Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Madan no Ou to Vanadis

He felt the power of his biju recede back within him leaving him back in his regular state. The wounds on his body which were healing at a pace close to regeneration started to slow allowing blood to leak from the openings and cover his form.

He glared at his opponent with cold fury as the elder Uchiha looked back with distain. There was a look of superiority to him even though he looked just as worn out as he was. With his arms crossed, the man regarded him with calm assurance.

Naruto gritted his teeth hard as the taste of metal filled his senses. He would be hard pressed to make a comeback considering Kurama was the only reason he stood toe to toe with the madman but the impossible didn't faze him at all. The idea of losing never even crossed his mind.

With a deafening roar Naruto charged at the Uchiha with a swirling orb in hand. Madara just stood as if finding the whole thing beneath his time. He truly pitied the boy not only due to his clouded views but because he could not be a part of the peace he would create. Unfolding his arms he spread them out almost as if he was welcoming the attack.

Anger bubbled inside him as he saw Madara open himself up. Anger ripped through him as his mind drew back to all the deaths that the mad man had caused. Anger was the most prominent emotion building up within him but the feeling of elation closely followed.

He smirked at the last moment as his jutsu made contact.

"Rasengan!"

The ball of pure chakra dug into Madara's torso mincing flesh and shredding bones but the man just looked down on his assailant almost bored.

"Is this all," a dribble of blood flowed from his mouth showing that he was taking damage from the attack. "Truly pathetic."

Naruto just gritted his teeth as he kept pouring the last bits of chakra he had left. It was pretty much do or die for him at this point. He was willing to die but he wasn't going to go down without taking this bastard down with him.

The rasengan kept shredding into Madara's body but with his regenerative healing thanks to Hashirama's cells the wound was pretty much all for show.

"You can't defeat me with this insignificant technique."

"I'm not trying to beat you with this." Naruto said allowing a grin to form on his lips. "I'm just stalling so someone else can finish the job for me."

The sound of crackling lighting reverberated across the field. Even with the sound of the rasengan digging into Madara's flesh the sound of high voltage electricity could be heard.

Madara's eye's widened as he struggled to move away from the blond, and whatever plan he had, but Naruto held fast and used the rasengan that was dug into Madara's torso to keep him in place.

"Now Kakashi-sensei!"

"Kamui Raikiri!"

Appearing almost out of nowhere Kakashi delivered a godspeed thrust right through Madara's back. The lighting imbued hand easily pierced through flesh and connected with Naruto's own rasengan. Utilizing the warping effect of Kamui, Madara and Naruto were thrown into Kamui's dimension as the connecting power of the rasengan and raikiri created a flash of blinding explosion.

Naruto could feel Madara's body literally disintegrate from the inside as the built up of power destroyed him. A look of absolute anger and shock was etched on the man's face as his life was quickly extinguished by the blast.

Naruto could feel the vortex of power pulling him in as he allowed himself to be carried into the abyss. A smile formed on his face.

'It's finally over.'

The sun was out and the gentle breeze of the wind made the day so much more comforting and inviting. With a smile on her face the girl set her hazel brown hair in her usual twin tail style as she got ready for the day. Her cheery mood, and ever present smile on her face, was quite infectious that even the birds outside her windowsill sang in delight. Not literally but if this were a fairy tale then they would be.

She left her room and got ready to do her work. As a maid of house Vorn Titta has many responsibilities from cleaning the house to tending to the gardens outside. She loves her job and enjoyed serving them; though with the death of Urs Vorn the family was left with a single member. Along with his death the title, Earl of Alsace, was passed down to his only son Tigrevurmud Vorn.

An amazing young boy full of compassion and kindness the young Earl Tigre, as his friends called him, had inherited his father's mettle and would no doubt have been a fine ruler. Unfortunately the young man had died due to injuries during one of his hunt just two summers ago effectively ending the Vorn line. His death had been a blow to not only Titta, who was his childhood friend and personal maid, but also all of Alsace.

With the young Earl passing, the town of Alsace had been delegated to a close friend of the family Mashas Rodant, Earl of Aude. Earl Rodant had chosen to allow the town of Alsace to be a separate state from Aude in memory of his close friend but not everyone in the kingdom approved of his decision. The nobles of Brune had clamored for the land to be divided up but the Early of Aude had managed to gain enough support to keep the status quo.

Titta hummed to herself as she got ready to head into town. Their food supply was down so a trip to the market place was necessary. It actually surprised her that they were going through their supplies so fast. Even with only her and Bertrand, the family's loyal attendant, the amount of food they went through was astounding. Then again they had daily visitors from all over the town coming to pay their respects to their fallen Earl. Even two years removed the people of Alsace still took the time to pay their respects to the kind family of Vorn.

Making her way outside Titta couldn't help but stop and enjoy the warm sunlight. Walking along the path towards the town she took in the beautiful view that Alsace had to offer. Even if her opinion was completely biased she would have to say that Alsace is one of the most beautiful towns in all of Brune. While it didn't contain the hustle and bustle of a lively city it had its own charm. The silent beauty of the country side is without a doubt the best, from the sea of greenery to the bleeding corpse on the ground…

Wait.

Titta stopped cold in her tracks as her eyes settled on a lifeless form near the edge of the path. Her first reaction was to run away, which in her opinion was the normal reaction for any person, but having caught sight of the slight rising and falling of the corpse's chest her own good nature made it impossible for her to run now. Actually she still wanted to run but damn her benevolence.

Quickly gathering herself she rushed over to the body to check the damages. The amount of wounds on the man was astonishing. There were laceration all over his torso and broken bones that had manage to pierce skin. A gruesome sight that made her wonder how it was even possible for the man to be alive.

She wanted to turn away from the sight. She really did. She was just a maid after all. She only dealt with blood when she got cuts from cooking, or maybe a cleaning mishap here and there. This, however, was something even trained medics would have a hard time facing. She steadied herself as her eyes wandered from his body and landed on his face.

Her heart stopped. His hair was the color of maroon. Whether it was from the blood or his natural color didn't matter to her. The same red colored hair that her childhood friend used to have. Even though there were subtle differences in their facial structure she couldn't help but identify this person as Tigre, if only for a split moment.

She shook her head to clear the thought from her mind and gathered the wounded man over her shoulder. She attempted to drag his body into the estate but it wasn't easy as she was already sweating and gasping for breath within a few minutes. The adrenalin rushing in her pushed her until she was able to get him inside but after this she was going to have to think about exercising more. Just in case she'd have to lug around another bleeding corpse in the future. She really hopes that doesn't happen again.

By the time she had managed to drag the half dead person into the house she was dripping with sweat and covered in blood. Not even caring if any of the furniture got stained she just hauled the injured man onto the sofa.

"Titta, what's all the commotion."

An old man with a half-balding head of hair entered the room only for his eyed to widen comically at the sight. The last thing Bertrand expected to see at the start of the day was to find not only Titta covered in blood from head to toe but a stranger with an absurd amount of wounds bleeding all over the room. Today probably wasn't going to be one of those carefree days.

"Titta what is—"

"Get a bowl of water and some clean rags!"

Completely out of breath Titta felt a little bad for being rude but at the moment her anxiety and exhaustion was playing a big role in her mood. She could understand the kind old man's shock but there were more pressing issues to deal with, like the half dead man on the sofa.

Bertrand gave her a look that said she had a lot of explaining to do but otherwise did as she said and left the room to find the supplies she had asked for. Left alone with the bleeding man Titta couldn't help but go over his features once again.

The rising and falling of his chest was a little erratic but from the amount of injuries that he had she figured it could have been worst. Her eyes drew to his hair once again. It was long and matted down by the blood, soaking it until it was the same color. She could now tell that she was wrong about her observation that he had the same color hair as her childhood friend Tigre. There were wisps of sun kissed blond hair that wasn't touched by blood allowing her to identify his natural hair color. His face was lean and haggard but that was expected considering his current condition. He had an uncanny resemblance to Tigre but at the same time it was easy to tell that he and her dead friend were two completely different people. The three scars across both of his cheeks only accentuated that point. Her hands started to trace those scars almost as if she had to physically remind herself that this was not Tigre.

"He certainly does have similar features to our late charge."

Carrying a large bowl of warm water and a few clean rags Bertrand spoke in a soft but carrying voice. Titta was actually a little surprised at his sudden appearance having been too caught up with her musing but she managed to hide the jump of fright.

"Yes, he certainly does."

Taking the rags, and bowl of water, from the man's hands she set it down beside her and dipped the clean linen into the bowl. Carefully she started with his face and wiped away the blood in a slow but thorough manner, almost as if she was handling delicate glass. In a way she way but her reasoning's for her careful behavior wasn't due to that. The rag was already blood soaked from the amount of blood on his face and the warm water was starting to turn a light red color.

"Where did you find him Titta?"

"In the clearing by the path heading towards the village."

"I see." A frown marred his wrinkled face but the girl didn't see it. "Are you sure it's wise to just pick up a stranger?"

She turned to him with a sharp look that made him wince but didn't show it. A disapproving look formed on her face but she just turned back and continued to clean the wounds.

"You're right it's probably not wise with war springing up all around us but I'm just doing what anyone in this house hold would do…" There was a pause as she once again dipped the rag in the warm water further dying the liquid in red.

"Aye, you're right. They would have done the same in your stead." The girl gave him a faint nod and continued her work.

"I'll call for the doctor and have him help with the injuries."

Titta gave the old man a silent thank you as she once again devoted her attention to cleaning the man's injuries.

"He would have been very proud of you, Titta."

She didn't acknowledge the man's words at first and instead settled for continuing her cleaning. After washing the cloth she turned and held the red dyed bowl of water out to him.

"Could you fetch me some more water?" Bertrand nodded and took it from her hands. "And thank you."

The last part was said in a whisper but even in his old age the man was able to catch it. He gave the girl a silent nod and left to refill the bowl.

25,000 men had entered Dinant plains with burning patriotism for the kingdom of Brune. They had marched to the battle area with only one goal in mind; defeat Zhcted. Expecting certain victory with their valiant Prince at the helm, it should have been an easy win since they outnumbered the enemy 5 to 1. Their moral high and the advantage on their side victory were almost certainly assured.

Eleonora Viltaria, or Ellen as most of her close companions called her, surveyed the once empty plain of Dinant. Bodies of her kingdom's enemies littered the ground soaking the very ground red. Their enemy had the advantage in almost all aspects of the battle but she did not come into the fight hoping for a battle. No, she went into the fight when their enemy had their backs turned and ambushed them before there was even one.

With the Brune army having the clear advantage in men she had instead attacked in the middle of the night hoping to strike when they weren't expecting. The strategy had work to perfection making her pity the opposing army for not expecting such a simple tactic.

While the Brune army clearly had quantity on their side her army was much better organized. Even at the young age of 16 she was still one of the seven Vanadis in the Kingdom of Zhcted, one of the most powerful women in the land along with being one of its best commanders.

Her long silvery hair was draped over her shoulder, disheveled but none the less beautiful. There was a lingering bit of sadness as her wine red eyes gazed out towards all the blood shed she was responsible for but the feeling died just as quickly as it had appeared. Her army had massacred thousands of men today. Families will weep for their fallen fathers and brothers. All of it would be on her.

A calming hand grasped her shoulder as she broke her gaze from the field of bodies and looked to her companion, Limlisha. A beautiful woman with pale blonde hair tied to the side in a single ponytail and cold blue eyes, she stood taller than her by a good half a head with breasts larger than anyone else she knows say for maybe one. She was without a doubt her closest companion. Having gone through many battles where their lives were put on the line, she couldn't think of a closer friend in her life.

"It was a thorough victory, Vanadis-sama."

A small smile played on Ellen's lips. "That it was. It was a battle to be proud of."

"Vanadis-sama!" A young man ran towards her and her companion. He took a second to catch his breath before reporting his findings. "The Brune prince has fallen!"

Her eyes widened at the news. She hadn't expected her ambush to reach all the way to the prince. She had thought that at best she would be able to take down half of their rankings before they fled but if what the scout said was true then she would need to quickly notify the King.

"Is this true?"

It wouldn't be wise to make quick assumptions but the scout frantically nodded his head.

"Aye, it's true. The ambush had managed to catch the Prince off guard as most of their army was in the middle of a feast. It seems that we struck right when they were celebrating."

Once again she couldn't help but feel a little bit of pity for the other army. It wasn't the fault of the common man when leadership was that poor. To celebrate before even the beginning of a battle is beyond poor leadership.

"I need you to double check this rumor, then triple check it!"

The man saluted her and left to follow her orders.

"Lim we have a lot of work to do."

The young woman nodded and quickly fell into step with her leader.

"We need to prepare for our next course of action. I believe that if the rumors are true then King's next order will leave us little time to prepare. I have a strange feeling about what's about to happen."

Lim just gave her friend a questioning look but didn't comment on the last part. Even though Ellen was one of the most powerful women in the kingdom of Zhcted she was still a young girl and like any young girl she was prone to childish premonitions.

"Oh don't give me that Lim," Ellen gave the young woman a pouty look that most would think didn't belong in the battle field. Then again Ellen just marched to the beat of her own drum. "This isn't just anything to scoff at. Even Arifar can feel it."

Almost as if answering its master's call a strong wind blew caused by the sword on her side.

"I see." She couldn't deny it if even one of the famed dragon tools agreed with it master. She would put it in the back of her mind but for now there were more pressing matters to deal with. "Regardless I agree we have much to do and little time for idle superstition."

Ellen gave the busty girl a teasing look.

"I like you better when you're cute and agreeable."

Lim blushed prettily at her friends words.

"Vanadis-sama!"

Ellen just giggled at her friends reactions. It was so fun to break that strict persona of hers and oh so easy to do.

"That's probably why your breasts are so big, if you keep hiding that cute side of yours then who knows how big they'll get in the future."

The only response she received was a harsh glare from the girl. The crimson blush on her face did little to help her look intimidating though as Ellen just laughed loudly at her friends face. It was nice to have little moments like these.

Naruto bit back a groan as he slowly woke from unconsciousness. Already he could feel the subtle muscle aches all around his body and the slight stinging sensation of deep wounds. He wanted to open his eyes but at the moment the darkness was all too consuming. Aside the minor pains in his body he felt very comfortable in whatever hospital bed the Alliance ninja's had put him in. At least they were stepping up the thread count on the bed sheets or he would have already been plotting a way to get out.

His nose twitched and instead of smelling the strong smell of alcoholic disinfectants he instead was surprised to catch a whiff of a strong earthy smell that reminded him of the forests back in Konoha. Not that he minded too much though. Actually he actually preferred the smell of the woodlands over any hospital, any day.

A swell of emotions erupted in his chest when he thought about his home village. They were safe now. A small smile formed on his lips as he recalled the last thing that registered in his mind before everything turned dark. They had managed to do it. They won!

He couldn't contain his joy as he allowed his eyes to open thinking that all of his friends would be the first thing he sees. His vision was blurry at first but even then he could already tell that he wasn't in any type of hospital. Actually now that everything started to clear up he could see that it looked more like he was in someone's bedroom. The sounds of birds chirping brought his attention to the window sill right by where he was laying and couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

Thick tree's as high as the ones in Konoha as far as he could see. They didn't look like any he had ever seen in Konoha and couldn't help but think that the different shade of colors looked beautiful. Fallen leaves of different bright shades riddled the ground creating a sea of mismatching colors.

His eyes tracked a single leaf that was blown into the room only to land on a girl. He had to blink at the sight as he wasn't quite sure who she was. On a chair by his bed side was a girl with hazel brown hair tied in two ponytails. She looked really cute asleep with her mouth slightly open but the maid outfit that she wore put a slight vulnerability to her.

He didn't know who she was but from the amount of damp rags around the bed side he could tell that the girl had been the one nursing him. A smile tugged on his lips as he slowly reached out to her and shook the sleeping girl lightly to wake her up.

Titta felt something hold her shoulder and shake her lightly. She groaned in annoyance and just shrugged off whatever it was and attempted to snuggle into the uncomfortable chair she was trying to rest in.

Naruto thought that the girl looked absolutely adorable with the way she scrunched up her face at his attempt to wake her. His inner prankster was on high alert as he surveyed around him to find something to tease the sleeping girl with.

Sitting up he saw a plate with bread and cheese on the table by his bedside. His mouth water slightly at the sight but his need to tease the girl won out. He grabbed the long thin loaf and proceeded to poke the girl's cheek with it. Naruto chuckled as the girl once again frowned in discomfort and started to swat at the loaf.

Titta could feel a prodding on her cheek but every time she would swat at the annoyance it would already be gone. Her eyes fluttered open to deal with whatever it was that was keeping her from her sleep.

"Good morning…"

"Good morning~"

She yawned cutely and answering reflexively. She craned her neck to get the kinks out from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position and stretched out her body. A feeling of content washed over her as the little after sleep stretch stimulated her but froze once her sleep muddled brain finally started to function.

"Good morning?"

It was repeated but she said it more to herself. Who had greeted her?

"We already said that."

Titta 'eeped' cutely as her hands went to cover her mouth and her eyes widened at the once unconscious man. The last thing she had expected was to wake up to the sight of the injured man holding the loaf of bread she had set aside, smiling at her with a sheepish grin. She was at a loss for words.

"I um, uh what I mean." She couldn't quite articulate her current train of thought. She expected the man to wake up sometime soon but having the situation spring up so suddenly left her unable to form the words to express herself. "You're um, all better now."

She mentally winced at the stupid comment but he just gave her an amused look.

"I am and I'm guessing I have you to thanks for my recovery?"

"Yes but it wasn't just me the doctor patched you up too. I just helped with the cleaning."

"None the less thank you. It looks like you've been looking after me for a while."

Titta waved her hands in front of her bashfully.

"No, no. Not at all, you were only recovering for 3 days so it was no trouble at all."

"Three days huh," He whispered under his breath. He didn't expect his injuries to be so severe that he would be bed ridden for 3 days. "Then that's more of a reason to thank you."

"No, please there's nothing to thank me for."

Naruto couldn't help but like the overly humble girl. She was also quite bashful in a way that reminded him a little bit of the young Hyuuga heiress. Well maybe not as shy since she has yet to faint… He really hopes that doesn't happen.

"None the less you've been very kind to me. Allow me to at least thank you for that."

Titta blushed prettily. "Ah yes of course, you're very welcome."

Naruto stretched out his arms in an exaggerated manner and crinkled out his sore muscles. He gave the girl a wide grin as he formally introduced himself.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto by the way but you can just call me Naruto."

"Ah yes my name is Titta, nice to meet you Naruto-san."

Bowing slightly in greeting her polite nature sprang up as they introduced themselves. She thought that his name was actually quite strange but that would be rude to say out loud.

"Can I ask you if we won?"

"Won?" A questioning look formed on her face. She would hate to see the loser if winning entitled being as battered as Naruto was. "Um, I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure what you're asking me."

"Oh I see," Now that he thought about it from what he saw outside the window the place looked like it hadn't been touched by the war. He didn't think any place in the continent was left untouched by Madara but it looks like he might have landed in the only place in all of the Elemental Nations. Better to not say after all. If Madara was still alive then chances are he wouldn't even be here and having this conversation to begin with. Ignorance was bliss and all of that nonsense so no need to talk about a dead man and needlessly worry the poor girl. "Actually never mind don't worry about it."

"R-Right," She had no idea what he was talking about but just accepted it.

"By the way can you tell me where we are exactly? I'm not really familiar with this place."

"Oh of course, we're in Alsace."

"Alsace?" He tilted his head in a questioning manner. He's never heard of the place.

"Yes its—"

"Titta!"

A loud voice shouted cutting the girl off and causing the two to visibly jump in surprise at the same time. A man with a thick greying beard and a head of similarly colored hair, that looked to be half balding, rushed into the room out of breath. He had a frantic look on his face as his eyes surveyed the room before landed on Naruto. His eyes widened all of a sudden before he shook his head as if to jar him out of his thoughts and instead quickly grasped the young maid by the wrist.

"We must make haste Titta. Alsace is to be invaded."

The young girl gasped at the news. Her hands covered her mouth as her eyes widened in fright. Naruto looked between the two and couldn't help but feel slightly out of the loop. He could understand as much that the news that the man had just delivered meant trouble but he felt that he was missing a good chunk of information.

"Invaded? Who would do such a thing?"

"Yes invaded," the old man looked torn between getting the hell out of there as quickly as possible and explaining the whole thing at that moment. He gave Naruto a suspicious look as he considered the pros and cons of telling information in front of a stranger. "By the Thenardier Army of Nemetacum."

Titta once again let out a gasp as Naruto started to piece together everything. It seemed like this place, Alsace or whatever Titta had said, is about to be invaded by an army.

"Now there's no time for anymore idle chatter, I need you to escape with the towns folks. Evacuate to the Northern Forest and hopefully they'll settle for just sacking the town and leave the innocents alone."

He tugged at Titta's hand once again and found that the girl would not budge. A nervous thought entered his mind but quickly squashed it hoping that the girl wouldn't be thinking what he thought she was thinking.

"Titta there's no time for this. We need to hurry and escape quickly."

Instead Titta stood her ground and gave the old man a firm look. "I'm not leaving."

He could feel a headache forming as his worst thoughts became reality.

"There's not time to—"

"I'm not leaving Alsace."

There was finality in her statement that left Bertrand with little room to argue. A resigning look formed on the man's face as he know that once the girl made a firm decision then there would be little he could do to convince her out of her stance. Honestly young girls these days are so much more stubborn.

"Very well it seems that I won't be able to convince you out of this absurd idea."

Titta nodded with a look of determination on her face. She would not leave Tigre's home to be ransacked by a bunch of honor less thieves. Her fallen friend deserved better and even if she could do little she wouldn't betray his memory by just abandoning the town he loved.

"If I can't convince you to leave then I guess I'm going to have to stay as well." The old man wearily took a seat on one of the chairs in the room and folded his arms. He had a look that said he understood the consequences of his decision, and it made him look even more his age. "We can't just leave Urs-sama and Tigre-sama's home undefended."

Titta just stared at the old man in shock. She attempted to persuade him out of the idea but one look from him quickly shut her mouth up.

"If a young lady such as yourself were to stay while I run away then I wouldn't be able to face either of our Lords once I meet them on the other side. So you can just stop your protest right this instant."

Titta smiled uneasily and said nothing more.

Bertrand just huffed in affirmation before setting his sights on the injured patient with them. He gave Naruto a scrutinizing stare while said blond just grinned brightly at him completely disregarding the mood.

"You should get out of here as quickly as you can stranger. The villagers will show you the way. Just follow the path outside and it should lead you to the rest of the townsfolks."

Naruto tilted his head as he tried to comprehend the weird accent that the people of Alsace seemed to have before a look of recognition crossed his face. He gave them a sheepish grin as his hand found itself tugging at his hair in a flustered manner.

"Well I was actually thinking that I'd, um, stick around as well."

The two Alsace citizens just gave the sheepish blond a disbelieving look that only made him feel even more self-conscious. Titta was the first to recover and opened her mouth to say something but the words died in her throat causing her to quickly close her mouth. Bertrand however had a lot to say.

"Do not be a fool child! You have no reason to doom yourself as well."

Naruto scoffed at being called a child.

"I'm not a child old man, and of course I have a reason for staying."

Bertrand gave him a heated stare feeling frustrated at the nonchalant attitude of the young man. He didn't have any particular feelings towards the blond but he wasn't going to condemn another person.

"And what reason would that be."

Naruto turned his gaze from the old man and stared Titta in the eye. The girl just stared back with a mixture of confusion and bewilderment as a grin once again formed on the young man's face.

"Well to return the favor of course."

Bertrand just gapped at the injured young man as a faint blush spread across Tittas face. She didn't know why she felt embarrassed at his words but the comment had left her feeling flustered.

"Stop this nonsense child and leave with the other villagers. We did not nurse you back to health just to gain your favor. Don't disregard Titta's effort in healing you by staying with us when you are still clearly injured."

Bertrand's words knocked Titta out of her flustered state as she quickly nodded along with what Bertrand was saying.

"That's right Naruto-san. I'm happy that you want to thank me but this isn't the way to do it. Just knowing that you'll escape to safety with the rest of the townsfolks is more than enough."

Titta smiled gently at Naruto who just sat on the bed with his arms crossed and his eyes squinted in a stubborn manner. Obviously they didn't know who he is otherwise they wouldn't be so quick to dismiss his help even in his current state. Considering they were so far away that they weren't even aware of the war with Madara, it made sense that they didn't know just how strong he is but still. Uzumaki Naruto is not someone to dismiss so casually.

"Don't worry about me I'll be just fine. I'll protect you," he gave Titta a confident look before he switched his gaze back to the older attendant and waved his hand in a flippant way. "And don't you worry either old man; a few injuries aren't going to slow me down. So you can count on me to keep your wrinkly ass safe as well."

Bertrand stared into the young man's eyes and found confidence. It wasn't fake bravado that he was used to seeing in some of the younger soldiers but clear unwavering confidence. He didn't know much about the injured blond but those eyes were not about to back down, no matter what he had to say. Sighing in defeat he tore his eyes away from those blue orbs and resigned himself to give up persuading him.

"Very well if that is your decision then I won't say any more, but enough with your disrespect!"

Naruto just grinned having out stubborn the grisly old man. He suddenly stood on the bed and posed in an exaggerated manner.

"Don't worry old man Uzumaki Naruto will show you that there's nothing to be afraid of. I'll make sure that your home is safe."

"Sit down and what did I just say about respect!"

Titta stared at the blond with her jaw hanging open. Where he gets his confidence from she had no idea but the way he was acting, it was like their situation was just an everyday occurrence for him. She could practically feel the confidence oozing from his pores and she would have shared in his confidence if it wasn't for the fact that the sudden action of standing up so quickly made his injuries flare up making him squat down quickly and clutch his sides in pain.

Titta stared at him sweat dropping at the scene in front of her and quickly turned to Bertrand hoping to convince the old man and make his see logic.

"Sir, please convince him to rethink his decision."

Bertrand just gave the maid a look that said he tried already. Titta just crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks in frustration.

"Mou fine! Do what you want, see if I care."

Naruto grinned and held his hands up in victory while the two Alsace residents just rubbed their forehead to keep the coming headache from forming. Even though he had only been awake for a short period of time they had a feeling that if he stuck around with them then he was going to drive them to an early grave. If they didn't get killed by the Thenardier Army first, that is.

Ellen held the contents of the letter that was delivered to her by the raven currently perched on her chair. She already had an idea of what the King would want her to do once the news of the Prince of Brune dying during battle reached him. It didn't take a strategic mind to deduce that Brune would be in shambles after such a loss and in such an unforgiving world showing weakness only beckoned the wolves.

"Lim," she said sharply causing the busty young woman to stand at attention. "Have 1,000 of our abled soldiers ready at a moment's notice. We move out as soon as possible."

Lim just gave her a silent nod and left the tent to attend to her duties. The letter had stated that their destination is to be Alsace, the little village near the Northeast border of Zhcted and Brune. It would only be a half days march to reach the village from their current position but there were a few complications. They weren't the only army marching with the same destination in mind.

She had sent scouts a head of time to a few of the closest villages around their area. She figured that one of those areas would be her next course. Thankfully Alsace was one of the areas that had been scouted.

The Intel they had received from her quick thinking may go a long way in saved a whole lot of lives. Another army from one of the wealthier cities in Brune was currently marching to Alsace looking to take advantage of the death of the Prince to gain more power. Truthfully she wasn't too surprised about that piece of information.

With the Prince dead and no heir to the throne it would only make sense for the power hungry to make their move now. She would use the chaos created by the other army and sweep right in to steal the victory when they have exhausted themselves with their in-country squabble. By amassing a smaller contingency there would be a smaller chance of them being detected.

Truthfully she held no opinion on the brewing civil war that was rising in Brune, but the King's orders are to be carried out no matter what. With that in mind she grabbed her Dragon Tool, Arifar, and attached it to her side.

She was surprised to note that it seemed to be pulsing with power. As sentinel objects, Dragon Tools choose their own masters when its previous owner dies. It has a mind of its own so for it to be pulsing out its wind left her with conflicted feeling. It's almost like the sword itself was excited for what was to come.

"What are you trying to tell me?" She whispered to the sword.

The wind continued to coat the sword swirling around it. Of course it couldn't answer in a way that she could understand but she could take a pretty good guess on what it wanted to say.

"I see," A faint smile formed on her face as she walked out her tent to see her men ready for the coming march. "It seems like the winds of change is blowing."

A wide grin was plastered on the face of Zion Thenardier as his troops marched down towards the village of Alsace. A modest force of almost 2,000 men would be more than enough for the hapless village that doesn't even have nobility anymore. This day had been a long one coming.

He had been looking forward to something like this for as long as he can remember. To finally be the one to put his father's ambition into motion motivated him almost as much as he relished in subjugating the lowly peasants of Alsace.

He had the finest armor and the sharpest of swords. There would be nothing to stop him from fulfilling his father's desires. As the visage of the town started to come into view he ordered his army to halt as scouts were sent to scour the place.

Truly there was no need to do such a thing. Alsace is but a tiny stepping stone that would offer no resistance to the coming change in Brune. As prosperous as it was with its yearly vegetation, Alsace offers very little when it comes to warfare. He would be surprised if they could even scrounge up a 100 men to counter act his vast forces, if any at all.

"Fetch me some wine, boy."

A lowly slave by his side bowed frantically as he quickly made to do just as he was told. Ah how he loved the power to control mere commoners. Nobility is all about power and he had power a plenty.

"Do you think it is wise to be drinking before a battle, milord?"

He barely even glanced at the one that made the comment. They were all just advisors, advisors that were not needed.

"It would not be goo—"

"Silence!" Raising his voice the various military advisors around him flinched at the tone. A small arrogant smile formed on his mouth at the effect his words had on them. "I am the General of this army and when I ask for wine then I shall have my wine."

Holding his hand out as if demanding they give him what he wanted. The slave that was rushing to get the wine he ordered came and put a leather wine skin pouch on his outstretched hand. He downed the contents of the pouch and gave the rest of his attendants a look that practically begged them to just try and undermine his authority. Of course no one did.

He continued to drink his wine feeling the slight buzz from the alcohol. The village was right in front of him and he could see the quiet beauty it had. It only made him want to destroy the place even more.

"When are the scouts going to return?" He roared finally unable to handle all the waiting. What was the point anyways when they were just going to raze the place to the ground?

"Thenardis-sama, we are in enemy territory. While Alsace might be small, the terrain around it is something our men are not used to. It would be wise to scout the area in case of surprise attacks."

He glared at the advisor willing to speak out to him. The man looked back in defiance but the sweat forming on his brows showed that he knows that he was toeing a very thin line. Zion just smiled at the man's nervousness.

"Well why didn't you just say so?"

The advisor let out a sigh of relief. "Of course my lord, forgive us for not being clearer."

"Yes, yes" he said just waving away the man. "Regardless we move out."

The advisor looked appalled when he heard Zion's words. "B-But my lord that would be—"

"That would be what, advisor?" Zion stared down the man unblinking.

"W-What I mean to say is that, that is a most wise course of action."

The man quickly backed down when faced with the prospect of death. Zion smirked at the cowering man and quickly dismissed him.

"We move in with 200 men to raid the village. From the look of things it's been abandoned. Those cowards, fleeing at the first sign of danger."

Seeing no one object to his plans Zion grabbed his spear and mounted his horse. He took a glance back as he gazed upon his army. Men lined up with armor and weapons all ready to destroy and pillage at his beck and call. Then his eyes settled on two hulking figures that the rest of the army had given a wide berth from.

Two colossal beasts easily the size of a house towered over the army. They were capable of destroying villages with just their breath and swallowing a man whole with just one crunching bite. While the Zhcted had the Vanadis and their Dragon Tools to bolster their ranks Brune had dragons to more than make up for it.

"It's only a pity that we won't be able to use these two. It would have been more fun to let them burn this place to the ground."

With one final look at the two hulking beasts he roused his mount and led the chosen 200 to claim the village ahead.

Nothing could compare to the heavenly food that is ramen but if Naruto was being truly honest with himself he would put this freshly baked bread that Titta made a close second. Ripping the soft roll with his teeth he happily munched on the food with an expression of bliss on his face.

"Oh man Titta this is absolutely awesome."

The girl gave him a tentative smile at the sight of Naruto devouring her cooking. He was eating at a pace that made her worry that he was going to choke. It's great that he enjoyed her food but chewing would go a long way in keeping her worries at a low.

"Boy, you need to slow down and chew your food properly."

She gave Bertrand a grateful look for voicing her thoughts as Naruto finished chewing the contents in his mouth.

"Right, sorry about that. I'm just so hungry. I feel like I haven't eaten for days!"

"You technically haven't but that doesn't excuse your lack of manners."

He just gave them a mischievous smile and childishly stuck out his tongue. An empty stomach was an empty stomach and if there was good food, like the rolls Titta made, in front of him then it wasn't his fault if he resorted to his old eating habits.

"They're not going anywhere plus shouldn't you be eating less? You're only a few hours removed from waking up from some pretty life threatening injury."

Naruto stopped his eating and flashed the old man with a grin. "I'm all good now, see?" He held up his arm and flexed to show how healthy he was. How that conveyed his current health was a mystery but the man didn't buy it.

"Put away those little water balloons of yours son. You're a few years too early to be showing off those skinny arms of your."

Titta suppressed a giggle as Naruto visibly deflated at Bertrand's words. She reached across the table and poked the blonde's arm and gave him a teasing grin.

"I don't know sir I don't think it's fair to say that they're water balloons." Naruto brightened up thinking that the young maid was on his side. "They feel more like air balloons to me."

This time she couldn't hold back her laughter as a look of utter betrayal formed on Naruto's face. She just couldn't help it the face was just too comical.

Bertrand let out a booming laugh as even Titta, who was usually more meek and reserved, was getting in on the teasing. It was a comfortable atmosphere that he didn't expect at all. With the invasion just around the corner he didn't think he'd be spending his last few moments before battle in laughter.

"I'm not skinny, I'm wiry." Naruto grumbled as he took a sulking bite into those fresh rolls.

"Yes, yes we can see that boy no need to pout."

He gave the old man a blistering glare and tried to correct him that he wasn't pouting. Real men don't pout. They sulk with dignity.

"Forgive me Naruto-san," Titta said with a shy smile as she wiped a tear from her eye. "You just looked so amusing pouting like that."

He gave the girl a look before sighing. He couldn't even be mad at her for saying that he was pouting when she had that meek doe like look on her face. He just settled for silent depression and eating his food with as much dignity as he could muster.

As he was about to take another bite a loud booming sound echoed from outside causing the happy atmosphere to instantly sour. A look a fear formed on Titta's face as Bertrand visibly tensed. He could see the old man's hand drift towards the sheathed sword by his side as the mood darkened.

"Aw man and I was hoping to at least get in a few more bites." Titta blinked at him not quite sure what she was hearing. Didn't he know the situation they were in? "Thanks for the food Titta it was delicious."

Standing from his seat Naruto patted himself down and started to stretch out his shoulder. A wide grin was on his face almost as if he had no care in the world. It was an unusual sight for both of the Alsace residents.

"I'd help with the dishes but it looks like the party's just about to start." He started to make his way towards where the sound came from but was stopped.

"Naruto-san what are you doing?" She asked in a frantic voice. "Don't go out there, it's dangerous!"

"She's right boy. Together we have a much better chance of surviving. Don't let youthful bravado cloud your judgement."

Naruto just tilted his head and furrowed his brows as he muttered under his breath. "I guess you guys really are far off from the shinobi villages."

"Please Naruto-san stay here for now. We'll confront them together."

He could see the look of fear in the girl's eyes and couldn't help but feel a tight burning anger form within him. This was exactly the kind of thing he fought to prevent. He walked over to the trembling girl and got down to her eye level. He gave her a comforting smile and placed a gentle hand on her head.

"Don't worry about me, I'll protect you. You have nothing to be scared of."

He could see the doubt in her eyes but didn't blame her for feeling that way. They didn't know who he was and what he was capable of. They had nothing to fear and he'll show them that.

"Old man, keep her safe. I'll be back with some good news so you better not kneel over before I come back."

With those parting words he vanished in swirl of leaves leaving the remaining two wide eyed. He disappeared right in front of their eyes.

Just who is Uzumaki Naruto?

The wind whipped around him as he ran at a break neck speed towards the town. While he was still hampered by the injuries he had sustained from the battle with Madara it didn't stop him from rushing into what could be another long battle. The aches in his bones were still there but the will to never abandon those in need reverberated within him more.

He saw the look in Titta's eyes and it tugged at his very nature. He saw herself rescinding to her fate thinking that this would be her last day living. It was a look he was all too familiar with.

He schooled his features as he finally arrived at his destination. He stood on top of the tallest buildings in the town looking over the so called army that had come to invade the village of the ones that had helped him.

Soldier were destroying homes and stealing valuables of any shop they could find. He could see the gleeful looks on their faces as they scavenged and pillage the deserted homes of the villagers. His fist tightened in anger before finally he had enough. With a loud cry he descended from him perch and knocked down a couple of soldier hold cases of expensive looking items.

They were completely unaware of his presence and didn't even have any time to give a shout as he literally landed on them. The pillaging men stopped in their tracks and looked on as a couple of their fellow soldiers were literally flattened by a blond missile.

"Uzumaki Naruto has entered the field! You thieving bastards better get ready because I'm about to kick some ass!"

There was a silence after the declaration. Most of the men were wide eyed and frozen as the blond haired ninja stood over a couple of soldiers with his arms folder over his chest. It took a couple of seconds for the army to get their bearings before the veterans finally got over their shock and pulled out their swords.

"Who the hell are you punk!?"

He didn't answer them but instead settled for making quick work of the ones that attacked him. It wasn't really that hard to fight them off. They were slow compared to those he had fought before and they're team work left a lot to be desired. A couple of men tried to circle around him hoping to catch him off guard once they saw that a full frontal attack wasn't going to work but a quick flick of his wrist sent a couple of kunai knives soaring. It cut the ropes of a sign that hung over the men sending the sign crashing into the soldiers.

"Are you all deaf as well as stupid? I said I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"

The quick defeat of their fellow soldiers left the others feeling a bit more apprehensive. Even with the obvious man advantage they have, the sight of a single teenager making quick work of a group of trained warriors left them weary of making another move.

The men stayed a good distance from him and started to circle around to cage him in. Naruto just smirked and allowed them to do it with his arms still crossed over his chest.

"What's happening!?" A man in red expensive armor roared as the men parted to let him through. Naruto could easily tell that the man was the one in charge. He had this arrogant look to him and shiny red expensive armor that looked like it was just recently bought and never used. "What are you fools doing?"

"Thenardis-sama, there is a man attacking our men."

Zion gave the soldier a hard stare and looked over to see Naruto smirking back at him.

"One man," these complete imbecils! "And all two hundred of you can't even handle one pathetic child. You are all a disgrace."

Naruto unfolded his arms and pointed at him. "Why don't you come down from your pretty little pony and say that to my face."

Zion just made a shooing motion with his hands. "I don't have time to waste on a lowly commoner like you." He made to turn his horse and barked out a command. "Dispose of this filt—"

A whizzing sound was heard as a kunai whipped past his cheek leaving an angry red line that poured blood.

"Did I get your attention now?"

A look of shock showed on Zions face as he shakily raised his hand towards the wound on his face. Red blood stained his hand and like a bull it only infuriated him even more.

"You dare injure my face!"

"Well yeah what did you expect? This is a battle, were you expecting me to just let you go when you turn your back to me. What an idiot, am I right?"

The soldiers gave no reply to his comment but he could see a few of them crack a small smile on their professional facade.

"You're mocking me!"

"It's just typical hero/villain banter. Jeez calm down a little. I haven't even said anything that demeaning… yet."

Zion's face reddened from anger. He's had just enough of this buffoon.

"Kill him. Kill his slowly, and then bring me his head so that I may piss on it later."

"Wow," Naruto said looking a bit green. "I-I think I'm going to have to decline this death and pee thing. I'm just not that kind of guy, you know? I'm sure one of these fine gentlemen will let you, ehem, relieve yourself on them." Sighing he slapped his cheeks with his hands and glanced around. "Alright boys let's get this over with. As you can see you're perverted leader needs a lesson in humility and I kind of want to do that before he makes any more trouble for my friends."

Ellen guided her soldiers into formation as they entered the town through the Eastern side. With the Brune army entering from the other side the rest of her troops, along with her second in command, had gone ahead and encircled the opposing force. Once her group takes care of the raiding squad in the town they'll be able to deal with the bigger army outside of the town walls with ease. Not only would they have the element of surprise but also the only landmark to operate in.

They made it into the town unopposed so hopefully the rest of the plan will work just as easily, though they were lucky in the sense that Alsace was close enough to the border of Zhcted that they were able to sneak in her army without alerting the opposing force.

Her small squad of only 100 men, including herself, swiftly made their way through the town and was surprised to see a sight that left most of them in shock. She was expecting the town to be riddled with soldiers pillaging the town to the ground but instead saw a sight that made her double take.

In the middle of a large squad of soldiers was a blond haired young man. He was fighting off the seasoned veterans with relative ease as he ducked and swayed away from each strike with random yet intricate movements that left many of the solders wide open to his attack. What made the whole thing even more insane was the fact that he was fighting them with his bare hands. The mere idea of fighting an army with your bare hands was complete suicide yet the man looks like he was winning.

"Come on! At least make this a challenge. You're all so slow in those fancy armor that I don't even need to use Kage Bushin to deal with you all."

The taunting only served to infuriate the soldiers that were less seasoned but the rest were starting to look like they were having second thoughts. As she continued to watch the one sided fight she found herself intrigued by the spectacle. Her heart beat started to pick up as she felt a rush of emotion bubble inside of her. A grin formed on her face before she announced herself with a loud cry.

"Uryahhhhh!"

The sudden war call startled the blond haired man but it didn't stop him from taking another soldier down with a timely punch. She noticed that while he kept his eyes firmly on his opponents he would make quick glances towards her and her men as if gauging if they were friend or foe.

A hiss sound echoed and answered his thoughts as Ellen rushed in to the group and started to fight off the Brune soldiers. A wide smile was on her face as she mowed down the opposition with quickness and grace. She flowed around the soldiers like the wind as her own men joined in seeing their leader intervene herself into the mix.

As the mass of Brune soldiers started to thin out Naruto jumped from his position and ran along the walls. He made a spectacle of it but the Zhcted soldiers barely gave it a glance as they continued to fight back the few stragglers. In a crouch position he landed near Ellen, away from the masses and gave her a teasing grin. Before she could even say anything to him he ran off jumping along the walls away from the fight.

She couldn't help but chuckle as the blond used her and her army as a diversion to make his escape. She was more amused than mad really.

She ducked under a sword that would have cleaved her head off and returned with a sweeping kick of her own knocking the opposition down. A swipe of her sword left the man bleeding and dead in just a few moments.

Her eyes darted around surveying her surrounding as the last surviving Brune soldiers ran away. She sheathed her sword as her eyes stared straight ahead in the direction of where their mystery fighter had gone. A wry grin formed on her lips.

How interesting.

Titta shook as she heard the loud voices of the intruders entering the household. Even the presence of Bertrand right beside her wasn't enough to comfort her. As great of a warrior as the old man was there was only so much one old man could do.

She flinched once again as she heard the glee filled voices of the soldiers. Since it was the house of a noble there were many valuables around the compound, but in her hands was the most valuable of them all. A dark ebony bow, unstrung, was held tightly in her grasp. Even if they pillaged every scrap of items in the house this was the one thing she refused to give up without a fight.

The dark bow was the family heirloom to the Vorn's and she wouldn't be able to face her childhood friend in the afterlife if she was to give it up without any resistance. And with the way things were going it looks like she would be meeting with him sooner rather than later.

A comforting hand gripped her shoulder causing her to cease her trembling but the slight comfort she received from the old man didn't help her much with her fright. Still she gave him a timid smile to show him her appreciation for the kind gesture.

"Don't you worry Titta; I won't let them lay a finger on you."

Bertrand tried to give her a reassuring smile but even she could tell that the look was just as forced as her own. As grave as their situation was she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Naruto. The enigmatic blond had just disappeared with a promise that things would be just fine but with the noise getting closer it was became harder to trust in his words. She closed her eyes as the noise of the intruders got closer and closer as her own anxiety rose with the passing seconds.

She wanted to say that she didn't let so much as a whimper escape her lips when the door was kicked open by those vile intruders but then that would be a lie. The door, broken from the kick, was the only thing separating them from the invading force. With it broken it allowed for the remaining men to flood the room.

Bertrand fought valiantly trying to repel the greedy men from coming any closer but there was only so much an old man could do as he was swiftly subdued by the overwhelming numbers. He struggled in their grasp with a bit of blood trickling down his face but he couldn't overpower the younger soldiers.

"It looks like today wasn't so much of a waste after all, men."

Titta flinched at the voice as the men around her gave grunting approval as their eyes switched between leering at her and paying attention to the one that spoke. Striding into the room was a young man that wore pristine red armor. He wore a cruel smile on his face that made her even more afraid. She kept her head down as her grip on the bow grew tighter as his footsteps got closer and closer.

"It was such a disappointment when we strolled into this backwater town to find no men to fight and no women to enjoy ourselves with."

The men all stomped their feet and roared in approval. She could practically feel their lust for blood and flesh as the house shook from their action. The man circled around her enjoying the little theatrics.

"I'll kill you where you stand you bastard scum." Bertrand wildly struggled in an attempt to loosen the grip of the soldiers holding him down to take down the smug bastard. They'd have to kill him first before they even laid a hand on the young girl. "I'll gut you boy."

The man pacing around her stopped and slowly moved towards Bertrand. He gave the older man a withering glare and drew his sword.

"Oh, and how are you going to do that when you can't even escape from my men." Zion held the point of his sword on the man's chest, right where his heart is. "I could stab you right now and that would be the end of it."

Titta closed her eyes as a few dribbles of tears leaked out. She couldn't watch this.

"I could do just that but…" He paused and drew back the sword. With his eyes staring straight into the old man's own he took a step back. A cruel smile once again formed on his face as if a bright idea had just entered his mind. Titta gasped in pain as her hair was roughly grasped by the man. He held her up to his face, never once breaking eye contact with Bertrand, and held his sword across her body. "Then you wouldn't be able to see what comes next."

Titta was shoved backwards while all the men laughed in amusement. They kept shoving her and pushing her around while Bertrand thrashed and shouted out insults, but that only served to rouse them even more. Never once did she let go of the bow even when finally the men, having enough of playing around, brought her out to the balcony where she was roughly shoved down.

Zion smiled in anticipation as his eyes roamed the quivering girl. Her eyes were shut tight with her hair and clothes disheveled. The dried tears on her cheeks only fueled his desire as he grasped the dagger from his waist. He kneeled down and grasped her shirt with his hand as his eyes once again met Bertrand's.

"We have all day and all night old man."

In those last few moments Titta finally lost her grip on the bow. Her tears once again leaked from her tightly shut eyes and just waited for it to all be over. She waited for the blade to cut away her innocence but the moment never came.

"AHHHHH!"

A loud scream echoed from above her. With her eyes still closed she had no idea what was happening. The grip around her loosened and she felt the man drop to her side screaming. She let out a gasp as she all of a sudden felt herself weightless. She could feel an arm hooked under her legs as another was around her back holding her close.

She didn't want to open her eyes because then this dream would shatter. She didn't want to have to open her eyes and see that her mind had played a trick on her. She was too scared so she kept them close and just listened to the soft thumping sound she was pressed up against.

Zion continued to scream while holding his right hand in pain. Embedded in his palm was a knife like object. Just as he was about to deal with the girl a projectile had been thrown, and with great accuracy hit him. Then, almost like the wind itself, a man had managed to weave himself around his men and snatch the girl from right under him.

The savior stood on the balcony wall carrying the helpless maid. His cold blue eyes surveyed the masses as they all unsheathed their weapons.

"Y-you again…!" Naruto's eyes locked into Zion's fallen form. The man was still in shock having received his first major wound ever. "I'll have you killed for this!"

Naruto's grip around the girl tightened in anger but a whimper from Titta caused his hands to loosen, but his eyes remained cold as he surveyed them all.

"Try it."

Zion trembled as he frantically stood up. His body shook as adrenalin coursed throughout his veins, which did little to ease his nerves. For the first time in his life the noble felt fear. His men had served to keep danger away from him so he had never felt fear for his life. No one had ever come this close to him and actually leave a significant wound.

"I'll have your head for this! I-I'll burn this place to the ground!"

He ripped the knife embedded in his hand and threw it at the blond. Naruto didn't even move as the projectile got closer to him. He felt the wind around him swirl as a strong gale blew and knocked the knife away.

"Forward!"

A loud call was heard as a group of men could be seen entering the house. Leading them was a silver haired woman dressed in blue armor, the same woman that had provided Naruto with the distraction to escape. In her hand was a magical sword capable of manipulating wind.

Zion growled in anger and fear as an opposing group has somehow entered the mix. He gave Naruto one last glare as he ordered his own troops to retreat promising to kill the man.

The invading troops quickly left while Naruto watched them go with a fierce look in his eye. He would have taken them out and not given them the option of retreat but the girl in his arms wouldn't allow him. Her quivering form gripped his shirt tightly as tears leaked out from her shut eyes. He looked at the young maid with a look of sadness as he tried to comfort her.

"It's alright now Titta, you can open your eyes now." The girl just buried her head further into his arms and shook her head. The tears were freely streaming now soaking his shirt but he cared very little about that. "I promise you it's alright now."

The girl was hesitant and looked to be in conflict with herself. The soft sobbing noise coming from her started to lessen as she tentatively opened her eyes. The blurry image of a gentle smile was the first thing she saw. Her tear stricken eyes made it hard to see clearly.

"Lord Tigre?"

Naruto shook his head gently.

"Naruto?" Titta rubbed her eyes as the blurry image cleared up as Naruto's gentle smiling face filled her vision.

"You're alright now."

She stared at him in silence as a mixture of emotions passed across her face. She buried her head into the crook of his arms as the tears once again ran down her cheeks.

"I was so scared."

"Yeah, I know."

He just held on to the weeping girl as he rubbed her back to comfort her from her traumatic ordeal. He allowed her to cry as much as she wanted with only the comfort of his presence to help her out.

"I told you that you have nothing to be afraid of. So you don't ever have to feel scared like that again. I won't let anything happen to my friends."

"I'm sorry I doubted you." She said with tears in her eyes.

He just patted the girl on the head in comfort. He caught the sight of silver as the young girl that had come to the rescue for the second time that day came into view. She regarded him with a quizzing look while he just stared back with an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't know who they were but since they had yet to make a move against him he was willing to hear her out. Taking his hands off Titta's head he circled her behind him.

"Who are you?"

"I am Eleanora Viltaria, Lord of Leitmeritz."

The title meant little to Naruto since he wasn't familiar with the nations around Brune but Titta was and the introduction made her gasp.

"You are from Zhcted!" It sounded more like an accusation than a question. "What are you doing here?"

"We've come to invade Alsace." The grin on Ellen's face didn't exactly match up with her statement but none the less both of them stiffened at her words.

"I see, so that makes you my enemy."

Ellen just raised an elegant eyebrow at the young man's words. She could see that he was exhausted and riddled with injuries. It didn't come from the fight that happened in the town square since she had witness him defeat those soldiers pretty easily so it must have been old wounds.

"You don't look like you're in any position to defend yourself let alone a defenseless maid."

"We'll have to see about that won't we?" Naruto wasn't naïve to think that this would be an easy fight. He could tell that the girl held a lot of power and in his current state it would be hard to fight her off. That's not even including the rest of her men. He reached for a kunai knife from his holster and held it in a reverse rip.

Ellen didn't say anything or make a move. She just held eye contact with him as a gale of wind blew around them. The wind swirled around the sword on her side as her heart beat quickened. Her chest felt tight as a feeling she had never felt before washed over her. Finally she cracked a smile and uttered words that left Titta and Naruto stunned.

"I see, I think this feeling is what they call love."

Naruto would have dropped the knife in his hand from the shock but he just managed to compose himself. It took a few seconds for his mind to reboot, allowing him to respond.

"Huh?" It wasn't exactly what he wanted to say but his mouth was working faster than his brain. "What are you talking about lady!?"

Ellen just smiled coyly and unsheathed her sword. Raising the blade she held it up and pointed it at him.

"You shall be my 'Prisoner of War'"

Naruto was floored once again not quite familiar with the term. He scratched the back of his head with the ring of his kunai.

"You're speaking gibberish to me lady. I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You will be mine!"

Authors Note:

Well for the time being this will be my focus. It's the first crossover between these two so I guess the sky's the limit for this one. I'm very excited to start this since I have a lot of free time for the coming months. I'm trying to hit at least the ten thousand mark on my word counts for each chapter so don't expect too much too soon. Anyways I hope you all enjoy it!

And please leave me a long Review!