The Ultimate Weapon (Naruto Fanfic)

26-A Banquet

The palace that Aoi's group was approaching, could be described many ways, and words that many used were huge and beautiful. Both were accurate descriptions, but didn't do the place justice. The sweeping gardens were shaded with beautiful cherry trees, the red of the fruit shining in great contrast to the green foliage that tried to hide the fruit from sight. A rock garden was tucked to one side, and on the other side held carefully tended plants, most seemingly just for show. A koi pond was tucked into a corner under a tree, the tranquil setting calming the nerves of many who sat at a bench to look in the waters.

All this was encompassed in large walls, keeping the outside world at bay. The house went on for quite a while, but the traditional Japanese style persisted no matter where you looked, the rice paper screens shielding the inhabitants from anyone nosy enough to try and spy from far away. Kaori's team gaped at the sight of the picturesque scenery, at a loss for words. Shikamaru continued forward, walking slightly behind Aoi and his guard.

Suddenly the main door was flung open, and a gruff figure was shown in the frame. His clothing was simple in design, but the cloth that made it was a smooth silk that rustled slightly with his movements. A greying beard adorned his face, but bright blue eyes shone forth with piercing intensity. "Is it true?" The man looked around, and his gaze finally rested on Aoi. "Kou-sama... You've returned..." A tear was in the old man's eye, but remembering who Aoi was pretending to be, he fell to the ground bowing in low. "Welcome home Kou-sama, we worried for your safety."

Aoi dipped his head in acknowledgement, hidden slightly behind the guards that led the way. Mamoru stepped forward. "Rise, and inform the lord of his daughter's return." Acting immediately, the man bowed once again, then ran from the courtyard. He left the door open, and huffing slightly Mamoru reached forward to close it.

"You must be tired from your journey, Kou-sama, allow me to escort you to your room." Aoi nodded, following after the shorter man.

Kaori turned to Shikamaru. "What should we do now?"

He seemed to consider the question, glancing at the retreating figures. "Our best option right now would be to follow after them, it shouldn't be too odd after all." Everyone nodded, and began to follow after the two at what could be considered a respectful distance.

_+_

The door slid shut behind the group after Mamoru had beckoned them inside. "Now the real mission begins." One or two confused faces were shown, but he went on. "Aoi was fine on the way here without speaking, but if my guess is correct, they will want to throw some form of a welcome home party for K-Aoi here. As the center of the party, it is expected that Aoi will be talked to quite often, and need to respond."

"I see what the problem it here." Shikamaru looked into the man's eyes. "Aoi has a different way of speaking than the princess. To put it bluntly, compared to the way she talks, he sounds uneducated."

"Exactly. From what I gather, shinobi can usually replicate voice tones rather well, dialect is a different matter however." Everyone turned to Aoi, who sat straight backed on a cushion seeming to pay close attention.

Aoi looked from face to face, wondering if he should say anything. "I think that, if taught, I could copy her speech patterns."

"We're going to have to try... Not to mention etiquette though, we have quite the job set out for us." Mamoru looked around the room. "We're going to get started, so please try and help out to the best of your abilities. I'm going to need to teach Aoi who a few notable people are, so I need one of you to go to the library to get me some documents." The group nodded, and the next six hours were spent cramming whatever might be needed in various situations down Aoi's throat.