A/N: Alrighty there my dear ladies and gentlemen, I'm back! I can't believe I'm saying this but...MORE THAN NINE HUNDRED REVIEWS ALREADY?! THIS STORY IS BACK AND RESTORED BY THE ADMINS, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

I love you guys so much! *Cries*

Now, this chapter was rather gruelling for me to write. With good reason! We've got some major character interaction this chapter, as well as the induction of some new Sekirei and a much anticipated lemon alongside a battle. I suppose I should mention that I've made my choice for Tsukiumi after sifting through the many reviews and PM's I've received, throughout the story since its outset. I won't say anything more to spoil it! That aside, with the 6K+ words, I'm rather satisfied with how its turned out. With just the right balance of comedy, genuine romance, and action, so I look forward to seeing what you think!

Alright, rant over. Sorry for that, dear readers. I meant none of that towards those of you who have supported me over the last six years. But I'm sure you knew that already, ne? If you're a fan of Dragonball Z and Naruto and DON'T mind a little angst, please feel free to read Imperfection and kindly let me know what you think, eh? Now, onto the next, long awaited chapter of Counting Stars.

Don't worry, Hinata will NOT be making an appearance in this story. Sheesh, now, before I lose my temper again, lets get started, shall we? This is a light, funny, fluffy little chapter, something to remind you ya'll of what this story is at its core: something to make ya smile! And we inch closer to NarutoxMiya...bahahahaha!

And yup, there's a tiny timeskip of a single day here in the intro...sorry if its short! I wanted to get it out there and say that this story is BACK despite being deleted! Reviews and all, though I've had to edit the lemons to keep in with guidelines, as per the admins. Now...

...enjoy!

"End of the world? Ain't nothing I haven't dealt with before...

~?

Cut Me Deeply

"NA-RU-TO!"

The crash of broken glass and drawn steel violently jolted everyone awake the next morning, rousing the entire inn as surely as the storm last night. Everything shook, as though the hand of an angry god had just took hold of their home and rattled it to its very foundations. Then, came, the silence. A instant -a beat- of absolute quiet, the calm just before the storm. No one dared speak, none moved in their beds. Some, almost dared to hope that everything would end end with just that.

It was not to be.

Tsukiumi yawned softly as she rose from the futon, exposing a bare torso and scrubbing at an eye with the back of a hand. Blue eyes blinked blearily out at the world-at first unable to comprehend what was happening outside, the constant crashes and sound of steel striking steel was little more than a distant backdrop to her ears...

...until she realized the distinct lack of male warmth in their bed.

"Husband? Where did you...?"

"Ah." Akitsu blinked, her tousled head popping out of the covers. "Gone."

"Why the hell is he gone?!" Karasuba growled, flopping over. "Its too early for this shit!"

Yomi groaned and tried-failed-to bury her head back under the pillow. "Oh, here we go again...

Moments after the fact, a mad cackle leaped through the dimly light sky, rising with the dawn. And then...

And then:

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, DATTEBAYO!"

Naruto's wild, raucous whoop ripped through the halls of Maison Izumo as he dove out the window and into the morn-laughing in wanton abandon. He hit the ground running; the naked edge of a sword whistling over his head and taking a few hairs as he skirted around the edge of the yard and dove back inside. Miya bounded after him with a furious shout, her face blotched crimson. The reason for her anger was glaring apparent were one to step back and look at her beloved inn.

The entire building was orange.

From the once green yard to the porch-from the rafters to the basement-not a singe piece or panel had been spared the monsoon of color. This, this garrishly colored monstrosity, had been Miya's first sight upon waking this morning. Just when she'd thought her favorite tenant was settling down and taking a few days off from the Sekirei Plan to recover and lick his wounds, he'd gone and done this! Well, wounds or not gap in powers or not, she was going to cut him for this...this...transgression!

Infuriating man!

"This time I really will kill you!"

"Daw, you say the nicest things!" he snickered as he retreated out onto the roof, dancing away from her blade like a mad jester. "What, don't like the new paint-job, Miya-chan~? I was up all night working on it, just for you!" His response garnered him an angry cry to which he immediately ducked, a few strands of withered blond hair floating away after him. When she closed on him sword drawn, he almost didn't deign to defend at all, his fingers subsequently swatting the katana aside as though it were nothing more than a stick, uncaring of the thin rent it opened in his palm.

"I mean, it Naruto!"

"What?!" he decried, ducking! "It was just a harmless prank!"

"Pranks are forbidden here! I told you I wanted to repaint the inn!"

"And I did it for you!"

"NOT! ORANGE!"

"Ah," Uzume yawned, stifling her mouth with a hand. "They're at it again."

"Isn't it a little early for this?"

"Nope." Karasuba looked as though she were all of three seconds away from snatching up her sword from its place on the floor and dashing out to join them. "I think I'll just-what? I wasn't doing anything...!" A scathing look only narrowly restrained the bloodthirsty Sekirei...

...but what cam next took that control and shattered it into angry little splinters.

"INCOMING~!"

Yelping, Naruto crashed through a nearby wall. Eyes spinning lazily he flopped to the floor, much to the befuddlement of his little birds. That's what he got for letting his guard down! Miya'd finally gotten a hold of him, and the first thing she'd done was launch him through her precious inn like a child's plaything. Ah, but she was ever so loving about it! His fine feathers weren't nearly so accomadating, however. Scarce had he landed than Uzume and the rest crowed around him.

"Husband?!"

"Ah, looks like that hurt."

"Naruto-tan's out for the count!"

"Ara, would you mind stepping aside?"

Everyone froze at the cold menace in those words.

Standing in the gaping, Naruto-shaped opening, a hanya's mask emerged, its owner holding a naked blade in hand. Lurking behind that menacing visage of dread lay a benign landlady's face set in a sweet smile; if one could consider such a poisoned smirk an actual turn of the phrase. Doom leaked from her like a cracked sieve; a thick, purple miasma seeming to exude from the very air itself.

"M-Miya," Uzume gulped, feigning a smile. "What're you trying to do?"

"Why, I'm not trying to do anything, Uzume-chan. I'm just here to cut Scum-san into pieces."

"Um...could you please not do that to my Ashikabi-

"-Ours!-" Matsu chimed.

"Right, what she said. Ours."

Shing.

"He's pushed me too far this time. Punishment is neccessary.

Naruto's eyes chose to flutter open at that very moment.

"You...you..actually think you can catch me this time?!" blue eyes blinked slowly, balking in disbelief as he sat up. "Last time we fought, I up an' flattened you, and somehow, someway, you think you can stop me. You know, it'd be funny if it weren't so adorable...oh what the hell." he shrugged, guffawing. "I'll laugh anyway!"

"I hardly find this funny." Miya said.

The jinchuuriki only laughed even harder.

"Heh. Hehehehehehe..." It started out deep and booming, the cackle of a mad god. "...ehehahahahahaHAHAHAHA!" Then, abruptly, it jumped three octaves, leaping into an insane shriek that left her hair standing on end, her skin rippling in gooseflesh. as his voice skipped into an insane shriek. The clapping didn't certainly didn't help either, the harsh sound of his palms smacking together with a harsh, continuous pop of sound. It was the angriest Miya had ever seen him, the most frightening, terrifying sound she'd ever heard.

Miya's eye began to twitch.

"Must you...

"HA!"

"Aren't you going to join them?" Kazehana inquired, sipping idly from her sake bottle.

A certain redhead fidgeted.

...no."

"And whyever not?"

Kushina fretted from her place in the next room over, absently grabbing at the stump of her still-bandaged arm. "It isn't my place to interfere." Poor thing. The woman wasn't even technically one of her feathers, yet the elder feather still felt sympathy for her. She knew what it was like to care for someone and be rejected, but this...well,, this was one can of worms she was genuinely afraid to open. Fear for an adult, however, is not so easily fear for a child.

A small hand tugged at the redhead's dress.

"Neh, Onee-chan?"

"Hmm?" Kushina blinked, momentarily blindsided by the green girl. By comparison, the subsequent inquiry floored her.

"Are you papa's mama?"

Kushina sputtered and fainted dead away at Ku's innocent question.

Because of that, she never saw what happened next.

Miya and the others remained none the wiser.

On one hand she was still slightly angry with him for forcing her to step into the fray; on the other, she was...relieved. Relieved that things were back to normal of a sorts-the last of the angry tension between them had evaporated with Kaguya's death. Now, watching his antics, she almost felt the ghost of a smile on his lips despite her self-professed rage. Oh there was still that there, the unspoken desire that she suspected he secretly shared but if he intended to do his level best to ignore it, so would she.

Honestly, there, was one bridge she wasn't ready to cross yet. Not now. Perhaps not ever. But if he continued to laugh at her like this, to deliberately provoke her-ah, how little she knew of his plans!-then perhaps she might have been a tad more caution. But she was too angry, too furious at him, for falling into his trap; for speaking to him again, even when she'd sworn not to. All attempts to distance herself from this insufferable tenant only resulted in disaster, it seemed. Well then, she'd just have to teach him a lesson now, wouldn't she?!

Naruto yelped as Miya pounced!

"Oi oi oi oi, what did I tell you about cutting?!"

"Ara, it doesn't count if I cut a dead man now, does it?"

Naruto glared for several seconds without letting up, veins throbbing visibly in his forehead. Those sky blue eyes were cast in shadow, and gleaming with baleful blue light. His lips were curled back almost of their own accord, barring the blond's teeth in a decidedly vicious snarl. And he chuckled.

"Stop that!"

Naruto was physically shaking as he fought off the urge to laugh.

"Seriously? YOU'RE going to pull this route on me? What is it, Kuudere, I think the term is? I don't know whether to be flattered or just...

"Na~ru~to?"

...yes?"

"Have you written your will?"

Looking into the eyes of death itself, he grinned.

"I REGRET NOTHING!"

The blade cut down at his head!

A/N: Aaand there you have it! Sweet, fluffy cute, and all about the loooooove!

This Naruto is slightly different the norm that I write; primarily in the fact that this Naruto is a great deal darker than most. This chapter was a good dear, harsher than the others I've wrought. We see that Naruto really does have a dark side within him, one that is almost constantly struggling to get out. But he's getting back to his old self, bit by bit...

And again with the Naruto x Miya! Yes, it will happen. Soon!

Next chapter something VERY interesting happens, but I won't say what! That'd be telling?! Who knows?! It'll be out soon, providing my health holds, so look forward to it ya know!

Anywho, I worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Pairing is harem, but otherwise up in the air! YOU DECIDE! As said before, I have a vague idea who will be a part of Naruto's flock in this, but the rest its entirely up to ya'll! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out.

So...in the immortal words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! ! The plot thickens, and there's another twist! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! Expect the unexpected! And yes, NarutoxMiya, as well as NarutoxKazehana, is coming soon! But for now...ze teaser! THAR BE TWO! A refernce to Not Going Home is made here! NARUTOXMIYA finally happens, kiss and all, next chapter!

(Preivew)

Naruto frowned slowly.

"Oi, so you're me."

The horned stranger sighed deeply. "Complicated, right? I thought I'd poke my head in and get my bearings before I came here myself. Seems alright. You, though,"

"What's wrong with me?!"

"Plenty!" Pausing, he gave him a once over, frowning. "Your mood's about as mercurial as mine, your chakra control sucks, not to mention the insanity. Oh, and you don't have my badass look. Still, not too shabby, not at all for another version of me. You might be fun to fight, someday."

"Why you little-

"Husband?" Tsukiumi's voice range from the other room, "Who are you talking to?"

"No one-

When next he looked, the look-alike was gone.

...fucking weirdo. Not enough orange."

Minaka was all of three seconds from soiling himself.

This had all gone wrong! Terribly, horribly wrong!

"S-Surely you don't mean to end this game?!"

Naruto blinked, frowned...and laughed.

"Of course I do!"

Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D