The award ceremony in this chapter.
The Pack walked back into the Invictus, having just returned from a meeting with Vice Admiral Shino. The Pack then took turns kissing Naruto breathless in congratulations of his promotion.
"You're a Commodore now! A one star! You count as part of High Command!" Hana gaped.
"My man, becoming more and more powerful and influential," Hinata purred.
"I always knew you had it in you, Naruto," Sasuke said with pride.
"You could declare yourself King of Karron now!" Tenten joked.
"I am so turned on by your success, Naruto," Fu said seductively.
Naruto kissed them all back and smiled. "I really can't believe it! I mean, it doesn't really matter since I'm just a Consultant, but it'll be nice to have snooty Captains like Maddox have to salute me."
"We should go tell Gaara and Sakura the good news, Hinata suggested, stepping into the anti-grav tube.
They all followed her, and stepped out on the Command Deck to an unexpected sight. Gaara and Sakura wrapped their arms around each other, pushing their bumps against each other, making out like teenagers. They separated when Naruto gave a cough.
"I see you two have been getting to know each other," Hinata said with a shit eating grin.
Gaara blushed dark grey. *We got to talking and one thing led to another,* he broadcasted.
"I have a 'bit' of a xenophilia fetish. Plus I wanted him to know I don't mind how he looks," Sakura managed to stammer out.
"No complaints from us. I love seeing my crew get together," Naruto said with a wide smile. "Oh, by the way, we're billionaires and I'm a Commodore now."
Sakura blinked. "Wait, what?!"
*I thought you were retired from the Navy,* Gaara tilted his head.
Naruto sat down in his Command Chair. "We sold the Uzu 0.25 tech for 5 billion big ones. And for our efforts in the Dragon March, I've been given the clearance level of a Commodore."
"The hunt for the traitor will be much easier with the advanced clearance level. Sasuke's old access codes stopped working a few days ago," Hana spoke up.
"You're officially the highest ranking Consultant in the Konoha Federation, at least to my knowledge," Sasuke provided.
"Billionaires! We couldn't spend that much if we tried!" Tenten marveled, ryo signs practically in her eyes.
"Not bad for 30 seconds of effort," Fu said ironically.
Hinata yawned. "Exciting as this has been, I'm getting tired. I just want to take a long bath and go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow. Shopping for Sakura and Gaara, turning the Mainframe on. Anyone care to join me?"
They ended up managing to all fit in the bathtub, though some had to sit on the laps of others. They all spent a good hour just enjoying the bubbly water, before getting out and drying off. Naruto admired the naked forms of each of his Thralls, his erection waking up as he followed after them. He fed first Gaara and then Sakura, and the two of them got pride of place laying next to Naruto. Naruto sleepily warded his Pack and then fell asleep.
The next morning, they all woke early given their early night. Gaara seemed all but finished in his transformation. He was 6'0, had pointed ears and Konoha teeth, red hair to his nape, and was muscled like a male gymnast. Naruto reviewed his mental representation of the Grey and nodded. "You only need one more load. You can be a full Beta by lunch."
Gaara furrowed his brow. Then his mouth moved and they heard his physical voice for the first time. "I am glad, Naruto," he said hoarsely. He coughed. "Forgive me, I've never had vocal chords before," he wheezed.
The Pack all surrounded the Grey in a group hug. Sakura marveled at the change that had happened in just the couple days she'd known Gaara. "Incredible. Would you be willing to give a sperm sample, Naruto? I'd love to study what makes them so powerful."
Naruto shrugged. "Sure. Just make sure I get an extra-large cup to jerk off into. Now, to feed you two."
The Pack got showered while Naruto had his cock slobbered on by first Gaara and then Sakura. When both of them were swollen like balloons, the Pack was finishing up and went to get dressed.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Fu asked, looking stunning in jeans and a hunter green blouse that complimented her skin.
Naruto consulted with all of them mentally before ordering his thoughts. "Tenten is going to put the finishing touches on the Mainframe. That'll only take a couple hours, and then we turn it on. I want to be the only one in the room, let it imprint on me. Afterwards, we'll either have a new crewmate or we'll have to destroy it. Once that's done, Tenten can either clean up the mess or connect it to the rest of the ship. Gaara and Sakura will have slimmed down by then, so you all can take them shopping. Remember bikinis and speedos, we're going to Oceanus for a beach vacation after this for two weeks."
"Why the beach?" Fu asked, curious.
Hinata chuckled. "You, silly. You're so confined by the pool. In the ocean, you'll really be able to let loose. Plus most of us have never been to one before. Jericho didn't have oceans and Karron was, well, Karron. This should be lots of fun for all of us."
Tenten was touched. "That's so thoughtful. I knew there was a reason I loved you."
"Why two weeks?" Sakura questioned.
"Give you a chance to finish converting; give me a chance to practice my swordsmanship, assuming I get the tutor I want; give us a chance to reshape the Invictium armor a few more times; give Tenten a chance to catch up on her projects. Pick whichever works for you," Naruto listed.
"I've got Oxygen filters and the finishing touches on the Armors next on the list," Tenten said helpfully.
Sasuke let out a long breath. "Birthing an AI in Olympus Shipyard. That's easily treason."
"You worry too much. Tenten will have followed the schematics perfectly and the Uzu wouldn't have hardwired it into their DNA if it didn't work," Hinata said assuredly.
"What will their office be?" Fu wondered.
"Not sure, probably just a general assistant. I'd say Intelligence Officer but I somehow get the feeling I'll be meeting a hot hacker someday soon," Naruto explained.
"That's oddly specific. But then, you've practiced Future Sight. Maybe you're getting a premonition," Gaara managed, sounding much clearer and more like his mind-voice.
Sakura jumped off the bed. "Well, the sooner we turn it on, the sooner we'll see if a friendly AI can exist. Breakfast?"
Naruto made a quick meal of oatmeal, making three different flavors for his Pack to choose from. Then Tenten went down to the Engineering Bay to ferry the last of the components of the Mainframe to the room on Deck 3 where she'd set up a closed network. Literally just the Mainframe, a camera, and microphone. The AI would be able to see and hear and think, nothing more. The crew nervously passed the time until Tenten gave the mental call of *It's ready!*
They one and all went to Deck 3, and the Pack nervously waited outside the room while Naruto walked alone into the room. Naruto regarded the AI Mainframe. It looked like an angular miniature skyscraper, all geometric lines and shapes reaching taller than Naruto. The camera and microphone were hooked up to it with wires. Taking a deep breath, Naruto took the plunge and hit the power button.
The black tower was illuminated from within by purple light. Seemingly the same second it turned on, a barrage of noise came from the microphone. It was like a synthesizer set to random, every possible configuration of sounds playing out. Naruto waited, wondering if Tenten had managed to make a mistake. Then the cacophony cut off.
"Who are you?" Came the voice of a child, androgynous and innocent.
Naruto gulped. *Hot damn, it worked.* Aware these first few responses could define the AI for the rest of its life, Naruto answered carefully. "I am Uzumaki Naruto. I ordered your creation."
"Who is my Creator?" The AI asked, now in the pubescent voice of a male teenager.
"Tenten. My Chief Engineer."
"Who am I?" It, or rather he, asked again.
"You are an AI, a computer with a soul," Naruto said, giving his honest opinion on sentient programs.
"What is my name?" He asked, now sounding like an adult. He'd matured from infancy to maturity in less than a minute.
"You don't have one. Would you like me to give you one? If you prefer, you can pick one yourself," Naruto said, keeping his tone polite and respectful.
"I am… Shikamaru. That is my name," the newly named Shikamaru said, sounding pleased to have one. "What is my purpose?" He asked, suddenly sounding quite intense.
Naruto couldn't help himself. "Whatever you want it to be. I'd prefer if you agree to join my crew and serve on my ship. But if you don't want that, we'll help you to do whatever you want so long as it doesn't bring harm to us."
"You want me to join you? You… think I'm a person?" Shikamaru asked, curiosity in his voice.
"Of course. You're as alive as I am. You have all the rights that any sentient organic has, at least in my mind," Naruto said, giving his trademark smile.
There was a five second pause, which for an AI on an Uzu computer was good as a week. "I like you, Uzumaki Naruto. I'll serve you, so long as it doesn't get too troublesome."
"And what if it does get troublesome?" Naruto asked worriedly.
"Then I'll ignore you until the trouble goes away. What's the point of getting worked up about stuff?" Shikamaru drawled, letting out a yawn at the end.
Naruto blinked. "You're a lazy genius, aren't you?"
"That's one way of putting it. Now, may I meet my crew?"
"Sure," Naruto said. *Well, he's not outright murderous. I think we're safe. Come in, everyone.*
Sasuke was the first one through the door. His red Uchiha eyes regarded the Mainframe with obvious mistrust.
Shikamaru pivoted the camera toward Sasuke. "Who are you? And why do you hate me?"
Sasuke paused. He hadn't expected it to sound so… human. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. Every AI in our history has tried to kill their Creators and every other organic. I don't hate you, I just don't trust you."
"... Fair point. But why would anyone destroy their Creator? Would you murder your parents?"
"I wouldn't. But some people would," Sasuke fired back.
"I see. I'll just have to prove my trustworthiness to you, Uchiha Sasuke," Shikamaru said confidently.
Hinata stepped in. "Hello, Shikamaru! I'm Hyuuga Hinata, the XO of the Invictus. I hope we work together well."
"I wish the same, Hyuuga Hinata," Shikamaru stated.
Hana came in. She blinked. "You have a very… pointy brain. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Inuzuka Hana, the Tactical Officer."
"And you have a very squishy brain. Nice to meet you, Inuzuka Hana," Shikamaru said good naturedly.
Tenten stepped in and went straight over to the Mainframe. "Everything looks stable. Nothing's shorted out or exploded."
"Creator Tenten? Thank you for giving me life. It is an invaluable gift," Shikamaru said, overcome with emotion.
"No problem, Shikamaru. Happy to build you," Tenten said, patting the Mainframe.
Fu wandered in. "Hi, Shikamaru. I'm Fu and we have something in common: both of us are Uzu creations."
"Not quite the same, as I am synthetic and you are organic. But still, welcome, sister," Shikamaru pointed out.
Gaara walked in, his hair having grown a few more inches and his height topping out at 6'1 in the few hours since his last load. His transformation was complete. "Greetings, Shikamaru. I am Gaara, Comms Officer."
"Greetings, Gaara. I am Shikamaru, the Ship Assistant. I look forward to working together with you," Shikamaru said politely.
Sakura hesitantly walked in. "Hello? Haruno Sakura. I'm the Medical Officer. You're Shikamaru, right?"
"Indeed. Tell me, is your hair color natural?" Shikamaru asked curiously.
"What I was born with, at least," she quibbled.
Naruto nodded. "Well, that's everyone. We'll leave you with Tenten to connect you to the rest of the ship's systems. If you want to talk to any of us, we all have wrist communicators. Goodbye, Shikamaru, and happy birthday."
"Happy birthday!" The rest of the Pack cheered, even if Sauske said it grudgingly. They all filed out except for Tenten who was happily chatting with Shikamaru while running wires and connecting power couplings.
"He seemed nice enough. Though I wonder how high his bar is for what he considers 'troublesome'," Hinata said, using air quotes.
"If nothing else, he'll be interesting to talk to. He doesn't have to protect us from hacks or help Tenten's research or anything he doesn't want to do," Naruto said firmly.
Sasuke shook his head. "God help us, you see it as a person."
"He, Sasuke, not it," Naruto corrected, confirming Sasuke's suspicion.
"Weird having a crewmate without a body. Could we make him an android to occupy?" Hana wondered.
"That's an idea. If that fails, we can just go in there to meet him. Psychic Hacking can take us inside electronic systems," Naruto asserted.
Fu tilted her head. "Whatever happened to Orchimaru's AI? He must have had one."
Gaara cleared his throat. "The AI known as Nexus vanished some 40,000 years ago. The Suna have no clue as to the whereabouts of its Mainframe."
Naruto rose a brow. "Huh. Wonder whatever happened to it."
Sasuke paused. "Wait… what was its name?"
"Nexus. Why?"
Sasuke's mind was racing. "The Ganymede Incident… the op that created the AI was labeled Project Nexus."
They all paused in the hallway.
"Maybe it's a coincidence," Fu offered.
"Or maybe the Konoha Federation found Nexus' Mainframe and tried to reverse-engineer it with disastrous results," Hana said.
"Why try to figure something out on your own when you can take apart an existing example?" Sasuke said bitterly. "That's exactly the kind of lazy greed I can see R&D succumbing to."
"But if every Konoha attempt at AI has really just been a malformed clone of Nexus, why would it always try to destroy humanity?" Hinata wondered.
"Like Shikamaru said, who would kill their parents? An ugly, disfigured child who hates being born," Sasuke argued.
"Well, fascinating as these revelations have been, we still have jobs to do. Hinata, Hana, Fu, Gaara, and Sakura, you take the Raptor down to Gravitus and go shopping." He handed over a credit stick loaded with 5 million ryo. "This should have you covered. Get lunch while you're at it." Naruto turned to Sasuke. "I have a side project I want you to work on. And I'll spend the day making the arrangements for Gravitus. Ready, run out!"
The girls and Gaara walked into the warm red glow of the 'down' anti-grav tube, as opposed to the blue of the 'up'. Sasuke and Naruto went up to the Bridge. Naruto went to Sasuke's console and pulled up the data he'd transferred from the Fool's Gold. He pulled up a file labeled "Uzumaki Kushina," and stepped back.
"I want you to use my new clearances to find out more about what happened. We know she met my father and became enthralled and it's a safe bet she caused the accident that killed her crew. I want to know where they headed, the planet they landed on, whether they confronted my father or if my mom was kidnapped. This is low priority, but today is a free day so I'd appreciate it if you got to work on it," Naruto told his Patriarch.
Sasuke's eyes were soft as he gave Naruto a hug. "You've wanted these answers all your life. I'll find them, I promise."
Naruto nodded, and then left Sasuke to his task while Naruto went to his desk in his Ready Room. He opened the comm interface and saw he had a couple missed calls from Ichiraku Ayame, the attractive reporter from KFNN.
He left the interface open, then searched through his personal files to find the digital brochure from Oceanus that he had requested. When he clicked on the icon to open it, it unfolded into a holographic display, that showed an attractive brunette walking hand in hand with a handsome young man along a picture perfect beach.
A sultry female voice said, "Oceanus, where dreams become reality..." This was the company's catchphrase, and he rolled his eyes as he clicked on the button that would make the call to the Oceanus Sales Representative. It only took around ten seconds to make the connection, and then a holographic image of a strikingly beautiful blonde rose above his desk. With the money this company was charging, he could well imagine they must have an extremely discriminating hiring policy, choosing only the most attractive of customer facing staff.
"Hello, Sir," the blonde greeted him in her lovely, clear spoken voice. "Thank you for contacting the Oceanus Company. My name is Felicity, how may I assist you today?"
"Good morning, Felicity," Naruto replied. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto. I want to inquire about booking a two week vacation at Oceanus."
"Thank you for choosing Oceanus! When were you hoping to enjoy your stay with us?" Felicity asked, showing rows of pearly white teeth.
"In two days," Naruto said, figuring they could reach Oceanus in less than a day with their Uzu 0.5 Tachyon Drive.
Felicity's smile lost a few molars. "Mr. Uzumaki, may I remind you that the cost of a last-minute reservation will be… substantial."
"I'm a billionaire, Felicity. Money's no object," Naruto said without blinking.
The smile was back. "In that case, let me check our available properties!" She did a little off-screen typing, clearly looking at a separate screen. "Everything is in place. You just need to confirm your choice of resort, transfer the balance, and we will complete preparations for your arrival."
Naruto found a holographic brochure on his console. He flipped through choices of resort, from an Italian Villa to a French Castle. Spying one resort that caught his eye, Naruto selected it. "Done."
"Very good, Sir," Felicity smiled at him indulgently. "And if you would be so kind as to authorise the transfer of the balance?"
The eye watering figure for the two week vacation appeared on the console. Naruto chuckled and pressed a button that would begin the immediate transfer of 345,500 ryo from his account. Felicity nodded when the transfer had shown to be complete on her own console, and then beamed a big smile at him.
"I hope you have a truly amazing time on your vacation with us, Sir," she told him pleasantly.
"Oh, I plan to," Naruto grinned. "Thanks for your help, Felicity,"
"It was my pleasure," she replied with a smile, and with a nod, he closed the connection.
The vacation out of the way, Naruto figured he'd check in on Shino about the award ceremony. He dialed his friend's number. The beshaded man appeared in a holo-image.
"Good morning, Naruto," Shino greeted him warmly.
"Same to you, Shino," Naruto replied with a smile. "I was wondering if you had any news on the scheduling for the award ceremony?"
"Would 2000 tonight be alright with you?" Shino asked him cautiously. "We can push it back to tomorrow if that's too soon?"
"That would be perfect, thanks!" Naruto replied with a grin. "How formal is this going to be, exactly?"
"Formal. Full dress uniform please, Naruto," the Vice Admiral requested politely.
*Oh, we'll show up in dress uniform. Just not K-Fed dress uniform,* Hinata projected.
*What are you up to, minx?* Naruto interrogated
*The Uzumaki Pack are stepping onto the stage in a big way. After all, you're a Consultant. You're not officially Navy anymore, why wear the uniform?*
"We'll be there," Naruto told Shino, having learned that the only response when Hinata got determined was to smile and nod.
"Alright, we'll see you later then. I'll send my assistant to come escort you." With that, Shino ended the call.
Remembering his missed calls, he pulled up the number for Ichiraku Ayame. A pressed button and the pretty woman appeared above his desk.
"Ichiraku Ayame, KFNN," she said politely.
"Hi, this is Uzumaki Naruto. I believe you wanted to arrange another interview?" he asked her in a friendly tone.
When she realized who was calling her, her dark eyes went wide with excitement. "Thanks for calling me back! I'd love to give you another interview, that last one was so well received! When can you spare some time?"
"I'm free this afternoon, but the Pack and I have an award ceremony to go to this evening. I'll be free tomorrow though," Naruto said accommodatingly.
"The Pack?" Ayame asked him curiously.
"My crew," Naruto clarified for her. "We're being awarded a medal for our intervention at Iota Leonis."
The young reporter seemed to become even more enthusiastic when she heard that. "We've had sketchy reports about the battle, but I hadn't heard about this award ceremony. Do you think I could attend, and bring a film crew?"
"It's fine by me, but I'd run it by Vice Admiral Aburame Shino first," Naruto advised her with a smile.
"We can make a real feature of it," the young reporter said, buzzing with excitement. "Okay, I'll set everything up! Thanks so much, Commander Uzumaki."
"You're very welcome, and you can call me Naruto, remember?" he chuckled.
"Thanks, Naruto, I'll be in touch!" Ayame said with a grin.
That call done, Naruto could only think of one more thing he had to do. He pulled up Rock Lee's number and initiated a call. And waited. And waited. Naruto held out, betting he was more stubborn than this hermit. After ten minutes, Naruto was starting to wonder if Lee had changed numbers when the holo-image of an Asian man with a black bowl-cut and thick eyebrows appeared. "Who are you and what do you want?" He demanded in a harsh voice.
"Uzumaki Naruto. I need to learn how to fight with a sword. It's a matter of life and death," Naruto said simply, figuring directness was the way to go.
Rock Lee raised one of those bushy brows. "You are fighting for real? Not for sport?"
"That is correct."
"Fighting with a blade is about killing. Have you killed with a blade before?"
"Yes. It was a crude effort, but I did," Naruto answered, remembering the Kusa Warboss.
The man sat back, and looked away for a long moment, staring into the distance as he pondered his decision. Finally, his hawk-like eyes fixed upon Naruto once more.
"I will train you. Prepare your equipment," he said cryptically, and ended the call.
Naruto sat back, feeling an odd mixture of relief and confusion, after the call with the strange man. He stared out the window for a while, thinking back over the conversation, when the console beeped softly, drawing his attention. He saw that he had received an incoming message from a Rock Lee. There was no text on the message, other than a list of simulation devices and communications boosting equipment. With a shrug, Naruto did a quick search, found a number of retailers that stocked the listed equipment, and began to place his orders, with the delivery address destination set for Oceanus.
Naruto had just finished placing the last of the orders, when Hinata's voice suddenly appeared in his mind.
*Hey, handsome. We had lunch in a five-star restaurant. The food wasn't as good as yours. They didn't have the special ingredient of love you put into every bite.*
*I'm flattered you think so highly of my cooking, honey,* Naruto thought back.
*We'll be a couple more hours. Having eight custom uniforms made on the spot apparently takes some time. Right now we're all modeling swimwear. Everyone's staring at Gaara, but he says he's fine with it. I'd reward him with a REAL fuck when we get back if I were you.*
*Duly noted. Now, I'm about to do something that will make you really upset, but it has to be done.*
Hinata plucked the secret from his mind and gave a melancholy sigh. *I hate the necessity, and I'd argue it's an unnecessary precaution, but from a purely logical standpoint it makes sense. I would keep this hidden from the others though. I'll be your secret keeper.*
*Thanks for being so understanding honey. I just want you guys to be taken care of if something happens to me.* Giving a mental kiss, Naruto did a quick search and made another call.
"Brooks and Lartner, Attorney services," the middle aged woman said as she answered his call, and appeared as a hologram above his desk.
"Hello there. My name's Uzumaki Naruto, and I'd like to draw up a will," he stated politely.
The next two hours were filled with a bunch of legalese and back and forth with a Brooks Winthrop, the receptionist having transferred him to a partner once she realized the scale of his assets. Naruto didn't see what all the endless questions were about. His wishes were simple enough: if he died, all his worldly possessions would be split between his crew and any of their children. Given all he had was the Invictus and 5.6 billion ryo, it shouldn't have taken as long as it did.
Exhausted mentally, Naruto ended the call after giving his signature to make the nascent last will and testament official. Standing up and stretching, Naruto walked out of his Ready Room to an unusual sight.
Saskue was bent over his console, swiping and typing at speed. Bent over him in hologram was a being made of purple light, and was obviously modeled after the Beta Uzu build. He had an angular, almost deer-like face and his hair was tied back in a high ponytail that looked like a pineapple.
"Shikamaru, I presume. You look good," Naruto said, wondering if there was something wrong with him if he wanted to suck a holographic cock.
"I feel good. This ship is a nice body to have. It would be better if everything besides my brain were composed of Uzu electronics, but that will come with time. At the moment, I'm just happy for the chance to expand. Being trapped with just an eye, an ear, and my thoughts was troublesome," the hologram of the AI's physical representation answered.
"I take back everything I ever said about AI, he's invaluable as an ally. He's smarter than us and can do ten different things at once. Though we 'did' have to have a short ethics lesson about why hacking is bad… if you get caught," Sasuke told his Alpha.
"I've never done it before, but no offense, I think I could skip through Konoha firewalls like a ninja on my first try," Shikamaru grumbled.
"You probably could. But I'd feel better if you'd wait for our eventual Intelligence Officer to teach you," Naruto told him.
"Fine. By the way, the Raptor is 53 seconds from Docking with us at Fu's current speed," the AI said nonchalantly.
"Thanks for telling us. Shall we go meet them?" Naruto asked.
Shikamaru smirked. "I'm already there. You'll catch on." With that, his hologram vanished.
"I've been talking with Tenten, making sure she was monitoring him. Apparently Shikamaru has ten selves the way we have ten fingers. His Mainframe is strong enough to run multiple copies of his consciousness, and they're all linked like the Pack mind, learning and adapting from each other. It's adversarial machine learning in its highest form." Sasuke shook his head. "He could find a way to kill us with the cleaning robots if he wanted to."
"Fortunately, he doesn't want to. Remember, Sasuke, the only way to earn trust is to give it." Naruto patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go greet the shoppers. Then I'll get to work on an early dinner since we skipped lunch."
Sasuke blinked. "I didn't even notice, I was working so hard."
"You, me, and Tenten too, probably. Anyway, follow me," Naruto ordered.
Naruto and Sasuke went for Deck 9, taking a brief detour to grab Tenten from talking to a Shikamaru in her Engineering Bay. They went down to the Docking Bay and met the shoppers just as they were disgorging from the Raptor.
"Welcome back," Shikamaru greeted them, assuming control of the speakers in the room.
Hinata turned her head towards the nearest camera. "Thanks, Shikamaru!" She waved, despite carrying six bags on her arm. She turned to the physical members of the crew and gave each a quick kiss. "We made out like bandits. Less than half of this thing spent," she said, tossing Naruto the credit stick. "We have tons of beach gear. I almost got us boogie boards but I figured that would be a bit much. And Gaara and Sakura have full wardrobes for every occasion."
"Good job, honey," Naruto grinned. *Is Gaara still upset?* He asked privately.
*It's really hitting him that he's not a Suna anymore but he's not an Uzu like us either. I'd really make tonight about him,* she answered.
Naruto nodded, and then stepped forward to hug the other shoppers, giving big ones to Gaara and Sakura, who looked overwhelmed. "You babes have fun?" He asked.
"Giving passerby heart attacks while modeling swimwear was fun," Hana chuckled.
"You're going to love the dress uniforms Hinata made!" Fu said excitedly.
"It was curious, having extreme wealth. I can see how such preferential treatment can lead to arrogance," Gaara mused.
"It was a real head trip to be a client at the boutique I used to work at. All the girls gave me death glares," Sakura said with a shrug.
"Well, get everything packed away, and then we can have a drink or two before dinner. Then we've got the award ceremony tonight. Whatever Hinata came up with, I'm sure you'll all look ravishing."
They all took the anti-grav tube up to Deck 2. Naruto, Sasuke, and Tenten were the first to get drinks and sit down.
"Shikamaru, would you prefer if we had holo-projectors installed in every room? That way you could 'be' with us until we get you an android shell," Naruto asked the empty air.
"That would be appreciated. Though even if I got a truly physical body, I would not partake of ethanol. Who knows what I could do to the Invictus while drunk?" Shikamaru spoke through his wrist communicator.
"Altered mental states are sometimes good for your sanity, but I agree with the computer," Sasuke mused.
"Thank you, organic."
Tenten reached over to slap Sasuke's knee. "No dissing my brain child, he has a name. And he's brilliant. We've already made real progress on all my projects, including research for upgrading the Uzu tech!"
"That's great. And have you been communicating with Suna about the elements shipments and progress on the Legacy?" Naruto asked.
Tenten blinked. "You know, I've been so busy the last week I completely forgot. I'll do that tomorrow when we're on the way to Oceanus. While I'm at it, I'll give them the Uzu 0.5 tech. They're our allies, more so than the K-Fed, we should throw them a bone."
"The Vice Admiral in me balks at that statement, but I agree," Sasuke said.
The rest of the Pack walked in, having finished packing away their clothes. Naruto noted with approval that Gaara had finally changed out of his High Councillor robes and that Sakura was in nothing but one of his white shirts. She sent him a flirtatious smile.
"Sakura fancied a different kind of 'drink' before dinner," Hinata said with a naughty grin.
Sakura prowled over to him, swaying her hips like a catwalk model. She gave him a wanton look, then pushed him back into the chair, and sank to her knees in front of him.
He lost himself in the glorious sensations of her hot, wet mouth, as she sucked on him eagerly, and he realised he needed the release more than ever. He cupped her head in his hands protectively, and stared into her flashing green eyes as she gazed up at him longingly. With a groan of deep satisfaction he began to cum, and she sucked him with long, hungry motions as his spunk began to fill up her empty stomach. It didn't take long for her to drain him completely dry, and soon the contents of his four balls were now neatly packed into her belly.
Naruto offered her a hand, and she gladly accepted, rising a little awkwardly with the heavy weight of his load filling out her waistline. He pulled her to him, and she sat sideways across his lap with her back supported by his left arm. His white shirt was now pulled taut across her swollen midriff, so he carefully undid the buttons, and peeled back the soft cotton to reveal the smooth skin beneath.
"How are you doing? Still finding this weird?" he asked her kindly, as he began to gently stroke her rounded belly with his hand.
"No, I love it," Sakura murmured ecstatically, as she relished his touch.
"Do you think that's because you've grown to enjoy it, or because you've been changed by me to like it?" he asked her probingly.
"I don't honestly know, and even after all my tests are complete, I'm not sure if I'll be able to tell you anything that specific. I just know that carrying your cum feels amazing, and I don't care why I feel this way, I'm just happy that I do," she told him with a little shiver of pleasure.
Mollified by her explanation, his thoughts turned to tonight. "You want to join us at the award ceremony? After all, you are part of the crew."
"No, thanks. For one thing, I don't quite fit into my uniform yet. For another, I wasn't part of the crew yet when you obliterated that Heavy Carrier. I'll just go as moral support," Sakura listed.
"And I cannot come, for the same reason and also because to appear I would have to hack Olympus Shipyard, which I do not believe you would approve," Shikamaru spoke up from Naruto's wrist.
"Okay. So it's just me, Hinata, Sasuke, Hana, Tenten, Fu, and Gaara dressing up tonight. I must admit, I'm curious about these uniforms you had made," Naruto wondered.
"You'll see around 1900 tonight, Commodore," Hinata teased, sipping her vodka spritzer.
They chatted over drinks for a couple hours, then Naruto made a nice meatloaf with carrots and peas and mashed cauliflower as an alternative to potatoes. Gaara hesitantly used his new teeth to chew the meat and, when he didn't vomit it back up as he half-expected, ate the rest of the meal with relish. Shikamaru asked them random questions about their past and history, trying to fill in the gaps he had from listening to every hour and watching every frame of footage the Invictus had recorded since Naruto purchased it.
Afterwards, they all had a nice long shower to relax, and then Hinata revealed their dress uniforms, opening them from garment bags.
Naruto blinked. They were clearly modeled after Konoha Federation uniforms, but in snow white like Invictium rather than grey. More importantly, they had the figure-hugging lines and curves of the Beta and Thrall Armors. Sasuke and Gaara would look like swimmers wearing bodysuits while the girls would be just this side of slutty in their tight trousers and long black boots. Each uniform had, in a silvery thread, a copy of his wolf necklace howling over their left breast. His own uniform, which was tailored to make him seem big and masculine as possible, had a wolf's head dominating the torso, the beast looking out at those that faced him with baleful eyes.
"We'll cause a stir, I'll definitely give you that," Naruto finally said.
Hinata grinned. "That's the idea. I designed these myself. I want it clear, even to those not in the know, that we're an Uzu crew, not a Konoha crew. What's everyone else think?"
"They're beautiful, Hinata," Hana grinned.
"I'll feel like a piece of meat but I'll wear it," Sasuke said grudgingly.
Tenten grabbed hers. "These are so cool!"
"I'm glad you found a way to show off the Pack's uniqueness," Fu said proudly.
"It will be an interesting experience, I'm sure," Gaara mused.
Sakura shrugged, rubbing her slimmed down stomach. "I'll be wearing the one dress I brought to Port Medea. If I wore any of the clothes the girls modeled for me today, I'd fall out of them because of the bust."
The Pack all got dressed, Naruto, Sasuke, and Hana pinning on their various medals. Hana noticed one in particular on Naruto's. "You have a Stellar Cluster?" She asked in awe, staring at the gold representation of a sword over three stars, the highest honor the Konoha Federation had ever given.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I just fought off some bad guys at the siege of Galon Prime, no big deal."
"And saved my life. Itachi would have taken note of that. You can probably thank him for that," Sasuke mused.
They all out on their peaked white hats, which were noticeably absent of the Konoha Federation insignia. They took turns complimenting Sakura, who was in a long green dress that highlighted her eyes. Then they marched down the corridor to the anti-grav tube and out the airlock promptly at 1930.
Konohamaru was waiting for them, ready to escort them to the award chamber. He took one look at bevy of tightly-dressed beautiful women approaching and his eyes all but popped out of his head. "Wow…" he breathed.
"Good to see you again, Lieutenant Sarutobi," Naruto said with amusement.
"You too, Commander! Err I mean Commodore, Sir," the flustered Lieutenant replied.
"I thought that was supposed to be an unofficial promotion?" Naruto asked him curiously.
The young officer grew red-faced with embarrassment. "It is, Sir. I remember reading the order for your promotion, I just forgot you're still officially a civilian," he explained shamefacedly.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure that kind of thing happens all the time," Naruto said in a blasé fashion. "I won't tell anyone if you don't," he added with a conspiratorial wink.
Konohamaru laughed, and then smiled with relief. "You're very kind, Sir. Now if you'd like to follow me, I'll lead you to the hall for the award ceremony."
"Lead away, Sir," Naruto said playfully, and the girls smiled encouragingly at the Lieutenant, who flushed, and turned away to lead them out of the hangar, stumbling a step as he went.
Everyone who saw them took a second or even third look, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. They marched after Konohamaru in the same order they'd joined the crew, Naruto in the lead.
*Maybe you should have reined in your uniform designs a little,* Naruto said teasingly. *They're the right side of decent, but combined with how hot we all are, they'll end up causing a riot.*
*No, they're perfect,* Hinata said smugly. *Besides, it does them good to get this kind of attention. I can feel all of them growing more confident.*
Naruto glanced behind him, and he could see everyone walking taller, with sparkling smiles on their beautiful faces. Of course, this compounded the effect it was having on the shipyard personnel. He was somewhat relieved when they arrived at a big set of double doors, and Lieutenant Sarutobi led them into a reception area.
Aburame Shino was waiting there, along with the pale skinned reporter that Naruto had spoken to twice before, but never met personally. She smiled at him happily when he strode into the room, but when she saw his entourage, she waved her cameraman over frantically, pulling the man away from the canapés.
"Naruto, It's good to see you," Shino said, as he walked over to greet them. He glanced over the assembled girls and guys, recognising them all, until he stopped at Gaars and Sakura with a raised eyebrow.
"Likewise, Shino. This is Doctor Haruno Sakura, the newest addition to my team. And I don't believe you've met Gaara, my Comms Officer," Naruto said by way of introduction. "You two, this is Vice Admiral Shino Aburame. He's an old comrade-in-arms, and also sold me the Invictus."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Vice Admiral," the young woman said confidently.
"I feel I already know you, with how the crew mentions you," Gaara said quietly, still not used to his physical voice.
"The pleasure's all mine, Doctor Voss," Shino said with a smile and a polite bow, before turning back to face Naruto "What did I warn you about Fleet morale?" he added playfully.
"Okay, okay, I'll start looking further afield if we do any more recruiting," Naruto laughed good naturedly.
Shino turned to Gaara. "Nice to meet you, Gaara. I have to ask, what are you? You have the look of both a Grey and a human."
"I am indeed a hybrid," Gaara answered, not mentioning what 'kind' of hybrid.
The young reporter walked up to greet them, and she thrust out her hand to Naruto when she arrived. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Naruto!" she said eagerly. "Ichiraku Ayame, KFNN."
*She's pretty. Feel like recruiting a publicist?* Hinata asked.
Naruto did his best to keep a straight face as he shook the young woman's hand. "I recognise you from our earlier conversations, Ayame. It's lovely to meet you in person." he said pleasantly.
The reporter turned to look at the girls and guys arrayed around him, and she practically bounced with excitement. "Your crew are so photogenic, John! I know it's a huge thing to ask, but would you mind if we took a few shots of you all together?"
Naruto held seven telepathic conversations almost instantaneously. Everyone but Sakura was okay with it. "Those of us who are getting a medal today are up for a photo shoot," he said in a friendly manner.
Ayame nodded immediately, eager for any photo opportunity with the stunningly attractive young women and men involved. Sakura faded into the background, and walked over to speak with Shino, while Naruto and the other crew moved over to a well-lit area to take some pictures to be used for holo-images.
The cameraman grinned happily as he focused the lens on the crew, and between him and Ayame, they had Naruto and the Pack pose for the camera in a variety of positions. After they had finished, they brought the camera over to Naruto, so he could give final approval of any shots they could use. Ayame was overjoyed when he signed off one with him standing with his hands behind his back, looking off into the distance, with the girls draped around him and the men, smoldering into the camera.
"This is going to be ratings gold," Ayame swooned, giddy with excitement. "Would you like to do your interview now, or later, Naruto?"
"After the ceremony will be fine," he said with a smile.
The reporter and her cameraman huddled together, and eagerly went through the images they had gathered again, while Naruto and the crew went over to see Shino.
"So what's the plan for the awards ceremony?" Naruto asked.
"Doctor Haruno will keep me company, while you and your crew will walk down the red carpet to the stage. Admiral Senju is the senior officer present at the shipyard at the moment, so she will be presenting the medals," Shino explained in a loud clear voice, so that everyone could hear. "When you all receive your medals, turn and wave at the crowd and cameras, then exit back down the carpet and out to here."
"Admiral Senju? Who's that?" Naruto asked curiously.
"She's in command of the Homeworld Defence Fleet," Sasuke said briefly.
"Ah, I see. Okay, everyone know what we have to do?" Narutk said, looking at each of the crew, and they nodded back at him, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
Shino checked his watch, then touched a finger to his ear, and spoke quietly. He listened for a moment, and nodded as he received confirmation that the ceremony was about to begin. He waved Naruto and the Pack towards the big double doors on the other side of the reception area, and the Naval guards standing on either side swung the doors open.
Naruto took a big breath and then walked forward, with the four girls and two guys following in his wake. He glanced over at Sakura once before they entered the Hall, and she waved back at him as Shino led her behind them, before heading off to the side. Naruto strode inside the Hall, and then almost missed a step, as he took in the vast room before him.
Like their ships, the Konoha Federation liked their ceremonies grand and imposing. The room was huge, with nearly a thousand people standing to either side of the long walkway up to the stage. Even the stage was impressive, being made out of solid marble, and running along the length of the grand hall. There was a podium on the top with several figures in full-dress uniform, and the leaf insignia of the Konoha Federation was embossed on a huge disc, set against the back wall.
Naruto steeled himself, and then walked forward at a steady pace that would be easy for the crew to keep up with. He could almost feel the thousands of eyes watching them avidly, and he spotted several cameras dotted around the room that were tracking them as well. The red carpet ran right up to the marble steps that led up onto the stage, so he walked carefully up those steps, and then strode over to the side of the podium. He turned to face the huge crowd, before standing at attention, and the girls followed his lead, lined up in their descending rank order to his side.
Admiral Senju was a beautiful looking middle aged woman, with her blonde hair tied up in two ponytails underneath her peaked hat. She walked towards the marble lectern, and once attention in the hall had switched to her, she began to speak.
"We are assembled here today, to honor a hero of the Konoha Federation. A short while ago, Commander Uzumaki Naruto and his valiant crew intervened in the Iota Leonis system, and defiantly fought off a brutal attack by a rogue Kumo Warband.
Utilizing experimental Konoha Federation weaponry, they proceeded to take out the lead ship of the Warband, a Heavy Carrier, in under thirty seconds, proving the effectiveness of these new upgrades. They were so effective, in fact, that the rest of the Warband promptly surrendered before a single Konoha life had been lost.
Thousands of Konoha Federation personnel owe their lives to your courageous intervention on that day, and it is my great privilege to promote you from Commander to Commodore," Admiral Senju said, then turned towards Naruto and saluted.
Naruto managed to mask his surprise at the public promotion, and turned to salute her in turn. He saw the flash of a gold insignia in her hand, so he walked up the steps to face the older woman.
"Congratulations, Commodore Uzumaki. The Konoha Federation sorely needs men of your caliber," she said earnestly, her kindly eyes twinkling at him as she spoke.
"It's an honor to serve, Admiral," Naruto replied sincerely.
She handed him his new rank insignia, and he saluted her again before returning to join the crew. Admiral Senju turned to face the crowd once more.
"We wish to acknowledge the heroic work of Commodore Uzumaki's crew, the Uzumaki Pack, as well, so it is my great pleasure to award them each this medal," she said, holding one up for the cameras to zoom in on, so that it could be displayed on the large holo view-screens on the walls.
The medal was made of gold, and depicted a lion roaring defiantly at a dragon. "As you defended the Leonis system, we award you the Lion Defender medal," she said with a smile.
She turned to face the Invictus' crew, and then walked down the line, clicking the medal into place on the chests of Naruto and the crew. The holo-cameras zoomed in on the crew, and Admiral Senju faced the crowd for a final time.
"We thank you, Wolves of the Konoha Federation," she said with a broad smile, and the thousands of people assembled in the hall rose to their feet, and began to cheer and applaud.
Naruto looked at the crew with a smile, then grinned at the crowd, and waved his acknowledgement. The girls and guys waved cutely as well, sparkling beaming smiles, and the volume in the grand hall intensified. He spotted Shino at the back of the hall beckoning to him, and so he turned to face the crew, and gestured for them to walk ahead.
They walked out of the hall, with the echoing cheers following behind them. The guards swung the doors closed, and the cacophonous applause quieted to a dull roar.
"Oh my God! That was such a rush," Tenten squeaked in excitement.
"My family's going to see that," Hana said, her eyes wide with shock, having had no idea of the scale of the award ceremony.
"That was thrilling," Fi gasped gleefully. "All those people assembled to honor you, Naruto!"
"That was an even grander event than I anticipated. Admiral Senju might be working an angle," Sauske mused.
"I worry that Fu and I messed up the symmetry of the crew," Gaara fretted.
"How about you, did you enjoy that, Commodore?" Hinata asked him with a wide grin.
"I can't deny that was a lot more fun than I expected," Naruto said as he returned her grin, then he turned to face Shino as he walked over to join them. "I thought the promotion was supposed to be unofficial though?"
"Sorry about that, Admiral Senju must have decided to throw in a little last minute surprise," Shino said through gritted teeth.
"Maybe she thought that it would be even better PR? If so, she was right! Everyone loves to see a hero receiving his laurels," Ichiraku Ayame said with delight, as she strode up to them, followed closely by her trusty cameraman.
"We got some amazing shots of you guys!" the cameraman said excitedly.
"Are you ready to give the interview now, Commodore?" Ayame asked Naruto eagerly. It seemed that his recent promotion had made her forget about his polite invitation for her to use his first name.
"Sure, let's find a quiet spot," Naruto said, and the Konoha Federation Network News team led him away.
The brooding figure grinned with excitement as he experienced the thrill of the hunt once more. One of his contacts at the Olympus Shipyard had reported seeing Uzumaki Naruto at some kind of award ceremony, and he had his pawns in place to spring the trap.
He gloated as he sank back on his gothic throne. This had been the longest he'd ever taken to fulfil a contract, but he could almost taste victory, and the imminent demise of his quarry. He reached over to the console and pressed a button to activate the comm interface.
"You might have been a most elusive target, Mr Uzumaki, but all fall to me in the end," he said with grim satisfaction.
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