Maelstrom of Cold Steel

by MercenaryGrax

Arriving in a new world with no memory of how he got there, Naruto is taken in by Rutger, the Jaeger King, & given a place to belong. Eventually he winds up in Class VII with his closest friend. With all the chaos in the country of Erebonia & the social divide & massive corruption throughout the country, Naruto will certainly have his work cut out for him in this new world.

4. Chapter 4

A/N - Okey dokey. I know you all probably wanted me to work on something else. Well I'm sorry, but I really wanted to work on another chapter for this story. So there ya go.

A lot happens in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. I also want you to know that there is a poll up on my profile that I'd really like you all to vote on. It's really important for this story and will determine a lot going forward. So please, PLEASE vote!

Anywho, read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 4 – Old Schoolhouse Mystery

When Naruto met Rean at the entrance to the Old Schoolhouse, he was happy to see that Rean was successful in recruiting people. Both Elliot and Gaius were standing beside him, obviously waiting on Naruto to arrive. Unfortunately, Naruto had not been able to get Fie to come along. Or rather, she was sound asleep and he didn't want to disturb her.

Looking at Naruto curiously, Rean frowned and asked, "Couldn't convince her to come?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah. She's sleeping peacefully in the courtyard. I wasn't going to wake her up. Besides, the four of us should be able to handle this easily enough. What do you say we get in there and have some fun, huh?"

"Fun, he says. Heh." Elliot said, sounding somewhat sarcastic. "Nothing about this place is 'fun'. No offense intended, Naruto."

The blonde chuckled a bit and said, "Nah, you're right. For most people a place like this would be nightmare fuel. For me though? It's actually a pretty fun time. I'm really looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about. That, and we'll get to fight monsters again…probably. I'm looking forward to getting some good training in!"

While Elliot slumped over in disbelief, Rean and Gaius both chuckled. "You are a strange one, Naruto. But I respect that attitude of yours." Gaius said with a soft smile on his face. "It will be a good experience, fighting alongside you."

"Thanks. Anywho, time to step inside." Naruto said before walking up to the door and unlocking it. Pushing it open, he glanced back at his companions and said, "Come on."

Once they were inside, Elliot looked around for a moment before sighing. "I can't believe we're coming back in here again…" Looking between the others, one at a time, he said, "Guys, I reaaally don't think this is a good idea…"

Rean chuckled awkwardly as he turned to face his friend. "Well, that's because it prooobably isn't. None of us would blame you one bit if you turned back. It's not too late, you know?"

Naruto placed a comforting hand on Elliot's shoulder. Looking him in the eyes, the blonde said, "He's right. If you aren't ready for this, then say so now. We wouldn't think any less of you. If you aren't comfortable here, just let us know, okay?"

Elliot shook his head and said, "N-No, thanks. I'll come with you. We've got that practical exam next week, after all. I need to familiarize myself with this orbal staff as much as possible before then. Besides, if I turned back now, I'd just wind up worrying myself sick about the three of you!"

"Well, that's very kind of you. Thank you, Elliot." Rean said, smiling at his friend.

Gaius spoke up at this point. "There are only four of us, though, so we'll each need to watch each other's backs and proceed with the utmost caution. The underground area should be just through the main door over there, correct?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yep. Keep an eye out for stray gargoyles people. Get 'em while they're hot!"

The others looked at Naruto like he was insane. Actually, now that he thought on it, he probably was a bit insane. Or a lot, he didn't know. Nor did he really care if he was fully sane or not. Shaking it off, Rean looked at the three of them and said, "While that was 'interesting,' Naruto, you make a good point. I think. Regardless, it's probably best to go that way rather than falling through the trap door again."

"No arguments here." Elliot said with a chuckle. "Still, I really hope that thing hasn't regenerated yet…"

"Meh. If it has, then we'll just beat it down until it can't get back up again. Simple enough, right?" Naruto asked, grinning confidently at Elliot.

"How can you sound so confident, Naruto? We barely beat it last time…" Elliot questioned, sounding more than a tad skeptical.

Naruto deadpanned at Elliot and summoned a shadow clone next to him. "If need be, I'll just have a bunch of these guys jump on it and beat the crap out of it. Or I could just cut off its wings, its head, yada yada until the dang thing doesn't move anymore."

The orange-haired boy chuckled quietly and said, "Somehow, I believe you can really do it."

Naruto smirked and patted Elliot atop the head gently. "Yep! Now c'mon, let's go go go! I'm eager to see what's changed." He said before rushing through the door into the room beyond.

When Rean and the others joined him, they saw that he looked absolutely flabbergasted. Looking at what he did, their eyes widened. It was at this point that the party really took in the room's changes. "What in the hell…?" Naruto asked.

"Whoa…" Rean said, eyes wide. "What happened here?"

Gaius merely hummed in thought. Elliot, on the other hand, chuckled softly and said, "Well, at least that monster isn't here anymore, from the looks of it. And it doesn't look like we've got anymore creepy statues ready to come to life, either." Then, as if just now noticing something, he said, "Wait… Did it always look like this in here?"

Naruto deadpanned at Elliot and said, "Of course not man. The room's a lot smaller, there's an orbment charging station down there, there's a new door, the staircase is smaller…the whole dang room's different." Realizing how he must have sounded, the blonde rubbed the back of his head and said, "Sorry. Not trying to be rude or anything. I'm just shocked at how different everything is in here. It's confusing as hell!"

Rean nodded and said, "Naruto's right. This room's a lot smaller than it was the last time we were here."

Elliot frowned in confusion before looking at Naruto. "Don't worry about it. I don't blame you. I'm confused too. How is all of this possible? It's changed so much in here. I can't help but wonder what it's like on the other side of that door."

Rean nodded and said, "Right. I'm not sure what to believe anymore. I'm willing to bet we've got our work cut out for us when we cross that threshold."

"Strange though it may be, we should go and get a closer look at it. This is essentially why we came here, after all." Gaius said before he began making his way down the stairs.

Naruto shrugged and said, "The guy's got a point. The mission we got from Vandyck said we need to investigate and see what's what. Whatever's down here, we can handle it. I'm positive of that. I say we explore thoroughly and leave no stone unturned. I want to give as thorough a report as possible to the principal."

Rean nodded in agreement with that before he and Elliot follow Naruto and Gaius down the stairs. Once they had reached the door, Rean took a deep breath and said, "Here we go." Opening the door, he and the others stepped through, only to blink in confusion at what they were seeing. Rean was stunned speechless for a time before he finally said, "Well…this is different."

"Unbelievable…" Gaius muttered.

"This isn't even the same place!" Elliot exclaimed in shock. "I don't remember passing through an area like this at all!"

Naruto frowned deeply as he looked around. "That's because we never came through here. This is a completely different layout. I can feel…something deep within, but I have no way of knowing what. Something just feels really different about this place."

"You can feel it? What do you mean?" Elliot asked.

The blonde shook his head and said, "I'm able to sense certain things in a large radius. Up, down, forward, backward, doesn't matter. I can sense something resting deep below us, and I can feel something waiting for us past this room. I don't know what the heck any of it is though. We just need to keep moving and find out the hard way."

Elliot nodded, though he didn't quite understand what Naruto was saying. Instead, he looked around again and asked, "How is any of this even possible?"

Gaius shrugged and said, "I can sense new types of monsters here, too." Looking between Naruto and Rean, he asked, "What do you two think we should do?"

Rean took a moment to really think on it, his eyes closed and his brows furrowed. After a moment, he looked at his three companions and said, "The principal sent us down here to investigate these mysterious changes, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Now that we've seen just how major these changes are, there's no way we can go back empty-handed. We should head as far in as we are able."

"Agreed. Besides, think of this as good practice for the upcoming practical exam. I also want to try out that linking function our ARCUS units have. I'm pretty certain our practical exams are going to test how well we can function as a team, so putting this linking function to the test seems like our best option at the moment." Naruto said.

Elliot sighed and nodded his head. "All right. Here we go."

Gaius nodded as well. "May the Goddess be with us."

"All right everyone. Let's do this!" Rean said.

It was at this point that they noticed a strange, spherical object sticking out of a pedestal nearby. Walking over to it, they couldn't help but wonder what the heck this strange thing was. "What could this be?" Gaius wondered aloud.

"It doesn't look like an orbment charging station…" Elliot said unsurely.

"Yeah. It's some kind of device for sure, but whatever it is, it doesn't seem to have any power right now." Rean said.

"We'll just have to worry about it later. For now, we should focus on what we can do, as well as on what's in front of us. There's a bunch of monsters down here. And oddly enough, I can sense fish as well. Weird." Naruto said, glancing off in the direction of the fish he sensed. "Might make for some good fishing, if you guys don't mind me doing so. It won't take very long. I just want to see what I can catch down here is all."

Rean chuckled and said, "I think I'll join you then. It can be a relaxing pastime, even in areas as dangerous as this."

Elliot leaned closer to Gaius and whispered, "Are they insane? They want to fish in a place this dangerous?"

Gaius shrugged and said, "To each their own, I suppose. Let's let them have their fun."

As they approached the enemy up ahead, they each paused as they took a cursory glance at it. "A slug-like monster…" Elliot said.

"Hmm. This one could prove a little awkward to fight." Gaius said, his arms folded across his chest.

"Not if we make good use of our combat links. Gaius, wanna pair up with me?" Rean suggested.

Gaius smiled at Rean and nodded. This left Naruto with Elliot, who looked more than a tad nervous. "Hope I don't slow you down, Naruto."

"Meh, you'll be fine. I'm not worried." Naruto said, giving Elliot a thumbs-up. "This thing'll be a cinch so long as we all work together."

Rean smiled and shouted, "Then let's show this thing what we're made of!" And with that, the party of four charged forward, ready to destroy the slug monster and all of its buddies.

Naruto smiled back at Elliot before he dashed forward, slashing through one of the slug monsters with his Yato blade. As it died, he looked towards the other two and smiled when Elliot took advantage of their close proximity to attack the both of them at the same time with his orbal staff. When he saw his opening, Naruto moved faster than his friends could follow and appeared on the other side of one of the slugs.

When the second slug's body split in two a moment later and it died, the others were initially rather shocked. However, Rean and Gaius quickly regained their focus and attacked the last slug together.

Once the final monster had fallen, Elliot breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that sure seemed to do the trick!"

"We fought well." Gaius said, a pleased smile on his face.

Rean nodded and said, "If we can master these combat links, I'm sure they'll prove really useful in the battles ahead. We should probably try to practice as much as possible while the stakes are low and get as used to them as we can."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Elliot said. "I just hope I can keep up."

Naruto gently pressed his fist to Elliot's chest. "No worries man. I think you did just fine. You set 'em up and I'll knock 'em down. Sound good? And if I knock an enemy off balance, I expect you to finish them off."

The orange-haired boy nodded and said, "I'll do my best, Naruto!"

"Glad to hear it. I think we'll all be just fine." Naruto said before he began to lead the way through the underground area.

Going down the nearby stairs, they followed the path to the end and opened a chest for 100 of each type of sepith. Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Time, Space, and Mirage were the seven types of sepith. There were just as many types of arts that could be cast, and the same could be said about the various kinds of quartz that could be made. This, of course, included the different kinds of master quartz available.

Following along the path, they fought some adorable little creatures known as Poms. They had buddies in the form of more Dissolution Slugs too. This wasn't a hard fight for them, all things considered. Afterwards, they opened the nearby chest for a Curia Balm, which would help rid them of the various status problems they could be afflicted with, such as poisoning, burning, etc.

After traveling a short distance, they were prepared to move around the corner and continue on their way, but both Naruto and Rean paused and looked to the water nearby. "Well, I do believe we've found the perfect fishing spot. Sorry guys, we're just gonna fish for a little while. Might as well see what we can get, right?"

Rean chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. So, while Elliot and Gaius stood watch, the protagonist duo began to fish. Oddly enough, even though they were in a dangerous area, fishing felt rather comforting in a way for each of them, even Elliot and Gaius. After they finished, the party of four continued onwards. The two anglers were happy with their catches, though Naruto and Rean both let the fish go after catching them. They weren't out to make stew or fish cutlets or anything from the various fishies, after all. It was just a relaxing pastime they wanted to partake in.

After walking along for a while longer, they came across two groups of monsters. One led by a Dastardly Amalgam and the other led by a Pom. Both groups had three monsters each, and they attacked as soon as Rean and the others came into view. Nodding once to Rean, he motioned towards the group of Poms. Rean immediately got the message and ran towards the Poms with Gaius following him.

Meanwhile, Naruto motioned for Elliot to follow him. Slipping behind one of the Dastardly Amalgam monsters, he slashed it a few times, watching as it suddenly lurched forward. "Elliot, now!"

Getting the message, the healer of the group unleashed a follow-up attack, killing the Amalgam monster. Afterwards, he watched as Naruto herded the remaining two together. Getting the message loud and clear, Elliot attacked the both of them and smiled when one of them was knocked off balance, allowing Naruto to perform a follow-up attack of his own. When there was only one left, the duo attacked it together.

Once both groups were defeated, Naruto walked up to Elliot and fist-bumped him. "Well done Elliot! That was some impressive work there." He said, a grin on his face.

The orange-haired boy chuckled bashfully and said, "Thanks Naruto. That means a lot coming from you."

"Glad to hear it. I'd say we could chat a bit more, but we need to get moving before we lose too much daytime." He teased good-naturedly. And with that, the four of them ascended the nearby stairs. At the top of the stairs, they did battle with more Dissolution Slugs.

Once those enemies were defeated, they noticed two paths they could take. One obviously led further in while the other was a staircase leading downwards. Deciding to put off delving into the depths for a moment, they went down the stairs and killed some more Amalgam monsters. Afterwards, they opened the red chest for a pair of White Glasses, which Gaius readily equipped. Once they had finished exploring, they ventured back up the stairs and took a right, heading through into the depths of the first floor.

Upon entering the next area, the first thing they noticed was an object that looked exactly like the one at the beginning of the floor. This one appeared to be inactive as well, so they decided to just leave it alone. The second thing they noticed as a unique type of orbment charging station. Approaching it, Rean asked, "What's this strange light?"

Gaius hummed in thought for a time before he said, "I'm sensing considerable power from it."

Elliot nodded and said, "It has a very different feel compared to the orbment charging stations we've seen up till now."

Looking it over, Naruto frowned in confusion. After a moment, he touched the device and blinked when he realized he could perform certain functions with this type of charging station. Not only would this station heal those who touched it, but it would also allow them to customize their weapons. On top of that, they could modify their orbments and exchange sepith for mira. "Well, this is quite the useful device." Naruto said, quite pleased with what they had found.

"Agreed." Rean said before he and his companions took care of their business. Afterwards, he led the party to the door leading into the next room. Looking at his friends, he asked, "Are we ready for this? Who knows what might lie behind this door?"

Naruto grinned and said, "Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun. I'm definitely looking forward to this."

Elliot chuckled nervously, but nodded his head in agreement. "I'm ready too."

"As am I." Gaius said. Afterwards, they entered the next room. At first it seemed like a dead-end, but that opinion quickly changed when a rather powerful monster appeared in front of them. This monster was called a Minos Demon and they realized that they were in for one heck of a fight. Naruto realized he could probably do away with it fairly easily, but he wanted to give his classmates the chance to grow stronger. They couldn't do that if he held their hands through every single fight.

As soon as the battle began, Gaius began charging up to cast his Air Strike art. In order to buy him some time, Rean dashed forward and slipped past the Minos Demon's initial attack before slashing the monster's side. When it lashed out with another attack, Rean quickly brought up his blade to block the monster's huge fist. The blow rattled him, causing his arms to throb for a moment as he was sent skidding backwards. Thankfully he hadn't taken any damage.

Naruto chanced a glance at Elliot and nodded. The two of them began focusing, preparing to cast their arts. While Rean continued to battle the monster up close and personal, they suddenly heard Gaius shout, "Air Strike!"

Hearing this, Rean quickly jumped backwards and watched as the Demon was hit by the wind art. When it roared in pain, Naruto grinned and pointed his hand at the Minos Demon. "Aqua Bleed!" he shouted, blasting the monster with a torrent of water.

Shortly afterwards, Elliot pointed the tip of his orbal staff at the monster and shouted, "Aqua Bleed!" Again, the monster was struck hard. Immediately afterwards, Naruto rushed in and swung his Yato blade, severing the monster's right arm before he punched it hard in the face with his free hand. When it was knocked off balance, Naruto gave Elliot a thumbs up and watched as he followed through with an attack from his orbal staff.

When the beast finally perished, they each put away their weapons and breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew. Glad that's over." Naruto said with a grin. "That thing wasn't anywhere near as bad as that gargoyle was."

Elliot chuckled a bit and said, "I can't believe how much easier that was. Teaming up with you has been great!"

Naruto chuckled a bit, but didn't say anything. Instead, he listened as Rean said, "I'm just glad that we're starting to get the hang of these combat links. I'm starting to get a real feel for how it all works. I agree though, that was a lot easier than I was expecting. It honestly feels like the ARCUS has practically synchronized my breathing with the three of you."

Gaius chuckled softly and said, "That's a good way to put it. It's a strange feeling, but not a bad one."

Putting away their weapons, the party looked around and frowned. "Well, that's kind of anticlimactic. There's nothing here. It's just a dead end. What, were we just meant to come through here to fight some kinda boss and then leave? Lame." Naruto said.

Elliot chuckled and said, "Don't complain. We accomplished what we came here for. Now we should return to the academy and inform Principal Vandyck about what we've learned. Then, I think I'd like to get something to eat and enjoy a relaxing break. I'm honestly a little exhausted right now."

Naruto grinned at his friend and held out his fist to him. "Elliot, it's been great working with you. You make for one hell of a partner. I'd say we worked quite well together, wouldn't you?"

The orange-haired teen smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks Naruto. That means a lot to me to hear you say that. I'd love to pair up again sometime. I actually had a lot of fun." Bumping his fist against Naruto's, he couldn't help but grin.

"Well guys, I think it's time we head back. What say the rest of you?" Gaius asked.

"I agree. I can't help but wonder about this place, though. The whole structure of these ruins has changed so drastically. What could it all mean?" Rean asked, a frown on his face.

"Yeah, it is a little hard to believe." Elliot admitted. "If we get the chance to come down here again, I'm curious to see how it will have changed again. For now, though, I think I've had enough of this place."

Naruto nodded and led the team out of the room. When they reached the orbment charging station, they noticed that the other device in the room had activated. Blinking a couple of times, he asked, "Um, what? The hell's going on now? What exactly is this thing?"

Elliot shrugged and said, "No idea. It definitely wasn't doing this before though." The machine was glowing a dim, blue light. None of them had any idea what its purpose was.

Rean frowned in thought for a time before saying, "Perhaps something we did caused it to turn on. We should have a closer look."

Everyone nodded and approached the device. Looking into his friends' eyes, one by one, Naruto turned to the glowing orb and reached out a hand, touching it. When he and his friends suddenly disappeared and reappeared at the entrance to the first floor, they were each a little disoriented. "Freaking hell. Okay, at least now we know what it does. We just got teleported."

"Is that what happened? I felt this weird lurching sensation and then we were here. I feel a little sick." Elliot said.

Gaius looked around and said, "Well, it seems as if we've returned to the entrance. I suppose that's one way to leave."

Rean massaged his temples to stave off a growing headache. "I don't understand any of this. We were there and now we're here. Ugh. My head really hurts."

Elliot proceeded to use a Tear art to try and help his friend with the pain. "This place really is fully of mysteries. I don't think we should focus too much on trying to figure it out right now. It's likely only going to make our brains hurt."

"Agreed." Naruto said. When Rean breathed a sigh of relief, he smiled and said, "Feeling better now?"

The black-haired male nodded and said, "Much better. Thank you, Elliot. Let's get out of here before I get another headache." Everyone chuckled a bit at that before they proceeded to leave the Old Schoolhouse.

Once they were outside, they saw that the sun was beginning to set. Evening had come while they were busy inside the Old Schoolhouse. "Huh, would you look at that? The sun's begun to set. We were in there for quite a while, it would seem." Gaius said.

Elliot chuckled a bit and said, "I didn't think it would take us that long. It sure didn't feel like it to me."

Rean turned to face his friends and said, "We should probably go give our report to the principal. Would you mind coming with us?"

"Not at all!" Elliot exclaimed.

"Let's go." Gaius said.

As they started to leave, Naruto blinked a couple of times before turning and staring up at a black cat sitting atop the Old Schoolhouse building. Hmm… Shrugging it off, he turned and proceeded to follow his friends back into the main area of the campus grounds.

That one's sharp. I'll have to keep an eye on him. The cat thought to itself as it watched them leave.

Principal's Office

"Hmm. Well, this is certainly unexpected." Vandyck said as he mulled over what he had just heard.

"So the layout has changed pretty much completely since last month? I knew something was amiss there, but I had no idea it had progressed to such an extent." Sara said, her arms folded across her chest. "Hmm…"

"Umm, do either of you happen to know anything about the origins of those ruins?" Elliot questioned curiously. "They look like they predate the school by, well…a lot."

"I'm afraid I can't be certain who constructed them, nor exactly how long they've been around…" Principal Vandyck said. "But you are correct. They've existed for at least several hundred years, before this academy was founded. All signs point to their construction occurring sometime during the Dark Ages."

Gaius frowned and asked, "The Dark Ages?"

"You mean…the chaotic period that began after the Great Collapse 1200 years ago?" Rean asked.

"Most of the ruins archaeologists have uncovered from that period are full of strange things. Some of which seem to have been made with technology we don't even fully understand. We're talking magic, alchemy…" Sara said with a shrug of her shoulders. "But the inside of a building completely changing its layout…I have to say, that's a new one. Definitely not normal."

"Indeed. No record of such a phenomenon exists in the academy records. We have a bona fide mystery on our hands, it would seem." Vandyck said.

Sara frowned for a moment before saying, "Well, I'll try to have a look around the place myself when I get a chance. I've been curious about it ever since I started working here."

Naruto shrugged and said, "Whatever floats your boat. If you ever want some company when you go delving into that place, I don't mind coming with you."

The redhead smirked at Naruto and said, "Trying to get me alone, are you? How cuuuute."

The blonde facepalmed and said, "So much like Anko, I swear."

Vandyck chuckled at that before saying, "I'd greatly appreciate that, both of you." At this point he looked into the boys' eyes, one person at a time. "Uzumaki. Schwarzer. Craig. Worzel. Thank you very much for all of your hard work."

"Hey, no problem Principal!" Naruto exclaimed with a grin on his face. "Happy to help."

Rean chuckled at Naruto's exuberance. "It was honestly no trouble at all, Principal. I'm happy to have been of assistance."

Elliot smiled and said, "Yeah. It's always good to help!"

"Happy to be of assistance. If you'll excuse us, Principal." Gaius said, bowing politely to the man."

After leaving the principal's office, Sara shut the door behind them and smiled at her students. "Heh. The four of you did pretty well. You didn't let me down at all. And it seems you're getting the hang of using your ARCUS, too!"

"Combat links definitely did make our battles in the ruins a lot easier." Rean said in agreement.

Gaius nodded. "They could prove to be a powerful asset if we're able to master them."

Elliot rubbed the back of his head for a moment and said, "Hard to get the timing right, though…"

Naruto smirked at Elliot and gently patted him on the back. "You sure about that? I'd say you did excellently in there. It was a blast working with you, Elliot. I had a lot of fun together."

Elliot chuckled and said, "Well, you certainly made things a lot easier in there, Naruto. I couldn't help but be impressed at how powerful you are."

Sara smirked as she looked at Naruto. "Trust me kiddos, you haven't seen anything yet."

Rean and the others were confused as they looked between Naruto and Sara. They weren't quite sure what she was talking about, but they'd certainly think on it for a while. It was almost as if she was saying Naruto was a lot stronger than he let on. Eyes widening somewhat, they realized that he probably was hiding his true strength from them. Deciding not to dwell on it, they listened as Sara began to speak again.

"Well, just keep at it. You'll need to be forming links with your other classmates eventually, too, after all. And let me reiterate once again: you've all done very well today. Especially you two, Rean and Naruto. I'll be expecting great things from all of you next time, too!" Sara said, smiling at the four of them. "I'm proud of you. All of you."

Rean smiled and said, "I'll do my b—" Rean paused in what he was saying as his eyes widened in realization. "W-Wait a second! What do you mean, 'next time'?!"

Sara smirked and said, "Well, the way I see it, you two are naturals at this, so why stop now? Besides, with how busy our poor Student Council president is, don't you just want to do everything you can to help her out?"

Naruto chuckled and said, "Ahhh, the ol' guilt trip card. Of course I want to continue helping her out. She's such a sweetheart, and she's so innocent too. I can't help but want to do everything I can to help her out. Besides, I had a lot of fun today. Meeting new people, helping those in need, etc. It felt really nice to be doing things like that again. Sure, they may be small things, but every little bit counts, right?"

Rean sighed and rubbed the back of his head for a moment. "I guess I do feel kind of bad for her, but…" Sighing again, he massaged his forehead for a time before saying, "Fine. I'm in. If it means I can take even some of her stress and make it better, then I'll do so. Towa's a good person and she's far too busy. She needs all the help we can give her."

Sara smirked at the two of them and said, "That's our dynamic duo! I'll pass the good news on to Towa, then." Looking at Naruto at this point, she said, "And the principal has given the okay for you to keep hold of that old schoolhouse key. You're more than welcome to go poke around inside again anytime you wish! Aaaanyway, I'll be seeing you kids later. Toodles!"

As Sara walked away humming to herself, Elliot chuckled nervously for a moment before saying, "Er-Erm…"

Gaius frowned for a moment before asking, "Are you sure you're all right with this, you two?"

Rean chuckled a bit and said, "Yeah, I'm sure. It's not like I'm signed up to any clubs, and as long as I don't wind up with too many more than I had today, I'll be fine. And Naruto…"

As they looked at him, the whiskered blonde shrugged and said, "I have no problem with it. Besides, I can always make use of my clones to ensure I keep up with club activities. Besides, have you seen her? Towa's adorable! I just wanna hug her and never let her go. She's too damn cute!"

The others chuckled at that before Gaius said, "Well, okay then. But if you two need any assistance, please just let me know. It's really no trouble."

Elliot smiled at the duo and said, "Same goes for me. And I'll be more than happy to come with you next time you go into the old schoolhouse, too! I didn't think so at first, but I actually had a lot of fun with you guys today. I also feel like I'm only going to get stronger if I join you guys."

"Thanks guys. Anywho, I'm gonna have a look around, maybe talk to some people. See you guys later!" Naruto said before the four of them split up to each go and do their own thing.

As soon as he was on his own again, Naruto figured he might as well take a look around and see who was still out and about. He was interested in chatting with people some more and learn more about the various people of the academy and the folks living in Trista. So turning around, he reentered the principal's office and approached Vandyck. "It's been said that the old schoolhouse was originally constructed during the Dark Ages. What sort of secrets could be contained within a building so old that it was here since before the academy was founded? I am hoping that your class will be able to answer that very question."

Naruto shrugged and said, "We'll do our best. That's all we can really do at this point. I just hope we're able to shed some light on the mystery revolving around that weird building. I can only imagine how it will continue to change each month."

Vandyck chuckled a bit and said, "I wouldn't worry too much. I don't want you to overexert yourselves trying to solve the mystery of that building. As of this moment, however, Class VII is hereby in charge of conducting regular investigations of the old schoolhouse. It should serve as good training for you, too. I hope you will give it your best."

The blonde nodded his head in understanding. "As you wish, sir. Personally, I'm hoping that our forays into the old schoolhouse will help my classmates to grow stronger and stronger. Not to sound arrogant or anything, but I'm not too worried about myself. I plan to continue delving into the ruins to train on my own time. Might be kinda fun. But I'm honestly more concerned about the others. It's a chaotic world out there and we need to be prepared for absolutely anything and everything that the world has to throw at us."

"Well said, Uzumaki. And do not worry. I know you've got secrets in your past that you'd like to keep, and I also know you're a lot stronger than the other students, even those amongst Class VII. That's why I would like to request that you look out for your classmates and try to ensure they continue to thrive while at this academy. Can you do that for me?" Vandyck asked.

The blonde nodded and said, "Of course sir. I'll always look out for them, no matter what. Besides that, I'm hoping we can become good friends."

"Glad to hear it. You're dismissed. Go take a walk and enjoy yourself, Uzumaki. I'd say you've more than earned it." The principal said with a kind smile on his face.

"Of course. Take care sir." Naruto said before he turned and left the room. Walking to the faculty lounge afterwards, he entered to see Mint chatting away with Makarov some more. Deciding to just let them be, he approached Sara and said, "Hey there Sara-chan. How's it going?"

Sara smirked at him and said, "Awww, is someone missing his precious Sara already?" Seeing the look on his face, she giggled a bit and said, "Relax, I'm only teasing. Anyways, as you know by now, the old schoolhouse has been here ever since the Dark Ages. I figured it might have a few interesting secrets. Have to say though, I never expected it to be able to add whole new floors."

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "I swear, you and Anko could be sisters. Aidios, you even look like her." Shaking it off, he decided to just say what was on his mind. "Have to say, I wasn't expecting it either. But that's all the more reason to keep an eye on it and see how it changes. I doubt it will reveal all of its secrets to us until it has decided we're ready to unearth them. Still, we'll continue digging into the mystery and see what we can find out. I had a lot of fun fighting alongside those three today."

"Glad to hear it. Just so you know, we are planning to have you poke around down there again next month. We'll probably just get in touch with the Student Council again when the time comes. I think I'll start poking around in there myself from time to time, though, just to be sure. And I think I will take you up on that offer. If you really want to give me a hand down there, I'm fine with that. I'll let you know whenever I'm about to go down there." Sara said.

"Sounds good to me Sara-chan. I'll be glad to assist you however I can." Naruto said.

Sara giggled a bit and said, "I'm glad I can count on you, Naruto. And besides, I really want to learn more about you and this Anko woman you keep comparing me to. I'd love to meet her someday. Perhaps we should both pray to Aidios and see if the almighty Goddess will allow us to see her someday, hm?"

Naruto blinked a couple of times before facepalming himself. "Right. If Aidios-sama brought me here, maybe she'd be willing to bring Anko here too. Didn't think about that possibility. Then again, it might just be wishful thinking on my part. I don't even know if she's still alive. I just have to hope that she is."

Sara sweatdropped and said, "Yeaaah, that might be wishful thinking on your part. Then again, Aidios brought you to us. Perhaps she'll be willing to listen to your request. Like I said, I'd love to meet her. If she's really as cool as you say she is, I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with her. Aaaanyways, you and the others should just focus on getting ready for your practical exam this month. Don't worry about all that other stuff until afterwards."

"Sure. Thanks Sara-chan." Naruto said before he stepped around to the other side and spoke to Thomas. "Hey instructor. How's it going?"

Instructor Thomas smiled at Naruto and said, "I heard you spent the day investigating the old schoolhouse. That. Is. MARVELOUS! Absolutely marvelous! I've heard that it's been here since before the Middle Ages! Do tell! Did you discover any ancient relics within? If you do, please inform me at once! I'll be at your side in the old schoolhouse offering my assistance in an instant! Oh what I wouldn't give for the opportunity to investigate the old schoolhouse myself! Naturally, I asked Instructor Sara if she would accompany me inside, but she refused…"

Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, I do plan to explore a bit on my own sometimes. There really isn't a whole lot down there, though. My guess is we'll just have to wait until a later time to see what else opens up down there. If I do discover something though, I'll be sure to let you know, okay Instructor?"

Thomas smiled at Naruto and said, "That sounds like a fantastic plan to me. Thank you Uzumaki."

"No problem Instructor." Naruto said before he waved goodbye and left the faculty lounge. Sadly, as soon as he left the faculty lounge, he encountered Vice Principal Heinrich. "Crap." Naruto muttered to himself.

Heinrich stared at Naruto for a moment before asking, "And what do you think you're doing, loitering around here so late? Hurry back to your dorm and look over what you learned in class today. My political economics classes are clearly of the utmost importance for malleable young students such as yourself…" Narrowing his eyes on Naruto, he asked, "Are you even listening to me?"

Staring apathetically into Heinrich's eyes, Naruto bluntly stated, "Not really, no. If you'll excuse me, I'll just be on my way. Have a good evening Vice Principal." And with that, he turned and walked off, leaving Heinrich gawking at the sheer audacity of his student.

Entering the nurse's office, Naruto saw Beatrix and Mary chatting away with one another. Deciding to just let them be, he turned around and proceeded to approach the receptionist nearby, a woman by the name of Bianca. "One of the instructors at this academy is actually a soldier on active duty sent by the Imperial Army. Unfortunately, he's been called back to the military for now. He teaches military science, which you should all be taking soon enough. He might be strict, but you can see that he really cares about all of his students."

"Ah, you must be talking about Instructor Neithardt. I'm looking forward to meeting him. I hope to learn a lot under his guidance." Naruto said, a smile on his face.

"I'm sure you'll like him, Naruto. Just don't let his strict attitude get to you too much, okay?" Bianca suggested with a giggle

Naruto deadpanned at her and said, "I'm not that bad. There's only a few people I can't really stand here. But enough about that. I'm gonna go ahead and have a look around for a while. Might be kinda nice to see what people are up to. See ya later Bianca-chan." And with a wave, he turned and walked off.

Heading upstairs to the second floor, Naruto frowned as he only sensed two people on this floor. One was in the Cooking Club room while the other was in the Art Club room. He figured that it was just Nicholas and Clara, so he proceeded to climb the stairs to the rooftop. Once there, he saw a girl he had never seen before wandering around by the western benches. Approaching her, he was a bit shocked when she asked, "Hehehe, you're Naruto from Class VII, aren't you?"

Naruto blinked a couple of times and said, "Y-Yeah, I am. How did you…?"

The girl interrupted him before he could finish asking his question. "Well, you're certainly an interesting one, aren't you? You're quite the enigma, you know? I'm looking forward to seeing what makes you tick. I'll be keeping an eye on you, Naruto Uzumaki. My name is Beryl. I sincerely hope that we'll meet again."

"Umm, thanks? It's nice to meet you Beryl. I think I'm just gonna go now. Bye!" Naruto said before walking to the edge of the roof and hopping down to the ground below. He just wanted to get as far away from that girl as possible right now.

Ooooh, you are going to be a fun one, Naruto Uzumaki. Beryl thought to herself with a giggle.

Naruto

When Naruto landed, he breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be away from the creepy girl. However, when he looked ahead of him, he facepalmed. Fuck my luck. Standing in front of him was the noble girl, Margarita. Her eyes were wide as she looked at Naruto. Then, as if struck by a sudden moment of genius, she approached him and said, "Why, hello there. Would you care to try one of my freshly-baked cookies? I promise, they're just to die for."

Naruto backed away a couple of steps and said, "Y-Yeaaah, y'see, there's a problem with that. I appreciate the offer, but I worry that my stomach might not be able to handle it. I've been feeling a little ill today, so I was hoping to go back to the dorm and relax a bit. Maybe some other time, huh?" Before she could say anything in response, he turned and dashed off towards the library, eager to just get as far away from Margarita as possible.

After entering the library, Naruto approached Karol and listened as she spoke. "That Dorothee is a strange one. One minute she'll be happily reading away, and then the next she'll be acting…strangely. I really hope she isn't trying to corrupt any of the poor, innocent first years…"

Naruto sighed and said, "Considering Emma-chan joined the Literature Club…I worry for her sanity. All we can do is hope Dorothee doesn't end up coercing Emma to join the dark side."

Karol giggled a bit and said, "We can only hope. On that note, please make sure you don't cause any trouble in the library either, okay?"

"Of course Karol. No problems here. I promise." Naruto said before he turned and walked off. Seeing Dorothee, Naruto felt a shiver shoot up and down his spine. Still, despite his better judgment telling him to run far away, he approached the girl and asked, "Um, hiya Dorothee. How's it going?"

Dorothee smirked at him and said, "I'm glad Emma decided to join the club. But the question remains as to whether or not she'll take a liking to my…'genre' of choice. It should be fine. Slowly but surely, I'll drag her into it…"

"Oh dear Aidios. Please, please leave poor Emma-chan alone. I have no problem with yaoi stuff, as that's your prerogative, but don't corrupt poor Emma-chan. She's still so innocent." Naruto pleaded.

Dorothee giggled conspiratorially and looked him up and down with a lick of her lips. "You know, Naruto, you'd probably make for quite the seme in that kind of relationship. Why don't you enjoy a little time with that cute boy Elliot? Or perhaps Rean is more your type? Decisions, decisions."

Paling, Naruto said, "Nope! I'm out of here!" and ran off, leaving the library behind, much to Dorothee's amusement.

Entering the Student Union building, Naruto stopped and took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. "Note to self: NEVER be alone with Dorothee again." Once he was calm again, he walked up to James and said, "Heya James. What's up?"

"Not much. Been kind of a slow day today, but that's to be expected on a day like this. Anyways," James said before motioning to some of the stock. "Most of the orbal equipment we sell here's made by the Reinford Company. You wouldn't believe the orbal staff is still in development by looking at it. The level of craftsmanship is amazing. They're not the biggest company in the Empire for nothing, I guess. That's perfectionism for you, I suppose."

"I hear ya. The way Elliot wields that staff of his is something else. He makes it look so easy. I'm pretty impressed with not just him, but that weapon of his too. It seems mighty useful to me." Naruto agreed. "Anyways, see you later, James. Take care."

"You too, Naruto. Take care." James said, watching as his friend walked off.

Walking across the way to speak with Samantha, he listened as she said, "My husband and I worked in a noble's mansion once upon a time. It served as a nice training course for getting along with upper class students. Some of them can get a little arrogant, but they're all cute kids to me."

"Cute kids, huh? I dunno, some of them seem pretty stuck-up and really rude. I couldn't get along with those types even if you paid me 100,000 mira to do so." Naruto admitted.

Samantha simply giggled and said, "Some of them really aren't bad people, though. But I'll admit, some of them can be really hard to get along with. Still, you do the best you can while you're here, okay Naruto?"

"Sure, Samantha. And thank you and your husband again for always making such wonderful food for everyone. I know I appreciate it." Naruto said before he bid her goodbye and went on his way.

Chancing a glance in the dining area, he saw Monica talking with Laura. Deciding to simply let them be, he proceeded to go up the stairs so he could see who was available to chat with up there. As soon as he ascended the stairs, however, he saw Ferris standing there, staring up the carpeted stairs. Frowning at this, he asked, "Weren't you and Alisa practicing lacrosse together? What are you doing here?"

The violet-haired girl frowned at him and said, "For your information, practice came to an end earlier with no real issues to speak of. However, it seems as though cleanup duty is left to us first years. Or, perhaps I should rephrase, left to Alisa. It would be foolish to expect a lady of my standing to perform such menial tasks."

Scowling at this point, Naruto decided he needed to nip this problem in the bud immediately. Blasting her with his killing intent, he watched as she gasped for air and collapsed to her knees. "Just because you are a noble doesn't mean you're above reproach. I don't care if you don't want to dirty your hands or want to avoid the risk of breaking a nail or whatever other excuse you can cook up. I expect you to get off your lazy ass and go help Alisa NOW. It was extremely rude and coldhearted of you to leave Alisa-chan to do all of the work herself. She may be a commoner, but she's not pigheaded and cruel. She's a really sweet girl and deserves to be treated with respect. Now, if you understand me, I want you to nod your head."

Ferris struggled to lift her head. Looking into Naruto's eyes, she had tears streaming down her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Please just let me go!"

Sighing softly, Naruto stopped with the killing intent and took the beauty by the hand, helping her to her feet. "I'm sorry Ferris. I don't mean to make you cry, and I don't mean to hurt you like that. I'm sure if you just talk to her, you could become really good friends. Please, at least try to get along with her? That's all I ask. She's a really good person and I promise she has nothing against you. If anything, I bet she'd like to be friends with you. You just need to give her a chance. Okay?"

Looking into Naruto's eyes, Ferris found herself blushing slightly. Nodding once, she said, "Okay. Thank you, Naruto. I promise this won't happen again. Maybe being friends would be nice, after all."

"Good." Reaching up, he wiped away her tears for her and smiled kindly at the noble girl. "Go. I'm sure she's waiting for you." Ferris blushed more and nodded somewhat meekly, not trusting her own voice. Afterwards, she hurried off down the stairs to go and help Alisa.

After she was gone, Naruto massaged the bridge of his nose and shook his head in mild disbelief. "Maybe I should be more careful in the future. I didn't mean to make her cry…" Sighing softly, he proceeded down the hall and entered the Student Council room. Looking at Towa, he approached her and said, "Hiya Towa-chan."

"Hi Naruto! Great work today! It turns out your assistance was just what we needed." Towa said.

Naruto smiled at her and said, "I'm glad I could help out, Towa-chan. If there's ever anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know."

Towa smiled happily at that and said, "Thank you. Believe it or not, you were a really big help today. Sara was really pleased with you as well. She said the request she made to you went wonderfully. Actually, now that I think on it, what did she want you to do for her?"

Naruto shrugged and said, "Nothing much. She wanted to spar with me. Then she wanted me to tell her something about my past. That was pretty much it."

"Well, you are mysterious. It's only natural that people would wonder about your past. I know that I'm curious about you too." Towa explained. "Still, I'm amazed you could do all of that and still have time to explore the old schoolhouse! That's incredible!"

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "If you ever need some help, I'll be here. Okay Towa-chan?"

"Of course. Thank you Naruto." And with that, Naruto prepared to leave the room. However, before he could, he paused and turned around to face Towa once more.

"Towa-chan, would you mind if I stayed and helped you out for a little while? I don't want to leave you to do all of this work by yourself. Let me help." Naruto suggested.

"Are you sure? That would be wonderful! I'd really appreciate the help." Towa said, smiling brightly at him.

"Of course Towa-chan." Naruto said before he sat down and began to help her with her paperwork. It was the least he could to do try and ease some of her burden.

When they finally finished about an hour later, the sun had nearly set, bathing the campus in darkness. Still, he sat with Towa and smiled at her as they drank their tea. "I'm glad we're finally done." Towa said, looking absolutely exhausted.

"Heh, you're telling me. You had so much to do, I'm amazed we finished it all so quickly." Naruto said.

Towa giggled a bit and said, "Well, your shadow clones helped tremendously as well. I really appreciate it, Naruto. Still, there's so much work to get done that I almost always have to take work home with me to finish everything in time. Then on top of that I've got my classes to attend and homework to take care of…it can be a bit much sometimes."

"I can only imagine. It sounds a lot like the Hokage's job, actually. Well, any Kage's job, I suppose." Naruto admitted.

"Hokage? What's that?" Towa asked curiously.

"Back where I'm from, each village had a leader called a Kage. For instance, in my village, we called him/her the Hokage, or Fire Shadow. Then there's the Raikage in Kumogakure, the Mizukage in Kirigakure, and so on. They always had so much they had to do that they rarely had any time for rest and relaxation. Your job kind of reminded me of that, is all." Naruto explained.

"I see. Well that just raises more questions! When are you going to open up and tell me more about yourself, Naruto?" Towa questioned with an adorable pout on her face.

Smirking at her, Naruto said, "Someday. Probably. And you're being adorable again, Towa-chan."

"Am not!" Towa exclaimed, her pout only getting cuter in the process.

Seeing this caused Naruto to chuckle for a while before he said, "Sorry. Sorry. I'm not poking fun at you, I promise. I just think you're really cute, is all."

Blushing prettily, Towa lowered her gaze, unable to look him in the eyes any longer. "If…if you say so. Anyways…" Forcing herself to look into his eyes at this point, she asked, "Are you really sure you're okay with helping out again next month? You really don't have to if you don't want to…"

Reaching over, Naruto began to gently pet the top of her head, like he'd often do with Fie. "Don't worry so much. I'll always be here for you, Towa-chan. I promise. No matter what, I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"You're sweet, Naruto. Thank you. For now though, you should really get going. I bet you still have things you'd like to take care of, right?" Towa questioned.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I want to check on a few things before going back to the dorm. Who knows? Somebody might need help again. Gotta make sure I go to the rescue!" he declared with a chuckle.

Towa giggled and said, "Then you'd best get to it. Take care and be safe, Naruto. Bye bye!"

Chuckling softly, Naruto thanked Towa for the tea before he left the office and then made his way downstairs. As he went to leave the Student Union building, he saw the look Laura was giving him. It wasn't one of anger or disappointment. No, this look was simply that of curiosity. Deciding to leave it alone, he exited the building and proceeded next door to the Engineering Club building. Standing out front was the portly boy he had seen before the entrance exam. "Hey there." Naruto said. "We haven't been formally introduced yet. The name's Naruto Uzumaki. Who are you?"

Turning around to face the newcomer, the brunette smiled at Naruto and said, "The name's George. George Nome. Nice to meet you Naruto. How've you been since then, hm?"

"Things have been pretty good, actually. Nice to meetcha George. I hear Rean helped you out today. I hope everything went well." Naruto said.

George smiled and said, "Yep. Everything went perfectly, and Rean even got an orbal radio as his reward. Speaking of, do you happen to have one? If not, I've got a few spares you can have."

Naruto smiled at George and said, "That'd be great. Please, I'd love to have one. I want to listen to Radio Trista every now and again. Might be kinda nice."

George chuckled a bit and said, "Follow me inside then. I just need to dig around a bit and find one for you."

"Thanks George." Naruto said as he followed the teen inside.

After digging around for a while, George returned to Naruto and handed the radio over to Naruto. "Make sure to take good care of it. If you ever need it or anything else repaired, just let me know. I'll get you all fixed up in a jiffy."

"Thanks again. I'm gonna get going. Got people to meet, stuff to do, aaaand it's getting kind of late. Don't want to miss curfew…again." He said, chuckling a bit afterwards.

George chuckled and said, "Don't worry too much about it. Nobody's going to get on your case about missing curfew every now and again, so long as you don't leave Trista. You'll be fine. For now though, we've both got things to do. So take care Naruto." Nodding his head in thanks once again, Naruto sealed the orbal radio away before waving goodbye and leaving the club building.

After circling around to the courtyard, he saw Fie sitting on the bench beside his clone, the two of them chatting away happily with one another. When she saw him, Fie hurried up to him and glomped him, nuzzling her head against his chest. "Naruto. Missed you."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "I missed you too Fie-chan. I came by earlier to see if you wanted to join us in the old schoolhouse, but you were napping. I didn't want to disturb you."

Fie pouted cutely at him, causing him to chuckle some more and run his fingers through her hair. "You could have woken me up, you know? I would have gone with you…"

"I know sweetheart. But you just looked so beautiful, sleeping like that. I just couldn't disturb you, knowing how comfortable and happy you were. You know I love you." He said, kissing her sweetly on the lips. "I've still got some things to take care of, but if you want, you're welcome to come with me. Unless you'd rather finish the conversation you were having with my clone?"

Fie tapped a finger against her chin as she thought it over. After a moment, she said, "I'll see you back at the dorm. Got things to do. You'd better leave your room unlocked tonight, because I'm coming in to cuddle. I don't care about the rules."

Chuckling, Naruto nodded and kissed his girlfriend one more time before he let her go. Afterwards, he passed the garden and the gymnasium and proceeded down onto the academy field where he sensed some people were. Walking towards the stables, he saw Paula sitting atop the horse from earlier. She seemed to be rather excited, but he didn't want to disturb her or Lambert. So instead, he decided to go and check on Ferris and Alisa.

As he approached, he stuck to the shadows and watched the two of them. He was pleased to see that Ferris had approached Alisa and began to help her. They seemed to be chatting away, though he couldn't tell if they were arguing about something or enjoying a pleasant conversation. It seemed to be a strange mix of both. However, he did see Rean approaching, most likely to offer his help to the duo. So, deciding to leave them to it, he proceeded to leave school grounds and entered the town of Trista once more.

Looking down towards the Lower Class dormitory, he saw Stefan and Machias chatting with one another. Glad to see you're taking my advice. Machias is the perfect person to help elevate your club to new heights. I also fully expect him to stick it to those snooty nobles. Good luck Stefan.

Passing the dormitories, Naruto entered the church and looked around for a moment. He could overhear a conversation taking place in the room on his left, so he decided to leave the duo alone. Instead, he walked up the stairs and knelt in the middle of the room, folding his hands in prayer and bowing his head. Please Aidios, I ask for your assistance. I know I don't ask for much besides to look over my friends and loved ones, but there is one favor I want granted now, more than ever. Please, if you are able, deliver Anko-chan to this world and into my life once again. She was my dearest friend and I miss her dearly. I want to introduce her to Sara. They both could use a friend in each other. That is all I ask. Well that…and I want my friend to get better. He's barely got two tails and he's still in hibernation. I want to save him… So please, Aidios, grant my request. And be well, Aidios. Thank you.

Once his prayer had finished, he rose, bowed politely to Father Paulo, and then left the church. I know that was probably selfish of me, but I'm desperate. I want to see her again… Sighing softly, he proceeded to walk towards the house right across the street, only to blink when he saw Kenneth and a little girl down on the pier. The girl seemed to enjoy chatting away with Kenneth while he fished, and the noble didn't seem to mind in the slightest. Shrugging it off, he entered the house, fully intent on checking on the woman inside. She seemed to be having a rough time earlier, so he wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help her.

Once inside, Naruto saw a man that he assumed to be the woman's husband. When he said, "Get my dinner and the bath ready." and something about Emile's education being her job and so on, Naruto felt both disgusted with this pig of a man and angry that he'd treat his wife in such a way. However, he also knew that it wasn't his place to intervene. So for the time being, he'd stay out of it and hope it would resolve itself. Still…

Sighing, he shook his head and left before he could say or do anything he might later regret. After all, beating up Gordon wouldn't get him anywhere but in trouble. So he walked away from the house and across the bridge into the shopping center of Trista. I hate assholes like that. If he doesn't start treating his wife with a little more respect, I might end up slugging him.

Entering Keynes' Bookstore, Naruto was fully intent on checking on Becky to see how she was doing after her first day on the job. Seeing her browsing some of the books, he approached her and said, "Hey."

Looking at Naruto, she said, "Hugo really does me heed in! He came in earlier and was geein' it this and that about how I talk too much and it 'leads to a poor time to money ratio.' Does he have a problem wae the way I do things?! Anyways, Hugo's away home if you're looking for him. He's still living in Heimdallr, so he says he needs tae head home early doors. Dunno why, though."

Naruto frowned and said, "Don't listen to him, Becky-chan. I think the way you do business is wonderful the way it is. Plus, you're cute, so you're bound to attract quite a few customers. Just do things your way and I'm sure everything will work out pretty well in the end."

Becky blushed a bit at the cute comment, but decided not to pay it too much attention. "Thanks Naruto. Be sure tae drop on by whenever yer around. I'll be sure to give ye a good discount fer bein' a friend."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Thanks Becky-chan. Take care okay? Have a good night." Approaching Keynes, he asked, "So how's Becky-chan doing?"

"Becky's been putting in some real work. She may talk a lot, but she's great at bringing in the customers. Sales have been on a steady rise thanks to her." Chuckling a bit, Keynes looked past Naruto at Becky and said, "I wouldn't mind having her around all the time. Believe it or not, Becky comes along to do some part-time work a couple of times every month. Sales have been on the rise since she arrived, so I'd be happy to have her work here for as long as she'd like."

Smiling at this, Naruto chanced a glance at Becky before looking back at Keynes. "I'm really glad to hear it. I hope you and the other shopkeeps take good care of her. She's a real sweetheart. May talk a lot, but I think she's great the way she is. Don't you?"

Keynes chuckled and said, "Definitely. Anyways, I'll be closing up shop soon. Take care, Naruto."

"You as well Keynes. See ya." Naruto said before he walked over to Emma. "Hiya Emma-chan. What's up?"

Turning to face him, the bespectacled girl smiled and said, "I just joined the Literature Club. I've always loved reading ever since I was young, so I'm rather excited to try writing something for myself. I just hope I'm able to keep up with Dorothee's level of dedication."

"Yeaaah, dedication. I suppose we can call it that. I kiiiind of ran away from her earlier. She started talking about me being a seme in a yaoi romance with Elliot and/or Rean." Naruto explained.

Emma blinked a couple of times before a deep blush spread across her face. "Oh. Oh dear. What have I gotten myself into now?"

The blonde chuckled a bit and said, "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just…try not to turn into another Dorothee, okay? One is quite enough."

The pinkette giggled a bit and said, "We'll see. Who knows though? Maybe the ways of yaoi will be glorious and I'll write a book about you and Rean."

Seeing the teasing grin on Emma's face, Naruto reached up and flicked her nose. "Don't even joke about that. Anyways, I'll see you later Emma-chan. Take care." And with that, he left the store, leaving Emma to rub her nose.

"Ouch. Maybe I did go a little overboard with my teasing. But that's still no reason to flick my nose." Emma said with a pout.

Once outside, Naruto spotted Gaius and Elliot sitting together on a bench. Walking up to them, he waved in greeting. "Oh, hey Naruto." Elliot said. "How's it going?"

Naruto smiled and said, "Thanks for coming along with us. I'm sure it would've been a tad difficult on us if it was just Rean and me. You really helped us out."

Gaius frowned at him and said, "You're still hiding your true skill from us, though, aren't you Naruto?"

Sighing softly, Naruto rubbed the back of his head and said, "Maybe. Honestly? I really just want to take it easy and allow you guys the time to grow and really make a difference. I don't want to make things too easy. If I just go in killing everything willy-nilly, you guys will never have the chance to grow. So I'm choosing to limit myself and try to help out where I can. I'm sorry if that sounds insulting to you guys, but…"

"Something happened in your past…right?" Elliot wondered aloud.

"Yeah. Sorry guys. Maybe when I feel comfortable enough to do so, I'll open up a bit more about my history. But right now, I'm choosing to keep it close to my chest. Don't want to reveal too much, y'know?" Naruto said.

"So long as you feel like you can eventually open up to us, I will accept that." Gaius said. "But if there ever comes a time where we're up against a foe we can't handle…I want you to do whatever you have to do to ensure we survive. Okay?"

"Of course. I'd never put you guys in danger because I chose to hold back like an idiot. No matter what it takes, I'll always look out for you guys and the other members of Class VII. Okay?" Naruto said, smiling at his friends.

"Glad to hear it. Will you be turning in early tonight?" Gaius asked.

"Not just yet. I want to talk to people and see what's what now. Who knows? I might be able to help somebody with something again." Naruto said with a chuckle. "Anyways, bye guys. See you later." And with that, he exited the small park and approached Old Man Euler.

"You know, many members of the Imperial family have attended Thors Military Academy for generations. One of our princes enrolled there eight years ago, in fact. On top of being a fascinating young man, he was also a superb student and something of a social butterfly. He was an outstanding individual in practically every aspect." Euler said. "That prince I mentioned was a delightful young man. What's more, I've heard that making his way into high society hasn't changed his attitude at all from his academy days."

Thinking on it for a time, Naruto realized who Euler was talking about. Olivert Reise Arnor. He used to call himself Olivier Lenheim, if I remember correctly. Flew back home in the Arseille, I think. Olivert's made quite the impression on people, from what I've heard. Can't help but wonder what he's really like. Shrugging it off, he entered Brandon's General Store, ignoring the kids out front.

Once inside, he walked up to Brandon, who immediately began to speak. "Towa's kind, skilled, and always gives it her all no matter what she does. She really is a perfect role model for other students. On top of all that, she even helps out her instructors! I really hope I can help Tyzel grow up like that. Heh, hope nothing! Tyzel's already all those things! Whaddya say, kiddo? Am I right, or am I right?"

Facepalming himself, Naruto let out a groan before looking Brandon in the eyes. "Tyzel's a good kid with a good head on her shoulders. She'll be just fine. As for Towa-chan, I'm happy so long as I can help ease her burden a bit. She's got way too much to do right now as it is. Every little bit of help I can offer her means a lot to me."

"Glad to hear it. Treat her right, got it?" Brandon said.

"Of course. See ya later Brandon." Naruto said before leaving the store. Walking across the way to Kirsche's Café and Inn, Naruto chose to ignore the nobles and entered the establishment. No way in hell I'm talking to those snooty bastards out there. I've seen Patrick around and I can't stand the guy. I'd sooner slug him than talk to him.

Once inside, he spotted Jusis sitting by himself. Remembering their last encounter, Naruto sighed and shook his head, deciding it best to just leave him alone. Instead, he approached Old Man Abbot and listened as he said, "I've heard talk of disputes happening over in Celdic. My heart goes out to those who live in areas ruled by nobles when I hear stories like that."

Frowning, Naruto chanced a glance back at Jusis, realizing that it was Jusis' father that was responsible for that bullshit. Makes me wonder if Jusis likes his father or not. Is he like his father? Or is he a good person? He's kind of an abrasive ass, but I don't think he's a bad person…

Shrugging it off, Naruto looked at Fred and saw that he looked rather distraught. "Fred? You okay?"

"Oh man, this is baaad… It'll take a while to get here, even if I order it now…" Fred said in a panic.

"Um, Fred? What's the matter?" Naruto questioned.

"Naruto? You here to order something?" Fred asked.

Naruto shook his head and said, "Nah, nothing like that. You looked upset, so I wanted to see if I could help you out in some way."

Fred blinked and said, "Huh. Well, that's awfully selfless of you. To be honest, I've got a little stock issue on my hands here. By which I mean I'm all out of a certain seasoning. So now I'm trying to figure out what I should do."

"Makes sense. I guess you can't just swap it out for something, right?" Naruto asked.

"I could, but it'd make things taste rather different. Not to sound like I'm bragging or anything, but our food's pretty popular. There'll be a lot of customers stopping by with that dish on their minds, so I'd feel bad if I used something else…" Fred explained.

"Hmm, makes sense. Sooo, what's this secret ingredient you need?"

"Passion leaves, a rare kind of spice from southern Zemuria. Brandon usually orders 'em for me. I probably wouldn't have ran out, either, if I'd just kept my eye on the stock…" Fred said. "It's a damn shame. I feel bad for the customers, but I'm sure they'll understand if I explain…"

Naruto frowned and said, "Leave it to me. I know a guy at the academy that might have what you're looking for. If he doesn't have it, I'm sure he can point me to someone who does. I'll be back with those passion leaves before you know it."

"You'll do that for me? Thank you so much! Do hurry, Naruto. I'm counting on you." Fred said, watching as Naruto hurried out of the café.

Cooking Club room

Approaching Nicholas, Naruto said, "Hey Nicholas. I need some help."

Turning to face him, Nicholas said, "Hey Naruto. What brings you here?"

"Y'see, Fred, the guy that runs Kirsche's Café & Inn, has run out of passion leaves. I was wondering if you might have some to spare." Naruto said.

"Passion leaves, huh? Sorry. I've cooked with them before, but I don't have any at the moment." Nicholas explained, sounding apologetic.

"Damn. Thanks anyway Nicholas." Naruto said.

"You might not want to give up hope just yet, Naruto." Nicholas said.

"I wasn't planning on it. Still, I am definitely open to suggestions."

Nicholas smiled at him and said, "Well, I don't have any myself, but the cafeteria just might."

"Huh. Then I guess I'd better check with Ramsay, huh? Thanks Nicholas!" Naruto said before hurrying off to go and see Ramsay about the passion leaves.

Student Union – Cafeteria

Ignoring Samantha, Naruto opened the door to the kitchen and stepped up to Ramsay, the chef. "Excuse me sir, I need some help."

Ramsay turned to him and asked, "Hm? What can I help you with? Wait, you're not here to steal food, are you?"

The blonde blinked and asked, "Huh? Of course I'm not here to steal food. People actually do that?"

"You'd be surprised at how many people try to do that. Anyways, what can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for passion leaves. Fred ran out and he really needs some passion leaves for one of his dishes. I asked Nicholas of the Cooking Club if he had any and he directed me to come speak to you. Sooo, can you please help me out? I want to get Fred the passion leaves as soon as possible." Naruto explained.

"I see. In need of passion leaves, is he? Well you're in luck. It just so happens that I have some right here." Ramsay said.

"You do? Can I please have them? I need to get them back to Fred ASAP."

Ramsay smiled and handed Naruto a bag full of passion leaves. "Here. I hope Fred makes good use of them. And if he ever starts running low again, tell him to ask me. I've got plenty in stock and it's really no trouble helping him out with this."

"Thank you so much." Naruto said, bowing politely to the chef. "I'll be on my way then. Take care Ramsay!" And with that, he was gone.

Kirsche's Café & Inn

"No way. You seriously found me some passion leaves?" Fred asked, wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Sure did. Here you go, Fred. I hope you make good use of them." Naruto said, handing Fred the bag of passion leaves.

"I can't believe you actually got these! Thank you so much! I definitely owe you one!"

"Nah, no need to worry about it, Fred. I'm happy to have helped out." Naruto said with a smile on his face.

"Wow. You got me a ton! How much did all of these run you?" Fred asked.

"Surprisingly nothing at all. Ramsay gave them to me for free. I was more than willing to pay for them if need be. He did want me to pass on a message to you, though. If you ever start running low again, he wants you to come pay him a visit. He'd be happy to help you out anytime you need." Naruto explained.

Fred smiled and said, "Well then, I'll have to be sure to go thank Ramsay next time I get the chance."

"I bet he'd like that." Naruto said.

"I can't forget to thank you, either! It's kinda flattering that you went to all that trouble just to get these leaves for little ol' me. Now our customers won't have to leave hungry and disappointed! So here, take this. It's nothing special, but I'd like you to have it." Fred said before giving Naruto three Crispy Pizzas.

"You're sure I can have all of these?" Naruto asked.

"Of course. Any less would be criminal. Umm, if you don't mind my asking, you're not part of the Student Council, are you?" Fred questioned.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, but I do help them out now and again when I can. Like today. Spent a lot of time today just helping people on behalf of the Student Council. It was pretty fun. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's just that they've helped everyone here in Trista out quite a bit over the years, us included. Seeing you trying so hard just kinda reminded me of their style. That's all." Fred explained.

"Huh. That would explain why they get requests from everyone in town, too."

"Yep. They're like our personal problem-solvers. It's probably a ton of work for them, but I think they all feel like it's work worth doing." Fred explained.

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Yeah, I have to agree with that. It reminds me of the D-rank missions back where I'm from. Only these requests don't seem anywhere near as bad. They're actually kind of enjoyable in their own way."

"No idea what you're talking about, but I'm glad you're having a good time." Fred said.

Naruto shrugged and said, "Maybe I'll tell you about it in detail sometime. For now though, I need to get going. Catch ya later Fred."

Leaving the Inn, Naruto proceeded to the Trista Radio Station and stepped inside. Approaching the receptionist, a woman named Lala, Naruto listened as she exclaimed, "We're starting up a new talk show tonight! Our director's very invested in it. I hope you tune in. We'll be accepting topic submissions from our listeners, too."

It was at this point that something clicked in his mind. "The material Munk's always talking about. Interesting. I'll definitely have to tune in at some point then." Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders. Leaving the radio station, Naruto proceeded to his last destination for the day: Micht's Pawn Shop. Entering inside, he walked up to Micht and listened as he said, "What hole did you crawl out of? Your uniform's all dusty. What, they got you lookin' around that old schoolhouse or somethin'?"

Naruto chuckled and said, "Actually, yeah." Damn this guy's sharp. Then again, I get the feeling he's some kind of information broker. Definitely not the kind of guy you wanna mess with.

Leaving Micht to his own devices, the whiskered teen left the store and returned to the Class VII dormitory. Pausing outside, he thought over everything he had done throughout the day. "Did I take care of everything? I didn't miss anything, did I? Hmm…" Taking a short while to think on it, he shrugged and said, "I'm good. Time to head back inside, set up my orbal radio, and then do some studying. Maybe a little training. Who knows?"

Later

Naruto sat on his bed, examining his weapon, the mighty Yato blade. While it had originally just been a simple sword, he had modified it until it became what it was now. Its power was deadly, able to shred foes to pieces with its saw-like blades running along the sharp edge of his blade. It was similar to a chainsaw in that regard, and yet he could also revert it into a simple blade form if he so chose.

Shrugging, he put his weapon away and proceeded to set up his orbal radio. He could sense the others were still awake. Some seemed to be training in their rooms, Elliot was practicing his violin, Gaius was painting, etc. Naruto, on the other hand, had been lost in thought for a time. He had done a lot today and he couldn't help but compare the requests from today to the D-rank missions back in Konohagakure. These requests are a hell of a lot better than those chores. Those were things people were too lazy to take care of on their own. Here, the requests are actually helping people in need. Just like the…Bra…cers… Holy fuck. They've got us doing requests like the Bracer Guild used to do before they were chased out! Then again, Sara was a Bracer in the past. I shouldn't be surprised that they'd implement something like this. That's pretty damn clever.

Chuckling to himself, Naruto sat down at his desk and began to go over his study material and take care of what homework he had. Might as well get it all done early, after all.

After a short while, some new music began to play and a woman's voice began to speak. "It's 9 PM and you're listening to Radio Trista. Welcome, welcome. Don't touch that dial, listeners; you've found the right place to be tonight. It's time for the start of a brand new program here on Radio Trista, coming at you promptly every Sunday! I call it 'Abend Time,' after the word for 'evening.' Might be a little cliched, but sometimes, simple is best, right? Cliches are cliches for a reason, after all! Anyway, my name is Misty, and I'll be your host. Hopefully, I'll get to feature some famous guests at some point, so be sure you tune in every week or you might miss 'em!"

Naruto frowned as he listened to Misty's voice. Interesting. I get the feeling she's more than she seems, but I wonder why? Oh well, guess I can think on that later. Let's just listen and try to get some work done. Still… Chancing a glance at his radio, Naruto couldn't shake the feeling he was getting.

Shrugging it off, he resumed work on his homework and listened as 'Misty' continued to speak. "I hope life has been treating all of you well this month as we slowly near the end of April. Here in Trista, the beautiful lino flowers have passed their peak and begun to wilt. But wilting flowers are beautiful in their own way, as they serve to remind us just how fleeting this existence truly is. I'm sure many of our listeners are students, busy with the challenges of adjusting to their new lives, but what harm is there in taking a moment to admire nature every now and again? It's good for what ails you, I say!"

You might have a beautiful voice, Misty, but I don't trust you. There's just something off about you. One day, I might find out what that is. Naruto thought with a shrug of his shoulders. He wouldn't worry about it for the time being.

April 21st – Practical Exam

"Oookay! Let's get your practical exam started, shall we? To be completely clear from the outset, this exam is about more than just testing your physical strength and stamina. It's designed to hone in on how capable you are of making strategic combat decisions on the fly. Defeating your opponent quickly is a good thing, certainly…but it won't be enough to score you high marks here!" Sara explained.

"Hmph. Interesting." Jusis said.

"So we're going to have to use our heads for this one, huh?" Alisa questioned.

"Heh. You'll see. Aaanyway, let's get this month's exam started, shall we?" Sara said. "Rean. Elliot. Gaius. You're up first. Please step forward." At this point, the three of them stepped up, each of them prepared for whatever this practical exam would throw at them.

As they prepared to commence with the exam, Naruto folded his arms across his chest and thought to himself. This is going to be interesting to watch. I'm looking forward to seeing what our opponent will be capable of. Good luck you three.

---

A/N - And that's the chapter! I know, it was a pretty long one. I was hoping to do the practical exam in this chapter, but it was already getting pretty long. I figured that was a good place to leave things for the time being.

Anyways, there's another reason why I chose to update this story next. I'm kind of sapped of all energy and motivation to work on most of my fics right now. The only ones that I have any kind of inspiration for are this story, Ultimate SOLDIER, The New SeeD, and The Legend of Naruto. I honestly just can't get myself to work on anything else at the moment. As Dragon and Sword Master said to me, I've entered my cooldown phase where I need to just take a break and take it easy for a while.

I'll try to keep coming out with chapters for the stories I mentioned so you at least have SOMETHING to read from me, but I dunno how often I'll be updating. I honestly feel like crap. x.x

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And please, PLEASE vote on the poll on my profile! It's important for this story!