Chapter 56

Ai nodded and fell asleep in his arms while Naruto moved to Ay who looked terrified and was having hard time gathering his spirit.

"Let me help you." Naruto made a clone who went closer to Ay, but the man tried to shake him off. Regardless, Naruto took hold off him and flooded his body with his chakra to destroy any presence of the darkness.

It helped Ay get back to his senses but he was still shaken.

"Thank you, Naruto. I will definitely reward you for this service, but for now please take your leave." Ay stood up properly and walked back to his seat.

It was clear that the Raikage had seen him in the nightmare realm. Knowing that the people he protected feared him more than the monsters of the world, really hurt.

"It won't happen again, Lord Raikage. Take care and good night, Lord Raikage and Miss Mabui." Naruto understood that there might never come a time when his people might not fear. Someone out there would always fear him because he stood in the spot light. Every being that stood at the top was loved and feared. It was the undeniable truth of the world that none could escape, as even the normal man had people that liked him and people that disliked him.

'Hopefully this fear will not lead them astray.' Naruto wasn't worried too much about the people fearing but he was definitely worried about them trying to find ways to kill him. Fear could lead people towards illogical and irrational decisions, self destructive even. Even though he was necessary for the world, some people might not care as their irrational fear would convince them of such.

Taking his leave, Naruto returned home with Ai and laid her down on the bed before going to sleep as well since tomorrow was a big day.

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The team going to Camelot for negotiations was small, consisting of Naruto, Shikamaru, Gaara, Sakura and Kakashi.

Merlin had only asked for them to bring Naruto to talk with their King, but this team was necessary to help the young sage appropriate decisions without being led on by sophisticated words.

The team arrived in Camelot without much fanfare and they were greeted with a respectful gesture. Merlin was present along with an entourage of knights to greet them while the people were on the streets to witness the Hero of the world.

"My king understood that you like being praised, so she has commanded this festival in your honor." Merlin replied to their enquiring gazes with a happy smile.

"How did you know what took place? And, what did you tell these people?" Gaara spoke calmly while Naruto greeted the people with a charismatic smile which shone to the populace because of his enhanced looks and his formal attire that was chosen by Ino.

'Go knock them out, I want to see their jealous looks.'

To him, Ino was a weird girl. Though, Sakura was even weirder as she had wanted him to look average so that girls weren't swooning over him. It seems every girl had their way of doing things, some liked to showoff to the world and some wished to hide their treasure. Though some were like Hinata who didn't care how he looked, if he was happy about it then it was all good.

Nonetheless, the girls definitely had good taste in fashion and he was learning a lot from them. It was something he had ignored, but as a leader he couldn't go around looking like hoodlum.

"Lord Kazekage, you already know how I know. As for what we shared, we shared the truth. Our people know the truth of the world and have complete belief in their King's power."

Looking at the people, it was clear that his words were the truth. There really was no fear present in their hearts.

A Perfect King, the ideal king ruled over the kingdom and each step made Naruto feel the desire to submit. The world was singing for the glory she represented.

The team didn't continue questioning Merlin and just enjoyed the sights, taking in details with their senses. Meeting Artoria was not an easy task for many, but the team didn't have to wait and were directly guided to the throne room.

It was their first time seeing the King, and she became an unforgettable part of their life. Her presence commanded obedience. They could feel the power radiate from her, and they could feel the love and safety for her people.

Sitting on her throne, Artoria looked majestic with her sword by her side.

The team gave her a bow out of respect and stood strong behind Naruto. They had unconsciously and consciously started to see him as their leader.

"Welcome to the Holy Kingdom, Naruto Uzumaki. We are delighted by your presence, and hope you liked our present. We owe you a favor for saving this world, as such we are willing to grant your desire."

Artoria stood up to greet Naruto and walked towards him, showing her over flowing gratitude for his actions.

Though, Naruto knew she didn't have to as his intervention had delayed her awakening. Naruto was the anomaly created by the intervention of the Sage of Six Paths, while Artoria was the original hero of earth.

However, it was necessary. The Hero of Earth was not enough to save the people from outside threats, as such the Sage of Six Paths plan had made the world itself stronger and given the earth another hero.

Th Earth without the Sage was a weak planet, but after chakra was introduced it started on the path for the dominance of the universe. Though, humanity had yet to fully awaken from the dream of mediocrity.

Looking at her, Naruto could see the connection with the planet and he could feel her immortal blood. Just like him, she wasn't a human anymore as it was just a minor part of her lineage.

He could feel the presence of Zeus and Gaia along with some unknown beings, most likely the Dragon of Albion.

"Thank you for accepting our request, your majesty. And, I am truly honored by your gratitude."

"Splendid, and what do you feel about our kingdom? Is it to your liking?" Artoria smiled and her eyes looked filled with life. Just from a few words and look at his aura, she was able to see through his nature. She could feel that he had suffered much for what he had gained, and he was still trying his best to adjust to his new life.

Leadership was something not everyone could carry, the responsibility was extremely heavy and it was especially true for people that cared.

"I liked it. It feels like a utopia filled with happiness and hope. Your Majesty's leadership stands out in the history of mankind as an ideal." Naruto felt that his life would have been so much better if Artoria had been the Fire Lord or even Hokage. This woman had charmed him without even speaking of anything. Her actions and results took hold of his heart.

He could see why he would be subdued by her authority. But, he couldn't allow himself to bow down. The ideal future demanded that he stay on an equal ground with Artoria.

"Your words bring us great joy, Sir Naruto. If you don't mind our rule, would you allow us to rule this world? We wish to unite humanity under a single banner as we can not survive if we continue to remain divided by nationality and leadership.

We have waited for your arrival and do not wish for conflict with you, Sir Naruto. We have the same objective in mind, and with our leadership this world shall prosper. All our plans will go smoothly and all wars shall disappear from this world.

What is your answer, Sir Naruto?"

Naruto had already expected that she would ask something like this. Artoria was the chosen one and the future king of humanity from the moment she had been born.

Her entire existence revolved around guiding humanity, it was her destiny to rule and die in battle for the survival of the future.

Naruto didn't know if she knew about her death or if Merlin hadn't told her, or did he even know about it.

"Do you know that you will die if we take this path, the path where you are the king and I am your knight?"

His words didn't garner much reaction from the King, though he could see that she hadn't known.

"I see, but does the world continue to prosper or does it fall with our demise."

Her words showed that she didn't really care for her life, her duties meant more than anything else. Eyes that didn't waver from the straight path, a heart so strong that it wouldn't falter at the presence of the strongest foes or even death itself.

"It falls along with us. There is no future in this path. Though, there is a path for victory and I am still trying to decipher it."

"This information is alarming, but quite expected. Our future is unknown and volatile, but we will continue to struggle as we have always done…We shall ponder on this information and see if there is a remedy for this problem. Until then, please enjoy your stay and work together with Merlin to insure the future of humanity."

With those words, they were dismissed and Merlin guided them while Artoria sat back on her throne. Her gaze lingered on Naruto's back as she wondered what the future held for them.

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"It seems you have seen further than what I have achieved, Sir Naruto. It would help greatly if you could share even the smallest clues, so that we may grasp the opportunities that might slip us by." Merlin walked beside Naruto as he expressed his lack of knowledge about the subject.

The team was being guided towards the lab where research on magical artifacts was being conducted under Merlin's leadership.

Naruto understood what Merlin meant, but he didn't wish to divulge the fragments he had seen. He was afraid of making a mistake regarding such an important affair.

It would be arrogant of him to share that there was push towards kingship for him. That he was meant to rule the world when he severely lacked leadership skills and didn't desire it. He was a warrior and was meant for the battlefield, not the throne. Being the Hokage and being the ruler of the world completely different since taking control of civilian population was a difficult task.

One side was always ready to die, and one side was meant for a normal life. He just didn't think he was worthy. The feeling from the world was just an illusion or a misguidance to lead them to ruin.

"I only saw that I should make a bond with the King, but not serve under him. I believe I am meant to always keep myself on the same rank, and never under someone. Does that give you any idea of what it means?"

"That helps a lot. I think we should be able to answer than question very soon." Merlin smiled as he seemed to realize an answer and it amused him.

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Once the tour was done and the team had visited the lab, they were led to the guest quarters.

"This was easier than what I had assumed." Kakashi muttered as he sat down and looked towards Naruto for clarification.

"I meant what I said. She is the real king. She is not someone that only took the throne for disgusting reasons."

"I see. But, why did you give them that clue? Are you planning to marry her, Naruto?" Shikamaru spoke as he took in all the details and formulated a conclusion.

"What do you mean? I never said anything like that?"

"That's why you should have consulted us first. Your clue only means that she should marry you for the proper future. What do you mean standing at the same rank as the King of Humanity means?"

"Don't blame him, Shikamaru. You should understand that for Naruto it wouldn't have been clear since we are not aware of their culture. Naruto doesn't think like that, he must have seen it as friendship like usual. Since he hasn't said it in words, he can fix the misunderstanding." Gaara interjected for Naruto like usual.

"But, is it a misunderstanding? Tell us, Naruto. Is it friendship or is it marriage? Don't be afraid, your fiancees will understand? Isn't that right, Sakura?" Shikamaru pushed him to consider the issue and focus on it. Because he knew that Naruto would have brushed it aside as it was not something he understood. They had a long way to go to teach Naruto the subtle arts and comprehension of such confusing things.

Sakura didn't like the idea of Naruto marrying without any emotions being involved. Over the three months since Sasuke's death, they had been inseparable and she had grown attached to Naruto. She had learned more about him in these few months then she had over the years they had worked together.

He was her best friend, someone she could always rely on and he had helped her move on from her lost love. There was still trauma from his death, but she was okay now. She just needed Naruto to always be there for her, and everything was normal. Naruto was precious to her, and she didn't like him being forced into things he didn't like.

"If you are uncomfortable with it, you don't have to." Sakura took his hand and gave him the encouragement she felt he deserved.

Looking into her eyes, Naruto felt the care he had always desired from her. She was finally seeing him, but at the cost of Sasuke. She would have never seen him so closely if Sasuke was alive.

But, it didn't matter anymore. He wouldn't make her sad because he succumbed to such childish thoughts.

"I don't know. I would have told you guys if I had seen us together. But, you guys might be right that they might assume such from my words. Regardless of me seeing it or not, what do you guys think is the best path. Should we think about this union or not?" For the survival of the world, Naruto didn't mind pursuing romance with another girl.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

"I don't think anyone can understand such a situation. We do not have the understanding of what is necessary or not when it comes to such volatile matters. The only thing from your marriage would be a child, is the child important to our future? We don't know. Hinata is biologically a better choice, so your child with her would have better genetics. So, none of us can really give any appropriate answers regarding this situation." Kakashi concluded the topic with that statement and Shikamaru agreed. This was outside of their domains, not something they could answer at this stage in life. Maybe the future state of the world could show them the answer.