História The Lethal Duo(A Naruto Fanfiction) - Chapter 3: Unexpected Mission

Iruka Umino:
I had started the team assignments a while ago and now, I'm wondering if Minashi and Naruto would come as they said they would last night. It's not a surprise if they're already on a mission though. They are indeed strong ninjas of this village and Hokage-sama relies on them to get things done.

"Team seven!" I announce. "Sasuke Uchiha! Sa--"

I am cut off when I hear three slow knocks on the already open door. I turn and I see Naruto leaning on the door frame, smiling calmly. "Good morning, Iruka-sensei."

"Naruto-san, you came." I tell him with a slight bow and he does the same. Their mission is officially over now and Naruto is on the same rank as me. It is only right to treat him as such. "I thought you would not come."

He just gives me a smile and then turns to the whole class. Now that I am paying attention to them, I just noticed that the whole classroom is quiet. Some of my pupils are gaping and some show disbelief. However, I am not surprised by their reactions.

Naruto looks a whole lot different. So different that you would not believe that he is the same Naruto who came to this school these past few months.

Instead of wearing the goggles and orange clothing he usually wears in school, he has his head protector tied to his forehead and he is wearing a gray T-shirt and a black jacket with gray flame-like designs on it.

For his lower, a simple black trouser with scrolls strapped on each side of his thighs. Then for his footwear, black ninja sandals with gray flame-like markings that match his jacket.

Other than that, Naruto also looks taller since Minashi must have undone the illusion that she casted on Naruto for him to look shorter than her. But now, Naruto might be three or two inches taller than Minashi.

"What's the matter?" Naruto asks calmly. "You guys seem silent."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Kiba is the one to speak up, smirking amusedly. "No offense but even though you're wearing that, you'll still be the same stupid Naruto that we all know!"

Akamaru barks along in agreement to his master and the whole class laughs except for those who are smart enough to do such a thing.

"Kiba.." I scold him in a warning tone. "Show some respect!"

"Respect?" Ino is the one to say as she stands. "He doesn't deserve any, Iruka-sensei. At least based on all the things he has done."

I am about to reprimand Ino when I see Naruto gesture me to stop. "It is alright, Iruka-sensei." He tells me. "I am used to hearing insults from the likes of them."

"What's that supposed to mean, dumbass?" Kiba says, looking irked. Akamaru also growls lightly at Naruto.

"Really?" Naruto says, rolling his eyes and them smirking. "You say I'm a dumbass and yet you do not understand what I said. Now who's the dumbass?"

I could hear snickers from the boys and Kiba bares his teeth in anger. "You wanna go right now?!!" He yells as he makes his way to Naruto, clearly picking a fight with him. Akamaru follows him closely behind.

Me, being the teacher,  move so I can stop Kiba. I know very well that he would not match against Naruto. His skills are not even one-fourth of what Naruto can do.

But then, in a second, I see a flash of red and Minashi is instantly in front of Kiba, blocking the Inuzuka's way. I did not even notice her enter the classroom. But I'm glad she's here now. I've got to admit she's a better fight preventer than I am. And what surprised me is that she has Akamaru in her arms.

"Minashi?" Kiba can't help but ask as he looks at Minashi, surprise etch on his face. "Is that you? You look different."

I'd say different is an understatement. In the academy, Minashi mimicked the actions of a lazy girl who doesn't seem to have time to groom herself nor have any reasons to care about anything. Now, she looks so smart and full of authority. Her movements seem like it's all calculated. And the way she looks at you calmly would only add up to her admirable coolness.

For her clothing, she wears a red sleeveless tunic and then black shorts that stops halfway down her thighs; at the hem of her shorts, scrolls are strapped tightly. Her red hair is tied into a loose braid with her head protector placed on her head like a headband.

"I suggest you go back to your seat, Inuzuka." Minashi states calmly but the killing intent she releases into the atmosphere is so strong that it sends chills down my spine. "I don't take it lightly when someone looks down on my brother."

"Whoaw.." Kiba says, backing away a bit. I can tell that he feels it too - Minashi's killing intent. He just doesn't know what it is. "He started it!" Kiba defends himself, pointing to Naruto in an accusing way. "That blockhead called me a dumbass!"

"Call my brother any more names and I'll make you regret it." Minashi threatens, making Kiba gulp and take a step back.

Akamaru immediately growls in Minashi's arms, baring his teeth at Minashi. "Heh.." Kiba says, smirking. "Threaten me and Akamaru might just bite you."

Minashi, however, ignores Kiba and smiles at the small ninja hound. "I understand your loyalty to your master." She says, petting Akamaru's head gently despite the fact that he's still growling at her. "Then you must surely understand why I threatened Kiba."

This makes Akamaru stop growling and look at Minashi in a confused manner. Minashi sighs. "You and I are the same, Akamaru." She says. "We are only protecting the ones whom we hold dear. Don't you think so?"

Akamaru barks in agreement to Minashi and begins wagging his tail, clearly liking Minashi now. I just remain silent the whole time even though I'm quite amazed by how Minashi managed to befriend Akamaru in mere seconds.

"What the!" Kiba exclaims in disbelief. "Akamaru?!"

Minashi turns to him. "Just go back to your seat, Kiba-san." She says with a smile, gently handing him Akamaru. "Akamaru's a great companion. Take good care of him."

"O-okay.." Kiba says, seating himself on his desk. Though it's quite clear that he's still surprised.

Now, I sigh in relief and find this as the perfect opportunity to introduce Naruto and Minashi to the class. "Everyone, Minashi-san and Naruto-san are not true students of the academy." I announce. "They are both ninja of high rank, assigned to work undercover and expose a traitor among the teachers"

I can hear murmurs from the whole classroom. Most students don't believe the things I had said.

"I can see that most of you don't believe it." Minashi says.

"Of course we don't." Ino is the one to stand. "The info might have come from Iruka-sensei but you and Naruto don't seem like you're high in rank."

"It matters not, Ino-san." Minashi replies. "Whether you believe or not is entirely up to you. We will not force you."

"But anyway, we'll just introduce ourselves." Naruto is the one to say. "You all know me as Naruto and my sister as Minashi. But our surname is not Uzumaki. Its Namikaze."

"What?!" Sakura exclaims, standing up. But soon she regrets it when she remembers that Minashi is quite intimidating. "S-sorry.."

"It's alright, Sakura." Minashi says. "You were going to ask us something?"

"Y-your surname.." Sakura says. "Namikaze is t-the surname of our f-former fourth hokage. Are you related to him?"

"We are his children, Sakura." Naruto is the one to answer. "Our father is the fourth hokage."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT????!!!!!" The whole class erupts into shouts of disbelief.

Minashi chuckles. "It might not look like it, but we are." She says. "Believe it or not."

"But how come none of us know that?" Ino asks again. "If you really are the children of the fourth hokage, then how come none of us have heard of you. It must've been announced or something. It's just suspicious."

"Ino-dear.." Minashi says. "That story is for another time. If we have any." She chuckles when the whole class let's out a sound of disappointment. "For now, we need to go. The third Hokage is expecting us."

I then see Sasuke suddenly stand up and make his way to the front. Why? I have no idea.

He stops not too far from Minashi and Naruto, glaring at the blonde bitterly. "Fight me, Naruto." He states. "Show me your strength."

"Sasuke, you are in no position to challenge Naruto-san." I immediately tell him. "Go back to your seat."

"Mind your own business." He utters rudely. "I am going to defeat him!"

I turn to Minashi but I see she's not doing anything. She just stares at Sasuke calmly.

"Sasuke, I'd really love to accept." Naruto says, turning to Sasuke with a grin. "But I don't engage in needless battles. Besides, Minashi and I are gonna be late so w--"

"You're just saying that because you're a coward!" Sasuke yells, cutting Naruto off. I decide to remain silent even though his words are going too far. He'll just tell me to shut up anyway. "You are weak!"

"Strength is not determined by how many battles you fight, Sasuke." Naruto states. "Sometimes being strong means being able to know which battles must be fought and to choose how you make it end."

"I don't care." Sasuke says. "Just fight me."

"You don't get it, do you?" Naruto says. "I. Don't. Want. To. Fight. You. Get it?"

Just as Sasuke takes a fighting stance, Minashi finally steps in between him and Naruto. Sasuke's determination to fight Naruto wavers a bit before he glares at Minashi.

"Get out of my way, Minashi!" Sasuke yells. "I want to fight Naruto!"

"As fun as this may be, we are needed elsewhere." Minashi says. "Somewhere more important than this little challenge of yours.

"This will only take a minute." Sasuke insists. "I will defeat your brother before that." He adds in an overconfident tone.

Minashi Namikaze:
Such a typical Uchiha. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at Sasuke's arrogance. He really thinks he's better than Naruto when he's not even half of what my brother is.

"Oh believe me, Uchiha.." I say with a smirk. "When I say, you would not last ten seconds against my brother."

This seems to anger him. And he immediately dashes past me. I just sigh and roll my eyes this time, letting him be. I know Naruto can handle him without my help. Besides, I already warned Sasuke and yet he chose not to listen to me. His own fault, really.

I close my eyes to sense what's about to happen. True enough, Naruto counters Sasuke's punch with a backhand. Naruto then grabs hold on Sasuke's arm and flings him to the wall, Sasuke's back hitting the wall with a loud thud. Before Sasuke could recover, Naruto unseals four kunais that are all linked together by a chain.

Then, with high accuracy, Naruto throws all four kunais at Sasuke. One kunai pierces the wall just above Sasuke's right shoulder and another above Sasuke's left shoulder. The other two kunais pierce the wall beside Sasuke's left and right hip. The chain attached to the kunais forms an X on Sasuke's chest  and successfully pins him to the wall.

"The hell!" Sasuke yells as he struggles to set himself free but to no avail.

"Just stop, Sasuke." Naruto says. "That's enough! You will only get hurt."

"Coward!" Sasuke yells. "Using weapons to win! You call that fighting?!"

"That is what it's like in the real world, Sasuke." Naruto states, shutting up the raven-haired Uchiha. "In a serious fight, survival can only be obtained if you learn to play by the enemy's rules. Which has only one rule actually - Never play fair."

"It is all about who gets the upper hand." I add, turning to Naruto and Sasuke. "No matter what the cost." I smile. "Well, at least that's how some enemies play it. We just reciprocate what they do to us."

Once I sense Sasuke's chakra calm down, I reseal the weapons that kept him pinned to the wall. "You still have a long way to go, Sasuke." I tell him. "Just train hard. You'll get there."

"Don't talk like you know everything about me." He says in a rude tone. "You know nothing about me!"

"Hey that's enough, Sasuke." Naruto tells him off. "My sister is only trying to cheer you up. You should be thankful."

Naruto and Sasuke exchange words but I don't pay attention. I just stare at Sasuke as he continues to yell at my brother. It's sad, really. He loathes Itachi without knowing the real reason as to why Itachi massacred his whole clan. I may not know you, Sasuke. But I knew your brother and I know the pain he felt on that day.

"Naruto and I will be leaving now." I interrupt them. "We have other things to do." I turn to Iruka-sensei and wave at him. "Goodbye, Iruka-sensei. Thanks for letting us drop by."

I then grab Naruto's arm and drag him out the classroom. Once we're outside, and are out of hearing range, I sigh. "Well that went well." I mutter.

"I think it was fun." My brother replies, grinning. "Did you see the looks on their faces when we told them we're Dad's children?" The grin on his face not faltering. It would seem he really did enjoy it.

"I meant what happened with Sasuke." I reply.

"Nah.." Naruto says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "He'll get over it. Loosen up, Sis."

I roll my eyes. "Always so optimistic." I say. "But I guess it was worth it."

"That's my sister." Naruto say. "Now, race yah to the hokage tower?" He challenges, readying himself to run.

"Sure" I smirk as I also ready myself. "Last one gets to treat the winner to ramen!"

"You betcha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi:
I huff smoke from my pipe and then look at the piled papers scattered all around my office. There's still so much to do and less time to do it. Long ago, I would finish everything quickly so I would have free time to spare. But now, I guess I'm just getting old.

The door suddenly slams open, startling me. I almost dropped my pipe during the process. I then sigh once I recover and look at the people who just entered - Naruto and Minashi.

They are both sweating so much but are not out of breath at all. "Looks like I won this one, Brother." Minashi says, smirking at Naruto. "Ramen's on you."

"Hey! No fair!" Naruto retorts, glaring at Minashi. "I tripped on a banana peeling! I could've won!"

"Of course you would have." Minashi replies, reaching out and ruffling Naruto's hair. "You're faster than me, there's no doubt about that. But I guess lucks on my side today."

"Fine." Naruto says, sighing. "Ramen's on me then."

After their little conversation, both Naruto and Minashi turn to me. Naruto winks. "Hey Gramps!"

"Another race, I presume?" I ask them although I already know the answer to that question.

"Yeah.." Naruto replies with a huge grin on his face. "It's quite fun. And it helps with improving our speed."

I smile at him. "And you're unusually cheerful today, Naruto?" I ask the energetic blonde. "You're usually grumpy during mornings due to Minashi ruining your precious sleep."

"He woke up by himself today." Minashi answers, crossing her arms. "He was excited to reveal our true identity to our classmates."

"I see." I nod. "How'd it go, then?"

"You should have seen their faces, Gramps!" Naruto chuckles. "They were so shocked to know that we are the fourth hokage's children. It's just so funny."

I chuckle. "Well, that's expected." I say. "After all, you played your role well."

"Not just me." Naruto says, wrapping his arm around Minashi's waist. These twins are so close that people who don't know they're siblings would mistake them for lovers. "Minashi also did a good job."

"Of course I did." Minashi says, rolling her eyes and smirking playfully. "I'm not even gonna enumerate the things I did last night."

Naruto rolls his eyes. "Hey.. I was the one who bought you time to get rid of Mizuki's comrades." He says.

"That, you did." Minashi smiles. "Now, let's just ask for a mission. We're wasting Gramp's time." She turns to me and so does Naruto.

I take out a scroll with all the listed B-ranked missions. "I've already assigned a mission for you, Children." I tell them.

"You did?" Naruto says with a pout. "But it was my turn to choose." He whines in a childlike way.

I sigh. "Well, I'm sorry but I find that you and Minashi are the ones fitting for this mission." I explain.

"Oh alright." Naruto says in a begrudging manner. "I guess it's okay."

"Naruto.." Minashi says in a warning tone, raising an eyebrow at Naruto. "Mind your tone. You are talking to our Hokage."

"Yeah. I know." Naruto says, sighing. "So, what's the mission, Gramps?" He asks, this time with eagerness.

"It's a protect and escort type." I reply, looking over the right file.

"Who're we escorting?!" Naruto exclaims, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "An enchantress?! A beautiful woman?! A princess?!" He grins from ear to ear.

I chuckle, amused by his actions. "Now.. now.." I say. "Don't get too excited, Child."

"Who?! Who?!" He exclaims yet again.

"Naruto, just listen to Gramps, would you?" Minashi tells him, grabbing a hold on his shoulder and squeezing it.

"Fine." Naruto huffs but then settles down.

"You will be escorting Frost Akuma." I tell them. "He is the prince of the Land of Snow. And I also happen to be his godfather."

"A prince?!" Naruto says, shoulders drooping and disappointment evident on his expression. "I was hoping it was a girl, believe it."

"Now.. now.." I chuckle. "Don't be disappointed. He's around your age and once you get to know him more, you'll find he's quite interesting."

"I'm sure we'll get along just fine, Gramps." Minashi says.

I nod. "Send in the Prince." I command whoever is assigned outside the office.

Minashi Namikaze:
The door opens and someone enters - a boy that's just about our age. His hair is black and it is long, reaching up to his back. He currently has it tied into a loose ponytail.

His eyes are emerald green in color but I also notice how it glows in a slightly visible, golden color whenever light pierces them. His eyelashes are quite long and the expression he wears is that of seriousness.

His composure fits that of his title - a prince, as he stands firmly and confidently. For his clothes, he is wearing a blue kimono that's coupled with black loose pants and some sort of wooden sandals. Then, his right hand is wrapped with bandages. Perhaps it's in their culture to wear such things.

"Prince Frost." I say as both Naruto and I, bow our heads to show respect.

"Frost, I would like you to meet your escorts: Naruto and Minashi." Gramps says. "I believe it is up to you to fill them in on the mission details?"

"I've got to admit, when you said escorts I expected someone skilled, Godfather." The prince comments as he looks at me and my brother from head to toe. His voice is husky, similar to Sasuke's, but a bit higher in pitch. "Not children who are more or less the same age as I am."

"Whoaw.. Don't just go around judging everyone by the way they look." Naruto says, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. I can tell he's pissed. "We may be young, but we are no children either."

"There really is no need for you to have me escorted, Godfather." The Prince says, completely ignoring my brother. "I'll be fine, really."

"How insolent." Naruto grumbles angrily. I just gesture him to stop grumbling and then pay attention to the conversation.

"No. I must insist, Frost." Gramps tells Frost. "What would King Mashisa do to me if he finds out his son is not treated well."

I keep myself silent as Gramps and Frost converse. I observe Frost's actions. I can tell that he's trying to hide something. His movements are tense and his smile is forced. As if he doesn't want anyone to be dragged into whatever mess he's in.

Gramps must've noticed it too. And being the Godfather, he knows he cannot leave Frost all by himself. Judging upon Gramps's course of action, he believes the situation is dire. And that's where Naruto and I come in.

"Very well, Godfather." Frost says begrudgingly, smiling that forced smile once again. "I will take the escorts."

"Splendid!" Gramps says, smiling. Then he turns to Naruto and me. "Are you all packed?"

"We are always ready for missions outside the village, Gramps!" Naruto exclaims.

"Good, then." Gramps says. "You shall leave as soon as you can. Frost will tell you the details of the mission while you're on your way."

"Very well." I say and then turn to my brother. "Before we go, I'd like you to take the Prince shopping for some clothes."

"Is there something wrong with what I am wearing, commoner?" Frost asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

I completely ignore the name that he just called me and just turn to him. "Your highness, I respect the reason why you have to wear a kimono." I tell him. "But since we will be travelling, it would be a risk to have you stand out among us. Please, do not misunderstand."

"I believe Minashi is right, Frost." Gramps says, smiling at the said Prince. "You should get some new clothing."

Frost sighs. "Very well, Godfather."

Naruto leads Frost out of the office and once I sense they are far enough, I turn to Gramps. "What's the Prince's situation, Hokage-sama?"

"Observant as ever, Minashi." He says. "You were able to know that he's hiding something. But I'm afraid I do not know what it is." He adds seriously. "He would not tell me anything."

"I see." I reply. "But, why is he here anyway? He's a little far away from home, don't you think?"

"His father, King Mashisa Akuma, is a friend of mine. About twelve years ago, he entrusted to me half of an ancient amulet." Gramps says. "Though the amulet looks like an ordinary one, it's said that it contains power that can only affect those of Royal Blood in the Akuma Clan."

"And Frost is here to take it back." I state. "But why? And why did he come alone if he is the prince? Shouldn't there be bodyguards?"

"That is the mystery, Minashi." Gramps says. "It might be too much to send you on a mission without a full background. Bu--"

"We'll do it, Hokage-sama" I cut him off. "Whatever Frost is hiding, we will figure it out and help him through it."

Gramps smiles. "I'll be counting on you, then. I owe Mashisa too many depts. It's time I repay him little by little."

I nod. "Well then. I will take my leave, Hokage-sama." I tell him. "We'll start the mission immediately."

"Oh, and Frost might be a little hard to handle at times. He has changed a lot since the last time I saw him." Gramps says with a smile. "Even I had a hard time trying to convince him to take escorts."

"I don't know what he's like in the past." I say. "But I believe he has not changed. He's just trying to protect Naruto and I. Or more like he doesn't want to involve us in the trouble he's in. That's why he had said the things he did."

"Minashi, your observation skills are excellent." Gramps praises. "I will count on you to handle things on your journey."

"I will."

~~~

Naruto Namikaze:

"I'm bored." I can't help but voice myself out.

We've been walking for hours and hours already. If the prince weren't with us, Minashi and I would have made it to the docks by now. But unfortunately, it's him that we are escorting so complaining is not an option.

Anyways, I'm glad the Prince is not wearing the kimono anymore. It's for his own safety, anyway. And I personally picked the clothing that he is wearing now: a sky-blue T-shirt with black swirls adorning it and black, loose, ninja trousers. As for his footwear, I chose dark-blue ninja sandals.

I couldn't get him to remove the bandages that cover his right hand though; despite the fact that I insisted because I knew it would ruin the style. He's just really stubborn. Even more than I am.

"Hey, Prince!" I call to him, making him turn to me in an annoyingly graceful manner. "How far is your home?"

"Complaining already, Commoner?" Frost says with an arrogant smirk. "You shouldn't have come if you're only gonna complain."

"That's it!" I spat angrily, glaring at him. "I've had enough of your crappy attitude! You think you're so great because you're a prince?! Well you're not! I bet you can't even defend yourself, right?!"

He see him look at me hatefully before looking away and staying silent.

"So what now?!" I yell. "You're not gonna say anything?!"

"Naruto, that's enough!" Minashi commands and I turn to her. "Go over there and cool off. You've said enough." She says, pointing to the woods. "Come back when you're alright to travel with Prince Frost."

I scoff, glaring at the Prince one more time before leaping into the forest. "Oh and be on you guard!" I hear Minashi shout on the last second.

Minashi Namikaze:

I wait till Naruto leaves before turning to Frost. "I'm sure my brother will be alright soon, Your Highness." I tell him politely, resisting the urge to side with my brother. I have to be patient. "Please forgive the harsh words that he had said. I'm sure he did not mean it."

"He better be fast." Frost says in a rude tone. "He is wasting time."

"It would seem you are in a hurry." I say. "Why?"

"It's none of your business!" He says in a slightly risen tone. "Your job is to escort me! So just do it and then leave!"

He maintains a hardened front but I can sense all the emotions that he is emitting. One that is most clear is fear. "You are afraid." I state surely.

"Afraid?" He scoffs, looking amused. "You're being delusional. A prince is never afraid!"

"And yet you are, Frost." I tell him. He opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off. "You can deny it all you want but I know I'm right. You cannot hide all your troubles forever, Your Highness."

"It matters not." He says seriously. "You are not obligated to help me and there is no reason to get you involved in my kingdom's problems." He then points himself. "I am Frost Akuma, the prince and the only heir to the Kingdom of Snow. And my kingdom is my responsibility, alone."

"Yes, you are the prince." I tell him just as seriously. I can't help it. His idea of being prince is all wrong. "But that doesn't mean that you have to shoulder each and every problem your kingdom encounters. A good prince knows when to ask for help from his allies so that he can protect his kingdom."

Just after I say that, I turn away from him. I don't want to lose my patience just talking some sense into him. I'll just let him be for now.

"Your brother is right." Frost suddenly says, getting my attention. "I am nothing but a useless prince. I failed to do so many things. I've done things that are wrong. But at least now, the only right thing I can do is make you go back to your village."

"And what makes you think it's the right thing to do?" I ask him.

"Because that way you won't have to die!" He yells angrily.

'It's just as I thought.' I can't help but think. The mess he's in, is a matter of life and death. No wonder he's trying his best to hide it. However, despite the things I'm thinking, I listen on to what he has to say.

"Can't you see?!" He continues. "I am trying to get rid of you! I am trying to make you hate me so you would leave me behind! So you would go back." He pauses. "Just.. leave."

"No." I state, making him turn to me, his face contorted in anger. "No matter how much you try to push me and my brother away, we are staying."

He bares his teeth angrily. "You don't under--"

"It's you who doesn't understand!" I say in a risen tone, stopping him from saying anything. "Naruto and I, we are your allies. The only ones whom you can trust as of now. And yet you are pushing us away, treating us like we are only in your way! Remember this, Frost. When it's too late, you will regret it."

I look at Frost direly, hoping that he would at least listen to what I had said. If he doesn't, then there is nothing more I can do about it.

"I'm baaaack!" I hear Naruto shout as he emerges from the forest. "And I'm alright now. Let's get on with the journey." He adds with a huge grin on his face.

I smile at Naruto, forgetting about the argument that Frost and I had. I should give him time. Perhaps he might open up to us. Perhaps.

And so, we continue the journey. I take the lead, with Frost following right behind me and then Naruto is at the rear. A few minutes pass by and nobody says anything.

Frost Akuma:
Remember this, Frost. When it's too late, you will regret it. Those words keep on playing in my mind. It makes me doubt the things I'm doing. And it's irritating me to no end.

Not once have I doubted my decisions. It is one of the attributes that make me worthy, being the prince. I always look over the consequences before making a decision and because of that, I come up with the best option there is.

Before I came to Konoha, I did a lot of thinking. I weighed each and every possibility that I might encounter. And the best option I can come up with is to never let anyone interfere with the things I'm doing. It's for the best. Not only for me but also for the people who are willing to help me.

Suddenly, I feel Minashi grab my wrist and wrench me to her side. Then, I hear the sound of metal hitting metal ring through the air. I don't know what just happened. It was too fast for me to comprehend.

All I know is that now, Minashi is standing in front of me in a protective manner; golden chains with blades attached to each tip, dancing all around her. But the thing that confuses me is that Minashi is facing Naruto, ready to attack him anytime and Naruto is also doing a fighting stance, glaring at Minashi. What is going on?

"What are you doing, Minashi?" I can't help but ask. "He's your brother."

"He is not my brother." Minashi answers me, only making me even more confused.

"You think I haven't noticed?" Minashi asks Naruto and I decide to remain silent. Whatever is happening now, I don't think I get it. Perhaps a sibling duel or something.

"Heheh." Naruto says, smirking. "You're good, Girl." And then, he explodes into smoke.

Once the smoke clears, my eyes widen when I see a man standing there. I don't know him. In fact, I haven't seen him before.

The man seems to be more or less twenty years old. His hair is dark brown in color, coupled with black irises. His appearance seems ragged, telling me that this man is always on the move.

He is wearing a dirty, loose jacket with the front opened so as to display his chest and abdomen. Pairing that, he wears a black, ninja trouser that stops just below his knee. Bandages then cover the remaining part of his uncovered legs. And then, for his footwear, worn out ninja sandals.

A weapon pouch is attached to his belt and is placed on his right hip. Weapon holders are strapped to his each side of his thighs. As for his head protector, I see none. He's probably a mercenary.

"Makito Tamari." Minashi says, the golden chains retracting to her back until they are completely gone. "Number 57 of the C-ranked criminals listed in the bingo book."

"Well, you are well informed. For a girl." This said Makito says, smirk not faltering from his lips.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Minashi asks in a casual manner, as if she is not talking to an enemy. "You must be here for a reason, right?"

"Well, yes." Makito says. "Just hand over the Prince." He gestures to me, making my eyes widen. Me? "And no harm will come to you."

Minashi chuckles. "I don't think so." She says, readying herself to fight. "Prince Frost is under my protection and I will be his shield until he is safely returned to his home."

"Very well." Makito replies, also readying himself. "I was itching for a fight anyway. I do hope you'll last longer than the blonde one. He was quite easy to kill."

I let out a silent gasp when I heard what's been said. Naruto is dead? I immediately turn to Minashi, sympathy taking over every fiber of my being. She just lost her brother and I can't imagine the pain that she must feel.

"I see." Minashi mutters, clenching her fists angrily. "May he be at peace then."

I can't help but look away, feeling guilty about all this. It saddens me to see someone try to be strong even when they are hurting so much.

"This is all my fault." I utter. "I.. I am so sorry, Minashi."

"There is no need to apologize, Frost. This is a life of a ninja." She tells me proudly. "We all lose the ones we love one way or the other. But despite that, we have to be strong. So we would be able to protect those who need us." She then gives me a sad smile.

"Just let him have me." I tell Minashi. "I don't want you to suffer the same fate as Naruto. Please."

"I already said it, Your Highness." Minashi says, smile not faltering. "Naruto and I will remain even if you push is away." She then turns to Makito, now wearing a smirk on her lips. "Give it your best shot, Makito."

"Summoning Technique!" Makito yells and slams his hand to the ground, making smoke erupt there. And when the smoke clears, I can see that he had summoned two gigantic tigers. "Heheh.. let's see you handle this, Girl."

I scrunch my forehead once I realize something. What am I doing? This is not me. I clench my fists and look at the enemy with determination. I can't just stand here and do nothing!

Without hesitation, I take Minashi's side, making her look at me in a questioning manner. I just smile at her as I remove the bandages that covered my right hand up till this time.

"Minashi, I may not be a ninja like you are.." I tell her as I continue to remove the bandages. "..but I can fight.  And there is no way I'm letting you fight him alone for my sake."

I finish removing the bandages, revealing what I have been concealing up till now: the mark of the blade. It might look like a mere symbol of a sword that's burnt unto the back of my hand. But only few in our clan are blessed with this mark.

I glare at Makito and whip my marked hand towards the ground. The mark glows with green and golden light before the said light forms a sword in my very hand. Then the light slowly vanishes and I now wield a sword that's adorned with a golden hilt and emerald gems.

"Minashi, we will fight him together." I tell Minashi, turning to her with a smile.

She smiles back. "It's good to have you back on track, Your Highness." She replies before turning to Makito. "Did you hear that, Makito? You are outnumbered. And clearly outmatched."

"Hahaha!" Makito laughs. "You think a sword is going to scare me? I've seen worse. Believe me."

"So confident.." Minashi says, chuckling amusedly. "You think you have won but you really haven't, Makito-dear."

Just after Minashi says that, both of the tigers that Makito had summoned erupts into nothing but smoke.

"What the!" Makito exclaims, eyes wide as he whirls his head from side to side in panic.

"Do not move." I feel relief immediately wash over me when I see the owner of the voice standing just behind Makito, pointing a dagger to the said mercenary's neck. Naruto. "Or I might end up cutting your throat off." He adds in a serious tone.

Minashi chuckles. "Good to have you back, Brother."

"Y-you?!" Makito says, eyes wide. "But I killed you! I saw you die with my very own eyes!"

"Man, you must be really stupid." Naruto comments, rolling his eyes. "I used kawarimi on the very last second. But I poured more chakra into the technique to make the illusion last longer."

"Damnit!" Makito says angrily. "I can't believe I fell for that!"

"You just did." Naruto says before he knocks Makito out. Then he turns to us. "Well, that was easy."

"Tie him up so we can transport him to prison." Minashi commands, tossing a rope to Naruto. "And be fast. We have a boat to catch."

"Yeah. Yeah." Naruto replies.

Minashi Namikaze:
I walk up to Frost just as he makes his sword disappear back into the mark that he has on the back of his hand. It would seem that the mark allows him to summon a sword with the use of his will. I can also tell that he is well trained in wielding a sword by the way he held the weapon a while ago.

"Why do you hide it?" I can't help but ask him out of curiosity when I see him cover the symbol again. Although I don't expect him to answer my question, I still wait for his response.

"It just reminds me of a memory that I long to forget." Is all he says as he tries to tie the knot for the bandages to hold. But with the use of only one hand to tie it, I doubt he'll finish it soon.

So, I make my way in front of him. "Let me, Your Highness." I say, gently prying away his other hand and tying the knot for him. Surprisingly, he lets me be until I finish.

"We should move soon." I say right after I finish tying the bandages. "We've wasted enough time here." I then turn to Naruto, who's currently tying up Makito. "Naruto, are you done yet?"

"Geez, give me a little more time. Will ya?" Naruto grumbles, glaring at me. "The guy's heavy and a little help would be nice."

I roll my eyes. "Then why aren't you using your clones?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

This makes him turn to me with a huge grin on his face. "Minashi, you are a genius!!" He exclaims and immediately creates two of his clones to help him out.

I can't help but smile. Sometimes, he just doesn't use his head.

"Minashi, how did you know about Makito?" Frost suddenly asks me, curiosity can be seen in his eyes.

"I knew all along that someone was following us and hid himself in the forest." I reply. "When you and Naruto started arguing, I found that as the best chance to send Naruto there and figure out if the person following us is an enemy."

"And weren't you worried if Naruto would be attacked?"

"I was." I reply. "Since you and I started talking, I was not able to sense what happened between Naruto and our follower. However, when Naruto, came out from the forest, I knew it wasn't him. The chakra signature was different."

"Weren't you worried about Naruto, then?"

"Yes, I was." I mutter. "When Makito came out and disguised himself as my brother, I immediately tried to sense for my brother's chakra in the forest but I could not find him there."

"Then, why didn't you leave me and look for your brother?" He asks, looking at me as if I have done something wrong. "Isn't that the only option you have if you want to keep your brother safe? Is he not that important to you?"

This instantly makes me angry. "For your information, Your Highness." I state. "I care about my brother more than anything in this world. He is the only reason why I strive to make myself stronger. So I would be able to protect him from harm."

He looks at me with a scrunched forehead. "If you think that, then why?" He asks, confusion clear in his eyes. "Why didn't you go and try to save him?"

"Because you needed me too, Your Highness." I state, making Frost widen his eyes. "I knew that if I left you, you might be taken. So, though a huge gamble, all I did was trust in my brother's capabilities and believe that he would be alright."

"To rely on mere trust and belief." Frost utters. "The result was not determined and yet it was a success. I can't believe it."

"Now, you should." I tell him. "You'll be surprised by the results."

Frost Akuma:
Indeed, I am. I find it quite bizarre, actually. Everything Minashi does goes against my principle. I'm all facts and practical decisions while she relies on trust and belief without even calculating the possibilities. And yet here I am, starting to think that she might be right. She's really something.

"I'm done!!" Naruto and his clones all say in unison, making Minashi turn to him.

"Good." Minashi says and then crouches to the ground. With her eyes closed, she then forms a series of hand signs before her pointing and middle finger glows with chakra. After that, she spins around with her glowing fingers pointing to the ground, resulting in the formation of a circle of chakra around her.

And then, with her glowing fingers, she draws runes inside the circle and writes a Japanese word that says 'prison' just outside the circle.

Once she's done, she slams her hand on the center of the circle, forming a yinyang symbol there and making the runes spread out and arrange themselves accordingly. Now, there are two smaller circles made up of the runes, just beside the first circle that Minashi had made.

"Carry him inside the big circle, Naruto." Minashi orders, opening her eyes and positioning herself inside one of the smaller circles.

Naruto immediately obeys, carrying Makito's unconscious body to the large circle. And when he's done, he positions himself inside the other smaller circle that's just opposite to Minashi's and does hand seals of his own. I wonder what they're doing.

"Transportation Seal.." Minashi says, locking both hands into a hand seal.

"Complete!" Naruto seem to continue what Minashi said.

"TRANSPORT!!" Both the twins yell and the large circle glows brightly, making me cover my eyes. And before I know it, Makito is gone and so is are runes and symbols. There are even no signs that the ground was used to create a gigantic seal.

"I wonder how much he was worth." Naruto says, grinning happily. "I hope he's enough to buy our groceries."

"Let's just continue the journey." Minashi says, ruffling Naruto's hair. "You think too much about money."

"Whatever, Minashi." Naruto says, smiling at his sister.

~~~

Naruto Namikaze:
It's been two days since we were attacked by Makito. No other enemies tried to attack us, so far. But I'm not glad about that. Minashi and I, we both know that the attacks won't cease. At least, that's how we have come to conclude Frost's trouble. And now, if the enemies are taking this much time before attacking again, then they must be planning something big and it worries me. Paranoid? Well, maybe I am. But I just can't afford to let my guard down even once.

Minashi and I have been discussing Frost's probable situation every now and then. We are not quite sure about it yet since Frost doesn't tell us anything but we know someone's after him, or more specifically, the amulet that he carries. It must be so powerful if someone wants it that badly.

As of now, we are still working on getting Frost to tell us. He's opened up to us a bit, to the point where he lets us call him by his name. But other than that, he's not revealing anything.

Anyway, as of now, it's  almost dusk but luckily, we have reached the docks. In great timing, the boat that leaves for the Land of Snow has just arrived and is calling out for more passengers.

I can't help but groan as we near the said boat. I'm not that good with water transport. It makes me nauseous when I first set foot on it. But after a while, I recover. But not without mint.

"Minashi, can you buy me some mint flavored gum?" I say, turning to my sister and making a puppy-dog face. I know she can't resist the cuteness. "Lots of it."

She sighs. "Sure." She answers, smiling at me. "Stay with Frost. I'll get you your mints." She adds as she lefts.

"Your sister is quite something, eh?" Frost says, smiling as he looks at Minashi's retreating form.

I can't help but narrow my eyes at him. "Hey.." I say in a serious tone, making him turn to me in surprise. "If you want her, you're gonna have to go through me."

His eyes widen as distances himself from me. "W-what?!.. no.." He stutters, his face turning red. "T-that's not what I m-meant! I was j--"

"Hahaha!" I can't help but laugh, amused at his reaction.

"What's so funny?" He asks, looking even redder now.

"I was just messing with you." I tell him, grinning. "Don't overwork yourself. It's so funny."

He glares at me. "You're mean." He says.

I just grin at him before turning serious once again. "My sister is amazing." I can't help but say, remembering all the brave and cool things that she had done for me. "She's always there for me, protecting me and supporting me through everything. Although we don't have parents, it doesn't really matter. Minashi is there and that's enough for me." I add with a smile.

"I didn't know you had no parents." Frost says, looking at me in disbelief. "I.. I'm sorry." He adds, now sounding sympathetic.

"Nah. Don't be." I say with a smile. "Our parents died, saving our village and us. It was a heroic act and we are proud of them."

"Don't you.." Frost says, looking hesitant yet he continues anyway. "..you know. Blame them for leaving you at such times?"

"Sometimes I think that." I tell him honestly. "But Minashi makes me think otherwise. She says it would be best to treat such events as a motivation to make ourselves stronger." I then smile, thinking about my sister once again. "My sister, she sees things differently. No matter how bad things go, she always sees something good in it. It's what makes her special, I guess."

Frost sighs and then smiles. "You really care for her so much, huh?" He asks.

"I do." I reply, smiling. "I don't know what I would do if something happens to her and I fail to protect her."

Suddenly, a smaller version of the Transportation seal appears right in front of me. My eyes immediately widen and I step inside the seal, wrenching Frost to my side.

"W-what's going on?!" Frost asks, surprised that I suddenly grabbed him.

I immediately do hand signs. "It's Minashi." I reply. "She needs us." I finish doing the required hand signs and immediately slam my hand on the seal. "Close your eyes. This might be new to you." I instruct Frost just as our whole surroundings glows brightly and before I know it, we are already someplace else - in a forest of some sort.

I ignore the dizziness that clings unto me due to the transport and look for my sister. "Minashi!" I immediately shout and run over to my sister once I see her kneeling on the ground.

I can see that she is already finishing up on bandaging an injury. The wound is found on her left shoulder. There are also some bruises and scratches all over her but the only serious wound so far is the one she is bandaging.

"What the hell happened?!" I can't help but say in panic, kneeling down to her level and checking her for any other injuries. "Who did this?! I will kill him!!" I then stand up and look around for enemies, anger building up inside me. But I see no enemies.

"The enemy is gone." Minashi says, standing up and turning to me. "He left when I finished the hand signs for Transportation seal. It would seem he doesn't want the fight to prolong."

Minashi Namikaze:
"You!!" Naruto yells, grabbing Frost by the collar of his shirt. "This is all your fault!"

"Me?!" Frost exclaims, knocking away Naruto's hand viciously. "I didn't even do anything!"

"Well that's exactly it!!" Naruto yells, glaring at the Prince hatefully. "You don't do anything! You can't even tell us who is after you or why!!"

This silences Frost but he glares at my brother just as hatefully.

"See?!" Naruto groans, pointing to Frost with rage. "You go all silent whenever I bring it up!! What is it that you're so afraid of?!"

I decide it's time to step in between them. "Naruto, it's alright." I tell my brother. "Let it go."

"Let it go?!" Naruto says in disbelief. "Minashi, you are hurt!" He then points to Frost in an accusing manner. "And it's all because he won't tell us anything about the enemies that we might encounter! We don't even know what the enemies would look like! Or the skills that they have!"

I can tell that my brother is pissed. And I know there is nothing that will calm him down when he is angered because I was hurt.

So, I let him be for a moment, letting him yell all the insults he can at Frost. I hope Frost can handle it though.

After a few minutes, Naruto stops speaking and then leaps away. I know he's only going to get fresh air to calm himself. I then turn to Frost. "Forgive my brother's disrespect, Frost." I tell him. "I believe you understand why he is acting this way?"

Frost nods but he doesn't say anything nor does he make eye contact with me. He has his gaze fixed on the ground. However, I sense that he is feeling guilty about all this.

"I know you're only trying to protect us, Frost." I tell him. "You think that keeping us from the truth would protect us." I add. "But it doesn't apply anymore. We've gone this far and if you keep this up, you would only end up getting us killed."

"T-then go.." Frost says weakly. "Leave me and you won't have to die. Just go."

"We've already been through this, Frost." I state, feeling slightly angered that he is pushing us away again. "Our decision remains the same. Our lives, however, are in your hands. It is up to you."

I then turn away but I don't leave. I just stand there and wait. "The boat might be leaving soon." I tell him. "We should board it now."

"I'll tell you everything." He finally says, making me turn to him. He sighs and looks at me with eyes full of regret. "I'm s-sorry. I should have told you earlier. Now you're hu--"

"There is no need to apologize." I cut him off, smiling. "The wound will heal in time." I then stretch out my hand for him to take. "Let us go, Frost. We don't want the boat leaving without us."

He takes my hand and we leave the forest together.

~~~

The boat then departs soon after the three of us board it. We then find our assigned room and then settle there. Of course, we had to share a room, just to be safe. And besides, it helps lessen the expenses.

"It's almost evening." I say, taking a scroll from my holders. "We should get some rest soon."

"Yeah." Naruto says, chewing his minty bubble gum. "But I'm hungry."

"That's because you're still chewing your minty gums" I tell him.

"I'll go and ask someone when they'll serve supper." Frost volunteers, leaving without even waiting for us to agree.

I sigh, letting Frost be. I already sensed the boat for any suspicious characters when we boarded it. And I found none. So, it should be safe to let Frost roam around without Naruto and I, supervising.

"So, is he gonna tell us anything yet?" Naruto asks, taking off his jacket.

"He said he would." I reply. "He's just afraid, that's all. You should understand him."

"Yeah.. yeah.." Naruto says with a roll of his eyes as he walks into the shower. "I'll just take a shower. I'll do the understanding later." And with that, he closes the door.

I am left all by myself now and I can't help but feel worried. The wound on my shoulder is not normal. I've been wounded many times before and yet none of my previous wounds feel like this.

It's as if thousands of needles are piercing the said wound at the same time and it hurts like hell. Whoever had attacked me, he must have done something to me.

"Excuse me....do you have any gum for sale?", I ask an old vendor woman. "The ones with mint flavor?"

"Oh! No dear." The old woman says with a kind smile. "Things like that are expensive. A vendor such as I am cannot afford it."

"I see." I tell her with a smile of my own. "Do you know where I can buy some?"

"Try the big store at the end of the docks." She replies. "They should have some."

"Thank you." I thank her and bow my head slightly, readying myself to leave.

"Your Welcome dearie."

And so, I continue walking, looking for the big store that the old woman had mentioned. 'The end of the docks is father than I thought.' I can't help but think as I look around. It's already like a forest here. There are lots of trees that cover most of the terrain.

After a few more seconds, I start to sense people going about their own businesses somewhere in front of me. I quicken my pace and in no time, I found the store.

Despite the fact that the store is in a hidden part of the docks, there are many people here. Most are buying miscellaneous things from the said store. And some are doing other things. But I don't pay attention.

I immediately ask for some mints. Once they give me the said items, I hand them my payment and leave. I've already been gone for a while. The boat might be leaving soon.

But then I suddenly sense something fast and small coming at me, making me immediately step to the side, dodging the oncoming object - a senbon needle.

I then face the person who had launched it at me, looking at him seriously. As I can see, he is wearing a dark long cloak that reaches up to below his knees. The remainder of his legs are covered with bandages and he is wearing a wooden sandal.

His hair is long and is kept in a messy braid. Half of his face is covered by a dark mask, concealing his mouth and nose. His eyes are dark green in color and are disturbingly lifeless.

As for his chakra, it is not refined. Which tells me that he might not be a ninja. However, based upon how he threw the senbon needle and the katana he has strapped to his hip, he must be good at wielding his weapons.

"Who are you?" I ask him.

Instead of answering me, he throws a number of senbons at me in a very quick pace. I manage to deflect it all with the use of my adamantine chains.

However, the man is quick to unsheathe his katana and start attacking me. He aims to cut my stomach, to which I block with the blades that are attached to my chains.

He immediately slashes at me once again, this time a whole lot fast. My chains can barely keep up with him. Fortunately, I'm still able to block it. We continue the fight for a few seconds more.

"Tch!" He says, clearly angry that none of his attacks had reached me.

Then, he does a stance, running both his middle finger and pointing finger to the blade of his katana. When he does that, red symbols and markings appear on the blade of his katana.

After that, he charges, throwing senbon needles at me as he dashes. I immediately block his attacks. Once he's near me, he immediately swings a downward vertically slash at me. I, however, move to block it with my blades.

As his katana is still locked with my adamantine blades, he suddenly thrusts his blade further and to my surprise, his weapon cuts right through my chains. I immediately move away but his katana had already slashed my left shoulder.

I hiss, feeling the small wound hurt intensely. But I am able to kick the enemy away before he could do me any more damage.

Then, with gritted teeth, I look at my wound. The veins surrounding it had suddenly turned dark. I then narrow my eyes at the enemy's katana. It's probably not an ordinary katana, judging from the way it just went through my chains and create a wound that hurt so badly.

In this case, I'm gonna need Naruto. So, without wasting time, I immediately weave hand signs and slam my hand on the ground, making a mini Transportation Seal appear there.

I then turn to the enemy but he's no longer there. Even when I tried sensing, he's nowhere near me. So, I unseal a bandage from my scrolls and start dressing the wound.

I remove the bandages from my wound and remove my tunic, leaving me with only a tube brassiere. Then, I face a mirror and I can see that the darkened veins had already spread, dulling the color of the skin where the veins had spread to. I wonder what's going to happen?

The door suddenly opens and Frost enters. I turn to him. His eyes immediately widen as he turns away. "M-minashi!" He exclaims, turning red by the second. "I-i'm sorry. I didn't mean to barge in like that."

I just smile. "It's alright." I tell him as I unseal a bandage and some medicine. "I'm just gonna change the bandage on my wound." I sit on the floor and ready myself.

"Wait.." Frost says, making his way in front of me and kneeling down to my level. His eyes should concern and horror as he stares at the wound, even brushing his hand over it. "This wound.." He says. "It can't be."

"WHAT THE HELL!!!" I hear Naruto bellow really loud once he comes out from the shower. "I'M ONLY GONE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND YOU'RE ALREADY MOLESTING MY SISTER?!"

"N-naruto!" Frost's eyes widen as he distances himself from me. "It's not what you think."

"NOT WHAT YOU THINK MY ASS!!" Naruto yells, flinging soap in Frost's direction. "Take that!!" He then grabs a snow globe on a shelf and throws it at Frost, to which Frost catches and puts it down gently.

"Naruto, listen to me!" Frost yells, gesturing Naruto to calm down but Naruto doesn't listen and continues yelling and throwing anything he can at Frost.

After a whole minute, I grow tired of Naruto's ranting. "Naruto, could you please stop your ranting and listen to Frost?" I tell him.

"Minashi, he touched you!" Naruto exclaims. "And while you're only we--"

"I know what you saw!" I yell, cutting him off. "But you're over thinking things. Listen to the guy!"

Naruto glares at Frost. "Why were you touching my sister while she only has her bra on?" Naruto asks slowly, narrowing his eyes at the intimidated Frost.

"Her wound." Frost blurts out. "Look at her wound."

Naruto Namikaze:
I turn to Minashi, looking at her wound. My eyes widen once I see it. The cut had turned black and veins that are surrounding it had darkened.

"Minashi.." I say, walking near her and looking at the wound closely. "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah." Minashi replies. "Like hell it does."

"What's wrong with it?" I can't help but ask. "It's.. it's.."

"It's poison." Frost is the one to finish what I said. I immediately turn to him. "Minashi has been poisoned. And it's slowly consuming her body. In time, she won't be able to move."

He ends what he had to say right there and I can't help but turn to Minashi, worried. What are we going to do?