Naruto The Warlord

Chapter 16

An impressive armor of iron laid before Naruto on the floor of his cell. The helmet was an iron crown with plates around the head, framed with sharp spikes. A mask which depicted an emotionless expression functioned as a visor to protect his face with a pair of holes for his eyes to look through. The visor had a t-cross as a breathing hole.

The rest of the armor came in several pieces. The shoulder pads were square in its design, but had a certain height to it so it would give some protection for his neck, which was otherwise bare. The breastplate was designed to fit his body, being wider at his breast with a narrower frame towards his hips. Some chain mail hung from its bottom sides, where it would hang over his thighs to provide some protection for his lower body as well. The protection for his arms and legs came in pieces like the rest of the set. Some simple plating to be fit around his upper-arm and forearm, with the same for his thighs and shins while leaving the joints unobstructed to allow him a wider range of movement. His feet were covered in leather boots, cloth and leather wrapped up together to keep them firmly secured. His hands were left bare, which was a worrying prospect since his fingers were exposed when handling the shaft of the halberd.

This was the armor he'd been given to represent his master on 'The Day of Silence'. And that day had finally come. The weeks of harsh training had passed him by faster than what he'd expected and he'd often found himself thinking of his friends and his people.

Shou and Ryu, his closest friends... Were they still alive and well? Had their assault upon the mines gone well? Had it failed? Were they on their way or were they delayed?

Would Naruto begin his assault with no help on the way?

Doubts had begun to plague his mind now, but before he could ponder further, a knock on the cell door was heard.

Turning towards it as it opened, Mari greeted him with a wary expression. They looked between one another awkwardly and Naruto realized they had never properly spoken to one another, even after En informed him of Mari agreeing to help them in their quest for freedom.

"...En told me you would give me something.", Mari eventually muttered. Taking a deep breath, Naruto walked closer to her and brought out the wooden tablet. Unlocking the dampeners, Mari frowned at him nervously, "Are you sure that is safe to do now?"

"No choice.", Naruto murmured and gave her the tablet. "We'll be under constant watch by the palace guard when we arrive inside. The dampeners are supposed to go under our armor anyway, so we're just going to have to hope they don't notice. Make sure you get that to the rest of us, alright?", Naruto pleaded, gesturing to the tablet in her hand.

"I know what's at stake.", Mari nodded.

"Tell the others to hide the bracelets under the beds."

"I will.", Mari nodded again. "The girls will dispose of them after you depart, to ensure we're not exposed prematurely."

"The girls above are also in on it?", Naruto frowned at her. The more who knew, the greater the chance of discovery.

"They are. Don't worry, I will keep them in line.", Mari smiled in an attempt to placate him. It didn't do much to settle his nerves.

"Alright.", Naruto breathed. "Get going and good luck."

"And to you." Mari bowed, quickly shutting the cell again. They still had a while before they would depart for the palace.