READ THIS AN! (Pretty Please/Would you kindly?)
Since no-one takes my challenges because "APPARENTLY" they suck, I wanted to try from a new angle. Are you following me? Very Well.
Under here there will be a chapter, as much one-shot-like as I can make it, about a Sequel to this 'Black Baron of Suna' Fanfiction...The difference is that I won't be the one writing it.
Still with me?
Good.
The thing is simple: Who wants to partake to this "Challenge" (I'll call it like this since I don't have a better term) Can use THIS chapter here as a starting point/Base to then develop the story at his/her own leisure. As long as "Baron Shi" remains in character as close as possible to how I made him to be in "Black Baron of Suna".
This first chapter too can be 'enlarged'/Modified with more details of course, I am just giving the bare bases. ^ ^
His reasons to work his "Talent" in Tristain instead it's all yours to decide! You can even gave him the "Power of Words" like the Hellscythe girl had and make him manipulate reality with a word should he want to, the choice is yours.
Is Tristain his plaything? His new Guinea Pig (A planet-sized one)? A way to test his new, more dangerous toys? A way to vent his frustration without the risk of hurting someone he cares about back in the Elemental Nations? Another world where he wants to bring Peace/Equilibrium?
YOUR. CHOICE.
Just alert me if you take it as I too want to read the resulting Fanfic, okay?
PS. I don't care if some of you say it sucks, I stopped caring about that sort of Reviews ages ago.
Thank you for your time! ^ ^.
"You bastard" - demon talking / jutsu
"Let's finish this" - dialogue
" Can it get any worse? " - during flashback/Thoughts
Disclaimer: I don't own and NEVER will own the material I use/used/ will use and I will NEVER take money for this or anything else I write so leave me alone, lawyers!
Black Baron of Suna Challenge: The day the Zero caught Baron Shi's attention.
Suna – Shop Near the Underworld -
Many things could be said about the man known as Baron Shi: some people called him either a Living Legend or an Heretic; others said he had a vicious streak when dealing with nonpaying clients, obstacles to his plans or who he personally saw as Evil Beings that could only being exterminated without remorses; or, depending on who you asked, he was just a poor man superstitious people gave a bad image to.
He had also a deep need to keep everything around him under control, the need to always know where to strike and when to hold back and how to do it, and the need to see things go HIS WAY...Whatever People or Laws of Nature liked it or not, and the horrifying part was that things always seemed to go exactly like he wanted, down to the very letter.
Was he feared? Yes! People knew/suspected that he was more than a simple Counselor working in a creepy Shop, otherwise, how in the Nine Circles of Hell would he always know what the others wanted or wished? How could he plan ahead, secure his anonymity if he didn't want to be discovered or make everything in a way that even if he blatantly admitted his part in something, not even the highest political figures could punish him at all?
How could he read their very Soul and know more about them than even themselves knew about? He could turn dreams into Reality, but as he always remembered to his customers, Nightmares were dreams as well.
And yet, very few people could testify there was SOME GOOD in him as well, for example there were rare cases where he didn't accept payments for his services or he even moved out of his way to help someone when even him should have had troubles helping them; for this reason the few in the know couldn't ignore the fact that he DID brought some stable form of Peace in the Elemental Nations...Even if through deceit, manipulation, threats and covert homicides.
A fact that he himself never seemed to brag about nor consider, when asked by Tsunade or Jiraiya, all the answer he would give would be a slight shrug of his shoulders and an helpless chuckle, all that mattered in the end was that through his own Mission for Peace he had gained a steady flux of customers eager to pay any sum to get his help.
And today was a particularly calm morning, an exceptionally hot one in the desert Village of Suna that forced even less people than usual outside so to not succumb to the abnormal heat-wave covering the Village.
"Uuuuhm! Air conditioning! Iron Country's best invention!" Minato said moaning in bliss while still mounting guard behind Naruto's desk.
"Undead or not, out there is too hot!" Kushina answered with a similar pleased expression from the other side of the Necromancer.
"Not Air Conditioning, this is 100% pure air from Cocytus Lake in Hell, the Boss down there was gentle enough to let a tiny bit drift up here in exchange of some of the souls I had trapped in my paintings, it's a cold air that is felt down to the very Soul; good for putting difficult customers on edge and keep them humble when at full power AND a cheap way to defeat Suna's unbearable hot when set to the minimum." the blond Necromancer answered smirking.
"...So you are so cheap that instead of buying a conditioner like any normal human being...You just channel the Evil cold air of the lowest circle of Hell for free? Really?" Minato said sweat-dropping.
"It's not being cheap! It's remaining faithful to the Theme! There is a very clear difference!" Naruto answered crossing his arms.
"Yeah! Yeah! Everything you say, Oh Great Baron Shi-sama!" the undead yellow flash said laughing.
"No new visions?" Kushina asked curious.
"A minor one, about a young girl in another world where they openly study Magic."
"You kind of sound bored, my son. You hardly sound bored when it's about visions." Minato said surprised.
"It was a dull one honestly: War between Nobles and Elves aside of course, most of it was about the 'oh so important' woes of a short teenage girl with small breast and poor skills in Magic...I saw cheap Love Comedies with better background...But it also happens to open me to a whole, new world to visit and make affairs with..." the Necromancer answered soon gaining a sinister look in his eyes.
"Oh, really?" Minato asked with a weak smile.
"Oooh, yes! The commoners in there seems to have so much suppressed rage, thirst for power, Lust and other very exploitable Negative Emotions just waiting for me to exploit...Same going with the Nobles and Elves...ESPECIALLY the fellow students of Miss Louise. Those boys and girls are especially vulnerable thanks to their belief that possessing Magic makes them Noble and Perfect, their Psyche is so unprotected that for someone like me, to worm its way in their young minds and hearts to make them dance to my tune would be so easy it's laughable! I wonder...Yes...I wonder how their world would react when faced with a TRUE Master of the Dark Arts and a real Necromancer like me. I have bent Daimyo, Kages and hardened Shinobis and criminals to my Will, but I wonder how Mages will fare against me." Naruto said curious, his cold chuckle freezing solid his two undead parents/guardians.
"Just do not overdo, okay?" Kushina pleaded.
"I'll decide as soon as I reach the place, mother, don't worry. I will pay attention and bolt-out of there as soon as troubles appear at the horizon. But I already know how the Summoning of me will go, the Spell used is nothing I can't easily defeat or even twist to my own advantage as my Soul and mind can't be bound, manipulated or get stolen." the young man answered with a reassuring tone.
"And what about us?" Minato asked.
"I can now easily summon the Shop wherever I am instead of creating a copy, its existing in the Limbo will make of this place a 'bridge' between Suna and the land of Tristain where the Summoning will be held; the dead of that world as well won't have choice but obey/help me as a Necromancer has power over them unconditionally, there won't be differences with my powers once I go there as Death is the same everywhere. No Exception."
"So you'll go?"
"Even just to sate my curiosity, Mother. Very few things can catch my interest nowadays, and a completely new world filled to the brim in new potential customers and Test Subjects is something that will always catch my eye...As long as it is not too much trouble, I am a busy man so I would have no time to waste in there if it is not worth it."
"Okay. Do you need help packing? When will the Summoning take place?"
"In a week, father. I will wear my 'Baron Shi' body and be accompanied by Sammael and Nemesis, for the sake of making a proper entrance. You two, Veronica and the others will be free to join me as soon as I open the connection between the two worlds, I am not sacrificing safety and my comforts just for the sake of sating my thirst of Adventure, that's for sure!" Naruto answered laughing.
"I wonder what another world looks like," Kushina said curious.
"Unless our son burns it to the ground, we should be able to explore one soon." Minato answered.
"I find this lack of faith in my self-control quite disturbing." the Necromancer muttered offended.
A week later – in another world – Tristain Academy of Magic -
Louise Françoise Le Blanc De la Valliere…She sniffed in disdain at her own full name, even just reciting it in her head made her shoulders drop from the "weight" those words held, all the importance, the duties and meaning her own name held above her head, like a sharp sword continuously dangling above her held just by a spiderweb and ready to fall and end her at the slightest mistake.
And Brimir almighty did she collected failures and mistakes like they were cheap souvenirs! Although, in a sense she did not always fail, had she planned to make a glass explode instead of levitate, to make earth detonate instead of shaping itself into a ball or for water to spontaneously reach combustion instead of turning to ice then she would simply say she never failed once.
The other students called her "Louise the Zero" for her inability to cast Magic, even if by logic one could say that she DID cast Magic…Unless chairs and other common objects are instead highly-unstable explosives and nobody ever told her; but calling her "Louise the Explosive" would have been too similar to a compliment for them to risk sounding supportive instead of the bunch of hypocritical assholes that she would have loved to hang by the balls (or toes in the girls' case) from the tallest Tow-
Chasing away the distracting thoughts from her head she cleared her mind for the task at hand, summoning an UBER AWESOME, KICK-ASS Familiar that will shame every other pathetic animals the others had already called, even Tabitha's fucking DRAGON! (That was a low blow of Brimir to her self-esteem by the way, she wished to add.) so to once and for all silence the nay-sayers, the bullies and miscreants composing the student body of Tristain Academy.
Sure, there was the risk she would just summon a majestic monster that may then go crazy and slaughter every single one of them before she could stop it and subdue the beast, but she certainly wouldn't rejoice at the gory, ungodly painful demise of her detractors…nor feel untold amount of pleasure at listening their screams of horror and pleas of mercy or…
"Miss Valliere?" Professor Colbert asked worried as the short, pink-haired girl left out a pleasure-filled moan from whatever day-dream she was in.
"Oh? S-Sorry, Professor Colbert! I'll start right away!" Louise answered snapping back to reality before bowing an instant towards the balding professor making him chuckle.
"Go and summon an incredible Familiar, make them eat back their words," the man whispered amused while adjusting his glasses and wooden staff.
"I will!" she answered with a determined nod.
"Try to not make the school blow-up, Louise!" a tall girl with dark skin and red hair said smirking.
"Yeah, Zero! Try to not demolish everything!" another student said laughing uproariously.
"SHUT UP!" Louise bellowed, incredibly making the class fall silent.
"This is an important and very powerful spell! If I create an enormous bang with a simple levitation one when I am focused, what do you think would happen if I miss-fire THIS ONE after losing focus, eh!?" the girl asked glaring at them.
"..." the fierce silence was the answer as that reprimand had the others understand the situation.
"Good! Can I go now, Professor Colbert?" she asked.
"Of course, Miss Valliere...And between us, there are fall-saves to stop explosions from happening implemented in the ritual itself, but I think I forgot to tell them." the professor answered and whispering the last part with a conspiratorial wink making the girl grin back.
"Okay. So...Familiar Summoning Chant..." she muttered with narrowed eyes as her mind kicked-in at high gear for one.
A different chanting, that was what she planned; the Standard one was too limited, and since her situation was indeed quite desperate (If she wanted to continue attending Tristain Academy SHE HAD TO summon a Familiar as to confirm that she could really wield Magic) she opted for a summoning spell with a wording concerning a more vast pool of choices and possibilities, even if by reflex it would have also sounded quite generic to an outsider unable to comprehend the difference.
"Oh Powerful Familiar that resides in the Universe…Oh being of Glory and Power…I desire and plea from my heart and soul for my Familiar to appear in front of me…Spirit of indomitable Pride and Strength..." she started saying holding her wand up and her eyes closed.
"Generic Summoning," Tabitha, a blue-haired girl holding a wooden staff and with said Dragon Familiar standing beside her, muttered in her usual monotone as the chanting kept going.
"Yep!" Kirche, the girl's red-haired friend, answered nodding.
"It's NOT generic! It's open to a more vast pool of choices in Familiars! I said so in my inner monologue too!" Louise answered as soon as she finished her chanting with a quite desperate-sounding 'Appear before me!' call.
"Still generic. And that was not Inner Monologue, but Exposition." the blue-haired girl answered uncaring.
"Tch! You Kuuderes can't understand those finesses," Louise answered.
"…Better Kuudere than Tsundere." Tabitha muttered with an almost bitter tone.
"Please be quiet! The Summoning Circle is lighting-up!" Colbert said harshly.
"I am more surprised it didn't explode…" Guiche muttered to himself.
Every muttering though stopped when an unnatural eclipse plunged everything in complete darkness while a cold, thick mist unfolded around the students and professor making everyone shiver.
"Step back." Colbert told the student with a low voice as he pointed his staff forward with determined eyes.
"What is happening?" Louise muttered worried as a creepy-looking black portal of smoke opened in the middle of the mist.
"Steps." Colbert muttered positioning himself in front of the pink-haired girl.
The creature that came out was an humanoid giant dressed in black leather with blank eyes and rotten skin, so much that his yellow fang-like teeth and gums were completely exposed.
"S.T.A.R.S!" Nemesis the zombie beast roared at the portal.
"W-W-W-What is that thing?!" Guiche asked in hysterics.
In answer a new monster came out: sick-looking grey-blue skin, four eyes adorning an elongated skull with tentacle-like hair and a build of the body speaking of unimaginable power barely held in check in its muscles and bared fangs as it snarled at the students making all of them shriek and take a further step back.
"Huhuhu! Forgive my pets, they do not like strangers and so they often get defensive." a mellifluous voice said with an amused chuckle as a man exited the portal that immediately closed behind him making the two monsters kneel respectfully to him and stay that way immobile.
The third figure was walking forward even too gracefully as if gliding on the floor and not even upsetting the grass with his steps, his mere presence somehow making the other Familiars hiss/growl/click in self-defence while backing slightly away.
"Curious…" Colbert muttered with narrowed eyes as he gripped his staff until his knuckles turned white; the newly arrived man was dressed with black hooded robes that were somehow completely obscuring his whole face leaving only a black void to be seen, only from the hands the professor could say that he had sickly pale skin and if his posture was any indication, was of strong build and well-trained.
"You are my Familiar? What about those two?" Louise asked.
"Apparently I am, miss Valliere. About my pets instead, Sammael and Nemesis are my main bodyguards and helpers, I preferred to send them first through the portal just in case dangers were waiting." the figure answered chuckling.
"So you have not bad intentions?" Colbert asked with narrowed eyes.
"If I had bad intentions...You others would already been dead the moment I stepped here," The other answered with cold amusement.
"I see." the professor answered with a tone slightly betraying his nervousness.
"But, I can't and won't be this girl's Familiar I am afraid." the figure then said.
"WHAT?!" Louise said shocked.
"I am not a man that usually gets directly involved in this sorts of things, but my best employee will be more than enough for you AND this place, don't worry, I won't leave you without a Familiar."
"It doesn't work like that, the spell-" Colbert tried saying before an amused 'Tut-Tut' noise interrupted him.
"Do not talk about Magic with me as if you know better, Jean Colbert 'The Fire Serpent'. I do know what I am talking about, way more than what you other might imagine."
"How do you know that name?" the balding man asked with narrowed eyes.
"Baron Shi is my name, and you might have heard the saying 'If thou gaze long into theAbyss, the Abyss will also gaze into thee'...Well, I am a man that made of the Abyss his home, so between my knowledge and yours there is no comparison."
"You are a noble? A Baron?" Colbert asked.
"In a sense, although what I rule over is an 'unconventional' land; but I will turn it into a title respected here as well soon enough now that I am here." He answered chuckling darkly.
"So? If you won't be Miss Valliere's Familiar, what will you do then?" the man asked.
"I'll send here young Naruto, he will be the girl's Familiar as I have more pressing matters that don't leave me free enough to play along a girl's whims."
"Send him along then, something tells me that he will be more open to this than you." Colbert said challengingly.
"Huhuhu! He surely is! Me instead, I am too focused on my business to get involved in small trivialities such as these. Sammael, Nemesis! Come with me!" Baron Shi said turning around sharply to enter a new portal obediently followed by Sammael and Nemesis.
Barely a minute later and a young man with blond hair, pale skin and sapphire-blue eyes dressed in a black-and-white jumpsuit exited the portal, the whole courtyard returning to normal in an instant as soon as the second portal dissipated.
"...Sorry about him, he is not the most cordial man around when outside his shop," the blond said with an apologetic tone.
"He is a scary man, that much I will admit. You must be Mister Naruto, right?" Colbert answered sighing.
"Yeah, Namikaze Naruto, nice to meet you."
"He said you would be my Familiar," Louise added huffing.
"It's not that I have any other choice! The Boss is him, not me." the young man answered shrugging helplessly.
"I am saddened that you have been strong-armed into this, but I am sure Miss Valliere and you will work well together as Master and Familiars; contrary to the actual belief, a Familiar is a Companion, not a Slave. To have a Familiar means to have a friendly pair of eyes and ears helping the Mage in time of need, may it be during battle or in any every-day occurrence. You have not be sent here to be mere animal or servant, but to work as helper, body-guard and assistants for your young Master. Even to be a dear friend, so to speak." Colbert explained and although he said this with a calm and welcoming tone of voice, his eyes were strangely drilling an hole in Louise's face.
"Okay, okay...I'll be nice..." the girl muttered defeated.
"So in a more modern time the thing changed into 'Familiar equals an object to posses and abuse', is that what you mean?" Naruto asked shaking his head and sighing.
"I am sorry, but I can't deny nor confirm that," the professor said with a meaningful look.
"I see…" the other said nodding in understanding.
"How do we seal the deal?"
"A kiss will suffice." the professor answered smiling.
"I have a girlfriend..."
"On the cheek then, it will be the same." the balding man said amused.
"Be proud, is not everyday that a Noble kisses a Commoner." Louise said marching forward.
"I am no Commoner, Louise Françoise Le Blanc De la Valliere. I AM the real Baron Shi." the young man muttered making her go wide-eyed while she kissed his cheek before recoiling in shock.
"C-C-Cold." she muttered, ignoring the seals appearing on Naruto's body.
"Very well! Now that the Spring Summoning Ritual is concluded, I say that we all can leave and continue with our own schedules, congratulations for your successes in summoning your Familiars, have good care of them and they will be always by your side; remember that they now reflect you as you reflect them, class dismissed." Colbert said with a proud smile as he gave the students permission to leave.
At that the assembled students either walked away, flew by themselves or just like Tabitha they rode their Familiars back towards the school soon leaving the short girl and the boy alone.
"Y-Y-You said that you were the real Baron Shi, then who was that man?" she asked.
"My secondary body, but now that we are alone I think we can go to my Shop and have a more detailed talk about my coming here." he answered smirking.
"Second body? Shop? Who ARE you?!" she asked angrily.
"I think that the complete disclosure of my actual abilities may be too much to have here, not everyone sees my Gift as something nice so you'll need to wait until we are in the safety of my office," Baron Shi said simply.
"Why?" Louise asked frowning.
"Miss Valliere, I was born with the gift of Necromancy...I am Baron Shi, also known as Naruto Namikaze whenever I don't 'wear' the identity of the Man of Miracles 'Baron Shi'...I am a Necromancer; I deal, use and command the very forces of Death and everything related to it and the Spiritual Realm…So as I said I am not a Commoner, sorry to disappoint you." He answered chuckling amused at her paling complexion.
"Oh! So you are….You are just…A blasphemous Familiar in the eyes of the Church of Brimir and someone going against everything I was taught to believe in…What may go wrong in having a Necromancer as a Familiar?" Louise answered with a faint voice.
"You okay? Your breathing stopped." he said chuckling.
"Just…Going to lie-down for a moment…Excuse me." she muttered before falling in a dead faint.
"She fainted...Oh so very predictable and cliché. Take her, Veronica, let's bring her inside the Shop."
"Yes, Master."
One Hour Later – Shop Near the Underworld – Naruto's Office -
"So you are finally awake." the groaning Louise heard as she came back to her senses to find herself sitting on a comfortable chair.
"W-Where am I?" she asked groggily.
"This place is my Shop, 'The Shop Near the Underworld'. Here men and women of every age come to seek my services to see their wildest dreams come true, their worst nightmares disappear and to know what the Future holds for them with 100% degree of success; all of them willing to pay whatever price I demand from them because they know I can fulfill their wishes down to the letter." Naruto answered with a cordial tone while opening his arms wide.
Looking around Louise could see two walls of the wide room being covered in shelves holding every sort of objects from faded pictures, mummified animals/body parts, fragments of skeletons (mostly human) and books, where there wasn't a shelf there were paintings and masks and shrunken heads of people in various states of agony with a giant painting towering behind the blond holding only featureless faces twisted in clear atrocious suffering; under that creepy painting a wide array of spiders, snakes and frogs each resting in a neat glass cube.
The only curious, and harmless-looking, thing in the room was a giant aquarium were colorful and shapeless blobs kept floating around aimlessly.
"Huhuhu! Yes, it's a bit creepy, I know. In my line of work, having such 'picturesque' atmosphere helps setting the right mood," the Necromancer said pointing amused at the countless amulets dangling from the ceiling, the only light sources were countless red candles resting here and there around the room.
"Why I am here?" the girl muttered, even she could not sound snide in that situation, especially with both Nemesis and Sammael standing at her sides while four men and women wearing black robes and bone-made skull masks stood protectively around Naruto.
"As you may have noticed, I made sure 'Naruto' and 'Baron Shi' are not recognized as the same person. The reason is that I wish to expand my list of customers so to include Tristain and the rest of Halkegina; and just like back home, I also wish to go around normally so my two identities need to be held separated in two distinct beings, hence why I acted in two different ways and even used different tones of voice...That is my secondary body I can posses to become Baron Shi." Naruto answered pointing at a tall, slender man dressed in leather clothes with long blueish hair and an X-shaped scar covering his whole face sitting boneless on a chair in a corner, its purple eyes were devoid of life and unblinking.
"Then why you are telling me?" Louise asked back confused.
"Before that, can I please know what you people think about Necromancy? At least I'll know where to start explaining who I am and what I can do in detail," Naruto asked with cold eyes.
Sigh! "It's a forbidden Art, the power to bend the Souls to your Will and force them to do as you ask, rising the dead to do your bidding at the cost of your own soul getting tainted by Darkness; a twisted way to play God and go against divine law." She answered bitterly.
"Tch! Pretty accurate on the controlling the dead...Wrong on everything else, good thing I was not open about it then." He answered with a mirthful smile.
"Wrong?" Louise asked taken aback.
"I am a born Necromancer, it means that my own Soul is 'Linked' to the Underworld, where you others need to stain your Soul (as you oh so romantically put it) to achieve a form of control over the Spiritual Realm, I can do that free of repercussion; if a normal man needs to sacrifice lives and part of himself to communicate with the Dead I can instead do that freely, and more often than not the Spirits are the ones looking for me instead of the other way around...I am, by blood, a link between the Living World and the Underworld. That's the truth of it in my case." The young man answered.
"I don't get the difference," Louise said confused.
"Put it this way, little Louise, imagine that everyone here could do Magic, commoners too and-"
"BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" the girl said immediately.
"I say imagine...Do you possess imagination, Miss?" Baron Shi said annoyed.
"I don't think she has," one of the guards muttered snorting.
"HEY!"
"Be good, Anko." Naruto said snorting himself.
"Of course I do have imagination!" Louise answered with an embarrassed blush.
"Then use it and do not interrupt. As I was saying, imagine if Magic could be used by everyone, just by studying and exercising a commoner, let's say one of the maids, could use a wand to have a cup levitate…Are you following me?" he asked.
"More or less. It's kind of strange as an image." she answered uncertain.
"Told you." Anko muttered nudging the blond with an elbow.
"As I was saying!"
"Sorry, boss."
"Imagine a maid taking a wand and, after years of practice, managing to have a cup levitate...The fact that she is using a spell though is also causing her to get older faster than normal because her body is not supposed to handle Magic; so while she CAN use that power, she isn't SUPPOSED TO and she is paying the price for her crime against Nature...But what would happen if a Mage instead, let's say you, comes around and tries to levitate the cup?" Baron Shi asked.
"I would do that easily, because I am a Noble." She answered.
"You would do that because you are a Mage, someone BORN with the 'Rights' of using Magic, so free of punishment should you try. Now switch 'Magic' with 'Necromancy' in that little scene I described you, and what do you get?"
"The-the maid would try to raise the dead but would be forced to sacrifice another life and condemning her soul to the Void...But you would do that freely because born with the powers of Necromancy." she said weakly.
"I would still have to ask to the dead if they want to return, as I personally wouldn't do that against their Will if I can, I might have raised few corpses as zombie once or twice, but it was a state of emergency in which I needed 'meat shields' to cover my retreat with some people I was trying to take to safety...I don't have a very long list of Rules about dealing with the dead, even less than my own world's Death God, but this doesn't mean that I would go around creating havoc just because I can; it's a Gift I have from birth, it doesn't mean that it has to dictate how I live." He answered simply.
"Why do you have less Rules and impositions even than a supposed Death God?" Louise asked.
"Because contrary to him I am not tasked with shepherding souls to the underworld; just take a retired soldier, he knows how to fight and wield a sword, but since he is not enrolled into an army he only needs to follow the normal laws of any citizen…And so do I with my powers, as long as I don't proclaim myself a God, and I don't challenge Gods openly, I can use my powers as I wish." he said before leaning forward with his elbows on the desk in a steepling, hands clasped and fingers crossed, pose to better look at her.
"And now...Let's talk about you instead." he then added with a low voice.
"Oh, God! He only lacks shining sunglasses and a giant robot now..." Minato thought in dismay.
"M-M-Me?!" Louise gasped as she couldn't move her eyes away from Naruto's, now in full Baron Shi persona.
"Third daughter of the Duke De la Valliere...Daughter of Karin 'The Heavy Wind', sister of Cattleya and Eleanore...Betrothed to Jean-Jacques Francis, Viscount of Wardes and captain of Tristain's Griffin Knights...But this, everyone knows..." he said getting up to walk behind the girl to grab her shoulders in a strong grip.
"But, what about the small boat in the private lake of your family estate? And your hiding in there whenever sad?"
"I-I..."
"Or the fact that, out of every family member, YOU were the one Karin's father held in the highest regard? The one he came to to seek comfort and that you looked for when the 'Rule of Steel' was too much in your younger years?" he whispered in her ears.
"H-How do you-"
"Or that recurring dream, the one where your mother smiles at you in love, the one where she hugs you and tells you how proud she is of you...You never told this to anybody, even Cattleya doesn't know about this...Am I right?"
"HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS?!" Louise yelled as she finally managed to bolt up to take distance.
"I am Baron Shi, Louise de la Valliere. Souls have no secrets, Humans have no secrets. If I want to know something about my customers, I ask and the Underworld answers in detail; I am a man no-one can lie, not even your feared Elves, and I can make that particular dream of yours turn into reality...In exchange of your help..." Naruto answered as the mist returned inside the Shop.
"R-Reality!? What idiocy are you-"
"My dear Louise!" a well-known voice said in clear happiness.
"M-M-Mother!" she gasped in answer as part of the mist condensed into her mother Karin soon walking towards her.
"You want this, right? This is your heart's desire, Louise."
"My dear, sweet child..." the copy of the woman said gently as she lightly hugged the small girl to her chest while caressing her head.
"M-M-Mother..." Louise whimpered as the clone did in fact felt real: her smell, her warmth, her body, all felt like the real deal.
"I am so proud of you, my little Louise." Mist-Karin muttered as her hug grew tighter.
"Thank you, mother."
"Huhuhu!" the Necromancer's laugh soon cut through the scene making Louise stiff in worry.
"That's merely a copy, but should you help me, I assure you that this little scene will happen for real." Naruto offered making the mist fade away.
"N-NO!" the girl said watching the copy of her mother disappear as well.
"I admit that this might appear as a cruel joke, but it was merely a small demonstration and I am honestly sorry if it has hurt your feeling...And this is my way to ask forgiveness." the young man said presenting her a wand.
"A wand?" she said confused.
"A better one, yours was unable to help you focus Magic, this will." he answered smirking.
"What?! Mine is a Lafayette Wand! The best maker in all Tristain!" Luoise said angrily.
"Then I cry for your world's mages, use this tomorrow when Madame Chevreuse will call you, you won't fail, but achieve the Magic you want. Your Element won't enter in conflict with this one I assure you."
"My Element? Y-You know what my Element is?" she asked with wide eyes.
"Of course I do! I can see your soul remember? It's all there, in all it's glory." the blond replied while returning to sit on his chair.
"Then what is it?" Louise demanded.
"I won't tell you now, I am sorry." he answered shrugging.
"WHY?!"
"I don't like being screamed at, it gives me head-aches and those are uncomfortable. As soon as you will have learn manners I'll tell you."
"I am still your Master! The runes will-"
"You mean these runes?" the Necromancer answered digging his fingers in his own flesh to take out a ring made of pure light making the runes in his body disappear.
"Y-Y-You..." the Noble stuttered shocked.
"I know my way around Magic, with a specialization in Soul Arts and Dark Arts; a little thought-altering spell like this won't influence me, a common teen human may, but a Necromancer? No, we are quite the different bunch." he answered chuckling.
"S-So? You are not my Familiar?" Louise asked depressed.
"Don't be like that! In order to appease the masses I'll keep the runes on my body, the only thing that they will lack is...Let's call it the 'Leash' part they come with, still present in power and 'Feeling' but I will remove what I think will be unpleasant for me and my employees." Naruto answered fiddling a little with the light ring turning it black and re-inserting it in his body making the Familiar runes return without apparent change.
"I am still not convinced..."
"Tomorrow you will be, and once done, you will help me making sure Baron Shi's influence on this world will enlarge along the Shop Near the Underworld's one."
"How? People will know Baron Shi is linked to my Familiar Naruto as you yourself technically sent him to me," Louise asked skeptical.
"Huhuhu! I knew you would have summoned me, so I came prepared. Around the door-frame of the Shop AND in the very construction of the candles I will use just like back in my world there will be Rules,"
"Rules?"
"Secret subliminal messages, they will implant in the minds of whoever enters (you comprised) the inability to link 'Baron Shi' to 'Naruto' and the Valliere family, plus others covering possible angles. All made so subtly that no-one will discover them no matter what.
"And what would I get should I accept to help you?" Luoise asked with narrowed eyes.
"Everything you want."
"E-Everything?"
"BWAHAHAHAHA! EVERYTHING! You want people to fear you? I'll make so that your very name will be only whispered with fear. You want respect? Then I'll have your very existence being revered just like one would with a goddess. You want their Love? Then they will Love you to the bottom of their hearts and souls and adore the very air you breath as a blessing from Heaven and prostrate themselves at your feet with a smile on their face...Even if you just want mere Power...I'll make sure your voice alone will shatter mountains and your Will re-shape the world as you see fit." he answered simply.
"In exchange of my Soul?" she asked back shivering.
"...Nope! I just your influence as a Noble to start attracting the first Customers, then I'll continue on my own and you will be free to continue your Life as if nothing ever happened to begin with, my gift aside of course; you won't be held responsible of Baron Shi's actions in any way, shape or form...Your hands will be pristine clean, so to speak." Naruto answered waving her concerns away like they were an annoying fly.
"I...I'll need to think about it..." she answered unsure.
"Use that wand tomorrow, as a Test to see if I can really do as I promised you, then you will tell me." he said nodding.
"Can I go now?" Louise asked with a long sigh.
"Yes, accompany her, Veronica. I'll wait outside your room tomorrow to accompany you to lessons, to keep-up appearances of Naruto being your 'Normal' Familiar." the Necromancer answered.
"...You are not even close to being normal." Luoise muttered as she followed the human Doll outside finding the door leading to the Vestri Court of her school.
"I know I am not, it's all a matter of getting used to it." Naruto answered with a tired sigh himself as the door quietly closed.
"You think she will help you?" Kushina asked.
"I played with her heart's cords and used a tone and manners I knew would have gone through her, especially a Noble-like pride and Jerkiness she is used to see in her fellow classmates; I have plans for this place, so if I have to act like that to see them bear fruits then so be it, contrary to the Elemental Nations I have not the same restrictions as hers is a different world...But even I will need to wait to properly answer you, mother." he answered deflating a little in his chair.
With Louise – in the meantime -
While the girl was silently following Veronica she looked behind her to see the spooky form of the Shop rapidly turn to mist and fade away leaving behind empty space making a shiver crawl up her spine at the spectacle.
"That's already a big help in believing his claims..." she thought worried.
"Master Shi is giving you a great chance, do NOT betray him. He doesn't like betrayers and neither do I." Veronica said as he arm opened to show the big guillotine blade hidden in it for an instant making the Noble girl gulp and nod.
"Good." the human doll answered nodding before falling silent for the rest of the way to Louise's room, soon leaving her alone inside it as she retreated to return to the Shop as soon as the bedroom door opened.
"What did I got myself into..." the pink-haired Mage muttered in dismay.
The Next day – Classroom -
The lesson with professor Chevreuse went on normally with the woman transfiguring several pebbles in lumps of brass to demonstrate the power of Earth-element Magic to the class when she locked eyes with Louise and smiling asked if she wanted to try the same spell herself making the whole class fall dead silent.
"M-Me, professor?" Louise asked back nervous.
"Yes, Miss Vallière. Since you are obviously well prepared so do you mind come here and try to turn my small pebbles into a metal? Anyone of your choice...Unless you want to over-achieve and turn them into gold, Hohohoho!" the plump woman said with a soft laugh, shocked at seeing the whole class have a collective shiver and turning pale.
"Not...Not to sound disrespecting, Professor. But asking Louise is not exactly a good idea. Sorry." Kirche said gulping.
"Why so, Miss Zerbst?" Chevreuse asked curious.
"I think it would be better if you didn't let her. Her spells...Well, she tends to go overboard, in a bad way." the Germanian girl answered, struggling with her words for once in her life.
"What do you mean with that?"
"Dangerous." Tabitha supplied.
"Yes, what she said." Guiche added from under his desk.
"Dangerous? Her grades in the theoretical part of the classes shows a level of comprehension of the material that me myself didn't match until later in my time here, why would she fail?" the woman answered dumbfounded.
"She is willing, it's just her Magic that refuses to comply." Malicorne answered.
"Enough! I can do this! I will turn those rocks into metal!" Louise finally said once the various jibes at her abilities got too much to withstand.
"My wand, Louise. Not yours." Naruto muttered chuckling.
"I know, I know." she answered.
Slowly walking towards the teacher's desk Louise took deep breaths to calm herself as she exchanged her old wand with the one Naruto gave her.
"New wand? I hope it will change the result..." the class thought as one in hope.
"See? I am not biting, Miss Vallière, there was no reason to be scared and come here. Now you just have to vividly visualize the metal that you wish to transmute the pebbles into before commencing the spell. Swift movements and a firm hand, remember." the plump woman said approvingly as he took few steps back to leave her some room to work.
Only Chevreuse didn't notice that her students had immediately dived under their chairs and tables while hugging close to their chests their Familiars.
All of them had closed their eyes the moment Louise had uttered her short spell and flinched at hearing the swooshing sound of her wand as she 'slashed down' the focus on the pebbles...But no explosion came except for a strangled shriek of Louise and a soft clapping of Chevreuse.
"Wonderful! Simply wonderful! Perfect transmutation into brass, congratulations!" the woman said with a wide smile.
"EH?!" Every student present (Yes, Tabitha too) yelled as one as they jumped out from under their desks.
"N-NO WAY!" Kirche yelled as she hurried to take the transformed pebbles to better look at them.
Meanwhile the shocked student body kept passing the transformed rocks around in amazement, Louise had her eyes fixed on Naruto's with a grateful and yet completely scared light shining in them.
The Necromancer instead was smiling pleased as he saw the reality of her realization slowly making its way in her brain as she mouthed a single word while looking at him.
"Everything?" she asked in wonder.
"Everything, Louise." the blond young man mouthed back with a fanged smile.
At that the girl nodded, her expression not betraying anything as per her mother's training in Valliere conduct, but Baron Shi could see it as clear as day inside her spirit and mind, she will help him to achieve what she wanted and to help him get what HE wanted from Tristain and Halkegina as a whole.
The girl was now his, the Necromancer's key to enlarge his influence on the whole planet and not a single Mage in there was even remotely aware of it or would be able to stop him, just like Naruto liked to see happen.
Okaaay! This is the end, pretty much this is the bare skeleton of the challenge, I didn't say WHERE the runes appeared just in case you don't want him to get Saito's Canon Runes, nor I specified which wand he gave Louise (Cough! Cough! Elder Wand from HP Cough! Cough!).
Like that you'll be free to decide by yourselves how the story will go.
I just hope this is not against the rules, I technically made a One-shot that is open to continuation.
I'll erase it if it is against the rules, just alert me though instead of just Flag me or whatever the term is, thank you.
I hope someone will be open to the idea, thank you for reading this.
I'll see you around the net.
Tr230.