Hey guys. Striker777 here with another chapter of Naofumi of the Sharingan. Be sure to vote and comment and all that.

Now, last chapter, you guys had the opportunity to try and guess the identities of Naofumi's two reoccurring booty calls, or at least the most reoccurring ones. One person took a swing in the dark (nice try hallsang) and completely missed. In case I made it too ambiguous, I left another tip as to who they are in the story below. Try your hardest to find out where it is and take a guess. Nothing to lose and something to gain, so why the hell not?

But enough about that, for now, onto the story.

———

With a final slash from Ren, it was over. The Chimera they had been facing was defeated and destroyed. As it fell to the ground, dead from the lightning attack, the sky began to clear, no longer the same blood red as it had been during the battle that had lasted a lot longer than Ren would have liked.

He hoped Naofumi was alright.

"Walk in the park." said Motoyasu, rolling his shoulders as if to say he was bored. "I bet the next one will be just as easy as this one."
"It's not a wise idea to jink it like that Motoyasu." said Itsuki. "For all we know, the next one will be hell."
"You worry too much." shrugged off Motoyasu, before he began looking around. "By the way, has anyone seen Naofumi anywhere?"
"I'm glad he wasn't here." said Myne, snuggling up to Motoyasu. "He would have held us back and we wouldn't have had as much fun."
"Haha, for sure." replied Motoyasu with a wide smirk.

"And a bunch more civilians would be dead."

Everyone turned to Ren, who had been silent for the whole time everyone was celebrating. "Remember that note from the start of the Wave? Naofumi went to Lute Village to protect the civilians, and had he and his party been here, I would wager that a hell of a lot more corpses would be stacked at the end of all this." he said, glaring at Motoyasu and Myne. "He had the most important job, protecting innocent lives, and it was our duty to end this Wave as quickly as possible in order to help him by closing the Wave. Any civilian casualties are on our hands."

"He isn't wrong." said Itsuki. "Isn't that the whole point of us being summoned? To protect the people of this land? Naofumi sure did a lot of that today."

Just then, a bird stormed the area, another letter in it's beak, and dropped it at Itsuki's feet. The Bow Hero picked it up and examined the contents, before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Civilian casualties are low, only 3." he reported, lifting the spirits of everyone in attendance. "Despite the 'mistakes' of some knights letting off a large AoE fire spell in the village, everyone was protected by Naofumi."

That lowered the spirits.

"That rapist has to be lying." claimed Myne. "Why would the knights ever let off a powerful fire spell in such a heavily populated area?"
"Naofumi did say 'mistake', so maybe it was just an honest mistake on the knight's part." said Itsuki, clearly not even believing himself for a moment. Naofumi saved the lives of the villagers from the knights.
"I dunno... " muttered Motoyasu. "An accidental large AoE spell that would have killed people let off by the knights? That's just too far fetched for me to simply accept as fact. Naofumi could've made the whole thing up to better his reputation after what monstrous actions he committed against Myne."

They were broken out of their conversation by the appearance of some knights.

"See, we can just ask them!" exclaimed Motoyasu.
"They're biased." said Ren. "No matter if they did or didn't, they'll claim they won't."
"We need to ask a neutral party, such as the villagers at the scene." said Itsuki. "So save your questions till then."

"Heroes!" yelled the Captain of the Knights. He then began panting on his knees, as if he ran a marathon. "Job well done."
"The Knights, huh?" asked Ren, with a clear glare in his eye.
"Isn't it a bit late to show up?" jested Motoyasu.
"Thanks for the help..." muttered Itsuki, looking down at the corpse of the dungeon monster.
"Now now, don't be that way." said the Knight Captain. "His highness has rewards for each one of you. So, shall we go?"

"You go on ahead, Ren and I will check on Naofumi and the village, as well as give him his share of the drops, and collect our own." said Itsuki, already absorbing some of his materials into his bow for enhancements, whilst Ren began to do the same for his crafting. Itsuki then took a bit of everything else and placed it in a bag for Naofumi.
"But he didn't do anything against the boss!" complained Motoyasu.

"And you did nothing against the monsters in the village." countered Ren.

The two got up, and left for Lute Village.

———

Neither Ren nor Itsuki could have predicted this.

Their teacher, Naofumi-sensei, was on his knees, bowing to the people of Lute Village. His party, as well as another group of knights, stood to the side and watched.

"I failed..." he said. "Children are orphaned, wives have lost husbands and parents have lost sons. I am so sorry I wasn't strong enough to save them. And so many of you are injured."
"Master Naofumi..." muttered the wolf girl, Keel. Raphtalia herself went forward and placed a hand on his shoulder to provide him with what little comfort and condolences she could offer, before she too got down on her knees.

"I fought with Master Naofumi, and yet people died." she said. "I failed you all as well... please forgive me." she said through teary eyes and quivering lips, having failed like she did during the First Wave.
Surprisingly, the Vice Captain of the Knights was next to bow beside the Shield Hero. "It is my duty as a knight to protect people, and we failed here today. I deeply apologise." he said.

Soon enough, the rest of the Knights, as well as Rifana and Keel, were bowing before them. "Please forgive our weakness!" they all yelled.

"I'm sorry!" yelled Itsuki, grabbing everyone's attention. "We failed to close the Wave quickly enough, these deaths are on our hands! I'm so sorry! I-I'm so-" he sobbed, collapsing onto the ground, and trying to bow. Ren, seeing his actions, also bowed down to the people, and begged for forgiveness.

"Please..." said the elder. "Raise your heads, valiant heroes and knights." Everyone raised their heads. "Because of your hard work, whilst 3 people did die, 400 more survived. We can never thank you enough for saving those sons, daughters, mothers and fathers."
"I know the children of Mr Hops." exclaimed a woman. "I'll take them in as my own."
"I lost my child long ago in a time of war." said an elderly man. "And my wife not long after that. I can help with the grieving process."
"You saved our lives!" exclaimed a younger man. Naofumi recognised him as one of the villagers that fought off the monsters. "I can never thank you enough for giving me a chance to raise my kids."

And soon, everyone began bowing. Both from begging forgiveness to expressing their deepest of gratitude.

But soon, it all came to an end.

———

Night had fallen, and a huge feast had been laid out in the castle. Filled high with expensive and well seasoned cuts of meat, of the highest quality for not only the nobles, but the conquering heroes who saved the kingdom from the Wave. Ren and Itsuki had been ordered to only briefly chat with Naofumi, as to keep up their disguise of knowing absolutely nothing about the ploy the kingdom had against him. Naofumi had resided himself to stay out in the corner, sitting in the windowsill of the castle's highest floor, and watching the situation play out.

The sweet and gentle music in the background was played by an orchestra of string instruments played by a bunch of attractive women in matching pink outfits. They adorned the stairway that lead to the King's private area, which Naofumi had no doubt he wouldn't be allowed near if he wanted access. Not that he cared much, since he had no respect for the stupid King, and wouldn't want to waste his time talking to him anyway. Hell, he even called the Hokage by his own personal nickname, Pervkage, when it was only the two of them. Then he'd fire back about his latest escapades in the sheets, most likely with either a psycho bitch, or a certain foreign kunoichi.

And most of the time, he wasn't wrong either.

There was also the familiar general chatter amongst the group that accompanied the music that was still being beautifully played, even as many raised their glasses to the king, who would no doubt soon be making a speech. From what he could make out about bits and pieces of the things he heard, he was the main subject of their idle gossip, wondering why he was allowed into the castle after what he had 'done'. That, at least, debunked Naofumi's theory that every noble was in on the plan to segregate him from the start. It seemed that he might have some potential allies in the higher faction of society after all.

But Naofumi wouldn't be too worried about that right now. He had other things to do. He turned his attention to his 3 genin, who were grabbing some food to have, since it was being offered. Keel had piled her plate high with protein dishes, drooling slightly at the quality and quantity of exquisite cuts at her disposal. Rifana seemed to be doing her best to keep the girl under control, whilst Raphtalia just stayed behind and watched.

It reminded him of a scene that played out, where a familiar boy in beige piled his plate high with sweets at a thank you banquet, and a girl in purple tried to force fruits and meats onto his plate as a boy and man in green sat back and laughed at their display.

That memory was from simpler times.

Happier times.

Before...

It didn't matter now.

All 3 of them were dead, and had been for 7 years.

"Thanks to our heroes, the battle was splendidly won." said the Trash King, drawing Naofumi's attention out of the past, as it had drawn the attention of his 3 genin from Keel's plate. "And tonight, we celebrate! Enjoy yourselves to the fullest!" exclaimed the King, throwing his goblet into the air for a toast to the heroes.

The three heroes.

Cheers and applause resonated throughout the audience for Ren, Itsuki and Motoyasu. Naofumi was by no means included in those praises as the heroes began to mingle with the crowd. It was such a difference as opposed to the treatment he received in the Leaf Village. Women practically threw themselves at his feet, no that he ever went with any that distasteful. Only those he had a genuinely good time with and weren't looking to fuck him for a quick rise to fame or the remaining fortune of the Uchiha Clan. Motoyasu was getting that treatment now.

Good.

The son of a bitch deserved it. He can rot in hell with all his fucking fangirls. Naofumi just wanted to get his reward and get out.

These kinds of events weren't really his thing.

"Weren't the heroes fantastic?" asked one of the bystanders close to Naofumi.
"Our country has nothing to worry about." replied another gentleman, which brought Naofumi to consider the rest of the world, of which Fitoria was currently dealing with. He really hoped she was okay.
"And the latest report said there were very few casualties." said another. "Apparently they could be counted on one hand."
"We all owe everything to our brave heroes." said a lady in the middle of the conversation.
"Well, I did my part as well." said the Knight Captain from before. "I held my ground against a massive monster, and fought with honour as a Royal Knight." he claimed.

'Biggest bullshit I've heard all night.' replied Naofumi. He looked out the window longingly, wishing to be anywhere else right now, doing anything else. Like...

What he did a week before he was summoned here.

Oh, their satisfied faces brought a smile to his own. Even in this shitty situation, his warm memories of what he could expect back home were keeping him going.

Unlike a certain someone getting fawned over by a bunch of entitled Ladies, he had standards when it came to his bed partners.

"I'm so truely honoured to meet you, Sir Hero." said on of the women surrounding Motoyasu.
"You don't happen to have a lover, do you?" asked another.
"Well, hi, um..." he began, before being cut off by that one bitch that accused him of rape.
"Sir Motoyasu has no time for that." she said sternly.

Naofumi sighed. Some people had no taste.

Well, it's not like anyone could have a certain exhibitionist (though she will deny it to her grave) psycho that was a freak in the sheets, nor a foreign desert girl that knew all the tips and tricks of another nation. The things that girl can do...

"Master Naofumi." called a voice, grabbing his attention from a place very far away, but hopefully a lot closer than he thought. He looked up to find himself surrounded by his genin, Raphtalia holding a goblet of water, Rifana a plate, and Keel...

She had what he could only assume was 2 tables worth of food stacked on top of another plate, or a platter more likely. How she got all that... Naofumi didn't want to know.

"The food here looks amazing..." drooled Keel. She began digging into her plate, piled high with protein. Her face was one of pure bliss.
"Get your fill." said Naofumi. "If the Kingdom wants to treat us, let them."
"But then... shouldn't you be eating?" asked Raphtalia.
"No, I'm not all that hungry. Crowds scare away my appetite." he responded.
"That just won't do." responded Rifana, pinching a slice of cake off of Keel's platter, and handing it to Naofumi. "You eat or I feed you."

A mental image of a certain purple clad girl crossed his mind when he looked at her, remembering an instance where had had been poisoned on a mission and refused to eat. His teammate had sat him down, and forced the food down his throat, threatening him with the harsh treatment of death by frostbite. Naofumi had forced the food down his gob and was actually better the following morning.

"Yeah yeah, just give it here." he said, taking the cake off her hands, and using a fork provided by Raphtalia, he ate a bite.

He had to admit, the chefs of an asshole knew how to cook. Almost as good as the ramen he shared with Naruto at Ichiraku Ramen.

Yay. Another thing he missed about his village.

"It's good." he said, bringing a smile to their faces. "Thank yo-"

"Naofumi." spoke a commanding voice. Naofumi turned his attention to a livid Motoyasu. He threw his glove down to the floor, causing gasps of surprise and excitement from the crowd. "Time to fight."

...

"Huh?"

———

I had taken all of a minute for Naofumi to snap out of what he just heard. "What do you mean, 'time to fight'? Why are we fighting?"
"I heard that you made these poor girls your slaves, and they obey your every command." scorned Motoyasu.
"What? Is that was this is about?" asked Naofumi.
"Watch your tone." ordered Motoyasu.
"Yeah, these three are my loyal slaves, but they're learning under me to become ninja." said Naofumi. "The only reason they're slaves is-"
"I don't want to hear it!" interrupted Motoyasu. "You listen up. You can't be saying you think it's okay to enslave others."
"Wow. Do you even hear yourself?" asked Naofumi. "Not only is slavery legal here, but it was in some areas of my world too. I come from a very different place than you, Motoyasu. I've seen the horrors of the world, of war, murder, rape and enslavement. I know how some people treat their slaves, but you see... we Hidden Leaf ninja live by a code."
"Why should I care?" asked Motoyasu. "Enslavement is wro-"
"On that, we can agree." interrupted Naofumi "However, what you need to understand is that our code, the Will of Fire, is what drives us to protect others."

"Keel, Raphtalia and Rifana could have had far worse fates. Strung up like a toy and used for the sick entertainment of some fat lord, or worse, they could have been raped and impregnated by such a sadistic son of a bitch, even killed. With me, they know full bellies, clear skies, affection, and belonging. Besides, they've all been great helps and even greater students to me." he said, staring down Motoyasu with his worst Uchiha Glare™.
"But we're heroes in this world!" countered Motoyasu. "We shouldn't behave that way and you know it."

Naofumi, who had his last nerve string plucked by Motoyasu, said without thinking. "You're a hero, I'm simply fulfilling my role as 'The Devil of the Shield'."

Everyone gasped and took a step back, and Naofumi, realising what he said, cursing his emotions for getting the better of him, and realising there was no going back, continued on. "Yeah, I knew all along about your little 'Church of Three Heroes' gambit, and that you would see me as a devil. That's why I retreated from inside the castle walls on my first night to spend the night out training in the nearby forest."
"What are you going on about, Naofumi?" asked Motoyasu, warily and on edge.
"As the fiery bitch behind you. I'm sure she'd love to fill you in on their famous religion." replied the stone cold Naofumi. He was done with all this shit he was ready to pack it up and forget about the reward all together. He stood up from his windowsill seat and made to leave, but Motoyasu held his spear up at Naofumi.

"Let's do this." he said, challenging Naofumi. "And if I win, you're gonna set all three of them free."
"Okay then, what do I get when I win?" asked Naofumi.
"That won't happen, but it does things will stay the same." said Motoyasu.
"Dumbass, if you want me to bet something as precious as my party, you need to put up something that is equally valuable to me." said Naofumi. "So, if you want me to accept... when I win, I want you to throw the red head off the tallest tower in the castle."

That stopped everything. Motoyasu looked at Naofumi in shock. "Don't want to... then I guess we can come to some kind of alternative. I know." said Naofumi, pointing to Motoyasu. "You will get down on your hands and knees and say 'I was wrong, you were right. I am so much weaker than you and inferior to you in every way'."
"That, I can agree too." said Motoyasu. "So, we have a duel?"

"Not a chance in hell." responded Naofumi immediately.

"W-what?!" yelled Motoyasu.
"I can't hold a weapon myself. I need a party to fight whilst I protect them. I saved them from a life of hell and I view them as my daughters." said Naofumi. "I am not letting you take that away from me, I have found precious people in this world that I fight to protect. The people in the Village of Lute, the civilians in this town who have been kind to me, and my students." he said, eyes flickering to Ren and Itsuki momentarily, relaying the message that they too are in the group of special people Naofumi fights to protect.

They both got the message.

"So thanks, but no thanks." said Naofumi, walking away without a care in the world. He strolled right past Motoyasu, his glare daring him to do anything, which Motoyasu wisely (or subconsciously) did not heed. Naofumi began his descent down the stairs, his party following behind him.

The guard at the bottom stopped him from progressing.

"It has been brought to my attention that you, a hero, have been using a demi-human as your slave to fight for you." said the Trash King, talking down to Naofumi as if he were nothing but scum. "You violated our customs, and that is reprehensible."

Naofumi saw the same redhead as before smirking and laughing at him, thinking she had once again won against him.

Oh, he was gonna burn that fiery bitch in his Amaterasu, so help him in the name of the Third Hokage.

"I order you, accept the challenge!"
"And if I refuse?" asked Naofumi, already prepared to switch to the Shinobi Shield, kill the guards and rush out of there with his party.
"Hey!" yelled Raphtalia. "They don't need to fight! We're with Master Naofumi of our own free will and-" she began, but was cut off when a Royal Knight grabbed her and the others from behind, Keel breaking free and assuming a fighting stance.
"Let them go!" yelled Naofumi.
"Oh, you poor creatures." said the Trash King. "You've been placed under a curse that forces you to defend him, have you not?" he asked.

Raphtalia and Rifana tried desperately to respond, but their mouths were covered.

Keel's on the other hand...

"You stupid son of a bitch! Of course not!" she yelled at the King, flipping him the bird.
"You have, and it forces you to address me as such." fake mourned the King. "Fear not, once Master Motoyasu wins, we-"

The speech was stopped by the sound of metal falling to the ground.

In less than a second, Naofumi has separated his genin from the Royal Knights, disarmed them, and now had their necks in his hands as he stared into their eyes.

His sharingan was blazing in anger.

"I told you to let them go." he said ominously, watching as the two guards continued to struggle. "You should listen to me next time."

He was instantly surrounded by a squad of Royal Knights, all 8 with swords to his throat. Naofumi didn't even seem fazed in the slightest as he turned to Motoyasu.

"Motoyasu, I want your word that when I win, you will let us go peacefully, you and anyone else, and that thing I told you to do is still on the table." said Naofumi. "Then, I'll duel you."
"And if I don't?" mocked Motoyasu. "You aren't in a position to be making dema-"
"If you don't I'll kill these Knights and everyone else in this room by the time it takes me to knock off the helmet of the Knight with a sword to my nape and touches the ground." Naofumi responded nonchalantly.

Motoyasu knew that shit had just got real.

"Fine then, not like you have a chance of winning anyway. Allow me to introduce you to a whole new world of pain!" he yelled.

Naofumi simply laughed.

"If you can manage that..." he said snickering, before turning dead serious, and staring at him directly in the eyes, his sharingan still active. "You would be the scariest man in not only this world, but my world as well."

The words struck Motoyasu hard. Naofumi had the eyes of someone who had seen horrors that no man should ever have to confront. Naofumi's eyes told a story.

Of lost friends.

Lost family.

Lost teachers.

Lost teammates.

A world of pain that no one should have to endure.

Not like that was gonna stop him though.

"Bring it!" he yelled.

"Then, I hope they close your casket at your funeral, because I am about to fuck that face up so bad."

———

Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Damn, I can't believe that Uni starts this Monday for me. It's a scary thought, and the fact that I know the amount of work I'll have to put in by juggling this and Uni is terrifying. But I appreciate the kind comments that you guys leave, and the votes to tell me that you're enjoying my work. I hope I continue to live up to your expectations.

But anyway, for now, this is Striker777, over and out.