Chapter Four – The Girl with the Cait Shelter Tattoo
0.0
Naruto blinked once as his mind re-adjusted to the unfamiliar ceiling.
It was normal for his body to do this, having been on the move a lot in the past few years. He supposed it was better to get used to this one; he was going to be here for a while.
Covering his mouth as a yawn escaped him, Naruto took a momentary glance around the guestroom. Well, his room now. It was spartan in design; more functional and practical than the 'homey' vibe he got from Wendy's room. Still, it was more than enough for him. Besides, he could always find a few odds and ends to spruce up the place.
The blond got up, giving his body a slight stretch as he did.
His mind went over the events leading up to the last few days. Honestly, he hadn't expected Chief Roubaul to accept him into the guild so easily. He was under the impression that it took a lot more to enter, like some sort of feat of strength or trial to prove his worth, but all it took was a few words and he was in.
Naruto reached for his black under-shirt which he had draped over the backrest of a chair, having allowed it to air out overnight. He really needed to something about his lack of clothes. Thankfully, Magna had asked him to drop by to help him with his little situation.
Opening the door to his room, he sneaked a peek out the corridor. There were no outward signs that indicated his new roommates were awake; they must like to sleep in, or maybe it was just his unnatural body clock. Throwing a final glimpse at the door to Wendy's bedroom, he left the house, remembering to step over that particularly squeaky wooden floorboard he had discovered last night.
Once outside, Naruto couldn't stop that small sigh of contentment as the warmth of the sun's rays washed over him. A few of the other members were already out and about, carrying wicker baskets on their backs as they walked off towards the forested areas. He greeted them with a small smile and a friendly wave; something which the others returned.
Knowing that their house was pretty remote—clustered in a row of houses a good distance away from the guild—he decided to walk the scenic route to fully take in the sights of the hamlet. Banners displaying the insignia of the guild in a wide array of colours, large empty ceramic vases left off to the front of the houses, and the occasional wooden sculptures in varying degrees of poses were just some of the oddities that caught his eye.
As he stopped to stare at the tall wooden structure behind the guild, a voice called out to him:
"You are the new member, yes?"
Naruto turned towards the direction of the booming voice where a hulking, black-haired man sat on a crate. He wore next to nothing except for the brown fur boots and tattered old cloth that covered his nether regions. The man's black eyes never left his as he continued to sharpen the steel bit of his large axe with a thick piece of whetstone.
"Yeah, Naruto Uzumaki. I never saw you at the guild last night."
How could he have not?
The man stood up, swinging the large axe that was as tall as him and securing it behind his back. At his full height, he practically dwarfed Naruto. He held out a large, calloused hand to the shinobi.
"I am Grognak," the giant said simply, pointing his gaze heavenwards.
"Nice to meet you."
Naruto tried not to wince as the force behind the handshake caught him unaware; Grognak certainly had one hell of a grip. Not wanting his hand to be crushed by the other man, he equalled the handshake.
"You have a strong grip and eyes—the eyes of a warrior." The barbarian let out a roaring laugh, scaring a few birds that were resting in the nearby trees. "It is rare to meet a young warrior with such strong eyes." He patted Naruto on the back, causing Naruto to lurch forward before the man guided him into the guild tent. "Come, brother, let us check the request boards."
Right.
Roubaul had mentioned the boards to him previously, but it had totally slipped his mind in his haste to make up with Wendy last night. As they entered the guild tent fully, Naruto noticed, with growing alarm, just how quiet the place was. There were only a few scattered people lazing around the mess hall.
"Uh, Grognak-san, where is everyone?"
The towering mage paused in his steps, rumbling under his breath; something which Naruto took for an indication that the man was listening. "I have deemed you as my brother now. Please do not feel the need to be so formal. You may call me Grog, young warrior."
"Well," he said, smiling. "I suppose you can call me Naruto too."
If Grognak had heard him, he sure didn't act like it as he surveyed the tent. "To answer your question, the rest are off to gather materials for our trade."
"Trade?"
"We are a guild only in name, young warrior." Grognak ignored the small, depressed groan at the use of Naruto's new title. "Our guild is made up of descendants of the ancient Nirvit tribe. As such, we tend to shy away from the other towns. This is a reason why we receive so few mission requests. To compensate, the rest began to fabricate crafts of our local culture to sell to the other towns."
"Oh, so that mean Wendy is from this Nirvit tribe as well?"
Grognak shook his head, the act causing his long black hair to swish over his bulky shoulders. "Wendy is not of the Nirvit tribe. Much like you, she is an outsider who joined our guild four years ago."
"Outsider, huh?"
The tall man was startled by his reply; perhaps aware that his words may have been a bit too blunt. "It was not meant to be a derogatory comment. I apologise if it may have sounded that way, but that is what we refer to those who are not of the tribe."
"Oh, okay then," Naruto said. "So is that what you do around here too?"
Grognak chuckled heartily, but there was fire in his eyes as he spoke, "No, much like you, I live for the thrill of battle. Though at times like this, I am—" his eyes flashed at the barren mission request boards, "—simply unemployed."
He frowned, taking another look around the almost desolate tent. "Does this happen a lot?"
Grognak closed his eyes, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Not necessarily. At any given month, we receive an average of twenty requests, but admittedly, it has been a slow month. I myself have not found a suitable one yet this month."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. Had he really made the right choice in joining this guild? How was he going to survive here? It wasn't like he had any other skills besides fighting. More importantly, would staying here really help him return home? Without thinking, he bit the inside of his cheek, already considering the other option.
Should he just leave?
"But do not be troubled, brother!" Grognak said, a panicky tone seeping into his booming voice. "There are other ways that you can earn Jewels. Why, I can teach you the ways of the hunt. You would be amazed at what some of the merchants in the other towns would pay you for finely skinned pelt."
Naruto frowned.
"That so?"
Grognak slung an arm over his shoulder, pulling him away from staring longingly at the mission request boards. "I'm sure a request will turn up soon. After all, we can never know what tomorrow will bring us." The man raised his free arm, as if reaching out to some imaginary horizon.
"I guess..."
"Good." Grognak forced out a bellowing laughter, dragging him towards one of the tables in the tent. "Let me introduce you to some of the other mages." With a forceful shove, he pushed the blond into the unoccupied seat. "Greetings, bravest warriors of Cait Shelter! Meet our newest brother and member, Naruto Uzumaki!"
A light blue-haired woman with strange facial markings, shaped in the form of odd rectangles adorning her forehead and cheeks, eyed him. A small spark of recognition reached her eyes. She ducked her head down, making the cowl of her large cloak cover her features in the shadows and away from his gaze.
Next to her, the block-headed man that was resting his head in his arms groaned, massaging the nerves under his short ponytail in annoyance. He levelled an annoyed look at the giant, displeased that he had interrupted his cat nap.
"Do you have to be so loud so damn early in the morning?" the black-haired man asked, before turning his attention to Naruto. "We've met..."
Oh, wait.
He remembered this guy from last night.
"You're Busk-san."
The man scoffed. "Yeah, and you're that kid who cleaned me out in the races yesterday. Thanks for that, the missus tore me a new one when I got home." His hand snaked to his lower back as he straightened into his seat. "Ended up sleeping in that stupid, lumpy couch last night."
"Sorry about that."
Naruto hoping that his apology would appease the grumpy man. It wasn't his fault that his turtle was faster.
"Mah, it's all right." The pony-tailed man waved his hand dismissively, a small smirk growing in return. "I can just win it back from you in the next race. You'd better not skip out."
Placing a false cheer, Naruto smiled at the older man. Like hell he was going to lose all that Jewels he earned from the races; it easily covered up his expenses and then some over the past two weeks. Judging from the poor inflow of requests, gambling was beginning to look like his only source of income.
With a final nod at Busk, Naruto turned to the oddly silent woman.
"Ah, I didn't get the chance to introduce myself last night, my name is—"
"Naoki," she murmured, interrupting him.
The woman took a small glance at the blond before turning away again, clutching the small cup of tea tighter in her hands. If he hadn't seen her lips move, Naruto could have sworn that the quiet murmur was just a breeze drifting in the tent.
"Nice to meet you, Naoki-san."
As time dragged on, he could feel the awkward tension thicken. He twisted in his chair, pointing at the request boards behind him.
"Are you guys waiting for a mission to show up too?"
Naruto could honestly appreciate how his village operated. It helped that Konoha was one of the five great powers, but to think of the administrative duties the others had to handle when it came to mission requests back home; he was glad he just had to show up and there was a mission available, but here...
Was this how it felt to be in one of the minor villages? Lazing around until something came up?
"Yeah, it's been about a week since something came in." Busk yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth as he did. "Hmm, something will come in eventually and when it does—" he slammed his hands on the table, causing his mug to teeter, "—it's off to the races again!"
To his left, Grognak narrowed his eyes in disapproval. "Perhaps you should cut back, Busk. You've been losing a lot recently."
"Nah, that just means that my windfall's gonna come soon. I can feel it in my bones, Grog. This next race is going to be the one," Busk trailed off as he noticed the sceptical looks around the table, causing his lips to curl in vexation. "Bah, you'll see," he said, standing. "I'm gonna get going. The wife asked me to head to Diligeon to get some supplies."
Without even acknowledging anyone at the table, he strode towards the entrance, a sheet of paper clenched in his hand.
Grognak rumbled under his breath. Turning to the blond, the man placed a hand on his shoulders, smiling. "I must apologise, Naruto, but if you would excuse me, it appears that there is a pressing matter that I need to attend to."
Naruto blinked owlishly before responding, "No problem."
Grognak nodded, immediately on Busk's trail as he rushed out of the tent, all the while under the watchful gaze of the Guild Master.
Naruto took another glimpse around the tent, the whispers from the other members reaching his ears as they failed to be discreet in looking at him. He resisted the urge to sigh, chalking it up to the fact that he was the new guy here. Naruto tried to block out the stares and murmurs as he smiled at the silent woman, saying the first thing on his mind:
"Have you had breakfast yet?"
Naoki remained silent, ducking her head down again as her hands—albeit shaking—remained glued onto the tea cup like a lifeline.
0.0
Wendy looked at the obstacle standing in the way of her objective, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "What if... what if he's still sleeping?" she whispered.
"Then the logical thing to do would be to knock on his door."
Wendy shushed her, placing her forefinger over her lips. "Not so loud, Carla. We could be disturbing him."
"That would save us the hassle of waking him up."
Wendy glanced back at the door again, frowning. She fiddled with her hands. "He might be grumpy."
Wendy didn't like the look Carla was giving her. It was like when she wandered off into the forest without telling her or when she wanted to sleep in for just five more minutes. That look did not bode well for her. She reached up and rapped on the door. Apparently, it was too soft for Carla's taste, judging from the way she crinkled her nose.
"N-Naruto," she called out.
There was no response.
"Naruto!"
The door was nudged open just enough for Wendy to sneak a peek in. She had forgotten that the door knob for the guest room was loose; she really should tell Naruto that later. Meanwhile, Carla had taken the initiative to barge in. Not far behind her, Wendy followed suit, whispering for the small cat to come back outside.
"He's not here," Carla said, looking around the room for anything out of the ordinary. "He must have left."
Wendy's hands shot up to her mouth, her face etched in shock.
"Eh?!"
"No, I meant the house," Carla said, rolling her eyes; not that the young girl saw it. "He must be at the guild tent. I'm sure that some of the members would have seen him."
"Oh..."
Her eyes kept glancing back at the entrance to their home, just in case Naruto came back. After all, she didn't want him to think that they were snooping around. Imagine what would happen if he caught them in his room.
She swallowed.
"Maybe... we should leave now?"
It didn't help that Carla ignored her as she continued to rummage around the room. She was in the midst of drawing open the panels to his wardrobe.
"Carla."
Wendy rushed over with the intent to scoop the stubborn cat into her arms. Carla didn't resist like she normally would, instead both of their attention were drawn to tattered orange jacket inside the wardrobe.
Carla raised a brow at the piece of clothing. "I wonder why he's still hanging onto this thing."
"Ah, maybe it was given by someone close to him?"
"Could be..." Carla said distractedly. "You're right. We should leave."
Wendy nodded, closing the panels of the wardrobe. She glanced around the room to check that everything was as it should be; just to ensure there were no outward signs of their intrusion. Not finding any, she marched out of his room, not breaking her stride until they were both out of the house.
"Let's not do that again, Carla," Wendy whispered into her companion's ear.
Carla hummed a quiet agreement.
As they headed towards the guild—intent on finding their wayward roommate—a few of the members called out to her, greeting her with their usual smiles, but it was Magna that drew her attention. The elderly woman was struggling to carry a large box that covered the upper half of her body; it was only by her usual striking outfit from the waist down that Wendy was able to identify her.
"Magna!" Wendy called out, rushing over to the woman and releasing Carla in the process. She positioned herself at the other end, sharing the burden.
The woman's laughter was muffled. "Why thank you, dear. These old bones weren't what they used to be."
"Uff! Where are you going?"
"Your house, dear. These are just some of the old clothes my husband used to wear. I thought that the newest young'in would like to have a look at it. Nabura only knows how long he's been wearing his old clothes."
Seeing a chance to help the duo, Carla volunteered to locate their roommate, to which the elderly woman expressed her gratitude with a smile. Soon enough, they arrived at the house, setting the box inside their living room with a certain degree of difficulty; the door being the main obstacle.
"Would you like something to drink?" Wendy asked, wiping the small beads of sweat forming on her brow.
"No need, dear." The elderly matron took a small glance around their modest home, before settling a knowing look at Wendy. "How is your new roommate? I hope everything's going... smoothly?"
Wendy ducked her head down, embarrassed by the sudden inquiry. "Everything's fine. Uhm, we had a talk last night so..." Suddenly, she found the wooden floor very interesting.
Magna smiled in relief. "I'm glad to hear that. He seems like a sweet young boy; I'm sure he didn't mean to be rude."
"Y-Yeah."
Not long afterwards, the sound of the door opening drew their attention, as Naruto entered the household with the small form of Carla trailing after him. He grinned, scratching the side of his head.
"Sorry, I wanted to meet you the first thing in the morning, but I didn't know where you lived."
"It's all right," Magna said.
Holding her back as she bent over to rummage through the contents, her voice echoed in the box, "I thought you might want to have a look through some of my husband's clothes. It's a little old, but still wearable." She held up a vest, holding it against his shoulders. "This used to be Pel's old hunting gear. He looked so strapping in it back then."
Magna extended her fingers as she measured the length between the crook of his neck and his arm, clucking her tongue. "It's slightly big now, but I'm sure you'll grow into it just fine," she said, patting his shoulders as she tried to pick off the stray threads clinging onto the material.
Not wanting to be left out of the fun, Wendy reached inside the large box; her legs dangling in the air as she delved into the mass of clothes. She grabbed the first thing that caught her eye: a brightly-coloured poncho similar to the ones that were worn by some of the members back when she first joined Cait Shelter.
"Ah, Naruto... try this on!"
"Now that looks familiar. I remember how Pel used to wear that," Magna sighed, closing her eyes in remembrance. "Ah, to be young again," she told them. "Go ahead. Let's see how it fits."
His smile strained, Naruto ultimately cowed. "Sure... but is it all right for you to give me all this, Magna-san?"
"All these clothes have been gathering dust in storage. It'd be better if someone got some use out of them. Besides, it's not like Pepel will ever use these again." Seeing Naruto's confused look, Magna clarified for him, "Time has not been kind on my dear ol' husband."
"You look nice, Naruto," Wendy said, blushing.
Naruto smiled at her. "Really? What is this?"
"What's with you young'ins nowadays? Have you never seen a poncho before? These things were really popular back then," Magna said. "Now then, I should let you three be. The others should already be back with the supplies. Oh, and remember if there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask."
Naruto reached out a hand to stop her. "Ah, could you wait for just a minute, Magna-san?"
Wendy watched as the older boy rushed into his room, having already guessed what he was about to take. Maybe she was right, perhaps his orange jacket held sentimental value to him. It didn't take him long to return with his tattered jacket.
"Wendy mentioned you were really good at sewing," Naruto said. "I really don't want to bother you so much, but could you help me mend this jacket? When you have the time, I mean."
"Of course, dear." Smiling warmly, Magna gave it a quick look-over, tutting as she examined the individual cuts. "You must have been in a pretty serious scrap."
"Well, you could say that. It got caught on those thorny vines that snapped at you when I was cutting through the forest."
"You were in the Evil Forest?" Magna asked, tutting. "I don't see a problem with this. With just the right shade of orange and some black threads, I could have it done within a couple of days."
Naruto brightened. "Really? Thanks, Magna-san, and for the clothes too."
"Oh, think nothing of it." She held the jacket under an arm, waving as she stepped out of their house. "Goodbye, dearies. Don't forget to come down to the guild tent whenever you're hungry. I'll make Pel whip something up for you in a jiff."
Wendy returned the wave as the woman left to head back to her station. The older boy next to her copied the gesture with gusto. His lips were twitched upwards in a sincere smile, accentuating the whiskers marks on his cheeks. She had never really noticed it before, but turned away before she was caught staring, looking around for Carla as an excuse.
Where was she anyway?
As if answering the question, the cat's head popped out from the large box, pushing away the flaps. She was holding onto a piece of clothing. With a deadpan stare, Carla held it out to Naruto.
"This one next."
0.0
Naruto found himself lazing on the couch in their living room.
The duo had subjected him to an arduous make-over session as they went through each and every article of clothing in that damn box; all of which had been organised inside his now full wardrobe.
A makeover wasn't the most enjoyable thing he could imagine doing this afternoon, but he complied with their wishes, knowing it was futile to resist. In the end, he settled for wearing what he had worn before, which the two didn't necessarily approve but never really hated at first glance either.
That was good enough for him.
The hunting vest was nostalgic to wear, modelled in the same design as the standard Chuunin attire back home; maybe a few shades of green different. The material was softer and thinner and the vest fell a bit off his shoulders, but like Magna had said, it was still wearable. The strange chef must have been a little bit huskier back then as compared to his lean build now.
He wore the poncho over it.
It helped that the poncho had splotches of orange mixed with the red, white and beige patterns. Carla had said that it would help him to blend in with his guildmates since his old clothes made him look like an outsider.
Naruto absentmindedly fingered the small Cait Shelter's crest above the left breast pocket. It felt nice to have something reminding him of his village, even if it was just a simple piece of clothing. That was why he was a little antsy over the condition of his jacket. It was one of the few things he had left to remind him of his home, especially since it was given to him by Jiraiya-shishou.
"What's that you're reading?" Naruto asked, noticing the young girl flip through a magazine in her hands.
Wendy perked up, happy at the distraction. It seemed she was getting bored at the stifling silence as well. "It's the Weekly Sorcerer," she said, holding up the cover depicting a female mage in a scantily-dressed outfit, holding onto an odd wooden stick in between her thighs.
Naruto tried not to jump to conclusions.
"It's a gossip rag," Carla said sourly.
"It's not so bad." Wendy held out the well-worn copy to him; it looked like she re-read it quite a bit. "The issue is a couple of weeks old, but you can still read it if you want."
He felt his jaw lock. Wendy was coming dangerously close to his dirty secret. Well, one of his dirty secrets anyway. He waved it away a bit too eagerly; something which the small cat noticed.
"Nah," he told her. "It's fine."
"Why don't you want it?" Carla asked suspiciously.
"I don't really read such things."
"It's not just about gossip. There's other stuff in here too." Wendy flipped through the pages, stopping at an article that showed a backdrop of the continent. "There's even information about recent mage activities."
"Maybe later," Naruto said, standing. "I have other stuff I need to—"
Carla was having none of it. Taking the offered magazine out of Wendy's hands, she held out the article in front of him. "What does this say?"
Naruto squinted, feigning near-sightedness as he leaned in. The jig was up. He knew there was no other way out of this predicament. An honest man would have stood up and admit his failings, and in doing so, he would gain the respect of his peers. Sadly, this was a shame that went beyond what Naruto could bear.
"I... uh, lost my glasses." Seeing the looks of disbelief directed his way, he snatched the magazine from the small cat, gripping it tight as he stared at the foreign words. "Fine, I can't read this stupid thing!"
Wendy shirked back.
"Y-You can't read?"
"I can read!" Naruto spluttered, pointing at the large font of the article header. "Just not... whatever this is."
Naruto reached for the sealing scroll in his pants, knowing that his master's book would help to elaborate his point. He activated the scroll, releasing the book and sadly, his used underwear which he had forgotten to remove, much to the amazement of his roommates.
"W-What is that?" Carla asked.
He scowled at her, hiding the offending article behind him. "It's just underwear."
"No! I mean how did you do that?"
Oh, right.
Naruto realised his mistake immediately. Maybe it was too much expect this world to know the art of Fūinjutsu. Eh, it wasn't like they were going to get it anyway, so he lied.
"Magic..." He held out his master's book to stop the inevitable protest from the grumpy cat. "I'm more familiar with these types of characters."
The duo brought their heads together, leaning in to examine the book. From the stumped look on their faces, it appeared that they couldn't make heads or tails of it.
"I've never seen anything like this before... Carla?"
"No, but I've heard stories about ancient languages used sparsely in some of the other kingdoms." Carla paused, handing the book back to him. "Are you from one of them?"
"Yeah," he said distractedly. At least he could pass off as someone from these other kingdoms if anyone got a little curious about him. He would have to learn more about them, but ancient languages? That piqued his interest; he had never heard about such a thing. "Is there anyone else you know that can read these ancient languages?"
Wendy shook her head. "Maybe you could try asking Chief Roubaul?"
Naruto filed that information away for the moment, he didn't want to be too hasty and divulge anything about his origins. Not until he was sure that he could trust these people with his life.
"A-Ah, Naruto," Wendy said. "Carla and I could help to, you know..."
Naruto looked at her strangely. "Help with what?"
The young girl fiddled with her dress. "I have some of the old books that I kept around when Chief Roubaul taught me how to..."
Naruto blinked once.
"Oh."
He was grateful that Wendy was doing her best from uttering out the dreaded 'R' word. Turning to Carla, he found that she was as impassive as ever, but she acknowledged him with a small nod. Naruto looked away, hoping that they won't see how embarrassed he was. If the guys back home knew he was getting tutored to learn how to read from a young girl and her cat, they would flip out.
His words were barely audible as he gritted out:
"Okay."
"Eh?! I-I didn't catch that."
Carla merely waved her off. "It's okay, Wendy. I heard it just fine." She turned to the Dragon Slayer, a small smirk adorning her lips. "Go get the books. The colouring ones in particular. We should get started."
Apparently, Wendy didn't catch the insult.
"Okay," she said, her eyes glimmering with excitement. "Don't worry, Naruto. We'll get you reading in no time!"
Naruto sighed as he watched the girl dash into the room, intent on picking out her reading books. He purposely looked away from Carla, knowing that smug smile of hers would only rile him up further. He was beginning to regret telling them he was unable to read, even though it was a handicap he knew he had to address sooner or later. The cat's small giggles drew his attention again. Eyes twitching madly, he did the only thing he could think of.
He threw the boxers in his hand at her head.
Her small shriek of disgust was like music to his ears. "H-How dare you, you... uncouth—"
0.0
"We're here!" the dark-haired girl interrupted.
Wendy stared at her roommates that trailed after her. Whatever had happened in that brief time when she went into her room had these two bickering like an old married couple. Carla was tight-lipped about the incident. When she turned to Naruto, he would only give a smile and point at the feline; it only infuriated her long-time companion further.
"So this is where you usually train?" Naruto asked.
Wendy nodded in reply.
A couple of hours into their study session, the older boy had declared that he was bored; something his clones had readily agreed with. At first, she was alarmed when they disappeared around their small living room, but Naruto had explained the workings behind his clone magic.
Wendy was amazed, to say the least. He was just so powerful. She couldn't believe that he was still able to learn wind magic and that odd thing he did with that scroll.
Just what else could he do?
Curious, she suggested showing him around the area; this place in particular. It was a large clearing in the small clumps of trees located atop the cliffs, behind the guild tent. She had discovered this place just a few months prior. After asking for permission from Chief Roubaul, it became one of the few places she frequented to practice her Dragon Slayer magic.
Not that she was any good...
Naruto walked up to the tree closest to him, leaning in close and rapping his knuckles against the thick trunk; it was as if he was testing the quality of the trees. He closed his eyes and nodded sagely.
"This is a good place to uh, train."
"Thank you?"
Wendy chose not to question his strange methods. Maybe it was a common practice where he came from, and the last thing she wanted to do was to insult his traditions.
"Idiot," Carla said.
Wendy cast a suspicious eye between the two. It certainly looked like their relationship was progressing further than she had thought.
"So Wendy," Naruto said. "You never really explained how your Dragon Slayer magic worked."
"A-Ah, my magic isn't as good as yours."
He waved her off, saying, "Don't be like that. I'm sure it's awesome. Right, Carla-chan?"
Carla ignored the jibe, but still nodded at his question. "It is one of the most powerful magic I have ever seen; few could compare to having one as strong as hers."
Wendy ducked her head down. It wasn't that great. Carla was always exaggerating. How could her simple support magic compare to Naruto's clones? Even Carla had mentioned that he looked like a capable close-combat mage; nothing like her at all.
"Come on, if you'll show me what you can do, I can show you one of my techniques."
"Really?! You'll show us your Wind magic?"
Naruto shrugged, appearing nonplussed. "I don't see why not."
That sounded like a fair deal. The young girl fiddled with her hands. She had never shown her magic to anymore asides from Carla and Chief Roubaul. Maybe it was better to start with one of the spells that she was most familiar with; it was the first spell Grandine had taught her.
"Fast winds that run the heavens..."
Wendy held her hands out as she began the incantation, feeling the familiar rush of wind as her magic manipulated the surrounding air. Her magic seal appeared before her, shining a soft blue as the glow encompassed her body.
"Vernier!"
A soft, rustling wind was the only thing that could be heard in the clearing.
Naruto looked around. "Uh, what is it supposed to do?"
"W-Wait! So-Sorry!"
Wendy chastised herself. Her nerves had gotten the better of her once more. She had to work fast before the effects of her spell faded; it was one of the shortcomings that she was hoping to overcome with practice.
In the blink of an eye, she covered the short distance between Carla and her, scooping the small cat into her arms. Carla yelped, irritated that she had suddenly become a part in her demonstration. Feeling mischievous, she rushed forward to round up behind Naruto, hoping to spook him.
"Boo!"
Only to scare an empty space...
"Great." A hand patted her on her head, startling her enough to let out a frightened 'eeep'. "You're almost as fast as me."
Wendy looked behind her, seeing the grin on Naruto's face shattered what little confidence she had in her abilities. The gap between them was too great. There was no way she could compare to him.
Naruto tousled her hair.
"What's with that face? You know what I would have given to be as powerful as you when I was eleven?" he said, puffing his cheeks out at her. "I was still fooling around in school at that age."
"She's nine," Carla said lazily.
"That's even better! You must be some kind of prodigy or something."
"W-What do you mean?"
His hand snaked to the back of his head, looking uncomfortable as he turned away. "Well, I was pretty awful when I was a kid, but I started to shape up when I realised I had to get stronger to protect the people close to me."
"People close to you?"
Naruto shook his head. "It's a pretty long and complicated story." Just as she was about to question him further, he waved her off. His gesture left no room to rebut, so she left it alone. "Now's not the time for it. Besides, I owe you a demonstration, don't I?
"I'm going to show you the same thing I saw when I first started out my—er, Wind magic training." He reached into his pouch, pulling out two of his kunai. Much like a magician performing a trick, he held it out to the her and Carla, letting them examine the odd knife. "Granted, I'm not as good as Asuma-sensei when using these things, but I'm pretty decent."
He rubbed the tip of his nose. The small grin on his lips did not help his façade to remain humble. With a deft flick of his wrist, the kunai sailed across the clearing, embedding itself in the tree a few metres away.
"That's it? That's your Wind magic?"
"Carla, it's still pretty good," Wendy said, but found herself frowning. From everything she had assumed of Naruto's prowess, she expected more.
Naruto just laughed it off. "No, that's just what would happen if I use my strength. This—" he held up the second kunai, twirling it around by the ring, "—this is what happens when I combined it with my wind element."
A translucent blue energy began to form over the blade as he channelled the element into the kunai. With another simple flick, he threw it at the same tree just a few inches off to the left than where the last one was marked. The kunai easily pierced through the tree, bypassing another before burying itself into the third, right up to the hilt.
"That was just a teaser," Naruto said. "So I didn't put too much into it. The real thing is a lot more dangerous."
"Wow..." Wendy murmured. Her features then twisted into a small, jealous pout. "I wish I could do something as powerful as that."
"Eh? What are you talking about?"
She hesitated for a moment before explaining, "You see, I'm only good at support magic."
Carla seemed to disagree as the feline smacked her forearm. "Nonsense, how many times must I say that magic is not all about brawn?" she admonished, turning back to Naruto. "Wendy is able to use one of the most powerful healing magic this world has ever seen. That is why she is known as the Sky Dragon Slayer."
Naruto eyed her with approval. "You're so young and you already have such a cool nickname. When I was your age, people just called me dead last."
"B-But how can they? You're so strong!"
"Eh..." He dismissed it again with a non-committal shrug. "Like I said, it's a long and boring story, but I trained hard to get to where I am today. Slowly, some of them began to change their opinions of me. It didn't happen overnight."
"That's right," the Exceed in her arms said. "You're expecting too much to happen in such a short amount of time. Even I can see that your Tenryuu no Houkou has improved thanks to your training."
Naruto perked up. "Sky Dragon's Roar? That sounds... cool."
Wendy stilled.
How did Carla know about that?
Wendy had made doubly sure to practice the attack in secret. She wasn't really proud of that particular attack; its power barely being able to shake a tree branch, much alone compared to the raw, visceral power of Grandine's roar.
"It's nothing!" she yelled.
Carla, as always, had other ideas. "It's an exceptionally powerful attack that separates a normal mage from a real Dragon Slayer."
"That so?" Naruto said. "Then, why are you embarrassed about it?"
"It's because she's having troubles with—"
Wendy clamped a hand over the cat's mouth, her face red, not in anger, but from embarrassment. "Carla, stop talking!"
The older boy smiled, snapping his hands as some sudden realisation reached him. "Ah ha! That's your first problem. You should never be ashamed to ask someone for help. There's nothing wrong with that. I do it all the time."
"Maybe that's because you're unintelligent," Carla forced out through the cracks of the young girl's hands. Her voice was muffled but they could still make it out clearly; the cat couldn't resist the small dig at the blond.
"Thanks for that," Naruto said darkly, before refocusing on Wendy. "But really, if you want I can help you out."
"You'll... help me?"
"Yeah, think of it as a way of paying you back for the uh, you know—" he made a motion with his head, obviously referring to his remedial reading classes, "Besides, I've always wanted a cute apprentice of my own. Maybe this was how my Master felt about me." As he looked to the cloudy skies, a small sigh escaped his lips. "Was I this wide-eyed when I was twelve?"
Excitement bubbled in her chest at the idea of receiving training from someone as powerful as Naruto. Her eagerness gave way to hesitance and she stilled when she noticed the look he was giving her.
"Now's a good time as any time start," Naruto said, grinning. "C'mon, show me what you've got!"
Perhaps she was biting off more than she can chew...
0.0
"So like I said, just try to visualize what you want it to do, then do it." Naruto paused, frowning. "I know it doesn't sound helpful now, but you'll get it; give it some time. That's how my Master taught me and look how I turned out."
"Hmm, so the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Naruto rounded on Carla, saying, "That's enough snippy comments from you! I won't have you badmouthing my Master. I'll have you know that he trained my—"
Wendy tried to pull away from the bickering duo, walking with longer strides so that she would reach the guild tent first. It was more out of hunger and exhaustion than desperation to get away from them.
It had been a week since Naruto first arrived. True to form, he was beginning to fit in with the rest of the guild, especially with Carla. That particular relationship had blossomed, and despite the bickering, she knew it was just Carla's way of making him feel welcomed.
It certainly was an odd way to do so.
Still, Wendy felt that she had gotten closer to Naruto over the past few days. His easy-going and cheerful nature made him more fun to hang around with than Carla, though she would never mention that out loud. Although, she could do less with the training, but it was for her own good, and Naruto would not have anything less.
She was amazed at the variety of spells and the power he wielded in his magic. Yet, the older boy had once told her that it was not the full extent of his abilities, saying that it was too dangerous to be used for a simple demonstration.
"—and he became one of the most powerful men in our v—"
Maybe she could walk just a bit faster...
The warm, comforting glow of the guild tent beckoned her, promising to soothe her ailing and tired limbs. Still, it didn't mean that she couldn't have a little snack first.
Wendy pulled her mouth wide open, gulping down on the refreshing summer air, which only made it more delicious because of the cool weather. It always taste better at night or after a heavy rainfall, with that cool, minty tang. But she had never tasted the air during a hurricane. Or how about a desert?
What would that taste like?
"—best, period!" Naruto said with a huff as soon as they entered the guild tent.
Wendy didn't hesitate to dash to an unoccupied table, seeing the form of Pepel carry a tray of dishes in his hands as he waddled towards them. She was grateful that Magna had asked the chef to prepare their meals beforehand.
"Why look at the lot of ye, making a ruckus as soon as yer' inside," Pepel said as he placed their meals in front of them. "Why I'll have ye know when yer as old as me, ye tend to—" His eyes clouded over before snapping out of it as soon as it happened. "—and that's the story about why we used to put onions down our pants to ward off the fleas." He smiled down at them. "Have a good meal, you little scamps."
Wendy giggled into her hands. She knew that the chef wasn't senile; it was a running gag they had since she first joined the guild. As always, his antics did not fail to put a smile on her face.
"You know, I think there's something wrong with him," Naruto said in between bites. "He tried to kill me again the last time we talked."
Wendy choked on her water as she recalled the incident. Now, that had been funny... and maybe a bit dangerous too.
"I can't imagine why," Carla drawled.
"Fine, fine, I'll stop talking."
Although he never did, but it was still infinitely better than eating in silence. Eventually, the others joined in, doing their best to keep up their conversation with Naruto. Their new roommate found every single thing here interesting.
Apparently, even down to...
"I didn't know you could do it like that," he said as a small blush latched onto his cheeks.
"Neither did I brother, but we learn new and strange things every day. Very, very strange things," he said, a knowing wisdom laced in his tone. "You will never know what knowledge will be bestowed upon us tomorrow."
"I still find it dumb," Busk said sleepily. "It just won't work, I tell ya."
Wendy felt left out to be honest. She had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. Even if she asked, Carla would snap at them not to.
No one messed with Carla when she got snappy...
"Wendy," Naoki whispered, her eyes shifting around the table as she leaned into her ear. "How's your training?"
The Dragon Slayer answered with a tired smile. At least someone was willing to put up with her.
"It's going great."
It wasn't that the woman was purposely blasé; she was just... timid. Wendy knew that Naoki always preferred short replies. Any more than that, the woman would clamp down and drink tea excessively. It had freaked Naruto out when she did that the first time he met her. The older boy had confided in her that he was still antsy around the blue-haired woman because of it.
Just as she was to take another bite of Pepel's roasted chicken parmesan, Chief Roubaul cleared his throat. She hadn't notice him sneaking up behind her.
"I have a surprise for you, Naruto," he said, smiling amiably.
"A surprise?"
Busk slammed his hands on the table, sending their mugs to teeter dangerously. "I knew it! You're going to change the races to a weekly thing, aren't ya?"
"I said it was a surprise for him, Busk, not for you."
"Dammit!"
"Now as I was saying," Roubaul said, pulling out a sheet of paper from behind him. "It's a mission request from the town of Diligeon. Thankfully, I was fast enough to register it for you before any of the other guilds could."
Busk cut in, "Hey! Wait a minute, why the hell does he get special treatment?!"
"Oh! A first test for our brother," Grognak interrupted the pony-tailed man, clapping Naruto on his back. "It has been foretold in the stars that you will succeed in this endeavour."
Naruto sneaked a quick peek at the request, smiling tightly. Even though he had made leaps and bounds in his studies, Wendy knew he couldn't just grasp the language immediately.
"Isn't this nice?" he said with a small laugh. "Why don't you have a look, Wendy?"
Wendy took it, snatching it away from his hands. She wasn't angry. She wasn't. But as she stared at the mission request, the indescribable look of (not) resentment in her eyes threatened to burn the paper under her (not-so) sharp gaze.
Okay, maybe she was a little angry.
It was a monster encounter request—one of the more common mission types. The level of difficulty usually depended more on the clients. In this case, he was supposed to help clear out a stranded ship that, in the words of their client, had a malevolent spirit that wouldn't allow them to moor their ship at the wharf. The strange paranormal activity had forced the crew to abandon their ship just off the coast of Diligeon.
It was bound to be exciting.
"It sounds great, Naruto. I'm sure you'll enjoy it," Wendy said, plastering a fake smile as she handed the mission sheet back to him.
"Schmoyoho!" Roubaul cheered as he clapped his hands together. "That's exactly what I was thinking. I'm sure that the three of you are bound to succeed in your first official request as a recognised team of Cait Shelter."
Wendy blinked owlishly. "I'm g-going too?"
"Why, of course, Wendy. Hasn't Naruto already told you? He was the only who brought up the idea to me in the first place."
The boy in question shrugged, feigning disinterest. "Meh, I assumed you knew."
Slowly, Wendy turned to the last obstacle that would stop her from going; expectant eyes boring into Carla's own as hope and excitement bubbled in her chest.
"It was my idea in the first place," Carla said, throwing an annoyed look at Naruto. "Don't go stealing my credit."
Naruto shook his head, but just as he was about to retort, an ear-piercing shriek filled the tent:
"Kyaa! My first mission!"
Omake: Please Insert *Self-Insert*
"—and so the Hokage leapt off the cliff, not caring that he could die if he did so." Naruto paused, a budding sense of self-satisfaction swelled within him as he noted the young girl grimace in exasperation and annoyance.
"Naruto, don't stop there!" Wendy whined, sitting up in her bed to reach out for his hand. "I don't think I can wait until tomorrow night."
He shrugged. Just as he was about to continue, a derisive snort coming from the small form at the other side of the bed cut him off.
"Something you don't like, Carla?"
"Honestly?" Carla scoffed. "Where do I start?" With a flick of her paw, the feline unsheathed her claws, much to the surprise of the other two occupants in the room. She ticked off a claw.
"First: this Hokage fellow of yours is unashamedly modest, yet incredibly powerful that people would herald him as a God. Second: your hero is so handsome that women instantly fall in love with him just by looking at him. Third: he's had such a tragic childhood, but we suddenly find out that he is somehow the long-lost son of the village leader and next in line for the coveted position?"
Carla was relentless. "Fourth: some time in that tragic childhood of his, he managed to master a musical instrument to the point where he captivates everyone with his singing. Don't get me even started on the—"
"Shut up!" Naruto hissed, clapping his hands over his ears. "You're so stupid! I didn't ask you to listen!" He started rocking back and forth. "It's my story, my rules! If you don't like it, read—listen to another story!"
He stood to leave, eyes clenching shut as he dashed out of the duo's bedroom.
"W-Wait, Naruto!" Wendy called out to his retreating back. "Don't listen to Carla! I really like your story." She gave chase. "You never told us what happened to his relationship with Shion and the other girls. Does that mean he'll have a hare—"
Luckily, she was cut off when Naruto slammed the door to his room with an emphatic bang.
"You didn't even get to the part where he faced off against Uchida..."
Cait Shelter — Mages Guild Card
Name: Wendy
Age: Nine
Magic: Sky Dragon Slayer Magic
Likes: Carla
Dislikes: Dried plums, and to the same extent, vegetables
Notes: A young mage of Cait Shelter, and more notably, the Sky Dragon Slayer. Her prowess in her magic is still largely undeveloped, but she has shown considerable promise, especially in her support and healing magic, though not much else according to her best friend and fellow guild member, Carla. Not much else is known about the young girl, but the story behind her sudden dislike of dried plums in the past few days has a direct correlation with the appearance of their new member, Naruto. She has declined to comment on the incident stating that she was too embarrassed to do so.
~A-Ah, I hope we can get along together!~
Side Note: Done!Thanks for the support!
Fox Smell: IMO, you do not make living constructs of chakra into animals without it gaining some semblance of the animal itself. In this case, the smell. Since his clothes haven't been washed since his close encounter with Kyuubi, the scent was diluted over time with his own sweat and musk. That's why Wendy was only able to get a whiff back at the guild.
Illusions: If it's not clear, the way I imagined them to be is that Roubaul shaped them to be exactly like the original Nirvit tribe he knew back when he was alive. I won't go in detail with the other guild members because there's close to thirty, so I'll just be focusing on those I've introduced beforehand.