"Hoshi no Kuni? I must have an old map." Naruto muttered to himself with a frown, crumpling the paper and tossing it behind him.

"You shouldn't litter like that, darling." Guren admonished him with a slight smirk. She was wearing her standard green, fur-laced kimono with a white lotus flower on the back.

"Hush you."

"Do you know the way to the monastery without the map?"

"Temple. Maybe." Naruto shrugged. "But the map's old. And cannot be trusted."

"The map's fine." Guren took the paper, scanning it briefly. "The names are just wrong. But we're on this road here, see? So the monastery should be that way." She grinned, showing the left road.

"Temple." Naruto grumbled as he walked down the road she pointed to.

"Whatever." She smiled at him, linking their arms.

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"Be on your guard, Guren." Naruto frowned, his right hand gripping the handle of his sword. His fiancée nodded raising the arm that wasn't linked with his slightly higher, prepared to make her one-handed hand-seals. "We're here. And we're not alone."

"Of course you're not." The moment they walked through the gate of the wall surrounding the temple it closed, locking behind them automatically. An older, bald man walked in front of them, dressed in white priest robes. "We would not deem one such as you safe to be left alone in this place of Harmony."

"I am not here to spread Chaos. I mean you no harm." Naruto lifted his hand from the sword and put both in front of him, motioning to Guren to do the same. "I am here for something else."

"Oh?" The priest's hands were in front of him, the palms in the sleeves of the other hand. "Say we believe you, Scion. Why have you come here, of all places? What is it that you could possibly want from us that you cannot get elsewhere?"

"Holy Water." Naruto answered simply.

"… Excuse me?"

"Holy Water."

"Whatever for?"

"That's… a long story."

"I see." The priest hummed. "Very well, then you may as well come inside and tell it, then." He motioned to the door behind him.

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"Tea?" A younger monk asked as he filled his master's cup. Naruto just nodded, not taking his eyes away from the elder, while Guren smiled and thanked the young man, much to his embarrassment.

"I am listening." The priest took a sip.

"Tell me, how familiar are you with the events outside your temple?"

"Slightly."

"Have you heard of Orochimaru, perhaps?"

"One does not live this close to Konoha and not, does one?"

"No, I suppose not. Another question: how much do you know about Scions?"

"Again, not much."

"Are you aware that our blood is special?"

"No, I was not." Naruto nodded and slightly drew his sword, ignoring the sudden alarm of the monks.

"Darling…" Guren warned him, raising her hand. He just shushed her and cut his finger on the blade, lifting it to show the black bead of blood.

Well, the blood wasn't exactly black. Or it wasn't just black. It was a strange, swirling mixture of black, purple and red. It started smoking the second it hit the air and, when Naruto wiped the finger on a cloth, started burning it.

"I see what you mean." The priest raised an eyebrow. "And this has something to do with Orochimaru?"

"Yes. You see, we Scions have a special burial shrine in a location I will not disclose at the moment."

"Understandable."

"However, it seems as if Orochimaru has discovered that location. He has created a seal, what he calls his 'Cursed Seal of Heaven', which works off of the blood. I am assuming that he has a supply with him, and I will deal with that when the time comes, but for now the burial ground takes priority. I have to go and make sure he cannot take the blood of one of my deceased siblings again." The priest nodded to himself.

"And that is where you are headed, yes? But why stop here? What do you need the Holy Water for?" The priest paused for a few seconds, blinking, before his eyes lit up. "Ah, I see. You wish to purge the Black Blood from others who have been infected."

"Well, not all, but yes. I can always call upon my god to help me, if I wish. But some of those with the Blood are enemies. Prisoners. And all ways I have to purge it grant some benefits to the recipient. The Water is the only way to remove it without additional effects."

"Yes, I see, I see. I suppose leaving these people with that seal is a problem, yes." The man muttered to himself for a bit before nodding and motioning to one of the younger monks. "Very well, we will grant you the Water. How much do you need?"

"Just a little. For now."

"Then you are welcome to it, and welcome to return when you are in need of more." The monk came back with a half-liter bottle filled with a clear liquid. "However…"

"Yes?"

"On your next visit we will require some form of compensation."

"Compen… you want me to pay you? With money?"

"Yes." The monk answered simply. "We are not a wealthy temple, and sadly some material possessions are always needed, no matter your time or place."

"Very well, agreed. The next time I will bring you the gold." Naruto and Guren stood up and took the bottle, putting it into a small, swirling, black void. "Thank you for the tea, monk."

"And you for not starting trouble, Scion."