"Our creed does not command us to be free, it commands us to be wise." - Altair Ibn-La'Ahad
A hooded man walked through crowded streets, tuning out the bustling common folk and soft rain that surrounded him. A large group of citizens gathered in front of a local grocery, one that had clearly been boarded up more than once, and began shouting and screaming at the armed shinobi who stood in between them and their goal.
"JUST LET US IN! We don't wanna have to hurt ya!" someone in the crowd shouted at one of the men, getting a grunt and eye roll in response. These were trained killers who possessed abilities most civilians would have to see to believe, but that was indicative of the arrogance of your average shinobi. The hooded man smiled to himself. He had once held those same beliefs, but a wise man had shown him the error of his ways a long time ago. A shrill scream cut through the air, making the man pause and look back into the crowd. More people had joined the group, making it more of a mob than anything else, and mobs were always more dangerous. The shinobi were clearly on edge now. They gripped their weapons tightly, eyes shifting back and forth to the increasing number of pitchforks, machetes, and other makeshift weapons.
It was clear as day that the shinobi would be quickly overwhelmed, probably taking out some civilians in the process, depending on how many jutsu they decided to throw around. Helping would be simple if he so chose. The squad was only 10 men strong, tasked to defend this grocery store, but it seemed mob rule would have its way, even if that meant spilling some blood to get it.
'I can't blame them, Yagura has made it so everyone not aligned with his rule can't even get work, let alone buy food at inflated prices. Especially anyone with a kekkei genkai…' the hooded man looked up to the sky, noticing the setting sun, and made his decision. He had a target to take care of, and he wouldn't be there for every mob or civilian. The man began running towards a wall, smoothly mantling onto a ledge, before scaling the side of the building in seconds. They weren't morally good people, he had been taught that first. They killed men and women for their goals just as their enemies did. But, they were different. They fought for the people to do as they chose, not be ruled. As he ran across the rooftop, only a keen eye could notice the details. The robe was seemingly grey, but the rain and permanent mist gave it an almost dark blue appearance. The hood was pointed in the center, leading to an eagle head shape. Brown leather padded his shoulders, with his blouse, trousers, and boots matching the color of his hood. A black fingerless glove adorned his right hand, a full leather glove covering his left, all while brown boots accented his quick travel. A leather gauntlet on his left forearm concealed his primary means of taking care of targets, the silver tsurugi sword on his hip being only a glimpse of the weaponry he concealed. A leather belt, with a unique metal symbol attached, and a dark blue sash were all wrapped tightly around his hips, the lower coat of his robe waving in the wind as he moved. The man moved with skill and grace that not many had, but it made one thing clear, he was no shinobi.
As the man neared his target, who operated out of a small compound in the core of the city, he grunted in annoyance. The sun was setting but was still too high to take his target's life now. The last thing he needed was to draw any more attention to himself. The man he was looking for was usually alone, but tonight was not usual.
'Templars and their meetings…'
So he waited, he watched, and he listened as the black-haired man he had pursued recounted tales of his actions earlier that day. "We had this one bitch, gods she was quite the looker, but unfortunately she and her family were caught aiding the insurgents. I wish Yagura hadn't been there so I could've had my way with that whore... but he wanted to be done with them quickly. I had her and her family give us any info about the traitors before I killed them all. Saved the best for last of course, you should have heard her scream when I took her legs off!"
The men gathered around the executioner all laughed as their compatriot continued his description of events, every detail making the hidden man hate his mark even more than he already did. It took every ounce of restraint to stay in his perch as the Templar and his allies discussed their plans. An offensive into the ghetto and poorer districts of the city was on the horizon, as reports were coming in that insurgents had made a base of operations there. The shinobi that were assigned to patrol the village were tasked to root out the insurgents and instill the "faith in the Mizukage" back into the populace. The rules of engagement for the men would be quite relaxed, and possibly lead to civilian casualties. His target had laughed when he said that, displaying to his men that the possibility was more than just "likely", and that Yaguara had no problem with that.
"They don't call this place the Bloody Mist for nothing. Heartless bastards." the hooded man spoke to himself quietly before noticing that the other guards had begun to filter out, leaving their leader finally alone.
"Don't stay up too late Hamaki, we'll see you in a few days." the last man said on his way out, leaving the now-named Hamaki by himself in the courtyard. The dark-haired man took another swig of his bottle, the beer numbing the growing headache he had been nursing all day. The old shinobi felt this nagging feeling all day of being watched but blamed it on the moody weather. The man opened a hidden metal gate and walked down a set of stairs, humming out of tune to himself as he continued to sip the carbonated beverage. The only light sources were torches along the walls, something Hamaki thought added to the "atmosphere". He didn't like when people called it a dungeon, he thought of it as more of an… office. He worked there, cleaned up, and left. Besides, he never left people down there for extended periods. A couple of days was the longest he had left someone in his office without food or light, and they sang like a canary once he finally started asking questions.
He wasn't Yagura's number two for nothing. Having learned firsthand what torture did to someone during the 3rd Shinobi World War, Hamaki had become fascinated by it and swore to learn how to utilize torture to benefit Kiri. That's when Yagura approached him about joining the Templars. Learning about his Kage's connection with the ancient order was scarily sobering. The man was more than powerful enough as Kiri's jinchuriki, and now with the knowledge of ancient civilizations and their artifacts, who knows how powerful he could become. Refocusing on the task at hand, the older man looked down toward the chained-up, naked man sitting in a wooden chair. The man was gagged and exhausted, with various cuts and wounds all over his body. His green eyes widened in horror as the captive realized his tormentor had returned.
"Nope, I didn't forget about you, Yuki boy." Hamaki rolled down the gag on the man's mouth and leaned his tall stature over to meet his prisoner at eye level. "Now, I let you have some time to think after you disobeyed me earlier. I like to think of myself as kind so I'll only ask one more time. Who is the commander of the insurgents? We're getting closer to figuring out who it is, or should I say, who she is." green eyes met a dead brown in shock before realizing just how much Hamaki and Yagura knew. The realization of how futile it would be to resist filled the man's mind and he broke. Just as his prisoner opened his mouth, both men turned their attention to the entrance, looking over to see one of the wall torches had slipped and fallen onto the stone floor. Hamaki stood tall, walking slowly towards the stairs, and looked around. He had locked the door behind him, hadn't he? Who would dare make an attempt at his life alone? Least of all while he was in his secured compound? Most in the city didn't even realize he operated out of the complex, and what went on underneath was only privy to his and Yagura's inner circle. Turning away, Hamaki could do nothing as a hooded figure plunged their hidden blade into his lungs, sucking the air out of him as he felt himself be lowered to the ground. The assassin removed his blade and said a quiet prayer, watching as the torturer's life slowly ebbed away. As the assassin looked for his prisoner, Hamaki could make out cerulean blue eyes and an almost boyish face. The old shinobi smiled to himself.
"Even with eyes so young, you kill like a man twice your age." that was always the thing with the Assassins, they recruited their initiates from birth, and if not born into it, they picked from orphans and street rats. "If you believe killing me will change the fate of this village, you are wrong."
The assassin's eyes narrowed, almost glowing in the low light. His killer opened his mouth, a voice far beyond its years, emerging, "I stopped you from killing any more innocent families who are born with something they can't control. I'm right in that, at least." the dying shinobi shook his head. He had been this naive once.
"It's no use, Assassin. Yagura will not be killed by a simple blade, for he possesses what your acolytes and the Order have sought out for years."
"His jinchuriki is of no concern to me old man…"
"Hah, you simple-minded fool. He holds a piece of Eden. He will finish what we have started and kill everyone you call an ally here-" the assassin, seemingly fed up with Hamaki's words, flicked out a blade hidden near his wrist and slid it under the executioner's chin and into his skull. The hooded man retracted the blade and moved to free Hamaki's prisoner. The young man, probably no older than 14, stumbled out of his restraints and looked at his savior.
"Who… who are you?" a small smile made its way onto the assassin's face before offering his hand.
"Let's just say I'm a friend of the Rebellion. The name is Naruto."
3 Years Ago - The Valley of the End
Sasuke stared at his former friend… perhaps his only true friend, lying unconscious on the ground. He kept replaying their battle in his head, his Sharingan having memorized every moment. Why had Naruto not gone for the kill? Why hadn't he? The Uchiha was self-aware to realize he had gone for the stomach instead of his blond friend's heart, but why? He had felt the strength in their clash and knew the blond had more than enough power to overwhelm him, even with the fully activated curse mark. Slowly drawing a kunai with his non-broken arm, Sasuke got on his knees and crawled face to face with the jinchuriki.
'Maybe with your death, I'll finally be strong enough to defeat Itachi… I'm sorry Naruto, but this is for the greater good.' slowly raising the kunai, the Uchiha heir was stopped by a cold blade resting against his neck.
"I recommend you put that blade down, young one. Though your friend had spared you, I am not so caring." the voice was obviously male, but the accent was off. Almost unlike anything he had ever heard, it was coarse, filled with experience and wisdom, but still contained a youthful mirth. The wounded shinobi slowly turned his head to look behind him and saw a towering, hooded figure with the blade coming from a device on his wrist. Sasuke began to stand and the blade followed him to the apex of his short stature, continuously pressed to his neck. Even at 15, he was of average height for his age, which was nothing to the man towering before him.
"Now leave, either to your village or to your own goals. Neither matter to me, only that you cannot stay here." Sasuke barely nodded his head, and the hooded man retracted the blade into a bracer. The man watched him as Sasuke continued his way to the Land of Sound, leaving the boy to wonder just how close to death he had been, especially to a man with seemingly no chakra at all.
The hooded man, confident that the Uchiha boy was gone, picked up the fallen Konoha shinobi and walked towards his makeshift camp nearby. The blond was lucky the old man had decided to make the trip to Fire himself, or else his life would've been forfeit. Setting the boy's body on a sleeping bag near his fire, the old man wondered if he was right to get involved, but had faith that he had saved someone worth saving.
It took almost two hours for Naruto to regain consciousness, and the first thing he smelled was lemon and ginger. The two prominent scents assaulted his nose without restraint, and the blond had to resist the urge to gag. He rolled away from the scent and cleared his throat, spitting wads of blood and lake water into the dirt.
"While I'm not the tea maker my mother was, I don't believe I'm that bad at it."
The strange accent caught the shinobi's ear, causing him to slowly turn to face a robed man with grey hair, an aged smile, and blue eyes similar to his own. The man looked nearly 60-70 years old and yet carried himself with a self-confidence he had only seen on seasoned Jonin. The weapons he carried were foreign, yet the jinchuriki could tell more men had fallen to this man's blade than he had met in his brief 16 years of existence. Fur padded the man's shoulders, with a paneled chest piece and shoulder guards on top of white robes. Two bracers covered the man's forearms, with a large leather belt around his waist. A flowing red sash sat under the belt, accenting the strange metal icon that rested in the center alongside throwing knives and other trinkets. The lower half of his robe was dark brown, excluding his trousers, and were also lined with fur. Black greaves covered his feet and the man had an easy-going smile on his face, almost distracting from the crossbow that hung from his back.
"It's not bad, just… not what I expected after being out here for so long, never really got the taste for tea." the old man nodded in understanding, reaching over to the pot hanging over the flame and pouring the blond his cup.
"I understand, but there's not many options when you're in the woods so you take what you can find. They say lemon and ginger are good for healing. Drink up, boy." Naruto, not wishing to seem rude to his likely savior, sipped aggressively on the hot liquid. After a few minutes of silence, the blond looked at the armed man and asked the question that had been on his mind since he awoke.
"So… who are you?" the man smiled, a genuine delight behind his eyes.
"I was wondering when you were going to ask, young one. My name is Darim Ibn-La'Ahad, son of Altair, and Mentor of the Elemental Brotherhood of Assassins." Naruto stared at him and blinked, unsure of how to respond.
"I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea what any of that means." Darim let out a hearty laugh and set down his tea. His accent did nothing to hide the amusement in his words.
"To be so young and so honest, you are quite the character. All will be explained in due time, though I believe your introduction is also in order." the shinobi stared blankly but quickly nodded in agreement, realizing he hadn't even thought about giving his name to the man who had watched over him.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I'm a shinobi of Konoha… though I guess you figured that out already, dattebayo." Naruto reached into his nearly-destroyed jacket pocket, pulling out his hitai-ate as well as Sasuke's, and got quiet. Darim stayed silent, watching the young man come to terms with what had transpired. The blond jinchuriki clenched both headbands tightly and looked Darim in the eye, utter seriousness on his face. "What happened to Sasuke? I figured you at least saw the end of what was going on since you kept this on me." Naruto gestured to the Uchiha's scratched-out headband as Darim maintained his calm demeanor.
"You are correct, I witnessed the last half of your battle and must I say, it was most impressive. As for your friend, Sasuke was it?"
The shinobi nodded, urging Darim to continue talking, which the mentor obliged just as quickly.
"When I neared your downed form, I came across him staring at you while you were unconscious. He had already drawn his kunai and raised it before I could, let's just say "persuade him" to spare your life. After that, I picked you up and brought you to my camp. I feared you would've died of hypothermia or infection had I left you in that puddle." Darim gestured to his small outpost and chuckled. "Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting guests, so I apologize for the less-than-spectacular hospitality." Naruto smiled at the joke but his eyes shifted down, seeming to be deep in thought. Darim noticed almost immediately and tried to meet the shinobi's eyes.
"Something troubles you, young one?"
"I almost died Darim…" Naruto couldn't help but shake in anger as he vented "I came out here trying to save him, to help him, and he almost killed me for it. He would have killed me for it! What am I supposed to believe in?!" the boy looked into the sky, his anger burned up, leaving him empty. "I once thought that as long I was in the light... if I was loud and proud of my ideals, I could make people think twice. That I could become Hokage and maybe change the world... Lately, it just feels like my life is shrouded in darkness."
A wry smile graced Darim's features, "There will always be those who seek power, Naruto. Even for reasons that may seem illogical or selfish. But, there are those who fight to empower others, to let them rise above those who seek to rule over them." the blond looked over to the Assassin, clearly clinging to his every word. "You told me that your life is shrouded in darkness, but what if I told you there was a way to work in the dark to serve the light?"
Darim stood from his log and offered a hand to Naruto.
"Are you willing to walk the Eagle's Path?
Kakashi Hatake followed Pakkun as fast as the ninken could move, praying that he wasn't too late. He didn't know if he could forgive himself if something happened to Naruto, the only connection he had left to Minato and Kushina, and his student whom he realized he cared for more than ever. As he arrived at the valley, the veteran shinobi was shocked to see the amount of destruction his two students had caused.
'Just how strong are these two?'
Continuing his search, Kakashi was surprised to see a very healthy and not injured Naruto sitting at a campfire, who was seemingly waiting on him. Based on the damage to his jacket and clothes, Kakashi concluded it hadn't been too long since the battle, but apparently, long enough for the blond's accelerated healing to fix any damage there may have been. Naruto's blue hitai-ate was tied to his head, clearly having seen better days, yet another headband stayed clenched in his student's hand. So Sasuke had either escaped, or Naruto had killed and buried him nearby.
'As much as I hate to say it, the latter would make things easier.'
"Naruto! I had gotten reports from my ninken that you and Sasuke ended up down here, and based on the damage to the valley, looks like he didn't want to come quietly." his humor got a dry laugh out of the boy, who stared into the sky with a look he never thought he would see on his loud-mouthed pupil.
"Yeah well, not everything goes as planned, sensei." the blond's voice had lost its youthful touch, and Kakashi began wondering what the hell had happened between those two. Only one day prior, the young shinobi had been full of gusto and loudly proclaimed he would rescue Sasuke from his captors with a foxy smile on his face. But now, Naruto looked annoyed at the battle even being brought up. The jinchuriki stood to stamp out his makeshift fire, conflict present in his eyes. The silver-haired cyclops stayed silent, yearning to understand the young man who had already experienced so much pain and loss. Kakashi raised his headband and quickly scanned the area with his Sharingan before turning back the way he came, the blond following suit.
"Naruto, what exactly happened between you and Sasuke?" dark eyes met blue and Kakashi recognized where he had seen that look before, it was what he saw in the mirror almost every day following the 3rd Shinobi World War.
"Enough sensei, enough to admit I made a mistake coming out here."
The trip back to the village was short and quiet, and Kakashi feared how Tsunade would react to her godson's new demeanor. Deciding that ripping off the band-aid would be the best course of action, the two members of Team 7 headed straight for the Hokage's office once they crossed the village gates. Upon their arrival, the duo was quickly ushered up the stairs and stood outside the double doors that separated Tsunade's office from the outside world.
"Alright Naruto, when Hokage-sama asks for your debrief, make sure not to leave anything out. Shikamaru and the others have already returned and been debriefed, but Shika will be present since he was the team leader. Are you ready?" the blond nodded, and with a deep breath, the two shinobi walked into Tsunade's office. Said woman was sitting behind her desk, hands clasped tightly in front of her face as she glared into the desk. Jiraiya was also there, alongside Shizune and Shikamaru, and all 4 shinobi looked to Konoha's resident jinchuriki as he entered.
"Naruto… I'm glad Kakashi was able to find you." Tsunade let go of a breath she didn't know she had been holding, thankful that Naruto was alive and well. "Before we have any more pleasantries, please give us an after-action of the entire mission from your point of view." Jiraiya subtly activated a silencing seal, and the blond began retelling his sequence of events. Naruto detailed how their 5-man team was gradually siphoned off to fight the Sound squad that had captured Sasuke. Shikamaru interjected occasionally to inform Naruto of his teammates' fate, and the blond was relieved that no one died as a result of their fruitless quest. The jinchuriki went into detail about his fight with the disgraced Uchiha, sharing that after their final clash, he awoke by himself and alone. The blond told the group he made a fire until he had recovered from his wounds and Kakashi had come just in time. As the young shinobi finished, he went into his pocket and removed Sasuke's hitai-ate, the Hidden Leaf symbol being scratched out.
"Here's all we have left of Sasuke Uchiha, Hokage-sama." the room was shocked at Naruto's relatively calm demeanor, as Tsunade picked up the headband with a mournful look.
"Very well, thank you." the large-chested woman bit her lip in thought, "Naruto, you've been through a lot lately, but Jiraiya here has an offer for you."
"It would be up to you gaki, but I want to take you with me for a couple of years. Based on your retelling of events, you need to learn how to harness the Kyuubi's power. Besides, I can also teach you tons of new techniques and jutsu!" the white-haired man made small poses to emphasize his excitement. "What do you say? We can leave as soon as you'd like!"
"I'd like some time to myself for a bit." Jiraiya couldn't help but lose his smile and stare at the boy he thought he knew. Everyone was shocked at this admission, with Shikamaru letting out an almost impressed whistle.
"Never thought I'd see the day you turn down training, Naruto, the world must really be going crazy." the Nara chunin looked to the window and placed his hands behind his head, sauntering towards the double doors. "Well, I've done my part, Hokage-sama, so I will be taking my leave. If you want to see any of the guys in the hospital I can roll with you, Naruto. I know would be happy to know you're alright." the blond nodded at his friend as he left, leaving the genin alone with the older ninja. Tsunade refocused her attention on Naruto, trying yet failing to read what was going on in his head.
"Hokage-sama, do you still need me?"
"No, I do not, Naruto. You are free to leave." the young man nodded before promptly turning around and exiting in the same manner as his peer, leaving the three elder shinobi to muse over the events they had witnessed and been told.
"Kakashi, what the hell happened over there? He seems so… cold." Kakashi looked at the sage and shrugged.
"I wish I knew, Jiraiya. He hasn't been the same since I found him down there."
"Should we be worried, Tsunade-sama? I can recall him to the hospital to get him checked out?" the blonde woman shook her head at Shizune's suggestion, opting to spin in the chair and face her village.
"Just let him figure things out, I don't think us badgering him will do any good. If we're lucky, he'll come to us when he's ready.
Three weeks had passed, and not a day had gone by where Naruto didn't think about the words Darim had said to him. Team 7 was deactivated for the time being, and the 3 remaining members were spread throughout the existing teams. Naruto had taken the time to visit everyone in the hospital following his debrief. His fellow shinobi being alive and well warmed his heart, and soothed the guilt that had been eating away at him since he had returned. During that time, the blond would train alongside Team Guy, help Team 8 with D-Ranks, and even play shoji with Shika. Yet none of that stopped the older man's words from floating into his mind. Every day he thought about finding himself, about discovering what true freedom was, and about the Creed.
Nothing is true, Everything is permitted. It was unique in a scary type of way, but it changed the way the young man saw the world.
"The Eagle's Path" - Darim had called it. The foreign man told him of a fortress in the Land of Iron where they lived and trained. Not to fight nations or shinobi, but to gather strength to combat a force that Darim referred to as the Templars. An ancient order that spanned the globe and sought to gain control worldwide. A one-world government. "Peace through slavery," said the mentor, reflecting on the Templars' goals. Darim had only given him a taste of what the Assassins could offer, and Naruto was already addicted to learning as much as he could. He walked the streets, eyes darting from the rooftops to any salesmen, desperately searching for signs of this secret organization. Darim hadn't told him if Konoha contained what they called "bureaus", and the blond soon realized that must've been why Darim was so far from Iron Country. The mentor must have sought to establish a foothold in Konoha as well. He just had so many questions, yet no answers and the only way to get them was half a world away. That's when he made his decision.
Tsunade working late in her office was not unusual. She often sent her Anbu Guard away most nights to focus. She couldn't lie and say the job wasn't fulfilling at times, at least more fulfilling than being on the run with debts to pay. What was unusual, however, was the figure who stood on her windowsill. Normally, she'd assume it was Jiraiya, either to chat or try and get in her pants. But the silhouette was shorter, leaner. She slowly turned as her window opened to see her jinchuriki, packed bag on his back, making his way into her office.
"Hey, Granny."
Tsunade smiled at the nickname, reassurance that the old Naruto was still in there somewhere, hidden under all the angst her Anbu had observed for the past few weeks. "What can I do for you Naruto?"
"I'd like to leave the Shinobi Corps. I want to turn in my headband."
Nope, not what she expected at all, which is why the pencil she was holding turned to dust as the words left the young blond's mouth. "Naruto… just, why?" the legacy of Minato and Kushina thought to himself, and looked at the moonlit sky.
"Being a shinobi is all I've ever known. I thought I chose to start this journey, but that's not true. I'm a jinchuriki, a weapon of war, and an orphan. I had nothing to turn to but this life. I want to make my own choices. I want to seek the freedom to decide who I am." Naruto paused to gauge Tsunade's reaction and continued once she showed she was still listening.
"I'm headed for the Land of Iron. Before Kakashi came, I met a man, one who speaks of an order of assassins who seek freedom for those who may not have it. I want to join them."
Assassins, the Senju had heard the name before. Only in lower circles, however. Bars, taverns, and ghettos along her travel always spoke of figures hidden in plain sight. Those who would kill dictators or even rouge daimyos, who would then vanish without a trace. Now Naruto claimed to have met one of these individuals. Tsunade had every right to knock the blond out and lock him up for such thoughts. Leaving the village right after his former teammate had done the same, as the jinchuriki nonetheless, would, should, be unacceptable. Especially as the Akatsuki and Orochimaru were becoming bigger players on the world stage.
But she didn't. She thought about her disillusionment after Dan died, her hate for the shinobi way. At that age, she had seen war and was older than Naruto. Why was this life forced onto him? What did he do to deserve such tragedy and did he deserve a choice? Tsunade closed her eyes and thought of all the people she had lost, all the growth she had gone through, and the choices she had made to experience it… she made her decision.
"If I let you do this you have to promise me, Naruto." she grabbed his hands and pulled him close. God, he reminded her so much of Dan, especially with her necklace wrapped around his neck. "Promise me this will always be your home. Promise me you'll come back in one piece and if you join these, Assassins, you'll work with us, not against us." the busty woman pulled her godson close and kissed his forehead, small tears rolling down her face "Promise me you won't forget who you are."
"I promise, Granny, I won't let you down," he said softly into her chest and the Sannin let out a breath she didn't want to let go of. Wiping her eyes, the blonde woman began writing on a nearby piece of paper.
"There is going to be a cargo caravan full of medicine and food headed to Mifune in the Land of Iron. It will leave from the West Gate at 0530 with a two-man Anbu escort. Disguise yourself, wrap up your hair, and hide your whisker marks. They will be expecting you but they won't know who you are. If you're not there… they will leave without you. Stay hidden in the cart, and you should be okay. I swear to God, Naruto, please be careful." the jinchuriki smiled and hugged the leader of his nation, receiving an almost bone-crushing hug back. Both knew it was the last hug they would share for a long time and savored the moment. Naruto removed his headband, placing it in her lap, before making his way to the window and looking back with a toothy grin.
"I'll make you proud, Tsunade, believe it."
Jumping down from the Hokage Tower, the blond excitingly made his way to a roof near the West Gate, pulling out more "normal clothes and a bandana to cover up his hair. As he was changing, the blond felt a presence behind him.
"You might want to take this, gaki."
It was Jiraiya. He had thrown him a black face mask, similar to the one Kakashi wore.
"What do you want pervy sage? I'm not gonna change my mind." the older man laughed at his student's tone and leaned up against a chimney.
"I'm not here to change your mind, kid. I was eavesdropping on your and Tsunade's conversation the second you walked in. I wanted to give you this." the Toad Sage knew it would be futile to argue with the boy, so he decided this was the next best thing. Jiraiya threw a small piece of paper at him, one with a very intricate and deliberate seal.
"It's a reverse summoning seal. Anywhere you go, if you need me, I'll be there." Naruto smiled and hugged his mentor.
"Thanks, Jiraiya. I'll make you proud out there." Jiraiya patted the young man's head and looked out into the night.
"You always have, kid. You always have."
How long had it been? Two, maybe four months since he had left the village. The young man shivered at the cold wind as he climbed another mountain. Getting to Iron had been the easy part, only a couple of months. Finding the fortress was the hard part. He had initially talked to Mifune, once the caravan had left, about the whereabouts of a Darim Ibn-La'Ahad, a name he still couldn't finish in one go. Mifune had smiled at his masked form and gestured to the wilderness.
"Follow the eagles, and the rest will come."
So that's what he did. He packed as much food as he could carry and made his trek into the wild. That was almost 4 weeks ago. He was running low on meals, his clothing was becoming worn down by the elements, and his mind could only take so much isolation. He stopped seeing the eagles by the time the snow started falling, and it felt like it had been constant for weeks. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Darim was a figment of his imagination to rationalize his trauma. Maybe he wasn't ready or strong enough or-
"Holy shit."
The snow stopped falling as he approached the peak of his climb, a very clear valley coming into view. That's when he saw it, the fortress. A city that seemed to be brewing with life. It was significantly smaller than Konoha, but slightly larger than the Nami no Kuni. As he neared the gates, hooded and masked guards came to greet him, weapons drawn. The blond raised both hands and got to his knees, realizing his attire could lead to the wrong conclusion. The Assassins barked at him in a foreign tongue, but the gist was clear. Come any closer, and you die. The former shinobi removed his bandana and his mask as fast as he could to avoid any more misinterpretation.
"Please, I mean no harm! I was guided here by Mentor Darim!"
"Naqtulah murshid." the Assassins spoke amongst themselves, unfazed at his words until a familiar set of armor walked through the guards, hand held up into a fist. Naruto looked up and smiled at the familiar face.
"Mentor Darim! I came because I thought about what you said to me. I wish to join the brotherhood and become an Assassin, I'm ready for the Eagle's Path." Darim examined the kneeling boy carefully, smiled, and offered him a hand.
"Welcome to Osaka, initiate. You have much to learn."
Hey guys, it's been a while. This will be kind of a long AN so if you're just here for the story talk here it is: Pieces of Eden, Altair's son, and Naruto is in the middle of it. I wanted to do something unique since so many AC stories have Naruto find some cave or temple and become an Assassin basically on his own. Leaning on the framework of AC1, Unity, and potentially Mirage, I wanted to make a world connected to the lore of AC, while still being a Naruto story. So instead of coming back after killing Genghis Kahn, Altair sends Darim to the "Far East", where the son of the Mentor creates his own brotherhood in the Elemental Nations. This brotherhood has been established longer than you would think, and I look forward to going into depth as we continue. Also, Naruto's outfit as an Assassin as described is a mix of the Thomas de Carneillon robes and Arno's Fearless outfit, just as a grey/blue. I really hope you guys like it.
I apologize for the near radio silence for 12 months. A year goes by and with that, my life continues to change. My military career is continuing onto another form of training, but the downtime in between big shifts in priorities has allowed me to reread my work and think about writing again. This is the first thing I've written since BND Chpt 14 which was over a year ago. With Assassins Creed Mirage coming out soon, and Spider-Man 2 soon after that, I felt the best way to get back into writing would be something new. I started writing on this before I even graduated and it shows at times. That's why I wanted to write this. This is the first story where I planned out the main characters, the villains, and outlined the first chapter which you see here. My next update will be Beware My Power (I promise, I'm not going to update Brand New Day until I update the others) followed by Huntsman. I really hope you guys enjoyed this and please share and review. I feel like like this is some of my best work even though I wrote most of it at midnight. Criticism is always welcome as long as it's constructive. I look forward to answering any questions you guys may have. SoS out!
"Nothing is true, everything is permitted. These are the words of our creed." - Al Mualim
