We get to meet Itachi in this chapter. And Shino, of course. And the crew get a surprise gift for defeating the pirates.
"Now, let's discuss something important we should have yesterday," Naruto instructed. "Hana, how do you feel now that the pirates are defeated?"
Hana took a deep breath. "It feels… done. When you healed me, you got rid of the physical pain. But turning Momochi makes it feel like the emotional pain is gone too." She turned to them all. "I want to thank each of you for putting yourselves at risk for my sake. That was incredibly sweet of you."
"Of course we did it, we love you," Hinata said with a grin.
"And someone had to stomp out the pirates, it might as well have been us. We're small but we're probably the most capable crew in the Galactic League." Sasuke turned to Naruto. "If you could eat your own cum and boost your brain the way you've done ours, I'd be honestly scared of you."
"Sadly, that's not an option for me. Hardwired gag reflex to the taste of my own cum. So I'll just have to be the muscle on the crew."
Tenten clapped her hands and stood up. "Well, I'm getting back to investigating the Nuke tech. It's nothing on Uzu tech but I can work out some upgrades to standard Konoha tech we can sell if you want."
"Don't forget to do your shopping for you workshop. You have a blank check to buy whatever you want," Naruto reminded.
"Hana and I will go to the Firing Range, work on our stuff so we can get as good as Hinata," Sasuke said. "We don't need anyone manning the Bridge in the heart of Konoha territory, and the day we do is the day I'll happily help you tear it all down."
"I agree to that. I want to learn how to shoot around walls like Hinata can," Hana said.
"You can shoot around walls?" Naruto asked, amazed.
"It needs a high wind environment, but yes. You just calculate the drag on the bullet," she said nonchalantly. "You and I are free until Fu wakes up around lunch. Feel like another psychic duel?"
"Just no throwing the machines with Telekinesis like last time, those would be a pain to replace," Naruto agreed.
They all separated for their self-assigned tasks. Tenten stripped off every maintenance panel on the dropship, disassembled a Neutron Rifle to put it back together, and stripped the corpses of their lightweight armor to analyze it. By the end, she could have given a college seminar on Nuke tech, at least for those three particular inventions. Extrapolating how bigger versions of the Neutron Rifle worked was a breeze. Sasuke and Hana unloaded hundreds of rounds of caseless hollow point ammo in the Firing Range, their confidence and accuracy rising in direct correlation to each other. Naruto and Hinata had a spar at Psychic Speed, with other psychic powers and tactics thrown in. Hinata used Psychic Ice to create a fog, which Naruto dispelled with Wind Manipulation. When they clashed physically, Hinata was as skilled and competent at close quarters combat as Naruto himself. Eventually, his greater strength even using Psychic Strength made him victorious. And they both knew what they'd been sparing for. Hinata cried out in delight as Naruto plundered her ass.
When Hinata was walking bowlegged and with a heavy bump, they walked back up to the Commander's Quarters. Fu was just beginning to stir. She noted Hinata's gravid state and perked up. "Fu would very much like to drink master's load!"
"It's not in my belly or my pussy. It's in my ass," Hinata warned her.
"This one does not care!" she said without a trace of a lie.
Taken aback, Naruto and Hinata shared a glance. "Well, if you're both okay with it," Naruto said leadingly. And thus Fu drank her third load out of Hinata's bumhole. She smacked her lips and seemed to remember something. "Oh, master, Fu has excellent news. Master and Fu are genetically compatible!"
Naruto raised a brow. "Really? Well, it the Taki were made by this Orochimaru fellow, makes sense he would key them to Uzu genetics for breeding."
"So all the Taki are sisters and cousins?" Hinata asked, feeling the same odd feeling she'd had when she thought about Uzu breeding their Thralls to make more.
"We were sisters! Now, would master like to breed with Fu?" Fu asked with a doe-eyed expression.
Naruto gave her a hug, noting that her stomach had begun to light up. "I'd be happy to, Fu, but not now. Our position is too vulnerable. But I'll knock you and all my women up at the same time when we're ready, I promise you. Rest assured, we'll repopulate the Taki. I intend to keep you barefoot and pregnant for centuries if not millennia."
Fu seemed to have a tiny orgasm at his words. "Master is so generous and kind to Fu. Ooh! This has never happened to Fu before!" she exclaimed, just now noticing the rings of light radiating from her engorged belly. "This one feels master's power suffusing her. Fu loves her new master!"
Naruto was put on the spot. "And I care for you very deeply given how little we've known each other. When I mean it, I'll say it, I swear."
"This one does not expect her master's love. Fu is just happy to have a kind master," the Nymph said, looking utterly content with her lot.
"Well, we're about to cook lunch for everyone. Feel free to accompany us," Naruto said before leaving the room, Fu trotting faithfully after him. Hinata reflected that for a girl with feline DNA, she was very dog-like. Naruto made a piping hot lasagna with a Bolognese sauce his grandmother had taught him. Everyone faithfully reported to the dining table and took their assigned seats.
"How's things going in the Firing Range?" Naruto asked around a mouthful of pasta.
"We're both hitting headshots and bull's-eyes in 20 MPH headwinds. Once we master crosswinds, then I'll consider us as good as we're going to get," Sasuke said, daintily cutting his portion into cubes.
"I'm learning to fight like my brothers, and now I can shoot better than my brothers or mom! I'm becoming the best Inuzuka!" Hana cheered herself.
"I got everything I can out of the Nuke. We can space the bodies, though I'd keep one in cryo for when Sakura joins and she can dissect it. Their armor is an organic polymer I'm pretty sure they grow, easy enough to recreate with a high-end fabricator. The Neutron Rifles are interesting but nothing on standard laser weaponry, let alone Quantum weaponry. The dropship is just a dropship, I could design a better one in my sleep. We can keep it if you want, but I'd trade it to R&D for a K-Fed equivalent. I'll spend the afternoon finalizing my order from the Engineers' Almanac. I should ship it to Olympus Shipyard care of you, right?" Tenten ranted.
"Yes, that should do it. Anyone want to join me in the pool after we digest this? It doesn't feel right without more than one person in it."
Hinata took a deep breath. "I can breathe underwater and I can fly, I've got no business being scared of a pool of water. I'm in."
"I still want to work out my Ballistics skills," Hana admitted, sorry to disappoint her lover.
"Same," Sasuke grunted.
"This one will join master. Fu does not remember if she can swim but she can try!" The Nymph seemed quite eager to follow Naruto wherever he went.
The green hued girl showed no fear as she sat by the edge of the pool and Naruu glided back and forth, his body moving rapidly through the water with powerful strokes of his arms. Fu admired his physical form and felt giddy with happiness at the unexpected turn for the better her life had suddenly taken so recently. She glanced down at her rounded stomach, seeing the ethereal green lines radiating outwards and spreading over her body, leaving her quivering with excitement. Hinata hesitantly used the breaststroke to go from one end of the pool to the other, lacking the confidence to dip her face underwater.
Naruto spent a few hours really trying to push his body to the limit, as he surged his way through the water. Finally getting tired, he reached the shallow end and looked up at Fu who was watching him attentively. He noticed that her stomach had returned to its normal slim shape and she sat on the edge of the pool looking lithe and athletic.
"Come and join us," Naruto encouraged.
A lovely grin spread across the girl's face, her white teeth sparking brightly in contrast to the mysterious lustre of her dark green lips. She slipped smoothly into the shallow water with confidence and glided over towards him, smiling happily.
Naruto opened his arms and she wrapped herself around him, sighing with contentment.
"Hello," he said, smiling at her and enjoying the feel of her body as she brushed against him, before leaning in to give her a kiss.
Fu kissed him back hungrily, eager to feel his touch against her. Reluctantly Naruto pulled away from the enthusiastic Nymph, much to the protestations of his cock, which had risen eagerly to attention.
"You aren't going to be able to do much swimming if we keep this up." Naruto said to her playfully.
"This one doesn't mind. Fu would love to be joined with master!" the green girl purred excitedly.
Hinata swam over to them and snorted. "Not without the rest of us there to watch. It's kind of a given that we make first times a spectator event."
"Fu understands. All of master's mates should be present when he claims a new one." Fu blushed green. "Master agreed to breed this one one day. Will master give Fu a daughter or a son?"
"I thought Nymphs were all female?" Naruto thought aloud.
"Master is an Uzu. Master can have a Nymph daughter or an Uzu son from Fu. Fu remembers now," Fu offered helpfully.
Naruto's mind raced. "Did you have any children with Orochimaru? The Uzu that made you?"
"Fu does not think so. Fu would remember being pregnant." Fu hugged herself to him even tighter.
*Well, this has been fascinating. But you came here to swim, so let's swim,* Naruto projected into her mind.
Fu shuddered. "Master honors Fu to touch minds with her's. Fu will swim now." With that she took off at a speed that if Naruto didn't know better would have thought was Psychic Speed. Belatedly, Naruto went after her while Hinata hauled herself out to sit on the edge of the pool.
Naruto pushed himself faster, going as fast as he was able to and was astounded that Fu was able to keep up with him. Suddenly, delicate aquamarine coloured fins rippled into place on her arms and legs and she shot ahead of him, cutting through the water like a knife. Fu reached the end of the length, flipped to kick off the end of the pool and then submerged completely, her body undulating as she scythed through the water like some kind of lithe, athletic fish. Naruto stopped open mouthed in shock as the girl flashed back and forth under the water in a green blur. She eventually surged out of the water, flipping in the air before diving back down, the surface of the pool barely making a ripple when she descended beneath its surface.
Jade swam up to him and appeared at his side, her firm breasts heaving on her chest with her excitement.
"Looks like your shapeshifting isn't limited to just becoming Hinata!" Naruto observed. "How were you able to do that?"
"Fu does not know, master. Fu was just swimming and felt an… urge. She went with it and these appeared!" Fu marveled at least as much as her audience.
"Can you put them back or are they permanent?" Hinata asked worriedly. She blinked and focused. "You have gills too!"
Fu focused for a second and her aquatic additions vanished back into her skin. She still tread water like a pro though.
"I think someone earned their first time." Naruto purred. *Everyone, to the bedroom.*
Naruto had led Fu back up to his quarters, the other Pack members getting comfortable, and they were now lying on his bed, with Fu on her back and him lying to her side. She looked up at him adoringly and he felt a little daunted when faced with such unquestioning obedience and reverence. He had rescued the girl from captivity at the hands of the pirate lord but in Naruto's opinion his other lovers all shared in the responsibility for that rescue, so it felt wrong for the alien girl to devote herself so completely at him. He sighed, realising that it was just the way that Nymph's were and he resolved to do his very best to make sure she had a wonderful time here with them on the ship.
He began to trace the lightly glowing curves that highlighted the girl's breasts, making her breath catch as her nipples hardened with arousal. Naruto kissed Fu briefly on the lips, then moved away quickly, trailing kisses down her slender neck. He moved further down nibbling, licking and kissing her skin softly and gently causing excited little gasps from the Nymph. Taking an erect nipple in his mouth, he suckled it lovingly and watched the vertical slits of her irises expand as she grew more excited. Naruto switched to the other nipple, leaving the first hard and pointed and he covered that breast with his hand, massaging her gently and feeling the erect little pebble brush against his palm.
He moved lower, kissing her stomach with light grazes of his lips and watched her skin turn to goose bumps as her sensitive flesh reacted to his playful teases. He repositioned himself on the bed so that he was hovering over her legs and Fu spread them for him unhesitatingly. Naruto kissed and licked the velvety soft skin on the inside of her thighs, before moving directly between her legs to begin paying attention to her completely hairless pussy. His tongue darted out to each side of her lips, running the tip along the deliciously smooth skin as she writhed underneath him. He placed his strong hands on her thighs, holding her squirming body tightly in place and then began to lightly lap at the top of her pussy. He smiled to himself at the taste of her, it reminded him of mint, fresh and delicious to his palate.
"Oh master, that feels marvellous!" Fu moaned appreciatively and he felt her hands move down to run through his hair, her fingertips gently stroking his head.
Determined to make this one for the history books, Naruto focused entirely on pleasuring the selfless young woman, concentrating entirely on making her feel good. For the next hour he worked the green skinned girl's body, licking and stroking at her responsive flesh and building her towards a crescendo of orgasms, each one more powerful than the last. Finally she begged for mercy and pleaded to him with outstretched arms to come up to join her.
"Master, Fu has never felt this much pleasure... ever," She whispered passionately between breaths, her chest heaving for breath.
"You're mine now," Naruto said, smiling at her expression as she looked up at him with wonder. "I only want you to be happy and to experience pleasure," he said softly.
The girl looked up at him and a tear fell from her eyes and rolled gently down her cheek.
"Oh master..." She sighed rapturously.
Naruto eased himself between her legs and carefully positioned the head of his cock at the entrance to her wet pussy. Fu's legs came up to either side of him, the toned muscles in her calves crossed over the small of his back as she raised her hips and enveloped his length inside her.
"Master fits inside this one so well," she moaned contentedly, as she effortlessly took his entire length inside her body in one long motion.
Naruto felt her body ripple along his length as he pushed into her, marvelling at the different feel of fucking his first Nymph. Even though he was able to slide back and forth inside her slick pussy with ease, she was still incredibly tight and her body seemed to grip him and massage his length in strange and unusual ways he had not experienced before. Although Fu's skin was cooler to the touch than his other women, her pussy was slightly warmer and he enjoyed the contrast immensely.
Fu looked up at him with her emerald eyes, sensing his delight as he thrust back and forth inside her for the first time. She smiled up at him happily and John saw that her cat-like irises had expanded so widely that they seemed to almost completely touch the edges of her shimmering garnet eyes. He leaned down, resting his body against hers, her big breasts presenting a delightful yielding pillow for his chest.
Now only inches above her face, he moved to kiss her and she returned it passionately, her lips moving eagerly against his own. Naruto stared into her eyes and she stared back at him unblinking, as he began to thrust harder and more deliberately inside her exotic body.
Fu nodded excitedly as she felt her master grow closer to orgasm, his powerful thrusts filling her body over and over again. She yearned for him to cum inside her, to feel his potent sperm inside her womb, even if it was just a teasing prelude to what she really hoped she could offer her master.
Finally Naruto's muscles tensed and his taut quad trembled as he could hold off no longer and he began to send long shooting blasts of his cum inside the trembling girl beneath him. Fu's back arched powerfully, supporting his body above her, as he rode her responsive flesh and drove every last ounce of his cum into her sucking pussy. The girl's dark green belly began to expand to house his mighty load and she groaned as she joined him in a crashing climax, waves of pleasure cascading over her.
Both spent, they collapsed on the bed and Naruto carefully kept his weight off her, so that he wouldn't squash the enormous sphere of her stomach. He eased his length out of her pussy, her body feeling like it was kissing him goodbye as he slid gently out of her. Fu rolled to her side, her hands cupping her spunk bloated belly protectively and Naruto moved behind her, sliding his arm under her head for her to use as a pillow. With his free hand he cupped her abdomen, feeling proud of having yet another conquest lying happily in his arms.
"This one has no words for how she feels about you, master," Fu sighed contentedly.
Hinata, Hana, Tenten, and Sasuke all cleaned up from where they'd masturbated to the show. They slid into bed around the newest member of the Uzumaki Pack and cuddled her and each other.
Naruto caressed Fu's body possessively. *I can't wait to do this when it's my babies in your bellies, or even Sasuke's,* he projected on both channels in his mind.
The girls all sighed wistfully while Sasuke looked almost pained with desire. *Crazy question, could we knock one girl up at the same time? Fraternal twins with different fathers?* Sasuke asked privately.
*Would take some doing with Telekinesis but it could happen. If the girl is okay with it, we can try when we start trying,* Naruto told him.
Eventually, they stirred from the afterglow, Fu's belly providing an interesting play of light on the ceiling. Naruto went for the Kitchen and decided to do salmon for dinner, on the chance that Fu's taste buds were modeled after a cat's as well. Fu joined him as his sous chef while the others fetched a drink to relax after their long days. They limited themselves to just one, and had water with the dinner of perfectly pan-seared salmon. Fu seemed to have a small orgasm with each bite, especially when washed down with the heavy cream Naruto had given her.
They eventually headed back to their quarters for a long shower, Fu showing off her water-based transformation for Hana and Sasuke. Sasuke was the first to observe that her gills allowed her to give underwater blowjobs in the bath or hot tub or pool. Banking that idea for later, Naruto led them all to bed and allowed Fu to give him a simple blowjob, though she experimented with fingering him and was rewarded with an extra-large load. Tenten happily drank down Sasuke's sympathetic release. Then they all fell asleep to Fu's belly.
The next day was busy. Hana and Sasuke wanted to hammer out the final kinks in the Firing Range and later sparring in the Gym. Hinata and Fu experimented in the pool, which mostly consisted of Hinata riding Fu's back as the feline girl glided around the pool. Tenten stayed on the Bridge with Naruto, finalizing her order while Naruto used Sasuke's access codes to get Intel ahead of the KFNN. Finally, Tenten offered her final shopping list to Naruto.
"14 million ryo. Not bad. Sure, go ahead with the order," Naruto agreed.
"Most men would be more upset with their girlfriend spending over a seventh of their savings," Tenten mused, taking his ryo chit and plugging it into her console. Her DNA was verified and the order went through. Tenten sighed. "I spent years dreaming I could even touch some of this stuff. But compared to an Uzu Atomic Manufacturer, they seem like baby's toys."
"Can you build an Atomic Manufacturer with the Mass Fabricators you ordered?" Naruto asked.
"In theory, yes, but I'd need three elements from the Uzu Periodic Table in order to build one. We're not getting them any time soon. Unless you have a friend who owns a heavy reactor plant," Tenten asked leadingly.
"Sorry, babe, no luck. Does everything require one or more of the Uzu elements?"
"Pretty much. I can rough out versions that use only the standard elements, but they'll be less than half as effective," Tenten lamented. "A Quantum Rifle would turn into a combination railgun and laser rifle instead of firing both at the same time and fusing them into a single unique mass. And a Shield Generator without Eternity Crystals will be only 80% better than the K-Fed equivalent. I can boost that another 60% with a Shield Modulator, but still."
"Over doubling our shield strength sounds fine, honey. And a handheld Laser sounds awesome!" Naruto gushed.
Tenten blushed. "You know… I've been reconsidering my policy on a certain hole. Same rules as my first virginity though, Sasuke first."
*Sasuke, drop what you're doing and come up to my Ready Room. We're pulling an anal train on Tenten.*
*I'll be there! Sorry, Hana, duty calls. Spar with Hinata,* Sasuke projected.
And that's how Naruto, Sasuke, and Tenten spent their morning. The rest of the day passed with everyone doing their assigned tasks, Naruto preparing a full turkey dinner in honor of May Day. It was really just an excuse to spent hours in the Kitchen. Everyone complimented the succulent bird, the rich stuffing, the buttery green beans, and the tart cranberry sauce. Fu tried a bite of each dish to honor Naruto's cooking, but her main meal came from his quad.
The second day of their journey, Naruto and Fu went for the pool while Hinata volunteered to show Hana and Sasuke her method for shooting with the wind around walls while Tenten was given a copy of a copy of Naruto's skills from Hinata. Naruto had great fun pushing his body while Fu cavorted below and around him. Her gills allowed her to stay below the surface for minutes at a time.
"I think I'd like you to join me in the hot tub," Naruto said, with Fu nodding enthusiastically.
They got out of the pool and walked over to the back of the gym. Naruto turned on the hot tub and the burbling water sounded quite enticing to the green hued girl. Naruto climbed in first and then offered his hand to Fu, as she gracefully sank into the water beside him. Rather than sitting on one of the benches beside him however, she moved into the middle of the tub and gently parted his legs with her hands.
Naruto saw the hungry look she gave him with her sparkling garnet eyes, as she disappeared below the bubbling surface of the water. Seconds later he felt the hot warmth of her mouth covering him and then he groaned as she began to fellate him. Fu had changed techniques this time and instead of the typical way she normally went down on him, as though on a mission to stimulate him as much as possible, today was very different. She massaged him languidly with her throat, like a gentle relaxing caress, brushing against his cock in lots of places. Combined with the warm streams of air bubbling over his body in the hot tub, he found himself getting incredibly relaxed, practically melting into the tub.
After Fu had been underwater for what seemed like forever, he brushed the bubbles on the surface aside to check to see if she was ok. Her eyes looked back at him from under the water and he could feel her mouth moving into a smile, her lips spread tightly around his girth. Relaxing back and marvelling at how useful her gills were, Naruto sighed contentedly and let Fu bring him to a long, drawn out orgasm. He held her head tightly to his lap as he came, feeling her sucking on him lovingly as he emptied his quad into her stomach.
"That was incredible!" he said to her gratefully as the green skinned girl emerged slowly from the water, her rounded stomach throwing circles of light around the interior of the hot tub.
They kissed affectionately, before getting out of the tub and John got dressed quickly. They decided to go to the Firing Range to see how everyone was doing. They entered and the built-in fans were going at a gale. Naruto hit the button to deactivate them and saw Hinata, Sasuke, and Hana we're sharing their two XR73 Rifles while Tenten worked a simple heavy pistol.
"You all expert marksman yet?" Naruto asked.
"Hana and I managed to hit the bull's-eye with the target behind a wall. We're good," Sasuke reported.
"I haven't had the chance to do much practice with the fans going, but I'm noticeably better than I was back on Karron," Tenten stated. She held out her pistol to Fu. "Want to let off a few rounds?" She asked.
Fu had an uncomfortable expression on her face. "Fu would rather not," she said in a whimper.
Naruto furrowed his brow. "Honey, everyone on the crew needs to be able to shoot. Just try it!"
Fu bent over as if in pain. "This one begs master not to order her to pick up a gun!"
Naruto waved Tenten back. "Okay, okay, babe. You don't have to pick up a gun. In fact, I order you never to touch a gun, okay?"
Fu visibly relaxed. "Fu is thankful."
*Must be a safety measure Orochimaru programmed into the Taki to prevent them from mutinying.* Naruto projected into the Pack mind.
*Wonder if she'd have the same reaction to firing the Invictus's guns? That's a joystick, not a gun,* Hana wondered.
The rest of that day and the next two passed in a blut of fun, work, and sex. Sasuke and Hana managed to Bond with Tenten, and they all grew close to Fu. The alien girl was so perky, it was impossible to not fall in love with her.
They had jumped into the Alpha Centauri system and were at their final destination: the Olympus Shipyard, bastion of the Konoha Federation. They all went up to the bridge to watch Hinata bring the Invictus back to its birthplace. Everyone took their places and Fu sat at a free chair in a dimmed station near the back left of the room.
As they got closer to the titanic spaceport, a light flashed on Hinata's console, indicating an incoming hail. She pushed a button to receive the communication.
"Incoming Assault Cruiser, please identify yourself and your business at Olympus," a military communications officer requested politely.
"Commander Uzumaki Naruto on the Invictus, requesting docking clearance at the shipyard for retrofitting," he replied confidently.
There followed a brief pause before the officer replied. "Please approach Docking Bay 11 Commander."
Already anticipating docking clearance at the shipyard, Hinata had approached Olympus from the drydock side, so they were able to fly directly towards the station rather than circling it like last time.
Tenten watched the approaching shipyard with open mouthed amazement. The colossal example of human innovation in construction, sprawled out ahead of them for kilometres into the distance. There was a huge central hub, which was surrounded by long sections comprised of docking bays, spreading out like spokes of a wheel. Enormous turreted weapons adorned the top deck of the shipyard, the fearsome batteries powerful enough to threaten ships many times larger than their Assault Cruiser.
The Invictus prowled closer, staying under port speed at Hinata's careful behest. They moved into the drydock and marvelled at the enormous craft assembled there. To their starboard side, a huge behemoth of a ship was under construction and as they passed along its 3000 metre long hull, they read the words "Thor's Hammer" in 20 meter high lettering near the bow of the ship.
"That's a Dreadnought," Naruto said to the girls quietly, not wanting to break the hushed silence of the bridge.
"Probably built with the Tyrenium you sold me last time we were here," Sasuke commented.
"Hard to take Singularity Drivers seriously when I've seen a Quantum Annihilator. Still, I'd love to get my hands on their blueprints," Tenten said wistfully.
"What I'd give to fire either of those," Hana all but panted.
The Invictus moved on, passing by the area of the drydock used to repair damaged vessels. The destroyer that Naruto and Hinata had passed last time was gone, but in its place devastated ships told their own tale of how the war with the Kintark Empire was progressing. One Heavy Cruiser they passed had been scoured by plasma burns, the terrible destructive power of the weapons charring huge welts across the flank of the ship. Another Light Carrier had been left a mangled wreck, the rear of the ship almost completely obliterated. Tenten wondered how they had even managed to bring the ship back to Olympus.
Finally Docking Bay 11 yawned open in front of them, more than big enough to house the 500 meter length of their Assault Cruiser with ease. Hinata brought the Invictus in to land smoothly, following the guide path provided by the docking computer, as the Olympus Shipyard welcomed home her wayward daughter.
The crew of the Invictus left the ship and strode out to meet the two uniformed men awaiting their arrival. As they left the confines of the airlock, John noticed the men were standing next to a brutal looking piece of Terran Federation engineering. It was some kind of dropship, lean and ferocious, the jutting weapon barrels telling their own tale of its lethal potential. He reluctantly pulled his gaze from the savage looking craft and focused on the two men standing to its side.
Naruto recognized the one on the right as his old colleague Aburame Shino. The man still wore black-out shades and kept his collar tucked up to cover his mouth. The other was a silver-haired gentleman in a Konoha Federation jacket all but dripping with medals. He had a curiously weasel-like face, and seemed strangely familiar.
Sasuke stiffened. *Shit on a stick. It's my brother.*
*Your super protective big brother who ma,y or may not have bugged your office?* Naruto asked worriedly.
*The very same.*
*Well, here's hoping we're not about to be dragged off for experimentation,* Hinata projected.
"Naruto, long time no see. We must catch up later. Why? Because that is what friends do after a long absence. May I present Admiral Uchiha, Director of Olympus Shipyard," Shino said in his quiet voice.
Itachi strolled forward, but blew past Naruto to stand in front of Sasuke. Itachi's red Uchiha eyes bored into Sasuke, who refused to look away.
"Your arm is better," Itachi finally said.
"I've had work done."
"Your face is different."
"I've had a lot of work done."
"You're taller."
"I've had EXTENSIVE work done," Sasuke said, a bead of sweat dropping from his brow.
"You got a tan."
"There's these things called tanning beds."
"You lost weight."
"I've been spending a lot of hours in the gym."
Itachi paused. "Are you happy, little brother?"
Feeling the weight behind that question, Sasuke looked his big brother in the eye. "I've never been happier, and that's the truth."
"... Very well," Itachi said, nodding. He turned to face Naruto. "Commander Uzumaki. I hear good things about you."
It's good to meet you Admiral," Naruto said, snapping a sharp salute. "I'm sure the tales have been greatly exaggerated," he said, self deprecatingly.
The older man looked at Naruto with shrewd, penetrating eyes. "I don't think they have," he replied.
"So what can I do for you Admiral?" Naruto asked, curious as to why such a high ranking Konoha Federation officer would come to meet him.
"It's more what I can do for you Commander," the man said. "Konoha Federation High Command greatly appreciated your efforts against the Nuke. The PR value of that battle alone is invaluable to us at the moment."
"Just happy to do our part Admiral," Naruto said. "Those Nuke had to be stopped!" he said grimly.
"Yes, indeed," Admiral Uchiha said unemotionally.
"In any case, I'm pleased to be able to present you with a Raptor class gunship to show our appreciation for your efforts," the Admiral said, looking askance at the terrifying piece of hardware to his side.
"Thank you Admiral!" John said, looking up at the gunship, a big grin spreading across his face.
"Keep up the good work Commander," the distinguished older man said quietly, throwing him a salute and turning to leave.
Before he had completed the turn however, he suddenly looked back.
"According to Vice Admiral Aburame, you've brought us another shipment of Tyrenium?" He said, with hunger in his voice; the first real emotion that the man had displayed since their arrival.
"Yes, sir," John replied succinctly. "20 tons of it."
Admiral Uchiha's eyes gleamed. "Outstanding work, Commander. Quite outstanding..." he said, before nodding to Shino and then walking away briskly.
John turned to look at his old friend Shino with a raised eyebrow.
"We shall talk in my office. I am eager to know the names of your lovely companions. And I am curious behind Uchiha Sasuke's transformation." With that, Shino led them through the Shipyard to his office.
*No offense, but your brother's a sociopath,* Hinata thought in the Pack mind.
*Imagine growing up with him. We should consider ourselves lucky he's a principled one.*
They walked away from the Invictus and Tenten managed to tear her eyes away from the fascinating looking gunship. She finally noticed the huge number of crates stacked in the docking bay and Shino spotted her drifting over to look at them curiously.
"We started receiving all these deliveries a couple of days ago. The deck officer was having a fit until I had a word," he said, smiling.
Tenten practically jumped up and down with excitement and glanced longingly at the large shipping crates as they walked to the heavy security door that led out of the bay.
"Come on," Naruto said, grinning at her. "You can look later. They can't start loading anything until the retrofit is done on the cargo bay anyway."
"I prioritized that work order for you John, the crews will start work on that for you immediately," Shino volunteered helpfully.
"Much appreciated Shino, thank you!" Naruto said gratefully and the older man waved away his thanks.
They followed Shino into Sasuke's old office. Sasuke nodded at his former aide, who barely seemed to recognize him. They all sat in the comfortable chairs while Shino sat behind his desk.
"Now, I believe introductions are in order. Why? Because I do not know any of these young women," Shino droned.
"I'm Hyuuga Hinata, XO on the Invictus. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Second Lieutenant Inuzuka Hana. It's an honor to meet you, Vice Admiral!"
"Tenten, Chief Engineer. Thanks for prioritizing our retrofit."
"This one is named Fu by Naruto. She is Naruto's Nymph!"
Shino's eyebrow steadily climbed above his sunshades. "You've certainly gathered a rather interesting crew, Naruto."
"I don't question my luck," Naruto said simply. "Now tell me about Admiral Uchiha."
"He's here overseeing the construction of the Echelon class Dreadnought you probably saw on your arrival," Shino said. "High Command are ordering a massive shipbuilding program and he wants to make sure construction stays on schedule."
"He's a bit detached, but he's very driven. He holds a lot of sway with High Command," Shino said, giving his honest opinion of the man.
"Very interesting." Naruto said, intrigued. "What do you know about the Raptor gunship?" he asked his old friend with a hint of excitement in his voice. "I haven't seen or heard of anything like that before."
"It's state of the art Naruto, fresh off the production lines," Shino said enviously. "You must have made High Command very happy indeed, for them to give you one of those."
"It doesn't look much like a normal Marine transport," Naruto said, recalling the blocky transports he had launched dozens of boarding actions from in his career as a marine.
"It's part of the new push towards carrier forces and dropship assaults. The raptor gunship is exclusive to Konoha Federation Special Forces. It's fast, manoeuvrable and packs a lot more firepower at the cost of a much reduced troop carrying capacity."
"How many?" Naruto asked curiously.
"30 men in heavy gear," Shino said, "but that should be more than adequate for your needs."
"Indeed. Now, let's talk business," Naruto said, his inner trader coming to the fire.
"Ah, yes, the Tyrenium. Same price per ton as last time?" Shino asked hopefully.
"Well there were a few complications in transit. Travel costs must be accounted for." Naruto had a shit-eating grin on his face.
Shino sighed. "How much?"
"30 mil ryo per ton, and I'll throw in a Nuke dropship," Naruto said with a straight face.
"600 million?!" Shino demanded, standing up and slamming his hands on his desk.
"And whatever R&D gets out of the dropship. Come on, Shino. 20 tons. That's two Singularity Drivers. If this shipbuilding program is as hard as you make it out to be, this is a bargain at twice the price," Naruto reasoned.
"... You have a deal. I don't know whether to be awed or appalled by your blatant price gouging. Hand me your ryo chit," Shino said grudgingly.
Naruto handed over the small electronic prism reminiscent of 21st century e-cigarettes. Shino plugged it into his desk and made a few commands on his console. When he was done, he handed it back. "Almost 700 million. Perhaps I should have retired when you did," Shino mused.
"I've been very lucky." Naruto pocketed his chit.
"What are your plans now? You're a very wealthy man," Shino inquired.
"A short vacation on Gravitus, then a tour of the Galactic League. The Suna, the Oto, the Iwa, and the Mizu, in that order."
"Well, enjoy. And if you run into any situations like those pirates again, please intervene like last time." Shino shared a long handshake with each member of the Pack before letting them go.
Hana blew out an explosive breath. "600 million ryo! I couldn't believe you asked for that much."
"I'm planning on a long retirement and a big family. I need every coin of that," Naruto said, getting him the standard sighs whenever he brought up children.
They filed into their new Raptor, the Invictus already being worked over by naval engineers. It had a large Hangar Bay, a small cargo Bay, and two rooms on the bottom floor housing the Power Core and storage respectively. After a brief trip to the second floor, they found a small cabin and the Cockpit.
"Time for a shopping trip, everyone!" Hinata said before lifting the Raptor up and away from Olympus, communicating with Flight Command with easy confidence. And then it was a straight shot down to the volcanic planet.