One of these days I'll be able to update this story more regularly. For now it seems like only my Bleach crossover updates on a 2-3 week basis, rather than 3-4 weeks like this one. Oh well.

Anyways, here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it! As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited the story!

"So, you're the boss's daughter?"

"That is correct."

"Then you must be a big deal here!"

"I am a valued member of my father's mercenary company, yes."

"That's not what I meant! Of course, he probably tells you stuff like that… I mean… are you like, second-in-command or something? I bet you've got lots of people you can order around!"

"…I am not my father's chief lieutenant, nor am I in charge of any major branch of his mercenaries. But I have been fighting by his side for years, and many members of the company treat my word as if it were his."

Wow, that made her sound kind of like a ninja! …Er, not in the sense that she had ninja skills, but Byleth definitely gave the impression to Naruto that she'd started out young, just how most proper ninja did. That set her apart from most of the people he'd met in Fodlan so far, for whom the concept of someone his age fighting in life-or-death battles was an utterly alien concept.

Most of the lessons prior to the years where the instructors deemed the students old enough to start sparring and training with weapons were pretty boring. The first couple of years hadn't been all that different from how regular civilian school had been described.

Naruto squinted at the young woman, watching her back as she walked ahead of him. There was definitely something off with her, but he couldn't quite place it. She talked kind of stiff, but there had to be more to it than that.

"Some new kid?"

"Wasn't with us when we left town a couple days ago…"

"…Captain's picking up strays now?"

Naruto heard the whispers around him as he followed Byleth through the camp. He paid them no mind, having heard far worse for far longer. That, and these whispers were simply curious and not at all accusatory.

The camp felt relaxed, but still alert; as while the men and women occupying the tents, sharpening weapons, and going about their duties were all armed and armored, none of them seemed to be on-edge.

'From what I've heard, I'll bet these guys are so good at their jobs that they'd be ready to fight in seconds if enemies showed up!' At least, that was what he was going with. Better than assuming these guys were unprofessional, inexperienced rookies, and going by the looks of them, as well as what he'd heard from the boss man, these guys were pretty much the polar opposite of inexperienced.

He hadn't paid much attention to it when he'd been sneaking in; as his thoughts had been focused on 'get in, get a map, get out,' but now that he took some time to look around, the camp was pretty well-organized for a temporary encampment. The tents were organized in a circular formation several rows deep on all sides, allowing for easy defending from all sides, with Jeralt's tent- the largest one, being located dead center.

Byleth herself paid no mind to the whispering and muttering around them, and most of the mercenaries gave her a wide berth as she passed, though a few gave her nods as she walked by.

"This area will suffice." Byleth abruptly stopped walking as soon as they cleared the last row of tents, reaching the untouched portion of the flat, grassy field the camp had been erected on. "Remain here. I will return shortly."

Naruto did as he was told. Byleth seemed to be a lot more straightforward than Kakashi, so there probably weren't any hidden conditions or meanings he had to sniff out to pass her 'test.'

"By, I told you, I really don't think this is necessary-"

"I have made myself clear, father. Moreover, your new recruit himself voiced his consent. We WILL be sparring."

"Only because he doesn't know what he's getting into… Just… He's a kid, By. Don't go too hard on him."

Byleth had returned, a wooden sword held in each hand, with her father at her back. Naruto didn't know why the old guy looked so worried, this was going to be easy!

Well, maybe not easy, but he felt pretty dang confident that he could take on anyone without chakra in a fair fight!

…As long as she wasn't actually a wizard or something!

'I don't know if I'd be able to tell the difference between a magic fireball and one of Sasuke's fireballs, but I'd rather not find out the hard way!' Still, Naruto felt pretty good about his odds. Byleth didn't dress like a wizard- she lacked the big, bushy grey beard all wizards were supposed to have, and she didn't dress like a witch either! No pointy hat, no broomstick, and her face didn't have a single wart on it!

If it weren't for the totally blank look on her face, he might've thought she was even prettier than Sakura!

She definitely had a more noticeable body. He stood by his thoughts earlier- Jiraiya would've loved her.

"You seem to be easily distracted. You'll need to fix that if you want to join my father's mercenaries."

He wasn't distracted! He was just… analyzing his opponent! Yeah, that was it!

Honestly, Byleth didn't look like anything special. She was athletic looking, but not what he'd call muscular. She was short. And her face… she just looked like she was bored all the time! Even Sasuke all the way back when Team Seven had formed was more emotive than her!

Naruto had enough self control to not let his eyes linger on the older girl's rather prominent bust, rapidly scanning his soon-to-be foe. The young woman wasn't wearing armor, leaving her regular clothes exposed. The blue-haired woman's close-fitting black pants and dark short-sleeved-shirt were nothing to write home about, Naruto's first thought being that someone fashion-obsessed like Ino would be horrified at the thought of wearing such plain clothes.

But her outfit wasn't what Naruto paying attention to. He was more focused on the wooden swords in her hands rather than what she was wearing.

"Do I have to use one of those?"

Byleth didn't frown, but her brow did furrow slightly, before she rescinded the sword-shaped piece of wood she'd been holding out to him.

"We have training axes and lances as well, if you would prefer to use a different weapon."

"No, I mean… can't we just use our fists? There's no better weapon, if you ask me!" That, and he'd only rarely held a sword before. He'd chopped wood with axes, but that was as far as his knowledge of axe-combat went, and he'd never picked up a spear- lance- in this case.

Sure, he could use a sword if he really needed to, but he wanted to impress the big boss, and flailing around with a sword wasn't going to do him any favors.

"You want to practice… unarmed combat?"

"I'm better with my fists than anything else!"

"…Very well. Father, hold this." Byleth replied, passing her training sword to the frowning Jeralt."

"…I still think this is a bad idea."

"I will do nothing that our healers cannot undo, father."

"…Your words fill me with confidence." Jeralt sighed, muttering his sarcastic response as Byleth turned her back on him.

The tall man brought a flask he'd taken from his belt up to his mouth, taking a drink from it while Byleth advanced on her foe.

"So, uh… what are the rules to this spar?"

"Rules?"

"Yeah, rules! Like, are we trying to beat each other unconscious? Get the other person to surrender? What? We're on the same side now so I'd probably get in trouble if I broke any of your bones."

Byleth's expression, once again, did not change, but her eyes seemed to flash as she processed Naruto's words.

"…There will be no risk of you breaking any of my bones. As for rules… Unconsciousness or surrender, both are acceptable conditions."

"Got it! You ready?" Naruto smiled, his legs tensing as he prepared to charge. This was going to be great!

Byleth, despite what her silent countenance might've implied, was far from thoughtless. Quite the opposite. Her mind was moving a mile a minute as she went over the facts of her current situation.

She wasn't used to fighting kids. That wasn't to say it was something she had any qualms with, merely that in her line of work it was unheard of to see children on the battlefield.

Back when she'd started out fighting for her father's mercenary company, she'd quickly gotten used to being the youngest person on the battlefield. Occasionally, her father was paid to take along the child of some noble under the pretense of them 'earning glory through victory,' which Byleth had come to learn generally meant 'protect the spoiled rich kid and keep them as far from the actual battlefield as possible. Make sure they don't die doing anything stupid.'

Most nobility didn't see actual bloodshed, actual death on the battlefield until they were close to adulthood.

This was no fight to the death, of course, but organizing the sentries had been her responsibility, and their failure to detect the intruder, well-meaning as he may have been, was thus a failure on her part. Failures like that were costly, perhaps not in lives, as Naruto had at the very least snuck into her father's camp without any violent intentions, but it was still problematic knowing that someone had made it all the way to her father's tent undetected.

If he had been an enemy, he could've used the opportunity to launch an attack on her father.

Unacceptable.

And unpredictable. She'd expected to use practice swords for this; hunks of wood carved in the crude imitation of a sword, but her opponent had opted to challenge her to unarmed combat instead!

That was just… Byleth couldn't understand it. A child of his size would need every advantage he could get. Voluntarily giving up access to a weapon meant that he would be relying on the strength and speed of his body alone, and frankly…

Byleth's eyes scanned her opponent's form, watching as his legs tensed as they took their positions opposite each other, standing a dozen feet apart. For a moment, there was pure stillness, the only sound being that of the gentle breeze rustling through the tall grass of the field they stood on.

He didn't look like much. He was short, he was loud, and in her opinion, he didn't seem particularly bright. But she knew there was more to him than that. That strange magic he'd used earlier… did he have more? Could he use it to fight?

And then her thoughts came to an end as the vertically-challenged blonde sped forward as if he'd been propelled by a burst of wind magic, right fist outstretched and aiming right for her torso!

Her arms came up to block the straight punch from her diminutive opponent, and the impact alone from the blocked strike left her arms briefly numb! Byleth's brow furrowed deeply, the greatest display of outward emotion her little foe had seen since meeting her as she reconsidered her opinion of him.

The strength and speed were no fluke. Another strike to her chest was deflected, followed by a headbutt to her chin which she only barely backed away from in time! Byleth kicked out with one leg, catching her opponent square in the gut with it.

The blonde didn't even bother dodging or trying to block. He just took the hit with a grunt, and that… somewhere inside Byleth she felt a twinge of what a normal person would've called frustration. She'd felled bigger opponents than Naruto with less effort, yet he shrugged off the hit like he'd barely even felt it!

Naruto didn't back away, instead grabbing onto Byleth's still outstretched leg and tugging. Byleth's mouth parted slightly, her eyes widening as a soft gasp left her lips as Naruto lifted her over his head in one swift motion, keeping a hold of her leg and slamming her on the ground behind him!

Byleth grunted as her back slammed into the ground, managing to awkwardly roll to the side before Naruto's foot could stamp down on her.

He didn't let up, charging again even as she was clambering to her feet. This time, Byleth countered his punch, shifting her torso at the last moment so that his fist passed by chin harmlessly, using his momentum to aid the impact of her elbow slamming into his diaphragm.

A normal person- even a burly man twice the kid's size and three times his weight wouldn't have been able to just shrug off a hit like that. By all rights, the elbow strike should've ended the fight right then and there.

Naruto staggered slightly and that was it.

He jumped back, eyeing her warily as she did the same.

Naruto Uzumaki must've had a crest of some kind to gift him with such phenomenal physical capabilities. There was no other logical conclusion Byleth could think of. And yet, he was clearly not a child of nobility. The chance of a random stray her father had taken in having a crest of such power was less likely than being hit by a bolt of lightning on a clear, perfect blue sky day like today! Her opponent had clearly seen combat before, despite being so small he only came up to her chin, and that was a feat in and of itself seeing how unimpressive her own height was. His punches were wild but not sloppy, and he executed them with the ferocity and force of someone who knew how to hurt other people.

Byleth reevaluated her chances of winning the fight.

She was still confident that she could win. The blonde's strikes, minus the over-the-shoulder throw had been straightforward to the point of nearly being scripted. His natural speed and strength were, amazingly, at least several notches above her own.

But…

There was too much wasted movement. He was fast, both with his footwork and his blows- Byleth ducked the haymaker that would've otherwise shattered her nose, before her retaliatory elbow strike knocked the air out of her foe with a startled gasp.

Fast but untamed, in other words. He fought like a brawler but there was little rhyme and reason to his attacks.

Yes, she could work with this.

Naruto wouldn't admit it, but his chest kind of stung from the counters he'd taken from Byleth. Not a big deal, but surprising! Back in Konoha, the very idea of someone not trained to use chakra, or in this case someone who didn't have chakra being able to stand up to a ninja in a fight was utterly absurd. Civilians simply couldn't match up to ninja physically, but Byleth was proving to be a tougher challenge than he'd expected! Granted, he was limiting himself to taijutsu right now, but even that should've been enough to take on someone with no chakra!

'Man, I definitely didn't expect this fight to take this long! For someone with no chakra, she sure can fight! Her reflexes are so good, it's almost like getting in a fistfight with Sasuke!' Naruto mused as he readied for another charge.

He'd had the boss man's daughter on the defensive since the fight had started, but he had yet to land any real heavy hits on her.

'The way she moves… her movements are so… precise!' Her being slower than him wasn't proving to be as wide a gap between their respective skill levels as he had expected it to be. Byleth didn't waste a single movement when she fought, each blow and counter carried out with maximum efficiency.

But he was supposed to be showing off for the big boss right now, and being in a stalemate with Byleth wasn't going to help him look awesome in front of his new boss!

Skidding back from the blue-haired young woman, Naruto formed the sign for his trusty Shadow Clone Jutsu. No, he wasn't going to swarm this grassy field with an army of clones. Just one would do.

Off to the side, Naruto heard the boss man choking on his own drink as a second Naruto popped into existence. Byleth was less expressive, but Naruto had yet to see her change the blank expression on her face and was starting to think that she must've had ninja training to stay so emotionless.

That was a little worrisome. Naruto hoped that the older girl wasn't like Zabuza. At least the swordsman had come to realize the value of his and his apprentice's lives before he'd met his end.

'Man… I gotta find a way to make this lady smile. But first… the fight's not over yet!'

Or in other words, fight first, then make a new friend!

Naruto and his doppelganger charged forwards, preparing to tag team Byleth, when-

"Enough. I concede."

"…HUH?!" Oh come on! The fight was just getting good! He'd been so excited to see what someone like Byleth could do! She'd been keeping up with him even though she had no chakra! That put her head and shoulders above the other people he'd seen in this new world!

"I said I concede. Continuing further is pointless. I do not know what manner of magic this is, but I do not believe I can overcome two of you at once. Not without risking unnecessary injury to myself. You have already fulfilled the purpose of your test. I am satisfied you're your skill in unarmed combat."

Well… shoot! It looked like that was that, then.

"So… did I pass?"

"You did. Your combat capabilities were far beyond anything I expected. I will not underestimate you a second time."

"You say that like we're gonna be enemies one day…"

"That won't happen. My father is good to the men and women who fight for him; you won't find any mercenaries more loyal to their commander than our company."

"But-"

"Kid, if my daughter says you passed her 'test,' than it's as simple as that. Byleth's not one to mince words. More importantly, what the hell was that at the end?" Jeralt cut in, striding over to the duo.

"You mean my clone? That's just another one of my special tricks!"

Poke*

Poke*

"Hey, quit it!" His clone growled, swatting away the finger Byleth was poking into his cheek.

Byleth stepped back, looking from her finger to the clone, and back again.

Jeralt mouth was opening and closing, but no sound was coming out. After several more seconds of trying and failing to form words, he took another long drink from his flask before continuing.

Naruto scrunched up his nose at the smell of the liquor. The big boss must've been a drinker like Granny Tsunade.

"Kid, I've been around for a long time, and I've seen all sorts of magic across Fodlan. This," he gestured with the hand holding his hip flask, "Is not magic. At least, not magic I've seen before."

"…That's not a problem, is it?"

"…No, it's not. Just an observation. These… what do you call them?"

"This is a shadow clone."

"That's right! I'm a clone of the boss!"

"And this shadow clone… can you make more than one?"

"Yeah. It's actually kinda hard only making one at a time."

Jeralt was staring down at him like he was seeing him in a new light, the big man's eyes narrowing in thought. The older blonde crossed his arms over his broad chest, humming thoughtfully.

"Illusions, or whatever that mimicry of me you made earlier… multiplying yourself… kid, I think you're going to fit in just fine around here."

Jeralt knew he was barely scratching the surface of what his newest recruit could do, but it wasn't a matter he needed to press Naruto on. Oh, he'd go over in detail just what the kid could do with that weird magic of his at some point, but what he'd seen already was more than enough to guarantee him a spot in the mercenaries, and not just as an errand boy.

Strong and fast enough to force a stalemate with his daughter, who was a veritable demon on the battlefield, in unarmed combat. Capable of taking on another man's appearance at will, and now this- making more of himself.

The kid was a godsdamn walking saboteur corps.

What was perhaps most important on top of the unusual magic was that the kid clearly wasn't a rookie, despite his young age. He'd handled himself in combat against Byleth without a hint of fear when most kids his age would've been terrified at the thought of getting in a serious fight. There were always exceptions to the rule; kids growing up on the streets and so on, but this…

Naruto was no ordinary street tough. And while he didn't have the air of a combat veteran with years of experience under his belt either, Jeralt would eat his boots if the kid hadn't been in at least a dozen life-or-death struggles.

POOF*

Jeralt blinked in surprise as the second blonde kid abruptly went up in a column of smoke, vanishing like he'd never been there in the first place.

"What was-"

"I was just dispelling my clone. If I'm not gonna keep fighting your daughter, there's not much of a use in keeping my clone around."

And the kid could get rid of the evidence whenever he needed to.

…With the right training and experience, this kid could revolutionize the concept of military intelligence.

Though seeing the way the kid was jumping up and down, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he tried to get Byleth's attention, Jeralt could only snort and shake his head.

The kid might've had the skills, but he had a long way to go before he had the mind of a proper spy!

"So… that's it? I'm a part of your gang now?"

They were back in Jeralt's tent now, Byleth having downed one of those potion drinks to help with the bruising on her arms following his spar with her. Vulneraries, he reminded himself, was what they were called.

"Company. This is a mercenary company," Byleth emphasized the word, earning a nod from Naruto.

"So… that's it? No big ceremony or celebration or anything?"

"Nah, nothing like that. We're not big on all that pomp and circumstance stuff. If this were some knightly order, there'd be all sorts speeches and ceremonies, but most mercenaries aren't big on stuff like that. I'll tell my men later that you're an official member of the company, and that'll be the end of that."

Jeralt left the tent, leaving Naruto alone with the older girl.

It didn't take long for Byleth to break the silence.

"How do you create your shadow clones? My father seemed certain that what you were doing was neither white nor black magic."

"That's because it's not either of those. I, uh… I come from a long way from Fodlan, and we use magic differently. How about you? Can you do magic? Can you throw fireballs, or shoot lightning from your hands, or-"

"I can do none of those. However, most of Fodlan's people have the innate potential to learn Black or White magic. I have always preferred to use a sword in combat."

"Aw, that's boring!"

"Combat is not meant to be entertaining. It is a means to an end."

"I mean… don't you want to learn more? Just think about all the possibilities! What would you do if you were fighting an enemy you couldn't reach?"

"That's what throwing knives are for. As I am now, I do not believe diverting my training time between mastering the blade and learning beginner spells would be useful. Though…" Byleth trailed off, her eyes brightening slightly. "I have been considering studying white magic recently. At the very least, being able to perform a basic heal spell would be useful."

Ugh, every sentence this girl said sounded like something out of one of his old academy textbooks. If he could learn magic, he would've done so in a heartbeat! …As long as he didn't have to grow a long, scratchy beard. He wouldn't look good with a beard.

"Hey, from where I come from, everyone has a trick or two up their sleeve! If you really want to be the best mercenary on Fodlan, you'll want every advantage you can get!"

"I do not need to be the best at anything. All I want is to continue being a valuable part of my father's mercenaries."

…Okay, he could work with that. Naruto formed a cross with his fingers, and another one of him poofed into existence. Byleth remained wordless, but her eyes shifted back and forth between Naruto and his clone.

"So, if I understand things correctly, your dad, the boss man, was pretty clear that you guys are a big deal, right?"

"Jeralt's Mercenaries are famous across all of Fodlan, yes."

"So just imagine how much better you'd be if you could do stuff like this!"

"…Making duplicates of myself?" If possible, Byleth's voice sounded even flatter than usual in that moment.

Was she… annoyed?

"Oops, uh… the shadow clone was maybe a bad example. My point is, you should be thinking outside the box! You got caught off guard when I used my clone jutsu when we were fighting earlier, didn't you?"

"I did not foresee you being capable of such a thing."

"Well, an awesome ninja like me can do way more than that! And if I'm gonna be a part of your dad's mercenary group from now on… Well, I gotta help you get as strong as possible! It wouldn't be any fun if I just beat you up every time we sparred!"

Byleth's eyes narrowed, in the most expressive display of emotion he'd seen on the young woman's face since meeting her.

"You would not beat me up-"

Naruto made the cross handsign for his shadow clone jutsu once more, and another one of him popped up, leaving him flanked on either side by grinning blondes.

Byleth fell silent.

Naruto quickly flipped through the hand signs for the transformation technique, and Byleth's eyes grew almost comically wide as one of Naruto's clones suddenly became taller, his- now her hair dark blue instead of blonde, chest round instead of flat, and dressed in black, not brown.

There were now two Narutos and two Byleths in the room.

Poke*

Poke*

Naruto watched as Byleth (the real one) prodded her identical twin in the stomach.

"See, I might not be able to throw fireballs or shoot lightning, but I can do stuff like this! Pretty neat, huh?"

"…This… what do you call this magic?"

"I told you and your dad earlier, that's my transformation technique!"

"…I see. Naruto, I have reconsidered my opinion. Though I still believe it would be best to focus on mastering the sword before I invest any great amount of time learning to wield another weapon or studying magic on my own… I would like to learn more about how your magic works. Can all people from where you come from do such things?"

"So, the new kid has the skills to back up his mouth?"

"You'll hear no complaint from me, Commander. I trust your judgement as always."

Two voices; one gruff and the other polite, resonated in unison as Jeralt finished informing his chief lieutenants of the newest addition to his mercenary group. The trio- two men and one woman were currently standing around the embers of what had been a smoldering campfire, now just a pile of white ashes in a ring of stones. The semicircle of square tents behind them were filled with mercenaries packing up their belongings. With the contract fulfilled everyone was looking forward to returning to proper civilization, with all the promises it brought: fresh ale, beds with actual mattresses, roofs that weren't made of canvas…

"That's putting it lightly. I doubt it'll take long at all before he finds his place here. …Of course, he's got a bit of a mouth on him, so one of us will probably have to teach him how to talk to nobility properly… you know how those people can get."

Naruto was good; a kid of his age being able to fight his daughter on even grounds was a bolt from the blue, and adding his mystical skills in on top of that… That kid was going places if he played his cards right.

On the other hand, listening to him talk had given Jeralt an inkling that the kid didn't exactly know how to behave himself around nobility, or anybody of authority, for that matter. And in the mercenary business, it didn't matter how good you were if your mouth was constantly getting you in trouble. Even a guy like him with his reputation and experience knew that you still had to speak respectfully to Fodlan's nobility. They were an uppity, pompous lot by and large, though there were a few humble ones Jeralt liked.

Viscount Lonato Gaspard was one such man. Hell, the man had paid out of pocket for Jeralt's services hunting down those demonic beasts rather than just paying for them from the province's coffers. Most of Fodlan's nobility wouldn't have hesitated to levy extra taxes against the commonfolk of their lands to pay for any extra service, so it was a rare day to meet a man like Viscount Gaspard.

"Hmm… short, loud, and blonde. I reckon I'll know the kid soon as I see him," Roland remarked, idly scratching the dark stubble on his chin.

His lieutenants would relay the news to the rest of the company in due to time. Roland had been his number two man longer than most of his company in its current iteration had existed; and while the powerfully built balding man was getting up there in age, there was no one Jeralt trusted more to keep the men and women fighting for him in line.

The huge War Master; clad in worn but well-maintained blues and blacks, was nearly a full head taller than Jeralt himself, and even wider, and despite having entered his fifties, Jeralt didn't doubt there wasn't a man his long-time second-in-command couldn't lay out in a fair fight. Other than Jeralt, he was one of Byleth's only regular sparring partners, and though the man had no innate talent for strategy and planning, his experience made him one of Jeralt's most trusted men.

He knew that Roland was going to like Naruto immensely. The ability to duplicate himself, take on the face of another man at will… Roland, like Jeralt, had been in the mercenary business longer than a decent number of his company had been alive, and if there was one rule that veteran mercenaries played by, it was 'never fight fair.'

"I'm looking forward to meeting him. It sounds like he could be a valuable addition to the company."

In sharp contrast to Roland, Francine was everything that the scarred War Master wasn't. She bore herself with the dignity and grace of a proper, blue-blooded noblewoman; fitting, seeing as she was in fact the daughter of some noble house. Her armor was polished to a shine, her hair short but well-kept, and her clothes lacked even the slightest smudge or speck of dirt on them… He still didn't know how she accomplished that when they were camping out in the woods, surrounded by the mud and muck of the wilderness. The statuesque woman's exact history had eluded Jeralt, Roland, and the rest of his company ever since she'd joined up with his group ten years earlier, and her reasoning for why she'd traded the pampered life of a noblewoman for a life of blood, sweat, and dirt was the subject of a many a drunken debate amongst his mercenaries.

The scarlet-haired woman would always politely refuse to answer any questions regarding her past; the most Jeralt (or anyone else, for that matter) had gotten out of her was a vague statement of how she'd 'always felt more comfortable wearing plate armor than a ballgown,' and she'd decline to elaborate on that ever since.

Ah well; it wasn't his place to pry, so long as she wasn't actively trying to cause trouble for him, his daughter, or his mercenaries.

And seeing as she'd proven herself to be a terrifying force on the battlefield, having worked her way up from recruit sub-commander in only six years, he'd never once regretted letting her join up with the company.

"I'll leave the two of you to it, then. I'm going to head back and make sure the kid's not gotten himself in any trouble with my daughter."

"Later, Jeralt. We're drinkin' together once this contract is closed, you hear me?"

"Take care, commander. I'll join up with you later once I've made sure the company is ready to break camp and return to Domremy."

Jeralt left the duo behind, ambling between the rows of tents. Some of his mercs needed to put the money in to take better care of their gear. As he passed by tent after tent, he counted at least a couple that were sporting visible holes or the tell-tale multicolor of worn patching on their sides.

It didn't take long to reach his tent where he'd left his daughter with the new recruit. He could hear the sounds of animated talking from within the tent even before he entered.

"What?! Come on, nothing against Shino and his family, but… really? You think his clan's techniques are the best out of all the ones I told you about?!"

"You seem to be having trouble accepting my opinion."

"N-no, there's nothing wrong with your opinion! Just… Why are the Aburame clan's bug techniques the one you think is the best out of all of Konoha's clans?"

"The ability to control many familiars at once, be it for reconnaissance, offensive, or defensive uses is not something that can be underestimated. Such abilities would be extremely useful for any mercenary."

"…You do remember that the Aburame clan's bugs nest inside their bodies, right?"

What? Jeralt hoped he'd misheard that. He'd seen a lot of creepy, bizarre stuff in the many years he'd been a mercenary, but people with bugs living inside them was a new one. The thick canvas walls of the tent were interfering with what he was hearing his daughter argue with Naruto about. That had to be the case.

"…I have reconsidered. The Akimichi clan's abilities are without a doubt the most useful in my opinion."

"But- But- I mean, Choji's a great guy, and his family are all really nice, but… really? Making yourself really big isn't cool! What about Shikamaru's family! Think of all the stuff they can do with shadows!"

"The Nara clan, as you describe them do certainly boast an impressive and versatile array of skills. However, as they require shadows to use, it cannot be guaranteed that there will always be shadows at their disposal. An ability like that of the Akimichi clan, as you describe them, is better because it has no restraints or restrictions inhibiting its usage. …Beyond that, I can see many advantages to being able to use one's own body as a weapon." That was the point at which Jeralt entered the tent, seeing Naruto huff and frown at the thoughtful look on his daughter's face.

Well, thoughtful' from his point of view. Roland and Francine were just about the only people other than him that could differentiate Byleth's expressions; each minute change, from the quirking of her lips to the raising of an eyebrow.

"Father, you've returned. I assume you informed Roland and Francine of your mercenaries' newest recruit?"

"That I did, kiddo. They'll be informing the squad leaders while everyone gets ready to head back into town. Kid, I don't know if you planned it, or if it was just good luck, but you picked a hell of a good time to drop in. We're just about to head back to Domremy, it's the largest town in the region. You can get acquainted with the rest of the company while I give the good news to the Viscount."

"Awesome! You won't regret taking me on, Boss!"

"I don't doubt it. Every last man and woman in my employ has to work to earn their keep, and while I'd normally start a kid like you off with easy jobs. Taking care of the horses, running errands, and the like. More chores than actual jobs. But that'd be a waste of your talents. Kid, I'm going to warn you now that some of the jobs I'm going to give you will be dangerous. You're free to refuse them if you want, but-"

"I'll do any job you give me, boss! Er, Commander Jeralt." Whatever jobs Jeralt had in mind for him, Naruto could handle them. The Land of Waves, the Forest of Death, facing off with Gaara, freeing Princess Koyuki's home from her jerk of an uncle… he honestly doubted any work he got through Jeralt's company would be anywhere near as dangerous and thrilling as his ninja career had been so far!

"…Well, you aren't lacking in confidence, that's for sure. Just make sure that you never bite off more than you can chew. All I'm saying is that it's okay to turn down requests you aren't comfortable with. I expect the best from everyone in the company, but I refuse to send anyone in my employ to their deaths. Understood?"

"You got it, boss!"

"…Heh. I suppose that's the best I'll get out of you. Alright, kid. We'll be ready to move within the hour, so get ready to hit the road."

"Alright! Time to see the world!"

Naruto had been ecstatic at the idea of traveling into a real town; his first real entrance to Fodlan's civilized world. The little forest village didn't count. No offense to Granny Margot and all the others, but he didn't really consider a cluster of huts in the woods to be 'civilization.'

The 'road' the wagon was traveling on, alongside the rest of Jeralt's forces her were either similarly seated in wagons of their own, marching on foot, or mounted on horseback was a wide but messy, bumpy dirt path, leaving the diminutive Naruto bouncing up and down every time the cart hit a bump.

Ugh… How did Byleth stay so calm-looking? It was like she wasn't even feeling the bumps of the road underneath the cart! Meanwhile, Naruto could barely keep still with the way the cart was bouncing and bumping and knocking him around!

"Argh… How much longer is this going to take?!"

"That is the seventh time you have asked that in the last two hours, and my answer remains unchanged. We have not arrived at Domremy yet."

"Goddess… why did I decide to ride in the same cart as the two of you?"

"I believe you were the one who told me that a smart person never walks when they can ride somewhere, Roland."

"That I did, lassie, that I did. Don't pay me no mind, this beats walkin' or ridin' a horse any day of the week. I'll never understand what the commander and Francine enjoy so much about bein' on horseback…"

"Hey, mister, if you're such a veteran mercenary, shouldn't you be saying something like how 'walking on foot builds character, or that 'a real mercenary never takes the easy way to do anything?"

Roland snorted and leaned back against the wall of the covered wagon he, Byleth, and Naruto were seated in the back of. The huge man took up a significant portion of the wagon's interior; towering over both Byleth and Naruto even when seated.

"Kid, I'll tell you right now that no true mercenary would ever say such hogwash. I've been a merc for over thirty years, and I wouldn't have lasted half this long if I'd always tried doin' things the hard way. You're one of us now, so don't take this the wrong way; I'm not telling you to always do things the easy way. It's just that when there IS a free, easy solution to a hard task, there's no reason not to take the easy way."

Roland might have been a gruff man of few words, but Naruto knew the scary-looking man had a heart somewhere under all that muscle and scar tissue. Roland hadn't said much to him or Byleth; he'd asked Naruto how his spar with Byleth had gone, then he'd asked Byleth how the spar had gone; as if he'd been doubting Naruto's words!

An absolutely bloodthirsty grin formed on the old man's face when Byleth had described his ability to duplicate himself at will. He'd spent no less than a full half hour grilling Naruto on everything he could do with his clones; from acting as a force multiplier, saboteur, infiltrator…

He'd clearly liked what he'd heard from Naruto, because he'd laughed once at the end of that conversation, clapped Naruto on the back with a meaty smack that had sent the blonde sprawling to the floor of the wagon, and told him that he'd be 'expecting great things from him.'

Naruto liked him almost immediately.

At least having company, even if they were people who wouldn't say more than two words unless he prompted them; made the journey pass by quicker.

"Aw… I wanted to go in the castle!"

Byleth said nothing, quietly disembarking from the wagon while Roland followed suit. Jeralt's company had come to a halt outside the outskirts of Domremy; there wasn't room in town for the hundred plus men and women to settle down in at once. Jeralt had ridden ahead to meet with the noble guy who'd hired him in the first place, leaving Naruto alone with Byleth and Roland.

"The boss has already gone ahead to meet with our employer. There's no place for a kid like you to butt in. Most of them noble types don't take kindly to uninvited guests."

"I wasn't going to interrupt anything! I just wanted to see what it looked like from the inside…" Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms. Oh well. There would be bigger, cooler castles to explore in the future, he was sure of it. And this one wasn't even a real castle; it was just a big, fancy-looking house surrounded by big stone walls! Besides, he knew how this sort of thing worked. Mercenary work sounded a lot like the kind of work he'd done on Team Seven, and one of the first lessons that Kakashi had (painfully) drilled into his skull was 'never insult or offend your employers.'

Even if they were asking for it. Especially when they were asking for it.

It was nice finally seeing his first actual town in Fodlan, even if there was no comparison to Konoha. These people had probably never even heard of electricity, and Naruto had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't be finding indoor plumbing in any of the buildings the company had passed by on the town's wide, central dirt road. He had yet to see a single building that was more than two stories high, but at least all of the buildings here looked… well, sturdier than the thatched-roof, mud and wood-walled houses he'd grown familiar with back in the forest. The wooden homes looked sturdier; their walls made from evenly cut lumber rather than the log cabins of the woods, and there were even a number of larger buildings that were just as much brick-and-mortar as they were wood. The town itself was far more organized. Rather than a disorganized sprawl of huts, Naruto had counted evenly spaced roads separating the town into organized blocks.

It was no Konoha, but it was an actual, proper town.

"Heh. Thought I'd have a harder time than that convincing an excitable kid like you not to wander off on his own; but it looks like that won't be necessary. Glad you've got a decent head on your shoulders. Kids who don't listen are a pain in the ass."

'I'm pretty sure that was meant as a compliment, but it still feels kind of like an insult…' Naruto frowned, squinting as he looked away from Roland, who was leaning with his back against the wagon they'd just left.

"Now, if you'll excuse me… I'm going to go find the nearest tavern."

"Roland, shouldn't you check to make sure the company is getting settled in all right?"

"Ah, it'll be fine, lassie. Hell, your pa will be mad if I don't save him a seat! 'Sides, Francine's already making sure our crew's getting set up alright."

Finding booze was clearly a skill Roland was apparently adept at, because it took the huge man less than ten seconds to zero in on the brightly-painted sign over the door of one of the large buildings just up the street. He was off without another word.

"Uh… looks like it's just the two of us now. Should we-"

"I will wait here for my father's return."

"You didn't even let me finish…" Naruto grumbled. How the heck was he supposed to explore the town when he didn't know where anything was?! He could go around leaping off the roofs of the buildings, but even though everything here looked more sturdily built than the small homes in the forest village, he didn't want to find out the hard way that their roofs weren't capable of supporting one Naruto worth of weight.

"If you are looking for something to keep you occupied, I would suggest returning to our encampment outside of town. You have not introduced yourself to Francine yet, have you?"

"She's your dad's other number two guy, right? Er… I mean, number two lady."

"She is his other lieutenant, yes."

"Well… I kinda want to explore the town, but I guess I can do that later. Do you want to come with me later?" He wasn't asking because he was trying to make friends, and she was the only person around who was even remotely close to his age. He wasn't lonely! Not at all!

"I do not see why I should-"

"I can tell you more about the jutsu people in Konoha used."

"…I will accompany you later, yes."

Heh, that wasn't so hard! He just needed to give Byleth a little nudge in the right direction! Most people were easier to talk to, but man… with Byleth sometimes he felt like he was talking to a brick wall! And that was an insult to brick walls!

"Alright! We'll meet back here later! You better keep your promise!"

Naruto didn't wait for Byleth to give an answer, and sped off down the street, ignoring the startled yelps of the townsfolk as he zoomed past them.

First he'd go meet Jeralt's other second-in-command, then he'd meet back up with Byleth. The stoic girl might have been the most unemotive person he'd ever met, but she was hardly the toughest nut he'd cracked. Neji was a real pal now, and he'd been just about the opposite when they'd first met. And that wasn't even counting the likes of Zabuza or Gaara. If he could talk them down, he could definitely get Byleth to open up!

It was never a bad thing to think things through and plan things out. Kakashi had been pretty clear that was something that he needed to be doing more of. Just… Naruto was about to find out in a couple seconds that thinking AND running probably wasn't a good idea, especially when he let himself get wrapped up in his own thoughts and lose focus on his surroundings.

One moment, he was turning a corner on his way out of town, and the very next moment he'd been knocked on his ass by the huge pillow he had run headlong into.

"Oof! What the-" The irritated growl died in his mouth as he stared up at the lady he'd just run straight into.

Naruto had to scoot backwards from where he'd fallen to see the woman's face beyond her oversized chest. And what he DID see on that elegant visage was a supremely unamused frown. Whoops. This definitely wasn't the first impression he'd been hoping to make.

The frown faded as quickly as it had appeared on the big lady's face as she let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm going to pretend that didn't happen, so why don't we start again? I am Francine, commander of Jeralt's second battalion. He has placed his trust in me to lead his forces whenever he isn't present, so if you need guidance or orders and you cannot find him, please come directly to me."

Straightforward and to the point, spoken in a tone that brooked no nonsense. …If Jeralt himself reminded Naruto of Jiraiya, then this lady reminded him of Granny Tsunade. Except she probably wasn't using an illusion to make herself look thirty.

His eyes briefly drifted downwards towards the immense tunic-stretching protrusions bulging outwards from the woman's torso.

…Yep, she definitely reminded him of Tsunade.

"Nice to meetcha, Francine! I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto stuck his hand out, Francine grasping and returning the handshake with bone crushing force. Yikes, shaking hands with her was like shaking hands with Bushy Brows or Bushy Brows Sensei!

Strength, authority, and, uh, proportions, just like Tsunade. The only real differences were the hair color and the fact that this lady had a full foot of height over the fifth hokage.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto. …I won't deny that I'm not particularly comfortable with directing someone so… young, on the battlefield, but you've earned the commander's approval, and that isn't an easy thing to do. So long as you live up to his expectations, you'll have no complaints from me."

"You don't have anything to worry about! I'll make all of you proud! None of you will regret letting me join your mercenary band!"

Francine's stern countenance cracked, a small but warm smile taking its place.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure we'll have much to talk about in the future, but for now it looks like you're wanted elsewhere."

"What do you mea- oh!" Naruto turned, following Francine's gaze to see Byleth walking down the street towards them.

"I'll leave you with Byleth, Naruto. I look forward to working with you in the future."

"You say that like you're going away, Miss Francine. Don't you want to come with us?"

"Oh, I'd love to, but someone needs to stay with the rest of the mercenaries and make sure everyone is set up for the night. I'll make my way into town once things are sorted out here."

"Well, if you say so." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, frowning in thought before making up his mind.

"Alright! Time to explore the town! I can't wait to check this place out!" Naruto shouted, jogging up to the approaching Byleth.

"…You do not need to announce your intentions so loudly."

"Hey, I can't help being excited! That's not a problem, is it?"

"I do not find it particularly troubling one way or another. It is an observation, nothing more. Regardless, you are here now, and you have met Francine. It did not take my father long to return from meeting with the Viscount, and he is now drinking with Roland."

"So… what now?"

Byleth blinked, her blue eyes staring at him uncomprehendingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Uh… I mean, what do we do now? Should we go and look for contracts to take? If there are people who might hire us, who should I go talk to in town?" Being a ninja was easy; at least when it came to getting a job. There was a whole office that handled distributing D through A rank missions to ninja in Konoha, and all you had to do was go there, get your mission briefing, meet with the client, and take off to do the job given to you!

"Oh. That won't be necessary. We just completed the contract the viscount made with my father, so we will remain in town the rest of the week before moving on."

"Wait, really?"

"Yes. …You seem to have some misconceptions of the mercenary life. We do not need to take on new contracts immediately after finishing one. Morale would drop if we did not spend time in-between jobs allowing the company to rest and recover."

'Oh, right. These guys aren't ninjas, so doing this kind of work isn't a daily schedule… That's going to take some getting used to.'

"Now, I wish to learn more about the techniques; jutsu, you called them, of your homeland."

"Oh yeah, I said I'd tell you more, didn't I? Where do you want me to start?"

"I wish to learn more about how the Akimichi house's unique jutsu work."

"I told you earlier, it's 'Akimichi clan,' not 'Akimichi house!' But I'll tell you what I know! I knew one of them pretty well! His name's Choji, and he's always munching on snacks, and…"

The duo continued their way down the wide dirt street, passing by humble homes and modest shops as they continued further into town; the sound of Naruto talking to his soon-to-be-friend-or-die-trying soon fading and mingling with the din around them.

Ending Thoughts and notes

I hope the fight scene was okay, or at least satisfactory. I've never written one before, so I'm not sure if it was too short, too long, too wordy, or what.

Naruto was never going to lose that fight, as much as a training spar can be called a 'fight.' Neither of them were giving anywhere close to their all. And no, I'm not amping up Naruto's physical abilities. Even as a genin, his baseline physical capabilities are far greater than an ordinary humans. Even a crest-empowered person in Fodlan would struggle to keep up with Genin Naruto. This isn't Shippuden Naruto, but this IS a Naruto who survive the Wave mission, the Forest of Death, the invasion of Konoha +Jinchūriki Gaara. And that's only scratching the surface. He's seen more in one year than most FE characters see in an entire game.

Moving on... The OCs. They're definitely not main characters, but for this part of the story (pre-White Clouds) they're definitely going to be major characters. For someone who has one of the most famous mercenary groups on Fodlan, it always struck me as odd that we never see anyone other than Jeralt from his own group; despite the fact that there is at least 75 of them (the size of the battalion in game.)

Both OCs are references; though Roland is NOT a Fire Emblem reference (mainline or fan game.) He also has no relation to the FE7 lore character.

Bios:

Roland Horryn

Age: 52

Build: Herculean/Aging Conan the Barbarian. AKA Brick Shithouse

Height: 6'7

Class: War Master

Lineage: Commoner/Crestless

Focuses: Brawl, Axe, Sword

Francine *Family Name omitted*

Age: 28

Build: Barghest (FGO) but not THAT extreme. AKA Taller, buffer Tsunade

Height: 6'4 (Yes, she's THAT tall)

Class: Great Knight (Women in plate armor kick ass)

Lineage: Noble

Skill focuses: Axes, Heavy armor, riding, authority