[Flashback]
Land of Iron-
Life in the Ameyuri residence was surprisingly pleasant for the Anbu squad.
Mornings spent sparring on the frozen lake to test ones chakra control, afternoon hunts for snow hares that are as stealthy as a seasoned shinobi and nights at the fireplace recalling mission blunders.
Tonight was no different. The fire illuminated the room in a welcoming orange glow, bowls of nabe(hotpots) in reach and a bottle of sake being passed around.
Tayuya adjusted her kimono's collar, a shy blush on her cheeks, her eyes gleaming with mischief as she points at Ringo.
"Wa-wait, you never told us how you ended up here?" Tayuya questions her fellow redhead.
Ameyuri crosses her arms over her chest, a canine dragging her lower lip. "It's not important. " She dismisses.
"Bull shxt." Tayuya spat out, "We told you all about our experience as Orochimaru's henchwomen, so spill! "
Kin pouts at the inferior position, "I was not a henchmen. " She huffs.
"Yes you were, your team barely survived the Chunin exams, at least get captured during the ambush. " Tayuya chastised her teammate.
Sheath
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Kin's thumb unsheathes an inch of her blade.
"Kin." Yugao scolds her student.
"Tsk."
Sheath
"Can we not fight whenever there's alcohol?" Yugao tries to reason with them.
"That's like asking Tayuya to not curse in every sentence." Taiju chuckles.
Nobody laughed at his joke. All eyes were on him, a jury of annoyed faces staring at him.
"You think that's funny?" Tayuya growls. The Redhead stood up, fist balled up as she approached him.
Kin takes a bite of thinly sliced meat, her eyes more interested on the dancing flames of the fireplace.
"Careful Red, don't split your knuckles." Ameyuri nods in approval.
Yugao let out a sigh, "I swear he loves pain."
She grumbles.
"Wait, Tayu–"
Bang
Her fist kisses his jaw, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, blood escaping his mouth as a low groan echoes.
[End of Flashback]
Taiju's body lands on the thick snow, the cold already creeping into the warmth of his skin, snowflakes resting on his eyebrows and his lungs pumped faster to regulate his body.
"This sucks."
Holding what's left of his blade, he observes how the handle still holds not even a quarter of its full length.
"Ameyuri really did a number on you." He wipes the snow off the blade holder.
"Forgive me."
*Weeks of nonstop training to bloom his blade left him frustrated at every failed attempt.
While he struggles, his teammates flourished under Ringo's training. Tayuya's genjutsu has grown to levels of a specialist like Kurenai, Kin quickly picked up poison as her main form of offence and even incorporated a toxic mist to her arsenal. Yugao's moon dance was honestly terrifying, she could move faster than he could sheath his blade, that was enough to make him piss himself.
"They have all surpassed me. I'm the burden of the team." He clenches his teeth, abruptly standing up while gripping his blade with all his strength. "Why won't you tell me your name!" He yells out.
The howling wind invades his ears, a subtle reminder of his gruesome environment.
Sheath
The sound of a blade leaving it's scabbard sent a shiver down his body.
"Tayu?"
Sling
A spray of blood bursting out of his left shoulder.
"Aughhh." Taiju lets out a painful groan, shaking eyes looking at his attacker.
"You shinobi are pest. " A deep voice spoke behind a mask.
A samurai wearing phantom white armour that made him blend in with the snowstorm, wielding a katana coated with chakra to resemble a scythe.
Taiju drops to one knee, clutching at his open wound, cold fingertips pressing against the warm blood.
"Uughh." Taiju spits out blood, somehow still holding his broken blade.
"Isn't this a pathetic sight. " The samurai chuckles, pressing his chakra scythe against Taiju's throat, feeling his pulse jump at the energy teasing his jugular.
"Why are smirking? You do realise I could slice your throat open at any moment?" The samurai scoffs.
Taiju held his smirk, even in a dire situation, he shows a set of bloody teeth.
"Do your worst. " He chuckles.
"Tsk, you are one of the mental cases." The samurai lifts his blade above his shoulder like an executioner.
"May your blood feed the Earth." He sneered.
Taiju looks at his blade," At least I die with you in my grasp this time."
"Shifuku. "
A soft voice whispers in his ear, Taiju's eyes widened as he felt a sudden urge to pump his chakra into his blade.
"Shifuku. " He repeated.
As the Samurai's blade descends down onto the ninjas head, a bright beam of golden light erupts from Taiju's blade, engulfing the area in the golden ultralight show.
The clouds cleared up as a golden figure peeps their head over them, Buddha, the ascetic and religious teacher looks down upon Taiju, blessing the mortal with enlightenment.
"Aaahhhh–" The Samurai screeches in pain, a gash opened at his stomach, his armour dismantled as his intestines threatens to spill out.
Taiju holds his bloomed blade, a chrome coated katana with a golden handle and an engraving of Buddha on the pommel(bottom of the handle)
"You stubborn bastard." Taiju chuckles, flexing his new blade as a faint glow of yellow shimmers on the body of the katana.
"Captain!" A new voice screamed.
"F#ck." Taiju curses.
An army of samurai surround him in a coordinated ambush, moving slowly towards him, all armed with chakra blades and growling at their falling superior.
"Kill him!" A samurai commands.
Grey figures flashing towards him.
[To be continued]
*Author's notes:
Taiju's blade is named Shifuku(Supreme bliss)
This is Taiju's rebirth from blood thirsty ninja to enlightened warrior with people he fights to protect.
Important questions:
1. The limit of women for the harem.
2. Masami(OC Hyuga) or Hinata in the harem?
*Naruto is going to be paired with Sakura.
3. Should Kurenai be with Taiju or Asuma?