Melody of Memories (NarutoxHighschool-DXD)

Disclaimer: This story is fiction. All the characters, names and places belong to their respective owners.

"Talking" – 'Thought' – Furball's Speeches – MemoryLane/Names – (Thought Scenario) – Important

=[Prologue]=

The young blond-haired child panted heavily before collapsing on the shattered earth the moment his strength left him. The yellowish flickering aura around his body dissipated as he could no longer maintain it. The older blond at the opposite side of the field brushed his attire and suppressed his demonic aura again. He then approached the child with a few steps and couched down to his side before patting the child's back like a loving father would. With the simple gesture, the boy groaned as he took the needed rest for his energy to recuperate.

"I'm not done. Just give me a minute to catch my breath," the child requested, seemingly unfazed by his painful condition. It was nothing new as he had gone through them thousands of times before.

"I think this is enough, Naruto," Minato said with a warm smile. He examined his twelve year old son to make sure there was no permanent damage. His hot-headed wife, Kushina Uzumaki, would not let him off easy if the most cherish thing in her life was crippled. "Do you still want to continue like this? I understand that you want me to fight you as if you were an enemy, but I fear I might accidently injure you one day."

Naruo blinked several times to clear the infectious dust from his eyes before rolling to his back and looked at the purplish sky of the underworld. "My body is made of tougher stuff, Minato… I mean Otou-sama. Hehehe…. Sorry, bad habit. I will fix it soon, I swear!"

"You kept saying that, but then constantly relapsing back to using my first name," Minato replied. "It's rude to call your elders like that. Then again, I'm not like your mother so I will be lenience with you."

"Awesome," Naruto cheered with a wide grin. He then put his palm toward the darkened sky to see the light passing between his fingers. "But dad, I'm your son! I'm the son of the great Namikaze, the undefeated hero of the Great War! I don't want to lose to anyone even you!"

"Naruto, that is not true," Minato said softly. "I have been defeated plenty of times before. Defeat does not mean the end. In a friendly sparring, it's better to lose than to win because you learn more from your mistake. Also, if your opponent is a girl you like, you must always admit your defeat no matter what."

"Eh!? Why?" Naruto questioned with confusion. "Why would I want to do that? If she hits me, I will hit her back! I'm not back down to anyone, believe it!"

Minato chuckled. "Just trust me on that. I will explain more on the benefit you can reap when you're older. Anyway, do you want me to carry home this time?"

"I'm not a kid anymore! I can get home on my power… *grunted* Ummm… I'm exhausted right now so I will stay here for a little bit, dad. I promise I will get home before dinner," Naruto answered. He didn't want to return home all exhausted, and resting would help him recover his power must faster. When he woke up again, he would be famished and in time for a hefty meal.

"Alright," Minato said and gave a light nod. "But if you don't return on time, I will come to find you with your mother in tow. You know how edgy she gets when you break your promise right?"

Remembering what happened last time, Naruto shivered in fright and nodded slowly. "I will never ever break a promise again! I swear!"

"Be home soon," Minato said with a chuckle. He stood up straight and had a brief glance at the destroyed surrounding. This part of the underworld was abandoned since there wasn't enough of their population to go around, not since the Civil War. "I will see you at dinner then."

Naruto saw his father vanished in a yellow flash before giving a tired yawn before dozing off into the dream world. With that accomplishment, the surrounding entered a blissful silence. In his inner world, he saw a girl with blackened hair and golden eyes teasing him. Her face was too blurry for him to make it out completely.

"Nya, if you desired so, master. We can stay like this forever," she mumbled like a cat as she licked his chest and face flirtatiously as he couldn't move. She then lowered her upper body to his waist and pressed her enormous cleavages around his pole. Submerging it almost fully into the fleshy mountain, she licked the crown playfully before enveloped it completely in her orifice. "Please let the milk out… m-a-s-t-e-r."

"No, I'm too young for this!" Naruto shouted as he thrashed around before snapping open his eyes and panting heavily.

"What a weird dream," Naruto claimed as he checked his pant to make sure everything was fine. Soon enough, a yowling of an animal had caught his attention. Scratching his head drowsily, he pulled himself in an upright seated position and had a look around the arid landscape.

"What was that…?" Naruto said as the wailing cry vanished. Feeling his energy had recovered greatly in the light nap accompanied by an odd erotic dream of a girl he never met once, he stood up while his tattered clothes glowed brightly like an overpowered light bulb. It then faded away, revealing completely fixed attire. He put both hands around the back of his head like a support and skipped across the ground playfully. "Ah, I'm probably hearing things again."

With a smirk he vanished in an orange flash and kicked the small slab of stone over once he materialized again. He stared down at the small creature underneath. "You expect me to say something like that wouldn't you…? Huh?"

It was a small cat with black and reddish fur cowering into the corner.

"Hello there, Neko-chan. Where did you come from?" Naruto asked as he moved closer toward it. The cat was frightened as it tried to back away from the blond's reach. The ghastly injuries it had over its entire body had made it distrusted everyone. Seeing the child's hands closing in around it, it tried to escape through the obvious path, but was caught before it could get away.

The cat tried to scratch its captor, but he blocked both of its paws effortlessly while raising a brow. Soon enough, he was holding a paw in each hand, raising the feline to his eyelevel. It about to use its hind legs to kick him, but he let its paws go, stunning it as it landed on the ground again.

"Calm down, Neko-chan. I'm not going to hurt you. Are you lost?" Naruto asked, looking at his hand. The cat's fur wasn't black and red. It was just black as he rubbed the blood over his fingers. "You're seriously injured. Did your master do that to you?"

The cat blinked and let out an inaudible sigh as its owner was dead. It'd killed the man, and it felt no guilty in doing so. The cat licked the opened wounds on both of its arms cutely in an effort to stop the blood flow. After the bleeding had stopped sufficiently, it turned around and tried to leave the area to somewhere safer and secluded to rest. It let out a surprise sound when the boy wrapped his arm around its body.

"You're not going anywhere, Neko-chan," Naruto said with solid determination before forming a wide smile as the cat trying to pull itself out from his hold. "Give it up. You're not going to break out with your injuries. After I patched you up, you can leave to go wherever you want."

Trying a few more times, the cat let out another inaudible sigh and accepted its fate.

"That's a good boy," Naruto said cheerfully, lifting it up in the air with both hands as its twin tail flickering around. "Let's go home. I hope mum won't mind if I brought a pet home."

XxXxX

"Of course I mind, you dumbass, don't go pick up strays!" Kushina roared angrily and whacked her idiot son across the head with a frying pan. "And who said you could have a pet!? Do you know how annoying they are?"

"But it was hurt, and just can't leave it there to die, Okaa-sama," Naruto protested while rubbing the newly made bump with tear pooled around his blue eyes. Minato sighed and averted his eyes from his son and wife to examine the injured cat that was placed on the dinner table.

"Kushina. You have always said not to hit our son in the head because it makes him dumb so why are you doing that? Please put the pan away," Minato suggested while Kushina was fuming at her mistake from his blind spot. She placed the frying pan back on the inactive stove, but even so, the cooking instrument was glowing red hot in her hand. Minato then leered at his son. "Naruto, do you know what this animal is?"

"Ummm… isn't it a cat? I saw their pictures in the books," Naruto answered truthfully before smilingly brightly. "It has two tails unlike the one in the books, isn't that cool? Maybe it's a new species of cat never captured before? Can I keep it?"

Minato chuckled at the misconception and made a mental note to stock books on youkais in the library for his son to learn. "Alright, I don't mind you patching it up, but if it wanted to leave, you must let it go without crying, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I promise," Naruto replied with a mischievous smile. He then opened the cabinet along the wall in order to find some healing remedies and bandages before looking around at other cabinets in the kitchen. Eventually, the search earned him another whack of his mother since he was pushing her out of the way to access another storage area.

When he acquired everything he needed from the room, he called out: "Ah, I need the medical book in the library. I'll be right back, Neko-chan."

Once the boy left the room, Minato turned back to the nekomata with a serious expression. It was enough for the cat to gaze uninterruptedly at the blond. "I am Minato Namikaze and she is my wife, Kushina Uzumaki. Do you know who we are?"

"Nyan… I do," the cat replied with visible shakiness in her tone. "Namikaze and Uzumaki are well known heroes of the Great War. I didn't think both were still alive and well."

"Yes we are. You should know what will happen if you hurt my son in any way," Minato said. He didn't allow any time for the cat to response since it wasn't exactly a question, but a statement. If he couldn't carry out his threat for whatever reason, his wife would, and nothing would stand in her way. "I am sensing a presence of the Evil Pieces within you, but the aura they gave off feels corrupted for reason I don't know. Where is your master?"

"… He's dead along with the rest of his peerages," the cat replied truthfully. It then looked toward the ground. "As to how, I killed them."

"I see, you just brought yourself a problem," Minato said with a frown. Kuroka blinked with surprise at the calming demeanor of the blond man. She believed he would have shown more emotions with the information she just divulged. A servant killing their master was a taboo. The crimson-haired woman by the stove was indifferent to the ordeal as well.

"You must have your reason for doing that," Minato said with a smile. "You must know killing your master while being part of the peerage is a death sentence. Even if you somehow overcame the induced corruption and insanity, you would be hunted for the rest of your life. If that was the case then you must have no choice in the matter so I won't ask who he is or why you did it right now."

"Thank you, Namikaze-sama," Kuroka thanked sincerely. She wouldn't be able to escape either of these two if they were to prosecute her. Namikaze clan was known to be the fastest among the devils clan. No one can outrun them. In contrast, Uzumaki clan was said to have to power to restrain and imprison even Gods.

Before Minato could continue his light interrogation of the nekomata, Naruto walked back in the room while looking through the medical book in his hand. "Alright, I think I understand how to treat your wounds, Neko-chan. We should get started."

Kushina placed down the plate of food she just made and growled at her son. "Don't play surgery on the dinner table. Where is your manner?"

"I-I'm sorry, Okaa-sama," Naruto stuttered as he picked up the black cat and left the room with all the materials he collected around the kitchen. "I can't do it in the library… do you want to see my room, Neko-chan?"

Kuroka meowed as a reply. Once in his room, Naruto nodded as he rubbing burning liquids over her wounds. She screeched loudly as it was painful. She didn't do more than that as the boy seemed genuine concern even though he seemed to be careless at times. After the torturous first aid, he bandaged her body all over. She was shocked to find that he turned her into some sort of spherical ball with her head sticking out at one end.

"Baka!" Kuroka shouted in annoyance.

"Huh?" Naruto questioned when he heard that while Kuroka blinked and played mute. She then meowed softly as he narrowed his blue eyes, gazing into her golden. "I thought you just call me an idiot, but that can't be right? Can cat talks?"

Naruto laughed before stopping abruptly and stared suspiciously at creature again. He then rubbed his head, feeling the bump on his fingertips. "Mum must have nudged my brain when she whacked me before. Oh well. Are you hungry?"

Kuroka gave a head nod. Naruto picked up the bandaged ball he just made with the nekomata as its core and returned back into the kitchen to have dinner with his parents. With the sphere in sight, it only took a fraction of a second for Minato to crack up while Kushina was speechless.

"Do we have any milk, Okaa-sama?" Naruto asked, opening a cupboard with ice along the side. "Why can't we get a electric fridge from the human world?"

"Then we would have to get a generator to power it," Kushina said. "Or use your father as one. Either seemed inadequate."

"Hey! I'm not a battery, and I'm not inadequate!" Minato broke out of his amusement. He then rolled the bandaged sphere that was Kuroka across the table to introduce it again. The cat imprisoned within didn't like that as she tried to bite his fingers when his hand got close enough. Naruto, on the other hand, was ransacking the cupboards to find something editable for the cat.

"Enough already," Kushina growled. With a flick of her hand, flames crashed into Kuroka, turning her into a ball of fire rolling on top of the table. Kuroka was shocked at first, but the flames did not hurt her as they only burnt off the bandages. Once she was free, Minato patted her on head as lightning crackled on his arm. With a powerful jolt, it forced her immune system to go into overdrive. Her regeneration power was amplified greatly so her wounds would heal in seconds.

"And you Sochi, we're out of milk so go back to your seat and eat your meal before it gets cold," Kushina ordered before getting up and made an extra plate for the cat. "You, eat."

Kuroka nodded before staring at the offer. She was still afflicted with the curse that the evil pieces within her the moment she'd killed her master. With the deed done, she was being hunted nonstop for the last few days. She wasn't sure when she would overcome it and returned to her full power and form so she could go and save her captured sister, Shirone.

"Here, let's me help," Naruto said as he started spoon feeding the cat like a baby.

Kuroka refused at first since she was older than the kid, but accepted his relentless kindness soon enough. She hadn't eaten anything for days while on the run so the food was delicious. Once the meal was concluded, Minato was forced to wash the dishes while Kushina checked her son for any hidden injuries that her husband might neglect to tell her about.

"You smell awful, Sochi, come with me," Kushina ordered as she dragged him out of the room with a strong hand grip.

"Wait! I'm already old enough! I can wash myself, Okaa-sama!" Naruto pulled out of the grip and ran off down the corridor with the cat in his arms. "You're dirty as well, Neko-chan. Let's take a bath together."

Not even letting her to refuse, he entered a large room with a filled pool in the middle. It could be equate to an indoor onsen; big enough for several families. She watched the strip show by the twelve year old when he removed his attire by having it disintegrated slowly into fiery flakes. He then jumped into the water butt naked with a loud splash as she strolled along the edge and tapping the liquid to test it with her paw. It was ice cold, but with a gesture with his hand, a fiery chain materialized and wrapped around her body. She was yanked into the pool with a small slash.

Kuroka growled angrily as he simply laughed at her attempt to stay afloat in the icy water. Before she could go under, he pulled her up into his embrace with a hand while she shivered uncontrollably.

"Ah sorry, about that," Naruto giggled as his demonic aura spiked up. The water began to boil as dense steams erupted from the surface causing visibility around the room to drop sharply. "It was pretty cold wasn't it?"

Kuroka meowed lowly as he chuckled. "Yeah, I forget sometimes. Just remind me next time."

He then rubbed her neck as an apology. She purred on reflex before trying to scratch him for doing that, but he simply laughed at her failed attempt. Bubbles began to form on the surface as he used soap to wash off the blood off her fur, returning the black silkiness it once had. Afterward, Kuroka was left sitting on top of his chest as he floated on top of the water.

"Say, Neko-chan. You don't have a collar on you so you must be a stray like mum said. Do you want to stay here with me? I've never met anyone besides my parents because they don't want to interact with the world anymore. I don't mind being here with them, but it gets lonely sometimes," Naruto said.

Kuroka noted that the boy had considered a creature – a pet – as a person. She also realized from the statement that his parents must have faked their death during the war and gone into hiding away from everything else. If that was the case, the house was relatively safe. She could stay here until she returned to her true form again. She gave purr in acceptance before brushing her whiskered against his cheek as he smiled.

"Awesome," Naruto said. "What should I call you then? How about Tora-chan? A stronger cat is the tiger isn't it? And you are like one when you tried to scratch me. Maybe you're one underneath?"

Kuroka created a cut across his cheek with swipe, surprising him.

"You don't like it? Okay, how about something else, hmmm…" Naruto was about to rub the blood away with his thumb, but the cat licked the blood that was seeping through the shallow wound.

Her golden eyes sharpened as she realized he wasn't pureblood devil once the liquid entered her, filling her with ecstasy and drawing out her natural instinct. Even in her current state, she had enough control to stop it dominating her mind. It was only equivalent to a few drops, but the sensation was definitely there. She could finally feel it as a monstrous shadowy silhouette with nine flickering tendrils stared down at her from above.

It was obviously wasn't there physically, but the vision she saw was true nonetheless. Coursing through his vein was the sacred bloodline of a Kyuubi, the greatest youkai to walk the world. He might not know it yet as he patted her over the head, completely unaware of the shadow of a colossus towering over him.

"Well, how about Kuro-chan then?" Naruto asked. "It's your color."

Kuroka nodded several times and curling her body on top of the boy as darkness creped around the corner of her eyes. She was nudged awake when a towel wrapped around her body and dried off the water. She blinked as the blond child stared back at her.

"Did I wake you? Sorry, but we need to get out," Naruto said as his mother was shouting outside the door. He had been in the bathroom for the last hour. Once done with his task, he stood straight up while flames swirled over his well-defined naked body. They solidified and formed new clothing before he lifted her up into his arm. "If you are tired, you can sleep in my room for now."

Once Naruto exited the room, he saw his parents stared at him.

"Did you just take a bath with the cat? I got replaced by a stupid cat!?" Kushina roared before sobbing, making her husband patted her in comfort. "I want that cat gone!"

"No way, he's my pet now," Naruto refused the demand. He then pointed the cat at them. "Kuro-chan! Say hello to Okaa-sama and Otou-sama."

That attempt did not amuse either of the parents.

"You do know it's a she right?" Minato asked as Naruto's jaw slackened at the revelation. He then turned it around and lifted the cat up above his head to check the important detail. He got a scratch across his face with her legs for his effort.

"I'm sorry, Kuro-chan," Naruto apologized as he carried her to his room, leaving his parents behind to their own things.

"It's still early for me to snooze, but you can sleep here for now. I promise I will make something better for you tomorrow," Naruto said before leaving to the library.

Kuroka was left alone in the room as she yawned and dozed off, wondering when she would return to normal form again. She opened her eyes as morning came and felt her body was hold tightly by the sleeping child by her side. She pulled herself out of his arm and let out a sigh. She then jumped up onto the ledge of the opened window in the room and saw numerous glowing magical circles overlapping each other around the building. They were powerful enough to imitate day and night cycle like the sky of the underworld while preventing others from teleporting in and out. While they enveloped the only structure in the area, solid earth enveloped them in turn.

"Are you interest in that, Kura-chan?" Naruto asked from the bed before yawning. "My home is deep inside the ground so no one can find it. Even if they do, they have to dig through miles of solid stones and rocks. Only I and dad can teleport in and out from this place with the restriction seal active."

Kuroka meowed like a normal cat and jumped back onto the bed as Naruto leaned toward her. His blue eyes were mischievous and his wide grin didn't dissuade her otherwise. His arms wrapped around her tiny neck for a moment before letting it go. She pondered what that was about as she took a step forward. A chimed from a bell was heard when she did. She tried to look down, but she could not see it clearly. She then jumped across the bed, making the item rang with different tone, and looked the small mirror that was sitting on top of a desk.

A black silky collar was wrapped around her neck. In front of her vocal cord, a golden bell hanged by a small metallic chain with the word Kuro carved into it in thick black letter. She used her paw to make it chimed several times before a shadow towering over her. She saw the blond child behind her reflection in the mirror.

"Do you like it?" Naruto asked. "I took the whole night to find the right materials around the house to make it. The fabric is so soft that it hard to notice if it was there without touching it. As for the bell, I was going to make it black, but golden like your eyes was better. I also wrote your name on the chain. My name is on the other side in case you got lost."

Kuroka jumped up onto his shoulder and showed her affection by rubbing her cheek against his. Naruto giggled while she purred joyfully.

"I knew you like it. Let's go eat something and kick dad's ass! You can help me distract him! Believe it!"

She didn't know what he meant by that then, but witnessing the battle between father and son after breakfast, there was no doubt in her mind that the legend surrounding Namikaze was as accurate as they come. Minato Namikaze was so fast that she only saw him standing around lazily while her new master, Naruto, was being slapped around like a human yoyo. Even so, the blond boy didn't give up and kept assaulting the man with every chance he got.

In her mind, the boy would become a great person one day from his determination alone. She smiled at the thought.

The battle ended with Naruto beaten to the inch of his life. She climbed onto his battered form and licked his wounds like a loyal companion. He only chuckled at her concern and patted her on the head gently. She felt like a small child when he was doing that, and he seemed older as well. The three of them then returned home to have lunch. Milk was available this time around. Once it was done, he took her into a massive room with great numbers of bookshelf on multiple levels.

The library of the home had a multitude of subjects as she checked each of them briefly while he studied diligently in the large handcraft desk at the center of the room. She climbed onto the table where he was and saw for herself how complicated the materials he was studying. Finding a book of interest among the pile to his side, she flipped through the page with her paw and read each passage slowly and carefully.

"You're pretty smart yourself, aren't you, Kuro-chan," Naruto said once he noticed the cat was reading through the book like a real person.

Kuroka gave a nod when eyeing her master before returning to reading. Time flew by before she realized it was time for another battle in the evening. Her master had lost again, but he managed to hit his father a few time by employing new tactics he learn during his study. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was watching the fight while sending deadly killing intent directly at her. Kuroka had never felt that much fear since her reincarnation as a devil.

Hefty dinner was followed by another wonderful shower scene with her master. Her urge to tease him was rising to an explosive level as he ran around completely naked in the indoor bathhouse while she chased him. She regretted she couldn't do anymore in her current form, and becoming increasingly frustrated at each missed opportunity of each day that had passed.

Weeks flew by as she became more attached to her new master with his daily routine. She saw his prowess in battle while his powers and techniques grew with leap and bound with every defeat. She saw a glimpse of his incredible intelligence as he showed her interesting books around the library, reciting fond stories fully from memory. His view on the world was odd as he treated her like a person, a dearest friend even though she never replied with real words in returned. His innocent and kindness was shown in every waking moment they do thing together from eating, showering, studying, playing simple game as hide and seek while the precious bell on her neck chimed with random tone to remind him she was always nearby.

For a time, Kuroka truly hoped she would remain in such form and be his pet while fond memories added to her mind. Sadly, all good things must come to an end.

XxXxX

"Hmmm…." Naruto mumbled in his deep sleep while his face was pressed tightly against two soft warm mounts. He sighed on reflex and tried to pull away, but the strong arms wrapped around his neck always pulled him back into its embrace. "Okaa-sama… I'm not a kid anymore, stop sneaking in here and smoldering me…"

Kuroka's eyes snapped wide open when she heard the statement. She immediately noticed she had returned to her true form once again. The curse had finally broken as the two bishops pieces now under her total control. She looked down at her body and saw the blond's face was pressed tightly against her breasts with her hand wrapped around him. His breathing brushed her smooth skin as she purred on reflex.

"Nya… master?" Kuroka whispered inaudibly, but Naruto waved his hand as he was exhausted from today sparring session. It was an improvement since he'd managed to inflict serious injury on his father even without her help as a distraction. The day where he became victorious under his own power would come soon. Seeing his cute sleeping face, she wanted to lick his cheek and nibble on his ear, but refrained from doing so. She let go of him so he could lie flatly on his back before placing her head onto his chest, feeling the rhythmic heartbeat like she used to while watching his face.

Naruto blinked hazily, feeling the weight. He looked down to see the black-haired naked woman on his chest. Her golden eyes stared at him as his eyes were unfocused. "Another weird dream… Your face is really clearly this time around," he mumbled before yawning. With both hands wrapped around her in a cuddling fashion, he started snoozing with satisfactory smile.

Kuroka stayed like that for a few minutes, memorizing the melody for as long a she could while tears pooled around her eyes. Their time had come to an end.

"You will be a wonderful man one day, Naruto-sama. I only wish I could stay longer," Kuroka whimpered lowly before reluctantly pulling herself up from the bed. She unbundled the child arms around her matured body. She looked at the happily sleeping boy one last time before leaning over to kiss him on the cheek as he mumbled her pet name. It took her longer than she wanted to let go and exited the room out the window.

Standing outside, she noticed the runes around the area were no longer active. "Thank you for everything, Namikaze-sama," Kuroka said as she faced the man by the window side without a shred of clothing on.

Minato scratched his cheek as he stared at the voluptuous figure of the girl before trying his best to lock his eyes on her face. He blinked tiredly a few times as he was also exhausted from the recent sparring session. He want to sleep, but he had to get up once he sensed a powerful surge of foreign demonic energy emanating from somewhere within the house. It only took him a second to pinpoint its location, but he did not wish to intrude on the goodbye.

"That some incredible powers you have there, surpassing even a standard Ultimate Class. No wonder your former master was jealous and wanted to use your sister to keep you in line," Minato complimented before frowning. "I wondered if it was the right thing to do now that I sensed your true strength. But what's done is done, and if it turned out to be a mistake, I will take responsibility and rectify it in any way I can."

Kuroka was about to put his mind at ease, but he waved his hand dismissively. "You don't need to say anything. It has been done so no need to change my mind on it. Shirone's execution had been averted with an old friend's help. His son had taken your sister under his wing to prevent any future assassination, but she is very shaky right now, refusing to talk to anyone. She truly blamed you for what had happened, and going to see her now, nothing good will comes out of it."

"I understand," Kuroka acknowledged. She already knew the union would not go as planned, but she still wanted to see her dearest sister nonetheless. "I will not able to return here again will I?"

Minato sighed as he leaned against the wall at one end of the house. Lightning crackled around his arms as he looked at the ceiling of the cavern they were in. The seal was no longer active. "No. Do you remember what I'd told you? What you are feeling right now will soon pass. My son will forget about the small cat he loved and cherished as all children will grow up one day. The restriction seal around the area has been deactivated for you to leave on your own power. I fear that many upstart devils still trying to find you to enact their vengeance now that your younger sister is safe and untouchable. But with the level of power you have, you will have no trouble repelling them unless some higher up appear. A word of advice, find some allies to watch your back or you will not survive."

Kuroka nodded at the wisdom as she looked through the opened window to the sleeping form of her young master again. The golden bell around her neck jingled when she did. She rubbed the streaming tears from her cheek away as magical circle glowed under her feet. Without another word, she vanished from the area as runes along the earthen wall were activated once more.

"Is this what you truly want, Kushina? She could be a great daughter, you know?" Minato asked as the crimson-haired girl frowned on the opposite wall around the corner, hidden from view. She took at least quarter of an hour to answer her husband.

"Yes."

That was all she had to say before returning back into the house. Minato sighed and teleported into his son's room silently. With a sorrowful expression, he placed his hand on his son's forehead gently. Static electricity crackled across his hand and ran over the boy's body. Soon enough, he left the room and returned to bed with his wife. Neither of them could sleep for the rest of the night as they pondered if they had done the right thing.

Morning arrived as it usually did. Naruto entered the kitchen while having a pulsing headache that he couldn't ignored. "Did one of you whack me over the head last night? If you did, must you use a hammer to do it?"

Neither of his parents answered him as a lot of other stuff went through their minds. Kushina was absentminded as she made breakfast while Minato was staring blankly into space while sipping coffee from an already emptied cup every now and then. Naruto arched a brow, wondering what had happened with them.

"Did something happen last night that I don't know about?" Naruto questioned and got into his seat at one end of the dinner table. He noticed he intentionally left a space open by his side for something, but he didn't know what it was. His mother placed down the burnt breakfast before him with her mind elsewhere. He stared at it before rubbing his eyes and stared at it again to make sure his mother wasn't making a joke. "Umm… Okaa-sama. This isn't editable. You put a bar of soap into this, and I'm not even sure what this green substance on the side is."

"Sorry, Sochi. Let me redo it," Kushina mumbled. She picked up the offending plate and threw it into the trash can. She then returned to making a new one and checked the drawer for another clean plate she threw the one she just had away with the toxic breakfast. She shifted eating utensil around around as they made all sort of clanging sounds.

Naruto rubbed his temple in discomfort when he heard the sound before a bright smile plastered on his face. He turned to look at the doorway, expecting someone to be there. "Kuro-chan, you're finally up?"

Minato and Kushina snapped their eyes when their son said that. The thirteen year old blinked and tilted his head with confusion. "Why did I say that? Who's Kuro-chan?"

– to be continued –