Been quite a while since I touched this one… Sorry to those who have been waiting for this story to make a comeback…

Disclaimer in first chapter

A Fishcake and his Dragon

Episode 10:

This Isn't Goodbye

The following morning found Naruto, Lucoa, and Yugao heading for Kobayashi's home again. It was almost time for them to return to the Hidden Leaf, and Naruto wanted to say his goodbyes to everyone he had met.

His heart felt heavy, as they approached the apartment complex that Kobayashi lived in. In this world, he had met people who accepted him, treated him like a person, and gave him one of the happiest memories that he would treasure for the rest of his life. And now, he was going to leave them and return to his bitter life back home.

Home… Could a place where you are almost universally disliked truly be called that? If he had to argue just to leave, wouldn't that make the Leaf Village more akin to…a prison?

"If you ask me," Kurama spoke up, having listened to Naruto's internal musing, "it sounds like you're expected to become a tool for the village. Most Jinchūriki go through this, and they are hated by the Humans that they are expected to protect; even though Jinchūriki are Human too."

'…that's not right…'

"I know, boy. But that is the way of the world you were born in… Humanity is a stubborn race, taking generations to remove bad habits and even longer to establish better ones. This bias against Jinchūriki has been around since the first ones were made. Even Mito, one of the strongest and most revered of the Uzumaki, was looked upon with wariness when she sealed me into herself. It worsened when Hashirama died, for the villagers believed he was the one keeping me under control."

Naruto went silent at that, and Lucoa sensed that something was bothering him. Hoping to cheer him up, she reached down and gently grasped his hand in hers, catching his attention and giving him a smile. When he smiled back, she saw that it was a lesser smile; showing that what she did helped, but he was still bothered by his thoughts.

Yugao watched this happen from behind them, and she had a feeling about what was bringing down the boy's mood. 'It's hard walking away from those who have accepted you…only to turn around and return to a place that refuses to.'

She was broken from her thoughts when Naruto knocked on Kobayashi's door, which Tohru opened a few moments later. "Good morning," she greeted them with a small smile. "Please, come in."

Entering the apartment and removing their footwear at the entrance, the trio walked in and were greeted to Kobayashi enjoying her morning coffee while Kanna was waiting for breakfast. The young woman raised her mug to them in greeting while Kanna just nodded to them.

"Morning," Kobayashi said. "How are you guys?"

"I'm fine, thanks," Lucoa answered.

"I'm fine as well, though a bit anxious to return home," Yugao confessed.

Kobayashi nodded in understanding before looking to Naruto. "Hey…" she spoke softly, getting his attention and breaking him from his thoughts. "You okay, Naruto?"

He looked away sadly. "…I don't know…"

Having gotten to know the boy over the past few days, and understanding the situation he was in, Kobayashi got up from the table and moved in front of him. Crouching down so that she was eye level with him, she gave Lucoa a quick glance that earned a nod from the Dragoness.

Turning back to Naruto, Kobayashi had her hand gently move his head back to face her. She gave him a sympathetic smile before ruffling his hair. "You're a good kid, Naruto. I'm glad to have met you, and I understand that you're having second thoughts about going back to your world."

He nodded once.

"I want you to know that you are always welcome here. Whenever you want to visit with Lucoa, you can, and we will always welcome you into our home with a smile." She smiled gently and finished, "Okay?"

Sniffling through his teary eyes, Naruto surged forward and hugged Kobayashi while she accepted him with open arms and let him cry into her shoulder. As she rubbed his back and listened to his repeated thanks, she gave a meaningful glance to Lucoa.

A silent conversation was shared between Human and Dragon, and Lucoa turned her attention to Naruto's back with a loving smile. Kobayashi easily saw this and was glad to see that Naruto would never be alone again. She then let go of Naruto and held him back so he could wipe his tears.

"Now, how about we all enjoy some breakfast?" she offered, earning a true smile from the whiskered blonde.

"Yeah… Breakfast sounds good…" he agreed.

Sitting at the table and waiting for Tohru to finish cooking, Naruto felt the heaviness in his heart lighten at the welcoming atmosphere of Kobayashi's apartment. He felt accepted here with her, Tohru, and Kanna. And he was grateful to have met Takiya, Fafnir, Elma, and Saikawa.

In his heart, he felt like this was home.

Later that morning, after enjoying breakfast and contacting the others, the group of ten were seen at the park which was thankfully empty. Lucoa and Yugao waited for Naruto to thank everyone for all that they've done for him. Lucoa had to fight a smirk when she saw both Dragons curiously eyeing the brandings on Naruto's arms and forehead, having a feeling that they knew exactly what she had done for the young blonde she was staying with.

Finally getting to the residents of Kobayashi's apartment, Naruto gave the three of them a smile and determinedly stated, "This isn't goodbye."

Tohru snorted at that before reaching down to ruffle his hair. "Of course, it isn't. You'll be back, or we'll come see you. Lucoa told me which world to look for." Gaining a faux haughty expression, she added, "Of course, after witnessing my skills firsthand, I expect to see how well you'll be hosting us."

Naruto grinned brightly. "I'll make sure to be a great host if you visit! And I'll show you why you'll never beat Ichiraku Ramen, Tohru-nee-chan!"

Tohru grumbled, grit her teeth, clenched a fist, and had a tic mark upon her head at that. She refused to be outdone by Humans, and she'd only taste their ramen simply to prove that her cooking was superior! No one bested a Dragon in anything!

Kobayashi sighed at Tohru's antics while Kanna looked eager to try food from another world. Smiling at the Uzumaki boy, she bid, "See you around, Naruto. I'm glad Lucoa brought you here to visit."

"Yeah… Me too," Naruto agreed before catching her off guard by closing the distance to hug her. "…I'll miss you all…"

Her surprise softened to an understanding smile as she had one arm hug him while the other gently rested atop his head. "We'll miss you too…" she admitted.

When he stepped away, his eyes were glistening faintly as he moved to stand beside Lucoa and Yugao. He waved to everyone as Lucoa activated her magic, giving them all a bright grin as the trio vanished from sight.

And strangely to the others, the city of Koshigaya seemed just the faintest bit less bright.

Episode 11:

Change in Routine

A week had passed since Naruto's return, and he was currently undergoing another magic lesson from his beloved roommate. After showing him how to get a feel for magical energy flowing through him, Lucoa decided to move on to having him channel that energy through flora like he did during their first lesson.

"Watch carefully, Naru-baby," she stated before she effortlessly channeled her power through the ground beneath her.

Sprouting from the earth, dozens of vines riddled with sharp thorns revealed themselves before they twisted, turned, and snaked around one another to form a thick wall before her. What's more, the thorns had almost clear liquid dripping from some of them.

"Whoa…" Naruto gasped out.

"This will be the first magical technique I'll have you learn; aside from Perception Blocking. Start with a single vine, then we'll keep doubling the number until you can make a decent enough wall."

"Gotcha!"

With excited determination, Naruto clapped his hands together and gathered his magical energy, activating the brands on his arms and forehead as he directed the energy to the ground below. His eyes were closed in concentration as he tried to sense whatever his power came in contact with.

"Remember to keep your breathing calm," Lucoa advised. "There's no rush, either. Take your time."

Taking a deep breath without dropping his concentration, he felt his flowing energy unwind from the coil he had unconsciously formed. As it was soothed to a more relaxed and steady flow, he felt his magical energy brush against something that gave off a plantlike aura. Gripping it, he reeled in his magic to drag up what he had grabbed so that it sprung from the earth.

However, it wasn't a vine. Instead, it was an abnormally engorged mushroom with a distinctly purplish color. Lucoa winced at the sight before she quickly disintegrated the shroom to dust.

"Not quite. On the plus side, you should now be able to tell if your energy encounters anymore poisonous mushrooms. We could possibly stew them into a poison."

"That might be useful in the future," Naruto admitted. "Never know when poison could come in handy for a ninja."

"Try again, Naru-baby. This time, ignore any other mushrooms you encounter."

"Right!"

"Truly, this other world is far more advanced than we could ever hope to be in terms of technological achievement," the Hokage mused, reading over Yugao's report on Koshigaya that she had submitted the day before.

She requested some extra time to fine tune her report so that she would explain her findings as detailed as possible. There was plenty to write about, what with this other world's access to fossil fuels, the Internet, and modern transportation.

"Naruto has also made some new friends… More Dragons and a few Humans," the man read thoughtfully. "If only he could have such success here in the village instead of in some parallel world that only his houseguest can access. Not to mention that she could take him there at any time, and we wouldn't be able to stop her…"

"Sir," Yugao, who was standing before him, "perhaps we should leave them be? Naruto is…happier when he's around Lucoa-san, and it's obvious that she only cares about his well-being. I believe she'd only be tempted to spirit him away if we pushed her."

"You expect me to take a hands-off approach to this? When it involves possibly the most important child that lives within this village?" he questioned incredulously.

"Yes," she replied without pause, stopping any further questions from the man. "With all due respect, sir, you're out of your league regarding Lucoa. You, myself, and the rest of my squad have felt her power first-hand, and I can say confidently that what she showed to us was simply a taste. I've managed to see her true form, sir…"

"And…?" the man pressed, feeling nervous suddenly.

"…her size alone dwarfs the Kyuubi…"

"…by the kami," Sarutobi gasped out, unable to comprehend how the busty Dragon could outsize the beast that nearly brought the village to rubble.

"That's why I'm saying – if not pleading – for you to not push her, sir. If you went too far, we wouldn't be able to do a thing. Besides, isn't it better to have her here? After all, if she cares about Naruto so strongly, I doubt she would stand by and do nothing if someone from a foreign nation targeted him."

"…Leave. I need time to reflect on this."

Bowing to the Hokage, Yugao vanished in a burst of speed. She was exhausted mentally and wanted to unwind with her fiancé. Hopefully, his condition was more manageable today.

"Have a nice day, Naru-baby!" Lucoa bid, releasing Naruto from her gentle embrace and watching him enter the Academy. After a few seconds, she spoke aloud, "Something I could help you with, ANBU-san?"

Appearing from the shadows, one of the Black-Ops with the mask of a Dog revealed himself. A distinguishing feature for him was the grey hair that stuck upward at a slight angle.

"This is for Naruto after he's done at the Academy today," he bid, presenting a scroll with a familiar insignia on it. "Hokage-sama believes that it's time that Naruto start studying what made his clan so infamous."

Taking the scroll, Lucoa brazenly opened it and skimmed through the contents. "Fūinjutsu, hm? Could be useful…" Rolling the scroll back up, she nodded to the ANBU and finished, "I'll be sure to give it to him. Whether he studies it or not is up to him, however."

Dog nodded once in understanding before disappearing into the shadows once more. With his departure, Lucoa decided to return home. A soft smile formed on her face at the fact that it was a home she shared with her beloved Naru-baby.

Ever since the night of his birthday, when she held his sleeping form in her arms, she had realized that she was beginning to genuinely love the whiskered blonde that she had stopped from summoning a Demon. She now had a better understanding of Tohru's feelings for Kobayashi-san, and she found herself giddy for the day she could express these growing feelings to him.

Until then, she would continue to be whatever he needed her to be.

"So, who's the babe that keeps dropping you off, loser?" Kiba Inuzuka questioned Naruto during their break.

"She's my housemate, and my best friend. Why do you care?"

"I'm just trying to figure out how someone like you could've met someone like her. I mean, she's way out of your league!"

"Yeah? And you think you're in her league? I don't think she would enjoy having to worry about fleas or smelling like wet dog," Naruto snarked, annoyed at his classmate's words.

"Screw you, Uzumaki!" Kiba growled back before leaving with a grumble while his ninken, Akamaru, followed him diligently.

"Stupid mutt…"

"I agree," a new, and familiar, voice spoke up.

Turning to the source, Naruto raised a brow at seeing Sasuke casually standing behind him. "Uh… You need something?"

"Just curious about something," the Uchiha answered vaguely. "You've been improving significantly lately, and it all started a few weeks ago; around the same time that I'm assuming you met this housemate of yours."

"Yeah…? She's been helping me study and fix some of the holes in my training." Here, Naruto gained an annoyed look and scoffed angrily. "Turns out that some of the teachers were purposely teaching me incorrect stances and throwing forms."

Sasuke raised a brow this time. "Any idea why they would do that?" He saw the faintest twitch that Naruto tried to hide. "So, you do know. Have you spoken to anyone about it?"

"It wouldn't change anything," Naruto answered. "Their reasons aren't something that they'll just drop overnight. Besides, I'm learning plenty from Lucoa-chan, even if these jerks keep trying to train me incorrectly."

Humming thoughtfully, Sasuke nodded his head towards Naruto's arms. "Those markings have anything to do with what she's teaching you? I've noticed them glow on occasion…"

"That's none of your business…" Naruto stated in a warning tone, earning a placating gesture from the Uchiha.

"Fair enough. I'd like to keep any possible aces up my sleeve until absolutely necessary, too. At any rate, I was going to see if you'd be willing to spar sometime after the Academy gets out. We could meet up a couple times a week and see if there are any holes in our styles."

"…Why?"

"Truthfully? Your sudden improvement has me interested, and I'd like to see if it could rub off on me, too. I feel like I'm stagnating here in the Academy, and I'm willing to bet that your taijutsu is still a bit below average. This way, we can both hopefully gain something."

Naruto went silent in thought, mentally calling out to his tenant. 'Hey, Kurama…?'

"I was listening. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of the Uchiha Clan, considering my history with them. But I can reluctantly admit that you could use a sparring partner to give yourself a measuring bar. Plus, you don't actually have a taijutsu style other than the half-assed lessons on the standard style for the Academy."

'Right… Think the Uchiha Clan could have a style or two in their archives?'

"I wouldn't doubt it, considering how their Sharingan can allow them to perfectly copy or mimic their opponent. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that they recorded some of the styles they copied."

Mentally nodding, Naruto spoke up, "I don't mind sparring with you a few times a week. But I don't really have a taijutsu style; and you know that the teachers won't give me any help."

Sasuke nodded once in understanding.

"So… Would you mind if I looked through your archives and see if there's a style I could learn? Assuming your clan recorded other styles that were different than your traditional style?"

Sasuke frowned in thought. "…I'll take a look around and see if I could find anything. We'll meet up after classes in a couple days. This way, I could have plenty of time to search. But, if I find any and one of them catches your eye, I expect something in return."

"I understand," Naruto agreed, shaking hands with the Uchiha to cement their deal.

As soon as they ended their handshake, their break ended and the two aspiring ninja headed back inside for the remainder of their lessons. To the confusion of most of their classmates, they even decided to sit together; this having the added benefit of buffering any fangirls from getting too close to the Uchiha.

'This agreement is already proving beneficial,' he thought in amusement before focusing on the lesson.

"I'm home!" Naruto called out as he opened his apartment door.

"Welcome home~!" Lucoa called as she poked her head out from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Smelling the delicious aroma, Naruto's stomach grumbled impatiently. He rubbed his head sheepishly as she giggled. "Dinner sounds good. I'll go and wash up."

By the time he finished his quick shower and returned, Lucoa had already set the table with warm stew ready for them both. They both seated themselves, gave thanks for the meal, and began to eat. It wasn't long before they started to talk again.

"So, how were your lessons today?"

"They were alright. They mentioned that they'll be starting us on the Replacement Jutsu soon."

"You mentioned that before we went to Koshigaya. I'm surprised they took so long to get you all started on it."

He shrugged. "I can't speak for them…"

"True. By the way, an ANBU gave me this to give to you," Lucoa informed him, showing Naruto the Uzumaki scroll. "It details fūinjutsu studies, which the Uzumaki Clan were pretty well-known for."

Intrigued, Naruto accepted the scroll and took a cursory glance at its contents. "This looks pretty complicated. It'd definitely be something I'd need to devote a lot of time into…"

"It's your choice, though. Just because you're an Uzumaki doesn't mean you need to learn everything that made them famous. I'm sure there were other Uzumaki who either didn't have a knack for fūinjutsu, or just didn't bother to learn. The choice is yours, Naru-baby."

He nodded with a smile and set the scroll down. "I got offered to spar with a classmate a few times a week. He even said he'd look and see if there are any spare scrolls for taijutsu in his clan archives."

"That sounds like good news, but I'm guessing there's a catch."

"Yeah, he wants something in return for the scroll if there is one and if I'm interested in it. He's been observing me lately and seemed interested in my brands; but I refuse to give him any information on magic. It's something we both share, and I don't want anyone else butting in…"

She was touched by his words, and she blushed at the almost possessive tone he took. "I agree. Our lessons are special and belong to us both. I don't want anyone else cutting into our time together."

The two shared a smile at that.

"That still leaves me with figuring out what I could give him…"

"How about one of the seals in the scroll?" Lucoa suggested.

"Maybe… I'll need to study it some first, if only to make sure I don't give him some dangerous seal without realizing."

"Well, whatever you decide, I'll support you."

He smiled to her at that. "Thanks, Lucoa-chan."

After their dinner and cleaning the dishes, the two spent a couple of hours going over Naruto's studies before retiring for the night. Lucoa got into the bed first and Naruto joined her, sleeping on his side before, unsurprisingly, Lucoa pulled him close to her so that she gently pressed into his back. He blushed at this, but he was used to it by now.

So, e simply said, "Goodnight, Lucoa-chan."

"Goodnight, Naru-baby."

Episode 12:

A Dragon's Roar

A month had passed since Naruto and Sasuke made their agreement for spars throughout the week. To his fortune, Sasuke managed to find a couple of recorded styles that the Uchiha had copied from foreign ninja over the years, and Naruto traded the scroll for a Paralysis Seal from the Uzumaki scroll.

In Sasuke's eyes, the seal could prove helpful when he finally fought his murderous older brother.

As for the taijutsu style that Naruto chose, he found it ironic that there was one called Raging Dragon. He selected that one to keep the general style he was going for as an identity.

He had a Dragoness for a roommate and best friend.

He was learning Dragon based magic.

He had brandings like Dragon scales on his body.

And his goal was to become a Dragon in the future.

So, it was a no-brainer for him to choose a style named after Dragons. According to the scroll, the style focused on raw strength and roughened defense with some grappling mixed in. There were also annotations about how the style worked better if the practitioner had their nails sharpened into claws.

The first couple of weeks sparring with Sasuke were mainly spent trying to get the basics down. Sasuke was surprisingly patient with him as he practiced, mentioning that he expected a real challenge when Naruto finally managed to get a workable grasp on the style. It helped that he was impressed with Naruto's dedication to learning it and the physical exercises that it demanded for more effective use.

Seriously, seeing Naruto punch hard enough to leave some small cracks in a boulder – and all without chakra assisting him – was damned impressive.

The following couple of weeks had the boys sparring against one another to smooth out any rough patches in their respective styles. It was during this time that Sasuke met Lucoa, and he grudgingly admitted that Naruto was a lucky bastard to have someone like her care for him so deeply.

Sure, he was jealous; but after a month getting to know Naruto, he learned that his training partner had grown up without experiencing any type of family love or comfort. Sasuke still had memories he could fall back on, but Naruto wasn't so lucky.

It was true what they say: Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all…

So, Sasuke stomped down his jealousy, feeling that Naruto deserved his own happiness after living alone for so long. Besides, as surprised as he was to admit it, the whiskered blonde was growing on him; becoming someone he could possibly call a friend.

Currently, both boys were awaiting the end of the days lessons so that they could leave for their own training. Sasuke was trying to learn a new Fire Style technique while Naruto was splitting time between the Uzumaki scroll and his magical studies.

"Don't forget that next week will have Family Day. Your parents will be allowed, if they wish, to sit in on your classes and observe how much you've learned. There will also be spars between you all that they will be allowed to spectate. So, be sure to perform at your best for them!"

Naruto and Sasuke had their hair shadowing their eyes at the teacher's announcement. With both boys being orphans without any immediate family, hearing about something like Family Day hit them both in a sore spot. Naruto's parents gave up their lives for him on the night he was born while Sasuke's clan was killed by his older brother.

So naturally, both young men weren't looking forward to seeing their classmates happily showing off for their family members.

Leaving the Academy, the two were greeted by Lucoa who was seen waiting for Naruto. "Hello, boys. How were the lessons today?"

"They were alright," Naruto answered as both boys fell in step with her as they strolled towards the market district. "They had us do some more practice on the Replacement Jutsu today."

"It didn't help that I had plenty of distractions keeping me from focusing," the Uchiha groused, referring to the numerous girls pining for his attention. "I wish those girls would take the hint that I'm not interested."

"You ever thought about just telling them?" Naruto asked.

Shrugging, Sasuke replied, "I don't see the point. I doubt they'd stop even if I did tell them. They'd probably just try harder to have me become interested…"

"Sucks to be you," the Uzumaki teased, earning an annoyed scoff. "I'm just glad that Sakura doesn't try bashing my brains in anymore."

"That's probably because you finally grew a brain and stopped bugging her for dates lately," Sasuke taunted back, faintly noticing Lucoa twitch at that. "You wizened up, Uzumaki."

"Bite me, Uchiha."

Sasuke smirked at that before bidding Naruto farewell and heading for home. Naruto and Lucoa spent the next hour getting some groceries for the apartment before they returned.

As they put the food away, Lucoa asked casually, "You never mentioned Sakura-san before. Who is she? A classmate?"

"Yep," Naruto answered easily. "I had a crush on her for a little while since I thought her hair was pretty and she was nice to me one time when we were kids. Admittedly, I pestered her a bit too much when I tried asking her out and she would always bash me over the head."

Lucoa unconsciously tightened the grip she had on the sack of rice, her claws puncturing it in various spots.

"But I don't have that silly crush on her anymore. I realize that she's not worth it if she responds so violently. And besides," he turned to her and smiled, "I think I really just wanted a friend, or someone I can connect with. And I have that with you, Lucoa-chan." His eyes closed as his smile became a grin, adding, "So long as I have you, I'm happy."

Once again, Lucoa felt her heart thrum in her chest at Naruto's words. "I'm happy here with you too, Naruto-kun."

Keeping his grin, Naruto resumed putting away groceries while Lucoa eased up her grip on the rice sack and poured it into a storage container. The whole time, she felt her cheeks warming up as happiness swelled inside.

Her Naruto always said the sweetest things to her…

Later that evening, Lucoa had decided to stay up so that she could prepare Naruto's bento for tomorrow. A gentle knocking at the apartment door made her pause in her preparations, and she went over to see who would be knocking so late in the evening.

When she opened the door, she was surprised to see that it was Yugao. "Hey. Everything okay?"

Yugao nodded once, giving Lucoa a polite smile. "Yes, everything's fine. I was just stopping by to let you know that the Academy was having a Family Day next week. I doubt Naruto would've mentioned it, considering…"

The statement was left hanging, and Lucoa understood immediately.

"Anyway, I'm sure it would mean a lot to Naruto if you stopped by for him. I talked to the Ichiraku family before coming here, but they'll be busy for a few days doing some renovations and repairs to their stand."

Lucoa nodded with a grateful smile. "Thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to be there for him."

Yugao nodded back and bid the Dragoness a good evening before leaving. Closing the door, Lucoa quietly made her way through the apartment and to the bedroom, smiling softly at the sight of her Naru-baby sleeping so peacefully.

Reaching down, she gently rubbed his head before gliding her hand to his whiskered cheek and cupping it lovingly. She held her hand there for a few more moments before moving away to finish preparing Naruto's bento. When it was finished and she put everything away, she returned to the bedroom and laid down beside Naruto, pulling him close to her once more.

"I'll always be here for you, Naruto-kun," she whispered before drifting off to sleep.

As if he was awake to hear her words, Naruto smiled in his sleep.

Another week had gone by, and Family Day had arrived at the Academy. Lucoa still wasn't told about it by Naruto, and while a part of her was hurt, she understood his reluctance to tell her.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted his face gaining an almost guilty expression when they arrived at the Academy and saw many parents standing next to their children. She gave him a gentle smile at seeing him so reluctant.

"Hey… It's alright," she assured him. "Yugao-san told me about what today was. I understand why you never said anything, but don't forget that I'm here for you; and I always will be."

His eyes glistened with unshed tears, a grateful smile on his face.

"…thank you…"

Pulling him in for a hug, she held him to her for a few moments before pulling away and winking at him. "Now, let's get going!"

Wiping away the wetness from his eyes, he grinned back and nodded once before they resumed walking to the Academy. Looking around, he saw many of the Clan Heads here for their kids before spotting Sasuke leaning against the outside of the Academy alone.

Frowning faintly, Naruto led Lucoa over to him and greeted, "Hey, Sasuke."

"Hn."

He winced at the grunted response, knowing that Sasuke usually used that whenever he was around someone that he wasn't familiar with or he was bothered by something.

"You wanna hang out with me and Lucoa-chan today?" Naruto proposed, slightly surprising the Dragoness before she smiled at Naruto's offer.

'That heart of yours is something else I love about you, Naruto-kun…' she mentally mused before offering the Uchiha a polite smile. "I wouldn't mind your company, Sasuke-san." Her smile became teasing as she added, "After all, you both go at it like rambunctious brothers. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say you two share family."

Sasuke scoffed at that while Naruto gave an indignant cry at her teasing. After a moment, the Uchiha gained a faint smirk before looking to Lucoa and nodding once.

"Thanks…"

She nodded back before the three of them headed inside and took their seats. Due to the increase in people at the Academy, their class was held in one of the largest rooms so that each student could share a bench with their families. It intrigued many of the Clan Heads when they saw young Uzumaki and Uchiha seated together with an unfamiliar woman who was dressed rather…casually.

Based on her looks, and on the description given to them by the Hokage during one of their more recent Council Sessions, they all deduced that this was the so-called Dragon that had taken a shine to the young Jinchūriki. Subtly, Hiashi activated his Byakugan to take a look before immediately deactivating it while expertly hiding the discomfort he was feeling.

What he had witnessed wasn't chakra, but a wellspring of raw energy that dwarfed them all while being easily contained in her humanlike body. In fact, the only other person with such dense energy was young Uzumaki; but that could be explained by both his heritage and his status as the Jinchūriki.

He kept his eyes closed and resisted the urge to rub his temples to stave off the headache that had formed. It was these actions that caught the attention of Shino's father, Shibi Aburame. Having worked with his fellow Clan Head a few times as younger men, he recognized certain tells about the Hyuuga that showed that something had caught him off guard.

He himself had tried to have one of his chakra beetles get a feel for her, but it refused to get close to her. When it gave him the reason why, he was intrigued that this Lucoa's very presence could be felt instinctively by animals. If the claims about her being a Dragon were indeed true, then she was beyond the top of the Food Chain.

"That woman near the Uzumaki Pup," Kuromaru muttered. "She makes me nervous…"

"How so? Is she dangerous?" Tsume asked in a low tone.

"If I had to put it in Human terms, I'd say that she's a sleeping beast. She won't act unless she is poked. And her scent is all over the Uzumaki Pup, as well as his scent over hers."

"Well, they live together…"

"It goes beyond simply sharing a home together. Their scents are intertwined almost as if they were mates. However, from what I could smell, they haven't quite gone that far yet."

"Is that why she's releasing a faintly steady amount of pheromones?" the Inuzuka woman asked.

"She's unconsciously staking her claim on the pup," Kuromaru answered with a chuckle. "They may not be mated now, but I doubt it will stay that way for long. And if she truly is a Dragon, she'll be rather possessive of the pup."

Tsume chuckled alongside him, amused that the child of her old friend was practically married but didn't realize it. The pup's father was the same way, and he only proposed when Kushina got fed up with waiting for him to quit dragging his feet.

'Like father like son, eh Kushina?' she thought with a mental laugh.

Family Day went off fine for the most part, with many of the children hoping to show off what they knew for their parents while some, like Hinata, did their best to remain quiet and just pay attention.

For Naruto, he didn't feel any kind of desire to prove anything. He knew Lucoa accepted him just as he accepted her, and there was nothing left to prove to her. At least, nothing that he could think of.

For Sasuke, this was simply another day of lessons save for the extra guests observing them. There was no need to change his routine or try to stand out. He was the Last Uchiha, and he had nothing to prove to these people.

"Alright, the last thing on our agenda will be sparring between the students. If everyone would head outside to the sparring circle, we can begin," Iruka announced as Mizuki held the door open for everyone.

Like in the classroom, students stood beside their parents for the most part. Many of the female students gave jealous glances at Lucoa, fearing that Sasuke was only hanging around her because he preferred women with unreal curves like hers. It didn't help that, as young women who hadn't quite started budding into their figures, they felt outdone by Lucoa.

What was especially odd to them, though, was how close to the class loser the woman was. They had seen her waiting for him whenever the Academy let out for the day, and how happy she always looked to see him. Another thing they had noticed was that, ever since she started picking him up and dropping him off at the Academy, Naruto had started to really improve in class. He wasn't so far behind anymore, and he was only still at the bottom because of his past grades holding back his current progress.

There was also the fact that many of Sasuke's fan club had noticed the two of them leaving the Academy together a couple times a week. When a few of their bolder members attempted to follow them, they saw that the two boys would spar those days and Naruto was surprisingly starting to catch up to the Uchiha's skill level.

With those thoughts in mind, they found themselves interested in how these spars would go. After all, if the Dead Last of the class was starting to catch up to their Sasuke-kun, maybe they had been wrong about him.

Most of the spars went as they normally did, with the Clan Children having a significant edge over the others due to having signature styles under their belts. However, to Ino's embarrassment, she ended up drawing with Sakura with her father watching her. The exasperated look on his face only fueled that embarrassment.

Shikamaru ended up going against Choji and almost immediately forfeiting since he felt it was "too troublesome to fight" while Choji just didn't want to fight his best friend. Shikaku and Chōza couldn't help chuckling at their sons taking after them while Inoichi sighed at the second-coming of his friends.

Sasuke had easily won against his opponent, never instigating the fight and simply showing how the Uchiha taijutsu style was meant for; reacting to your opponent. He sighed when he was declared the victor, wishing that his constant sparring partner had been paired with him for this. The fight hadn't even been enough for a warmup.

"Alright, last up will be Kiba Inuzuka against Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka declared.

"Sweet! I'm up against the Dead Last!" Kiba cheered, earning a slap to the back of his head by his mother.

"Shut up, Pup, and get in the circle," she admonished.

Meanwhile, Naruto was taking a breath to steady his nerves. This would be the first time he fought someone other than Sasuke with his newly trained taijutsu style.

Feeling hands gently gripping his shoulders, he looked back to see Lucoa smiling supportively. "You've got this, Naru-baby. Get in there and win."

Nodding with a smile, Naruto headed into the circle and stood across from his opponent. At Iruka's urging, both boys made the Seal of Confrontation. Holding it for a few moments, they dropped the seal and assumed their stances. Kiba was crouched slightly, almost on all-fours like the animal his clan was linked to.

As for Naruto, his stance had him facing forward, right foot pointed ahead while his left was turned slightly away from him. His left arm curled against him at the side with his fist clenched while his right arm was held in front of him, slightly down with the fist also clenched. He stood almost at his full height, only bending at the knees slightly with his leg muscles coiled and tensed to act quickly. One thing that caught the attention of everyone was how his brandings started to glow faintly. (1)

"Begin!" Iruka called.

Both boys launched at one another, and Naruto landed the first blow with a heavy punch to Kiba's face that made him stagger. He reacted to the Inuzuka's wild swing by ducking under it, landing an uppercut that made Kiba take a step back.

Shaking it off, Kiba lunged with a clawed hand while Naruto psyched him out by circulating his hands in front of his face before, at the last moment, pressing his left palm against Kiba's arm to push it aside. Now within his guard, Naruto turned and drove his elbow into Kiba's ribs before jumping up to spin kick him in the side of his head, sending the canine boy to the ground.

"Yeah! Go Naruto! Kick his butt!" Lucoa cheered from the sidelines, making Naruto fight a smile as he took his stance again.

Getting up, Kiba wiped the blood from his lip before retaking his own stance. "I think I know why you keep trying so hard," he started to speak, his tone taunting. "You want to prove yourself to the babe living with you so that she doesn't see you for what you really are."

"And that is…?" Naruto asked with a faint frown.

"What we all know you are; a loser who will never change!"

Brows furrowed, Naruto unconsciously gathered chakra and raw magical power, his brands glowing brighter while the combined energies outlined his form. Unseen by the students, but noticed by the Clan Heads, Naruto's pupils narrowed almost to slits and he vanished from sight only to reappear with his fist buried in Kiba's stomach, forcing Kiba to let out a soundless scream before he was sent upward with a backflipping kick from the Uzumaki.

The magical energy Naruto infused into his strike surrounded Kiba, holding him in place in midair and shocking everyone so much that they couldn't react fast enough. This gave Naruto time to focus his power, his arms crossed at the wrists with his fists clenched before, with almost a roar, he stretched his arms skyward with his fingers curled like claws, letting power erupt from the ground and engulf Kiba for a few seconds.

When the light died down, Kiba was on the ground unconscious while Naruto was on his knees, dripping with sweat as his brandings lost their glow and his energy calmed down. Lucoa was at his side before he fell over, his head in her lap as he gave a tired, but very proud grin.

"Did I… Did I do good?" he asked, his voice exhausted from the exertion.

Smiling, she gently brushed away his bangs and replied, "You fought like a Dragon…"

Hearing the words that he longed to receive, he allowed himself to embrace sleep, unaware of the rumors his actions would create.

1~ Think of his fighting style like that of Gogeta from the Dragon Super: Broly movie. I thought it'd be fun to incorporate elements from another famous Dragon series into this story. I might bring in more, if you guys want. Leave a review with your thoughts!

And that's that! I hope you all enjoyed this trio of "episodes"!

Next time, I'll go over the reactions to Naruto's display and possibly even invoke a time skip to near the start of canon!

Until next time!

Stay safe, healthy, and positive!

Dreaming of the Future

pain17ification