Thank you all who have gotten this far. I hope you stay with me until the end.
Naruto woke up feeling refreshed and happy. After the interview last night, the Pack had retreated to the Invictus around 2200. Shikamaru had been a loyal guard and reported that no one had attempted to breach the ship, physically or digitally. They'd all gotten undressed, and then split into four pairs to 69, Sakura getting the lucky spot to blow Naruto while the boys and girls paired up. The psychic feedback had them all exploding and rebounding against each other in pleasure, until it finally ended when the Alpha's endurance was breached and he unloaded down the doctor's throat.
Naruto looked down at his sleeping mates, pausing on Gaara. He'd forgotten his promise to give the telepath individual attention last night. Wanting to fix that, Naruto used Telekinesis to float out of bed and not disturb anyone. He set down on the floor and gently shook the Grey Thrall awake.
*Come with me to your room,* Naruto instructed the drowsy Comms Officer.
*Okay?* Gaara replied, slipping out of spooning Sasuke.
The two padded naked to Gaara's unused room which was more a glorified closet. Naruto led Gaara by the hand into the shower. Then, once they were both under the water, began to make out with him.
*What brought this on? Not that I'm complaining!* Gaara thought enthusiastically.
Naruto slipped his tongue into the alien's mouth even as he began to frot against his ten-inch cock. *Hinata told me how you felt like you were being stared at, and I picked up how self-conscious you were about your appearance at the award ceremony. I'm doing this to assure you that I find you to be beautiful.*
Gaara paused. *I knew I was going to be a freak going into this. Orochimaru never enthralled the Suna, he just dominated us with psychic might. And I'm a male on top of that. I'm the first Suna-Uzu male hybrid in history. People are going to stare at me, that's just a fact of life now.*
Naruto hugged his lover close to him. *I'm sorry people stare. But you can't control how they feel, only how you feel. Think of yourself as unique and handsome and others will fall in line. I love you, Gaara. You know my soul better than maybe even Hinata.*
Gaara nuzzled into Naruto's neck. *I love you too. I've loved you from the moment I left your perfectly imperfect mind and realized what an incredible man you are.*
The encounter turned out more sweet than sexy. Naruto didn't end up fucking Gaara into forgetting his worries, but their intimate shower was probably more effective at treating the problem. Afterwards, Gaara helped Naruto make croissants, using Psychic Fire and Ice to shortcut the usually hours-long process.
When the pastries were finished, Naruto mentally called to the Pack. They filed naked into the Lounge, smiling and giving the chef his obligatory kiss before taking a croissant and adding their pick of jams, jellies, and other condiments.
"We're all booked at Oceanus. I told them we'd be there by tomorrow. How long would it take to get there, honey?" Naruto asked his Navigator.
Hinata looked up into her head as she brought up her mental atlas. She'd memorized the layout of the hundreds of systems under Konoha Federation command. She calculated their route with her warp tunneling and their Uzu 0.5 Tachyon Drive. "About 8 hours," she said, figuring he didn't need to know she'd calculated down to the minute.
"I have 12 hours. What did I do wrong?" Shikamaru asked through the speakers.
"You forgot to account for Hinata's special warp tunneling technique," Tenten told her creation helpfully.
"Ah, yes. Am I allowed to access the holo-net? I promise not to copy myself and take it over," Shikamaru said jokingly.
Sasuke got a look of true alarm on his face, but Naruto laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look. "Sure, Shikamaru. Have fun reading. Just stay away from the Dark Net. You don't need to be mentally scarred by what you find there."
"I'll leave one self behind to stay with you, while the nine of me absorb the sum of human knowledge. Wish me luck!" With that, Shikamaru left them.
"He's quite the interesting character. Hard to believe he's only a day old. Makes you wonder how knowledgeable and wise he'll be in a year or a thousand," Fu mused.
"So, did you get that sword tutor you wanted?" Hana asked.
"Yes, actually. He ordered I get a bunch of simulation equipment. Tenten, you won't mind installing it during our vacation, would you?" Naruto asked.
"Upgrading the comms interface? That's my idea of fun!" Tenten said with a cheer, before munching on a croissant with about a half pound of butter on it.
"Ayame tell you when the interview would air?" Sasuke asked.
"Sometime in the next two days, depending on how long it takes to get approval from the KFNN editors. This our second piece in as many months, people might start to recognize us," Naruto said jokingly.
"That is not a bad thing. The more public support you have, the less likely High Command will turn on you when they discover your full power," Gaara pointed out, his political mind calculating every angle.
Naruto took a bite of his cream cheese and marmalade croissant. "I hope it never comes to that, but fine. The idea of becoming some kind of celebrity or hero is a bit trippy, but I'll deal with it for the good of the crew."
Hinata chuckled. "Just imagine, even more people throwing themselves at you!" She laughed out loud at the thought.
Naruto gave a helpless shrug. "Doesn't really matter if they do. XO is in charge of recruitment."
"That I am. And I'm going to get this Kakashi when we visit him in a couple weeks!" Hinata said determinedly.
Naruto shrugged. "If anyone can get an Oto to take off their armor, it'd be you, honey."
Sasuke tilted his head and smirked. "You got a crush on an Oto? He must have a great personality."
"He's a very smart trader and a very nice man. I have no idea how old he is, but I bet he's older than me," Naruto replied.
Sakura sighed. "What I'd give to have a look at Oto DNA. Doctors and geneticists have been wondering for centuries."
"Don't you already have a project at the moment?" Hana pointed out.
"I should be done with the Uzu analysis by the end of the vacation. Then I can start on Gaara and Fu, if they'll let me," she added. She blinked and realized she'd forgot to put on her glasses that morning. Yet she'd never seen so clear. She made a mental note to add to her official report in the Uzu conversion process.
"So, what do we do today? Have more fun in Gravitus?"
Naruto grinned. "We're just a hop skip and a jump away from Konoha. I could take you guys to my family's restaurant, show you all around, tour the town I grew up in."
Everyone perked up at that idea. "I'd love that! And we can look at the psychic remnants to get glimpses of your grandparents, maybe even your mom!" Hinata said excitedly.
Naruto blinked. "I hadn't even thought of that. Thank God I'm attracted to smart women!"
They got dressed for the day in casual clothes and made for the Bridge. When the got there, they all sat in their stations, Hinata turning Fu's pilot station on for the first time. The green girl gasped and turned to her Matriarch.
"Really? You think I'm ready?"
"You're a pro with the Raptor. Just be aware the Invictus is quite a bit bigger and slower to turn."
Fu hugged Hinata and then made for the Pilot's Chair, dead center in the Bridge in front of Naruto's Command Chair.
*You sure about this?* Naruto asked
*Maybe it's all the swimming, but her spatial reasoning in 3D is better than mine. Once she gets the hang of the old girl, she'll be better than I ever was.*
Naruto nodded and turned to Gaara. "Patch me through to Shino, I want to say goodbye."
Gaara nodded and opened the comm interface. The holo-image of the Vice Admiral appeared above them.
"Morning, Naruto. What's your reason for calling?" The amateur entomologist asked.
"Just wanted to let you know we'd be leaving. We're taking a day trip to Konoha and then going off to Oceanus before heading for the Oto," Naruto stated.
"Have fun, you lucky rascal."
"Oh, one last thing Shino. What's going on with my retired and/or still on-the-books status?" he asked curiously. "Since my rather public promotion, I don't know what the official line is any more."
"Yes, that did rather throw the cat among the pigeons," Shino replied, his brow furrowed with irritation. "I've been trying to clarify your status myself..."
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he looked at the older man impatiently, then asked him, "So what's the verdict?"
Shino gave him an exasperated shrug. "Business as usual until it gets clarified. You're still a free man and are outside the Chain of Command, but now you have a higher rank if you need to get things done."
"I can live with that," Naruto grinned.
Shino let out a dry chuckle. "Yes, I'm sure you can," he said to Naruto with a wry smile, and ended the call.
That done, they made to leave the Shipyard. Fu received clearance to leave the docking bay, and after a few final checks, the Invictus lifted off the ground with the aid of its retrothrusters. The engines powered up with a throaty rumble, and the glistening white Assault Cruiser left the confines of the Olympus Shipyard, and began to make its way to the Nav Beacon. She stuck to port speed, and the Invictus slotted in behind a massive Battlecruiser as it made its ponderous way out of the dockyard section of Olympus.
They were only a few minutes from the jump point, when the comm interface flashed, alerting them that they had an incoming call.
"It's from a Koeman Peter," Gaara said as he looked at the caller details, then glanced at Naruto.
Naruto shrugged helplessly. "Never heard of him, sorry. Let's see who he is, though."
Gaara flicked the switch and a jolly looking man in his late forties appeared on screen.
"This is Commodore Uzumaki Naruto of the Invictus, how may I help you?" Naruto asked politely.
"Commodore? My name is Koeman Peter. You saved my sister from the Nuke. I'd like to thank you and give you a gift," Peter said. And he was lying. Naruto didn't know how he knew, maybe it was a passive power of the Uzu, but he knew deep down in his gut that what Koeman just said was utter bullshit.
"Could you hold for one minute. I have another call," Naruto said with a fake grin. When he got a hesitant nod, he had Gaara put the call on hold.
*He wasn't telling the truth, I felt it too,* Hinata thought at him.
*Sounds like he wanted to lure you somewhere for an ambush,* Sasuke reasoned.
Naruto nodded and spoke aloud. "Shikamaru? You're on the holo-net, I want everything on a Koeman Peter. You have my blessing to hack to get information, just don't get caught."
"Searching… compiling… report complete. Koeman Peter is an only child who works as a jewel trader in the Theta Serpentis system. According to his phone records, he's had multiple calls over the years from an encrypted number. I'm not confident enough to unlock or trace the call without alerting the source," the Shikamaru that stayed with them answered after ten seconds.
*Jewel trader? Maybe he's who Momochi used to get his money! This could be an attempt at revenge,* Hana argued.
*What do we do, Naruto?* Fu asked, trusting his decision completely.
Naruto considered it. "Put him back on, Gaara. I want to try something."
Gaara faithfully hit the button on the comm interface. Koeman Peter's worried face appeared.
Naruto set his face in stone and suddenly an aura of unimaginable power and intimidation began to surround him. "Koeman Peter. You are a liar. You have no sister, we just checked your records. We also know you've been in contact with a certain… individual. Tell me what you know and I won't hunt you down and MAKE you tell me."
Koeman went straight to panic. "I-I-I don't know what you're talking about!"
"More lies. You don't want me as your enemy, Peter. Tell me who you work for and I'll take them out before any harm befalls you." Naruto spoke in a smooth, drawling tone that slithered in your ear like a snake.
Koeman started to shake. "You can't. He's everywhere. He's invincible."
"Look at me, Peter. Look into my eyes. Do you see any fear? Whoever he is, he's no match for me."
Koeman was actually crying in fear. "You don't know what you're up against. Everyone knows pain." With that, he cut off the call.
Naruto clicked his teeth. "Damn. I thought I had him."
"What was with that… presence you gave off?" Hinata asked.
"I just projected raw psionic energy off my body. Figured it would make me more imposing," Naruto asked.
"You succeeded. I think we should call that trick Alpha mode," Sasuke said with a shiver.
"What did he mean at the end? 'Everyone knows pain'? Was that a warning of some kind?" Hana wondered.
"Tenten, could you hack the encryption on that call Koeman's employer used?" Gaara asked.
Tenten swiped her console to pull up the data. She whistled. "I almost want to say this is alien. It's beyond Konoha Federation military-grade firewalls. I'm stumped. I could crack it, but I'd be like a bull in a china shop. They'd know we were after them."
"Damn. Well, we know that 'someone' is after me. We don't know why, we don't know who. But I'm confident in our security measures and our combat abilities. I say we not worry about it," Naruto said.
"Just forget about it? Are you serious?" Gaara demanded. "
"Whether there's a hit out on me or not, I won't live my life in fear. We spotted this attempt, we'll spot the next, and eventually this mystery assassin will make a mistake and we'll take him down," Naruto said confidently. "Now onward to Konoha!"
Fu nodded and flew them past the Nav Beacon. Hinata laid in their course, a mere 10 minutes to cross the intervening lightyears between Alpha Centauri and Sol. They arrived after a few short minutes of conversation and appeared in the cradle of humanity with a blue wave of tachyons.
Most of the crew had never been to Konoha before and looked at the System Map in wonder. They passed the orbital refineries in the gas giants and the long-mined asteroid belt. The military center of Mars was festooned with orbital bombardment and atmospheric protections, the K-Fed wanting to keep their secure data centers safe. They paled in comparison to the protections around Konoha. The little blue dot was practically wearing a suit of armor, enough construction and weapons to hold off a fleet arrayed around the planet protectively. If that weren't enough, the Homeworld Defense Fleet was arrayed protectively around the planet and Luna, the ships arrayed strategically to cover a threat from any direction.
Gaara alerted them that they were being hailed. "Incoming Assault Cruiser, please identify yourself and your purpose at Konoha," a woman read the scripted response.
"Commodore Uzumaki Naruto on the Invictus, come to visit my childhood home. Requesting clearance to dock at the Asia Spaceport," Naruto answered.
"Commodore Uzumaki? I mean, affirmative Invictus, please standby," the comms officer said, sounding quite flustered.
"The K-Fed grapevine works fast," Hinata observed.
"Tell me about it. This time tomorrow every officer and half the enlisted from Port Heracles to Port Cerberus will have heard the news," Sasuke sighed.
Konoha Flight Command hailed them again. "You have been cleared to dock at the Asia Spaceport. Please follow the provided flight path. We hope you have a pleasant time on Konoha," the woman said, sounding much warmer and friendly.
"Thank you, Flight Command," Naruto said before closing the channel.
Fu carefully guided them around the Homeworld Defense Fleet and the layers of atmospheric shields, still getting used to flying the Invictus as opposed to the far nimbler Raptor. They descended through the layers of clouds to find themselves looking down on the continent of Asia, most of it consumed by one massive super-city. Before unifying into the Konoha Federation, the various countries of Asia had made a serious push for urbanization. Once unified, they combined the borders between their cities to create Asiatica, the most urbanized center on Konoha.
They followed their fight plan to a massive spaceport, filled with Konoha Federation and civilian vessels. Fu led them to a docking bay sized for their 500 meter long ship, and gently set her down.
Naruto stood up. "Come on, let's catch a hover-limo. There aren't any landing bays near my house, it's in a rural area."
They all went down the anti-grav tube and out the airlock. The air quality went from stale to smoggy, the city still recovering from centuries of fossil fuel usage. Naruto led his merry band to the concierge desk and ordered a hover-limo, the young man eagerly doing it after recognizing him from the piece about the Nuke. The Pack filed into the stretched out car, the eight of them just managing to fit.
"The crew gets any bigger and we'll either need two limos or start sitting on laps," Naruto mused.
"And that last one would be a bad thing why?" Hinata asked, sliding over onto his lap.
Naruto chuckled and input their destination coordinates in the console built into his armrest. The hover-limo lifted up and flew through the air, moving at a fraction of the speed of the Raptor but still respectable. They flew over Asiatica, the girls and Gaara marveling at the skyscrapers and sights as they passed. Sasuke, having been raised in a mansion in the city, wasn't that impressed. Naruto used to sneak away to visit the city growing up, so he was also familiar with it. They left the main continent of Asia and flew over the blue oceans, long since cleaned of the pollution that had once infested them. They came upon an archipelago of islands that was once called Japan, angling towards a side island. They touched down in front of a large restaurant on the corner of one of perhaps four intersections in the entire town. It was a very picturesque village, buildings made in the traditional Japanese style.
"Welcome, everyone, to Uzumaki House in the town of Uzushio," Naruto said grandly, stepping out of the limo.
Hinata blinked. "Uzumaki the Uzu came from Uzushio. Try saying that five times fast."
"You really are a country hick, aren't you?" Sasuke marveled, looking at the buildings around them in awe.
"This seems like a lovely place to grow up," Hana remarked, accepting Naruto's hand to get out of the hover-limo.
"I think Karron has a higher population than this place," Tenten mused, eyeing the scant pedestrian traffic, all of whom were staring at the wealthy and beautiful strangers.
"I'm very grateful that you brought us here, Naruto," Fu said, a beaming smile on her face as she was shown her master's roots.
"I hope the cooks at your family's restaurant are as good as you," Gaara said, nervously combing his hair once he saw people staring at him.
Sakura stepped out of the limo and closed the door. She looked around. "Does one doctor service this whole town?"
"Yeah, Doctor Chopper. He took over when the last doctor, his adoptive father, died of an overdose. He was fifteen when he started, it was a big deal, but he's fully qualified. He must be in his thirties now," Naruto mused, dredging up dusty memories.
"Could that be Uzumaki-ya?" came a drawling voice. The crew turned to see a man with a blue goatee and wearing a winter hat approaching them.
"Hey, Law! Good to see you again! Butcher shop still going good?" Naruto asked, a smile coming naturally to his face.
"No one's lost any fingers. What brings you back here? I thought you were off rescuing damsels and slaying dragons during your 'retirement'," Law said with a wry grin.
"We were in the area and I thought I'd show my crew where I came from. How's Sanji and Zeff been running the restaurant?" Naruto asked.
"Those two still fight like cats and dogs, and the staff are hardly any better. But they still serve your grandma's recipes perfectly," Law offered.
"Yes! Good to know they haven't torn the place down yet or renamed it or something," Naruto let out a sigh of relief.
"Sanji says every day that he'll leave to open his own restaurant, but he loves this town too much. Plus, it would mean leaving Nami and Robin, and he'd never survive that," Law chuckled.
"He still do that stupid dance every time he sees them?" Naruto asked with a laugh.
"Like clockwork," Law replied.
"Well, it was good to see you, Law. But now I got to take my crew in to the restaurant. Have a nice day!" Naruto waved.
"You as well, Uzumaki-ya," Law replied before walking off.
*That's Law, the butcher. Of all the people I've ever met, he's the best with a knife. You couldn't pay me to fight him even with Psychic Shields and Healing, he'd sever my carotid before I could blink,* Naruto told his crew. "Follow me, guys, time to see my home. And I mean the kitchen, not my bedroom," he added jokingly before opening the doors for them. The Pack filed past him one by one, before he brought up the rear.
It was a typical old-fashioned restaurant. There were a number of tables and a counter that looked out on the open kitchen. A lot of people, mostly families, were enjoying what looked like a late breakfast.
"Welcome, mere bastards! Party of 8?" asked a man with forearms like Popeye and a simpering grin on his face.
Naruto snorted. "Patty, what are you doing as the host? Did you piss Zeff off and he kicked you out of the kitchen?"
The man, Patty, starled. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"Last I checked, my family built the place. Just cause I sold it to Zeff doesn't mean I forgot where I came from," Naruto said, giving the muscular man a big bear hug.
"It's so great to see you! It's been what? 2 years? After your gramps and gammie passed we thought you'd never come back!" Patty exclaimed, returning the hug.
"Well, I did, and I brought my crew. Everyone, this is Patty, the orneriest cook you'll ever meet," Naruto said.
"Nice to meet you," they all said in unison, the consequence of sharing thoughts. Only Sakura and Gaara were a bit out of sync.
"You guys get the counter! And I got to tell Owner Zeff and Sanji that you're here!" Patty said energetically.
"I was actually hoping to show them the living quarters upstairs first. Is all my stuff still up there or did he put everything into storage?" Naruto asked.
"The Owner kept everything up there untouched, like a shrine to your grandfolks. He makes the new kids dust it, so it should be breathable up there," Patty told them. "I'll keep your seats reserved until you come down," he added.
"Thanks, Patty," Naruto said. Then he maneuvered his crew through the tables with the ease of long practice, stopping to say a brief hello the waitstaff that recognized him. Then it was up the hidden stairs behind a door to the one-floor apartment that Naruto had grown up in.
"Is it just me, or did those two waitresses have freaking I cups?" Tenten wondered as she stepped into the living room area.
"That's Nami and Robin. Believe it or not, they're natural," Naruto supplied, overcome with emotion being back in his first home.
Hinata looked at a picture frame. "Are these your grandparents and mom?" she asked, marveling at the image of a perfectly average couple standing proudly behind a beautiful young woman with long red hair and violet eyes.
"Yeah. They had that taken the week she graduated the Academy," Naruto said, coming up beside his Matriarch to regard the picture himself.
Hana was using Psychic Sight to look at the remnants around the one big room. "You spent days in that kitchen with your grandma, didn't you?"
"Yeah. She was usually so busy but she always took time to give me a good lesson," Naruto said fondly.
Sasuke poked his head in one of the two bedrooms and lucked out with getting Naruto's. "What did you get this medal on the wall for?"
"Winning the local dojo tournament. I was an early bloomer so I got my muscles and height by the time I was 15. The other kids were no match," Naruto reported proudly.
Fu had pulled an old photo album from the bookshelf and started leafing through it. "Oh, Naruto, you were an adorable baby! And a very handsome child," she gushed, her eyes flicking over the images of baby baths and a 5-year-old riding a bike, picturing how her and Naruto's baby would look.
Naruto turned pink. "I thought I burned those," he muttered.
Gaara was still, just absorbing all the remnants with the ease of one born psychic. "You had a very happy childhood," he stated rather than asked.
"The best I could ask for," Naruto agreed.
Sakura knocked a hand on the door of the bathroom. "How much did you clog the pipes growing up, if you know what I mean?"
Naruto blushed scarlet. "After gramps had to have them replaced, I switched to doing it into a towel or outside in the bushes. I'm pretty sure that's the most embarrassed I've ever been, when the plumber said it was spunk that caused the blockage."
They all explored and asked questions, Fu being joined in ogling a young Naruto. Naruto himself just delighted in having the people he loved in his childhood home. It made the place feel alive again. Sure, he was saddened by memories of his late grandparents, but it was impossible to be truly depressed when he felt the joy and appreciation radiating across the Pack mind. When lunch time rolled around, they descended back downstairs and sat at the counter, Patty handing them menus. Nami, the redheaded waitress, handed them glasses of water before stalking off, unaware or uncaring that practically the entire Pack watched her go.
A blonde man with a swirly eyebrow and a cigarette in his mouth came to the counter. He took one look at the bevy of beautiful babes and seemed to lose his mind. "Oh, goddesses! Please allow this humble mortal to bask in your presence!"
Naruto coughed. "Nice to see you too, Sanji. I see you haven't changed."
Sanji regained his composure quickly and turned to Naruto. "What's up, Naruto? Have much fun out there in the big bad galaxy?"
"Can't complain. I'll take a bowl of grandma's deluxe ramen and keep them coming," he ordered.
"Sure, whatever. And what would you want, my dear?" Sanji asked, simpering over Hinata.
"I'll have the same, actually," she said, curious to try her future husband's favorite dish.
"I'll have a cup of the tomato soup with the shortribs," Sasuke asked, selecting from the eclectic menu that had items from all over Konoha.
"What would you recommend?" Hana asked politely.
"The duck confit with broccoli rabe is particularly exquisite, sweet angel!" Sanji replied with the smoke from his cigarette practically forming hearts.
"I'll try that, thanks," Hana replied, a bit weirded out by such blatant flirting.
"The creole pasta, please," Tenten said succinctly.
"The sushi platter, if you don't mind," Fu said with a winsome smile.
"I'll have the seaweed salad, please," Gaara asked, missing the algae and moss of Suna cuisine.
"And I'll have the chicken wings, please," Sakura said, noticing that Sanji seemed a bit less interested in her than the fully-converted girls.
"All of it coming right up, and prepared by yours truly!" Sanji said before rushing back into the kitchen.
"He's not really going to try to cook seven different things at once, right?" Tenten asked incredulously.
"Not even the little eggplant is that stupid," said an older blonde man with a mustache so long it was braided and a chef's toque. "Did I hear that you're the pointy eggplant's crew?"
"Nice to see you again, Zeff. I see you haven't run this place into the ground since I sold it to you," Naruto spoke up.
Zeff reached out to bonk Naruto on the head, the Commodore allowing it. "Cheeky brat. This was your grandparents' pride and joy, after you of course. You don't fix what isn't broken. I'll keep this place alive if it kills me."
"Well, you don't have to go that far," Naruto said. "You and gramps were like brothers. It would kill him twice if you got up there and he found out you got yourself there over a business."
"Up there? Please, I'm going straight down and we both know it. I'm just trying to do some good with what time I've got left," Zeff said, stroking his mustache.
"Do Luffy and the boys still come around?" Naruto asked curiously.
"Luffy is the source of half our income, and Zoro covers the other half with bar tabs. Usopp, Franky, and Brook come in from time to time too. The long-nose got himself married, believe it or not," Zeff reported.
"No way! He finally got the guts to propose to Kaya? Good for them, they've been in love practically since they were kids," Naruto said with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, I got cooks to keep in line. Enjoy your meals, and thanks for the hover-limo out front. We've had a lunch rush like no other since you showed up in that thing and parked it," Zeff said with a grin.
Naruto smacked his head. "Knew I forgot something."
The others looked back and saw the restaurant was packed to the gills, with half the patrons sneaking looks in their direction, deducing they were the important guests given the head chef took time to talk to them.
Naruto and the crew chatted about nothing as they waited for their meals, until Sanji arrived with two big platters balanced on his hands. Balancing one on his knee, he began to pass out the dishes. "Here. I love you. You're girly. I love you. I love you. I love you. You're weird. Nice hair. Enjoy!"
Naruto took his chopsticks and maneuvered the first bite into his mouth. He moaned. "I'm 13 with a scraped knee and life is perfect."
Hinata took her own bite and her eyes widened. "No wonder you love ramen, this might be even better than your cooking!"
Sasuke took a sip of soup and a bite of the beef before nodding. "If you were raised on food this rich, how were you not fat as a walrus when you got to the Academy?"
"I'm sorry, Naruto, but this is the most delicious thing I've ever consumed," Hana gushed after tasting the perfectly cooked and seasoned duck.
Tenten blinked after the first bite. "How can something be spicy and creamy at the same time?"
"This is very high quality fish considering the price," Fu reasoned, munching on her favorite food.
Gaara took a bite of the leaves. "This tastes like home, how is that possible?"
Sakura swallowed down a wing practically whole to get all the meat. "This sauce is fantastic, the best I've ever had!"
They all finished their meals with relish, Zeff insisting that the whole bill was on the house. Naruto then took them out and around Uzushio, showing off his school, his dojo, and the park where he used to play. They 'ooh'ed and 'aah'ed, and watched Naruto interact with passerby who recognized him. Naruto seemed truly relaxed for the first time… ever. He was back in the place where he'd never had reason to fear.
When the sun was setting, they piled into the hover-limo and returned to the Asia Spaceport. They went up to the Bridge and Fu and Hinata soon had them out of the system and on the way to Oceanus. Naruto cooked them a dinner of ramen, and no one had the heart to point out he'd had it for lunch. It was delicious, but not quite as tasty as his grandma's recipe as crafted by Sanji.
"Can we recruit Sanji? No offense dear, but he's a better cook," Hinata asked.
Naruto shuddered. "I grew up with the guy, it would be so awkward. And he's not my type. And he's so straight I'm not even sure I COULD make him bi."
"So that's a no. Ah, well," Hinata sighed.
Sakura was fed a double dose for dinner given she'd missed lunch. Then the crew all had a nice drink and talked about their day. Then it was off to the shower and then to sleep, none of them for once in the mood. Naruto's emotional exhaustion was taking its toll on all of them. They slipped into slumber, after the habitual warding to protect them from the gaze of the Astral Entity out for Naruto's blood.
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