(Hey guys, The Vaudevillain Veteran here. Again my sincere apologies for the long time it took me to publish this chapter for unfortunately IRL matters distracted me. However I made a promise to myself that no matter what I will never abandon my stories and will see them to the end. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome and I hope you enjoy the chapter!)
Izuna rested peacefully under a large oak tree that provided a very good amount of shade. He had been training for the last hour to ensure that his fighting skills remained as excellent from when he was last in his world. Using a new method of training, that being using two shadow clones to spar with had been more chakra draining than Izuna had initially anticipated, thus leading him to his current exhausted state.
Izuna's mind: (Elder brother...I wonder...how have you been doing? I hope you had finally managed to defeat Hashirama and his bastard brother.)
For the next half hour Izuna continued to wander in his thoughts as he rested against the tree. He was uncertain when he could use his Mangekyo ability again without it feeling as if one were stabbing him in the eye.
Izuna closed his eyes. It was rare for him to find peace such as this current moment. Smirking softly he hummed to himself.
Not far from the tree where Izuna rested stood a certain brown haired girl longingly staring at the Uchiha. Hamilton did not truly understand why but this man, this red eyed warrior by the name of Izuna Uchiha had captured her attention no other man has. Hamilton felt a feeling in her stomach akin to butterflies.
"Hamilton." Pina gently called out, startling the young warrior girl.
"L-lady Pina? W-what brings you here?" Hamilton nervously asked.
"I just wanted to get some fresh air. All this bureaucracy stuff is rather stressful." Pina answered.
Hamilton smiled. She always enjoyed being in the company of her best friend. Pina was one of the few individuals whom she could trust wholeheartedly.
But for some reason she could sense something was off about Pina today. It was almost as she was anxious about something bad happening. Hamilton absolutely hated seeing Pina like this and decided that she would get to the bottom of what was worrying her friend immediately.
"Lady Pina. If I may ask, is something bothering you?" Hamilton worryingly asked her friend.
"What? N-no it's nothing it's just..." Pina sighed in defeat.
"It's about Izuna." Pina whispered to ensure said Uchiha did not hear her.
"Really? What did Izuna do?" Hamilton asked Pina in a troubled tone.
"He he...basically threatened threatened I and Lady Myui into an alliance with him." Pina whispered under her breath so as to prevent Izuna from hearing her.
Hamilton gasped in shock at Pina's answer.
"N-no way. But I thought you and Izuna were already on good terms." Hamilton asked.
"I'm afraid it seems not." Pina stated with an accompanying sigh.
"But despite all the troubles, I remain optimistic that our current predicament will improve and that Izuna will change for the better." Pina confidently added.
"Heh. You always were a wise and strong leader Lady Pina. You've always helped out of very tough situations and as your page and best friend, I have complete faith in you."
Izuna slowly opened his eyes. Judging from the position of the sun it was still morning, probably around 11AM. If he had to guess, he was probably asleep for an hour or so.
"I know you two are there." Izuna called out to Pina and Hamilton.
Both girls froze in fear at hearing Izuna's voice. Just how did he know they were there? Wasn't he taking a nap only a few moments ago?
"There's no need to hide or keep quiet. I will not harm you." Izuna assured the two girls.
Pina sighed softly in relief before carefully approaching Izuna, with Hamilton following her closely.
"I have a few questions for you." Izuna said.
"And what would they be?" Pina asked him.
"How many more of those 'green men' are there?" Izuna enquired.
"If I remember correctly. There were three nations that possessed knowledge of the gate on Alnus Hill. The first was the nation called "Japan" where the green men you killed in the early hours of the morning were from. Second is the nation of "Russia" which to my understanding, are enemies of Japan. The third nation that the green men told us about was the "United States of America" which are a major ally to Japan and to my understanding, the most powerful of the three nations I have mentioned." Pina explained her knowledge of the other world to Izuna, who listened on with keen interest.
"I see...that sounds rather fascinating." Izuna muttered out as he stroked his chin.
"What do you plan on doing to them Izuna?" Hamilton asked in a fearful voice.
"You don't plan on k-killing them do you?" She added.
"As long as they don't bother me, I shall not." Izuna affirmed.
Hamilton breathed a sigh of relief at Izuna's answer and now she even smiled.
"I suppose I have nothing better to do at the moment. So I suppose I can perhaps walk with you and learn more about this world." Izuna stated.
Hamilton's eyes lit up in pure glee.
"You will?" She squealed out..
'Yes." Izuna said nonchalantly.
"Well then, allow me to be your personal guide." Hamilton squealed on in joy.
Izuna grunted in confusion as the young page grabbed Izuna by his hand and dragged him away from the garden where he relaxed.
Hamilton practically ran whilst dragging Izuna, who wore a facial expression which was a mixture boredom and indifference.
"Come on Izuna, I wanna show you one of Italica's finest bakeries!" Hamilton called out to Izuna.
Izuna grunted in response as he continued to walk through the streets of Italica with Hamilton guiding him. Many eyes started at him as he passed by, with occasional murmurs about the "red eyed warrior"
Izuna quickly grew irritated with the stares he received and in response activated his Sharingan, causing the small gathered crowd to gasp.
"What are you all looking at?" Izuna threateningly asked the townspeople.
"If you all know what's good for you disperse at once." He warned the crowd, who to his utmost relief instantly dispersed so as to not provoke the wrath of the "red eyed warrior"
Hamilton looked on at the scene with disappointment and a small bit of fear, not out of her own safety but for the civilians.
"So then...shall we continue on toward the bakery?" Hamilton enquired.
"Yes." Izuna answered in a flat tone as he walked past Hamilton.
A little while later the duo arrived at a small yet cozy bakery where an elderly looking man and a younger woman where behind a counter handing out various baked goods to the many.
"Is this the bakery you speak of?" Izuna asked Hamilton.
"Yes. This is the bakery managed by Phillipe Algrenon and his daughter Idina. Their bakery is widely considered one of the best in Italica and even Lady Myui herself purchases baked goods from here." Hamilton jovially answered Izuna.
"Come on, let me show you." Hamilton added as she and Izuna walked towards the back of the bakery's long line.
After 20 or so minutes they finally reached the counter.
"Good morning Idina!" Hamilton jovially greeted the woman.
"Lady Hamilton! A pleasure to meet you! What will you be having today?" The younger woman named Idina answered Hamilton.
"The usual please, freshly baked croissants and a dozen of bagels." Hamilton said as she took out a purse full of gold coins to hand to Idina.
Upon accepting the gold coins Idina handed the bag of croissants and bagels to Hamilton who happily accepted the bag. The bag was still warm and the smell of freshly baked croissants and bagels was one that Izuna was deeply impressed by.
"Those bagels and croissants have a very pleasant smell." Izuna told Hamilton.
"I agree." Hamilton said as she sniff the bag; a satisfied smile creeping on her face.
"Here, try one." Hamilton suggested.
Izuna took the croissant and ate it silently. For a few moments Hamilton eager looked at his expressionless face wondering if he liked it or not.
After a lengthy moment of silence Izuna finally spoke up by uttering out a simple "This is nice"
"R-really? I'm glad you love them." Hamilton softly said as a blush slowly creeped up her face.
"M-maybe one day I can make you my own croissants?" She added in a hopeful tone, secretly wishing Izuna would answer "yes".
"Maybe." Izuna vaguely answered as Hamilton sighed in disappointment.
Hamilton's mind: (Why is he so standoffish? Did something happen to him in the past that makes him avoid getting close to others?)
"Let's head back to the palace, I need to ask Itami some questions." Izuna asked Hamilton.
"Itami? Why do you want to speak with him? Sure you can ask Lady-"
"Take me to him now." Izuna demanded as he placed his katana by Hamilton's throat.
Hamilton's eyes widened in fear as Izuna pressed his katana against her throat. She tried to speak but felt as though a frog was stuck in her throat. She heavily considered trying to convince Izuna to simply ask Pina instead of speaking with Itami since she knew the mutual animosity they held towards one another.
"Izuna! W-why? Are we not allies?" Hamilton gasped out in shock as she felt the blade of the katana press ever closer to her throat.
"We are only 'allies' so long as you are willing to help me." Izuna coldly reminded Hamilton.
"But you are still useful to me, so I will not end your life." Izuna further added, as he sheathed his katana.
Hamilton felt her throat where just moments ago Izuna had pressed his katana. It did not make sense to her, was Izuna really willing to kill her if she did not comply? Then again she told herself, he did sheathe his katana out of his own free will without her asking him to do so. So maybe, just maybe Izuna did hold a soft spot for her deep down.
"A-alright. P-please follow me." Hamilton muttered out weakly as she guided Izuna towards the guest room where Itami was currently being held.
The entire walk took no more than 10 minutes at most, but for some reason it felt far longer for Hamilton. Perhaps it was because of the notion that Izuna could strike her down at any moment he pleased if she dared to try anything against him.
The duo's soft footsteps softly echoed through the hallways of the palace which remained mostly empty aside from the occasional guards which patrolled the corridors. The cold imposing demeanor of the cobblestone hallways eventually transitioned into a more elegant and refined look, with the grey cobblestone being replaced by a more welcoming and pristine white marble.
"Here we are. This is where the green man named Yoji Itami is currently at." Hamilton announced as she and Izuna arrived in front of an average looking wooden door.
Izuna shot Hamilton a stern glare, before instructing her to leave. Once she had done so and was out of sight he opened the door slowly. True to Hamilton's word the JSDF soldier Yoji Itami was currently sitting on a bed deep in thought, as two of those girls from earlier, they being the long eared blonde girl and the child whose named he knew was Rory Mercury could control magic each had their hands on his shoulder. Izuna assumed that they were likely in deep conversation before he interrupted it, as evident by how Itami, the long eared girl and the diminutive magical brat all glared at him.
"What do you want?" Rory spat out.
"I desire answers." Izuna answered Rory, never once taking his eyes off of them.
It was soft and barely audible, but Izuna heard Itami mutter out "bastard" shortly after answering Rory. Izuna's eye twitched in anger as he felt the rage in his body multiply tenfold.
Gasps of shock were heard when Izuna grabbed Itami and violently shoved him against the wall.
"A cockroach such as yourself has the nerve to badmouth an Uchiha in his presence." Izuna stated as he stared at Itami with his Sharingan activated.
Itami continued to shrug in pain as Izuna continued to hold him against the wall, for the next five seconds the air was tense as everyone else watching was afraid that something terrible would transpire yet could not do anything due to Izuna's power being far above their own.
What happened next thought, made Izuna lose all composure and become consumed by sheer rage as Itami spat in his face at a feeble attempt at defiance.
"Nobody...spits on my face..." Izuna muttered out, wiping away the spit from his face.
A loud thud echoed throughout the room as Izuna punched Itami squarely on the jaw which was followed next by a flurry of punches directed towards his abdomen. Izuna yelled in fury as he continued to pulverize Itami, before delivering one final punch that sent said soldier falling towards the floor like a sack of potatoes.
The blonde elf girl was as usual, too afraid to speak and stayed silent of out fear and Rory was fuming with anger.
"What gives you the right to waltz in here and beat up people you jerk?" Rory angrily asked Izuna.
"I'm an Uchiha elite, you are all below me." Izuna arrogantly answered Rory.
"You so called Uchiha "elites" are nothing but assholes with fragile egos!" Rory once again passionately exclaimed as she stood up to Izuna without a hint of fear in her eyes.
Izuna looked down upon the Apostle of Emroy, scoffing at her attempt to stand up to him. Izuna activated his Sharingan in response.
"I will warn you one final time, do not dare attempt to challenge me or else you will end up like your friend there." Izuna warned Rory, as he gestured towards the badly beaten up Itami.
"You think I'm afraid of you? I'm an Apostle of Emroy so if anything, you should be afraid of me!" Rory valiantly declared, as she readied her halberd for combat.
Izuna stared into Rory's eyes before to the surprise of everyone else, he turned around and walked towards Itami who laid on the floor.
Rory yelled in anger at being ignored by Izuna and also for all the pain and suffering he caused Itami, she lunged towards him and landed a direct hit through his abdomen.
"Gah!"
Izuna cried out in shock as Rory's halberd completely went through his chest. Looking down at the halberd still embedded in his check he felt Rory pull it out very rough, causing him immense pain before he collapsed onto the floor next to Itami.
Rory smirked in victory at landing a critical wound on Izuna, proud and relieved at being the one to get rid of this warmongering tyrant once and for all.
"That's what you get for underestimating me! Never mess with a-"
Izuna's dying corpse raised a bloodied hand to the air, interrupting Rory from her declaration of victory.
Izuna's bloodied hand once fully raised pointed towards the door. Looking at where Izuna was pointing at she gasped in disbelief at the sight.
Izuna was standing by the entrance to the room completely unharmed. He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed and smirked at seeing the disbelief in the eyes of Rory, Tuka and Hamilton.
"N-no way! How did you survive!? I stabbed you through the chest with my halberd!" Rory angrily stammered out in disbelief.
Izuna chuckled to himself before he began to slowly walk towards Rory once more.
"I told you. Never underestimate an Uchiha." Izuna told Rory as he walked passed her and once again towards Itami's semi-conscious form, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.
"You. I want answers." Izuna told Itami, who grumbled in response.
Annoyed at Itami refusing to answer him, which Izuna quickly deduced was likely caused by his earlier beating of him, he came up with a solution to give him enough "strength" to talk.
Raising a finger towards his heart Izuna let out a small discharge of electricity. The sudden shock brought Itami back to his senses.
"Pina told me that there were more powers from your world besides this 'Japan' that knew about the gate. I specifically want you to tell me more about the powers from your world China and Russia." Izuna sternly asked Itami.
"C-China...they've b-been our e-enemies since the communists t-took over in 1949..." Itami muttered out.
"Communists? What are they? And why are these communists your enemies?" Izuna enquired, now deeply intrigued by this mysterious group.
"M-many reasons...too many to explain...but China and Japan...were at war over seventy years ago...and they...still hold a grudge against us for the w-war crimes Japan committed during the s-second world war..." Itami answered Izuna.
Izuna soaked in the newfound information. From what Itami told him in his world there used to be a great war between Japan and China and from the way he explained it Japan were likely the aggressions in this war.
As much as he'd like to know more about this war between China and Japan he still needed to know about the last the other two nations that knew about the gate.
"Pina told me that there was another nation called 'Russia' that also knew about the gate. I want to know more about them." Izuna demanded.
"R-Russia...Japan went to war against Russia back in 1904...w-we beat them...and annexed the southern half of Karafuto... forty years later after Japan lost the second world war we had to...give back Karafuto back to the Russians..." Itami further explained.
"And this 'United States of America'? And how powerful are they?" Izuna asked.
"More powerful than China, Japan and Russia combined...t-they are our c-closest allies...and when the Americans learn about how you m-massacred the JSDF...oh you will surely see hell..." Itami smugly told Izuna as he flashed him a bloody grin.
Izuna scoffed before releasing Itami from his grip. Rory continued to stare at Izuna with a hateful glare whilst Tuka was too afraid to even look him in the eye. Izuna knew that for a while at least Rory would not try anything against him. Satisfied with the information he got he exited the room, with Rory and Tuka immediately attending to the injured Itami.
Izuna's mind: (If what Itami says is true then I will need to train and prepare for when the United States of America eventually show up. In the meantime I will also need to squeeze more information of this world from Pina. I especially need to know more about the politics of this world and this Zorzal figure...he sounds like he could be a potential ally. Yes...I could develop an alliance with him in secret while still pretending to be 'allies' with Pina. Older brother...if you only you where here right now and could have already forced this entire world to submit to our rule. I must be patient for once I find a way to bring the entire Uchiha clan to this world we can make it our own...)
Izuna continued to walk silently whilst deep in thought. However secretly watching him from afar was a certain brown haired page watching him with keen interest.