This chapter is part 2 of three of this mini Arc this chapter isn't really that much different from the original version I originally uploaded on archive our own I added some dialogue and expanded some scenes here and there but not much more than that.
without further ado here's the chapter.
chapter 16 golden deer trust
It had been two days since Kakashi had collapsed due to his overuse of the Sharingan; they would not be back in Garreg Mach by the end of the month. They still had a mission to accomplish. Gaara, the red-haired man from the other day, was scouting in order to find the bandit hideout. He wouldn't be available because of this, but he would join them after the mission was over. So that was good, even if it didn't make Claude feel any better.
Claude walked around town, looking at the despair. Was building a bridge really going to fix everything? He wanted to help them, but what could he do? Eliminating Goto wouldn't solve the problem; there were other external factors. Sure, it would fix the problem in the short term, but in the long term much more would have to change.
Then there was that mysterious ninja with a strange mask. He couldn't help but come to the conclusion that they would face that mercenary again. He was definitely stronger than anyone in the Golden Deer, except Kakashi. He was outside, practicing with his bow, trying to keep his mind off what had happened two days ago under different circumstances. He would appreciate the scenery, but things were different. Their mission was to eliminate Goto, who had hired bandit gangs to terrorize the Land of Waves. The bandit leader could not be located at the moment. At a time like this, he wished Hinata was in their class. Her Byakugan would have been useful in this situation.
There isn't one sensory type like his class and that would be a problem when it came to locating the bandits. Kakashi is bedridden and has forbidden anyone to continue on with the mission until he's well enough to participate, and he has assigned all of the Golden Deer to train. His teammates were practicing with him. Shikamaru used a strange technique called Shadow possession; he used it on a shadow clone that Naruto created in order to help with their training. Lorenz attacked the shadow clone without being noticed. It was frustrating for Claude to admit every time they tried they failed because they constantly made noise.
"Damn it professor, we're not ninjas," Claude complained, frustrated with his team's lack of progress. His professor spoke in a scolding manner.
"One day you will thank me for teaching you these skills; they could save your life. One day it doesn't matter what part of the world you live in, stealth is an important skill to have. What's also important is being able to communicate with your comrades non-verbally; you are failing at this, Claude." Then he looked at Lorenz who had a smug look on his face, only for Kakashi to stare him down.
"You are even worse; you're so loud that a corpse can hear you, Claude. You have stealth but not communication; you have neither." This caused everyone to laugh, much to his annoyance.
"Since you're not good at stealth you're going to train strictly on stealth and you Claude are going to train how to communicate with your comrades non-verbally.
"How is he supposed to do that he's not bad at nonverbal communication but, He's asking him to use tactics that are completely unfamiliar to him.
"It was never trained in Konoha such training is second nature to us"Kakashi explained as if he's explaining it to a child. Ino use her jitsu to enter someone else's mind once as a prank on their first week in the Golden Deer.
"Why not just teach us chakra control?" asked Leonie, which was a good question Naruto and Dorothea wondered the same thing.
"For you two, Naruto will teach you." This shocked Naruto.
"But why me?" He asked nervously.
"Because Dorothea would be far more receptive to your style than mine, and besides, Dorothea's chakra reserves or magic reserves, if that's what you want to call them are higher than anyone in this class, except for Naruto, which is why I am going to teach him myself, along with Claude, who has the third-highest." This surprised Claude; he has the ability to use chakra.
"But I can't use magic that well. How can I use chakra?" Claude asked his professor.
"Do you remember how I asked everyone to grab a paper when I tested all of you? On the first day I did the same for Shez." He wondered what he was getting at, but he continued to listen.
"You, Claude, your chakra nature is wind, just like Naruto's." Then he looked at Hilda.
"For you, Hilda, your chakra nature is Earth." This didn't surprise Claude, considering her immense strength.
"Ignatz, yours is water, a rarity." This made him blush.
"Raphael, yours is Earth, though you're more suited to be training in close-quarters combat. Our equivalent would be taijutsu, which is why Rock Lee and Choji are best suited as your training partners." Raphael was excited at hearing this.
"I can't wait to test my muscles against you, Lee!" Eyes excitedly lit up at such a challenge.
"I am definitely looking forward to it Raphael San, may the best man win"
For the short amount of time Claude has been around Rock Lee, he couldn't help but admire the man's spirit; he made things far brighter than they were before. The fact that he even got Dorothea to like him said a lot.
"What about me?" Asked Shez he was curious considering those strange Powers she has, what was her chakra nature?
" Yours is fire and lightning"which shocked everyone with two chakra natures?"Wait, she has two?"Asked Dorothea.
"Everyone has at least two though the more dominant one is the one that's actually stronger yours for instance is fire and lightning the first one I mention is the stronger of the two. Yeah everyone I named so far has a second nature but they're better off focusing on the stronger one because how much weaker it is"Claude was amazed Dorothea had the most powerful chakra nature potentially of any of them.
"Now don't let this get through your head all of you. Knowing the natures' strengths and weaknesses is essential, lest you be at your enemy's mercy. Back in Fodlan, this will still apply, as chakra and magic, though they are different in many ways, share some of the same principles" That made sense to Claude. So training in his chakra nature would make him stronger. But how would this make him stealthier?
"What about my chakra nature?" Lorenz, your's is lightning and fire. Then he looked at Leonie, who was the last one.
"Yours is lightning." This told him everything Claude knew: one thing he noticed those who didn't have a strong affinity for magic in the first place and shouldn't be heavily focused on it, but incorporating their chakra nature into their fighting techniques.
"I'll assign you all training partners: Claude and Lorenz. You're with me this did not please Claude or Lorenz. Everyone else went to their training partners: Naruto and Dorothea. Was Kakashi trying to get them to get closer, or was he imagining things? Everyone went to their groups and started training. They were assigned their respective techniques from their respective chakra natures and trained."
Naruto woke up in a sweat. He felt like part of his heart was cut and then sewed back together, as if someone important to him died and then it didn't happen. He needed to think. He went outside and noticed Dorothea was looking at the stars.
She had a haunted look on her face. He sat down next to her. They said nothing for a long time before Dorothea spoke.
"I felt like my heart was ripped apart, only for it to be sewed back together. It doesn't make sense. I feel like something had happened, and then it didn't." Dorothea said, tears falling.
"I know what you mean. I felt like Hinata Chan and Ingrid Chan died. I felt like my heart was ripped from my chest, but it's ridiculous, isn't it?" Naruto asked, trying to look strong for Dorothea's sake.
"It's not ridiculous; I felt it, too." Dorothea replied.
Naruto was trying to take a deep breath. The idea of Hinata dying anywhere scared him more than he knew. Of course, he cared about her, but Hinata was different. She was the first person to believe in him, someone who believed in him when nobody else did.
"Naruto, why haven't you told her you love her?" Dorothea asked, referring to Hinata. Naruto clinched his heart whenever he thought about her. Why hadn't he told her? Was it fear? He felt he was so close to the point that if he got too close, he would burn.
"I don't know what love is." Naruto admitted.
"Naruto, I could tell by the tone of your voice every time you talk about her, even I know, and we barely spoken, that you love her and have for a long time." Dorothea said. How was she able to understand his feelings better than him?
"How can someone like me understand love when I never had a mother or a father in my life or even siblings?" Naruto asked Dorothea.
"Love doesn't have to be understood, Naruto. It just happens. Hinaa is someone special to me. I know it's only been a short time, but it's hard for me not to love her. She is so kind to everyone despite what she has been through. She doesn't let her harsh experience turn her into a cold person. She's one in a million." Dorothea said, and Naruto agreed with her. There's one thing he and Dorothea had in common: how much they loved Hinata.
"I remember when I first met her back when we were children. She was bullied by a bunch of kids because of her eyes." Naruto said, which caused Dorothea to twitch with anger. He could tell in her eyes that anyone bullying Hinata made her as sick as it made Naruto.
"The stupid kid that I was, I said I was going to be the Hokage, and they laughed at me. They stopped paying attention to Hinata and beat me up when I was a kid. I thought she was cute. I knew right then that she was perfect. She was someone that I felt needed to be protected, so when I needed to impress..." Naruto trailed off, thinking about how he had thought at one point that she was a weirdo but was too stupid to realize that the girl he had saved and Hinata were the same person. He didn't realize that until she gave him encouragement.
"She never told me that I could see now why she would have strong feelings for you." Dorothea said, feeling bad for her heart's judgment of Naruto when she didn't know the full story.
"I recall in the academy there was always a girl who was quiet and never really said much. All the other girls cheered for Sasuke whenever we sparred, but she didn't. When I think about it now, I recall a quiet voice cheering for me. I didn't think about it back then, and I didn't realize it was that same girl that I saved from bullies." Naruto said, feeling stupid for not realizing it earlier.
Dorothea never knew this, and Hinata never told her this.
"As I got older, the girl wouldn't leave my mind. I wondered where she was, who she was, and if she was all right. Being a dumbass that I was back then, I didn't realize Hinata-chan and that girl were one of the same until she gave me encouragement at a critical point." Naruto paused, and Dorothea knew that Naruto was going to share a memory that was special to him. She knew what Naruto was going to talk about; Hinata had told her about this story about her encouraging Naruto when he was at his low point, but this was from Naruto's perspective.
"Before the finals of the Chunin exams, I saw a match that changed forever how I saw Hinata-chan. The girl that I saved all those years ago, I didn't realize they were one of the same until I saw the way Neji acted towards her, the way he operated, gaslighted her, and bullied her. When I saw her about to cry, I remembered that moment when I fought the bullies, and I felt angry because I couldn't help her. She was about to give up until I told her to not let Neji push her around." Dorothea was never told this, even by Hinata. Naruto encouraged her when Hinata was on the verge of giving up. The more she learns about Naruto, the more she realizes how wrong she was about him. She continued to listen.
"I watched as Hinata Chan fought a battle that she couldn't win. She was so brave and so cool that everyone else didn't believe in her; they believed she should have given up, but I didn't. I wanted to see her fight like hell and prove to everyone that she wasn't weak. Of course, those in her clan wouldn't see that." Naruto said with anger. Hinata always tensed up whenever her clan was mentioned, and Naruto made it no secret that he held her clan in disdain.
"She lost her fight with Neji, and if the instructors at the exam hadn't interfered, he would have killed her." Naruto said, clenching his fist at the memory. Dorothea felt anger and rage at the thought of children fighting to the death.
"I can't believe they put her through that." Dorothea said with rage.
"The way Hinata Chan was defeated, she lay down on the floor, and I couldn't let what happened to her go. I had to avenge her honor, so I covered my right hand with her blood and vowed that I would defeat Neji." Dorothea, the more she learned about this story, the more shocked she was. She didn't even know that Naruto had done that, and Hinata didn't know either.
"During the finals of the Chunin exams, I was matched up against Neji. I was nervous, and I didn't think I had a chance to win. I had challenged him in front of everyone, and so much was at stake. I didn't know what to do, so I went to the training grounds to try to center myself." Naruto paused, and Dorothea wondered why he was doing that.
"Hinata Chan was there, and I was relieved to see that she was all right. We talked, and I voiced my own insecurities and fears. She didn't say anything but listened patiently to what I had to say and told me words that have been ingrained in my soul." Naruto was about to reveal something deep and personal, but Dorothea said nothing, wanting to hear this tale to its conclusion.
"She told me that I never gave up, no matter how hard things got or how hopeless they seemed. When I failed, I got up and tried again. She told me that she wanted to live by my example. Unlike everyone else who would have berated me and said that I didn't have a chance against her cousin, she told me that I was a proud failure in that I don't let anything get me down. It clicked at that moment that her and that girl that I saved were the same person, and I wanted to kick myself for not realizing it sooner. I felt terrible, too, because why was I trying to impress Sakura when this girl in front of me, the whole time, was the girl that I saved?" Naruto said, and Dorothea couldn't believe that Naruto couldn't see what was obvious.
"Without her encouragement, I would have lost against Neji. She gave me the confidence that I needed. Of course, I couldn't approach her because of that damn father of hers. After that day, I spent whatever time I could with her. My feelings grew, and every time I wanted to tell her I liked her more than a friend, I got cold feet. Someone pure like her is far beyond my league, and her family would never allow it, one of the worst fears I've ever had was that the exchange program would separate us. I was relieved, but even away from her family, away from the village, I still felt like a coward. I don't deserve her, Dorothea, but my feelings, I cannot control them, and I cannot explain them." Naruto finished his story, and it all made sense. Listening to Naruto's tale about how he and Hinata met, Dorothea finally understood.
How can she judge him like she has? Naruto was hopelessly in love with Hinata and had been for years, almost as long as Hinata has. If she had known Naruto before judging him like she has, she would have encouraged them to be together instead of acting like a jealous lovesick woman.
"I've never heard a man talk about the woman they love the way you do about Hinata, Naruto. You do love her, I know you do, and I think you know it too. You're just afraid to say it." Dorothea said, and Naruto tensed.
"Yes, but what about Ingrid Chan? I can't just ignore her feelings or disregard them. I mean, damn it, why does love have to be so complicated?" Naruto asked, then he realized what he had said out loud.
"Naruto, there's nothing wrong with your feelings. I love both Ingrid and Hinata, and I want them to be happy. I can't choose between them. I know I shouldn't love both of them, but I can't control my feelings. I can't control what's in my heart." Dorothea said, clenching her heart.
"Love, why does it have to be so hard to say it? Why can't I just tell them I love them?" Naruto asked Dorothea.
She wanted to ask herself why it was so hard for her to tell Hinata her feelings. In a cutthroat culture like Adrestia, it was difficult for her to discern the difference between genuine love and the casual pursuit of nobles who merely pretended to be in love to get what they wanted from women in the opera.
She had no idea what real love was after her mother died until she met Ingrid. Her fiance had just died, and she was watching the opera to take her mind off the pain. They saw each other from time to time and wrote letters to each other.
She recalled the memory vividly; she was 15 when Ingrid said she loved her. Then, their breakup due to Ingrid's father wanting her to find a suitable husband.
She realized that now was not the time to pity herself. Naruto needed help, encouragement, and someone to push him to be honest with himself. That's what he needed right now, and she could worry about herself later.
"The first thing you can do, Naruto, is admit it out loud that you love them. That's the first step," Dorothea said.
Naruto struggled to get the words out, a lifetime of abuse and neglect making it difficult for her to express her feelings due to her own abusive upbringing and the disregard for her and her mother that she didn't want to think about, especially the night her mother was murdered by a wolf-masked man.
"I love them I love them I wish to make them both happy."then he looked at Dorothea she was nervous and wondering what Naruto was going to say.
"I want you to be happy too, Dorothea Chan. It's not fair for you if you don't get to be with them as well. I cannot take Ingrid from you any more than I can take Hinata. We both love them and we both want to make them happy. I'm willing to make it work because I don't want them to be unhappy either." Naruto said it was so easy to hate Naruto when she didn't know anything about him. Hearing him talk about Hinata, the intimate way he talked about her, his feelings for her, she couldn't hate him.
She didn't realize her heart was beating. Before she could think about anything else, Naruto yawned, and she was grateful for the interruption.
"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be difficult in terms of training. Kakashi-sensei will push us all to our limits." Naruto said, which caused Dorothea to laugh. Kakashi was an interesting professor.
So she wondered why he looked at her in the particular way he did. She disregarded it; it was probably nothing.
"Good night, Naruto." Dorothea said.
"You too, Dorothea Chan." Naruto replied. She went to her room and looked up at the ceiling, thoughts in her mind about sharing the woman she loves with Naruto. She was reluctant to even consider the option days ago, but now, now that she had a chance to hear him talk about his past with Hinata, him reaching out to her the way he has, has caused her to reconsider. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.
5 days later
Dorothea was amazed to learn that she had the largest chakra capacity of any of her peers, at least in the Golden Deer; she wondered how she would compare to her counterparts. Kakashi wanted to talk to her one-on-one she did not know why.
"It's amazing how near perfect your chakra control is it's a shame you weren't one of my students you would have been a perfect fit on team 7"team 7 that was what Naruto's team was Hinata told her about how the team system worked.
"Well, I wasn't born in Konoha, so it couldn't be helped" Dorothea said.
"Do you know who your mother or father was?"
Asked Kakashi.
"No idea who my father is, and I don't care; he abandoned my mother right after I was born."
She said with contempt.
"Do you know anything about your mother and where she came from?"
Kakashi asked, trying to find out more.
"My mother was born in Adrestia; that's the only thing I know." Dorothea answered wondering why he was asking these questions.
Kakashi looked like he was in deep thought.
"Do you know who your grandparents were?"
Kakashi insisted.
"I don't know, my mother never talked about them. It was painful for her. The only thing I know is they were not from Adrestia. Why does that matter?"
she was generally confused as to why he was asking these questions.
" As you know Naruto wasn't born with a crust but he has high chakra capacity a lot it has to do with his Uzumaki ancestry Sasuke has no crust either which has a lot to do with his Uchiha bloodline. My former student Marianne also has a lot of chakra. Having a crust has nothing to do with it but you have more chakra capacity than even those who possess a crust which is why I'm wondering who were your ancestors?"
Why did it matter? She thought she was born with a capability of using magic and being able to use it well. The only difference is she cannot use a relic, but she just learned that she has chakra capacity more than even some people in Naruto's home continent.
"Professor, why do you care so much? I'm not your student; I'm a student of the Black Eagles house. I'm only here temporarily; why does it matter?"
Kakashi took some time to think before he spoke again.
"Unlike my colleagues Byleth your professor and Manuela they don't have the ability or the capacity to teach you these things because they don't have the experience now depending on who you talk to magic and chakra could be the same thing but with a different name but that is not necessarily true. You see I can't teach you to control magic because that's not my specialty but I can teach you how to control chakra."This was confusing and contradictory. What the hell was he talking about?
To demonstrate his point, he tried to cast a basic spell that she had long since mastered, and failed miserably.
" As you can see, I cannot cast magic spells because that's not a talent I possess. You have the potential to utilize both chakra and magic; however, you're probably the only student here who can do that. Everyone else can use their chakra to some extent, but nowhere near as well as you." This surprised her; she could use both?
"Then why isn't Naruto teaching me?" She had to ask because she was confused about why her training partner wasn't teaching her any of this.
"Because there are techniques that Naruto can't do that I can teach you."
To demonstrate his point, Kakashi did hand signs and blew a fireball out of his mouth. This was nothing like the fireball spell that she cast; it was far more powerful.
"That is a very powerful jutsu, but it could also be dangerous if you don't have the chakra capacity to use it. You have to be careful, though, if you use up too much of your chakra; it could affect your magic use, as they both draw from the same source."
So chakra and magic are similar in some ways, but they are also different. It's confusing to her.
"Now, I want you to try:"
Kakashi showed her again. She carefully took the necessary chakra and did the exact same thing he did, and a fireball came out of her mouth. It was more than even Kakashi's. She was amazed at how well she was able to do on her first try.
"I can't believe it!" she said, smiling.
"Impressive, though be careful you don't use too much of your chakra when using that jutsu. Just remember not to over-exhaust either your magic or your chakra; as one affects the other, you're one of the few students who can use both. Naruto wouldn't be able to use magic and chakra, but you can."
This surprised her. "Naruto can't use magic?" Why can't Naruto use magic? Dorothea asked him.
"It's not something I can talk about, unfortunately. But he doesn't need it anyway, not with all the jutsu I taught him and Jiraiya."
It felt like a cheap answer, like there was something being hidden from her, but there was nothing that could be done about it.
"Another thing you need to know about the jutsu you learned is that it's heavily associated with the Uchiha clan. I would advise against using it around Sasuke, as he would take great offense."
She doesn't particularly care what Sasuke thinks; she learned the jutsu and attends to master it, molding it into something of her own and even adding her own spin on it.
"What about lightning do you say that's one of my chakra natures, aren't you going to teach me a jutsu that's associated with it?"
Kakashi signed.
" You're better off coming up with your own on that one; the Lightning Blade isn't a jutsu I can teach someone who doesn't possess a Sharingan; it's too dangerous to be taught to you; focus on your own techniques for now."
She got annoyed hearing that he's obviously hiding something from her and knows something she doesn't; she would find out eventually no matter what it takes.
"Thank you, Sensei, for this lesson." She said respectfully.
"Naruto is probably wondering what's taking you so long; I suggest you get back to him." Dorothea blushed. Why was she doing that? It wasn't even that long ago that she hated him.
She walked away trying to hide the obvious red in her face. No, it was not possible for her to like Naruto. It would feel wrong after all she has feelings for Hinata and Ingrid right?.
Kakashi didn't know how to approach this girl. She was a descendant of one of Konoha's ninjas; someone who must have come from Hashirama's generation. There aren't many candidates that she could be a descendant of when he narrowed it down. It couldn't one of the former students from the year 1155 who enrolled in the Black Eagles . From the descriptions of what she looked like, she looked a lot like her. The only difference was her brown hair and green eyes. Her face, her facial features, and the way she presented herself were similar to that girl.
Perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps not; he would have to send a raven to get the device that would be necessary to confirm his suspicions. If she is who we suspect she is, then she could possibly be the girl he had one of his missions. If she were to ever go to Konoha, he would have to talk to Lord Third about this; she's no danger to the village at present, but if she's the girl he's been looking for all these years, he can rectify a failure of finding the girl that he failed to bring back.
To think that it's possible, it's possible that there's another of that bloodline. On this continent, possibly even hiding in plain sight. If Dorothea was the girl that he was looking for all those years ago. If she is who Kakashi suspects, then she's another target for Donzo and his organization, which has been obsessed with tracking down everyone related to that bloodline.
He hopes he was just imagining things, but Kakashi's eyes are rarely wrong, especially when it comes to matters related to that clan.
She was furious. She felt like she wasn't making any progress with the training Kakashi was making her do of walking on a tree without her hands. It frustrated her to know and she felt like she was making no progress. Everybody else was succeeding, but she was failing. How could she possibly face Byleth if she couldn't even master the basic chakra technique that people in Konoha were able to do when they were younger than she is?
"You're using too much chakra," she said, looking behind her and seeing Kakashi. She didn't want to be around him right now.
"This should be easy; why is this even necessary anyway?" She threw the kunai that was given to her on the ground in frustration.
"I never needed this; my whole time as a mercenary, I did just fine." Shez said in frustration.
"I knew this is new to you, but would you really disregard every advantage this could give you an edge over the person you want to defeat? Of course, he would bring up her rivalry with Byleth.
"Good now listen, I will show you a way I taught Naruto to be better at chakra control."
Kakashi demonstrated a different kind of technique that Naruto uses; she does exactly as he instructs. She makes more progress than before, but she still can't make it as high as everyone else.
"You make it look so easy," she said with annoyance."
It's only easy because I have two decades of experience. Believe it or not, you're making progress faster than most people back home." She looked at her professor in disbelief.
"That's nonsense there's no way," she said in astonishment, not believing him.
"Believe what you will, but if you want to make things interesting, you should have a training partner who would motivate you to get better faster. Someone preferably without the experience that those in Konoha have. As if on cue, she saw Claude and Hilda.
"Are you serious?" she asked him.
"If you wish to make progress faster, what better way than to have an obstacle in your way with all three of you being motivated? You should master this in no time." Kakashi left them alone.
"I have to climb on a tree without even using my hands how about you carry me up there Claude"Claude's signed.
"We were specifically told that we all had to master it I'm sorry Hilda I know you don't want to do this but we all have to.
"Reluctantly they looked at each other she wasn't going to lose to anyone.
"Whoever gets highest by the days end gets first dibs on dinner" Claude challenged.
"No fair Claude"Hilda complained.
"Hey something got to motivate you Hilda I know you don't like doing training and all but it's necessary" their banter was something she didn't care for especially at the moment but there was no choice there was no other people that would train with her.
"I have no intention in losing" Shez declared and they started their training session though in the end it was Claude that was dead last much to his surprise and the amusement of Hilda.
2 hours later
They were inside their rooms; food was delivered to them. As promised, Hilda got first dibs.
"This is not fair. Come on, can we do this again?"
Claude said, complaining as they were eating dinner.
"You're the one that said the winner gets first dibs. I get first dibs; she gets second dibs. It's your own fault 'cause you get the worst of the food we have."
Claude looked miserable; obviously, the food he wanted to eat was already taken.
"You should never challenge someone if you're not prepared for the consequences of losing" Shez said to him, he groaned, realizing the situation he was in.
"Okay, I admit I wasn't prepared to lose, especially to Hilda." The trio laughed.
"You know it's nice that you're finally lightening up; it was kind of frustrating dealing with someone with a stick up their ass.
" Hilda couldn't help but remark; she didn't take offense to this.
"I'm sorry; being close to the professor of the Black Eagles just makes my blood boil." This got a reaction from Claude and Hilda.
"You wouldn't understand my mercenary band; they were killed by him, and I want to defeat him. I don't know if it's revenge or if it's pride or both; I don't know." She didn't know what her reason was at this point.
"Death is common in this line of work; you should know that better than anyone."
Claude said, not understanding how harsh mercenary life can be.
"I'm only human. I don't know; it's easier to think of him as a monster, but he's not; he's human just like the rest of us." She heard Claude scuff the same thing with Hilda at the ridiculousness of what she just said.
"Human? As if a professor having a love affair with one of his students; yes, that makes him so human." Claude joked.
"I'm being serious, Claude." Shez said with annoyance.
"I am being serious, though I mean, isn't it interesting how the antisocial professor, out of all the people in the monastery, has his eyes on our former shy blue-haired classmate who doesn't like being around people."
"She didn't want to talk about rumors; she could care less about her arch nemesis' love life."
"Could we not talk about this?"
Hilda said with strained patience, she couldn't help but notice that Hilda was jealous.
"Let's drop it Claude" Shez advised not wanting to make Hilda upset.
"Yeah but there's something else let's talk about the love life with Naruto and Hinata and their harem that they're building"this caused her to sigh whatever she thought might as well just get used to it this is just who Claude is.They talked for hours, but everything and anything for a time she forgot the whole reason why she joined the Golden Deer Class in the first place.
One day later
Naruto was in a sitting position, meditating. The technique was taught to him by his mentor, Jiraiya. He never used Sage Mode often because he wasn't a master of it yet, but he used it to sense anyone nearby who could be a threat to him. It was a technique he couldn't ever use unless he was in the privacy of his own room in Garreg Mach.
He was near the nearby River on the outskirts of the forest in the nearby town where they were staying. It was so strange that Naruto thought how fast things had changed between him and Dorothea. It felt a little too convenient in fact. It was a little over a week ago that they started hitting it off. It was strange to him. Once he got a chance to get past what she was like on the surface, she was actually a really kind person who was compassionate toward those less fortunate than herself. She sang for the children when they weren't training. There was something different about her when it came to beauty. It wasn't the same way as Hinata or Ingrid.
Why was she on his mind?
"Damn it! I can't meditate right now!" Naruto said, frustrated. It wasn't just Dorothea; it was also what if they found out about what was inside of him and looked at him as a monster like the people of Konoha did. This turmoil was getting worse ever since Kyūbi awakened. He couldn't help but wonder if he were the reason why he had been treated like a monster all his life.
What if Hinata found out? What if Ingrid found out would they look at him differently? He still doesn't know why the village hates him other than having Kyubi inside him. It made him feel angry and rageful, as if he had done something to deserve the village's hatred. He didn't choose to have Kyubi sealed inside him more than he'd chosen to have him sealed inside Naruto.
"When will you tell them about what happened to my parents and Konoha? Why do the populace hate me?"Naruto asked him softly
."Until all of your mates are together, I cannot reveal that, and I don't like repeating myself."Naruto was getting annoyed.
" Mates?"What are you talking about?"Naruto asked him irritatedly, insisting that Hinata, Dorothea, and Ingrid were his mates.
"A third thread has emerged: who else but that woman to be your third mate? "He said referring to Dorothea.
"That's ridiculous, we've only been speaking on friendly terms for 10 days. In fact she hated me as far as I recall not too long ago." the idea was ridiculous he could buy two red threads but three?
" interesting that Hinata girl being your mate was a given but a tomboy who wants to be a knight and a songstress from Adrestia it isn't often when someone has two red threads but three is even more rare."Naruto had to think deeply about this three soulmates it felt too convenient too good to be true what Naruto wanted more than anything in his life more than being Hokage was to be loved.
Having three beautiful wives, it seemed like something from a fairy tale; he shook his head. It was ridiculous; there's just no way.
" When you get back, the four of you are going to have to have a talk; there is no way this can be ignored, especially if it involves me." He emphasized that last part more than the others.
" But what if they look at me; what if they leave me when they find out?" Naruto was interrupted sharply.
" You foolish boy! Do you think so lowly of them that they would simply abandon you? Have more faith, especially in Hinata; she's like an angel. There is no way she would leave you; she's as loyal as they come. Same thing with Ingrid and Dorothea. You are fortunate to have three loyal women; you better treat them well." He didn't know how to respond to that.
He threw a rock, which managed to splash a decent distance away from him. It was difficult to meditate, but he could train before he did anything else. Claude approached him. He sat next to Naruto; things were silent between them for a few moments until Claude spoke.
"I must say your sensei is quite a teacher: doing basic things that you can do easily is hard. I tried walking on water and I just failed miserably. The only person who's been able to succeed at doing it is Dorothea, who did it on her first try"
Naruto looked at Dorothea. She was like a goddess. She was singing as she walked on water.
"Don't fall in love with another woman. I don't think Hinata would be too happy or Ingrid for that matter." Claude joked. He couldn't help but be mesmerized by her voice. By the way she moved her body, she was a natural at chakra control. Sakura didn't have this down nearly as well. Had she been born in Konoha, she could have easily been the most talented person in her class.
" I'm meaning to ask you, Naruto. We barely talked about it, but why do you want to be Hokage?" He thought about it. Why does he want to be Hokage? The one thing he wanted more than anything was friends and family. He decided to give the most honest answer he could to his friend.
"I don't know since coming to Garreg Mach I have gotten something that I never really had in Konoha"
Claude looked intrigued.
"What would that be?"
Claude asked him.
"Friends and a place to belong,"
Naruto answered.
Claude with Naruto continued to watch Dorothea as she continued her dancing and singing.
She had an audience of children who were watching her and cheering.
"Me wanting to be Hokage originally was to get acceptance and be acknowledged, but meeting you and everyone in the Golden Deer and then Hinata as my girlfriend, I just don't know what I want anymore other than a place to belong. Do I really want to be Hokage?"
Naruto asked aloud.
"I can't answer that, Naruto. The only thing I could tell you is that you have to know what's inside your heart."
Claude pointed to where his heart was.
"What I want is to break down barriers so that people can appreciate their cultural differences and live together, appreciating what makes everyone unique. The barriers that the people in charge place on the people of the outside to get along this goes on in the lands beyond the five nations where you're from or where I'm from. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could simply live together in harmony?" Claude asked Naruto.
Naruto closes his eyes and imagines a future with Hinata, Dorothea, and Ingrid, living in a house together. He imagines the children they would have, equally family, even though they would be birthed from different mothers; the mothers themselves would be the children of the other women's children. Then he imagines Claude and the Golden Deer, along with the other houses, living together in harmony, visiting each other in their homelands for cultural exchange. He imagined the world where there would be no war, people would learn to appreciate their differences, a world where rulers don't rule for power but to protect the people and to represent the people.
Compared to Naruto's dream of being Hokage, Naruto felt small when he looked at Claude.
"My dream feels so insignificant compared to yours,"Naruto admitted.
" Wanting a place to belong is not insignificant. When I was a child my desire my dream was spawned because of not having a place to belong I know what it feels Naruto to feel like an outsider to feel like you don't matter"Naruto wasn't used to seeing this side of Claude Claude was never vulnerable with anyone he always gave off the sense that he was a always laid back and free spirited.
But his jokes that he occasionally makes his sarcastic remarks and his pranks are all a cover up for what is truly inside. He doesn't trust people. He has a difficult time trusting people. Something about him feels like he's seen the real Claude for the first time.
"It's nice to see that you trust me Claude,"Naruto said with a smile.
"I don't know where that's coming from,"Claude asked, confused.
" Well whatever you know it or not, it's nice that you opened up. I feel better now,"he thought about what Kyubi said to him earlier. Could Claude be one of the people he could trust with his secret? Then he thought about it Hinata his girlfriend, she should know first before anyone the same thing with Dorothea and Ingrid. It wouldn't be fair if they didn't know.
"I'm going to be heading back,"Claude said as he got up. Naruto was left alone still watching Dorothea. He couldn't take his eyes off of her even if he wanted to. When he looked at her it was like looking at the goddess herself.
She noticed that Naruto was watching her perform.
Naruto was trying to think of something to save face, but she didn't seem to mind. It was getting dark outside, and the children were heading home. She was walking towards him and then sat down next to him. They didn't say anything for a few minutes, until she spoke.
"Seeing these children makes me so sad. How could anyone put them through so much hell?" He understood what she was getting at: she had grown up struggling to survive; she hadn't been as fortunate as Hinata and Ingrid.
"Even if it makes them smile even for a little bit even for a short time and makes a difference when I was on stage I made thousand smile. My voice reached so many but many of those people that I grew up with they would never be able to afford to go to my operas. The damn nobles that run the empire only those who can afford it have a right to see it. According to them they wouldn't even look at me before I started performing. How many like me who have the talent who could do what I do are left in the dust and never get a chance to get the chance that they deserve?"Her passion he understood her distaste for nobles he also understood for he shares it himself Hinata and Ingrid being one of the exceptions.
"With exceptions, I think nobles as a whole scum." Naruto remarked.
"Yes, Hinaa being one of those exceptions," she agreed.
Don't get me wrong; there are good people among the nobles, and I don't think they all are bad people. But the system that enables them to have undeserved privilege is a rot that has been festering for a long time. Take me for an example. I'm a commoner, yet I can't name any noble with a few exceptions who can even do what I do. Yet, I would have been passed up had it not been for Professor Manuela finding me when she did. I was lucky; many girls like me weren't so lucky. Even if they do go to the opera, they have to resort to prostitution as a side hustle just to survive." Naruto continued to listen intently.
"I don't want to go through what other famous idols have gone through, aging out and living their final years in poverty. That's why I retired early so I could find a suitable husband or wife to marry right now so I can have all my needs taken care of. There are those who would call me a gold digger. I desire love more than anything. I don't want to be married to wealth only to be miserable until my dying days."
Naruto understood too well his own childhood growing up poor, barely able to survive living off scraps.
He imagined what the Hyuga clan's reaction would be if they found out Naruto was dating their eldest daughter, Hinata. He didn't care about the wealth; that's not what he cared about. All he wanted was Hinata, whom he loved more than anything.
"Can we be honest with each other, Naruto?" Dorothea asked him.
"If you had a choice between being Hokage and being with the ones you love, what would you choose?"
This was not what he was expecting to be asked.
Again he thought about the future with Hinata, Ingrid, and Dorothea. Then he thought about being Hokage. It wasn't that difficult of a decision if he had to choose between one or the other. He would choose love rather than a title.
"If I had to choose, I would choose family." Naruto answered.
"Family—that's what you want more than anything?" she asked him, surprised.
"Being with the women I love would be enough" Naruto said, women as plural.
"Oh" Dorothea didn't know how to respond.
"Oh, I don't mean…" Naruto tried to salvage the situation. He heard her laugh.
"I like you, Naruto. You have a good heart; I can see why they love you so much I can almost see myself falling in love with you."
Dorothea smiled warmly, the warmest smile he had seen from her.
She turned away from him, her face turning pink. What is up with him, and how does he have this effect on people?
At this rate, she'll end up falling in love with you. Be careful; this one will likely take longer than the others."
The fox cut in, interrupting his communication.
Could he really fall in love with another woman? It was difficult for him to believe that he loved someone, but a third woman he disregarded it for now. He would find answers after the mission was over.
"We should get back; I don't know about you, but I don't want to have the leftovers.
" She remarked, he followed her. He was confused completely just what were his feelings towards her? He couldn't be falling for another woman after all; wasn't Hinata and Ingrid enough? He pushed those thoughts aside; he would resolve this after the mission. Right now, Dorothea and him were friends, and that was enough.
or was it he couldn't help but be confused none of this made sense to him he desired to protect her in the same way he desired to protect Ingrid and Hinata. He felt a kinship with her he didn't know what this feeling was he didn't fight it he didn't desire to.
The next day
Goto's hideout
Zabuza was lying motionless in his bed. It had been 10 days since the battle Haku watched his body like a hawk wouldn't allow anyone near him. The very idea of someone even touching Zabuza was offensive to him. Goto's men were in the room along with Goto himself; he hated this scum; the only reason he even tolerated his presence was because there was no other place to go. Zabuza and Haku were criminals. They had nowhere else to go and they needed to complete this job to get the funds, which was a stepping stone to Zabuza's dream.
"I pay you more than I should have and you gave me nothing. Those foreigners are a thorn in my side, and you hear are laying on my bed that I paid for. Perhaps I should have my men forcefully remove you both"
Haku quickly leaped from where he stood and slammed Goto against the wall. He put a needle near his throat. The other men, not knowing what to do, were reluctant to withdraw their weapons. They knew his reputation: he could kill them all in his sleep. They are nothing.
"You are a bunch of mercenaries I can cast aside at any time. I suggest you get your hands off of me, boy"
Goto said threateningly. Then he noticed there was a blade near his throat. A silver-haired man laughed in almost amusement.
"Mizuki" Haku spat as if the name were literal poison.
"So you've heard of me, boy? I've killed many of you."
He didn't doubt that Mizuki was infamous; he had killed many of his comrades when he deserted his village. He had been hunted for years with no success; rumors that he tricked a boy by the name of Naruto Uzumaki into just stealing the scroll. His plan was spoiled with the timely arrival of his former childhood friend.
In Haku's eyes, he was scum; he did any kind of dirty job he had no purpose.
" So the almighty Zabuza was defeated by a bunch of kids. He laughed as if he found it funny. Haku couldn't do anything; he was at his mercy. He was stronger than this man. He knew he could kill him easily if he weren't in the situation where he had a dagger, a foreign weapon from Fodlan at his throat.
" I will not have my mercenaries kill each other when you could be killing the foreigners you will be working with this man." Goto said as Haku let him go.
"You three will attack tomorrow. I got to talk to the bandit leader to ensure his cooperation so he doesn't get any funny ideas like you two,"he said with emphasis when he pointed to Haku and Zabuza. They left the three mercenaries alone. He put the dagger back in it's scabbard.
" you're lucky that Goto is protecting you. If it weren't for that, I would kill you where you stand,"he said to Mizuki with venom.
"You two are just a bunch of washed-up losers. My reputation will continue to rise; enjoy it while you can," he said as he left them alone.
"I really want to kill that bastard," Haku said contemptuously.
"I know you do, but there's something I want you to do in case the worst should happen," he looked at Zabuza, who looked at him with a serious expression. Haku knew it was serious.
"Is it that you wish for me, Zabaza San?" this wasn't like him; he was concerned.
"Whatever you do, boy, you must live. That is my order for you."
This shocked him. It couldn't be.
"But I was trained to be your weapon against your enemies. To"
Zabaza interrupted him.
"That may be true, at least that's what it was when I first taught you, but now I want you to live. If anything should ever happen to me, your priority should be to live. Don't waste your life. Find a reason to live other than for other people's dreams."
This was upsetting to Haku. He didn't want Zabuza to die.
"You're talking as if you're going to die, please stop doing that"
The man got up from his bed. He swung his sword on his left arm and his right, testing every part of his body to make sure it was fully operational.
"I have no intention in dying, but should the worst happen, I want you to follow my orders no matter what."
This is more emotion than he has ever seen from Zabaza. It worries me; nothing I can say will convince him to change his mind once he sets his mind on something.
"I'll do as you command, Zabaza-san." Haku said with reluctance
"You should get some rest," Haku suggested to Zabuza. "I'll take another day off and be completely refreshed.
" He laid down on the bed. Haku let his hair down and decided to go out and grab some herbs, leaving Zabuza alone for the moment.
Naruto opened his eyes; he had trained throughout the night and was in deep thought before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. The way Dorothea smiled at him was different from how she used to smile at him; he didn't know how to react. He was thinking about all sorts of scenarios, but none of them made any sense to him.
It was one thing to love Hinata; he had known her for most of his life. Ingrid there were things about her that he found admirable. He hated when she was sad. Her smile was like the sun itself, but not in the same way that Hinata's smile was. He noticed Dorothea was looking at him, so he got up and freaked out.
"You should really be careful," she smiled warmly. "Were you training like I was last night?" Naruto asked her.
"I was wondering about that technique that you were using," she was referring to him using his sage mode, which was taught to him by his mentor Jiraiya.
"I was training how to be better at using my nature chakra," Naruto answered.
"I was wondering if you could teach me," said Dorothea.
He heard that she had high chakra capacity; she was gifted far more than even most of the Konahā ninja. It was amazing. Had she been born in Konahā, she would likely have been the top student of that year.
"This technique is difficult to master. I'm still not even a master of it. Sage Mode is difficult to learn."
This made her even more intrigued.
"Surely you could teach me sensei," she teased. Naruto didn't know why it was difficult; something about the way she was talking to him made it seem like she knew he was just letting his imagination run wild.
"The more I hear from this woman, the more I like her. Damn if you're not careful, she will have you wrapped around her finger. An excellent mate, indeed! She will make Kyuubi said as if he were reading his thoughts.
"I could teach you some of the things I know, but I wouldn't be able to teach you the more advanced techniques because I have yet to fully master them," Naruto said, trying to appear cool.
"Truth be told, I'd rather have you teach me than Kakashi. He's not the kind of person I would consider an ideal sensei."
That was an understatement, Naruto thought.
"He's not experienced in teaching many students how things work. It's usually one-on-one or teaching three students at once."
He wondered if Hinata had told her this.
"The more I learn about Konoha, the less I like it. The elitism regarding those who are unable to become Shinobi, the limited employment opportunities for civilians, sending essentially children off to war; it doesn't sound much different from the system that we have here, in fact, in many ways, it's worse." Dorothea said, not sugar-coating how she felt about the Shinobi system.
"I mean things aren't that bad."
Naruto said defensively.
"In the span of 82 years, there have been three great ninja wars. How many of those people who have died were children? How many of those children grew up to be orphans? How many of those children died before they even reached the age of five?"
Dorothea challenged
Naruto couldn't rebuke any of Dorothea's arguments because they're all true, as painful as it was for him to admit.
"I mean, why should a kind and gentle soul like Hinata be forced to become a ninja? I've heard about the terrible things the Shinobi system does to people; it strips them of their humanity. It's a miracle Kakashi-sensei still retains his humanity despite serving in an organization that does the dirtiest of duties required as a ninja. The Abu! We could say what we want about the Empire, but most of the wars that have happened I can only count on one hand in the past 50 years, while Konoha has been in at least three different wars and one of which almost started over the Byakugan."
Naruto couldn't say anything, for everything she said was correct.He noticed Kyūbi silently agreeing with Dorothea.
Dorothea continued on but shifted the topic on to Naruto and asked him a question.
"The thing I want to know is why you were singled out? I was told by Hinaa how you have been treated by the people of the village. The adults treat you as if you're some demon incarnate, which is fucked up considering you haven't done anything to deserve such treatment."
"This woman's passion about your mistreatment I have a good feeling about this one she's a keeper I think you can trust her with your secret her, Ingrid, Claude, and Hinata I believe could be trusted but it's completely up to you to tell them that's not a decision I could tell you to make." the fox said to him.
"I don't like how Ingrid's father wants to marry her off just to save the family wealth, the fact that he disregards her dream; all she wants is to become a knight. She should be able to follow her dreams, and I believe whatever makes her happy is what she should be doing. It doesn't matter if her father; in his way, he loves his daughter, but he's not thinking about how much it hurts her by putting everything on her." Naruto said with contempt.
"That's how things are, Naruto"
Dorothea reminded him that he knew she hated it as much as he did.
"It still doesn't change the fact that I hate it. Nobody's future should be dictated by what they're born with." He replied.
"Yeah, like I told you, nobles. The way they look at their own children is screwed up. If there's anyone out there who offers a better vision for everyone, where people can live regardless of where they're born, I would support that person unconditionally." said Dorothea
"You know I would really like to get to know Edelgard. I haven't really had a chance to speak to her other than the first day I was at the monastery or Dimitri for that matter I mean it's kind of a waste especially for Edelgard I've only spoken to her once I would like to know more about her and what she believes."Naruto replied.
This surprised Dorothea, hearing this.
"You do know they both have drastically different outlooks: Edelgard believes in a more radical change of the status quo; while, Dimitri prefers a gradual change; I personally lean more towards Edelgard's approach."
Dorothea said, voicing her opinion.
"Well, I just want to know how much they differ from Claude. I know Claude wants to break down the barriers between nations and have everyone appreciate their differences. That sounds like a wonderful world to strive for. But I just want to know how their ideas align with his?"
He understood that, but he also understood to truly understand and to truly make change in the world to bring peace, learning from what other people are coming from and their perspective is what is important.
"Interesting conversation you two are having"
Naruto and Dorothea got up, surprised by the mysterious woman. She wore a pink kimono and had long brown hair. Naruto didn't know why, but he felt like he had met this woman before.
"Who are you?"
Naruto asked
"I'm just somebody passing by to get some herbs to help someone precious to me."she answered.
"you expect us to believe that and you just came here just to grab some herbs?"Dorothea asked her.
"I've noticed you two are having a conversation and interesting one I know by the accent of the brown haired girl here Dorothea is your name isn't it?"how did she know that name Naruto thought.
"how did you know my name?"Dorothea asked her.
"Surely, you must know that the Diva from Adrestia has a fan club even here in this continent. I know you're from there; I can tell by your accent and by the fact that the language here is spoken, which isn't your first."
Dorothea was getting into a fighting stance.
"If I wanted you dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I'm not here for a battle."
Naruto could tell she was telling the truth at least. then the woman looked at Naruto with interest.
"So this is Naruto Uzumaki you're shorter than I expected"this completely caught Naruto off guard.
"why are you here?"Dorothea demanded.
"I got a question: do you two have someone important to you to protect?"This confused Naruto and Dorothea. What was she talking about?
" Are you threatening me and my friend?"Naruto asked not letting his guard down.
"No, I'm just asking questions Naruto San." Naruto could not relax his guard he does not trust her.
"I have someone precious to me to protect, and I will give it my all to protect him. Will you do the same for your friends?"
This caused Naruto to want to lash out and end the woman's life, but Dorothea put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"What are you getting at? Why would an enemy come here to have a chat? What is your agenda?" Dorothea asked the woman in front of them.
"We all have things we want to protect; things aren't black and white. I'm only here for herbs and to give you a warning. Tomorrow we will be facing each other in battle. You'd better rest well."
As if she had one last thing to tell him, she added, "By the way, I'm a man."
He said this, which shocked both of them.
"Are you fucking kidding me? He looks more girly than most of the girls I know."
Dorothea said irritated.
"We should report this to Kakashi sensei right away."
Naruto said to her, she agreed, and without wasting time, they headed straight to where Kakashi was to report what they had learned.
"So tomorrow they're going to do the assault?" asked Kakashi.
"Yes, our scouts have found their base." Gaara informed him.
"There's also something else." Gaara showed him a map, which was the location of the bandit hideout Gato was meeting up with. This would be bad; they would be overwhelmed.
"I have already informed my village. Reinforcements should arrive on time." Kakashi had made sure to inform Konoha of the same thing.
We should inform your students as soon as possible.
"Gaara informed him."If you're joining the Golden Deer, you should be with them in the briefing and start getting acquainted."Kakashi suggested.
"I have to head out on a mission. The longer I stay here, the more dangerous things become for this land. I'll join the class after this mission is over."Gaara left the room shortly before his students arrived for their briefing.
His students arrived in good time, as he thought he wouldn't have to repeat himself.
"As you all know, the enemy is attacking us tomorrow. Naruto and Dorothea told us, and we have information about where their hideout is, but not all of us are going. The original teams I had set up won't work, so for those going to guard the bridge, they'll be. Naruto, Dorothea, myself, and Shez will go to Goto's hideout. Does anyone have any objections to this part of the plan?" asked Kakashi. There were no objections; "all of you make sure you get a good night's sleep and a filling meal tomorrow is the day we will complete this mission." Everyone left one by one until the last of them was Shez.
He knew how terrified the girl was when she faced Zabuza. From the look in her eyes, she wanted payback."
"This is not about revenge; whatever you do, don't think about fighting Zabuza one-on-one. You are no match for him as you are now."
"The girl shook her head."If I can't beat Zabuza, then I can't beat the person who is much stronger. I will never be able to defeat Byleth if I'm terrified of someone like him. I have to face him, Sensei."
"The most important lesson any warrior can learn is to master their fear and face them."
For someone so young, this person is talented, but there's something he could sense about her; she is far more than she appears.
" Know that we're facing him together." Kakashi didn't want to argue with the girl regarding this; she didn't say anything in response.
" I won't be a burden to you again." He saw her resolve; it was as strong as iron, and she reminds him of Naruto in a way.
" Get some sleep tonight; we will have a difficult battle ahead of us." She left him alone; this battle will be the toughest battle he has faced in a while, and he will not let any of his students die - not if he has anything to say about it.
The next chapter we'll have a major twist and some may or may not like it revolving Dorothea.
like and comment if you wish to see the next chapter faster after all it is longer than this one.