SWNOVELXO Chapter 4: Chapter 2B
Chapter 2 : A Pact 'Neath Crimson Skies and Frozen Treats
(In which young Naruto extendeth an invitation most curious, and Rias, humbled by pain yet drawn by purpose, accepteth her first step toward destiny.)
ACT I, SCENE I
A glade just beyond the village walls of Konoha. The trees whisper low as if mourning. Moonlight stains the leaves with silver, and blood perfumes the air.
[Enter RIAS, wounded, trembling, her limbs cruelly sundered. She lies upon the mossy earth, breath shallow, surrounded by men of masked visage—ANBU—while a golden-haired boy, NARUTO, stands blade in hand.]
RIAS (aside)
O most cruel of fates, dost thou mock me now?
In flight from bondage, am I cast to ruin?
From noble house and cursed pact I fled,
Yet here I lie, unwhole, unhealed, undone.
What price hath freedom, if paid in pieces?
Did I choose well in leaving all behind?
Or was I, like Icarus, too bold, too blind?
[She winces, spellcraft swirling faintly about her wounds, slowing the flow of blood, yet the limbs remain lost. The language of her body is agony.]
RIAS (aside)
I have not art enough to mend what's gone,
Nor magic vast to knit flesh from despair.
My skills are honed for battle, not rebirth—
And thus I reap the fruit of hasty hope.
[The masked men exchange glances, unease shadowing their silent forms. They watch the boy. The boy watches them.]
ANBU CAPTAIN (low)
Mark well his breath. Let not the Jinchūriki rage.
For if the beast doth stir beneath his skin,
Our village burns 'ere we can draw our blades.
[The air is taut. Then a whisper of wind carries command—]
VOICE OF THE HOKAGE (unseen)
Take them both. Handle them with care—but swiftness.
This matter brooks no further delay.
[The ANBU move. One lifts the golden-haired boy with little effort—he protests not, but his eyes flash. Another kneels beside Rias, lifting her as if she were glasswork, bleeding stars into his arms.]
NARUTO
She is mine. Harm her not.
[The ANBU pause, glance at one another, then vanish into the wind—shunshin, the art of swift shadows.]
ACT I, SCENE II
The Hokage's Tower, center of the leaf, heart of the Hidden Village. The chamber is round, its windows open to the breath of wind and war. At its center: a desk of carved timber, and behind it the seat of command.
[Enter NARUTO and RIAS, borne by ANBU. Her breath is ragged, her eyes unfocused. Blood stains the floor.]
RIAS (aside, weakly)
What place is this? What throne of judgment looms?
The seat of kings? A cell? A gallows tree?
My limbs are ghosts, and pain my only crown—
Yet still I live… and thus must I endure.
[The boy is dropped none too gently to his feet. He stands, glaring. The fox within stirs.]
NARUTO
Ye brought me here like beast in farmer's grip,
Yet speak ye nothing of your cause or charge?
I saw her fall, and reached as any should—
Am I to pay the price for mercy's hand?
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Enter HIRUZEN SARUTOBI, seated high upon a lacquered throne, the Hokage's seat, a room adorned with maps, masks, and memories.
HIRUZEN (aside):
What cursed fate hath time bestowed on me,
To wear the crown, yet rot within the soul?
In youthful days, my brow knew sweat of war,
Yet now, in peace, my heart doth break in halves.
He gazeth upon a glowing orb, a device of jutsu and seeing, wherein appears a flaxen child, young Naruto, walking lonesome 'neath the autumn trees of Konoha.
HIRUZEN:
Behold the boy, the child of light and flame—
The son of Namikaze, Heaven's Flash,
And Kushina, the red-haired tempest fierce.
In him, the fox is sealed, the beast accursed,
And yet, no child bore heavier a chain.
O Minato! Thy ghost still lingers here,
Thy portrait hangs with silent, sharp rebuke.
Thy noble heart, too noble for this world,
Hath left a thorn to pierce an old man's chest.
He takes a long draw from his pipe. The smoke curls like phantom serpents around his brow.
HIRUZEN (sighing):
Chakra, that wondrous breath of soul and flesh,
Now molds the bodies of men swift and strong.
What once did time demand through age and toil,
The art of shinobi grants in fleeting moons.
In me, the years weigh heavy, though I seem
A man not past his third or fourth decade.
But still the burden grows—a silent scream
Of secrets kept, of truths denied, betrayed.
He turns toward a sealed scroll, stamped with crimson wax.
HIRUZEN (bitterly):
It was not meant to pass in such foul guise.
The boy was meant to flourish, not to fall.
But lo! The whisper of his fate did slip
From lips unknown to ears of keen intent.
Now spies do circle him like vultures near—
And even kin do flinch at his pure name.
(He stands slowly, hands behind his back, voice rising.)
Konoha's sons are taught the will of fire,
Yet fear hath turned their flame to ash and frost.
Where once the clans did stand as roots entwined,
Now they are branches clawing for the sun.
They will not raise him, nay—they do protest,
For he bears within him Kyuubi's dread breath.
To them, he is no child, but walking doom—
A vessel dressed in innocence and scorn.
He steps to the window, where the sun bleeds crimson upon tiled roofs.
HIRUZEN:
Had I the strength, I would have claimed him kin,
Yet my own blood hath drawn too many eyes.
The Fire Lord might keep him, aye, 'tis true—
With golden halls and runes of Uzumaki
To shield him from the world's unkindest wind.
Yet nobles dress their mercy in fine chains,
And princes oft devour what they protect.
The Daimyo sees a pawn, not Minato's heir—
A mask of silk to hide a soldier's blade.
He returns to his chair, fingers trembling not from age, but the weight of choice.
HIRUZEN (lowered tone):
Thus he remains—alone, observed by shade,
By ANBU ghosts who guard in silent flocks.
No warmth of home, no hearth, no father's voice.
Just empty bowls and colder words at school.
If fate is kind, some friendships may arise
To rouse his heart before the world breaks in.
For he shall not leave Fire's bordered land,
Not whilst I breathe, not whilst the beast still stirs.
He lifts his eyes once more to Minato's portrait, the carved frame catching the sunlight like a blade.
HIRUZEN (accusingly):
O cursed boy of blinding flash and pride,
Thy gallant death hath cursed thy flesh and blood!
Why didst thou not permit thy elder hand
To wield the seal and bear the demon's wrath?
Now I, who cradled thee in childhood fair,
Must carry what thy soul should not have dropped!
He coughs, a wretched sound, and inhales once more. The smoke softens the sorrow in his veins.
HIRUZEN (softly):
Still... in that child, thy eyes do yet remain.
And when he smiles, I glimpse a dawn unclaimed.
Perhaps... perhaps he shall become the leaf
That grows where none had dared to plant before.
He waves a hand.
HIRUZEN (commanding):
Depart, ye shadows. Let the boy have peace.
The room shifts subtly as ANBU watchers vanish, silent as breath.
He closes his eyes, still hearing the ghost of laughter from long-dead halls.
HIRUZEN (a whisper):
A king of ghosts, with nothing left but smoke,
And the boy... the boy must walk alone.
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[Scene: The Hokage's Chambers. A room of ancient wood and soft candlelight. Upon the desk sits scrolls of sealed knowledge and power long kept. HIRUZEN SARUTOBI, the Third Hokage, grand in years but sharp in mind, sits beneath the crest of Konoha. Before him, stands NARUTO UZUMAKI, wind-wild and resolute, his blue eyes like the sea before a storm.]
NARUTO:
O, old man! I crave a boon most rare.
The fallen maid—whose wounds do stain the ground—
She is mine. Not as a prize of war,
But as a riddle waiting on my tongue.
A secret lost from realms I've yet to walk.
Let not thy guards entangle her with laws,
For I shall take her, hold her, question her,
Till truth uncloaks its naked, trembling form.
HIRUZEN (placing down a scroll, studying the boy):
Naruto, thou art flame wrapped in a gale.
Unbound, unchained, yet not unkind.
I've watched thy growth as one doth watch a storm,
With awe, and dread, and silent, stubborn hope.
She is a mystery—a demon, perchance?
A beast in crimson guise, or just a maid
Torn by fate's cruel whimsy from another world?
We know not yet what danger she may hold.
The seals of Konoha scream at her soul.
NARUTO (stepping forward):
And yet she came, past all thy sacred walls.
Thy jutsu, wards, and sentries were as leaves
Before a wind. That is no small feat, sir.
Wouldst thou chain one who walks through barriers
As though they were but shadows on the floor?
HIRUZEN (leaning back, eyes narrowing with thought):
Aye, thy words do strike like truth upon a bell.
But caution binds the wise more oft than zeal.
Should she rise 'gainst thee? Should her pain turn wrath?
Couldst thou stop her, boy, without thy seal unleashed?
NARUTO (smirking):
If wrath she brings, then wrath she shall receive.
But I saw not fury—only agony.
No fighter's grace did she possess, no poise.
She bled like mortals bleed. She bit her lip
To muffle cries that immortals themselves might weep.
HIRUZEN (after silence, rising slowly):
Then hear me now, Uzumaki Naruto.
Sit thee, and still thy boiling blood a while.
There are procedures—rites and measures cold—
That must be kept, lest chaos eat our peace.
If she pass through them unscathed in will and heart,
Then to thy care I grant her, wholly thine.
But if dark secrets fester in her soul,
Then she shall know the weight of justice here.
NARUTO (bowing slightly—not in servitude, but understanding):
So be it, lord of leaves. I shall abide.
Yet mark me—if thou seek to bind her down
As thou hast tried with me, thy efforts shall
Find naught but broken bonds and silent halls.
HIRUZEN (smiling sadly):
And that is why I trust thee with the task.
Thou art not loyal to the walls and stone,
But to the life that pulses through them all.
Curiosity, thy curse and saving grace.
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Scene: The Hokage's chamber, solemn and high-vaulted. Scrolls of power and tomes of knowledge line the ancient walls. A dim fire crackles in the hearth, casting long shadows upon the gathered few. Naruto, ever bold, gazes around him with the gleam of ambition in his cerulean eyes.
NARUTO:
(aside, musing)
Here sit the keepers of thought and flesh, the minds and hands that shape this leaf-wrapped realm.
Inoichi, of Yamanaka's line, whose art doth delve the soul's bright thread,
And yon master of healing, whose balm and blade bring balance to the bleeding.
These titans, I must one day surpass—aye, and stand o'er them in strength and name.
He seats himself, cross-legged and poised, his gaze steady as the mountains.
NARUTO (aloud):
So be it, I stay my hand and tongue. Do as thou must, but mind—she is mine.
Rias, red-haired maiden of infernal grace, turns wary eyes toward those assembled. Her frame is proud, yet her voice trembles like a wind-touched flame.
RIAS:
Good sirs, if I may... what fate awaits me here?
Your eyes are sharp, your presence fierce—what is it you intend?
Hiruzen, the venerable Hokage, rises slowly, leaning on the weight of his years and wisdom.
HIRUZEN:
Peace, child. No gallows wait thee here.
We seek not thy ruin, but thy truth.
A sickness clings to thee, arcane and strange.
We shall mend what may be mended—
And peer into thy mind's depths to learn thy tale,
If threat thou be, or fortune in disguise.
RIAS:
Nay! That path is closed.
My soul is bound by pact and seal.
None may pass into memory's gate without the say of my kin.
Tamper not, lest ruin follow in thy wake.
Inoichi steps forward, calm as a quiet sea, voice silken with courtesy yet heavy with resolve.
INOICHI:
A fair warning, maiden, and received with grace.
Yet I must see with mine own eye what lies behind thy crimson gaze.
If foul intent dost slumber there, we must needs know it.
He stretches forth a hand—not for force, but formality—and rests it lightly upon her temple. His pupils narrow, mind reaching out like a hand in the dark. But there—
He meets a wall. Solid. Runed. Terrible.
INOICHI (with a start):
By sage and silence... a wall of thoughts woven by infernal might!
This seal is no trifling glamour—it holds fast 'gainst mine art.
Only through violent unraveling might it break,
And with such rent, her wits would scatter to the wind.
He withdraws, brow furrowed, voice low.
INOICHI:
Hokage-sama, this girl bears the mark of high-born demons—
Her mind's vault is forged of devilish steel.
No common soul this. I'd wager she hails from a bloodline rare and dread.
Rias blinks, surprised by his analysis, a flicker of awe crossing her face. That he could read so much despite the barrier—that alone marked him a threat.
RIAS (thinking):
This world... how cruelly rich in power.
The seal that guards me is my sire's craft,
And yet he, this mortal mind mage, could feel its edge and speak its weight.
But skill in spirit does not mean strength in strife.
There is still gap 'twixt sorcery and might.
Hiruzen paces, long strokes of his pipe punctuating thought.
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Enter RIAS, battered and pale, attended by a healer. The room is the Hokage's Office, austere and solemn, with banners bearing the Leaf's proud crest. Upon a high seat sits LORD HIRUZEN, Third of the Name, clad in wisdom's mantle. Nearby stands INOICHI, the Mind-Walker, quiet yet sharp-eyed.
RIAS (aside):
Oh cursed fate, that I must bear mine house's name
To shield my soul 'gainst strangers cloaked in flame.
Would I not rather silence hold than speak,
Yet truth alone my path must render meek.
(To the Hokage)
"Forgive mine silence—nay, I shall comply."
She straightened, blood-stained robes and pride held high.
The healer lent her strength, and with his grace,
She found herself before the leader's face.
HIRUZEN (firmly, yet not unkind):
"Inoichi, let her words now be revealed."
And to the girl, he spake, no thought concealed.
"Declare thy place of origin—speak clear."
RIAS:
"From Demon's World I come, not born of fear."
HIRUZEN (brows narrowed):
"And why dost thou traverse this mortal plane?"
RIAS (inward pain laced in her words):
"To find a spouse—not one in devil's chain.
Mine hand is promised to a name I scorn,
A noble high-born heir, whom I forsworn.
But in this land, I seek a mightier soul,
To break that bond, reclaim my heart's control."
HIRUZEN (stern, probing):
"Why not in thine own land the choice be made?
What doth draw thee to this foreign glade?"
RIAS (ashamed, yet resolute):
"I sought no war, no danger for my kin.
Alone I came, my heart and truth within.
A portal strange I found, a crack in fate,
And crossed its veil before it could abate."
HIRUZEN (with grave voice):
"Inoichi?"
INOICHI:
"No veil of lies her thoughts do dress—
She speaks the truth, in full and nothing less."
HIRUZEN (to himself):
A rift 'twixt worlds—by whom was it begun?
If from their side it opes, then we are none
The wiser to their ways, nor safe from threat.
Demons may walk our realm without regret.
(To Rias)
"Art thou a master of the spatial fold?"
RIAS:
"I am not versed in arts so dark or bold."
HIRUZEN:
"Then how, weak-limbed and fresh from grievous war,
Dost plan to walk this world, where wolves do roar?"
RIAS (with passion, near tears):
"Mayhap my mind was rushed, and choice was ill,
But better death than binded to that will.
I deemed thy world would shun the demon race,
And thus in secret would I seek thy grace."
HIRUZEN (shaking head, voice like thunder subdued):
"Child, thou art brave, yet bravery so blind
Will get thee slain ere thy true match thou find.
Though we care not for devils, not in kind,
Yet threats we crush, no matter whence designed.
Know this: for centuries have demons breached
Our world through rifts, beyond the Kage's reach.
And so arose great hunter clans of yore,
Whose blades strike out 'gainst creatures from such shore."
RIAS (eyes widening in horror):
Aside
Oh heavens, what new world have I now stirred?
Where hunters rise, and death is but a word.
If immortals do dwell here too, of might unspoken,
Then all alliances may yet be broken.
What pantheon lies still within this land
That made our immortals unite, and cease their hand?
HIRUZEN (calmer):
"Speak true—doth any other know thy way?
This path thou took—can others walk that day?"
RIAS (gathering breath, steadied now):
"Aye, I found the gate in tomes dust-choked and old.
The page is burned, its path forever cold.
None but I hath crossed that shadowed seam,
Nor shall it ope again, lest by my dream."
INOICHI (nodding):
"She speaks again in truth; her tale holds fast."
HIRUZEN (sighs, eyes heavy with thought):
"Then rest thee well, young flame, for thou hath passed
A trial unmeant for hearts so torn and new.
This world be cruel—but there is mercy too."
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Enter the infirmary of Konoha, lit by moonlight and the scent of herbs. Fair Rias lies upon a silken cot, her body whole once more.
Narrator:
Lo, in chambers soft with sterile grace,
Where poultice met with whisper'd art,
Did Nono, mistress of the healing place,
Employ her hand to mend each shattered part.
A limb reborn—nay, more—a fate rewrought,
For magic through her fingers sang anew,
And though her patient elsewhere set her thought,
The doctor's task was silently pursued.
Rias (aside):
Methinks I dream, or else the pain is fled.
No phantom limb, but flesh and pulse instead!
My fingers move! My veins with magic swell—
Am I remade? Nay—I am whole as well.
Nono (gently):
Aye, thou art mended, child. Be wise—take heed,
Let not thy limbs again to folly bleed.
Narrator:
This Nono, fairest bloom with visage kind,
Hath walked through blood, through shadow's cruel design.
An ANBU once, now healer of the land,
She seeks not praise, but offers forth her hand.
No noble house her name hath raised before,
But Yakushi shall fade in shame no more.
With steady blade she once the dark embraced—
Now with a needle, all her sins replaced.
Rias (with solemn nod):
Thy skill I'll not forget, nor light repay.
I shall be cautious in my steps, I pray.
Enter Hiruzen Sarutobi, the aged Hokage, his countenance grave yet gentle.
Hiruzen:
Thy wounds be gone, thy spirit tightly sewn.
Thy seals reveal no trickery unknown.
Now choose, young maid—Konoha holds thee not.
Depart, or bind thyself to Naruto's lot.
He turns and leaves with Nono, his robes fluttering like smoke upon the wind.
Narrator:
A silence fell. As still as frost it hung,
For Rias heard the words but thought them wrung.
Was this coercion? Soft-veiled slavery?
Or but a bond 'twixt fates yet wild and free?
Enter Naruto, in simple garb, eyes fierce with resolve. He strides to her without pause.
Naruto:
What name bears thee, O flame-haired one of grace?
Rias (startled, yet composed):
Rias is she thou seest before thy face.
Thy aid I do commend, and thank thee fair.
Narrator:
She met his gaze, and found no hunger there.
No trembling awe, no weakness in his stare—
But calm as stone, and warm as summer's air.
Naruto (earnestly):
List well, for I speak not in hidden code.
A stranger in our walls must bear a load.
If thou wouldst stay, then servant thou must be—
Not as a slave, but bound in trust to me.
Thou may'st depart if ever thou feel wrong,
But I would learn of whence thy soul belongs.
In turn, I shall unveil to thee this world,
Its jutsu, beasts, its banners yet unfurled.
Rias (thoughtful):
This path I take not light—yet I have naught.
My kin lie distant, and here am I caught.
If danger press me, my brother I shall call.
But until then, thy offer I forestall… not.
Naruto (smiling, offering hand):
Then let us walk this way with steady trust.
They shake hands. The pact is sealed.
Narrator:
Old Hiruzen, in silence watched their fate,
And dreamed of stars where Naruto stood great.
But from his hand, unseen to mortal sight,
A seal of doom he carved in swiftest flight.
So subtle were his ways, not wind could tell—
A mark to halt her should she rebel.
Hiruzen (beneath his breath):
May peace be thine, and not my hand compel.
Narrator:
He led them out, with pleasant mask in place,
But schemes lay coiled behind his weather'd face.
Hiruzen (aloud):
Farewell, and walk with care 'neath heaven's dome.
Naruto:
Thy favor is not lost—I'll mark it home.
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(Enter NARUTO and RIAS, aloft in the boughs of a mighty tree, their backs kissed by twilight's gold, their lips sweetened with frozen nectar. The hush of the village murmureth below, like discontent winds 'fore a storm.)
NARUTO
(With half a grin, his eyes aglow with mischief and iron resolve)
Wilt thou come with me, fair flame?
Not as burden, nor as shadow trailing,
But as a soul emboldened—
A comrade to share in a storm I am brewing.
RIAS
(Holding her frozen treat aloft, eyes narrowing in cautious mirth)
Speak plain, thou knave of sunlit locks.
What folly dost thou chase, to summon me so?
A jest? A jaunt? Or perchance a doom yet unnamed?
NARUTO
(Not stirred by her jest, his voice rings clear and firm)
I build a host. A team, no less—nay, more.
The greatest under heaven's eye,
That I might seize freedom unshackled and name writ bold across the winds.
The world shall bend, or break, ere we bow to it.
(He doth crunch the remains of his ice pop with finality, leaping forth from branch to rooftop like mercury in motion. The wind sings with his passing.)
RIAS
(Slowly rising, her crimson tresses rustling like autumn leaves, her thoughts dark and deep)
What art thou, boy of burdens masked by jest?
Four winters younger, yet aged by cruelty's lash.
This land doth gaze upon thee with eyes of poison,
And yet thou smilest, bright as dawn.
(She looks down upon the bustling village below, eyes catching the glares and whispers. Her heart, heavy with truth.)
RIAS (aside)
This boy—nay, this shinobi—
He hath danced with hatred since the cradle.
And yet he offereth me a place beside him?
Strange fortune, to find a demon more human than man.
(She spreads her wings, summoned by resolve rather than blood. Her heart hammereth like a war drum, stirred by pain, tempered by awe.)
RIAS
Then fly I shall.
I shall learn the art of steel and shadow.
For no more shall I weep as weakling, nor tremble as chattel.
To return, I must rise.
To rise, I must follow him.
NARUTO (calling out, already leagues ahead in the fading dusk)
Keep pace, fire maiden, lest thou be left behind!
RIAS
(Lifting into the air with renewed spirit)
Lead on, storm child. This path I walk is thine.