A/N - Okay, I just couldn't resist this one. I wanted to write this chapter soooo bad! So, here it is! The majority of this chapter takes place in Fletz, so I hope you're looking forward to that!
There is another lime in this chapter. I hope you enjoy that if you decide to read it.
Anyways, I'm rather tired, so I'll just end this here. Enjoy the chapter!
WARNING! There is a lime in this chapter! You have been warned.
Chapter 12 - Fletz
"Alright, this is it. Remember, we need to kill them all and make sure none of them escape. Otherwise the rebels and us are in deep trouble. Is everyone ready for this?" Naruto questioned as he looked around at his comrades.
They had arrived here about ten minutes earlier and, using Hinata's Byakugan, had scouted the area and the inside of the structure. Based on what she saw, there were about 35 people in and around the base. They would have to split up and take on groups at a time if they wanted any chance of completing this mission the way they needed to.
Dart nodded. "We're ready. Naruto, you know how ninjas operate better than I do. Give us our orders and we'll follow your lead."
Naruto looked around at everyone and thought about their options for a bit before he turned back to face the base. "Hmm...Albert, I want you and Dart to take care of the enemies on the East side of the base. Circle around from there in a counter-clockwise fashion and kill everyone in your path. Hikari-chan, you and I will head inside the base and kill everyone inside. Rose-chan, I want you and Haschel to take those on the West side and once you've finished, go around in the same fashion Dart and Albert will, in a counter-clockwise direction. Hinata-chan, Shana-chan, Tayuya-chan, hang back and pick off any stragglers that try to escape. Shana-chan, you will take the North side while Hinata-chan, you'll take the Southwest. Tayuya-chan, you'll take the Southeast. We need to ensure that nobody escapes; I can't stress that enough. Does everyone understand their orders?"
Everyone nodded in understanding. Smirking, Naruto turned back towards the base and said, "Go!" before he dashed off with Hikari towards the base's front entrance. The two of them stuck to the shadows and snuck inside to begin their slaughter. Once inside, they began systematically assassinating the enemy ninjas.
After a while of this, they came across a small group of three enemy ninja. Sticking to the shadows and remaining hidden, Naruto motioned for Hikari to stay still. Looking into her eyes, he whispered quietly to her. "These ones are dangerous. If we want to complete our mission quickly, we're going to have to fight these ones, they're too close together to simply sneak up and kill them all. I think we can take out two of them with some well placed kunai or shuriken, but the last one will notice our presence immediately upon doing so. What do you want to do sweetie?"
Hikari looked at the three ninjas and frowned in thought. After a moment, she withdrew a few kunai from her pouch and said, "Let's try and kill at least one of them before they notice our presence."
Nodding in agreement, Naruto withdrew a kunai and imbued it with wind-natured chakra. Holding up his hand, he began to count down from three. Once his final finger ticked off, he threw his kunai through the back of one of their heads, causing the woman to fall forward, dead as dead could be.
Hikari threw three kunai, one of which pierced her target's head, another piercing his neck, and the final one striking a point in his back that would leave him crippled. When he collapsed dead to the ground, the final ninja glared in their direction before he began flipping through hand seals for a technique.
Naruto frowned. It didn't matter what this man was planning, he needed to die, and quickly. So he formed a Rasengan and dashed forward right as the man began to call out his technique. Before he could, Naruto plunged the Rasengan into the man's face, destroying his head and sending him flying through the wall and to the ground below. Looking through the hole, he could see Dart and Albert making their way around, killing everyone they came across. Smirking down at them, he gave them a wave before turning back to Hikari. "Let's go. There are still two more inside somewhere."
"Yep, and you're toast kid." they heard somebody say. Turning around, they saw one of the remaining two ninja standing there. He was at least six feet tall and was rather chubby as well. When Naruto narrowed his eyes in suspicion, the man chuckled. "I've already sent the other one off to get some reinforcements. I figured you had some friends outside, so it only makes sense."
Looking at Hikari, Naruto nodded his head before whispering, "Go. Hurry." When she nodded in understanding and disappeared, Naruto turned back to the heavy set ninja and said, "That was smart of you, but your partner won't be getting away. And now you have to deal with me. I warn you now that this fight won't go your way."
The man chuckled as he looked down at Naruto. "Oh really? You talk tough kid, but let's see how you handle yourself in a real fight. First though, I have to know: you're with the resistance, right? 'Cause I'm not sensing any chakra in those friends of yours. I wouldn't know they were there if not for seeing them with my own eyes."
Naruto smirked. "So you're a sensor as well, are you? How interesting. You don't need to know the answers to your inquiry. You'll be dead soon enough."
The enemy shinobi simply chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps. You do look capable enough. But you should know that even if I fall here, the resistance can never win. Mizukage-sama will destroy your pathetic resistance. After all, he's our jinchuriki and nothing can stand up to him."
"Good to know. I'm not worried though. No matter who he is, I'll kick his ass. After all, I have a little secret too, one that will guarantee me a victory over that pathetic piece of trash." Naruto said with a smirk before he dashed forward and threw a punch at the man's stomach.
When his fist hit, the man stumbled back a bit and looked into Naruto's eyes. The hell?! This kid's stronger than he looks! Guess I'll have to take this seriously. Creating a single hand seal, the man soon shouted out, "Water Release: Gunshot!"
As the man began spitting out large bullets of water in rapid succession, Naruto began to dash and flip around the room he was in before he skidded on his feet and slipped around one of the bullets. Dashing towards the man again, Naruto slid underneath one of the bullets before he leapt forward and slammed a Rasengan into the man's face. Unlike the previous enemy he used this on, this one managed to withstand the power of the technique and was only sent flying in a spiral fashion into the wall, causing rubble to bury him after he collapsed to the ground clutching his face.
Not willing to give his enemy any time to recover, Naruto flipped through a series of hand seals before bringing his hand up to his mouth and spitting out a large fireball that engulfed the rubble and his opponent. Listening to the man's screaming as he slowly roasted to death, Naruto shook his head and sighed. Killing people will never get any easier, but you do whatever you have to to earn peace and protect those you love. He thought to himself silently.
As he made his way to the exit of the base, he saw Hikari standing over a dead body. Looking into her eyes, he smiled at her. "That the escapee?"
The red-eyed woman nodded once. "Yes. He put up quite a fight, but as you can see I'm alright."
Naruto frowned at her and pointed at the wound on her arm. "You sure you're alright Hikari-chan? That looks painful."
Hikari smiled at her boyfriend and hugged him tight. "I'll be fine. It's just a scratch, that's all. I'm just glad it wasn't poison that he used."
"Me too Hikari-chan. Now, let's get out there and see how the others are doing. I hope they had some good luck too." Naruto said as he led her outside. Moments later, Dart and Albert walked up to them with matching smiles.
"We got them all. But Hinata says she can see a small party making their way here. My best guess is that they're a scouting party that were in search of the rebel camp. What do you want to do Naruto?" Dart questioned.
Naruto frowned at this information before he motioned for them to follow him. Going to where he sensed Hinata's presence, he stepped up beside her. "How many are there Hina-chan?"
"Five. The one in the front of the group is carrying a weapon on his back. The others seem like pushovers, but that one seems dangerous. Any ideas Naruto-kun?" she replied.
Frowning at this, Naruto said, "Everyone, hide yourselves! We're going to see who they are before we do anything. They could be friends, or they could be foes. We don't act until we get that information." With that being said, everyone quickly hid themselves, Hikari and Rose hiding with Naruto.
Moments later, the group of five unknown ninja appeared in the area and looked around curiously. "Hmm, I don't see any sign of them. I do see their victims though. Those guys work fast. Looks like they didn't need our help after all." one of the men said.
"Think they went on to that Fletz place already?" Another one asked.
Naruto held up his hand to tell everyone to stay put. Afterwards, he stepped out in front of them and put on a friendly smile. "Is it safe to assume that you five are with the resistance?" he questioned.
The blue-haired young man in the front of the group nodded his head. "W-we are. Mei-sama s-sent us to assist you in c-case you needed our help."
Nodding his head in understanding, the blonde motioned for his allies to step out of their hiding places. Looking back at the sixteen year-old man in front of him, Naruto said, "Well we managed to take care of everything. What do you want to do about the bodies? If we gather all of them together, I can torch them if you'd like."
Chojuro shook his head. "No, that's alright. We can take c-care of the bodies. You told Mei that you were busy with your o-own problems, so we can u-understand your desire to move on already. J-just remember that Mei-sama is your ally now and w-we'll be here for you anytime you n-need us. Don't be surprised if you r-run into some of us with m-missions for you."
Giving another nod of understanding, Naruto smiled at the blue-haired individual before saying, "Well thank you. Could you give us your name before we go? I'd like to know who our allies are, y'know?"
The blue-haired teen smiled and nodded his head. "My name is Chojuro. Nice to m-make your acquaintance."
"Thank you. Nice to meet you too Chojuro. I'm Naruto, that's Dart, Albert, Rose-chan, Shana-chan, Haschel, Hikari-chan, Hinata-chan, and Tayuya-chan." Naruto said, introducing each of them one by one. "But now, we really do have to get going. See you later Chojuro!"
As the party moved on, Chojuro smiled as he watched them leave. Mei-sama, I think you've made some very good allies this time.
Fletz
The party arrived in Tiberoa's capital city of Fletz a couple of hours later. Looking around at everything, Naruto and his girlfriends couldn't help but smile. "Damn, this place is beautiful." Naruto said.
His girlfriends couldn't help but agree with him. "I can't wait to go exploring! It's so pretty here!" Hinata exclaimed joyfully.
Shana grabbed Naruto's hand and rushed on ahead a little ways with him, giggling all the while. Looking around, she admired how beautiful this city was before looking into Naruto's eyes. "You have to take me on a date here!" she exclaimed.
Chuckling a bit, Naruto wrapped Shana in his arms and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Of course sweetheart. I'm looking forward to it."
As Dart saw this take place, he felt as if someone had taken a sledgehammer and crushed his heart. The only problem is he didn't exactly know why he felt this way.
Albert frowned as he watched Naruto and Shana together. Looking at Dart, he couldn't help but shake his head in disappointment. It looks like she's moved on from you. I'm sorry Dart, but… Sighing, all the blonde king of Basil could do was shake his head sadly.
As the party stepped onto the bridge, they paused to admire the beauty of the city. Shana looked over the edge and said, "I smell...the ocean from this river!"
Haschel nodded. "It's close to the sea." he said.
After a brief moment, Dart stepped off the bridge and knelt down, staring at the bridge with a curious expression on his face. Haschel turned to him and asked, "Is anything wrong with the bridge?"
Dart frowned and said, "It says "Claire Bridge". It's the same name as my mom."
Haschel's eyes widened slightly as he exclaimed, "Oh! My runaway daughter is named Claire, too! There may be some secret connection between us!"
Rose frowned at them and said, "It's impossible to have such a coincidence."
Albert walked up to the two men and said, "I agree with you. Let's say the population of Endiness Continent is about 1,000,000 and 550,000 are women. According to the statistics of the Royal Personnel Authority, 4% of all women have the name Claire. It means from a statistical point of view…."
Rose sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "Just looking tells it all. They don't look like each other at all."
Albert frowned as he examined the both of them for a moment before nodding his head in agreement with Rose. "Hmmm, indeed. Cranioscopically speaking, the distance between their skull, eyeballs, and also their jawbones are…."
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle a bit at this and said, "Albert, you need to lay off the caffeine or something man."
Rose sighed and shrugged her shoulders in exasperation. "Let's go. He won't finish talking until dusk." And with that being said, Albert went quiet before they all began to move once more.
Stepping into the weapon/armor shop, they purchased a Shadow Cutter rapier for Rose, Chain Mail for Dart and Naruto, and Soft Boots for Shana, Rose, Hikari, Hinata, and Tayuya. Afterwards they sold the Leather Shoes that Shana, Rose, and Hikari had been equipped with before, as well as the armor that Dart had been equipped with before. Now that they had their new equipment, they left the store and continued their exploration of Fletz.
Entering the church, they talked with the people there before entering the planetarium. Upon entering, they stepped into the center of the circular platform and listened as the Usher began to talk. "It's starting. Please enjoy yourselves." Stepping down next to Dart, the Usher continued by saying, "Stars. So familiar, yet so sacred, precious beings for Tiberoans. Stars are floating in a faraway realm. They travel in their realm with the help of the light from their own lantern. What we call "starlight" is the light from their lantern. Now, please enjoy our special star fantasia!"
Hinata couldn't help but look around in awe at what she was seeing. "This is beautiful. Isn't it Naruto-kun?"
Naruto nodded slowly as he looked around at all the stars and the drawings on the rotating wall. "This is incredible. I just wish we could stay longer to enjoy things like this more often." he said.
Shana smiled happily as she grabbed one of Naruto's hands with hers. "I'm so glad we came here! I've never seen anything like this!"
Rose sighed, but let a small smile grace her lips. "I have to admit, it is a beautiful sight."
Once they had their fill of the place, Dart turned to say goodbye to the Usher. Before they left, he said, "I hope you enjoyed the sensational star fantasia." Walking over to the switch, he flipped it off before turning to the group and saying, "Thank you for visiting our planetarium."
Leaving that planetarium, they walked up the stairs and through the archway before entering the next planetarium room. Upon entering, they saw a couple of people, a man and a woman, already inside. So, hanging back at the entrance, they eavesdropped on what they were saying.
"Sorry, we can only date in a broken planetarium." the male of the couple said.
"That's life." the woman replied with a shrug. Stepping away from her boyfriend, she said, "Besides, this place suits us. It's as if it's foretelling our fate."
The man stepped up to his girlfriend and took her hands in his. "I won't give up! Someday, I will be with you."
The woman shook her head and gently pried her hands free from his. Placing a hand gently on his chest, she said, "We can't. You are just an usher at this planetarium, and I am…."
The usher shook his head before smiling at her. "What I want is not your money! It's your heart!"
"I know. I know…." the woman replied sadly.
"I believe they will understand someday."
Walking up to her boyfriend, the woman placed her hands gently on his chest before kissing his cheek. "I love you." she said with a happy smile on her face.
"I love you too."
It was at this point that the woman noticed the party standing at the entrance just watching them. "Wha, what are you looking at!?" she exclaimed in shock.
The man quickly exclaimed, "Ar, Are you looking for the planetarium!? This one is not working!" Rushing up to the group, he started ushering them out. "It's over there! Please, that way!"
As the man began trying to push them out, Hinata couldn't help but say to him, "You two are so cute together. I wish you the best of luck."
Now that they had been shooed out into the central chamber of the church, the group went downstairs and left to begin their exploration of Fletz once more.
Upon entering the jewelry store, the girls were in awe at what they were seeing. Tayuya grinned to herself and said, "I never got the chance to wear jewelry when I was part of Orochimaru's forces. I dreamed of something like this though. Shithead, you should buy me something!"
Naruto sighed and shook his head in disbelief. "Are you ever going to call me by my actual name?"
Tayuya smirked at him and shook her head. "Probably not. Why, you don't like being called Shithead?"
Sighing again, Naruto just shook his head and remained quiet. Dart, however, stepped up to Tayuya with a smile. "If you want something, I can buy it for you. What strikes your fancy?"
Tayuya smirked at Naruto and said, "You see Shithead? This is how you win over a lady." she said before chuckling at the blonde's expression. Looking into Dart's eyes, the pink-haired teen said, "You don't really have to buy me anything, but thank you Dart."
Naruto narrowed his eyes in a glare at Tayuya. "So, you call him by name, but me Shithead? How is that fair?"
Tayuya laughed and ignored his question. Looking into Dart's eyes, she soon tapped her chin with a single finger. "Hmm, if you really want to get me something though, I wouldn't mind a ruby necklace."
Dart smiled and nodded his head in understanding before he walked up to the counter and asked if they had anything like that in stock. The store clerk hummed in thought for a moment before he remembered that they did, indeed, have a ruby necklace in stock. Walking away, the store clerk came back moments later before placing the requested item on the counter. "Here you go. That'll be 1000 Gold please."
The red-clad mercenary gawked at the price before he sighed and reluctantly paid the man behind the counter. "Thank you for your service." Dart said before walking over to Tayuya and placing the necklace gently into her hand. "Here you go Tayuya, one ruby necklace as requested."
Tayuya smirked at Dart and handed him the necklace before turning around and exposing the back of her neck to him. "Put it on for me, will you?" she requested.
Blushing a bit, Dart nodded and slowly wrapped the necklace around the front of her neck before clasping it in the back. Once it was in place, Tayuya turned around and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Dart!"
The brown-haired merc blushed a tad more and nodded his head slowly. "Y-you're welcome Tayuya."
Leaving the shop, they made to move northwards towards the next building when they heard people shout out, "Yeek!" and go rushing past on both sides of the stream.
"!?" Dart exclaimed in shock. "What the heck was that all about?" he wondered aloud.
Naruto shrugged his shoulders and said, "Guess we'll find out soon. Come on."
As they got closer, they saw a man panicking in the center the city square, or at least that's what Naruto assumed it was. "Shoot, Pri, Princess Emille is here!" he exclaimed in a panic.
Another person shouted out, "It's too sudden!"
"It's scary!" a young child shouted out.
"Gods, please help us through this…."
The princess they were talking about arrived mere moments later and stepped into the center of the city square. "I heard somebody say "Shoot". Who said that!?" Looking around at the various people in the square, she glared at them all for a time before she shouted out, "Hey, I'm the princess in this country! You have to be nice to me!"
"Something's off here…" Naruto said as he watched a pregnant woman approach the princess. "I don't like this one bit."
The pregnant woman began to speak. "Ex, Excuse me your highness, I would like you to name my soon-to-be born baby…."
Princess Emille stepped closer to the pregnant woman, causing her to step back in fear. "I don't think so. It's a hell on wheels." she said rudely.
"Oh no!" the woman exclaimed as tears began cascading down her face.
"Disgusting! Stop crying!" Emille shouted out.
"Since my husband was killed by bandits…. This, this baby has been my only hope." the pregnant woman explained sadly.
"Bandits!?" the blonde princess exclaimed. "Phooey! You bore me!"
After Princess Emille left, walking back up the stairs towards the castle, the pregnant woman shouted out, "Oh no!" once more before hurrying off, tears in her eyes.
Back with the party, Albert looked horrified by what he had just been witness to. "Is, is that person Princess Emille? I heard that she was very sweet. Oh no...if this is a dream, please wake me up!"
Hinata shook her head. "No, that's not the princess. Whoever that is, she's definitely someone else. I'm not sure what's happened to the real Princess Emille, but that woman's a damn impostor. Besides, underneath that disguise of hers, she looks completely different." Hinata said as the tapped her forehead. "My Byakugan don't lie."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "Hinata-chan's got the right of it. There's no way that that woman is the princess. I could sense her power and it reminds me a great deal of Lloyd. Something's definitely up. It's too bad we can't act without any solid proof."
Albert breathed a sigh of relief at hearing this and smiled at the two ninja. "Thank you. If you hadn't cleared that up for me, I don't know what I would do. I've so looked forward to meeting the dear Princess Emille, but this? This is worrisome."
"Agreed. It's obvious that something has happened to the real Princess Emille. We'll need to find some proof and rescue the real princess somehow. Let's look around and try to get some more information. Perhaps we'll run into a clue that will point us in the right direction." Dart said. After everyone nodded in agreement, they resumed their exploration of Fletz.
Entering the item shop, they purchased a handful of Healing Breeze items before leaving the shop and continuing on.
Upon entering the bar, they were approached by a woman who exclaimed, "Welcome! Come on in! All the way to the back!" When the group just looked around in wonderment, Kaffi shouted out, "Oh, such slowpokes!" before pushing Dart into place. The others soon followed suit, making a circle around the large circular table in the center of the room.
Looking around at everyone, the perky woman asked, "You guys are from out of town, aren't ya!?"
Dart nodded his head in confirmation before saying, "Yes, we are."
"I knew it! I could immediately tell you are not from here." Approaching Dart and then Naruto, Kaffi sniffed them for a bit before stepping back with a smirk on her face. "You guys…. Mmmm, mmmm! Smell like exotic foreigners! Let me give ya a quick introduction to this town!"
Stepping away from them, she turned back around to face them and asked, "You saw lots of star shapes in this town didn't ya? There were decorations on top of roofs or mosaics on the street, right? It's 'cuz Tiberoans have faith in the stars." Stepping closer to Naruto, she looked him in the eyes for a moment before turning to the others. "Naturally, we have an advanced astronomy."
Shana spoke up with a smile on her face. "It's the study of stars isn't it? Sounds wonderful."
"Right!?" Kaffi exclaimed.
Albert whispered to Dart, "We are here to pursue Lloyd!"
Kaffi frowned at this and approached Dart with a suspicious glare on her face. "Whadayasay? What are you two guys whispering about? Are you becoming more interested in stars?"
Dart frowned and shook his head no. "I'm sorry, but…. We are actually looking for a man named Lloyd."
Kaffi looked affronted by this as she stepped back until she hit the wall. "A "man"? Are you more interested in a man than stars!?" After a brief moment, the woman broke out into a fit of giggles before stepping up next to Hinata. "Just kidding!"
Walking away from them again, Kaffi began to think on it. "Hmm, Lloyd?" She began to pace around for a while before she stopped and said, "I dunno, if Miss Kaffi the hipster doesn't know, it means he probably isn't in this town." Stepping up next to Naruto again, she asked, "Are you still interested in hearing about stars?"
Dart sighed and nodded his head slowly. "Uh huh."
Kaffi frowned and shook her head sadly. "Sorry...I only know things that everybody else knows." Pacing around again, she soon stopped and looked at Naruto. "You know what!? I'll introduce you to a person you would like! He's an astronomer named Fester! He is crazy about the Moon That Never Sets. I think he can tell you lots of interesting things."
"The Moon That Never Sets?" Dart questioned curiously.
Kaffi nodded her head. "You know, the one over there. The strange star in the sky all the time, day or night. I heard he is doing research about the relationship between a monster called the Black whachamacallit and the Moon That Never Sets."
When Dart turned to Shana and the others and nodded, they nodded back to him. Before a word could be uttered between them, Kaffi spoke up again. "Why don't you drop by? He's next door."
Before she could say anything more, the bartender shouted out, "Hey! Kaffi! Stop goofing around! It's already dark outside!"
"It is?" Naruto questioned before looking out through one of the windows. "Damn, it really is! I didn't think we had been talking this long. Wow."
Kaffi sighed and nodded her head. "Okay." Turning back to the group, she said, "Sorry, I gotta go back to work." before she walked off to resume her duties.
Naruto looked at Rose at this point and approached her. Whispering to her, he asked, "Black whachamacallit? Do you think she meant the Black Monster?"
Rose sighed and nodded. "Yes, I do believe that's what she was referring to. Don't worry Naruto, I'll be fine. Besides, we might learn something interesting if we go and talk to this Fester person."
Nodding in understanding, Naruto gave her a kiss on the lips before the two of them followed the others outside into the darkened streets of Fletz. After walking around and talking to people for a bit, they went to Fester's house. Pausing outside, Shana said, "This must be the house next door. I wonder if Mr. Fester is in?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Dart rang the doorbell to try and get Fester's attention. When nobody responded, Shana said, "Maybe not?"
Dart frowned and shook his head. "The lights are on though."
Shana shouted out, "Let me see!" Once Dart stepped out of the way, Shana walked up and rang the doorbell as well. "Mr. Festeeeer! Are you hoooome!?" she shouted out to try and get Fester's attention.
"Yes, yes I am!" a voice from inside shouted out. When a man stepped outside, he looked around at everyone and said, "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention. I was admiring the moon! Come on in! Please, let's talk inside." he requested before stepping back inside his home.
Looking around at his companions, Naruto shrugged before leading the way inside Fester's home. Once inside, they all got a good look at Fester's living space and couldn't help but admire the large telescope he had.
"We are here to ask you about the Moon That Never Sets." Dart said.
"Oh! About the Moon That Never Sets! Wait here for a minute. Let me get some materials." Fester said before walking off to begin digging through his things. As he bent down to look for his materials, he said, "You are interested in a weird matter. Of course, I cannot make judgements about other people." he said as he walked back over to the group. Producing a book, he said, "Please take a look at this."
As the group looked at the book, Fester went into an explanation about how every 108 years, the Moon That Never Sets turns red and a being known as the Moon Child is born that's supposed to bring a blessing to the world. However, instead of this blessing they were supposed to receive, the Black Monster appeared every time, without fail, to cause nothing but death and destruction. Why a demon instead of a blessing? Nobody knows but the Black Monster itself.
Naruto frowned in thought before he looked to Rose. Sighing to herself, she mouthed, "We'll talk later." Nodding in agreement, Naruto turned back to Fester and the book.
"I never imagined we would be able to get some information on the Black Monster here." Albert said in astonishment.
Fester looked around at the group and smiled. "Did you find this useful?"
Shana smiled and exclaimed, "Yes! You think so too, right Dart?"
"Very good. It is a pleasure to be helpful to such a beautiful lady." Fester said as he looked Shana in the eyes.
Naruto frowned as he walked over and gently took Shana's hand in his. "Hey there Buster, she's spoken for." he joked good-naturedly.
Again, Dart felt a pain in his chest. However, he chose to ignore the playful banter between the three of them.
It was at this point that a loud bell sounded throughout the house. Fester's eyes widened in alarm and he looked around worriedly. "Oh, it's getting late! I have to hurry up or I will be making the Princess wait!" Rushing over to his pile of stuff again, he continued saying, "It's hard to eat only by astronomy. I'm acting as the governor of Princess Lisa as well."
Rushing back over to the group, Fester said, "Oh, if you want to take a good look at the Moon That Never Sets, go upstairs and take a look through the telescope. It's set in the direction of the Moon That Never Sets. Now, I am heading to the castle." And with that, Fester hurried out of his house and towards the castle.
Climbing up the ladders to reach the telescope up above, Dart was the first one to take a peek through the telescope. "This is the Moon That Never Sets." he muttered to himself as he looked at it carefully for a time. Once he had his fill of the sight, he climbed back down and allowed the others to take their turns one by one until everybody had seen it.
"Hmm, that is an interesting sight." Naruto said. "It looks somehow different from our moon. I wonder what the deal is with this Moon That Never Sets?"
Shana shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. It sure is pretty though!"
Everyone nodded in agreement before they left Fester's house. Not seeing anything else they could really do, the party tried to leave town, only for the guards to stop them. "A curfew has been ordered." the first guard said.
"For your protection from bandits." the second guard explained.
As the guards walked off to resume their patrol, Naruto looked at the others. "Great. Now what do we do?"
Hinata said, "We could always try the inn to see if we can rest there for the night?" The others nodded in agreement and they made their way to the inn. However, they were informed that there was no more room for guests to stay at the inn and they would have to find someplace else to rest for the night.
Sighing, Tayuya said, "Guess we're gonna have to look around. I'm sure somebody will be willing to put us up for the night." Receiving nods of agreement once again, the party left the inn in search of someplace to rest the night.
After a short while of searching, they came across a house with its door open. Curious, they stepped inside and looked around. "Damn that's a lot of flowers." Naruto said.
The man inside turned to the party and said, "Welcome. I am Nello, the representative of the Green Project, turning the brown barrens to green, the deserts to forest." Looking around at everyone, he smiled kindly at them. "Don't be so shy. You too wish to bring green back to the earth don't you?"
Dart was kind enough to say, "Yes we do."
Nello smiled happily at this. "I thought so! But, it's already late. It'll take a whole night to explain my plan."
Everyone's eyes widened slightly at that before Dart said, "A whole night, hmm!? But actually, it's ok with us, isn't it?" Looking around at everyone and receiving nods of agreement, the brown-haired mercenary turned back to Nello and explained, "We were in trouble because there was nowhere to stay for the night. We are not allowed to leave town either."
Nello nodded in understanding. "I see! I have plenty of time to tell you about the Green Project tonight then!"
Albert stepped up to Nello and said, "The re-vegetation of the desert is a very interesting issue."
Nello smiled gleefully and said, "Right! In principle, the relationship between Humans and the earth should be!"
As Albert and Nello lost themselves in their conversation, Shana stepped away to look at some of the plants Nello had in his home. Dart, seeing this, stepped over to her and asked, "Watching the buds?"
Shana jumped in shock before turning around to face Dart. "Maybe...they are some kind of flower buds. I've never seen anything like this…. I wonder how they bloom."
Dart smiled as he asked, "You are excited about it, aren't you?" Turning around, he took a few steps away from her before saying, "Talking about buds. You've always liked to see flowers blooming."
Shana was shocked. "You remember that…." Sighing, she shook her head sadly. Oh well. It doesn't matter. She thought before she walked up to Naruto and kissed his cheek. "What are you thinking about sweetie?"
Naruto looked around at all the plants and smiled as he wrapped an arm around Shana's waist and held her close. "One of my hobbies is gardening. I'm just admiring all the different plants Nello-san has here. They're all so beautiful."
Nodding her head in understanding, Shana would have said more, but Nello's voice caught their attention once again. "Humans should grow up surrounded by greenery."
Albert nodded in agreement before saying, "Exactly. Green not only gives peace of mind, but brings us marvelous things."
"Fruits, vegetables, delicious air. All are brought by greenery." Nello continued.
Rose sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "I guess they really will talk until morning."
Hinata couldn't help but giggle. "Is that so bad? Just look at how excited they both are. I'm actually kind of envious."
Rose quirked a brow as she looked down at Hinata. "Oh? And why is that?"
"Because they both have things they're so passionate about. I just wish I had something like that. I mean, sure I want to become clan head someday so I can abolish the use of the Branch Family's curse seal. Then there's Naruto-kun. But I don't think I could talk about either of those things for as long as these two can chat about this project of Nello-san's."
Nodding her head in understanding, Rose said, "I see. Well, I'm sure you'll find something you can become that passionate about, given time. Besides, I've seen you eat cinnamon rolls. You're pretty passionate about those." she teased.
"Rose-chan! That's not very nice of you to tease me like that." Hinata said with a pout on her face. All Rose did in response was laugh.
Haschel smiled at the two of them before piping up, "The king has such curiosity…."
As the time passed with those two having their conversation, Dart eventually said, "I hope we can fill Seles with green someday."
"Yes." Shana agreed.
As the party members began to doze off one by one, Albert's voice could be heard saying, "The issue here is how to promote the greening."
"That's the key issue. The research requires a lot of money." Nello replied.
Soon enough, the rest of the group finally managed to doze off wherever they could, allowing the king and his newfound friend to chat away all they wanted.
The Next Morning
As they left Nello's house, they made their way towards the entrance of the city. After a moment, Dart turned around and said, "There are no signs of Lloyd after all."
Shana shook her head before saying, "I cannot imagine that Emperor Doel told us a lie."
Albert stepped up to Dart and smiled reassuringly at him. "In his last moment, my uncle was himself again. I think we can trust the information that Lloyd headed for Tiberoa. So we should assume that we crossed paths with Lloyd."
Dart frowned and turned away. "So, where in the world?"
Rose smirked from her place seated on the bench nearby. "In any case, the king is getting along with a motley crew like us."
Haschel smirked as well and said, "I was concerned at first. I even imagined that we were going to be pushed around by the King's ego."
Albert sighed before shouting out at them, "Please, stop teasing me, both of you! What I would like you to do is just treat me as an equal, as a friend traveling together!"
Shana giggled a bit before looking at Dart. "Dart is not good at speaking with courtesy. He gets cramps in his tongue when he tries for a long time." she teased.
Dart rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment before looking at Albert. "I appreciate your solicitude, Your Majesty."
Albert said, "Let's stop using that "Your Majesty". We will be in trouble if anybody hears that." Taking a few steps past Dart, the king continued, "Anyway, the priority is to pursue Lloyd. This is not the only town in Tiberoa. If my memory is correct, there should be a town called Donau along the north seashore."
Shana ran forward before spinning around and smiling at everyone. "Let's go there now!"
Dart nodded in agreement. "Okay! Let's leave as soon as possible!" With that being said, they were about to leave the city when Naruto piped up. "Um, can we perhaps stay for another day? I kinda promised I'd take Shana-chan I'd take her on a date while we were here…"
Frowning at this, Dart was about to argue against it as that pang in his heart started up again. Before he could say anything though, Hinata spoke up. "Awww, and here I was hoping you'd take me on a date next. Oh well." Looking at Dart and the others, she asked, "Can we stay for another day? Please? I'd like to spend some time looking around and just relaxing for a while."
Albert shrugged his shoulders and looked at Dart. "I don't see why not. It's not like one more day is going to cause us to lose Lloyd's trail. I know we're in a hurry to try and find him, but we have to take the time to relax every once in a while too."
Dart sighed and nodded his head. "I suppose we can stay for a while longer." he agreed. "Haschel, Albert, want to go with me to the bar? I'm interested in trying some of their drinks."
Haschel and Albert both nodded before they walked off with Dart towards the bar. As they left, Naruto took Shana's hand in his and rushed off to start their date.
"And once again, we're left with pretty much nothing to do but wait, huh?" Tayuya questioned before releasing a heavy sigh. "Ah well, I might as well have a look around and see what there is to do here. Anyone want to join me?"
"I will!" Hikari exclaimed. "I want to check out the stalls we saw yesterday."
"Meh, better than just sitting around all day with nothing to do." Tayuya said with a shrug before she and Hikari walked off.
Rose looked at Hinata with a grin on her face. "What do you say? Want to spy on Naruto's date with me?"
Hinata grinned and nodded her head in agreement. "Sounds like a blast!" she exclaimed before the two of them rushed off to find Naruto and Shana so they could spy on their date.
At the Bar
As Dart and company entered the bar, they saw a rather familiar face chatting it up with Kaffi. Isn't that Martel? Dart wondered curiously as he listened in on the conversation taking place.
"Don't ya wanna talk about something else? Like, stars?" Kaffi questioned.
"How many times do I have to say it? I wanna hear about Stardust, not just stars." Martel said exasperatedly.
"I told you that if I don't know about it, nobody knows about it. So, don't you wanna talk about something else?" Kaffi explained.
It was at this point that both women turned to see Dart, Albert, and Haschel standing there. Upon recognizing them, Martel exclaimed, "Oh, it's you!"
"Hi guys!" Kaffi greeted.
Turning back to look at each other, Martel exclaimed in shock, "You know him!?"
"Yes I do!" Kaffi replied. Turning back to Dart and company, she said, "You're back again! But my boss's not in yet." Pacing a bit, she turned to look at Dart. "You know what!? I have a good idea!" Shoving Dart over near Martel, Kaffi exclaimed, "Here! She wants to talk about Stardust! Thanks!"
Dart and Martel watched as Kaffi walked off to get back to work. "What was all that about?" Martel questioned in wonder. Turning back to Dart, the mother of one folded her arms across her chest. "Well, I already told you about Stardust.." she said before her baby began to cry. "Oh, poor baby, she started crying again." Bouncing her baby a few times, she waited for her cries to cease before saying, "There's a good baby."
Pacing a bit, Martel said, "I'm staying here in this town for a while. About Stardust, when you get some, you can drop it off here. I'd appreciate it!"
Nodding in understanding, Dart tapped Martel on the shoulder to get her attention again. When she turned around, she asked, "It's hard to find Stardust, isn't it? I guess I knew it though. How about you?"
Dart nodded his head in agreement before he produced the 15 Stardust he had on hand. "Here you go Martel."
Martel was excited at receiving so many pieces of Stardust. "Thanks! Thanks a million! In return, take this. It's the "rare thing" I promised you." she said as she pocketed the Stardust and placed an Amulet in Dart's hand. "Thanks in advance for the next time!"
Slipping the Amulet away into his pack for later use, Dart smiled at his friends and approached the counter. "Hey, think we could get some drinks? Maybe even some food?"
The bartender looked at the mercenary and shook his head. "Sorry, but we're not open yet. Come back later, alright?"
Nodding in understanding, Dart released a soft sigh before turning to his friends. "Well, now what do we do?"
Albert pointed to a table nestled in the corner underneath a window. "Now we sit and we talk about you and Shana. No arguments, you just sit and you listen."
Oh great. This is not what I need right now. Dart thought to himself before he nodded and walked over to the table where he took a seat. When Albert and Haschel took a seat on either side of him, boxing him in, the red-clad mercenary shook his head in exasperation. Definitely not what I need right now.
Naruto & Shana
Naruto and Shana were currently in the jewelry store, perusing the wares and just enjoying each other's company. "Oooh, this would look nice on you." Naruto said as he pointed to a couple of emerald-studded earrings. "What do you think Shana-chan?"
Shana took a look at them and nodded her head with a smile. "They're so pretty! But, if they're anywhere near as expensive as that necklace was, maybe we shouldn't…"
"Nonsense. Besides, I've got the money for it. I...kinda stole from our enemies back in Hellena and in the Black Castle at Kazas and I've accumulated a good deal of Gold. So, would you like them?" Naruto questioned hopefully.
His brunette girlfriend took a moment to think on it before she began to look around. Upon spotting something that she liked, she rushed over to it and motioned Naruto to come over. When he reached her side, she said, "Only if you allow me to get this for you, Naruto. This ring would look good on your finger."
Looking into Shana's eyes, he slowly nodded in agreement. "If that's what you want, then sure thing sweetheart." Walking up to the counter, Naruto said, "We have a few things we'd like to purchase. Can you help us out?"
"Certainly sir! What can I get you?" the shopkeeper asked. When Naruto pointed out the emerald earrings and the ring Shana had picked out for him, the shopkeeper smiled and took them both out of their cases before placing them on the counter. "Here you go. That will be 1500 Gold please."
Naruto nodded and paid the man what he was due before walking over to Shana and presenting her with the earrings. After she placed the earrings in, she took the ring from Naruto and pointed at his hand. "Give me your hand Naruto." When he held his hand out to her, she grinned and said teasingly, "With this ring, I hereby say 'I do' to my beloved. Now he may kiss the bride."
Blushing badly at this, Naruto soon started chuckling before he wrapped his arms around Shana and hugged her close. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that took her breath away. When he pulled back, he smirked at her. "How's that, my lovely bride-to-be?" he joked.
Giggling, Shana smiled happily at him. "That was wonderful Husband." she joked back. She was glad that her chosen boyfriend was willing to play around like this with her. Dart never would have!
Chuckling some more, Naruto kissed her again before he led the way out of the store. "Alright, since I chose this place, where do you want to go next Shana-chan?"
Wrapping herself around one of his arms, she pointed towards the large telescope above the city square. "I want to go up there. I'm interested in what we might be able to see with that."
Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto soon nodded and began walking with her towards the ladder leading up to the telescope. Allowing her to climb up first, he followed after her, occasionally looking up and admiring the 'view' he got.
Upon reaching the top of the ladder, Shana turned around and threw her arms around her boyfriend's neck. "You know, there was another reason I asked you to come up here with me." she said with a seductive look on her face. "I don't really care about looking through that telescope. I just want to be alone with you where no one can see us." she said before pushing him up against the wall.
Lime Starts (Don't like? Don't read.)
Gently tugging on his pants, she dropped them and his boxers to the ground before grasping his cock in one hand. "I just want to 'play around' a bit. You don't mind, do you?" she asked with an adorable pout on her face.
Even if he wanted to say no, he couldn't. He was too busy admiring her and her boldness to do anything about this situation he found himself in. Slowly shaking his head, he said, "No, I don't mind Shana-chan. But...you don't think this is rushing things just a bit?"
Shana kneeled down in front of him and continued stroking his dick while looking up into his eyes. "I love you Naruto, and I'm just so horny for you right now. Let me do this for you sweetheart." she said before she began to lick up and down his shaft.
Naruto groaned in pleasure and began to gently run his fingers through her hair. "Kami Shana-chan, that feels so good."
Without saying a word, Shana stopped pumping his cock and wrapped her lips around the head. Taking a moment to brace herself, she began bobbing her head up and down his cock, using her tongue to stimulate his penis as she did.
After a few minutes, when Naruto felt his release coming, he said quietly to her, "S-Shana-chan, I'm gonna cum."
Humming around his cock, Shana continued her ministrations, continuing to suck on his cock, until finally she got her prize: Naruto's cum shooting onto her tongue and down her throat. Pulling back, she licked the tip of his cock for a moment longer before she swallowed the cum in her mouth.
Naruto smiled down at Shana and said, "Your turn." Lifting her up, he pushed her back up against the wall and kneeled down in front of her, helping her out of her shorts. Without a word, he leaned in and began to lick at her folds while his hands began to massage her ass. When she began to moan, he couldn't help but grin. That's right, moan for me. Say my name Shana-chan.
When Naruto shoved his tongue inside her pussy, Shana released a long, drawn-out moan and gripped his hair tightly. "Oh God, Naruto, keep doing that! Yessss!" she moaned out as his tongue hit all the right places inside of her.
Naruto moved one of his hands from her ass to her clit and began to lightly tease it with his fingers. Pinching it gently, he held her up as her knees began to buckle. She continued to say his name and begged for more. When she finally came, he couldn't help but feel proud of himself for a job well done.
Allowing Shana to collapse on her bare ass, he hugged her close. "I love you Shana-chan. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough that you want to do these kinds of things with me."
Shana gasped for a while as she tried to catch her breath. When she finally felt she was able, she said, "I love you Naruto. More than anything in the world. I just couldn't contain myself anymore. I had to do this with you. I...I…" she blushed a deep shade of red and said, "I...want to go all the way with you. But I don't know if you're ready for that yet or not…"
Naruto shook his head and pulled his boxers and pants back up. "I'm sorry Shana-chan, but Rose-chan wants my first time. I promise you though that after she's had her turn, I'll give you what you want. Okay sweetheart?"
The brunette sighed and nodded her head as she pulled her panties and shorts back up. "I understand. It's a shame, but I wouldn't want to upset Rose. Who knows what she'd do to me if I stole your first time?" she joked before giggling a bit. "Just know that I'm expecting you to rock my world when it's my turn. I want everything you have to give me and more."
Lime Ends (Safe to read again!)
Naruto chuckled and nodded at his girlfriend. "Of course sweetheart. Now, what say we go have some more fun in the city? I'm curious to see what they're selling at those stalls…"
Rose & Hinata
Hinata was blushing as red as a tomato as she relayed the events of what just transpired to Rose. Rose was wide-eyed in shock at what just happened, but after a moment she began to chuckle. "Heh, I didn't think so before, but she really is serious about our Naruto. If she wasn't, I highly doubt she would have gone this far with him so soon."
The Hyuga heiress nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think you're right Rose-chan. They're coming back down now. We should probably leave them alone now. I've seen enough for one day."
The Darkness Dragoon giggled before nodding in agreement. Walking off together, they decided to just do their own thing while waiting for everyone to get ready to leave. Unless we're spending another night here, in which case… Rose grinned to herself and giggled gleefully as she thought about what she'd do with Naruto if given the chance.
Later that Afternoon
Everyone was gathered at the entrance/exit of Fletz. It took some time, but they were all ready to leave and make their way to Donau now. Despite saying that they'd spend another day in Fletz, Dart was glad that they were leaving now. He didn't want to be stuck in the capital city another night. He was eager to get the hell out of the city and continue on their way. After all, they had a platinum-haired douchebag to hunt down!
So, leaving the city, the party ventured northeast to the Barrens. Upon entering and having a look around, Naruto couldn't help but frown. "Now I see why Nello is so passionate about bringing some green to this place. It really is like a barren desert here, isn't it?"
"It is." Hinata agreed. "It's so sad."
"Sad or not, we have to cross through here to get to Donau. Everyone, be on your guard as we traverse this place. You heard what those people said back in Fletz. Bandits roam these parts and I don't want to have any 'accidents'." Rose said. Everyone nodded in agreement before they set off.
As they went, they collected a Warrior Dress for Haschel, who equipped it immediately in place of the armor he was wearing. Afterwards, they ended up fighting a number of Arrow Shooter enemies and, after defeating one of them, it dropped a Bemusing Arrow weapon that Shana readily equipped. It took a little while longer, but they also managed to get one for Hinata, who was more than happy with her new prize.
Upon entering the next area of the Barrens, they spotted bandits up above. The little one flipped in the air before saying, "Hee Hee Hee! Are you dating those girls in a place like this!?"
"Who are you?" Dart questioned.
Mappi giggled gleefully again before saying, "Hee hee hee! Did you hear that? They are asking us "who we are"!"
The first member of the Gehrich Gang on Mappi's left spoke up this time. "I guess they think we are a bunch of doctors!"
The second member of the gang said, "Should be a quack! Ha ha ha!"
Leaping down in front of Dart and company, Mappi exclaimed, "Surprise, surprise! We are the one and only Gehrich Gang! We're so bad we scare ghosts back to hell!"
Dart sighed. "They have no class."
The Gehrich Gang member on Mappi's left said, "Hey, what did you say?! Yo Mappi! How should I cook these dumbheads!?"
Mappi hummed in thought for a moment before saying, "Well, hmmm. I know what! Let's get our reward of money and the bimbos!"
Naruto narrowed his eyes at the three bandits. As he went to take a step towards them, Albert placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Stepping forward, the blonde king said, "We have nothing to give you. But if you insist, how about a "miserable ending" for you?"
Mappi scoffed before shouting out, "Stop yapping like that! Just leave your valuables. It's that simple!"
Dart drew his sword and took a step closer to the bandits. "Get out of our way. We don't have time to play with you."
Rose drew her rapier and said, "This is your last chance. Get out of our way or you'll need a real doctor."
"Gwa…! ARRGGGH! I'm totally pissed! Smash their heads will ya, brother!?" Mappi exclaimed furiously. And with that, the battle was on.
As the battle began, they came to the decision that they wouldn't need to transform into Dragoons to deal with these clowns. Naruto, Albert, and Rose took on one of the bandits while Shana, Tayuya, and Haschel dealt with the other. Dart, Hinata, and Hikari fought Mappi.
The regular bandits were simple enough to defeat with some well placed strikes. Once they had been finished off, the remainder of the group watched the fight taking place between Dart's team and Mappi.
Mappi kept flipping all over the place, making it hard to hit him. Eventually getting fed up with the named bandit, Hinata aimed with her bow before releasing, her arrow piercing Mappi's right leg.
Grunting in pain, the claw-wielding bandit ripped the arrow out and scowled at the girl. Rushing towards her, he prepared to attack, only for Dart to jump in the way and slash Mappi across the chest in a diagonal from his left shoulder down to his waist.
Screaming in pain, Mappi soon leapt backwards, nearly collapsing to one knee as a result of his leg wound. When he prepared to go on the attack once again, Dart rushed forward and slashed him again, sending him skidding backwards and clutching at his wound. "Damn you!" Mappi exclaimed.
As Dart approached him, preparing to strike him down, Mappi scooted backwards and held up the hand that had his claw weapon attached. "H, hold! Wow." Kneeling down, he began to grovel before the brown-haired mercenary. "It's.. It's my fault! I won't do it again. Please forgive me!" After a moment however, he looked at Dart's legs with a wicked grin on his face. "Just kidding."
Leaping at Dart, Mappi attacked him and ended up knocking the Red-Eyed Dragoon Spirit from him. Dart and Mappi both leapt for the Dragoon Spirit, but the bandit beat the red-clad warrior to the Dragoon Spirit and clutched it tight in his hand. Flipping away from Dart, Mappi looked at the strange, glowing object in his hand. "What's this?" he wondered aloud.
Dart glared at the little freak of nature and began rushing towards him. Rose, seeing what was going on, quickly dashed forward, intent on saving the Dragoon Spirit. However, Mappi was too quick and scurried away before anyone could stop him. "Damn it!" Dart exclaimed angrily.
Without wasting a second, the gang rushed forward to the next area in pursuit of Mappi. However, when they got to a fork in the road, they realized that they had lost him. "He's gone." Albert said.
"It's my fault for not being careful enough!" Dart exclaimed frustratedly.
Rose shook her head. "A Dragoon Spirit being stolen is the last thing I wanted to have happen."
Albert sighed before looking at everyone. "Anyway, let's move on to Donau. We might find out something about the Gehrich Gang when we get there." he suggested.
With nothing else that they could do, the group pushed on, making their way through the Barrens. With the loss of the Red-Eyed Dragoon Spirit, their spirits were down, but they knew they had to trudge on and find a way to recover Dart's stolen Dragoon Spirit. Damn bandits! Naruto thought angrily. I swear we'll make you suffer for this.
A/N - And that's the end of the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
As you can see, Dart is beginning to realize his feelings for Shana. Sorta. There was also a small Dart x Tayuya moment that I hope you liked. There was a date between Naruto x Shana, which resulted in, well...the lime. lol. Lots of interesting stuff happened! Fun, huh?
Again, I'm rather tired, so I'll end this here. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!