Inspirational Songs:
Bakusou Yume Uta from Soul Eater's third ending
Three Blades by Fabvl ft. PESO PETE and RUSTAGE
Jin Mori Rap by Shwabadi
~NRK~
The following morning saw Naruto Uzumaki having a girl on his arm, laying flat on his back, on his bed.
His eyes snapped open and he cleared them of the sandman's sleep with his unoccupied hand.
The blonde's head looked down to see Rana sleeping on his chest, her sleeping face calm and happy as she snuggled further onto him.
His face lit up like a Christmas tree, his tomato charade so obvious, he'd be called out in an instant.
'W-Wait, think! Remember?! We didn't do anything last night!' His mind told him and the blonde swallowed before grimacing at the taste on his teeth. 'I-I need to brush my teeth!'
But Rana was currently locked around his arm, still asleep.
"..." He looked behind her, towards his big, soft, pillows. 'Can I reach them?'
He knew he couldn't, she had his arm, after all.
'... Wait,' he looked at Rana and considered his next action. 'This needs to be delicate.'
He breathed in and activated his Freezing around his arm.
Naruto focused on only his arm, not trying to freeze Rana, before he expanded the technique, ever so slightly.
Her cheek, smushed against his chest, raised before he acted quickly, spreading his field on the space around them, not allowing his bed to creak as he quickly snatched up his pillow before placing it in his place.
He undid his technique as he stood before his bed, letting out a sigh of relief.
'That worked out,' he thought with some self-praise before heading towards the bathroom. 'I should try that more.'
Expanding and shrinking the space of his Freezing ability was sure to have some kind of an idea behind it.
Naruto went in and did his business before brushing his teeth. He considered how he was going to get Rana out of here before anyone saw her and considered something… very pervy.
He shook his head before spitting out his toothpaste and washing out his mouth with water, gurgling and then spitting it out.
Naruto grinned at his reflection and nodded at his teeth. Nice and clean-
The door to the bathroom opened to reveal a groggy-looking Rana, startling the blonde as she rubbed her eyes.
"R-Rana?!" He shouted, thankful that he was all cleaned up already. "Uh… You good?"
"Mmm, brush teeth," she said with lazy energy, looking around with foggy eyes as Naruto moved out the way.
"Okay… I got some extra-" Naruto made to get another toothbrush but the girl didn't hear him, grabbing his orange one and putting toothpaste on it. "?!"
The blonde blushed as she brushed her teeth, mouth dropped as she didn't pay any attention to what was going on around her.
He made the executive decision to leave and not give this act too much thought.
As the door closed behind her, Rana rubbed her eyes some more before spitting out her toothpaste and looked at her toothbrush.
Orange? Did she have an orange toothbrush?
… She froze as her eyes widened, staring at the toothbrush before looking around the bathroom she was in.
'W-Wait, this isn't my bathroom-de arimasu?!' Rana Linchen realized in shock as she blushed, the night before's memories coming back to her. "?!"
S-She was in Naruto's room! I-If that was the case t-then this toothbrush w-
Rana burned bright red as she placed the toothbrush down and washed out her mouth quickly, washing her face after to clean and clear.
Her face locked onto the mirror in front of her and she swallowed.
'N-Now I have to go and face him-de arimasu!'
Oh, she burned from the thought as she came back into Naruto's room, the blonde coughing into his fist as he sat on his bed, not looking her in the eyes, cheeks red.
… O-Oh no.
"I a… I've got nothing," Naruto said after a moment of stuttering, face bearing a stone-like expression. "Sup."
Rana blinked once, twice, three times before she started laughing.
"R-Really-de arimasu?" She asked as she wiped away a tear, smile running on all cylinders. "Mmm, good morning, Naruto-kun," Rana said after considering their situation. "I… I used your toothbrush, didn't I-de arimasu?"
"... Yeah but don't worry about it," Naruto stood up and shook his head. "Right now, we need to get you back to your room before someone finds out you're here?"
"What's the issue?" Rana asked with a frown and crossed arms. "Is something wrong with me-de arimasu?"
"W-What?! No, no, no, no, it's not like that!" Naruto crossed his arms with a shake of the head, confusing Rana. "It's just… What would you think of a girl coming out of a guy's room in the morning?"
"That she visited?" Rana said confused. "You're not making sense-de arimasu."
"Well… That's rather hopeful and I'm in the same boat but, in this case, we're also Pandora and Limiter, Rana."
"I don't follow."
"When it comes to things like this, people will believe we're… ahem, a set. They'll think that you offered me your Invitation."
"..." Rana blushed a bit but frowned at the term. "An invitation is something special here-de arimasu?"
"It is but it's a term for when a Limiter and Pandora become partners for the first time," Naruto explained. "It's basically saying that me and you… W-We… That we got intimate."
Rana spent three seconds processing before her eyes widened and she burned bright red.
"T-That's-?!" She gripped her cheeks as she freaked out. "W-We didn't though?! P-People would honestly think that-de arimasu?!"
The thought hadn't occurred to her yet?! T-They just met! T-That took lots of time and love! She hadn't even gotten the 'Love' yet!
"I know, I know, so we should leave quickly," Naruto said, jabbing a thumb at the window. "It's Saturday, most people don't really wake up this early, we can get you back to your room."
"Y-Yes, we should-de arimasu," Rana said as she and Naruto got their slippers before the blonde opened his window. "Thankfully, you're on the first floor-de arimasu."
"Don't I know it," Naruto said as they hopped out. "Now, the best way to make this look normal would be, I guess, looking like we just met up or I take you back to your room."
"Hmmm," Rana considered their options before a loud growl reached both their ears. "H-Hahahaha," Rana blushed as she laughed embarrassedly. "I'm hungry-de arimasu."
Naruto blinked at her before snickering.
"Alright, alright, I guess we're running with that option," he said before spreading out his senses. "Alright, we can run off towards the food hall," the blonde said with a nod at his Tibetan friend.
"Lead the way-de arimasu."
They ran off with those words said, neither paying attention to Kazuya and Arthur peeking through the former's room window.
"Huh, guess it's a false alarm," Kazuya said.
"For now," Arthur answered with a nod. "Quick if we can dress fast enough, we can catch up."
~NRK~
"T-This is all for us-de arimasu?!" Rana balked at all the breakfast food. "I-Is that Taiwanese?! Is this place real-de arimasu?!"
"Yup!" Naruto grinned as the two of them moved throughout the food hall. "From every kind of place, from morning to evening, this place is open."
"Time to eat-de arimasu!"
They moved about to the eggs, pancakes, and fruit, getting a good balance of food groups.
It was as they were sitting down that Arthur and Kazuya came into the food hall, both of them wearing a t-shirt and either pajama pants, Kazuya, or shorts, Arthur.
The Japanese brunette grinned as he and Arthur walked over in their house slippers. "How's it going, you two?" he asked as Arthur went off to the food spread. "What's going on?"
"Just eatin' breakfast."
"It's so fresh-de arimasu!"
Kazuya chuckled before he noticed Genessa entering the hall with a sluggish-looking Satellizer behind her, much to his amusement.
Both were dressed in some nightgowns, red for Genessa and white for Satellizer, and were wearing house slippers like the Arthur and Kazuya.
"Ah, Genessa, my mistress," Arthur was straight-bowing in seconds, like some kind of butler,
Rana blinked at him as Naruto chuckled.
"Yes, he's like this all the time."
"... Mmm, how odd-de arimasu."
Kazuya smiled as Satellizer looked up at the group before blushing and looking down.
Progress was still progress.
They all got seated and began eating when Kazuya got the go-ahead from Satellizer.
"Guys," he spoke up, getting the table's attention. "Satellizer-senpai wants to do something if you all have the time."
"Huh, really?" Genessa's eyes squinted as she looked at the slightly blushing Satellizer. "... Alright, I'm game, I wonder what the game of the day is."
"... I…" Satellizer bit her lip as Kazuya nodded. "I… I have haphephobia," she explained to the group.
She looked up to gauge their reactions before laughing nervously at the confused looks from everyone, including Kazuya.
Okay, so maybe using the actual word was a bad idea.
"I-It's a fear of being… touched…" She explained and all their eyes widened in shock. "I… Just bumping past people makes me…"
Genessa's eyes widened further as if something finally slid into place. "H-Hold on, a-are you saying all this time you've…" The blonde girl bit her lip and nodded. "... O-Oh shit, I'm so sorry," she said and Satellizer's head snapped up to see Genessa's wincing expression.
"I-It's… I never told anyone so I know people think I'm super… aggressive," Satellizer explained and Naruto crossed his arms with a sagely nod. "I-I… I don't like pushy people who just p-press themselves on o-others."
"... I'm sorry if I offended you-de arimasu," Rana said after a wince, bowing at the waist from her seat. "I…"
"N-No, you're… you seem to be like Kazuya and Naruto… You touched my shoulder last night and I didn't even think about it," she admitted with red cheeks as Rana balked before grinning.
"I'm glad-de arimasu!"
"Hmph… So you want to see if we're all capable of touching you?" Arthur asked nervously, getting a nod from the young blonde woman. "... no offense, Ms. Bridgette but are you even okay with my presence?" The classier blonde Limiter asked with a hand rubbing the back of his head.
"I… I never thought of you as… a-annoying," Satellizer admitted, this whole situation, hell, him asking if she was fine with his mere presence, giving her a slight confidence boost. "You were just there, just like Genessa and Kaho a-and like Rana, now."
Arthur blinked before grinning as Naruto chuckled and Kazuya smiled. Genessa snorted smugly as Rana giggled.
Satellizer felt… something within her warm-up at the group, even if they were down a member in Kaho.
She felt… happy with them like this. I-It was new to her, she mostly felt this with her sister but… Finding this outside of her old home.
She smiled.
~NRK~
The five made their way to the surrounding forests.
Naruto's words had been pretty convincing.
"If we go there, we might have to deal with more of my fangirls. Let's not do that."
Rana had been curious about this factoid as she'd been explained that this was the incentive for following this 'sparring format'.
Oh, she'd been red in the face when she heard some of the scandalous things these older women had been proposing Naruto to reward them with!
"Inappropriate!" Rana had declared with fire in her eyes as Naruto coughed off to the side. "W-Who are these women-de arimasu?!"
"Random third-years who I may, or may not, have fought recently?" Naruto offered with a hand rubbing the back of his neck as they entered a clearing. "Mmhm."
"I see...-de arimasu."
"I can't exactly say much more than, well, we'll be pushing their faces in overtime so…" Naruto shrugged. "So, let's just deal with that whenever it matters. For now, we've gotta see if we can't all be better friends with Satellizer-senpai."
Rana pouted but nodded all the same, the two turning to the Satellizer currently pacing back and forth in front of the others.
"A-Alright," the blonde woman said with a swallow and a nod. "... I-I guess a handshake is a good start?"
Naruto nodded. "Alright then me and Kazu will go first. Then, Rana-chan, Genessa-nee-chan, and, finally, Arthur, yeah?"
The group nodded, Naruto and Kazuya doing as suggested and holding onto Satellizer's hands.
The blonde blushed for many reasons but the most were because this was like she had one Limiter on each hand.
"Mmmm," Rana's eyes squinted in suspicion as Satellizer blushed harder. "Mmmm-de arimasu."
"So this is cool," Naruto said as he and Kazuya let go before he turned to Rana. "Yo~"
"On it-de arimasu," Rana strode forward and grasped Satellizer's hands completely, the blonde blinking at her.
"S-So I was right," she muttered with slightly red cheeks. "That's good…"
Rana nodded with a grin as she let go. "Genessa."
The redhead moved forward before the Rank 2 and Rank 1 of the second-years fumbled about the situation.
Satellizer nodded as Genessa looked hesitant.
Holding out her hand, the blonde locked eyes with the redhead who let out a sigh before hesitantly grabbing it, being gentle.
Satellizer felt pinpricks travel up her wrist and she shivered as Genessa let go with a wince.
"I-I'm sorry, I can't," the blonde got out with a downward expression.
"... I-It's fine, people don't just get better, I know," the pigtailed one said with a hand rubbing the back of her head, Arthur coming forward and resting a hand on her shoulder.
"It's fine," he said with a smile. "I looked it up and being around us a lot can help her get used to touching us, at least."
"..." Satellizer held her hand with a look of sadness, Kazuya and Rana placing their hands on her shoulders in reassurance.
"You were still able to touch her without freaking out," Naruto said with a grin. "That's certainly more progress than could be expected, yeah?"
"... A-Arthur," Satellizer locked onto the blonde boy who swallowed as he nervously came forth. "... Naruto, Rana, Kazuya, Genessa, please make sure I don't do something. Please."
"Gotcha," Naruto nodded as Kazuya winced while Rana crossed her arms but shot the blonde a confirming look. "Genessa-senpai, just lay your chains on the floor, better to have them out already, just in case."
Genessa nodded, doing as suggested.
"Alright, Arthur, you're up," Naruto said with his arms crossed but eyes alert.
Arthur and Satellizer swallowed in unison before the former got within two feet of the older blonde before he and she slowly locked hands.
Pinpricks rang throughout her arms up to her clavicle and Arthur moved back, out of her grip, the instant they saw her grit her teeth, the female blonde letting out rapid gasps.
"Alright… Alright," Naruto stood in front of her, hands raised and eyes locked onto her own. "Breathe, senpai, just breathe, yeah?"
Satellizer shivered as she nodded, Kazuya holding onto her shoulder as she looked at him with a shaky nod.
"... I didn't know it was this bad," Genessa said with a wince, watching just how little touch could send the Rank 1 Pandora into an involuntary panic. "Dammit."
"Don't, either of you," Naruto said with a stern frown. "Remember, she was still able to touch you, that's more than I expected. I thought she'd immediately try and throw you or something."
"... I-I guess?" Arthur asked but his expression was very nervous at the thought. "That's certainly the 'bright side', I guess."
Naruto sighed before he considered something.
He needed to get the mood up for all of them… He snapped his fingers, gaining the group's attention.
"For now, working on things we can't change isn't going to do us any good," he said, focusing on everyone. "So, let's focus on something else."
~NRK~
Coming back to the area they'd just been to, Naruto stretched his arms along with everyone else, Kaho now with the group, and filled in.
The boys had been wearing tank tops while the girls were in muscle shirts, the former wearing sweatpants while the latter wore shorts.
All of them had on their sneakers or ninja sandals for the coming workout.
"Alright, so first things first," Naruto said. "Stretch it out, can't really start by doing anything but, yeah?"
So they did, the cool grass being to their benefit as Naruto took them through a series of flexibility tests.
When they finished, he asked the group about their training… Needless to say, he was sorely disappointed in over half the group.
Kazuya, Satellizer, and Kaho looked down with slight embarrassment as Genessa wore a smug smirk as Arthur chuckled a bit.
"Now, being honest, I know, for a fact, that most Pandoras don't do as much training as I'd believe," Naruto said with a sweatdrop as Kaho and Satellizer blushed. "B-But damn near none?!"
"I-It's not NONE!" Kaho refuted as the blonde Pandora nodded furiously. "W-We just do it in class."
"... Kaho-chan, you do realize that if you did more personal training you'd easily be number one in our year, right?"
"T-That's?!" The kinda-redhead blushed. "W-What if I didn't care about that kind of stuff!?"
"You've been caught on record of wanting to win the Carnival," Arthur added from the side as the Freshman Pandora froze, red-faced. "Sorry, Kaho but putting you on blast is to your benefit."
"A-ARTHUR?!"
"Hmph," Naruto nodded before turning to their newest Limiter friend. "Kazu, Kazu, Kazu, come on, we're Limiters, we've gotta try, at the least, TEN TIMES more to make up for not being superhuman."
"U-Uh… Y-Yeah, that's my bad," the brunette almost said before his head fell.
"It's not like you have to do the, apparently insane, stuff I do," Naruto said, directing that at a very not-so-innocent-looking Genessa and Arthur. "But, like, seriously, remember your words yesterday because we're gonna be focusing on that from here on out."
"What words-de arimasu?" Rana asked as Kazuya blushed.
"Just fitness goals," Naruto said with a thumbs-up in Kazuya's direction. "That's just some of the stuff we talked about, otherwise it was manga, anime, or clothes-related."
"Ooooh," Rana looked interested. "I'd heard of such things but never saw one."
"M-Manga's pretty cool," Arthur said with a chuckle. "And, even in France, there's only so few good graphic novels with the most favored one right now being Radiant," he said with a smile. "It's seriously good, though."
"Let me know about that later," Naruto said with a determined expression as Arthur laughed with a nod. "Finally, Satellizer-senpai," the spiky-haired one said, turning all attention onto the furiously-blushing Satellizer. "... I curious of how you do it, senpai. Like, there's having talent and then there's whatever you're doing."
"!" She fiddled with her fingers. "I-I'm a year older than all the second-years, being honest, that's probably a lot of the reason."
"... Oh shit, I totally forgot that," Genessa said as she pointed at the girl with a dropped mouth and confused furrowing of the eyes. "... What?"
"W-Well, with my probation," the blonde felt her cheeks redden even further at that admission. "W-Well, I'm 17. T-Though, I've mostly just done running at my place away from the city."
"... Okay," Naruto said before crossing his arms. "Alright, first things first, what do you guys all want to focus on, for now?"
"Well, you know my goals," Kazuya said with a discreet flicker of the eyes to Satellizer. "Arms, chest, core, and thighs. I looked it up and these are p-pretty i-important."
"Hmmm, so running, squats, and push-ups," Kazuya winced at that last one. "Look, I know, push-ups suck but it's, sadly, important… Then again, there are the weight rooms… Alright, while we're here, we do running and movement exercises."
"Movement exercises-de arimasu?"
"Like, we're gonna practice footwork and how to move, ya know?" Rana's eyes shined as she nodded with eagerness. "So, for the start," Naruto turned to Genessa. "Genessa-nee-chan, I want you to move as fast as you can and I'm gonna do my best to keep up with you, alright?"
Genessa looked intrigued by this idea while Rana grinned.
"Kazu and Arty," Naruto spoke up, the two males nodding even as Arthur laughed at the new nickname. "I want you guys to see how far you can push your Freezing. Practice at a distance and, if your fields touch, keep moving back. It'll be a good idea to see how far your ranges are."
"Got it."
"Kaho-chan, Rana-chan, Satellizer-senpai, you'll be running for, I wanna say, going through all kinds is a good idea. You know, like jogging, running, dashing, tree-hopping-"
"Tree hopping?" Satellizer blinked as the male blonde did before he smacked the side of his fist into his palm.
"Oh, right, we'll need to work on that but it's as it sounds," Naruto said before his form blurred into the tree above them. "Like this!"
He flipped, jumped, jumped off the side of, dipped, lunged, and dashed onto the available trees and their branches. Naruto came to a stop by flipping off of a branch and landing between the group.
"See, it's really good for cardio and working on all the muscles if you get creative with it," he explained to the rather curious group.
"He's like a monkey," Genessa said with little care as Naruto chuckled. "... Alright, let's do this, yeah?" She told the others who all nodded.
The group spread out before shooting off to do their own things.
Genessa and Naruto stood two meters apart, grins on their faces.
Naruto crouched low at the same time she did.
"START!"
The two blurred away from their spots as the others started.
~NRK~
"Interesting," Sister Margaret said as the cameras followed the group.
Yu-Mi, Elize, Chiffon, Ticy, and their Limiters watched in interest as the groups went to work.
"Huh," Abel considered the two Limiter's range. "That's not bad but they'll need far more distance. Though Naruto's right, the Simulation Rooms might not be the best ideas."
Ticy nodded as she watched the blonde and redhead move about.
"Remember, senpai, plan ahead. If you add little tricks like this-!" Her eyes widened as the blonde appeared behind his Pandora upperclassman in seconds, tripping her up. "You can trick people. Come on, recovering is also important."
"Yeah, yeah… You played soccer, didn't you?"
"Maybe~"
The two were off again, Genessa following Naruto's examples as they made abrupt stops, shifts in weight, and fake-outs.
"He's good… Like, scarily so," Eugene noted with a wince at how quick some of those sharp turns turned into rolls to recovery. "I'd hope their ankles can take that."
"Hmm, he's still right, though, knowing how to recover quickly can be the difference between life and death," Chiffon noted with a smile as Elize considered the situation.
"I'll probably go out there and follow them," the doctor said as she opened the window before jumping out. "Follow if you want!"
Yu-Mi facepalmed as Chiffon grabbed Eugene and followed after. "I'm not sure if this is Naruto being a bad influence or Elize."
"Hm, a little of both, I'm sure," Margaret said with a little laugh as Abel chuckled. "Hmm, I'm considering it more and more."
"What, Sister Margaret?" Ticy asked.
"Well, most Limiters can't do what Naruto can," the principal said. "For now, I want to watch and see the results of his efforts but, so far, we've already seen some. Satellizer was telling the truth, she's as old as our third-years and, so, has an unfair advantage among the second-years but Genessa Roland put her on the bac-foot in their fight, even if only for a moment."
"Oh, yeah, that's true!" Abel realized with shock. "A-And, being honest," he blushed a bit. "Yeah, most Limiters don't train as he does. It's as Ms. Hiiragi said, we typically allow our classes to do that with little outside training."
Ticy considered the blonde giving out instructions as Kazuya and Arthur stood further apart.
"You guys should get some good distance, rebounds a bitch and it'll hurt if you go too hard," Naruto said as he and Genessa shifted in and out of sight. "You've… Got this!" He said before the two of them were off again.
"His stamina has to be ridiculously high," Yu-Mi said with a blink. "Moving at high speeds while you talk isn't exactly kind to the lungs."
"Hmph," Abel tilted his head. "... Hey, Ticy-"
"Come along," she said gesturing to the windows and Abel hung off the edge immediately. "... Honestly," the dark teal-haired girl pouted a bit at her laughing Limiter.
"Thank god, there's a bit of roof out here," Abel said before she and he disappeared. "Later, Sister Margaret!"
The principal almost snorted as Yu-Mi chuckled.
"I guess he's even got an effect on our third-years more than we expected."
"Indeed."
~NRK~
She watched them from afar, the cameras in the forest a godsend as she watched them train.
"Attia, thanks for this but how?"
"Oh, that was easy," the silver-haired third-year, the rank 6th, said as she sat in her higher-ranked junior's room, Creo, Arnette, and Ingrid along with her. "I just told the security I wanted to monitor our underclassman's training. It was pretty simple."
Of the five, Arnette and Creo looked the most… unsure with this arrangement.
"..." Creo grimaced as she watched the group train. "I don't know how fine with this I am."
"Same," Arnette said with a grimace. "This feels more like cheating than it does surveillance, Attia."
"Are you two being serious?" Ingrid asked with a frown. "We have the jobs of ensuring the rules are followed, why are you hesitant now?"
"Because this feels wrong?" Arnette answered back. "Because it feels like we're cheating?"
"Because it feels pathetic," Creo said with a sigh as she stood up and left. "How in the world does this make us seem like we're in the right when this is what we have to do to uphold the law?"
Arnette followed. "Look, we're gonna win, the three of us have already sent in the Sparring Letters and have good word we'll be fighting at the end of this week. Exactly how much does this training matter to you that you'd have us cheat within the same week we're to fight them?"
"You two!?" Ingrid was pissed at this nonsense she was listening to. "You care so much for fairness that you'd allow the rules to be broken?!"
"Don't pull that shit, Ingrid, there are these things called morals, I wasn't aware the rule-lover would stoop so low," Arnette shot back with a glare as the Rank 7's own eyes narrowed back. "We're not going to be a part of this, get that through your thick head."
The two left Attia groaning into her hands as Ingrid's own clenched.
"Ugh, where'd all these morals come from, huh?" She asked the one redhead left in the room. "I mean, sure, this is a whole new thing but this has never been an issue before!"
Yes, Naruto Uzumaki was simply a Limiter, Attia was willing to concede that point, but he was an anomaly. Strong enough to deal with third-year Pandoras, he couldn't be allowed to be treated as a non-threat.
Never mind that he also had Satellizer L. Bridgette, Kazuya Aoi, and, shockingly enough, the newest second-year, Rana Linchen.
With this blonde defeated, they still had two unknowns and the Rank 1 of the second-years in the wings. Had Kazuya gotten any form of understanding of the spiky blonde's techniques?
Had Satellizer? The Uzumaki was training her as we spoke and she worried that Satellizer might make some form of breakthrough in the time left. As she'd said, she was supposed to be a third-year so she had more mature stigmata. Hell, they all knew she was an Accel-Type.
Lastly, Rana Linchen hadn't even been to class yet so no one had information on her. They might find out today, they might not, these were all too worrying to leave alone!
"I'll be watching it," Ingrid said with a deep frown. "Only fools go in unprepared and this group needs to be punished."
Attia Simmons smiled at that… but even she thought that, maybe, Ingrid was making this a bit too personal?
Yeah, they needed to be taught their places but… they were still humans, they weren't trying to kill these people.
They were not their great enemy.
~NRK~
"Hm! Hm! Hm!" Rana grinned as she and the other tried out Naruto's tree-hopping idea. "This is fun-de arimasu!"
"I-It's kind of h-hard, though!" Kaho exclaimed as she landed before she ran belong side her upperclassmen. "Dammit!"
Satellizer had tried but found her sense of balance was not all that great.
"Hmph!" She grunted as they finished their circuit back to their original place, the mile-long switch-up run being a nice warm-up.
"We're back-de arimasu!" Came Rana's call as she landed out of her tree to see Kazuya and Arthur close to about thirty meters apart. "Hmm," she dark blue hexagons from Kazuya and the normal blue ones from Arthur just barely touching, the two sweating a bit. "You've got this-de arimasu!"
The two's concentration fell as they saw and heard her, Satellizer and Kaho coming up on her rear.
Falling to their rear-ends, Kazuya and Arthur chuckled nervously as two blurs came out from the forest.
"Hmph, how's everyone feel?" Naruto asked as he pulled on his shirt a few times as Genessa wiped her forehead off. "Feeling warm? Limbered up?"
"Yeah," came the group's collective call.
"Good, from here, Kazuya and Arthur will do normal physical stuff with Genessa while we touch on Pandora stuff with you three," Naruto said as Genessa stretched her arms.
"Hmph, that was kind of fun," she said with a grin as Naruto chuckled. "Hmph, imagine it, super-speed tag."
"Oooh~ That sounds fun-de arimasu!" Rana agreed.
"Sure, we can do some of that once this whole thing is over with," Naruto agreed with a grin. "Hmph, for now, let's rest up… I'll go and grab some water-"
"It's fine!" Came the call of a familiar doctor, the group turning to see Dr. Schmitz coming up to them with a large cooler dragged behind her. "I've seen you all and realized you lot didn't bring anything to cool yourselves off with!" The moss head said with a grin.
~NRK~
"... How does she knew they're here?" Attia asked nervously as Ingrid frowned.
"She's helping them," the redhead said with a growl as Attia turned to shoot a look of worry. "Why in the world would she do that?"
"..." Attia didn't feel like trying to answer, much less antagonize, the currently heated Pandora. '... Okay, isn't she taking this too far?' The silver-haired one asked herself with a nagging feeling growing in her mind.
That Creo and Arnette left and she should have left with them.
~NRK~
With everyone seated, Elize observed the group of teens.
"Hmph, we saw your workout from the principal's office. I'm guessing that this was Naruto's idea?" The doctor asked, getting the affirmative from the entire gathering of teens.
"I figured, hey, we have today and tomorrow before we're back to class and the Pandora Gauntlet," Naruto said as Elize grinned at his naming sense. "Hmm, the best way to spend some time. Plus, like I said, I've wanted to try and give the guys more ideas on how to get stronger."
"Hmph, so far, it's nothing serious-de arimasu," Rana said as she stretched behind the group.
"Hmph, I've seen," Elize said, turning to Genessa and Naruto. "Movement maneuvers, yes?"
"When in doubt, you can never be too good at moving around," Naruto answered. "Besides, I know it's only a matter of time before we have to take on bigger threats. Genessa-neechan's a good example of a high-end Pandora," the redhead preened under the praise, much to Arthur and Elize's amusement. "If anything, I'd want to take a shot at moving with Satellizer-senpai and then Rana-chan. An Accel-Type and then Tempest-Type."
"...?" Rana blinked at him. "Tempest-Type-de arimasu?" she asked him.
"Yeah, I've learned to tell the difference," Naruto said nonchalantly as the group snapped their heads to him. "Accel-Types feel like a calm wind while Tempest-Types are far more like the earth," he said, tapping his foot against the floor even as Dr. Schmitz balked.
"Y-You can tell even that?" She asked, sorely missing her clipboard. "That's-"
~NRK~
"Amazing," Sister Margaret realized in disbelief as Yu-Mi nodded, arms crossed and eyes wide. "I knew he could tell how mature a Pandora's stigmata were but this goes even further beyond just power-scaling."
"..." Yu-Mi grimaced from behind the principal, remembering what Elize had shown her of her newest discovery. 'Chakras?' She thought with an unsure mind.
What did that mean? So was Naruto unlocking these metaphorical, and possibly cerebral, portions of his mind and body? Was that it?
Yu-Mi wasn't sure but she's also brought up another point that had left Elize speechless.
What would happen should Naruto Uzumaki pair up with a Limiter? It should be noted that, typically, it was a Pandora giving the Limiter a stigmata but this fact also made a connection between the two.
What'd happen should Naruto 'connect' with, say, Rana Linchen? An 18-year-old Pandora with rather mature stigmata if her medical records were right?
A boy like Naruto whose body was slowly metamorphizing into something different… What effect would that have on the Ereinbar Set?
~NRK~
There'd been a change of plans as the group now had a more mature Pandora with them, a rare instance.
"So, what'd you like to know?" Elize asked.
"Well, how does a Pandora learn High-End skills?" Naruto asked. "Is it normally gotten or…"
"Hmph, well, when their stigmata are mature enough, Pandoras learn High-End skills," Elize explained. "They learn it in their third year at any Genetics school. With a good enough control of Volt Textures, they're capable of using one of the two skills, Accel Turn and Tempest Turn."
"Volt Texture control?"
"Yes, with the ability to use them, due to having stigmata and letting them mature," Elize explained. "One can bolster their clothes, make clothes, summon clothes they've broken down with Volt Textures like the Pandora Suits, make weapons, and improve one's literal abilities."
"Wait, that's how that works?!" Naruto said in disbelief. "The actual hell?! Are they mages?!"
Rana laughed at that. "Using one's Tears of Kunlun allows them numerous special abilities," the blue-haired one said as she pushed off her feet and landed in a crouch before standing. "Or, stigmata as you all call it."
Rana breathed in before urging her stigmata open. "This is releasing the Holy Gates, Naruto-kun," she said as six wings of teal shards came out from her back.
"... The Holy Gates?" Naruto asked with interest, jumping to his feet and moving around Rana. "How does this work, Rana-chan?"
"Hmph, well," Rana blushed a bit before smiling. "It takes training to push one's Tears… stigmata to their limits-de arimasu," the girl said, Satellizer interested in this subject. "Though, it's dangerous. Pushing one's Tears of Kunlun too far-"
"Causing one to lose control, right?" Elize asked, Rana blinking before nodding at the doctor. "I've heard of this before, you're pushing your stigmata past their natural limits and sending them into a 'controlled'," the moss head twitched her hands. "State of force that forces the body beyond its limits."
"Hmph… I've only seen it once-de arimasu," Rana said with a sad smile and Elize blinked before her gaze softened.
Naruto nodded placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Hmph… So this unlocks the limits of their bodies?" He asked the doctor.
"Basically."
"So Volt Texture control from stigmata can push your bodies beyond your normal states… Hmm, interesting."
"Got an idea?" Kazuya asked.
"Well…" Naruto cupped his chin. "Well, Pandoras and Limiters are two halves of a whole. Add on that you get one stigmata from them that unlocks our ability to use Freezing, so it only does that?"
"... While I like where your headspace is," Elize said with a smile. "It's been noted that it's just not possible for a male to use these transplanted stigmata," for normal people is what she wanted to add.
Yu-Mi had given her the question of 'what would happen if Naruto became part of an Ereinbar Set?' and Elize was left completely unable to respond.
"Hmph, I'll look into it."
"Snrt," Elize snorted before grinning. "Figure anything out and I'm sure the board would pay you your weight in gold."
"Eh, anyway, help us think of training regimens, please."
"Well, for one, you'd want to play to your strengths. For Satellizer, have you tried weighted training? While, Rana, what's your Volt Weapon?"
Rana grinned before her gauntlets and armored boots came into existence.
"Hmph, do you have a fighting style?"
"Yes-de arimasu!"
"Well, I'd suggest working on your Volt Textures. Increasing your physical abilities isn't a bad path."
"Thank you-de arimassu!"
"Hehe~ Kaho-chan, I'd suggest you also work on your Volt Textures while Genessa should try out her technique from the recent Carnival. It was pretty interesting watching you come up with that on the fly. You might have had a better chance if you practiced more."
"Being honest, Naruto literally only started helping me a month ago," Genessa said. "It's been a good idea ever since."
"Hmph," Elize smiled. "And, for your information, we have weighted clothes at the workout areas."
~NRK~
Watching receive tips was infuriating to Ingrid, especially from one of the faculty.
Then she saw Chiffon and Ticy and Ingrid felt her anger grow greater.
Attia didn't say anything but did her best to look away from the glowering redhead.
They watched the group go towards the workout area, the group getting quickly and set up with assistance from their teacher.
"Hmm, 400 lbs! That's pretty good, Naruto-kun."
~NRK~
"Thanks," Naruto said as he set the weight back down, his max. "Kazu," the blonde said with a grin at his nervous friend. "Come on, do it."
"... Naruto, I swear to God!" Kazuya said as he moved forward before the blonde took two of the 22.5 kg weights off each side. "... I'm onto you, Uzumaki."
"Hoo, look at that, he's got some fight in 'im," Naruto said with rubbing hands as he spotted his friend. "Push that before you start trying to talk back to me, boyo."
Kazuya swallowed, looking at the impending weight above him before he put on a brave facade.
"Alright," he said solidly as Naruto put his hands on the bar before Kazuya gripped it with his hands. "Ssssss," Kazuya let out a hiss before he pushed with all his might, bringing the weight above his chest.
"All it takes is one rep, Kazuya-kun," Elize said with a smile that Kazuya barely chuckled at.
He let the weight come down.
"Nope, you allow the weight to come down, just letting it drop on ya isn't gonna be a good idea," Naruto interjected his thoughts confusing the brunette for a moment. "You've gotta be in control."
Kazuya blinked at him before nodding and doing as instructed, feeling the strength being sapped from his arms as he did.
"Okay, now, breathe out as you push up."
"Gggrrr," Kazuya let out a low growl as he did his best, pushing with all his strength. "I-I.."
"Gotcha," Naruto helped him the rest of the way, laying the bar on the holders. "Good, That means you're probably a bit below. I'm guessing maybe 170."
"Haaa!" Kazuya groaned as Genessa and Arthur chuckled while Kaho shook her head. "G-Gotcha!"
"Go on, take five!" Naruto said as Kazuya got off the bench. "Genessa-nee-chan?"
"On it," the redhead nodded, coming forth with Arthur as her spotter. "Mmmm… 25 more pounds."
Naruto and Rana did it, the latter measuring out the numbers before 250 pounds sat on the bar.
"Alright, on my go," Naruto said, crouching near her head. "Lift!"
She did, pushing the weight above her chest before breathing in as she allowed the weight to slowly come down and settle in her palms.
Genessa then, slowly, pushed up before the bar was right by the holders, pushed onto them.
"Oof," she grunted as she sat up, rubbing her bicep. "Oooh, glad I guessed that right, damn."
"Good, good, Satellizer-senpai, you're up," Naruto said as Arthur flexed his hands, already having gone along with Kaho at 225 and 190, respectively.
Satellizer swallowed as she went forth and got into position like Genessa had, Kazuya going as her spotter.
"Alright, spotter ready?" Kazuya nodded. "Senpai, how many pounds do you want?"
"..." Satellizer looked at the bar. "T-This is fine," the blonde on the bench said.
"... Alright," Naruto said after some thought. "Kazuya, be on guard. Just making sure, senpai, you've never done something like this before, right?"
"No."
"Gotcha, I'm also focusing. Now, hands on the bar," Satellizer nodded. "Head against the bench and… lift!"
She copied Genessa as best she could, pushing up with an exhale before breathing in.
"Yes, as close-"
BOING.
"..." The group, as a whole, just stared as the bar… ahem, wasn't allowed to go that far down.
"D-Do they actually do that?" Abel asked with a look of wonderment before having his foot stepped on by a red-faced Ticy. "OW!"
"Hmph," the dark-teal-haired girl huffed with her arms crossed.
"I… I…" Kazuya was left there, staring like an idiot as his cheeks reddened. "... Naruto?"
"..." Naruto was stunned as they bounced the bar back a bit. "... Uhhh, y-yeah, senpai, l-lift it all the way up."
Satellizer did so with some struggle, Kazuya's body involuntarily helping her as his mind stayed completely vacant. Chiffon giggled as Eugene coughed off to the side.
"... I-It seems that being gifted, ahem," Rana blushed as Satellizer got up and powerwalked away from the group, face in hand as Chiffon started howling. "Y-You know, there's nothing wrong-de arimasu!"
"R-Rana, don't!" Satellizer said with a completely red face.
"... Today, we've all been witness," Naruto said sagely with a light shining over him. "Let us not admonish this young lady for her bounty-"
"NARUTO?!"
Elize was left with trembling shoulders as Satellizer admonished him instead.
T-These kids were a hoot!
~NRK~
"..."
"... Sister I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to do that," Yu-Mi said with a nervous sweatdrop.
"... Indeed."
~NRK~
"Alright, alright, my turn-de arimasu!" Rana said after Satellizer was left to pout a bit, hands raising in a placating manner. "Hmph! I want your weight, Naruto-kun!"
"Hehe…" Naruto, still slightly stunned by Satellizer's… event, did as asked. "Hm. Hm and there, 405 lbs! Please be careful."
"I will-de arimasu!"
Now on the bench with Naruto as her spotter, Rana nodded before she breathed in with a controlled breath.
"Lift."
She pushed the bar off its holsters before holding it at chest level and allowing it to slowly come down.
Once it was at chest level, Rana now wearing a nervous expression as Satellizer pouted, she closed her eyes before breathing out and pushing the weight back up with more ease than even Naruto could have imagined.
He nodded as he beckoned it back with a gentle pull and it was racked up in moments.
"Okay, damn," Naruto said with a whistle as Rana giggled a bit. "Hmph, well, this, girls, is what training looks like," Rana stood up and bowed a bit as Naruto chuckled.
Then his eyes went to her and quickly nosedived to an amazing rear.
He quickly coughed into his fist, all that done in less than two seconds.
"Y-Yeah, next!"
Elize, the only one to have noticed, shook her head.
'Hormones certainly seem to still work,' she remarked mentally.
They spent the next hour getting an actual fitness evaluation with Elize.
"Okay, as it turns out, Chiffon, Rana, and Naruto are the fittest," Elize said with a smile as she wrote down the results. "With Ticy, Genessa, and Satellizer just behind them."
Ticy was on all-fours in a corner, head down as Abel pat her back. "I-I lost to him?" She said to herself in horror.
"I-It's alright, Hon!" Abel said supportively.
Naruto felt proud. "What's your workout schedule like, Chiffon-senpai?" He asked as Eugene chuckled nervously at the sight of Ticy. "Because, damn, 600 lbs."
"Hmph, well, for me, it's mostly doing my normal routine, though I've been slacking in the past year," Chiffon said with a smile as Naruto's smile cracked something fierce. "Why, I only really get to do my push-ups in my room."
Rana's eyes bugged out as she laughed nervously. "H-How many-de arimasu?"
"Hmmm, 800 every single day?"
Both choked on air.
~NRK~
The rest of the day passed far faster than Naruto understood and, soon enough, it was nighttime.
With the group having taken their showers earlier, he'd been okay to expect anything in his black shirt and orange shorts.
When he felt Rana's signature headed his way, he raised a brow before getting up and opening the door the moment she showed up.
"?!" She jumped, pillow and blanket under her arm. "G-Good evening-de arimasu." Rana said with a blush and a smile. "I… I told you how I don't really… Do the large rooms, right?"
Naruto blinked before he chuckled and let her in.
"Go on ahead," he said as she smiled before coming in. '... This is going to cause me a problem, one day, isn't it?'
He shrugged. Whatever happened, happened.
~NRK~
She rewatched all of the videos again, a frown on her face illuminated by the computer screen.
'You won't step on the rules of this school,' she thought with her teeth grit and hands clenched, thankful that her hands were empty at the moment. 'Every. Last. One of you.'
She grimaced as she paused the video before looking over the pictures of each of the troublemakers.
Satellizer L. Bridgette.
Naruto Uzumaki.
Kazuya Aoi.
And, finally, Rana Linchen, the newest, most frustrating, member of this little troupe!
Who decided to come to a school only to immediately join up with what amounted to delinquents?!
She was getting impatient, Ingrid knew that but she wanted this issue done and dealt with!
… Her eyes narrowed as she focused on Naruto Uzumaki's profile.
The biggest instigator was this Limiter, a Freshman at that. He united them, helped them, encouraged them to break the rules.
He had to fall, ignoring his presence, a Limiter like this one would make fights difficult. Ingrid wouldn't lie to herself, she knew that should she be on the field against him and another, it wouldn't long until he defeated her. A high-ranked Pandora of the third-years.
She couldn't allow such a thing to pass. So Ingrid needed to catch him alone, one-on-one.
~NRK~
Naruto awoke the next morning with a shocked look at the sleeping Rana, the girl and he facing one another in a sleeping embrace that had him nearly fainting before he realized that he had to maneuver himself again in the past 24 hours.
He sighed over her head, debating if he even should get up, feeling way too warm at the moment.
Naruto blinked before he looked at his digital clock, the time being… 10 in the morning.
'Damn!' He'd overslept!
Sure, he'd spent tons of energy yesterday but he was sure he could still wake up… His gaze went down to the sleeping Rana, her hold on his body giving him a good idea one why he didn't wake up yet.
Dammit, Rana-chan!
He felt out his position, feeling her legs weak hold on his own, and nodding… Then he felt where his arms were and his face went blank as he felt generous orbs pressed against his forearms.
'H-How the hell had that even happened?!' He didn't know but, somehow, she'd found the time to hold onto his biceps and press them into her chest, her face pressed against his clavicle. 'Oh fuck me, this isn't going to end well.'
But he felt gross and, now, decidedly too warm.
He breathed in before focusing, his Freezing coming around his arms before he expanded them ever so slightly-
"Mmmooannn."
A stone-like expression sat on his face as red shot up to his neck.
Oh no…
His body froze as she moaned into his chest and Naruto Uzumaki grasped onto his willpower for dear dignity.
Because he'd lose that if she did this anymore.
'... Okay, body, don't fail me, please.'
He swallowed before slowly sliding his arms out of their Freezing field containers, making some leeway when he found his body's position damning his progress.
Rana's hands were around his lower backs and, while loose, he could feel them gaining pressure on him.
This wouldn't end well if he kept it slow… He looked back and saw that there wasn't much distance between his body and the edge of the bed.
… Whelp, when in doubt, roll with it.
He encased her hands around his lower back and froze them before pushing his legs off his bed, his arms sliding out of her grip along with his body.
Naruto had little time before he hit the floor and dragged a pillow up and into her arms before he let out a soft grunt as the carpeted floor met his back.
"Ugh…" He let out a low groan before he got up to see Rana snuggling into a pillow, looking ready to awaken before she snuggled into it further and regained her peaceful expression. 'Geez, is this what it'd be like if we're together?'
The thought got a blush from the blonde who groaned into his hands.
This whole situation was confusing for him and, somehow, he couldn't get why.
Naruto made the executive decision to clean up first and foremost.
He quickly used the toilet, turning on the fan just in case, before brushing his teeth.
He focused on Rana's signature, noting that she was starting to move. Naruto rolled his eyes before he finished brushing his teeth and washed his face.
Moments later, after he dried off, Rana came in with sluggish energy, Naruto chuckling as she passed him.
… Maybe mornings like this weren't so bad.
He chuckled to himself as he heard the door being knocked on, the blonde having a curious tilt of the head.
"Huh?" He walked towards it and opened it to see Arthur, the blonde blinking with a smile as he handed Naruto another pack of letters. "Oh, of course," the spiky-haired one said.
"Hehe, I'm guessing so," Arthur said before he heard the sounds of the water running. "You left the water running?"
"Nah, it's Rana," the taller blonde said with an embarrassed chuckle. "Turns out, she doesn't like just how big her room is."
Arthur wore a grin that Naruto rolled his eyes at.
"We're not… I mean, I haven't even…"
"Hmph, it's fine, you know," the shorter blonde said with a grin. "If you like her, and I'm sure it's mutual," Naruto blushed. "You should just go for it."
"... Maybe," Naruto said after some thought, chuckling nervously. "I get the feeling she's gonna keep coming over each time."
"Sounds like a keeper to me."
"Hmph, you wanna come in?" Naruto gestured towards his room. "Rana's dressed so it's not like something will happen… I hope."
"Do you really?" Arthur asked with a sly undertone as he came in. "Kazuya's at the food hall right now, he got up super early and was pretty hungry."
"Huh," Naruto made a curious sound as Arthur went over and sat on his bed. "I guess he really got drained yesterday, damn."
Walking over and also taking a seat, Naruto looked at the bathroom door as he heard the sound of a face being splashed.
"... When you and Genessa… You know," Naruto began with a blush at his patient, smiling, friend. "Did you become a set off the first meeting?"
"Well… It was a bit different and took about a few days," Arthur answered with a hum. "I'd… We'd been doing a Haunted House and the power went out way farther than it should have. I ran into her during it and we got into a little scuffle. We met at lunch, talked, and met the next day. Finally, when she wanted me to become her Limiter, she found me and Kaho hugging."
"Let me guess, misconception city?"
"Yup!" Arthur chuckled. "She thought we were already a pair and I had to clear up that misconception before I asked her to become my Pandora and perform a Baptism with me," he said softly as the bathroom door opened to reveal Rana wiping her face with a hand towel. "That's basically how it happened."
Naruto nodded with a hum before looking at Rana who tilted her head.
"How's it going?" Naruto asked her and Rana blinked before rubbing the back of her head.
"Fine-de arimasu," Rana answered with confusion as Arthur chuckled.
"Hm, hm, so any ideas on today?" Arthur asked.
"Hmmm," Naruto hummed further as Rana took a seat on his other side. "... I think we should all just chill today. Maybe hang in one of our rooms and do crap."
"I like this idea," Arthur said as Rana nodded. "We could also break in those DVDs and watch Death Note completely!"
"Death Note-de arimasu?" Rana asked Naruto who chuckled.
"It's a sort of mystery thriller thing," the spiky-haired one said as the group heard a knock on the door. "And those are our friends," Naruto said with a grin.
With everyone informed, they'd chosen Naruto's room as their designated chill-out area.
The boys had brought in all of their mattresses, couches, and comforters with Naruto, Kaho, and Rana cleaning the blonde's room before they did.
Once that was done, Arthur, Genessa, and Satellizer had gone to get food at the school store. This was both to help her get used to them and allow her to have as many of her burgers as she could handle.
That'd been a good decision as the blonde Pandora had far more money than the group had altogether and had footed the bill. Leaving them with more than enough to eat and drink.
Finally, They'd brought in Kazuya's TV, the same as Naruto and Arthur's in its size, and set it up next to Naruto's for the group to play the DVDs in stereo.
Now, there they sat two hours later, everyone taking a shower before this event to keep things clean.
"Alright, we'll be watching Death Note, everyone," Arthur announced for them as he and Kazuya placed the DVDs in both TV's Blu-Ray players. "We've got the whole thing so I hope you like your brains stimulated!"
"Boo, get on with it!" Came Abel's shout as Naruto cackled along with Genessa. "I want the carnage!"
"Abel!" Ticy blushed with embarrassment as she pushed her Limiter, the carrot top chuckling as he wrapped her in his arms. "I-Idiot!" She squeaked even as the others chuckled.
Naruto snickered before he found a head of blue hair on his shoulder, eyes as wide as dinner plates as his head mechanically turned to see Rana grinning against him as the TVs were synced.
The blonde scratched his nose before pulling her in closer, the girl blushing as he did but giggling as he chuckled a bit.
This wouldn't be so bad… No, he was sure this could work between them.
~NRK~
Straight-up, Ingrid's losing her mind over this. Compared to the manga, she's pushed to stew on her feelings and this isn't helping matters.
Arnette and Creo are enforcers with morals. Because they're right, going this far, even if no one finds out, doesn't put them in the right. They're basically crooks for this and neither want any part of it.
Naruto's become aware of Rana and Rana likes being in a room with him, if only to not be in her large room. Naruto's bound to find himself doing this morning routine in time, Rana's a cuddler.
The group's becoming closer friends. Genessa, Rana, and Satellizer the most. Genessa comes to realize that the blonde has an actual reason for her disposition and I don't think she'd prey on such people, she's of the mind to protect those weaker than her, after all. Meanwhile, Satellizer is trying to become close to her group because they the first to not mind her, even if there were a few bumps.
She wants to know them to the 'T' and allow them to do the same. So she wants to work on her phobia, at least with them.
Elizabeth hasn't been shown yet but that's because there's no reason. She's not mindful of Naruto's group yet even if he defeated unranked Pandora, especially seeing as plenty of those ones couldn't even stand up to Genessa and Satellizer.
In time, she'll show but, for now, she's not worried.
Words: 10k+
~NRK Out~