~NRK~
Rosemary's eyes closed as she pretended to rest, considering her next questions.
'I need to know everything there is about these guys,' she knew her job was just to monitor the Abyssal One, Luciela, but now Rosemary wasn't sure if Naruto shouldn't also be considered a similar level of threat.
The reverence of their Warriors, his supposedly odd skills, his speed, and testimony of others about his strength?
It was all worrying. Painfully so.
"You're curious, aren't you?" Cassandra asked Rosemary, the Number 3 Warrior huffing while closing her eyes. "I can imagine, Naruto as an existence isn't easy to just consider once," she chuckled.
Rosemary frowned before sighing. "Am I to assume you're also backing him?" She asked.
"I mean, we're friends, f-family, it's not that weird," she admitted somewhat bashfully, surprising Rosemary a bit while Irene smiled softly. "... Let me tell ya how this whole thing started, yeah?"
Rosemary was surprised once more, looking completely out of her element at how… Open Cassandra was. 'They are up to no good… Right?' She considered nervously.
And then the Number 2 explained the beginnings of this madness.
Of a single, impossible, boy coming to save his future to-be wives.
By the end of recounting their first five years together, Rosemary was utterly baffled… And jealous beyond all reason.
How unfair was life that they, these Main Base Warriors, get to have all the affection that they sought?
It was a total croc of shit that they got to enjoy happiness while she lived in the cold-ass North!
'Calm down, calm down,' she thought with a hidden grimace. 'That's long gone, you're stronger than them,' despite their Numbers, Rosemary was sure she could handle Cassandra if push came to shove.
Screw their so-called 'hidden teachings' that kept her Number, Rosemary was stronger, better, more of a developed Claymore than the elf-eared woman.
She was confident in that.
"Sounds like you guys got the golden ticket," she said as Irene hummed. "Never had that happen to me," Rosemary said, keeping the jealousy out of her voice.
"We were truly lucky," Cassandra chuckled.
"Mistress explained their entire history to me," Irene smiled as Rosemary shot her a raised brow. "Mr. Uzumaki had quite the big effect on them and, unfortunately, many other belated Warriors. They've been one of the most accomplished Generations in the past twenty years."
Rosemary's eyebrow twitched at that before grunting. "Doesn't stop Teresa from being a downright freak when it comes to power."
"Oh, definitely," Cassandra tapped the side of her cheek. "Though, with her, she's also gotten the kind of training that brought out her true potential pretty fast," she explained as Rosemary perked up.
'Wait, so there is something to that rumor?' The one that said the Number 1's young assignment was due to the kind of training she'd been given.
Not like theirs, Teresa had gotten training from the two Awakened Ones in their organization. A truly powerful pair that held grand yoki control skills and techniques that she supposedly inherited and polished even beyond that.
Jealousy rose in her gut and she stamped it down once more, closing her eyes and taking a shuddering breath.
"Come on, it's only been half an hour, tell me more of this so-called 'love story' of theirs," she grumbled.
Cassandra smiled knowingly.
~NRK~
Patrolling the dirt roads surrounding Kyte, Uranus hummed as they finished a circuit.
"So far, no yoma, but they're moving," Elizabeth said with a curious frown. "Away from us, yes, but moving."
"Wait, I don't think Luciela began showing her dominance yet," Otie said, confused.
"Can they smell her?" Uranus offered. "Naruto and Luciela have pretty strong senses, it's pretty likely that yoma are that capable."
The other two nodded in agreement as they kept on walking around the trio's hometown.
"So, what do you guys think of Naruto's plan?" Elizabeth said with a tilt of her head, brilliant blonde locks shifting in her hands before she tied it back. "I'm not sure of what is the proper measure but I trust in his wisdom. I think he's right in how we should approach this."
"It's really just Roxanne we're worried the most about," Otie said as she fiddled with her blade's handle. "None of us can sense her save for Naruto and Rafaela when they're looking. Sure, they're probably better at it now but we're still running into whatever madness is coming."
"You're worried?"
"A lot, yeah. I like this family of ours and I could live without a homewrecking yoma bitch trying to move in on it."
Uranus laughed.
~NRK~
Naruto nodded with a grin at the space around them, Rafaela and Luciela already moving about in other caverns.
"This might be perfect," he said to the room as he saw all the old dead torches. 'We'd have to light it up, though,' but the blonde man was sure they could figure it out.
Walking around the cavern he'd found, he explored the whole place for the next twenty minutes before ending his observations back at the beginning where a familiar pair of sisters stood.
"This might be perfect though we'd have to figure out how deep some of the holes I've seen are," Luciela smiled. "Outside of that, though? We're rocking a whole new base!"
"And it's cooler down here," Rafaela chuckled. "I didn't sense a single yoma, not one, and this place is still well put-together. I think the Organization would love this kind of set-up, though, what name will we be using now?" She asked, bringing her personal circle's minds to the ideas. "Are we going with 'The Organization'? Or…" She let it hang.
Naruto considered the idea, arms crossed. "... I'd like for us to change it, ya know?" He smiled as Luciela grinned. "Not to say I think it's a better idea or anything but this is now ours to build up. Besides, it's pretty obvious what'll happen if anyone hears our name so we might as well choose something cool."
"Well, we should probably do this where we've got better air flow," Luciela said.
~NRK~
With all three 'teams' meeting up back at the cave mouth once more, they sat around and talked.
"So, we only found one yoma around and that was after we walked a good bit away from Kyte for a mile or two," Uranus said. "Besides that, it's those same ones in that single part of your hometown. They haven't moved, by the way."
"Good," Naruto nodded. "On our side? We found the perfect spot for our base," he chuckled as Luciela smirked, her locket and pendant bouncing into view as she pulled them out from her collar.
"They've got good structure, a great size, and already pre-made 'rooms'," Rafaela twitched her fingers. "It'll just take a while to fix, ya know?"
"Will we ever have time for that?" Cassandra asked with a tilt of the head. "All things considered, we're, what, nine people? Unless Naruto's gonna stay back?"
"I don't know yet but you've got a point," the man amongst Warriors said. "For now, how about we rest and then go into town?"
"In uniform?"
"Yep. Though, we can enter wherever we want and just meet up by the church if you want. Don't want people knowing our numbers yet."
~NRK~
Seven hours later, they moved around like shadows in the forest.
'This is the debut of our new group,' Luciela thought with narrowed eyes, her conical hat adjusted mindlessly between her fingertips. "We'll be seeing our old town upfront and personal again," she chuckled a bit besides the moving Naruto and Rafaela. "I hope some things are still around!"
"Same," Naruto said. "Though, I wonder how much things have changed. With so many new people, what came with them? Maybe there are some new spots in town to have fun," he chuckled as his fiances grinned. "Let's find out!"
~NRK~
The people of Kyte mulled about like clockwork.
"Another one? All for some protection?"
"What should we do?"
"You'd rather a witch?"
"I don't want to die."
They spoke with glum expressions but they couldn't hope for better.
Lands infested with yoma were now normal. They were blessed to be living in Mucha where yoma were a rare occurrence and they had enough people they could live with their guilt and shame.
"It's going to be like 'that' again, isn't it?" A mother whispered with a pale face as her baby cried softly in her grip. "Please, don't cry… I can't… I-I can't…"
One of three men nearby grimaced, hands balled-up into fists as his fellow males looked down in somber acceptance.
"We're sorry, Zal."
"There's nothing we could do."
The middle man, younger than the others, felt his body grow cold.
"Not him… Not that boy."
Those who passed him and the crying mother did their best to ignore them. The heartbreak of their lives, a long-since accepted part that they could do little about.
They were just humans. They couldn't fight monsters.
Not like the vanished witches of five years ago. Many spoke of seeing at least one in their lives but that had been it before they'd gotten here, Kyte, where they'd heard of the lack of yoma attacks and just the scarcity of them.
It was too bad it was all just a fancy lie maintained by a loss of chosen lives.
The people of Kyte lived their lives without disturbance.
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he hid his face within his hood, Luciela and Rafaela doing the same with the former tilting her hat.
"This place," she whispered to them as they walked past those crying parents. "Something tells me they're more aware of what's here than we thought," the Awakened Woman said.
"It's apparent," Rafaela frowned deeply. "We need to put a stop to this."
"..." Naruto's eyes narrowed as they passed more people that were 'evidence' of the yoma in Kyte.
A pair of downtrodden folk, a single boy crying in one alleyway, a girl rushing back the way they came with tears in her eyes.
The more they passed, the more the blonde's eyes closed.
"I-I won't let them have my brother!" A single young boy cried out as he rushed past the trio, an old man stumbling after him before he groaned as he tripped-
Naruto placed him back on his feet, the slightly shaky old man looking up at his icy blue eyes.
"Old man," the blonde dusted off his attire. "I need you to tell me what's happening."
The older man looked down, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at his wet eyes. "This world's a cruel place, boyo," he said with a long gaze at the rushing-away boy's back. "And it took from him, it took too much," the downtrodden fellow said.
The eyes of those around looked away or downward, the street filled with a rising despair.
And it all fell away as a powerful force threw up people's hair and startled the street to a standstill.
"H-Huh?!" The old man's eyes widened as he looked to his side to find a familiar, formerly running away, boy beside him. "G-Gramps?! W-What the?!"
"Kid," Naruto crouched to his level, the young boy's eyes widening at the size of the blonde as the former shinobi lifted his hood a bit. "Where's your brother?"
The boy froze as silvery-blue eyes locked gaze with him.
He swallowed. "T-They already sent him to the church," his head dropped before a hand found his head. "?" Wobbling eyes looked up to lock with a sharp grin.
"Alright, then there's no time to waste," Naruto said as he got up, hood falling off his head and allowing the blonde man's fox ears to stand up. "Girls, let's handle the yoma problem."
Luciela and Rafaela grinned in unison. "Alright."
And the three vanished, the wind on the street swirling up in a powerful gust that alarmed the people.
"W-What?!" The boy said in shock.
"R-Raki!" The old man spoke to the boy who looked down.
"G-Gramps, I'm… I-I can't let them eat Zaki!" The boy cried ugly tears as the older male held him close.
"I know… I know," the old man said but something welled within his chest and warmed his heart. "... B-But… Maybe," he said as he held the boy's shoulders and wiped his tears. "Maybe, your brother has been saved."
There was a yelp beside them as an older boy, one who looked like Raki, sat on the ground with a bewildered look on his face.
"Zaki?!" Raki slammed into his brother's chest as Zaki stared, eyes transfixed on the floor.
"Z-Zaki?!" The old man spoke as those on the street gasped or paled. "M-My boy, what happened?"
"... U-Uncle, there was a man," Zaki swallowed as he held Raki close. "A big man."
There was a large explosion far off into the distance, all eyes on the street going up towards a billowing dust cloud.
"He saved me."
"Your brother would have dove into the gates of hell if we didn't do it," Naruto chuckled from beside the young man, startling him, Raki, and damn near everyone else.
People looked out of windows, doors, stores, and corners as Naruto held up a disembodied head.
A large one of a sickly green monster with an expression of horror etched into its face.
"There will not be anymore yoma attacking my hometown," he said as dropped the yoma's head on the ground.
"Y-You?!" The head still spoke, shocking all nearby humans who jumped, paled, or looked on in… hope. "How?! You're not a yoma?! You're not a Claymore! WHAT ARE YOU-?!"
There was an explosion as the blonde stomped down on the demon's head.
"Alive," Naruto said as several 'shadows' descended around him, one of them a far larger frame than the others. "Old man, where's the chief of Kyte?" He asked the old man who paled at the sight of the feline-woman lowering her head next to Naruto's, the blonde grinning as he caressed Luciela's cheek. "O-Oh, wait! You guys are good, I promise! You don't need to worry about Luciela, she's not a yoma!"
His fellow 'Shadows' shot him a look he began to sweat at.
"She's uhh… Umm…" The blonde man grinned after a moment of thought. "Okay, so, what do you guys know about yoma specifically?" He asked.
Raki just gawked at him before he hurried out of his brother's arms and stood before the blonde man.
"T-Thanks, big guy!" He bowed as much as he could before Naruto chuckled along with the others.
"You'll trip," Luciela said as the boy stumbled back to his feet, eyes wide in shock, only a slight bit of fear, surprisingly, and wonder. "Um, yeah, this might not be normal for… Any of you," she said as her transformed body remained contained within her newest black attire. "N-Naruto, this might have been a bad starting point."
The entire damn city stopped to stare at the sheepish-looking yoma woman.
Rosemary facepalmed at the craziness in front of them. 'There's no way this is going to work-'
"N-Naruto?!" Came an odd call as the crowd of gawking people parted to let a young woman run up to the group before she screeched to a large halt at the sight of Luciela turning to tilt her head at her. "H-HMMMMMMMMMMMM."
"Easy, easy, Luciela's fine-" Naruto began to say, holding up his hands with a hopefully disarming grin.
And then blinked along with the others as the woman gasped and stared at Luciela in disbelief.
"Y-You're that Luciela? My mother said you all disappeared thirty years ago!" The woman said as Rafaela's hood came down in shock, the sensory Warrior's eyes trailing over the newcomer's face in shock.
"Wait… W-Wait, no, y-your mom wouldn't happen to have been named 'Atta', was she?" She asked instantly as Naruto and Luciela choked as one while that young woman covered her mouth in shock. "You have her same dimples!"
"Atta?" Cassandra asked.
"She was from the orphanage we were from," Luciela said as she shrunk more and more before regaining her human form, clothes back to normal. "So, you're… Y-You're Atta's daughter?" She whispered as she and Rafaela flanked Naruto's sides, the young woman staring at the three of them.
"... It was a story my mom told me about," the young woman said as she scrunched up her clothes as more and more rushing people entered the intersection. "All our parents told us about that stuff."
"Yeah!" A young man said in shock and yet awe.
"M-My dad's name is 'Otto' d-does that sound familiar?" A mature-looking woman asked in disbelief as Naruto stared at her for a moment before noting her cross-shaped birthmark on her cheek.
"... You got his birthmark, right?" The blonde said slowly before he grinned as the woman hit her knees in shock. "Hehe, yeah, me and your dad used to prank people in Kyte… God," Naruto said sheepishly. "Has it really been thirty years?"
The other people of Kyte gawked or gaped at the group, none more than Raki as the boy kept looking at Luciela in disbelief.
"She became small!" He said as Uranus laughed along with Otie while Elizabeth chuckled behind a fist. "S-She was all big and cat-lady-like!" Raki said with big shining eyes.
"Yeah, my older fiance does become a giant cat woman," Naruto said with a sagely nod as the kids of his childhood friends stared at him like he was weird. "... What?"
"M-My dad did say you guys… S-So, like, he had a bet," another one of their old friends' kids began slowly with hand gestures. "Um, you didn't happen to marry them, did you?" He asked with a shaky grin.
Rafaela and Luciela blushed before grinning as Naruto chuckled heartily.
"Not yet but I gave 'em engagement pendants," he said.
"I THOUGHT THAT OLD MAN WAS LYING TO ME?!"
Naruto sweatdropped at half the young adults shooting him weird looks. "Why do I feel like I got retro made fun of?"
"Because ya did," Cassandra smirked as he rubbed the back of his head. "But it does make me wonder… D-Do the people from my own hometown remember me?" She said, all of a sudden nervous.
"I wonder if mine is still around," Elizabeth tilted her head. "My original village was closer to the center but we passed it on the way here."
"You should have told us," Luciela said with a blink as the religious woman smiled.
"In time I would have, I'm just glad it's still around."
"So, you all handled the yoma problem?" One of the younger men asked, looking hopeful as the group chuckled.
"It's a bit more than just that," Naruto explained as he gained the people's attention. "You guys have been noticing a large lack of Claymores, huh?" He asked them.
The people gaped at him, some looked nervous, and others seemed worried.
His friends' children were a bit different.
"Y-Yeah, actually," one of the women said nervously. "Life's been a lot more… It's been so tough, sir," she said with a downtrodden look.
"Well, don't worry about it from now on," Naruto grinned, surprising the people. "The thing is, we came to Mucha, me and my team here, to help the people. You probably wouldn't recognize these gals as Claymore," he chuckled.
The entire street froze as the Warriors removed their hoods and allowed their permanent changes to shows.
"WHAT?!" The entirety of them shouted in shock and disbelief as Luciela snickered.
"Yeah, think about it. Why would anyone want the current state of things?" Naruto asked kindly. "The fact remains, this is barely a start for most of this. This is the beginning of our Organization. We'll do our best to never let a yoma get into Kyte and all the nearby villages."
The people wheezed, some downright cried, others looked ashamed.
And, yet, many were filled to the brim with hope.
"The way things are, we need to spread out around Kyte," Rafaela spoke up. "Kyte only had five yoma in it, thankfully, but the villages and towns surrounding us might not be so lucky."
"M-My mom!" One of their friends' children spoke, a man of large stature and yet a body that trembled. "In the neighboring town, she sent a letter of rumors of a yoma in it!" The man spoke quickly and hopefully. "I'll pay anything, please, j-just let ma be good."
Naruto smiled softly. "It's fine. Sadly, while we'll do our best no matter what, we do need money to live and stuff," he admitted, some people looking nervous while others looked resolute. "I know how much most of the normal rates were. So, we'll do it like this," Naruto began. "The original rates are a bit much, way too much for our current size. So, we'll only be taking half that amount. No matter the number of yoma, though, we might ask for some room & board on occasion. Is that good?"
Jaws dropped at the sheer amount of… Mercy, the oddly now-animalistic man was showing them.
Yet, those who'd lived through the times of five years ago grew more emboldened by Naruto's words. They knew the original costs of a yoma extermination.
The man was basically giving them the power to fight back for a discount!
"W-We'll pay it!" Came the voice of a mature man covered in wrinkles, the male coming up to them as the crowd parted. "Anything's better than worrying about those demons b-but…" He looked unsure. "How? How can you know how many yoma are in a town as big as ours?"
Naruto nodded. "I'm sure that sounds pretty hard to believe, huh?" He asked the crowd who looked bashful. "No, no, it's fine. I'm sure I'd wonder how it works, too, but I can easily show ya how I do it. Let's see… Actually, yo, Otto's kid."
"Y-Yeah?" The woman asked.
"Did the towns around here change by any chance? Like, I know Kitto is still beyond the mountains while Pearl's farther down, Mona's to our left, and Gothnic is to our right."
"Oh! Well, things haven't changed that much," she admitted. "The thing is, with all the people that moved here three years ago, we've been doing our best to make things tougher for yoma to try and do anythin'," she muttered. "Even if that didn't work so well."
"That's why we're here, hehe~. Now… I know I remember Otto's signature so," Naruto looked to beyond the mountains. "Your old man's coming back today, isn't he?" He asked her.
Her eyes widened as her jaw dropped. "Y-Ya can tell?"
"Of course, he's coming this way right now, though…" Naruto frowned before turning to Cassandra. "Sandra, you mind heading towards him and bringing him here. He's being followed by yoma."
Otto's daughter paled as Cassandra nodded.
Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder.
And the normal folk jumped at the flash of blueness below them that slipped by like a flash before it ended.
The Number 2 vanished in a burst of speed.
"What… W-What the heck was that?!" Atta's daughter asked in disbelief. "I-I… I didn't know the m-man side could do that stuff," she blushed as Luciela chuckled.
"It's a bit less complicated than that," the Awakened Woman grinned as she tapped her lover's cheek. "It's a Naruto thing. Him and him alone."
The young woman looked confused by her words.
"So, while Cassandra's doing that, let me point out a few other directions, yeah?"
For over twenty minutes, Naruto pointed out the location of their childhood friends. Each time, he'd get asked if they were fine or if they were coming back.
And twice more he sent out another of their comrades.
By the end of the thirty-minute mark, he and the others had found themselves stationed in a nearby open-air restaurant, the blonde nodding to Otto's daughter.
"Alright, Cassandra should be here right about… Now," he said with a finger pointing in one direction.
"W-We're back," Cassandra said as she landed and gently put down a nearly comatose man.
Otto's daughter scurried over to him before checking over her father. "P-Pa?" She asked, shoulders dropping in relief.
Otto flinched before making sure she was fine. "It's… I-It was fine, that crazy scary strong lady got me," the man said as Cassandra sweatdropped while Elizabeth chuckled.
"Thanks, I mean it," the man's daughter said to the elf-eared woman, Cassandra looking surprised and then bashful.
"It's fine, I'd do the same for my family if I wasn't able to get to them in time," she said as the mature woman looked surprised. "Not my… Original family but my current one," the brunette smiled.
The woman took one look at Naruto's grin and wore an embarrassed look.
"Y-Yeah, I see how that works."
"?"
Soon enough, Uranus and Irene returned with four more people, the groups reuniting with their children/families before Naruto nodded to the happy-looking town chief.
"So, for now, do you think we can room somewhere?"
~NRK~
News spread faster than any of the group could have imagined.
A single day had Naruto coming out of one of the taverns close to the town elder's home to find letters, bags, and invitations?
"Wait, what?" He blinked in his 'business attire', looking confused as he crouched down and scooped all of it up. "I guess we've got business?" Naruto said, unsure.
Taking the items of interest inside, Naruto entered the tavern's main hub area where most of their group was either drinking, eating, or meditating.
Not much result on that last one but they'd started so they could see where it'd lead them.
Luciela and Rafaela were the most notable ones alongside Elizabeth and Irene, Uranus taking to more physical methods of training than mental/spiritual ones.
"Yo, guys, we've got mail," Naruto told them as the group perked up in an actually large amount of surprise. "Yeah, I know, it's weird," he added as he brought their mail over to their table and placed it down.
Quickly surrounded by his family, Naruto opened the first bag, one of three, to see both money and another letter.
"Damn, already?" Uranus said in surprise as Rosemary and Cassandra came downstairs. "Yo, we've got requests already," she told them, surprising the duo.
"Wait, really?" Rosemary asked in surprise. 'Likely because he lowered the amount,' she had to assume this was the case.
Rosemary had no strong feelings on the matter, honestly, if this got their organization off the ground quickly… Well, it's not like they were taking care of a literal entire 'organization'.
They'd have more than enough money to live off of and enhance their surroundings.
Still, the eleven letters, bags, and mail did surprise her.
"Yeah, this one is from Mona," Naruto read as Rafaela picked up another letter.
Reading it, she hummed. "Wait… I-I think some of these are contracts for protection," Rafaela said in surprise. "This one asked us if we could protect their caravan at half our current price to Pearl."
"Are they really willing to pay that much?" Otie asked in surprise as Elizabeth cupped her chin at another letter.
"This one is…" Her eyes slowly widened at it, quickly reading the letter with a nervous look. "F-From my sister?" The Warrior said in disbelief as the others balked.
"What?" Irene asked in shock.
"I… I had a younger sibling forty years ago," Elizabeth admitted bashfully, tenderly handling the paper. "I offered myself to the Organization in those times because I wished to mostly protect my home. I hadn't… I haven't been around there in over ten years a-and I haven't even seen them since I left…"
"Well, sounds like you need to go then," Naruto chuckled as she perked up. "It's not wrong to feel nervous but you've gotta face it and just get on with it. They clearly need help, right?"
The religious woman bit her lip before nodding.
"Then, there ya go. You're heading on that one though, on that point… How do we wanna do our missions?" He asked the group.
"What do you mean, sir?" Irene asked.
"As in, we all know what's possible to happen," he said seriously as they all winced and the door to the tavern opened. "I don't like the idea of any of us being alone for now. We don't have enough fighters, defenses, or even a base yet. We need to take things slow," Naruto continued.
"There are nine of us," Uranus reminded them. "What about you, Naruto? What's up?"
"... I think I'll stay here, in Kyte, and act as a back-up fighter."
"Oh, of course," Cassandra considered. "If you expand your senses from here when you're on your own, we'll know. Actually, I was thinking about an idea," she smiled as Luciela raised her brow. "Naruto's sensory skills can mix with another's, right? So, could he lock into Sistina's or Teresa's from here? S-So, we can, possibly, talk with them?"
Rosemary's eyes widened at the insane suggestion this former Number 1 was putting up. 'No… T-That's impossible!' Her eyes snapped to Naruto to see the result.
And shivered at the blonde's grin.
"I'll try it, the worst that can happen is it doesn't work," he chuckled. "Still, we'll talk about it later. From here on out, I don't want anyone going alone without one of our 'Single Digits'," Naruto smiled. "Since we've got eight Warriors, I wanna put that idea up. Eliza's already a single digit, anyone up for joining her who's not?"
"Crazily enough, we have more single digits than not," Otie chuckled.
"I'll head out with her," Uranus nodded with a smile as Elizabeth chuckled. "And Otie's right. Cassandra, Rosemary, Elizabeth, Rafaela, Irene, Luciela, you're all basically single digits and above."
"I mean, in that case, we'll have those with more power spread out farther in time, is that fine?" Luciela offered. "Though, how does that work with me? I'm supposed to be representing Mucha."
"You're all up!" Came a familiar young voice, the group blinking before they turned to find Raki quickly sitting down by Naruto. "What are ya up to mister and ma'ams?" The boy asked excitedly.
Naruto snorted before ruffling Raki's hair, the boy grinning at the contact. "What's going on, Raki-boya?"
"I wanted to see what you guys do!"
Surprising even now, this young boy, Raki, was seemingly unbothered by their very presence. It was pretty shocking.
"We're just preparing to head out," Otie grinned as the boy pouted.
"Y-You just got here!"
"It's fine, Raki, we're supposed to be protecting people," Luciela smirked as the boy's face twitched in conflict. "Besides, Naru's gonna be here," she chuckled.
"Yep," the blonde smiled as the boy blinked. "If anything, kid, I need you to take me to the militia of Kyte," Naruto said, confusing him and surprising the others.
Then, Rafaela's eyes widened. "That's what you're doing?" She realized. "Well… I guess it'd certainly fortify Kyte," she grinned.
"Huh, what's she talking about, mister?" Raki asked.
"I'm gonna be helping train the militia guys here if I can," Naruto said, shocking the boy and only Rosemary of their Warriors. "Despite how we just figured some stuff out, I do need to be prepared to leave on a couple occasions. You guys need stronger weapons and better training."
Raki was utterly confused. "How?"
"I'm gonna enhance their stuff with my powers."
"I-Is that why you have a tail and ears, mister?"
"Ummm… Actually, yeah," Naruto cupped his chin as the others snickered. "It's a big part of why I'm different and changed things for a lot of our Warriors."
"The Claymores… W-Wait, do they have an actual title and stuff?!" Raki asked, looking intrigued.
"Just 'Warriors', kid. That's about it," Uranus said.
"... I-Isn't it kind of boring?" Raki pouted as she choked on her breath, Naruto, Luciela, and Cassandra laughing at her look of disbelief. "Claymores sound so cool!"
"Y-Yeah?"
"... Actually," Naruto grinned as she paled. "Ya know what, Raki? You're right, 'Claymores' does sound cool," he chuckled as he rubbed his hands together, the others sweatdropping at his intent. "In fact, it's a perfect, and hilarious, name for our group!"
The boy looked excited.
~NRK~
With everyone else being given their assignments, price points, and even some money out of their current stash, Naruto moved about the town with Raki.
Being as tall, odd-eared, and tailed as he was, the man caught attention no matter what he was doing or where he went.
So, he wasn't surprised by the group of guards who greeted him and Raki upon arrival.
Gray boots and pants covered by armor around the hips, boot tips, and knees, they had on chainmail armor around their torsos with leather vests and metal helmets with cloth coverings for their mouths and noses.
With the group having spears, swords, shields, and crossbows, Naruto put his hands on his hips as he nodded to them.
A single one of them came forward, a man with a thick-looking brown mantle and crossbow. "S-So… You're that man," he began slowly as he observed him. "You're the new Organization?"
Naruto grinned slyly. "Our group is called 'Claymore'," he chuckled at the group's perking up heads. "We were looking for a name and young Raki here helped us out," Naruto chuckled as the boy beside him preened. "It's also a name most people are familiar with, aintcha?"
"Well, you do have a point," the man said. "Captain of the Kyte Militia, Dou, at your service," Dou nodded. "Still, I have questions. Are you not only nine people?"
"The thing is, we'd like to up our numbers, really we do, but… Well, you know how that happens, don't you?"
The man flinched along with most of the others.
"Though, to be fair, I changed the method a long time ago," Naruto explained, confusing them.
"Aren't… Aren't they part-monster?" One man asked.
"They're part-yoma, well, supposedly. They used to be but that changed. You noticed, yeah? The hair colors, their skin and eyes?"
They nodded, Dou looking at the blonde oddly.
"You did something, y-you said?" He asked.
"Yeah, the thing with me is that I'm not a normal being. Not yoma nor human, Luciela's the same way but she was far more affected by her previous yoma nature," Naruto explained. "Think of us as purer beings than a yoma but still not human. The thing is, the regular method involved yoma on some level but now it just involves Luciela."
They murmured, Dou looking down in thought.
"H-He came to help the militia, too!" Raki declared to them, confusing the men. "I don't know how he's gonna do it but he said he was gonna get us better weapons."
"Wait, like, Claymore Weaponry?" Dou asked, a bit excited by the prospect as Naruto chuckled.
"It's not the same but I can do ya one better. Can I get your crossbow?"
The man looked intrigued, handing the weapon off to him a moment later.
Naruto took a deep breath.
And the group's, and those around's, eyes widened at the most esoteric display of silvery-blue energy slipping out of the blonde's body before cloaking the crossbow.
"Goddesses above…" Dou whispered as Raki's eyes shined at the sight, gripping Naruto's pants leg in wonder and never noticing the man's glow flowing up his left arm.
"Whoa…" The boy grinned as Naruto cut off his power and left a glimmering weapon in its place.
"Give it a bit," Naruto chuckled as he handed Dou his weapon back before the man jumped at the feeling filling his bones and flesh. "The thing is, I can put some of my spirit into objects and the like," he tapped the spear on his back. "I enhance them through my will and they come with the effect of enhancing normal humans who touch those powered-up objects."
Dou swallowed as the glow on the weapon ended and left behind a steely-blue crossbow, one with a seemingly impossible hue and sheen.
"... S-Sir, please, do this for all of our weapons," Dou pleaded.
"I will, for a select few," Naruto said kindly. "The thing is, Dou," he leaned down with his eyes looking around, the man's eyes narrowing in worry. "You get what I'm implying, right? I can't know if everyone's trustworthy."
The man's eyes widened. 'I-I'd thought he'd meant payment…' Was this man truly so altruistic? Truly? "... I know, I understand, my excitement at this change was… Premature, I'm sorry."
"No problem," the blonde shook his head as he leaned back up. "The fact remains, I need a psych eval on all soldiers as well as you guys to protect these weapons seriously," he frowned as Dou nodded. "A crazy man with more power is not what we want, much less one who might attack my friends and family," Naruto said as he pat Raki's head. "For now, can you get me those things while I speak with the elder?"
Dou nodded.
~NRK~
Roxanne blinked thrice as Riful's eyes widened.
"What… W-What are they doing?" She asked in disbelief at the moving-about signatures in the distance. "Have they gone mad? Why are they suddenly so blatant?" Riful asked the just as confused Roxanne.
Sitting on a mound of dead Awakened Beings, the Master frowned.
"I don't… Know," she said, confused. "I can't imagine why they're so obvious, Riful," and why the South?
"... They're testing us, they have to be," Riful kissed her teeth. 'But Isley's getting testy,' she didn't like this.
"Should we do something?"
"No, leave it be. Isley's men are still annoying and Dauf hasn't returned. We're to meet up with him and then head back to our headquarters, I will not be caught unawares."
~NRK~
Teresa nodded to Clare as the girl sighed in relief, done with her forms.
With the advent of Naruto's powers changing her shortsword, the Number 1 Warrior had seen fit to increase her training during her possession of it.
And boy was it a good idea. Clare had informed her of the effects of the change, a lot of them, and Teresa felt like this was good.
Her thoughts went to the glowing vial of Luciela's Blood she'd been gifted.
'In time,' when Teresa felt that Clare was truly ready.
She'd use it with the girl's permission and hopefully, she'd have true control over both her sides and maybe even more.
"Hmm, alright, come and rest over here," she smiled for the panting but nodding girl, Clare hurrying over before plopping down beside her. "Even now, Clare? Are you not tiring?"
"I-It's not like that," the girl pouted at her mentor's chuckles. "But I do feel a lot better faster," Clare muttered. "I'm getting stronger, too!"
She was, amazingly so.
It seemed that recovery via Naruto's powers gave a sort of limit-releasing hint to human bodies.
She'd already tested Clare without her weapon and Teresa knew the girl shouldn't have been so athletic yet but she grew in leaps and bounds thanks to Naruto's help.
'If they're establishing a new organization near their old town,' would Naruto bless the militia there with power as well? 'This could be a sudden shift in humanity's total favor,' and she hoped it went well.
Teresa wished to walk the lands again and feel no worries for overarching enemies that may defeat her. She'd like to travel with Clare once more and visit places and towns.
She just wanted to live a relatively normal life again.
'I should have had Naruto fix my genes,' she pouted and Clare noticed.
The girl giggled at her and Teresa's hands quickly tickled her sides.
Her sudden squeal had the Number 1 smirking.
~NRK~
Traveling the lands of Mucha had been curious.
"It's been so long," Luciela told Rosemary. "Quite a bit of time since I last went to Gothnic, they had some of the best fashion back when I was a kid," she grinned as the Number 3's apathetic countenance didn't change. 'Talk about a tough crowd,' well, to be fair, Rosemary had always been that way since they'd started this big change.
Maybe she was different when she relaxed?
Rosemary, meanwhile, narrowed her eyes as they moved at speeds greater than any single digit below the Number 2.
'She's as fast as me. More of that hidden training?' Rosemary frowned. 'What exactly are they doing that makes them so different?' She didn't understand it all.
And then there was this arrangement. Making her, a Single Digit, travel with another due to worries.
Rosemary kissed her teeth before shaking away the annoyance. 'I'll make sure you realize how big of a difference there is between us,' she thought with a narrow gaze.
It'd taken them, what? Ten minutes to reach Gothnic from Kyte?
As they reached the gates facing their road, Luciela's eyes looked around at the men hiding in bushes or farther off near hidden tents.
'Are they bandits?' She wondered as she and Rosemary slowed their run to a walk, her eyes going over the grimacing men and noting some of their armor. "Wait, you guys are the militia of Gothnic, aren't you?" Luciela asked.
The hidden men flinched or looked worried more so than before, Rosemary growling a bit at them.
"Get your asses out here, we don't have all day," she cursed at the paler men.
"Come on, they're clearly trying to ambush yoma."
"We don't have time for that. We came because we're being paid to be here."
The militia blinked in surprise before realizing what was happening, one of them coming forward out of a bush behind the two.
"A-Are you two from the Organization?" He asked.
"We're from a new one by the name of 'Claymore'," Luciela smiled as the man blinked at her in surprise. "We're basically taking the place here in Mucha as the yoma exterminators. Are you the town head?" She looked at Gothnic.
The place had clearly followed Kyte in growth but was far smaller and a lot grayer than her hometown.
"R-Really?" Another man asked. "But there are two of you…"
"It's a new system we're getting used to. We got a request for a yoma extermination, are you aware by any chance?"
The man looked surprised once more before nodding. "You're… You were right, I am the town head," the man let out a long breath as he observed this oddly-clothed woman once more, confused by her attire. 'This is one of those witches, right?' Or had a new form of crazy formed in these lands? "... Please, we need the help."
"And we're here to do so. Your letter spoke of ten of them, right?" Luciela asked with a frown as he nodded. "Alright, we'll go after them now."
"Huh?!"
"... Hmph, I forgot," Rosemary muttered. 'She's also a decent sensory-type,' was that what she was missing?
To be considered above even a single digit?
She shook her head before Luciela could note her expression when she looked back. "Alright, let's go. Thankfully, this should be easier with the two of us here."
"Let's just go."
They vanished in swirls of wind, leaving the men startled.
~NRK~
Elizabeth rubbed the back of her head, the number of people around looking at her and Uranus in shock.
Though, it was mostly her fault.
"S-Sister!?" Came the call of a hurrying woman, one who looked mature in age. "What is… Y-You haven't aged a day?!"
"B-Bethal?" Elizabeth called back slowly, inching forward before the older-looking woman was in her arms, the two hugging each other. "I-It's been over… I'm sorry, I-I should have come back."
They hugged tightly as Uranus crossed her arms with a chuckle, looking at the area around them.
It seemed some places had still remained normal villages and the like, the only surprising things about Elizabeth's home were that it had a thick-looking stony perimeter and the large church at the center of it all.
"Y-You're a claymore," Bethal said with a soft breath as she and her sister held one another at arm's length. "I… Y-You are here for the yoma, aren't you?" She whispered.
"We are," Elizabeth admitted with a smile. "But I'll have time to speak at length with you, I promise," she said, surprising Bethal before the younger woman nodded. "It's three yoma, correct?"
"Yes," a priest-like man said as he came over with a cross in his hands, his wizened features creasing a bit as he observed Elizabeth's face. "You're that Elizabeth… You had such a bright future as a nun."
"I know," she said.
"She's never not been a big religious woman," Uranus chuckled, sword shifting a bit on her back. "Trust me, she's, like, the most religious person we know who visits churches in her spare time," she said with a shaky grin as Elizabeth nodded while the priest looked surprised and relieved.
"I see. I'm glad to hear so… But those demons now take precedence."
"We'll be handling them right now," Elizabeth declared, confusing him and her sister. "Hmm, ah, you might not know this but some Warriors, as we'd call us ourselves before today," she smiled. "Have sensory abilities."
"Y-You do?!" Bethal gawked as a teenaged boy came up on her side, looking at Elizabeth with a blush and tilt of the head. "No, Lia, that's your aunt."
The look on the boy's face went from admiration to disgust in a matter of seconds. "WHAT?!"
Uranus laughed.
~NRK~
Naruto grinned nervously as Raki looked at his left hand in awe, the sole silvery-blue eye he now bore looking at it.
"Oh crap," the fox man said with a groan.
"W-What'd ya do to me, mister?" Raki asked, looking fine if not excited. "I feel so strong!" He flexed his biceps much to Naruto's worried amusement.
Sitting in his room in the tavern, the foxy blonde looked down in thought.
'This has never happened,' to be fair, this had been the first time he was interacting with a normal person with his powers on so maybe there was something he didn't know about his powers? "Look… I'm not fully sure," Naruto admitted. "The thing is, kid, I've never had someone touching me while I'm trying to enhance a weapon and stuff. I don't know if I, like, powered you up permanently or if I just gave ya a bit of a boost."
Raki tilted his head at him.
"I guess… I guess we'll have to figure this out, alright?"
"Okay!"
The fox man found it in him to chuckle before he was crouching by Raki's level, his own silvery-blue orbs locking with Raki's now-heterochromatic gaze. "Alright, well, from what I know my powers do, Raki, they give ya superpowers, basically."
"Really?!" Raki grinned widely as Naruto sweatdropped. "Awesome!"
"Easy there, you need to understand how serious this is, kid. Having powers like me is not something to be happy about right now."
"Why?"
Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "Right now, Raki, me and the others are prepared to fight this one, really crazy, yoma woman," he explained to the boy who tilted his head. "She's kinda obsessed with me, and my energy, and you now have some of it. The thing is, I hope your current powers are temporary or she'll likely come and find you by accident."
Raki flinched as the blonde nodded.
"O-Oh," he swallowed. "I-Is she a bad guy?"
"Basically, so you need to be careful about how you use that power…" Naruto blinked at the worried & downtrodden boy. "... But, I guess, while you have it," he smiled as Raki perked up. "We can see how you feel, alright? I told you, we're trying to deal with that woman. After we're done, you can feel all kinds of ways, yeah? So, for now, let's test ya out."
The boy grinned brightly, eyes shining before Naruto noted his growing-light hair.
'Is it different?' Clare's own sword hadn't made her gain features slowly… Oh man. 'I think this one's gonna need more personal time,' Naruto felt like he had changed something vital in Raki.
"Alright! What do we do, first, teach?!" Raki cheered as Naruto chuckled despite himself.
"Let's test out your abilities, first and foremost."
Moving to stand in the middle of the moderately-sized room, Naruto stood before the boy.
Crossing his arms, Naruto raised a brow at Raki's eager-looking salute.
"Well, let me ask ya, Raki, do you know how to fight?" Naruto asked.
"Um, I-I get into fights, sometimes," Raki admitted. "I've even won some!"
"Heh. While I'm sure you're tough, let me give ya a bit of an idea, a creed, I like to follow," he explained as the boy nodded. "No matter what, Raki, always try to look for another way besides fighting, alright?"
"Huh? But what about that lady you told me about?"
"The thing is, Raki, I've been dealing with that crazy woman for over thirty years," the boy gawked at Naruto's nod. "Trust me, I've tried. This is, sadly, only going to end with a fight."
Raki looked befuddled. "I… I'll try my best, sir."
"That's all I ask," Naruto said, patting his head. "Now, come on, throw your best punch," he added as he crouched down before holding up a hand.
The younger male grew determined before he reared back.
His punch slammed into the blonde's palm, getting a small hum out of Naruto as his hair rustled a bit.
'He's strong,' for his age.
That punch shouldn't have even moved his hair did and that was kinda big.
'Raki's not trained or anything,' Naruto thought as the boy kept punching at his palm. 'He's only, what? 8? 7, maybe?' This young boy had room to grow, more than Naruto expected.
After his eighth punch, Raki blinked in confusion as Naruto caught his fist this time, the older male smiling for him.
"Raki, I wanna ask you something," Naruto said softly as the boy's fully silvery-blue gaze looked at him, his light-brown hair on display. "Tell me, kid, what do you want to be in the future?"
Raki looked taken-aback, the boy looking down at his gently caught fist before looking outside.
"... I-I don't wanna see anyone get eaten," Raki said with a frown. "W-When bro almost got eaten, I-I couldn't do anything," he bit his lip, unoccupied fist clenched.
"You're a good boy," Naruto smiled as the boy shrugged. "... So, tell me, Raki, do you understand that if you had power, you'd be facing tough people?" He asked him.
"I-I… I think so?"
The foxy man observed him for a bit before nodding, releasing his fist before getting up.
"Alright then, let's get your training started," Naruto told him with a chuckle as Raki gawked at him despite the rising warmth in his chest. "You've got a harsh road ahead of you, Raki," he reminded him. "Like I told you before, I have enemies, strong enemies, people or monsters who'd make you feel downright impossible odds against."
Raki swallowed at that, looking nervous before the image of his brother being taken from him.
Being offered as a sacrifice to those demons to protect them.
The looks on his home's people's faces, the hanging despair.
And then the image of the tall blonde before him dealing with a yoma without hesitation. A strong figure that protected the people.
It all filled his head before he nodded to Naruto. "I-I wanna be strong so no one has to cry again."
The older male nodded. "Then, from here on out, you're my apprentice."
"Yes, sir!"
~NRK Out~