Chapter 20
"How is this possible?"
Naruto, company, and their new guests were all crammed in the same hut they had evacuated to, the space just barely big enough to fit the group of seven, let alone the 30 who were already inside. Thankfully, most had agreed to wait outside for an indeterminate amount of time or retreat to one of the four rooms. Those who weren't were huddled around the fire, lost in their own conversation while pretending not to be interested in the happenings of what was going on in the far room.
The group that included the director and Sandayu, the Archbishop and her two Saints, Team 4, and Fū (the topic of discussion) sat in the main room of the cabin, the latter two seated on the floor while the former four remained standing. Tenten was the one speaking, her shock at the appearance of the foreigners evident on her face.
"I too find myself curious about our current predicament." Seteth spoke, looking at the troublesome blonde before turning his attention back to Flayn. "You said this is where you disappeared a few days ago, correct?"
"It is, brother." Flayn confirmed, looking a bit unsure. "Though the climate has changed quite drastically since my last visit..."
"We're in the Land of Snow." Naruto replied, causing Seteth to look to him with apparent skepticism.
"The Land of Snow? Are you telling us that you've summoned us to your world?"
"In little words, yes."
"Wait, time out! What the hell are you guys talking about 'your world' and what are you doing in the Land of Snow?" Fū interrupted, surprised at their current geographic placement. "Better yet, what am I doing here?! What the hell did you guys do to bring me here?!"
"I agree with the girl. An explanation if you will, Young Naruto."
The blonde looked from the Nabateans to the Taki girl, not exactly sure where to start. In the end, he decided it was best to start introductions first.
"First, let's clear up some confusion." Turning back to his teammates, Naruto began by gesturing a hand to the three people from Fodlan. "Guys, these are my friends from another world."
"...What?" Two voices of incredulity spoke simultaneously.
"...I get the feeling you guys don't believe me."
"Naruto, you've lied so many times that it's kinda hard to take anything you say seriously." Was Tenten's flat remark.
"...But I've never lied to you. Not even once. In fact, I've never told a lie in my life." The deadpans he received were actually warranted this time. "...Ok, that was a lie, but I swear that was the first."
"Wait, then what about me? What part do I play in this?" Fū pointed at herself impatiently, to which Naruto stared back at her aimlessly.
In truth, he had absolutely no idea why she was here or how he had summoned her. There was no correct explanation he could think of, and the ones he did made zero sense. She was no Nabatean, nor was she related in the slightest. Why she was summoned alongside the rest was a mystery the blonde felt went deeper than his pay grade.
"...Your hair?" Was the first thing that came to mind. Fū looked unimpressed. "...Extra baggage?" Was the second thing that came to his mind.
It was not received well, as evident by the way she casually began cracking her knuckles.
"If you wanted me to kick your ass then all you had to do was ask."
"Children." The two stopped at the voice. Turning, they were both greeted by Seiros looking at them with a look neither could discern. "Fū, was it? I understand your confusion and do wish the answers you are looking for come willingly. However, I think it is best we start with why we're all here. We do not exactly have the luxury of time."
The woman looked right at the blonde at the last remark. Since their arrival, he could feel the strain of keeping not one but four individuals present at once. He was sure he could last for at least 2 hours, maybe even three if he had a chakra pill, but effectively being chakra dead in enemy territory wasn't something he wished to be made fun of if he made it out of here alive. He didn't know how she knew, but he was thankful she was looking out for him nonetheless.
Seeing Fū reluctantly back down with a pout and cross of her arms, the blonde looked to the group and began, "I guess it's better I start from the beginning."
...
"...I...I have no words."
"I think, 'what the fuck' would suffice."
The reaction from Seiros was expected.
The Taki girl...well, that was expected too.
"This is indeed cause for such drastic measures." Seteth spoke, his aura of disapproval replaced with calculation. "And what have you all decided on?"
"Nothing yet," Neji said sharply. "Those options are the only ones we have. We have no others—at least, none worth considering."
"I see... So you are stuck with either fulfilling your duty, or abandoning it. Stick with it, and you risk your own lives for strangers, and the likelihood of success is lower than 5%. Abandon your duty and you keep your lives, but in doing so, damage your home's reputation, damn 30 innocent lives and likely the entire nation, and a possible monarch to a tyrant... My word. The ramifications of the latter alone are staggering. The fact children are forced to make such a decision is... appalling."
"It is the reality of our world...and one we willingly chose." Tenten spoke, the kunoichi not exactly fond of the way he spoke of their age.
"But you shouldn't have to. I've known that this world isn't particularly kind to its denizens, but seeing it for myself truly puts things into perspective. You truly have been forgotten by the Goddess."
"I resent that statement." Sothis commented, likely at the fact she didn't know the Elemental Nations existed until her 'awakening'.
"We are not here to speak on morality and what is right and wrong. We are here for solutions—one Uzumaki put faith in you solving." The Nabateans all looked to the Hyuga, his uncaring nature evident since their arrival. Nevertheless, he was right. This was not their world, and they had no right to put their views on a matter that was irrelevant to their current situation.
"...Apologies. You are right." Seteth conceded, bowing his head before looking back at the trio of Shinobi. "In that case, I do not see many options for your opposition. You are in enemy territory with very few fighters and resources while also being anchored by civilians. No matter how I look at it, this is not a winning battle."
Neji looked visibly frustrated at the answer and said, "You are just repeating what we already know."
"Yes, but that does not make it any less true. Before you make a plan, you must first map out your current situation and opposition. Once that is established, a solution can then be constructed."
"Is, that your way of saying you will help us?" Tenten asked hopefully.
Seteth answered not by speaking, but by looking to Seiros. In turn, everyone looked to the woman, understanding that their next move wouldn't be decided by Seteth but by his suspected superior.
The woman did not leave them in suspense and smiled.
"I owe Naruto a debt I can never repay. It would be remiss of me to deny the only request he has ever asked of me." The tension left Team 4 at the words of affirmation. Seteth followed up by walking to the center of the room and kneeling to the wood. Lifting a finger, it began to glow brightly before he began running it along the wooden canvas, much to the shock of Neji, Tenten, and Fū.
When he was done, a makeshift map of their surroundings was burned into the ground. In the center, there was a triangle circled, while around it were multiple dots. On the far left were what looked like waves, indicating it to be the docks, while on the top right were tower-like structures, indicating the possibility of a castle somewhere in the distance. He pointed towards the triangle, with the rest understanding that this was most likely their camp.
"Now, the situation is that the enemy is currently concentrated around the docks, effectively preventing your escape. We cannot overlook the possibility of there being other docks, but going into unknown territory, especially so close to the enemy stronghold when your supplies are low is suicide. Since waiting for things to blow over isn't an option with the size of your group, there are only two real options available to you."
He tapped the dock, getting everyone to focus there.
"Your safest option is to get everyone on a boat and off the island. To do this is simple." His finger glowed once more, burning its way into the wood and creating two more triangles on the outer portion of the dock. "At dawn, we have a group of two or three create a distraction for the caravan in the north. That group will lead the main force away from the docks, while the remainder will lead an attack on the dock itself. If we are lucky, enough forces will be carried away in the distraction, allowing the civilians to board the biggest vessel and escape."
"Wait, what about the ones staying behind?" Fū pointed out the flaw, yet Seteth was ready.
"Not to worry. For this job, there is only one capable enough to cause such a distraction while guaranteeing his safety back on the boat."
Almost in sync, all heads looked to their resident army maker, the boy blinking at the sudden attention before giving a thumbs up.
"Once Uzumaki has successfully led away the main force and we have successfully taken the dock, we will immediately sail out... Uzumaki," Seteth looked at the boy, his stare firm but serious. "Your job is to lead them as far away from the docks as possible. Once your mission is complete, you will make your way back to the docks as quickly as you can. We cannot delay departure for more than a couple of minutes. Do you understand?"
The blonde gave a firm nod, his serious expression mirroring the Nabatean's.
"Good. Now, for the rest of you, the attack on the dock will be split into two parts. First will be a quick assault from the South. Once we have their attention, we can have our second force come in from the front in a pincer. When the battle is won, the civilians will be loaded onto the most able ship and we shall sail immediately."
Finished with his explanation, Seteth looked around, waiting for the questions to come in. One came, but not in the form he was expecting.
"So basically, we're running away?" All heads turned to Fū, the girl raising a brow at the looks she was getting. "What? That's what it looks like. We all run away and that Daimyo prick gets to keep getting away with his bullshit? Doesn't sound much like a win to me."
"And what exactly would you have us do?" Seteth's voice was sharp, the tone surprising the girl. "Fight? Take the challenge to the enemy directly? With a group of 7 capable fighters against untold numbers? This is about survival, not personal feelings and woes of grandeur. Lives are at stake here and as one who has seen war and its unpredictable nature, know that I speak true when I say there is no shame in retreat. Living to learn from the experience is better than allowing others to die due to your own ego."
Fū looked stone-faced in the wake of the man's words. Almost robotically, she turned her attention to her fellow Jinchuuriki as if asking 'does he know who he's talking to'.
"Don't," was all Sothis had to say to get the blonde to not back his self-proclaimed 'girl friend'. He could almost feel the girl's disappointed eyes on the side of his head the moment he looked away.
"I know how you feel, Fū, but my brother is right. As much as it pains me to say, there is nothing we can do for this country currently." Flayn tried soothing the girl. Fū looked to her fellow greenettes owlishly, the Fodlan resident feeling her resolve waver at the look of disappointment on the girl's face. Eventually, Fū looked to a nearby corner, her displeasure evident.
"When should we initiate this plan?" Neji spoke, eager to be done with this island and mission as soon as possible.
"It would be wise to wait a few days—a week at most. In the meantime, recon is in order. The more informed we are about our enemies and escape routes, the less likely our plans are to fall apart."
"We will have that covered. I suppose you all will return to prepare?"
"If you have no further use of us," Seteth looked to Naruto, the blonde nodding in confirmation before standing to his feet. "Then I suppose we have an accord. Be sure to rest easy in the coming days. When next we meet, it shall be ready for-"
The sudden sound of the door creaking open caused everyone to turn in its direction. To the surprise of most, in walked Princess Koyuki, that look of complete indifference present on her face as she took in everyone in the room.
"Have you all finished deciding my fate?" She asked self-deprecatingly.
"We have decided on our next course of action, yes." The princess's gaze landed on Seteth. Her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion at the new face, particularly at the foreign and clearly expensive way they dressed.
"And who are you supposed to be? Don't remember seeing you 'round here."
"We are allies. You can be assured of that. I take it you are Princess Koyuki Kazahana?" Seteth answered, standing slightly taller with his hands placed properly behind his back. Koyuki looked slightly taken aback at his mannerism. Her stance suddenly became more guarded, as if she were ready to bolt at any wrong move.
"Who are you people?" She asked instead, showing obvious worry in her tone and stance.
"No friends of your uncle, if that is your concern." Seiros spoke for the first time in a while, standing to her feet and greeting Koyuki with a warm smile. "I am Rhea, and these are Seteth and Flayn. We've been informed of your situation and plan to help in any way we can."
Despite the radiant smile and the way it tried to reassure her, the princess fought the urge to give in, knowing well the situation they were in and the hopelessness of it all. "Y-you're all wasting your time. Unless you have an army, then there is no saving us. My uncle... That man, he will not let me leave this island alive. Even if I do, he knows who I am now—what I look like. I will never be free after today."
"There is always a way, Miss Koyuki. Please, do not give up hope." Flayn tried consoling, yet the princess was having none of it.
"Do not give me lies! You all know as well as I do that we're all dead! If he doesn't kill me now, then he'll kill me later! Even if, even IF, we escape, we are only prolonging the inevitable! You should have never dragged me here in the first place! Now you've doomed us all!"
"Princess!" From behind her, Sandayu appeared, quick to try and calm the woman down. Unfortunately, his efforts were rewarded with an elbow in his side as she turned her back to the group and stormed out of the hut entirely.
A moment passed where no one moved. Only the sound of fire crackling was heard before Sandayu gave a deep sigh, bowing to the group. "I am terribly sorry, everyone. The princess has had a trying time these last couple of years, so her behavior is expected. I shall talk to her. In the meantime, I ask that you please do not hold her words against her."
"It is fine. Please continue to comfort her in these trying times." Rhea remarked, the assistant bowing in acknowledgement before quickly rushing after the princess.
"...Anybody else feel shitty?" Fū felt the need to speak out.
"We shouldn't let her words sway our judgment. We will see this through until the end, whatever it may be." Seteth remarked, the moco-skinned girl not at all pleased by the answer. While the discussion continued, Naruto stared intensely at the door, his face showing no signs of worry, yet gears were running through his head.
A few days later...
Sothis and Naruto looked down the hill at the tied up Koyuki currently being dragged back to the cabin by one of the blonde's clones. Their faces showed no sign of caring, as if they'd seen this scene more times than they could count, which, to them, they had. In fact, at least three times in the last six days did they have to use a pulse since Sandayu (as was quickly becoming expected at this point) somehow 'lost track' of her on more than one occasion. There was incompetence, then there was Sandayu.
Yet, Naruto honestly couldn't blame the guy.
Princess Koyuki clearly had no intention of trusting in them, believing only she could save her life seeing that no one 'believed' her about her uncle's obsession... Well, it ran deeper than that, no doubt. In fact, Naruto knew he'd feel somewhat similar if he knew without a shadow of a doubt that someone would kill him and no one was willing to solve his problem in a more permanent matter... Which was one of many reasons why his mind had been in turmoil these last few days.
"...Hey Sothis?"
"Yes, Child?"
"You ever get the feeling that the choice you're making is the wrong one? Like, you will regret it deeply if you act on your head and not your gut?"
Sothis' eyes turned upward, supposedly thinking back to such a time in her life.
"...Can't say I do, Child." She eventually answered, immediately understanding that it was not the answer the blonde was looking for from the way air left his nose. "...When I was flesh, my decisions impacted millions, my children included. The thing about being a leader is you must take heed of the fact that your actions affect not only you but everyone who follows you. You are responsible for them, and they are depending on you to guide their fates... Though I do not think I'm the best to talk on the subject considering where my children are now..."
Despite the words, Naruto did not allow the mood to grow somber and retorted with, "At least you still have Seiros."
"I suppose I do... Though I suppose grandchildren are not in my near future."
"Why is that?"
Sothis raised at the blonde.
"Do you honestly see Seiros with child? Better yet, do you see her beholden to another?"
Naruto didn't have to think on that. In fact, he was sure another version of him would have laughed at the thought alone.
"I can see your point."
"Yes, but we are not here to talk about that, we are talking about you. You believe it is right to help that girl and these people, even if the cost may be yours and their lives?"
"Not just that," Naruto confirmed without confirming. "It's just that, I feel that we came here for a reason, and running away isn't that reason.
"You wish to go against your friend's wishes."
"I don't want to, but my gut is telling me something. It's telling me that running is not the right move. Something's gonna happen here and Koyuki is the key to everything. I can feel it."
Sothis looked at the boy curiously, noticing the seriousness in his expression, one rarely seen.
"...Are you sure? Listening to the heart and gut over the mind often leads to a lot of pain and hardship."
"I know, but I'd rather have hardship than regret."
Sothis chuckled at the words. In the end, she would allow him to guide their fate as he always had.
"If you feel so strongly about it, then I accept whatever decision you ultimately make. All I ask is that you err on the side of caution. Our fates are intertwined, and I do not wish to die because of block-headed decisions."
Naruto thanked the Goddess with a nod before focusing his attention back on the hut. His mind was set, but he wished to confirm one last thing before their escape plans tomorrow.
"Boo!"
Suddenly dropping in front of the blonde was a familiar face—one who smiled expectedly while hanging upside down and being only inches away from their nose touching.
"...Hi, Fū." The Taki girl's smile was immediately replaced with a pout at the lack of response from her fellow Jinchuuriki. Unlike the Nabateans, Fū had not returned home upon the conclusion of their strategy meeting. Thankfully, sharing her chakra with him was more than enough to keep her here, yet his and his team's worry was more about the fact that Shibuki was likely having a mental breakdown at her sudden disappearance.
"You can at least pretend to be scared, y'know." She said, the two sitting in silence before the blonde dramatically shot his arms up.
"Aaaaaaah," he tried without any internal inflection. His reward was his fellow Jinchuuriki immediately bursting into laughter, her arms covering her exposed stomach as if trying to hold in the giggles.
"Wh-What the hell was that?! N-next time just stay quiet!" Fū said, the girl practically crying in the midst of her hysterics.
"It's not my fault you can't tell when I'm being serious." He retorted, crossing his arms and trying his best to look offended. Unfortunately, it only made the girl laugh harder.
Eventually, she hopped down from her upside-down perch to join the blonde on the branch. Her laughter slowly died down and her smile remained, a comfortable silence settling between the two.
"Soooo...whatcha doin' up here?"
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"Nothing you need to worry about."
"It's clearly not nothing if you're thinking, so spill it."
The two stared at one another, the Taki girl not relenting her gaze while the Uzumaki looked on impassively. In the end, the blonde relented. "I have a theory. However, I'm missing a piece to the puzzle, and I feel like the princess is part of that piece."
"You try asking her?" Fū suggested, to which Naruto shook his head.
"No point. I know she doesn't know anything, and even if she did, it wouldn't solve the mystery." A hand went up to the blonde's chin, his thoughts running once more as he tried to make sense of the madness that was the last week.
"Well, you won't find the answers in that head of yours, so why not retrace your steps? Go over everything you know with that strange power of yours."
"That's actually what I was about to do." Naruto admitted before a thought came to mind. Looking at the girl, he bluntly asked, "You want to see something cool again?"
...
Naruto and Fū landed in what was clearly once a battlefield. The snow had no bodies for evidence, but kunai and broken trees still remained. In the center of the battlefield, a particular spot was where the two had stopped.
It had been a week, but despite how the elements covered it, Naruto couldn't forget the place where he had seen his sensei met her final demise. It was one of many places where the woman had met her end, yet this particular place stood out above them all due to its significance.
"Sooooooooo what are we doing here exactly?" Fū asked upon watching the blonde stand around for what was now a couple of minutes.
"I wanted to confirm something."
*CRASH*
With but a thought, time stood still. Fū blinked at their surroundings, confused and awed at the way the snow around them had suddenly just stopped.
"Soooo let me guess. This is that little girl in your heads' power and and this is one of those things that's going to give me a headache if you explain it, isn't it?" She asked, knowing full well the answer.
"...Kinda. This is just one of her basic abilities. I can interact with things in this place, but anything I do will revert once time flows again."
"...I was gonna say how cool that is, but now I'm kinda disappointed." She said, the blonde somewhat glad Sothis had decided to sleep instead of accompanying them on this little venture.
"It has its uses... though this isn't what I wanted to show you."
With another thought of a gear turning counter-clockwise, the blonde watched as the snow around them went from being still to moving in reverse. Fū watched in stupified awe as the world moved backward, her jaw hanging open slightly as the trees flapped uncontrollably, fallen leaves rose into the air and found their rightful spots, and the sky went from night to day as clouds followed. It was like pressing rewind at a movie theater and the mint-haired girl was slowly losing sanity the longer she tried to process what was going on.
It took a minute before the world stopped moving, leaving her and Naruto standing in a now untouched frozen forest.
"Y-you, you just reversed time?!" She looked from the sky to the blonde, her mouth ajar and mind on the verge of mental collapse.
"Technically, no. In truth, this is simply a vision of the past. Six days ago, to be specific. It's one of Sothis's many abilities, though I try to use it as little as possible due to the strain it puts on my body and mind for the rest of the day." Naruto explained as if it were a simple D-rank Jutsu and not an ability that bordered godhood—far more than she thought even Chōmei could do. If she can take one thing from this, then that would be that it was, hands down, the coolest thing she'd ever seen, period.
Leaving the girl in her flabbergasted state, Naruto continued to rewind time until he got to the moment he was looking for. Eventually, to his left, he saw a familiar train returning to its previous position where it all started. Snow Shinobi ran backwards till they stopped before them, surrounding the area the blonde had been looking at previously—the snow having been cleared completely to show the greenery below.
He watched as a fire suddenly emerged between the Snow Shinobi, actually making the blonde pause in slight shock. Moments later, he allowed the event to continue its rewind until the moment before the fire was started. When he stopped once more, he wasn't surprised to find what exactly had been set ablaze.
"Holy shit." Next to him, Fū joined in, looking down at the Jonin she'd literally traveled with only days prior, now dead in the snow with her head removed from her body completely. It was a sight Fū suddenly wished she hadn't seen, yet one Naruto seemed to be taking in stride.
"What, happened to her?"
"She died." Naruto answered the girl almost immediately, the blonde contunuing his investigation by rewinding to the beginning and allowing the events that had transpired six days ago to play out for them like a movie. The moment it got to Kagero's demise, he paused it right before the woman could be decapitated. Sea foam eyes observed the scene analytically, trying to find something to solve the issue that had been running through his head for nearly a week.
"So, this is how she went..." Fū commented. She didn't know the woman personally other than their very brief interactions during their mission, none of which she remembered fondly. However, seeing her go out, like this of all ways, unsettled her. "I'm, sorry of your loss." Fū felt the need to say to her friend.
To her slight annoyance, the boy ignored her. His eyes seemed to be focused intensely on the scene in front of him, seemingly analyzing something she couldn't see. Over and over, the world rewound, the two watching the woman's actions moments before her demise for what felt like hours—Fū going completely ignored whenever she asked the reasoning behind it all. Eventually, the scene paused once again. This time, his attention turned from the Jonin to the princess kneeling behind her. Lastly, he turned to look at something in the distance.
The sudden widening of his eyes told Fū he'd found something. Turning to see what he was looking at, she was only further confused to find nothing but forest no matter how she squinted her eyes.
"I knew it." The blonde whispered, Fū raising a brow while looking back and forward from where the blonde was looking. Apparently, whatever he found, the girl did not.
"You knew what? What did you see?"
"Something I hadn't before," was all he said.
*CRASH*
In the blink of an eye, the vision of the past was gone, replaced with the reality of the present. Nature moved with the wind like it was meant to once again and left Fū with more questions than the answers she was looking for.
"C'mon! Don't leave me in suspense! What did you find?!"
"...We should head back." Naruto suggested, Fū clearly frustrated on being ignored.
"Are you going to tell me what the hell you found or not?"
"When I know more...but not today." He finally answered, turning to look at the girl for the first time since before the vision. "Before that, can you catch me?"
Before the girl could question the request, the boy suddenly leaned forward and-
*THUMP*
Face met snow as the Taki girl failed to heed her friend's request. Fū looked down at the limp form of her friend, unsure whether to help or laugh.
"...I think I overdid it."
"I think you did." Fū mocked the muffled voice. "Want me to carry you back?"
"...I would appreciate it."
Smirking to herself, she reach down to turn the blonde onto his back before putting both arms under him and lifting with ease. Her smirk turned smug as the blonde looked up to her with slightly curved brows that made him look constipated.
"...Please don't carry me back like this."
"What? Never been carried like a princess before?"
"No, and I don't want to start."
"Well, it's fortunate that you don't get a say in this." With that, the girl turned on her heel and began hopping back to the hut. In her arms, Naruto thought about the looks on everyone's faces when they returned while he did his best to burn his gaze into the side of the Taki girl's head.
"...You will rue this day."
"I don't think I will."
The next day (Night)...
Snow Country Docks
"...Hey Yuto, you ever think about what life would be like if you were rich? Like, filthy rich? Rich to the point your zeros have zeros?"
Yuto raised a brow at his fellow guard, the query catching him off guard. "Really?"
"Just humor me, old man. What would you do with that kinda money?"
"...Well, if I did, I guess I'd buy a boat and sail to places I've never been. See the world, ya know?"
"You can do that with your current boat you twat."
"No, not a dinghy, fool! A proper boat. Like one with a bedroom and a kitchen. Hell, maybe even a pool. One of those big ass fancy ones with a captain's hat and all. Oh! And a bunch a babes! Can't be a ship captain without women and saki on deck."
"...Seriously? You can do anything you want and the only thing you want to do is drink with some broads in the middle of the ocean?"
"Oi, it ain't all women and booze, asshole! You're forgettin' the adventure! Ain't shit ta see on this island but mountains and snow. The women are often covered to the neck and what little can be seen isn't enough to get my imagination runnin'. I've heard there's women in the South that wear shorts so short they stray on the line of modest and prostitute."
The way the man wiggled his eyebrows made the younger of the two laugh.
"So basically, you want to travel South just to get a boner?"
"It ain't just for that, lad! The South is also home to beaches, tropical storms, and exotic foods with hot women being a bonus! Can't say much about the weather, but everything else sounds like a damn vacation."
"Don't know about that. I hear it gets really hot down there, in the Land of Sand specifically. They say the heat is so intense, even the clothes stick to your body."
"Damn, I'm drooling just thinking about it, heheh."
"Sounds like the only things on your mind are boobs and ass..."
"Oi, stop judging a single man for having dreams! Married men like you have no right to judge us!"
"What can I say? Can't join the game if you refuse to play."
"It ain't about refusing, it's about those who got it and those who ain't. Natural pretty boys like you have no right to...to..."
"To...?" The younger of the two turned to look at his older partner, only to stop in his tracks. The man was looking at something in the alley they'd nearly passed, his eyes as wide as saucers and his jaw practically on the ground. Curious, he looked to where the older man had his eyes glued.
"Fuuuuuuck meee..." Left his mouth in a whisper as he joined his comrade in his state of stupification.
There, leaning against a nearby wall, was the most beautiful creation the two had ever laid eyes on. Long green hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders, her body covered in a blue yukata that hung loose. Her body was curved to perfection, and her breasts were large and plump, yet not so big as to detract from her slim physique. Despite the cold, her attire revealed a healthy amount of cleavage and skin, her legs covered only to her upper thighs while her feet were bare.
And her face.
By the Shinigami, her face.
Even the stars themselves were jealous of her beauty.
"Hey boys," The woman spoke, her voice as smooth as the silk she likely wore. If they had even had a brain cell left, their training would have kicked in and they would have been on high alert. Unfortunately for them, it was scientifically proven that there were two ways to a man's heart, and one often spoke for the majority of their actions. "Fancy a night stroll?"
The men gulped, their eyes trained on the woman as she began walking essentially sensually towards the duo.
"N-n-never seen you round here before, ma'am." The older one spoke, the woman nodding in response, her smile growing wider.
"Ah, forgive me. I tend to stay indoors nowadays. It's quite hard to keep to myself when such strong and able men patrol my street daily."
Said 'strong' and 'able' men were silent, their faces a mixture of awe and lust.
"Y-you said you were from around here?" Kaze asked, thoughts of his wife keeping him in line even if he could begrudgingly admit that this woman and his wife would not even be in the same conversation if the topic of 'sexiest woman alive' was brought up.
"Oh yes. I have a nice shack near here, and it just so happens that I've been feeling a bit lonely as of late. Would you care to accompany me for the night? I'm sure you've heard it's quite chilly out, and brave men like yourself deserve to unwind from all~ that stress, no?"
She was now mere inches away, her hand lifting and placing itself on their chests. The men were frozen stiff, not moving even as she moved her lips in closer towards their ears.
"We can do it here, but I prefer my own home."
The implication of her words and the way her other hand began stroking their chins caused a certain part of their anatomy to grow, their blood rushing to a place neither would dare speak of.
"W-w-we can't!" Kaze shouted, being the voice of reason in the very suspicious yet very arousing situation. The woman was undeterred.
"Oh? Are you sure, dearie? You sound quite unsure."
"N-no, we can't. We're on duty and-"
"Ah, then I suppose it can't be helped." She said somberly, her sensual smile turning to that of disappointment as a hand went up to cup her perfect face. "If you do not wish to join me for a night, then I suppose I'll just have to get another."
"Wh-WHAT?!" Yuto shouted, a sigh leaving the woman at his exclamation.
"Well, my house is cold, and I am lonely. If you do not wish to keep me company, then I'm afraid I must seek it elsewhere."
"H-hey now, wait a minute!" The older Shinobi pleaded almost desperately. "Th-there's no need to be so hasty! My friend was just joking! Yes! All just a joke! What a jokester, am I right?!" He elbowed his partner, his look of fear and anger very telling.
"I-I can't," the younger man whispered, sounding pained but desperate to be the voice of reason.
"Shut up and live for once, boy! This Goddess is offering her bed!"
"B-but I'm married!" Kaze whispered back in a vain attempt of an argument.
"Married?" The woman cut into their silent conversation, her grin growing even wider as she looked over the younger of the duo. "How interesting~. Your wife is a lucky girl."
"Y-yes. I love her dearly." He squeaked.
"Hmm. You must tell me more." She walked over to the younger of the two and began stroking his chest once again.
"S-stop..."
"Stop what? Don't you want to share stories with a lonely girl?"
"D-don't touch me..."
"Is it because your wife is a jealous girl? Does she not let you play with others?"
"I-I'm married..." The young man repeated weakly, his resolve shaking more upon looking down at the obvious show of cleavage poking out of the yukata.
"Yes, I am not the one you've sworn yourself to. However," a hand came to her mouth, blocking the view from the older Shinobi as she whispered, "What she doesn't know, won't hurt, no?"
The younger Shinobi felt himself give in to the offer.
"I-I guess she-
"Shhh." A soft finger was placed on his lips. "Let's go somewhere more private, hm?"
His head was already nodding before his brain could catch up. The woman gave him a wink before taking the hands of the two Shinobi, leading them deeper and deeper into what would no doubt be paradise.
When the men woke the next day, their heads would be pounding as they found themselves tied up and alone in the same back alley they'd foolishly slipped into.
In the meantime, Naruto stood over the two unconscious Shinobi, lumps on their heads and their eyes rolled back.
"It is almost frightening how good you are at that." The voice in his head said, the blonde understanding that the statement was not to be taken as a compliment.
"Just feels as though I was born to do it, somehow."
Sothis did not comment on that, but did on a completely different matter that was somewhat related. "How many have you replaced so far?"
"At least 36. 38 if we're counting these guys." He stopped for a minute before adding, "40 now. One of the clones just got two more."
"...Please tell me they did not use the same method." Naruto stopped moving. A hand immediately began massaging the Goddess's brow upon reading the boy's thoughts. "If Seiros finds out-"
"She won't." He assured, pausing to think more on the matter. "...Unless you're a snitch."
"...Call me that again and I'll do it out of spite."
The blonde, wisely, kept silent.
Assured that at least half of the patrols in the North had been taken care of, he reached into his pouch and pulled out an object. The object was round, and standing tall above it was a fuse. He was sure this would be more than enough to alert the rest waiting outside.
With a single handsign, three puffs of smoke appeared in the alley. Four blondes now stood ready before another puff of smoke covered the original. The face and attire of Princess Gale now stood before the clones. Not needing to be told what to do, two clones immediately transformed into the faces of Tenten and Neji while the only remaining Naruto picked up the hinged Koyuki. Immediately, they bolted out of the alley.
Moments later, the town lit up in the brightest bonfire the Land of Snow had ever seen.
A/N: Happy New Years to everyone! Last chapter I received a lot more reviews than I thought I would get in the return. Just wanted to say I appreciate it and hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Unfortunately, I was unable to answer most due to work, but I will answer an overall question as well as concerns.
In regards to Kagero, for the most part, no one saw it coming, which is good. It was meant to come out of nowhere as well as the aftermath of the entire situation. Unfortunately, in an attempt not to spoil things and future events, I will not answer any concerns till AFTER the Snow Arc (which is about three more chapters [21k words]).
In regards to Fū, her mystery will not be solved until either the next arc or after the Chunin Exams. I have a specific plan for her that won't be revealed until somewhere during their next mission.
As always, hope you all enjoyed! Remember to follow, fav, and review and hope you all have a damn good day!
