That question repeated inside her head because of how her words could be easily taken as an admission of being a rogue-nin. Which she obviously wasn't! She was a Konoha nin—Wait, no. She wasn't. At least, not in this world. Still better to not be mistaken. So, she shook her head like a rattle, surprised by the statement she should have expected.
"No, no! I'm not a rogue. I mean, I know the ninja arts and I come from Fire Country, but I'm not an official ninja there. Or anywhere else. I mean, I serve under no village." Technically true. As she hadn't studied in this world's Konoha Academy, so hadn't graduated, and holds no affiliation with no one. "Well, I'm actually more of a Sage than a ninja."
"… A sage?"
"Yeah!" She nodded like a chicken pecking rice, though Yue seemed more confused. "A sage is someone who can use natural energy, which is the energy of the world. We can harmonize with the flow of the world, so we're pretty nature."
"Oh." She still seemed confused, but also a little interested, too. "You said 'we'. Are there a lot of you out there?"
"Well, I only know of one other alive human that can harvest natural energy." Which was Jiraiya. "But even then, I'm a little especial."
"How so?"
"Well," she started, feeling a bit nervous about admitting it, but Kurama was right. She needed to own her title if she wanted to cause changes. "I'm the successor of the first Sage ever to exist, the Sage of Six Paths."
Yue blinked a couple of times in surprise, but at least she didn't look as dubious as Inoichi had done.
Naruto gritted her teeth, but she already gave an inch. Why not a foot, too? "So yeah, I should introduce myself properly. My name's Otsutsuki Ashura, the Successor of the Sage of Six Paths. I like nature, peace, and ramen. I hate those that hurt others for pleasure or for some mistaken sense of justice. My dream is to bring peace to the world."
Silence.
Yue didn't ask for her family matters, which she was glad and was probably for the same reason Naruto didn't ask about the lack of a father in her story. But, still. Maybe it was a lot to unpack? Shit. She shouldn't have said it all like that.
So, with a burning face, she bowed twice. "I'm sorry if it seems arrogant of me to introduce my title like that. This is the first time I said it aloud, and yeah, it sounds pretentious, I know. Sorry if—"
A bell-like laugh.
Naruto looked up. Yue-chan was covering her lower face with a hand, laughing slightly, but not out of malice. She seemed honestly amused.
"I'm glad, then," she said, which confused her. So, she tilted her head and, luckily, Yue explained, "I'm glad that the successor of the Sage is someone like you."
"Oh. So you believe me?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen much of the world and I don't know you for long, but from what I've seen, you don't look like other ninjas. You do give this strong vibe, don't get me wrong. But you don't seem guarded like them, but more… expressive and pure, I guess? So, if you really are his successor, then I'm glad it's someone like you."
Naruto exhaled in what she knows is relief. Not relief in that she believed her, but that she gave her such a strong and positive first expression. "Thank you."
Yue nodded before signaling her for the house a couple of steps away from them. "So, do you use that energy ninjas have to heal or this… natural energy?"
"Well, healing with chakra like a medic-nin does is complicated and one needs to study a lot to perform it. So, uh. Yeah, I kind of cheat with natural energy, but it's not a technique sages can use, it's an only me technique."
"It won't harm my mom, will it?" she asked, worried.
"No, don't worry. Instead of me using my chakra to push her body into healing herself, I use my chakra to restore her to a healthy state. She could be missing a leg and I could restore it to its prime," she said proudly, before thinking about it a bit more. "Well, she would have to practice walking as she won't be used to it, but yeah, I could do that. I once re-grew an eye, so it should be the same."
"Well, then I will trust you, Ashura-chan," she said as she opened the door of a small house.
"Yosh! Leave it to me. You won't regret it, believe it!"
Yue laughed once again and invited her inside, leaving her shoes in the entrance. Naruto did the same and went in.
"Kota, I'm home!"
There was the sound of steps before a kid came out from upstairs. "Sis, what are you doing here so early? Is everything okay?"
Smiling, Yue stepped aside to let Naruto be seen by the kid. "Everything's okay, Kota. I just met with Ashura-chan in the store and did her a favor. She wants to pay it by helping us."
The brown-haired kid looked up at her owlishly, looking at her clothes, his gaze stopping on the pouches around her waist, which had a couple of soldier pills and her scrolls, and the one on her leg, where she had her kunai.
Feeling slightly fidgety, she introduced herself, "Hello, Kota-kun! My name's Otsutsuki Ashura, pleasure to meet ya!"
He raised both eyebrows in surprise before asking dubiously. "Are you ninja?"
"Well, I've got ninja training, but I'm not an official ninja from a village. Why?"
"You dress like one, but don't have the same feeling as one," he said bluntly.
"Kota, that's rude!" Yue exclaimed before turning towards her and bowing. "I'm sorry. My brother can be a bit blunt at times."
Naruto laughed instead of feeling offended. "Don't worry, Yue-chan. I prefer those who talk the truth like that than someone who says pretty lies."
Yue sighed in relief before placing a hand on top of Kota's head and pushing it down. "Still. We apologize for his lack of filter. Kota?"
"Yeah, sorry." When his head was once again free, he looked at Naruto. "Still, we don't need any help, sis. Unless something did happen in the store?"
"It's not about that, Kota," Yue said with a smile. "Ashura-chan wants to help us with mom. She knows how to heal."
Kota's mouth opened slightly before his eyes shone in happiness as he turned towards her. "Can you really? Mom hasn't had lunch today because she can't manage to stomach it and I'm worried about her."
Naruto smiled. "Sure, I can, kid. Lead me to her and she would be fine in a snap. Believe it!"
Both smiled at her enthusiasm and led her inside.
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