Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.

This chapter will pick up where the last chapter left Naruto and Musubi. The later part with Seo doesn't happen until part way through this chapter at night. I guess you could say I'm sort of going back and doing a few scenes prior to the end of the last chapter.

Sorry for the long delay, I just lost my job and the past few weeks have been hectic trying to get all my affairs in order and shit sorted out. I got a decent severance package and with employment insurance I'll be fine for a while but losing my job kind of took the axe to my desire to do anything for a while there.

Review Responses: I have to say I'm relieved if the biggest gripe people had about the last chapter was my attempt at humor. I, personally, laughed my ass off when I envisioned the whole scenario in my head. However humor differs greatly from person to person and what one person finds funny, another person finds completely ridiculous. If that's the biggest type of complaint I get for the rest of my story, I'm a happy camper. You can never please everyone, and humor is about as subjective as you can get. It's mostly there to lighten the story up a bit so that it's not all doom and gloom.

I know for a fact that future attempts at humor will probably garner the same reaction, perhaps for different reasons but it'll still be there. That's the problem you run into when you try to delve into humor.

To the reviewer that compared my story to In Flight. Please don't. They may share the same universe, but the main characters are completely different. Naruto is not Shirou. They're not even remotely similar in any way. The only thing that is common between the two of them is that they know what war is like. However war affects everyone differently and unlike Shirou, Naruto isn't so distorted and twisted that he's always in his "I'm an untouchable badass" mode. Naruto still knows how to have a fun time and how to relax outside of tense situations. I don't think Shirou is capable anymore. At the very least I can't sit back and think of any situation in "In Flight" where Shirou just sat around and relaxed. He always seemed to be doing 'something' to enhance or give him an extra edge in the Sekirei Plan. In Flight is a great story, don't get me wrong; just don't compare my story to it. I've actually taken some great pains to separate my story from it.

For anyone wondering about what happened to Hinata, it'll be covered in a flashback in chapter 11. It's already written (I just finished chapter 12).

One of my reviewers said a lot of interesting things. It would take too much time to cover everything but I'll just point out one thing. Naruto never completed the flying thunder god because his focus was entirely on defeating Madara, not perfecting his father's technique. If he put his mind to it he probably could finish it in a couple days but he just simply hasn't gotten around to it, that's all there is to it. He might still complete it, but he might not. It really depends. Naruto is already an unstoppable juggernaut in this universe when he calls on Kurama. Does he really need any more power?

And finally about my last chapter's grammar structure and the like. Basically I had a massive brain fart when I went through proofreading it. I thought I was doing my narrative wrong. I thought third person had to be done a specific way. For some reason I had it in my mind the only third person narrative was 'third-person limited' where you only showed the thoughts and feelings of a single person, kind of an 'over-the-shoulder' point of view. It wasn't until I was halfway through modifying this chapter that I realized my mistake. The way I was doing it was perfectly fine. It's just a different type of third-person narrative called Third-person omniscient where multiple thoughts and feelings are explained, it's also the most common type. My mistake was that I didn't go back and change the change. That's probably why it seemed so odd at times because I literally shifted the narrative style from one chapter to the next and that meant some of the text ended up oddly because I was trying to duplicate what I already had but from a different narrative style. I've gone back to my old way in this chapter though. I prefer being able to describe the emotions of everyone instead of being limited to a single person and what they observe.

Chapter 8: The Sekirei of Fate

Naruto and Musubi didn't return to the Inn until later that evening. There had been a lot for them to do over the course of the day.

In addition to the clothing that Musubi had chosen for herself Naruto had picked out a few sets for Hanabi. The sets he picked out matched what his fiancée had prior to the destruction of their condo. He was sure that they would fit and that she would like them, she had been the one to choose them in the first place.

When he had gone to pay for the clothing however he had been surprised to find out that Musubi had her own MBI credit card with a virtually unlimited balance. He had been prepared to pay with his own money he had stashed away but decided to use the money from MBI instead. He had thanked Musubi and kept it on hand to buy the few pieces of furniture that they would need to complete their new room at Izumo Inn.

When it came to the furniture, now that Naruto had an MBI credit card again, he decided to go high quality. He wasn't particularly concerned about how the pieces looked, but how well they functioned.

He bought a large solid oak triple dresser with an elaborate three foot mirror topping. It was varnished just right and constructed with the highest quality oak boards. A matching desk and shelving unit was purchased as well. While he didn't have any books to put in the shelf at the moment it could still be used for other various items.

The chair that was purchased for the desk was a high back leather chair with adjustable arms. It was real leather as well, not the cheap stuff that most stores tried to pass off as real leather.

To top the desk Naruto purchased was a 46" flat screen LED high definition smart TV with all of the bells and whistles one could get with the TV. While Naruto wasn't a big fan of TV's, he only really cared about the cooking channel, Musubi wanted one and Hanabi would miss her shows if he didn't have one when she healed up.

The final item they purchased was to finally replace Naruto's destroyed phone with a new one. It was a better, newer, model of the one he had before. It never ceased to amaze Naruto just how fast things changed in Shinto Teito. It seemed a better version of whatever he bought came out before he even had the chance to open the packaging the item came in.

All in all almost a million yen was spent on furniture and clothing after everything was said and done. Of course it didn't cost Naruto a cent since everything was charged to MBI.

After they were finished buying everything Naruto destroyed the MBI card, quietly without Musubi noticing. He'd just say he lost it or forgot it at one of the stores if she ever asked. He had been meaning to get rid of theirs eventually and now was as good a time as any. There was always an ulterior motive when someone handed you unlimited money and he didn't want to find out what it was. He had milked that cash cow long enough in his mind.

It still didn't stop him from buying several dozen phones of the same variety that he had purchased for himself. He could always sell them off cheaply to someone who could crack the security on them and sell them off at a higher price to dubious organizations.

The trip back to Izumo Inn didn't take them very after they were finished with their shopping. They did turn quite a few heads as Musubi walked through the street carrying a few oversized boxes of unmade furniture over her head, with one hand. It definitely wasn't something one saw every day.

Naruto could have sealed them in a scroll but there hadn't really been any place to do it that wouldn't either make him look suspicious or would be noticed by those around him. He wasn't shy about showing his abilities, when it mattered, but that didn't mean he was going to blare it out to the whole world where everyone could see just for the sake of convenience. A shinobi that revealed their secrets when they didn't need to was just asking to be out-smarted and Naruto needed all the help he could get in that department.

Although seeing Musubi carry multiple boxes of furniture in a single hand over her head wasn't exactly inconspicuous either.

It was rapidly approaching dinner time when Musubi and Naruto finally made it back to Izumo Inn. The sun was just beginning to dip beneath the horizon and the beginnings of an orange glow began to paint itself on the sides of the tall buildings of Shinto Teito.

The Inn looked just as they had left it this morning, albeit it felt a bit more peaceful. Naruto had almost been chased out of the place after Miya had her way with him. The smells of warm food wafted through the air signaled that Miya had already begun to make the evening's meal.

Naruto hesitated for a moment as he reached the door. With the way he had been chased out he was a little nervous about whether or not he was still welcome within the confines of Izumo Inn. Miya hadn't said he was kicked out, but they definitely hadn't parted on the best of terms.

The decision was taken away from him as Musubi pushed the door open with her free hand and walked inside without a care in the world. "Landlady-sama! We're back!" Musubi called out cheerfully as she walked through the living room. She had to do a balancing act to get the boxes of furniture through the door but Musubi not only appeared to have been gifted with incredible strength but also sense of balance.

Miya entered the living room from the kitchen wiping her hands on a small hand towel used to dry dishes. She smiled at Musubi as she watched her balance the many boxes of furniture. "Welcome back Musubi-chan. Did you have fun while you were out?"

"Yes! Musubi and Naruto-sama went all over the place and he bought me all sorts of new clothing." Musubi replied in her usual exuberant way. She also seemed to have completely forgotten that it was her MBI card that Naruto had used to purchase everything but Naruto wasn't going to say anything if it made Musubi happy.

"And where is that no good beast anyways?" Miya asked as she looked around the living room seeing no sign of Naruto. Where she was standing she couldn't see very much out the front door, just a small portion of the walkway outside the house.

Musubi tilted her head and looked confused for a moment. She looked back and waved at someone outside. "What are you doing out there Naruto-sama?"

Naruto walked into the Inn sheepishly, "Ah ha, just… thinking is all." Naruto replied as he tried to pacify his Sekirei. He wasn't going to admit that he was nervous about re-entering Miya's presence. I mean it's not as if he hadn't just pissed her off enough that morning to make the walls bleed.

"Now, now Scum-san, no need to be afraid of a little ol' widow like myself." Miya gave Naruto a small smile as she started to bounce a ladle off her shoulder. Naruto could have sworn she didn't have that on her when he had first entered the Inn. It was probably best not to ask where she had gotten it from. "I'm sure there won't be any more… incidents am I correct?"

Naruto lowered his eyes and bowed low. "Of course Asama-san. What happened this morning was merely reflex and was not meant as any kind of offense or insult towards you. I am deeply sorry for my actions." Whatever it took to keep those scary bleeding masks and walls away from him, he would do it. Plus he was positive that Hanabi would kick his ass if she found out he had thrown a kunai at their new landlady. She seemed to be acting more and more like herself lately, and less and less like her sister.

Miya's smile softened and the ladle disappeared. "It's alright Uzumaki-san. Just so long as you've learned your lesson." Miya glanced back at Musubi, "But I wasn't aware you enjoyed using your…" Miya trailed off for a second.

"Sekirei!" Musubi supplied helpfully. Naruto groaned and just put his face in his palm.

Miya chuckle lightly and appeared to ignore Musubi's comment, "Friends as beasts of burden."

"Oh don't worry Landlady-sama!" Musubi said energetically, "I'm strong! I can carry this no problem."

"That's not what she was talking about Musubi-chan." Naruto said as he gently pushed Musubi from behind, "Could you head up to our room and place those inside? I'll take care of putting them together."

"Sure!" Musubi replied as she turned and headed up the stairs to their shared room.

Naruto watched her go, admiring the view as she walked up the stairs. That short skirt on her Shrine Maiden outfit really gave quite the view when Musubi walked up a staircase ahead of him.

"Ahem, Uzumaki-san?" Miya asked, a hint of disapproval in her voice once Musubi was out of sight.

"Aheh, sorry, I couldn't help myself." Naruto said with a hint of nostalgia in his voice. He was certain that where his old mentor was he was proud of him. Naruto turned and faced Miya, "She volunteered you know, to carry those boxes."

"I know."

"You knew?" Naruto was confused; he was under the impression that Miya honestly thought the worst of him. That was when he noticed a small grin crease Miya's face. It suddenly clicked and Naruto understood. Miya wasn't going to kick him out over what happened this morning. Naruto groaned as he planted his face in his hand again. "You just enjoy teasing me don't you."

"Not just you." Miya crossed the room and peered up at Naruto. "However that doesn't mean I will tolerate any violence here at Izumo Inn. Am I clear?"

"Yes Asama-san."

"I thought I said to just call me Miya, calling me Asama makes me feel old." Naruto nodded hastily. He didn't want a repeat of that morning.

There was a curious look on her face as she studied his. She brought a hand up and gently caressed his cheek. Naruto blushed a little and had to stop himself from turning away. "Your injuries, they're healed already. There isn't even a hint of a bruise left." Miya said in wonderment. "I've never heard of anyone with that level of recovery."

"My family was blessed with longevity and increased healing capabilities." Not that it saved my mother, Naruto thought as he turned away. The lack of family had worn Naruto raw over time. There was a hole in his heart that never got filled as a child and that hole only became more pronounced as time moved on. The few minutes he got to spend with his parents inside his mind were hardly adequate replacements.

Hanabi and Musubi were beginning to fill that hole but it would be awhile before Naruto felt truly comfortable talking about his parents.

Miya had almost missed it, but there in his eyes was a painful, faraway look. It was as if he was remembering something from the distant past, something awful. There was a twinge.

"Wow that smells good Miya… whoa." Uzume cut off suddenly as she reached the foot of the stairs. Miya was positioned so that her back was the brown haired Sekirei and with their faces so close it appeared as if the two of them were engaged in illicit activities. "Damn bro you move fast!"

Naruto was knocked backwards a step as Miya whirled around in haste. He hadn't been expecting the sudden movement. Miya had her eyes closed as she smiled up at Uzume; the ladle was back again, resting lightly on her shoulder. Naruto hadn't even noticed it disappear when she had approached him earlier. "Uzume, why don't you go wash up before dinner?" It wasn't a request and Uzume got the hint quickly.

"A-Ah, right Miya. T-That's a good idea." Uzume stumbled a bit on her words as she backed up the stairs from whence she came. It was obvious that she wasn't prepared for another round of scary hannya masks, not after the horror she had to endure that morning. More than likely she'd had enough for a lifetime.

"Maybe I should go see how Musubi-chan is doing." Naruto said as he quietly slipped around Miya to head towards the stairs.

"Yes, that would be most appropriate Uzumaki-san."

Miya watched as Naruto made his way upstairs. He was an enigma to her. There were so many things that just didn't add up and she had to admit it had her curious. She could tell he had a gentle soul that cared deeply for those that were close to him and would go out of his way to help a stranger. It was one of the reasons why she had let him into the Inn without too many questions and why she didn't throw him out when he threw the bladed weapon at her.

But at the same time he seemed to radiate a fierce flame that threatened to burn those around him if it was let loose. His movements were fluid, graceful and he didn't make a sound as he walked. No pitter-patter of feet on the ground, no rustling of clothing, even his breathing was tempered to be as silent as possible. She knew he was experienced in combat and infiltration, very experienced, and that made her doubly curious.

There weren't many situations in which someone like him would need to be created. Military forces in this day and age relied on brute force and power. Stealth was something that was very seldom seen.

And then there were all the other oddities such as his healing abilities, his strength, his speed, his ability to climb up walls without using his hands.

He was very strange and she liked a good mystery. She wouldn't try too hard, after all, she was keeping a rather large one from him, but she would find out what secrets Naruto was hiding from her.

Eventually.

Miya turned and headed back into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. It wouldn't do if it burned because she neglected it for too long. She chuckled lightly to herself as a small smile graced her face. Naruto was a mystery that she would unravel in time. However in the meantime he was so fun to tease.

x~X~x

That evening found Naruto laid out in his futon with his hands folded across his stomach. He was still as he thought back over the evenings events.

It hadn't taken long for his shadow clones to set the room up. They had worked hard and quickly while everyone else ate dinner downstairs. Musubi was amazed at how quickly everything seemed to get put together and Miya just had this odd questioning look on her face like she was trying to piece together a puzzle that was missing most of the pieces.

Naruto supposed it would seem strange that his room magically pulled itself together without anyone inside it. His shadow clones were such a useful tool for menial tasks such as manual labor. They had been a life saver during his first year as Hokage. Why his predecessors never thought about using the technique to get through the paper work faster he'd never know.

Dinner itself was pleasant enough. Kagari wasn't there to eat with the rest of them having excused himself due to his job as a Host. Musubi was once again proving that she was a human vacuum in disguise as she consumed everything that Miya set in front of her almost before Miya had withdrawn her hand.

Naruto had at times worried that Musubi might accidentally consume Miya's hand in addition to the food. When he had voiced his concerns Miya just let out a small laugh and Musubi gave him a look like 'he' was strange.

The only truly noteworthy thing was the reports of a large botanical garden appearing in one of the parks suddenly. It reminded Naruto of the forests back in Konoha with massive trees that towered over everything. Only this was far more chaotic and uncontrolled.

Still it meant that there was a Sekirei out there with the power to control plant life: The Mokuton bloodline.

"Naruto-sama…" Musubi mumbled as she turned in her sleep. Naruto turned his head and smiled over at his innocent Sekirei. She was currently in her own futon, which was placed beside his, but he knew that it was simply a matter of time before she made his way over into his. He didn't mind, it was nice to have the warmth beside him. There had been far too many cold and lonely nights in his life already.

The fact that she was wearing the erotic black sheer nightgown she had picked out earlier was a nice bonus.

Naruto went back to staring at the ceiling. He didn't have time to admire his Sekirei, there was something he wanted to, no needed to, confirm tonight and he had put it off long enough. He adjusted his breathing and began to take long deep breaths. He closed his eyes and calmed his heart and mind. It wasn't long before he was in the familiar green landscape that was his mind.

He was greeted with a sight that defied his ability to comprehend.

Naruto's jaw dropped to the ground as he stared at what was before him. Never in his life would he ever think he would see something like this. It was just so outlandish and out of character it just didn't make sense. It was as if all the laws of the universe had decided to flip him off and go take a vacation or something.

Kurama, the mighty nine-tailed demon fox, the individual responsible for mass destruction and fear across the Elemental Nations, at least before Naruto befriended him, was lying on his back playing with that silverish orb of energy that normally floated around him. He was playing catch with himself, gently holding the ball, throwing it into the air, and then catching it again either with his feet or with his tails if it landed too far from his legs.

And the ball of energy seemed to be… enjoying it? That was the impression Naruto was getting from the glowing silvery thing.

Being inside Naruto's own mind he had a greater understanding of how things felt and acted than would normally be possible considering it was nothing more than a glowing ball of energy. But he was able to interpret the different pulses and shifts of energy pretty well.

Kurama was playing catch with his own accessory. Kurama's eyes were wide open and shone with glee. His tongue was hung out to the side as he joyfully played the game of catch. It was such a ludicrous sight that Naruto was struck speechless. His thought processes began to shut down as it desperately tried to make room to understand the impossibility before him. The entire reason for coming there was completely wiped out of his mind.

It was in mid toss that Kurama finally noticed Naruto's presence. His eyes widened slightly and suddenly the game of catch was over. Kurama instantly appeared before Naruto and sat demurely on his hind legs with his tails gracefully curved around him on the grass. The silverish orb, too, was no longer acting the way it was inside it gave off a regal feel as it floated calmly beside Kurama as if nothing had happened.

Naruto still hadn't moved an inch as he stared at the spot where Kurama had been.

"Ahem, you didn't see what you think you saw." Kurama started as he tried to dismiss what had happened as if it was nothing more than an illusion. "Whatever you think you saw never happened. I, the mighty Kurama, would never lower myself to playing something as silly as a human game." The orb that floated beside Kurama bobbed up and down as it nodded in agreement.

Naruto was still as a statue. His mind still incapable of processing what he had just witnessed.

Kurama shared a quick glance with his floating friend before he brought his gaze back down upon his host. "Naruto, it was all a figment of your imagination. It happens you know, this is your mind and you have some weird and warped ideas you know. You just happened to run into one of them, that is all. I was most definitely 'not' playing that stupid human game known as 'catch'." The orb bounced up and down again as it threw in its agreement with Kurama.

Naruto's mind tried to do a memory wipe to try and get rid of the image. It was just too much for him to handle. He was definitely going to need a mental reboot to get over what he just saw.

Kurama frowned as he stared down at his blonde friend. It didn't appear as if anything he said actually got through to the poor man. Kurama turned to address the floating orb. "I think I broke him." The orb pulsed mournfully as it agreed once again with Kurama. It hadn't meant to break the poor boy. Well at least not this much anyways.

Then the mindscape went completely dark. Everything seemed to disappear with the exception of Kurama, Naruto and their accessories. Big bold red words began to appear around everyone in there.

"Reboot in Process! Reboot in Process! Please do not do anything strange and abnormal while reboot is in session."

Kurama and the orb floating beside him both developed large sweat drops behind them that slowly dripped to the ground. Perhaps they had broken Naruto far worse than they had initially thought. It appeared as if Naruto's mind was set to actively erase everything it had just seen because it was physically and mentally incapable of comprehending it.

"Yes, I definitely broke him." Kurama rumbled to himself as he peered around him. He had never seen a mind reboot itself like this before. Granted he'd only ever been trapped in three individuals total so it wasn't as if he had a great deal of experience. He had been nothing more than a giant ball of hatred and malice while he was within Mito and Kushina Uzumaki, predictable and tightly bound incapable of doing any more than simply existing.

As quickly as the words appeared they disappeared and the mindscape recreated itself reverting to a time before Kurama decided to… amuse himself within Naruto's mind.

It was from that moment on that Kurama swore to pay a bit more attention to his surroundings whenever he let loose and relaxed. While he didn't know too much on mental reboots he knew that it couldn't be healthy. Naruto was already stunted enough in the mental department due to a slow start that he wasn't willing to risk any more damage on an already fragile mind.

Naruto held his head in his hands and shook it gently. "Ugh, that was weird." Naruto mumbled to himself as he slowly raised his head and looked around. "I feel like I'm forgetting something all of a sudden."

"Ah, I wouldn't worry about that too much." Kurama said quickly as he tried to interrupt Naruto's train of thought. "If it was important you will remember it in time. Now, what brings you here?" Kurama didn't want Naruto to remember what had just happened. Aside from the obvious mental breakdown Naruto had just experienced it was a rather embarrassing sight that Kurama didn't want anyone, not even his container, to know about.

I mean really, did people honestly think he just sat on his haunches all day looking badass? Well he did do that to some extent but he had to relieve his boredom somehow when Naruto wasn't around. At least Naruto hadn't seen him chasing his tails like he used to do. It was actually pretty difficult when you had nine of them. There was also the fact that no matter how fast he ran they ALL managed to stay out of reach. It was frustrating to the ninth degree.

Naruto's face brightened slightly before a thoughtful look appeared. "Ah that's right! There's something I want to, no need to, check out tonight. It could be pretty important." Naruto said as he sat down cross legged on the top of one of the gentle hills. He pushed his earlier thought out of his mind. Like Kurama said if it was important something would remind him of it and he'd remember then, hopefully.

"Oh? That's pretty strange of you to do outside of when you get serious." Kurama rumbled in his deep voice. A couple of his tails involuntarily came up and started to bat the orb away. The orb began to giggle, at least that's what it felt like from the ripple like patterns that appeared on its surface, as it began to dodge and weave between the tails.

"Damn it you giant fuzz ball." The ripples on the orb became more pronounced, "I do think about things you know!"

"Ramen doesn't count."

"Hey! I think about more than just ramen." Naruto had an indignant look on his face. He thought about way more things than just Ramen. It was just that Ramen was the food of the gods and deserved more attention than anything else. Well almost anything else he supposed after a moment. Hanabi and Musubi DID deserve a little bit more than Ramen, but just a little.

It was Ramen after all.

"Neither does thinking about various ways of banging those girls of yours."

"Bah you're just jealous I get some, hey no wait that's not what I meant." Naruto blushed fiercely. He had to admit that thinking of new ways of expressing his love for Hanabi did cross his mind often. As did the various ways he could weave Musubi into that threesome vision he had dreamed of lately.

But that still wasn't the bulk of everything he thought of! He thought of other stuff as well. He'd prove it too! Just as soon as he figured out what else there was that he thought of on a regular basis aside from his precious people and Ramen. There had to be more to his thought processes than that right?

Naruto glared up at Kurama in mock fury as the giant demon foxed laughed at his plight. "Anyways, enough with using me for your amusement. Have you learned anything else about these orbs that follow us around and their various connections?" Naruto asked as he tried to bring the conversation back on track. He had come here tonight for a purpose but before he went through with it he wanted to have as much information at his disposal as possible and if Kurama had learned anything more he wanted that information.

Kurama shook his head from side to side. "Unfortunately not a whole lot more." The nine-tailed foxed grumbled as he glared at the orb that was still weaving between his tails. There wasn't any heat in the gaze though, "I have learned that there appears to be a two-way communication between my orb and Hanabi's. I'd hazard a guess that the same exists between that Musubi girl's orb and whatever it is connected to."

Naruto frowned at that piece of information. That wasn't exactly good news. "So you're saying that Musubi's connection could potentially be a way for an external source to attack her, or worse anything inside here?"

Kurama nodded his head slowly, "Yes, that is possible, although you need to remember that the orbs are simply mental representations. While it is definitely possible for Musubi to come under influence or attack from an external source, for it to jump from the representation of Musubi's bond with you to another bond or anything else in here is extremely unlikely." The theory was there but the ability to pull it off shouldn't be. Even back at the height of the Elemental Nations it was impossible to pull off a long range attack like that, and Naruto was strong enough to prevent anyone from doing anything within eyesight. "However if there ever was some sort of influence or attack on Musubi I would do my best to halt it." Kurama said as he tried to comfort Naruto. "I like the idea of uninvited guests and intrusions here less than you do so if anything wanted to harm Musubi or Hanabi it would have to get past me first."

Naruto smiled up at his old friend, "Thanks Kurama, it's nice to know you have my back in this situation." Naruto looked back and forth between the two orbs that hovered just above his shoulders. A thoughtful look crossed his face again, "Is there any possible way of disconnecting Musubi to whatever it is outside of my mind and connecting it to your own orb? I'd feel much better knowing that she wasn't at threat from some unknown force at any time."

Kurama shrugged, "I might be able to, but I don't know what kind of changes or damages a severance would have on Musubi. It's probably best to leave it as is until we know for certain that there is a clear danger to her."

"Are you certain?"

Kurama gave him a look as if he was stupid, "I have been analyzing Hanabi's connection with my orb for quite some time to try and figure everything out about it. I know I said there was a connection but it's not like there is actually anything there. It's more that the orb is attuned to sending and receiving from a particular source. Like how the humans here have developed, what was it, radio communication I think? Anyways it wouldn't be hard to override the current imprinting on Musubi's orb so that it responded to my own instead of some external connection. However there was no telling what kind of result could arise from such an act. Musubi may be irreparably changed as a result. We just simply don't know enough about this." Kurama explained in more detail.

Naruto sighed and accepted Kurama's explanation, "Alright, well just keep an eye on it for now. If you find the chance to swap it over without any ill effects on Musubi, you have my permission to go ahead and do it." Naruto only hoped that their lack of information on this subject wouldn't come back to bite them later.

Kurama nodded his head, "I will do that. Now, what was the real reason for coming here tonight? Surely it was for more than just an update."

Now that they were on the subject of the real reason he had come here tonight Naruto felt he had enough information to go ahead. He held his hand out for the pink orb. It took the hint and gently floated down into the palm of his hand. It didn't appear to be all that different from the first time he saw it. The large pink orb was still spider-webbed with cracks and the smaller orb orbited the larger one as it repaired the cracks as fast as they appeared. It didn't look as if any progress was made almost as if it was currently at a stalemate. "Musubi may be more than just Musubi, I'm here to figure out just how much of Musubi is Musubi and how much of Musubi isn't."

"Well that's infuriatingly vague." Kurama responded as a large sweat drop rolled down the back of his head.

Naruto sighed and tried again, "Musubi-chan said she was kidnapped early in her life and that one of her fellow Sekirei sacrificed her life to save her. I don't know the specifics of how or what but there are two similar, yet still distinctly different, types of chakra within Musubi. I believe one of them belongs to this Sekirei that saved her, Yume." Naruto brought up his other hand and held it sideways beside Musubi's bond to him. "If my hunch is correct then…"

"This Yume individual is also bound to you just like Musubi and that smaller orb is her." Kurama finished for Naruto as he finally understood where Naruto was going with all of this.

If that orb belonged to Yume and it was a mental representation of the Sekirei then it meant that there was also a second consciousness within Musubi, probably buried beneath her conscious mind. That second orb moved with purpose which indicated that there was a will behind its actions.

And if there was a will then that meant it could be possible for Naruto to manifest the orb in a different form, perhaps one more suitable for conversation. He couldn't do it for Musubi or Hanabi, their minds couldn't be pulled in here due to the attachment to their physical form, but if this Yume resided purely within the subconscious then it could be possible to bring her forth.

A look of interest entered Kurama's eyes. "How do you plan on manifesting her here?" Kurama asked curiously.

Naruto had thought about that a bit, while he could open his mind to allow it, he couldn't force the subconscious in here. Not very easily anyways and not without potentially hurting Musubi. The Yamanaka could do it, but it required a special technique and physical contact.

Although considering how clingy Musubi got while they slept Naruto was positive the physical contact wasn't going to be much of an issue. She was probably already snuggled up tight against him.

"I haven't really thought that far." Naruto admitted honestly. Kurama sighed deeply, it sounded like the thunder after a lightning strike. Naruto hadn't really figured out how to get the manifestation to occur. He just hoped that whatever it was would be willing to allow her to be drawn into his mindscape. If Yume didn't want to appear he was pretty much stumped. "From what I was able to sense earlier today this Yume character appears to be supplementing Musubi's own chakra. Musubi only has a set amount and Yume appears to be replenishing it. If I can take over that replenishment for a short period of time, and we both know I have ridiculous amounts of chakra to spare, I'm hoping that this Yume character will be curious enough to accept my invitation."

"You're gambling on a lot of things kit." Kurama asked, sounding as if he was greatly concerned about what Naruto was about to do. Naruto didn't blame him either, there were a large number of different things that could easily go wrong. "Let's say you supply Musubi your chakra, will it be enough, perhaps too much? Will this Yume even notice? You're assuming there's more than base instincts residing within that bond. Do you even know the exact method that Yume was using to replenish Musubi's chakra?" If Naruto messed up the transfer he could hurt Musubi very easily.

"I'm going to gamble on this, I tend to be lucky." Naruto said as he prepared to go through with his plan. He had one thing going for him. The orb was a mental representation of Musubi's bond with him; this bond went beyond just feelings and actually gave an indication on the health and well-being of the person it represented. If the cracks began to show any signs of worsening he was going to halt the technique right away. "I can't just leave this as it is. Musubi says Yume is a good person, but Musubi trusts everyone blindly. I can't afford that kind of naivety, especially when a piece of that individual resides within my mind."

"So you're just going to wing it?" Kurama asked incredulously.

"Yes, but the moment things appear to be going south I'm going to stop. I'm not going to push anything if looks as if Musubi will be hurt by this."

He had delayed long enough; it was time to do this. When he had sensed the two different chakras in Musubi earlier in the day he had noted how the conversion had taken place. It was truly remarkable and helped illustrate just how different Sekirei actually were from regular people. The chakra that was being supplied to Musubi was directed to certain locations that were lacking and then simply, let go. The chakra was just released and Musubi's body had taken control from there converting it properly into what she needed.

He had a feeling that it was so simple because of how similar the two types of chakra were but he intended to use the same principle. He was going to have to try and adjust his chakra as well so that it more closely resembled Musubi's before he handed it over. He hoped that since the two of them were bonded that it meant his chakra was in some way compatible with Musubi's. Compatible enough that she'd be able to utilize it.

It was a huge gamble and one that Naruto would fold on at even the hint of something awry.

He began slowly, as to not cause any serious problems if something did go wrong, he began to emit chakra from his hand and channelled it into the various cracks that were appearing in the orb. He was careful to keep anything related to Kurama out of said chakra since he doubted it would be particularly compatible.

At first nothing appeared to happen and some doubts began to appear about the feasibility of this strategy. The doubts increased as the orb began to darken, although it would be more accurate to say that it took on a more pinkish hue. Naruto was on the verge of stopping right then and there when the cracks that he was feeding chakra into started to mend. Naruto would be the first to admit he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing but he was glad that it at least appeared to not be having any ill effects on his Sekirei.

The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Musubi.

The smaller orb that was circling around Musubi's orb jerked suddenly, as if startled by what was going on. It even felt a little confused as if it did not quite understand what was happening. That was understandable. What Naruto was doing would be impossible for anyone other than another tailed-beast host, and he was the last. People always seemed to be startled when Naruto accomplished the impossible.

Naruto brought his other hand over, the one that had been held vertically beside the orb, to the smaller orb that Naruto assumed represented Yume. He didn't touch it directly, just held it nearby as if signalling for it to accept his hand. He wasn't going to force the issue. Regardless of Yume's intention, she was the only thing that kept Musubi alive and he wasn't going to jeopardize that.

The smaller orb seemed to hesitate for a moment. It hovered in place for a moment as it wondered what was going on. Much to Naruto's relief however its hesitation didn't last very long. It accepted his invitation. The orb separated itself from Musubi's and hovered above his right hand.

The moment he brought his hand away an incredible feeling enveloped Naruto as if he had just reached a climax. It was odd since he was inside his mindscape and he shouldn't be engaged in any sexual activities, and even if he was it shouldn't have filtered through to his mindscape.

"It's love! I can feel the overflowing love!" A cry rang out through the mindscape as a form began to coalesce before Naruto. The small white orb began to dissolve and flow outwards as it joined the growing form before him.

The form started out as nothing more than a pure white shadow, if such a thing was possible, before it started to take true form, shape and color. When all of that came together Naruto had to blink a couple times to make sure he was seeing correctly.

It was almost as if Musubi herself had appeared before him inside his mindscape instead of the Yume he had hoped to attract. For a short moment Naruto wondered if he had brought the wrong person into his mind but then quickly realized that regardless of how much this woman looked like Musubi, she felt completely different.

After a little more analysis he realized there were a few more differences between the two. First off this woman had smaller breasts than Musubi, not that it was difficult considering the sheer size his Sekirei carried on her frame. Most women would have smaller breasts than Musubi. However there were a few other differences that Naruto noticed. One being that her pony-tail was slightly shorter than Musubi's and her proportions were leaner. She still had curves in all the right places but her muscles appeared to be more tone and there was just a tad bit more of them.

The most significant difference however was the pair of yin-yang symbols in her eyes.

She was also completely naked which both Naruto and Kurama took the time to appreciate fully.

"Are you… Yume-san?" Naruto asked curiously. He was pretty sure she was but he wanted to make sure.

The brown-haired Sekirei clasped her hands before her as she smiled at Naruto, "Yes! I am No. 08 Yume, The Sekirei of Fate and the leader of the second Disciplinary Squad and Guardian of the S-Plan! You must be Naruto-san. Musubi is so lucky to have someone such as you as her Ashikabi. I can feel your love pouring into her." Naruto could feel practically see the love that radiated from Yume although he wasn't quite sure who it was directed towards. He got the distinct feeling it was directed towards all people in general.

But one thing didn't sit well with him. Whenever someone started spouting gibberish about Fate and Destiny he got a little nervous. Many people had been twisted and distorted because they believed too heavily in that stuff. "Sekirei of Fate?" Naruto asked cautiously hoping to get a more in-depth explanation.

"Yes! I am the defender of love and will use all my power to make sure Musubi and all the other little birds live a life full of love and happiness!" Yume declared with a fierce determination as she thrust her chest out and clenched a fist before her. Naruto figured she was trying to strike an imposing figure but that was pretty difficult considering her lack of clothing.

Ah, she was one of those people. She was kind of like him then. It wasn't so much that she felt she controlled or was bound by fate, but that she felt it was her duty to allow others to choose their own fate. At least that's how Naruto interpreted it. That put Naruto at ease a little. He wasn't quite sure what he would do if there was a female version of a young Neji living inside Musubi, although there had been many indicators that Yume was quite different.

"I am trying to determine your exact relationship with Musubi and I was hoping you could shed some light on this bond that you and Musubi have." Naruto wasn't entirely sure how he wanted to start the conversation but Yume appeared to be alright so maybe she would volunteer the information.

"You do not have to worry Naruto-san. Musubi is as precious to me as she is to you." Well, she certainly didn't have any of Musubi's naivety. She was able to pick up on far more subtle things than his Sekirei could. "My only desire is for her to live out her life happily with you and I will help in any way I can!"

"She has to be lying." Kurama spoke finally. He had lain down during the introduction and had his head rested on his front paws. He peered intently at Yume as he searched for answers. "You humans never do something for another without wanting something else in return." Yume quickly whirled around and started in surprise as she beheld the sight of the powerful demon fox that had been behind her. She obviously hadn't expected such an entity to exist inside Naruto. Kurama glanced over at Naruto, "Even you Naruto usually have something you wish in return be it respect, acknowledgement or even love. You may not want anything materialistic, but there's always something." Kurama turned his eyes back on Yume, "So what is it that you want little human?"

"What is this?!" Yume exclaimed in surprise as she stared at the Kyubi. "There is so much anger and malice swirling around inside it, and the power!" Yume settled into a battle stance as if she was prepared to do battle against Kurama. "I don't know how you got inside Naruto-sama but I won't let you hurt him or Musubi!"

Kurama just yawned in boredom. There wasn't much that Yume could do to Kurama. The nine-tailed demon fox was a mass of chakra and many times more powerful than Yume. Kurama couldn't be killed, only contained.

"Ah, that's Kurama." Naruto spoke up. He hoped Yume would hold off long enough to allow him to explain. He didn't want a battle to break out in his mind. "He's been inside me since the day I was born. He's a friend. He doesn't like most people though. Humans haven't treated him very well in the past."

Kurama snorted, "That's an understatement of a lifetime. Besides you and a few of those humans you surround yourself with I couldn't care less if the rest of your species was wiped off the planet. Humans as a whole are a giant mass of self-serving, egotistical, maniacs hell-bent on destroying themselves and taking everyone and everything else with them and I personally think this world would be better off without them." Kurama paused for a moment before adding, "Present company excluded of course."

Yume looked sad as she eased out of her fighting, "All humans are precious! You shouldn't wish death on everyone; they all deserve the chance to find love and happiness."

Kurama snorted in disgust, "You have yet to see the true depths at which human depravity can reach if you still think that little girl."

Yume ignored Kurama and turned halfway towards Naruto. It looked as if she still wanted to keep an eye on Kurama in case in made any aggressive moves. "I do not understand. How does someone filled with such love and dedication have such a being inside them?" Yume asked.

Naruto sighed and figured there wasn't really any harm in telling her. I mean it's not like she had any way of blabbing about his secrets. "I'm a vessel I suppose you could say. A human enslaved him on the day of my birth and tried to destroy my home with him. My father sealed Kurama inside me to prevent that from happening. I'll admit we hated each other at first but we came to an understanding. He's not so bad once you get to know him. A little perverted but aside from that I really couldn't ask for a better friend."

"And you say that like you aren't yourself. I've seen the way you've been looking at this Yume since she appeared." Kurama fired back as he grinned at Naruto. Kurama loved to tease Naruto and seemed to do it whenever he could and if it was in front of someone else it was even better.

Naruto blushed slightly as Yume eyed him. He turned his head a bit and glared at the fox in mock anger. A small laugh escaped from Yume's lips as she turned around to face Naruto completely. She folded her arms beneath her breasts, "You don't need me Naruto-san. You have Musubi-chan."

"Hey, you're a part of her, as far as I'm concerned that was a two-for-one deal." A smile graced Yume's face and her eyes twinkled with mirth. She didn't appear to be the least bit offended by Naruto's statement. She had also made no movement to cover up at all. Naruto decided to turn on the charm a little bit. "Besides if you're going to defend everyone else's love and happiness, who better to defend yours than myself?"

Yume looked sad for a moment, her eyes took on a downcast look, "I'm afraid it's not my fate to ever know that happiness." She raised her eyes and a fierce fire started to burn again inside them burning away the sadness that had overcome her for the moment. "But I can experience it through Musubi!"

"And so we have her reason at last." Kurama said finally and closed his eyes. He knew there had to be a reason for Yume to make that earlier declaration. Humans were all the same, they always wanted something. The main thing that separated the good from the bad was whether or not they gave more than they received. It was still too soon for Kurama to make a judgement call on Yume but already she seemed better than the average human.

Naruto however had a different reaction than Kurama's indifference. The look he shot Yume was filled with heat and anger. "Don't give me that shit about fate." Naruto snarled at her. Yume was surprised at vehemence of his statement and looked very much taken aback at the heat in his voice. "I don't care if you call yourself the Sekirei of Fate or whatever. Fate is never decided for you, only you get to decide that. You CAN experience that happiness. Don't you dare hide behind such convenient words."

Yume was speechless for a moment. Naruto was angry not at her, but at her willingness to give up on her own happiness. He genuinely seemed to care about her, someone he had just met moments ago. Warmth began to spread through her as the words sunk in deeply. She was certain she would call Naruto her Ashikabi if she had a body of her own and if she wasn't…

It was just so unfortunate that for her to experience that happiness, Musubi would be forced to lose hers, and she said as much, "I'm a part of Musubi now and so long as I remain a part of her the fact remains that it is simply impossible for me to have an Ashikabi as she does." Yume explained softly, "Only one of us can experience this and I made my choice long ago that Musubi would be the one to carry on."

Naruto frowned as he realized she was right. At the moment, despite his words, there wasn't any way for Yume to have what Musubi currently did. She and Musubi had a relationship very much like himself and Kurama in that Yume and Kurama could only experience the world through the people they were bound to. Considering the condition Musubi was in Yume was probably even more restricted than Kurama was.

"It's still too soon to give up." Naruto wasn't one to give up though just because it seemed impossible. He lived his entire life making the impossible happen. "Just because we don't know of a solution now, doesn't mean one won't arise in the future. I won't give up looking, and you shouldn't give up hoping."

The smile Yume graced Naruto with was beautiful. It took Naruto's breath away for a moment as he realized just how gorgeous Yume actually was. While Yume looked very much like Musubi, she carried a maturity that made her just that much more appealing to Naruto. "You truly are a caring person Naruto-kun." Yume said finally, "I'll keep on hoping as you've requested. You've given me something to look forward to. Musubi truly is blessed to have someone like you as her Ashikabi."

"Good." Naruto replied with a smile, "That smile suits you better than that earlier look."

Yume just shook her head ruefully. Naruto was far more complex than she had realized initially. "I think I should return to Musubi now." Yume said as she pointed towards the orb that represented Musubi's orb.

Naruto glanced over at it and noticed it was vibrating and pulsating. The color seemed to be shifting from a deep pink to a lighter pink and back again in time with the pulses. Aside from the odd behaviour the cracks didn't appear to be any worse than before, if anything there were fewer and those that did exist were less pronounced.

"It seems to be doing fine to me, although its behaviour is peculiar." Naruto noted as he analyzed the orb carefully. Throughout the conversation he had been keeping an eye on it discreetly in case it had taken a turn for the worse.

Yume blushed slightly which made both Kurama and Naruto curious, "Well at the moment my Tama is currently inside you, not Musubi. I should return before I get too acclimatized to your body and have difficulty readjusting to Musubi's when I return." That made sense to Naruto, although he wasn't quite sure how or why her core was now inside of him. It did sort of explain the odd feeling he had when he separated the two orbs earlier.

That didn't explain why she was blushing though. "There's more to it than that though right?"

Yume nodded slowly, "To exchange my core between you and Musubi it was similar to the ritual where you lend your power to Musubi to have her winged, only this was in reverse. It also required something a bit more intimate than a simple kiss."

Naruto tilted his head for a moment as he thought; it didn't click until Kurama whistled from behind Yume. It was a long whistle that had a distinctly sexual connotation to it. Suddenly Naruto understood and began to blush madly. They had been having this conversation for a while now so that meant that he and Musubi had been going at it for quite some time.

"Ah, right, you bring up a good point." Naruto said hurriedly and raised his palm up before Yume indicating he was ready to re-join her with Musubi.

Yume gave Naruto one last smile before she dissolved back into a small glowing white orb. He brought his hand up beside the pulsating orb that represented Musubi and held it close. He wasn't sure what else he could do but he hoped the proximity between the two bonds would be enough for Yume to take care of the rest.

And it was. Another climatic feeling rushed through Naruto's body as Yume's Sekirei core flowed from within him and back into Musubi. The moment he felt the connection shift and saw Yume had gone back to supporting Musubi from within he stopped channelling chakra into the orb and let it float gently free. The orb began to take on its normal pinkish hue as the vibrations and pulsating settled down.

Naruto swallowed hard and looked over at Kurama. "I think I should head back and see what kind of mess has been made."

Kurama barked a laugh, "Mess, of course, just make sure to clean up before Miya sees it. Unless you want another beating."

Oh god he hoped not. Not that he didn't want to mind you, Musubi was a beautiful woman after all, it's just he wasn't sure Musubi was ready for the birds and the bees talk, especially if it came along with a demonstration.

And then there was Miya's warning. He didn't want another encounter with her ladle quite so soon.

x~X~x

When Naruto woke up the first thing he noticed was the weight on top of him. Apparently Musubi had crawled into his futon while he had been asleep. It was a pleasant feeling as Musubi had her arms wrapped around his waist and her breasts pressed tightly against his chest. At some point during the night she'd managed to lose all her clothing.

The second thing Naruto noticed was the pleasurable, warm and yet distinctly wet, feeling he was experiencing between his legs. With a groan Naruto understood exactly what he was feeling down there.

Musubi wasn't a virgin anymore.

What's worse is that as Naruto got a good look at Musubi he realized she'd been asleep the entire time. Either that or she had fallen asleep immediately after the deed was done but knowing her it was probably the former.

Naruto rolled over so that Musubi was beneath him. He shuddered slightly as the friction caused by the movement caused him to harden inside her again. "Mmmm, Naruto-sama…." Musubi murmured in her sleep and Naruto definitely didn't want to know what it was she was dreaming about. "Sex tastes so good."

Ok that was weird. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what Musubi was dreaming about. It would probably be something beyond his ability to comprehend.

Naruto carefully wiggled himself out from between Musubi's arms. It was surprisingly more difficult than he had anticipated. Musubi was strong and she did have a good grip on him. She didn't seem to wake up as he pried himself from her embrace but his luck didn't hold out for very long.

As he sat up, finally free from Musubi's strong embrace, she woke up. Apparently while she can sleep through sexual intercourse and Naruto's struggles, the loss of his heat was enough to wake the Sekirei. Naruto froze, still inside her, as Musubi propped herself up with her left hand and rubbed her eyes with her right.

"Ah, Musubi I can explain." Actually he couldn't be he hoped to come up with a good enough excuse. This was what he had hoped to avoid. Even if he had managed to pull out of her before she saw them joined he'd have a difficult time explaining the liquid leaking from her.

"Ah, Naruto-sama, good morning." Musubi said sleepily. It wasn't morning yet but apparently Musubi was too groggy to figure out whether or not the sun had risen. She sat up all the way and suddenly gasped in pleasure as her movement caused Naruto to shift inside her.

Musubi looked down at their waist curiously for a moment before she smiled happily. "Look Naruto-sama! We're joined as one!" Musubi seemed to be incredibly happy and excited at the prospect. Naruto started to sweat fiercely. He knew Musubi would accept him willingly. His whole issue was that she didn't truly understand what it is they were doing. He was going to have to explain it now and if she was anything like he was when he got the talk it was going to be bad.

Musubi started to poke and prod the joining in curiosity. Naruto couldn't help but stiffen even more as Musubi played with him. "Ah you see Musubi, there are some things that I need to explain to you." Naruto started off carefully.

Musubi looked up and smiled at Naruto, "Yes Naruto-sama?"

"Well you know how Hanabi said she'd tell you about sex at a later date?" Naruto asked curiously, hoping that she'd remember that conversation. To his relief Musubi remembered and nodded her head in acknowledgement, "Well you see." Naruto pointed down, "This is sex."

Musubi peered down curiously again. Suddenly her eyes widened in understanding. "Ah! I see!" Naruto smiled in relief; apparently this was easier than when he had it explained to him. Musubi reached down and wiped a bit of the white fluid that was leaking from her onto her finger and put it in her mouth. Naruto almost did a face fault right then and there as Musubi made an odd face, "It doesn't taste anything like I dreamed it would. Sex tastes a bit sour." Musubi complained as she pulled her finger out of her mouth and looked at it. She tilted her head to the side cutely as she thought deeply about something. Her face brightened a bit as if she had an epiphany "But it does taste a little bit like Naruto-sama!" Musubi cried out cheerfully.

Naruto's brain just exploded both from the sheer sexiness of what he saw and the ludicrousness of Musubi's interpretation of what sex was. Forget about her not being as bad as he was, she was worse. He didn't even WANT to know how she knew what he tasted like or where she had derived that taste from prior to now.

Musubi looked at Naruto in confusion as smoke steamed from his ears, "Is this what you and Hanabi made that morning in the kitchen? I thought it was egg whites."

Naruto began to twitch violently. His eyes violently blinked as he tried to bring his brain back under control. He already had one mental breakdown that night, he didn't want a second.

"I… you… No… this…" Naruto stopped and took a deep breath. "Alright, fine let's just go with that." Naruto said finally, he gave up. He couldn't do it. He wasn't normally a quitter but sometimes you just had to cut your losses and walk away. He wasn't sure he was prepared for anything else tonight. "Just promise me that you'll never try to make sex with anyone but me." At the very least if he put that restriction in place he could at least control her.

"Of course! Naruto-sama is the only one for Musubi!" Musubi agreed happily. Musubi frowned for a second as a thoughtful look came over her face, "What about Hanabi? Can I make sex with Hanabi as well?"

Naruto's mind ran straight into another wall. The Log damn it all he was going to have another mental breakdown at any moment. At least this one wasn't as bad as before as it promised some very pleasant, if not perverted, dreams. Being sandwiched between Musubi and Hanabi was not altogether an unpleasant thought.

"Only if I'm there as well." Naruto said sadly in resignation. He'd given up trying to correct Musubi for tonight. He just couldn't handle anymore. Hanabi can sort it all out later.

"Oh will this be like that Threesome thing that Hanabi talked about?" Musubi asked eagerly. She loved to expand her knowledge and understanding and Naruto made things so easy to understand.

Naruto let out another long, drawn out sigh, "Yes… yes it is."

"Yay! I can't wait."

"Musubi…" Naruto sighed again as he gently pulled himself out of Musubi. He was tired but more than anything he needed to clean Musubi up and then get some fresh air. His Sekirei looked up at him expectantly, heedless to the small trickle that flowed from her. "Let's just get cleaned up and get back to sleep. It's still too early to be up yet."

"Alright!"

x~X~x

Naruto sighed as he leaned against the post that held up the overhang above the outside walkway. It was a nice night out. Despite the light pollution of the city Naruto could still see many of the stars in the sky. A bright half-moon shined down upon the city in the sea of stars. It was peaceful here. One could almost forget that he was in the middle of a tournament that pits one Sekirei against another in a battle to be the last one standing.

Musubi was asleep upstairs in their futon. He had placed a mild sleep inducing Genjutsu on her before he had put her to sleep. He wasn't proficient in Genjutsu, he'd never be able to use anything above a Rank D or anything that affected a wide area, but he had some knowledge and skill.

"It's a cold night tonight; you should take care if you wander too far." A voice called out from behind him.

Naruto turned his head and watched as Miya ease her way out of the house onto the porch. Her hair was damp and she was dressed in a simple bathrobe. Miya had probably thrown it quickly when she sensed him walk past the bath. It was hard to tell if she had anything on under it or not and he quickly steered his mind onto a different course less she read it. She seemed to have a knack for that.

Her presence here both was and wasn't a surprise to him. She was as aware and silent as the best of the ANBU and appeared to be able to hide her presence just as well. It was obvious to him she wasn't just your average land lady.

"I'll keep that in mind." Naruto said as he turned to stare back up at the stars. "No lecture? No chastisement?" He'd be foolish to think that Miya was unaware of what happened within her own home. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew every detail, at least visible detail, that had occurred in his room.

"Oh? Do you want me to?" Miya asked curiously. A small grin creased her face as she brought her hand up to her mouth. "Ufufufu, I wasn't aware that Uzumaki-san was a masochist, to so enjoy my beatings as to ask for more." She teased him mercilessly.

Naruto chuckled, "No, nothing like that." Lewd activities were prohibited within Izumo Inn. He hadn't thought Miya to be one to let her rules be broken so blatantly.

Miya sat down on the edge of porch, folding her legs beneath her as she sat in the saiza position. "You were distracted at dinner, I was curious. Some things just need to happen." She didn't elaborate any more than that. She didn't need to. Naruto had understood what she was talking about well enough. "Did you have a nice chat?"

"Yes, I will save both of them." Naruto said as he looked down at Miya. He could see down the front of her bath robe. It took everything he had to keep his eyes on her face.

Miya gave Naruto a gentle smile, "Thank you."

The two of them just rested there in silence for a while, enjoying the nice quiet night and each other's presence in equal quantities. It wasn't very often that Naruto took the time to just sit back and do nothing like this. It was nice every now and then, especially when shared with someone else who could equally appreciate the quiet night.

However Naruto hadn't come out to simply waste the night away beside Miya, as much as he enjoyed it. While it was nice to relax he still needed to clear his head and as odd as it sounded a nice jog was through the brisk night air was what he had in mind.

As Naruto moved to leave he felt a gentle hand lay on his arm. He turned to look at Miya who returned the look with an indecipherable gaze. "They all need saving." Miya whispered softly before she stood and headed back inside the Inn.

Naruto started to think that Miya was something far more than he had originally thought. But that didn't matter. Regardless of Miya's words he was never one to turn away from someone in need.

If Miya felt the Sekirei needed saving, then he would save them. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to cut too many down to save the rest.

x~X~x

Naruto didn't really have a destination in mind. To be honest he just needed to clear his head and nothing did that better for him than mindless training and exercise. As he jumped from one building to the next he noticed he was rapidly approach a small park. Thinking a change of pace would be good he leaped clear over the residential building across the road from the park and landed on the side walk.

He slowed down from the all-out sprint that he had been crossing the rooftops with and settled with a light jog. There shouldn't be anyone here but there was no need to startle someone if there was. Having someone see him run past them faster than those cars would start all sorts of rumours he didn't want to have spread around.

The air suddenly grew a little colder which brought Naruto's focus back. He sensed the area around him and noticed a strong chakra signal nearby. It didn't feel too good either, as if it was strained and trapped.

That wasn't a good thing, and neither was the other, even larger chakra presence, that was rapidly closing in on the position of the first one.

Naruto thought about the situation for a moment. It had bad news written all over it but he never turned away from someone in need and Miya's words came back to him. Save them she had told him. It was hard to tell what kind of situation would arise from this but Shinobi tend to develop a heightened sixth sense due to their line of work.

And his sixth sense was telling him that there was something definitely off with this situation.

He made up his mind he shot through the park quickly. He wanted to get to the smaller chakra signature first. If his pace across the rooftops had been fast, it was nothing compared to the blistering pace he now carved through the park. He was nothing more than a blur as he easily matched the speeds of his old friend Lee. Although Lee could still surpass this level if he opened his celestial gates.

It was still going to be close. The second signature had been a lot closer to the first before Naruto had made the decision to interfere.

With one last final burst of speed Naruto appeared in the center of the park right beside a downed woman. She was gorgeous if Naruto's eye for fine women was anything to go by. He was getting the feeling that all Sekirei were unbelievably hot just like all the Kunoichi of his time were. The woman had short, light brown hair and brown eyes. Enormous breasts that seemed to almost overflow and burst out from the button up white shirt she was half wearing jutted from her chest gloriously as they defied gravity. Aside from that she wasn't wearing anything aside from a pair of simple white panties. If her large chakra source wasn't a dead give-away the Sekirei crest emblazoned on her forehead would have been a dead give-away as to what she was.

She was also hurt if the blood on her shirt was anything to go by.

It also appeared that Naruto had arrived not a moment too soon. There from across the open space in the park two individuals approached him and the Sekirei at his feet.

The first individual was the shorter of the two and appeared to be dressed in a completely white suit topped with a cravat. He had soft brown hair and carried the air of a rich spoiled child. The way he appeared to have his arms crossed in front of him as he pouted at Naruto only emphasized the point.

The second individual was taller and from what Naruto could sense far more dangerous. He was definitely a Sekirei and a powerful one at that. Unlike Yashima this one looked as if he had far more experience and control with his abilities. He didn't have the naïve look on his face that most Sekirei he had encountered did. He had the look of someone that had been through a war. There was also a sword at the man's waist that signaled that he was a swordsman of some calibre. The sword bearing Sekirei had messy silver hair and grey eyes. He was dressed with a black outfit that had the front cut opened and crisscrossed with straps. His ensemble was topped by an orange scarf that was wrapped around his neck.

"Miss, you should hide somewhere, I don't like the feel of those two." Naruto said as he waved his hand over at the new arrivals.

The woman looked up at him with listless, lifeless eyes as if she no longer had any reason, or desire, to exist.

Naruto let out a mental sigh. He had seen those eyes before. He had encountered many people that had looked like that over the course of the war. People adapted to the horrors of war differently. There were the 'lucky' ones that lost their precious things slowly over time and were able to adjust. And then there were those that lost everything all at once. Those were the ones that hurt Naruto the most; people that had given up on hope, people who had lost the will to live, because it was simply too painful to try.

The pair that slowly approached him appeared to have heard him as the shorter of the two addressed him. "Ah, good evening sir, I assure you that I wish no harm on Akitsu. She is hurt and I simply wish to bring her home to help her." Naruto wasn't entirely sure of that. Despite the young teenager's polite tone the way he looked at Akitsu, like she was a prize to be won, didn't sit well with him.

"I appreciate your concern but I think she needs to be taken to a hospital, not a private residence." Naruto returned. He prayed that this wouldn't escalate. He really didn't need any more issues to deal with today. Today was already been one to remember. Naruto stepped in front of the brown haired Sekirei and placed himself between them.

The boy sighed as he rested the back of his hand against his waist. "I see you're not going to be very accommodating. I was even polite. Please, I don't like to use force if I don't have to." That was a blatant lie and they all knew it. Naruto could tell that by the look the child had in his eyes. The young rich kid was someone that was used to getting everything his way no matter how he had to do it.

To emphasis the point his Sekirei, Mutsu, stepped forward and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Naruto sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today; this was just not his day.


Author's Note: Just a thing on what Naruto did with Yume and Musubi. It may not actually be plausible for that to occur, but just accept that it did. I needed the meeting to occur and I wanted it to sound as plausible as possible. I was tempted to not even try and explain what was going on but tried something anyways.

And as for why Miya didn't beat the crap out of Naruto for doing 'illicit activities' within Izumo Maison. Well Miya is willing to look the other way if there's an important enough reason. While Miya couldn't hear anything that went on inside Naruto's mind she did see the Tama transfer to and from Naruto. She's basically looking the other way this time because of the seriousness of the situation.