Chapter 21: Shocking Surprises and an Onsen Hotel
The next morning Naruto woke up feeling extremely relaxed and let out a long, loud groan as he stretched.
"Morning!" Daichi called out from the bathroom.
"Morning" Naruto mumbled as he opened his eyes and gasped when he saw the ANBU on the ceiling while his system went into overdrive.
Reacting on instinct, Naruto flung the kunai that was under the pillow at the intruder only for it to be plucked out of midair by a Shadow Tendril and tossed aside.
Forcing himself to calm, Naruto allowed his eyes to take in more information and saw that the ANBU was wrapped in Shadow Tendrils and that there was an extensive black web spread across the ceiling.
Slipping out of bed, Naruto saw that there were more people trapped in the web and counted five ANBU, four Shinobi and at least eight civilians all of them unconscious.
"Daichi?" Naruto called out.
"I'm in the bathroom" Daichi called out.
"Spiderman, Spiderman~ Does whatever a spider can~ Spins a web, any size~ Catches thieves just like flies~ Look Out!~ Here comes Spiderman~" Daichi sang as he rinsed his razor in the basin full of water.
"Daichi!" Naruto said as he entered the bathroom, "Wha-!… What are you doing?"
"Composing a Dissidian Symphonic Opera using a Quantum Polynomial, a glass of milk and a teddy bear- I'm shaving, what does it look like I'm doing?" Daichi said as he scraped the last vestiges of foam from his face, a very large and bubbly puddle of sarcasm at his feet.
Naruto remained silent and blinked several times while his brain processed what had been said while Daichi washed his face.
"Good morning" Daichi said after he dried his face, turned around and gave Naruto a quick kiss.
Naruto blinked a few more times before his mind kicked into gear; he grabbed Daichi and dragged him into the bedroom.
"What the hell?" Naruto asked as he pointed to the ceiling.
"Yes, a bit underwhelming, if you ask me. I was expecting a lot more, but then again this village is such a disappointment" Daichi said casually as he made his way toward the storage scrolls.
Naruto blinked several times in bewilderment before marching up to Daichi, "You were expecting this?"
"Of course" Daichi said as he got dressed, "What else would you expect from a village of idiots?"
"Well… this and a lot more, but I didn't think they're have the balls to try and take on a Kage" Naruto said.
"Oh please. Under current context, what you call balls I call deluded idiocy" Daichi said as he gestured at the captives with a hairbrush, "This is the result of years of ignorance induced xenophobia. Every single one of these people broke in here trying to 'complete the Yondaime's great work' and so call 'punish the demon', fanatic stupidity at its finest"
"So… what are you gonna do with them?" Naruto asked.
"Hand them over to Tsunade" Daichi said, "Let her deal with the paperwork"
Naruto snorted back a laugh, "Just don't let her hear you say that"
"Oh I don't plan to" Daichi said with a chuckle then looked at his unconscious captives and sighed, "Time to clean up"
Snapping his fingers, Daichi watched as the people were lowered to the ground one by one while Naruto sealed them into scrolls.
Once the people had been sealed, Daichi pocketed the scrolls, slipped his arms around Naruto's waist and held him close.
"Hey" Naruto said softly with a warm smile while he rested his hands on Daichi's shoulders.
"Hey" Daichi replied while he smiled and pressed his forehead against his lover's then sighed.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, looking slightly worried.
"Nothing major, I'm just at a bit of a crossroads" Daichi said.
"What's the matter?" Naruto asked.
"Well the thing is… there is nothing left for us to do here… for now anyway" Daichi said, "We are in fact slightly ahead of schedule and can process with the next step, but… there is a part of me that wants me to stay"
"Which part?" Naruto asked.
"See that's the weird thing. It's not a political or combative desire, but a social one" Daichi said as he furrowed his brows in thought then chuckled, "I think the social butterfly in me want to play for a bit"
"Hmm, maybe it's your minds way of telling you to take a break for a while?" Naruto asked, "You said yourself, we are ahead of schedule"
"True, but my merchant blood protests and boy does it protest" Daichi said, "I guess what I really want is an excuse to stay for a few more days. Any ideas?"
"How about spending the next few days exploring the village? Really take in the sights" Naruto said.
"Meh, I already mapped out the entire village using the Mukogan whenever we wandered. I've already seen everything and in far greater detail and clarity too" Daichi said.
"Hmm, how about setting up shop?" Naruto asked.
"Meh, don't feel like it" Daichi said as he waved the idea off, "Plus I want these people to get used to the fact that you are still alive before empowering them further"
"Then how about getting people to accept that I'm alive?" Naruto asked.
"What are Kage Bunshins for?" Daichi countered.
"You're not making this any easier" Naruto said as he frowned before a lecherous grin crept across his face, "How about we lock ourselves in this room and spend the next few days having hot, nasty, animalistic sex? You haven't given me a good 'that'll-hurt-in-the-morning' ass pounding in a while"
"Tempting" Daichi said as he smirked, quickly shoved his hand down Naruto's pyjama bottoms and started groping, "But we can do that anytime we want anyway. Besides, tonight I already plan to rape that tight ass of yours until you can't sit for a week"
Naruto moaned at the idea and Daichi's fondling then leaned forward slightly and whispered, "I can't wait"
Daichi chuckled as he pecked Naruto on the lips and withdrew his hand.
Naruto sighed both in disappointment at Daichi removing his hand and in mild agitation at their predicament before looking out the window, getting an idea and smirking evilly.
"What's wrong?" Daichi asked.
"I know just how to get you to stay" Naruto said and began whispering in Daichi's ear.
Tsunade was annoyed and seriously felt like bashing her head against the Hokage's Monument. Annoyed because of the ridiculous amount of paper work she had been getting over the past week and wanting to bash her head in because of how stupid the majority of her village was. Ever since the village meeting a week ago, the more idiotic members of the public had made it their mission to make her life and Naruto's life a living hell by making wild and ridiculous accusations against him.
"I'm back" Shizune said with a sigh as she entered Tsunade's office and threw a folder on the desk, "Here's the medical examination report for the baby"
"What baby?" Tsunade asked.
"The one whose mother claims that Naruto had bitten him and turned him into a vampire" Shizune said as she rolled her eyes.
"What was the actual diagnosis?" Tsunade asked.
"A Mosquito bite" Shizune said.
Tsunade started banging her head against the table.
"Now, now, Hokage-sama. A woman as elegant and beautiful as yourself shouldn't be trying to permanently mar her features, it would be most unbecoming of you" a voice said causing Tsunade and Shizune towards the couches and see Daichi sitting there casually with a smile on his face.
"Dammit, Daichi! How the hell did you get in here without setting off the security?" Tsunade yelled.
"Oh come now Tsunade" Daichi said, "Bypassing security seals is second nature to me"
"Are you saying my security is lacking?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow.
"On the contrary, the level of complexity is really quite beautiful. It took me ten minutes along with the use of my Kekkei Genkai to find the only safe loop hole that would let me in. It was actually quite satisfying to try and outsmart Minato; he really is quite the Seal Master. Towards the end, I was quite tempted to give up and use my Shinigami powers to enter your office, but alas my superior skills in Fuinjutsu prevailed" Daichi said.
"Well I'm glad my predecessor was able to provide you with such entertainment" Tsunade said as she folded her arms, "Now do you have a reason to be in my office or should I just tell you to get the hell out?"
"I was bored" Daichi said as he shrugged, "So I thought I'd come hang out here for a bit"
"What about Naruto-kun and the others?" Shizune asked.
"Naruto is hanging out with Jiraiya, Soul and Ichigo are sparing behind the Hokage's Monument and the girls are at the hot springs" Daichi said.
"*sigh* Might as well start planning on Jiraiya's funeral" Tsunade said.
Daichi burst out laughing while holding his stomach and stamping his foot on the floor repeatedly.
Once Daichi had calmed down, he wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "Don't worry, I told them to go easy on him"
"Shame and here I was getting my hopes up" Tsunade said in such a way that Daichi was unable to tell whether she was being serious or sarcastic.
"So how was your day?" Naruto asked as Daichi entered the hotel room.
Daichi raised an eyebrow when he saw that Naruto was lying on the bed with his arms folded behind his head, "You look comfortable"
"Well of course" Naruto said as he smiled, "Everything's packed, our plan is a success and tomorrow Konoha is going to get a lovely surprise"
"And to think I was coerced so easily" Daichi said.
"Hee, Hee" Naruto said as he grinned, "That's 'cause I know exactly what buttons to press in order to manipulate you. Too bad we won't be able to view the chaos in person"
"I've already set the surveillance crystals at key locations to give us a perfect view of the incident sight and I've bugged select people in order to record their reactions" Daichi said with a grin.
Naruto chuckled as he jumped off the bed, made his way to Daichi and wrapped his arms around the man's waist before popping a devilish smirk, "You are evil"
"And you are entirely to blame" Daichi replied as he rubbed his nose against Naruto's.
"How are you going to get the surveillance crystals back when we're going to be on our way to Nami? I certainly hope you're not going to pick them up the next time we visit" Naruto asked.
"I inscribed each crystal with an inverse variation of the Hiraishin Seal" Daichi said, "Once activated, the crystals will be pulled to me instead of me being pulled to them"
"Nice!" Naruto exclaimed, "I can't wait. How long will you have them recording before you reclaim them?"
"Mmmm, about three days" Daichi said.
"I hate you" Naruto said with a mock leer, "How dare you make me wait"
"Well then" Daichi said as he smirked while his hands slipped down Naruto's back and squeezed the blonde's behind, "I guess I'll just have to distract you until then"
The next morning, Daichi, Naruto and the rest were at the gate while Tsunade, Shizune Jiraiya, Kakashi and, oddly enough, Anko were there to see them off.
"I want that iron maiden" Anko said through gritted teeth.
"Oh for God's sake, if you're that eager, you can come with Tsunade when she comes to Nami in order to further discuss the trade alliance" Daichi said, "Depending on how long you're there for, you can even watch me make the damn thing"
Anko got a blissful, faraway look in her eyes as her imagination ran rampant.
"*sigh* Now look at what you've done" Tsunade said, "I'll have to tell Ibiki to cut her interrogation shift short otherwise she'll kill each and every one of them"
"Glad to be of service" Daichi said with a grin then gave a confident sigh, "I guess it's time to go"
"Bye, Baa-chan" Naruto said as he hugged his surrogate grandmother, "See you in about two weeks"
"Bye Naruto" Tsunade said.
"Bye Shizune-nee-chan" Naruto said.
"Bye Naruto" Shizune said.
"Enough with the goodbyes" Daichi said then grabbed the back of Naruto's collar, "If I don't intervene now, we'll never leave"
Suddenly a fierce wind kicked up as Daichi lurched forward with a massive burst of speed while dragging Naruto behind him.
"*Sigh* Eager beaver" Miu said before she suddenly transformed into a black panther and chased after her cousin.
"See ya soon" Ichigo said before he and Nell disappeared in a blur of Shunpo and a buzz of Sonido respectively while Maka chuckled before transforming Soul into flight mode and took off after the rest.
"That was different" Shizune said.
"For them it's normal" Kakashi said.
Suddenly a very loud rumbling was heard causing the entire village to come to a standstill and watch as the Hokage's Monument shook violently and take on an almost blinding glow.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Tsunade yelled as an intense gale surged through the village.
"I DON'T KNOW" Jiraiya yelled, "BUT I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHOSE FAULT IT IS"
"AACHOO!" Naruto sneezed violently, "*sniff* 'scuse me"
"Bless you" Daichi said then smirked, "I think they figure it out"
"Dammit" Naruto said as he sniffed again to clear his sinuses, "I was hoping it would take a while"
Once the chaos had ended, people emerged from within the buildings the and cleared their eyes before staring wide eyed at the monument.
"THAT DAMN UZUMAKI!" Tsunade yelled at the road, "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM I'LL-"
"I think you have a more pressing matter to attend to, Hime" Jiraiya said as he tapped Tsunade's shoulder while staring at the Hokage's Monument.
"What are you-" Tsunade's jaw dropped and her eyes went wide when she saw what had become of the Monument, "… …AAUGHHHHH!"
"So what exactly did you two do to the Hokage's Monument?" Maka asked into her communicator, she and Soul were currently flying above the canopy while Ichigo Shunpoed across the treetops.
"The Crystals are due for retrieval in three days, you will just have to wait until then" Daichi said, Naruto and himself were travelling via the branches while Nell and Miu traversed the forest floor.
"Naruto, be a dear and tell us" Miu said.
"My lips are sealed" Naruto said with a giggle, "All I can and will say is that it is epic"
"Tch, cheapskates" Ichigo said.
"Patience is a virtue~" Daichi sang while Naruto chuckled.
Two hours later saw the group standing in front of the bridge that led into Nami no Kuni.
"I do believe we've set a new world record" Daichi said.
"Awesome!" Naruto said happily.
"So this is the bridge you helped build?" Ichigo asked.
"Yup!" Naruto said happily.
"It's quite busy" Nell said as she watched the various carts and people traverse the construct.
"Nami is a major port, it would stand for it to be ripe with commerce" Daichi said, "And of course we are going to add to that commerce"
"Hey there's a sign over here" Soul said as he made his way to one of the bridge's major supports and read out loud, "The Great Uzumaki Naruto Bridge"
"EEEHHHHH!" Naruto cried out as he rushed over to the sign wide eyed in shock then in a small voice murmured, "I can't believe they named it after me"
"Congrats!" Daichi said happily as he smacked Naruto on the back.
"There's another sign at the bottom" Maka said and read, "This bridge was named after a young boy who saved this country from the hands of a tyrant and gave us back our pride. He is our hero and saviour and was taken from us at the hands of the ignorant. May they forever burn in hell. Uzumaki Naruto, may the Afterlife give you what this ungrateful world could not and may you finally find peace. We will miss you dearly and you will forever hold a place in our hearts and homes"
"*sniff* *sniff*"
Everyone looked to see that Naruto had pulled his hood over his face and was crying silently.
"Shhh! Shhhhhh!" Daichi said as he hugged Naruto and rubbed his back soothingly, "You have no need to be sad, these people loved you deeply. You should be proud of them"
"I am" Naruto rasped out between sobs, "I just never though anyone would ever say that about me, it's a little overwhelming"
"I understand, Naru, I understand" Daichi said as he held Naruto tight, "Come on let's get to a hotel before it starts raining"
"Huh?" Naruto said as he looked up and saw that it had become very cloudy before he sniffed the air and did indeed smell the oncoming rain, "I guess we should hurry"
"If you don't have anything better to do" Daichi said with a chuckle.
Naruto chuckled as he wiped his face clean then popped a wide grin.
"Feeling better?" Daichi asked.
"Yeah" Naruto replied.
"So… where should we stay?" Daichi asked once they had crossed the bridge, "Naruto any ideas?"
"Hell if I'd know" Naruto said, "Last time I was here, this place was a dump and we stayed with the client"
"How about here?" Miu asked as she pointed to an immaculately decorated hotel.
"Neuuuu" Daichi said as he made a sour face, "I can smell the underground brothel"
"How about there?" Ichigo said as he pointed to a tall building.
"Opium den next door" Daichi said.
"How about here?" Soul asked as they passed a tavern.
"Too much of a security risk" Nell said.
"This looks nice" Maka said as she pointed to a large complex and what looked like steam coming from a very large side courtyard.
"An onsen hotel?" Daichi asked, "Looks nice, let's check it out"
"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to Onsen no Rakuen where we pluck you out of the Mortal Plane and transport you to a realm of utter relaxation" A women with long brown hair wearing a light but elaborately decorated kimono said as the group entered.
"Wow!" Soul said as he took in the expansive interior.
"I'm liking this already" Daichi said.
"I am awesome" Maka said as she puffed out her chest and shined her nails on her jacket.
"Now then are you one party or multiple" The woman asked.
"A single party" Daichi said.
"Business or pleasure?" The woman asked.
"A bit of both, but its more business than pleasure" Daichi said.
"Then might I recommend our deluxe entrepreneur suite" the woman said, "It's a five bedroom suite surrounding a large common room along with access to a private outdoor onsen"
"Sounds nice" Daichi said, "And the price?"
"20,000 Ryo per night for the entire suite, of course the price includes meals delivered to the suite along with twenty four hour room service and access to our spa" the woman said.
"What no games room?" Naruto asked.
"The games room is standard in all our packages, I was just naming the exclusives" The woman explained.
"I think that's quite a fair price, considering all that's included" Daichi said.
"As I said, it's our deluxe entrepreneur suite" the woman said.
"We'll take it" Daichi said.
"Of course all payments are to be up front and in cash prior to occupation" The woman said.
"And there's the fine print we've been waiting for" Soul said with a chuckle.
Daichi chuckled heartily as he pulled a scroll from his pouch and unsealed a large amount of cash, "Here is payment for a week's worth of lodging and should we wish to extend our stay, I shall provide the next set of payments two days prior to the end of our lodging contract"
"You are most generous" the woman said as she took the money and bowed, "We thank you for your patronage"
Once the woman had put the money away, she made her way around the reception desk and said, "Come, I shall show you to your suite"
"Wow!" Miu said when they entered the suite.
"That about sums it up" Naruto said as he admired the ornate table, artistic wall hangings and overall luxurious decor.
"Interesting" Daichi said, "I like how it's not overly luxurious yet the decor works together to heighten the room's feel"
"An astute observation" the woman said, "We went with more relaxing harmony instead of oppressive luxury"
"Well we are Shinobi" Daichi said as he and the rest of the group stood in which a way that the light made their Hitai-ites seemingly glow.
"I see" the woman said, "But forgive me if I don't recognise the symbol"
"Don't worry" Daichi said, "You will soon"
The woman blinked a few times before brushing the statement off and said, "Well I'll leave you to get settled. I'll have an attendant sent over in about an hour to take your dinner order"
"Thank you" Daichi said with a warm smile.
"And by the way, my name is Mitsumura Hanasaki, proprietress of this establishment" the woman said.
"T'is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mitsumura-san" Daichi said.
Hanasaki smiled, bowed and turned to leave, but stopped when Miu called out to her.
"I'd like you to have this" Miu said as she handed over an autographed picture of herself at one of her concerts as well as an autographed CD of her newest single.
Hanasaki looked at them curiously before her eyes widened in realisation and her head shot up to look at Miu.
"Y-you're-!" Hanasaki stuttered out.
Miu smirked as she struck a pose, flipped her hair out and said, "Dazzling the stage"
Hanasaki's eyes widened even further before she forced herself to calm, cleared her throat and in a strained voice said, "I-it is an honour to h-have you stay with us, Miu-sama. I-I hope you have a pleasant stay with us"
With that, Hanasaki backed out of the room, bowed and slid the door closed.
There was a short pause before the sound of retreating footsteps was heard that turned into an all out run while a fading voice cried out, "MAFUYU!"
"Well that was amusing" Daichi said before a distant chorus of fan-girlish squeals were heard.
"Very" Ichigo said.
"But now onto a more important matter" Miu said catching everyone's attention, "Who bathes first"
Daichi was about to speak but was cut off when Miu raised her hand and said, "Un, un, you two are going last, that is final"
Daichi frowned and folded his arms, "Fine, Naru and I will bathe after dinner, happy?"
"Much" Miu replied.
"Ahhhhhhh~" Naruto cooed as he soaked in the steaming water.
"Having fun?" Daichi asked from the showering area as he washed the soap off his body.
Naruto simply gave Daichi a thumbs up while he tilted his head back and let the unusually warm rain splash over his face.
Hearing a splash, Naruto opened his eyes and tilted his head forward in order to see Daichi wade over.
"Oooh this is nice" Daichi said as he stood in the shoulder deep water.
"Glad you could join me" Naruto said with a chuckle as he wrapped his legs around the man's waist and pulled him closer until Daichi's legs were pressed against the submerged ledge Naruto was sitting on.
"Glad to join" Daichi said as he placed his hands on the onsen's edge in order to support himself.
Naruto chuckled softly before he sighed while Daichi leaned closer and captured his lips with his own.
Naruto moaned into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Daichi's neck who lifted the blond off the ledge and backed up into the centre of the spring.
Naruto whimpered as Daichi caressed the inside of his mouth with his tongue and was breathing heavily, with a rosy tint to his cheeks and half lidded eyes when they parted.
"I uhh" Naruto said softly, "I think the heat's getting to me"
"Mmmm" Daichi replied as he leaned forward and kissed his lover.
"I'm serious" Naruto said.
Daichi grunted again and kissed the blond with rising passion as he made his way back to the ledge. Once there, Daichi climbed on onto the ledge such that he was on his knees then hefted Naruto out of the water, sat him down on the edge and saw that he was completely aroused.
Looking up at the blond, who was still breathing heavily, Daichi placed a finger on the tip of the engorged manhood and nudged it back and forth, eliciting soft moans from the Jinchuriki.
"You want me to take care of this?" Daichi asked while continuing to manoeuvre the appendage like it were a joystick.
Naruto moaned softly and nodded his head causing Daichi to remove his finger, lean forward and gently lick the engorged tip.
Naruto gasped at the surge that ran through him and moaned softly as Daichi continued to lick and gently suckle the leaking head and had to slap a hand over his mouth in order to stifle a cry of pleasure when Daichi took him into his mouth and down to the root in a single fluid movement.
"You don't need to hold back" Daichi said after he had pulled back completely, "I've covered this place in silencing seals, no one can hear us"
Naruto nodded in acknowledgment then threw his head back and moaned loudly when Daichi inhaled his lover until his face was buried in Naruto's neatly trimmed pubes.
"Ohhhhh~ Daichi!" Naruto moaned as the older man continued to feast on the stiff member, occasionally molesting the tip with his oh so skilled tongue, "Ahhhh! Ah! Ahhhhhhhhh!"
"Mmmmm" Daichi said as he pulled back completely and started stroking his lover then licked his lips, "*slurp* Did you enjoy that?"
Naruto continued to whimper through the pleasure and managed a quick nod before Daichi swallowed him again, "Unnnnnnnnn!"
After fifteen minutes, shudders began running through Naruto's body as his breathing became more rapid and irregular.
"D-Daichi!" Naruto gasped, "I-I'm close!"
Daichi's response was a long hum as he increased his suction and began bobbing his head rapidly causing Naruto to cry out his name as he exploded in his lover's mouth.
After coming down from his high Naruto managed to slip back into the water where he wrapped himself around his lover and kissed him deeply.
"Daichi" Naruto said as he rested his head against the man's shoulder then reached down with a hand and began stroking him, "I… I need you in me"
Daichi groaned at his lover's touch as he kissed the base of his neck and mumbled, "Not tonight"
"Why?" Naruto wailed in an almost desperate manner.
"Because we promised we wouldn't soil this place and we have business to attend to tomorrow. It wouldn't do to have you walking around with a sore ass and a constant blush" Daichi said.
Naruto gave a disappointed groan, "Fine. But I still get to make you cum"
Daichi chuckled as he turned around, released his lover, pulled himself out of the water and sat on the edge, his arousal standing at attention.
Naruto groaned at the sight before taking Daichi into his mouth and sucking on the member with earnest.
"Mmmmm" Daichi groaned as he leaned back slightly and propped himself with one hand while the other stroked his lover's matted hair.
To any third party the sight would have been something to behold, Daichi; with a soft, loving smile and a lustful blush on his face; sitting on the edge of the onsen; legs dangling in the water; his upper body leaned back slightly allowing the warm, heavy rain to cascade down his chiselled body while a hand stroked a blond head of hair with gently encouragement and Naruto; with his face buried between the man's legs while he sucked on the fleshy appendage with an almost primal hunger.
"That's it Naru, just like that" Daichi cooed encouragingly as he continued to stroke Naruto's rain-drenched hair, "I'm surprised at how eager you are, considering how much food you ate during dinner"
Naruto quickly pulled back and started licking up and down the long thick rod while he said, "I'll always have enough room for you", then went back to consuming Daichi's manhood.
"Does that mean I'm dessert?" Daichi asked.
"Mmm" Naruto said as he released Daichi with a pop and smirked, "Midnight snack"
Daichi chuckled and uttered a groan-like sigh when Naruto continued his ministrations.
After a while Daichi let his head drop forward and uttered a long, soundless sigh as he climaxed in his boyfriend's mouth.
Naruto, caught off guard by the suddenness of it all, immediately backed off and was treated to having his face coated in thick ropes of Daichi's seed. When he saw the assault starting to dwindle, Naruto grabbed hold of Daichi's member and started stroking it, earning a few added spurts of thick cum to cover his face and groan from the older man.
"A little warning would have been nice" Naruto said with mock annoyance as Daichi slipped back into the water, "Not that this wasn't a fun experience"
"Surprise" Daichi said with a chuckle then leaned forward and started licking his lover's face clean and sharing it with a kiss.
"I think we need another shower" Naruto said.
"Mmm, five more minutes" Daichi said as he sat on the underwater ledge and pulled Naruto into his lap while pressing the blonde's head against his chest.
"Ok" Naruto mumbled as he shifted his position in order to get comfortable and then placed a kiss above Daichi's heart.
"Well it's about time the two of you came out of there" Miu said when Daichi and Naruto entered the room wearing the sky blue yukatas the hotel had provided then pointed to the rest of the group who were sitting on the floor, around the table, "We were starting to get bored… well they were getting bored, I was busy snapping some lovely photos of two lovers sharing an intimate moment"
Daichi's and Naruto's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror while Miu smirked devilishly and removed a small camera from her yukata sleeve.
"Miu!" Daichi said dangerously and leapt at his cousin only for her to pirouette out of his way.
"Ah, ah, ah~" Miu said as she waved her index finger, "We can't have you getting a hold of these pictures now can we?" then flipped out of the way when Naruto tried to tackle her.
"Nee-chan~" Naruto whined from the ground, "You have no idea what will happen if those pictures get out.
"Oh, but I do, my dear boy, I do and that is exactly why I took them" Miu said then danced aside when Naruto made another lunge for the camera.
"MIU" Daichi said in a commanding tone causing everyone to look at him, "If you will not hand over the camera, then I demand you give me a copy of those photographs and a 65% share in the sales profits"
Naruto tripped, "Nah! THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT?"
"Of course" Daichi said with a grin, "I would never miss up a money making opportunity like this. Plus I want to put the copies in my 'Naughty Book'"
"Naughty Book?" Miu asked with a raised eyebrow.
"A little photo album I made of Naruto and myself in some rather 'compromising' positions" Daichi said.
Naruto was so mortified he fainted.
Daichi snorted in laughter as he made his way over to the blond and picked him up bridal style then started making his way over to their room, "Good Night~"
Once in their room, Daichi gently placed Naruto on the ground and propped him against the wall before setting up their bed. Once done, Daichi placed Naruto on the futon, spooned into the teen's back and pulled the covers over them.
The next morning Naruto was startled awake by a loud crash of thunder.
Naruto groaned in annoyance and yawned before rolling onto his back while mumbling, "Damn thunder"
"Yes blame the weather" Daichi muttered as he leaned close and kissed Naruto on the cheek, "Since it's clear that Mother Nature is out to get you"
Naruto groaned again, this time in contentment, as he turned towards Daichi and snuggled into his chest, "Morning"
"Morning" Daichi said as he kissed Naruto on the forehead then buried his face in blond hair and breathed deeply, "Mmm, nothing like Senteur de Naru to revitalise and clear the mind. It's like a gaseous form of those strange energy drinks from Universe RW-453-B, but without the hyper"
Naruto snorted and started laughing heartily while trying to bury his face deeper into his lover's chest.
"You think that's funny, you should see my stand up act" Daichi said causing Naruto to snort even harder and laugh raucously.
"A bit jovial today?" Daichi said, "What say we try and exacerbate the situation?"
With that Daichi grinned and started tickling the blond.
"NO! NOOO! NAHAHAHAHA! S-STOP!" Naruto cried out as his body spasmed under Daichi's fingers and uncontrollable laughter escaped his lungs.
After a five minute tickle session, Daichi relinquished his assault and allowed Naruto a much needed reprieve.
"*pant* *pant* Oh~ *pant* *pant* *pant* Oh God *pant* Never *pant* *gulp* Never do that again" Naruto gasped out then took a deep breath and let it out, "Hooooo"
"So… how are we feeling today?" Daichi asked as he laid his head down on Naruto's now bare chest since his yukata had opened up during the night and even more so during the tickle attack.
"Pretty good now" Naruto said.
"And earlier, you were startled awake" Daichi said.
"The thunder woke me up" Naruto said, "It reminded me of my old life in Konoha"
"Care to elaborate on that thought process?" Daichi asked.
"Well… the thunder reminded me of the times the villagers would bang on my door during the Kyuubi Festival and I would hide in the air vent under my floor. That reminded me of the constant fear I used to live in and endless hatred I would have directed at me for a reason I knew nothing of nor had any choice in and that, in turn, reminded me of the intense loneliness I had to endure every day until it slowly started to lessen when I made Genin"
"I see" Daichi said as he propped himself up with his arms, "I can see how, in your mind, the sound of thunder would associate with your old life, but you no longer need to dwell on that past"
"I know, but… ever since we crossed into the Elemental Nations the memories from those times have become more prominent in the back of my mind" Naruto said with a sad look, "and even more so since the announcement of my falsified death"
Daichi then lifted one of Naruto's hands and placed it over the teen's heart, "Well if those memories ever rear their ugly, chemically and radioactively mutated heads, just place you hand here and remember what it is that is granting you life"
"My heart?" Naruto asked with a confused frown.
"No" Daichi said, "My heart. It was that single act of me giving you my heart in order to keep you alive that set into motion the series of event that has made your life what it is today and isn't it better than what you had before?"
"It is. It's so much better" Naruto said as he lost himself within his memories for a few moments then looked Daichi in the eye, "You're right, remembering how much my life has changed since I met you makes all those years of pain and loneliness look completely insignificant. My life then is nothing compared to my life now, it no longer matters since my old life holds no sway over my new life nor will it ever"
"Exactly" Daichi said then cupped Naruto's cheek and stroked it gently with his thumb, "And always remember the promise I made you when we stayed in Ryumyaku three years ago. I promised that upon my heart, upon my soul, upon my very body, that I would never leave you, I would always be there for you, I would always help you and I would always love you"
"I remember" Naruto said, "and I haven't forgotten"
"Good" Daichi said with a smile then looked at his watch, "Right now, it is quarter past six. What say we grab a few extra hours sleep?"
Daichi then rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling while activating his Mukogan, "Since from what I can see; beyond the old couple doing the nasty two floors above us; the storm isn't going to let up anytime soon, will probably carry on through tomorrow and the day after as well, but from the looks of things it will lessen to about a drizzle at around noon so we can conduct today's business then or at least set the foundation for it and once the storm passes we can really get things moving"
"Fair enough" Naruto said then rolled onto Daichi's chest, pulled covers over them and got comfortable.
When the group stepped out of the hotel at around noon, the rain had indeed lessened to a drizzle.
"Damn I'm awesome" Daichi said with a prideful puff of his chest.
"Now what did he do?" Miu asked, almost afraid to know what her mentally questionable cousin had done this time.
"Don't worry" Naruto said as he fixed his kasa hat and straightened out his rain coat, "He just predicted the time the rain would lessen and he got it right"
"Of course I got it right, but in an attempt to sound less arrogant I thought the drizzle would be less intense than it is now" Daichi said.
"Oh, well in that case your admission clearly spares you from being considered a sociopathic megalomaniac with an ego the size of the Jigokukage's Tower and an over inflated pride to match" Soul said.
"I love how you just described Sasuke without the intention to do so" Naruto said with a cheeky grin.
"Its cause I'm cool" Soul said with a toothy grin while Maka rolled her eyes.
Sometime later, the group entered the suburban area of the city with Naruto in the lead.
"Wow! The people have definitely gone up in life over the past three years, but why are so many of these houses deserted?" Naruto asked.
"Renovation?" Ichigo suggested.
"Not with so many houses at the same time" Daichi said, "And if it were renovations, there would be evidence of construction as well as workers and supplies. No, these people just up and left, simple as that"
"But what would make them do that?" Naruto asked, "These people were prideful, especially after they had just retaken their homes. They would never leave like this, they would stand and fight"
"Well then I guess that begs the simple question" Daichi said, catching everyone's eye, "What has or is happening that forced these people into thinking that leaving was the only option?"
Naruto sighed, "I have a bad feeling about this"
No one could say anything so they remained silent and continued onwards.
"Wow" Naruto said when they arrived at their destination, "This is definitely different"
"In what way?" Miu asked.
"Well it's bigger for one" Naruto said as they looked at the large house in front of them, "Looks a hell of a lot nicer too"
"Well… What are we waiting for?" Daichi asked as he stepped forward and knocked on the door while Naruto pulled the tip of his hat lower.
"Yes?" a woman with long blue hair said when she opened the door.
"Ah, good day madam" Daichi said, "I hope I have the right house, I'm looking for a builder by the name of Tazuna. I was told he lives here?"
"Oh! My name is Tsunami, Tazuna is my father" The woman said, "Might I inquire the nature of your visit?"
"I was hoping to hire him. I'm looking to get some construction work done and he came highly recommended" Daichi said.
"I see, well my father isn't home at the moment, but you are more than welcome to come inside and wait" Tsunami said with a welcoming smile, "I'm sure the rain isn't very pleasant"
"No, no, we couldn't possibly impose. Besides it's not raining that heavily" Daichi said before there was a flash of lightning, a distant rumble of thunder followed by the rain suddenly picking up and coming down with a vengeance.
"You were saying?" Tsunami asked.
"See, even Mother Nature wants us to go inside" Maka said as she entered the house.
"Damn early winter monsoon" Daichi muttered.
Naruto snickered at that statement and stepped into the house.
"Why don't you let me take those hats and raincoats, I'll hang them up in the kitchen to dry" Tsunami said and began collecting the hats and coats.
"Umm, Tsunami-san" Naruto said as he pulled the tip of his hat even lower.
"Yes?" Tsunami replied.
"H-How's Inari?" Naruto asked.
"He's fine, but how did you know my son's-*gasp*" Tsunami gasped when Naruto removed his hat and looked at her with a mixture of apprehension, worry and very slight fear, "N-Naruto-kun?"
Naruto simply nodded and before he could even speak, Tsunami slapped him hard across the face.
"That was leaving us" Tsunami said angrily then grabbed a shell-shocked Naruto into a hug and in a soothing voice said, "This is for coming back"
Naruto still looked thoroughly shell-shocked when Tsunami released him and gently grazed his fingers over his reddening cheek.
"You will tell me everything" Tsunami said as she passed Daichi.
"I intend to" Daichi said, "But it would be more convenient to wait unti-"
"Now" Tsunami growled out and led the group into the dining room before going into the kitchen and closing the door behind her.
"Daichi?" Naruto said in a tiny voice.
"Yeah Naru" Daichi said as he looked at Naruto and saw the worry and confusion on his face.
"Wha-what happened?" Naruto asked.
"I think you were forgiven" Daichi said.
"Really?" Naruto asked as he shuffled into Daichi's chest.
"Yeah, really" Daichi said as he hugged Naruto tight and planted a kiss on his forehead causing the blond to whimper.
Meanwhile in the kitchen, Tsunami had just closed the door behind her and pressed her back against it before she burst into tears and slid down to the floor.
After five minutes, Tsunami had calmed down somewhat as she looked up at the ceiling and muttered, "The rumours were true. Thank God the rumours were true. Thank you, God, thank you. Thank you for not breaking my son's spirit again"
After a while, Tsunami exited the kitchen with tea, served everyone before she sat down and stared Daichi down with an expression that said one word, "Explain"
Just as Daichi opened his mouth to speak, the sound of a door opening and closing was heard before a voice said, "Oi~ Tsunami, we were able to get everything, but the rice might have gotten a little soaked… where are you?"
"I'm in here and we have guests" Tsunami said as she continued to stare Daichi down.
Naruto started to panic and immediately pulled his hood over his head while burying his face in his arms which were folded on the table. Seeing this, Daichi rolled his eyes and pulled the hood off causing Naruto to pull it back up. Daichi sighed as he pulled the hood off again causing Naruto to glare at his lover and pull the hood over again which pushed Daichi over the edge, so after pulling the hood off for the third time, Daichi sliced it off with a kunai and tossed it onto the table resulting in Naruto looking at him with a slack jaw and utter mortification.
About a second later, an old man wearing glasses and a young teenage boy entered the room and upon seeing Naruto, froze in mid-step while Naruto looked like a cornered rabbit.
"Damn, coulda sworn I haven't had a thing ta drink today" the man muttered before he nudged the teen's side and said, "Inari, are you seeing the same thing I'm seeing or do I need to get my liver checked out?"
"If by the same thing you mean a certain blond who should be dead, then yeah I see em" the teen said.
"Uhh, heh, heh, hiya, Tazuna-san, Inari… long time no see" Naruto said with a nervous chuckle as he stood up and rubbed the back of his head.
Inari stared at Naruto for a long while before marching up to the blonde and planting a firm fist in his gut.
"GEH HEH!" Naruto choked out as he dropped to his knees and fell on his side, "I probably deserved that"
Inari then finished Naruto off with a swift kick to the stomach before storming off to his room.
"That one was uncalled for" Naruto rasped out as he held his stomach.
"You know, between Konohamaru trying to stab him and Inari taking him out with a punch, that was fairly amusing" Daichi said then yelped when Naruto spun on the ground and kicked him in the shin.
"So the rumours were true" Tazuna said as he sat himself down at the table.
"What rumours?" Naruto asked as he crawled back into his seat, he hated it when he let people hit him.
"I had Jiraiya spread the news of your 'resurrection' via his spy network" Daichi said then took a sip of his tea, "So far I am not disappointed"
"So you were about to tell us the truth behind this… web of lies" Tsunami said.
"And the actual truth please" Tazuna said, "None of that 'Battling the Devil and clawing your way out of Hell' or 'Seducing an Angel and getting revived' crap"
"What the fuck do these people smoke to get information that messed up?" Ichigo muttered.
"Is that what people are saying happened?" Daichi asked with mock confusion, "Because here I though Naruto slept with an Angel, tricked it into fighting the Devil then in the ensuing chaos, usurped the throne, declared himself 'Ruler of all things Evil' and created a rift leading back to the land of the living"
"You forgot about Naruto making the Shinigami his bitch and creating an army of undead Kages" Soul said with a snicker.
"Of course" Daichi said, "How could I have been so careless?"
Naruto snorted and started laughing, Daichi and Soul had cheeky grins on their faces, which were wiped off when Miu smacked both of them upside the head, Maka and Nell sighed, held the bridge of their noses and shook their heads while Tazuna and Tsunami just stared and looked confused.
"Sarcasm, Daichi thinks it's an art form, we just think it makes him look stupid" Ichigo said then received a swift whack to the head from Daichi.
"Enough with the stalling" Tsunami said with a hint of annoyance, "Just tell us what happened and tell us the truth"
"*sigh* Well this all started during the Chunin Exams" Naruto said.
"Do we really need to go that far back?" Daichi asked.
"Well it is the point where this whole mess started" Miu replied.
"Fair enough" Daichi said then looked at Naruto, "Go on"
"Well during the second stage of the Chunin Exams, we encountered an S-Class Missing-nin called Orochimaru who said that he wanted Sasuke and marked him with some weird curse seal" Naruto said, "At first we thought nothing of it and Kakashi-sensei even sealed it-"
"That was a seal? I thought that was finger paint or dried up squid ink noodles" Daichi said then grimaced and bit his lower lip in pain when Naruto stamped on his foot under the table.
"As I was saying" Naruto said through gritted teeth as he withdrew his foot then composed himself, "*ahem* As I was saying, Kakashi-sensei sealed it and we thought that was it, but it clearly wasn't"
Naruto took a moment to take a sip of his tea before continuing, "After the Chunin Exams and the Suna-Oto Invasion, I went with Jiraiya-sensei to hunt down his old teammate, Tsunade, in order to have her become the next Hokage. After I got back, some of Orochimaru's lackeys contacted Sasuke and coerced Sasuke into taking some offer Orochimaru had made and shortly after Sasuke left the village"
"I was drafted into the team to retrieve Sasuke and while tracking him, we were forced to fight the lackeys. Eventually I was the only one left and had to track Sasuke on my own" Naruto said as his mood darkened and his fists clenched, "I was forced to fight him, the one person I called my best friend and brother, I was forced to fight him and the entire time I could see the desire to kill in his eyes. He wanted to kill me and I didn't want to die, so I fought back. In the end we both used our strongest attacks and… I remember waking up in the hospital after that"
"This is where I come in" Daichi said, "The day Naruto and Sasuke were fighting, I was on my way to Kumogakure and decided to detour past The Valley of the End because my late father had always spoken so highly of it. It was there where I encountered Naruto and Sasuke engaged in their battle. The battle had just ended and while Sasuke had passed out from Chakra exhaustion, Naruto had been severely injured. I rushed both of them back to Konoha where they were treated for their injuries and there was a… complication with Naruto"
"What sort of complication?" Tsunami asked.
"Naruto's heart started breaking down. The cause was a reaction between the tainted chakra from the Cursed Seal that Sasuke was using and the Kyuubi Chakra already in his system which was a result of Sasuke's final attack rupturing a chakra coil in Naruto's heart" Daichi said, "We were forced to remove the heart and replace it"
"H-How? With who's?" Tsunami asked.
"With my own" Daichi said then held up a hand, stabbed it with a kunai at the wrist and wrenched the blade upwards.
Everyone watched in morbid horror as blood gushed out the now split hand before thin black tendrils emerged from both halves and pulled them together before the wound was stitched up and healed instantly.
"As you can see, I heal very quickly so replacing a heart is not an issue" Daichi said then received a hard whack on the head from Naruto.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Naruto yelled, "Why did you just slice your hand open like fish fillet?"
"I wanted to prove my regenerative abilities before people thought I was lying" Daichi said.
"Well next time let them think you're lying" Naruto said as he folded his arms and muttered, "I swear you act like such an emo-bitch what with all the cutting. I bet you cut yourself as a kid"
"I never understood the whole bleed the pain away crap" Daichi said, "Besides my healing factor never gave slitting my wrists much meaning it only pissed my mother off for ruining my clothes and the carpet"
Naruto looked at Daichi with a disbelieving expression then looked at Miu.
"He did no such thing, trust me on this. The one time he tried, I bitch-slapped for two weeks" Miu said.
"And for that I am ever so grateful" Daichi said, "Now then back to the more important matter… Where were we?"
"You replaced Naruto's heart with yours and then you sliced your hand open to prove you went lying" Tazuna said.
"Oh right, thank you" Daichi said, "Anyway, a week after Naruto's surgery, we were told that the Civilian Council, in collaboration with the Council of Advisors, had demanded Naruto's execution and had even subverted the Hokage's authority by garnering the support of the Daimyo himself. Tsunade had no choice but to accept since a Shinobi Village cannot exist without the approval of the country's Daimyo and if the Daimyo were to revoke his approval, Konohagakure would have lost its status as a Hidden Village and every Shinobi would have been forced to either become civilians or become labelled as Missing-nins. Tsunade couldn't allow that to happen and was forced to agree. After we had been told, Naruto asked me for asylum and when I agreed, I devised a plan to get him and myself out of the village. By replacing the two of us with Bunshins, one under a Henge, and placing the two of us under Henges, we were able to leave the village and travel to my home village where Naruto has lived ever since"
There was a long pause as Tazuna and Tsunami digested the information.
"This certainly is a lot to take in" Tsunami said, "But was it really necessary to falsify your death?"
"I had to" Naruto said, "Otherwise I would have been labelled a missing-nin and ended up with a bunch of Hunter-nins trying to capture me"
"I see" Tsunami said, "I can see why that would be unfavourable"
"I think we still need time to digest all this" Tazuna said.
"Please take your time" Daichi said, "It is a massive amount of information that we just drowned you in"
"You are more than welcome to stay here until the rain let's up" Tsunami said as she stood up, "I'll be in the kitchen making some more tea"
"Thank you" Daichi said, "Your hospitality is most generous"
With that Tsunami disappeared into the kitchen.
"I'm gonna go think… and maybe get drunk while I'm at it" Tazuna said before he stood up and left.
"Now what are we supposed to do?" Ichigo asked.
"Lounge around, I guess" Miu said.
Soul yawned loudly before resting his head on the table while raising his hand and performing a thumbs up, "I'm cool with that"
Maka didn't argue and simply fished out a pair of glasses from her pocket then a small book and started reading.
"I'm gonna go check on Inari" Naruto said as he stood up and left.
Upon reaching Inari's room, Naruto knocked on it three times and waited for a response.
"Go away" came a muffled response.
"Inari, it's me. Open up" Naruto said.
"Go away! You're supposed to be dead!"
"Inari, open up so I can explain"
"I said go away!"
Naruto sighed then disappeared in a blur of Shunpo and reappeared inside the room.
"You know, I would have thought that after three years you would have out grown your brattiness" Naruto said.
Inari, who was lying on his stomach on his bed with his face buried in his pillow, flipped around in surprise and said, "How the hell did you get in here?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
"I'm a ninja… plus you're window was open" Naruto said while gesturing with his thumb.
Inari glared at the blond then went back to burying his face in his pillow, "Go away"
Naruto sighed as he made his way over to the bed and sat down before he was kicked off by Inari.
"OW! Okay fine, I'll sit on the floor then" Naruto said then rested his back against the bed.
The two teens stayed as they were for a long while in complete silence before Inari said, "I hate you"
After a short pause Naruto snorted and started giggling before dissolving into hearty laughter then was quickly joined by Inari.
Meanwhile deep within the forests of Nami no Kuni a person was slammed against a tree and lifted off the ground by his throat.
"What part of 'Zero Contact' did you not understand?" Daichi growled out as he held the man against the tree.
"I apologise" the man rasped out, "But it was of the utmost importance that I spoke with you"
Daichi gritted his teeth before letting the man drop to the ground then shook the rain out of his eyes, folded his arms and said, "Very well, what was so important that you had to risk ruining everything in order to see me, Uchiha Itachi"
Itachi rose from the muddy ground and looked Daichi in the eye, "I have information regarding the Akatsuki's plan of action"
"My master does not wish to know. He is already dealing with other matters and due to his company, he was forced to send me, a Kage Bunshin, to meet you" the Daichi-Bunshin said.
"Why?" Itachi asked.
"My master is a cautious man and plans several steps ahead and tried to accommodate every possible outcome. In his eyes, you are a valuable asset and he cannot allow you to compromise your sleeper status. If the Akatsuki were to get so much as a whiff of a suspected spy within their ranks, it would be disastrous. My master already plans to deal with the Akatsuki without proper forewarning, he wishes to plan as events unfold" the Bunshin said.
"I see" Itachi replied.
"Is there anything else you would like to report?" the Bunshin asked.
"Nothing else other than the Akatsuki do not suspect or are unaware of my status" Itachi said.
"Good, try and keep it that way" the Bunshin said, "If that is all then we shall part ways here"
Itachi gave a slight nod of the head before the clone dispelled itself.
"Hey where's Daichi?" Naruto asked as he entered the dining room followed by Inari.
"Toilet" Miu said while she continued to scribble in a notepad.
"Okay" Naruto said as he took a seat, "And what are you doing?"
"Writing a new song" Miu replied.
"Why would you be…" Inari's jaw dropped when Miu looked at him, "Y-y-y-you-you're"
Miu simply sighed and went back to writing.
Inari continued to stutter until he was interrupted by Naruto.
"Yes, yes we are well aware of Miu-nee-chan's super-star status. You can stop the crazy talk now" Naruto said as he took a seat.
"How can you be so casual about this?" Inari asked.
"Because it's not a big deal" Naruto said.
"But… but!"
"It's not a big deal for us because we knew Miu before she gained stardom. To us, she's plain old Miu, a badass woman who will beat your sorry ass for pissing her off and just happens to have a singing voice worthy of praise" Daichi said as he entered the room while dodging the pen and few kunai Miu had thrown at him, "To the rest of you she's a super star"
Inari chuckled nervously.
"Could you please not destroy my house?" Tazuna said as he entered the room holding one of Miu's kunai, "It was a lot of effort, building this place with my own two hands"
"A lot of love and care went into this house, I can tell" Daichi said as he examined the room's structure"
Tazuna narrowed his eyes, "Alright what do you want? The only time people talk to me like that is when they want something"
Daichi looked shocked for a moment then started laughing, "Heard it all haven't you, Tazuna-san? Well you're right; I do want something from you. I'd like to hire you for a little construction project"
"Humph" Tazuna huffed, "Well before that, I need to ask Naruto something"
Just then the kitchen door opened and Tsunami entered with a second round of tea.
"Sure, what do you want to know?" Naruto asked as Tsunami placed a cup of tea in front of him, "Oh thanks Tsunami-san!"
"This whole falsify your death thing, do you regret it?" Tazuna asked.
"Only the fact that I hurt the people I care about by falsifying my death, but that was an inevitability I had to accept. The actual act of leaving the village and starting a new life elsewhere I do not and never will. Konoha may have been the place I was born in, but it was never a home. Jigoku is my home. Over there I have friends, I have family, I have respect, and I have a life. In Konoha, I may have had friends, but I always felt that one day they may turn around and denounce that friendship" Naruto explained.
"I see" Tazuna said.
"Wait, you said you had a family?" Inari asked before his eyes widened then narrowed as he smirked evilly, "Don't tell me you got a girlfriend? Is it Miu-tan? *GASP* OH MY GOD, YOU'RE DATING MIU-TAN!"
Both Naruto and Miu looked at Inari with narrowed eyes and in unison said, "Absolutely not"
"Oh, why not?" Inari asked.
"First off, he's far too young for me; I like my men with a bit of experience and a few more years under their belt. Second off, I'm already married and have a two year old son. Finally, blondes are not my type" Miu said, "That being said, Naruto makes an excellent little brother and a fantastic babysitter"
Naruto puffed out his chest and gave a proud smile, "That's cause Kotaru loves me"
"I see" Inari said then pointed to Maka, "Are you dating her?"
"I'm married to him" Maka said as she poked a lightly snoring Soul in the head.
Soul woke up with a startled snort and raised his head while sleepily asking, "What'd I miss?"
"Nothing all that important" Daichi said.
Soul yawned loudly as a single tear leaked out the side of his eye, "Then wake me up when it is important"
"Will do" Miu said before Soul buried his face in his arms and went back to sleep.
Inari then looked at Nell.
"I already have a boyfriend and it's not Naruto-san" Nell said.
"Then who is your girlfriend?" Inari asked loudly.
"I don't have a girlfriend" Naruto said.
"Dude what are you gay?" Inari asked rhetorically.
"Inari!" Tsunami chastised.
"And if I am?" Naruto asked as he folded his arms.
Inari started laughing, but stopped when he saw that Naruto was serious then went and hid behind his mother, "Are you serious?"
"I am" Naruto said, "Besides, you have nothing to worry about. I prefer older guys"
Suddenly Tazuna went and hid behind his daughter while Inari stepped out from behind her and sighed in relief while wiping his brow with the back of his arm.
"YOU'RE TOO OLD!" Naruto yelled while looking offended causing Tazuna to mirror Inari's actions.
"So then… who's just right?" Inari asked.
Daichi made his way behind Naruto's chair before wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck, rested his chin on top of blond hair and said, "I am"
To finish it off, both Daichi and Naruto popped toothy grins which disappeared when the sound of a camera flash was heard.
"I am sooo selling these as A2 posters" Miu said as she looked at the image she had snapped.
"NAHHHHHH!" Naruto yelled as he lunged at his sister figure in order to destroy the evidence.
"I DEMAND 30% MOE MOE KYUN~ ROYALTIES ON ALL SALES OF THAT IMAGE!" Daichi bellowed as he pointed a finger at his cousin.
"OH LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" Miu yelled while holding the camera out of Naruto's grasp before getting pissed off and kicking the blond, face first, into the wall, "THIS GOLDEN GOOSE IS MINE!"
"Bud I don wada be ogled lige a peed ob meed when we go bag ome" Naruto whined while rubbing his sore nose.
"TOUGH" Miu said as she pocketed the camera.
"You people are insane" Inari said while Tazuna and Tsunami chuckled nervously.
A few hours and two additional rounds of tea later, Daichi was sitting along the length of the open window, staring hatefully at the almost biblically proportioned rain that showed no inclination of slowing any time soon when Tazuna approached him and asked, "Earlier you said that you wanted to hire me. Care to elaborate?"
"Gladly" Daichi said as he slid off his perch and stood.
"Wanna talk here or in private?" Tazuna asked.
"Here's fine, I may be a ninja, but not everything I do has to be secretive" Daichi said as he took a seat at the table.
Once Tazuna was seated Daichi spoke, "To get straight to the point, I would like to hire you for a construction project. I've heard you are the best and I only work with the best"
"What sort of construction?" Tazuna asked.
"I'm planning on setting up a company and would like you to cover the construction of the facilities" Daichi said as he laced his fingers together and rested his elbows on the table, "I will be blunt and tell you that it is a shipping company that I would like to setup. I realise your past experiences with this line of business is a little on the unpleasant side which is why I would like you present when I discuss the matter with the Nami Daimyo. Once I get his approval, I'm hoping it will convince you and garner the approval of the public"
"I see" Tazuna said, "And how can you be so sure that the Daimyo will approve?"
"Daichi can be very persuasive" Naruto said as he nibbled on a large rice cracker then slapped Daichi's hand away when he tried to take one off the plate, "Mine"
Daichi simply rolled his eyes and returned his attention back to Tazuna, "So if the Daimyo approves, do I have your employment?"
"Sure, but I won't do you any good. It's not like I have much of a work force after what's happened" Tazuna said.
"What do you mean?" Daichi asked.
Naruto's attention was peaked causing him to face Tazuna and asked, "Does this have to do with the empty houses we saw on our way here?"
"Yes" Tazuna said.
"What happened?" Daichi asked firmly.
"Weird shit is what happened" Inari said as his mother entered the room and promptly smacked him over the head.
"Language!" Tsunami chastised.
"What? It's the truth" Inari said.
"Well you didn't have to be so colourful about it" Tsunami said.
"That pretty much sums it up" Tazuna said, "Strange things have been happening this past year and it has cost me most of my workers and a lot of the community. The people here were so scared that they left the country all together"
"What exactly happened?" Daichi asked.
"You wouldn't believe me?" Tazuna said, "I don't even believe it"
"Try me" Daichi said, "My life growing up was never filled with scepticism and I grew up being very open-minded. So even the most outlandish thing wouldn't be dismissed by me"
Tazuna didn't look very convinced.
"At the very least I can promise you that I won't call you crazy" Daichi said with a reassuring smile.
Tazuna took a deep breath and sighed, "It started about a year ago. At first we didn't think it was serious, but one of our men went missing and he turned up two days later in a state of delirium. He was completely unharmed and the doctor said that the only thing wrong with him was a severe case of anaemia. Over the weeks the disappearances became more frequent and we eventually made a connection. All of the victims were between the ages of 16-25, all of them were men, all of them came back delirious and severely anaemic and all of them remember nothing except the sound of a woman singing. We immediately sent out mission requests to various villages and about four months ago we got a reply from Kirigakure in the form of three Chunin and one Jounin. After questioning the victims, they went to investigate the forests and that was the last we saw of them. A week later a few of the older men, including myself, went into the forests to search for them where we found them pinned to trees, dead and drenched in blood with their throats ripped out and it was after that, that people started leaving"
Daichi remained silent for a long while and it was during that time that Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari noticed that all of them had intense looks of understanding on their faces.
"Do-do you know what happened?" Tsunami asked, "To the people I mean?"
"I believe I do" Daichi said, "But I want to know what you thought it was"
"At first we assumed it may have been a Jashinist, but if that were the case then there would have been murders from the very beginning. After the four ninjas were murdered, we assumed an animal attack, but we don't know of any animal capable of taking on four experienced ninja" Tazuna said.
"We do" Ichigo said.
"But almost all of them aren't native to this region" Maka said.
"Which narrows it down to about five" Naruto said.
"Did any of the victims show signs of sexual activity during the course of their disappearance?" Daichi asked.
"What do you mean?" Tsunami asked.
"Did any of them show signs of having had sex during the time they were missing?" Soul asked causing Inari to blush.
"No" Tazuna said, "Delirium and anaemia were their only issues"
"That brings it down to three" Nell said.
"Did any of the disappearances happen during the day or from with their homes?" Daichi asked.
"No, all of them happened at night and all of them were in the forests at the time" Tazuna said.
"And then there was one" Miu said with a slightly grim look on her face.
Daichi took a deep breath, sighed and stood up, "We will deal with this matter, but we will not ask for payment since you did not file a formal mission request with my village"
"Wow, that's rather kind of you" Tsunami said.
"We have a saying that is the foundation of our military forces, 'Hope for the best, prepare for the worst and expect it to get worst still'" Daichi said, "So I will hope that this problem is nothing major, I will prepare for what I assume it is and expect to be even worse"
"Isn't that kinda pessimistic?" Inari asked.
"You need a certain degree of pessimism, especially in our line of work" Naruto said.
"Now that this situation has come to light, it takes priority" Daichi said, "We will need to return to our hotel in order to make preparations"
Immediately the rest of Daichi's team stood.
"Your hospitality was most generous" Daichi said, "We shall meet again once we have dealt with this matter"
"You guys will be alright, right?" Inari asked as the group waited for Tsunami to return with the raincoats and hats
Naruto grinned goofily, "We'll be fine. The seven of us can make awesome look dull!"
"Please be careful" Tsunami said as she handed out the raincoats.
"We will" Daichi said with a reassuring smile before opening the door and letting everyone step out, "We shall meet again in a few days"
With that the group disappeared into the rain.
Author's Notes
MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am evil, evil I tell you EVIL! You all will have to wait until the next chapter to find out what happened to the Hokage's Monument (Rest assured, it will be HILARIOUS!) So I would love your feed back on the onsen Lemon, I feel quite proud of the imagery I described.
So, now we are in Nami no Kuni and I have finally planted an anchor in an aspect I always wanted to be present in this story, The Supernatural. Chapter 22 will deal with this aspect as well as reveal several interesting twists and a shocker I had planned from before. Chapter 23 will deal with the reason Daichi came to Nami in the first place and there will also be a major incident that will test much and I hope to have it in chapter 23, but if not then chapter 24 guaranteed .
No Jutsu-Jutsu no Jutsu this chapter either, but do expect there to be some, if not a lot, next chapter.
P.s. WHY WON'T YOU PEOPLE REVIEW? DON'T YOU LOVE ME? DON'T YOU LOVE THE WORLD I CREATED? WHY WON'T YOU VOICE THAT LOVE? 21 Chapters and still only double digit reviews. I've seen fics with single digit chapters and TRIPLE digit reviews. Am I not entitled to the same level of love? *cries*
Enjoy.