The rest of the trip to the camp seemed to pass a lot more easily for Naruto after that night, the young blonde actually taken to talking with the others in the group more and stopped avoiding them like he had been doing before.
He also got to know both Shapu and Kyojin a little more, and while they would never be best of friends with the age difference Naruto did now think of them as friends.
So much so that he had been able to banter with them, though much of the amusement was about his mask and how badly made it currently was, which had amused Naruto a lot, and also convinced him that he might need to make another mask.
After all it was suppose to not only hide his identity but also intimidate his enemies… turns out it was not so much intimidating as it was laughable.
He learned that Shapu and most of her clan tended to wander the Land of Lightening, the mountain terrain giving them plenty of high points to keep watch from, and apparently the views were beautiful when it wasn't too cloudy.
She had also told him about how she liked to paint, and had shown Naruto a few of her paintings. Naruto had been a little shocked at just how lifelike the landscapes looked, and had first thought them to be photographs.
Kyojin really didn't talk much at first, until the subject turned to fighting. The giant of a man talked about the battles he had been in and the thrill it gave him, the way it felt to charge headfirst and meet his opponents.
Naruto had never heard someone talk so passionately, of the honour it held. However the other subject that got Kyojin talking was his family, which surprised Naruto considering his love of battle.
Apparently he had both a wife and three children, two sons and a daughter. Apparently his oldest son and daughter were in the Land of Snow, another land in the middle of civil war even if not to the same scale as the Land of Water. Kyojin's youngest son was at the camp with his wife, and was apparently fourteen years old and named Kemono.
As it turned out Furui also had a family, and he spoke of them with nothing but love in his voice. Though apparently they were not with the camp, Naruto had asked where they were but Furui wouldn't say. He was also quite skilled at playing the Ocarina, and had even taken one out and played as they walked at one point.
The music echoing eerily around them in the mist, making it impossible to pin point where it was it came from without actually seeing Furui playing it.
Apparently most of his Clan tended to wander the border of the Land of Rain, something about it helping them to move around.
Naruto didn't actually say anything about himself, not wanting to risk it. He did however explain a little more about what he could do, and showed them one of his Spirits.
However ask they came closer to the camps Naruto noticed the group turning more serious and subdued, even Victor stayed quiet for the most part. The mist had also been getting steadily thicker until it got to the point that they couldn't see further than a few feet in front of them, with the exception of Shapu who was leading them now.
Before long Naruto found himself at the back of the group with Victor, trying not to lose sight of Kyojin's back as the giant walked in front of them. As they walked along side by side the older boy started speaking.
"We have to pass by the Rebels camp to get to the Outcast camp, though we can't actually go through it. Just keep your head down and hood up, don't say anything if we are approached and let Furui do all the talking."
"Why, what's the worst that could happen?"
At his words Victor gave Naruto one of his rare serious looks, absently pulling out a cigarette and lighter from one of his pockets.
"We don't have a village to protect us kiddo; no one will come to help us if something goes wrong. Shinobi know that, and use it to their advantage. Now there are many who won't start anything either through fear or common decency. But there are a nasty few who have given into their intolerance and with the rebellion as strained as it is now, the leaders would be more than likely to sacrifice a few Outcasts if it meant keeping their army from infighting."
Naruto had been hearing that a lot lately, and every time it made him frown.
"Then why don't the Outcasts simple form their own village? You all seem to be able to communicate in some way or other to get the word out, why not all come together and take away that advantage?"
Naruto was a little surprised when instead of Victor, Furui answered him from in front of Kyojin. The large man was blocking him from view, but his voice easily reached him.
"Where would we set it up? What Daimyo would want a bunch of Outcasts setting up permanently in their Land? While there are civilians that would except us and even willingly help us, how would we find them? Sure together we could take most Lands without too much trouble and even look for people to help keep things running once we build it, but it would just get the other Hidden Villages attention and they would run us out before we could even get started.
There is simple nowhere we could form a village."
Naruto stayed silent after the old man stopped talking; taking in everything he had been told. He supposed he was right; building up a village from scratch took time and manpower. While the manpower may not be a problem time always would, because the other Hidden Villages would see it as a threat and attack while they were not prepared to defend themselves.
They needed somewhere that was isolated and highly defensible, but also somewhere that had a high civilian population, a Shinobi Village did not run on charity after all it ran on money. With the most immediate money that was available to them being from the civilians within their home country.
Naruto did have an idea, but there were many issues with that idea, some of which he very much doubted could be overcome, or at least not without significant help. Before he could think anymore on his thought though, something caught his attention, looking up he was surprised to find that they were no longer standing in the mist.
Though when he looked back over his shoulder at the way they had come he could see it still there in a solid white wall.
Looking at the new scenery around them Naruto was surprised to see that they were actually already passing the Rebel Camp on their right, and another camp was ahead in the direction they were walking.
The Rebel Camp looked very militaristic; with orderly arranged tent in the same shapes as the buildings Naruto had seen back at the coastal village when they first arrived. All but five of the tents were the same size, with the other five being several times bigger and spaced out in such a way that they were as far as possible from each other while still being in the camp.
Naruto also saw a lot of people moving around between the tents, most dressed in shades of blue and white ninja clothing with their Mist headbands tied either to their foreheads or around their arms.
He also didn't miss the way more than half the people in the camp were staring in his group's direction as they walked, and how some of them had started either frowning or outright glaring at them.
Naruto even saw one or two of them with their hands on their weapons, as if preparing to attack. The dislike many of the rebels had for them was obvious, but as he looked at them he didn't see as much hate as he was expecting to see, if anything he could sense that the rebels were more filled with distrust and fear than any real malice.
Naruto just made an effort to keep his head down and stay with the group like Victor warned him to.
The group had almost passed the Rebel Camp when a middle aged man and a girl that looked to be in her late teens came out from it and blocked their path, making both Naruto and Victor tense slightly while the adults seemed completely at ease.
The man had pale blue hair that looked slightly spiky; he was wearing a dark grey turtleneck with a blue kimono which a white outline.
He also had what looked like seal tags' hanging from each ear like earrings, and his right eye was covered by a black eye patch. He stood straight with little expression on his face other than a small frown that Naruto suspected was usually on his face, and the hooded blonde didn't miss how the man's one visible eye moving over to him and Victor before moving back to Furui who had now moved to the front of the group.
The girl had long reddish/brown hair that covered her right eye, and a knot tied on the top of her head. She was dressed in a very revealing dark blue kimono that showed off her curves and left her shoulders bare, giving the slightest view of the mesh shirt she wore under it.
Unlike the man's face she looked a lot more relaxed and Naruto could see the playful smirk on her face, her eyes just like the man who accompanied her were also taking in the two newest and youngest members of the group, before they turned back to Furui.
"Good to see you back Furui, and you even brought two new little cuties back with you." The red haired woman said, her soft lilting tone carrying a note of both amusement and warmth to it that Naruto had not been expecting.
Furui just gave a slight chuckle, shifting his staff from one hand to the other, making the bell on the end of his staff ring as he did so. Naruto knew that he did it purposefully to send out a wave of sound so he could assess his surroundings, though looking at his face it looked like he knew who the two people were anyway.
"Mei, a pleasure as always. I assume you have a reason for stopping us other than to say hello, we have spent the last two days walking after all." Furui said his voice holding a certain amount of warmth as he replied to the now named Mei.
Despite the easy way the two were talking, Naruto could see the other people inside the camp were watching them tensely. It didn't take Naruto long to realise that this Mei was someone important, and that the man with the eye patch was her bodyguard.
Though the two seem to either not notice or care about the people watching them as Mei gave a nod of her head and her smirk dropped a little into a more serious expression.
"I'm afraid so. We were able to capture one of Yagura's Shinobi while you were gone; we are going to need you there for his interrogation to make sure he is telling the truth."
"Of course, I completely understand. Why don't you lead the way why while my friends here go on and get the new blood settled in." The old man responded, seemingly not surprised by her request, this clearly having been asked of him many times before.
"Of course."
Furui had only take two steps to follow them when he paused for a moment, before turning around so that he was 'looking' in Naruto's direction with his sightless eyes. The old man seemingly thinking something over as he sightlessly assessed Naruto. His pause quickly got the other two Shinobi's attention and they too turned and stopped to wait for him, looking from the old man to Naruto but not saying a word.
Eventually a small smirk spread across Furui's face before he motioned for Naruto to come over to him, moving the hooded blonde in front of him and holding his shoulder when he did before turning to look back at the woman.
"Perhaps it would be a good idea for my new friend to join us; he has skills that may be able to help us get information."
While the man showed no other reaction then to frown slightly, Naruto saw Mei's visible eyebrow lift slightly as she looked him over a contemplative look on her face.
"Is he another member of the Dorima Clan? Because it is still early to get them involved yet, we haven't even started questioning him."
"No, he is not from the Dorima Clan. He is something different..."
Seeming to take a moment to examine him more closely or at least examine what she could see of with his hood up, Mei finally gave one more look to Furui before smiling and giving a nod.
"Very well, I'll show you where we are keeping him if you are sure."
As she turned away Furui leaned down slightly so he could whisper in Naruto's ear, making sure he wouldn't be overheard.
"Remember what I said about showing yourself to be useful, this is your chance."
...
AN :
We are beginning to get more into the story now, so I hope you are all excited for what is to come. I have some good ideas, and I hope that you will like them as much as I do.
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If you're too impatient to wait for updates, the story's already at chapter 96 on P atreon.
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