The Black Lion , the Golden fox and the Blue Raven Chapter 25: specter of the past part 2, a Naruto + Fire Emblem Crossover fanfic

Chapter 25 Specter of the past part 2 uncomfortable truths

Byleth, along with his traveling party, were in single file. There was silence. Hinata held a torch ahead of the group. He could see from her veins that she had her Byakugan activated. An ambush could happen at any time. He knew that they had to tread carefully whenever they were going in unknown territory.

The mysterious girl, Sonia, was someone he knew nothing about. She disappeared shortly after the battle. Why was she hiding? What is this place known as the abyss? Why was there almost no information about it? These were the questions that he wanted answered. He was determined to get them answered one way or another because something about Sonia felt familiar, and he wanted to know why.

He was determined to get answers one way or another and wouldn't rest until he did. The traveling companions walked in almost complete silence. They continued walking for another 20 minutes before finally reaching the bottom of the stairs and seeing a stone hallway ahead of them.

"This place looks ancient," said Monica, looking around in multiple directions.

"This place must have existed even before the monastery,"said Sasuke. They were both looking around and what he was seeing looked like ancient ruins of a city long lost.

"Ancient ruins as far as the eye can see this place must be at least 1,200 years old," said Hinata, who deactivated her Byakugan.

"Yeah, but this abyss that I've been hearing rumors about cannot be located where we're walking. It must be further down. These ruins are ancient; they look at least two to three hundred years older than the monastery itself." Claude added.

"Why would Sonia be in a place like this?" asked Dimitri, finding it strange, but she was in a place like this.

They continue to walk in silence, the very fact that this place was hidden from his sight—a place he had passed by almost every day during his entire time teaching. What was the archbishop hiding? He was going to find out; he had to find out why Sonia was hiding here.

The girl she looked familiar. She felt familiar. He continued to walk. He couldn't help but shake the feeling she was familiar, like he knew her somehow, and he could not explain why.

"I know I feel something familiar about her, too. I cannot explain it, Byleth; something about that girl Sonia she feels familiar to me. I don't know why the archbishop would keep something like this from you. I don't like this at all. I don't like this one bit." Sothis said

They continued to walk until they were finally in what looked like a dimly lit room.

"Whatever you do, be ready for anything that could come at us," Byleth warned.

He walked ahead of the group wherever they were. It looked like this place was recently occupied; he didn't get a chance to indulge in his thoughts until he saw him and his party surrounded with weapons pointed at them.

"We respectfully ask you to leave" said a tall woman who looked like she was in her early forties.

"We don't want to deal with surface dwellers," said another who concealed their face so it was hard to make out their age or gender.

"It would be messy if we had a fight. There isn't any way I can convince you to turn back, is there?" said a purple-haired man who had a flamboyant appearance.

"We should show these surface dwellers what it's like to deal with us," said a blonde-haired woman who had blue stripes in her hair.

"Well, I don't mind if it gives us a good fight. Hopefully, you're strong," said a tall man with black hair and a significant physique.

"Oh, I really don't want to do this. I really wish Sonia didn't go out like she did." said a red-haired, brown-skinned girl.

"Who are you?" asked Hinata, who got into her stance.

"Wow, what do we have here, a Hyuga all the way down here" said The tall Man.

"Surely you know about my clan's reputation," Hinata replied confidently as she activated her Byakugan to show she wasn't messing around.

"I really don't want to hurt you," he said, which caused Hinata to twitch in annoyance.

"I'm not a delicate flower, I am far stronger than I look, underestimate me at your own peril." Hinata said that full confidence in her abilities.

Balthus never encountered a girl this strong before; he was barely able to dodge her first attack when he moved. The veins in her eyes—it had to be the famed Byakugan that he had heard about through his connections from his house.

He blocked what could have been a blow that would have disabled his ability to use his relic that was passed on from his family for generations. The girl looked shocked when he blocked her gentle fist and had no noticeable effect on his chakra points.

With his weapon that he was wielding, he went into a stance and shot a shockwave at Hinata, and blocked it with a rotation.

Balthus was impressed with the girl's strength. She was definitely stronger than she appeared, despite her petite appearance. She was anything but fragile.

He put even more force into his attacks, and the girl was surprised and knocked back. If he underestimated the Hyuga girl, he would be defeated.

She went into another stance and, with her left palm, yelled.

"Eight trigrams air Palm."he was knocked back then the girl attacked again.

"10 trigrams lightning spear."A bolt of lightning came out of her Palm. If it weren't for the relic that wasn't his family, it would have pierced straight through him.

He got over his shot quickly as he as fast as his body could move; he went straight to the girl and punched her hard at the stomach, knocking her back against the wall.

Then he saw a pink-haired girl who had pigtails who looked familiar.

"I don't know why, but you look familiar. Is there any way I can convince you to let us go?" the pink-haired girl asked with a wink.

"Sorry, but you've come into our turf," Balthus said, trying to cut the conversation short.

He couldn't help but notice something familiar about her he ignored. She couldn't be. That would be bad if she were who he suspected she was.

Before he could indulge in his thoughts, the pink-haired girl, faster than she appeared, was behind him and managed to hit him with the back of her acts, knocking him down.

Before he could get up and do anything, Hinata, the girl that he had knocked back earlier, got back up and was right by her side.

"Do you know him, Hilda Chan?" asked Hinata

"I don't know, but he looks familiar somehow," Hilda said, which caused him to panic. Out of all the people, it couldn't be Holst's little sister.

"I suggest you admit defeat now. I doubt you can defeat both me and Hilda Chan at the same time."Hinata said, trying to get him to give up.

"Dammit of all the things," Balthus said, not happy that he had to meet his best friend's little sister in abyss of all places.

Hinata and Hilda without any words being exchanged managed to convey how to make their move Hinata so would strike at Balthus's right side while Hilda would strike at his left. despite wielding a heavier weapon then her opponent Hilda was fast which caught Balthus completely off guard he had to duck in order to avoid a fatal blow but that was not Hilda's plan. Hinata struck him hard on the chest knocking him back.

"he certainly a tough bastard."Hinata commented. Hilda couldn't help but agree. though she couldn't put her finger why he was so familiar.

"I suggest you surrender you're no match for both of us with my gentle fist and Hilda chan's strength and speed it's only a matter of time before you lose I suggest you stop now you cannot win against both of us." Hinata said with a hint of arrogance in her voice but also with the confidence to back it up.

"you two got me beat the last thing I want is to fight both you and a Hyuga at the same time." Balthus admitted defeat reluctantly then it went through Hilda's head that face that voice she recognized that anywhere.

"Baltie what are you doing here?" Hilda asked shocked that her brother's best friend is in the last place that she would expect seeing him.

"oh shit" Balthus said knowing that he would have a lot of explaining to do.

Mercedes recognized the person she was facing, but she wondered why she were here. She motioned for Sasuke to step aside, indicating that she could handle the situation.

"Are you sure about this?"Sasuke asked her.

"I'm not defenseless, Sasuke-kun. Take on the purple-haired man. I'll face this woman alone," she said to him, not leaving any room for argument.

Sasuke reluctantly went to where the man with purple hair was and assumed his fighting stance, beginning his battle.

The two opponents said nothing to each other until the blonde-haired woman spoke.

"Out of all the places to meet, it had to be here, Mercedes," said the blonde-haired woman, whom Mercedes recognized from her childhood, from the time before she had to flee her homeland before she lost her younger brother.

"I never thought we would meet again, especially here, Constance," Mercedes replied back.

"Do we really have to fight?"Mercedes pressed.

"I really don't want to fight you, I really, out of all the places, why here," Constance said in sadness.

"I'm sorry I have to defend this place. I don't want to hurt you, Mercedes. Please turn back," Constance said to her with controlled emotion.

"I can't do that; I have people I have to protect," Mercedes said, referring to Sasuke.

"I won't hurt you too badly," Constance said. There was a silence between them as she waited for her friend, whom she had not seen in over a decade, to make the first move.

Things were tense until Constance attacked when a lightning bolt came fast out of her fingertips. Mercedes countered her bolting spell with a jitsu that Sasuke taught her.

Mercedes countered with her own bolt of lightning. It was a different variant of the Chidori that Sasuke used. Unlike his technique, Mercedes' variant was more of a defensive technique. Constance's lightning was bounced back, hitting the ceiling.

She cast another spell; this time, it was an ice spell. A big block of ice appeared where Mercedes was. She dodged it in the nick of time, thanks to the training that Sasuke had given her. When they weren't studying, she was able to move a greater distance than she normally would have.

She was surprised by the results of her training. She wasn't skilled enough to walk on the ceiling, on a tree, or on water, but she was able to use her chakra control to increase her speed.

Which surprised everyone who was watching.

"You become strong, Mercedes" Constance complimented before she struck again.

This time, Mercedes used a more powerful spell. She combined her Ragnarok spell with a jutsu that her boyfriend taught her.

It was not a technique she used in combat yet, nor did she ever desire to use it. She put as little chakra as possible so she wouldn't kill Constance if it hit her.

"Fire style Ragnarok," a gigantic ball of flame appeared under Constance's feet. She was knocked back; it didn't do as much damage as it could have had she intended to kill her.

She was on the ground. Mercedes ran to her and healed her wounds due to her not wanting her to be hurt.

"I'm your enemy, and you're healing me," Constance said in disbelief that she was being healed in the middle of a battle.

"It's just a misunderstanding. I wouldn't want us to harm each other, especially when we could just talk it out," Mercedes said as she tended to the minor injuries she had caused to her childhood friend.

"Maybe we can catch up if we can get these idiots to stop fighting," Constance remarked.

She couldn't help but agree about the unnecessary battle that was taking place. No one was being killed, thankfully, but it still didn't make it any less dangerous.

Marianne was facing off against an opponent she wasn't familiar with, along with Lysithea. Her Sensei Haku taught her to end a fight as fast as possible. There are multiple ways she could end this battle without killing her opponent.

None of the enemies that she had fought so far she dispatched by killing them due to them not being a threat to her friends. They weren't here to start a fight; they were here to investigate about Sonia.

"I really don't want to do this," the red-haired girl said, clearly uninterested in this battle.

"Lay down your arms then," Lysithea said, clearly annoyed at the battle.

"You come to our home, and you expect us just to lay down our arms?" the red-haired girl asked. She had a point, Marianne thought.

"You don't talk much, do you?" the red-haired girl asked Marianne.

"I just want to get this over with; it's nothing personal," Marianne said to the red-haired girl.

Nothing more was said as Hapi cast her banshee spell at the two girls she was facing. The white-haired girl with violet eyes countered her spell with her own dark spikes and narrowly dodged it.

Then she saw another spell being cast, Hades, which was a gigantic tidal wave that she was barely able to counter with her own Hades spell.

The blue-haired girl did some strange things with her hands, which caused her to appear behind her. She saw something that looked like ice mirrors. She could barely dodge her attacks; she was definitely not an opponent Hapi wanted to fight against.

She waited to time her attacks, vulnerable for only a second. Then, she used another spell that knocked the blue-haired girl back.

"Marianne, you got to be careful." Said Lysithea, concerned.

Then she saw an arrow being fired at her, which was by a purple-haired girl.

"I'm sorry. I won't let you hurt my friends," said the girl who was trying to put on a brave face.

"Be careful, Benedetta. Not all of the Black Lion squad is in one place right now," said the blonde-haired woman who is on her Pegasus.

She contemplated what she was about to do, and then she cast a spell, which caused her to fall back.

"She's strong enough to take on this many people." said a silver-haired man with glasses. This person made her feel apprehension.

"Stay back, Kabuto, she's a strong opponent," the blonde-haired woman warned.

"I'm fine, Ingrid San," replied Kabuto.

Then, she saw Constance struggling in her own battle and did not want to focus on the battle. But she couldn't just suddenly abandon the battle, but she couldn't leave her friend in danger.

Before she could do anything, she felt a blade at her throat, which was by the same man from earlier, Kabuto. He had a Kani at her throat.

"I suggest you yield," he said politely. Something about him made her feel uneasy.

But she couldn't do anything, and she didn't want to die, so she surrendered.

Sasuke had his Sword drawn against the man that he was facing, someone he couldn't judge just by the look of him. He looked like he knew his way around. The way he held his sword was by having the blade downwards instead of the typical upward stances that sworders tend to take.

"To think that I would have the honor of crossing my blade with Sasuke Uchiha." said the purple-haired man.

"So you know my name, it's only fair that I know yours."Sasuke replied.

"I guess it's only fair for my victim to know the name of his killer. My name is Yuri Leclerc," the man said with an arrogant smile, but he had the confidence to back it up.

This was no ordinary swordsman. Sasuke knew that one wrong move and he could have a dagger in his back. He urged his fellow classmates not to interfere. This was a test – if he could defeat this Yuri, he would be one step closer to his goal. The two combatants circled each other. It would be a few moments before Yuri made the first move.

He was fast as fast as the wind itself. Sasuke dodged Yuri's short sword by mere seconds. He saw a wind appear on his feet. Was this a wind-style jitsu that enhances speed? He didn't get a chance to ask that question as he moved in multiple directions.

He slashed Sasuke's left, and Sasuke blocked his sword. He narrowly dodged a blade that would have cut through his back. His opponent was pushing Sasuke back. The opponent was not only skilled with a blade but also fast with one. It was a fighting style that Sasuke wasn't familiar with.

He blocked every blow that was thrown at him and tried to strike in every direction. Sasuke was constantly on his toes. The opponent he had fought yesterday, the death knight, was stronger than Yuri. However, Yuri had speed on his side, which he was taught by his teacher, Catherine, was not everything in a fight.

What was important is knowing when to strike and how to strike, when to pull back and when not to. Those hard lessons in the past two months had paid off. Sasuke was far more skilled now than he was when he first set foot in the monastery. He had spotted many weaknesses in Yuri's technique. He was fast, but it was the kind of technique that would tire him out faster than Sasuke. One thing Sasuke had on his side over Yuri was time and stamina.

Speed requires a lot of stamina to be used, and one thing it has to rely on in order to obtain victory is overwhelming an opponent. An inexperienced swordsman would get overwhelmed quickly due to his fast strikes, which are difficult to counter. If Sasuke had fought Yuri a few months ago, he would have been defeated soundly by now.

All the techniques that he was encountering were techniques he had seen Catherine demonstrating time and time again—those who strictly rely on speed tire the fastest.

Sasuke had to be patient. He had to wait for his opponent to make a mistake. Yuri was getting slower, and the fighting style that Yuri was using against Sasuke wasn't working. Sasuke was not only stronger than Yuri as a swordsman, but he was also more skilled. The only advantage Yuri had over Sasuke was speed.

Even though that didn't diminish Yuri's skills, if Sasuke underestimated him, he could easily lose this fight as their skills are almost evenly matched. There were other things Sasuke could use, but it was too dangerous considering their surroundings; he did not want to cause a cave-in with any of the jutsus in his arsenal. He struck at Sasuke's side, but Sasuke blocked it like it was nothing.

Then he tried to get a quick blow by trying to stab at Sasuke's throat. Sasuke activated his Sharingan, which messed with Yuri's senses. He was about to finish the fight before someone told everyone to stop.

Earlier with Sonia

Sonia was going through her books looking for any information that she could find about the sword that her brother took out of its tomb. The massive library that she was in had no information on it from the age of heroes, which is what the era is called during the time of the king of liberation, but she suspected something was off about that story.

The Sword of the Creator, like all of the Hero's Relics, requires a corresponding crest for the weapon to be used at its full power. While it's not necessary for the wielder to have the matching crest, having the corresponding crest does enhance the weapon's effects.

No matter how many historical records she cross-references, there are so many contradictions. What are the hero relics? Where do they come from? Who made them and what materials were they made of? She wants to throw the book she is holding across the room in frustration. Studying historical records isn't helping her at all.

So many things happened in her life in a short amount of time. She learned that her brother was alive, her father returned to the monastery, and she met Dimitri. She no longer wanted to stay in the abyss; she desired to go to the surface and experience the simple wonders that surface dwellers often overlook.

Before she could dwell on her thoughts further, she heard loud noises: weapons clashing, magic being cast. She knew what that meant - her friends were fighting. She had to stop them before her friends ended up killing Dimitri and her brother's friends. She ran as fast as her legs would take her.

She saw Yuri fighting against a raven-haired man. The fight was about to end. "Stop fighting, all of you! What are you doing?" Sonia's voice caused everyone to stop dead in their tracks and look at her, her brother especially.

He walked towards her slowly. She did not move. When he was close enough to almost touch her, he spoke. "We didn't mean to start anything, Sonia. We just wanted to know what was down here. That's all. We didn't come here for a fight," Byleth said sincerely.

"Then why are you here then?"Sonia asked him.

"Answers for one, who are you?" Byleth asked her.

He was here for answers, just like she was. She took a deep breath. This bombshell - she had no idea how he would react. Even at this very moment, before the words would leave her mouth, she still had a difficult time believing it. He was awaiting her answer; the longer she put it off, the worse it would be.

"I'm your sister, Byleth," she said with no hesitation.

Everyone looked at her from the surface in shock. Her brother's hands were shaking, and he laughed hysterically."I don't have a sister. Father told me she died right after I was born." Byleth said, on the verge of raising his voice.

"It's the truth. I am your sister. Surely you know, deep down, it's true," Sonia said insistently, trying to get him to believe her.

"LIES!" Byleth screamed. He stormed ahead of everyone. This went exactly how she expected. If their positions were reversed, she would probably have the same reaction.

Then she saw the Blue haired girl running past her. Everyone was in a State of shock when they looked at her. Dimitri slowly approached her.

"Give him time, Sonia. It's a lot to process," Dimitri said to reassure her.

"We should get out of here. I'll show you where we can all go and rest for the night." Sonia showed the group the underground plaza. They all looked around, amazed at the hidden city that was underneath Garreg Mach.

This was not special to her, but she supposed that living on the surface all your life, the underground world would look like a place of wonder.

"Wow, this looks even older than the surface. It must be at least a few hundred years older than the monastery itself; it must have existed before the monastery." said Claude, who was looking around in the surrounding area with fascination.

She was glad Aelfric wasn't around at the moment. Something told her that there was more that she did not know. As much as she was angry with Rhea, the logical part of her could not help but feel like Rhea kept her here for a reason. But why? She was told that she resembles her mother Siri, but that can't be the only reason. There has to be another.

Everyone dispersed and went to their own section of the abyss in the area that was habitable. She went to the stable where Siri, her horse, was. Dimitri followed her. They said nothing as she walked towards her horse, who was agitated over the sinister energy in the air.

"I'm sorry, Siri, we had an unfortunate incident not too long ago." her horse noticed the sadness in her tone immediately.

"My brother doesn't believe I'm his sister," a tear dropped. It hurt. She pictured a different kind of reunion than what she had had for so long. She wanted to know who she was. Knowing that her father, the pain that he must have gone through thinking she was dead for all these years. It was bad enough with her mother, but his daughter as well?

"I should give him time? I suppose that's a good idea. I mean, I would probably act the same way if our positions were reversed. I just can't help it, though. I'm so angry right now. My twin brother, my little brother, is hurting right now and I can't do anything. We're like strangers," she said to Siri.

"Giving him space would be the best idea, Sonia. This is a lot for him to take in right now. It's a lot for me to take in," Dimitri confessed.

"I'm sorry for not being honest with you, Dimitri," Sonia said, turning away ashamed. "It's not your fault. You did nothing wrong, Sonia. Wanting to know more about the world, wanting to leave this place, there's nothing wrong with that," Dimitri reassured her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know, I feel like there's another bombshell that's going to drop that's going to change how I look at the world. There's so much I don't know. I want to hate Rhea right now, but I can't, despite how angry I am with her. I want to understand why she kept such a big secret from me, from my brother, and from my father. Why? Maybe I'm just trying to rationalize it, or maybe..." She felt Dimitri wipe the tear from her right eye with his left hand.

"She's the closest I have to family, Dimitri. My feelings are complicated. I don't know how to feel at this point." He continued to listen.

"Let's hear her out first before we make a judgment one way or another," Dimitri said to reassure her.

"Siri agrees with you," Sonia said

"You have a pure heart, Sonia. I don't think anyone who could talk to animals could have a bad bone in their body. You, Marianne, and your brother are a rare kind of people," she said, turning her face away to hide her blush.

After she finished tending to her horse, she showed Dimitri where she usually sleeps. He looked around. The room was quite large for one person, but usually rooms like this were shared by multiple people. This was where all of her books were, and she was embarrassed by the mess.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri. It's kind of embarrassing," she said, turning away, embarrassed by the entire mess that her room was.

"I've seen worse," Dimitri said playfully.

"I can help you clean it up. At least I'll make it easier to sleep," Dimitri offered. He helped clean the room for her, and what would have taken hours only took about an hour. He waited patiently as she instructed him to put the books in the exact place that she wanted. When he was done, he sat down at his part of the room.

She had no idea what to say. Dimitri didn't either. From what she could tell, the silence was awkward; she was barely able to keep her eyes closed. But she didn't want to fall asleep not alone.

"Are you all right?"Dimitri asked her. She didn't want him to know her biggest fear. The light was on despite the irrationality; she was afraid of the dark, and she didn't know how to reveal that without looking weak.

"I don't want to sleep alone, is that okay, Dimitri?" she asked him, trying to hide her embarrassment of being afraid of the dark

"It's not a problem. This is just between us," Dimitri said as he walked to her side of the room and sat where she was. She leaned on his shoulder. He felt so warm. She heard his heartbeat; it was strong, fierce like a lion. She closed her eyes and fell asleep soundly.

Byleth was in the furthest room where the party was staying. Marianne, despite what's going on with Hilda, couldn't leave her boyfriend like this, especially when he needed someone to comfort him. She walked towards him, and then he looked at her and then turned away.

They had barely spoken since Hilda's confession. Despite any guilt she may be feeling at the moment, she can't let that stop her from doing what she promised herself she would do when her power was awakened almost 3 months ago.

"I don't know what to believe," Byleth said in a low whisper.

"For all these years, my sister was here while I was alone. Everyone in my father's mercenary group looked at me as a freak and a monster. I didn't hear everything they said, and I didn't have the ability to know through nonverbal cues. For years, I was led to believe my twin sister was dead, that she died after I was born, only to find out she was alive." He was trying to control his emotions.

Marianne made him face her; she saw tears of emotion that he had repressed for a long time.

"Until I met you, I was alone. When I met you that day, the only thing I could think of was that I finally met someone who understood me and didn't judge me. Everyone else looked at me as a freak because I was able to communicate and understand animals. You are the first person to truly look at me without judgment. Just look at me, how pathetic I am. I'm crying. I can't even keep my own emotions straight," he said in self-deprecation.

She had to remain strong for him; she had to be his pillar; she couldn't be weak; she had to be the support that he needed.

"You have a sister, Byl. It's more than what I have, and you have a father. I believe Sonia is trying to wrap her mind around this, too. Believing her brother was dead for 20 years only to find out that he is alive, she feels the same way you do, I know she does." Marianne said, trying to reassure him.

"I don't know what I would do without you," he said as he buried his face in her chest.

"I love you," he said to her as he closed his eyes, and she wrapped her arms tightly around him. She felt horrible because he truly loved her more than she loved him. She wanted to resolve what happened with Hilda. She didn't want Hilda to think that she hated her or rejected her; she just did not know what to do.

She cannot bring herself to choose between Byleth or Hilda. She loves them both. If Hinata and Naruto can share each other with Ingrid and Dorothea, why can't she do the same? She really wanted to talk to Hilda, but was this really the time to do so? She was conflicted. No, she would stay and be there for Byleth; he needed her more at the moment than Hilda did.

As much as she wanted to talk to Hilda, now was not the time.

" Mari, you know I'll do anything to make you happy, right?" he asked her.

She couldn't face him. She didn't want him to see the look on her face, the guilt that she had for loving two people and not wanting to break either one of their hearts

"I know you will, but I don't want your heart to be broken in the process. I love you, Byl. I couldn't bear it if I broke your heart; I just can't do it." she let her own tears fall, not caring how she looked not in front of him.

"I love her. I can't control my feelings. I love her, and I love you too. It's not fair why the goddess does not want me to be happy. Why can I just simply..." She didn't get a chance to finish when she felt his right hand on her chin, making her face him.

"I won't make you choose. I can't do that. If letting you be with Hilda will make you happy, then I'll do it. I would give you the world." Byleth said with intense emotion.

She was never loved by anyone like Byleth loved her. She didn't think she ever deserved love until Byleth came into our life, but she didn't realize she loved Hilda too and had loved her for almost as long as Hilda loved her. Marianne's heart cannot choose between them.

"Hold me," she said softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face on her shoulders, and she did the same to him.

"Your wish is my command," he said no more. They stayed like this for the remainder of the night, not saying anything. They both fell asleep in each other's arms.

Balthus was surprised to run into Hilda in the Abyss, especially since she is Holst's younger sister. He also unexpectedly encountered Claude and the Hyuga girl from Konoha, whom he had a difficult time fighting. He had never faced a fighter as tough as Hinata Hyuga, except for Hilda's older brother and his best friend, Holst.

Then there was the other girl as well, the daughter of the Ordelias, along with the purple-haired girl who he had heard rumors about named Shez.

There are so many people it almost feels like it was preordained for everyone that he encountered today to show up.

He noticed something was on Hilda's mind.

"I never thought I would run into you in this place of all places. Where have you been for all these years?" Hilda asked.

"That's a long story, Hilda, that would take too long to explain. Let's just say I had debts that had caught up to me and leave it at that."

Balthus said he wanted to change the subject and not talk about his family problems and how he fled his home in order to protect himself and his mother who gave birth to him from his stepmother. He didn't feel like Hilda needed to know that, especially right now.

"My brother has been worried sick about you for all these years. We thought you died. You couldn't have sent us a letter or anything?" asked Hilda, feeling hurt as she sighed.

"It's complicated, Hilda. I didn't want to drag you or Holst into my problems," Balthus said, hoping that would be the end of it. But he knew how persistent Hilda was, and she wouldn't be satisfied until she got some answers.

"Baltie, my brother would still like to know that you're alright. It's not right for you to do that to your friend," Hilda said, which caused Balthus to feel even worse. But he still couldn't reveal the information, not here.

"I am curious, though, how is Claude? I haven't heard much about him. The current head of the Riegan house is with you right now. Don't you find it strange that an heir from nowhere comes when we know next to nothing about him? Even you must have suspicions." Balthus said to Hilda, who didn't really care, judging from the expression on her face.

"Does this have a point?"Hilda asked In annoyance.

"I'm just wondering if you knew anything about Claude; he's at your house later after all, isn't he your friend?" he asked Hilda curiously.

"I'll be more inclined to say something if you were to tell me what you've been doing for all these years," Hilda said, not budging.

"Something bothering you, Hilda?" he asked, noticing her agitation through her body language.

"It's none of your business," Hilda replied harshly as she walked past him.

"Very smooth," said Claude sarcastically. He turned around and saw Claude behind him, who had a look on his face that was hard to read.

"You overheard everything, didn't you, Claude?" Balthus asked him curiously.

"Of course I have, and I have some information about you about the debts that you owe the bounties that have been posted about you. I have a lot of dirt on you. If I wanted to, I could make a small fortune, but I'm not interested because that's not what I'm after."

Claude said employing a threat and was willing to carry it out if necessary. He wasn't bluffing. He had to tread carefully. If he didn't, he would carry it out.

"Then what are you after?" Balthus asked him suspiciously.

"Sorry, I can't reveal that," Claude said guardedly.

"There is something that's been bothering me. There's a blonde-haired kid with whiskers from Konoha. Where is he? Why isn't he with you? I hear he's basically one of your best friends, if not your best friend. From what I know, you two are inseparable," Balthus said. Claude didn't look fazed by his comment, so he decided to press for more information.

"Then can you answer this question: what brings you and your companions here in abyss?" He asked Claude, wondering if he would get any answers.

"That's another secret I cannot reveal, I'm afraid." Claude said with a mysterious smile; he was clearly hiding something.

"To think that Sonia would have a brother that would be alive, I didn't believe it at first until I saw him in person. What a messed up family reunion that turned out to be." He couldn't help but say out loud.

"So you know Sonia?" Claude asked him, his interest increasing.

"That's going to cost you, sorry Claude. I'm not going to reveal anything. Besides, I have information about you being recently made the head of House Riegan. I won't reveal my sources. Up until recently, nobody knew you existed. Something's off about you, Claude. It's mysterious, like you're hiding something, almost as if your true identity isn't who you present yourself as," he was cut off sharply by Claude.

"Whatever you think, forget it. My secrets are mine to reveal to whoever I think I can trust. I will do what is necessary to protect them, so you better keep whatever you know to yourself, assuming you know anything at all. I do mean it. I could collect that bounty on you and make a small fortune. Remember that," Claude said threateningly. He was actually more willing to carry it out now that he was on the mark about who Claude truly is.

"Oh, I have no interest in being in a prison cell. Your secret is safe as long as you're willing to do me a favor." Balthus said, trying to salvage the situation.

"And what would that be?" Claude asked.

"It's not important right now, just agree to it, and I'll discuss it later," Balthus said, smiling, knowing that he had gotten what he had wanted.

"Okay, I agree, but if you spill what you know to anyone, I will carry on with my threat don't push me, Balthus," Claude warned, and he left him alone.

He was satisfied with how the exchange turned out; he had learned what he wanted from Claude. He was exactly what he expected. There was one person he did want to meet, though; he had another secret that he found out his friend has: the nine-tailed fox, Naruto Uzumaki. Who was he exactly, and why is he not with his group? That's what he wanted to know. One way or another, he would find out. For now, he decided he would sleep on it.

Yuri was unsure how to handle the situation. He never expected to encounter Benedetta again after her father almost beat him to death. He felt that dealing with this was inevitable, given Sonia's fascination with the outside world. In addition to Sonia, there was a blonde girl named Ingrid and a silver-haired man named Kabuto, whom he found highly suspicious.

He couldn't voice his suspicions openly because the group trusts him a lot. He thought it was foolish the way Kabuto handled his friend Hapi when he held a Kani to her throat. He only saw it for a second, but Kabuto seemed more than willing to carry out his threat of killing his friend.

He made Yuri uneasy, and he didn't like being around Kabuto, but there was nothing that he could do. There were so many people nearby.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Said Benedetta, Confused by his presence.

"You must be imagining things," Yuri said, denying what The girl was saying.

"I don't know, you seem familiar to me. I can't explain it," Benedetta said, confused by why he was familiar to her. He had to be careful; the last thing he wanted was for the daughter of Gregoire Varley to figure out who he is.

"Do you know him, Bernadette?" asked Ingrid suspiciously.

"I can't explain it. I feel like I know him from somewhere, like I met him before," Bernadette replied.

"Perhaps, Bernadette, you might have met him somewhere years ago and he may or may not remember you. It could be something like that, or it could be someone that looks like Yuri. Isn't that right, Yuri-san?" Kabuto said in a tone that Yuri couldn't stand. He was being polite, but he was also making it known that he knows his secret. One thing he did pick up on, though, is that Bernadette felt uncomfortable around him. He suspects that she finds Kabuto to be a suspicious individual, though he cannot ask that outright with him so close in earshot.

" I don't know what you mean," Yuri said, playing dumb.

"You seem to have an extensive amount of knowledge about us to some extent What are your connections? How Do you know so much? I ask this because I do not like surprises." Yuri pushed trying to get something out of the silver-haired man.

"I don't know what you mean." Kabuto Said, Clearly down playing What he knows someone highly suspicious He. He was likely a spy. He was told by the Archbishop herself to be Wary Of Kabuto.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired. I could use some sleep," Kabuto said as he yawned, trying to play the part of being tired. Yuri was able to see right through him. He wasn't tired; he was pretending to be tired in order to lower everyone's guard.

"I can use some sleep too," Ingrid said as she lay down, using her Pegasus for support as she fell fast asleep. One by one, everyone in the group was falling asleep, deciding to play the part of being asleep in order to try to get more information from Kabuto.

He would be patient. He's been in this game for far too long to lose to someone like Kabuto. He tried for hours to keep his eyes off at, but the tiredness of the day took its toll. There's no way he could have been that tired. He fell asleep to a smiling Kabuto, Grinning at him.

Hapi didn't like all of these strangers showing up from the surface world. She had wanted to keep away from the surface dwellers, but life apparently doesn't care to give her what she wants. The raven-haired man who was earlier fighting with Yuri was looking in the east direction close to one of the exits. She walked and was curious about who this person was.

"So you're the Uchiha that I've heard so much about," Hapi said curiously.

"It seems my reputation proceeds me, so even here there are those who know who I am?" asked Sasuke.

"I don't know anything about you on a personal level; all my information comes from Yuri," she replied.

"I have no interest in disrupting your lives. I'm just here with the professor to investigate," Sasuke answered a question that she had in her mind without her asking.

"I've heard some nasty stuff about what happened to your people back at your home," she said, referring to the massacre that happened with his clan.

"Sasu, what do you hope to gain by going down here?"The woman asked him curious Hapi wanted to get as much information as she could out of Sasuke Uchiha who he is, what are goals are, and why he's down here.

"I've already told you, I'm here for the same reason as everyone else. You're not going to get any information out of me because I do not know why we're here. You'll have to ask the professor," Sasuke said, not answering her question.

"Oh, you mean Chatterbox? Yeah, it's difficult to believe that Sonia and him would be related, considering how different their personalities are. Though I guess they do have one thing in common," she remarked, referring to Dimitri and Marianne.

"The professors love life is none of my business, nor is Dimitri's," Sasuke said dismissively.

"I pick up in your tone that you respect Dimitri a great deal. Is there any reason why what makes him so special?" Hapi asked Sasuke curiously.

"He reached out to me as a person rather than as a potential pawn to be used and cast aside. There is no other explanation."Sasuke said, not really wanting to elaborate.

"You hate your homeland, and you don't see it as your home. I may not know you, but from this one conversation, I could already tell that you don't wish to go home," she pointed out.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke said, avoiding her question.

" Hapi San, I will make one thing clear: we are not friends, we've only spoken for a few minutes. There are things about my past I don't like to discuss, especially with strangers."Sasuke said, trying to show her respect despite his agitation.

"I'm the same way, Sasu. I don't like sharing anything about my past with strangers. I do find it strange, though, that you are not what you project yourself as. You would fit right at home here. It's for all the outcasts and rejects of society." Hapi said, thinking about the day she first arrived and the day she first met her friends.

"We should get some sleep. I have a feeling we're going to have a long day tomorrow."Sasuke said as he walked past her.

Sasuke would have fit perfectly. She knows this; she couldn't help but find him intriguing, but she knew to back off. The last thing she wanted to deal with was the wrath of a jealous woman; she had no interest in being involved in these things.

She was wondering, though, about the blue-haired girl that Constance was talking to along with the other blonde-haired woman.

Hinata couldn't help but notice the blonde-haired woman in front of her and Mercedes. They were childhood friends. They were talking as if no time passed between them.

"I must say it's a shame we didn't get a chance to meet back at the academy. If I were a bit sooner, we would have been reunited much sooner." Constance said, happy to finally be reunited with her friend.

"It happens as the goddess wills it," Mercedes replied. She is happy to be reunited with her friend from her childhood.

"Who is this girl that is with you, Mercedes?"Constance asked, looking at Hinata.

"Oh, she's my friend that I've made during my time here. Constance, this is Hinata Hyuga, though Ann and I call her Hina," Mercedes said as she introduced her to Hinata.

"It's nice To meet you, Constance san," Said Hinata Politely.

"You speak our language well. I wish we would have met under different circumstances, Lady Hinata, And not in a situation like this that caused Misunderstandings." Constance Replied Respectfully.

She didn't like being referred to formally or by her title, and she had to Make it known to Constance Without being disrespectful to her Because she is One of Mercedes's Childhood friends.

"You don't need to be so formal with me, Constance-san. You can just call me by my name, or what Mericie-chan calls me." Hinata replied with a polite smile.

"I must say Mercedes Hinata is so polite you wouldn't be in the same house, would you?" she asked her.

"No, we're in separate houses. Hina is in the Black Eagles," Mercedes answered

"So you're in the Blue Lions, I take it?" she asked her.

"Yes, it's where Ann is along with Dimitri and." Mercedes didn't answer the last one Constance picked up immediately that she left out someone.

"Are you seeing someone Mercedes?"Constance asked her, curious.

"Yeah, you can say he's my boyfriend," she answered, turning away to hide her blushing face.

"Who would be the lucky man?"Constance asked.

"Let's keep the conversation focused on why we're here," Hinata said, steering away from discussing Mercedes' love life. Mercedes looked relieved that Hinata changed the subject.

"So what brought you here, Constance?"Asked Mercedes

"That's a long storyThat. I don't really want to Talk about it at this time," Constance said, avoiding the subject from what Hinata could pick up. It was painful to even talk about, Which she can relate to When she thinks about her clan.

"If you don't mind me asking, Hinata, How did you and Mercedes meet?" asked Constance, curious.

"As you know, in the transfer program from where I'm from, I was one of the few selected to represent my clan. I met Mericie-chan on the first day of my enrollment in the Black Eagles. Nothing special happened; we just talked, and the rest is history," Hinata said, remembering the time before she was the person she is now.

"I've heard rumors from Yuri from what he had told me that you led the shy girl squad and almost single-handedly won the mock battle. It's a feet that's difficult for me to believe. Is it really true?"Constance asked Hinata Curiously.

"It's an exaggeration. Yeah, I may have contributed to my class almost single-handedly winning, but it wasn't without other people involved helping. Without the professor and Edelgard's efforts, we would not have won as soundly as we did," Hinata answered, remembering that day fondly.

"I think you're being too modest, Hina. You are like an unstoppable force of nature. You don't give yourself enough credit," Mercedes said, Not agreeing with Hinata's assessment.

"Constance complimented Hinata on her ability to make friends and expressed a desire to have tea together. She also mentioned hearing from Yuri that Hinata is considered the angel of the monastery, which caused Hinata to blush. Constance also expressed interest in learning about the differences in the structures of their respective homelands.

"I don't know. I think Mericie-chan would fit that better than I would," she replied, not agreeing with Constance's assessment based on second-hand information.

"Well, I don't think Naruto would agree with you on that one," Mercedes said, not realizing the effects of those words on Hinata.

Constance asked, "I too have a question. Can you explain what honorifics are and what they mean?"

Hinata went into Extraordinary detail about the honorifics Mercedes Chimed in Here and there about what they mean.

She listened patiently as they were explained, and when they were done, She had a fascinated look on her face.

"I really like these honorifics, t, hough I can't see myself ever using them unless I was addressing someone from one of the five nations. It just wouldn't feel right," Constance said. Then she looked at Mercedes and noticed that she was on the mark when it came to using the honorifics on someone from the Five Nations.

From what she can tell by her facial expression, she was reluctant to ask. Due to Hinata Shifting the conversation Away, what would be considered an irrelevant conversation That had nothing to do with the current situation they were in Abyss.

Hinata Was struggling in keeping her eyes open. " We should get some sleep. For the night, we're going to need it for tomorrow." Mercedes suggested.

"That's a great suggestion. As much as I would like for us to catch up, we could use some sleep for the night." Constance agreed, who was also feeling sleepy.

The three women went to their respective spots and fell asleep. The last thing that was on Hinata's mind was Naruto and Dorothea's safety.

Shez couldn't sleep. She had a difficult time sleeping due to her being worried sick for her girlfriend, who she had become very protective of since they started dating. She looked at Lysithea, who had her eyes open.

"You're not going to go on watch, are you? You look exhausted. You should get some rest," Lysithea said, worried for Shez.

"Well, I feel like I'm in uncharted territory and I just want to make sure you're protected, I mean," she turned away, blushing.

"I told you I'm not a fragile piece of glass, Shez. I'm fully capable of defending myself. You have nothing to worry about," Lysithea insisted.

"I know you're capable of defending yourself. I just don't want you to be unprotected, that's all. Is that wrong?" Shez asked her.

"Do you think I don't feel the same?" Lysithea asked, feeling hurt that she wasn't considering Lysithea's feelings.

She turned away, not knowing how to respond. She had never felt close to anyone before, and it scared her in a way. How can she convey that? That was something that she couldn't do easily. She never got close to anyone due to the nature of her occupation

"I'm sorry, Lys, it's just I've never gotten close to anyone before," Shez confessed.

"Neither have I don't have time for such things," Lysithea said, looking down on the ground.

"What do you mean?" Shez ask her, alarmed.

"It's nothing we should get some sleep," Lysithea suggested.

"Do you think, never mind? I don't know if you would agree to it." Shez turned away blushing fiercely.

"What is it that you want?" Lysithea asked her to want to hear to stop hiding what she was thinking, doing her seeing right through it.

"Do you think I mean we could sleep together? I mean, I don't mean in the way that you think," she said, stuttering.

"I wouldn't mind," Lysithea said as she took Shez by the arm and they both lay down. The shorter girl buried her face in Shez's chest and fell asleep. Shez immediately put her hand through Lysithea's hair. She looked so peaceful, yet why did she seem so sad?

"I would do anything to always see you smile, Lys," She said as she kissed her girlfriend on the forehead and fell asleep in her arms.

Sylvain and Ingrid Were looking around The Abyss. He Couldn't believe that there was an entire community underneath the monastery the whole time. Part of him Felt out of place. They were walking mostly in silence.

"So, how are things going between you and your partners?" Sylvain asked Ingrid, wanting to know if she is genuinely happy in her relationships.

"Is this really the time and place to discuss this?" Ingrid asked Sylvain. "I don't think it's appropriate to have the kind of conversation you want to have at a time when they are away from any of their partners.

" Come on, Ingrid, we have been friends since we were children. You can be honest With me." Sylvain Said, Trying to be respectful.

"Things are complicated. You wouldn't understand, not to mention it's private," Ingrid said, not wanting to volunteer more information.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of NarutoI. I mean, what is it about him that is so appealing?" Sylvain asked, generally wanting to know

"I miss you being an in our class. It hasn't been the same since you left." Sylvain said, voice in his honest thoughts.

"I had to transfer to get stronger. I cannot be weak again. I have to be able to protect those I love now with Naru Kun, Hinata, and Dorothea. I can't be weak; I have to be able to protect them. Is that wrong, Sylvain?"Ingrid asked him in a tone that wanted her to make him understand.

"I can't help but worry. We've been friends for so many years, and I just don't want your heart to be broken. You've been through enough," Sylvain said with the most honesty he's ever shown his childhood friend. This time he was serious, not his usual antics.

"Naru Kun won't hurt me. I know he won't," Ingrid said confidently.

"He did hurt Hinata not too long ago, you know," Sylvain said, pointing out that episode where Hinata was depressed for almost a month.

"It's not fair to blame him completely on what happened. I'm also to blame; in fact, I'm probably more to blame." Ingrid said, looking away.

"What do you mean?"Sylvain asked her

"I love her, Sylvain, the same way Naru Kun does. When I first met her, I was jealous because Hinata was in Naruto's heart, but I didn't know that I was in his heart as well. Before we went on the mission, we spent a lot of time together. I got a chance to get to know her. You know, the saying goes: in our homeland, the more you spar with someone, the more you get to know them without words." Sylvain heard that many times from his father. His father believed that if you want to get to know someone better, you should spar with them as much as possible. That's how lifetime friendships are formed in Faerghus.

"I remember it well. I recall that you two kissed for the first time after one of your sparring sessions," Sylvian said. Thinking about dropping in on them kissing weirded him out at the time because Hinata was dating Naruto, yet she was kissing somebody else.

"She's the most wonderful woman I've ever known. I would love to pledge myself to her to be her Knight. If I could have that, it'd be a dream come true." Ingrid said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Are you sure that's what you really want, Ingrid?" Sylvian asked her, concerned about her wanting to be a Knight due to how dangerous the occupation is.

"It's what I've always wanted. I don't understand why everyone that I've talked to, with the exception of my partners, seems to be against me pursuing my dream," Ingrid asked, feeling hurt by the lack of support. But that's not what it was. He had to let her know that.

"It's not that I don't support your dream; it's just that I want you to have a long life. The life of a Knight is a very dangerous one. You can go months on end without ever seeing your loved ones. Is that what you want to do to the people you love?" Sylvian respectfully asked Ingrid.

"I don't have an answer for that." Ingrid conceited.

"You can still pursue your dream. I just want you to be 100% sure that's what you want. That's all. If that path in life makes you the happiest, then I have no right to talk you out of it. I'm just trying to be a good friend and look out for you. I know it's not the time and place for us to have these conversations, given that we've barely spoken since you transferred to the Black Eagles. I feel like we've grown distant," Sylvian said with a sad expression.

His heart clenched. He could never tell Ingrid how he truly feels about her. He didn't want to ruin her happiness, not to mention it would only complicate their relationship further.

"You will always be my friend, Sylvian. Sorry we haven't spoken much. It's just that we've been so caught up with everything that's been going on ever since the transfers from Konoha came to our school. Things have changed," Ingrid said, reminiscing about the first day she met Naruto.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that this latest adventure of ours is going to change a lot of things in the monastery. I mean, what is this mystery we're going on? And..." Before he could elaborate, he saw Kabuto show up. He had to cut the conversation short. He absolutely did not trust him. He didn't blame Felix for feeling apprehensive from seeing him from the very start.

"You, too, should get some sleep. It will be a hard day tomorrow," Kabuto said with concern, which Sylvian saw as fake, that he was only saying it to maintain appearances.

"Oh my, it's late. Thank you, Kabuto. Sorry, Sylvian, we'll have to continue this another time," Ingrid said as she left. Sylvian realized that he would have to bury his feelings for Ingrid, just like Dimitri did for Hinata. Unlike Dimitri, however, Sylvian wasn't sure if he would find someone else. He quickly dismissed the thought of romance, realizing that sleep was what he truly needed right now.

Anything else could come later; sleeping is what was needed at the moment.

In an unknown plane

Dorothea looked around but didn't recognize her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was feeling intense pain from being bitten on the neck. She searched for familiar faces but found no one. She realized she was no longer in the monastery; she had no idea where she was.

"Naru Chan, Ingrid, Hinaa, where are you?" Dorothea said the only thing she heard was an echo.

Then she saw the scenery change and saw a place that she did not want to remember, the place where she used to live before she became a diva in the slums of Adrestia in the capital. It was painful. It was a memory she wanted to forget, memories that she had suppressed for years. This place this location was where her mother died, where her mother was murdered.

She saw a little girl who was around the age of 8 surrounded by men in cloaks. Her mother was shielding her.

"You know our boss requires the payments; you have not been good on those payments." Said a man who appeared to be in his early twenties.

"Please, times are really hard. I have to feed my daughter." Said the woman, which caused the thugs to laugh.

"The boss doesn't care how you pay the money, use your body, or" he looked at Dorothea's 8-year-old self.

"Leave my daughter out of it, you son of a bitch." Dorothea Said Mother with rage.

"Well, one of you is going to have to pay the price; it's either your little whore or yourself your choice." The leader of the group said as he took out a knife.

"Keep your dick in your pants. I said I wanted you to kill The bitch where no one can see, but I guess if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself." She heard a man said the men looked terrified of what they saw; the man was taller than the others in the group, but she recognized him from his description that her mother told her.

He smoked a cigar as he looked at both her mother and Dorothea with hatred and disgust.

"I told you never to show your face again Natalie yet you do it anyway." The man said as he finished his cigar and tossed to the side.

"I never wanted to see you again after you threw me and Dorothea to the streets because she didn't possess a crest." Her mother said, then she saw a sinister grin on the man face.

"I've been meaning to make a quick Fortune. Konoha has a bounty for any surviving Uchiha to think that you and your daughter are Uchiha's such interesting developments. Imagine how I can advance my house with such a powerful kekkei genkai, the fortune I can make selling you both; I'd be set for life, and so would my descendants." the man said with a sadistic smile.

"What shall we do with them, boss?" Asked one of his subordinates, who had an eager look on him.

"I don't care what you do to the mother; make sure the child is unharmed." He said, walking away.

Dorothea did not want to see this. She did not want to re-experience this.

"You were powerless that day." She heard a sinister voice say as she was watching what she had buried in the depths of her mind.

Her father's men attacked her mother. Dorothea was hopeless. She couldn't do anything as she was beaten.

"RUN DOROTHEA!" yelled her mother. Dorothea was scared her little legs couldn't move.

"Move. I don't want those men to take you to that place; leave, don't look back."Dorothea forced herself to run, looking at her younger self run without looking back as the men tried to chase her; she solid detail that she did not know this before one of the men disintegrated in the ball of black flame, the second the same thing happened.

When she was done, she looked around her to make sure Dorothea was safe then she saw her father. Who had more men behind him?

"You think your little spawn is going to escape me?" asked her father.

"I'll take as many of your men as possible with me, even you, for that matter. You will not sell off my daughter to Konoha to be bred like a animal." the woman said as she got in her fighting position; she had never known her mother being able to fight the eyes; she knew them well. They were the Sharingan, but they weren't the ones she was familiar with. Instead of the tomoe on her eyes, it was a shape that she did not recognize; it looked like a star.

The man cautiously went after her mother; she was not as experienced as a fighter as others that she had seen, but the way she was dispatching them was something she had not seen before; the way the Sharingan was being used as a black flame was being used on all the men who burned. She saw blood drop from her mother's eyes; she was in great pain.

"It seems like there's a price for using that power of yours, Natalie," said her father cruelly.

Her mother was not experienced with using her gifts in combat. She killed most of the men with her abilities, but she tired out due to the extensive use of her chakra. She felt her knees.

Her father dismissed the men, then went outside and confronted her mother.

"Another thing I seem to notice, you little bitch, that power of yours has a heavy price. You could barely see, you're functionally blind, yet you've given me this much trouble. I will find your daughter, and I will sell her off, or better yet, I could use her to make my bloodline stronger. What better than a Crest than one of the most powerful bloodlines on the planet, the Uchiha." Her father said with a sinister chuckle.

"It's a shame that won't happen." She heard a voice behind her. It was a man with a white mask. The voice was distorted. He had the mask of a wolf.

"Who are you?" asked the man but he never got a chance to speak as a blade went through his chest he fell in the ground dead. Dorothea couldn't believe what she was seeing; the masked man in front of her killed her father, not that she felt anything. Seeing this then, she sees the man approach her mother.

"Where's the child?" asked the masked man emotionlessly.

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you." Said her mother, spitting at his feet.

"This isn't personal blame the bloodline that you were born into," said the mask man as he ended her mother's life by putting his Hand, Which was Covered in lightning, through her mother's Chest.

Dorothea felt tears drop as she remembered the murder of her mother. She did not want to see that again. It happened not too far a way from where she was when she witnessed her mother's murder. She saw her mother's eyes turn red, and the tomoe was visible, but only for a second before she passed out.

"Suppressed memories. Your Sharingan awakened the day your mother died, the day your mother was murdered. With this power, you can protect those you love: Naruto, Hinata, and Ingrid. Do you want to be powerless again? Do you not want to protect those you love? What difference does it make where the power comes from, my dear Uchiha?" said Orochimaru, who appeared before her.

She felt intense pain on her right side of her neck, and she collapsed on her knees. She wasn't even sure where she was. If this was a dream, or this was the real world, or somewhere in between, Orochimaru looked at her in amusement.

"Yes, your mother's murderer is from Konoha. Don't you want to avenge her?" asked Orochimaru.

"You're not going to offer me this power for free. I'm not a fool; I'd have to sell part of my soul to you." Dorothea said, resisting his offer.

Then she saw images that she didn't want to see.

She saw Hinata being killed brutally by an enemy that she did not recognize was on her back; a blade was through her heart. Naruto was clenching to Hinata's lifeless body and screaming in anguish. She saw Ingrid, who was impaled by a spear against a tree, and blood was dripping on the ground.

Naruto was also dead; clenching to Hinata's body, Dorothea wanted to scream, but that wasn't the end; she saw other friends from the Black Eagles. Edelgard had her head cut off along with other people that she had grown to care dearly for, showing images of them being killed in brutal ways and her being powerless; she screamed she didn't want to see this.

She felt the mark that was on her neck start to engulf her. Half of her face was covered in the curse mark. She was trying to fight it; he was trying to control her, trying to use her for his own twisted ends; she was trying to resist, but it was no use; his will was too strong.

"Everyone gives in eventually, my dear; even you will, in time, go to me willingly. My power will make you strong, and the ability to protect those you love. Will you let that happen again?"Orochimaru asked her.

The thought of losing any of her loved ones, especially her partners, was unbearable. She realized that Naruto, in particular, made her chest tighten at the thought of losing him. She couldn't bear the idea of losing him; he was the only man she could envision marrying. Thanks to him and Hinata, she had a second chance at love after her first love, Ingrid.

"He offered her his hand. All she had to do to be able to protect them is to take up on his offer. But there would be a price. She knows there would be, but would it be worth it to ensure that what happened to her mother would never happen to anyone again? She was reluctant about taking up his offer until she heard Naruto.

Earlier with Naruto

Naruto opened his eyes and looked around him. It was almost as if he was looking at an endless, empty space. He looked down, wondering why he was able to stand despite there being no solid ground to stand on.

" To answer your Question Kit, You are in Dorothea's Mind space. As you can see, it's unstable due to the curse mark. It's only a matter of time for this space to be completely covered in darkness. We must tread carefully. This is not your mind space. If you get harmed here, it will harm you in the real world. You do not have the same protections as you do under your own mind space," Kurama warned.

"You mean I'm inside Dorothea Chan's mind? How is that even possible?" Naruto asked, confused.

" Stupid boy, I don't have time to explain this. It took more time than I thought. You must get to her Quickly Before it's too late." Kurama Said In a Tone That Informed Naruto that he had to make haste.

Naruto Saw Lots of images that he felt dirty seeing Due To them being private; he saw a scene That involved a Moment of Dorothea and her Mother; that was a Treasured memory That made Naruto sad seeing.

" Feel sad later. Your mate is in danger Of becoming a Puppet of the Scum that gave her that curse, Mark. Make haste," Kurama Said With a voice of urgency.

Naruto ran as fast as he could. The moment he saw Dorothea about to be attacked by Orochimaru, Naruto shouted to warn her.

" Don't take his hand, Dorothea Chan; it's not worth it." Naruto's shout broke her out of her trance.

She looked at Naruto and then looked at Orochimaru.

"Damn you you brat."Orochimaru Hist.

"Get behind me," Naruto said to Dorothea, who did exactly as Naruto instructed.

"I was so close to obtain that Uchiha fine I will force her to be mine," Orochimaru said as he attacked Naruto.

He picked up Dorothea bridal style and jumped. Orochimaru was doing hand signs rapidly.

"Do you think you could win against both of you? You're nothing but a bunch of inexperienced children. As long as that girl has that curse mark, you can never win against me. She will give in one way or another." Orochimaru said as he attacked Dorothea's mind; Dorothea was clenching her head with both of her hands in pain.

"Listen to me, both of you. I cannot explain it right now, but you must do exactly what I tell you. Dorothea, this choice is ultimately yours. Naruto will infuse part of my chakra into you, which will create a mark on your neck. This mark will forever purge the chakra that the enemy placed into your system, and as a result, you will be permanently protected from any curse marks in the future. However, by doing this, you will become Naruto's mate - in short, he will be your husband. It's the only way to protect you. Do you agree? Otherwise, removing the curse mark will only make you vulnerable, and he will put up a stronger one. Next time, I won't be able to help you," Kurama said warningly.

"You mean I will be married to Naru Chan? But that's not fair to Hinaa or Ingrid. I mean," Dorothea was hesitant. She didn't think it was right. She couldn't possibly do this unless Naruto loves her. It wouldn't be right. Naruto put his hand on Dorothea's right cheek.

"Yes, you will have to mark him as well for it to work. All three of you intended to mark him at one point. You may have agreed between you and Ingrid that Hinata would be the first, so we're limited on options at the moment to protect you from the curse mark. This is the only way," Kurama said to Dorothea.

"Naru Chan, I don't want to force this on you. I know you love Hinaa with all your heart, and I don't think I will ever be in your heart like she is, or Ingrid for that matter. I don't want you to feel like you owe me. You don't have to do this. I will end my life rather than be a slave to that bastard," Dorothea said with conviction, but Naruto put his head on her forehead.

" I don't see this as Force, Dorothea Chan. I would love nothing more than to have you as one of my wives. It's one of the things I've wanted the most: people that love me. I want you to be part of that," Naruto said with love in his tone.

"Naru Chan, I don't deserve you," Dorothea said, crying.

"If anything, I don't deserve you, Dorothea Chan. Without you, I would have never had the courage to confess to Hinata Chan and Ingrid Chan. It's been a short time, but you mean a lot to me." Dorothea couldn't believe Naruto was revealing his feelings at a time like this. The world around her was collapsing, and she knew soon she would have to choose.

It wasn't a difficult decision at all; in fact, it was relatively easy. Knowing that Naruto desires love more than anything, she can make the decision without any guilt, and her partners would understand.

"I feel the same way," she said as Naruto kissed her. She kissed him back; her world was collapsing around her. In her mind space, she felt Naruto bite on her neck where her curse mark was. She did the same to Naruto. Kurama's chakra was entering her system; she heard hissing from Orochimaru.

"Damn, you're fine, but know this, Naruto. If I can't have Dorothea, then there is another Uchiha in the monastery I will have instead," he said as he left. Dorothea knew exactly what he meant. She felt herself fading out of unconsciousness and then waking up.

Dorothea opened her eyes and looked around. She was in the infirmary with Naruto right beside her, holding her hand. She blushed, unable to believe she had confessed her feelings for him. When she looked in the mirror, she noticed that the curse mark she had was gone and replaced with a different mark, similar to Naruto's on his stomach.

She noticed her hearing was better, along with her sense of smell. What had happened?

"You have my chakra inside of you, so you and I are connected. As a result, you are now a pseudo-jinchuuriki. You cannot use more than about three tails worth of power, but nevertheless, you are now like Naruto," Kurama answered a question that was on her mind. When she woke up, she felt rejuvenated and stronger than she ever did before.

"I never want to do that again," said Naruto, getting up.

"it looks like it's around the daytime classes should be."Dorothea stopped with her train of thought. Along with Naruto, they put their heads as close to the door as possible and heard two voices.

"The Uchiha descendant I have tracked down for over a decade is currently with the golden deer. What should be done, Donzo Sama? What should we do about Dorothea Arnault?" Asked the distorted voice. It was hard to pick up who it was, even with her enhanced hearing, thanks to Kurama.

"Nothing for now; your mission is to kill the house leaders; someone else will handle her. You must maintain appearances," Danzo said emotionlessly.

"I can understand Dimitri and possibly Edelgard, but Claude? He is in no way a threat to our plans. Perhaps we could." The distorted voice was cut off by Donzo angrily.

"Do you dare question me, wolf? All three of them are potential threats, and Claude is potentially the biggest one due to his unknown heritage. I want all potential threats eliminated. You have your orders now; carry them out." Said Donzo in a detached tone.

"Your will will be done." Said wolf. When the image faded, the man vanished. Dorothea felt such hatred and rage in that same voice. It was the man who murdered her mother. Naruto noticed her eyes turning from green to Red like Naruto's when he Kurama's chakra leaked out.

"That bastard murdered my mother," Dorothea said with barely controlled rage.

"We have to follow him. Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude will be killed if we don't," Naruto said, worried for their house leader.

"Yes, but if I ever get a chance, Naru Chan, I will kill him," Dorothea said darkly. They wasted no time as they left.

They quickly stopped at Naruto's room, where he gathered his ninja tools and gave some to Dorothea. Then, they headed to the destination where their friends had gone the day before. Dorothea was hoping she would get there in time and did not want to lose anyone else because of the person who murdered her mother and made her an orphan.

Edelgard was the first to wake up. She looked and saw Monica, who was still asleep. Then she heard loud noises, which caused her partner to wake up.

"Did I just hear swords clashing?" asked Monica, getting up quickly.

"Yes," Edelgard said, not wasting time as she grabbed her weapon. Along with Monica, they both left their room and saw assassins running straight at them.

She barely had a chance to block the assassin's sword. Monica quickly cast a thorn spell, which pierced through the assassin's chest. The black-cloaked person that Monica just killed made it difficult to discern the gender, but she had no time to waste. Gender was completely irrelevant right now. There was a battle, and Edelgard would ask questions later.

She noticed her other classmates were also up with their weapons drawn and in their fighting stances. There were individuals that Edelgard did not recognize, and the strange garb that those in Fodlan would not recognize.

Six people in strange masks looked like something straight out of a horror story; they looked like demons. They had their weapons drawn, and other bandits and assassins backed them.

Yuri was battling one of them. He was doing well, but Edelgard couldn't focus on what he was doing. She had to focus on her own survival. Then the assassins turned their eyes towards her, and two of them charged.

She blocked the first blow, but barely managed to block the second one that came from behind. It would have been a killing blow if it wasn't for Ingrid stepping in to block it. Without saying a word, the two women silently agreed to focus on their respective foes. Edelgard focused on the enemy right in front of her, unable to determine the gender as it was completely unknown. This person's skill was clearly not that of an amateur.

She was not able to keep up very well. No opponent she's ever fought before has ever been this skilled. She couldn't read the person's movement; it was as if they were trained with no emotions. Her opponent struck at her on her right side, and blood dripped to the ground. She had never been injured before, not like this.

She heard Dimitri clashing blades with his own opponent and Claude struggling against his own. Then it clicked to her the target of this attack was them, but why? She would have to get answers, and she would have to do it by surviving in the battle.

The opponent she was fighting was far more potent than her. It seemed like the person was everywhere and nowhere all at once. She saw after-images, likely one of the jutsu she had heard about in her training sessions with Kurenai. She had trained to counter this technique, but she had no experience with someone who used it so effectively.

The opponent made hand signs, and the earth around her started shaking. She couldn't dodge the jutsu, whatever it was, and stalagmites were everywhere. This person was determined to kill her, and she was getting overwhelmed. She cursed herself for not having lightning jutsu to counter this.

At the same time with Ingrid

Edelgard struggled against her opponent, and Ingrid couldn't come to her aid. The opponent was not only more skilled than Edelgard, but also faster. It seemed that this attack was specifically targeting Edelgard and the other house leaders. Ingrid had to defeat her opponent to come to Edelgard's aid, but she found it impossible as her opponent countered everything she did. Additionally, her opponent wielded the same kind of weapon as Ingrid.

"To think that I would be crossing blades with the daughter of Gunnar Galatea interesting indeed. I wonder if you're as good as Roderick?" her opponent asked, which made her twitch. How did this person know her brother?

"By your expression, you are wondering how I know your brother; it doesn't matter. Know that you're just like that fool."Her opponent increased their speed so fast that Ingrid couldn't keep up, and her eyes couldn't keep up with her opponent.

She closed her eyes and did the hand signs. She wasn't sure this would work. She had never used it in battle before. It was a technique Naruto had taught her.

"Shadow clone jutsu," Ingrid said as multiple duplications of herself appeared. Her opponent seemed amused as if it was an amateur mistake on her part. He struck at the first clone, but that was the opening she needed. She then performed another jutsu, one that Hinata had taught her. She put her index finger on the tip of her Lance, and a lightning bolt covered it. This shocked her opponent when Ingrid struck him, knocking him back. Her opponent fell to the ground.

"Such an amateur mistake. Don't expect to get lucky the second time," the masked figure said as they got back up. Ingrid would not allow them to form a counterattack. She made another hand sign, which she knew was dangerous, but due to the situation, she couldn't risk the fight dragging on any more.

"Ingrid shouted, 'Lightning Style: Lightning Explosion!' as her shadow clones exploded in a lightning bolt, catching her opponent off guard. The scream was so loud that everyone could hear it, and it was distorted when her opponent collapsed to the ground. Ingrid ignored her opponent's appearance after the mask fell off because she had bigger priorities. As she was about to return home, she was surrounded by more assassins, according to the leaders.

"It seems like they don't want us to help your house leaders. They were the target the whole time," said Yuri. As one of the assassins tried to attack him, Yuri easily blocked his opponent's blows as if they were nothing. He moved his sword from one hand to another. Before his opponent knew it, he had a sword in his back, and he was dead before he even knew what happened.

The second opponent was shocked by the death of their comrade; the woman decided to try to aim for Ingrid, who she thought was a weaker opponent, but they were mistaken by leaving herself open. Ingrid was able to hit the woman at the side hard, knocking her to the ground with the bolt of lightning still on the tip of the blade; the woman was dead before she hit the ground; her entire body was fried.

"I'm glad you're not my enemy." Said Yuri as he dispatched his second opponent with a simple slash of his enemy's throat. It was not a clean death, but there was no time for such things, not with a battle going on.

She was hoping someone would come to Edelgard's aid. She would do it herself, but she was surrounded. She was fortunate to have Yuri by her side. It felt like the amount of enemies they were fighting was endless. She hoped that her friend Dimitri and her house leader Edelgard were faring better than she was.

Dimitri stood beside Sonia. They had woken up not too long ago, and the first thing they heard was the clashing of weapons. They didn't say anything because it seemed useless. They ran as fast as they could and saw their classmates fighting for their lives.

"Those fuckers out of all the things they had to do it here," Sonia said, enraged that bandits and assassin's were invading her home.

Sonia and Dimitri got into formation. Two assassins specifically targeted Dimitri; the first among them wore a wolf mask. He didn't know why, but something about him felt familiar.

"It's nothing personal, but I must do what is necessary for the sake of my nation." said a distorted voice.

"The sake of your nation? There are innocent people that are being caught in the crossfire. This is barbaric. How many Innocents will be killed in this battle because of your nation?"asked Dimitri angrily.

"It doesn't matter, Prince of Faerghus. I will do what is necessary. It's nothing personal," the distorted voice said in a detached manner. He was fast—far faster than Dimitri. Dimitri couldn't even keep up with the man's speed. He suspected it was a man, but he didn't know why. He had a Kanai, which may have been weaker than his own weapon, but his opponent had an advantage in speed. There were many openings Dimitri could exploit. He could cut him at any point, and he aimed for his arteries. Dimitri had no choice but to take out his shortsword that he had on hand to block what could have been a fatal blow.

"You're quite skilled, Young Prince, such a shame that someone so young has to die. You have potential." The voice said with respect.

"Spare me your praise," said Dimitri in disgust at the man endangering innocence to Target him and his friends. The man's hand-to-hand combat skills were second to none. Dimitri couldn't allow the man to have any chances to have an advantage. He struck in every direction possible. There was no way he was going to lose. He had to know the man's identity: who was he, and who did he work for? He will never forget the mask of the man who killed his father. He wanted to know who it was, and he was determined to find out if it was the same person. He was sure of it.

With Sonia

The last thing Sonia expected to wake up to was assassins coming after her friend Dimitri. She couldn't help but feel like Dimitri was one of the targets. Unfamiliar with the assassins' fighting style, she realized she wasn't experienced in combat in general. Her opponent knew this and took advantage, casting spell after spell to keep them at bay.

"Oh no, you don't! I won't let you hurt my friend," said Sonia as she cast an aura. The surrounding area was engulfed in a gigantic beam of light that struck down her opponent, killing them instantly. She was shocked that this person she killed was an experienced assassin, likely not expecting to be killed by an inexperienced mage. She didn't get a chance to revel in her victory for long when three assassins tried to kill her. The first one she struck down with her Ragnarok spell, burning her opponent to a crisp.

While facing her second opponent, she was unable to cast a spell because a sword was about to strike her neck. Before the fatal blow could land, Constance intervened by casting a bolting spell. Meanwhile, Hapi used a powerful spell to create a gigantic tornado of darkness, which engulfed the second opponent, causing their body to melt. She didn't want to witness the destructive nature of the spells being used by her friends.

It felt like there was a never-ending swarm of assassins. They were determined to kill Dimitri, but he wasn't the only target. She also noticed that Edelgard was being targeted. Then, she saw Claude, who was dealing with his own opponents. He had two people supporting him, Hilda and Marianne.

She cast spell after spell, but she didn't pay attention as the bodies of her fallen enemies tumbled to the ground. One enemy that she killed, a lightning bolt, went through a woman's eye before she even realized what was happening; she was dead. The second was killed with a fireball spell that burned a man's face off; she didn't pay attention to the revulsion she was feeling taking a life; she couldn't focus on that now she had to focus on her survival the third opponent that she killed a beam of light that she used on her first opponent from when the battle began it was smaller than it was when she used it the beam burned through the man's chest.

It was a gruesome scene. She couldn't focus on anything but survival at the moment. She would investigate the reason for the attack later, hopefully there would be survivors, not that she would count on it.

With Sasuke,Ashe,Sylvain and Mercedes

Sasuke was doing everything in his power to protect the people around him. Mercedes was by his side. They had not done this together since the Lonato mission. Ashe was also by his side, along with Sylvain.

"Damn, there are so many of them," said Ashe as he shot one assassin after the other with his bow and arrow. He passed by Sasuke just in time to save him from a fatal blow. The enemy who was about to attack Sasuke was struck in the eye by an arrow. The man seemed puzzled for a moment before falling face down as the arrow entered his brain.

He didn't want to expose Mercedes to this violent scene in front of them. He hated having her see this, but he couldn't focus on that now. He had to make sure Mercedes and his friends that were with them were out of this alive.

"Look out," yelled Mercedes to Ashe. Sasuke tackled him down to stop what could have been a killing blow. A kunai went past them, and Sasuke heard a sinister laugh.

"Such an interesting plaything you are, Sasuke-kun," said the pale-skinned man. Sasuke felt scared; his legs couldn't move.

"Stay away from Sasuke-kun," Mercedes said as she quickly cast a jutsu. It was his clan's signature technique. It went straight at him, but Orochimaru didn't even move. It went straight at him. Sylvain was the first to gasp in shock that it didn't do any damage.

"Interesting, so you're Sasuke-kun's woman. How interesting," Orochimaru said, licking his lips. Sasuke got between Orochimaru and Mercedes. He didn't know what Orochimaru's intentions were, but he wasn't going to allow anyone near her.

"Defensive of this woman, aren't you? What would you give Sasuke Kun to protect her?"Orochimaru said seductively. Sasuke couldn't move. He was terrified.

"Don't listen to him, Sasuke Kun. His words are poison," Mercedes said, voicing the word out of her mouth.

"I failed with one of Naruto's women, but perhaps you will do instead," Orochimaru said, licking his lips. Sasuke went straight at him; he didn't care about any reasoning. He wasn't going to let anyone touch her. Orochimaru blocked Sasuke's sword with only an index finger, which caused Sasuke to look in shock.

"You can't expect to defeat Itachi if you can't even defeat me, who is weaker than him," Orochimaru said as he punched Sasuke hard in the stomach which caused him to drop his sword.

Mercedes forgot all of her fear and cast every spell that she could think of to get Orochimaru away from her and her friends.

"I won't let you near any of my friends, you monster," Mercedes said with righteous fury as she cast the first of her spells from her arsenal. The first was Ragnarok, which caused the ground below Orochimaru to be engulfed in golden flames. She didn't let up and cast another spell, a bolt of advanced energy that is difficult to master, then followed it up with another spell, an aura, which was also an advanced spell that she had not used up until this point. One spell after another, she cast, even using some jutsus that she had never used before. She was determined to destroy the evil monster that was in front of her.

She didn't know if this jutsu would work, but she didn't know if anything she did worked. She felt a bolt of lightning cover her right hand. She lifted her hand in the air and yelled.

"Lightning Style: God's Judgment." Mercedes, with a swift motion, summoned a bolt of lightning that struck Orochimaru. She was unsure if she had the energy to perform another jutsu, breathing heavily. Then, suddenly, Orochimaru stood right in front of her.

"Impressive, Mercedes-san. Such wasted potential. If only I had discovered you sooner, you could have been a powerful kunoichi. Better late than never. You will desire my power. After all, how else are you going to protect your precious Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru said sinisterly as he leaned closer to her. She did everything she could to push him back, but she couldn't. He was overpowering her.

"Cease you're struggling; it will only make your pain that much more difficult for you, my dear."Orochimaru extended his fangs; she tried to move, but she couldn't let him bite her. She tried to do everything use all of her strength possible to get him off of her, but it was no use. She felt two fangs by deep down her neck; she screamed and pain more pain than she had ever imagined possible.

"Aaaàaaa!"Mercedes screamed the pain; she clenched her neck; she wasn't able to see straight; she felt sweat drip all over her face; she felt cold; she couldn't feel her hands.

"MERCY, YOU SON OF A BITCH," Sasuke screamed as he charged straight at Orochimaru. Orochimaru turned around and dodged every one of Sasuke's blows as if he were made out of thin air. He laughed as he continued to strike, then kicked Sasuke's back, knocking him down. Orochimaru put his face close to Sasuke's ear.

"You had a chance to accept my gift. Now, you will suffer the consequences. She will go to me in time, and there is nothing you can do to stop it, Sasuke Kun," Orochimaru said mockingly. He got up from Sasuke's back and did a Shinobi art that caused him to vanish like he was never there.

He looked at his girlfriend, forgetting about what had happened, and went straight to her. She was screaming in agony as he lifted her up. She looked at him, barely breathing.

"Stay with me, Mercie stay with me," Sasuke said, trying to get her to focus on his voice

"I'm so cold, Sasuke-kun," Mercedes was barely able to get the words out. She was barely able to breathe; her breaths were labored.

"Sasuke, snap out of it! We're in the middle of a battle," said Sylvain, trying to get him to focus. But Sasuke couldn't. His beloved, Mercedes, was in extreme pain, and he felt helpless. As an assassin rushed towards them, Sasuke acted instinctively, protecting Mercedes; he picked up his sword and cut the assassin's stomach open.

He did not care about any of the assassins; their lives meant nothing; he cut down bandit after bandit after bandit and anyone who would do him and his friends harm. He heard Mercedes screaming in pain. He wanted desperately to be there to come for her, but there were too many assassins and too many bandits; it was like fighting an entire army.

He wished Annette and Felix were by his side right now; they would know what to do, he thought.

"Damn you," Sasuke said as he killed the person in the skirmish. He cursed his weakness. If only he were stronger. It felt like all of his training in the past six months was still not enough. Even Catherine's training didn't help him get stronger fast enough.

"Amidst the sound of his girlfriend's screams and the sight of her labored breath, he was both everywhere and nowhere at once. He wouldn't let anyone go near her, knowing he wasn't thinking rationally. He couldn't leave her side for a second - she had to know he was nearby.

There seemed to be no end in sight to the ongoing battle. Defending Mercedes indefinitely seemed impossible. It would take a miracle for this skirmish to end. Sasuke felt like he was fighting an endless army of reinforcements; for every person killed, another would take their place. He didn't want to think about it. The entire company had fallen under the influence of genjutsu. It couldn't be. It had to be something else.

There was no time to think about that now; the priority was survival.

At the same time With Hinata and Benedetta

Benedetta woke up to a battle, which was the last thing she expected. She would have much rather been comfortably asleep in her dorm, but she had volunteered to go on this adventure with her friends. Part of her regretted it. Now, she found herself in the midst of a battle alongside Hinata, who was dispatching enemies left and right with ruthless efficiency. It was scary in a way, as this was not the girl Benedetta had met 6 months ago. Hinata seemed more confident but also more ruthless, displaying a brutality that Benedetta hadn't seen even during their last mission together.

Hinata remained unfazed when the first of her enemies slammed their head against the wall. As a second enemy attempted to attack her from behind, Hinata shattered the man's nose, causing him to fall down dead. Activating her Byakugan, she struck the third opponent and shattered his vertebrae, which disturbed Benedetta, her friend. Benedetta didn't even know if the opponent Hinata had just dispatched was dead or not, as she was too focused on the fight.

In the first encounter, she skillfully aimed an arrow at a man's left eye, which went straight through him. Her archery skills had become remarkably accurate over the past four months. The man remained unaware of his fate until the arrow pierced him. When a second opponent charged at her, Benedetta opted for an arrow instead of reaching for the knife on her belt. She swiftly shot the arrow into the man's eye, leaving him disoriented as he fell to the ground.

She didn't bother checking if he was dead. As the third of her opponents tried to kill Hinata by attacking her from behind, but the man had no chance as Benedetta, with quick thinking, took one of her knives from her belt and threw it; she was surprised by its accuracy the knife went straight through the man's throat he didn't even realize what had killed him as his body tumbled face down to the cold hard floor.

"If you fools want to live, I suggest you lay down your weapons." she heard Hinata said coldly. To the men that were approaching Hinata and Benedetta.

"Fuck you, bitch! This job will pay us enough to live like kings for the rest of our lives," said a middle-aged man as he and his group charged at Hinata and Benedetta. There was no way they could take on this many, but fate had it that Balthus joined in the fight.

He wasn't as brutal as Hinata or Benedetta in the battle; he made their deaths quick and clean. She didn't have that luxury due to her lack of strength compared to the tall man. But more than anything, in the corner of her eye, she saw the way Kabuto dispatched his enemies. It was more brutal than anyone, and in the classes she did not trust him, she saw in his eyes that he reveled in the violence that was happening.

She heard screaming. A woman was screaming in pain. She saw it was Mercedes who got bit by Orochimaru. She was terrified of this man. She didn't want him even to notice her. She didn't pay attention as she fought enemy after enemy.

"Damn, it's like they hired a damn army." Said Balthus as he knocked down his 10th opponent.

She couldn't help but feel like the house leaders were the target. Why else would there be so many assassins? It was almost as if she pieced it together. This was the perfect place to dispose of the house leaders. It would take days for them to discover the bodies, and by then, the perpetrators would be long gone. This was their best chance to do it undetected.

It would take a miracle for anyone to get out of this battle alive. She hopes she isn't six feet under by the time the day is over.

At the same time With Shez and Lysithea

Shez was fighting alongside her girlfriend. Battling like this was nothing new for her, as she used to work as a mercenary. Dodging attacks was as natural to her as breathing. She possessed powers that made her faster and stronger than most of her classmates, with a few exceptions. She couldn't believe how easily Sasuke was defeated. There was another opponent who was way out of her league, and she wasn't sure if Byleth could even beat him. At this point, her main focus was surviving this battle so she would have a chance to train and defeat her foe.

She noticed a cloaked individual who was just standing there as his comrades were being killed by Lysithea and herself. She didn't even know why the person wasn't coming to their aid after the last of her opponents were dealt with. She saw them person remove the cloak and it was a black cloud of armor, but it wasn't the one from a few days ago this was different entirely. The armor was red; there were spikes on the shoulders on the left and right side. The knee pads had symbols of skulls in the helmet that looked like the Grim Reaper.

"You have gotten stronger, though I'm disappointed you should be way stronger than the carrier of the foulstar." Said a distorted voice with intense malice.

"Who are you?" Shez asked suspiciously. She wasn't going to lower her guard; there was something about the person in front of her that made her sense a strong killing intent. She saw a giant scythe and got into a defensive stance. This person intended to harm her and her girlfriend, and she was determined not to let that happen.

"You have forgotten me, not a surprise. I suppose it doesn't matter; I'm death itself. I am the Grim Reaper. I shall be your doom." Grim said, ready to end her life.

"Lys, stand back. This opponent is too much for you." She said to her girlfriend, who nodded in agreement and went to aid Edelgard and Monica. Grim went straight at Lysithea, but Shez blocked what would have been a killing blow to her girlfriend with her twin swords. The blades were clashing steel against steel.

The sounds of clashing blades were heard throughout the room; she was using all of her strength to keep her enemy at Bay.

"Run," she said, worried for Lysithea's safety. She didn't need to be told twice - she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She closed her eyes and felt the power that Arval had given her - the familiar surge of power that she had used many months before coursed through her.

She felt like she had a chance, but her opponent didn't look impressed at all.

"You think you're the only one that can do that? You are naive," Grim said. To prove his point, she saw his body glow - it was the exact same as hers. The eyes she could see in the armor were flaming in their irises. She held her swords tightly. This would be a tough battle.

" Careful, this person has the same kind of power you do. There's no telling how this battle will go; be cautious. " Arval advised

She had never faced an opponent like this before. Grim went straight at her and didn't give her a chance to respond; she barely had a chance to block his sight that cut her right cheek. Had she not blocked her opponent's weapon, her head would have been cleaved off. Just struggling to keep the blade from cutting further, she was putting all of her strength, and it still wasn't enough. She heard a mocking laugh from the Man behind the mask.

"Pathetic, is this the best you can do, Shez?" The voice said with bitterness and mockery.

She couldn't allow herself to be baited; she kicked her opponent back to give distance between herself and Grim. She had no physical strength to defeat him; she had to be smart about it. She decided to use all of the training that Jiraiya and Kakashi had taught her.

She quickly did the hand signs for the jutsu that Naruto helped teach her.

"Shadow clone jitsu." Shez created 20 Shadow clones, which All surrounded Grim.

"So, you're using a technique from that continent? Oh, you pathetic amateur. You think you're going to defeat me with such a technique?" He did the exact same hand sign, creating the same number of shadow clones she did. She was speechless.

"I am Superior to you in every way. Do you think I spent the past seven years doing nothing?" Grim said as he and his shadow clones battled her and her clones. It wasn't even a battle; she was being overwhelmed. Not only was he stronger than her, but he was faster in every way she could think of; he was Superior. He kicked her stomach, knocking her against the wall; he had the blade at her throat.

"Pathetic, absolutely pathetic; no wonder Byleth Eisner easily defeated you to think she favored you." she heard a jealous tone in his voice. She was going to ask what he meant by that before he kicked her and then turned his back.

"As you are now, you're not even worth killing; it's not even satisfying. You are worthless and not worth my time."Grim vanished like he wasn't there. She wanted to scream how easily she was overpowered by the sword that she had on her back that she had gotten in the Land of Waves. What good was it what it didn't help her with this battle?

No, she couldn't drown herself into spare. She got up, took out the sword that she had gotten from Zabaza, and went to her girlfriend was in order to assist her.

At the same time with Claude, Hilda, Marianne and Byleth

Hilda was battling one of the assassins that was after Claude. This opponent was far stronger than she was used to. The only person that could compare to this opponent she's currently fighting is her brother. Her opponent was not only fast but also strong. She was barely able to parry her opponent's blows. Her opponent did not wield a traditional weapon that she was used to. It was a short weapon, a Kanai. Her opponent could strike at any point, and she was left at a severe disadvantage with her Axe.

Despite being fast at wielding it due to immense strength, it did not compare to the speed of her opponent. Speed wasn't everything; she was taught that by her brother and her father. But in a fight like this, it was difficult not to see speed as an essential part of a battle.

She couldn't even pay attention to her friends' fights because she focused solely on her own survival.

"It's a shame that someone of your caliber has to die here. Your brother would be displeased, but it doesn't matter. It's nothing personal." Said a man in a distorted voice. She could tell it was male because of his demeanor.

She didn't bother exchanging any words. There was a time and place for that, and this wasn't it. All the training she had received since the new assistant teachers arrived had enhanced her skills significantly, but she had never gotten a chance to try them out. She made the appropriate hand signs and attached a lightning bolt to her weapon. She was not going to lose to this person.

She saw afterimages appearing to the left and right. They were using one of those techniques because they underestimated those in Fodlan. It was an amateur mistake that they would never make in their homeland, as they thought people like her never grew up in their environment and that they would easily lose against basic techniques that were recognized in their home country. She saw right through him.

She knew she wouldn't have the advantage for long. If she didn't press on, with a downward motion, she slashed the ground with her axe. Lightning bolts sparked all over the surrounding area. Her friends, who were by her side, jumped to avoid what would have been a fatal blow. Her opponent wasn't so lucky.

Her opponent was screaming in agony as the lightning shockwave incinerated her opponent to the point where her opponent was nothing but Chard and Ash. This shocked Hilda how deadly this technique truly was; she would never use it in close quarters under any circumstances like this one. One of the assassins charged straight out at her. Hilda did not have enough time to defend herself before the assassin could put their sword through her throat; a needle went straight through his.

As he tumbled to the ground, he had no idea what had killed him. She saw that Marianne was the one who had done it. The look on Marianne's face was cold and detached. She didn't have time to dwell on what had changed about Marianne; she needed to focus on the battle and not on the turmoil she was feeling about Marianne's lack of response to her confession.

Claude was struggling with close-range combat. It was not his specialty, and his opponent was trying to get close to him. He had to use every trick in the book to keep his opponent at a distance. The Black Eagles' professor, Byleth, was by his side with the Sword of the Creator. They supported each other as an army of assassins tried to attack Claude and distract Byleth from coming to his aid.

"Why are they sending so many assassins after us? And why specifically target me and the other leaders?" Claude asked the professor out loud as he killed another one of his would-be assassins. He fired an arrow from his bow, which went through his opponent's throat.

"We will have to find out from one of the survivors if any." Byleth answered. It felt like it would never stop; when they killed one more, another appeared. Claude couldn't keep track of how many his group had killed up until this point; there must be over 60 people at least that have been killed in the battle. It was overwhelming. This was one time he really wished Naruto was here; he was getting overwhelmed, and his opponent, who was trying to kill Claude, was waiting for his opportunity.

Dimitri was also overwhelmed by the wolf mask man. Along with Edelgard, they were the targets. Claude would have to find out later, just like the professor said earlier.

It would be an assassin that came close to a talking Claude from behind and was cut down by Hilda. Marianne was fighting like a beast protecting Her herd; she was far more ruthless than Claude. She remembers the callousness when she dispatched her enemies; she had a cold expression; what the hell happened to her?

He caught in the corner of his eye of an enemy about to strike at Hilda but was brutally killed when ice spikes appeared outside the person's chest. Was this the ability that Claude was seeing an action? The second opponent who tried to strike at Byleth suffered an even more gruesome end; the person's insides were frozen solid, and fell down to the ground, and his body shattering to pieces.

It unsettled Claude that Marianne wasn't the kind of girl who would do that. But then he saw Hilda and Byleth, and then he immediately understood her love. She was willing to become whatever it took to protect them. He couldn't bother with those thoughts as he was trying to get out of this place alive. The assassin was getting closer despite Claude using every technique that he had learned, but it was not of any use.

"Shahid gives his regards," said the man as he charged straight at Claude. He would not be able to defend himself. Was this how he was going to die, by an assassin hired by his brother? Claude did not want to die, not like this, not when he had so much to accomplish and so much to learn. Before a killing blow could happen, he saw a flash appear before him, and the man was punched hard in the stomach. Claude was relieved to see the person in front of him.

"Naruto, a site for sore eyes," Claude said, relieved that he was alive.

"I'm not Naruto; I'm one of his clones," said the clone as he kicked an assassin trying to charge at him, knocking them back.

"Whatever you are, thank you. Where is Naruto anyway?"Claude asked his clone. The clone and him were fighting side by side as if he were fighting alongside the real Naruto.

"He's assisting Edelgard and Dimitri." The clone answered.

He was relieved to hear that he would find answers, but who hired these assassins and why?

Earlier with Edelgard and Dimitri

The assassins must have come from Konoha; there was no other explanation. They wanted her and anyone who could be a threat to their power dead. She felt foolish for thinking she could play the game without repercussions. What was the point of the Flame Emperor if it was going to lead to this? She never thought in a million years that Demetri would be the person she would have to depend on to get out of this encounter alive. What made it worse is that she would have to lie and claim that this was an assassination attempt on all of them, especially her.

Their opponents were overwhelming the assassins. The wolf-masked man was determined to kill both of them. Edelgard had already killed her opponent, but this masked man was stronger than both of them put together. He was using techniques that they had never encountered before.

"Curse your fate for being on my masters hit list; it's nothing personal." the man said with that irritating, regretful tone; whatever that was, she had no idea why this person was familiar. It was as if he knew every one of their moves, all their techniques, like she was able to predict everything she did before she did it same thing with Dimitri.

They were backed against a wall, outnumbered by the assassins they were fighting. She was tiring, as was Dimitri. Her friends couldn't aid her; Hinata was too busy fighting her own enemies with Benedetta, and Ingrid was being overwhelmed as well, along with Monica. It was almost as if these reinforcements were infinite.

"You figured it out too late. Up until this point, many of the assassins you have killed were actually Shadow clones. Too bad you didn't figure it out sooner," Wolf said as a bolt of lightning shot out of his fingertip, heading straight for Edelgard and Dimitri. They couldn't defend against it. It was over. She was going to die in a place like this, without ever achieving her dream, without even starting to attempt to achieve it.

She was not going to die like a coward; she would stand tall and fight to the bitter end. As long as she was alive, it was not over. Dimitri was doing the same. They were both determined to survive, despite the futility. Before anything could be done, they saw an orange-cloaked Dorothea. Her eyes were red, and in their irises, there was a tail that came out of her, which surprised them both.

" I will not allow you to harm Edie or any of my friends, you bastard." She heard Dorothea said with hatred in her voice.

"Edelgard, Dimitri, the cavalry has arrived," said Naruto, who appeared right in front of them. She was relieved that they were both there, but what surprised her was Dorothea's expression. She had encountered Kurama the day before and the dense chakra she was feeling was deeper than anything she'd ever felt before. It almost made her want to throw up.

Dorothea charged straight at wolf, who was surprised by her strength. He was pushed back against the wall.

" Do you remember me, you bastard? Do you remember the little girl that you made an orphan?" Dorothea asked in a fit of rage that was not something she had ever seen from her friend ever.

"Dorothea Chan, don't let the sudden surge of power get through to you. You cannot control it properly yet," Naruto said, trying to get her to see reason. She ignored him.

The man kicked her back, but it didn't do much to Dorothea. She quickly did the hand signs. Lightning came out of her hands instead of being blue like she was familiar. Edelguard saw them turn to blood red.

" I will unmask you," Dorothea said as she unleashed the Bolt of lightning straight at the man that Dimitri and Edelgard fought earlier. The man was caught off guard; he was pushed straight against the wall. Part of his mask shattered, and barely any of his face was exposed.

"I'll have to make a tactical retreat for now," said the wolf as he threw a smoke bomb on the ground, causing everyone to cough. It would take a minute before they could see again, and he vanished.

"That coward, how dare he run," Dorothea said with a fit of rage. She was howling; everyone was able to hear it. The remaining clones of the assassins puffed out of existence until there was only one left.

What amazed Edelgard, and not in a good way, was that barely any of the assassins they fought were real – they were all shadow clones. As Dorothea was descending, another tail started to appear, causing everyone to look on in shock. She was on the floor, her features changing to resemble those of an animal more than a human.

Naruto placed his hands on Dorothea in order to stop another tail from appearing.

"Dorothea Chan, the enemy has been driven back stop," Naruto said, trying to calm her down.

" My mother's murderer got away," she screamed with uncontrolled fury. Edelgard was barely able to stand.

Naruto was struggling to get his mate to calm down; the rage that she felt seeing her mother's murderer getting away was clouding her judgment.

"Kurama, what's going on? She shouldn't be able to use your chakra like this?"Naruto asked, wondering why she was acting the way she was.

" Being reminded of what happened to her mother and now having part of my chakra inside of her, it overwhelmed her. The only person that could calm her down is you do to you being her mate. If you fail to do so, then you are not worthy of being her mate. I cannot help you, Naruto this is something only you can do." Kurama reminded him.

It was difficult Naruto placed his hands on her cheek, making her face him.

"Dorothea Chan, we've defeated our enemies. You're harming our friends and Hinata Chan Ingrid Chan, please," Naruto said to Dorothea. The woman had tears in her eyes as the cloak around her dissipated.

"I was so close he murdered my mother. That bastard murdered my mother. It's not fair. I was so close I." she buried her face on Naruto's chest.

Dorothea felt Ingrid and Hinata's arms wrapping themselves around her. They didn't know what she had gone through. Naruto is the only person that knows.

"It's okay," she heard Hinata say softly.

She didn't hear Ingrid say anything. She didn't need to considering their history. She was the only other person other than Naruto that knew about her mother's murder.

The battle was over. She knew that she had saved her friends and her partners were being killed, but doesn't change the fact that she had failed to avenge her mother.

"Dorothea, as long as you're alive, you still have a chance to avenge her. Don't give up," said Hinata. She looked into the girl's eyes and saw a mix of darkness and kindness. She had noticed this since the day she met Hinata and dreaded the thought of losing that gentle nature. Dorothea was determined to protect that part of Hinata by any means necessary. Right now, she had to put aside her pain; her partners needed her.

"It's okay we need to get up and find answers on who tried to get our house leaders killed." Dorothea said getting to the heart of the matter.

The sole survivor was a man lying on the ground. She needed answers and was determined to get them. Before she could take any action, Byleth placed his right hand on Dorothea's shoulder.

"I'm afraid you're not equipped for interrogation. I will handle it and get all the information we need. Leave it to me." Byleth lifted the man up by his collar and carried him away. As much as she didn't want to admit it, he was better at interrogation than she was.

The hollowness she felt was overwhelming. The man who murdered her mother had escaped, along with her chance for justice. But no, she couldn't dwell on that. There would be other opportunities, as long as she was alive. It wasn't a lost cause.

She was determined to uncover his true identity. She had to find out who the mysterious wolf-masked man was and why her mother had to die.

Byleth was alone with a man in a room. He was stripped of his clothes, and he was going to use whatever interrogation techniques his father had taught him. He was going to get his answers. His students were almost killed, and this person knew who was responsible.

"Tell me everything you know; it's better than I do this and not the church; they will not be so gentle," Byleth said threateningly. He heard laughing from the man as if what he said was funny.

"You won't get anything out of me even if I wanted to talk; I can't." he showed his markings on his tongue.

"Even if you could get me to talk, I won't spoil anything." the man said as he snapped his own neck, ending his own life; this shocked Byleth. He was not expecting to see a man do it so fast.

"He had something to hide. It's a shame we couldn't get any information. I don't like this at all. Whoever was trying to kill the house leaders, I have a strong suspicion they're connected to the faculty somehow," Sothis said as she looked around her.

"Yes, that would make sense. If I wanted to have someone killed, I would have someone on the staff act as an assassin to make it easier. But the question is, who is the assassin?" Byleth asked out loud.

"We know the assassin is male, but that's all we have to go on. There are multiple suspects, but we'll have to worry about that later because there are other things we have to discuss. Byleth, I know you don't want to hear about this right now, but it's important. That girl, Sonia, she is your sister. I know that for sure. She feels familiar to me," Sothis said to Byleth with an expression that was hard to read.

"How can you possibly say that?" Byleth confused.

"I believe it's connected to your mother. I don't have memories of connecting with her, but I believe that at one point when she carried both of you in her womb, I might have connected to both of you. That's why she was familiar with you, and you were familiar with her when you first met. It all adds up – she's your twin sister, and there's no denying that," Sothis said to Byleth, trying to get him to accept the reality of what he doesn't want to accept.

"If my sister was alive, then why? I told she was dead. Why was she stuck here for all these years? Why wasn't she with us?" Byleth on the verge of losing his patience; he didn't care if he looked crazy.

"Perhaps we'll find answers soon. I have a feeling this little adventure we're on now will teach us something about your origins. Along with why you and Sonia were separated after you were born, you may not like what you learn. Are you prepared for that?" Sothis asked, his voice turning really serious—the most serious she had ever heard him.

"I will do what is necessary," he said, trying to keep his mind off the turmoil he had on his mind regarding Marianne.

"She's not going to leave you, you know, if that's what's eating at you." Sothis said, picking up on his inner turmoil.

"I can't help but think she's better off without me, Hilda. They've known each other for so long, I feel like I've destroyed their friendship." He was interrupted by Sothis angrily.

" You idiot knock off this low confidence nonsense Hilda and Marianne need time and distance and you interfering will not do anything for them be patient with her. Do not be hasty let things between the two of them work themselves out one way or another it will have to be Marianne and Hilda. You have to let resolve itself organically, forcing the issue will not end the way you think it will." Said Sothis who understood what he was thinking.

"I'm willing to share her with Hilda. If that's what will make her happy, I would do anything for her happiness. I'd give her the world." Byleth said as he saw Sonia and a man that he did not recognize.

with Sonia

I understand why her friends hate dealing with the surface world's brutality and violence. It made her want to puke from the revulsion she felt, as she had never seen such violence before in her life. She saw dead bodies of innocent bystanders, thanks to the assassins who cared nothing for the victims they killed. It made her angry; the people in the abyss just wanted to live in peace. Despite how she feels, she feels like nobody had a right to infringe on her home.

She saw Dimitri, the look on his face. He had a similar look of revulsion as she does.

"I'm sorry for bringing this violence to your home, Sonia," said Dimitri apologetically.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Dimitri; it's not your fault," Sonia said, not wanting him to believe he was at fault.

" This site of violence, it sickens me that someone would involve innocence in this matter. If they wanted us to kill, they could have done it anywhere but here; how could someone have such a careless disregard for the innocent? It makes me sick." Said Dimitri, who was clenching his hands in anger.

"I hate this. I hate violence. I never realized how much I would hate it until I saw it first hand. I feel revulsion. I know taking people's lives was necessary to protect myself, but it doesn't make me feel good, even if I was doing it in self-defense," Sonia said, while remembering the first person that she had killed.

"Killing changes you in ways you don't expect. When I killed for the first time, it changed me. I always talked about defending the weak with my friends and my father, but I didn't realize what that entailed until I was forced to put down a rebellion that would have led to a wider war in my kingdom. That's why I have such disdain for those with disregard for the lives of others. It's a huge responsibility when you protect and defend a life. The person that you kill they may have a loved one waiting back home. How many of these assassins that we killed were truly evil people, or were they just doing it because they were desperate?" Dimitri asked Sonia as if she could answer his question. She had no idea how to answer it.

"There are things that I don't think will ever have the answer for sure. Maybe they did it because they enjoyed it, maybe they did it because they have a family to feed, it doesn't matter if it was either them or us. I know it's cold saying that, but it's the absolute truth." Sonia answered colder than she intended; she didn't want to show to Dimitri that it bothered her greatly what she had done, even though she knows it bothers him, but she could not appear weak.

"You don't have to be strong when it's just us, Sonia," Dimitri said as if he was giving her permission to shed a tear for the people that she had killed.

"Thank you, Dimitri. I really mean it. The world would be a better place with more men like you," Sonia said as she put her right hand on her heart, wondering why it was beating.

"If you could leave this place, would you join my class?" his offer caused her to look at him, surprised that he would offer her such a thing.

"You would do that?" she asked him, still not believing it.

"It would make you happy. I could tell as much as this place is your home. You don't want to be confined here; you wish to see the outside world more of it. If I could, I would petition for you to become a member of the Blue Lions House. I think you would love it there. They're good people." Dimitri said with a warm smile despite the situation that they had just went through.

"I wonder if she would ever allow it. It would be nice if I could do such a thing. I would gladly take up on your offer," Sonia said with a smile. Before she could say any more, she heard footsteps and saw the man who was the closest thing to a father.

"Sonia, I was worried when I heard all this commotion. I heard from the knights there was a battle here. Thank goodness you're safe." Said Aelfric worriedly.

He was a man in his late 30s he had long black hair he wore a black robe with dark red on the sides and the bottom. His skin was fair. He had a kind look on his expression but also a worried look as well.

"Who is this?" He asked kindly to Dimitri.

"He's my friend Dimitri."Sonia introduced Dimitri, who bowed as a form of respect to the man in front of him.

"A prince of Faerghus inside of abyss of all places, it's an honor to meet you, your Highness," Aelfric said respectfully. He shook his hand.

Then she noticed his surprised look on his face and she turned around it was her brother.

"My God, I didn't think it was possible, Byleth. I can't believe it," Aelfric said in disbelief.

"You talk as if you already knew about me, but how do you know?" Byleth asked, confused.

The man looked at Sonia and then looked at Byleth.

"I was told you died after your mother gave birth to both of you, but here I am seeing her son, you're the splitting image of both of your parents, my God." Aelfric said with barely controlled emotions.

Sonia looked at the man, the closest person she had to a father, in disbelief. He knew about her brother, but even he was surprised that her brother was alive. What kind of secrets did the archbishop keep from her and from him? She had a lot of questions she wanted to ask her grandmother. Now she wanted to know why she was keeping secrets even from Aelfric, the man that had taken care of her for all those years.

Byleth Replayed what Aelfric Said over and over again. The man had a shocked look on his face. He had doubts that Sonia was his Sister. It was impossible to ignore. Another person confirmed What he had suspected.

"I'm sorry, I did not expect to meet you, Byleth. I did not know that you were even alive. The whole time, I was never informed of your existence," Aelfric said, confused. he look at him and Sonia.

"You work for the monastery. Surely you must have known about Byleth Eisner," said Dimitri, confused as to why one of the members of the faculty would not know about his existence or the fact that he was alive.

"I don't know, Dimitri Sonia. I never knew I would have never kept something that big from you. Had I known, I would have told you." Aelfric said in an apologetic tone.

"Why have I never met you in the monastery before? I've been here for 4 months. We should have crossed paths long before now," Byleth asked, confused. He couldn't understand how a man like this, who essentially raised Sonia, was at the monastery without him knowing. He had so many questions. Every time one question was answered, more popped up. How many more revelations would he learn before this venture was over?

"I barely venture outside of Abyss. And anytime we could have potentially run into each other, we were far away from each other. I find it unusual that we haven't met up until this point. Had I known, I would have introduced your sister a lot sooner. I would not hide something so big from you or your father." Aelfric said apologetically. He could read from his tone that he was sincerely sorry and was honest.

"What more is she hiding from us? What kind of person is this archbishop keeping secrets from us? Sonia, the woman I thought was dead when she was a child, I found that she was alive the whole time. I know my father would never lie. Yet why would she keep such a secret? I demand answers. I deserve to know, and so does my father." Byleth said with barely controlled anger. He had a difficult time controlling his emotions lately, and learning about all these revelations didn't help things at all.

"We should continue this conversation out of the earshot of the others. Follow me. I'll tell both of you as much as I can," Aelfric said, looking at them apologetically.

"I have to help tend to the injured. You know where to find me when you're both done," said Dimitri as he headed to where Sasuke and Mercedes were.

Sasuke was in great distress. He wouldn't leave Mercedes' side, regardless of what people had told him. She was in pain, and this was worse than when Dorothea was bitten, much worse. She was barely breathing, her skin was deathly pale.

Marianne was trying to heal her along with Constance, but it was useless.

"I'm sorry I can't do anything. My healing magic is too insufficient. Whatever this mark on her neck is, it's too strong for me to heal." Marianne said apologetically. Hinata was clenching the same person that caused Dorothea extreme pain. Has done the same thing to her friend, but this was worse.

"Please do something." Sasuke said, beggingly, she had never seen Sasuke so vulnerable.

"There's nothing that we can do here. There's only one place that can possibly help, and the medics in the monastery could possibly help her. There's nothing that can be done here. I'm sorry," said Constance, who looked at her friend helplessly.

"I can't leave her like this. Tell Dimitri I'm sorry," Sasuke said as he lifted Mercedes up. She looked so small and weak, not like the Mercedes Hinata knows.

"You could tell me yourself, Sasuke," Dimitri said, which caused Hinata to turn around.

"I'm sorry, I can't leave her alone; I have to get Rhea to help her.. ''he looked away, ashamed he had never shown this open vulnerability in front of anyone. Hinata didn't need to ask him. She could see in his eyes Mercedes had grown to be the most important person to him. He was looking for permission from Dimitri to take his leave and return to the monastery.

"Don't worry, Sasuke, I have plenty of friends to look after me in your place. Don't worry, my friend, take Mercedes to get the help that she needs," Dimitri said supportingly.

"Thank you,"Sasuke said as he turned his back on the group and ran as fast as his legs could take him.

Everyone was in silence; it unsettled everyone to see what had happened.

"That bastard," said Dorothea in a fit of rage.

"How did the curse mark get removed from your neck, and what is that Mark? I know it's not the same thing you had before Dorothea. What is it?" asked Edelgard, who Hinata knew would not be satisfied with simple answers for half-truths.

Hinata knew it had to do with Kurama. Naruto looked like he was in deep thought. She knew he was talking to Kurama.

" You can't be serious?" Said Kurama in disbelief that Naruto was willing to reveal what was inside of him to more people.

"I have no choice; Dorothea Chan has that Mark on her neck that marks her as my mate," Naruto said hesitantly, not used to thinking of her as one of his wives.

"The house leaders found out by chance. Are you sure you want them to know? Humans can be pretty judgmental creatures. Not everyone will be as accepting as your mates, Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude. Are you sure you want more people to know?" Kurama asked him, making sure Naruto knew exactly the kind of choice he was going to make.

"I'm sure of my decision, and it's not like we're in Konoha. I'm fully confident I'm not going to be rejected." Naruto said, more confident than earlier.

"There are those four individuals that you have not met. Do you really want to reveal your secret to essentially strangers?" Kurama asked him, pushing him one more time to back out if he wanted to.

"I'm not going to back down. If I'm going to be the Hokage someday, more people are going to know. I have to prove to them I'm not the monster they think I am," Naruto said with full confidence. Kurama looked at him, impressed with his resolve.

"Very well, I will show myself to these humans," Kurama said.

Lysithea saw Naruto lift up his shirt, causing the girls to turn away. Some of them looked irritated, but they were silenced when they saw an orange chakra coming out of Naruto's stomach. After a few moments, she saw a little fox form, and she immediately recognized the fox as something familiar.

"To think that I would reveal myself to more humans. I guess it can't be helped, I suppose." Said the fox, which shocked everyone except the house leaders and Naruto's girlfriend.

"Wait, is that a fox that just came out of Naruto's stomach?" asked Sylvain in amazement.

"Out of all the strange things to see, I never thought I would ever see this; this looks like something straight out of a story." Said Ash with interest and not fear.

"I don't know why, but I don't think he's scary but. I don't think I would want to anger him either." Said Benedetta, who is more cautious not because she is afraid of Naruto but because of her anxiety.

"Interesting," said Shez.

"I'm not going to lie; this fox is kind of cute."Hilda who picked him up and cuddled him, which caused everyone to roll their eyes while the fox had a shit-eating grin.

"This just gets better and better. Next, we're going to find out that Naruto and Dorothea are married due to some mating ritual." Claude joked, which caused everyone to look at him in annoyance.

" Your house later is Sharp Kit. You were wise to choose Claude," said Kurama with respect.

"Wait what?" Claude asked surprised that he was correct in his assessment.

"Hold it, you're telling me that Naruto and Dorothea are married or whatever by some mating ritual. Is what you're saying, oh come on, this is nonsense." Edelgard said, not believing what was being said.

" It's up to you, Dorothea, to reveal what happened." Said Kurama as he got off Hilda and looked at Dorothea.

She explained what happened, though she left things out for obvious reasons because she didn't want anyone to know about the death of her mother or her and Naruto's private moment.

"Wow that is wild. So in order to protect you from him claiming you, you two had to claim each other?" Asked Sylvain, skeptical of her story.

"It's exactly what happened,"Naruto said, defending Dorothea.

"Okay, let's just say it: we believe you, and she will never get that curse mark. Whatever that weird snake man was, why not use it on Mercedes?" Said Sylvain not happy that their friend was in extreme pain.

"For one I can't do that because Mercedes is essentially Sasuke's mate and I will not Mark someone else's woman."Naruto said ending the discussion and not allowing anyone to entertain that thought he would not ever do that to Sasuke his friend had been through enough.

"So you would do it for Ingrid and Hinata?" Asked Sylvain angrily.

"Of course I would. Why wouldn't I?" Naruto was on the verge of raising his voice.

"Enough," said Edelgard, ending the conversation before it could escalate.

"We're all under a lot of stress right now. A lot of has happened. I suggest we help the injured and give Naruto and his girlfriend's privacy." Said Dimitri, sensing that Dorothea and her partners needed time alone.

She noticed the look on Sylvain. It was the same look she had when she was jealous of Naruto because of Ingrid and Hinata's feelings for him. She felt bad for Sylvain. She knew what he was going through, but he wouldn't be as lucky as her. Everyone dispersed, and it was only the four of them alone with Kurama.

"I'm sorry. I know you and Hinaa agreed that we would wait and take it slow. I'm sorry," said Dorothea, which caused Ingrid to put her hand on Dorothea's cheek.

"It's fine, Dorothea, we understand. I would rather you be married to Naru Kun first then have you be a slave to that monster," Ingrid said with understanding.

"It's not fair, Hinaa. It should be you. I'm so sorry I." Hinata didn't let her finish as she kissed Dorothea on the cheek.

"We can't be mad at you, if anything, we should be mad at the bastard that forced the situation in the first place. We can never be mad at you ever, Dorothea Chan, we love you." Said Hinata. Ingrid knew it wasn't the appropriate time, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want her girlfriend to feel bad about doing what they all had wanted to do. It didn't matter; they were all equal in this relationship, even if it did happen at a faster pace for one over the others.

"As much as I would like the four of you to comfort each other, there are things that we need to discuss." Said Kurama, who looked at the four of them with a serious look.

"What do we need to talk about?" Lord Kurama asked, alarmed by his tone.

"Orochimaru, that's the name of the man who marked your friend," he looked at Dorothea and then at Hinata and Ingrid.

"He will target you next, I am positive he will, in order to spite you, Dorothea. Though right now we can't do anything about that until we are safely in Naruto's dorm." Kurama said to both Hinata and Ingrid. Ingrid was wondering what Kurama was getting at.

"You're saying that Naruto-kun will need to mark me and Ingrid-chan? It's a little sudden, but how do we do it?" Hinata asked without hesitation. Ingrid wasn't surprised, given how deep Hinata's feelings for Naruto were and how long she had harbored them.

" You know what you two need to do Dorothea. What we had to do was something that was not normally traditional but the circumstances forced us to go against tradition." Said Kurama not really wanting to elaborate because he thought it was obvious.

"You mean I don't think we should be talking about this at this time? There must be other things you want to discuss, Kurama Sama. You wouldn't want us all to talk alone if it wasn't something serious." Hinata said, which caused the fox to sigh.

"I was hoping to do this when Naruto came of age, but circumstances that had happened with Dorothea had forced my hand. Naruto needs to know what really happened to his parents." Kurama said, looking at Naruto.

Naruto had a confused look on his face. Ingrid squeezed his hand. She had to be strong for him. Whatever Naruto would learn, she had a strong feeling it would shock him to his core. She couldn't be weak in front of him.

"you said a masked man was responsible for their deaths,"Naruto said, pointing out what he had told him two months ago.

"The truth is, I didn't entirely tell you everything. Your mother wanted me to protect you, and any truth I could tell you would change everything. After seeing what I saw with Dorothea, I cannot hide this from you because it involves you as well," Kurama said to Naruto. Hinata and Ingrid had no idea what he was talking about. Ingrid had no idea what happened. She knows that Dorothea's mother was murdered, but she didn't know many details about it.

"Truth be told, it's better that they tell you themselves." Said Kurama, which caused the trio, along with Naruto, to look in shock when they were in Naruto's mind space.

"I know this is earlier than I agreed with Kushina, but I cannot put it off any longer. I hope you and Minato can understand." Kurama said apologetically, which confused Ingrid. She had no idea what he was talking about.

Everyone was blinded by a bright light. When it was over, two figures appeared. There was a tall blonde man with blue hair and a green vest, along with a white vest with flames on the back. He had a kind and gentle look, and he was a splitting image of the fourth Hokage. Ingrid had read about him in her lessons when she was a student of the Blue Lions. It couldn't be possible - he was supposed to be dead, yet he was right there.

The second person was a woman around Ingrid's height. She had long red hair, and her eyes were violet. Her skin was fair. When she looked at the woman, she had a fierce look about her. Then she looked at Naruto and then at the redhead woman. There was a resemblance between the two. Though the blonde man she saw, there was a resemblance as well. She wanted to hit herself. This couldn't be it. She couldn't be meeting Naruto's parents. It's just impossible. What is going on?

"You better have a good reason for summoning us so soon we don't have much time as it is with the amount of chakra that we stored in Naruto's body." Said Minato, who crossed his arms, looking at Kurama.

The woman walked towards Naruto as if she was seeing if he was real.

"My God, you must be at least 17 now. Last time I saw you, you were only a baby, my little boy." The woman said, barely able to control her emotions.

Naruto had no idea how to react when his parents were before them. He thought he was in a dream. It couldn't be he wanted to laugh; it just couldn't be possible.

"Kushina dear, I think we're overwhelming him." Said Minato with a nervous smile.

"I'm sorry I got a little carried away. I just didn't think I would see our son so soon," Kushina said to her husband apologetically.

"It must be serious Kurama, if you're having us talk to Naruto so soon, and who are these three girls that are here?" Asked his mother, looking at his girlfriends.

"One of them in particular is the main reason I brought you here now, for you to tell the truth of what really happened. Naruto only knows part of the truth about a masked man being responsible for what had happened," said Kurama.

Kushina looked at Dorothea and was shocked to see her girlfriend. He did not know why.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were Natalie; you're the spitting image of your mother." Said Kushina to Dorothea.

"You knew my mother?" Asked Dorothea, surprised.

"Your mother was a great friend of mine when I was in the Black Eagles. We did many things together. We messed with all the boys and all other stuff that I will not discuss, unfortunately because we have no time." Said his mother nostalgically. Dorothea had no idea how to react.

"You must be Gunnar's daughter. You have your father's eyes." Said Minato, which caused Ingrid to be silent.

Then, both of their eyes went towards Hinata.

"Oh you look just like Hitomi. I almost thought you were her. Such a beautiful woman you have become. I'm glad to have met you. What is your name?" Kushina asked Hinata.

"I'm Hinata. I'm glad to have met you, Kushina San. I wish we had more time to talk, but I don't know how much time both you and Minato Sama have," said Hinata in the respectful way she always addresses people.

"So polite she wouldn't be your girlfriend, would she?"Minato asked Naruto.

He had to force the words out he had never spoken to his parents part of him was happy and angry to see them because of all those years of suffering.

"She's one of my girlfriends, actually," Naruto said nervously, which caused his mother to look at him in annoyance.

"That fucking pervert, I swear if he put that shit in your head, I'm going to come back to life and drag his ass to." She didn't get a chance to finish before Ingrid and Dorothea interjected.

"Naru Kun's nothing like that. He treats us all well. He's faithful to Hina Chan and Dorothea. He would never treat us like whores." Said Ingrid in Naruto's defense.

"I know you're Naru Chan's parents. I understand your concern about what he's doing, but I assure you Naru Chan treats us all well. I make sure, along with Ingrid, that Naruto treats Hinaa especially well," Dorothea said respectfully to Naruto's mother.

"I don't know if it's fate that three of your partners are the children of people that we have befriended in the academy. I wish we could have a long discussion, but we can't. We have to get straight to the point, unfortunately." Said Minato, looking at his wife.

Naruto, along with his girlfriends and parents, sat down. Naruto was wondering what was going through his parents' minds.

"The first thing I want to say is we're sorry for not seeing you grow up, Naruto, and for not growing up in a loving place where you had friends and people who treated you as a person. We are so sorry we failed you." Said Minato, who looked remorseful but Naruto did not know why.

"It's not your fault you died," Naruto said, forcing the words out.

"We're still your parents, Naruto, and we never saw you grow up. We cannot imagine the kind of hell you went through. I'm sorry for everything; I never wanted this for you. I never even wanted Kurama in you. We wanted you to have a normal life; we wanted to have a new life in a different land, but that was denied to us. We were never given the chance." Said Kushina with tears falling.

"I don't understand," said Hinata, as confused as Naruto was.

"There were those who wanted to take you from us and use you for their sick experiments. They wanted to see how well a crust would react to the Uzumaki bloodline. They wanted us to give you to those sick people that experiment on children," said Minato.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Asked Naruto, not understanding.

,"There are dark forces in this world that have been operating behind the scenes for over millennia, plotting to destroy the Church of Seiros. Their origin is unknown, but they are known as Those Who Slither in the Dark. They've been experimenting on those with strong bloodlines for generations, seeking to create the ultimate weapon." Kushina said the name like it was poison.

"What do you mean?" Asked Ingrid, confused.

"We discovered a secret we shouldn't have right after Naruto was born, we were approached by a cloaked figure who wanted to use Naruto for experiments to see if they can create an ultimate weapon of mass destruction using the bloodline of the Uzumaki by inserting the crest of flame. We didn't want that fate for Naruto, so we decided to make a drastic choice to try to protect him." Kushina said, giving everyone time to absorb what she had revealed.

"Who are Those Who Slither in the Dark?" asked Naruto.

"We don't know. Right after we were approached by those figures, we pieced together that various factions of Konoha were connected to them, even the high council itself. We had nobody we could trust. I left without saying a word. I took you and your mother away from the village so we could protect you. I doubt anyone has revealed this to anyone because it would look bad if they found out one of their previous Hokage was found out to be a deserter ."Minato said

"How's this connected to me?" asked Dorothea, looking at Kurama.

"I told the truth about what happened to Naruto's parents regarding the masked man who was responsible for their deaths, but that's not all there is to the story. The masked man in question wore a wolf mask, the same mask that you saw on Dorothea." Kurama said, looking away in shame for keeping such a secret.

"You're telling me the same people that killed." Dorothea couldn't finish.

"Natalie was killed by the same person that killed us. I'm sorry, I really am Dorothea San." Said Minato.

"Wait, Naruto Kun and Dorothea Chan were both made orphans by the same person?" Asked Hinata in disbelief.

"I don't know what happened after we died, but if what you saw was a mask wolfman, then yes, it was the same. I don't know his identity, so I cannot tell you." said his mother.

"Tell us what you can," said Ingrid.

"for the four of you to understand, we have to talk about what happened 17 years ago. Naruto's parents begin their tale of what had happened 17 years ago, before and after Naruto was born.

Flashback 17 years ago October 1162

Kushina was sitting on her couch rubbing her stomach. She couldn't believe she was going to be a mother. Her life seemed too perfect. She hoped Natalie had been able to find a husband. She hadn't heard from her for almost a year. The only thing she knew was that Natalie had a daughter named Dorothea who should be around the age of one now. She also heard that her other friend from the Blue Lions, Gunnar, his wife was currently pregnant. Her friend from the Hyuga clan, Hitomi, was cooking lunch. She was seven months pregnant. She had a look of sadness on her face. She tried her best to hide it, but it was easy for Kushina to see right through her.

"Are you okay?" Kushina Asked her friend, Knowing what she was thinking.

"I miss him. I miss my home. I forgot how much I hated it here." Hitomi said as she slammed her hand on the surface where she was cutting the fish that was on the cutting board.

"This is our home. How can you say this?" Kushina That's not understanding her experience in The land that She had called homeFor the past 4 years.

"You wouldn't understand, I couldn't explain it. I will never love that bastard, that is my husband. The land where I stayed for the past 4 years. It was peaceful and beautiful. Yes, it was harsh, but it was so beautiful. The landscape, the sunrises, everything felt so much more peaceful there than here. I had everything I ever wanted, in the end, I had to do my duty to the clan and give up what I love the most, who I loved most." She said with deep sadness. She had not smiled once since she returned from Faerghus. She would ask what transpired there, but she held back, she knew that it was a sensitive topic. The man that she truly loves is in that land, and she would never see him again. She thought that was tragic.

She resumed making the lunch that she was working on. They said nothing; 20 minutes would pass before she was done. She put her portion on the right side of the table, Kushina on the left, and her husband's portion on the south side. He will be home any minute. As if he can read her mind, her husband Minato appeared right in front of them using the jutsu that he had mastered.

"Dammit, Minato, you scared the shit out of me," said Kushina, annoyed with her husband always using his jutsu to get home as soon as he was done from work.

The Trio sat down and didn't say anything for almost a minute before Minato spoke.

"It's crazy that the three of us are going to be parents. Not too long, I hope Naruto and Hinata become friends," Minato said to Hitomi, trying to lighten up the sad woman who had not smiled since she had returned.

"She'll be strong. I know she will. She'll have the part of her father; I know that much. She will have the heart of a lion. My hope for her is that she is kind and strong. I hope she inherits more of her father's heart than mine." Hitomi said with a sad smile. Kushina couldn't help but pick up that she knew something that Kushina or her husband did not.

"Father, can't you mean that man you're talking about? I thought you hated him." Minato asked, referring to Hiashi.

"I'm sorry I misspoke." Hitomi said, realizing that she had made an error.

"I can imagine it right now, Naruto and your daughter being close friends. Who knows, we may end up being in-laws someday." Minato joked.

"Minato, of all the ridiculous jokes, you've got to be kidding me. You actually never mind." She said as she felt a kick to her stomach.

"Are you all right, Kushina-san?" Hitomi asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Naruto is excited about the prospect of meeting Hinata. Aren't you, my dear boy?" Kushina said to her son as she rubbed her stomach.

"It's getting late." Said Minato, looking at the time on his clock.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Hitomi said as she excuse herself and left.

Kushina washed the dishes while her husband was setting up the bed. When she was done, she saw a man in front of her, an orange mask man with a black cloak. She got in her fighting stance, but the man did nothing.

"Very soon, your child will be taken from you. Those who seek to overthrow the Church of Seiros will want his blood and will want to experiment on him. There's only one way you'll be able to save his life. Only one." The orange mask man said.

Her husband was right behind him with his Kanai to his throat.

"Please, if I wanted a conflict, we wouldn't be having this conversation." The orange mask man said it was hard to tell what his voice was.

"Have you ever heard of Those Who Slither in the Dark?" he asked her. Her husband had a look of surprise hearing that name.

"So you've heard of that name before, of course, you have. You went to the monastery, you encountered followers of them, but the group is much bigger than the cult that you destroyed. It was only one of many. Do you think they don't exist, even here in Konoha? You're a fool to believe that they're in the highest echelon of the government, even the highest hierarchy, and various clans are in cahoots with them. Have you ever wondered what happened to the children that failed their exams when they were denied being Shinobi?" The orange mask man said, which caused Minato to put his blade even tighter to his neck, blood being drawn.

"Killing me will do no good; the truth will come to you in time. They will take your son, and there won't be anything you can do about it. They are after him, and someday they will destroy the Uchiha and any descendant that's currently alive." She was wondering why he was telling them this information. There's no way he would tell them such important information unless he intended to kill them afterwards.

"Even what you say is true. Why are you warning us? What do you gain? What do you want?" asked Minato, who was the verge of losing his patience.

"I have plans, and your son's death would get in the way of those plans. What I'm doing is a means to an end. If you wish to save your son, you will make the ultimate sacrifice. I'll leave you with this warning if you do not escape; if you do not put measures to protect him, he will be a weapon of mass destruction that will destroy this world." When the orange mask man was done, he vanished as if he was never there.

She was shaking; she didn't want to believe anything he said; it was nonsense; there was no way it could be true; she lay down on the bed with her husband, trying to pretend what had just happened didn't actually have them that it was all just an illusion conjured out in their mind.

Minato was at the Hokage office doing his paperwork. It had been a week since the mysterious man appeared; he didn't report it to anyone because no one would believe him. He was looking at various reports and applications for various students to go to Garreg Mach. He hadn't heard from his student Kakashi for days, and he wondered where he was. He was worried about him, especially ever since he enlisted in the Abu Black ops. He wasn't essentially fond of having children be part of such a unit. He was hoping to change things and raise the age of those who can enlist as Shinobi. He thought any age younger than 18 was unreasonable. He wanted to do away with the age of child soldiers and wanted to move Konoha to a better future, but he was encountering resistance at every turn, even from his colleagues who had given him the position.

He heard a knock, and then he saw a black-robed man enter. He didn't take off his hood, and he didn't know who he was before he could do anything. The man spoke in a voice that sounded like an echo; it was distorted.

"Minato Namikaze, the time has come." The distorted voice said, which caused him to get into his defensive stance, but another figure appeared before him and pinned him against the wall.

"Amusing this beast thinks he could oppose us. You are as powerless as a child. You will give your child to us as soon as he is born; is that understood? There's many things we can do to you and your wife and all your friends if you try to tell anyone anything. Even the power of the Hokage is not enough. We are everywhere, we are legion, we are in every corner of the world." the hooded man let him go.

"Our eyes are watching, try anything and we will act swiftly. You are at our mercy, Hokage, we can unseat you easily. Your so-called will of fire is nothing more than a farce, don't try to tell anyone anything. If you do, they'll look at you as crazy after all this village just went through another war. You wouldn't want your fellow villagers to find out the unsavory things you did in the war, what it would do to this village's image. We can destroy you in a blink of an eye, we will not speak again. Next time you see us, we'll be one of our agents ending your life should you defy us." Said the man as he vanished, he had no idea who it was.

He saw another person enter, and it was none other than his student Kakashi. He took a deep breath; he couldn't hide his turmoil in front of his former student.

"How did the mission go?" Minato asked, trying to get his mind off what happened just now.

"I completed my mission successfully, and our borders are now secure," Kakashi said in an emotionless tone. He hadn't been the same since Rin's death. He wished she could be there to support him, but unfortunately, Danzo was under his control.

"Are you alright, Sensei? You look like you have barely gotten any sleep?" Kakashi asked, concerned for his well-being.

"I'm all right, Kakashi. I just need to focus on my paperwork," Minato said with a fake smile. Kakashi knows it's not real, but he wasn't going to ask about it as a form of respect and left. No matter how much paperwork you try to get done, he couldn't keep what the hooded figure said out of his mind.

He continued to work on the paperwork for a few hours until someone stormed into his office on regular days. He would be angry because of the important work, but he saw Tsunade with a worried look on her face.

"What's going on?"Minato asked the older woman.

"Your wife is in labor." The words didn't leave her mouth for long before he stormed off to the hospital. He did not want to miss out on the birth of his son.

She had never felt such pain in her life. She was pushing, but it felt like the baby was not coming out. She was in labor for 4 hours, surrounded by multiple people trying to keep the seal from breaking. It wasn't easy; the baby was trying to fight his way out. She was sweating, feeling an intense pain. Between the pressure on her body and her child coming out, it felt like she was being ripped apart.

"Push a little bit more, my lady. I see his head." she was screaming as loud as the world could hear her the pain, and then she heard a cry.

"Let me see my son, please." Kushina requested the woman handed Kushina her child when she took a look at her son, who was only a few seconds old. He looked so small it was difficult to her for her to believe this small child had been inside of her for nine months.

"Hello, my boy, my precious boy," she said, crying. This precious child she can see so much in his future. She hopes that the friends she made in the academy will become Naruto's friends as well. She also hopes that Naruto will meet the children of her friends from the monastery, and maybe one of them could be special to him. She heard footsteps behind her, and her husband went down on one knee to hold their child. She looked at her husband and saw right through him. He was distraught, more concerned than she had ever seen him.

"Naruto, our child, this precious child." he held their newborn son like a protector protecting his cub; she knew that look; she didn't want to believe it; there was no way that orange mask man could have been correct there was no way it was impossible.

"We have to leave," Minato said suddenly.

"Now I just gave birth to our son." She tried to say more, but looking at his face told her everything. They weren't safe, and neither was their son.

They left the hospital, leaving as little trace as possible. Traveling right after giving birth was not recommended, but if what she had heard was true, she couldn't take any chances. She wasn't going to lose her child to some shadowy organization. They got everything they would need, all the essentials, and left everything behind.

She took one last look at the village that was her home and turned back; she would never go back for some reason; she had a feeling this would be the last time she'd ever see konoha alive.

They were traveling for days. They barely slept, and the only time they ever slept is when they took turns watching, which most of the time it was Minato, considering Naruto needed nourishment from his mother and she needed rest. This was not what they should be doing as parents. They should be at home and Naruto at a warm bed. But that's not what the reality was; if he had stayed, Naruto would have been in the hands of those creatures.

As they were about to reach the port that would take them to the land of Faerghus, where they sought asylum to raise their son in peace, they encountered a masked man wearing a wolf mask. They recognized him as a member of the Root Abu.

"Return to konoha at once." The mask man ordered Minato got into his fighting stance. If he had to get through this man in front of him, he would do it.

"It's nothing personal, but I have to take the boy back. I cannot have you leave to a foreign land and give our biggest asset to our enemy." The voice said in a tone that was difficult to pick up due to the distortion in his voice.

"He's only a child. How could you be so cruel." Said Kushina on disbelief on the cruelty of The village.

"We could always clone the child if the worst comes to worst, but I will take him whether he's alive or dead; it makes no difference," he stated before charging straight at Minato. Minato swiftly threw his Kunai, marking his opponent's back, and then used his flying Thunder God technique to strike him from behind. This move would have secured an easy victory against any other opponent, but this time, nothing happened.

"I have no illusions about winning, but I will fight with all I have." He looked and saw his opponent heading straight for his wife and newborn child.

"Damn you," Minato said as he took another one of his special kunai and threw it where his wife was. Despite his best efforts, he was a few seconds too slow. His technique hit its mark, hitting his child. Although he could have killed him if it directly hit him, it did enough damage to his body that he was bleeding, causing his wife to scream.

"How can you do this? What have we done wrong?" his wife asked him.

"You deserted your village. For that crime, the punishment is death," said the man as he went to strike at the baby again. But Minato blocked him. Naruto could be saved. The price he didn't even want to imagine. The nine tails chakra easily healed his wounds.

"You did this knowing she would save our son. Was this your plan all along?"Minato asked the wolf masked man.

"My master has plans for the boy. Your deaths are part of that plan," he said as he kicked him to the tree.

He was looking around, trying to avoid Minato. He knew he could not win against Minato in a straight-up fight, so he was hiding.

"You were the greatest Shinobi that had ever lived up until this point, and you threw it all away all because you weren't willing to make a sacrifice." he heard the echo.

"It is one thing for an adult to do a sacrifice because we have a choice. You're talking about a child who can't even consent to a choice," he said in rebuke.

"It matters not we will bring the boy back alive or dead; it matters not my master will have uses for him." he felt a bolt of lightning strike at his side, then he looked how can he knew that technique; he saw it from somewhere.

"Why would you do this?" he asked a wolf masked man knowing his true identity.

"It's because you betrayed our village; you betrayed me; the village will think you died in a blaze of glory defending our village; they will never know the true reason you left and that they kidnapped your wife and newborn child that will be the official story no one will know the real one."The wolfman said as he went even faster.

He went straight past him, and then he knew what he was aiming at. He threw his special Kanai and closed his eyes. It was over. He would not live to see his son grow up. He did everything he could. A hand went through his heart. He took one last look and saw the familiar face.

Kushina was panicking because her son was dying. There was no way to save him without putting the nine-tailed fox inside of him. But if she did that, she looked at the newborn child. This child would suffer so much. They would know that he's the next jinchuuriki all his life. He would be judged for something he did not choose to be.

She did hand signs that her brief life was over, and she heard a voice in her head.

"Out of all the things, you're going to put me inside that little insect?" The nine-tailed fox asked angrily, hoping to be finally free.

"He will die otherwise,"Kushina said, not really caring what he thought.

"You will do anything to protect your kit to ensure his survival. That's admirable, but what do you expect me to do?" The nine-tailed fox asked her.

"I want you to promise me that you will protect him, and when the time comes, give him all the guidance that you can. Tell him everything you can about us, how this all happened. I know I haven't been the best host for you, perhaps, and things have been different. Never mind thinking of the past; being different is useless. Do you promise me?" Kushina looked at him, hoping that he would agree without her forcing him to.

"Give me one reason I should even consider such a thing. Throughout the past 100 years, I've had one host after another treat me as a plaything. What makes you think your son will be any different?" he asked her, skeptical.

She looked at him, her child.

"Because he has my heart and his father's determination, I believe in my heart that he won't treat you like I have or my predecessor," there was a silence between them.

"Fine, I'll do it. That's only because an innocent child should not die for the sins of his parents," the nine-tailed fox said. She was relieved as she began doing the ritual which would put the nine-tailed fox inside of Naruto. The seal was on his stomach, and the chakra was pouring out in rapid succession. She was screaming in pain; it was a painful process. She knew this would ultimately kill her; no jinchuuriki that removes their spirit survives — they always die, no exceptions.

She watches as the wounds on his body start to heal, making it seem as if they were never there. The baby is crying. She looks at her son and cries, realizing he will never see her again. He will never go home to her. She will never see him grow up, nor see him bring his first girlfriend home, or experience any of the things that mothers usually take for granted. She knows what his life will be like.

Before she could say anymore, before she could do anything, she saw the wolf-masked man charged straight at her; she shielded Naruto; she wasn't going to allow him to die before she couldn't do anything, her husband was right behind her, and then she felt a hand go through her chest blood came out of her mouth along with her husband they both looked at their son.

"We're sorry Naruto, we couldn't be there for you. Please be strong, please find the right girl, don't fall for the first one. Make sure to eat healthy." She coughed up blood.

"We love you Naruto." Minato said as he coughed up blood.

Baby Naruto cried; she felt her life leaving her; no, she couldn't; there was information she had to give to him; she made a drastic measure, a last-ditch effort; her husband knew what she was thinking she did one last hand sign and put as much of her chakra and to her son's body as possible along with Minato when the time came they would have another chance to see their son to explain how everything they can though that day he would be a man.

The world was going black, and the last thing she heard when she left the world was a crying baby.

Back to the present day

"Listening to his parents explain what had happened to them made Naruto feel a mixture of emotions. He felt so much anger at the thought of the childhood he could have had. He closed his eyes and imagined a childhood in Faerghus. He wouldn't have gone through the things he had gone through, and he would have had friends. He looked at Ingrid and thought about how he would have met her sooner. Then he glanced at Hinata, wondering if she knew what he was thinking.

"That's all we can explain of the events. We don't know anything beyond that. We can tell you a lot more if we have the time, but we don't." Said Minato, who was sad that they couldn't reveal more.

Then Naruto looked at Dorothea. She had a sad look at her face when she looked at Naruto. Both of them have had lost their parents by the same person.

"What you have told us so far, Naruto, we are proud of you. We wish we would have been there to witness everything that you have accomplished in the monastery. You have made us proud more than you know." said his father, who smiled at him kindly.

"The three of you, you will look after our son, won't you?" asked Kushina, smiling at Dorothea, Ingrid, and Hinata.

"Of course we will; I will protect him with my life," said Ingrid.

"I will make sure Naru Chan treats all of his partners with love and respect." Said Dorothea with a warm smile at Naruto and his parents.

Then, it was Hinata who spoke last.

"I love Naruto Kun, and I will cherish him until the day I die. You could rest easy, Kushina San and Minato Sama."

"I don't know if I approve of you having three wives, but if they're happy and you're happy, then we could rest easy," said Kushina as she started to fade. This caused Naruto to panic; he didn't want them to leave yet. There were so many questions he had to ask.

"Kurama, there's got to be something. Can't you keep them here just a little bit longer, please?"Naruto asked him. He shook his head.

"I'm afraid there's nothing that can be done; their chakra has been depleted," Kurama said sadly, considering how brief Naruto's meeting with his parents was.

"Don't cry, our son; we'll see each other again, though hopefully not too soon. I would like to have many grandchildren since you will have three wives. I expect at least seven grandchildren." Kushina smiled at Naruto.

"I love you, Naruto." said his father, a tear dropping from his face.

"I love you, my son," said his mother as she rushed to hug him. His father did the same. Naruto returned the hug with the same emotion. They would leave soon, and he would not see them again until he was in the afterlife. His girlfriend's left, wanting to give Naruto some time alone.

"Don't lose your way, Naruto. Whenever you do, don't give in to the darkness. Don't lose sight of who You Are." Said Minato.

"Listen to your partners, love them, treasure them. Treasure every moment you have with them. My hope is for you to live to be an old man with grandchildren of your own. Please don't die too soon. Live long," his mother said as the last essence of her chakra dissipated, along with his father.

He looked on where his parents were; tears were falling through his eyes. He didn't know if his parents heard him, but he spoke with his heart anyway.

"I love you, Mom, Dad. I know our time together was brief in this world, but I'm grateful to have at least had a chance to speak to you. I promise that I will make you proud. I will be the man that brings a smile to your faces wherever you are. I will cherish my friends and the women I love. Thank you for being my parents, and thank you for allowing me to be your son," Naruto said with a single teardrop. Then he returned to normal space and saw his girlfriend's, who also had tears in their eyes.

No words were needed. They wrapped their arms around Naruto. They knew what he was thinking. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity, not paying attention to anything else. Nothing else mattered but them. He would keep his promise to his parents an,d he would never take his girlfriends for granted. He would never go back on his word. Right now, there were other things at stake - like why they were in the abyss, what they were looking for, and, most of all, what is the identity of the wolf-masked man.

Sorry for the long delay in getting this chapter out. It took me a while to get it right since I wanted to add more scenes for clarity. The version you've read is the final one.

I know it may seem rushed when I introduced Naruto's parents, but I intend to delve deeper into their story in the future. There is plenty of material for a multi-chapter story, and I will tell their full story later. I foreshadowed a major plot twist in this chapter, but I won't spoil it – it will not be revealed until the end of the academy phase of the story.

Anyway, I hope the next chapter doesn't take as long to be released, but I won't make any promises. Considering I have three other stories I'm working on, it may be a while. I hope that this chapter was worth the wait for those who like the story.