Flight of Bladed Wings

by BlackReaper20

The age of the ninja may be a relic of the past, but it is not forgotten. Namikaze Naruto spends his time fighting his age old nemesis; boredom. On a day as dull as any other, a single decision to investigate a strange occurrence will change his entire world. This is a fic with a unique twist; new characters, new story line, and all-around novelty. Naruto x Harem.

2. Chapter 2: Yuegen's Revival

Flight of Bladed Wings

Ch. 2, 3, 4: Yuegen's Revival, First Contact, and Joining the Game

AN: You know, I never realized just how small a 3.5k word count really looks outside of editors. Quite honestly, I'm debating making the individual chapters larger, but take a little longer to put out, or shorter update time, but keep the chapters the same length. I think I can manage to do a bit more than what I've set my interval to currently, because I wasn't satisfied personally with the quantity of the last chapter. What I've decided to do is combine the next three chapters into one larger chapter, which will pretty much catch up to where I am currently writing. The length is somewhere around 11k for this chapter.

I want to say thank you to each and every one of you who has taken the time to read this, and especially to those of you who followed, favorited, and reviewed. It made me truly happy to see so much activity for this story, and to see this community is still alive. I am so very grateful for the support you all have shown thus far. Thank you especially to those who commented and left their ideas and kind words encouraging me.

Garnetio Solozari, thank you for your detailed thoughts on how I can improve my writing. I read through to edit once before I posted, though admittedly a little too quickly. Viewing this again as a reader, I caught several of those redundancies as you mentioned, and edited them in my draft, if for no other reason than to better my work going forward. I promise to give a thorough edit before I post each chapter, because it is well worth it. In fact I spent two hours editing through before posting this one, which allowed me to polish it up a bit. I feel much more satisfied with my work.

Thank you to Beastyd22 and Navi Mamani for your encouragement, and thank you to Jonathan Makute, DarkShadowRaven, Bigjo21, KuronoDono12, and NragedEnforcer for your ideas, inputs, votes, and opinions on the story. Spilt234, your question will be answered this chapter. Lastly, thank you Pravda93 for being my first favorite and follow. Of course, thank you to all of you, but I wanted to make special note of these wonderful people and their deeds.

I updated my profile info on Sunday, so if you're interested in knowing a little about little old me, I put a bio on there.

Some notes about the story: I want to keep the harem members secret for the most part, but I do want to answer some questions. I think for those of you who want to see a certain 'redeemed lost bird', you'll be pleasantly surprised. Said character is one of my two absolute favorites; both are guaranteed in the harem. To elucidate another thought concerning the story, Naruto is NOT immortal; he can be killed. I will explain this properly as the story goes on, but a number of changes I have made to the story are to avoid the "Easy Win Conundrum," as I like to call it.

I would also like to know your thoughts on having Kurama, the bijuu, or anyone else present in Naruto's mindscape. I am very much on the fence, and only now as I'm typing this can I think of a way to plausibly add them in since I will have to scrap where I wanted to do so thanks to it being at the beginning of the next chapter. However, if you would prefer them to not be present, that works just as well for me.

One last thing: I would like to know what sort of update schedule you would like to see. Would you prefer a smaller, 3-4k chapter every 4 days or so, or a larger, 10-11k chapter every 10-11 days? I would like as much as possible to create an update system that makes you all happy.

Enough delay on my part; onto the story.

Amber eyes slowly fluttered open, vision swimming like a bad hangover. A minute passed before her vision cleared enough to see properly, and once it did she could make out the dull white of a ceiling. Groaning, fuzzy memories of her last waking thoughts trickled back to her ever so slowly. The fight with the lightning twins, Homura, and the explosion. After that, there was nothing. This wasn't the aesthetic of a hospital ceiling, so it couldn't be that. She wasn't in a hospital nor deactivated, and MBI hadn't come to get her. Where was she, then?

Shifting in her confinements, she could feel the soft sheets, fluffy pillow, and spongy mattress beneath her. Nope, definitely not a hospital. Groaning quietly, she sunk deeper into her current residence. Her whole body ached, and the bed felt so comfortable… but she needed to get up. She had no way of knowing if she was safe. At worst, she had been picked up by someone with… less than favorable intentions. In her condition, she would be hard pressed to fend for herself. Her best option would be to escape before her warden noticed.

Tensely sliding out of bed, she winced as her cracked ribs and raw muscles protested their forced movement. Wobbling as she tried to regain her balance, she latched onto the bedside table before she could fall. Glancing towards the object of furniture, she saw a lone glass of water sitting atop it, along with a small roll of bandages and several small, white pills. Sweeping her eyes to look at her person, she could tell that she was wrapped in a multitude of bandages. Any more and she could pass as an Egyptian mummy. Someone had been treating her. The question was; who?

Taking a survey of her surroundings, she could assuredly tell this was a bedroom, of that there was no question, though it was a touch spartan. Walls of a light green and of only the most essential furniture, it was easy to tell that whoever lived here likely only used the room when absolutely needed. Upon the left wall was a lone window and an entrance to a small balcony overlooking the city. From the wear – seeing as the room got very little, even slight usage was noticeable in the nearly pristine looking chamber – she could tell the balcony saw frequent use. Just off of the look of the room, she figured she wasn't in a terrible lot of danger. The personality of such a person with a room like this was probably either subdued or a sociopath simply because of the blandness of the design. She wasn't about to find out the hard way, though. She sighed to herself.

Normally, this would have been an easy escape; a quick leap out the window and she would be home free. In her damaged state, however, she wasn't particularly confident that she would survive the fall. Even assuming she could still use her metal control, doing so in a residential district during the day would be a bad idea. Front door it was then.

Letting go of the table, she slowly and quietly made her way through the room towards the door, doing her utmost to avoid the creaking of any floorboards that might alert her captor.

As she reached the closed door, she slowly grasped the handle and tensely peeked through the small crack she made. Not seeing anyone at first glance, she opened the door a slight bit further, repeating the process. After a third check, she opened the door just enough for her to get through before quietly shutting it. This was definitely an apartment she was in. After all, she could see the living room, the kitchen, and front door from here. And now that she was through, she could also see the owner of said apartment; a blonde head of hair peeking over a couch in the living room.

Luckily, the bedroom was located behind the living room, so they were facing away from her, and the front door was a straight shot down the hall. To her further fortune, there were half-walls that somewhat separated the living room from the rest of the open apartment, so if she could get past them without being detected, she would almost be home free, no pun intended.

Limping along lamely, she inched her way towards the front door. The closer and closer she got to the living room, the more and more cautious her movements became. It hurt like a bitch to move to begin with, and the pain was intensifying with every twitch of her muscles. She was doing her utmost to not gasp in pain even lightly, lest she give herself away. She was almost to the door though. Only a little more and she would be free. She could rest once she was out. As the confined woman reached the first half-wall, she stopped. Just a little further. The man still hadn't turned around or given any indication he knew she was there.

"You should really stay in bed. Those injuries are grave; if you don't rest, they could cause permanent damage."

Startled, the woman's muscles jumped slightly, eliciting a hiss of pain from her. 'Damn it.' She grimaced, being stealthy didn't matter anymore, she had already been found out. The man stood up and turned around slowly, cerulean eyes locking with her amber ones.

The man was relatively tall, easily standing several inches above her five foot ten frame. His golden hair, lightly tanned skin, and deep blue eyes were different from any Japanese person she had seen. He must have been a foreigner, American most likely. His body was lean yet muscular, a classic fighter's build. That was probably the case if what she had heard from the people of Japan about foreigners was true. He wasn't wearing anything particularly special; a pair of black cargo pants and a somewhat tight black shirt. What a strange looking person. Back to the topic at hand, though. Seeing as she had already been spotted, she might as well get a few answers to clear her situation up. "What are your intentions with me?" she asked. Her voice was tempered by a pained rasp, soft spoken yet loud enough that Naruto could hear.

Naruto merely raised an eyebrow before responding in a slow drawl. "A direct question. I'm impressed. Your first question wasn't the age old, 'Who are you? Where am I?' bit. How novel."

She snorted lightly, "Who you are likely wouldn't mean a thing to me, and I can already tell where I am. Again, what do you want? Why and how did you find me?" She made sure she avoided mentioning the fight that had gone down.

He hummed for a second, "To answer your question, I was watching your fight." Her eyes widened slightly at this. 'So he already knows about the Sekirei and our powers? How did we not notice him there? A human at the scene should have been obvious.' She was stopped before she could voice her thoughts as he continued, "After those twins let off that giant lightning suicide attack, they escaped. 'Homura' as I believe you called him chased after them. I was getting ready to leave when I heard you, buried somewhere beneath a collapsed building. I dug you out and brought you here to take care of your wounds. I thought it best not to take you to a hospital seeing as you're… different from most humans."

She let out a short laugh at that. "I suppose that's one way to put it, though that's not entirely correct. Regardless, I'll be on my way. Thank you for the care you provided. I'll be sure to repay the debt I owe you one day. Farewell." Number 66 turned to leave, but quickly found her momentum stopped by a vice grip on her shoulder, causing her to wince slightly. Turning her head back to her caregiver, she glared at him. "What do you think you're doing? I said I'll be going now." Again she made to leave, but the hand on her shoulder refused to budge. If Naruto was affected by her gaze, he didn't show it. "If you can make me let go, then you're free to leave, but if you can't, then go lie back down." With a snarl, she tried to rip herself free of his grasp, but found no give in the steely hand. Sighing, she realized that she wasn't going to be leaving here right now, even with a fight. Whether or not she wanted to admit it, she didn't have enough strength in her body to shake him free, normal human or not. 'I can afford to stay a little longer. Honestly, it might be nice to take a break from this ridiculous game and the constant hunting. What better else have I got to do?'

As if he read her mind, Naruto spoke again, "You're not even remotely close to fully healed, and I don't do something like this half-assed. I unburied you and brought you back here, so I'm responsible for things until you can make it by yourself. Honestly, I don't mind looking after you for the temporary. Not like I have anything else to do. It's helping to relieve my boredom, so that's all that really matters."

Number 66 just stared at Naruto with an odd expression for a few moments before asking, "What's your name, human?" Naruto stared at her with the same dull, blank stare that always adorned his face, seemingly debating with himself. Coming to a decision he spoke up, "Naruto. Namikaze Naruto. And you're Number 66," he said matter-of-factly.

Number 66 smirked at him. "That's just my Sekirei identity. The name's Yuegen. Seeing as you saw the fight, it doesn't hurt to tell you my type. I'm an element-type Sekirei; a metal-user. I'm an unwinged Sekirei, reacting to no one."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this statement, but otherwise made no remark. "I see. Let's get you back to bed. Standing out here isn't going to do you any good." As Yuegen was about to protest, he cut her off, "No ifs, ands, or buts. I told you; you're my boredom relief for the temporary. Now go lay down." As he spoke, he began to usher her back to the bedroom. With a sigh, Yuegen resigned herself to her fate, and using what little strength she had shuffled her way back into the bedroom.

Yuegen's curvaceous figure sank into the bed's embrace as Naruto helped ease her in. As soon as her body hit the mattress, she let out a loud sigh of contentment. Though she wouldn't admit it aloud, moving so soon after her injury was extremely painful. Her golden eyes floated slowly towards her caretaker. Coughing, she rasped out a thought that had come to mind while walking. "You know, you never did answer my question. What do you want from me? Were you planning to use me for my body in my weakened state?" She went silent for a second, "There's not much I could do to stop you right now if you made a move."

This would be her final test of his character; if he truly did have ill intentions, she would call upon her Sekirei-given power and kill him in an instant, no matter what it may do to her. While he had passed the rest of her tests, she would not rest until she knew for sure he was harmless. MBI could cover up his death after all. The company was rich. One missing person would be nothing for them.

Naruto chuckled in a distinctively non-humorous way, "Your body is nice, no one could deny that. However, I have absolutely no intentions of that manner. I find it distasteful to take advantage of another in such abhorrent methods. Rest assured, you're safe here until you've healed. And I'm sure that should you want to, you could use that power of yours to end me in a tight spot."

Yuegen shifted her head and stared straight at the ceiling. 'I think this might be fine… for now. I won't stay here long anyways. Just long enough to let the, heh, 'doctor' discharge me. No point in getting this man anymore involved than he already is. Though I wonder…' She closed her eyes as her fatigue caught back up with her, and within a matter of seconds returned to the realm of sleep. The last thing she heard before unconsciousness took her was a flat reply of "Rest well. We'll speak more when you wake again."

XXXXXXXXXX

When next her eyes opened, she had to question if they were still shut; darkness still clouded her vision. The clock on the bedside table read 3:24 a.m. in its' neon red light.

Getting out of bed, she found, was already a bit easier than earlier in the day, despite the severity of her wounds. 'I am a Sekirei after all. Our healing factor puts the humans' pitiful recovery rate to shame.' Yuegen made her way to the small balcony connected to the room and walked through the slightly cracked doors, stopping to lean against the rail and pan over the magnificent view of the city. Yuegen's eyes swept to the other standing figure on the balcony.

"My apologies if I woke you. Often times I find myself awake at this hour. The view of the city from here always manages to… sort things out for me, for one reason or another. So very different from my birthplace… Tell me, what do you think of this city?" By the end, his eyes seemed to be staring not so much at the sky as through it, almost wistfully. The entire time he spoke his eyes never left the view.

Yuegen looked up at the starless sky above, " I don't particularly care for this view nor this place. The toxicity of the city steals away the stars from the sky, much the same as my kind. There is nothing for us here; this place is an iron cage designed to keep us in, yet everything within belongs to a different world. I spend my days wandering, simply passing time. I have no reason to fight in this game that I've been cast in. Without that, I have no purpose. That was a long winded way of saying I truly despise this city, I suppose."

Finally looking at his guest, Naruto hummed lowly before resuming his sentinel of the night sky above. "That's understandable. I spend my time much the same, simply staving off boredom every day. What is this Sekirei Plan about? You might as well tell me at this point, with how involved I am. Unless you intend to kill me, that is."

"I won't kill you. You've given me hospitality when it was not your burden to bear, and I'm not one to stab the hand that saves me. As for the Sekirei Plan… I'll tell you."

Naruto turned to face her directly, his face set in a visage of attentiveness. Yuegen couldn't help getting lost in his eyes. The azure blue, which would look so deep had they been bright, were dull and shallow. It wasn't hard for her to tell that Naruto's life must have been a hell of a ride. His eyes… looked so much like hers in that moment. Yuegen snapped out of her little tirade when he coughed lightly.

"Sorry about that. I needed to think about something before I spoke." Not a lie in any sense, just a statement that could be easily misconstrued. "It's fine," he said, "Please continue."

"Right. Now where should I start? I suppose I'll start with the obvious. I am a Sekirei." At Naruto's nod, Yuegen continued. "We Sekirei are not of this world; we are an alien race that crashed into this planet a long time ago. The Sekirei were already in the hands of MBI when we reawakened."

Naruto stopped her to ask a question. "To clarify, is this MBI as in Mid Bio Informatics? The conglomerate based here in Tokyo?" Yuegen nodded, "The very same. Using the technology found on our craft, MBI has made huge advancements in the medical and technological fields, dominating the markets of Japan and the world. The CEO, Hiroto Minaka, is the one behind the release of the Sekirei and the subsequent destruction and rumors. His goal in doing so is a tournament of sorts he calls the 'Sekirei Plan'. Before I can properly explain that, you'll need to know some basic physiological functions of the Sekirei race."

At this, Yuegen stopped speaking and watched Naruto for a motion to continue. It was understandable that any average human would need a moment to process the information she was sharing. Seemingly catching her drift, Naruto nodded slightly in an appreciative manner, "I only have one question: are your people actually called Sekirei? Like the wagtail? Or is that something CEO Minaka came up with?"

Yuegen deadpanned. Out of everything she had said so far, that was what concerned him? 'What a strange human indeed.' "I believe it's a name Hiroto Minaka came up with himself after first seeing our kind. The actual name of our race has no formal translation to your language. In fact, the only reason we are able to speak Japanese is because of our conditioning in MBI's labs. I digress. The Sekirei all have supernatural abilities, as you've already seen. Each Sekirei varies in their level and type of power. Not every Sekirei has a purely unique type of power; take the lightning twins for example. Some don't even have a 'power' per se, a number of us use weapons and have enhanced physical capabilities to balance. Like I said earlier, I am a metal user, meaning I can control metal." Yuegen raised her hand and made the iron railing bend ever so noticeably before shifting it back to its' original position. "Seems I'm already feeling a bit better. I couldn't do that a few hours ago. My limitation is that I can only control iron, steel, and aluminum specifically. We may be powerful, but not all-encompassing. My telling you that is my way of saying thanks for the stay. You're welcome."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow and snorted, a ghost of a smile playing on his face. Grinning wolfishly, Yuegen went back to her explanation. "The other major function of the Sekirei revolves around our ability to be 'winged'. It is the way our race always has been, and it is the real factor that Minaka is taking advantage of. For a Sekirei to find his or her destined partner, they must 'react' to them. When a Sekirei reacts, any number of things happen: quickened pulse and/or heart rate, flushed face, increased body temperature, fainting and weakness of body, loss of control of powers, visions of their destined one in their dreams, etc. The majority of these occurrences only happen in close proximity, luckily. The Sekirei call these destined ones 'Ashikabi'." Again Yuegen stopped to let Naruto catch up. After several long seconds, Naruto locked eyes with her and nodded.

"While a Sekirei can react to several different people theoretically, they usually only react to one person. To be winged, a Sekirei and their destined one must have mucosal contact to form the 'bond' that defines a Sekirei/Ashikabi pair. Before you ask, the contact must specifically be a kiss. I probably should have said that to begin with. Anyways, once a bond has been formed, the pair are bonded until death or deactivation, though that second one you don't need to know about. The bond itself is sacred to my race; it is the very sign of a Sekirei giving their mind, body, and soul to their Ashikabi, much like marriage. Many Sekirei lose themselves in the torrential flow of the bond, becoming utterly infatuated and utterly devoted to their beloved. It's honestly quite sad to see so many lose their personality to their bond, but really it's just a sign of weakness. The bond isn't unbreakable, however. This is where we start to get into MBI's hand in things."

Naruto cracked his neck in a series of satisfying pops, followed by his back and shoulders. Closing his eyes, he breathed out a small sigh, once more motioning for her to continue.

"Hiroto Minaka has his company integrating the Sekirei into this society for the purpose of having our race battle to the end." Naruto's mouth tightened ever so slightly at this. That brought up some rather bad memories for him…

Yuegen turned away from him and loosened the bandages around her neck, allowing them to hang loosely down her back, exposing the bare skin of her neck and upper back. Yuegen's skin was smooth and unblemished, as perfect as skin could get. She truly was a marvelous definition of beauty by anyone's definition. The only thing that stuck out in this image was the strange red mark at the nape of her neck. It was a rather interesting looking sigil: the main stake was a flute-like bird with raised wings. Below it was a yin-yang symbol, flanked by two tomoe on either side.

After a few more seconds, she retightened the bandages and turned to face him. "That mark is called the 'Sekirei Crest'. It is a mark all Sekirei have, distinguishing us from any normal human. Beneath that crest is a core from which we all draw all our energy. It's somewhat like a battery for Sekirei power. Minaka has rigged our crests and cores both to serve his own ends in this game. Should we be defeated by another Sekirei, our core will shut down and sever the bond, most likely killing us in the process. Assuming that we weren't killed by an attack prior. That's all you really need to know, anything else is just information for Ashikabi."

Naruto's azure eyes locked onto Yuegen's amber eyes as he stared deeply into them. The seconds grew longer and longer, to the point that the usually unflappable Yuegen was starting to experience some mild discomfort. It was those eyes… she still wasn't able to place it, but something about them was just… wrong. Naruto grunted and nodded his head, seemingly finished with whatever assessment he was conducting. "Thank you." Yuegen nearly face-faulted, but caught herself. After all that, all he had to say was a soft 'Thank you'? 'This human truly is the strangest one I've seen.' Yuegen coughed lightly into her hand, "You're welcome." She shifted her eyes away from him. "I have a question," she said.

"And what might that be?"

Yuegen's stomach rumbled lowly. Yuegen's face lit up with a blush and a grimace came to her face, her eyes cast aside. "C-Can we make something to eat? I-it's been awhile since I last had a meal." She had to force out the last part, the embarrassment breaking her usual composure and the serious vibe in the air.

Naruto merely chuckled at her predicament. "I left food beside the bed. Did you not notice it?" Yuegen's face went scarlet. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I have been so stupid! It was right in front of me and I missed it! I went and embarrassed myself for no reason!' She tried to gather herself before speaking, but utterly failed. "N-no, I didn't. It was dark inside, and I was still half-asleep. My apologies for missing it." 'Good save Yuegen! Totally kept it cool.'

"Ah, and here I went and spent all the trouble putting my heart and soul into making that food for you like a faithful housewife, only for it to be looked over. Oh, fate is a cruel mistress! I want a divorce!" Naruto hammed it all the way up, waterfalls pouring from his eyes as he tried to wipe them away, throwing in an occasional hiccup or sniffle for added effect.

At this point, Yuegen had lost any chance of putting up a cool façade, her whole face red, her mouth agape, her eyes wide, and her arms waving frantically as she tried to come up with something to calm him down. "W-wait! I didn't mean anything by what I said! I can't let the food you put so much effort into making go bad! I'll go eat it right now!" She rushed off to make good on her word, only to be stopped once again by a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright. I was just teasing, dear. I didn't expect you to wake until morning, so I made something that wouldn't spoil and wrapped it. You can take your time eating it." Naruto's voice had returned to its' monotone drawl once again, as if it had never changed. "That was the first time I've made an attempt at humor in a long time. It actually felt somewhat refreshing. Thank you for playing along with me."

Yuegen stutter-coughed into her fist as she caught her breath. "R-right. I didn't want to seem like a bad guest to my host. If you don't mind, I'm going to go eat now." She turned and walked back inside without even waiting for his response. Quite ironic, really.

Naruto let the barest amused smile sneak onto his face. He'd given her a perceived out to make up for teasing her. He didn't want to flat out embarrass her, after all. Naruto's musings were interrupted by a low grumble from his stomach. Snorting, he realized that he, too, had not eaten for a while, having stood staring out at the horizon for several hours on end. Making his way back to the kitchen, he made himself something to eat.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hiroto Minaka was an unusually paranoid man, only matched by his insanity. It drove his assistant, Sahashi Takami, crazy. She was the only one who had actually ever seen the CEO of MBI, as he never revealed his face to his employees, let alone the public. Despite this, he had slowly begun to take over the workings of the city like a shadow puppet master. He already had started to worm his way into the pockets of the police, as well as buy small portions of Tokyo. He would start small for now, eventually working up to taking over the city once he was sure it was safe. Minaka leaned forward and laid his arms upon his desk. The desk, true to his paranoid nature, sat close to one of the side walls of his office. Not too close though. Someone could come through the wall. Forget it being on the forty-sixth floor of the building and impervious thanks to Sekirei technology, that wasn't important. Not too close to the door or the window either. A ninja could bust in and assassinate him without anyone the wiser. Truly a paranoid man. That was besides the point though. At this point in time, only a handful of the Sekirei had fully adjusted to their experimentation and passed the exit test now, but that was alright. The Plan was just starting, and maybe the random nature of their release would somewhat balance the game. Minaka laughed to himself. He had to pat himself on the back, finding the Sekirei all those years ago had been the best thing he had ever done. After all, this had eliminated that pesky demon called… boredom.

XXXXXXXXXX

Several mornings later…

"You're looking much better, Yuegen. It should only be a day or two until you're able to leave. Sekirei are truly impressive." Naruto said with an appraising nod; he wasn't wrong. After just a few days, her skin was only missing a layer or two in most of the damaged areas, her shredded muscles had nearly reconnected properly, her bioelectric functions were stabilized, and her blood had replenished.

"You know, I think that's the first time you've actually said my name. Aww… he's getting soft." A wolfish grin split Yuegen's face as she spoke. Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sekirei heal much faster than humans overall, so it's to be expected. An injury that would put you out for a month will take us less than a week. My injuries weren't too severe to begin with, so the recovery time is relatively short." She explained the situation almost like a lecture, as if she hadn't nearly been fried like chicken.

By the third day, she was able to wear something besides bandages, temporarily wearing some of Naruto's clothes until she could re-forge her standard armor.

Flashback

"How are you feeling?"

"Well I don't feel like I was on the wrong end of a woodchipper anymore, so I'll take that as a good sign." Yuegen went through a series of stretches testing out the extent of her mobility.

"What do you plan to do once you leave here?"

Yuegen paused in the middle of flexing her fingers and stared at Naruto. "If I'm not mistaken, it sounds like you might be worried for me. Oh dear, it seems my feminine charm has stolen this poor man's heart… what ever shall I do?"

Naruto's eyes bored into her, making it clear just how amused he was. "You didn't answer my question."

Sighing, Yuegen closed her eyes. "I don't know. Like I told you the night you brought me here, I have no aspirations at the moment. I don't intend to be part of this ridiculous squabble, and there's nothing else for me to do, so I'll probably just wander around the city."

Humming in response, Naruto shifted on the couch and grabbed a book off the coffee table. Opening the book and turning to his bookmark, Naruto spoke once again. "Will you stay here until you've recovered?"

Surprise crossed Yuegen's face at his words, "I'm surprised you'd let me go any sooner than mint condition. Considering how adamant you've been until now about taking care of me, I hadn't even thought about leaving without you clearing me." Naruto turned a page in his book, eyes flitting across the lines rapidly. "I see. Does that mean you'll stay? The choice is up to you. Now that you're up and moving well, I won't stop you should you decide to leave."

Yuegen mulled over his words for a minute before bowing slightly, "Sure. I have no better alternative, and you've been surprisingly decent company, Naruto. If it isn't too much of an imposition, I'll stay here awhile longer."

Closing his book with a soft clap, Naruto placed the book down, completed. "Good. Finding something else to do would have been troublesome. I'll make us something good for dinner tonight."

Naruto stood up and began walking to the bedroom, prompting Yuegen to trail after him. She voiced her curiosity, "What are you doing?"

"Finding something for you to wear. Unless you'd rather wear bandages until you can go out shopping? While they certainly do your figure justice, I doubt looking like you walked straight out of a pyramid is comfortable."

"While I somewhat appreciate the comment about my figure, who's fault is it that I'm taped up like a mummy?"

"The twins."

"…Fair enough. Are you sure you have anything that will be able to fit me?"

"We'll find out in a moment." Naruto opened his closet and immediately began rooting through the shirts that hung within. Yuegen peeked over his shoulder to get a view of what he wore. 'Talk about utilitarian. It's all monochrome colors, mostly black. No, wait… is that orange? Yeah, now that I look closer every single shirt in his closet has a small trace of orange somewhere. I wonder why. Naruto truly is the strangest person I've ever met, even compared to the eccentricity of other Sekirei.' She backed up as Naruto exited the closet with several shirts hung over his forearm. He shoved them towards her in offering, "Try these on. I'll wait in the living room." As he turned to leave, she stopped him.

"What about pants?"

"We'll go through those after shirts. I suppose you'll be keeping bandages in at least one place for now."

Cocking her head to the side, it took her a second to get his meaning. As soon as she did, Yuegen's face lit up with a dusting of red. "Get out of here idiot. I'll call you when I'm done."

Naruto chuckled and waved behind him before ducking back into the living room.

Yuegen stared after him for a few seconds. "…What an idiot." She mumbled quietly. Unraveling the bandages from her body, she began trying his shirts on.

Rather than go and sit in the living room to wait for Yuegen to finish, Naruto decided breakfast was in order. (The fridge's outfit consisted of… oh wait. You expected it to be the classic clothes description trope of fanfiction, but it was I, Reaper! No, I haven't watched JoJo, I only get that reference because a friend convinced me to watch a few episodes of the show.) Opening his fridge to grab the necessary ingredients, Naruto mulled over what style of breakfast to make. "Hm. Let's go with Western. It's been awhile since I made anything besides traditional Japanese cuisine, so I'll try that."

Choice made, Naruto set about the task of preparing food.

Several minutes later, Yuegen came out of his bedroom having tried on all of the shirts. Peeking into the living room, she didn't see him sitting on the couch reading, as he was usually wan to do. Blinking, she sniffed the air lightly, her olfactory senses tingling a bit at the scent. It smelled wonderful. Whatever it was, she had never smelled something like it before. The closer she got to the kitchen, the stronger the scent got. When she finally reached the kitchen, the reason became clear. Bowls, utensils, and other such paraphernalia were strewn across the counter, and in the middle of it all was Naruto, huddled over the stove top.

She made her presence known, "I'm all finished, Naruto. What are you making?"

Naruto didn't respond. Going through a series of flips and stirs, he placed the pan he was using back on the eye before turning off the heat, finished with his preparations. Finally acknowledging his guest, he turned around. "Perfect timing. I just finished making breakfast. Wow~ you're looking pretty good in that t-shirt."

Indeed she was; Naruto, while taller and relatively well-built, was still a man. Men's shirts weren't exactly designed to accommodate certain… assets of the opposite sex. The dark grey shirt she was wearing clung tightly to her bust, showing the world exactly how large her chest was. Combined with the slight protrusion of her nipples against the fabric thanks to her lack of a bra and most men would skyrocket from a nosebleed. 'Kami above, Jiraiya-sensei would have died from blood loss at this sight.' The shirt rested just below her belly button, giving her a sort of promiscuous vibe that seemed to be a trend with the younger women these days. She would by no means blend in with the public though.

Yuegen blushed slightly and fidgeted, "Don't stare so much. I might mistake you for a creeper and turn you into a porcupine."

Naruto chuckled, turning back to the food on the stove and plating it. "Take a seat at the table, I'll have everything ready in a second."

Heeding his words, Yuegen sat down in one of the chairs surrounding his kitchen table. 'Now that I think about it, this table and the rest of the apartment are Western-styled. Maybe Naruto really is an American.'

Said blonde returned to the table carrying two steaming dishes, one he placed in front of Yuegen, the other placed at a spot across from her. He walked off once more to the kitchen. Yuegen was too busy to notice his departure, though. Yuegen's eyes widened and her mouth began watering as the same heavenly smell from earlier wafted from the plate. "This…this looks so good. What is this piece of heaven on earth?" She had whispered quietly to herself, but Naruto had still caught it.

"I'm glad you think so. It's bacon, eggs, sausage, toast, and pancakes, with a side of gravy. I added in some herbs and spices to liven it up a bit. I haven't made anything besides Japanese food in a while, so I thought an American breakfast might be good."

She looked up at him with a small amount of awe at this perfection on a plate, before snorting at the preposterous way in which he was carrying the rest of the meal. Naruto was holding a small dish of gravy in each hand while balancing a little pitcher of syrup on his left wrist. Utensils ran up each of his arms, and to top it off, two glasses of orange juice and two mugs of coffee rested atop his head. "What are you doing?" she said amusedly.

Naruto blinked. "I'm bringing the rest of the things necessary for breakfast." Yuegen snorted again. "You know you could have asked me to help, right? I hadn't realized it was breakfast and a show." Naruto simply huffed at her response. "Nonsense, I'd be a terrible host if I made my guest help prepare the meal. Besides, I believe you've given me a much better show so far today." Yuegen blushed and looked down. Naruto 1, Yuegen 0. Naruto mentally noted that he had for sure found his way to win a teasing war with her. It was just too easy.

In an impressive display of acrobatics, Naruto slid the dishes of gravy to each of their spots, bounced the syrup pitcher onto the table while flipping the utensils to his hands. Placing them down, Naruto reached up to grab the drinks and set them down as well. Turning around, he stuck his rear towards her and asked, "Cream and sugar?" Yuegen burst out laughing at this; a small carton of half-and-half rested in his back right pocket, while a box of sugar rested in the other.

"S-sure, that would be great. Hehe. T-thanks. Hehehe." Reaching into his pockets, Yuegen pulled the creamer and sugar out and set them on the table, sporadically snickering all the while. Setting about making herself a cup of coffee, Naruto joined her at the table and waited for her to finish.

With a quick 'Itadakimasu' they dug into the food. Yuegen's face lit up as the flavor hit her tongue. "This tastes so good! How did you even manage to make something like this?"

Naruto gave her a half-smile, "I'm glad you like it. It took a lot of practice. When I first started cooking years ago I could almost burn water with how bad I was. I've always lived by myself, so eventually good cooking came with the part."

Yuegen frowned a little and sat quietly for a second. "So you didn't have parents either. The only people that I could consider parents were the researchers at MBI, and that's only because they were the only repeat faces I ever saw. The same can be said for the rest of the Sekirei. While it's hard to be empathetic since I don't understand having parents either, I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

Naruto swallowed the piece of sausage he had been eating. "Thank you. It's never been truly taxing on me because my parents died the day I was born. It's hard to truly miss what you never had. I always used to wonder what having a family was like, but that was it. I'm sure it was much harder for you, being kept as a research subject at best."

"It wasn't so bad really. We were treated well, and beyond not having a lot to do, it was fine."

A knock at the door interrupted any further conversation. Yuegen turned to look at Naruto to see if he had been expecting a home visit. Judging by the wary look in his eyes, he hadn't. Naruto stood up and made his way to the door cautiously before peeking through the hole. A man with slicked back black hair and sunglasses stood at the door. The black suit and tie made the man look like the stereotypical image of a CIA agent. Opening the door, Naruto was ready for any unwelcomed surprises.

"Can I help you?" Naruto asked.

The man responded in a flat, low voice. "I have a call for you from my employer, Namikaze-san." He thrust a burner phone towards Naruto's chest before immediately walking back to his car.

"Is this Namikaze Naruto?" came a gruff voice from the other line.

"This is he. To whom am I speaking?"

"Ah, good. My name is Hiroto Minaka, director of MBI. I'm calling you today about a little… game that I've been operating. I hear you may have been swept up into the audience of this event."

"Yes, I may know something about what you speak of. At the moment, I'm merely part of the peanut gallery. I haven't joined in as a player, though I'm sure you knew that."

'Yes, I'm aware. Would you be willing to change that?'

"Excuse me?"

'Our bio scanners indicate that the little bird who is staying with you is showing signs of a reaction. She likely won't exhibit physical inhibition for a little while longer, but the signs are there nonetheless. The scans also point to the person she is reacting to being you. Now, normally this wouldn't be something to call about, but I normally would not have to make this call. We haven't had any other cases of a civilian witnessing the game and not becoming an Ashikabi. As such, I would like to officially enroll you into the game to tie up loose ends. Otherwise, we may have to use some harrowing alternatives.'

"I see. While I see no problem with it myself, I will leave the decision to her. You'll find my answer with your bio scans."

'Very good. Thank you for your time, Namikaze-san. We'll speak again soon.'

"Yes. Have a good day Hiroto-san." With that Naruto closed the phone and put it in his pocket. Walking back inside to his confused guest, he sat down at his spot at the table.

"What was that all about?"

Naruto was going to respond to her query with what Minaka had told him, but stopped himself. Would it be a good idea to tell her that not only was she being monitored from the inside, but that she was reacting? To him? Maybe she knew about the monitoring because she had been in the laboratory, and she probably had realized she was reacting. Wait, but Minaka had said that the obvious signs wouldn't show up for a while, and her behavior hadn't shown any changes lately. If he knew one thing about Yuegen, it was that she didn't seem particularly fond of finding her Ashikabi or the Sekirei Plan in general. If anything, she had become jaded as a Sekirei. He wouldn't have any problem telling her regardless, but the question was a matter of what the knowledge would do to her. At worst, she may try to kill him. While he knew she couldn't kill him, she didn't know that, and he wasn't sure if he could stop her in a rage without seriously injuring her.

"Nothing too important. Just some issues coming up with work that are going to be a bit of a pain."

"Oh? What do you do for work?" she asked, curiosity piqued even further. Naruto hadn't left the house for any extended period the last few days, and she hadn't seen him working on anything around the house.

She was distracted, good. His decision was set now. He would keep his knowledge secret for now, and deal with the backlash when it was time. "Did I not tell you? My apologies. I work as a writer. Nothing too special, just enough to cover the bills and allow me leisure the rest of the time." That wasn't completely true, no amount of humility could cover the fact that his book series was a global sensation that would be —and had been— earning him tons of money for years to come.

"Really? How interesting. Would you mind if I read some of your works?"

'Ah, shit.'

He knew this was coming, but had hoped to avoid it. And there was no escape from this either. Sighing, Naruto stood up and motioned for her to follow.

The utter shock on Yuegen's face when she had realized Naruto was THE Jiraiya Sannin, author of the world famous Icha-Icha smut series, was priceless. Naruto had secretly taken a picture of that moment, one which he would save forever.

Flashback End

"Well, I suppose I can't deny that. Any normal human would have barely made it to a skin graft at this point, let alone be up and walking. Since you seem to be mostly fine, would you like to go out shopping?" Money was no concern to him, after all. The real problem was avoiding being too obvious about spending it. Yuegen nodded. "That sounds good. I've been ready to get out of this cooped up place and feel the fresh air for a while, no offense." Naruto shrugged. "None taken. It's only natural after being in recovery so long that you would want to spread your wings."

She snorted at his little pun as she waited for him by the door. Slipping some shoes on, the pair made their way out the door, and Naruto locked it.

Once they were outside of the apartment building, Yuegen held up a hand. "Wait one moment." She held her hand out towards the alley beside the building, and a trash can lid came shooting towards her outstretched palm. Within moments she had warped the lid into a functional pair of metal boots. "There, much better." Naruto blinked in surprise. "That's actually quite handy. Are you able to reform metal into any shape you want?" Yuegen affirmed with a nod of head. "I can make most anything I want thanks to my metal manipulation. The only things I can't make are either extremely intricate like computers or large objects like a building. It's pretty convenient, actually. Not many elemental Sekirei wield physical forces, so my ability is a bit more versatile. The drawback is that my ability isn't as powerful as the natural elements, and because it has a physical form it is easier to neutralize with elemental power. There is some variation thanks to my number, but that's unimportant right now."

"That's pretty incredible, regardless." 'If I do end up winging her, our potential would be incredible. She could make a whirling dervish using my kunai or even redirect my shuriken or kunai mid-flight. Well, that's only if I participate myself. No, I won't fight myself. At least not openly. I can't risk exposing myself as a shinobi to this world. And now that I think about it, she's been pretty open with divulging information to me. Is it because she believes she owes me, or is the reaction subtly urging her to be more comfortable with me?'

"Thanks. I'm quite fond of the ability. Well, should we get going?" Softness enveloped Naruto's left arm as Yuegen pressed his arm between her breasts and leaned on his shoulder. Naruto quirked an eyebrow. "Are you planning on walking like that the entire way?" 'I'm starting to lean towards subtle changes thanks to her reacting to me.' "Is there a problem? We're going out shopping like a date, so we should act the part. And it'll be amusing to watch all the jealous reactions of the humans. It never gets old." Naruto smirked lightly, "Oh, I like the way you think. Alright, off we go." Yuegen grinned back wolfishly as they set off for Downtown Tokyo.

XXXXXXXXXX

Every man on the street, married, dating, or single all turned their heads as the couple walked by. Most blushed and some even drooled as their women smacked them and redirected their gaze away from the gorgeous pair walking through the downtown shopping district. They couldn't be blamed, after all. The woman was absolutely stunning, and secretly, a number of women were ogling the man as well. The woman was wearing a too-tight shirt that exposed her midriff and showed off her large chest wonderfully, while the skin-tight jeans she wore hugged her curves in all the right places, showing toned, mile-long legs, curvaceous hips, and a firm, round ass. Her forest-green hair and golden eyes gave her an exotic quality, coupled perfectly with her creamy, smooth skin.

The man was wearing a simple black t-shirt, but the well-defined pectorals and abs beneath the shirt had the women drooling slightly, while his strong, toned arms strained to break through their confines. Back muscles rippled with every step, and one or two women fainted as he walked by. His tanned skin, blonde hair, and blue – yet so dull, why were they like that? – eyes made him look as exotic as the woman, making many question if he was foreign. His height would certainly go to agree with that notion. Seriously, how did you get legs so muscular that your jeans were tight against them? And those weren't even skin-tights! Oh, Naruto was the scorn of many men that day.

"Heh, I told you this would be fun. Humans fall victim to desire so easily. Don't you think, Naruto?"

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "I do agree, messing with people is pretty entertaining. Certainly gets rid of boredom. That's probably why I do it so often." Yuegen rolled her eyes, "You and your boredom. Why don't you kiss and get married already?" Naruto snickered lightly, "Alas, Fate-chan has already stolen my heart away. No other woman, even Boredom, could ever sway my heart. Our love-hate relationship has lasted for eternity." It had, but that was something no one would know.

It was Yuegen's turn to snicker at that. "Whatever shall I do? Here I am, on a date with a taken man, how scandalous. Ah, let's go into that store." Naruto's eyes landed upon the establishment she was talking about. Le Crème: a lingerie store. She was just trying to get him trouble, wasn't she? "What's that look for? Do you realize how uncomfortable it is wearing bandages like an undergarment? Let me tell you, it is not fun." Naruto winced a bit. He imagined himself wearing bandages to replace boxer briefs. Yeah, that didn't sound fun. "Fair enough. Let's go."

The store was huge on the inside; lights illuminated the wooden floors and just about every type of women's undergarment you could think of. A woman at the register waved as they entered with a smile on her face. "Welcome. If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know." Yuegen smiled and gave a slight bow. "Thank you," was her only reply. Naruto said nothing, already noticing the stares from the other women in the store. Funny, they weren't actually glaring at him. Naruto wondered why, for a second, before ultimately shrugging his shoulders and chalking it up to another mystery of women. Unbeknownst to the pair, the clerk was grinning from ear to ear as they walked by. "Oh, she is absolutely gorgeous. I have got to have her model some clothing while she's here. Now, what to for- ahem, convince her to wear?"

Naruto sat at one of the benches near the changing room as Yuegen went from rack to rack, pulling off brassières and panties and holding them up to herself, either putting them back after a moment of thought or folding them over her arm to try on later.

"Naruto, I think I've found several pairs I like. I'm going to go try them on in the changing room. Be sure to tell me what you think when I'm done," she finished with a teasing wink.

He could almost physically feel the stares boring into the back of his head. "Is there something I can help you ladies with?" he said as he turned around. Surprised at being caught, all the women in the store suddenly found the racks of clothing or the window to the street very interesting. "Women are strange," Naruto muttered. He never had figured out the female race, even after all these years. He could understand somewhat how they thought, but their ability to jump to conclusions and particularly their sporadic emotionality still caught him off guard to this day. The kunoichi of his day had been no exception. Actually, they were probably worse. They were much, much quicker to jump to violence than civilian women in this age were. Probably had something to do with the profession. Gods, how he missed those days. His reminiscing was interrupted by the sound of his 'date' leaving the changing room.

"I'm done changing. What do you think?"

'Oh, Jiraiya and Old Man Third might have set a record nosebleed with this one.' Yuegen was wearing nothing but a black lace brassière and a matching set of black lace panties. Naruto's face remained the same as ever – actually, his face had a tinge of red, unbeknownst to him – but internally he was running a serious nosebleed. What? He was still a functional, straight man, after all. He would have to be asexual to not appreciate the beauty before him. "I think you could kill the entire male population looking like that." He paused. "…You look good." Yuegen grinned, "Why, thank you. If it means I can manage to squeeze more compliments out of you, I better keep the outfits coming."

She turned to head back behind the changing curtain, but was stopped by a call of "Excuse me, miss?"

Yuegen turned around and caught sight of the front desk worker from earlier. "Yes?"

The worker gulped lightly. 'Oh yeah, she'll be the perfect model. She looks so good in black lace! Ah, I'm so jealous!' "I have a favor to ask. Would you mind doing a bit of modeling? I'd like to see what you look like in a couple of these other sets," she pointed to a pile of clothes she had left on another bench, "I would really appreciate it. You're so good looking that it would be a waste to let this chance go by! That exotic green hair and those amber eyes are so incredible that-" The worker was cut off by Yuegen, who had an amused look on her face and a hand resting on her cheek. "My, my, quite the flatterer we have here. Well, I suppose I wouldn't mind trying on a few extra things. As long as my friend here can watch, of course." She gestured to Naruto at the end, making him sigh and shake his head lightly.

The woman's eyes lit up. "Of course! Of course! Here let's get you to try on this one first! Oh, or maybe this one. Or maybe…" Her voice faded away as she dragged Yuegen into the changing room by her arm. The commotion had once again drawn the attention of the shop's inhabitants, but this time they weren't looking at Naruto. As the worker pulled Yuegen into the dressing room, all the girls had formed an audience to get in on the show that was about to happen. Hushed whispers and giggles were thrown around as everyone waited for the 'pretty girl' to return.

Naruto was not aware of any of it. His mind had withdrawn into the field of memories. 'I miss all of you… I miss you all so much. I have no idea how long it's been, but no matter how much time passes, I'll never forget any of you. As the last shinobi to walk the earth, I'll carry you all with me.' His mind flashed to his surrogate grandfather, who had been killed during the Suna Invasion. Jiraiya, his god-father and sensei, murdered by his first student. Sasuke, who had once been like a brother to him, killed at the hands of Kaguya. They all flashed through his mind, as did all the other people he had known in that age past. Even as Yuegen, left the changing room, he did not notice.

Inside the changing room, moments prior.

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh you look amazing! Kya! Do you work as a model? Who am I kidding. You have to! There's no way such an angel is anything but a model!" Yuegen just sweatdropped and stood there as the worker went on a tirade about her looks. "Um, if you don't mind, can we move on? I have other things I need to do today." The lady snapped out of her rant and scratched the back of her head nervously. "I-I'm so s-sorry about that, hehe. Right, let's go show you off." As they exited the curtain, they were both surprised to find a crowd of women standing around the stall. Immediately the crowded ladies burst out into cries and sputters.

"She looks so good!" "That light green goes so well with her green hair and gold eyes!" "She's so exotic!"

These and so many more cries rung out through the air as they all took in her form. They weren't what she was looking for, though. Scanning the crowd, she found Naruto towards the back, sitting on the same bench as before. Something was off about him. His eyes were glazed over in a thousand-meter stare. Her heart wrenched slightly at the pure sadness and hurt filling his eyes. This was perhaps the only pure, true emotion she had seen on his face since she met him, the only thing that wasn't a façade. Naruto abruptly stood up and walked down the aisles and out of the store. Yuegen frowned. She needed to see what was wrong with him. There was no way she could stay here and keep trying on clothes while he looked so… defeated. "Excuse me ladies, I need to change and go check on my friend. I'll be right back." Looks of confusion and shock spread before the gathered women noticed the lone man wasn't there anymore.

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto leaned against the wall of the building. He needed to get away from that crowd of giggling and bubbly women. Something about their happiness… sickened him. Like they shouldn't be so happy and care-free while he suffered over all he had lost. Naruto closed his eyes and leaned his down. He didn't want to worry Yuegen, though. Mainly because he didn't want any questions to be asked. He would go back inside in a moment once he had sorted himself out. What a strange time for these memories to come back and for him to break his composure. The one time designed to be care-free and joyful had turned into the exact opposite. Well, hopefully Yuegen had been too preoccupied with those fangirls to notice his absence.

"Are you alright?"

Never mind. She had noticed. Naruto sighed and trailed his eyes over to meet Yuegen's concerned ones. "I'm sorry. Some really bad memories just came back to me. I needed to step outside to get some air. I had hoped you wouldn't notice me leave."

Yuegen's eyes became stormy. She owed this man for saving her life and taking care of her after the fight with the twins. She wanted to help him, but she had no idea how. "Is… do you want to talk about it, or would you rather not?" Naruto smiled a tiny little smile at her. "I'd rather not go into it. Thank you, Yuegen." Her heart skipped a beat when he said her name. Yuegen grimaced slightly. She knew what that meant, and why. It was almost time. "I'm ready to go back inside now." Yuegen quietly nodded before they re-entered the store.

As they made their way to the back, Naruto provided a quick cover story. "Sorry about the scare, ladies. My lungs sometimes have a little trouble working, so I have to get some fresh air every so often." It was a lie, but that was part of being a shinobi. Deception was a key component to their craft. The ladies all went quiet as they looked at him sadly. No one said a word, but relatively the same thoughts ran through their heads. Naruto knew the looks well. It was a look he hated. Empathy and sympathy were fine, but he despised pity. Pity was a way of lowering a person to the level of their circumstance, and he was no victim. Well, he was, but he wouldn't act as one. Being a victim was a pitiful existence. Naruto put on a fake smile.

"It's alright. There's no need to worry about me. I've been dealing with the issue for a long time. Now why don't we get back to our little show?" Most of the women began smiling again and nodding, eager to get away from the somber mood. Yuegen had been staring at the back of Naruto's head the whole time, wondering what he was really thinking, and if he had lied to her like the women here. She shook her head, there was time for those thoughts later. She doubted he had lied. The look in his eyes had been too sincere earlier, and he didn't seem like the lying type. He had had no reason to lie to her over the past few days. "Right, I still have several outfits I want to try on."

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto and Yuegen exited the store with several bags in hand. It turned out that the worker who had been adamantly dressing Yuegen up had been the owner and operator of the store. She had given them a rather generous discount when they had checked out. She had excitedly told them to come back soon, and had ranted about getting Yuegen a real modeling gig once she had heard that she wasn't actually a model. That brought them to the present: several new sets of underwear, the phone number of the manager to contact Yuegen, and the discarding of the bandages that had been ever present on the green-haired woman.

Yuegen stretched her arms above her head with a satisfied moan, which did wonderful things to her chest, something Naruto couldn't help but glance at, even if only for a second. "Ah, it feels so nice to be out of that thrice-forsaken gauze and back into real clothing." They were just so itchy and they chafed in places that shouldn't ever be chafed. She shuddered at the thought.

"I'm sure. You're not walking around commando anymore, that makes for a change of pace." He had said that last part a little loudly on purpose; several men had passed out in an instant at his words. Didn't women know that beating your partner's unconscious body did not count as resuscitation? Yuegen blushed and growled at him. "Keep your voice down, damn you! Are you trying to give me a bad image?" Naruto blinked innocently at her, "I have no idea what you're talking about, dear." Her heart skipped another beat. Damn it, why did he have to go and do things like that? If he kept saying things like that, then…

A cry of "Hey, it's her!" interrupted their moment. Naruto and Yuegen turned towards the source of the voice.

"Wait, is that…" "…one of the Lightning Twins?" Both asked each other rhetorically. Naruto shook his head. On closer inspection, the woman in front of them didn't look like either of them. Very, very similar, but not quite. She had a figure like the quiet twin and wore a black leather suit. Maybe a triplet? Deciding to err on the side of caution, Naruto spoke up, "I'm sorry, but do we know you? My friend and I are just out shopping for clothes."

The woman looked confused. "Well, I don't know you, but I know her. Are you her Ashikabi?"

Naruto decided that rather than answer, it might be better to feign ignorance. He tilted his head at an angle. "Hm? Whatever are you talking about? Ashikabi? Is that some sort of derogatory term for a foreigner?" He wasn't a foreigner, but she didn't know that.

The woman growled at him, baring her teeth. "If you don't know, fine. Just get out of my way and let me deal with the woman beside you." As she spoke, lightning crackled to life in her hands, showing she wasn't here for a peaceful talk.

Yuegen glanced back and forth between the woman and Naruto, mind moving a mile a minute trying to figure out what to do. Being a metal Sekirei, lightning was her greatest weakness. Any fight that might break out here would be messy. If Homura hadn't appeared during their last fight, she may have been eliminated, and she couldn't afford to let Naruto get hurt here. She needed more time. "Are you related to the Lightning Twins? You look a lot like them."

The woman turned to focus on Yuegen, snarl leaving her face, but hostility still written across it. "You could say that. It's complicated. The name's Hikaki. Enough talk. Prepare to be deactivated, Number 66!" With that, the now named Hikaki launched a small bolt of lightning at the pair.

Yuegen had already grabbed Naruto's arm and began dragging him into a nearby alley before Hikaki had even launched her attack.

Hikaki smirked after their disappearing forms. They had left the main street; good. Now she could let loose since they had left the public eye. Hikaki took off full sprint after the escaping duo. They wouldn't escape her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Twisting and turning from alley to alley, the pair ran. The entire time both Yuegen's and Naruto's minds were running a mile a minute. Naruto allowed his mind to wander as they ran. They had gotten a bit of a head start, so Hikaki wouldn't be catching up to them just yet. 'Shit. What do I do? The last time Yuegen got into a fight with a lightning user it put her out of commission for a week. Do I fight, revealing that I'm a shinobi? Do I let Yuegen handle it? Dammit, why did this have to happen now of all times?'

Yuegen glanced behind her. Hikaki still hadn't caught up to them. Letting go of Naruto's hand she turned on a dime, prepared for combat.

Naruto came to a halt as his driving force left him. "What are you doing, Yuegen? We need to keep moving. If we can put enough distance on her, we can hide. You're at a disadvantage against this foe."

She merely shook her head at his statement. "No. If we run now, she'll just come back again and again like those siblings of hers. This won't be easy, but we need to take her out here. She's alone, so it's our best chance of doing it." Naruto grimaced. She was right; it made sense. He had known that, but didn't want to chance the situation. Especially if it meant he had to blow his cover. Wait, maybe…

"Yuegen, I know you're reacting to me."

Yuegen flinched and just about collapsed at his statement. "H-how did you know that?!" her voice went quiet towards the end, as if her energy had drained away from her. Naruto needed to choose his answer carefully. He couldn't afford to show his hand too much, but he didn't want to lie to her either. "It was fairly obvious if you looked for the signs. I think the better question is: when did you know?" She looked away at his words, unsure of herself. Taking a deep breath in, she leveled her normal composure. It was now or never: she would never get this chance again if she ran now. Fate decided, she set it in stone.

"I've known I was reacting to you almost since you took me in, but I repressed it all this time. Before you saved me, I had never wanted an Ashikabi. I loathed the idea of being bound and made to play in this game. But now, I think I'm fine with it. I wouldn't let any normal human wing me, but you're no normal human, Naruto. You are the strangest and most interesting man I've ever seen in my entire life. Maybe it's because you're not completely human. I can feel the energy within your body… how close it is to the power of my kind."

'How did she know that?!'

She began walking towards him slowly, cheeks ablaze and breathing heavier and heavier by the moment. "I won't pressure you now, but one day I want to know why. I have a feeling you are going to attract more birds to you. Just promise me I'll always be your first." By the time she finished, she was standing almost nose to nose with him. Naruto could feel her hot breath on his face, he could feel the rise and fall of her chest, and the pulse of her heart beneath her skin. Her full, pink, heart-shaped lips twitched and quivered in a way that was irresistible. It was starting to affect him. He could feel his body slowly being caught up in the overwhelming turmoil that was Yuegen at that moment. Even he knew… it was the bond. "Will you accept me, Naruto-sama?"

Footsteps began to echo through the alleyway. Hikaki was almost there. Thinking quickly, Naruto muttered out a quiet "I will." before Yuegen smashed her lips into his.

Waves of energy erupted from their bodies like a tidal wave, hues of blue, gray, and white exploding forth and crushing the walls of the alley. Eight steel gray wings sprung forth from Yuegen's back reminiscent of a fairy. 'Her lips are so soft.' Naruto thought.

Yuegen pulled away from him for a second and said, "By my vaunted primordial, our dreams will become steel. I am forever yours, my Ashikabi." She kissed him again softly, basking in the euphoria of her winging. As the seconds passed by, they could feel the bond grow and grow, until it fully blossomed. Their union was broken abruptly as an arc of lightning hurtled by, forcing them to jump away.

At the end of the corridor, Hikaki stood with a furious visage, hand outstretched and crackling with her element. "Damn it! You managed to escape me last time thanks to Homura, but just as I was about to catch you this time, you went and got winged! Well, I don't care anymore! You aren't going to evade me this time, winged or not!" A flash of bright white exploded from her a pulse of lightning began emitting from her body.

Yuegen called forth strength from her core, a gray aura pouring from her so thick it was nearly corporeal. "Not this time. You won't interfere any longer!" Bits and pieces of metal began amassing around her, ripping the ground and walls to bits as the steel heeded her call and tore through anything and everything to reach her. Drawing upon every drop of her strength, Yuegen called forth her Norito.

"By the ore of my contract, my Ashikabi's ambition will become stalwart!"

Within a second, the storm of steel and iron was spinning so fast it would shred anyone in its' wake to molecules.

Meanwhile, Hikaki was building her power as well. The walls of the alley had become slag in the presence of the immense heat she was generating. She may not be using a Norito, but she had a trick up her sleeve.

"Ruin of the Ancient Era!" "Thunder God's Wrath!"

Yuegen's dervish shot towards her opponent, intent on erasing her existence, while Hikaki's shroud thundered forth like a barrier in the tight corridor.

Despite the inherent weakness, the iron would not give so easily. As the lightning collided with its' aggressor, it created a powerful shockwave. The two forces were unable to make ground on each other for several seconds, battling for supremacy. Eventually, the malformed ingots couldn't take the amperage, and the current did as it was wan to do: take the path of least resistance. Chain lightning shot off in every direction, sparking like a strobe. Yuegen dodged several bolts, but was not able to dodge the natural barrage. Jolting as it coursed through her body, Yuegen was launched backwards into a wall, slumping down as the impact left her.

The electrocharged metal continued on its' path, right towards Hikaki. This time the advantage had turned on its' head. Hikaki's eyes widened in panic, and she jumped away from the impending blast. It was a futile effort.

Once more a blinding flash of light and static noise rang through the alley, shutting its' inhabitants down as it ran its' course.

When it was said and done, the destruction was as expected, and it wouldn't be long before an investigation began. Any more fighting was on a time limit.

Naruto coughed as he stood up from the crushed bricks he had collided with. Looking around, he saw Yuegen still slumped against the wall, blood dripping from her mouth. Glancing towards their opponent, his eyes widened. "How is she still standing?!'

Hikaki was still on her feet, scratched up and scuffed, but ultimately not much worse for wear.

She let out the breath she had been holding and cracked her neck side to side. "Phew. Seems it worked. I haven't felt this good in a while. Alright, pretty boy. If you leave Number 66 now, I'll let you go. You'd best take my offer."

Rubble hit the ground as Yuegen swayed to her feet and wiped the blood from her mouth. "Don't count me out just yet. You're going to have to do a lot more than that if you want to defeat me."

A grin sneaked onto the leather-wearer's face. "You want to get beaten down more? I'd be happy to oblige!" She swung her arm across her body, releasing an array of charged bird-like masses. "Thunder Swallow!" she cried as the birds flew forth.

Yuegen clenched her teeth and jumped back, launching chunks of shrapnel at the oncoming projectiles. Slinging her arm forward from below, a scythe-like blade of metal rose from the earth and swam through the ground like a shark. As the attack approached her, Hikaki launched a bolt of lightning. "Lightning Eye!" Yuegen prepared to dodge the attack, but realized that the aim was way too short to be meant for her. It was aimed…at…

"Oh shit!" Yuegen rolled aside as the energy hit the blade and a much larger bolt flew forth. The strike had used her own weapon as a focal point and intensified the charge.

Wasting no time, Yuegen launched a counter-barrage of daggers at Hikaki, forcing her to stop her onslaught and backpedal. One blade caught her in the left thigh, another clipped her ribcage.

Yuegen smirked and clenched her fist. Hikaki tensed in preparation for another attack, but was caught off guard when a spurt of blood hit her face. She looked down in shock. Her legs had been impaled by iron spikes, the daggers that she avoided had morphed into the objects pinning her. Blood gushed from the wounds like crimson waterfalls. 'Why did I forget she could do that?! Now if I try to use my lightning, I'll just cook myself! Think, Hikaki, think.'

What was becoming an almost assured victory for Number 66 turned on its' head when her body was wracked with a coughing fit, blood seeping between her fingers.

Yuegen hurt all over. That attack had done a lot of damage to her internally, but she couldn't give up. 'I just found my Ashikabi, Iwill not lose now. I can't let him get hurt because a little pain stopped me.'

While this was going on, Naruto's, who had been watching from the side, mind was racing a mile a minute as he watched the two go back and forth in their deadly dance. 'What do I do? What do I do? What do I DO?' He gnashed his teeth. "Damn it all! I don't give a fuck at this point! This needs to end." Stepping up behind her, he knocked Yuegen out with a chop to the neck. Her eyes went wide for a second before she collapsed. Picking her up, he gently sat her down against one of the walls and turned to face the lightning wielder.

"Enough of this. She's too damaged to continue. Your fight is with me now," he spoke in monotone.

Hikaki froze, unable to process what had happened. And then she burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Y-you think you can f-fight me? Hehe…hahaHAHA!" Her voice rose into a full-blown uproar. "You seriously think you stand a chance now that your Sekirei is unconscious? How stupid can you b-"

She was cut off as a fist crashed into her face, sending her flying backwards at full speed. "How did he…'

As she flew, Naruto phased into existence right above her, leg extended and spinning like a top. His foot crashed into her head like a hammer, smashing her head into the ground with such force that the impact caused her whole body to flip. Continuing what had become a massacre, Naruto grabbed her leg and threw her into the wall, denting the brick with the impact.

Hikaki's mind and body couldn't keep up with what has happening. The sudden shock was keeping her from processing that a human was beating her. Her body shook with every blow Naruto reigned on her. The scene looked like something out of Dragon Ball as she was pummeled mercilessly into the wall. Bending his knees, Naruto wound up and actually sent her through the wall with his final attack.

That split second he took to wind up had been all she needed to come back to reality, as she activated her lightning shroud. Naruto's eyes widened and he leapt back. He wasn't quick enough, and his body received a decent shock for it. He winced, he was going to feel that later. It was no matter, he had felt far worse. That was the end of that strategy though. That bout had been reliant on her underestimation and a surprise attack on his part, so things were going to get a little harder from here. He didn't want to be forced to enhance his body with chakra, and he wasn't going to interfere too much into this game by personally eliminating a Sekirei.

Hikaki spat a glob of blood from her mouth as she stood up. Eyes narrowed in rage, she gathered lightning in her hands, prepared to electrocute this infuriating man to death. As she stepped out of the wall, there was no one in the alley except for herself. Her whole body shook with fury, "DAMMIT! I'M GOING TO END YOU THE NEXT TIME I SEE YOU!" This was the second time she had been beaten by Number 66!

"It came from over there, officer! Something terrible is going on down that alley! Please hurry!"

She clicked her teeth. It was time to go. Getting caught by the public was an absolute taboo in this Plan, and the repercussions for any Sekirei or Ashikabi doing so were severe. Hikaki leaped on top a nearby roof, and took off as quick as she could.

Hidden in the shadows, a lone figure sat. They had watched the entire fight, and no one had noticed. "Pitiful. Except…" Actually, one had noticed her.

Flashback several seconds prior

Naruto ran and scooped up Yuegen, ready to flee. There was only a several second window until Hikaki was back up and running. He could sense several civilians running through the maze towards them, likely police officers. If he left now, no one would be the wiser. Well, except their uninvited guest. Naruto stared straight at where he knew the mysterious sentinel was hiding, his gaze conveying all the message he needed. With a quick step forward, he vanished using a shunshin, Yuegen in tow.

Flashback End

A grin split their face beneath the hood. "Heh. So he knew all along. Oh, the fun we'll have… Until we meet, Namikaze Naruto." The figure was swallowed by the shadows as if they had never existed. Unbeknownst to even them, there had been another person watching. One who was just as interested in the blonde as the first.

AN: And that's the end of the second chapter. I've been cranking between one thousand words and four thousand (when I get on a roll) a day, but that may fluctuate with work, college, my social life, and other factors. NOT to raise any warning bells, but in the event that I should need to go on hiatus in the future, I will be ABSOLUTELY sure to make an announcement.

It always makes me depressed when a fanfiction or an author I like suddenly disappears unannounced mid-story. Cases being The Legacy of the Most Unpredictable Ninja by Rekking Pride, Black Flames Dance in the Wind: Rise of Naruto by DevilKeys Writing, The Bonds that Shape Us by AdamXero a long time ago, and other such wonderful works. Do check those stories out if you haven't; I promise you won't regret it. And to be clear, I am not flaming or shaming them. I, more than most, understand life circumstance and how it can affect things drastically. I am only saying that it's saddening to see a great work cut short. Back on the note of awesome writers, check out any of The Engulfing Silence's work; one of the best fanfiction writers ever in my opinion.

I feel like I'm forgetting something else, but I'll just mention it at the beginning of the next chapter if I remember what it is. Until then, take care! Juts remembered another thing actually, lol. In the case I hit writer's block, I will likely spend a bit more time on one of my other two fanfictions, so that may affect the update schedule. I don't see this happening, but who knows. For real this time, until next time and take care!

Extra A.N. (Important to note): I've been worried that the fight at the end may be too dry and dull. I've always been good at writing speeches, research papers, as well as essays and the like, but beyond a Middle English epic called 'The Errant Wreathed in Black' I wrote for an exam (got a 110 for also making it rhyme) this is my first time writing creatively and writing action scenes in particular.

I'm not going to take the easy way out and skip such scenes, because I need the practice. If you all think it was too dull, PLEASE let me know. I will go back and rewrite it until it is well-done. Whether that be more fighting time for Yuegen (I PROMISE she is not weak, which will be detailed soon, and will have more, longer fights going forward; the whole point is that she is at a major disadvantage here and can't use a number of her abilities), less fighting time for Naruto, a further extended fight, or cleanup of diction to make it more vibrant.

Your thoughts on this matter would help me greatly and would put my nerves to rest. If you have any dictional or stylistic choices that you think may help, please feel to leave them. Any support to improve my skill as writer will be greatly honored and appreciated.