Author's Note: The final section! There is a god!
Naruto Genkyouien
- ナルト- 幻脅威宴
Chapter Fifteen: Lily of Many Petals—Yuria Side
Scene 4
That morning, as Setsuna had instructed before, Naruto dedicated himself to the chakra tail training after the 3-day Izanami session. It was unbelievable, the difference a lack of support made. However, this handicap was mostly countered by channeling chakra through his Wonder Gate, which really did wonders to his control. Creating the tail was not that difficult. However, Setsuna told him he had to work on it until the chakra that shaped it reached a certain "density." He did not know exactly what that entailed, but Setsuna "would know it when she saw it." Apparently it had to do with shoving as much chakra into the tail as possible without losing control of the construct.
Then they talked a bit about Kage Bunshin and Kuchiyose before an exhausted Naruto left for lunch, with the promise of meeting Setsuna later in the afternoon.
This is how we find her, back in the training grounds after a rather frugal meal and some rest. Madara…that is, Tobi, might be a humongous annoyance, but she had to give his cooking skills some credit. He was actually better than her, which bothered her substantially for some reason.
It was a nice day, with a nice breeze and a mostly clear sky. A good day for many things, training being just one of them. Sometimes Setsuna wondered why she lived such an awkward life. Couldn't she just try an ordinary Kitsune (her half status notwithstanding)? Of course, there was the issue of finding a mate…maybe she was just too picky?
Looking down, she noticed that, at some point, she had brought her hands to rest on her minuscule chest. Blushing a deep red, she threw her arms apart and away.
"What the hell am I doing?" She hissed.
"Ah, there she is. Setsuna!" Naruto's clear voice reached from behind, triggering a switch the four-tails did not know she had.
It was like a scene out of a romance movie. Setsuna was elegance and delight incarnate as she turned around to face her prized student. Her lovely cerulean sundress fluttered like a flower in the spring breeze, and her eyes glimmered with warmth and emotion. Her smile was charming and inviting, so different from her usual despondent attitude it was almost frightening. But, no doubt about it, it was also very, very pretty.
All in all, for that single half-turn, Setsuna had become the very image of loveliness.
"Good afternoon, Naru-gurk."
Yes, she did actually say "gurk."
Yuria shot a glance at her mate. "Why did she make that sound as if a pigeon was shoved down her throat?"
"How do you even know how a pigeon shoved down one's throat sounds?"
"You DON'T want to know."
"I have to agree with you on that," Naruto admitted.
Himeyuri's youngest, Yurie, did many, many strange things "for the sake of knowledge."
Setsuna was still stuck mid-turn. Her lovely smile had disappeared long ago, replaced by a quivering and very unsightly rictus.
"So, this is your new teacher," Yuria pondered.
"Yup."
"…she's a loli."
"That she is." Naruto nodded as if proud of the fact.
Yet another odd glance from Yuria. "If this is your way to prove you're not interested in small children, let me tell you Naruto: it's NOT working."
"Right, right, let's put aside my unhealthy interest in small children." Noticing Yuria's raised eyebrow, Naruto continued. "Which, for the record, does NOT exist."
"You say this as you introduce me to your child sensei—"
A mighty bolt of lightning crossed the small space between the couple, stunning them into silence.
"Who the hell is a child!" Setsuna finally found the will to speak. Needless to say, her voice was made of pure, unbridled fury. "Boya!"
Naruto shuddered at the intensity of her call. Her eyes were a silent promise of pain, and he already had a pretty good idea of just how much pain Setsuna was capable of inflicting.
In case you do not remember, it's a lot.
"Who is this brat and why is she intruding in our special tim—TRAINING!"
Fortunately for Setsuna, she was in front of the two idiots in this setting who could actually miss her little faux pas.
"Bra-brat!" Yuria immediately threw the gloves. "Have you looked at yourself in a mirror, you chibi?"
"Ch-chibi!" Setsuna exploded. "You're just as short as I am!"
"Well, at least Naruto won't be able to iron his clothes on MY chest!"
"Y-Youuuuuu!"
Naruto had several very good ideas of fun things he could do with Yuria's chest. Ironing clothes was definitely not one of them.
"NARUTO!"
"Ha-hai!"
"How dare you bring this, this…insolent human to my presence?"
"HUMAN!" Yuria blurted out.
"Oi, why do you say that as if it were an insult…?" Naruto muttered weakly.
"I am Yuria! Proud lily of Higashiyama!" Three black tails revealed themselves in all their furry glory. Naruto held back the urge to facepalm.
"Three!" Setsuna howled. "It seems your mother did not teach you manners, wench!" Setsuna responded by revealing her four beautiful appendages. "Know your place, child!"
Yuria was certainly struck speechless, eliciting a triumphant smirk from the Queen of Loli. However, it was for an entirely different reason than Setsuna believed.
A gentle hand fell on the elder Kitsune's right shoulder.
"Huh," Yuria spoke in a flat, deadpan tone. "That was really rude of me. Sorry. Must be tough for ya, huh?"
After two seconds for her brain to process the words, Setsuna's face rapidly gained a vibrant red. It was not one of her adorable tsundere outbursts. This girl…this…BRAT, was pitying her! She was pitying her height, and her looks!
"You…you…youuuuu…"
Something broke in there. Setsuna stopped moving; her gaze lost somewhere in the distance, staring at something only she could see.
"Uhh…" Yuria turned to her mate. "Naruto?"
The blond was sweatdropping. "Ehh…maybe it would be better if you practice water walking on your own for a while, Yuria."
"Eeeeh?" Yuria immediately whined. "But I wanted to practice with you…"
"Now, now…" The boy quickly assumed the strange role of voice of reason. "You can work on that by yourself, and you know it will really help your chakra control. And remember that I promised to teach you Kage Bunshin when you show me you can walk on water."
Some steps away, Setsuna shuddered in a visibly unnatural manner.
"Muuu, you're treating me like a child, Naruto."
"Well, other than those amazing things you keep under wraps you pretty much look like one."
The three-tails quickly crossed her arms protectively in front of her chest. "Perv!"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll pick you up later for shopping, okay?"
"O-kaaay," Slapping his arm in what could be seen as an affectionate gesture, Yuria waved her goodbye to the boy. "Break a leg, mate of mine."
Setsuna shuddered again, this time more strongly.
"Hnn."
"Wait."
The voice sounded a lot more appropriate for a demon lord than for a four-tailed Kitsune two inches shorter than Naruto. It did a good job of stopping Yuria, though.
"You." Setsuna pointed at the other Kitsune, then at Naruto. "What did you call him just now?"
It quickly clicked in Yuria's brain. It was a surprising bout of perception from the Naruto-ish foxgirl.
"Um! Just like you heard!" In an unusually sadistic manner, Yuria struck the point across by latching her arm to Naruto's. "He's my matey! I claimed him fair and square!"
Naruto could not prevent the blush from forming on his cheeks. "Uh, Yuria, that's kinda embarrassing…"
"Heheheh~" Yuria only chuckled before hammering the last nail on the coffin by planting a chaste kiss on Naruto's cheek. Whose coffin exactly remained unclear.
"Okay, I'm leaving now~"
With a big smile on her lovely face, Yuria pranced her way until she was out of sight. Her mother would have been proud.
"Uhh…that was weird," Naruto concluded. He was quick to dismiss the weirdness and focus on what really interested him.
Poor, poor bastard.
"So! Training!" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm still a little sore from this morning, but I'll do my best!"
"Hoooh…your best you say…"
The dark shadow that covered Setsuna's eyes had no physical explanation. Naruto's lack of scientific knowledge rendered him unaware of this simple and most dangerous fact.
"Hmm…" The familiar crackling sound triggered the first alarm in the boy's head. "Must be nice…consorting with pretty foxgirls before your most important exam…"
"Hey, now that's unfair!" Naruto complained, the idiot. "I'm just being a good host…and stuff."
"Hmm…" Sparks flew all around Setsuna's overly tense body. "And to score yourself such a lovely mate—" Crackle, whizz, flash. "…at such a young age. Aren't you the ladies man, booooou~yaaaaaa…"
"Okay, now you're scaring me."
Just now?
"Well then, if you have time to fool around with the pretty foxgirls, then you must be quite ready for me to push things a notch, hmm?"
"You kidding me? You spent the whole morning kicking my ass!"
"Hmm, yes, yes…" The awkwardly shuddering Setsuna paid no heed to the boy's words. "Yes, I have been too lenient a mistress, my boy…it is obvious now I must work harder…"
She grinned, and it looked positively deranged.
"…all for the sake of my dear student, right? Ufufufufufu…"
It was a stroke of good fortune that Naruto did not comment on how much he was reminded of Kotonoha at this moment.
Of course, by this point, the owner of the metaphorical coffin was pretty obvious.
It was a long, painful afternoon for Naruto.
He gained a healthy respect for electricity after that.
Scene 8
There was a single flower on the bedside table. A lonely daffodil watching over the sleeping boy.
There was a second, unwanted watcher. One tormented by murderous thoughts.
Discomfort and a lust for blood distorted the face of one Gaara of the Desert. Looking at the sleeping boy's face brought out the memory of his Jounin teacher, the one who saved him from Gaara's deadly sand. He remembered the man's eyes, and how they challenged him; how they looked down on him.
Why?
Why did it bother him so much?
With a snarl, Gaara approached the bed. The boy, Lee, slept soundly, blissfully unaware of death looming by his side.
His right hand was shaking as he raised it over the sleeping boy's face. It was disgusting, but Gaara could not stop it. Regardless, shaking or not, his sand responded with the same eagerness.
Bloodshot, unblinking eyes buried holes on the unaware face of the hapless victim.
Some doors away, Ino and Shikamaru showed up to visit their teammate, secluded to a hospital bed after overconsumption of meat. Curiously enough, both boy and girl brought their friend a fruit basket. After eating both in gratitude, Chouji had to extend his stay another day.
Sand flowed out of the large gourd, slowly crawling to create a second heavier, deadlier blanket…
"Extension."
A wall of sand was immediately raised to block the incoming attack, but the black tail simply wrapped the barrier and crushed it until it crumbled down.
This was enough to draw Gaara's attention. His special Shield of Sand, reinforced with blood and chakra, was destroyed by a physical attack!
Two more tails lashed out at the Suna Genin, one wrapping itself around his neck and the other snaking around to entangle all his limbs.
With his motion completely restricted, Gaara could only watch how Naruto dashed into melee range.
Setsuna would have been proud. Then she would have blushed, averted her gaze and found something to criticize, but that's beside the point.
It was perfectly executed; the natural result of dozens, hundreds, thousands of repetitions. Center of gravity lowered as far as possible, legs spread with knees pointing to opposite sides. Sliding the right knee towards the center while lowering and bending the torso to make a counterweight for the left leg being raised. All this to apply the full strength of every single muscle involved in thigh and leg movement.
While Setsuna's Izanami is a powerful Genjutsu, to those trapped within, it is reality. The brain interprets the events that occur within as if they were reality and responds accordingly. In response to the four days of training Naruto has undergone within the jutsu, the brain has responded by demanding further reinforcement of Naruto's leg muscle fibers. Sayuri's presence accelerates this process, which explains why only four days could make such a notable difference.
Where am I going here?
Naruto's quadriceps, adductors, vastus and glutei are all very, very, VERY strong now.
"SPEAR!"
Naruto doesn't like French.
Foot met Shield of Sand. Shield of Sand cracked. So did a nose.
"Ungh!" Gaara groaned, and some of the sand now lingering on the floor trembled before lashing at Naruto in the shape of a deadly spike…which Naruto stomped down with the same leg he had just used to kick Gaara's face. Naruto parried, and followed with a roundhouse kick, with the SAME leg.
It was another one of Setsuna's moves, Moulinet.
Not wanting to test his luck a third time, Naruto jumped back to Yuria, who stood by the door. The objective of distracting Gaara away from Lee was fulfilled.
"What the hell are you up to, bastard?" Our protagonist growled menacingly.
Gaara's face had already returned to its threatening impassivity, but it still looked distorted by the shattering Shield of Sand.
Yuria's face was a mixture of confusion and discomfort. "Naruto…"
"What are you up to?" Naruto insisted, ignoring his mate.
Gaara did not respond, and Yuria's discomfort grew. "This guy…"
"Oi!" Naruto grew annoyed by the second. "What were you trying to do to Thick Eyebrows?"
Gaara would have rolled his eyes if he were that kind of person.
"I was trying to kill him…"
The couple's expression hardened. This guy was bad news. Only Yuria, however, could somehow tell just how much bad news he was.
"Naruto…"
"What's your problem?" Naruto complained. "You already beat him! He's on that bed because of you! What do you have against him?"
"Absolutely nothing." Gaara grinned. It was creepy. "I'm going to kill him just because I want to."
"Wha-what the hell? You bastard!"
"This guy…" Yuria muttered quietly. "He's really messed up…and…"
She was not really squeezing with her tails, but the fact Gaara remained so calm despite the whole situation really bothered her. And there was also…
"Naruto…" she called for the third time, and she was still ignored.
"If you get in my way…" Dramatic pause. "…I'll kill you too."
"Hmph." Naruto smirked. "It's two against one."
"Naruto!" Yuria hissed. "This guy…he's not normal!"
"I can see that!" Naruto finally responded. "He's creepy as fuck!"
"I don't mean that, you idiot! He smells weird!"
Naruto's stare went awfully flat. "…huh?"
"Do-don't give me that face!" Yuria blushed in embarrassment. "I-I can't explain it, okay? It's just…he gives me a weird feeling! It's…it's…it's just not human!"
Naruto did roll his eyes. "Whatever! You're not human, either."
"Naruto!"
The boy turned back to challenge Gaara. "I've got a youkai inside my body, and she's the strongest person I know…"
Yuria pouted. "Praising me won't trigger a flag right now, idiot."
"We won't lose to the likes of you!"
"Hmm…" Gaara sighed and closed his eyes. "A monster…"
When he opened his eyes again, there was a noticeable difference. A hidden…anger (frustration?) concealed behind the mask of apathy.
"Then…it's the same for me. I, too, have a youkai inside my body."
That did a pretty good job of striking the couple speechless for a moment.
"It was chasing its tails too?" Yuria could not stop herself from asking.
Gaara tilted his head, visibly puzzled by the strange question.
"No…no, forget I said anything." Yuria shook her head. "Please go on."
"It was my father, who attached it to my body, when I was still inside the womb of the woman I would have called 'mother'. I was brought into this world in explosion of blood, gore and sand. In her last moment, she cursed my already-accursed existence."
"I am a twice-cursed monster."
Naruto was speechless, as his mind became aware of just who he was facing.
"A monster…youkai…wha-what kind of…?"
"It is called Shukaku…a tanuki spirit of the sand. It was sealed into me, and I was taught the shinobi arts, so that I would become Sunagakure's greatest weapon."
"Wha…that's…"
Yuria could understand Naruto's case. Sayuri's sealing was pretty much an accident. But, for someone to actually do that on purpose?
"That's…insane…"
The next minutes were a blur to Naruto. Gaara spoke of love; of his twisted definition of it. He spoke of family; the family that feared him and the father who now sought his death. Of how he became an object of fear in his home village, and it was decided he was too dangerous to exist. Of how he found his reason to live, in death. By surviving, and claiming the lives of those after his, he found the acknowledgement and significance of his own existence.
"I exist to kill every human besides myself."
The meaning of life was in the fear of death.
"To fight for only yourself, while loving only yourself. Everyone else exists to allow you to experience that feeling."
The joy of living resides in taking the lives of others.
"As long as there are people in this world for me to kill and continue to feel that joy of living, my existence will not vanish."
Naruto took a step back.
This person…he could understand this person. He could understand this person so well…it was scary. It was definitely scary, to witness what he could, what he should have become. He was 99.5% sure the youkai sealed within Gaara was not an adorable loli.
To realize there were people like Gaara in this world. Children are always told there are people out there faring much worse than they are, as a way to keep them from complaining about anything and everything. Naruto had just been shoved that truth down his throat, and it was terrifying.
A boy like him, who had grown in a world of darkness, in the company of nobody but a wicked youkai…there were so similar, yet they were so different!
Too different!
How…how could he expect to fight, to beat such a person?
"That's…" Yuria had her own opinion of the whole story. "That's too messed up…so messed up…humans are so messed up!"
Please don't generalize, Yuria-san.
Her senses went into red alert when irregular clusters of sand began to rise from the floor.
"Naruto, watch out…Naruto?"
Naruto was a trembling wreck.
"Naruto! Snap out of it! Shit!"
The foxgirl did not hesitate to step in between her paralyzed mate and the threatening sand.
"Saa…" Gaara hissed; his expression having changed into a deranged grin at some point. "Let me feel it…"
"That's enough!" A fierce, unhappy voice reached those inside the room. Maito Gai made his appearance and, while his posture looked his relaxed, his face was the one of a person you don't want to mess with. It was enough to drive Naruto out of his funk and straight into "Oh Shit"-land.
"The finals are not today. Let's not get hasty, children."
After a moment of tense silence, Gaara grunted and glanced at Yuria. The Kitsune somehow got it and loosened her grip, allowing Gaara to step free and walk away.
"I'll definitely kill you…just wait…" He muttered menacingly, avoiding Gai's face as he stepped outside the hospital room. The Jounin followed the dangerous boy with his eyes until he was well gone. Only after that did his focus shift to the remaining two.
"I believe there is much we must discuss, Uzumaki Naruto…Kitsune-kun."
Yuria made an act of hiding her tails behind her body, as if it would make a difference.
"Urk."
As usual, Naruto shines with his dialectic breadth.
After making sure that the convalescent Lee (miraculously) remained asleep, the trio of two humans and a foxgirl exited the room and the hospital altogether.
They had to give credit to Gaara. Not a speck of sand lingered on Rock Lee's bed sheets.
There was a large green area behind the hospital, frequented by the ailing and their families, as well as by cats. Unlike most parks, it lacked benches or other playground elements. It was a small piece of cleared forest in the middle of the village…which makes little sense in a village entirely surrounded by forest.
"I guess I must thank you for being there to help my cute student, Naruto-kun…" Looking at the Kitsune (her tails and ears hidden now, of course), Gai hesitated. "Umm…"
"Higashiyama Yuria," the girl introduced herself, but then her lips curved in a teasing smile. "But I guess now I'm sorta 'Uzumaki', maybe…"
"Higashiyama," Naruto growled. "She's Higashiyama. Definitely. Believe it."
"Sheesh, aren't we touchy."
"Very well, Naruto-kun, Yuria-kun, thank you very much."
Gai is old-fashioned like that.
"But I have to ask…" He suddenly looked a bit embarrassed. "Please don't take it badly, Naruto-kun, but, to visit my Lee, well, I wouldn't expect you…ahaha…"
"Right, right, I get it," Naruto dismissed Gai's discomfort with a grin and a hand gesture. "I'm not that close to Fuzzy Eyebrows, I get it. We just met. But…" The boy's expression softened. "He…he helped Sakura-chan in the Forest of Death, you know? And, well, in the prelims…" An uneasy laugh. "He really made an impression."
"I mean, I thought I worked hard until I met that guy." He shrugged. "I guess I just can tell. How much effort that guy put to become that good at Taijutsu. And he's incredible, really! Even I can tell…I wouldn't have a chance against Fuzzy Eyebrows…the way I am right now."
"Oh, but I'm really doing my best now!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, excitedly. "My sensei's really tough, but the training really works! I don't care if he's your student, I'm gonna beat that Neji!"
Gai laughed merrily. "As his sensei, I will support young Neji, but I'll be grateful if you put up a good fight, Naruto-kun! Maybe the excitement of a true challenge will stoke his youthful flame!"
"I'll put up way more than 'a good fight'!"
"Ahahaha, that's the spirit, boy."
Gai could not be more proud of his student. To drive and inspire others to follow his example, it was truly something laudable.
"So, yeah, I wanted Yuria to meet Fuzzy Eyebrows. That's why we came here today."
"Hmm?"
Naruto immediately responded to Gai's curiosity. "Well, Yuria's as much of a hard worker as he is…no." He shot a strange, calculating gaze as his mate. "I get the feeling she's even worse."
"Hmm, it depends," Yuria declared. "Has Fuzzy Eyebrows asked to be set on fire on purpose?"
Naruto and Gai stared at her in silence.
"Ooo-kay…you're not hardworking, just plain insane."
"Extreme objectives demand extreme training routines."
"Immolation is not a routine!"
"Not to humans, maybe." Yuria crossed her arms stubbornly.
"I'm sure Kitsune don't make a habit of setting themselves on fire."
"I have to agree with Naruto-kun…" Even Gai was sweatdropping. "I always support anything that unleashes the fires of youth, but I cannot see how something like that could make you a stronger illusionist…"
"Illusion?" Yuria made a face. "Nah, I can't do fancy stuff like that. I just want to be strong. The strongest Kitsune-no! The strongest youkai!" Showing off some made-up boxing moves, the three-tails smirked. "The most awesome of all, something like, dunno…The Empress of All Youkai. Yeah, that sounds awesome enough."
"Yeah, sure, whatever, just don't hit me."
"Wimp."
"Your punches FRIGGIN' HURT!" Naruto lashed back. "Even when you're holding back! Especially when you're holding back!"
"That doesn't make any sense!"
Naruto ignored Yuria's accurate comment. "I was lucky you didn't even touch me the night we met."
Yuria stopped the not-so-fancy footwork and pouted. "I wasn't being serious. Fighting a human and stuff…"
"Pfft!" Naruto snorted. "You actually think I'll believe that? We've sparred after that, too, you know. You're just so easy to read it's ridiculous. And coming from me, that's really, really sad."
"I hate you. And it's not like you're much better."
"I'm working on that!"
Looking at Gai, who was observing the exchange with a confused expression, Naruto had a sudden flash of inspiration.
In actuality, little Sayuri was trying to set the seal tag on fire, but the seal responded by reflecting her power right back at her. Future Sayuri could only facepalm at the sight of her younger self burning without being consumed. It was even more amusing because Sayuri did not seem to care about being on fire herself, and just kept acting as if she wasn't covered in flames.
But I'm digressing here.
"That's it!" Moving behind Yuria and placing his hands on her shoulders, he presented her to Gai. "This girl, she sucks at Kitsune stuff. You know, illusions, mind control and all that crap. She sucks. Badly. She sucks so bad her family won't respect her. She sucks so bad…ok, I don't know any sucking jokes, so let's leave it at that. The thing is, she really, really, REALLY sucks."
"Sheesh, I can just feel the love and support from my mate…"
"Quiet, you."
"Did she just say you're her mate?"
"Funny story. Remember to tell you about it sometime later." Naruto quickly dismissed Gai's question. "Anyway, she sucks."
Yuria cracked her knuckles.
"But, the deal is, she's strong. Scary strong. She's, like, the weirdest Kitsune ever. Really. And I've met the rest of her family."
"Hey!"
"Anyway, can you teach her Taijutsu, Gai-sensei?"
Yeah, it took him a while to get there.
"Eh? Wa-wait, Naruto—"
"What's there to complain about?" Naruto immediately argued. "Gai-sensei is an actual, honest-to-God Jounin-sensei, which not only means he's way stronger than me; it means that, unlike me or Kakashi, he's actually capable of teaching. AND he is a REAL Taijutsu expert, if he taught Fuzzy Eyebrows all that incredibly awesome stuff he did in the Prelims."
"You keep mentioning this 'awesome stuff'…" Yuria muttered, unhappy for not being in the know.
"By the way," Naruto continued, never taking his eyes off Gai. "I'm not asking you to teach her any of those forbidden techniques and stuff…"
"Forbidden?"
Naruto glared at the disturbing gleam in Yuria's eyes. "I insist. Don't teach her the forbidden stuff. Just…just try to make her not suck, please? Only until the day of the finals!"
"You know, for some reason, when you of all people say that, it really, REALLY pisses me off."
Gai thought he was standing in front of a really interesting duo. Odd, true, but definitely interesting. It wasn't like he was surprised by Yuria's presence. The Hokage had already warned all Special Jounin, Jounin and ANBU squad leaders of their arrival. They were also being observed very subtly and carefully, as it was almost impossible to watch over the fox youkai without them being aware of it. Apparently the leader of this group was a particularly powerful specimen. So, no, he was not really surprised to find Naruto in the company of a Kitsune. He would admit, however, that their interesting relationship deserved a bit of consideration. They obviously had formed a particular friendship. Not only that; the girl had referred to Naruto as her mate. Gai knew enough of Kitsune to understand what that meant.
But he held back his speech on protecting the virtues of youthfulness. Naruto was right about something. This Yuria was most definitely an odd one.
He had met his share of youkai in his life as a shinobi, and they were really, really focused. Yuki-onna manipulate snow and ice and can't stand warm things. Tengu are absurdly fast, boisterous and overall hard to follow both physically and mentally (and coming from Gai, this says a lot). Kappa…they are just weird. Oni are immensely strong but slow of thought and possess short attention spans, at least when found alone. Inugami are collected and thoughtful, but awfully quick to act when the situation arises. Nekomata are lazy but playful, pretty much smarter, slightly more amiable cats. And Kitsune, well, Kitsune are controllers and illusionists; non-violent creatures who normally choose to rely on illusions and mind-controlling techniques when possible, but perfectly capable of using powerful elemental techniques to defend themselves. Some would say Kitsune are the most human of all youkai capable of anthropomorphic shapechanging, save for their disgusting fickleness.
The idea of a Kitsune who could not make illusions was, well, weird. Besides, Kitsune always struck him as the kind of creatures who would want to accomplish anything with as little effort as possible. Just like, you know, most humans. So the idea of a Kitsune who could put up as much hard work and effort as his precious student was a strangely conflicting thought.
Of course, he had no other proof than Naruto's words, but Gai trusted the boy. If anything, the words he used to describe his wonderful Lee made Gai absolutely certain of Naruto's honesty.
"Yosh! I, Maito Gai, acknowledge your noble intentions, Uzumaki Naruto-kun!"
"Awesome," Naruto deadpanned.
"I will test the young Yuria here," he smiled at the foxgirl, who raised an eyebrow at the odd glimmer of his blank teeth. "If she shines as bright as my excellent student Lee-kun the way you claim, I will accept to train her for as long as she stays in the village!"
"Great!" Naruto's enthusiasm came out a lot more sincerely this time.
Yuria pulled at his jacket. "Nee, is this really a good idea?"
"Of course it is! It's my idea!"
Yuria stared at her mate for several silent seconds. "Okay, let me rephrase. Is this REALLY a good idea?"
"Oh, be a good woman and keep quiet for once," Naruto closed the topic and walked after the Jounin.
"What the hell's THAT supposed to mean? You pig!"
"Hohohoho! I can feel your friendship bursting out like youthful flames!" Gai declared even as he walked ahead. "I, the Noble Green Beast of Konoha, am delighted to see such wonderful and inspiring feelings!"
"I wonder if he even knows what he's talking about," Naruto pondered.
"Yeah, I've been wondering about those figures of speech myself…"
"Don't bother," Naruto stopped his mate. "Nobody gets it."
"And the spandex—"
"Ah, well…" Naruto grinned. "That looks kinda cool. Would be better if it came in a brighter color…"
"Like orange?"
The grin grew wider. "I love it when you finish my thoughts!"
Yuria returned the grin with an identical one.
No matter what anybody sees or says, these two really get along well.
Now, some might be wondering why Gai is not against training a young Kitsune. We could bring up several reasons.
The first one would be, of course, curiosity. It's not every day he met a youkai interested in his passion, after all.
The second would be hope. While he firmly wanted to believe his great student would be able to practice again, he had to admit he was a little lonely right now. There was not really much he could teach Neji, and Tenten was never much inclined towards Taijutsu beyond the basics. He loved teaching, and he loved inspiring his students even more. If he could impart his doctrine of hard work and dedication to a Kitsune of all people, it would be a success of immeasurable value to him.
The third would be strategic interest. He would be able to keep an eye on one of their Kitsune "guests," and, by proxy, on the others as well as on Naruto. He could even learn more about Kitsune powers, which was always valuable intelligence for experienced shinobi.
And the fourth and most immediate reason would be, well…why the hell not?
Regardless, he was honest about one thing. No matter how valuable it could be for Konoha if he could get closer to this Kitsune, he would not agree to train her if he did not deem her worth teaching.
She got the first point when, once they arrived to the training grounds, she took off her kimono shirt, showing her excellent build. It also showed him yet another curious facet of the two's relationship.
Naruto, more than aroused, seemed impressed by the girl's body. Yuria also noticed this.
"Heeh, you're not even nosebleeding."
Naruto did not like the comment. "Gah! I-I'm not gonna act like an idiot every single time you show me your breasts!"
"SHOW you?" Yuria was outraged. "I've never SHOWN you ANYTHING!"
"Y-You know what I meant! I'm not a pervert!"
"All men are perverts. All of them!"
"Now, now, Yuria-kun, it's bad to generalize like that—"
"ALL OF THEM!" Yuria stated. "I'll say it in red if I have to!"
"No, I don't think we can do that in this story…" Naruto quickly dismissed the idea. Good job, Naruto. "Formatting issues, you know."
Damn it.
"It's the one thing I remember from seduction lessons."
"You actually get seduction lessons…" Naruto mumbled, but was simply ignored.
"Every mortal has a price. It doesn't have to be…you know, ecchi stuff. Money, love, power, even health and safety. Everybody has something they want. As long as you can make them believe you can provide whatever it is, they're open to be manipulated. It's in the book."
"What book?"
Gai nodded. It was an interesting insight into Kitsune mentality. And it made perfect sense. Everybody has a price, no matter whether you're good or bad.
"So that's it," Yuria declared. "But you know, it's kinda disheartening…" A mock-pout. "I'd expect my mate to, ya know, appreciate me more…"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Someone seems to have forgotten just how this 'mate' thing started."
"Urk."
"Right. Besides…" Naruto had the decency to look a bit embarrassed. "I've never said you aren't…you know…I don't mind looking at ya."
"Hmm? Oh…" Yuria joined him in blushing…for exactly 2.7 seconds. Then she grinned. "You'd just rather touch them now, huh?"
"Mm-hmm…wait. YURIA!"
Gai sighed at the laughing girl and the embarrassed young boy. Yep, she was a Kitsune alright.
"Peeeeeer-vert! Naruto's a peeeeerv!"
Naruto took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to lose it in this situation. If he had learned something these past few days, it was that lashing at people the way he always did would not work with the foxgirls.
"Right. You're absolutely right."
That stopped Yuria on her tracks. "Huh?"
"You said it." Naruto shrugged. "I'm a pervert. And a hypocrite, for lashing at Jiraiya because of that."
Gai raised an eyebrow. The boy knew Jiraiya of the Sannin?
And, well, he could not blame Naruto for criticizing the hermit's unhealthy interest…
"I want to touch them, Yuria."
Yuria went straight back to blushing. "Wha-wait, Naruto, what are you saying?"
"I said I want to touch them." Naruto raised a trembling hand. Every time it shuddered, it also made a disturbing squeezing motion. "I want to put my hands on those enormous things and squeeze them hard."
Gai covered his face with his hand. He could not believe he was listening to this.
"O-Oi, Naruto! What's wrong with—DON'T CALL THEM 'ENORMOUS'!" The three-tails covered her chest in a bashful manner. "They're not that big…"
"Eighty centimeters..." Naruto mumbled in a sing-song voice
"HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?" She's screaming a lot today.
"Kotonoha."
"DAMN THAT YANDERE!" Yuria looked like a kicked puppy at this point. "She doesn't have to teach you that kind of stuff. And it's because I'm short…"
And she was right. Yuria's breasts would have looked normal and very appealing on an average adult woman. On a female even shorter than the rookie kunoichi, they were just too much.
"Well, I think mates should not keep secrets from each other…"
"What do you know?" Yuria mumbled.
"Well, my biggest secret is Kyuubi, and you know plenty about that."
Yuria mumbled a few curses under her breath. Naruto was struggling not to laugh at this point. It was just too easy. He knew it was not supposed to be this easy. Wasn't she a Kitsune, for Inari's sake?
"So, Yuria…" Squeeze, squeeze. "You don't mind…right? I'm…I'm your mate, after all…"
"Eh? Wha-wha…" Yuria was reminded of the matter at hand. "Naruto! I…"
She stopped. Did she mind, really?
And he was right: Naruto was her mate, after all. And, with the circumstances of her claiming, it wasn't like she had a right to complain…
"Bu-but!" Yuria whined weakly, as her defenses rapidly crumbled. "We can't do such a thing in public…"
"Gai-sensei doesn't mind five minutes."
"I DO!" Gai quickly retorted, glad for the chance to stop this madness. "I MIND! I'M MINDING THIS SO HARD RIGHT NOW!" His voice was very frantic.
"That doesn't make any sense," Naruto declared. "So, Yuria…"
"N-No, Naruto, this isn't like you—stop wriggling your hands like that! It's creepy!"
"But, I can't, Yuria! I can't control my hands anymore!" Naruto was being overly dramatic by this point. "They have a mind of their own!"
He could do a great Hamlet.
"Yuriaaaaaaa!"
"Gyaaaaaa! Get away from me!"
Gai was left speechless, so he just watched the idiotic scene: a laughing Naruto chasing a desperate Yuria all over the place; his hands still making those risqué squeezing motions.
"Come on! I'm sure it will feel good for you too!"
"LIKE HELL IT WILL!"
Long story short, this is how Yuria became Gai's temporary student.
Well, not like THIS.
It was more like five minutes later, after Yuria's tails effortlessly lifted a one-ton boulder, threw it thirty yards and then shattered it to kunai-sized pieces with the very-appropriately named "Tail Rock Breaker."
At this unbelievable sight, Naruto shuddered and clung to the Jounin.
"And that's the woman I share my bed with every night."
Yuria was cackling in the distance.
"Fear the awesome might of Yuria-sama! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
At this, Gai could only drop a hand to pat the boy's head.
"There, there."
Scene 12
Like the drowning man who finally makes it to the surface, Naruto awakened with a desperate gasp. On cue, his muscles reacted to the strain of three consecutive days.
He took a deep breath…
"…OW!"
It was the end of the second 3-day session within Setsuna's Izanami.
Setsuna was tired herself, but she was not very vocal about it. Emptying her lungs with a long, deep exhalation, she let her buttocks fall on the grass underneath.
"You're too loud." Her smile mocked her student's situation.
"Wha…what did just happen?"
Setsuna's smile dropped when she remembered there was a third person. "Ah, right. You're still here."
Yuria frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" She pointed at the groaning Genin. "And what the hell's wrong with him?"
"He's a bit sore after training."
"A BIT?" Naruto cried.
"What training?" Yuria insisted. You two just stood there, and then you did that creepy thing with the eyes and that's it!"
Setsuna rolled her eyes. "Do I really have to explain, boya?"
Naruto only sent her an apologetic smile, and Setsuna rolled her eyes again.
"Great."
One minute later, Yuria's eyes were sparkling.
"Thr-three days of training! In an instant! That's…that's…wait. How come his muscles hurt, anyway? He didn't really move, it's just Genjut—"
"It's not Genjutsu."
If Yuria expected any further explanation, she would not get it. Setsuna turned to Naruto.
"You're getting better, boya. You can react to most of my attacks."
Naruto groaned. "You mean I notice them. There's no point if I can't dodge them."
Setsuna shrugged. "Speed is not something that can be developed in a week or two. Besides, the opponents you'll be fighting at your level are nowhere near as fast as I am. You'll be fighting other puny human Genin. Against them, the results of this training will show."
Realizing that she was the only one standing there like an idiot, Yuria made a noise and slumped down. "Hmph."
"But you need to attack more, boy," Setsuna continued. "I don't think your opponents will let you run around the place for three days straight."
"Aren't you the one who says that I should look for the gaps in my opponent's defense instead of attacking recklessly? You don't have any gaps!"
"Sure I do. I keep making them for you, and you keep missing them."
Naruto groaned again. "So it comes back to me being slow."
"I guess. Have you tried chakra reinforcement?"
"I keep pumping chakra through my limbs nonstop!"
Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then you really are slow…"
"You're detestable." Letting his body fall prone, Naruto watched the clouds drifting by. "I need to be faster. I need to break through Gaara's sand defense."
"Sabaku no Gaara? The tanuki's vessel?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "How do you even KNOW these things?"
A concealing smirk. "I am Kiyoura Setsuna. Kiyoura Setsuna knows."
Yuria frowned. "What's the big deal? I had no problem getting through."
"Don't compare your awesome tails with my puny arms and legs!"
"Ahahaha~ You flatterer, you~"
Naruto growled at the blushing femme. "You did that on purpose, didn't ya?"
"I thought you were fighting the Hyuuga, boy."
"I am," Naruto conceded. "Gaara could be my second opponent."
"Hmm." A mild chuckle. "You just don't have it easy, do you, my boy?"
"Tell me about it."
"No, you tell me."
This led to Naruto explaining the extent of Gaara's powers, from what he had seen during the prelims and earlier that morning.
"I see…tricky business, that sand." She turned to Yuria. "You defeated it because your Extension is even faster."
"When it's about Extension, I cannot be beaten," Yuria proclaimed proudly. It did not last long, however. "The problem's that, no matter how fast, attacking with my tails is just too obvious. I got that Gaara guy because he just stands there and waits to get his ass kicked. Even Naruto can dodge them, because he actually, you know, moves."
"What do you mean 'even Naruto'?" The boy pouted.
"That's true," Setsuna admitted. "Tails are big and obvious, and it's hard to make good attacks with them, because they have to move around your body before reaching for the opponent. The increased range is not really much of a consolation."
"Right!" Yuria was enthusiastic that somebody could see her point. "Really, if I could hit with my fists the way I do with my tails…"
"How about reinforcement?" Setsuna somehow enjoyed "technical" conversations like this. It was the only reason she was tolerating Yuria's presence.
"Don't you think I already tried that?"
"Saa, who knows? Considering that your brain weights less than those disgusting blobs of yours, however…"
"Wha-?" Yuria crossed her arms around her breasts. "B-But, they're bound! How did you—?"
"THEY'RE BOUND!" Setsuna screamed in outrage, making the other two flinch away. It did not help Yuria much, as the matriarch of the Uchiha leaned closer to poke Yuria's shirt.
"Kyah! What the—!"
"I can't believe this…" Setsuna was mumbling, lost in her own world. "…these annoying things, in this tiny body…"
"You're as short as I am!"
"…only makes them look bigger…" Setsuna bit her lower lip. "…such outrageous, obnoxious, grotesque…" Poke, poke.
Yuria turned to Naruto. "Get her off me before I kill her."
Naruto sweatdropped. "Saa…a part of me is actually enjoying this."
"Cocky brat."
Naruto grinned.
"Alright, alright!" Yuria planted her hands on Setsuna's shoulders and pushed her away. "They're big. I know. Everybody knows. Sheesh."
Setsuna's grin was positively deranged. Electricity crackled between her fingers as she spoke.
"I'll enjoy tasting your misery when the World of DFC is upon us! Bwahahahahahaha!"
Yuria stared at the laughing Kitsune before shooting a look at Naruto. "I don't know what the hell's that supposed to mean, but, damn, it sounded stupid."
The boy could only shrug. His Mistress was very, very odd.
They eventually made it back to the original conversation, even if Setsuna shot evil glances at Yuria's chest every once in a while, further grossing out the three-tails.
"Well, there's a reason Kitsune normally don't bother with channeling chakra through their arms or legs."
"I've never seen you using anything but your hands and legs." Naruto commented.
"Well, most of the time I have to keep my tails hidden, so I cannot afford to depend too much on them. Besides, I wouldn't be able to use my Taijutsu if I couldn't channel chakra properly through all my limbs."
"Then how do you do it?" Yuria inquired.
"I'm a half."
Yuria immediately argued against that. "Half-Kitsune don't grow more than two tails."
"Yeah, well, I'm special like that. I can't help you, girl. But why are you so hung on physical combat, anyway? Shouldn't you be learning Spirit Jutsu or something?"
"I can't shape Spirit Chakra," Yuria grumbled. "Don't ask me why."
"Sucks to be you," Setsuna coldly declared, getting a glare in response. "How about your father's side?"
"I'm a Mountain, but who the hell's gonna teach me Doton Jutsu? I never met my father, anyway. Don't even know if he's alive…not that I really care, anyway."
Setsuna snorted. "Really, such a spoilt little princess…"
"What the hell?" Yuria roared, quickly jumping to stand on her feet. "What do you know—WAH!"
A bolt of lightning split the air dangerously close to Yuria's head. Setsuna was sending her coldest, most contemptuous glance at the three-tails.
"Setsuna!" An alarmed Naruto threw all manners of address aside.
"Nobody taught ME how to do that," Setsuna spat. "What kind of excuse is that, giving up because nobody will hand you things on a silver platter?"
Yuria's carnelian eyes were light bright cinders. "Everything I know, I learned by myself! Nobody taught me, not even the most the basic of jutsu!"
"Then why should Doton Jutsu be any different? If you're a Mountain Kitsune, you just have to find the Pulse of the Mountain."
"Huh?"
Rolling her eyes, Setsuna got back on her two feet.
"I'm tired of this conversation. Boya!"
"Ye-yes?"
"Don't neglect your training. See you around."
"Aah, mou!" Yuria sat down on the grass, all the while watching Setsuna's departing form. Yuria knew better than to insist. Besides…
"I don't like her."
"Ahaha…" A nervous laugh from Naruto. "She can be hard to take at times."
"Are you trying to be a saint, Naruto?" Yuria shook her head, exasperated. "Anyway. A spar? Now?"
"Are you kidding me?" Naruto groaned. "I need to rest!"
"Guh, you're so useless."
"That's a terrible thing to say to the owner of the bed you sleep on."
"Urk."
Scene 19
Naruto and his mate went back to the apartment after the riverside barbeque. Despite Yuria's protests, Naruto would not allow her to keep training her right arm swollen the way it was. He knew she was in pain, even if she was very good at hiding it. Besides, it wouldn't do for her to have her arm looking like that when she met Maito Gai that evening.
Big was their surprise when they arrived.
"What…is that?"
Naruto said nothing. He calmly walked over to the huge cardboard box lying by the entrance. Before checking its contents, however, he fixed his gaze on the three objects placed on top of the sealed box. Two small, neatly folded pieces of paper and a small scroll sealed with a silver ribbon.
"The mark on the scroll…" Yuria frowned. "The Crest of the Silver Lily."
"Which means…?"
"It comes from Mother."
"Hmm…" He put it aside. "Oh well, it can wait."
Yuria facefaulted. "Naruto! It could be important!"
Naruto, however, had already picked one of the folded pieces and read.
My beloved, most wonderful Master,
Naruto sweatdropped. "Not hard to tell where this came from."
Yurimi's calligraphy was neat and precise, as if using too much ink were a crime.
It shames me, but I must offer my most sincere apologies. I have been summoned by Mother for special training this afternoon, thus I will be unable to serve you.
"She's getting 'special training'. I never got 'special training'. I want 'special training', damn it!"
"You don't even know what special training is!"
I am ready to accept whatever punishment Master decides for his irresponsible, unworthy slave. I may be stepping out of bounds, but I would like to suggest—
"Alright, alright, let's skip to the end!" An utterly flushed Naruto skipped the rest of the paragraph detailing Yurimi's ideas.
"…damn," Yuria was blushing too by the end of it. "…I knew there was a deranged pervert behind that ice queen face."
"Yuria!"
One more time, I deeply apologize. To be unable to make Master my utmost priority, it pains me.
With love and devotion,
Your worthless slave.
"…she's really into the whole 'slave' thing, isn't she? Who would have thought?"
"You're not helping me, Yuria."
P.S. I cannot take this morning out of my mind, Master. Even if it is selfish and improper from my part, please, Master, keep showering me with your love.
"Urk."
Naruto was already sweating. The world around him had suddenly gotten a lot darker and colder. An ominous hum was coming out of Yuria's throat.
Slowly, very slowly, he turned around. "Um…Yuria?"
"Yes? What is it, MATEY?"
Naruto took a step back. Was her hair moving threateningly on its own?
"…WELL?"
A sweatdrop. "Umm…well what?"
Yuria's right eyebrow twitched disturbingly. Naruto lost it.
"This-morning-I-went-to-the-shower-but-Yurimi-was-already-there-and-you-had-just-gotten-up-and-I-didn't-want-you-to-find-out-about-it-so-I-walked-into-the-shower-with-her-and-we…we…WE-MIGHT-HAVE-DONE-SOME-THINGS!"
The wincing boy half-looked at Yuria, half-looked away, all the while he evaluated his running chances. Why did he have to teach her the tree climbing exercise?
Yuria, well, she did not look happy. And the way the floor and walls close to her shook menacingly certainly did not bode good things for our protagonist.
However, it passed, much to Naruto's surprise. Yuria's clenched fists relaxed, and her hair stopped wriggling like Medusa's snakes.
"Well…" She shrugged. "…I hope you enjoyed yourselves."
She looked away, at the suburbs of Konoha.
"…Yuria?"
"I mean, it's not like you have to excuse yourself to me…" Her left hand reached for her right elbow, in an obvious defensive gesture. "…the claiming binds me, not you…" Her gaze fell just a little. "…you can still…do…things…"
Naruto was taken aback by her forlorn eyes and the way her right index fidgeted with her long raven hair. He did not like them.
"So!" She was suddenly bright and smiling again. "What's in the other one?"
"Huh? Ah! Right! The other one…" Shooting one last worried glance at Yuria, which she returned with a big closed-eyes grin, he picked the second note.
Naruto-sama,
I have matters to attend today, therefore I will be absent until nighttime.
"Huh…well, that's good to know."
In my absence please prepare yourself a proper meal, Naruto-sama. I am very sorry I cannot help with today's chores. I can only wish you a pleasant rest of the day, and please send my regards to Yuria-sama.
Hugs,
Kotonoha
"It's like she's your mother or something."
"Yeah…" Naruto agreed with a pleasant tone. Why was it that such a simple thing as this latter made him so happy?
Naruto pulled away the ribbon and unrolled the scroll from the Matriarch of Higashiyama. He could not help but notice that her calligraphy was almost identical to Yurimi's, only with bigger symbols.
To Uzumaki Naruto-sama,
The Higashiyama Clan has placed an immense burden on you, which you have returned with nothing but kindness and acceptance. Let there be no doubt and I and my lilies are grateful for your favors towards Sayuri and the rest of us. My debt to you is immense, and I believe that, in a way, it will never be repaid.
It is only the beginning, but I hope you will accept and be pleased by this small gesture. I will look forward where our association with you takes us, so please continue with your favors towards my lilies in the future.
Yours,
Third Matriarch of Higashiyama, Yuri of the Silver Lily
"Hmm…it's a start." Naruto nodded, acknowledging the Matriarch's words. "So, what is it?"
Yuria had gone ahead of Naruto and checked the contents of the box.
"A new bed."
Naruto's eyes brightened. "Awesome!"
"But it's in pieces. You have to assemble it on your own."
"Crap…your mother's not very nice, did you know that?"
"And apparently she shops at IKEA. The things you learn…"
It was a heavy box, but Naruto had no trouble calling up a clone to aid help him get it into the apartment, after refusing Yuria's help ("Your arm…").
"So! I have to build this bed, shop for ingredients and make dinner." He sighed. "I might as well do all the chores today…"
It was not very often he took the time to clean up his apartment. Since the Kitsune's arrival, the job had been partially taken by Kotonoha and Yurimi.
"We. We're doing this together. And if you say anything about my arm again, I swear to all Eight Million Gods I'll hurt you."
Naruto chuckled at that. "Sure thing. Thank you, Yuria."
She grinned. "Don't mention it, it's the least I can do."
And so, for the first time, Naruto and Yuria worked together to face the ages old challenge of housework. Of course, eager to have a new bed, they attacked the box first.
"Well, from these numbers, it seems Mother did her homework. It's the same size, so we can use the same mattress."
"We would have found a new mattress if the bed were any different," Naruto reasoned. "…I hope."
"Nah, Mom's not that evil. Besides, it's not like you could fit a bigger bed in this place."
"Sheesh, thanks."
"Aww, come on! I like our bed! It's comfy and nice for cuddling!"
A gaping Naruto stared at a suddenly uncomfortable Yuria.
"Ah…umm…y-you…you didn't hear anything."
"…OUR bed?"
"THAT's what you paid attention to!"
Of course, let it be known that these two are not precisely the finest engineers…
"So…Yuria, I need piece…49C…I can't believe there's even a piece 49C. It's a frickin' bed!"
"49C…here you go."
"Wah! YURIA!"
"What?"
"Don't throw those things at me! You almost gouged my eye out!" He picked the piece. "And this is 49B!"
"They're the same thing!" Yuria retorted, holding piece 49C and showing that, indeed, the two parts were identical."
"The instructions say '49C', Yuria!"
"But they're the—gods, you're such a girl!"
"Why—Yuria! I don't want OUR bed to collapse in the middle of the night!"
"Hehehe, you said 'our bed'."
"Shut up!"
They also found the time to make jokes in between.
"Hey, Yuria!"
The boy raised a screw to eye level, grinning mischievously the whole time.
"Wanna screw?"
The couple rolled on the floor laughing for a while.
"Ahaha, hahaha…haha…haa. Damn, that was lame."
"Tell me about it, buddy."
In any case, eventually, they succeeded. Not at the first try, though.
"Alright, it's done!" Yuria exclaimed excitedly after fixing up the mattress. Naruto was reading the instructions over and over, a frown marring his features. "Ladies first!"
"Yuria, wai—"
The foxgirl jumped on the bed and bounced a few times. "Alright! A tall, nice bed, just what the doctor suggested!"
"Umm, Yuria, I think you should get off…"
"Aww, come on, it's OUR bed!" She pulled off her most inviting pose. "Don't you want to cuddle with your mate, buddy?"
"Umm, no, it's just…"
Any further attempt at speech was interrupted by the four legs of the bed separating from the rest of the structure in disturbing unison, with the obvious consequences.
"I…kinda forgot fixing the upper part with screws."
"I hate you."
In the end, they gave themselves a well deserved break. On their new bed, of course.
"It feels weird now…the ceiling looks so close," Naruto commented.
"Hmm…" Yuria nested herself in the space between Naruto's left arm and his torso. Unconsciously, Naruto placed his left arm on her waist and pushed her towards him, setting up the standard sleeping position for the two.
"But it's nice to have a proper bed again. Right, Yuria?"
"Mmm…"
"…Yuria?"
"…zzzzzzz…"
"DON'T FALL ASLEEP!"
After that, they moved on to house chores.
"Why do I have to do the laundry? I don't have clothes! These are my only clothes! Gah, underwear!"
Naruto chuckled at the sight of Yuria using a pair of forks to pick up Naruto's boxers and throw them into the bathtub.
"Would you like to take my place, then?"
"Ugh…" Naruto was cleaning the toilet. "…I'll do the laundry."
"Cool. Hey, thinking about it, you do need some more clothes…"
Yuria frowned at the pensive look on the boy's face.
"Oi, stop that."
"Stop what?"
"The thinking. You're thinking too much. You're not a thinker, leave the thinking to the smart characters."
"Well, ouch." Naruto mock-pouted. "Someone has to carry the brains in this relationship, ya know."
"Of course, that would be me, Yuria-sama!" The foxgirl puffed up. "I'm older, therefore wiser and with more experience."
"Speaks the one who's using flour instead of detergent."
"Gah!"
"I thought you said you could do house chores, Yuria. Remember? The teary, emotional scene?"
"SHUT UP!"
After some discussion, they ended up switching jobs anyway.
"Rotten grime…" Yuria growled while pulling the long sleeve of her kimono shirt, revealing the musculature of her arms. "You've come to the wrong toilet. Pray for the gods to have mercy on you, 'cause this Yuria-sama most certainly will not!"
"Shut up and get to scrubbing already."
It was Yuria's time to mock-pout. "What's wrong, buddy? You've changed. You used to be cool…"
"Oh, I'll be cool…the moment I see that toilet sparkling!"
"Okay, okay, sheesh…here I come! Oryaaaa!"
SPLASH!
"Wah! My eye! It got in my eye! Nasty toilet water!"
"Plus the chlorine."
"Fuck you!"
"It would solve a lot of problems, but no thanks."
Moving on to the living room…
"Hey, Naruto, don't you have another broom by any chance?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. Yuria was seated on the dining table, remotely controlling a single broom with her signature Extension technique.
"I used to live alone until a few days ago. What makes you think I would have more than one broom? More than one anything, for that matter?"
"Good point. I just thought it would make things faster…" A sudden insight. "Speaking of faster, what about those clones of yours?"
"They're busy."
"Doing what?"
"…stuff," Naruto was not very talkative during kitchen cleaning, it seemed.
"Stuff."
"Yes, stuff."
"Huh. Can't you just make more?"
"Don't wanna. Gonna train tonight, so I'm saving my chakra."
Yes, he actually does that.
"Anyway, I'm done sweeping."
Naruto facepalmed. "Then why are you asking for another broom?"
"Just making conversation here."
"Damn, you're weird."
"You're the last person in the world I'm taking that from, boy!"
"Whatever…" Walking over to the large window, Naruto noticed something that elicited a frown. "Did you dust this window frame, Yuria?"
"Ah, nope," The girl grinned as she replied. "I'm gonna do that now."
Naruto held the urge to sigh. "Yuria, what's the point of dusting the furniture AFTER sweeping the floor?"
"Wha-? What does dusting have to do with—oh."
"…right."
Yuria was feeling really uncomfortable by this point. "Heeh, damn, you see, I don't really have furniture in my room, so I never…" She dropped her head dejectedly. "…my bad."
Naruto just shook his head and walked away. "I'll…just go check the laundry."
"Mugyuu…sowwy…"
"Don't do that," Naruto growled as he backed away.
Eventually, housework was over for the day.
"So…dinner." Naruto was feeling a bit odd. He never had to wonder about dinner before. "What to do…? Yuria, any suggestions."
"Ramen!"
Naruto stared at the foxgirl for a few seconds before chuckling and covering his face with his right hand.
"…Naruto?"
The boy shook his head and moved the hand away. He was smiling, brightly.
"This will work."
"What will?"
"This," Naruto insisted, pointing at Yuria and then at himself repeatedly. "The two of us."
Yuria blinked a few time until she got it. Then, she blushed.
"Oh…oh. Cool."
Scene 26
"Haa…haa…"
She was sweating a bit more than she was used to, but she could not afford to swipe her forehead. Blinking more than the absolutely necessary was a terrible mistake.
"No, no, you're doing it wrong, Yuria-kun," Maito Gai scolded from some distance away. "Taking hits is never an acceptable form of defense. You need to dodge, my bright lily, dodge!"
"Dodge…" Yuria growled. "…easier said than done."
"Let's try again…like this!"
Yuria took a step backwards and, in a single smooth motion, turned her body clockwise to face Gai even as his straight punch passed by her. She did not hesitate to grab the thick limb with her left hand.
"Gotcha!"
"Tch!" Gai tried to pull away, but Yuria's grip did not budge. Noticing her right fist ready to strike, he switched to evasive maneuvers.
"Taste the wrath of my fist!"
The corny line was follow by a powerful strike to Gai's midsection, but the Taijutsu Master dodged by jumping up, even with his arm still held by the Kitsune.
"You're not getting away!" Yuria cried out as she readied one of her long tails to lash at the airborne ninja.
"Guh!" Very quickly, Gai twisted and bent his body like an experienced contortionist, using the rigid support of Yuria's arm to swing and catch the offending tail with the soles of his feet. The strength of Yuria's tail met the strength of Gai's legs and torso for a moment.
Right as Yuria let go of Gai, he moved his arms backwards to fall properly when the tail attack pushed him backwards and away. His hands reached the ground first, allowing him to quickly pull off a backflip to return to a standing position.
"Tch, thought I got you there…" Yuria mumbled before grinning. "I can't keep up with your moves, Gai-sensei!"
"Hahaha, thank you, thank you…but that was pretty good, Yuria-kun! Scared me for a moment!"
He took a deep breath. There was no doubt about it. He had seen it several times these past days, and a tiny part of him had tried to deny it, but there was really no doubt about it.
This girl was stronger than him.
With or without chakra involved, whenever they met in a contest of raw physical strength, Yuria came out victorious.
She was also notably fast. She still had a ways to go to match him, but he did not doubt that, with enough training, she could reach his speed, and even surpass him. Thinking about the current batch of Genin, only his wonderful Lee could match Yuria's top speed.
However, that was about it. She had incredible strength and great speed, but that was it. Her body was too rigid; her motions awfully predictable. Her reflexes could not keep up with her own speed, and her perceptive abilities were lacking.
She could hit hard, that was for sure. She had not managed to land a hit on him yet, but Gai knew it would hurt like hell. She just could not hit at all.
She was just too obvious.
He could not teach her an entire combat style in a few days. The only thing he could do was precisely what they were doing at the moment.
Fighting.
Seriously. Furiously. What Yuria needed the most was real fighting experience.
"Combat instinct."
This is what Higashiyama Yuria needed the most. The kind of thing which can only be gained with sweat, blood and adrenaline.
"Ahahaha, Yuria-kun! I'm very happy you allowed me to train you!" Gai took a stout stance. "After all, it's not like I can try this on my lovely students!"
Yuria's eyes widened. This is it! Her mind blared its alarms. This technique!
"Kaimon! Kai!"
Yuria braced herself at the sight of the Jounin opening the Initial Gate.
"Chakra to my feet…" she whispered to herself. Here he comes!
With speed that her eyes could not follow, Gai closed the distance between them and slammed his right fist right under her diaphragm. Instead of being sent flying away several dozen yards like he expected, Yuria took a single step backwards.
"Gu-ugh…" The three-tails groaned very softly. "…that was tough."
Gai's eyes widened in surprise. He had not even emptied her lungs! What was this girl made of?
"Oh!" This short mental distraction allowed Yuria to wrap two tails around the offending arm. "This is not good."
"Oryaaaa!" With the strength of her tails, it was easy for Yuria to spin poor Gai over and over. "And now smash!"
Right before Yuria could smash his body on the ground; Gai adjusted himself so that his feet would take the impact. He could actually feel his bones' shaking as the force was transmitted throughout his body.
"Wha-no way! Your legs should be bro—" Yuria's words were interrupted by a kick to her chin. This one did succeed in launching her upwards, as her feet were not stuck to the ground with chakra anymore.
"Guh…wha-? This is…"
Gai had followed her; it was the Shadow Leaf Dance. Yuria soon found her movements restricted.
"Wire!"
"Metal wire strengthened with my chakra. Now, here we go!"
"No! Wai—"
"Omote Renge!"
The resulting impact needs no description. Gai jumped out of the dust cloud and took a deep breath. Of course, at his level, handling the first of the Eight Gates was not a problem. Still, it was the first time he tried this move on Yuria, so he was a little worried.
"Um…Yuria-kun?"
"Extension."
Gai swiftly swayed his body to dodge the two lengthened tails, which buried themselves deep in tree trunks behind him. Using the subsequent shortening as a reeling force, Yuria launched herself out of the dust and towards Gai, curling her body to use her remaining tail to attack.
"Tail Rock Breaker!"
The Jounin's superior speed easily got him away, and the offending tail struck the ground with earth-shattering force, literally.
Cracking her knuckles, Yuria sent a fierce look at her trainer.
"That was pretty harsh, coming from a human, I mean."
"Oh, Yuria-kun, that youkai-like arrogance is not youthful at all!"
In his mind, however, Gai was reviewing the attack from every possible angle. He just could not see how Yuria had blocked or dampened the impact of his Initial Lotus. The single conclusion was, then, that she didn't.
Really, what was this girl made of?
"You must have trained a lot to get that body, Yuria-kun."
"Ehh…"
Flashback…
"Oi, Bunny!" Yuria ran over to the loafing little girl, holding an orange on her left hand.
"Mugii! I'm not Bunny!"
"Yeah, whatever. Make this orange explode!"
"Eh? Um! O-kaaaay!"
BOOM!
Body conditioning, Sayuri style.
Yuria shuddered at the memory. "You have no idea."
Gai wanted to know. The limit of this girl's endurance.
"Kyuumon! Kai!"
"Oh crud."
Yuria could not keep up. She didn't see the fist coming. She only felt the strong impact on her chest and she was sent flying backwards.
Turning in midair, she dug her clawed fingers in the ground to halt her flight. However, her feet had just touched the ground when another fierce impact, this time on her back, slammed her face on the dirt.
"Guh!"
Her tails lashed around her, but caught nothing. Gai was not going to let her grab him again. He used simple hit-and-run tactics, landing terrible blows on the foxgirl who could not keep up with his speed.
Then, she got another kick to the chin, and she was once again launched upwards. The kick had a strange effect, making her body spin as she ascended.
Gai suddenly appeared above her, readying his fist for the finishing blow.
"Kaikaku Shintou!"
Shell Impact. By rotating his arm in the direction opposite to Yuria's rotation, he forced the two opposing forces to clash and rage within her body to deal extensive damage. The small girl hit the ground like a bullet. Gai landed right next to her, but quickly took his distance, just in case.
Two Gates he could still handle.
"Uhh…and up we go!"
Yuria propelled herself with her legs to get back up. Then, she shuddered.
"Grrrr…GODDAMMIT, THAT HURT! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!"
Gai watched the foxgirl run to the nearest tree, then upwards to the canopy of leaves before leaping to the middle of their small battlefield, making a few turns in the air in the process.
"Tail Rock Trident Breaker!"
The three tails grew large enough for Yuria to, after one last turn, slam them on the ground with enough force to start a localized earthquake.
The tremors quickly got to Gai, disturbing his balance and halting his movements long enough for Yuria to throw herself at him, using her tails of course.
"Take this!"
Of course, she only hit air. Of course, she landed in the worst possible way.
Gai did not know whether to be impressed or scared. He told her to try dodging things, but he guessed it was impossible at the speed he moved. Besides, it seemed that taking blows to make an opening was actually part of her strategy.
She would take hit after hit until she found the chance to deal her own, and then she would just hit harder. That seemed to be the foundation of Yuria's combat style.
So, the question was…how far could he take this?
"Ugh…dirty again…" Yuria mumbled as she looked at her miko clothes. "Oi, Gai-sensei!"
"Yes?"
"Can you hit harder than that?"
"Much harder," Gai admitted. Yuria blinked.
"…damn. Humans are more impressive than I thought."
The man laughed honestly and heartedly. "Ahaha, thank you very much for the compliment."
"Alright then, show me! I'll take whatever you throw at me!"
"Well…" Gai scratched his cheek. "…I admire your youthful enthusiasm, but I don't think it would be nice to go any further…"
Yuria's response was taking a stance. It did not belong to any particular style, of course; Yuria had no formal knowledge of combat arts. However, Gai could recognize her intention. She was toughening up. She knew she could not evade or even keep track of his strikes.
"Really, this girl…" he mumbled before readying himself for the next level. It still felt wrong, but it was also a bit exciting.
"Seimon! Kai!"
"Here we go…" Whether she sounded excited or resigned, nobody knows.
And thus, Naruto arrived to the scene to witness Yuria being pummeled in midair in a familiar yet not any less impressive (or horrible) way.
The barrage of blows ended with a nasty pull of her midsection, and Yuria realized her torso and limbs were captured in metal wire again. Gai loomed above her, ready for the big finisher of the Ura Renge.
He was, at least, until Yuria smirked.
He would have said "oh shi-", but that's not very youthful, is it?
He had made the most lame of mistakes. Then again, we cannot be too harsh on him: he is not very used to using Ura Rengeon enemies with tails.
Soon enough he found himself caught within a furry trap. Then it became a matter of who would pull who.
It was pretty close. Yuria, however, had an advantage in the Extension technique.
"Oraaaaaaa!"
Swinging her tails as she willed them to grow, Yuria slammed Gai's spandex-clad form on the ground several meters below, and then dragged his body across the surface until slamming him a second time, in this case against a tree.
"Serves you right…" she managed to mutter before gravity did its stuff. She closed her eyes and readied herself for a nasty fall, but she caught by a pair of strong, gentle arms.
"Yo," Naruto greeted his mate.
"Uhh…Naru…to…" The exhausted girl muttered weakly.
"Yup, my name."
"Naruto…Archer is…Emiya…Shirou."
Our hapless hero stared down at his friend in silence.
"…o-kaaaaaay. Ready for lunch?"
"Can you make…Black Rabite Stroganoff?"
"I don't even know what that is," Naruto deadpanned. "Let's just go."
Retracting her tails allow Naruto to carry Yuria away. They were already past their usual lunchtime, anyway.
"What about little old me…?" Gai groaned while upside-down; his body still pushed against a tree that threatened to fall down.
Still, he was impressed.
Three Gates.
He needed three Gates to match Yuria's Reinforced strength. And she wanted to get stronger.
He did not know there were Kitsune like that.
Maito Gai, a Taijutsu Master unique in more than one way, chuckled heartily.
He was honestly impressed.
"Yosh! I, too, will aim to become stronger like Yuria-kun, and stop the malign ambitions of Doctor S once and for all!"
Let it be known that he does not have the slightest idea of what these malign ambitions consist of, but to each his own.
Even after lunch, Yuria was a little wobbly.
"…you sure you're okay, Yuria?"
"Of course I'm okay! Just fine!" The girl insisted. "Like nothing ever happened."
"You're swollen," Naruto deadpanned. "The only part of you that is not swollen right now are those breasts of yours."
"Good!" Yuria nodded. "It wouldn't be good if they get any bigger." Naruto rolled his eyes at that. "So where are we going, Bro?"'
"Where do you think? Shopping," Naruto answered. With three Kitsune taking residence in his apartment, he had to restock his kitchen on a daily basis.
"'We do that a lot, I notice."
"Yeah, yeah. It's not bad." He grinned at his mate. "It's not like I'm doing it alone, right?"
Yuria returned the grin and affectionately hooked her left arm to his right. "Of course not. Besides…" She looked down at her chest. "These bindings are no good anymore; they've gotten soaked way too many times and now they get loose all the time…"
"Really…" Naruto muttered, clearly uncomfortable. Yuria's bust was not a topic for conversation he particularly favored.
"So, think we can get new ones?"
"Sure, sure…" Naruto dismissed her doubts, while revealing a mischievous grin. "Anything for my darling."
"Har har har…" It was Yuria's turn to deadpan. "You have no idea how bothersome it is to carry these things," she continued, poking her left breast to emphasize.
"Let's not go there, okay?" Naruto dodged the question. "Besides, your mother doesn't seem to mind."
"My mother's a freak of nature. It's like they have their own center of gravity. I suspect magnetic levitation is involved."
"Uh-huh…are?" He saw it.
"Huh? What is—WHOA." She saw it, too.
Like moths drawn to the flame, the couple moved as one towards the glass panel. If it weren't for that glass, it would be within arm's reach.
A Naruto-sized mannequin was wearing a full set of clothes. The leg pouches suggested they were meant for shinobi use.
It was obvious the set was a variation of Naruto's current clothes. It was also orange, which automatically made it a winner. However, it was the differences which made it interesting.
Unable to resist the bewitching call, Naruto and Yuria walked into the store. They needed to see this masterpiece of textile work from every possible angle. The store clerk, a lady in her early thirties who made a living out of selling clothes to Konoha shinobi, held back a chuckle at the sight.
She was not surprised in the slightest. After all, it was she who sold Naruto his favorite orange jacket and pants.
The more they examined the mannequin's clothes, the more they realized it had substantial modifications when compared to Naruto's. The material seemed and felt thicker and sturdier, almost leathery. It was obvious to them that these clothes would also feel heavier when worn.
The list of differences grew when checking the design. The blue and white in Naruto's jacket had been replaced with black, for starters, and the neck was not nearly as high. The red spiral in the back was also absent of course; that was a custom addition Naruto sewed himself. The most visible difference, however, was in the way the jacket was closed. In fact, this jacket was not meant to fully enclose the wearer's torso. Unlike the vertical zipper in Naruto's jacket, this one used two thin, horizontal black stripes that connected the left and right halves of the jacket with snap fasteners. In other words, the central axis of the body was always visible.
The two were surprised to see that the sleeves were detachable via zippers that went around the shoulder. The fabric was also thinner when compared to the torso part. The pants were not much different from Naruto's, only less bulky and intended to cling closer to the body.
"Like it?"
"WAAAAAH!" The couple reacted in unison to the clerk's voice right behind them. The woman had to giggle at their synchronized antics.
"Ah!" Naruto recognized the woman. "He-Hello, oba-san!"
"Uh, hello!" Yuria added.
"Hello," the lady returned. "So, you like it?"
"Yeah…" The couple uttered in a dreamy tone.
"Hmm, good. I was hoping you'd notice it. Nobody else wants the orange."
"Philistines," Yuria growled at the average human's lack of taste. The lady clerk stiffened another giggle. Where did Naruto find this girl?
"Idiots, the whole lot of them," Naruto agreed. "So, there are different colors."
"Of course, but this is the only one left."
"And you actually put it on display so that I, Uzumaki Naruto, would see it and buy it."
The woman guiltily looked away. "…maybe."
Naruto was amused to say the least. "Nice." He shot a longing look at the mannequin. "It's cool, really, but…well, I already have clothes…" His voice dropped to a mutter. "It's not like I can afford clothes for myself right now…"
He shook his head and sighed. He was really an idiot sometimes.
"Yuria, you try them."
The girl's admiration of the awesome clothes came to an abrupt halt. "Haa?"
"You heard me. Try them. If you want, of course."
"Eh?" Yuria could feel her cheeks heating up. "Bu-but, I…I don't…I…you…"
"Like-I-said!" Naruto rolled his eyes but also smiled reassuringly. "I don't need new clothes. You, on the other side, have to wash those miko clothes of yours every night. You told me Yuriyo burned your stuff–which reminds me we have to get back at her for that–, so we have to replace it."
"N-no! You don't have to! Really!"
"Oba-san?"
"Right away, dear customer. Now, young lady, please follow me to the changing room…"
"Wa-wa-wa-no! I said no! Naruto! Don't push me!"
Since the clerk was busy ensuring Yuria did not escape the changing room, Naruto was kind enough to undress the mannequin and hand her the clothes.
Outside the forbidden territory, Naruto could only listen to the women's voices.
"Wa-wait! I—This isn't really—Naruto, you don't have to do this!"
"Saa, saa, don't be shy and take off those dirty—oh my."
"Shirt's off," Naruto mumbled.
Yes, we could say the saleslady was stunned. In front of her there was a short girl with a figure the likes of which she had never seen before. And was that…it was!
A six-pack! She had yet to meet a kunoichi with a six-pack!
Perfectly defined, lean muscles; and a voluptuous bust! Such a body should not exist in this world!
But it did! And the world deserved to witness it! Admire it!
Yuria certainly did not like the squeezing gestures the mumbling lady was making with her hands. "Umm…"
"Now, dear, you have to wear something under the jacket, of course…what do you think of fishnet?"
"Eh?"
Naruto spent the time looking around at all the cool clothes he would never buy, until he heard the curtains being drawn open. He hurried to check on them…and his legs stopped working properly. He had to stop on the spot to not fall on his face.
"Ta-ta!" The clerk seemed awfully excited. "So? I think it looks great! Orange actually suits you, dear."
"Ah…tha-thank you…" The embarrassed three-tails responded in a weak tone. Her uncertain gaze went to Naruto. "Umm…s-so…?"
They had gone with a tight mesh shirt. This meant that not only her umbilical region and the skin immediately above (the epigastric region, if we want to go anatomical here) were revealed by the space between the halves of the jacket, but also the inner sides of her breasts and the line where they met. The uppermost of the fasteners was just below Yuria's sternum, which meant that the tightening further emphasized her chest.
He closed his eyes and covered them with his hands for good measure.
"Wha-what's that supposed to mean?" Yuria's bashful attitude quickly changed to anger.
"It's good."
"Eh?"
Naruto looked at the foxgirl through the gaps between his fingers. "It's too good, Yuria."
"Eh?" Her face went redder and redder as she processed the words. "Oh! Oh…umm…tha-thank you…"
Why did she suddenly feel awfully self-conscious?
The lady clerk stopped herself from squealing like a silly teenage girl.
Ah, young love.
They were leaving the store ten minutes later. Naruto had added black wristbands to the outfit without giving a reason. He took them and put them on Yuria's hands.
"You're taking these too," he had said.
Yuria walked in silence, carrying her shrine robes in a plastic bag. Her new clothes would take a while getting used to, but she could not complain. They were so cool!
She watched Naruto count the money on his Gama-chan wallet. "Do-do we still have enough for…?"
"Yeah, yeah, no problem," Naruto quickly responded. His tone was unusually flat. "Let's get moving, remember the invitation we got this morning."
"U-Um."
They would meet with the clan later that afternoon for pastries and tea.
"Nee, Na-Naruto…"
"Hmm?"
They could tell they were attracting looks. Whether it was because of their almost-matching outfits or because of Yuria showing off her body, they couldn't tell.
"S-so, like…umm…tha—"
"Can I ask you a question, Yuria?"
"Eh? Ah, s-sure!"
Naruto's expression became more serious.
"You're really…really focused on Reinforcement. I mean, it's cool that you want to be much stronger and faster and stuff, but…you seem almost desperate. Why not try something else?"
"Hmm…" Yuria dropped her gaze for a moment, as if wondering whether she should answer or not, before looking back at Naruto.
"You know, when we Kitsune take these human-like forms, we're not much different from real humans. I mean, we just have extra tails and ears. And we're prettier."
"Here we go."
"Ah, joking, joking. What I mean is, well, these bodies are not much tougher than a human's. I mean, I'm tough because I've trained myself to be tough, but you could break Yurimi's nose with your fists as easily as any human's."
"That was a horrible example!"
"It's because of our Reinforcements that we youkai appear to be tougher than humans. Other than that, we're made of flesh and bone, just like you."
"Now think about Sayuri. You saw her true form, right?"
"It's something I'd rather forget."
"Yeah, Bunny is scary as fuck. But anyway, she's pure chakra. I don't know if her evil eyes are pure chakra too, but I don't have the slightest intention of poking them to check."
"Smartest thing I've ever heard you say."
"Jerk. So, Sayuri can also take a humanized form; the little cutie we all know and love, right? That body is just like mine and yours, Naruto. It's made of flesh and bone."
"Do you see my point, Naruto? In their true forms, Kyuubi are truly invincible for us Kitsune. They can't be harmed with physical blows and any jutsu we can throw at them, they can do better. But in their human-like shapes, I can hurt them with my fists! And their bodies are no different, no tougher than mine!"
"It's the Kyuubi's single weakness, Naruto! If my sheer strength can overcome their Reinforcements, then I can defeat the Kyuubi before they switch to their true form!"
She flexed her right arm in front of her.
"I want to become the Kitsune that surpasses all Kitsune. And I can achieve it with nothing but these fists."
"And those tails of yours."
"Right!" She allowed herself a playful smack on her rear. "Damn fine tails they are!"
The couple laughed together. Still, the Kyuubi's weakness…it made sense to Naruto. It made an impressive amount of sense. However, the amount of raw power needed would be…
"That sounds like a nice plan, Yuria, but…"
"It's not as easy as it sounds, I know. But this is my choice. The path I chose to take. That's not a bad thing, right?"
"Right."
Yuria gave him a smile of gratitude. It was her turn to ask a question, though.
"Naruto, I'm wondering about that spiral on your back."
"Hmm…it's a boring story," Naruto admitted, before sharing it anyway. "On my birthday three years ago I got a book from the Old Man Hokage. He told me the book belonged to the Fourth Hokage, which is awesome."
"The Fourth…?"
"The guy who sealed Sayuri."
"Ah."
"Anyway, it's a nice book, actually. I don't read much…other than manga, I mean, but that book's kinda nice. It's a book for children, explaining all those things children usually ask their parents when we're little. Like, why the sky is blue, or why it rains…you know, things like that."
Yuria nodded.
"Well, the book has something written on the first page. It's something the Fourth wrote. It says 'Everything is a Spiral'."
"Hmm…what does it mean?"
"No idea. The Old Man told me the Fourth used to say that, and he used the spiral as his personal symbol. And apparently it's kind of connected to my family name, Uzumaki, but that damn coot won't say anything else. But anyway, the Fourth, he was…well, I guess he still is my hero; that's why I took his symbol."
"Heeh…a spiral, hmm?"
They walked in silence for a while, as if trying to make any sense of it. As they entered the supermarket, Yuria remembered she had yet to thank him for her new awesome clothes.
All of a sudden she felt shy and self-conscious again.
"Ah…umm…Naruto…f-for the clothes, tha—"
"Did I give you the shopping list or do I still have it with me?"
Shooting odd looks at the boy while he dug out things from his pockets, Yuria realized he was doing it on purpose.
"No thanks are needed," this was his message.
She snorted. If he wanted to act cool and humble, so be it.
Still…
"Aha! Gotcha!" Naruto triumphantly revealed the piece of paper he was looking for. "Let's get started, Yu—"
Even the softest peck on the cheek was enough to make him skip a beat.
Pulling her lips away, Yuria gifted her mate with a beautiful smile.
"Yu-Yu-Yuri—"
"So!" The girl exclaimed, dispelling the mysterious mood with her loud voice. "Can I get one of those metal carts?" She inquired, pointing at the row of supermarket carts. "They're awesome."
Realizing that he had been beaten in his own game, Naruto relaxed and grinned at his precious friend.
"And they help you reach tall places!"
"Asshole."
Naruto did not bother with a response. Watching the sway of her hips as she walked ahead towards the shopping carts, Naruto decided the expense was worth it.
"We'll have to do something for her tails, though…" he mumbled before hurrying to catch up.
Scene 41
It started with the book Naruto mentioned the day before, the one that used to belong to the Fourth Hokage.
"Everything is a spiral," the Fourth had written on the cover page.
She did not spend much time on the text. Yuria was not much of a reader. It had some really cool pictures, though. Looking at those she got an idea of what the original owner of the book had meant. Naruto was nine years old when he got the book, so it made sense to Yuria that he did not notice.
Spirals.
Galaxies. Hurricanes. Snail shells. Sunflowers. A mountain ram's horns.
She did not know about "everything," but there were certainly a lot of spirals around.
She took it as a curious and rather fun fact, but that was it. She quickly put the book aside and left the apartment to train.
She had gone to the Hokage Monument that afternoon, for another attempt at finding the "Pulse of the Mountain." She had learned of this from Kotonoha, who had explained to her about "The Pulse": the supernatural connection between a youkai and his "element." To find the Pulse was to understand the element. To understand the Pulse was to reach into the element. To reach into the Pulse was to manipulate the element.
Hence, if she wanted to learn the techniques of Mountain Kitsune, she first had to find the "Pulse of the Mountain."
Why did nobody explain these things to her before? She lived in a friggin' mountain! She had wasted entire decades of uselessness!
Kotonoha had explained that, though. Apparently, Higashi Mountain was special in some mysterious way that facilitated and strengthened the use of Spirit techniques. It was the reason the Great Ghost Clan of Higashiyama had settled near the top. In other words, her mountain was the one mountain unsuitable for Mountain technique training.
So, for now, she had to settle for the Hokage "Mountain." Unfortunately, she did not really know what to do, so most of the afternoon was spent fighting boredom by doing a basic exercising routine…of three hours.
Still, there's only so many push-ups a person can do before she is defeated by sheer boredom.
Lying face up on the crown of the Shodai Hokage's head, Yuria's thoughts wandered until the book returned to the forefront.
"Spiral, huh…"
She raised her right arm, and one of her black tails wrapped itself around it, making several turns until the white tip rested on top of her hand.
"There you go, a spiral."
She looked at the furry appendage with a bit of frustration. "Haa, if I could switch my arms for tails like this…no, wait, that would be creepy." She looked at her other, unwrapped arm. "And human hands are awfully practical."
The difference between her arms and her tails, chakra-wise, resided in both the amount and the distribution of the pathways. The human body is stated to have 361 tenketsu. Yuria had about as many in a single of her tails. To a point, each Kitsune tail could be considered a separate chakra system of its own. In contrast, the rest of a Kitsune's anthropomorphic body was severely lacking. It did not have even half the number of tenketsu a human body has, and the pathways are awfully thick. They are not meant for chakra control and manipulation; they are meant to transport chakra to the tails. It was difficult, then, for her body's pathways to send chakra to her muscular-skeletal tissue, which was the very principle of reinforcement. It was even harder to make chakra flow past those inner structures if she wanted to, for example, toughen up her skin…
Yuria blinked. Wait…
She gave a deep, thorough look at her arms one more time. One was completely normal; the other had a beautiful black tail wrapped around it.
Spiral.
Could it be…?
The legend of Higashiyama Yuria began with a children's book.
Yuria Side – End
END OF CHAPTER 15
