Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
-Story Start-
-Third Person POV-
Three weeks had dragged on as Team 7 trudged through their seemingly never-ending and arduous journey towards the Land Of Woods, all to fulfill a seemingly simple yet obstinately prolonged C-Rank mission.
But why was it so arduous, you ask?
Allow me to shed some light!
So!
From the vast flowing rivers in the Land Of... Rivers.
Where the waters flowed endlessly, frustration bubbled up.
"OI NARUTO! PRACTICE YOUR WATER WALKING SOMEWHERE ELSE! I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FISH US SOME FOOD!" Akira's voice echoed, frustration evident as he expertly wielded a fishing rod.
"I second that." Sasuke chimed in, his neutral stoic expression etched onto his face like it was carved in stone.
"SHUT UP! YOUR PETS HAVE CAUGHT LOTS OF FISHIES ANYWAY!" Naruto roared back, pointing dramatically at the distant trio of Noc, Mir, and Jeff, who were doing an uncannily excellent job of catching fish.
"SHUT UP! IT'S A MATTER OF PRIDE! ALSO, SASUKE, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK! YOU'RE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING PRACTICING THAT JUTSU KAKASHI TAUGHT YOU!" Akira snarked back, turning theatrically to point at Sasuke, who had an innocent yet smug look on his face, standing on the riverbank where Akira had been fishing.
It is worthy to note that Kakashi had not taught Akira any Jutsu.
No envy there whatsoever!
Not in the slightest!
...If you ask him.
"Hehe~" Kakashi giggled as he relaxed on a tree branch, ignoring the antics of his Genin as he was currently re-reading a very spicy scene in his favorite book.
...A book he had already read more than fifty times.
Ahem!
The scorching deserts in The Land Of Wind!
Naruto, weakened by the scorching desert sun, grumbled, "So... Hot... Water..."
Annoyed by his constant complaints, Akira turned to him, "Okay."
Akira swiftly performed hand signs, voicing, "Water Style - Wild Water Wave."
Torrents of water surged from his mouth, catching Naruto off guard.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT-" were Naruto's last panicked words before he got hit by the wave of water and was sent flying.
Kakashi questioned, 'Why's he so moody?' as he observed his blonde student being flung by a wave of water across the desert.
Good question!
Must be the heat?
Anyway...
The tall, spacious plateaus and hills in the Land Of Birds!
"Would you mind letting me down? This is kind of embarrassing..." Kakashi's words came out garbled as Team 7 sat on top of Level 2 Nue, flying high above the clouds, the wind on their faces making conversation a bit of a challenge.
Everyone perched atop Nue, except for Kakashi, who clung tightly within the creature's claws.
Sasuke mumbled, "Did he say something?"
Naruto waved him off, "Doesn't matter what he said! That dine and run has been getting old!" He folded his arms.
You tell him, Naruto!
Only an adult jerk would blatantly offer to pay for your food in a town and just run away before paying!
Especially when he leaves a trio of 12-year-olds to cover his expenses!
Ahem!
Akira stroked his nonexistent beard as he inquired, his tone genuinely curious, "You guys think he'd survive a fall from this height? We've got around 10 minutes to test that out before we gotta land - Chakra's running low."
Although Kakashi hadn't managed to glean the existential threat Akira had currently uttered about him.
Evidently, his hearing was not as good as his sense of smell.
His seasoned survival instincts, however, picked up a disturbance in the air.
Their next destination was the Land Of Claws, a country seemingly caught in perpetual conflict.
A country that has the hots for the Land Of Fangs.
...That means they want to slit each other's throats, by the way.
"Are you Shinobi from the Land Of Fangs?!" Yelled out a rare yet existent Claw Shinobi as they came across Naruto and Sasuke, who were casually exploring the small town they stopped at.
With the exception of Akira, who went to resupply and gather information with Kakashi.
Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke replied first, gesturing at his Leaf headband, "Do you not see the headband?"
'Very subtle.' Sasuke scoffed internally at this "Shinobi".
"Transformation Jutsu is it?! Do you think disguising yourself as a Leaf Shinobi all the way over here will trick me?! HUH?!" He accused instantly, having formed his own conclusions.
Sasuke sighed, a conflict brewing seemingly out of nowhere.
'It seems Shinobi outside of the Five Great Nations are extremely incompetent, huh.' The conclusion formed in Sasuke's head as the Shinobi in front of him appeared far from impressive.
Even dumber than Naruto, Sasuke would internally add.
"Should we clobber him?" Naruto asked matter-of-factly, pointing a thumb at the Claw Shinobi as his blue eyes met Sasuke's onyx.
Sasuke nodded, "...Yes. Clobber him. But don't kill him, we don't want trouble."
Even Sasuke knew the risk of alerting an entire Shinobi force.
From an incompetent land or not.
For Naruto, that little scuffle became one of the journey's main highlights.
They had followed an extremely safe route to avoid any Shinobi-related conflict in their journey.
Given that most bandits cowered at the sight of the Leaf headband, avoiding any confrontation, Naruto longed for an opportunity to clobber someone who wasn't Sasuke or Akira!
...Not that he had any success with those targets, but we digress.
And finally... The Land Of Demons!
Following days of travel, our squad reached the Capital City of The Land Of Demons - The City Of Onimiyako!
-Akira POV-
Today, the sky displayed flawless brilliance, an expanse of deep blue untouched by even the faintest wisp of a cloud.
As we approached the entrance gates to Onimiyako, I couldn't help but sigh. "Almost there," I mumbled wearily.
Naruto surged ahead, a skip in his step, boldly declaring, "Last one there's paying for lunch!"
Turning to my relaxed teammates, I quipped, "I'm guessing you guys can't be bothered either?"
Kakashi nodded with a sage-like tone, "Mhm. Where all that energy and enthusiasm comes from continues to elude me."
Sasuke deadpanned, "No one agreed to that race. What is the idiot expecting?"
"A princess," Kakashi and I chimed simultaneously.
Sasuke's expression darkened, "Right..."
Every new country, every new city, brought the same scenario – Naruto searching for a princess.
Thankfully, we managed to limit it to major cities instead of every border crossing.
It's like he expects royalty to be casually strolling down the street.
Or forest.
OR A DAMN SCORCHING HOT DESERT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
Every day, this guy manages to limit test my patience, I swear.
Three weeks is too damn long being tied by the hip with Naruto...
Ahem!
Strolling casually toward the gate, we found Naruto engaged in a heated exchange with a group of guards.
Naruto's shouts grew more ear-rupturing as we approached, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T ENTER?!"
One of the guards was an older bearded fellow who had a standard green vest and grey armor typical of the Land Of Demons coupled with a sword, a bow, and a quiver.
This same fellow seemed to be tasked with the difficult task of dealing with our blonde teammate.
The guard, displaying restrained irritation, replied, "Again, kid. You need to identify yourself and state your intentions, especially as a foreign Shinobi."
"UZUMAKI NARUTO! GENIN OF THE LEAF AND FUTURE HOKAGE, DATTEBAYO! NOW LET ME IN!"
Naruto attempted to walk past the guard, who proceeded to block his path with his hand, shaking his head at Naruto.
"Never heard of you... Not stating your intentions is only making you even more suspicious."
Taking charge, Kakashi waved at the guard, a blend of professionalism and nonchalance in his tone, "Yo, we're here to resupply and relax for two days at most before we leave for the Land Of Woods."
Though the guard nodded, his stance remained firm, "I see, but nevertheless, I require identification."
Kakashi waved him off, "Mah, that's fine. Jonin Hatake Kakashi Of The Leaf, with my Genin. Here you go." He approached and showed him his Shinobi Card.
The guard's eyes widened momentarily, "...Hatake Kakashi?" He did a double take on Kakashi and chucked, "My! I must've gone senile already! Hahaha! How you've grown! Of course, you and your Genin are welcome in Onimiyako. Just stay out of trouble, alright?" The guard gestured behind him towards the city streets.
Naruto, bewildered, pointed at the jolly guard, "What? Do these guys know Kakashi-sensei? So far away from home?"
Kakashi gave the guard a look as if meeting him for the first time.
A valid question.
I chimed in, my tone neutral, "I wouldn't be surprised. Kakashi-sensei must have traveled all around the world completing missions, I'd assume. I hear his Mission Completion Portfolio could make other experienced and older Jonin nauseous."
I got that piece of trivia from Uncle by the way.
And yes, apparently, Kakashi was all about that grind.
I glanced at Kakashi, deadpan, "And he's not exactly subtle in his disguise. He's got a pretty recognizable and unique style." I pointed at him with a thumb, gesturing at his mask and silver hair.
Naruto mumbled, as if having reached an epiphany "You've got a point..."
Ignoring my commentary, Kakashi turned back to the guard, eye smiling, "Thank you, sir. By the way, if you don't mind telling me... Why is security so tight around here?"
Hmm... That's a good question.
Lots of those, lately.
I turned my head to scan the other guards and the other visitors who were merchants and otherwise that were being held back and thoroughly checked by the guards.
This is normal procedure for most countries and their Capital Cities.
But for the Land Of Demons? This thorough security is definitely an outlier.
Arguably the safest country due to its special role in the Elemental Nations.
The guard stroked his beard, "Yeah... We're partnering with the Priestess Guard, as Shion-sama decided to tour the country on another one of her whims. Today, as you can tell, she's in Onimiyako."
He shook his head tiredly, "She's doing all this on a whim, completely disregarding the work and trouble this is causing. Again..."
Speak of the devil.
The very priestess in question is the reason behind the unique position of the Land Of Demons in the World.
...You know, being responsible for inheriting the unique Chakra/Kekkei Genkai and Sealing Jutsu handed down for over a thousand years to keep a World Conquering Immortal Demon that even the Sage Of Six Paths himself couldn't kill in check.
He couldn't kill it, so he sealed it and granted said ability and technique to the ancestor of the Priestess of this Country.
You know, the usual.
Reading up on this country in the 4th year of the Academy was a field day, trust me.
Who knew there was a World-Ending threat casually sealed somewhere in the world, huh?
Next thing you'll be telling me there's another one on the Moon just waiting to descend and enslave all of us mortals.
Though, it's probably this world's equivalent of Natural Disasters, as stopping a decent-sized Volcano from erupting requires an Earth-style Jonin to stop it.
So I guess it's fine?
Hah.
Kakashi nodded with empathy, at the guard's troubles, "Mhm, tell me about it. Dealing with brats is a pain isn't it?"
Before any of us responded to his quip, he started walking into the city, waving at the guard.
"Welcome to Onimiyako!" The older guard gave us a warm welcome.
Nevertheless, Naruto ground his teeth and I placed my hand on his shoulder, shaking my head - To calm him down and emphasize the known futility of trying to clobber Kakashi.
Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself, then squinted at the guard, turning to me, his personal translator, with yet another translation request, "Hey, Akira. What's the deal with this "Priestess" thing?"
Sasuke beat me to the punch and responded, "A Priestess is a princess, but holy."
...Hmm, that is an oddly fitting title, especially given that the Land Of Demon's Priestess is basically royalty, maybe more - Her status is beyond the Daimyo of the Land after all.
Naruto's eyes widened and a Cheshire grin formed on his face.
...
"Way to go, Sasuke." I facepalmed.
We proceeded to follow Kakashi into the city to search for an inn as our base camp for the next two days.
-Scene Change-
Onimiyako.
What can one say?
Streets buzzed with activity as residents donned traditional kimonos, creating a vibrant scene...
A vibrant scene of looking at us like we're aliens.
Which by the distance from home - Isn't far from the truth.
We're probably a rare breed and more than likely all of us just pass by this City to get to other Lands that require Shinobi work, as here in this relatively peaceful land, I'd doubt anything would require our... Expertise.
Moving on...
The City's architecture resembled that of the Land Of Fire's Warring States Era.
Not just the architecture, but the people and guards themselves.
Kimono's for all men and women - For one.
That's been out of fashion for everyone outside the Clans in Konoha for ages now.
And some Clans have started neglecting those.
Distinct uniforms marked the presence of guards, standing out amid the lively crowd.
Notably, guards stood out in their distinct uniforms.
Speaking of guards.
They have no Shinobi, No Hidden Village approximating a Military for this Country, and barely any Combat Effective Jutsu.
They use Bows... That tells you all you need to know.
To put it bluntly, this "Capital City" is as primitive as the outskirts and countryside of the Great Nations.
This issue, prevalent in countries beyond the Five Great Nations, stems from the monopolization of Jutsu, Training Methods, and Chakra-utilization techniques by the major nations.
These techniques are tightly guarded, creating a significant disparity.
A total "Jutsu" monopoly - To categorize it.
That is why Rogue Shinobi are taken so seriously - Village secrets and techniques can backfire really badly.
Some rogues slip away, of course, allowing for some Jutsu to spread and bolstering the underdogs.
Yet, even that does not solve the major disparity.
This specific country, however - Doesn't suffer from this lack of military strength.
Out of respect to the Sage Of The Six Paths, and the fact that the role of the Country's Priestess is to keep a World Ending threat at bay.
The ancestors of the Shinobi Clans have educated their descendants and etched onto the world's culture a few unarguable rules, as they swore an oath to the Original Priestess.
The Land Of Demons is an untouchable neutral zone.
No conflict shall be allowed in there, no matter what.
And most importantly, no one.
And I mean no one - Can touch the Priestess.
Of course, there have been attempts, but the Priestesse's Guards coupled with her ability to allegedly see the Future have thwarted all bold attempts to try anything funny, albeit with the odd sacrifice or two.
By all attempts, I am also including those of previous generations.
Evidently, Future Sight is overpowered.
Regardless, once news of a Konoha Shinobi or something of that sort comes out that they attempted to harm the priestess - That Shinobi is basically better off being a rogue.
It's that severe.
Even as the years rolled by, the evidence of the Sage's existence slowly disappeared and even the prospect of his existence started being put to question.
The oath was never forgotten and was even integrated into Clans that hadn't even existed in the Sage's and the Original Priestess's time.
Interestingly, it's a country whose borders haven't changed in a thousand years.
Currently, we were at the edge of the blocked street the Priestesse's Carriage is supposed to pass through, we got frontline seats courtesy of our Shinobi skills whilst we were surrounded by the noisy citizens that are also excited to see the mighty figure of "Shion-sama".
Apparently, she's our age.
Though the citizens calling her the most beautiful girl in the Elemental Nations does create some anticipation.
I'd wager it's just their zealous bloating of the facts.
"Did you get all that, Naruto?" I asked, babysitting the enthusiastic blonde since Sasuke disappeared somewhere after we checked in at the inn.
"Hn. Gathering information." Were the Uchiha's last words before blending in with the crowded streets of people.
Kakashi... Well, he's Kakashi – that means he's gone.
How carefree!
Leaving me to ensure Naruto doesn't cause an international issue.
Hurray!
So, I was doing my due diligence, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation by lecturing him on the country and the Priestess Role.
I've also let loose Noc, Mir, and a few hundred Whiskers outside the city to find me a distant cave or some narrow passage to fight Round Deer in.
How did I do that?
The good old "I'm going to the bathroom for a dump"
Then proceeding to dive into the shadows of the restroom, hop outside the city, summon my Shikigami, and then go back.
Simple as that, really.
Naruto groaned in annoyance as he leaned further into the railing we were behind, "Argh! I know, I know, stop pestering me!"
I shrugged, "Just making sure."
Excitement rippled through the crowd as a kimono-clad man pointed eagerly, "Here she comes!"
A luxurious carriage approached in the distance, drawing the attention of the giddy onlookers.
The crowd began to roar louder and louder as the carriage got closer, and Naruto was on the edge of his seat.
Or railing in this context.
The luxurious carriage slowly approached us, the marching of numerous guards surrounded it from all sides as it moved by horse.
"Kya~! Shion-sama is looking in this direction!" A fanboy who was on the opposite side of us lost consciousness as he yelled.
...is she that pretty? What's with the overreaction?
Eventually, the carriage arrived before me and Naruto.
"Let's see! Let's see!" Naruto did his best to take a good look.
Through the windows, we saw the figure of Shion.
My eyes narrowed as I analyzed.
A girl our age, judging by her size, the information was correct.
Long cascading light blonde hair, an extremely expensive-looking lavender kimono, and a crown made of gold tying her hair back.
Just then, she turned in my and Naruto's direction, revealing her pale lavender eyes.
Her expression seems to be cold, stoic, and dismissive - Very similar to my Ducky teammate.
Naruto observed with empathy, "She looks... Sad," his tone reflecting genuine concern for Shion.
Sad about what? I tilted my head as I tried to piece together where he had formed such a conclusion.
Sure, she looks grumpy, but Sasuke also looks grumpy and he's not sad now is he?
At least not perpetually sad.
...
Hmm... I don't see it, but Naruto has a knack for those things, so he might be right.
Our eyes briefly connected.
Shion's expression shifted, a momentary widening of her eyes, before returning to its stoic and rather cold demeanor.
It was all in a split second before the carriage passed us and ceased our eye contact.
Did she just recognize me?
...That can't be.
Due to my Kekkei Genkai, I at most only have bounties issued at C - Rank in all the hostile Shinobi Nations.
But here? That doesn't make sense.
"Akira..."
Then what is the other alternative?
"Grr... Akira..."
She does have that Future Sight, but if I remember correctly, that ability is only affected by those in close ties with her and-
"AKIRA-TEME!" Naruto yelled in my ear, breaking me out of my rapid-fire analysis.
I looked at him silently for a moment, as he glared at me.
Only us two here, as the zealous crowd had already run after the carriage further down the road blockade.
...I'm overthinking it; I can't just go and ask her anyway.
"Thanks, Naruto. I needed that. What were you saying?" I smiled at him as I questioned why he'd called out to me.
He sighed, "Let's go back to the inn..." His tone was of sheer disappointment as he walked with a grouch.
Ah, the cruel reality.
I smirked at him as I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, "What? Disenchanted by the Priestess?"
He nodded sadly, his silence answering for him.
I hummed, my tone echoing pure wisdom, "I told you, Naruto. Even if we were to meet a princess, not to have any outlandish expectations."
'Found cave. Under specifications.' One of the Whiskers clones pinged, distracting me momentarily.
Wow, that was quick.
'Under specifications - That means no further construction is needed to make it narrow enough for Beeflejuice to be effective?' I pinged back.
'No. A little more needed for it to work.' Whiskers pinged back.
Naruto murmured, "Yeah... But she did look sad, Akira. We should help her." His tone slowly began exchanging disappointment with resolve.
'Fine. Noc, Mir. Help Whiskers narrow the cavern with whatever materials you can. Chop down trees, and gather rocks. Whatever works. Whiskers, you know what to do. Report when you're done, guys. Thanks.'
Hmm... Was a good call to release the Level 1's.
They've got plenty of time to work.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm just a bit listless lately. Did you say something?" I turned to look at Naruto, who had a resolute expression on him.
"I said... Let's help her." Naruto repeated, his tone almost convinced.
Oh, hell no.
My tone turned cold as I threatened, "I will hurt you. Bad."
-Scene Change-
It's night, and I've snuck out of my Private Room in the inn we're staying at.
It wasn't suspicious since I'd already done so in all the inns we've stayed at in our travels.
So I've got my Team in a rhythm and this is all good.
Forward-thinking for the win!
Now, I stood before the damp cave that some of its sides had been crudely stuffed with rocks and poorly cut logs.
But that doesn't matter, I'm not looking for aesthetics.
As long as it blocks the Deer's escape route and disables its ability to dodge. I'm good.
I'm at roughly 90% of my Chakra, as the boys have managed to finish this up pretty quickly, letting me regenerate a bit of the damage.
Even so...
Sacrificing precious sleep hours to tame Round Deer would seem like a worthy trade.
And it fucking is!
I'm feeling incredibly confident with this setup.
I took out a gas mask from my shadows and prepared the... Morally questionable Poisons and Gas containers, taking the deadliest of them out of their storage scrolls respectively.
"Divine Dogs," I muttered as I formed the shadowgraphic hand sign of a dog head.
A familiar nearly inconsequential dip in my Chakra as felt and Liquid Shadows moved quickly to form the figures of Noc and Mir.
"You guys are sentries, report immediately if someone's within your detection range. Mir you stay here at the entrance. Noc, you run in circles just beyond Mir's detection range, circling it to maximize detection." I ordered.
Both nodded as Noc burst into motion, disappearing into the dark forest.
Alright... That's steps 1 and 2 done.
Onto step 3.
I grabbed a pill - One of the 5% Pills Yukiko had given me for my 12th birthday.
Of course, I am NOT using the experimental pills that are a 15% boost.
Thoroughly tested my ass... I am not fainting from a severe migraine.
With Beeflejuice's taming, stat boosts are basically confirmed to be fair game.
I swallowed it promptly.
And now, step 4.
"Rabbit Escape." I made the shadow graphic hand sign for a Rabbit.
Once again, Liquid Shadows moved in astounding speed to begin forming a swarm of Whiskers.
One by one, I began dismissing them as they formed, until a relatively decent amount of Whiskers was left to reduce the drain.
By decent, I meant more or less a hundred Whiskers.
"Original Whiskers, you know the drill." I gestured to the horde of Whiskers, as a lone Whiskers hopped his way toward Mir, sitting beside him leisurely.
I took a deep breath.
Exhaling, I started, "Okay..."
My heart began to pump, it sounded and felt like a drum.
Not of anxiety, however.
But excitement.
"Follow me." I gestured at the army of Whiskers Clones as I went inside the narrow cave.
Nearly 40 seconds of walking I'd reached the end of the narrow cave, or at this point, it'd be easier to categorize this as a tunnel.
The Whiskers Clones barely managed to squeeze through, as it was too narrow for them all, so they formed lines behind me.
I took note of the width of the cave, I tried to jog up my memory of Round Deer's size.
It should be not that much smaller than Beeflejuice, right?
If so, this should work just fine.
'Alright! Get ready boys!' I pinged to all my Shikigami.
'Good luck.' Noc pinged.
My hands moved slowly to form the Shadowgraphic hand sign of a deer head as I muttered.
"Round Deer."
With my words, the ritual commenced.
Liquid shadows moved quickly to form a Large Deer in front of me.
It barely fit the tunnel we were in, and it definitely looked monstrous.
A towering muscular Deer with four eery eyes and a mark on its left neck.
"GO!" I yelled as I made the Rat hand sign.
Whiskers hopped forward towards Round Deer.
It didn't stand still either as it began charging towards me with its antlers primed and angled at me.
It was... Very slow?
As it charged, it rammed through a couple of Whiskers, their bodies crushed and exploding with guts and blood, coloring the tunnel red.
But those who had managed to hop on top of it began kicking and biting it.
That confirmed that it cannot erase Shikigami.
Good.
The kicks were ineffective, the tunnel resonating with the futile attempts of the Whiskers clones.
The confined space magnified the sounds of the squelch as the clones relentlessly bit and attacked Round Deer.
Blood sprayed, creating a morbid display against the walls, but the healing glow erased the evidence as quickly as it appeared.
Yet, this ethereal glow persisted, casting an eerie light as Round Deer continued its slow charge.
Is that "Reverse Cursed Energy"?
Or whatever its equivalent is here...
"Shadow Possesion Jutsu!" I yelled as a shadow began racing towards the approaching Deer.
As it was about to reach the Deer.
It made contact with the whitish glow being expelled by the Deer, an odd glow that had surrounded its body.
And just like that, the shadow vanished alongside my control of it.
Nigh instantaneously without warning.
The Jutsu vanished?
Eradicated?
Either way, that confirms all I need to know.
Onto the plan.
I dove into the shadows as the Whiskers clones helped Round Deer slow down in its already relatively slow charge.
A few moments later I hopped out of the shadow of a tree perfectly angled in a straight line from the tunnel a decent distance away.
Perfect opportunity to use this guy, finally.
"Piercing Ox," I mumbled as I formed the shadowgraphic hand sign of an Ox head.
A noticeable dip in my Chakra took place as Liquid shadows moved swiftly to form the robust figure of Beeflejuice.
I smirked at him with pure glee, "Do your thing."
And my words, were his command as he began charging without hesitation towards the cave.
His loud, powerful, and weighted steps began to crack the ground as it quaked louder and louder the more he charged.
He began to accelerate, his speed increasing and so did the power behind his charge.
A moment later he reached the tunnel.
Another moment later, I sensed nearly all of my Whiskers clones in the tunnel dissipating.
Finally, the ear-rupturing noise of a loud impact sourced from the tunnel resonated outward loudly.
And with it...
I felt Round Deer's shadow move towards me as a fact was etched into my mind.
I have tamed Round Deer...
I have tamed Round Deer.
I said that twice.
Heh.
Only two left.
I didn't even try to suppress the wide grin on my face.
The drumming of my heart only intensified, and I was already done with the combat part.
'Beeflejuice, outstanding work,' I commended. 'I'll dismiss you now, and your reward will come later. Noc, Mir, continue your surveillance.'
...Do I give him hay or something? Haven't really studied what Ox's eat.
'My pleasure.' He pinged back.
With the taming complete, I focused on the next steps.
Dismissing Beeflejuice, taking off my gas mask, and shoving the other equipment I prepared just in case back into their storage scrolls, I turned towards Original Whiskers and Mir, who sat beside him.
Just then, the five Whiskers that had survived the Beeflejuice's charge also popped out of the cavern.
"Alright, I'll need one of you to be a test subject." I lowered myself to meet the red eyes of Original Whiskers.
'Naturally.' Whiskers responded.
I got up and nodded, forming the shadowgraphic hand sign of a Deer head as I muttered, "Round Deer."
A significant dip in my Chakra, more than I had expected was felt and Liquid shadows followed my declaration and gathered to form the figure of Rudolph.
"First things first," I murmured as I narrowed my eyes at Rudolph, who was creepily eyeing me with those four eyes of his.
The Chakra drain is greater than Level 3 Noc and Mir by a decent margin, but not as bad as Level 3 Nue.
Honestly, as disappointing as that is, it's a bargain judging by the alleged healing capabilities this guy can output.
Don't have much time so...
I grabbed a leg of a Whiskers Clone and tore it out with brute force, a fountain of blood began to ooze out of the Rabbit.
Who hadn't flinched?
Hardcore as always.
Except for Jeff, he's a crybaby.
I commanded, pointing at the injured Whiskers, "Heal him, Rudolph."
Rudolph tilted his head at my command, "Ah. Right, hadn't told you your name. Sorry, was in a bit of a rush. Your name henceforth is Rudolph. Now heal Whiskers, please."
Rudolph nodded as he lowered himself, reaching towards Whiskers with his nose.
Rudolph's nose made contact with the injured Whisker's forehead and both began to glow white.
A small white glow enveloped them both as I gazed with wonder as Whisker's leg began to rapidly regrow - Regrowing in less than five seconds as a matter of fact.
Although I already knew he could do that...
Excuse my language, but holy fucking shit that's badass!
Ahem!
I shook my head as I refocused.
Okay...
No need for contact with the injured section of the body, just the individual for the healing to take effect.
"Do you need direct contact with the injured individual using your nose for the healing to take effect? What about other body parts?" I inquired as Rudolph lifted his lowered head, his four eyes fixated on me.
Who better to ask about the ability of a Shikigami than the Shikigami itself?
...Usually.
'Nose. Only.' He responded.
Alright, I can work with that.
"What about if someone, hostile even, touches your nose? Does it heal them as well? Or can you control it?"
...
He responds, 'I control.'
"How do you heal yourself then?" I question further.
...
He thinks it through.
'My nose. Touch me. All the Time.' He answered.
I deadpanned.
Ah... That simple, huh?
"Then how about dispelling Jutsu with that glow of yours? Whatever that is?"
I'll dive into the rabbit hole of figuring out what that glow is later.
First, I need to understand the fundamentals of what I'm working with here.
...
He took another moment to process, seems like Rudolph's a slow thinker.
'I release. Power outside.' He answered.
...That isn't telling me much.
"Is it the same energy used when you heal?" I dig further
...
'Not sure. I think close. But not. Same'
...That isn't telling me much either.
Okay, last question.
"What is that energy? Can you heal organs?"
...
'Energy is Power. Can Heal. Yes.' Was his final thought-through response.
Hmm... Enlightening information Rudolph, surely.
"Well, we might as well experiment some more, I've got just a few more minutes of Chakra with you around to play with." My eyes narrowed rather ominously towards another Whiskers Clone who seemed completely unfazed by my insinuation.
...I love that Rabbit.
"Well... Time to bask in one of the best nights of sleep of my life," I smirked, gazing with satisfaction at the moonlit sky.
As the moon hung high, casting its ethereal glow, I reveled in the triumph of taming Round Deer.
My Eighth Shikigami.
-Scene Change-
Yet, despite the prior victorious moment...
This was the worst sleep of my life.
Unconsented slumber induced by a literal Demon Fox not included.
But why was this the worst sleep?
Because...
Rather than basking in the satisfaction of a major accomplishment with a good night's sleep, I found myself suddenly fleeing the country with my team.
How did this happen?
Guess.
-Flashback Start-
On the third floor, the door was locked and the window shut.
The sudden sound of someone being beside my bed triggered all of my ingrained instincts.
This could only be another Shinobi.
In a practiced motion, I woke up immediately and reflexively dove for the throat of the individual beside my bed.
Our bodies impacted the hard wooden floor with a thud, me on top of my invader with my hand tightly gripping his throat.
I stretched the nails of my other free hand, to go for the ki-
"AWWKIRA" The tone of the invader, garbled and fearful as it was, made me blink.
Noticing Naruto, his face blue being grasped and about to be killed by me as his arms clawed at my hand that refused to budge.
I blinked once more and let him go.
Causing him to cough madly as his face began to regain color as he hungered for oxygen.
Shit... I was about to kill him.
"W-WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?!" He screamed at me in complete and utter outrage.
"Naruto. I'm sorry... But what in the world were you thinking? I explicitly told you guys not to wake me up, and if you had to... Knock on the bloody door" I chastised, my tone a mix of apologetic and irritated as I pointed at the door.
Calming down, Naruto shook his head, recovering quickly from the literal near-death experience, "Never mind that! We gotta go! Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke are already outside the city waiting for us!"
Huh?
...
"What did you do?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
He growled, "Grr... it doesn't matter right now! What's important is we gotta go!" Wearing his heart on his sleeve, those last words indicated a severe degree of anxiety and fear.
Odd, for the normally clueless and happy-go-lucky Naruto.
Guess this is serious.
It doesn't really change my current skepticism though.
"Alright, I don't really have to carry any stuff on me, let's go." I gestured as I went towards the window and opened it.
He nodded vigorously and we both hopped off the third floor, landing gracefully on the ground without trouble.
To my dismay, the sun hadn't even come up and Naruto's spontaneous invasion of my room woke me up more than I would have liked.
Ah... What a shitty nap.
"We should hurry, they're looking for me!" Naruto told me with a hurried tone.
"...Right." I nodded my agreement, albeit reluctantly, my tone gloomy.
We proceeded to hop from building to building as I followed Naruto outside the city.
The odd shouts of guards looking and searching for Naruto had given me an inkling as to what he did.
-Scene Change-
After around ten minutes of running outside Onimiyako - Naruto and I arrived at the spot where Kakashi and Sasuke were.
Wiping sweat off his brow, Naruto exhaled as he had a wide satisfied smirk on his face, exclaiming, "Phew. We made it out!" His cheerfulness is back in full swing.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes with a threatening edge, "What took you so long, idiot?"
Naruto looked slighted, glaring at Sasuke, "Akira tried to kill me! And we had to dodge all the City's guards! You try and get here so fast!" He pointed a finger at him.
Kakashi snorted at Naruto's words, "With what you did, that's pretty deserved."
Naruto got defensive, "Oi! I didn't even do anything!"
He definitely did something.
"What did you do with the Priestess?" I presented my accusation.
"Nothing! S-She just looked so sad and lonely when we saw her. I know how that feels so I thought it'd be nice to talk to her and try and help her. So I snuck into her room and talked with her." His tone was genuine.
Okay, I see the problem.
First, it seems he thinks a genuine talk to try and help a person isn't a big deal.
Which is true, and very sweet of him to actually try.
...Not when you show up uninvited in the room of a country's Priestess though.
Maybe he thought they were similar and empathized.
The Future Sight is kind of an isolating factor when she blatantly calls out other people's deaths.
...Did he actually listen to my lecture about her!?
Ahem!
Second, it seems my threats have lost their validity as of late, will have to rectify that issue soon.
...But sneaking into a heavily guarded room of the most renowned Priestess in the world with that obnoxious get-up?
Naruto's stealth never ceases to amaze me.
I lifted an eyebrow, "Disregarding how wrong that is... Did you actually help her?"
At that, Naruto frowned in resentment, "No! Forget Holy Princess or whatever she is! That lady's the epitome of evil! She made fun of how short I was and complained about every other thing!" A small whisper of "I drink milk every day..." also followed his words.
Okay, cool.
Pampered and decorated holy figure is an asshole, how cliche.
"And how did that bring us to the current situation?"
Naruto's tone turned passionate, "That demon told me about how those that invade the Priestess's room or whatever and even touch her skin without her permission... Get them... You know, chopped off." He shivered as he described what she told him, making a swipe with his hand to indicate a cut.
Yeowch, the lady's sadistic as well.
Naruto continued, bursting with rage, "AND THEN SHE DECIDED TO SCREAM - "INTRUDER! INTRUDER! HE TOUCHED ME!" WITH A SMILE ON HER FACE! SO I RAN AS FAST AS I COULD, ESCAPING GUARDS, AND WENT TO GET KAKASHI-SENSEI AND SASUKE."
The weight of his words settled heavily on my shoulders, bringing me face-to-face with our current predicament... Or Naruto's predicament for that matter.
Sasuke questioned, his face still pale at the prospect of Naruto's punishment were he to be caught, "They wouldn't truly... Do that, right?"
Kakashi hummed, "Mah, who knows? This place is very traditional, they could actually do it. What is certain to come, however, is a letter of admonishing towards Lord Third and the Village."
At that, Naruto got extremely pale, and Sasuke sympathized as a fellow member of the male species.
Me? I don't care. Naruto deserves that for going for it, despite my effort to warn him.
Kakashi then turned to me, "Akira, why didn't you stop him?"
Oh, the nerve.
I turned to glare at him, "Don't blame me. You're the Jonin Sensei here." I shrugged.
"Besides, good luck getting an earful after we're done by Lord Third with that letter he'll be getting from here," I smirked at him.
Kakashi exhaled in defeat, as his shoulder slumped.
Victory goes to me!
He shook his head, his tone filled to the brim with enough regrets for multiple lifetimes, "A shame... And here I just thought of a perfect jutsu for your fighting style."
Oh, that petty fucker...
"BAHAHAHAHHAHA!" Naruto howled with laughter pointing a finger at me.
"HE GOT YOU GOOD! AKIRA!" Naruto held his belly from all that laughter.
Kakashi chuckled as well, "You'll be getting your punishment as well soon, Naruto."
At that, Naruto slumped so fast it gave me whiplash.
His mood swings could give Ino a run for her money.
Although one thing bothers me...
"Why didn't you wake me up earlier as well? Alongside Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke?" I pointed out.
Naruto then turned sheepish as he smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his head, "Erm... I forgot, hehe~"
...
As I was about to pummel the blonde gremlin to the ground, the shouts of people searching for us echoed through the forest we were in.
"That's our cue, let's go," Kakashi ordered.
And we followed through, disappearing into the night forest, intent on leaving the country and continuing our journey toward the Land Of Woods.
A shame... Not even a day and already causing an international issue.
I'd hoped to relax a little and even gather a bit more information on the location of our troublesome mission.
Besides the fact it's looking more than a little rough in there, I've got nothing.
Hopefully, Sasuke managed to gather some information and he hadn't left me to babysit Naruto for nothing.
-Flashback End-
To Be Continued!
-Omake Start-
Title - Sasuke's Reconnaissance (Canon)
-Third Person POV-
After the "bold" claim that he'd be off to gather information about the Country they were supposed to go and deliver scrolls to.
Sasuke was not having a good time.
Perhaps, it had even been better to also babysit Naruto in this case - But Sasuke truly had no interest in the Priestess whatsoever.
It's been three hours, and every time he tried to ask a male citizen a question regarding the Land Of Woods.
It was irrelevant information relating to the person's trade - Like the quality of Land Of Wood's Cattle Hide from the odd leatherworker.
Or... When he was about to ask a question, he was swarmed by a bunch of girls his age swooning over him.
...Was it his smell? He never understood what caused this irritating phenomenon.
Regardless, Sasuke seized the infuriating yet relevant opportunity, "Anything you can tell me about the Land Of Woods?" He'd ask.
Amid the flirts, at most, the city girls seemed to be completely geographically uneducated as they stuttered an answer or confidently responded with an embarrassingly incorrect answer.
And those who did know didn't really care enough about it to tell him anything useful.
Or, he'd even receive rather suggestive and extremely bold responses like this... "Could you tell me about your Wood~?" The girl swooned and purred.
Excuse me? Wording!
Yes, it seems Akira's words were wrong - Sasuke surmised.
Countryside and Foreign Girls are not in fact, the best.
They were all the same... Clingy, overblown parasites.
-Omake End-
-Author Note Start-
Heyo my beautiful! Lovely! Patient! Dedicated Readers!
It's me!
Did you miss me?!
Cause I wouldn't miss me ;(
Just kidding!
I've been feeling a little goofy, so I hope that didn't overreflect in the chapter and taint it too much lmao.
Hope the chapter was to your enjoyment and up to quality and stuff.
This is my last chance to be goofy for a while, cause The Land Of Woods arc is going to be rather... Complicated lol.
And I couldn't just skip a month's worth of travel just like that in half a chapter now could I?
(Well I could, and I did for the first three weeks with a short summary - But where's the fun in that? I have to live up to my self-proclaimed "Master Of Pacing" Title.)
Hopefully, I didn't bite more than I can chew about this arc though XD.
But I'm trying my best so that this arc surpasses the Land Of Waves Arc. So wish me luck! :P
Anywho, Akira's got Round Deer - The taming was rather simple all in all, support type Shikigami and not very strong.
Chakra cost a bit of an ouchie but not too bad for what it offers.
A lil goofy Naruto shenanigans as always and his protagonist luck kicked in with them meeting Shion.
Speaking of her, you won't be seeing her for a while so yeah XD
The interlude is to foreshadow the future arc related to her, if ya couldn't tell :P
-Down here is the copy paste stuff-
As always people! If you see any inconsistencies, wrong information, Illogical statements, etc... Notify me, please! I'll fix it ASAP! And or explain it later on in case I had planned to make it vague in the first place.
Also, all comments, reviews, constructive criticism and so on Are much appreciated! I especially love Constructive criticism because it allows me to improve the story in real time! I try my best to follow your advice!
I enjoy responding to you all! So do send them comments! Also, ideas are also welcome! I'm not that creative so assistance from you guys is always nice! Yup!
I hope you lovely people have a fantastic rest of the day/week. And I'll see you in a week's time or so :P
Cleopatra lived closer to the invention of the iPhone than to the building of the Great Pyramid. Here's this week's random fact.
-Author Note End-