The Thing Beneath the Waves

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A/N - Thank you, ABU-UBAYYAH SALLAU ABA-HURAYRATA, & Choco, for becoming Azure Awakening Patróns!

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"Remember, every Sunday afternoon, you must contact us, or I'll come there myself and drag you back!" Maki warned, her brows furrowed, voice completely serious.

"For the thousandth time, I remember. I'll contact you every Sunday," Kaoru laughed, pulling her into a hug.

"Ru, are you sure about that girl and the ship?" Maki asked after gently pushing him away.

"Yeah. I promised them freedom, and Akane also asked me to let her go," he answered dismissively, not placing much importance on either the ship or Emma. His focus was entirely on the journey ahead. The thought of exploring a completely unknown world filled him with anticipation that outweighed everything else.

"How long will you be gone?" Akane asked. All of Kaoru's friends and even several important members of the Takime clan had gathered to see him off.

"I don't know. Even Maru doesn't know," Kaoru shrugged. He knew he'd miss home in some way, but right now, that emotion was buried under the excitement of adventure. "It might be months... or even years. Who knows?"

His words were met with a collective disapproving snort from the crowd, and Kaoru quickly realized that pushing his luck might end with Maki changing her mind entirely. She was already second-guessing letting him go.

"Kid, it's time. We're already late," Maru grumbled. He had wanted to leave at sunrise, but Kaoru had taken too long saying his goodbyes. "The only reason I waited was for you to say goodbye to your mate, not to half the village." He clacked his beak sharply, clearly irritated.

Kaoru smiled, completely ignoring the comment about Mizuki, who was already blushing. Without another word, he climbed onto Maru's back and settled into place.

"Kid, don't pull on my feathers in panic or I'll drop you," Maru warned, half-joking. However, for some reason, Kaoru didn't take it as a joke as his grip immediately loosened.

The eagle beat his massive wings once, then again, wind gusting in every direction as dust scattered and the trees trembled. A third, powerful flap, and they were airborne.

Maru rose steadily, each motion fluid and precise, the power of his wings carrying them higher with ease. The wind rushed past Kaoru's face, not sharp, but cool and pleasant.

As they soared above the valley, Kaoru turned his gaze downward and froze.

'So beautiful.'

The entire Takime Valley stretched out beneath him, and it was more breathtaking than he ever imagined. The great waterfall thundered below them, framed by steep cliffs that wrapped protectively around the Valley. Thick forests surrounded the village like a natural wall, and the wide, fast-flowing river shimmered like liquid silver in the light.

Takimura looked small from up there, but safe. Hidden and defensible in every direction.

"Maru, now I understand why you love visiting our village," Kaoru muttered, more to share the emotion than to make conversation. "It's so beautiful…"

"You haven't seen even half of it, kid," Maru replied, his voice for once free of grumbling. Whenever the topic turned to nature or flying, his tone always softened. There was nothing he loved more.

It took Kaoru a few hours to adjust to the view, and even longer to find the desire to speak. Everything he saw from above felt new, distant, and breathtaking in a way that made words feel unnecessary.

'Everything's so tiny... like the whole world fits in the palm of my hand,' he thought, watching the endless forest slowly give way to open sea. The sun had reached its peak, and while its light was sharp, the heat felt pleasant against the chill of the salty air.

"Maru, how long will it take us to reach that place?" Kaoru asked, not bothering to press for details about the creature he was meant to meet. He already knew Maru wouldn't tell him anything specific.

"We might reach it by tomorrow morning if we fly without stopping," Maru replied after some time, clearly giving the question actual thought. "But I'm not used to flying this long with a human on my back, so we'll rest tonight."

Kaoru nodded. That seemed completely reasonable. If anything, he was genuinely surprised by how smooth and stable Maru's movements had remained since they left the valley.

'I didn't think he'd be able to keep flying for more than a few hours with me on his back,' Kaoru admitted to himself. 'I wasn't underestimating him, but still... even for a bird this large, my weight shouldn't be so easy to ignore.'

"Alright," he said aloud, "now that we've left the village... can you tell me how exactly you grew stronger and what I had to do with it?"

Kaoru's voice carried his usual calm, but the curiosity behind it was noticeable. Not knowing something that interested him always bothered him more than he liked to admit.

"Well, he'll definitely tell you even if I don't," Maru replied after a short pause. "So I don't see the harm."

'He? So the creature I am going to meet is male.' It wasn't much, but Kaoru was glad to learn at least something.

"Kid, how do shinobi grow stronger outside of learning new jutsu?" Maru asked. "Why do you think I made you wait until you were twelve?"

"You said it was so my chakra reserves could grow... but I don't…"

"Exactly." Maru cut him off, his tone satisfied. "Unlike you humans, we age slowly. I'm almost two hundred years old, and I'm still not considered an adult in my tribe."

Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle as Maru's voice bordered the complaining.

"But other than just waiting," Maru continued, "we grow stronger by consuming beasts stronger than ourselves. The problem is... my tribe isn't exactly good at hunting. We specialize in speed, not strength."

It was the first time Maru had opened up this much.

The grumpy, prideful eagle was still there, but Kaoru could now see much more behind his words. The frustration. The reality of fighting against limits set by nature itself.

"But the bastard I'm taking you to?" Maru shook his massive head, and Kaoru had to tighten his grip to stay steady. "He's the opposite. You'll see soon enough."

There was a pause, and then Maru continued, his voice lower now, almost thoughtful.

"When he found out I could bring you to him, he made me a deal. I'd carry you back and forth, and he'd help me get my claws on a beast of my choosing. He even paid upfront."

The glint in Maru's eyes told Kaoru everything he needed to know. For once, his voice wasn't just full of pride. There was respect in it… and greed.

'These bastards made a deal using me as a product?' Kaoru was momentarily lost for words. For a second, he even questioned whether this journey was safe at all.

'What if Maru was promised an even bigger, stronger beast to consume if he brings me there? How can I be sure I'm not just…' Panic started creeping in, and it didn't go unnoticed.

Maru's chakra field, which had been wrapped around Kaoru to protect him from the wind, allowed him to sense the change instantly – his breathing, his heart rate, even the tightening in his muscles.

"Kid, I won't take that as an offense," Maru said flatly, his voice calm but slightly disappointed. "But don't forget, it wasn't me who wanted to bring you here in the first place. Yes, I benefit from this, but you and that bastard will gain far more. Although... I have no idea how."

Maru trailed off, clearly remembering something, but choosing not to elaborate.

"I promise, Kaoru, on my honor, that your safety is guaranteed. And besides, if anything happens to you, I'm pretty sure that monstrous sister of yours won't let me off easily. Not to mention, Akura can summon me whenever he wants. I wouldn't risk it."

For the first time, Kaoru heard a clear note of mischief in the eagle's voice.

"Sorry, Maru," Kaoru muttered. "You didn't deserve that doubt."

"Don't worry, kid. They'll treat you well. Definitely better than they treat me." Said Maru, grumbling.

'They? So I am not meeting just one creature.' Kaoru didn't press further, unwilling to insult Maru again.

But his thoughts were soon pulled away by the view on the side.

A strange, colorful mountain loomed on the horizon, its edges blurred slightly by speed, but the way it slid along their side made Kaoru realize just how fast Maru was flying.

"Maru, what's that place?" Kaoru asked, eyes locked on the mountain. "It's the first island we've passed since leaving the mainland."

"It's a disgusting place, kid. Toads live there." Maru's tone soured instantly. "They're ugly, noisy, and eat all kinds of insects."

The disdain in Maru's voice was obvious enough that Kaoru didn't even need to ask to know the Eagle and Toad tribes weren't on good terms. He was curious about the reasons but decided not to pry.

"Oh? I thought you'd be asking more questions," Maru muttered, noticing Kaoru's quiet reaction, or rather the lack of one.

Kaoru suddenly remembered how Maru had asked Itachi to deactivate his Sharingan. He was about to bring it up when Maru abruptly pivoted, shifting direction sharply without warning.

"Kid, hold on tight!" Maru shouted, wings beating harder as he picked up speed.

Kaoru gripped tightly, still confused, unable to make sense of what was happening. But then he activated his Suijingan and immediately saw it.

A massive figure was moving beneath them, trailing their path through the sea. The reason Kaoru hadn't sensed anything before became obvious. At the speed Maru was flying, the initial attacks launched at them had missed. Whatever the creature had tried to fire was already left behind, and the sound of the projectiles was muted by the roaring flow of wind and the dense barrier of chakra around them.

Kaoru's instincts kicked in, and he moved to manipulate the moisture in the air, his chakra beginning to flare as he prepared a counterattack. But before he could do anything, Maru barked out a command.

"Don't attack! We don't want them to know about your abilities. Just stay still, no fish can keep up with me."

His words might've sounded arrogant, especially as Maru visibly struggled to dodge the incoming attacks, but Kaoru could tell. Their speed was increasing steadily. The air trembled around them, and the gap between them and their pursuer was widening with every wingbeat.

'He's so fast,' Kaoru thought, checking how Maru's muscles trembled as he was putting an effort into flying. 'He is much faster than I imagined.'

Eventually, the ocean below settled and the pressure behind them faded, the danger passing.

"Maru, what... what was that? It was huge," Kaoru asked, still trying to process what he saw. He hadn't gotten a clear look, but the figure's sheer size had been domineering.

"Sea beast," Maru muttered, his breathing still uneven but slowly calming. "They're stronger than airborne or land creatures. Their weakness is they can't leave the water... but if, for some reason, they manage to catch you, there's no surviving it."

His tone wasn't dramatic. It was matter-of-fact, edged with the kind of respect that only came from experience.

"Maru, why did you tell me not to use my abilities?" Kaoru asked, recalling how strongly Maru had emphasized not to reveal any of his skills. "It felt like if that creature had known what I could do, it would've tried even harder to catch us."

"I don't know the full reason myself," Maru replied flatly, but his tone was honest. "My friend, the one I'm taking you to, warned me not to let you use your powers. Said we'd be in danger if you did."

Kaoru didn't press further. He could tell Maru wasn't hiding anything, he simply didn't know.

"Kid, I need to rest," Maru added. "It's too risky to keep flying like this. If another one shows up, I won't have the strength to escape. I'll gain some altitude to find a safe island where we can spend the night. It'll be uncomfortable, but bear with it."

With that, Maru started climbing.

At first, Kaoru didn't understand what the problem would be, but as the altitude increased, it hit him.

His ears dulled suddenly, as if plugged with water, and a faint throbbing started at the base of his skull. The pressure settled deep in his chest, making each breath feel just slightly off, like his lungs were being squeezed from the inside. The wind grew sharper, drier, and every gust stung a little harder despite Maru's chakra barrier.

Luckily, they didn't stay up for long.

Maru spotted what he was looking for, then tilted forward and dove.

The drop wasn't steep, it was smooth and controlled, but the speed was breathtaking. The wind screamed past them, the barrier thinning just enough for Kaoru to feel the raw force of the descent. His heart raced, and for a brief moment, he felt weightless.

'This is so awesome,' he thought, eyes wide with excitement as the island came into view below. It had seemingly appeared out of nowhere - dense, green, tropical, surrounded by shallow reefs.

It wasn't dark yet, but Maru needed rest. 

They would be spending the night here.

**

A/N -

Hope you enjoyed the beginning of Kaoru's exclusive journey! I'm considering adding more depth not just to Kaoru's "summon", but also to the big summoning clans: Toads, Snakes, Slugs… perhaps I like the idea because of my love for animals xD

Also, I'll be posting a poll soon to help decide what kind of creature (or rather Beast) Kaoru will meet. If you have any suggestions, toss them in the comments

Reminder - Break Tomorrow

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The link is also in the synopsis