Chapter 3:Resolution Of Kindred Souls
Apologies for the delay for this chapter, school was really beating me down with homework. But hey, I had enough time to reff a football match.
Go Sports!
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"Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving heals them."
-Leo Tolstoy
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He pushed the open door lightly, just wide enough to allow him to enter her abode.
Nagato walked quietly into the home of the girl who was currently nestling soundly in his arms. He gently closed the door with his foot before proceeding into the living room, making sure not to trip over any of the furniture. Looking around he saw a bedroom door open at the end of the short hallway and tread softly into the room.
Once inside, he moved the covers and blanket out of the way so as to place her gently on the mattress, making sure her head rested on her pillow. Then ever so carefully, he covered most of her body in her warm blanket, doing his best to make her comfortable without waking her. With that done, he stepped quietly out of her room.
He didn't feel tired in the slightest, yet he would do his best to be quiet for now. She not only needed her sleep to process all that had happened, but also for her to properly process all he wanted to say to her.
So he softly closed her bedroom door, so as to await her company come morning.
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"Why am I moving so slowly? Why am I here?" Moda asked herself wearily as she waded through the reeds at midnight, their height reaching just above her eyes. She didn't know where she was going or why she was doing it. Yet she kept moving on and on.
Finally, after an unknown amount of time had passed, she made it out of the reeds and into a large circular clearing that bordered the grass and pine trees. In the center of the clearing, there was a massive bonfire that was both wider and taller than her house, the flames reaching so high that they could easily lick at the peaks of the pine trees.
There was a figure in between her and the fire, the man entirely covered in dark shadow so as to only reveal to her his silhouette. Then two glowing eyes made themselves known, casting an oppressive glow of violet as he prowled closer to her.
As he closed in on her, more of his features became known to her. Dark rods jutted out that pierced his body, multiple arms slithered out of his chest like vipers on the hunt. He continued his approach, somehow growing taller and leaner. So by the time this thing stood in front of her, it dwarfed her effortlessly, and there was truly nothing human about it remaining.
He… it… this thing, this monster, it came for her, its fanged maw opening far too wide."No! Don't!" but it was too late, It…It…
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*CRUNCH!*
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"AHHHH!" screamed Moda as she nearly leapt up from the bed. She held a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound wildly. What a truly awful nightmare. It felt so real, like she was there and that it was reality. Yet that couldn't be true. She was here, safe in her home, in her room, in her bed. That's right, it had to have been a dream. Nothing like that ever happened around here, or at least that's what she told herself.
She looked down at herself, wondering why she was wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Had she really crashed here after a long day of work? She looked at the snail-themed clock on her nightstand and saw it was already past noon, which made her gasp out loud. "Shoot! Why didn't it go off? How did I oversleep?"
She moved her blanket off the bed and hurriedly rushed to her door, ready to spring into action to feed her hungry friends. Then as she grabbed the doorknob, she smelt something… delicious?
"P-pancakes? Wait, who could be here?" she asked herself in grim realization as she opened the door and dashed towards the source of the smell.
Entering into the kitchen she saw a man with his back turned to her as he worked at the stove. He had orange hair that made her freeze and turn pale as if she'd seen a ghost. For she knew it was the very same man from her dream. Meaning that last night actually happened, that all of it happened. She grabbed the frying pan on the counter and held it high above her head, ready to bring it down on this monster.
The man with the orange head of hair didn't bother to face her, yet horrifyingly, an arm sprouted out of his shoulder through his undershirt which he used to catch her pan. "What the heck!" she screamed, stumbling to the ground as she tried to back away. "What kind of monster are you?!"
Only then did he turn to face her. "Calm yourself child," said the pierced monster, as he turned off the stove and turned around to fully look at her. "I am only here to help."
"No! No! What are you doing in my house?" she bewilderedly shouted at him, beginning to pick herself up while keeping her distance.
"Ah, well I had to carry you back home, and I found something called 'Pancake Mix' inside of your pantry. So I was making it for breakfast, although you did sleep longer than I expected. Are you okay? Did you get enough sleep?" he said calmly, taking a step toward her. She took a step back in turn.
"No stand back! What's with that arm? Are you a devil fruit user?!" she questioned fearfully, pointing to his third arm.
"Hm?" he glanced at the extra appendage, "It's something like that," he deflected with a shrug with his extra arm.
"That doesn't explain anything! Wait, hold on, can you actually tell me why you're helping me? You better not deflect the question this time," Moda demanded cautiously with a glare, taking another step back. She remembered the stories her parents told her about how kids and adults alike were taken away and sold into the underground slave market, never to be seen again.
"You remind me of…me," said the purple eyed man, taking two strides to her. Moda backed away in turn, but tripped on the couch behind her and tumbled over, landing on her head.
"That's, ugh, a stupid reason," she groaned as she picked herself back up to glare at him. "You're going have to come up with a better reason on why I should trust a freaky old man like you," she pointed at him, a long silence following as the man stood there.
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"I… I'm only 35," he sweat dropped in a defeated manner.
"Fossil!" She jested with her pointed finger, laughing uproariously at his downcast state, momentarily forgetting the mistrust she had for this stranger.
"Oh wait! You have a name right?" she scratched her head trying to remember what he told her last night. "Um, was it Naruto?" Instantly, her fight or flight went off for a moment as the redhead furrowed his brow before softening his expression just as fast as it came.
"Please Moda, it's Nagato. I don't really like to repeat myself," he said in a casual tone, yet Moda once again became apprehensive of this stranger.
"How do you know my name? I know I didn't give you my name last night," she complained, before quickly becoming confused as Nagato waved apologetically to her.
"Please, it's not like that. I simply observed the things in your house, that's all," he reasoned, walking over to a shelf that held a picture frame of a mother, father, and a tiny girl smiling brightly in front of a tea kettle ship. On the outside of the frame it said-.
"Love you Moda! -From Mom and Dad."
"Oh right… that makes sense," she mumbled, feeling bad about her unfounded accusation. The atmosphere then grew somber as they both frowned, not in anger or mistrust, but simply sadness. "I lost my parents when I was young," he began, putting the picture back down, "It wasn't something that happened gradually… I lost them both in one day, one night," he looked out the kitchen window, admiring the bright green meadows that shone brilliantly in the early sunlight hue. He gazed at the fields in deep contemplation, taking his time before he turned back to her, his face showing a softer frown than before. "That's what happened to you wasn't it?"
She turned her head, not wanting to meet his gaze. She sniffed against her will, attempting to rub the wetness out of her eyes. All she did was nod, not trusting her words.
"It's okay, I understand. All wounds inflicted upon the heart will heal in time," he reached out for her. "It's up to you if you choose to heal them fully or embrace your scars," he smiled, yet was taken aback as she stepped away, her arms wrapping around her to hug herself.
"N-no," stuttered the blonde, shaking her head, her mind going to dark places. "Let me ask you. How can I feel compassion, much less love anyone else ever again. When the people you hold most dear in your life disappear in the blink of an eye, how do you know that everyone else won't just leave you too?!" She yelled with a stomp, tears now flowing down her reddened cheeks.
She recoiled at herself, realizing what she had done. "I'm sorry," she whispered, beginning to make herself smaller, looking away from him as she rubbed her tear filled eyes.
"It's okay-"
"No, it's just too fast… I don't think I want you here right now Nagato," she hushedly pleaded him, her eyes falling once again to look at the old wooden floors instead of him.
Nagato nodded in agreement, seeming to accept her will, only to have his eyes light up as he looked around the room, moving things around as if searching for something. He grasped a pen and a few sheets of paper, laying them out on the table as he began to draw furiously on the pages. Once he was done, he beckoned the girl to see what he drew. With some apprehension, she decided to carefully see what he was up to.
"Once upon a time," began Nagato, moving his hand to show ten stick figures with different accessories. "I was the leader of a band of mercenaries known as the Akatsuki. We were an elite group that would take high paying jobs that while tough, gave us plenty of capital. As their leader, I was also in charge of finances, meaning I was in charge of getting people paid and paying for the property we owned. And while we were only a group of ten, many people still poured money into our organization."
"What does any of this have to do with people dying!" she interrupted, anger prominently painted on her face, the urge to punch him almost reaching a boiling point.
"Because it is like you said before, why love someone if they will simply leave you? Well this is similar, if you have an open mind at least," he spoke, as her face shifted from anger to confusion.
"A member of our group tole me there is a concept in business called Going Concern. It means that people invest in an organization with the thought that it will stand the test of time. If like you, they believed that at any moment, the thing they put all of their time and attention onto would simply disappear, then everyone would be miserable, isolated, and most importantly poor," he finished. Yet Moda still looked absolutely lost, scrunching up her face in concentration.
"Sigh, I'll admit, this isn't exactly the best way of saying it," he put a hand on her shoulder and crouched down to her eye level, "but I too have my own fears, my own losses that I simply don't wish to impart on you just yet. Just know that it is okay to be vulnerable, and to have doubts about people and the future. Even if it means you'll experience pain, the pain will make you a stronger person after you work through it."
She looked at him, her brain working to truly process what the redhead told her. Then slowly, Nagato could see a twinkle in her blue eyes, the edges of her mouth rising to form a bright smile on her face. Then…
She Laughed.
"Hahahaha!" she held her stomach as laughter filled the room.
"Huh! Why are you laughing!?" Nagato asked nervously, completely caught off guard.
"Hahaha! Because, I thought you were so scary," she moved her hand over her eyes, "I literally had a nightmare about you and everything. But now that I've actually talked to you, I don't know how to describe it," she moved her hand, smiling at Nagato, "I just trust you. We're so similar, but I just don't know how to exactly put it just yet. It just makes all giddy and stuff."
She then held out her hand to him. "So how about it? I could really use the extra hand today since I'm really late already. Wanna help me?"
The Uzumaki smiled at her resolve, taking the blonde's hand in a firm handshake. "I believe that sounds wonderful. I've never worked as a farmer before so you may have to show me what to do."
"Well, it's not that hard. Personally, I would find leading a group of assassins quite difficult, but you could tell me more about that later," she laughed lightly, going into a room that wasn't hers before quickly coming out with a neat pair of folded clothes.
"Wear these please, I think this is your size." She handed him the clothes, quickly inspecting his current attire, "The undershirt is good, but you're definitely going to have to change the pants, they're too baggy. And the sandals have to go. I have boots at the front door so your feet don't get muddy okay," she pointed to said boots.
"Of course."
"Just meet me outside, I'll be out in a few. Just need to freshen up," she said, waving as she went into her room, closing the door behind her.
Nagato let out a long sigh of relief as he spread himself out over the sofa. "That was both easier and harder than I thought it would be, but I'm already starting to like this kid. She recovers and comprehends what I say faster than most adults did in my last life. A sign of maturity that I'm more than happy to nurture. Maybe this won't be so hard. After all, Jiraiya Sensei did have to help the three of us grow back in the day.
How hard could raising one teen be?"
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-----Bran Castle, Lulusia Kingdom-----
While Nagato and Moda were learning to trust and understand one another, a king not close, yet not far, felt just the same as he always did. Bored.
In the center of his kingdom, where the cliffs were topped by snow, was the jewel of his Lulusia, Bran Castle. Its high walls of stone and mortar supported its place among the mountain range, giving the structure a glorious view of the ocean and Port Town, the last of his towns bothering to remain profitable. Yet as long as his home for the past centuries stood tall, he wouldn't mind in the slightest either way.
For he was King Seki, the Immortal King of Lulusia, the first and only king of this land. So it was hardly a surprise that almost nothing could excite him anymore, those days were centuries behind him now. So there he sat on his throne of steel and gold, lazily listening to his advisor bore him with the plight of his people while taking the occasional sip of blood from his wine glass. The blood tasted awfully bland, the life force of a woman in her mid 50s he presumed… pathetic.
"And sire, the heavenly tribute funds have almost reached their target," spoke the plump vizier, Seki finally paying attention to a topic he gave a damn about.
"Ah yes. Excellent work as always Stein, more than half a Reverie early once again," he sighed happily, giving a smile that prominently showed his pearly white fangs. "Once the funds are met, switch them back over to the collection fund. My drinks have not been up to my standard as of late," groaned the annoyed King, crushing the golden wine glass in his hand, making it fall to the ground in a heap of mangled metal. One of his children, a man with graying hair in his late seventies, hurriedly rushed to his side and picked up the distorted chalice, before sleeking off to the kitchen like the vermin that he was to fetch him another.
"And thanks to the valiant actions of now Commodore Smoker and Ensign Tashigi, the Baroque Works Agency has been disbanded due to a defeat in Alabasta. Captain Hina and her crew are currently sailing to various of their outposts to root out any remnants of that organization. With that all said, we should be able to increase blood collection once again, just as you've ordered me my liege," bowed Stein to his majesty.
Seki's grin widened across his face"Excellent, they've been a thorn in my side for years. About time the Navy did its damn job."
Suddenly, a chill ran up the king's spine, one that felt ancient and familiar to him. "That'll be enough for now, Stein. We shall pick this up later. I just remembered I have something important to do, so cancel my meetings for the next six hours," said the vampire in a tone that silenced the man to only nod. He then, with a wave of his cape, strode out of the throne room and through the cavernous hallways.
At first he walked normally, in a slow and regal stride. Yet as he got further away, he began to walk faster and faster, looking around at the walls frantically as if searching for something. He began to grow paler, sweat dripping down his face as he rubbed his hands along a certain wall of stone.
"Is this the one? It's been so long, please let it be this one." loudly whispered the King, finally finding what he was looking for. Pressing on the wall, a door made itself known, opening inwards to reveal a dark and cold staircase. The King looked both ways to see if he was followed before walking into the dark staircase, and closing the wall door behind him.
He made no move to make any light, his devil fruit giving him perfect vision in such dark environments. His footsteps reverberated loudly as he walked down to the chamber, the air growing even colder still as he walked on further, and further below. When he made it to the bottom he was met by an ancient freezer door with a giant lock in the center of it. Despite the centuries since its last usage, Seki remembered the lock and rotated it in the correct place, hearing a click before the door swung open on its own.
Freezing air leaked out like the frost dragons of old, yet he stepped into the freezer with a stoic demeanor, walking a short way before seeing the statue given to him as a gift. It was a giant snail made of some sort of metal he wasn't familiar with, the temperature making small sheets of ice grow on its sides. Seki took to his knees and bowed his head all the way to the icy floor. "Oh master. I, your humble servant Seki, am here as you have beckoned me."
The eyes of the metal snail glowed red at the correct password. A large amount of static and feedback resonating from the device. "ʍʊ ֆɦǟʟʟ ǟɖɖʀɛֆֆ ʏօʊ," spoke the static filled voice, making Seki weep with sheer joy.
"Oh Master of masters, it has been 780 years since we last spoke!" cried the vampiric king, eyes shining with tears of admiration. "I beg of you to inform me, no, bless me with a task from thee," he asked vehemently, looking up from the freezing floor to gaze at the ancient snail.
The room grew silent, the only sound being the cold breath of the king and the soft hum of the metallic snail. Then…it spoke.
"օռɛ ɖǟʏ ǟɢօ… ȶɦɛ աօʀʟɖ ƈɦǟռɢɛɖ ƈօʊʀֆɛ. ǟռ ʊռաǟռȶɛɖ քɛֆȶ, ɨռ ʍʊ'ֆ ɢǟʀɖɛռ. ȶɦɨֆ ɨռֆɛƈȶ ɨֆ օռ ʏօʊʀ ɨֆʟǟռɖ. ʄɨռɖ ȶɦɛʍ, ӄɛɛք աǟȶƈɦ օʋɛʀ ȶɦɛʍ, ǟռɖ ʀɛքօʀȶ ɮǟƈӄ ȶօ ʍʊ. ȶɦǟȶ ɨֆ ǟʟʟ."
The King nodded dutifully at his orders, his mind working through various plans and schemes. "May I be allowed a description of this insect that slights you my liege?"
Again more silence as if the voice was thinking deeply.
"ȶɦɛɨʀ ɛʏɛֆ. ǟʟʟ ʍʊ ӄռօաֆ ɨֆ ȶɦǟȶ ȶɦɛʏ ɦǟʋɛ քʊʀքʟɛ ʀɨռɢɛɖ ɛʏɛֆ. ʏɛȶ ʍʊ ɛӼքɛƈȶֆ օռʟʏ ȶɦɛ ɮɛֆȶ ʄʀօʍ ʏօʊ ʀǟȶ. ʄǟɨʟʊʀɛ ɨֆռ'ȶ ǟʟʟօաɛɖ."
"Yes of course! That is more than enough information my lord! Thank you, thank you!" thanked Seki loudly, his voice dripping with madness. "I shall not fail you master, oh great one, OH RULER OF EVERYTHING! HEHEHEHE! VAHAHAHA!" As he cackled on the ground in both madness and gratitude for his master, the snail's eyes grew bright with a scarlet hue of approval, the figure on the other end radiating an aura of pure desire.
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And Scene!
Wowza! What a chapter that was! A newfound friendship is formed, the King of Lulusia is a Dracula ripoff, and who was he talking to?! Who is this master of his?!
Gah! So many mysteries afoot, but so concludes The New Dawn Arc!
Until next time…
Thank You And Read On!
Fun Fact: Bran Castle is based off many castles and palaces such as the real life Bran Castle, Blair Castle, and Chillion Castle. Not sure how fun that is, i'm just a history nerd.
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End of Chapter Description P.3 By: Trado FFN
Naruto stands in front of a closed Ichiraku Ramen crying a waterfall of tears while his friends pat him on the back.
A sign reads, "Bad ingredients delivered. Next shipment due in a week. No ramen until then."
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Editing Number: 2/2/2024- 2/5/2024
Credits: Thank You Titosch For Beta-Reading This Chapter.