Author's Note
Welp, decided to try an experiment on AO3. I was fighting to continue Shield Ninja and realized I kinda wrote myself into a corner. So, tried this rewrite and found myself able to write again. If you have read Shield Ninja, you don't have to read chapters 1-8 as those are mainly done as clean-up chapters to make it easier to read for new readers and stay mostly the same. It's chapter 9 where the changes truly begin. With renewing my want to write more for 2024, I decided to focus on Rising of the Shield Ninja and won't be continuing Shield Ninja. I am posting nine chapters so old readers of Shield Ninja have a new treat along with the new readers and will post the new chapters soon that are currently on A03. I am also thinking of opening a Ko-fi account to help support my stories and my artistic works. Any support will be very appreciated.
A tale about the ending of a world.
Four heroes summoned to this other world.
Each with a weapon: sword, spear, bow, and shield.
"Gotcha!"
I looked up from my book and found Iruka-sensei glaring at me. I grinned back at him.
"About time, Nosebleed!" I chirped out and pointed at my sensei. "I found you!"
"No, you fool! I found you!" Iruka-sensei huffed as I scratched the back of my head.
"Heh. I guess you have got me. Too bad as I just got to the good part of this book." I held out the book I was reading. "I thought I would have plenty of time to get another technique down after I read this book." I laughed. The Spear Hero was such an awesome guy!
"Now that you say that. You look exhausted," Iruka-sensei raised an eyebrow. "What have you been doing outside reading?"
"Wait, I'll show you!" I put the book in my pocket and raised my hands together. "If I show you what I have mastered, you'll have to let me graduate!" I hummed. I gathered chakra up in my stomach.
"Naruto."
"Yeah?" I stop my focus.
"What's up with that scroll you're carrying?"
"What? This?" I looked at the large scroll on my back. "Mizuki-sensei told me about it and this place!" Joy sprung up in me. "He said if I could show you I'd learned the techniques in this scroll, you'd let me become a shinobi!"
I couldn't wait to show Iruka-sensei my hard-
Iruka-sensei pushed me out of the way of a barrage of kunai and slammed his back into the shed. My eyes shot to the source. I found Mizuki-sensei up in a nearby tree.
"I'm impressed that you figured out where to go," Mizuki-sensei chuckled before he looked at me. "The scroll, Naruto. Give it to me."
"The hell? What is this?" I looked back and forth between my two sensei.
"Don't let him have it, Naruto!" Iruka-sensei grunted as he yanked a kunai from his shoulder. "Protect that scroll with your life. It's more dangerous than you can imagine! It holds the records of the completely forbidden ninja arts. Mizuki used you because he wants it for himself!"
"What?" I narrowed my eyes. Now that Iruka-sensei said it, Mizuki-sensei had been oddly nice of late. Add in the fact he gave me even the information on security at the Old Man's place.
"As if any of that matter!" Mizuki laughed and reeled back with a huge shuriken in his hand. "You're the Nine-Tail Fox!"
"What?" I gasped out as the shuriken was thrown straight at me.
Me? The fox?
No no! The giant pointy thing was heading my way!
I tried to move, but my legs buckled under me. A shadow came at me just as I fell onto my butt hard.
"We did it!" I snapped out of my shock and looked right into Iruka-sensei's eyes.
"Naruto," Iruka-sensei blinked and glanced around. "Hold your tongue."
"What you-" My eyes went to the floor. The ground was glowing in an odd pattern and the forest had turned into a dark room. "What in-" Iruka-sensei scooped me up and my surroundings turned into a blinding blur.
"What the?!"
"One of the heroes?!"
"Sensei, what is going on?"
"Don't know, but I rather not find out." Iruka-sensei hissed. I finally got my bearings when he leaped out a window. "What in the Hokage Hat?"
"A-A castle?" I shouted in shock. Iruka-sensei leaped across roofs of a huge fortress of stone. "How we got here?!"
"Again. Don't know."
"What in the Cardinal Heroes?!" We passed by men in plate armor as Iruka-sensei exited the fortress through the gates at high speed. "An intruder?!"
"Wait! One of the heroes-"
"Hold on, Naruto!" Iruka-sensei shouted and I felt something in his legs. The surroundings turned to a blur once more. The blur shifted from greens and yellows to more stone and muted colors.
Iruka-sensei gasped out as he slowed down, He turned into an alleyway and let me down. Iruka-sensei slumped onto a crate to catch his breath.
"This… isn't Konoha." I said as I looked around. The buildings were made of stone and seemed all square or rectangular in shape. Nothing like the various shapes Konoha's buildings took on. In the streets, I saw stalls and people moving about next to huge lizards and fowl I never seen before.
"That's obvious." Iruka-sensei sighed before he patted his chest. "What the? My wounds… They are healed?" I turned to Iruka-sensei and found no signs of the kunai on his vest and clothes.
"Amazing," I said before I realized something on my arm. "A shield?" A metal shield with a green gem in the center of it rested on my right arm.
"Where did that come from?" Iruka-sensei grabbed the shield and my arm went with it. "What the? It won't come off."
"Yeah," I raised an eyebrow before I caught something in the corner of my vision. "What is this?" I focused on the small icon in the corner of my vision.
I yelped when the icon expanded in my vision and turned into various things. However, it was a plate in the center that I focused on.
Naruto Uzumaki
Shield Hero Lv1
Attack 1
Magic Power 10
Physical Defense 25 (+8)
Magic Defense 22 (+6)
Dexterity 15
Equip Bonus: Defense +3
"S-Shield Hero?" I asked aloud as everything I read just before Iruka-sensei came back to me. "We're inside the book?!" I shouted as I checked my pocket and found it was gone.
"So, let me get this straight," Iruka-sensei stepped onto rolling plains once exiting the castle town. "This place is the setting of the book you were reading before I found you?" Iruka-sensei's skeptic look made me laugh nervously.
"Yeah! It's the only answer!" I pointed to the shield on my arm. "Four heroes from different worlds are summoned to save this world from destruction. Each had a weapon: sword, spear, bow, and SHIELD," I stressed the last part.
"And where did you get that book?"
"It hit my head when I was looking for the scroll." I pointed at the Forbidden Scroll on my back. "I peeked into it and found an awesome story!… Unlike mine," I pouted with remembering Mizuki-sensei. "He really tricked me and I fell right for it." I kicked a rock out of frustration.
"You trusted him," Iruka-sensei said in a sad tone. "I trusted him, but it seems Mizuki was just pretending to be a teacher and friend this whole time."
"Yeah," I sighed out. "But I should have seen through it."
"I'm not going to scold you on that as he had me fooled, too." Iruka-sensei said before he stopped. "Wait, Naruto, I sense killer intent."
"Huh?" I blinked as I heard movement in the grass. I got into a defensive position as a red triangle popped over something in the grass.
"Gaaagh!" A blur of orange shot out and I punched it. I heard just a boink sound and found my attacker was…
"Is that… a ball?" Iruka-sensei asked as the orange ball creature hit the ground and bounced right back at me with maw wide open.
Balloon Lv.1
"Balloon?" I asked. I punched it again. It bounced away from me, yet it came right back at me. "It's kind of scary seeing a ball with teeth."
"Indeed… Naruto! Watch out!"
"Huh?" I reeled back at the hoard of that ambushed me. I closed my eyes and expected pain… But felt nothing. I opened my eyes and found the Balloons trying to eat me.
"Naruto, are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah?" I turned to him questionably. "It doesn't hurt at all."
"Really?" Iruka-sensei tried to poke one of the Balloons and it bit his finger. "Owch?!" He reeled his hand back and punched the Balloon off his hand.
Pop!
The Balloon became bits of elastic material on the ground.
"The hell?" Iruka-sensei said as he held his bloody finger. "How are you not hurt?"
"I think it's the shield." I felt some kind of barrier covered my body. I took one of the Balloons and punched it.
Boing! Boing! Boing!
"Come on!" I roared as I punched it harder for the same effect. After a few minutes, I finally popped it.
EXP +1
"Huh? What's this?" I blinked at the number that appeared in my vision. Another screen popped up to answer me.
Help
Experience and Levels
By killing a creature, experience points are rewarded. Once enough experience points are collected, one will go up a level. One's abilities grows as they go up in levels. However, only the heroes are not capped on the number of levels they can grow.
"So I can get stronger by killing things?" I shuddered at that train of thought.
"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked as he picked up the Balloon skin and studied it.
"The shield… No, Tate-chan says when I kill things, I gain experience which can raise this level thingie to make me stronger."
"Tate-chan?"
"She seems alive." I found the Help section in the odd icons. "She has a manual on how to use her." I gasped out as various plates appeared. I skimmed through them, but it seemed I needed to grow the shield to make it stronger. To do that I needed to level up and feed Tate-chan materials.
I wonder…
"It absorbed it." Iruka-sensei gasped as I took the skin and fed it into the gem of Tate-chan.
"See… I'm the Shield Hero." I beamed with pride.
"But… Is this an illusion?" I watched Iruka-sensei put his hands together. I felt something weird in his body before he opened his eyes. He then bit his wounded finger, hard, before he let out a sigh. "How… can we be in another world?"
"I… actually don't know." I put my fingers to my forehead and thought hard. I remembered the Sword Hero was strong. The Bow Hero did not tolerate injustice. The Spear Hero was loyal to his companions and protected them…
"I can't remember how they were brought into this world," I whimpered in horror. "Worse, most of the story is a blur to me. I only remember bits and pieces!"
"That's expected. You were never the best when it comes to reading."
"Meanie!" I blown a raspberry at my sensei.
"Well, if we are in another world… Our money is useless." I felt the blood drain from my face. "Maybe we should have stayed where we were?"
"Ah!" I smacked my hand into my palm. "The bitch princess!"
"Naruto!"
"No, no. There was this princess that was mean and tricked the heroes into constantly fighting each other." I grimance with remembering that detail. "I do remember a little about that, so it probably was a good thing we left that castle."
"I see," Iruka-sensei glanced at the Balloons. "You want me to pop those for you?"
"Nah. It will be faster if I used a kunai." I yanked out a kunai from my holster and the instant I grabbed it… Sparks lit my hand and I dropped the throwing knife. "What the?!"
Rule Violation
A weapon other than the assigned Legendary Weapon was held.
"Rule violation?" I held my smoldering hand as another message popped up.
Help
The Legendary Weapon Holder may not hold a weapon with the intent to fight unless it is the Legendary Weapon.
"I can only fight with Tate-chan?!" I yelled out and the phrase seemed to flash to stress the message.
"That's… inconvenient." Iruka-sensei pulled out a kunai and popped the Balloons with simple swings. "Huh? What that-The hell is this?!" Iruka-sensei reeled back and stared into space. "Level up?"
"You see the strange things as well?" Iruka-sensei nodded. "Did you level up?"
"Yes. It says I'm level 2 now."
"But I didn't go up in level." I pouted before another Balloon bounced at me. "Hiyaah!" I slammed Tate-chan into it and dug it into the ground. I squished it over and over till it popped.
Nothing.
Another balloon, another session of smashing and punching. By the twentieth balloon…
Level Up!
Lv. 2
Max HP 167
Max MP 100
Max SP 100
Attack 1
Magic Power 16
Physical Defense 39
Magic Defense 29
Dexterity 18
"Finally!" I grinned only to find Iruka-sensei with his arms crossed and worry all over his face. I noticed the position of the sun had changed and gulped. "How long?"
"Quite a bit." Iruka-sensei held up his kunai and sliced down a Balloon that tried to bite me from behind. "Let me handle the creatures for now. You absorb them into your shield."
"Gotcha." I sheepishly laughed as I plucked a Balloon off me and held it up for Iruka-sensei.
By nightfall, Iruka-sensei was at level 3 and I unlocked two shields. We found a creek with getting close to the forest.
"Ha! Got one!" I held tightly onto the fish I caught with my bare hands.
"Good, good. Bring it over-Huh?" Iruka-sensei and I saw Tate-chan's gem glow. "Wait, try absorbing it into your shield."
"But what about dinner?"
"Just do it." I let Tate-chan eat the fish and I was surprised I unlocked a new shield: the Fish Shield.
"How do I-" I found an icon shaped like a shield and opened it up to expose a huge web of various shields. The highlighted ones were as followed.
Small Shield
abilities unlocked Defense+3
Orange Small Shield
abilities locked equip bonus: Defense +2
Yellow Shield
abilities locked equip bonus: Defense +2
Fish Shield
abilities locked equip bonus: Fishing Skill 1
"Fishing Skill 1?" I asked aloud and the Help screen popped up.
Mastery Bonus
When a shield is used for a while to achieve a certain level of proficiency, it will grant its wielder permanent bonuses.
So that was why the Small Shield said "abilities unlocked." I was curious of the Fish Shield and selected it from the web.
"Fish Shield," Tate-chan glowed and morphed into a wooden shield with fish carvings in it. "Whoa! It actually changed!"
"How did you do that, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei asked in awe.
"I just imagined the shield and it transformed!" I hummed out before I blinked. Little triangles popped up above the water surface. "Could those be…" I launched myself into the water and snatched up two fishes with aiming for the triangles.
"Amazing!" I tossed the fish to Iruka-sensei and caught several more with ease.
"Naruto! That's enough!" I looked back and sheepishly smiled at the arm full of fish Iruka-sensei struggled with. "This is more than enough for us and our guests."
"Guests?" I came out of the water and felt my stomach dropped. Someone was watching us. "How long?"
"Since we left that castle." Iruka-sensei went to work putting the fish onto sticks and putting them on a small grill set he had pulled out of a cool storage scroll. "They are clearly ninja of high skill."
"So, what are we going to do about-" I jumped when a person appeared on the ground before me. "-Them?" The person had their head low in a bow.
"Sir Shield Hero, please hear me out, I daresay." The person said as she lifted her head to expose a bird like mask covering her eyes. She wore dark clothing I expected from infiltration specialists.
Oh crap. They were the ANBU of this world.
"Why are you following me?" I demanded while trying not to show how frighten I was.
"First of all, allow me to apologize for my country summoning you." The masked lady bowed her head again. "My liege is currently out of the country to figure out who would summon who when the King summoned all four of you heroes here, I daresay."
"Huh? There were three others?" I paled at realizing Iruka-sensei and I left three other "summonees" back at the castle.
"Yes. However, they are safe and I am glad you ran away, Sir Shield Hero." The masked lady said in a serious tone. "The King likely summoned you for nefarious reasons, I daresay."
"Ne… Nefarious?" I asked.
"Bad, Naruto." Iruka-sensei said as he stood up.
"What do you mean and why are you telling me when he is your king?" I demanded as my anger rose.
"I am my Liege's Shadow, not her king's." The masked lady huffed a little in frustration. "My fellow Shadows are investigating exactly what is going on. My team and I went after you to ensure your safety when you were carried off by… that Shadow over there, I daresay." The masked lady looked at Iruka-sensei.
"Iruka-sensei is my teacher." The masked lady flinched in shock. "We ended up here together."
"Is he a hero as well?" The masked lady whispered before I saw Iruka-sensei on edge.
"Naruto… You can understand what that kunoichi is saying?" Iruka-sensei asked with his hand ready to snatch a kunai from his holster.
"Yeah. Isn't she speaking clearly?" I cocked my head in confusion.
"He doesn't understand me." The masked lady said with a firm frown. "Then he is not a hero…. I gravely apologized for bringing your teacher into our world's affairs, I daresay."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Only the heroes can understand and speak any language due to the Legendary Weapons." My eyes widen in shock. "It seems due to the King's foolishness, your teacher was dragged with you into the danger of this world., I daresay."
"Danger?" I asked before it hit me. "The Waves of Catastrophe?"
"Correct." The masked lady confirmed my growing fear. "The Dragon's Hourglass's sand falls steadily for the next wave. We estimated we have a month roughly before the next Wave, I daresay."
"And I have to get strong enough to face the Waves?" The masked lady nodded. "Yet, why? How can four heroes save the world?"
"The heroes can become far stronger than normal people." The masked lady then pumped her fist with a straight face. "However, to think one of the heroes would be a fellow Shadow. I am honored to meet you, I daresay."
"But, that could also mean you could be lying." I seethed. I thought back to Mizuki and his betrayal.
"I understand," The masked lady gave a soft, small smile. "We Shadows are not a trusting lot. At least let me assist you as I don't know all the King has done to prepare for summoning all four heroes, I daresay."
"Well…" I looked at my clothing. The townsfolk and even this kunoichi was dressed differently to what Iruka-sensei and I wore. Thankfully, we could still blend into the crowd, but if people were really looking for us…
"Ask and I will do anything in my power to assist, I daresay."
"Clothes and money." Iruka-sensei and the masked lady looked at me in shock. "Just enough for Iruka-sensei and I can survive on to get ourselves together."
"That is doable, I daresay." The masked lady jumped back and disappeared into the shadows.
"So… What did she say?" Iruka-sensei asked and I explained to him all what the masked lady told me. We decided to sleep in shifts… Yet, the ninja in this world were truly indeed skilled.
We found clothing, a sack of silver coins, and other supplies laid out near us when we ate leftover fish for breakfast and no Shadow in sight.
"Iruka and Naruto," The man in plated armor looked over the papers we had and nodded. "You may pass."
"Thank you." I took the papers and gotten a stern frown from the man. "Oh, do you know where we can sell these?" I showed the armored man the leftover Balloon skins.
"There are various merchants who buy monster loot in the main square." The armored man blandly spoke and I took it at face value.
"He didn't seem too happy," Iruka-sensei said as we walked through the streets.
"I know." And it wasn't due to Tate-chan. I had an odd katana that had blades on both sides and just a bit bigger than the knife on my hip. I could use it as an utility knife and hide Tate-chan in one of her other forms. Iruka-sensei had a longer katana on his hip as well as we wore together simple shirts and pants of muted colors. "Must not like guard duty."
"Maybe," Iruka-sensei sighed. We followed the crowd to the streets lined with stalls and shops. It didn't take us long to find a seller of travel rations and preserved foods.
"How may I help you, good sir?" The stall owner looked at Iruka-sensei.
"We need some rations." The stall owner blinked and looked down at me. "How much is a week's worth?"
"Boy, I'm talking to this gentleman." I flinched at the man's scolding tone. "Sorry, sorry. This little demi is quite rude."
"What did he say?" Iruka looked at me as my face felt hot.
"Wait a…"
"Sorry for taking your precious time, sir." I took Iruka-sensei's hand and went back to search for another stall. "Demi?" I whispered as I found a stall with what looked to be preserved meats and various foods. "Ah, good day, sir. Do you sell travel rations?"
"Yes, I-" The instant the man looked at me, his eyes turned hot. "Sorry. I don't serve Demi-humans. Get away from my stall, you filth."
"Y-Yes, sir." I left with Iruka-sensei and it was the same with other stalls till one finally sold us some preserved meat and vegetables for a silver coin.
"Hm. Boy, you're sure the oddest demi-human I ever seen." The lady said as she packaged our goods. "You look almost human."
"Demi-human?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Huh? Aren't you one with those whiskers?" The lady came from behind the stall and rubbed my cheeks. "They aren't real whiskers?!"
"Yeah. They are birthmarks."
"Oh! I'm so sorry for confusing you for a Demi!" She then looked at Iruka-sensei. "You should be careful with your son. Someone might try and sell him into slavery!"
"Slavery?!" I recoiled from her.
"What does she mean, Naruto?" Iruka-sensei demanded and the lady's eyes widened.
"Oh, dear. Your father doesn't speak Melromarc?"
"Ah, yeah. He doesn't," I quickly recovered. "Why would I be enslaved?"
"You look a lot like a Demi-human when you squint like that," The lady said with a bit of worry. "Add in those birthmarks and anyone not paying attention closely would think you were a Demi-human, dear. Seeing your ears tells me you are human."
"So I look like a Demi-human?" I frown when she nodded to me. "Thanks. I didn't realize that."
"No, no. I'm just glad you know before someone tried selling you into slavery. You might want to get a haircut and maybe put some make-up over those birthmarks." The lady suggested and added a loaf of bread into our purchase. "Melromarc isn't kind to Demi-humans."
"Good to know." We shifted away from the stalls and I told Iruka-sensei what happened.
"Demi-human?" Iruka-sensei asked as he sealed the food away in scrolls. We rested in an alleyway, away from the hustle and bustle of the streets. "Why would they think you are this demi-human thing? You're human."
"She said my birthmarks make me look like one." I answered as I rubbed my whiskers. "Do you have some make-up?"
"No, but we can see if there is a make-up seller." Iruka-sensei sighed out, "I rather not chance the people here being able to see through transformations."
"Am… I not human?" Iruka-sensei looked at me in shock. "Mizuki… He said…" I bit my lip.
Did… Did Iruka-sensei lose anyone to the Nine-Tailed Fox?
I shifted nervously when he got closer to me.
"To me, you are Uzumaki Naruto, no matter whatever you are." Iruka-sensei ruffled my hair as my eyes went wide. "Mizuki… was sort of right, but to me, you're not the fox."
"So… I am the fox in human form?" I whimpered out as I thought back at how the villagers reacted to me… And how different their now clearly ice cold, fear-filled hatred differed from the heated hatred these people who thought I was a demi-human had towards me.
I take the ice cold hatred over the heated hatred any day.
"I don't really know." Iruka-sensei knelled down to my eye level. "All I know is the Fourth Hokage sealed the fox and you are the seal. I don't understand the concept well enough to know for sure… What I do understand is you are a person, not the fox that attacked twelve years ago."
"But… It still means I'm not human." I gripped my pants and fought back the tears. "What… have I done?" All my pranks… Weren't I just adding salt to the wounds? Would they ever let a cold blooded murderer like me even become a ninja? Let alone even think of me as Hokage material?
Why me?
Why did the Fourth Hokage bound me into this form?
"I don't know," Iruka-sensei repeated as he patted my head. "But, to me, you are just as human as me." Tears went down my cheeks. "I… was the class clown when I was your age. I just don't want you to make the same mistakes I had when I was younger."
"So… That's why even when Mizuki suggested the pass…"
"Yeah… But, I guess I now have plenty of one on one time with you to make you a ninja worth the title of Hokage." Iruka-sensei grinned back at me.
"Gotcha." I nodded as I wiped the tears away before I laughed. "Though, I might be the first Hokage unable to pop a Balloon." Iruka-sensei snorted before he barked into laughter. I grinned, but still felt a bit… empty…
Oh, well, if Iruka-sensei was happy, then so was me.
"Why would I sell make-up to a demi-human!"
"Agh! Retreat!" Iruka-sensei and I ran out of the fourth beauty product shop.
"And stay out!" The lady huffed and slammed the door in our faces."
"What did demi-humans do for this kind of treatment?" Iruka-sensei sighed out as I caught a glimpse of an odd group. There was a guy with the spear. He looked like a normal civilian from back home… But he had four ladies in various combat attires all around him.
"Lord Motoyasu! I recommend this place!" The cute red hair swordswoman pointed to a shop with a sign that had two katana crossing over a shield.
"Awesome! Let's get us some gear!" The group entered the shop and I led Iruka-sensei to it. It was filled with weapons and various armors.
"I think… that guy is one of the other heroes." I said as Iruka-sensei and I watched the group talked to the large weaponsmith.
"He's speaking Fire," Iruka-sensei said as the weaponsmith recommended chainmail to the young man. "He says he has a lot of leveling to do."
"How much money does he have?" I whispered with seeing the other ladies getting gear as well.
"It seems your share was divided out to the other heroes." Iruka-sensei lip read. "He says… No, it seems it is best not to see him as an ally."
"Huh? Why?" I raised an eyebrow before I saw the spear guy go over near the spears on the wall. He touched them and then smirked. A smirk that grown into a grin by the time he touched every spear.
"Weapon copy?" Iruka-sensei whispered out before he grabbed my wrist. "Let's go inside."
"Okay." I wanted a closer look at my fellow hero. We entered the shop and the spear guy and his group looked at us.
"Ugh. Why is a lowly demi-human here?" The red hair swordswoman growled. She wore a white armor with a fancy sword on her hip. The other ladies also looked at me with contempt.
"Oh, hello," The spear guy gave a friendly smile at us. "You are also here for gear?"
"Sort of," I answered as I glanced around and brimmed with joy. "Yes. They got it." I looked at the various mantles and capes.
"Hm? May I help you?" The weaponsmith said as he finished the transaction with the group of five.
"We like each a sturdy mantle," I said as I held up two fingers. "How much for leather armor?"
"Hm? About fifty silver for both of ya." The weaponsmith said and I looked to Iruka-sensei.
"We have thirty silver and some copper."
"Damn. Not enough," I hissed. "Could we just get some sturdy clothing along with the mantles for, say, a silver?"
"Sure. And it cleans out some of my back stock I had collecting dust," The weaponsmith grinned.
"Why are you servicing a filthy demi-human?" One of the girls snarled.
"Hm? That kid is no demi-human." The weaponsmith laughed. "I've seen plenty to tell the difference."
"Oh, well. A demi-human is still a demi-human." The red hair swordswoman snorted. "Let's go to the fields and train, Lord Motoyasu."
"Yeah. Best go and test out this new gear!" The spear guy laughed as his group exited the shop.
"Jeez. Sorry kid. Melromarc isn't too fond to demi-humans. Even to lookalikes." The weaponsmith shrugged and sighed.
"No problem," I said before I had an idea. "Do you buy weapons?"
"Sure I do," Shuriken would be obvious, so I pulled out all the kunai in my holster. "Throwing knives, huh? Let me see them." I put the kunai on the counter. The weaponsmith pulled out a looking glass from his apron and held it over his eye. The lens of the looking glass glowed yellow and he looked over the kunai.
"What the?" The weaponsmith dropped the looking glass and stared at the kunai. "Other world… Don't tell me your one of the heroes!"
"Ssssh!" I put a finger over my mouth to try and shut the weaponsmith up. Who knows whose Shadows lurked!
"Huh? Why don't- Oh! Are you the dud one, the Shield Hero?"
"Gagh!" I ruffled my hair in frustration. "How? How did you know?"
"Your blades say they are from another world." I had a blank look on my face. "And you have a shield with your blade."
"Jeez. Way for me to blow it." I smacked my face and Iruka-sensei put his hand on my shoulder. "So, what are you going to do? Turn me to the King?"
"Huh?" The weaponsmith cocked his head. "Sure, rumors of the Shield being a lame duck has been going around, but why would I turn you over to the knights?"
"Because Iruka-sensei and I ran from… our summoners?" I think that was the right term. "We were in the middle of a battle when… Whoosh, we were in this dark room, so we ran."
"Well, that explains some things." The weaponsmith chuckled. "Then again, you were dragged from your world to this one to save it. Your reaction makes sense to me."
"So?"
"I won't tell anyone." The weaponsmith gave me a thumbs up. "How about I trade you that leather armor for these blades as I don't know what to price them. If you keep coming back, I'll give you discounts since you are all on your… Wait, who is your pal?"
"Iruka-sensei. He got dragged to this world with me."
"Pleasure to me you." Iruka-sensei bowed and the weaponsmith went wide-eyed.
"No wonder you are wary. I never heard of someone that is not a hero being summoned with the heroes." The weaponsmith said as he went through some crates. "At least you have an ally you can trust."
"Indeed." I nodded as the weaponsmith pulled a small breastplate from the crate.
"A little old, but it should fit you, Little Shield."
"I ain't little!" I puffed my cheeks out in frustration but took the breastplate without fuss. Iruka-sensei is also gotten one that was on display on one of the mannequins.
"Now you look the part." The weaponsmith grinned at me as I put on a mantle and buried my chin into the fabric. "Ha ha. That's one way to deal with people confusing you for a demi-human."
"What's a demi-human, anyway?" I asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"They look kinda human, but have extra features like tails and such." The weaponsmith sighed. "They are technically the same as humans, yet this place sees them closer as monsters."
"I… see." So I might be a demi-human after all. It might be what the Fourth Hokage turned me into.
"Well, you need anything else?"
"No. Thank you so much!" I grinned back at the weaponsmith before we left the weapon shop with a better outlook.
I didn't realize my story was only just beginning.
This is the story of the savior who delivered the sacred beasts.
The savior who wielded a mighty shield.