The Throne of Power

by tomhunt98

*Still ongoing. 9/9/13* AU. The ground is burned black, bodies lay decomposing from the Shores of Waves to the Deserts of Suna to the Mountains of Kumo. Nine individuals of immense power bring peace and form The Throne of Power. Now, 500 years later, they have a new member. Eventual Godlike/Immortal Naruto

11. Chapter 10: The End is Always a Start

*****Read this before reading******

I have nothing against Mei. She is one of my favorite characters but this is the only way I could think of getting Mei and Naruto together without adding her to the official harem. Remember that this is what my readers voted for. Mei was fourth after Naomi, Kushina, and Mikoto but it was so close, I decided that Mei should have a one shot. Once again, I have nothing against her but I needed someway of getting them to bump uglies without it being on a regular basis.

*****Read this before reading*****

Author Responses:

to Rixxell Stryfe: thank you for the glowing review. I love long and in-depth reviews like yours. It took me a full ten minutes to read it. I'll get to Mikoto hopefully in the next chapter. You have pretty good insight and I'll definitely take your ideas into consideration.

XX

Please keep in mind my previous statement. I know not all of you are going to be happy about it but it needed to happen if I'm going to keep my word on the number of people with Naruto.

Please enjoy the next chapter to Throne of Power.

Chapter 10: The End is Always a Start

The first thing he becomes aware of is the salty air. It tingles his nose as he takes deep, slow, and calm breaths.

The next thing he becomes aware of is the sound of a gentle tide. It flows back and forth, incessant and calming. The wind is light and warm, just enough to make you feel so safe and secure.

Naruto opens his eyes and blinks back the strong sunlight that threatens to blind him. He turns his head to the side and shades his eyes from the light and then opens his eyes again.

White sand, blue waters, birds flying over the water, white and lazy clouds float harmlessly overhead.

It is a beach but the most beautiful Naruto has ever seen. It looks like it came right out of a fairy tale.

Then Naruto hears a giggle. His head slow turns to the side and finds himself looking up at someone very familiar.

"Kyūbi…"

Said Bijū smiles down at him as she gently weaves her dainty fingers through his hair. She is kneeling in the sand with his head on her legs while they sit/lay on the sandy shore. She doesn't say anything, which is sort of weird. She just looks back up to the beach with a serine smile on her face.

Naruto is severely tempted to join her. To just enjoy this perfect moment with the woman he loves. To bask in this warm feeling that feels like it could last forever.

He opens his mouth when Kyūbi places a delicate finger on his lips, silencing him.

"Shh. Just enjoy it for the moment," she finally speaks.

Who is he to deny her?

He reaches up and grabs one of her hands. Then he kisses the back of it lightly and rests it just on the other side of his face from her, still grasping it. They watch the ebb and flow of the foamy water splash onto the sand for a few moments. It really looks like something out of a romance novel, two lovers on the perfect beach in a perfect world with a perfect life.

There is nothing in the world that could make it better than this.

He nuzzles her hand slightly and kisses it once more. That is when he turns eyes to the love of his life.

"What are you doing here?"

Kyūbi doesn't answer at first. Instead she smiles down at him radiantly. "You are my mate and my host. What other reasons do I need?"

Naruto gives her hand in his a squeeze before sitting up and sitting right next to her. He puts his arm around her and pulls her close.

"You know what I mean."

Kyūbi looks down for a second with a frown on her face.

"Look at what you're wearing."

Naruto looks down. He is wearing his armor…only with large parts of it burned and slashed through. And blood. A lot of it.

Naruto's eyes go wide. He touches the spot and it hurts. Flashes of memories and pain from burns and sharp gashes rush through his head and he starts to panic. His mind goes into overdrive and he is ready to pass out when an aura of peace and serenity overwhelms all else and he relaxes.

Naruto finds Kyūbi hugging tightly and he takes comfort in her embrace, her smell, her touch. Everything about her calms him immensely. This causes him to chuckle. Kyūbi's aura made the people of Konoha flee in terror but it makes him feel at ease. What irony.

When Naruto looks up, he sees concerned red eyes.

"I'm ok. And thanks."

Kyūbi just nods but doesn't let go.

"Right now, you are unconscious."

Naruto is very surprised and hastens to make his surprise known when another finger silences him.

"I know this may seem confusing right now but just listen. You are in a fight with the Mizukage and holder of some of Yonbi-kun's yoki."

Naruto blinks as what she said processes.

"So I'm asleep right now…but this isn't the mindscape and you haven't come back yet. So what is this and how are you here?"

Kyūbi smiles sadly.

"Yes this is not your mindscape. It is something further than your subconscious, deeper than your mindscape. No, this is the Dreaming World, a place connected to your very soul. In here, your every goal, every dream, and every fantasy in life come alive in so much detail that most wouldn't be able to differentiate it from real life.

"As to how I'm here, are we not linked by a seal created and performed by the God of Death himself? Bound by a being so powerful even I can't comprehend the totality of his powers or the intricacies of the seals he creates. This seal connects us on a level more deeply than most will ever know.

"I have touched your very soul and have fallen in love with it. I know your ambitions, your goals, your faults, your fantasies, your habits, your failings, your personality. I know you more than you know yourself and I can't imagine loving another more than you."

What can be said after that declaration? Naruto sure can't think of anything to say, so stunned into silence by her words.

"You may not be aware of it, but you have touched mine as well. Maybe it is what makes our connection so much stronger than all the others and those before you."

The last part is said more to herself than to Naruto. She pauses for a long moment as if in thought.

"So what does this mean?" Naruto asks quietly.

"Honestly…I don't know. However, it seems as though our souls have intertwined with each other. I first noticed this after coming here a couple of times. It was slow but over the years, our souls have become so entwined I don't know what will happen if one of us should die."

A pleasant silence falls between them, both content to sit in silence for the moment.

"So what happens now?"

Kyūbi lightly scratches his back with her manicured nails, making him grown from the pleasant feeling. This is what she would do if he couldn't fall asleep beside her. Scratch his back and he falls right asleep within minutes.

"Well, Mei is still fighting him for the moment and while in here, I have repaired your injuries. I guess you could wake up and fight some more but then you would leave me in here all by myself."

Naruto can practically see the cute pout she is wearing right now. He doesn't outright tell her his answer, just asks her a question which answers her.

"So what dream of mine is this?"

Kyūbi again smiles and disentangles herself from Naruto. Instead of her hugging him, she lays him on her legs again and begins to run her fingers through his hair again.

"This one is my favorite. It is the place you desire greatly to retire to…with me. You wish to have children running around, playing in the sand and water."

A sad smile crosses her face for a split second before returning to normal. However, it was enough.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing"

"Tell me," he says softly.

Kyūbi hangs her head and hides her eyes from him. Naruto is about to tell her that she doesn't have to if she doesn't want to but she speaks before him.

"I meant to talk to you after we got back about this but…" Kyūbi takes a deep breath before continuing. "…but as much as I want to, I…I can't have children."

She feels Naruto stiffen underneath her and fears the worst. She feels his hand on her face and sees his smile and her fears disappear in an instant.

"Why not?"

It is a simple question with an answer that is infinitely more complex.

"Well, I first wanted to have a child with my third host. Her name was Rhina. However, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn't conceive. I went to our medical staff and had them run tests on all us Bijū. They couldn't conclude anything. Technically, our reproductive systems are functioning properly but there is just something about us Bijū that make us unable to bear children.

"And to be honest, I think it was for the best at the time. Hosts come and go but if each new Throne has an immortal child or two, the world would be overrun by them."

Naruto nods his head in understanding. He is disappointed but not mad or angry over something that Kyūbi can't control.

"For so long, I've had to watch as host after host has children with his or her other spouses. Sure I was included in the family but there is something about watching parents holding a newborn child, a sense of pride and happiness that…that I long for. I would feel happy but it isn't the same.

"I want to be a mother, to feel the same joy that they all felt in holding my child. I'm tired of always sitting on the sidelines, witnessing but never participating.

"But that will never happen. I'm cursed to live with that feeling for all of eternity. I've long since given up hope that I'll have one of my own."

Naruto's heart melts. Such a sad tale to always be around that feeling but never actually experience it for herself. She suffers every time she picks a new host as the process starts all over again.

"I don't need to have children. Sure it would be nice, but I don't require it."

Kyūbi gives Naruto a sad smile. "But I've already seen how much you want a family. It is your biggest dream. I can't take that away from you just because of my selfish reasons."

Naruto's face pales as Kyūbi's face takes on one of mischief.

"Besides…that what you have Naomi for, right?"

Naruto's face could be mistaken as a second sun for all the heat it is giving off.

"KYU!"

"What? Am I wrong in that you like her far more than a brother should? Maybe you should add Kushina to that list too..."

If possible Naruto's blush gets hotter.

"I mean, what two women, besides myself, are never far from your thoughts? If one were to see your thoughts and how often you think about them, one would assume that you are in love with both of them."

Now his face doesn't even resemble a human one. This of course makes Kyūbi struggle to contain herself, which fails miserably. Her laughing breaks Naruto out of his…naughty thoughts…and back to 'reality'.

"That's all good and well but I won't' force it. If it happens it happens. If it doesn't, then it doesn't."

Kyūbi stops laughing. "I expect nothing less."

More silence, this one so comfortable they could just leave it for the rest of their lives and be content.

"So where is your body? I'm sure that you can't appear in the seal from across an ocean."

"Right now, I'm headed your way though I'm still a three days out. I was waylaid a day or so by the backend of a storm."

Naruto nods. "Good because once you get here, we can celebrate our victory…wait a second. How did you know that I was fighting Yagura?"

Kyūbi grins at his expression. "Well, it doesn't take much imagination to figure out who could do this to you. Plus a good portion of the wounds were burns so that helped out a bit.

"Listen Naruto, you have to go back now. Time flows much faster in here so in reality, it has only been a minute or so. You have to survive. I won't forgive you if you die on me."

Naruto sits up and kisses her with so much passion that it takes her breath away.

"You can count on it. See you in a few days."

Naruto closes his eyes and concentrates…but nothing happens. He opens one eye to look around and sees Kyūbi's amused look.

"A little help here?"

Kyūbi leans down and kisses him once more before she puts her hands under him and then shoving him off her lap with great force. Naruto scoffs, thinking that he is going to hit the sand.

Not. Instead he falls…and falls…and falls. For what seems like an eternity in nothing by pitch darkness. That is until he slams into the cold, hard ground and is back in the waking world.

Scene Shift

Mei watches in horror as Naruto gets impaled by a lava sword. Her breath stops as Naruto coughs up a blob of blood as the sword pierced his right lung. It seems as though the lava blade will pierce armor and flesh but not cauterize it.

She herself isn't doing too well. She has cuts and bruises all over herself as well. Her battle dress is torn down the side, which was done by her, to allow greater movement but also the midsection and bust area is also cut quite a bit. While her modesty is intact, it is just a few strands away from just the opposite.

Mei moves to engage Yagura even as the blade slips out of the wound. It is a good thing too because Yagura is going for another strike when Mei kicks him off Naruto. She quickly engages the Mizukage in the fiercest Taijutsu fight she has ever been in.

'Thank god for Naruto's training.'

Mei dodges Yagura's sword at every possible turn because she is in the last range. First is out of range, second is in range, and lastly is inside your range. Since Yagura is using a sword, his range is extended but the size of the area that is too close for him to be effective also grows. And right now, Mei is exploiting that to its fullest.

Suddenly a kunai finds its way in Mei's hand and she slashes at Yagura's wrist and it hits home.

The artery and vein running through the wrist are cut as are the tendons. The result makes the lava sword disappear. Yagura grabs his wrist in an attempt to do…something. What she doesn't know but she isn't about to let him do it. She intercepts the wrist and using her momentum, swings it forward while she spins as well. The result is the non injured wrist being held firmly in Mei's left hand just over her shoulder while the kunai in her right is imbedded in the stomach of her opponent.

Not waiting for Yagura to respond, she flips him over her in a shoulder throw and firm kick to the midsection sends him a few dozen feet away. The man lands of the ground with a great *thud*. But Mei isn't done. She goes through several hand seals, this one for a water jutsu.

"Suiton: Bakusui Shōha!" (Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!)

A wave that doubles the height of the Hokage Tower pours out of Mei's mouth. It rapidly approaches the still downed Yagura. Once in range, Mei allows the jutsu to collapse, bringing millions of gallons of water down on the man.

Needless to say, Yagura is swept away.

Mei doesn't check on Yagura. She knows he will be out of the fight for a few moments. Instead, she goes and checks on Naruto.

She finds him still unconscious right where he was struck with the sword. She hurries over to him and checks his wounds. To her great astonishment, there is no trace of any wounds at all. She runs her fingers over the smooth skin, trying to ascertain if it is an illusion or not.

However, she finds nothing that points to deception. He is a perfectly healthy twenty year old man (more like seventeen in reality) who looks to be taking a nap.

'Just what are you?'

Suddenly Naruto jerks into a sitting position, almost hitting Mei in the process, and takes a lot of shallow breaths, 100% awake. His eyes are wide and his chest heaves with the fast and heavy breathing. The first thing he sees is Mei looking at him with not only concern but curiosity as well.

"Are you ok?"

Naruto takes a few calming breaths and nods a yes. Mei moves back to give him some room to do so. He then looks down and runs his hands up and down his body, checking it for wounds.

When his hands come up empty, he breathes a sigh of relief.

"I think so."

Naruto runs his hands through his sweaty hair in an attempt to slow his heart rate. He quirks an eyebrow when Mei doesn't back off.

"How are you alive much less completely healed with no traces of wounds on you?"

Naruto chuckles. "I don't suppose the old 'it's my bloodline' will work on you?"

If the situation wasn't so serious, the Kage level kunoichi would have joined him.

"No it won't. One moment, you're run through with a lava sword, the next you're completely healthy."

Naruto has Mei back up so he can stand. When he does so, takes a deep breath.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Throne secrets and all."

Mei wants to protest but knows that it is futile. But that is thrown from her mind when Naruto shoves her before jumping away himself. Right where she had been standing is Yagura covered with lava, his pink eyes the only part of him that isn't. The Mizukage now stands in a crater two feet deep.

"Can't this guy just give up already?"

Yagura looks to the source of noise and Mei jumps just barely in time to avoid getting demolished.

"What the hell? He wasn't this fast before," Mei exclaims before she is forced to get out of the way again.

'His movements are wild and out of control. It's like he's gone feral or something.'

"Mei, hit him with a water jutsu!" Naruto shouts and this time he is the one forced to get out of the way.

As Naruto plays cat and mouse with Yagura, Mei is going through hand seals.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!)

Naruto jumps out of the away again but this time Yagura it hit with an enormous Water Dragon with a twist. Normal water dragons hit with astounding pressure and weight but that is it. It is one initial blast. But Mei's is the initial hit plus several million gallons of extra water, all highly pressurized like only a master of water can.

Naruto stands as he watches as Mei lets the water flow drop to nothing.

Meanwhile the lake they are fighting near is almost empty.

With Mei's jutsu no longer blocking their view of Yagura, both can clearly see him. Or at least the human shaped tomb of cooled molten rock.

Naruto breathes a sigh of relief. The battle is over.

He turns to Mei with a small smile on his face when he feels it. He whips around and looks at Yagura's statue for a moment. Then the statue explodes outwards in a deadly shower of razor sharp rocks. Naruto barely had enough time to get to Mei and use the Hiraishin to teleport them both away.

From the rooftop, Naruto's stomach lands in his feet.

For below them stands Yagura, completely unscathed…with four fiery tails spread out behind him.

'Dear god, just how much of the Yonbi's yoki does he have?'

Now the battle begins in earnest. Yagura's speed triples and now Naruto can only use the Hiraishin to avoid being killed.

'To think he can keep up with the Hiraishin. I have to be extremely careful.'

His thoughts do little to help though. First, Yagura has to stop to be hit. Moving around as they are, it is impossible to have any accuracy.

'Shit! I can't keep doing this. Maybe if Kyu can heal me with her yoki while she is away, perhaps I can access it too.'

Scene Shift

A lone woman in a cabin huffs in shear boredom. She has been on this cramped boat for days, away from her mate and love. The time they spent together was very refreshing as it was frustrating. She was so close to him, touching and hearing him but unable to help him fight the toughest battle of his life.

Suddenly she feels a slight tug on her yoki and knew that Naruto must be in real danger for him to use her yoki. She doesn't resist and follows the flow to Naruto. She can feel how tense he is, his labored breath, the near panic he is experiencing.

'Calm down, think. Don't let your emotions control you. You can do this. I have faith in you,' she thinks and can only hope that things will turn out.

With Naruto

'Calm down, think. Don't let your emotions control you. You can do this. I have faith in you.'

Naruto hears Kyūbi's voice resonate through him as he accesses her yoki. He relaxes at her voice and is reminded of his promise that he won't lose.

'I'll have to give her a big thank you when she gets here.'

Feeling mentally invigorated, Naruto uses Kyūbi's yoki to fuel his own offense. Though he is very careful to not use enough for Mei to see or sense. Luckily Yagura is pumping out so much yoki that Kyūbi's is hidden very well within it.

Naruto's movements speed up and now he is able to keep up with Yagura without the Hiraishin. As Yagura flies at him with no form or grace, Naruto counters and smashes a powerful palm strike right to Yagura's face. The effect is instantaneous.

Yagura legs fly out from underneath him as his momentum caries his body forward at astounding speeds. Naruto takes the time to fire a wind jutsu at him but with the yoki surrounding Yagura it doesn't have much effect.

Then without warning, a massive wave of lava spews at Naruto. As Naruto uses the Hiraishin to get away, a second wave of lava intercepts the first one, neutralizing both into a pool of liquid rock. Naruto looks over at Mei as she wipes a little spittle of lava away from her mouth.

What happened next can only be described as epic in every sense of the word. With Naruto being a Jinchūriki himself and using Kyūbi's yoki to amplify his movements, he attacks Yagura up close while being supported with jutsu of every kind from Mei. And because he is a Jinchūriki, the yoki cloak around Yagura doesn't poison or hinder him in anyway.

The fight seemingly lasts for hours in reality it is only thirty minutes. But thirty minutes in the Shinobi world might as well be an eternity. Even most large scale battles are done and over within ten minutes or less depending on several factors. But that doesn't mean that they aren't any less gruesome than longer, more traditional battles.

By this point, Naruto and Mei are both huffing and out of breath while Yagura is doing the same. Seriously, how much stamina does this guy have? Throughout the battle, Naruto has been using more and more of Kyūbi's yoki just to keep up with Yagura. Right now, he is almost to the first tail and yoki cloak so he can't draw anymore lest he be discovered.

However, Naruto isn't going to waste an opportunity when he sees one. Yagura is finally standing still.

"Mei, I need a lava jutsu!"

Not knowing where he is going, Mei hesitates for a second. She is running low and this will be her last jutsu. However, she trusts Naruto and will do it anyways.

"Yōton: Dai Oomizu no Kazangan!" (Lava Release: Great Flood of Lava!)

A jet stream of thick, gooey lava erupts from her mouth straight at Yagura in a continuous horizontal geyser that will only end when the chakra runs out. The Mizukage only smirks and lets the jutsu hit him because the yoki cloak will protect him from the heat, so he was told.

At the same time, Naruto draws his fire imbued katana while calming his breathing. He draws on his chakra and then ignites his katana. He places the fire blade in front of free hand. At first nothing happens. But after a few seconds the wind begins to pick up.

Naruto focuses. 'Tighter, more control.'

The stream of air condenses, growing smaller and smaller while increasing the ferocity of the wind. Soon it begins to whistle, then a howl. Swear pours down his brow as he continues to condense and control the slip stream of air.

Suddenly the stream of air ignites from the blade. Bright orange springs to life but Naruto isn't done. He concentrates as hard as he can. Slowly the glow of the fire grows brighter and brighter. The flame looses the orange color in it and becomes a brilliant white flame of over 2,500 degrees.

Mei's lava meets with the blinding fire. Syrupy lava that was just under 1,500 degrees soars to well over two thousand and turns to a fast moving super liquid. It impacts Yagura with astounding force.

Mei's massive reserves run dry and the jutsu is cut. She falls to the ground unconscious with the hope that Yagura is now dead. She isn't awake to feel Naruto catch her.

Naruto is drenched in sweat and mentally exhausted. He not only created a horizontal tornado but changed the composition of the air to an oxygen/nitrogen mix.

Now that Yagura is finished, he can…

The area explodes in a shower of lava and out of it comes a pissed Yagura. But that isn't what Naruto is looking at.

He is looking at a fifth yoki tail.

Yagura bursts forward, forcing Naruto to toss Mei to the side and take the impact full on. He cries out in pain as Yagura puts his arm through his stomach.

Through the pain, Naruto feels something fester, something boil over the edge.

Anger, fury, rage crashes over him like a tidal wave.

Naruto hits Yagura in the face with a fist, knocking him back. He snarls at Yagura as the hole in his stomach closes. His nails lengthen, his teeth sharpen. Naruto now has a yoki cloak and a single tail. It's on now.

Naruto speeds forward and appears next to Yagura, fist already cocked to strike. Yagura tries dodges the instinct but Naruto is too fast. He pounds Yagura with everything he has. Naruto continues the assault, hit after hit, bone crushing strike after strike. For every time he was hit, he is give three back.

Naruto literally beats the shit out of the fourth Mizukage. It is short but the damage he inflicts in that amount of time is staggering. He only stops when Yagura's yoki starts to flicker. The Kage sways dangerously from side to side, trying to keep his balance. Naruto charges once more, fully intent on finishing this one and for all.

Naruto closes the distance in the blink of an eye. He lifts his right leg and swivels as he delivers a brutal and yoki-enhanced spinning round kick to the side Yagura's face. The Kage rockets with blinding speed as his face caves in.

Yagura, the Yondaime Mizukage, is dead before he hit the wall.

Naruto huffs in relief and drops the yoki cloak. He sags but is caught by Miya and the rest of his Guardians. They all sport injuries of their own and arrived just in time to see Naruto get skewered. They were about to jump into the fray but Naruto used Kyūbi's yoki to combat the threat. Instead, they secured the area and ensured that nobody was around to see.

But the war is over, the rebels have won. Tomorrow will bring a new dawn to Water Country.

Time Skip – 2 Days

Naruto wakes up feeling very good and well rested. Apparently, Kyūbi's yoki took care of the muscle strain put on his muscles during the fight.

He sits up and stretches. He finds himself in a hospital room with Hikari visible.

"Good morning sir. How are you feeling?" she asks him.

Naruto yawns and pulls back the covers on his bed only to realize that he has only a gown on. That and it had ridden up in his sleep. Hikari gets a full view of his manhood.

But she doesn't let it affect her appearance or speech.

"Sir, you might want to cover up."

Naruto shrugs and only gets out of the bed, which allows the gown to fall into place.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days sir. We weren't sure how long you would be unconscious since you used Kyūbi-sama's yoki during the battle."

The battle comes back and he pales slightly.

"Did…did anyone see me?"

He is very relieved when Hikari shakes her head. "No sir. We arrived from our battles just as Yagura went to five tails and would have aided you. However, since you used Kyūbi-sama's yoki, Miya-sama felt it was better we not let anyone close enough to see or hear anything going on.

"We were able to recover Yagura's body and seal him to preserve his body. We weren't sure if we would be able to recover the corpse for later study since, as you know, bodies tend to explode when they have yoki in them when they die. Fortunately, he exhausted enough of the yoki to keep his body intact."

Naruto nods.

"That's good. I was afraid of that since it was my intension to capture instead of kill but I got caught up in the moment and finished it without thinking."

Naruto is quiet for a moment.

"So what has happened since then?"

"Kirigakure has been secured and all forces loyal to the Mizukage have surrendered. There was a counter attack yesterday but it was dealt with quickly. No civilian casualties, minimal structural damage, and three shinobi were injured but recovering.

"Mei-sama woke yesterday from chakra exhaustion and has been given leave while she recovers from her injuries. She also visited yesterday just after awaking. Ao-sama has taken over for the moment and has things under control. He has declared the next few days of rest for most shinobi with only the bare minimum on duty.

"As such, an enormous party has been planned for tonight.

"A message has been sent to Throne which includes everything I have told you, your status, and us Guardian's status. A return message was received and Asura-sama is on his way to deal with the situation. You are ordered to return to Destiny's Gateway once you are well enough to do so."

Naruto takes the information in stride.

"Good. Kyu will be here tomorrow so we can leave then. Kyu's yoki seemed to have healed my other injuries so I feel fine. How are you and the others?"

Hikari is unsure of how he knows that Kyūbi will be back but it isn't her place to question him.

"We are fine. We each sustained minor injuries but have fully recovered. Our species tends to heal quickly because of our fighting nature. Miya-sama is outside your door while Hibiki and Ikki are sleeping at the moment." Naruto can almost see the dark rings around her eyes not only from her tiny slouch but also from her voice.

Naruto nods but instead of saying anything just opens his door.

"Miya, please enter."

Almost like a ghost, Miya appears and walks into the room.

"It is good to see you awake and around, Naruto-sama."

Naruto just nods. "Miya, Hikari, you are dismissed. Get some rest and thank you for doing your best."

Miya puts her hand on her hip in the classic annoyed stance. However before she can say anything Naruto cuts her off.

"You both are tired and exhausted. I can tell because not only do your voice tell me that you're tired but your backs are slouched ever so slightly which shows just how tired you both are.

"The war is over as is the need to constantly be on alert. I am fully recovered as Kyu's yoki healed my soreness along with my injuries. I am physically fit to fight.

"You two and the others have the night off. Tend to yourselves and rest. It is the least I can do for you."

Miya and Hikari protest, almost coming to blows at one point, but Naruto stands firm. They very reluctantly agree after a full hour of arguing and (at the end) pleading. Before the two left, they left him some clothes for him to change into.

Naruto can be seen walking down the hallway of the hospital when he hears a familiar voice.

"I'm perfectly fine! I don't need to stay in this stuffy hospital that's for sure."

"But Terumi-sama…"

"Don't you Terumi-sama me! I know my body better than anyone else and how far I can push myself. I'm just peachy. Now sign the discharge papers or I'm going to walk out of here!"

Naruto hears a sigh, a scribble of pen on paper, then sees a hastily retreating doctor from the room on his right. Not two seconds after the doctor exits, Naruto sees Mei exit in her usual outfit.

"Mei"

Said woman whirls around, the largest smile on her face.

"Naruto!"

Suddenly all Naruto sees is blue fabric and feels a large weight on the front of him. It appears that Mei has latched onto him.

"How are you Mei?" he asks after peeling said woman off of him.

"I'm fine. You know these damn hospitals will keep you here until your old and grey if they had their way."

Naruto chuckles. He knows the feeling.

"So…"

"Come on, let's get out of here," Mei interrupts him. With nothing better to ask or do, Naruto just follows Mei out of the hospital and out into Kiri. It is different for him. This is the first time he has been able to walk down the street as himself and not sneaking around. It feels good to relax and not constantly be on guard.

"So what was that you used back in the fight?"

Naruto goes stiff slightly but Mei's back is to him and therefore doesn't see it.

"Used what?"

"The technique you used to heat my lava up. I've never been able to get it as hot as from a volcano and what you did nearly doubled the temperature from what I saw and felt. I don't think I could have survived that."

Naruto just shrugs.

"Most of that was pure wind manipulation."

Mei stops and gives him a surprised look, obviously looking for answers.

"First I funneled the air into a tight slipstream. Then I changed the composition of the air inside that stream to a nearly pure oxygen-nitrogen mixture, which is used to heat blast furnaces and the like. After that, it was just a simple matter of igniting it and maintaining control."

Mei is awed by his explanation. He is skilled enough to change the very nature of the air around him. He could kill someone just by removing the oxygen around a person!

"That…that's amazing!

Naruto just rubs the back of his head. "It took me the better part of two years to finish it, but yeah it is pretty amazing isn't it?"

The two start walking again and a comfortable silence falls between them.

"Have you heard of the party tonight?"

Naruto turns his attention to the redhead. "Yeah but I'm not much of a party person."

Mei stops in her tracks and spins on her heel to face him.

"You have to go! This victory wouldn't have been possible had it not been for you. This is just our way of saying thank you."

While Naruto wants to protest more, saying that the victory and looks of adoration he is getting is enough, he just sighs.

"I guess I could come."

Mei would have squealed and rushed to hug him if she were a fangirl but seeing how she isn't, she suffices to smile and take his hand. She leads him down the street into a store.

"Then I guess you had better get ready."

Time Skip – Later that Night

"Two years ago, we started out as a band of outcasts, rebels barely able to function much less fight a war. We ran and hid from our pursuers. Along the way, we met friends, loved ones, made memories, and gained strength, leadership, and courage.

"Then we stopped running. We fought back to protect those friends and loved ones, those memories. We fought with determination, ferocity and not once did we give up. We lost friends, family. We have sacrificed so much in the name of justice. There were dark times, times of bad choices and worse, the leadership failed you.

"But we persevered, we pulled through and became closer. We gained momentum and we fought harder than ever.

"And now here we stand, our enemy gone, our lands free. I stand here before you and proclaim that those sacrifices were not in vain!"

A loud cheer erupts from the assembled crowd.

"And we owe everything to a group of people not of this country. A group who came and saved us from the very cliffs of defeat, pulled us back from the abyss of despair. He rallied us, gave us a chance. I am proud to say that Uzumaki Naruto and his team will always be a friend to Kiri and myself."

Mei steps to the side and claps for the blond sitting next to her. The crowd cheers and applause roars from them as Naruto blushes from the praise and attention. He stands and holds out his hands, signaling for the crowd to quiet down.

"I…I'm not really the public speaker. I prefer for my actions to speak louder than my words but I guess this once, I can just talk instead of kicking someone's ass."

A hearty chuckle comes from the crowd.

"I can say that this has been one of the best experiences of my life. Getting to know you all and fighting alongside you has been my honor. I have never fought alongside such devoted and talented comrades before. I am truly blessed to have known each and every one of you.

"Believe me when I say that I will never forget you. It has been an honor and privilege to serve beside you."

A standing ovation ensues, making Naruto blush and sit to hide himself with the table. It seems that the end of his speech was the starting signal to kick off the party. The whole village is in attendance. Food and drink find its way to the tables, the finest going to the table that seats Naruto, Mei, Ao, Ameyuri, and a few distinguished others.

The atmosphere is lively with song and laughter and despite his earlier reservations, Naruto finds himself enjoying himself a great deal. He mainly converses with Mei but jokes and laughs with the others. He was even challenged to a drinking contest by a Jōnin. Naruto won hands down.

That of course led to more challenges, eventually causing Naruto to take on ten Jōnin at a time, which included Ameyuri herself. He drank them all under the table. The total number he defeated was well into the double digits. Let it be known that Uzumaki Naruto can hold his liquor.

It is in the wee hours of the morning that Mei helps a staggering and completely smashed Naruto through the streets. Mei has never seen someone consume so much alcohol and still be conscious. However, this means that Naruto also set the record for being the most drunk person…ever.

Mei doesn't complain as she takes him to her place as Naruto doesn't have a place assigned for him and with the whole town drunk stupid, there is no way he is getting a hotel tonight.

She grunts as she finally gets the door closed to her room. Naruto is propped up against the wall and giggling like mad.

"Heyyyyyyyy…what….what…"

Mei chuckles at his inability to form sentences properly. Suddenly Naruto staggers dangerously forward. Mei catches him but finds herself face to face with him. He is smiling at something, completely ignorant of Mei's atomic blush.

Right in front of her is the man who saved her from the chains of prison. Without him, the rebellion would have failed and she would have died within the confines of those damp prison walls, wallowing in her guilt of having killed the only chance Kiri had to free itself.

He saved her from her own despair when she was at her weakest. He had comforted her when she could turn to no one else; he healed her with his kindness. He had pulled her together both mentally and emotionally even though she was a broken mess. This happened about a month after she was rescued. Naruto had held her and kept her subordinates from knowing.

And then he saved her again when he took that seal off her. He gave her back her hope, her way of life, her confidence. He fixed the last part of her, made her whole again. He gave her the life she had once before back, made her have feelings that she never felt before.

She has fallen for Uzumaki Naruto.

At this very moment, she makes her decision.

She suddenly rushes forward and kisses him, making his eyes go wide and his back hit the wall. But she isn't given the chance to do more when his strong hands push her away.

"I'm sorry Mei…(giggle)…but…but I love someone else…(giggle)"

While it is clear that he is drunk, Naruto's faithfulness is as strong as ever.

Mei is disappointed, which is an understatement. Then something clicks in her head. She performs an E-Rank technique.

Naruto's eyes widen.

"Kyu! When did you get here?"

Too bad his brain is swimming is alcohol right now.

Mei feels guilty about tricking him but…she forces those thoughts and feelings away. She will deal with them another time.

"Just now."

Naruto face scrunches in confusion.

"Wh…what happened to you? Your…voice is so…unboomy. And your…BOOBS…did they shrink?" He actually yelled the word boobs.

Naruto staggers forward and grabs Mei's breasts without reservation (she does look like Kyūbi). Mei moans at the feeling. It is has been a very long time since she has had sex and not the raping kind. Naruto kneads the flesh in his hands, unabashed and missing the flushed look on Mei's/Kyūbi's face.

"They…they…BOOBS….their smaller…wha…I…how do…BOOBS…sh…shrink?"

Apparently Mei didn't get it completely right the first time.

So Mei manipulates the Henge without dispelling it. She increases the bust size, making her clothes stretch to the limit, which have been stretched before to accommodate her own bust size.

"There…is that better koi?"

Naruto's hands again go to her chest, making Mei moan again. His brain is clearly too fogged over with alcohol to operate properly. But he seems satisfied as he continues to knead the baggy flesh and even tweaks the hard nipples a little.

Mei pushes him back to the bed and makes him fall on his back, not knowing how he stayed upright the whole time with her boobs. She makes a show of taking off her clothes, one piece at a time. Soon she is completely naked and exposed.

She pounces Naruto, smashing their lips together as his hands move to her hips. Mei quickly divests Naruto of his clothes and eyes his piece hungrily. The takes hold of it, strokes it a few times, before lowering herself onto him.

Mei nearly cries out at the fullness she is feeling.

"God Kyu! You've never been this tight before," Naruto groans from under her.

Mei gathers her bearings before she starts rocking back and forth. Naruto, being the gentleman he is, places his hands on her hips, and helps her move. This goes on for a few minutes before Naruto gets frustrated. He digs his fingers into her flesh and begins to bounce her.

Mei feels herself being stabbed over and over again, that delicious friction fueling her pleasure. She keeps it slow, but that isn't enough for Naruto. He growls and thrusts upward, making Mei almost shriek in pleasure. Then he begins to jackhammer her, the sounds of flesh smacking flesh filling the room.

Mei instantly falls forward, having lost all ability to sit up. Naruto's hands instinctively leave Mei's hips and grabs her ample tits, his mouth latching onto her left nipple, all the while never stopping his abuse of Mei's nether region. Mei's cries grow louder and louder each passing moment until finally the coil breaks and she cums all over Naruto.

She holds onto his head as her world quakes around her, but Naruto doesn't stop. He continues on, prolonging her orgasm. Mei's mouth finds his as she comes back down to earth. They battle as Naruto slows down to a snail's pace, indicating that he wants to change positions.

Naruto rolls them over and hooks his arms under her knees. Knowing what he wants to do, Mei wraps her arms around Naruto's neck as he lifts them both in a feat of strength. He carries her over to the wall and sets her against it, never once disconnecting from her. Naruto begins again, this time not waiting for Mei to be ready.

It seems that while alcohol diminishes most male's performance, it doesn't affect Naruto in the slightest.

Naruto pounds Mei into the wall, her plentiful juices now running down his thighs, not that he cares. Mei bites her lower lip from crying out in pleasure. From this new position and angle, Naruto is much more powerful and the tip is hitting all the right places.

The sounds of wet smacking fill the room again along with Mei's cries of pleasure.

"You're…you…you very loud Kyu."

Mei blushes even as he continues to pound her.

"You're…just…that good," she breathes out.

She sees Naruto's smirk, which she wipes off by kissing him. She moans and grunts into his mouth when he picks up the pace. She can feel the impending release approaching so she lifts herself up off the wall and uses her body weight to force him backwards. He bounces her instead of thrusting now but he is swaying dangerously.

Mei uses her weight on his torso to maneuver him to the bed. The back of his knees hit the back of the bed and with it goes his precarious balance. Mei slams down on him and does scream this time. His dick had inadvertently pierced her cervix with the impact, sending her crashing over the edge. Her walls convulse almost violently, making Naruto climax as well.

And Mei couldn't go any higher. The endorphins running through her make it difficult to top but feeling Naruto's warm essence fill her up makes it that much better.

They both breathe heavily, trying to catch their breath and Mei rolls off Naruto, having the best sex of her life. She is totally drained. She feels Naruto pull the blankets over them both and pull her close to his chest, in which she snuggles as closely as she can. With any luck, she will be doing this quite often.

Time Skip – Next Day

A red headed woman walks into Kiri, having given the gate guards her passport and documents, signifying that she is a civilian, which couldn't be further from the truth. Her ship had finally arrived yesterday and docked to which she immediately set out. She had a gut feeling that she needs to get to Naruto yesterday.

She ran all night to Kiri, which is several hundred miles away. That being said, she isn't even breathing hard or sweating.

She casts an illusion over herself and goes to the safehouse Naruto had used before. Once there, she flares her yoki slightly, just enough to…

"Welcome back Kyūbi-sama."

Summon one or two Guardians. She is surprised when all four show up.

"Where is Naruto and why are all four of you here and not with him?" she asks with both annoyance and concern.

Miya bows low, very low.

"Naruto-sama gave us the day off yesterday. He had just awoken after two days of rest and we had not been given time to tend to ourselves. After getting a status report from Hikari, he told us to get some rest and tend to our wounds, which were light.

"We were looking for him when you signaled us."

Kyūbi glares at the woman.

"So you left him, completely unprotected, open to attack while asleep."

Miya flinches and presses her forehead to the ground as do the other Guardians.

"I had set a clone to follow him but he eluded the clone. How I do not know but he and Mei-sama went into a clothing store and never came out. My clone waited for hours before entering under a henge but they were gone."

Kyūbi reigns in her anger…for now. She flashes through hand seals while she creates a clone. The clone slaps a tag on the wall while the real Kyūbi finishes her seals and the room glows blue for a moment before fading back to normal.

Suddenly the Guardians feel an enormous pressure on them. They can't see it because they don't dare to look up, but Kyūbi's eyes are glowing. Faster than any of them can move, Kyūbi has Miya pinned to a wall.

"In the years I've known you, you've never been this stupid. You should never have left him."

"But Naruto-sama had good reas…"

"I don't care what Naruto said! What I care about is you left your post in a possible hostile environment with any number of people who would jump at the opportunity to harm Throne. You have forsaken your duty and broken your vow. Be glad that the yoki containment seal has a limit or I would deal out your punishment here and now. Expect to be punished when we return to Throne.

She shifts her gaze to the other Sekirei.

"The same goes for you three."

Kyūbi releases Miya and reigns in her yoki. She clams herself and tries to set her worries aside but finds it impossible. She knows he isn't dead because she would know if he was but it leaves a full range of other things such as kidnapping. Her need to find Naruto only increases now that she knows his Guardians have abandoned him.

She and the other four set out immediately to look for him. She sees trash and all kinds of liquor bottles everywhere that is just beginning to be cleaned up. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that a massive party was held last night. The thought only increases her desire to find him because the majority of the population would be lax and not doing their jobs, making it easier to infiltrate the village.

After an hour of unfruitful searching, Kyūbi slows down. Her near panic-level frame of mind is going to do nothing to help her.

So she sits on a roof, again hidden by an illusion, and meditates. She doesn't know why she did do so earlier. Maybe the need to do something compounded by her emotions made her forget. Whatever the case, she spreads her awareness out, searching for her lover.

After a minute, she finds him. She breathes a sigh of relief when she feels his chakra strong and calm, indicating that he is asleep and unharmed.

She shunshins to the room, joy spreading through her to finally be reunited with him again. Her toes tingle as she approaches as do her fingers. She feels giddy and energetic, like a little school girl going to see her friends after not seeing them all summer.

Her hand touches the cool handle and turns. The door opens, her face lit up with anticipation.

What she sees isn't what she expected.

She sees Naruto is indeed well and sleeping peacefully. He is on his back, his chest rising and falling with rhythm.

But is the woman on his chest that she is drawn to.

She has no delusions of just what happened between her man and this woman. The smell of sex is heavy in the air, they have covers over them but Kyūbi can see the woman's bare breast mashed into the strong chest of her mate. She has no doubt that they are both naked under the covers and covered in each other's fluids.

But it is still the woman who draws her attention. Rage fills her. The woman is wearing her face. The yoki in her body starts to react to her swirling emotions.

From the bed, Naruto groans. His head is splitting apart right now in the worst hangover in the history of the world. It comes from breaking the world record for consuming the most alcohol and remain not only awake but standing. He completely smashed the previous record, pun indeed intended.

He opens his eyes only for the headache to intensify. He quickly shuts them but the damage is done. He blinks in the morning light, his head not hurting any worse from opening his eyes the second time. Although his vision is still blurry.

He calls on Kyūbi's yoki and it works its' magic. The headache slowly recedes, and while it doesn't leave him completely, it does allow him to have a clear mind for the first time since he started drinking last night.

Several things suddenly assault him at once and he turns to the most pressing one. His head turns and sees a fuming Kyūbi in the doorway, an expression of complete, yet restrained fury.

His heart soars at seeing her. He tries to sit up but a weight on his chest prevents him from doing so. He looks down and sees in identical Kyūbi laying on his chest. However with his brain now on and working (not at 100% but just above acceptable) he sees several differences.

The Kyūbi on his chest's eyes are too wide, her nose is too small, the shape of her eyes is too oval and not pointed enough. The breasts pressed to his chest are definitely too small (still), her skin tone is a shade too dark, and most of all, she doesn't smell like his Kyūbi.

Not to mention that he can feel the henge around the imposter.

Naruto's eyes flash to Kyūbi's, sorrow and confusion in them. He sees the position he is in, can feel the imposter's bare legs intertwined with his. He has no memory of what happened but from the evidence, it is clear.

Kyūbi growls, unable to hold in her anger. Her tails and ears come out and the room begins to shake with yoki. In a burst of speed that would make Minato jealous, she crosses the room and tackles the fake Kyūbi off Naruto. She has the woman by the throat and pinned to the wall by one hand, the other poised to strike.

This, of course, awakens Mei from her slumber. Her head swims from the impact and only through sheer willpower does her vision sharpen. Her eyes widen when she finally sees Kyūbi and her tails. She tries to fight the powerful grip but can't even budge a finger.

She lashes out with a kick, even a lava jutsu, trying to get the enraged Bijū off her. But nothing works. She can only stare into the pools of fiery slits of Kyūbi's eyes and drown in the raw power that is aimed at her.

All the yoki flashing around the room forces the henge to dispel, shocking both Kyūbi and Naruto.

"M…Mei!"

Kyūbi is so stunned that she drops Mei's naked body to the ground. Of all the people, Mei was the last person she expected. Last she knew, Mei's chakra was still sealed. But here she is, having just had her henge removed.

Meanwhile, Mei rubs her throat and attempts to cover herself.

"Is that they way you always great people?" she asks with sarcasm.

However, it isn't appreciated.

"Miya, detain her until further notice. She is not allowed to leave this room."

Naruto sits under the covers in shock from many things, the foremost being that one: he had sex with Mei last night. And two: Kyūbi is ordering Mei to house arrest.

Mei gets up to protest when a tag is placed on her back. She feels her chakra being drained and has to fight that sinking feeling in her gut.

'Not again. What did I do?'

Anger begins to rise from the depths of her body, the urge to fight, to defend her relationship with the one she loves. Her mind forgets, either in stupidity or lost in the rage, that the woman in front of her is a Bijū and the strongest one at that.

Meanwhile, Kyūbi turns to look at Naruto, an unreadable emotion in her eyes. Naruto, feeling terrible already just shrinks from her gaze. He knows he did wrong and hurt his mate and companion. Kyūbi starts to walk towards him, but the clicking of her shoes might as well be the final moments of his life.

But Mei's eyes flash in fury. She charges Kyūbi, fully intent on using Naruto's training to the fullest. She grew used to not feeling chakra and while she never wants to feel that again, she can certainly fight without it.

Miya moves to intercept but Kyūbi has her back off. Mei closes the distance surprisingly fast but Kyūbi just swats her down to the floor with almost no effort.

Part of Mei wants to just stay on the floor. She knows that she can't beat Kyūbi. But the other part of her roars in anger and protectiveness of Naruto. What was the Kyūbi doing here? Didn't Throne set her free? And how does Kyūbi know about Miya and why did she obey the Bijū?

Determined to get answers, Mei stands back up to her full height. She squares her shoulders and glares at Kyūbi.

"What are you doing here? Throne released you, yet you continue to torment Naruto."

Kyūbi turns an eye to Mei and stops walking towards Naruto, who is still glued to the sheets.

"You where my face and body and then have the audacity to demand answers from me concerning my mate? You have overstepped your bounds."

Kyūbi rounds on Mei, who slightly shrinks back from Kyūbi's intimidating glare and presence. While Mei's courage is bordering on stupidity, her body and instincts still know she is but a fly to this superior being.

She breathes out a breath she didn't know she was holding when Kyūbi turns away from her and walks to Naruto's side.

"But enough of this. Naruto and I need to speak. I will deal with you later."

Before Mei can begin to protest, Kyūbi and Naruto disappear. Mei makes for the door but Miya stops her.

"Kyūbi-sama has ordered your house-arrest. Please obey as I do not wish to physically enforce that arrest. And please put on some clothes."

Mei briefly considers trying to fight her way past the Guardian but that is nixed quickly. She can't use chakra right now and even if Mei hadn't seen Miya in action, she knows that Guardians are all Kage level, meaning that Miya is on her level if not higher.

And Miya is right. She does need a shower and clothes.

Scene Change – Safe House, Edge of Kirigakure

Naruto and Kyūbi appear in the house. The silence between them is palpable. Naruto stares at his feet, not sure how to proceed or if he should just keep his mouth shut. He never thought he would be in this position. He would realize that people rarely plan on being in this position.

For minutes, the just stand there in the awkward and tense silence.

Kyūbi for once, doesn't know how to approach him. He always makes her feel less confident in herself, makes her question whether she made the right decision. Makes her worry that she will disappoint him.

So she stands there, just like him, unsure of how to proceed. She spies a look at Naruto, and sees him almost shaking.

"Kyūbi, I…"/"Please…" both say at the same time. Her voice is soft but it might as well have been yelled through a bull horn to him.

Naruto falls silent immediately, allowing Kyūbi to finish her statement.

"…go take a shower. We'll talk when you get back."

A reasonable request given the situation to which Naruto does without saying a word or hesitating a moment. Kyūbi hears the water turn on and Naruto step in. Kyūbi sits on the floor against a wall and composes her thoughts.

An eternity later and Naruto appears in the hallway dressed and clean, but he doesn't approach the red head. His thoughts right now are almost visible and they aren't cheerful.

"Come here please," she asks softly.

He jumps at her voice but he remains rooted on the spot, dreading this conversation. Is she going to leave him? Kick him out of Throne? Will she stop loving him? Will she kill him? The questions fire through his head and the more questions that are asked, the worse he feels.

"Naruto, please come here," she tries again. She can feel his desperation and see his anxiety. She wants to alleviate and assuage his fears as quickly as possible.

The blond slowly approaches and stands a few feet away but Kyūbi beckons him closer. His heart is in his feet as she motions for him to sit next to her. He nearly has a heart attack when she pulls him into her lap. She feels him tense like he is about to bolt from her but she holds on tightly.

"Naruto, please listen. I know…I know what happened between you and Mei. I know that you had sex with her."

She feels Naruto stiffen against her, this time nearly dislodging himself from her grip. She takes a hand and runs her fingers through his hair, hoping to calm him.

"But I also know this wasn't your fault."

Naruto stops moving, stops breathing, stops thinking.

"When I opened the door, I first saw you in bed with another woman. Having had multiple mates and my hosts having multiple wives and husbands, I don't mind you having sex with another woman as long as it was mutual and you planned on marrying her.

"However, when I saw her, that's when I got angry. She used my body, my face, my connection with you to seduce you. I'm angry at her, not you. And from what I can tell of your body language, you had one hell of a hangover when you woke. You had to use my yoki to take care of the pain to even function so that means your judgment was impaired to begin with.

"Naruto, I know you feel like you betrayed me and my trust, that you don't deserve to be with me anymore. I'm telling you that you did nothing wrong. Mei betrayed you, went behind your back with an underhanded tactic, and took advantage of you.

"I love you and I always will. It is a promise of a lifetime."

Naruto is silent; having listened to every word she spoke and hung on every word. Relief spread through his body and he relaxes into her grip. Tears slip from his eyes with the knowledge that she still loves him, she still wants to be with him, that she forgives him.

He feels Kyūbi kiss away the tears from his face, an understanding and radiant smile on her face. More tears slip from his eyes and he crushes her into a hug, to which she hugs back just as tightly if not more.

Despite her words, he still feels like he doesn't deserve her or her forgiveness. She is perfect, a goddess among weak and imperfect men, in his eyes and as such her entire existence demands someone better than him to love her and make her happy.

"Thanks Kyūbi."

Still hugging him, she frowns. She knows where this is headed, having dealt with this feeling multiple times before. She breaks the hug and holds his shoulders squarely, looking right in his eyes.

"Do you love me?"

Naruto is slightly stunned at the question.

"You know I do."

"Am I able to make decisions independently of you?"

Naruto looks at her with a confused expression.

"Of course, why would you even ask that?"

Kyūbi's hands move from his shoulders to his cheeks.

"Then accept the fact that I love you and I choose you to live out my life with you. You love me like I love you, nothing more is needed for me.

"So get over the thought that you don't deserve me. You have done plenty to earn my affection and love so stop berating yourself, ok?"

Naruto looks into her eyes and sees just how much she cares for him, the concern that he would push her away. He takes her hands in his and kisses each palm.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you but I'll gladly live the rest of my life with you."

Kyūbi smiles brightly at him before moving forward and claiming his lips with her own. It is gentle, soft, and tender. Naruto's heart soars as he returns the kiss. He pledges here and now that he will do whatever it takes to make her happy.

When they part, they touch their foreheads together, smiling at each other like only lovers can. But as much as they would like to stay like this forever and forget about the problems of the world, they still have to deal with what happened.

"Naruto, I know you don't love Mei and I know she has feelings for you, which last night proved. She had to trick you to get in your pants, which proves, if anything, that you don't love her. Am I right?"

Naruto lowers his head, avoiding her eyes. "I…I like spending time with her. She is witty, easy going when on an even level with her, she is loyal and a great friend. I would be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to her, she is beautiful. She could be a wife for me and after what happened…"

Kyūbi understands perfectly. Naruto had spent the most time with Mei out of anyone minus her and his Guardians. Naruto would have to be gay not to be attracted to her. She knows Naruto will take responsibility for his actions and marry her, which is what she wants.

"Naruto"

She gets his attention and looks him right in the eyes.

"I will not accept Mei as your wife." Naruto's eyes go wide and opens his mouth to ask why when Kyūbi beats him to it. "I won't accept her, not because you had sex before my approval, but because she tricked you. You obviously said no to her but she didn't respect that wish. She seduced and took advantage of you; and for that, I won't accept her.

"Had you chosen to willingly have sex with her without resorting to trickery, I would gladly give my blessing. But she didn't and she must learn that her actions have consequences.

"Do you understand?" she finishes quietly.

Naruto is silent, contemplating her words. And finds himself agreeing with her. She did take advantage of him, using his feelings for Kyūbi in a time where he couldn't make coherent decisions. And while he doesn't remember what happened, Kyūbi is definitely right about one thing. He must have turned Mei down for her to resort to trickery and deceit.

But for the life of him, he can't but feel sorry for her. He isn't angry that what she did could be called rape. He wasn't upset that she used him. No, he feels sadness because he and Mei get along so well together but Mei's bad decision making is tearing them apart with no chance of fixing the rift. He feels disappointed in her but not anger.

He takes a look at his love. She is waiting patiently for him to sort his thoughts while she plays with his hair. She has a pensive and calm look on her face as she waits.

He takes the hand in his hair, getting her attention.

"I…I understand and respect your decision. I agree with you about her actions. But I hope you can understand that I don't feel anger or resentment towards her. I…I just wonder what could have been and the disappointment I feel in her actions.

"I'm also sad because I lost a friend and potential wife today, but I'll stand by your decision. I'd rather die a thousand deaths and go through a hundred Sosei before I disappoint you."

Kyūbi isn't surprised when he said he doesn't harbor any resentment. He isn't the type of person to hold a grudge. She does feel guilty about making him lose a friend and worse: a potential wife to love him. She reminds herself that Mei brought this on herself but it doesn't entirely work.

Her heart skips a beat at his last words.

She kisses him briefly to express her gratitude. "Thank you for standing by me."

They kiss again, this one longer than the others so far. When they break away, both are glad to have that behind them.

"Have you heard from Throne? I'm assuming you or Miya sent a messenger to them to update them on your progress."

Naruto nods. "A message was sent, though I don't know which one of my Guardians sent it. I too am assuming it was Miya. Anyways, we received a dispatch back informing us that Asura is on his way here and will take over getting the village in shape again. We have been ordered back to Throne as soon as possible and we were waiting on you."

Naruto pauses, then goes gets depressed again. Kyūbi is interested and concerned to know what caused this reaction. When she voices said concern, Naruto sighs heavily.

"It's just…I…I wanted to give you a big thank you. During my fight with Yagura, I was forced to draw on your yoki to amplify my abilities."

"I know. I felt you trying to access my yoki and I let you. You shouldn't need to thank me over such a trivial thing. I'm always happy to give you my yoki when needed."

Naruto shakes his head. "It isn't just the yoki. When I accessed the yoki, your voice rang out to me. You told me to calm down and think. You told me you had faith in me. And it worked. That's what I wanted to thank you for when you got here…but I guess I blew it."

Kyūbi is startled. Never before has her thoughts been transmitted along with her yoki before. Whatever the cause, she is glad it worked.

Of course, she also felt him draw enough to go into his first tailed state. She had been extremely worried but when she felt it taper, she knew he had won. She continued to worry but deep down, she knew he was ok. Worrying is what people in love do.

But here Naruto was, apologizing for something out of his control. He could have chosen not to drink at the party but she has a feeling that it would not have been acceptable to the populace or his comrades.

"Thank you for thinking of me but you don't need get me anything. I'm just glad you're alright. And while we're on the topic, tell me of your battle with Yagura."

And he does. He doesn't leave any details out. She is surprised when she hears Yagura had four tails of yoki but is outright flabbergasted when Naruto tells her he got to five.

"But…how is that possible? Yonbi-kun doesn't even have that much yoki to go into a five tailed state."

"I don't know. Until a few months ago, we didn't even know it was possible to store the yoki of a Bijū in a person who wasn't his or her Jinchūriki. There is no telling just how long Yagura had the yoki. Miya was able to recover and seal his body for analysis, so we will have some answers that way."

Kyūbi is highly disturbed by this conversation so Naruto decides to end it there.

"So how was your trip?"

Kyūbi's expression turns sour.

"It wasn't a waste of time but it definitely could have waited. For some reason, they didn't get the message you sent them about Yagura having Yonbi-kun's yoki. We'll have to investigate why they didn't get it when we return. I can't tell you anymore than that."

Naruto's brow furrows. He had sent multiple messages to Throne but if not one of them reached them, then something or someone was preventing them from reaching Throne.

"But enough of this idle chit-chat. We'll have plenty of time to do that on the boat. We need to address Mei."

Naruto isn't looking forward to this but he has to. If he doesn't go, Mei will just assume that Kyūbi brainwashed him or possibly something worse. She needs to hear it from his mouth. It will be painful for both of them but it is the same principle as a band-aid: rip it off quickly.

"Yeah, let's get this over with."

Kyūbi intertwines his fingers with him and disappears in a Shunshin.

Scene Shift – Mei's Room

Mei looks up from the floor against the wall opposite the door as two people appear in her room.

Her eyes are red and puffy, her skin is pale, and her hair is a mess. Her clothes are also wrinkled and disheveled. When Naruto's eyes land on her, he has to fight going to her and comforting her. It is only with Kyūbi's support that he holds back.

Mei's eyes take in the two before her.

Kyūbi hasn't hidden her features, her clothes are pristine, and her eyes are fierce as she looks down on Mei. But Naruto is a different story. His eyes are slightly red and puffy like hers but not as much, his clothes are a little wrinkled but he looks showered and presentable. His expression is one of sorrow and sadness.

Kyūbi draws Mei's attention when she speaks. She takes the lead as it doesn't look like Naruto can speak much less be the one to instigate this conversation.

"Mei Terumi, you are lucky to be alive. Had it not been for Naruto's friendship with you, you would be dead at this very moment. But your life still hangs by a thread. You have seen me with Naruto, security has been compromised, and there is only one solution: become the Mizukage."

Mei's analytical mind instantly sees the hidden message. She is being forced from Naruto. Not about to just take this laying down, Mei snarls at Kyūbi.

"And what right do you have making that kind of decision? You have no claim to Naruto now. He told me that Throne freed you from his seal and therefore left him as you should have. You were the cause of his torment as a child and yet here you are making him even more miserable.

"Just look at him. He looks just about ready to pass out."

And Naruto does. His skin is pale and he has a cold sweat. Kyūbi gives his hand a squeeze to which he squeezes back. Only once she is sure that Naruto is ok, Kyūbi turns her attention back to Mei.

"First off, do not make statements you have no idea what you are talking about. Second, I have every right to make such a decision as Head of Throne and Naruto's mate."

Kyūbi lets that information sink in.

"The only reason I'm telling you this is because you would find out from Asura-san when he gets here in a few days.

"Throne is backed and founded by the Bijū. For centuries, we have been the watchdogs of humanity, the only stabilizing factor holding this world together. We Bijū get sealed into our chosen Jinchūriki by the Death God himself, ensuring a proper connection.

"Yes, I attacked Konoha sixteen years ago but that was not of my choosing and I regret that moment more than anything else my entire life."

Mei's eyes get (comically) wider and wider as Kyu explains her position in Throne.

"Is this one of those 'I told you now I have to kill you' things?" she asks, crossing her arms.

Kyūbi's eyebrow raises at Mei's attempt to intimidate her.

"Yes. You have to be one of four things to know this and live. One: a Keeper of Peace. Two: a Divine Guardian. Three: a Kage. Four: a spouse to a Keeper.

"Since the first two and last are out, your only option is to become a Kage."

Mei's expression goes from a blank one to a confused one.

"But you listed being a spouse. I see that as a viable option."

Kyūbi's eyes glow for a moment.

"I refuse to accept you as a spouse to Naruto."

Mei freezes. "Did I hear right? I must be hearing things."

"No you heard right. As my Jinchūriki, love, and constant companion, Naruto allows me to have a say in who he chooses and I'm tell you right now, I will never accept you."

Mei's expression hardens. "You're just pissed I slept with him last night."

In a flash, Kyūbi has Mei pinned against the wall again, this time denting it significantly. Kyūbi's eyes are slitted and alive with yoki.

"Do not test me girl. I have lived longer than you could live in a thousand lifetimes, seen things that would make you puke and want to crawl back to your mother, done things that you can't even begin to fathom. You know nothing and I will be damned if I let you hurt Naruto again."

"A…again, you're…just pissed…" Mei chokes out.

"You're right. I am pissed but not for the reasons you think. Yes you had sex with him. Great for you. What you don't seem to understand is that you forced yourself on him, and for that I will never forgive you."

Mei fights the hand as much as possible. "He…was…very willing…last night…I can…assure you."

"Because after he turned you down, stone drunk, you used my body to get to him. You deceived him, took advantage of him. You played on the relationship he and I have to your own advantage in a time of weakness for him."

Mei stops struggling. Is that what she did?

"He refused your advances but you didn't respect his decision. You, for no better word fits, raped him. That is why you will never be his wife. Had he accepted you on his own, I would accept the relationship. I am used to and familiar with polygamy. I have no quarrels about sharing him.

"Who knows what could have happened, should you had been patient. You cannot be trusted. You used your friendship with him to get him in a vulnerable position. And as such, I will never allow you close to his heart again."

Mei is crushed. Had she raped him? Did she take advantage of him? She couldn't have done that. He was responding to her, right?

Kyūbi releases Mei who looks to Naruto with a pleading expression.

"Naruto…please…tell her I didn't do that, wouldn't do that. Tell her that I love you more than anyone I've ever loved before. Tell her how much you mean to me, how much fun we have together. You saved me before, please….please save me from her."

Naruto looks to the ground, before looking back up at her with tears in his eyes.

"I'm…I'm sorry Mei. I can't. As much as I would like to, she is the one I will love until the day I die. She knows me better than I know myself. I love her and she loves me back. If she says no, then I'll follow her until my dying breath."

As Naruto speaks, he seems to gain confidence and momentum. Like a ball rolling down hill, it gets easier to speak now that he has started. His voice firms and his shoulders square up.

"Mei, you did take advantage of me. I was drunk and you became one of the few people I would never refuse. I was not sound of mind and you took my trust and friendship for granted."

By this point, Mei's world is shattered. She collapses to the ground and Naruto steps forward. He knows what he has to do. Kyūbi stops him briefly but after a few words, she nods her understanding and Naruto passes her.

Mei stiffens and fights Naruto when he wraps her in a hug. She tries as much as possible to get out of the arms. But Naruto's hold is too strong. Eventually, she stops fighting and just sobs on his chest. Mei continues for a while until Naruto's had enough.

He lifts Mei's chin and makes her exquisite green eyes meet his.

"Mei, listen to me. I'm not mad or angry with you. I could never hate anyone for following their heart but it was how you went about it that led to this. I do enjoy your company and generally being around you but your actions have consequences. I'm sorry that this is happening but remember that this is something you brought on yourself. I'm not mad but disappointed. I can only hope that you learn from this experience.

"I'll always remember the time I spent here. Not because of the horrors but of the people I met, helped, and saved. I don't want to see you die, so please take up the Kage mantle. If anyone deserves the title, it's you. If you don't, you will die.

"You are a strong kunoichi but an even stronger woman, someone I admire for her strength, compassion, and leadership abilities. You are strong enough to overcome this, to overcome anything. Please chose to live, don't waste your life because of one incident."

Naruto moves to stand but Mei's grip is ironclad. Naruto stands anyways, pulling Mei up with him. He can't see her face but he can tell she is struggling to come to terms with what she is hearing. She is shaking terribly, looking for some hold on the support structure she just lost.

Naruto gently takes her to the bed and sits her down before rejoining Kyu at her side. His hand instantly finds hers.

"Mei, I'll give you until tomorrow morning to make your decision and please chose to live. I hate to kill unnecessarily and make Naruto sad. If you believe anything, believe his words for he never lies when he doesn't have to."

Kyūbi leads Naruto to the door and out without another glance to Mei, leaving the woman alone with her thoughts.

"Miya, see that she gets a bath and has warm food and fresh water. Ikki, you are on guard duty along with Miya until tomorrow morning. No one is to enter or leave without my or Naruto's express permission."

Even though there is no visible confirmation of her orders, she can feel them being fulfilled. It seems that after Kyūbi chewing Miya out, they have been re-invigorated to do what has been ordered with much haste.

But Kyūbi doesn't wait for her orders to be fulfilled. She takes Naruto back to the safe house and in an instant has him in bed, wrapped in her tails, their arms around each other. With the emotional rollercoaster the day has been, Naruto feel asleep very quickly despite it only being noon.

Saying that to someone he cares about was very difficult for him and he never likes losing friends, no matter what they have done. It took a lot out of him to end his friendship with her but he did, just like he said he would.

He had explained to her why he was going to comfort her. He didn't want her to turn into a mentally unstable person with revenge on him and Kyūbi as the focus. She still might turn out that way depending on her line of thoughts but hopefully Naruto's words would get her to look at her actions and how they were wrong.

Kyūbi mulls over the situation for another hour before sleep claims her as well in the comforting embrace of her host.

Time Skip – Next Day – 10am

Naruto knocks on Mei's door. Kyūbi is inside the seal since he walked to her room instead of a Shunshin. He feels much better this morning. He and Kyūbi talked softly, all the while holding each other close, just content to spend time together. Naruto doesn't feel emotionally ready to make love with Kyu again yet, despite her insistence he did nothing wrong. His mind still can't get wrap around how she feels he deserves her.

But back to reality, the door opens and Mei stands before him, dark rings under eyes, bloodshot eyes, and white skin. She looks like she didn't get a wink of sleep. She turns around and walks in to the room, allowing him entrance.

Beside him, Kyūbi materialize, making Mei's eyes shrink for a moment.

"Have you come to a decision?"

Mei looks from Naruto to Kyūbi then back to Naruto. She gives one last pleading look to Naruto, who only returns impassiveness. That cuts deeper than any kunai wound could.

"I…I will accept the Mizukage position."

Naruto gives her a small smile to which she returns.

"Good. Let's get you sworn in."

"Wh…why so soon?"

"Because until I see you become Mizukage, I must treat you as a potential threat."

Mei glares at Kyūbi.

"I keep my word, that much you should know about me."

Kyūbi returns the glare full force. "Really? All I see is…"

"Kyu, that's enough." Said Bijū looks at Naruto in surprise. "Let's get this over with as quickly as possible so we can go home."

It is obvious he doesn't want to be here anymore. Kyūbi slips back inside the seal without another word.

"Sorry about that. She is very protective."

An awkward silence falls between them.

"You should henge yourself. You look half dead right now."

"I can't. You have my chakra sealed."

Naruto sighs.

'Kyu, can you cast an illusion over her? I know you would rather do that then let her have her chakra back.'

"Sure, I can do that."

Mei feels a ripple over her body and when she looks down, she finds herself exactly as she was when she left the hospital yesterday.

She feels Naruto put a hand on her shoulder before he shunshins to the Kage Tower, which is the only command structure still standing. He escorts Mei inside and to Ao, who is dutifully at work.

"Ah, Mei-sama I…"

He can see the tense atmosphere between the two.

"I'm here to accept the Mizukage position."

Ao is very confused about the situation but nods.

"I'll convene the council and Daimyo and have them induct you immediately."

"No, I should be enough," Naruto speaks up. "There are only two ways to induct a Kage. One is by the Daimyo. The other is by Throne, though a representative from Throne must be present for the Daimyo to officially give the title of Kage. Because I am here, we can skip the process."

Mei nods but this only confuses Ao even more.

"But the Daimyo has specifically requested to be here personally. He should be here tomorrow, can you not wait?".

Naruto shakes his head. "I can't. I've been recalled and I leave today. Asura, the Keeper overseeing this village will be here within a week and you would have to wait until then anyways. The Daimyo can have a public ceremony when he arrives but that will only be for show."

Ao has no choice but to go along with it. He fishes for the necessary paper and fills it out. Mei signs the paper, then Naruto. Then like magic, Mei becomes the Godaime Mizukage. No fanfare, no speeches, no celebration. Just two signatures and that is it.

The second the original is secured in a storage seal, Miya lifts the chakra sealing tag off Mei. Naruto shakes Ao's hand, then turns to leave. He stops for a moment.

"Remember Mei, Kage only."

Mei knows what he is talking about. 'No talking about the Bijū or you will not like the results.'

With his message and job done, Naruto makes for the exit. He opens the doors and is gone.

Mei watches him go, a rock in her stomach. She turns about to Ao who is looking for an explanation at her behavior. Without warning Mei takes off after Naruto, Ao hot on her trail wonder just what the hell happened.

Mei catches Naruto just as he clears the bottom stairs.

"Naruto…"

Said blond turns to face her as she closes the distance.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

Naruto gives her a sad smile and a hand on her shoulder before turning around without a word to her. Mei slumps to the ground, bawling yet again, Ao quickly supporting her.

"What have I done?" she whispers over and over again.

Ao takes her back to the office at the top.

"Mei-sama…what happened?"

Mei looks to her faithful comrade and tells him what she did while leaving out only what she is forbidden to tell.

Time Skip – 1 ½ Weeks

Naruto and Kyūbi laze in the cabin. The ride has been slow, arduously so. The night he left Kiri, Kyūbi had enough of Naruto's 'moping' and had climbed on top of him and rid him hard. Soon after, he returned to normal, or close to normal. Every now and then, he will have a relapse but Kyūbi is quick to get him out of it but milking him of sperm.

"Hey Kyu…"

"Yeah?"

"Shouldn't we have arrived at Destiny's Gateway by now?"

"No"

Naruto is confused at her answer.

"Why not? It only took a week to get here but it's been ten days."

"That's because we aren't going to Destiny's Gateway. We're headed to Fire Country."

Naruto sits up and eyes her naked frame.

"Why are we going there? Throne recalled us."

Kyūbi scoffs. "Yeah and they would have put you right to work. You need a vacation and you aren't going to get one by going back right now."

"…but aren't they going to be concerned about us not showing up?"

"Nah"

"…are you going to explain."

"Nope"

"'Nope'?"

"Nope"

"…"

"Fine, I sent Miya there with a message from me to Hiori saying we are going on a two week vacation in Konoha two days ago. I also sent along Yagura's body and Mei's certificate of approval all in a storage seal on her arm."

"You made her water walk all the way to Destiny's Gateway?"

"Yup. I consider it punishment for leaving her post." Naruto opens his mouth but Kyūbi keeps talking. "I know you said they could but they shouldn't have complied with that. It isn't like at Destiny's Gateway where you are surrounded by hundreds of soldiers dedicated to defending you and other Jinchūriki. You were vulnerable and that was their fault.

"So not only does she have about thirty miles to cover before her chakra runs out, the seals around the harbor will cut her chakra, forcing her to swim the last hundred feet. Then she has to go to the compound soaking wet with no chakra assistance."

"You're cruel."

"Thanks"

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Sure it wasn't."

Suddenly a knock comes at the door.

"Land has been spotted. We will dock in an hour. Please prepare to disembark."

---

End Chapter 10

AN: I know what you guys are thinking: How the hell could I make Mei do that? The answer is simple: I needed to. I would have loved to have Mei in but with the restrictions I set upon myself, I can't do it. Plus this is a good for later chapters. This is not the last time you will be seeing Mei (just a naked Mei).

I really struggled to wright in what Mei did. I really didn't want to but felt I would be cheating my voters if I went back on my word. But just so you know, Naruto is willing to forgive but it is Kyubi the one making the decision to not accept Mei and since Naruto loves Kyubi and not Mei (at that point. It really could have gone either way), he chose to follow Kyubi. It sounds horrible, I know. But Mei chose her own selfishness over respecting Naruto's decision and didn't think about the consequences.

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This is the longest chapter I've written for Throne of Power. Seriously, 15,000 words and that's in MSWord, not the crappy fanfiction count. Next chapter we get back to Konoha after being in Mizu no Kuni for a number of months.

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Poll on my profile concerning Turbulent Tides. I'm currently at a crossroads and need the reader's help to decide what to do. The quicker you vote, the sooner I start writing again. The poll will close in one week, so hurry and vote.

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I understand if some of you don't want to read the story anymore. I accept all forms of reviews including flames, so feel free to let me know what you think.

Sincerely,
tomhunt98