Chapter three: Settling in.
Hiruzen sighed as he worked at his desk as he looked over Naruto's stipend. Word had reached his ears, just recently, that the boy had somehow won a trio of new slaves from Scarlet's monthly lottery. An impressive feat given how much people spent trying to win exclusively rare specimens and slaves. As such, the boy's stipend would need to be updated again to better suit his and his slave's needs.
However, there was one other thing on his mind. Scarlet had recently notified him of a notable pattern in sales. Once two to three months, a fresh new client would walk in and buy ten or so D-rank slaves, all females, and then leave. D-rank slaves were obviously cheap and easy to buy in bulk, usually they were used for household chores, cheap labor, and most distastefully prostitution which made them favored merchandise for pimps and brothels.
Whoever was buying this many slaves must have been using proxies to avoid being directly linked to the Slave trade. A common trick used by politicians and other figures of authority who didn't wish for the general public to know of certain vices. But who would need so many D-rank slaves? It was definitely suspicious.
By Kami, the Sandaime hated the slave trade and how it objectified sentient life. No one knew exactly how it started, but early stories and rumors suggested that the Hyuuga's indirectly influenced and inspired Slave Merchants like Scarlet with the infamous 'Caged Bird' seal the Main Branch of the Hyuuga's used to keep the members of their Side Branch in line. Supposedly it was a means to protect their Dojutsu, but really it was little more than a slave seal.
While Slaves were mostly protected by certain laws and regulations there were still loopholes that could be exploited, and any attempts to close them off simply meant the people who used those very same loopholes would have to get more and more crafty. But there was an even deeper and perhaps the cruelest and most sickening aspect of the Slave trade that wasn't common knowledge.
He would need to inform Naruto of this later on… assuming the girls haven't already told him. Hiruzen could only hope that a day would come when this inhumane practice would come to an end. Until such time, he wished that more people could have an open mind and a kind heart like Naruto.
If more people were like him, then perhaps Slavery would be more bearable for the poor souls forced to live in bondage… that is if the Slave Trade isn't abolished altogether if the people collectively shared an Uzumaki's sheer tenacity. Speaking of Naruto… he wondered how the boy was faring?
Meanwhile. Naruto's apartment.
"YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?!" Olga screamed in outrage, her face now but a few short inches away from Ran-Mao who stared her down with unblinking eyes. The martial artist pointed towards the toilet and handed the fallen Queen a toothbrush, some cleaning soaps, and a pair of gloves and spoke in her usual monotone voice "Scrub. Clean. No work. No food."
The Dark Elf wanted to protest, she wanted to say that a Queen shouldn't be reduced to menial labor such as cleaning this 'chamber pot' toilet. But her growling stomach silenced any arguments she may have had. "She's got a point. You live here now. So you gotta pitch in to care for the place." Naruto spoke from outside the bathroom as he was busy sweeping the floors. Growling in anger, the fallen Queen muttered "I won't forget this!"
She snapped on the gloves and got on her knees, pouring the cleaning solution into the toilet and began furiously scrubbing away, all the while quietly plotting her vengeance against the human filth that had sold her into slavery.
In another part of the apartment, Celestine was busy folding the clothes and bedsheets while humming a small tune to herself as she carefully arranged them in neat piles. And in the kitchen area, Chloe could be heard grumbling to herself as she washed the dishes, mumbling about how elves shouldn't have to do chores like this, but that Ran-Mao girl's cooking was almost divine, and she couldn't afford to miss a meal. She had to keep up her strength until the day came that they could take their revenge.
Ran-Mao for her part, when she wasn't busy making sure the Dark Elves weren't slacking off, she was dusting the place, climbing in high and hard to reach areas to clear up any dust bunnies and dirt that may have accumulated over time. Olga emerged from the bathroom and bitterly spoke "There. I'm finished." She marched towards the couch and unceremoniously plopped onto the couch with a sigh.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, believing that she had finished a little too quickly. His first Slave shared his suspicions and quickly went into the bathroom before reemerging and stalking towards the Elf Queen with an icy glare. "Again. Not finished." She spoke coldly, prompting the Queen to wave her off with an annoyed expression.
"I just did it. Did I not say I was finished?" Olga spoke with a sneer, only for the golden eyed woman to jerk her back up to her feet and shove her into the bathroom. She wasn't about to let the Dark Elf laze about and think she could shirk off her duties, regardless if she liked it or not.
"Do it again. Fail. No food. Thorough this time." Ran-Mao warned the queen and then departed to resume her dusting. Growling in frustration, Olga resumed the brushing, all the while cursing the existence of humankind. A few more minutes later, Olga felt like her hands were about to fall apart from the constant scrubbing, she called out that she was finished as she tried to nurse her poor hands prompting Naruto to enter and check her work. He gave a satisfied smile and nodded to her.
"Nice job. I know that chores are new to you, but we all gotta do our part. Thanks for your hard work." He spoke with a small smile, the Elf Queen wanted to snap at him, but his innocent and pure smile made her anger melt away as she looked over to the side.
"I only did it for food." She muttered begrudgingly, her master shrugging his shoulders as he decided it best to leave her be and adjust at her own pace. He couldn't expect a Queen to get used to being a slave in such a short time. He was grateful that Ran-Mao was able to keep them in line, he honestly wasn't sure if he had the heart to properly discipline them if need be.
Chloe was quite vocal in her complaints, but she still did her work all the same. Celestine took to her choices almost immediately without any signs of complaint or grumbling, showing that she was either used to doing her own chores, or was simply humble enough to comply. Most obviously Olga, being a former Queen was unused to doing chores. He couldn't really fault her for her or Chloe for their attitudes since they had been stripped of their homes and freedom, amongst other things.
Their first night together was the toughest since there were currently only two beds available. He and Ran-Mao usually slept together, which left the second bed to the elves. Olga and Chloe quickly took possession of it, thus forcing Celestine to sleep on the couch. He had initially offered to sleep on the couch so the High Elf could sleep in a soft bed, but she and Ran-Mao shut him down almost instantly and refused to hear any potential arguments.
The following morning, Celestine mentioned that the couch was actually more plush and comfy than her bed back in her former home so she didn't really mind. Though the dark Elves complained that they couldn't sleep on account of his nightly activities with his golden eyed slave. Talk about poetic justice. That aside, He couldn't help the fact she felt so good that he couldn't contain his voice.
"Can I ask you a question?" Olga asked, snapping him out of his musing. The Jinchuuriki turned to her in surprise and gave a quick nod, wondering what was on her mind. She stood to her full height, easily towering over him as her luscious brown skin glistened with sweat.
She crossed her arms beneath her bare bust, pushing them up a bit as she asked him warily "Why did you wish to win us from that contest? For what reason did you desire us?"
The whiskered teen shrugged his shoulders and answered honestly "At the Lottery I overheard what a bunch of those assholes were gonna do to the three of you so I tried to save you. I guess I got lucky at that point. Or maybe the three of you did."
"So it wasn't for selfish or carnal reasons that you wished to collect us? I find that difficult to believe." She responded bluntly, it didn't take a genius to tell that she was obviously mistrustful of others. Naruto supposed that it was due to her being a Queen along with her previous experiences.
He gave her a patient smile and replied "Give it time. I promise that you can trust me." She gave a small scoff, not believing his words in the slightest… still, he hadn't forced himself on any of the girls so she'd give him the benefit of the doubt… for now.
"Young Master?" Celestine asked as she appeared while carrying a bundle of clothes, earning the Uzumaki's attention who gave her a quick gesture for her to ask what she needed to. "Where do your parents keep their clothing? I didn't see any adult sized clothing except Ran-Mao's outfit."
The whiskered teen sighed, and remembered that he forgot to inform them of his status as an orphan. He sighed as he spoke "I don't have any parents. I'm an orphan." At that, Celestine let out a shocked gasp and the Fallen Queen raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit surprised by this news.
"But what of your adoptive parents? Do you not have any family at all?" Olga asked out of curiosity, finding it difficult to believe that a child would be left to fend for himself. Chloe also appeared, having overheard their conversation thanks to the heightened senses of being an elf and was now wondering the same thing upon hearing her new master.
Naruto sighed and gave them the quick rundown of his life, from his lonely childhood, his former living conditions and so forth, leaving the elves completely stunned that he had lived most of his life on his own with barely any adult supervision. And from his description of his former apartment, he had been living in complete squalor. "You poor thing." Celestine muttered sympathetically and wrapped him in a warm hug, planting his head in her ample bosom.
He tensed up for a moment but quickly relaxed in her embrace, her breasts feeling warm and soft like pillows. He was sure if he tried to grab them, his hands would instantly sink into the warm flesh. Reluctantly, he broke away from the High Elf and spoke "Thanks Celes-chan. I promise to take good care of you three. We'll go shopping for clothes after lunch, even if you don't wear clothes around our apartment, that doesn't mean you have to march in the streets in your birthday suits, and your regular clothes aren't exactly… appropriate either. Ran-chan needs some new clothes herself since she only has the one outfit."
The Dark Elves gave audible sighs of relief that they wouldn't be forced to walk in the nude in public… although they had to admit, it was oddly relaxing to be free of the confines of clothes in their new domicile. Not that they would say so. They didn't want to give any false impression that they were adapting to their new roles.
"Ran-chan! Come help me cook." The blonde boy called out, while his human slave often insisted on handling the cooking, he didn't want his own skills in the kitchen to get rusty either, which made her reluctantly agree to allow him to cook on occasion. Celestine collected the stack of clothing and resumed her duties, proceeding to put them away while the Dark Elves whispered to themselves.
"As far as first impressions go, what do you think of this Human Olga-sama?" Chloe asked her queen, the pureblood Elf thought on her subordinates question for a few moments before settling on an answer.
"I'm not certain as of yet. He doesn't seem all bad. More importantly, he doesn't show any signs of vileness or corruption like most other humans… so far. Though I do know for a fact that his mana is very potent. It might even be stronger than both myself and Celestine at our peak. However, I haven't yet determined if he is fully aware of his full potential." The fallen Queen muttered as she observed their master milling about in the kitchen, that golden eyed harlot assisting him. Which was good since she'd be distracted for now.
"So if we somehow collect his mana, we could get our revenge and take back our kingdom?" Chloe asked, her heart thundering in her chest as she hoped for a positive answer. Her hands clenching and unclenching as she imagined strangling the life out of that damned mercenary.
"Possibly. Yes. Assuming we can also free ourselves from Slavery. In the meantime, we must try and collect as much mana as possible… but there's a catch. His sperm seems to be the most potent source." The Queen muttered at the end with a frown, her words making her aide slump her shoulders in great disappointment.
"So you mean we must have sex with a human adolescent? Ugh. Just the thought of collecting his seed makes me ill. It was so stinky and gross. But if it's for the sake of my Queen I'll do anything for our revenge. I'll collect his seed on my own." The blonde half-elf spoke as she clenched her fist tight.
"You would do that for me? But what about..?" The Pureblood Queen asked but was cut off by her faithful subordinate.
"None of that matters! What matters is our revenge. I don't care what happens to me or my body or what I must do. I just want my Queen to be happy and for Volt to pay." Chloe spoke in a determined voice, already making up her mind on what she needed to do. Even though it sickened her to be in relations with a human, she'd swallow her pride for her queen and do what needed to be done.
Celestine in the next room overheard them thanks to her sensitive ears. She couldn't blame them for wanting revenge, it was a natural response after losing so much. But she didn't want them to take advantage of their young master either. She would need to warn him of the Dark Elves plotting. Regardless of their reasons, they shouldn't abuse their master's generosity and kindness. She wouldn't allow them to do that. But first… she'd need to get him alone without arousing too much suspicion.
If she could easily overhear the Dark Elves, they'd be able to do the same. Fortunately… she had an idea on how to get the privacy she needed and to keep Olga and Chloe from listening in. She would have to enact her plan tonight.
For now though there was something more important… her growling stomach needed to be thoroughly silenced.
A short while later.
Tenten yawned a bit in boredom since it was a slow day in spite of it being the weekend. In fact, the store was so quiet and empty that she was half expecting an animated tumbleweed to come blowing through the shop.
She had already cleaned and oiled all the weaponry, dusted the clothes, rearranged the projectile weaponry three times… and in all that time not a single customer had shown up. If she didn't get some kind of stimulation she was sure that she'd lose her mind.
Her thoughts drifted towards her favorite customer who always came by full of questions about weapons and Shinobi equipment, and on one occasion they spent almost two hours debating on the best materials for bladed weapons. It was quite the shame he didn't graduate in the same year as her. She would have loved having him on her team.
She bit her lip and glanced through the store again. Since there was nobody present and she was all alone… there was a certain itch she needed to scratch. She slipped her hand inside her pants, rubbing her teenage pussy through the fabric of her pantied with a low moan and muttered "Mmmm. Naruto…" she was suddenly interrupted making her yank her hand from her pants and blush profusely that she had tried masturbating while on the clock…
And wouldn't you know it? It was Naruto himself with a group of women following behind him. Three of which had pointed ears. Her blush deepened upon seeing the rather revealing outfits that the three had and wondered if they were cosplayers. Those elf ears looked extremely real.
"Hey Ten-chan. Good to see you again. Busy today?" The whiskered teen asked in a friendly tone. The weapon user turned her head away as she tried to hide her blush and replied "Nah. Pretty slow. Erm… who're these girls with you?"
Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and answered "Well… their names are Ran-Mao, Chloe, Olga, and Celestine. They're… my slaves." The bun haired girl jaw-dropped at that. She had heard the rumors circulating around, but she didn't believe them at all knowing Naruto wasn't the type to get involved with the Slave markets. She didn't know how or why he now owned slaves, but she wasn't going to ask any questions or judge him for it.
She'd simply give him the benefit of the doubt and assume it was for good reason(s). There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments until Naruto cleared his throat and spoke "As you can probably tell… their outfits aren't exactly modest in nature. I was hoping you could help them find some new clothes to wear while out in public."
The brunette nodded and guided the girls to the clothing wracks to let them browse and pick out what they wanted. Ran-Mao almost immediately picked out a few sets identical to what she already owned, so she was the first to finish.
Olga chose a black T-shirt with a skull on the front, a pair of jeans, a black leather jacket, a pair of leather gloves spikes along the knuckles, and a pair of Shinobi sandals.
Chloe wore a dark blue shirt that had 'For the Queen' printed across the front, a pair of denim shorts that showed off her legs, and a pair of Shinobi sandals.
Celestine took a little bit longer since she wanted something more comfortable for her large breasts. Eventually she settled for a bright pink tank top with a 'Peace' symbol on the front, like Chloe she took a pair of Denim shorts and wore her own sandals for footwear.
"Heh. You girls look good." Naruto spoke, complimenting the elves on their new outfits. The Elf Queen scoffed and muttered something about looking good in almost anything. The Half-Elf waved his compliment off but inwardly appreciated the praise anyway. While the fallen goddess seemed to be giving a happy smile.
"Ummm. Naruto? Why do you have those three wearing Elf Ears? Is that a fetish of yours or something? They… they look awfully real." Tenten asked, noticing that even after the girls had exited the changing rooms, they hadn't taken off their pointed ears.
Naruti raised an eyebrow at the odd question and then realized he hadn't mentioned they were actually real true-to-life elves. He chuckled and answered her "About that… they're real. You're looking at three real life elves." At his words, the weapon user's jaw dropped to the floor as she saw Celestine's ears twitch a bit.
After a few long moments of silence, The blonde boy snapped his fingers a few times in front of her face only to receive no response. It seemed like her mind had shut down. "Come on Ten-chan. Elves existing can't be the weirdest thing in the world. Not when we have things like Summons and the like. Not to mention there's that weird Sunset Genjutsu your Sensei and Lee does." He spoke trying to snap her from her stupor.
She quickly shook her head and muttered that he made a good point and then something about how vast the world really was. Shrugging, Naruto purchased the girls clothes along with matching outfits for each of them and departed from the store, leaving the bun haired girl to her thoughts.
He decided now was as good a time as any to show his new Slaves around the village so they would know the lay of the land in case they needed to go out on their own or run errands. He showed them the grocery markets, the Hokage tower, pointed out the Hokage mountain, and gave a basic summary of Konoha's history and customs. And finally, he showed them the Academy and gave a brief version of his time there and his goals.
"I see. So your Hokage is your King, chosen by merits and not through blood who rules over your village and its military forces. Is that correct?" Olga asked out of curiosity, earning a nod of confirmation from her master.
"And you wish to someday take this title for yourself. But first you must study and train in this 'Academy' to become a full fledged soldier, err, Ninja." Chloe spoke, though her statement sounded more like a question prompting a 'yes' from the Jinchuuriki.
"And by becoming Hokage you hope to gain the recognition and respect of your peers. And if nothing else, you believe it to be a sort of poetic revenge against those who tried to sabotage your childhood." Celestine noted, once again Naruto gave a quick 'yes'.
"But young Master fail. Twice already. Why?" Ran-Mao asked, tilting her head to the side. He certainly wasn't lacking for stamina, so that wasn't a problem. Was there some other reason?
"Not for lack of trying. My two biggest problems is my lack of Taijutsu training which puts me at a major disadvantage during sparring sessions. And perhaps more importantly, the damned Clone Jutsu. A Technique that lets me create illusionary duplicates of myself, but for some reason I can't cast it properly. No matter how much I practice with it. That goddamn Jutsu cost me my chance at graduation twice now, and I am not about to go through a fourth year in this hell." He explained, his frustration for being held back in the Academy quickly becoming apparent.
"And the teachers? Have they not offered any advice on your plight? Or offered some alternative means for you to make the grade?" The high elf asked with a raised eyebrow, earning a negative shake of the head from the Uzumaki, making her frown and wonder why the teacher were not helping him in school. It seemed strange and suspicious to her.
"Ran-Mao good fighter. Assassin. Know many styles. Can teach Dim mak." The golden eyed slave offered, placing a gently closed fist to an open palm and giving a respectful bow. At her offer, the Uzumaki stared at her in gratitude and amazement and even the elves seemed impressed. Even in the far corners of the world, they'd heard of the legendary 'Touch of Death' employed by masters of pressure points and martial artists. How did this girl learn such advanced techniques? Then again… maybe it was better if they didn't know.
"I would greatly appreciate that Ran-chan. Can we start tomorrow after school?" Her master requested and the human slave curtly nodded without hesitation. Almost as if she were happy to be of any kind of assistance to him. He gave an appreciative smile and clasped his hands behind his head and spoke "Thanks. Anyway girls, if you want, you can explore the village for a while on your own. Just be sure to get back before dark. I'll be at home."
At that, Ran-Mao bowed and departed in a random direction without so much as a word. The Dark Elves decided to check out more of the shops and see if there was anything of interest that may help them in their quest for revenge. Celestine however saw this as the ideal opportunity to warn her master since her fellow elves would be out and about, far out of their range of hearing. "If it is all the same young Master, I'll accompany you home." Celestine offered, earning a shrug from her master as they headed home.
Minutes later, they arrived at their destination. After locking the front door, Naruto made a mental note to have more keys made so his Elven slaves could come and go as they liked. Celestine didn't waste any time in stripping herself of her clothing, leaving her pleasantly plump body on full display. She sat next to her master on the couch and gave him a gentle smile as she spoke "Young Master… there is something I must tell you. I believe that Olga and Chloe will seek to take advantage of your kind nature. They were speaking about how strong your mana is and collecting it by extracting your seed. I believe Chloe will attempt to seduce you so she can collect it for their revenge."
Naruto was surprised by the news, but then… maybe he shouldn't be that surprised. He couldn't blame the Dark Elves to want to go home or seek vengeance against the man who sold them into slavery. "I'll talk to them about it later. If they want to be free, I'll let them go. I have no reason to keep any of you here if you don't want to be. Do you want to go home too?" He asked, and the High Elf shook her head negatively.
"No… I don't think I have the heart to face my people after what happened. But thank you nonetheless… you have a good heart. I felt it the first moment we met. And I felt the pain deep inside of you as well." She spoke with a kind smile, and gently pulled him into a warm embrace, letting his head rest against her soft breasts.
He melted almost instantly, he said nothing but he was grateful for her compassion. Her presence almost felt akin to a mother to him. Celestine felt her mark tingle as she sensed her master's subconsciously wishing for the affections of a mother. She bit her lip for a moment and then spoke "Young master? I… would you be opposed to the idea of me acting as your mother on occasion?"
Naruto blinked his eyes a few times and looked up at her, wondering what brought on such an odd question. Before he could even ask the High Elf continued to speak in a voice filled with compassion "Please. Your lack of parentage has left a gaping hole in your heart, you have never known the love and affection of a mother figure. And I hope, in some small capacity I can fill that void."
The Jinchuuriki blushed a bit at her kind words and replied "Th-thank you Celes-chan. I guess… it wouldn't be so bad." He mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed since he wasn't sure how else to react to her words. She nodded in appreciation and gently placed his head into her lap, softly stroking his head, while humming a small tune. The Uzumaki quietly listened to her and felt himself melt away, basking in the comforting and warm presence of the High Elf. As this went on, Celestine caught a small glimpse of a vision… she couldn't clearly see it… but she could have sworn she saw a familiar figure in it.
Unsure of what to make of her vision, she shrugged her shoulders and decided to put it to the back of her mind. Her master was what was important now. Speaking of her master… she now found herself glancing at his crotch, still remembering when Ran-Mao had shown off his penis and stroked him with her feet to an explosive orgasm. Just from taking in the scent of his semen and seeing his shaft… had awoken something in her. Desire.
However, she wouldn't dare force herself onto him unless he was all right with it, that aside… she didn't want to risk spoiling the comfortable mood. For now, it was enough to simply be here for him. The sound of snoring was soon heard as her master had fallen asleep. Giving a soft smile, she gently carried him to his bed and tucked him in, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek as a show of affection. With that, she quietly left the room and allowed him his rest, knowing he would need it both for school and when he spoke with her counterparts, the Dark Elves.
A short while later.
Naruto yawned as he awoke from his nap, feeling refreshed and found himself in his bed. He guessed that Celestine placed him there, he felt a familiar weight on him and smirked as he turned his head to the side, finding the stoic gaze of Ran-Mao watching him. "Hey Ran-chan. What did you do today?" He asked her with a smile, the only response he got from her was 'scouting'.
He raised an eyebrow at her answer but said nothing about it as he got up from the bed and stretched "Chloe and Olga make it back yet?" He asked, and the golden eyed woman gave a curt 'yes'. He muttered a quick thanks and entered the living area where he found the Elves watching television. A horror movie played on the screen as a female was shown running through the woods, screaming hysterically.
Celestine had her face hidden behind a pillow while the two brown skinned elves watched the movie with a scrutinizing gaze. "Why does this female scream so loudly and so much? The only thing she can do to make it easier for the killer to find her is to drop to her knees and wait for him to end her existence as a whore." Olga asked more to herself as she crossed one leg over the other.
The Uzumaki chuckled a bit and spoke "Horror movies are filled with all kinds of cliches. And yes, the sluts are always amongst the first to die." He took a seat next to Celestine and placed a gentle hand on her thigh, putting her at ease since she didn't seem to like scary movies. He then turned to the Dark Elves and spoke "Olga? Chloe? We need to talk."
"About what?" The Fallen Queen asked in a disinterested voice, her attention locked on the screen as she gave it a judging look while muttering things like 'run for it' or 'not that way' or 'A drunk donkey can move faster'.
"I know that you want to collect my mana." He spoke plainly, making the Dark Elves stiffen in their seats and turn towards him, they glanced over towards the High elf and suspected that she had told him about their plans. Before they could get a word in, he raised a hand and continued to speak "Now girls, I'm not mad at you. I already know that you just want to go home and take your revenge on the guy that sold you into slavery. If you really want to go home that badly… I'll see about letting you go free. I promise. Tomorrow after school, I'll head straight for the Hokage's office and ask what it will take to let you go. I promise."
They were absolutely stunned at his words, he knew that they had conspired against him but he wasn't going to punish them? And more importantly… he was just going to cut them loose? "You're just going to let us go? Just like that? What's the catch?" Chloe asked suspiciously, sending him a suspicious glare.
"No catch. No strings attached. No hidden agendas. I wanted to save you from being stuck with someone who might do horrible things to you, and so I did. If you don't want to stay, I don't have any right to force you to. Simple as that." He explained as if it were the most simple thing in the world. The Elves sensed the sincerity in his voice and saw no signs of deception.
Olga gave a light smile and then in a surprising gesture, she bowed to him on one knee, shocking her fellow Elves. For never had they known a time when Olga willingly bowed to someone. The Queen looked up to her master and spoke "Young one… no… Naruto-dono. If you free us, we shall never forget your kindness. We will eternally be grateful to you. And we look forward to hearing the good news as soon as possible. Thank you… for everything. For being patient with us and for treating us with compassion and dignity."
Chloe pursed her lips for a moment and mimicked her Queen by dropping to one knee as well, bowing respectfully to the young human and gave a brief 'Thank you' since she could find no other words to express her gratitude. "It's no big deal. I'll get back to you on that once I talk with the old man. Until then, please bear with it for a little longer." He requested, earning nods of patient understanding from the Dark Elves.
"What of you Celestine? Will you be coming with us?" Olga asked her counterpart, who gave a quick shake of the head.
"No. I believe I'll stay with the Young master and fade into anonymity. Besides… I'm not sure that I can go back after what happened." The High Elf explained earning a nod of understanding from her longtime enemy. There were things that couldn't be unseen or unheard after all. But that damned Mercenary needed to pay dearly, if he were allowed to continue his mad conquests then who knows what kind of damage he could do?
Naruto then approached the fallen Queen and wrapped her in a hug, she was surprised by the gesture but relaxed into it and returned it. "I know we've only been together for only a day, but it was nice having you here. I'll miss you and Chloe and I hope you'll come back and visit. Just… do me a favor. Don't become as bad as the guy you're after." The blonde spoke and then broke off the hug. His words touched the hearts of the brown skinned Elves as they smiled a little.
"If there were more humans like you that cared more for the lives of others instead of personal gain. That valued good food, home, and happiness above money and power, the world would be a brighter place. We elves live long lives, but we also have long memories thus we can carry old hatreds and grudges for centuries. But… so long as there are humans like you, perhaps a dream for peace isn't so naive." Olga spoke then gave a small wink to Celestine who returned the gesture as she beamed happily.
Naruto crossed his arms with a toothy grin and spoke "With that said, we should have a big feast and celebrate your soon-to-come freedom! Ran-Chan! I need your help with the cooking!" He called out, waiting for his first slave to appear. However she was nowhere to be seen. It was kind of strange since she was usually so prompt. Where could she have gone? She was just in bed with him a few minutes ago.
The lock to the front door clicked as Ran-Mao appeared fully clothed, although she was covered in a bit of dirt and grime and her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat. She was carrying a burlap sack over her shoulder and locked the door behind her. "What were you doing Ran-chan? And what's in that sack?" The whiskered teen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Hunting. Secret. Tell later. Master call for dinner?" She asked at the end, prompting her master to nod and then she tossed the sack into a nearby closet where it landed with a soft thump. Her response earned some confused looks but they decided not to question it. Not when they had dinner on their minds.
A short while later, their home was soon filled with the smell of delicious food and the sounds of joyful and light hearted conversation. Although unknown to them… they had no idea what tomorrow had in store for them.
The next morning.
"Kami. Why do the weekends have to be so damn short and pass by so fucking quickly?" Naruto grumbled irritably as he made the inevitable march towards the Academy. He couldn't wait for the day of graduation so he wouldn't need to make this walk anymore or have to listen to any more history lectures.
If he had to listen to one more damned lecture about Konoha's founding, he was going to jump out the nearest window. He walked down the all too familiar halls and entered his classroom where the other students were already gathered and chatting amongst themselves.
"Well look who it is! The perverted slave owner." Sakura spoke mockingly, pointing an accusatory finger at the blonde with her fellow Fangirls following her example, like a bunch of mindless sheep.
He didn't even bother responding as he took a seat next to Hinata since it was the farthest one from the pinkette. The Harunk bristled a bit at being ignored and continued to hound the Uzumaki "Do you feel proud of yourself you piece of crap. I bet you make them waltz around in the buck all day long, and you corrupt them and rape them until they became mindless whores."
The blonde couldn't help but chuckle under his breath a little. She wasn't completely wrong about the nudity, but she wasn't exactly right since he didn't 'make' them. And if anything, Ran-Mao was the one corrupting him with their nightly sessions. She even woke him up with a morning blowjob today to cure his morning erection.
"Did… did you just laugh?! You think this is funny?!" Sakura screeched in anger, her face turning red in frustration and rage with a vein bulging across her forehead.
"Shut up." Came a quiet voice but it was still loud enough for the Haruni to hear… but it didn't come from the Uzumaki. It took a moment to realize the source of the voice belonged to Hinata.
"Wow. You actually managed to say something without a stutter. But I don't think I quite got the message. You wanna say it again? Louder this time?" Sakura asked and held a hand to her ear, waiting for the Hyuuga's response.
"I told you to shut your pie hole you gold digging slut. Nobody is impressed with your little 'morally superior' act." Hinata spoke bluntly, and this time her voice was heard all across the classroom. Everyone was now staring at Hinata since they couldn't ever remember a time when she'd spoken like that before. This was way out of character for her.
"Wha?" Sakura blubbered as she felt herself shrink down beneath Hinata's gaze. The sounds of snickering directed at her made her shrink even more, forcing her into silence as she decided it would be best to avoid further making a scene and risk further humiliation.
Hinata gave a satisfied sigh as she sat back down, the blonde boy giving her an appreciative look for shutting up Sakura and verbally tearing into her. "Thanks Hinata-san. That was pretty awesome." He spoke with a cheeky grin.
"Think nothing of it Naruto-kun. My clan gets a bad reputation as well for slavery… though I admit it may be well-deserved." She replied somberly, reminding the whiskered teen about the Caged Bird seal he'd heard about that was a highly controversial topic to this day. Nasty business.
He decided not to say anything for fear of accidentally saying anything that may unintentionally be hurtful. All the while, Hinata was looking at him. She swallowed a lump in her throat and asked hesitantly "Naruto-kun… Can we speak… privately tomorrow?"
He raised an eyebrow, wondering what it was she wanted. A confession maybe? He did remember a time when Hinata actively followed him around until he asked her to stop since it made him uncomfortable. Fortunately she apologized and respected his wishes. Was she actually crushing on him? If so, for how long?
Nevertheless he nodded in agreement since he wanted to know what she really wanted. If he was wrong, it was an honest mistake on his part. And if he was right… well… he'd figure that part out later.
Finally, Iruka and Mizuki entered and class began, thus starting another day of torture for the Jinchuuriki who had lulled himself into a trance since he already knew what was to come. His days at the Academy couldn't come to a close fast enough.
Later. Hokage office.
Hiruzen sighed as he was busy reading reports, trying to follow up on that lead Scarlet had given him. But so far nothing had turned up.
One theory suggested the slaves were bought in bulk to kickstart a new Market in some minor village, which made little sense. For one, D-rank slaves are cheap and not good for making profits. The real money came from B-rank slaves and up. Secondly, the biggest and best markets are all found in the Major villages where they were carefully supervised by the Kages, although in Kiri's case, the market there had crashed due to the Civil war.
The second theory was… significantly more disturbing. So much so that he was unsure if he wanted to consider it… or perhaps because he couldn't imagine anyone who would do something so cruel and horrible. But he couldn't discount it… it was possible that since all the slaves were female and were bought in intervals, they were potentially being used as breeding factories.
A truly despicable facet that was banned and deemed inhumane even amongst the community of most Slave owners. Keyword most.
Usually, Breeding factories existed for one of three purposes. The first two technically coincided. First, to produce future soldiers. Second, to produce rare bloodlines found in a male donor. Third, to produce even more slaves for profits.
And of these purposes, the reproduction of Bloodlines was by far the most common. It was possible that someone was planning to forcibly take a semen sample from Sasuke Uchiha and artificially inseminate multiple females to revive the Sharingan… if they haven't already. He would need to question Sasuke and see if anything unusual had happened around or to him, or if any strangers approached him.
The Sandaime's musing was cut short when there was a knock on his door, prompting him to call to his visitor to enter. He was pleased to see that it was Naruto who seemed to have a sleepy expression on his face. "Hello Naruto-kun. Have fun at the Academy today?" The aged Hokage asked in a mocking tone, only for the boy to flip him the bird, making him chuckle at his response.
"I heard you scored big at the Slave Lottery. Most impressive. But anyway, is there something you need? I have just reevaluated your stipend to accommodate your new slaves. More slaves means more expenses after all." The Sandaime spoke and showed the paperwork for the updated stipend, the amount making the blonde's eyes almost pop out of his head.
Shaking off his surprise the boy spoke "erm… thanks Jiji. But you may need to do it again. I wanted to ask how I could free any Slaves that want to be well… free." Once he had finished speaking, the Sandaime seemed a bit surprised but cleared his throat to prepare himself for what will be a long explanation.
"I see. I can only assume your slaves haven't told you, or they themselves are unaware… but the fact of the matter is… there is no way to truly free them." The Sandaime said with a saddened expression, the blonde boy seemed utterly shocked and confused, prompting the Hokage to elaborate "The Slave Seal used by the SMA is a very intricate piece of work. Even if a master was kind enough to try and release his slaves, the Slaves would either be compelled by the seal to return to his service, and if he still tries to send them away they would be forced to return to the markets.
And even if they were somehow able to resist the compulsion for a time, the results would still be the same. Additionally, any attempts to tamper with the seal outside of certain parameters would render the bearer in a catatonic state, and any attempts to outright remove it would be met with death via a seizure.
Some slaves have believed that by killing their master they'd be free. However, it doesn't allow them to consciously harm their master with the intention to kill. And even if they employed a third party to do the deed, upon the death of their master… they would expire as well. Hence why the Seal requires the blood of the current master as a means of control and as a countermeasure. To put a long story short, once you're marked as a Slave, you'll forever be one until death."
Naruto was stunned by the explanation, he grit his teeth and his fists clenched into a white knuckle grip as he spoke "That's bullshit! Aren't they given any chance at freedom at all? You mentioned something about prisoners serving their time right? What if their time is up?"
"Life sentences Naruto-kun. Life sentences. However, it's not uncommon for the SMA to trick prisoners with sentences of ten or more years into signing themselves into slavery to avoid prison. However what they aren't told is that regardless of how long their sentence is, regardless if it is a month, a year, or fifty years… slavery is permanent." The Hokage explained with a tired sigh.
"And no one knows about this? This… this is wrong. It's bad enough that people are being forced into lives of bondage… but they aren't even given a chance for freedom. How can the Daimyo's let this crap go on?!" Naruto shouted as he slammed his fists into the Hokage's desk.
"It is a tightly kept secret, and not common knowledge to the public, otherwise it'd be harder to deceive people into signing themselves away. And I, along with the other Kages, are bound by gag orders. If we try to expose the truth to the general public, we run the risk of paying massive and crippling reparations. And don't you dare think of saying anything or try to spread the word, anything you say will be shut down, and as punishment your slaves will be taken from you and you'll be banned from the markets.
And Naruto-kun… don't forget that it is BECAUSE of the Daimyo's that this awful trade is permitted to continue. So long as the Daimyo's get their due and the SMA abides by certain rules and regulations, they are free to go about their business. All I can do is oversee them and make sure they're following the rules. And Director Scarlet has done so to the letter." The Hokage explained, feeling as though a few years had been snatched away from him for dealing with this inhumane practice day after day and was powerless to do anything about it.
The Uzumaki pursed his lips and tears started to form in the corners of his eyes as he muttered "But… I promised them… I promised…" How could he face Chloe and Olga after giving them false hope? Even if it was unintentional, he'd given them a thread of hope… and now he was going to be forced to snatch it all away from them. "I… I don't feel so good. I don't feel so good." The blonde mumbled as he felt a pit form in his stomach.
He needed to get out of here, get some air… but he couldn't go home. He couldn't bear to tell the Elves the awful truth. This was too much for him to take right now.
End chapter Three.
Guest characters so far:
Scarlet. (FF series.)
Naruto's slaves thus far.
Ran-Mao. (Black Butler series. Aka Kuroshitsuji.)
Celestine. (Kuroinu.)
Olga. (Kuroinu.)
Chloe. (Kuroinu.)
