The Legend of Naruto

by MercenaryGrax

During his training with Jiraiya before the finals of the Chunin Exams, something awkward took place. One of Naruto's attempted jutsu went awry & another world has seemingly merged with Naruto's own. Follow along as Naruto and friends discover the world of the Dragoons. What will happen when they encounter new foes, incredible monsters, & the heroes from The Legend of Dragoon?

16. Chapter 16

A/N - Okay, I'm going to warn you now that this chapter is LOOONG. Hopefully that doesn't bother any of you. lol.

Anyways, first I'd like to start off with a warning. There is a lemon in this chapter! I think it turned out pretty well, so hopefully you think so as well.

And because I'm really, really shaky after having to climb on a ladder and use a chainsaw to cut away at some tree branches, so I'm just going to end this note here. Enjoy the chapter!

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Chapter 16 - Yagura's Demise & Fun Times Aboard the Queen Fury

As they raced through the village, cutting down any loyalists in their way, they were a bit surprised at the lack of resistance they had encountered so far. The answer to this mystery became much more obvious as they neared the Kage Tower and saw Yagura standing there waiting for them.

"So, you are the fools Lloyd spoke of. How interesting. As you can see, I've already dealt with your leader." he said, motioning with a wave of his hand towards Mei, who was currently trapped inside of a coral prison. "You're welcome to free her if you'd like, I don't care. It doesn't matter how many of you come at me at once, you'll only fall to my power."

Dart and Tayuya quickly went to free Mei while the remaining party members looked into Yagura's eyes, almost searchingly. "Why, Yagura? Why do all of this?" Naruto asked.

Yagura smirked and shook his head. "Why not? Do I really need a reason to exterminate a blight on this planet? Bloodline users are evil incarnate and should be exterminated like the vermin they are."

Hinata frowned as she activated her Byakugan and looked at Yagura carefully. After a moment, she said, "There's a powerful genjutsu in effect on him. I don't know its purpose, but…"

Mei limped over to them and said, "A genjutsu, hm? That would certainly explain some things. If he's being controlled somehow, we need to free him. He can never atone for the things he's done, but I'd like to see just what it was that changed him from the kind man he was into this tyrannical monster."

"If you're finished with your little discussion, shall we begin? I grow tired of waiting." Yagura said, tapping his club on the ground. "If you won't make a move, then shall I do so?" And before anyone could say anything, Yagura moved faster than they expected and appeared in front of Rose, thrusting his hand forward and attempted to gouge out an eye.

Before his attack could connect, however, Naruto used his Searing Slash Addition, slipping into Yagura's guard, his fire and wind coated kunai biting deep into Yagura's side. When Yagura cancelled his attack and leapt backwards, away from the fourteen year-old jinchuriki, and touched his side where the attack had landed. Glancing at his fingers that were covered in blood, he looked at Naruto and frowned. "I see. You're a dangerous one, aren't you? Tell me boy, what is your name?"

Deciding to humor him, Naruto said, "The name's Naruto Uzumaki. I'm like you, Yagura. Because of that, I'll try to put you down quickly. I don't want a fellow jinchuriki to suffer."

Yagura used his senses to get a feel for Naruto and nodded his head in understanding. "I see. Naruto Uzumaki, I would very much like to challenge you to a one-on-one fight. I'm curious to see just what you're capable of as a fellow jinchuriki."

Rose placed a hand firmly on Naruto's shoulder and said, "No. We're fighting as a team."

Yagura ignored her and continued to look Naruto in the eyes. "Do you fear me, Naruto Uzumaki? I hoped for better."

Naruto sighed and gently removed Rose's hand. Stepping forward a few feet, Naruto looked hard into Yagura's eyes and nodded slowly. Activating his Sharingan, Naruto said, "I accept, Yagura. And I'll use these eyes of mine to free you from the genjutsu that's consumed you."

Upon seeing the Sharingan eyes, Yagura flinched and clutched at his head in agony as the image of a pair of Sharingan eyes flashed in his mind. However, after a moment, he recovered and looked as cold as ever. "Those Sharingan...I'll remove them from your head and destroy them. I hope you are prepared, Naruto Uzumaki."

Nodding his head, Naruto took a deep, calming breath before he moved quickly, slipping into Yagura's guard again and swinging a wind-coated kunai towards his fellow jinchuriki's neck. Yagura casually formed a mirror and watched as a reflection of Naruto blocked him with the same attack Naruto had just attempted to use on him. When the reflection disappeared, Yagura smirked at Naruto and said, "My turn." before slamming his club into Naruto's chest, sending him reeling backwards, clutching his chest in pain.

Before Naruto could recover, Yagura appeared above him and thrusted a hand out, a bunch of coral shooting out from his hand in an effort to trap his opponent and end this duel. However, as the coral began to surround him, the Naruto before him burst into a cloud of smoke that obscured his vision. Grimacing in anticipation of Naruto's attack, he wasn't let down when he felt a few kunai bite into his back.

As Yagura turned to face him, Naruto smirked and waved. "This may be a duel, but we're both shinobi and I choose to use every trick in my book if need be."

Yagura chuckled a bit and nodded his head in understanding. "Of course. A shinobi does whatever it takes to win, even if it might seem underhanded. It seems you've been trained well."

"Gramps trained me quite a bit when I was younger. I learned most of what I know from him, I'll admit. My Jonin sensei was a lazy asshole that didn't teach me jack and most people really couldn't give a damn. So I did what I could to teach myself the rest. I think I've turned out pretty well." Naruto explained as he prepared for their next exchange.

Yagura nodded in understanding and said, "Yes, jinchuriki tend to be treated cruelly. I'm not surprised that you've had it hard, Naruto Uzumaki. But that is neither here, nor there. I hope you're ready, because here I come." And with that being said, Yagura activated his one-tail cloak and grinned ferally at his opponent. "Prepare yourself, Naruto!"

As Yagura vanished in a blur of speed, Naruto used his Sharingan to predict his movements and dodged them accordingly, making sure to match and even outdo Yagura's speed. "Damn you're fast." Naruto complimented with a grin on his face. "It'll take more than that to put me down, though!"

"Noted." Yagura said calmly as he began a fierce taijutsu exchange with his opponent. When it appeared as if the one-tail cloak wouldn't cut it, he entered his two-tails cloak and slipped into Naruto's guard, slamming his fist into Naruto's chest, sending him flying backwards, crashing through a building in his path.

Naruto groaned as he pulled himself out of the rubble and brushed himself off. Looking at his opponent, he sighed as Yagura zipped towards him at an insane speed, swinging his club at the side of his head. Reaching up, he grabbed hold of Yagura's club and used it as leverage to lift Yagura up off the ground. Spinning around and around, he soon threw Yagura and his club through the Kage tower and watched as it collapsed on top of him. "That's not going to be enough…" Naruto said quietly to himself.

Sure enough, Yagura emerged from the rubble, blood dripping down his face and into his eye from a gash over his right eye. It was healing at a fast pace, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. After a moment, he transformed into his bijuu form and towered over everyone as he looked down upon Naruto. "You've pushed me quite far, Naruto Uzumaki. However, it is time to end this. Prepare to die!" he exclaimed as he prepared to fire a Tailed Beast Ball at his opponent.

Naruto, realizing how dangerous this technique was, quickly transformed into his Dragoon form and focused on his magic. Please let this work! He exclaimed as he unleashed his Wing Blaster spell, sending sharp blades of wind that cut through the ball that was forming in Yagura's mouth. Seeing that it wasn't enough to completely disrupt the technique, Naruto got another idea and grimaced as he realized this was going to suck.

Flying up to the bijuu's mouth where the Tailed Beast Ball was forming, Naruto grimaced and thrust his lance into the ball and poured his magical power into the ball, destabilizing it. "And now comes the pain…" he muttered as the ball exploded and sent him flying through a number of buildings before he finally hit the wall of the final building and collapsed to the ground in pure agony.

Yagura, on the other hand, suffered the worst of the damage as his bijuu form destabilized from the explosion and he was sent flying into the ground, skipping across it a few times before crashing through a couple of buildings himself. He was finding it incredibly hard to get up and winced at the pain he felt. "S-Shit…"

Naruto groaned as he struggled to stand. It felt as if every bone in his body had just been broken, despite being clad in some thick plate armor. Slowly, he managed to rise to his feet, though he stumbled a bit and nearly fell again a couple of times. Slowly, he lifted his head to look towards Yagura. Okay, so that worked. Looks like he's in massive pain too.

Yagura watched as Naruto slowly stumbled his way towards him, using his lance as a crutch. Upon reaching him, Naruto knelt down and looked Yagura in the eyes with his Sharingan activated. "Just...sit still, Yagura. I'm going to t-try and break the genjutsu on you now."

The Fourth Mizukage slowly nodded his head, deciding to just let the younger man do as he pleased. After all, he was in too much pain to do anything at the moment. When he felt something strange, he was about to say something before he felt as if his head was going to explode.

Naruto grunted from the effort it was taking to break through the genjutsu that had been cast upon Yagura. When he finally broke through it, Naruto collapsed to the ground next to Yagura and breathed heavily. "Fuck that was hard. I didn't think it would be so difficult to break that genjutsu."

Yagura was stunned. His mind felt clear for a change and, despite the pain he was in, he smiled at being free for the first time in way too damn long. However, as the weight of what he had been forced to do to his people settled in, he began to cry. "What have I done?"

Mei walked up to Yagura and watched him for a time. "Yagura? Are you back to normal now?"

The Fourth slowly nodded his head before he began to cough. Looking down at his beaten body, he chuckled dryly. "I'm finally myself again...and I'm dying. What irony."

The beautiful auburn-haired woman looked down at him coldly. "Maybe so, but I'm sure if you lived, the people you've hurt would only seek your death for everything you've done. This may be a small mercy of sorts."

Yagura looked up into her eyes and smiled softly at her. "Yourself included, I assume? The clearest thing I can remember is a pair of Sharingan eyes, and then...it's all muddled. I can't remember much after that. Heh, I suppose it doesn't matter…"

Naruto turned his head slightly to look at Yagura. "Sorry, Yagura. I wish I knew w-who it was that trapped you in that genjutsu. I know Itachi is skilled in genjutsu, but it couldn't have been him. Which means another Uchiha must be behind it. If it helps, I'll try to find who ruined your life and end him. But...no g-guarantees."

The pink-eyed man nodded slowly and said, "Please do. That man can't be allowed to destroy anymore lives. G-Good luck...Naruto Uzumaki…" And with that, Yagura's eyes closed and he soon took his last breath in the form of a pained gasp.

Seeing his fellow jinchuriki lying dead beside him, Naruto scowled. "Whoever that Uchiha is...he's going to pay for this." he said. After a moment, he stared up into the sky and sighed. "I...I think I n-need a nap…"

Mei watched as Naruto fell into unconsciousness and quickly called over the party of Dragoons and ninja. "Is one of you a healer? Naruto has taken quite the beating."

Shana nodded and quickly set about healing her boyfriend. Seeing the state he was in, she frowned to herself and said, "You stupid idiot. You shouldn't have fought him by yourself!"

Naruto's other girlfriends nodded in agreement with this statement. "It's like when he fought Gaara during the invasion of Konoha. He takes the burden all on himself. It's just how he is, and while I love him for it, it also makes me worry about him." Hinata said, frowning deeply. "Is he going to be okay, Shana-chan?"

Shana nodded and released a sigh as she finished healing her fellow Dragoon. "Yes, he'll be just fine. He got very lucky that he didn't suffer worse wounds, such as a ruptured spleen or something."

Dart shook his head and chuckled a bit. "Have to admit, he's a tough son-of-a-gun. It makes me proud to be his friend."

Tayuya smirked at him and punched him in the shoulder. "Just admit it. You love the guy."

The spiky-haired brunette chuckled a bit and nodded his head in affirmation. "I do. I love Naruto as if he were my brother. I'm not ashamed to admit it."

Giggling to herself, Tayuya looked at her clanmate and knelt down, gently stroking his whiskers. "Glad you're going to be alright Shithead. Don't know what I'd do if I lost another family member."

Meru knelt down on Naruto's other side and began brushing the whiskers on her side. Giggling to herself when he began to purr, she said, "That's so cute! I didn't know he'd purr like that if you pet his whisker marks."

Tayuya snickered and said, "He's like a cat."

Meru nodded with a grin and continued to stroke his whisker marks, enjoying listening to him purr. After a few moments, however, she stood up again and stepped back, allowing Dart to kneel down and lift Naruto into his arms. "Mei, is there anywhere we can put Naruto until he has recovered?"

Mei nodded and led them towards the village's hospital. It was a safe enough place and Naruto could be allowed to recover in a room there. As they walked, people that had witnessed the fight between Naruto and Yagura began to cheer for their hero. Mei and the others couldn't help but smile at this. Looking at the unconscious young man in Dart's arms, she thought silently to herself, You'd make a fine husband, Naruto Uzumaki. Too bad you're in a relationship already.

Seeing the way Mei was looking at Naruto, Rose scowled and shook her head. And yet another woman develops an interest in my Naruto. She'd better not think about coming with us…

The Next Day

Naruto groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Slowly looking around, he realized almost immediately that he was in a hospital. Then he registered all the people in the room. Most of them appeared to be asleep, but a few of them were awake and watching him.

Seeing him awake, Hinata hurried over to his side and took his hand in hers. "How do you feel, sweetheart?"

The whiskered blonde smiled at Hinata and said, "Much better than I was after my fight with Yagura, that's for sure. I'm feeling great, actually. Though, I can't help but wonder something. If Lloyd was allied with Yagura...where the hell was he?"

Dart stepped up to the bed and shook his head. "After we brought you here, we searched the village for any sign of him, but we didn't find a thing to even suggest that he was here. I think Lloyd decided to abandon Yagura to his fate."

"Wouldn't surprise me." Naruto said with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Sooo, what're we supposed to do now?"

Hinata gave her boyfriend a kiss before saying, "Now that you're awake, Mei asked that we bring you to see her. It seems she's got an announcement of sorts to make and she'd like all of us to be there."

Nodding in understanding, Naruto slowly got off the bed and looked around at the others. He was about to ask if they should wake them up, but the group slowly began to come around. When his girlfriends saw him awake, they hurried over to him and took turns kissing him and hugging him tight. "Heh, sorry to worry all of you. I seem to do that far too often."

"Damn right you do!" Shana exclaimed as she hugged him tight and rested her head against his chest. "I'm so glad you're alright, Naru."

Naruto smiled and hugged her back. "Of course I'm alright. I won't go dying anytime soon. I plan to live a long, love-filled life with all of you. And besides, we've got so much left to do. I can't go and miss it all because I died, now can I?" he asked with a grin on his face.

Hinata and his other girlfriends giggled at this and nodded their heads in agreement. "Of course, Naru-kun. Now, we should get going. Mei-san wanted to see us before we left."

Dart nodded and motioned for the group to follow him. Once they were outside, they were a little surprised to see such a crowd there to greet them. When they saw Naruto, they all began to cheer his name. Hearing this from them caused Naruto to blush in embarrassment. "Okay, this could take some getting used to. The people in Konoha have never reacted like this towards me before."

Rose gently took his hand in hers and said, "That's because they are a bunch of selfish bigots that can't see you for what you are. You're a hero, Naruto. Never doubt that."

Albert placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and said, "She's right, you know? You're definitely a hero to these people, Naruto. Relish in this feeling, but don't let it go to your head."

Naruto nodded and thanked them both before they continued on their way towards where the Kage tower used to be, before Naruto and Yagura destroyed it in their fight. It seemed that the people had already begun to rebuild it, but for the moment, there was a raised platform that Mei was standing on with Ao and Chojuro at her sides. When she spotted them, she invited them up onto the platform with her.

Upon reaching her, Mei turned to Naruto and smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. I know your fight with Yagura wasn't an easy one, but because of you, the war has finally ended. I know you're displeased with Yagura's passing, and I understand your feelings on the matter. However, you are a hero to these people. They recognize it as much as I do. So, on behalf of us all, thank you, Naruto Uzumaki." she said before bowing to him.

Naruto watched as Ao and Chojuro bowed to him as well. Looking around at all the people in attendance, he was shocked to see all of them bowing to him. "P-Please, you don't need to bow! I just wanted to help!"

Mei stood straight again after a moment and giggled at his reaction. "You'd better get used to it, mister. If you keep on the path you're going down, you're bound to do even more heroic things. I guarantee it." she said. "Now, I have an announcement to make, so I hope you're willing to stay and hear my words."

Naruto and Dart both nodded and watched as Mei walked to the edge of the platform, looking out at her people. "Everyone! Thanks to our hero, Naruto Uzumaki, we are finally free of Yagura's tyranny! Now, we must rebuild and name a new Mizukage. If it were up to me, I'd gladly ask Naruto if he would become the new Mizukage, but he is a shinobi of Konohagakure and I highly doubt he'd be willing to transfer to our village so easily." she said with a giggle.

Naruto's eyes widened as the people agreed with her. Looking at Mei, he shook his head and said, "I'm still a bit too young to take up such a position. And you're right, I am a shinobi of Konohagakure. I have loved ones there that I can't just abandon."

Mei smiled at him and nodded her head in understanding. Turning her attention back towards her people, she asked, "Is there anyone you would like to see be our new Mizukage? I will gladly hear all of your suggestions."

Unsurprisingly, a great many of them shouted out that she should become the new Mizukage. Looking at her people with a smile, she said, "If that is what you want, then I will gladly take up the mantle of Fifth Mizukage! However, I'm afraid that I'll have to leave Ao in charge, because I plan to journey with our friends here for a time. They are on an important mission to deal with an evil we know nothing of. I would like to help them in their quest. So please, treat Ao with the respect you would show me. I promise to return as soon as I can, but I'm afraid I don't know how long that will take."

Rose scowled at this, but remained silent. She chanced a glance at Naruto to gauge his reaction to this announcement, but he seemed to be largely unaffected. Oh, if only he knew just why she was so willing to journey with them.

After Mei finished speaking, she motioned Ao forward so he could address them. Afterwards, she walked up to Dart and company and asked, "It is alright for me to come along, isn't it? I truly want to help you in your quest. If there's anything at all I can do to make a difference in the long run, I'll be glad. Besides that, I want to get to know this village's heroes better." What went unsaid was that she was really looking forward to getting to know Naruto better specifically.

Rose scowled and said, "Admit it, Mei. You really just want to get to know Naruto better, don't you?"

Mei smirked at her and asked, "Is that so wrong? Naruto-kun is perfect husband material, and I'm genuinely interested in him. Besides, he's with numerous girls already, isn't he? What's the big problem?"

Hinata sighed and rubbed at the bridge of her nose in frustration. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Seeing Mei's smirk widen, the Hyuga heiress sighed and shook her head. "Fine. But you're not stealing his first time and you're not stealing the position of his first bride. Do you understand me?"

The auburn-haired woman shrugged her shoulders and said, "Fine with me. Just so long as I have a chance to be with him, I'm okay with it. My biggest dream is to have children with a man I love, and I'd like to see where a relationship with Naru-kun goes."

Rose grumbled irritatedly before releasing a heavy sigh. "Whatever. Fine. I don't even care anymore. He attracts way too many women to him, I swear."

Shana giggled a bit at that and nodded her head in agreement. "He really does, doesn't he? Still, he does keep us happy, and he seems to find a way to make us all feel special somehow. Is it really so bad to allow someone else a chance to be with him too?"

Rose didn't respond. Instead, she settled for grumbling irritably to herself. After a moment, however, she grabbed Naruto's hand and began dragging him off to who-knows-where, much to their surprise. "Where's she taking him? What the heck is she even doing?" Hikari questioned, sounding quite flabbergasted.

Everyone shrugged and simply settled for delving into conversation with one another. They supposed that they'd just have to leave when Rose and Naruto returned. For now, they'd let them do as they pleased.

Naruto & Rose

"Rose-chan? What's up? Where are we going?" Naruto asked as he walked along with his first girlfriend.

Rose looked at him for a moment before saying, "We're going somewhere where we can truly be alone. I'm upset and I think it's high time we got to spend some 'special' alone time together."

Blushing deeply at what she was implying, Naruto kept up with her brisk pace and didn't say another word. When they found a small inn, they entered and paid for a single room and quickly entered it. Once they were inside of their room, Rose locked the door and gave Naruto a gentle push back until he fell backwards onto one of the beds. Then she began to remove her armor and clothes until she was clad in only a dark blue bra and panties. "I want you Naru. More than I've ever wanted anyone before. Now strip. I want to be one with you now."

Lemon Begins (Don't like? Don't read!)

Naruto nodded and proceeded to remove all of his clothing until he was laying there in the nude. Seeing her boyfriend in the nude, she centered in on that certain part of his anatomy and licked her lips in anticipation. Slowly she sauntered her way over to the bed and began to crawl on it until her face was even with his penis. Without waiting, she took it into her mouth and began licking along the shaft.

Groaning in pleasure, Naruto began running his fingers through Rose's hair and couldn't help but smile to himself as his girlfriend gave him quite the pleasurable blowjob. As she began to fondle his balls and picked up the pace of bobbing her head along his dick, he let out a moan and could barely control himself.

After a few more minutes, he moaned louder and shivered as he unleashed rope after rope of cum inside of his beloved's mouth. When she removed her lips from around his cock with a 'pop!' sound, she couldn't help but grin up at him as she made a show of swallowing his cum. This only served to make him harder and he pulled her flush against him. "Damn you're sexy, Rose-chan. And look at how wet you are. You really want this, don't you sweetie?"

Rose nodded and proceeded to kiss him passionately as he went about removing her bra, allowing her large D-cup breasts free from their confines. Tossing her bra aside, he watched as Rose parted her panties and began to slide back and forth along his shaft, covering it in her juices. "I want it inside of me. Now!"

Naruto grinned and lifted his girlfriend up before impaling her with his mighty meat stick. He groaned as he tried to get used to how tight she was clamping down on his dick. "F-Fuck. You're so tight, Rose-chan. I don't know how long I can keep from cumming if you're going to be this fucking tight."

Smirking at him, she slowly began to ride him, causing him to moan from the pleasurable sensation. Leaning in close, she kissed him lovingly on the lips and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him even deeper inside of her. "Mmm. Naru. Oh, Naru! I love you so much! Never leave me." she pleaded.

Holding her close as he proceeded to thrust up into her, doing his best to match her movements, he kissed her sweetly on the lips again before saying, "I'll never leave you, my dear Rose-chan. You're stuck with me for the rest of our lives. You're my first real love and you're incredibly special to me. Why would I ever leave you?"

Giggling happily at that, she picked up the pace and moaned loudly as she bounced up and down on his dick. After a short while of this, she screamed out, "Oh God! I'm cumming Naru! I'm cumming!"

Naruto nodded and held her tight against him, kissing and sucking on her neck. "Oh Kami, I am too! S-Shouldn't I pull out?"

"No. I've never had children of my own. I want to feel your cum inside me. I want to give birth to your children, my precious Naru! Now cum for your sexy Rose. Fill me with your cum and make me scream your name!"

Thrusting up into her harder and faster, he grunted as he began to fill her womb with his cum. As he did this, she screamed out his name, exactly as she said she would. She came all over his dick and lap, further drenching her already soaked panties in the process.

As Rose rested against him, panting in an effort to catch her breath, Naruto grinned and turned her around before pushing her onto her hands and knees. Without warning, he began slamming his cock inside of her at a fast pace, causing her to scream out in pleasure once again.

Rose couldn't help but moan in pleasure as her lover fucked her good. "Oh God. Yes! Yes yes yes yes yeeessss! Oh Naru! Naru! More! Fuck me harder! Just don't stop fucking me!"

Naruto couldn't help but grin to himself as he continued to really pound into his girlfriend. "Kami, you're sexy Rose-chan. And you've got such a beautiful body. The perfect breasts, the perfect ass, perfect lips… Oh Kami I can't get enough of you." he told her as he pressed himself against her back, proceeding to grip her breasts a little roughly, fondling them and squeezing them every now and then.

Collapsing against the bed, Rose couldn't help but release moan after moan as her lover fucked her from behind. Everything about what he was doing to her turned her on so much and her juices just continued to leak from her. Oh God. I...I can't keep up. This feels too damn good!

Naruto whispered in her ear, "I'm going to fill you with my cum over and over again until you're overflowing with it. I'm going to make damn sure you're carrying my baby by the end. Now, scream my name you sexy bitch."

As she began to cum again, Rose screamed out his name as loud as she could. When she felt Naruto's hot seed filling her again, she screamed again from the pleasure until she had screamed herself hoarse.

Naruto wasn't done with her, however, as he lifted her up by her hair and proceeded to begin pounding into her again. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh continued to echo through the room as he continued fucking her hard. Her hips were getting sore and her pussy was starting to hurt, but in a pleasurable way. Eventually she came again, but when she didn't feel her Naru's cum entering her again, she began to whimper pitifully. "N-Naru...cum. I want your cum!"

The whiskered teen grinned and leaned in close again, whispering in her ear, "Your wish is my command, my queen. Now take my cum in your slutty pussy and scream for me." he said before thrusting his cock as deep as he could get in her pussy and began to cum again, filling her up even more.

Sure enough, Rose screamed out his name again, despite her voice being hoarse. When she finally calmed down and Naruto released her hair, allowing her to slump forward, she couldn't help but smile happily. Oh, my wonderful Naru. I feel so full. I feel so happy.

Laying down atop his girlfriend, Naruto proceeded to thrust his cock back into her waiting pussy. As he continued thrusting into her over and over again, Rose whimpered pitifully. "Oh...oh Naru...please. More. More! More!"

"I love you Rose-chan. I love you so much. Now take my seed and get pregnant with my babies!" he screamed as he shoved himself into her as deep as he could get and poured more cum inside of her once again. When his cum began leaking out of her pussy, he grinned to himself and whispered to her, "It looks like you've taken in all the cum you can hold. Perhaps I should let you go now, hm? Or does my naughty Rose-chan want me to keep fucking her until she's too damn sore to move?"

Rose whispered something that he couldn't hear. "What was that? I couldn't hear you sweetheart."

The Darkness Dragoon clenched her eyes shut and screamed out, "Keep fucking me! I want more! So much more!"

Naruto sat back and lifted Rose into his arms as his cum continued to leak from her pussy. Slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered her on his cock until it was buried inside of her cum-filled pussy once again.

As her lover began fucking her again, Rose leaned back against his chest and turned her head, allowing him to kiss her lips hungrily. When they parted, he noticed that she had a glazed look in her eyes. Man, I've fucked her so much that she's barely even here anymore. I still feel like I could go for about twenty more rounds if need be! My damn dick won't go down! He thought before he began to chuckle. I don't care. I'll fuck her for as long and as hard as she wants.

Lemon Ends (Safe to read again!)

Later that afternoon

When Naruto and Rose approached the rest of the group, they were a bit surprised to see Rose limping with a goofy grin on her face. It was quite obvious what they had done, especially with how they both seemed to be positively glowing.

"Damn. Judging by how Naruto's having to support her, I'd say they had a damn good time." Hikari mumbled to herself. Hinata and Meru heard her though and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"Makes me want my turn even more. Kami I want to feel what she just got to." Hinata said as she rubbed her thighs together to hide her arousal at the very thought of being intimate with her beloved.

Meru couldn't help but grin as she looked at Naruto and Rose. "Sounds hot. I wonder if it really feels that good?"

Hikari shrugged and said, "Must have if she's unable to support herself. They must have been fucking like rabbits this entire time. They've been gone for what? Three, four hours?"

Meru nodded. "Yep, it's been almost four hours. I'm amazed they're even able to walk at all if they've been screwing each other senseless for that long."

Hikari and Hinata both smiled goofily at the thought of being fucked for that long. However, before they could say anything more, Dart could be heard asking, "Rose? Are you going to be alright to leave? If you want, we can stay here for a while longer so you can get some rest?"

Rose giggled happily before shaking her head. "I'm fine. Better than fine. I just need Naru to carry me for a while until I can move right again. Let's go."

Dart, feeling officially creeped out by all of Rose's happy giggling, simply nodded his head and began to lead the group out of Kirigakure. Their destination was Donau, where they would take a boat out onto the waters in search of Lenus and Lloyd.

Donau

Upon arriving at Donau a couple of days later, they immediately set off for the port, where the Queen Fury would be waiting for them with its crew. When they got to the port, they proceeded down the stairs for a bit before they paused to look at the Queen Fury.

"Is this the ship we were supposed to ride on? The Queen Fury?" Shana asked.

Kongol smiled broadly and said, "Kongol is excited. This bigger than me."

"So, this is the Queen Fury?" Dart questioned as he looked over the ship for a while, admiring its design as well as how big it was. This thing looks like it was built to withstand a damn tidal wave, perhaps even a Dragon!

It was at this point that a woman standing near the ramp leading up to the ship spotted them and came rushing up the stairs to greet them. "You must be Dart and company, right!?"

Dart nodded and said, "Yes, we are. And you?"

The woman smiled brightly and exclaimed, "My name is Kayla! I'm a crew member on the Queen Fury! I'm getting the Commodore now!" Rushing back down the stairs, she shouted out, "Commodore! Commodore Puler! Dart and his friends are here!"

It was at this point that they heard a man's voice shout back, "What Kayla!? Be quiet!" In a moment, Commodore Puler made his appearance next to Kayla and said, "A man of the sea should have a big heart. Sometimes you listen to the waves, and cast your dreams to the ocean. That is a man's romance!"

Kayla ignored his ramblings and said, "Commodore! Dart and his friends are here! You got an order from the King, didn't you sir?"

Puler, just now noticing the party, rushed up the stairs to greet them. "Oh! You are the brave young people who routed the bandits! You deserve to be guests on my ship, the Queen Fury!"

Before anyone could say anything in response, Dart spoke up, "Thank you. But we don't want to be treated as guests. We have the same objective, to pursue Lenus."

Puler nodded and grinned at Dart. "Hmmm! I like that!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and shrugged his shoulders. "Meh, what can ya do? Mighta been nice to be treated like royalty for a bit, but you can't have it all."

It was at this point that Kayla made her reappearance and shouted at them, "We are ready to go, sir!"

The Commodore nodded and said, "I see. Now the only thing left is for you to board. As soon as you are ready, we will hit the ocean!"

As the Commodore rushed back down the stairs to wait for them, the party regrouped and made their way down the stairs to inform Kayla that they were ready to board. As they approached her, Kayla said, "We have been waiting for you! Are you ready to go?"

Dart nodded and said, "Yes."

"Now, let's set sail!" Kayla exclaimed as she ushered them aboard the large ship.

Aboard the Queen Fury - A short while later

Once aboard the Queen Fury, the party split up and went off to explore the ship, each of them finding a different place to relax and enjoy themselves however they could. On board the deck, Shana was seen enjoying the company of the seagulls, each of them circling about above and around her. Giggling to herself, she couldn't help but smile at the serene setting. After a moment, however, she said to herself, "Many things have happened. I was put in jail...and Dart came to rescue me…. We were with Lavitz. And now we are here, pursuing Lloyd. There are so many things I don't understand. The Moon That Never Sets, the voice of Virage…." Sighing to herself, she looked at the seagulls with a sad smile. "I wish I could fly like you guys.. But it doesn't take me anywhere….Dart will laugh at me. Oh well. I wonder where Naruto went?" And with that, Shana set off in search of Naruto, hoping she could spend a bit of alone time with him.

Venturing down below, Shana stumbled across Kongol and asked him, "Hi, have you seen Naruto?" When Kongol simply shook his head, she sighed and said, "I'll look somewhere else then."

She was about to leave, but she noticed something sparkling nearby. Picking it up, she noticed that it was a piece of Stardust. So, pocketing it for later, she took off in search of Naruto once again.

Once back out on the deck, she spotted Mei standing off to the side, watching as the waves rolled by. Approaching her, Shana asked, "What are you thinking about, Mei?"

Mei glanced over her shoulder at Shana and shrugged. "I'm just wondering how Kirigakure will fare now that I'm not with them. They may have elected me as the Fifth Mizukage, but I can't help but worry. I know Ao will be fine, but at the same time…"

"I see. Well, I'll leave you to it then. Take care, Mei." Shana said before entering the ship proper, where she spotted another piece of Stardust to the right of some stairs along a pipe and picked it up, pocketing it with the other piece she had collected. Entering the nearby kitchen, she spotted Hinata and Hikari. Walking up to her fellow Naruto lovers, she asked, "Hi. Have you two seen Naruto?"

Hinata looked over her shoulder at Shana and shook her head. "No, sorry. We've been studying how to cook certain dishes from the chef here."

Hikari offered Shana an apologetic smile. "Sorry. It's just like Hinata said. Good luck finding him, Shana."

Shana smiled at them and shook her head. "It's alright. I'll just continue looking elsewhere for him." she said before she left the kitchen in search of her precious boyfriend.

Entering the nearby sleeping quarters with a few bunk beds and some junk strewn about, Shana easily spotted Meru laying on the top bunk nearby. Walking up to her, Shana asked, "What are you doing in here?"

Meru sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bunk. "I'm just bored!" After taking a moment to think on it, Meru grinned and exclaimed, "You know what!? Let's have a pillow fight!"

Shana waved her hands in front of her face for a moment before saying, "Sorry. I'm a little bit busy now."

The female Wingly pouted and said, "You are boring!" before flopping down on the bunk again.

Shana sighed and shook her head before she continued her exploration of the ship in search of her darling boyfriend. Entering the next room, she passed through there into another room in the back of the ship. As she entered, she heard shouting. "Kayla! Check the pressure!"

"Aye aye sir!" she could be heard shouting in response. When Kayla rushed her way and nearly bumped into her, the young woman exclaimed, "Oops! Sorry, Miss Shana!" before running off. As she made to go down the nearby steps, Kayla rushed back in and exclaimed, "Everything is under control about the pressure!"

"Alright. Thank you." one of the engineers said before he got back to work. Not seeing her boyfriend in here, Shana sighed and prepared to leave, only to see Tayuya looking at the machine at the bottom of the stairs. Walking up to her, she asked, "Tayuya? Have you seen Naruto anywhere?"

Tayuya looked at Shana with a frown and shook her head. "'Fraid not. Might try looking in the cabin though. My guess is he's probably there."

"Alright, thanks Tayuya. Take care." Shana said before she left the room. When she made her way up the stairs above the cabin and out on the upper deck, she spotted Haschel. Approaching him, she asked, "Haschel?" However, Haschel remained silent, not uttering a word. He's contemplating something. I shouldn't disturb him. She thought silently to herself.

Going up the nearby stairs into the helm of the ship, she spotted Dart standing with Commodore Puler. Approaching him, Shana asked, "Dart? Have you seen Naruto anywhere?"

Dart looked at his childhood friend and shook his head. "No, sorry. If you're looking for him, I'd try somewhere down below."

Nodding her head in thanks, Shana left her friend and climbed the ladder to the crow's nest, where she came across Rose. Walking up to her, she said, "Umm...Rose." to get her attention.

Rose turned around and quirked a brow in curiosity. "Do you need me for something?"

Shana shook her head and offered an awkward smile. "I don't need anything from you in particular, but I was just wondering how you are doing?"

Rose looked away from Shana and shrugged. "I was thinking about Naruto. That, and the wonderful time we shared together back in Kirigakure. I've never felt so happy as I did when I was with him."

The brunette blushed a bit at that and asked, "H-How was it? Was it...painful?"

The Dark Dragoon looked at Shana curiously for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Not really. We were a little rough with each other, but it felt sooo good. I imagine that if it's your first time though, it'll hurt for a little while, at least until you get used to it."

"I...I see. Thank you Rose." Shana said quietly.

"No problem. And if you're looking for Naruto for some reason, no, I haven't seen him. Try looking down below."

"Will do. Thanks again, Rose." Shana said before she returned down the ladder and ventured down below into the cabin. Upon entering, she spotted Albert sitting on a couch and Naruto lying down on a bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Ignoring Albert and leaving him to his thoughts, she walked up to Naruto and sat down on the bed near him. "Hi sweetheart. How are you?"

Naruto looked at Shana and smiled sweetly at her. "I'm alright. Just figured I'd relax for a while. I looked around the ship and figured that I should probably just leave everything alone. I don't understand how any of this stuff works. Sooo...I decided to rest in here for a while. Why? What's up?"

Shana snuggled up against him and kissed him on the nose. "Nothing. I just wanted to see you."

Smiling at this, Naruto hugged his girlfriend close and kissed her sweetly on the lips. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, "If we were alone, I'd gladly ravish you and make you scream my name."

Blushing badly, Shana poked him in the nose and said, "Don't tease me like that sweetie. You know how much I want to be with you like that."

Chuckling a bit, Naruto nodded his head and held her close. "I know. I love you Shana-chan."

"I love you too. I'm going to head back out onto the deck. I want to spend a little more time just watching the waves and enjoying the fresh breeze. I'll see you later, okay?"

Naruto nodded and watched as his girlfriend got off the bed and left the room. Once she was gone, he hopped off the bed and scratched at his chin. "I wonder what Dart's up to?" he wondered aloud before he walked up to Albert. "Hey Albert. Whatcha thinking about?"

Albert looked up into his friend's eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just thinking about how the gentle rocking of the boat and the sound of the waves is a soothing melody of sorts. That, and I can't help but think about Princess Emille."

"Ah. Smitten with the beautiful princess, are you? Can't say I blame you any." Naruto said, smirking at his friend. "Anyways, any idea where Dart might be?"

The King of Serdio shook his head. "I'm not sure. If I were you, I'd try searching the helm where Commodore Puler should be located. I'm willing to bet that Dart's up there."

"Thanks Albert. I'll see you later." Naruto said before he left the room and ventured into the kitchen, mostly out of curiosity When he saw Hinata and Hikari in there, he chuckled a bit and said, "You girls look like you're having fun."

Hikari turned to her boyfriend and smiled at him. "Yep! We're learning so much about foreign cuisine and what they serve on ships like this one. It's quite the learning experience."

Hinata nodded in agreement and smiled somewhat shyly at him. "I...I hope that you'll enjoy what I make for you later, Naru-kun."

Naruto smiled at them and said, "I'm sure I will, Hinata-chan. I'll see you both later. I'm off to look for Dart." After bidding them a farewell, he left the kitchen and headed out onto the deck. He could see Shana enjoying her time with the seagulls again and couldn't help but chuckle a bit. He didn't want to disturb her, so he went down into the room below and spotted Kongol. Walking over to him, he tapped Kongol on the chest and said, "Hidin' out down here, huh? Having fun?"

Kongol nodded his head and said, "Kongol like it down here. Big, open space. Lots of heat from big machine. Very interesting."

Naruto nodded in understanding before he glanced over his shoulder at the two men shoveling coal onto the fire to keep the ship moving at a fairly quick pace. "Yeah, I see what you mean buddy. You enjoy yourself. I'm off in search of Dart."

Kongol smiled at Naruto and said, "Good luck."

When Naruto walked back up onto the deck, he spotted Mei and walked over to her. "Heya Mei-chan. What's up?"

Mei looked at Naruto and smiled sultrily at him. "Just thinking about you and how much fun it would be to take you off somewhere private so I could ride you like a horse."

Blushing deeply, Naruto stammered, trying hard to find some words to speak in response to what he had just heard. When Mei began to giggle, he realized that she was only teasing him. So, with a sigh, he shook his head and said, "Not nice of you to tease me like that. I might have just gone along with that idea if we were somewhere private."

It was Mei's turn to blush and she quickly turned away. "M-Maybe...later? Anyways, I assume you're looking for somebody, right?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm looking for Dart. Seen him around?"

Mei shook her head and said, "Sorry, but I haven't seen him. Have you tried the helm where Commodore Puler is?"

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "No, not yet."

"Might want to search there. Take care Naru-kun."

Naruto nodded and walked off, heading back inside and into the room past the kitchen. Seeing Meru, he walked up to her bunk and smiled at her. "Heya Meru-chan. Whatcha up to in here?"

Meru looked down at Naruto and smiled at him. "Not much. Just bored outta my mind. Wanna play something?"

Naruto frowned and shook his head. "Sorry Meru-chan, but I'm kinda looking for Dart right now. Maybe later?"

Meru pouted at him before she laid back down. "You're boring too! Oh well. Take care Naruto."

And with that, Naruto left the room and ventured into the back of the ship where Tayuya was. Walking up to her, he greeted his clanmate. "Heya Tayuya-chan, what's up?"

Tayuya looked at her fellow Uzumaki for a moment before turning away. "Not much, Shithead. Just decided to hang out in here and watch these people work. Not really exciting, but it's an interesting enough distraction I suppose. What brings you here?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and said, "Just looking for Dart. I suppose I'll go on and check the helm, as the others suggested. Catch ya later, Tayuya-chan!" he exclaimed before leaving the room and venturing back out towards the cabin. Afterwards, he went up the stairs out onto the upper deck, where he spotted Haschel. He was tempted to go say hello to the old man, but he appeared to be deep in contemplation about something. So, ignoring his buddy, he walked up into the helm of the ship where he spotted Dart. "Ah, there you are Dart! How's it hanging?"

Dart turned around and smiled at Naruto. "I'm doing alright. I'm learning some interesting things from Commodore Puler, and I'm enjoying watching the waves roll by. How about you?"

The whiskered blonde shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm just lookin' for something to do, really. I was kinda just trying to stay out of everybody's way. I don't know jack about how this ship runs or anything, so I was just chilling in the cabin. Anyways, you look kinda busy, so I'll leave you to it. Take care man." Naruto said before he walked off to return to the cabin.

Once Naruto was gone, Dart folded his arms across his chest as his thoughts returned to the Black Monster, which he had been thinking about before Naruto had approached him. I still don't know anything about the Black Monster. Maybe Rose might know something about it.

Not quite knowing where Rose might be, Dart made his way down the steps, where he spotted Haschel. Walking up to his old friend, he asked, "Haschel?" However, just like with Shana, Haschel remained silent. I guess it's not time for him to talk. Dart thought with a shrug of his shoulders.

Venturing down the stairs, he entered the cabin where he spotted both Naruto and Albert. Naruto was once more lying down on one of the beds, so Dart decided to leave him be. Instead, he walked up to Albert. "Have you seen Rose?" Dart questioned.

Albert looked into his friend's eyes and said, "No. But…. Are you going to ask that question to everyone?"

Dart nodded and said, "Yeah."

Albert frowned at this and asked, "To Tayuya too?" Seeing Dart nod, Albert sighed and looked away. "The human heart is more complicated than waves." he said before sitting back down on the couch.

Dart frowned at this in confusion and scratched at the top of his head. Is he trying to say that Tayuya...likes me? That's not possible...is it? Deciding not to think about it too hard, he left the cabin and entered the kitchen where he spotted Hinata and Hikari. "Hi, you two. Have you seen Rose, by any chance?"

Hikari turned and shook her head. "No. Hinata and I have been in here the entire time, studying under the chef here. Why?"

Dart shook his head and said, "Just need to ask her something is all. Take care."

Leaving the kitchen, Dart went into the next room and spotted Meru on a bunk. Walking up to her, he asked, "Have you seen Rose?"

Meru flopped around before swinging her legs over the side of the bunk. Staring down at him, she said, "I dunno. Anyway, I'm totally bored! Naruto wouldn't spend any time with me! Hang out with me Dart! Hang out with me!"

Dart shook his head and said, "Next time."

As he started to walk off, Meru pouted at him and exclaimed, "It's totally boring! I'm gonna tell Tayuya that you were looking for Rose!"

The red-clad mercenary frowned at this and scratched at the back of his head as he thought, There someone goes mentioning Tayuya again. Now I'm really suspicious.

Venturing into the back of the ship, he passed Kayla and walked down to greet Tayuya. "Hello Tayuya. Um, have you seen Rose by any chance?"

The redhead turned to Dart with a glare and shook her head. "No. Why the heck're you looking for her, anyways?"

Dart could tell that Tayuya was unhappy with him, and it was becoming more apparent that maybe she really did like him. So, aiming to appease her, he said, "I just need to ask her some questions about the Black Monster. I know next to nothing about it and the thing destroyed my hometown and killed my parents. I need to learn all I can about it, and I figured that because she's so knowledgeable, she might be able to help me."

This seemed to abate Tayuya's anger as she nodded in acceptance of that. "Alright, I can buy that. Good luck finding her. Hope you can get some answers from her."

"Thanks, Tayuya." Dart said before he left the room and ventured out onto the deck where Shana and Mei were. Walking up to Mei, he asked, "Hey Mei. Have you seen Rose?"

Mei turned to Dart and shook her head. "Haven't seen her. Shana might have seen her though while she was exploring the ship. You might want to ask her."

"Thanks, Mei." Dart said before he ventured down into the room below. Walking up to Kongol, he asked, "What are you looking at?"

Kongol looked into Dart's eyes and said, "Flame. The life that drives such a big thing. You will be a flame that drives big thing."

Dart seemed a bit confused by this statement, but shrugged it off and went back out onto the deck, where he approached Shana. "Hi Shana. Have you seen Rose by any chance?"

Shana looked at her childhood friend and shrugged. "She's up in the crow's nest. At least she was when I saw her."

"Thanks Shana. See you later." he said before he reentered the ship and ventured all the way up into the crow's nest where he approached Rose. "Here you are." he said, getting her attention.

Without turning to look at him, Rose asked, "May I help you?"

"It's about the Black Monster. I thought you might know something about it, Rose."

Rose turned to face him and said, "That's right. You are traveling just for that…. Unfortunately, I have nothing to tell you."

Dart frowned at this and said, "Oh…."

Rose leaned against the railing and asked, "What are you going to do when you catch the Black Monster? What are you going to do with him? Kill him to avenge your parents? That'll satisfy your feelings?"

Dart turned away and shrugged his shoulders. ""Revenge does not generate anything." That's what I learned from Lavitz. To tell you the truth, I don't know what I am going to do...or even what I want to do when I face the Black Monster. I just want to know what he is."

Rose turned away from him and sighed. "I see…. Well, I can tell you one thing. Do you know what is the source of the power of Dragoons? War is not in human nature. Humans fight by making themselves enter insanity. It is...the same for revenge." Brandishing her Dragoon Spirit, they watched it shine in her hands. "This is a tool to amplify the insanity. And this insanity is the source of the power of Dragoons, the Dragon Knight."

"I didn't know that…." Dart replied quietly.

"Someday, something will happen, and if you cannot chasten your insanity, I wonder if you will be able to endure it, given the size of your spirit?" she questioned as she put her Dragoon Spirit away. "Sorry. It was just nonsense."

Dart offered her a smile and said, "It's okay. When I finish with Lloyd, I'll go on my journey to pursue the Black Monster. When I face him, I'll find my own answer to that."

With that said, Dart returned down below and left Rose by herself. Once she was alone again, she said, "Mine is not a "journey"...I'll take a walk for a change." And with that, she descended down into the helm where she spotted Dart chatting with Commodore Puler. Leaving them alone, she went down onto the upper deck where she spotted Haschel. Ignoring him for the time being, she went down below and entered the cabin where Albert and Naruto were.

Walking up to Albert, she asked, "Can I ask you what you are doing?"

Albert looked into Rose's eyes and said, "I was debating with myself as to which one is more profound, the sea or love? Now, I am debating with myself which one is more infinite, the sea or love?"

Rose said, "I see…. Sounds like fun." Bidding Albert farewell, she went over to Naruto and kissed him on the lips tenderly. "Hello sweetheart."

"Hiya Rose. Whatcha up to?"

"Nothing much. Just going for a walk around the ship and happened to see you in here." Leaning in close, she whispered, "And if we were alone, I'd gladly make love with you again."

Blushing a bit, Naruto said, "As tempting as that is, we unfortunately are not alone. Maybe another time then, hm?"

Rose giggled a bit and nodded her head. "Another time. Talk to you later, sweetheart." she said before leaving the cabin and venturing into the kitchen, where she saw Hinata and Hikari hard at work. "Hello you two. Fancy seeing you here."

Hinata turned and smiled at Rose as she reached up to brush a bit of flour off her cheeks. "Hey Rose. What brings you here?"

Rose looked her friends over for a moment before saying, "I'm just taking a stroll around the ship. That's all."

"Makes sense. Well, take care Rose." Hikari said before she turned and got back to work.

Venturing into the next room, Rose saw Meru sitting atop a bunk bed. Walking up to her, Rose said, "You look bored."

Meru nodded and said, "Exactly! Can we hang out together?"

Rose smirked at her and said, "If you want to practice with your sword, I can give you one."

The perky dancer shook her head and said, "Um…. Ah….I think I'll hang out by myself."

"Okay. It's unfortunate though." Rose said before making to walk off. As she did, Meru stuck her tongue out at her and made a 'Nyah!' noise at her. Turning to glare back at Meru, Rose said, "I can give you some practice if you want."

"No thanks! No thanks! I'll behave!" Meru exclaimed somewhat nervously.

With a shrug of her shoulders, Rose ventured back into the engine room and approached Tayuya. "Hmm, thinking about something, Tayuya?"

The redhead turned to look at Rose and shrugged her shoulders. "Kinda, sorta. I'm...trying to figure out how I feel about...um...Dart. I just can't decide…"

Rose sighed and shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't really help you with that. It's one of those things you have to figure out for yourself. Though, if you want my opinion, I think you've already got your answer. You just haven't realized it yet."

As Rose walked off, Tayuya frowned to herself and thought, I have my answer? How is that supposed to help me?!

Rose proceeded to make her way out onto the deck, where she saw both Mei and Shana. Approaching Shana first, she asked, "Am I disturbing you?"

Shana turned to face her with a small blush on her face. "N-No. I was just thinking."

The Darkness Dragoon quirked a brow and folded her arms across her chest. "Oh? What about?"

The brunette giggled nervously for a moment as she poked her fingers together. "Um...about what you told me earlier when I talked to you. I can't help but wonder what it'll be like when...when Naruto and I make love…"

Rose sighed and shook her head. "Who can say? If you want to try it out so badly, you're more than welcome to."

Shana blushed worse and said, "T-Thanks, Rose. I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with the idea."

The ravenette shrugged her shoulders and said, "Shana, I'm still sore from when we made love. Believe me, I'm fine if you want to take him for a ride."

Blushing further still, Shana turned around and went silent. Seeing as the conversation was pretty much over, Rose walked over to Mei and asked, "What are you thinking about, Mei?"

Mei turned to face Rose and shrugged her shoulders. "Not much, honestly. I'm just pondering what the future has in store for us."

Rose shook her head and said, "A person can never predict what the future may hold in store for them. It's best not to dwell on it for too long."

The auburn-haired beauty nodded in understanding. "Sagely advice. I'll be sure to take it to heart. Perhaps we'll speak later, Rose-san. Do take care."

The Darkness Dragoon nodded and ventured belowdecks, where she saw Kongol standing by himself. Approaching him, she asked, "I wonder if Gigantos like dark places?"

Kongol looked at her and simply said, "Gigantos have hid from Humans. Kongol feels at ease in dark places."

"...Sorry for disturbing you." Rose said before bidding him goodbye and returning topside. Deciding to go pay a visit to Haschel, she proceeded through the ship until she reached the upper deck where he was sitting. Approaching him, she struck up a conversation with him. "Are you thinking about something?"

Haschel slowly stood to his feet and turned to face the Dark Dragoon. "Oh, Rose. Do you want to talk about your love?"

Rose sighed and turned away before saying, "I was just walking around and happened to be here."

The martial arts master nodded his head before looking away. "Can I ask you one thing?"

Rose shrugged and said, "Sure."

"Why are you with us?" he questioned her curiously. "I heard that in the beginning, it was Dart's Dragoon Spirit. It seems that's not all."

Rose sighed and shook her head. "My reason for staying now is because of Naruto, you know that. But more than that, I consider you all my friends and want to ensure that everyone stays healthy and in good shape. I don't want to lose any of you."

Haschel nodded in understanding. "Well, regardless, everybody has different objectives on the journey. Before, I could tell that you appeared to be rushing yourself to death, with your life being run by something. But now? Now you seem genuinely happy and you're far more open with your feelings than you used to be."

The Dark Dragoon sighed again and turned to face him. "It's none of your business." she said before walking off to return to the crow's nest.

Once she was gone, Haschel turned around again and stared out at the sea. "I guess I overstepped. I cannot make judgments about other people." Sighing to himself, he thought back to a time when he was teaching his daughter martial artes.

As Haschel experienced a flashback, he sighed and said quietly, "Claire…. You, my daughter, were the only heir to our ancestral Rouge School martial art."

Losing himself in his flashback again, he closed his eyes and let his mind wander back to those times with his daughter. Once the flashback was over and done with, he stood up again and said quietly to himself, "I shouted out of anger. I was just running away from the pain that we have to overcome together, as a Master and as a Father. It's been 20 years since I left the village pursuing Claire, but what I have found was only my immaturity. As time goes by, I forget the objectives of my journey. But Dart and the others gave me a new one. I think...what I am going through now is a journey to support the passion of young Dart and his friends." Pausing for a moment, he chuckled to himself and said, "Oops! I have become too mushy! Well, maybe I'll go tease Kongol! I hope he is not knocked out with seasickness!"

Venturing up into the helm, Haschel approached Dart and tried to speak to him, only for Commodore Puler to speak up. "When Humans go to sea, there is a lot to think about. Friendship, love, it's bottomless. But that is life. Dart is now feeling the mystery of life."

Shrugging his shoulders, Haschel proceeded back downstairs and then delved into the main body of the ship. Entering the nearby cabin, he approached Albert and asked, "How are you doing?"

Albert looked into Haschel's eyes and said, "The wake of the boat meets the sea and disappears. It is like a human's memory."

Haschel, not quite wanting to delve into some philosophical mumbo jumbo, said, "Please excuse me."

As he walked away from Albert, Haschel approached Naruto and looked down at him as he laid upon a bed. "Hello Naruto. How are you holding up?"

Looking up at Haschel, Naruto shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm doing alright. Considering all we've been through lately, I'm kinda surprised that I'm taking it all so well."

"Understandable. If you ever need someone to talk to about anything, you are free to come to me whenever you want."

"Thanks Haschel. I'll talk to you later."

Haschel nodded and proceeded to leave the cabin. Heading into the kitchen, he saw Hinata and Hikari hard at work. Smiling at them, he said, "Well, well. I see you two lovely ladies are quite busy. Need a hand?"

Hinata smiled at Haschel and shook her head. "Nope! We've got it taken care of. You go have some fun, Haschel-san."

Haschel chuckled a bit and nodded his head. "Take care ladies." he said before leaving the kitchen and venturing into the nearby room where Meru was atop a bunk bed. Approaching her, he listened as she screamed out, "Boring! Boring! Bore bore bore boring!"

Unable to formulate any kind of response to that, Haschel ventured into the engine room and approached Tayuya. Looking at her for a moment, he said, "It seems you've come to a decision about something. I assume you've been thinking of Dart, then?"

Tayuya grumbled and folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up old timer."

Haschel shook his head and said, "I had no intention of laughing at you. Your feelings for him are understandable. If you want to be with him, then tell him that. Dart...can unfortunately be a little thick at times. The best way to get your feelings through to him is to take the bull by the horns and just show him how much he means to you. If you can do that, I think you'll be just fine."

The redhead blushed a bit and nodded slowly. "T-Thanks old timer. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"Glad to hear it." Haschel said before he turned and left the engine room. Journeying outside onto the deck, he first approached Mei and asked, "Hello, Mei. Having pleasant thoughts about a certain someone?"

Mei turned to face Haschel and shook her head. "Yes and no. I've been thinking about everything the Land of Water has been through over the past years. And now that it's all over, I find my thoughts drifting to Naruto-kun and what kind of future we could have together. It's all one big jumbled up mess."

"Understandable. I suggest you take your time to sort out your thoughts and try to relax a bit. Everything will work out just fine, I'm sure."

"Thank you, Haschel-san." Mei said before she turned to stare out at the waves again.

Walking over to Shana, Haschel asked, "You appear to be having a good time."

Shana turned to face him and asked, "You think so?"

"You have a smile starting to peek out."

The brunette giggled a bit and nodded. "Maybe you are right."

Haschel smiled and said, "I don't know what you are thinking, but being young is a good thing." And with that being said, he left Shana alone and ventured down belowdecks. Seeing Kongol, he walked up to him and struck up a conversation with the big guy. "What are you doing alone?" he questioned.

"Kongol always alone." the Giganto replied simply.

"You're not alone now." Haschel said with a small smile on his face.

"Friends. I still don't know." Kongol replied. "Kongol is here to see if Dart become leader instead of Emperor Doel."

"Doel…. It was your objective for the journey, wasn't it? Hmm, then why don't you talk to Albert? He might know something about Doel's story from the past." Haschel suggested before he left, leaving Kongol to his own devices.

"King of Human…." Kongol muttered to himself before he went topside. Upon seeing Mei, he walked up to her and asked, "Pretty lady, lost in thought. What thinking about?"

Mei turned to the Giganto and offered him a polite smile. "Nothing much, Kongol-san. Just thinking about the past and about our current situation. I'm actually quite eager to see more of this strange, new world. I'm looking forward to getting to know you and your friends a lot better too."

Kongol nodded slowly before leaving without another word. Approaching Shana, he asked, "Where is Albert?"

"Last I saw him, he was in the cabin with Naruto. I'd check there if I were you."

Kongol nodded in thanks before he ventured inside, heading into the kitchen where he came across Hinata and Hikari working hard to make a nice meal for everybody. "What doing?"

Hinata smiled at Kongol and said, "We're trying to make a nice dish that everyone will be able to enjoy. Would you like a taste? We'd love to get your opinion on it."

The Giganto nodded and allowed Hinata to give him a small taste of what she and Hikari were making. Savoring the flavor, Kongol nodded his head and gave them a smile. "Very good. Kongol likes."

High fiving one another, Hinata and Hikari thanked Kongol before they got back to work. So, leaving them to their own devices, Kongol entered the next room where Meru was. Approaching her, he listened as she complained about being bored, just as she had when Haschel tried to talk to her. After her little tantrum, she turned to Kongol and shouted, "Kongol! Hang out with me!" When Kongol turned to walk away, she shouted, "Hey hey! I said hey! Heeeey! Don't ignore meeeeeee!"

Kongol simply ignored her and walked off, heading for the engine room. When he approached Tayuya, she turned to look at him and sighed. "Kongol. Whatcha doin' here big guy?"

"Kongol looking for Albert."

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but he's not here. You're gonna have to look somewhere else buddy. Sorry." Tayuya said before she turned back around and stared at the floor again.

Kongol decided to just leave her alone and proceeded to make his way up onto the upper deck where Haschel was. Ignoring the martial arts master, he went up to the helm and saw Dart. Approaching him, he tried to strike up a conversation with him, but Puler spoke up instead. "When Humans go to sea, there is a lot to think about. Friendship, love, life and…." When Kongol turned away from him, Puler frowned. "I wanted to talk about romance too." Seeing that he wouldn't get a response from Kongol, the Commodore turned back towards the front and continued to monitor their progress.

Climbing up into the crow's nest, Kongol ascended to the top and approached Rose. "You like tall place?"

Without turning to face him, Rose nodded her head and said, "Yes. It is closer to the sky." And with that, the two of them decided to leave each other alone.

Kongol then proceeded down to the cabin and entered it. Approaching Albert, he said, "Kongol wants talk. What is friends? Dart said, Kongol friend. Kongol don't know. What is friend?"

Albert frowned at this and asked, "My Uncle Doel was your friend...wasn't he?"

Kongol shook his head negatively. "No. I fight for Emperor Doel. To make a world where all the species equal."

The King of Serdio frowned as he looked into his friend's eyes. "Maybe we can put it this way. Maybe "friends" are the people who walk the same road. People who walk together, but not led by somebody, who share happiness and pain."

"That is friends…?" Kongol questioned unsurely.

Albert smiled at Kongol and said, "Yes. That is us now. Although we have different objectives, we are walking side by side. Kongol. You are already walking on the same road as us."

The King of Serdio watched as his friend nodded before leaving without another word. It was at this point that Albert heard Meru screaming out, "Boring! Anybody wanna hang out with me!?"

Albert sighed and said wistfully, "It's thanks to those girls I can continue to walk on this road. Now, I'm going to socialize with my friends too." Looking at Naruto, Albert walked over to him and asked, "Naruto? What do you think of our goal? Can we achieve our goal of catching Lenus and Lloyd? I'm beginning to wonder."

Naruto quirked a brow at Albert as he sat up on his bed. "That's not like you to doubt our abilities like that. You sound pretty troubled."

"Perhaps I am. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Well it sounds like you need to get out of your own head. Go hang out with Meru for a while. Might help take your mind off things. She is pretty fun that way." Naruto suggested.

Albert chuckled softly and nodded his head. "I think I might just do that. Thanks Naruto." he said before leaving the room. He then proceeded to enter the kitchen where a divine smell was emanating from.

Looking at Hinata and Hikari, he could see that they were hard at work. At first he considered calling out to them, but he decided against it and simply backed out of the room. Venturing out onto the deck, he spotted both Mei and Shana on opposite sides of the ship. Approaching Mei first, he asked, "So, do you regret joining up with us?"

Mei turned and quirked a brow at Albert. Shaking her head, she offered him a kind smile. "Not at all. You're on an important journey and I want to help in any way I can."

Albert smirked at her and said, "It helps that Naruto is journeying with us, doesn't it?"

The auburn-haired woman giggled at that and nodded her head. "Yes, it really does. I'm genuinely interested in him, and I'd like to see where a relationship between the two of us would go. It's a dream of mine to have many children that I can spoil rotten."

Chuckling softly, Albert patted her on the shoulder before he turned and approached Shana. "I see you're not with Naruto."

Shana turned to Albert and giggled a bit. "I can't be with him all the time. But…. Being alone like this… Well, it gives me time to think. I always pined after Dart. I loved him dearly. But...Naruto stole my heart and I came to truly love him. It's been a rough journey so far, but I'm genuinely happy when I'm with him."

Albert frowned in thought and said, "I wonder if even a hard journey can be easily endured when you have a loved one at your side."

Shana smiled kindly at him and nodded her head. "When you love and are loved in return, it's a wonderful feeling, Albert. You feel stronger for it, and you feel like you can deal with anything that comes your way, no matter how hard it may be. I know that being with Naruto makes me stronger than I've ever felt before, and I know that my love for him makes him a stronger person as well."

The blonde king nodded slowly in understanding before he left her alone and went back inside. He ascended the stairs and noticed Haschel sitting alone on the upper deck. Approaching him, he attempted to strike up a conversation with the older gentleman, only to realize that Haschel was lost in thought. I have to leave him alone. Albert thought to himself before he walked up the stairs to the helm and looked at Dart.

Approaching the mercenary, he attempted to strike up a conversation with him, only for Puler to speak up as he so often did whenever anyone tried to talk to Dart. "When Humans go to sea, there is a lot to think about. Friendship, love, life…."

Albert smiled at the Commodore and said, "And romance…. The ocean stimulates people's imagination. How wonderful and, at the same time, dangerous a thing it is."

Puler smiled at Albert and said, "That's a poet, for you. You see through to the real ocean." With that being said, the King of Serdio climbed up to the crow's nest and spoke to Rose.

"Great view and great air." Albert said conversationally.

"Yes it is." Rose said simply without turning to look at him. It was obvious that the conversation was over at this point, so he went back down to the inside of the ship and ventured into the room Meru was in. As he entered, he looked at Meru and smiled. "You are having fun, as always."

It was at this point that Meru tossed a pillow at Albert, hitting him right atop his head. "I gotcha! Big success!" she cheered.

As Meru flopped back on the top bunk, Albert walked up to her and frowned. "That's an awful welcome."

Meru turned to look at Albert and said, "Hey, Al. You are a bit too squarish. You gotta become cool like Dart and Naruto…." Scooting closer to the edge, she asked, "Are you mad now?"

"No, but I now have a question." Albert replied.

Meru hopped off of the bed and dropped to the floor below right in front of Albert. "Wow! The exciting question time!?"

"Meru, when you joined us, you said "There is still something I can help with." Is that true?"

Meru turned away with a frown on her face. "Um…. Let me see. I dunno why, but I really feel that way. It's true. But, I dunno what it is."

Albert frowned in thought and said, "You are not just kidding it seems. Our journey is a dangerous one. We will not be able to succeed if we take a lackadaisical attitude towards it. Therefore, I wanted to make sure one more time. I don't want to see anybody else dying. Now, please excuse me."

After Albert left the room, Meru frowned and said, "Whatever. The King became too serious." Perking up almost immediately, she exclaimed, "Now is my big chance to hang out with Naruto!"

Venturing into the back, more specifically the engine room, Meru approached Tayuya and grinned. "Soooo, thinkin' about Dart?"

Tayuya sighed and shook her head. "Can't you just leave me alone?"

"Fine, spoilsport. I just wanted to hear the juicy details about how much you looove him and want to give him a nice ol' kissie-roo!" Meru exclaimed with a pout on her face. When Tayuya just glared at her, the platinum-haired woman left the engine room and went into the kitchen where she saw Hinata and Hikari. It appeared that they had just finished cooking meals for everybody and she couldn't help but drool a little at the wonderful smell of it all. "You girls are masters."

Hikari giggled and said, "Thank you Meru. If you're looking for Naruto, we don't know where he is. He's probably close by, though."

"Thanks! See you later!" the dancer exclaimed before leaving the kitchen and heading outside onto the deck. Walking over to Mei, she patted the woman on the back and said, "Kinda nice having a leader like you with us. What are your thoughts on our motley crew?"

Mei looked at Meru for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "You're all skilled and incredibly efficient when it comes to getting a job done. You've all proven yourselves to be highly capable individuals and I have to admit I'm impressed. I hope to become good friends with all of you."

"Cool, cool. I'm gonna go talk to Shana now." Meru said before skipping over to Shana and patting her on the shoulder. "Hey! Have you seen Naruto?"

"Yes. He's in the cabin with King Albert." Shana said. "Did you need something from him?"

Meru glanced away and said, "It's nothing." Looking back at Shana, she said, "I figured you'd be practically glued at the hip with the guy. You seem to be pretty nuts about him."

Shana smiled and shook her head. "Do you think it's strange? Not being together once in a while makes me realize many things."

"Really? That's too difficult for me to understand." Meru said before she walked off, descending belowdecks to speak with Kongol. "Hey Kongol! If you stay in such a dank place for a long time, your personality will be drippy!"

Kongol tilted his head in confusion and asked, "Dank and drippy different?"

"Forget about such tiny stuff!" she exclaimed with a pout before she left Kongol to his own devices. Venturing to the upper deck, she happened upon Haschel, who appeared to be deep in thought about something. Approaching him, she called out, "Hey Haschel! Have you seen Naruto?" When he didn't reply, she shouted at him, "Hey Haschel! Haschel!" Still getting no reply, she decided to just give up on it. He's thinking about something. It's boring.

Venturing up into the helm of the ship, she spotted Dart and skipped over to him, patting him on the shoulder to get his attention. When he looked her way, she asked, "Heya Dart! Seen Naruto anywhere?"

Dart frowned and rubbed at his chin in thought. "I think he was with Albert, the last time I saw him. I think they're still in the cabin. Why? Need something from him?"

"Nah! I just wanna hang out and have some fun with him." Meru said.

"I see. Well, I hope you find him then." Dart said before turning back around and losing himself to his thoughts.

Venturing up into the crow's nest, Meru walked up to Rose and exclaimed, "Hey! It's high up here!"

Sighing to herself, Rose glanced over her shoulder at Meru and said, "Yes, it is."

Meru shivered at Rose's cold tone and thought to herself, Rose is dark….

Leaving Rose to her own devices, Meru went downstairs again and entered the cabin, where she easily spotted both Albert and Naruto. Ignoring Mr. Stuffy, she hurried over and glomped onto Naruto, nuzzling her head into his chest. "Naru-Naru! Let's play!"

Blushing a bit, Naruto gently ran his fingers through her hair and smiled at her. "If you insist, Meru-chan. I don't mind spending some time with you. Want to explore the ship together?"

Meru grinned and nodded her head. "That sounds like a good plan! Let's do it!"

Naruto chuckled and stood up off the bed, taking Meru's hand in his. Together, they left the room and began to walk around, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells. Eventually they entered the kitchen where they saw only Hinata this time. "Ah, Naruto-kun, Meru-chan, good to see you! I was just about to take this plate of food to Tayuya. Want to join me?"

Nodding, Naruto and Meru walked with Hinata to the engine room where they saw Tayuya slumped in a corner, her head buried in her knees. Hurriedly approaching her, Hinata knelt down before her and asked, "Tayuya? Are you going to be okay? What happened?"

The redhead looked at Hinata for a moment before she noticed both Naruto and Meru there as well. Sighing in frustration, Tayuya closed her eyes to fight back unshed tears. "I...I think I really like Dart, but I'm afraid to tell him. I don't want him to reject me. I've seen how he looks at Shana, and...and it hurts. I want him to look at me that way."

Hinata frowned at this and gently took one of Tayuya's hands in hers, squeezing it gently to show her support to the woman. "All you can do is try, Tayuya. Try, try, try, and keep trying until your feelings get through to the big dummy."

Meru grinned and nodded her head. "Damn right, girl! Go and get your man!"

Naruto released a quiet sigh and shook his head. "If it helps any, he doesn't stand a chance in Hell of winning Shana over now. She's made her choice. Dart was just way too late to decide how he truly felt about her. Again, if it helps, I truly think you and Dart would make a good couple. Besides that, I want to see you happy, Tayuya-chan. We're here for you. If you want to be with him, go and talk to him. Tell him how you feel."

"Before you go though, I brought you some food. Eat some, it might help boost your courage a bit." Hinata suggested.

The redhead smiled at her friends and quietly said, "Thank you. I will."

Hinata smiled and said, "If you need me for any reason, I'll be in the kitchen. I still need to eat my food as well, after all. I'll see you all later." Hinata said before leaving the engine room.

Naruto looked at Tayuya with a smile. "I believe in you, Tayu-chan. Go and get your man." he said before he and Meru left to go do their own thing.

Left alone again, Tayuya quietly ate her meal before she carried her plate with her out of the engine room and towards the kitchen. Handing the empty plate over to the chef so it could get cleaned, Tayuya offered a quick smile of gratitude to Hinata before she left to go in search of Dart. If she was correct, he was likely with Commodore Puler. So, heading up to the helm, she was glad that her hunch was correct.

Approaching Dart, she shyly shuffled her feet a bit before building up the nerve to tap Dart on the shoulder, getting his attention. When he turned to her, Tayuya started blushing up a storm. Unable to find the words she wanted to speak, Tayuya eventually just decided to grab him by the collar and pull him into a fierce kiss.

When they separated, Tayuya was blushing even worse and she found it hard to look him in the eyes. "D-Dart-kun...I really, really like you. I know you've got feelings for Shana, but...I...I really want to be with you. If...if you can't see me that way, please just let me know now. I can take it."

Dart was blushing after what just happened. However, taking some time to think on it, he wrapped his arms around Tayuya and rested his chin lightly atop her head. "Tayuya...Shana has made her choice to be with Naruto. I've decided to just come to terms with it and let it be. I've...actually been contemplating my relationship with you. If you'll have me, I'd like to be something more. I'd...like to be your boyfriend, and perhaps someday, even more than that."

Blushing fiercely, Tayuya looked into his eyes searchingly, trying to look for any deceit. When she found nothing of the sort, she exclaimed, "Y-You mean it?!" When he nodded, she pulled him in for another kiss and then another after that. "Damn you for making me worry!" she exclaimed before giggling happily. "Thank you Dart-kun."

"Of course Tayuya. I hope to make you a very happy woman."

Tayuya hugged him tight and rested her head against his armored chest. "You will. I'm sure of it, Dart-kun. Just...don't go dying on me. Okay?"

Dart smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Of course Tayuya. I promise."

"Good." Tayuya said simply as she closed her eyes and relished in the feeling of being with her new boyfriend.

Their happy union as boyfriend and girlfriend was cut short however when the Queen Fury was suddenly rammed into by another ship. Quickly rushing outside to see what was going on, they were surprised to see the Phantom Ship had broadsided them. "This...doesn't look good at all." Dart said as his eyes widened in surprise at what he was seeing.

"That seems like something of an understatement." Tayuya said in a deadpan. "What the hell are we going to do now?"

"I don't know, Tayuya. But we're going to have to do something about this Phantom Ship if we want to resume our search for Lenus and Lloyd."

"Damn it. I'm really not looking forward to this."

---

A/N - Okay, as you can see, a hell of a lot happened in this chapter. Not the least of which is Dart and Tayuya getting together! Yay for that, right?! lol.

Anyways, like I said in the top Author's Note, I'm shaky as can be right now. I'm also dead tired as I haven't slept in almost 24 hours. Sooo...yeah. I don't have too much to say this time. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!