~I'm back, everyone~

So, Dragon Maid S finished, and it was a very enjoyable sequel to Dragon Maid. And after watching this sequel, I've come to realize that I've done the fans of this story an incredible disservice by not updating this in a LONG time.

So, please accept my deepest apologies alongside this update!

These episodes will have the Shinobi Council, beaches, holidays, and a surprise I hope you all will love at the end!

Hope y'all enjoy!

Disclaimer in First Chapter

A Fishcake and his Dragon

Episode 13:

A Fishcake Makes His Stand

"The beach?" Naruto repeated curiously at Lucoa's suggestion. "Why do you want to go there?"

"The Leaf Village is nice and all, but I'd like to get some more sun and go swimming in the ocean," she answered with a smile. "Plus, we could invite Kobayashi-san and the others to join us."

"Hmm… I've never been to the beach or ocean before…"

"All the more reason to go, Naru-baby!"

He then sighed. "We'd probably have to ask Yugao-san to chaperone again, huh?"

"Probably," Lucoa agreed.

"When did you want to go?"

"Sometime soon. If you go talk to the Old Monkey, I can send a message to Tohru about joining us."

"Okay. I'll talk to him after classes."

"Sounds good," she bid, bending down to hug the young Uzumaki. "Have a good day, Naru-baby."

"Thanks, Lucoa-chan," he replied before heading inside.

To his confusion, his classmates, and even some of the older students, were giving him looks that were more curious than spiteful. So used to being viewed negatively by the villagers, these curious looks made Naruto uncomfortable, and he scurried off to his assigned room. Doing his best to ignore the looks, he took his seat and distracted himself with the Uzumaki Scroll.

It wasn't until Sasuke sat down beside him that he looked up from his scroll. "Morning."

"You're pretty popular today," Sasuke replied with an amused smirk. "Family Day opened everyone's eyes to what your capable of."

"…I think I prefer when I was ignored by them," Naruto confessed awkwardly, noting how some of his female classmates were giving him looks he found odd.

What was weirder was how some of them turned red and averted their gazes when he caught their eye.

'Girls will never make sense,' he mused to himself, unknowingly learning a lesson that most adult men have trouble with.

"Best get used to it," the Uchiha advised him. "Once you show that you're skilled or talented, people will pay closer attention."

"Or if you're the class bachelor," Naruto teased, earning an elbow to his side that he brushed off without making a sound.

Sasuke was the one who grunted after he elbowed the Uzumaki. "Your training makes it annoying to hit you."

"Good to hear."

Once Iruka and Mizuki showed up, the day went by regularly with the only change being a noticeable absence of taunting looks or comments aimed at Naruto when he was called on for questions. Again, this made Naruto uncomfortable, but he couldn't deny that it was nice to be treated like a normal classmate.

When classes were let out for the day, Naruto and Sasuke made their way to the entrance of the Academy Grounds. "So, what do you want to train on today?" the Uchiha asked.

"Actually, I need to go talk to the Hokage. Lucoa-chan wants to go out of the village sometime soon with me and some friends we made last month. We're planning a beach trip."

"A beach trip… In the middle of November?" Sasuke repeated blandly, earning an amused look from Naruto.

"Lucoa-chan is looking for a place to go where the colder weather isn't a problem." He then perked up and suggested, "Oh, you should come with us! I could introduce you to my other friends!"

Sasuke was genuinely surprised at the invite. Sure, he and Naruto trained together, and he found the blonde a possible friend; but he didn't expect for Naruto to invite him on a trip with the woman the Uzumaki obviously had a huge crush on.

Still, the Uchiha felt oddly grateful for the offer, and he found himself shrugging once and giving a nod. "Sure, I'll come, I guess."

"Cool. I'll let you know when we're going to leave. See ya later!" Naruto bid before heading for the Hokage Tower.

"A beach trip?" Tohru asked via magic circle Lucoa conjured near her ear as a makeshift phone. "Aren't those usually better during the hotter months?"

"True, but I'm sure I can find somewhere suitable for a beach trip. Besides, if need be, we could always accommodate with magic," Lucoa calmly argued.

"Fair point. I'll ask Kobayashi-san and see if she's up for it."

"Great! Also, the winter holidays are approaching. I was wondering if you guys would want to spend them together. We could do it over there, or we can plan something for over here."

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, actually. If we're going to plan anything, it should be over in Naruto's world."

"Why here, specifically?"

"I…might have swung by last month and brought something back from our world. It's supposed to be a surprise for Naruto."

"Tohru! That's so sweet! I'm sure he'll love whatever you have in store for him!" Lucoa replied, sounding incredibly grateful. "Okay, then we'll plan to meet here for the holidays. As for the beach trip, we need to wait for Naruto-kun to speak with the Old Monkey about it."

"Couldn't we just destroy him? I mean, we are Dragons…"

"Naruto-kun is already very disliked here, Tohru… I don't want the people to have more reasons to hate him…"

"I know, but you should remember…"

"Remember what?"

"If things get too much for you two over there, you're more than welcome to move over to this world. He doesn't need to force himself to stay where he's hated."

Lucoa was silent for a few moments. "…yeah…"

"Just something to consider. Get back to me when Naruto gets permission," Tohru bid, sounding annoyed at the mere concept of needing approval for anything as she hung up.

Alone with her thoughts, the Ex-Goddess Dragoness mused softly, "Why does Naruto-kun stay here…?"

"Sorry, Uzumaki-san," the Hokage's secretary apologized politely. "But Lord Hokage is in a meeting with the Shinobi Council at the moment. He won't be available for some time."

The young blonde sighed at that. "Right… Thanks anyway, Inoue-san."

She gave him a kind smile. Out of thousands of villagers, she was one of the few who treated the young Jinchūriki with respect. He already received enough grief from the village. She would be one of the rare few who would offer him some reprieve.

"Why don't you tell me what you wanted to speak with him about? I can record a message for him so that he could get back to you," she offered.

"I wanted permission to leave the village with Lucoa-chan for a beach trip."

"…In November?"

"Yep! Lucoa-chan wanted to get some sun and swimming!" he answered enthusiastically, making her chuckle awkwardly with a sweatdrop.

"R-Right… I'll uh, be sure to let Lord Hokage know."

"Thanks, Inoue-san," the Uzumaki bid and turned to leave before stopping when he saw a familiar ANBU in front of him. "Oh, hey Cat-san."

"Naruto-san," she began, "I'll escort you to the Council Chambers. They're expecting you."

"Me…?" he repeated before Cat placed a hand on his shoulder and his world blurred.

When everything settled, he found himself standing before the Shinobi Council. The Council itself comprised of the Hokage, the Elders, the Clan Heads, and a representative of the Civic Council for the civilians of the Leaf Village.

He shuffled nervously at everyone staring at him, but a friendly grin from a woman with a very large dog helped put him at ease. "You can relax, Pup. You're not in trouble."

"Oh… Okay… But why am I here?"

"We have a couple questions regarding your housemate, Uzumaki-san," a man who looked like an older version of Shino spoke up. "If you wouldn't mind answering them, that is."

"Lucoa-chan? What do you want to know about her?" he questioned back, frowning at them as his brandings flickered gold briefly.

'Curious,' a bandaged man from the Elder Council mused.

"How did you meet her, Uzumaki-san?" a man, obviously a Hyuuga based on his pale eyes, queried. "Someone with her…power is a rarity in this village."

"Of course, she's rare," Naruto replied in a dull tone, as if the notion was the most obvious thing in the world. "She's a Dragon…"

"So we've been told," spoke up a man who Naruto knew to be Ino's father. "Our concern is how a child your age managed to meet and grow close to a Dragon."

Here, Naruto frowned and decided to get to the point. "You all sure it isn't more than that? Worried your pet fox is getting too close to another dangerous beast?"

The effect was instant, with Naruto's blue orbs seeing everyone in the room tense to some degree. "Who told you about the Kyuubi, Naruto?" Sarutobi questioned.

"It's not hard to figure out," he replied in annoyance. "Everyone hates me, I was born the day the Kyuubi attacked, and I have this weird tattoo on my stomach show up whenever I use chakra. Either I'm the fox – which is just stupid – or I'm connected to it. From what I can guess, thanks to studying seals, the Kyuubi must be locked inside me."

"That was clever, boy," Kurama praised with a grin.

"So, since I'm aware of what I hold, and why the village hates my guts," here, he gave the Hokage a small glare, "we can stop pretending that it's some sort of big secret. You're worried that Lucoa-chan will take me away, huh?"

The Clan Heads turned to the Hokage for his response while the Elders and Civic Representative remained quiet. As for the Hokage, he tried to explain, "Naruto, people who hold Bijuu are known as Jinchūriki. They're meant to be guardians of the village they reside in."

"Bullshit," Naruto shot down. "Why would I bother guarding this place when I have no reason to. I'm hated here, and nobody is afraid of reminding me about that. Besides, it's not like I had any say about being a Jinchūriki."

"Most Jinchūriki are made so at birth," one of the Elders, a woman, explained to him calmly. "They wouldn't have been able to refuse."

"So, I was forced to become the fox's cage. That makes me feel so much better."

"It is your duty as the Jinchūriki to defend the Leaf Village," stated the male Elder. "You have a responsibility."

"Apparently, I suck at my duties," Naruto fired back with a scowl. "The villagers constantly give me crap and complain about me, so obviously I'm not fit for the job." At this point, Naruto gave an unexpectedly dark smirk. "Maybe I should quit with all of the griping the villagers have; see if someone else can do this job better."

The tension in the room skyrocketed at that, the adults all knowing the consequences of Naruto quitting as a Jinchūriki. It would end one way, and one way only:

Total destruction of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"I can't let you do that, Naruto," Sarutobi declared.

"Oh? And what's stopping me? You?"

He pointed at the Council as a whole.

"Them?"

He gestured to the doors leading outside.

"Or maybe the village?"

"If need be, then yes," the Hokage stated firmly.

"So, I'll never have a choice then? Obey, or else… Is that it?" the Uzumaki challenged as his brands started to glow dangerously.

The old man had the gall to look apologetic as he answered, "I'm afraid so, Naruto. I can't allow you to hold the village hostage."

"Seems the other way around to me, bastard. The villagers were right, after all; I am the fox. I mean, we're both nothing more than prisoners."

The doors to the Council Chambers then calmly opened and revealed Lucoa with two unconscious ANBU on the ground next to her; the same two ANBU who had been guarding the entrance. With graceful steps, she moved to stand beside Naruto and faced the Council with a serene expression while they were feeling tense at her presence.

"I couldn't help coming over to see what's made my Naru-baby so upset," she spoke up. "I was feeling his mana building from the apartment. You wouldn't happen to be threatening my sweet Naruto-kun…"

Her closed eyes slowly opened, and the adults felt an intense pressure forcing itself upon them as her mismatched orbs gazed toward them.

"Would you?"

Despite himself, the Hokage couldn't help swallowing the lump in his suddenly dry throat. This was more intense than when he first met Lucoa and when she asserted her power upon him in his office. Her presence was invoking the feeling of fear he had felt when the Kyuubi had been released from Kushina years ago.

And then, to his horror, Danzo decided to speak up. "We were reminding the Jinchūriki of his place within the village. Whether he likes it or not, he is to live as a tool for the Hidden Leaf; a weapon meant to strike our enemies and assure our place as the dominant Hidden Village of the Elemental Nations."

What nobody noticed was that the bandages around his eye were loosened slightly, allowing his hidden eye to lock onto Lucoa.

"However, perhaps having a Dragon as our weapon would do for now while the Jinchūriki is trained. We will swear to keep him alive, so long as you serve us," he finished, using the power of his concealed Sharingan to try and control her.

However, while nobody else saw the implanted eye, Lucoa was able to see it just fine and was completely unaffected by its power. The "total control" of the Kotoamatsukami was useless against the sheer power held by Quetzalcoatl.

To emphasize this, Lucoa chuckled softly as she aimed her attention at the seemingly crippled man. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told the Old Monkey who thought he could order me around."

One of her eyes flashed as it stared dead into the stolen Sharingan of Danzo, and the man felt his body unwillingly lock up as his heart rate started to rise at a dangerous pace. Faster and faster, it beat, quickly going from discomforting to agonizing before he felt an excruciating burst in his chest.

After a couple of tense seconds, he choked out one last breath and fell over unceremoniously.

Gasps and a couple of surprised shouts erupted within the chambers while Naruto watched the man succumb to a ruptured heart curiously.

"That's cute coming from a Human past his prime," Lucoa finished.

"How'd you do that?" Naruto asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"I took advantage of his vulnerability, Naruto-kun," she answered, turning to him with a gentle smile. "Just like they teach you to do in the Academy."

"What was his?"

"Simple: He was REALLY old."

"Whoa…"

Despite the fact that Danzo had just been killed in front of them, many of the Clan Heads couldn't help sweatdropping at the odd moment shared between Dragon and Jinchūriki. They became tense again when Lucoa turned back to them.

"Now, I believe I've made my point about how I'll respond to further mistreatment towards Naruto-kun. As I said before, Old Monkey," she turned directly to Sarutobi, "I'm his Lucoa-chan, and he's my Naru-baby. Have I made myself clear?"

Frowning, yet knowing he couldn't do anything against her, the Hokage gritted out, "Crystal…"

"Wonderful! Now, Naruto-kun and I would like to request leaving the village for a small trip to the beach with some friends of ours. Before you get your wrinkles in a twist," she cut off before he or the remaining Elders could comment, "we'll have Cat-san come with us to chaperone just like our previous trip."

Standing by the door, Cat spoke up, "I'm willing to accompany them, sir."

"See? We'll come back just like we did after our last trip. Asking for your permission is simply a courtesy, but I'd appreciate you allowing us to leave without issue."

The man wanted to deny her out of sheer spite, but he was cut off by Koharu who replied, "That will be fine, Lucoa-sama. We'd like to request two of our ninja accompanying you, however."

"That's alright with me. Cat could invite her mate."

Behind her Cat ANBU mask, Yugao blushed brightly at Lucoa's offhand suggestion.

"Very well. Please inform us when you plan to leave and for how long," Koharu continued. "And will it just be you two and your escorts?"

Naruto spoke up, "I invited Sasuke to join us. Is that okay?"

She hummed thoughtfully, considering the request. "So long as Uchiha-san has his own escort."

"So, three ninja will come with us?" the blonde Uzumaki clarified, earning a nod. "Who will look after Sasuke?"

"If I could make a suggestion?" Cat cut in, earning everyone's attention. "Perhaps Dog would be willing to escort Uchiha-san. Maybe help him with clan related things outside of the village."

Getting the message, Homura nodded his own agreement. "That would be fine. Please inform him of his future assignment."

"Yes, Lord Homura," Cat replied before vanishing.

"Well, if there's nothing else, we need to get home. C'mon, Naruto-kun," Lucoa said, gently guiding him out of the Council Chambers with a hand to his back.

Once they left, Sarutobi rounded on his remaining Elder Council and demanded, "Are you both insane?! What authority do you have to allow her to take Naruto and Sasuke away from the village?!"

"Admittedly," Koharu began, a calm expression on her face, "we do not have that authority. However, if our breach in authority means we can prevent a Dragon's wrath upon our village…"

"Then we will gladly make that breach again and again," Homura finished. "Understand that we are not happy with her presence here in the village either, Hiruzen."

"But we are no match for a Dragon who, according to Cat's report, dwarfs the Kyuubi in size," Koharu finished.

"Hold up!" Tsume cut in, sounding rightfully shocked. "She's bigger than the goddamn Kyuubi?!"

"Based on Cat's report, yes," the Hokage grudgingly admitted.

"And you expect us to get between her and the Uzumaki boy?" Shikaku questioned in annoyance. "That's beyond troublesome, and I'm not taking any suicide missions today."

"With respect, sir," Chōza spoke up, "I refuse to accept any order to get in Lucoa-san's way. I doubt even using the special pills of my clan would put me at her level. I'd be more of an annoyance than a threat."

"Not to mention that Naruto is genuinely happier with her around, Lord Hokage," Inoichi added. "Considering how you've requested I keep tabs on the boy's mental and emotional health, I strongly advise against doing anything to separate him from Lucoa-san."

"So, we're supposed to just accept whatever she decides for him without trying to combat it. Is that it?" challenged the visibly frustrated Hokage.

"Isn't that what you demanded of Uzumaki-san earlier, Lord Hokage?" Shibi fired back calmly. "For him to accept his role without any say in the matter? Uzumaki-san is a child with the stigma of the Kyuubi forced upon him. It was illogical to think he wouldn't resent the village for their continued and unchallenged mistreatment of him."

"That woman's power cannot be fathomed," Hiashi then spoke. "My Byakugan was nearly blinded from a mere glimpse. And with it all contained in a form of Human size, I can only imagine how compacted it has become…and how much devastation it is capable of causing."

The Civic Representative rounded things off by saying, "If you plan to keep attempting to remove Uzumaki-san from that woman, don't expect the Civic Council to assist in any way. Anything you commission for this suicidal task will be denied, and any ninja conscripted will be banned from our stores."

The Hokage could only stare at his Council in open shock and betrayal at their refusal to see the danger Naruto's bond with Lucoa would become. He was alone in this crusade against a Dragon.

'Or am I…?' he mused to himself, ideas forming in his head

Perhaps it was time to bring back his old students.

Episode 14:

The Obligatory Swimsuit Edition

"Is everyone ready?" Lucoa asked the assembled group of chakra using Humans.

The group consisted of her Naru-baby, the Uchiha boy, Yugao and her sickly-looking fiancé (something she mentally reminded to try fixing), and a man with familiar silver hair that wore a face mask and had his headband covering his left eye.

Naruto and Sasuke were dressed in swim trunks and casual shirts while Sasuke, who didn't have Naruto's natural body heat, wore a zipped sweater. The three Jonin wore their uniforms and Lucoa was dressed in her regular clothes.

"Ready, Lucoa-chan!" Naruto replied for everyone, earning a smile from her before she summoned a magic circle beneath everyone. Light engulfed them, blinding them from the outside world before it faded away and revealed a beach with waves calmly rolling onto the shore in varying intervals. "Whoa… The ocean…" he gasped out, having never seen it before.

"It's…warm here," Sasuke pointed out in surprise. To be fair, it was the month of November, and the weather should've been much cooler.

"I used magic to temporarily make the weather more fitting for a beach trip," Lucoa explained to him before turning to her most precious person. "Naruto-kun, this place we're at holds incredible significance to you."

"It does…?" he asked, confused and intrigued.

"Yep! You see, the island we're on was once the location of the Hidden Whirlpool Village; the village that the Uzumaki Clan came from."

"No way! Really?! That's awesome, ttebayo!"

Sasuke snorted at the verbal tic while Naruto was blushing as soon as it escaped his lips. His blush grew tenfold when Lucoa gushed and hugged his head to her chest, earning amused looks from Yugao and Hayate while Kakashi simply chuckled and pulled out his signature orange book.

"So, when are Kobayashi-san and the others supposed to arrive?" Yugao asked curiously.

"They should be here in a few minutes. We can set things up while wait," the Dragoness answered. "Boys, come help me out while the grownups make sure the area is secure."

The adults in question had dull expressions at the casual order given to them by the woman, though they weren't going to argue with her. She had a point, after all. So, they got to work setting up barrier seals around a set area while Lucoa, Naruto, and Sasuke set up the towels and umbrellas on the beach.

Just as they finished, another magic circle appeared and deposited Kobayashi, Tohru, Kanna, and Elma. The four women were already dressed in their swimwear and brought along their own towels and umbrellas.

"Hey, Lucoa! Naruto!" Tohru greeted as her group approached theirs.

"Tohru-nee!" Naruto greeted, running over to hug the Dragoness before giving hugs to the others, with Kobayashi getting hers last. "I missed you guys," he confessed in Kobayashi's arms, earning a gentle head rub from her.

"We missed you too," she replied, letting him go and gesturing to the other ninja. "Why don't you introduce us?"

"Oh! Right! Everyone, these are my friends from the other world!"

Tohru had a superior smile as she greeted, "I'm Tohru, and you ninja don't look so tough!"

"Try not to cause problems while we visit Uzumaki-kun's home world, Tohru," the Harmony Dragoness scolded before giving a polite bow to the ninja. "I'm Elma. It's nice meeting you."

"I'm Kanna," the youngest Dragon greeted simply.

"And I'm Kobayashi. Nice meeting you all," the sole Human of the other group rounded off.

"Hello again, everyone," Yugao greeted politely before grasping her husband-to-be's hand. "This is Gekko Hayate, my fiancé."

"Hello, everyone," he greeted with a smile before covering his mouth and coughing twice. "Forgive me. My health is not exactly the best at the moment."

"And this is Kakashi Hatake, my superior," Yugao continued.

"Yo," the man greeted casually with his signature eye-smile.

Tohru tilted her head and gave the man's book an odd expression. "What's Icha Icha…?"

Before the man could reply, Yugao dryly answered, "It's literary smut."

"I prefer the term erotica," Kakashi argued casually, as if he had used the argument multiple times.

"Right…"

"And this is my friend, Sasuke Uchiha," Naruto rounded off, elbowing his rival when he was seemingly ignoring everyone.

"Nice to meet you," he grunted out.

'He's just a ball of sunshine, isn't he?' Kobayashi thought with a sweatdrop.

"I love your swimsuits," Lucoa complimented her friends.

"Thanks! We looked up designs on the internet and made them with our scales!" Tohru informed her. "Aren't you gonna change?"

"Oh, I will. Give me a sec," she answered before magic engulfed her and her scale clothes changed to a very promiscuous bikini. "There we go~! My favorite thing about swimsuits is that you could show off as much flesh as you want!"

The males of the group all blushed at Lucoa's bikini, though Hayate was roughly elbowed by his fiancé while Kakashi raised his book to hide his wandering eye.

"Not accurate, or appropriate," Kobayashi blandly shot down.

"For real?" Lucoa asked, seemingly oblivious before turning to the Uzumaki and leaning forward. "Naru-baby, what do you think?"

Her outfit, her unconsciously alluring pose, and his feelings for her were too much of a combination for poor Naruto to handle. His blush turned supernova, his blue eyes became animated swirls, and his head let off an explosion of steam large enough to resemble a mushroom cloud.

Kobayashi's group all sighed at the expected result as Lucoa comically fretted over the now unconscious blonde. "At this rate, Naruto's gonna die from dehydration (steam), blood loss (nosebleed), or a heart attack (love)," Tohru commented before she set up her group's towels and umbrellas.

'Lucky son of a…' Sasuke mentally grumbled, deciding to just head down to the water and live in denial about his jealousy.

'I wonder if I should record this for Lord Jiraiya,' Kakashi mused, expertly hiding his giggles at the moment that would've easily fit in an Icha Icha book.

"I'm going to change," Yugao told Hayate. "I'll meet you by our umbrella."

"Sure thing," he replied alongside a brief cough.

"Are you alright, Hayate-san?" Kobayashi asked in concern.

"Hmm? Oh, I'll be alright. I've had lung issues for a few years now."

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

"Inhaled some toxic fumes during a mission that went south. Breathing them in did permanent damage to my lungs, weakening them and giving me a chronic cough."

"Is that why you look pale, as well?" Elma asked, equally concerned.

"Yes, unfortunately."

Lucoa, after helping Naruto come to, frowned at that. "Hayate-san, could you come here, please?"

Confused at the request, the Special Jonin still obliged and stepped up to her. He was about to ask what she needed, but he was cut off by a magic circle appearing in front of his chest with Lucoa frowning thoughtfully. After a few moments, Lucoa nodded to herself and dropped her frown for a smile.

"Found it," she stated simply, brushing her fingers and making the magic circle spin counterclockwise in a flurry of motion, blurring the archaic symbols within as it changed from a rose coloration to a bright green. It then began to shrink as it spun before slowing to a stop and pressing itself against the man's covered chest. It remained visible for a couple seconds before fading away, and Lucoa then asked, "Try taking a deep breath now."

Realizing what she was implying, Hayate cautiously took in air and braced himself for his lungs to struggle and force him to cough. But, to his joy, he took in more air and felt his lungs expand within his chest. He held it for a second before exhaling slowly, feeling the air leave his lips easily with no discomfort whatsoever.

"Better?" Lucoa asked with her smile still in place.

"How-?"

"Dragon Magic is very versatile, Hayate-san. I scanned your lungs, found the damage from the poison, and used Temporal Magic to reverse the damage. Your lungs are now back to the point just before you inhaled that poison."

The Special Jonin was rendered speechless at that while Naruto had stars in his eyes aimed at Lucoa. "You gotta teach me that someday, Lucoa-chan! That was so cool, ttebayo!"

His excited praise made her blush while Yugao, who was returning from changing just in time to see Hayate take that earlier breath, had a tearful smile on her face. 'Thank you, Lucoa…'

The first couple of hours were spent relaxing on the beach. Tohru was excited to put sunscreen on Kobayashi, but her excitement died with a simple statement.

"Get weird, and get fired…"

Hayate, who had changed into some trunks, was putting sunscreen on Yugao. She smiled as she relaxed on her towel, still riding the high of happiness that her fiancé's health was restored thanks to Lucoa's magic. Plans were already forming in her mind to take advantage of Hayate's restored lung capacity; plans that would've provided a certain Toad Pervert plenty of inspiration for his newest book.

Sasuke was talking with Kakashi, who had revealed his Sharingan to the young Uchiha and was telling him about his late teammate who gave him the eye before he died during the Third Great Ninja War. He was also informing the young Uchiha that he would be the boy's sensei in the future so that, when Sasuke awakened his own Sharingan, Kakashi could help him get used to the dōjutsu.

Kanna was enjoying some watermelon with Elma, the two of them savoring the sweet taste of the fruit and waiting for everyone else to finish so that they could go swimming.

As for Naruto and Lucoa…

"Here you go, Naru-baby," she said as she squeezed some sunscreen onto his hands. "You don't mind, do you?"

Naruto was too red in the face to answer.

"Perfect!" Lucoa declared, pulling the bottle of sunscreen away and laying on her stomach. "Have at it~!"

He looked to the sunscreen in his hands and then at her exposed back as his blush grew deeper.

"C'mon~!" she urged eagerly, making him swallow the lump in his throat and nervously place the sunscreen on her back. "There you go. Now, use your hands to spread it around my skin evenly."

This is how it went for the next few minutes, and by the time Naruto was done coating her in sunscreen, he was just shy of passed out on his own towel.

"Great! Now, let's switch!" she announced, gathering more sunscreen in her hands while Naruto froze on his towel with his back up. The next thing he knew was the cool feeling of the sunscreen and the gentle touch of the Ex-Goddess's hands on his back. "Alright, is that good?"

Swallowing the newest lump in his throat, he stuttered out, "I-I-Is what g-g-good…?"

Smiling at his shyness and having her own small blush, Lucoa clarified, "Am I coating you good?"

"O-Oh! I uh… I-I think so…"

"Good to hear! I'm nearly finished," she said as she moved from his arms to his legs. After another minute, she backed off. "All done~! Ready to swim now?"

The poor boy was blushing so much that he looked steamed and ready to serve. "…I think I'm gonna just lie here for a bit…"

She giggled at his response before easily lying down beside him. "Yeah, you're right. We can relax for a bit before getting wet…"

Sasuke had a dull expression when he saw Kakashi writing everything he had just witness with his Sharingan. "Lord Jiraiya will love this."

Yugao's brow twitched when she heard that. "Remind me to castrate him when we get back…"

With a chuckle, Hayate replied, "Sure thing."

"Hahaha! You'll never take our castle, Uchiha!" Naruto, playing the role of a warlord, declared from the top of a massive, full-scale castle that he and Kanna made with sand. Chakra and magic were useful for shaping and molding the grains into solid surfaces.

Sasuke, who was playing the role of the lone hero, had a twitching eye at Naruto's over the top enthusiasm. 'Does he have to be so…animated?' he mused in annoyance.

"Surrender your nation to our rule, and your people will be spared! Refuse, and everyone will die!" Warlord Naruto continued.

Sasuke sighed resignedly and drawled out, "We shall never surrender… Your time has come, Warlord Uzumaki…"

Everyone was silent, and only the island breeze could be heard while awkward sweatdrops were seen on the adults. As for Naruto, his brow was the one twitching now.

"What the hell was that?! You call that acting?! How do you plan on blending in as a ninja if you can't even roleplay correctly?!" he raged comically.

Lucoa and Tohru laughed at Naruto's frustrations while the other adults shook their heads in amusement. As for Kanna…

"Lady Tohru, I found some food to grill," she was heard announcing as she dragged a shark from the water to shore.

"Nice work, Kanna! I'll get to work on it right away!" praised the Chaos Dragon as she took the shark from Kanna and brought it to a large pit fire. Moments later, the now skewered animal was rotating above the fire for an even cook.

"You'll never best us, Warrior Maiden Elma!" Naruto cried out, Lucoa standing beside him while Elma was on Sasuke's side. "You and Lord Uchiha shall never reclaim this castle!"

"Fufufufu… You'd be surprised, Warlord Uzumaki!" Elma declared, flourishing her trident before looking to Sasuke. "Come, Lord Uchiha! Let us reclaim the castle and free our country from these invaders!"

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose as Elma charged and was met in "battle" by Lucoa. Meanwhile, Naruto approached him with an eager grin. "Let's finish this, Lord Uchiha. This battle shall decide the fate of Fire Country!"

'Why me…?'

"Food's ready, everyone!" Tohru announced, having made grilled shark and veggie kebobs with rice for the group. As she set aside the portions, she secretly made a portion that had a different meat mixed with the shark Kanna had found.

Tohru's tail meat.

'Kobayashi-san has denied my tail every time before now. But if it's mixed in, she might not notice!' she thought eagerly, taking the plates and handing them to the others to eat.

The last two plates were for Naruto and Kobayashi, and she made her way to them before she caught something in the corner of her eye. Now normally, Tohru would ignore it in favor of trying to sneak her tail meat to Kobayashi; but what she saw just happened to be the gift she had been preparing for Naruto for the holidays.

'Why is she here?!' she mentally panicked, absently handing Naruto and Kobayashi their food and hastily excusing herself so that she could try to keep the gift a secret.

However, she never realized that the two plates went to the wrong people, and Naruto had just taken a large bite of his kebob. Everyone was oblivious to the extra meat he had consumed, but Lucoa spotted it and her eyes widened by a fraction.

Her face flushed and she smiled softly, making no visible notion that anything was amiss. 'Thank you, Tohru… Looks like you'll have a new brother soon.'

The next day at Kobayashi's apartment, Tohru had just ended a call with Lucoa with her eyes wide. Stunned, she fell onto the couch and stared at nothing while Kobayashi watched her from the table.

"Everything okay…?" she asked in concern.

"…Naruto ate my tail meat…"

"Uh… Is that a bad thing?"

"…"

"Tohru…?"

"…I just guaranteed his future as a Dragon…"

"…Wait, what?" (1)

Episode 15:

A Fishcake's Holiday with Dragons

Winter… The coldest season of the year and the season for the year's last and first holidays.

Christmas, where people gather in the spirit of love togetherness and exchange gifts…

New Year's Eve, the final day of the year where you reflect on what you've done and anticipate the coming year…

New Year's Day, a symbolic day for New Beginnings and Fresh Starts…

Yes, Naruto was excited for the coming holidays; more excited than he was before he met Lucoa. For the first years of his life before she came into it, Naruto would be alone during those holidays and wonder what it would be like to have a family to spend them with.

But now, since Lucoa became a part of his life, he met so many new people and made wonderful friends. This year would put all those past years to shame for one simple reason.

It wouldn't be spent alone.

Thanks to her magic, and the fact that nobody else bothered to live in the same building as the village Jinchūriki, Lucoa was able to expand Naruto's apartment so that it encompassed multiple ones into a single unit. Now, Naruto's apartment encompassed the entire top floor of the three-story building, giving him plenty of room to live comfortably and enough space to host a gathering of people from another world for a week.

It was Christmas Eve, and the duo were busy setting up guest rooms on the second-floor apartments while the first floor had been magically renovated to act as a party space. The rooms had been cleaned and stocked with essential toiletries for the coming guests, and the first floor had been decorated with a large Christmas tree and tables set up for food.

"Perfect," Naruto declared as he put the star on top of the Christmas tree.

Beneath the tree were presents Naruto had gathered for his guests; even Sasuke who had once again agreed to join him and his friends. Lucoa's gifts were also there, wrapped differently than Naruto's so that guests knew who they came from.

"I'm glad that Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan agreed to join us for the festivities," Lucoa mused as she and Naruto gazed at the tree that was aglow with decorative lights.

"Well, I still need Tohru-nee to try Ichiraku Ramen and see why hers fell short."

Lucoa giggled at that. "Let's hope she doesn't blow up after tasting it."

He chuckled with her, leaning back in her embrace. "I'm glad I can spend this time with you, Lucoa-chan."

Her hold on him tightened slightly to show her affection. "I am too, Naruto-kun…"

The following day, Kobayashi and the others arrived via magic circle at the rooftop of the apartment complex. Fafnir and Takiya were with them this time, alongside Saikawa and her older sibling, Georgie; the last two having been told about the supernatural and Kanna revealing her Dragon status to her friend.

Instead of freaking out negatively, the girl freaked out that her crush was a super amazing Dragon. Safe to say, she took it well.

Naruto hadn't met Georgie before, but he found her to be very kind and incredibly dedicated to fulfilling her self-given role of maid. Her demeanor was one that Naruto always hoped to have if he had a biological older sibling.

Introductions were then shared between the group and the two Ichiraku chefs, and Tohru immediately challenged them to a ramen cooking competition to be had later on during the festivities. Having been warned ahead of time about Tohru's competitive nature, the two simply smiled and accepted the challenge.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the guests settling into the rooms provided to them while they also got dressed in festive clothing. Sasuke showed up by this time, wearing some casual wear and arriving empty-handed.

Naruto didn't mind that the Uchiha didn't bring anything; instead, being happy that his friend and rival showed up.

The Uzumaki smiled as his guests enjoyed themselves, sitting and observing them from a corner as he enjoyed some hot chocolate the Georgie made. Sasuke moved to lean against the wall beside him, watching the others alongside his friendly rival.

"Who would've thought that your housemate was an actual Dragon?" he mused aloud.

"Yep. I'm excited to see more of the Dragons and learn more about them."

"I'm guessing that the thing Lucoa-san is teaching you is reserved for Dragons or those magically inclined?"

"Yeah. I had to get these brands just so I could learn. I'm not planning on teaching anyone else about magic though; except for any kids I might have."

Sasuke smirked and teased, "Kids, huh? Hoping to start a family someday with Lucoa?"

Instead of getting embarrassed, Naruto gave a genuine smile to the Uchiha and nodded. "Yeah… I am."

The teasing smirk became more genuine, and he playfully nudged his friend. "Well, I doubt you'd ever find anyone better than her. I've seen how happy she makes you." His smirk fell for a more subdued look as he added, "Hold on to her, idiot. You never know when the things you love could be taken from you…"

Knowing what Sasuke was referring to, Naruto nodded in understanding. "Yeah… I will. And hey…"

"What?"

"It might not be my place to say this, but I think your clan is happy for you right now."

"Why?"

His smile grew into a small grin as he asked rhetorically, "What family wouldn't want their own to be happy?"

Sasuke stilled at that for a moment, letting the question sink in and then closing his eyes with his smirk returning. 'Yeah… I hope they're happy for me…'

After food was served – and with Kobayashi comforting Tohru who grudgingly admitted that the Ichiraku ramen was better than her own – the group gathered around for the exchanging of gifts. Naruto passed out the gifts he had prepared to the guests, and he apologized to Georgie when he confessed to not having one for her (since he hadn't met her until earlier that day). The young woman waved off his apologies gracefully, and she thanked him for being a wonderful host and friend of Saikawa.

Speaking of Saikawa, Naruto had gotten her an outfit that was inspired by the girls in his class; highlighting the fashion of the girls Naruto's age.

For Elma and Kanna, Naruto got them some sweets from the village candy store. One of the sweets in question was pocky; something Sasuke remembered that Itachi enjoyed before he went rogue.

As for the Uchiha, Naruto got him some beginner weights like the ones he wore during his physical training for the Raging Dragon taijutsu style.

For Takiya, he asked Yugao for a copy of the standard Chunin uniform. Seeing as the man was an otaku who enjoyed cosplay, Naruto figured he would like the uniform. Takiya had said it was stylish and functional.

Fafnir was hard to shop for, seeing as the village didn't have access to videogames. Instead, he gave the Curse Dragon a handmade storage scroll that, with Lucoa's help, would respond to Dragon magic. It would allow Fafnir to seal away his treasure and keep it on his person at all times; something the Dragon admitted would be useful.

For Ayame and Teuchi, Naruto gave them some seashell necklaces that he made from the shells he had gathered during the beach trip. Ayame found the gift incredibly sweet and hugged her pseudo brother in thanks while Teuchi simply smiled and thanked the young blonde.

For Tohru, Naruto got her a metal charm that had been carved in the likeness of a Dragon. Like Ayame did, she hugged Naruto for the gift and whispered that she needed to speak with him later. While confused, Naruto decided to wait and see what she needed to say.

Lastly was Kobayashi, and Naruto felt that she would enjoy a more practical gift. So, after speaking with Shikamaru and his parents, he presented the young woman with specialized medicine for her lower back problems. Of course, Kobayashi was very grateful for the gift and planned to use it as soon as she was back at her job.

More gifts were exchanged between the guests, and Naruto's received gifts were mainly centered around helping him with his home life. Another cookbook from Elma, some organizers for papers from Saikawa and Georgie, another camera and scrapbook from Kobayashi and Kanna, and a new game from Takiya and Fafnir.

"My gift is somewhere else," Tohru spoke up, preparing a magic circle. "Back in a second!"

Curious, Naruto waited for her to return, and when she did, it was with a very large planting pot. "Oh, a pot for gardening. Thanks, Tohru-nee."

"Not quite," she replied. "Look inside."

Interested, Naruto approached the pot and peered into it, taking in the site of a young-looking girl that appeared to be made of plants. Her hair looked to be made of leaves, and her arms and legs were plantlike appendages that seemed to be wood. Her modesty was covered by more leaves and vines, and she regarded him with open curiosity.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Whoa! A Plant Girl! That's so cool! What's your name?" he asked in growing excitement.

"I was named Kii by her," she answered, pointing to Tohru. (2)

"Kii?" he repeated.

"Rhymes with tree," the Dragoness explained simply, earning several sweatdrops.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kii! I'll be sure to take very good care of you. There's a girl in my class whose family runs a flower shop, so they should help me learn what I need to make sure you grow nice and healthy!"

Kii smiled at his warmth and enthusiasm. Not to mention the natural feel of his chakra was almost like she was receiving photosynthesis. 'I can feel the nutrients his energy is releasing…'

Things slowly died down after the gifts were exchanged, and soon everyone left for either their rooms or for home. Tohru and Georgie, being the maids that they chose to be, helped Naruto clean up the mess before retiring for the evening.

Naruto was next seen on the roof of the building with Lucoa, sitting in her lap as she leaned against the railing. There was some light snow in the air, and the moon would peek from behind the drifting clouds; the makings of a lovely winter's evening.

"Tonight was great," he stated softly, happiness radiating from him.

"I'm glad to hear that, Naru-baby. And I still have to give you my gift."

He was about to ask what it was but was left blushing when she kissed his cheek lovingly. After a moment to compose himself, he chuckled shyly and commented, "This is awkward…"

"Why's that-?" she asked before she was cut off by Naruto kissing her cheek, leaving her blushing at the sweet gesture.

Shyly avoiding her gaze, he answered, "I…got you the same thing…"

Her heart was beating hard in her chest, and she was smiling tenderly as she placed a hand to his cheek and made him face her. With a serene smile, she rested her forehead against his and stared adoringly into the blues of his eyes.

She then leaned in and softly melded her lips to his, sharing her first kiss with her Naru-baby. At first, he understandably froze at the kiss; but when he started to kiss back, she felt her heart nearly burst in happiness.

The kiss lasted for a few precious moments, and she pulled back just enough to rest her forehead once more against his own. "Merry Christmas, Naruto-kun…" she whispered lovingly

With a genuinely peaceful smile and a blush that she thought was just adorable, he whispered back, "Merry Christmas, Lucoa-chan…"

1~ I like to think that Tohru is so adamant about feeding her tail to Kobayashi because it would extend her lifespan beyond that of the average Human. Now, seeing as Naruto has received brandings from Lucoa, what do you readers believe will happen after consuming purified Dragon meat?

2~ Yep! I brought in Kii from Monster Musume into this story! Naruto's always had a green thumb according to the wiki and data books; so, let's see how he does with a Dryad Girl!

BAM! The kiss everyone has been waiting for! How's THAT for a surprise?!

Please let me know your thoughts on the update! Next time will be the timeskip to canon!

…Or will it?

Until next time!

Stay safe, healthy, and positive!

pain17ification