Here we are with another chapter! Sorry for the delay on this; I'm just glad the chapter is finally ready for posting. Going forward, anyone/everyone reading on this website; the story is also cross-posted to Archive of our Own under the same title. This is in case there are further issues with reading stories; as the website has been pretty bad lately with issues.

Moving on...

A Tale of Foxes and Dragons has passed 100 follows! This is huge for me, and I'm really grateful to all of you who have read the story, especially those of you who have followed, favorited, or left a review!

The sun was high in the sky, casting its radiant warmth down upon the residents of Domremy and the large circular encampments of tents outside the town's walls. Two figures stood out amongst the mercenaries ambling around the makeshift camp, their recognizable voices carrying even over the din of camp.

"Kid, when I told you to retrieve this quickly, I didn't mean immediately. You're gonna make me start doubtin' my own skills!"

"Hey, you told me it was a test, and Naruto Uzumaki aces all of his tests! …As long as they aren't written tests." Naruto exclaimed, grinning as he passed Roland the hunting knife that the big man had tasked him with retrieving.

As Roland had explained it roughly twenty minutes earlier; he'd wanted to get a feel for how good Naruto's stealth skills were, having heard from Byleth that the 'blonde punk' had made it all the way to the commander's tent the other day undetected. The test itself had been a simple recreation of a standard infiltration job; sneak in somewhere, get your hands on whatever object the employer was paying you to retrieve, and get back out undetected.

"Hah, that might be so, but… damn! How did you get the knife so fast? I know I told those numbskulls standing guard around the tent that it'd be latrine duty for them if they let you past!"

"Yeah, they were looking for me, not you."

"The heck are you talkin' about-"

There was a poof of smoke, and suddenly Roland was looking at an identical duplicate of himself, down to the last stitch in the leather arm guards and the fraying fabric of his blue tunic.

Smoke erupted from his duplicate, leaving the grinning diminutive blonde standing before him once more.

"I keep telling you guys! You're still thinking like civ- uh… like people who can't use chakra like I can!"

"Eh, chakra, magic, it's all the same fancy mumbo-jumbo to me. But that does explain how you completed the test so quickly."

"It was easy! I just went right up to the tent looking like you, told the guards I'd made a mistake and that I needed to grab the knife, and that was that!"

Roland snorted, letting out a mighty harrumph.

"Those morons should've known something was wrong. I never make any mistakes… at least, none that I'll admit to! Now come along, runt. Time's wastin', and if we don't get back to the inn where the commander and his bottomless pit of a daughter are waitin', there won't be any lunch left for us!"

"You got it, boss man!" Naruto saluted, following after the balding mercenary as they left the cluster of tents where Roland had been drilling Naruto.

The veteran mercenary had woken him up at the crack of dawn, and a sleepy, hungry Naruto was a grumpy Naruto. Friction was a natural reaction, but after a light meal, Naruto found that the easiest way to lift his spirits was to wow his new employers.

"I'm tellin' you, kid. You stick with us, and you'll go far. Speed, reflexes, sleight-of-hand… it's been years since I last saw a natural like you. Never was much good with that finesse crap myself, but I know there are people out there makin' a king's ransom by doin' the kinds of jobs normal people don't have the skills for. An' I give em' five… no, three years before you're puttin' em' all outta business!" Roland chuckled as he and Naruto passed the crude but sturdy wooden walls of Domremy's exterior, entering the town proper.

The inn where Jeralt had been staying the last couple of days was just up the road; Naruto could already hear the sounds of merriment coming from inside. Roland pushed the door to the two-story redbrick building open, Naruto following behind him.

"Ah, kid! You're back! Heh, I trust that Roland didn't work you too hard?" Jeralt greeted him from the table he was seated at in one corner of the inn, his daughter and the other lieutenant seated around the table as well. The inn was mostly empty at this time of day; it was too early for any of the regulars to be living it up with food and drink, other than the mercenaries there was only one occupied table; some craftsman more focused on his drink than on the tavern's other occupants.

"As if! There's nothing that Naruto Uzumaki can't do!"

"Yeah, yeah. He's a show-off, that's for sure, boss. But at least he's a show-off who can put his money where his mouth is." Roland grumbled, dropping into a chair at one of the many unoccupied tables before motioning for the innkeeper, a plump middle-aged woman wearing a stained apron over her brown smock, to come on over.

Naruto took his seat opposite Jeralt, between Byleth and Francine.

"Well, I'll be damned. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Roland's been so quick to praise you, given what I've already seen that you're capable of doing, but it's impressive all the same. He's not one to give praise lightly."

"I call it like I see it, boss. Kid's a damn firebrand, and he's got a bit of a mouth on him, but he knows his stuff."

"That good, huh?" Jeralt asked with a raised eyebrow, taking a drink from the mug of beer in front of him.

"I know what you said about him, standing up to your daughter in a straight fight, but I'm telling you now that you'd be wasting him as another soldier. With those weird duplicates of himself, the kid's a walking saboteur corps! Give him an hour, and he'll cripple any mercenary force, knight battalion, or bandit gang that gets in our way."

Naruto preened under the praise, but couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. Yeah sure, a ton of ninja jobs involved sneaking into places you weren't supposed to go, and either stealing things that weren't yours or setting traps for your enemies, but those weren't the cool jobs! How were people supposed to know his name if he was always skulking in the shadows?

"You look like you've got something to say, kid."

"Huh? Oh… I mean, Roland's right, I AM pretty darn good at the whole 'not letting people detect me' thing, but… those aren't the kinda jobs I want!"

"Let me guess, you want to rescue princesses from bandits or slay rampaging demonic beasts?"

"Yeah, exactly!"

Jeralt rolled his eyes, looking exasperated, though his next words weren't overly harsh.

"Naruto, being a mercenary means that you don't always get to choose what kind of jobs you do. I know I told you that I'd never ask you to do anything you weren't comfortable with, but you have a very special set of skills, skills that no one else in my employ has. So, it's only natural that you do work that fits your talents. …You wouldn't want me to send Roland sneaking into an enemy encampment instead of you, would you?"

Roland grumbled good-naturedly while Naruto tried not to burst out laughing at the thought of the huge old mercenary trying to sneak around in the dark. There WERE shinobi that were built like Roland, but the old guy was about as quiet as an Akimichi at a buffet.

"Naruto, I know you probably don't want to spend your whole life with us. I haven't asked for the details on who you are or where you've come from, because frankly it's none of my business. But if there's some place you're trying to get back to, and my gut tells me it's even further away than I can imagine, then the easiest way to get closer to your goal is to make money. Lots of money."

"So… the quickest way to do that is to do the jobs that aren't fun?"

"Mercenary work isn't supposed to be fun, kid."

"I know! That's not what I meant… I just…"

Jeralt's firm expression softened slightly.

"Don't think that your life is going to be all work; mercs need breathers just like everybody else. Ask Francine or Roland; honestly, I think we spend more time on the road traveling from job to job than we do working. If nothing else, I can guarantee you that you'll get to see the world if you stick with us."

That lifted Naruto's spirits. Being stuck in a strange, foreign world with no friends from home was scary, but that didn't mean he was going to spend the whole time wallowing in misery. Getting out and seeing what this crazy new world had to offer sounded like fun to him!

"I'd advise you to listen to our words, Naruto. The commander speaks the truth. I myself have no regrets joining Jeralt's Mercenaries. If I'd kept to my old life, I never would've even had the chance to get out and see the world." Francine spoke up, offering her own thoughts to the conversation.

"Oh, yeah, Roland said that you used to be a noble or something?"

"…Or something," The towering redhead replied, her words guarded but even.

"Yeah, I can imagine why you'd want to leave a life like that behind! Getting to meet new people all the time, see amazing sights, explore distant lands…"

"Enough, enough! We've had plenty of jobs across all Fodlan, there's no denying that, but I'm afraid you're making my time with them out to be more romanticized than it ever was. And there's more to it than that for why I left my old life, but I won't deny that the freedom of the mercenary life is something I've come to enjoy."

Naruto smiled at the big, muscular woman's awkward laughter. Sure, he didn't know her story, but he was pretty sure he could guess at what her circumstances were.

'Let's see… if what I remember about the nobles of the Land of Fire… I guess that'd be the Daimyo and his family, and then bigshot families like the clans… especially the Hyūga… Ugh, I can imagine why someone would want to ditch living with people like them…' Naruto shuddered, drawing a curious look from the others seated at the table.

Hinata was nice enough, but kinda weird and quiet. Neji was a lot better now too, Naruto actually liked the older teen now that he didn't have that ten-foot pole up his butt.

'Too bad that most of the Hyūga are like Neji before I clobbered him back in the Chūnin Exams! I mean, sure you get to live in a huge house, eat all the best food, and be surrounded with the rest of your family, but everyone is so cold to each other! Just because they have big families, they hardly treat each other like proper families should!'

"Ahem! Hey kid, it looks like something's on your mind. Care to share?"

"W-what? Oh, never mind. I was just thinking about some of the clans… I mean, nobles from back home. Some of them were okay, but I didn't like most of them."

"Hah, I can't fault you there! It sounds like nobility stays the same regardless of where you're from!" Francine replied with a bark of laughter.

"That may be so, but just be sure you educate him on how to properly speak with the nobles around here, Francine. Some of them are alright, kid, like the Viscount who oversees the lands we're on right now, but talking to most nobles like that- or even thinking those kinds of thoughts around them is a bad idea, trust me." Jeralt snorted with a roll of his eyes.

"What, you mean like they can read minds?"

"What? No, nothing like that. It's just that, most nobles around Fodlan are… blast, what's the word?"

"Suspicious?" Byleth spoke up, pausing briefly from her bowl of stew to contribute some small amount to the conversation.

"…Yeah, that's a good way to describe them. They're not bad so long as you act and speak politely with them, but if they even start to think that you're acting in a way that mocks or dishonors them, you'll be in real trouble."

"I'm not gonna go around causing trouble for anybody! I've seen their kind before, I know how to act and talk and all that!" Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms against his chest. Honestly, that might've been one of his least favorite things about being a ninja. Just because some clients could be huge jerks, you still couldn't punch them in the face because they were, again, the client, and representing Konoha's best meant NOT punching the people who paid you in the face. …Even if they deserved it.

"So, uh… not that I mind sitting around town while everything is all nice and peaceful, but when are we getting our next job?"

"Kid, I get that you're eager to impress, but you don't need to be that eager. We'll finish up the week here before moving on. But to answer your question, as a matter of fact we already have a job lined up elsewhere in Faerghus after this. Don't worry about asking for contracts, either. You might be capable, but most of Fodlan isn't used to dealing directly with a kid. Contracts will be handed to you by me or Francine."

"…What about Byleth and Roland?"

"You can assume anything Byleth gives you will already have been triple-checked by me. As for Roland…" Jeralt glanced over at the seated war master, who lifted his mug of ale in acknowledgement.

"Francine, Byleth, and me are the only ones who can read in the company. That's something of a necessity when dealing with contracts, especially the ones coming from our noble clients."

"Wait, Roland can't read?! …No offense," Naruto spluttered before catching himself.

"None taken, kid. Just never had a need for it. Learned my numbers well enough so that I don't get cheated by anybody in the market, but as for readin' and writin'? Shoot, I can barely write my own name."

"Other than children of nobility, like Francine here, the only other people who can afford tutors for their kids are those born to wealthy merchant families."

"Or those who went to school like me." Naruto replied, thinking over Jeralt's words.

"…The more I learn about you, the more amazed I am. I'll have Francine quiz you on some basics later. That way I'll know you're not just pulling my leg. If you're telling the truth, and I don't really have a reason to assume otherwise… that'll only help you when you're on the job, especially when you're doing more… clandestine activities. I try not to take too many seedy jobs, but sometimes that kind of work can't be avoided, especially when the client might be too big to just brush off."

"Hmm, hmm! I see what you mean! A lotta ninja work back home is pretty boring, but some of the stuff we get hired to do is too big to turn down!" Naruto nodded thoughtfully. Spending his early days as a fresh Genin doing d-ranks, pulling weeds or finding runaway house pets was a hell he wasn't eager to repeat, especially not when he'd learned just what kind of jobs really mattered. His team had saved Tazuna's bacon, saved the lives of everyone in the Wave village, and that had just been his first taste of doing important ninja work! Sure, all of them had almost died, but that was just part of the job description. It didn't matter if the chips were down, it was a ninja's job to deliver results!

'If I let myself get cold feet just because I might get hurt on a mission, I wouldn't be able to call myself a ninja, or look myself in the mirror! That's who Naruto Uzumaki is!'

"Heh, you certainly look fired up, kid. I don't want to rain on your parade, but I'll tell you now most of the jobs; the big-budget ones, at least probably won't involve the kind of work that you can cheer about."

"I know, I know! Ninjas do that sort of work all the time!"

What went unsaid was that Naruto himself had never personally done those kinds of jobs before. But he knew people who had! Kakashi was a legend in the village, and the Anbu, like the ones who protected Granny Tsunade went on those kind of super-cool top secret missions all the time!

"So… any word on when our next job is gonna be?"

"Heh, you just don't quit with the excitement, do you? I already told you the answer to that. Besides, a better question to ask would be 'where' the next job is going to be, not when?"

"Well okay, where are we going next?"

"I'd tell you to pack your bags, kid, but seeing as you strolled into our camp with nothing but the clothes on your back and that little pack of supplies, that won't be an issue. We're headed for the duchy of Fraldarius."

"The Fraldarius family, those guys are important, right?"

"Very important, Naruto. They're the highest authority in all of Faerghus outside of the royal family itself. Well… I suppose at this point, that's really only Prince Dimitri and his uncle, the Grand Duke of Itha." Francine remarked, earning a grunt from Jeralt and another nod from Naruto.

"So, the place we're headed is run by some of the bigshots behind this country?"

"That's certainly one way of putting it. Anyways, once the week ends, we'll pack up here and head for Fraldarius. Hope you can get used to life on the road," Jeralt chuckled, enjoying the comically crestfallen look on Naruto's face.

"Aw man, that means more wagon rides, doesn't it?" Naruto grumbled, slumping forwards onto the table. It was going to take some getting used to having to move from city to city for work, instead of just going to the central administration building with his team to get missions distributed to them.

"Afraid so, kid. Fraldarius is on the other side of the country. Moving quickly, the company can make that journey in… about a week."

'A week?! How the heck does that count as moving quickly?! I've seen paint take less time to dry! Oh well… I guess that gives me more time to get to know these guys… And now that I'm part of the company, I can't just go off on my own… even if running would be a heck of a lot quicker than moving with my new buddies.'

Several days later, Naruto was finishing loading his meager belongings into the cart he'd be sitting in for the duration of the trip to the Fraldarius duchy. He'd never gotten the chance to meet the bigshot who ran this town, which was a disappointment, but Jeralt had been pretty clear that the local lord didn't have time to be bothered by 'small folk' like him.

He hoped that wasn't another crack at his height.

He also hadn't seen much of Jeralt the last few days, which had been a bummer, but as Byleth had explained; her father DID have close to a hundred other people under his employ and could hardly be expected to devote so much time to a new hire, special skills and circumstances or not.

'Ugh… I'm going to have to come up with something to do… If there's one thing I've learned in the last few days, it's that these mercenaries have no idea how to have fun!' Naruto grumbled, leaning against one of the wheels of the canvas-covered cart.

Sure, they knew how to have fun, but not the right kind of fun! Not his kind of fun! Manga didn't exist in Fodlan, and that was something he unfortunately didn't see changing anytime soon. He'd offered to play cards with a few of the other mercenaries- not Byleth or either of the lieutenants, just the random men and women constituting the rank and file of Jeralt's forces.

Card games existed in Fodlan and were apparently popular enough, but as Naruto had found, they were almost always paired with gambling, and while he himself had no issues with that; his current funds were 0… wait, what even was Fodlan's currency?

Eh. The point stood. He was willing to participate but lacked even enough for a starting wager.

That would change as soon as he got paid by Jeralt, and then these mercenaries would all weep once he cleaned them out!

'I've been doing nothing but physical drills the last couple of days… I'm going to have to either stop worrying about letting people see me using my jutsu, or find somewhere private to practice… and if we're going to be on the road, that second one probably isn't going to be doable…' He mumbled to himself, eyes frowning in thought. Naruto loved his downtime, but he hated being bored even more so, and a good ninja like him wouldn't sit around on his butt and let his skills rust!

It had been interesting watching Jeralt's forces training over the last couple of days. The men and women of the mercenary company definitely were a cut above the average civilian, and while they were no ninja, he was starting to see why Jeralt carried such a lofty reputation. Though they presented themselves as a merry rabble when off the clock, when on the clock, training and doing drills, they held moved and acted with precision and discipline. Jeralt and his lieutenants ran a tight ship, that was for sure!

'Plus, all the bigshots under him; Roland, Francine, and Byleth can all kick some serious ass! Byleth made me break out the shadow clones to get through her guard, and she wasn't even going all out!' It was just a shame that nobody under Jeralt's employ seemed to be skilled with magic. That wasn't to say that nobody in his service could use magic, as the commander did have a dedicated core of monks and priests to tend to the company's wounds.

"Naruto. Are you ready to depart?"

The blonde in question jumped on the spot, frowning as he turned to look at the older girl.

"Ah, dang it! You startled me!"

"That was not my intent. I made no efforts to disguise my presence."

"So… we're finally leaving? Great! I can't wait to see something new!" No offense to this town, but he was eager for a change of scenery.

"Are we riding together again?"

"Yes. My father suggested that we continue to share a cart. He wanted me to tell you that he apologizes for not speaking to you in the last few days, but-"

"It's fine, it's fine. He's the boss and it's not like he has time for me every day." Even though it did kind of hurt to admit that.

He hadn't realized it until he'd gone several days without an adult presence like Jeralt around, but… he missed having someone reliable like that around. He could train on his own all day long just fine, but…

He missed the guidance and reassurance he received from Kakashi! And Jiraiya, for all his faults, was someone he missed just as much. Pervy Sage might've been a walking example of how to not be a role model, but the white-haired geezer had a big laugh to match his equally big frame, and even when he was being super annoying he could still find ways to put a smile on Naruto's face!

Maybe that was why it hurt inside, that kind of funny hurt that wasn't a physical wound but stung worse than any cut or bruise. He'd been silently hoping that Jeralt could fill that void; even though that hope had been nothing more than a pipedream.

"…Is something the matter? It's not like you to be quiet."

It hadn't taken Byleth long to pick up on that; even though they'd only been comrades for a few about a week. Was she a friend? He'd call her a friend, even though it was hard to tell what she thought about him.

'I hope she thinks I'm a friend. I mean, if she didn't, I don't think she would've gone out of her way to spend most of the last few days with me.'

"It's fine. I'm just looking forward to leaving this town like I said. After a week of sitting around, I can't wait to hit the road!"

"I do not believe I have seen you 'sit still' at any point during the last few days. If anything-"

"Yeah, yeah! It's a figure of speech!"

Naruto Uzumaki was an odd boy. This much was clear to everyone around him. Now, Byleth didn't mean that in an insulting or derogatory manner; it was simply an objective statement. After her initial analysis of the blonde had to be drastically altered following her brief bout with him, she'd spent the following days observing him as closely as possible, at least as far as propriety allowed.

Her father had informed the rest of the company that yes, he was a full-fledged member of the mercenary band and not some errand boy tagging along. The news had gone over with only a few grumbles; and though Byleth had seen a few of her fellow mercenaries casting disapproving glances at Naruto; none had voiced any of their complaints aloud. So long as none of them made trouble, she would not have to go around disciplining anyone.

Even if her father hadn't ordered her to spend the week at his side, she would've done so all the same. Why he had thought it was necessary to order her to do so, she couldn't understand. Naruto Uzumaki was an individual who represented a substantial asset to her father's mercenaries. Learning more about him and his unusual techniques would only benefit the company.

That didn't mean sparring with him more. While she fully intended to do so as time went on, there would be plenty of time for that in the future as Naruto's involvement with the company would not be concluding anytime soon. Besides, there was no need to test him again, at least not so soon. He had the skills needed to do his job, and that was enough for her.

What Byleth had spent the last several days trying to determine was whether or not he had the mindset to do his job properly.

On that front, the tiny blonde was a paradox. At times he was almost frustratingly childish; while at other times he spoke with a nonchalance that she had rarely seen even in hardened veterans. Contrary to what many people thought; mercenaries were not all bloodthirsty battle-hounds seeking every available chance to wet their blades. According to her father, the best kind of job was the kind where he never even had to raise his lance or draw his sword. Of course, in their line of work, such instances were rare. Most of their work had them hunting down bandits, lending their might to a noble's standing forces for a battle or two, or dealing with demonic beasts, such as their latest job.

In other words, it was the norm to expect that a contract would involve violence at some point. That was where her current thoughts fell. Mercenaries were human at the end of the day, and even hardened veterans approached battles with the level of cautiousness of someone who wanted to live to see the next sunrise.

By all rights, a boy of Naruto's age should've been shaking in his boots at the thought of being sent into battle, but instead, he seemed to welcome the opportunity with open arms! He was treating the jobs her father would be giving not as 'jobs' but as games!

Byleth hoisted herself into the cart, taking her seat next to Naruto. Only a few moments later, the wheels of the cart began to turn as the driver matched the pace of the rest of the caravan.

Speaking of being unable to sit still, the newest member of her father's mercenaries was fidgeting in place as if someone had placed a pin under him.

She had as sinking feeling that this was going to be a long trip…

"Hey! Didn't you hear me talking to you?!"

"…My apologies, I was preoccupied." And there was the childish side of him rearing its head once more. That's how he was on the surface; a loud-mouthed, rambunctious kid. But he'd shown just how much lurked beneath the surface; with skills and abilities that couldn't be found anywhere else on the entire continent.

"What is it you wished to talk to me about?"

Naruto shifted once more, finally settling into a cross-legged position, one hand supporting his chin as he squinted at her.

"I was asking you how many jobs you'd done with your dad! You guys are supposed to a big deal, so that means that you've traveled all around this place, right? Faerghus, I mean."

"…Not just Faerghus, but all of Fodlan. This will not be my first time in the duchy of Fraldarius, nor will it be the first time for many in my father's employ. …I would be willing to tell you of the places that I have traveled if you continue telling me about the techniques; jutsu, you called them, of your homeland."

"Heh heh! Of course I'll tell you more! All of my friends can do loads of really cool things with their family's jutsu! But first, you gotta tell me your stories! What's this Fraldarius place like?"

"Fraldarius is… well-organized. Duke Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius governs his people well. Brigandry is lower in his duchy than in any other region of the country."

"Is that… is that all you have to say?" Clearly, her young companion was underwhelmed with her explanation.

"What do you want me to say? I have been to Fraldarius only twice before. At best, I can only provide you with basic information."

"Ugh… Come on, tell me something cool about Fraldarius! There's gotta be more to it than that!"

Byleth matched Naruto's disgruntled frown with her stony gaze.

"…Duke Fraldarius is considered to be one of the mightiest warriors in all of Faerghus, if not the mightiest. He is known across Fodlan as the Shield of Faerghus."

"Ooh, that is cool! I bet he had to beat up a lot of people to get a title like that!"

"…That's one way of putting it. He was a close friend of the late king, and on top of that he is a respected war hero."

So, the bigshot running the region they were headed for wasn't just some stuffed shirt. That immediately put him a couple notches up in Naruto's book. Nobles who actually did stuff that mattered; like taking up arms and fighting for their people were okay in his book. Nobles and royalty like Koyuki were good people. People like Madame Shijimi, less so. If he had to go on one more mission; and he used the term loosely, to find that fat lady's damn cat again…

"I believe this fulfills my end of our bargain. I have told you something 'cool' about Fraldarius, now it is your turn to tell me more about the jutsu of your homeland."

"Okay, what d' you wanna know?"

"Other than your duplicates, the shadow clones, Roland reported that he had you doing exercises throughout the week using your transformation ability. Were such techniques… do they also belong to one of the noble houses of Konoha?" Byleth chose her words slowly; and though Naruto had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth at the worst times, even he could tell that Byleth was taking care to not ask if they were family techniques. Because, you know, he'd told her and her dad that he didn't have anyone like that waiting at home for him.

"…Nah, they're standard techniques any good shinobi can do. I DO have other jutsu I can use, but they're, uh, not really suited for confined spaces like this." He replied after a moment's pause, glancing around the dark, cramped interior of the wagon.

The substitution jutsu wasn't something he was amazing at, but he could use it, though there was a time and a place for everything, and using that move while in a moving vehicle was the opposite of smart. Ditto the Rasengan; because the last thing he wanted to do was explain to Commander Jeralt how he'd smashed one of the wagons apart.

"Then… are there any family techniques you do have?"

He knew Byleth wasn't trying to be insensitive; but the question still stung. Old Man Hokage had never told him who his parents were; and then he'd gone and kicked the bucket before he'd had a chance to reveal the truth to Naruto.

He'd always wondered; if his life had gone differently, would he have ended up growing up with his parents in a big house surrounded by relatives, getting to learn fancy moves like his friends could use? …Ah well, best to just move on!

"Nope! 'Fraid I don't have any special jutsu like that! But trust me, I don't need any! There's no one around who can use shadow clones like me, though!"

"Good. …Do not be disappointed that you cannot replicate the abilities of those around you. It is better to master one spell, or jutsu in your case, before moving on to learning anything new. Spreading oneself too thin can have consequences."

He wasn't sure if he agreed with that. Kakashi was famous for his Sharingan eye, which had given him the name of the Copy Ninja. Old Man Hokage had been famous for mastering like, pretty much every jutsu ever! Even Pervy Sage had a whole host of unpredictable moves on top of the more conventional ninjutsu.

He'd have to step up his game, especially now that he was Konoha's sole representative on the continent of Fodlan!

Of course, the first thing to do was actually figuring out how to learn new jutsu. Well… no time to learn like the present!

'I'm gonna have to start taking notes so I don't forget any ideas that come to mind…' Naruto hummed to himself. Eh, whatever. It wasn't important. He was pretty confident that he'd be able to remember any smart ideas he got about new jutsu. Plus, how the heck was he supposed to sit around taking notes and planning new moves when he wouldn't be in a position to actually start testing them out for a whole week? Hmm… He'd have to try and make time each night when the company stopped to make camp. No one would notice if he slipped away for an hour or two, so long as he played his cards right…

"Ugh… I have no idea how I'm going to last for another several days of this," Naruto grumbled as he ambled around the makeshift campsite. Even though the sun had set, the light of the multitude of campfires made it easy to maneuver around the camp.

Rather than the organized rows that he'd first seen when he'd *ahem* applied for his new job, the mercenary company was currently spread out on either side of the road in a close-knit but disorderly sprawl. It made sense, he considered, seeing as this was just a one-night camp and not a formation the group was expecting to maintain any longer than the coming morning.

Jeralt's Mercenaries had left the forested region behind them, and with the humble, wooden walls surrounding Domremy long having faded into the distance behind them hours earlier, there was nothing but open road around them.

Honestly, the luster of being stuck in an unexplored, foreign world was wearing off a lot faster than he thought it would've.

…That probably had something to do with the fact that there was nothing but miles and miles of tundra around them. Nothing but hard-packed soil that crunched underfoot, sparse weeds, thin trees, and empty fields to pass by.

"At least the sky is pretty," He muttered, looking up into the star-filled night sky. …He'd never been into any of that fancy-pants star stuff, but he imagined someone more into books and stuff like Sakura probably would've been able to tell him that the stars in the sky were all wrong.

Meh. Not like he could tell the difference between the night sky here versus the night sky above Konoha. Stars were stars to him.

"Naruto. Have you eaten yet?"

"Huh? Oh, hey, Byleth! You got a spot next to you?" Byleth looked at the 'seat' next to her. There was just enough space on the old, stout tree stump for someone small to squeeze up next to her.

"…You may sit here if you like."

He didn't need to be told twice! Naruto eagerly plopped down next to Byleth, taking the bowl of stew offered. It didn't look like much; just assorted vegetables mixed with a bit of meat to create a simple but hearty meal. He wouldn't turn it down; last time he'd eaten had been a handful of jerky a number of hours earlier.

If the older girl was at all bothered by the way the two of them were pressed shoulder-to-shoulder on the stump, she didn't indicate it. Naruto, on the other hand, was acutely aware of the fact that his shoulder was pressed right up against the very pretty girl.

"Have you traveled before? You act like this is new to you."

"I have! Just… not like this." He wasn't really sure what he was supposed to tell Byleth here. He'd traveled plenty of times alongside Team 7, and this was far from his first camp out! But…

'Argh, I want to tell her that I've seen turtles moving faster than this, but I'm the only ninja here! It's not like any of these guys would be able to keep up with me if I just took off on my own…' Naruto groused between each spoonful of stew.

"…I do not know if I will spend each day on the road traveling with you, but I will endeavor to continue riding with you. Learning of the combat arts of your homeland has been enjoyable."

"Hah! I knew it! So, you can enjoy things!"

"…I do not know why so many people believe that I am above simple things like finding enjoyment where I can."

"My bad, my bad! It's just… you're pretty quiet, you know? And when you do talk, you always sound so stiff! Gives people the impression that you're bored with them, bored with the conversation, and just bored in general."

"…That has never been my intent." Byleth's brow actually furrowed at his words, a small frown appearing on her face.

"I never said it was!" Naruto backpedaled, hoping to assuage Byleth's discomfort.

"Seriously, don't worry about it! Besides, I bet I have something you'll want to hear! I haven't even gotten around to talking about all the special jutsu I've seen people from outside Konoha use!"

"…There are more abilities you haven't told me about?"

"Yeah, tons more! Oh, wait till I tell you about my friend Gaara! He used to be a huge jerk, but that's beside the point! And his brother and sister are pretty cool too, even if his brother dresses kinda funny…"

'Heh, hook, line, and sinker! I bet this blows her mind!' Naruto smiled as Byleth perked up at the mention of more jutsu she was unfamiliar with. If there was one thing he'd learned about her in the last few days, it was that nothing got Byleth's attention more than the possibility to learn a new way of beating somebody up!

"Oh maaan… I shoulda gone to bed earlier…" Naruto yawned, rubbing at his eyes while he struggled to stay upright as the cart jolted underneath him. Just another day on the road that was proving to be no more exciting than any of the others. He'd never felt more jealous of Byleth than he did now; how the heck she could sleep in a place like this, her head supported by little more than the bundled-up cloak it was resting on, he'd never know. For someone who was used to leaping through the trees with ease and crossing great distances on foot, he sure wasn't too thrilled with 'normal' travel. The only real examples he could think of where he'd ever needed to travel a mundane way had been times like when he'd gone to the Land of Snow, which had, for obvious reasons necessitated taking a ship.

Thankfully, this boring as heck trip was finally reaching its end! The word around the campfire the previous night had been that they'd be reaching their destination by midday today, and he couldn't wait for his wagon ride to be officially over.

In a strange way, mind-numbing boredom had been the catalyst for great change; one of the first things Naruto had resolved to do, in addition to keeping up with his regular training, was finding a way to allow his new boss to let him go at his own pace when on the job. They were only just now reaching Thiers, the capital city of the Fraldarius duchy.

The scenery he could see out the back of the cart had changed markedly as the mercenary group had progressed inwards towards Faerghus's heartland. After leaving the green forests in the country's southern-most point, Naruto had been disappointed to find that most of the country was, to him, an inhospitable waste of cold, dead plains and chilly highlands.

At least the landscape of Fraldarius was less depressing to look at than the Galatea county, a dismally barren tundra that they'd just finished crossing.

Honestly, this was a week he would've preferred forgetting ever happened. With nothing else to do while on the road, Byleth hadn't done much other than talk to him or sleep, which she was currently doing right now, and whenever she'd passed the time by napping, Naruto had been left alone to his thoughts.

He was pretty sure Sakura or Sasuke might've cracked a joke there at his expense; but they weren't here.

It was only him, and the people who he needed to befriend.

'Ugh… I know I've told myself this a million times in the last few days, but I hate staying quiet like this! Even if there's nothing to do, I at least need someone to talk to!

Byleth was still out like a light; her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath, and he wasn't going to disturb her. Without Byleth as a conversation partner, that only left one option; the wagon's new occupant.

The female lieutenant's bulky, muscular form occupied the interior of the wagon in the same way that water took on the shape of whatever container it was poured into. The Great Knight couldn't have been comfortable like that; even when seated her long legs brushed the other side of the small wagon.

Pervy Sage would've loved the way Francine's mountains bounced each time the wagon went over a bump in the road, and in such a small, enclosed space, it was a real chore not to stare at the towering knight. He needed a distraction, something that kept his eyes and thoughts away from the humongous redhead. Considering the rocky way things had gone when he'd met her, he wasn't eager to give her any further reasons to view him as a dumb kid who couldn't keep his hands or eyes to himself. Pervy Sage may've known a ton about being a ninja, but even Naruto knew he wasn't exactly role-model material.

With another yawn, he sifted through his ninja pouch, doing his third recount of the contents inside.

Kunai?

Check.

Shuriken?

Check.

"What's that you've got there?" The redhaired woman's words carried little inflection, though Naruto could detect a hint of genuine curiosity. Looking up from his meager pouch of possessions; all that he'd brought with him from his homeland other than the few kunai holstered to his thigh; he regarded Francine's even-toned question.

"What, you mean my ninja pouch? I'm just making sure everything's all packed away. …I'm not sure where I'll be able to get more supplies, so I hafta be extra cautious with my supplies!" Honestly, he wasn't sure what the big lady thought of him. Out of all the important people in Jeralt's Mercenaries, he'd spent the least amount of time with her.

Now that he thought about it, aside from quite literally running into her back in Domremy, he didn't think he'd said two words to her.

'Well… here's hoping that I do a better job breaking the ice this time!'

"Tools of the trade? You're more organized than I would've thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto grumbled indignantly. Why did everyone always think he was some kind of pack rat, just shoving all of his possessions wherever he could fit them? A master prankster like him needed to know where his tools were at all times!

"My apologies, I meant no offense. I was just surprised, your… knives look very uniform. "

"Uniform? What's that supposed to mean? Ya mean how they all look the same?"

Francine hummed affirmatively.

"Well… I've never really thought about it till now, I just went to the shops to buy more kunai if I needed to resupply. I guess we had smiths or something to make em' in bulk. They're pretty standard equipment for ninja like me! There isn't a ninja in all of Konoha who doesn't carry a full set of kunai with them at all times! …Now that I think about it, there probably isn't a ninja from any hidden village who isn't always carrying kunai with them!"

"Your knives and other… supplies… are standard equipment? Then… you were part of an organized military before joining our mercenaries? …Surely as a cadet or a squire?"

"Hey, I'm no rookie! I've been a full-fledged ninja for an entire year!"

…And now Francine was looking at him with the same sort of disconcertment that he'd seen on the faces of the villagers from that nameless little forest settlement back when he'd first offered to do odd jobs for them. D-ranks away from home, in other words.

'Uh… I was trying to convince her that she doesn't have anything to worry about, about me being part of her boss's group, but I don't think she took my words the right way.'

"…Children served as soldiers in your homeland?"

'Oh, right… She did say she wasn't too happy with the thought of giving orders to me because I'm younger than everyone else here… Other than Byleth, I don't think I've seen anyone in the whole group who looked any younger than their early twenties.'

"Lady, I think you're getting the wrong idea about ninja. Ninja aren't soldier, at least not how you'd describe a soldier. We're, uh…"

"…I believe we're getting off on the wrong foot here," Francine admitted, sighing and shifting in place, her beige tunic rustling as she maneuvered her large frame inside the cramped cart till she was sitting next to Naruto.

'Holy cow… I wonder if this is how Gamakichi feels when he's looking up at his pops!' Naruto couldn't help but marvel, now quite literally sitting in the redhead's shadow.

"I won't go back on my words …My personal feelings have no place here. You've earned the commander's approval, as well as Roland's. Byleth's too." Francine muttered, casting a glance at the sleeping mercenary across from them.

"Hah! Well, in that case, I'll just have to earn your approval too!" Naruto beamed up into Francine's bright green eyes.

"…Heh. Fair enough. You're certainly eager to please, aren't you? Just like…" Her words trailed off into silence. Naruto himself was silent, squinting up into Francine's eyes. Her gaze was distant, her thoughts far away from the conversation.

"…Something on your mind, lady?"

"It's nothing," Francine replied after a moment. "You just remind me of someone, that's all."

"I hope that's a good thing, lady."

"Just 'Francine' will do. There's no need to call me 'Lady.' And don't let me catch you calling me Lady Francine!"

"Works for me! I'm no good at all this polite stuff anyway."

"And that'll just be one more reason for why Jeralt will be leaving you behind when we meet with the duke later."

"Wait, WAIT! We're meeting the duke himself?!"

"We as in Jeralt and myself. The commander received a letter while we were on Viscount Gaspard's lands from the duke himself, but the actual job details haven't been explained yet."

"So, why'd we come all this way if we don't even know what job we're gonna be doing?"

"Naruto, when the second most powerful man in Faerghus sends you a letter himself, asking for your services, that's not exactly something you can just turn down." Francine sighed.

"I know, I know! Even if it was pretty lame, some of the ninja work I did was for clients too important to turn down. Stupid Tora…" Naruto grumbled. Francine raised an eyebrow; though Naruto didn't bother elaborating on who Tora was or what he had done to earn the blonde's ire.

"Now that we've entered Thiers itself, Jeralt will leave for the ducal palace as soon as we disembark. I'll be going along with him; as the only other member of the company versed in dealing with nobles. I'm not expecting any problems; Duke Rodrigue is an honorable and decent man."

Naruto huffed, leaning back against the canvas wall of the wagon.

He wanted to speak to the duke. Someone like that had to know tons of super-smart wizards! If this Rodrigue guy was the head honcho of this whole place, as well as being one of the most important men in the kingdom, then he must've had contacts all over the place! And at least one of them had to know some way to help him get back home!

…And even if he didn't, getting in good with the bigshots of Faerghus would go a long way towards reaching his ultimate goal.

He'd just have to find a way to speak to him. Preferably some way that didn't ruin his standing with the mercenaries.

'Just because they might not be my people, they've still been good to me. Jeralt could've told me to take a hike back when I first met him, but he's giving me a chance. If I let him down, I wouldn't be able to call myself Naruto Uzumaki!'

The first thing that Naruto noticed about Thiers when he emerged from the wagon was how big the city was.

Thiers wasn't exactly pretty, but the buildings were strong and sturdy; constructed primarily from stone and brick rather than wood; and as Naruto looked down he saw that the streets were actually made of interlocking rectangular stones, rather than plain, packed dirt.

The walls of the city were thick and well-fortified, and though it wouldn't have taken much effort for any ninja worth their salt to climb over, tunnel under, or otherwise pass around, he couldn't see a way any non-shinobi force could've surmounted the twenty-foot-high walls without a lengthy battle.

"Your mouth is hanging open, Naruto. Is this the first time you have been in a city of this size?"

It wasn't, but Thiers was big in a different way than Konoha was. Konoha was…sprawling. It wasn't unorganized, but Thiers was… the first thing that popped into Naruto's mind was cookie-cutter. The buildings on each street were all perfectly aligned; the intersections in the cobblestone road perfect 90 degree angles, and whole city blocks of grey stone buildings were nigh-identical.

They were still in the city outskirts, and the buildings closest to the city walls were uninspiring to look at; row after row of squat, brick-and-mortar dwellings.

"Uh… Yeah! It's my first time being in a city like this," Naruto replied, earning a brief nod from Byleth.

"Come along. My father and Francine already left by horse towards the city center where the ducal palace is. Roland is likewise busy making sure the mercenaries are settling into the lodgings the duke told my father would be provided for us while we stay in Thiers."

"So, the bosses are busy, in other words… Which means its time to explore!" Naruto grinned, rubbing his hands gleefully.

"…My father would expect me to stay with Roland and the rest of the company."

"But you aren't one of his lieutenants, right? There's no rule that says you have to stay attached to these guys ever minute of the day, right?"

"…There is not. But…"

"So, live it up a bit! Come on, let's go exploring! Your father trusts you, right?"

"He knows I would not do anything to intentionally damage the reputation of his mercenaries, yes."

"And you can count on me to stay out of trouble too! So, let's hit the road! It's not like we're needed anywhere right now! Let's get something to eat and then see the sights!"

Byleth opened her mouth to reply, before a low rumble emanated from her abdomen.

Naruto looked pointedly at the older teen.

"…Very well. Let's go find somewhere to eat."

The two teens set off down the street.

"Hey, hey! So, Byleth, do you know why the head of this place asked for your father specifically?"

"…I do not. There are a number of reasons why, but I have not confirmed my thoughts yet. I'm not sure if my father even has all of the job details yet. I assume that the duke will give him the exact nature of the contract in person. Moreover, the city has a substantial standing army to defend it, leaving me wondering for what purposes Duke Rodrigue would need to go out of his way like this to contact my father."

"Then we should go and find out what it is we'll be doing here!"

"That would be ill-advised. My father will handle the details of the job and relay them to us once he has them."

"…You're not a lot of fun, you know that?"

"I am not here to have fun. I am here to do my job. …And to find food. Stop dawdling and let's go find a tavern." Byleth spoke, turning on her heel.

'I swear, if this girl thought with something other than her fists or her stomach, she'd have more friends…' Naruto grumbled, following Byleth down the cobblestone road.

Silently following behind the young woman, Naruto turned his thoughts to the busy city around him.

In a way, it did feel kind of like being back in Konoha, if only because watching the throngs of people going about their business reminded him of day-to-day life in Konoha. The sound of people doing business, shopping, and going about their lives breathed life into what had initially seemed to be a monotonously lifeless city.

'Alright! This is the start of a new chapter of my life! Time to see what fortune life in the big city brings me!'

For once I really don't have anything to say. The next chapter should be a lot more exciting than this one, and I can finally start getting into the actual plot of the story.