Ahem, as I promised last chapter, the time has come for Naruto's homecoming…and for Semiramis to get her first real look at her new home. Her new "kingdom" to be precise. I won't prattle on since this moment has been a long time coming, but I'll say this. In light of the up incoming holiday, this chapter's got a little special something at the end of it. Without any further delay, enjoy!
I do not own anything.
Poison Dove & Maelstrom Fox
Chapter 20 - A Dove Amongst the Leaves Pt.1
"I thought he'd never get to sleep, but now that he is, I almost wish he'd wake up so I could hear his voice." Muttered the copper-eyed beauty with a visible smile. The subject of her gaze twitched in his slumber, as if sensing his being mentioned. It amounted to little as Naruto continued to snore on, blind and deaf to the quiet conversation being had by his "guardians". If he'd heard them, he might have a word or two to say.
Jiraiya smiled at the statement. Without a doubt, their initial interactions had been rocky, and rightfully so, but time had done its work allowing the odd duo to grow somewhat comfortable with one another. At the very least, the Toad Sage was tolerable when he was being genuine and serious. Semiramis almost found it possible to respect the man. "He can be like that. It's strange, he's like a cat at times, he bumbles around, but somehow always manages to land on his feet. Albeit, there have been times he's sprained a leg with the landing. Kid's still got a long way to go before he can do it with style."
"Frankly, I doubt he ever will get to that point…not that he needs to." She intentionally averted her eyes away from Jiraiya's. Semiramis had no desire to see the smug look on his face. Even so, she could practically feel the smile on her, and hear the laughter rising up in his throat. "Teaching Naruto civility is much like attempting to teach a lion the wonders of dining on grass and fruit, a venture that is doomed to fail and will likely blow up in one's face. For that reason, I've already resigned myself to being the diplomatic and elegant one. Besides, I'm far better suited to it than he is."
"Sounds like you've gotten the dynamics of your relationship down to a T, huh?" Mused the veteran ninja.
"What, are you saying you expect me to still be bumbling about what I am to him? About what he is to me?" Snapped back the demigoddess.
She'd gotten sloppy. Her response was partially what Jiraiya had been hoping for, and it showed on his face in the way he smiled at her. "And that is?"
"He is my…partner…and my…my…" The Assassin's silted eyes snapped over to the slumbering blond. Hopefully, there was no way he'd ever learn of this conversation. Regarding Jiraiya, she could always threaten him and get him to keep quiet. Or maybe one day she'd be able to just tell Naruto to his face that she thought of him as her friend, a companion. Sighing, she decided to wave the white flag just this once. She'd been humbled enough to do that. "He is my friend, perhaps the first friend that I've had in…actually, I don't think I've ever had anyone that can distinctively call a friend. The life of a monarch is one barefoot of friendships. Or…at least they were in my world. Or perhaps in my experience."
Jiraiya chose to say nothing out of respect for the long-haired Servant. While they may spend ninety-percent of the time taking potshots at one another, mutual respect had sprouted between the pair, even if the Assyrian Queen was reluctant to admit it. "Well, these are just the words of a wandering old coot like me, but everyone could use some friends. Even rulers, in fact, I believe they're some of the people who could really use them to keep the weight of the job from crushing them underfoot. I've seen such a thing happen a few times and it hasn't been a pretty sight."
"I imagine it hasn't. Sadly, you have those who rule and believe themselves above reproach. Fools like that either end up running their domain into the ground or finding themselves standing before hell's gate. Usually, they're cursing everyone else or pleading for some second or third chance. Quite undignified."
"And you're hoping that Naruto won't walk down that path, aren't you? Scratch that." Grinned the white-haired man. "You won't let him, will you?"
Semiramis shuffled where she sat, her face turning to the side causing the flames to illuminate her beautiful but cold face. Even then, she couldn't help but steal a lone glance at her sleeping Master. "He has…the friends that you speak of. These…Sakura…Shikamaru, Chōji, Ino, Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Tenten, Neji, and Lee…and…and…others. People who will stand beside him. My role will be that of a critic, of an advisor."
"You're sounding like you're putting yourself in a different category than all of the others." Noted the writer with a raised eyebrow. If they wanted to, they could keep playing this little game for hours and hours until the sun began to peek above the horizon. If they did, Naruto would no doubt call them out on it, or call out his Master. Semiramis had no need for sleep like ordinary mortals.
She liked to think she'd separated herself from the "boundaries" of ordinary humans. First as a ruler, then as a Servant. Then there came times like this where life smacked her hard in the face, reminding her that she was still half-human. Still susceptible to such foolishness every now and then. At first, it angered her, but gradually, largely thanks to Naruto, she'd begun to accept it. In a way, it showed that she was still alive, still the same fierce, proud, and beautiful woman that she was in life. Not that she needed much reminding.
"Semiramis, there's nothing wrong with being nervous." Came the quiet, soft voice of the human.
Like a viper, she snapped at him. Her expression was one of coldness, lesser men would have folded under such a glare. Jiraiya had not only been the target of such looks before, but those much more. Semiramis' coppery orbs did little to intimidate him. Sighing, she dropped the act. "Such things do not come easily to me, Jiraiya. I am a queen, showing weakness is essentially the same as asking for my head to be removed from my neck and my body disposed of in some horrid manner. That said…I have to recognize I'm in…unfamiliar territory."
"You don't have much issue showing weakness to this snoring idiot over here." He laughed, jabbing a thumb at the idiot in question.
It took a small ounce of willpower to keep from smiling. "He is a bit of a different story. I trust Naruto, and for some reason I still can't fathom, he trusts me. His friends on the other hand…I will be appearing as a stranger to them, one who is bound to him for the foreseeable future. I…don't think I've ever felt this way before." A hand went to her ample chest, a look of frustration building in the queen's eyes. "I blame Naruto for this."
"You know, you're gonna be blaming him for a lot of things." Chuckled the war veteran.
Semiramis snorted, but mentally conceded that the Toad Sage was right. "Maybe I should keep a list, or one day I'll make Naruto pay for all of these odd and irritating feelings he has caused me to feel."
Silence fell over the pair, just them as the rest of the forest continued to hum with the sounds of life. Sunlight or moonlight, life went on in the wilderness that lay outside of the domain of man. For Semiramis it was a somewhat foreign concept, as a queen, her place was in civilization. At the head of it to be precise. Jiraiya was the opposite, and he knew it. Growing up, honing his skills and discovering who he was, he came to find some sense of solace and even joy in "camping out" in the woods and forests of the world. Sure, there were times when he could have used a warm bed and running water, but more times than not just as his toads made their home in the wilderness, so too did he. That was yet another stark contrast between the human and Assassin. Yet over time, they'd found a way to mingle and coexist with one another. For Jiraiya, it gave him hope that Semiramis could do the same with the rest of Naruto's friends. Albeit, he knew it was going to be a bumpy road. The path to coexist hadn't been easy between them, and indeed, in some ways they were still at odds. Both human and Servant had kept certain secrets from one another, and the young lad who tied the two of them together.
The trend would more than likely repeat with the rest of the Konoha Eleven, all of whom would be even more protective of Naruto than he had been. Especially Sakura and Hinata, to say nothing of the adults like Iruka, Kakashi, Shizune, and of course the boy's own godmother. Those were the people whose approval Semiramis would be fighting for, and their tests would likely be far harsher than his. Especially Sakura and Tsunade's. Regarding Hinata, Jiraiya genuinely shuddered for when that day came. Still, it was second or third on the list compared to one other day in particular.
That day was the topic of his next words. "What will you do…when his path crosses with Sasuke's?"
For perhaps the first time, visible doubt showed in the ancient ruler's face. It remained there even as she spoke, her words were noticeably shaky. "Naruto…sat me down and we…discussed the topic. When the day comes…I will…allow him to settle things with his old teammate." From where he sat, there was something fundamentally different about Semiramis. She looked as if some iron bindings had been attached to her, keeping her held in place while she tried to maintain a flat expression. Jiraiya honestly wondered how much of Naruto's history with the young Uchiha he'd revealed. Whatever he'd told Semiramis, it'd certainly roused something within her. "Should they clash…I will do what I must to keep Naruto alive, as is my one and only goal. Beyond that…they will settle the matter however they wish. I will observe as I am outside to this 'Team Seven' thus I have no need to dirty my hands with their affairs. Their private affairs." She finished, looking at Jiraiya square in the eye.
She was lying…but she was also telling the truth.
Remembering how she described the Master-Servant link, Jiraiya theorized that the complicated relationship between the Uzumaki and the Uchiha had likely been laid bare to her. He'd wondered how she'd take it, rather she'd treat the matter as delicately as it was warranted or if she'd scoff and turn her nose at the entire affair. It seemed she'd done the former, perhaps more so than he'd expected. I wonder, could it be Naruto's feelings are bleeding into her? If so, I certainly hope it's a one-way streak. Part of the kid's charm is his boundless optimism and ability to reach out. If that goes… He didn't want to think about that route, so he didn't. Instead, the Toad Sage chose to focus on the most pressing and visible matter. "Alright then, when that time comes…we'll see how things play out." To emphasize his point, he stretched his arms upward and let out a yawn. "I think that's enough talking for one night. See you in the morning."
Semiramis wasn't quite done though. "You and your teammate, Orochimaru, your relationship was similar to Naruto and Sasuke's, wasn't it?"
All he could do was look at her with sadness and hollow playfulness in his eyes. "Yep, though don't expect to get any of those stories out of me. At least not tonight. If you want, I can share them with you over a cup of sake once we get to the village."
With a roll of her eyes, the Heroic Spirit vanished into an array of golden particles that scattered to the wind, leaving only the dying light of the campfire. The Toad Sage found it amusing more than anything. It seemed the Assassin had enough for one night. That, and she had to take the time to prepare herself. Tomorrow was the day she'd be laying eyes on the Hidden Leaf Village for the first time, her home for the rest of the foreseeable future. And meeting its populace. The same people who'd treated her Master like a pariah. And the same people who'd opened up to him, showing him what friendship and kindness looked like.
One way or another, Jiraiya knew he was going to be ending the day with a drink.
And perhaps a trip to the baths to see how things had changed in the two years he'd been away. Or rather, what new ladies had moved into the village.
"It is…bigger than I was expecting."
Naruto grinned at his female companion. He couldn't quite explain it, but somehow, he knew that Semiramis' jaw would drop once she got a solid look at the village in person and not through his memories. Those memories could tell a story, but to see the real thing was something completely different. He had faith that his Servant would be blown away by his home, and he was proven right.
You rendered her Highness speechless, well done. Snidely laughed the nine-tailed demon nestled deep within the blonde's soul. Naruto let the comment pass, as he'd learned to. It could have been his imagination, but he could have sworn there was a hint of affection in the Nine-Tails' voice. Briefly, he wondered how the giant fox felt returning to the village it'd previously laid waste to some sixteen years ago. Naruto didn't dwell on the thought long as he directed his full attention to surveying the Hidden Lead Village, looking fully restored and back to its former glory.
The road to recovery hadn't been an easy one, but it was one that the people of the Hidden Leaf were willing to walk. After all, they'd rebuilt in the wake of the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack, and they'd done so again following Orochimaru's attempted invasion and destruction of the village. When he left, the village still had several signs of reconstruction such as cranes and wooden support beams and of course, buildings that looked half-completed, and still half destroyed. That wasn't the sight that met Naruto as he soared closer and closer to his home. Instead, what greeted his eyes was a prosperous village, just the thing he wanted to come home to. And show his newly gained partner and friend. Said friend was looking mighty impressed with what she was seeing. That alone made Naruto's heart flutter with joy, and even a tinge of relief.
Geez, will you get over it? You owe nothing to that woman. She likes this place, fine. She doesn't, to hell with her. She's going to be staying here rather she likes it or not.
Naruto didn't try to fight the mental chuckle that welled up inside of him. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it almost sounds like you're happy that we're back. Not planning on going on a rampage or something, are you?
In his mind's eye, he could see the Nine-Tails' grinning from behind his sealed prison door. Take this little seal off the door and I'll give you an answer to that question. And I'll show you something absolutely magnificent.
Yeah, sorry, not today and definitely not tomorrow.
A dismissive snort flew from the demon's nostrils. Just wait until you get down there. The same village you've been so eager to get back to, it hasn't changed on the surface…and I'm willing to bet it hasn't changed on the inside either.
On the blonde's end, there was a short but noticeable pause. His upbeat demeanor returned seconds later. I'll tell you one thing has changed - Grampa Third's been joined by his student.
Indeed, arguably the greatest new addition to the village was the presence of a fifth face on the Hokage Stone Monument. It's the first female to be precise. The granddaughter of the village's First Hokage and grandniece of the Second and student of the Third. The only one whom she lacked a connection to was the Fourth Hokage.
Or at least, a connection that was known to the general public. Including Naruto himself.
"Her likeness resembles the one that I have seen in my dreams. In fact, albeit some seem a bit worn, I must give credit to the stonemasons." Came the calm and collected voice of the Assyrian Assassin. Rather or not, she'd heard the conversation between the two was debatable. It wouldn't be the first time she listened in on a private conversation between the human and demon. But it also wouldn't be the first time she chose to give the two their "privacy", if only for the sake of one more than the other. "Still…that crack in the Third Hokage's face, I'm surprised no one has seen to mending the damage given how respected you say he was by the people of this village."
Naruto's grin fell somewhat as he looked across the skies to the stone face of his surrogate grandparent. "Yeah…well…I always kind of wondered that myself. I asked Grandma Tsunade about it and she told me that the Old Man probably wouldn't have wanted it repaired. He would have wanted it to remain as a mark or something."
A mark…no, a testament to his character. This Hiruzen Sarutobi is sounding more and more like the old soldier that I imagined him to be. Turning her head to the side, the Servant allowed a small smile to grace her lips. No wonder Naruto took a shine to him, and he took a shine to Naruto beyond the obligations of his station. She wanted to fly in closer and get a better look at the stone faces. Jiraiya himself had shown her portraits of the four, later five, ninja who'd assumed the mantle of Hokage. In particular, the Fourth Hokage's likeness drew her attention. I honestly wonder if anyone here as really stopped to ponder exactly why the two of them-
"Look out below, Naruto Uzumaki is back!"
Semiramis didn't even have to look at the side to know that her Master had jumped from the giant dove that they'd literally flown in on. She was beginning to think he liked doing it simply for the adrenaline rush that came with free-falling hundreds of feet to the ground. Further proof that there was something not quite right with his head. Luckily or not, she'd grown used to such antics, and even had begun to find amusement in them. The Assassin watched him plummet towards the ground, fully confident he'd find a way to break his fall. And he'd likely make on hell of a scene once he hit the ground. Such a thing she'd learned was commonplace when it came to Naruto Uzumaki.
Her mind turned back to the scenery around her, or rather below her. "So then…this is to be…the land that I shall inhabit." The Hidden Leaf Village was about as far from her native homeland of Assyria as one could get. Arguably the only thing they had in common was the fact that both fell more on the hot side when it came to its daily weather. Semiramis was somewhat happy about that. She wasn't particularly a fan of the cold. Granted, Naruto had told her occasionally the village did experience some cold winters in spite of the Land of Fire's normally hot and humid climate. I suppose I have no choice but to take the plunge and see exactly what sort of surprises await me in this village of leaves and ninja.
Sucking in a breath, she turned to her left and stepped out into the air. Barely a second after she did so, the dove familiar vanished into a cloud of magical particles and white feathers that were quickly scattered to the blowing wind. Semiramis honed in on her Master's whereabouts and willed herself to his location.
Unfortunately, she'd completely and utterly neglected to check in and see exactly what Naruto was doing at the time.
"Gah!"
"W-W-Woah!"
"Aaah!"
She'd surprised her Master as well. Along with the other four, he stumbled back, albeit not as much as the pink-haired woman and the three kids. He must have sensed her coming, but her sudden appearance had caught him off guard. "Dammit, Semiramis, give a guy a little more warning when you're gonna do that!"
All the Servant did was stare at him. "Now, simply imagine I'd attempted to take your life. I'd have your head in one hand and be on my way to the nearest restaurant for something to eat."
Expectedly, he defiantly crossed his arms. "I'd have fought you off."
"Sure you would have."
"I've fought off assassins before, in fact," That trademark smile that she'd secretly come to cherish found its way to his face. "You've taught me how to fight off surprise attacks, so any of your little tricks I can counter."
If she wanted to, Semiramis could have argued, but she wasn't going to. In fact, she was quite happy with her Master's supposed reasoning. She had indeed spent some time training him in the ways of fending off surprise attacks, especially those involving poison. While it hadn't exactly been an easy thing, the results had been rewarding. "Point. But you still should have seen me coming. You went and made a spectacle of yourself."
"Says the weird woman who just dropped out of the sky."
With the voicing of the obvious, her attention turned to the young scarf-wearing male who'd begun to edge closer to the pair. Semiramis turned her sharp gaze onto him causing him, and his presumable two teammates, to "eep" in surprise. She couldn't blame them; she had that effect on most people upon first encounter. She was quite proud of it.
Looking through the memories shared to her by her Master, she quickly identified the boy who'd spoken to her as Konohamaru Sarutobi, the grandson of the deceased Third Hokage.
"Um, listen, lady, are you gonna say hi or what? You're starting to freak me out." He said nervously, shuffling about under her piercing gaze. "Eh, Naruto, who is this chick? Is she your girlfriend or something?"
"Nope, she's my-"
"I'm his Servant." Semiramis said bluntly. "And he is my Master."
It was a coordinated blow that would no doubt put her Master in hot water. And provide her a fair bit of amusement.
"WHHHAAAT!?"
Within seconds, an angry knot had formed upon the pinkette's forehead. Her emerald eyes blanked out as she turned her glare to a now cowering Naruto. The blond threw up his hands and took several steps back. "S-S-Sakura, w-w-wait! I can explain!"
"Na…ru…to…" Each syllable was punctuated by a dark growl and a crunching of the ground as she talked towards the blond ninja. Her fists were raised and knuckles cracked as the whole of her ire was directed toward the now squirming Jinchūriki. "You…perverted…IDIOT!" And like that, the building red aura exploded outward, upon seeing it, the whisker-faced teenager with quivering eyes reacted in the only way he could possibly think of.
Turning in the opposite direction and running as fast as his legs could carry him. "I CAN EXPLAIN, I SWEAR! SEMIRAMISSSS!"
Standing there as if she were admiring the weather, the foreign woman watched the two old teammates chase one another, or rather, one chase the other. It was clear that this Sakura possessed some degree of strength and stamina; Naruto seemed somewhat aware of the former thus did his best to keep out of her reach. All too quickly did a cloud of dust form in their wake as they moved from corner to corner, street to street. Semiramis and the three young genin were forgotten about. The former's face was one of mild amusement as her enhanced ears could definitively pick up every shout of anger and cry for mercy and time to explain from her Master. It was all sweet music to her ears. Except for the snide remarks made by some of the villagers. As she thought, it seemed some weren't quite happy the "demon brat" had returned to the village. Semiramis made a mental note to look into some of the bias against her Master.
Not that she would let Naruto know about it. She didn't want him getting the wrong idea…or trying to stop her.
"Uh, are you gonna tell us who you are or not? And…um, are you really Naruto's…servant?"
Finally, the Assyrian woman diverted her attention to the three children that now stood before her. She blinked as she looked over each of them. They couldn't have been any older than thirteen at best…and their skill level was arguably exactly what she was thinking it was. While the Third's grandson she recognized, the other two took her a moment. Semiramis crossed her arms and hardened her gaze upon the trio. Each of them stiffened, their eyes momentarily swelling up with unease and fear. "Ah, the…Konohamaru Ninja Squad, I believe." The lot instinctively flinched at their "unofficial" squad name being called. "Hm, you're all a tad bit bigger than I was expecting, yet children none the less."
"What!? Hey, who the hell do you think you are, lady!?" Snapped the scarf-wearing genin, a familiar angry knot forming on his forehead. His male teammate, Udon if she remembered correctly, placed a cautious hand on his shoulder in an attempt to warn him to watch his tone. It did little good.
Certainly, without a doubt, he and Naruto are cut from the same cloth. Mused the poison-using Assassin, watching the resolve within his eyes hold. Behind her stoic façade, Semiramis smiled in admiration. Seems the Hokage lineage is worth its salt, or at least from what I've seen so far. "Who am I? Hm, I believe I answered that question, I am the Servant of Naruto Uzumaki, or as he prefers to call me, his 'battle partner'. Do please commit this to memory, young one. As for the other introductions…I do believe you are Konohamaru Sarutobi, leader of this…squad and grandson of the Third Hokage?"
The mood shifted as the young Sarutobi Clan ninja's personality did a complete one-eighty. Pride beamed in his eyes as he straightened up and thumbed his chest. Yet another familiar gesture. "Yep! That's me, Konohamaru Sarutobi, student of Naruto Uzumaki and the future Seventh Hokage!"
That caught Semiramis' attention. An eyebrow was raised. "…The Seventh?"
"Yeah, the Seventh. I mean, it's pretty obvious who's going to be the Sixth after Grandma Tsunade steps down." Explained the young genin with a cheerful smile.
…Either it's the people of this village…or just this world altogether. She'd lost track of trying to make out how many…differences there were between this world of ninja and her own. Scratch that, the difference between ninja and the native magi of her homeworld. The ones that stood out to her were like night and day, oil and water. It was…puzzling, yet at the same time, she couldn't help but find something fascinating about it all. She wasn't quite so surprised that this fascination was in some way connected to her blond fool of a Master. Speaking of him, his cries for help had grown a tad bit louder, his emotions were certainly in a frantic pace and based on what she was feeling, his old teammate was doing a damn good job of putting the fear of death in him. Quietly, she supposed that was enough amusement for one day. Plus, she didn't want to completely spoil herself before she could truly begin to settle into this place.
"U-U-Um, uh…"
Turning her attention to the second male, he'd gone from attempting to caution Konohamaru to practically hiding behind him. The reason why was quite obvious given the blush on his face.
"Yes, Udon, correct? If there is someone on your mind, do please speak it." She asked in a flat but not disapproving voice.
Finally, he poked his head out from behind his confused teammate. "You're…um…you're very pretty."
Admittedly, she knew such a compliment would be directed at her. But she was happy the first of them had been made by a young smitten boy such as this instead of some lecherous onlooker whose gaze she would like to answer with disembowelment. She looked at the glasses-wearing boy with a somewhat genuine smile. "Ah, thank you. I take it you and Moegi over there do your best to keep this one here reigned in at times, do you not?"
"Yep!" Declared the female member of the team, which caused the scarf-wearing ninja to gape at her and call her out. "The same way if I had to guess, you've been keeping Naruto out of trouble. Right?"
"Indeed. Though from what I can see, he and this one are cut from the same cloth so I imagine trouble follows them, does it not?"
"Pretty much, though sometimes Konohamaru goes looking for it, to be honest. It's a trait he gets from Naruto." Further explained the kunoichi, much to the team leader's growing embarrassment.
"Alright, alright, can we just knock it off! Besides, this isn't about me! It's about you!" He thundered, pointing a finger at the still smirking woman. There was something about her too cool demeanor that was…off-setting. Then there were her eyes, copper-colored orbs with a slit pupil like a snake. Needless to say, Konohamaru wasn't exactly a fan of snakes, neither was a good chunk of the village's population. Then there was the other physical standout. "Why are your ears pointed?"
"…Genetics, dear boy." She responded in a direct voice. "What, have you mistaken me for some fantastical creature given my otherworldly beauty?" It was an incredibly loaded question, one that required no physical answer. The hot pink blush on the Sarutobi clansman's face spoke volumes. Just like his idol, he defiantly tried to look away. Semiramis couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "My Master has a protégé, one that seems equally as scatter-brained as him. I'd say it's quite fitting."
"Hey! Naruto may be a bit of a doofus, but he's the coolest guy I know! And he's definitely going to become Hokage one day!" Konohamaru passionately snapped back.
"Provided Sakura doesn't kill him first. Speaking of which, how far can he run?" Questioned Udon, looking to his left. His trained ears picked up the familiar sounds of chaos echoing through the village. It wasn't exactly ideal considering that his team had caused something of a ruckus themselves during their…retrieval mission. The ground beneath his feet shook, if only slightly. Sighing, he pondered if they were all going to be having to do remedial work as penance for causing such a big mess.
"Um, shouldn't we, I don't know, stop them? Ya' know, this is Naruto's homecoming. Aren't you kinda ruining it by having her chase him around the village?" Beckoned Moegi, throwing her hands behind her head. Such noises weren't exactly anything new to her. Still, a smile slowly formed on her face as the sounds of chaos brought back fond memories of two and a half years ago. It seemed some things never changed.
"Ah, sounds like the kid's already landed himself in some hot water already! Ah, it's good to be back home!" Boomed the jubilant voice of the Toad Sage, gaining the attention of the four. A knowing smile was plastered on his face as his eyes immediately flew to Semiramis. No doubt he'd heard or perhaps seen the chaos that had ensued with the pinkette chasing the blond. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say…the whole Servant-Master thing?"
The Assassin shrugged. "I spoke the truth; I see no reason for-"
SEMIRAMISSSS!
"Alright, alright, fine. A woman can't have any fun here." She groaned, raising her hand then snapping her fingers. In a clear view of the Konohamaru Ninja Squad, as well as several outlookers, a magical portal appeared at her side. Her raised arm reached out into it, vanishing into the purple darkness. Once she felt the hardness of the chain, she pulled. "Do stand back."
Not even a second later and through the portal came an exhausted and winded Naruto Uzumaki, looking very white and shaken.
He rolled over onto his backside and stared at the black-haired Servant with a comical frown. "Semi-chan…that…was…"
"Cruel, sick, twisted? Horribly underhanded and dangerous? True, but I must say, it was quite amusing. Besides, look on the bright side, take it as more parts of your training!" She declared with a smug smirk. Naruto's glare didn't slacken, it only grew as he sat up and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Oh come on! I just back home, can't you cut me at least a little bit of slack!" He cried in response.
"Alright, fine. I'm making myself at home here. Getting used to it, isn't that what you'd hoped I'd do?"
"Not like this!"
"Um, Lord Jiraiya, are they…" Whispered Moegi, subtly pointing a finger at the now arguing pair.
"A duo, an oddball duo that'll stick together through thick and thin. Kind of like how teammates are supposed to look out for each other." Following a chuckle of his own, he stepped forward. "Alright, Semiramis, you've had your fun. Bring Sakura here so you can explain things to her. We've gotta start somewhere."
"I'm already on it."
"What?" Spoke both Toad Summoners.
Semiramis remained silent as the group of five blankly stared at her. A minute later and their questions were answered as a massive snow-white dove descended from the skies, atop its back a shaken and considerably shocked Sakura, who stepped off of it. She first looked at Semiramis, then to Naruto, and finally to Jiraiya.
"There's a long story behind this, isn't there?"
"Yep, one you're really gonna need to set down for. As for her," he started, pointing to Semiramis. "When she says 'servant', it's not what you're thinking. In a way, she's more like a summoned animal."
An angry knot formed on the Assassin's head. "Excuse me."
Seeing what was coming, Naruto jumped up and waved his hands. "She's not a servant in the way you're thinking! She follows me around because she's bond to me by some sort of weird magic contract. Namely these things, they're called Command Seals!" His left hand was held up, the crimson-colored markings clear for his teammate to see. And for Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi, all of whom crowded around him. He didn't mind too much that his hand was being jerked and moved around. At least if it spared him a possible beating at the hands of his emerald-eyed teammate and friend. While he was examined, he shot a disapproving glare in the Assyrian's direction. All she did was look away. Naruto could have sworn that she was smiling.
Yep, we're definitely going to be the talk of the town for the next couple of days. Sorry that I'll be leaving you to deal with all that by yourself, Naruto, but there are some other things I have to do. Thought the Sannin behind an amused smile. Now that they were back in the village, Naruto was safe, safer than he'd been while they'd been traveling. Sparing a glance at Semiramis, he remembered how she'd described her Territory Creation Skill unique to the Caster Class. He'd seen it in action, but the Skill required for her to truly hold down and maintain a firm base of operations. Life on the road made that a tad difficult, but here in the village, he was sure she could truly bring the Skill's powers to bare. He just hoped that the ancient queen didn't get too…into her little projects. That was one tradeoff from going to on the road to a big and populated place like the Leaf.
"Alright, alright. I guess I did fly a little bit off the handle there." Admitted the Slug Princess' student. She looked at her blond teammate with a sincere apologetic expression. "I'm sorry about that, Naruto, really."
Unsurprisingly to those in present, he waved off his hand. "Eh, no biggie. Besides…I…actually kind of had fun running away from you. Seemed just like the old days!"
Of course he was smiling, and of course it was one hundred percent genuine. For yet another odd reason, Semiramis found herself smiling at him. Again, she looked away to ensure that he or the others didn't notice. She had a reputation that she wanted to maintain and discarding it here and now so early in the making of things wouldn't have boded well.
The attention was turned to her as the medical ninja stepped forward. "Um, hi, as I'm sure Naruto's already told you, I'm Sakura Haruno, a friend and teammate of his. It's an honor to meet you."
"Likewise. I am called Semiramis." She took a brief moment of joy in watching not just the healer, but the genin team as well sit upon her name. For the latter, it was clear they were struggling to wrap their minds around the pronunciation of her name and what it meant. By this point, she'd grown used to such reactions. "I am…well, I am not from this land as you can probably tell. I'm a foreigner, one bound to this imbecile here who has been a rather good enough guide."
"Standing right here." Groaned said guide.
"Hey, what about me? I've been just as helpful to you as he has in adjusting!" Interfered Jiraiya.
What he got was a dry stare that he'd become accustomed to. "…You…have served to keep me entertained, and tested my patience to near unfathomable levels."
"Ah, so you know of Lord Jiraiya's…antics." Mused Sakura with her eyebrow raised.
"I've had to discipline him every now and then." A twinkle of admiration bloomed within Sakura's eyes. Semiramis smiled at it. Naruto looked confused. And Jiraiya, well, he just threw up his hands in defeat. He had a gut feeling something like this was going to happen. "I suppose you are the student of this pervert's other teammate, the current Fifth Hokage, correct?"
"Yep, another student of a Sannin, just like this idiot here."
"Are you two just going to stand there insulting me all day?" Grumbled the jinchūriki. "I can always leave and go hang out with some people who are actually happy to see me."
"Well, some of those people are right here. All things aside…Welcome back, Naruto." Smiled the pink-haired kunoichi. "I suppose we should probably take you to Lady Tsunade. Both of you." She added, throwing a sideways glance toward Semiramis.
"Wait just a minute, there's one thing we need to take care of first." Declared Konohamaru, stepping forward and facing Naruto. He put both his fingers together in a familiar cross-shape. "Sexy Jutsu!"
Sakura's jaw dropped, Moegi's face remained a stony frown, and Semiramis…simply stared with pointed eyes. Where the grandson of the Third Hokage once stood there now posed a naked woman with similar dark-colored hair. Her more…feminine aspects were thankfully, or unfortunately to some, covered by the hazy smoke clouds that seemed to accompany ninja techniques.
A certain white-haired Toad Sage's eyes damn near popped out of his head and his jaw dropped comically as he attempted to carve the image into his mind with a perverted giggle. Alas, for his tests, it all ended as soon as it had begun.
"So," spoke the genin upon returning to his true form. "What do you think? Just like I promised I've been working extra hard on it! I worked on the curves just like you told me to!"
Most would say the Honorable Grandson had earned himself a ripe ticket to the hospital. His injury? Hard to say, but most would have definitely put down a concussion and perhaps a broken jaw, and that was just from one of the angered females. For the other…well, the Leaf Hospital was about to get a crash course in "new world" toxins and poisons, whose effects would baffle and scare a great many doctors in the months to come. All of this would come after Naruto's reaction. Which was quite surprising.
The blonde's face was flat, bordering on a frown of a disappointment. Naturally, it was a curious wonder to onlookers. "Konohamaru," he began. "I'm not that scrawny little kid that I used to be when we were hanging out in the forest. And you shouldn't be using jutsu like that anymore, it's beneath you." Eyes widened and jaws came close to dropping as the "Hyperactive Knucklehead" shimmered with an aura of maturity he didn't possess when he'd left the village. It was quite awe-inducing. His right arm rose and his voice exploded. "I mean come on! All this time and that's all you got? I could beat that in my sleep! Now, step aside and get a load of the latest and perhaps greatest new installment in the Sexy Jutsu line!"
And like that, the aura shattered into a thousand little pieces, all of which scattered like dust in the wind.
But not before inciting the females present. Or at least two in particular.
Just as Sakura was snarling with a murderous look and readied herself to pounce on her apparently still-perverted teammate, a hand fell upon her shoulder that caused her to express confusion and surprise over her unlady-like rage, somewhat. Before she knew it, all of her bodily functions came to a stop.
Oh, and Naruto and Konohamaru were no draped in pitch-black chains that had quite literally appeared from out of nowhere. The former looked at them and merely gulped; for the latter, well, fear was an accurate description of his mental state at the moment. Given the she-devil glaring at him and his role model, it was hard to blame him.
Her mouth was a straight frown, yet her eyes blazing with royal fury, the Assyrian Queen stepped forward, arms crossed. Having been in this situation before, Naruto was a tad more relaxed than his young protégé. Not that that was helping him much. "Ah, it seems returning home as reawaken the seed of foolishness that I attempted to stomp out. As well as caused other seeds to bloom. A pity, seems I will have to burn them out by the roots." In a flash, her dark gaze flickered over to Jiraiya, who certainly took note of it.
"Hey! Why are you looking at me?!"
"Did I not say I was going to burn this perverted foolishness out by the roots?" She seethed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Semiramis' lips pulled back in a snarl. "Must I spell it out, you old fool! I will not allow your corruption to spread to future generations! You've already sunken your hooks into Naruto, Anu help me, and I struggle to pull them out inch! By! Inch!"
"Don't know why that's such a bad thing." He coolly shot back, heedless of the two trembling genin who'd latched onto him. Or the pink-haired kunoichi who felt as if she were about to watch a historical deathmatch unfold. "We both know one day those 'perverted hooks' will end up doing some major good in the world! Like ensuring the Uzumaki and Sarutobi bloodlines live on, in spades!"
By this point, several citizens had wisely decided to scramble away, sensing the inevitable explosion that would likely end in destruction and mayhem. Sakura kept on glancing at Moegi and Udon as if debating how fast she could get them out of the line of fire, followed by herself.
"Ahem, excuse me? As much as I'd enjoy justice being done…I'm afraid you and your student and this…woman are needed elsewhere, Lord Jiraiya." Called an unknown female voice that hardly anyone recognized. Several heads glanced up at a nearby rooftop to find an Anbu in a mask with a sword slung over her shoulder. Her expression was impossible to read behind her mask, but one could get a sense that she'd seen most of the little debacle…and wasn't exactly happy with the behavior of the heirs of the Hokages' legacy.
Quietly, Semiramis stewed with a scowl, but eventually relented. "If either of you perform that foul sorcery in my presence again, they'll be hell to pay. Is that clear?" It wasn't anywhere near what she wanted to get out, but they were causing a scene and running low on time so exceptions had to be made.
"Yes ma'am!" Replied the two boys. One was noticeably more terrified than the other; he collapsed onto his knees as soon as the chains came undone.
"Good, then Naruto, introduce me to this woman whom you fought tooth and nail to drag back here and who rules this village. I'm eager to meet the strongest healer this world has to offer in the flesh." Declared the dual-classed Servant.
Naruto and Jiraiya exchanged a look. The meeting that they'd been thinking about was about to unfold, and something told the two men that when the healer and poisoner met, the tension was going to be very real. And odds were they were going to find themselves in the crosshairs, again.
As for Sakura, she simply stood and wondered exactly what in the hell her goofball of a teammate had gotten himself into. Knowing him…it wasn't anything good, and it could easily snowball into a great big mess of its own.
In other words, it was the perfect homecoming for Naruto Uzumaki.
The moment she'd gotten a chill down her spine, she knew that this "Assassin" had entered the village. According to the intel Jiraiya had sent, she possessed the supernatural ability to conceal herself so Tsunade was willing to bet her sensing the woman's presence was blind luck. Either that, or an omen, a new kind. Two nights ago, she hadn't exactly a bad night, but it hadn't been a good night either. Equal winds and equal losses. Secretly, she'd been hoping for a string of embarrassing losses to give her hope that this mysterious woman from another world wasn't going to be a problem. Instead, Tsunade had been left wondering exactly what in the hell she was.
When the door to her office finally swung up, the Slug Princess was finally able to get her first look at the so-called "Visitor from Another World''.
As much as Tsunade hated to admit it, the woman was indeed quite beautiful. And fittingly enough, she gave off an aura of danger and unease to go with that beauty.
In his reports, Jiraiya had said that they'd gotten her some "modern" clothes to help her blend in with the inhabitants of their world. Apparently, her original outfit was something that needed to be seen to be believed, and her hair was so long that it actually dragged along the ground. Thankfully, they did something about that so she at least looked somewhat…natural. The hair had been done up into a high-ponytail, one that very much reached past the woman's waistline. In doing so, it caused her aptly-described pointy ears to stick out like sore thumbs. It seemed she'd given up on trying to hide them and was willing to proudly display them to wondering eyes. A pair of long dark bangs framed the left and right sides of her face, reaching all the way down to her shoulders. Somehow, they seemed to only enhanced the intensity of her silted, copper-colored eyes. Eyes that uncomfortably reminded Tsunade of a snake's.
She hated snakes.
The woman incorporated a fair bit of gold into her clothing that went well with the overall black that she wore. A haori-style jacket adorned her upper body, its black color accented by golden highlights. Unlike hers, the Assassin's was closed up to a point. Her sizable bust was still visible, as was a somewhat decent enough view of her cleavage; Tsunade was certain that the view was intentional. A similarly-colored stash fittingly wrapped around her waist. From what had been in her teammate's reports, the woman seemed to possess magic, genuine magic, so the sash could probably be manipulated in some ways. How strong the sash was and what sort of abilities it had was a question that Tsunade felt would be answered in due time.
Her legs showed no skin, or at least none Tsunade could see. Naturally, the leggings were black, as were the high-heeled sandals. They clicked against the ground as she walked the hallways then entered the office.
Seconds within their eyes met, the tension in the room skyrocketed, a fact that everyone was acutely aware of.
At last, the two women, one a reigning "queen" and the other a former, finally met. Their eyes, one caramel-colored and the other copper, zeroed in on one another.
"Lady Tsunade Senju, Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village." began the Servant.
"That would be me…and you are…the Assassin." She coolly replied.
"Oh, no need for formalities on my end. Since it'll probably be blurted out quite a bit, call me by my True Name. I am Semiramis…former Wise Queen of Assyria, and the partner of the whisker-faced buffoon that suckered you into coming back here."
"Hey!"
Unexpectedly, Tsunade laughed. Perhaps there was some hope for this relationship after all.
To be Continued…
Omake - Preparations
"Uh, Naruto, did you lock the door when we weren't looking?"
Blinking in surprise, the Jinchūriki stepped forward and tried his hand at the knob. It didn't budge on the first try. His brow knitted, he pushed again, this time the door opened.
Except instead of the outside balcony, it led to another hallway, a long and dark hallway lit by only three flickering lights.
"Guys, you didn't do any extreme redecorating while I was away, did you?" He questioned, feeling an unease quiver in his gut.
Shikamaru looked rightfully annoyed at the statement, as did Kiba who merely scoffed as he proceeded down the hallway. "Naruto, why on earth would we choose to remodel your home while you're away? Since Konohamaru said he'd handle it, we all decided to let him do so. Hell, he's the only one of us that you trusted to give a spare key to."
"Except for the fact that we're ninjas and lock picking isn't exactly an uncommon skill." Chirped in Chōji. "Anyways, none of us have touched your apartment since you left." There was a beat. "Granted some of us did snoop around a little, especially Hinata, but nope, we're the first ones in here."
Hearing that, Naruto heaved out a sigh. Honestly, he'd been hoping for his teammates to be pulling a practical joke on him in spite of already having a gut feeling in knowing who was behind this. It was supposed to be a "boys' night", just him and his male friends doing some interior redecorating and such, maybe putting up some decorations for Halloween which was set to come in a few weeks. It seemed that his Servant had other ideas. He should have known that something was up when she said that she was going out and would be back once everyone else had cleared out. In retrospect, that was pretty stupid of him not to notice. Within his belly, his inner demon concurred with a haughty laugh that he wanted to silence.
Speaking of silence, the eerie calm of the apartment was broken by a booming scream that caught the attention of the other three boys. They immediately recognized the voice.
"RUN! RUN YOU GUYS!" Screamed Kiba, his face a mask of unfiltered horror as he bolted down the hallway. Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chōji all looked at the fleeing dog whisper in shock, then they got a look at what he was running from.
One half of the beast's face was organic, flesh and fur. The other half was a flaming skeleton, a ghostly blue light burned within the hollow eye socket. Knife-like fangs were revealed as the undead cat threw open its mouth in a ghostly howl that sent a tidal wave of azure flames racing along the hallway.
"AH!"
"What the hell!?"
Naruto's eyes widened as he threw one of his Kitsune-ken out, the blade transforming into a grappling hook that latched onto his friend's wrist. Seconds later he pulled him in, waiting until Kiba's face hit the floor before slamming the door shut.
"What the hell was that!?" Screamed Chōji, visibly looking distraught same as the others.
"I don't know, the stray cat from hell? It can't be real!" Barked Shikamaru, looking around the apartment. On the surface, everything looked normal, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. His gut told him that genjutsu was afoot, yet at the same time he couldn't help but feel there was a bit more to it than that. "Alright, let's stay calm and…and…Ch-Chōji!"
"Hm? What is it, Shikamaru?" Inquired the round-bodied ninja, turning to his best friend. Worry swelled up within him as he saw that his lifelong friend was looking like he'd just seen the dead rise from the earth. Plus, his face was a little green. Hearing dual gasps, he turned to the side and found Naruto and Kiba looked equally horrified, perhaps more so. They were slowly backing away from him. "What? Come on guys, what is it?"
"What is it?!" Repeated Kiba, looking ready to hurl. "Chōji, dude-!"
"Look at what you're eating!" Screeched Naruto, his normally lightly tan skin the color of a bedsheet.
Chōji blinked once, then looked down at his bag of potato chips. The bag was still there, sure, but the contents had changed. Last he checked, severed human fingers weren't usually found in plastic bags. And they didn't taste so good either.
"GAH! GAWAGH!" Blood was on his hands, and in his mouth. The Akimichi Clan heir stumbled backwards, food chunks flying from his mouth and gags resonating from his throat.
It was equally as horrifying to watch for onlookers. Naruto and Kiba stood side by side in naked horror at what was happening.
"This can't be real! Naruto, is it possible that chick you came back with is-"
"AAAAHH!" Screamed the two cheek-marked teenagers upon laying eyes on their lazy ass of a friend. A second later and Naruto and Kiba bolted across the apartment, now barefoot of sunlight from the outside.
"What!? What the hell is wrong with you two!? Hey, wait a minute, where are you going!?" Shouted the genius jonin, wondering what in the hell was going on with his friends. "Chōji, any idea what's-Chōji?" While the other two bolted, the round-faced chunin was on the floor, heaving and gagging like he'd just ingested sewer water. Shikamaru had absolutely no idea what was going on, all he knew was that someone was playing tricks on them. He was ready for the tricks to end. "Alright, enough of this. Time to-"
"Man up?"
Cold fear grasped the black-haired jonin as he slowly, painfully turned around. Sweat poured down his brow as his eyes finally fell upon a giant mass of swirling wind. A pair of murderous red eyes stared out from the wind storm, locking in on him.
"Shikamaru." It growled, a pair of giant oversized hands forming.
"Oh man, this is gonna suck." Groaned the Nara Clan heir, realizing that little slip up he'd made all those days ago was now about to cost him. Big time.
After fleeing from the shadow demon that had once been their friend, Naruto and Kiba ran for what felt like miles. Which was strange considering they were in a small-sized apartment thus space was extremely limited. Regardless, as they caught their breath, they seemingly realized that they were back in the jinchūriki's apartment; if anything, it seemed like they were in some sort of gigantic basement.
Kiba was not pleased. "Um, Naruto, did your building always have a basement this…creepy?" All the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. Hell, he could feel his own knees shaking.
His blond friend was in a similar boat. "N-N-Nope, o-or at least not the last time I checked. K-Kiba, r-r-relax, I'm sure that all of this is just some-"
"Meow."
"EEK!"
Naruto stared at his friend with a look. "Seriously? Come on dude, it's just a cat." He said, watching the brown-furred feline regard the two of them with puzzled eyes before moving on its way, disappearing into the darkness.
Kiba looked like he wanted to wring Naruto's neck. "Just a cat!? Sorry, but did you not see the giant hellcat that chased me down the hallway and nearly roasted me alive!?"
The whisker-faced genin dismissively waved his hand. "Pretty sure that was just an illusion. Semiramis does it all the time."
"Meow."
They appeared one after another, countless glowing whitish-green eyes that lit up the darkness like finger-sized lanterns. Normally, that would have been a good thing, but the light the feline eyes gave off was nothing short of ominous. Worse yet, they were everywhere.
"U-Um, N-N-Naruto, t-t-tell me those are all illusions. Please!" Squeaked the canine ninja.
"O-Of course they are! I've seen this stuff be-AAAAHHHH!" Just as he'd done to Shikamaru, Naruto bolted as fast as his legs could carry him. Comedic tears fell from his blank-white eyelids all the while as he sprinted off into the darkness.
"Naruto!? Naruto!? Hey man, wait up! Don't leave me alone here with these things!" Screamed the Inuzuka, completely mindless of the fact that his bottom half had gone from organic to incorporeal.
The Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails continued to run as fast as his legs could carry him. All of his senses were screaming at him, telling him he was in danger. They were damn right he was. Hot on his heels were a horde of vengeful spirits, all wailing his name. He would not allow them to get their ghostly hands on him! He couldn't! He'd been through too much to go down at the translucent claws of some nameless specters!
Appearing before him was the greatest specter, a massive grinning face whose eyes glowed with unholy emerald light.
What's the matter, little boy? Scared of the dark! It cackled, throwing its neckless head back as its laughter echoed throughout the darkness, and in Naruto's head.
Instead of fear, the teenager reacted with anger. His Kitsune-ken manifested in both his hands, orange energy swirling about the blades. "Like hell I am, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage; like hell I'm going down at the hands of some stupid ghost!"
He launched himself forward, his blades rising in an X-shaped cross. There was a flash of light.
And then Naruto tasted dirt.
Even before he could raise his head, he could hear his Servant's thinly veiled giggling. It sounds like she'd enjoyed herself. On the other hand, he'd been right about everything he and his friends had seen being an illusion.
Not that it helped you idiots in the end. Laughed the orange-furred demon. Naruto told the beast to go back to its pouting in its cage.
Just as he felt ready to raise his head, the sound of glass breaking and wood being slammed hit his ears. More bodies eat the ground, followed by gagging, screaming, and cursing. Again, Naruto didn't need to look to the side to know that his friends had joined him. What he did do was sit up and look back at his apartment building. It was perfectly normal, on the outside.
"I have a feeling I shall enjoy this Halloween more than our last one, Naruto. I do hope that you'll help me in setting everything up."
Finally, he looked ahead of him. Unfortunately, Semiramis wasn't alone. Sakura, Hinata, and the girls were with her. The first two, especially Hinata, looked visibly distraught in seeing the disheveled state they were in. Ino and Temari weren't even trying to suppress their laughter while Tenten looked at the lot of them with a mixture of shock and amusement. Any second she would likely join the latter two.
His eyes focused in on his Servant, who merely stared back at him with a catty smile. "…I think I'll sit this Halloween out."
At his side, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chōji all groaned in agreement. And silently promised that if anything, they'd do everything in their power to avoid his home come Halloween night.
Suddenly, Sakura blinked and now looked more concern. "Wait, where's Lee?"
The four boys stopped and looked at the pinkette in question and asked in unison. "Lee?"
Controlling herself, Tenten put a hand on her hip as she sighed tiredly. "Yeah, while you guys were busy screaming and running around in terror, Lee decided to come by to help out decorating and he got through Naruto's window instead of the door."
Sakura's worry worsened. "Okay then, where's Lee no-?"
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! I'M SAILING ON SEA OF BLOOD FILLED WITH SHARK BOXERS! I'M SAILING ON SEA OF BL-!? BLEEEEEUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"
Everyone turned to Semiramis, who shrugged with a satisfied smirk. "Totally worth of the vomit."
"BLEEEEEUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"
She remained unfazed. "Still worth it." Still, she did wonder exactly what was the atrociously-haired taijutsu-user seeing.
Unnoticed to all, two certain young men and a large dog walked away from Naruto's resident building, away from the scary chaos the poisoner had caused.
"Think we should come by tomorrow till everything settled down?"
"No, Neji. Why you ask? Because I'm certain Lady Semiramis will continue these...pranks till we're past Halloween. In the meantime, we just avoid being near Naruto's place at all costs."
"Agreed."
*Bark*
Shino looked down. "Don't worry, Akamaru. I will help out in feeding you with your favorite snacks. Why you ask? Because your partner is currently traumatized, possibly he will remain like that for the rest of the day."
His response was a happy wagging tail, the canine was looking forward to his dog treats while snickering for his owner. Today, he was going to have them all to himself, and he was going to enjoy eating them all to Kiba's future misfortune
That was honestly my first attempt at making an omake. I can't exactly say it all came naturally to me and it could probably use some work, but I decided to go for it with Halloween just around the corner. Hopefully, it painted a nice mental image of Semiramis screwing around with the guys, something I'd like to do more of in the future.
Speaking of screwing around, I think the highlight for this chapter was Semiramis' light sadism played for laughs. I just couldn't help myself once I started writing. In particular Konohamaru's Sexy Jutsu, Naruto's reaction to it, and Sakura's reaction to Naruto's reaction all just popped into my mind and I decided to throw Semiramis into the fold. After she'd already sent her Master running around the village like a lunatic. I'd say that the two got off light, but I'd like to hear your opinions on the topic.
Next chapter will continue the trend of Semiramis settling into the Leaf, meeting more of its populace and of course the little "exhibition" match against Kakashi, but with a twist. Until then, oh, and have a happy and safe Halloween, readers!