Fire Emblem: Bonds

Chapter Four: Waves on the Horizon

A month had passed since Naruto's induction to Team 9, and he proved himself to be a valuable member with how quickly he molded himself into their teamwork.

Like he was trained to be, Lee was the frontline combatant of the team. He was meant to break through enemy lines with his taijutsu, knowing his teammates would cover him.

This was where Tenten came in. She was the ranged specialist with in aim that seasoned Chunin would envy. However, that didn't mean that was all she was capable of. After all, being a student of the greatest taijutsu user of the Hidden Leaf guaranteed her some pointers in close range combat. This was where swords, clubs, or even polearms came in handy.

As for Naruto, he played roles in both close range and mid-range. With his sword skills – ones that were taught by his best friend – he could slice through enemy ranks with ease. Though, if he needed range, he had ninjutsu to call on thanks to his Wind and Fire affinities; both of which offered plenty of options.

However, another role he played was in strategy; especially when it came to disrupting others. Thanks to his studies in fuinjutsu, he was able to create rather elaborate traps that he and his teammates could lure unsuspecting targets into. Whether the seal tags were classic paper bombs, or if they held something more creative (like pepper gas, for example), they definitely caught bandits and even lower tier ninja off guard.

The first two weeks as a team were spent strictly by raising their teamwork; something Guy stressed was invaluable to them as a unit. Sure, they could strive on their own, but the Leaf's philosophy was that of teamwork through trying times. If a team of prodigies couldn't work together, they were doomed against a team that could work together.

It was fact.

The last two weeks were used to test their new teamwork with a handful of missions that dealt with bandit camps, or even lower ranked rogue ninja. Guy only needed to step in once when a rogue Chunin from the Hidden Sand almost pulled off a forbidden jutsu against his students. Other than that time, the trio performed excellently and proved themselves to be a cohesive unit; one that he was positive would breeze through the next Chunin Exams.

Currently, Team 9 had a free day to use however they wished. Lee used it to train like always, continuously striving to better himself in any way possible. Tenten used it for weapon maintenance by means of her family forge. She was in the middle of making a weapon like Naruto's sword so that she had an ace in the hole.

As for Naruto, he used that time to practice one of the advanced techniques Lucina had showed him over the past couple of days. The style that Chrom passed down to her demanded physical fitness and great agility, especially with its strongest attack.

Aether was a peculiar technique that involved two decisive strike. The first, when used with the natural magic Lucina's side of the world had, restored strength that was taken from the target. The second broke through their defenses for a finishing blow, and it could be strong enough to tear into even the toughest armor.

Or at least, that's what Lucina was told by her father.

Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't use their magic, so Aether was beyond his reach. However, that didn't mean he couldn't throw his own chakra into the mix, somehow. And so, here he was going over some notes and illustrations on the final technique with the hope of making it his own.

"Your mate has really left an impression on you," a familiar voice teased, making a blonde brow twitch.

'For the last time, furball, she is not my mate!'

Within his seal, Kurama laughed loudly. He always got a kick out of riling up his current container; something he wouldn't have thought of doing if Asura hadn't vouched for him years ago. The knowledge that the blonde Uzumaki was the next transmigrant of the Sage's second son took the Bijuu by great surprise. He had always thought the boy was just another human who would abuse his power.

Turns out, Naruto didn't want to use the fox's power at all; unless there wasn't any other option. That only made Kurama lean more towards the option of giving the young man thebenefit of the doubt.

"Then what do you call what you're trying to do? She taught you something that you can't fully pull off; so, you took steps to make it your own. I call that an impression if I ever saw one."

'Dammit, Kurama! I'm doing this so that I won't be a burden on her in the future! She and I need to be at our best when the time comes, and that means I need to do everything I can for her sake!'

"No need to get so defensive, brat. I was only teasing you. Besides, I know that you're doing this for her."

'As long as you understand…'

"Of course," agreed the Bijuu before grinning mischievously. "I understand that you've found yourself a real vixen!"

'KURAMA!' mentally roared Naruto, his cheeks ablaze while the fox's laughter echoed and faded away in his mind. "Damn walking floor rug…" he grumbled in embarrassment.

Grunting as she held back her cousin's practice blade, Lucina shifted her weight so that he would lose balance before she rolled away and sent a weak burst of wind to push him further from her. Tensing her legs, she leapt high into the air with her weapon overhead. Her body began to flip and spin at great speed as she dropped, and Owain was forced to block the hit with his weapon; his body shaken from the force of the impact.

"Dammit," he cursed, feeling his knees threaten to give out before he forced his body to push Lucina back. Taking a quick breath, he shifted his stance and went for a dashing slash that he had seen swordsmen from Chon'sin utilize.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much practice with it and wound up losing his footing when Lucina evaded the strike. His face met the dirt and he groaned pitifully while Lucina sweatdropped at his actions.

"Doofus," they heard a familiar voice speak up, making them turn their gazes to Severa. "I told you Iaijutsu was too different from your natural sword style. Only people like my old man can pull it off flawlessly."

"To be fair, Lon'qu was initially trained in that style," Lucina commented, slightly defending her cousin. "I'm surprised he didn't teach it to you, though."

"I'm not one for grace or speed," Severa waved off. "That's more my parents' thing."

"Clearly," teased the bluenette princess, earning a rude gesture from her friend.

"So, what's the score now?"

Owain groaned again and grumbled against the dirt while Lucina rolled her eyes. "I lost count of my wins, but Owain has about four on me."

"Five!" shouted the young man. "I have five wins, Lucina!"

"Right, my mistake." She then looked around before returning her attention to Severa. "Where's Noire?"

Palming her forehead with a frustrated sigh, the young brunette answered, "She's begging her mother to remove another hex that was tested on her."

Owain and Lucina both cringed at that, both aware of Tharja and her liberal use of her own daughter as a test subject for hexes. "I pity her; I really do," Owain noted.

"And the world pities you," the daughter of Cordelia retorted as she reached down and tugged his cheek mockingly.

"Break it up, you two," Lucina ordered. "We need Noire here for the next mission."

"What's going on?" Owain asked, standing up and at attention.

"Just a scouting mission. There are rumors of rogue priests forming a cult near some of the farming villages. Father wants us to check their validity."

Both of them nodded before the sound of rushed breathing was heard. Three heads turned to see Noire, daughter of Tharja and Virion, rushing over. When she reached them, she needed a moment to catch her breath while she also tried to apologize at the same time.

"Breathe, Noire," eased Lucina. After a few moments, the younger archer stood up straight and gave her captain a nervous smile. "Everything alright?"

"I-I'll be okay," she replied. "M-Mother just wanted me t-to test out her l-latest hex for her…"

"What was it?" Severa asked with a raised brow.

The shyness of the bluenette archer suddenly disappeared as her visage became rather fierce. "None of your business, shorty!"

"Shorty?!" Severa roared back as the two butted heads, practically snarling at one another.

Sighing to herself, Lucina once again wondered if the split personality Noire had was going to cause problems. She could handle the shy side of her, but the fiercer side was too much of a loose cannon.

"Enough!" she ordered, giving them both hard looks. "We have an assignment and we're going to start it now. Understand?" Owain and Severa nodded immediately while Noire, still in her moodier personality, grumbled for a moment before nodding stiffly. "Good. Now, let's head out."

A couple more weeks passed and Team 9 found themselves standing before their Hokage. The man had a concerned demeanor that immediately had them standing at attention.

"I know that you were hoping to take on another C-Rank with your team, Guy; however, something has come up with Team 7."

"What happened?" the Jonin questioned.

"They had been given their first C-Rank about a week ago, but the client held back some important information concerning the parameters. As such, the mission has been bumped up in rank. I would send a higher leveled squad to back them up; but I don't have many available with the Chunin Exams coming up."

"They're being hosted here, sir?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, and it's been quite a hassle since we've received more acceptances to our invitations than we expected. As such, I've decided to send your team since they're the closest one we have to a team of Chunin; and sending ANBU would be overkill."

Guy nodded as he accepted the scroll detailing Kakashi's report of the mission and its setbacks. Reading it quickly, he nodded and placed it in his flak jacket before turning to his students. "Pack for a week's minimum trip. Any tools or necessities are to be brought as well. We'll be dealing with Zabuza Momochi and an unknown partner on this mission."

"From the Hidden Swordsmen of the Mist?" Naruto and Tenten asked in sync, turning to one another in slight surprise.

"Yes. Meet me at the main gates of the village in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sensei!" saluted the three Genin before they all left to pack.

Left alone with his leader, Guy asked, "Not to belittle my team, but are we really the best you could send?"

"With everything else that's happening? Yes," Sarutobi replied. "I've seen your reports on their progress, Guy. I believe they'll be able to handle this mission."

"I think so, too; but I don't like placing them in unnecessarily risky situations."

"I understand. However, you and Kakashi are both Jonin for a reason. Your Genin teams are meant to assist you in situations like this."

"Yes, sir."

"Kakashi has leadership for this mission, Guy. Be sure to let your team know."

"I will," the Jonin promised before he left in a blur of speed.

Less than a couple of days later, Team 9 found themselves reaching the impoverished village of the Land of Waves. Along the way, Guy had told his team what they were dealing with in terms of Gatou and his iron grip on the lives of the people. Needless to say, his students found themselves quickly despising the greedy man and his heartless actions towards the poor people of Wave.

"Excuse me," an unfamiliar voice spoke up, making them turn to see a very pale teen wearing a Hidden Leaf headband. "You're Might Guy, yes?"

Nodding once, Guy replied, "You must be one of Kakashi's Genin. We're here to back up your team for the remainder of this mission."

The Genin nodded in understanding before he led the other four to the house of Tazuna, the client for the mission and engineering manager of the to-be-completed bridge. When the rest of Team 7 saw their backup, Kakashi looked relieved while Sasuke and Sakura both looked to the lone blonde in recognition.

"Glad you and your team could make it, Guy," Kakashi greeted, stiffly standing up to shake his fellow Jonin's hand. "You got here quickly; as expected."

"Of course, we did," boasted Guy with a proud smile. "My team barely took any breaks to get here, and they're still ready for whatever comes our way."

"Sensei, please don't just assume we're not tired after that long sprint," Tenten pleaded with a tired huff. "I'm not a stamina freak like you three."

The three males of Team 9 had the decency to look sheepish at her accusation.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Sasuke spoke up, referring to Naruto. "I thought you dropped out, loser?"

Naruto merely raised a brow at the insult before shrugging haplessly. "I was pulled out for private lessons for a few years before being placed on Guy-sensei's squad."

"Why would you need private lessons?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Sorry. That's personal."

This made her huff in annoyance while Sasuke actually felt jealous of Naruto getting private tutors while he felt his time was wasted in the Academy.

Kakashi steered things back on track. "We believe that Zabuza will be fit again in a few days. Until then, I want your team to patrol and help watch Tazuna-san."

"And what of your team?" Guy asked.

"I'm in the middle of training them for the eventual conflict. I'm also recovering from my first encounter with Zabuza, since I used my Sharingan too much."

"I warned you about overexerting that eye of yours, Kakashi," admonished the eccentric Jonin with a sigh. He then nodded in agreement and added, "We'll keep an eye on things. Just get your students ready."

"Appreciate it, Guy."

With that out of the way, Team 9 was introduced to the client and his family. Tsunami presented herself as a polite woman who was doing everything she could to get by while Gatou bled the village of its assets. Inari, her son, was quiet and gloomy; something that bothered the Genin. However, what really got them was how he dismissed them so readily and declared they were going to die by Gatou.

That one statement got under their skin, but they didn't say anything in response to his depressing prediction. After the introductions, Tsunami offered them any remaining spare rooms her home had, but Guy declined.

"You've got enough on your plate, Tsunami-san. We'll be fine in our tents," the man assured her.

What he didn't say was that he had seen how low the woman's cupboards looked in terms of food. He didn't want to take advantage of her kindness, and neither did his team when he told them why he declined her offer.

So, Team 9 set up their individual tents around the house so that they could form a perimeter around it. For added protection, Naruto placed some trap seals on some of the trees surrounding the house; just in case any of Gatou's men got any ideas.

Now, it was simply a waiting game for Guy and his team.

"So, what do you think?" Robin asked as she presented the finished ship to Lucina and her team.

Blue eyes widely surveyed the floating vessel, and a smile formed on her face as she saw how sturdy it looked. "It looks great! I didn't think it'd be ready so soon."

"Your father wanted to take some more time looking over some other materials, but I helped him see otherwise. What we had was more than ready for this project."

"He's just worried, mother."

"True, but so am I; and I know this will be enough," Robin assured with a smile.

"This looks like it was made by the Plegians, Aunt Robin," Owain noted.

"It was. They and Regna Ferox worked together to make this ship. According to Chrom, they said that it was the least they could do after everything that had happened between our countries."

"Damn," Severa eloquently summarized. "That's good to know."

"H-How long did it t-take to make?" Noire asked, her shy persona in the forefront.

"I estimate that it took just under a month," the Tactician of Ylisse answered. "Usually ships are made in shorter time. However, when the crewmen making the ship were told what it was being used for, they decided to take more time and ensure it was ready for such a voyage."

Nudging her friend in the side, Severa teased, "Looks like you'll be seeing your Prince Charming sooner than you hoped, Princess."

The bluenette growled while her cheeks became flushed. "Don't make me hurt you, Severa…"

"Now," Robin spoke up again, earning their attention, "as much as Chrom and I trust you and your team, Lucina, we both felt that it would be best if one of the older Shepherds went with you on your trip. This will be much bigger than any of the missions you've taken, after all."

"That makes sense," acquiesced the swordswoman. "So, who's going to be our chaperone?"

"You say it like it's the end of the world, dear," her mother joked. "Besides, I'm looking forward to the trip."

That caught them by surprise. "You're coming with us?" Severa asked. "I was sure my mother would've demanded she came."

"Oh, believe me, she almost did," Robin awkwardly replied. "However, the rest of us all agreed that I was more suited for this trip and could act as a liaison between our side of the world and the Elemental Nations. I've prepared myself for this, which is why I'll be accompanying you all."

The others understood what she meant, though Lucina gave her mother a dry look. "…You just want to meet Naruto too, don't you?"

"How could you suggest something like that?" her mother asked back dramatically, this time earning dry looks from the others as well; even Noire. She blushed at getting caught before chuckling. "Fine, you caught me. While I am best suited for this, I am looking forward to meeting him, as well. After all," here, her smile grew all the more teasing, "I need to give him my blessing for taking my daughter's hand."

Turning bright red, Lucina shouted out, "MOTHER!"

"That's great!" Naruto exclaimed happily, sitting beside Lucina in the library of their shared dreamscape. "I can't believe you never told me you were making a ship until now!"

"I was hoping to surprise you when I arrived," she confessed, feeling a bit guilty for keeping him in the dark. "Mother wants to come too; and I'm going to be bringing my team, as well."

"Sounds good. Our teams will be able to meet up and we could escort you all to the Leaf."

She couldn't help but smile at his excitement. Truthfully, she was just as excited as he was; she just showed more restraint. "So, you said you were acting as backup for another team?"

"Yeah. Team 7 is led by someone named Kakashi Hatake. He's a big deal among the Jonin and is known for copying a thousand jutsu."

"That's incredible," she noted with slight awe. "But I doubt he has mastery over those copied techniques."

"I'd bet he mastered a handful of them and use others if there's a need for them."

"That makes sense. So, who else is on that team?"

"Two of the Genin are old classmates of mine. One is Sakura Haruno and she was given the tile of Kunoichi of the Year. The other is Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan."

"Wasn't the clan that was wiped out by one of its own?" asked the princess.

"Yeah, and the killer is Sasuke's brother, Itachi. Sasuke wants to get stronger and avenge his clan; but he's a real ass to anyone who tries to get close to him."

"I'm guess you two didn't see eye-to-eye."

"Understatement. Anyway, the last member is someone named Sai. I don't know much about him other than that he likes to draw and paint with ink."

"Hmm… How do you think the mission will go?"

The blonde shrugged at the question. "I'm sure we'll be fine. We have two squads led by Jonin on the mission, I have faith in my team's abilities, and Team 7 looks alright. I think we can handle it."

"Well, don't get too confident out there. I don't want you to get killed after I gave you such good news, after all," she joked.

Laughing alongside her, the young Uzumaki nodded. "I'll be careful, Lucina-chan; I promise."

"Good," she replied before her Mark of Grima flashed once. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you soon, Naruto."

"Can't wait," he said with a grin.

She was about to leave, but she hesitated for a moment which confused him. His confusion turned into stunned surprise when she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. The last thing he noted before she left were her reddened cheeks.

When he regained focus, he saw that a young woman dressed in a pink yukata was about to wake him. Beside her was a basket filled with wild herbs. "You shouldn't be sleeping out here, you know. It gets very cold at night."

Standing up with a stretch, he replied, "I can handle some cold. My cloak makes a very good blanket, after all."

"I suppose that's true," she agreed. "May I ask what a ninja is doing here in Wave?"

"We're trying to help these people get back on their feet. I hope we pull it off, because they don't deserve someone like Gatou breathing down their necks…"

"Based on the rumors and what I've also seen, I agree with you. I'm Haku, by the way."

"Naruto," he greeted, shaking her hand with a smile. "You need help collecting herbs?"

"No, I can manage. I only need a bit more for my companion. They're pretty ill and these should help."

"Good luck getting them back on their feet, then," he bid, getting ready to leave.

"Naruto-san," she called, getting his attention again. "I'd like to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"You've been raised to be a ninja, so you must have some strength. I'm wondering where you think that strength comes from?"

He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Well, I'm trying to get stronger so that I can watch my friend's back. She and I need to be ready for the future, and I don't want to drag her down."

"Is she precious to you?"

"Of course, she is," he immediately answered, his face brimming with determination. "She's the most important person in the world to me."

His response made Haku smile softly. "Then I have no doubt you'll be as strong as you hope to be when the time comes. To me, a person is at their strongest when they're protecting someone they love; and I can tell that you really love this woman."

His cheeks turned a deep red as he involuntarily remembered Lucina kissing him on the cheek. However, he still smiled at the truth in Haku's notary. "Yeah… I really do love her."

"She's lucky to have someone like you, then." She gave the blonde Uzumaki a polite bow as she bid, "I wish you good luck on your quest, Naruto-san."

"You too, Haku. It was nice talking with you," he replied, giving her a wave as she walked off.

"Finally admitted it, eh?" Kurama spoke up, grinning teasingly from within the seal.

"I swear to the kami above, I will use you as a throw rug," grumbled the blonde in embarrassment as he walked back to Tazuna's home.

"This sucks," groused the blonde Uzumaki as he and his teammates stood guard at the house. "Everyone else gets to go have an awesome battle at the bridge and we're stuck here…"

"Quit griping, Whiskers," Tenten admonished. "Guy-sensei made a good point about Gatou possibly targeting Tsunami-san and her son. It's the best way to get to Tazuna-san."

"Tenten's right. Besides, it wasn't our call to make," Lee added. "Kakashi-sensei wanted us to stay while Guy-sensei gave him a hand against Zabuza."

Sighing in defeat, the blonde grumbled out, "Fine, I get it… I'm just so bored…"

"Join the club," Tenten fired back with a joking undertone as she polished one of her kunai.

A distant rustling of bushes made them tense for an instant before they resumed their current posture. The first thing to do to reverse a sneak attack was to feign ignorance; which was how they looked when two men rushed out of the foliage with their swords ready to be drawn.

Tenten and Naruto recognized their initialization of Iaijutsu, and they both leapt up while hurling handfuls of shuriken at them. The one closest to them clicked his teeth in annoyance as he drew his katana and started to bat away all the thrown weaponry before he was forced to roll to the side and away from Lee's diving kick.

Unfortunately, when he dodged, his partner was left wide open for the kick. It struck home in the man's face while Lee gave a battle cry of, "Dynamic Entry!"

"Fuck!" the man cursed as he cradled his bleeding face; the kick having broken his nose.

"Zōri!" the first man called out in concern before his danger sense went off. Not even bothering to look at what was coming, he dived forward and narrowly avoided being brained by a heavy bo staff wielded by Tenten.

The one named Zōri forced himself to stand as he ignored his throbbing nose. "Damn brats," he growled out as he and his partner, Waraji, moved in for a coordinated attack; aiming for Lee, who was closest to them.

"Lee, fall back!" Naruto called out, slamming his hands on the ground while glaring at the two samurai.

The taijutsu enthusiast complied without hesitation, and a pair of golden chains broke out from where he once stood. They intercepted the samurai and wrapped around their katana, yanking the swords from their grips and leaving them open for Tenten to land behind them and render them unconscious with her staff.

"Nice!" praised the blonde as he recalled his chains. He then went inside to check on Tsunami and Inari while Tenten tied up the knocked-out duo with ninja wire. "See if you can get any info from them," he called out as he entered the home.

"With pleasure," Tenten replied with a wicked smirk, one that made Lee unconsciously shiver.

'Guy-sensei, I've learned today that women can be terrifying,' he mentally noted.

Rushing towards the bridge was Team 9, having learned from the samurai (after Tenten had liberty to threaten them with many pointy objects) that Gatou intended to double-cross Zabuza after the man weakened himself and the Leaf Ninja during their fight. To keep Tazuna's family safe, Naruto left them a dozen clones, which Tsunami was grateful for.

"We're almost there!" Lee called out, getting his teammates to notice an abnormal mist that enshrouded the bridge. "Onward to a youthful battle!" he roared before disappearing in a burst of speed, leaving his teammates to sweatdrop as they kept their pace.

"…Did I ever thank you for warning me about Youth?"

"Don't think so."

"Thank you.

"No problem."

When they arrived at the bridge, the saw that Lee was helping Sasuke and Sai with their opponent who had created mirrors made of ice. Thinking fast, Naruto made four clones and had three of them use the Substitution technique to take their places before the fourth went through some handseals alongside Naruto.

"Collaboration: Drilling Fireball Jutsu!" the two blondes declared as they sent forth their strongest attack. The inferno crashed into the mirrors, which suddenly melted and converged onto a single point.

Blue eyes narrowed as they spotted a ninja wearing a Mist Hunter Ninja mask holding onto a fully constructed blade of ice. Accepting the unspoken challenge, Naruto reached behind him and drew his sword, holding it in front of him like Lucina had taught him to.

(Fire Emblem OST: On Glory's Wings)

The two disappeared from sight before a loud clash was heard, showing that they had met in the middle. The two were even before they broke off, Naruto ducking beneath a horizontal slash and aiming one of his own at their legs.

They backflipped away and swung their sword mid-leap, sending forth a spray of ice senbon. He twirled his sword and batted them away before rushing his opponent. As he got closer, a seal on one side of the sword's guard lit up red and ignited the blade in fire. This caught the Ice Style user by surprise and their frozen sword was cleaved through easily with a rising slash.

However, Naruto released his own weapon and sent it skyward with a deadly spin, going with own momentum to deliver a backhanded fist to the masked face of the fake Hunter Ninja. He then leapt up after his weapon, catching it by the handle as a seal on the other side of the guard lit up green, causing wind to churn and enhance the fire.

"Here goes," he muttered to himself before he descended with a furious spin. "Uzumaki Style: Aether!"

Behind the mask, brown eyes widened and an ice mirror formed beneath the masked ninja before they sank into it; just in time for the mirror to be struck by the sword and erupt in an inferno that shot across the ground like a wave of roaring fire. Acting on instinct, Naruto spun in place and caught the ninja in the stomach with the flat part of his sword, the blunt force sending them flying back while their mask flew off their face.

(End Music)

Blue eyes widened when they saw the face of his opponent. "Haku…?"

Shakily, she got back onto her feet, giving Naruto a sad smile. "Yes…"

"But… But why?"

Her smile remained as she took a look towards the dense mist. "Because he's precious to me," she answered, making Naruto tense in realization. "He saved me, gave me a purpose, and made me strong. Everything I do, I do for him; just as you do for your precious person."

"Haku…" He looked to her sadly, not finding the words to argue with her since he knew he would've been the same had he been in her place.

"Please, Naruto…" She turned back to him. "I've failed Zabuza-sama… I want you to kill me."

He took a step back in shock, his arms lowering his sword. "H-How could you ask me to do something like that?"

"Because I've failed my purpose… I was given a new life to serve Zabuza-sama, and I've failed to do so in my defeat by you. So please, finish it; kill me."

His hands started to shake as he stared at his sword, gritting his teeth as he tried to think of what to do. "I… I can't…"

"You have to, Naruto… To deny me this would dishonor me and the choices I've made…" He looked back up, locking eyes with her. "Please," she begged.

He clenched his eyes shut, tightening the grip on his handle hard enough to make his palms bleed, and grit out, "I don't want to do this… You could've had another life…"

"Naruto…" Haku begged again.

"…I consider you a friend," he choked out as tears fell. He had taken lives before in the form of bandits and wild animals; but he had connected with Haku. This was entirely different.

"I feel the same," she admitted, standing still and leaving herself. "So, as your friend, I'm asking you to do this. I'm begging you…"

He choked back a sob, slowly raising his weapon. "…I don't enjoy this…"

"I know… Neither do I…"

He gave her a solemn smile before he charged, leaving a pair of tears behind him to fall toward the ground, both of them cooling into tiny flakes of snow that were caught in the wind and collided with one another.

Standing at the bow of the ship was Lucina, staring off towards the sea and its rolling waves. A smile was on her face as she thought of what lay beyond the horizon, a hand unconsciously reaching up to rest over her heart.

"I'm coming, Naruto…" she whispered to the sea, her blue eyes brimming with determination.