AN: Uhhhhhh…. Hey everyone. It's Thewackness135 here, with a LOOOOONG overdue chapter of Inescapable Fates. What else can I say, but that school is a bitch, and writer's block is even more so.

Seriously, I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Five months is too damn long to keep you guys waiting on what is supposed to be one of my main stories, especially considering the fact that this story is one of the few Fire Emblem crossovers with Naruto in it.

So again, I apologize.

To be honest, my will to write my stories is dropping. Mainly due to the fact that writing chapters that I think will meet everyone's standards consume a lot of time, as well as the fact that I don't find the same sense of enjoyment as I did before.

Don't worry, this doesn't mean that I'll stop writing entirely, it just means that updates will come slower than usual from now on until I find my drive again.

About last chapter, on the typos found there.

I finished that chapter late at night, groggy as all hell, and uploaded it the next day. Then when all you guys and gals alerted me to the problem, I went back and saw all the problems listed. Needless to say, I fixed them.

On a lighter note, HOOOOOOLLLLLYYYY SHITE FIRE EMBLEM FATES IS FUN!

I got the Conquest version first, while my friend who I bought day one copies with bought Birthright (We know refer to each other as Hoshidan Filth and Nohrian Scum). We drove around for about an hour between stores to find copies on day one. And Target pulled through.

And say what you will about D&D, but goddamn is it fun.

The only thing I will say about me and my four friends D&D session, is that the spell Jump solves all of our problems. From pitfalls, to vampires, to even heavy blockade doors.

All fell before the power of the natural 20 Jump.

Jump. Is. God.

Anyhow, back to story related topics.

I fanboyed a little when one of my favorite authors on the site decided to give this story a chance, and ended up liking it.

Thank you, and keep bringing the PAIN.

That was a joke, a terrible joke, but a joke nonetheless.

Well, as much as I'd like to stay here and keep rambling on about topics that the majority of you probably give no shits about, I believe that I have a story that needs to start.

Welcome back friends.

Fonts: See first chapter

Disclaimer: Thewackness135 does not own either Naruto, or Fire Emblem Awakening; if I did, that monstrosity known as Fiia Emburem the Musical would have never reared its ugly head. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you are one of the lucky ones. Please, treasure your innocence, and never watch that video. Super Saiyan Marth is currently trying to break down my door, so I guess this is goodbye.

On with the Story!

Story: Inescapable Fates: Memories of a Shopkeeper.

Ch.5: "Walkin' In A Winter Wonderla… Is that a Spear flying at us?"

-Chapter Start!-

Regna Ferox, a land filled with warriors of the highest caliber, renowned for their strength, and resilience to harsh climates.

It was also a land, where the cold was as likely to kill you as its citizens were.

Where the unprepared didn't last long, before they succumbed to the harsh weather. Where the weak were routed out, until the strong remained. A land where even the slightest-

"ACHOO!"

Speaking of the unprepared…

Twin Blonde pigtails blew in the wind, as Lissa sneezed for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

The Shepherds had been marching for a couple days now, and had encountered little in the ways of danger along the way. They had thanked Naga herself for that. And now, they were marching in the icy winds, surrounded by white as snow fell from the sky. They had donned the necessary clothing to keep themselves warm, such as furs, or heavy jackets.

Robin and Chrom were leading the Shepherds, taking point, with Naruto, Lissa, and Frederick in the middle. Stahl and Vaike were in the back, making sure no one snuck up on them. The Shepherds had split up, with Virion, Sully, Stahl, and Muriel staying behind at a camp they had set up about five miles ago, in case things went south, and had to message Ylisse's capital.

Lissa, on the other hand, was a different story.

She had not heeded the warning given to her by her elder brother.

Or the one given to her by Frederick.

Or Robin.

Or even Naruto.

No, she had chosen to remain in her normal attire, seemingly assured that it would protect her from the cold that Regna Ferox was famous for. After all, how cold could it be?

Well, you know the old saying "Freezing my ass off"?

Over in Ferox, that wasn't just an expression. In fact, it was only a saying at all because it was a literal occurrence in the realm. Someone literally froze their ass off, and now it seemed Lissa was about to suffer the same fate.

"F-F-Frederick! N-N-Naruto! A-Anyone! P-Please, I'm F-Freezing over h-h-here!"

She was met by blank stares from all who had warned her about the climate. Their answer was a collective "No."

Throwing up her hands, and trying to summon as many tears to her eyes as possible, Lissa put her hands as if in prayer and begged, "I know I should have listened to you guys! Please!" She pleaded.

Naruto, who wore his usual outfit with the addition of a heavy fur cloak, leaned in with interest, "Let me hear that again, you should have done what?" His intention was clear, as a shit-eating grin spread across his features.

Lissa didn't care at this point, "I should have listened to you guys about the weather! Okay!"
All the Blond did was gesture to her, his hand going in a spinning motion, "Aaaand?"

Lissa sneezed again, shivering as she spoke, "And I should have worn warmer clothes."

Naruto leaned in closer, "Great!" His grin turned genuine, as he clapped his hands together, enjoying the look on the princess' face as she sat through the slight scolding. It didn't help that their little chat drew nearly everyone in the groups' attention, a fact that was not lost on the Shopkeeper.

Now it was time for the first part of this prank war to commence, just as was promised days before.

Once again, his grin grew devilish, as he looked upon her like a predator does prey, "Now, tell me about how much better of a prankster I am than you." Oh boy, did he love the look of shock and indignation on her face.

The Ylissian Royal stood straight up, her face red from the cold, as she looked him straight in the eye, "Never!"

A howling wind rushed by, carrying with it another burst of cold.

"Saaay iiiit."

"Never!"

Another cold wind.

"Saaaaay iiiiit"

"No!"

Naruto took a dramatic pose, sighing loudly, as he reached into his travel pack, pulling out a similar fur cloak to the one he was currently wearing.

Once again sighing, he began, "Oh, such a shame. I had another one of these COZY". He hugged it closer to himself, "COMFY". He looked at her, and uttered two more words, "WARM cloaks."

He could practically hear her will shattering like glass.

Lissa herself was looking conflicted. On one side, her pride as a prankster was on the line, and she knew that she would never live it down to the other Blond. On the other hand, she had the possibility of having her ass literally freezing off.

So it was either humiliation, or no ass.

She closed her eyes, her throat struggling to even mutter what she was about to say. She looked physically ill just trying to speak, heaving, and trying to force the words from her throat.

And then warmth.

She opened her eyes, hearing the sound of chuckling, as she was finally relieved of the piercing cold.

"…Meanie…"

Naruto had come closer, and had given her the cloak, without her having to…. Speak lies.

Lies!

But her new article of clothing wasn't the source of the heat she was feeling. No, it instead came from her fellow Blond, who had moved closer and had held her close, giving her the extra warmth she needed.

He looked down, still giving a small chuckle, "What, you thought I was actually going to be that much of a jerk?"

He was met with a blank stare similar to the one he had given her earlier.

"Yes."

The Amnesiac Blond just shrugged, "You're just mad." He looked to the others, "Right guys?"

He too was met with blank stares.

"Guys?"

The stares persisted.

"C'mon guys, you don't really think I'd do that, right?"

He could feel Lissa begin to smirk at his defeated look.

"Naga-Damnit."

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The Longfort.

The official border fortress between Ylisse and Regna Ferox.

Since the founding of both kingdoms, the Longfort has stood through both times of strife and peace alike, standing like an everlasting guardian between the two lands. It was tall, standing high above any company that sought to pass through, and in the middle was a giant gate, where travelers passed through.

The main parts of the Fort were built on top of the massive gate, where a garrison of soldiers would be stationed to manage it.

"It's rather impressive, isn't it?"

The Shepherds had finally reached the border fort between Ylisse and Regna Ferox, standing before it and marveling in its' structure.

Robin's words were very true, as the structure of the fort was both practical, and impressive in both terms of style and defensibility.

Chrom nodded, his eyes taking in the sight before him as he halted the rest of the company. "Aye, the Longfort. It stretches between the border of Ylisse and Ferox. It's stood for as long as anyone can remember, and even I've rarely seen it."

He turned, as both his sister and Naruto approached him, the Spellsword putting a hand on his shoulder. Both Blonds appeared confused, the male of the two cocking his head to the right.

"Hey Chrom, everybody's wondering why we've halted." Naruto's eyes shifted to the fort, scanning the top of it, "Shouldn't we be marching ahead? I mean, we did send a message ahead of us, right? At least the soldiers should be greeting us by now."

"Normally, yes." Started the Prince, "But the Khans that rule over Ferox have been kind of wary towards foreigners lately, I expect that they'd prefer to see me in person to confirm the message." He gestured towards the fort, "Don't mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility."

Naruto removed a hand from his sword, relaxing a bit, "Alright, you're the Boss…" Naruto kept surveying his surroundings, just in case, "Just let me know if you need any help, negotiating is a skill I picked up in the Shop."

Chrom nodded, "Will do."

The Prince turned to the rest of the Shepherds, his voice raised so everyone could hear him, "Remember everyone, your actions here reflect back upon Ylisse!"

He received a collective nod from those under his command.

Once again, Chrom turned and addressed Naruto, "Do you mind doing some light reconnaissance? There may be a sinister reason why the troops haven't been seen on the Fort, Bandits maybe."

The Blond raised a hand in salute, before he rushed ahead, dashing a few feet in front of the others and proceeded to leap into the woods.

He stopped abruptly, only to jump onto a low-hanging branch. He kept jumping between the tree's branches, jumping to a higher one each time, before stopping about halfway up the tree.

The trees in Ferox were both taller and wider than their Ylissian counterparts by a rather large amount, the smallest one he had seen here had been the size of a matured one back in Ylisse.

Snapping out of his musings, Naruto resumed his mission, jumping from tree to tree, branch to branch, a familiar feeling overcoming him.

A grin formed on his face, as this overwhelming sense of freedom filled him. He felt so tall.

So light.

So absolutely free!

It felt right.

And yet….It also brought back a feeling of familiarity…..Of sadness…..Of home.

Why?

The Whiskered Shopkeeper shook his head, his grin now replaced with a thin line, as he continued to jump in between the treetops.

He finally stopped his movements, settling in a crouch, before he began to inch forward on his current branch, slowly peeking through the branch's pines. And what he saw made his eyes widen.

From his current position, he could easily see his friends and fellow Shepherds marching along the road, the snow howling in his ears. They seemed relaxed at the moment. And then he looked towards the Longfort. From the ground level he had been at with the Shepherds, he had only been able to see little atop the Fort itself, only being able to observe the top edge of its walls.

Now, from his current position, he could see past that.

Multiple guards were lined up against the edge of the Fort's walls, ducking just below the wall so anyone approaching the Longfort wouldn't be able to see them. Most of them were either Knights, or Myrmidons, but there were also Mages and a few common Soldiers scattered about. Few Archers could be seen, three at the most.

As the Shepherds approached, he could see the Knight's along the wall ready their spears, many of them wielding Javelins specifically made for throwing in their hands. A lone woman strode down towards the soldiers amassed on the Fort's walls, wearing dark green Knight's armor, her Blonde hair in a short cut to make it resemble a man's.

He caught few words that she said to her men.

"Travelers…..approaching….ready…Throw…..Command."

The Knight's readied their Javelins.

"Shit!"

Jumping from his current lodging, Naruto was sent flying forwards, towards his comrades. Unsheathing a knife he kept at his side, Naruto plunged it into a nearby tree, slowing his fall, the bark of the tree cracking loudly as the blade carved into it.

He was still approaching the ground at a rather fast pace, so he tucked his legs, landing in a roll before he began speeding towards Chrom and the others.

He watched as Chrom stepped forwards, seemingly speaking to the commander of the Fort.

He watched as the commander yelled back furiously.

And he watched as multiple Javelins were readied to be thrown towards his friends.

Straight towards Chrom.

And then Iron filled the sky.

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"Trouble my Lord! The Feroxi guard is mobilizing!"

Upon hearing these words escape from the Great Knight's lips, Chrom turned upon Frederick, his face portraying his bewilderment. "What! Why? We haven't done so much as point a finger at them!"

The Great Knight shook his head, "Who can say? But they look ready to let fly at any moment." He paused looking to the now upright Feroxi soldiers lining the fort's wall, "We'd best prepare for combat, just to be safe…."

Frederick trailed off, his thoughts lingering upon a topic the others had thought to be long discussed and done with. The topic of the Tactician his Lord had picked up, Robin. Yes, Frederick still had his mind on the subject, loath as he was to admit so.

However, Naruto's rather anger-filled tongue lashing had a rather large effect upon him. "Sometimes, even I need a reminder of my own pride, even as a Knight of the order of Ylisse, I still have arrogance." He thought with a slight grimace.

He had thought that he was absolutely right in his judgement, that his decision was just and right, for his Lord's safety was to never be compromised. He never asked what others had thought about her, even when she had fought alongside them and remained by their side. Not once had he thought his decision was wrong.

But the words that the Lad had spoken to him, those blue eyes filled with incredulity and anger…

He just couldn't get them out of his head.

And so, Frederick slowly and begrudgingly walked away from his Lord Chrom, leaving their conversation ended, making his way towards the Snow-Haired Amnesiac of their group.

Robin looked up, as the Great Knight approached her with a look of slight bashfulness and reluctance.

He took a breath, as he began to voice his thoughts, "Loathe as I am to admit this…."

He took another gulp of air, seemingly struggling to get his words out of his throat.

"Robin, you might, and I mean JUST might, offer some valuable insight on this sort of manner. Do not misplace my trust."

He began to walk away to return to Chrom who was now ahead of everyone, preparing to talk with the Garrison's general, leaving behind a slightly confused Robin.

But before he did so, he turned his head, with a barely hearable voice, "And I'm sorry for before." He whispered.

The Tactician stood there for a few more moments, before a slight grin overtook her look of confusion. Soon, she also began her trek towards the leader of the Shepherds, intent on aiding the Blue-Haired prince of Ylisse.

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Speaking of a Blue-Haired prince, Chrom was utterly baffled as to why the soldiers of the Longfort were arming themselves against him and his company. Neither he, nor did any other in his group had displayed any sort of aggression.

So why?

Frederick had gone to talk with Robin, as he had wandered away in her direction, so he was currently facing the massive forts' walls alone.

His thoughts were interrupted, when a loud female voice cut through the sounds of snow-filled wind.

"HALT! Who goes there?!"

It was at times like these, Chrom was happy his elder sister had forced him to sit down and take his lessons on Nobility and foreign negotiation. He faced the walls, seeing a woman in green Knight Armor, her Blonde hair cut short like a man's.

"In the name of House Ylisse, I seek audience with the Khans!"

He ventured taking a step forward, but stopped when he saw the soldiers on the forts walls ready their spears.

"Not another step, my bold lad! I've Lancers at the ready!" The leader bristled, gesturing to her men.

Chrom adopted a blank face, "I can see that….. Who wouldn't see numerous people wanting to poke you with sharp sticks?" he thought sarcastically.

He had noticed that his 'Guardian' had returned, the Great Knight arriving on his mount, Robin trailing not far behind.

And yet still no signs of Naruto.

Frederick spoke next, attempting to diffuse the situation, "Hold Milady! We are not your enemy!" He shouted towards the general, "Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest!"

He was met with a lance thrown at his feet, a warning. The leader of the Feroxi Guards pointed back at the Knight, "My only interest is to keep you out of Regna Ferox, Brigand!"

A flash of confusion overcame the three at this moment. "W-why? Brigand?" Robin questioned, looking between her two comrades.

The Border Guard continued her previous statement, "You think you're the first "Ylissians" to try and cross our border?" She scoffed at this, "I have the authority to slay such impostors where they stand!" She stated, pointing to the Shepherds.

By now, the entire Shepherd company had been drawn towards their leader by the sounds of arguing, only to find the Longforts walls filled with soldiers, all pointing their weapons at their Prince.

Frederick had stepped up, an uncharacteristic look of anger that contrasted greatly with his usually calm demeanor. "How dare you!" he seethed, "You are in the presence of Prince Chrom, the Exalt's own Blood!"

The Feroxi leader just laughed, as she put a thumb to herself, "Ha! Yes, indeed, and I'm the queen of Valm!" she replied mockingly. She kept her look of mocking as she leaned on one of the fort walls, "You do realize that impersonating royalty is a capital offense, yes?"

Noticing the stony looks of the entire Shepherd Company, she sighed, "Mmm…. Then perhaps we should settle this the Feroxi way…" She picked up her spear she had placed on her back, before pointing it at the group, "You claim to be of royal blood?! You claim to be the Prince of Ylisse?!" Her eyes narrowed, "Then prove it on the battlefield!"

Seeing the Feroxi's resolve, the Prince of Ylisse clenched his fists, "Damn… Big Sis won't like this at all…" He extended his hand towards the fort, taking a few steps forward from his comrades, "Please, Good Lady! If you would just lis-"

Ylisse's Prince was cut short by the war cry of the Feroxi leader.

"I've heard enough talking!" She gestured to her soldiers.

"ATTACK!"

And the next thing Chrom knew, the Feroxi soldiers launched their lances towards the Prince.

The beating of wings was heard.

The whistling of Lances was heard as well.

Which would be faster?

Chrom let out a yelp, as he was forcibly removed from the ground, taken up into the air by a Pegasus he had never seen before.

Or so he thought, until he saw its rider.

"Sumia?!"

He was surprised, but happy he didn't die as a giant iron-filled pincushion.

Gotta love the little things in life.

Sumia herself just smiled, "Captain…"

Chrom once again yelped in surprise as Sumia shoved his head down, "Duck!" She managed to get him down in time for a Javelin to sail through the space his head had previously occupied.

Chrom looked at her once he was released.

"Not such klutzs now, are you?" He questioned.

The Brunette gave her Pegasus to pat on the head, ignoring the multiple javelins sailing past them. After all, she finally had some time alone with her Captain! "I don't know… But when I'm up here… It all just feels so right."

It was Chrom's turn to make her duck, another pointy iron stick of death going past them.

They both rose, only to find another Javelin heading straight towards them, giving them no time to react.

Closer.

Closer.

Suddenly, a Bronze Sword collided with it, sending both weapons away from the duo, spiraling back down to the earth.

Chrom searched for the source of the sword, only to find a certain Amnesiac Blond giving him a thumbs up. "….That Blond Dastard…" He grinned before shouting down, "Can't you ever just show up without anyone's life in danger?!"

The response was, "Not as dramatic!"

Chrom turned to Sumia, "Let's regroup with the others."

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"Naga-Damn that was close…"
Naruto exhaled for the third time, holding his hand above his heart. His face fell sharply, before he unsheathed his new Iron Sword, "Now I'm down a blade…" He grumbled, as he watched the remains of his Bronze Sword fall to earth after he had blocked the Javelin.

He ran to the other Shepherds, just as Chrom and Sumia landed.

All of their attention was brought to the Longfort as Robin's voice cut through, "Chrom, they're coming!"

The Tactician was right, as multiple Feroxi guards had already opened and passed through the forts front gate.

Now was the time for combat!

"Alright…" Chrom started, "The Feroxi way it is!"

He addressed his company, "Remember! No killing them! That'll throw any attempts at negotiation!"

"ROGER!"

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No killing?

Simple enough.

"Rah!"

Naruto slashed clean through a Feroxi Knight's spear, cutting it through the middle, before spinning behind his opponent and hitting the back of their neck with the swords hilt, rendering them unconscious.

He ducked under another spear, and then jumped to avoid the enemy Myrmidon from slicing off his head, working with the Knight who he had just avoided.

"Two against one, eh?"

He gave a taunting smirk, before gripping a green tome in his free left hand, and pointed a finger at their feet, "Wind!"

Dust flew through the air, as a blade of wind erupted from the Blond's outstretched finger, and struck against the ground, kicking up dirt and dust. His two opponents momentarily blinded and coughing, didn't notice him until it was too late.

*Clang*

The two slumped to the ground, the result of their Shop keeping Adversary banging their helmet-clad noggins together.

He looked around, only to see no more opponents in his immediate area, while his comrades were all in small skirmishes of their own.

He saw that Chrom had stuck to fighting with Sumia, while Robin was currently with Lissa and Vaike… Vaike was being Vaike while Frederick tried to keep him under control.

He looked down, kicking up dirt, "How come I have to fight alone…"

Speaking of which, why was everyone only fighting in pairs of two, wouldn't three or four work much better?

He decided to forgo such thoughts, only to see an unusual sight.

The Blond looked around, seeing if any of his comrades or even his enemies could also see "it".

Naruto took everyone's ignorance as a no.

And a Pranksters Grin formed on his face.

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Chrom had been very successful in his fighting.

A knight came up, and was soon asleep from a casual swing of Falchion.

He blocked an incoming arrow from an Archer, giving Sumia the opportunity to take him down.

He noticed that Robin and Lissa had taken it upon themselves to do some damage from the back, Robin using her magic to weaken the Feroxi Guard, giving the rest of the Shepherds the chance to "help" them into dreamland.

Lissa was healing whatever minor injuries the Shepherds got, Robin also guarding her as she did so.

Vaike…..was once again being Vaike and doing Vaike-like things with Frederick backing him up.

Then.

Then he saw Naruto.

His eyes widened as he saw an indescribable sight.

The Blond tore through a line of Knights, breaking their defenses, before also taking them out of the battle. He spun on his heels, before blocking an incoming strike from Warrior.

His blade did not move, and yet the Warrior was knocked unconscious.

A spear was launched at his head, but he just stood there and watched it. The Blond Amnesiac smirked before the Lance was simply deflected by an unknown force, Naruto still wearing his triumphant smirk.

"What in the name of the Divine Dragon…?" was all Chrom managed to get out.

The enemy soldiers reacted more energetically.

"What is he?!"
"He isn't even flinching!"

The Blond just calmly walked forwards towards them, and stopped just a few inches short.

"Boo."

The Feroxi soldiers "retreated" further into the fort.

With the advance guard dealt with, Chrom entered the Longfort to meet his Blond comrade. "Naruto…. What was that? How did you do those things? All by you even, deflecting weapons with an invisible force, what happened?!" He questioned.

Chrom watched as a look of smugness and knowing overtook Naruto's features, an innocent look on his face, "What do you mean, Captain?"
Okay, now something was up.

Naruto never called him Captain.

The Shopkeeper continued, "I wasn't by myself, and I certainly never used any "Invisible Force", what do you mean by all that Captain?"

Chrom was baffled, "Wha...Huh…. How…"

Naruto's grin grew three sizes, as a simple, single word was what he answered Chrom with.

"Kellam."

Hearing the clanking of heavy armor close in his ear, Chrom jumped and turned, only to see the orange Knight in question.

"Hello" Kellam waved to his leader.

Holding a hand right above his heart, the Prince of Ylisse let out a breath of relief, "By my Blood Kellam! I didn't see you there!"

Naruto pointed a finger at the Feroxi soldiers he and Kellam had rendered unconscious, "Yeah, and neither did they." The grin that he held on his face didn't falter for a single second.

So that explained everything.

The display of mirth was interrupted, as Vaike ran past them and deeper into the Longfort, "Less Chit-Chat, more Swing-Slash!"

Vaike lived up to this statement, kicking away another Feroxi's shield before smashing the butt of his axe into their helm, watching as the Feroxi slumped onto the ground.

"Fine, fine." Naruto followed Vaike, quickly returning to the fray.

Chrom met again with Sumia, and they followed as well.

"They forgot I was here again." Kellam stated, before he started jogging in after the others.

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The interior…. Or rather the outside that was inside the first initial gate was impressive to say the least. It matched the architectural greatness of the outside.

Birds chirped.

Winds blew.

Sparks formed as blades clashed.

Robin sidestepped as an arrow went flying past her, as it gave her a Knick, a small trail of blood forming on her arm. She pointed her yellow tome at the Feroxi, "Thunder!" She yelled in retaliation to the attack.

The Archer was struck right in his chest, falling to the floor as his body spasmed due to the electricity going through his body, soon falling unconscious.

"Robin, your arm."

The Amnesiac turned, seeing Lissa holding her arm, before chanting a few words under her breath and holding up her staff. The Tactician looked on as her flesh knitted back together, the blood receding back inside of her wound, before it completely disappeared.

"Thank you, Lissa."

The Spritely Cleric giggled, before giving a curtsey, "Don't mention it!"

She watched as Chrom took down another one of the Feroxi Knights, leaving only the leader herself and four other warriors.

"Don't give in men! This is for Regna Ferox and its pride!" the Leader shouted at her men.

"Roger, Captain Raimi!"
Two of them broke off from the formation, charging towards Robin, while the other two engaged Vaike and Chrom.

The two that charged Robin were both Fighters, and as the first reached her, he swung downwards which she dodged and rolled under his feet, slashing his back with her Bronze Sword.

But what about the second one?

Robin's eyes widened, as the other Feroxi charged towards Lissa.

"RAAAAHHHH!"

The Feroxi barreled towards the Cleric, intent on finishing her.

Lissa watched as the man barreled towards her. She watched as he raised his axe. She watched as he…. Faltered?

True to her vision, the Fighter's face scrunched up in pain as a knife impaled his right hand, causing him to abruptly drop his weapon.

It didn't matter, he would ju-

*Bonk*

Lissa beat him to the punch, as she clubbed him on the head with her staff. She eyed the unconscious Feroxi, before looking back to Robin.

"I told you and Brother, I'm not delicate."

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Wiping the bead of sweat from his brow, Naruto once again breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his throwing knife cause the Fighter to drop his weapon.

He was slightly surprised when the so called 'Delicate Princess' just beaned the man on the head, a solid blow that rendered him asleep.

Good on her.

He grumbled a bit, realizing that he lost another weapon.

Now it was just him and the so called Feroxi Leader, Raimi he believed her men had said.

Raimi herself didn't give any signs that she was going to give up, only clenching her spear tighter and gnashing her teeth, "Come at me! I heard what you did to my men, but that doesn't scare me!"

The Whiskered Blond pointed to her, "You might want to look behind you."
"Don't try to trick me now! I know that there isn't anybody there! No one but my men have come this far, I've seen it!"

Naruto sighed, "Fine, but just so you know, I didn't do anything to block all those weapons. It wasn't an invisible force." He once again pointed behind her, his usual smile on his face, "It was him."

Raimi's face turned to confusion, "What are you ta-"

*CLANG*

The Feroxi Leader slumped to the ground, as Kellam slammed his shield onto the back of her head.

He looked up, surprising all those around, "Uh, hi everyone."

Naruto gave him a thumbs up, "Great job Kellam, the plan worked perfectly!"

Naruto walked up to the Knight, clapping him on his armored shoulder, before nudging Raimi's arm with his foot.

"A tad bit anti-climactic though."

Kellam looked to the seemingly only other person who always seemed to notice him, "You really think so?"

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"Oi"

Groans.

"Oooiiii"

Eyes fluttered.

"OOOIIIII!"

Her ears could hear only that voice.

"Naga-Damn, I think you hit her a little too hard Kellam."

A second voice, "You told me to though."

The first voice again, "True enough."

Raimi's eyes slowly opened, as she saw Blond hair and fingers snapping in her face.

"Oi, you awake now? You okay?"

Wait…. Her men were watching as usual… And then those people…

THOSE PEOPLE!

Raimi's eyes snapped open, as she sat upright, her armor not upon her as she looked around, bewildered.

She saw the Whiskered Blond from earlier light up in a smile, "You really are okay!" He turned to the door, "Chrom! She's awake!"

She studied her surroundings.

It seems that they had taken her inside, and laid her in the soldiers' garrison.

And she was still alive…..

So they were telling the truth.

The leader, now proven to be Chrom of House Ylisse walked into the room, giving her a light smile, and approached. "First thing first, your men are all safe. And sorry about all that earlier, but…"

Raimi immediately bowed her head, cutting him off, "A thousand apologies Prince Chrom!" Her eyes were shut, "I truly took you for Brigand impostors…"
"But no frauds could ever hope to wage a battle just as you have, nor would they have let me live."

The Feroxi Leader lifted her head, before she got to her feet, despite both Chrom and Naruto's protests.

"I will send word of your arrival to the Capital and escort you there personally."

Chrom nodded, "That would be most appreciated, thank you." He then put a hand on her shoulder, "But are you absolutely sure you are alright? You did get hit by Kellam's shield full force."

Raimi waved him off, "I'll be fine, us here in Ferox are made of tougher stuff." She walked towards the exit of her room, "I will need some time to help regroup my men and prepare for my departure." She turned her head, "Oh, and you might want your Blond friend to be with you when you meet the Khans. They'll like him."

She received a nod, and left.

Naruto whistled, as Raimi finally exited "Well, her whole demeanor changed."

Chrom laughed a little at his words, "In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words." He let his head hang, "And here I thought all those Foreign Nobility lessons I had to sit through were going to pay off."

The Whiskered Blond nodded, "It does seem like we overestimated the value of diplomacy here…"

Their musings were cut short, as two tails of Blonde emerged from the now open door, revealing the Shepherds Cleric in the doorway, "Big Brother, the others are ready to leave when you are."

Chrom began to walk towards the door, gesturing for his Shopkeeper companion to follow him, "We'll leave once Raimi is done with her preparations." He left the room, revealing that more snow was falling at a rapid pace, "After all, it's not like it's getting any warmer…"

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AN:

Hello again everyone…

Yeah, not much to say about this chapter. It was shorter than my other chapters, around 6,000 words or so, compared to the other chapters that are usually around 7,500-10,000 or more.

Don't worry; the chapters will not get any shorter than this.

Its official, Naruto, Chrom and the rest of the gang are now inside Regna Ferox and will finally meet up with the Khans.

Time to address something a tad more serious….

Some shits been happening in my life, and I won't go into detail, but it's affecting me negatively. We're all human, we all have problems, and eventually I'll get over this one.

As I have stated before, I am losing my will to write, as explained by the huge ass wait from the last chapter to this one.

It is not as fun as it was when I first started, I enjoyed doing it, but now…. Now not so much.

I've lost my drive, and I'm going to do my damn best to find it again, because I am not going to abandon this Story.

However, I will ask all of you this:

Which two of all my stories would you all prefer me to focus on?

Out of all of my fics, which two would you prefer to see the most updated?

I'm considering rewriting my current DxD fic, as the early chapters…. How do I say it…? Suck tons of ass…. And shit… It only got good at about chapter five. I fucked up on a way to give Naruto his powers back that I that was clever and cool and then I realized that it was kind of… Really stupid.

So in the new version, If I make one, will have him full-powered from the start, and would probably be different after the first chapter.

So again, to reiterate, which two of my fics do you, the fans, wish to see updated more, as they will become the focus of my writing.

Except for my Gamer Naruto Story A Glitched Gamer. That's just a story that I only work on when I have nothing better else to do, and I am waiting to get adopted. I update it very little, as I have no future plans for it.

So with all that depressing shit behind us, I bid you all ado!

This is Thewackness135, signing off.