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Miroku stood motionless, her greyish eyes slowly surveying the tranquil garden of the secret compound. She allowed herself a rare moment of peace, soaking in the serene beauty that surrounded her, even as her heart churned with silent dread.
The lunar eclipse was drawing near, she knew—a time when Mōryō's power reached its zenith.
Her mind flickered with worry, casting a shadow over the evening's calm.
Suddenly, a voice vibrant with youthful energy pierced her contemplation.
"Mom, look at what I made!" Shion called out, her voice echoing lightly through the garden's stillness.
Miroku's gaze fell upon her daughter. Shion, with her short bob-cut blonde hair tousled slightly, and her large purple eyes sparkling with excitement, approached eagerly. She was clad in a traditional yellow kimono, adorned with red and blue accents that fluttered as she moved. In her small hands, she clutched a straw doll.
Miroku's lips curled into a smile.
Shion's hands were smudged with bits of straw and thread. Stray strands of her blonde hair stuck out comically.
"Shion-chan, did you make this?"
As Shion nodded vigorously, presenting the doll with a flourish, Miroku's heart swelled.
"Yeah, I made her for you," Shion said, her voice imbued with the pure innocence of a ten-year-old.
"For me?"
"Yeah, I saw that you were worried, so I made her for you. Don't worry, she is strong and she'll protect you."
Miroku's heart clenched at her daughter's words, the simplicity of her conviction striking a chord deep within her. She enveloped Shion in a gentle embrace, careful to channel a subtle flow of chakra around her arms. This was not merely an affectionate gesture; it was a protective measure to ensure that her daughter's latent abilities remained dormant, a precaution she could never neglect.
"Thank you, Shion."
As they shared this tender moment, a servant approached, his presence cautious but urgent. "Your Holiness, Konoha has sent an Anbu squad."
Miroku stiffened, her embrace around Shion tightening momentarily before she consciously relaxed her hold. Shocked by the servant's words, she was hit by a wave of confusion and concern. It was highly unusual for Konoha to dispatch an Anbu squad; these were elite operatives, typically reserved for the most critical of missions. Miroku had anticipated perhaps a team of jōnin or chūnin, standard protocol for diplomatic or protective measures given her status.
Why would Konoha send such a high-level team? What did they know that she didn't? Her mind spun with possible scenarios, each more unsettling than the last. Was there an imminent threat they were aware of, linked perhaps to the lunar eclipse and the rise of Mōryō's power? Or was there another, unseen factor at play?
She released Shion, smoothing back a stray lock of blonde hair from her daughter's face with a practiced smile that masked her inner turmoil.
Not widely known, the Abbess was chosen for her possession of the Eye of Maitreya, a kekkei genkai that had bolstered the spread of their faith far and wide. This rare bloodline enabled the bearer to see fleeting glimpses into the future, guiding decisions that had historically ensured the prosperity and safety of her people. It was this very foresight that had initially shown Miroku a vision of Konoha sending two jōnin leading a chūnin squad for her mission.
Miroku paused, her brows furrowing as she grappled with the implications. Could the Eye have been wrong? The thought briefly surfaced in her mind, stark and disquieting, but she dismissed it almost immediately. The Eye had been infallible for centuries; not once had its visions led them astray.
The future had changed, or perhaps she had seen glimpses of a different time period. Opting to believe in the latter, Miroku reasoned that the Eye of Maitreya offered only snapshots—blinks of time—rather than continuous streams of foresight. It was possible, she conceded, that she had glimpsed a moment from another time, perhaps one where Mōryō's threat lingered still.
But what of her own death she had seen in her visions? Her hands clutched at her temples as a headache began to form, the weight of her responsibilities pressing down on her.
She breathed deeply, trying to center herself. Miroku knew she could not afford to be paralyzed by what-ifs.
Her role demanded decisiveness.
"Your Holiness?"
"Bring them in, and tell Taruho to come get Shion," Miroku instructed, her tone steady despite the swirl of thoughts in her mind. She was already mentally preparing for the diplomatic intricacies of dealing with Konoha's elite Anbu.
"But Mom..." Shion pouted, her reluctance clear in her downturned lips and the slight furrow of her brow. Miroku turned to her daughter, offering a gentle, reassuring smile—her eyes crinkling into an 'eye smile.' She reached out, booping Shion's nose playfully.
"Go and get some sleep, your mother has to greet the guests."
Shion nodded reluctantly. Just then, the door slid open, revealing Taruho. He was a distinctive figure; his short, shoulder-length brown hair and pupilless navy blue eyes made him immediately recognizable. His attire was equally notable: red rectangular glasses perched on his nose, a green vest paired with gray armor worn over a white and light purple collared kimono jacket, purple hakama, traditional sandals, and a black eboshi capping his ensemble.
Taruho bowed respectfully upon entry, his posture perfect and his expression serious.
As Shion's small legs carried her through the doorway, her gaze inadvertently caught the sight of the Anbu squad entering from the opposite end, guided by another servant. Initially, a wave of fear washed over her, but it quickly turned to curiosity and then jealousy as her eyes landed on the shortest member of the group. He appeared to be about her age, which sparked a sudden surge of envy.
Why is a little kid here? He is my age and gets to stay with Mom, what's he got that I don't? This isn't fair, Shion thought. Her steps halted abruptly, her internal struggle visible on her face, catching Taruho's attention.
"Miss...?"
"Mother, can I stay with you?"
The room fell silent for a moment as all eyes turned towards them.
Miroku, caught between her roles as a mother and the Abbess, felt a frigid wave of shock pass through her as she noticed the Anbu's attention now fixed on her and her daughter.
"Go to sleep."
"But this kid gets to stay here, why can't I?" Shion protested, pointing towards the young Anbu member. Just as Naruto was about to respond, a hand from Cat stopped him.
"Taruho," Miroku said, her voice rising with controlled sharpness. The servant understood immediately, grasping Shion's hand a bit more firmly than usual and pulling her gently but resolutely out of the room. The door closed behind them, and Shion's muffled protest of "This is unfair..." echoed faintly through the wood.
Miroku gave a slight bow, her expression apologetic yet composed. "My apologies for my daughter's behavior, Anbu-san."
"Children will be children," replied Tiger, stepping forward.
"Speaking of children, I am surprised you have one on your team," Miroku remarked, turning her attention to Naruto.
The Anbu squad maintained a stoic silence as Miroku posed her question to the young member. "What's your name, little boy?"
Naruto's gaze shifted around the room, searching for any hint of a command from his teammates. Finding none, he wrestled momentarily with the protocol. Did that mean he could respond?
"Sorry, but I can't reveal my top secret name."
Miroku visibly froze, her response catching in her throat momentarily. "Y-You're a kid."
It seemed like the abbess hoped that Naruto wasn't a child, perhaps a dwarf or something similar.
Naruto sensed a shift in the atmosphere, his instincts telling him he might have erred. Why didn't the others stop him if it was a mistake?
"Is there a problem?" Tiger interjected.
"No, I just think the idea of child soldiers is barbaric," Miroku stated plainly.
"A noble ideal," Tiger responded, his tone acknowledging the sentiment but with an undertone that Miroku found hollow. She could see through the façade of his words. They held no real weight; Naruto would remain in his role, regardless of her opinions or feelings on the matter.
"Let's get to the specifics of the mission."
"Yes," Tiger agreed, nodding slightly before signaling to the trio to stand guard outside in a 12:15 formation.
Outside, the trio stationed themselves like the hands of a clock at the 12:15 position, a silence thickening around them. Naruto fidgeted slightly, feeling the weight of Dog's gaze on him.
"I told you, this was a mistake," the teen remarked under her breath.
"Silence is the armor of the prudent," Cat intoned.
"Why are you sticking up for the brat?"
"It's not about sticking up for anyone. You made mistakes when you were starting out; you made many, but you learned. So why can't he?" Cat countered, effectively pressing down on Dog's ego.
"What... what mistake did I make?"
"You spoke up," Dog stated bluntly.
Naruto looked even more perplexed.
"You don't get it; a team is led by their captain. Unless your captain told you to speak to the client, you are to remain silent."
Dammit, Naruto thought, chiding himself internally. Before he could wallow in self-reproach any further, Tiger emerged from the room, prompting the blonde boy to blurt out, "Captain, I am sorry for what I did in there, I didn't know."
"An apology means nothing, recruit. Always show it with your actions."
"Yes," the recruit nodded, accepting the criticism with a newfound resolve. However, before he could process the lesson fully, Tiger's fist slammed into the side of his head.
"What was that for?!" Naruto exclaimed, wincing as he clutched his throbbing head.
"I am an advocate of the fist of love learning. You'll never repeat that mistake again," Tiger declared, raising his fist again.
As Cat observed the scene, a thought crossed her mind: Kakashi did that to you, now you're doing it to every recruit.
"Your command, captain?" Dog asked.
"Well, our mission is going to be protection of the abbess and her daughter for the next week or so," Tiger explained, adjusting his stance. "She specifically added that the mission would be over after the lunar eclipse."
"Any reason why the lunar eclipse is important?"
"She didn't say anything about the why, just that her life would be in most danger near and during that time," Tiger responded. The lack of information made the assignment more complex and potentially dangerous.
"Do you want us to investigate?" Naruto chimed in.
"No, our mission is simply to protect," Tiger stated firmly. "So for now, we are going to take shifts. Twelve hours with Dog, me, and Cat protecting the two clients."
"What about me?" Naruto asked, feeling slightly sidelined.
"Simple, among those twelve hours, while two of us will be protecting the clients, one of us will be training you."
Naruto just nodded, understanding the rationale. Still, it was a shame that he couldn't get a quest from this situation.
"Great. Dog and Cat will take the first shift, and Naruto, you'll be with me," Tiger decided, making clear the immediate plan. "The abbess has already set up a whole area for us to stay in."
Naruto watched as Cat moved toward the Abbess and Dog headed to Shion, positioning themselves as their first line of defense. He hastened his steps to catch up with Tiger, who was striding forward with a measured pace.
"Captain, I had a question about the shift system."
"Go on."
"When one of us goes to sleep, who is going to protect the clients?"
"Oh, the Anbu don't need sleep," Tiger replied nonchalantly, as if stating a common fact.
"What does that mean?" Naruto asked, his confusion apparent. The idea seemed impossible—how could anyone not need sleep?
"You'll slowly learn."
The implication was clear: certain secrets and techniques would be revealed to him in due time.
"Yatta... What am I going to learn first?"
"Normally only Anbu captains get this honour but you'll be learning the Summoning Jutsu!"
"What?"
[ Alert: World Quest ]
[ Quest Title: Summoning Jutsu ]
[ Description: A part of Dragon's grand plan against Shimura Danzo, the Anbu commander plans to give Naruto uzumaki this legendary jutsu in case Danzo ever tried to capture Naruto outside of Konoha. ]
[ Rewards:
- Title [ ? ]
- ?
- ?
-? ]
[ Penalty for Failure: Being Captured by Root Anbu. ]
[ Action Required: Acceptance or Declination of Quest ]
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[ Author's Note:
Now, onto what you all are thinking—yes, Naruto is going to get multiple summons. One from Hiruzen, one from the Uzumaki Clan, and one from the Anbu.
Why?
Well, the thing is Hiruzen's plan isn't known to Dragon, and Dragon had long since planned this out.
As for the Uzumaki clan summons, they are because Naruto unlocks it on the skill table.
I hope you all like this development.
I am going to try to add more details about what exactly summons are, why they obey humans, etc., because we have no answers from canon. If you have any cool ideas, shout them out in the comments.