Sword of God -- A Naruto Fanfiction

| 44 | The Sword

Naruto strode into the quaint village, his form bloodied and his hair unkempt, his mask barely restraining the beast from unleashing the wilderness unto any unfortunate soul.

But luckily, he had tremendous foresight in order to foresee that, even though he would be arriving under the cover of darkness, he would still be spotted by someone pulling an all-nighter for whatever frivolous reason they might spout.

Hence, he had applied an invisibility seal for the time being; his second cloak lost in the ending of his and Yagura's battle, with where a supernova of their combined power obliterated the Kokutan Forest forever.

Not even a single molecule of life beyond Mei Terumi and her bodyguard remained; he had no quarrel with her.

In a way, he did save her, something that he most certainly noted, wondering if she was indebted to him in a sense.

Not even sparing a glance to the newly constructed Shinto gate, nor the refurbished houses that had been done since he had last been here, Naruto gazed at the largest home, the furthest inland.

Then, as if he hadn't been there in the first place, he vanished, reappearing on the inside without a trace.

It hasn't changed.

"Tsunami?" He asked, his voice emotionless yet holding a small touch of respect.

She jumped from her position at the sink, a stack of cleanly washed dishes shooting out of her hands.

Tsunami squeaked at the intruder's sudden arrival, drawing a kitchen knife and striking blindly in his general direction.

With an audible sigh, Naruto stepped into her guard, catching her wrist and disarming her with a swift tap to a nerve at the base of her skull, sending the knife clattering to the floor.

Expelling the smallest sliver of his mountainous chakra reserves from his body, Naruto weaved it in such an intricate way that it mimicked a silencing seal, minus the physical imprint.

If Tsunami had been expecting a common thug, all pretence of that had been banished within the doubt of the second.

A bubble appeared around them, flexing its dexterity by moulding itself into the most negligible crevices that could conceal a listening bug.

Tsunami, despite her predicament, couldn't help but admire the effect that bewitched her entire existence.

As she gaped in awe at the prospect of being underwater, carefree, an otherworldly red splashing atop the surface of the bubble, rendering it opaque.

Naruto released his vice grip on the woman, placing his mask down on the table, and grinning wearily.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it, Tsunami?"

"How d'you know my name?" She snapped, massaging her sore wrist tenderly.

"Perhaps I should give you a reminder," He responded, grinning with eerie calm, before he spoke, his voice an unusually high pitch in contrast to his monotonous, steely self: "You'll find that I can take care of myself perfectly, Tsunami-San."

And with that, the image between the matured teenager and the introverted boy finally clicked in her mind.

"Naruto-San?" She tentatively inquired, the difference in height remarkable one of the many doubts in her mind.

One nod erased any doubt left in her mind.

"It's good to see you again but—" She stares uncertainly at his bloodied form. "Where's your team?"