"They told me Konoha was a city of trees and light.

"I thought that sounded strange, but I see what they meant now. Even the walls here look like they're alive, painted with moss and vines. Like they're growing out of the ground. There's nothing here like the stone and dust back home. Everything smells like green leaves and fresh rain.

"Even the dirt.

"It's big here. Bigger than I thought. Sometimes I have to stop myself from staring for too long. Everyone moves so fast, like they already know where they're going, and no one has time to look over their shoulder. I could slip right by them, slit a purse, take anything I wanted, and they'd never notice. It's strange being in a place where I'm the one who notices everything.

"I met a few of the other kids today. They looked at me like I was different somehow — like they knew just by looking that I didn't belong. I don't blame them. They've probably never had to scrape together coins or stretch bread so thin it's like eating air. One boy laughed when he saw my clothes. I don't care, not really. Mom would've said he's never known a day of hunger.

"I'm here to bring something back. To make it worth it. It's just training now, just learning the basics, but I'm getting stronger. And someday, I'll be strong enough to make this whole place stop and look back.

"For now, I'll just keep my head down, watch and learn."

密

封

14 — SEALED ART

"THEY'RE NOT REGULAR SHIKIGAMI," Gojō said, although it wasn't the question Naruto had asked last.

"Huh?"

Gojō frowned, taking the time to chew his piece of meat this time. "Too fast again—?"

"No," Naruto said, motioning 'go on' with his hand. "Was surprised."

"Oh." Gojō blinked, looking faintly amused. "Well, I'm sure the little nerd likely has mentioned it to you by now."

Naruto looked up at him, silently questioning — and ignoring the dig at Shinpachi that, by now, he understood wasn't ill-meant. Besides, any information Gojō volunteered felt like a rare peace offering, given how evasive he usually was. For all the talk and the bluster, he was surprisingly tight-lipped about many matters.

Gojō caught his reaction and leaned back in his chair, prompting a sharp glare from one older man at the table — a portly figure with light brown hair, and both things were almost unheard of in Uzushio.

Then again, they were not in Uzushio anymore. Gojō held his gaze, unblinking, until the man's eyes finally dropped.

"Well," Gojō said, breaking the silence — the invisible sealed bubble he had erected around them didn't let sound in nor out. "Since we're meant to guard you two, I guess it makes sense for you to know a bit about our techniques. Besides, I'm pretty sure Shin-chan already knows the essentials."

"…I don't know," Naruto said, stressing the pronoun. It was a pretty useful expression to master — versatile, and a good way to get out of many situations.

Gojō shrugged. "Ryūjin's technique is pretty much public knowledge, and Shiori's is no secret either—"

"Slower, please."

"Shouldn't you be nearly ready for conversation by now, with all this memory tag abuse...?" Gojō grumbled. But he indulged him too, stretching out the words as if humoring a child. "Fine, I'll slow down," he said. "And I'll give you the basics."

He paused, seeming to decide where to begin, then gestured toward himself. "As you know, my extension technique is called Monkey Business."

"I know," Naruto said, then paused. "...Why?"

"Because I felt like it."

Naruto blinked and tried to figure out how this fit within Shinpachi's neat explanations — a name was said to be stronger if it held Meaning, of course. "Okay."

"Anyway, most people who summon shikigami keep them stored, usually outside of their body, and ready to be unsealed at any moment."

"And you don't?"

"Let me finish," Gojō grunted. "For them, shikigami are like tools on a shelf; always there, waiting until they need them. But I do it differently. I don't need tags or cards or whatever else — I create my shikigami from scratch each time. No storing, no shortcuts." He folded his arms, sounding satisfied with himself.

Naruto leaned in, curious. "That sounds," he searched for the word, "not practical."

Gojō cocked an eyebrow. "Does it? To me, it's keeping something that can be so easily destroyed and tends to require external storage that sounds impractical."

Naruto filed the correct Kyosei word for 'impractical' away for later. "…So you remake them every time?"

"Of course. I've streamlined the process."

Naruto couldn't help but wonder why Gojō seemed so prepared for his shikigami to get destroyed that he'd taken pains to make this approach viable.

"And yes," Gojō went on. "It's probably more complicated, but it has its advantages. Doing it that way is why I can easily transform them on the spot."

Naruto almost winced; he'd hardly call three different jutsu branches working together 'easy.' But he supposed that said something about each of them.

Gojō grinned, a hard edge to his smile. "My shikigami don't linger once the job's done. That's how I prefer it; no strings, no debts. Just me, myself, and I. You rely on and live for yourself in this world. If you want to survive for a while longer, that is."

It was an edge that made Naruto slightly wary.

Naruto nodded slowly, realizing they'd switched to dialect somewhere along the way — and although he struggled with Kyosei, they were moving back and forth, from one language to the other. "So… just to be sure I understood you. You create them, let them go, and recreate them from scratch whenever you need them."

"Exactly," Gojō said. Something was missing, however.

"…What about that tag you gave me, then?" Naruto asked. "Isn't this contradictory?"

"Ah, that," Gojō said, his grin widening. "No, I don't believe it is. Each of the tags works on a similar principle to the technique I carved into myself — isolated, self-contained circuits, one for each shikigami. But primitive, as I designed them first. Your chakra would've run through the pattern, mixed with the trace of my energy left inside… and it would've created a version of Enkō for you, for as long as you could sustain him." He paused. "If you had managed, I mean."

Naruto started to ask something, "But you used it to—"

Gojō cut in. "I did. It's a self-imposed condition. Shin-chan explained those to you, right?" Naruto nodded. "Good. For each of my eight shikigami, I need the corresponding tag to transform them further, as well as a chant. And hand seals. This restriction, in turn, allows me to push their power higher. Are you with me?"

Naruto considered the explanation, then nodded. "I think so."

"Great," Gojō said glibly. "Now, the old man's technique—"

"Wait, is that all you're going to say?"

Gojō raised an eyebrow. "That's already more than I would've told you normally. Don't get greedy." He leaned back in his chair, settling in to continue. "Now, as I was saying, in Ryūjin's case — his technique is called Flowing Moon. He's not a Sealweaver, by the way, and…" He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, given that he's got a Chakra Conduit affinity, managing to create and wield an extension technique anyway is… impressive."

Knowing that such a thing had been possible didn't really make Naruto feel great about himself, but there were more important matters than those that couldn't be changed anyway.

"So, what does it do?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Simple. It's like a forged water affinity, layered on top of his natural one. It lets him amplify and refine his control — stacking both affinities together to reach levels of precision or intensity that you or I couldn't even dream of," Gojō explained, then paused, as if struck by a sudden thought. "…Well, mostly me now, I suppose."

There was a moment of silence.

"Do you think I could...?" Naruto asked, hesitantly. "Once I became good enough?"

Gojō raised an eyebrow. "Carve a technique into you?"

Naruto nodded mutely.

Gojō sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Honestly? I don't know. One's usually the limit. And given the, uh... mess you've already got going on," he gestured vaguely at Naruto, avoiding specifics, "it'd be tricky. And even uglier than the first time."

Naruto didn't flinch this time. He didn't even hesitate. "...That's fine."

Gojō stared at him for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he let out a low whistle. "Man, you've got issues. And that's coming from me."

Naruto scowled, and Gojō laughed briefly.

"Shiori's technique, of course, is Whisper. It allows her to store memories and transfer them to others. Not exactly flashy, compared to some other techniques, but it's powerful in its own way. Imagine seeing the world through someone else's eyes, even if only for a moment. Knowledge, experiences… even emotions."

The moment Naruto wondered whether she could use such an ability to help him learn Kyosei was followed by the moment in which he pictured her scoffing at the mere thought of doing so, before explaining, likely in excruciating detail, all the pitfalls and complications of relying on shortcuts. Memory tags, she would say, were one thing already. This was another.

"She would call any of these a Sealed Art," Gojō said. "Rather than an extension technique. She's a pain in—… she's traditional like that." He cleared his throat, then adopted an almost perfect imitation of Shiori's voice. "'Memories are a fragile thing, Naruto of the Hōshi-ke. And a true Art should not merely echo what was — it must become what was, whole and enduring.'"

Naruto let out a startled laugh, surprised by the sound of it.

"And Nagato?" Naruto asked then.

"Ah… and then there's Nagato." Gojō's voice slowed, a weight settling over his words. "It's… different with the golden boy. As always. He has an affinity with all three Uzumaki lines — a rarity by itself. And from what I know of his technique, it lets him grasp jutsu and abilities by connecting directly to another's chakra and soul. He can see through things, understand them, even mimic them if he chooses."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What—"

"Under certain conditions," Gojō interrupted, holding up a hand.

"Such as?"

Gojō shrugged, feigning indifference — as though there wasn't light envy coloring his tone. "I don't know all the specifics. But I assume it all starts with that Sealing Field of his."

Naruto, who wasn't sure what that was but resolved to ask someone about it soon, raised an eyebrow in thought. "So… he can copy techniques?"

"Not quite," Gojō corrected, choosing his words carefully, and growing slightly frustrated when he realized he sounded like his impression of Shiori anyway. "Not just techniques, and… not just copying. Not really recreating exactly. It's closer to… alignment. He taps into the rhythm of a technique, its core, and lets it become part of him." He paused. "There's a lot of secrecy around how it works. He doesn't exactly share the details. If anyone does know, I certainly don't."

"Why's that?" Naruto asked, curious.

Gojō leaned back, watching Naruto with a strange look. "Well, as I said, it's different with him."

"Of course you'd ask about yōkai," Gojō grunted. "Never any pleasant questions with you. Even Shin-chan can take a breather, but no, it has to be non-stop neuroses—"

He took a glance at his face and stopped. For a moment, the silence stretched thin, taut with something unspoken.

Then, Gojō shifted, his fingers twitching at his side as if reaching for something unseen.

"You know," he started again, softer this time, almost absentmindedly, "there are things... that are difficult to talk about." His hand brushed his throat briefly — a fleeting, but not coincidental gesture that made Naruto's eyes narrow.

"Gojō…?" Naruto asked, his voice low.

Gojō answered with a faint, humorless smile. "You remember what Fujimaro said, don't you? Hinin-ke."

An Oath. Naruto hesitated. "Are people from the Hinin-ke bound not to speak—"

The sharp look in Gojō's eyes silenced him. It wasn't anger, but a warning. Naruto understood then: there would be no answer — could be no direct answer. At least, not the one he wanted.

"I'm a rather special case," Gojō said lightly, his tone shifting to something more guarded. "That much, I'll say."

"Why is that?" Naruto asked, trying to gauge his reaction.

"This, on the other hand," Gojō interrupted, his voice cool, "isn't something you need to know."

The silence that followed was heavy.

"But," Gojō continued, his expression unreadable, "I'll tell you this much anyway: I was born in the Nation of Rain, near Shigurekyo. Picked up a fair number of bad habits there. Then I was offered the… opportunity to join Uzushio. And I took it. That's it — my grand, tragic backstory. Are you empathizing yet?"

"Not so far, no."

Gojō laughed. "See? You can go along with a joke—"

"It wasn't really funny."

"Yeah, that's probably why," Gojō admitted with a sigh.

"…Is there anything you can tell me?" Naruto asked. "About these yōkai?"

Gojō took a long look at him.

"Sorry," Naruto said. "Is that too direct?"

Gojō still said nothing.

Naruto winced and thought about his next words. "That day," he began, "at sea… That thing we saw. I thought a lot about it. Are there others like it?"

Gojō's silence stretched, but this time Naruto let it. He watched the young man carefully, noting the way his fingers finally stilled, curling into a loose fist at his side.

And Gojō broke the quiet. "If there were," he said carefully, his voice flat, almost detached. "They could well be old things, could they not? They could be spirits, or demons, even — and would it matter?"

Naruto's stomach turned at the subtle weight in Gojō's tone. He nodded cautiously. "It wasn't an animal. It wasn't alive — not in the way we are. It was just... wrong."

"Wrong," Gojō murmured, his gaze turning to the window, out to the clouds beyond. "Yeah. I suppose that's a word for it."

"So…" Naruto said softly. "Do you think… I'm wrong," he paused, wondering if that was cutting it too close already, "in thinking there might be others?"

Gojō didn't answer right away.

"I think," he said finally, his voice carefully neutral, "you already know the answer to that."

"…Yeah," Naruto said. "I think I might."

Night had almost fallen, and Naruto wasn't sure if he still wanted to press Gojō with more questions about sealing. The meal had been unexpectedly pleasant, overall — perhaps because it wasn't sealed rations for the first time in slightly over two days — and that simple comfort felt worth savoring.

In a single, fluid motion, Gojō removed the sound barrier around them. The subtle ripple of its release convinced Naruto that Gojō probably wasn't in the mood for this sort of question either. Naruto let his gaze wander, taking in the room again.

The space had grown livelier. More people had filtered in — men and women, even a few children. They lounged on cushions or low stools, chatting softly as the hum of music threaded through the air. The melody — and even the rhythm — was unfamiliar, a far cry from Uzushio's traditional tunes. If anything, it reminded Naruto of the style Yasaka had started bringing back home in recent years, after saving enough to buy her prized sound-keeping seal.

The thought made him smile, though faintly. He couldn't decide if it was an early onset of nostalgia or something else.

"That's from Rain," Gojō said with a slight smile of his own.

"Sorry?" Naruto asked, blinking.

"It's fusion music. I don't know how familiar with it all you are, but it combines traditional Rain influences — it's about as slow and haunting as you might think — with more brass-heavy energy they picked from traders or mercenaries, likely. I would say that one sounds like Waterfall to me. It's a little chaotic, but that's kind of the point."

Naruto tilted his head, straining to catch the faint melody in the distance. "It's… weird," he said after a moment, squinting as he tried to make sense of the sound. "Not bad, just… loud in some parts. And quiet in others."

Gojō laughed. "Yeah." Something shifted in his posture, and Naruto noticed the subtle change — a relaxation, like a sword being sheathed. "…You can go. I'll keep an eye on you from a bit further away."

"What?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Haven't you noticed?" Gojō said, his tone taking on a teasing edge.

"Noticed what?"

"Follow my eyes—" Gojō gestured subtly, "but not so obviously."

The girl from earlier — the one with dark hair — was there again. Naruto caught her glancing their way, but the moment their eyes met, she turned quickly, almost as if caught doing something she shouldn't. Then, hesitantly, she glanced back over her shoulder, a small, sheepish smile tugging at her lips as she gave a shy wave.

Cute, Naruto thought before he could stop himself.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Gojō said, his grin widening. "Go say hi."

"…Why?" Naruto asked hesitantly. "Didn't Lady Shiori say—"

"The girl's unarmed," Gojō interrupted smoothly, "and harmless. Besides, Nagato confirmed there were no other shinobi on board, and neither of us has sensed any hidden seals that might pose an issue. To stay on the safe side, just don't take anything she gives you, stay vigilant for any sudden moves… and you'll be fine."

Naruto felt his stomach twist with rising panic. "I don't even speak Kyosei—"

"Just enough to keep her from realizing how limited your brains are," Gojō said with a smirk. "It's a perfect excuse."

"What am I supposed to talk about?" Naruto asked, his voice bordering on a whine.

"Eh," Gojō shrugged. "Repeat whatever I said about music earlier. That should work to make you sound interesting for a second."

"Gojō," Naruto hissed. "I really don't think this is a good idea—"

Before he could finish, Gojō raised a hand and waved at the girl cheerfully. His smile was dazzling, Naruto would later realize, the kind of grin that could charm a snake out of its skin — but he knew enough about the young man to know it was about as genuine as a storm cloud promising sunshine. The girl hesitated, her gaze darting between them, then began walking over.

Naruto cursed inwardly, throwing Gojō a look that was half-plea, half-accusation. Gojō, of course, just kept smiling.

Gojō, of course, pretexted his escape with a stretch and a lazy grin the moment she came to sit closer.

"Well, look at the time," he said, though there wasn't a clock in sight. "I've got something I need to check on. Super important. You two have fun." He stood, patting Naruto on the shoulder with just enough force to make him stumble forward slightly.

"Wait — Gojō!" Naruto hissed through clenched teeth, but the young man was already walking away, his casual wave over his shoulder the only response.

Naruto turned back to the girl, who was now sitting just a few feet away. She looked at him, slightly wide-eyed, as if she'd caught onto his discomfort but wasn't sure how to address it. The sheepish smile she offered felt more like an apology than a greeting.

"Did he do it in place?"

"Excuse me?" Then, realizing his mistake, he corrected himself silently: on purpose, not in place. "Yes, yes he did."

She kept looking at him, her lips curling into a soft smile. "Why?"

"I don't know." Naruto shrugged, feeling the honesty of it settle in his chest. "He's just... like that."

"Is he your brother?"

"What? No!" Naruto said, louder than he meant to.

"Oh," she said, taken aback. Her gaze flicked over him, lingering on his hair. "You have the same blond hair."

Blond. That was the color it was now, and Naruto's lips pressed into a thin line. That yellowish color his father's hair had been — was. He stilled for a breath, the weight of the thought heavier than expected. Then he forced it aside. "Well… no. Not my brother," he repeated, quieter this time.

She gave a nod, her fingers tugging at a loose thread on her sleeve. "Okay. So, what's he to you?"

Naruto hesitated. How much did he want to say? She wasn't a shinobi — he could tell just by the way she stood, by the ease in her voice. And too young, too. Finally, he settled on something simpler. "Someone I travel with." He tried to remember the correct wording. "And someone I have to put up with, I guess."

Her smile returned, a little brighter now. "You must be patient, then."

Naruto let out a short laugh. "Not really."

That earned a giggle from her. "Me neither."

The giggle transformed into full-blown laughter. This laugh caught him off guard — bright and loud as it was, and somehow soft all at once. For a fleeting moment, it reminded him of someone else; Karin. His chest tightened, a knot of memory and feeling he didn't want to untangle.

Then it faded.

She wasn't shinobi, wasn't from Uzushio. She had nothing to do with the painful memories that Karin had left behind in just a few hours.

"Do I have something on my face?" She asked suddenly, interrupting his thoughts. "You're staring."

"Huh? No! Nothing!" Naruto shook his head, his cheeks burning as he waved his hands dismissively.

She smiled. "You're strange, blondie."

"It's Naruto," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, his voice clipped. "Not blondie."

No, blondie was what his mother sometimes called his father.

"Naruto?" she said, her grin softening. "I'm Aiko." She held out her hand, open and unguarded.

He looked at it for a moment before taking it cautiously. Her hand was warm, her grip light but steady.

"You're not from the Land of Iron, are you?" she asked after a moment. "You don't sound like them."

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little." She shrugged, her smile turning playful. "But I like it. You talk funny."

Naruto scowled, though the edge of his mouth twitched upward. "You talk funny, too."

Her laughter bubbled up again, bright and honest, and Naruto found himself smiling before he realized it.

"So, where are you from?" she asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm from the Land of Snow, but my dad and I are moving to join some… relatives in the Land of Fire."

Naruto hesitated. He wasn't sure whether this was the sort of question he should answer. And so, even though something about the curiosity in her eyes — or the way she didn't press too hard — made him feel like it might be okay…

"I'm going there too," he said finally, dodging the real question. "It's… kind of far."

Her eyes widened a bit, her curiosity deepening. "You too, really?"

He nodded, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah. Haven't been there before, though."

The girl's face lit up, her excitement spilling over. "There's so much to see on the way! Like Kiyoteru — the city where it's always night. With orange lights and all those bridges over the canals… The pictures look like something out of a dream!"

He paused because he didn't know anything about it.

"What's it like where you're from?" she asked, undeterred.

Naruto's gaze drifted to the horizon, his expression clouding for a moment. "It's… different. A lot of water. Sky that feels—" he thought about it "—close enough to touch sometimes. And the wind… it always smells like salt and rain."

"That sounds nice," she said, and for a second, Naruto wasn't sure if she was talking about his words or something else. "Better than snow."

"It's not bad," he admitted, his voice quieter now. "But it's… lonely."

Her smile faltered. "Lonely?"

Naruto blinked, realizing he'd said more than he intended. "It's nothing," he said quickly, looking away.

The girl didn't press him further, though her expression remained thoughtful. "Well, if you're going to the Land of Fire too, maybe we'll see each other again."

Naruto looked at her, surprised by the simple, almost hopeful tone in her voice. "Maybe," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "If you're not lost — If you don't get lost."

She laughed again, that bright sound filling the air like sunlight breaking through rain. "Same to you."

For a moment, Naruto felt something unfamiliar, a small warmth that lingered even as the conversation shifted to lighter topics.

"Do you have a curfew?" Aiko asked, her eyes glinting playfully.

He thought about Gojō, who he assumed (wondered) was still on guard duty. "Not really. Do you?"

"No, my dad's asleep. He's too used to working shifts at the factory." She paused, her smile softening. "Do you want to see the clouds? There's a nice spot up ahead."

He felt a smile creeping onto his face. "Sure."

The wind tugged at Naruto's hair as they crossed the deck of the airship. The engines hummed beneath them, a low and steady vibration, while stars stretched endlessly above — bright and sharp, just like in Uzushio. Aiko led him to the railing, her eyes turned skyward, her face calm in the cool night air.

It was hard to remember why everyone seemingly thought the outside world was such a dangerous place, so far.

"Here," she said, settling herself against the railing and turning her face to the sky. "Best seats in the house."

Naruto paused, then leaned beside her, hands gripping the cool railing. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of ozone; like a gathering storm into the distance.

"Do you ever think about how small we are?" Aiko's voice was soft, steady. "Up here, it feels like the sky could swallow us whole."

Naruto took a beat longer to understand her words, then glanced at her. "Yeah," he said, letting his gaze drift upwards. "Sometimes."

The quiet stretched comfortably between them, the sky vast, and the clouds drifting slowly beneath. Naruto found himself struggling to put some of his thoughts into words, but even in silence, it felt... okay.

"Do you think they'll know we're up here when we reach the mainland?" Aiko asked. "Do they see us?"

Naruto shrugged. "Probably not. They're probably…"

"Busy?"

"Yes."

She nodded, thoughtful. "Still, it's kind of nice, isn't it? Being up here, looking down."

Naruto turned to her, struck by the quiet wonder in her voice. By the own festering resentment that had been growing within him, aimed at Uzushio. "Yeah," he said softly. "I guess it is."

Aiko leaned her elbows on the railing, tilting her head back to look at the stars. "Do you ever make up stories about them?" she asked. "The stars, I mean."

Naruto frowned, considering. "Not really. But my mom used to tell me things about…" He had forgotten the word—

"Constellations."

"Yes. That one—" he pointed westward, toward a cluster of stars "—she said it was a fox chasing a moon."

Aiko's eyes brightened. "That's a good one." She paused, her grin turning mischievous. "I have plenty. Like that one—" she gestured to a scattered line of stars "—it's a princess hiding from her overbearing family. And that one?" She pointed to another. "That's her escape route. Obviously."

The night stretched, the chill of the wind offset by a quiet warmth between them — something gentle, unspoken. They sat quietly, watching the stars and staring at the horizon, and neither of them spoke.

As the airship sailed on through the endless sky, Naruto let himself smile, the warmth of her laughter settling into a quiet corner of his heart.

Above them, the stars seemed closer than ever.

Annex — On the Potential Itineraries

i/LIWAKi: A Map

I do not know where this Kiyoteru city is — but perhaps we might pass there...?

Thus writes Naruto of the Hōshi-ke, on the thirteenth day of May, in the Year 211 of the Fire Cycle.

lensdump

i/L0yzuA : Aiko

i/LIW4fe : "Where is Gojō?"

AN: In case I managed to miss yet another 'Shipnachi,' and 'shinigami' please ignore it.

Entirely unrelated, but I suddenly have a renewed respect for people who manage to craft elaborate fantasy maps. This is absolutely hellish to me. I tried using dedicated software, but as happens far too often, I ended up going back to trusty Photoshop — paid for, as we all do — to draw it by hand.

Next chapter: A Deer in Moonlight