Child Of Hate

Chapter 4

The next day

Spring country was beautiful this time of the season; the air was calm and serene, blowing through the landscape that was filled with lush grass and flourishing trees. Naruto had heard that a group of Konoha ninjas had helped liberate the country from the tyrannical rule of Doton, the uncle to the present leader of the country, Koyuki Kazahana. Before it was a wasteland of snow and ice, cold and barren of any kind of warmth or feeling of belonging to both the occupants and the visiting Konoha ninjas.

Quite frankly, Spring country reminded him of his floating home, Sukai Kingdom, but on a much, much smaller scale and a bit less developed. Even though there was an abundance of precious resources constantly growing in the earth of Sukai and that he and the people capitalized on this by building all manner of buildings and mechanical breakthroughs there was still acres and acres of fresh land that was populated by nothing but nature. Animals lived in peace, since the Wildlife Conservation Department of his Civilian Division ensure no harm came to the slice of nature that was in their protection.

These thoughts made Naruto not want to harm the beauty of the country.

'Pain teaches us who we are.' Those words echoed in the king of Sukai's mind. That was the first lesson Orochimaru taught him, without actually saying it, when the red head was just three years old. 'You can't really live until you die a little.'

The tall rinnegan holder stepped out of the royal vehicle as it stopped in the middle of a gravel road leading towards the capital of country, he waited patiently for the ninja he had asked to accompany come down as well before he began his walk, his iron boots stomping with each step and crushing any stone under his feet. He didn't put on his royal helmet signifying his position, even though he didn't really need it for his troops to know him, because he was sure he wouldn't need it.

Nirvana Kurogoku was a usually outgoing nineteen year old girl, always smiling and laughing and even muttering to herself in the presence of others, creating the image that she was a mad inventor. This image was coupled with her multi-coloured hair and the chirpy way she spoke. She liked that image; it made her feel like she had an identity among the soldiers of the Sukai army. It made her stand out because, during her time in Sound, a slave to the pleasures of Kabuto, she had just been a blurry blob in the presence of other blurry blobs. Now that she had gotten the attention of her lord, the god-like person she had wholeheartedly come to call her master, she stood out among the masses.

This happy go lucky girl did not skip in joy behind her master but rather shuffled her iron booted feet as she timidly looked down with her hands behind her back. A legion of over a thousand soldiers marched behind them, not even trying to hide their presence.

"Uhm…sir…?" the head inventor spoke and Naruto briefly looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow to acknowledge that he had heard her before returning his eyes to the capital he was about to invade. "Pardon me but… If I may be so curious as to ask…why you wanted me to accompany you here." Her head shot up after she had heard the words that had just come out of her mouth, like she had said the most vile and most evil words in all of creation. "Not that it is not an honour to follow you, my lord Naruto, I am merely inquisitive because…because it is usually Shinikora that escorts you." She clenched her eyes shut in fear but opened them when she heard a small snort, a sigh that meant Naruto was not offended.

He motioned for her to walk beside him and he pointed at the great capital with his black armoured fingers as he placed his other hand on her right shoulder. "Tell me, Nirvana, what makes Spring country stand out on this continent of legends?"

The girls mind was hazy as Naruto kept his hand on her shoulder but she barely stuttered out her reply. "Their…chakra armour, my lord."

"Correct. You are the best person I know that can fully analyse their armour and find a chink in it. You see, you are just as important here as you are holed up in your lab all day." He patted her shoulder then dropped his hand, not wanting the adoring girl to pass out on him. "I had Shinikora stay back to supervise the take-over of the Lightning country capital, the other two heads can look over how to best command the country by themselves. She will meet me after I subdue Spring." It is well known that when the capital of a country fell then the whole country followed suit. Admittedly there will be a little resistance from other parts of the country but not as great as the capital.