CHAPTER 21 Islands Where the Demons Rule
"So where are we headed?" Sakura asked as they had been traveling for two days and he still hadn't told her where they were headed.
"The Demon isles."Naruto replied
"You mean that lawless salt swap that Kakashi sensei told us about?" Sakura asked with shock
"Hey it ain't lawless." Naruto said "we have a code of conduct; it's just a bit looser than you're used to." He replied with a chuckle.
"How much looser?" Sakura asked
"Well you'll see when we get there." Naruto said
"And when exactly will we get there?" Sakura asked
"About morning if we keep up this pace." Naruto said
"What? No I need some rest we have been walking for the past two days only to stop and grab an hour's rest last night I want to get some actual sleep." Sakura barked
"Why what's wrong with sleeping under that stars?" Naruto asked
"I need to sleep in an actual bed. We haven't stopped at a single hotel the entire time we have been gone." Sakura complained as they came up to a sign. She looked at the sign it read 'Hotel and spa two miles ahead.' "Alright perfect we can stop here for the night get a good soak and then be refreshed and ready to head out again in the morning
"I don't think you want to go there." Naruto said
"And why not?" Sakura asked
"Just saying." Naruto said as he continued walking
"We are going there and that is final." She said in an angry tone as she got in front of him
"Fine dear let's show them what happy blissful newlyweds we are." Naruto said sarcastically getting her to tense up a bit at the realization she had forgotten they were posing as newlyweds. "Just don't forget your wifely duties" he chuckled as he walked by her and gave her a slit tap on the ass
This got her fired up "How dare you touch me like that you little perv!" she yelled as he bolted away and she began to chase him.
"Oh stop yelling, you liked it," inner shot at her "And maybe we shouldn't forget our wifely duties, even if we are only pretending to be married we should continue the acting just in case someone tries spying on us." Inner said with a peevish grin. Getting Sakura's eyes to bulge at the thought of what her inner self was suggesting
After chasing Naruto all the way to the spa he stopped suddenly at the door and just before she slugged him into the next county he stepped under her punch and grabbed her hand forcing her to put her arm around his waist as he did the same and lead her into the spa main office. She was still a bit shocked over the close proximity and she went deep red as they walked up to the desk.
"Oh isn't this a happy couple." The old lady behind the desk said with a smile
"We would like a single room please." Naruto said as the old lady went and grabbed a key.
"So how long have you two love birds been together?" the old lady asked
"Oh for about as long as I can remember, or as far back as I'd like to remember." Naruto chuckled
"So when will you be getting married then?" the old lady said with a grin
"Ahaha uhuh" Sakura stuttered
"Sorry about her she is still a bit nervous about the public affection thing. You see we just got married a few days ago this is our honey moon we are on our way to a cruise liner off the coast." Naruto said with a smile as she handed him a key.
"Oh well congratulation." The old lady said with a clap of her hands "This is the best couple's spa in the country perfect for newlyweds such as yourselves. Now how about a kiss for an old lady."
"Sorry but I don't think my new bride would appreciate me kissing a beautiful woman other than her." He teased getting a giggle out of the old lady as he led Sakura away from the desk
"Oh heheh you old charmer I can see why she fell for you." he heard the old lady say as they walked down the hallway and made it to their room.
Once they were inside their room Naruto let go of Sakura who just stood there for a minute still shocked at what had just happened. Naruto just tossed his pack on the bed and went and grabbed one of the robes out of the bathroom and slung it over his shoulder as he walked up to her. He just sighed and began to snap his fingers in front of her face getting her to snap out of her little trance.
"Hey you were the one who wanted to use the hot springs." Naruto said as she looked around and realized where she was.
"Oh right." She said shaking herself to reality.
"Alright I'm heading over there now. Here is the spar key." Naruto said as he handed her the key and walked out the door.
'What the hell just happened?' Sakura asked herself
"We were in the arms of the most wonderful man in the world." Inner said dreamily
'No one minute I was ready to pound him into next week, then we had our arms wrapped around each other and I couldn't do anything. What is wrong with me?' she said to herself
"Just admit it, you are falling for him" inner said "I know I already have" she added with a lick of her lips.
'No that can't be it there has to be another reason.' She said to herself as she thought about his arm wrapped around her waist and hers around his and she got a shiver and blood rushed to her cheeks 'I just don't know' she said as she grabbed the second robe and walked down the hall
Mean while Naruto was sitting in the hot springs just soaking in the water when a voice came into his head.
"So how did you like having your arm around her like that?" Kurama asked
'What are you on about now fox?' Naruto asked
"Oh just asking how the married life is." Kurama teased
'It's just a cover nothing more.' Naruto said
"Oh it's just that you played that 'part' oh so well it seemed like you were enjoying having that pink vixen close to you." Kurama teased
'Can I just sit and soak for a minute before everything goes to hell again.' Naruto shot back
"Oh fine you can have your minute of peace." Kurama said as Naruto lay back into the hot springs
Sakura walked into the female changing room and began to strip down and wrapped a towel around herself.
"Oh come on we should at least try to peep on him see what he looks like now that he has matured so nicely." Inner said with a grin
'Not listening' Sakura said as she walked into the spa area. She looked around and there was a heavy mist around the water area. She walked into the water and it came up just to the bottom of the towel she was wearing. "Well better take this off so it doesn't get wet." She said to herself as she took off the towel and laid it down just outside the pool of water. That was when she noticed the mist was beginning to lift a bit and she noticed the silhouette of a head and shoulders sticking out of the water just a little ways away.
'Oh looks like there is someone else here after all probably the old granny at the front desk.' She said to herself as she began to walk toward it "hey granny how are you doing." She called out as she began to walk closer and the mist dissipated more and more till the head turned and she saw it wasn't the old lady but had red and blonde spiky hair and a man's face who's eyes where bulged out a bit and a streak of blood started to drip form his nose. Once she realized who it was she froze with the look of horror on her face
"Well guess that answers the question of if her curtains match the drapes" Kurama chuckled knocking Naruto out of his stupor and regain his composure
"So are you gonna sit down or are you gonna stand there in your birthday suit all night?" Naruto said at this Sakura looked at down at her bare and exposed body and then shot down into the water to cover herself up.
"What the hell are you doing on the girl's side of the spa?!" Sakura yelled at him getting ready to punch him
"This is mixed bathing there are no sides look around" Naruto shot back at this she looked around saw there was no separation barriers for a men and women's side and saw that two doors came into the area one where she came out and one for the men's locker room "Why didn't you tell me it was mixed bathing?" she shot back
"Well at least now we won't have to try to peep on him we can just watch him get out" inner said with an evil grin that Sakura just ignored
"I told you that you wouldn't like to come here." Naruto shot back "and it says it on the sign out front."
"But you knew and still didn't tell me!" Sakura yelled at him even more.
"Will you put a sock in it already. If you start yelling to holy hell like that the owner might get suspicious that we ain't what we claim" Naruto said "Besides if it bothers you so much being in the spa with a guy fine." He said
"Normally I would be pissed you drove such a great specimen away, but if he is getting up and we can see all of him just like he saw all of us." Inner shouted for joy in her mind but instead of getting up he brought his hands together into seal.
"Sexy jutsu." He exclaimed as he was enveloped in a poof of smoke and was replaced by a naked girl with breast two cup sizes bigger than Sakura's and red hair with blonde highlights going down her back. "There now we are both girls happy."
"Oh yes I am this is the best guy in the world, we can experiment without the guilt of actually questioning our sexuality because he is really a man" shouted inner getting even more excited.
"What no you're still you under this henge and seeing you in here wasn't the problem it's the fact you'll see me." Sakura shot at him
"Any more than I already have?" Naruto asked
"Yes" she screeched.
"Fine I'll leave." Naruto said as he turned back into his normal form and turned around and stood up giving her a full view of his back muscles and ass as he wrapped his towel around himself.
"Oh would you look at that tight ass of his." Inner said as blood dripped down her nose
Once he had his towel tightly wrapped around himself he stepped out of the spring and walked to the men's locker room.
"Damn't now what are we going to play with?" inner complained
'Just shut up and let me enjoy this.' Sakura said
"it would have been more enjoyable if he was here." Inner moaned
Meanwhile in the men's locker room Naruto was changing into his robe.
"Well that was interesting." Kurama said with a chuckle
'Didn't even get proper soak.' Naruto sighed
"You could always go back in." Kurama offered with a peevish chuckle
'You're just loving this ain't you?' Naruto replied
"Oh every minute of it." Kurama said "You can't tell me you didn't like that view?" he said as the image of Sakura standing there naked in the mist entered his mind.
'So what if I did I'm a guy I like seeing girls naked." Naruto replied trying to defend himself
"Yes but this is not just any girl, you like this one and you just got to see all of her." Kurama said with a chuckle "And now I have it and I will be putting it into your dreams from now on till you admit you like her and start actively trying to get her."
'Hey we had an agreement you stop messing with my dreams.' Naruto said
"This is an exception." Kurama said evilly
'Whatever I'm gonna do some meditations.' Naruto replied as he walked toward his room
After an hour in the water Sakura got up and headed toward the woman's locker and began to get into her robe. She walked into the room and saw Naruto sitting on the bed in a meditation pose with his eyes closed, with just a pair of flannel pants. But something was different she took another look and saw he had fox ears and red fur going from his shoulders down the back of his arms and his hands were clawed.
"What the hell?!" Sakura nearly screamed getting him to break his concentration and open his demonic eyes.
"Wha, what's wrong?" Naruto asked in shock looking around and his face began to pull out into a muzzle but then something hit him in the back of the head knocking him to the floor and he returned to normal.
"Damn't what the hell man?!" He yelled turning around where she saw a fox standing on its hind legs wearing a vest and baggy pants.
"If I hadn't done that you would have lost control and been lost forever." The fox said "and you were close too."
"What the hell is going on?" Sakura asked in a state of shock getting the two to look over at her
"And who might this vixen be?" the fox asked
"Shinjo this is Sakura, she is the one I have to work with for the leaf to help out with the Akatsuki." Naruto sighed as the fox jumped down from the bed and walked up to Sakura and began looking her over.
"Well let's have a look at you." Shinjo said "don't know what you see in her she has no chest" he said causing her to blush and get upset "ass is almost as flat as her chest" causing the tic mark on her forehead to grow "and those hips aren't that great for birthing." He finished as he slapped her ass with the stick he had hit Naruto with causing her to get even more pissed. "I don't see why you would pick her as your mate." But Sakura didn't hear that last part cause all she saw was white and punched the little fox sending him through the window and out of sight
"But she does have a killer right hook." Naruto said as he got back into his meditation position.
"Yeah at least she will be good for protecting kits." Shinjo said appearing behind her getting her to jump
"What? But, how did you?" she asked pointing at him in shock
"And can't see through illusions that well either." The fox sighed
"Can't blame her for that most humans can't see through a foxes illusions it is what we are best known for." Naruto replied
"Who the hell is this guy?" Sakura asked getting impatient
"He is the fox elder and he is teaching me about the fox sage form." Naruto replied "and you can just ignore him when it comes to all those shots about looks and breeding. Him and his wife are self proclaimed match makers. They try to hook me up with any single vixen they can find." He sighed "gets to be a real pain."
"Mmmmatch making?" Sakura asked causing a blush to form
"That's right." Shinjo said with a wink
"Will you stop with that already and make sure I don't lose it." Naruto asked
"Right right right." Shinjo replied as he jumped up next to Naruto
"What are you doing?" Sakura asked
"He is working on mastering the fox sage form." Shinjo replied "He has everything down but maintaining it when not meditating, which is the hardest but he is getting there. hell no one has ever mastered the fox sage form and those who master the other sage forms takes years almost a whole life time but this guy has done it in only a few years." He explained as Naruto grew ears and fur down his shoulders and above his eyes.
Sakura just sat and watched for an hour as he maintained that form and then it began to fade.
"Well that is enough for tonight." Naruto stretched
"Very well." Shinjo said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"So sage form huh?" Sakura asked
"Yeah it increases all your power exponentially strength, chakra, senses through the use of the natural chakra around you." Naruto replied
"Sounds powerful." Sakura replied
"Oh it is, and training to control it takes a lot out of me so I'm gonna grab some shut eye." He said as he pulled back the covers and got into bed.
"Wait where am I going to sleep?" Sakura asked realizing there was only one bed
"That side." Naruto replied pointing to the other side of the bed
"You mean sshshshare a bed… with you?" Sakura asked
"Well we are supposed to be 'married' right." Naruto replied
"Well if we're supposed to be married shouldn't we be sleeping in each other's arms? And if this is our honeymoon shouldn't we be naked." inner said with an evil grin
'Shut up I'm not thinking about that.' Sakura replied shaking her head
"Well I guess, just stay on your side of the bed then." Sakura shot at him
"As long as you stay on yours." Naruto replied
"And don't look while I change into my PJ's." she said
"Whatever not like I haven't seen it already." Naruto sighed as he rolled over pulling the covers over himself "And if you're so shy why don't you just change in the bathroom?"
"Because we want you to see and then ravish us like the animal you are." Inner said causing Sakura to go red and dash into the bathroom grabbing her clothes.
Once she was finished changing into a pair of short shorts and a T-shirt she walked into the dark room to find Naruto was already asleep on his side of the bed.
'Well I guess if it's the only place to sleep.' Sakura sighed to herself as she got into the bed on her side and quickly fell asleep.
Meanwhile in her head an evil presence was forming a most diabolical plan.
'Alright this might take a bit but operation snuggle time is go.' Inner said as she used everything she could to roll her body over.
'Alright now to get this idiot laid.' Kurama said to himself as he did his best to force Naruto's body closer to Sakura.
Naruto woke up and had the smell of cherries in his nose. He opened his eyes to find pink pressed up against his face. He then realized he had his arms around something and something was wrapped around him. It took him a moment to realize what kind of position he was in. he saw his face was pressed into Sakura's hair and she was latched on to him while he had his arms around her.
'Kurama I know this is your doing!' Naruto yelled at his tenant
"Oh I was just doing what you didn't have the balls to do in the first place." Kurama replied "and I'm only half way to blame, I got you half way across the bed she came the other half."
'Well either way I gotta get out of this position before she wakes up and hits me with one of those chakra infused punches.' He said to himself as he began to pull away but was tightly pulled back.
"No don't go… stay with me." Sakura said in a sleepy daze "So warm." She said and snuggled closer to him
"Ah hell." Naruto sighed as he laid back down and waited for her to wake up.
"See it ain't all that bad." Kurama said
'I'll admit it isn't horrible.' Naruto replied
"See now just start to caress her and…" Kurama began
'No I see where you're trying to go with this and no it ain't happening.' Naruto replied
"Oh come on you have a half naked girl literally clinging to you and you don't take the slightest bit of advantage of the situation?" Kurama rants getting annoyed
'No and you know why?' Naruto asks
"Well it's not because you're a decent person, is it cause you're gay?" Kurama asks with a mischievous grin.
'No you stupid fox it's because if I do you win and I ain't gonna let you win that easily.' Naruto spat back at the fox
"Not that easily huh? So I will win in the end." Kurama replied with a smirk
'Well you can just…' Naruto began but began Sakura begin to stir as she opened her eyes and started to look around
Sakura looked around wondering what was going on and what this nice warm pillow she had been sleeping on was. As she looked up and found herself looking up into Naruto's face it took her a moment to realize what was going on.
"Well good morning." He said with a strained smile. Causing her look at him in shock and then back down and see she had her arms wrapped around him. Once she realized this she let go of him jumping back away to her side of the bed.
"Whwhwhat did you do to me while I was asleep?" she stuttered pointing at him accusingly
"Nothing and if memory serves you were the one latched on to me." Naruto replied causing her to go even redder than before.
"But you also had your arms around her as well." Kurama replied
'Not talking to you fox.' Naruto shot back at the fox
"Well let's just get dressed and head out and forget this even happened. You can have the shower first I'll put on some coffee" Naruto said as he got up and began to make some coffee
"Rrright." Sakura said as she got out of the bed and quickly jumped over to the bathroom to get a shower and 'I can't believe that happened.' Sakura said to herself
"Yeah I know I can't believe neither of you tried to make a move on the other it was such a perfect setup." inner whined as she stepped into the shower
'That was your fault?' Sakura asked with a bit of anger
"Oh don't give me that you know you liked waking up like that." Inner said causing her to blush and go quite. "Thought so and it was only half my fault I moved you half way there he moved the other half." Inner explained
'So maybe he does have feeling towards me?' she thought to herself
"Oh so you're admitting you have feelings for him then?" inner asked with a ray of hope.
'Maybe a little but I didn't want to get my hopes up if he didn't share them' Sakura thought as she finished cleaning herself and got out of the shower
"Well he may not show it but he might subconsciously, but is just as stubborn as you and won't admit it." Inner offered as she finished dressing and headed out the door
They had been walking all day in silence both thinking about what had accrued earlier that morning.
"Damn't kit just get over it, and talk to her." Kurama said
'No that was a dirty trick you pulled back there.' Naruto replied
"I did what I had to, and I am going to apologize for it." Kurama said "you are nuts for the girl but you are too stubborn to admit it."
'I have no idea what you mean.' Naruto replied
"Right there that stubbornness is why you'll always be alone you won't let anyone in." Kurama yelled
'And what of it?' Naruto replied
"No one likes to be alone hell I don't even like to be alone that is why I started talking to you. You now know the reason she brought that mob after you was that she was trying to help you she had no idea it wasn't a good idea but she was five tell me what good ideas you had when you were five?"" Kurama replied
'I would say befriending you but that is coming around to bite me in the ass right now' Naruto replied
"Oh hahaha very funny." Kurama laughed sarcastically "I know deep down you want to be with her but just won't let yourself give in, you've always been strong letting someone in isn't weakness it shows you have the strength to trust and that is where real strength comes from."
'Wow when did you get all philosophical and shit?' Naruto asked
"I have been around a few hundred years so I picked up a thing or two. So you going to let her in?" Kurama pushed
'Maybe but not because you said so.' Naruto replies
"Hey Sakura." Naruto said getting her attention
"Yeah?" she asked looking at him
"Finally one of you is breaking this tension." Inner sighs
"I ah…" Naruto stutters "When we get to the Demon islands we have to drop the married cover and call me by Fox I don't want people knowing we are that close."
"You fucking pussy!" Kurama yells at him
"What do you mean?" Sakura asks a bit hurt.
"I have a reputation and a lot of people who don't like that reputation, if they knew you and me were… friends they would go after you to get me." Naruto tried to explain
"Oh." Sakura replied
"Ah so to protect us he acts as if we don't really know each other. I get where he is going with this, doesn't like us my ass!" Inner screams the last part in victory
"So what should our cover be?" Sakura asks
"She is your sex slave." Kurama offers
"You could be his sex slave." Inner offers as well getting both teens to turn bright red and look away from each other.
"Ah, new meat." Naruto throws out regaining his bearing
"What?" Sakura asks
"You're an up and coming bounty hunter that wants to learn the ropes and I'm giving you a crash course." Naruto offered
"ah role-playing we can have some fun with this" inner says "oh but whatever will the price of your teachings be? Oh no not that, oh no, oh no, I know I shouldn't but it feels so good." Inner moans into her head
"Yeah that works." Sakura says with strain trying to get inners thoughts out of her head
They spent the next hour discussing the finer details of their cover as night began to fall and they came to the top of a hill overlooking the salt swamp that rested on the coast of Demon country known as the demon islands.
"Well here it is the Demon islands you will never find a more retched hive of scum and villainy." Naruto said with a smirk "And the one place a demon is welcome and can be at home."
They made their way through the town it was mostly plank board bridges connecting the hard spots of land to one another.
"So where are we staying?" Sakura asked
"We'll be heading to my place later tonight." Naruto replied
"Why aren't we heading there now?" Sakura asked
"Getting anxious to get into Naruto kun's bed?" Inner teased causing the pinkette to go red and shake her head.
"Because night here is pretty much like day most other places." Naruto replied "Pretty much to get intel you have to be out at night because everyone either parties all night and sleeps during the day or they are just shady individuals that don't like being seen in broad daylight. So if we want to get any work done we will have to move at night and rest during the day."
"Alright where to first then?" Sakura asked
"The local watering hole." Naruto said as he walked up to a two story building most would consider it just a shanty, but it was one of the largest buildings there.
Naruto began to walk around followed closely by Sakura when all of a sudden someone threw an arm around his shoulder
"Ah Naruto my best buddy." Said a man with two swords across his back, wearing red and black spandex and suit and mask "or are you going by that lame ass allies Fox." the man said "oh we get it you have a demon fox sealed in you. Big fucking whoop we all got voices in our heads only difference is we don't let them control who we are." He said waving his hands around in a happy joking tone.
"No I work with mine you let yours run amok and drive you literally insane." Naruto replied
"Oh that hurts real deep man my voices may drive me to do some crazy things but I'm always having fun." He said with what looked like a smile behind his mask. "Like you" he said pointing over to Sakura "What are the voices in your head telling you I bet their fuuuuun."
"Oh they most definitely are. But how the hell does he know about me?" inner asked in confusion
"Just give into the voices and let the good times roll." The man said throwing up his arm dramatically as Sakura was watching him.
"see he agrees with me you should too." Inner says, just then there was a flash and his head fell to the ground.
"Damn't Wade how many times do I have to tell you stop with those stupid rants!" Naruto yelled at him holding a bloody sword. "And you call my alias stupid? What the hell does Deadpool even mean?" he asked as Sakura just stared in shock that she just saw a man get decapitated and the person who did it was Naruto and he was acting as if it wasn't even a big deal.
'Wow I knew he was mercenary but he just took this guy's head off for no reason and it doesn't even phase him at all that he just killed someone.' Sakura said in shock
"Yeah the guy was annoying but not so much so to do that to him." Inner replied with a hint of fear
"Oh damn't ol buddy you know how much that stings." Came Wade's voice from the ground. At this Sakura turned white as a ghost as she looked down and say the head was talking.
"AHAHHAHAHAHAHHA!" she screamed as she jumped back and the headless body dropped to the floor on its hands and knees retrieving its head. The body stood back up when it had its head and put it back on backwards then twisted back around to the front.
"Seriously that is annoying." Wade said getting agitated reaching for his sword.
"Hey bar keep get this man a chimichanga on me." Naruto said as he walked over to Sakura and put his sword away.
"Oh thanks best buddy." Wade said as he hopped up on a bar stool as the chimichanga was placed in front of him, and the two teens walked past him. "And I was always a supporter of Narusaku and not Naruhina." He calls as they walk away
"And as always I have no idea what you're talking about." Naruto calls back
"The hell was that?" Sakura asked in confusion
"That was Wade, also known as Deadpool. He is another top ranked merc but he's literally insane always going on about the mulitverse and protagonists like this is some big story or as he calls it a fanfic written by someone named night wolfie or something. He claims to be a hero well anti-hero. But just ignore him eventually he'll get bored and move along. I will admit he is handy in a fight." Naruto explains
"And the whole decapitation thing?" Sakura asked
"Yeah he has a healing factor that makes mine look like shit." Naruto explained
"Is he like that guy we face before?" Sakura asked
"No I don't think so I asked him about it once, said he was part of some experiment called weapon X but never made any sense to me." Naruto replied "but like I said don't worry about him he will leave when he gets bored."
"There are some weird people here." Inner said
'Yeah for once we agree on something.' Sakura thought as she looked over at Naruto and began to inch closer to him, but all of a sudden he was yanked backwards. She looked back to see the shock on his face as he was pulled through the air.
"Shit Nar… Fox!" she shouted as she went after him. She followed him till he was slammed into a couch between a man with a straw hat and another with green hair and three swords, then a beer mug was forced into his hand.
"Ah Luffy, Zorro!" Naruto shouted in excitement as he threw his arms around them. At hearing this Sakura relaxed and walked up to them.
"You know these people as well?" Sakura asked
"Yeah this is Luffy Captain of the straw hat pirates." He replied with a smile pointing at the man with a stray hat. "This is Zorro he taught me just about everything I know on sword fighting." He said pointing at the green haired man.
"what you mean 'just about everything'?" Zorro asked
"oh I've picked up a few things in my adventures," he said with a smile "and that is Nami behind you, she taught me how to steal and pickpocket like she just did with your money pouch."
"What?!" Sakura said as she turned around to see a orange haired woman in jeans and a bikini top holding her money pouch.
"Well if you're a friend of Naruto's I guess I can give it back." Nami sighed tossing back the pouch "but I did take a few Ryo it's only fair right." She added with a smirk as she sat down.
"And Nami when the hell did you grow into your chest?" Naruto asked causing both girls to go red in anger. Causing Naruto to just laugh when something blue latched on to his face. "The hell?" he said as he pulled it off and saw he was holding a blue cat with wings. "Happy?!"
"Ah Naruto causing trouble as always I see." Said a red haired woman wearing a metal chest plate, along with arm guards, and a blue skirt.
"Erza!" Naruto said with excitement
"Hey don't forget about us." Came another voice as three more people walked up one was a girl with blonde hair another was a man with black hair and not wearing a shirt the last one had on a vest and a scarf with pink hair.
"Natsu, Grey, Lucy!" he shouted in ecxitment as he jumped up and gave them hugs "Last time I saw you was seven years ago when you headed off to the S-class challenge. The hell happened to you guys you havent' aged a day?" Naurto asked
"Yeah well you see everything went to hell." Natsu began and then began to tell the story of how they fought off Grimoire Heart and Acnologia showing up and they all getting stuck in time for seven years.
"Well that explains why you guys haven't changed at all." Naruto said with a smile
"And that little runt that was running around the guild saying he was going to be the best is now a strapping young man" Erza said
"Yeah he is." Inner added
"So what have you been up too?" Natsu asked as they all grabbed a seat around the couch
"Well once you guys vanished I returned here and became a mercenary." Naruto said getting all of them to stare at him blankly with a little anger.
"Hey the closest thing we have to mages over here are ninja and I wasn't going to go and join a village. So I choose this pretty much the same thing only I'm free lance take work I want nothing more." Naruto said with a grin.
"And who is this?" Grey asked standing next to Sakura who realized he was only wearing boxers
"What the hell?" Sakura shouted in embarrassment as she punched him sending him rocketing across the bar.
"Yeah he is a compulsive stripper." Says the blonde sitting next to her "oh right sorry I'm Lucy" she says holding out her hand. "Yeah sorry about him he is an ice magic user and he gets hot quickly and just takes off his clothes to cool down."
Sakura hesitates for a second then takes the offered hand "Yeah sorry about sending him through the bar like that."
"Oh don't worry about it Erza has done much worse to both of them." Lucy replies
"I'm sorry if this seems a bit weird but you seem pretty normal compared to the rest of these guys." Sakura said
"I could say the same about you being around little Naruto Kun" Lucy said "he just seems a bit young to have a girlfriend but then again he is probably the same age as us now seeing how we got trapped for seven years."
"Ggggirlfriend no I'm just an up and coming mercenary who is just needing someone to help me along as I get started." Sakura said
"Oh are you sure you don't like him." Lucy poked with a smile
"Well ah." Sakura began looking down
"Don't worry your secret is safe with me. He was like a little brother to the entire guild while he was there. So I just wanted to get the lay of the land like a big sister should" Lucy said with a smile.
"Thanks." Sakura said looking up but found Natsu mere inches from her face causing her to jump back in her seat.
"So is that your natural hair color?" Natsu asked
"Ah yeah it is why?" Sakura asked as Natsu got a huge smile on his face and jumped up hugging her
"Oh yes I found another cherry head it's been so long since I've seen another one!" Natsu yelled with excitement tossing her all around as he jumped for joy.
"Hey Natsu put her down." Naruto called over from his spot on the couch as Natsu dropped her and took his seat again.
"Besides what are you guys doing here? On this side of the ocean." Naruto asked
"Well there is the Grand Magic tournament coming up and we were going to train for it and then we got talking to these pirates and found out we both knew you." Erza explained "They told us you were over here and he could take us over here to see if we could get you to join us in the tournament." She finished
"Hey any friend of Naruto's is a friend of ours, and we were headed this way anyway." Luffy said as he took a bite out of a giant piece of meat, and washed it down with some beer.
"Well that is thought full of you guys but I have a job to do over here." Naruto said as they all looked at him and Grey walked up from across the bar. "You see there is a group called the Akutsuki that are hunting down the tailed beasts like the one I have sealed in me." He explained getting them all to nod "And I am trying to stop them before they can get us. Cause yeah I consider you family but these guys have been through the same thing I have with their tailed beasts." He said looking over at Natsu "It's like if someone was going around hunting down the dragon slayers just because they were raised by dragons like you."
"If that ever happened they would be the ones who were hunted down." Natsu said as flame came out of his eyes and mouth and fists.
"My thoughts exactly, so I'm sorry I won't be able to help you with the tournament." Naruto said.
"Ah it's ok we understand we thought we would try." Erza said
"And we all just wanted to see you again." Lucy said.
"Must have been pretty bad to if you were able to get Natsu on to a boat." Naruto said with a laugh as Natsu got sick look on his face.
"Please don't remind me." Natsu said as he held back from throwing up
"Oh I won't have to the trip back will be reminder enough for you." Naruto laughed as Natus go sicker "well let's drink to good times and even better friends." He said as he raised his mug.
"Naruto kun we are under age we can't drink." Sakura whispered over to him
"You forget that is the law in the land of fire this is the Demon islands there is no drinking age limit" He said with a smile and pushed a beer into her hand. "And like it is the first time you've ever drank, with that old booze hound as your master I'm surprised you ain't a drunk already."
"Well he does have us there it isn't our first drink." Inner said.
'He looks so happy and laid back now' Sakura said she watched Naruto laugh and joke with his friend 'If he had been treated differently in the village could this have been what he would have been like with everyone in our class?' she wondered as she raised her mug and drank as well.
They spent most the night drinking singing and just messing around till Naruto noticed Sakura was having trouble standing up and said good bye to his friends and he heard Grey and Natsu begin a fight as he walked outside and they headed toward his apartment.
Naruto had walked all the way to his apartment on the mainland with Sakura leaning on his shoulder the whole way. Once he made it to his apartment and opened the door they walked in. once they were in Sakura pulled away from him for a second causing him to look over at her and found himself in a lip lock with her causing him a great amount of shock.
"Bout time." Kurama said
"Alright finally just needed a little liquid courage." Inner said with a drunken hiccup
Once they parted Naruto looked at her in shock as she was leaning in for another.
"Oh come back please." Sakura said trying to force herself on him.
"The hell are you waiting for take her." Kurama said
"No." Naruto said.
"And why the hell not she is willing." Kurama said
"I won't take advantage of a drunk girl." Naruto replied
"Oh come on she wants to be taken advantage of." Kurama said
"Oh come one why won't he take advantage of me?" inner whined drunkenly
'Yeah why won't he?' Sakura agreed just as drunkenly
"Come on let's get you to bed." Naruto sighed as he led her off to his bed room, and laid her down on his bed.
"Oh I see what you're going for." Sakura smiled as she crawled on the bed and began to undo her clothes. "come on Naruto Kun take me please." She said in seductive manner as she rubbed he legs together and fully undid her top.
At this he just sighed and formed a hand sign and put his fingers to her forehead and she went to sleep.
"The hell you do that for?" Kurama asked "you ain't into that sex with a sleeping person are you?"
"What? Hell no." Naruto responded as he walked out of the room "It's just we have a job to do." He said as he walked to a cupboard "You can come out now." He said as a snake slithered out from the cupboard and coughed up a scroll.
Naruto took the scroll and read it then held up a new scroll for the snake "take this to your master." He said as the snake ate the scroll and vanished in a puff of smoke.
"looks like we will be working on that deal we made three years ago." Naruto said as he vanished in a flash of yellow.
END CHAPTER 21
A/N alright well hoped you liked it and seeing some cross over characters. This won't be a recurring thing just a onetime thing other than maybe references, and as for dead pool how can I do a mercenary town without the merc with a mouth. So please review I want to know what you all think.