Chapter 37
"Sentence." -Speech
'Sentence.' - Thoughts
'Sentence' -Kyara's/Kyuubi's mental dialogue
"Sentence." -Distorted speech/Jutsu.
Naruto had gone to Mikoto for training, admittedly a bit eager to learn how to use the Sharingan. She was very much surprised at seeing him with the Uchiha's trademark doujutsu, but eventually shrugged it off, proclaiming how Naruto seemed to acquire new abilities at a dizzying rate. He agreed.
The two had walked outside the cave, having found a nice little spot on the beach a few hundred feet away. The sun was still low in the sky, and the sea was calm, a few small waves breaking against the shoreline. The smell of salt was heavy in the air, and the breeze was starting to pick up. Thankfully, the sand was still cool, much to Mikoto's appreciation, considering she was still wearing shinobi sandals.
"You already know the basics about genjutsu, right Naruto?"
"Yes. Alter the chakra flow to someone's brain, alter how they perceive reality. I've eaten lots of shinobi, Mikoto. I know my way around the usage of chakra. Ow. Was that punch necessary?"
Naruto rubbed at his shoulder, as a slightly miffed Mikoto shook out the numbness in her left hand.
"Stop with the sarcasm. I'm trying to teach you to use my clan's Kekkai Genkai, so can you please at least try and take this seriously?" She retorted, placing a hand on her hip, Sharingan activated.
He raised his hands in surrender, muttering an apology under his breath. Mikoto sighed, crossing her arms, and returned to her lesson.
"Now that you're ready to learn, let's begin. Activate your Sharingan."
Lowering his hands, Naruto blinked once, his Sharingan appearing. Mikoto leaned in, and tilted her head in slight confusion.
"You just got the Sharingan, right?" He nodded. "How is it they're already mature?"
Naruto shrugged, crossing his arms.
"Probably because in the process of turning Yuri-chan into an Evolved, there by obtaining your daughter's DNA, ergo, the Sharingan, I also gulped down an almost thousand year old spirit that had been hiding in Saiyuri's chakra. And said spirit happened to be of the Uchiha's progenitor, Indra. The older son of the Rikudou Sennin." He remarked offhandedly, as though he were discussing the weather.
The Uchiha Matriarch stared blankly at him, before shaking her head.
"Um...okay then..." Regaining face, Mikoto continued. "A-Anyway, the Sharingan can be used for a variety of purposes, like seeing the flow of chakra inside a person. You can see my chakra, and I can see yours." She chose not to comment on how Naruto's chakra was rather unsettling to see. The whiskered blonde seemed to pick up on her slight uneasiness, and took on an apologetic expression.
"If my chakra is...disturbing to look at, I can change it for you. Take on the chakra signature of one of one of my vic..." Naruto interrupted himself with a false cough, and looked away. "I mean, uh...what I meant to say was..."
"Okay, you should probably stop talking before you embarrass yourself anymore." Mikoto said, hiding her amused smile behind the sleeve of her cloak. "Thanks for the offer, though. I'll just have to get used to it, I suppose."
"Yeah...erm...shall we continue?"
The Uchiha Matriarch pulled away the baggy sleeve, her face becoming neutral again.
"Good. Now, make eye-contact with me, and I'll tell you how to cast genjutsu using your Sharingan."
Naruto did so, the tomoe of his Sharingan spinning slowly.
"Now," Mikoto continued. "All you need to do, is think of a genjutsu, and you'll cast it through eye-contact. Don't worry about me, I can handle it."
He raised an eyebrow, before eventually shrugging. Naruto narrowed his eyes, the rotating tomoe increasing in speed.
Mikoto's eyes started fluttering closed as she felt an instinctive need to sleep start to overcome her, while white feathers started falling from overhead, before swiftly dispelling the genjutsu with a quick burst of her chakra throughout her tenketsu.
"The Nehan Shoja no Jutsu (Temple of Nirvana Technique)?" She asked curiously, bringing a hand to her slightly aching head. "Why that?"
Naruto scoffed, crossing his arms, the Sharingan vanishing from his eyes, returning to their normal blue-silver.
"All it does it make you sleepy. No using your deepest fears, nothing of the sort. I don't want to see you get hurt."
Mikoto blinked, taking her hand away.
"Oh. Thank you, then, Naruto." In response to Naruto's act of affection, a small smile came to her. "Alright. Do you need to practice more with casting genjutsu, or...?" The whiskered blonde waved a hand, and sat down on the sand, patting a spot beside him in an inviting manner.
Mikoto took a seat next to him, looking at Naruto in slight confusion, deactivating her own Sharingan.
"As nice as it is to relax, shouldn't we be training on dispelling genjutsu with the Sharingan now?" She asked, looking down at the sand getting on her cloak with a bit of annoyance. Hopefully, it wouldn't get underneath the cloth.
"Nah." Naruto drawled, flopping onto his back with a quiet thud, folding his hands on his chest. "Genjutsu usually doesn't have an effect on me. You know." He rapped on his forehead for emphasis. "Since I don't actually possess a brain. Or heart. Or any internal organs. At all."
A small drop of sweat trickled down the side of Mikoto's head.
"Oh." With a bit of trepidation, she inched closer to Naruto. "What about Tsukiyomi? You had told me you were put under that genjutsu, and that...Itachi..tortured you with it." Mikoto's voice wavered slightly saying that particular name.
Naruto briefly turned to her, eyes glowing dimly in mild concern. With a short sigh, he returned his attention to the oncoming surf.
"Tsukiyomi isn't your average genjutsu. It's more than just changing the chakra flow. It's...like a momentary linking of minds, with the caster taking hold of the reins." Out of respect, he chose not to mention Itachi.
Mikoto scooched a bit closer, putting her hands into her sleeves.
"I see." She said quietly. The tide seemed to be coming in again, the waves lapping gently against their feet. The water was refreshingly cool.
"Do you want to become an Evolved?"
Mikoto blinked at the sudden question, and turned to Naruto.
"Um...I suppose so? I mean, what are the benefits?" She responded, a bit unsure.
He sat up, pivoting to face Mikoto. There was a slightly eager look on his face, a small smile on his face.
"Other than larger chakra reserves, and overall more powerful chakra, I'm not entirely certain. I'd have to do some tests back at the bunker. With willing volunteers, of course." Naruto sighed pleasantly, placing his hands on the back of his head, the smile having become larger. "There could be a lot of potential. From gaining shape-shifting and consumption like me, to entirely new powers that may be unique to different Evolved, at least until they share it with their fellow Infected."
Humming quietly, Mikoto inched closer still, while Naruto was still distracted.
"Interesting." She remarked, finding the courage to move even closer to him. "Are there any drawbacks?"
He cringed, closing his eyes.
"Only one so far. Infection will...render you sterile." He didn't know how Mikoto would take that news. Naruto certainly wasn't expecting a soft chuckle from the ravenette.
"You don't need to worry about that, Naru-kun." She threw caution to the wind, and moved right next to him, laying her head in his lap. There was a smile on her face, bitterness, mixed with acceptance. "I'm in my mid-forties. Menopause is starting to rear it's ugly head. Besides..." Mikoto's smile faded away, Naruto gently massaging and scratching at her scalp in response. She looked to him gratefully, before closing her eyes, and moving around a little, stilling once she became comfortable.
"I don't think I want any more children...soch..." She bit down on her lip lightly before that word came out fully. "Itachi...kind of ruined it for me..." Mikoto made a decision to change the subject, before she got too emotional.
"Where did you go so early in the morning?"
Naruto momentarily choked on air, an involuntary action, as Mikoto's onyx eyes, slightly watering, bored into his own. From the furrowed eyebrows, she wasn't planning on letting him go, until he answered her.
"I...uh..." Naruto stammered, pulling at his collar and looking away. "Um...I went to Kiri General...and...erm...bombed it..." He admitted.
"Ah. Trying to induce rioting, huh? That's a smart move."
The pale blonde looked back down, to see Mikoto with a single thin eyebrow raised, her arms crossed under her bosom. Releasing an internal sigh of relief, Naruto adopted a slightly confused expression.
"From your tone, it sounds as you've done something similar. Do I dare ask, how?"
She shrugged, idly tucking a lock of raven hair behind her ear.
"Third Shinobi World War. Me, Kushina, and Yumi Hyuuga, Hinata's mother, were ordered to infiltrate a Kumo occupied town in Hi no Kuni. We made plans, and the townspeople woke up to the sound of their Mayor's office, along with the mayor, going up in flames. It didn't take too long for them to start laying the blame on the Kumo-nin. After five days of civil unrest, the Kumo-nin were burnt-out after trying to control them, and then we struck. Killed every one of them." Mikoto reminisced.
Naruto blinked a few times, before sighing, and shaking his head.
"Oh. Isn't that kind of...counter-productive? Wouldn't the Daimyo throw a hissy fit at that kind of news? Konoha-nin blowing up his citizens?"
Mikoto smirked, somewhat bitterly.
"Who ever said that waste of space ever found out? Every village did some atrocity or another during that war, same as every other. That girl Rin forced to have the Sanbi sealed into her by Kiri. Kumo trying to kidnap anyone with a Kekkai Genkai, so they could increase their own strength. Including your mother, who had chakra unique to her clan, and was also Kyara's previous container, but that was back when we were still Academy students."
With a slightly twitching eyebrow, Naruto nodded. He actually didn't know about that kidnapping attempt. Or about the specifics of Rin's death. The former inspired a rather large amount of scorn towards the Cloud. The latter...
Well, it certainly provided more credence to the theory that Obito Uchiha was the true identity of the Masked Man.
Putting aside those thoughts, Naruto nodded slowly, albeit somewhat distractedly.
"Yeah..." With a smirk, he decided to venture into more cheerful topics. "Don't think I didn't notice you getting closer to me. I'm actually rather surprised." Naruto put his thumb on his chin, Mikoto blushing oh so very slightly at being caught. "You, normally an elegant and formal woman, acting like a school-girl with her first crush."
The Uchiha Matriarch's blush brightened a little, hiding it behind the sleeve of her cloak. A spark of determination flashed in her dark eyes.
"Fufufufu..." Mikoto laughed demurely, narrowing her eyes seductively. She laid a soft palm against his chest, pushing him down. Like a mountain lioness stalking up to her prey, she crawling up a wide-eyed Naruto, who began leaning away from her. With a large smirk, she pounced, quite literally, onto his chest with a soft thud, the Sharingan blooming into existence. Mikoto deliberately pressed her bust against Naruto, dragging herself up to his face.
Three hypnotically spinning tomoe around a glowing crimson iris soon became the focus of Naruto's vision. There was a certain...gleam in them, and it took Naruto a while to figure out what it was.
Mikoto was a dominatrix.
Just as that rather interesting aspect to the usually matronly Uchiha was revealed to Naruto, she struck, pinning his wrists to the ground with a rather surprising amount of strength for her slender arms. Granted, Naruto could quite easily push Mikoto off of him, but why would he? Over the years, he had consumed lots of people. There were a few BDSM enthusiasts in that list. Both sides of the traditional gender and sexuality spectrum, as well as submissive, and dominant.
Sticks and stones may bounce harmlessly off, but chains and whips?
They excited him.
Kind of.
I-It's complicated.
Naruto's thoughts were swiftly derailed as Mikoto kissed him. Fiercely. Surprisingly, she wasn't using her tong-Oh dear Kami, she bites!
Indeed, Mikoto had caught Naruto's upper lip in between her teeth, and was nibbling gently. Her tongue snaked it's way into his mouth, exploring the oddly dry confines, which was remedied with a single thought from him.
Mikoto drew back briefly, panting heavily, desperate for life-giving oxygen. The Sharingan was glowing brightly now, passion, and more than a hint of desire within those blood-red eyes, along with a flicker of love. Her breath was warm, delightfully so against his deathly cold skin.
The years had been very kind to her. Despite her age, she still retained her youthful appearance. No wrinkles, smile lines, crow's feet, or graying hair. Perhaps there was an Uzumaki or two in her family tree? A soft mewl brought Naruto back to reality.
The Uchiha Matriarch's cheeks were aflame, an alluring smile curving her narrow, yet oh, so kissable lips.
With a tiny smirk, Naruto decided to test the waters.
"So, should I start calling you Mistress now?"
That seemed about right.
From the way Mikoto's eyes narrowed, Sharingan being partially concealed by her thick lashes, it seemed to work.
And then she gripped onto his crotch. HARD.
Uh-oh.
"Fufufu...Naruto-kun..." She giggled out. Her hand released his groin, instead slithering around his hips to-She gropes too!? "Just you wait until we get back to Konoha...I have lots of tools just for the two of us..."
'Ohhhhhh...why do I feel as if I've just made a horrible mistake?'
'Hmm...that depends on whether or not you want to be the one bound, or the master.'
Excellent, Kyara was awake now. Their last session was rather...lengthy. On a mental scale, at least.
'I'm not complaining. We went at it for three days straight. I feel so sore, but it is so worth it.'
'Kinda busy here, Kyara!'
'Mou. I was only saying...'
The vixen's whine was pushed to back of Naruto's mind, as Naruto felt what could only be a literalspark of electricity jumping across to his body. Mikoto had raised her left hand, Raiton chakra sparking between the splayed out fingers. So that's where Saiyuri got her Raiton nature from. His somewhat comfortable musing was interrupted when she laid her palm down on his chest softly.
"Eeyah!"
What the hell?! Did she just shock him!? HOW? He didn't have any nerves to numb!
"Oh, don't worry Naru-kun...I won't hurt you. In a bad way, at least." Mikoto comforted him, in her own unique way.
It didn't really help.
"Gyaah! I don't want to know what it's like to be a copper wire!"
"Oh, stop whining. You practically asked for this."
"Ow! Okay, I'll admit it, I kinda did. H-h-h-holy shit that hurts!"
"Yes, it does. But in a good way, right?"
"Itai! Um...I suppose it does. Y-y-y-y-y-yeah, it actually does kinda feel pleasant. Huh."
Their little moment on the beach lasted about fifteen minutes. Ten of which was Naruto learning what a lightning rod went through in a severe thunderstorm. By the time the two got back to the Sea Cave, Naruto's hair was impossibly enough, spikier than normal, a few faint arcs of electricity sparking between the strands of sunshine, and Mikoto had a beatific smile on her face.
He could cross that off his to-do list. Train with Mikoto. Done. Tap into his inner masochist. Also done.
Now then...now where was Ameyuri? Raising a hand to his head in an attempt to return his hair to it's normal level of gravity defiance, Naruto quickly located the young swords-woman, on top of the cliff that the Cave was situated in. Bidding his farewells to Mikoto, idly noting Kushina conversing with both Saya and Saiyuri, Haku a few feet away, seated next to Anastasia. From their laughter, smiles, and Kushina's motor-mouth having been kicked into turbo, she seemed to be telling a funny story.
Tearing his eyes away, Naruto walked back outside, leaping upwards onto the upper level of the bluff.
"Hyah!"
The top of the cliff was dotted with a few dozen large palm trees, the green fronds swaying slightly in the sea breeze, rustling quietly. Some had been fell, cut neatly in half, the stumps around four feet and half tall. Ameyuri had the Kiba in her hands, lightning streaking along the blades. With a swing of the electrified swords, several bolts were sent flying at a palm tree, striking simultaneously, exploding, and launching the upper part of the tree off the side of the cliff, a loud thud resounding out a second later.
Smirking at the smoking stump left behind, Ameyuri prepared to commit another act of topiary genocide.
"Jeez, Ame-chan. What did those poor trees ever do to you?"
Only to halt midway through a swing at the sound of Naruto's voice. Her head swiveled to him, dark eyes wide. There was an amused look on his face, blue-silver eyes glowing dimly. His gloved hands were in the pockets of his trench-coat, and overall, he looked relaxed.
"Um...t-they were good training dummies?"
Naruto chuckled briefly at Ameyuri's bashful tone, pulling his hands out of his pockets, crossing his arms.
"Course they were. Say, Ameyuri?"
Moving out of her combat stance, her ears perking at how inquisitive Naruto sounded, and she walked up to him, thin red eyebrow raised.
"Would it be possible for the Seven Swords of Kiri to combine attributes?" He continued, Kubikiribocho appearing in his hand, having been unsealed from a small storage seal on his right palm. "I'm thinking of giving this the Kiba's ability to freely manipulate Raiton chakra, and giving those swords the capability of repairing themselves with blood." Naruto slowly swung the zanbatou in circles, Ameyuri's eyes having widened at the prospect he pitched.
"An excellent trade, don't you think?" He briefly glanced at the Kubikiribocho's grip, and blade, in slight distaste. "I might change other things about this sword. I mean, come on. This thing is so wide I can use it as an oar. And don't get me started on the grip." Naruto dragged his gloved finger along the blunt side of the zanbatou, a thoughtful look on his face.
"Might make it double-edged, a straight blade with a tapered tip. No point in having such a wide blade, so definitely going to narrow it down. A lot. Circular cut-out is absolutely useless in combat, and will only provide an opening. Could easily jam something into that, interrupt my swings. Hmm. I could use Katon chakra to heat up the steel, make it malleable. Make my fingers abrasive to grind down the blunt side, make the second edge."
Naruto's mumbling inspired a feeling of immense dread within Ameyuri. He wasn't going to just man-handle that sword, was he? No! He needed to go about it carefully!
"Alright, first order of business. This incredibly stupid grip. Off you pop."
Oh dear Kami he was going to tear the grip off!
"Wait!"
Ameyuri's sudden shout made Naruto freeze in place, one hand braced against the cut-out at the end of the zanbatou, the other poised to rip the sword's hilt off. She dashed up to him, Kiba being sealed away into her palms. She franctically began speaking, akin to a motor, making wild hand gestures as well.
"Y-Youdontneedtodothat!" Ameyuri babbled, reaching for Kubikiribocho, which Naruto merely held up away from her. Considering the young woman before him was only four feet, seven inches tall, easily dwarfed by Naruto's own towering stature of six feet, three inches, it wasn't too hard to keep the sword out of her grasp.
"Oh? This is my sword. After all, I killed Zabuza for it. Had him for dinner too, but that's beside the point." Naruto leaned forward onto the balls of his feet, putting few more inches between Kubikiribocho and an increasingly panicked Ameyuri, who was literally leaping for the zanbatou now. "Considering I do own this sword now, what's wrong with changing it?"
The crimson-haired swords-woman shook her head, long bangs swinging back and forth. She took a calming breath, before glaring lightly at Naruto.
"It's not that. You need to treat that sword with respect." Ameyuri sighed, her glare fading away. "Here, let me have Kubikiribocho. I know everything about the Seven Swords. You need to, in case your fellow Swordsmen were to fall in battle." She held out her hand expectantly. With a shrug, Naruto placed the hilt of the zanbatou in her palm, Ameyuri closing her fingers around it with a smile.
"Thanks, Naru-kun. I'll get to work on this. I know a good smithy back in Kiri, she should be able to modify it to your specifications. Not to mention alter my Kiba too." With a large puff of white smoke, she sealed away the cleaver sword into her left palm.
"Really?" With a curious expression, Naruto crossed his arms, leaning in slightly. "Who is this black-smith, and why should I trust her?"
Ameyuri smirked devilishly.
"Cattleya."
That name, while seemingly thrown out randomly, quickly sparked a series of memories from Zabuza about a muscular, mature raven-haired bespectacled woman with blue eyes. There was one major thing that caught Naruto's attention. Well, two actually.
'Holy fucking shit. How in the hell has her spine not collapsed in on itself?'
'W-Wow. T-That's q-quite the .'
'I mean, seriously! Good Kami, those things could kill if she turns on her heel too quickly! Jesus!'
'That would be incredibly hilarious to see.'
Kyara proceeded to grow slightly confused at hearing that odd name again, rabbit-like ears pressing flat against her head.
'You mentioned this 'Jesus' person back when the Shinigami turned up. Mind telling me about him or her? Just curious.'
'Suffice to say, he is an alien from a planet where, during his life, they believed their planet was flat, and that he was the Son of God. Or Kami, as we call Her. Or Him. It's complicated.'
'Huh?'
'I try not to concern myself with aliens. Or alien religions. Or anything about aliens. At least, not right now.'
'Um...right...Ameyuri is...'
'Calling me? On it. You can head back to slee...'
The faint sound of admittedly endearingly adorable snoring cut Naruto off. Inwardly rolling his eyes, he brought his attention back to reality. Indeed, Ameyuri was calling his name, waving her small hand in front of his face.
"Naruto?" She jumped slightly when Naruto focused his undivided attention on her.
"I was busy talking with Kyara." He uncrossed his arms, putting both hands on the back of his head. "What's Cattleya's position on the Civil War, and can she be trusted to keep this secret?"
"She doesn't give a single damn about the Mizukage or his little war." Ameyuri answered, looking towards Kiri in the distance. "There are only two things that matter to her. Her son, Rana, and the Seven Swords of Kiri. Her ancestors forged them back when Kirigakure was first established, using a special forge imbued with the spirits of every past weapon-smith that used it. She can be trusted."
Naruto closed his eyes, humming in thought.
"Very well. Ameyuri." He opened his eyes, staring directly into Ameyuri's charcoal eyes. "I need to know, what condition is Yagura in?" Knowing the Mizukage's current physical state would be a major influence on his plot to kill him. If he turned out to have lost the use of some of his limbs as that medic-nin's estimations predicted, he'd have to plan ahead, make sure everything went into place.
"I don't know." She admitted, turning to him. There was a bit of sadness in her eyes, at having likely disappointed her dear Naruto. "He never directly relays orders to me, instead having either the Anbu give me a mission briefing, or one of his secretaries doing so. I'm sorry...really."
The whiskered blonde stifled a sigh, moving his hands to gently cup Ameyuri's cheeks. A small smile blossomed on her face, as the dolor vanished from her onyx eyes, replaced by a subtle joy.
"No Ame-chan, I'm not disappointed in you." Naruto smiled, prompting Ameyuri to look up at him. "Tell you what. Once I've done everything on my to-do list, why don't we spend some time together? Whatever you want."
The redhead swords-woman blushed brightly, already having an idea as to do with her excursion with Naruto.
"Get your mind out of the gutter. Head to Cattleya, please. I'd like Kubikiribocho and your Kiba to meet my standards. To improve them." Unfortunately, he wasn't interested in entertaining any of her fantasies about him. Yet.
A cave really wasn't the best place to perform coitus anyway. Neither was a swamp. The beach seemed a good idea on paper, but in practice?
That sand would crawl into places that you never want sand in.
"Oh, I'm certain there is no better sword than yours, Naru-koi..." Ameyuri muttered under her breath, glancing down at his crotch.
A vein pulsed on Naruto's forehead.
"NOT THAT KIND OF SWORD, YA PERVERT!"
In retaliation, he made a snap decision, slamming his fist onto the top of Ameyuri's head, causing her cranium to speed toward the stone ground of the bluff, and literally bounce off of it. Thankfully, the battered swords-woman came to a halt before she rebounded off the cliff.
Ameyuri's stunned state was admittedly amusing. Her eyes had been replaced by lazily spinning swirls, and she loosed a few dizzied groans.
"Go...see...Cattleya...sure thing...Naru-kun..." She uttered, before disorientation took her again.
'Oh my Kami, I have my mother's temper.'
Naruto's shocked thoughts were interjected by a little quip from Kyara.
'D'you know what I find incredibly amusing about that? Deep down, you're just as bad as Kushina when it comes to perversion. Pot calling the kettle black, I believe the saying is. Eh. At least you're a gentleman when it comes down to it, and you only show it when you're around the women you love.'
He chose to ignore the vixen, running his hand through his hair, and exhaling through his nose, returning to his usual composed demeanor. Naruto walked over to Ameyuri, and crouched down over her dazed form. A few snaps of his fingers quickly roused her, and after a fairly heated forgiveness kiss, she went off to Kiri. Naruto had no reason to worry about her. She was an adult, and could take care of herself. The fact that she was also a master at kenjutsu, and wielded what the Kiba, which were arguably one of the most powerful Seven Swords of Kiri, also allayed any concerns he had about Ameyuri.
Strike that off his to-do list. Upgrade Kubikiribocho and the lightning swords Kiba? Check. Ish. He'd have to wait for a moment, but who knew? Cattleya was an incredibly talented weapon-smith, judging from Zabuza's memories of her. Maybe his new and improved sword would be back within less than an hour.
Alright then. Now it was Saya's turn. Naruto had a few questions about her life in Otogakure he wanted to ask her anyway. So, he simply stepped off the cliff, and fell for a good fifty feet, before crashing into the sand with a loud thud, launching granules in all directions. Brushing off his trench-coat, and taking a second to stare bewildered at the sight of his three Hydras carrying a mangled pod of killer whales, impaled onto their beaks into the Cave, followed closely by all eighteen Brawlers, each hauling a large, and very much dead crocodile in their mouths. Every Brawler seemed happy, considering their swagger, and little fur-less tails that wagged so fast they were little more than blurs.
Animals got to eat. Animals mutated by a weaponized mutagenic virus have to eat, too. Just a lot more.
Brushing aside any concerns he felt about the Land of Water's more than likely recently endangered species, Naruto strode back into the cave. It seemed Kushina's story was over, as the group had scattered. Mikoto was with Saiyuri, apparently asking her very embarrassing questions about her passionate night with Naruto at Nami, judging from both Saiyuri's megawatt blushing, and her mother's teasing grin. The fact that he was able to tap into the younger Uchiha's thoughts helped too.
Kushina and Anastasia were both with Saya, the green-haired girl having an amazed look on her face. A quick peek into her thoughts revealed that the two women were teaching her how to fully shape-shift. Anastasia forming her hands into her Claws, affirmed that as well.
Huh.
Hands in his pockets, Naruto traipsed over, peeking over Kushina's head. Her petite stature made it rather easy. Not quite as short as Ameyuri, but still.
"Helping Saya-chan learn her full strength?"
The red-haired Uzumaki previously had her undivided attention on the young girl, so she really couldn't be blamed for her response to the sudden sound of Naruto's voice.
"Kyaaaah!"
The whiskered blonde leaned back as Kushina jumped in surprise, loosing a loud squeak. Cheeks burning, she whirled around, right arm reared back, and punched Naruto squarely in the gut, a childishly angry look on her heart-shaped face.
"Don't scare me like that, dattebane!" She cried out wrathfully to the downed form of her son, clutching at his stomach in mock pain.
"Itai..." Naruto groaned, rolling over to his left. "D-Did you really need to hit me with that hay-maker? I just ate dinner. This medic-nin, never quite got his name."
Having delved into that particular subject, he ceased his act, as did Kushina. The female Uzumaki glanced towards Saya, before looking to Anastasia, silently asking the brunette to distract the young girl. She nodded, and drew Saya's attention by tapping her on the forehead with the tip of one of her Claws, before walking with the girl a few feet away.
"So..." Kushina started, putting one hand on her hip. "It's time?"
Naruto nodded, having gotten to his feet.
"Yeah. We need to start thinking about how to kill Yagura. You already know about his possible disability?" He responded, crossing his arms. A stiff nod was his answer. "Good. The Mizukage doesn't get a personal residence like the Hokage does, so Yagura eats, sleeps, and works in the Mizukage Tower. I'll deal with him personally, but with the recent bombing, Yagura has recalled a majority of his shinobi, both to nip any riots in the bud, and to ensure that a repeat of Kiri General doesn't happen."
Naruto's eyes flashed crimson, as he frowned slightly. "I need those Kiri-nin to be distracted. So, you, Anastasia, Ameyuri, Haku, and Mikoto will work to draw their attention, assisted by the Necromorphs and some of the living Infected. You don't need to kill, just keep their attention drawn away from me. Saya and Saiyuri will remain here in the Cave, as will seven Brawlers and a Hydra."
"For their safety?" Kushina inquired.
Neither Saiyuri nor Saya had any true experience in battle, the slaughter at Red Delta notwithstanding, Saya especially. She knew Naruto didn't want any of them to be hurt, but Saiyuri, being a kunoichi needed to get a more in-depth understanding of combat, and ultimately, killing. Kushina didn't like it, and neither would Naruto, but this would benefit Saiyuri in the end.
"How about this? While you figure out a strategy to Yagura's demise, why not have Saiyuri help me, and Mikoto out with clearing out more Loyalist encampments?" Before Naruto could voice any protests, she raised a single hand, blue-gray eyes meeting blue-silver. "I know you want her protected, but why not have her be better able to protect herself? We'll make sure nothing happens to her, okay?"
Naruto sighed, knowing that Kushina wouldn't accept no for an answer.
"Yeah. Teach her as much you can, please." He turned his gaze to Anastasia, the pale brunette kneeling down next to Saya, the faint sound of tinkling laughter reaching his ears. "Alright. Gather those two," He indicated Mikoto and Saiyuri with a motion of his head. "and get to one of the more sparsely populated outposts in the Land of Water. Don't leave any survivors..." Naruto muttered, walking away. Kushina nodded to herself, and made her way to the two Uchiha.
"Tell you what, Saya-chan. Once we get back to Konoha, why don't we go get some sweets?" The green-haired girl's similarly colored eyes sparkled in delight, as she nodded almost franctically, her cute features little more than a blur.
"I'd like that a lot, Ana-onee-chan!" Saya chirped joyously.
Anastasia smiled softly, ruffling Saya's emerald hair.
"I know this great place, called Ichiraku's. They have lots of yummy food, like ramen, dango, even mochi ice cream. The nice people who own it are friends with Naruto, and that means that he can just walk in, ask for something, and he gets it. Why don't you go ask him to take you there when we get back?" She whispered conspiratorially, blue-silver eyes shining in mischief.
Saya, not picking up on the playfulness in Anastasia's voice, merely grinned in glee. Granted, her favorite food was her sleeping play-mates, but considering how she never got to eat anything sugary back at Oto, she was willing to make a compromise.
Naruto clearing his throat drew both their attention. The whiskered blonde had his hands in his coat pockets, with a small smirk. Saya turned around, eyes widening, before she gave a joyous cry, running towards him.
"Hey, Saya-chan." He got down on one knee, greeting the dashing Saya with a warm hug. "What did Kushi-chan and Ana-chan teach you?"
The girl in his arms grinned widely, raising a petite hand. Before Naruto's eyes, it morphed and distorted, until it became uncannily similar to his own Clawed hand, the only exceptions being that, rather than a matte black like his own arms when shifted into a weapon, hers was a bright red, and had an oddly fleshy texture, and that the Claws themselves were, like his own, only about half as long as she was tall.
Which, considering at full height, Saya was slightly shorter than Ameyuri, they weren't too impressive.
Naruto promptly changed his mind when an irked Saya, having read his thoughts, scratched his cheek in retaliation, leaving four thin lacerations, a small amount of ebony ichor flowing down, and dripping off his jaw. He raised a finger to his face, trailing across the small cuts, one thin blonde eyebrow raised. Saya herself had turned her back to Naruto, arms returned to normal.
She glanced back to him over her slim shoulder.
"Hmph."
Before scoffing, and looking away. Naruto couldn't help but be amused. She was acting just like an annoyed cat.
"Okay, fine." He calmly intoned, keeping his mirth from bleeding into his voice. "If that's how you're going to act, you don't get to go to Ichiraku's."
"I'llbegoodonii-sama!" Saya hysterically blubbered through a sudden choked sob, spinning on her heel, and crashing into Naruto's kneeling form, nearly knocking him over, wrapping her thin white arms around his shoulders tightly, pressing the side of her head against his chest, a flow of salty tears soaking his trench-coat. "Please don't be angry at me, Onii-sama! I wanna go to Ichiraku's!"
His protective instinct having kicked into high gear, Naruto embraced Saya, a gloved palm pressing gently against the back of her head, and whispering softly into her ear.
"Shh...hey, it's alright..." He breathed out, running his free hand up and down her back in a comforting manner. "I was only joking. You don't need to cry, Saya-chan..." The green-haired girl in his arms sniffled, raising her head to make eye-contact with him. Her jade eyes were slightly red, cheeks a little puffy from her childish weeping.
"R-Rweally, Onii-sama...?" Saya whimpered, blinking away the lachryma that trickled from her eyes, the excess being gently wiped away by Naruto's gloved fingers, having let go of Saya's head.
"Of course." Incapable of suppressing his laughter anymore, he began chuckling quietly, his pale lips pulling back in a merry grin. "If anything, I should be congratulating you." Naruto turned his head to Anastasia, a curious look on his face. "How long did it take for Saya to learn how to make those Claws?"
Having adopted a large smile at the tender scene between Naruto and Saya, Anastasia recounted teaching her.
"Not long at all. I just showed her the different weapons, like the Blade, Claws, Whipfist, et cetera, and she copied them, no fuss."
"Really?" Naruto directed that question to Saya, who had calmed down, nuzzling against his chest. "How did you do that, Saya?"
"It was easy..." The emerald-haired girl said, lyrically soft voice in a faint whisper. "All I had to do was shape the organic molecules that make up my body into a sharp edge, then adjust their chemical structure until it resembled steel."
She sighed pleasantly, ignorant of an awestruck Naruto, jaw having slackened. "For Musclemass, I moved more biomass into the muscles of my arms, making them denser, and stronger." Saya mewled airily, trying to burrow her head into Naruto's chest, her slender arms tightening around his shoulders, and closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, the whiskered blonde she was leaning against mumbled incoherently, having been knocked into a trance at Saya's intuition. That was precisely how Naruto, and really, any shape-shifting techniques utilized by his Infected, worked. By re-arranging the structure of the organic molecules, even mixing and matching atoms to create new molecules if necessary.
But how did she know? She only just started learning how to shape-shift, so how did she acquire such an intimate knowledge on the subject?
"Neh, Onii-sama..."
Hearing Saya's somewhat indignant voice, Naruto snapped his jaw shut with a quiet click, and looked down. The green-haired girl was pouting, eyes half-lidded.
"I'm just as smart as you, Naru-nii-sama. That's how."
"Um..."
Naruto really couldn't be blamed for his speechlessness.
At first glance, Saya seemed a ditzy, yet incredibly endearing girl. Barring the rather...lethal 'games' she played, and the fact that she proved capable of forming tendrils merely by watching him do so. While he hadn't been lying in that forming a tendril was more complicated than it seemed, it was nowhere near as convoluted as creating a sharp edge, or bulking up muscles, without having them be reduced to mere strands of frayed fiber with the slightest twitch.
"Erm...right. O-Okay, why don't we talk about your childhood at Oto?" Naruto awkwardly said, before proceeding to lose his balance and fall onto his back as Saya pushed against him, a beaming smile on her face.
"Really?! I have so much I want to tell you! Like my parents, and about Orochi-jichan!"
Nodding with a small smile, Naruto sat up, Saya comfortably seated on his lap. A brief glance to Anastasia prompted the curly-haired brunette to stick her tongue out, before walking away. Once she had decided to busy herself by playing with the Brawlers, whose bellies were distended slightly. The Hydras looked on, before performing the equivalent of a tired groan, and laying back down, trying to ignore their aching gizzards. Maybe they shouldn't have eaten so much...
After ensuring that Saya was comfortable, Naruto steeled himself, and asked Saya.
"Tell me about your parents first."
WHA-POW!
'Nother 'Hanger! Man. Those are so much fun.
So yeah. More character interaction and development (Hopefully...) this chapter. Cause I'm an emotional kind of guy. (Not really. I'm as Cold as Ice.)
Anyway, next chapter, I will try and introduce some more characters from Saya no Uta through the all-encompassing power of...
DIALOGUE
I sincerely hope I manage to blend it all together into a nice smoothie, and not have it come out as a mushy, and all-together unappetizing slop.
Bad metaphors aside, may as well answer a question I'm certain people will ask.
HOW IS SAYA SO SMART!? SHE'S A FREAKING KID, ALBEIT ONE WHO THINKS KILLING AND EATING PEOPLE IS A GAME.
Firstly, don't use all-caps. Its rude. Secondly, that's canon in Saya no Uta. The titular girl/inter-dimensional abomination is intelligent. Extremely so. So yeah. That's why. Not to mention, in my completely professional(?) opinion, it serves to remind my dear readers that no matter how cute she may seem, Saya is still something entirely in-human.
Perhaps even more so than Naruto...
Make sure to Review!
Also! If you've played Saya no Uta before, then I challenge you!
Guess who Saya's parents are! They aren't OCs, cause OCs are annoying, and that's as much as I'm willing to help you.