Medium Meld (Naruto/Gamer, Male OC)

Chapter Eight - Dreaming of Charisma

We immediately moved to a different part of the forest at Kakashi's behest, in case, the ninja decided to come back. Hikaru cried the entire time, and I felt awful. Every time I thought back to the moment Ishidate had kidnapped the kid's father I felt guilty, I should have tried to shoot Ishidate in the back of the head. I had tried to help them fight the ninja but Michiru had still gotten abducted. I might have even made it worse because Ishidate looked pretty pissed off, he might end up killing Michiru as soon as they got to the castle, or even before.

Fuck.

Kakeru remained remarkably composed given what had just happened, but I could see the tightness in his jaw, Korega was visibly shaking with anger as the two of them talked the situation over. I had fallen back into a Status Removal – Meditate loop the second we stopped moving. Kakashi had left us hours ago, to go scout out the castle's defenses, and by the time he returned it was already morning.

Kakashi stepped into view behind the soldiers, appearing within my energy sense with a burst of speed. Everyone turned their attention to him.

"Sensei, how did it go?" Sakura said tiredly, still looking rather beat up.

Sakura had healed most of her wounds already, but her health was still only 750/900. I would offer to heal them all once I was done with Kakeru.

"Security was too tight, I couldn't get close, one thing is for sure though," Kakashi said seriously, "Time is running out."

One of the soldiers said something that I missed and they started arguing amongst themselves. Hikaru started losing his shit as well, startling most of us with his volume.

"I want my father!" Hikaru cried loudly.

I felt another burst of guilt cut through me at the sound, the poor kid didn't deserve this. If I got the chance I was going to put a Line Spear right through Shabadaba's eyeball. Naruto stood up slowly with his head hanging down.

"Well, okay then," Naruto said quietly, "Let's go get him."

I stared at the kid who couldn't have been five-foot-tall but had a presence that eclipsed every single person in the clearing entirely, that was some charisma.

"It's impossible," One of the soldiers said quietly.

I understood how he felt, I had seen how many of the guards and soldiers that had joined with Shabadaba. The sheer number disparity between the ten of us, one of which was a small child, and the hundreds of men Shabadaba currently commanded.

Naruto didn't seem to give a shit about that.

"We can't just do nothing!" Naruto shot back immediately, "We have to try."

This god damned kid was getting me fired up, I almost felt like storming the castle with them. Well, maybe a slow walk, but still. Hikaru managed to speak up through his despair.

"It's too late." Hikaru cried.

I forced myself to turn towards the kid, feeling immediately awful again.

"You heard them, it's hopeless." Hikaru sobbed, "My father will be killed, it's too late to save him now."

Naruto moved over to the boy, calling his name several times without response, so he bent down and pulled the kid to his feet.

"Hikaru, are you just going to throw everything away again? Is that it?" Naruto asked quietly, "You're just going to abandon him? What happened, was I wrong?"

Hikaru just stared up at him, unable to say anything, I was missing some context here, they must have had some kind of bonding moment before this.

"I thought you were better than this." Naruto said quietly, "You just let it all go? Your father? Even your courage? The promise we made each other, you'd throw it all away?"