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.

5. Chapter 5: Welcome to Maison Izumo

Flight of Bladed Wings

Chapter 7: Welcome to Maison Izumo

AN: Welcome back to another chapter! As always I hope you all are doing well, and that this can serve to relieve a little boredom. I'll try to keep the AN short as I can, but I do have several things I want to touch upon before the chapter, for those willing to listen.

First, the (somewhat) serious stuff! As part of a nice comment I received, I'd like to clarify the polling. The votes for the harem will be open for a good long while, so please send me all of the votes! The polling won't even start to come to a close for a good number of chapters into the future, so it isn't too pressing, but there will come a time where I'll need to settle. I'll be sure to let you know when we draw near. I've been individually recording votes via reviews and PMs, but if you all would rather have it in poll format through this site to make it easier, I think I can do that.

Second, responses to all the awesome reviews that I love so much!

The beginn of Red Dawn, thank you for this splendid review. I agree. Losing someone dear is an experience with no comparison. That's the thing about it: it follows no rational logic. Makes me shudder thinking about what it would be like if Naruto's experience was real life, and feel for anyone who may be in this position. Don't worry, Karasuba will be coming soon. I plan to build up to it, but she will be officially in within the next few chapters. I'm really happy to hear you think the shifts thus far have been good. And thank you for wishing me a happy birthday, my friend. Darkness and light have a funny little relationship like that, don't they?

demoncreater2002, he is pretty sad, isn't he? As far as Kurama goes… there are some things in the works, hehe. Same goes for Miya as well, again cue ominous laugh.

Garnetio Solozari, you and your glorious hat and sunglasses! You make me cry manly tears of happiness with your spectacular comments! Our boy Naruto has as much growth to go through as the author who writes him! I'm really glad you think I hit the fight in the sweet spot. It felt much better to write this time, after the support you all provided. Crap! He's figured out my secret! Disperse, shadow clones, disperse! Regardless of my questionable shadow clones, I aim to continue to keep putting out chapters that continue to please. Thank you.

Noxynox, I personally prefer to binge read myself, so I'd say so. This story is meant to be slow burn as you said, and for now it's a lot of build-up, so there's no heavy hitting stuff at the moment. I understand what you mean.

walawelehu, glad you liked the interaction! It was fun to write, and it flowed well.

36Barry72, the dialogue was purposefully written to get under the skin, apparently it may have done it a little too well, lol.

Emeraldfox57, I'm happy you're enjoying! Intrigue is a big part of the story, hehe.

OrionSmithArchive, I think I understand what you mean. My perspective writing was this: in that moment, he was so out of it, he wasn't thinking about what he was saying so much. He was sort of just voicing what he was seeing. I can certainly see how it may have seemed too abrupt, but that was sort of what I aimed to achieve; that 'what just happened?' shift.

Pepper0609, voting is still very much open! Homura is one of my favorites too, and I like Tsukiumi. Thank you, and I'm glad you liked it. And thanks for voting as well!

HeroLuffy726, thank you for voting! And of course, thanks again for your critique from before. It's helping for areas besides fight scenes, too. (Secretly I'm leaning towards Homura and Uzume on the open spots myself, but I'll leave it up to votes.)

G3neSyS, thank ya! There will indeed be a solution of sorts to his pseudo-immortality; that's something that later on will become more prevalent when the end of the game starts becoming nearer. Voting is very much still open, and thank you for voting!

And of course, thank you so much to the rest of you who left wonderful reviews. I read them all, and I appreciate every one of you for it. Thank you all for favoriting, following, and reading in general. You've been such a great audience thus far.

Alright, on with the chapter!

XXXXXXXXXX

'You let us die, Naruto.'

"We're all dead now. You abandoned us.'

'Our kids are dead because you were too weak to save them. I don't know why I married you.'

'What happened to all your altruistic ideals? Look where they got you.'

'It hurts, Daddy…I feel so cold.'

'I'm glad you didn't die. At least that way we don't have to see your face in Heaven.'

'They called me the villain, but that was really you all along, Naruto.'

'She's just going to die too. Everyone around you dies, and it's ALL. YOUR. FAULT.'

The voices all chanted in a haunting cacophony, 'Damn you, Naruto. Damn you, Naruto. Damn you, Naruto. Damn you to hell, Uzumaki Naruto!'

He shot awake in a cold sweat. Panting heavily, Naruto looked around the room in a frenzy. He couldn't move his body. And the voices. What had… Taking a deep breath, he stilled himself, his mind coming to heel. It had all been a dream.

Naruto wouldn't be going back to sleep tonight. He had dreams like these every so often, usually two to three nights a week. Every time they happened, he could never return to his slumber. Most of the times he would stand over the balcony and watch the rising sunset. The first golden rays of light were peeking through the curtains of the room, so it was likely between five and six. Good, he wouldn't have to wait a long time to get his day started.

As his adrenaline ran out and he was able to feel the sensations in his body once more, Naruto felt a familiar weight pressing into his torso, meaning sometime during the night Yuegen had clung to him in her sleep. Verdant locks brushed his face and tickled his nostrils as he rotated his head to glimpse her sleeping form. His nose twitched and he blew lightly to get the hair out of his face. Yuegen herself was laying on her side with her head resting in the crook of his shoulder, the slight coolness of her breath raising goosebumps from the tingling feeling. Her left arm was draped loosely across his entire chest, the result being it pillowing him tightly against her own. Speaking of, her enormous bust was pushing into his side, conforming to his shape perfectly. The soft mounds rose and fell in time with her breath, gently caressing him with the motion. A feeling he couldn't quite describe arose in his chest at the sight. As she inhaled, the slight stiffness of her nipples lightly grazing his skin through the thin fabric of her shirt sent a slight jolt in his nerves like static. The perfect pillows bounced gently when his muscles twitched, sending some electric signals the wrong direction. To top it off, the shirt itself had been pulled low trapped against his body, exposing a generous portion of said breasts to the open morning air. His eyes lingered for several long seconds as he admired them. It wasn't his fault. It would be a crime to not stare at such an amazing pair of boobs. He wasn't a pervert. His eyes floated towards her chest against his will before he snapped back to the ceiling above. Nope, not at all. That was Jiraiya and Kakashi's thing. Wrenching his focus away from the very distracting features, he tried to focus elsewhere, only to be distracted by another part of her. It was hard to miss that her left leg had locked around his, rubbing her groin right against his thigh in a measured rhythm conducted by her inhalation. If he didn't know that she was easily flustered by such a thing, he would have sworn she was doing it on purpose.

Hm, was Yuegen maybe the clingy type while sleeping? Either way, he certainly wasn't complaining. This was a nice feeling. Jiraiya must have been throwing a fit up in Heaven at Naruto's luck. At least before Tsunade punched him in the face for his perversion. Letting out a breathless chuckle he settled back into the mattress and the dual embrace. He may not be able to sleep, but he could just lay here for a bit until it was time to get up for the day. The mover would be here at nine, so he had at least two hours before he would need to start getting ready. The only problem would be dealing with his thoughts until that time.

XXXXXXXXXX

This had to be the most boring thing he had done in ages. Seriously, this was about as interesting as watching paint dry. He had only been able to hold out for half an hour before he had been driven stir crazy. No matter how good it felt sleeping with a beautiful woman snuggled up to him, there was only so much time he could spend staring at the ceiling or her unmoving, sleeping figure without going out of his mind. Holding his fingers in a cross position, he summoned a clone in a puff of smoke. Performing the basic academy substitution jutsu, he switched himself with the clone as he had done with Erika, allowing him to sneak out of bed freely. As Naruto made his way to the bathroom, the clone dispelled itself, leaving the bed empty of his presence.

Inanimately brushing his teeth, Naruto groaned and tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes. While he had been physically awake for a while, he could feel in his eyes that he wasn't. Until he had his morning caffeine, he would remain like that. Wetting his hair down did help a little, but that would really only supply him long enough to bring in the big guns, i.e. coffee.

He slipped into a set of his usual casual attire and made his way to the kitchen. A gleam reached his visage filled with anticipation as he laid eyes upon his savior: the coffee maker. With how much he loved the beverage, he would never settle for some cheap ass machine that could barely manage hot water, or one of those hand press machines that a lot of reception rooms had. No, his was top of the line. It had been incredibly expensive, but money was no concern. Why bother having money if it never went to use? Needless to say a lot of charities were grateful for the donations made by the pen author Jiraiya Sannin. The mysterious author's only request was that they keep it on the down low so that word never got out. As long as they kept it top secret, they would continue to receive the generous gifts. They had much more of a need for the funds than he needed the excess.

The coffee maker had just about every function you could ask for: a built in mill for grounds and another for espresso, a fold out spiral storage space that held small jars of grounds, whole beans, espresso beans, those new-fangled coffee pods, and blends for various specialties like Americanos, chai, or lattes. In a compartment towards the back it stored several types of his favorite extracts, as well as powdered, cinnamon, and brown sugars. On the side was a tank for water, and beneath the water tank was a separate refrigerated unit for creamer. If that wasn't fancy, he didn't know what was. The device also had a dispenser for drip, specialty, and pod coffee individually, all managed by a small touch screen that could be mix and matched. If he so desired, he could set custom brewing times or temperatures, and the machine even remembered his favorite selections! He didn't often make use of the custom auto-brewer though, since he woke up at different times every day.

Most of the components had been packed away last night by Yuegen, so simple coffee it was today. That was fine, seeing as most days he was so out of it when he woke up he was in a 'press button, button make coffee' mindset, so the fancy stuff only was put to use if he had an urge later in the day, which was actually most days. Had he mentioned that he really liked coffee?

As the darkened brew poured into his cup, his mind drifted off into space. The blonde had gotten caught up in so much lately, something that he seldom sat down and processed the entire reality of. Most everything so far he had simply taken in stride, not allowing himself to be off kilter. That was how people got you. No, what he had avoided all this time was what he wanted with the Sekirei Plan. What did he want out of this? In fact, he wasn't even truly sure what happened when they reached the end of the game. Were the Ashikabi and Sekirei permanently separated? Were they killed? No, Minaka had forbade killing, so that probably wasn't it. Maybe they were kept for testing. There were still so many questions. What was his plan for after this game? Were he and Yuegen going to stay together? Would they even be allowed to stay together? Naruto didn't even know what he wanted. As it stood, he couldn't say for sure if he wanted to stay together after the game, and he wouldn't be surprised if Yuegen felt the same. Yuegen hated the bond, so the day they broke their bond would probably come to pass. That was fine. She should have the opportunity to choose someone of her own volition…someone who would grow old with her and die with her when the time came. Not an ageless, jaded fool who was lost in the stream of time, magnetized to her because of an uncontrollable fate of her race.

He froze as a mind-boggling idea came to him. How long did Sekirei live? He had just assumed they were defined by the same longevity as a human. It would be incredible if they lived for a longer span than the average human being. He sighed, momentarily overwhelmed by the vast possibilities. There was just so many variables to deal with… maybe it was time to give Shosei another call.

A ringing of the doorbell cut off that plan of action. Shifting to look at the kitchen clock, Naruto blinked when he read the time: 9:29 a.m. How long had he been standing here?! Wait, that also meant that the mover was late. Oh, that wasn't going to fly. Cautiously moving to open the front door, he looked through the peephole. On the other side of the door stood a man with shaggy black hair. Judging by the unkempt scruffy look of his face, he was in his mid-twenties if Naruto was guessing accurately. He wore a white undershirt and torn, beaten up jeans, really building the manual laborer look. He stood there grinning casually with all the confidence in the world, or no, more like an extremely care-free attitude. Oh, that was really not going to fly, what with him being so late. Assuming that this was the man he had hired; it could be an agent of some kind. Maybe a more discreet MBI agent this time. Slipping a kunai loose in one of his many secret pockets, Naruto opened the door. Better safe than sorry.

The man waved at him, grin still on his face, "Heya! You Namikaze Naruto?" the man said in a casual tone.

"This is he. And who might you be?" He knew who he was, – or should be – but he wanted to be positive that this was the right man.

The scruffy worker looked confused. "I'm the guy you hired to help move. You…did call me, right?"

"Had to be sure. You're late." Naruto said flatly.

The man's grin shifted to sheepish and he rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, that's my bad. Got a little caught up on the way over here, you know?" He started to laugh nervously, hoping he was off the hook.

The door began closing in his face.

"Wait, wait, wait! I'm sorry! Don't close the door on me!" the man begged frantically.

Naruto sighed and slowly opened the door, motioning him in. The scruffy man let his body go slack and heaved out a calming breath. Muttering a quiet thanks he stepped into the apartment, spinning in circles to look around the place. Recovering his upbeat disposition instantly he whistled, "Wow. Nice pad you got here. Pretty sweet place for a single guy."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow and snorted amusedly, something that confused the man but ultimately something he didn't speak up about.

"You never gave me your name. I'd like to know with whom I'll be working."

Once again he scratched his head sheepishly, "Ah, right. My bad. Name's Seo Kaoru: best freelancer around."

The blonde scoffed indignantly at him, "Hard to believe a man half an hour late is the best contractor around. Though I suppose the agency I called did subcontract you, so maybe you're not completely hopeless."

Seo sweatdropped and chuckled abashedly. This guy was harsh. "Ahaha… Right, well why don't we get started? Are you planning on taking your furniture? We'll need to get the big things out of the way first."

Naruto grunted affirmatively with a single nod of his head. The blonde had temporarily rented a storage unit with the plan being to store what couldn't be taken to Maison Izumo there. He would see if Miya wanted to upgrade her refrigerator or other communal appliances to his. Not that hers weren't good, but his were all newer, so that could be a nice thank you present to the landlady. If she said no, it was no sweat for him. He would either donate them or keep it stored for the time being. "That's the plan. We may need to make a stop by my storage unit depending on what I'm able to move into the new place."

After settling their order on what to move, the pair went to grab the couch from the living room. Naruto had hoped to get this done quietly to avoid waking Yuegen, but ultimately that plan failed before it had begun. As they were passing through the front room, Yuegen emerged from the bedroom, rubbing at her tired eyes and still half-asleep. That deadpan face was kinda hot, in Naruto's mind.

Seo whistled out a catcall, seriously thanking his lucky stars for this sight. That had to be the largest rack he had ever seen! And that figure, hot damn! He drooled lightly, if only that gown was a little thinner, he would be able to see…

In his perverted ogling, Seo forgot he was holding the couch and dropped it to the floor, wooden foot landing right on his very much human foot. The shock didn't register in Seo's brain for a moment as he stared dumbly at his pinned foot. Then his face lit up with pain and he began flinging curses like arrows while hopping around clutching his hurt extremity.

Naruto deadpanned at the idiot hired hand. He was really starting to regret calling that company. "Serves you right. You're just lucky it hit your foot instead of the floor. Paying to fix the dent would have gone straight to you."

'This guy is mean.'

Seo was unable to respond verbally amidst his agony, still flailing around while holding his foot in pain. It made for a strange scene to anyone walking in, or to Yuegen, who was only just waking up.

"Mm. What's going on out here?"

"This moron is the mover here to help us. I was doing my best not to wake you," a mischievous grin split his face, "Dear wife."

Yuegen wasn't even fazed, too sleepy to bother with his foolery. She wasn't the intended target though.

Seo froze mid-hop in comical horror at the spoken words. Wide-eyed he turned like creaky clockwork to stare at the blonde. "W-wife?"

Shit eating grin on his face, Naruto stole a page from Miya's book and cupped a hand over his chin, his expression peeking out between his fingers. "Oh my, you didn't think this was a bachelor's pad, did you? I live oh so happily with my dear wife, sharing a bed beside her every day. In fact, when I woke up this morning, she was snuggled up against me so tight I could hardly move. On top of the clothing, it was just…" He left the reply open-ended, purposefully baiting Seo into drawing his own conclusions. Perverts were some of the most creative people ever, especially when it came to the raunchier things. It began showing on Seo's face, and Naruto's grin turned Cheshire. Hook, line, and sinker.

Seo was glowering jealously at the blonde and crying waterfalls as he clenched his fist in front of his face. 'This lucky son of a bitch, why does he get a smoking hot babe with huge tits while I'm stuck at home by myself?'

The smirk on Naruto's face somehow grew even wider as Seo was completely unaware he was actually muttering his thoughts out loud. Perverts were so easy to get to, and their reactions were always the best. No matter how hard they got beaten down, they always got back up like nothing happened.

A knife imbedded itself in the wall beside Seo's head with a thunk. He stopped his ranting cold.

"Eyes off the merchandise."

"Y-y-yes m-ma'am!"

They were both scary!

"Yuegen dear, do try not to damage the house too much. We're trying to leave here, after all."

She grunted noncommittedly.

Bemusedly, Naruto had to wonder where the temp agency had found this clown. While he could appreciate the man's open nature, he really hoped that this wasn't going to be the dynamic until they were out, otherwise it would be a long day.

XXXXXXXXXX

It had been. You would think after the first time, Seo would have thought twice before letting his lecherous stares get caught, but nope. No matter how many knives or pieces of shrapnel got thrown at him, he would start misbehaving within minutes. The man had more whisker marks than Naruto himself did now, and he looked disheveled from head to toe. The knife to the cheek sort of remined him of Anko. Sexy, kinky woman that she had been. Such was the way of perverts.

When they finally arrived, Miya had been waiting for them out front while leisurely sweeping the front steps, almost as if she knew they were coming. How curious. It was sort of funny that she was sweeping again, seeing as she had just swept yesterday. The steps certainly couldn't have gotten that dirty in just day. Maybe Miya was just overly diligent like that, Naruto surmised.

The trio stepped out of the truck, greeting the landlady politely as they approached.

Though it wasn't obvious, he tepidly approached the lavendrette, unsure of how she would feel after yesterday. She seemed to be in good standing at the moment, as far as he could tell.

He forced his eyes shut and gave her a vulpine smile. "Hello, Miya-san. I'm glad to see you again. I hope you're well."

She returned his gesture near identically with a decidedly softer smile, "Likewise, Naruto-san. I'm doing quite well this afternoon, thank you."

"That's good to hear."

She and Yuegen greeted each other politely with a knowing look, one that set Naruto on edge. They were up to something, he just knew it. Time to remain on full alert, or they would get him. Namikaze Naruto would not fall today!

The last greeting was rather surprising. Miya stood in front of Seo with her usual smile on, but the words that followed did not match the pretty lips they came from.

"Hello, Scum-san."

"Ehehe, hey Miya."

Did Miya really just say that? The graceful, polite, kind landlady? This was highly unnerving. "Do you two know each other?" Naruto questioned.

Miya was the one to answer. "Indeed we do. Scum-san was my husband's best friend when he was alive, but the only times he visits nowadays is to take advantage of that and mooch off of this poor widow." She feigned remorse, throwing a hand to her forehead and everything.

"Now hold on Miya, it isn't like thaaa… like thaaaaa…" he was unable to finish his sentence as he spotted the blonde's reaction. The upper half of Naruto's face was cast in shadow and he tried to cast a fire jutsu in the man's head with his eyes alone. He could just about do it too. He didn't need hand seals for most of the middle or lower-ranked ones.

Naruto absolutely could not stand people taking advantage of the weak, helpless, and disadvantaged. He had a bit of a hero complex, one that had been with him since he was incredibly young – though it was very diluted by this point. It was how he had met his wife, actually. No matter how much he changed, if he saw something like that happening right in front of him, he would step in. He didn't actively seek out injustice like he did when he was a shinobi, but any that crossed his path never lasted very long. Though he rarely left his house, so it was seldomly an issue. That and he just wasn't as obvious about things in general as he used to be.

Beads of sweat poured down Seo's face as he shrunk backwards nervously. He desperately waved his hands in front of his face in hopes that he could keep the mad man away. "Wait a second! While that may be true, I don't do it that often! I mean it's not like- hold up hold up hold up not the face!" he screamed like a little girl as Naruto cracked his knuckles and stalked towards him.

To the mangy man's luck, Miya saved him at the last second. Placing a delicate hand on Naruto's forearm, "Ufufufu that's enough, now. Scum-san may be trash, but he was my husband's best friend, so please try not to kill him. I allow him to come over, so he isn't forcing his desires. Thank you for your concern, Naruto-kun."

The shadows left his face and he relaxed his posture back to normal. Seo immediately started crying on his knees thanking Miya for saving him from the scary man, causing the other two to share a mirthful look and snicker quietly.

Yuegen raised an eyebrow in Miya's direction; they were getting along rather well rather fast. She shrugged her shoulders, it probably didn't mean a thing. Miya struck her as the type to rapport well with everyone, regardless of circumstance.

The blonde halted his laughter suddenly, struck by a passing notion. Now that Naruto thought about it, if the two knew each other, that was probably how she had known they were coming.

Coincidences like these were surely a strange thing. Out of anyone he could manage to hire, he got the one person who knew the owner of their residence. Seo had made a call on the ride telling someone they were on their way, but he had just assumed he was reporting to his manager or something. That was a point in the man's favor. After yesterday's… events, Naruto had forgotten to get Miya's number, so he wasn't able to call her himself. He was lucky Miya had been expecting them over around this time. Once again the blonde cursed himself for his failure to be socially polite. This really wasn't doing great things for his image. They were small incidents, but small things add up.

XXXXXXXXXX

The four sat at the dining table enjoying a lunch Miya had prepared for their arrival. Miya's elusive final resident was once again missing, so they would have to be introduced at a later date.

"Thank you for making food for us, Miya-san. It's delicious. I'm seriously impressed by your cooking prowess," the blond complimented the resident landlady. She had proved that she was not only good at making tea but at the culinary arts in general. He may have to have a cooking contest with her to see how they matched up. He hadn't ever gotten the chance to do that before, and it just so happened that the perfect competition fell straight into his lap, figuratively speaking. It would be strange for her to fall into his lap literally. That would be like something from an anime. Filing it away for later under a mental folder labeled 'How to beat Boredom-chan off with a stick', he returned to present company.

"Ufufufu, why thank you Naruto-san." The purple-haired woman turned to Seo, who was too busy scarfing food down like he had never eaten before to be present in the conversation. "See, Scum-san? If you were polite like he was, then maybe you wouldn't be a bottom feeder of society. Sometimes I wonder what Takehito ever saw in you."

Seo started choking on his food. That had caught him completely out of the blue. Pounding his chest with a fist to dislodge the food that got stuck, he sucked in air like a drowning man. "T-that's a little harsh, don't you think, Miya? You make it sound like I'm some major criminal. And why does Blondie get off scot free? He's been doing all kinds of stuff with the busty babe over there every day."

Miya spun to look at Naruto with a sharp gleam in her eye. While that look would have been pretty intimidating for most, he had seen far scarier looks during his time in the service. "Is that so? I hope that won't be a problem here. You do remember the rules, right, Naruto-san?"

"I do. But I think there's been a misconception, Miya. Seo in his dirty gutter of a mind believes that just because Yuegen and I slept in the same bed last night that we were up to something. That was actually the first time she and I had slept in a bed together." Naruto's smile turned devious, something that sent a shiver down Seo's spine. Oh shit, what was the blonde about to do?

"If anyone was up to lewd activities, it was Seo. The number of times he ogled Yuegen's body and made comments about her having 'nice tits' was more than numerous. In fact, I think he looked at her chest more than I ever have."

By this point, Seo was cursing Naruto with every word he could think of. The man had no idea what Miya was about to do to him! Seo nervously tried to excuse himself from the table to escape, but was stopped long before he could get away.

A malicious aura surrounded Miya as she smiled a little too sweetly at Seo. "I see. Do you have anything to say for yourself, Sewer Scum-san?"

Now he was lower than scum? Seo could have cried if the situation wasn't so dire. "N-now l-let's not be h-h-hasty Miya. I-I wasn't I swear! Please don't bring out the H-Hanya!"

Too late.

From amongst the shroud surrounding Miya demonic masks emerged like the kind used in Kabuki plays. They had unkempt, greasy black hair and large, cracked and rotten predatorial teeth. Their faces were misshapen and warped in the most awful ways; everything about these things was just devilish. The worst part was their jaundiced, devilish sunken-in eyes. Or maybe the blood pouring from the eyes of one of the masks. They were fucking horrifying!

The effect on the entire room was immediate.

Seo was shaking like a leaf; his face had gone pale and he looked to be on the verge of passing out where he was sitting. The only reason he was even sitting up was because his hands had seized up gripping onto the table. His eyes fluttered in their sockets as they began to fail in the presence of the masks. His mind started shutting down in pure mechanism to escape reality and he looked like he might start frothing at the mouth.

Yuegen was hyperventilating almost to the point of asphyxiation. She sat wide-eyed and if one were to look closely they would see the scraps of metal she carried floating around her protectively. What in the fuck were those masks?! They were the most terrifying thing she had ever seen! Did Miya make those?!

Naruto had disappeared from his spot at the table. Unlike the others who were trying their best to hide away from the horrifying image, he stood almost nose to nose with one of them, studying it enraptured with a hand to his chin. He tilted his head to look at every angle of these fascinating masks. They seemed corporeal. Were they a genjutsu? Maybe a summon? Potentially a jutsu essence? It was damn cool regardless.

The mask that he was observing watched the odd man in obscurity. Its' glowing red eyes tracked his every movement, not quite sure what to do.

Miya blinked nonplussed. How was he not affected? No one had ever been unaffected by her Hanya, with the sole exception being her deceased husband. He had been the one to teach her, so it made sense. The lavendrette had no idea what to do with this perplexing man living in her house. Was there going to be anything conventional about him?

Just as Naruto reached out to touch the mask, they disappeared without a trace. He whipped his head around desperately trying to find them, to no avail. Gloom lines formed above his head as he muttered about the 'funny faces' being gone.

Yuegen and Seo mutely thanked Naruto with absolute gratitude, glad that he had managed to distract Miya enough to make those…things go away.

Miya coughed to get everyone's attention and calmly said, "There will be no illicit activities in this household. I hope I've made myself clear." She aggressively grabbed a bite of the fish on her plate and chewed it slowly.

Seo nodded his head so fast Naruto had to wonder if he was going to go airborne. An evil smile crossed his face. Now he had a new way to fuck with people without even having to do the dirty work. He was going to have to cause a little trouble to get Miya to summon those masks again. He was going to copy that technique with his Sharingan if it was the last thing he did! Oh wait. He didn't have a Sharingan. Right. Oh well, he'd get it eventually. Yosh! Hard work will always prevail!

Yuegen shook her head to get the last remnants of that nightmare out of her head. She was going to have a heart attack with all of the crazy shit that was following her. It had to be Naruto. Her life was normal up until he showed up, and now all kinds of things were happening left and right. She sighed lowly, might as well get used to it now.

The rest of the meal passed without incidence.

XXXXXXXXXX

After they had finished eating, Miya collected all of their plates and headed into the kitchen. Before she could get started, a familiar golden head of hair peeked around the corner and interrupted her task.

"Sorry to interrupt you so soon, but I have a question for you."

The landlady put down the sponge she had been holding and turned to face him. She quirked her head slightly to the side. "Ara? What might that be, Naruto-san?"

'Okay, that's actually kind of adorable.' The little head tilt, he meant. She made the look work, for some reason. Maybe it was because it matched up with her 'elder sister' sort of demeanor. Miya got the sudden urge to give Naruto bonus points before shaking off the random thought. "I was wondering if you wanted to make use of any of the appliances from my old apartment. They're all relatively newer models, so I wanted to know if you would like to use them."

She replied with little deliberation, "While I appreciate the offer, I'll have to decline. Everything in this house was put here by my husband, so I'd like to keep it like that."

A discerning smile reached Naruto's face; he really did understand. While they may seem like odd things to keep as memorials, they were keepsakes nonetheless. The house had remained untouched by modernization, and to have something replace their presence would be akin to replacing the memory of her husband. He had been like that for the first couple hundred years of his 'immortality'. It had only been when he reminded himself that his friends and family would kick the shit out of him if he remained stagnant that he had gotten moving again in life. To this day he was by no means over them or ready to move on, but he wouldn't lose his time. There was a difference between being unwilling to change and clinging onto the past unmoving, and being unwilling to let go of the past but not letting it stop his time

Looking to the past versus looking to the present. That was how he was now.

"I understand completely. I figured that would be the case, but I wanted to ask nonetheless. I'll leave you to it." He ducked back out of the house to relay the information to Seo.

Miya stared after him for a moment before turning back to the dishes. Maybe that was it. Maybe it was because he was familiar with the pain of loss. That was the only thing she could think of.

XXXXXXXXXX

Once they had finished everything and gotten ready to see Seo off, Miya launched a twenty pound bag of rice at his head and told him to take it and not come back anytime soon. Naruto and Yuegen had both sweatdropped and settled that Miya was actually quite spiteful when she wanted to be. As long as it wasn't directed at them, that was fine.

They were already beginning to get attached to this house. The pair had finally found a new home in Maison Izumo, one that they hoped would bring many good memories ahead.

XXXXXXXXXX

The couple inspected their newly minted room with satisfaction. It actually looked quite nice; much better than they had been expecting. Ultimately they had decided to keep Naruto's couch, bookshelf, bed, bedside and coffee tables, and that was about it. The rest of the appliances had been taken to storage as they had said, and anything else furnishing the room were of the smaller, decorative type. Curtains, a couple of plants, etc.

Yuegen had actually been surprised by that. Who knew Naruto of all people would have a green thumb? She had given him a bit of hell for it, joking that he was so lonely that his only friends were plants. He had threatened to trade her for plant seeds if she kept talking.

Ino had become veeeeery interested in him back in the day once she learned he had a bit of talent and interest in botany. He had also found out, among other things, that her head had some other talents besides the Yamanaka knack for psychology. Good times, good times.

"Well, we did it. We have a new home now."

"Yeah. And I think we can both agree that it was a great choice."

"Ufufufu, I'm happy to hear that. I'm looking forward to our time together."

While Yuegen looked mildly startled to see the new addition to the conversation, Naruto wasn't in the least. She had been quiet as a mouse walking, but he had felt her coming long before she had reached their doorway. Perks of being a shinobi with chakra sensing capabilities. Her signature wasn't particularly hard to find, either. It stood out like a sore Hanya mask amongst the civilian population surrounding this place.

"As am I, Miya-san." He placed his hands on his hips, "What should do we now?"

The green-haired woman retorted, "We have a deck of cards on the bookshelf. We could play a game."

Miya hummed lightly in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea. We can play at the table in the living room."

After finding the cards, the trio trekked down the stairs to engage in a heated, intense game of strip poker.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Naruto, do you have any fours?"

Naruto smiled, "Nope. Go fish." Yuegen grimaced and drew a card from the deck.

Or Go Fish.

"Yuegen, do you have any tens?"

She scowled and handed him the card she had just drawn.

"Miya, do you have any sixes?"

"Go fish."

Naruto drew a card and chuckled. "What do you know, I drew a six. Yuegen, do you have a three?"

She grumbled and handed him the aforementioned card. "Seriously, how are you both doing that? You better not be cheating."

Both Naruto and Miya already had four pairs laid down, and they were only on the third turn.

The pair flashed a meaningful look to the other and said in unison, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

In the corner of the kagizuru a camera lens gleamed lightly, and a fly droned on the wall faintly.

Yuegen didn't look completely convinced, but took them at their word. Mainly because she couldn't prove that they were lying.

Unbeknownst to the pair, an audio receiver crackled quietly within Miya's clothing. Needless to say where it was hidden. The usefulness of the female pocket dimension was boundless.

The ringing of a phone broke the ambience. Miya and Yuegen stared at Naruto, who sighed and excused himself for a moment. The time had come.

Once he was outside, he flipped the burner phone open and hit the accept button.

"Hello Minaka-san."

The familiar deep voice responded from the phone, "Greetings Naruto-san. I'm guessing you're aware of why I'm calling judging by your reaction."

"Indeed I am. What's the damage?"

"Straight to the point. I like that. Usually, fighting in public and in the North would result in dire consequence, but I'm willing to make an exception. I'm quite aware that you took action to avoid any witnesses, and that the attack was instigated. I've taken a liking to you, so I'll make you a deal. A certain someone under my employ has taken an interest in you and has requested that you have a duel with her. Do so, and we'll forget about this incident."

Naruto wondered who that might be. The only people who ever wanted a fight with him were the junkies, but they wouldn't need to go out of their way to do so, and he was almost positive none of them worked for MBI. An image of the silver-haired woman he had bumped into several days ago ran through his mind. So it was her. That was fine, he wouldn't mind seeing a pretty lady like that again.

"I can live with that. When and where?"

"I'll give you the details at a later date, but I assure you that it will be several days from now at the minimum. Oh, and congratulations on your move. I'll be sure to send you a housewarming gift."

With a click the phone call was ended.

Naruto exhaled amusedly. It hadn't been more than a few hours and they already knew about his new whereabouts. MBI was a large presence within the city, so it wasn't a harrowing revelation. It was fine, they wouldn't learn anything incriminating about him from watching. They couldn't slip anything into the house under his watch, and he doubted the Hanya of the North would take too kindly to her house being surveyed anyways.

Oh yes. He was aware that Miya was the scary Hanya of the North. It hadn't been hard to deduce that conclusion. She was an unnatural presence to begin with, and the Hanya she had summoned somehow may have been a slight tip off. Just a little. They had truly hit the jackpot finding this place.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Naruto returned to the living room and sat down, he was the recipient of two separate stares that were almost palpably asking him for an explanation.

"That was a call from Hiroto Minaka. He and I had some business to discuss."

At his words, Miya's eyes narrowed. "What business could you have to discuss with that man? What did he want?" she bit sharply.

Seems Miya had a little bit of a grudge against MBI and Minaka. Or maybe just Minaka, he didn't know. Now did not seem like a good time to ask. That was probably a question best left for when they got to know each other a little better.

Miya had taken the words right out of Yuegen's mouth, though a bit more vehement than she would have been. Why would the CEO of MBI possibly call Naruto? How did he even know how to contact him? She was going to grill him for details later in private.

"It's nothing important, he just wanted me to meet a colleague of his. It's a bit of a story as to how I know him, so I won't go into that. Long story short he's been helping me out with a few things, so he asked me to mete a request of his."

That was rather suspicious. She wouldn't push her new tenant for details if he didn't want to disclose them out of respect for his privacy, although she very much wanted to know that information. Anything that MBI was involved in couldn't be good. If Naruto was in Minaka's pocket, that would be unfortunate. She was starting to warm up to the blonde, and it would be troubling to have to ask him to leave.

Naruto could read the look on Miya's face and knew she wasn't satisfied with that answer. Seems he would have to clarify some things around the situation. He didn't particularly mind doing so if she requested that of him. None of the information was sensitive, besides maybe the Sekirei bit. Naruto was still a bit unclear as to how much Miya knew about the Plan.

Now that was something he would like to know. In the event she was cognizant, the effort expended trying to keep inconspicuous would be liberated. That was a serious load he would appreciate off of his shoulders. Naruto doubted worrying about the other tenant finding out was problem, considering his consistent absence.

Luckily his Sekirei was intelligent enough to keep discretion as a priority. Naruto had no idea what he would do if he had a clueless Sekirei. Somewhere in the city a brunette Sekirei sneezed, wondering why people were staring at her funny.

"Right, do we want to continue our game, or are we calling it quits?"

"I need to start preparing dinner, so we'll have to end it here. I'll make something special to celebrate the arrival of our two new tenants."

"That would be great. Yuegen, anything you want to do in the mean time?"

"I can think of a few things." the forest-haired woman replied. Though she said that, she really only meant one thing. They would be having that talk now.

Naruto picked up on the unspoken message. "Alright. Why don't we go up to the room? Still need to see how we like the placement of everything up there." He could keep things subtle when he needed to.

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto could feel the eyes on the back of his head as he slid the door shut. "Ask your questions."

"How do you know the CEO of MBI?" Yuegen stood with her arms crossed beneath her breasts, pushing them together very appealingly. Once again, right image, wrong time.

"He contacted me one morning not too long before I winged you. My inclusion into the Sekirei Plan was a bit of an abnormality since I didn't wing you right away like all of the other new Ashikabi. He asked me if I would officially join the Sekirei Plan with you as my partner."

"What did you tell him?" she said with a frown. It was expected that a new Ashikabi would receive a call, but to get one from the phantomlike head of one of the largest corporations in the country, nay, the world? That was highly unlikely. When Naruto had told her about the call with Katahara, she had thought nothing of it because of that expectation. It had never occurred to her that he may have gotten another call. Now that she thought about it, it must have been the call he answered during breakfast that one day. Since Naruto had said it was an issue with work, she had assumed he meant his editor. Turns out he was calling the Sekirei Plan work. More like an unwanted chore.

"According to their data, you were showing signs of a reaction, which they thought was to me. I agreed to join only if you wanted me as your Ashikabi. I told him I would leave the choice up to you, and that my answer would come through their bio scanner." The next part of the conversation could be tricky. He had no idea if she knew about their implanted tracking device, or how she was going to take the knowledge of it.

"So you really had no ulterior motives, just like you told me. Well, I suppose that's a bit of a relief. I can't really tell what's on your mind or if the words coming out of your mouth are true lately."

The eternal shinobi winced at her words. He himself was just as frustrated as Yuegen about the chaos ensuing. His emotions, thoughts, and actions had all been a jumble ever since she had come into his life. He was to blame for that in its' entirety. Undoing thousands of years of isolation was going to take more than a few weeks, he knew that. Didn't make the strife in the meantime any easier.

Sighing he beckoned Yuegen to take a seat on the couch with him. They were going to have to breach the subject at some point, so it might as well be now. It was likely to be a long, open-hearted talk, and he wanted to prepare himself mentally.

Naruto stared at the floor, gathering his thoughts as best he could. "I…haven't been around people for a long time." He tested the words out slowly, hoping to convey what he meant properly.

"When you came to live with me, it threw my entire life out of orbit. I haven't had to worry about anyone but myself for ages, so suddenly being a part of a bond like this…I'm still not sure what to do. I don't understand what I'm feeling or why. Every time I think I might finally be starting to accept things, all the reminders of my past latch on and drag me back down again. I'm not even sure I know who I am anymore; the past or the present. I just don't know what to do… everything jumbles altogether and swirls around in a torrent and the only thing I know for sure is this hurts, but at the same time I like it. I enjoy our time together, for whatever that's worth."

Yuegen scoffed venomously. They weren't going to play this song and dance again. When she spoke, her voice came out with an animalistic aggression. "Don't give me that shit. You've got one foot in the door and one foot out. I know you've had a rough past, but this constant cycle of being dragged back into it isn't doing anyone any favors. And you're not the only one. I let the bond we made play me like a fiddle and start messing with my head like every Sekirei I hated for it. I'm not going to let it do that to me, and you don't get to let your troubles engulf you either. Otherwise this eternal cycle of self-loathing will repeat over and over until it tears us apart. I'm your Sekirei and you're my Ashikabi. I'll stand by you and help carry your burdens and you'll do the same for me. That's what it means to be in this bond together. To hold each other high, not drag each other down. It's time to start acting like it."

The words made him feel sick, but only because of how true they were. He had avoided acting like an Ashikabi, simply because he was too afraid to accept the bond. To accept her. To accept that someone would be close to him again. And more than anything, he was afraid to stand tall and face the world as he once had. To face the future with a grin on his face and without a doubt in his heart.

"Why worry about all the what ifs? I'll do everything I can to make it a reality, and when I fall, I'll stand up and do it again. I won't stop until I'm dead. I never go back on my word, that's my shinobi way!"

He started to chuckle, barely audible. It got louder and louder until it reached a full-blown laugh so boisterous the neighbors might have heard him. He began to go quiet, "You're right. You're absolutely right. I was acting so selfishly that I hadn't even thought about how you felt. I haven't been a good partner to you, and I'm sorry. I won't make any excuses about it, so I'll just say this. Let's make the best of it going forward, Yuegen."

She wasn't convinced just yet. "I want to hear the words from your mouth."

A bead of sweat rolled down Naruto's cheek. "And what words might those be?"

Yuegen's eyes narrowed. He was trying to play dumb. "Say it."

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat. Why did she have to go and corner him in this position? The words she wanted to hear were words he wasn't ready to say. Not yet, anyways.

"I'm your Ashikabi."

Yuegen stared at him long and hard, only increasing the tension in the room. All of a sudden she let out a deep sigh, seeming to accept his answer. It was true that he hadn't openly called himself that. Progress was progress.

'Guess that's the best I'll get out of him for now.'

"And I'm your Sekirei. Try to keep that in mind before you go getting all dumpy again."

That stupid smirk that only Naruto could manage crept its' way onto his face. "Yes ma'am. Anyways…wanna make it official?"

Amber eyes rolled at him. "You just couldn't resist could you?"

"You kidding? If I did I wou-"

He never got to finish his sentence as he was pulled roughly into a kiss. The room was bathed in the low gray light emanating off of Yuegen's wings as their lips connected. Naruto could feel her soft lips against his rough ones, and on instinct he almost pulled back. Catching himself, he hesitantly eased his way into the kiss, shakily telling himself it was alright. Looping his arms behind her back, he pulled Yuegen in closer, her breasts squeezing against his chest as they deepened their contact. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him even more passionately, seemingly pleased that he had taken her words to heart. Now that he had actually allowed himself to open up a little, he could feel the difference. As they kissed, he could feel the energy coursing through his body and hers in a whirling exchange of chakra. So this was its' true power: the act that unleashed a Sekirei's Norito. Through his senses he could feel that the chakra being pulled, while not much larger, was a bit more than when they had first bonded. Was it because it was the second time, or because they were more trusting now?

Yuegen slid herself into his lap and pushed him down on the couch, falling with him. She straddled his waist and grinded against him causing Naruto to moan deeper into her lips. Their hands began to roam and explore each other sensually. Yuegen's hands slipped beneath his shirt, tracing his sculpted muscles deliberately while Naruto's hands caressed her sides, soaking up the feeling of her smooth, creamy skin.

Suddenly Yuegen broke their contact and sat up, her wings fading away. "I think that's enough for now." She rose off of him and the couch, leaving behind a slightly panting, semi-aroused Naruto to stare after her retreating figure. He could swear she was putting extra sway into her hips on purpose.

"You…are…evil."

"And don't you forget it."

XXXXXXXXXX

When the pair returned from upstairs, Miya was still toiling away in the kitchen, leaving the two of them to wait patiently.

Or at least one of them.

"I'm going to see if Miya needs any help in the kitchen."

The verdanette was too busy watching television to respond. She probably hadn't even heard him speak over the sounds and sights on the screen. Naruto had to wonder if they had television in the labs. Was this her first time seeing one? He himself had never owned one, but he had at least used one before.

Amazingly enough, the shinobi had had the technology back in the olden age. Television, radio communication, and even the trains of Yuki no Kuni. Kumogakure had been the technological hub of the Elemental Nations with their penchant for lightning and electricity, but Konoha had been no slouch either as the greatest of the five villages. Despite that, Naruto had never had any of the more innovative tech. When he was young, he couldn't afford a television, and when he became a shinobi, all his money had been spent on tools and other necessities. Then he had left for three years on his training trip with Jiraiya, meaning he hadn't been home. Probably didn't help that every time he was home, the village got destroyed. First with the Suna Invasion, then Pein had destroyed it, and then Madara had permanently ended it along with all the other nations.

Madara had destroyed everything. All of the shinobi nations had fallen, and most of their shinobi with it. The remaining shinobi had gone extinct with time succeeding his and Kaguya's defeat as there was simply no one to fight anymore. It had been the same way with the samurai of the Tokugawa Shogunate, who had become antiquated at the end of the Edo period and abolished at the start of the Meiji Restoration in favor of modernization. Though they had lasted from the 1100s with the Kamakura Shogunate to 1868 with the Tokugawa; nearly seven hundred years in all. Within the span of two hundred years the shinobi had been born, peaked, and fallen, never to be seen again. The Elemental Nations had been replaced by a technologically regressed Japan, who had no idea of the suffering of their forebearers. It made him nauseous. Hell, the best they had managed for several hundred years were rice kingdoms!

Sighing and shrugging his shoulders, he went to see what his favorite landlady was up to. She didn't have any competition for the spot, so it was technically true.

Miya stood over a large boiling pot, stirring it periodically as a thick cloud of steam rose from the water. She was humming a jaunty tune as she worked, presumably to pass the time, though Naruto could swear he recognized the music from somewhere. Naruto tested the air with a sniff and immediately picked up on the unique scent of curry. So that was what she was making. The sweet and spicy flavor profile in general was one of his favorites, and curry was encompassed within it. Whether it be the more mellow flavor of green curry, the sweeter blend of yellow curry, or the tongue-burning sensations of red curry, he could say he was a fan of them all.

"You need any help in here Miya?"

Said woman jumped at the unexpected voice and turned to see exactly who had broken her focus. "You really shouldn't go scaring people like that, it could cause an accident. What did you need, Naruto-san?"

He scratched his head with an apologetic look, "Maa, maa, sorry about that Miya-san. I just came to see if I could help." He knew as well as she did that his sudden arrival wasn't really all that sudden. That reaction of hers was more to let him know to announce himself rather than because she had truly been alarmed.

"Hmm… I think everything is set in here, though if you would like to help after dinner that would be appreciated."

"Of course. I was going to do that anyways, whether you asked or not," he said with a grin.

"Thank you. Go wash up and have a seat at the table. Dinner will be ready shortly."

"Okay."

Naruto ambled out of the room and down the hall presumably to do as she said. As she turned back to the boiling pot and was just about finished she heard the distinct sound of dishes clinking. There rifling through the cabinets was Naruto. He was pulling out dishes and cups and utensils and everything else for the meal.

"Naruto-san, I thought I told you to get ready for supper."

He nodded while grabbing several plates. "I did."

"Then go sit down. I'll take care of setting the table."

"I insist."

"B-"

"I insist."

Miya sighed at the stubborn blonde, realizing that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Alright, please be careful carrying the dishes. We've had them since this house was built."

"You got it, Miya-chan."

Miya-chan? She got the distinct feeling that he was messing with her at this point. Her eye began twitching. "Naruto-san? What did I just say?"

Naruto had managed to balance the plates running up his arms, the cups on his head, and the utensils between his fingers, all while carrying the serving dishes in his hands.

"Uh, to be careful?"

"Mmhm, and what might you be doing right now?"

"Being careful?" he ventured.

A thin purple miasma surrounded her pretty frame, giving her an almost ethereal appearance. "That isn't what it looks like to me."

He stood there like it was an everyday occurrence despite looking more like a circus performer. "Don't worry Miya-chan, I do this all the time." He shouted into the other room loudly, "Yuegen, cream and sugar?" He got an equally verbose response back. "Yes please!"

Looking pleased with himself, Naruto returned his focus to Miya. "See?"

"See what? All I see is a somewhat irritating clown horsing around my kitchen."

Dexterously Naruto scanned the room without any of the dishware even slipping once. "I think you're seeing things Miya-chan. There aren't any clowns in the kitchen. Maybe you need to go lie down. I'll bring you dinner on a tray if you want, and then I can spoon feed you, and it'll be great."

Her eye was twitching fiercely at this point, and she was seriously considering offing the blonde buffoon. "Namikaze-san, you have about three seconds to leave the room before you get no supper."

The blonde jerked violently, taken aback by her words. Dramatic tears poured from his round, watery eyes, "Namikaze-san? So cold, Miya-chan. I thought we had something special, but now you're throwing me away like garbage! No, like I'm Seo! You've broken my heart, Miya-chan!"

"One."

Naruto put his plate-bearing hands up placatingly. "Alright, alright. I'll get going."

Miya let out a long sigh and shook her head, he was certainly a character. Those masks that occasionally popped up around the house were probably going to see their fair share of use.

XXXXXXXXXX

Miya studied the two people sitting at the table; there was a noticeable difference in the both of them.

Naruto, now that he wasn't making a scene, appeared…refreshed. Like a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. She was more perceptive than the average person, and she could discern that underneath it, ever so subtly, something was still eating at him. Sitting beside him, Yuegen looked mildly satisfied, like she had finally cleared something that had been bothering her. It wasn't the after-sex glow, more like the 'cleared conversation' type of look. That was good for them, she would hate to have to remind them of the rules around the house yet again.

"You two certainly look relaxed. Did something good happen?"

"We had a much needed talk. Cleared the air, and I believe we're both better for it." Yuegen shot a glance at Naruto, who continued eating unabated by the conversation.

"The curry is quite good. I think I could get addicted to your cooking," he butted in.

"While I'm certainly happy to hear that, making advances on a poor, defenseless housewife like me when your pretty girlfriend is sitting right next to you is awfully bold," she teased.

He just about choked when she called Yuegen his girlfriend, but managed to keep it from being obvious. Miya was seriously taking his compliment the wrong way! Was everything a saucy ploy to her?

"Oh, I have no worries around that. Naruto couldn't get another woman even if he tried. He had to use every aligned star and scrap of luck he had to get me. He's really quite fortunate," Yuegen quipped.

Naruto was huddled in the corner with a cloud of gloom floating above his head in an instant as he traced circles on the floor with his finger. "All around me are familiar faces, worn out places, worn out faces… Don't worry everyone, I'm coming to join you soon!"

Yuegen and Miya watched him humorously. Was that a mushroom growing on his head?

"Ah, that's more like it. The meal suddenly tastes a lot better, don't you think, Miya?" A large arrow pierced Naruto's back.

The lavendrette tested the curry and expressed mild shock. "Why, it certainly does! What a stunning discovery. I wonder what has changed that is making the curry so delicious?" A larger arrow joined its' compatriot.

Wails of agony emanated from the corner as the mushroom farm was besieged. "Aaaaahahaha…..what did I ever do to deserve this? I'm going back to living in the mountains! Fate-chan, don't you care about me anymore? Why would you leave me with these harpies?!"

One of the things he said peaked the metal Sekirei's interest. "You used to live in the mountains?"

In a flash Naruto was back at the table eating calmly as if nothing had happened. One of Jiraiya's secret techniques that he had passed down to his disciple. "I did. There was a period of time where I lived outside of Tokyo in the Akaishi Mountains as a hermit. It was always serene and tranquil there, so I sort of regret ever leaving. Plus I didn't have any mean, busty women to pick on me. It was the best."

Miya ignored the slightly lecherous comment about herself and Yuegen in favor of a bigger question she had. "You don't seem that old to me, Naruto-san. How have you lived in all of these different places in such a short period of time?" She made sure not to mention the fact that he had been married and had kids, as well as that they had departed apparently some time ago. It was an underlying thought that she was sure he would pick up on anyways.

Morose crossed his face, "I'm a bit older than I look. Perks of good genetics, I suppose." A smile graced his visage, the sadness disappearing almost as soon as it had come.

"How old are you?" asked the other member of the table.

Naruto waggled a finger at her disappointedly, "Now, now, you should never ask someone for their age. It's quite rude."

Yuegen rolled her eyes, "I'm pretty sure that rule only applies to women. Guys don't usually care about sharing their age."

Naruto hummed contemplatively and rubbed his chin idly. "While I suppose that's true, I couldn't tell you my age even if I wanted to. I'm not actually sure how old I am. I stopped counting birthdays a long time ago." It was true, just not for the reasons they probably thought it was.

Miya frowned at the puzzling blonde. How could he not know his own age? Every citizen had an identification card that supplied birth information, and everyone knew their birthday. It was just common sense. Except this man apparently. Well, and… never mind. But he couldn't be that old.

Oh, how wrong she was.

The blonde continued, seemingly aware of the confusion his words had sowed, "While I understand that that might seem amiss, I grew up in a place far from modern civilization, where information like date of birth was trivial. I've really only lived a short time in urban Japan." Again, technically correct, but for a non-obvious reason. That and his conception of time was a little screwy.

They both nodded; that made sense. If Naruto had spent most of his life living in rural areas like the Akaishi mountains as he had said, then the Japanese government wouldn't be able to find that information even if they wanted to. The information couldn't be obtained from his parents, seeing as they were dead, and his other family… The fact that they had been killed in such a way suddenly made more sense. It must have been a bear or another predator that was the culprit.

Yuegen scowled lightly, not exactly pleased with the information. For everything she discovered about him, two more unknowns appeared. He was like a knuckleheaded hydra!

"So you don't know your birthday?"

Naruto shook his head in the negative. "I do. I told you that I'm not sure how old I am because I stopped celebrating birthdays. Couldn't do that if I didn't know when it was. It's October tenth."

Well that was easy to remember. Ten ten. Not to be confused with the cute bun-haired weapon mistress. Not that they would know that.

The busty green-haired Sekirei filed that information away for later. His birthday was about half a year away, so there was plenty of time to plan for it. Of course, that was assuming it was an event he wanted to commemorate. Regardless of whether he wanted it turned into a celebration, she at least would like to do something for him. It would be entertaining coming up with a random year to celebrate. 'Congrats on your forty first birthday!' or something like that.

Or forty first century. That would be more accurate.

Miya still looked troubled, as if the pieces just didn't add up. "If you lived in the country for so long, why did you decide to move to the city? There couldn't have been much to bring you here."

"Ah, good question. I moved here because of my job. My colleague asked me to move to the city to make meetings easier, so I obliged."

Just as she was about to ask about his occupation, the sound of the front door opening reached the dining room, causing all three heads to turn. "Miya, I'm home," came a distinctly male voice.

Naruto squinted as he tried to recall where he knew that voice from.

A man with a longcoat folded over his arm came into frame, allowing the other residents to get their glimpse of the elusive second tenant.

The first thing to be noticed about him was his light gray, almost white hair that fell just below the nape of his neck. Naruto had to wonder if that was his natural color. Most Japanese people didn't have the eccentric hair colors that the shinobi of his day did, so it was actually a little bit novel. Naruto surmised it had something to do with the chakra reserves of the person, seeing as Yuegen, Karasuba, Miya, and now this man all had unnatural natural shades. The man was of a slight frame and had a handsome face with sharp, brown eyes. In combination, he very much had the bishounen look down pat. The man must be popular with the ladies. Hopefully he wouldn't be like Sasuke, who had been considered one as well, but was a complete douche-canoe. Shoving a Rasengan up the bastard's ass had totally been worth mastering the jutsu.

The man recoiled a little as he slowly gripped that there were unfamiliar people in the room. His eyed floated to Miya, who nodded at his questioning gaze. Composing himself, "Hello. And who might you be?" he said.

"It's not polite to ask for someone's name before giving your own."

He recoiled once again at the calm yet sharp response. "R-right. Sorry. My name is Kagari."

Naruto nodded respectfully and gave a proper reply. "A pleasure, Kagari-san. My name is Naruto. Namikaze Naruto."

Kagari half-smiled and looked at the other resident of the room. When he did, he was caught completely off-guard. What was Number 66 doing here? After the fight, he hadn't been able to find her and had just assumed she had escaped while he was chasing down the Lightning Twins. He hadn't even wanted to think about the alternative. But now here she sat, in perfect health and with what he assumed to be her Ashikabi. That was relieving. Now there was one less bird to maintain vigilance for.

Yuegen's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the newcomer, trying to put the pieces together. She could swear this man was…

"Hm, you look a lot like Homura."

Kagari and Miya both stiffened slightly, an action that did not go unnoticed by Naruto. It was only a twitch, so most would miss it entirely, but he was well versed in picking up such things. Something that he conveyed to the other male with his eyes.

Kagari knew that the blonde knew something, and he knew that Kagari knew that he knew. He had to hope that the probable Ashikabi wouldn't spill the beans about his secret identity. Otherwise, he might get burned when the situation got too hot to handle. Pun intended.

"Never mind. My name is Yuegen. Nice to meet you."

"L-likewise, Yuegen-san."

Miya came to the panicking Kagari's aid. "Kagari, why don't you sit down with us? We were just in the middle of eating dinner. I'll make you a plate if you'd like."

Kagari smiled gratefully at the landlady, thankful for her timely intervention.

"As much as it pains me to do so, I'll have to decline. I ate at the host club just before coming here. I'm a bit tired, so I think I'll retire for the night. I promise I'll eat with you tomorrow. Goodnight." he said as he ascended the staircase.

Three pairs of eyes trailed the man as he disappeared with a note of intrigue from the Ashikabi/Sekirei pair and concern from Miya.

"Well that was interesting," Naruto supplied.

Miya exhaled lightly. "Kagari-san works at a host club, and is apparently the most popular host there, so he tends to come home late. This isn't an uncommon occurrence, but I do worry whether he's taking care of himself. Some nights he doesn't come home until three or four in the morning, and then leaves again at eight."

"That must be difficult. I used to work night shifts, and they were always rough." While shinobi tended to travel during the day, about half of their operations were done at night. They used to refer to it as 'working the shade' within the Leaf echelons. Stealth, assassination, espionage, infiltration, the works. Anything that required any subtlety was usually a night job. The other half were the flashy battles that most high-level ninjutsu users in particular got into. Seriously, someone could have made a TV show off of the shit he used to get into back in the day. Ironically, the most hazardous part of their job was probably camping overnight. He could name more than a few top-notch ninja who had been ambushed and killed during the night while they slept. That was why only A or S rank nin were allowed to fly solo, with a couple B rank exceptions. It was like an unspoken rule that anyone who was listed in the Bingo Book could run missions as they pleased while the rest had to stick by the book. Naruto had run a number of solo missions when he had returned from his training trip with Jiraiya. None of them had been pleasant.

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto sat on the porch staring up into the sky aimlessly. After dinner, Yuegen had left to take a bath, claiming that she needed it after their long day of moving. Naruto, who had done most of the heavy lifting, felt like he absolutely needed one. He had spent almost half of his time on the veranda debating whether he had the energy to clean himself tonight, or if he would wait until the morrow. Meh, why not both? The sky had faded into blackness as he mulled his thoughts, making for a pretty sight before it had set. Though the view couldn't compare to that of his former balcony, it was nice in its' own way. You could just make out the stars from this little piece of earth, and he doubted any of the houses surrounding could claim the same.

It was such a surreal thought when he pondered the grand scope of things. Just how vast the world was and how many things filled it. The oceans, the deserts, the forests, the mountains. The people, the plants, the animals, the sky. It was truly a wonderful world, one that even in all his time he could not claim to know. Maybe he loved nature the way he did because it was the only thing that remained unchanging. Like a grizzled, faithful companion who could sit beside him and know as he did all of time past. An inside joke that only the two of them were aware of. Who knows? Maybe there was a third comrade or even a fourth or fifth who could laugh along with them about all that was lost to the sands of time.

The soft thumping of feet drew Naruto back in. He had a visitor. Out of the corner of his eye he could make out light purple and white, telling him all he needed to know about the person's identity.

"Hello, Miya."

"Would you mind if I joined you? I made tea."

At his motion of approval, the woman folded her hakama behind her and eased into a seiza position, placing a tray with two cups of tea down beside her. She lifted one of them up and handed it to him gently, which he accepted with a grateful nod.

He closed his eyes and took a small sip, instantly melting. "Mm. I don't think I could say anything about your tea that I haven't already."

"So how exactly do you fit in with the Sekirei Plan?"

Faster than the human eye could comprehend a blade rested against his throat, drawing a small trickle of blood as it bit into his flesh.

Miya's eyes were cold as ice as they sharply bored into his head. "You have about two seconds to explain yourself, Naruto. I don't want to have to hurt you."

Said blonde lazily put a hand up placatingly. "Relax, Miya-san. No need to reach for the knife. It wasn't obvious until Kagari came back. Anyone with half a brain could figure out that was Homura. Combine that with you quite clearly being the Hanya of the North that MBI has demanded distance from and it was easy to put the dots together."

The graceful landlady hesitated with a clear look of suspicion. This man was far too perceptive, almost scarily so. Nothing could stay buried with him around, which was something Miya dreaded. There were some things that needed to stay locked away. Reluctantly retracting her katana from his neck, she sheathed it with a quiet hiss.

"If you aren't careful that nosiness of yours will get you into trouble. There are some things that are better left unsaid."

"I understand. I wasn't looking to pressure an answer out of you unwelcomingly. You've been incredibly kind to Yuegen and I, and that's something that I would be loathe to throw back in your face. I'll keep my observations to myself from now on, but this is one thing I'll beg you answer."

Naruto could see the gears turning in her pretty little head, fighting an internal war of decisions.

She was at a loss as to what to do. On one hand, it really couldn't hurt to tell him, seeing as he already knew she was aware of the Plan. With her cover blown, the actual details were trivial. She could still openly omit parts about it and he would accept it despite that. She had figured out that much about the man sitting beside her. Secrets weren't an issue to him, and he didn't push for disclosure. He respected her privacy and she respected his, that was the unspoken dynamic they had set after yesterday's events. On the other hand, with how situationally aware the blonde was, giving him any information could come back to bite her. Really, it came down to whether she felt she could trust her new tenant.

Taking a deep breath, Miya began her story. "My late husband was the head of research for the Sekirei Plan. He personally created or was involved in all technological advances regarding their race. Without his work, the Plan would not be possible, though it was not his wish for the Sekirei to fight. He did what he did in hopes that all the Sekirei would find their Ashikabi and live happily. He wanted nothing more than for every little bird to get the chance to live a normal life. When he died, all of his research was seized and warped into creating a civil war among the Sekirei race. It was never meant to be this way."

"So that's why you hate Minaka so much and established an area of neutrality in the North," Naruto surmised. He assumed Miya had some sort of technology that made MBI acknowledge her wishes. Or maybe it was as a tribute to her deceased husband and his contribution to the corporation. Yet another question he would refrain from asking.

"That's correct," Miya affirmed. "I was tasked with watching out for all of the little birds, but I am unable to personally cater to all of them. The best I could do was create a safe haven for those who did not want to fight or be a part of this battle."

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place for Naruto. "And so you requested Homura aid you as the Guardian of Unwinged Sekirei in exchange for staying here."

"Right again. That was quite an impressive deduction, Naruto-san. I myself am not a Sekirei and will not fight in any capacity, so that was the solution I came up with."

Naruto absently bobbed his head while scratching his cheek, piecing together all the foggy factors. "Thank you. I promise that is all I will ask. It's a relief knowing that I picked the one true place where Yuegen and I can live peacefully. Neither one of us wants to have anything to do with this fight. I'd much rather live with good company and a smile on my face than fight another war." His voice was nary a whisper as he spoke the last line, but Miya's keen hearing picked up on it nonetheless.

The sardonic look on his face talking about the horrors of war was one she could relate to. After Kamikura, she had realized that she despised combat. The kill or be killed nature of it, the ending of another life, everything. It was not a thing to be proud of – something that she and Karasuba had never seen eye to eye on.

"As I said before, you are always welcome here. You're a part of the Maison Izumo family, too," she said evenly.

He gave her a bright – as much as his perpetually dull face allowed – smile that didn't quite reach his eyes at the notion.

"You know, before we got sidetracked, was there something you wanted to talk about?"

It was nothing like that. Much the same as him, she had come to gaze at the celestial wonders of the night. The veranda was the best place to watch from, and it just so happened he had also discovered that fact.

"I came for them," she pointed upwards. "No matter where we are, everyone stands under the same sky. Anytime we turn our heads above, we gaze upon the same sun, the same moon, the same stars. It reminds me that we are all still so close, no matter the distance."

Naruto leaned back and propped himself up with his arms locked behind him. While it wasn't what he liked about the great expanse, it was still valid. He thought he understood Miya's reference. Maybe if you stared at the heavens long enough, you might see those who had departed standing atop the clouds waving down.

"Would you mind if I join you here at night? As fellow stargazers, I'd enjoy the company."

Miya pondered his suggestion. A little companionship would be pleasant. "I'd like that."

They sat there for an hour, occasionally breaking out into small talk about random topics. By the time they left the veranda and called it a night, Naruto was too exhausted to take a bath. As unhygienic as it may be, he could care less. Future Naruto could deal with it.

Slipping into the dark room, Naruto stripped his clothes off and changed into a pair of lounge pants without a shirt and silently crawled into bed beside an asleep Yuegen. Settling into the bed, he gently whispered a goodnight and joined her in slumber.

XXXXXXXXXX

The man picked up his distressed phone with an exasperated sigh.

"What do you want, Minaka?"

"I thought you might want to know that we found Namikaze Naruto," came the slightly high pitched, blithe voice of Hiroto Minaka.

"Really? After nearly twenty years we've finally found him?"

"Indeed. He winged Number 66 and recently moved to live with the Hanya in the North."

"Excellent. Good work finding out that information."

"Of course. It was the least I could do for an old friend."

"Heh. If that's all, I have other things to attend to."

A non-distinct grunt echoed through the phone, "Always so abrasive, Kakaro."

"After a score of years you should be used to it."

"True, but that never made it any more entertaining."

"Goodbye Minaka." Click.

He ran a hand through his dark hair. An equally dark grin met his visage. "I've finally found you. Oh, the bell tolls as the time draws near. You'll never escape your destiny, Namikaze."

XXXXXXXXXX

AN: And that's it! I know this was a bit of an uneventful chapter, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless. Next chapter, if I play my cards right, should have a major event unfold! We shall see. And as always, please feel free to fuel my growing addiction to reviews. Until next week!

Actually, a note: I may or may not push my posting date back a touch to make sure that the chapter fits properly. I've been spending around 5 to 6 hours editing and approximately ten hours writing for each chapter every week, so I want to make sure my quality of work is up to stuff, especially with university and other such things still going on for me. Mind you, this may just be an empty statement and my posting schedule may still be at the same time. I just wanted you all to be aware that I may slow it down by a couple days as I originally intended to do.