The first 100% brand new material that does not exist in the original version of the story this chapter doesn't draw from previous sources except from the game itself this is a adaptation of Dorothea and Ingrid's prologue chapter in Fire emblem three houses even though in the game itself prologue chapters are not cannologically supposed to happen until after chapter 7 but considering this is a fanfiction I could take the creative liberties I desire I'm going to have it here. I wanted to do this originally in the original version but I had no place for it by the time I got to the point where I stopped. For me this has to happen before the polygamy happens in the first place. This is the first of a multi-part story arc that I feel like should have happened in the original version but didn't through hindsight this version exists to further develop the relationship between Dorothea and Ingrid with Naruto and Hinata before the polygamy which will not happen until the end of the next story arc.


chapter 11 Nuptials

It was routine as usual in the Black Eagles class. It was amazing how, even though the class was different from what she was used to, and Byleth's teaching method was different—he was stern but fair to everyone—he expected everyone to be doing the best they could. He had no tolerance for anything less than people's absolute best, and when people thought that was all they could do, he pushed them more to help them realize that they were underestimating themselves. It amazed her how much things had changed for her in the two weeks since she had transferred to the Black Eagles. She had barely had a chance to do anything but train; she didn't even bother paying attention to the stack of letters she was getting from the many marriage proposals her father was considering. She ignored them because she didn't have the time.

It was getting more difficult, though, because of how big the stack was in her dorm. She didn't want a mess, so she decided to read them all and get rid of them in one go. She was in the hall where students tended to stay in order to study privately. She read every letter; luckily, there was a trash can nearby, so the trash wouldn't pile up. She took one glance at every letter and just tossed it—one after another, it was the same flattering nonsense about how honored they would feel if they were to join houses. It sickened her; all they talked about was how honorable it would be for their houses to unite—nothing about her as a person. She knew what they truly wanted: her crest and the offspring that she would give them. She could understand why Mercedes hated crests so much.

She didn't pay attention as Naruto and Hinata looked at the letters.

"Wow, that's a large stack," said Naruto, amazed by how big the pile was.

"We shouldn't intrude on Ingrid-san's business," Hinata said. Ingrid did not mind; she could use a distraction.

"He's not intruding, Hinata, it's just the usual," Ingrid said as she handed them both one of her letters, and Hinata knew without words what this was.

"Does it have to do with those marriage proposals?" Naruto asked, having a general idea of what this was about.

"Yes, I'm just sorting through the trash. I don't want my dorm to be a mess; my father raised me to keep my room clean and not to waste anything," Ingrid answered.

"I can understand where he's coming from, though. I've been very bad regarding my room; it'd be embarrassing if you ever saw it," Naruto admitted, feeling embarrassed about the state of his dorm.

"Yet there's this one letter that you're looking at in particular more than the others. What is that?" Hinata asked. Ingrid forgot about the one she was currently holding—the one she was about to read before her friends entered the room.

Before any more could be said, Dorothea entered the room. She truly wished she could take care of it by herself.

"Is that what I think it is?" Dorothea asked. Naruto and Hinata looked confused; they did not know about her father, and that was what troubled her. She opened the letter and read it; it was different this time. There was an actual marriage proposal that her father wanted her to take seriously.

"My father, Count Galatea, wants me to meet with this man and seriously consider his proposal," said Ingrid through gritted teeth. She did not want to marry this man, but she had to at least hear him out first rather than turn him down outright. She didn't want to go against her father.

"I know that man based on his reputation. Rand Armen tried to court me when I was still part of the opera company. He's bad news; do not see him," Dorothea said, concerned about this man's reputation. She didn't know anything about him and had never met him, but she knew he was extremely wealthy. Marrying him could potentially save her family.

"I could save my family; I have to consider it," Ingrid said. Dorothea shook her head.

"No, that man—if you were to marry him—it would be blood money. You shouldn't revive your family with that; it would taint them forever. He has a reputation for association with the worst kind of people imaginable, one of which is a foreign organization from Ninji. He even works with a crime lord named Goto, who has made the lives of the people of the Land of Waves a living hell. You would become complacent if you married him. Please, you're better than that," Dorothea urged. Ingrid didn't know what to do. Her family was desperate, but her father wanted her to at least meet with the man first.

"You should ignore this letter, Ingrid-san. Dorothea-san is right; you don't need to stain your family's name with blood," Hinata added. Now it was two against one. She could just outright ignore it, but she was desperate to save her family. Would it be worth it? What if it was just her honor that was tarnished? Did it really matter?

"I can't go against what my father requests. I should at least meet him," Ingrid said, which caused everyone to look at her with concern.

"Well, you're not going alone; we'll go with you," said Naruto. There was no room for dissent; he would not agree to let her go otherwise. She was in a rock-and-a-hard-place situation. If she said yes, she would taint her soul; if she said no, her family would continue to sink lower. It was days like this that she hated being a noble and hated having a crest—it was not worth it.

"Where are we going to meet him anyway?" asked Naruto. She looked at the letter, and what she read was Southeast from the monastery. With the four of them, it shouldn't be a problem; if anything were to happen, they could defend each other.

"You don't have to do that. You and Hinata have your days off." Ingrid was interrupted by Dorothea, who was grateful they were in the same room.

"No, I do agree. You should not go alone. We will have each other's backs; there is no way we're going to let anyone do anything to you," Dorothea said, determined to go. Even if she said no, how could she treat her this way despite the way they broke up? It perplexed her.

"When do you have to meet him?" asked Hinata.

"Tomorrow. Unfortunately, we will have to skip class that day. Are you sure?" Ingrid asked, not wanting her friends to have their grades suffer because of her.

"We will do it. We're not going to let you go alone; believe it," said Naruto. Every time he had that smile that she had grown to love, it made her feel reassured. No, she cannot think about that. Naruto and Hinata belong together; she has no place in their relationship, none except as friends.

"You're not going to be able to talk them out of it, Ingrid. You might as well just accept their help," said Dorothea, who was determined to go with or without them. She sighed; maybe she could use a distraction. Maybe this meeting will provide even a temporary distraction from the pains of her heart.

"What time do we have to meet him tomorrow?" asked Naruto.

"We will be meeting him around 4:00 p.m.," Ingrid answered.

"Okay, we'll have to skip our last class of the day. We'll likely have to do detention for a week or two after this, but it'll be worth it to make sure you get back safely," said Naruto, who looked at her concerned.

"All right, it's settled then. We'll meet by the gate at 2:00. We shouldn't tell anyone; it would only draw more suspicion if he sees a huge group of people," said Ingrid, who was reluctant to bring more people. Three to her was too much, but they couldn't be talked out of it. Naruto, Hinata, and Dorothea would not take no for an answer. She felt bad; Naruto and Hinata's day wouldn't be able to go as they normally do because of worrying about her. If only she could simply be with who she actually loves, not with a man that could potentially force her to be the opposite of who she wants to be.

She cursed the kind of life fate had forced on her.


He made sure there was nobody in earshot before he bowed down to the Red Cloud figure in front of him. He was in a dark room in the monastery itself; the time window was limited, so he couldn't be out for too long, otherwise, it would draw suspicion to himself and his associate.

"So, Rand Armen is going to be meeting with Count Galatea's daughter and her friends, Naruto, Dorothea, and Hinata. What are your orders, Flame?" asked Wolf, the masked figure. It was difficult to read what their expression was due to the mask.

"Taking action against Hinata would be too suspicious. You must stay where you are. I have other people who could potentially eliminate the problem," the Flame Emperor said monotonously.

"There are missing nin that would suffice in the task that I have for them. You will stay where you are, Wolf. It is essential that you continue to do your part," said Flame, not giving any room for argument. This made him frustrated, as the girl was within his grasp.

"Trusting a third-rate mercenary like Mizuki doesn't seem to be the wisest course of action. He's not the same as the Seven Sword of the Mist with the same name. He's a third-rate mercenary," said Wolf, who opposed the idea of having someone who is essentially a traitor to the job that he was assigned by Donzo to finish what he had started with the Uchiha girl that he had been searching for for the past 10 years.

"That third-rate mercenary is useful for one thing: testing the capabilities of our future enemies," Flame said, defending their choice of setting a mercenary instead of Wolf to do the job.

"I could still do better than him. Please let me at least observe from the background so I can at least know if that girl is who I think she is. I have my mission as well, Flame. I cannot let anyone get in the way of that, including you," said Wolf, who was not afraid of defying someone that could be considered his superior officer. It did not matter; Donzo's wants came first, even if he did give Flame more authority over him than he has over her. It didn't change the fact, but he was allowed certain privileges when it came to the Uchiha girl that he suspects was in the Black Eagles. Resembles her mother, except the eyes being green instead of the Uchihas' black. She was able to hide her ancestry like her mother before her, though unlike her mother, whose eyes were brown, the girl's were green. He was going to find out one way or another, even if he had to disobey Flame's orders.

"Very well know this: we cannot draw attention to ourselves. It is too soon for us to make any moves. Edelgard has to make her move first. It cannot be us." flame said, referring to Those Who Slither in the Dark.

There's another question he wanted to ask because it was a perfect opportunity; if it was only the four of them, there would be no better time to eliminate Hinata Hyuga than now, considering Naruto wasn't experienced enough to face him in combat alone Ingrid she didn't have the training to deal with people like him Dorothea especially didn't.

"If you do have the opportunity, eliminate Hinata." said Flame, knowing what he was thinking.

"Your will be done." the wolf said, and as soon as the flame appeared, they vanished. He knew what he had to do for his undercover mission. There was still a way he could have plausible deniability because, after all, he did have a substitute in his place to draw away suspicion.

He would find out one way or another if Dorothea was the Uchiha he had been looking for all these years 10 years ago the girl escaped with her life, even if it was only for a tiny instant he saw the Sharingan in her eyes if she is that same little girl from back then he would take action in whatever ways is necessary. Back then he couldn't capture her and bring her back to Konoha to groom her to be a Shinobi for the Root; it's far too late to do so considering her age, but now the opportunity a unique one has presented itself, and this meeting that Ingrid Galatea will have with Rand Armen was the perfect opportunity and also to eliminate Hinata Naruto was the only one that truly mattered the carrier of the nine tails could still be useful the grief over Hinata's death would be the excellent catalyst needed to push him towards what Danzo always wanted. A weapon that could destroy the enemies of Konoha, the Empire that Konoha wants to build Naruto, would be the key to that.

He prepared himself to do what was needed for the village's sake.


Byleth noticed something was off about the way Hinata, Ingrid, and Dorothea were acting. They were not behaving like themselves. Some would consider it ridiculous that he would even say such a thing, but it was the truth. He had been around enough people to know how they typically acted and how they behaved differently when something was amiss. They seemed to be hiding something, as if they were about to do something they shouldn't. It was probably nothing; perhaps they were just planning something they didn't want their peers to know about. But if those three were in on it, that meant Naruto was too. There was no way he hadn't seen those four hanging out constantly together; they were almost inseparable.

From what he had heard from his students regarding those four, they were like an inseparable couple. But that didn't seem right considering Naruto and Hinata were a couple—what about Dorothea and Ingrid? That couldn't be right. It's not like they didn't have other friends they regularly spent time with, but he couldn't help but pick up on something—four threads connecting together.

"Four red threads connecting at once? Who would have ever thought such a thing would be possible?" said Sothis, who found it interesting. Byleth found it strange. How could someone have more than one thread? He could understand it with him and Marianne, but those four having a thread connecting them together? How was that possible?

"Something's been bothering me—how does someone have more than one thread? I just don't get it," he asked his companion. Luckily, his students weren't noticing him talking to Sothis, considering no one could hear them. They were doing a test, and it was the perfect opportunity to talk to her without looking crazy or like he was spacing out.

"I don't know how it works exactly. It's possible for someone to have more than one soulmate, though it's extremely rare for someone to have more than one. Two is more common, and if someone has more than one, then three. It's theoretically possible they may have been together in another life, though that's just speculation," Sothis said as she looked at Hinata, Ingrid, and Dorothea.

He couldn't help but see a thread between Hilda and Marianne, and that's what bothered him from the very beginning. He was told that when you have a second thread, you won't notice it at first until you start building a bond with the second person. But he could see one clearly; it was strong. It still baffled his mind how Hilda could be in his class, despite how she feels about the house leader. He would have to read up on this later.

"I would keep an eye on them. I think they're going to do something extremely foolish," Sothis said, concerned with what they were planning. He would keep an eye on them and make sure not to have them notice that he was up to something.

But how would he come up with an excuse? There was another class after 2:00; he needed to think quickly. No, if he were to stop class now, it would draw suspicion. It would be better if he waited for them to leave, then made a move.

Yes, that's what he would do: he would wait for them to leave before he would do anything.


Naruto was the first one to get there, being an expert at skipping class due to his experiences at the academy back in Konoha. It was child's play, though he did feel bad for Claude; he wasn't going to allow his girlfriend or his friends to go without him.

"Protective of your mates, aren't you?" asked Kyubi.

"Of course I am! Hinata-chan is my girlfriend, and not to mention she's important to me. I would burn the Earth to the ground if anything happened to her," Naruto said, thinking about the reality of what that would be like.

"What about Ingrid and Dorothea?" asked Kyubi, making Naruto tense when those two were mentioned.

"I would do the same for them as well," Naruto replied, not realizing what he meant.

"Well, this is going to be fun. Well, it's not my mess to deal with; you'll have to figure it out yourself. You've been getting stronger, I'll give you that, but it hasn't been much time. Something about this makes me feel like it's a setup. Be on your guard," Kyubi said with a worried tone, concerned about what Naruto and his companions were getting themselves into.

Before he could ask Kyubi another question, his friends and girlfriend arrived. Ingrid looked apprehensive about the three of them being present with her, but also relieved at the same time; it was hard for Naruto to ignore.

She had a lance on her; she wasn't taking any chances.

"We should get going. We don't want to be late," said Ingrid hesitantly.

"You don't have to do this, Ingrid Chan, if you don't want to. We could just head back to our classes like nothing happened," Naruto said, trying to give her a chance to back out. He did not understand why she had to do this; he knew next to nothing about the crest system.

"So much depends on me, Naruto. You can't understand; you can't possibly understand the responsibilities that I have for my family. I can't turn my back on them," Ingrid said defensively. It was harsher than she normally was towards Naruto.

"She has a lot on her plate. We don't know what she is going through. Naruto, you need to be patient with this one. Unlike Hinata, Ingrid is respected in her family. She loves her family greatly and would do anything for them. Tread carefully," Kyubi said cautiously. Naruto knew he had to tread carefully.

"I agree with Naru; you don't have to do this. We could pretend nothing happened," Dorothea said, looking for any approval or support in any way.

"I don't like this, but the least we can do is make sure no funny business happens. Anyone who tries to do anything to you, Ingrid-san, is dead," Hinata said darkly. This brought a shiver down his spine; he had never heard Hinata talk this way. It disturbed him. Right as they were about to leave, Naruto heard two footsteps.


Mercedes knew something was off. Ingrid didn't skip class for anything; Hinata didn't do it either. In her time in Konoha, Hinata had never skipped class, and now she was doing it with her. Mercedes was concerned. Sasuke had that look on his face—he wouldn't let her go, not alone.

"We can't let them go alone, Sasuke-kun. I have a bad feeling; I don't know why," Mercedes said. Sasuke looked concerned; he was protective of her, even more so ever since they met again. She knew she wouldn't be able to convince him easily, but something told her that if she didn't go, something bad would happen.

"You're not going without me," Sasuke said, leaving no room for her to say no. If it would allow her to go, she would do it, even if she didn't want Sasuke to be in danger. Something told her there was a plot, and somehow it had to do with Hinata.

They were as quiet as possible until they reached the entrance. They heard Naruto and Ingrid talking, along with Hinata and Dorothea; they were trying to talk her out of whatever she was planning. Not wanting to eavesdrop, she walked toward the group. They were surprised to see her and Sasuke.

"Funny seeing you here. Is there something we should know?" asked Sasuke, with his arms crossed.

"Time is of the essence; we can't delay," said Ingrid, urgency written all over her face. It had to do with those marriage proposals.

"You're not going without us," replied Mercedes. The group looked dismayed, but they had no time to dwell on it.

"Fine, I won't be responsible for anything that happens in your class due to your choice," Ingrid snapped as she turned her back on the group. Naruto, Hinata, and Dorothea struggled to catch up. Mercedes wasn't naturally athletic, so she had to move faster than she was used to, but it was necessary if she was going to be there for her friends should the worst happen.


Byleth was extremely concerned; it had been almost an hour. Hinata, Dorothea, and Ingrid were never late—no, something had happened. His original instincts were correct; as much of a fuss as it would cause to end class now, he couldn't help but feel like his students were in danger. His fears were justified when he heard a Pegasus making noise; they never did that, ever, unless it was the Pegasus that only a queen could ride. He opened the door and saw Hitomi, who was insisting that Hinata and her friends were in danger. Everyone in the class looked at their professor and, in extension, the Pegasus.

He knew better than to ignore the warnings from animals. Whenever he ignored them or didn't heed them, disaster happened. Marianne understood completely what he was going to say before he said it because she understood what the Pegasus was saying as well.

"I cannot explain to any of you; just know your classmates are in danger, or I'm ending class early to find them," Byleth said, which surprised everyone. Edelgard was relieved; she was also worried about Hinata, as was everybody else.

"Take what you will need, but be quick; every second counts," Byleth said as everyone went to the armory to grab their weapons. He was heading to the entrance when he saw Dimitri with his class, along with Claude. Did they have the same concern he did?

"Mercedes, Sasuke, and Naruto have disappeared. We take it your students are the cause of it?" asked Manuela, along with her colleague and the man that he had only met a few days ago, Hanneman. One thing he found strange was that Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

"Yes, that is the very reason I'm worried about my students, just like you're worried about yours. We could work together to find them faster with the help of Hitomi," he said as the Pegasus flew above them. Everyone was skeptical about how he would understand Hitomi when she was Hinata's Pegasus. He may not be able to understand her as well because he's not a Pegasus Rider, but he did understand what the Pegasus was trying to tell him.

"Are you sure we should be depending on an animal to show us where they are?" asked Hubert skeptically.

"Hitomi is not just an animal; she's a white Pegasus. She's Hinata's Pegasus. She knows where her Rider is! Don't speak about things you don't know anything about," Marianne said with clenched teeth. She rarely showed anger, but when it involved people talking about animals the way Hubert did, it wasn't surprising to Byleth.

"I meant no disrespect. It's just, how are we going to depend on this Pegasus to find her when none of us can understand animals?" Hubert said.

"We can," Marianne answered, pointing to herself and him. Shocking everyone, he had never revealed to anyone his abilities; only Hilda was the only other person that knew.

"Well, it hardly matters. We should get going and hope that we don't find their corpse," Hubert said, not with dark humor but with a serious tone. No, he would not fail them. As everyone from the classes left the monastery, he followed Hitomi. He would get to his students in time, and even Naruto, despite him not being his student; he was still obligated to save him.

He would not fail them—neither Naruto nor his students. They were his responsibility, and he was not going to fail in that responsibility that was given to him by Rhea.


Dorothea didn't like this at all. It was initially going to be four people, but now it was six. It would draw a lot of attention when six people were missing, but that wasn't what was worst about it. Ingrid was doing something extremely reckless—all because of her damn father. It all came down to that man for their breakup. They had a happy relationship, and because of Ingrid's father, she had to break it off, even their friendship. It wasn't the same anymore.

They went from being lovers to friends, sleeping together, and then acting like it never happened. She was sick of it all; she wanted a permanent relationship. The people she loved felt out of reach—just like Ingrid. Her heart was being torn into three. Ingrid was as well. Why did it have to hurt so much?

"I don't know about you, but I think this is a bad idea," said Sasuke nervously. Fortunately, he knew how to fight without a weapon. He did not have his sword on him, but luckily for Dorothea, she knew how to fight without one, too. Her mother had trained her in the same kind of self-defense technique called Taijutsu, which her grandmother had taught her mother to protect herself. Though she was better at using magic, it was still helpful in close-quarters combat.

"I don't know why, but I feel like someone is following us," said Naruto as he looked around.

"I agree; someone is following us," Sasuke said, preparing for an attack.

Hinata activated her Byakugan to scan for nearby enemies and deactivated it immediately.

"I don't know, even with my Byakugan, I couldn't find the enemy, but…" she said.

"I still can't help but feel like someone is watching us," Hinata said in a paranoid tone. It wasn't a side of Hinata; Dorothea was used to seeing it unsettled her.

They continued to walk. The forest that they were in was a perfect place for an ambush. She looked around her in the trees; archers were possibly hiding and could fire valleys of arrows without being seen. An experienced swordsman could kill an inexperienced traveler before they even had a chance to scream. The first lesson her mother told her during her training was always to be on high alert in areas where it's easy to hide, especially the forest in the southeast of the monastery where Dorothea agreed to meet Rand Armen. It was even close to a cliff. Out of all the places, it'd be a perfect place to murder someone and then dump the body off a cliff. It would take forever for the bodies to be found, if ever.

"Whatever you do, Dorothea, do not use the power that we were both born with unless you're in a situation where there's no other option. Please don't ever use it unless it's to protect someone important to you," her mother said when her latent powers had first awakened. When she was six, she hadn't used the powers that she had kept hidden from everyone—the powers of her eyes. Her mother never told her what the name of them was, only that it was a highly sought-out power that, if it was ever known she had it, she would be sought out more than any cursed bear because of how rare her abilities were.

They were getting close to their destination—very close. When they arrived, the man that Ingrid had agreed to meet was waiting for them. He looked at Ingrid, along with everyone in their group, with surprise. That banished quickly when Ingrid stepped in front of the group.

"I was eager to meet you, Ingrid Galatea. Your beauty is not exaggerated," the man said with a sinister grin. Dorothea got ready; she knew it was an ambush.

"To think I'll get another chance to kill the demon Fox," Dorothea heard a silver-haired man say. He had gigantic shuriken on his back. Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, and Mercedes were surprised to see him.

"How are you here? I saw you get taken by the Anbu," said Naruto as he got into a stance, but he was outspent by the silver-haired man, who grabbed Ingrid faster than anyone was able to even move. He moved to where Rand Armen was, placing a kunai at her throat. She dropped her lance on the ground; she was defenseless. The rage Dorothea was feeling was overwhelming.

"You bastard," Naruto said with rage.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Mizuki said as he pressed the Kanai even closer to her throat. If they did anything, she would die before they could even make a move. He laughed.

"Is she your woman, Naruto?" Mizuki said mockingly.

"If you don't want to end up dead, I would advise you let her go now," Mercedes said as she was getting ready to cast a spell.

"Oh, the girl that I once kidnapped. Oh, how much she has grown. Is this woman a friend of yours, Mercedes-san?" asked Mizuki as he licked the blade in anticipation for what he was about to do.

"I will give you 10 seconds. If you don't let her go, you'll be dead at my feet," Dorothea said. Everyone was confused. Before he could do anything, before he could even try to slit Ingrid's throat, Dorothea cast Thorn and blew Mizuki's head off. Shocked by his death, Rand ran away. Ingrid picked up her Lance. Before anything could be done, they were surrounded. Of course, it was a trap. It was obvious.

She saw mercenaries with swords, axes, and lances. There had to be at least 30 of them, and they were significantly outnumbered.

"It doesn't matter what happens to the others. Make sure the blonde-haired boy lives. Kill the rest," a man behind her said. She looked back, and memories of what happened the day her mother died flashed back to her. The same man with the wolf mask, the memories of his hand through her mother's chest—it all came back.


January 26th 1170

In the outskirts of Enbarr

Dorothea didn't wear any clothing that stood out; she wore rags because that's all her mother could afford. That wouldn't be as bad if they weren't running for their lives.

Her mother held her by the hand as they ran as fast as they could. A mysterious assassin had been tracking them for days, and Dorothea couldn't understand why they were being hunted. What did they do wrong? The 8-year-old child was scared; she had never run so much in her life. Yes, her mother and she had trained from time to time, but that was only for self-defense. This was different—they had been running in Enbarr for nearly a week, barely having a chance to rest, constantly looking over their shoulders. She hadn't eaten in days. She was so tired and hungry, but she couldn't stop because the wolf-masked man would get them.

Her mother suddenly stopped, and Dorothea wondered what was going on.

"Dorothea, whatever you do, do not turn back," her mother said as she took out a kunai from both of her sleeves. Dorothea had never seen her mother use these weapons before.

"But Mother, don't leave me, please," the 8-year-old girl pleaded.

"There's no time. Run, Dorothea." Rather than argue with her mother, Dorothea ran as fast as her little legs would take her. The river—it was the only way she could escape. Why did this man have to find them now when they were so close?

She saw her mother get into her stance. Her mother closed her eyes, and what appeared were three tomoe—her eyes were red. Dorothea had never seen her mother use those powers before.

The wolf-masked man and her mother had a brief exchange. Despite her mother's training at the officers' academy, she wouldn't last long against the wolf-masked man, who had far superior skills. He was faster and stronger, even with her mother's mystical eyes that she refused to name, as she didn't feel Dorothea was ready to know the name of her abilities yet. Despite her disadvantage, her mother was doing well; she was quick in her attacks, and Dorothea saw her perform techniques she could only imagine in her head.

She quickly did hand signs and, with her voice, did a jitsu.

With her voice, she cracked the wolf mask. Man's mask fell to his knees, and her mother's eyes changed into another shape, that of a strange-looking sound-like symbol. The wolf mask man's ears blood as well.

Her mother's voice was a weapon. There was hope they could survive this. That's what she thought. How wrong was the eight-year-old girl as a bolt of lightning went through her mother's chest? Dorothea, her entire world stopped. Her mother was everything. She was all she knew. The voice that she had heard since the day she was born was silent; she fell down on her back.

She felt fear and hatred like she had never fallen in her life. What she saw in front of her was a demon. Her eyes went from grain to red, and one tomoe appeared. She'd never been able to activate her powers at will. She wanted to destroy him but before she could do anything she tripped and fell into the lake the last thing she saw before all went black was the cracked mask of a wolf mask man.

A few days later

She opened her eyes she coughed where was she? When she looked around she was back in Enbarr it was as if nothing had happened her mother was gone when she went back to the spot where she died her body wasn't anywhere to be seen she looked and looked and still nothing her mother's body was never found it made her feel the emotion she had never felt in her life hatred the man that took her mother from her and her imagining what was being done with her mother's body why did he this man hunt her and her mother what did they do wrong?

It would be a few more years before she would be discovered by Manuela, who would help her get into the Mittelfrank Opera Company. Even with the Fame that she would eventually gain, she couldn't get the death of her mother out of her mind and what she would do if she ever faced the man again.


Her hands were shaking the man in front of her, her mother's killer. Her eyes instantly turned red, and two tomoe appeared, much to the shock of everyone in their group. She had not used her eyes in this way ever since her mother told her not to unless he was to protect those she loved. She had people she did love, and she would not let anyone do anything to them, especially the wolf mask man, the man that murdered her mother and shattered her world.

"I will kill you," Dorothea said as she, as quick as anyone had seen her move her fingers, did a jitsu that Sasuke knew how to do well.

"Fire-style fireball jutsu." a fireball came out of her mouth, and the wolf mask man dodged. Unfortunately for the men behind them, five men burned to cinder. There was nothing left. She wouldn't allow him to escape, but not this time. The jitsu that ended her mother's life she managed to do with ease. A bolt of lightning engulfed her right hand, and the sky turned black as she, with a hand motion of her hand, hit the man with his own jitsu.

"Is that the chidori? How is that even possible?" asked Sasuke, shocked that she was able to do the technique that killed her mother.

She walked towards him; he was struggling to get up due to the injuries.

"I will unmask you. I will look into your eyes as I kill you."Dorothea said. As she was about to get close to him, lightning engulfed his right hand as he was about to aim for her chest and kill her in the same way as her mother Hinata tackled her down to get her out of the way.

She got that up quickly and got into her stance. Two lions formed on her fist. She had never seen the lion's fist in action. Hinata's eyes were different than before. Dorothea got up, not wanting to be a burden on her friends, went to Hinata's side and, without saying anything, attacked the wolf mask man with her.

Hinata got into her stance as Dorothea supported her. Whoever this wolf mask man was, she was going to find out his identity. One way or another, she was about to defend her friend when she was about to be struck at her chest. Hinata barely moved out of the way.

"It's fortunate that you're here for the sake of my mission. It makes things easier; unfortunately for you, you must die." Wolf said as he went straight towards Hinata. She had barely managed to defend herself. He was fast. Even with her training that she had been receiving since January it was nearly impossible to keep up he had to be at least a Jonin level.

Hinata and Dorothea were fighting together, but the one thing Hinata noticed was that she was being targeted more than Dorothea was, as if he was determined to kill her. Other mercenaries were trying to attack her. It was as if she was the priority. Target. She wanted to protect herself, but it was nearly impossible to focus on fighting the wolf and defending herself from the mercenaries.

Left and right, she was dispatching mercenaries. This cannot be where she dies. No, this cannot be. She did not train for her to die in a place like this, not after everything that has happened, not after getting what she finally wanted.

It was like a cruel joke from the goddess herself. She gets what she has always wanted: acceptance and Naruto's love. In return, it would all be taken away from her as soon as she got it. No, she wasn't going to let anything take that away—goddess be damned; she didn't care. She killed the mercenaries without hesitation. She was not going to die—not here.

Dorothea was struggling; it was as if there were more than thirty. It was becoming overwhelming. Wolf tried to strike at her, and fighting him and the mercenaries off at the same time was impossible. He was about to deliver a killing blow to Hinata when a ball of flame hit the man. She looked, and it was Mercedes. Hinata was relieved that he did not get killed, but it was short-lived.

He went straight to where Mercedes was. Hinata was not fast enough; it was as if time slowed down. No, she couldn't be the reason why her friend would get killed. No, no! Time slowed further; she was too slow. She wouldn't be able to make it. "Please," she thought, "don't let anyone take the life of Mercedes. She doesn't deserve it," Hinata thought.


Sasuke was in a panic he was fighting off mercenary after mercenary. There was no end to them; it would be one thing if Mercedes wasn't with him but she was; she was in danger; he cannot be like he was last time and froze; he looked in her direction; the wolf mask man was going straight at her Sasuke without hesitation ran as fast as his legs could take him a Chidori formed on his right hand and he went straight at the wolf mask man who was surprised by his fast reaction.

He barely had a chance to move out of the way as Sasuke glazed at his abdomen, and blood dripped onto the ground. He did not relent. He went at him again as if he were using the Chidori as a weapon. He continued to go at him. He was not going to let anything get in his way to protect Mercedes.

Sasuke struck at him with a fury that he had never felt before since Itachi kidnapped Mercedes 5 years ago. He struck again at his left. Wolf was breathing heavily; he had never fought this intensely before. Sasuke wasn't an inexperienced Shinobi. You've been going on missions since he was almost 12 years old. He resisted screaming in pain as he went again. As he was about to strike, he lost his footing.

He looked and saw where he would be falling. It could not end like this. Before anything could happen, he felt Mercedes grab him by her hands. Sasuke was in a panic. He was going to see her die. No, the wolf-mask man was about to aim a lightning blade through her chest. He couldn't fail again, but he couldn't do anything. He was defenseless.

Before the wolf could do anything, Ingrid struck at him with Lance, cutting his back, blood dripping on the ground.

"Damn you," Wolf said as he was about to aim the blade of lightning at Ingrid Naruto got in the way and protected her with his own hands.

Sasuke had to get up. If he didn't, both he and Mercedes would fall.

"Mercie, let go of me. You're only going to fall with me."Sasuke said with urgency.

"No, I won't let you go for anything. I won't lose you like I lost my brother."Mercedes said Sasuke felt himself slipping.

"I'm not worth it," Sasuke said.

Mercedes was losing her footing; before he could protest any more, they both fell. He grabbed Mercedes, holding her and trying to soften their fall, but it was impossible due to how far they were falling. The pain in his right hand from the Chidori burned, and he resisted screaming. He looked and saw water; a lake was obviously nearby. It would be a softer landing than what could have been. He made sure to hold Mercedes tightly so he would take the worst of the fall and not her.

She didn't get a chance to protest as they both hit the water; everything went black.


Naruto couldn't believe it. Watching his friends fall, no, they couldn't be dead; he would know it. He looked at Wolf with determination to unmask him. Who was this man? Ingrid was breathing heavily; they were fighting off an ambush of over 30 people. It was a miracle most of them were dead. Had it not been for Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata's training, they wouldn't be able to last this long. They'd been fighting for their lives for the past 10 minutes; it felt much longer. Naruto did not feel as exhausted as Ingrid did; he could tell she was barely able to hold her weapon.

"We got to get out of here," said Ingrid, trying to remain calm, hiding what she was truly feeling.

Naruto had to think quickly. They were at the edge of the cliff. He was fighting Wolf, and even though he was injured, Naruto was struggling against him. Wolf had a lot of experience. What kind of person was this Wolf that he was encountering, and why did he feel familiar? Every time he tried to fight him, he went for anyone but Naruto. It was as if Naruto was off-limits and everyone else was fair game; he was the only one they didn't want dead.

Naruto did not know how to think of it; he couldn't overthink it. He was going to end this one way or another. He did a hand sign and created two shadow clones to do the Rasengan. He was going to find out who this person was, one way or another. He wanted to know the person that tried to kill his friends and his girlfriend.

When he was about to strike at him, he felt himself losing his footing. Thinking quickly, Ingrid grabbed Naruto, trying to get him back up, but he was too heavy for her. "Damn it," Naruto thought.

"Ingrid-chan, look out!" Naruto said, as a wolf was about to strike at Ingrid's chest. Before anything could be done, Ingrid lost her footing, and both she and Naruto fell. "Dammit," Naruto thought. It was as if Ingrid was accepting her death; she closed her eyes. No, Naruto wasn't going to allow that.

Thinking quickly, he created thousands of shadow clones and formed a net to soften her fall. Naruto grabbed her and used his own body to cushion her landing. He hit hard against his shadow clones; they dissipated one by one. It would only be a matter of time before they hit the ground, but by then, it would not be lethal. When he felt the landing, he looked up, hundreds of feet in the air. He couldn't do anything for Hinata or Dorothea. He felt completely useless. He hoped at least someone found out where they were.


Hinata had to remain calm no matter what she felt inside. Naruto and Ingrid thought they weren't Dead. She knew they weren't Sasuke and Mercedes, and neither she nor Dorothea were surrounded. She didn't realize how Dorothea had the Sharingan. She'd have to ask her later if they got out of this alive. Despite his injuries, Wolf went towards Hinata and Dorothe, aiming his lightning blade towards them both.

"It's nothing personal for the good of my village. You must die." Wolf said. Dorothea looked at him with a look of hatred she'd never seen anyone have towards an individual before.

"My mother did nothing to deserve what happened to her, you bastard. I don't care what good our deaths will do to your village. What about the people that you have killed? What about the Innocence that you've killed that got in your way? Does that serve your village?"Dorothea said with a barely controlled rage.

"Those who possess the Sharingan are too dangerous to live; unfortunately, you have the blood of that cursed clan." said the wolf as he went straight at them. Hinata wasn't going to allow him to kill her; she couldn't explain it; it was as if a power that she never knew existed woke up, a symbol appeared behind her, and to the shock of Dorothea and wolf, her lion fist went from Blue to White knocking wolf back against a tree he Hinata's eyes changed as well they glowed and the symbol of a crust that she did not recognize.

The power, though it felt like nothing she had ever experienced in her life—no, she had experienced this once before—she did not recognize what it was back then, but she knows what it is now.

"You have a crest; your blood is tied to that family just as he suspected," Wolf said, now more determined than ever to kill her. Hinata, the power that she had, as soon as it empowered her, she felt weakened. She couldn't fight him; he was about to kill her, and there was nothing she could do. Dorothea and she were going to die. Naruto was going to die, so was Ingrid. No! Why does she have to be so weak? She wanted to scream.

Almost as if the goddess answered her prayers but not in the way she suspected, Hinata and Dorothea lost their footing, and she looked down below. She would take her chances falling down the waterfall. She took Dorothea quickly and let them both fall. She was still holding Dorothea's hands as they both hit the water. She was battling against the current, trying not to drown. She had little time to react. She hoped the wolf didn't pursue them, but it likely would.

Was she just delaying the inevitable? She did not know. It did not matter. At least for now, she and Dorothea were safe. She hoped her boyfriend and her other friends didn't suffer a gruesome fate.


They escaped him. Wolf looked where all of his targets had fled. If he wasn't as injured as he was, he would pursue them, but he would collapse if he didn't have the discipline from the training that was instilled in him in the Root. Rand looked scared when he saw a raven-haired man in a black cloak with red stripes alongside his companion, who was taller than he was. Wolf knew them by reputation.

"Interesting, Itachi-san. It seems your brother was here along with that woman of his," said Kisame with amusement. Wolf said nothing. The other person with them was Orochimaru, who had an eager look on his face.

"Your mission is to push Lonato to take action. Why are you here?" Wolf asked, with barely strained patience.

"We are on our way to ensure that girl—to think that sister of Roderick—would be so foolish as to come to an obvious trap," Itachi said, looking down at where Ingrid and Naruto had fallen.

"You witnessed all of it. Why didn't you assist me?" asked Wolf.

"My mission is not the same as yours. Your mission is to eliminate Lambert's Heir's. My mission is different, and the only person I'm interested in is Sasuke. Nothing else matters."Itachi said that as he walked past him, Rand looked terrified.

"A loose end? Do you want me to end him, wolf?" asked Itachi. Wolf did not care one way or another, and Rand was just a means to an end.

"I will finish what you started" said Orochimaru as he went ahead. He wanted to protest, but he was too injured to do so.

Itachi gave an evil grin as he lifted Rand by the throw-in. The few surviving men in the battle were horrified as Itachi used his Sharingan to torture him psychologically. He did not know what kind of horrors Rand saw the man broke like a broken toy. The men ran away, but not before they were killed by Itachi. The first of the remaining survivors didn't get far as Itachi incinerated him with a fireball.

The second tried to do what Hinata did earlier, but the woman didn't get far; she didn't even get close to the cliff. As he thought she put his sword through her chest, she fell face down dead. The rest didn't fare better. Some of them tried to fight to The bitter end, but they didn't even get a chance to withdraw their weapons as Itachi dispatched them in gruesome ways.

One of them lost their head before they even knew it was happening the second Itachi put his hand through his chest. The look on his face was disturbing for Wolf to see. He did not know why Donzo had Itachi, of all people, be a spy. He enjoyed the murders immensely.

He didn't even bother watching; it didn't phase him and not to mention, he had to leave; he knew that eventually,y the professor of the Black Eagles would find him; he may be able to fool the others, but Byleth Eisner could not be fooled if he wasn't careful he would be able to see right through him wolf left not even paying attention to the massacre that Itachi indulged in.


Byleth had no words for the horror that he had just seen. The way these bodies were arranged was something straight out of a horror novel. Even the animals in the area weren't safe. The horses were cut in ways that were not normal for anyone who engages in battle. It seemed like whoever did this took great pleasure. Marianne couldn't look. He had a difficult time seeing it himself. Blood was everywhere.

Everyone that was with him in the classes was Disturbed by what they saw, but he had to keep his disgust to himself. He had to make an example of who else was going to lead his students during this crisis.

Hinata, Ingrid, Naruto, Sasuke, Dorothea, and Mercedes weren't there, not even their bodies. No, he did not believe they were dead. Hitomi was sniffing as if she was looking for them.

He would not give up hope on them even if he doesn't understand Hitomi like Hinata could. He could at least understand aspects of the Pegasus in its nonverbal cues. As if she was pointing the Pegasus pointed with her right front foot downwards. Then he realized immediately where they were. This would have just been something that they could be done with by nightfall. You could possibly take days to find them.

"What do we do, professor?" asked Edelgard, who was worried along with Dimitri, who was by her side. There was a struggle, an evident struggle. He could at least see that much. He was not going to abandon them, especially God knows what or who could be out there that could be hunting them.

"I don't know what kind of enemy is out here. It's too dangerous for you. Return immediately and get the knights. We will be the ones to find them," said Byleth, not leaving any room for an argument. But one person did argue.

"I mean this with respect, Byleth-san, but I can't do nothing as Hinata-sama is out there. Let me be with you, please. I beg of you. My Byakugan could speed up our search. Don't dismiss me, please," Neji said, with the most respect he could muster considering the circumstances. He didn't understand the man's relationship with Hinata, except that they were cousins.

"I'm not going to turn back; she's my friend," said Bernadetta, who did not look afraid despite the gruesome scene in front of them.

"Mercie, I don't know if she is okay. Is she alone? Is someone else looking after her? I can't go back knowing that she isn't safe. You will have to do something else to get rid of me, 'cause I'm not leaving," said Annette, who was determined to stay.

"Naruto is my friend. I'm not going to sit by and do nothing. I'm sorry, teach; you'll have to do better than that to get rid of us," said Claude. Out of all of them, even the professors of their classes were backing up their students. He sighed; so be it.

"I'm going to make this clear for all of you. If you're all going to come with me, you're going to do exactly as I tell you, and I mean exactly. We are potentially entering dangerous territory. You will do exactly as I tell you and you will do exactly what your professors tell you—no arguments, no second-guessing. This is about your lives here. Any one of us could die if we're not careful, and should the worst happen to any of us, you are to leave. Do you understand?" Byleth asked all of the students. He wanted them to know what they were getting themselves into; he did not want them to get into a situation only to regret it later that was potentially life-threatening.

"We understand, professor, and we agree to your terms," said Dimitri. Edelgard and Claude both agreed. He did not know why he had a bad feeling, as if some sinister force was at work; he had to be on his guard.