Hey guys!

Sorry that this took so long. I was working extra shifts, then Tales of Vesperia came out on PS4 and took over my life just like the older Xbox 360 version.

But, I'm back on track with this update!

Disclaimer in first chapter

A Fishcake and his Dragon

Episode 4:

Dragon meets the Old Monkey

It was early the following morning when Naruto woke up, noticing that he was still in Lucoa's hold. Slowly, he got out of her embrace and exited his apartment to go to the rooftop. He approached the railing and leaned on it, his blue eyes watching as the sun started to rise over the horizon, bathing the skies in a brilliant mix of yellow, red, and orange.

"You look troubled," he heard Lucoa speak from behind him, not moving as she stood to his left and leaned on the railing with him.

"I'm still thinking about what I wanted before and what I'm feeling now…"

"You wanted to be the Hokage. What is that, exactly?"

"The Hokage is supposed to be the leader of the Hidden Leaf. They command the ninja forces and are usually the strongest ninja. The Old Man is called the Third Hokage, but he had to take the position again after the Fourth Hokage died."

"And ninja… What do they do?"

He turned to her, noting how she looked both curious and concerned about the answer.

"Ninja are a military force of the Hidden Villages. But I learned at the Academy that we're also mercenaries, scouts, and sometimes assassins."

Her eyes became more visible at the last part, showing her surprise.

"We lost half of the class after we heard that. They were afraid of being sent out to kill someone."

"They should be," she stressed, looking away from him. "To take a life, no matter the reason, is not something that should be glorified or rewarded. All life is precious, even if some people lose their way. But when someone takes a life, they carry the stain of that kill on their soul until the end."

Naruto was silent as she spoke, taking in everything she said.

"You wanted to be the Hokage, who would send these ninja on those missions. What do you think about the responsibility that would be involved with those orders?"

"…I don't know…" he answered truthfully. "At first, all I wanted was to be respected and not be seen as a demon. And I thought that becoming the Hokage would be the way to do that."

"Naruto… Just because you're in a position of authority and power doesn't mean that you'll immediately be respected. I was once seen as a Goddess, and I know that there were people who still saw me negatively."

Thoughts of the opposing faction of dragons came to mind as she said that.

"I know that now…" he admitted. "I just wanted people to stop calling me demon."

She placed a hand gently on his whiskered cheek. "You are not a demon, Naruto-kun. You're a wonderful young man who's been hurt by those around you. But I can also see that you're full of warmth and kindness, and that those who care about you can see that as well. Those two at that ramen stand can see it, and I'm willing to bet that there are other people who see it that you haven't met yet."

"You mean like how you could when I summoned you?"

"Exactly!" she confirmed with a smile, pulling him close. "Don't let the negativity of others get to you. Focus on those who support you and treat you fairly; but focus on yourself most of all. If you see yourself as someone deserving of respect, then act like it."

She then held him out slightly so that she could wink playfully.

"Just don't let it get to your head, okay? I don't want to see my Naru-baby float away from a swelled head."

He smiled at her teasing and nodded. "I won't, Lucoa-chan."

"Good. Now, why don't we have a quick breakfast before we go meet the Hokage? I have a few questions to ask him myself."

Nodding again, he took the lead back to his apartment room to cook them so food.

Walking through the village streets, Naruto took time to point out a few places of interest to Lucoa as they made their way to the Hokage Tower. He led her past the Ninja Library (the same one he infiltrated a few nights past), the Ninja Academy, the hospital, and the gateway that led to the Training Grounds.

The two also absently noted how ninja of various ranks would leap across rooftops to get to their destinations while member of the ANBU would patrol the village itself. Lucoa asked about them, and Naruto admitted to not knowing much about the ANBU save for them being elite ninja who need to hide their identities for their safety.

Lucoa also filled in the missing blank on how hiding their identities also protected their loved ones, if an ANBU member had any.

Finally reaching the tower, the two blondes walked inside, and Naruto approached the check-in desk. "I'm here to see the Hokage," he informed the man working the front.

"You have an appointment, kid?" the man asked, looking up from his paperwork to regard the blonde Uzumaki.

"I was told to come see him this morning by an ANBU wearing a Cat Mask."

Nodding, the man made a slight gesture, which prompted another ANBU, this one wearing a Boar Mask, to appear. The two spoke quietly, and Naruto couldn't hear what they were saying before Boar disappeared once more.

"Go on ahead. He should be free at the moment."

Naruto nodded his thanks before he led Lucoa up the stairs of the tower, stopping at a large set of doors. He knocked once before he heard a reply.

"You may enter," the Hokage spoke up, prompting Naruto to open the door and enter the office with his companion. "Naruto. Thank you for coming."

Naruto said nothing in reply, silently stepping inside and sitting in front of the man's desk with Lucoa standing behind him. A frown was on his face as he stared at the elderly leader, and Lucoa placed a hand on his shoulder when she sensed his frustration.

"Who might you be, miss?" the Hokage continued.

"My name is Lucoa. I'm a friend of Naruto-kun's," she answered calmly. "I met him a couple of nights ago and have been spending time with him recently. He looked like he could use a friend."

"And where are you from? I don't recall ever seeing you in this village before."

"I'm from somewhere rather far from here. I came here by chance and met Naruto-kun by chance."

"I see," he replied, though he was giving her a straight look, showing her that she was under watch. "What exactly do you wish with young, Naruto? It's rare for anyone to take such a visible interest in him."

Naruto fought a flinch at that, his brows furrowing in anger at the man's words. Lucoa, with her hand still on his shoulder, gently squeezed to get him to calm his anger. He looked to her, and her gentle smile settled him down.

Sarutobi saw this and internally frowned at how much influence this unknown woman had over Naruto. As far as he knew, she held no ties to the village; which meant that she had no loyalty to the Hidden Leaf. This meant that, with enough influence, she could coax Naruto – the village's Jinchūriki – to leave without a second thought.

He couldn't let that happen.

"I fail to see the issue your question warrants, Lord Hokage," Lucoa spoke up, being sure to call him by his title. "Naruto-kun is a sweet young man who simply needs a friend; someone he can confide in. It saddens me to hear you say that practically no one in your village has stepped up and taken the chance to get to know him."

The Hokage coughed into his fist once to compose himself, realizing quickly what she was implying. "I'm sure that there are those who treat Naruto kindly. I was merely pointing out how odd it was for someone to refer to themselves as his friend after only a couple of days."

"Do you believe that relationships, both friendly or otherwise, need to follow a certain timetable to matter? I've met people and befriended them on the same day before; just as I have with Naruto-kun."

Her eyes may have looked closed, but the elderly man felt as if her gaze was piercing him.

"You seem overly concerned about people who try to befriend him. May I ask why?"

"I fail to see how that would concern you."

"It concerns him, and that's enough to concern me. As his friend, and as someone who cares about him, I find it disturbing how the leader of a village has their personal guard summon a boy after being seen with a new friend just the other day. It shows an unhealthy need for control over his life."

Naruto caught the message Lucoa was sending, and he turned back to the Hokage.

"Why didn't you have me talk to you after I met Pops and Ayame-nee-chan? They're my friends too."

'Because they were people that I nudged you toward,' he mentally answered, keeping such thoughts to himself.

As the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that he had a responsibility. He loved his village and wanted to protect it as best he could. If this meant that he had to be the deciding influence on who the Jinchūriki interacted with, then he would do so.

For that was the Hokage's duty.

"I'm not speaking with you over something like why you have a new friend, Naruto. I'm merely concerned about a stranger in my village and why she seems so close to you so quickly," he defended.

"Strangers come to the village every day, Old Man," Naruto argued. "They talk to all sorts of people, and some of them even stay for weeks; even months! Why are you so suspicious of Lucoa-chan, then? Is it because she's my friend? Because she talks to me? Is that it?"

He was losing ground, and he knew it. The boy was already upset with him for keeping the identities of his parents silent, which meant that he had little reason to trust his judgment. He needed to salvage this somehow.

"That's not it at all, Naruto. Please calm down," he tried to assure the angry boy.

"Then tell me why you called us here? Why are you getting so worried that Lucoa-chan is my friend?" the Uzumaki pressed, glaring at the man now.

The Hokage frowned. "I am trying to find out how this woman got into the village without checking in. None of the gate guards from any of the gates remember seeing her come through and sign in; and someone like her would be easy to remember."

"Maybe she was with a group that checked in together? It's happened before," Naruto argued, defending his friend.

"Then what group would that be?" Sarutobi asked, directing the question to Lucoa.

"I wasn't with a group," she answered, giving Naruto a sidelong glance to stop him from speaking up.

As much as she appreciated how quickly he wanted to stand up for her, she decided that it was time to lay some of her cards on the table.

"I entered this village through my own power, and it was thanks to Naruto-kun unknowingly making a gateway for me to access. You wish to know my intentions, who I am, and why I'm so close to Naruto-kun? Fine, I'll speak truthfully."

Naruto looked worried now, fearing that something will happen to his friend and he'd be left alone again.

"My name is Quetzalcoatl, but I prefer Lucoa. My intentions were to stop a confused and lonely child from making a dangerous decision. I am what you would call an Ex-Goddess but am actually a Dragon. And as for why I'm so close to Naruto-kun?"

Hiruzen was staring at her hard, frowning at her ridiculous titles for herself. That frown deepened when he saw her look down at Naruto with obvious affection, leaning down and over the chair he was sitting on to hug the Uzumaki boy.

"I'm close to him because I'm his friend, as he is mine. I'm his Lucoa-chan, and he's my Naru-baby."

That bold declaration was the kicker.

"I cannot accept that and must ask you to leave my village immediately. I cannot have some deluded woman be so close to any of my villagers; especially one as young as Naruto."

"Deluded, am I?" she repeated, chuckling knowingly without losing her grip on Naruto. "That's cute coming from a human past his prime."

She barely opened her black eye, and Hiruzen felt his heart skip a beat while his spine went rigid. The power behind that eye was unreal, and she didn't even flex her chakra or whatever power she believed she had.

What set him further on edge was how her eye shifted to four different spots in the room; the same spots where all four of his hidden ANBU were located. She was dangerous.

"But you don't seem the type for cute things," she continued. "I'm not leaving, Old Man. As long as my Naru-baby wants me here," her eye closed again, and she looked far too innocent, "then I'm staying."

Finally letting go of the blonde Uzumaki, she waited for him to get out of his seat before following him out of the office. Nobody remaining said a word until they heard the sound of the door clicking closed.

"I want her on watch at all times," the Hokage ordered with a deep frown. "Cat, I'm assigning you this task since Naruto is familiar with you."

"Yes, sir," Cat replied, though she felt unsure of what may happen.

What she was sure of was that Lucoa's accusation of control looked to be spot-on. And she wasn't sure how to feel about a lonely boy being placed under the village's thumb.

Episode 5:

First Lessons

Later that day, Naruto was seen sitting across from Lucoa at the park. The children that were once there had already been taken home by their parents upon their arrival. They didn't like the idea of their kids associating with the demon or a woman in such inappropriate clothing.

"So, you ready for your first lesson in learning magic, Naru-baby?" Lucoa asked with a smile.

He nodded once, an eager grin on his face. "You bet! What do I need to do first?"

"The first thing we need to do is make channels for magical energy to flow. We know that chakra naturally flows through the people of this world, but magic could interfere with that."

"So…how do we get around that?"

"The best way would be brands marked on your skin that you can focus magical energy through. I'd need to mark your arms, which magic will be sent from, and your forehead, where you'll focus."

"Brands…" he repeated. "Will they hurt?"

"Possibly. I've seen Humans in other worlds use similar methods to gain magic. Sometimes they're a painful process, and other times they're painless. You can still back out if you're worried about that."

The Uzumaki shook his head, his blue eyes showing raw determination. "I'm not gonna back down from this. You can teach me magic, and I wanna learn that from you." He smiled warmly at her. "I wanna learn everything I can from you, Lucoa-chan."

She giggled at him, fighting the urge to glomp the boy. "Alright then. Pull back your sleeves and stretch out your arms."

He complied immediately, pushing back the sleeves of his shirt as much as he could before stretching his arms toward her. She grabbed his left one, one hand gently gripping his wrist while the other slid up and down his arm with her palm glowing bright white.

"I can feel your chakra flow through your arm, so I need to make new pathways for magical energy. This is where it will hurt, and the brandings will be more like scars than runes. Are you ready?"

He nodded and braced himself for any kind of pain, wincing as soon as he felt her power penetrate his body and initiate the changes. It was like his arm was being poked relentlessly with pins and needles while stretching and contracting, which only deepened that prickling feeling to a near neural level.

Lucoa was focusing on her task, but she knew that this was hurting her little Fishcake. It saddened her that, as his friend, she had to hurt him to give him her gift; but he wanted this, and she did as well.

"It's almost over, Naruto-kun," she assured softly. "Then we can take a break before moving to your other arm. Okay?"

He hissed at the pain but nodded. "O-Okay…"

A couple more minutes later, and Lucoa let go of Naruto as soon as she saw the brandings form on his arm. To her delight, they had taken the appearance of draconian scales that started from just past the elbow and stopped just shy of his fingernails. They truly did look more like scars, though; being a darker shade that his natural skin tone.

Her earlier delight dropped when she saw him cradling his arm tenderly, and she reached out to pulled him into her lap and hold him close.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun…" she whispered, using her magic to try and soothe the pain in his arm. "I don't like that this hurts you…"

He managed to hug her back as the stabbing feelings in his arm dulled down. "I know… But I wanted this, and I can't back down now." He pulled back to look at her face, showing his willingness to continue. "Not when we're already halfway there."

She smiled and brushed back his bangs tenderly. "That's my Naru-baby…"

"I'm not a baby, ttebayo…" he grumbled with a pout, earning a giggle from her before he felt her lips gently touch his forehead, making him blush.

"I know. No baby could take on what you have and still stand up." Her smile gained a hint of pride as she added, "You may become a Dragon yet, Naruto-kun…"

Despite his blush, he grinned brightly at that, liking the idea. "Then let's keep going!"

"Right!" she agreed before she moved onto his other arm.

Lucoa was leaning back against a tree with Naruto's head in her lap. Her hand gently brushed through his hair as he rested from the final branding for his magic pathways; the brands taking the style of a Dragon's eye on his forehead that were hidden by his blonde bangs.

The last part of the process took a lot out of her Fishcake, and he was resting from the near migraine level headache that he had suffered from the branding. As he rested, she used her magic to soothe his pain and help him sleep easier, enjoying the moment of silence with him.

She didn't even twitch when an ANBU with a Cat mask landed a few feet from them, their hidden face looking at the resting Uzumaki.

"What happened?" the ANBU questioned.

"Nothing to worry about," Lucoa waved off. "Just helping my Naru-baby grow stronger is all. When he wakes up, we'll start his lessons on concentration."

"Concentration for what, exactly?" Cat pressed.

"I'm a Dragon, ANBU-san. We don't use chakra like you ninja. We use magic, and since Naruto-kun doesn't have a means for magic, I had to create a method for him; which should be noticeable by you."

Cat absently noted the markings on Naruto's arms, finding it ironic that they would make him visually associated with Dragons. "Why do this for him?" she asked, losing her earlier edge for a more curious tone.

"Naruto-kun wasn't learning much at his Academy, and what he was learning was taught to him poorly. Just the other day, I helped him find a better balance from throwing those knives of his."

"They're called kunai," Cat supplied, earning a thankful nod from the Ex-Goddess. "I'm surprised that Uzumaki-san didn't go to the Hokage about this; let alone one of the higherups of the Academy."

"Is it really so surprising, considering how others look at him or mistreat him?" Lucoa challenged.

"I suppose not," Cat relented. "What will learning magic do for him versus his chakra studies?"

"I can't give you a solid answer right away, considering how little I know about chakra. From what I've read with Naruto-kun, I know it's a balance of physical and spiritual energies; but nothing else."

"And magic?"

"Magic is malleable, and it leans a bit more towards spiritual energy; though it could take on multiple physical forms. For example, magic can conjure storms by manipulating the weather around the caster. I have mastered a variety of magics, and I plan to help Naruto-kun understand and master them in the future."

Cat nodded in understanding. "Lord Hokage won't like this when I report it to him. He would see it as if you were pulling Naruto away from the ninja path."

"Naruto-kun has already confessed to me his concerns about the ninja system. He's trying to make a decision on what he wants to do in the future, which is sad."

"How so?" Cat questioned.

"Humans that are around Naruto-kun's age shouldn't be so concerned about their future. They should be enjoying the current point of their life, making friends and forming bonds with others." She looked at Naruto's resting form with a sad smile. "But Naruto-kun hasn't been able to make many bonds with others, save for those ramen chefs. I'll never devalue the impact they alone have made in his life, simply because they treat him like a regular person. It does wonders for someone so cursed with loneliness."

The ANBU noted that the Dragon's words and actions were truly sincere, and that her care for the blonde Uzumaki wasn't anything to scoff at. 'And to think, she admitted that she's only known the boy for a couple of days. Yet, the connection between them could rival that of people who knew one another for years.'

"Was that all, Cat-san?" Lucoa asked politely. "I was planning on waking Naruto-kun to start his lessons."

"No, that was it. Thank you for speaking with me honestly," the ANBU replied.

"My pleasure. It's nice to see someone else worried for my Naru-baby."

'I guess the stories about a Dragon's possessiveness were true,' Cat mused with an internal chuckle, honestly grateful that someone was actively helping the poor kid.

The son of two of the village's greatest ninja more than deserved it.

"In," Lucoa started, taking an inhale through her nose, "and out," she finished, exhaling through her mouth.

Naruto followed her instructions, taking in a deep inhale of air and holding it for a second before exhaling it slowly. This was the first lesson Lucoa was teaching him in regard to concentrating his magic. She informed him that steady breathing helped keep the caster calm, which was a must for better control.

If someone tried using magic while high on anxiety or any other kind of emotion, they could lose their grip over it and the magic could go haywire. She warned him that many mages lost their lives due to their own magic backfiring on them. And depending on the magic used, it could be an ugly way to go.

"Good," she declared softly, not speaking too loudly so he could focus. "Steady breaths, Naruto-kun. Don't breathe too quickly, but don't draw out the breath for too long. Keep your pace and relax, drown out everything but the feeling of the magical energies flowing through you."

His eyes were closed as he kept up his breathing exercises, and he nodded once at her words. "What does it feel like?" he asked just as softly as she did.

"Magical energy is full of life, Naruto-kun; like chakra. However, while your chakra is linked to you, magic is linked to what's around you. You'll know it's there when you feel a pull from your surroundings; a pull that you shouldn't fight. Instead, listen closely and let the pull take you so that it can show you its power."

He took another breath, concentrating past his chakra and trying to feel the world around him. He felt the grass beneath him, the gentle breeze of early autumn, and the warmth of the sun. Slowly, those feelings grew stronger; more enhanced as he focused.

Unknown to him, the Dragon's Eye on his forehead started to give off a golden-orange glow, and Lucoa smiled proudly at the sight.

"Good, Naruto-kun. Keep it up and hold your palms up over your lap," she instructed.

Listening to her through his concentration, Naruto pulled his fists away from one another and laid his hands atop his lap with the palms upward. Lucoa then grabbed a handful of the earth beneath them and let it spill onto his palms. His brows twitched at the unexpected feeling, but he kept his breathing.

"Now, I want you to focus the energy you're feeling into your hands, Naruto-kun," Lucoa stated. "Let it flow through you and into what's in your hands."

Beads of sweat started to form on his brow as he tried willing the energy from his forehead to his arms. Like liquid gold flowing downward, the scale brandings on his arms slowly started to gain the same golden-orange glow. From his elbows down to his fingers, the outlines of the scales were filled with the golden glow before the earth in his hands became surrounded in a bubble of magic.

"Excellent!" Lucoa cheered, taking care not to be too loud. He was still concentrating after all. "Keep going, Naruto-kun!"

The earth in his hands drank in the rich energy of the boy's magic, and the top of the dirt started to gain a green shade before a thin layer of moss formed. The moss spread across the dirt and turned a rich green, showing the abundance of health and vitality flowing through it.

"Okay, Naruto-kun. Now, slowly let go of your hold on the magic and let it return to the world around you."

Starting from the Dragon's Eye, the golden-orange coloration of Naruto's magic faded away and moved through his "scales" before the energy dispersed. Once it left him, Naruto's eyes shot open and his breathing became increasingly heavier before he was panting and sweating; as if he had been working for hours without rest.

Through his heavier breaths, he looked to the mossy earth in his hands with surprise. "Did… Did I…do that…?" he asked through his pants.

He looked to Lucoa and saw the pride in her face as she smiled at him. "Yes, you did, Naruto-kun." Gently, she cupped his hands with her own, easing them down to the ground so that he could set the moss on the grass. Letting them go, she looked back at him and finished, "You did marvelously."

Pride swelled through him, and he started chuckling through his breaths before they erupted into a proud laughter. "I did it!" he exclaimed, still laughing as he fell back and laid atop the ground beneath him, staring up at the sky with his unbreakable grin.

Lucoa laid beside him and looked up at the sky with her beloved Fishcake. "This is only the beginning, Naruto-kun. I promise to show you everything I can about magic; everything that you can do with it."

The two turned their heads away from the sky to look at one another, sharing a smile between them. "Looking forward to it, Lucoa-chan," Naruto replied, his tone both grateful and excited for her future lessons.

For the first time in a long time, Naruto felt like he could do anything. And that feeling put him on top of the world with his precious person.

Episode 6:

Road Trip

Naruto sighed in relief when he walked out of the Academy, having been informed by the instructor that the class would have a week off from school. The reason for the break was because of the approaching festival that celebrated the defeat of the Kyuubi.

The downside was that the festival also fell on his birthday, October tenth. Whenever the festival rolled around, the cruel looks and insults thrown Naruto's way would get worse. He didn't know why simply sharing a birthday with the day the Kyuubi attacked made him so hated, but he had a guess.

It was probably because they thought his birth "summoned" the fox to attack the village. It was probably why they also called him demon all the time.

He shook off those thoughts when he saw Lucoa waving at him near the single swing attached to a tree outside the Academy. A smile formed on his face as he approached her, and the two started for home together while ignoring the looks from parents.

"How was it today, Naruto-kun?" she asked as they walked.

"It was fine, I guess. They reviewed the Transformation Jutsu today," he replied.

"You're already pretty good at that one, right?"

"I've practiced that one the most. I'm still waiting on them to start teaching us the Replacement Jutsu."

"The one that makes you switch places with something," Lucoa recalled. "Well, maybe we can visit the Ninja Library and look for a copy of it later."

"Sure," he agreed with a smile.

"What else happened today?"

"We were given the next week off since the Kyuubi Festival is happening around that time. It's to celebrate the defeat of the fox."

Noting his tone, she asked, "You don't like the festival, huh?"

"…No," he admitted, looking down at the street as they walked. "It's on the same day as my birthday, and everybody usually gives me dirty looks or call me demon more than other days."

"Your birthday?" she repeated, surprised at the new info. "I can't believe I never asked when your birthday was."

"It's okay," the Uzumaki assured her, stepping in front of her and stopping their trek. "I don't really celebrate my birthday, anyway. I just get some ramen for free from Ichiraku's and then stay home."

She frowned at that. "That won't do. Everyone deserves to celebrate their birthday." Humming thoughtfully, an idea came to her that made her smile. "What do you say on taking a little trip during this next week?"

"A trip to where?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head that made her gush mentally.

"You remember how I mentioned someone named Kobayashi?" At his nod, she continued, "Well, she lives in a place called Koshigaya in a country called Japan. From what I've seen, your village looks sort of like a mix between traditional and modern Japanese buildings."

"And you want to visit her?" he guessed.

"It'd be a great way to get you away from everything during the festival," she explained. "Plus, a few other Dragons I know are staying in Koshigaya. I'd like for you to meet them and for them to meet you."

A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Is it safe?"

"Safer with me than any other method a ninja would attempt," she assured him with a smile.

He returned it with one of his own and nodded. "Sounds like fun. When would we leave?"

Someone clearing their throat caught their attention, and they looked up to see Cat positioned behind the foliage of a tree. "A word please, Lucoa-san?" she requested, though both blondes knew it was anything but.

Seeing as they were almost at Naruto's apartment, the three of them headed for the building and stepped inside. Naruto put away his school things and politely got a glass of water for the ANBU, who accepted it with a thankful nod.

"Now, what's this I here about a trip to…Japan, was it?" Cat questioned.

"Lucoa-chan is inviting me to meet some of her friends, and I want to go," Naruto explained. "The Academy is out for a week and I never like going to the Kyuubi Festival."

Cat nearly frowned at that, knowing his reasons for disliking the festival.

"Besides, it's not like anyone would be upset that I left for a few days; especially around this time," he added.

That made the ANBU almost cringe, not liking how dejected the boy sounded. And, as expected, Lucoa was immediately there with a supportive hand on his shoulder. It still amazed the purple-haired operative how close the two were, considering how it had only been a week since the boy's first magic lesson.

"Uzumaki-san, you know that the Hokage will be completely against this trip of yours. He still doesn't trust, let alone like, Lucoa-san's presence in the village; especially around you."

"Why am I so special?" Naruto questioned with a frown. "I'm just a random orphan that everyone seems to hate. Why is the Old Man always stepping in whenever I'm involved?"

"…I cannot answer that, Uzumaki-san. It isn't my place," Cat responded. In truth, she wanted to tell him since hiding it from him would only cause more pain in the long-run; but she had her orders.

Not to mention speaking about the boy's condition warranted immediate death.

"Figures…" he groused, looking notably put-off. "Anything involving me is always some stupid secret or that it's no use asking."

Lucoa frowned at that while Cat internally sighed at another of the Hokage's decisions destined to bite the village in the metaphorical ass.

"Look," the Ex-Goddess began, "it doesn't matter what that Old Monkey likes or doesn't like. I'm taking Naruto-kun with me on this trip. It'd do him good to get away from this place for a while." Annoyance was seen on her face. "It's suffocating here…"

The initial impulse to defend her home's honor was halted by the grim truth in the Dragon's words. She had been watching the duo long enough to see that, despite Lucoa's presence, Naruto's natural brightness is slowly being snuffed out by his mistreatment from the villagers.

A sigh escaped her. "I will speak to the Hokage about this and suggest that I accompany you both on this trip," she offered. "This way I can keep an eye on you both and report my own findings on this Japan."

Lucoa looked to Naruto and asked, "What do you think, Naruto-kun?"

He frowned at Cat, not liking the idea of a trip with Lucoa being possibly ruined by someone who works for the Old Man. After a moment, he sighed and nodded.

"Fine… I doubt the Old Man would let us go otherwise…"

"I'd find a way, Naru-baby," Lucoa argued conspiratorially, a knowing smile on her face.

He smiled back before he turned to Cat. "Go ahead and tell the Old Man. Either way, I'm going to get ready for the trip."

Knowing that was the best she was going to get, the ANBU left the apartment in a blur to inform the Hokage about the trip. During her absence, both blondes packed for the trip to Japan.

"You two ready?" Lucoa asked as the three of them stood atop Naruto's apartment roof.

Naruto nodded in excitement while Yugao Uzuki, also known as ANBU Cat, gave a simple one. She was relieved that the Hokage had agreed to her proposal for the trip, and she planned to make sure that things went smoothly during their absence from the Hidden Leaf.

Her winning argument? "They're going to leave either way, sir. This way I can make sure that they come back."

That was all the man needed to hear to agree to the compromise. The village couldn't afford to lose their Jinchūriki, who was the son of their most recent hero and a practical princess of a dead nation.

So, he approved of their trip and had Yugao go with them. Seeing as going as an ANBU could cause issues, he had her go as a standard Jonin and introduce herself as Naruto's guardian; something Naruto wasn't a fan of.

Lucoa gave Naruto a smile as she flexed her magic and created a rune circle beneath the three of them. Yugao couldn't wrap her mind around the meanings of the runes, and they faded in a brilliant flash before she could fully take it in.

Surrounded by a sphere of transparent light, Lucoa guided them through a void of color that had various worlds passing by in what Naruto thought looked like snow globes. They passed by too quickly to get a solid glimpse, but the trip itself was exciting to him.

He had never seen so many colors together in such harmony before, and neither had Yugao. To him, it was exciting and cool. To her, it was beautiful and humbling.

When they finally reached the world Lucoa was searching for, they were reshaped into a small spark of bright light that flew into the world. To the inhabitants of said world, if they had been looking up at the sky, they would see a rune circle forming in midair before that same spark of light floated out of it before reforming into three people surrounded by a sphere of light.

"Tada~!" Lucoa exclaimed for her two passengers. "Welcome to Koshigaya!"

"Whoa…!" Naruto gasped out, looking at the large city below them. "It's huge!"

"It is quite large," Yugao agreed, also left slightly awed at the sight. Seeing the large buildings that could easily dwarf the Hokage Mountain in height showed her just how behind the Hidden Leaf was in terms of architectural design. "You said that we would be meeting a Human named Kobayashi-san, correct?"

"Yes," Lucoa answered. "She lives in an apartment with an old friend of mine named Tohru. A younger Dragon named Kanna also lives with them, and two other Dragons, named Elma and Fafnir, are also in this town. Though, I don't know where they're staying at exactly."

"I see…" Yugao replied, slightly put off how four Dragons were casually living in a village filled with Humans.

At least Lucoa was staying in a place where the inhabitants could try to put up a fighting chance.

"So, where will we stay while we're here, Lucoa-chan?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Hmm… Didn't think of that. I'm sure I could find us a place for the week. For now, let's go and see Kobayashi-san," she decided, lowering the light sphere down in the middle of a large park.

Thankfully, no Humans were around to see their arrival. However, Lucoa wasn't foolish enough to think that the other Dragons were unaware of her return to the city.

"If I remember right, Kobayashi-san's home is this way," the Ex-Goddess mused as she took the lead and started heading for the city.

Naruto was looking at everything around him in excited wonder, smiling at people they passed and receiving smiles in return. That alone made this place exponentially better than the Hidden Leaf. The tall buildings were incredible from the air, but they looked immeasurable on the ground level. The cars driving on the streets were also strange, but they were interesting to see. And the ride on the subway went by so quick that he wondered why ninja didn't make one of them back home.

Yugao was studying everything they passed, mentally noting the technological advancements for her eventual report to the Hokage. Absently, she noted the never-ending expression of excitement and glee on her charge's face, and she couldn't find herself to stop the small smile that formed on her face. She may be an ANBU back home, but she still liked to take time to keep an eye on the Uzumaki boy before he met Lucoa. So, she felt partially invested in his well-being.

'Maybe this trip will be better for him than I initially thought,' she mused, silently following after him as he walked beside Lucoa. She observed how closely he was walking next to the Dragon, and how comfortable he was around her. Those feelings were obviously reciprocated, because when he shyly reached out for her hand, she took his without a moment's thought and gave him a beautiful smile that he blushed at.

She chuckled at the scene, finding it cute at the obvious crush the blonde Uzumaki was starting to have for the Ex-Goddess. Part of her knew that it was wrong and that she should stop it, but that side of her was stopped by the ever-growing part of Yugao that wanted to help Naruto.

Besides, it's not like him having a crush on a Dragon would signal the apocalypse.

"Here it is!" Lucoa declared, breaking the ANBU woman from her thoughts so that she could see the brick apartment building that was home to Kobayashi. "C'mon, now! Up we go~!"

Climbing up to the fourth story, Lucoa led the two Humans to one of the apartment doors before knocking. She then stepped back to stand beside Naruto, grabbing his hand once again as they waited for someone to answer.

After a moment the door opened, and they saw a young woman dressed in a maid uniform greet them. She had light orange hair that bled into reddish-orange tips, and her eyes were the same coloration; orange with a more reddish edge. To finish off her appearance, she had a pair of horns poking upward from the sides of her head, just behind the headpiece of her uniform.

"Lucoa?" she asked in slight surprise.

"Hey, Tohru! Mind if we come in?" the Ex-Goddess requested. "You won't believe what's happened these past few weeks."

Tohru looked to the two Humans standing beside her old friend, pausing for a moment to look at the joined hands of the small male and Lucoa's before she looked back up at the stronger Dragon.

"Uh, sure. Let me just let Kobayashi-san know that you're here," she replied, walking back in and leaving the door open for them to enter.

In just a moment, a Fishcake would meet a woman with Fish Eyes.

PHEW!

Man, did that take longer than necessary… I blame my reignited love for the Tales of Vesperia game. Good God did that take over my life for a couple of weeks!

Anyway, I hope you all liked Episodes 4-6! Episode 7 will have Naruto finally meet Kobayashi-san and the other notable characters of the Dragon Maid series.

As for why Yugao is with them? You'll have to keep reading to see. Just know that I plan to have her struggle with herself, and hopefully expand on her character.

Also, fair warning: Kingdom Hearts 3 just came out. And like Vesperia, this game will suck the life out of me until I've had my fill.

You've been warned for those of you expecting a quick update for any of my stories.

Until next time!

~pain17ification~