Hey there everyone! Sorry for the late chapter here but I hope you are all doing well so far. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and the aftermath of the fight with Judon however the fight is just beginning for Naruto and co as thing begin to heat up. This chapter is a mix of a lot of different elements I'm really excited to write about in future chapters as well as the continuation of the more emotional side of Kurotsuchi's arc.
I spent a lot of time researching and studying just to make sure this chapter felt like the environment fit with the classic old Japanese vibe of the Land of Iron setting as well as the swordplay. Now then onto the reviews.
Jagsboy: Welcome back, I'm glad you enjoyed! Naru/Kuro holds a special place in my heart that has only grown even more since writing this story so I will definitely continue to develop these two in their relationship as we continue moving through the arc. Regarding Naruto's interactions with the ladies, he definitely has Temari to thank for that haha. Thank you again for reading, I hope to see you in the nest one!
Dragonkeeper10: Thank you for reading. The Naruto and Judon fight is one that I had been planning for a good while, so I wanted to make sure with this fight it felt fun to read so I'm glad you enjoyed it. The Hidden Sand is highly formidable and shouldn't be taken lightly in the slightest if they manage to make it there regarding skills though General Nobuzagi is just getting started. Lastly The Miko while it is a fun thought is not the one who has been pursuing Naruto, you'll actually get your first look at her this chapter so stay tuned. Thank you again for reading and I hope to see you in the next one!
Kriger Techpriest: Thanks again for reading! Ah classic teenage romance, it would be a darn shame if it happened to get really complicated for them recently haha. Anyway, here's another chapter for ya. I hope to see you in the next one!
Mida570: Thank you for reading! One of the biggest things I noticed that a lot in fics where I would skip around them too but since the fights are an actual story themselves within this story, I always aim to make them engaging short or long so I appreciate you enjoying it. This fight scene is an important one so I wanted to ensure it struck as such and will continue to keep that same energy for the big fights from here on. I hope to see you in the next one!
TigrezzTail: Thank you again for reading! I had a lot of fun writing that fight and will only promise to improve as we go further. Judon's philosophy about death took inspiration from the warriors who had grown so strong and successful that they would grow bored and want to fight someone worthy enough to end them, when it's done right it's a great character troupe hopefully, I was successful. I hope to see you in the next one!
Spellbat: Look who it is haha thanks again for reading! Naruto throughout this arc will gain several pieces of information about himself and his world views that will inevitably lead to the climax and the awakening of his character as it will be for a large portion of the series so in these fights with the samurai, I will be putting our lead through the ringer. Stay tuned and I hope to see you in the next one!
Zipzapdoowoop: Thank you for reading! I really appreciate the kind words, this story is important to me, and I enjoy writing for it to know that you enjoy reading it only makes this experience better as I continue to improve on my writing. I want to make this story really feel like 'Naruto' I don't want to rewrite or improve it I really want to explore it and Naruto as a character, so I'll continue to surpass my limits and keep this story emotionally driven and fun to read. Thank you so much I hope to see you in the next one!
Rajin709: Thank you for reading! The concept of Stances was one I introduced to add an additional story element into play to affect the different ways character interact in the series and will continue to flesh them out as this arc continues forward. Also thank you for this review I may or may not have used it as my organization basis for this chapter haha. Anyway, please enjoy. I hope to see you in the next one.
As always, I appreciate the reviews and take out the time to read every single one of them and respond properly in the note of the next chapter so please feel free as always to leave your thoughts, questions, and critiques and I'm happy to receive them.
Lastly some additional notes, Gamesdean1 I swear I haven't forgotten about you and will be sending you Chapter 20 soon I'm still pretty new to this beta reader thing haha. Secondly, I will be cross posting this story on AO3 starting from Chapter 1 so if you notice it showing up there as well that's why. Lastly Wednesdays are the new upload days biweekly for Naruto: Kokai and because of various things I still have to adjust to this schedule please bear with me in the meantime.
The Land of Iron Arc is in full swing and is only going to hit the gas from here, the fights will be more intense, and story is going to pick up. In the case, I get way too eager you may see a double upload or two as I am really excited to begin really digging into this arc.
Anyway, thank you all again for reading and I hope you enjoy.
See you in the next one.
-Ken
{...}
Chapter 19: Ashes and Dreams
"Naruto."
The sound of swirling winds blew in the boy's ear as he stood directly in front of the golden figure, the teen couldn't discern any of the figure's features.
Yet he felt so familiar.
He saw two swirling chakra circles forming in the figure's palm before they slowly collided instead of violently clashing instead, they fused together peacefully. They formed a single blue swirling sphere of chakra; the figure then extended his hand out toward Naruto.
"Who are you?"
The teen asked while the figure said nothing, continuing to hold his palm out with the spiraling sphere in it. He then looked at the spiraling sphere and reached his hand out toward it, it was warm and comforting even before touching it.
However, his hand would never reach it as the teen's eyes opened.
Another week has passed since the battle with Lord Judon, the news had quickly spread through the village and the compound. Leading to Mifune's forces being as encouraged as ever to fight, the teen looked out of the open window as he watched the samurai train.
A small smile came to his face when he saw it.
It feels like these men finally feel like they stand a chance. Though his thoughts were also preoccupied with his enemy, Judon a man of honor and a monster of war. Were the rest of the generals like that?
"Brooding, Kit? That's not like you."
Naruto heard the growling voice in his head as he groaned a bit at his prisoner.
"Fox, what are you bothering me so early in the morning about now? You gonna make fun of me for the fight with Judon?"
The teen almost sarcastically answered while the fox remained quiet for a moment before he heard what he could consider to be a sigh from the tailed beast.
"I commend you."
Naruto's eyes widened as he heard the fox speak almost unable to believe his words.
"Don't think I'll be repeating myself brat, this isn't praise. I'm merely making an assessment of your progress; your battle was impressive… you've shown that you are capable of keeping us alive."
The tailed beast spoke while Naruto listened to the normally stubborn figure speak to him in this odd manner.
"Course I can, I already told you I would. I didn't make that contract with you because I couldn't."
The blonde tried to hold back from bragging to the fox as he heard a huff.
"Don't get too cocky Kit, that samurai who scarred you is still a far greater threat than that fool you fought. You still have a long way to go and must continue to get stronger."
The Nine Tailed Fox growled while the blonde grinned.
"Hell yeah."
The blonde said while the voice vanished from his head, Naruto then stood to his feet before he walked toward his sword leaning against the wall. A short while later Naruto now dressed walked outside onto the compound grounds slowly while the surrounding forces looked toward him.
Their looks changed into awe while the blonde looked around and waved while the men waved back.
"It's Lord Naruto!"
One of the samurai yelled while Naruto sweat dropped at the man, he still wasn't too big on the whole 'Lord' thing. The blonde continued to walk before he reached the training grounds where Mifune had been waiting for him.
"Naruto."
The man greeted while Naruto smiled, "Sorry I'm late, Samurai Pops." The blonde said while Mifune suddenly bowed toward the teen.
"I understand if you may be tired of it at this point, but you have nothing but my gratitude for your fight with Judon. I owe you a great debt."
Mifune said before Naruto shook his head, "Listen, I'm here to help just like I said. My job is still far from over, as long as that Samurai asshat still plans on taking the rest of the world I'm here to fight." The blonde said passionately while the older man smiled.
"Where's Kurotsuchi?"
The blonde asked while Mifune looked toward the nearby trees, "She's currently training elsewhere, that girl works hard to properly hone her skills." There was a little pride in the older man's voice while Naruto's expression dropped slightly.
Ever since he got back that night, he and Kurotsuchi hadn't had a lot of time to talk or interact, sure he was resting for a large majority of that time, but she almost felt…
Distant.
"I researched into the stance you mentioned falling into while battling Judon, Roaring Moon Stance. It seems like it's an aggressive form of the Moon Stance rarely used due to its immense difficulty to control and concentrate with, so it's rarely been mentioned let alone used."
Mifune said while Naruto nodded his head, "So I started using a stance I barely knew while fighting?" The blonde asked while Mifune shook his head.
"Unfortunately, there is no such thing as true unconsciousness in Stances, the movements will always have an origin basis developed from the training and soul of the swordsmen."
Mifune explained while Naruto tilted his head, "Soul? Is that different from chakra?" The blonde asked while the older man nodded his head.
"Of course, one could even say it is the root of one's own chakra. When one fights and reaches a specific point during a battle then one's own soul will reveal its potential."
Mifune explained while Naruto watched the man unsheathe his blade, "That's where the idea of Stances originates from, swordplay based on the soul of a swordsmen. The ability to use Stances is the main practice of all swordsmen in the Land of Iron. However, performing techniques using stances is very rare among even samurai due to the balance one needs with their soul to properly utilize chakra in their sword play." The man said as he began to move.
"That is why the samurai opt to use their stances in their swordplay by coating their blades with their chakra rather than use techniques commonly like the shinobi."
Mifune explained as he continued to move into the first of the stances.
"Earth Stance, this belongs to one with a sturdy and determined soul. It's a stance that has the heaviest swings and is the most defensive of the stances opting for powerful counter attacks after blocking attacks to make up for their poor speed, not to mention the ability to manipulate the earth with heavy movements."
Mifune's stance shifted into a sturdy stance with his blade held in front of him in a tight grip, he swung his sword forward heavily while stomping his foot cracking into the earth slightly. Naruto thought back to Judon when he saw the stance Mifune was in and how devastating its sheer amount of power was.
"Water Stance, a relaxed and hopeful soul the most flexible stance acting as a near perfect balance of both offense and defense being able to be manipulated to either with patient yet quick movements that flow smoothly from one to another as long as the user concentrates through their entire attack."
Mifune's movements shifted from the sturdy ones into significantly more flexible movements, his blade weaved through the air quickly yet smoothly.
"Lightning Stance, a steadfast and active soul, this stance has no defense to speak of; however, it tears through other stances' defenses with its sheer amount of speed, and maneuverability. With the fastest of the strikes of any stances, the fastest of these strikes could perhaps even split lightning itself."
Mifune's posture loosened dramatically from the Water Stance before his blade began quickly cutting through the air almost too fast for Naruto's eyes to keep up with.
"Moon Stance, this is the stance in particular you have familiarized yourself with as a determined and bright soul. This is a stance with powerful quick strikes and a strong defense with even movements. This stance isn't as powerful swing wise as Fire Stance or as defensive as Water or Earth Stance however it's speed rivals Lightning Stance only being slightly slower."
Mifune shifted into a stance Naruto was most familiar with, before his blade move in a quick rhythm like movements before he took a breath.
"Finally, there's Fire Stance, a passionate and furious soul. This stance has the most power of all of the stances with almost as much defense but more flexibility than Water Stance. This stance like Lightning Stance is capable of weaving through defenses however the power of its swings destroys defenses before ending things with an aggressive blow. This stance is the hardest to control of all stances."
Mifune's posture relaxed yet Naruto could almost feel a shift in the temperature around them as the older man began moving quickly with only slight control in his swings before he ended his movements just as quickly.
"Woah."
The teen said while the man took a breath, "A swordsmen well accumulated with Stances has the ability to use all of them effectively, however as this requires an immense amount of effort and talent most of the small number of samurai who utilize these stances focus on the ones that best match their souls as those are the ones that they are the ones they master the quickest and are the most effective with." Mifune sheathed his sword while Naruto nodded his head.
"These stances do kind of work like chakra natures, but the techniques are completely different and use less chakra. Does that mean that they can counter each other as well?"
The blonde pondered while Mifune grinned, "Very astute observation. As mentioned, every stance has different uses and abilities but they each have weaknesses that other stances exploit and counter. Each stance has two counters for each one an offensive counter and a defensive counter." The older man explained while Naruto prepped his brain for the lesson.
"Earth Stance is countered by Moon Stance offensively and by Lightning Stance defensively. This is because Earth Stance has the greatest defense of all stances meaning it can only be outclassed by weaving through its defense completely or handle the sheer amount of weight behind strikes to strike back."
"Water Stance is countered by Lightning Stance offensively and by Moon Stance defensively. The sheer amount of speed behind the strikes of a power stance can easily overwhelm the balance of Water Stance while a flexible yet strong stance acts as a powerful defense against the flow of movement from the attacks.
"Lightning Stance is countered by Earth Stance offensively and Fire Stance defensively, while Lightning Stance can shatter the defense of many stances it cannot handle a well-placed counter of any strength against it. While it is the fastest stance, any stance near its speed can effectively block against it as long as the movements can be pulled off."
"Moon Stance is countered by Lightning Stance offensively and Earth Stance defensively. The power strikes can be handled by this strong stance however the defense of the sturdy stance makes it difficult to do damage. The sheer amount of speed behind the strikes can overwhelm the even defense of this stance.
"Finally, Fire Stance is countered by Water Stance offensively and defensively. The patience and relaxed pattern of the movements and strikes of a stance act as a direct counter to the powerful yet lacking in control of Fire Stance. Yet there are instances of Fire Stance when aggressive enough being able to measure up to Water Stance making them nearly equals as Fire Stance is rarely countered by any other stance."
Mifune explained while the two of them had switched positions with Naruto moving through the movements of each of the different stances under the older man's watchful eye.
"So, when I use techniques with stances, I don't have the drawback of them being weaker because of my base chakra nature but the exchange is they use less chakra and aren't as powerful as full-fledged jutsu?"
Naruto asked as he continued moving through his stances while Mifune nodded his head, "Precisely, the samurai rely on their swordplay while the more powerful samurai only utilize chakra to gain an advantage or strengthen a final blow." The older man said while the blonde somewhat understood.
Mifune then tossed over a wooden sword to the blonde who had his sword in his hands, "Now the real lesson begins, why don't you show me more of this Roaring Moon Stance?" The older man said with a smile while Naruto grinned sheathing his blade picking up his wooden sword.
"Yes sir!"
The two stood in front of each other giving a bow before they took their respective stances, Naruto now recognized the stance Mifune took.
It was Lightning Stance.
There was a slight crouch in his position while his wooden sword was held in one hand with his other one outstretched toward the blonde.
Meanwhile Kurotsuchi huffed and panted heavily while her sword was on the ground a little way away from her hands.
Surrounding the area, she was training in was scorched earth with several melting rocks, the brunette huffed before she ran a hand through her hair.
It still wasn't enough.
She felt pretty good about her stances training wise being able to quickly pick up on them due to her background in swordplay. However, she knew if she wanted to do what it is that she said she wanted to do she had to push further.
If she was going to have Naruto's back, then she needed to get far stronger than she was right now. Since that night a week ago when he had suddenly left before returning from a one-man raid, she couldn't stop thinking about how awful he looked.
He was exhausted, beaten, and bloodied with multiple fractured bones. Naruto when he returned looked like he was near death's door.
She would never admit it out loud, but she thanked the Nine Tails trapped within him if it weren't for it then Naruto might have been out of commission for months.
Possibly even worse than that.
Worse was exactly what she refused to have to face when it came to the blonde boy, she had grown so close with. Next fight she was going to be right next to him just like they were when they fought against the samurai at their first arrival.
She had to be.
"Oh."
Kurotsuchi said out loud while she remembered the day, a small smile came to her face as she sheathed her sword. The Festival of Dawn was today with the festivities beginning later on in the day where everyone would be attending.
Tonight was their date.
The girl quickly moved back toward the training area of the compound where Naruto was supposed to be with Mifune. A small, excited smile was growing bigger and bigger on her face while she approached the training field.
However, once she arrived her smile quickly melted away from her face.
Dust was kicked up as Naruto slid from an attack from Mifune, the blonde recovered quickly getting back into his stance. His eyes narrowed into a focused glare while Mifune faced him down with an entertained glare of his own. That feeling that she had back in Jasmine Village when she barely knew the blonde teen, it was back.
No.
It felt even stronger than even then.
The way the blonde held his wooden sword in hand, the firmness of his position and the concentration in his stare.
Again, he felt like a storm.
Naruto slowly turned around while Kurotsuchi felt her hand unconscious land on the hilt of her sword.
His blue eyes almost looked like ice as she felt his gaze land on her, her fight or flight response felt like it had activated just from a single look alone from him. The amount of pressure she was feeling weighed on her as if she was actually feeling weight from his gaze.
In Naruto's place a taller blonde man in a green flak jacket holding a three-pronged kunai with a similar icy blue gaze stared toward her.
Her pink eyes widened as her grip on her sword tightened looking back toward the visage.
"Kuro!"
Naruto called out excitedly, immediately breaking the girl out of her stupor, she saw the big grin on his face before her hand relaxed off of her sword. He dashed over pulling the girl into a hug instantly blanketing her own with that warmth she enjoyed so much.
"You aren't still mad at me about the whole 'going alone' thing, are you?"
The blonde asked while Kurotsuchi's adrenaline slowed as she slowly wrapped her arms around the teen.
"Damn right I am."
The brunette chuckled while she felt the blonde rumble with his own laughter against her, "That's why you'll be making it up to me at this festival." The girl said while the blonde gave her a look.
"That is today, isn't it?!"
Naruto said in surprise while the girl laughed in response, "You've improved greatly though you still have a long way to go." Mifune said while he walked toward the pair.
"Samurai Pops can we-"
"We are already going to be in attendance for the festival."
Mifune said while Naruto raised an eyebrow, "It's a nationwide holiday, right?" Kurotsuchi asked while Mifune nodded his head.
"Correct, so for tonight you should be able to relax and… Enjoy each other's company."
Mifune chuckled while Kurotsuchi huffed at the older man.
"Hell yeah! We gotta wear that traditional stuff, right?"
The blonde asked excitedly while Mifune nodded his head, "Yes you will as a matter of fact, you can take the rest of the day to get ready before we go. You've more than earned it." The older man said while Naruto fist pumped the air.
"Alright!"
The blonde cheered while Kurotsuchi looked toward the excited teen, a small smile formed on her face. Those bright ocean blue eyes filled with excitement and joy just how she remembered them.
This is the Naruto she knew.
She thought back to that brief visage she saw surrounding him along with that pressure she felt from him.
Right?
{...}
Marika felt awkward.
Not in the kimono of course since that was practically daily wear for her, but the fact that she was going to be going around the festival with a boy her age.
Kind of.
Standing next to her was the older and more mature of the teen girls, Kurotsuchi who was in a red kimono covered in black fish like designs. She's also the girl who immediately stole away the question she wanted to ask a certain blonde cursed ninja. That's where some of her awkwardness came into play, it was hard to describe her feelings for the blonde, but they were definitely present.
He was genuinely interested in the things she talked about, he made her feel like she could work harder, Naruto also accepted the burden of her vengeance and fought for her in part as well.
Not to mention he was fun, and she liked spending time with him.
She hadn't felt this way for anyone else before, but she wanted the time to properly explore these feelings, yet she also couldn't shake the fact that she was also getting in their way since they've been together since their arrival in the land.
It was confusing.
Hence the slight awkwardness she felt.
"Heya!"
Naruto called as he arrived walking toward the two girls while being followed by Mifune, "You're late." Kurotsuchi joked while the blonde grinned.
"You know this traditional wear stuff is still super confusing to me."
The blonde said while Kurotsuchi chuckled, Marika watched the two of them before she looked to the side. The way they acted around each other felt way too natural.
"You look really nice."
Marika's ears perked at the sudden voice turning to spot Naruto looking at her, "Huh?" the girl asked while the boy nodded his head.
"Yep, purple's a really good color on you. I guess it brings out your eyes and stuff. Either way you look really nice."
The blonde spoke while Marika looked at him in surprise before she looked toward an obviously annoyed Kurotsuchi, then the gears started moving in her head.
What if… and this is purely hypothetical…
Naruto is an idiot.
Marika's eyes widened at her sudden theory that came to her mind, could it be possible that their closeness is some kind of misunderstanding? Kurotsuchi's intentions aren't registering with Naruto's because she isn't being clear about it while Naruto being an idiot takes all of it in stride thinking it's a just friends thing.
So would that mean that hypothetically if she put in the effort.
She had some kind of chance.
Naruto felt a hand wrap around his arm gently while Marika looked at the blonde from behind her glasses, "I think you look really nice too Naruto. Very handsome." the girl nearly struggled to get out trying to sound as confident as possible.
Naruto was caught off guard meanwhile chuckling before scratching the back of his head, Marika's eyes then flicked to an even more annoyed Kurotsuchi.
This is what that old adage of love and war meant, if she was going to stand some kind of chance then she had to take advantage of Kurotsuchi's lack of directness with the oblivious boy. Kurotsuchi then grabbed onto Naruto's other arm before guiding him into the festival.
"I wanna go there first!"
Kurotsuchi declared while her pink eyes met Marika's purple ones, a silent declaration of war had been exchanged all the while a confused Naruto was being dragged around. Mifune watched the teens in silence with an amused smile.
Once they entered the festival grounds, they got a firsthand look at everything they had seen the villagers working on in passing come to life with brightly colored lanterns lighting up the night and multiple shops opened with all sorts of foods.
Naruto's eyes flicked around the different stalls looking at the different food types, he absolutely had to try as much as possible. Kurotsuchi noticed the look in the blonde's eyes before she started to drag them toward one of the stalls.
The three teens took a sample of the fried noodles before walking back toward Mifune who greeted them with a smile, "Grabbing something to eat already?" The older man asked curiously while Naruto nodded with a full mouth.
"We can't just pass up on the local cuisine. We've got to try as many things as possible for this guy's world tour bucket list."
Kurotsuchi said while she nudged the blonde who huffed before Mifune exhaled out of his nose, "Perhaps your timing was good, it looks like we're about to get started." the older man said while Naruto noticed a crowd forming and taking seats in front of a large stage.
"Hey Samurai Pops, what's up with the crowd?"
Naruto asked while swallowing his noodles before Mifune looked toward the stage, "The festival technically doesn't begin until after the Nihon Buyo of the dawn. It's a wordless performance telling the story of the dawn of the Land of Iron through rhythm alone. The Dance of Ashes." he explained before the blonde teen looked toward the stage.
"We should get our seats."
Marika said, taking the initiative and pulling Naruto along with her ahead of both Mifune and Kurotsuchi, "Oi, wait!" the brunette said while she followed them along with the older samurai.
The group settled into their seats while the lights dimmed slightly, only leaving the stage illuminated the brightest, Naruto looked on at the stage with curiosity. He would have never imagined that he of all people would be anywhere near a show like this.
Yet here he was.
The performance actually piqued his interest since it was some kind of dance. Maybe in the rhythm he could find a hint or two in the performance to apply to his training with Stances. He stuffed more noodles in his mouth before the crowd fell silent at the creaking of the wood on stage behind the large curtain.
Naruto found himself caught up with the rest of the audience while the curtain slowly opened revealing a woman sitting in a chair with a sitar resting against her frame, she had long dark blue hair, dainty yet experienced pale hands, and she was dressed in the white and red garb of a miko priestess.
The thing that caught Naruto's eye was the expressionless white porcelain mask that she wore on her face.
He watched her intently as she smoothly moved her hand holding a small pick before she quickly strummed the instrument in her hand with three well placed plucks sending the sweet noise cutting through the silence of the crowd.
She gently set the instrument aside as other instruments began to play music for her as she then moved her arms in front of one another behind the draping cloth of her sleeves revealing two fans in her hands as she slowly twisted.
She gently placed her heel on the ground spinning on it perfectly while opening the fans, her clothes swayed gently along with her movements before she gently moved her fans through the air in graceful movements.
Naruto watched as the miko danced, she hadn't said a single word or sang a single note, yet it felt as if she was saying something. The way her movements would gently fluctuate from serene to a quiet violence with the quickening of her movements briefly.
She didn't lose her concentration once, each one of her movements flowed directly into the other smoothly no matter how drastically they had changed they looked random but felt perfectly deliberate. This miko became shapeless in the eyes of the blonde.
It was beautiful.
Her poise, her passion, he didn't know a thing about this woman yet when she danced, he felt as if she was telling a story only, she could tell that revealed things about herself without a single word. It felt like a story that was personal to her.
Naruto also couldn't shake another feeling.
Despite the fact that she was in a performance, despite the multiple praises from the audience, despite her total concentration in her movements of the dance.
He could feel her eyes on him.
Like she was telling this story to the world while her eyes remained his and his alone. The world was witnessing her story but the one she wanted to tell was him and, in those eyes, he could have sworn had been looking at him directly.
He felt a burning sensation.
And as abruptly as the dance seemed to begin it had ended, the miko didn't even bow while turning away from the audience that broke into applause from her performance. Naruto's eyes lingered on the woman as he couldn't see past the eyeholes on her mask, but he felt like she was still looking at him.
Until she disappeared behind the closed curtain.
"Naruto?"
Marika asked, breaking the blonde from his stupor, "Yeah?" he asked quickly while the girl gave him a concerned look.
"Are you ok?"
Marika asked while Naruto blinked at her, maybe he was too invested into the performance. The dance was beautiful, but he couldn't help but think extra hard about that gaze he thought he felt coming from her, what was she trying to tell him?
"Yeah! I'm super peachy, maybe a little taken aback from the art we just witnessed."
Naruto said trying to sound mature and dignified while Marika giggled, "Since when were you a man of the arts?" the girl asked while the blonde huffed.
"Always of course."
He smoothly answered as Kurotsuchi gave Naruto a slight tug, "Let's go play some games, I think I found a few things I can kick your butt at." the girl said while the blonde grinned.
"Oh yeah? Prepare to lose then! I received special training from an old teacher of mine!"
The blonde declared while Marika watched the blonde get caught up in the brunette's energy following her, she took a breath before she followed after them not wanting to be left behind. Mifune watched them scramble around again while he slowly got up.
He was about to find a food stand but briefly paused, his eyes widened slightly as he watched a man in the crowd looking toward the group of teens before his eyes briefly made contact with the older samurai's eyes.
That couldn't be.
The man turned and seemingly disappeared into the excited crowd, Mifune gritted his teeth while his eyes continued flicking around the crowd.
This night may turn out to be way different than he originally thought.
{...}
Multiple games.
Multiple foods.
Plenty of energy.
Kurotsuchi never really took out the time to enjoy things like this even back in the Land of Stone she called home, she was always too busy even when her comrades always tried to drag her out to have fun. She was deep in that feeling of duty and responsibility as a weapon.
Now however she was having a lot of fun.
The environment of the festival was energetic, and Naruto was just as energetic about it as she was keeping the momentum fun. With the civil war and the training, the two of them had been going through to get stronger there's always a hint of stress that came with that.
This was a much-needed break.
This was time she was glad she could spend with Naruto; however, this date was far from what she had expected it to be. Her example of this in particular was a certain swordsmith who appeared to be quite fond of the blonde ninja.
So much so she's been sticking with them almost the entire time.
Those little personal moments she wanted to make with Naruto now had Marika in them as well, she didn't want to seem mean as she found herself respecting the girl a lot and thanking her for keeping Naruto company while she was elsewhere.
She couldn't help but feel like Marika was doing more in her efforts to get Naruto's attention tonight.
Like she was deliberately challenging her for the blonde boy, she didn't like this feeling she had due to this. Kurotsuchi had an immense amount of respect toward Naruto and everything he's done for her, and she couldn't help but feel like getting closer to the boy however this feeling was different.
The way she would catch a look toward Naruto from her or the way he would be his standard kind self to her when she was having an awkward moment or needed assistance, it made her feel strange like she was kind of frustrated.
This behavior from Naruto is normal considering he's kind but when he's kind to someone like her who looks at him like she does it's just different.
What exactly was it that was making her feel this way?
"Hey."
Kurostuchi heard Naruto's voice directly in front of her as her eyes focused on his as he crouched in front of her with a gentle smile on his face.
"Hey."
Kurotsuchi answered back with her own gentle smile while the blonde looked to the side, "I'm going to a snack run, I saw some chocolate dipped stuff and maybe some strawberries. I thought you might like those." Naruto said while the black-haired girl went quiet.
Kurotsuchi was never one to have a sweet tooth, however she did have a secret weakness that very few in this world knew about. She loved fruit, more specifically strawberries. They weren't really common where she grew up so she would only very rarely eat them during missions in other lands where they were more prominent.
She never let herself get too attached to them, however she could never get herself to forget about those sweet fruits.
And here he was with bright eyes and a sweet smile ready to retrieve them for her.
She treasured this boy.
"Sure."
Kurotsuchi said while Naruto nodded his head before he turned to get up, but he was stopped by two hands landing on his cheeks. The girl turned his head back toward hers before she leaned in.
Their noses touched as their foreheads made contact, she could feel his hair brushing against the top of the bridge of her nose. Their lips were only centimeters apart just far enough to feel each other breath, last time they had gotten this close they were interrupted.
Now nothing was stopping her.
Not even him.
Naruto didn't struggle or even ask a question he stayed silent staying in place as if he was having his own debate about his next move to himself, she could do it. Right here where Marika could see them do it.
Just to get her point across.
The one Naruto had spent the most time with and knew him better was her and his amount of comfort around her showed it.
Just close the distance.
Do it.
Yet the girl stayed in place before she patted him on the cheek, "Hurry back, you have more games to lose." Kurotsuchi said while she backed her head away Naruto chuckled before he gave her a grin noticeably red around his ears.
"I think you mean yourself, Kuro."
The blonde commented before he started walking toward the stand, "Hey Marika you want anything?" the boy called toward the girl nearby as she shook her head.
"I'm fine, thank you."
Marika said gently as the boy grinned before he continued walking, Kurotsuchi watched him excitedly move through the crowd before she sighed.
That wouldn't be right to do it for that reason.
So, she didn't.
Marika sat next to Kurotsuchi on the bench where the two girls sat in silence with neither one saying anything to the other watching people walk by.
"What is Naruto to you?"
Marika asked while Kurotsuchi looked toward her, "Like your relationship? Are you guys' just really close friends? Family? Lovers?" the blue haired girl asked while the brunette looked toward the ground.
"He's someone I treasure very dearly."
Kurotsuchi said while Marika nodded her head, "So does that mean, it's fine if I take him?" the blue haired girl asked, causing the pink eyes of the other girl to widen in surprise.
"Take him?"
The kunoichi asked while Marika fiddled with her hands, "I didn't want to assume your relationship with him before anything happened. Contrary to what you might believe this wasn't my initial aim, from what I understood the two of you had a closeness that was beyond what someone like me could understand since you stuck so close together since you arrived. This… the way I feel happened by chance." the swordsmith confessed while Kurotsuchi couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You can't just take Naruto, that's a decision he has to make on his own."
Kurotsuchi raised her voice slightly while Marika looked toward her, "I understand that, but that won't stop me from trying to appeal to him… Naruto, he's special to me too. Unfortunately, I can't just sit by and ignore that feeling." the girl spoke gently yet boldly.
"You can't just-"
"You're scared, aren't you?"
Marika interjected while Kurotsuchi stopped her train of thought, "You're afraid that this feeling is pointless, that it wouldn't work, or he doesn't see you that way. I have the same fears too." the girl spoke while Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not scared of anything with him."
"Why didn't you kiss him?"
Marika asked, stabbing into the brunette's heart verbally while she looked away, "You could have and yet you didn't even though he was right there." Kurotsuchi growled before he turned toward her.
"That was because of you- or him- I just didn't…"
Kurotsuchi trailed off while her glare weakened, "I understand if you're frustrated but he's not going to be able to understand how you feel if you don't bear your heart to him directly… I'm not sure if you don't understand your own feelings or have something else that prevents you from moving forward but if you are going to hold back I won't." Marika stated with the most confidence Kurotsuchi had heard in her voice ever.
"Why?"
The simple question fell from her lips as Marika smiled gently, "His smile, the way he can encourage you, and how far he would go to protect the people he cares about. I want to make him smile like he's made me smile too and be there for him like he's been there for me. This is just the feeling I have in my heart right now and I can't lie to myself about it." the girl spoke while Kurotsuchi looked toward her.
Those eyes.
Those damned eyes.
They were filled with genuine emotion and a warm feeling. Did her own eyes ever look like this girl's when she thought about Naruto?
She cared about him so she should be happy someone cares for him this much, yet she isn't.
Not even a little bit.
What exactly was it? What was this feeling that made it so hard to push forward? What was she so afraid of when it came to him?
How was Marika so brave?
"I need to take a minute, if Naruto gets back, tell him I'll be back around. Soon."
Kurotsuchi said while Marika stretched out a hand toward the ninja who quickly left, blending into the crowd, she didn't have a particular destination just anywhere but there right now would suffice.
Her mind was racing, she was a shinobi these feelings and thoughts shouldn't be plaguing her this much it was what she was trained for and yet she felt so vulnerable.
Was this what it was like to be human?
Kurotsuchi kept moving quickly before she bumped into a taller man, the girl quickly turned toward him and bowed.
"I'm sorry."
The girl apologized while the man looked back toward her, "No need to apologize… as a matter of fact this works out perfectly." The man spoke while Kurotsuchi slowly recognized the voice before her eyes snapped open and she immediately dashed backward reaching her hand into her kimono, landing her hand on the hilt of her hidden sword.
"Nobuzagi!"
Kurotsuchi raised her voice while the man looked toward her calmly, she recognized those eyes and that face of his from that day. "You've gotten faster, child, please calm down, you'll scare the villagers." Arashi spoke while Kurotsuchi glared at him.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
The girl growled while the general gave her a look, "Today is a national holiday, in my eyes performing any act of war on a day like this is immensely disrespectful. I'm merely here today as patron of this festival. I'm also looking for the shinobi Naruto Uzumaki." Arashi spoke while the girl took a step forward.
"You even think of harming him out of revenge for that general I'll kill you where you stand without hesitation."
Kurotsuchi spoke while Arashi looked to the side, "While Judon was an old friend of mine and a comrade whose will I carry with me into the future he was not a man who deserves vengeance taken in his name. He died with honor in his battle with a worthy executioner. I respect his final wishes." Arashi spoke while the girl kept a distrustful eye on him.
"Why do you want to speak with Naruto then? Trying to interrogate him? Intimidate him?"
Kurotsuchi asked while Arashi looked toward her, "To understand him." the man answered simply while the girl took a step back.
"I've met many powerful shinobi in my time and travels however Judon was a general of nearly unparalleled might in the Land of Iron to be beaten by a boy who was barely a novice in sword play since our last encounter made me curious to meet him properly as neutral forces before we become enemies again when this holiday ends."
Arashi explained while Kurotsuchi kept her glare on him slowly removing her hand from her sword as her eyes occasionally flicked around at the people surrounding them, there were far too many innocents here that would be caught in crossfire.
"Arashi."
Another voice spoke while Mifune walked toward the pair, "General Mifune." Arashi bowed toward the older man who had a slight glare on his face.
"I would have figured you would have had celebrations in the capital you would be a part of, Nobuzagi."
Mifune stated pointedly while Arashi shook his head, "Despite the divided lines of war my men still have families here why would I deprive them of seeing them on this holiday? I'm here to meet Naruto Uzumaki and learn more about him while we are neutral at this moment." Arashi spoke while Mifune looked around at multiple villagers starting to look toward them.
"Let's move this elsewhere, the last thing we need is a scene out in the open."
Mifune spoke while Arashi looked around before he nodded his head, "Agreed, we'll move the discussion elsewhere. There is one thing I should mention." the general spoke while Mifune and Kurotsuchi looked toward him.
"I didn't come here alone, I arrived with my right hand, who I am also looking for. However, it seems I've lost track of her, while in any other case I would trust her to her own devices… She becomes a bit unstable when it comes to things that spark her passion."
Arashi warned while Kurotsuchi's eyes widened before she turned into the crowd, "I'll be right back!" Kurotsuchi yelled, moving through the crowd while Mifune reached out toward her to no avail.
Please be safe.
Please let me find you.
Naruto!
"Marika, Naruto!"
Kurotsuchi yelled while she made it back to the bench they were just sitting on; it was empty except for a small boxed up tray filled with chocolate covered strawberries. The girl slowly looked up with worry crawling on her face.
Meanwhile a woman quickly weaved through the crowd laser focused on her target, her miko uniform swaying while she took heavy and quick steps.
Her porcelain mask cracking on the corner of the lip.
{...}
"Where'd Kuro go?"
Naruto asked while Marika looked up toward the blonde boy standing just in front of the bench the two girls were sitting on together, the blue haired girl looked away from the blonde as she spoke. "She said she would be back around soon. Marika said while the teen looked toward her empty spot.
"Cool, then we can wait here for her until she gets back."
The blonde said in a chipper attitude while Marika smiled at him, "Well actually… would you mind if we visited that stand once more? I think something sweet sounds really nice right about now." the swordsmith asked while Naruto looked between her and the empty seat.
"Well, I'm not sure about just leaving without at least making sure Kurotsuchi was alright. I hope she's ok."
The boy said while Marika felt a slight sinking feeling in her stomach before she shook her head, "It'll be fine, I'm sure she'll be right back. It'll be a quick lap then we can wait for her." Marika suggested while Naruto pondered before he sighed.
"I guess so, I doubt anyone's going to take her stuff and she's plenty capable. If we're quick, we can be right back."
Naruto said losing the battle against Marika who smiled at him, "Shall we?" the girl said while the blonde boy set the strawberries on the bench giving them a lingering look before he looked around the crowd in the hopes of seeing her braid swaying.
He felt a slight tug on his sleeve as he looked toward Marika who had given him another smile, the boy then turned toward her walking toward the fruit stand. The pair walked together while Naruto marveled at their surroundings.
"Festivals are always the best, aren't they? No matter where I go to, the ones I've been to so far have all been awesome!"
Naruto cheered while Marika nodded her head, "You've been here long enough now that I forget that you're some kind of wanderer, I bet you've seen plenty of the world." the girl asked while the blonde shook his head in response.
"I've seen a lot, but this world is a way bigger place than I ever could have imagined. At this rate I still have a long way to go."
The blonde said while Marika nodded her head before she looked toward the ground, "...Do you have plans to settle down someday?" the girl asked while Naruto gave her a look.
"Not right now I mean! I meant like in the far future after you've seen the world and stuff!"
"Hm… Someday. Yeah, someday I will."
Naruto's smile seemed bright and calm while Marika gave him a look, "Naruto… have you ever fallen in love before?" the girl asked curiously while the blonde allowed a smile to creep onto his face.
"I… don't know. I think so."
The blonde responded while Marika wasn't expecting that response so clearly, he had been even somewhat experienced, "I see, was it back in the place you once called home?" the girl continued to ask while Naruto nodded his head.
"Yeah, there was this girl. She was beautiful, smart, kinda bossy but all in all she is someone I treasure dearly. Her name's Sakura but since the very beginning I'm pretty sure she's just been in love with my best friend Sasuke."
Naruto recounted while the sheer amount of time that had passed since he had last seen the Leaf moved through his mind again, "Do you still love her?" Marika asked while the blonde began to laugh.
"Throwing hard balls huh?"
The boy said while Marika started waving her hands through the air, "Well I didn't mean it in some kind of bad way I'm just-" the girl was cut off by Naruto's laughter.
"I'm kidding, relax. Honestly, I hadn't really thought about it, I still think about her sometimes but I'm not sure if it's in the same way I used to though. For a good little while in my journey I didn't think I could be loved by anyone so I just kind of made peace with that fact."
The boy explained while Marika felt her expression drop, what kind of life did he lead out there in the world before he arrived here? Who makes peace with something like that?
"I was proven wrong though. I might sound crazy for saying this but my old teacher before I made it here was named Temari and I went on my first ever date with her. I think she liked me, and I think I like her too but so much time has passed since I last saw her so I'm still a little confused on the whole feelings part for her there that one may need some more time."
Naruto said with a laugh while Marika smiled at the boy, "Do you… love anyone right now?" she asked while the blonde boy had to pause where he stood while looking at the girl.
"Love huh?"
Naruto pondered while Marika looked toward the boy who walked over toward the trays of fruit that had been laid out at the stand once they had finally made it to the stand, his smile grew on his face as he looked at the strawberries on the table.
"I… Think I might."
The blonde said while Marika's eyes widened before he looked toward the shorter girl with a small smile on his face as he approached her slowly.
"I guess I'm a little worried about it and I guess as a reflex my brain doesn't want to entertain the idea at times. I guess I really don't want to hurt anyone or even hurt myself with these feelings for someone like me it might be wiser to just-"
"Shinobi."
Naruto was cut off by a porcelain mask peeking over Marika's shoulder as a woman taller than her looked at him, the blonde moved quickly snatching Marika away from the woman placing her behind him while he gave her a glare.
"Who are you?"
Naruto spoke while the woman stood there silently, her mask hiding her expression. How did she manage to sneak up on them without him at least feeling something?
Whoever she was, she was ridiculously fast.
The masked woman continued to stare at the both of them while Naruto felt a sickening feeling roll over him from where the woman was standing, he recognized her as the Miko from earlier from the stage who did the dance.
From the grace that she had on display on stage the woman in front of him felt dramatically different, there was no grace, only bloodlust. All the while he could still feel that burning gaze he had felt earlier from onstage as he performed.
"I adore you."
The words came out of the mask so smoothly in her voice while Naruto could feel himself ready to move at a moment's notice, such a calm voice yet her very presence felt immensely dangerous even more so than General Judon.
"I adore your strength, the way you demonstrate it and continue to develop it only getting stronger and stronger."
Naruto felt her cold soft finger touch his face as she gently caressed his cheek, the blonde felt paralyzed at the soft gentle touch of this woman who had bloodlust coming off of her as if she was some kind of monster in human form.
"Judon was also strong, a powerful warrior almost unparalleled in this land. Yet you were his executioner, killing him and pushing a large majority of our forces back. A single man like you facing an army and living to tell the tale is strength incarnate, I cherish that about you."
The woman spoke with a voice like honey while her cold hands left his face lingering as if she didn't want to let the blonde go before, she set her hands down, Naruto had no idea what the move was. There were far too many civilians to try anything he could try to lead her away, but he can't guarantee that would work.
He suddenly felt an even heavier dark feeling begin pouring off of her while her mask other than the crack on the corner of its mouth extending slightly showed no changes and betrayed not a single one of her emotion hidden behind it.
"I also loathe you."
The woman spoke with the same gentle tone only slightly tainted by the fury behind it, "Standing against my lord for the sake of a tainted world run by weak fools who slaughter each other in the night because they refuse to settle things in the day face to face. The shinobi who cower behind false peace while ready to stab their knives into each other's backs when the other isn't looking." the woman's mask lifted slightly as her head tilted.
"How fucking disgusting."
She spoke while Naruto almost felt pushed back from the sheer amount of bloodlust alone, "What exactly is it that you want, lady?' the blonde asked while her bloodlust calmed down a bit as her mask tilted toward the blonde.
"I want you."
She spoke gently while Naruto narrowed his eyes at the woman, "That strength that ended Judon that allowed you to push our forces back. I want it. I want all of it. I want to feel you, Shinobi. To have you run through my veins threatening to tear me apart. My deadly dance with you." she spoke while her tone remained gentle.
"I thought this was supposed to be some kind of holiday, aren't you supposed to be celebrating too?"
Naruto asked while the mask tiled, "I care not for this holiday or any of these peons celebrating it. Strength is absolute and ever constant. It takes no holiday and has no breaks. Any fool who ignores that is weak and worthless other than my lord. Of course, he remains strong regardless." The Miko said while Naruto's eyes flicked around.
"We can't fight here, there are innocent people."
Naruto spoke while The Miko looked around at the bustling citizens enjoying the festival while a few children stopped looking toward the beautiful woman, "I see." she spoke while she immensely hit the ground in a deep bow.
"Huh?"
Naruto reacted while the woman stayed bowed on the ground, "Forgive me, but I must ask you to wait for me then. I shouldn't be long." the woman spoke while the blonde raised an eyebrow.
"You mentioned we couldn't fight due to our surroundings, right?"
The woman spoke while Naruto felt a sickening feeling move through him again as The Miko's mask lifted from the ground to look at the blond directly as he spotted the shine of metal from one of her sleeves.
"I shall get rid of the obstacles."
The woman spoke while Naruto eyes widened at the woman who stood to her feet with her blade slightly brandished as she turned slightly toward one of the nearby children with nothing but coldness in her gaze behind the mask.
"That's enough! You want a fight, fine you got one but not here!"
Naruto raised his voice while a heavy glare appeared on his face Marika felt another change in pressure as the blonde faced the woman down placing a hand on her shoulder gripping it. Her mask looked toward the blonde before a noise that she could only describe as a pleased hum came from the mask.
"Thank you."
The woman spoke with a honeyed tone while Naruto continued to glare at the woman, she disturbed the blonde to his very core. While Judon was a bastard the samurai at least had an honor about himself, this woman...
Behind her beauty and grace was someone who was willing to slaughter innocents for the sake of what she considered to be strength.
She was twisted.
He felt a soft cold hand grab his own as it was held in a tender hold as if the woman was holding a fragile object that she treasured before she took a slight bow gently placing the lips of her mask on to the back of the boy's hand before she looked toward him.
Naruto felt the still burning gaze of the woman behind the mask while he continued to glare back into her eyes, he caught a glimpse of red behind the eyeholes of her mask.
"May I have this dance?"
