Storm over Blackwater Bay

Naruto left the Stone Drum and turned towards the gates leading out of the castle, his bow and three arrows in his right hand while the left remained empty. He slowly stretched out the fingers of that hand before relaxing them and then stretching them again.

The inner two gates were still open, allowing him to pass beyond them without issue. Should the first wall fall, the defenders still capable of doing so would retreat behind the second, only to repeat the process with the third and innermost wall should it become necessary. That would not be the case today.

A heavy wooden bar closed the outermost gate from the inside, with a solid iron portcullis presenting an additional line of defence. Naruto ignored both and ascended the nearby steps to the top of the wall.

Men waited or made final preparations while others carefully watched the horizon, hoping for some glimpse of the coming danger. Bolts and arrows rustled as sheaves were moved around and placed within easy reach of the crossbowmen and archers.

The morning fog was thick and wide-spread, more than enough to hide ships inside it, if not entire fleets. Bad conditions for ranged weapons, but the higher position of the castle meant that the last approach was clearly visible, even if the shoreline wasn't. Naruto did not need his eyes right now, to know what was out there in the water.

"Damned fog," Ser Mandrew, the captain of Dragonstone's guards, muttered next to him, leaning forward, gauntleted hands gripping onto the top of one of the grotesques serving as merlons.

"You have fought in fog before?" Naruto asked in a moment of idle curiosity. He had spent time with many of the soldiers on Dragonstone, Ser Mandrew among them, but discussing past battles wasn't always a popular topic of conversation.

"Aye, on Bloodstone." The man glanced at him for a moment. "The sellswords and pirates were already inclined to hide, and foggy days made it even more unbearable. Sometimes you couldn't even see your own bloody sword."

"I know the feeling," Naruto answered absently, eyes fixed on the horizon, where the ships would be barely within view by now.

Enough waiting.

"Take care of any stragglers that make it to shore, would you?"

"What do yo–" Before Ser Mandrew could finish his question Naruto vaulted over the battlements to land outside the walls, knees bending to absorb the impact.

"Have you gone mad?" came the shout from above, but he did not turn, only waving the man off from over his shoulder before he entered the first tendril of fog clinging to the descending path.

Naruto walked the simple road to the docks and the small village situated there at a relaxed pace, thinking of memories years old by now. He could not see far, but it did not bother him much. It had been no lie when he had said that he knew the feeling.

The village was mostly abandoned, the people having fled for the castle or another part of the island or even the coast of the mainland, except for the most stubborn of them, who had barred windows and doors and hid themselves in their homes.

There were usually ships and boats all over the place, but now there were only those vessels belonging to Dragonstone itself floating in the harbour, moored some ways away.

Naruto stepped onto one of the docks and continued to walk, before finally coming to a stop at the very end, only water beyond where he now stood.

The fog and the wet air and the water, the sound of waves lapping the shore. It all brought him back to Tazuna and the Land of Waves. To the bridge, and the young boy Inari gripped with grief for his dead father. To Zabuza and Haku, and his first real taste of the danger of battle and being a Shinobi.

What did it mean that he now found himself in the same situation again? Fog hid the world and there were people behind him he wanted to protect, only this time, if anything, he was the hunter.

He had doubts and reservations, but this was neither the time nor the place for them.

Tipping his head back, Naruto looked up at the sky. Morning circled above him, and he knew that Ashara was likely keeping a close eye on everything from up there. It felt good, in a way, to be worried about, even if it was unnecessary.

With a deep breath that smelled of salt and rain, of brimstone and ash, Naruto took another step forward. The soles of his boots touched water and he did not sink. Then he fell into a run.

Water splashed with his steps, and he felt a familiar sort of anticipation growing inside himself as he moved closer, even if he could not see the ships. Minutes later, when the fog had lessened in thickness, the shadows and shapes in front solidified into the rounded prow of a ship.

There were more on both sides, making eight in total, slowly cutting their way through the water and towards Dragonstone. They brought war with them, but the men on them had a good reason for their actions. A reason he agreed with.

But Dragonstone did not need to be their target.

He beckoned for the water in the air with the barest touch of chakra, in a moment of inspiration copying the same hand-seals he remembered from Zabuza. His right hand in front, two fingers extending away from his bow and arrows and his left hand raised up to the sky.

Fog thickened again, just slightly. Enough so that he could move unseen for a moment longer.

A chakra-enhanced jump allowed Naruto to clear the height of the ship right in front of him. Quietly landing on the wooden railing, he looked around. He could see a few men on the ship he was now on, the fog obscuring their shapes but not their presence.

Sticking himself to the line connecting the very tip of the prow to the top of the mast Naruto ran up, but before he reached the crow's nest he hopped onto the horizontal wooden bar at the top of the sail. There was a lookout at the top of the mast, trying to pierce the fog with a far-eye, but he ignored the man for now.

Standing to his full height Naruto made his choice. This was giving up the element of surprise, an action a calculating part of him named folly. But these men deserved a chance.

It was quiet except for the smooth sound of water being parted by wood and the wind rolling in the large pieces of canvas. Pitching his voice to carry, he addressed the eight ships.

"Men of the Vale!" Naruto called, piercing the silence, prodding the wind to carry his words far and wide. "Your plans have been discovered! Dragonstone is prepared to defend itself! The men responsible for this war are not here!"

There was movement next to him as well as below, men reacting to the sudden words with surprise and unrest, shouting for comrades and grabbing for weapons that had been left within reach before.

"Strike your sails and you will be left in peace! If you do not, your lives are forfeit! You will not reach Dragonstone's shores uncontested!" he promised, peripherals keeping track of the look-out in the nearby crow's nest. There was most likely a bow or crossbow to hand.

Ashara's counts through Morning's eyes put the total number of soldiers somewhere above five hundred. Men that did not need to die for nothing.

But he had said his piece, had drawn his line. Had given them the choice.

Their fate was in their own hands now.

Taking one of the three arrows he had brought Naruto notched the projectile and waited. The lookout had noticed his position by now and was hastily grabbing for whatever weapon he had brought up to the crow's nest with him.

"To arms!" someone bellowed below him, followed by the sound of dozens of men reacting to the command, grabbing weapons and armour, or searching for the nearest sergeant to give them exact orders. "The enemy is near!"

A horn blew, long and loud, echoing across the water and calling for battle.

More shouting followed, from the other ships, and hundreds of men readied themselves for combat against foes they could not see.

Naruto released his frustration and doubts in a deep breath and relaxed the hold his chakra had on the fog. They had made their choice.

The metal clang of a crossbow being cocked sounded from his side and Naruto closed his heart.

He drew his bow, aimed with a glance, and released the shaft in a smooth motion he had spent moons to master. Iron tip met flesh and then there was fletching sprouting from the lookout's throat, leaving the man to die slowly in his crow's nest.

Notching another arrow Naruto changed direction with a twist, his balance on the thin wood a matter of reflex and not of conscious thought.

There were four boats on this side of his own.

Drawing his bow, he called on his chakra, sharpening, grinding, and making the arrow more than it had been. Widening the impact, strengthening its penetration. In the lightening fog none of the sails moved but for the sea breeze.

A heartbeat later he loosened the second shaft, his target not any man, but the outermost ship itself. Wood had no choice but to yield beneath his wind, and the arrow punched through the outer hull on his side and then exited the ship on the other below the waterline, leaving behind two holes big enough for a head to fit through.

Water would enter the hull, leaving the ship to sink if the crew did not manage to fix the holes quick enough. If they did not… Likely, some of the men were already armoured, some not, but with or without, it was unlikely that any would be able to swim all the way to shore.

It was simply too far. Only the sea could save them.

Naruto could have done the same thing with the remaining arrow, but despite all his efforts his chakra was still far from limitless, and he had another use in mind for most of what remained. He still needed enough to get back to shore himself too.

He could not see sigils or the flow of command through the fog, to take out anyone important with a well-aimed arrow, but he needed his hands free for a moment. Well, there was one easily identifiable target nearby.

Notching the last of the arrows he had brought, he drew and took aim at the lookout of the next ship on the side that had remained untouched until now. The fog was still thick enough to hide everything but his silhouette, but that was all he needed.

Dragonbone flexed once his fingers were no longer holding the string, propelling the arrow forward at high speeds. The tip found its target in the lookout's neck, and another man died.

Grabbing for a kunai he drove the steel into the wood he was balancing on, and then left his bow dangling from the grip, the blade buried deep enough not to budge even with the added weight.

That done Naruto let himself drop, right hand grabbing for his sword even as he was still falling. The wind was his to command, but he was still much better when strengthening a motion than when he was creating one whole cloth.

His feet hit the railing, steel met the air, and he raised his sword high, chakra already gathering. He needed sharpness and force here, and enough power to bridge the distance. The fourth ship had been out of range, but the three that remained were close enough.

Left hand braced against the flat of his blade, Naruto relaxed his hold on the wind slightly. It roared up in a spiral around the steel, making the sword two feet longer, only his will keeping it from scattering away. It was more than half the chakra he could bring to bear and the most destructive thing he could currently accomplish.

Squaring his shoulders, Naruto made the cut and let wind tear.

With a howl the wind screamed forward like a blade all its own, fog dispersing before the superior might. The ships were hard wood, made to withstand the fury of the sea.

They stood no chance at all.

Wood split with nary a sound, and then the ships were ships no more. With a groan of wood all three hulls parted along the line he had slashed, and men screamed in pain and then fear, as their vessels began capsizing and the sea rose to meet them.

Behind him, someone approached.

Naruto heard the creak of wood, the rustle of mail, and he turned around without truly thinking about it, right hand already moving to intercept the sword coming for his head with his own blade.

Steel met and he struck out with his left hand. The strike to the throat had the man choking for breath regardless of the loose mail collar, opening a window. Twisting the two locked blades Naruto opened the Grafton man's guard and lashed out with a kick to the knee.

Bone and cartilage yielded, the leg gave out, and the man died with a kunai punching through both the hand clutching at his windpipe and the top of the mail collar underneath. Naruto ignored the blood splattered on his glove and moved on. People never died pretty.

There was chaos of an entirely different sort happening on this ship, men running around in disorder as they tried to face a threat they still thought to be coming from the sea, the fog having obscured the short altercation.

To hide their exact numbers, the men from Vale had in large part been hidden in the hold below deck. Now, men were forcing their way onto the deck, as orders were shouted into the confusion and men searched the surrounding waters for enemy ships only to find none.

"Spears and bows, men!" someone called nearby, and Naruto had his next target. He faded into the fog still clinging to the deck, moving away from the spot where his wind had cleared the air in the direction of the sinking ships. "Prevent boarding!"

Men gathered to the commands, forming up at the railing as commanded, but they found no enemy ships to loosen a volley at, or men trying to jump from one deck to another through the fog.

But they were looking towards the sea now, and the other ships that were still intact. Their commander wore mail and a helmet, making the man better protected than most of the others on deck.

Even though his words had alerted the crews to his presence, few had been able to armour themselves as they usually would when facing combat. Donning plate in full took longer than he had given them until now, but throwing on some protection was better than nothing.

For the most part, mail or padded cloth were the only things standing in his way, and against that he didn't even need the wind.

Still, he exchanged his sword for his dagger. Reflex still made him reach for a kunai, but he had a moment for deliberate actions and the spell-forged metal would find no resistance at piercing anything he would encounter or have any chance of dulling.

Naruto was one man among many on the deck, no more noticeable than a leaf in the treetops, and that allowed him to move unhindered until he was right behind the man in Grafton colours shouting orders. He could not say who the man was exactly, despite the colours and sigil.

Perhaps it was Marq Grafton, as the letters had claimed the leader of these men to be, or perhaps it was somebody else claiming the same blood and lineage.

It didn't matter to him.

He moved to strike, Valyrian steel placed to slide through the mail beneath the arm and right into the heart.

"Enemy on deck!" came the bellowing shout from where Naruto had come from, changing the focus of the men from the Vale.

"Enemy o–hrk!" His target managed no more in his attempt to repeat the words, breath driven from the stocky man's lungs in a grunt as metal found the heart. The man would die in seconds, but Naruto had more important things to focus on now.

Strangled words behind you would attract any man's attention, and when you were on a battlefield with an enemy in your lines, even more so.

Men turned to face him, different sigils and colours on their breasts or arms or the rare shield.

The first man was still surprised and unprepared when Naruto cut him down, as were the second and the third. A kick threw the fourth back into his comrades, giving him enough room to turn and block the mace screaming towards him by putting his vambrace in the path of the wooden haft.

A punch to the throat put the man in Royce colours out of commission for now and Naruto continued to move. He was outnumbered to the extreme, his only chance of success staying on the move and using the fog to obscure his movements on the deck.

More people met him as he continued to move, and the fog subtly thickened as the wind continued to bring the ships closer to Dragonstone.

Instinct took over and thoughts faded away among the song of steel, as he cut down man after man. His arms and legs simply moved, following the patterns he had ingrained through hundreds of hours of practice and experience.

Men fought and struggled in the confusion and chaos. And they fell.

By the time he slowed, blood caked his gloves and armour. Men he had not counted, dead beneath his steel. But he did not allow himself to think about that.

There were more in front of him, still standing, still living. But not willing to fight him anymore. They had thrown down their arms, the corpses that littered the deck visible even through the fog.

The closest man's eyes widened in panic, something moved behind Naruto, and feathers cut through the fog. He turned around, ready to defend and turn whatever attack was coming at him around, but there was no need to bother.

Brown feathers filled his vision, wings covering the attacker from his sight in a brutal embrace as knife-like talons ripped into flesh. The Valeman screamed in agony, arms flailing around in an attempt to stop the pain, but Morning had found a grip and would not be dislodged easily, lashing out with her beak again and again as her talons tightened, legs straining and trying to crack bone.

Stepping forward, Naruto grabbed a hold of one of the struggling arms and buried Valyrian steel through the simple gambeson stitched with black studs on bronze. The Royce man died quickly after, though Morning continued to scold as she violently ripped herself free from the man's face.

With a flap of powerful wings she gripped onto his arm, bloody talons clanging against his reddened vambrace. Gold-rimmed black met his eyes and Naruto could see the human worry there.

"Thank you," he said simply, trying for the barest of smiles. "But stay above from now. I'm nearly done."

After holding his gaze for a moment longer, Morning spread her wings and flew, rapidly gaining height with every flap of feathers.

Naruto turned towards the surrendered men and picked out the first that looked to be in any kind of charge. He was not the only one to look terrified, an expression that only increased once the man realised that Naruto was moving towards him.

"You," he said dispassionately, pointing at the man with his bloody dagger. "Tell everyone else to stand down. Strike your sails or turn your ships around. I don't care to repeat myself again. You won't reach Dragonstone."

His piece said, Naruto looked around for a moment, before walking off. The lull in combat made dark thoughts try to worm their way to the forefront of his mind, but he ignored them for now. This wasn't over, not quite yet.

Climbing the rigging, he ascended the mast, senses alert for any further attempts at resistance. But there were none, and soon the confusion of trying to find the person in charge and someone who could act as captain began.

At the top of the mast Naruto collected his bow and kunai, eyes moving first to one side of the ship and then the other. Even through the fog the difference was clear.

The three ships on one side were unharmed, the men aboard largely oblivious to the exact situation, while those that had been on the other side were nowhere to be seen.

He hoped that the first three would follow along in abandoning their plans, though whether for their sake or his own, Naruto wasn't sure.

Shouts echoed across the water, and then the same horn that had announced combat at the start sounded again, two long blasts calling for a retreat. He felt the ship change direction slightly and exhaled a grateful breath, the remaining adrenaline leaving him in a rush.

Descending the line he had used to climb up the first time around, Naruto jumped down, boots splashing against the surface of the water and then he was running.

Somehow, the way seemed longer this time, though it was considerably shorter, and yet it passed for too quickly for his tastes. He stepped onto the dock with numb legs, vision going grey for a moment and nausea filling his stomach.

There was someone else nearby, coughing their lungs out and struggling to breath. A foe, Naruto knew, one of the lucky ones. He left the man be.

A sea breeze blew, gently ruffling his hair, but instead of sea and salt and fish, he could only smell blood. He swallowed the taste, forcing it away, but the dark thoughts remained.

Naruto walked up the beach in a daze, simply putting one foot in front of the other, blind to his surroundings. He felt horrified, of himself, of what he had just done.

He hated killing, always had, but he was good at it, especially in this world.

Maybe too good.

The outer gate was opened and the portcullis raised when he reached the wall, and no one stopped him as he walked beneath the murder holes, simply letting him pass unhindered. They only watched silently.

Naruto could see the fear in the looks he received, in the way men tried to hurriedly make space for him as he passed, in the eerie quiet of the castle. He did not think he had ever wanted anything less than to be feared by others.

But that derisive whisper did not matter right now, not really. There was only thing he wanted to see right now, one certainty for him to grasp and hold onto.

He heard the quick steps coming towards him before he had passed the second gate, growing louder with every moment.

"Naruto."

His eyes focused and he saw Ashara, completely fine. Unharmed and untouched, only the way she had to squint even over the short distance serving as a reminder of the way she herself had participated in the carnage.

Stepping close, Naruto bowed his head until his forehead was leaning against her shoulder, and then he closed his eyes. He didn't want to talk right now, not even to her.

Everything was too much, and Naruto felt like a stranger in his own body, but this was helping, slightly. Simple quiet, and knowing that he had at least succeeded in his goal. All that violence had not been entirely senseless.

Ashara's arms rose to gently encircle his head, a comfort he accepted eagerly. Her breath was warm against his ear, as was the whisper that followed. "My champion."

Waves broke against the cliffs below him, his legs dangling over Dragonstone's rocky southern edge. Here, Naruto could not see the remains of broken ships and broken men drifting in the water, and the sunset was only a deep red glimmer in his peripherals.

Two dozen survivors, washed up on shore like even the sea did not want them, after he had demolished their ships or forced them overboard in the fighting.

What did it say about what he had done, that twenty men more or less did not truly change anything?

That had not been battle, not even really a fight in truth. He had slaughtered those men, plain and simple. What did it say about him, that he was capable of that?

Naruto drove a frustrated fist into the dark rocks at his side with a crunch, small cracks spreading from the impact because of the force he had used.

His knuckles burned and throbbed, but the pain was better at focusing his mind than any amount of deliberation had been, and he would be completely healed in minutes anyway.

He had been sitting here for hours now, alone with his thoughts, simply reflecting and trying to work out everything that was on his mind. Mostly, he had not gotten very far.

Reaching for one of the pouches at his belt, Naruto retrieved his headband. The black cloth was soft against his calloused skin and the metal a cool, steady comfort. He had not worn it since Qarth and it felt even less appropriate to do so now.

Would he have done that for Konoha? If there had been shinobi from Otogakure coming to attack, would he have killed them until they surrendered and fled? Would he have kept going if they hadn't?

Fingers tracing the leaf etched into the steel, he watched the waves crash against volcanic rock, sea spray wetting the air.

"Argh!" he cried in frustration, standing up and beginning to pace. Why did these things have to be so damn difficult?

"Naruto."

His eyes widened at the unexpected interruption and Naruto could not help a broad smile coming to his lips. He reached for his centre and pulled, and his surroundings changed in the blink of an eye.

Inside the seal everything was as it had been, no gates in sight, water lapping at his ankles, and Kurama's gigantic form sprawled out on the ground, limbs too thin, and presence dangerously weak.

His eyes were still closed too, but Kurama felt a little better than he had for two years.

"Kurama?"

"I'm awake," came the grumbled reply, with the smallest possible movement of the jaws.

A few long strides and Naruto was close enough to lay a hand on the side of Kurama's nose. "Man, you seriously had me worried for a while."

"And you are lucky there are no Yamanakas in this world, and that people do not know you harbour me." Kurama opened one crimson eye for a moment, anger and frustration warring with exhaustion in the ancient gaze. "You are stubborn, but I had not thought you incapable of adjusting. It annoys me, and you are doing us both a disservice."

Naruto matched Kurama's gaze and then had to suppress the reflex to reach up and scratch the back of his head, realising the truth in those words. "I am, aren't I?" He squared his shoulders and gave the fox a small, lopsided smile. "Thanks, I think I needed that."

Kurama closed his eye again. "Now leave me to my rest, this drained what little chakra I was able to store. And don't expect me to do this again."

Blinking his eyes, Naruto found himself back on the cliffs of Dragonstone, Kurama's intent heard loud and clear. No matter how much the old fox tried to pretend otherwise, deep down he was looking out for him in his own rough way.

He had been the one to do it, swinging steel of his own accord every time. Accept it and move on.

Naruto punched himself in the cheek for being an idiot. He knew the answers already.

He had been drifting, for a long time now. It was time for that to stop.

Running his thumb across the leaf symbol one more time, he plunged into the pool of his memories of home. Of the academy and Team Seven, of Tsunade and Jiraiya, of all the other members of his class. Ichiraku Ramen, the Hokage monument, the friends and allies he had made.

Good memories. Time he put them to rest. Time he went his own way.

He left the pool, took a deep breath, and flicked his wrist. His headband went flying, but Naruto did not see it get lost among the waves, already turning away on his way back to the castle.

There was something else he wanted to do, something he had spent much time on as well.

The path around the Dragonmont was long and treacherous for ordinary people, but jumping and climbing along the steep sides was no problem for him and it took only a few minutes for Dragonstone to come into view.

Instead of entering the castle normally Naruto took the most direct route, clambering up the walls with the lightest touch of chakra when necessary. He did the same with the Stone Drum, his goal clear in his mind.

When he had reached the right window Naruto grabbed onto the sill and pulled himself up and inside.

"Ashara," he said, attracting her attention. He had made no attempt to conceal his entrance and she was already turning her head towards him. She stood from her desk, where she had been pouring over a map of the Seven Kingdoms, small notes scratched into the parchment with ink.

"Are you well?" Ashara asked softly and without accusation, despite his long and unexplained absence after the events of the day.

Morning had seen him near noon, so Ashara had known where he was the whole time. But he had been left in peace, something Naruto was immensely grateful for.

He smiled, and felt his heartbeat quicken in his chest. "Yes. I am now."

"I'm glad."

Naruto hesitated for a last moment and then crossed the distance between them with two long strides.

He had never thought of himself as nervous, meeting unknown things with enthusiasm and a carefree smile, but in this moment he felt anxiety's grasp. He had thought long and hard about what to say, considered as many angles to the situation as he could, but in the end, there was only one thing he could do.

Speak from the heart.

Naruto took Ashara's soft hands in his own, thumbs gently stroking along the back for a moment, and met her expectant eyes.

"I have no name to give you, not one that would mean anything anyway, and no lands I call my own. The only thing I can offer you is myself. Who and what I am, to stand by your side in war and peace. If you would have me."

He grimaced for a moment, but he was sure of this, no matter his feelings on his own actions. "Your side, Ashara," he repeated. "I will not serve the king, and I don't yet know if I can do so for the prince either."

Waiting in the short silence that followed his words was one of the most nerve-wracking things he had ever done.

"Yes," Ashara breathed, an elated smile on her lips and joy sparkling in her eyes. He had never thought her more beautiful than now. "Yes, of course I would have you."

Naruto smiled too, wide and uncontrollable, feeling lighter than he had in some time. He did not know who moved first, but they were embracing a moment later, insistently sharing uncomplicated closeness with each other.

They both leaned back slightly, on some unseen signal, and their eyes met again. One of her hands lightly tugged at his hair, and Naruto was already moving forward on his own.

Ashara's lips were sweet against his own and kissing her was everything he had wanted it to be.

His left hand moved to the small of her back, pressing her body flush with his own, and it took more willpower than Naruto cared to admit not to go further.

Eventually, they were forced to separate, breaths coming quickly, but they did not break apart and he gently pressed his forehead against her own.

They stood like that for some time, simply content in each other's presence, before Ashara made a small correction to his former words, her voice a warm whisper shared between only them. "Our side, not mine."

I hope you enjoyed chapter 35. I was a lot faster than anticipated, so you get it on time, but there really won't be a chapter next week, unfortunately.

A cog would carry about 30 people ordinarily, but when used for military purposes they might carry upwards of 60 men. The biggest ship is more like a hulk, which is basically just a bigger cog.

Naval combat in the ancient time and middle ages differs a lot from pitched battles on land. For one, casuality counts are generally pretty low in medieval battles. A lot of people just flee. Sickness and infection killed way more people in war than actual battle. In naval warfare that changes. If you lose, either your ship sinks and you die, you die in the fighting, or you are taken prisoner. There is no running.

George says that only the Ironborn really wear armour on ships, because normal people are scared of drowning in the weight. During the assault on the Shield Islands, some Reachmen do, but it is noted as odd by Victarion. But people in medieval europe absolutely did wear armour on ships.

If you can't swim, or would never reach shore even if you can, why would you not wear armour? At least then you may avoid death during the actual fighting. That is the whole point of armour.

The Valemen in this chapter are partly armoured because they don't expect to fight at sea. They want to overwhelm Dragonstone's defenders after infiltrating the walls under a ruse, so some have already armoured themselves and some haven't because cogs are incredibly slow and Naruto took more than minute to reach them. They thought they had more time.

Obviously, Naruto is completely devastating in naval battles. Sinking ships without cannons, fire, or ramming them is actually pretty difficult, but that also means crews aren't as prepared to pump out water or quickly fix holes in the hull.

Golden Eagles are not only large but they have pretty big talons too, and strong legs. They can break bones, though definitely not all or from every animal.

Kurama is back, though not for long. I thought it would be appropriate for him to be back for this moment and kick Naruto back into gear. But the world is still weakening them considerably and he bears the brunt of that.

I debated about including what Naruto is planning to do now in this chapter as well, but the conversation always felt awkward to me, so that is for next chapter. Ashara again, if anyone wants to know. Followed by another from Naruto.

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. Until next time.