Claymore Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ A Red Dawn ❯ War is Among Us ( Chapter 16 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

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Walking through a forest, heading to her next destination that was handed out to her by Ermita, Galatea sighed.

After he woke from being knocked unconscious from the Abyssal Warrior, he verbally lashed her for not being able to sense him. The problem was that she had but he had covered his aura so well that she thought he was a garden variety yoma.

If Ermita could, he would have killed her for that.

There also seemed to be another reason for being upset, however. He didn't seem too pleased that all of the warriors had survived the battle against the awakened. He tried to play it off saying he was special but… She saw through it.

They had sent the four of them out there for execution and they brought her there to confirm it. If it wasn't for their training she received from them she would have exploded in fury over the situation. They had done nothing to warrant such a sentence for they were only trouble makers.

The only one that had any question marks was warrior forty-seven, Elena for they said she may have been in contact with the Abyssal Warrior. There was slight acceptances there rooting out a possible spy was a necessity with the problems that were looming in the future. She however would have preferred solid evidence.

She, however, now could not go through with this next mission. She was assigned to hunt down the survivors of the mission and kill a defector to the south, an old friend of hers. She had killed warriors before but now… This was something beyond her.

Killing her friend would not be easy. She wasn't even sure that she could do it. She was raised side by side with her… Trained and fought with her. Share the same room and comforted each other when the pain was too much…

And now she had been sent out to kill the one she cared for the most.

Nonetheless, she had to see it out because if she didn't she knew what would happen. They wouldn't kill her… No, they would do something far worse. They would give her to him and let him do whatever he wanted with her. They would let him turn her into a weapon…

Galatea feared that man. Not because he could defeat her… No, it was what those experiments of his that he did that truly frightened her.

Often going to her lab were young males but soon they left in agony. She wasn't a fool and with her senses she knew what happened. They had received the same operation to create a warrior and were put at dangerous levels so they would awaken would they woke.

With her ability to detect yoki from such long distance she saw what they did with them… They decimated villages that did not pay or stood against them, realizing something was wrong about this entire thing or someone getting the idea that yoma were not natural creatures…

How she would like to tell them they were right. She knew what lurked in his labs and knew that low leveled yoma came from their base and were released out into the world.

However she did not understand why the organization did this. They had to gain something outside just money to continue such ridiculous experiments. They didn't even use the money other than to give to their warriors and handlers. So what was it they had to gain…?

Stopping for a moment, not even bothering to look back for she knew what was following her, Galatea closed her eyes. "I know you are there… But tell me… Is there a way out of this madness? What does the Abyssal Warrior offer that made you join his side…"

Dropping down from the trees she was using to follow, a single warrior stood before Galatea with her hand clenched on her sword in case of being attacked. "A new world and ability to live like humans once more… So that one day we may live a normal life in a land without yoma… Without worry of losing our humanity to the yoma inside us."

"But more importantly… He offers something we all want back… Our freedom."

"I see…" Galatea responded keeping her eyes closed before she turned and gazed at the warrior that had been stalking her. "He's using us too…"

"You know nothing Galatea. He may be using us now… But once this is over I know we will be given our freedom. He does not lie… Besides it is better than our lives now." The warrior narrowed her eyes and felt ready to strike at a moments notice.

Simply nodding, for that much she could see, Galatea smiled. And then in the very next moment she was upon the warrior, her blade drawn and pressing against the flesh of her throat. "Are you willing to test that conviction of yours with your life?!"

"Yes for you see… With these techniques even you can be fooled." The warrior smirked before her body burst into a plum of smoke.

Surprised at this sudden revelation, she narrowed her eyes seeing seven of the same warrior standing directly behind her with her hand still placed on her blade before the ground before her feet suddenly turned to dust.

Jumping back and landing a few meters from what she stood, Galatea narrowed her eyes. "It seems you've gotten better… But I wonder if it will be enough…"

"Kazekiri no Flora."

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"Come on lover boy… Wakey, wakey."

That was the first thing that Naruto heard as he slowly began to drift back to consciousness. He nearly lost consciousness soon after he awoke and his vision began to clear. Why? That was simple.

Luciela was wearing absolutely nothing and she was straddling his mostly naked body, boxers being the only thing he had on.

Waking up to that picture was just… Too many things for him to put into words so he decided to go with just one word that he knew would put an end to this scene. One word that he had learned from a good friend. "Troublesome…"

"Hey!" Luciela barked at her human lover, both eyes madly twitching in the process as she had hoped this would entice him into doing it when he awoke. "What kind of man are you?! Here is a beautiful naked woman before you and you all you have to say is troublesome!"

Looking at her with only a raised eyebrow as he took a temporary look at the entire situation, Naruto twitched his eyes back at her before nodding. "If you were in my position… That would be the best word to describe this fucked up scenario."

It seemed Luciela had the decency to blush as she kind of realized that she had put him in a rather awkward situation and anything sexual always seemed to reside in the back of his mind, which explained why he was somewhere around thirty and had sex only twice in his life. Still she was rather irate for she could feel him which he meant he liked what he saw! "What is it going to take for you to see me like those two?!"

"Not this, obviously." Naruto dryly commented as he managed to slip out underneath Luciela but stayed seated next to her. "And as I said before, I only slept with them as at both moments I was emotionally unstable and it was the only thing they could do to… reset me to normalcy. …However I will admit that our relationship is closer then mine with either of them… I just am not in the mood for it."

"When will you be in the mood to do it?!" Luciela twitched as while she did feel better it was still highly annoying as he was practically never in the mood to have a nice romp… Making out was a different story but the actual act of sex never occurred.

"I honestly don't know…" Naruto said with a sigh as he didn't understand it himself.

He liked to read about it, mainly because Icha was Jiraiya's passion in life and he felt like honoring the man by at least reading the series, but to be honest with himself… He only wanted to be with someone that was truly his lover and he couldn't quite place Luciela at that yet.

Shaking his head of that, he slipped off the bed before wrapping the sheets around her. "I'm sorry… I truly am. I guess I just have this weird complex that I even don't understand that keeps me from wanting sex…"

He was unable to finish speaking as Luciela locked her lips with his, trying to shimmy out of the blankets and snuggle up against him. Naruto knew there was something wrong with him more then ever as he broke the kiss and kept her pinned in her blankets. "Luciela… Please understand. Our time will come but it isn't now."

Wanting to growl at the blonde shinobi, Luciela sighed out loud before she locked her eyes with his and glared. "I know but can you blame me for trying? After all I just want to be with you…"

Naruto sadly smiled before leaning over and gently kissing her on the lip and whispered once he broke it. "And I with you… All I'm asking is for you to wait until I am ready and get a few things off my chest. Just remember…"

"You are mine." Luciela smirked ever so slightly feeling somewhat satisfied that he belonged to her but at the same time a little miffed that there was still some things going on in that head of is that kept him from being completely hers. "Fine… I had something for you to do anyways."

Raising his eyebrow at this, Naruto simply nodded before turning to the bathroom to wash up. The week had passed by rather quickly and Teresa, Irene, Clare and Raki were there so he had to be quick. This was the only shower in the place.

Seeing that there was already heated water that was readied for a shower, he raised his eyebrow a bit further and had to wonder what was so important that Luciela had set everything up before he had awoken.

Still he entered the shower and slowly tilted the ramp until the water began to freely fall onto his body, rinsing the dirt from his hair and skin. Technology here wasn't as great like it was in the elemental countries but for this world this kind of technology was rare and only owned by the wealthiest.

Or it use to be he reminded himself.

Luciela happened to be such and not just because she was an Abyssal One. She was very intelligent and had set up food produce businesses that thrived thanks to her uncanny ability to grow. She also used her money to fund inventions from local geniuses to help move their civilization along. Few ever succeed but more and more of their kind were coming to the south seeking money for their work.

Hearing the door open, Naruto turned his attention onto Luciela, who was simply admiring him. Thankfully she was wearing clothing now so this more than likely meant business. "Naruto… War is coming soon here. I'm sure you have noticed how my presence within these lands has been affecting the people."

"Yes… Thanks to you the population's lives are better due to technological advancements. Simple things like indoor plumbing to complex machinery to help miners mine for gold and oil are making more people flock to the south for better lives. Also because Teresa, Irene and I there are less yoma here than anywhere else and bandits tend to avoid the south due to be slaughtered and devoured by the yoma that do." Naruto commented knowing this for he had lived here for… Eight or nine years he believed now.

"Then you should know that the organization up until now has been leading the technological advancement in this land." Luciela stated, still marveling at Naruto's body, before sighing. "Because they know that I've been funding such research into these things along with providing affordable food and paying farmers for harvesting such…"

"They have deemed me the greatest threat. However they know that even with their strongest warriors they cannot match me now thanks to our little army." Luciela finished, watching Naruto save the rest of the water and step out of the shower to dry off.

Drying his head first, not bothering to cover him goods for Luciela had seen him naked enough it didn't matter, Naruto rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't call Teresa, Irene and what few warriors and ex-warriors I have recruited along with myself an army. …I admit I am a one man army now but still. Wait…"

"Yes by declaring I am the most dangerous threat… It means that they fear your power and most likely want to collect you and see… To see what makes you tick and apply it to their warriors. But there is one last thing… They will most likely not attack us directly for that is suicide with their current strength. They instead will try and lure one of us out." Luciela said to confirm Naruto's train of thinking.

Narrowing his eyes at this, and sliding on some underwear and his orange pants, Naruto softly rubbed his right temple. "So what you are saying is that they will more than likely unleash one of their awakened forces in towns here in the south to draw our attention and force us out into the open so they can strike."

"Exactly… Which means they believe they have a warrior strong enough to capture or eliminate one of us or Teresa." Luciela narrowed her eyes at this for a moment, wondering if they had been spied on by the organization's Eye; the brunette watched Naruto slid his shirt and button his cloak down.

Leaving the collar buttons undone, Naruto simply gazed at Luciela. "So what is it that you want me to do? It will either have to be one of us or Teresa that shows up to handle such a situation."

"I need you to begin to recruit a mass of warriors and awakens in a hurry. Marching on the organization must happen soon for they are becoming brazen if they think they can take my lands while I'm still here." Luciela growled out, her eyes flashing silver for a moment before returning to their norm.

Naruto had to admit he hadn't really been recruiting too hard. There was only five, now six if he added Miria, that were within the organization but now sided with him. Each of them, outside of Elena, was rather highly ranked and was strong enough on their own but their strength had been bolstered by his training methods, when he was able to.

He wasn't too sure that mass recruiting would work and that was why he was being rather secretive about his efforts. Sure he had two awakens on his side besides Luciela but that wasn't enough of a force for the job he was recruiting them for. And while he was more than enough for the organization thanks to his father's technique among many others attributes it still was a bit of a risk going in without a decent force.

But if there was something that would draw their attention and bring forth a mass revolution within their ranks… "Teresa is better than I when it comes to gathering support from the warriors. I may be able to suppress their awakening and one day prevent it… They will listen to her… And to her story. She is who is needed to start our little revolution so we can get off this rock."

"What's this about me and the revolution?" Teresa's voiced echoed from behind Naruto, sliding in through the window, hearing Naruto was awake and wanted to converse with the blonde before she noted his nude state. "Well this reminds me of that night two years ago…"

"WHAT?!" Luciela screamed out, enraged by the very thought of Naruto ever being nude around Teresa for he was hers and hers alone. "I have you know if you so much as touched him…"

"Relax." Naruto rolled his eyes at Luciela's reaction before wrapping the towel around his waist, having been naked before both women before and not feeling too horribly embarrassed about the situation. "You remember that fire two years ago… Yeah, my clothes got toasted and I was left naked in front of her."

"And then we did stuff like fellatios, cunnilingus, missionary, the pile driver…" Teresa added on with a grin for she wanted to piss Luciela off before the demoness roared at her.

"STOP YOU BOLD FACED LIES YOU DIRTY WRENCH IF I HAVEN'T DONE THOSE THINGS WITH HIM, YOU HAVEN'T FOR SURE!" Luciela bellowed as she was almost on the verge of transforming, ready to rip Teresa piece by piece for even insinuating that she and Naruto did such an act with one another.

"Can we focus here?" Naruto twitched at the events unfolding before him and feeling this was somewhat Teresa's revenge for testing her. "Or am I going to have to beat both of you down and tie you up in the room again?"

Both became ashen at the thought of room, almost completely ignoring that fact that Naruto could beat both down. The last time that was mentioned was when both were ignoring him and ended up setting him and that one garden on fire…

"No!" They both squeaked in terror knew the horrors of that room.

He smirked at the two for they were behaving so uncharacteristically just because of the room… He would have to thank Tsunade for imparting that one method of interrogation to him. Who knew that a moose antler, lubricant and this weird cup trophy from an ancient ice sport could be so frighteningly terrifying?

Taking the discussion outside of the bathroom, for it would be awkward to keep it within there, they entered the main hall of the house before continuing where they left off; after he got dressed.

"Alright then… Teresa." Naruto turned to the former warrior before explaining what her mission was. "You are needed to be the fire of this revolution. The reason why the warriors to side with us… You are to gather as many as you can possibly and have them join our ranks."

"I don't care what it takes. Whether it is from moving them with your story and taking them by sword point, just get it done. This is your order and if you fail it dire consequences will face you on your return for this is your first true mission from the Dawn." Naruto spoke in a commanding voice, falling into his role of the head of the Dawn.

There was nothing else put in his words. No killing intent, no venom… Nothing but a stern voice a glint in his glare froze Teresa in place. The authority that he seemingly commanded from seemingly nowhere swept over her as did the power he possessed.

"It will be done. Is there any other information I need before I head out?" Teresa lightly bowed, somewhat unnerved by the sheer ferocity and raw power that the blonde male before her possessed.

Turning to Luciela, who also noted the seriousness coming from her lover, she understood his unanswered question and supplied the warrior with what she knew. "The organization is currently are drawing an abnormal amount of troops to their borders to the south and the north. They have left most of the single ranked warriors alone and have left them at their normal stations and they keep their new bonding project safely behind close doors."

"So for right now recruiting any single digit warrior seems to be unlikely outside of the two Naruto has already gathered support from." Teresa commented, frowning for they were the most useful. "What is going on in the north that is drawing their attention?"

"Isley and Priscilla." Naruto responded because he knew what was happening in the north better then what Luciela did. "They almost have reached their quota for awakened warriors and are prepared to launch their attack to the south. And unlike normal awakens I am sure Isley has taught them a few things he picked up from me during the spar I had with him and my fight with Rigaldo."

"As of right now the number seven is currently posted at the northern border and the sixth warrior is at the southern. However the movements of three through five are not known. Galatea has disappeared, Ophelia is hunting awakens and… Rafaela's yoki is sealed to the point she can't be sensed by anything less than a sensor." Luciela spoke before her voice slip at the end when she reached her sister's unknown location.

"And no one knows what Riful is doing and that is worrisome on its own. So much in fact that despite their lack of man power and being the weakest of the forces, the organization has sent a scout team just to get a picture of what Riful is doing." Luciela added on after a moments pause, pushing her feelings to the side.

"There is also the possibility that they are sending the team to her as a gift to entice her into temporarily joining forces with them. However, Riful is not foolish. She knows that the balance of power resides in there being at least two Abyssals otherwise the organization could throw all there forces into eliminating the last one standing." Naruto quickly followed knowing it could be true; military tactics being driven into his head during the Fourth Shinobi War.

A frown had begun to develop from where this information seemed to be leading. All three of the four powers within the land were active, pulling their forces together, sending scouts to discover the others plans and treaties were being made. Add to this that all three Abyssals were active and that led to once conclusion.

War was upon them. And all but one wanted to be ruler of this rock.

And she couldn't help but think that it was the only one that did not want to rule this land that would be the catalyst for this. He had just started a war in his world and gets transported to this one, just to start another to get back to his war.

However, she wasn't in much of a situation to complain. Without his arrival to these lands, she knew she would be dead.

Priscilla would have taken her head that day.

Before anything could go any further, Teresa cut them off. "I've heard enough. I'll be heading to the eastern border and do what I must to build our forces. Afterwards I'll work my way to the west before I finally head to the north…"

"No. I'll handle the west." Naruto suddenly spoke, catching Teresa by surprise and making Luciela twitch. "Stick to the eastern border and collect the warriors you can. The west is mine… For if Riful has indeed sided with the organization she must be dealt with and I'm most capable of defeating her at this time and Luciela commands the south so she must stay."

For one of those moments, Teresa narrowed her eyes at Naruto. However she showed no other disrespect for Naruto at the moment he was her leader, not her friend. "As you wish. If I can, I would like to leave Irene here to look after Clare and Raki…"

Teresa left it open knowing that what she was trying to say would get across to Naruto. It would also catch Luciela's ire, but she cared little of that. She may have come to trust her but that didn't mean she would let her alone with her daughter and the boy.

Luciela still fed on human flesh.

Thinking for a second, Naruto was about to nod to her request. However he had been having a strange feeling as of late and he couldn't place. And now more than ever he couldn't help but like the feeling. "No… Something tells me you will need her with you."

"What?!" Teresa growled out and didn't care that Naruto was acting as leader and not a friend before she directly pointed at Luciela. "While I know Luciela is a good person, I don't trust her without someone else to watch her. Don't forget she still devours humans!"

Luciela snarled at Teresa's statement. While her point was valid, she had limited herself to eat only bandits and other criminals for the sake of the two, now three, humans that lived with her. And she had lived with Naruto for a lot longer than the girl and she showed immense control over her urges and eventually her appetite decrease to what it was now.

Placing his hand before Luciela and giving her a quick glance, Naruto shook his head before his gaze fell upon the blonde Claymore. "Nonetheless it is my order and you will take Irene with you. Something is happening over there and you will need her help."

"As for your worries, they are quite reasonable and I've taken them into account." Naruto saw the anger rise in Teresa's eyes before his eyes turned to the closed room that Teresa normally rested within. "Besides, do you think I'm stupid enough to leave the two alone without someone there to watch them? Even if I trust Luciela there are other things that can happen when she isn't around."

"Huh?" Teresa's anger abated at Naruto's response and left her clueless while she racked her brain in an attempt to figure who the person that would be left that Naruto was hinting at.

Unable to come up with anyone for it was only the six of them now, she would have blurted out who they hell it was before her senses locked in on a signature coming out of her room. Obviously Luciela had allowed someone to sleep there last night, not that she minded for she still had difficulties sleeping on a bed…

"Flora!" Teresa looked shocked for one of the few warriors she had run across in the last six years and became good friends with. "What are… But how… I thought…"

"No, I'm still alive. Probably from what you heard Galatea had slain me… But that was a cover for they knew I defected from the organization and she couldn't kill me. And with my defection covered no one will suspect anything about me or our newest member!" Flora answered Teresa's fragmented questions with little difficulty, chirping at the end for her role had been fulfilled.

After all she was taken in by the organization at the same Galatea and they grew up with one another, side by side until they were official warriors. They were good friends.

Teresa's attention turned to Naruto, her face twitching with anger. He had endangered their best warrior just in an attempt to gain the third ranked warrior. And he didn't even bother to tell her this! Oh she was going to…

At this moment Teresa noted something off about the situation.

Naruto wasn't there.

"Have fun. I'm off to do my job… Whatever that may be." Naruto called out before the door slammed shut and Naruto bolted from the property, heading east.

Teresa could only blink before she sighed. She knew this routine very well. This was Naruto's way of caring… By letting them pour out all their frustrations out onto him… Or at least by chasing him. He very rarely would allow her to hit him unless he crossed the line. "You know… It is like he is expecting me to chase him. I've gotten wise to his games."

"You do know he acts like that out of respect for his sensei. …And it is a very effective anger control and good for stress relief." Luciela commented before she drew forth Icha Icha Violence from thin air and started to read. "And it actually works… Every time I'm finished chasing him I'm no longer angry, frustrated or upset. The man was a genius… Except had to be some sort of masochist for he let himself get pummeled."

Simply rolling her eyes for it would do no good to chase after Naruto, Teresa turned to Flora with a somewhat annoyed look on her face. "Could you fill me in on what happened and any other plans of his that you might know of? From the sound of things the east may not be too safe right about now if Naruto is worried about it… Luciela, could you…"

"I'm already on it." Luciela stated as she headed for the door for there were things she had to know of.

She couldn't help but frown and put her book away for something was off. "I'm als going to check up on some of my other contacts before you head out. I want to make sure of something before you head out. …So feel free to make out with your little lover if you like. Maybe Irene would like to join too…"

"SHUT UP!" Teresa screamed at Luciela with her eyes slightly widening at what the demoness was hinting at.

Internally she felt a small shiver crawl up her back. Just how in the hell did she know her tastes? Sure she liked men but really outside of Naruto there wasn't any man she was interested in for they were wimps and all her friends weren't…

"Naruto! Oh no, no, no, no, no, no…" Teresa continued on realizing how Luciela could have learned that information for she drank a lot with Naruto and liked to get drunk.

And when she was drunk she knew she was very talkative and Naruto was a dashing man…

When he wanted to be.

Smirking, distracting the warrior for now, Luciela head for the door with a look of worry written on her face. If he felt any unease about the east then she needed to contact her agents and see what was going on. For when Naruto had a feeling something was going to happen…

It happened.

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"What… What is this?!" A lone warrior screeched before drawing her blade before her and slicing at the person before her.

Her opponent easily blocked with such a pitiful weapon… Just a small but thick knife. Her claymore should have easily demolished the weapon by now but hardly a dent was seen on it. And with the force of the blows she had been striking with she would have thought her opponent would have worn down by now.

But from this strike she shivered. An overwhelming presence filled her senses as her silver eyes gazed into the emeralds of her enemy. This power was far more potent then what she could imagine. It wasn't the yoki she had sensed and had brought her here, believing an awakened to be in the area, but this energy…

"I'll ask you again… Why did it seem you recognized our uniform? Is there a man on this backwater island wearing this uniform? Is Uzumaki Naruto here?!" The woman before her hissed, her emerald eyes gazing into hers while an oppressive dread began to fill the air around her. "If you don't speak I'm not going to be nice any longer and start taking you apart limb by limb until I get my answers."

Her eyes dilated in and out of focus while something akin to horror began to fill her being. "No… no… This shouldn't be…"

Narrowing her eyes, wondering what was wrong with the women before her, she attempted to move put and end to this fight before the blonde warrior jumped away from her as her visage began to morph. Her eyes began shining; arties and vessels became visible while her muscles bulged and a distinct aura began to explode around her.

Taking a step back while her male emerald eyed partner stood besides her, watching this changed, she turned for him for a moment and narrowed her eyes before she brushed her pink bangs from her unusual forehead. "It can't be… That's yoki. Only demons possess such unrestricted… Untamed chakra."

"Indeed. Let me take over." Her partner said stepping before her and facing their demonic target. "I'll tell you once… Tell us what you know and we'll let you go. If not I will crush every bone in your body for you seem to know a little too much just to be coincidence."

"Screw you!" The warrior screamed and continued drawing upon her yoki before slowing bringing it to a halt, knowing where her limit was. "I am Ophelia, the fourth strongest warrior of the organization! There should be no one… No human that can stand to my power!"

"You won't be getting any answers from me! But when I'm finished with you two I'll get my answers from you!" The fourth ranked Ophelia screamed before her arm began to shudder before her entire arm began to vibrate in a violent fashion before her blade began to literally blur where she held it.

Narrowing his eyes for a moment, he schooled his face into impassiveness. It had the effect he wanted for she charged him, going straight in for the kill. He did not move an inch and watched claymore arc for his throat.

And then his defense kicked it, stopping the blade in its track.

"Fool… We're in a desert and here I am God!" Gaara's emerald eyes began to take an unnatural golden glow to him before a similar colored chakra began to shimmer around. "Now let's see what you can do!"

"SABAKU KYU!"

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