23 wretches & Kings part 2 (1/2)

Wake up, you fucking fool.”

Naruto's eyes shot open, finding himself inside his seal, Kurama glaring down at him, ”Kurama?”

Said Biju growled, ”Has it come back to you brat?”

The blonde nodded, looking down at his torso, feeling around to see that he wasn't wounded while in the mindscape, ”Yeah…yeah it's come back. Fuck, what the hell what the bullet made of?”

”You almost got yourself killed, imbecile. You almost got me killed.” Kurama growled out as he admonished the blonde,”You could've used your Magnet Release to stop the bullet, or the gun. You could've pushed the prince and yourself out of the way. You could've intercepted the gunman. But no. Instead, you throw yourself in front of the bullet, expecting to survive. Gambling on your superiority over these monkeys. When will you stop trying to be the self-sacrificial hero? Because your stupidity isn't just risking your life, but my life as well!”

Naruto sighed, rubbing the back of his head, ”I'm sorry Kurama. You have to admit though that a bullet should never be able to penetrate my Nature Chakra enhanced skin. It never has before anyway. This isn't normal circumstance here.”

”I heard Prince T'Challa say that the men we fought used vibranium tipped artillery. But even then, it didn't penetrate you skin completely. Your enhancement acted as a good enough buffer to slow the bullet down halfway. It's currently lodged in one of your lungs. Eventually, your healing factor will push the bullet out and you'll heal like normal, but at the rate you were bleeding I had to give it a little more of a kick. In short, you won't die. Especially since the prince is taking you and the woman to his home.” Kurama stated.

Looking around Naruto muttered, ”Well uh, thanks for the assist Kurama. Why am I here though?”

”I brought you here, obviously. I didn't want to have to wait for you to wake up before I could jump your stupid ass. Fucking idiot.”

”Naruto…”

Naruto jumped at the voice that echoed through room, looking around in search of the source as he said, ”Did you hear that?”

”Hear what? Did all that blood loss make you stupider than normal or something? There's no one here except you and me. Fucking idiot.” Kurama grumbled.

”No seriously, I heard a voice.” Naruto explained himself, still looking around.

”Naruto…”

”There!” Naruto shouted, ”Don't tell me you didn't hear that!”

”Naruto…” Kurama started, giving his container a look, ”I'm not hearing anything. You sure you're fi-”

”Yeah, yeah I'm fine Kurama.” The blonde reassured, beginning to walk towards the exiting corridor.

”Where are you going?” The Biju muttered tiredly, resting his head on his paws.

”I'm gonna find the voice, I guess.”

”Why, exactly?”

”If I'm gonna be in here, I'm not just gonna sit around here and watch you nap.”

The Biju grumbled, ”Hmph, your loss.” Kurama said with a shrug, closing his eyes as he shifted into a comfortable position.

Naruto stopped, looking back at his partner, ”Kurama…I really am sorry.”

Kurama smirked, his eyes still closed, ”All is forgiven, idiot. Though, maybe next time don't follow your instinct. Let your brain do some of the work.”

The blonde nodded, ”I'll keep that in mind, partner.” Giving a parting wave, he exited the cage, walking down the hallway.

Having never bothered to walk these halls since he'd first entered the seal, he'd yet to notice that they had changed along with the rest of the interior of the seal. Rather than the dank sewer decal from before, it was a smooth blood red, with golden highlights tracing the edges all throughout. Sadly, it was still filled ankle deep with water, though the blonde had grown used to it after so long.

He didn't know how long he'd been walking, all he knew was that he'd never bothered walking in this direction before. Hell, he'd never considered exploring this place until the Ancient One had recommended it. Why would he? As far as he knew, Kurama was the only interesting thing down here, and he always just appeared in front of his cage nowadays. Finally, after what felt like half an hour of walking, he'd reached the end of the hallway.

There, sitting at the end of the hallway, was an average looking wooden door. Which, if anything, made it stick out very strangely in the all red hallway filled with ankle deep water.

Reaching for the doorknob, Naruto slowly gave it a turn before pushing the door open, only to sigh when he saw that only darkness greeted him on the other side.

Swinging the door open all the way, he stepped into the vast darkness, immediately noticing the shift in temperature as his breath began to fog. As he stepped fully passed the doorway, he jumped as the door suddenly slammed shut. Turning around, his shoulder's slumped when he saw that the door had disappeared.

”Great.” He muttered, scratching his scalp, ”That wasn't freaky or strange at all. No, totally normal. Hey, let's go exploring, let's find the voice. Idiot, idiot, idiot.”

Having expected to find himself in total darkness, he was surprised to see a flickering orange light on the horizon. Deciding that that was where he needed to go, he began his trek towards the light.

As he walked, he noticed that he wasn't walking through a pool of water anymore, the ground strangely smooth like marble. Growing closer and closer to the light, he realized that it was a campfire, an orangish haze looming over the small blaze.

Finally reaching the campfire, his eyes roamed over to the form crouching over it, their form hidden by ebony colored cloak. Their hooded head turning to him, he was shocked to see the purple colored face of the Shinigami, his red horns poking out from beneath the hood.

”Shinigami?” Naruto asked, ”Or, are you Death? It's hard to tell.” He observed.

The Shinigami smiled, his sharped teeth gleaming in the darkness, ”Do you find my current form confusing, beloved? I thought you'd prefer a more familiar face.” Tilting his head inquisitively, he asked, ”Perhaps you'd like an even more familiar appearance?”

Naruto's face grew blank as the Shinigami's face began to morph, his white hair shortening and taking on a pink color, his face shrinking and becoming effeminate. And, as a final touch, her eyes shifted to a sharp emerald color.

The blonde's eyes narrowed, ”Change. Now.”

The woman before him smiled, ”Do you not like this form? From your memories, I thought you were fond of this woman? Perhaps this would be better?”

Her eyes changing from green to a pupiless faint lavender, her hair quickly followed suit, growing longer and shifting to a dark blue.

”Stop.” Naruto demanded, ”Just…stop.” His voice cracking.

The woman shrugged before her hair changed to a dark blonde, shortening to just above her shoulders. Her face began to change as well, now a bit leaner, while her lips became a bit more full and plump. Darting her now hazel eyes to the still upset blonde, she asked, ”There, better?”

Naruto walked closer before taking a seat next to the woman, ”Hello, Death.”

Death smiled softly, ”Such a morbid name, don't you think? I think I'd prefer you to call me something a bit more familiar.”

Having finally calmed himself, Naruto shrugged, ”Well, what do you want me to call you?”

”How about Freyja?” She asked, ”I think that's a bit more fitting, don't you?”

”How's that?”

”Freyja, a name given to the lady of love, beauty, and death.” Freyja recited, ”Appropriate, don't you think?”

”If you think so.” Naruto said with a shrug, ”What's going on, Freyja? What is this place”

The embodiment of death closed her eyes, savoring the blonde using her new name, ”This is my little corner in your seal. And I guided you here, beloved.”

”Why do you call me that?” The blonde demanded.

Freyja didn't answer at first, simply looking into the small campfire, the flames reflecting off her eyes with a sharp gleam. Smiling softly, she said, ”I have existed since life was given breath by my brother, Eternity. Because of my existence, I am connected to everyone. I watch over the universe, making sure that everyone follows their destined path towards my embrace. And in that moment, I am finally able to be with them, if for only a moment. And that has been my existence. My purpose. I had excepted eons ago that this was my stake in it all, that I would only be allowed those fleeting moments. And, I've made sure to cherish those times. All of them. But then you came along. And for the first time in all my everlasting life, I've been with someone. I was connected to you. You weren't a 'god' claiming my name to boost your status. You were just an insignificant speck in the universe. But it's because of our connection, this seal, that I've been able to watch you.”

Suddenly, the fire grew brighter, causing Naruto to look into the flames, only to be shocked to see him, as a small child, sitting alone at some random playground as he watched a group of children play, their parents standing in the background, giving him looks of warning. Their message was simple. Stay away. The flames flickered, the image disappearing like it had never existed.

”I watched your life, all of it. The good...” Freyja continued, this time the flames flickering to an image of Naruto sitting at a campfire, the Third Hokage next to him, the two of them laughing and enjoying the other's company, ”And the bad.” The fire glimmered again, changing to a vision of the small blonde sitting alone at a kitchen table, the boy blowing out the candle on a store-bought piece of birthday cake, a deep frown marring his face as the fire was whipped away, softly singing a birthday song to himself, ”I've seen you triumphs.” She went on, the flame's image morphing to a still of a twelve-year-old Naruto crawling towards an equally battered Gaara, a look of pure determination on his face, ”And your failures.” The next was a vision of heavily bandaged Naruto looking down in shame as he apologized to Sakura for breaking his promise to her, ”I've seen your highs.” The fire changed again, the image being Naruto as he was celebrated as Konoha's hero, the blonde being thrown in the air by a crowd of cheering villagers, ”And your lows.”

Finally, a montage of images paused through the flames. Mizuki's betrayal. The death of the Third Hokage. His defeat at Sasuke's hands. His fight with Orochimaru. Jiraiya's death. Konoha's destruction. Hinata being cut down by Pain. Sasuke's fall into insanity. Neji's sacrifice. His eviction to Earth. The death of Charles. Natasha's betrayal. All of these flashed by before landing on an image of Naruto carving his fallen comrades' names into the Memorial Stone.

”You are the living embodiment of pain and hardship. And yet, you are unbroken. You hold yourself together with pure will. You persevere, pushing on in life to find the next adventure. You make new bonds. New friends. New family. Here, in this seal, I have been able to sit here front row and center to the greatest show of human triumph that has ever been and likely will ever be. How can't I fall in love with someone like that?” Freyja asked, looking Naruto in the eye as finished, ”I call you my beloved because that is what you are. Simple as that.”

”Wow.” Naruto blurted out, ”I-I um…”

”If I've flustered you, I apologize. It's just that this is a novel experience for me. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've talked to someone that wasn't one of my siblings.” Freyja admitted.

”So…you know everything about me huh?” Naruto asked, trying to change the topic.

”Oh yes. I know everything that's ever happened to you. Any thought that's fluttered through your mind. Even that little plan of yours.” Lady Death stated, a knowing look on her face.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, ”Plan?”

Freyja's smile grew a little bigger, ”Don't bother playing stupid with me, beloved. What did I tell you the first time we met? You can't hide such things from me? You might be able to hind it from Kurama, but I'm not so easy to deceive.”

The blonde shrugged, ”I don't know what you're talking about. And not that I would, but I can't hide anything from Kurama.”

The embodiment of death nodded, ”Alright then beloved, if you want to continue to play your game I understand. But just know that you're not the only one seeking to break the laws my siblings and myself put in place.”

The flame flickered again, shifting to a man Naruto immediately recognized, ”Thanos?” He asked.

Freyja nodded, ”The two of you are practically one in the same. Two sides of the same coin. Both faced incredible hardships due to the makings of their birth. Both are the last of their kind. Both hold the will to break or build galaxies. Both wish to subvert Eterniy and Death in one fell swoop. The only thing that separates you is that when you came face to face with your failures one of you moved forward to find a way to keep it from never happening again, the other moved forward to keep it from never happening at all.”

Naruto looked into the fire for a long time, staring into the face of the man people called the most powerful being in the universe. Getting up, he willed a door to appear next to him. Not bothering to look at the woman of death as he opened the door, he said, ”If what you're saying is true, then the difference between him and me is that I'd never follow through with a plan like that.”

Freyja smiled again, watching her beloved step into the open doorway, ”Then that leaves the question: who has the greater will? The one that can carry out something like that, or the one that can but chooses not to?”

Naruto didn't bother answering, stepping into the light, heading towards consciousness.

-x-

His eyes creaking open, he grunted as the flash of natural dazed his pupils, forcing him to squint as he tried to get up. Feeling a hand try and press him back to a lying position, he cleared out the specks of light from his eyes to see a man he didn't recognize standing over him. The man of African descent was bald headed, a thick black goatee wrapped around his jaw and mouth. He didn't look like a doctor, his casual looking purple tribal shirt not fitting the bill.

His crinkled face scrunched up in concern, he said, ”I would recommend you lie still. It's a miracle you're awake at all.”

”It's no miracle.” Naruto mumbled, lying back down as he asked, ”How long was I out?”

The man backed off from Naruto as he said, ”Not long, you only slept through the night. It's daybreak now.”

”Where am I?”

”All will be told when I am allowed to tell you. Until then, rest.” The man ordered.

Naruto began to get up again, pushing passed the pain and the man's helping hand, ”Yeah, can't do that. Got too many questions. Like where I am, or where my friend is.” His bare feet touching the could stone floor as he swooped over to the side of the bed, he asked, ”My name's-”

”I know who you are.” The man interrupted, ”You are the colonizer that's been running rampant the last few days.” Bowing, he said, ”My name is Zuri, Naruto Uzumaki. Now, please lay back down. I'd prefer it that a fight not break out here. We are on sacred ground after all.”

Sacred ground?” Naruto asked.

Zuri nodded, ”King T'Chaka thought it best to keep you out of the palace while you recovered. I volunteered to watch over you in one of the shrines within the city while we wait. As for your friend, she is being kept outside the palace in a separate area. She is safe, you have my word.”

Naruto felt out Zuri's emotions, detecting no lies coming from the man, ”Well, I'm fine. Tell whoever you need to tell that I want to talk to your king.”

”That will prove difficult I'm afraid.” Zuri said, a grave look on his face.

The blonde tilted his head in confusion, ”Why?”

”The princess was taken and being held for ransom by the gang of militants you and the prince had fought. The king and prince are currently holding a council meeting to decide what to do. While that is going on, no one can enter. Not even myself.” The head shaman explained.

”What's to discuss? Aren't they going to save her?” Naruto asked.

Zuri sighed, ”It's a bit more complicated than that.” Patting him on the shoulder, he said, ”Come, let's get something to eat.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow, ”Aren't you supposed to keep me here?”

Zuri smiled, ”They said to keep watch over you while you healed. You've healed, I'm hungry. Let's eat.”

Naruto smiled back, ”I think I'm beginning to like you, old man.”

If Zuri was offended by the name, he didn't show it, instead leading the blonde-haired man out of the room, ”Come, I know a place with great kachumbari not far from here.”

-x-

Naruto sighed in satisfaction as he finished his meal, wiping his mouth of any possible access food with his napkin, ”Damn, that was pretty good.” The blonde was now wearing a white long sleeve shirt with blue tribal designs etched in and a pair of black pants and sandals.

Smiling from across Naruto, Zuri said, ”It's one of my favorite dishes. I've been coming here since I was a boy.”

Looking around, the blonde smiled as he took in the scenery. They were eating at a small little shop, their eating area out in the open of the downtown area, allowing you to be a part of the moving people. The area was busy, everyone going from one place to the other, happily going about their day seemingly without a care in the world. Every person that he could pick out of a crowd was distinct in their way of dress. From large disk like lip rings that sat in the mouths, to flowing tribal dresses, to colorful vibranium woven articles of clothing that were in league of their own in design.

Chuckling he said, ”This place reminds me of home.”

Zuri looked at Naruto in interest, ”Where are you from?”

”Not from here.” Naruto offered.

”I know you're not from Waka-”

”No, not from here as in Earth.” The blonde clarified.

The shaman studied Naruto for a moment before asking, ”Why are you telling me this? Surely you know I'll tell my king?”

Naruto shrugged, ”I figure it'll get out eventually, why not just cut to the chase?”

”I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.” Zuri offered, ”I've seen the videos of you fighting, and I can attest to it being unhuman.”

He shrugged again, ”I never wanted to fight anyone here, if it makes you feel better.”

Zuri looked him up and down once again as he asked, ”Why does Birnin Zana remind you of your home?”

”I guess it's the people.” Naruto guessed, ”The feel of it all. This place is extraordinary compared to anywhere else on Earth. Nowhere else on Earth, or even off of Earth, could remind me of the feel of Konoha. Nowhere but here.” He chuckled, ”That and we were considered a secret village, with a group of super soldiers and elite fighters protecting its borders. Though, we weren't anywhere near as secretive as you are. Most if not every major village knew where we were. But they knew better than to try and find us with the First Hokage's forest protecting us.”

”The First Hokage's forest?” Zuri asked.

Naruto nodded, ”It was the forest that surrounded our village that was created by our first Hokage. It was thick, and we had a way of knowing when someone entered or left the forest at any time. Attacking us head on was never an option for most villages because of that, it allowed us to dictate any fight that came our way.”

”Your village sounds very formidable.” Zuri said, taking in the many comparisons his village had with Birnin Zana.

”It was.”

The two of them sat at their table, enjoying the comfortable silence that washed over them before Zuri decided to cut in, ”Well, I suppose we should head back now.”

As Zuri got up from his seat, Naruto rubbed the back of his head, ”Yeah uh, that'll prove difficult I'm afraid.”

”Why?” Zuri asked, his face wrinkled with confusion.

”I'm a clone.” The Shadow Clone smiled apologetically, ”The boss swapped out with me after we left the shrine.”

Zuri sighed with exasperation, ”I told you that you can't get in. The king is in the council chambers. Tensions are already high; do you really think it's a good idea to push their buttons?”

”Oh, you mean the whole princess thing? Yeah, boss has a plan for that.” The clone reassured. Giving a two-fingered salute, he said, ”It was good meeting you Zuri, we should do this again some time!” With that, the clone popped in a puff of smoke.

”What an aggravating man.” Zuri muttered, getting up before beginning his trek towards the Golden Palace.

-x-

King T'Chaka rubbed his brow as he listened to ransom note be read aloud again by his son, Prince T'Challa reading it himself for the first time since recovering from his injuries, ”Dear King, by now you have realized that both your son and daughter are in my custody. And, as I'm sure you've realized, one of your own has betrayed you, giving us weapons that can stand against you and a means to enter your cities undetected. But do not confuse this for a thirst for war. That is not what I want. What I want is your technology. Because I have your son, we can reverse engineer your Black Panther armor. Because we have your daughter, we can create our own weapons using her intelligence, and reveal whatever they know to the public. But it doesn't have to be this way. Reveal yourselves to the world, agree to share your knowledge, and I will free them as a sign of thanks. You have by nightfall.”

After T'Challa finished the note, the head of the Border Tribe said, ”That was sent to us after the attack on N'Jadaka Village. Luckily, you have returned, and our War Dogs retrieved the Black Panther armor, but the princess is still in their hands.” The Border Tribe leader was square jawed, a blue robe wrapped around his body, keeping his arms and torso hidden, ”If they manage to get her to help them, these dogs will become even more of a danger to Wakanda.”

T'Challa narrowed his eyes at the man, ”Shuri would never help those men.”

”Not willingly, no.” The River Tribe elder spoke. The slim man wearing a turquoise themed suit, a massive disk filling in his lower lip, ”But there is no telling what they will do to her when we refuse their demands.”

”When?” The prince questioned, ”She is your princess! There is no other option but to save her.”

The Merchant Tribe elder scoffed, the wrinkled woman dressed in an elegant black and gold gown and head piece, ”We are well aware of who she is. However, these are strenuous circumstances. We can't just attack these people! It will lead to open warfare, something that hasn't been done outside of Wakandan borders since its founding!”

”So, what would you suggest?” Asked the leader of the Mining Tribe, a middle-aged woman with red and brown dressings, ”If we refuse, they will take our princess away! That is unacceptable! Not only would this be a slap in the face to our country's pride, but she is a child. Something must be done!”

”Are you seriously suggesting a rescue operation?” The River Tribe elder asked, ”Have you forgotten that our Black Panther is useless against these thugs? They've incapacitated him before, who's to say it can't be done again? And even if we were to agree to let him go, they are an army of thousands with weapons that can penetrate our defenses. To send a small party of people into that hyena's nest would be sending them to their deaths. I'm sorry, but I'm not willing to risk my people for such a suicide mission.”

”Then don't send a party.” T'Challa offered, ”Just send me.”

”No.”

The prince turned to his father, surprise on his face, ”What? Baba, I can do it! You know I can-”

”I have already lost one child today. I won't lose another.” T'Chaka interrupted.

T'Challa looked at his father, flabbergasted, ”Baba, you haven't lost anyone. We will get her back.”

And for the first time in his life, T'Challa could see his father's age. T'Chaka looked his son in the eye as he said, ”Read the bottom of the note.”

Confused, T'Challa looked down to the bottom right corner of the note, a name cleanly scrawled in, ”Who is Achebe?”

T'Chaka released a slow breath out, ”A mistake from the past.”

The Border Tribe elder continued, ”Achebe is an outsider your father brought back here to be healed, much like the colonizer you brought with you last night.”

T'Challa looked to his father, ”Why did you bring this man into Wakanda?”

T'Chaka shifted in his seat, clasping his hands together, resting his chin upon them, ”Several decades ago, I had been running a mission in Ghudaza as the Black Panther. Myself and a squad of Dora Milaje were assisting a War Dog in extracting a target within a small bandit group that had begun overtaking several cities. The mission had gone horribly wrong, the target was killed in a car bombing that set of a conflict between the bandits and the local military. It was a blood bath. We tried to assist the town in getting rid of the bandits, and because of that the fighting only lasted two days. Performing a sweep of the area, we came across a priest that had been stabbed a few dozen times. It was a miracle that he was still alive. Had I done nothing, he would have been the only civilian death. My guilt getting the better of me, I took him to Wakanda and had healed him of his wounds.”

”But in doing so he brought a monster to our doorsteps.” The Mining Tribe added, ”When he awoke, we immediately knew something was wrong. We'd catch him…talking to himself, referring to himself by a second name.”

”Daki.” The Merchant Tribe elder recalled, getting nods from the other tribe leaders.

”His awareness that we existed only made it worse.” T'Chaka continued, ”He couldn't understand why we had kept ourselves hidden for so long. He began begging me to open Wakanda to the world. At first, I thought it was compassion that drove his want for openness. But I would later learn that perhaps it was something much darker.”

The Border Tribe leader took over for his king, ”After we refused his request, he asked to leave Wakanda. We agreed, sending him to America with a means to get an education and start a new life, with the understanding that he would tell no one of what he'd experienced here. We kept him under watch for nearly a decade, the man getting a doctorate in communication. Then, he disappeared off the face of the Earth for several years, only to pop back up again in Ghudaza. Our War Dogs would later report the deaths of several men that had once been in that bandit group, all of them brutally stabbed to death. After that, he went quiet. This is the first time we'd heard of him in almost fifteen years.”

”He is not a stable man. But, he is a smart one.” T'Chaka said, ”He knows he needs Shuri alive if we refuse his demands, he can use her to show the world, at least partially, what we are, while keeping her to themselves to abuse her intelligence. Because of this, I know she is safe, for now. If we attack them to rescue her, we risk exposure. If we try and call his bluff, we're partially exposed. If we agree, we're exposed completely. This is a no-win scenario.”

The group's conversation was kept from continuing by the sound of someone knocking on the large double doors that took up the front portion of the chambers. Figuring it to be the Dora Milaje outside, King T'Chaka bellowed, ”Enter!”

The doors creaked open, revealing a smiling Naruto as he gave a small wave in their direction, ”Yo!”

”What are you doing here boy?!” Called out the Border Tribe leader.

The River Tribe elder scoffed, throwing his arm up in Naruto's direction, ”Dora Milaje, take this colonizer away!”

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck, ”Yeah, if you're talking about the ladies outside, I put them under a small Genjutsu. Don't worry, it's nothing too serious or anything since I kinda suck at anything above the beginner's moves.”

”Genjutsu?” The Merchant Tribe wondered, ”What is this nonsense?!”

”An illusion.” Naruto clarified, ”All I did was make them think they're dreaming, that's all I swear.”

”You dare?” Started the Mining Tribe elder, ”Do you have any idea where you are?”

”Yeah, I think I heard Zuri call it the Golden Palace or something.” Naruto offered.

”And where is Zuri?” Demanded the Merchant Tribe leader, ”He was supposed to inform us when you woke up, not let you wonder around on your own.”

”Oh, well I kinda ditched him with a clone of mine. He's on his way though, shouldn't take more than twenty minutes.” Naruto guessed. Eying the king, he stepped forward, ignoring the bracing movements of almost every elder in the room, ”My name is Naruto Uzumaki.”

”We know who you are, boy. Why are you here?” Asked the Border Tribe elder.

Taking another step forward, Naruto said, ”Well, I couldn't help but overhear your little meeting, and I think I might have an answer to your problem.”

The River Tribe elder tried to play dumb, ”What are you talking about boy?”

Naruto kept his eyes on the king, ”I've been listening in for a while now. You're caught in an impossible situation and you can't seem to find the right answer. Do your sacrifice your daughter, or the peace you've established for so long?”

”And I assume you have a 'solution?'” King T'Chaka asked.

”Me.”

T'Chaka raised a brow, ”You?”

”Yeah, me. I'm the solution.”

The room was silent for a few seconds before the four council members began to laugh in Naruto's face. Moving passed his laughter first, the River Tribe elder gasped out, ”How exactly are you the solution to our problem?”

Naruto raised his hands to form a cross shaped hand sign. In a puff of smoke, another Naruto appeared. The councilors jumped in shock while T'Challa flew up from his seat ready to fight off the two blondes if necessary. However, the clone only gave a quick salute before disappearing in another puff of smoke.

”What kind of magic is this?” Whispered the Merchant Tribe elder.

T'Challa and T'Chaka, having seen the ability through their surveillance of the man, were less shocked at the sight. Coughing in his hand, the king said, ”While that is…impressive, how exactly is that the answer?”

Naruto took another step forward, now just several feet from the king, ”Imagine that, but times a thousand.”