-Last Chapter-

Leaving the wreckage behind he peeked out from behind yet another slowly burning wreckage to take stock of the first ships outside of the Sakura Empire he'd ever laid eyes on, and the reason for their detour.

The Royal Navy, home to the proud but ever elegant maids and royalty of the British fleet that made up a large core of Azur Lane. Kaga had praised their power and frightening level of teamwork and even Akagi had begrudgingly agreed that the Royal Navy had more than earned their place within the organization.

He had to admit they weren't exactly what he was expecting but that wasn't a bad thing, he actually sort of liked their done up look, it was a far cry from the looser garments that were more popular among the Sakura girls.

"Ano... She's even bigger than Onee-chan..." He gazed in slightly amazement at the impressive 'torpedo bulges' on display from the Royals, if they were all so heavily armored then he could understand how they'd earned such a fearsome reputation.

He may have also idly wondered if they would make a nice place to sleep.

"Royal pillows..."

~Present~

He watched from a distance as Nachi and Ayanami spoke with the Royal Navy ships, the topic of their conversation was lost to him from his far off position but their relaxed posturing more than hinted that there was some level of comfort between the two groups. Nachi seemed to be conversing with the leader of the Royals, a busty woman dressed up in a simple yet elegant maid outfit that seemed to walk the line between modest and eye catching.

Despite having just escaped the heat of battle he couldn't help but marvel at her refined mannerisms and appearance. Soft, milky white skin dolled up in layers of lace and frills that should have hindered her instead only enhanced her natural beauty while long silverish white hair ran down to the small of her back like curtains of pure silk. Long bangs framed her face and fell well past the edges of her rather endowed chest. Grey eyes twinkled with gratitude and the prim but inviting manner in which she held herself only added to her humble but striking allure.

His eyes wandered to her companion, a slightly shorter woman who seemed to forgo the maid aesthetic in favor of a more casual yet classy look. Garbed in a simple beige colored jacket, a conservative white blouse, a skirt that revealed her shapely legs, and long socks. She possessed long brown hair and reddish-brown eyes that gave her a distinct look and on her face sat a pair of wide red glasses that exuded a cute girl next door vibe.

The duel pairs seemed to be exchanging information at the moment and idly he noticed that the third one seemed to have moved away while he was making his observations.

"Ano... where did she go?" He muttered with brow furrowed but blinked slowly when the glare of the sun overhead seemed to dim abruptly, the light of day being obscured by some foreign object casting its shadow upon him. Tilting his head up curiously, he was met with a narrowed pair of ruby red eyes peering down upon him while large gun barrels locked onto his position.

They merely stared at one another like this for a few moments, neither was entirely sure what the appropriate move to make was in this situation.

...

"Hello..." He greeted breaking the staredown between the two, his nonplussed response seemingly taking her by surprise as he shifted to face her, his cloak fluttered slightly as he turned on his heel to take stock of the female in front of him.

She was big... well, big might have not been the proper way to describe her. She was a tall woman, her long, thick legs seemingly going on for miles before disappearing under her... dress? He wasn't sure what to call the odd mixture of her top and bottom but he supposed he wasn't one to talk about odd clothing choices. The clothing strained to hold back her prominent chest, the outline of which could be easily made out through the flexible material though it was helped somewhat by the bright red coat she wore over it.

Red seemed to be her color of choice as various shades of crimson could be found comprising most of her clothing. Long red thigh-high stockings ran up her legs complimenting her healthy cream-colored skin, her burgundy jacket, and even her hair accessories were matching shades of vermillion.

Fittingly her eyes were a darker shade of red as well.

If she had red hair he might have found her commitment to one color a bit concerning but she possessed long blond hair a few shades lighter than his own, which were done up in twin-tails that hung loosely at her sides.

She also seemed to be highly agitated judging by the less than pleased look that was settled on her face.

"You were the cause of this weren't you?!" She growled keeping her guns trained on the small male in front of her, his clothing and general appearance serving as a clear indication of his position among the Siren ranks. "Ambushing us for another one of your sick experiments!" She accused.

He tilted his head curiously as her assertions but did not rise to her accusations.

"No, I only wanted to help." He countered staring her in the eyes with unflinching resolve. "I am not a Siren, not entirely..." He informed trying to defuse her ire. He understood the misconception but he was not an enemy.

Nelson maintained her glare, her stubborn nature on full display as she made no move to lower her weapons. She would admit he was lacking certain Siren mainstays... his blue eyes and blond hair were traits not found in their main enemies, granted at this distance she still easily spotted stray locks of snow white hair mixed into his untamed blond locks that were common among his kind.

However, she'd never seen a male among the Sirens before which did give his words some credibility... but who was to say that he wasn't just a new enemy they'd yet to discover until now!

"You think I'm going to believe that?" She hissed folding her arms under her chest, unintentionally making the twin globes more prominent than she may have realized. "After what we just went through?"

He stared at her for a few moments before softly clicking his teeth.

"Stubborn..." He pouted and tucked his arms away in his coat and to her shock, he proceeded to ignore her and instead turn back to face the group he'd been observing. Small ripples emerging with his every step as he casually walked towards them snapping her out of her trance.

"Hey! Stop!" She called out in annoyance yet for all her anger she didn't fire upon him, his actions were out of character for the normally sadistic or emotionless personality types of the Siren's they had encountered... enough so that she would stay her hand for the moment.

Her commotion did, however, catch the attention of her remaining party.

"Miss Nelson?" London quirked a brow before her eyes widened at the small figure seemingly waddling away from their resident tsundere. The telltale glow of Siren technology immediately catching her gaze and prompting her to once again summon her rigging, pistol clenched tightly in hand and ready to fight if need be.

By her side, Belfast's twin turrets were already primed and the head maid face had shifted from her usual courteous smile to a more serious, grim expression reserved only for battle. They might be low on ammo, but they wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Wait!"

The HMS girls floundered a bit as Nachi practically threw herself in the line of their fire, her normally haughty disposition thrown out the window as she flailed her arms frantically in an effort to stay their fire. In any other situation, the sight would have been more than a bit comical but in the presence of a Siren, it was only more puzzling.

Nachi breathed a sigh of relief seeing the pair of light cruisers lower their guns slightly, not enough that they couldn't react if need be but just enough that she wasn't worried about them taking potshots at her charge.

"Miss Nachi, is there something we should know about?" Belfast looked upon her fellow cruiser with concern but kept her voice level as was fitting for someone of her station. "You seemed much too relaxed right now." She noted drawing a nod from London who kept her sights trained on the cloaked figure making his way towards them.

"Well..." Nachi bit her lip as she tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't seem entirely suspicious. The initial plan had been for Naruto to disrupt the fleet from behind while she and Ayanami picked up the Royals, he was then supposed to make his way back out to sea before being seen.

Clearly, that hadn't gone as planned.

"He is an ally, a Siren created by the Commander." Ayanami's bored voice answered in Nachi's place drawing an indignant squawk from the foxy cruiser at the causal reveal of what was supposed to be a guarded secret. "He is not a threat." She insisted sparing them a passing look before walking off to meet him leaving Nachi to double over in exasperation at her unwieldy charges, she was supposed to be in charge here!

"No respect for protocol..." She grumbled.

"Your Excellency created... a Siren?" London's brow furled as she dematerialized her riggings her gloved hands rubbing softly against her chin while she processed the new tidbit of information. "Why were we not informed of such a thing?" She asked.

Picking herself off the ground Nachi decided it would be best that she offer some explanation before misconceptions could take hold.

"To my understanding, the Commander wanted to be sure his creation was a success before introducing him, a proof of concept." She explained seriously. "She had plans to slowly introduce him to each faction at an appropriate time but when that would have been, is known only to her."

Belfast nodded along quietly to herself at the explanation, it didn't take a genius to imagine the uproar such a process would cause or the backlash if such a procedure ended up only exacerbating the Siren threat. Still... to have created a living, breathing, Siren right under their noses was nothing short of amazing yet also worrying, she would need to speak with her Commander about such recklessness going forward.

"You are confident he is harmless then?" She asked, stowing her guns in favor of watching the boy get lightly scolded by the IJN destroyer. The pair making their way through the mostly submerged wreckage of the previous battle while behind them Nelson followed wearily.

"I wouldn't say harmless..." Nachi gestured to the ship graveyard around them as proof that despite his size he was still more than capable of matching some of the stronger battleships in raw power. "But he's a sweetheart really and he won't attack anyone he recognizes as an ally." She assured, offering what she hoped was a sincere looking smile.

"I see." Belfast hummed slightly and nodded. "May we meet him?"

"I suppose so... at this point, it doesn't really matter." Nachi sighed and turned to face her little chibis. "Naruto come here!" She called prompting the sailing trio to turn back at her shout.

Naruto slowly made his way over to her side but didn't spare the Heavy Cruiser even a passing glance as he did so, his attention instead locked firmly on the two HMS girls inspecting him. He could see their eyes ghosting over certain parts of his attire but he was used to such gawking and merely took the time to memorize their faces and appearance.

Finally, Belfast decided to take initiative and offered a radiant smile towards the youth. Crouching down to eye level she tentatively reached out and softly ran her fingers through his somewhat messy hair and she allowed a melodious giggle to escape her lips as he leaned almost instantly into her touch, his lazy expression replaced with one of bliss as she offered him a minor bit of pampering.

It was becoming a somewhat well known secret among the IJN fleet that their resident Siren greatly enjoyed such gestures and it was slowly becoming a bit of a tradition to pat the blond for luck before heading out on missions since he would often wait by the dorm entrance to see the girls off. A few had taken to calling him the mascot of the Sakura Empire though there was fierce competition for such a position so it wasn't official but he was developing quite a fanbase among some of the older girls.

"Naruto, was it? I wish to thank you for your earlier assistance. Had you not arrived I can only imagine how sour this event might have proceeded. On behalf of myself and the Royal Navy, you have my sincerest thanks." She praised all the while carefully thumbing his whiskered cheeks earning a soft mewl of satisfaction from him that only brightened her smile.

She could see what Nachi meant by him being sweet, she didn't think she could tire of seeing such a chuffed expression.

Pulling himself out of the haze of pleasure at her ministration he offered a kind smile in return and nodded. "It's fine, allies should assist one another..." He didn't think what he did was special but he would accept more head pats if she truly wished to thank him. He wondered if Akagi-nee and Kaga-nee would like head pats too?

He would give them some when he returned.

London watched with amusement as the head maid spoiled the little battleship, it was rare to see Belfast connect very quickly with anyone outside of the Royal Navy. The last person she'd taken so well too was the Commander, though being one of the first ships to be deployed under her she supposed it wasn't all too surprising that the pair had clicked rather swiftly.

It seemed there was another on that list now.

Crouching down beside her mission leader she offered her own bit of pampering to the almost preening child, his face flushed from the attention but he made no move escape and if anything he merely readjusted himself to allow them greater access. Half lidded eyes now closed in an expression of bliss.

Off to the side, Nachi smirked behind her manicured fingers as the mighty Royals were entrapped by the whiskered youth's unintentional adorableness. She would have to submit such a frightening power in her report, perhaps they could use such a thing to their advantage in the future...

Meanwhile, Ayanami looked on with slight annoyance at the slightly fawning cruisers though why the sight bothered her was a mystery she's yet to figure out. She huffed and readjusted her sword but every so often would steal a few glances over towards the trio.

Eventually, Belfast and London seemed to return to their senses much to Naruto's quiet displeasure and the pair took a step back with a slight cough of embarrassment.

"Forgive us, it seems the fatigue of battle has left us a bit indulgent." Belfast coughed before turning to the final member of their party who had yet to properly greet the boy. "Nelson, would you like to say something?"

Nelson huffed but stepped forward and begrudgingly crouched so that she was eye level with the little brat.

"Don't think because you helped us out this once that were friends... but you did a good job so I guess you can't be all bad." She admitted allowing her usual scowl to soften a bit and offering him a quick pat as well causing him to nod happily.

"You're such a tsundere Nelson~" Nachi giggled causing Nelson to flush and round on the laughing cruiser.

"S-Shut up! No one was talking to you!"

...

"And that concludes our report Commander"

Mirai hummed to herself as she read over the after-action report which backed up Nachi's overall summary of the mission events. Their trade routes still appeared to be safe which was good news but at the moment that was not as pressing of a concern compared to the rest of the report. Her eyes scanned over pages of combat data from their skirmish with the Siren mob fleet and she was torn between feelings of pride and annoyance.

She was proud that Naruto had handled himself so well and according to these statistics was more than battle-ready by the looks of things but she was simultaneously annoyed that his existence had been leaked but given the circumstances, she supposed this was the better outcome. She also had to admit it brought her a bit of peace to here he held some desire to protect all members of Azur Lane, not just those he knew personally.

"You three did well and even if this undoes some of my plans I'm glad you put your comrades first above all else." She praised offering them a kind smile. "Thank you all for your hard work, I'll handle things from here." She then turned to Ayanami and Nachi.

"You two are dismissed for the rest of the day so make sure to rest up, I need to speak with Naruto for a bit."

The pair nodded and said their goodbyes to the young Battleship who waved cheerfully as they exited the main office leaving just him and Mirai alone.

Once she was sure the pair were gone she beckoned the boy over and inspected him for any damage. Thankfully he seemed completely unharmed which was good because she really didn't need Akagi going on a rampage at the moment, she had sent both her and her sister out on a "simple" sortie just to be sure there would be time to cover up any major scratches.

Call her paranoid if you wish but she wasn't taking chances.

"How did you like your first sortie?" She asked picking up and placing him on the edge of her desk so that she could continue working without having to peer down at him. "Was it exciting enough for you?"

"It was okay, the enemies were pretty weak though..." He kicked his legs back and forth a bit as he recalled the feeling of dissatisfaction he'd felt when the dust settled. "Maybe something a little harder next time?" He suggested and she laughed a bit to herself at the bit of hope she could hear in his voice at the none too subtle request.

He would get along well with the Eagle Union girls with that attitude, they were always on the lookout for a new challenge.

"Maybe you're just too strong." She countered, poking him in the side with the butt of her pen making him huff a bit but she knew he barely felt it. "The little maelstrom packs a big punch."

"Mou... don't tease me, Commander." He pouted but softened his glare when she rubbed at his cheeks practically melting into her hand as she did so. She was well aware of his weakness and made sure to exploit it when she could, it also helped solidify the bond the two shared. She was his commanding figure but she knew that with him, more than possibly any other ship under her supervision, that it was important that he felt a positive connection to them.

It was why she didn't mind Akagi's forceful approach and was more than happy to allow Atago to take up the role of the boy's self-appointed big sister without complaint. Bonds were crucial to his development just as much as his training and equipment were and if it would help keep him attached than she saw no harm in it.

"No can do, you are too cute not to tease." She chuckled, tapping him on the nose as she reached over to grab something. "But I do have something to speak with you about."

"What is it?" He asked.

"What are your thoughts on the girls you met today?" She questioned putting her pen down to focus her attention on him. "Did you like them?"

"The Royal Navy girls?..." He closed his eyes and mental images of the three women he'd met earlier sprung to mind. "I liked them... the tall blond one is funny but kinda stubborn, and the other two were really nice to me." He noted before looking back at her. "Why?"

She nodded before handing him a letter she'd grabbed which he held onto carefully, a look of confusion on his face as he studied the fancy wax seal that kept the letter's contents secured. A lion's head topped with a crown was pressed into the dull red wax, the insignia of its owner.

"You've been formally invited to visit the Royal Navy dorms for tea time as a thank you for your help." She informed resting her chin on her palm. "Apparently, you made quite an impression since the request was delivered shortly after they returned."

His eyes widened slightly and he looked at the envelope with a bit more care now that he was aware of its contents, an invitation to meet with the Royal Navy...

"Ano... can I go?" He asked looking up towards his Commander with hopeful eyes. He was aware that he wasn't supposed to leave the Sakura dorms unless he was specifically called by her and this sounded like there would be quite a few people here.

"That's up to you." She admitted to his surprise, leaning back into her chair she let out a deep breath she'd been holding. "You've proved that I can't keep you tucked away forever and as much as Akagi might protest you have a right to meet the others." She admitted sending a relaxed grin his way.

"If you want to go then I won't stop you and I don't think you'll have any problems with those girls." She wasn't too concerned overall about his safety with the Royal Navy, of the four main factions they were probably the tamest though of course there were some outliers, but every group had their black sheep so it wouldn't be fair of her to judge too harshly.

He nodded and turned his focus back to the thin letter within his hands, he'd never had a proper tea time before... Kaga preferred to drink chilled sake, something she forbid him from having for some reason, and Akagi didn't really do big social gatherings unless the Commander was in attendance.

Something about keeping her eyes open for threats.

Opening the sealed envelope with all the grace his chubby fingers could muster he was treated to some of the most elegant and perfect handwriting he'd ever seen, half of it made no real sense to him but he could pick out the information he needed. The event would be held in three days in the gardens of the Royal Navy Dorms in the company of some of the most respected members of the Queen's court.

It all sounded very fancy... he was a bit nervous about it now that he was thinking about it.

As if sensing his growing anxiety Mirai gently laid her palm against his spikey locks, the weight of her hand pushing his head down a bit breaking him from his thoughts. She smiled reassuringly and tousled his hair a bit to ease his worries.

"It'll be fun, I've attended more than my fair share of these little meetings and they are nowhere near as scary as they might seem. Just mind your manners and try to have a good time." She said recalling her own meetings with the Royals. For as stuffy as they might seem they were much more relaxed than the other factions gave them credit for.

"Mkay..." He smiled back and allowed her to scoop him back up before placing him back upon the floor, his covered feet sinking slightly into the plush rug of her office.

"I'll have Atago or Takao escort you when it's time so just carry on as usual for now, try to keep to the dorms for just a little while longer though, at least until you've after your meeting."

"Hai."

"Then you are dismissed."

-Later that Night-

Akagi and Kaga sighed in utter exhaustion as they made their way into their shared room, their tails dragging along the floor beneath them as they trudged into the safety and comfort of the home. It wasn't often they were sent out but when they were it was almost exclusively for the most tiring sorties possible, of course, they handled themselves with the utmost grace but hours of nonstop combat could wear away at even the most hardened of fighters.

At least they were home now.

"Akagi-nee, Kaga-nee!"

Naruto's tiny face peeked out from the bathroom before the soft patter of feet on wood altered them to his incoming presence, he never ran anywhere much to their amusement, preferring instead to take things at his own pace and either walk or jog. Still, it wasn't long before he'd situated himself before them with unrestrained happiness gleaming in his eyes as he embraced their tired forms.

Akagi smiled at the gesture and happily kneeled down to scooped him into her arms her in a tight hug, previously drained energy reserves seemingly topped back to full in his presence as she rubbed her cheek reverently against his own with a sigh of content while behind her, her tails twitched and shuddered in delight wrapping almost possessively around the boy.

Kaga made a mental note to talk with her sister about creating boundaries sometime in the future but held her tongue for now in favor of enjoying the spectacle.

"How was your mission?" He asked.

"Nothing worth our time." Akagi quickly preened in response, her pride in her power as well as a desire to show off in front of him forcing her to bury her exhaustion with a bit of false bravado. "Still, it is up to us to show the rest of the girls how to get things done so there really is no helping it." She finished with a false sigh of resignation, as though it was merely a chore on their part running sorties.

"So strong..." He looked upon her in wonder as she told him bits and pieces of their mission, he could only imagine how strong his two sisters were... maybe the commander would let him tag along on their next mission if he did well in his future assignments!

His eyes widened slightly as he remembered a thought he'd had earlier in the day and he slowly wiggled out of the foxy carrier's embrace much to her confusion and slight annoyance. She wanted to cuddle her Naruto damn it, all day she'd been worried sick and now that she saw he was safe and sound she was going to get her Naru time!

That train of thought was promptly thrown right out the window however as a pleasurable tingle abruptly ran down her spine, her fluffy ears twitching and stretching as gentle fingers massaged and caressed the base of her furry appendages. Fiery Crimson eyes mellowed into a smoldering maroon and pleased mews of satisfaction escaped her parted lips as she was hit with a sensation she'd not felt in a long time... not since her sister had been forced to retire.

Naruto smiled brightly as Akagi practically melted into his touch as he scratched and rubbed at her ears her now once kneeling form now slumped haphazardly to the ground as she quickly made herself comfortable upon his leg having succumbed to both her prior fatigue and his ministrations. His attention then turned to Kaga who had a slight flush of embarrassment upon her cheeks at seeing her elder sister reduced to such an inappropriate state and the expectant gaze of the blond who was now reaching towards her with his free hand.

He wasn't really expecting her to join into such an embarrassing moment, was he?

"Come here..." He whined and wiggled his tiny fingers in her direction with a pout upon his lips at her refusal, his other hand never once pausing in its treatment of now almost comatose Akagi who looked seconds away from entering nirvana from the listless expression gracing her features.

"I-I'd rather not-" She rebuked softly trying her best to ignore the pair but her eyes continued to wander to the now purring form of her once proud and stalwart sister and her own ears twitched ever so slightly at the phantom sensation of similar treatment being applied to herself.

It did look good...

"Please, just a little bit..." His eyes almost seemed to double in size and she felt her resolve shatter like glass before his pleading face, the resemblance to a young fox kit immediately springing to mind as she reluctantly bent down to allow him access to her ears. She cursed herself once more for her inability to deny the youth in front of her.

"Very well... but only for a moment." She sighed and bowed her head just low enough for him to reach and hiding her less than calm expression under the curtain of her hair. She would not allow herself to succumb so easily to such trite actions as a bit of head patting, she was a Carrier of the First Division and a master of aerial warfare. She would not be brought low by a bit of petting.

"Honestly, Such behavior is unfittin...unfit... uhh... hmmm..."

Kaga's words died in her throat as small digits began to work their magic and pleasure assaulted her senses, shocks of comfort ran down her spine all the way through her now flutter tails as his hands worked their way around the base of her ears. Unconsciously, she leaned deeper into his touch following his hands as he combed through her hair and over her scalp in a way no one other than a select few could ever claim to have even attempted. Sharp blue eyes grew hazy and lidded as her knees buckled and gave way.

She could only take pride that it took her marginally longer than her sister to find her own head situated similarly upon the boy's free leg. The twin pair of kitsunes now huddled together along the floor as a cheerful Naruto took his time to pamper the twin sisters with his favorite gesture of affection.

It was official, everyone loved head pats!

AN. Chapter Complete!

So it has been a bit since the last chapter though that is to be expected since I've got other stuff I need to handle but I don't think the wait has been that long. The chapter is a bit shorter than some of the previous chapters but that's just because it's not really big on story content and it more set up for the introduction of the Royal Navy, I also have Thanksgiving prep to help with so I can't hole up and write all day sadly.

So, without further ado let's talk story details:

Like I said there isn't a ton to discuss here since the fighting ended in the last chapter and Naruto got his first look at some of the girls from the Royal Navy. I didn't spend too long going into the personalities of Belfast, London, or Nelson here since I want to save that for the big meeting next time but also for missions/events that Naruto will engage with/do with said girls since he will naturally be working with all the factions on things.

In regards to what Royal Navy girls he will be meeting with next time, you can expect some of the more prominent ships from the faction but probably not all of them. Too many characters and a chapter can quickly become a mess so it'll likely be a key few that I think will be cute/important for him to meet.

I hope you are all looking forward to that.

Moving on:

Naruto has a bit more personality now that before, he's still pretty quiet but I wanted to show that he's getting more comfortable and even somewhat indulgent enjoying things like being spoiled and in the case of the foxes, spoiling others. The more time that passes and the more personalities he is exposed to will no doubt start to rub off on him and we will very likely see a more familiar Naruto be born from it.

He's grown closer to the sister carriers, the Commander, and a few others that I will show in more detail later (like Ayanami) and there are still many more to come but that will take time.

You Lucky E lovers will get your time in the sun eventually.

With that said I think that covers everything, not a ton to go over and I don't want to bloat this author's note. I've spoken about pairings before and I at least want to have all the factions appear before we look to heavily into those. I will also say if there is a certain girl that you'd like to appear (in the story not romantically) let me know in a review. I can't remember all the characters off the top of my head, so it's nice getting an idea of who people really want to see early so I can try to write around that when I can.

The little moment at the end with Akagi and Kaga was just for fun but I hope you still liked the interaction.

Thank you all so much for the support, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you all next time! (And Happy Thanksgiving!)