Chapter four: Pipe dreams.
Dark clouds loomed over Konoha, and in the Uzumaki residence the four Slaves could be seen milling about their business. Ran-Mao was sitting on the dining room table, staring out a nearby window as if she were keeping a constant vigil, her golden eyes almost seemingly never blinking the whole time.
The Elves seemed to be having a Janken tournament to determine who had control of the TV remote, Chloe had already lost so now it was down to the Goddess and her dark counterpart. The two stared each other down, trying to read one another to determine what the most suitable play would be. Finally, they started tapping their fists on an open palm… and Celestine chose scissors, defeating Olga who'd chosen paper.
"Goddamn it!" The Queen cursed at her loss while the High Elf made a happy giggle as she plucked the remote from a nearby table. "I warn you now Celestine. If you choose to watch something with a bratty bald child again I will smother you with your own breasts!" Olga promised as she plopped herself down on the couch with a pouting expression, crossing her arms beneath her bare breasts which pushed them out a bit while her aide sat next to her.
"Not to worry… I won't be making that dreadful mistake again." The High Elf promised as she turned on the television and began flipping through the channels for anything of interest. Thankfully learning how to use this technology was quite easy and simple, very intuitive even so it didn't take very long for them to adjust.
Chloe anxiously looked at the clock as she awaited Naruto's return, eagerly waiting for news of when they could be released. "Oi… isn't it taking a while for Naruto-san to be coming home?" The half-elf asked as she chewed the inside of her cheek a bit, glancing towards the door as if she were expecting the young master to appear at any moment.
"Too long. Worried." Ran-Mao muttered quietly as she pressed her fingers together, watching the storm clouds gather. Something was wrong, she knew it in her gut. Sighing to herself, she quickly redressed and announced "Going. Search. Find Master." With that said, the golden eyed woman left the apartment.
Celestine looked down at the remote and sighed to herself, if her master was in some kind of trouble, she couldn't sit around indulging in television. She tossed the remote to black haired Elf and quickly put on her own clothes "Wait for me Ran-Chan! I want to help!" The High Elf called out as she chased after the Chinese woman.
Chloe hmmed quietly and then asked her queen "Should we go looking too? I'm feeling a little anxious for some reason." At that, Olga ran a hand through her silky black hair and scoffed a bit as she rose to her full height.
"No point in searching if we don't know where to look. Come, we'll prepare a tracking spell to pinpoint his position and work from there." The fallen Queen announced as she began rifling through the kitchen for a pot and the needed ingredients for the spell. Fortunately it was a pretty basic spell that could be done with household ingredients, the most key ingredient was something that came from the intended target's body.
A drop of blood, a strand of hair. Anything of that nature. There was sure to be some hair stuck to their master's pillows. "My queen… are you worried about him?" Chloe asked with a raised eyebrow since she couldn't ever remember a time when her mistress had ever cared for someone that wasn't a Dark Elf, much less care for a human.
Olga pursed her lips for a moment and answered "I… maybe so. He is but a boy. And he has treated us fairly and has agreed to free us. As our patron, we must repay our debts to him. Now fetch me a hair sample, there should be some in the master's pillowcase since it hasn't yet been cleaned. Swiftly now." The Queen commanded as she placed a large pot on the kitchen counter as her aide nodded and went to their master's bedroom.
With any luck, the sooner they brought him home, the sooner they would be free. However the Dark Elves had to quietly admit… there was indeed something endearing about that boy. Something pure and kind in him that brought out a part of them that they didn't think existed. Regardless of his promise to them, at the moment, they just wanted to make sure he got home safely.
Meanwhile. (? POV)
Darkness. Water. Salty water. Drowning. Suffocation. Floating. Weightlessness. These were what she had felt, tasted, and experienced… but now she only felt one thing… emptiness. There was nothing in her anymore. Not memory, not pain, not anything. Why was she here? What was she doing? Who was she? What was her purpose?
Life slowly filled her again as she somehow gained the strength to move. Sluggishly she crawled in a narrow space, her body barely able to fit in these confines, the surroundings being wet, sticky, and there was an unholy foulness in what little air available that couldn't possibly be put into words. Then she saw it… a light. Shining in the darkness. Beckoning to her. Calling her. With newfound strength she began to claw her way out, for every second she wasted, her light was getting farther away from her.
She tried to call out, she tried to plead with it, to beg it to stay. But no sounds would come from her mouth. 'Don't go! Don't go! Come back!' she screamed in her mind. She finally reached the end of the tunnel but was blocked by some kind of a gate. Still the light retreated ever farther away. But without a voice, she could not let the light know she was here. Tears leaked from her eyes… until she suddenly found something small and metallic in her hands.
Grunting desperately, she began banging on the gates with the object in her hand, creating a loud 'CLANG' sound. Again and again, she smashed the metal object against the gates, creating as much noise as possible, hoping the light was still in earshot. And then… a miracle! The light was returning, ever closer it came, shining as bright as the sun. Its warm presence caused tears of joy to fill her eyes and her heart fluttered. Finally, the light, no, the sun was within arms reach of her.
"What happened to you? Are you okay?" The sun asked in a worried voice. In response she could only nod her head, her voice finally returning as she croaked out in a hoarse voice "Yes… your… high...ness…"
A minute earlier. (Regular POV)
Naruto sighed as he had his hands clasped behind his head as he aimlessly wandered about. He had no real destination in mind, he was just trying to avoid going home and having to explain the horrible truth to his slaves. Both Ran-Mao and Celestine expressed no desire to leave… but now… he felt he had just betrayed the trust that Chloe and Olga had placed in him. How would they react?
Would they be angry? Would they fall into a deep depression? Would they lash out? He didn't know… and he had no idea how to soften the blow, or if there was even a way to ease whatever pain he was going to be forced to inflict on them with the terrible news. "This… is wrong…" The blonde grumbled, feeling completely helpless at the moment. He looked up towards the sky and saw the storm clouds gathering. He sighed, knowing he was just delaying the inevitable. He would need to return sooner or later. He just wished he had better news to give.
Sighing in defeat, he decided to make the long march towards home and began walking towards his apartment… only to stop when he heard a loud metallic clang. He paused for a moment and wondered if he was hearing things, but then he heard it again. It sounded like someone was trying to get someone's attention… whoever it was could likely be in trouble. Not wanting to leave someone in trouble behind, he walked towards the general direction of the noise to investigate.
It wasn't long before he managed to track the clanging to a sewer pipe, where he saw a figure covered in filth and god knows what else. He approached the figure, desperately trying to resist the urge to vomit as the overwhelming stench grew stronger the closer he got. From what he could tell, the figure was a woman, but he couldn't see if she was injured or not. "What happened to you? Are you okay?" He asked, hoping she wasn't seriously injured. If she was, then she'd no doubt need a hospital.
He could see her mouth moving as if to speak and then heard her croak out "Yes… your… high...ness…" He raised an eyebrow and wondered if she was perhaps delirious, most likely she had some kind of a head injury.
"What kind of sick bastard would attack a woman and dump them into a sewer. When I find the asshole that did this to you, I'll kick his ass." The blonde swore angrily, he looked about wondering if there was anyone passing by that could help, but the streets were empty. And thunder was rumbling in the sky. He feared that if the rain came down heavily enough, it was possible this poor woman may end up drowning. He tried to lift the gate open with all his might but it refused to budge, it was much too heavy for him to lift on his own. He needed to find help and quickly.
"Stay right there! I'm going to get help." He promised and turned to leave, only for his wrist to be caught in a firm yet slimy grip. He cringed a bit in disgust as he turned back towards the trapped woman who was now looking at him with tearful blue eyes as she whispered in a clearer voice "No. Please. Stay. I don't want… to be alone."
"But if I don't go, you could drown. Just look at the sky!" He warned her, pointing towards the darkening and rumbling clouds overhead with his free hand. She simply shook her head, her gaze never leaving him as if to say she was now more afraid of being all alone than of death… a sentiment that Naruto himself shared. He nodded begrudgingly and agreed to stay with her.
He took a deep breath then called for help as loudly as his lungs would allow, his voice echoing across the empty streets… but none came. He tried again, and again, shouting and screaming as loudly as possible, but no one heeded his calls. Either no one could hear him… or they simply didn't care enough to help. "Bastards. Sitting all comfy in their little homes and personal bubbles, oblivious to a woman trapped in a goddamn sewer pipe." He cursed angrily as he tried to catch his breath, his chest heaving and lungs burning from his efforts.
He then turned to the trapped woman and asked "What's your name?" He was only met with silence from her, suggesting either she didn't know her own name, or she didn't want to give it. Though given her current predicament, he believed it to be the former reason, especially if she had some kind of head injury. "Are you hurt or bleeding from anywhere?" He asked in concern, he couldn't tell due to all the filth and grime coating her body. He sincerely hoped she didn't have any open injuries that could get infected or get some kind of weird disease.
The woman checked herself over for a brief moment and replied "No. I don't think so." The whiskered teen gave a sigh of relief at that… but a droplet of water hit the top of his head, reminding him of the rain that was coming soon. "Lady, I have to go NOW. It looks like a big ass storm is coming this way." He tried to warn her, trying to pull his hand free, but she wouldn't let go.
"Naruto-dono!" A familiar voice called out as the Dark Elves came running up to him, making the blonde sigh in utter relief. "What's going on here?" Chloe asked, demanding an explanation as she drew a kitchen knife, as she glared at the unknown woman in the pipe, likely believing that she was trying to hurt the Uzumaki.
"Found this weird lady stuck in this pipe. We gotta get her out, like right now!" Naruto spoke, prompting the Elves to nod as they started to pull on the steel gate, making it creak and groan a little as it stubbornly refused to budge. At last, the woman released the Jinchuuriki allowing him to help the dark elves try and lift the gate open, but it was stuck tight. He sincerely hoped it hadn't been welded shut or this woman was screwed to hell.
"I can't believe we're doing this… for some stranger." Chloe muttered since she and her queen had never done anything like this before. Their usual exploits lied in the destruction of others.
"Silence! Pull harder Chloe! No living being deserves to die like this!" Olga shouted as the rain began to fall more heavily, blanketing the area as a heavy monsoon came. As the seconds ticked by, filthy water began to pour out of the pipe, and it seemed to be getting stronger and filling the pipe further. The Queen mentally cursed herself, angry that her powers were limited at this moment. If she could, she'd have summoned flames strong enough to cut through but this infernal deluge would likely snuff out any fire she produced.
They could hear the woman coughing and sputtering as the water got higher. "PULL! PULL!" Chloe screamed out, her ears twitching when she heard the sounds of metal scraping against metal. "It's moving! Keep pulling!" The Half-Elf shouted out, trying to urge her allies to keep going.
"I'm trying! The ground's all slippery!" Naruto shouted as the ground was now muddy, their feet sinking into the earth and making it difficult for them to get any leverage or traction. Olga suddenly got an idea and began changing in an unfamiliar language and ice began to form along the gates edges.
"If we can't lift this damn thing open, we'll force it open!" The Queen shouted as the ice began to creep along the edges, the sounds of metal straining and groaning could be heard as the Ice expanded… Finally the strain was too much as the steel workings couldn't handle the pressure and some small explosions could be heard. "PULL!" Olga shouted, prompting the two blondes to yank hard with their remaining might, and the gate popped out of place, causing them to toss it into the mud. And at last, the stranger trapped in the pipe came spilling out, the water pressure forcing her out making her land in the mud with a wet splat.
Both blondes grabbed the woman's arms and pulled her clear of the water flow allowing them to check her over. She displayed no signs of movement or breathing, so Naruto dropped to his knees and began performing compressions on her chest, hoping to force the water out of her lungs. After just a few tries, the woman's eyes snapped open and she coughed up the water inside of her, gasping for air before passing out again. Only this time her chest could be seen moving up and down with each breath.
They all panted in exhaustion, with Chloe muttering between breaths "You… must love… saving… damsels… in distress." At her words, the Jinchuuriki tiredly waved a dismissive hand.
"If I see someone in trouble, I'm gonna do my best to help. Anyway, how'd you find me?" The whiskered teen asked, causing the Elf Queen to flash a map hidden inside an inner pocket of her jacket which had some kind of paint like substance on it and explained they used a minor tracking spell to track down his location while the others went off looking for him without so much as a plan.
With any luck, they'd return home soon. The Dark Elves then looked down at the woman they had saved, the heavy rain quickly washing away the filth and mud off of her body, showing her brown skin and light blue hair. "Should we take this woman to a hospital?" Chloe asked as she picked the unknown woman up and slung her over her shoulders.
Naruto shook his head negatively and replied "I don't think that's a good idea. I believe someone may have tried killing her. If we take her to a hospital, they might find out she survived and try again. For now, we'll take her home and inform the Hokage. He should be able to handle things from there." The two elves nodded in agreement since that seemed the best course of action for now.
Hopefully this lady could tell them more when they woke up. Without a word further, they began to march through the rain towards home, any thought of their freedom was currently cast aside in favor of aiding a fellow woman, the Jinchuuriki for his part however… was still fearing the moment they'd ask him about being freed. He had to shake his head to clear his thoughts, for now, this strange woman came first.
Minutes later.
It didn't take long for them to make it back, they groaned as they stepped through the apartment door and shivered due to the cold rain. Fortunately, Ran-Mao was already there, with some warm towels at the ready "Welcome. Couldn't find master. Came back. Celestine not home yet. Who's this?" The Chinese woman asked and observed the newcomer that was currently being carried over Chloe's shoulder.
"Not sure yet. I found her stuck in a sewer pipe." Naruto quickly replied and helped Chloe deposit their new guest into his bed and placed her beneath the covers to get warm. The trio then stripped off their clothes and began to dry themselves off with the provided towels. The blonde wanted to ask if they should go out looking for their missing High Elf, but a knock at the door was heard. When they opened it, they found Celestine had come back, drenched and looking almost like a drowned rat as she let out a loud sneeze.
"Thank goodness you're safe young master! We were all worried about you!" She spoke and then wrapped him in a hug, her wet clothes sticking to him making him sweat-drop since he'd only just dried off, but nevertheless he was glad she had come back safely. The rainfall likely forced her to return home.
After a few minutes of drying off, Ran-Mao was now serving hot chocolate to everyone and then planted herself in Naruto's lap as he explained how he found the woman in the pipe, and then recounted both Olga and Chloe's heroics. His story earned a happy expression from Celestine who teased her counterpart that she had definitely grown as a person in so short a time if she now felt things like compassion.
Olga tried to deny it, claiming it was a simple spur of the moment but the whiskered teen knew otherwise. Chloe took a sip of hot chocolate and enjoyed the warm feeling flowing through her for a moment and then spoke "Oi. Did you speak with your Hokage? Did he say what it would take to free us?"
At that, Naruto swallowed dryly since he knew there was no avoiding it. The Uzumaki bit his lip and spoke in a somber voice "You're… you're not going to like what I have to tell you…" He then explained everything he had learned from the Hokage, the Elves giving off shocked gasps while Ran-Mao simply raised an eyebrow.
Olga crossed her arms beneath her bust and had her eyes closed as she carefully contemplated his words, though it was plain to see she was deeply mortified by this truth… she could never go home nor ever be free ever again. Any chances of retaking her homelands and her throne had just been whisked away. However, there was currently a deeper concern for her. She looked to her aide and found the Half-elf trembling terribly.
"You… you're lying. YOU'RE LYING!" Chloe screeched angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at the blonde boy who simply shook his head with a look of depression on his face. He honestly and truly wished it were a lie, but it wasn't. There was nothing he could say or do to make it better either.
"You promised to let us go! YOU PROMISED!" The Half elf screamed and tossed her mug towards the wall, shattering it and splattering the contents on the wall and floor. She seemed ready to lunge towards the boy but was stopped when she found herself trapped in Ran-Mao's grip. "Quiet. Calm. Not helping." The martial artist spoke as she kept a firm grip on her captive, preventing her from moving.
"She's right Chloe. Lashing out against the young master isn't helping. The real villain in this is Volt, if you want to blame anyone, blame that man! Naruto-sama had no idea about this!" Celestine spoke, trying to calm the Half-Elf, whose face was flushed crimson in anger.
"I don't care! This is all the fault of humans! All of your kind should have rotted away in the muck where it belongs! It is because of your entire race that so many people suffer. Hell, you even murder each other for coin, for women, and other petty things. I hope you die a horrible death you…" Chloe ranted angrily, but was then silenced by a hard slap across the face from her Queen.
"Chloe… it's over. This is our new lot in life. Now be a proper Elf and have some dignity. Naruto-dono is, and forever will be our master. Without him, we would have become the playthings of more vile humans similar to Volt. We should be thanking him for his kindness, not spitting in his face for something out of his control." Olga spoke in an even tone, though from her eyes, it was easy to see the strong emotions running through her as tears welled up.
"But… my Queen…" The Half Elf tried to speak, but was cut off when the black haired Elf spoke "Silence Chloe. Do not shame yourself any further. I am not your Queen any longer. You have stood faithfully by my side for many years even after I pulled you from your original life as a slave. But those days are over. I am Olga, and you are Chloe, and we now serve our master Naruto Uzumaki until the end of our days. The sooner we accept this reality… the easier it will be for both of us. I suppose… after years of conquest, murder, and so forth… the gods forcefed me my just desserts."
Naruto frowned deeply as he asked Chloe "You were a slave originally? Before we met?" at his questions, she gave a sad nod which made him realize that she must have been utterly heartbroken upon hearing this news. He couldn't imagine how it felt to be a slave, to regain your freedom, and then have it snatched away a second time, and then when offered another chance… it is all crushed in an instant.
"I'm sorry. Really. I wish I could free you. I really do. I'm sorry that this was all forced on you. I don't have any right to keep you against your will… but I don't know what else to do except try my best to take good care of you all. So long as I'm around, I promise to keep you all safe from those who'd take advantage of you." He spoke, reaffirming his resolve to protect them from harm.
At hearing his words, Chloe relaxed, prompting Ran-Mao to let her go. Tears formed in the Half-elf's eyes as she slowly got up and walked away, muttering that she needed to lie down. He couldn't blame her, she probably needed some time to process her current position. Olga sighed as she rubbed her temples and spoke to her master "Do not fret. Truthfully, I had a strong feeling something like this may happen. Nevertheless, the fact you had fully intended to release us shows that you have a good heart and a lot of integrity. I may not have a choice, but… I shall put my faith and trust in you. Please… don't abuse it."
He gave a reassuring smile and happily nodded, thankful that she was still willing to trust him. Celestine then piped in "Young Master? I don't wish to be rude… but I think you need and our Dark Elf friends should get a bath."
"Stinky. Smell like poo." Ran-Mao also spoke as she retrieved some air freshener and started spraying it, a small part of her wishing she hadn't sat on her master a moment ago, now she herself felt a bit dirty as well.
"Oh. Sewer pipe." Naruto muttered as he remembered, while the rain had largely washed it away on their way back, he supposed the stench was still lingering on their skin. The former Queen sighed as she grabbed her master by the wrist and spoke "Come along. We had best wash ourselves and quickly before we catch a disease. Ran-Mao? Tell Chloe to take a bath after we're done." At her request the Chinese woman gave a swift nod, a warm bath would do some good for all of them.
Once Naruto and Olga entered the bathroom, the former didn't waste much time in getting to water running in the tub, being sure to set it to a comfortable temperature before plugging the drain with the stopper. She slowly eased herself into the large tub and beckoned her master to join her "Come now. We see each other nude and you do lewd things with Man-Mao, so you don't need to be shy." She spoke since he seemed a bit hesitant to enter the tub.
"Eh. It's not that. I guess…" He tried to explain that he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable or anything, but she silenced him with a raised hand and spoke "Hush. I invited you already, did I not? If we're to live together as Master and Slave, you must be more assertive with your desires."
"But I don't want you to feel forced to act in a certain way or anything like that." He muttered as he rubbed the back of his head, earning a small scoff from the Queen.
"I forget. Owning the life of another being is still new to you. Your Ran-Mao, does she seem forced to act the way she does? Does she pamper you because you beat her if she doesn't? Does she lie in your bed because you whip her? Does she fornicate with you because you force yourself on her and she has no choice? She acts the way she does because she wants to, and for no other reason. If we want to do something for you or with you, it is because we choose to.
And if you desire something, you need only ask. And if we don't like it and express our discomfort, you need only respect our wishes. It's that simple. Now get into the bath before you catch some strange disease after being swamped by that filth." She spoke and then pointed towards the bath water surrounding her.
Naruto sighed and realized that she had a point, while he should try to keep their comfort and well being in mind, he shouldn't have to worry about stepping over broken glass or eggshells all the time. "You're right… I guess… I worry that I may let all of this go to my head. I don't want to take advantage of any of you." He mumbled as he stepped into the tub, which was easily large enough to fit three or four people easily, so there was plenty of space for him and the fallen Queen.
"Noble of you. But I don't think that'll be a problem given your character. But be forewarned, there is a difference between showing kindness and generosity to others and allowing those same people to abuse it. Celestine and her alliance found that out the hard way when their own people turned on them when Volt rose to power." She explained to him, making him nod since he was sometimes told by his classmates Shikamaru or Shino that he was too nice for his own good at times, which is what made it so easy for people to pick on or bully him.
Sighing, Olga picked up a bottle of shampoo and poured some of the contents onto his scalp and began to scrub and lather his head with her slender fingers. He wanted to protest and say he could wash himself, but after recalling their conversation he decided to just let her do what she wanted. The Queen smirked a bit and continued her ministrations, being careful not to be too rough on him. "I'm sorry you know. I really am." He muttered in apology, still feeling guilty that he couldn't free them, the wound still fresh in his heart.
"Hush. There's no point in saying 'sorry' over and over for something you cannot help with. You had no prior knowledge nor intentionally gave false hope. You had no desire to cause us any pain, so stop saying you're sorry. If you have the time to say worthless things, then concentrate it on doing what you promised: Caring for us. And if you're worried about Chloe, give her time. She'll come to terms soon." She spoke in a scolding tone, feeling a strong urge to smack him upside the head for being an imbecile.
She wasn't going to spoil him with honeyed words like her counterpart Celestine, she was going to tell him like it was and hammer it into him if need be. Luckily, it seemed the message came through as he nodded, knowing she made a good point. He couldn't change anything by saying he was sorry, that aside, his original goal had never changed. He was still going to protect them.
She smiled a bit and dumped some water on his head, washing away the shampoo. She then grabbed a sponge and poured some body wash on it and scrubbed away at his body. "Hmph. You should be grateful. It's not every day a child like you gets to enjoy a bath with a pureblooded Dark elf. A very rare treat indeed." She spoke with a haughty expression, and then pressed her soft breasts against his back as she scrubbed his chest.
She continued to gently scrub away, her hand drifting down to his stomach, a small blush on her cheeks as she took in the scent of her master. Through the smell of the shampoo and soap, she could detect hints of foxes, of wild forests, and other scents that escaped her memory. And for some reason, it ignited certain desires in her. She had never known the pleasures of male companionship, her old home filled with nothing but lowly servants and filthy swine that believed themselves to be men.
If she were truthful… perhaps some part of her didn't want to go back to such an ugly part of the world. Perhaps she would be happier now that she wasn't bound by the duties of being a Queen and ruling over a kingdom of darkness, she was no longer burdened by anything that entailed her position of power and authority… perhaps that in itself was a kind of freedom she'd never felt before. And now here she was, washing a human boy who was but fifteen years of age.
When she was done washing him, she smiled and spoke "Now then, I washed you. Perhaps you should return the favor?" She suggested with a sultry wink, making him blush a bit, but he nodded all the same since it was only fair. "You needn't worry about my hair. I'll handle it myself. Be sure to get every nook and cranny of me." She spoke and got on all fours to give him easy access to her back and buttocks, prompting him to mumble a quick 'understood' as he poured fresh body wash on the sponge and began scrubbing her body, being careful not to be too rough on her smooth brown skin.
He had to admit, her body felt very nice as his hands roamed her form. She wasn't as plump in certain areas like Celestine, but she was still thicker and most certainly taller than Ran-Mao. His hands still sank a bit into the Dark Elf's buttocks as he tried to scrub down her thighs while trying his best to not stare too much at her pink pussy and her brown pucker. She giggled a bit and spoke "No need to be shy. I get a good look at your genitals all the time. And I must say, it is quite enticing to look at. Feel free to enjoy the view." She gave her rear a small wiggle, making him blush more and ask her to show him her front.
She merely smiled as she flipped over and allowed him to begin washing her front half, his hands roaming her slender stomach and soft breasts. "Still acting so pure and innocent. But how long can you suppress your hormones and desires for a woman's flesh? It is no secret what you do with Ran-Mao. Don't tell me you think you'll be betraying her if you enjoy your other slaves? Perhaps you need to be corrupted even more." She spoke teasingly, giving him a sly wink.
It didn't take a genius to figure out she was obviously trying to seduce him, but he wasn't sure if it was appropriate to have sex so soon after his announcing that they couldn't go free. Was this her way of coping or showing that she was okay with staying? Either way, he didn't want to take it that far quite yet. Sensing his hesitation, the fallen Queen spoke "Trying to play the gentlemanly act? Or are you simply playing hard to get? Either way… it would only make a woman desire you even more, little boy. Best be careful you don't get eaten up." She teased him at the end and licked her lips sensually.
He tried not to let himself get so flustered, but he wasn't used to flirting. Ran-Mao usually expressed herself by actions rather than words. By Kami why couldn't he stop getting all hot and bothered every five minutes?! After a few more seconds, he finished washing the Dark Elf and left the bath with a bow as he muttered "Thanks for bathing me and for talking with me." Before snatching another towel to dry himself off with and departed with a massive erection.
Olga couldn't help but smile to herself. It seemed human boys were quite fun to play with. And she wondered what other games she could play with him. Perhaps she could 'punish' him for leaving her in a state of arousal? She would need to speak with Ran-Mao and discuss with her the best course in opening him up more to sexual matters.
A while later.
The strange family of a Master and his slaves were now gathered around the Dinner table, enjoying their evening meal after everyone had their baths. Chloe was sadly picking at her food, her eyes downcast as a dark cloud of depression hanged over her head, her master wanted to ask if she was okay… but decided against it since she certainly didn't seem okay and he wanted to give her some space. Ran-Mao, as per usual, was sitting in his lap and personally feeding him while the High Elf and her longtime enemy, err, former enemy were chatting about a movie they saw on the TV an hour or so ago. Something about a cowboy and a space ranger that was quite endearing to them for some reason.
"Excuse me… Am I interrupting?" Spoke a new voice, when they turned, they saw it was the woman that Naruto and the Dark Elves had earlier rescued from drowning. She was currently wrapped in a blanket and saw they were all in the nude, though she didn't question it since beneath the blanket she herself was nude and supposed it was some kind of rule of theirs.
"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?" The Uzumaki asked, with a small smile, he was surprised when the Chinese girl hopped off his lap and approached the stranger, giving her an almost piercing gaze as she looked at the woman's face.
"Seem familiar. Met before?" The golden eyed woman asked, making the blue haired woman smile a bit as she shook her head.
"I don't believe so. It would be very difficult to forget a face such as yours." The stranger spoke and then gave a small bow to her host and continued to speak "Thank you for saving me. From the bottom of my heart, and a thousand… no, a million times, thank you."
"Don't worry about it. And it wasn't just me. Chloe and Olga helped too. In fact it was Olga's magic that helped save you." The blonde responded and gestured to the Dark Elves, the fallen Queen smirking in satisfaction to the praise as she ran a hand through her silky hair.
Naruto then asked their new guest "You seemed pretty out of it earlier. Do you remember what happened?" The bluenette adopted a thinking pose for a few moments, as if she were trying to find the answer to his question.
Finally, she replied in a sad tone "I'm afraid I have no memory of how I came to wake in that awful place. Nor do I have any memories… the only thing I remember… is that I am, or was, called Hannah Annafellows. All else is but a fog."
"At least we have a name. I'll ask the Hokage if anyone knows who you are or is looking for you. Until then, you can stay." He offered with a kind smile, both Olga and Celestine smiling at his kind hearted nature while Chloe looked up with a ghost of a smile herself.
"That is all well and good… but I must make a request. Please let me serve you. I owe you my life after all. These women… are they perhaps your servants?" She asked since it didn't seem like they had any relation to him and came to the assumption that perhaps they served him.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably and replied "Erm… no. They're… actually my slaves." He couldn't afford to lie to her, but how would she react to his status as a Slave owner?
"Ah. I see. Very well then." Was her answer, stunning them all at the fact she'd accepted his answer so easily.
"You're not bothered at all that I own slaves? And you aren't surprised to see Elves?" The Jinchuuriki asked, his second question directed towards the fact that she hadn't reacted at all to his Elven slaves yet.
"They're elves?" Hannah asked in mild surprise, making them all wonder if she was totally oblivious or if she was just messing with them. Olga's eyebrow twitched a bit as she dead-panned "These pointy ears aren't for show."
The blue haired woman shrugged her shoulders and replied "You certainly don't treat them as slaves. I may not have memories of my own, but I do recall that slaves are often treated like trash. But here they sit at your table, all of you feasting together as equals. Your bodies being free of any wounds or signs of ill health. I had no idea they were Slaves until you mentioned it."
At her explanation, Naruto realized that she did indeed make a point. He hadn't ever thought about it like that, once again showing him how oblivious and naive he was. "At any rate, please let me serve you. Accept my services as your new maid. Would you not need someone to look after your property and slaves while you're away?" She asked at the end, making the whiskered teen think for a moment before nodding.
He would feel more comfortable knowing someone was watching out for the girls while he was away at school or possibly on missions. Plus with his stipend, he could easily pay her for her time. "Okay, you can stay if you want. It'd be nice to know someone's looking after them for me. As for your first order of business… please take a bath and wash the bedsheets you were sleeping in. You were in a goddamn sewer pipe for crying out loud." Naruto spoke, making Hannah tense up upon realizing she may have soiled his bedsheets.
"Right away!" She spoke and went to perform her needed tasks, hoping to make a good impression for him.
"Honestly. The rate you're finding women to fill your household with is utterly astounding." Olga muttered with a mixture of both annoyance and amusement. She was sure that there were countless men who would wish for that kind of good fortune.
"I agree with Olga-dono… but… isn't it getting kind of crowded now?" Celestine pointed out, the place was already quite cramped as it was with the five of them. But a sixth person might be too many.
"I'll talk with my landlady and see if any of the apartments under us are available." Naruto promised, adding yet another chore to his plate, but at least now sharing the horrible truth of the Slave Seal was over and done with. He also had promised to meet privately with Hinata, which begs the question… what did she want to speak to him about? As he thought about this, neither he nor his other Slaves acknowledged the soft thumping coming from inside a certain closet.
Meanwhile. Hyuuga compound, Elder Council chambers.
Deep within a darkened chamber, illuminated by candlelight, the Elders of the Hyuuga clan sat around in a circle, surrounding a statue. Unknown to them, the form of Hinata Hyuuga was quietly watching from the shadows, spying on this meeting. For over a year now, to her knowledge the Elders had repeatedly gathered in this chamber and were… speaking to this statue. Though she suspected they may have done so longer than that.
The first time she bore witness to this… she was surprised when the statue had actually spoken. It was a hideous and ominous looking thing, depicting some kind of angelic figure that seemed to be in agony. One of the Elder's spoke "We are in a tense situation with our Clan Head Hiashi. He wishes to permanently abolish the practice of the Caged Bird Seal and unify our clan. If he does so, our only means of controlling the Side Branch will be gone. We cannot allow this to happen."
Hinata tensed angrily, furious that they were simply trying to cling to their power over other humans. People like that sickened her. Serving as a prime example of everything that was currently wrong with her clan. It reminded her of the countless slave owners that abused their slaves every day. She was shocked that Naruto had become a Master, but she knew he wasn't like a typical slave owner. But that was beside the point.
The statue let out a chuckle as it spoke in a masculine voice "As I explained to you previously, you must control him and stamp out any resistance in him. Have you done everything as I instructed?"
"Yes. Before the week is out, Hinata will be cast down from her status as Hiashi's successor and will be branded with the Caged Bird seal. In doing so, we can control both Hiashi and his other child Hanabi. In turn, our own successors will carry the torch and continue our traditions." One of the Elder's spoke with an evil smile. Having heard enough, Hinata decided to leave before she lost control of herself and exposed her position.
The Elders seemed quite smug in their beliefs, thinking that they could control the Hyuuga clan's future. But she had a plan in mind to pull the rug right out from under them. Unknown to them, she had already told her father of their treachery. Now they just had to toss a wrench in their plans. But still… what was that statue? Where did it come from? She knew it was from a foreign nation far from the shores of the Shinobi Nations, but not much else.
She once used her Byakugan to inspect it and found two strange energies in a constant state of dueling with one another. Aside from that, she knew little else. Not that it mattered. By tomorrow, she would be free of them and all of their infernal politics, and she would also be with the one person she desired most. Even if she was unworthy of him, she could still support him in her own way.
And nothing was going to stop her. Least of all a bunch of aging old men.
End chapter four.
