~NRK~
She hummed on the water's surface, eyes closed and long blonde hair shining in the sunlight.
'I've mastered it,' she thought with a slowly widening grin. 'And just in time,' the naked woman thought with a chuckle, shining gray eyes opening to peer into the sky. "He awakens," the words sent a tremble through the air.
And the water around her cratered, the liquid shooting down into a 'dent' in its surface in a ring around her.
She closed her eyes again and let out a breath before sitting up, dry locks straightened out before she was standing, feet sending small ripples through the river's surface.
"It won't be long until we meet again," she said to the air as she walked over to a trembling trio of figures at the side of the riverbank. "Hm, hm, hm, come along, now, you three, I won't find more useful yoma fitting for this task," she grinned as she came to stand in front of those towering, pathetic, Awakened Beings.
Their forms froze as if grabbed by some invisible force before she raised one of her hands towards them.
"N-NOOOOOOOOOO!" They bellowed in unison before their forms twisted and bulged.
They 'melted' into a sort of 'goo' before flowing towards her hand and forming a familiar but different shape.
"Ah, a bastard sword is rather fitting for you lot," she grinned, feet crushing the ground just by being there before she walked off, brandishing a sickening, six-foot, dark blue blade of flesh, eyes, and a tremendous amount of yoki.
Roxanne the Master was now in business.
And in perfectly controlled form.
~NRK~
Dae had hurried to see the results of Naruto's new abilities and hadn't been disappointed.
"Marvelous!" He declared as the blonde man chuckled nervously, looking at the damage he'd caused. "And you attained some form of Awakened State?"
"Well, I mean, I don't think it'd be like that," Naruto rubbed the back of his head as the scientist grinned. "It's more that I released all my limits. My energies, my body, my control, all of it. You weren't wrong to say I was in an 'Awakened Form' but I'd call it more of an 'Awakened Mindset'."
Dae understood completely. "Hehehehe, magnificent. Come along, I'm sure we can give you a medical check-up before the Elders inevitably call for you," he said as Naruto grinned shakily. "Oh, come now, as if it wasn't obvious with the noise you were making."
"W-Well… I mean," Naruto sweatdropped. "Yeah, you have a point."
'And then there was the reaction from the Alabaster Abyss Eaters,' that project had finally provided some fruit though it was one that had long since been limited in scope due to their loss of a base. 'Three of them, all of my resources went into those three,' sad to say as it is.
He'd likely not get another chance to create Abyss Eaters on the level of the three here, much less making MORE Abyss Eaters as is.
As he took Naruto and Luciela with interest to the medical bay, his thoughts went to those experiments.
Those oh so odd beings he'd created that were starting to confuse even himself.
'The brain stimulation is working,' but there was something off about those three.
With their eyes being open, they'd gained a powerful yellow glow.
Their bodies had increased past the original human-sized height he'd originally made them in.
And their bodies… moved. Almost fluidly at that, in small ways.
Whether it be turning wrists, flexing hands, or, more shocking, bobbing heads.
It was odd at first, the three years since he'd applied Luciela's arm to them after they'd been forced to move, Dae hadn't been sure of what they were doing until he'd noted Luciela one day.
One day where the Awakened Woman had been obviously showing signs of a 'heatedness', her lust for her loved one having entranced the Alabaster Abyss Eaters and turned their bodies into 'heated messes' that they seemed incapable of 'solving'.
… Until they had. And that single fact made all his work useless as he realized it wasn't in his hands anymore, back then.
The three enhanced by Luciela's flesh and blood had become her 'puppets', in a sense, following her will, body, and yoki signature like happy dogs. They moved in a 'rhythm' that almost seemed like they were moving to the sounds of an impossible song.
And when the woman had obviously gotten 'release' after so long… they'd evolved.
From Abyss Eaters into Alabaster Abyss Eaters as of some few hours ago.
'His fluids changed something within Luciela,' that was the truth of the matter and neither of the two seemed to know it. 'I question, what is it? Had the man's fluids finished a change in her? Endorsed more? Created newer cells that transferred to the Abyss Eaters?'
It was all so fascinating! Why, Dae was excited by what he'd find!
~NRK~
Naruto shot Dae a weird look as the man giggled at his microscope. "So, he hasn't changed in so long," actually… he hadn't.
What kind of weird effects had the energy that he felt inside Dae, Rubel, and all the Elders, had on them?
"Yeah, he's never changed," Luciela whispered back as Naruto sweatdropped. "Still, he's helped a lot, your pills have nearly been distributed to all handlers," she smiled as he blinked before grinning.
"I'm glad."
'I see, the control has been finished,' and Naruto's cells… There was an idea here. 'If he'd truly released all his limits, he's truly not bothered by the parasite,' not that they hadn't known.
With Luciela's parasite's destruction, any blood or flesh she'd pass on wouldn't be tinged with that urge to devour. Naruto likely pushed his flesh and blood to a level that hers couldn't reach, even if only temporarily.
"Your technique, as you call it, is quite marvelous, Naruto," Dae said as the blonde man nodded. "Your blood, on both sides, is also harmonized. I'm not as surprised, we knew your influence was odd and powerful, I'm just stating facts," he turned away from his microscope and four vials of the blonde's blood. "For now, I believe you'll need more physical and energy-based tests soon. Possibly tomorrow."
"Yeah, sure, I don't mind," Naruto nodded as Dae smirked.
"Hmm, now, go, shoo," the 'half-faced' man waved him off as he sweatdropped before shrugging and taking his leave with Luciela. "Don't forget your weekly check-ups, it'll be good to monitor you again."
"It's like I never left," the Awakened Man muttered as Luciela smirked.
"Almost but you being awake is better," she teased as he rolled his eyes before bumping shoulders with her. "Let's just relax and focus, training comes LATER," Luciela said in a tone that brokered no arguments.
"Alright, alright, later, Dae."
"Good afternoon."
The Awakened Ones left after that, leaving the scientist to hypothesize and observe Naruto's samples again.
'I question if, should it be possible and the time comes, what would a child between two monsters be?' It left him giddy and speculating. "Naruto's Yoki Neutralization, his 'Limiter-Release', Luciela's full-Awakened flesh, and her similar large energy reserves."
Such a child would be beyond recognition in these lands. He was sure those fools on the mainland would salivate over a being who'd likely be more than a match for any Asarakam.
That's why this was so interesting.
~NRK~
Naruto walked around the North Base with a hum, Rafaela, Luciela, and the others moving along with him.
"All of this is gonna need some getting used to," he said as Sistina nodded. "So, Sis, have you taken on-"
"Actually, as a matter of fact, I have," Sistina revealed with a smirk as the entire group turned to her in shock. "She's the latest Eye-in-training of the Organization by the name of Galatea. Actually, she's honestly a bit older than Clare, here."
"That weird girl?" Noel asked as Sistina smirked. "... U-Um! Not to say anything, ma'am, but Galatea is so… different," she said 'eloquently'.
"Truly, you are a poet," Sophia snarked as the similar-aged woman rubbed the back of her head. "Galatea is rather arrogant for her age," she huffed, looking embarrassed but pleased. "But she recognizes beauty so I can't very well admonish her for that."
"I've created a monster," Uranus's jaw dropped as her student's eyebrow twitched. "Young lady, you can't pass on that trait! We'll be ruined!"
"M-Mistress!" Sophia burned as the others laughed or smirked.
"Hehehe," Naruto snickered as her eyes twitched dangerously once they turned to him. "It's fine, it's fine, nothing wrong with being a bit… weird, we all are," he told her with a grin as she looked at him like he'd slapped her. "Wow, she is that bad."
"Y-You!"
Clare tilted her head at them all, eyes alight with interest as she looked at this 'Man Among Claymores'. 'I wonder how he got like this,' Clare never got along well with other kids but she always wanted to.
But she couldn't. Whether it was her family's rough state, the following yoma ownership, or even now where she knew no other girls her age, she was just bad at it.
So, seeing this man amongst these powerful women joke, chuckle, advise, be friendly with, or, in the most astounding case, be in a relationship with them made her curious and awed.
"... Oh," her eyes widened and she put her hand on her sword-
The feeling was immediate as she jumped a bit, gaining Teresa's attention.
"?" She looked down at her human student in surprise, eyes going to the girl's eyes as she held her blade.
Silvery blue gazes met her own before Clare blushed and let go of her weapon, those odd eyes fading away before she turned her head in embarrassment.
'Oh,' well, Naruto might have had an interesting lasting effect if she was right. 'I'll ask him when we're in a more private space,' the eyes of every damn Warrior was on them at nearly every turn.
It did get annoying at times.
~NRK~
Naruto and the sisters stood in front of the Elder Chambers some minutes later, the guards at the side of the doorway looking on in shock and alarm as the man grinned sheepishly for them.
"Hiya," he greeted them before pushing the doors open. 'Time to get this over with,' not to say he disliked the Elders.
But he'd been informed by Sistina of their odd temperament when it came to himself and they'd likely have some kind of scheme coming.
"We'll be here," Luciela smiled as he nodded, grinning as Rafaela shot one his way.
"I'm sure we'll all be able to deal wiith whatever's next," she chuckled as he nodded.
"I'll be back."
The doors opened fully, allowing him to see nine men within the room.
Three of which were from their base's Elders, Lmit sitting on a throne of his own right next to Dogin, the man looking neutral but feeling displeased.
"So, you're the one the Main Base Elders, and our Warriors' finest, speak of," Dogin spoke in simple tones, there wasn't a hint of praise or acceptance in his voice.
Just factoids. "I'm glad my friends think so highly of me, along with the Elders and Dae, I'm sure," Naruto smiled. "So, with how my slumber has been, how's the status of the world?" He asked simply.
Dogin huffed while Lmit nodded.
"Things are a lot worse than they used to be," he said. "At present, the Abyssal Ones' power base and forces have expanded, their soldier yoma becoming more keen, especially Riful's," Lmit frowned as Naruto did. "It's the oddest, most worrisome, thing to have happened in your slumber outside of our base's destruction."
"I'd heard about both those things," Naruto grimaced. "They're not playing anymore and are on the lookout for us, aren't they?"
"The Warriors have informed you," Dogin uttered. "Yes, that is the situation at hand, and we need to start making movements since you seem to hold some mystical power over yoma and our Warriors," the man said, the slightest hint of a suspicious tone reaching his voice.
Naruto didn't give it too much thought, understanding where the man was, assumably on the former shinobi's part, coming from.
He, essentially an Awakened Warrior, had been unknown to them until five years back and they were suspicious. Hell, his relationship with his fiances and friends like bothered them somewhat, too.
Still, that wouldn't become an issue, not for them, and not by him, no matter what.
"Any ideas?"
"Yes, the first would be to ascertain the locations of the Abyssal Ones," Lmit said with a hint of a smirk.
Naruto's eyes closed and a drip-like sound reached the Elders' ears.
"What is he doing?" Dogin asked Lmit with some alarm.
And then the two along with the other Elders felt a scanning sensation flow over them in an instant, a flash of a large brilliant-blue waters below their feet alarmed them before it vanished.
"W-What?"
Lmit was also surprised. 'His sensory abilities… had they grown that much?' It was a stupendous but still shocking thing for him to learn.
Humans could be scanned by this man before him, humans, yoma, Warriors, Awakened Beings.
ABYSSAL ONES.
"... Found them," Naruto told the Elders as his eyes opened to reveal toad-like orbs that startled the humans. "Oh, sorry," he chuckled in a bit of embarrassment, eyes changing back to those heterochromatic orbs. "So, Isley, Rigaldo, and a large number of decent Awakened Beings are holded-up in the mountains by Pieta," he frowned.
"H-How?" Dogin was very alarmed. "How?! Our older Eye has no ability to extend her range that far!"
"Naruto Uzumaki's ability to sense has always been that powerful," Lmit said with a bit of smug in his voice, the native Elder gripping his chair's armrest in annoyance. "And Riful?"
"Her and that Dauf guy's signature are by a number of their army…?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. "That's weird… I don't feel… Roxanne."
"The former 9th?" One of the other Elders asked in confusion.
"Yes, she Awakened, as you all know," Lmit stated with a soft frown. "And you can't sense her?"
"I don't know what happened in her case," Naruto sighed. "The thing is, I'm gonna assume that if she's working for Riful like I still think she is, she'll be nearby."
"Concerning."
"If she's dead it'd be to our benefit."
"But what shall we do with this information?"
Naruto nodded simply as the Elders discussed amongst themselves.
Dogin frowned at the Man-In-Black's casual attitude. 'He's no reverence for us,' likely because of Lmit's lacking leadership. 'You fool, you didn't tame him, you didn't control him, and now he stands greater than some of our single digits!'
Nevermind the man's relationship with the sole Awakened Being on their side, their greatest yoki sensory Warrior, the previous generations' numbers noteworthy individuals, and their most powerful Number 1 in all of history!
He was too powerful, connections too strong, and powers too unknown.
'And he knows of our tunnels,' that particular group of his did. 'More and more troublesome information,' what could he do?
Right now, the man needed training from Dae's own words. The scientist's biggest project currently going well if not better than before.
'If we can truly control the Abyss Eaters like a machine,' it'd probably be a good countermeasure… but Dogin didn't like single back-up plans. '... We need a Warrior of Teresa's caliber under our control… and she will do nicely.
That newest Warrior from a year back, the young one who'd broken even Teresa's records and had become the Number 2 of their Organization, well, to be announced, anyway.
Priscilla.
"Hmm, for now, rest, train, become more in-control of your powers," Lmit told Naruto with a nod. "Perform your weekly check-ups with Dae and I believe it would be to all our benefit if you should either 'finish' your Energy Control Pills' efforts on your fellow Warriors and/or their states. Those pills remain hard to harness and they need full completion."
Naruto nodded.
"Alright."
~NRK~
Sitting in his room, Naruto blinked as he, Rafaela, Luciela, Teresa, and Clare sat witness to the odd phenomenon happening to Clare.
"I believe it's your energy," Teresa smiled. "Your powers changed that sword on a fundamental level. I'd thought it was weird at first, how its sheen seemed so strong but now I know, your powers to 'imbue' are a bit more than we thought, Mr. Wizard," she teased as Naruto huffed.
"Huh," he considered the embarrassed Clare's eyes. "... Well, Clare, you might as well see how different you are right now," Naruto smiled for the girl who blinked.
"W-What should I do?" She asked.
"Well, I guess just tell us how you feel," Naruto said.
The girl looked at her hand on her weapon's handle before nodding and pulling more of the weapon out of its sheath.
The 'sheen' Teresa spoke of became clear once they saw it.
"Your spiritual energy, I wonder if that's it," Rafaela said, arms around Naruto's neck as she placed her chin on his head of hair. "We know your powers affected your weapon before all of this, Naruto, what if that same ability is a stronger now?"
Naruto considered it. "In that case, I really need to get my spear back," he said. "I'm planning on seeing about doing that in a month. That thing's been with me almost my entire tenure here, it's been enhanced for years and I'm wondering what'll happen to it once I infuse it with my stronger powers."
"Huh," Luciela blinked as she laid her head on his lap. "If you consider it, that'll probably be the strongest weapon you'll likely ever have," she told the room. "Naruto's wooden spear has always been impossible to break and was enhanced by his powers to the point he could parry human-sized daggers from an Awakened Roxanne."
Clare tilted her head in confusion while Teresa nodded with a cupped chin.
"Then, you'll likely need to come up with a reason for going out that far," she told him as Naruto nodded. "I can only think of a few ideas but one might be that you're surveying the land and sneaking around."
"I think that'd work," Naruto agreed. "Right now, the situation is messed-up and we have to make sure it doesn't get worse."
"Agreed," the sisters said.
"Still, that's not in our immediate future," Naruto chuckled. "So, let's take it easy, God knows we're likely in for it once the other shoe drops."
They considered his words before nodding with nervous grins.
With his Awakening, there was likley something to counterbalance it.
And that 'something' would most likely never be on their side.
~NRK~
The following morning, Naruto awoke in between a pair of familiar bodies.
One of whom he was laying on, a 'familiar' nine-foot-tall Luciela in her half-transformed state with her arms around the two stop her, while Rafaela laid on top of him, arms around his neck.
'I've missed this,' waking up to them in the real world and being able to hug them physically. 'Speaking of physicality,' Luciela's current form was odd.
How had she done it without his interference? Not to say he knew what she was capable of in the past 20 years but she'd never spoke about this.
Hardened claws, enhanced defenses, and physical senses, yeah, but she'd never spoken about this mid-transformation ability.
That said, he was happy to find out with her, the male blonde was sure there was an explanation for this.
Thirty minutes later, he got it.
"I don't know," she told him, sitting up with her sister and Naruto held in her arms. "I've never been able to do this before, Naru," Luciela told him, silver eyes shining in her current state.
Rafaela blinked in confusion before blushing. "Y-You guys didn't happen to do something d-during sex, r-right?" She burned up as the two blushed before Naruto's eyes widened in mortified horror.
"I-I'd, um," he burned. "I might have, sort of, 'locked' Luci's energy to her current size during," Naruto admitted as the sisters balked at him. "I mean, God knows what'd happen if she kept growing so…"
Luciela's face went red. "O-Oh!" She somehow squeaked in her current state, a factoid that got a snort out of her sister. "W-Well… huh," she looked at her tails. "It's weird… I feel so condensed right now…"
"If Naruto did what he thinks he did," Rafaela considered with a smirk. "Since he locked your form in, your energy had to compensate. You got an entirely new state f-from sex," she turned a nice pink once more as Naruto's jaw dropped. "W-Well, maybe?"
"I don't understand my powers anymore," the man said flatly as Luciela snickered before putting the two of them down. "Hmph… well, in that case," Naruto considered an idea. "Rafa?"
"Yes?"
"Don't mind me for a moment, this isn't perverted," Naruto said as he placed his hand on the center of her chest, his younger lover blushing but realizing what he was doing. "I know how you guys feel about that stigmata. I'll likely try and do this with all the Warriors when I get the chance," he grinned a bit as she nodded eagerly, looking hopeful. 'Focus on it.'
He felt out her yoki with one hand before doing something a bit more embarrassing.
He instead placed both his hands on her shoulders before hugging her. "I figured, ya know? Yoki arm, spiritual arm," Naruto shot her a shrug as she sweatdropped.
"Just get on with it, lover boy," Rafaela rolled her eyes as he grinned.
"Love ya."
"We do a million times over, now on with it."
Well, if the ladies of his house would be so blunt, he'd do his best.
So, as he focused on her energy, Naruto first spread his spiritual power around her body, the effect immediate.
Rafaela blinked as she was covered in the familiar silvery-blue energy before a 'hot' surge shot through her that 'boiled' her yoki.
The feeling of something being 'destroyed' made her feel… odd.
'Is this what it's like?' It was like Naruto was replacing the 'intent' in her powers to… 'be human'.
It was an odd sensation to recognize in her yoki of all things but… it was nice. Like, on a deeper level, she wasn't that monster anymore. There was so much more in this change that had her very spiritual strength tightened, tempered, enhanced, and heightened.
She was a 'creature of good', still neither yoma nor human but that was okay… weird. Her senses spun in on the feeling, embracing it on that conceptual level before reveling in it.
"H-Huh?!" Luciela's mouth dropped as she reverted back to normal, nightclothes left destroyed on Naruto's bed. "R-Rafa!" She nearly squealed as her sister's eyes opened from their involuntary close. "W-Well…" The Awakened Woman hurried about in all her naked glory before grabbing a hand mirror and shoving it in her sister's face.
"What is…?!" Rafaela began to say, already feeling that she knew, but still found her breath taken as she saw an odd reflection.
The first word that came to her mind was 'normal'. Normal reddish-brown locks that brushed her cheeks and settled kindly around her head.
The second word was 'mud-hair', a term that wasn't used often but colloquially said to define a Warrior with weak strength and abilities. Those Warriors weren't common, likely a once every twenty or so generations situation, but they were often enough occurrences that they had that term.
Naruto's eyes opened and he grinned as Rafaela touched her hair in awe.
"There ya go," he chuckled as he let go of her shoulders. "In a way, I guess you can look at this like me enhancing your human side and changing your yoki's 'intent' by copying my own kinda situation," Naruto cupped his chin as he looked at the fair skin of his younger fiance. "Though, huh, it's kind of different for you."
Rafaela knew what he meant, feeling the 'oddity' at that very moment.
"Hmm," looking down at her arm with interest. 'It's odd.'
A small distortion formed over her arm, confusing her sister and fiance.
"Trying something?" Luciela asked as she leaned over Naruto's shoulder, the man's cheeks reddening something fierce. "Ooh, I wonder what you can do now," she said before grinning viciously at Naruto, arms coming around his waist and pressing her sizable chest into his back.
'Oh no,' Naruto was all of a sudden very aware of Luciela's nakedness right now. "Y-Yeah, how's it l-looking?" He asked shakily as Rafaela blushed at them.
"Honestly, it's like you're not even embarrassed," the younger sister said with a red face as her sister grinned. "I-Is it that different from before and after?"
"Yep," Luciela snickered.
Well, Rafaela just hoped she didn't become some kind of sex deviant. The last thing she needed was to be worried about constantly pulsing sexual intent and tension.
"Mmm," she did her best to ignore them for now, knowing that her time was coming and she'd simply focus on her current idea. "I think my control might have adapted some of Naruto's concepts," Rafaela said, surprising the two.
She clenched her hands and the distortion thrummed.
"A rough pattern," she said as she took a calming breath.
The distortion essentially vanished but the two didn't let that deceive them.
"Invisible yoki?" Luciela wondered as Naruto considered it.
"... You changed how it's coming out," he realized as Rafaela grinned, sharp teeth on display. "Oh, well, that's new," Naruto said as she nodded, ignorant to his true meaning. "So, what's your idea?"
"Nothing yet but I'm certainly considering something… invasive," she nodded, dropping her energy. "Hehe, you keep on giving us stuff, it's getting hard to try and keep up."
"Heh, I don't think of it as a trade of some sort," Naruto grinned as he touched Luciela's cheek, the feline-based Awakened Being smiling as she leaned into it. "I love you guys a lot, it's more like, to me, trying to throw it at ya."
"We know," the sisters grinned with rosy cheeks.
~NRK~
An hour and a half later had Naruto and the others in the Training Ground after a full breakfast and enough time to stretch in Clare's case.
So, they all got to see Rafaela's 'change' with curious results.
"Wait, so, what'd ya do?" Uranus asked as Noel's jaw remained dropped with Sophia's. "I mean, I can still feel her powerful yoki, ya know? But it's like she's muted it, made it harder to feel if I wasn't trying to feel it," she squinted her eyes in interest as Elizabeth nodded.
"And she has sharp teeth," she noted as Rafaela looked sheepish, said teeth showing her grin. "There they are," Elizabeth smiled in amusement as the younger woman blushed some more.
"W-Well, I think it's because Naruto also has sharp teeth," Rafaela stated as Naruto demonstrated his chompers. "Weirder enough, Luciela in her current form doesn't have those," Luciela followed up with a show of her pearly whites. "So, I'm assuming it's from him and not because I and Luci share similar yoki patterns."
"Well," Teresa cupped her chin with interest. "I mean, you might as well try out your powers," she smiled as Rafaela chuckled.
"I'm guessing you're trying to be my sparring partner?"
"Why, I thought you'd never ask."
Rafaela rolled her eyes but nodded. "Hmm," she lifted her hand and considered it. 'That idea I had, I think I can do it,' she thought with interest but caution. "I'm gonna be trying some really odd stuff, Teresa, you'll have to bear with me."
Just from how the 'ritual' of gaining this power had gone, Rafaela had so many ideas.
But, for now, she had to focus on two 'concepts'.
Naruto, meanwhile, offered his 'services'.
"Well, damn, don't threaten us with a good time," Noel said in awe and some excitement. "S-So, um, ya think we can, like, grow our hair and stuff? Because having one hairstyle for forever isn't exactly… appealing," she admitted with a sheepish laugh.
"I expected that out of Sophia," Naruto said with a raised brow as said Warrior was off to the side pacing with her hand on her chin. "Speaking of, what the hell is she doing?"
"Oh, don't worry," Uranus chuckled. "I'm sure she's just considering some crazy change in her hair routine, trust me, it's better not to know."
"Well, alright, let me handle your masters first," Naruto chuckled as Noel nodded. "So, I did this like this…"
Reproducing similar actions like he had to Rafaela, minus the hugging lest he cause problems, the others looked on in awe as Uranus's jagged locks shifted from platinum blonde to a light brown.
"Oh, that's surprising," Teresa chuckled. "I always thought you'd have white hair for some reason."
"H-Hey, I remembered," the 'fixed' woman grinned, hazel eyes glinting with excitement. "Naru, seriously, you don't understand what having our normal hair color back does for gals like us."
"I'm guessing you girls can't personalize," the man teased as she laughed. "Very well."
"Like you couldn't imagine, goddesses, sometimes I look at Irene and Elizabeth and get confused," Uranus said as the religious Warrior and the 'tall Warrior' blinked in surprise, looking at one another in confusion. "And can you imagine how many long-haired women are in this place?"
"... I'm starting to see it," he sweatdropped as Uranus nodded sagely. "So, how do you feel? Rafaela and Luciela were different, as ya know."
"Hmm," Uranus closed her eyes in thought, nodding a bit. "Well, it's likely gonna be a real show to see what happens when me and Eliza actually use our yoki for real again."
Elizabeth perked up. "Oh, right, we haven't really used yoki in over… ten years?" The religious one said in consideration as Noel balked.
"W-Wait, what?!" Elizabeth's protege said as her master nodded.
"Ah, yes, I never told you but since coming close to being at my Awakening, the pills Naruto's body helps create saved us," she smiled as the man in question chuckled. "We didn't know if the pills were permanent or not so we were basically on inactive duty. With recent events, obviously, this changed."
"Yeah, before that? We weren't really using any of it," Uranus explained as Sophia scrutinized her. "... W-Wait, Phia, please, I don't need-"
"We'll talk about this later," her student grinned as Uranus felt a cold sweat form at her nape. "Hmm, I'd like to thank you for helping my master," Sophia said, surprising Naruto with a bit of a bow.
"Huh, well, I'm glad Uranus had such a polite student," Naruto chuckled as the younger hybrid pouted. "Alright, alright, I know, I'm just messing with you," he chuckled some more, walking past her while ruffling her hair. "This old man's been around the block, ya know? He's seen some crazy gals," he said in a fake old voice that even got a smirk out of the usually uptight beauty queen.
Luciela's grin couldn't get bigger as Teresa smirked.
"Yeah, he's liking the 'old man' thing," they said in unison, not even bothered.
Clare tilted her head. "So, he's helping them?" She asked the two women who smiled before nodding.
"Though, this will require a lot of trials," Luciela said as one of her tails came out and pat Clare on the head, shocking her.
"Y-You have a tail?!" The girl squeaked in shock before curiously touching it. "I-It's got fur on it," Clare observed as Rafaela snickered.
"Yeah, sis's Awakened form is like that of a giant cat woman," she said before perking up. "Actually, Luci, you should show them your newest… reward," Rafaela burned up but smirked as her sister blushed, gaining Teresa's attention.
"Hold on now, what exactly does that mean?" Sistina asked with the squintiest of stares, Luciela looking away from her.
"S-So, um, well," Luciela looked around and noted those not 'in the know' about her and Naruto's sexual relations were currently absorbed with the man's act of getting their bodies back to some kind of 'normal'. "Okay, remember when you, uh… felt us?" She shot the older woman the shakiest of grins.
Sistina's eyes went so flat, her stare was apathetic and disbelieving at the same time.
"... Teresa."
"Give us a few seconds of adult talk, Clare," Teresa grinned for her student, covering her ears.
"So, you had sex and got new powers, is that what you're trying to say?"
"W-Well, okay, so uh, maybe?" Sistina's look told her she better explain. "So, right, Naru said during it I was mid-Awakening and that wouldn't have been great."
"I doubt a crushed pelvis is all that wonderful."
"C-Come on!" Luciela burned as the 'elderly woman' smirked. "A-Anyway, he said he kinda sorta locked my energy into the size I was at when I was… growing."
"?" Teresa, rosy-cheeked and all that, looked confused. "Wait, h-hold on, y-you were… A-And he just…" She burned as Luciela covered her face.
"L-Lil Resa, please, I know, don't freak out."
"It's kinda hard not to consider you were just… doubled his height and size before-"
"Yes! Thank you!" Luciela said immediately as her student blushed some more. "A-Anyway, when he did, Rafa considered that since I was still reaching 'max potential," she twitched her fingers. "And stuck at that size, my body adapted and instead made a new condensed form for my Awakening."
"Naruto calls it 'True Hybrid Form'," Rafaela said, amused. "It's honestly not wrong, in that state, she's the perfect blend between her current humanoid form and her Awakened Form. Also-also? She only hits ten feet tall."
"Oh, thank the goddess," Sistina said in relief as Luciela pouted. "Hey now, while I'm sure you were enjoying it, I doubt he would want to be smothered that much by, say, 20-foot-tall Luciela. And, considering you can make mouths all over you," the Awakened Woman's face hit critical 'red' levels. "I don't want to think about what you did to that man."
Teresa snickered as she released Clare's ears, the girl pouting.
"Adult talk seems pretty funny," she pouted some more as her mentor smirked.
"It's hilarious, you'll get it when you're older."
"Mmm."
"Huh," Naruto's voice gained their attention, allowing them to see 'Normal Elizabeth'. "Ya know? I'm not surprised you have blonde hair."
The woman looked serene, rolling some of her fingers through her, familiar to her, blonde hair. "Hm, hm, hm, it's been some time since I saw these colors," she grinned, dark blue eyes closing as she did. "Thank you, again, Naruto, Uranus is right, uniformity is nice at times but having these bits of our humanity back is more than we ever expected," Elizabeth bowed to him as he grinned.
"No problem, family sticks together," he chuckled as she nodded. "Alright, who's next?" Naruto asked the group, Otie looking at the blushing Cassandra with a grin.
"Maybe you should," she teased as her mentor and friend burned brighter.
"I-I… I guess?" Cassandra said embarrassedly. "I-I don't know, I know I'm gonna look weird with black hair again," she muttered.
"We can wait if you want, weird as that is to say," Naruto sweatdropped as Cassandra swallowed.
"O-Otie."
"I got it!" Her student grinned. "Gals, I think we need to give 'Sandra a new hairstyle!"
"... Hmm," Sophia stalked on over before circling the former Number 1 like a predator, much to the others' amusement and Cassandra's embarrassment. "I think I can do something, I'll have to see how long it really is but we should be able to do something… Alright," she clapped her hands professionally.
"A-Alright," Cassandra looked nervous but hopeful. "I-I guess."
"Excellent."
Teresa rolled her eyes as Sophia waved her off. "Alright, who's next?" She asked, getting this show on the road.
Sistina cupped her chin before shrugging and stepping forward. "You make a crack at my hair color and I'll crack your skull," she threatened Naruto casually and without the slightest change in expression.
The man looked nervous all of a sudden, knowing he could survive that kind of beating now. "Oh… G-Gotcha, Sis," he shot her a shaky thumbs-up as the others smirked or laughed.
The process had been of similar note to modified Rafaela's, the older woman's lesser but no less impressive sensory skills giving her an understanding of this change.
By the end of it all, she hummed as orange hair now sat on her head, freckles sat on her cheeks, and tan skin greeted the group.
"Whoa?!" Rafaela's jaw dropped. "F-Freckles?!"
Sistina rolled her yellow eyes. "My freckles simply got lighter with my skin, you usually can't see them," she huffed before pulling on some russet locks with a smile. "Despite the crap I give you, I truly am grateful, Naruto, this hair color used to run in my family as a rarity."
"Well, it's an awesome color," he said sagely as she rolled her eyes. "Hey now, that's a compliment."
"I can sense your amusement, shove it. Who's next?"
With the other Warriors all around looking on in shock, disbelief, and hope, the stampeding should have been expected.
Naruto just felt very nervous.
"U-Um, one at a time?" He asked nicely.
He hid, that was the best way to state it.
Naruto hid from the large crowd of normal-looking women, hiding behind the transformed Luciela's back and tails, the others sweatdropping at his current 'situation'.
"Do you think they forgot about me?" He asked the group in a whisper, peeking his head out. "I don't think I ever want that many women chasing me, ever, in my lifetime and whatever comes next," Naruto said flatly as Clare giggled a bit. "Clare, your side of our species is something to be feared."
"That so?" Teresa smirked. "Don't let your age get to you, old man."
"I'll have you know, women almost never change as the years ago by," Clare grinned. "See, you're infecting her with your tease gene, next thing I know, she'll be asking me if I need to be given walks."
"Not yet?" Teresa smiled 'innocently'.
"Quiet you," Naruto huffed before getting off Luciela's back. "So, how do you gals like Luciela's newest form?"
"Well, the having to be nude part will forever be a downside," Uranus said as Sophia nodded in embarrassment.
"I know that we usually don't care at some point," she grumbled. "B-But there has to be something to do here! Maybe stretchy clothes?"
"I think we could ask Dae," Luciela said, shocking the group again. "Oh, right, I can talk like this," she said while scratching her noggin. "I don't know why but I guess it's because I'm smaller… maybe?"
"I don't necessarily understand Awakening as is," Sistina said with a raised brow. "You can talk like this, I wonder if it's the condensation of your power. Perhaps it's because Naruto's energy helped give more 'human' attributes to you?" She threw out there and the group shrugged.
"For now, Luci's new form is simply not well-understood," Naruto said. "She's gonna need training but the fact remains, we push too hard and we're kinda screwed."
"Is there really nothing we can do?" Luciela asked. "Like, can't we cover the Organization in your energy?"
Naruto blinked before cupping his chin at an idea. "Luci, I think I might have an idea for that but it's gonna be different," he said, considering it some more.
"Let me guess," Rafaela said. "Using parts of your flesh around the perimeter, you're gonna connect them?" She asked and he nodded.
"The thing is, I'll need help from all the good sensory types to synchronize them. Once we do that, I can just fill it with spiritual energy and see what happens."
"I think that might require some time," Sistina said. "The Northern Lab isn't small, Naruto, quite the opposite. Walking the perimeter can take an hour if you're taking it casually."
"Me, Irene, Sistina, Luciela," Rafaela began. "Elizabeth and Teresa, that's honestly not a lot."
"Including me is seven, at least," Naruto winced. "Yeah, I see what you mean. Damn, I guess that won't work."
"It's a good idea but we'd need more proficient Warriors," Luciela said. "Besides, there's not really an occasion where I can even go out. I'd be a beacon to Roxanne and any of the others if I had to go full strength."
"Well, that's not fully true," Elizabeth said. "If Naruto is actually able to do it, he can just coat you in his spiritual energy so you can fight without issue… correct?" She asked the man who hummed.
"Well, I mean, it should work," Naruto nodded. "I can sort of 'set' my energy around any one of us and it should keep going for as long as it has energy. I can hide our presence, too."
"Wait, that sounds incredible," Teresa said with a grin. "Maybe, we can get your weapon back without anyone noticing!"
It was true, it might even be a good way of surveying the yoma around the lands without tipping off the Abyssal Ones.
"Then, I'll tell the Elders," Naruto said.
~NRK~
The information had been met with a lot of scrutiny from the North Base Elder Head before Lmit came up with something.
"I see," the Main Base Leader smirked. "We can use that," he chuckled.
"Lmit," Dogin frowned.
"Well, since most yoma are on the lookout for more silver-eyed blonde Warriors," the man stressed as the others' eyes widened while Naruto laughed a bit. "Perhaps, it's time for a change of uniform," he offered the others whose eyes widened at the idea.
Dogin's knuckles went white as he kept his face neutral. 'That bastard…' And all because of the man before them? 'Priscilla needs to be kept away from him,' the Elder couldn't risk the girl's mind being swayed by the Awakened Man's odd charisma. 'She should still be at the other base,' and he assumed they were all still fine due to not hearing any news on its destruction. "... Tsk, perhaps," he began.
Naruto shrugged. "I mean, it ain't a bad idea but what happens if people just consider them Warriors, still?" He asked with a tilt of the head. "I mean, it'd be pretty obvious if people kept seeing oddly powerful women fighting the monsters when, usually, it'd be Claymores dealing with yoma."
"True," Dogin latched onto any reasoning to doubt Lmit's credibility, even if he was agreeing with this damn Awakened Being. "What then?"
"Hmm," Lmit considered his words before looking at Naruto's grin. "You've an idea?" He smirked as Dogin's eyes widened and he looked back at Naruto.
"Make another group," Naruto said, surprising them. "Right now, the people need help, yoma are roaming the lands like they own the damn place and someone needs to rise up and fight 'em off while keeping off the Abyssal Ones' senses," he nodded. "If you don't want the Organization to look like they're moving about, it'd be for the best."
"I do see your idea but what's to stop them from just assuming it's us?"
"Sadly, I don't have all the answers but it's better than having our gals ratherly all over, right? Besides, I think it'd be for the best that if we do it, we move the base for that idea to Mucha and out of any nearby lands."
The other Elders murmured as they considered the idea. "Hmm, I don't suppose you have an idea of how to do this? You seem to have some ideas," one said.
"As much as I want my family to stick together, we can't have all our toughest members away from here," Naruto frowned. "If Isley ever figures out where this place is, we're basically done and that can't happen. So, I think me, Luciela, Rafaela, at a minimum, need to go. We need deterrents. Having the three of us out there leading that group wouldn't be a bad idea and it takes most of their focus away from you guys."
"He's not wrong," Lmit considered with a frown. "They do want Naruto, at least, Isley does. He seeks you for some reason," Naruto blinked in surprise. "I don't know why but he's intrigued by you… I wonder…" He looked speculative while Naruto rubbed the back of his head.
"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking about… maybe it'd be an idea?"
"I'm simply considering it, trust me, I don't like the very notion of it as much as you do."
"What are you talking of, Lmit?" Dogin said with a trembling brow. "What idea?" The man was getting on his nerves.
He needed to reign in these fools lest he be powered out of his own base!
"I considered having Naruto and Luciela to go and speak with Isley," Lmit said with a hand holding his chin as the others gasped. "At ease, it's nothing I'm happy to consider but Isley wants him for some reason, perhaps we could make a deal with this one? Right now, Riful is too unpredictable, she's conniving and holds one of our previous best yoki-users as an Awakened Being. I doubt our earlier conversation, Naruto, I fear that Roxanne may have learned how to hide her signature."
Naruto crossed his arms with a nod and sigh. "It's likely the worst-case scenario," he said as Lmit grimaced.
"If that is the case, Riful is the most dangerous right now, should her army slip in without our notice, it'll be too late. That said, I don't know Isley's temperament, he's a curious one who was always as level-headed as he was vicious."
"... From the first time we met," Naruto began. "He was strong even when he was weakened, he reigned in Rigaldo pretty easily but he even warned us of Riful coming to Alfons. I don't get him but he seems like he cares a lot about his own goals and needs to the point he'd leave me and Rafaela alive because of his interest."
"That's true," Lmit agreed. "For now, we'll consider the splinter cell concept, we'll need to vote on whether it's viable and then we'll need to send a team as the 'starters', so to speak."
"No problem, I can just wait and train," Naruto nodded before bowing and taking his leave. "Hopefully, we can do something about all of this," he smiled.
Seconds later, the doors closed, leaving the Elders with their thoughts.
"What does everyone think of the idea?" Dogin huffed as the others murmured.
"His words aren't without value," another Elder said. "And, in all fairness, having him taking their attention away from us would be good. We might even be able to having them think he's where the base is. Mucha has never been well-populated by our members or bases, it might very well be the best option."
"Having a new group not in Abyssal territory would be rather… fortunate," Dogin agreed with a reluctant frown. "Still, we'll need to send over Elders, someone has to be there to distribute the pills, they'll need handlers, and then we need to talk of how many Warriors we'll be expending for this experiment."
Lmit nodded. "Still, he's right in that they need deterrents, he isn't strong enough to be one, Luciela, working as an 'Abyssal One' for Mucha, would be a good amount of power. Add on Rafaela as their 'Eye' and it'd be a powerful trio of Leader, Abyssal One, and Eye."
"L-Leader?!" Dogin barked in horror. "Lmit! That's foolish!"
"Is it?" Another of the Elders considered as Dogin growled. "Naruto Uzumaki clearly has a hold over that group of our Warriors, he has connections with some of our NUMBER ONES. If he was to be given specific instructions, we'd have more certified control of them."
"True," Lmit smiled. "Yet, Dogin's words aren't for naught, handlers aren't going to just fly off the walls," he frowned. "They won't need guards, goddesses above that sounds ignorant, but we need to ensure we have information passing between them and the bases. I doubt he'll have an issue with us holding onto Teresa but one Warrior does not work as a deterrent even if it's her. We need a team on both ends."
Dogin was nearly comatose with the agreeing Elders.
'No!' This hadn't happened! 'A boy has made them so agreeable!?' It was a horrible turnout for him. 'Think! Think!' Dogin contemplated his options.
"Right now, isn't Teresa training a child?" Another Elder asked. "If she can bring this girl of hers into a warrior of her own, that'd be quite fortuitous."
"Ah, that one, 'Clare' I think is her name."
"She's near Galatea's age range."
They considered the idea pleasantly, already considering Numbers and the like for such a human being trained by their best.
"For now, let's consider the other things surrounding this group, agreed?"
"Agreed."
Dogin's eyes narrowed.
~NRK~
The next two weeks were spent training when it came to Naruto's group, with interesting results.
"So, we know your 'film' works," Sistina nodded, looking refreshed, while Luciela stood across from her with a nod in her Hybrid State covered by familiar energy. "Within two weeks, Luciela's control and attacks are getting sharper. It'll be good to make sure she's a threat to any Abyssal One."
"It's good to find my niche," the cat woman smiled. "Still, I'm not the one with the most interesting stuff right now," she said as the two of them looked to the side where a pair of figures clashed time and time again.
Teresa flowed around Rafaela's numerous gauntlet-enhanced pokes with her claymore, the two's weapons clashing with sparks of yellow light.
Rafaela's form skipped forward a mere foot, already inside of Teresa's guard, before coiling in only to unleash a forearm into the younger woman's stomach a moment later.
A burst of yoki sent the Number 1 flying, the side of her weapon hissing like it'd been burned.
"Your Heated Yoki is getting better!" Teresa grinned as Rafaela smirked right back, form covered in distortions.
"Thanks!" The older woman's voice distorted from the haze around her. "How's your yoki?"
Teresa blinked before looking down in surprise at her body.
'She did something,' odd, when could she do that? "My levels dropped?" The Number 1 gaped as Rafaela grinned.
"Burning away yoki," she explained as Teresa grew intrigued. "Less talking, though!"
They went at it again, forms blurring about like phantoms as the sound of clashing reached the others' ears.
"Hmm, I guess Lil Resa isn't ready to get her old hair color back yet," Uranus said, hair now flatter with a pair of curls coming down from two longer bunches of her hair down the back of her head. "Phia?" She called out to her student who was currently in the middle of washing Cassandra's hair in a basin a bit away with Otie and Noel.
The Tenth's hair had returned to a darker, but light, blonde color while Noel ruffled her head of brown hair.
Otie grinned, hair a sharp white color, much to most of their surprise when she'd gotten it back, while helping do Cassandra's hair with Sophia.
"Alright, just about done," she told her mentor/older sister-figure. "Honestly, Cassandra, your hair's not that short," Otie said with a smile as the former Number 1 blushed and muttered a bit.
"I-It isn't?" She asked.
"Surprisingly, yeah," Noel said. "Your hair just naturally sticks together and flattens out, hehe, you got some more locks, there, sistah."
Cassandra looked intrigued.
A bit away from them, Naruto nodded to Clare and another young girl who stared at him in confusion.
She was tall for her age, while being three years older than Clare putting her at 14-years-old. Her skin, like the others, was pale but hers seemed a starker shade and her silver eyes were almost almond-like in shape.
With long platinum blonde hair that also seemed to be a starker white compared to her fellow Warriors and an oddly serious expression on her face, she seemed as different as the others would 'divulge'.
Wearing the trainee insulated leotard, she cupped her chin as she observed Clare while Elizabeth smiled patiently.
"Pleased to meet ya, Galatea," Naruto grinned as the girl shot him another weird look.
"... Fox," she stated simply, nodding to her own assessment. "I see, I see," Galatea smirked as Naruto raised a brow. "You're the foxy one our comrades speak about."
"Well, you're that strong-minded kid I keep hearing about," he shot back with a chuckle as she pouted in her own, arrogant, way. "What can I do ya for, kid? With Lil Clare here, we're trying to teach her how to fight."
"Hmm?" Galatea's eyes went to the human in their midst, the younger girl jumping before looking embarrassed. "Hmph, you can do better," she said simply as Clare squawked.
"R-Rude!" She said as Galatea rolled her eyes.
"Humans can't best Warriors, you'd work better as one," she stated like it was fact before Naruto laughed and Elizabeth smirked. "?" Galatea shot them both a frown. "Was it funny? I wasn't trying, really, but I can give it another shot-"
"Easy there, 'Tea, no one out here is laughing at anyone but your sentence," Naruto said as he kneeled down to her height, the man's recent height making such an act bring his kneeling form a bit above her eye level. "... God, I got tall," he said in disbelief as she raised a brow.
"I don't understand."
"Oh, well, you might be looking at a former human who could have bested a lot of your lower digits 20 years ago."
…? "Excuse you?"
"Naruto is correct," Elizabeth said with a smile as the younger female turned her head to her in disbelief. "Naruto even found the Organization on his own when he was around ten."
"H-Huh?" Galatea pat her ears. "I believe I misheard you, there's no possible way that's true."
"But it is!" Clare asserted as Galatea's eyebrow twitched. "T-Teresa said it was true and everything! And she's the strongest," she said with her hands on her hips and a pout on her lips.
Galatea flinched, head slowly turning to the sparring Number 1 and 'Greater Eye' as her Mistress had begun calling Rafaela. "... I-I find that hard to believe."
"Well, it's true."
Naruto chuckled, sitting down cross-legged. "I used to be human before an event happened that turned me into what I am today," he said, pointing at Luciela and Sistina's sitting forms chatting about something. "It was the same event that turned Luciela into an Awakened Being and had my powers becoming more obvious."
"Really?" Galatea was now intrigued. "If this is true, h-how?! That doesn't make sense!"
"It's why this," he raised his arm and spiritual energy slipped out. "Is so important. It's how I can help the others and give them back enough humanity and their looks."
"What happens when you do it?"
"I feel like I know where this is going," Elizabeth smiled as Galatea's head turned to see the smiling hair-in-a-ponytail Warrior. "Yes, our stigmata are gone."
The girl's eyes widened. "Really?!"
"Yes, it's a lot easier to look at ourselves without constantly seeing it. It did leave a scar, though, but I'm sure we all prefer to see that instead of the usual."
Galatea swallowed in awe.
"Yeah, um, I-I'd know," Naruto grinned shakily as Elizabeth blushed but giggled a bit. "They really prefer to not have them, trust me on that."
The girl cupped her chin in awe of him. "I see, you're more impressive than I thought," she smiled even as he sweatdropped.
Clare tilted her head. "I wonder what it looks like," she muttered as Naruto ruffled her hair. "?"
"Come on, we're supposed to be teaching Lil Clare here how to fight. We can chat in our downtime," Naruto grinned. "Now, Clare, I'd like to know, what's your training like with Teresa?"
The girl hummed. "Um, we do a lot of running," Clare shivered. "S-She said endurance would be good no matter what."
"True, yoma are known to have increased stamina," Elizabeth nodded.
"A-And we do tons of sword swings," the girl whined as Naruto chuckled some more. "M-My arms hurt a lot when we do those. A-And then she makes me dodge a lot."
"Oh, well, those are good for you to know, Clare," he said. "Knowing how to dodge, move, and attack are the very basics… Alright, come at me," Naruto said with a smile, jumping to his feet and depositing his cloak next to him.
"H-Huh?!"
"Clare, it'll be fine, don't you remember when I fought Sophia and Noel?"
Clare blinked, her surprise and worry falling away as she did remember that fight.
"O-Oh," she blushed. "U-Um, how would it be fair?" Clare fiddled with her weapon's handle.
"I'm not gonna honestly fight you, I know Lil Resa might have a different training idea but I trust in her to not just throw the floor, sink, ceiling, and whatever else at you," Naruto sweatdropped as she nodded with a pout. "Besides, you'll be trying to string together all those things you learned. I'm gonna take a couple swipes at you, nothing serious, but I want you to keep your mind clear and focused. You need to be able to read people."
"Okay," she said, hand on her blade and that 'glow' reaching her eyes again. "... I feel so… different with this," Clare said, removing her weapon with more ease than before and looking at it to see her eyes reflecting in its side.
"Huh?" Galatea blinked. "W-What? Did you teach her how to use your spiritual strength?" Was it teachable?
Galatea was rather curious.
~NRK~
Dae was more than willing to 'excuse them' on an excursion a couple weeks later, the man's face at seeing Luciela's new transformation would forever be locked away in their minds as one thing, unfortunately.
Climaxing euphoria.
So, you can imagine, none of them wanted to remember such a thing. Especially on a guy with half a face, no offense to him.
So, after being coated in spiritual 'suppression' energy, they took off, a group composed of Naruto, Rafaela, Teresa, Luciela, and Irene.
"This is…" Irene blinked at the feeling around and yet in her body, white hair shifting in the wind. "My humanity… enhanced," she considered as the group braved the harsh cold… the pleasant warmth of the lands of Alfons? "Your power comes with warmth?" She looked at the chuckling Naruto in confusion.
"To be fair, my power seems to have more 'heat' to it," he said as Luciela nodded and Rafaela hummed.
"It's true!" She told Irene as they crested a cliff before jumping down it with a grin. "Naruto's power has some temperature to it!" Rafaela declared as they landed on a set of outcroppings, the slightest dispersals of snow echoing their quick departure. "Still, for now, we need to keep to mental conversations, we're coming up on the first set of Awakened Beings!"
Naruto's eyes closed before a flash of 'presence' filled the energy-covered group's minds.
'Like this, Irene,' Naruto 'said' as the woman's head snapped to him, surprised. 'My energy connects people on principle, this is just one way I can 'imbue' someone,' he grinned as she blinked with some awe.
"I-I…" She blushed as Teresa grinned in amusement. 'I-I understand,' she thought, surprised ever more by agreements from the others. 'C-Can I even think to myself like this?' Irene blushed some more.
'You can!' Luciela grinned. 'You have to be trying to contact us, it's as simple as that. If you're keeping your thoughts to yourself, you do, if you're thinking with the need to speak with us, you can.'
Irene considered her 'words' before nodding as the group's forms blurred across the snowy landscape only to stop once they came across the first pair of enemies of the lands.
Hiding above a tall hill, they looked over it to see the Awakened Beings walking about with grunts between them.
'They're so… blatant about it,' Naruto frowned as Teresa nodded.
'They're bolder these days, most caravans have to be more mindful,' she sighed. 'Honestly? We've started a small bit of business by trying to be bodyguards for far travel, especially the kind which takes us out of Alfons but it comes and goes. We have to be careful.'
Naruto nodded to that as they watched the monsters leave. 'Let's go.'
~NRK~
Breaking past the border between Alfons and Sutafu, Naruto realized just how bad it was.
'They're minding the border?' He gawked as the others nodded, the group already on the other side of it but watching the yoma 'work'. 'This is ridiculous!'
'They have patterns, thankfully,' Luciela said. 'From what I've been told, they still sleep.'
'And all of them aren't exactly powerful,' Irene said. 'If you're fast enough, we usually just get by and mind our backs.'
Naruto understood but this situation made him angry.
If he'd been awake earlier, this might have been different… but he knew better, especially after two whole lifetimes.
'Let's go,' Rafaela said, hugging him a bit before they all took off. 'For now, we're about to enter one of the most yoma-populated areas.'
'Sutafu,' they all thought in unison.
~NRK~
Four hours in total was all it took for the group to reach some form of 'perimeter' of their old base.
And the sheer mass of Awakened Beings nearly made Naruto's energy flare.
Luciela leaned on one shoulder while Rafaela held his opposite side's hand before giving it a good squeeze.
His tension dropped and he sighed, Teresa shooting him a smile.
'Alright… I'm sorry, I know, this isn't what I ever wanted to see become of our old home,' Naruto thought sadly as they all nodded.
'I only have myths about the main base,' Irene said as he chuckled a bit. 'But it's been said to be the strongest bastion of our bases, it was no small army that did this. They needed all the forces they could,' she encouraged as Rafaela grinned while Naruto smirked.
'Not wrong,' he, she, and Luciela nodded as Teresa giggled a bit.
'So, what's the plan?' She asked the group who considered the question. 'Right now, we're on the edge of the perimeter of yoma's own senses. If we drop Naruto's energy even for a moment, we'll be outed.'
~NRK~
That's a wrap on this chapter.
Working on a couple others, you know how it is, and I hope you guys like the ideas presented here.
Naruto's weapon, a new group of Warriors for the sake of drawing attention while also lending aid, Galatea's around. Clare's new weapon, and Priscilla's eventual entrance.
There's a lot to do with such a bunch of concepts, I hope it'll turn out well.
Ciao.
~NRK Out~