Kiiromaru sighed, the yellow-furred hound glancing towards some bushes. "You know, if you were waiting for a chance to introduce yourself, this is as perfect a time as you're going to get."
The bushes quivered a bit in response, but didn't suddenly discharge a pale-eyed girl.
Kiiromaru shook his head. Humans could be awfully backwards about some things. If a female was interested in a particular male, they should just come forward and sniff tails or something. Or go to the alpha of the pack and make a request. Hiding in the bushes and watching just seemed a recipe for frustration.
"Who were you talking to?" asked Naruto.
"It apparently doesn't matter," said Kiiromaru, baring a fang in frustration himself. "Look. You asked pinkette out, pinkette hit you, you made a stupid comment, she hit you again. Isn't this normal by now?"
"Why should I just roll over and accept it?" asked Naruto.
"Because that's the sensible thing to do?" countered Kiiromaru. "I told you, you're just sniffing around the wrong tree there. Try someone else."
"Who?" asked Naruto. "Everyone's only interested in Sasuke! Well, if I can't get a friend, I'll SUMMON one!"
"You're too young for a girlfriend anyway," said Kiiromaru. "Though admittedly, there DOES seem signs that the girls in question are trying to reserve matings for later."
"Exactly," said Naruto. "Now I'm ready."
"What's going on?" rumbled Kuromaru as he landed. "I thought he was going to hold off before his next attempt."
Kiiromaru explained the situation as quickly as he could.
Both Inuzuka hounds glanced towards a particular bunch of shrubbery.
"Humans, can't understand 'em," said Kiiromaru.
"Can't get scritches without 'em," finished Kuromaru.
"Is it getting... colder?" asked Kiiromaru, turning his attention back to Naruto.
A pillar of ice formed in the center of the summoning area, reflections gleaming with images of someone moving.
The pillar shattered, revealing a woman.
She was twice the size of a human, wearing what appeared to be a bikini or something similar. Clothes, hair, skin - everything in shades of blue.
She was adult, her age indeterminate.
She stepped forward, one hand coming down to tousle Naruto's hair. The look she turned on him was oddly affectionate, where the look she turned on the two dogs and the four ANBU who had shown up by now was rather cooler.
"Okay," said Kuromaru. "This is different."
"She either can't or won't speak," said Kiiromaru to the Hokage as the woman sat back and watched Naruto play.
"Do we know what her intentions are?" asked the Hokage.
Inoichi spoke, still looking as if he had a massive migraine. "I'm still sorting it out. She isn't human. She looks human but she's actually not even close. She's old, older than humans have been around, so old that she doesn't have a real grasp of time like we do. She's... maybe not a kami of ice but a spirit of ice and cold. Not a yuki-onna but maybe what they would be a reflection of."
"Is she a danger to the village then?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi, who as a Hokage had to have that as his primary concern.
"Naruto can dismiss her at any time," said Inoichi, his voice a little more sure. "But... I think she wants to help him. I got that feeling from her, strongly. She wouldn't attack the village unless the whole village attacked him. Right now, Naruto doesn't have enough chakra or control of it to allow her to do more than what she's already done."
"I see," said the Hokage. "Well, it's a potentially interesting contract. We'll let it stand then."
The Hokage glanced back at the woman and boy and raised an eyebrow as he noticed the summons was looking directly back at him. Their eyes met.
A world of ice.
There was nothing but ice as far as the eye could see, most of it natural jags and flows. One structure existed, a single tower. In that tower, a throne. On that throne, Her.
She ruled here, ruling over the spirits of ice and cold that flitted about the world. In a time that was not, in a place that was other.
Overhead were dozens of worlds in an alien sky.
No Threat To Him Am I.
Hiruzen Sarutobi blinked as the moment passed. He was back in his own form, his own life, seeing things with his own eyes.
He frowned slightly as he walked back to his Tower, lost in thought as he puzzled over the details.
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(Posted Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:34)
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