A/N - Okey dokey. I know you're probably pretty tired of me updating this story by now, but I really just have no motivation to write much of anything else. April is always a really bad month for me. April 21st is my birthday and the entire month is usually one big crapfest for me thanks to personal issues I don't feel like discussing right now. I usually lose all motivation to write or do much of anything during the month of April. Sometimes that extends to March and May, sometimes even to June. It suuuuucks. But meh, what can ya do?

Anyways, a looot happens in this chapter. Some things are explained, a certain character is introduced, and the Celdic field study finally starts! I hope you've been looking forward to that!

Anywho, I've been up since 1 PM yesterday just trying to finish writing this dang chapter. It ended up being over 51 pages long with 16,009 words. Very long chapter. lol.

Alrighty, since I dunno what else to say, read on and enjoy!

Chapter 5 – Anko & Revelations

"Heh. All right, then. Here we go!" Sara said before snapping her fingers. In an instant, a strange mechanical creature appeared in front of them, floating in midair. This beast was called a Combat Shell α and it would serve as their opponent for the exam.

"Wh-What's that?!" Rean asked in shock.

"Is that…a monster?!" Elliot questioned.

Gaius shook his head. "No…I'm not sensing any life coming from it at all."

Naruto frowned as he watched the combat shell float in place for a time. No, it's not alive. It's something else entirely. It's like some kind of robot or a machine or something. I'm not 100% sure.

"That's right. Think of it like a scarecrow. Only, it's a moving scarecrow…I guess. Either way, it's not alive. I've set its parameters fairly high, though, so it IS formidable. But if you give it your all, I'm confident you can beat it! Probably. Make good use of your ARCUS' combat link abilities, for example, and I bet it'll be a piece of cake! Hint, hint." Sara explained, smirking slightly at them.

"Ah!" Elliot exclaimed, his eyes widening.

"So that's what you're playing at." Rean said before he drew his sword. Elliot and Gaius followed suit soon after, the three of them preparing themselves for combat with the mighty machine-like monster.

"All right! Begin!" Sara exclaimed, thus starting the battle between the three young men and the Combat Shell α.

After the battle

"We won." Gaius said with a small smile on his face.

Elliot smiled and said, "We really did. I don't think I did too much though…"

Rean smiled at Elliot and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much. We made good use of the combat links in that battle and won that with style, I'd say. You did really well, Elliot. You too, Gaius."

The orange-haired boy smiled at his best friend, but he was interrupted before he could even say anything in response. Looking at Sara, they saw and heard her clapping for them. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Excellent use of combat links, too. Seems like the practice you got in the old schoolhouse really paid off!"

Rean chuckled lightly at that and said, "It just may have."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Of course it did. Grats guys, you earned that victory. It's a shame I couldn't have joined you for this test. We could've really shown everyone what combat links are all about. Still though, I think you guys did splendidly. Great job."

"Oh?" Laura asked, curious about what she had just heard.

Machias frowned as he looked between the four friends. "Have those four been training in secret?"

Ignoring the idle chatter, Sara turned to face the remaining members of Class VII. "All right, on to the second group! Laura. Emma. Jusis. Naruto. Come forward."

Shrugging, Naruto stepped forward with his teammates for the battle. Looking at Emma, he asked, "Wanna form a combat link together? I think we'd compliment each other nicely. Er, that came out wrong. Um…hmm…"

Emma giggled and said, "That sounds nice, actually. Very well, let us work together to overcome our foe. Laura, Jusis, are you both ready?"

Jusis sighed, but nodded his head as he formed a combat link with Laura. "Very well. Let's get this over with."

As soon as Sara gave the go ahead, Jusis began preparing to cast his Air Strike art while Laura advanced towards the Combat Shell α. Naruto nodded at Emma, who unleashed an attack from her orbal staff. Thankfully, that seemed to knock it off balance and Naruto took full advantage of that moment to dash inside its guard and slash it a few times with his Yato blade in its standard form. He had retracted the chainsaw-like blade for the time being.

Taking advantage of the monster's stunned state, Laura hit it a few times with her rather enormous sword before Jusis unleashed his Air Strike spell, nailing the Combat Shell in its face. Things continued on in this pattern for a while until it finally collapsed to the ground, defeated by the powerful quartet.

Once they had won their victory, Naruto bumped fists with Emma before offering Laura and Jusis both a smile. "Well, I'd say we handled ourselves pretty well there. What do you three think?"

Laura frowned as she looked Naruto over for a time, taking in his form for a moment. Once she had finished looking him over, she stared deeply into his eyes and said, "You're holding back. Why?"

Before Naruto could say anything, Sara spoke up. "Now, now, don't go trying to press for too much information from our resident enigma. Suffice it to say, he has his reasons. Let's just leave it at that, okay kiddos? Now, Alisa, Machias, and Fie. You're up."

Naruto smiled thankfully at Sara, though he got the feeling this wouldn't be the end of it. Laura would likely try to find out more about Naruto, one way or another. He could tell she was a stubborn one, but he didn't mind that so much. He just hoped that his talk with her the other day would help her to really step out of her father's shadow and become her own person, rather than solely as her father's daughter.

After the Exam

Everyone except for a select few looked rather exhausted after having to test themselves against the Combat Shell α. Machias, for one, was panting as he tried to catch his breath. Elliot still looked to be a bit nervous, despite having done rather well for himself. Each of them felt fatigued in some way after having to fight their strange enemy.

"That was tougher than I thought it would be…" Alisa said.

Emma nodded before chancing a glance at Naruto. "It does seem like combat links are the key to fighting it effectively, though. When used well, they can obviously turn the tides of any battle, so long as they are used effectively. Then again, you already knew that…didn't you, Naruto?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "I'm used to fighting as part of a team. Whether it's with Fie, Elliot, or whoever, I can work well with pretty much anyone. Little hint for those of you who might be curious: teamwork is important where I'm from. All I'm gonna say for now."

"That really doesn't tell us anything." Rean said, staring with a deadpan at the blonde. "Oh well. I still think we all did pretty well."

Jusis sighed again and shook his head. "Combat links, huh? That's rather unfortunate."

Laura just watched Naruto for a while, her curiosity getting the better of her to some extent. After some time, she looked away from him and right into Sara's eyes. "Instructor, may I ask a question?" When Sara nodded, the blue-haired girl said, "What exactly was that…marionette we just fought?"

"Yeah! That thing was weird." Alisa said.

Fie looked at her boyfriend for a time before asking, "Naruto? I don't remember ever seeing anything like that. What about you?"

The blonde frowned for a time before shaking his head. "Nope. Can't say I recall seeing anything like that before. I've encountered all kinds of things and been in a LOT of battles and I can safely say I've never seen something like that before."

"Oh, just a little something I got roped into working with a while back." Sara explained. "I'd rather not use it if I don't have to, but I can't deny it serves a valuable function. And it's rather customizable, too. I mean, it did its job quite well during our test, didn't it? So there you go!"

"You know, that's not a very good explanation." A woman's voice could be heard saying, catching everyone off guard. "Still, gotta admit I like your style."

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked straight at the source of the voice. What he saw caused tears to begin streaming down his cheeks. "Anko-chan…"

Sure enough, Anko Mitarashi, kunoichi extraordinaire, hopped down from her perch and approached them at a casual pace. When she saw Naruto, she smirked and walked up to him, pulling him into a tight hug. "I've missed you, Naruto-kun."

Wiping away his tears, the blonde smiled at Anko and said, "I prayed to Aidios-sama to bring you here. I…I didn't think she'd answer my prayers like this. How long have you been here, Anko-chan?"

"Oh, not long. About a day or two. I was just getting to know the layout of the town and the academy. It wasn't that hard to find you, considering a blonde guy with whiskers is easy enough to recognize for people. Asked this guy named Brandon and he said you were living in a place called the Class VII Dorm. Gotta say, I didn't expect you to willingly join another school, but I like what I've seen so far." Anko explained.

Sara blinked a couple of times and asked, "So that's Anko? Damn. It's sort of like looking in a mirror, only…different. You certainly like to dress rather provocatively, don't you Anko?"

Anko turned to face her and looked the woman up and down for a moment. Licking her lips, she nudged Naruto and asked, "Sooo, she your girlfriend? Or is it another one of these lucky ladies? They're all quite beautiful, but I don't think they've got anything on me."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Anko-chan, that's my instructor. Her name is Sara Valestein. My girlfriend is Fie Claussell, right over there." Here, he pointed at the loli jaeger and smiled at her. "Though…there are certain, um…circumstances regarding me ever since I arrived in this world. Mr. Fuzzy's been forced to take a loooong nap."

Anko's eyes widened and she asked, "Are you serious? What the hell happened to you? I mean, one minute you were there, about to be executed, and then the next you were just gone! I didn't know what to think. I still can't believe they were going to execute you like that. Bastards."

Alisa blinked a couple of times before asking the question on everyone's minds. "Executed?! You mean Naruto was going to die? Why? What the hell could he have done to warrant something that extreme?!" Well, questions.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously. "Honestly, Anko-chan? I can't remember much about that or anything else that happened around that time. When I arrived here, I had a really nasty head injury. I think I lost those memories. I can't seem to recall what happened back then at all."

The purple-haired kunoichi frowned deeply and said, "We can talk about it later, Naruto-kun. Once we can be alone with you and your little girlfriend over there. A lot happened after you disappeared, and things got pretty tough for a while. For now, I do believe your instructor was saying something."

"Not to sound rude, but you can't just leave us in the dark like this. Especially not after you told us he was about to be executed!" Alisa exclaimed.

Naruto frowned at her and shook his head negatively. "We've all got our secrets, Alisa-chan. Just as I choose to respect your privacy and the privacy of everyone else here, I hope that you will extend me the same courtesy. I'll talk about things when I feel like opening up about them. For now, just know that my life back where I'm from wasn't a pleasant one. We'll leave it at that." Looking back into Anko's eyes, he said, "I'm glad you're here, Anko-chan. I've missed you. We have a lot we need to talk about."

Sara smiled at them and giggled to herself when she saw Fie walk up and take one of Naruto's hands in hers, squeezing it tight. Ahhh, young love. So cute. "Now that we've got all that out of the way, it's time for me to say this: with everything out of the way, that brings this month's practical exam to an end. But as you might recall, I told you I had a big announcement for you today, too! Are you all ready to hear what it is? I'll give you a hint: it's about a special part of Class VII's curriculum."

Naruto smirked at her and thought, Pretty sure she's going to send us somewhere to do some bracer-like activities, but why spoil the surprise? I want to hear how she explains it.

Sara, as if sensing Naruto's thoughts, looked at him and winked. Looking around at the others, she said, "Give up?" Giggling a bit, she soon said, "It's really bugging you now, isn't it? Well, I'll come clean. The special task you're about to be assigned is none other than…a field study!"

Everyone except for Naruto and Anko looked really confused. Seeing that her boyfriend didn't look perplexed in the slightest, Fie nudged him and asked, "You know something, don't you?"

Naruto chuckled and whispered to her. "I do. I'll explain it to you and Anko-chan later, okay?"

The silver-haired girl nodded and snuggled up against her boyfriend, hugging him tight. "Good."

"Field study?" Emma wondered aloud.

"I don't like the sound of this one bit…" Machias said, sounding quite dejected.

"You'll be split into two groups, A and B, and each sent to a different location. And while you're there, you'll be given a number of tasks to complete. Doesn't that sound like fun?" Sara explained with a bright grin on her face.

Naruto chuckled and said, "I knew it."

Fie lightly poked him between the ribs. "You'd better explain it, mister."

Naruto simply chuckled and listened as Elliot spoke up. "Er… We only just got to the academy, and we're already being sent somewhere else?"

"Will you not be coming with us, Instructor?" Rean asked.

"Of course not! It'd be much too easy for you if I were there to bail you out every time the waters of life came seeping in. You've got to be cruel to be kind, and all that!" Sara said with that same grin on her face.

Alisa just sighed irritably but didn't say anything. Laura, on the other hand, "Well, I'm certainly not opposed to a challenge if it allows me to advance my training."

Anko grinned at her and patted her on the back. "That-a-girl! That's a good attitude to have. Hey, pretty lady!" she exclaimed, pointing at Sara, "Can I go with 'em? Maybe as like a chaperone or something?"

Naruto frowned for a time before he looked into Anko's eyes. "I don't know if that would be the best idea. If you'd like, I can use a seal of sorts to reverse your age so you'd be my age again. That way you could join Class VII as well. As a student, I mean. You need to learn all you can about this world, and participating in class with me and my fellow classmates would be the way to go for sure."

"Wait wait wait, reverse her age? What kind of magic could do that?!" Alisa exclaimed in shock.

Sighing softly to himself, Naruto pulled out a blank seal tag and proceeded to draw on it. Once he was finished, he looked at Jusis and said, "Jusis, cast Air Strike in my direction. Don't complain either, just do it. Please."

The blonde noble frowned at being told what to do, but decided against arguing with him. Instead, he focused his mana before shouting out, "Air Strike!" and watched with the others as his spell flew at high speed towards his classmate.

The others watched in awe as the strange seal Naruto drew seemed to absorb the spell. "H-How in the world…?" Rean started to ask.

Naruto smirked as he pointed the now glowing seal at some trees in the distance. "Aaaand…Release!"

Everyone's eyes widened further as they watched Jusis' Air Strike spell go tearing through the trees before eventually dissipating. "H-How…in the world…? I don't even…what the hell is going on?!" Jusis exclaimed in a rare show of panic.

The whiskered teen smirked and looked around at everyone, watching as their gazes slowly drifted back onto him. "That is an ancient art from my village called fuinjutsu. The Sealing Arts, if you will. With seals I can pretty much do anything I want. So if I want to reverse Anko-chan's age, all I need to do is work on it for a bit and yay bing bay, she'll be a little girl again! Yippee!"

Anko giggled a bit and said, "You're a little hyper again, aren't you?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe. Point stands though that if I say I can do it, I can do it. Gotta love the wonders of fuinjutsu."

Laura frowned at him and said, "This just raises more questions about you. I swear, one day I will figure you out, Naruto Uzumaki. Mark my words."

The blonde chuckled and said, "Just be patient. I'll open up about myself a little at a time until I really feel like telling the whole truth about me." Looking at Sara at this point, he said, "Sara-chan, when do we go on this field study, exactly?"

Sara smiled at him and said, "April 24th, over the weekend. I assume you plan to use the time between then and now to make this seal?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Bingo. I'll ensure Anko-chan gets to enjoy her time with us. Um…is that okay with you, Anko-chan?"

Anko smirked at him and said, "I figured you forgot about me, considering you were making all these decisions without talking to little ol' me." Poking his forehead lightly, she giggled a bit before saying, "I'm fine with it. It'll make us dating seem a little less awkward once I'm your age again."

Alisa blinked and asked, "Wait, isn't Naruto dating Fie? That would be cheating!"

Naruto sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose to try and ward off the growing headache. Before he could reply, Fie spoke up. "There's, um…'circumstances' involved. Maybe we'll explain it later, but a friend of Naruto's needs help. It's hard to explain without revealing too much about ourselves…"

Naruto frowned and looked down at Fie. "Fie-chan, I won't do it if you aren't comfortable with it. You know that. So be honest with me, okay? Would dating Anko-chan hurt you?"

Fie looked up into his eyes for a time before saying, "She is dear to you. You've talked about her a lot. I already grew used to the idea of having to share you with her if she came here. Just…talk to me if you decide to add anyone else. I just hope this helps you-know-who a little more."

Hugging Fie close, Naruto kissed the top of her head. "I love you Fie-chan. Never doubt that."

"I know." was all Fie said in response.

Once that had been settled, Jusis stared hard as Sara and said, "Instructor Valestein. Where, exactly, will we be going? And when?"

"Ah, yes, I nearly forgot about that, what with all the lovey-dovey drama-type stuff going on. As I said before, you'll be split into two groups: A and B. Each of you, please come forward and take one of these to see how the groups have been divided and where each is being sent." Sara said before handing each of them a paper full of information.

Looking his over, Naruto frowned in thought for a time before he glanced at Rean. So they're making sure we stay together. As the leaders of our class, I figured they'd want to split us up so we could take charge and lead the way. Interesting choice.

'[Field Study: April]

Group A: Naruto, Rean, Alisa, Laura, Elliot

(Study Location: Celdic, the Market Town)

Group B: Emma, Machias, Jusis, Fie, Gaius

(Study Location: Parm, the Spinning Town)'

"Wha…?" Rean started to ask, only to pause. Not that I'm complaining, but why are Naruto and I both going to Celdic? I don't get it. We kind of share the burden of responsibility for our class…

"Well, these are certainly some interesting groupings." Laura said before chancing a glance at Naruto. This might just give me the chance I need to see what you are really capable of. You're a mystery to me, Naruto Uzumaki. A mystery I intend to solve.

"Celdic and Parm… Are they both in Erebonia?" Gaius questioned.

"Yeah. Celdic's a market town on the east side of the Empire." Elliot explained.

"And Parm is situated in the deep south. It's known for its spinners." Emma said, smiling at the highlander.

"All that way? Without Naruto? How irritating." Fie said bluntly.

"I-I'm less worried about where we're going than the utter lack of sense that went into these groupings!" Machias exclaimed angrily.

"Unbelievable…" Jusis said, sighing afterwards.

Naruto sighed before slamming the two of them with his killing intent. When they collapsed to their knees, the others looked on in shock. Stepping up to the two of them, he looked down at them and said, "You two are going to work together on this mission. You're going to try to get along. You need to set a good example for the people and for each other. If we want to make this class really work and function as a cohesive unit, you need to get past your differences and start working together. Do you two understand me?"

When they slowly nodded, he let up on his killing intent and watched as they slowly rose to their feet. "I don't want you two to die out there because you couldn't bring yourselves to work together. Hell, I don't even want you two to get hurt at all. You're classmates now, and I want to be friends with the two of you. Please just try to make this work. Machias…" Looking at the green-haired teen, Naruto said, "Believe me when I say that I understand your hatred of nobles and all they stand for. I can't stand most nobles either, but I recognize that there are good ones out there, like Jusis and Laura-chan. Yeah, a lot of nobles are exactly as you described. Stuck-up, arrogant…y'know, assholes. I don't know what happened in your past to make you hate nobles this much, but if you want to survive, you need to adapt and learn some acceptance. Please."

Looking at Jusis at this point, Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Jusis, you seem to enjoy egging Machias on a bit too much. If you two put your minds to it, I'm sure you could make for quite the deadly team. I'm sure you two could become really good friends, given enough time. Please, just try, okay?"

Machias and Jusis looked at one another before scoffing and turning away from one another. Sighing heavily at this, the blonde said, "Can't say I didn't try. I swear though that if I hear somebody got hurt because you two were being stubborn, I'll make sure you both suffer for it. Oh, I won't kill you and I won't physically harm either of you. No, I'll just make you regret ever pissing me off."

Clapping her hands to get everyone's attention again, Sara said, "That's enough of that. You did what you could for now, Naruto. It's up to them whether they can work past their differences or not. Now, you'll all be leaving this weekend and will be out in the field for two days' time. Your means of reaching your respective locations will, of course, be by train. So do make sure you're thoroughly prepared, rested, and rearing to go before the big day! And Naruto, I suggest you work fast. I'll talk to the principal and see about getting the necessary paperwork filled out and all that junk. I'll even get Towa involved so Anko can have her uniform ready for the big day. Dismissed!"

Later that night

Fie looked into Anko's eyes, the two of them having some kind of stare-down while Naruto worked on the new seal he had promised to make. After some time, he sighed and glanced over his shoulder at the two of them. "I thought you two were okay with this whole thing? What's the problem?"

Anko simply smirked at him and said, "There isn't one. We're just sizing each other up to see if we're both worthy of being with you. Small time stuff, you know? Anyways, I assume you're wondering about what happened?"

The blonde nodded before he resumed working on the seal. "Yeah. I don't remember how I ended up here. I don't even remember what the heck happened to me to begin with. I remember being betrayed and hurt in a pretty bad way. I remember being attacked…but I don't know what led to all of this."

Anko frowned sadly and said, "A mob got together and attacked you, Naruto-kun. Someone told the whole village that you killed Sasuke. You didn't try to run and you didn't try to fight. You told me that you were just so exhausted. You were so tired of everything. Naruto-kun…you gave up. You never gave up before then! You were locked away 'for your own protection,' or so they said."

Sighing sadly, she said, "On the day of your execution, they literally crucified you and were content to just watch you die. Except, some people didn't agree with that. They planned to run you through with a variety of weapons ranging from kunai to pickaxes. Then suddenly, a bright light enveloped you and you were just…gone. Nobody knew what happened to you. Then again, you were gone. People celebrated for so long I lost track of the time. I missed you terribly, but I couldn't speak out against them for any of it. Hinata was the only other one that really cared about you. Everyone else turned on you. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. If there was something I could have done…"

Naruto shook his head and said, "It's fine, Anko-chan. It seems I just needed a fresh start in another world, far away from the hell that was my life before. Unlike there, I'm actually happy here. I've got a wonderful girlfriend, I've got friends, I've got a pretty good life here. And now you're here, too. You have got to spend some time with Sara-chan. You two would get along great."

Anko giggled a bit and said, "She does seem like an interesting person. If you think we'd be good friends, I'll take your word for it and talk to her. For now though, you need to tell me what's going on. What's wrong with the big fuzzball?"

Naruto sighed and activated his room's privacy seals. Standing up, he looked at Anko and dropped his illusion, revealing his fox features to her. Seeing her eyes widening, he said, "Kurama turned me into a hanyou. I don't know if it was the trip here or what happened to me before, but he worked hard to save my life. In doing so, I turned into this. On top of that, Kurama was pale and barely breathing. Worse yet, he only had a single tail. He has woken up every now and then, but his health hasn't improved much. He did tell me that in order to restore him to full health again, I need to absorb the life force from my, erm…mates. Thanks to Fie-chan, one of Kurama's tails has returned. Unfortunately, we can't take too much of Fie-chan's life force or she could die. Thankfully, after marking her, she became like me. She's got an extended life span and she's a lot more powerful now than she was before. But we came to the agreement that, at some point, I need to take multiple mates if we want to have any chance of restoring Kurama to normal again."

Anko blinked and looked at Fie. "She doesn't look like a hanyou though. Unless she's got an illusion up as well?"

Fie nodded and dropped her illusion, revealing her pure white fox ears and a single fox tail to Anko. She also had slitted pupils and a fanged grin on her face. Seeing this caused Anko to grin. "Well damn. You look nice like that."

"Thank you." Fie said before she reapplied her illusion. "Naruto, mark her."

Naruto nodded and looked into Anko's eyes. "If we are to be mates, I need to mark you, Anko-chan. However…"

The Snake Mistress shook her head and said, "I know you're worried about me and my feelings. I appreciate that, Naruto-kun. But if it's your mark I'll be bearing, then I'm a-okay with that. Mark me and take me as one of your mates."

Nodding once again, the blonde walked up to Anko and moved her clothing around to give him free access to her neck and collarbone. Without warning, he bit down, giving her his mate mark. When part of her life force was pulled from her body and into his own, they both gasped at the foreign feeling.

After a moment, Anko's body began to change. She grew purple fox ears and a tail, her pupils became fully slitted, and she had a fang poking out from behind her upper lip. "Oh that feels good." She said, giggling happily to herself. "Wow."

Fie smirked and said, "I felt the same way. It was nice."

Reapplying his illusion, Naruto poked Anko's nose lightly and said, "Might want to put up an illusion for the time being. I'd like to hide what we are for the time being until it's time to reveal ourselves to the world. Or, more specifically, our classmates."

"Awww. That's no fun. I wanted to go out on the town and have some fun! Pooey." Anko said jokingly before she put up an illusion to hide her features. "I suppose we should let you have some privacy now?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "You can stay if you want. I'll just need to focus on this for a while. It might take me a day or two, but I will have this done before we leave. I promise."

"Glad to hear it. Come on Fie-chan, let's cuddle and talk about our favorite blonde stud, huh?" Anko suggested as she threw an arm around Fie and walked with her towards Naruto's bed.

Heh, my life has never been a boring one. I kind of prefer it that way. Naruto thought to himself with a chuckle.

April 24th – Field Study – Day 1

Naruto yawned as he stood beside Rean on the first floor of the Class VII dormitory. His girlfriends had already woken up and left for the station alongside their teammates. Yes, Naruto had completed his seal and had reverted Anko to the appropriate age so she could join the members of Class VII.

After Anko's official induction into the ranks of Class VII, she couldn't help but smirk at the outfit she'd have to wear. She had chosen to modify her uniform so that her skirt was shorter than the other girls'. She still wore her mesh armor, but she had foregone the trench coat in favor of wearing the Class VII female uniform. When Naruto couldn't take his eyes off of her, she knew she had done a good job.

Naruto was a little upset that both of his girlfriends were assigned to Group B, which meant he wouldn't be seeing either of them for a few days. Sighing softly, he looked at Rean and said, "I hope Anko-chan and Gaius can help curb the tension between those two."

Rean chuckled dryly and said, "Yeah, sure. It'll take something pretty drastic to make them see eye to eye. I was hoping you and I would be put on different teams so we could help put a stop to that kind of nonsense."

The blonde shrugged and said, "Meh, I'm not gonna complain. If they want you and me together in Group A, then I'm all for it. Who knows? It could be pretty fun."

Rean chuckled again and said, "Agreed. Anyways, you don't have to wait here with me. Go out and explore the town for a while. Talk to people and see what's going on. We can meet at the station in a bit."

"Nah. I'd prefer it if we talked to the locals as a group. We don't have to set out right away, and talking to people won't take that long. Okay?" Naruto suggested.

"Works for me." Rean said.

The first person to join them was Alisa. "Hi guys! Good morning to you both."

"Good morning Alisa." Rean said, smiling kindly at her.

"Morning Alisa-chan. How's the day treating you so far?" Naruto greeted.

Alisa looked at Naruto for a time before saying, "I'm well so far. I'm still confounded by you though. You now have two girlfriends, and they're actually okay sharing you! I still don't understand how that works."

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head for a time. "Alisa-chan…if I tell you and the others in our group what's going on…can you please keep it a secret from the others? I'm not ready to tell everyone yet. Just…trust me, okay? Fie-chan and Anko-chan both already know everything and they're doing what they can to help me. It's…not an ideal situation, I'll admit, but there is a reason for all of this, I assure you."

"If you say so." Alisa said, staring at him skeptically. "It better be something really big, and it better make sense too. I'll know if you're lying!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Trust me, it's big."

It didn't take much longer for Elliot and Laura to join them. Once they had, Naruto sat down cross-legged on the ground. Motioning for the others to do the same, he held out his fist and said, "Bump your fists with mine. You'll understand in a bit, I promise."

Rean was the first one to put his fist against Naruto's. He knew from experience that Naruto could be trusted, so he didn't hesitate even for a second. Seeing this, Laura put her fist against theirs. Elliot followed shortly after. Alisa seemed to hesitate for a time before she eventually sighed and pressed her fist to theirs.

It happened in an instant. One moment they were sitting on the floor of the dorm's first floor, then the next they were in a beautiful field of flowers with large trees, a mountain range, and more all around them. However, eventually their eyes settled on an absolutely MASSIVE creature. Only, it looked pale and unhealthy. They couldn't help but feel pity for this strange creature.

"I'm sure you're probably wondering what's going on. The short answer is you're inside of my mindscape. This big guy is sealed inside of me and has been since the day I was born." Naruto said as he stepped in front of them. "His name is Kurama and he's my best friend. As you can see, Kurama's in bad shape. He's getting better, but…"

Laura frowned for a time before she asked, "Is this why you need multiple spouses?"

"In a sense? Yes. It's a bit more complicated than that, though. My friend here has turned me into what's called a hanyou, or a half-demon, I suppose might be a better term." Naruto said before showing them his true form. "As you can see, I have nine tails. Kurama currently has only three. When I was first found by Fie-chan and her family, Kurama only had a single tail left. He was on the brink of death, but Fie-chan helped me save him. You see, in order to restore Kurama to full health, I need to take multiple mates. By doing so, some of their life force will flow into me and help restore Kurama. One woman equals one tail. At least, that's how it seems to be working. I'm not entirely sure if it'll remain that way or if I'll need to take on more mates the more tails he has. All I know is I desperately want to save Kurama's life. He's getting better, but he's not out of the woods just yet. Fie-chan and Anko-chan agreed to share me, partly because they want to help save him."

Sighing softly, Naruto reached up and began to pet his friend's fur. "I'll always treasure my girlfriends. I'll always strive to make them all feel loved. I'll never favor one over the others. That's a promise I made to myself and to those two. And I've already told them that any other girl I end up with has to be approved by them. I'm not aiming to build a massive harem of girls just so I can fulfill some carnal desire. Women aren't sex objects. They are their own people and deserve to be treated as if they're all beautiful, each in their own way. I'll never hurt anyone I'm with. I've promised myself that."

Alisa frowned sadly as she walked up and tentatively reached out until her hand was resting on Kurama's nose. "You poor thing. Naruto…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you like that."

Elliot nodded and said, "We're sorry, Naruto. I know I had my doubts as well, but you really are a great guy, huh?"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "You wound me, Elliot. Here I thought we were the bestest of buddies."

The orange-haired boy chuckled softly and said, "Sorry. Sorry. It won't happen again."

Naruto smirked at him and said, "It's fine. I'm not upset with any of you. I just wanted you to understand why I'm doing this. It wasn't an easy decision to make, because I didn't want to hurt Fie-chan in any way. I was so worried about how she'd feel or what she'd do if another girl came into our lives. All because I love her and don't want to hurt her in any way." Sighing, Naruto looked at Kurama and said, "And before you ask, Rean, I'm not trying to woo any of the girls on campus or in town. I'll give out compliments and be kind to them, but I'm not attempting to woo anyone. There are some, like Linde, that I find to be really beautiful, but I'm not trying to start a relationship with anyone. Not unless everyone agrees on it."

Rean smiled at his friend and said, "I understand. This actually explains a lot. And yet, we still have so many questions. But I think we've seen enough for now. How do we leave?"

The blonde hanyou smiled and snapped his fingers, ejecting everyone from his mind.

Class VII Dormitory

Once everyone came to, Naruto helped them all to their feet and smiled sadly at them. "So there you have it. I'm trying to save Kurama, one step at a time. It could take a very long time, but so long as he survives this, I'll be happy."

Laura frowned sadly and asked, "How does one go about giving up their life force to Kurama? Is it a painful process?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "It doesn't seem to hurt, but it does feel a little weird. As for how it happens…I have to mark someone as my mate. Essentially, any girl I give my mark to will be bound to me for the rest of time. As a hanyou, both myself and my mates will live for a very, very long time."

"I see. That is something to ponder, then." Laura said quietly to herself.

Deciding not to dwell on what she just said, Naruto looked at the others and asked, "Sooo, any questions? I reserve the right to decline to answer any questions I don't feel like answering."

Elliot frowned in thought for a time before asking, "When you mark someone…do they become like you?"

"Ah, a good question from our good friend, Mr. Healer. Yes, they become a hanyou like me. Also, like me, they can hide their true selves under an illusion. I request that you not pester them to show you their true forms, though. That'd just be rude." He teased.

Elliot chuckled and said, "Of course. I was just wondering."

Alisa frowned and asked, "Will you tell us why you were almost executed?"

"Ah, now that, my dear, is a question that will have to be saved for another time. Suffice it to say, I did something that those people viewed as an unforgivable crime. Most would say I did the right thing, but the people from Konohagakure? Nope. I was a criminal from day one in their eyes." Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders.

The blonde girl pouted cutely at him, but he didn't budge. "Oh, you're no fun." Alisa said.

Naruto chuckled a bit before he looked around at everyone. "All right, enough of the Q&A for the time being. We should get out and talk to people. See if there's any new information we can glean from anybody. Afterwards, we can head to the station and board a train to Celdic. Sound good?" Alisa and the others nodded as one before they each left the dormitory together.

The first thing they saw upon exiting the dorm was the couple that lived in he house just across the street. They were whispering sweet nothings to one another and were kissing each other goodbye. The classmates didn't want to interrupt them, though Alisa did swoon a bit and say, "That is sooo sweet. They're so cute together!"

Chuckling softly, they went towards the station, only to turn and speak to Tyzel, who was standing just outside the General Goods store. "Oh! You're all from Class VII, aren't you? I've heard all about your field studies! We've opened the store earlier than usual just for you, so pop in if you need anything! Also…good luck with everything!"

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "Thank you. We really appreciate it."

Alisa giggled and said, "Awww. She's so sweet, she's making me blush."

"I got up early to help with opening the store for you all. Good luck on your field study!" Tyzel said, smiling at the quintet. Thanking the young girl again, they entered the store and approached Brandon.

"Towa told us everything there is to know about your field studies. Most of the shops'll open earlier on the days you're heading out from now on. Take it as our way of saying thanks to the Student Council for their help. Make sure you're fully stocked and ready to roll before you head out." Brandon said with a smile on his face.

"See? Helping the Student Council is good for us after all, Rean." Naruto teased.

Rean chuckled and said, "It does have its perks, I'll admit. I just wish I had more mira so I could afford everything I might need."

Naruto chuckled somewhat nervously and said, "I can afford anything we might need. That includes weapons, armor, the works. Trust me, I've got the cash to spare."

Alisa frowned slightly and asked, "How do you have that kind of money?"

The whiskered teen chuckled nervously and said, "I maaay have published some books and earned a looot of money off of the sales. They're very popular, and I've even see a few copies in the school library before."

Everyone's eyes widened for a moment before Elliot asked, "What books are you talking about, Naruto?"

"Tales of the Shinobi." Naruto said. "That and there's a few other books I've published as well. My godfather's book series, the Icha Icha books, have sold pretty well. I wouldn't expect anyone at our school to read it though unless they were a massive pervert. Like Vivi, for instance. Then there's his first book, The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi. That one sold pretty well too, and people wanted a sequel to it here, but I can't continue with my godfather's books. Sooo, I chose to start writing my own. Thus was born Tales of the Shinobi."

"Your godfather writes that smut? He must be a massive pervert to write such filthy stories." Alisa said, sounding genuinely irritated. "As for your books…think you can autograph my copies later?"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Of course. Anything for a friend." Then, his face morphed into a sad frown. "As for my godfather…he was killed a long time ago. He was a self-proclaimed super pervert, but he wasn't a horrible person. Yeah, he was neglectful and more than a little annoying, but he wasn't a terrible person."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Laura said. "That can't have been easy."

The whiskered teen shook his head and said, "It's fine. Anyways, as I said, I've got the mira to spare. So whatever we need, let's buy it and move on to the next store." Everyone nodded in agreement with that and they proceeded to buy everything they might need. Afterwards, they left and went next door to the Boutique – Le Sage.

Julia, the woman behind the counter, smiled at them and said, "Brandon, who's something of an organizer for Trista's shopping district, suggested we open early on your field study days. We thought that was a fine idea, but have no fear—the early hour won't hinder our devotion to the highest level of service."

Browsing for a while, they bought some new armor, though the girls looked like they wanted to try on some new clothes as well. However, they decided against it, as now just wasn't the time for such pleasures.

Leaving the store, they proceeded to go down to pay a visit to Micht in the pawn shop. Approaching him, they were caught off guard when he said, "So, I hear you're cutting class for a little trip into Celdic?"

Rean shook his head and said, "No, that little trip is technically for class."

"Oh, right. Well, try to stay outta trouble over there. Some of the folks over there can get pretty territorial." Micht said with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

"N-Noted…" Rean said, frowning in confusion. I wonder who he's talking about, though?

Alisa frowned and whispered to her friends, "I don't know how he expects us to be careful when he won't tell us who we're supposed to be careful OF…"

Naruto frowned in thought for a time before saying, "It doesn't matter. We'll take his advice and be on the lookout for anything or anyone that might be looking to cause trouble. If it falls within our mission parameters, we'll deal with it. Otherwise, we don't make any waves. Don't rock the boat, if you will."

The others nodded and said, "Right." before they all left Micht's Pawn Shop.

As they approached Kirsche's Café & Inn, they spotted a mysterious woman coming out of the Trista Radio Station. Naruto watched as she stretched her arms out above her head before mumbling something to herself. As she walked by them, Naruto's eyes narrowed and he thought silently to himself. Hello 'Misty'. There's definitely something off about you. Just what are you up to, I wonder?

"I guess she must work at the radio station. She looked dead on her feet…" Elliot said.

Rean nodded and said, "Radio Trista has some late-night broadcasts, so she was probably up all night."

Alisa frowned slightly and said, "Oh? I wouldn't have taken you for the radio-listening type." Maybe I should tune in sometime, too…

"I believe we've spent more than enough time here. As soon as we've finished preparing, we should head to the station." Laura said before she cast her gaze on Naruto. "Naruto? You've been silent since seeing that woman. Have her natural charms got you under a spell?"

The whiskered blonde blinked and looked at her. "Say what now? No. No, that's not it. Something about her is just…different. I don't like it. But enough about that, we should continue on. I want to see if anyone has any decent information they feel like sharing and I'd personally like to go see George about tuning up my ARCUS."

"Good idea. Let's go team." Rean said before he began to lead the way again.

As they walked back towards Kirsche's Café, Laura couldn't help but watch Naruto carefully for a time. Naruto's senses are sharpened to such a fine hone. I think we should trust in his suspicions.

Bypassing the other shops, they headed into the church as per Naruto's request. The first thing they did was enter the room on the right and talk to Sister Ornella. "Rosine came to visit this morning before making her way to the academy. My, what a diligent girl. Quite a lovely one, too. I'm certain she'll become a splendid sister in the future. All I need to do now is prepare a habit for her."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "So I was right. It is Rosine that wanted to study under you here. Good for her. I'm sure she'll make an excellent sister."

Ornella giggled and said, "I agree. You be nice to her, you hear me Naruto?"

The blonde chuckled again and said, "Of course. We haven't really talked much, but I hope she and I can become good friends, given enough time."

"Good. Now, I hear you're going on a field study. I shall be praying to Aidios that you will all be safe." Ornella said.

"Thank you, Sister. Be well." Naruto said before they left the room and proceeded up the stairs and down the aisle. Stopping before the pew, Naruto knelt down and held his hands together in prayer. Dear Aidios, thank you for hearing my plea. What you have done for me is far more than I deserve. I promise you here and now, I'll continue with my prayers and I'll do everything I can to prove I am worthy of your blessing. You have my sincerest gratitude. I know Anko-chan will gladly pray to you as well for reuniting us. I have to go now, so I bid you farewell. Be well, Aidios-sama. Once his prayer was done, Naruto rose and smiled at his friends. "I am ready. Let's go."

Proceeding to the campus grounds, they entered the school library and approached Instructor Thomas. "Heya Instructor. You're here awfully early." Naruto greeted.

Turning around to face the students, Thomas smiled and said, "I always strive for greater knowledge, Uzumaki. Anyways, you're heading to Celdic for your very first field study, I hear. Oh, how enviable! It's home to some of the finest produce in the entire Empire! I can only imagine the meals you all will have! Oh, and how could I forget the Lunaria Nature Park? I've read that it's a wonderful place for a hike! I have to admit that I'm jealous! I've always wanted to take a vacation there…"

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "It's pretty much the exact opposite of a vacation…"

While Elliot just chuckled for a moment, Thomas looked each of them in the eyes for a time before saying, "In ancient times, the people of Celdic greatly revered the spirts of the region. Ahhh, I can hardly contain my envy! I'm tempted to cast all my work aside and tag along!"

Naruto chuckled at this point and said, "Too bad Instructor. You're needed here to continue teaching those fresh, young minds. They need you far more than we do."

"Ahh, too true. Too true. Oh well, one can always dream, I suppose. Do be careful out there, all of you. Come back to us safe and sound. And do be sure to share your experiences there with me! I'm eager to hear all about your time in Celdic." Thomas said before bidding them a good day.

Exiting the library, they soon proceeded to enter the Student Union building. After talking to James and Samantha, they approached Instructor Makarov, who was eating breakfast while reading an article of some kind. After yawning rather loudly for a time, he turned towards them and began to speak. "You won't see me around here too often. Normally, everything I eat comes from a can, but I just ran out. That's not a shot against the food or anything. It's actually pretty tasty for the price. I just usually can't be bothered with walking over here from the main building…"

Alisa sweatdropped and said, "Should you really be admitting such a thing to your students?"

Makarov shrugged in response before his eyes went to a particular article. "Hmm… Now this IS a pretty interesting article. Boosting the output of orbal mechanisms through mass parallel processing seems pretty handy… Maybe I should pass this along to George."

Naruto blinked a couple of times before you could practically see smoke pouring out of his ears. "Uhhh, you've totally lost me. Good for you and George though. Yeah." And with that, they said goodbye to Makarov and left before he could continue with the technical jargon. Maybe I need to study more. I didn't understand any of that.

Going upstairs, they entered the Student Council office where Towa was already busy as can be with work. "Morning, everyone!"

Naruto smiled at her and said, "Good morning, Towa-chan."

"Good morning." Rean and the others said. "How's it going?"

"You're here awfully early…" Elliot said.

Towa giggled somewhat nervously and said, "Well, I've got a lot of work to take care of today. So I might as well get a jump-start on it before lessons start."

"Wow. That's some real dedication." Rean said.

"Oh, yeah. You have your field study today, right? I'm sure it'll be hard work, but the instructors wouldn't send you out if it wouldn't pay off in the end. So give it everything you've got, and be sure to tell me all about it when you get back!" Towa said with a bright smile on her face.

"We will. Thanks for the support!" Alisa said.

"We won't let you down." Laura said.

"Your field studies will be tough, but I'm sure they'll help you all learn and grow. Go out there, do what you have to do, and come back safe and sound!" Towa encouraged them.

"Of course Towa-chan. You take care of yourself, too. And don't work yourself too hard!" Naruto stressed before poking Towa's nose lightly. "You should take a break every now and again so you don't burn yourself out. Please?"

Towa pouted cutely for a time before sighing and nodding her head somewhat reluctantly. "Very well. I'll try to remember to take a short break every now and again. It might be nice to clear my head a little, I suppose."

"Thank you. Remember, Towa-chan, I'm always here to support you. Well, for the most part. I obviously won't be here when on a field study…" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head.

Towa simply giggled in response before waving her hand in a shooing motion. "Go on, get going. All of you should finish preparing and hurry to the station. You don't want to be late, after all."

"Right. Thanks again, Towa!" Alisa said before she and her teammates left the room and then the Student Union building. Immediately afterwards, they proceeded next door to the Engineering Club building and entered.

Seeing them, George offered them a smile and a wave. "You're headed out on a field study today, aren't you? Feels pretty good to see all our hard work finally paying off like this!" Seeing their confusion, the portly boy chuckled and said, "Never mind. It's nothing important. What IS important, though, is making sure you're well prepared before we send you off! If you need me to take a look at your ARCUS, just ask."

"That's actually part of the reason we're here." Naruto admitted. "We were hoping to upgrade our ARCUS units a bit more. Unlock more slots and whatnot, you know? Might not have a lot of sepith at the moment, but we'll do what we can."

"Sounds good to me. Come on, let me have a look at them." George said before he took their ARCUS units and began to tinker with them as per their requests. Once he was finished, he handed them back to their individual owners and said, "That should do it. If you want any quartz made, just let me know."

"Thanks George!" Alisa exclaimed. "This'll definitely come in handy. You take care, okay?"

"Of course. You lot be careful out there. Don't do anything reckless!" George said as he watched them leave. Heh, they're gonna be just fine.

After leaving the Engineering Club building, they proceeded to the garden and talked to Edel for a little while before they made their way to the academy field. They could see Paula and Lambert tending to the horses and chose to leave them to it. Instead, they proceeded to the lacrosse field and spoke to Emily. "Mornin', Alisa!"

"Good morning. You look surprisingly chipper, given how early it is." Alisa replied.

"Well, I actually really like morning practice. No better way to wake yourself up! You're off on a field study today, right? Kick that field study's ass and tell me all about it when you're done!" Emily said with a grin on her face.

Alisa giggled and said, "Thanks. I'll try my best!"

"You know, Theresia can't really make morning practice thanks to her low blood pressure. So, you're gonna be joining me in her place once you're back!" Emily said.

"Sure." Alisa said, smiling brightly at the club captain. Afterwards, they returned to town and entered the train station. It was time to make their way to Celdic via train.

Upon entering the station, they saw the members of Group B standing together, obviously waiting for their train. It was obvious to them that Jusis and Machias still weren't getting along, but they had come to expect that by now. Approaching them, Naruto stepped up to his girlfriends and hugged them close, giving each of them a kiss on the lips. "Be safe out there, okay?"

Anko grinned and said, "Sure Foxy, no problem! We'll be just fine, just you wait and see. Though…"

Fie nodded and looked at Machias and Jusis. "They're going to be a pain."

Naruto nodded and said, "That was to be expected. Just be careful and watch each other's backs, okay?"

They nodded as one before they listened to Emma say, "Oh, good morning, everyone!"

Gaius smiled at his classmates and asked, "Are you all preparing to leave as well?"

Fie looked at the other members of Group A and gave a small wave. "Morning."

Rean smiled at the members of Group B and said, "Good morning."

"You're all good to go, then?" Alisa asked.

"Yes. Parm is quite a distance from here. We're not likely to arrive before evening." Emma explained.

"Hmm… Considering its relative location, that seems to be an accurate estimate." Laura said.

"I guess it is the southernmost town in Erebonia. Makes you realize just how big the Empire is." Elliot said. "But…umm…"

Everyone looked at Machias and Jusis at this point and released simultaneous sighs. "You're in for a loooong trip if this keeps up." Naruto said.

"They're still at it, huh?" Alisa whispered.

"Have they been like this the entire time?" Rean asked.

"I'm afraid so." Gaius admitted.

"I think we may have underestimated how deeply rooted their differences are." Emma said sadly.

"I'm sick of them already." Fie admitted. "If they keep this up, one of us will probably end up hurting them. Maybe me."

Naruto chuckled softly and said, "Just go easy on them, okay sweetheart? You two be safe out there. I'll miss you."

"Miss you too." Fie said as she nuzzled her head against his chest. "Love you."

Anko grinned as she kissed Naruto on the lips tenderly. "Love you too, Naruto-kun."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "I love you girls. Thank Aidios for bringing us together like this."

Laura sighed as she watched Machias and Jusis. "If only they were more willing to put aside their differences and work together as Naruto said the other day."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Might take drastic measures to get the point across to them. I certainly hope it doesn't come to that, though."

Before anyone could say anything more, an announcement was broadcast throughout the station. "Passenger service bound for…Heimdallr…now arriving on Platform 2. We ask that all customers utilizing this service please wait on the platform until the train has come to a complete stop."

Jusis scoffed before walking off towards the train platform. Machias grumbled for a moment before looking at the other members of Group B. "Time to go." And with that, he walked off as well.

Rean sighed before saying, "Best of luck to you. Here's hoping you don't need it, though."

"Getting those two to work together sure doesn't seem like it'll be an easy task." Elliot said.

"We'll do what we can. And if that doesn't work, I can always play 'hide the snake' with them until they agree to work together." Anko said with a sadistic grin on her face.

Rean sweatdropped and said, "Umm…I don't think I want to imagine that kind of game. It sounds dangerous."

"Oh, that's because it is. It's also quite painful too, I would imagine." Anko said before she turned and skipped off.

Fie giggled and said, "I like her." before she too walked off to join the other members of Group B.

Gaius sweatdropped and said, "Well, at least they're getting along rather well. You are a lucky man, Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto blushed a bit and scratched the tip of his nose. "Thanks Gaius. Take care of yourselves out there, all of you. Who knows what might happen on this field study? It's best to be careful and focus on your safety first. I just hope those two don't get you guys or themselves hurt out there."

Emma smiled thankfully at him and said, "We'll be careful. You all take care of yourselves too. Goodbye for now!"

After the members of Group B were gone, Elliot said, "I wonder if they'll be okay…"

"Well, as long as they've got those four with them, I'm sure everything will be just fine. Hopefully." Rean said.

"I'm concerned for them as well, but I believe we should be focusing on our own trials right now." Laura suggested.

"You're right." Rean said. "Let's go buy our tickets."

Approaching the counter, they listened as Matilda said, "Welcome! You're the students from Class VII, correct? And your destination today is…Celdic?"

"That's right." Naruto said.

"Guess they're ready and waiting for us." Elliot said.

"I suspect Instructor Sara made considerable preparations on our behalf." Laura said.

"Sure looks that way. Not that I'm complaining!" Alisa said.

"The train for Celdic will be departing from Platform 1. It's not due just yet, but you can buy your tickets in advance if you'd like, and wait for its arrival." Matilda explained.

"We'd like to order them now." Rean said.

"Very good. That's five passengers bound for Celdic… I'll have those tickets for you in just a moment."

After a short period of time, she gave them their tickets and then watched as they proceeded down to the train platform to await the arrival of their train.

On the Train

After boarding the train and taking their seats, the party of five waited for the train to take off. Shortly after it did, Elliot said, "Umm… So, it's about an hour to Celdic from here, right?"

"Yes, I believe so." Laura said. "I had to change trains there when I originally came to Trista."

"Oh, right. You're from Legram…" Rean said.

"That would be in the direction of Bareahard after changing at Celdic, right?" Alisa questioned.

"That's correct. After which point, it would be necessary to switch again at Bareahard. It's situated in a very remote part of the country." Laura explained.

Rean chuckled and said, "Well, you could say the same for where I'm from, too. As I understand it, Celdic's mostly known as a merchant town, right?"

"Yeah, that's been their main source of tourism for some time, mostly thanks to the Grand Market." Elliot said.

"Unfortunately, with the large increase to their taxes, things aren't so great there right now." Naruto said with a frown on his face. "You can blame Duke Albarea for that, I'm afraid."

"Regardless, it couldn't hurt to go over what we know about the town before we get there." Alisa said. "As Elliot stated, Celdic is a market town at its core. It's in the eastern province of Kreuzen, and has been a major trading hub for a very long time. It's also a major interchange station, connecting Heimdallr with Bareahard and even Crossbell."

"The area itself is known for having a large number of granaries. Though this has, of course, been overshadowed in recent years by the aforementioned Grand Market. Virtually anything can be procured there, from farm produce, jewels, and Bareahard furs to imported goods from afar." Laura explained.

"That does sound awfully impressive." Rean said.

"I'm kinda looking forward to this now!" Elliot exclaimed joyfully.

Naruto shook his head sadly and said, "Something tells me this isn't going to be much of a pleasure cruise. No, we're going to see and experience things in a whole new way, I'm sure of it."

Alisa sighed and said, "Naruto's right. I'd be excited for it too, if I knew we'd actually have a chance to take in the sights. But there's no telling what kind of crazy thing Instructor Sara has planned for us. That, and there's no telling what could happen. I get the feeling we're going to be very busy pretty much from the get-go."

"Boy, isn't that the truth?" Elliot said with a sigh.

Rean shook his head and said, "I can't even hazard a guess as to what this 'field study' might involve. Being part of our curriculum, though, it's a safe bet to assume it won't be easy."

Naruto shrugged and said, "I have my suspicions, but we'll see when we get there. As you said though, it probably won't be easy."

"If it were, it would hardly be worth the trip. Personally, I'm looking forward to learning the true nature of our excursion." Laura said.

"I-I suppose that is a good way to look at it…" Elliot said a bit unsurely.

"Well, we'll find our answer when we get there. We're supposed to drop by the inn as soon as we arrive. There should be an envelope waiting for us there with details on our mission." Rean said.

"Yeah, that's right. Still, this whole trip seems eerily well-planned out, don't you think? Even the station employees knew we were coming…" Alisa said.

"That just goes to show how high the academy's expectations are for all of you!" a familiar voice could be heard saying. When Sara walked up to them a moment later, Naruto grinned at her.

"Heya Sara-chan. I figured you were here." Naruto said.

"You did? Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Elliot asked. Naruto simply shrugged in response.

"I-Instructor…?" Rean asked uncertainly.

"I was wondering why you were nowhere to be seen this morning." Laura said.

"Looks like Group A's all present and accounted for. Good, good. I'm relieved to see that you're all getting along splendidly. Ever since Anko appeared, you've all been a bit distant from Naruto. I was a little worried that things might not work out too well for this team, after all." Sara said.

"You say that as if it's old news! Have you been spying on us this whole time?!" Alisa questioned, sounding a tad angry.

"So, umm…what brings you here, Instructor? I thought you were planning on staying back at the academy?" Rean asked.

"Well, considering this is your first time out in the field, I assumed you'd be positively lost without me! So I decided to stick around at least until you've finished checking in at the inn." Sara explained.

"Oh. W-Well, thanks, I guess. But…" Alisa started to say, only to pause.

"I think Group B could've used your help a little more…" Elliot said.

"Would it not have been better for you to accompany the others?" Laura questioned.

"Aww, but they'd be a nightmare to deal with…I may still have to go to them, though, if those two get out of control. But, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!" Sara said, laughing for a moment afterwards.

"See? She knew full well that Jusis and Machias wouldn't get along, but put them in the same group anyway!" Alisa whispered harshly to her teammates.

"I did suspect as much, but it's hard to believe she'd confirm it so nonchalantly…" Rean said.

Naruto shook his head and said, "It's not just that, though. She genuinely wants to ensure we get settled in properly and know what we're getting into. Like I said before, I have my suspicions about the true nature of this field study. We shall see though."

At this point, Sara turned and sat down in a seat across from them. "Anyway, don't pay me any mind! You five feel free to keep talking. I didn't get any sleep last night, so I'm just going to take a little nap right here."

Naruto raised a brow in curiosity at this, but didn't say anything in response. Instead, Rean started to ask, "Wha…?!" only to watch as Sara fell asleep rather quickly.

"Sh-She's asleep already?!" Elliot asked in shock.

"Incredible…" Laura said.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone less inclined to be an educator than her." Alisa said.

"M-Maybe we're better off just letting her sleep…" Rean said uncertainly.

Naruto shook his head, but didn't say anything. She may be asleep, but she's still quite aware of what's going on around her. The Purple Lightning. She doesn't disappoint, that's for sure.

Now that they had some time, Rean decided to speak with his fellow classmates and try to learn a little more about them. Deciding to start with Naruto, he asked, "Naruto, how do you feel about all of this? You've hinted that you know more than any of us about the true nature of these field studies. I'm curious to know what you mean."

Seeing everyone turn their attention onto him, Naruto shrugged and said, "Like I said, I have my suspicions. Sadly, they're nothing more than that. It ties in with all the work we had to do for the Student Council, though. We received a bunch of requests and were tasked with completing them, whether they were mandatory or not. What does that kind of work remind you of, Rean?"

Rean took a while to think on it, pondering over every little detail. When it finally came to him, his eyes widened and he said, "The bracer guild. Those tasks were just like what I heard the bracers take care of. They do a little bit of everything, and some requests need to be dealt with in a timely manner while others aren't an immediate concern. Bracers do such a wide variety of requests, I'm surprised I didn't realize it sooner. You've got a sharper mind than I do, Naruto."

The blonde simply shrugged and returned to staring out the window. "Nah. I'm just used to looking underneath the underneath. And before you ask, it's just one of those things you'll have to figure out for yourselves. I can't really explain it to you."

Nodding, accepting that answer to the unasked question, Rean turned to Alisa. "When I came to the academy, I never thought I'd find myself visiting the Grand Market of Celdic as part of my studies. I've read about it before, but this will be my first time seeing the place in person." She admitted.

"Oh, really?" Rean questioned. "Well, field study or no, then, I guess it's still something to look forward to. Is there anything in particular you're hoping to see there?"

"Hmm… The gems and furs from Bareahard, maybe? They say some of the highest-quality goods produced by Bareahard's artisans are sold at the Grand Market." Alisa said.

"That sounds like it would be worth seeing for sure…though somehow, I doubt we'll be able to afford anything there. Still, if we get a chance, we should go check it out together while we're in town." Rean said.

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "With the tax spikes and other crap going on there, I wouldn't be surprised if the prices were too steep for even my liking."

Ignoring Naruto's pessimism, Alisa smiled at Rean and said, "That sounds like fun. I have to admit, I'm starting to get a little bit excited now. I mean, this is the Grand Market we're talking about!"

"Just be sure you don't let it distract you too much from the reason we're going to Celdic in the first place." Rean teased.

"I know, I know!" Alisa said, pouting cutely afterwards.

At this point, he looked at Elliot when he began to speak. "Hey, almost forgot I had these. I just picked them up on a whim a little while ago." He said as he held up a deck of Blade cards.

"Oh, you have a pack, too?" Rean asked. "I just got a set of my own from the pawn shop in Trista."

"Really? That's perfect, then!" Elliot exclaimed. "How about we play a few hands? Seems like we've got some time to kill before we arrive."

"Do you know the rules?" Rean asked.

"Yeah. They're not that complicated, so I don't think anyone here will have any trouble picking it up." Elliot said.

"Sounds like a good way to pass the time to me." Alisa said.

"Indeed, it seems like it could be an enjoyable diversion." Laura said.

"All right. Let's give it a try, then." Rean said.

Elliot chuckled a bit and said, "I'm glad I brought these now. Playing this should make our rail journeys go by in no time! I'll have to recommend the game to Group B, too."

Naruto grinned and held up his Blade deck. "I'm looking forward to playing you guys. This'll be fun." he said before looking into Elliot's eyes. "Let's go a few rounds Elliot. I wanna see how I stack up against you."

Elliot smiled at him and said, "Definitely. I'm going to win, though." Elliot said confidently.

"We'll just see about that." Naruto said with a chuckle before he and Elliot began to play against each other.

Meanwhile, Rean decided to strike up a conversation with Laura. "I do wonder what, precisely, these field study trips will involve. I can't even fathom a guess. I would assume Naruto is correct, but to what extent, I do not know."

"Likewise." Rean said. "The weirdest part, for me, is the divide between Group A and Group B. Why were we split up and sent to different places? And most bizarrely of all, why were Machias and Jusis placed in the same group? It's like they're just asking for trouble!"

"It does seem quite illogical. I can only assume there's a hidden purpose to these trips beyond what we've been told. Perhaps multiple purposes, requiring multiple groups to fulfill." Laura said.

"Yeah, that's my best guess, too. There has to be something going on behind the scenes here. Which is why I wanted to ask Instructor Sara a few more questions, but…well…" Rean said as both he and Laura looked at the peacefully sleeping instructor. "I don't think she'll be doing much answering."

"Perhaps she fell asleep deliberately to avoid addressing such concerns. Our instructor is quite the…formidable…opponent." Laura said.

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "That's one way to describe her. Guess we're just going to have to work out the meaning of these field study trips on our own."

"I think Machias and Jusis were placed on the same team in the hopes that they could work out their differences and really learn to work together, despite their many differences." Naruto said, glancing at the two of them for a moment. "It's important that we, as members of Class VII, learn how to work together and push past our differences. Just like we did before leaving the dormitory. Unity is a key part of our class. At least, that's my feeling, anyways."

"Makes sense. I guess we'll just have to wait and see to be sure, though." Rean said, watching as Naruto placed down a Bolt card. Elliot frowned as he was forced to play a 1 card to save his card, causing Naruto to chuckle.

Shrugging it off, Laura looked into Rean's eyes and said, "I have no idea what may be waiting for us in Celdic…but let us be certain we hold nothing back."

Rean frowned in confusion for a time before saying, "Of course. I…wasn't planning on it."

Laura frowned at him for a moment before she chanced a glance at Naruto. "I get the feeling he'll be holding back, though I can't imagine why."

Rean chuckled for a moment and said, "Something tells me that, if he's allowed to run wild, we'll never have the chance to grow. I won't complain about him holding back if it means we can slowly start to bridge the overwhelming gap between us."

Before Laura could reply, Elliot shouted, "Aww! I lost! I thought I was doing so well too!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and said, "Honestly? You played really well. It was just a bad luck of the draw. Then again…"

Alisa frowned for a time before she said, "Your luck is weird…isn't it?"

The whiskered teen chuckled a bit and said, "Yep. When it comes to games like this, my luck is really good. But when it comes to missions and such? My luck's absolute crap."

"Wonderful." Alisa said sarcastically. Then she turned to Laura and held up her Blade deck. "Let's go a round, Laura."

The blue-haired girl said, "Sure. I won't go down without a fight."

Rean looked over at the instructor and frowned as she mumbled something in her sleep. "She really is fast asleep."

"Out like a baby…" Elliot said.

Laura shook her head and said, "I've never seen even a child fall asleep quite as quickly as that."

"I know I sure couldn't. She must have a natural talent for sleeping." Alisa said before returning her focus to her game. Seeing Laura use a Mirror card, she frowned before slamming down a Bolt card, causing Laura to frown for a time before she made her move.

"Well, let's not disturb her." Rean said. Afterwards, he and the other members of Group A began to play Blade against one another, figuring it was a good way to pass the time.

Later

After they had finished playing Blade to pass the time, they chanced a glance outside. "Ah…" Rean said as he caught a glimpse of the lush plains, the windmills, and everything else that they were passing by.

"Wow!" Elliot exclaimed.

"It's beautiful…" Alisa said, clearly in awe of what she was seeing.

"What a spectacular view." Laura said. "The rye planted last fall seems almost ready for harvesting."

"Now? I thought rye could only be harvested in the fall…" Elliot said, clearly confused.

"Well, the soil in this area is supposed to be extra fertile due to the warmer climate, so things are a little different here. The view really is amazing, though. It looks like something out of a painting." Rean said.

Before anymore could be said, an announcement came over the speakers. "The Ministry of Railways wishes to thank all passengers for their patronage. This transcontinental train is bound for Crossbell. The next stop is…Celdic. Celdic. Passengers traveling to…Bareahard…please change trains at this stop."

"Almost there!" Alisa exclaimed excitedly.

"Guess I should wake Instructor Sara…" Rean said.

When they turned to wake Sara, they saw Naruto standing there poking her nose and saying, "Boop. Boop. Boop. Boop. Boop." Sweatdropping, they watched as she opened her eyes and smacked his hand away.

"Stop doing that already. I'm awake." She grumbled out.

Naruto chuckled and said, "Sorry. I couldn't resist. Anyways, we're here. We should prooobably get off the train now."

Sara yawned and said, "Yeah, sure. Still feel kinda sleepy, but whatever." And with that, she led Group A off of the train and into the town of Celdic.

"Wow, so this is Celdic." Elliot said as he looked around the immediate area.

"It seems like a really relaxing little town, though there are a lot more people here than I expected." Rean said.

"I imagine they've come for the Grand Market." Laura said. "Even merchants from other countries regularly come to see it."

"Sounds like this place is as popular with the tourists as the capital, then, but for a whole different set of reasons." Alisa said.

"Celdic's also widely renowned for their local beer, which they make using rye. But you're all still minors, so I'm the only one here who gets to drink it!" Sara exclaimed, sounding positively giddy.

Naruto chuckled and said, "I swear, you and Anko-chan have got to be long lost sisters or something. She's as crazy about dango as you are about beer."

"Are you…trying to make us jealous?" Rean asked.

"We don't really care, you know." Alisa said, staring at Sara with a deadpan expression on her face.

"Anyway! Let me show you to the inn. It's, uh…right over there." Sara said, pointing towards a large building across the way.

"Okay." Elliot said.

"Let's go." Rean said.

As they walked along towards the inn, Naruto frowned and glanced behind them at a strange man that seemed to be watching them. Hmm… Shrugging it off, he turned and followed after his friends.

"Well, well…I hadn't expected to see the Purple Lightning herself in such a quaint little town. Hmm… And the chicks with her seem like an interesting lot, too… Especially that blonde one. He's a sharp one, I'll give him that. But no time for that now. I have more pressing matters to attend to." The mystery man said before he turned and walked away. That boy is sharp for one so young. He'll require keeping an eye on for sure.

Inn

"Hey there, Margot." Sara said as she approached the owner of the inn.

"Well, if it isn't Sara! What are you doing here? I knew the kids were coming, but I didn't think you'd be coming with them." Margot said.

"Oh, I just figured I'd help them get settled in before I left. And, here they are! My lovely students." Sara said, motioning towards the five members of Class VII.

"Well, now, aren't they a youthful-looking bunch!" Margot said.

Naruto blinked as he had flashbacks of Lee and Guy and their behavior. "Please don't say that again. Just the word 'youth' is enough to remind me of something truly traumatizing."

Margot and the others blinked, but not one of them said a word. Instead, Rean smiled and politely said, "It's a pleasure to meet you. We're first-year students from Thors Military Academy, Class VII. I'm Rean."

"I'm Alisa. Thank you for putting us up." The blonde girl said with a smile on her face.

"The name's Naruto. You have my thanks." Naruto said.

"I am Laura, and my friend here is Elliot. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Laura said, introducing both herself and Elliot.

"The pleasure's all mine, I assure you. I'm Margot, the owner of this humble establishment. Sara here has taken care of all your arrangements. Come, I'll show you to your room." Margot said.

"Thank you, ma'am." Elliot said.

"Much obliged." Laura said. And with that, Margot began leading the team towards their room.

"I'll leave you to it, then!" Sara exclaimed. "Louise, can I get some beer and snacks?"

"I'll bring them right over!" Louise shouted. "You do know it's not even noon, though, right?"

Meanwhile, upstairs, Margot stopped just outside one of the rooms and turned to face the members of Class VII. "This is the room you're all going to be staying in tonight."

Naruto blinked and asked, "Umm…all of us? Are you sure?"

"Wait. We're…all…?" Alisa asked, not quite sure she had heard that right.

"Yeah, this is…" Rean started to say, only to pause as he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say in this moment.

"More than enough space for our needs. Thank you very much." Laura said with a small smirk on her face.

"B-But there are five beds, which means…" Elliot said, sounding just a tad unsure.

"A-Are you suggesting we sleep in the same room as the boys?!" Alisa exclaimed in shock.

"I had my doubts about that, too. But Sara insisted, so that was that!" Margot explained. "I broke the beds into groups of two to make things less awkward, but that was about the best I could manage. Well, three beds on one side and two on the other, anyways."

"I-I…don't…" Alisa stuttered, unable to utter even a single sentence.

"This is going to be a problem." Rean said.

Elliot smiled awkwardly and said, "I don't have a problem with it, personally. But I can't imagine the girls will be quite as accepting."

Laura turned to Alisa and said, "Alisa, I don't believe we have a choice here. We are military students. We mustn't allow the prospect of mixed-gender accommodations to faze us."

"I-I know that, but…" Alisa said unsurely.

"In the army, women share rooms with men. It's a fact of life, born of necessity. You will need to adjust to this reality sooner or later. And this does seem a perfect opportunity." Laura explained.

"Okay, okay! I get it! But if either of you three come anywhere near our beds…" she threatened, looking angrily at the boys.

Naruto shook his head and said, "Relax. If need be, I can put up a barrier that separates you two from us guys. Nobody will be able to cross through to your side and vice versa. I'd need to change things up a bit as compared to a regular barrier seal, but…"

"No, there is no need to go that far, Naruto." Laura said. "We trust you three. Isn't that right, Alisa?"

The blonde girl sighed and said, "Yeah, yeah. Just…promise you won't try anything funny?"

Naruto placed his hand over his heart and said, "Alisa-chan, I will never invade your privacy like that. I promise that you will be safe here, with us. We would never betray your trust like that."

Elliot chuckled somewhat nervously and said, "I wouldn't dream of it!"

"Likewise." Rean said sincerely.

Alisa sighed and said, "I wasn't talking about you Elliot. I was just referencing these two."

Naruto sighed and facepalmed. "I swear, even after everything, you still seem to have little faith in me."

The blonde girl frowned and shook her head. "I-It's not that, Naruto! I just…"

The whiskered teen said, "It's fine. I understand. We won't peep on you."

"Th-Thank you." Alisa said.

Once they were all settled in, Margot smiled at them and said, "Anyway, now that your room's all sorted, let me give you this."

Taking the envelope from the inn's owner, Rean looked it over and asked, "Isn't that…our academy's emblem?"

"Does this contain the details of our assignment here?" Laura asked.

"That's what I've been told, yes. Well, if you need anything during your stay, you just let me know. For now, I'll leave you to get settled in." Margot said before she turned and left the room.

Once she was gone, Alisa looked at Rean and said, "All right. Shall we have a look inside?"

"Yeah." Elliot said.

"Okay, let's see what we've got…" Rean said before he opened the envelope and took out the documents contained within. There were two mandatory tasks listed and one optional. Deciding to read the optional one first, he read the task aloud.

"Task – For the Common Cold

Client – Father Zirbel

I've run out of some of the ingredients I need to make a particular medicine. I would very much appreciate it if someone could procure more for me.

Please speak with me in the church for further details.

-Father Zirbel"

"Huh, sounds simple enough." Naruto said. "What about the two mandatory ones?"

Rean nodded and began to read the tasks aloud once again.

"Task – East Celdic Highway Monster

Client – Syro

A dangerous monster has appeared near the highway and is making it very difficult for us to harvest our crops. Could someone please help us?

Monster: Scary Dinosaur

Location: A plateau near the East Celdic Highway.

My house is alongside the East Celdic Highway, please stop by if you can.

-Syro"

"Task – Any Bright Ideas?

Client – Samus

I need someone to replace a malfunctioning orbment light in a road lamp for me.

For more details, see me at Oddvin's Arms & Orbal Factory.

-Samus"

Afterwards, he read aloud once again, "Study area is defined as a 200 selge radius around Celdic. Each student must record his or her activities daily, to be remitted to the instructor upon request."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Just like a bracer's requests. Just as I thought. This should be fun."

"So…this is our 'field study'?" Alisa questioned unsurely.

Elliot frowned in thought for a time before looking at Naruto. "It just looks like a list of menial tasks to me. You're saying this is the kind of thing bracers do?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yep. Fie-chan and I learned a bit about them while with our family. We never really bothered with them, but we learned about the kinds of tasks they undertake. It's like D-rank missions back in Konohagakure, only these seem more meaningful to me."

"Well, at least there's a monster elimination request. But that's the most we have." Laura said.

"I see. We should go and talk this over with Instructor Sara." Rean said. "She probably stuck around specifically to answer any questions we might have."

"Hmm. You may be right." Laura said.

"A-And while we're at it, we can grill her about this communal room she signed us up for, too!" Alisa exclaimed angrily. Afterwards, they left their room and proceeded to enter a nearby room where they found a woman named Annabelle.

"This truly is the very image of a commoner's lodging. I mustn't complain, though. Having shelter from the elements is all I should be asking for." The woman said, frowning just slightly.

Deciding to leave her to it, they proceeded downstairs where they saw Sara imbibing numerous mugs of beer. Ignoring her for the time being, they eavesdropped on the conversation taking place between a man named Old Man York and the man across from him, named Lenz. "The key to being a successful merchant is knowing what the other party wants."

"I see, I see. How does one go about that, though?" Lenz asked.

"Learning that requires listening to tales of my past achievements first. You see, my sheer skill when it comes to dealing with others allowed me to become very popular with the ladies. As a result, I was able to become close to more women than you could possibly fit into this room." York said, a sly grin on his face.

Lenz sweatdropped and said, "Umm… This story is of no interest to me whatsoever…"

"Trust me! This is entirely related to your interests. Being popular with the ladies and being successful as a businessman are closely linked. That is a universal truth." York said.

Naruto facepalmed at this and shook his head in disbelief. "Let's just ignore the perverted old man and talk to Sara-chan, shall we?"

"Agreed." Alisa said, unable to bear being around a perverted old man right now.

Approaching Sara, they watched as she downed the contents of another mug before sighing contently. "Nothing hits the spot quite like a cold beer!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"She looks like she's having the time of her life." Elliot said with a chuckle following.

"How many pints has she downed already?! It's not even noon!" Alisa questioned.

Turning to the teenagers, Sara asked, "Oh, you kids are still here? I'll just be hanging back and enjoying myself, so go on ahead and get started! Don't mind me!"

"W-We have questions for you, though!" Alisa exclaimed. "What's with these field study tasks?!"

"I'm glad they're not as difficult as I was expecting, but they're just…so…" Elliot said, not quite sure how to finish his sentence.

"Mmm… Well, it makes sense you'd have some doubts. You only need to do the ones it says are required, though. Feel free to just ignore the rest if you want. I don't care! It's up to you how much or how little you wanna do." Sara said with an uncaring shrug.

Laura hummed to herself in thought. Meanwhile, Alisa exclaimed, "S-Stop being so irresponsible and—"

"Wait." Rean said. "These kinds of decisions are as much a part of our field study as the tasks themselves."

"Yep. Best to go with the flow and not question it so much." Naruto said. "If we want to earn top marks on these field studies, I suggest we do all the tasks assigned to us, not just the mandatory ones. It's best not to complain so much and just enjoy ourselves on these field studies. We get to explore new locations and learn more about the people and the Empire. These field studies will allow us to branch out more and learn about the locales we'll be visiting."

Sara nodded and said, "Give the kid a prize! He's got a good head on his shoulders. So stop worrying so much about everything and just go with the flow. You might find that you actually enjoy yourselves." After taking a moment to think it over, she said, "You have two days. Trista isn't far from here, so you'll be returning to the academy tomorrow evening. Until then, you can spend your time here however the five of you see fit. Every decision rests on your shoulders. I won't be forcing you to do a thing."

Afterwards, Naruto nodded and turned, motioning for his teammates to follow him outside. Once the door shut behind them, Alisa looked between Naruto and Rean. "Okay, so what's up?"

Rean frowned for a moment and said, "This ties in with what Naruto and I did during our free day. We spent the day doing various tasks for the Student Council. And while one of them did involve going back into that old schoolhouse…the rest were just simple requests for assistance from the locals."

"In other words…" Alisa said.

"Exactly the sort of thing we've been asked to do here." Elliot finished for her.

"And by the time we'd taken care of everything, I felt like I'd learned a lot about Trista and the academy. So I think we've been given similar tasks here for a similar reason. Just as Naruto was saying before, actually." Rean said.

"That would definitely make sense." Alisa said. "I mean, all I know about Celdic is what I've read…"

"There's probably a lot we can learn by actually coming here and helping people out like this." Elliot said.

"Indeed. The land of Erebonia is quite vast. This may be an invaluable opportunity to gather local knowledge of a place we may otherwise never have visited." Laura said.

"Yeah, exactly." Rean said. "So whatever various and sundry things Instructor Sara may have planned for us…I say we just work our way down the list while immersing ourselves in Celdic culture, taking in as much as we can."

"Sound good to me. Count me in." Alisa said.

"Heh. This actually sounds pretty exciting when you put it that way!" Elliot said.

"Shall we depart, then?" Laura asked.

"Let's get this party started off right! This is gonna be fun." Naruto said with a wide grin on his face. "I am so looking forward to this!"

A/N - And that's the chapter! I know, it was long as hell. Still, I hope you enjoyed reading it and are looking forward to seeing what's next.

Anywho, as I mentioned before, my birthday is April 21st. Back when I was just a kid growing up, it was always an okay day. The only thing I ever asked for was cake. I looove cake. Then, as I grew older...the day was just horrible. My 'family' found ways to make the day absolutely suck. Hell, I don't even get cake anymore. Then, as time went by, they started ensuring the entire month of April was one big pile of crap. Then it spread to March, May, and June. Things just really suck sometimes. And, as things get worse, the less I feel motivated to do anything.

Anyways, I am REALLY tired. I'm going to try and get some much needed sleep. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to more! See ya!