A/N I have a discord. nJ2Pw7waEM
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Akame Ga Kill. All rights go to their respective owners. Now on with a story
Shadows of the Empire - chapter 1
-/\/-
The village once known as Konohagakure no Sato was currently completely in ruin. Not a stone remained unturned. And despite the villagers' efforts, the path to recovery would still be long and tedious. It didn't stop anyone from working day and night to bring it back to a shadow of its former glory. One by one, new houses took place of the old ones. Among them, the new Hokage tower proudly overlooked the recuperation.
On the rooftop, her green cloak billowing in the wind stood Senju Tsunade. The Godaime Hokage (fifth fire shadow) of Konoha. Back during the invasion, she put almost everything she had into trying to preserve the lives of her villagers. Slug summons spread all over the village to provide communication and healing to those in need. It almost cost her her life. She knew that at her age, at best such effort would've put her in a coma. The fact that she could now stand and lead the village was only thanks to Pein, the attacker, who as his last apology restored the lives of all who died in his attack. It also inadvertently returned some of her lost strength. Enough that she could guide the restoration effort.
"Milady, the delegation from the capital has arrived." Shizune, Tsunade's ever-loyal apprentice arrived at the top of the tower.
Tsunade wordlessly nodded and walked to the stairs. She's been expecting them and watching the caravan approach the tower. She picked up the robes and the hat that Shizune brought to her and entered the tower.
Inside the audience room, there were already several people. The most prominent was a bulky young man with tan skin, green eyes, and white hair. He had a noticeable X-shaped scar on his face. He wore a white, skintight shirt that revealed his stomach and white pants. Next to him were three soldiers. Each wore a black coat that reached their knees, military boots, and a beret-like helmet with a mask that covered their faces.
Tsunade walked past the men and took a seat in a chair. The atmosphere of the room made it look almost like a throne. Mostly because the desk was still missing for now.
"My name is Syura, son of Prime Minister Honest of the Grand Empire."
"We are aware of your identity." Tsunade dismissed him. He was acting altogether too… pompous for her liking. He didn't even try to hide that he held some disdain toward her and the village in general. "The Daimyo has informed me of your delegation."
"Well, yes." Syura was clearly baffled. He didn't expect such casual treatment. "I came to hire you lot. The Empire is in need of mercenaries."
"Currently, the village is not accepting any mission requests. Return once the repairs are finished." Tsunade ordered.
It seemed as if she might've slapped him and it would have been a lesser offense. An ugly snarl marred his face for a moment until he gained a smug grin. "I was told of your plight. And I came prepared." He snapped his fingers and the soldiers stepped back to reveal a large chest. It was at least ten feet tall and fifteen feet wide. When one of the soldiers pried the top open, the four walls fell down to reveal a pile of golden ingots. "I assure you that the empire is willing to compensate for your trouble."
Tsunade bit her lower lip, using the shadow cast by her hat to hide her face. Such money could easily speed up the recovery period from years to months. Materials, workers, supplies. If they had spare funds, they could release more shinobis that would let them start taking other missions earlier.
"What exactly do you expect of us?" She tentatively asked. She was painfully aware that Syura already knew he got her in his pocket, but with the village in its current state, she couldn't afford to be picky.
"A violent group of insurgents is plaguing the Grand Empire. They present themselves are the defenders of the people, but according to my father, they are merely paid assassins and thugs who use political agendas to hide behind and gain the support of the people. Some citizens even started to believe in their cause."
"You want them gone." Tsunade guessed.
"Yes. The biggest problem is a group of assassins known as the Night Raid. They target crucial personnel to soften up the Empire before the rest of the insurgents can swoop in and claim victory. Nobles, wealthy merchants, and crucial military and civilian personnel."
"I see…" Tsunade reclined in her chair. "Is the group the only target?"
"No. The payment is supposed to cover more general aid in the battle against the insurgents. I only thought that Night Raid deserves special attention."
For a moment, Tsunade simply stared at the diplomat from the shadow of her hat. He was a rat, but he was honest. A combat mission. Definitely S-rank. She needed someone reliable. Two combatants at the very least. An assassination specialist, and another to face an army. A scout for unfamiliar terrain. And someone trained in interrogation and capture. Three of the four were easy to fill.
"Fine. Provided the gold checks out, Konohagakure no Sato accepts the mission. Shizune!" She called
"Yes, milady?"
"Get me Hatake Kakashi, Yamashiro Aoba, Namiashi Raido…" She paused, mulling over the last choice. All of the selected were more assassination oriented. She needed someone that could face down an army if it came to it. Currently, between the available choices, only one she could spare for such a mission. "And Uzumaki Naruto."
"Milady? Are you-" Shizune began, but she was interrupted.
"I gave you an order." She couldn't afford to dwell on the decision too much, lest her emotions influence it. From a strategic standpoint, sending Naruto was the best choice. While his clones were marginally useful in construction, they were too fragile and clumsy to be of proper aid. Compared to other 'army killers' at her disposal, he was the only one that she could afford to send away. And he would be actually better protected out there than if he stuck around the village.
She reasoned that while the Shinobi were aware of the other continent, travel there still took at least a month in one direction and that was when the sea was peaceful. Only the bravest merchant ships dared to ferry goods or people between them. To Tsunade's knowledge, in the last decade, maybe two dozen ships made the journey safely. Though apparently, the latest of them brought a large shipment of gold in addition to the stuck-up diplomat. It was enough to easily pay for three similar missions in any other village. It was only luck that Konoha was the one that the visitors chose. Were they to arrive in another port city, they might've ended in Iwa or Suna or any of the smaller villages instead.
Naruto traveling there would most likely be safe from any attacks directed at him And should the need arrive, the toads could summon him back. Yes, Naruto was the safest choice.
"What's up Baa-chan?" Think of the baka and he shall appear.
"Speak to Tsunade-Sama with more respect!" Shizune yelled.
"Sorry." Naruto noticed the guests. "Who's the guy?"
"In a moment, everything will be explained. But first, I believe it's been put off for too long. Uzumaki Naruto. In recognition of your skills in Senjutsu and combat prowess, as proven during the recent invasion, I hereby grant you a promotion to the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin." She presented him with a scroll that she has written earlier. "Kakashi shall explain to you what your new rank entails."
"Yatta! I'm gonna get your hat, you just watch."
"Is that supposed to be… one of the shinobi I've hired?" Syura looked at the teen with narrowed eyes. "I hope this is a joke."
Naruto turned to look at him. "Who's the guy?"
"Naruto, this is the client for the mission you are being assigned. Kakashi is the team leader and I will explain the details as soon as the others arrive." She then turned to the Prime Minister's son. "Syura-san, you are surely aware that the village recently came under attack." The man nodded. "The crater that was once the village was made with just one Jutsu."
"Are you telling me that this squirt is capable of destroying the village?"
"Obviously no." Tsunade dismissed him before a mocking grin appeared on her face. "Uzumaki Naruto is the one who killed that man."
Now that got Syura's attention. The kid was clearly more skilled than his demeanor let on. He had to remind himself that he was now dealing with the mysterious Shinobi and not simple mercenaries. From what he read in the Imperial Archives, they were a semi-religious sect that utilized something called Chakra to achieve feats otherwise impossible. Spies, Saboteurs, Bodyguards, Assassins.
"Very well. When will the others arrive?"
"Yo." Kakashi chose that moment to reveal that he was already in the room for some time. He dropped from the ceiling and pocketed the book he was reading. "Congratulations on the promotion, Naruto."
"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." The blond grinned.
The other two Jonin entered the Hokage's office soon after.
"The four of you are being assigned S-rank assassination and termination mission. The Grand Empire on the continent of Kashmir is currently facing a rebellion. Your mission is to quell it. You are to especially focus on eliminating a group of assassins known as Night Raid, who serve as a form of vanguard for larger insurgent groups. As with any private S-rank mission, enhanced leaf protocols are in effect. I expect you to either already know them or familiarize yourself with them before you leave the borders of Hi no Kuni." The last was directed at Naruto, who now sported a serious look on his face. A stark difference from the happy-go-lucky idiot that Syura saw just a few moments ago. "Hatake Kakashi is the team leader for this mission. The rest of you are free to leave and pack while he stays for in-depth debriefing."
"Pack for fifteen months of no-support environment." The white-haired Jonin ordered.
"The empire will be more than willing to provide for you for the duration-" Syura began, only to be cut off by Kakashi.
"And we will be grateful for any support provided, but the protocol dictates that when going into a potential warzone, all shinobi are to be ready to act without established supply lines. At worst, it will be used as an emergency stash should we encounter any troubles later on." He shrugged, giving Syura his patented eye smile.
-/\/-
Naruto happily rushed through Konoha. He got a promotion. And he was now Tokubetsu Jonin.
"Take that Sakura!"
Then, an idea appeared in his head and his grin got even wider. Only for another idea to enter his mind. He quickly created two shadow clones and sent them away with a list of tasks to prepare for the mission tomorrow. Then, he skipped to the newly-opened Ichiraku Ramen.
As the next day arrived, he was bright and early by the gates. He had one of the brightest smiles anyone has ever seen on him. And the reason was rather simple. He now wore an orange Jonin vest over a black shirt with a white swirl with a tassel on the left sleeve and black pants. He had a kunai pouch attached to his right hip like before.
When Kakashi arrived, he took a look at his student and shrugged. He then pulled out a book. Paused. Took another look. Closed the book.
Through all of this, his expression didn't change even a bit.
"Naruto… Where did you get this vest?"
"Oh! I was afraid you didn't notice!" The boy beamed. "When I went to get a vest for my promotion, I ended up asking the guy in the provisions if they had one in orange. He said that he'd have to check and returned with this beauty a few hours later!" He twisted in place to show off his new outfit.
Kakashi held back the urge to groan. How his student managed to get a custom-made vest in less than twenty-four hours would forever be a mystery to him. Just another point to the long list of Naruto breaking reality.
"Say, Kakashi-sensei. How is it that you're on time?" Naruto spoke up again after a moment. "I mean I came here an hour earlier because I couldn't sleep, but I kinda expected you to be late."
"I… it appears that the Hokage gave me the wrong departure time…" Kakashi hid his face in the book. This was not his day it seemed.
Finally, an hour later, the rest of the party arrived. Syura now had ten guards with him, in addition to the four shinobi that would accompany him.
-/\/-
The voyage began without trouble. Pirates were rare in this part of the sea and were rarely stupid enough to attack a ship that flew an Imperial Navy flag. As such, Kakashi had a lot of free time to drill the proper procedures into Naruto throughout their trip. Though it was still up in the air how much the boy would remember. Even with four additional clones that sat there to help memorize all of it, it was tedious.
Over half of the journey passed without serious trouble. No pirates, no storms, not even an unfavorable wind. It seemed that they would-
"Battle Stations! We're under attack!" One of the sailors burst into the mess hall where Naruto was currently eating his dinner.
"Wha-" Before the blond shinobi could do anything other than shoot up from his seat, something crashed through the ceiling, killing the newcomer. A giant snake's body now filled over half of the mess hall. Each of the sea-green scales that covered its body was as big as Naruto himself.
As it retreated, it revealed a monstrous visage of a dragon that towered over the ship. On the top deck, the shinobi seemed to be already engaged in the fight. The ship must've gotten off course as they were now close to jagged rocks from which the monster appeared. It floated above the water and seemed particularly hungry.
"Kage Bushin No Jutsu!" (shadow clone Jutsu). Naruto formed a cross seal and dozens of his copies rushed out into the fray. They quickly paired off and started forming Rasengan.
"Rasen Chou Tarengan!" (Ultra-Many Spiralling Serial Spheres)
Under the barrage of attacks, the monster retreated, but not before swiping its tail once again. Raido flew away into the darkness of the night. The last they heard from him was a sickening crunch as his body slammed into the rocks.
Kakashi was standing next to Syura on the observation deck, sending Jutsu after Jutsu at the monster. Flames and Lightning lit the sky every few moments.
"What is that monster!?" Naruto called to the nearest sailor, who frantically tried to operate a cannon.
"A Dangerbeast! Super-class one. I've never seen such a monstrosity before!" The cannon fired, sending a ball of fire and steel at the monster's head, only for the beast to shrug it off as if it was nothing.
Aoba leaped into the air while blitzing through the hand seals. "Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique). A torrent of flames shot from his mouth and took shape of a dragon head. The Jutsu flew right into the monster's head, obscuring the dragon's vision. Some of its hair was set on fire.
The beast roared in pain and fell into the sea.
For just a few seconds, the ship's crew and passengers let themselves hope that it was over.
The dragon burst right through the center of the ship, tearing it in half. Its massive jaws closed around Aoba before the Shinobi could even let out a scream. The wreck started to sink into the sea as the beast trashed around, picking sailors like snacks one by one. It finally turned its gaze toward the observation deck where Kakashi and Syura stood. The beast reared its head, preparing to strike.
"No! No! No! No!" Naruto roared. He refused to lose Kakashi now. Pure rage flooded the blond's veins.
Pink light lit the deck where Kakashi stood.
Naruto leaped into the air, causing the deck under him to crack from the force.
"Rasengan!" Red chakra swirled in his palm, forming an orb of rage and destruction.
A fraction of a second separated Kakashi and Syura from becoming lunch.
The monster smashed into the empty space they occupied just a moment before.
Red Rasengan smashed into its throat, grinding at the scales. At first, the dragon's body was proving stronger than Naruto's signature Jutsu, but the teen refused to surrender. Corrosive, red chakra formed around the Jinchurki.
One tail.
The Rasengan started to chip off some parts of the scale. It was barely holding stable as Naruto poured more and more chakra into it.
Two tails.
Cracks formed all across the scale, causing the monster to roar in pain.
Three tails.
The beast let out a final roar before Kyuubi-powered Rasengan tore its throat. The attack didn't stop as Naruto lost sight of the situation. The only thing that mattered to him now was to destroy that beast. The Rasengan burst into an explosion of vermilion currents that further chopped at the monster's insides.
Naruto's body started to fall down into the sea just as the monster's corpse crashed into the ocean. His skin was slightly burned from the damage caused by the chakra.
Waves crashed into his body as the violent sea currents dragged him into the open sea. Fighting against the forces of nature, he managed to climb onto one of the scraps remaining from the ship. Ensuring he was secure, he allowed himself to drift into a meditative trance as he absorbed nature's energy. He would need strength to reach some safe place.
-/\/-
The 'raft' (if the piece of scrap that Naruto used to float could be called that) slowly drifted through the sea. On it, the teen kept meditating. In the water, an exact copy of the boy was swimming and pushing the raft.
"Boss… why am… I the one… pushing…" the clone complained.
"Because I'm the original." Naruto shrugged. "We're close. I can sense a ship nearby."
"I see them!" The clone called.
"Help! Hey! We're here! Help!" Both started to call as soon as the ship became more than just a dot on the horizon.
From the ship, something blue flew up and started to head toward Naruto.
"Yes! Here! Help!" Naruto kept calling. He foolishly tried to stand up on the raft, only for it to start to tip over on the side. He could balance on a stone slab on top of a spike for hours without a problem. But trying to stand on it was somewhat counterproductive to such a goal.
Soon, the blue thing turned out to be a piece of armor that could fly in the air. The wearer floated above Naruto's raft (that the shinobi managed to stabilize after some struggle).
"Huh. Are you two twins?" The armored man said before he caught himself.
"What?" Naruto then realized that his clone was still in the water. With a mental command, he dismissed his copy and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "That was just a shadow clone. Hey, could you help me get to the continent? My ship crashed."
"Absolutely. The Imperial Navy is here to help. Name's Wave." The now-named Wave extended his hand, which Naruto grabbed.
"Thanks, man." Naruto allowed himself to be flown toward the other ship. "What kind of Jutsu is that? The one that lets you fly?"
"Jutsu? Nah. It's my Imperial Arms. Grand Chariot."
"Huh?" Naruto decided that he can ask questions later. For now, he could just be happy to finally be out of the sea.
As soon as they arrived on the ship, several marines arrived with a guy that was clearly the captain, if only by the number of gold decorations on his armor. He had short, blond hair under the captain's hat.
"Welcome, young man. My name is Captain Zuko." The man smiled. "If you don't mind, I would like to ask you some questions. It's not often that we encounter survivors so far into the Wild Sea."
"Sure, but I would kill for some ramen right now. I knew that I should've packed some into my rations, but the book said that the food should be fit to be consumed cold so I couldn't even pack my instant cups." Naruto rambled, which made the captain laugh.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to have someone inform the cook about your preferences. For now, I can offer some tea."
"That's great." Naruto nodded and followed the Captain and his guards inside the ship. They arrived in a rather spacious office-like room. In the center, there was a desk with a high-back office chair behind it. On the opposite side, a simple metal chair stood. Naruto took a seat and waited for the captain to take his. Idly, the shinobi noted that in addition to two guards that now stood behind the captain and two by the doors, now there were two more that took position on the far sides of the room.
"Let's begin easy. What's your name?"
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto."
"And profession?" The captain continued.
"I'm a shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato." The revelation caused everyone in the room (bar Naruto himself) to visibly tense.
"Really?"
"Yeah! Tokubetsu Jonin Uzumaki Naruto. I'm on a mission to the Grand Empire. Here, lemme show you." Before the soldiers could even try to stop him, Naruto reached into one of the pockets on his vest and popped it open. A small, scroll fell into his hand. He unrolled it and handed it to the Captain, who carefully read through it.
"You've been hired by Prime Minister's son?" Zuko asked just to double-check.
"Sure. If you mean the guy with the strange scar on his face and white hair."
That made the soldiers relax. It seemed that they didn't need to worry about their guest.
"May I inquire how did you end drifting on the ocean alone?" The captain rolled the scroll and handed it back to Naruto, who quickly popped it back into his pocket.
"Well, we were sailing to the Empire when this huge dragon attacked our ship. I'm telling you, it was gargantuan! It almost cut the ship in half with just its tail."
"I see… are you the only survivor?"
That question made Naruto pause. He… he couldn't remember much. The last thing before he charged the dragon was that it was trying to eat Kakashi. The next thing he remembered was the cold water next to the body of the dead Dangerbeast.
"I'm… not sure. The fight was chaotic. I…" A flash of pink light echoed in his memory. "But Kakashi-sensei is too tough to just die. I'm sure he's okay." Naruto grinned and gave the captain a thumbs-up.
"I'm sorry, but you're the only one that we've found so far."
"Captain, didn't Lord Syura arrive in the capital just yesterday with an unknown stranger?" One of the soldiers asked. "You know, the silver-haired one that always wears a mask that covers the lower half of his face."
"That's gotta be Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cheered up.
"Well… yes." The man grumbled before quickly regaining his composure. "We can drop you off at the nearest port, Master Shinobi. From there, you'll have to find your way to the capital yourself."
"No problem." The teen nodded. "So… about that ramen?" Naruto asked, making the captain shake his head.
-/\/-
"Thanks again for the lift!" Naruto waved to the crew of the ship that brought him to the port. The sailors were busy loading the supplies, but Wave walked over to the Shinobi and extended his hand.
"No problem. That's part of the job of the Navy. You would never guess how many fishermen get shipwrecked by Danger beasts each year."
Naruto shook his hand. "Still, without you, I'd have to swim until I reached the shore by myself."
"I'm afraid you'd die of hunger long before that my friend." The blue-haired sailor dismissed Naruto's claim.
"Nah. Kakashi-sensei made all of us pack supplies for a year. I had plenty."
"Then why did you almost empty our kitchen!?" Wave yelled in surprise.
"Because that stuff tastes like cooked cardboard." Naruto shrugged and walked away.
The journey to the capital was entirely uneventful, though probably made largely by the fact that Naruto dashed through the treetops at Shinobi speed, which in practical terms meant that he covered the distance that normally takes several weeks in just six short days. He was sadly forced to once more rely on the rations he packed with himself as the sailors didn't have food to give him and there were no roadside taverns on his way. Or at least he couldn't find any.
The capital was an imposing city that sprawled seemingly all the way to the horizon. It was enormous. In Naruto's mind, nothing he's seen in his life could come even close to the city he was seeing. It just went and went on forever. And in the center, on a hill high above the neighborhood, towered the Royal Palace. His destination.
"Well, if those sailors were correct, Kakashi should be in there." Happy to finally arrive at his destination, Naruto dashed forward. He had to reunite with his sensei.
-/\/-
"No can do, kid. Scramble." The guard at the gate sneered.
"What?" Naruto stared at the man with eyes wide open. "But I was part of the group hired by that Syura guy! I need to get in."
"Look, you want to see the Prime Minister? Come during the meeting hours like everyone else. It's too late today and Minister Honest is done for the day."
"But… where am I supposed to sleep? We were promised the full support of the military."
"There is nothing about that on the scroll. Get lost before we throw you into the dungeon for attempting to break into the royal palace."
"May the log abandon you in your time of need." Naruto cursed and walked away. "Now I had to figure out what to do until tomorrow." The rumbling of his stomach reminded him of the most important issue. "I need to find some good ramen here." With that oh-so-important goal in mind, the shinobi wandered into the trade district.
To his dismay, no one ever heard of ramen there. Like ever. He tried in at least ten different bars before he finally gave up and ordered a normal meal and paid for a room for the night up front.
"Hey there, fellow blondy"
A young, curvaceous woman joined in. She had short blonde hair with two long tufts that frame the sides of her head and golden eyes. She wore a revealing outfit with a black tube top, detachable sleeves, pants, boots, and a scarf around her neck.
"Hey?" Naruto answered with a mouthful of lunch-slash-dinner. It didn't seem to deter the girl.
"I noticed you're definitely not from around here and wondered if you might be looking for someone to show you the sights." She leaned forward, giving Naruto quite an eyeful of her breast. They seemed almost hypnotizing to the young shinobi. The only time he had seen a pair this big was on Tsunade. He swallowed.
"Nah. I'm good." He gave her his best smile. "Thanks for the offer but I'm sure I'll get a tour later on."
"Really now? What brings you to the city if I may ask?"
Naruto paused for a moment, considering his options. Technically, this was a total stranger, but his mission wasn't secret.
"Come now. No need to be afraid of little ol' me." The girl in front of Naruto smiled. She reached her hand and slowly traced her finger over the top of his hand. "Or maybe you're ashamed of why you came to this beautiful city."
"Ashamed? As if!" Naruto proudly declared. "I'm…" He caught himself before he revealed too much. "I… I'm not sure I'm allowed to say."
"Eh. You're so boring." She waved her hand for the barmaid to bring them something to drink. "Well, then what can you tell me, mister mysterious?" She gave him a lopsided grin. "Is your name a secret?"
"I'm Uzu…" He paused, remembering what he learned about the naming convention on this continent. "Naruto Uzumaki. I'm from Konohagakure no Sato. You?"
"You can call me Leone. I'm just your average big city girl." She leaned back and happily accepted the mug of beer that the barmaid brought. Naruto curiously took his and smelled it.
"You look like you've never seen beer before."
"Beer?" The shinobi looked at his new friend curiously.
"Seriously? Never? Where in the world did you come from?"
"I told you. I'm from Konoha. Back on… uh…" He cursed himself for not paying enough attention to geography. "Jomon! Yeah. The continent of Jomon."
"You came all the way from another continent?!" Leone almost jumped out of her seat. "I never met anyone from there. You've gotta tell me all about that mysterious land of yours."
Naruto looked at the girl who kept staring at him with wide eyes. She seemed to have already downed her mug of beer while he was yet to start on his own. He shrugged and took a gulp from his own.
The taste was… definitely unique. It wasn't bad, but Naruto couldn't imagine drinking it every day. It also left an aftertaste of alcohol in his mouth.
Seeing Naruto drink, Leone waved for the barmaid to basically keep them coming.
"So. Tell me. Come on! Tell me." She gave him a great impression of puppy eyes. "Pwease?"
"Okay. Okay. Log damn it." Naruto sighed. He drank a bit more of the alcohol in front of him and started to talk.
As time passed, he could feel himself get drunker and drunker. It wasn't exactly a new experience. Jiraya took him to a bar every year to celebrate his birthdays and the first time Naruto (then still inexperienced) consumed Sake like it was fresh water in the desert. The hangover the next day left him bedridden for the whole day. After that, he made sure to avoid excessive drinking.
This time was somewhat different. First of all, beer was much weaker than sake. Secondly, he was very distracted by Leone, who was extremely eager to learn everything she could about his home. Later, Naruto would admit to himself that her chest was definitely helping her keep the attention on her and nothing else. He honestly lost track of what he did and didn't already tell her and might've started from scratch a few times. The alcohol in his blood made everything fuzzy.
"I'm gonna go take a quick leak. Wait for me, okay?" Leone gave him a pretty smile and walked away.
About twenty minutes later, the barmaid came with the receipt.
"Wait a min… mun… minute. I didn't drink all of it." Naruto tried to argue, pointing at the large pile of mugs that his companion left. He was quickly regaining his senses.
"She said that you will be covering the tab and left."
"But… Wha?"
"You owe us…" The price she gave almost made Naruto faint.
"Bu… That's all my money. And then some." He tried to argue.
"We can cover part of the bill with the money you've paid for the room."
"And where am I supposed to sleep then?" Naruto protested.
"Maybe you should've thought about it before you drank half of our stock." The barmaid huffed. "Now are you paying or should we call the city guard?"
"Fine. Fine." Naruto groaned. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble with the guards. He had a meeting tomorrow and Kakashi would be pissed if the young shinobi ended up in prison.
Resigned, he walked out of the bar into the city street. It was already late into the night. He sadly caressed his gama-chan, now all but empty of his savings.
"Ugh. The next time I see that… that… agh!" He groaned. "Where am I supposed to sleep now?"
Technically, he could camp out of the capital, but he didn't particularly fancy yet another night out in the wilderness. He could probably break into the palace grounds, which would be marginally better, but also brought the risk of detection. Technically, he might've as well just slept in some alley, but that would leave him much too vulnerable for his tastes. He already felt as if he was being followed, but no matter what he tried, he just couldn't actually find anyone.
In the end, he decided on a middle ground and wandered into one of the many parks in the city. He tried to find an out-of-the-way tree that he could sleep on, but before that, a carriage pulled over.
"Uh… hi?" He asked the soldier on the box seat.
"Milady noticed you wandering around this late hour and wanted to ask if you require any help."
"Ah. Ano… not really. Well, I just arrived in the city but I lost all the money and I was looking for a comfortable tree to sleep on." He finally admitted.
"In that case, my lady would insist on inviting you to be her guest."
"Wait, really?" Naruto's eyes widened. That was certainly different from what he expected from the stuck-up nobles he was used to dealing with.
"Indeed. My lady often helps lost souls like you."
"Oh yeah!" Naruto pumped his fist in the air and leaped into the carriage as soon as the soldier opened the doors.
-/\/-
"Thanks again for the help." Naruto put down the teacup. "I was just about ready to sleep in the park."
"It's no problem whatsoever." The mother dismissed him. "Say, you mentioned you are going to visit the emperor?"
"Yeah. Though I shouldn't reveal any more details until I talk with Kakashi-sensei tomorrow."
"Indeed." For some reason, the woman was… worried? Disappointed? Naruto had trouble reading her emotions. For now, he dismissed it and focused back on the cookies that were still on the table. He shamelessly snatched two and ate them almost in one snap.
"Well, I'll be going to sleep now." Naruto got up. One of the servants would lead him to his quarters.
As he lay on the bed, he smiled. "Man, I certainly lucked out here." He chuckled. Naruto could still feel some remains of alcohol in his blood. This promised to be one hell of a headache tomorrow. Then, an idea struck him. He sat up on the bed and entered a meditative position.
"If Sage Mode can grant me better regeneration, then maybe it can purge the alcohol and save me a headache." He reasoned. Without further prompting, he stilled. All his movement ceased.
After some time, orange pigmentation formed around his eyes. As they snapped open, they turned yellow with vertical bars.
Naruto felt his senses sharpen. The effects of alcohol vanished from his system and he stretched out. Then, just out of curiosity he directed his attention to the palace. He could sense tons of guards moving around the palace. Their chakra was almost nonexistent, but he could still sense them. Just not in too much detail. At that moment, the Sage was glad he didn't try to sneak in. The protection there was frankly ridiculous. But his senses were attracted to a bright star among the guards.
He couldn't help but let a smile form on his face. Kakashi was alive and he was in the capital.
He was about to dismiss Sage Mode and go to sleep when he sensed a group of people enter the manor. They jumped over the fence and swiftly dashed toward the manor. Several guards entered their way and tried to stop them, only to then… die. Naruto growled. He created two shadow clones that he left to gather more sage chakra and rushed out. He decided to go where Aria currently was to protect her. Her parents had a lot of guards around them, though as he rushed through the manor he could sense those numbers diminish with every second. The invaders ruthlessly cut through the guards, servants… and nobles. Naruto growled as he felt the kind lady die, followed closely by her husband.
He jumped through the window and rushed through the garden. Aria was in danger.
Naruto broke through the foliage into a small ground in front of an old warehouse.
"Master Naruto?" The girl asked, surprised. She hid behind the guard.
"I sensed the attackers. Whoever they are, they work fast. We need to get you out of here. They are coming." He looked in the direction of the manor.
"It's the Night Raid!" The guard shouted. "I'll hide lady Aria and wait for help to arrive. You stall them for as long as you can. ."
As soon as he said that, a shadow fell on him and slashed his throat. It then dashed at Aria, only for Naruto to get in front of her and block the cut with his forearm. He kicked the attacker away.
He could now see his opponent in more detail as moonlight lit the grounds again. She couldn't have been much older than him. The girl had long straight black hair and some sort of uniform. She held a long black sword that was oozing with blood by now. But what shocked Naruto the most was her emotionless expression. She felt nothing about what she just did.
"You survived." She looked at his arm and her eyes narrowed. "With no scratch no less."
"You just killed that man with cold blood." Naruto's voice was barely above a whisper, but in the now-silent night, everyone could hear him without a problem.
"He was an accomplice to the sins of this family. He was just as guilty."
"Guilty of what? Standing in your way? Doing his job?" The blond growled.
He sensed two more people approach the warehouse from the manor.
"They deserve this." The attacker remained completely devoid of feelings. She then dashed forward, only for Naruto to catch the blade in his hand. His sage mode easily withstood the attack. The girl twisted around and tried to deliver a horizontal scissor kick to his head, but he caught her leg in the other hand.
Only to then receive a kick with her other leg. While it didn't even hurt, the surprise was enough to make him loosen his grip just enough to let the assassin wiggle out.
"Stop it. I will not let you hurt Aria." Naruto shouted. "And you, in the bushes. I know you're there so come out."
From the foliage, a new person entered the scene. This time, Naruto recognized her. It was Leone.
"You're actually better than I thought." She laughed.
"You robbed me." Naruto accused, only to make Leone laugh harder.
"Come on! Didn't your mom teach you that the boy should pay for the date?"
"Why are you attacking Aria's family? They've done nothing to deserve this."
"Eh. They are a target of opportunity. Tonight we have a more important target."
"Me." Naruto realized.
"Yup. We've known that the Minister was bringing outside help for quite some time, but we didn't have any more information. Thanks to you we now know all the details. So really, thanks." Leone basically taunted Naruto.
The pigmentation around his eyes vanished. "But why kill them too? They've shown me nothing but kindness!"
"Yeah, you will change your mind in just a moment." Leone tried to circle around Naruto, but a kunai landed in front of her feet.
"Stay where you are. You're not going anywhere near Aria."
"You really think she's innocent? Go check the warehouse yourself then."
Still not trusting the two girls, Naruto created a clone and sent it to the doors. Aria was currently cowering near the wall, trying to appear as insignificant as she could. The heavy metal doors opened, only to reveal a scene from nightmares.
"Welcome to the capital, kid." Leone teased, though her voice was dry of humor.
The smell of blood hit both the real Naruto and the clone. Inside looked worse than Orochimaru's laboratories. The tables were filled with mutilated bodies. Yet more bodies hung from the ceiling, all thin and with skin resembling sandpaper. Some lacked body parts. A few others had extra parts sewn onto them. There were at least three that were skinned. The left wall of the warehouse was lined with cages, inside of which people twisted and turned in agony. They were all extremely sick.
In front of the entrance, a girl hung by her hands. She was naked and her long black hair was dirtied with blood and other fluids. Her body was littered with cuts and bruises.
"Still think they're innocent?" Leone asked, no longer smiling. The other assassin kept her emotionless expression. "Those people took in newcomers to the capital under their roof, only to then drug and torture them for their sick entertainment."
"She's lying!" Aria tried to protest. "Who will you believe? The assassins, or someone who took you off the street?"
The moment the tortured girl heard the voice, she roared in fury. "Come here for more, little bitch? Come here so I can spit in your face!"
Aria paled when she heard a low growl escape Naruto. She realized that there was no escape now. "Fine! Fine! So I did it! So what!?" She ranted. "That girl had such beautiful hair. So lush and natural. I have to spend hours every day just to tame mine and hers were naturally better!? She didn't deserve that hair! She should be honored that I-" A chop to the neck made the girl collapse, unconscious. The clone hauled up the body of the now-unconscious noble and tossed it over its shoulder.
"Take her to the police and explain everything. Make sure they send medics to help the victims."
He created two more clones that walked into the warehouse and started working to help the victims that were still alive.
"Well, I now almost feel bad about having to kill you. You seem like a decent enough guy."
"It's useless." The other girl spoke up. "It is foolish to believe the guards will do anything about it. They will not care. It would be better if you just let us kill her now."
"You're not killing anyone else today." He formed his signature cross hand seal "Kage Bushin No Jutsu!" At least three dozen copies of him appeared everywhere and charged at the assassins. Naruto meanwhile stuck back and stood perfectly still.
The black-haired assassin charged through the crowd, cutting the clones left and right. Leone also got into a fight with several. In seconds, almost all of them were gone. By the time Akame reached the real Naruto, only two clones remained. Both were currently busy fighting Leone. Orange pigmentation appeared around Naruto's eyes, but it was too late as Murasame pierced his heart a moment earlier.
The Sage grinned. "Gotcha." It then vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Senpo: Rasengan!" The real Naruto delivered a sage-powered Rasengan into Leone's stomach, causing her to cry in pain as the condensed chakra drilled at her skin. Her Teigu glowed for a moment before a powerful shockwave sent both her and Naruto away.
"Ugh… He sure packs a punch." Leone noticed that Lionelle is no longer working. She tried to activate it again, but nothing happened. The buckle only glowed faint yellow light before shutting itself down again. "Eh? What gives?"
"We will figure it out when we take him out." Akame dashed forward again but had to dodge as Naruto twisted around with another Rasengan ready. Her instincts screamed at her when the orb came close to her. She barely got out of the way.
Naruto looked around. He could sense the other three assassins coming here. There were no more guards on the manor grounds. But his clone and Aria made it out and were already in the city guard station.
"You're too late." He called to the incoming help. "Everyone knows you're here now."
"Akame, maybe we should retreat. That guy is-"
"No. We finish it tonight. He's too dangerous to be left alone."
Two more people neared the battlefield. Naruto held an open palm in front of him. Slowly, the wind chakra started to swirl and twist, forming a condensed orb. As it sped up, four blades formed and started to circle around.
"Rasenshuriken!" The attack sailed toward the four assassins. For just a moment, Naruto lost sight of the group when the blast tore apart dirt, grass, wood, and everything else. Millions of miniature blades slashed at everything in the explosion radius, slicing it on a microscopic level.
When the attack died down, the assassins were gone. Naruto spread out his senses, only to frown. They escaped the blast and were now running away. He wanted to chase after them, but taking care of the victims took priority.
Moments later, the whole manor was swarmed with city guards.
-/\/-