A/N: EDIT: Flames will be flames I suppose. Made some edits too, not that anyone noticed. T_T
I love the Holidays but isolating during them is a paaaaaiiiin.
As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't.
If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Poof! Gone! Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
Now for your questions, comments, and concerns~!
Q: How long as this version of Naruto been around?
A: Not giving an exact number yet...but long enough to give Heimerdinger a run for his money. Enough to try all sorts of ways to get back to his world...
...hand a man enough failures and he starts to get desperate.
Q: How much has changed? If the kids got back to Zaun with an escort...if they got away clean...you know what that means,
A: *grins* Indeed I do. Already hinted that Naruto knows Vander and Silco at that...could say more on that front, but I think I'll let the story do the talking for me~!
Q: What's the pairing?!
A: Pretty sure I already stated it. While we're on the subject, I'd like to clarify something.
Each of my three Arcane stories has a different pairing. Case in point!
"What Could Have Been" is basically Naruto x Pure!Jinx tale.
Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy" has a surprise.
And this bad boy...well. Read and guess~!
Q: How much do you know when it comes to League of Legends?
A: Not much, I'm slowly learning about it, and holy crap there's a lot. Thus far the high points are as follows. Fiddlesticks terrifies me, Rhaast amuses me, and Jinx is to be protected at all costs.
Also, Arcane's already getting a season two. Lets hope it lives up to the first, because man did they set the bar high.
Q: If Naruto's been going around collecting magical artifacts/weapons, does that mean he has...THAT?
A: Oh yes, he has this, that and THOSE.
Read and see.
Q: Will there be Genshin characters in this story?
A: No. Might see a weapon or two from other genres if you squint hard enough...after all, all sorts of things fall into the world of Runeterra.
Q: Papa Naruto is best Naruto?
A: Yes.
Q: How does Ahri fit into this?
A: From what little is known of her, she's been around awhile. Not as long as some, but enough to fit into Arcane quite seamlessly.
As to how she stumbled into Piltover...well. Read and see.
Alright! I've kept you long enough!
As ever, the story title is named after a song from Arcane.
Once more, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Not a one!
And yes, this is Papa!Naruto. The pairings here might well surprise some of you...
"You don't seem to understand, pall. I've befriended demons, slain snakes and made a goddess blush."
"You're treating this like its the most important moment in your life. For you? It probably is."
But for me? This is just another Tuesday."
~Just a Man.
Just a Theory
Naruto was a man of his word.
Vi couldn't help but hate him for that. He -or maybe of the strange copies that wore his face, because one could never be sure with someone like him- escorted their little quartet out of Piltover and down to Zaun as one would a band of naughty children. Which they were in a sense, but still. Did he have to be so blasted bloody smug about it?
Thankfully few in the upper city barely batted an eyelash at the sight of them.
Those who tried in the undercity were summarily frightened away when the blond brandished one of his staves and stove in a man's skull. None challenged them after that. None barred their bath. None dared so much as speak to them. Vi wasn't sure what galled her more; the realization that a lousy topsider was actively keeping his word or the fact that he'd not stabbed them in the back yet. Even now she half expected a knife between her shoulders at any moment; or barring that, a mob of Enforcers to run them down. But the dreaded betrayal never came.
In nearly no time at all, they found themselves standing before the doors to Vander's pub.
Really, it was almost anticlimactic.
And humiliating.
She hadn't had some shepherd her through the Lanes since she was a little girl. Worse, she could feel Naruto's gaze on her all the while as he chatted up their siblins; as though he expected her to bolt. She wouldn't grant him the satisfaction. If anything, she wanted to pivot and slug him in the gut.
Stupid topsider...!
"Here we are." their patron tapped his staff upon the ground, producing a faint ringing sound against an upturned cobblestone. "Home sweet home." He inhaled deeply behind his porcelain mask. "Been awhile. Air smells different than I remember." a cursory sniff seemed to confirm his suspicions. "Suppose that's a good thing."
"..."
None of them knew why he'd donned that mask before shepherding them into Zaun. After that short, sharp burst of violence, none dared ask. Whatever the rhyme or reason, Naruto didn't want his face to be seen down here. That was worrying in and of itself. The silence that persisted after the fact even more so.
"You know," he said suddenly, apropos of nothing. "I could use apprentices...
Powder perked up. "Wait, are you," her voice rose in an excited squeak, "...you're offering us a job?"
Vi puffed out her chest, feeling indignant. "Is that what this is all about? You want us to flip? We won't betray Vander!"
"I'm not asking you to." he flicked her forehead, eliciting a yelp from her. "I could use the help, running errands here and there. My hands aren't as steady as they used to be."
Claggor coughed into a fist. "This from the guy who cracked Deckard's skull?"
"I'm talking about the finer things." Naruto wiggled his right hand at them, flashing his missing finger in reminder. "I can still fight and "crack skulls" as you so eloquently put it, just fine." he tittered a little as they all winced. "But I can't exactly hold things the way I used to, ya know?"
Leave it to Mylo to ask the question on all their minds. "How'd you lose that finger anyway?"
The air seemed to darken around Naruto. "By breaking up a fight between your old man and...someone else."
Vi edged back, not at all liking his tone. It was all beginning to make a twisted sort of sense. Naruto's refusal to reveal himself down here, his reluctance to enter the pub, and now...this. Was he an old enemy of Vander's? An adversary come back for revenge? There was a part of her -a very large part!- that wanted nothing more than to believe it, but a sliver of doubt burrowed in her heart to hold her back. Naturally, the cheeky bastard caught her staring again and used that as an excuse to pat her head. What did he think she was, a puppy or something?!
"You do realize I'm not your enemy, right?"
Vi smacked his hand away and stalked on ahead. "This was a one time thing."
His voice rang after her. "If you push people away, you'll never be a good leader!"
"Piss off, old man!"
Behind her, Powder's hand shot up. "Question!"
Vi slowed, not entirely willing to abandon her siblings, even in her anger.
"I'm not a teacher, little miss." Naruto chortled once. "You can put your hand down."
Claggor, bless his simple soul, wasn't deterred for a moment. "What's with the mask? You've been wearing it ever since we came down here...
Myly scoffed. "Probably doesn't want to breathe the same air as us."
On that, Vi was in agreement. Pity his response dashed it.
"Not quite."
Much to Violet's chagrin, their guide gave a rueful chuckle behind the hooded red-on-white facade he wore. Though his hair was hidden from view, a tan finger hooked under the smooth material of the mask near the chin and tugged it upward, revealing bemused blue eyes cut with an edge of sorrow. He looked upon Vander's pub and sighed. Something twisted in her heart at the sight. It was the same look she'd seen the old man wear when he spoke about the past.
Just who was he, really...?
"Bit of a long story." Naruto caught her staring and winked; just like that his grief evaporated, gone with the morning mist. "Still, probably best folks don't see my face." he swept the mask back down, hiding his whiskered visage from the world once more. "Your old man might try to cave my face in if he caught me down here again."
Powder blinked quickly. "Again?"
An awkward silence fell over their little band.
"Well," Mylo muttered to himself, "That's not ominous at all."
"Doesn't matter to me one way or the other." the baffling blond shrugged. "I've done my part." with that, he turned to depart. "Feel free to come by again if you want to make some more money...
"Will do!" Powder hefted her sack with a happy hum. "Thanks again, old man. You're not so bad."
"Old?!" His masked face turned to well...face her. "I'll have you know I'm not even five hundred-no." slim shoulders rose and fell in a sigh. "Forget it! Have fun with your treasure." His peace said, the wayward warrior turned once more and walked back the way the'd come. He didn't get far. "Oh, and speaking of forgetting...!"
Vi jolted as he pivoted to face her. "What now?"
The mask flitted up again, exposing a cheery grin. "I wanted to thank ya."
She didn't like that smile. Far too many teeth. It reminded her of a laughing fox. "For what?"
Naruto's mask clicked back into place,both physically and metaphorically. Although it hid most of his face, it couldn't conceal the smile in his voice, nor the faint peal of laughter that followed. He sounded...pleased. Like a miner who'd found a diamond in the rough, a shipwrecked sailor who saw a beacon of light in the distance. It was the chuckle of a man who'd found hope again.
"For getting me back in the game."
Naruto's staff struck the street and he became so much smoke. It wafted away on the wind, leaving them balking in its wake.
Powder gave a low whistle. "Alright, how did he do that, and how can I do it?"
Vi needed no further prodding than that. No more topsider talk. She all but flung the door the bar open and stalked inside.
Powder and the rest clamored after her. Together the four of them rushed through the pub, barreled down the stairs, and sealed the door behind them. The very moment she did, Mylo whirled and flung his sack down on the table. Claggor joined him, and then Powder, unable to control herself. Light danced across the room in the low tones.
"We're gonna live like kings!"
It really was a very nice hoard, Vi mused as she looked upon the items sprawled out before their eyes. Alright. Just this once she couldn't fault Mylo for bragging. Gold and jewels etched with runes, fantastic weapons of which she'd never seen, folded cloth that seemed to melt in her hand when she picked it up...she'd never seen the like. It was a bounty unlike any other, greater than anything she'd ever known.
And it was all theirs.
Loathe though she was to admit it, she couldn't help but marvel at the sheer breadth of their score. They'd left Naruto's home each with a sack in hand, and she'd not dared to pry until he was well away. Truth be told she hadn't paid much attention to the items her siblings -or she!- had been given, but now that they were away from posh Piltover and the threat of imminent betrayal, she found herself curious.
A faint smile plucked at the corner of her mouth. "Best score ever."
"Not bad for four urchins, eh?" Mylo preened as he fiddled with a staff. "Looks like Powder didn't jinx us after all."
Powder winged a ruby off his forehead. "Don't call me that! I'm not a jinx."
"What? Its true. This is the first time you didn't."
"You're the one that nearly picked a fight!"
Vi frowned at her. "Powder."
Her little sister clutched a brace of knives close to her chest, almost afraid they'd take them from her. She noticed the strange marks carved into them. Not runes. Something else, a strange foreign script she couldn't quite comprehend. In the corner of her eye she noticed her brothers each eyeing items of their own.
A sigh pierced the air. Her sigh.
"Alright, alright!" she thrust herself between her siblings before the two of them could come to blows or worse. "We each keep one thing from what we took. The rest we pawn off.
Powder pouted. "Only one thing?"
Claggor shrugged. "I'm with her on this."
"C'mon, Vi." Ever the opportunist, Mylo jumped right in. "There's plenty to around!"
"Fine, two!" she flung up her arms when they wouldn't relent. "That's it! We're already taking a huge risk here as it."
"You think he might come back for it?" this from Powder. "
Violet shivered.
"Remember," Naruto's words came back to her in a rush. "Its out little secret."
She'd felt like a mouse cornered by a fox. Back then she hadn't been able to move, much less breathe.
If he did, then they were boned. No, beyond boned. Dead. Vi felt her right arm trembled and clamped a hand down on her wrist to stifle it. She had no illusions as to fighting him. It would be a massacre. He'd manhandled them back in that penthouse and he'd been playing with them at the time. All the more reason to sell this stuff off fast and hide what they could. He wouldn't well come after them if they didn't have his trinkets. Right?
.
..
...right?
"I don't think so." she lied instead. "Now hurry up and pick something."
Everyone descended into a mad scramble.
Claggor claimed a hefty shield that no one else in their group had any hope of lifting. Its dark green facets were heavily inscribed with what she could only assume to be runes. He slung it onto his back with ease and then chose his second item, a secondary pair of goggles far finer than the pair currently affixed to his forehead.
"Not bad." he rumbled. "I'm satisfied with this."
Vi frowned a little at them. There was something off about those things, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Still, if that was his choice...
"Ha! Look at me!" Mylo snatched up a dark cloak and draped it across his shoulders. For a moment he almost seemed to fade into the shadows themselves, invisible to the naked eye. Claggor and Powder made faint noises of appreciation. Vi scrubbed at her eyes and the illusion shattered, just in time to see him pluck a wicked-looking stiletto switchblade from the pile. It danced nimbly in his fingers before it vanished into a pocket. He grinned and flicked it out again, content with his prize.
Powder pounced on an engraved pistol made of whale bones and a necklace bearing a single striking sapphire.
"Huh." she muttered, holding it up to catch the light. "There's a note." sure enough, there was a scrap of paper tied to metal-corded string. Deft fingers unbound it. "Its says...for good luck? Neat!" she donned it before Vi could think to stop her, looping it around her neck. A tiny shiver passed through her. "Weird. Could've sworn I felt something just now...
Quite suddenly, Vi realized everyone was looking at her.
She took a step back with a scowl. "What? Why're ya looking at me like that?"
Powder's little legs twisted left and right in thinly veiled anticipation. "Aren't you gonna pick something?"
Vi deflated with a sigh. Right, she hadn't selected anything yet. Her gaze flicked over the pile. There was nothing there she had any particular interest in. She didn't use a sword or a shield, and marksmanship had always been Powder's forte, not hers. She trusted in her fists. No need of jewelry either..
Inevitably, her eyes were drawn to a pair of matching golden bracelets.
Gold on black, they looked simple enough, meant to slip over one's wrists. She reached down for them, only to find a note attached by a thin string to the leftmost bracelet. Against her better judgement and under the watchful eye of her family, she snatched at it. Trembling fingers unfolded it. Five lines awaited her within, written in a loose hand:
"For the girl who punches first and asks questions much, much later...
"This here's Ember Celica. Found her in a crater somewhere.
Take care with the ammunition. Its limited.
Regards,
~N.
Ammo? What was he on about? Vi crumpled the note in her fist and bit back a nervous laugh. Surely he hadn't picked these out for her. Or any of them. There was just no way. It wasn't possible. That implied he knew they were coming. That he'd foreseen it or something. Crazy talk. Of course, the alternative meant he'd seen them at a glance and picked out choice loot just for them...or he'd stowed something extra for her when she wasn't looking. She didn't much like that idea either.
It smacked of charity. And yet...
"Oh, screw it." she snarled, "He's not scaring me!
With a snarl, she slid the bracelets onto each wrist. Nothing happened. There was no tingle of energy, no feeling of rightness or any such thing. They were a little heavy, all told. Nothing she couldn't handle, but noticeable nevertheless. Somewhere behind her, Mylo snickered. Claggor shrugged. Powder made a dissapointed sound. Vi's face flamed with embarrassment.
Her brow furrowed. "Piece of junk!
She threw an angry punch.
The bracelets hummed.
Time unfolded slowly; she felt the twin gold bands move against her wrist, and then quite suddenly they were there; extending across her arm to sheathe her fists. Gauntlets, she realized. They were honest to goodness gauntlets, just as good as Vander's maybe better even. Granted, the fit wasn't quite right, but nothing a little padding couldn't fix. A small, tentative smile touched her lips.
Powder squealed. "I want that!
Claggor sulked. "Aw, she got the best one!
Mylo eyed his knife, looking rather put out. "Is it too late to pick something else...?"
Vi's smile became a grin. Slowly but surely, she found herself warming to her gift. She took a stance and flung herself into a quick combo. One. Two. Three. When she made to throw a fourth punch she felt trigger push its way up under her thumb. Without so much as a second thought, she squeezed it.
BANG!
The angry bark of a shotgun filled the room and obliterated a chair.
"Oi!" Vander shouted somewhere upstairs. "What was that?!
"Nothing!" Powder chimed. "Mylo broke another chair!"
A pause. And then. "...well, be more careful!"
"Hey!"
Vi lowered her arms with a sigh and flicked a bead of sweat from her brow. The moment she did the gauntlets folded in on themselves, becoming simple bracelets once more. Maybe...maybe she could keep them. Besides, it wasn't like the last owner of these had any use for them anymore.
"Well, that settles it. Blondie gives pretty good gifts."
Mylo scoffed. "Suuure, he gives you gauntlets and suddenly you're eating of his hand."
Anger sparked back to life in her. "Watch it, Mylo."
"No, you watch it." For once, her brother wasn't smiling. "You don't get it."
Vi rolled her eyes. "Get what? What're you talking about?"
"Its the nice ones you gotta watch out for...
(.0.0.0.)
"Rise and shine, pal."
Jayce jolted back to wakefulness with a start, alarmed to find himself tied and bound in the darkness of his room. The world lurched around him as he struggled to make sense of it all; his first instinct was to cry out, but it was muffled against a cloth gag. His next was to rise, but the chains shackling him to said chair rendered that a futile effort. He succeeded only in rattling his chair. Lack of memory stilled him. He couldn't remember where he had been attacked, or even why for that matter. Vaguely, he recalled opening his door, followed by a flash of haunting blue eyes.
So too did the sight before him.
There was a man sitting opposite him; a masked man clad in black, his face hidden behind a porcelain shield. One leg crossed over the other, idly tapping against the floor. In his hand he held a single fractured gemstone, idly turning the blue facet over and over in his fingers. Jayce peered deeper into the dark and immediately wished he hadn't.
Because it was then that he saw the scythe.
A ghastly red and black thing with what looked like an eye in it, it hung loosely over the strangers back, twirling slowly in his free hand. It looked at him. It saw him. It knew him. He could feel the sheer bloodlust pouring off that warped weapon, feel its twisted hunger as if it were its own. Just staring at this ghastly thing chilled his blood and curdled the milk of his soul.
"Oh, good." the masked man looked up. "You're awake. My friends were getting restless. Hold still, would you kindlu?"
The scythe flicked out in a lazy sweep...
Jayce tensed!
...and the gag silencing him fell away.
"What," he croaked, coughed, then tried again, "What is that thing?"
"I've collected a lot of weapons and artifacts since my friend," and oh how his guest growled that word, "Stranded me here. This is Rhaast. Say hello, Rhaast."
The scythe remained ominously silent. The man kicked its haft.
A voice like death itself growled in the air. "I hate you."
"Aw," the masked man crooned, "I love you too!" Quick as a flash that masked facade swung back to him.
"Used to be no one else could hear him but me. He's gotten livelier lately. Maybe its because me and Kurama are trying to redeem him." A shrug followed the first. "Who knows?"
His weapon seemed to shudder in his very grasp. "I will swallow your souls!"
"Meh." The man hummed. "He's coming around."
"Who are you?" Truly, what manner of madness was this? "What do you want?"
"Who is unimportant. As to what I want...?" he took a deep breath to steady himself set the gemstone down, stepped his fingers, and laid his chin atop them. Behind him the scythe growled and summarily went ignored in turn. "Tell me more about your research. Do you truly believe you can create magic?
Jayce swallowed once. Was he here for his research? Lying availed him nothing. " I...do."
"Could you use that magic to create a portal?" A scarred hand waved, and he idly noticed it was missing a finger. "A way to another world?"
"Magic can do a great many things." he chose his words with care, unwilling to give himself way. "I've seen it firsthand."
"Yes," Pearly white teeth flashed in the gloom. "So I've been told. Whaddya say, Rhaast?
"We could always kill him and ask his soul." There was a note of eagerness there, a long for violence that unnerved the poor inventor yet further still. "Death never lies."
"No, no, no." the masked man shook his head. "That won't do."
Words caught in his throat. "Might I ask your name?"
"Names?" The man raised his head. "My name..isn't important. Now tell me." he pressed instead, "About this hextech theory of yours...
"Its not a theory." Anger sparked to life in him, burning back the fear if only for a moment. "I saw with my own eyes what magic can do, the lives it could save." he had. He'd lived it and fallen in love with it in the same breath. "You've no idea how beautiful it is."
"On the contrary." worn fingers tugged back his cowl, revealing the man's face. "I'm well aware...
Jayce recoiled. The first thing he glimpsed were whiskered cheeks, pinched a scowl.
"I've seen it firsthand." Sandy blond hair mixed with hints of silver. "I suppose you could say I use magic of...a different sort. Its called chakra." Last were the eyes. Deep and soulful blue, yet hollow somehow. As if someone had reached deep inside of him and scooped something out. He looked tired, his shoulders bowed by the weight of years. "I could tear this city down around you," his voice took on a sad, almost whimsical note, as if they were discussing the weather, not the imminent demise of Piltover. "Burn this world to the ground, make it scream my name with its dying breath. But for all that, I can't go home...so you're going to help me."
Jayce gulped.
Ultimately, it was the eyes that held him; he'd seen a haunted gaze like that before; glimpsed it in the half-forgotten face of a fellow inventor who had suffered once to many failures. All his experiments, all his research into the forbidden, all for naught. He'd been half mad by the end. The last he'd seen of that sorry sop had been a babbling wreck a the enforcers took him away.
This man had the same look about him. His was the look of a man not quite broken down, not yet, but desperate nonetheless.
Desperate men were dangerous. Jayce knew this from experience.
After all he was fairly desperate himself these days.
Because he was running out of time. Out of funding, out of materials, out of everything; in truth, his career balanced on the edge of a knife; a single nudge could send him to safety or screaming into the abyss. He was one accident away from fame or fortune. And if the Academy discovered what he was doing here...
"I think," he began slowly, choosing his words with great care, "You need me to help you."
The man went silent.
...aren't you a clever one. You're right. I do need you." the scythe flicked out again, but lower this time, severing his chains. "What if I told you there was a way to stabilize those precious gems of yours? An angle you haven't seen."
"That's impossible." Jayce surged to his feet, trying to quell the sudden spark of excitement he felt. "I've already tried all manner of vectors, but I haven't even able to make the gems stabilize."
"Not all...
The man offered him his hand.
...let me show you. All I ask is for a way home."
Jayce considered the proffered palm with some trepidation.
It was akin to making a deal with the devil, or a fox. He wasn't sure which was worse. Still, better the devil you knew than the one you didn't... He couldn't be trusted. But no else believed in him. None had offered their aid. If he was going to make a deal with the devil, then damnit...it would be his deal.
He clasped the blond's hand.
Naruto smiled. "I knew you'd see it my way."
In a single flourish of movement, he rose to his feet.
"Now then, lets get to work. We have a long night ahead of us."
(...The Next Morning...)
This was a bad place.
She stumbled through dirty streets, threaded her way through alleys, moving ever onward, ever upward. Some tried to challenge her. Some fell. Others fled after the first few. She ignored them all. Too many sights and sounds, not at all like her home. The stink of humans everywhere she looked.
Still she pressed on.
She did not wish to be here, and yet something had drawn her here all the same. Hunger gnawed at her, and not for food, a craving of a deeper sort. She would need to feed soon. But no. Not yet. Not until she found her target, not until she reached her destinations.
She had seen his face in her dreams for the last year now, a haunting specter that gave her no rest, no sleep, no recourse.
She didn't even know his name. Only that she had to search for him, had to find him.
She had failed so many times.
Until now.
A trembling fist rose and mimicked a motion she'd seen a human do once before.
Thus did a young Ahri knocked upon the door.
Once did her knuckles rapped against the worn wooden frame. Twice. Thrice, now at the last. She counted by threes from there. Golden eyes fluttered in a quick blink as she heard a low noise behind he door. Six seconds now. The sound of footsteps crept closer. Nine. Her heart leaped into her throat. And finally...
With a put upon sigh, a key turned in the lock, then the handle with it. The door creaked open.
She beheld a whiskered visage not unlike her own, framed by blue eyes and blond hair.
He blinked at her. She blinked back. Her ears perked up when he didn't budge.
His voice was just as she remembered from her dreams. "Can I help you?"
A tremulously tentative smiled bloomed across Ahri's face.
"Found you!"
(.0.0.0.)
There was a girl with nine tails at his door.
Well, technically Jayce's door, Naruto considered; they'd been up the better part of the night working on those blasted gems. They were close to a breakthrough, he just knew it. But still!
Girl.
Right there!
Nine blasted tails.
Kurama perked up in the back of his head. "Hello, there...
Naruto lingered at the threshold, not quite sure what to say. What to do.
How did one respond when faced with a fox woman clad in a red-on-white kimono? If there was an answer, he didn't have it. Azure orbs blinked at her. Golden eyes blinked back at him, framed by dark hair and whiskered cheeks. Those strange furry ears twitched atop her head, even as her myriad tails swayed restlessly behind her.
"Well, don't just stand there! Do something!"
He leaned against the battered door and he scrubbed at his sleep-deprived face with the back of his good hand. "Can I help you?
Evidently it was the right thing to say; because a smile bloomed on her marked face.
Her entire body tensed. That was his only warning.
...found you!"
Then she slammed into him at speed, physically rocking him back three paces before he managed to steady himself. The moment he did, her head collided with his chest. One her tails swatted him in the face before he realized they were physically swaying with happiness. The girl made a noise that had no business emerging from a human throat. It almost sounded like a happy yip. He couldn't be sure; she'd absolutely buried her face in his jacket and didn't seem keen on moving anytime soon.
Naruto froze, arms half-raised to ward off an attack.
When none became apparent, and the silly girl didn't let go, he sighed.
"Well," he muttered to himself, "I'm just attracting all sorts of strays this week..." awkwardly, he reached down to pat the young woman's back. "So...who are you, and why were you looking for me?"
She looked up for all of an instant. "Ahri!"
Then she buried her head in his chest again, seemingly content with drinking in his scent. Not much for answers, this one.
"Is everything alright?" A low yawn echoed behind him. "What's all the commotion...?
Jayce stumbled around the corner, looking just as exhausted as he felt. He took one look at the baffling hybrid currently nuzzling Naruto and quirked a brow.
"And that is...?"
Naruto kept his arms in the air. "I'm as lost as you are...
Ahri hummed happily against him. "Found you!"
"Yes, yes, you keep saying that...
A/N: And there we go. Say hello to a younger version of Ahri~!
Saving the rest of her bit, and then Silco bit for the next chapter.
As ever, we're following the Ember's Rule here. That's no joke. Really, it isn't. Its an essential rule at this point.
If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Poof! Gone! Every bit of feedback helps. Reviews are the fuel which keeps me writing in these crazy times. With my tight schedule, I simply don't have time to write a story folks don't like. Without them, my inspiration cannot take wing and I can't write a word. So by all means, speak up!
As ever, reviews are my lifeblood. Without them, I cannot write.
So In the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Revieeeeew, Would You Kindly?
They keeps an old man alive.
And enjoy the previews.
As ever:
SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER!
PLOT DETAILS AHOY!
YE BE WARNED!
Get ready to smile~!
Obvious references are obvious~!
(POTENTIAL!) Previews! What can I say? I've been busy.
"I don't believe it...you actually stabilized it! I have to tell the council!"
Ahri's tails twitched. Just once. The merest flick, yet it betrayed her anxiety.
"Well, don't just stand there. Of course you're coming with me."
She hastened after him.
"Naruto's a nice guy!"
Mylo wagged an eyebrow at her.
"Ewww, gross!" Powder slapped his arm. "Not like that!
"What's all this?"
It was too much to hope Vander wouldn't notice.
Vi hid her arms behind her back, feeling every bit a naughty child.
"Alright, spill it. Where'd you get all this."
Vi stilled. Deny, deny, deny!"
"We didn't steal it!" Powder argued. "He gave it to us."
"Shhh!"
"Gave it to you...?"
"He knew your name."
Now it was Vander's turn to freeze.
...this guy you met, what did he look like...?"
When people look up to you, you don't get to be selfish. You say run, they run. You say swim, they dive in. You say light a fire, they show up with oil. But whatever happens, its on you.
"This...chakra substance you speak of, it can heal wounds, yes?" when he didn't challenge him, Viktor bulled onward.
"It can," Naruto hedged, not at all liking where this was going. "Why do you ask...?"
Viktor dropped his cane and knelt, pressing his forehead into the floor.
"Please." his voice was a whisper."Help me."
"I don't want a seat on the bloody council!"
Mel slapped her mother on the arm. "Don't even think about it."
"You there, boy!" Ambessa Medarda ignored her daughter wholeheartedly. "A moment, if you would."
Blue eyes rose from the book. "Call me boy again and you'll be spitting teeth."
Mel sighed. "Here we go.
"My daughter tells me you can handle yourself in a fight.
"I can...
R&R~!