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.

8. Chapter 8

A/N - Okay, before anything, I just want to say that holy crap this chapter took freaking forever to write. Been working on it since yesterday/Christmas morning. It is 51 pages 20,473 words long! Honestly kind of exhausted after writing this dang chapter for so long. XD

Anywho, a crap ton happens in this chapter, and one of Naruto's secrets gets revealed in a pretty big way. I was hoping to get through the Free Day in this chapter, buuuut the chapter became waaaay too damn long to include another day in this chapter. lol

Not much else to say. Hopefully you enjoy the chapter. If you don't, oh well. At least I tried! lol

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Chapter 8 – Secret Revealed

Naruto sighed as he laid on his bed. Fie, Anko, and Laura were in his room as well, and something was causing Naruto to feel more than a tad stressed out. I knew this was going to happen. Hopefully I can help nip this problem in the bud before it can get out of hand. Sitting up, he turned to his mates and said, "Fie? I'm sorry. I knew that I should have talked with you about it first, but…"

Fie didn't even look at her mate. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at Laura and said venomously, "You wouldn't leave him alone until he turned you. You were in the middle of something big, but you took advantage of the situation to force Naruto to give you what you wanted. You don't even know how you feel about him. Do you?"

Laura looked hard right back into Fie's eyes and said, "You are right. I forced Naruto to turn me. We were in the middle of an investigation, and I demanded something of Naruto that should have waited until we returned to Trista. However, I do not regret my decision. As for my feelings, I care a great deal for Naruto. He makes me feel like a woman instead of just…just a noble or a warrior. He has helped me realize that I do not need to live in my father's shadow. I have the potential to be greater than my father. With Naruto's help, and the support of my friends, I am positive that I can achieve my goals. Besides, Naruto and I have already kissed, and I wish to spend the rest of my days with my mate. I know my feelings for him will only grow stronger."

Fie grumbled irritably and shook her head. "Naruto has that effect on people. But! I don't appreciate what you've done, Laura. You…you don't know Naruto like we do. There's so much you aren't aware of. The things he's had to do. Our lives as jaegers. How we earned our nicknames. Everything about Naruto's past. How…how he was betrayed. And hurt. His enemies. There is so much you still don't know about him. How could you make such a hasty, impulsive decision without first getting to know him better? You can't back out of this now! You do realize that, don't you?"

Laura closed her eyes and thought over how best to respond. After a moment, she began to speak. "Yes. My decision was impulsive, and quite possibly brash of me, as well. I was inconsiderate of you two and your feelings on the matter. For that, I apologize. And you are right. My knowledge and understanding of Naruto is limited, especially when compared to yours. Fie, if I gave you the impression that I did not care or only sought a shortcut to power, then allow me to assuage your fears. When I thought about the future, every image I saw was of me married to Naruto. I could not picture a future without Naruto at my side. I wanted a man that was my equal or stronger to love me for who I am. I want to start a family with Naruto. I decided to give myself to him completely. That was my choice. The more time I spend with Naruto, the more I will learn about him. That is simply natural. Just as I wish to learn more about the two of you. If we are to be sisters in this relationship, then I want us to get along and behave as such. Besides, Naruto requires more mates than the three of us, does he not? Why not open yourself to the possibility of having to share him with more women? We shall not harm him."

Fie closed her eyes and shook her head in a mixture of disbelief and disappointment. "You really don't know what you're getting yourself into, Laura. Our secrets will shock you, and may even make you uncomfortable with us. We were jaegers, Laura. Before that, Naruto was a shinobi. We did our jobs well, no matter what that entailed. Naruto…Naruto has been through a war, Laura. And we have both seen death. Actually, all three of us have, now that I think on it." Glancing at Anko for a moment, she focused her attention back on Laura. "The Boss tried to keep us from having to do the dirtier missions, and we're grateful for that. But he couldn't always protect us. I…I earned the title Sylphid. Naruto is the Silent Shadow. When the Boss died, our family broke apart and everyone went their separate ways. Sara found us and decided to give us a home here in Trista."

Sighing softly, Fie looked into Laura's eyes and said, "Laura, we were members of the jaeger corps. known as Zephyr. Our boss was the Jaeger King himself. The most powerful jaeger out there. We did whatever jobs we were hired for. Protection detail. Infiltration and sabotage. Assassinations. Whatever was required of us, we did it. Naruto was the best we had, and everyone knew it. Everyone knew the Silent Shadow. Everyone knew that, if they saw him, then they were about to die. Of course, that was only if Naruto let them see him. People fear Naruto. His moniker will stick with him for a very, very long time. But, the Boss didn't want to put either of us through that kind of horror. So he kept us from missions like that as much as possible. Just as I said before."

"Laura, this is the first home we've ever really had. We aren't about to toss it aside for anything. We are going to build a family together. Whether we do that here or somewhere else in Erebonia, I don't know yet. But it's going to happen. But…I want to find out why the others abandoned us. I want to continue growing stronger, too. I want to be able to protect Naruto like he protects us. I love Naruto with all my heart." Smiling serenely, Fie brought her hands to her chest and placed them over her heart. "Wherever Naruto goes, I'll always be right there with him. That's a promise I made to him and the Boss." Looking hard into Laura's eyes again, she asked, "Can you make that same promise? Naruto means everything to the two of us. I need to know that you feel the same."

Anko smirked at Fie and then looked at Naruto. Seeing him chuckling quietly to himself, she giggled a bit before turning her attention back on Laura. Kitty's got some claws. Fie's definitely kinda pissed. Sure hope they can work this out instead of being at each other's throats for a while.

Laura smiled at Fie and said, "Fie, no matter what you three have been through in the past, it will not change my opinion of you three. I mean it when I say I want us to be friends. When I say I want us to be family. Yes, my feelings for Naruto may not be as strong as yours and Anko's, but you must simply give me a chance. My love for Naruto will continue to grow until I feel I am truly worthy of his love. I am happy as his mate. I want us to one day be wed. I want to bear his children. And…" Turning, she smiled at Naruto and placed a hand over her heart. "I will always support you, my dear Naruto. In everything you do. In love, life, friendship, and battle. If you meet others that you would mark as your mates, I hope that we can first meet with them and gauge their worthiness. You deserve only the best. You deserve to be happy. I hope I can provide that for you."

Fie sighed and hung her head. As Anko began to pat her back gently, she looked into her sister's eyes and said, "It's just not fair. This better not happen again."

Anko giggled a bit and hugged Fie close. "Don't worry, Fie. Everything's gonna be just fine. Naruto's not going to hurt us. He wants us to be happy just as much as we want to see him happy. Nooow, any idea if he's met any other cuties around here? Anyone you feel might be worth his love?"

Fie facepalmed and let out a quiet groan. How can she be so open about all of this? I knew Naruto would take more mates, but… Sighing softly, she chanced a glance at her boyfriend. I guess that being jealous of other girls is only natural, after all. No matter how much I've prepared myself for it, this was just bound to happen. Laura isn't a bad person, but I wish she would have at least talked to us first. Then there's the other girls…

Fie blinked as she felt arms encircling her. Looking up, she saw that her boyfriend had his arms wrapped around all three of them. "Naruto?"

Naruto smiled at her and kissed her on the nose. "Fie, you know I love you. Anko, too. And I really care about Laura, too. I want to be with her, as well. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I understand if you're mad at the two of us. From now on, the three of you will have full say on who else will join our family. Yes, I've met some girls at Thors that are amazing in their own, unique ways, but I won't do anything until you sign off on them. Okay?"

Instead of saying anything right away, Fie pressed her lips to his and kissed him tenderly for a time. When they parted, she reached up and rubbed her thumb over his whisker marks. "Thank you, Naruto. I love you. Um, can…can I stay here tonight? I'd like to cuddle."

Naruto smiled at her and kissed her again. "Of course, sweetheart. Laura, Anko, good night and sweet dreams. I'll see you both in the morning. Fie, go get your nightclothes and we'll cuddle. If Sara has a problem with it, then tough. I'm not about to deny my girlfriend what she wants."

Fie giggled before she and the others stood up and left the room. Once out, Fie turned to Laura and said, "Sorry. Thank you for thinking of Naruto. Um…good night." And with that, she hurried up the stairs to the third floor so she could get what she needed. She knew that Naruto had probably gotten them some souvenirs from his trip to Celdic, but he would give those to them tomorrow. Right now, she just wanted to be with her mate and snuggle up in his arms. My wonderful Naruto. I love you so much.

After Fie disappeared up the stairs, Anko turned to Laura and said, "Don't think I couldn't sense your desire. You might be able to hide it from Fie, but not from we ninja. You want to take that next step with Naruto already. You need to take some time and seriously think about what you really want before you try to jump his bones. Besides, we're still young. There's plenty of time left to us to be with him in that way, if that's what we really want. We don't have to take that next step until we're truly ready for it. Believe me though, I understand. I've been wanting to go for a ride for yeaaaars. But, I'll be patient. So take some time and really think about what you want out of this relationship. Don't go rushing into anything. Have to say though, you're more impulsive than I expected. It's interesting to see." Shrugging, she turned and made her way upstairs.

Left standing outside of her mate's room, Laura was a blushing mess. I really can't hide anything from them. What I really want out of this relationship, huh? Looking at the door to Naruto's room, she smiled and thought, I already know what I want. Shrugging, she ascended the stairs and proceeded to return to her room. I've desired him since I met him. She thought with a giggle.

May 22

A month had passed by since that night. Fie and Anko were both giddy as can be when Naruto gave them the souvenirs he bought for them during his first field study. In fact, they had been cuddling with their plushies every night that they didn't spend cuddling with Naruto.

Fie and Laura had started to mend their relationship and were working towards becoming true friends. While Laura talked with her new sister about her dreams and her father and hometown, Fie had started to open up more about her time with Zephyr and the adventures she'd had with Naruto. Anko was just giddy as can be to chat with her new family members and teach them what she could.

Now, however, Naruto was in class, listening to the hardened veteran of the 4th Armored Division as he gave his lecture. The famous Instructor Neithardt. Could learn a thing or two from this guy, I'm sure. Might as well listen to what he has to say.

"The Orbal Revolution 50 years ago changed the way wars were fought forever. There are a number of reasons for this fundamental change, but there are four factors in particular that I would argue to be the most important." Looking around at the students of Class VII, Neithardt tried to gauge their worth as students and get a good read on them and their academic level that he could expect. As his eyes scanned over four in particular: Naruto, Laura, Fie, and Anko, a stray thought crossed his mind. Something is different about those four. Sadly, now is not the time to think of such matters.

Returning to his lecture, the academy instructor said, "The first is the invention of orbal guns, cannons, and other weaponry. The increased accuracy of these weapons, as well as their ease of maintenance and manufacture, instantly rendered all other firearms obsolete. The second factor is the associated mechanization of the military. Orbal technology led to the formation of armored divisions, made up of tanks and armored cars. The impact this new kind of tactical unit had on the battlefield, with its enhanced offense, defense, and mobility, cannot be overstated."

Naruto frowned to himself as he listened to Neithardt's lecture. Whereas the people of the Elemental Nations waged war with the power of chakra and all the various kinds of jutsu at their disposal, the people of this world have advanced so far in technology to the point that they're revolutionizing the way weapons and battle orbments can be used for purposes such as war and other such violence. The more things change, the more they stay the same. What a damn shame.

Naruto tuned back into the lecture as Neithardt said, "The third factor is the invention of airships. Warships that rely on the gravity manipulation ability of a flight field to remain in the air simply did not exist before the revolution. The sudden addition of a whole new dimension to war—the sky—made countless new strategies viable that were previously unimaginable."

Anko frowned as well as she glanced at her mate. To think, the new mode of transportation could be used for such purposes. I can only imagine how this kind of military science must be affecting you.

"And the last factor is the creation of an entirely new practical science, which may be the biggest, most important change of all. Without orbal technology, such a concept would scarcely even have been conceivable. But now, we'd be virtually crippled without it." Looking between Naruto and Anko, he noticed that their reactions to the lesson were different from the other students'. Frowning to himself, he wondered which one he should call on. After taking some time to think on it, he focused his gaze on Anko. "Anko Mitarashi. Can you tell the class what that new scientific breakthrough was?"

Anko blinked at the fact she had just been called on to answer a question. Looking straight into the instructor's eyes, she smiled and said, "That's an easy one, Instructor. The answer is orbal communications."

Neithardt smiled at Anko and said, "Correct."

Pumping her fist into the air, Anko gave a quiet cheer before listening in again as Neithardt addressed the class as a whole. Glad I've been studying so much!

"The answer is orbal communications—a form of wireless communication technology based on formless transmissions through orbal waves. This allows officers on the battlefield to obtain pertinent information in real time, leading to precise, accurate troop movements. Of course, countermeasures have also been invented, such as wiretapping and jamming, to partially limit its benefits. But nonetheless…" Neithardt continued, glad that the students were paying such rapt attention. After a moment, his gaze settled on Anko once again and he thought, Such a confident young woman. She'll go far.

Glancing towards his mate, Naruto gave her a discreet thumbs-up and mouthed, "Great job."

Fie, meanwhile, looked at her sister and thought, Easy, she says. Even with them helping me study, I still haven't picked up on things as fast as those two. Damn shadow clones, making everything easier. Then, a thought went through her head and a blush spread across her cheeks. Quietly, she began giggling pervertedly to herself as she thought, Ooooh. Shadow clones in the bedroom. I like that idea. Whether he's ready or not, I want it now!

Later – Classes I/VII Divided Lessons – Ladies

The girls of Class VII were currently participating in the Nutritional Sciences class, though some were less pleased about it than others. Anko was one of these girls. Pouting, she idly petted Fie's hair and said, "I wish we could've been with Naruto. I'm not very good at this cooking thing."

Fie hummed to herself for a moment as she whisked away at some kind of mixture she had in a large bowl. "I'm not used to it either, but I'm eager to learn. So hush and help me. Can you…?"

As Fie and Anko went to work, the girls of Class VII overheard the girls behind them from Class I beginning to speak to one another. "Why did Lady Laura have to be placed in a class like that? I was truly looking forward to studying alongside her!" the blonde girl questioned, sounding awfully upset.

The redhead next to her asked, "Is that girl next to her not the one who scored the highest on the entrance exam?"

The blonde girl nodded and said, "I believe so. Though, I also hear she's a mere commoner."

The redhead looked from the two of them over to Fie and Anko. "There's something about that silver-haired girl that I find oddly soothing. I wonder if she'd let me stroke her hair if I were to ask nicely? She's awfully cute."

The blonde giggled for a moment before gazing at Anko. "Then there's her. She's…different. She may be a commoner, but it's obvious that she's strong. I wouldn't want to piss her off."

"Agreed." The redhead said as she nodded her head in agreement.

Ferris, who had been listening to their chatter, sighed and shot a quick glare at them. "That's quite enough idle chatter. We are members of Class I. We are above such droll behavior! I'd like to say that we cannot allow ourselves to be bettered by that rabble, but Alisa is…skilled in everything she does. The others are not to be underestimated either."

The other girls stared at Ferris in confusion. Eyebrow quirked in curiosity, the redhead asked, "Ferris? Are you okay?"

Ferris grumbled and glanced away from them. "A…'friend' opened my eyes. I refuse to let social class dictate how I treat people any longer. If…if only for him. That is all."

The blonde blinked a few times before smirking at Ferris. "I seeee. Is this 'friend' of noble birth, as well? Or is he…?"

The violette shook her head and said, "He is of common origin. At least, as far as I am aware. But he is very sweet, and charming, too. At first, I was a little frightened by him, but…"

The blonde giggled for a moment before deciding to let the matter drop. Instead, she looked down at the utensils before her, as well as the ingredients available to them. "You know, I'm so accustomed to our chef doing all of the cooking, that I must admit…I'm finding this all rather challenging."

Fie twitched a few times in anger. "She's talking about Naruto…isn't she?"

Anko sighed and nodded her head as she handed Fie something. "Obviously. I swear, girls in this world are attracted to him like moths to a flame."

Fie nodded before thanking Anko for the assistance. "I'm kind of glad I haven't shown them my fox features. They'd probably want to pet my hair even more."

The Snake Mistress giggled and said, "Probably. You are pretty cute, though. I suppose it's only natural."

While the two of them spoke with one another, Alisa looked at Laura and Emma and asked, "Could they make it a little less obvious they're talking about us? I mean, seriously!"

Laura giggled softly and shook her head. "It stands to reason they'd be curious about our class. It's hard to blame them for that, at least. We are a unique bunch, after all." Though, I could do without Ferris discussing her crush on my mate.

As Fie began to whisk harder, Emma sweatdropped and lightly patted her on the shoulder to get her attention. "Fie? I think you've whisked that plenty already!"

Fie blinked and stopped what she was doing. "O-Oh. Sorry, Emma. Thanks."

"Let me help you a little. I couldn't help but overhear you two. I'll do my best to instruct you in the art of cooking. Okay?" Emma suggested.

Anko and Fie nodded before the former said, "Thanks, Emma. We appreciate it."

Boys – Orbal Studies

Naruto frowned as he tried to get the hang of using an orbal computer. All this sciencey stuff is confusing as hell for me. But, I can't say I hate it. This stuff is neat!

It was at this point that Naruto heard Rean speaking to Elliot and Gaius. "I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of using an orbal computer."

Gaius nodded and said, "Likewise. I was lost at first, but it's slowly beginning to make more sense. Though…" Looking at Naruto, he smiled supportively at the older teen and said, "Naruto could probably use some help."

Elliot chuckled softly and scratched the tip of his nose for a moment. "Well, it is cutting-edge technology here in Erebonia, so I think most people are confused until they've gotten used to it. Machias and Jusis both picked it up surprisingly quickly, though. If Naruto needs some help, I'd go to one of those two for sure. If not, I'll try to help you out, okay Naruto?"

Naruto offered his friend a smile and said, "Thanks, Elliot. Sadly, Jusis still isn't exactly the talkative sort. Machias, on the other hand?" Looking at his green-haired classmate, Naruto sighed and shook his head. "Well, that's a whole other can of worms. Sooo, if you can give me a hand, I'd appreciate it."

Elliot chuckled and nodded his head. "Sure thing, Naruto."

Rean got their attention again as he spoke up, looking between Machias and Jusis. "They're both highly intelligent, and academics are kind of their thing. But, you make a good point. Things aren't exactly sunshine and rainbows right now with the two of them. Unfortunately." Sighing, he turned his gaze to Naruto and shrugged his shoulders. "Anyways, I'm pretty sure Machias has been interested in computers for a while."

Elliot nodded before he turned his gaze on Jusis. "Then there's Jusis. He seems to get the hang of things far quicker than most people, even if he's not interested in them at all. Which probably just adds insult to injury for Machias."

Naruto chuckled and said, "I'll bet. According to Fie and Anko, those two were really butting heads during last month's field study. I don't think Group B really got anything done. Kind of disappointing when you think about all we went through."

Gaius sighed and said, "They were. At one point, things almost took a violent turn. We were able to hold them back, but I don't think we could've kept them under control for long without Anko intervening the way she did. It was even better for us when Instructor Sara arrived. Thank Aidios for that."

Elliot sighed as well and shook his head. "We really need to do something about them. I have no idea what, though."

Rean nodded and said, "I don't, either, but you're right. This has gone on for way too long as it is. It needs to stop."

Before they could continue, Patrick approached them and called out Rean's name. Looking at him, Rean was feeling rather puzzled, unable to comprehend why, exactly, Patrick was approaching him.

Elliot blinked and asked, "Huh? I-Isn't he from Class I?"

Naruto sighed and thought to himself, Ah, Patrick, the arrogant prick from the Fencing Club. How delightful that he graces us with his presence.

"Patrick, is it?" Rean questioned somewhat unsurely.

The noble nodded and said, "That is correct. My full name is Patrick T. Hyarms. I don't believe I need to say anything more than that."

Naruto chuckled dryly to himself and muttered, "Another noble from one of the Four Great Houses. Interesting."

"Seriously?!" Elliot exclaimed in shock.

Rean nodded in understanding and said, "So, you're from the Hyarms family. Well, it's nice to meet you, Patrick."

Gaius frowned in confusion before looking at Rean. "Are they prestigious?"

Elliot nodded and said, "About as prestigious as they come. As Naruto said, the Hyarmses are one of the Four Great Houses! Though, they're slightly lower in rank than the Albareas."

Patrick's eyes narrowed into a glare as he turned his gaze from Rean to Elliot. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you."

Elliot flinched and quickly tried to placate Patrick by exclaiming, "I-I'm sorry! I really meant no offense! I wasn't thinking!"

Patrick shrugged it off and said, "It doesn't matter. I didn't come here to talk to commoners or foreigners. I came to bring gladsome tidings to you, Rean Schwarzer. I am generously extending you welcome, to make use of the accommodations on the third floor of the Student Union building."

Naruto blinked a couple of times in shock. After a moment, he chuckled a bit and said, "Damn. That's quite the invitation. Whatcha gonna say, Rean?"

Rean blinked in shock as well. "You mean…?"

Gaius frowned in confusion and asked, "The third floor?"

Elliot nodded and said, "I think that's where the nobles' salon is. Is that right?"

Ignoring the three commoners, Patrick looked directly into Rean's eyes and said, "Your father may be a mere baron, but that still makes you a noble. And though you've had the misfortune of sharing a class with this…riffraff…" Looking around at Rean's three friends, he scoffed before returning his focus to Rean. "I have decided to use my good name as a member of the Hyarms family to afford you the privilege of joining us." Brushing his hair back, he smirked at Rean and said, "I do hope you appreciate it!"

Rean chuckled nervously for a moment before saying, "W-Well…umm…" How can I turn him down politely?

It was at this point that Jusis approached and got their attention. "This hardly strikes me as the best place to be recruiting new members."

Naruto blinked again as he looked at Jusis' back. The hell? This is different.

Elliot gasped in shock, while Rean simply said Jusis' name in astonishment. Whispering to his friend, Elliot said, "I didn't expect Jusis to come to the rescue."

Rean shook his head and whispered back, "Me either. I'm not going to complain, though."

Patrick, on the other hand, scowled as he looked at Jusis. "Jusis Albarea?! What do you want?"

Jusis shook his head in disbelief before saying, "I wasn't aware the third son of the Hyarms family counted playing factions among his hobbies. If you wished for company in the salon, should you not have come to me first?"

Patrick frowned in confusion for a moment before saying, "You? You've been invited countless times. You simply choose not to come! Despite there being no shortage of second years practically begging for your company…"

Jusis shrugged and said, "I have no interest."

"Hmph. Suit yourself, then." Patrick said. Turning back to Rean, he said, "But you, Schwarzer! Make sure you think long and hard about this. If you care about your future, you need to start thinking about the connections you're making…and the sides you're taking." And with that, he prepared to walk off. Only, thinking on it, he paused and chanced a glance at Naruto. "As for you, Naruto Uzumaki. You are no mere commoner, are you? I know not where you come from, but something tells me you have nobility in your blood. Curious. I suppose we shall see." Shrugging, he walked away from the members of Class VII.

At first, Elliot breathed a sigh of relief. However, something Patrick said got his attention. Looking at Naruto, he asked, "Is that true, Naruto? Do you have some kind of noble background?"

Naruto chuckled somewhat nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Technically, he's not wrong. My father was the leader of our village…and my mother was kiiind of a princess, in a sense. She was the last surviving member of Uzushiogakure and was pretty important. I'm kind of a prince, but I was never treated like one."

Rean and his friends blinked in shock at this sudden revelation. "So, you're not just nobility, but a prince as well? Can't say I was expecting that. You don't act like one." Rean said.

Naruto could tell that this revelation was pissing Machias off even more than Rean's reveal earlier in the month. Sighing at this, he shook his head before looking at his friends. "That's because I wasn't raised as one. Heck, I didn't even know about it until I was 16 years old. I didn't think it was all that important." He said, rubbing the back of his head as he smiled nervously at his friends.

"Not that important?!" Elliot exclaimed. "Naruto, you're a prince! Of an entire nation! How is that NOT important?!"

Naruto facepalmed as he chanced a glance around the room. All eyes were now on him and he reaaaally didn't like the attention. Shooting a glare at Elliot, he said, "Thanks, Elliot. Now the whole school is going to find out. Who knows what's going to happen now?"

Looking around the room, Elliot's eyes went wide before he turned to Naruto and bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Naruto! I wasn't thinking!"

Jusis chuckled as he looked at Naruto. "The more we learn about you, the more intriguing you become."

Gaius chuckled as well and said, "I wouldn't be at all surprised if girls start flocking to you now, Naruto." Looking at Patrick, he frowned for a moment and said, "Patrick certainly isn't shy. I wonder how he'll treat you now that he knows?"

Naruto let out a groan before letting his head fall to his desk. "I don't want any special treatment. I just want to be treated like a regular guy."

Rean chuckled and said, "It's a little late for that now. Sorry, Naruto." Looking back at Patrick, he said, "He really isn't a shy one, is he? I wasn't sure how to turn him down. Thanks for stepping in, Jusis."

Jusis scoffed before turning away. "I wasn't trying to help you. But, I did cause you some trouble during last month's field study, so…" Sighing, he rubbed the back of his head before looking at Rean again. "Never mind. That's all I wanted to say."

As Jusis walked away to return to his seat, Elliot looked at Rean and asked, "Last month's field study? Is he…?"

Rean nodded and said, "Yeah. I think he means the run-in we had with the provincial army. We got lucky that Naruto and Claire stepped in when they did."

Gaius rubbed his chin for a moment and said, "Ah. So he feels partially responsible for his family's actions, then. He must have been looking for a way to apologize to you. All of you."

Elliot chuckled a bit and said, "Huh. I guess he has a nice side after all."

Meanwhile, Machias was watching them for a time, a scowl on his face as his mind swirled with negative thoughts. Not only did Rean lie to us about his nobility, but Naruto did, too?! Even worse, he's a prince and he hid it from everybody at the academy! Did Fie and Anko know?

Noticing this, Naruto sighed and scratched the back of his head. This is going to be such a pain in the ass.

Homeroom

After finishing classes for the day, Naruto and the rest of Class VII were currently seated in their homeroom class once again. He had noticed some of the looks being sent his way by the other students throughout the day and realized that word of his royal status had spread like wildfire. I reaaaaally don't want people to start treating me differently. I'm still the same guy, dammit!

Sara smiled at her students and said, "Good work today, class. Tomorrow's a free day, so do take it easy—you've earned it. Just remember, next Wednesday is your second practical exam!"

Alisa sighed and hung her head dejectedly. "I was wondering when she'd bring that up…"

Emma decided to ask a question that was on everybody's mind. "Umm… Will you be announcing the details of our next field study trip on Wednesday also?"

Sara grinned at them and said, "Of course! You'll be heading out next weekend. I'm sure you can hardly wait! Although…" smirking at Naruto at this point, she decided to tease him a bit. "Maybe we should let our resident prince opt out of this particular trip? Wouldn't want him to break a nail or stub his toe or anything."

Naruto let his head hit his desk, just as he had done earlier in the orbal computer lab. "Dammit. You know I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, Sara. Don't go treating me any differently because of this."

Machias let out a frustrated sigh as he listened to all the chatter going on. Things just couldn't be any worse, could they?

Jusis shook his head and went, "Hmph." as he thought about the possibility of being forced on the same team as Machias again.

Laura smiled at the instructor and said, "I, for one, very much look forward to it."

"Oh, and one more thing." Sara said, getting everyone's attention once again. "Your midterms are scheduled for the middle of next month. So just…file that away, if you would!"

"M-Midterms?" Elliot asked nervously.

Fie sighed before grumbling a bit and folding her arms across her chest. "Sounds irritating."

"So we finally get to put all the knowledge we've gained throughout the past few months to the test…" Gaius said.

"Yes, and that's a good thing. You need to be thinking about your academic studies. School can't just be about military strategy, you know! Because if it is, I'm going to get an earful from Vice Principal Heinrich. Again." Sara said.

Everyone sweatdropped at this before Rean asked, "Is that all you care about?"

Alisa sounded somewhat hesitant as she asked, "U-Umm… Can we ask you if there's anything we don't understand?"

Sara chuckled and said, "Not if you care about the answer being right. I'm a combat instructor! Book smarts like that are well beyond me. Aaaanyway, that's all for homeroom! Machias, if you'd please?"

"…Yes, Instructor." Machias said before he stood up and said, "All rise… Bow."

Once class had let out and the other students began to file out of the classroom, Elliot smiled at Rean and Naruto. "Well, I'll see you later, Rean. Naruto."

Gaius gave a brief wave and said, "Later."

Rean smiled at them and asked, "Oh, are you two going to club activities today?"

Elliot smiled brightly and nodded his head. "Yeah, I am. Pretty sure Naruto is, too. Did you want to have dinner together later?"

Gaius nodded and said, "We've been eating in the cafeteria an awful lot lately, so maybe we could go to the café in Trista today for a change of scenery?"

Rean nodded before looking at Naruto. Seeing him nod at him, Rean smiled before looking back at his friends. "Sounds good to me. You want to just meet up in the entrance hall later?"

"Sure!" Elliot said cheerily.

"See you then." Gaius said before he and Elliot left the room.

It was at this point that Alisa nervously approached Rean and said, "U-Umm…"

Rean looked at his friend and said, "Oh, hi, Alisa. Are you off to club practice, too?"

Alisa chuckled somewhat nervously before saying, "O-Oh, no. Not today. Umm…"

Rean blinked a couple of times as he stared at Alisa curiously. "What is it, Alisa? Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

Alisa grumbled for a moment before shaking her head. "I-It's nothing! Never mind! I'll see you later!" And with that, she turned and stormed out of the classroom.

While Rean looked completely confused, Anko chuckled to herself and said, "Rean, you have a looot to learn about girls."

Laura frowned slightly in confusion before asking Anko, "What do you mean? Did he do something else to upset her?"

Anko giggled some more before saying, "Not quite. It's just something they'll have to figure out on their own."

While Laura nodded in understanding, Rean hung his head and thought, I have no idea what they're even talking about. What the heck did I do wrong this time?

Deciding to shrug it off, Laura turned to Rean with a smile and asked, "Are you planning on going into the old schoolhouse again tomorrow?"

Rean nodded and said, "Yeah, the principal did ask us to keep an eye on it, so I thought we'd make time for a quick look inside."

Laura smiled at him before looking at her beloved. "All right. Please let me know when you're planning to begin the expedition, if you would. I have club activities tomorrow, but as far as I'm concerned, the old schoolhouse takes priority."

Naruto smiled at his girlfriend and said, "Thanks, Laura. We'll be sure to let you know."

Smiling at him, the blue-haired noble walked over to her boyfriend and kissed him lovingly on the lips. "Excellent. I'll see you tomorrow, then." And with that, she turned and left the classroom.

Rean, noticing Machias was still in the room, decided to try and be friendly and extend the olive branch, so to speak. "You're in the…Chess Club, aren't you, Machias? Or are you planning on studying in the library?"

Machias clenched his fists angrily for a moment before he stood up and glared at Rean. "Since when was it any of your business what I choose to do after class?"

Rean frowned and said, "Oh, no, I just…" Sighing, he rubbed the back of his head before saying, "Look, Machias. I know I've upset you, but…"

Machias frowned and shook his head. "It's my fault for being deceived so easily in the first place. Do take care, Rean." He said before turning and making to leave the room. However…

"Machias, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to deceive you. I just—" Rean tried to say, only for Machias to interrupt him.

"Save your breath. Whether you're a noble or not is beside the point. The bottom line is, you lied to me. And I simply cannot trust those who lie. That's all there is to it." He said.

Rean frowned and said, "I…" However, he couldn't really say anything as Machias made to leave the classroom once again. However, as he reached the doorway, Emma rushed back into the room and accidentally bumped into him.

"Aah! I-I'm so sorry, Machias." She said, sounding genuinely apologetic.

Machias shook his head and said, "Please, think nothing of it." And with that, he walked past Emma and left the room.

Emma frowned sadly at this before turning to Rean and the others. "Am… Am I intruding?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "Not at all, Emma. Did you need something?"

Emma smiled sadly at the two of them before saying, "I accidentally left one of my textbooks in my desk, so I came back to fetch it." Walking to her desk, she dug around inside before pulling out her book and smiling. "Ahh! Here it is."

Rean smiled at her and asked, "What subject?"

Presenting the book to him, Emma smiled cheerily at him and said, "Here, take a look."

Looking over the title, Rean blinked and said, "Intermediate Mathematics for Dummies. Wait…" Looking into Emma's eyes, he asked, "Intermediate? Isn't that part of the Sunday School curriculum? That seems a bit basic for you."

Emma turned and smiled at Fie and said, "It's not for me. I promised to help Fie with her math studies. I found this at a bookshop in town and thought it might be of some use to her."

Fie smiled thankfully at Emma, but didn't say anything just yet. Instead, she looked at Rean when he looked her way. "Ah, okay." He said, smiling supportively at her. "I kind of figured you'd be studying with Naruto."

Fie shook her head and said, "Naruto has helped a lot, but it was my choice to ask Emma for help. I figured she might be able to explain it to me in a way I might understand better."

Emma nodded and smiled at her friend. Looking back at Rean, she said, "We should really be going now. It would be best to get started as soon as possible. I'll see you three later." Smiling at Naruto, Anko, and Rean, she took Fie's hand and began to leave the classroom with her. However, she paused at the doorway and looked back at Rean. "And don't worry, Rean."

Rean blinked and asked, "Huh?"

Emma smiled kindly at him and said, "I'm sure Machias doesn't hate you or anything. If you can find some way of making him realize how you feel, I'm sure he'll understand. It's just getting through to him that might be tough!"

Rean sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Yeah…" Watching Emma and Fie left the room, Rean looked down at his desk for a moment and nodded determinedly. "I just have to keep at it. If Emma believes I can make it work, then I'll believe it too!" Standing up, he looked at Naruto and Anko and asked, "Are you two going to be okay? Things are bound to get a bit hectic now that Naruto's been outed as a prince."

Anko giggled before poking her boyfriend's cheek. "We'll be fine. It'll be a new experience though, having people sucking up to Naruto. Going to take some serious getting used to."

Naruto sighed and palmed his face. "I'm more worried about potential fangirls. I am NOT looking forward to that."

Rean chuckled and patted his friend on the back. "It'll be okay, Naruto. I'm going to get going. Might as well wander around the academy grounds for a while before returning to the dorm. See you later." And with that, he turned and made his way out of the classroom as well.

Left alone with his mate, Naruto sighed again and looked into her eyes. "Are you really okay with this? Things are going to be pretty awkward for us from this point onward."

Anko shrugged and helped her boyfriend up out of his seat. "We'll be okay, sweetheart. I'm going to go to the library and get some studying done. You go ahead and walk around for a while. Try talking to your friends and see what they have to say. Who knows? We might just be surprised." Leaning in, she kissed Naruto before she turned and left the room as well.

Left on his own, Naruto decided to spread out his senses and get a feel for those still on the academy grounds. Quite a few people still here. Might as well get this over with. Creating a few shadow clones, he ordered them to go to each of his clubs and get to work. I hope things don't get too crazy…

Stepping outside of the classroom, he quickly noticed Rex staring straight at him. However, as he approached, what Rex said caught him completely off guard. "That girl with the glasses is your class president, right? At first I thought she was kinda plain, but she's pretty cute when ya get a look at her up close! Aw man, I should'a snapped a pic while I had the chance."

Naruto blinked a couple of times, but didn't make any mention about his royal status. Instead, he chuckled and said, "Rex, as perverted as you are, I have to make this request of you. Don't ever change."

Rex blinked in confusion, but didn't say a word. Instead, he watched as Naruto stepped past him and proceeded down the hallway. So, he's the prince, huh? Despite our first encounter, he's a good guy. Kinda chill, too.

As he rounded the corner up ahead, Naruto saw Mint wandering around, looking kind of frazzled. Walking up to her, he asked, "Everything okay, Mint?"

Startled, Mint jumped before turning around and placing a hand over her heart. "You scared me, Naruto! I'm okay. Vice Principal Heinrich is really mean, though. He didn't have to yell at me just because I lost one little key… That was one doozy of a lecture, too. He must've had a lot of steam to blow off." Blinking suddenly in realization, she exclaimed, "Oh, no! Now I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry! Sorry Naruto, but I gotta get going. Can we talk later?"

Smiling kindly at Mint, he nodded his head and said, "Sure, Mint. I assume you want to ask me about the whole prince thing?" Seeing her nodding in excitement, he patted her gently atop her head and said, "I'm sure a lot of people have questions about it. I'm planning to meet up with some friends later for dinner, but I'm free until then. Once you're finished, feel free to come find me. I'm sure I'll still be around somewhere."

Smiling at her friend, Mint said, "Sure thing, Naruto! Catch ya later!" And with that, she turned and hurried to the music room for club practice.

Chuckling quietly to himself, Naruto thought, I swear, she's so innocent and sweet. It's cute in a way. Seeing Colette walking towards him, he prepared for the talk that he knew was coming. "Sooo, you're a prince huh? So, you're not only cute, but you're royalty? Interesting combination there, Naruto."

Naruto chuckled in response and said, "I'm not surprised word spread so quickly. Gossip has a funny way of doing that." Shrugging his shoulders, he offered her a smile and said, "So what have you been up to lately, Colette?"

Smirking at him, the orange-haired girl poked him lightly in the chest and said, "Trying to change the subject, huh? All right, that's fine. If you really want to know, I met this old lady when I was out shopping. Believe it or not, she's just as into shopping as I am! Sooo, we made plans to raid the shops on our next free day. I'm so excited about it that I'll hardly be able to sleep a wink! I swear, shopping is sooo much fun! Tomorrow is going to be great! Although…" Leaning in close, she whispered in his ear, "I wouldn't mind spending a little time with my darling prince. Might be kind of nice."

Naruto chuckled somewhat nervously and said, "Umm, you have fun with that, Colette. Talk to you later, okay?" And with that, he turned and approached the two students sitting across from each other on a couple of couches. Seeing who they were, he smiled at Hugo and Becky before getting their attention.

Looking his way, Hugo smirked at him for a moment before saying, "Becky and I are both businesspeople, but her mindset could hardly be more different than my own. She's the only person I know who would ever say she wants to hit it big off of part-time jobs alone."

Becky scowled at him and shouted, "You got a problem wae that?!"

Hugo chuckled before looking back at Becky. "Not exactly, no." Looking back at Naruto, he said, "Becky appears to be pocketing quite a bit of cash from her numerous part-time jobs. I consider myself something of a businessman, so I'm curious about how much she's making and how she's making it."

Chuckling for a moment, Naruto simply said, "She's got a unique charm all her own. People like her. Anyways, see you later, Hugo." Looking at Becky at this point, he asked, "How are you doing, Becky?"

Becky looked him over appreciatively for a moment before saying, "My da told me that you caught those pure mad terrorists that turned up in Celdic last month. He said you helped out a bunch wae all other kinds of stuff, too. Cheers for that. I'll be supporting you fae now on, too!" Motioning for him to lean closer, she whispered to him, "My da also told me he wants ye to court me. I wonder how he'd feel knowing he was tryin' to convince a real prince tae court his wee daughter. Eh, Naruto?"

Naruto sighed and palmed his face again. "I swear, your father just will not let that go, will he? How exactly do you feel about it, Becky?"

Giggling a bit, Becky patted him on the head and said, "I dae not mind one way or another. You bein' a prince doesn't even factor intae my decision. If ye want to court me, then do so. Otherwise, I might jus' try to snatch ye up! Ye're quite the catch, after all."

Blushing a bit, Naruto soon chuckled and said, "We'll see, Becky. See you later." And with that, he turned and returned to the hallway before glancing towards the clubrooms. However, before entering any of them, he noticed Alan standing across the way, staring at the door to the music room. Alan? I wonder what he wants. Wait… Glancing towards the door again, he smirked as he came to a realization. He's Bridget's friend. This is kind of cute, in a way. Now if only they could just talk to each other. Shrugging, he decided to leave the younger teen alone and proceeded to enter the music clubroom.

When he entered the room, he smiled as he watched his clones and the rest of the Wind Orchestra play some rather beautiful music. It would be a shame to disturb them now. Hopefully this whole prince thing blows over so I can focus on my club activities in peace. Turning, he left the room and offered Alan a smile before making his way into the cooking clubroom. Seeing Instructor Mary discussing something with Nicholas, he was about to turn around and leave so as not to disturb them. However…

"Naruto? Is everything okay?" Mary's voice called out to him.

Turning, Naruto chuckled somewhat nervously before approaching her. "Not really. Seems the whole school is aware of this whole prince thing I have going on. It's kind of awkward. Umm, how are things going with you?"

Mary giggled a bit and said, "Everything will be fine, Naruto. Just give it time. And I'd love to say everything is going well, but there's a small problem. Margarita mistakenly put the wrong ingredients into her cookies, so I wanted to bring it to her attention… Unfortunately, she seems to have run off somewhere." Sighing softly, she shook her head and said, "Margarita is developing a habit of adding the wrong ingredients to her cooking. That aside, the Cooking Club's activities are coming along well. It's quite the relief."

Smiling at Mary in thanks, he said, "I'm sure that has to be pretty awkward. And…thank you, Instructor Mary. For not treating me any differently."

Mary simply smiled at him and said, "I'll always be here if you need to talk, Naruto. I'll listen anytime you need me to."

"I appreciate it. Nicholas, Mary, see you later. Take care." Naruto said with a smile before he turned and left the classroom. Only instructor I'm worried about is that blowhard Heinrich. I don't want that ass trying to suck up to me now that he knows a bit about my background. Shrugging it off, he proceeded next door to the Art Clubroom and stepped inside.

When Gaius waved at him, Naruto walked over to him and took a look at his painting. "Looks like it's coming along nicely. I can't wait to see the finished piece." He said, smiling supportively at his friend.

"Thank you." Gaius said. Setting down his brush and paints, he turned and looked into Naruto's eyes. "Are you going to be okay, Naruto? I hope you aren't too upset with Elliot. He didn't mean to let your secret slip."

Smiling at his friend, Naruto said, "I'm not mad at Elliot or anything like that. It was an easy mistake to make. I just don't want people to treat me differently because of this. I wish I could say that I'm just overreacting to everything, but people are already asking me about it. Heck, some are even teasing me now. Mostly girls."

Gaius chuckled softly and peered around Naruto at the friend he had made in Art Club: Linde. "It would seem someone else is curious about you. Why not talk to her and clear the air a bit?"

Naruto blushed and went to shake his head, only to hear Linde's voice. "Naruto? Are you okay?"

Slowly turning around to face her, Naruto scratched his nose for a moment as he looked away from her. "Honestly, Linde? Not really."

Smiling sadly at him, Linde took his hand and led him over to the desks. Sitting down with him, she looked into his eyes and asked, "Is this about the whole prince thing?" Seeing him nod, she giggled a bit before saying, "I don't see what the problem is. I think people are just overreacting. You're still Naruto. You're still my friend. If people are giving you a hard time…"

Blinking a couple of times, Naruto looked into Linde's eyes and asked, "Wait. You really don't care that I'm a prince?" Seeing her shake her head no, he chuckled for a moment before enveloping her in a hug. "Thank you, Linde. That means more to me than you could know. People are already treating me differently because of this. It's nice to know that I have friends like you."

Linde quickly became a blushing, stuttering mess as she tentatively wrapped her arms around her friend. Gently patting his back, she giggled a bit and leaned back to look him in the eyes. "It's okay, Naruto. I'm sure everything will be just fine. Things might be a little awkward for a while, but I'm sure people will get over it soon enough. Hopefully."

Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head as he leaned back again and looked into Linde's eyes. "Yeaaah, that's the thing. Back where I came from, there was this guy named Sasuke Uchiha. He was the last of his clan and people continued to practically worship the guy for years. They gave him everything he could ever want and then some. People never really got over it. I honestly don't think this whole thing is just going to blow over so easily. But, I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Linde frowned and nodded her head in understanding. "You have a point. This is really big news, after all. Who would have thought an actual prince was going to school with us? I guess it's just going to take some getting used to. Umm, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. Okay, Naruto?"

"Thanks, Linde." Naruto said before he stood up and helped her to her feet. "I'm going to continue walking around the grounds. I want to see how people are doing…and gauge their reactions to the big reveal. Hopefully things don't get too crazy."

Linde giggled and said, "Take care, Naruto. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Smiling at her, Naruto turned and left the classroom. Afterwards, he decided to head up to the rooftop. He sensed somebody up there, so he was curious to see who it might be. So, ascending the stairs, he turned the corner and smiled when he saw Alisa. Approaching her, he asked, "Everything okay, Alisa?"

Turning to face her friend, Alisa giggled a bit before saying, "Am I okay? Naruto, you're the one whose secret identity got revealed! I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for you. I'm sure all kinds of people are treating you differently now. But, in answer to your question, I'll be fine. Thank you for asking, Naruto."

Naruto chuckled softly and leaned against the railing beside her. "I know Elliot didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't want people to know precisely because they'd start treating me differently. Besides that, I really don't act like a prince. I don't even know how to behave like one if I tried. This whole situation is so awkward and confusing. I really don't know what the heck to do right now."

Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, Alisa smiled supportively at him and said, "Well, just know that I'm here for you if you need me. Okay, Naruto? We're friends, and I want to help take care of you. Even if you confuse the heck out of me sometimes, I still care about you."

Naruto chuckled again and said, "Thanks, Alisa. I swear, you are one of the sweetest girls I've ever met. It's refreshing to see."

Blushing, Alisa looked away and began poking her fingers together shyly, like he had seen Hinata do on a number of occasions. "T-Thank you, Naruto. Anyways, I'll see you later, okay? I'm going to stay up here and think for a while. You should have a look around campus and see what you can learn. Maybe things won't be so bad?"

"Thanks. See you later, Alisa." Patting her gently atop the head, he turned and ventured down to the first floor of the building. I'm sure you and Rean can work all of this out. You'll be fine, Alisa.

Upon reaching the first floor of the building, the first person he saw was Margarita. Feeling a shiver shoot down his spine, he just knew she was going to try and win him over with her supposed charms. I'm scared.

Spotting Naruto, Margarita approached him with what she hoped was a seductive grin on her face. "Hello there, Prince Naruto. Perhaps you would like to join me for dinner tonight?"

Smiling awkwardly at the noble girl, Naruto said, "Sorry Margarita, but I've already made plans. I'm going to be eating dinner with some friends of mine. Besides that, I'm in a happy relationship with three wonderful ladies. I'm sure that, if you are unable to find a suitable marriage candidate among the first years, you might have better luck looking among the second years? I'm truly sorry. You're a nice girl, but I'm not the kind of guy you need. I'm sure you're going to find the perfect guy for you, Margarita. Keep looking for him, okay?"

Frowning sadly for a time, Margarita nodded her head in understanding. "I understand, dear prince. I think you may be right. Just because I struck out with you doesn't mean there aren't other fish in the sea, as the saying goes. Thank you, Naruto."

Reaching up, Naruto patted Margarita atop the head and offered her a kind smile. "Of course. I wouldn't mind being friends, though. If you're interested in being friends with someone like me, of course?"

Margarita giggled and said, "That would be lovely, Prince Naruto. Enjoy your dinner with your friends. I'm going to resume my search for the right man for me. Perhaps we shall speak again later, hmm?"

Naruto smiled at her and said, "Sure thing, Margarita. Take care." After bidding her goodbye, he turned to face the receptionist, Bianca. "Hey there, Bianca. How's it going?"

Smiling at her younger friend, Bianca said, "Good day to you, Prince Naruto." She teased. "It seems as though Instructor Neithardt will be returning to the army again the day after tomorrow. How taxing it must be for an instructor to be constantly on the move…" Shrugging, she said, "It's rather impressive that he can carry out all of his tasks with the composure he does. I have to admit that he is quite the impressive instructor."

Smiling at Naruto again, she said, "And, for what it's worth, I don't care that you're a prince, Naruto. As far as I'm concerned, you're still one of our precious students. We'll take care of you. If anyone gives you a hard time, you just tell me and I'll deal with them in my own way."

Naruto chuckled softly and smiled at Bianca. "Thanks, Bianca. I appreciate that. I'm going to continue having a look around. Might as well see what everyone has to say now that the truth is out." Shrugging, he gave a mock salute to her before he turned and began walking down the hallway towards the second year classrooms. He knew that nobody was further down the hallway. Instead, he wanted to see how Vincent, Ferris, and their maid, Sariffa, were doing.

When the maid saw him, she bowed politely to him and said, "Good day, Master Naruto. I'm sure you are aware, but Lady Ferris and Master Vincent were raised under the same roof and taught the same values. Despite this, the way that those two see the world could not be any more different. I am sure that the two of them have differing opinions of you now that your secret is out. Do not be surprised if Lady Ferris tries to court you."

Naruto chuckled dryly and said, "She wouldn't be the only one, trust me." Smiling at the maid, he said, "Hope you have a good day, Sariffa." Turning to Vincent, he decided to gauge his reaction to the big reveal. "Hey there, Vincent. Umm…how's it going?"

Vincent frowned for a moment as he looked into Naruto's eyes. "I did not know you were a prince, Naruto. If my previous behavior offended you in any way, then I apologize. Still…"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. I really don't act anything like how a prince should. Thing is, I wasn't raised as a prince. I didn't even find out the truth of my lineage until I was 16 years old." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his head and said, "When I found out the truth…I guess it didn't really sink in at the time. I'm still not sure how to feel about it. Honestly? I just want to be treated like a regular guy. Buuut, now that the truth is out, I'm sure things are going to be different. Kind of a shame, too. I liked kind of blending in."

As Naruto chuckled, Vincent smiled at him and said, "So it would seem. Well, if you need someone to talk to about anything, I'll be available. The duties of a prince must weigh heavily on one's shoulders. As must the many adoring fans, I would assume." Chuckling, he turned to Sariffa and said, "Sariffa, let us go. Ferris, do take care. I will see you later." And with that, he and his maid walked off, exiting the school building.

Naruto, recognizing Vincent's act as a means to get Naruto alone with his sister, chuckled and shook his head. Vincent, you bastard. I did warn you that I'd prank you if you tried anything. But, I might go easy on you, just this once.

Ferris blushed a bit as she looked into Naruto's eyes. "U-Umm…Naruto? Er, should I call you Prince Naruto, now? Oh goodness!"

Naruto chuckled softly and reached up, gently petting the top of Ferris' head. "Relax, Ferris. You can just call me Naruto, if you'd prefer."

"O-Of course, Naruto. Ahem." Coughing into her fist in an effort to compose herself, she soon smiled at him and said, "I wanted to thank you again for setting me straight last month. I have found Alisa to be a worthy rival…but also an interesting friend. And, umm…" Bowing to him, Ferris exclaimed, "I'm sorry if I ever offended you! I-I want to be f-f-friends! If that's okay?" Then, under her breath, she muttered, "Maybe a little something more than friends, though."

Naruto gave no indication that he had heard her, if only to spare her the embarrassment. Instead, he smiled at her and said, "I would like to be friends with you, Ferris. And you don't need to worry. You haven't offended me in any way, I promise. I'm just glad you and Alisa are getting along. Thank you for giving her a chance."

"O-Of course! A-Anything for you, Naruto." She said, only to blush worse at what she had just said. "I, er…I…"

Naruto chuckled and said, "It's okay, Ferris. I'd invite you out to dinner, but I've already made plans to eat out with some friends of mine. Maybe another time, okay?"

"That would be lovely. I'm looking forward to it, Naruto. Perhaps we can talk more later?" Ferris questioned hopefully.

Nodding, Naruto patted her head gently before he turned and proceeded to the other side of the building. That's going to be an awkward friendship. Seems I've got a bit of a fangirl in Ferris. Shrugging it off, he glanced at the nurse's office, but decided against bothering Nurse Beatrix. Seems she's got somebody in there already. Not going to interrupt them. Sooo…

Entering the faculty office, Naruto easily spotted Heinrich 'talking' to Sara. Oh goodie. Let's see how this conversation goes. I swear, if he tries to suck up to me now, I might just slug him.

As he approached, he listened as Heinrich really tore into his instructor. "Once again, Instructor Valestein, it appears you need me to put the pieces together for you. Class VII consists of students from distinguished families and those of noteworthy grades and capabilities. It has also come to my attention that you even have a prince of an entire nation in your class! Now think for a moment—should their grades drop AFTER entering the academy, who would be to blame, hmm?"

Sara's eyes closed and she was angrily tapping her fingers on her opposite arm. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Any more harping, and you could join the orchestra." Dear Aidios, does this guy EVER shut up?!

"Oh, you 'get it,' do you? How many times have I heard that from you now? Keep it up and the only thing you'll get is fired! Remember, Class VII: your actions have an impact on the public perception of the academy at large. Let us not forget that your class snatched up some students who were meant to join mine…" Heinrich ranted, just continuing to harp on Sara.

Sighing at this, Naruto spoke up. "Look, Instructor Sara gets it, okay? She knows what she's doing, and she's been a great instructor so far. So cut her some slack, please?"

Heinrich frowned as he turned to face the student that had addressed him. Upon seeing who it was, the vice principal's eyes widened and he quickly bowed at the waist to Naruto. "M-My apologies, Prince Naruto! But…"

Palming his face, the blonde let out a groan. "Look, Vice Principal, I'm just another student, okay? Yes, I'm a prince, but that doesn't really change who I am. Like my fellow students, I'm a member of Class VII and I'm proud to be among them. I'm also proud to call Sara my instructor. And, you really don't need to bow to me or call me 'Prince' or anything. I'm still just Naruto Uzumaki."

Heinrich frowned in confusion for a time before slowly nodding his head in understanding. "I-I see. Very well then. Naruto, I shall take your words under consideration. Still, I wish you had told me you were a prince. I would have treated you with more respect than I have. You have my apologies."

"It's fine, Vice Principal. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to talk with my instructor. Would that be permissible?" Naruto asked as politely as he could.

Heinrich quickly nodded and said, "Of course! Let me just get out of the way. Have a good day, Naruto."

As soon as Heinrich had taken his seat in the back corner of the office, Naruto palmed his face again and let out another groan. "This whole prince thing is getting way blown out of proportion. This is ridiculous."

Sara giggled to herself and said, "Have to say though, your title reaaaally came in handy there. Thanks for bailing me out, Naruto. Want me to treat you to anything as thanks?"

Naruto chuckled softly and shook his head. "It's fine, Sara. Thank you for the offer, though." He said, smiling gratefully at her. "Just promise me that you're not going to treat me any differently now that you know."

Giggling some more, the ex-bracer said, "Naruto, you're one of my precious students. And you're a dear friend, as well. Heck, you're a lot stronger than I could ever be! So what if you're a prince? That doesn't change anything. Sure, I might tease you a bit, but as far as I'm concerned, you're a man worthy of respect and someone I'm proud to call my friend. Okay? Just let me know if too many girls start flocking to you. I'll get a big ol' stick and start beating them off of you."

Naruto chuckled and said, "Thanks, Sara. I really appreciate it. I'm going to go ahead and get out of your hair now. I'm trying to take a tour of the campus and see how people are reacting to the big reveal. I may not be mad at him, but I reserve the right to smack Elliot if things get too crazy."

Sara couldn't help it as she began to giggle again. "If you want, I'll even hold him down for you? He really shouldn't have let such sensitive information slip like that. You're entitled to your secrets, after all. You shared that in confidence with him and he kiiiinda blew it. Sorry, Naruto."

"It's fine. I'll see you later, Sara." Naruto said before turning and leaving the room, waving goodbye to her as he left. Thanks, Sara. Nice to know that I can always count on you in times like this.

Once out in the hallway again, Naruto eyed Instructor Thomas for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. Deciding to just let the man be, the blonde entered the principal's office and approached his desk. Staring calmly into Vandyck's eyes, Naruto listened as the man began to speak. "Uzumaki. It would seem we have a lot to discuss. Go ahead and have a seat."

Nodding in understanding, Naruto pulled up a chair and sat across from the principal. "I can probably guess what this is going to be about."

Vandyck chuckled and said, "Before we get on with it, I wanted to let you know that I have received some interesting reports of rumbling noises coming from the old schoolhouse's basement. As a result, I'd like to ask Class VII to investigate once again."

Naruto quirked and brow and said, "Rumbling? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say things have changed down there again, huh?"

The principal nodded and said, "This is the first time I've received any report mentioning such a thing, so I'm not entirely sure myself. It would be wise to assume that something considerable has occurred, though. Would you be able to investigate again tomorrow?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Of course, sir. It won't be a problem at all."

"Good. Now, on to the other matter." Vandyck said as he stared hard into Naruto's eyes. "Why did you keep your royal ancestry a secret from me? You can trust me, Naruto. I would have understood, and I would have done what I could to make this easier on you. We have alumni of all origins in this academy. Prince Olivert and Chancellor Giliath Osborne are two such examples. We are no strangers to helping students of all walks of life acclimate to their new surroundings. We do what we can to make life easier on these students and treat them equally. No one student is worth more than another. Now, your secret has been revealed in a way that is sure to draw a great deal of attention to you. Both within the academy and abroad. I would not be at all surprised if word of your royal status gets out to the royal family and Osborne himself. They will likely want to meet with you someday soon." Sighing softly, he closed his eyes and shook his head. "For what it's worth, I am sorry that this situation has become what it has. I hope that your friends will not treat you too differently now that your princely status has been revealed."

Naruto frowned and rubbed the back of his head somewhat ashamedly. "Truthfully? I was hoping that the secret wouldn't get out period. I didn't think it really mattered. Yeah, I'm technically a prince, but I don't act like one. I've been saying that all day, I swear." Sighing, he shook his head and said, "Anyways, I didn't really think anything of my status. It just wasn't important to me. I trust you, Principal Vandyck. I do. But, I didn't feel it was necessary to talk about something that just…didn't matter. Then Patrick made mention about how I was 'different' and my friends asked me about it. I didn't want to lie to them again, so I admitted the truth. I honestly feel like smacking Elliot for shouting it out for everybody to hear." Grumbling irritably, he looked straight into Vandyck's eyes and said, "I just want to be treated like any other student. I don't want any kind of special treatment."

Vandyck chuckled and said, "I'm afraid it's a little late for that, Naruto. People are going to treat you differently now. That is a certainty that we cannot escape from. That is why I would like to extend an offer to you. Should your day-to-day life become too exhausting to deal with, I want you to come here and relax with me in my office. This is a safe zone, of sorts, where nobody will harass you in any way. Think of it like a special privilege that I'm giving just to you. And no, it is not because you are a prince. You deserve the chance to relax, away from all the stress that academy life can bring you. That, and I know there are many secrets in your past that you have yet to share with me. I will always be here to listen, should you need someone to discuss your past with."

Frowning at the teenager, the principal said, "Naruto, I have seen it in your eyes. You have experienced war on a grand scale. Something like that leaves a scar on the mind, the heart, and the soul. It is obvious to me that you have been hurt in your past, but I don't know how, exactly. Naruto, whatever you have been through, you are safe here. Nobody can hurt you here. Life may be difficult for a time, and it may be hard to trust and let people in, but you are not alone. We are here to support you. So stay strong, be vigilant, and keep your head held high. Even if you were not raised as one, I want you to hold yourself like your station would demand and be ever confident in yourself. Now, I am sure you have people you would like to see, so I will let you go. Keep our talk in mind, young prince."

Naruto's eyes were wide for a time as he looked searchingly into the principal's eyes. After a time, he smiled thankfully at the man before he stood up, bowed, and left the office without a word. Thank you, Principal Vandyck.

Leaving the academy building through the front entrance, he debated on which building he wanted to go to first. Shrugging, he decided to go to the library first. So, walking in that direction, he couldn't help but notice a bunch of nameless students watching him and gossiping amongst themselves. This is going to be such a pain in the ass, I swear. If it's not one thing with me, it's another.

Entering the library, he smiled as he saw Emma helping Fie study for the upcoming exams. Thank you, Emma. I'd ask if I could leave a clone here to study with you girls, but something tells me it's best to let Fie study on her own for the time being. Shrugging, he turned and approached the librarian. "Heya Karol. How's it going?"

Karol smiled at Naruto before motioning towards Emma and Fie. "Those two always seem to be studying together. The class president has the highest grades in her year, so it's no wonder she would be so willing to tutor your girlfriend." She said with a smile. "Are you sure you don't want to join them? Or perhaps even Anko?"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head. "I don't want to disturb Fie when she's studying. And Anko wants to focus on her studies, as well. I just wanted to pop in and see how they were doing, is all. See you later, Karol."

As Naruto turned to leave, Karol decided to say one last thing to him. "Naruto, even though you're a prince, just know that you're always welcome here. Okay? If you ever want to come here and relax for a while, you're more than welcome to."

Smiling back at her, Naruto said, "Thank you." before he turned and left the library. He knew Fie and Anko had easily sensed him, but he wasn't about to disturb either of them.

Entering the Student Union building, he initially wondered how Towa was doing. She's usually so busy. I wonder how she's taking the news. Shrugging, he approached the student store and struck up a casual conversation with James as he browsed his inventory. "Heya, James. How's it going?"

James smiled at Naruto and said, "Well, the equipment I've been waiting ages for finally arrived. We'll be selling it before you know it. Why don't you come take a look the next time you're passing by? We should have everything on display by then."

"Cool. I'm going to buy an issue of the Imperial Chronicle. 100 mira, right?" Naruto questioned as he dug around in his wallet for the right amount.

"Yep." James said, exchanging the May issue of the Imperial Chronicle for the 100 mira Naruto handed him. "It's got some interesting articles in there this time around. Make sure you give it a read when you get the chance."

Naruto smiled at James and said, "Sure thing. Thanks, James." Sealing the newspaper away, he turned and approached Samantha. "Hi, Samantha."

Smiling kindly at Naruto, Samantha motioned for him to go through the door and meet her behind the counter. Curious about this, he did as requested and was greeted with a hug. "S-Samantha?"

Samantha giggled before she stepped back and patted Naruto atop the head. "I heard all about your princely origins, Naruto. Don't let all the gossip bother you any. And don't you worry about those silly fangirls, either! You're a good kid, Naruto. Prince or not, you're still the same good kid in my eyes. Okay? Besides, you're nothing like those upper-class students that use the salon upstairs. Some of them are really full of themselves. You've stuck to your roots and remained a down-to-earth, good person. So keep your chin up and smile for me, okay?"

Naruto chuckled and said, "Thank you, Samantha. I think I'm going to head upstairs and check in on Towa. I'd like to see how she's doing."

Giggling to herself, Samantha gave Naruto another pat on the head before watching him leave. What a good kid.

Upon reaching the second floor, Naruto could hear an argument taking place in the Literature Clubroom. Curious, he was tempted to peek into the room and see what the heck was going on, but decided against it. Best not to get wrapped up in whatever nonsense is taking place inside that room. Deciding to ignore the other rooms as well, he proceeded down the hallway to the end and knocked on the door of the Student Council room. "Towa? You in there?"

Naruto heard a small squeak of surprise inside of the room. Chuckling quietly to himself, he opened the door and stepped into the room. Smiling at his friend, he took a seat and looked into her eyes. "Heya, Towa. How's it going?"

Towa smiled at Naruto and asked, "Are you getting used to life at the academy yet? Umm, actually, wait. I heard the news. So, you're a prince, huh? I'm guessing you didn't want anyone to know, huh, Naruto?"

Naruto chuckled again and said, "Got it in one, Towa. I didn't think being a prince was that big of a deal. So I didn't tell anyone. Fie and Anko both knew, but…" Sighing, he leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "Patrick Hyarms made a comment and my friends began questioning me about a potential 'noble upbringing'. I didn't want to lie, so I told them the truth. Aaaaand Elliot kind of let it slip. Now things are just awkward and even Vice Principal Heinrich is trying to suck up to me now. I just wanted to live a normal school life here and get by without all this nonsense."

Towa giggled and said, "It's hard to hide that kind of thing in a school full of nobles like this, Naruto. Besides, your secret was bound to get out sooner or later once it was revealed. I just didn't think someone would shout it out for the whole class to hear. I'm really sorry."

Smiling at Towa, Naruto said, "Don't worry about it. I'm not mad or anything. Yeah, I want to give Elliot a good smack for doing it, but I'm not going to lash out at anyone or anything. People are already treating me differently, and I seem to have a few new fangirls, as well. That is just awkward to think about." Shivering, he soon laughed it off before leaning forward and smirking at the Student Council President. "Sooo, how do you feel about this whole prince thing?"

Towa giggled again before saying, "Do you expect me to call you Prince Naruto from now on?" Seeing the look on his face, she giggled more. "Naruto, you're my underclassman and a fellow student. I want to take care of you as much as I can. Besides, you're helping me out a lot, and I'd like to think we're good friends now. Umm, unless you don't want to help out the Student Council anymore? I mean, I'd understand, but…"

Standing up, Naruto walked up to Towa and reached over, patting her gently atop the head. "Towa, I'm still going to help out as much as possible. Even if Sara hadn't volunteered me for it, I'd still love to help you out. You're my friend, and friends look out for each other like that. So don't worry too much about it, okay? So go ahead and assign me whatever tasks you need my help with tomorrow. I'll do the best I can to make the people happy."

Smiling thankfully at him, she said, "Thank you, Naruto. I should probably get back to work. See you later!"

"See you later, Towa." Naruto said before he turned and left the room. Afterwards, he made his way back downstairs and exited the Student Union building. Deciding to bypass the Engineering Building, he chanced a glance towards the Old Schoolhouse and frowned slightly. Sounds like things have changed again in there. It's a little late, so we'll tackle that particular request tomorrow. I just hope things don't get too crazy in there.

Shrugging, Naruto turned and proceeded towards the back of the main academy building. It didn't take long for him to notice Patrick and his friends grouped together near the back of the building. Pleaaaase just leave me alone. I don't want to deal with your nonsense. When Patrick looked his way, Naruto was initially about to start cursing his luck, only to see the noble return his attention to his friends. Yay for small miracles! He's leaving me alone! Now, let's see how Vivi and Edel are doing! Turning, he walked into the garden and smiled at Vivi. "Heya, Vivi! How's it going?"

Vivi turned to Naruto with a devious smirk on her face. Struggling not to break into a fit of giggles, she performed a curtsy and bowed her head to him. "Hello, my prince. Good day to you. How does this day find my lord?"

Naruto facepalmed and muttered to himself, "Saw that coming a mile away. It's okay Naruto, just breathe. She's just screwing with you." Taking a breath, Naruto decided to screw with Vivi right back. Walking up to Vivi, he pressed a finger beneath her chin and tilted her head up. Looking deep into her eyes, he said, "Vivi, my dear, I have long dreamed about the nights we might share together as husband and wife. You would be my queen, and I, your king. The long, passionate nights that await us would be both romantic and, hmhm, pleasurable, I assure you. Tell me the very thought doesn't entice you?"

Vivi blinked in shock at everything Naruto had just said to her. When he moved as if he was about to kiss her, his lips mere inches from her own, she wasn't quite sure how to feel. Blushing badly, she was currently having quite the inner debate on if she wanted to kiss this man senseless or back away and beg for his forgiveness. However…

Moving his lips to her ear, he whispered, "Don't try to play games with me, Vivi. You'll never win."

Feeling a pleasant tingle shoot up and down her spine, Vivi realized that she could feel her nether regions growing warmer and, if she wasn't mistaken, she was even getting wet. Oh, you are too good at this, Naruto Uzumaki. If you aren't careful, I will ravish you.

Patting Vivi atop the head gently, Naruto placed a kiss on her cheek before saying, "Have a good day, Vivi. See you tomorrow." And with that, he walked past her and approached Edel, who was humming a small tune to herself as she worked on the garden. He had easily smelled Vivi's arousal and he couldn't help but smirk to himself. Play with fire and you're gonna get burned, sweetie.

Noticing her underclassman approaching her, Edel stood up and turned to smile at him. "Hello there, Naruto. How is the day treating you? I can't imagine things have been easy for you since you were revealed to be a prince."

"Yeaaah, things have been kind of awkward all day. And, even better, I seem to have fangirls now. Yay!" he said sarcastically. When Edel giggled, he smiled at her and said, "Honestly? I wanted it to stay a secret, but what can ya do? I just wanted a regular school life. Although, nothing is ever 'regular' for me. Oh well." Shrugging, he looked at the clones he had sent as they worked on the garden. "Do you need any more help, Edel? I'd stay and assist, but I made plans with some friends. I wouldn't mind leaving a few more clones if you need me to, though."

Edel shook her head and said, "The two you sent are more than enough, Naruto. Thank you. But…" Looking him in the eyes, Naruto could see how worried she was for him. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I promise. This will just take some getting used to. Thank you, Edel. I'm going to get going. I want to finish exploring the campus before I head out for dinner. You take care, okay?" Naruto said.

Edel smiled at him and said, "Sure, Naruto. Be safe." And with that, she turned to resume working on the garden.

As Naruto began to walk past Vivi, she went to say something to him, only to feel him suddenly running his fingers teasingly along her arm. Leaning in close, he whispered, "Might want to stop rubbing your thighs together, Vivi. Go home and relax."

Vivi narrowed her eyes at him and said, "I will get you back for this, Naruto. Just you wait and see."

Chuckling, Naruto said, "You're more than welcome to try. Just know that if you go to war with me, you're going to lose. Ta ta for now, Vivi." Blowing her a kiss, he walked next door and entered the gymnasium, leaving Vivi to stew for the time being. A prank war sounds kind of fun. She doesn't know what she's in for, but screwing with her is going to be FUN.

Seeing as he only sensed people in the swimming pool, Naruto bypassed the other rooms and entered the room with the pool. Directly in front of him were Klein and Casper, while off to the side, he easily saw both Laura and Monica in their swimsuits. Laura looks as good as ever. Monica's not bad, either.

Chuckling to himself, the prince turned and smiled at Casper and Klein. "Heya, how's it going, guys?"

Turning to Naruto, Casper sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I figured growing up on the beaches of Lamare would give me a leg up on the other club members, but I was wrong. First you've got Klein, who's not just a great swimmer, but a great guy all around. Then there's Laura, who's nothing short of amazing. I'll need to put in some hours if I don't want them totally showing me up." Frowning to himself, he thought it over before smiling again. "You know, Klein reminded me that I should always be grateful to my family, too. That guy's an inspiration in more ways than one."

Smiling at the younger teen, Naruto reached up and patted him on the head. "Klein's a good guy, for sure. As for the other club members? Don't worry so much about them. Just strive to be the best you can be. Don't try to compete with them just yet. Get comfortable with yourself and your speeds, practice like crazy, and once you feel ready, I'm sure you'll give them a run for their money. Okay, buddy?"

Casper smiled brightly at Naruto and said, "Sure thing, Naruto! Thanks!"

Chuckling a bit, Naruto turned to Klein and asked, "How about you, Klein? How's it hanging?"

Klein chuckled for a moment before saying, "You really don't act like how I'd imagine a prince would act." Seeing Naruto's brow rise, he chuckled a bit more before saying, "Anyways, I'm from the countryside. The only reason I'm at Thors at all is because I got a scholarship. After my dad died, my mom had to work really hard to raise me and my younger brother and sister right. When I got that scholarship, I decided I was gonna make the most of my time here so I could pay her back someday. But, I'm sure you don't want to hear about all of that."

Shaking his head, Naruto said, "It's fine, Klein. I'm happy to learn more about my friends. I never had any before coming here, so it's nice to have people open up to me a little." Smiling at Klein, he continued. "As for the prince thing, it's no big deal, trust me. People are making more of a deal about it than it needs to be. So just treat me like you normally would and we'll be fine. Okay?"

Klein smiled back and said, "Sure thing, Naruto. Might want to get over there and talk to the girls, though. Looks like Laura really wants to talk to you. Might want to talk to Monica, too."

Looking towards the two girls, Naruto shrugged and said, "You've got a point. See you later, Klein." Patting the big guy on the shoulder, he turned and made his way over to Monica and Laura. "Hey there. How's it going?"

Before Monica could say anything, Laura turned to Naruto with a smile and said, "Klein appointed me as Monica's swimming coach. This is a first for me, so I'm not entirely certain how best to approach it. The only thing I know is that I have to at least try. Her current goal is to swim 50 arge without stopping, but that will not be easy for someone so new to the sport. I will do my best to ensure she accomplishes her goal, though!"

"I'm sure you can pull it off, Laura." Turning to Monica, he patted her on the head and said, "I believe in you, Monica. Keep at it and you'll get there someday soon, I'm sure of it."

At the affectionate gesture, Monica began to blush as she thought, A prince is patting my head! A real-life prince is TALKING to me! Come on, Monica! Say something!

As Monica took a deep breath, Naruto glanced at Laura in confusion. "Is she okay? She's, um…she's not saying anything."

Laura giggled to herself and said, "Just wait for it. She's been really excited to talk to you all day. I'm sure you know why."

Nodding his head in understanding, Naruto looked back at Monica and waited for her to speak.

Looking up into his eyes, Monica said, "H-Hi, Prince Naruto! I-I-It's good to see you again! Umm, umm…what do I say now? H-How are you today?"

Releasing a heavy sigh, Naruto patted Monica's cheek gently for a brief moment before he smiled at her kindly. "Relax, Monica. I'm still me. I'm still the same Naruto you've known since meeting me. You don't need to call me Prince or anything, either. Just Naruto is fine. And I'm doing all right. Thank you for asking. You seem to be a bit…stressed out, on the other hand. Are you okay?"

As Laura giggled to herself in amusement, Monica blushed again and began to poke her fingers together shyly. "U-Umm, I'm okay, Naruto. Just n-nervous. Laura told me I didn't need to be, but I didn't think I was friends with an actual prince! I couldn't stop worrying that I had been too familiar with you or I did something inappropriate or…or something else! I-I want to be your friend. I really do. I'm sorry!"

Sighing softly this time, Naruto shook his head in exasperation. "Monica, it's okay. You haven't done anything wrong. Just treat me like you would anybody else. We are friends, aren't we?" Seeing her smile brightly at him, he chuckled a bit and said, "There we go. Just relax, okay? Anyways, I made dinner plans with some friends of mine, so I'd like to finish my tour of the campus before heading out. Okay? See you tomorrow, Monica. Take care."

As Monica smiled at him, Naruto turned to Laura and whispered to her, "Good luck with her, Laura. She might be a handful." Listening to his girlfriend giggle, he turned and made his way out of the gymnasium and shook his head again. Hopefully Laura can help snap her out of it. Monica's cute, but I do NOT need another fangirl.

Rounding the corner, he prepared to head down to the field where he sensed three people were, but as he did, he noticed somebody else nearby. Taking a quick peek, he saw the school's janitor dealing with some trash. Deciding to leave him to it, he made his way down to the field and approached the stables where he noticed Jusis, Paula, and Lambert tending to their horses. So Jusis joined the Riding Club, did he? Heh, I can't imagine Paula's too happy about that. Chuckling to himself, he approached Jusis and asked, "Sooo, decided to join the Riding Club, huh? Somehow that doesn't really surprise me."

Jusis turned to Naruto and said, "I did. It seemed a fitting choice, given my experience taking care of horses at home. And it should serve as a decent way to pass the time after class."

Naruto chuckled awkwardly and thought, Oh yeah, Paula's not going to be too pleased with Jusis. I sure hope they can work past their differences and be friends. Unlike his situation with Machias. Shaking it off, he was about to say something, only for Jusis to speak up again.

"Naruto, I feel I must apologize for earlier. It may not have been my blunder, but because of what happened earlier, a secret of yours that you confided in us came out immediately. You are bound to have to deal with a lot in the coming days. Should you require some assistance in some manner, do not hesitate to call on me. I may not be the…easiest person to get along with, but that does not mean I don't care about the other members of Class VII. Should you require a friend to confide your troubles in, I would be willing to lend an ear. That is all I wanted to say." Jusis said, though it sounded like he was having an awkward time trying to say all of it.

Smiling thankfully at Jusis, the ex-jaeger said, "First, you have nothing to apologize for, Jusis. And…thank you. I will be sure to remember your offer and take advantage of it, should I need a friend to talk with. Take care of yourself, Jusis. I'll see you back at the dorm."

"Of course. See you later, Naruto." Jusis said before returning his attention to his horse.

Approaching Paula, he wasn't even able to say anything before she turned to him and said, "That Jusis Albarea isn't exactly the friendliest guy in Zemuria, is he? I offered him a handshake and he brushed me off like I didn't exist. See, this is why I can't stand most of the snooty upper class students. Jusis Albarea could stand to learn a thing or two from Lambert." Then, seeing who she was grousing to, her eyes widened and she began to sputter for a moment. When she finally calmed down enough, she quickly said, "U-Umm, I didn't mean you, of course, Naruto. You've always been really nice to me, so…"

Naruto chuckled awkwardly before saying, "It's fine, Paula. I kind of figured you weren't including me in your rant there. As for Jusis, just give it some time, okay? I'm hoping that, by spending time with his friends in Class VII, that he'll start to open up a bit and be a biiit easier for other people to deal with. It has been kind of awkward for a while, but I'm sure it'll get better soon enough. Think you can be patient with him for a while?"

Paula frowned as she looked from Naruto over to Jusis. Taking some time to think it over, she released a sigh and looked back into Naruto's eyes. "Sure, Naruto. Thank you for talking with me. I should probably let you go now, though, huh?"

Smiling at her, he said, "Yep. 'Fraid so. Have a good evening and a good night, Paula. Talk to you tomorrow." And with that, he decided to leave Lambert be for now. Instead, he waved goodbye to Lambert and the others and left the field, making his way towards the front of the academy once again.

Upon reaching the front of the academy, he prepared to leave the school grounds, only to see Rosine standing nearby. Frowning slightly in confusion, he approached her and placed a hand gently upon her shoulder. When she jumped, he chuckled softly and said, "Sorry, Rosine. Is everything okay? You seemed lost in thought."

Rosine placed a hand over her heart and shook her head. "It's nothing, Naruto. I was planning to help out at the church today, as well, but I found myself worrying about you. I have heard the news, and I worried that you might be troubled. Do you need to talk about it? I'm sure that having your secret revealed in such a manner cannot be easy for you. I have heard so many rumors and gossip throughout the day, and it worried me. I am not certain about your circumstances or what brings you here to Thors and Erebonia, but…"

"Thank you, Rosine. I'm fine though, I promise. And believe me, I know about the fangirls and the many people that are going to try and get in my good graces now that they know the truth. And, to be perfectly honest, I do kind of want to give Elliot a good smack or something for shouting it out for the whole class to hear. I shared my secret in good faith with him and my other friends, but…" Naruto said with a deep frown on his face.

Taking Naruto's hands in hers, Rosine smiled kindly at him and said, "I understand, Naruto. I will not fault you for that, but please take it easy on him. I'm sure he didn't mean to upset you…or hurt you."

Blushing a bit, Naruto soon chuckled softly and said, "Don't worry, Rosine. I won't hurt him or anything. And I know he didn't mean anything by it. I don't think he even realized what he was doing at the time. I never wanted to be treated differently from other people. Believe it or not, I wasn't raised as a prince, Rosine. In the village where I was raised, something big happened on the night of my birth and I was treated…let's say 'harshly' my entire life. You see, my parents died on the night of my birth when I was just an hour old. I only found out the truth after I turned 16 years old. That was a three years ago. And, when I found out, I also learned that the 'kingdom' I was the prince of had been destroyed by enemy nations. I am literally the last living member of that kingdom. So, I really have nothing to my name. Fie and Anko know this, but nobody else is aware. Heh, I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this. I guess you're just really easy to talk to."

Rosine giggled and said, "Well, I'm glad you're so willing to talk to me. And, Naruto? For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what happened to you. I won't ask you to talk about what you've been through, but finding out that there's no one left…it has to be hard. I can't even fathom the pain you must have gone through. Naruto? If you ever need to talk, I am here for you. Even if it's only a little at a time, I hope that you will continue to open up to me more as time passes. For now, I assume you were heading back to the dorm? Or did you have other plans?"

Naruto smiled at her in thanks again and said, "I made plans to enjoy dinner with a few friends of mine before returning to the dormitory. I'm looking forward to getting some much-needed rest tonight. Then I have the tasks Towa assigns to me tomorrow to take care of. That'll be fun." Chuckling a bit, he glanced down at their hands for a moment and asked, "Rosine? I'm going to need you to let go of my hands so I can be on my way."

Rosine blinked a moment before noticing what he was talking about. Blushing, she quickly released his hands and said, "S-Sorry, Naruto! Please, have a good night. Hopefully we can talk again soon."

Naruto smirked at her and said, "See you later, Rosine." Then, as he made to step by her, he noticed Rean chatting with Crow just outside the gate. Blinking, he paused beside Rosine and waited to see how this would play out.

Seeing this, Rosine asked, "Is everything okay, Naruto? I thought you needed to be somewhere?" Looking at what he was watching, she frowned in confusion before looking at her friend again. "What's wrong?"

Naruto shook his head and said, "I just don't want to interrupt them. Rean is one of those I was planning to enjoy dinner with later, but it would appear he is currently busy with Mr. Second Year." Returning his gaze to the two of them, he said, "I'm sure that Rean has figured out the secret to Crow's little trick by now. Once Crow's gone, I'll get going with Rean. For now, I'm content to just watch things play out."

Before either of them could continue their conversation, they heard a female voice shout out, "HEY! Stop trying to leech money off of innocent first years, you louse!"

Blinking, the four of them turned to see who had called out to them. Seeing who it was, Naruto smirked to himself and thought, Okay, hot biker chick alert! This should be interesting to watch.

Chancing a glance at Naruto in curiosity, the purple-haired beauty walked past him and made her way over to Rean and Crow. So that's the prince, huh? Not a bad-looking guy. Might have to watch out for him.

Rosine noticed the way Naruto was looking at the girl. Her name was apparently Angelica Rogner, if her introduction to Rean was any indication. However, that wasn't important! Pinching Naruto's arm, she waited for Naruto to turn to her before asking, "Don't you have Fie and Anko?"

Naruto sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his head. "Laura now, too, actually." He said somewhat nervously. When Rosine simply stared at him with a deadpan, he chuckled and said, "It's a complicated situation. I'll probably explain it to you later. If you're still willing to hear me out?"

Sighing softly, the blonde girl said, "I am. You are my friend, Naruto. But I swear, if you're leading those girls on for any reason…"

Naruto shook his head and said, "I'm not. The three of them know and understand my circumstances. I'll admit, it's not the ideal situation and it might be a little…awkward for those involved, but we're happy as we are. And they know that I'm not about to invite anyone else into our family situation without consulting with them first. You'll understand when I talk to you about it."

Looking searchingly into her friend's eyes, Rosine seemed to find what she was looking for. Nodding, she said, "I trust you, Naruto. I know you are not a bad person. In fact, you are very kind, and you treat people with respect. Even commoners such as me. I choose to believe that Aidios is smiling down on you from on high and has given you her blessing."

"Heh. Thanks, Rosine." Naruto said. It was at this point that he watched as Angelica rode off on her orbal bike, as Crow called it. Shrugging, he listened to Crow chat with Rean for a while longer. Angelica Rogner, Crow Armbrust, George Nome, and Towa Herschel. Interesting group of friends. I wonder what the story behind them is. Shrugging, he continued to watch until Crow walked off as well. So, chancing a glance at Rosine, Naruto smirked at her and waved goodbye to her.

As Naruto walked off to greet Rean, Rosine frowned in thought. Naruto is a prince. I wonder what brought him here. What other secrets does he hold? Father Thomas, how would you choose to approach this mystery we have before us?

Walking up to Rean, who seemed to be lost in thought at the moment, Naruto patted him on the shoulder and said, "'Sup, Rean? Ready to go get some dinner?"

Looking into Naruto's eyes, Rean nodded and said, "Of course. We're meeting Gaius and Elliot outside Kirsche's, right?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yep! I'm sure they'll join us real soon. For now, let's get going and make sure we save a table outside. I'd like to eat while basking in the evening sun and smelling the flowers. Might be kinda nice, huh?"

Rean chuckled and said, "Sounds good to me, Naruto. Although…"

The blonde sighed and shook his head. "I know. Elliot might be a bit nervous around me for a while. I know he didn't mean for it to happen the way it did, and I'm not going to hurt him or anything, but he's still the nervous sort. We'll have to work on that."

The black-haired teen nodded in understanding. "Of course. Anyways, let's get going. I'd like to eat and then get back to the dorm before curfew. I wonder what kinds of tasks Towa will have for us tomorrow? Besides the obvious one, of course."

As they began to walk away from the academy, Naruto shrugged and said, "Like you said, we're going to be delving into the old schoolhouse again. Other than that? No clue. Whatever they are, we can handle it. Who knows? They might be kinda fun."

Rean chuckled and said, "I swear, you find the strangest things 'fun'. Oh well. You are right, though. Whatever tasks she has for us, we'll be fine. Anyways, how did things go? I assume you got some mixed reactions to the whole prince thing?"

Naruto shrugged as they began to pass over the bridge past the commoner and noble dormitories. "Wellll, Vivi tried to tease me about it, but I got back at her. If she wants to start a prank war over this, I did warn her that she'd best be prepared for it. As for the others? I've got some fangirls now. Vice Principal Heinrich was trying to suck up to me, too. A lot of people were pretty supportive of me, though. Had a nice chat with the principal and then with Towa. Looots of different reactions to the big reveal, but nothing I can't handle. I just hope it all blows over sooner rather than later." Shoulders slumping slightly, he said, "Fat chance of that happening, though. Being a prince of an entire nation is kind of a big deal to people. Oh well."

As they reached the café, Rean reached up and patted his taller friend on the back. "Sorry, Naruto. Not much we can really do about it now. Just try to take it easy and get some rest tonight, okay?"

"Yep. Of course." Naruto said before he and Rean sat down at one of the outside tables. They just continued to chat about a variety of things as they waited for their friends to arrive.

Class VII Dormitory – Later that Night

Leaving a clone in his room to study for a while, Naruto decided to take a stroll around the dormitory and see what the others were up to. He also wanted to spend some time with his mates, though he figured they might be pretty busy. Shrugging his shoulders, he decided to leave Rean alone in his room and headed down the hallway to check on Gaius and Elliot. He wasn't about to try and talk to Machias, and he didn't want to bother Jusis either.

Walking up to Elliot's room, he knocked on the door to alert his friend that he was there. When he was let inside, Naruto took a look around the room and chuckled a bit. "You really do love music, don't you, Elliot?"

Elliot chuckled and said, "Of course! But, umm…"

Naruto sighed and turned to look at his orange-haired friend. "Elliot. Didn't we talk about this over dinner? I'm not mad at you. You don't need to worry so much. We're still friends and I'm not going to hurt you or anything. Seriously here, Elliot, what's really bothering you about all of this?"

"Besides feeling like I'm a stupid idiot for shouting out your secret for everyone to hear?" Elliot asked somewhat sarcastically. Hearing Naruto chuckle in response, Elliot shook his head before he went and took a seat on his bed. "Naruto, you were about to be executed, right? Well, I was just wondering something. If you're a prince, why would they try to do such a thing to you? It sounds to me like you're a pretty important person."

"Because, Elliot. People blamed me for the night Kurama was unleashed on Konoha. They honestly believed that I was the Kyuubi. I was hated from the moment I was made a jinchuriki…just an hour after my birth. You have to understand something here, Elliot. They tried to kill me numerous times throughout my life, but Kurama kept me alive all that time. Nobody seemed to realize that I was the prince of Uzushiogakure. And if they did, they didn't care. Hell, it was hidden from me until my parents revealed the truth about the night of my birth and my heritage and so on and so on. It was a big, complicated mess." Sighing, he brushed his hair back before looking into his friend's eyes again. "I can see you have another question. Go ahead and ask."

Staring at Naruto with a puzzled expression on his face, he decided to just be blunt. "Umm, if your parents were dead…how did you meet them later? I'm really confused here."

"Through the rather complicated art known as fuinjutsu." Naruto said with a smirk. When Elliot just stared at him with a deadpan expression, Naruto chuckled before deciding to explain in detail. "When my father sealed Kurama inside of me, he and my mother put fragments of their souls inside of the seal. I first met my father when I was fighting the leader of the Akatsuki, a man going by the name Pain. I'll explain all of that later sometime. Not right now." Seeing the look on his friend's face, Naruto wagged a finger at him and said, "Just be patient. All will be revealed in time."

Elliot sighed and said, "I swear, you and your secrets. Oh well. So, what happened?"

"Well, my father explained the events surrounding my birth and what really happened that night. And, of course, I found out when I met him that he was the Fourth Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure. More on all that stuff later." Naruto briefly explained, much to Elliot's consternation.

Chuckling, Naruto decided to just get on with it. "Anyways, I met my mom when I was fighting Kurama for some measure of control over his power. We weren't always friends, you see. But that's a topic for another time. Anyways, my mom explained a lot of things to me about her past and her time in Konoha and so on. That's how I found out I was essentially the prince of an entire nation. She helped me defeat Kurama, and, after talking for a bit longer, we said our goodbyes and I shared my first and only hug with her."

"Now, to continue where I left off earlier, Sasuke Uchiha was the golden boy of Konohagakure. The people of the village behaved as if Sasuke could do no wrong. Ever. Even after everything Sasuke did and all the people he hurt, they still loved him. Hell, even my own cousin was crazy about him, even though he tried to kill her, too." Shaking his head in disappointment, he decided to just continue. "Anyways, at the end of the Fourth War, Sasuke really gave me no choice but to end his life. He was a villain, through and through. When they found out that I killed their precious Sasuke…they tried to have me publicly humiliated and executed. That's when Aidios brought me to this world. That happened two years ago."

Elliot scowled and shook his head. "How can people be so cruel? I just don't understand it! For what it's worth, I'm glad you were brought here, Naruto. You're a really nice person and you've always treated me well. I respect you a lot, and I really look up to you, too. I want to be strong like you someday. And…I'm sorry for today. I know you've told me that it's fine, but you've had it rough enough without me having to add on to it."

Smiling at his younger friend, Naruto said, "It's fine, Elliot. Thank you. I'm going to let you get some sleep. I'm going to talk to a few of the others and then get some sleep myself. It's been a looong day."

Elliot chuckled a bit and nodded his head. "I'm sure it has. Good night, Naruto."

"Good night, Elliot." Naruto said before leaving Elliot's room and walking to Gaius'. Knocking on the door, he waited to hear Gaius say to come in before entering the room. Stepping up to Gaius, he peered over his shoulder to see what he was painting. "You know, I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished product, Gaius. I'm sure it's going to be great."

Smiling at his friend, Gaius said, "Thank you, Naruto. I appreciate that." Returning to his painting, he decided to ask the blonde a question. "Are you helping the Student Council again tomorrow?"

Naruto nodded and said, "Yep! We'll be heading back into the Old Schoolhouse again, too. It sounds like there's been some major changes down there again, so we'll see what's going on tomorrow, I'm sure."

"Of course. Naruto?" Hearing Naruto hum in response, Gaius decided to ask his question. "How are you? After today, I mean. Do you think tomorrow will be any different?"

Naruto nodded and said, "I'm fine. It's a bit awkward, though. I'm not used to having fangirls. Not used to people trying to suck up to me, either." Shrugging, he decided to have a seat on the bed and kick his legs back and forth a bit. "I'm sure things are going to be different for a while. I'll just try and deal with it all the best I can. That's all there is to it."

Gaius hummed in thought for a moment. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Naruto. When I look at you, I can feel it in my soul. You have Aidios and the winds looking after you. Remain strong and steadfast in your beliefs and you will be fine."

Naruto blinked before he chuckled a bit. "Thank you, Gaius. I'm going to let you get back to painting. Good night, Gaius. See you tomorrow."

"Of course. Good night, Naruto." Gaius said, watching as his friend left the room. May the winds be ever vigilant in their watch over you, Naruto.

Walking upstairs, he easily sensed Alisa in her room, as well as Fie spending time with Emma in the latter's room. Sara was in her room, but he assumed she was busy with her work right now. Then, he sensed Laura and Anko together in the former's room. Curious, he walked to Laura's room and knocked on the door. When they let him in, Naruto had a brief look around his mate's room before smiling at them. "What're you two up to?"

Anko smirked at her boyfriend and said, "Just discussing some things. Such as how best to deal with all of your new fangirls. I kinda wanna torture Elliot a bit for letting everyone know about your princely status."

Naruto chuckled a bit and said, "Please don't, Anko. It's okay. Yes, this fangirl thing is bizarre, but I'm not going to let it get to me. Today has been awkward as hell, but I have a lot of supporters. More than I thought I would, actually. Heck, even had a nice chat with Vandyck and Towa today. Can't really complain about any of that."

Laura giggled and said, "I'm sure it must have been nice. Thankfully, I managed to calm Monica down and convinced her to treat you normally again. Don't be surprised if people start referring to you as Prince Naruto now, though. And yes, the two of us were discussing how to deal with your current predicament. We love you, Naruto. We only want to look out for you as your mates."

Anko grinned and threw her arms around her darling. "Damn right! If I have to, I'll gladly start 'playing' with anyone that bothers you. You just let me know if anybody gets on your nerves and your sexy little Anko will take care of them. Okay, Honey?"

Naruto chuckled a bit and hugged both of his mates close to him. "Thank you. I'd really appreciate that. I wish it hadn't happened this way, but what can you do, right?" Idly running his fingers through Laura's beautiful blue hair, he closed his eyes and smiled. "This Prince Naruto stuff is going to get old really fast, but at least it's not like it was back in Konoha. Compared to that, I'd take this any day. For now, I should get back to my room. I think I'm going to get a little studying in, read the new issue of the Imperial Chronicle, then go to bed. I'm planning to wake up early tomorrow so I can get started on the tasks Towa decides to give me. Sooo, good night girls." Kissing them both softly on the lips, one at a time, he released them and proceeded to leave the bedroom.

As he heard them return to their prior conversation, he turned and made his way back downstairs. Approaching his room, he reached out for his doorknob, but paused as he thought over the events of the day. Tomorrow's bound to be crazy, but I'm sure everything will be okay. Can't help but wonder what the Old Schoolhouse has in store for us this time, though. Shrugging, he opened his door and stepped inside his room. He'd worry about that crap tomorrow.

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A/N - Aaaaand that's the end of a really long chapter! lol. Hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought of it!

Before anything else, I wanted to inform you that there is a new poll up on my profile for this story. Please, PLEASE vote in the poll so I know what you all think. Hopefully this chapter helps make your decisions easier, but we shall see.

Right now, the harem is: Fie, Anko, & Laura. Nobody else is in yet. So please, share your thoughts and opinions. Who would YOU like to see in the harem? Even if they're not listed in the poll, feel free to leave a comment and let me know!

Anywho, I plan to work on another chapter for this story next. I have plans for the Free Day, including the prank Vivi plans to play on Linde. It'll be fun! lol. Soooo, hope you're looking forward to it!

Not sure what else to say. I'm honestly kind of tired and just want to relax for a while. I'll work on the next chapter later. Love you guys! And, in case you didn't see it in the author's notes for Konoha's l'Cie, even though it might be a day late, Merry Christmas to ya!