~NRK~
Sitting in the main family home's living room, Naruto, Louis, Legoshi, and Haru blinked at the other hybrid woman before them, bowing to the group as Sebun smiled at her side and Oguma nodded from the other.
"This is Betty, she just came by, you all," Sebun said with a chuckle. "And, as you can see, she's a hybrid like Naruto," she explained.
Betty, standing at about Sebun's height, flexed her wings out for the teens to see.
"As you can see, I'm a civet-eagle hybrid, for clarity," she said with a smile as she looked directly at Naruto. "It's fascinating to meet the hybrid who's been causing a real shift as of late," Betty said with a chuckle.
"Oh, well, no problem?" Naruto said unsurely as Louis snorted and Haru giggled, Legoshi scratching his cheek. "Yeah, well, I hope they're all good changes."
"So far? They've been interesting," the woman said, smiling at him. "The most notable change being a new group of animals who decided to fight for hybrids more."
"Well, I'm glad for that, at least."
"What position was she applying for again?" Oguma asked and Sebun chuckled a bit as Betty bowed to him.
'Such amazing men in this household,' Betty thought, eyes shining as she considered the three. 'But one has the prize.'
And maybe a bit more for her.
"She'd just come. I was going to find Kuuzo to look at all the open positions," Sebun said as the cook, himself, came into the living room. "Here he is."
"Let's see, this applicant seems to have garnered your favor, Sebun," the white-tailed deer said with a chuckle.
"Well, considering she's not immediately asking where Naruto is, she's got more credentials."
"I have my resume as well," the feline woman said, holding up a USB for Kuuzo to hum at, impressed. 'I've worked my entire life in households, this is easy.'
"Well, of everything, you seem most fit to handle housework. You don't cook, do you?" Kuuzo asked.
"Well, only a little, nothing serious. That said, I can mow lawns."
Kuuzo's eyebrow raised and he nodded, very intrigued. "Well, we don't have a lawn keeper. Usually, Naruto just mows it when he's done training."
'A sweaty young man working the fields, sign me up, please,' Betty thought with nary a blush.
Self-control was evident to deal with her own 'downside' which honestly hadn't been one.
Having a high libido was actually normal among a good amount of animals, she was the most blessed of her classification.
"You don't mind, do you, Naruto?"
"I don't," the young hybrid said. "And it might have happened at the best time. I gotta work on that manuscript with Tem. I've been slacking a bit."
"Um, sir, your arm was broken," Betty said with a sweatdrop.
"Ehhh, not my dominant arm."
"... I see."
"And she's adaptable," Kuuzo said slyly as Naruto and Oguma snorted. "Hmm… then, how about we have you shadow Sebun as house staff and you two can work in shifts while attending to Naruto's home?"
Sebun kind of didn't like the idea if only because she liked spending time with the young hybrid, for platonic reasons. Still, it wasn't like she couldn't ask him to go outside and stuff.
"I'm fine with it," Sebun said as Betty smiled, bowing to her. "N-None of that, please! It's no issue."
"Still, I am thankful, you don't seem to have a problem with me at all."
"... I kind of didn't remember," she said with a nervous chuckle as Betty blinked in surprise, looking at the merino sheep with shock. "It's somehow really easy to forget with how Naruto and his friends are."
"... I-I see," the female hybrid was still kind of disturbed. 'Surely you… feared me, didn't you?' What had she meant that she forgot she was a carnivore? 'That's not… you're not normal.' Was it the boy?
She'd said as much but surely it wasn't that easy, right?
"Then, we'll get you a uniform," Kuuzo said as Sebun nodded, gesturing for Betty to follow.
As they did, Oguma hummed.
"I'm assuming you all have your thoughts?" He said to the teens who hummed.
"I don't feel anything negative coming from her," Naruto said first. "If anything, she seems excited to be here."
"Her body language wasn't defensive or aggressive in the slightest. She's honestly here," Louis added.
"I'm not really much of an 'I can figure her out with a look' but she was so polite!" Haru declared.
"... She had a very warm scent," Legoshi said, rubbing the back of his head. "I think it's as Naruto said, she's excited for some reason."
"Hmm, that's good to know. You four could become professionals," Oguma said with a smirk before heading out. "I'll be going to the bank. I've got my gun, I'm safe," he said to Naruto who'd sat up straight. "I'm fine."
He left and Naruto's eyebrow twitched before he grunted and got up. "I'm going up to place's top floor. You guys can come whenever," he said before heading to the stairs.
"Hmm… I'll go and handle some homework," Louis said as he got up before heading upstairs. "Don't enjoy yourselves too much now," he said with a smirk.
Haru and Legoshi sat there, blinking, before looking at one another.
"Um…"
"Nice ta meetcha!"
"O-Oh! Oh, um, hi. I'm Legoshi."
"Haru. You know what a service top is?"
"What?"
"What?"
~NRK~
An hour or two later, Naruto stretched from his desk.
He'd taken Tem's advice and shifted things around up here with Sebun and Bulou's help. With the movement of the desk from his room, a swivel chair bought online along with a computer and file cabinet, he was prepared to do his work.
And he had, the manuscript was coming along well, they didn't have much time left, right?
Naruto leaned back in his seat before blinking as he felt Sebun and their new worker coming towards him.
He smiled as he turned in his chair to see the two… before blinking at the maid outfit that Betty was in.
Its skirt came down to her knees and it was all black with short sleeves, her talons left uncovered for obvious reasons.
They'd even adjusted it for her wings, allowing the boy to see them.
"Sup, Sebun, Betty," he said easily and Betty blinked while Sebun smiled.
"How's the manuscript?" The sheep asked and the fox-deer grinned.
"It's going great, so far. We were over halfway done a month ago so finishing it up is important before Tem and I proofread."
"You write, sir?" Betty asked.
"You don't need to call me 'sir', ya know? I'm Naruto, just call me that," the boy said with a chuckle as Betty raised a brow.
'You'd be so easy to nail to a bed and just… hmmm,' control, control. "Ahem, yes, well, I'll get used to it, sir," she said with a smirk as the fox rolled his eyes.
"What are you two up to?" He asked and Sebun smiled.
"Taking her around and showing her around the houses," the senior staff said. "She'll need to know how your house works if she's to help tend to it."
"Yes, learning all the ins and outs of my bosses is important," Betty added. "If you need something, all of your needs I will carry out," she said with a small smirk as Naruto raised a brow at her.
"Right, so, I guess you guys will focus on the lower floors, right?" He said as he got up before stretching. "I'll come down with you, I need to grab a snack before coming back up here."
As they walked out of the room, Betty walking behind, she asked a curious question as her eyes glowed.
"Say, Naruto-san, how often do you spend time up here?"
"Oh, well, I haven't recently but I'm gonna be at this for at least the next week."
"I see."
~NRK~
The following morning, Naruto got dressed… with Betty's help.
"H-Hey, I don't need my vest-" He began to say, face slightly flush, as she chuckled demurely.
In the past thirty minutes, Betty had been kind, helpful, and positive about helping him… but all of that didn't explain the small moments where he was left blushing as she chuckled.
Her decently long tail coming up and flicking at his crotch, her hands sliding down his biceps with his arm suspiciously between her legs at times, a whisper in his ear, and so on.
She seemed ignorant to these acts, he believed hopefully, and he hoped this didn't try and awaken something in him.
Because, despite all odds, the maid outfit worked scarily well.
Dammit, Jiraiya.
"And done," Betty said as she unbutton his dress shirt's top three buttons. "Now you look like a strapping young man who's ready to face the world."
"R-Right, I'm just going to school," he said, thankful for how often he and Louis stayed behind for the drama club. "Alright, let me-"
"Time to eat!" Betty declared with a grin and Naruto choked. "Come, I made you breakfast already. It's got peanuts in it!"
"Wait, peanuts? For breakfast?" Now he was more intrigued than embarrassed. "How?"
"Kung Pao Omelet. It's a bit of a spontaneous idea I had once."
"Oh, sounds cool."
As she led him to the kitchen, leading the way, he blinked as her tail raised in front of him.
It waved back and forth and his eyes followed it, chuckling a bit at how happy she really was… before it dipped and his eyes with it.
Causing them to widen as an ass waved itself back and forth within white and pink cotton confines?!
His head snapped up and the hybrid blushed bright red as the maid grinned viciously, expression hidden from sight as her tail went back to waving before she looked at him.
"Hmm? Naruto-san? Is something wrong? You look kind of red," Betty asked 'kindly' as Naruto choked before swallowing and nodding.
"I-I'm fine!" He said in an octane he hadn't wanted. "L-Let's hurry up and eat, yeah?!"
Naruto sped past the grinning maid whose facade replaced itself.
"Whatever you say, sir."
~NRK~
Naruto slammed his head into his desk, concerning Pina and Juno.
"Everything alright?" The dall sheep asked as the hybrid groaned. "Fame getting in the way of things?"
"No…"
"What's wrong, Naruto-kun?" Juno asked softly and the boy grimaced, eyes clenching shut, as red bloomed across his face.
"I think like maids," he admitted before slamming his head back down in embarrassment.
The Two Most Beautiful Freshmen blinked in unison as his words settled in and their reactions couldn't have been more different.
Pina's mouth set in the widest grin known to herbivore kind as Juno blushed bright red like a Christmas tree ornament.
"What?!" They both whispered even if Juno somehow yelled at the same time.
The fox groaned.
~NRK~
The two looked scandalized as laid his head on the lunch table.
"S-She did all of that?" Juno whispered with a completely red face. "T-There's no way that's not on purpose!" She hissed to him and the fox groaned.
Pina, meanwhile, looked like a proud father whose son told him he liked a girl in his class.
"So, your type is not just maids but older women? I've gotta say, that's more bold than I expected," Pina said with a grin as Naruto's head lifted up enough to peek at him.
"You are dead wrong."
"Am I?" He grinned. "Then let's put it to the test. Are there other female 'staff' at your house?"
Naruto didn't like where this was going. "... Y-Yeah, so what?"
"Nuh-uh, continuing on. Don't you find any of them attractive?"
"W-What?! Of course…" Naruto was sure he'd be adamant about this fact, he wasn't a perv.
… and then, for some damn reason, Sebun's body came into view. From when they first went outside.
… No… No, don't tell him he-?!
"Ahah! I knew it," Pina said as Naruto burned bright red.
"N-No, wait, listen. Me and Sebun are friends. Totally not romantically compatible," Naruto shot back.
"Hold old is she?"
"21."
"How do you know that?" Juno asked with a gasp and Naruto's face fell as it grew redder. 'So, he's that type?!' She'd never have guessed!
"N-No, wait, I'm not," he argued weakly. "Dammit, this is all Betty's fault."
"Hmm, 'Betty', it's a nice name," Pina said.
"Then you go after her."
"Sorry, taken."
"A shock for the ages," Juno said as she sipped some juice, the drama club coming over. "Well, look bright and sunny, the others will sniff you out easily if you keep blushing like that."
"Take pride in it," Pina said with a grin. "Do it. It's totally normal for guys our age."
"Guh."
"What's it this time?" Louis asked.
"Adolescence," Pina said with a smirk as Juno giggled nervously.
"Right…"
~NRK~
The drive home left Naruto more collected and tired as Pina and Juno sat in the car with him and Louis.
"So, a little sleepover, huh?" Louis said with a chuckle as Pina smirked and Juno blushed.
"W-We're not kids," she muttered. 'Especially if what Naruto said was true,' Juno blushed harder.
"We never spent time together outside of school before, this is just convenient," Pina said with a smug look as Naruto groaned into his seat.
~NRK~
Betty hummed with a raised eyebrow as she and Sebun sat in the living room and saw the entering teens.
"Welcome back," the two said in unison.
"How was school?" Sebun asked and Naruto blushed before mumbling. "?"
"It was fine, I, uhh… Was just a little out of it today. I'll be chilling with Juno and Pina," he said and she hummed before nodding. "Right, sorry."
"Hmph, I'll go and make you that stir-fry you like," she said, getting up and walking towards the stairs. "Just relax, your day is over and your home," Sebun said with a smile before going upstairs.
Pina leaned in towards the fox. "I'm seeing where it starts," he whispered and Naruto's face went flat.
"Hmph, I'll leave you three to it. I've got to read some articles for a project," Louis said as he, too, went upstairs.
"Take it easy, bro," Naruto said and he nodded.
"Likewise. One of us was apparently 'out of it', as you say."
"Hmph," Naruto grunted before Betty got up and Pina's eyes widened at the, yes, maid uniform. "H-Hey, Betty."
"Good evening, sir, how was school?" She asked, all smiles as Juno's mouth dropped.
'I can feel it from here!' The sheer audacity to be showing such a lecherous gaze so blatantly! "R-Right, you're the new maid, right?"
"Yes, Betty the civet, at your service," Betty said with a platonic curtsy, her wings flaring out, surprising the two.
"Oh, right, she's a hybrid, by the way," Naruto said as he groaned before heading to the stairs. "Come on, let's go to my room. It was fine, Betty, we'll be chilling in my home," he answered with a small blush and a head turn away from his fellow hybrid.
As he walked past, she smiled and bowed.
"As you say, gracious master."
"It's not… dammit," Naruto hurried away.
"He's a good boy," Betty said to Pina and Juno who gaped at her. "I'll bring you all some snacks as you work," she said with kind energy that the two balked at as she left. "Hm~ Hmm~ Hm-mmm~"
Pina considered the maid with a cupped chin. "That's powerful, no wonder he was so flustered," he said with a sagely nod. "Goodness, I might have been smitten if she was within my strike zone."
"Why is it you can say wise things and immediately make it worse!?" Juno hissed before pushing him upstairs. "Meeting! Meeting!"
Betty chuckled as she went off to fetch her master his snack.
A fertile young man ignorant of sex was easy to navigate to the idea.
Only a matter of time.
~NRK~
"So, ya believe me?"
"Yes," Juno answered, allowing Naruto to flop back onto his bed. "S-She's barely hiding it!"
"It's rather aggressive," Pina said with a whistle. "Like, goodness, I guess you, and mature women, have an effect on each other."
"Pina."
"It's fine, it's fine. Still, what are you expecting to happen?"
"..." Naruto blushed a bit. "I don't… I have no idea where this is going. Maybe she's messing with me?"
"But it's so blatant," Juno insisted while Naruto and she blushed more at the idea of what that would mean.
"You're both overreacting, you know this, yes?" Pina said with a chuckle. "You don't honestly think-"
There was a knock on the door and Naruto sighed in relief.
"Hi, Sebun."
"The food's ready when you are."
"Thanks," Naruto said back as her steps left his door. "Alright, for now, we'll forget it. I'm hungry," he added as his stomach growled. "Right on time."
As they went downstairs, Naruto at ahead of them, Pina and Juno debated.
"I'm sure it's a misunderstanding. It really must be teasing," the Dall sheep said with a frown. "Besides, there's no way Naruto would fall for it. He's too pure, oddly enough."
"That's not odd," Juno responded flatly. "It's normal. The fact remains, Naruto's not a liar, not with serious matters."
Pina sighed. "Very well, while I do have my reservations, Naruto's safety is the most important. For now, we'll watch her movements. Things should be simple that way, yes?"
"Good."
Naruto smiled at that. 'You two are something else.'
He'd do his best to not fall for this madness.
They did homework in the living room, bathing in the light of two standing lamps and one on a nightstand.
Come 11 o'clock, they hit the hay.
Pina was resting on Naruto's large L-couch while Juno got the hybrid's bedroom, much to her disbelief but to Naruto's earnest ushering.
Naruto was, presently, bathing in the second bathroom outside of his house in his yard, a powerful inclusion that made cleaning up after his workouts easy.
So, here he was, cleaning up when he heard a knock on the door.
"Naruto?" He blinked at the voice.
"Sebun?" He asked.
"Yeah. Should I bring something? Clothes? A towel?"
"Hmm, nah, I've got everything. Thanks, though! Get some rest!"
"Alright! See you in the morning!"
He smiled before grunting at an embarrassing idea.
'What if she came in without thinking?' His mind went to very dirty places at the idea, face going bright red. 'Dammit! Stop! She's a friend! Like Juno-chan.'
And he hadn't had such thoughts about the wolf girl so why was it Sebun who made it into his clearly perverted idea?
"God, I'm such an idiot."
"How so, master?" Naruto froze as the voice reached his ears.
"B-Betty?" He whispered in horror as the civet knocked on the door. "What's… what's up?"
"Nothing, I was just curious about you. You are well, yes?" She asked through the door.
"Yeah, just cleaning myself," Naruto said with narrowed eyes as she chuckled.
"Should I wash your back, sir?"
He froze as his lower 'temple' began to rise. "N-Nope! Nope, nope, nope! I'm good!"
"As you say but can you use your left arm fully yet?" She challenged him, causing his arm to ache at that very moment.
"... I'll figure it out. I've done it before, ya know?"
"I suppose."
"... Alright," Naruto said with slow confidence. "See you in the morning, Betty."
"At your will."
She left him, allowing his body to relax.
Still, he smirked. 'I guess she might have just been playing with me,' he thought with relief as he cleaned up more slowly, taking his time. 'Still, I can't just think it's over, she might just wait.'
Outside of the mini-locker room + shower, Betty smiled in the walkway between houses, flapping by a window.
'In time, my master,' she said mentally with a smirk before going to bed. 'In time.'
~NRK~
The following morning, the three Freshmen ate Sebun's cooking as they sat in their clean, freshly-pressed, clothes.
"Thanks, again, Sebun-san," Juno said with a smile as she enjoyed how clean her uniform was. "And this omelet is a lot better than the ones in the cafeteria!"
"Thank you, Juno-chan!" Sebun said with a small giggle. "What about you, Pina-kun? Is your food alright?"
"It's fantastic, thank you," Pina said with a smile and nod. "Hmm, Naruto's been eating well."
"Hmph," Naruto wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Before Sebun came, I could make some okay food. Much better when she does it, though."
"Noted."
They finished up and Juno helped Sebun with the dishes.
"Tell me, Juno-chan, is everything at the school going alright?" Sebun asked with a frown as Juno blinked. "I'd ask Naruto but I can feel that he'd say it's fine regardless."
'She's got good instincts,' the wolf girl realized. "Well, nothing has happened, I can say that's the truth. All things considered, Naruto's the only big thing going on."
Sebun wore a relieved smile before chuckling. "Well, that's a relief. Goodness, I'm just glad things are going to be well by the time of the Meteor Festival."
"Oh, right! I'd totally forgotten about that!" Juno looked excited and the small herbivore chuckled.
"What, thinking about the myth?" Sebun asked suggestively as the girl blushed, shaking her head rapidly.
"N-No! Not in the least! Well… m-maybe," she admitted after a blush. "There's a… senpai of ours, Legoshi-senpai."
"Ah, the big wolf boy, right?"
"Y-Yes! H-He's so strong, big, and powerful-looking for one of our kind! And I spoke to him a few times but he's always so aloof, it's mysterious."
Sebun smiled with a sweatdrop as she remembered the rather timid boy. 'That's mysterious?' Maybe she simply hadn't spoken to him for that long? "W-Well, you can do your best. There's always tomorrow."
"?"
"It's a phrase I thought about recently, what with all the craziness we've been dealing with as of the past month," Sebun said. "No matter what, things happen, whether we want them to or not, but at the end of it all… tomorrow's going to come. There's little you can do about that but face it like you do the day before."
"... I like that… a lot," Juno said softly. "I guess… it's scary."
"It's always like that," Sebun said. "In high school, I can't imagine the amount of times I got rejected," the wolf girl looked at her in disbelief. "Hahaha, I was quite the tomboy back then. You'd never believe it," Sebun said with a snicker as she pulled out her phone.
A quick few swipes and she showed Juno a photo that had her mouth dropping.
The picture showed a young, short-haired, merino sheep who was in some shorts and a shirt, covered in mud.
"I didn't really care about being feminine back then," Sebun said as she put her phone away. "I just wanted to do what I wanted. It kind of hurt my chances, though, so I can't say I don't have some regrets but that's the thing. If you know time's gonna move on, you have to do what you need to in that time. You're only young once, Juno-chan."
'Is this the maturity that attracted Naruto?' Juno could definitely see it, she was awed herself. "... Alright," she said with a determined nod. "Whatever happens, I'll… try and move on."
"You can still hope things go well, don't forget that part. It's not like you can't try your hardest."
"Gotcha."
Listening from around the corner, Pina crossed his arms as he and Naruto nodded, the fox with a grin.
"It's true, we can't forget that," Naruto said quietly.
"So, how does that translate to you and romance?" Pina asked immediately, getting a blush and grunt out of the fox boy who then looked kind of vulnerable. "It's fine, as you said, but you're only young once. Enjoy it."
"... I might, I don't know when, but I'm sure it'll hit eventually."
"I'm sure."
~NRK~
As they navigated through class, Naruto blinked as his phone beeped.
"Hm?" Pina made a curious sound as Juno ran up to them on the third floor. "What is it?"
"No, it's… I think I got a text," Naruto said as he pulled it out, confusing Juno. "... Oh, man," he said with a grimace and replied back immediately. "Dammit, I totally forgot."
"About what?" The gray wolf asked.
"I started going to a Hybrid Kindergarten ever since I got injured. I haven't visited for the past week or two. Ain't happy about that and the woman running it was asking when I'd be back," Naruto ran his hand down his face. "Definitely going back."
"Sounds interesting," Pina said with a smile. "I don't mind lending my aid. Homework is all done for the three of us."
"I don't mind, either," Juno said with a smile. "It'll be interesting. Just a place with a ton of small hybrid kids?"
"Yep!" Naruto grinned.
~NRK~
Come Saturday, the original group of four, Louis had been adamant about going, grew to eight.
Legoshi rubbed the back of his head, wearing a pair of dark gray slacks, a white shirt, and some black shoes.
"T-This will be interesting… I guess," he said as Jack smiled brightly.
Wearing a blue polo, dark blue jeans, and a pair of brown sandals, he hummed a pleasant tune.
"I didn't even know about a place like this. This is so cool!" The golden retriever said with a chuckle. "You might even be able to have a good effect in their lives, Legoshi."
"A-Ah, well," the wolf scratched his cheek. "Maybe it won't be so bad."
"I'm sure it won't be, Legoshi-senpai!" Juno said with vigor and a smile as the older gray wolf nodded.
Wearing a pair of short black boots, a dark blue denim skirt with black stockings, a white t-shirt, and a brown vest, Juno grew resolute.
'Learn more about senpai and find my way into his heart!' This would be one of the most important things she'd ever do!
"She's more fired up than usual," Louis said as Sebun snickered.
"Probably really excited," she said with a nod of approval. 'Go get him, girl!'
The oldest male herbivore of the eight had worn some rather homely-looking clothes, that being a tan dress shirt, green vest, and brown slacks that led down towards brown dress shoes.
Sebun, meanwhile, was dressed simply, wearing a white crop top hoodie, a black shirt underneath, and a pair of dark blue denim shorts with black tights beneath. Her white sneakers with blue laces tapped against the floor in interest as they stared at the location… with a frown.
"Who did this?" Betty asked with a frown as Pina crossed his arms at one line of slur that made his blood boil.
Wearing a long-sleeved yellow top, black skinny jeans, and a pair of black heels, her wings flexed twice as the beautiful herbivore grimaced in his white dress shirt, black pants, and white and black sneakers.
"What could possibly possess someone to do this to a place with children?" He wondered before Naruto's narrow-eyed gaze made him rub the back of his horn. "Who would do this?"
Naruto, wearing a knee-length orange kimono with black flames, black pants, and a pair of his normal-looking sandals, felt out the nearby surroundings… before his eyes narrowed the slightest bit.
"Look alive, there are… a bunch of new guys in there, weirdly enough," Naruto said with a frown as Jack, Betty, Juno, and Pina threw him weird looks.
"Scent?" Pina suggested but Naruto shook his head.
"Come on, nothing feels wrong," Naruto said before blinking. "Oh, wait, one of those guys is probably a friendly. I'd heard about a komodo dragon who comes through and helps out on Saturdays."
"A friendly one?" Louis blinked before his eyes widened. "Ah, right, that person had been mentioned," he said as Legoshi felt his tail stand up. "Let's meet this rather kind komodo dragon."
"W-Wait-!" Legoshi said as Naruto opened the door to the Kindergarten for Hybrids.
"NARUTO-NII-CHAN!" Came a loud collective of calls before a small stampede hit the group.
"Haven't had this happen in a-" Naruto began to say only to be engulfed by the mob of children.
The mob then lifted him and brought him over to another individual, getting a choke out of Legoshi and Jack while the others sweatdropped.
"It's like some sort of tribe," they noted as Naruto blinked at the lizard man before him.
Said man's mouth fell when he saw Legoshi. "L-Legoshi?" He asked, getting up in shock.
He was a tall komodo dragon, Naruto noticed, with forest-green scales and beady black eyes.
Dressed in a tan dress shirt, black slacks with suspenders, and brown shoes, the man's mouth began to drip venom that he quickly covered.
"Wait, anti-venom!" He said, looking through a bag and splashing some kind of liquid on his face. "Haa, that could have hurt the children… Now," Gosha the Komodo Dragon turned and stood up, looking at the frozen Legoshi and Jack.
"G-Gosha-san?" Jack balked in disbelief. "I… you were the komodo dragon here?"
"Yes, I started coming here close to ten years ago," Legoshi and Jack flinched. "No, none of that, you needed space. You clearly found that at Cherryton Academy."
"..." Legoshi grimaced, looking down before Naruto sighed.
"You know, Legoshi-senpai, it's not wrong to feel the way you are, even if I don't know why," Naruto said as the ¼ hybrid blinked at him. "But, clearly, you don't hate your granddad. I could tell from back at that sleepover and even now."
"... Legoshi, I…" Gosha began to say before rubbing the back of his head. "I guess we couldn't have planned for this."
"... no, I didn't," Legoshi said before looking up and then down, away from his grandfather's gaze. "I… I don't know how I feel."
"That's fine," Gosha said with a chuckle. "Well, even if what your friend says isn't completely right, I'm just glad you don't hate me."
Legoshi flinched at that. 'But I did… for such a long time,' he thought back to how he'd been when he was younger.
Oh, he'd been so angry back then, it hurt to think about… but Naruto was right.
He wasn't angry anymore… no, he just felt awkward.
So, basically, he felt completely normal.
"Wait, hold on, Legoshi-senpai is part komodo dragon?!" Juno gaped. "I-I don't see scales, venom, or anything!"
"Oh, well," Gosha shrugged. "I don't really know, it never really got figured out why that's that case."
Naruto hummed before holding out his fist. "Yo, Legoshi, can I check something real quick?" He asked with a smile as the big wolf blinked before nodding.
They tapped fists and the kids 'oohed' and 'ahhed'.
"Nii-chan's gonna fix wolf-aniki?" Ruth asked as the others, outside of Naruto and Louis, blinked.
"Wait… y-you're the boy who helped them?" Gosha asked as Naruto grinned with a chuckle.
"I did, that's why I really should have checked this out earlier," he said as he and Legoshi let go. "So, like, Legoshi's internal energies are perfect save for a bit by his head."
"Ah, so, like Pala?" Wala asked curiously as Gosha was left confused.
"Um, explain?" Pina asked, shakily as Sebun nodded along with Betty. "Naruto… what the heck are you talking about?"
"Let me explain," Louis said with a chuckle.
The explanation that left his lips was supported completely by both the kids and Wala. Naruto piping in about bits and pieces.
"You guys remember what you heard me do to Riz-senpai, right?" Naruto asked Juno and Pina whose eyes widened. "Yep. Though, for him, it wasn't hybrid troubles. Simple side-effects."
"Side effects?" Louis asked with a frown as Naruto nodded.
"So, like, most animals above the two-meter range take medication and stuff."
"Ah, yes, I remember that," Gosha said. "Honestly, the system isn't even all that fair. I mean, Legoshi hasn't been told he should… right?" He asked, worriedly, only to sigh in relief as the boy shook his head.
"No, no one's ever told me," he said as Naruto nodded.
"But the thing can come with side-effects. Riz-senpai… well, for lack of a better word, he wasn't mentally okay and I kind of hope I fixed that for sure," Naruto said with a frown. "I'll probably talk to him tomorrow. He's feeling a lot better, I can tell, he comes to practice more often."
"... Ah, so that was a part of it," Louis looked rather guilty. "We hadn't known."
"That's fine, you all are young, you shouldn't be the ones fixing a lot of, mostly adult, problems," Wala said. "So, you fixed it?"
"Yeah, a lot of the energy around his mouth was bunched up. I asked him a couple of questions and he even said he clenches down too hard sometimes. So, I figured, that's where it was and I was right."
"So, wait, what's all this spiritual mumbo-jumbo about?" Betty asked, horribly confused but delighted in a way she hadn't expected. 'He… can fix us?' The idea was asinine but she had vocal proof all around her.
The boy could help hybrids, holy hell. This needed to be told to Curie soon.
"Well, yeah, I lucked out by being a hybrid," Naruto said with a grin at the gawking sent his way. "By using both halves of myself, I can help those like me, even if they're a pure herbivore mix or the otherwise. Speaking of, anything wrong, ya little munchkins?"
"NO!"
"I tried pasta!" Koiwa said with a smile. "It was so good!"
"I played football!" Ruth said with a grin. "I-I could kick the ball and feel it!"
"I can see all kinds of things at home!" Connie said with a grin, the now eagle-like girl smiling. "I-I could even see all the flyers in the air from home!"
More of such things were told to him and Naruto chuckled.
"Well, I'll be checking in, more normally. Anyone get sick?"
"Yes!"
"S-Sick!?" Gosha stuttered.
Naruto, Louis, and Legoshi explained this time.
"Wait, that sounds horrible!" Sebun said as Naruto nodded.
"The thing is, it's the body settling things, can't say it's great but it's not deadly, apparently," Naruto noted. "And look at 'em all, they're as energetic as children should be, it's terrifying."
Wala laughed along with Gosha. "Yes, well, they're also more focused, too. They've been coloring pretty well in the lines, haven't you all?" The impala asked kindly and the kids agreed. "They've even got addition down, maybe helping them align also helped them mentally."
"This is so crazy," Jack said in disbelief. "Naruto's a literal spiritualist and I'm left here feeling like an NPC."
"Well… no, I don't have an answer for this," Juno said with a flat expression as Naruto chuckled nervously. "Naruto-kun… I'm concerned."
"Ah, right, sorry."
"Goodness, you just go around saving life after life, I might become interested," Pina said jokingly… hopefully. "But, knowing you spread your beautiful ways, I concede."
"I seriously can't tell if you're serious anymore," Louis said with a twitching eyebrow. "No, I don't even know how to respond, how does such an individual exist?"
"I'm talented."
"You're something alright," Naruto said with a nervous grin. "So, Gosha-jiji, I think you and Legoshi-senpai might want to talk. And, something else," the hybrid said with a big smile as he looked up at the ceiling. "Hey, Wala-nee, any new people come by as of late?"
"Oh! Right. We got a new cleaner. He's not here today but he's a bat who can handle the dust on the ceiling!" The young woman said with a smile as Gosha's eyes narrowed before he smiled a strained smile.
"That so? I really should meet him and his little friends," the komodo dragon said and Naruto's eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, I'd love to as well," he said as he felt those little energies scramble. "One second," Naruto said.
And he vanished from his spot.
"..."
"..."
"... Excuse me?" Betty asked in disbelief. "W-What?!"
"Got one," Naruto said from behind them, crouched low with something in his hands. "Now, little buddy, can you give me a rundown on your services? I might need some assistance, myself," the hybrid said to the small, horrified, bat in his hands.
Gosha's eyes narrowed while Wala tilted her head to the side. "I didn't know he had smaller helpers. I guess that would help with the dust in the corners. I wonder if he left them for inspection?"
"Yes, I'd like to know too but, hey, he's got somewhere to be," Naruto said with a shrug as he released the female bat who blinked in confusion. "Fly," he whispered heatedly and she stumbled before heading out. "Whelp, that's one thing-"
"When were you a ninja?" Juno asked with a twitching cheek and Naruto chuckled nervously.
"What? No-"
"Nii-chan!"
"Not again!"
Legoshi and Gosha sat in a corner of the kindergarten ever since Naruto's seemingly neverending skill set's excitement… well, 'chilled' wasn't the right word.
When it was overshadowed by his spiritualism again.
So, as the kids and others were gaining knowledge about his weirdness, the two sat down and decided they'd try and talk.
"How has school been?" Gosha asked.
"... It's fine," Legoshi said, rubbing his forearm. "... I have a new Hercules beetle."
"Oh, yes, you always loved bugs," his grandfather said kindly with a smile. "What of Kabuto the ladybug?"
"Oh, he… died," Legoshi admitted as Gosha sighed. "I know he was old, he was… he was just so full of life and-"
"Legoshi, I'm sorry," the komodo dragon said as the young hybrid flinched, scrunching in on himself a bit. "I… I wish I could have done something, find her before she did it, get a therapist, something… but I couldn't, I failed her as her father and you as a grandfather."
Legoshi felt many things towards Gosha that he didn't fully understand, so many mixed emotions that he felt like he'd grow mad… but there was one part of him he knew.
One part he understood. "... You didn't," he said, looking down. "You… I was a kid, I know, but I didn't understand just how much pain you were in," Legoshi said slowly.
Thinking back on everything that had happened after… after his mother had 'died'. After seeing her funeral, never meeting her from when he was about 4 or 6 until he was at her funeral, Legoshi realized something.
"I'm a right bastard," he said, clenching his knees. "I… If I'd have thought about it more if I'd just stop being so angry, I might have-"
"That's enough," Gosha said with finality as the boy's ears flattened. "... You're right, I was so hurt when she left us but I could never blame you for feeling the way you did. In some way, you were right. I was trying to make the situation better by doing as she asked… I placed so many of your Mother's Day cards inside her home," he said honestly as Legoshi's eyes widened. "Legoshi, she loved each and every single one. Despite you never seeing her for so long, she never forgot about you."
The big wolf sniffled a bit. "D-Dammit, I'm…"
"It's fine, you're a young man," Gosha said with a bright smile. "You've emotions you've yet to understand. True horror, violence," he sighed, confusing the tear-wiping Legoshi. "But your friend just seems to be followed by it and I'm not calling him a bad influence," he stopped Legoshi's possible response before it could spew from his mouth.
"..."
"Naruto-kun is an upright, strong, young man who knows what's right and wrong and will go out of his way to make things right. I understand that," he said. "It's not even that I dislike that you got to know him, I think such an influence would be an amazing thing for you," Legoshi blushed a bit.
"He's my underclassman," he pouted and his grandfather chuckled.
"Maybe but wisdom is naught found in only adults," the man said. "It's something that can be found anywhere but Naruto's simply a more obvious example of wisdom. He's right in about everything he says, he's just willing to fight back more easily than, say, I would."
"... So, what do you mean by that 'violence' bit?"
"... Eventually, Legoshi, I'm not even cursing him, this is a fact," Gosha said seriously, surprising him. "That boy is going to change things and it's not going to be easy. It's going to come with debate, arguments, and fighting, at some point. He'll be a powerful motivator for the world at large… but he's too special," he said, confusing Legoshi completely. "Hm, hm, I'm confusing you. Let's put it this way, Naruto stands out, yes?"
"Yes?" Legoshi wondered where this was going.
"So, a simple question, has this fact gotten him into altercations before?"
Legoshi froze, eyes wide, as Gosha nodded with crossed arms.
"And I'm betting that was just a little school rumble. Naruto-kun is too good of a person to ignore malpractice and bad deeds. He's too good-natured. That all said, he's going to end up fighting more than just some bullies, hecklers, and so on. He's going to fight people who'll be on the completely opposite side of the spectrum… and the choice is going to end up in front of you."
"M-Me?" Legoshi swallowed.
"Yes, a rather damning choice."
"W-What is it?"
"Will you help him?" Gosha said the words as easily as he breathed, confusing Legoshi.
"What? I don't understand, why wouldn't I help Naruto?"
"You believe the choice to be something simple and, in a lot of ways, it is but that's where things can become so complicated," the man said, rubbing the back of his head. "What happens when those who want to get after him but do so through you? To be associated means you carry a 'stigma' of being his partner in his fights. You'll be pulled in even when you know you did nothing but the right thing."
"..." Legoshi hadn't thought about things like that. "I don't… what do I do, then?"
"There's no right answer. I bet you that nice boy would have no issue with you staying out of danger. Likely saying something to the effect of 'you can help in other ways', or something similar. It's about what I'd expect from a chivalrous young man like him, haha."
"... What would you do, grampa?"
"... I'm not a good role model in that regard," Gosha blushed a bit. "I'd have helped. Don't let my age fool you, I can be quite a foolish person."
Legoshi blinked before chuckling only to delve into deep thought. "I… when that time comes, I hope I can make a choice that I'll be happy with."
"I do as well."
Naruto smiled and Juno blinked before turning to see what he was happy about.
Legoshi and Gosha seemed to talk rather amicably despite what happened in the beginning. Hell, they had a little checkerboard with them and were playing some games.
"Hehe, I'm glad he could reconnect with him," the hybrid said.
"Did you know of their bad blood?" She asked.
"No but I could tell they needed to clear the air, Legoshi more than Gosha-jiji, so I'm glad they could, somewhat," he said with a chuckle and Juno smiled.
"Then, yeah, I am, too."
"Nii-chan, did you help Betty-nee-chan, too?" Ruth asked and Naruto blinked before shaking his head as Betty blinked.
"A-Ah, I see," she blushed a bit. "Well, I don't feel anything wrong with me," Betty explained as Naruto nodded.
"Well, if you ever do, let me know."
Ah, how young and kind. He'd make the most beautiful of moans!
"Where's Para-san?" Naruto asked Wala who hummed.
"She's been handling her job. She's a courier," the impala explained and Naruto nodded. "Now, how about you all get to know the children some more."
The group of eight spent as much time as they could with the children. At that time, Naruto and Jack could be found cleaning the front of the store.
"Thanks again, Jack-senpai," Naruto said as they finished, resting atop the ladders they were on. "This is sickening."
"It's wrong on so many levels," Jack agreed with a frown. "But we can help as much as we can, that I believe in."
"Damn right," the fox said before his mind came to a halt as he felt that signature passing them by. 'That lion again,' he realized with a neutral expression.
He seemed to not be following him, this time, going all the way down the street before going into an alleyway… actually.
His eyes widened. 'I can feel that fox woman… and she's coming-'
"Sup, kid," came that woman's call once more, dressed similarly to when he'd first met her.
"You know her, Naruto-kun?" Jack asked and Naruto nodded as the two of them came down.
"What's going on?" Naruto responded as Ten nodded before jabbing her thumb behind her to an alley.
"Mind if we talk?"
"... Alright. Senpai, I'll be right back, alright?" Naruto told Jack who nodded. "Just tell the others I'm handling something for a moment, I'll be back soon."
He followed after the female fox and they went into the alleyway for a good couple of meters before stopping to face one another.
"So, I figured I'd check up on you since we last met a month ago. How's life?"
"Well, it's good. Thankfully," Naruto grinned as he tapped his left arm, flexing his hand. "This bad boy is getting back to normal. I'd say one more month before I'm completely healed."
'Aren't you just a SuperFox?' Ten sweatdropped at his durability. "Geez, what are you? Some kind of super-cyborg? Do you come with reset functions?"
Naruto smirked. "Nope, just a real sturdy dude," he said.
"Hmph, well, I'm curious, when did you start coming here?" Ten wondered.
"Oh, I came here a lot during my rest. Met a few cool people like Wala-nee-chan and Para-nee-chan," Ten froze. "Gosha-jiji, the kids, and that weird bunch of bats."
"Bats?" She blinked before her core went cold. "Tell me… how many were there?"
"... a lot, like, easily over 30."
"Fucking hell," Ten grunted and Naruto frowned. "Well, for the sake of those kids, you better handle that before it gets too much-"
"We will," came a voice from above the two, both jumping and looking up to see Betty wearing a frown on her face. "... Haa, Naruto-sama, there's a… interesting connection I have to those bats," she said as she landed.
"Betty?" Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?"
"... Before I joined you, far in the past," Betty began. "I had a brother. We were two civets of a civet couple," Naruto and Ten were confused.
"Wait but then how are you…" Naruto blinked as she grinned.
"Legoshi-kun was the same way, yes?" Naruto's eyes widened. "Yes, I'm a quarter-eagle. When we were growing up, I just kept growing bigger and bigger and bigger until I am as I am now. The size of Sebun. The thing is, there weren't any issues in the beginning. I could help my twin brother more as we worked together. I got picked on a lot as I grew up despite the names being kind of cute, in hindsight," both foxes sweatdropped. "Still, my brother wasn't happy, and… well, then I got into the rough territory by mixing with a hybrid gang when I was a teenager," she grimaced.
"A hybrid gang?" Ten was confused.
"... Oh, wait, no. First off, we're not normally from this part of the world. We were in a place with a… haa, rather worrying, fearsome, gang… Blakkus."
Ten's growl got a frown out of Naruto. "You know about a lot of this stuff, huh?"
"... Dammit," Ten sighed, facepalming. "Yeah. I do."
"So, who are these Blakkus guys?"
"That is a question that really shouldn't be asked by a kid, I'm dead serious," Ten said with a narrow-eyed look. "Blakkus was disbanded years ago… but it was likely the biggest, worst, most horrible gang known to animal-kind. It's not wrong to say, Blakkus, at that point, ruled the underground. They weren't hesitant on any method, act, you name it. They're literally the scum of the earth."
Betty winced before looking down. "Yes, they… they were. Along with the fact that it was full of normal and hybrid members," she said, Ten frowning at that. "My brother tried to get me out of it and, back then, I was just a stupid kid who had no idea what she was doing. Things… happened and now he hates hybrids with a passion. He now runs a Pure Blood Supremacy group."
Naruto's eyes didn't shift.
His mouth didn't set in a snarl, his hackles didn't raise, and neither did his tail bristle… but the anger that rolled in his being.
That was felt.
The two females felt the feeling thrum in their blood and chill it to almost frostbite levels.
Then it fell away as Naruto held his head with one hand.
"I'll beat his ass, Betty. If he touches a hair on those kids' heads, I won't stop."
The air returned to normal warmth but Ten felt her tail bristle as a shiver ran up her body.
'The hell…?' Wasn't he some monk-esque boy with a super-positive attitude?
Where the hell had that chilling feeling come from? Why had it felt like she might have…
Died. She felt like it was there, the will to kill but it was so buried that she couldn't recognize it at first.
'What the hell kind of kid are you?' She thought as Naruto took a deep breath. "You care for those kids a lot."
"They've not even had a chance to live yet and someone wants to end them for something out of their control?" Naruto's eyes iced over. "Yeah, no, fuck that."
"Hmph," Ten felt some relief.
That much mercy, kindness, and affection for those with hard lives was something she could respect wholeheartedly.
Betty, meanwhile, felt her core shiver at the idea of this powerful fertile young man simply having his way with her.
Her eyes dilated and she trembled as she reeled back the entirety of her being.
No… n-not yet.
"So, you know where he is, right?" Naruto asked and Ten nodded. "You seem like you don't care."
"Well, the guy is a good information broker, yeah, but that's about it. Kopi Luwak is the name of his organization," Betty's eyebrow twitched twice as she blushed. "It's also real new. The only real members are her brother, supposedly, and his bat subordinates."
"Hmph," Naruto turned to Betty. "And you're fine with me going in there and beating him up?"
"No… Not really," Betty said with a frown. "But I need to stop him. It'd be one thing to hate them but for him to want to kill children? No, he's gone over a line he shouldn't and I need to deal with it."
"... We'll try democracy, first, I promise," Naruto said with a nod as Betty looked pleased. "But if he attacks us or the kids, I'm turning his ass over to the police."
"... It's not the worst outcome, I suppose."
"Sorry."
"No, you have a right to protect yourself and others. I just fear Deshico really stayed over that line of morality."
"Alright then you guys have a plan," Ten said.
"Well, I'm guessing you're not getting involved?" Naruto asked, not a bit of accusation in his voice.
"I really can't. The thing is, I can't put myself above my gang. I couldn't do that to them."
"Alright, thanks, still."
"Hmph, no problem. Still… I might be able to get you into places that are close to him without him knowing."
Naruto and Betty looked intrigued.
~NRK~
"Did you handle your little admirer?" Louis asked as Naruto returned, Betty not with him. "Also, did Betty get those crayons? Or did you not see her?"
"Nah, I saw her but she was busy," the fox hybrid answered with a chuckle. "Alright, let's give you kids some lessons in meditation."
They looked interested.
~NRK~
Gosha walked home, feeling far more light than he ever had before but with a small dark weight in his pocket.
When he reached his apartment, he went in and closed the door quickly before pulling out a folded piece of paper.
Unfolding it, his eyes narrowed.
We'll be meeting the man who wants to cause some trouble.
I'll do this in two weeks. Come if you can, old man.
This is gonna be rough.
Gosha nodded, licking the paper.
It disintegrated in seconds, leaving him holding nothing but some saliva.
'This, Legoshi, is what I mean. Sometimes, it's gonna be bigger than you expect,' Gosha thought as he washed his hands. 'And your grandpa's a little foolish.'
~NRK~
As the group returned to their homes, Naruto, Sebun, Louis, and Betty were in the limo, having dropped off the others at Cherryton.
"So, what is the madness of the day?" Louis asked as Naruto rubbed the back of his head.
"You think?"
"It's obvious. For one, you weren't nearly as energetic when you came back until you finished teaching the kids," the red deer said. "Two, you spoke with Gosha near the end there and he nodded a lot. Kind of odd if you were asking about his normal routine. You should be nodding, not him."
Betty was left confused on how such an observant boy wasn't on top of the world before reminding herself that Louis was.
Imagine getting double-teamed by these brothers! It was a magnificent idea!
"Hehe, I'd say that's kind of easy to throw back but I don't need to lie to you all," Naruto said as Sebun looked concerned. "... Those bats, the one I caught. Those guys are bad news for hybrids," he said as the three looked shocked, Betty playing along.
He explained everything about them, not including Betty's involvement out of clear understanding that she didn't want her inclusion known.
When he finished, the two looked horribly concerned.
"That seems… unwise," Louis said with a frown as Naruto smiled apologetically. "Why not just send the cops in?"
"Because it's too dangerous to put them into that situation," Naruto said as Sebun looked at him like he was an idiot.
"Naruto, that sounds completely irresponsible!" Sebun said with her hands holding her head.
What was the hybrid thinking?! How was he more suitable for this than the police?!
"..." Louis cupped his chin. "... You're going to sneak in, aren't you? Wherever this place is?"
"Yeah. You saw me earlier, I can get in and out of places easily with some effort," Naruto said as Sebun and Betty's eyes widened. "This guy… he needs to either be stopped or go to jail. He's too dangerous."
Betty grimaced but held it in. "This man… is, from everything you've told us, in need of a good talking to or prison."
"Yes," Louis said as he crossed his arms. "... And you're not going to fight an entire gang, correct?"
"No, not alone," Naruto said with a grin. "Gosha-jiji is gonna come with me."
"Huh?!" Betty looked confused. "Really?"
"... Right, Legoshi is also a cross-breed… and they were listening," Sebun realized with some horror as Louis's eyes widened. "... Dammit."
"I promise, we'll solve this," Naruto said with a nod. "In two weeks, I'm gonna bring that man's organization down to the ground."
~NRK~
Curie hummed in a dark red bathrobe, looking at her phone in her high-rise apartment.
"Oh," she grinned as she read the report. 'Deshico, you really love putting your foot in your mouth,' Curie cackled a bit.
With his own sister coming out to put his organization down, she had to question if he hadn't learned the first time his meddling got someone close to him in trouble.
She chuckled as a black tattoo was clear on her cleavage.
Written in black ink, 'Blakkus' was seen.
~NRK~
So, we got a lot of interesting takes here.
For one, Betty is a pervert and it shows. Two, Naruto clearly has a thing for mature women.
Three, Pina's never been prouder.
Ignoring all that, Naruto goes back to the Kindergarten for Hybrids and brings with him his closest friends, Betty, and his bro. I'm sure Oguma will come there eventually. Call it a PR stunt disguise over wanting to meet more children with similarness to his son.
Now, the MEAT of this whole thing. Legoshi meets Gosha FAR earlier than in canon. The effects are clear, he's not as comfortable but not only has he spoken with Naruto, knows his story, and has his support in fixing things, he's also beginning to experience things behind the scenes that we clearly know about. Though, in this case, he didn't almost eat someone yet.
He's patching things up, slowly, and has some form of holdover that Gosha wants to help him understand.
The second big part, Ten's introduction brings a snowball effect with Naruto and Gosha learning about the bats. With not just her but Betty's inclusion, they have a name, face, objective, and plan.
Laying out the path towards the next plan… but who knows what'll happen when it does.
Especially since Curie has the world's most interesting tattoo. Anyone who wants to know what Blakkus is, go read Beast Complex Chapter 4… hell, go read BEAST COMPLEX because it's AMAZING.
Now, time for an Omake.
~NRK~
~Omake: You're Beautiful And So Is Our Family Part I Obito x Leano AU~
He rolled his neck as he sat down across from the female gray wolf.
For what it was worth, she was rather beautiful, having a lithe, curvy, body with well-taken care of greyish-brown fur that looked soft to the touch.
Her eyes were a soft brown that looked… well, uncomfortable, she looked rather worried, wearing a long-sleeved, v-neck, blue top, and a burgundy skirt. Both the items fit her and they did so well.
Yes, an anthropomorphic wolf woman. Considering that he was now a wolf man instead of a human, the man wasn't surprised.
He'd lived this second life for over 18 years, he knew what his life was like now.
Having dark blue, almost black, fur, his eyes were black like they had been in his previous life and had an angular head shape, 'handsome' as one might call him.
Wearing a baggy black long-sleeved top and a pair of similar-colored pants, he sat seiza-style like she, the two sat at a table with a lizard man at her side.
"Obito-kun," the lizard man spoke, his green scales shining like jewels, as Obito Uchiha looked up at him. "... This is…" The man began before grumbling a bit, running his hand down his face.
"Gosha-san," Obito called out to the lizard man who sighed. "I'm confused… What happened?" He asked, confused before his eyes narrowed as he looked back and forth. "..."
"Obito-kun," Leano grimaced as she clenched her hands. "I'm…"
Obito blinked before his eyes widened to impossible levels as Leano looked down.
"You're… pregnant?" Obito asked as Gosha groaned.
"It's not something she's sure of yet," he insisted. "But-"
"I'd be the father if she is, yes?" Obito answered for him, getting a nod out of the lizard. "... What did she want to do if it's true?" He asked simply as Leano looked up at him before looking back down.
Obito Uchiha had made a lot of bad choices in his previous life. He'd gone down the wrong path for so long, he could never walk straight.
But he'd never let such a thing happen in this second one. Obito was a changed man.
"Whatever you do, I'll be there for every step," Obito said completely, honestly, and bluntly with a low bow as Leano's eyes trembled, the wolf woman covering her mouth. "I'm not… we should have known to be safer about things but there's no going back," he added. "So, whatever comes, I'll be there."
Gosha's eyes widened before he smiled softly.
"I know you're an upright man, I was even going to speak about it if you didn't want to. You're right, you both should have been safer, my daughter is just as responsible," Leano blushed bright red. "But, you seem sure.
"Those who don't see things through are scum but those who can't even take care of those they've affected are even worse," Obito said with resolute eyes. "I've lived by these words for a long time, I don't plan on going back on them."
Leano the gray wolf bowed back.
"I-I… O-Obito-kun, I didn't know what to…" She sniffled as he sat up.
"We both made a decision without thought… likely also because of some alcohol," he muttered as Gosha tilted his head in confusion while Leano blushed bright red. "Still, I have a responsibility, can't very well drop that."
"Still, what about college?" Leano grimaced. "You were going to get a Bachelors's, weren't you? You're 1 year away."
"I can handle it, besides, you're gonna be laid up for whoever knows how long. I can handle online classes for the rest."
"And what about your internship?"
"... I'll work it out."
"No, we will work it out," Leano said seriously as Obito blinked. "Y-You were right… I also should have been smarter about this and the fact that I still want it is all on me."
"... You two are very mature for your age," Gosha said softly. "Not everyone can take up the mantle of parenthood."
"Speaking of, I didn't know your father was a komodo dragon," Obito said as both father and child smiled nervously.
"It's… No one knows," Leano admitted as Gosha nodded. "I know how that can look."
"... I have no right to comment on your situation, you two seem like you still are fond of one another so if you're fine with it, I have no issue."
"... I'm glad you chose a smart one," Gosha said blatantly as Leano burned bright red.
"Papa!" She squeaked as Obito smirked.
"Now, well, it's been two weeks so you're left with eight months and as many weeks left in your pregnancy. Have you planned out your move?" Obito asked curiously as Leano blinked thrice. "... Leano."
"Hmm, she's just processing," Gosha said with a chuckle as the young woman pouted a bit.
"I-I just started modeling, I could probably get away with a few months, right?" She asked Gosha who hummed.
"It's only really visible around the fourth month, on average. Your mother only really started showing with you when she was six months in."
"..." Leano considered it. "... I'll keep modeling for now."
"What about your morning sickness?" Obito asked and the woman's stomach grumbled, much to her embarrassment and horror.
She scurried off to the bathroom of her father's home and blew chunks into the toilet.
"... Apologies."
"No, it's a good idea to be aware of it," Gosha waved off. "But, still, are you truly sure about this? I know it was a one-night stand, you weren't in love with Leano, were you?"
"... no, I wasn't," Obito said honestly. "She's beautiful, really she is, but I wasn't even fancying her. We made a big mistake with some alcohol and I'd thought I could get her home but… things didn't evolve that way."
"No, I understand," Gosha said with a frown. "Haa, drinking, too? That girl's been doing a lot of things I didn't know about."
"Honestly, in a rather horrid way, I think it was better that it was me instead of… another person at that party," Obito said with a frown as Gosha's eyes narrowed. "Not saying he was a bad person but my brother was someone I was sure she was interested in. I'm just surprised she came to me… sir."
Gosha snorted. "You're not one for perverted jokes."
"Only when appropriate," the old lizard laughed as Leano returned with a slightly green face and body smelling of mint. "You used a lot of mouthwash, didn't you?"
She nodded, completely embarrassed. "Y-Yeah."
"I guess it's a good thing it's Summer," Gosha said as both wolves nodded. "Still, this is all gonna take time to settle in. Both of you should probably spend more time together, you know, seeing as this is the hand you've been dealt."
"Hmm, well, I have work on the weekdays," Leano said as Obito nodded. "Obito's also doing an internship, as in, right now."
"It'll be over, come the end of Summer."
"He means, he'll quit by the end of Summer," Leano revealed as Gosha hummed.
"Well, for now, you two should just live life as usual, then."
~NRK~
Come the end of Summer, they had.
Leano was still modeling, informing him and Gosha about her light dizziness only in the mornings… and the weird cravings.
Ever since hearing that, Obito had also taken to cooking for the two, on many occasions.
And Leano found she had a love for 'Obito' food.
~NRK~
"That's rather amazing," Gosha said as he and Obito sat in front of Leano, looking on in awe.
The wolf woman was blushing as she wiped her mouth with a paper towel, a half-finished peanut butter-encrusted baked omelet-salmon in front of her. One of four he'd made for her.
"I-It was kinda too good," Leano admitted with a red face. "I-I mean, peanut butter and omelet-salmon shouldn't go together, you know?"
"... I was… testing out recipes," Obito said in stunned awe as she blushed more. "I… I didn't think it'd come so good."
"It was… well, it was good," Gosha admitted. "B-But I didn't think you'd like it that much, Leano."
The gray wolf looked down with red cheeks and Obito found the sight cute.
"... well, I guess whenever you have weird cravings, let me know so I can mix something up," he said with a chuckle and shrug.
"Aren't you supposed to be a scientist?" She asked with a pout.
"Food is science," he responded with a smirk.
And Leano realized he looked very good with it.
This whole thing might not be as hard as she expected. Especially with food like that.
~NRK~
A month later, Obito had gone to one of her photoshoots, a day off from class allowing him to do so.
~NRK~
Leano blushed a nice pink as she held his hand, their fingers intertwining.
She'd never noticed just how thick his fingers were, his hand overtook hers in size and yet holding it like this was… she felt so giddy.
Wearing a bright white dress, black spandex, and white shoes, Obito wearing a dark blue t-shirt, cargo pants, and sandals, the two of them were simply looking around before finding themselves meeting a few other of the models who'd brought their significant others.
"Lea-chan!" A very voluptuous tall cheetah woman said as Leano smiled nervously, the woman wearing a black tube top and a pair of orange capri pants that led towards a pair of black heels. "Everything okay, ya know?" She asked in a whisper that Leano sighed at.
"Yes but, remember, private," Leano whispered back as the woman nodded. "Obito-kun, this is Olena. She's basically my own upperclassmen," the cheetah woman grinned, throwing him a thumbs up, looking up a few more inches.
"Goodness, Lea-chan, he's, like, almost a foot taller than you," Leano's eyebrow twitched.
"I'm 5'6."
"... right," the woman wore an apologetic smile as the wolf woman pouted. "Sorry, sorry. I know. Still, meet my beau, Taki."
Obito came face-to-face with a rather extravagantly handsome cheetah man whose spots seemed to concentrate down the sides of his nape in thick lines. Wearing a gray muscle shirt and black pants, his white sneakers tapped against the floor as he observed Obito.
"Nice to meet you, Taki the Cheetah, at your service," the man said as Leano scoffed. "All I did was say 'hi'," Taki said nervously as Obito raised a brow. "I don't think you dislike me," he said to the wolf man who shrugged.
"Well, as long as no aggressive behavior took place before Leano and I have met, no, we don't have bad blood," Obito said with focused eyes that the male cheetah grinned nervously at.
"... no, nothing of the sort," Leano said before grunting as Olena chuckled.
"Taki used to send her all kinds of cards, flowers, and poems half a year back," the female cheetah said with a snicker as the man rubbed the back of his head.
Obito raised a brow at the now arms-crossed Leano. "I'm guessing she wasn't receptive."
"A-All for the best!" The man said with a higher pitch as his girlfriend smirked. "Olena has been a beauty I couldn't live without!"
"Hmph, that's true," the cheetah in question said. "Come on, we can still grab something to eat before the shoots start up again."
The four moved around the set to a decently large food table covered by a big tent for the outside photo op.
They got some food and sat down on some nearby tables, ignoring a couple of the other models, most of which were without their own partners.
And it seemed to be quite the motivator for some of them as Leano huffed as she ate some toast before drinking some of her tea.
"They're curious," Taki said as Olena nodded, Obito confused. "Interested, too."
"Who?" The male wolf asked before he was tapped on his shoulder by someone. "Yes?" His head turned and he blinked at the sight of a black panther woman leaning onto the back of his seat.
"Oh no," the cheetah couple whispered in horror as Leano's eyebrows lowered.
"Now, who are you, sir?~" Came the sultry voice of the woman. "Ali, charmed."
One of Obito's eyebrows rose at the finely, but seductively, dressed woman before him. Wearing a skin-tight dark red dress with slits down the sides by her thighs, and a triangle-shaped cleavage window, her feet clacked in some high-heel boots, also black.
"Obito, how can I help you?"
"You're new here, yes?" Ali grinned. "Hm, ah, Leano, just saw you there."
"I'm sure," the wolf woman said with a shrug. "Right? I'm sure you're familiar. I didn't join the beginning shoots so you know," Leano said as Obito's eyes went back and forth before going to the cheetah pair who shook their heads quickly and discreetly.
Which meant that the two models flanking him hadn't noticed them in the least as they stared one another down.
"Yes, Leano was showing me around."
"Well, she can bring in decent company, I suppose," Ali added, resting a hand on his shoulder, much to the small gasps of those around them. "Still, I can give you tips and all forms of tutorship when you're ready."
"... Wait-"
"Girls and Taki!" Came the tigress director's voice, the woman in distress. "Miyagi's… wait, Miyagi! You came!" The woman said before gaping at Obito.
The man was up in her arms in seconds. "What's going on!?" He yelled as the woman blinked.
30 minutes of explaining later and Obito groaned in his seat.
"Dammit, Miyagi," the wolf man said as the director rubbed the back of her head.
"Dammit, we're supposed to be having a male wolf for the outfits and they've been customized already," she said as Obito's face went blank as Leano hummed.
"..." Obito's face got a small giggle out of his baby mama. "Well… it's just showing the cloth-"
"Yes! Nice! Now we have a model!" The woman recovered with such ease, Obito's eyebrow began ticking once more. "Still…" She observed him as Obito sighed.
Minutes later, he was in a changing area, Leano and the other watching.
"Okay, we were going for sleek and smooth," the director, Manna, said as she showed Obito the line of clothes.
He looked at them and nodded slowly.
"These are good-looking clothes," he said and she smirked.
"Now, the shoot's in a few minutes, change quickly, please," she said as she held up a set to him, alarming Obito. "Oh, please, everyone here's seen at least a good half naked."
"I hope that wasn't supposed to calm me down," Obito said grunt before he grabbed the bottom of his shirt.
Then he stripped it off and the group was left gawking at a body that couldn't be less than perfect.
Tall, broad-chested, and with powerful posture, Obito crossed his well-muscled arms with a frown. "The clothes," he said, hand out.
"Holy shit, boy, are you sure you're not trying to be a model?!" Manna drooled a bit.
"Yes, I'm a scientist."
"Was science always this interesting?" Taki asked as Olena snorted. "Maybe he teaches the periodic tables on his abs."
Leano hadn't heard him, eyes shrinking at the sight of a perfect build putting on powerful-looking clothes.
'I-I slept with that?!' And she didn't remember!? 'Did I get a lucky number that day?' Leano didn't know.
All she knew was, damn the consequences, she'd be getting a piece of that man eventually!
Ignorant to Leano's thoughts, Obito was looking at the pants of the outfit.
"You realize I'm not taking my pants off here, right?"
~NRK~
Obito sat down with the others, once more, face in a neutral expression.
"Why did I need to be half-naked for a third of those shots?"
"Hmm," Taki drank some water. "I don't know," he lied as easily as he drank. "You've got one more hour, be proud, most people couldn't handle a photoshoot so easily."
"Hm, hm, hm," Olena snickered as Leano's red cheeks were ignored by the wolf woman herself, the beautiful wolf drinking some tea as she replayed several of Obito's shoots.
'I could grind cheese on those,' she thought.
"Alright, good! You're oddly good at posing," Manna said as she came over with a grin. "Now, this time, you'll be posing with Leano, perfect, right? You get to pose with your lover over here and she gets to rub herself on abs, like usual I'd bet."
Obito snorted while Leano sputtered in embarrassment.
Minutes later, they were side-by-side, listening in on their instructions.
Obito was shocked at the apparel he had on.
A shin-length dark blue peacoat, black turtleneck, slacks, and a pair of black loafers. Over the lower half of his face was a black medical mask, leaving him with only his upper-half of his face visible.
Leano, meanwhile, was wearing a pair of black tights, short tan boots, similar-colored short shorts, and a long-sleeved white top that was baggy at the bottom.
"Now, this last one's theme is Power Over Fear," Manna explained with a grin. "You two will be responding with emotion."
"Hmm…" Leano hummed with a frown.
"This is difficult?" Obito asked.
"Well, I can see why they wanted Miyagi," she said. "This is going to require acting, a least a little bit."
"True!" Manna said. "We're throwing you in the deep kind, Obito-kun. Just do your best! If nothing else, we can just take off your top!"
"Why is that an answer?!" Obito said in an instant as Leano giggled. "Dammit."
"Hmm, well, did you pick up anything from your brother?" She asked teasingly and he scoffed.
"More like did I help him out and, yes, I did," he said before cupping his chin. "Alright, what's the first pose?"
"Overhands. You'll be covering Leano's back and shoulders," Manna said.
Obito nodded as he cleared his throat.
Leano pumped herself up-
"Aren't you pretty, ojou-chan?" A voice that hadn't matched that raspy-husky tone she was used to caused her, and the others', ears to perk as things snaked around her shoulder.
Her tail shot up and her head turned only for one of his hands to lift her arm by the sleeve.
"A beautiful puppet," he whispered into her ears, causing her eyes to widen as he played her sleeve like a string.
'Is this what he thought would be bad acting?!' Leano's words nearly died in her throat but he egged her on.
"Speak, my puppet."
"Hmm~" She smiled through the shivers, the bristling of her tail, and the thump of her heart, her own, unheld, arm coming up so she could caress his chin. "A puppet?"
"Can you defy your maker?"
"I'm a bit better than that," Leano said as energy filled her, defiant energy as she pressed into his powerful chest. "A puppet I am NOT."
"Hmph."
The cameras snapped numerous photos in seconds, Manna grinning like a madwoman.
"NEXT POSE!"
~NRK~
Leano laughed as Obito served her some food.
"I wasn't expecting her to hug us like that," he said, tail waving back and forth, as he brought over her food. "Still, I'm glad things went well, despite the numerous invitations."
"Well, you did good work," Leano said with a smile as he sat down next to her. "Where'd that voice come from?"
"Changing my voice has helped Miyagi with getting into different mental states. So, I learned how to do a few voices," he said as he hummed loudly. "It's Tobi!"
Leano's head slammed into the table, her body trembling in shock and laughter that was so powerful, the wood vibrated.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" She couldn't hold it in.
Obito with that voice?! Her heart definitely couldn't take it!
~NRK~
Come December… Leano finally took her maternal leave from modeling.
Obito, meanwhile, had taken to resting in the dorms of his college. With her delay of work, Leano had started coming there with no reason to do otherwise.
And it made waves as not only that but a certain magazine came hot on the presses and magazines.
Obito groaned as he held an arm around Leano's waist, the two walking to his dorm while they ignored the pictures, shocked, awed, embarrassed, and downright perverted looks from the wolf man's fellow students.
He'd already been lambasted via asks for his autograph on magazines a lot of the students suspiciously had.
By the time they'd made it to his dorm room, Obito was pretty sure he'd handed out over a hundred autographs and Leano wasn't a slouch, either. She'd clearly done almost as much, worryingly, and she was pregnant.
When he got the two of them into his one-person dorm room, he lifted Leano with ease, much to her embarrassment, and put her on his couch.
"O-Oh!" She blushed as he did before Obito chuckled, leaning on the back of it. "Well… yeah, your body doesn't hesitate," Leano remembered with some embarrassment and yet excitement.
She'd never gotten that chance, yet, so she was going to give her baby's birth in April all of her attention.
"Hmm," she hummed before looking at him. "Obito-kun?"
"Hm?"
"Have you had any name ideas?"
The two blinked at that, the question even startling Leano even though she asked it.
"... I-I… I haven't thought about it," Obito realized in horror. "A-And it's a boy, right?"
"Y-Yep!" Leano said, rubbing her slightly big stomach. "Oh, how could we have forgotten?"
"I don't know," Obito sighed before chuckling. "Well, we got to it four months before things got too crazy. What do you think?"
"..." Leano looked towards Obito's window, the snow outside calming her. "... Legoshi," she said slowly. "I love that name."
"Then we'll use that," Obito said softly as she looked at him.
"Are you sure? You don't want to throw one out there?"
"Hmm…" Obito blushed a little bit at a thought. "Maybe, if another child comes through, I'll name that one."
Leano's eyes widened at what he'd suggested, the male wolf rubbing the back of his head.
"Is that alright?" He asked her.
Leano pressed her head forward before their lips met for the first time ever since this whole situation started.
The kiss was reciprocated in an instant, the two keeping it going for a minute and more before separating.
They breathed out in unison before chuckling.
They couldn't imagine that being anyone else.
~NRK~
Spring breezed by Leano's window, Sakura petals flowing out her window as she held him.
Her very first testament to motherhood… her firstborn child.
Legoshi the Gray Wolf.
Looking at the slightly red baby, she cooed him asleep as the door to her medical room was opened by Obito and Gosha, the two men carrying water, rags, and cleaning supplies.
"There he is," Obito said in shock and awe, body freezing as he saw that small life in his… in his lover's arms. "Legoshi…" He whispered as Gosha smiled brightly.
"Come on, a father's first time meeting his child can never be forgotten," the komodo dragon said gently as Obito swallowed, putting down his things and walking over to Leano. "It's something that can't be compared."
Obito felt that already just by knowing he had a part in a small lifeform… but this… seeing his son made his blood thrum as he leaned over his lover.
The small wolf boy cooed before his eyes creaked open.
And Obito immediately fell in love with him. "Legoshi," he said softly, nudging one of the boy's hands which just sort of openly gave small baby slaps. "... He's amazing," Obito said, nuzzling Leano who nuzzled back.
This was their life now and Leano hadn't known life could be this good, this amazing.
With a loving parent, a baby boy in her arms, and a lover who seemed to be everything she ever wanted in a lover, she wasn't sure how she'd been blessed so.
And never before had she wanted to slap herself for the amount of misery she'd put herself through in a year's time.
~NRK~
Hope you all enjoyed, this'll either be a two-parter or three-parter. All I know is that this 'set' will come to an end sometime in canon. These ARE omakes, after all.
Ciao.
Words: 14.4k+
~NRK Out~