I do not own anything.

Poison Dove & Maelstrom Fox

Chapter 12 - A Team of…What?

In the back of his head, Jiraiya knew his luck was about to end. Like the fool he was, he chose to ignore it and focus on the current matter at hand. He considered the consequences that were sure to follow him a worthy cost to prolong the dream-like joy he was experiencing.

"Now then, open your mouth and say ah."

Heeding the sugary sweet voice, the exuberant Jiraiya did just as instructed. His reward was a well-cooked piece of chicken being gently inserted into his mouth. His lips clapped down and he made it known just how appreciative he was of the meal. He hadn't exactly planned for things to go the way they did, Kami knew he was hoping Naruto would be able to make it up to three tails without going berserk that might have been asking too much. In the end, while his original goal may have gone up in smoke, the ashes had led him to something just as valuable, maybe more so.

Said valuable's name was Hiroko, almost twenty-six years of white-clad beauty and innocence that was treating him in a manner befitting someone of his stature. To say it was heaven would have been an understatement.

"What would you like to try next, Lord Jiraiya?" Asked the sweet-hearted brunette, fixing him with a smile fit only for a goddess.

"I am in the mood for some sushi, that would be nice." He spoke in a laid-back tone that betrayed the excitement he was feeling. A nice cozy hospital bed with a cute nurse feeding him, what more could he have asked for? "Say, Hiroko, you…wouldn't happen to be free tomorrow evening, would you? I should be healthy enough to be up and about by then."

"According to whom?" She playfully jabbed. "I know you ninja are supposedly build yourselves up to be tough, but you're still human."

"Hey, I'm one of the three legendary Sannin, by ninja standards we're pretty sturdy." Not to mention over the course of his career, he'd built up something of a…resistance against pain. By battle of course and not, because he'd been sent flying more times than he could count by megaton punches or beaten so deeply into the ground he was sure he was close to the center of the earth. Certainly not for those reasons.

Not a second later and the white-haired ninja felt an electric jolt run up his spine. Alertness colored his face as all of his senses opened. Without missing a beat, his eyes went to Hiroko, whose eyes had suddenly widened then gone dead.

"Your guests have returned." Spoke the brown-haired doctor in a monotone before placing the food back on the tray and turning about. In only a few short footsteps she was through the door leaving him alone, though not for long.

As the nurse left, in came his student and his Servant. Naturally, Naruto's face was one of worry and built-up tension while Semiramis seemed more…annoyed than usual. Almost immediately, her eyes went to him, her snake-like pupils burrowing into him.

"I'd ask if you have no shame, but by now I've come to realize what little you possess is reserved for only the direst of times." Cold and to the point, she'd definitely bounced back from their little misadventure in the arts of fox-taming.

Jiraiya snorted as he crossed his arms. "There's nothing wrong with getting a little friendly conversation. Isn't that right, Naruto?"

Worry became annoyance in a split second. "Don't drag me into this, Pervy Sage."

"Here I am, your beloved teacher and you're leaving me out in the cold?"

"I wouldn't be leaving you if for once you acted like a damn grownup!"

"Remind me, whose money pays for us to eat and sleep?!"

"Whose money are you always borrowing to waste on nightclubs and bars?!"

In seconds, an angry knot had formed on Semiramis' head, and in nearly the exact same amount of time, her limit had been reached. "ENOUGH! YOU ARE NINJA! NOT CHILDREN!" Thundered the ancient woman, silencing both males who looked at her with fear tinging their eyes. Her left hand slammed against the side of her face as Semiramis felt a headache coming on, again. Anu, I've doomed myself to standing beside one who is guided by an imbecile. Perhaps something in my head was knocked loose during that…chat with the Nine-Tails.

Regain some of his former stature, Jiraiya was the first to speak. "You know, I could pay you back for this, Semiramis." In response, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits at the Toad Sage, who merely grinned in audacity as was his trademark. "Next time you and Naruto are having a moment, I could drop in to interrupt it then where would you be?"

She tried to hide it, oh how hard she tried to fight the slight changing of the color of her cheeks. Unfortunately for her, she was going up against a so-called relationship experiment; one that had little fear of her and her punishments, most of the time anyway. "I'll be feeding my pets Toad Sage, perhaps a little burnt and crunchy." Came her near-feral response.

As dedicated, Naruto entered the conversation the only way he knew how to. "Having a what? Did you forget to take your meds again, Pervy Sage? Semi-chan and I were just talking, that's all." The old ninja broke out into uncontrollable laughter behind his grin while beside him, the dark-haired woman breathed an invisible sigh of relief. "Anyways, we were talking when…well…"

"Well what? Come on," He baited, looking to them both with a wide grin. "You can tell Master Jiraiya, I promise you, nothing is off the table for me. Just don't leave out any details."

Naruto and Semiramis looked to one another, then to the Sannin.

The blond held up his head with a somewhat blank face. "Alright guys, come out, and try not to say anything."

He thought he was ready, and as usual, fate hit the Toad Sage with a curveball. Two curveballs to be exact.

Quite literally, the demon heads shimmered into existence, completely and utterly out of thin air. Their monstrous and wicked vestige was just as off-putting as they'd been before, but they now had the added bonus of being close to the sage's godson. Jiraiya acted on trained instinct, grabbing Naruto by the collar and throwing him behind him while he jumped to his feet into a defensive stance. Gone was the old flirt as well as the laid-back and somewhat immature mentor, in their place stood the guardian, the ninja who'd fight and kill the two demon heads if they so much as made a move. His black eyes glared at the two floating monsters with cold focus; to his slight amazement, they bowed their heads in open respect and said nothing. Jiraiya stared between the two entities before glancing to Semiramis, who merely shrugged her shoulders. Finally, he craned his head back to find his blond pupil sheepishly rubbing his head. Oh yes, he knew that expression on Naruto's face quite well.

"So," Droned the Toad Sage, a dry look prominent on his face. "A supernatural and super-powered ghost from another world wasn't enough for you, huh? Naruto, I didn't know you had such strange tastes."

Semiramis' eyebrow twitched as did Naruto's, the latter's voice reached shouting levels in an instant. "Hey! It's not like I asked for any of them! No offense, Semi-chan, heads."

"None taken, Master Naruto." Spoke the Ōkubi in perfect unison.

Jiraiya's ears twitched hearing them use such a title with his student. "Mas…ter?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to jump to his feet and stand proud. "Yep! These guys here have decided to become my personal heralds! Isn't that awesome, Pervy Sage?"

"Actually, they've offered it, there has been no acceptance of such a union." Came the cold voice of the Assassin, stepping forward. Cast in the light of the setting sun, Semiramis' aura of dread had seemingly returned, if only in small doses. The two beings it was directed at didn't shrink under it which she supposed commanded them a small bit of respect. That said, she was well aware of how dangerous they were. "They appeared before me and Naruto, offering themselves to the latter like beggars on the street. "

Remarkably, neither head reacted to the Servant's cold jab. Jiraiya took note of that as he looked back at Naruto. "And you…accepted them?"

"If they wanted to kill me or something, they could have done it already when me and Semiramis were talking." Stated the blonde Jinchūriki. "Actually, they could have done it over the last couple of days since they've been following and watching us."

Jiraiya's eyes quickly rose to rival Semiramis' in their intensity as he glared at the two floating entities. "Have they? I was wondering what that ominous feeling I've been having in the back of my mind was, and I don't just mean Naruto saying something stupid to Semiramis."

"I'm standing right here!" Shouted the former, scowling in anger at the white-haired man.

"Hush, Naruto, we're trying to discuss what to do with the two riff-raffs here." Fired back the Servant, not taking her eyes off of the Ōkubi.

Rather than back down, Naruto stepped up, literally. Defiantly, he stood before the two demon heads, his expression as resolute as Jiraiya and Semiramis had seen inside and out of battle. For the first time since entering the room, the demon heads looked upward, naturally, awe covered their eyes. "Look, I know they helped try to kidnap me-"

"And got on my nerves." Semiramis added.

"If we held that against them, me and Naruto wouldn't be standing here." Laughed the sage, earning a scornful glare from the dark-haired woman. Ignoring her, he looked to his pupil with hard eyes. "Naruto, you…realize what those are, don't you? Ōkubi aren't like normal summons, hell, they aren't even animals like toads or slugs."

Naruto's expression softened as he looked at the two beings who less than a week ago had played a part in one of the most irritating days of his life. Surprisingly, as he looked at them, his eyes shined with sympathy, especially as he noticed a slight twinge of nervousness in their stares. "Again, I kinda got that. They know about furball."

From within the metaphysical domain of his mind, Naruto heard a feral growl. No curses were thrown across the void, this time.

Hearing that did nothing to change Jiraiya's mood, which Naruto wasn't that surprised about. In fact, based on the look on his face, the sage had reason to believe Naruto might have been expecting it. "In distant past, back when it was believed demons and other supernatural creatures ran amok, the Ōkubi were believed to be omens of impending disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and such. Other tales go as far as to say, they were even directly responsible thus when people caught sight of them, they packed up everything and hit the road as fast as they could."

Semiramis saw her Master's cerulean eyes soften even more. Odds were all the sage had done was endear the creatures to him, a sentiment she wasn't quite sure how to take.

"So, does that mean I can whip them out and have people run away scared out of their minds?" Naruto questioned.

Jiraiya chuckled while crossing his arms as he took his seat at the edge of the bed. "Not quite, but you'll certainly be able to catch your enemies off guard by summoning them."

"Whatever use we can be to Master Naruto-" Started the female head.

"-We shall carry out with utmost efficiency." Finished off the male head.

The Toad Sage whistled. "They seem quite loyal to you in spite of recent events. Care to explain to me why or am I going to have to guess?"

Finally, Naruto's confident stride was broken as he began rubbing the back of his head, awkwardness and confusion colored his face. "Um, well, funny story about that. You see, Pervy Sage-"

It was her turn. "For one reason or another, these two seem to believe Naruto will one day cause create chaos and destruction, two things they want to be there to witness. Given, ah-hem, Naruto's penchant for causing both wherever he goes."

"So, you've noticed."

An angry knot formed on the blonde's head. "I'm standing right here, you two!"

"Master Naruto-" Said the male floating head.

"-We believe this is one of those moments when your voice will be ignored-" Echoed the female head.

"-Thus, the best option is to remain silent and wait for them to finish mocking you." Spoke the two Ōkubi, once more in perfect unison.

With a look of complete horror on his face, Naruto's head slumped. In what felt like a heartbeat, he was sitting in the corner, an imaginary rain cloud suspended over his head while he lazily traced lines and images along the wall. Realizing their words had hit a tad deeper than they intended, the two demon heads floated to the boy's back with their…heads bowed.

"Forgive us, young master."

Semiramis slapped a hand over her head in exasperation while Jiraiya outright chuckled into he was nothing but a human-shaped mass of laughter. "Explain to me, what about this situation is so damn funny?"

Then that grin manifested on his face, aiming at the irritated Assassin, that grin that always made her want to reach out and either smack him or dose his old form with acid. The kind that would slowly and painfully burn away his flesh, making every second of his death horrifying beyond belief. "You gotta admit, for a Servant, you're pretty rebellious so it almost feels like the universe is trying to make up for it by giving Naruto these two. Not to mention they treat him with a bit more respect than you do, so I can understand why he might want them to tag along."

Almost instantly, Semiramis felt her nerves flare. "I am more than enough for Naruto!" Though she'd managed to keep from shouting, her voice was tinged with a frigid air that threatened to evolve into a storm. If pushed, then that's exactly what would happen. "I'm far more useful and talented than either of those floating lumps of flesh!"

Like a deer, she walked headlong into the predator's line of sight. "If so, then how come they're the ones comforting him while you're standing here giving me a meaningless lecture?"

"Lecture?" Questioned the long-haired woman before glancing back to the corner where her Master had taken refuge. The Ōkubi were doing their utmost to cheer Naruto up, and from the looks of the happy expression on his face, they were succeeding. Dammit, that's my job! Somewhere in her mind, Semiramis realized what she'd just said and did a slight double-take. Said double-take didn't really last long as she pushed on ahead. With an annoyed expression her face, Semiramis marched over and took her Master by the collar of his shirt then dragged him back, putting him back on his feet as well. "Now see here, this boy's future will no doubt be rife with danger, but I am more than capable of shielding him from it."

"But didn't we agree we'd look after each other?" Innocently proclaimed the blond, looking at his Servant.

His question caused her to look in shock and horror and, as she predicted, Jiraiya made that insufferable amused yet cocky smirk at her. "Look after each other? My, oh my, what exactly happened between you two while I was out? A little exchanging of vows?"

Then shock and horror turned into a furious snarl. As Semiramis looked ready to, at last, be rid of the white-haired ninja once and for all, Naruto seemed bored. His feelings showed in his answer, "Yeah, you could say that, Pervy Sage."

"WHAT?!" Screamed Semiramis, eyes wide and jumping backward.

"AH! I knew it! Naruto, you really are learning fast, aren't you!" Exclaimed Jiraiya, pumping his fist in victory.

"It wasn't that kind of vow, you old pervert!" Barked the Assassin, her golden eyes now glaring daggers aiming at the man's head.

"Indeed, though it was one that brought tears to one's eye." Noted the male head.

"Quiet, you floating pile of flesh and bones!"

"Hey, you don't have to be so mean to him, Semiramis!" Defended Naruto.

She could feel her blood beginning to boil, and it was showing on her face, especially the more she looked at Naruto. "I wouldn't if he wasn't making such stupid accusations! The vow we made was nothing short of platonic, and this fool here," She pointed at the grinning Jiraiya. "Is attempting to create something that is nonexistent! Can you blame me for growing infuriated!?"

"You know what they say, one minute you're friends and the next you're calling Naruto, your dear-"

That was the last straw. Without one hint of physical motion from Semiramis, her chains lashed out and took Jiraiya by the heel. He grunted in mild annoyance as the spikes dug into him. His scream went wide as he was swung out of the bed toward the window where he hung suspended above the ground, quite a few feet above the ground.

"You realize I've taken falls greater than this, right?!" Shouted the Toad Sage, attempting to sound tough.

Semiramis would have been amused, but her anger had overridden whatever humor or joy she might have felt. "How about while your body is paralyzed to the point you can't lift a finger, much less turn yourself upright to land on your feet. Does that sound like something you can handle?"

"Maybe I can." He coolly fired back.

Semiramis looked ready to truly test his taunt, but Naruto wasn't having any of it. Tugging at the chain, he said, "Um, Semiramis, can you bring Pervy Sage back in? We kinda of need to finish explaining things to him."

"Can't we do that after I've done something about his mouth?"

"If you wish, I could attempt to freeze his mouth for you."

The Servant looked to the female head with wide eyes. "Can you? Then you're already proving yourself useful."

"Freeze him? Wait, does mean you can use Ice Style?" Stars were dancing in the eyes of the blond jinchūriki.

The female head looked to her new Master with humility in her eyes and voice. "Well, I'm not quite as skilled at manipulating ice as others of my kind, but I do know a thing or two. Once, I passed by a land experiencing a rather fierce snowstorm. Staying there allowed me to gather up a bit of natural energy from which I learned how to harness a fraction of the power of ice."

"Sounds like an interesting story!" Shouted Jiraiya from his position outside the window. Given his lifestyle and the events that had happened during said life, it was safe to assume dangling out of a hospital window a few dozen feet off the ground wasn't exactly anything new for him. Semiramis made a mental note that she'd have to try harder to scare him into compliance when he got too mouthy. "Alright, I'm ready to listen to how this little meeting came about. You can let me back in now."

After sharing a look between one another, the sage's request was granted. He seemed no worse for wear after his little "breath of fresh air".

"Alright, start from the top so I can get an understanding of how this all happened." He began.

Naruto took the mic, or rather Semiramis allowed him to since she'd felt she's spoken enough since rejoining with the Sannin. "You see, after Semiramis and I finished talking, mostly, they sorta appeared out of the bushes and offered to become my…heralds."

Jiraiya blinked owlishly. "Your…what?"

"Heralds." Affirmed the Assyrian queen with a blank expression. "These demons offered themselves to become Naruto's heralds. Yes, I know, someone above must have a very odd sense of humor." Not a beat was missed as her hand slammed over Naruto's mouth, muzzling his snappy response. "For the record, I wanted to cut them down where they floated then find out if demons leave behind physical bodies in this world or not. As you can guess, Naruto stopped me and pleaded for them. I didn't feel like putting up an argument so I…decided to let it slide, but since you're here we can now put it into a group decision. It's been quite a while since I've done one of those."

Frowning, Naruto removed Semiramis' hand from his mouth thus allowing him to speak. "Last I checked, they came to me so isn't the final decision up to, ya' know, me?"

"True, but as your guardians, we have a say in this too." Boomed Jiraiya. While he perfectly respected Naruto's right to make his own decisions and such, when said decisions put him in the line of fire it was only natural for him to speak up. It was just another aspect of life the boy was going to have to get used to, especially since he now had a personal servant following him almost everywhere he went.

Echoing the sage's sentiments, Semiramis fixed the two demon heads with an arctic glare. "For once, the pervert summed it up rather aptly. You may have Naruto convinced, but we, most importantly, I am a different story. I need concrete proof you won't attempt to betray my Master the minute I let my guard down. After all, you did originally ally with those who attempted to steal him away, likely into a life of forced slavery, did you not?"

Piercing as an arrow, her words penetrated the Ōkubi, giving them a reason to lower their gaze in regret and shame. Though he wasn't exactly on board with the whole idea, even Jiraiya felt she'd cut a bit too deep.

The bright blue of Naruto met the unearthly copper of Semiramis'. Quietly, the veteran ninja watched the silent exchange between the pair. Yep, something definitely happened between the two of them. Unlike the previous stare downs, the Assassin's eyes were rimmed with deceit and annoyance as she looked upon Naruto. Dare he even say it, what he saw more closely resembled concern than anything else. Meanwhile, Naruto's gaze was sharp but not particularly accusing or pushy. He'd seen that look a few times before - that look of soft assurance directed only to those he's trying to reach. When she entered the seal, whatever happened while Naruto was rampaging and maybe what happened after, it's changed their relationship. Heh, hopefully now I'll have a little more peace and quiet, plus some inspiration for my writing. Jiraiya thought with a mental grin.

Naruto's tap on the foreheads of the demons was gentle, just enough for them to look upward. Rather than scorn and anger, they saw a kind twinkle, the light in a storm heralding hope for the despondent. The three eyes of each zeroed in on Naruto's two. "Hey, um, what are your names again?"

A short glance was passed between the two. "Master Naruto, so much time has passed since we have been sealed, we have forgotten them." Answered the male head.

"So they're nameless too, this just gets better and better." Yawned the Servant with a bored expression.

"Then I'll just give you guys names!" Proclaimed the blond genin with a wide grin.

"Whatever name you bestow upon us, we will accept and wear with pride, Master Naruto." Affirmed the female head.

Just as he took in a breath to speak, Semiramis' hand came down softly upon his shoulder. "Perhaps we should take some time to think about this."

"I second that." Declared Jiraiya.

Naruto's annoyed frown returned, and in spades. "You guys are going on like I'm going to stick them with some sort of super lame name. I'd appreciate it if you had a little more faith in me."

"Oh, we do have faith in you, Naruto." Cheered his teacher.

"Faith that you will be there when it counts and cause as much chaos as humanly possible." Said Semiramis with a faint smile. "For naming conventions, well, that might be better left to me. I am, after all, the smarter one."

"That I also second." Chuckled the war veteran of the group.

"Then what does that make me?" Snapped Naruto.

"The muscle and our glorious leader." Semiramis dryly answered.

"And what of us?" Spoke the heads.

Semiramis fixed them with an extremely dry stare. It was at least a step up from the cold glare she'd given them before. "I honestly don't know, perhaps his left arm and legs, the position of his right hand has already been filled by yours' truly. If you have any complaints about the positions, I'm all ears."

Never before had a threat been laid out so clearly, and expectedly, it was voided with utmost caution. "No, milady, we have no complaints to speak of."

Semiramis finally smiled. "Obedient and respectful, how nice."

"Yeah, everything you weren't when you first showed up." Jiraiya cracked.

"Would you like to have another breath of fresh air, sage?"

"Can you two please just give it a rest already!" Shouted the youngest member of the bunch.

"I can freeze the sage, if you'd like." Offered the female head.

"While I can bury the woman." Seconded the male.

"Well, this is certainly shaping up to be one hell of a crackpot team." Mused Jiraiya as the Servant shot the male head a sharp death glare, one he'd been on the receiving end of multiple times before. As he stood firm, so too did the head. At the very least it showed the Ōkubi had backbone despite lacking physical backs, spines, and such. I wonder how in the hell I'm going to explain this to Tsunade, heh. A smirk grew on his face. Knowing her, she'll probably call bullshit on me.

The library was traditional a place of peace and quiet thus making it one of Semiramis' preferred habitats. Rather fittingly after their talk, Naruto seemed to find in it the same kind of bliss she did while navigating the rows upon rows of scrolls and books.

Rather by luck or fate, the public library of the city had escaped any major damages, and it was fully opened. After the unexpected battle, it appeared quite a few people had come in in a bid to calm their nerves and clear their heads. Semiramis couldn't blame them as there were times she'd snuck away to the royal library to get some alone time to herself. This time, she wasn't alone, and for once, she was actually rather happy for it.

He actually looks rather…cute when he's studying. From her first glance, she was able to tell Naruto wasn't the type to sit down and study at a table. The same kind of hard determination that colored his face when they were sparring returned, albeit Semiramis had to admit, it looked better without the dirt and blood smearing his face. Granted, given that they were looking up for names and such, more than trying to expand their knowledge or worldview one could have argued it wasn't quite the same thing. Regardless, Semiramis knew she had to enjoy this small moment of peace that they had. Said peace was also being partially maintained by her.

After finding a table, she'd used her magecraft to gently ward off other visitors, making that little corner of the library for their own. Call it selfish, but she liked her privacy, especially since they had two floating and talking heads to deal with. It was a miracle the two possessed the ability to seemingly render themselves invisible for a limited time, though their chattering voices could still be heard. Oh, and their somewhat scatter-brained nature made it frustratingly easy for their spell to be broken leaving them visible to mortals. Semiramis knew she was eye-catching herself, but the two Ōkubi would no doubt cause nothing but short of a panic, and perhaps be enough to get an angry mob with pitchforks put together. Should either head get speared, she was sure her heart wouldn't break for them. Naruto, on the other hand, would probably raise some objections.

Though the…exercise she'd gotten in the hospital had been equal parts stifling and amusing, she knew deep down Naruto's mind was already made up. He'd already decided to trust her in spite of knowing she was within a hair's breadth of turning him into her mindless slave, and he still managed to accept her. If she could cross that gap, then there was no reason to believe the Ōkubi couldn't as well.

Even after enduring all that pain and trauma, his heart is still so open. Her mind mused as she paused in her reading to glance upward at her Master. To his right lay a stack of naming books he'd skimmed through and then dismissed just as quickly. On top of that, he's truly giving it his all to ensure those floating heads had proper names. He cares about them, truly. Ordinarily, foolish is the word she would have used to describe such behavior, but as a Heroic Spirit, Semiramis knew the importance of a name. Names held power, and with them came identity, purpose.

"I got it!"

"Have you, now?" Coolly challenged the black-haired woman, shutting her book. "What have you come up with to name your newest subordinates?"

In twin torrents of blue flames, the Ōkubi materialized before the blond. Beaming at them with a proud smile, he first pointed to the male head. "How do you feel about being called Chokai?"

"Chokai? Hm, yes, yes, Master Naruto, that name will suffice."

With that settled, he turned to the pale-skinned female head. "Alright then, for you, how's about the name, Teshio?"

"I will gladly accept it, Master Naruto."

"Great! Then in that case, Chokai, Teshio, welcome to the team!" It was a good thing she'd set up a barrier that both inhibited sound and sight from passersby. If not, then Semiramis was sure they would have been reprimanded for being either too noisy or bringing in two talking demonic heads with the ability to cause earthquakes and flash floods.

"And exactly what kind of team is this, I wonder?"

"Hey, there's no need to neat-pick." Stated the blond with a smile. "Team Naruto, has sort of a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Yes, a team consisting of you, me, and two floating heads with only one whole brain between them." She acknowledged. "Let all our foes tremble before our combined might."

"Actually, with the power contained within Master Naruto-" Spoke up Chokai.

"-Our enemies will have every right to tremble in fear." Teshio Finished.

Semiramis felt her eyebrow twitch. "Are you two going to keep talking like this from now on?"

"Does it annoy you?" They jointly spoke.

"I'm okay with it." Intervened Naruto, looking to his two new companions with a toothy grin. "I've always heard something about twin-telepathy, so it's pretty cool to see it in person for once."

Though she rolled her eyes, Semiramis secretly smiled at the interaction. Following a quick inhalation she held out her hand. There was a brief shimmer of golden light before an orange-colored scroll materialized in the palm of her hand. "Then I guess it's a good thing I brought this. Before you ask, it's a summoning scroll specifically for them. During the last town we visited, it caught my eye in a shop so I decided to buy it. A decision that has turned out to be well worth the money spent."

"Great, then we're done here! Let's get going!"

Naruto got a single step before he felt his Servant's hand on the collar of his shirt. Straight-mouthed, he was turned around and forced to stare into the burrowing eyes of the Assassin.

"Indeed," muttered Teshio. "It appears Lady Semiramis will be the brains of this team."

"Hey! I thought you two were loyal!" Shouted the blond, his face had mixture of scowl and pout.

"We are, Master Naruto, but from what we have observed, she seems smarter and wiser than you are." Explained Chokai with a completely blank face.

Semiramis lips ticked upward. "You know, I'm beginning to like you two."

Meanwhile, Naruto's face soured. "Watch them say something negative about you, then you'll be begging me to let you turn their heads into softballs."

"Don't be absurd," She shot back, crossing her arms. "I'd turn them into something useful, like chemical vats. With the right spells, skulls can be made into rather useful cups and containers."

"Um, excuse us?"

The pair looked over to see the Ōkubi shaking in what was plainly naked fear. Immediately Naruto felt bad realizing the conversation had taken a darker turn for them, not to mention the same indignity he's suffered was now being inflicted upon them. Contrast, Semiramis seemed far less remorseful, though she did take note of their reactions. Clearly, the demons had been the receiving end of some rather harsh punishments or threats they weren't eager to relieve.

"Can you…please not talk about hollowing out our bodies? It's quite…disconcerting." Stated Chokai, glancing between the two with eyes pleading for mercy.

"Rather funny coming from you two, all you have to do is go out for a stroll and you'll have people screaming themselves deaf." Noted the Assyrian woman. "Look, the scroll is a bit less…eye-catching, not to mention I can magically attune it to Naruto to ensure it never leaves his person and is always ready. You two will be his second set of summonings after the toads."

"Or I could just use them all." Naruto noted. "Chief Toad said most toads can use Water and Earth Style, so can these two so doesn't that mean getting them all together will result in some sort of super big jutsu."

Catching herself, the Servant raised her eyebrow in thought. "You know, you might actually have a point. I also remember Jiraiya saying something about toads being able to produce oil. Chokai, do you possess any fire capabilities?"

"Not much, Lady Semiramis." Admitted the male with a thoughtful bow. "However, if it is oil you are discussing, I can create sparks and such that can give rise to a blaze."

"Eh, good enough, once I improvised with an explosive kunai since I didn't know any fire jutsu." Shrugged Naruto. "Can we go now?"

"No," Shot down Semiramis. "We're going to stand here and gather a few things for you to read so you can broaden your mind."

"Do we have to?"

A short glare was his response. Realizing their part in the discussion had ended, Chokai and Teshio disappeared in another shower of blue flames. Internally, Semiramis made a mental note to question the duo about that. Actually, she was going to have a lot to discuss with the twin heads. In fact, there was still much about their origins that she had to decipher before she could fully place her trust in them.

Another little puzzle for me to unravel, heh, I think I may be starting to enjoy this.

By the time they stepped out of the library, darkness had all but completely consumed the sky. It was somewhat pleasant seeing the darken sky not covered with smoke, pelting rain, or flashing with lightning and booming with thunder. Naruto himself took a moment to stop and gaze at what few stars could be seen before joining Semiramis in a walk down a path into the forest just outside of the building. Once there, he unwrapped the scroll then called forth the two Ōkubi. After having the process explained to him, Naruto held out his right hand while Semiramis stood to the side, her words moving in ways he couldn't understand, a language completely foreign to him exiting her lips.

He felt the tingle in the air seconds before the change happened. Naruto's blue eyes widened as he watched an orange stream of energy form around his outstretched wrist then snake its way down toward the scroll. It glowed with a similar light which lit up the surrounding bushes. Once the light died down, the scroll maintained its glow, just not as bright as before. One final bow preceded Chokai and Teshio moving themselves above the scroll where their demonic forms transformed into two glowing masses of fire. Said masses descended towards the laid-out scroll; rather than burning, the scroll being glowed with bright blue light. So blinding was the light that Naruto had to look away. Seconds ticked by until the light died down, allowing him to look forward again. Gone were the two Ōkubi, but the scroll remained, and it had changed.

Stark in the center was a spiral-shaped seal quite like the red spiral he wore on his clothing. Acting as a centerpiece, it divided the domains of Chokai and Teshio, now immortalized in stylistic ink. The former was facing to the right with a ring of rock and dot surrounding him while the latter faced to the left with droplets of water encircling her. Naruto reached forward with his hand only to stop when he felt a pulse of energy run through him.

"All you need do is call us-"

"-And we will be at your side, through fire and storm."

With a grateful smile, he tightened his fist then collected the scroll. Standing upright, he fixed Semiramis with a smile, that insufferable smile that dare she say it, she was beginning to enjoy. "Thank you, Semi-chan. That was…that was pretty awesome."

"Think nothing of it, the more boons we have for this little adventure, the better." She coolly played off, looking to the side. "Now then, I suppose we must get back to the old fool to make sure he hasn't-"

She was interrupted by a gurgling yet familiar sound in the air. It lasted for almost twenty seconds, but those twenty seconds were enough for Naruto to feel reasonably embarrassed. "Hehehe, um, sorry? Studying and doing all that kinda worked up my appetite."

Instead of getting annoyed like she usually did, Semiramis found herself chuckling, laughing almost. He is who he is, for better or for worse I suppose. But at least he's…at least he's decent. Placing her hands on her hips, she took several steps past him. "Then I have further reprieve from that buffoon, you have my gratitude, Naruto. Now then, to dinner."

Grinning like a fool, he eagerly caught up to her, practically bouncing on his feet every step of the way. "Thanks again."

"We're…partners, aren't we? Besides, though I don't require it, I'm…beginning to get used to the food of this realm."

"Then I really gotta take you to Ichiraku Ramen when we get back to the village."

"I look forward to trying it one day…hopefully with you at my side. You seem awfully fond of this village, don't you?"

Without warning, Naruto stopped dead in his tracks, causing Semiramis to pause as well. Turning around, her gaze softened seeing him look down at the scroll now containing the Ōkubi that had once threatened his life. She doubted he was having second thoughts about taking them in, she could sense it in his aura. "Semiramis, do you think they'll like it in the Hidden Leaf? Will you be alright there?"

"All of us will try to make ourselves at home wherever you are, Naruto. From this moment onward, Chokai, Teshio and myself, we will follow you wherever you go." Following a brief second of hesitation, she reached forward to place her hand atop the scroll, and therefore his hand. "If you call this Hidden Leaf Village home, then we will work to make it home to ourselves as well. Though I imagine you'll have to do some…convincing for the heads, you realize they're bad omens, aren't they?"

His grin was half-playful and half-pitying. "Yeah, but being a bad omen's nothing new to me. In case you didn't notice, I got worse than two talking heads inside of me."

"That you do, but that demon is in the place where it belongs, caged where it can do no harm. But should we ever need its power," Her grip tightened, causing him to look up to her. Semiramis had to admit, there was something she was beginning to find deeply enchanting about his azure-colored eyes. They seemed to possess some sort of power Naruto himself wasn't quite aware of. "Next time, we'll ensure that things go more smoothly, all…all four of us."

"Hey, don't count me out, I'm not going to let you, Chokai, Teshio, and Pervy Sage have all the fun!" Laughed the jinchūriki.

"Then don't, but do please true to put some effort into it." Pulling her hand away, she let out a dark laugh of her own, one that nicely complimented the dark yet mystical beauty the Wise Queen seemed to possess. "A fox demon on one side and a pair of demon heads on the other, I'd say Chokai and Teshio had it right - we're going to cause quite a bit of chaos, won't we? Now then, let's go get something to eat. Cute as your stomach growling is, I think the sound of your smacking is preferable."

"Hey! I don't smack!"

"Then what do you call that sound you make when you're eating?"

Naruto held up the summoning scroll with a dry stare. "I'll summon them again."

Stopping dead in her tracks, she turned back to him and returned her stare with one of her own. "…You're learning, aren't you?"

"Back home, everyone did say that being annoying was one of my 'specialties'."

Though he meant it to sound somewhat like an insult, Semiramis saw the way his eyes softened, no doubt as he recalled some of those instances. She knew in that instant that "annoying" didn't necessarily mean bad, for all she knew it simply meant surprising and eye-catching.

On that one, Semiramis could definitely agree.

So, there it is, the first chapter of 2019 and really my first update of the new year. Hoped you all enjoyed it and please leave your thoughts in the reviews and such.

The names chosen for the Ōkubi refer to a real-life mountain and a river. Chokai is named after Mount Chōkai, an active volcano in the Tōhoku region. Due to is massive size and general appearance it's been given the nickname Dewa no Fuji or Akita Fuji by the Akita natives. Teshio, is named after the Teshio River in the Hokkaido Prefecture, also it is the fourth largest river in Japan.

Next chapter will include a little time skip to show how the group has had some time to adopt to each other so until then readers!