-Last Chapter-

"I can smell you, Commander!~"

"Speak of the devil and she might appear." Takao hissed already moving to intercept the coming storm lest the entire dorm be burnt to the ground, while Atago followed suit making a B-line towards Naruto who was staring at the door with confusion wondering why many of the other Sakura ships were suddenly taking cover.

*Bang!*

"Ahahaha... there you are Commander..." Nine long bushy tails swayed hypnotically behind their owner as one of the unquestioned leaders of the Sakura Empire stepped elegantly into the room, narrowed ruby eyes scanning the assembled group of ships with disdain as she located the object of her affection trying vainly to hide behind the podium. Much to the amusement of the less worried girls who merely sighed at the somewhat common routine.

"So much trash in my sight..."

Columns of fire began to burn around the new arrival during the once pleasant atmosphere into a localized heatwave, frightening the younger ships who scrambled to make as much distance as possible from the blaze, while the older ships did their best to remain calm despite the oppressive aura leaking of the newly arrived carrier.

"Do not worry Commander..." A psychotic grin split her porcelain features.

"Your dearest Akagi will clean it all up!"

~Present~

"Akagi-san please stop!" Takao barked, reluctantly placing herself directly in the path of the currently twitching carrier who paused momentarily seeing one of her fellow seniors in her path. The flames of her passion and rage subsiding slightly as she took hold of her emotions for the moment to converse with one of the few girls who weren't... entirely worthless.

"Takao..." Akagi's tone was as pleasant as ever even given the circumstances as she eyed the defiant Heavy Cruiser standing before her. "I must ask that you to step aside, there are vermin to be dealt with." Akagi chuckled bringing a gloved hand to her mouth to hide her less than friendly smile. "You need not get involved... unless you wish to join them?"

The faint silhouette of planes began to take shape above the pair, circling overhead like birds of prey just waiting for the right opening to attack.

Takao frowned but did not make a move, she knew that to show weakness in front of this carrier when she was in one of her 'moods' was paramount to suicide. She maintained a calm expression even in the face of the sweltering heat of Akagi's flames honey gold eyes staring unflinchingly into rich crimson.

"I fail to see how crippling our fleet will benefit the commander." She countered trying to play to the kitsunes... "slightly" unhealthy obsession with their commanding officer. "No doubt that would cause her great amounts of unneeded stress and that wouldn't win you any favor." She rationalized forcing Akagi to pause and consider the argument. Her sneering expression replaced by a frown as she saw was forced to see the logic in Takao's rebuttal. As much as she despised these parasites breathing the same air as her beloved commander, she could not bring herself to even think of burdening her love in such a way.

Even if all the Commander needed was her.

"Ahahaha... Very well." The fires died out and Akagi's expression returned to her imposing but at the very least not murderous appearance. "I suppose you have a point."

Takao smiled and offered a small bow in a show of respect and thanks.

"However..." Akagi continued making her way to the podium brushing past the cruiser like she wasn't even there. "I am now curious as to why all of you are assembled but yet I was not called?" Akagi stalked her way to the front like a predator on the hunt despite her light steps.

Mirai couldn't help but sweat heavily as Akagi easily invaded her personal space with the sweetest of smiles while locking her arm between the valley of her generous bust. "You weren't avoiding Akagi-chan... were you, Commander?" She whispered leaning down to blow softly into Mirai's ear, a gesture that sent shivers down her spine as she was reminded of Akagi's extreme willingness to get... physical.

The innocent eyes of watching children be damned.

"Of course not." She hurriedly denied hastily while trying and failing to remove her arm from the iron grip of the still smiling female. "You were just not available when the meeting was called." She reassured praying to whatever god would listen to her silent pleas that she would make it out of here without incident.

Akagi stared deeply at her Commander for a few moments before seemingly accepting the reasoning allowing her grip to slack just slightly. She still had no plans of actually letting go. Not in front of all these hussies anyway.

"What was the nature of this meeting, Commander?" She questioned innocently, wondering what could be so important that such a large meeting could be allowed to take place without her. "You aren't perhaps... getting married are you?"

The oppressive aura returned with a vengeance as Akagi forced out those words and she had to hold back a shout of pain as the kitsune's grip grew just a smidge too tight for liking.

"No! No, no!" Mirai shook her head dispelling any rumors of that to placate the irate fox. "I was just introducing the newest member of the Sakura Empire." She admitted causing Akagi's eyes to widen momentarily before instantly narrowing in annoyance.

"Yet another obstacle... Commander where is this girl? Akagi wishes to 'speak' with her!" Akagi hissed leaving no illusion about what "speaking" would entail if she got her way. More than likely something that would mentally scar the youngsters for years to come.

"Soft..."

Akagi would deny under pain of death the yelp that escaped her as something took hold of her precious tails, she would then kill anyone who claimed, in that moment, that she was anything other than completely composed.

"Who dares!" She growled.

Let it be known that Akagi was incredibly vain. Her tails along with her beauty and her strength were her pride and no one, other than her dear sister and her beloved Commander, of course~, could touch her unprompted in such a manner!

Turning on her heel with fury in her eyes and every intention of turning the offender to ashes at the heel of her shoe, she rounded on the soon to be stain upon the earth.

And was met with the pouting face of... a child?

Off to the side, Atago panted in exhaustion at having tried and failed to keep the blond from approaching the somewhat unstable woman. She'd been given a front-row seat to what could only be described as the power of "love at first sight", the small battleship having been unnaturally transfixed by the force of nature that was Akagi's unrestrained affections and refusing to allow her to hold him.

Akagi blinked owlishly, the flames of her anger put out like a match in a hurricane. Her confusion growing when, instead of cowering in fear said child merely tried to grab hold of her tails again, completely brushing off her malice as if it was a minor inconvenience at worst.

"Come back..." He huffed and tried again, prompting her to turn slightly causing him to miss again.

Onlookers could only watch in disbelief as a game of cat and mouse began between the two, Akagi turning in circles on the spot while Naruto chased after her with a dogged determination. The sight was made even more comical by Akagi's utterly baffled facial expression, her body working on auto-pilot to protect her pride but making it very apparent that the carrier was not at all mentally processing what she was seeing.

"Commander... what is this?" The genuine bewilderment present in Akagi's tone made Miria desperately wish she had something to record with. "Commander what is this?!" She repeated urgently, having begun walking away in circles trying her hardest to avoid being caught by the grabby hands of this unknown child, her long strides and panicked tone causing a few of the younger ships to laugh among themselves as they watch the normally fearless ship flee from the little warship.

"Fufufu, to think little Naru-chan could outshine even Akagi..." Atago chuckled into her gloved hand as she watched the almost cartoon-like action taking place in front of her unable to help but laugh along as Akagi grew increasingly more desperate to avoid being touched and Naruto more determined to catch her. "I'm almost jealous." She laughed.

"He is certainly full of surprises." Takao agreed watching the ongoing events with a mixture of disbelief and a small amount of amusement. The First Division Carrier was infamous among all of the factions for her terrifying obsession, but at the moment she failed to see the woman that could inspire such fear within the hearts of her foes and allies alike as anything other than a source of entertainment.

"Akagi just pick him up." Mirai snorted enjoying the scene with the rest of her fleet. It was a more than a bit cathartic to see someone manage to put the pushy ship girl off her game, a bit of payback for all the times she'd been left to fend her off alone. "He doesn't seem interested in stopping anytime soon."

Hearing the command of her beloved she unconsciously did as she was told, turning on a dime and scooping up the blond child by his side and holding him out as far away from her as possible. With her tails no longer in danger, it seemed her mind managed to reboot and for the first time, she was truly seeing the boy in front of her clearly.

Bright blue eyes sparkled with a fondness that left her taken aback, despite his blank face his emotions were very clear in those ocean blue pools of his. She saw no fear in him as he looked back at her, though she supposed that wasn't surprising given the events of the past few minutes. A faint cough escaped her as she realized how she must have looked and bemoaned the rumors that would no doubt spread from this little incident.

Her eyes moved to the three little whisker marks that decorated his cheeks, an odd trait even among the Sakura Empire. She couldn't recall a single ship off the top of her head who shared such distinct markings and she quietly noted that given his wide eyes he looked remarkably similar to a baby fox...

Doki...

He was soft, almost delicate she observed given that since she was holding him by the arms she could feel his skin against her own. His clothing, however, gave her pause. The distinct sickly yellow glow of his attire brought back memories of a time she'd rather forget but the quiet fear that often came with them was not present leaving her somewhat conflicted.

While Akagi grappled with her own thoughts and feelings, Naruto took the time to simply enjoy her presence, even if his ability to do so was slightly hindered by the distance she placed between them.

It was hard to describe why he was so fascinated with the fox like woman, he didn't really understand it but then again there were a lot of things he didn't fully understand about the world around him and himself. However, she felt familiar to him... there were some things off, like a picture that just didn't feel quite right, the broad strokes were the same but the little details were just a bit... wrong.

"Brat! Don't you dare..."

He winced as thunderous words echoed violently through his ears, the guttural tone searing itself into the folds of his mind like a flash of lightning before fading just as quickly as they came. He knew them, his stomached warmed at the sound of them... but at the same time, he didn't? A name leaped to the tip of his tongue but his mouth refused to make the words, a relic of something from before but before what he could not say. What could come before the haze that he'd been birthed from?

"Child, speak your name."

Her voice broke him from his contemplation, banishing those thoughts back to depths from which they came. Not gone but buried for the time being.

"Naruto." He answered before adding his newly christened title. "First Battleship of the Hybrid class." He introduced waving his hand in greeting as best he could while being held like some kind of animal.

"I see..." Akagi muttered giving her commander a sideways glance that assured the woman they would be having a long conversation about this later. "And would you care to explain what prompted you touched my tails?" She positioned it as a question but it was very clearly a demand.

He tilted his head and looked at her curiously, his ever-present sleepy expression combined with the adoration in his gaze assault her with levels of adorable she wasn't sure she was mentally prepared for.

Doki...

"Ano... they looked so soft and pretty..." He answered simply, turning his attention to the flowing tails behind her with unashamed desire. "You must take really good care of them..." He praised giving her a slight but genuine smile as he did so.

Akagi was silent for a few moments as she weighed up his answer, the two of them having attracted every pair of eyes in the room by this point.

Then abruptly, almost worryingly so, Akagi smiled.

"Ahahaha... Commander." Akagi turned to the woman who was watching the duo with slight concern. She didn't like the look on her face at all. "Excuse me my love, but I will be taking my leave now." Akagi didn't wait for a response and merely turned tail and walked off, the only sound echoing through the silence being the click of her heels upon the wooden flooring as she made her way out.

With Naruto's confused but still delighted form tucked securely within her arms.

...

"Should... should we be worried?" Takao asked quietly looking towards her leader who seemed to have long since given up resting haphazardly against the podium with a defeated look of resignation. "You don't think she's going to hurt him, do you?"

"Probably not... I think?." It was never easy to tell what was going through Akagi's head. Thankfully despite her less than pleasant nature, Akagi had never seriously injured or even harmed any members of her fleet so she was at least willing to give her the chance to bond with their newest ally.

She just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass later.

...

"Ano... where are we going?"

Naruto looked up from his positioned nestled in the arms of the busty carrier, the two of them making their way through the many hallways littering the Sakura dorms as Akagi hummed softly to herself, her gaze locked straight ahead though she did occasionally send small glances towards the blond in her arms. Despite no longer being in the company of the Commander or either of the cruiser sisters, he felt no real fear at being taken away from them. Not sensing any hostile intent from his current guide he was content to allow himself to be carried off.

"Where else but my room." She hummed, quietly running her fingers through his hair with a soft sight of content at the warmth of his form pressed against her own. "It would not due to have you wandering among the riff-raff... no, you'll be much better off with me." She supplied a hint of something in her tone but what that was he hadn't the faintest clue.

"Oh... are the others bad?" He asked, while he hadn't spent a lot of time with the others he didn't think there was anything particularly wrong with them.

"Beware of them, they are leeches." Akagi was swift to share her views on the other members of the Sakura Empire. "If you allow your eyes to drift for even the slightest moment they will latch onto that which belongs to you like filthy scavengers." She instructed, an annoyed scowl gracing her features as she spoke her thoughts aloud.

"I see." He wasn't sure if he agreed with that assessment but he wouldn't say anything against her either, she was his senior so he would defer to her judgment. "Is there anyone here you do like then?" He asked curiously.

"Of course, other than my darling Commander I have my sister." She revealed with a smile, of all the other... vermin, that called this port home only her sister shared the right to even look at her Commander. Of course, there was another but until they were reunited she would not speak of her so openly.

"You have a sister too?" It seems the Sakura Empire was full of sister duos.

"Hai, she's almost as beautiful as me." She confirmed while, reluctantly, setting the boy back onto the ground to open up the door to her shared room. "In fact, you'll be meeting her in a few moments so make sure you are presentable." She informed him missing his look of excitement at the idea of more fluffy tails to squeeze. Let it be known he was rather simple in hits wants.

Akagi's sister… He wondered if she was just like her?

With a soft click of her key, Akagi pulled back her door, allowing the wooden frame to slide seamlessly to the side before grabbing hold of his hand leading him into the rather spacious abode.

It was surprisingly clean not that he through it would be messy or anything but he couldn't find even the smallest hint of dust or disorder pervaded the room, leaving it almost unnaturally tidy. Decorated with pictures and small bonsai trees it almost seemed to embody the ideals of minimalist style while still making room for the culture of the Empire. There was a small TV off to the side and few floor pillows next to a small table that likely sat the room inhabitants on lazy days.

In the far corner, he spotted two moderately sized beds sporting red and blue coverings respectively though the red one seemed to have what appeared to be plushies set out along its edge.

He idly wondered who designed one of the Commander...and if he could get one for himself.

"Sister, welcome back-..."

"Akagi, Where did you get that child?"

A cold yet seemingly puzzled voice off to the left captured the pair's attention as a new figure stepping out from what he assumed to be a bathroom built into the side of the room. Narrowed icy blue eyes fixed heavily upon pair looking between the two confusion and slight suspicion.

"Pretty..." He paid little attention to the look being sent his way in favor of drinking in the sight of arguably the most beautiful ship he'd met during his short time around the base.

"Ahahaha, he's a gift from the Commander~" Akagi sang in her usual tone, slipping off her shoes as she made her way deeper into their shared living space. "He was so utterly captivated by my beauty that it was only fair that I spirit him away for a little while." She mused not at all bothering to hide the flush on her cheeks as she hugged the youth close to her leg.

Perhaps she was a tad bit smitten but she didn't care.

"Isn't he just precious? Soften those harsh eyes of your Kaga and look for yourself." She hummed pushing the blond towards her sister with a slight smile allowing the two unrestricted access to inspect one another.

Naruto looked upon the newly revealed Kaga with wonder, the same fondness he felt for Akagi making itself present in the presence of her seemingly younger sister.

Kaga was a modestly tall ship, just a tad shorter than Akagi but not enough to matter in any way, in terms of looks though there was no mistaking the two. Whereas Akagi possessed long flowing brown hair and brown tails, Kaga veered in the complete opposite direction. Short hair in the color of freshly fallen winter snow graced her head falling just short of her shoulders. Her kitsune like ears were unmistakable, twitching softly atop her head while behind her, nine puffy white tails swayed to and fro hypnotically reminding him of the clouds on a clear summer day.

Unlike her sister who seemed to be eternally smiling, even if that smile was laced with malic at times, Kaga seemed to be a much more serious woman. Cold analytical blue eyes swept over him that might have paralyzed a lesser person with ease, not helped by the slight frown she seemed to carry though that might have just been reserved for him. She cleared favored the color blue just as Akagi favored red seeing as her clothing with a mix of white and blues that only enhanced her beauty.

"He looks like a Siren."

There wasn't hate in her observation but there was a level of unease in her voice as she described the most obvious traits of the youth in front of her. Her past with the Siren's was just as spotty as her sisters and it weighed on her just as much if not more so at times. How willing she'd been to sink her fellow soldiers in their name... to see him now brought back unpleasant memories.

"Half Siren." He admitted still somewhat taken by her regardless of the frost lacing her words, a small blush gracing his whiskered cheeks. "The Commander says I was born to help better understand the Sirens in hopes of aiding humanity in pushing them back." He informed quietly.

Kaga's eyes widened at that, the pieces falling into place. That would explain the heavy workload over the past few months as well as the Commander's abrupt willingness to investigate reports of Siren activity despite the dangers.

All in aid of her pet project.

"How reckless..." Kaga found the idea more uncomfortable than she cared to admit and a part of her urged her to act, to remove this threat before it grew to infect all that they had built, killing them from within. They'd seen first hand that nothing good came out of tinkering powers from those monsters be it given willingly or taken by force.

It would be easy, almost criminally so, to burn him where he stood...

"Very well." She held herself back, not out of some sentimentality due to his appearance, child or not the reality was there were made for war regardless of their size. No, she merely understood that if her sister had not come to the same conclusion as she had then attacking him would only serve to put them at odds. For all of her sister's quirks, Kaga still loved her all the same and would not start an unnecessary conflict if it could be avoided.

"Wonderful!" Akagi smiled and clapped before cocooning the boy in her arms and sitting him down in her lap. "Now come in and join us, I'm feeling particularly festive this evening~"

Kaga sighed but nodded nonetheless, making her way over to the pair but keeping herself at just enough of a distance to watch over their "house guest".

She was not as easily swayed as her sister.

...

"We should have picked him up hours ago!" Takao fretted as she made her way through the Sakura dorms a concerned frown marring her delicate features as her boots clacked harshly against the wooden flooring. "I should have followed them..."

Behind her, Mirai and Atago exchanged bemused glances at the worried cruiser's behavior. It was rare to see the ever diligent Takao in such a frayed state but it was also a testament to how much she'd come to care for the little battleship.

"I'm sure Naru-chan is fine." Atago tried to reassure her sister lest she worries herself into an early grave. "If he wasn't he likely would have fired off a warning shot that we would have heard." She rationalized picking up the pace to walk beside her placing a gentle hand upon her shoulder in hopes of reassuring the panicked cruiser.

"What if he didn't get the chance? What if she just left him somewhere?"

"She isn't that bad." Mirai spoke up, coming to the defense of the slightly eccentric and very possessive carrier. Sure Akagi could be a bit much but she wasn't evil or needlessly cruel... so long as it didn't involve her anyway. "You're overreacting." She noted taking stock of Takao's mother hen like behavior

"Then where is he?" She fired back rounding the corner that led to the last place they'd thought to check. "What could she possibly have done with him that would keep them out for so long."

"...Fair point, but still." She did have to concede it was odd for no one to have seen the IJN Carrier or Naruto since the meeting but that wasn't a sign that she'd done anything wrong.

"Exactly." Arriving at their destination Takao politely but firmly rapped her knuckles against the wooden door belonging to their quarry, the hollow knocking booming in her ears as she waited anxiously for some kind of response.

Moments passed of utter silence that seemed to go on for hours before finally, just as she went to knock again, the click of locks being turned graced them and with a rumble, the sliding paper door squeaked open revealing a less than amused Akagi standing in the doorway, though her expression brightened considerably seeing the Commander standing in the back hiding slightly behind Atago.

"Hello, Commander~" She purred sending the woman a lustful glance before quickly shifting back to annoyance as the sight of Takao standing at her door and Atago smiling cheerful in the back. "Hello, vermin." She greeted half-heartedly. "What brings you here?" She questioned curiously while still denying them access to the rest of the room.

"We are here to pick up Naruto." Takao answered somewhat forcefully getting straight to the point in her usual fashion. "If you would please bring him out so that we can get him situated in a room of his own we would appreciate it." She asked maintaining her usual politeness but there was an undertone of urgency to her request that was easy to pick up on for anyone looking for it.

"Ahh, I see." Akagi thought on it for a moment before offering them a small knowing smile. "However, I regret to inform you that won't be necessary." She answered causing Takao's brow to twitch at the casual dismissal of her request.

"And why would that be?" Atago interjected, calmly scooting her sister out of the way lest she lose her composure and try to force her way into the sectioned off room. "It is standard procedure for all girls, or in his case boys, to have their own living space unless special circumstances prohibit it or an exception is made." She reminded, while sister ships of the same class often did share a space, most did in fact have their own rooms they could use if they wished and Naruto was no exception.

They just needed to find one for him first.

"He does not want to leave, therefor he shall stay here." Akagi laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Your concern is admirable but unneeded, he will be taken care of." She assured not at all bothered by the suspicious looks being sent her way, after all, why should she concern herself with desires of ants?

"Akagi." Mirai stepped forward and almost immediately the IJN carrier straightened up noting the seriousness in the normally relaxed woman's voice. "I would like to see Naruto, now if you'd please." It was easy to forget with her easy going nature that she was still the one in charge of this base and her word was law here. Mirai liked to offer her girls privacy, as far as she was concerned they were people and deserved that much.

However, she would step in when needed.

For a moment Akagi hesitated, biting her lower lip in frustration at the silent command before finally nodding. "Very well, but only you." Akagi stipulated sending less than friendly glances at her entourage. "These two must wait outside." She demanded.

"Deal. Takao, Atago please wait here for a moment." She instructed and the two nodded reluctantly, small frowns gracing their faces as they did so. They weren't particularly worried about Akagi of all people harming their Commander, but her suspicious actions did set them more than a bit on edge and if anything only made them more curious to find their young charge.

Once she was sure they would not follow Akagi stepped slightly to the side, parting the makeshift wall she'd constructed with her tails to allow Mirai inside before quickly shutting the door behind her.

...

A few minutes later and Mirai stepped out, an unreadable expression grafted onto her face while Akagi once more took her place at the door again blocking all access to the room with her extra appendages.

Takao and Atago looked expectantly at their Commander who merely sighed and turned back to face the waiting Aircraft Carrier.

"Thank you for allowing me to check and apologies for intruding upon you at this hour." She said offering a slight bow, an apology Akagi more than happily accepted. "He can stay for tonight but he's still getting his own room." She said.

"Tsk. As you wish Commander." Akagi nodded though she was clearly displeased. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, enjoy the rest of your evening." She then turned and beckoned Takao and Atago to follow her while Akagi watched the trio disappear around the corner before finally closing her door for the night.

...

"Commander, is he okay?" Atago asked after a while of walking in silence, she hadn't said anything since they'd left and now she was beginning to worry.

"He is fine, we will see him bright and early tomorrow." She assured not slowing her pace in the slightest as they made their way back to the dorm entrance. "Please trust me." She added knowing that the pair were likely still going to worry regardless.

The duo looked at one another silently before nodding. "As you say, Commander."

"Thank you." She nodded but kept her face hidden from view. After all, it wouldn't do to have them catch the mad grin upon her face at this moment.

-With Akagi and Kaga-

"Have they left?"

Akagi nodded and made her way back over to her seat in front of the television. "They just rounded the corner, be thankful our Commander is so understanding or that cold facade of yours might have been in some serious trouble, oh sister mine." She giggled while sending an amused glance in her sister's direction.

Kaga blushed and hung her head, her ears drooping at her sister's teasing but knowing that she spoke the truth. She was a proud carrier, a seasoned veteran of the Sakura Empire! Yet here she was now…

How was she to know he'd be so persistent in his desires?

Looking down she eyed the source of her current embarrassment with a mixture of slight affection and annoyance.

A sleeping Naruto was currently nestled into her lap snoozing away without a care in the world. His head resting softly on one of her tails like a makeshift pillow while the others held him tightly in a blanket of fur keeping him warm. Her hand ran unconsciously through his hair and despite her earlier posturing, she had to fight the urge to draw him in closer and rub at his chubby cheeks as he snuggled deeper into her embrace.

Mentally she cursed this softer side of herself and resolved to see something done about it… eventually.

"Ahahaha, If you were anyone else I don't know what I'd do." Akagi laughed, torn between burning jealousy and unbidden delight at the sight before her, it was rare to see her sister like this. Her seemingly ice cold exterior and ruthlessness on the battlefield made others cautious when approaching her even among their own faction, she'd never say it aloud but it probably brought Kaga a silent joy to have someone other than herself so eager to interact with her.

She sighed wistfully at the missed opportunity but the love she had for her sister proved stronger than the envy she felt so she was content to watch as a spectator... for now anyway.

Next time he was sleeping in her lap though.

AN. Chapter complete!

Three chapters in and I've technically reached the end of my initial plans for this fic, then again with the reception it seems I'm not actually done with it so I suppose that doesn't matter much anymore haha. I do want to say thank you to everyone who's been reading along so far and enjoying it.

So, as always, I'd like to use the end of the chapter to share my thoughts on the story and answer questions which are what I'll actually start off with.

The first question/concern I want to address is one that in hindsight I should have talked about in the last chapter but I didn't really think of until is was pointed out to me. The concern being, that as of now in the story Naruto feels less like himself and more like an OC character.

I want to address this because I can see why this idea could spring to mind and if one person feels that way others probably do or will as well so I want to talk about it. Now, from the beginning I made it clear that this story isn't entirely mine, many of the story design choices are not ones decided by me and my job is mostly to bring those ideas to life. Naruto being manifested as a child and him being a battleship were both not my first choice but the story wasn't for me and it still sort of isn't, if that makes sense. Essentially, I have to build a blank slate into a familiar character and my writing style doesn't really favor doing that quickly but rather over time.

I also want to make it apparent that the first three chapters are all of the same day, starting from the early morning into the first night. Naruto has been alive in this world for less than 24 hours so naturally, we haven't seen a lot of his character or fleshed out his story. There are hints of a connection between this Naruto and the one everyone is more familiar with, his fondness for the twin foxes, small fragments of memory that skitter by and eventually will be explained. As he grows both mentally and through experience we will see him take a more defined shape so I just ask that people be a bit patient with me, having to split the story between introducing and interacting with so many characters as well as fleshing Naruto out is going to take some time but I hope that it'll prove worth the wait.

There is also the idea of retrofitting to keep in mind, a process that can drastically change/evolve characters both physically and potentially mentally as well. Anyway, I just wanted to bring this up because I can see where people are coming from but since only I am privy to the full plan it's easier for me to see where things will go but please have some faith.

Moving on!

There aren't any other major questions other than more interest in any possible pairings which I still have to sort for the reasons I explained last time. Seeing as we still have the other three major factions to meet I don't think pairings will become a huge point until Naruto's met all the major players, I like the Sakura Empire but some of my favorite girls are from the other factions so I want to wait for a bit.

Onto story stuff:

So, for one I do plan to have Naruto sortie (go on a mission) next chapter. I think we've had our fill of cute and I need to actually make use of all that power somehow and also lean into his perspective more, it's not going to be a major event but it'll give more insight to how he'll fight and some idea of his skills (perhaps). Currently just deciding who he'll sortie with, only Sakura ships for now but in future he'll be with the others as well. Eventually, he'll of course meet other Sirens and we'll see how that goes assuming interest in this story keeps up until then.

We met Akagi and Kaga which is always fun and they've taken a real shine to him. Akagi more openly than Kaga perhaps but given their natures that isn't very surprising, their relationship with him at least for the imminent future is going to be more like fussy, overprotective siblings (Though give Akagi's actions towards Kaga even that might be a bit much). What this relationship could change into though I can't say, it'll depend on how things progress and where Naruto goes character wise.

Also as a note, The Commander is not married to anyone in this story as of present and she is not having relations with anyone, in case people mistake Akagi's actions as that of a secret lover or something. Just to be clear haha.

Anyway, I think that wraps up everything, I hope you enjoyed! Also, I have a quick question I'd like your opinion on. What faction should Naruto meet next? I was thinking the Royal Navy but I'm curious if there is one you'd specifically like want to see next and why.

The Four Major Factions are:

Iron Blood (The Germans) (KMS)

Royal Navy (The English) (HMS)

Sakura Empire (Japanese) (IJN) (Naruto's home faction in this fic)

Eagle Union (The Americans) (USS)

So let me know if you want!

AL Ships introduced:

Kaga (Aircraft Carrier Ver.)