Naruto Genkyouien

by Daneel Rush

The nine-tailed demon fox. Its mighty tails can crumble mountains, cause tsunamis, and set things on fire. Lots of fire. It might have been better if she actually were an evil entity bent on destroying the world. Yes, she. AU pseudo-x-over.

25. Lily of Many Petals, Sun and Moon Side

Author's Note: This time with 45 percent more Shino!

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Naruto Genkyouien

- ナルト- 幻脅威宴

Chapter Fifteen: Lily of Many Petals—Sun and Moon Side

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Scene 2

It had been an odd beginning of day at the Higashiyama camping grounds. Breakfast was quieter than usual, probably because the events of last night remained fresh in everybody's memories.

How are you supposed to act when a Kyuubi from the future travels back in time to give the clan a lesson?

Yuri ate in complete silence. Had it not been for Sayuri's intervention, she would have destroyed her family in three days. That's one hard thing to swallow.

Filial loyalty was a strange thing. Looking at it from an objective point of view, the lilies have absolutely no attachment to their Matriarch. Himeyuri was the only one of Yuri's daughters who was actually raised and taught by the Silver Lily herself. In several ways, the Matriarch was a distant figure; somebody who gave orders the rest of the lilies followed, mostly because that is what they were supposed to do.

If the Matriarch commands, the lilies obey.

These were the thoughts that crossed Yuri's head while she ate. She had received Sayuri's forgiveness. What about her daughters and granddaughters? Would they forgive her?

Did she even deserve it?

And why did she care so much about that, anyway?

It became clear as she glanced at the girls around her.

Yurina used a tissue to wipe food off her clumsy mother's cheeks while her sister shook her head in exasperation. Yuri was not very surprised by the girls' ability with their primary specialties. Yurina was very talented. As for Yuriyo, the Void was not particularly hard to grasp; controlling it is the matter. If Yuriyo managed to get a good grip on her powers by the time she got her third tail, preparing her for missions would be a breeze.

Her Void and Spirit Jutsu, as well as her seduction skills, would make Yuriyo an excellent element for the clan in its dealings with both humans and youkai. She probably will not spend much time at the shrine after her 200th birthday.

To the Matriarch's left, Yurisa asked her daughter whether she was enjoying her meal. Mayuri simply nodded in response. Yurisa, Inari bless her, acknowledged the response with a kind smile before turning to her own breakfast.

While the Sorrowful Lily had shown some interesting reactions in the past twenty-four hours, it was way too early to get hopeful. Still, the possibility remained that a trip was exactly what Mayuri needed to regain her lost spirit.

Some distance away, Yuriko and Yurika ate at a rather hasty pace, all the while whispering to each other; most likely planning for the day. They had been scolded for their reckless attempt at pranking the Konoha kunoichi. Yuri was definitely disappointed by their poor performance. She was reaching the point where she did not know what to do with those girls anymore.

Between the identical twins and Yurine's table, Yurimi and Kotonoha ate in silence.

Yuri was proud of her second youngest daughter. She was developing into an exemplar lady, and Yuri could not help but see herself in the Lily Seed. Yurimi would become the next Matriarch; of that there could be no doubt. No one else among the lilies would be as capable.

"Mother."

Yuri was startled, but she knew better than to show it. That was unbecoming from a Matriarch.

"Yes, Yurisa?"

The blond four-tails made a slight bow after being acknowledged.

"What will Mother be doing today?"

That was enough.

When Yuri's eyes met Yurisa's, in the split instant, the Matriarch saw her acceptance. Not forgiveness, acceptance.

The lilies will still follow their silver beacon.

It was, after all, the only thing they knew.

Yuri wondered if that was the reason the matriarchal rule was installed on the first place. To create this shameless dependence.

"I have…matters I need to meditate on. I believe I will stay in my pagoda for today." She placed her chopsticks on top of her rice bowl. "Thank you once again for a wonderful meal, Yurine."

"Hai! You're welcome!"

"What are your plans for the day, Yurimi?" The Matriarch regarded her second youngest.

"I intend to explore the village properly. I have not done so yet, which surprises me."

"Huuuh…" Yuriyo muttered, not before showing a sly grin. "Thought you would not waste time to run to the boy's arms."

"I certainly would not bother Naruto-sama while he is training," Yurimi explained. "And he has a mate he may seek if he wishes for intimacy."

Yuri nodded. "Very thoughtful of you."

This was the reason Yurimi had to become the next Matriarch. She had the capacity to put her emotions aside; a trait extremely rare in such chaotic and emotion-driven creatures as Kitsune.

A minimal pull of her sleeve caught her attention. Only one person would dare do such a thing.

Her eyes met those of her best friend. Sayoko's wordless inquiry was answered with a slight nod.

The suicidal Kitsune slowly stood up, surprising the lilies. The Matriarch was always the first to stand up at the end of a meal.

Apparently uncaring of the unregistered rule, Sayoko's eyes looked for the other Void Kitsune in the clearing.

"…follow me when you are done."

Yuriyo only managed to wait twenty seconds before she, too, stood up, leaving an unfinished meal behind.

"Ah, Riyo-nee—"

"Yurina."

The Matriarch stopped Yurina before she could go after her sister.

"This is your sister's training. Your presence will only trouble her."

For once, Yurina was caught between loyalty to her clan and love for her sister.

"To this point, it has been your presence as a Celestial which has restrained her connection to the Void. She cannot rely on you forever."

The twin-tailed foxgirl shut her eyes tightly. A short but fierce battle raged within her mind, but, in the end, she acquiesced to the harsh truth.

"Yes, Yuri-sama."

It did not take long for Yuriyo to catch up. Sayoko is a very slow walker. Then again, she's slow at pretty much everything. However, she was aware of the younger Kitsune following.

"The Void is the simultaneous negation of all concepts. It is the natural end: sooner or later, everything will be consumed by the Void. It is inevitable, for such is the nature of all that exists. It is the one true singularity: everything is consumed, and nothing ever makes it out of the Mouth of Oblivion. It is the total, complete, utter annihilation."

"I believe, however, that you already know all this."

Sayoko turned to face Yuriyo. Her expression had not changed in the slightest. Yuriyo raised an eyebrow.

"That's got to be the longest speech I've heard from you since I was born."

"Auuu…"

Sayoko pouted and walked further away, prompting Yuriyo to catch up and walk by her side.

"But, yeah, I know that stuff. I read the Codex."

Sayoko did not respond. They walked in silence for about a minute. The older Kitsune's apathy forced Yuriyo to present her question.

"What are the Whispers?"

Sayoko nodded, as if approving of the question.

"Do you know what 'The Pulse' is?"

Yuriyo shrugged. "I just know it's important for specialized jutsu. I've heard Yurina talk about 'The Pulse of the Heavens', but I cannot understand something like that."

"It's hard for us Voids, yes," Sayoko had what could be called a condescending smile. "Everything, not just living beings, has a pulse, they say. The earth, the seas, the air itself. It is a rather obscure concept, though. It implies the existence of 'something'; a 'vital sense' of sorts, which gives all things their specific structure and function. A driving 'will' that directs subatomic interactions. Whatever it is, harmonizing with this 'Pulse' and then directing it is what allows youkai to use Jutsu."

"For those youkai connected to the Void, things are slightly different. The Void does not have a Pulse, after all."

"We need an indirect connection, of sorts. We do it through the Whispers…or, more precisely, from their source."

"What is clear is that the Whispers have to come from someone…or something. They do not come from the Void itself. The source of the Whispers has to be an entity, or a group of entities, caught in the delicate boundary between existence and oblivion. It is through these entities, those closest to the Void, that we can tap into it ourselves."

"However, these entities are utterly malevolent, intent on dragging all of existence into the Mouth of Oblivion as soon as possible. That's why all humans and youkai connected to the Void are victims of an inclination to destroy."

"Humans? You say humans can reach into the Void, too?" Yuriyo could not believe this.

"Yes, yes. Their connection is much weaker, however, and therefore easier to control. Easier from our point of view, of course. Human Void users are an endangered species, currently reduced to the Nara Clan of Konohagakure."

"Back on topic, Yuriyo."

The half-Void frowned. It was the first time Sayoko called her by her name, as far as she remembered. It was kind of weird.

"The Source of the Whispers relies in your emotions to control you and drive you to destroy everything, including yourself. The Void, on the other side, is alien and impersonal. It does not care about what it consumes, as long as it gets to consume something. The Void does not actively 'want' to devour you, but will not fail to do so, if given the chance. To control the Void is to deny it that chance; to let it grow outwards, but never inwards. The Void cannot be used for anything but indiscriminate obliteration; controlling the Void means allowing it to destroy everything…except for you."

"…damn, you talk a lot."

Sayoko threw her arms to the sides in frustration. "Aaauuu!"

Meanwhile, in the camp, the group had already dispersed to begin the day's activities. Only two remained seated on the middle of the clearing, even if they had long finished their meals.

Yuri was a patient fox-woman (not like she had any hurry for anything), so she calmly waited for Yurina to gather her courage.

"A-Anoo…Yu-Yuri-sama…"

"Yes, Yurina?" The Matriarch smiled gently.

"Umm…I…I, I apologize for my rudeness, but…ca-can Sayoko-san really…Riyo-nee-chan…?"

Yuri released a very tiny chuckle. "Allow me to share a story with you, Yurina."

"A long time ago, when I was around Yurimi's age, there was a certain human, a human like no other. He was extremely wise and powerful; youkai feared him and compared his might to that of the gods. History knows him as the Sage of the Six Paths, and he is the one responsible for creating the current shinobi society."

"This man had two children, and his blood blessed them with many powerful abilities. The younger son was kind and peaceful, and he firmly believed in harmony with nature. The older son, however, was strongly aggressive and belligerent; a follower of the 'might makes right' philosophy, who preached that it was humanity's right and destiny to oppress youkai."

"Such claims would have been found laughable in any other situation, but the Rikudou Sennin and his children possessed the frightful ability to dominate and control any and all youkai, regardless of their power. Even our mighty Kyuubi were easy prey against this godlike ability."

Yurina listened with rapt attention; her thirst for knowledge second only to the shivers Yuri's words sent down her spine. The Matriarch was a surprisingly good storyteller.

"Needless to say, youkai were terrified. For the first time in history, there was a human who could actually make true his ambitions of youkai domination. The leaders of the Great Kitsune Clans met and came to the conclusion that the Sage and his eldest son had to die."

"Umm…" Yurina raised her hand as if asking for the right to talk in a classroom. "…I understand the son, but why the Sage, too…?"

"Ah, well…" Yuri giggled. "…It should be obvious by now that the Sage was not celibate. In fact, he made it a habit to…umm…'convince' beautiful female youkai to join him under the bed sheets. Many leaders of Kitsune families were unhappy to find their daughters so smitten with the man."

"Uhh…" Yurina sweatdropped. "Excuse my bluntness, but…by any chance…"

Another giggle. "Yes, my dear, I was one of them, I must admit. He was my first human, although not my first male."

"Haa…" The younger Kitsune had an odd face. "So the Sage was a lolicon."

"I believe he went after anything pretty and female, regardless of age. So he was many things; among those, a lolicon."

"But anyway," Yuri swiftly brought the tale back to its proper path.

"Making the decision was easy. The issue was how to accomplish such a thing. Many powerful youkai had already tried and failed. The meeting was adjourned without a clear conclusion on this matter. However, a week later a delegation from the Great Clans arrived at the Higashiyama Shrine to hand in a scroll ordering the assassination of the Sage and his son, signed by the two living Kyuubi at that time."

Yurina gasped. "Bu-But, that's ridiculous! It would be the end of the clan!"

"True, if the scroll had been addressed to the Matriarch. The scroll, however, was addressed to Sayoko-san."

"Sa-Sayoko-san! But, why…?"

"Simple. Regardless of who died, it was a win-win situation for a certain someone."

Yurina remained silent, waiting for the Matriarch to explain herself.

"Kuromiya Tsubame-sama, Fubuki-sama's mother, was a Nine-Tails. Feeling that her days in this world were close to an end, she wanted to make sure that her daughter would be appointed to be her successor. This means she wanted to eliminate all those she considered possible candidates."

Yurina needed a few seconds to swallow those words.

"Sayoko-san…a candidate for Kyuubi?"

The seven-tails ignored those words and continued her tale.

"Unable to refuse an order from two Kyuubi, Sayoko-san readied herself to depart. I tried to stop her, of course. I loved her back then as much as I do now. I still remember…" Yuri had a bitter smile as she spoke. "…she gently kissed my forehead and muttered a single 'later'." She chuckled. "It looked like she was just leaving for a stroll."

"She returned a week later, as if nothing had happened. Only she knows what happened that week. There are rumors, of course, but in the end the truth exists only in her memories."

"What everybody else knows is that the Sage and his son were never seen again. The clans kept an eye on their progeny, but we left them alone when we realized their powers had diluted and they no longer had that fearsome domination power."

"The funny thing is, when Tsubame-sama passed away, Inari ascended Fubuki-sama to Kyuubi right away. Everybody expected the offer to go to Sayoko-san, of course. When I asked her if she thought it was unfair, she just shrugged and went back to sleep. That's Sayoko-san for you."

Yuri's lips curved upwards, as her mind showed her images only she could see.

"I do not know what goes in Sayoko-san's head, but I have an idea why Inari-sama does not offer the ninth tail to Sayoko-san."

The Matriarch's smile became mysterious, eerie, and it might have even hid a hint of fear.

"…she doesn't need it."

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Scene 9

Higashiyama Yurina was lonely that morning. While she was the first to shout her outrage at her sister's overly…flirty behavior (to say the least), she was deeply struck by her sudden absence. She was so accustomed to having her noisy sister by her side that, now that she was busy with her morning training, the cute Half-Celestial truly felt her absence.

So she was alone, enjoying the autumn breeze somewhere in Konoha's outskirts. Seated with her knees close to her chin, she pondered what to do. While she was curious and Konoha was an interesting new place, the sheer amount of people intimidated her a bit. Yurisa was on Yurine-sitting duty that morning; Mayuri had wandered off somewhere. The twins…were disturbingly quiet. Apparently the Matriarch was not very happy with them for some reason. Speaking of the Matriarch, she had also wandered off without warning after breakfast, followed by a swarm of kudagitsune.

It was obvious she was up to something, but it was too early to tell exactly what.

"Higashiyama Yurina-san."

Her body stiffened for a moment. Yuri-sama would not have approved of such carelessness to the point of being caught by surprise when alone. However, she quickly recognized the voice behind her and relaxed, if not completely.

"Shino-kun."

Aburame Shino walked until he appeared from the left side of Yurina's field of vision, stopping no more than three steps away. "Is it available?"

Yurina blinked. That was an odd way to ask. "I…I guess so…"

Nodding, the boy sat on the grass.

"Am I bothering you?"

"Nnn…no, of course not. It's just…" This was the very first time she was alone with a male. It was a bit unsettling. "…it's nothing."

"You are alone this morning," Shino stated the obvious. Yurina nodded.

"Yuriyo-nee-chan is…" To say 'training' was not an option. They were supposed to be a fancy rich family on holidays. "…busy. Family issues."

"Hmm." Shino murmured. What could he make of that?

"So…" he continued. "…you have no plans for today."

Yurina blinked a few times. A lovely pink color had taken over her cheeks.

"A-Ano…Yurina…Yurina is sorry to say this, but…umm…Shino-kun's…not really Yurina's type…"

A pitiful silence filled the place while Yurina fidgeted with her fingers.

Ah, I get it now.

It finally clicked in Shino's brain. This was Hinata, with blond hair and skimpier clothes.

And twintails.

"Hard to believe as it may be, I am not hitting on you, Yurina-san."

"Huh?" Yurina actually looked a bit confused. "…really?"

"Really."

"Hmm…" She toyed with the tips of her fingers for a few seconds. "…are you sure?"

After those words, definitely.

"I would have to say yes." He actually sounded a little annoyed.

"Hmm…so-sorry…Yurina…Yurina has trouble around males…"

"Really." Shino guessed girls like Yurina were not really his type. He would not deny she's very pretty, though.

"Oh, there's people here?"

A figure leapt over their seated forms and landed before them. He was surprised to recognize them, too. "Ah, Shino and Yurina-chan!"

"Onii-sama. Good morning." Yurina inclined her head to greet the blonde ninja.

"Uzumaki-sama."

"Eeeh…" Naruto sweatdropped. "To use 'sama' is kinda…"

"Uzumaki-sama is Uzumaki-sama."

"Ha-haa…maa, anyway. Didn't expect to find anyone here. Yuriyo's not around?"

"Yuriyo-nee-san is busy at the moment."

"Hmm…I see."

It was obvious to Shino and Yurina that the blond was not really interested. His eyes were scanning the whole field, as if looking for something amidst the greenery. There was also the thing he was carrying…

"Ano…o-onii-sama…that basket…"

"Ah." Naruto smiled and lowered the basket for the two others to see. It was about halfway full with wild herbs…no. It was not hard to notice that Naruto was collecting a specific kind of herb. The basket was full of small, light green, spindle-like seedpods.

"Hmm…" Yurina mumbled. "Yurina…Yurina has seen then in a book, but the name escapes my mind right now…"

Shino shook his head. They had some knowledge of wild plants and fruits from survival training, but this was beyond their academic formation.

"It's a D-rank mission. The briefing scroll said to fill this basket with cardamom, so here I am."

"Cardamom…" Yurina repeated. "It's a medicinal herb, right?"

"I think so. I use it to deal with hunger sometimes, that's why I know how it looks like and where to find it. I dunno if it has other uses."

Shino frowned at this. "…hunger?"

"Um!" Naruto nodded happily. "You can use these things to make a nice drink to deal with the hunger pangs and the stomach acid." His facial muscles tensed a little bit, fixing an odd smile as he looked away. "I use it when I'm fasting…for this or that reason…"

"…I see," Shino said no more. He might not be talkative, but he was observant. He was aware Naruto had a tough childhood. He did not understand the background behind it (besides his being an orphan), though.

"Hmm…onii-sama knows many things, doesn't he?"

Naruto chuckled nervously. "I don't know about many things, but…I guess I know everything that grows around here."

"Eeh? Naruto?"

It was the familiar, loud voice of Yamanaka Ino that called our protagonist's name.

"What's with that weird tone…?" Naruto seemed a bit disgusted by the way his name had been addressed. The young blond kunoichi quickly reached the group of three.

"Naruto? It's really you…"

"Who else would I be?"

"No, I mean…" Ino slapped her forehead. "…I just met you a minute ago. You were after Tora."

"Tora…? Hmm…must be another clone, then. Probably one of several; that cat's way too much for a single clone."

"Wait," Ino frowned and tried to look at Naruto more attentively. "You mean you're a clone too?"

The blond nodded. "Hmm. The real me is training for the finals, of course!"

Ino's frown deepened. "Why are you chasing Tora, then?"

Naruto's face was the one of a person who has just been asked a stupid question. "Because it's my mission?" He paused. "Well, his mission. I have another one."

Ino stopped herself from facepalming again. "I mean, why are you doing missions and training at the same time?"

"Is that some sort of trick question?"

"Heeeeeeeeelp meeeeeeeee!"

A massive sweatdrop ensued when, in the distance, the small figure of another Naruto ran for his life. A menacingly large cloud of dust followed him, and all sorts of bathroom-related objects were being shot from within.

"What the hell…oh." The herbalist Naruto jumped a bit when the memories of a third clone reached him. "So that's what happened." Noticing the stares of two Genin and one Kitsune, he explained. "Tora ran into the ladies' public baths. Clone followed."

"Ah," was Ino's only comment. Shino nodded eagerly.

"I salute your clone's audacity, Uzumaki-sama."

"Please don't say worrisome things, you," Naruto immediately deadpanned. "But, this is bad…partially naked women can be vicious."

"You'll make me hate you with sentences like that, Naruto."

"Ah, sorry, Ino. Just wondering what to do…"

A hand on his shoulder interrupted Naruto's meditations.

"Shino…?"

The shades glinted under the morning sunlight. "You must do what you must do, Uzumaki-sama."

After a second or two, Naruto's eyes widened in realization. "Shino! You…"

The bug tamer calmly nodded. The approaching horde of women drew nearer and nearer. At the sight of this threat of the highest level, Naruto nodded with determination.

"Ano…" Yurina muttered. She was lost.

"A ninja must use the tools at his disposal, right?"

"Right," Shino repeated in a firm tone. Naruto nodded and grabbed the fellow shinobi by the shoulders.

"You…you are a true friend, Shino."

"Your words honor me, Uzumaki-sama."

"You two…" Ino seemed a bit exasperated, but it quickly turned into outrage when Naruto grabbed Shino by the back of his coat and lifted him with sheer muscle power.

"Ha-Hawawa!"

"What the hell, Naruto?"

"Shino!" The blond exclaimed, deaf to the girls' voices. "Go get them!"

With those words, Naruto threw Shino to the angry mob of women; a scapegoat to distract the mob from their real target. It was like throwing a cow leg to a swarm of starving rats.

"MY BLOOD FOR THE PIMP KING!" Shino's battle cry.

The violence that ensued will not be described for the sake of the author's laziness and eroding mental health. Regardless, in the midst of the violence, the four witnesses, two Narutos, one foxgirl and a kunoichi, wordlessly watched a single male hand emerge…and give a thumbs-up.

"A noble sacrifice," Naruto said solemnly.

"Stop that already," Ino spat.

"Hawaa…"

With the clones gone to finish their respective missions (as well as avoid further female wrath) and Shino…well, beaten, it was just Ino and Yurina all of a sudden. It was the first time this happened, so it was a bit uncomfortable. Fortunately, Yurina's shyness did not extend to Ino; she is just a single girl, after all. A human girl, to boot. To put it in a bluntly honest way, Yurina found no reason to be intimidated by Ino, kunoichi or whatever.

"A-Ano…can I ask…?"

"Huh?" Ino was a bit startled. "Uh, sure, sure, go ahead."

"It's…it's about…the finals…I hear them mentioned, but I don't really know…"

"Huh…isn't that what you came here to watch?"

"Haa…" Yurina sweatdropped. "Yu-Yuri-sama did not give any details…she said we were coming here so…"

"Heeh…you've got a forceful family."

Yurina did not know what to say to that.

Ino promptly explained about the Chuunin Exams and their purpose. Yurina was acquainted with the different ninja ranks, so it was a quick explanation. Ino quickly narrated the events that led to the finals that would take place in less than a week.

It was inevitable, then, that Yurina would bring up the obvious question.

"So Ino-san is not participating…?"

The young kunoichi made a rather tired expression at that. "Ugh…"

"Ah!" Yurina quickly put up a wall between the two with her hands. "So-Sorry, I didn't mean anything…!"

"Nah, it's okay…" Ino finally sat down next to the foxgirl. "I know I'm not good enough."

She sighed.

"I used to be so proud of myself…so proud of my looks, so proud of my Academy grades…" Another heavy sigh. "This exam really showed…" Her eyes were lost in the distance. "…I'm not a very good ninja."

Yurina's eyes widened. "I-I'm sure Ino-san has plenty of skills…"

"I just have my family techniques, and those don't work if I don't have Shikamaru and Chouji with me…my teammates." Ino quickly explained, noticing Yurina's curious look. "I would not mind this much if I could at least say I'm better than Sakura, but…" She groaned. "We tied."

The last word came out as if she had just eaten something very, very bitter.

"So, yeah, I'm a terrible ninja. As for my looks…"

Yurina sweatdropped at the evil eye she was receiving from the kunoichi.

"Yurina…Yurina's not really that…Ino-san is very charming, and…umm…Riyo-nee-san is much, much more attractive…"

"Haa…well…" The younger girl shrugged. "Your sister has that whole 'femme fatale' thing going, I guess…she's gotta do something with her attitude, though."

"Yurina…Yurina is painfully aware of that."

"But you've got your own kind of charm, and you've definitely got the looks. You don't get that much attention because your sister's hogging it all."

"Umm…tha…that's okay…Yurina…Yurina's not very good with males…"

"I can tell." Ino chuckled at that. "Haa…really…" She let her back fall on the grass, and rested her hand on her hands. "If I had your looks, I'd have every cute guy in this village at my beck and call…"

"Auu…Ino-san shouldn't look down on herself like that…"

Yurina, being the kind soul she is, wanted to make Ino feel better with herself. However, she needed to measure her words carefully, so as to not reveal her identity as youkai.

"Yurina…Yurina's not very good…within the clan's standards…"

Ino raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Yurina continued.

"A proper Higashiyama lady…should not be shy…or insecure. A proper Higashiyama lady should always walk with confidence…with her head held high, and the most elegant gait. A proper Higashiyama lady…should not feel nervous around men…she should make men nervous, and make them obey her every whim…a proper…a proper Higashiyama lady…should be strong of mind…cunning and skilled…"

"In that respect, Riyo-nee-san is much, much better than Yurina. Yurina…Yurina only has a good memory. Yurina's only talent is to read books and remember what's in them."

Her body shuddered for a moment, and Yurina closed her eyes to dispel demons only she could see.

"Yurina doesn't like violence, either, so Yurina's no good in a fight…Yurina…Yurina cannot even protect the clan…"

"Wait."

She had Ino's attention.

"You girls can fight?"

"Ah…" The foxgirl nodded. "Um. We're…umm…mostly women, so we're supposed to be able to defend ourselves…just in case."

"Heeh…but…" Ino was still a bit confused. "Like, what kind of fighting? Like, naginata-jutsu or something like that?"

"No, not really…only Yuri-sama, Himeyuri-sama and Yurimi-san know how to wield the naginata. We mostly learn…umm…" She couldn't just say 'Kitsune Techniques'. "…martial…arts? Umm…sort of…like…your Taijutsu?"

Ino's body jumped back to a seated position. "You girls know Taijutsu? Like, with chakra and stuff?"

"Uhh…" Yurina scratched her right cheek. "It's…not precisely…but, we-we can use chakra…"

"Really!" Ino was strangely excited.

"Um…yeah…"

Knowing what Ino would say next, Yurina went ahead and molded a bit, careful that her tails would not pop out as a consequence.

Ino gasped. It was true! Belonging to a family of sensor-types, she could immediately feel it, and boy did she feel it.

"This…this chakra…"

It was…different, in a way Ino could not understand. It was…cleaner.

That was the word that came to mind. Yurina's chakra felt clean, pure and pristine, very appropriate for this innocent, charming girl.

"Waa…it's the first time I meet someone who can use chakra and is not a ninja."

"Samurai also can use chakra…I think."

Ino blinked. "…right, I think we were told that in the Academy. Damn, you do know your stuff. What a prim and proper ojou-sama."

"Ah…ahaha…ojou-sama…" Yurina giggled nervously.

"Nee, Yurina-chan…" Ino leaned closer to the other girl, who suddenly found herself feeling very uncomfortable.

"Wha…what is it, Ino-san? U-Um…you…you're a little too…"

"Can we spar?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah! I want to see how I fare against an ojou's Taijutsu!" Ino jumped up excitedly. It was the first time she was excited about a fight since…ever.

"It…it's not really Taijutsu…"

"Whatever! Come on!"

Unfortunately for the half-Celestial, she's the kind of person who finds it hard to say no. Hence the sparring session began.

One minute later, Yamanaka Ino was sprawled on the ground, panting for dear life.

"A-Ano…" A slightly flushed but otherwise okay Yurina leaned over the kunoichi's prone form. "Are…are you okay, Ino-san?"

"I…hate you…so much right now…"

"A-Auu…Yurina, Yurina's terribly sorry!"

Yurina sat back down next to Ino, allowing the kunoichi to catch her breath.

"What…what kind of moves were those? I…I've never seen…Taijutsu like that…"

Yurina sweatdropped. "Like I said, it's not Taijutsu…" Coming up with a sudden idea, she continued. "But, Ino-san."

"Hmm?"

"Can you tell me?" Yurina inquired. "What did you see…about my style?"

Not really understanding the point of such a question, Ino halfheartedly reviewed the short beat down in her mind.

"Eh…well…" Ino thought for a second. "Umm…well, your stance is very low."

Yurina nodded. "It's lower than usual; yes…it could be lower." She paused. "And high attacks are rare in this style, yes…unless I'm jumping, of course."

"And you block attacks with your feet; that's really weird."

Yurina chuckled. "Ahahaha, it's not that weird…so, what else?"

"What else? Huh…"

A long, pointless silence followed.

A large drop of sweat slowly trailed down the right side of Yurina's face. "I-Ino-san…"

"Ugh…don't give me that look full of pity."

Yurina tried with a gentle smile. "My gurukkal always said…the final step to mastery is to understand the techniques. After crafting a body suitable for the style and practicing the moves until they become instinctive, the next step is to understand the whys of the style. Every single detail."

"I don't want to be a combat master!"

Yurina nodded. "No…I guess not."

"Urk…" For some reason, those words really hurt Ino. "Bu-but…I want to become better. I don't want to be forced to depend on my teammates to be useful!"

Jumping back to her feet, Ino rudely pointed at the foxgirl. "And you can help me!"

"Hawa?"

"You can teach me how to fight better…and stuff!"

"Eh?" Yurina was quickly flustered by the request. "I-I'm far from a master myself! It would be insolence of my part to teach somebody else…!"

"I'm not asking you to teach me your style, you silly! You'll just be here for a few days anyway! Just…just help me get better, please!"

It deserves to be repeated: Yurina's the kind of person who finds it very hard to say no.

"Yurina…" She forced her hands to stop trembling. "Yurina will help anyway she can!"

"Alright!" Ino celebrated triumphantly. "I'll be counting on you then, Yurina-chan!"

"Ha…hai…it's…it's okay." Yurina nodded, more to herself than to the other blond. "If it's just training, it's okay."

Doing her best to ignore the relentless shaking of her frail-looking hands, Yurina stood up to follow the rookie kunoichi.

"If it's just training…it's okay…"

---

Scene 18

"But, damn, walking on water is tough…" Yuria had done nothing but complain the past minutes. "And my bindings are soaked again."

"Tell me about it," Naruto responded, his head turned away from his mate. With her bindings useless, Yuria's magnificent cleavage was poorly concealed by her white kimono shirt. It did not help that the shrine maiden clothes were also soaked and clung to every single of Yuria's curves like a second skin. Naruto had noticed she had gotten a fair share of looks while they slowly roamed Konoha, leaning on each other after another exhausting morning of training.

He was sure Yuria had noticed the looks, too. He had to commend her for dismissing them so easily. But he had to give the guys a point…or several. Truly, with those perfectly toned arms, her well-built legs made for enduring long distances, her awfully thin, wasp-like waist…and her abs.

Dear God, those abs.

The blushing Naruto wondered if there was even a milligram of extra fat in that body. Well, besides…those two…you know.

"So-so!" Naruto struggled to find a topic. "How goes reinforcement training?"

Yuria groaned.

"It's pointless," she declared. "I just can't shove more chakra into my arms. If I could I would have done it ages ago! I mean, it would be awesome if I could pull out punches and kicks as strong as my Tail Rock Breaker…" A strange, pointless groan escaped Yuria's throat. "Setsuna's right: I won't be able to rely on reinforcing my tails all the time. But it's just not possible! There's a reason I focused so much on Tail Reinforcement all these years, you know."

Weakly lifting her right arm, she showed that it was awfully swollen.

"If I try to put more chakra in my arm I think the pathways will burst, really."

Naruto actually looked worried. He truly wanted Yuria to become stronger, but she was seriously harming herself.

"There must be another way, then. A way to reinforce your limbs without forcing more chakra through your pathways."

"Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

Naruto unconsciously pulled Yuria closer, drawing a tiny squeak from the smaller girl.

"Are you gonna give up just because Setsuna doesn't have an answer for you either?"

"We-well, she's the smart one…"

"Yuria!"

Yuria's eyes dubiously followed Naruto's blushing face until he turned away and triggered his tsundere protocols.

"I-I…my mate's no idiot."

Finding it within himself to look back at her, he tried a smile.

"You can do it, Yuria."

Yuria replied with a massive grin and a dangerous bear hug.

"Aww, aren't you cute?"

"Ack! Wait! Yuria! Too close!"

Yuria did not seem to mind all the looks they were getting. It did not matter: Naruto would mind for the two of them.

"Well, aren't we lovey-dovey today?"

"We are not. And I'd rather we aren't, ever. It would be frightening."

Yuriyo rolled her eyes at Shino. "You know what I meant, imbecile." She looked around. "Where's the dog, anyway?"

"Right…here!" A panting Kiba emerged from a nearby store, carrying no less than four very heavy-looking bags. "Why am I carrying most of the stuff anyway?"

Akamaru barked in agreement, all the while perched on his friend's head.

Yuriyo made her bets impression of, well, her sister. "Bu-but, I just want you to work out those fine muscles of yours, Kiba-kyuuuun." A fake sob. "I…I…I think of your wellbeing, and you…youuuu!"

The two Team 8 teammates shook their heads very slowly. "That…doesn't really work."

"What Shino said."

"What…what is exactly going on here?" Yuria muttered; whatever mood she had with Naruto long gone.

Shino corrected himself and offered an elegant bow. "Greetings, Uzumaki-sama. I see you have enjoyed a pleasant morning."

A bark.

"Uhh…" Sweatdrop. "…yeah, you could say that. What's up, Shino, Kiba, Akamaru."

"BBQ. River. Mom's cooking. Wanna come?" Yuriyo can be quite concise.

Naruto did not get the chance to answer.

"We're coming," Yuria did not hesitate to answer. Not that Naruto minded some free food. Lifting her own bag, Yuriyo turned her back to the group and took the lead, followed by Shino, who also carried a single bag.

"So…" he began, sometime after they had started following Yuriyo. "Nowadays I always see you guys together."

Yuria blinked. "You know, you have a point, buddy."

Yuriyo shrugged. "You mean my chaperones?"

"Your what?" Kiba irately intervened.

"Oh, you don't like that word? Okay, my boytoys."

"I wouldn't mind that one."

"You have absolutely no shame, don't you?" Kiba growled at his teammate.

"Just think of the sex, Kiba. Just think of the sex."

"What sex!" The Inuzuka exclaimed, and Yuriyo nodded.

"I'm with him. What sex?"

Shino stared at Yuriyo for a long eight seconds.

"…way to burst my bubble there."

"Aww, poor boy." Pat, pat. "You should be ecstatic just by sharing breathing air with me, you know."

"Redefining narcissism every time I see you, Yuriyo."

"It's not narcissistic if it's the absolute truth, auntie."

"…as a matter of fact, it is," Naruto added. Yuriyo grinned and turned her head to the blond.

"Well aren't you cute."

"That's the second time I've been told that in this scene," Naruto commented.

"Scene?"

"Forget it, dog," Yuriyo sharply answered Kiba's question in Naruto's stead.

Said dog growled at the foxgirl.

"I mean, you're already agreeing with Yuria and defending her. That's cute."

To their credit, neither Yuria nor Naruto really blushed…much.

"Uhh…it's just common sense."

"Say what you want." Yuriyo winked, and Naruto blushed considerably. Yuria growled at this. "I can't believe myself, but I think you actually make a nice couple."

Yuria's head almost fell off her head with the sudden jerk. Had Yuriyo just said…?

"Uhh…uuu…ugh!"

"Such a way with words as usual, auntie."

When they arrived to the agreed location for the barbeque, they found a most unusual of sights.

"Whoa! Is that Yurina?" Yuria exclaimed excitedly. It was not something you could see every day, after all.

Yurina was a storm.

Maybe a storm was not the best word, however. Storms are chaotic and disorderly. There was structure in every single of Yurina's movements. Her body followed a sequence planned, adjusted and counter-adjusted just as quickly as she moved.

The poor butterfly caught in the storm was none other than Yamanaka Ino. But Ino was not entirely without hope. Even as she weaved and dodged and desperately sought an opening for attack, she was learning. Yurina's grace and fluidity of motion, even as they sparred, was something Ino aspired to.

So she watched, and learned.

TWACK!

And got kicked on the face.

"Ah!" The storm was no more. "Ino-san!" The twin-tailed blond hurried to aid the downed kunoichi, worry etched on her lovely face. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't think I'd-waaah!"

"Gotcha!" Ino smirked evilly when her low sweep connected and sent Yurina to the ground…not.

Arching her body backwards more than any ordinary woman would have accepted as possible, Yurina managed to touch the grass with her hands first. Quickly straightening her body again, she spread her legs for further stability and made a wide sweeping kick with both, if only to keep Ino from trying anything funny while she was upside-down. In one single, fluid motion, she finished the helicopter kick and shifted her body until she was standing back on her two feet and facing the still-prone Ino.

"Muuu~Ino-san, that was mean!"

"Wha…wha…"

"Holy shit." Kiba was a little more vocal.

Shino was a lot more vocal.

"I think I saw panties there—ow."

"That's my sister, you rotten bastard," Yuriyo hissed threateningly.

"But, to think you girls knew that kind of amazing Taijutsu…" Kiba muttered, and Yuriyo snorted.

"Taijutsu? We're not ninja, you know…" She paused and looked down. "…don't mind the clothes."

"I know I don't." Shino was shamelessly looking at Yuriyo's poorly covered behind as he spoke.

The half-Void rolled her eyes. "It's Martial Arts. For self-defense, you know."

Yuria chuckled. Yuriyo made it sound like they were wary of perverts and rapists or something.

They learned Martial Arts to defend against aggressive youkai.

"Regardless." Shino was serious for a change. "To think Yurina-chan is more flexible than even Ino—oof."

"Yu-ri-na-san." Yuriyo removed her elbow off Shino's side. "And I'm more flexible anyway."

"Pfft," Kiba snorted. "Jealous of your sister?"

"Not really," Yuria admitted. "She IS more flexible. Like a fuckin' snake."

"A crane, Yuria. I'm a crane."

"Onii-sama!" An eager Yurina trotted to meet the group, standing before Naruto with a bright smile. "Good day, onii-sa…hawawaaan~"

Naruto chuckled at the sight of the utterly mellowed foxgirl just by having her head petted. "Hello, Yurina-chan."

Shino raised an eyebrow. "…why don't you elbow him?"

"Shut up," Yuriyo growled quietly.

"Aaaaaaah!" the fraternal twins' mother yelled from a distance away. "Not fair! Yurine too!"

Fortunately, Yurisa was there to stop her. "Onee-sama! You are cooking!"

"Hawaa…"

"Sure, sure, leave poor little Ino sprawled here."

"You can get up on your own," Kiba idly commented.

"Oh quiet you."

"Still…" Shino just had to say it. "…I certainly would not mind checking that flexibility of yours."

A chuckle in response. "Sure you wouldn't." Yuriyo shook her head. "But you're ten years too young to even have a chance at handling me, my boy."

"Innuendo aside…" a rather moody Ino intervened. "That brings a good question."

"Just how old ARE you?"

Yuriyo and Yuria froze as one. Naruto sighed.

Now, the smart solution would have been letting Yurina handle it, being the brightest one and all. Most unfortunately, Yurina was still in mellow-mellow land, and Yuriyo's the kind of woman who thinks she can take the whole world and win without even breaking a nail. So she went for it.

She should have paid more attention in class.

"Nine. We're nine years old."

Naruto facepalmed. Kyon would have been proud.

"You're not Testarossa, ya know…" Yuria mumbled.

This story is ripe with Testarossa jokes.

Naruto to the rescue. "Umm…Yurina-chan? Your sister's being a comedian here…"

"Hoe?"

Leave it to Yurina to come up with reasonable human ages for the entire family.

Yuria and Naruto took the chance to approach the cooking side.

"Smells good."

"Hello, hellooo, Yuria-chan!"

"'sup, Yurin-nee."

Noticing Naruto's curiosity, Yurisa explained.

"We just needed a surface to put the meat over the fire, so I made a grill with Soul Forging."

"Soul Forging?"

"It's a Spirit technique that allows to shape soul essence into ectoplasmic matter…we can make things with souls." The sweatdropping Yurisa had to really dumb down the explanation. "Remember Mother's pagoda, the night we met?"

Naruto's eyes brightened. "Ah! Right! Right…that was really out of place there…so it was made with…souls?"

"They're easy to find," Yurisa stated. "So it's not like we have to take the souls out of the living…most of the time."

Naruto gulped.

Looking at the grill, Yurisa shook her head. "It will take a while before we're ready here, so just go over there and keep yourselves busy, okay?"

"Okay, okay…" Naruto noticed a certain absentee. "Where's Mayuri-chan?"

The question made Yurisa a little bit uncomfortable. "Ahh, well, she likes to wander on her own, that girl…!"

Noticing that Yurisa's eyes had moved past him, Naruto (followed by Yuria) turned around. The other group of youngsters had also noticed.

As if cued by Naruto's inquiry, Mayuri had appeared, wearing her usual tired, bored expression. However…

"Mayuri!" The mother cried in alarm, not wasting time to reach her daughter's side. Yurina looked just as anguished, and Yurine was torn between going after her sister and staying with the BBQ. Yuria just looked shocked, but Yuriyo had a strange calculating look on her face.

"What happened to you?" Yurisa asked the moment she was in front of her daughter. Mayuri, of course, did not respond. Not that she needed to; her dirtied clothes answered for her.

"What's with all this sand?"

Naruto and Yuria felt alarms ringing in their heads. Sand?

The boy's eyes met Mayuri's for an instant, and in that instant, he knew.

They were relieved to see Mayuri was unhurt, only dirtied, and, if the girl seemed unbothered by whatever happened, there was little point in fretting over it.

Still, Naruto and Yuria exchanged glances throughout the rest of the gathering.

The group of young humans and Kitsune, joined by Naruto and Yuria, went back to the topic they had before Mayuri's interruption.

"So all of you know martial arts."

"Yup," Yuriyo responded to Kiba's statement. "The Matriarch…our grandmother, she's an expert on both naginatajutsu and taijiquan." Noting the skeptic look on Naruto's face, she added: "she just really, really doesn't like physical combat."

"Anyway, she taught naginatajutsu to her first daughter, Himeyuri-sama, and taijiquan to Yurisa-onee-sama. Himeyuri-sama taught naginatajutsu to her first daughter, Chiyuri-nee-san, and to Yurimi. Himeyuri-sama's probably better than Yuri-sama –that's our grandma– with the naginata. I mean, she still practices every day."

"Yurimi can use the naginata?" Naruto inquired.

"Meh, she's not that good."

"Good enough to kick your ass, 'Auntie' Yuria."

"Shut up."

"Anyway, as for Yurisa-onee-sama, I guess she'll teach her taijiquan to little Mayuri sooner or later."

"What about you?" Naruto asked his mate, who responded with a "meh" attitude.

"Taijiquan is not really my kind of style, and I don't really like weapons."

"In mine and my sister's case, since our mother's useless…"

"Riyo-nee-chan!"

"What? It's the truth," Yuriyo insisted, but it was obvious Yurina was not very happy with her sister's words. "Anyway, since mom couldn't really teach us anything –I mean, look at her–, Yuri-sama found teachers for us. That's how I learned my White Crane style, and Yurina her Kat…Kau…Kola…what was the name again?"

"Kalarippayattu," a rather subdued Yurina responded. This was not a topic she particularly enjoyed.

"Yeah, that. But you only studied for four years, and I got stuck with my hellish sifu for…" Yuriyo stopped herself before she said 'fourteen years'. "…much…longer. What was that about? You never told me."

A sigh. Higashiyama Yurina seemed really down.

"My guru…got tired of me."

Only then did Yuriyo realize that Yurina was not really enjoying this. The pause that followed was uncomfortable, as for once the half-Void could not figure out what troubled her sister.

"She said…I lacked intent. She said that, even with all my talent, even if I learned all the techniques, if I lacked the intent to strike at someone else, then it was pointless."

It was no longer clear if Yurina was talking to herself or to the group around her.

"And she was right. I was just incapable of raising my hand against someone else…not even my guru. The idea of harming someone else…it was scary. I was afraid of hurting others; of giving them a reason to hurt me in return."

"And…and I…"

Her eyes took a dark look for a second. It was a look nobody had ever, ever, seen in the Darling Lily's eyes.

Yuriyo was scared.

With a sigh, the heavy mood that seemed to have filled the place quickly dispersed, and Yurina recovered her usual expression.

"I hope I can keep sparring with Ino-san. I want to get used to fighting again…to lose my fear of harming others."

Ino was about to nod in agreement, when…

"Wa-wait! Does that mean I'm just your punching bag?"

"Eh?" Yurina blushed. "N-No! That's not what I meant!"

"It's exactly what you meant," Kiba countered. Shino had to nod in agreement.

"Auuu…"

Yuriyo, however, stared at her sister in silence for a while before making a decision.

"Haa, no way around it, then. Sunshades!"

"I take it you are addressing me," Shino deduced, and Yuriyo rolled her eyes.

"Obviously. Now, get up; we're sparring."

"Eh?" More than one person present made that sound. Yuriyo shrugged dismissingly.

"What? It wouldn't look good if my sister starts training again and I don't at least give it a try. We do everything together, after all."

"Onee-chan…"

"Very well…" Shino accepted, standing up to follow the foxgirl.

"And you just go along with her whims…" Ino muttered.

"Of course. How could I deny myself the chance to grope her as much as I want?"

A pause and several open-mouthed stares.

"I don't know you anymore," The kunoichi groaned. Yuriyo, on the other side, was fairly amused.

"Ahahahaha, well, aren't you honest? But, my boy, before you can grope me you need to be able to touch me first."

Shino narrowed his gaze. This girl…youkai or whatever, she was just too confident, even if she had the disadvantage of not being able to use her powers in public.

Well, it wasn't like he could use his ninjutsu, either. Ino and Kiba would get him for using his bugs against a "plain civilian".

"I'll be nice and tell you a little something to fire you up." Yuriyo chuckled. "I'm not wearing underwear today, you see."

"ONEE-CHAN!"

Yuria slammed her hand on Naruto's eyes. "That vixen…"

Shino cracked his knuckles. "Hohoh…you might regret telling me that, Yuriyo-san."

Turning to face him, the Night Lily winked saucily.

"Oh, you never know. If you have skilled fingers I might actually enjoy it."

---

Scene 24

Naruto walked the streets of Konoha with no certain destination in mind. Setsuna had enough of Kotonoha's presence that morning and finished the training session earlier. It was not much of an issue; they had done everything they usually did: three days inside Izanami, talking about Jutsu Theory and practicing his chakra tail exercise and…other things. He was sure he'd have it done by the same time tomorrow.

Hence, he was looking for his mate for lunch. He had an idea where she was, but he was taking the panoramic route. He was in no hurry, after all.

On the way, he wondered about Setsuna's relationship with Kotonoha. It was obvious for him that his mistress was not very fond of Yurimi's bodyguard. The feelings did not seem to be reciprocal, though. He would have to inquire a bit more on those two's history.

Yuria was training with Maito Gai. It was…an odd thing to think about, but, in all honesty, even Naruto could admit Gai could teach her far better than himself. If the spandex-clad Jounin could turn Fuzzy Eyebrows into that green avatar of awesome they all saw in the prelims, there was no telling what he could do with a stamina and strength monster like Yuria.

"Naaaaaa-ruto-kyun!"

WHAM!

There it was. That familiar feeling of cleavage smashed on his head. How or why something like this was already familiar to him was something he really did not want to think about.

He could feel the stares of passerby's. What could he expect? He was tasting dirt; his face pushed on the sandy street and pinned there by the weight of a magnificent pair of jugs.

"Wemhwofmii…" Something like "Get off me," we may presume.

"Hawaa…Naruto-kun, Yurine doesn't understaaaaaand~"

You would if you get off! Naruto's mind yelled in clear irritation. Of course, if Yurine moved off there would be no point to his words anymore, would it?

Still, the five-tails did get off, allowing Naruto to get back on his feet. Yurine was all smiles, radiant in her childishness. While some eyes still lingered on the Kitsune's glaring curves under her short-skirted shrine maiden clothes, most dismissed her and went on their merry ways.

"Hello, Naruto-kun!"

"Yeah, hello, Yurine…umm…chan." He still had issues figuring out the proper honorific.

"Hai! Yurine-chan!" He could almost see the wagging tails, even if they were not out.

The blonde did not fail to notice the oddity. "Umm…Yurine-chan, why are you by yourself?"

"Ah!" The woman exclaimed, as if she appreciated him asking. "Yurine's waiting here~"

"Waiting?"

Yurine pointed at a glass panel and Naruto quickly understood. On the other side, he could clearly see Yurine's half-Celestial daughter in deep thought.

"A bookstore," Naruto declared. Indeed, Higashiyama Yurina was checking books. "Where's Yuriyo?"

"With Sayoko-saaaan~" Yurine happily replied.

"Why do you keep extending the last syllable?" Naruto then inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yurine doesn't knooooooow~"

"Figures." He looked back at the twin-tailed fox-girl. "Why don't you go in, anyway?"

"Hawaa…books make Yurine's head huuuurt~"

"Really." He could relate to that, but still, to hear it from an adult was kinda…

Then again, thinking of Yurine as an adult was hard by itself.

"Ok, so…I'll…go say hi to Yurina-chan, okay?"

"Muuu~" Yurine's inexistent ears dropped instantly. So did the rest of her existent expression. "Yurine, Yurine will be lonely again…"

Naruto rolled his eyes. Really, who was more childish, her or Sayuri?

…

…

…Sayuri. Definitely Sayuri.

Fortunately, he had the tried-and-true technique.

"Hawawaa…" The fox-woman was all bliss when Naruto gently petted her head. "Yurine, happiness~"

"Right, right, let's just go together. You don't have to look at the nasty books, anyway."

"Um!" Naruto went a bit stiff when Yurine took his right hand. "Yurine, will look at Naruto-kun!"

"Emm, sure, whatever works."

Closely followed by the joyful Kitsune –and struggling to ignore what was pressed against his right arm–, Naruto walked into the bookstore.

"Welcome—ah? What the hell?"

Naruto shot the clerk an unhappy look. Yeah, Uzumaki Naruto walking into a bookstore. It happens!

"Yurina-chan," Naruto called, not very loudly. Still, the girl noticed.

"Ah!" Her cheeks reddened, and her lips curved in a delightful smile. "Onii-sama."

"Ha-lloooo~"

Yurina giggled. "Hello again, Mother."

Naruto glanced at the bookshelves. It seemed Yurina was not going for a specific literary genre that he could notice. "So, checking out books."

"Ah…" Yurina glanced down, a bit embarrassed for some reason. "Ahahaha, um…I would like to get some new books…it's the first time I leave the shrine, so…"

"Hmm, yeah, makes sense to me." Naruto grinned, and Yurina's smile brightened to dazzling levels.

"S-So, is onii-sama also…?"

"Eh? Ah, ahahaha…" It was Naruto's turn to be uncomfortable. "No, no…I…I'm not much of a reader…ahaha…"

"I-I see…" Yurina was admittedly a bit disappointed, but it was not like she did not expect it. Still, she could tell Naruto was uncomfortable with this admission, which made her feel bad herself.

"Ah…umm…s-so…onii-sama…why is onii-sama…?"

"Ah, that is, well…" Why were things so awkward between these two? "I'm on my way to meet Yuria for lunch, and I met Yurine-chan on the street out there."

"Hehee…" The mother giggled and gave Naruto's arm a squeeze.

"That's nice…" Yurina muttered wistfully. Whether she referred to Yurine clinging to Naruto or Yuria getting to enjoy lunch with him, we'll never know. Naruto assumed it was the latter.

"Ah, well, I got Yuri's invitation for later today, so I guess we'll be dining together or something?"

"R-Right!" Yurina nodded. "I'll look forward to it!"

"Yurine too!" The exultant five-tails added. "Yurine, Yurine will buy delicious cake! Naruto-kun, you must eat it!"

"You don't have to tell me."

Looking at the book in Yurina's hand, Naruto switched the topic. "So, found anything interesting?"

"Ah, well…" Yurina's expression darkened a bit, as she reluctantly placed the book back in the shelf. "I don't know…there are some, but…" A guilty smile. "Books are surprisingly expensive…"

"Ah, yeah…" Even Naruto was aware of this. "Umm…"

As if on cue, there was a sudden rush of alien information in his head, characteristic of the feedback following the end of a Kage Bunshin's existence.

"Oh…" His brow creased in thought. "Hmm…yeah, that will work."

"Onii-sama?"

"Hawaa?"

"Alright, let's do this." He raised a finger. "One book. Pick one, and I'll buy it for you."

While Yurine's expression brightened with pointless joy, Yurina went into an awful fit of blushing.

"O-Onii-Oni-Oni…Onii-sama!" The blonde foxgirl quickly shook her head in disagreement. "I-I could never—there's no way I can accept such a thing!"

"Aw, come on!" Naruto rolled his eyes, but still smiled. "I don't know the person who would refuse a gift."

"B-b-but! To receive a present from onii-sama…it's embarrassing…"

"Hey, I resent that!"

"Ah! N-n-no-that's not what I meant!" An even more flustered and frantic Yurina declared. "Auuu, ano…that is…" She went for a tangent. "Onii-sama should buy such presents to Yuria-san…"

Naruto blinked. "You know, you bring up a perfectly valid point. I'll keep it in mind. Now, back to you."

"Hauuu…"

In the end, Yurina was no match to Naruto's implacable insistence.

"The-then…" There was something truly charming in Yurina's blushing, pouting face. "I…I'll be counting on onii-sama, then."

"Mm-hmm!"

Yurina enclosed her body, drawing her shoulders towards each other. It was weird. It was also the first time she received a gift from somebody outside the clan. To be from a male, of all things…

"Onii-sama…" She moaned cutely, covering her flushed cheeks with her hands.

"Yurine too!" The mother suddenly exclaimed, startling her daughter, making Naruto wince and drawing the attention and annoyance of everyone there. It was no library, but a modicum of quietness was expected.

The five-tails, of course, paid little heed to such nuances. "Yurine too!" She repeated. "Yurine will give Yurina a book!"

"Uhh…" The half-Celestial chuckled quietly and uneasily. "Tha-thank you, but, we don't have enough…"

"That's okaaaaay~" Yurine responded confidently. "Yurine's book is here!"

Naruto's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when Yurine shoved her right hand in her substantial cleavage. For some reason, Yurina was very annoyed by this.

"Here it is!"

Indeed, it was a book. Well, more of a notebook, leather-bound and no larger than Naruto's hand. Black elastic kept it tightly closed.

"Here!"

Hesitantly, Yurina took the notebook from her mother's hands. Naruto was still processing the latest seconds of his life.

"Wa-wait, you always had that thing in…there?"

"Um!" Yurine nodded.

"Then why didn't you give it to Yurina-chan before?" A perfectly valid question, followed by a very hollow silence. It was amusing, however, to watch Yurine's pensive expression, and the way her facial muscles contorted as she struggled more and more with her thoughts.

Naruto and Yurina sweatdropped.

"…you have no idea, do you?"

Yurine shook her head really, really fast.

"This must be one of the so-called 'plot holes', onii-sama."

"Huh." Naruto could not stop himself from staring at Yurine's chest. "Uhh…do you usually keep stuff in there?"

"Nope, just this." Yurine admitted. "I'm not Chiyuri-chan."

Naruto decided NOT to go there.

"So…" Yurina looked at the leather-bound notebook. "What…is this?"

"Muu, Yurine doesn't knoooow~" She clutched her head as if she had a headache. "Yurine tried to read, but it's really messy and Yurine didn't get anything…" Somehow, the woman seemed to flinch when she remembered she was surrounded by books and book enthusiasts (and Naruto). "Yurine, Yurine wants to go outside…"

Like a puppy whose playtime was denied, the five-tails carried a gloomy aura as she walked back outside.

The human boy and the adorable foxgirl followed her with their eyes before turning them back to the notebook. Yurina did not hesitate to pull the elastic and open the book.

"This…what is this?"

It was crammed with handwritten notes; that was the very first thing they could tell. Yurina quickly skimmed the pages, not really reading anything. Pages and pages of really tiny text, written always by the same person. Yurina was flicking the pages too fast for Naruto to take a proper look, but the half-Celestial could notice a strange pattern in the written text. The further she progressed, the messier and harder to read it became. It was as if the writer were in a hurry to finish whatever she wanted to write, but…somehow, it was also different.

"What is it?" Naruto inquired.

"I-I don't know—eh?"

When she reached the back cover, something fell off the notebook. It was a piece of paper, folded multiple times so it would fit in the small notebook. Naruto bent forward to pick it up. For some reason, he stopped before fully raising his body back up.

"Onii-sama?"

"This…" He presented the piece of paper to Yurina. "This is for you."

"Wha…?"

Indeed, it was written neatly on one of the folds.

To Yurina.

It was her mother's handwriting. That messy, unordered script, reminiscent of a child who has just learned how to connect single letters to form words and then sentences.

Hurriedly, almost desperately, Yurina unfolded the page and began to read. Naruto could only watch how the girl's expression changed as the contents flowed before her eyes. It was a long letter. Even Yurina, the fast reader, took her time finishing it. The contents only made the reading even more painfully slow.

Recognition. Surprise. Interest. Realization. Understanding, and the pain that usually follows the advent of a truth one is not yet ready to face.

Yurina covered her lips with her free hand. It was a very girly—no, ladylike gesture; yet another example of how different she was from the rest of the lilies.

"Mother…" The whisper still managed to escape. She had started crying at some point. How could she not?

"Mother!"

Letting go of the unfolded paper, the twin-tailed lily ran after her parent. Naruto considered following for an instant, but then thought against it. Instead, he picked the fallen piece, and read.

He quickly regretted it, but found himself unable to stop.

My dear daughter, Yurina,

In an ideal world, you will never read this letter. In an ideal world, it will never be necessary for you to read these words. But I guess have to be realistic, given the circumstances. Thus, this letter is now in your hands.

I have to excuse myself for the poor handwriting. It's becoming harder to read and write every day. I find myself tripping and losing my balance more often. Even my thoughts are becoming jumbled and nonsensical. I forget more and more things; and I cannot even properly use chakra anymore. This feeling of incompleteness that follows me since that day becomes only stronger. I know it's a matter of time before I stop being myself. If you are reading this letter, then I can guess it has happened. I look at you and your sister happily frolicking with my little sister in the foxes' sanctuary, and I fear for the future, a hundred years from now, when you two gain your second tails.

I cannot begin to imagine what kind of person I, your mother, have become. How does your mother act, Yurina, my dear? Is she even aware of who she is? Higashiyama Yurine, proud lily of Higashiyama, bearer of the Cherry Blossom? Does she get along with the rest of the Clan? Does she even realize she has two beautiful daughters? Has she taken care of you properly? Does she love you to the core of her soul?

I cannot predict what will happen to me from now on. I can only pray I do not cause you and your sister much trouble.

I hope that, if you found this letter, you also have in your hands the notebook it was concealed into. That book is for you, Yurina, and it is the reason I wrote this to you and not Yuriyo. Her connection to the Void makes her incompatible with the power I describe in that book.

The notes are my own, as you might have already inferred. And they describe the concept of Nature Chakra and how we Kitsune can wield it as our own.

I am the first Higashiyama Sage, but I do not particularly like this title made up by the youkai toads. Kitsune are not Sages. We are "Dancers," and our Dancing is "Majutsu."

As my thoughts get dimmer and fuzzier, I realize I won't be there for you, so this is all I can offer you. My art, my pride; the fruits of 150 years of training. I had to start from nothing, so I expect that, should you decide to follow my steps, it will not take you nearly as long. Like I wrote earlier, Yuriyo is a half-Void, so she cannot learn Majutsu.

I can only entrust this knowledge to you. It is your choice to try it or not, of course. Regardless of what you decide, let me give you three pieces of advice: be very patient, never give up, and always, always be true to your feelings. It will help you with Majutsu, and it will make your everyday life so much brighter.

I have little more to say, and I extend this letter much. It's become really hard to think straight, and my words are barely readable.

Please get along with your sister; there's no reason for you two to perpetuate that idiotic Celestial vs. Void vendetta. You seem to get along fine right now; I thank Inari-sama for this. Little Yuria is watching you while you play; she's such a mother hen to you two. I hope you three keep getting along after you get your second tails. Mother said watching you three makes her want another little lily. Knowing her it will be a few decades before she finds "a suitable mate." Look after the younger lilies when they arrive, ne?

Make sure to always listen to Himeyuri-nee-sama. She's stern, but she only wants the best for us all. Yurisa-nee is a good girl; I'm sure she will be a good auntie for you. I know Mother will make arrangements for you to properly study Celestial as well as Spirit techniques, so I don't worry in that regard. I will put Yuriyo in Sayoko-san's more than capable hands.

Be good to each other, and become wonderful, proud lilies of Higashiyama. I know you will make me proud, even if I won't be there to acknowledge it.

I love you, Yurina. I love you and your sister, and I regret nothing. No matter the consequences I now face, I am immensely happy to have you in my life. I look at you and your sister and I understand that I was born into this world to bring you two into existence. If I must have one regret, it would be this curse that destroys me as I write these words. I accept it, however. With tears in my eyes, I accept it.

From the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry, Yurina. I'm sorry I won't be able to be a proper mother for you. I can only hope you will find it within yourself to forgive me.

You girls are my entire world. I love you.

I'm sorry.

Naruto's finger traced the three smudges on the ink; the small spots where the writing had become unrecognizable and he had to fill the gaps with his imagination.

Those were her tears, he knew.

Yurine's tears, as she wrote that letter, over 170 years ago.

It was easy to find those two once he left the bookstore. They were making a scene on the street. Yurina cried loudly and bitterly in her dumbstruck mother's chest.

"Mother! Mother! I…you're a great mother!" Yurina exclaimed between sobs. "You're a great mother, and everybody loves you, so don't think—! M-Mother!"

There was no stop to her bawling.

"Yurine, Yurine doesn't know…wha…?"

Yurine's eyes found Naruto, and she childishly tilted her head, silently inquiring just what in God's name was going on. The five-tails was utterly lost, so she could only hug her daughter and clumsily pat her head to offer a measure of comfort.

"It…it's okay…?"

Naruto shook his head in response. As a mother, Yurine was truly a failure. However, he could tell.

Yurine, the mother, the author of that letter, was still there. Somewhere.

There was no other way to explain her tears as she listened to her daughter's desperate words.

---

Scene 28

Three days before the finals. It was only a few minutes after sunrise; a dim morning cast in pale shadows, bleak as if seen through a veil.

Shino was rarely surprised. Coming from a family that houses dangerous chakra-eating insects within their bodies, he could say he was very open-minded. He was also very skilled for his age. With the aid of his colony, it was very difficult to sneak on him.

Of course, he was not surprised to find Higashiyama Yuriyo so early that morning. She still had not noticed the kikaichuu he had planted on her clothes.

He had taken a risk and placed a bug in every single one of the Higashiyama Lilies during the snack party last evening. He had also placed one on Naruto, just to be safe.

He had found five of the insects on his bedside when he woke up: Yuri's, Yuria's, Yurimi's, Naruto's and Kotonoha's.

Shino highly suspected the swordswoman was behind it.

Higashiyama Mayuri had not been as kind as Kotonoha. It appeared that the smallest of the lilies had discovered the bug and permanently disposed of it.

It was regrettable, but not really important.

That morning, he was looking for Yuriyo. And she was alone. That was good.

He was already playing with fire as it was.

Even from a distance, he could admire Yuriyo's nude form as she bathed. He could not help but wonder if she was aware of his presence; somehow, the way her hands roamed her fair skin seemed to follow a flawless choreography with the sole purpose of driving him crazy with lust.

Truly, lesser men would kill for the chance to touch that body. Yuriyo's personality was always hard to deal with, but it was easy to ignore such a minor thing if it meant he could get the chance to admire her in the nude like this. It was easy to lose oneself in a fantasy, replacing Yuriyo's small hands for one's own…

Shino held back a chuckle. Kiba would have been terrified to hear it.

Shaking his head, he closed the distance that separated them. It was never his intention to ogle her from hiding, after all.

Not that he didn't appreciate the opportunity, though.

Yuriyo did not even raise an eyebrow when she noticed him. The stream was shallow enough to allow the girl to sit on the bottom and comfortably wash her body; and she was a lot more interested in enjoying her outdoor bath than in whatever Shino was up to. Still, she spoke.

"We meet so early this morning…I didn't know I had mesmerized you to this point."

Shino almost snorted at that.

"Am I worthless to the point that you don't mind if I see you naked?"

The foxgirl chuckled. "I didn't know your self-esteem was that high, either. Why do you assume this is about you?"

"Why would I deny this body of mine the admiration it deserves?"

"…fair enough."

Given free rein, Shino did not hesitate to memorize every single inch of the foxgirl's body while she got dressed. If asked later that day, he would have been able to describe how every single drop of fresh water trailed down her shapely body.

On a side note, Shino confirmed that, indeed, Yuriyo did not make it a habit to wear panties.

But this was not the reason he was here. It was just an added bonus.

"Yuriyo-san, I have been wondering about that curious hole on your clothes."

He referred the circular hole on Yuriyo's back or, more specifically, where the back ceases to be such. Bordered by a thin metal ring, it revealed just the very beginning of a most tantalizing crack. It was unusually erotic…as well as just unusual.

"Hmm?" A half-smile made it to Yuriyo's lips. "What about it?"

"I take it…it is to allow the passage of your tails?"

"Why yes, it is."

Yuriyo might not be able to see behind Shino's glasses, but she was skilled enough at reading body language to tell the boy was taken a bit aback.

"What is it? Were you expecting me to hurriedly deny your assumptions? Were you expecting me to attack you?"

The boy's lips curved down for an instant. It was the most discontent he would allow himself to show. She should not be able to read him that easily.

"I don't really see the point. Yes, my boy, I am youkai. Now I have two questions."

"First: have you figured out just what kind of youkai I am?"

Shino trembled for a second. She had him there. He only knew she was youkai, that she was a shapechanger and that she had a tail (or more). Most unfortunately, his knowledge of youkai was not nearly as extensive as he now believed it should.

Why did not they teach these things at the Academy?

Tying a white sash under her bust, Yuriyo finished getting dressed. After flinging her hair away like an idol, she slung her towel on her left shoulder and moved to approach Shino.

"Second: now that you know I am youkai, just what do you intend to do?"

Shino stood firm; he knew she just wanted to addle him.

"I have no reason to hold back this time," he stoutly declared. Yuriyo almost laughed.

"Neither do I, my boy." She presented the forest around them. "It's not like there's anybody else watching, after all."

"How do you know I don't have backup?"

Yuriyo inched closer and closer. "You've got a long way to go before you can try to bluff me, my dear."

A sudden strike. "What are you doing in Konoha?"

Yuriyo smirked. "Grandma picked this place for our family holiday."

"What does Naruto have to do with you?"

A dismissing shrug. "He's a friend of the family."

She was honest, that's for sure.

"So, my boy." Yuriyo raised her right arm and let it rest on Shino's left shoulder. "What are you gonna do? Right now I tolerate you. Are you going to do something that'll make me change my opinion of you?"

"I could report you. You and your entire family."

A chuckle. "Sure, go ahead. It's not like they don't know already."

From their single point of contact, Yuriyo could feel Shino's body tensing after the revelation.

"Oh, you didn't know? Then your leader's a wise person." She shrugged. "It really wouldn't do to make the whole village panic just because a Kitsune Clan's around on holidays."

As if she needed to give further strength to her sentence, two tails as black as her fair hair emerged from her lower back right after those words. One wrapped itself around Yuriyo like a furry neck warmer, while the other teasingly wriggled under Shino's chin.

"I am Yuriyo, daughter of Yurine and proud lily of Higashiyama. Mine is the Crest of the Moon, and shadows are my eyes and hands."

It took everything Shino had to stay rooted on the spot. It was not precisely uncommon among the population of Konoha, but the Aburame Clan had developed a particular brand of fear towards the Kyuubi. Shino had been raised with the tale of how many of his fellows were eaten from the inside out by their insect colonies, driven berserk by the Nine Tails' vile chakra.

"I might be just a two-tails, but I am in no way weak, my boy."

Shino urged himself to calm down. She was just a two-tails. She could not utterly destroy him without even a thought (Sayuri's awfully good at that, though). His kikaichuu were wary, but not frightened. The female he had planted on her was still there.

Still, he knew better. Yuriyo was strong.

Their spar had shown him that. She outmatched him in hand-to-hand combat but, then again, he had never been really focused on close-range fighting. Also, if the tales about Kitsune were true, he would have to be careful about illusions.

That left Ninjutsu, then.

When he jumped back to make some distance, Yuriyo only responded with a look of undiluted pity.

"You need to relax." She began to walk away, seemingly uncaring of the boy's presence. "We Kitsune do not particularly enjoy fighting…save for oddjobs like Yuria. That threatening attitude of yours is not really necessary. We're not here to cause trouble."

"Hard to believe, considering what happened the last time we had a Kitsune coming to visit."

Yuriyo made a dismissing gesture. "Ah, that was…you know what, forget it. It's more amusing this way."

"Anyway, we're not here to bother anyone, so we would not like to be bothered in return. Seriously, if we wanted to do anything to you people, we would've already done it. As for me, I'm just a two-tails; it would be stupid of me to try to take on a ninja village. Gimme three of four more tails and I'd give it a try."A dismissing gesture. "See ya."

Shino's Shunshin was good enough to startle the foxgirl, allowing the boy to quickly grab both her wrists with one hand and push her against him by wrapping his right arm around her lower back.

"…just what exactly are you trying to accomplish here?" She was not unfazed by Shino's face an inch from hers, however.

"…" The young Genin needed a few seconds to answer. "I'm…not sure."

Yuriyo held back from chuckling. His sense of duty was clashing and amalgamating with his growing lust, stimulated by her Aura of Allure, the simplest Enchantment to incite sexual attraction towards her. It was a technique she did not particularly favor; for the simple reason that she should never need it.

Her reason this time was that she did not want to waste time and effort with this person. Still, for him to have come this far…it was disappointing, in a way.

"I thought you would be stronger than this."

"Excuse me?"

"Nah, it's nothing." Yuriyo quickly dismissed her whispered words. "Now," she continued, dismissing her Aura. "Let go."

"Why?"

Yuriyo blinked when the boy's hand reached further down and roughly grasped her left buttock.

"Mmm!" She held back a moan, but she could not stop herself from squeezing her butt cheeks together. That roughness, she could not deny she liked it.

"…fascinating," Shino commented, in what passed as mirth for him. Indeed, the tone he used triggered something in Yuriyo.

"…pfft! Hahahahahaha!" The girl laughed loudly and heartily…and then stopped. "Let go."

Shino did not react, and the black stripe sliced the skin of his left cheek, drawing blood. Only then did he move away and got a good glimpse of the scene. Yuriyo's eyes had gone completely black, and the weapon she had used against him was retreating to her small shadow, where it came from.

"You are NOT worthy…" she growled. "…too WEAK…too SIMPLE…too HUMAN."

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and when she opened them everything was normal again.

"You're too young for these games, my boy." She appeared to have returned to her usual arrogant tone, but there was an additional tinge of venom to it. "Try again in a few years. Later."

Shino silently watched her departing form, unsure of what to do, unsure of what to feel.

In the end, he just went with the truth.

"…what an ass," he muttered.

---

Scene 35

It was not very often that Jiraiya got to mix his hobbies with his job. He had to be grateful to the Higashiyama Clan for this unique chance. And it was his favorite peeping spot by the waterfall, too!

It had proven hard to spy on the Kitsune femmes. They did not even try testing the Matriarch. While the others could be tailed with varying degrees of ease –the younger looking foxgirls were as easy to follow as the average human, but the swordswoman had noticed everyone sent at her but Jiraiya himself–, any successful attempt led to a swarm of kudagitsune invading the Hokage's office with looks that could only be described as disapproving.

It seemed that only the Matriarch was allowed to spy on her girls.

But Jiraiya was not a living legend for nothing, and kudagitsune were not immune to Genjutsu. That's why it was the Toad Hermit, and not an ANBU squad, who peeped on the trio of Kitsune from behind his favorite outgrowth of bushes.

Yes, peeped.

A minor thing such as the Kitsune invasion of Konoha could not deter him from his true calling.

Oh, there was Naruto.

"Hawa! Naruto-kyun!"

"Ah, Yurine-cha—aaaaaaaah!"

"Naruto-kyun!"

"Wa-wa-wait, don't! Wagh!"

Jiraiya cried manly tears. It was wonderful.

Yurine was not a believer in wearing swimsuits.

Five tails happily wagged from side to side while she smothered the boy under the weight of her bare bosom.

"Hello, Naruto-kun!"

"Mmehmophmmm!" he said.

Yurine raised her body, but did not move away from him. She looked down to meet his tightly shut eyelids.

"Hawaa?"

"Yurine-chan…why aren't you wearing anything?"

"Yurine's playing in the river!"

"Uhh…I have nothing."

"Play with Yurine, Naruto-kun!"

"Ugh…" Headache on the way. "Let's just get up."

"Hai!"

After standing up, Naruto's ears followed Yurine's prancing from until she returned to the water.

"Naruto-kun!" she called from the distance. Still with his eyes closed, he did not even notice a second form approaching him.

"What am I gonna do…?"

"You might as well give up."

Naruto turned and opened his eyes to properly greet the foxgirl. "Oh, didn't notice you coming, Yuriyo—waaaaah!"

The naked half-Void raised an eyebrow at Naruto jumping a good foot in the air before squeezing his eyes shut and turning away.

"What's with that reaction? How rude."

"You're naked!"

"You know, I hadn't noticed myself. Thanks for the warning." The sarcasm was so obvious it could not really be called sarcasm. "I know the visage of my naked body can be difficult for ordinary men to handle, but, really, don't be such a wuss."

"OK, I'm better now," Naruto deadpanned, turning to stare at the foxgirl with a flat stare marred by an extremely flushed face. "And you're too cocky."

"Really." Yuriyo crossed her arms under her breasts, further presenting them. Naruto's pupils danced around for a moment before settling down on Yuriyo again. He also got even redder.

"Naruto-kyuuuuuuuuun!" Yurine called again from the stream.

"Really. I mean, you're pretty-"

"Tell me something I don't know."

"—but you're not really THAT pretty." It was Naruto's turn to look cocky. He would have succeeded if it were not for the whole blushing thing. "Yurina-chan's prettier. And nicer."

Yuriyo chuckled, but nodded. "I agree."

Naruto's grin fell. "…you do?"

A second nod. "I do. I mean, really, if I were a male, or if she were into girls, I would so hit her."

Naruto was reaching a personal blushing record. "Uhh…she IS your sister, remember?"

Yuriyo made an odd face, follow by a slow shake of her head. "I…don't see your point."

"Forget it." Naruto sweatdropped. "I said a silly thing, it seems."

A shrug. "Whatever. So, when you go and fuck my sister, would you let me watch? I can offer tips."

Naruto jerked away from the girl as if she were made of lightning. He was developing a serious fear of the stuff.

"Yu-Yu-YuYu-Yu-Yu-Yuri-"

"Oh, please." Yuriyo rolled her eyes. "You're such a prude, I actually feel sorry for Yuria. Do her a favor and die quickly so she can get herself a mate willing to screw her silly."

"You're horrible!" Naruto cried. "And Yuria doesn't want to be…to be…to be that thing you said."

"Screwed silly? Yeah, she's quite the prude too. So, wanna practice with Rina? Can I watch? I wanna know if she likes it hard."

"Aaaaaargh!"

"I'd like it hard, just so you know."

"Aaaaaaargh!"

Unable to take anymore, Naruto stomped away, towards the waterfall, ignoring Yuriyo's chuckles behind him.

"Cute," the half-Void muttered under her breath. It was a fun game, and it was just starting.

The more she interacted with humans, the more she wanted to play with them.

Speaking of Yurina, there was a very simple reason she was not even aware of Naruto presence yet. Unlike her childish mother and her fickle sister, Yurina was a very focused person…fox…girl.

All this time, even before Jiraiya began his spying duty, Yurina was training; practicing her Kalaripayattu moves while standing on a rock under the waterfall. The force of the water forced her to put more effort if she wanted to keep her usual speed and flexibility, and the hours of exertion already showed in her diminished pace.

"So, you know what's up with her?" Yuriyo inquired as she walked behind Naruto.

"Shouldn't you know? Sisters and all that?"

"She just said she needed to 'get back in shape'. She's hiding something, and I don't like it. Yurina is not the type…to hide things. And she's never been into fighting, either."

"Hmm…she looks pretty motivated to me."

Yuriyo breezed past him, seemingly eager to get back into the water. Naruto did not try to hide his interest while his eyes very intently followed her back side. Moving closer to the waterfall, and Yurina, Yuriyo reached the point where the mostly shallow stream gained a little bit of depth. Turning around when her rear disappeared under the water, Yuriyo allowed her body to float face-up, and the foxgirl relaxed within the cool comfort of the calm current. Aware that she had been watched the whole time, she gifted Naruto with a saucy wink, which he returned with a half-hearted glare.

Yuriyo chuckled. The boy was learning. That was good.

Noticing that Yurine was STILL waiting for him, Naruto made a gesture asking her to wait just a little longer, all the while struggling to not stare at her ninety-eight-and-a-half centimeters of bust. The mother's pouty expression soon returned to her infantile, radiant smile. With that done, Naruto walked on the surface of the water to reach Yurina.

"Hey there, Yurin—aaaaahh!"

Yurina had moved before his right hand reached her shoulder. A wide swipe of her right arm pushed his arm leftwards. She finished turning around as her left hand reached behind his right shoulder, further pushing him and making him turn counterclockwise. A swift hook and pull of his right leg made him lose his balance and hastened his half-turn. Yurina turned again, until their backs were leaning against each other.

"Yuri-ugk!"

Naruto's attempt at dialogue ended when Yurina's right hand reached over his left shoulder, past his head and grabbed the underside of his jaw, at the same time her other hand seized his right arm and raised it. An instant later, her left foot took half a step forward, she bent her body and pulled, lifting Naruto off his feet and flipping him over her back. Naruto quickly swung his legs up to finish the roll and land properly on his feet in front of her, only to find Yurina's right knee on an inevitable collision course with his jaw.

"Hawa!"

"Oof!" Yuriyo winced just like her mother. What she did not do was cover her eyes and look away. "That was pretty cool…but are you sure you should be treating 'onii-sama' like that, Rina?"

It was only then that Yurina noticed the identity of the sudden "attacker."

"Eh? Ah…waaaaah! Onii-sama!"

Naruto responded by spitting a mouthful of blood into the water. At least he still had all his teeth. He was not sure Sayuri could restore those.

He did not listen to half of Yurina's high-pitched, but definitely honest, apologies. They had slowly made it to the shore, where he sat down and the foxgirl kneeled in front of him with a worried expression.

"Heheh…" he chuckled weakly, rubbing his sore jaw. "…you're really into it, huh…"

"I…I…auu…I'm so very sorry...I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay, it's okay…it happens…" To further soothe the troubled girl, Naruto relied on the tried and true petting technique.

"Hawaaaan…" Her ears twitched happily, at the same time her cheeks acquired a healthy blush. "Onii-sama's too kind…"

Naruto shook his head. He had just become awfully aware of how Yurina's thin, wet clothes stuck to her frame, reminding him that she was just as shapely as her exhibitionist sister.

A second Kitsune kneeled down next to Yurina. The mother was pouting again.

Naruto sighed. "Right, right…"

"Hawawaaaan…"

Most fortunately, Naruto had two hands. Most unfortunately, he also had two eyes, and he was not sure where to look anymore.

Things reached a whole new level of weird when a third figure kneeled on the opposite side of Yurina.

Naruto's eyes met Yuriyo's.

"…hawaaan," Yuriyo 'said' in monotone.

"Go away."

A while later, Yurine and her half-Celestial daughter departed together. They needed to go back to the camp to get the lunch ingredients they had gathered earlier. Unable to say no to the twin-tailed cutie, Naruto agreed to stick around for lunch. Alone with Yuriyo for a while, he tried to make some small talk.

"Why don't you go with them? You could just eat at the camp."

"But I like it here," Yuriyo easily replied. She was again relaxing by the waterfall, her body floating unmoving.

"So you're making your mother and sister go all the way to the camp and come back with the ingredients to make lunch here, just because you like it here."

"They don't mind." Yuriyo had her eyes closed, drifting closer and closer to utter relaxation. She really, really liked it there.

"You know, people will like you a lot more if you stop being like that." Naruto, while seated by the shore, avoiding looking at the foxgirl. She might not mind being seen in the nude, but he certainly did.

"Maybe I don't want people to like me."

"That's just stupid."

"Is it? In any case, in a decade, I'll make men do anything for a piece of this."

He could not see her, but Naruto could imagine her hands roaming down her form as she said those words. It's what Yuriyo would do. And, as much as it bothered him, she was right. Throughout his life, he had been witness to the kinds of things men could pull off for a pretty female face.

When he was young he could not make any sense of it. Puberty really gives a new perspective on things.

"Wouldn't it be better if you tried…dunno…being nice?"

"You mean, like Rina?"

Naruto did not answer.

"I'm not Yurina. She's the Sun. I'm the Moon. She's Celestial. I'm Void. What works for her will never work for me."

"This is the way I am, boy. If you don't like it, don't play."

"My name's Naruto. And I never said I don't like you."

"Hmm?" Three backstrokes were enough for Yuriyo to reach the shore. Like a mermaid, her lower half remained in the stream while her upper half laid on the myriad of stones that made the shoreline; her head resting on her hands. "Is that so?"

Naruto opened his eyes. In her current position, he was not exposed to her bare breasts, and her tails covered the lower naughty bits.

"You're not a bad person…fox…girl. I don't have a reason to not like you."

"I'm a Void."

"That doesn't make you a bad person. Sayoko-san's a Void too. So is Setsuna."

"Setsuna's that little one who hates Kotonoha, right?"

"Yeah…" Naruto chuckled uneasily.

"What's with you and her anyway?"

"Ugh!"

Naruto really wished she had not gone with that particular choice of words. His relationship with Setsuna was…odd, to say the least. Especially considering the latest developments. With all the kissing, and stuff.

"She…she's teaching me! For the finals! Just…just training."

"Just training." Really, this boy was awfully easy to read.

"Just training," Naruto repeated.

Yuriyo did not insist on that matter. "So, think you can win your big fight? Learned any cool tricks?"

The boy was silently grateful for the change in topic. "Just wait and see."

A snort. "I'm not really into watching humans beat the crap out of each other, really. But Grandma says we're going, so I guess we're going. You better entertain me, boy."

"Call me by my name and I might consider it."

"Hmm…"

Naruto almost shrieked like a little girl when Yuriyo turned around once more, lying face-up in front of him and baring her nude form in all its glory. Somehow even the grains of sand stuck to her skin added to her allure. Rising one leg out of the water, she crossed it on top of the other, at the same time she allowed her wet tails to linger an inch over her flat abdomen.

The gaze of her carmine eyes, the stiffness of her small nipples, even the trail of drops that fell from the tip of her tails to her bellybutton and from there streamed down her right side…together they created an image of incredible sensuality.

From his position, Jiraiya could not fully figure out what was happening. He could only see the very lucky son of his prized student. Giggling to himself, he continued his "supervision."

Naruto was right behind her, unknowingly taking a gradually increasing dose of Yuriyo's Aura. He closed his eyes before his hands betrayed him and reached for her revealed breasts.

"Look at me."

If Naruto had been a little more knowledgeable, he would have noticed the obvious Enchantment Yuriyo used there. Unable to resist, he did as commanded, regardless of the fierce blush on his cheeks and the butterflies in his stomach.

Yuriyo smiled, a bit condescendingly. "I can't enjoy our conversation if you won't even look at me," she explained in an abnormally sweet voice.

Naruto clawed his hands into the ground next to him. It was a bit painful, but he needed it. He tried to turn his head away, but one of Yuriyo's tails quickly reached for his right cheek and pushed it back in place. At the sight of her inviting smile, he gulped.

"S-So…" Naruto struggled to make a conversation. "…I heard you're training, too. Ho-How…How's that working for ya?"

Yuriyo chuckled. He was almost too cute. "Well, it's not like I can learn to control the Void in a few days."

"Haa…yeah, I guess not. It's really dangerous, isn't it?"

"Right. But it's not something I can just avoid. Sayoko says that running away from the Void only makes it easier for it to take over you. That's why she's shown me some really mean Void jutsu. You wouldn't think of it from looking at her, but, damn."

One of Yuriyo's tails began to trace random shapes on her flat belly.

"Cool…learning new jutsu is always awesome." He would have been very excited by the prospect in any other situation. Busy as he was staring, his words came out rather flat.

"Sayoko says the Void responds differently to each Kitsune. She wants me to come up with my own ideas and see what works. In the end it's not really my choice, more like the Void's."

"Huh…" Naruto really wanted to pay attention, but it was just…so…damn…hard…

"Think you'd be up for a spar some time?" Yuriyo winked. "I can't test my Void jutsu on Sunshades and his friends, obviously."

"Sun…ah, you mean Shino."

"Hmm…" After dipping both her tails in the stream, she slowly moved them all over her body, allowing droplets of crystalline liquid to gently fall on her face, breasts and belly. "Ah, it feels great…"

Naruto gulped again.

"He-He-Hey…wasn't Ino training with Yurina-chan?"

"They finished early today. I think the princess got tired of getting her ass kicked."

"Really?"

"I'm surprised myself; I didn't know Rina was that good at hand-to-hand…she soon might be good enough to add Reinforcement."

"Wha…what do you…?"

"Well, it's not like the standard Martial Arts you humans invented would work against the tougher youkai, don't you think? To make them work we need to add supernatural speed, agility and reflexes."

"…makes sense."

"So…will you spar with me one of these days? Help me out and I might try being 'nice' to you, boy."

"Uhh…um…sure…I'm up for it…" Naruto managed a frown. "…just don't call me boy."

Yuriyo's smirk became almost dangerous. "Very well…"

With sinuous, cat-like movements, Yuriyo turned yet again, this time using her hands to raise her body to Naruto's level. Slowly, sensuously, her legs left the water until she was on all fours.

In the presence of such intimidating beauty, Naruto backed off a bit, until the foxgirl's smirk stunned him and rooted him to the spot. As if thanking Naruto for the opportunity, Yuriyo took her time moving on her hands and knees, reeking sexuality out of every pore. Naruto's pupils were abnormally dilated, as if his eyes did not want to miss a single alluring detail.

Yurimi had nothing on her. The Lily Seed often surprised Naruto with sudden bursts of seductive power. Yuriyo managed to make every single one of her actions as sexy as possible. As ridiculous (and disgusting) as it may be, Naruto believed Yuriyo could probably puke her breakfast all over him and make it look hot.

"…very well…" She repeated. "Will you play with me? Na…"

A step.

"…ru…" She dropped her voice.

A second step.

"…to?" A whisper, which almost made Naruto pass out. Her left hand was less than an inch from his crotch, while the right was on the ground to his left. Her face was close enough to make him nervous yet far enough to not prevent him from admiring the rest of her body.

It was simply too much. No boy his age should ever be stimulated so.

Yuriyo slowly licked her lips, and Naruto's arms threatened to give out on him.

He wanted…

His pupils contracted to tiny black dots.

Yuriyo smirked condescendingly. Game over.

Naruto's mind betrayed him, showing him X-rated images of exactly what he wanted to do to her.

He raised his left arm, and closed his eyes.

Yuriyo held back a sigh. He would reach for her breasts.

He did not.

When his hand clasped her right shoulder, she blinked.

When he opened his eyes again, she blinked twice.

"Stop that."

She blinked thrice. "…what?"

"What you're doing." Naruto's tone was strong and steeled. "Stop it."

"Wha…" Yuriyo blinked a few more times. Her lips twitched. "H-How…?"

"Yuriyo-chan…you…" He blushed a bit. "…you're beautiful. Extremely so. But…"

He looked down for a moment, looking for the right words.

"…it is…well…I like Yuria. And Yurimi. And Yurina-chan. But I've never…ever…thought about doing to them the things I just wanted to do to you."

Yuriyo's eyes widened in realization. Naruto shook his head.

"These thoughts are not mine. They're not normal! This is not just my…" He blushed a bit more and smiled shyly. "…my attraction. To you."

"This is an Enchantment," he declared.

They stared at each other, Naruto noticing how Yuriyo's lips did not cease to twitch. Eventually, the girl gave in…to laughter.

"Ufufufufufu…haha…ahaha…hahahahahahaha!"

Naruto blinked. It was just laughter. There was none of Yuriyo's condescending, demeaning attitude. It was just laughter, as if the foxgirl had just heard something extremely funny. She was even crossing her arms on her stomach!

"Hahahahahaha, really! I…ahahahahahaha!"

"Umm…Yuriyo-chan…a-are you…what's so fu—!"

He was stopped by the foxgirl's sudden lunge. The hug sent the two tumbling down to the ground, Kitsune on top.

"Yuriyo." She was smiling. There was an indecipherable relief in her eyes. Relief and satisfaction. "Just Yuriyo."

She kissed his right cheek.

"Thank you."

With those words, she stood up, still chuckling to herself. The utterly confused boy sat back up, following the foxgirl with his eyes as she returned to the water.

"Really…really…" She muttered to herself, before looking at Naruto, who no longer seemed uncomfortable looking at her naked body, especially with the Aura of Allure gone. "I underestimated you, darling!"

An eyebrow was raised. "Darling?"

"Or stud, whichever you like." She winked.

"Naruto's just fine."

"Nah, that's too plain."

"Hey!"

Yuriyo laughed. Again, it was a hearty, merry laugh, not a mocking one. "Anyway! It seems I've been looking at the wrong humans all this time!" She dropped her tone, but her smile remained. "I should not have doubted my sister's judgment."

"What?" The boy was just confused.

"You pass, honey." Yuriyo nodded. "Take care of my sister."

Her smile changed into a positively naughty grin. It made Naruto squirm.

"Keep at it and I might consider asking you to let me join." Wink, wink.

Naruto's brain quickly did the math. Cue blushing.

"Yu-Yu-YURIYO!"

The half-Void laughed one more time before running towards the waterfall and the deeper water.

"What are you waiting for? Don't stay there like a pathetic dog!" She taunted. "Let's have fun!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes for second, before smirking back. "You asked for it!"

They played for around ten minutes, like children who go to the beach for the first time. Yuriyo used both hands and tails to spray Naruto, taunting him and running away when he got too close. Naruto chased the foxgirl all over the place, using his superior muscle power to fling lots and lots of water at her, which the two-tails did not seem to mind. Yuriyo squealed in delight every time she was showered, every time she slipped past him before he could catch her, and every time she teased him by rubbing some part of her body against his.

There was no holier-than-thou attitude. She never looked down at him. She was being playful as usual, but in a way the two found amusing. She was a flirty friend…a friend Naruto was happy to have made…even if he still wasn't sure how it happened.

They ended up floating by the waterfall, relaxing and resting their bodies after the spontaneous burst of activity.

"Hmm…this is nice…" Yuriyo hummed. Her body was flushed from all the running, jumping and water flinging. Her breathing was a bit rough, but she was still exaggerating the movements of her chest, knowing Naruto was staring.

"You seem to like water a lot."

Naruto had just discovered he had the ability to ogle and maintain a proper conversation at the same time. It was quite the accomplishment.

"Well of course…" Yuriyo stretched her arms to the sides, which moved her slightly apart from Naruto. "How could anything compare to this? It's like I'm being caressed all over my body."

She squirmed and pushed her thighs together in a way that made Naruto blush heavily.

"It's so…stimulating." She reached for one of her stiff nipples, and Naruto almost fainted. "You thought this was because of the cold?"

"Uhhh…" Really, what could he say to that?

"It's like a dream…so many hands, worshipping every inch of my skin…" She moaned, and Naruto dumped his head into the water for a second. "…it would be better if it wasn't so cold, though."

Naruto sighed. "I hate this…"

"What?"

"I KNOW I'm going to regret this, but…" He made a seal.

Half a dozen Narutos surrounded Yuriyo's floating form.

"Hey," one of them greeted.

The stunned foxgirl looked from clone to clone, before blushing like she had never blushed before in her life.

"You…you're treading really dangerous ground with me, darling."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I know. Believe it."

"Can you make more?" There was a really disturbing tinge to her voice in that sentence.

"Pfft! Right now I have…how many was it, again?"

"Seventy-two." One of the clones stated.

"Right. Seventy-two clones all over Konoha. I can probably reach a thousand, if I'm in the mood."

It was Yuriyo's turn to sink. She reemerged right next to the original Naruto.

"REALLY dangerous ground."

"Why don't I like that look on your face…and why do I get the feeling I've seen it before?"

Because it exuded raw, animalistic hunger, and because he had seen it before. On Yurimi.

Yuriyo chuckled before resting her arms and head on Naruto's body. The water was really shallow, so she was standing with her knees on the bottom.

"Right, right. Now dismiss them before I really get ideas."

Naruto did not do so. Since he learned of the memory-transfer ability of the clones, he did not like to waste them.

"You're Yuria's anyway. And I don't think Rina would be too happy either if I tried anything with you. By the way, don't try those clones with Rina on the first time. I don't think the poor girl could take it."

"Stop that!" the embarrassed boy hissed.

"Besides, I'm not giving my first time away just yet…though, if you ask nicely…"

"Stop that," Naruto deadpanned, and the half-Void grinned.

"Why? Yuria's claim means we can't mate with you, but it doesn't stop you from getting it on with anybody you fancy, human or youkai. The Higashiyama Claiming Laws were made for Higashiyama. They don't affect you in the slightest."

"That's not the point. I'm not interested."

"Oh, you hurt me so."

Naruto dropped a hand on Yuriyo's head and gently caressed it. "Right, right…hey, you don't go 'hawaaan' like your sister and your mother. I'm almost disappointed."

"Are you making fun of me, human?"

They laughed together.

---

Yurina & Yuriyo Side – End