Chapter 12: Insomniac

As the pinkish light of the early morning sun filtered through the windows of the travel agency, Naruto laid on his bed, wide awake. A few hours must have passed since he'd awoken, when the sky was still black and dotted with stars, but he'd found it utterly impossible to fall asleep again. What Shiho had said haunted him. He wished it didn't, that he could forget she ever mentioned it, but that denial only made the feeling worse. Why was he so adverse to the thought that there might be people like Sasuke in this world? Why did he think that there was no way that Spira could be anything like his home?

There was reason in his world, for one. There were so many things in Spira that he couldn't for the life of him begin to explain or understand. What was magic? What was Sin, really? Why did Yevon oppose the Al Bhed? Why, if he had been Yuna's father's guardian, did Jecht become Sin? And how? None of it made any sense whatsoever! Back in Konoha, people fought for one of five reasons: anger, vengeance, pride, protection and power. Sure, those reasons might not've been very good ones, but at least they were there. At least there was an explanation, no matter how simple or base, for why things happened the way they did. But here, it was like things just happened, that he should just accept things as they came, and that unnerved him somehow. Was he supposed to just accept that the same could become of Jecht, a man who ruined himself with a potent mixture of anger and arrogance plus a far-more-than-healthy helping of alcohol, as Sasuke, a boy who had had his entire family stolen from him by the hand of his older brother and the order of his village's government? It was ridiculous! It was as if this crazy, messed-up place they called Spira had taken the rules of his own world and thrown them so massively out of whack that they barely even resembled themselves anymore!

He pushed himself up into a sitting position. The sunlight was slowly growing stronger as it rose over the horizon, and the slight chill of the night air was slowly being replaced with the summery Highroad's natural warmth. Out of the four beds in the room they'd rented, only two were occupied: his own, and Wakka's. The older man was sprawled haphazardly across the bed, sheets in a tangle around his limbs, and he snored like a motor engine. Naruto stifled a snort behind his hand. That was how he used to sleep, and if he had looked even half as ridiculous doing so, then he'd understand why Sakura kept laughing at him. Auron and Kimahri, on the other hand, were nowhere in sight. This wasn't so much of a surprise, really: neither of them seemed to be the type who'd waste time sleeping. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stood and stretched out his tired muscles. There was no point in him staying, either. He wasn't going to get anymore sleep, not with his mind in such tumult and the morning so close, so he crept to the door and slid it back, slipping silently out into the hallway without even a peep from Wakka.

"You should be resting."

Naruto nearly jumped into the air when the voice sounded behind him just as he was sliding the bedroom door back into place. He turned, and who would be standing behind him, hawkish amber eyes trained on Naruto in silent accusation, but the towering Ronso himself? Kimahri was leant against the opposite wall, his muscle-bound arms crossed over his chest and lance held tightly in the crook of his elbow, just outside the door to the girls' room.

"I'm fine, really. The Hunt wasn't that tiring." It was true. Apart from his bout with the fiend-Sasuke, the Fiend Hunt had been a walk in the park, and any injuries or fatigue he might have accrued against Sasuke were quickly done away with. Kimahri, on the other hand, didn't seem half as convinced. His eyes seemed to glow as they bored into Naruto, and in silence the Ronso stared until Naruto just had to ask, "What?"

"That was not what Kimahri meant," he growled, his tone strangely sage-like. "Body may heal, but mind is not always so strong."

Naruto blinked, stunned. He was still getting used to Kimahri speaking to him at all, if he were perfectly honest, so hearing the Ronso say something so profound and deep… well, it was perhaps more than our favourite blonde was prepared to deal with. So he didn't. He nodded curtly, flashed a nervous smile, and uttered a quick, "I'll keep that in mind," before heading down the stairs and, crossing the lobby in a few long strides, walking out the door. With each step, he felt Kimahri's eyes on him until finally the walls did not permit him to watch any further, and only when he threw open the double doors and took a stride into the morning air did he take a deep, liberating breath and let his eyelids flutter shut as the breeze hit him.

"You're troubled," he heard Kyuubi chime in. A smile broke across Naruto's face: though she tried to sound tough, she couldn't mask the worry in her voice, nor in her emotions which beat against the barrier between their two consciousnesses like a raging whirlwind. "Tell me what's wrong."

There's nothing wrong, he lied terribly, stretching out for a second time. You worry too much.

"With you, I can't do much else," she drawled. "How can you expect me not to worry about you when you refuse to tell me the truth, Naruto-kun? Haven't I earned that much?"

It's not a question of earning or deserving. There's really nothing wrong, so stop trying to invent a problem.

"Oh." The sound was short and quiet, even in the silence of his mind. It spoke volumes of sadness, disappointment, and hurt. Plenty of hurt. "I understand. I won't bother you about it anymore." The connection went eerily silent, and it was with a horrible pang that he realised that Kyuubi had forcibly cut off communication. She'd done that very thing only a few times in the past, and each time spelled untold amounts of trouble. It meant that he'd done something so very bad that had hurt her so very much that she'd actually want to stop talking to him. In truth, he knew for a fact that there was nothing she enjoyed more than spending time talking with him – something which, he admitted, he hadn't been doing enough of since arriving in Spira. Not that there was much else she could do inside the seal.

A thunderous crash, coupled with a hellish roar, tore him from his thoughts. There was someone running toward him at high speed: a woman with short black hair and red armour. She was yelling and waving her arms, but he couldn't hear her over the roaring and the ringing in his ears. What he did know, however, was that there was something large and black rushing up behind her, and it was going to hit her if she didn't move. He didn't have time to yell 'move'; it would've caught her already. He did the only thing he could think of. He ran towards her, grabbing the closest of his blades in his left hand and wrenching it free from its sheath in one move and throwing out his right arm in another. Mid-step he caught the woman around her stomach and spun, forcing his feet through the dirt even as the earth's friction threatened to halt him. Now that he had her back to him, Naruto pulled the girl flush against his chest and ducked, throwing them both to the ground, while simultaneously lashing wildly with whatever weapon he had managed to pull. The blade jarred in his hand, and a grin flickered across his cheeks as another roar rang out, this one more pained.

A moment later, as the black thing reared back away from Naruto, a stampede of the same yellow creatures he'd seen on the ship to Kilika raced toward him and his new charge, screaming their lungs raw as they fled from whatever was attacking them. The birds ignored the two humans as they hurried past, but Naruto grabbed hold of one that was fitted with a saddle and hefted himself and the woman up as it ran, quickly pulling harshly on its reins to steady it. The chocobo struggled, but Naruto's grip was strong and firm, and soon it had no choice but to turn at his command to face whatever danger it had been running from.

The monster was climbing over the travel agency's roof, grappling its pointed spire with one of its enormous, curled hands. That was what had nearly killed the girl, the girl that clutched onto him as he steered the chocobo back toward the travel agency with his blade still in hand. He noticed with a triumphant smirk that its free hand – the same hand that he had slashed – was noticeably damaged, an ugly charred scar across the leathery skin of its sloth-like fingers. He looked down at the blade in his hand.

Kusanagi.

It wasn't Aoshiira, like he'd thought. It made some measure of sense, though: he knew for a fact that Aoshiira was just an ordinary blade with no special properties.

Kusanagi, on the other hand, felt warm in his hand, as if he were gripping a limb rather than a hilt. It pulsed with familiar chakra, and as he tried to push his own, wind-natured chakra into its length, it sparked and spat in protest. Whether the blade had some level of sentience somehow and it simply didn't accept Naruto as its new wielder, or it literally contained Sasuke's spirit and chakra, he would never know. What he did know was that he was going to make the most of what he had. It wasn't as if he was unable to use lightning-natured chakra, anyway.

With a throaty growl, he generated the necessary energy in his palm and forced it through the blade, delighting when it lit up in a storm of electricity, and charged the monster fast and low as it leapt from the building's roof into the chocobo paddock, grappling with the bird under him to keep it on course. Like a jousting knight, he held Kusanagi high and thrust it forward like a lance, willing its point to extend just like he'd seen Sasuke do all those years ago. Kusanagi leapt out at the Chocobo Eater and its deadly tip rammed itself into the hard, leathery skin of its arm, spearing through its flesh like so much tissue paper. The fiend roared in pain and thrashed wildly, shattering the Chidori Eisou, but the damage was already done, shown by the burnt black flesh around the penetrating wound. Naruto pulled back sharply on the chocobo's reins, forcing it into a skid, and thankfully fell just short of the Eater's wide swipe at its attacker. From that point on, however, the Chocobo Eater wasn't taking any chances. It outright refused to allow Naruto an inch more ground, keeping him and his steed at bay with blind swings that would knock the blonde clean off his chocobo if he got within range of them. If he stopped for even a second to perform another Chidori Eisou, it would rush him, and with it flailing around so much, there was no guarantee the next one would hit anyway. The two, man and fiend, were at an unfortunate stalemate.

Naruto's salvation came in the form of a flying blitzball: the blue sphere flew over the creature's shoulder, missing its head by inches, and ricocheted off its claw with enough force to give the fiend pause. That was all the time he needed. Like a bolt of lightning Naruto and the chocobo charged forward, raising Kusanagi once more. But instead of readying another Chidori Eisou, Naruto attempted another tactic, and forced fire-natured chakra into the blade instead. Just as he predicted, a wash of orange flame leapt from its edge and latched onto the Eater's thick skin, filling the air with the acrid stench of burning flesh. The beast gave another ear-splitting shriek and waved its arms about furiously, so Naruto gave his mount the order to about-face and headed back to the relative safety of the travel agency, where he could see the rest of his team beginning to gather. Wakka, having retrieved his ball, scratched his head sheepishly.

"Now I know I can count you," Auron spat dryly, hefting his Katana onto his shoulder with one arm. Wakka groaned, rolling out his shoulders tiredly.

"Aah, gimme a break! I just woke up, ya!"

"It was your idea to help the kid fight that thing. If you're always going to be so groggy, just stay awake."

"Enough arguing!" Naruto ordered sternly, earning himself a plethora of odd looks from his party. He leant back in his saddle and helped the woman in his arms down to the ground, before turning to face the Chocobo Eater with a determined flare in his eyes. "Look after her, right? I'm taking this thing on, so if you don't wanna help then get the hell outta my way!"

He heard a pair of gasps behind him, but he daren't look back. The Eater had calmed down now, and its eyes were solely on Naruto now. The animalistic fury from before was gone, replaced with a focused, all-consuming rage. It was coming for him, and looking at the grotesque burn across its chest, the blonde couldn't say he blamed it. If that were him… he shook off the thought, shifting Kusanagi over to his right hand and looping the chocobo's reins twice around his left wrist before reaching back and retrieving Aoshiira from his waist. His tactical mind was in a whir; the burn across its chest – the one caused by the katon jutsu – had done far more damage than the two raiton jutsu combined, so he could safely say that this monster had a weakness to fire. Peppering it with small fire from Kusanagi and quickly darting away to avoid its claws could work, but he'd rather wrap this up quickly, not to mention he wasn't sure of the limits of his chocobo. If the bird gave out before he did, he wasn't sure he had the reflexes to dodge another attack. He looked at the swords in his hands, and a grin came to him.

He pushed the chocobo into a run to the Chocobo Eater's right and began to circle around, flipping Aoshiira over in his hand. Predictably, the Eater followed Naruto with its eyes as he flanked the fiend, its feet forming small shockwaves as it spun on the spot to keep up with the chocobo. Faster and faster it began to run in a narrow circle around the Eater, just outside of the range of its arms, until finally, when its legs were struggling to move fast enough to keep its eyes on Naruto and his feathered friend, Naruto's hand slipped free of the chocobo's reins and he leapt from its back with all his might, sailing right over the disoriented Eater's head. With Aoshiira in a reverse grip, he crossed his hands over one another and pumped chakra into his palm, preparing for the inevitable backlash as he called out his technique.

"Fuuton: Tenran (Wind Release: Orchid Tempest)!" Swirling winds kicked up from between his fingers and weaved together in raging tornado that slammed down into the Chocobo Eater's head. Because of its position, however, it was little more than an annoyance, and the only noticeable reaction was that the fiend bent its knees a little more to account for the strain of the hurricane beating down on it. That was just fine, though, thought Naruto as he drew his hand back from the Tenran and let the tornado continue on its merry way, readying his next attack. With his right hand gripping Kusanagi's hilt so tightly that his knuckles burned white against his skin, he charged the blade with even more chakra and swung it heavily at the Eater's skull. The blade burst into violent violet flames, flickering and flashing even as Naruto swept them through the air, letting them loose in a smooth, curved arc of contained heat that tore through the centre of the twister like a rocket. The purple flames caught on the spiralling winds and, like a vision of hell on earth, the entire tornado ignited in the same amaranthine fire, ripping and tearing at the Chocobo Eater like a living creature. "Katon: Haien (Fire Release: Abolishing Flames)."

Naruto's body twirled in an almost hypnotically graceful, if upside-down dance, and when his feet touched the ground they did so without so much as a sound. No dust was kicked up, and Naruto's breath wasn't any heavier, so the only evidence that anything had transpired at all was the scorched ground, the suspicious absence of any chocobos save for Naruto's, and the dying screams of the Chocobo Eater as its body was reduced to a smouldering pile of bone and ash. With the same undeniable elegance, Naruto rose from the slight crouch he'd landed in and threw back his head, sweeping a few stray locks of blonde away from his eyes. A smile cut across his face like a brilliant white tear in a tan canvas as he spun on his heels and bowed flamboyantly to those gathered who, for the most part, were staring at him gobsmacked. Kimahri and Auron's natural stoicism were to be expected, but he considered it a small victory that even Lulu's mouth was open in a silent gasp.

"Morning, all!" he greeted with a cheeky grin. "Good to see you're all up and raring to go!"

"What… what was that?" Lulu's voice came out as a dry rasp. Her eyes were focused not on Naruto but on the blackened stain that used to be a Chocobo Eater as the high-level fiend was reduced to ash by Naruto's Haien.

"Hm? Oh, that? Well, you know me. I woke up a little early and decided to get a workout in." Suddenly he was met with a thick, stout finger in his face, quivering in accusation.

"No!" Wakka yelled indignantly. "Stop actin' like stuff like dat's just okay, ya!? No normal guy can do the crap you do! Only, like, the high-ups in the Crusaders could take down somethin' dat big so quick!"

"I think you may be overestimating our abilities…"

The girl in red had recovered quickly, it seemed, as she rose to her feet and dusted off her scarlet armour, turning to Naruto with an appreciative gaze.

"My name is Elma, and I'm a lieutenant with the Chocobo Knights. We're a group of Crusaders that care for and battle alongside chocobos, much like you did just now, and I must say… I've never seen anyone fight quite like you."

"What can I say? I'm full of hidden talents," Naruto replied, crossing his arms behind his head leisurely. Elma laughed and shook her head, before bowing respectfully, her hand on the pommel of the sword sheathed at her hip.

"So I see," she murmured. "I understand that you're one of Lady Yuna's guardians? Maesters Kinoc and Seymour would appreciate it very much if you were to visit the Mushroom Rock Road soon. Their Lordships are very eager to meet you, Lady Yuna." Yuna blushed abashedly, but it went completely unnoticed, for the knight had already turned back to Naruto with an odd gleam in her eye. "And as for you," she continued, chewing a little on her bottom lip. "If you're ever in need of a little honest work, then swing by. The Chocobo Knights could use someone like you." Elma bowed again, though her eyes never left Naruto's grin, and swung herself into the saddle of the chocobo that had returned to Naruto's side with a gentle trot after he had flung himself from its back. "I'd better be heading off myself. I'm supposed to report to Captain Lucil now that the fiend's been taken care of. Perhaps we'll meet each other again, at Mushroom Rock!" The chocobo scratched at the dirt with dagger-like talons as though it were a bull preparing to charge, kicking up a thick cloud of dust behind the wide fan of its tail feathers, before both rider and steed lurched forward onto the Highroad and took off to the northeast.

Yuna fumed silently, though she wasn't entirely sure who she was angry at. Was it with Naruto, because he was apparently so very dense that he couldn't see the affection in Elma's gaze, nor the way she had oh so subtly suggested that he join her in the Chocobo Knights when he was supposed to be her guardian? Or was it with Elma herself, for doing all of those things before her very eyes? It seemed ridiculous even to her, but she actually levelled a glare on Elma's retreating back. Oh, she would go to Mushroom Rock Road alright, and Naruto would go with her every step of the way, but there would be hell to pay if Elma even thought of trying to steal him from her.

"You okay, Yuna?" Naruto's warm, rough call echoed through her thoughts, and when she came to he was standing before her, eyeing her worriedly. "You look a little distracted."

"N-No, I'm fine," she stammered, waiving his concerns with a hand. Naruto tilted his head sideways like a curious cat, before shrugging and turning away.

"Elma, huh? She seemed nice. I guess not all of Yevon's full of grumpy old geezers!" He laughed raucously, ignorant of the dark look that flashed across Yuna's eyes for an instant. "Well, we've wasted enough time here. We should probably get going, right guys? Don't wanna keep the Maesters waiting!"

"Why you gotta make fun o' dem, ya?" Wakka moaned. "Ya supposed t'respect the Maesters, y'know? Dey're the only thing keepin' Spira from fallin' apart!"

"Oh, that's rich!" Shiho chimed in, snarling viciously at Wakka with her hands placed firmly on her hips - likely put there to keep her from throttling the poor man. "What've they done, huh? They're not summoners! They're not trying to keep Spira safe from Sin, are they? No! They're sitting on their goddamn asses up in Bevelle, safe from the fiends and the infighting, while the rest of us are dying like cattle!" The cryptologist-turned-doctor spun furiously, the sole of her shoe driving a trench into the loamy soil, and strode back toward the Travel Agency with a dignified huff. "Oh, and just so you know," she called back, sneering, "Spira managed itself just fine before the Maester's came along."

Naruto winced. So far Shiho had made it painfully clear that she was livid about what had happened to the old world - not that he blamed her - and she despised what that world had become in the thousand years or so since. And while he may share a great deal of that sentiment, it didn't mean he went around shouting about how he was over a thousand years old. Leaving the others behind, he jogged after her, catching her just before she could storm up the stairs to their rented rooms. His hand closed around her wrist and she whirled, fixing him with a look that might have turned lesser men to stone.

"What?"

The blonde withered under her stare and the serpentine hiss with which she spoke. Immediately, he raised his hands before him in defence, a sheepish grin across his face.

"I just wanted to check if you were okay… and, you know, ask you to tone down on the whole 'we're from a world in the past that nobody else knows about' thing?" He laughed awkwardly when Shiho's eyes narrowed dangerously behind her glasses. "I'm not telling you what to do, or anything. It's just that, well, that's the kind of thing that'll get a person thrown in an institution."

"And?" she asked quite seriously. "Why would that make me any different from the millions of other lunatics on this god-forsaken planet?" She made to move, but Naruto's fingers dug further into her wrist, just as they had yesterday, and her gaze returned to Naruto's concerned frown.

"Why are you so upset?" he asked, watching the anger melt away from Shiho's features, replaced for an instant with pure, unmitigated surprise, before all the rage and fury returned twofold, her face burning scarlet.

"Why am I upset? Why are you not upset!?" she shrieked, throwing her arms to her sides. "You can't possibly expect me to believe that you're okay with this situation! Didn't you dream of being Hokage? Didn't you want to protect the people of Konoha until your dying breath? So why are you trying so hard to fit into this hell!?"

"I can't love both Konoha and Spira?" Naruto retorted, his tone strained. He was beginning to lose what little patience he had developed over the years at Shiho's baseless spite for Spira as a whole. It didn't make any sense! What was wrong with trying to get on with his new life? Did she expect him to waste his time mourning the loss of his old world when he could be helping the new one?

"No!" she yelled back, as though she thought it obvious. "That would imply that this godforsaken place has some kind of redeeming quality, but as it stands I can't find a single one! All people do is fight with each other, and for what? How they choose to die! It's absolutely ridiculous!" Shiho cast her eyes to the floor, and her tone grew a little softer. "Don't you miss Konoha? Don't you miss all your friends, and the times you shared together? Don't you wish with all your heart that those days could come again?"

"Of course I do." Shiho looked up at him, and saw how his brow furrowed in a frown. "I miss all of my friends. I miss Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Kiba, Shino, Hinata,Neji, Lee, Tenten, Gaara, Kakashi-sensei, Baa-chan, Sai, Yamato-taicho, Iruka-sensei, and everyone."

"Then why…?"

"Just because I miss them and I wish I could be with them again, doesn't mean that I shouldn't live just because they're not here." Naruto stepped past her and tread heavily up the stairs. "The old world is gone, Shiho," he called back over his shoulder. "It's been gone for a thousand years. Everyone we knew has been dead a long time. There'll be no going back there, not for me. No matter how much I wish I could, there's nothing for me to go back to. So I'll make the best of the hand I've been dealt, and the new world I've found myself in. Everyone will just have to forgive me for moving on."

Without any way of returning fire, Shiho stared dumbly after him. She watched his back as he retreated into the upper floor, her mouth opening and closing noiselessly. That's right, she thought. The differences were so vast, that she could easily forget that Spira and the Elemental Nations were one and the same. She had, in fact, forgotten. A thousand years had passed since she had watched Tobi murder Shikamaru in front of her very eyes, so even if someone had survived the attack they might have died ten times over of old age by now. For so long she had been all alone, and now she had Naruto by her side. The one person she could share her pain with. But he had made it abundantly clear that if she didn't change her attitude, even he might disappear. The terror of being alone all over again gripped her like claws of ice, and her eyes darted back to the stairwell where Naruto had vanished. She came to the horribly startling conclusion that while she may need him – if only to stave off the loneliness – he, on the other hand, did not need her.

She would endeavour to change that.

Aside from a colourful menagerie of fiends, particularly Dingos and Raldos kept content with their steady diet of unwary travellers, the hills surrounding the northern parts of the Mi'ihen Highroad and Mushroom Rock are home to a variety of wildlife. The high population of ground-based fiends, coupled with the naturally mountainous terrain, has given rise to a number of interesting bird species found in few other places in Spira. One such creature is known as the Pink Mushroom Anhinga.

While its name may make it out to be little more than a children's tale, the Pink Mushroom Anhinga is indeed very real. The bird is dart-like in appearance: it has a long, sleek body, a spear-like bill and a wide, fanning tail behind it. It stands around the size of a small dog, but extended its wings stretch to the height of a fully grown man. Its feathers are a bright, luminous pink except for those of its tail which are a range of colours, though predominantly black, red and green. Its thin, needle-like beak is not outwardly dangerous, but it uses it to great effect when hunting prey by spearing them viciously and injecting them with a potent toxin from poison sacs in the roof of its mouth, which has the effect of speeding the heart of the creature to dangerous levels until it finally dies of myocardial infarction. Despite this rather brutal hunting method, the Pink Mushroom Anhinga is much-loved by the general populace for its uniquely beautiful appearance.

On this day in particular, one such Anhinga nested within a tree on the outskirts of the craggy Mushroom Rock Road. While the rest of its flock nested high in the hills, this lone bird took a silent vigil, for it was the leader of the flock. Every leader had a special 'accessory', a badge of honour: a crest of jet black feathers atop its head that bunched above its head into the general shape of a mushroom. To have such feathers was considered a sign of authority and strength, and this Anhinga wore its mushroom with pride. It puffed out its rose-coloured breast and gave a soft squawk. There was a rustle in the bushes below, but it was too small and too low to be of any threat to the Anhinga. Content, the bird settled down in its tree, folding its wide wings at its sides comfortably as it resigned itself to the long haul.

"This is an outrage!"

The scream echoed through the trees and, had it not had such purchase on its branch, might've upset the Anhinga and sent it tumbling through the air. But it quickly righted itself, its serpentine neck darting this way and that searching for the noisemaker.

"How dare you speak to a summoner in such a manner!"

The second shriek was just as terrifying as the first. This time, the Anhinga didn't bother wasting time trying to find it: if it was even half as monstrous as it sounded, he certainly didn't want anything to do with it. With a powerful flap it took to the air, slipping away with an indignant squawk in the voice's general direction as it returned to its flock in the hills, ready to tell them the story of the monster with thunder in its voice.

As soon as the sharp yell had left her lips, Dona had donned a grimace, her mouth a firm line. Her hips swayed to and fro like a pendulum as she grew increasingly irate, feet tapping irritably on the soft soil.

"Do you even understand the consequences of keeping me here?" she spat venomously, delighting in the Crusader's uncomfortable flinch. "I am a summoner! Every moment I waste here, Sin is out there killing people!"

"I'm well aware of that, ma'am," the Crusader gulped nervously, unnerved by the dangerous fiery flicker in Dona's dark eyes. "But I'm on strict orders from both Maester Kinoc and Maester Seymour. Excepting authorised Crusaders, no one, not even summoners, is allowed access to the Mushroom Rock Road at this time."

"Tch!" Dona scoffed angrily, turning on the ball of her foot. "Barthello, deal with this fool!"

The muscle-bound guardian stepped forward, flexing his powerful limbs, and Dona could feel the fear rolling off of the young warrior in waves. But she also noticed a contingent of Crusaders behind the guard, each strong, capable and far more experienced than this one, draw their swords in readiness to protect their comrade. She huffed and placed a slight hand on Barthello's shoulder, forcing him to halt.

"Fine then," she drawled, looking from the squad to the lone guard. "How long must we wait before we are allowed through?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to divulge such information, ma'am!"

"Hopeless!" she yelled, turning back to the road. If she couldn't get through, then there was no point in even being here! She might as well return to the Travel Agency for all it was worth... but as she began to walk, she spied another, much larger group heading toward her. A cruel smirk tugged at the corner of her lip. It was that boy from Kilika! The one who had killed the Sinspawn! With movements as fluid as water she sidled up to the group and snagged the blonde with ease, wrapped herself around his arm like a second sleeve. She was pleasantly surprised by the strength she felt in his muscles, but she didn't dare let that deter her. "Well hello there!" she called out, pressing everything soft and supple into him. "Funny how we keep bumping into each other, isn't it?"

The blonde gave her a dumb look. The others' looks were far more scathing.

"Do I know you?" he asked. She faltered for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and smiled a sultry smile up at him.

"We met in Kilika, don't you remember? You cleared out that big tree for me with your fire magic?"

The boy put on a show of thinking hard, hand to his chin and everything. But when he was finished he looked just as lost as before.

"Nope, sorry. Doesn't ring any bells. Could you let go of me now?"

"Not just yet," she laughed nervously. If he didn't remember who she was, that made it a tad more difficult. But no matter! She still had her feminine wiles to work on him! "See, I've got a little... problem, shall we say."

"There are people you can pay to take care of that," he replied, stone-faced. Dona's smile faded into a scowl for a split-second, but she replaced it before he noticed. How dare he talk like that in front of her!

"No, no, not like that. See that guard down there?" she pointed down the hill at the lone Crusader standing at attention. "I've got a very important job to do, and he's not letting me past. But I really need to get through. D'you think you could, maybe, take care of that for me?" She pressed her body into his side and made a show of rubbing herself against his sculpted torso, a wicked smile on her face. "Pretty please? I'll make it up to you!"

"Sorry, but no," Naruto said flatly, and quite forcefully shoved Dona away. Truth be told, he did indeed remember the cruel, snobbish woman from Kilika Temple, and he remembered that he had no sympathy for that kind of person. He didn't want anything to do with the kind of person that pitched a fit when something wasn't done the way they wanted and tried to manipulate others into getting what they want. There was something so underhanded and dirty about it. So he left her on the side of the road and kept walking, much to the relief of the rest of his party.

"I'm sorry, sir, but by order of the Council of Maesters access to the Mushroom Rock Road has been prohibited at this time!" the guard piped up, quivering nervously. Naruto didn't blame him. If he was in the guard's shoes, even he would tremble when faced with Auron and Kimahri's intimidating silhouettes.

"Yeah, I heard. How come?" he asked casually, and he could see the youngster visibly relax. He wondered just how badly Dona had been laying into him for him to get so stressed.

"I can't tell people, sorry. My commanding officer'll have my head if I give out details of the operation."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped then," Naruto sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "If we don't know why we're waiting, we can't change it."

"Would it help if I told you to let me through?" Yuna chimed in, stepping through the protective shell her guardians had instinctively formed around her. "If I appealed directly to Maester Kinoc and Maester Seymour..."

"I'm afraid not, miss," the guard stopped her. "I've been told not to let anyone through here, especially summoners. The Maesters' orders."

"Then a Maester should be able to rescind that directive, correct?"

Naruto started at the sound. It was that voice again! That slimy, slithery tongue that reminded him so much of Orochimaru. And lo and behold, the tall slim build of Seymour Guado descended the hill with a divine grace, attended on either side by two full-blooded Guado servants. He regarded each guardian with a critical eye, all the while maintaining a serene smile, and finally his gaze landed on Yuna. Naruto had the urge to leap in front of her, to shield her from his poisonous eyes with his very body, but force of will kept him grounded. Seymour looked to the guard and smiled again.

"I've returned from Luca," he explained. "Please have Maester Kinoc notified of my arrival."

"O-Of course, Maester, I'll make sure it's done straight away-"

"Hold." The long fingers of the Guado were raised in a flat palm, a silent message to stop. "I have a request. Lady Yuna and her guardians have a very important duty to fulfil, as you well know. I would have you let them through to the command centre immediately."

"But Maester Seymour, Maester Kinoc-"

"I will assume full responsibility." Seymour closed his eyes, and in that instant, with one hand raised and the other hidden within the folds of his robes, and a calm smile upon his noble face, the half-blooded Guado looked for all the world like an emaciated Buddha. Still, the guard had no choice but to nod his consent, and he waved his arm around wildly to signal for the gate to be let open. "I trust this resolves your dilemma, Lady Yuna?"

"Oh! Yes, thank you, Your Grace," Yuna scrambled to bow graciously, her hands twining together in the prayer. Seymour nodded deeply and stepped through the gate, followed by his attendants.

"I don't like him." Naruto looked to his side and saw Shiho had moved to his side, rubbing her arms as though she were cold despite the relatively warm climate. "Something about him rubs me the wrong way. He feels like a snake in the grass."

"Glad it's not just me," Naruto muttered back, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "But I think that's an understatement..."

I apologise for the delay, I really do. I wasn't sure how I wanted this chapter to go at first, and then I hit a few speedbumps along the way, but now it's finished and the next one isn't far behind. A few things went over in this chapter which I just want to summarise: Naruto is still very much pissed with Jecht. Not quite in the same way as Tidus, but it's still there. Shiho likening the situation to Sasuke has only exacerbated the problem, because she doesn't truly understand the differences between Sasuke and Jecht. Naruto does, and while he isn't angry at Shiho for misunderstanding, he is angry at Jecht for thinking that he had it hard and at the world in general for creating circumstances that someone like Jecht might be mistaken for Sasuke. It may seem futile and even childish, getting pissed off at the world, but that's Naruto to a T.

Secondly, the Kusanagi may no longer be Sasuke's but it still reflects its original master even in Naruto's hands. Wielding Kusanagi will allow Naruto to greatly increase the strength of his fire and lightning release techniques, but it will weaken those of his wind, water and earth release techniques. With this, Naruto's arsenal is complete (at least for now) as he has a main hand weapon (Kusanagi), an off hand weapon (Aoshiira) and a special weapon (Magun).

Thirdly, Shiho. She doesn't understand the difference between Jecht and Sasuke because she hasn't met either of them, and is essentially basing her judgement off what she has been told by other people. However, she understands the difference between Spira and Konoha, and unlike Naruto, who accepts the change and adapts to it, Shiho hates it. Without anyone from the Elemental Nations, Shiho's been awfully lonely, so now that she has Naruto she's clinging on to him for dear life, trying to make him see the same way as her so that he won't leave. She has no romantic attraction to Naruto – not right now, at any rate – but she doesn't want to be lonely anymore. For a comparison, imagine Mizore from Rosario+Vampire before she became part of Tsukune's group, when she tried to steal Tsukune away for herself. It's very similar, though Shiho is abrasive rather than shy.

Anyway, that's all I really have to say for now. Any questions and suggestions are, as always, very welcome, though I can't say I'll answer all of them because I don't want to give anything major away. Please remember to review and goodnight!