Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys I'm back once more and with a juicy chapter with a lot of plot and character interaction in it. These next few chapters are going to be chalked full of it. Prepare for a lot of one on one conversations between characters as they interact with each other and put their true feelings out in the open. This chapter is like one giant purge as all of the characters air out their insecurities, troubles, and sorrows. It's therapeutic in a way as some deep seeded feelings for our characters are revealed and brought into the spotlight.

Mixed into this chapter are some ominous and foreboding visions and foreshadowings for the future as the cogs of fate churn in the background without remorse. The character's futures are all being written with an omniscient and unforgiving hand that only spells trouble for the far of distant future. With that being said this chapter is a must read...

Today is my big brother's birthday! So happy birthday to my brother.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy!


Chapter 78

Rekindling an Ember

"Is it really that difficult sensei?" A familiar melodic voice spoke with concern as the sound of high heels clanking against the wooden floors below could be heard in the Hokage tower. Tsunade and Shoko could be seen walking together through one of the many hallways in the administration building with the usual hustle and bustle of staff members scurrying around attending to their jobs. "Yes, this potential surgery could kill Lee if I'm not careful. As it stands now the chances of success for his operation is less than 35%. He would almost certainly die if he were to undergo this surgery." Tsunade spoke as she carried a small stack of medical books in her hand with Shoko also doing the same. The two medical ninja brought these books with them back to a meeting room where Shizune was waiting on them with a large stack of books of her own already set up on a long table for them.

"Is there no way for you to up this percentage? You saw how distressed Might Guy was when he met with you earlier today. He was distraught at the notion of Lee not being a shinobi again. It's this boys passion and whole being. It would be a tragedy to lose such a young talent." Shoko advocated on behalf of the resident Taijutsu masters as she watched her old sensei sigh in distress. "I understand why you feel so strongly about this Shoko. You were never one to give up on people and their passions so easily. But this is a life-threatening procedure that no other doctor or medical ninja in the world could perform. They would kill the boy long before they could even begin saving his life. I don't think it's worth it to gamble with his life." Tsunade argued her point with a sad sigh as she poured through the books with the two other woman in the room with her.

This was more stressful than healing Kakashi and Sasuke from their medical coma caused by Itachi's Tsukuyomi. While difficult it wasn't impossible for the legendary medic. It was a necessity after all. With the village still recovering from the failed joint invasion planned by the Sand and Sound Village's it was imperative to make sure every shinobi was getting back on their feet.

It wouldn't have been right to leave them in that state for much longer either. Kakashi was one of the strongest Jōnin in the entire village and his strength was needed for the rest of the military as Tsunade would soon begin her massive overhaul of resuscitating their weakened shinobi forces. They took quite a few casualties during the joint invasion even though the village took counter measures against the enemy they knew was coming. They were down on man power and since the village prided quality over quantity getting a shinobi of Kakashi's caliber back up on his feet was a top priority that Tsunade would soon be addressing. Getting Sasuke up was also something of value as the legendary medic wanted to assess the boy's mental state following his first encounter with his brother in years. What she found disturbed her though.

Sasuke was reeling from the fated reunion with his brother as the darkness that plagued his heart which for the last few months had been abated with his new friendship to Naruto returned with a vengeance at the sight of his hated older brother. The only shining light that was keeping him afloat was the fact Naruto stood by him during that traumatizing event. Tsunade took keen notice of this tidbit of information when she did a psych evaluation of Sasuke after he woke up from his coma. She wasn't sure how far his mental scaring went but to air on the side of caution Tsunade placed Sasuke on paid leave for the next two months to get his mind on straight. It went without saying that this didn't sit right with the Uchiha who wanted to partake in missions and continue his shinobi training, but her decision was final in the matter and so Sasuke was put on the bench for a while.

With Kakashi taking at least two weeks to fully be cleared and Naruto being given a two week break for the back to back non-stop high-risk situations he found himself Team 7 was officially put on a hiatus for the foreseeable future as Sakura was the only one on the team to not be negatively impacted in any way. To remedy this Tsunade also placed in an order to have Kurenai temporarily take Sakura on to join her team which was a decision Tsunade didn't make lightly as she read up on the girls files which highlighted her aptitude for Genjutsu and support role related abilities which Tsunade knew Kurenai excelled at.

With Naruto's impending promotion to Chūnin along with Hinata it made the transition of Sakura's reassignment far more seamless than it would have been otherwise. Tsunade was grateful for some of these early decisions that were very easy on her as she knew that it would quickly become extremely difficult and time consuming once she assumed the full mantle of Hokage.

As things stood now Tsunade was concerned about Rock Lee's chances. This spinal surgery wasn't the run of the mill procedure that a doctor could just perform. He had dozens of tiny bone and sand grain fragments imbedded deep within his spinal column along with both his right arm and leg being completely crushed with sand grains lodged deep within his destroyed appendages. If anything went wrong during the surgery, it could kill him outright. That wasn't a chance Tsunade was willing to risk with the life of a child.

"I understand how you feel about this sensei… but I truly think you are the one meant to heal Lee." Shoko spoke with a peculiar tone that caught the attention of both Tsunade and Shizune who turned to the taller woman with curiosity in their eyes. "What makes you say that? Why are you so sure it's me or that it would even work?" Tsunade pried as the wording the Legendary Titan used had a hidden meaning behind it. Now her curiosity was peaked. Gathering her thoughts Shoko looked into the amber colored eyes of her former sensei and revealed what was on her mind.

"Not to long after Lee received his injuries Naruto went to visit him in the hospital with his daughters. Naruto suggested that Iris heal Lee to which Iris explained that she was fully capable of healing Lee but at the cost of him gaining the ability to use Ninjutsu since he was born with a rare genetic defect in his chakra network. He refused, and Iris responded in a way that suggested this was the outcome she wanted all along. She explained that there was a medic out their meant to heal him. I think that person is you." Shoko revealed to a stunned Tsunade's whose eyes widened in shock at hear this uncomfortable piece of information. 'Just what is that little girl? My gut is telling me she's no ordinary supernatural being. I know she wasn't human from the moment I laid eyes on her but with the way she forced Lilith into a full retreat… I can't help but suspect she's some type of powerful angelic or divine being. But that shouldn't even be possible… right?' The Fifth Hokage thought to herself privately as the paradox that was Iris's existence was a mystery that everyone wanted solved. The only one who knew for sure was Naruto and she wasn't sure he would be forthcoming with such sensitive information.

'How did she even know of my existence back then, or of my abilities in the medical arts? That girl is very dangerous in her own way. I need to speak with Naruto about this soon.' Tsunade resolved with a mental note to herself as she wanted to know everything she could about Naruto and his family… they were Uzumaki after all and distantly related to her. Learning about her extended family would have many benefits in the future.

"Perhaps… perhaps I could get creative and create a new technique and procedure to go along with it that's based on that healing technique Orochimaru's assistant used. He survived Naruto's Rasengan at point blank range because he preemptively sent healing chakra to the estimated point of impact. It was the only thing that saved him that day and he had to be quick on his feet with it too. If I could take some inspiration from that technique, then maybe I can come up with something. But I'm not making any guarantees just yet." Tsunade explained in a brief moment of levity as she entertained the thought of actually going through with Lee's surgery. It was a very long shot, but she's been known to make bets before. This time would be no different.

Smiling at her former teachers willingness to help Lee in his time of need Shoko bowed a bit to the older woman. "That's all I ask Lady Tsunade. Thank you." Shoko said softly as the Sannin narrowed her eyes at her former student. "There's something more bothering you… isn't there?" Tsunade probed with a twinge of trepidation wavering in her voice that was reflected in Shoko's demeanor. A look of uncertainty crossed Shoko's face for a brief moment but her internal struggle within her died out as the recent memory of her conversation with Naruto passed through her mind. He wanted her to seek out help for her mental health, and she would do so.

"I have PTSD Lady Tsunade… it… it wasn't easy for me to accept or come to terms with this but… after having an intervention of sorts with Naruto I came to acknowledge it. I was wondering if you could be my therapist?" Shoko asked with uncertainty in her tone as Tsunade found her eyes welling up with tears. Her student was suffering, and she wasn't around to help all because she left the village due to her own sorrows and the fact she felt like giving up. She felt disgusted with herself for her past actions and now confronted with this new revelation Tsunade wasn't sure how to respond.

"I… Shoko. I'm sorry for not being there for you all these years. I have no excuses for how I've acted. I abandoned everyone because I was in so much pain. I lost so much but you've lost just as much if not worst. I'm sorry for abandoning you." Tsunade apologized in a heartfelt tone that brought the Legendary Titan to tears as this was what she wanted to hear all along. She's been avoiding her sensei for the most part ever since she got back to the village. Now that she finally came face to face with her old mentor after such a long time she didn't know how to act around the Sannin. She wanted to be angry at her former sensei for leaving yet all she felt was a chilling numbness once she confronted her master.

She resolved to stay out of the Sannin's way for the rest of the week up until her inauguration as she remained polite and civil with the older woman throughout the week but now that she has come to her sensei with concern for Rock Lee, Shoko's own feelings were seeping through. She wanted to mend the fractured relationship between the two and this was now her best chance. "Thank you, sensei, you have no idea how much I needed to hear those words. Tobias left me right after it happened, and he wanted to take little Naruto with him back then and if it wasn't for Lord Hiruzen and the council stepping in since Naruto's the Nine Tails Jinchūriki he would have left on the road with him. Kazehana was so heartbroken with the death of Minato and Kushina that she left, and I haven't heard a word from her in nearly 13 years. I'm all alone." Shoko cried as Shizune ran to get tissues while Tsunade moved from her chair to hug the distraught woman who needed her now more than ever.

"I'm so sorry… I can't change the past but I'm here now. I would be honored to be your therapist. Who knows… in the end we could probably help each other out. This might be what I need to shed the shackles of my past as well." Tsunade offered as Shoko smiled in happiness to know that she could begin picking up the broken pieces in her relationships.

The two women spent nearly half and hour speaking to each other and beginning the first stages of mending their broken relationship. It was a therapy all onto itself as Shizune came back to join them. Eventually Shoko brought up another problematic situation that was bothering her. After composing herself the Titan went on to explain the dire situation she was facing.

"Well… my young colleagues are in need of their routine checkups. These girls are special in the fact that they are human marionettes. Many of their body parts were swapped out for metallic and wooden parts to preserve their life but because of this it has weaken the integrity of their overall health and lifeforce. They are dependent on routine adjustment procedures that I oversee but I've reached a barrier in the amount of care I can administer to them. The more adjustments they go through the sicker they become over time, and this has been going on for years. Out of the five that work closely with Naruto, one of them is completely bedridden half the time with her health declining while another one is used by me as a neutral test subject for me to conduct my research on. Only three are left from that squad and even then, they can't always perform to their best. Their projected life expectancy that I've diagnosed for them is grim… they won't live until adulthood and the one that's bedridden has a year or two at the most left before she dies." Shoko revealed with a tone of depression as she thought about the girls from Section 2 of the Mafia. Things weren't looking to good for any of them and Shoko was at her limit for the care she could provide them.

"That's terrible… are there really no alternatives that you could try?" Tsunade frowned as this wasn't something she'd ever thought possible. She's heard rumors of this specific field from the Puppeteer Corps in the Hidden Sand Village, but it was rare even for them. For Shoko to accomplish the act of saving those young girls lives as a revolutionary accomplishment all onto itself. She's surpassed her in that peculiar area of medicine.

Thinking back to a very recent memory Shoko perked up with this proposal on the tip of her tongue. "Naruto suggested to me last night after finishing a shift at the casino that the girls get upgrades by quipping the new chakra armor suits that the mafia are working on for a client from the Land of Snow. If we could reverse engineer some of the technology from the suits, then Naruto is confident that it could go a long way in preserving the girls lives." Shoko admitted with some hope in her voice while Tsunade contemplated what she was told.

"How does Naruto even know this would work? Medicine isn't his field of expertise." Tsunade inquired as this was way outside of Naruto's purview as a skill in life… or so she thought. "Well the thing is… I've taught him almost everything I know about the medical field. He can't practice Medical Ninjutsu because of the insane chakra reserves he has and the cocktail of energy sources within him but his theoretically knowledge on the subject is top notch. Another reason and an important factor in this is the fact Naruto drew the designs and blueprints for these suits a long while ago at the request of Lord Dino when they were first commissioned for this job." Shoko explained with noticeable hints of pride echoing her voice at the accomplishments of her surrogate son. It made her incredibly proud.

If Tsunade was intrigued before by Naruto as a person, then she was now as she and Shoko entered a lengthy discussion about the possible treatments they could possibly do for all of the cases pilling up on them. It would be a conversation that would span the length of the rest of the day.


Previous Night / Monte Carlo Casino – Night Shift

"Thanks again for coming Naruto… I've… I mean we've all really missed you." Henrietta's embarrassed voice squeaked out as she walked the halls with her partner. Naruto let a small smile come to his face at the brown-haired girls slip up. He now knew with certainty that the chestnut-haired girl had feelings for him due to Hinata letting it slip in during the heartfelt conversation they had in which they confessed their feelings for one another. That was nearly two weeks ago and now Naruto was finally returning to the Casino to do an actual shift at the establishment that has been his primary side job since he was six years old. It felt good to be back to work after so long.

They had just finished their shift which was fun for Naruto to jump back into. There was a colorful assortment of guest at the casino tonight who were all celebrating Tsunade's recent inauguration, so business was booming for the money-making establishment. Despite the fact Naruto was out of practice with his work for well over a month he acclimated himself to the hustle and bustle of his job with ease. He and Henrietta worked well together which was a treat the two friends didn't take for granted.

As far as Henrietta's feelings for him were concerned he would find a way to deal with them in time. The conversation with the Fire Daimyō was still fresh in his mind and the many implications it brought up were not lost to Naruto who was now having to reevaluate the importance of the many females in his life. It was a truly embarrassing subject to even think about. His strong and loyal feelings for Hinata and by proxy Eva as a whole was going to make things extremely difficult for Naruto moving forward. He kind of now regrets flirting with Henrietta and Hinata back in the day. He didn't know what he was doing back then since he couldn't properly understand what the feelings of love were but now he knew. His womanizing and bad habit of catching feelings for girls on a whim was catching up with him now. He knew he was partially responsible for causing Henrietta to develop her feelings for him. Now he had to take responsibility for his own actions.

"I've missed all of you too Henrietta… especially you." Naruto poked at the shorter girl who blushed a bright cherry red in response. "Naruto!" The girl squeaked in embarrassment as Naruto chuckled in amusement before grabbing a hold of Henrietta's shoulder. "I need to talk to you Henrietta… it's important." Naruto said nervously as this was something he felt needed to be aired out between him and his mafia partner while he still had the nerve too. It wouldn't be good to drag her along without giving her the truth.

Blushing ever so slightly at having Naruto holding onto her shoulder Henrietta turned to give her partner her full attention. Her curiosity was peaked considerably seeing the nervous look on her friends face. "I have something very important to tell you Henrietta and I don't want this to hurt you if you found out another way." Now this had the Section 2 agent nervous in her own right as she nodded her head to let Naruto continue. "I… uh… you see me and Hinata… we confessed to each other and now we're a couple." Naruto admitted in a tender tone as he watched the girls eyes widen in shock. A flash of hurt and jealousy twinkled in the girl's eyes and seeing this Naruto grabbed Henrietta around both of her shoulders.

"I know this hurts you because I recently found out that you like me as more than a friend. I didn't want to keep this from you and I wanted to tell you I'm sorry for leading you on by always teasing and flirting with you when we were younger. I was stupid, and I didn't know what my actions would cause. I'm sorry I didn't acknowledge you earlier." Naruto apologized with a tender look in his eyes that caused Henrietta to tear up as she placed her head against Naruto's chest.

"I want to be happy for you and Hinata, but I can't help but feel angry and worthless… I'm jealous and it's an ugly feeling… I hate it!" The young girl cried as she buried her face in Naruto's chest who teared up himself at seeing the pained look on his dear friend's face. He never wanted to hurt her. She along with the other girls were fragile in both body and mind. They didn't have a lot of self-confidence and self-esteem.

"It's ok to feel that way and you aren't worthless. You're my precious friend. I understand now what my actions have caused. I lead you on without even realizing it. I'm ashamed of myself for taking advantage of your feelings. I should have known better." Naruto said softly as his friend cried into his shirt. Their shift just ended, and they were still in their uniforms, but this didn't bother Naruto one bit if his tuxedo got messed up. This conversation was far more important than dried up tear stains on his clothes.

"No… you're wrong… I've always admired you since the day you first showed up. You wanted to get to know me and the others. You treated us like people and made me feel like I mattered by someone my age. I only ever wanted a friend and you became more than that… sure the way you interacted with me in particular might have contributed some to me developing feelings for you; but honestly, I think it was always going to be inevitable that I'd like you. You mean the world to me." Henrietta admitted in a heartfelt tone that honestly touched Naruto as he didn't think he'd had that much of an impact on the lives of his friends. Sure, for a long time he was their only friend their age until they were introduced to his friends, but he never knew just how important he was until now.

"I never knew…" Naruto stuttered as he felt the girl in his arms lift her head up to look at him. "I wasn't really good at hiding it… you were just pretty dense." Henrietta giggled with her sobs mixed into her voice causing Naruto to sigh in sadness. "I guess I was. Henrietta, I brought this up today because I had a very interesting conversation with the Fire Daimyō a few days ago." This statement caught the chestnut girl's attention if the awed look on her face was any indication.

"He wanted me to marry his daughter so that I could start the Uzumaki Clan again since I'm the new Shī-ō." A startled gasp and a look of hurt crossed Henrietta's face and Naruto immediately knew the impressionable girl was drawing conclusions in her mind. "I turned him down… don't worry." This amendment came quickly from Naruto's mouth as he tried to keep the girl's attention on him. "I could never go off and marry a girl who by the way is almost 4 years younger than me when I'm already with Hinata. I have so much on my plate. I now have 8 instead of 2 kids to take care of including my new promotion to Chūnin on top of managing Hōrai Island and learning about my new relationship with Hinata. I'm overwhelmed Henrietta and adding something as big as that on to my plate would have been impossible." Naruto honestly admitted as he was completely overwhelmed by the number of things he's had to deal with in his personal life.

Taking care of his new foster children was going to take up most of his free social time to begin with. He couldn't neglect them by leaving them in the care of Aria all the time. He had to be there for them as much as he possibly could and so even if he wanted too he couldn't possibly go out on dates with Hinata around the village or possibly juggle an arranged marriage with a princess if he were ever to have accepted such a deal. He still needed to come up with an extensive and comprehensive plan to rebuild Hōrai Island and provide all of the refugees on the island with a new home. Those people were now his people and it was his job to see to it that they were properly taken care of and he had no doubt that with his new promotion to Chūnin he would have a very noticeable increase of responsibilities that would further eat into his time. He was going to be swamped with responsibilities from now on.

"Where do I fit in all of this?" It was a question asked in a very small voice as Henrietta hiccupped with tears coming out of her eyes. "As of right now… I don't know. I'm not ready to handle having a relationship with multiple girls. I barely understand what it means to be in a relationship with just one and we just started out. I can barely guarantee Hinata that I'll be able to spend all of my free time with her. Maybe on the occasional mission or training sessions but I won't be able to hang out with her at my house at any time anymore. I'm sure with her promotion as well she'll be just as busy, and her father will want her to take up more responsibilities at her house. If I can't give that assurance to Hinata then there is no way, I'll be able to do so for you either on top of everything else I have to do." Naruto said in a soft yet realistic tone of voice as he spoke the truth to his partner who teared up once more before embracing him again.

"I understand… but I have to say this even if it makes me selfish and a bad friend." The young agent murmured as Naruto looked into her eyes and realized what it was the soft-spoken girl was about to tell him. Naruto's heart rate quickened as the same feelings burning in his chest from when Hinata confessed to him were coming back as a certain spark of life came to Henrietta's eyes. This was something Naruto knew the girl had to get off her chest for her peace of mind.

"Go ahead… don't hold it in." Naruto encouraged as he watched his partner gather her thoughts. "I know this isn't right of me to say Naruto, it's inappropriate for me to do this. It may be because of the special place you have in my life, or because you've been my only friend for so long, but I can't help how I feel. I'm scared and nervous to be telling you this because I feel like I'm breaking our friendship and betraying Hinata's trust and I love her very much. She's the best friend anyone could ask for, but I have to say it. I truly do love you Naruto." Henrietta confessed with her voice leaking every emotion she was feeling from the bottom of her heart. Naruto's heart couldn't help but skip a beat at the honest and pure confession of his close friend and colleague. It meant a lot to hear it coming from the very shy and self-conscious girl. It was just like with Hinata but by that point in time the Hyūga Heiress was a lot more confident in her own self.

'To force her to do this… to make her feel this way. I can't help but feel like I'm a terrible person for doing this to her. I'm trash… especially since I… I care for her too…' Naruto bitterly thought to himself as he gently grabbed Henrietta's shoulders once more as the girl's tears slowed down with a brief tremor of relief shaking her body at finally getting what she wanted to say off her chest. It wasn't something she planned to reveal here but with the abrupt circumstances that she was put under it left the poor girl with little choice in the matter.

"I'm happy and proud of you for having the courage to tell me this Henrietta… but I can't help but feel like I don't deserve it. For a very long time, even before I was consciously aware of it I was in love with Hinata. She was my very first friend that I could depend on. She was the first to accept me in the same way that I did for you. I always wanted to be with her one day and now I am… yet you were there as well, and I never noticed how you really felt. I'm sorry for how things turned out." Naruto apologized as his friend quickly countered this by leaning forward in a surprising lunged to press her lips against his.

Naruto's entire body froze on the spot at the chestnut girl's bold move as he felt her warm lips press directly against his. By the time his body was responsive again Naruto selfishly let the kiss last a little longer than what was necessary before gently pushing Henrietta away. "I… I shouldn't have done that… but I just had too. I'm sorry." Henrietta apologized quickly as she touched her lips with her fingers. A blush was on her face but in her eyes all Naruto could see was shame and slight amounts of regret. "No… I… I…" Naruto wanted to apologize as well but at this point he knew that nothing he said would make the situation any better. "I did that on my own… even without doing so I still need to talk to Hinata about all of this. I have to set things right with her… especially after I just made you cheat on her." Henrietta whispered out in a lower tone of voice that was filled with shame and resignation. She knew she shouldn't have done that, but everything was bottling up inside of her and hearing Naruto apologize to her with that look of self-loathing in his eyes was too much for her to handle.

"You know… I wasn't planning on getting together with Hinata so soon and neither was she." Naruto spoke after a brief pause in the conversation. He felt drained emotionally, but he knew he had to resolve this conversation with his close friend to ensure their friendship wasn't ruined because of this. Perking up at this Henrietta looked to Naruto to continue who went ahead once he had her attention once more.

"I was in a really rough spot a few weeks back. I was really angry at Iris and we weren't speaking to each other. I had just found out some disturbing news about Iris and some secrets that she was keeping from me. I was heartbroken and tearing myself apart. It was to the point I couldn't even be physically present in the same room with her. I broke down and Hinata comforted me and all I was doing was beating myself up about how lost I was and to bring me back over the edge Hinata gathered her courage and confessed to me in order to comfort me. After that… I let my own feelings come out and the rest of history. If it wasn't for that moment the two of us would still be regular friends right now." Naruto admitted as he watched the emotions play out across Henrietta's eyes. A sad but happy smile appeared on her face as she looked into his eyes.

"You two were always going to get together Naruto. You've known her longer than me and you've spent far more time with her than anyone else. I didn't stand much of a chance, but I can't help but ask a question I already know the answer too… Do you love her?" His soft-spoken friend asked as Naruto felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. Of course, he did… he's been through too much with Hinata to not feel that way about her.

"I do." It was short, simple, and sweet. Direct and to the point. It was honestly what Henrietta secretly wanted to hear. She would be crushed if Naruto didn't feel strongly for the Hyūga heiress and his feelings weren't genuine or strong. She's already betrayed her trust by kissing Naruto. If he wasn't faithful to begin with… it would destroy her on the inside and make her feel even worse than she already did.

"Thank you… it hurts to lose but at least you're with someone who loves you very much. Please don't ever hurt her." Henrietta warmly requested as a small smile worked its way onto Naruto's face. "I promise on my life I would never do something like that. But Henrietta… maybe in the future… I would be more comfortable with the idea of you know…" Naruto quietly murmured as he watched the look in the brown-haired girl's eyes. "You shouldn't be getting my hopes up like that you know." She said simply but with a tremor of hope buried deep in her voice. It was like a life line that she was desperately clinging to and she punctuated this by grabbing Naruto's hand who in return tightened his grip in shame.

"I know… it's wrong of me to even bring this up… it's like I haven't even learned my lesson. I'm still leading you on… what am I doing?" Naruto shook as tears of shame trailed down his cheeks without any remorse as he felt Henrietta wrap her arms around his waist. "I know… but you can't help but lend your heart out to others to never give up on them. If there is even a slight percent of a chance that you can help them then you will. I can't necessarily say that I hate that about you… even in this situation. But then again… I'm also being biased and selfish just like you. So, this is both of our faults." The chestnut girl comforted as Naruto shook lightly in her embrace.

"I've been an orphan since the very beginning. All I've ever wanted was to give my heart to someone and have them give me theirs. And now I have a wonderful family and a group of friends. I don't know where the line in the sand is, on what is appropriate and what's not. I don't want to give up on you or us even though I know it's the right thing to do. I can't help but think that in this case it makes me a terrible person and an even worse friend." Naruto cried with his head landing in Henrietta's shoulder who cried silent tears with him.

"Some may think that way, but I can accept that part of you… if you think that we have a chance in the future then I'm willing to wait. First, I have to confess to Hinata what I've done… and after that if she approves then I'll be here. It's not like I have a long line of boys you've got to compete with." The young agent jokingly teased towards the end with a warm smile breaking onto her face while she felt Naruto's chest rumble from the humorous chuckles escaping his lips.

"I would sure hope not… I'd feel bad for all of those guys after I kicked their butt." Naruto teased back while wiping away the tears staining his face. Laughing cheerfully at this pleasant joke Henrietta cupped Naruto's cheek with a confident look in her eyes. "If we do have a chance… and you do decide to serious think about it… just promise me that you won't keep me waiting for too long. My life is pretty short after all." The marionette slowly stated in a tone that only someone in her position could use. Her health was deteriorating as time went on. Looking at her younger surrogate sister angelica, Henrietta knew that the girl's unfortunate condition was something the rest of them were all going to share soon. It was a depressing though but one she resigned herself to a long time ago. She was grateful for the fact she was even allowed to live as long as she did. If it weren't' for the mafia she'd have died in the same place that found, her broken body.

Alarmed and always hurt to hear these words from his colleagues Naruto embraced his partner in a tight hug. "Hey, don't say things like that. I promise I will find a way to save you guys and I never go back on my word because that's my ninja way. It isn't concrete right now, but I still have a plan. It was something that I've been pushing for months but progress has been slow." Naruto confidently stated in an attempt to uplift Henrietta's spirits. He hated whenever she thought of her very limited mortality. It pained his heart to know that the girl's might not make it to adulthood before their bodies finally give out on them. However, he wasn't going to give up. He had ideas. He had hope.

"The chakra armor that we're working on?" She's heard him talk about it in the past and even bring it up during meetings. The chestnut girl wasn't surprised to hear Naruto bring it up again. "Yep… and I think I have a real shot at making some magic happen this time. Do you trust me Henrietta?" Naruto grinned as the last of his tears were wiped away by the girl in question who smiled back at him with nothing but trust and love in her eyes. "Always."


It didn't take the two friends long to clean themselves up and make it to the dorms in the upper floors of the casino. Their shift was over and now Naruto wanted to visit his own partners who he was a handler to. Entering the dorms Naruto came to the comical sight of Rico running from Chaos who had her wings out trying to ensnare the frantic girl who was jumping onto the tables and beds to avoid the multiple sharp blade like wings coming her way. Iris had a deadpanned look on her face as her sister playfully in her own way tried to catch Rico.

Torture would be a more accurate description to describe what the psychotic Angeloid was attempting to do as a panicked expression was on Rico's face who was doing everything she could to stay alive. Triela who had just returned from her shift was purposefully ignoring her sisters pleas for help as she brushed her hair in the mirror. Out of sight… out of mind. That was the oldest siblings mentality in the face of this very common scene.

Angelica who was bed ridden as usual was laughing and enjoying the plight of her fellow agent who was the sacrificial lamb for Chaos's entertainment. "Chaos what are you doing?" Naruto mused with an expectant look as the young girl took her father's intrusion as an opening to capture Rico who was also distracted by her colleagues entrance.

"Uh… playing tag." This was Chaos's mouse like response but the uncomfortable look on Rico's face as the large metallic blade like wings constricted around her body was a tell-tale sign that she wasn't a willing participant in the little girl's games. "I see… you've caught her now so let Rico go. She looks like she could use a break." Naruto suggested as he watched a peculiar look come to his daughter's eye. 'She must have been feeding off of my turmoil from earlier with Henrietta.' Naruto keenly noted as Chaos was giving in to her instincts as usual. It was so common now a days that Naruto didn't bat an eyelash at the tiny terror's antics anymore. "And what if I want to play some more?" Chaos challenged with a grin on her face as she squeezed Rico tighter in emphasis. "Naruto… please help." Rico squeaked with her large adorable blue eyes shining in terror. She hated the fact she was always used as Chaos's plaything. She loved the little girl dearly, but she couldn't deny the fact that Chaos was crazy.

Sighing in amusement Naruto simply disappeared from his spot at the entrance to the room and appeared behind Chaos in the blink of an eye. He's been practicing with the Body Flicker technique for the last week and a half since getting back from his trip. His training was really paying off. "I'd tell you you'd be in trouble little miss for disobeying me sweetheart. Come here." Naruto teased as he pinched and stretched Chaos's cheeks who squealed in delight before releasing Rico from her deadly constriction.

"That's fine by me… you're the one I really wanted dada." Chaos squirmed in delight as she wrapped Naruto up in her wings who sighed in exasperation. He was expecting this honestly. "I'm no longer surprised at her antics." Eva purred as she flew into Naruto's hair from Iris's shoulder. The little fairy could sense a slight shift in Naruto's emotions and she was quite curious to know exactly what happened to her other half. Whatever it was he was trying to mask it off his face.

"Me neither… now Angelica, Claes, I brought you guys some presents and if Chaos gives me my arms back I can give them to you." Naruto cheekily entertained with a warm smile on his face that caused a happy smile to work its way onto Angelica's face in return. "Really! What did you bring me this time Naruto?" The slightly younger girl asked with excitement written all over her pale face. Her skin was pale, and a wet towel was placed over her forehead to keep her temperature down. She could barely walk these days and it was even worse after her scheduled adjustment procedures. The amount of times Shoko and the others have had to replace and stabilize her damaged organs and appendages. The amount of stamina it required to go through these procedures over and over again was something none of the girls were capable of sustaining for years on end, especially Angelica and to an extend Claes.

"You'll see… Chaos do you mind?" Naruto questioned as the little girl stared into his eyes for a solid minute before switching her gaze to Henrietta who averted her eyes when a typical eerie smile came to the Angeloid's face. "Ok… but I get extra ramen tonight…" Chaos agreed as Naruto raised his eyebrow in interest. "Oh… and why do you get an extra serving tonight?" He didn't see a reason why the tiny terror should get such an honor… ramen was sacred in their house after all.

"Because Dada was being naughty tonight…" A dark eerie smile was on the tiny terror's face as Naruto's paled considerable at the insinuations his dangerous daughter was making. He knew that she knew. That was the best way to interpret her veiled response, she knew what happened in the hallway between him and Henrietta. He could already tell that she was going to hold this over his head. "Naughty… what were you up to tonight?" Up until this point Triela wasn't particularly interested in the conversation going on but now was the older girl's que to make her presence known as she turned away from the mirror to give Naruto a curious look who started to sweat a little. "It was nothing…" Naruto's short answer wasn't fooling the very observant older blond but before she could press the issue Naruto summoned a small package to his hands from one of his storage seals. "Fine you can have some extra ramen tonight… but only tonight." Naruto said in a resigned but hardened tone as he didn't want Chaos to take advantage of his leniency. She was the type to do so after all. A knowing grin was his only reply as he ignore the look Iris was sending his way since it did nothing to help his case that he could also feel the curiosity emanating from Eva who was now back in his hair. He didn't need the scrutiny right now.

"I got you a new glow in the dark lava lamp. I know how much you like these." Naruto said as he plastered on a small smile to brighten up the sick girl's day. "Really! Thank you, so much big bro! I love it!" Angelica squealed in delight while tearing at the paper containing the package. Once it was removed the weary marionette could see a small plug in lava lamp that could fit near her bed. She already had three others curtesy of Naruto from over the years as it was one of her favorite items to receive. Even Naruto would admit that the lamp was a cool piece of technology and he had one in his apartment as a result of this fact. If it made Angelica happy then that was all he needed.

Leaning forward in gratitude Angelica motioned for Naruto to move closer which he did as he knew what she wanted. A soft kiss was placed on Naruto's whiskered cheek as his surrogate younger sister showed her usual affection by kissing him. She was the most clingy and affectionate out of the bunch with Rico coming in at a very close second. She usually spent her time with Naruto whenever he was around laying down with her head placed in his lap. She couldn't move much these days for long periods of time, so she spent most of her time in his embrace which was fine by her. She usually used all of that time showering the boy she looked at as her savior with kisses and affection. In return Naruto would do the exact same as he never wasted an opportunity to make the girl's day a little brighter. "I'm glad you like it sweetie. Anything to keep that smile on your face." Naruto cooed softly in a tender voice as he returned the kiss with a longer more affection one to Angelica who snuggled into her blanket in response.

Taking his eyes off of the bedridden girl Naruto craned his neck up to look into the bunk bed above Angelica's to see Claes staring down at him with her typical stoic expression in place. "Don't think I forgot about you either Claes… I got you an exclusive book from the castle in Tanzaku Town. It has all kinds of things on gambling and strategies. I got you the complete volume to keep you busy." Naruto grinned as he purposefully climbed up to the top bunk to personally give the girl the books who blushed faintly in gratitude. "Thanks Naruto…" The emotionally distant girl mumbled as she accepted the books without complaint. Usually she'd have a snarky response for her handler who she secretly loves very much. She was very much a tsundere in the fact she'd never admit that she cared for the boy who looked at all of them as normal people and treated them as individuals. For that reason alone, he had her undying loyalty, love, and respect.

Looking down at the very first book in question Claes tilted her head in curiosity when the book turned out to be orange in color with a provocative woman posing on the front cover. "Icha-Icha? What is that?" The bookworm of a girl has never heard of this brand of book before and judging by the massive blush on her handler's face she probably shouldn't have.

"CHAOS!" Naruto roared in embarrassment as he snatched the book out of Claes's hand before she could open it. He knew it had to have been Chaos's fault who exploded into a fit of infectious laughter with the real volume 1 book in her hands. After having the correct book returned to her and having Chaos trapped within an impromptu glacial pillar of ice as punishment Naruto cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention.

"I have good news guys. Lady Tsunade is now the Hokage of the village and she's the world's greatest medic. I'm going to have Shoko propose a plan to her to use the new materials for those chakra suit we were making for our clients in the Land of Snow in your surgeries. If we play our cards right it could help vastly improve your health's and stabilities. It might even prolong your lives." Naruto spoke with as much enthusiasm as he could muster which caused the eyes of all the girls to look at him with wonder. This was the best news they've heard in a long time.

Shoko has done everything she could possibly do for the girls, but their adjustment routines were taking its toll on their bodies. It was only a matter of time before they gave out and Angelica was experiencing the full effect of this side effect first hand. She was the worst out of all of them.

"Do you really think that it will work?" Triela asked with hope in her voice that tugged on Naruto's heartstrings. They all wore sorely lacking in the hope department. It was something Naruto was determined to change. "Yes… and if it doesn't… I'll find some way for it to work. I'm not giving up on you guys, not now, not ever."

That was the only reassurance the girl's from Section 2 needed to hear as the night came to an end with Naruto returning home for a well-deserved rest. It was a really long day to begin with and having that very emotional conversation with Henrietta only made it worse. Now he was drained and just wanted to sleep. Eva tried to question him on what Chaos was trying to insinuate earlier but Naruto was adamant about keeping quiet.

Before he could let sleep claim him he spoke with Shoko after she returned home about his proposed plan. That conversation dragged on longer than Naruto would have liked solely due to how exhausted both mentally and physically he was, but he put his all into his ideas as Shoko was once more impressed with her surrogate son's incredible levels of intelligence and ingenuity. It was a plan he's suggested in the past, but they've never had the time or the proper resources to pull it off. But now that Tsunade was back in the village they might just have a chance. Naruto's empathy and willingness to help others never ceased to amaze Shoko who didn't waste any time expressing how proud she was of Naruto who could only weather the Titan's usual emotional storm. After their lengthy and important conversation, it didn't take long for Naruto to fall asleep and when he did he sudden found himself awake and in a very familiar place.


Mindscape – Sōkyoku's Domain

'Huh…? I'm in my mindscape?' This wasn't what Naruto was expecting when he finally got to sleep. It was a long day for him and all he wanted to do was actually rest and hopefully have some sweet dreams. Now he found himself awake once more just outside of Sōkyoku's giant birdhouse. 'It's time… it's finally going to happen.' Naruto frowned as he tentatively reached out with his hand to grab the golden door. It felt like forever but eventually Naruto entered the mental construct to see the pitch-black interior that he's missed for so long. He hasn't spoken to Sōkyoku face to face for a long time.

As he expected the ethereal emerald glow of Sōkyoku's massive eyes were the first things Naruto saw as the massive room around them was illuminated by torches placed around the perimeter. The rest of Sōkyoku's body started to radiate a gentle warm light from the fires burning deep within her soul. Her earthquake like footsteps were the next things felt as she crossed the distance between the two of them in a few short strides cutting the time it would have taken Naruto to walk to her into nothing.

"It's been a long time." Sōkyoku hummed in bemusement as Naruto stared up at the magnificent phoenix with an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't know exactly what to say to his resident now that they were face to face. It really has been a long time since they've spoken in a cordial manner. Now, he just had a lot of pent up feelings stored up in his heart and he didn't know what to do with it.

"I can sense your feelings Naruto… you have a lot of pent up animosity towards me, so I think we should skip the small talk." The primordial being spoke in a soft voice as Naruto couldn't keep the glare from coming to his face. "Why did you do it Lady Sōkyoku?" It was simple question with a lot of weight and emotion behind it and it was something that caused Sōkyoku to sigh as she got herself comfortable.

"I've been withholding a lot of information from you for very good reasons. I'm sorry that you feel as if I've allowed so many people to die for you. But your growth as a person is my main concern." Sōkyoku countered in an even tone as she watched the glare on Naruto's face increase.

"My growth! Old man Hokage is dead and you could have warned me about it! I could have saved him. I could have prevented us from being kidnapped by the Four War Gods! Everything I ended up doing for Neji! It was all a lie! It was all out of my control and because of that people died!" Naruto vented with angry tears welling up in his eyes. He hated the fact that so much of his life has unknowingly been dictated by the being in front of him. It was infuriating for his mortal mind to fully understand or accept. His life wasn't his own to live, he was a puppet on a string at the behest of the primordial.

"Is that so… do you really believe that?" It was a question that was asked with a knowing tone as Sōkyoku summoned a mirror in front of Naruto that started to reflect an image on its surface. "If Hiruzen didn't sacrifice himself to seal away Orochimaru's arms do you honestly think any of the others such as Jiraiya or Shoko could have gotten to him in time before he inflicted catastrophic levels of damage to the village? Is it not the most honorable deed for a shinobi to die on the battlefield sacrificing themselves for something they believe in?" It wasn't necessarily a rhetorical question in nature, but it didn't have to be as the mirror showed Naruto a grim alternate future in which the village was in disarray with Hiruzen and Orochimaru's fight not being contained to the stadium where the First and Second Hokage's are allowed to wreak havoc across the entire village. It was a grim outcome and one Naruto never wanted to see come to pass. The amount of death that must have arisen during that battle was something Naruto didn't want to even think about.

"I see you are contemplating things with a more level head. What do you think would have happened had the Four War God's not appeared when the did? For one they would have all appeared in the village which would have caused catastrophic amounts of destruction and on top of that on the off chance that they were defeated you never would have discovered Hōrai Island or the significance it would have for you." Sōkyoku reasoned as Naruto felt his anger subside in the face of this overwhelming amount of logic. These were valid points the ancient bird of fire was making and one's Naruto couldn't legitimately refute.

He never would have met his foster children if he didn't go to Hōrai Island when he did. Despite how these terrible situations have transpired, they've always ended with a positive result. "As far as Neji is concerned, fate is a real force that governs all, but it is possible to defy it's will if you're determination is strong enough. In the end every person will fulfill a destiny in life that was predetermined… but it's all up to the person on how they interpret their perceived fate because in the end by the time they've passed on they've already fulfilled their task in life whether they realize it or not." Sōkyoku answered in a concise and compassionate voice that slowly started to chip away at the thick barrier of pain and betrayal that Naruto erected in defense.

"Even if you say all of those things Lady Sōkyoku, the fact still remains. You've held everything back from me. You've orchestrated everything in my life and people around me have died. I've killed before and people I know have died who were close to me. What is your plan? What do you want from me and why me?" Naruto yelled as he let his tears fall. It wasn't fair that this all mighty being could so effortlessly control his life to every fine detail without a shred of remorse. It wasn't fair.

"You are a special case Naruto. I chose you because of who you are and what you become. I need a hero who will stand up to any challenge no matter how painful or costly. You are a boy who has kept on moving forward despite everything thrown in your way so far and deep down you still want to move forward with everything you have. Your compassion, empathy, and sheer will power is what I need. You are the Child of Prophecy that I need to be my vessel." Sōkyoku responded with a passion in her voice that startled Naruto to his core as he felt every word the ancient Phoenix speak pierce all the way to his very soul.

Again. This unshakable faith and trust in him. It was a concept Naruto couldn't wrap his head around as from the very beginning Sōkyoku has demonstrated this seemingly unfounded and underserved faith in him that he's felt that he didn't earn. She's always cheered him on and stood by him. It's why it hurt him so bad to learn these revelations about her. Was it all a lie? Does he even mean anything to the supreme being in front of him? Was he a tool for her to throw away in the end? These questioned burned at the back of Naruto's heart and they were the ones he initially asked himself once he first learned about Sōkyoku's shady motives. These were the questions that have stabbed at his heart from the very beginning.

"It isn't all a lie Naruto." The great Phoenix interrupted as if she were reading his inner thoughts… which she was… with a voice that held nothing but remorse and compassion in it. Looking up in surprise Naruto watched as the bird craned its massive neck down so it's head was closer to him.

"You mean the world to me Naruto. To tell you the truth I haven't had much interaction with the mortal realm since its very creation. I've stayed to myself in solitude with my twin sister for most of eternity. I can't even enter the mortal realm without destroying the entire universe it's in because of my power. I need to take a host to interact with the physical plane of existence and only one kind of special person will actually contain my body." The great fire bird revealed leaving Naruto in a state of shock as this was the first time she's revealed such information about herself.

It got Naruto's mind thinking on what the goddess said. The clues were all there and only one conclusion came to mind. "You can only interact with the body of a child of prophecy." It was more of a statement than anything else but the shake of Sōkyoku's large bird head was enough to cause a weight to settle down on Naruto's heart.

"Yes… the body of a Child of Prophecy has a tiny sliver of my power embedded in it that ties that individual to fate and marks their life as the central focal point for every pivotal event to happen in their world. The fate of the world or universe itself is tied to the life of such individuals. Their lives are filled with peril and virtue and they always find themselves at the center of everything. But they come out of these trials and tribulations as hero's… champions who have their named carved into history. I need such a hero with me now to face an evil from my past… and I chose you." Sōkyoku answered with the most honest and heartfelt cadence in her voice as she believed in the words she spoke. Naruto was her champion.

"Why me?" It was the only thing Naruto was able to force out of his mouth as a whirlwind of emotions were playing out inside of Naruto's heart and he wasn't sure which direction he was being pulled in. "You could spend your entire lifetime wondering that question without ever getting an answer. But all I have to say is this: Why not you?" A counter argument if Naruto's ever heard one before and it was something he had no response for either as he just watched the ethereal glow of Sōkyoku's massive emerald green eyes shine down on him with it's heavenly light.

What do I do from here? What's next? Can I trust her after all of this? What will my future look like? What will the future of my family and friends look like?

These were the resounding questions that echoed in Naruto's soul following Sōkyoku's faithful counter argument and the thing that bothered Naruto the most was the fact he didn't know the answer to any of them. He didn't know where he was going to go from here and it honestly terrified him to feel so uncertain about his own future.

"What's next is that we prepare for the future. Remember back to the conversation we had in Midway… I warned you of an evil that is coming from my past. One day it will come for me. It's prison weakens everyday that I and my sister are away. When that day comes I ask that you stand by me." It was a request unlike anything Naruto or any mortal could ever hope to be asked. Naruto didn't even know what to think to such a proposal as he stared into Sōkyoku's patient if not expectant emerald eyes.

"I don't even know where to begin… what is this evil that is coming Lady Sōkyoku?" It seemed like the fairly logical question to ask and since Naruto's mind was reeling from the emotional rollercoaster ride it's been on all day it would be the only thought process he would be capable of.

"It is a monster… a beast with a certain level of sentience that has only one directive in life and that is to eradicate all matter, life, and energy that binds and holds reality together. My power in combination with my twin created reality as we know it and this beast is the antithesis to our power. It can battle us on equal footing and counter our strength with its own. However, if I were to take on a vessel… a special vessel that is imbued with my power as well as that of a special energy, then I could not only protect myself but have a medium through which I can focus my power through. The beast would be forced to do the same as it mimics what I and my sister does as it has intertwined it's fate with ours." Sōkyoku explained to an awed Naruto who couldn't help but be enamored and enraptured by this very unique piece of history. He bet that no one has heard of this story before.

"This beast… what is it like. What is it to be exact?" His early anger was forgotten in the face of such a development and Sōkyoku couldn't really blame him. She's never revealed this information to either a mortal or god before. Naruto was the first to know. Only a very select few beings knew of this and it was only those who were old enough to be around back during the incident… and there weren't many of them… especially these days.

"This thing would make all of the Tailed Beast in your world look like pets… it's powers rival my own and it has the unique and nasty ability of detaching its core from its body so that it can move freely unchained by its physical body. Luckily, I took this into consideration in my forethought when I sealed it away in Purgatory. However, tiny slivers of its influence which has taken on a more sentient and sinister persona over the eons can slip through the dimension of purgatory and interact with the rest of the universe at large. It is darkness, it is evil incarnate because it feeds off of all energies in the world whether they be light or dark in nature. The beast is a neutral power that can cannibalize other natures at will. That is what makes it so dangerous and it's origins are shrouded in mystery… even to me." Sōkyoku elaborated in a grim tone that subconsciously got Naruto to suck in his breath. He could feel his heart hammering away in his chest for reasons he couldn't explain.

Dread, trepidation, fear, and so much more were poisoning his heart and ruling his fears and now he wasn't sure of what to do. Can such a beast even be real? What is it?

"How did you beat it last time?" Naruto felt like his throat was dry as he barely got this question out in an octave barely above a whisper. He almost didn't want to ask the question for fear of the answer. It was something he honestly didn't think he wanted to know what Sōkyoku's response was going to be.

"By giving it everything I had… because I had too. Even then… it nearly costed my sister her life and a massive portion of her power. For me I used up so much of my power that I'm only a fraction of the being I once was. Both my sister and I suffered heavily for our sacrifices and are practically crippled in our own respective rights because of it. It also cost the lives of a number of the very few beings that were old enough to be alive back then as gods and mortals didn't exist at the time… not even the concept of time existed when these events occurred. These ancient beings who stood with my sister and I are very few in numbers and now they've taken on the title's of gods to blend in. It was a war fought to protect nothing but ourselves basically at the end of the day and in the end, it costed us far more than what it was worth." Sōkyoku foretold sadly as her feathered body lightly shook as memories of her very far off past streamed into her mind where the pain and lost that she's endured stabbed at her heart once more. It hurt… it hurt more than even Sōkyoku herself was willing to admit.

'What has she gone through to turn out like this? It doesn't make what she did to me right… but despite that… I want to forgive her. No one should be made to suffer like that.' Naruto resolved in his mind as a final decision was made on where he should direct his hurt feelings. He could continue to be angry and hurt at the Phoenix living inside of his body or he could make amends with her. It's not like he could ask her to leave and he wasn't willing to give up on Iris as his daughter no matter the state of their relationship. He loved her far too much to ever abandon her and if what Sōkyoku said was true about this beast then it didn't matter what Naruto's grievances were. It would come for him and Sōkyoku all the same… and if it came for them then it would come for everyone else he loved.

He would not allow that to happen.

Naruto's mind was made up now as he walked forward and rested his palm against Sōkyoku's beak who was close enough to the ground that he could touch her face. "It's going to take me a while to trust you again Lady Sōkyoku… if we're going to move forward together then you'll need to be honest with me from now on. I forgive you, but I want your honesty from now on. Can you do that for me?" Naruto proposed as he attempted to extend an olive branch to the resident deity living within his soul who could do nothing but stare down at the tiny human standing before her. She couldn't help but feel a swell of pride for her host. He was maturing just the way she expected him to. His compassion was his greatest strength.

"I can do that young one… we have a long way to go before I gain your full trust, but that component will be essential to our relationship in the future. We have a long bridge to cross until we get to that point and I'm willing to work with you on that." Sōkyoku acknowledged as she rubbed her beak against Naruto's body who allowed his guard to fall for the first time around the massive bird since their conversation began. He was tired of feeling anger and heightened emotions for others. It wasn't healthy for him to have this level of stress on his mind and heart this early on in life. He was stuck with Sōkyoku for the foreseeable future and there was no way for him to ask her to leave… doing so would mean Iris would have to leave and that would only happen over his dead body because he wasn't letting his precious daughter leave his life.

"I'm willing to meet you halfway on this Lady Sōkyoku. You know how I am about trust." Naruto replied sadly as he was an individual who didn't trust very easily. He remembered how he used to be when he was younger, he was very cautious, observant, and cynical. He didn't open up to people often or very easily and to have his trust broken so severely by a being he trusted hurt more than he cared to admit. An understanding look was Sōkyoku's response as the conversation wound down afterwards until Naruto eventually woke up.


Midnight – Real World

That conversation went surprisingly well all things considered. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy from here on out to simply trust everything Sōkyoku said but Naruto also knew that he would need to make peace with his inner deity or else it would affect his relationship with Iris since they were one and the same. He was aware that he couldn't simply make amends with every person who wrongs him in the future, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.

Feeling a shift of weight in the bed besides him Naruto was pulled from his light slumber to see that Iris herself was up as well with a troubled look on her face. "Iris… sweetie what's wrong?" Naruto whispered out so as to not wake up either Eva or as per usual Anko who would sneak into his bed at night times. The torture specialist knew no decency or boundaries when it came to their brother/sister relationship. By this point the both of them knew that Anko only did it on purpose now as it was the complete norm for the two, despite the fact Anko did indeed have a room in the apartment building that Naruto renovated out for her a few years back. Naruto didn't have to worry about waking Chaos up since the little Angeloid's version of sleep was for her father to just simply turn her off for the night. It was certainly a life saver since Naruto didn't want to deal with her hyperactive nature when trying to sleep.

"Daddy I can't sleep." Iris mumbled out with a tired yawn escaping her tiny lips. She had bags under her eyes for being woken from her sleep. As a child she needed all of the sleep she could get, she was a growing girl after all. 'This must be because of the conversation I just had with Lady Sōkyoku. That makes sense.' Naruto theorized since it would make sense for Iris's sleep to be disturbed if he just finished having a conversation with her progenitor. "I'm sorry Iris… I must have woken you up by accident. Come here sweetie." Naruto soothed as he opened his arms out a bit more which the little princess took as an invite. Snuggling up to her father with a warm smile on her face Iris burrowed into Naruto's shoulder while he planted gentle kisses down on her forehead which she quietly giggled and squealed to. She was spoiled and loved her father's attention… she wasn't afraid to admit that.

A thick and noticeable pressure settled down on Naruto's chest when he pulled his daughter close and quirking an eyebrow at this Naruto pulled the covers back a bit only to discover that Iris had a very peculiar and special book in her arms. It was a pure white thick book with blue accented designs giving it a radiant design with gold trim around all of the edges that further enhanced the mesmerizing beauty and richness of the book. It was a very special book in the fact that it had a small lock that was coated in the gold trim keeping the book shut. He didn't have the key to open it and Iris when she brought the book home one day many years ago never once mentioned having found one either.

She never insisted on him reading to her the radiant book and since he couldn't physically open the book it's remained on the small little book shelf in their room. Iris rarely picks it up or even acknowledges that it's there but since he knows it is somehow tied to Lady Sōkyoku he's never dared throw it out. This was the first time Iris herself has brought it into the bed with her. On the title of the very special book were the big bold words written in blue with a thin golden trim with a highly stylized cursive script like font. The book was titled [The Savior].

"Iris why do you have this book with you? You rarely ever touch it… much less move it from the bookshelf." Naruto inquired in a slightly cautious and concerned tone as he stared into Iris's luminescent crystal-clear blue eyes that was actually providing a small amount of light in the room. It was one of her defining characteristics that she wasn't human, and it was one of the few that she couldn't hide with her humanoid appearance.

A look of pure confusion was written all over Iris's face as she sat up in the bed and held the book out for her to see. "Daddy… I don't know… I don't remember picking this up." Iris mumbled in confusion as she slid out of the bed and placed the book back in its usual resting place. Sliding back into the bed and snuggling up to her father Iris closed her eyes while missing the look of caution and concern on the face of Naruto. 'Just what is going on?'


Midnight/Unknown Land – Dreamscape

Fire and ash was all that could be seen for miles around as the very earth shook from an unknown beast that was hidden in a silhouette of ash and smoke. It's roars parted the seas and deafened all that could hear it. Acidic miasma permeated the air around the unknown entity filling all sentient life with a primordial sense of dread. The skies were shrouded in darkness blotting out the sun that was turning a fear inducing red the color of blood while the oceans were colored an inky black that poisoned the very life dwelling beneath its surfaces.

The battlefield if it could be called that was torn asunder with the earth upheaved in several sections with new mountain ranges and terraformed biomes ripped into oblivion and mingled between this devastation were different battlefields with dead bodies and battered individuals fighting for their very lives against creatures as white as bone with plant like appearances and beings with wings and feathers as black as the sky above them. Death and destruction was the only thing that could be seen for miles while out at sea large metallic floating boats that could only be described as massive ships were destroyed with wooden ones mingled in-between as a fierce battle wrought the oceans with the debris of these once mighty vessels that the world has never seen before until the rise of a recent nation.

The battlefield was hell on earth in every way possible as the roar of distance inactive volcanoes that have laid dormant for centuries erupted with earth shattering force spraying billions of metric tons of ash and molten rock high into the atmosphere further adding to the blanketing veil shrouding the very planet itself in darkness.

Hope was a concept that that was quickly fading in the apocalyptic setting and it would surely be extinguished if things were allowed to continue as they were, but a shining beacon of golden light was lighting a path of salvation through the darkness in the form of a small humanoid figure cloaked in a golden flaming aura with pitch black lines of energy drawing an intricate pattern across his body. The young man had a Hidden Leaf Headband on his forehead with what appeared to be a cloak of some kind worn over his uniform and all of it was veiled in the golden flames giving him an ethereal look. Ten inky black spheres the size of basketballs floated behind him in a large halo. His peach colored skin while not covered in flames glowed with an illuminating radiant light that sparked like the stars in space giving him an ethereal and divine appearance as if he was connected to the cosmos themselves.

By his feet steam rose up from the ground as an interesting reaction was happening to his body. Thick glacial sheets of ice covered the ground around his body for hundreds of yards in all directions. The heat radiating from his body was mixing with the cold air from the ice around his feet causing steam to rise into the air. There were others who stood with him, but they were cloaked and shrouded in darkness with their forms remaining hidden from view. The young man spoke… his voice sounded ethereal, it boomed out across the entire region with a base in his tone that sounded like the crackling of lightning. His voice… it sounded like a god.

"This ends now… you have caused so much death and destruction and for what? Because it is in your very nature to do so, because it is your existence. I won't let you kill anymore people. You are worst than a beast… worse than how humanity viewed the Tailed Beast for so long, yet they don't even compare to you or anything I've ever seen but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. I am the Savior of this world and I will not fail to destroy you."

The boys voice thundered out gaining the large beasts attention. It unleashed a terrifying roar of biblical proportions causing the entire planet to shake and cry out in despair. The entire world was coming to an end and it was zero hour now. The world needed a Savior and he was here… and his name was…


The sound of thunder shook the room as a small feminine squeak of fear could be heard coming from the covers of a very large bed. A young girl who looked to be around 13 years old jumped up in her bed with a panicked look of fear on her face. She had long flowing platinum blond hair flowing down her back with pale lavender eyes with a magenta tint to them. She was wearing a thin white sports bra that covered up her growing bust and a thin veil like jacket for pajamas. Sweat was pouring down her face as her eyes which was glowing with an ethereal power dimmed back to normal as she placed a hand on her chest to check her beating heart.

'A vision… it's so powerful it almost felt real… as if I was right there standing beside that boy. The power coursing through him is so warm… so similar to mine. It felt like being in the presence of my mother.' The girl thought to herself as she threw her legs over the side of her bed and jumped off. Her bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor of her extravagant room causing the girl to shiver in discomfort. 'I'm sure of it… that warrior… that boy… he and I are destined to meet; our lives are somehow intertwined now… I can feel it.' The girl felt an ominous premonition in her gut that the boy in her vision would be a critical player and nexus point for the future of their world. She's had hundreds of visions over the course of her short life and the thing about her special powers is the fact that her visions always come true.

'My chest is burning, and my heart is beating like crazy… I have to meet him. He's important to all of our futures.' The girl mused to herself as she walked up to the large window in her room with a forlorn expression on her face. She looked troubled with an uncertain look on her face as she watched the heavy rain pour down against her window. The sky flashed at random intervals as lightning struck the ground with the sounds of thunder accompanying it seconds later. It was a brutal storm that reflected the girl's inner emotions as she placed her hand against the window.

'That warrior… he called himself the Savior. His name… his name is Naruto Uzumaki.'


To be continued...


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys how was that? What do you think?

This chapter was a crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions that start off with Tsunade and Shoko discussing Rock Lee's surgery and future as a shinobi. As we can see Shoko is advocating for Lee's treatment on the behalf of Might Guy while Tsunade is reluctant to move forward due to the very dangerous risks involved with his surgery. Shoko eventually manages to convince her mentor to go through with the risky procedure after mentioning Naruto and Iris and their involvement with Lee. Intrigued by this Tsunade is drawn further into the conversation when Shoko confesses to Tsunade that she has PTSD. The two women manage to reconcile with each other after which Shoko also informs Tsunade on the conditions of the girls from Section 2. Advocating for her help in their procedures and bringing up Naruto's idea's Shoko manages to convince Tsunade to help.

Naruto and Henrietta have a deep and emotional heart to heart in which Naruto comes clean and admits to his partner that he's aware of her feelings for him. After acknowledging this fact the conversation gets extremely emotional with Naruto eventually encouraging Henrietta to admit her true feelings for him which culminates in Henrietta kissing Naruto unexpectedly which leaves the both of them equally ashamed and stunned by each others actions as Naruto allowed the kiss to continue for far longer than he should have. The revealing conversation unravels a lot about their inner feelings and insecurities as they manage to resolve their feelings and retain their friendship despite the guilt that they both feel.

Chaos herself shows her awareness of Naruto's actions later when they meet up while she's playing with Rico. After gently reprimanding Chaos and getting blackmailed by her Naruto proceeds to give Angelica and Claes, his two agents presents which they greatly enjoy after which he fills them with hope by informing him of his plans for their upcoming adjustments.

The long awaited conversation between Naruto and Lady Sōkyoku comes to pass as they meet up in Naruto's mindscape for the first time in a very long while. Immediately things are hostile and tense on Naruto's end which Sōkyoku masterfully works to defuse at every turn as she broke down the anger and resentment Naruto was feeling towards her by finally coming clean and telling the truth about her motives and revealing some interesting tidbits of information about her past including shedding some light on her mortal enemy.

It is a beast of apocalyptic proportions that could fight both her and her sister to a standstill with its energy and existence being a direct antithesis to their own. It mimics and constantly follows them as their fates are intertwined. It's existence and the very nature of it's powers make it a considerable threat to Sōkyoku who reveals one of the most important reasons on why she chose Naruto to inhabit.

A resolution and reconciliation is reached between Naruto and Sōkyoku where she promises to be more truthful and open with him for the future. A future that will be shrouded in destruction and devastation. Naruto wakes up from his sleep to see that because of his mental conversation with Lady Sōkyoku it has caused Iris to awaken in the middle of the night. Apologizing and comforting his daughter Naruto attempts to put her back to sleep but unexpectedly realizes that she somehow brought her mysterious book into the bed with them. The mysterious book that is titled [The Savior].

An ominous and unknown dream and vision of the future is shown from the point of view of an unknown young girl around the age of Naruto that depicts the world in an apocalyptic war like setting with the entire planet engulfed in turmoil. Strange soldiers that are white humanoid plant like creatures and men with feathered wings as black as night? Armies fighting against each other while the world is devastating beyond recognition. Massive warships torn asunder that belong to a powerful nation that recently joined the world stage? A beacon of light in this troubled world in the form of a young teenage boy covered in golden flames and strange black markings with ten inky black spheres of unknown power floating behind him in a holy halo. He refers to himself as The Savior while preparing himself to do battle with the same beast that has plagued Sōkyoku's past.

What is this future and will it come to pass like the girl who had this vision thinks it will? Who is she and what connection does she have to Naruto who she identifies as the warrior in her dream who opposes the beast? Another seed has been planted for the actual plot of the story and what a vivid and pivotal seed it is. The story is moving forward ever steadily with the future of our characters shrouded in the coming darkness.

Things are only just getting started... I hope you stick around for this rollercoaster ride.


Next Chapter: Chapter 79 (A Chūnin's Responsibilities)


That's the end of Chapter 78 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.

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Published: 12/21/2018