Chapter XVIII: Sekirei Diagnosis Day

"Come on Hikari! We're gonna be late!" Hibiki yelled up the staircase. They were already cutting it close seeing as no one had the forethought to set an alarm last night.

"What's with all the hustle and bustle..." Naruto yawned, tiredly shuffling around the corner. "Since when are you guys early birds?" The blond queried, chuckling to himself. He'd woken up absolutely freezing and was confused when he found himself all alone. It was then he spotted all of his Sekirei gathered in the foyer with the exception of Hikari. Even Shīna was amongst them. "Going somewhere?"

"Today is Sekirei Diagnosis Day," Hibiki replied.

"Sekiwhowhatnow?"

"Sekirei Diagnosis Day," Hibiki chuckled. "Think of it as an annual physical. All Sekirei are required to attend."

"Huh...sounds kind of dangerous y'know," Naruto mused. Just something about all 107 Sekirei being gathered in one space didn't sit right with him.

"No worries Naruto-kun, it's being conducted in neutral territory. Fighting is prohibited and MBI is pretty strict about it." Uzume reassured him.

"It's just a routine checkup. We'll also get our measurements taken, but I think it's pretty obvious which one of us is the most firm," Kazehana smirked with a sway of her hips.

"Firm..." Naruto drooled at the thought. He did have a very well educated guess but now he'd have official results. Jiraiya would be so proud.

"Tch, as if you saggy old hag," Hikari scoffed as she slid into view beside Naruto. "And you stop looking so excited!" Naruto was drawn back into reality by a light flick to the forehead.

"It's about time," Akitsu yawned, drawing the older twin's steely gaze. In the short week since she had joined their flock, the cryomancer had developed a rather bitter rivalry with the lightning user. Though, that would be putting it lightly. It was more a case of two butting heads with each refusing to back down.

"Whatever, let's just get this over already," Hikati rolled her eyes, refusing to let the older Sekirei get under her skin.

"Well in that case, make sure you guys look after each other," Naruto said. He patted Hikari on the head as she descended the stairs, causing the volatile Sekirei's face to turn pink as she swatted his hand away. "And play nice with the other Sekirei."

"No promises~!" Kazehana and Uzume winked.

"Yay we get to play!" Kusano bounced around excitedly.

Naruto exchanged a look with Hibiki and the younger twin only sighed. She knew he was counting on her to keep the peace and make sure everyone made it home in one piece. "We'll be back in a couple of hours Naruto-kun," Hibiki assured him as she ushered everyone out of the door.

"Have fun girls!"

"See you later Naruto-kun!" They all chorused.

And just like Naruto was left alone, standing at the top of the stairs with a goofy grin creeping onto his features. It had been a rough first couple of days, but Akitsu and Yahan had been successfully integrated into their little flock. Or clan, as Miya liked to joke. But his two newest Sekirei weren't the only major developments that had transpired that week.

The first was the disappearance of Minato and his Sekirei. He and Musubi never checked back in after escorting Haruka and Kuno. Hell, they weren't even certain if the duo ever made it out of the city because they lost radio contact with Matsu as well. To make matters worse, the redhead and Tsukuimi went missing that same night. Even Miya was left perplexed because she didn't even sense them leave. It was as if they vanished into thin air. But they weren't the only ones.

Kagari, Izumo Inn's resident recluse, had gone missing as well. Naruto hadn't really interacted with him much given that he worked as a male escort at night and usually slept late into the day, well after the blonde had left for class. So imagine his surprise when he learned that Kagari's real name was Homura and he was actually a Sekirei. No.6, the Flame Sekirei in fact. While Homura did truly work as an escort, most of his nights were spent patrolling the city. He was known for protecting Sekirei that had yet to awaken to an Ashikabi, earning him the moniker of "Guardian Sekirei". Both Akitsu and the twins claimed to have crossed paths with him previously and confirmed that his fighting prowess mirrors that of the other single numbers.

But on the same night the others disappeared, Homura never returned from his patrol, leaving Miya to fear for the worst. Even with the combined skills of their Sekirei, Naruto and Tsuki weren't able to locate their missing friends. Kushina made them call off the search after three days, fearing that MBI would make against on them at Minaka's behest. It was already bad enough that the bridge escape was being reported as a terrorist attack to the masses and the last thing she wanted was to draw more of the masked man's attention.

Possibly the greatest change was Tsuki and the Uzumaki matriarch herself taking up residence at the inn. Kushina wanted all of them under the same roof and refused to leave her children's side until the masked man had been dealt with once and for all. He'd torn apart her family twice now and she refused to give him a third chance. This also made it easier for her to train Naruto and his Sekirei. The only one that seemed to be bothered by the new arrangements was the blond himself.

It wasn't that he was completely against the idea. He had been looking forward to moving out from under his mother's scrutinizing eyes for years now, but he understood where she was coming from. His true grievance was with his Sekirei. His mother was taking the whole ordeal in stride, a lot more so than he imagined actually. She even embraced the idea. His mother quickly grew attached to Kusano and doted on the small Sekirei like she was her own daughter, much to Tsuki's annoyance and Naruto's amusement. But with the others, it was a nightmare. She was always making casual, offhanded comments about marriage, which only served to rile up his older Sekirei. He knew she was doing it on purpose too because she always sported the same devilish smirk every time. Growing up, Jiraiya and Tsunade always said that he had inherited his mother's cunning nature and aptitude for pranks, but it was only now that he was finally starting to see what they meant.

'Mom is trying to get me killed y'know!' Naruto mentally groaned. 'This is karma for my rebellious phase back in high school isn't it?'

"I will push you down the stairs y'know."

Naruto's entire body went rigid. He knew that frosty tone all too well. Spinning on a heel, his suspicions were confirmed. His mother's was standing before him with dull, lifeless eyes. Her hair was disheveled, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, and he could feel her empty gaze burning a hole through him.

"H-H-Hi Mommy!" Naruto stammered, fearful that she had read his mind just now. He honestly wouldn't put it past her.

"Don't Mommy me. If you've got energy to stand around then you can consider your daily routine doubled." Kushina snorted as she brushed past her son.

"Double?! But Mo-"

"Triple."

The blond immediately shut up. He wasn't keen on trying for quadruple. He loved his mother with all his heart, but she was such a mean and nasty person before she'd had her morning coffee.

"Wake up your sister too. Sick of you too always sleeping in," Kushina grumbled.

"Love you too Mommy..."

"I'll punch you in the face Naruto. Don't think I won't y'know!"

With a sigh, the blond set off for Tsuki's room. He could already tell it was going to be a long day.

"C'mon ladies, keep the lines moving! The slower you go, the longer we'll be here!" Takami yelled. She glanced around the large room from her podium at the various stations they had setup. Since it was the weekend, MBI had taken it upon themselves to set up shop in the gymnasium of a local high school. It was a tight fit, but there was just enough space for them to do what they needed to do.

"Ugh I'm tired of waiting! My feet hurt!" Hikari groaned.

"Oh quite down Hikari-chan," Uzume said as she threw an arm around her shoulders. "We're nearly finished here y'know!" she grinned.

They had been there for the last three hours and just about every Sekirei and doctor present had grown annoyed and weary. At the moment, they were going through the last station where they were getting their measurements taken. They had been split into eight groups of twelve by number to make the process go faster. "I know and they need to hurry up before I make them y'know!" Hikari growled.

"Nah ah, Naru-koi said to play nice," Kazehana appeared with a smirk, shaking her finger at the younger Sekirei.

"I wanna go home," Akitsu all but groaned. She wasn't exactly one for social gatherings and wanted nothing more than to return to their Ashikabi. Having finally found that gave her wings after being told it was an impossible task, her only desire was to remain at his side.

"I do wish they would speed things along," Hibiki spoke up. "I'm worried about Ku." Luckily they had Shīna to watch over her since they were in the same group. But even with that and the strict no fighting rules in place, she couldn't help but be concerned about their youngest sister.

"I'm sure Ku's is doing just fine." Kazehana said reassuringly. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll go check on our little sunflower. Yahan as well." She was quite certain the Shadow Sekirei was more than capable of handling herself, but it wouldn't hurt. They were all soon-to-be sister wives of the Uzumaki Clan after all. "I just finished up so I've got the time. Good luck trying to measure up girls," the Wind Sekirei beamed. Like the rest of them, she was clad in a white bikini with her number printed across the right breast and it excelled at flaunting her well-toned figure.

"Ha!" Hikari scoffed. "Like I said earlier, you're just a washed up old hag from the first generation. You're not impressing anyone."

"Naruto-kun would disagree~!"

"Why you-"

"My, my, such a loud and boisterous lot you young ones are," a voice called out from behind them. They all turned to come face to face with the Black Sekirei herself.

"No. 4: Karasuba," Uzume said dryly.

The ashen-haired woman only grinned. "Oh so you've heard of me? I feel so honored," she chortled.

"What do you want?" Hikari spoke sharply. This was the woman responsible for tormenting her Ashikabi a week ago. While she was painstakingly aware of the gap in their abilities, the woman's mere presence was enough to put the Lightning Sekirei on edge.

Karasuba's face suddenly turned serious. "A rambunctious one aren't we?" she grinned. Upon looking over the group once more, her eyebrow rose in recognition. "You're the three birds that took out Beni and Haihane. The one's strange monkey." she queried, only to receive blank stares from her juniors.

"What hell are you talking about?" Hikari spat.

"Yeah, what monkey?" Hibiki queried.

"You know, one of those apes they call an Ashikabi. Naruto I believe his name was?" Karasuba clarified. "And to think you're all in the same flock." Her Sharingan was able to detect the similarities between their chakra and their Ashikabi's, and she could never forget the signature of prey she deemed worthy. "I'm going to savor hunting that one," she grinned. Hikari made to lung at her but felt herself restrained by four sets of hands.

"Watch what you say about Naruto-kun!" she snarled.

"My Karasuba, still as sadistic and ornery as ever," Kazehana said as she held back the fuming Hikari.

"Kazehana, still as big-breasted and hopeless as ever. I see you gave up your fruitless quest for the Director." Karasuba jested. "Though I must say, you have definitely found a very…interesting replacement."

"What can I say, Naruto-kun really knows how to treat a lady." Kazehana was smiling, but her voice lacked its usual honeyed tone. A subtle breeze swept through the area and the pressure in the air suddenly plummeted. "Now considering this is neutral territory, I'm going to let you off with a pass time. It won't happen again."

"Oh?" Karasuba smiled, Sharingan spinning with anticipation. "Is that a challenge?"

"Heavens no," Kazehana laughed. "It's a promise!"

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty."

Both Sekirei broke their gazes on one another and caught sight of an irate Takami. She was standing with her arms folded across her chest and her foot was rhythmically tapping on the floor in an impatient manner. "If you two are done with your little power pissing contest, we'd like to finish our work here so we can all go home."

"Run along now mutt. Your masters are calling." The Wind Sekirei sneered.

Karasuba scoffed, shaking her head in disgust at the love-stricken Sekirei as black flames began to envelope her. "Guess I have that monkey of yours to thank for this newfound backbone. He is indeed a special one. Let's hope you keep that promise and don't run away again. Tell him I'll be waiting and to entertain me more next time." The ashen-haired woman's sinister chuckle reverberated across the gymnasium as she faded into darkness.

Kazehana's eyes remained on the spot where her former teammate once stood. The unstable Sekirei had taken an interest in their Ashikabi and the thought alone was unnerving. Out of the original Discipline Squad members, hell any Sekirei really, Karasuba was the most sadistic and bloodthirsty of them all. Her lust for battle was insatiable and as much as it pained her to admit it, she was nowhere near capable of standing up to her in battle. Miya is the only one to ever do so and live to tell the tale. But that was before Karasuba had gotten her hands on this Sharingan. 'I don't know what the hell is up with her new eye, but that thing makes my skin crawl,' Kazehana shuddered. 'But I can't let that shake me. Don't worry Naruto-kun I'll protect you no matter what, even if it cost my life. That's the promise of a lifetime y'know!'

"Kazehana…"

The buxom woman was driven from her thoughts by a rather forceful nudge on her shoulder. She spared a glance at Hibiki, who was fixated on her with an apprehensive gaze. "Are you alright?"

"Oh me? Perfectly fine!" Kazehana smiled, waving her hand dismissively. "Just a friendly conversation between old colleagues."

"You look like you could use a drink…" Hikari spoke warily. This was the first time any of them had ever seen the Wind Sekirei drop her amorous persona. Even if she didn't use her powers, the pressure she exerted was just as frightening as the Black Sekirei herself.

"You can say that again Hikari-chan!" Kazehana chuckled as she ruffled the younger Sekirei's hair, much to her annoyance. "I say we hurry and finish up here. The sooner we leave this place, the sooner we can return to Naruto-kun."

"I second that," Akitsu smiled.

"Hell yeah! This place is starting to get stuffy anyway y'know!" Uzume exclaimed. "Besides, I think it's pretty obvious which one of is the winner."

"That it is," Hikari agreed. The two girls exchanged looks, sizing each other up. One could almost see sparks igniting between their eyes.

"I believe I was next!" Uzume said as she pushed her way towards the front.

"Like hell you were!" Hikari barked, pushing her way past Akitsu to chase after the Veil Sekirei.

"Ah…they skipped me." The brunette blinked. She honestly didn't care about this competition brought on her new sisters. But if those two went ahead of her, then that was longer she had to wait until she was able to return to her Ashikabi, and that did not sit well with the cryomancer. "My Naruto-sama." The temperature dropped slightly as Akitsu stepped forward with a determined expression.

Kazehana and Hibiki giggled at the trio. "Seems you are not as easily provoked as they are," Kazehana laughed.

"It's no use fighting a losing battle," Hibiki shrugged. "I have nothing to prove. In the end, Naruto-kun will love us all the same no matter what, and that's all that really matters." Kazehana merely smiled at Hibiki. It was Sekirei like her that made all of this worth it.

"Well, I best go check on Yahan and Ku-chan," Kazehana said before departing. Hibiki mirrored her smile as she watched her sister set off for the younger groups.

"I SAID NO FIGHTING DAMNIT!"

Her smile evaporated instantly and replaced by a frown at the sound of Takami's enraged yell. Turning her attention back to her own group, Hibiki's fears were confirmed and a scowl found its way to the Lightning Sekirei's features as she pushed her way forward.

"Uzume, Hikari, no biting! Put down the icicle Akitsu!"

"My god that was so stupid and boring. I don't even see the point," Benitsubasa groaned. She was hot, tired, and to make matters worse, one of the straps on her bra broke. She was now forced walk around topless and had to use an arm to cover herself, the further adding to the rosette's frustrations. With Haihane at her side, they left the main gymnasium and were now making their way back to the changing rooms.

"I have to agree. But as Sekirei, we're obligated to participate. And it was definitely pointless for you since your boobs are so small they aren't even worth measuring," Haihane snickered.

"S-Shut up! Small boobs rock! Natsuo hates big ones!" Benitsubasa defended.

"Natsuo eh? He's totally gay."

"So what!? He might be that way now, but once he takes a look at my wonderful boobs he'll switch teams and we'll be together forever!" a determined Benitsubasa proclaimed.

"What boobs!?" Haihane barked with laughter.

The Red Sekirei turned crimson in anger and was about to retort when she spotted a familiar face at the far end of the hall. "Hey that's her over there! The Lightning Bitch from the bridge!" Benitsubasa growled. "Stupid busty, bimbo! God I want to smash her face in!" she spat. The sight alone of the woman who defeated her standing there was enough to make the Red Sekirei's blood boil.

"Well look at that. The other twin and the veil user are here as well." Haihane examined. Strangely enough, they were also accompanied by the Discarded Number as well. Like Benitsubasa, the humiliating defeat she suffered on the bridge that night weighed heavily on her mind, a fact their leader made a point to remind them of daily. But considering they were currently within neutral territory, their revenge would have to wait.

"Come on Haihane, let's go before they get away!"

"Why? It's not like we can fight them right now anyway. Unless you want to ask them how to get big boobs like theirs." The Blue Sekirei snickered.

"Would you give it a rest already?! I just want to give them a nice threat and show them not to mess with the Discipline Squad. C'mon let's go!" she said as she ran towards the idling group of Sekirei.

"Aw don't feel bad Hikari-chan. I did say it was pretty obvious after all." Uzume said, patting the Lighting Sekirei on her back.

"Touch me again and I'll fry you!" Hikari snarled.

"Aww…someone is a sore loser," the brunette sang.

"And you're a shitty winner y'know!"

Akitsu watched on impassively as the two started bickering once more while Hibiki completely tuned out their antics. They had finally finished getting their measurements taken and she wanted nothing more in the world than to return home to her Ashikabi. "They're as loud and obnoxious as usual." Hibiki felt a stir behind her, but didn't react in the slightest when Yahan appeared at her side. Like their Ashikabi, The ebony woman had a flair for the dramatic and was always randomly emerging from their shadows. "And still going on about their fat sacs I see." Like the younger twin, she too had no interest in their contest of vanity.

"Ignore them," Hibiki scoffed. Her sister and Uzume were always going back and forth and trying to one up each other. Just the other night they made a bet to see who could sit in a hot bath the longest. As expected, their stubbornness led to them both passing out. This only served to incite Kushina's ire and earned them an lengthy lecture from the redhead.

"Hey guys!"

They all turned to see Kazehana waving at them. She was walking hand in hand with Kusano while Shīna trailed slightly behind them. "I take it everyone is ready to go?"

"We sure are! And I beat Hikari. Again!" Uzume exclaimed.

"One centimeter Uzume! One!" Hikari barked.

"A win is a win~!"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kazehana giggled. "How can you declare a winner without hearing my measurements?"

"Tch, whatever," Hikari huffed. "Let's go already. Naruto-kun promised we would train together today and we're burning daylight y'know." She was still having trouble learning his Lightning Armor technique due to its massive drain on her chakra, but she was finally starting to get the hang of it.

"Nuh uh! Big Brother's gonna watch Magical Girl Mizuki with me!" Kusano immediately disputed the older Sekirei's claim.

"Odd…" Kazehana brought a hand to her chin. "Naruto-kun asked me to help him with his wind chakra training." While the blond's primary element was lightning like the twins, she was beyond ecstatic to learn he had a secondary affinity for hers.

"And to think he asked for my help in developing a new long range technique," Hibiki sighed. It had happened again. In an effort to spend time with and appease his Sekirei, their beloved Ashikabi had made conflicting plans with all of them. They really needed to work out a system or schedule for this kind of thing.

"Wait...you guys all hate dates with Naruto-kun?!" Uzume whined. "No fair!"

"Life isn't fair y'know," Hikari retorted mockingly as she blew a raspberry at her rival.

"Huh…you are absolutely right. I'll just make it home before all of you and steal him away," Uzume cracked her knuckles, a mischievous grin splitting her features.

"Like hell you will!" Hikari growled.

"Oh?" Yahan's eyebrow rose ever so slightly. She wasn't normally drawn in by her sisters' shenanigans, but something about stealing away quality time with Naruto tickled her fancy.

"I won't let you," Akitsu frowned. If anyone was going spend time with their Ashikabi, she was going to make sure it was her.

"Huh…we're at an impasse it seems." Kazehana mused. "Guess whoever makes it home first has the final say. To the victor goes the spoils after all~!"

The Uzumaki flock were too preoccupied arguing amongst themselves to notice the approaching members of the Discipline Squad. Benitsubasa saw their idle chatting as a chance to confront them and smirked as she stepped forward. "Hey you-" The rosette's air of confidence was dispelled suddenly when she slipped and fell backwards, causing her bra to slip out of her grasp and go sailing through the air.

"It's settled then. First one-" Uzume was interrupted when felt something land on her head. She tentatively reached up and was left puzzled by the small garment now in her grasp.

"And who does this little thing belong to?" Kazehana asked as she snatched it from the brunette and twirled it above her head.

"It looks like someone left their training bra lying around," Hikari said.

"Well definitely it's not mine. It's so small!" Uzume chortled.

"There's no way in hell I could ever fit that," Hikari scoffed.

"All of mine are black," Yahan yawned.

"Well, I'm the biggest out of all of us and Akitsu absolutely refuses to wear one. Which could only mean…" They all turned to the smallest person in the group and she immediately caught on to what they were insinuating.

"Oh haha, very funny! Just because I haven't broken 90cm it automatically makes it mine!?" an annoyed Hibiki spat as she folded her arms across her modest chest. "Ku would've have a better chance of fitting that!" she huffed.

They all shared a laugh at the younger twin's expense. Kazehana's eyebrow rose in curiosity and a grin found its way to her face as she bent down to the smallest Sekirei's level. "Tada!" she said holding the small cloth up to Kusano's torso.

"Huh?" The blonde stared at her in confusion.

"I'm only kidding!" The Wind Sekirei burst into laughter, the rest of the group following shortly after.

"I mean…it does make the most sense," Yahan grinned.

"Yeah, I mean it's so tiny!" Uzume giggled.

"Ha, more like dinky!" Hikari snorted.

Benitsubasa sat and watched on as they ridiculed her. Her face was glowing pink in embarrassment and it didn't help that little Kusano was now parading around in her bra while shouting "Boing!" Benitsubasa could feel her anger rising by the second and she began to see red. Haihane could see it as well. "Those stupid skanks are going down…" the Red Sekirei snarled as she clenched her fist. The Blue Sekirei also noticed she was gathering more and more energy in her hand.

"Uh…remember that whole no fighting rule?" she tried to warn.

"I don't give a fuck!" Benitsubasa roared, her fist illuminated with an ominous red glow. "Extreme Quake!"

Naruto bit back a curse when he felt a stinging sensation race up his arm. That was definitely going to leave a bruise later. The slight distraction nearly cost him an eyebrow when a fireball went sailing past his face. He glared at his mother only to see her forming more hand seals. Not willing to find out what they were for, he shot straight for her. Kushina only smirked as the blonde drew closer. "Needle Jizō!" The redhead's flowing mane wrapped around her, forming a cocoon. Naruto was upon her in a matter of seconds and attempted to drop kick the Uzumaki Matriarch. 'What the…this is Pervy Sage's jutsu!' the blonde analyzed when his attack struck. He was all too familiar with what came next but before he could react, Kushina's hair shot out like tendrils and impaled the blonde.

Kushina wasn't surprised in the slightest to see her son's body burst into a cloud of smoke. She retracted her hair but no trace of the blonde. She felt the ground beneath her rumble and glanced down to see a fist exploding out of the dirt. Kushina instantly backpedaled away, causing Naruto to just barely slip under her chin. Naruto was left wide open and was helpless to stop his mother from clutching his wrist and slamming him on his back. "Phew…almost had me ther-" the blonde once again went up in a cloud of smoke.

"Leaf Village Secret Finger Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!"

Kushina's eyes went wide as she was enveloped by a shroud of crimson chakra. Naruto blinked in surprise when his mother evaporated and a flash of red light slammed into him. The blond was sent hurtiling across the yard and he skipped across the ground thrice before violently slamming into the back fence. "Damn it that hurt y'know!," He growled in pain, "Oi! You're the one who said no using Kurama's chakra Mom!"

Kushina appeared before him in a blaze of glory, fiery red chakra dancing across her form like a second skin. "I should have sent your scrawny ass to the moon for trying to use that against me y'know!" The red-head growled. 'Honestly Jiraiya, why did you have to teach him that too? Obito was bad enough already.'

Naruto spat out a glob of blood before shakily pushing himself to his feet. 'To think Mom has been hiding this kind of power all this time.' It was only recently he'd learned that his mother left out an important detail regarding the night of his an infant, Naruto's body was too small to contain the massive fox, so his father used a forbidden technique to split his chakra in half. Minato sealed the Yin half within himself, but the Yang half realized what he was up. The enraged Kurama lashed out at the infant, but he was saved by his parents. Left of death's door, Minato transferred Kurama's Yin half into Kushina, thus saving her life.

But unlike her son, the redhead had come to an understanding with her half of the tailed beast. It just so happened that Kurama despised the masked man as much as her, if not more, and agreed that neither of them would truly be safe nor know peace until he'd been eliminated once and for all. It was this meeting of minds helped them to set aside their differences and allowed Kushina to attain her current state, which she dubbed the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. In this form she was capable of wielding Kurama's power in its entirety, effectively enhancing her strength and speed to unprecedented levels. Even with Tsuki's Reserve Seal released and Naruto's Lightning Armor, they weren't able to keep pace with their mother while she was in this form.

Naruto spared a glance at his sister, who was lying faced own in a crater. Her form was limp and unresponsive but she was still breathing, which meant she was still alive. 'Looks like Tsuki is done for already,' he mused. He honestly felt sorry for her. He wasn't sure what kind of training Tsunade had subjected the older blonde to, but he guaranteed she was nearly as relentless about it as their mother. 'Damn it, I can't keep up with her like this! Stop being so difficult you mangy old fox!'

"Bite me you Monkey!" Kurama barked.

'Argh!'

Kushina noticed her son's mental turmoil and let out a tired sigh. 'We're never going to get anywhere like this.'

"Despite being the Yang half, my other self has definitely held onto our more…deplorable qualities." A voice rang out in her head.

'Yeah I can see, but you weren't nearly this stubborn.'

"And you weren't as annoying."

'That's…fair.'

Kushina detected massive chakra signatures hurtling towards them, putting her on edge. It was only thanks to the enhanced sensing capabilities afforded to her by her tenant's chakra that she was able to identify the approaching entities. 'Hm…I guess now would be as good as a time as ever.' The redhead thought to herself before dispelling her chakra cloak.

"Oh no…you have that look in your eye again. What are you up this time?"

'Nothing much. I think its just time we all sat down had a little…heart to heart.'

Naruto blinked in confusion when he saw his mother release her chakra. He wasn't given long to ponder because his senses perceived a series of chakra signatures very similar to his own homing in on him. He turned his gaze skyward and was just able to make out a purple speck falling from the sky. "Kazehana?"

Naruto felt a stirring beneath him and stumbled back as his newest Sekirei emerged from his shadow. She met her Ashikabi's bewildered expression with a satisfied smirk. "Looks like I win."

"Yahan? What are you-"

"Big Brother!"

Naruto glanced up once more to see the speck was nearly upon him, and it was indeed Kazehana. But his eyes widened we he saw his smallest sekirei barreling towards him. Kusano slammed into the older blond's chest like a meteor, knocking him off his feet. The force sent them both crashing into the dirt, carving out a deep trough in their wake. 'Ku is getting stronger…' The young Ashikabi groaned in pain. Kusano shot up, beaming at her Ashikabi with a megawatt smile.

"Hi Big Brother!"

Before Naruto could respond, a pale Kazehana landed next to them. "Oh my goodness! Are you alright Naruto-kun?!" She had been carrying Kusano on her back and they were enjoying a pleasant flight back home. That was until they caught sight of their Ashikabi and the small girl suddenly jumped, giving the Wind Sekirei a heart attack in the process.

"I think I'll live…" the blond moaned.

"Kid's got nerve, I'll give her that much," Yahan stared in disbelief. She was taken aback when the fence exploded and Hikari and Uzume came tumbling into the yard.

"Ha I win!" the brunette exclaimed victoriously.

"Like hell you did! I was here first!" Hikari retorted.

"Nuh uh! Ku wins!" Kusano immediately rejected as she bounced to her feet.

"Hate to break it to you guys, but this victory belongs to me," Yahan interjected.

"Teleportation should definitely be considered cheating," Kazehana pouted.

"Didn't all the way here?" Yahan shot back.

"Semantics," the purple clad said dismissively

As his Sekirei continued to squabble amongst themselves, Naruto finally managed to recollect his bearings. Hibiki and Akitsu landed beside him moments later and helped him to his feet. "Are you ok Naruto-kun?!"

"Naruto-sama is hurt…"

"Hibiki-chan, Akitsu-chan, I'm fine. Trust me," Naruto chuckled as the younger twin inspected her Ashikabi for any sign of injuries alongside the Ice Sekirei. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy how they doted on him, but he really wished they would stop treating him like a kid. But to be fair, it was the nature of a Sekirei to worry about their Ashikabi. "Well everyone is back safe and sound, so that's good," He said, attracting the attention of his other Sekirei. "Everything went smoothly I take it?"

"Splendidly~!" Kazehana beamed.

"Without a hitch," Hikari affirmed.

"Uh…sure, you could say that…" Uzume smiled.

The blonde frowned at their collective responses. Now that he'd gotten a good look at them, all of his Sekirei were covered in dust, almost as if they'd been caught in a sandstorm. It was obvious something happened, but their all too innocent expressions told him that he wasn't going to get a straight answer out of them. 'Well no one is hurt, and tha's all that matters. Doesn't stop me from worry about them though. And to think they talk about me being reckless. The moment I turn my back one of them, if not all, is raising hell somewhere and oh my god I'm starting to sound like my mother!' The group of Sekirei were unnerved by their Ashikabi's sudden chuckling, which quickly grew into full blown laughter.

"Naruto-sama…?" Akitsu's head tilted as she watched her Ashikabi.

"Oh god…He's finally lost his marbles…" Hikari said.

"No, no, just thinking to myself," Naruto laughed.

"About what?" Kazehana inquired.

"What exactly I'm going to do with all of you is all," the blond grinned.

"Well that's easy," Uzume snorted. "Love us unconditionally y'know!"

"Until the end of time," Hikari chimed in. Both Sekirei bore delighted grins mirroring that of their Ashikabi's.

"End of time huh?" A voice interjected, causing all of the Sekirei to go pale. "All these promises of grandeur, and I've yet to be paid a single dowry. How odd…" Kushina mused to herself.

"K-Kushina-san!" Uzume and Hikari stammered

"Mama!" Kusano exclaimed as she made a beeline for the redhead.

"There's my little Ku-chan," Kushina scooped the tiny bundle of energy into her arms, all the while showering the girl with butterfly kisses. "I'm not saying I have a favorite Naruto, but Ku-chan is definitely in the running," she grinned, causing the blond's older Sekirei to fault. Naruto had to surprises another chuckle at his mother's word. At least she made it a point to give the girls as much grief as she did him.

"Alright girls I'm glad you home and all, but we can catch up later. I need to finish training with my Mom first," Naruto said, much to his Sekirei's displeasure.

"Hold that thought Naruto. It would be best that everyone is here for this," Kushina lifted her hand as she approached, Kusano firmly secured to her hip. "It's time to start the next phase of training. For all of you." Her announcement was met with varying reactions from the group. Uzume and Hikari let out cries of excitement as Hibiki shook her head at their eagerness. Kazehana and Yahan couldn't help but smirk while Akitsu remained as expressionless as ever.

"But before we can do that," Kushina raised her hand, drawing their gazes once more. "It's time we had a nice, long talk about your behavior," she sneered, leveling a hard glare at her son. Naruto's head snapped around, glancing at the others. After confirming that he was indeed the center of his mother's attention, he brought a hand to his chest in confusion.

"Me? What did I do?!"

"I'm talking to the both of you."

"What…?" Naruto blinked.

"What…?" an equally puzzled Kurama echoed in his head.

"Huh?" All of his Sekirei chorused.

"I hope you girls are ready!" the Uzumaki Matriarch grinned. "Today, you're going to help Naru-chan face his demon."

So before I dive back into my art courses (and Ghosts of Tsushima), I felt it was only fair to push out a new chapter like I did for Demons. With how crazy the year's been, I've been keeping myself distracted with gaming but I'm starting to get burnt out on that. Can't say for sure when the next chapter will come, but I definitely won't make you guys wait an entire year again.

Also, yes I goofed. Big time. I completely forgot about Homura in the story and instead of going back, I just retconned him into this chapter. Surprisingly no one has mentioned this before but to be fair, he's not exact pivotal to the story. I think for all intents and purposes you can consider this point as the transition into the final arc. I'm not sure how exactly I want it to go (imagination plagues me with way too many ideas) but I have a rough layout.

As always, R+R.

-Chi