Of Bone and Blood

Chapter II

Naruto sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Currently he was situated in his home and on the receiving end of a glare from Mei. It had been hard enough sneaking inside of the village with two outsiders, but now his friend was on his case. He could tell she wasn't mad about him sneaking them in, no, she was upset they were both of the opposite sex.

She had been berating him about it so much that he had eventually tuned her out and went about his business which was getting the two situated. While he had originally only offered Guren a home, food, and even an eventual pseudo-family, he instead had to take care of an extra.

Pakura of the Scorch Release.

The former sand kunoichi had stated to him that her life was now his since he had saved her. The debt only increased – in her opinion – when he had offered the same deal he had given Guren to her. She had accepted wholeheartedly.

He admired her devotion and loyalty once she set her mind upon something, plus she had something very few people – let alone ninja – had today; honor. The woman would not leave his side and would serve him faithfully until her dying breath – her words, not his. It was the reason why when he had left the village once more she had chosen to follow him. He still wasn't very sure about fully trusting her yet, even though he put her up, so he would use this mission of his to see how she really was all she had preached.

If he looked at it rationally though, then allowing Pakura into his life was not a burden but a boon if she proved trustworthy. For one, her bloodline alone made her an extremely difficult person to fight, even amongst a group that consisted of himself, Mei, Kimimaro, Guren, Mangetsu, and Suigetsu. Two, she was very skilled without it. It was those two facts alone that he knew if she proved trustworthy then he had no qualms with leaving her to watch over his home, along with Guren.

The reason he was so confident in them was because his home was located in an isolated part of the village yet close enough to the point he could reach Kimimaro. He didn't have to worry about his own clan trying to break in. They feared him too much for that, and even if they did, a nasty little surprise would be there waiting for them via fūinjutsu; something his late mother had briefly taught him. And should they have the devils luck and evade getting killed, then they would have to deal with Pakura.

"C'mon, we need to take the boat back to the mainland." Pakura followed him without question.

"What's the man we're chasing after like?"

Naruto breathed in and exhaled. "Hm...how best to describe the wretch that is Kurosuki Raiga." The crimson haired Kaguya took a moment to answer. "He's a twisted individual who has no qualms in killing unscrupulously yet he cries every time he does it. Always looking for an answer to the meaning of life."

"Such a sad person." muttered Pakura.

"Mm, that's what Ao-sensei said." replied Naruto. "Don't let his background sway you though. The man is an Anbu-level shinobi and was once part of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist." Pakura knew that much. Any well informed shinobi or kunoichi knew about those famous swordsmen.

"Compared to the others, where would you rank his strength and skill?" she asked.

"...I'm not entirely sure. Every swordsmen was different and each brought different skill or ability as did the blade they wielded. All I can say for sure is to take the man seriously once we meet him, anything else is liable to get you killed."

"Understood."

Naruto nodded at her as they both patiently waited until their boat hit land. Then the hunt would be on.

– Three Years Later –

~Land of Rivers~

It had taken three years, three very long years, but finally, Kurosuki Raiga had been found. The man had put his Anbu skills to use in that time, evading the hunters sent after him, and in some cases killing them.