"Yoshino, please! "Don't shout it so loud!"
"But an elf…" The woman was no longer screaming but she was far from calmed down. "Have you gone mad? Do you want the whole family to be hanged for treason?"
"Of course not, but…"
"Shikamaru, listen to me carefully," the man cut him off. He was angry too, but not as much as his wife. "An elf is not a pet. You can't bring one here like you did with the giant salamander or the carnivorous rabbit. And you can't try to be friends with him either. This village hates elves." Neji swallowed, feeling more and more in danger.
"But dad, they don't seem dangerous," the boy insisted. It was impossible not to empathize with him. After all, he had earned a reprimand for trying to help them. "And I thought..."
The woman didn't let him explain. "We will not discuss this. I want them out of here right now. If they disappear immediately we will not accuse them, but I do not want dealings with elves." Her voice approached the room where they were so quickly that they didn't even have time to draw their weapons. The door swung open. A woman with brown hair and a murderous expression looked at them from the doorway.
But a few seconds later the woman's face transformed. First she looked at them with surprise, and then with pity. She frowned and closed her eyes helplessly, clicking her tongue. The boy and his father arrived and stood behind her. The woman turned to her husband. "They're just kids…" she said bitterly.
"Of course," the man whispered, looking askance at his son. "They are always kids." The boy shrugged guiltily. "Why don't you come in and tell us what we can do for you?" He added, addressing the three strangers. His face was scarred, but it seemed kind, like his son's.
They were shown into a room, modest but very clean and cozy. They sat together on a soft sofa made of rough fabric, while the woman closed all the curtains so that no one could see them from the outside. The boy and his father stood in front of them. Neji noticed that he was still wearing the hood, so he pulled it back so they could see his face. At that moment the boy opened his eyes wide and stared at him without any concealment. Neji could almost feel him studying his eyes and ears. It was a little uncomfortable, but not as much as he had expected. The look denoted interest, and nothing of malice. For a few milliseconds they made eye contact, and soon after the boy blushed. Then he frowned and turned his eyes to the ground, embarrassed. Neji registered that reaction as strange. Tenten cleared her throat, gaining the courage to start speaking. "We have come from a very distant place, and we need to travel to the West, but we do not know the way."
The man asked them the same question that the boy had asked them. "How far do you want to go?"
Tenten opened her mouth to answer but stopped, hesitantly looking at her companions. It was clear that he couldn't help them if they didn't confess their destination, but they weren't sure they wanted to give that information to a stranger. They began to speak hurriedly among themselves in the elvish language.
"What do I tell him?". "We have to tell him that we want to go to Mildith." "Don't tell him we come from Shinaime." "Maybe we should tell him about Hiashi and Orochimaru, so they'll be prepared for an attack." "But if he thinks we have anything to do with them they will kill us." They were still arguing when the man interrupted them.
"Excuse me, children, but I think I would like to know what happened with Orochimaru first." The three friends were speechless when they realized that he was speaking in the elvish language. And they weren't the only ones. The boy looked at his father with wild eyes.
"You can speak Elvish? Why did you not tell me?!". He seemed deeply offended.
His father gave him a crooked smile. "Because you would have asked me to teach you, and it would have been troublesome." With that phrase he earned a bad-tempered sneer from his son, who crossed his arms indignantly. He ignored it, looking back at the three strangers. He had the same shrewd black eyes as the boy. "Now, I would like to hear what happened to Orochimaru."
The mention of the dark wizard made the boy forget his anger and the woman placed a hand on her chest in sudden fear. Neji spoke up and began the explanation. "We come from Shinaime Island, where great chaos has broken out. A dispute over the inheritance of the Noble Patriarch title."
The man tilted his head, still looking at Neji. "Hayime was supposed to give that position to his eldest son," he said in a hoarse voice. The friends were surprised that he knew that name. "What happened?".
Neji continued. "He decided to give it to his youngest son, my father...". He wanted to continue, but his voice broke. Remembering his father was like being pierced through the heart by a thousand arrows at once.
What the man said next ripped him from those thoughts. "You are Hizashi's son?"
Neji looked at him in amazement as did everyone present. "Do you know his father?" the boy asked.
"Of course I know him. We fought the war together. In fact, he saved my life on more than one occasion, healing my wounds. If it weren't for Hiazashi Iwould have died a thousand times, like many others. Thanks to his squad we survived and won the war." A smile of affection curved his lips. "He taught me to speak Elvish. Where is he now?"
Neji lowered his head. He didn't want to see the man's expression when he heard that Hizashi was dead. "He was murdered by his brother two nights ago, sir," Lee explained in a respectful tone.
There was a brief silence as the news sank in. Finally the man spoke again. "I'm so sorry, little one. He was a great elf. So his brother took Shinaime by force?"
"Yes, sir. He and some others killed everyone who opposed him," Tenten explained.
"And Orochimaru?"
"We saw him when he escaped," Neji clarified, raising his head. "They were talking about a rebellion. I think my uncle wants to conquer the other races."
The man walked in circles a couple of times with an expression of concentration. "If Orochimaru is with him they will resurrect the orcs again. And by combining his magic with that of the elves he will be able to create much more powerful creatures. This is serious. It is only a matter of time before they start attacking."
"We must raise the alarm, in this village and in all of them," said the woman, taking a step forward.
The man stopped walking and looked at her. "Yes, but first we must get this boy to safety. If people find him they will destroy him." He turned to the three friends. "Don't worry, we will help you get to Mildith." His smile was comforting.
"But Shikaku, there are all kinds of creatures on the road, and they don't like other races," his wife added. She looked nervous, but also worried for them.
"Shikaku?" Neji asked suddenly. That name was more than familiar to him. "My father told me about you. He said that you were the most rational and kind man he ever knew. I think all of his faith in humans came from his memories of you."
The man smiled again when he heard that. From what Neji remembered, they had not only fought together, but had become good friends. Shikaku was about to say something when wild shouts from outside interrupted him.
"SHIKAKU! "SHIKAKU!"
The woman approached the window and drew the curtain a few inches to look out. "It's Ibiki."
The man walked quickly to the door and stepped out. Hurried words were heard from the newcomer, but he could not make out what he was saying. Shortly after, Shikaku returned, closing the door behind him.
"Some strange creatures have been seen approaching through the sky," he explained. His previously kind face was now very serious. "They don't look like any animal in the area, and Ibiki said the air brings the smell of rotting meat. It's the smell of orcs. The attack is about to begin." The three friends looked at each other in terror. It had happened very quickly. Hiashi and Orochimaru had launched the invasion without wasting any time. "They have called a meeting here, now. Shikamaru, take them to your room and don't come out until I tell you to."
The boy nodded and gestured for Neji and his companions to follow him. He led them up the stairs to the first floor. After entering a small room he closed the door. He absentmindedly motioned for the visitors to arrange themselves as they pleased, but he stayed behind the door to try to listen.
Shortly after, the sound of numerous footsteps entering the house came from the lower floor. Furniture was heard being dragged, and then voices beginning to debate. But the words did not come clearly. It was impossible to understand a complete sentence. Trying to calm his nerves, Neji swept his eyes around the room.
It was small and simple. The only furniture was a bed, a chair, and a desk. Apart from that, there were numerous shelves against the walls, and each one was so full of books that they seemed ready to fall. There were also many papers hanging on the walls. Neji saw in them sloppy drawings of creatures he didn't know. They seemed so strange to him that he wondered if they were real beings or if they were just invented. As he approached the desk he saw there were many more sketches accompanied by notes. He was curious, but he didn't want to be disrespectful and read things without permission. He sat in the only chair and waited. Tenten and Lee sat on the bed and waited as well.
Long minutes passed. Conservation below seemed intense. There were some very heated voices, and others struggled to remain calm. Shikaku's was one of them. The boy (whose name they now knew was Shikamaru) remained by the door the entire time. Finally the people who had entered began to leave. The last footsteps they heard were those of the man and his wife going up the stairs. The boy walked away from the door, which opened shortly after.
Shikaku entered the room, but his wife remained in the doorway. "The situation is serious. A huge group of creatures is approaching from the east. Judging by the smell carried on the wind, the lookouts are convinced they are orcs. Only Orochimaru's dark magic can control them, so he is not far away." He looked at Neji and his friends with a worried face. "It seems like these guys were telling the truth."
"What are we going to do?" Shikamaru asked his father.
"We will fight. We must defend what cost us so much to build. The village will begin to prepare to respond to the attack. We estimate they will be here in less than three days, so there is no time to waste. As for you," he said looking at Neji. "You must leave. And with discretion. If the humans discover that we have welcomed an elf into our home, they will accuse us of treason."
Tenten stood up shyly. "So you will show us the way to follow, sir?"
Shikaku took a moment to respond. "I could do that, but it won't be enough to reach Mildith safely. You do not know the area nor how to deal with the creatures that populate the lowlands. It would be to send you to your death." He was silent for a few seconds, reflecting on the best way to act. "You need a guide or you won't be able to get very far."
"But no human will be willing to help an elf," said the woman named Yoshino. "And for that we should confess that we have welcomed them into our home. Furthermore, there is no one who knows the area well enough to serve as a guide."
"There is one person who could do it," the man answered, and directed his gaze toward his son.
The boy's eyes widened and an expression of absolute exaltation appeared on his face. But before he could respond, his mother walked up to him and put her arms around his body.
"Have you lost your mind?! I will not send my son away from home with a group of strangers, especially during the start of a war."
"Yoshino, listen to me…" Shikaku tried to continue, but the woman interrupted him.
"No! He doesn't even know how to fight. He has no idea how to handle a gun, and he is just a kid." She squeezed her son tightly in her arms, making him suppress a moan of pain.
Shikaku approached his wife and placed a hand on her shoulder. The woman relaxed briefly, releasing the boy. "He is no longer a child, he is 17 years old. He may not know how to fight, but he knows the lowlands better than anyone. Even better than myself. And he knows how to… relate, to other races. No human has a better chance of traversing the territory of giants and lycanthropes than him. We know that better than anyone because he is our child. Besides, of all the people in this village, he is our best explorer."
Hearing these words Shikamaru's chest swelled with pride. He smiled at his mother confidently. "Don't worry, mom. "I know the way perfectly."
Yoshino was frowning and shaking her head again and again. "I know you know it, but that's not enough. Not every creature you encounter will want to be your friend, Shikamaru. "I can't let you risk your life for strangers."
"They're not strangers," Shikaku clarified, pointing to Neji. "This child is Hizashi's son. We must help him. It was thanks to him that we did not perish during the war with Madara. The least we can do is help his family get to safety."
The woman looked at the young elf. She seemed to understand her husband's words, but she still feared for the safety of her own son. Neji watched as her eyes filled with tears. "But a trip like this will take a very long time. We won't be able to know if something bad has happened to him. What if Orochimaru's hordes reach him before getting to Mildith?
"That will happen if we waste more time," Shikaku assured. "We will be in charge of holding back the orcs, with the help of all the human towns. We must buy time so they can reach Mildith. Once there they will be safe. And that's not all. They will carry a message."
Everyone was silent and looked at the man for a moment. Neji saw Shikamaru staring at him with admiration, and as if he already knew what he was going to say next. "We have no chance against Orochimaru's magic combined with that of the Shinaime elves. We need magic to heal the wounded and strengthen our weapons and shields, otherwise we will not be able to resist. The elves of Mildith have helped us before, and I believe they will now. Not just for us, but for Hizashi and everything he believed in." He slid his deep eyes down to his son. "You will explain the situation to them and ask for their help. If we can hold off the orcs until you arrive perhaps we can win. If they manage to advance, they will decimate everything in their path like last time." He paused to emphasize the seriousness of the events. Then he looked at Neji. "If you really are Hizashi's son, I know that you will do everything possible to get yours to help us."
Yoshino was still holding back tears, but she too had taken dimension of the situation. She closed her eyes tightly. "I can't believe I'm considering this craziness…"
Shikamaru wrapped one of his arms around his mother. "I'll be fine, mom. I have faced dangerous creatures before and never suffered any severe damage. And although I don't know how to fight, they do. They have elven weapons and they know how to use them."
That seemed to relax the woman a little. She looked at her son firmly. "You have to understand that this is not another one of your expeditions. It is a serious mission and you must be very careful."
"Three armed people will be enough to repel any creature," Tenten stated, more hopeful now they had a guide.
"About that…" Shikaku began, and looked at the two young humans. "I imagine you two are Passage Guardians, right? I know you are tasked with protecting the elf, but it would be a great help if you stayed here. We have few real warriors, and you are trained in battle. We would have an advantage if we could count on your weapons and skills. To win we must be realistic: our numbers are very low. The population was greatly reduced in the war with Madara. We need every potential fighter, especially those who really know how to fight. On the other hand, it will be easier for two people to cross the lowlands without attracting attention than if it is four."
Lee and Tenten looked at each other and then at Neji. The idea of separating was not pleasant. Leaving his companion alone in the company of a boy who had no idea about battles seemed very risky.
"But we promised Hizashi that we would protect Neji," Tenten explained.
"The best way to protect him is to help us delay Orochimaru's hordes," Shikaku replied. "We need all the people we can gather. We will give you a few moments to think about it." He waved to his son and his wife and the three of them left the room.
The three friends looked at each other. Neither of them wanted to be separated from Neji, nor did Neji feel safe about making such a long trip with a stranger. Although he knew they could trust Shikaku because of how well his father had spoken of him, he had no reason to trust his son's abilities, who seemed a little strange. Lastly, they didn't want to part so soon after twelve years of not being together. They argued for a while about the doubts the situation raised, but finally it was Lee who gave the final argument.
"The rebellion caused by Hiashi destroyed our home. Our parents would never have betrayed a decision of the Noble Patriarch, so it is very likely that they are no longer alive…" He let the sentence die in the air, and sadness spread through the small room. Tenten shuddered. Lee recovered shortly after and clenched his fists tightly. "This is not just about protecting Neji, but about avenging our parents and all the humans and elves who were killed in Shinaime. If we can help defeat Hiashi's army, we must do so."
Neji thought of his father. For the first time since he saw his uncle holding his severed head, a different image of him came to mind. That of his noble and kind face preaching about the importance of a united world and life in harmony. That was the father he wanted to remember, and he would fight for his ideals. The situation was not as they had hoped, but nothing that had happened in the last few days was. The other two agreed, although that meant separating without knowing if they would see each other again. Neji feared for the lives of his friends. Although they had been trained, they had never participated in an actual battle, but he knew that their honor obliged them to do their best. They left the room to communicate their decision to the family that had welcomed them.
"So this is the plan," Shikaku said in a firm voice. "You two will stay to fight, and my son will leave with your friend to take him to Mildith." He turned to Shikamaru. "You don't know the way past the swamp, so you'll need all your maps and catalogs for that area."
The boy nodded impatiently. "I know exactly what to bring, Dad."
"Good. I will give you some weapons, and your mother will prepare provisions. They won't last the entire trip, but I trust you'll find a way to get food when supplies run out. Now go get everything you need to leave."
Shikamaru nodded firmly and walked back into his room. He came out shortly after with a large number of folded papers and some notebooks that he put inside a backpack. His mother gave him several packages of supplies and they placed them in a second backpack, which Neji carried.
They were then led back to the stable through which they had entered. Shikamaru took some huge saddlebags and placed them on the horse, and immediately began to fill them with things. Incomprehensibly he seemed more excited than worried about the dangerous journey ahead of them. Meanwhile Shikaku opened the weapons case and began to take out all kinds of swords, spears and knives. He gave his son a long iron sword and a small axe. He then turned to Neji, but his eyes were fixed on an object that he was carrying in his hands. It was a tiny knife, with a pristine white handle and sheath.
"Your father gave me this knife twelve years ago," he said, his voice calm but charged with emotion. According to him, he told me it is made of a very special and valuable material, different from elven gold, and that the fact of giving it to me was a kind of symbol of trust between us. He liked to express himself like that, in very poetic ways." He looked up and handed the item to Neji. "I think you should have it now. It will be as if a small part of him is accompanying you on the journey. I am sure he would have loved that image."
Even before touching it, Neji already knew what material that knife was made of. It was elven ivory, another element that only elves could shape, but which was very rare. So much so that the only pieces that existed were very small details in some jewelry, and Neji had seen very few of them in his life, among the Noble Patriarch's ornaments. He had no idea that his father had possessed that object. That he had given it to a human was baffling, as it was a unique item. That Shikaku was returning it to his son was even more surprising: any other human would have coveted it for its monetary value.
Neji took it and held it tightly between his fingers. It really was a symbol of unity.
The preparations were finished. Shikaku looked at his son and then at the three friends. "It's time. We must join the people of the village for the counterattack, and you have a long road ahead of you. The sooner you get going, the better."
It was time to say goodbye. Neji looked at his friends. Their faces were filled with sadness for having to separate, especially so little time after their reunion. The three hugged each other tightly.
"Take good care of yourself," Tenten whispered, holding back tears.
"You too," Neji replied, holding onto his friends fondly. "Don't let your guard down."
"We will fight with honor and stop them," Lee assured him.
At his side, Shikamaru and his parents were also saying goodbye, while Yoshino sobbed uncontrollably. They finally separated, ready to leave. The boy climbed onto the horse and extended a hand to Neji. He took it and climbed after him. He looked at his friends one last time.
Shikaku spoke, perhaps just to disperse the emotionality of the moment. "You guys will walk out the front door with me," he said, referring to Lee and Tenten. "I'll have to explain to the others where you came from and why you have those weapons, but I'll think of something." He looked once more at his son. "You will go this way, you already know the area. And first of all, look for Chōza. I imagine what he will tell you, but you can try. And stay alert."
Shikamaru nodded firmly, and Neji watched as he tightened the reins. Despite his excitement, he was taking the task very seriously. He looked ahead and led the horse out through the small gate. Neji wrapped his hands around his hood so the wind wouldn't blow it back. Once outside they took the opposite path to the one they used when arriving at the house, and shortly after they were outside the village, entering the fields. The horse started to ride, beginning the long journey.
Chapter Two! things start to happen!
I hope you like this update and that you want to read more. Thank you for joining this story!
What did you think about the english? Is it really not coming out kind of weird? I don't even know anymore. If you have any corrections or observations please let me know.