A/N: Whoa, It's been a year. I can't believe how time flies (and how lazy I can be). Sorry for doing this, but this was a really eventful year for me. Just got into my dream university! But despite that, I resolve to find the time to update this story. And since school is out, I worked on this recently. I love writing it, and hope I still have some readers *smiles nervously*

It's a bit long, but here's the next installment.

And one more thing: I'm so hyped for the Monster Musume Anime!

IV: Stressed

Japan was even more beautiful than she had imagined.

The sky above was clear and cloudless, allowing the afternoon sun to shower her with its shimmering, powerful rays. The echoes and sights of car engines filled the air. Countless people walked about the streets, some hastily journeying to work, others reveling in the company of friends, pets, and children.

Her eyes were wide and alert, consciously observing the activities that surrounded her with boundless intrigue. She looked around with awe in her slitted, amber gaze. Buildings rose high above her and into the cloudless blue sky. Ponds and streams were ripe with the sounds of life, rushing steadily beneath her as she slithered over a wooden arch bridge. Trees, green and healthy, smelt of nature in its purest form.

Miia could not hope to stop the smile that found its way to her lips. This was one of the reasons she'd come to Japan in the first place. To explore environments outside her homeland, to experience new and wondrous things, and of course, to forge a closer relationship with mankind. And ever since she was little, curiosity had been a driving part of her personality. Her mother had always made remarks about it, and it was only just recently that she had plainly realized what she was talking about. Miia loved exploring unfamiliar things and places, loved trying out new foods—eggs were still the best, though—and even meeting peculiar people.

But the best part of going out for the first time was the fact that she could spend it with her host. She glanced behind her to see Naruto walking with a small smile on his face. Dressed in nothing spectacular, he wore but a simple orange and blue shirt with the word 'Shinobi' written on the back as he sported a pair of dark cargo shorts.

"Slow down Miia." He chuckled, lagging behind her swift, excited pace, hands placed calmly in his pockets. He seemed to be looking around in the same fashion as she was, taking in everything he possibly could with innocent fascination, almost as if this was also his first time going out to explore the town. He then pulled out a small black book, on which he began to write.

"Sure," she replied, turning around with a bright smile. "I can't just leave my date behind, right?"

Naruto tilted his head slightly, curiosity glinting in his eyes. He ceased his writing.

"Date?"

"Yup!" Miia beamed and turned to him, luscious breasts bouncing naughtily in the air. "It's our first date, ever!"

The blond host scratched his hair while they crossed a street. "I'm just showing you around town, you know."

She slowed her pace so that she could move beside him.

"But that sounds a lot like a date to me," Miia countered.

"We're here to get you used to human society," he deadpanned.

Obviously, that was the main reason they were out, but she still desired that this would be something more than sight-seeing—that it would be a time they spent getting closer together, getting to know each other. She wrapped her arms around his, pulling him close to her chest, making certain that he could feel her feminine mounds against his skin. She had chosen not to wear a bra today, so she was sure he would notice.

"It's a date in society, then!" She smiled, watching with satisfaction as Naruto's whiskered cheeks tinted pink. They moved on like this for a time, her arms locked around his, walking through the streets without a care.

Naruto pointed out many things to her, explaining in detail what they were and what they were used for. Like these strange machines humans used in the construction of buildings. They were loud and annoying, drilling into the ground with the ferocity of an ant colony.

"Jack hammers," he explained, humming thoughtfully as they moved past a lively construction site. "They're used to break up concrete, I think."

Miia groaned aloud as she covered her sensitive ears, shutting her eyes in annoyance.

"Well I hate them… too loud."

Naruto noticed her discomfort instantly; he took her hand in his and led them as swiftly as he could through the site. Miia silently reveled in the fact that he was holding her hand so tightly, so lovingly, and with such determination on his features. Using one hand to cover her left ear, she let her host guide her until the noise of construction faded and they were standing at the entrance of a beautiful park.

Children were all around them, playing and laughing as they ran through a field of grass. Their parents sat a distance away, conversing with each other while keeping their eyes on the children.

The soft grass beneath her tail, the huge trees reaching into the sky, they all reminded her so much of her homeland. She took a deep breath, feeling the urge to just lay in the green field and revel in the warmth of the sun.

"It's really beautiful…" she whispered.

"I know right," Naruto answered with a grin. "I love coming here. I thought you'd like it too."

"Why do you like it so much?" She pried, curiously looking over to him.

Humans didn't seem to be nearly as fond of nature as most of the extra-species were, but when he spoke, there was a feeling of happiness, of expectation, when around the swaying grass and beautiful flowers.

"It's mostly quiet, for starters. It's peaceful and helps keeps me sharp and alert, especially when I meditate." And especially when he needed to clear his mind of recent seal failures.

"Hey... let's race," Miia suddenly challenged. She looked upward. "Up that tree."

Naruto tilted his head at her sudden decree.

She wanted to race?

Miia pointed to the nearest one, a worn, yet sturdy tree not ruffled by the gentle breeze that blew. She knew it wasn't fair, but she couldn't resist. Lamias were natural born climbers. Due to their powerful tails and stomachs, they could skillfully traverse even the most imposing trees within seconds. She hadn't so much as touched a tree in a few weeks, so in a way, this was her excuse to do so.

"Alright, I accept!"

Naruto exclaimed, then he uncharacteristically tripped over something—her tail.

She giggled as he scrambled to get on his feet. But she was already moving before he could speak, bulleting forward like a spring and launching herself towards the tree she had pointed to. She shot up the towering limb with an expertise earned only through years of climbing. Her tail wrapped around the wooden trunk as she moved, slithering to the top while her long nails aided in her ascent. She twisted and turned, avoiding countless prickly branches until she mounted the highest and thickest branch.

Oh how she missed climbing!

"I win!"

Miia declared it proudly, even though it had not been a fair race from the start. She then looked down the trunk of the forty-foot tree, half expecting to see her darling struggling up the branches with a look of utter defeat. But to her complete and utter astonishment, he was already on the top with her, relaxing with a grin as he lounged on the largest branch.

"It's about time you showed up."

"B-But, h-how…?"

"I'm a Shinobi," Naruto said simply, then patted at the thick branch.

Still thoroughly impressed by his recent display of tree-climbing, she sat next to him. Anybody that could climb a tree just as good as a Lamia earned her respect any day, and Naruto had done just that. How he'd done it, that was the real mystery. She wrapped her tail around the thickest part of the branch and sat so close to him that their shoulders touched, separated only by fabric of their clothing.

Miia looked down at herself and wondered if he liked her choice of clothes. She had chosen to wear a small white jeans jacket, with a tight black shirt, and short white skirt.

"You cheated." She pouted, crossing her arms beneath her sizable bosom.

"You cheated. You tripped me."

"That was an accident." She continued to pout, looking up at him innocently.

"Fine, I cheated," he conceded happily. "Sort of?"

"How'd you do it, huh?" She pestered. "I've never heard, or seen a human climb so fast they could beat a Lamia."

"I told you, I'm a Shinobi. These skills are necessary when going on super-dangerous missions," Naruto teased, and she started pouting again. He didn't mind. It made her look all the more cuter.

"Come on, you already said that. It's not a good enough answer," Miia whined and scouted even closer to him.

She suddenly wished she could stay like this forever.

But there was still so much she didn't know about him—so much that she wanted to know about him. At just a glance she could tell he was special, as though he was human, and at the same time so much more than that. If there was something that gave that away, it would be the fact that he had matched a Lamia in the act of climbing trees.

But, even if she didn't know so much, she still could not deny her feelings for him.

"I love you darling..."

There was a pause.

He seemed to falter every time she said those words. Like she had flipped a switch in his mind that had rarely been used.

"Miia..."

Naruto spoke silently, scratching his whiskered cheeks with a faint smile. Those words never ceased to catch him off guard, and the instant he heard them he was reminded of a friend long since dead that had confessed to him.

"Not too many people have said that to me in my life, so thanks..."

Really? She thought, seriously pondering the reason why nobody would tell him that he was loved. He was nice and funny and considerate to those around him.

"Why not?" Miia leaned in.

"Let's just say that people feared and hated me for most of my life… because of something I had no control over."

What was there to hate about him? She wondered. But even now, she could only feel her curiosity rising.

Just who was this blond male?

"Well those people are idiots!" She spoke angrily, to which Naruto laughed. "Anybody who fears my darling is either blind, or a moron!"

"That was a while ago, but thanks anyway."

They both slipped into a comfortable silence, side by side, as she watched the children playing beneath them.

Children…

Miia's eyes glazed. She wondered for a moment what a child from her would look like if the father was Naruto. She sighed dreamily—to which Naruto rose a brow—at the thought of beautiful golden-haired, amber-eyed, yellow-tailed daughters slithering playfully at her host's feet, or sleeping peacefully at her side. Some of the kids below had stopped to look at them sitting in the tree. Especially her. There was no malice in their gazes. Only curiosity. However, the same could not be said for the parents. The adults didn't look at her with open hate, but with wariness and even a hint of fear.

She chose to ignore them—though a small part of her was saddened by their expressions.

Then she noticed something else about her blond host.

Glancing over, she affirmed her recent observation.

Naruto seemed to write a lot. And he was doing so at the moment; she couldn't help but stare, entranced by the strange black symbols she found inscribed onto the small booklet he held.

"My old pervert of a sensei used to write," Naruto said suddenly, almost as if reading her mind. He had noticed her staring at his seal designs."I guess I kinda picked up on it."

"You two were close?"

"He was like a father to me."

When Naruto spoke of this sensei of his, his eyes were filled with such pride and admiration.

"Well, besides the pervert part, he sounds like a really cool guy."

The blond Shinobi looked at her with agreement in his gaze, remembering his white-haired sensei. "He was the biggest pervert in history! He even tried to teach me some of his techniques."

"Techniques, huh?" She smiled slyly and inched even closer to him. "Well, if it's you, darling, I wouldn't mind any of these… techniques."

As she tried leaning into him more, Naruto suddenly went to digging his hands into his pockets.

"Oh yeah! Almost forgot."

Effectively, and perhaps unconsciously ending her seduction attempt, Naruto pulled out another book as she frowned. So close! Miia mentally squealed. But seeing that it was a book, her attention was suddenly brought back to what he had almost forgotten.

"You wanted to read this, right?" He handed it to her.

"Is it one of the books you wrote?" She asked excitedly as she remembered all the fan-mail he'd received at home. The book was small, orange, and on the cover was the name, Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

"Well, yes and no. It was originally written by Ero-senn—err—my sensei…" he explained.

Miia listened intently to his every word as she looked at the book in her hands. He told her that his sensei had been a powerful man that journeyed the world trying to understand people and their reasons for starting conflict. He had written many books, and Naruto had been oddly discreet about their names. But the book she now held was his favorite.

"I was named after the main character," Naruto said wistfully. "But in honor of my sensei, I changed the original main character's name to his name."

"What's his name?" She asked.

Naruto smiled brightly.

"Jiraiya—aka—Ero-sennin."

They stayed in the tree for a few more minutes before Naruto decided it was time to leave.

He leapt down from the moderate height, landing on the soft grass without so much as a grunt. Miia followed soon after, descending smoothly with the aid of her crimson tail. She held the book in one hand, reading, already immersed in the world of Jiraiya's imagination. Her bright amber eyes were intense, focused, absorbing every word that was transcribed unto each porcelain page.

Naruto's lips twitched upwards as he observed her; he felt relaxed just when at her side. Spending the day with her was even better than he had imagined. It was a well deserved way to separate himself from constantly testing his space-time seals.

A small part of him argued that he was only wasting time by being involved with the whole exchange program—that by the time he found a way to return back to Konoha there would be more war and conflict than ever before. But he forced those thoughts away, remembering a saying Kakashi had once told him.

There was a time to work, and a time to rest.

Now was the time to rest and enjoy the time he would spend taking care of Miia. As Ms. Smith had put it a few hours back, she was technically his family now, and every time he thought of those words, he couldn't help but feel protective and want to make Miia's stay in Japan as memorable and enjoyable as possible.

"Miia, we should get going," he suggested.

Miia looked up from her book and nodded, suddenly excited at the prospect of seeing so much more of the town. Especially going shopping.

Before she could reach out and drag her host out of the park, something stopped them. Or more accurately, someone stopped them. It was a little girl with dark hair and big innocent eyes. She looked up at Miia curiously, but paid more attention to Naruto. Behind her were two boys around her age, staying a distance away, fidgeting with uncertainty.

"Hana-chan?" Naruto smiled, patting the girl on the head as he recognized her. She was the shy little girl he had meet some time ago.

She smiled and blushed. "Hi Naruto-sensei."

"I haven't seen you in a while." He knelled down, so that he was eye-level with her. "What's up?"

"Well, nothing much. I've been making a lot of new friends in school, just like you said I would." She beamed and pointed to the two shy boys behind her. "And when I told them I knew the famous writer, Naruto Uzumaki, they didn't believe me. Now they're acting all nervous because I was right."

Naruto's gaze moved to the boys.

He took note of their excited looks, their eyes wide with amazement. "Well, you believe her now?"

They both nodded enthusiastically.

"I told you she wasn't lying," one of them said defensively. "Hana-chan never lies."

"Yeah right, you were the main one saying she was lying."

Miia could not help but stifle her laughter, distantly observing the childish interaction. Naruto didn't seem annoyed. In fact, he looked happy as he ushered them closer to him. She could tell he liked kids, and that he knew how to communicate with them.

He would be the perfect father, she mused, blushing at her own intimate thoughts. An image of her bare body against his made her quiver with desire.

"So, is there anything I can do for you guys?" Naruto asked. He had noticed their expectant expressions, but it seemed they were too nervous to ask. "I'm not so intimidating, am I?"

"They just want your autograph," Hana supplied, smiling triumphantly and pushing them closer to him.

"Is that so?" Naruto hummed, scratching his head sheepishly.

Even now he wasn't used to being seen as someone so impactful and praiseworthy. It reminded him of the aftermath of Pain's invasion of Konoha. The whole village had treated him like a celebrity for months.

The boys nodded rapidly and pulled out one of his published books and a permanent marker. Naruto was still a bit surprised that there were kids that read his novels and loved them so much. The stories were sometimes dark and gritty, telling tales of the horrors of the Shinobi world. Everyone who read it was convinced it was all fiction. Critics complemented him on his boundless imagination and ingenuity. But that was far from the truth. Most of the books were based on real events—spanning the beginning of the Shinobi world, to his own generation.

The only person who knew this was Ms. Smith, and he found it amazing that so many people would be interested in his home's history. It made him especially happy, because it was his own little way of honoring those who had died trying to make a difference.

Plus, the books were his number one source of income, so that was another positive side.

He quickly and happily autographed the two books, and was trilled to see the boys' faces light up all the more.

"Hey, Naruto-sensei?" Hana asked, eyes now focused on Miia.

"Yeah?" Naruto replied, following her gaze.

He knew what would come next.

"Who's that this?"

The girl turned to gaze intently at Miia, eyes shining with curiosity.

"Oh, this is Miia, and she'll be staying with me for a while," he said.

"Uh, hey Hana, it's nice to meet you." Miia gave the girl a handshake.

Hana stood frozen, still holding unto her hand.

The redheaded Lamia paused; then she became concerned, wondering if she had somehow frightened the innocent-looking girl. A bit of fear rose within her, her heart suddenly racing. But Naruto only smiled.

"W…wow…you're so pretty…"

Miia's eyes widened once she heard Hana's words.

"Y-You think so?"

"Yeah!" The girl exclaimed, finally releasing her hand. "I wanna look like you when I'm older."

Miia glanced at a grinning Naruto, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Well, thanks Hana. That really means a lot."

"Are you and Naruto-sensei dating?" One of the boys asked confidently, but blushed once she looked at him.

Naruto's eyes became the size of dinner plates.

But before he could utter a word, she wrapped her arms around him.

"Not at the moment, but I'm sure we will very soon," she smiled slyly.

Naruto only shook his head, exasperated, but amused.

"Of course you'd say that."

Though it was against his initial plan, he let Miia interact with the kids a bit more. She deserved it. More of them began to flock around the young, attractive Lamia. They were so curious about her that Naruto's presence seemed to have been forgotten. They asked her many questions, and Miia was enthusiastic about answering all of them. But something at a distance caught his gaze. The parents around the park were now looking in their direction, more intently than they had when he and Miia had first arrived. He could feel something in them—fear, uncertainty. It seemed to be as a result of Miia interacting with their children.

That ticked him off a bit. Their fear was understandable, but still unjustified nonetheless.

Before any of the parents became involved, Naruto decided they should leave.

"Aw, c'mon Naruto-sensei," Hana mewled. "I wanna keep playing with Miia."

"Me too. I wanna keep playing with Hana," Miia pleaded childishly, pouting cutely, eyes wide and glistening.

Naruto's heart wavered at the sight, but he held firmly to his decision as he ruffled Hana's hair.

"We still have places to go. So nope, we can't stay."

Japan was still amazing.

No matter where they went, she was certain she would have a good time. After their extended stay at the park, Naruto took her to a restaurant that served all sorts of food. But as expected, over sixty percent of the foods she ordered had something to do with eggs. Naruto had scolded her for that, to which she whined, but in the end she ended up eating some interesting Japanese food. Then they moved unto a photo-booth—her idea—and took pictures. This had been a covert plan to get Naruto in a position that would be impossible for him to escape her tail's grasp. But no matter how many times she wrapped around him, he found a way to slip away—like was some… some kind of ninja. She was a bit disappointed.

But the pictures Miia took with Naruto—she would always cherish them.

Now, they were in an arcade.

And Naruto was frustrated, more frustrated than she had ever seen him.

And why was he so frustrated?

Because of this stupid crane game, of course!

Naruto swore.

Countless times in his short, young life he had faced some of the most dangerous people. He'd even conquered the vast majority of them while still being a Genin. He had done the unthinkable, defeating beings that were deemed too powerful to oppose. He had triumphed over obstacles once thought insurmountable, carving a path toward certain victory.

And yet, he could not triumph over such a seemingly simple game.

He focused, eying the silver mechanical arm that he would soon command. His fingers were poised, ready to guide the metal apparatus with the controls at hand.

It was his tenth attempt.

Beneath the crane were a verity of stuffed animals, each colorful and unique in their own right. But one had caught his eyes from the start—a single purple and green snake.

He was determined to win it for Miia.

No matter what.

"But I wanted to win it for you," Naruto sulked, shoulders slumped. "I'm your host. I've been in Japan longer. I should be the one doing this stuff."

Miia smiled happily, hugging the toy to her chest. After his countless tries at the game, she had decided to relieve him, taking over, and winning the stuffed animal—and countless more—on her first try. His reaction had been priceless.

But she found it sweet of him to try so hard for something so simple.

All because of her.

Her heart fluttered, and her grip on the toy became tighter.

"I'm glad you tried. Don't worry about it."

"Well…" Naruto sighed, scratching his whiskered cheeks. "Fine."

He was carrying a bag that contained her recently won stuffed animals. He knew for a fact that this load would only continue to grow.

"Darling," Miia said as she looked around. "You promised I would get some new clothes."

She could just have shopped online, but going out seemed more fun.

"That's right." The blond smiled and pulled out his smartphone—a device he thought was quite impressive and innovative. "Luckily for you, Smith sent me directions for one that provides for all species."

"Then let's go!"

A lingerie shop.

Naruto shook his head.

Of course Miss Smith would give him directions to a lingerie shop. He should have known. At this point he concluded that she was just messing with him. But it was a bit too late now, for Miia had literally pulled him through the front doors before he could protest.

He didn't mind though. As long Miia wanted him here, he would stay.

Naruto didn't focus on anything in particular. But all around him was an assortment of sensual female clothing, ranging in size and shape and color.

He chuckled lightly. Ero-sennin would have loved this place. Hell, even Kakashi…

His gaze was pulled in by Miia. She was a few feet away from him, energetically looking through style after style of clothing. She was like a child at a candy store, eyes wide and hands roaming, picking up fabrics of unique taste.

"Darling," She called, moving towards him, tail swishing excitedly. "Which one do you like the most."

She held up two bras. One was yellow, the other purple. Naruto's lips tightened as he unconsciously wondered what her sizes were, his perverted nature suddenly rearing its head. It was increasingly difficult to keep his eyes from straying any lower as he looked at Miia.

"Ah… um, I don't know."

"C'mon, darling. I want your opinion. I prefer your opinion."

"They're both good, I guess. Though I'd take yellow over purple." It was closest to orange, after all.

Miia looked at them for a moment, holding the yellow one up to her substantially visible bust. Then she smiled, eyes twinkling.

"Wanna see what it'll look like?" She asked, smiling coyly. "There's a changing room, and we do have to be together at all times, you know?"

He knew she wasn't giving him a choice. He had noticed her crimson tail coiling around his waist long ago, and rather than cause a scene at the store by trying to escape, he let her lead—drag—him to a changing room.

It wouldn't matter. He could escape anytime he wanted to.

But maybe he should have escaped long ago.

Because in such a situation, what self-respecting young man-trained by pervert-could control himself?

The changing room was a tight fit, especially with a Lamia inside. It was warm, and her amber eyes were alert, her fangs glinting against the dim confinement.

"You said you liked yellow, huh?"

Naruto's eyes went wide as the bras went flying.

Miia removed her black shirt, revealing tremendous breasts. They seemed to shine against the dull illumination—like two mountains against the moon. She approached him, her fleshy mounds bouncing suggestively as she moved, squishing together lewdly when she hugged her chest.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Naruto swallowed, unable to keep his eyes off her. He inched away slowly.

Then he tripped on something, her tail—again!

He went sailing backwards, grabbing hold of a warm piece of fabric as he tumbled out of the changing room. He caught himself quickly, steadying himself on his feet.

"Gah, what's with me and her tail?" He mumbled, then noticed what he had grabbed unto while falling out of the changing room.

It was small, triangular in in shape. The item was white and soft and moist. An inviting aroma filled his nose as he observed the fabric in his hands.

Miia's panties. His heart rate skyrocketed, dumbfounded.

Naruto knew what they were—obviously. With all the time he had spent with extra-species, these were the sort of things one picked up.

"D… Darling?" Miia asked bashfully, peeking out from the curtain of the changing room. Her face was red and her eyes glistened.

"Yes Miia?"

"Sorry for dragging you in here."

"It's fine…"

"So can I have my panties back? You pervert!"

It had been an eventful day, but it was just about time to head home.

Naruto held a few more bags now—most of which held Miia's new clothes. She was ahead of him, arms clasped behind her back.

"You know, only a pervert would try to steal a girls panties, darling," she complained, but didn't seem angery at all.

"I guess Ero-sennin's teachings are finally catching on," he suggested thoughtfully as they turned a corner.

The sun was starting to sink beyond the horizon, setting the sky aflame with golden rays.

Miia waited until he caught up.

"I had fun today…" she said genuinely. "Thanks for taking me out."

"No problem. I had fun too, actually." Naruto smiled and looked up.

He had always loved the sunrise and sunset. They reminded him of his seventeenth birthday—the very day that the tides of war had began to turn in the Alliance's favor.

It seemed like nothing could ruin this day.

But that wasn't entirely the case.

"Whoa!"

"Holy, shit. What the hell is that thing?! It spoke! I really spoke!"

"Ughhh, my God! It looks so creepy and gross. I could just throw up!"

Naruto's blood ran cold as he heard those words.

His fists clenched, and his eyes went wide with rage.

Just who had said that?

He turned to see two ridiculous looking people. A male and dark-skinned female. They looked unkempt, with sly smiles, and confident looks, gazing at Miia as they hurled insults in her direction.

Before he could utter a word, Miia's tail was already moving, slashing through the air like a leather whip, intent on harming the pair.

In a burst of inhuman speed, he moved to intercept Miia's scaly appendage. The air rippled as her her tail struck his chest. He stood in front of her, having taking the brunt of the blow to the chest. Naruto had to admit, her tail had some real power behind it. Such a blow could seriously injure a normal person.

He grunted, and Miia gasped. When had he jumped in front of her tail? She rushed to to his side, reaching out to him in concern.

"Darling, I'm sorry! Why'd you do that?"

"I'm fine, Miia," Naruto said, already recovered. "But don't you know you'll be deported if you attack them?"

Miia nodded meekly as the pair behind them roared out in laughter, continuing to ridicule her.

Naruto slowly turned around, and Miia thought she saw his eyes flash crimson. He clenched his fists. A powerful aura seemed to fill the air as he grit his teeth. The effect was instant. There was real fear in their eyes. The female even seemed like she would vomit. The hideous couple began to tremble, legs buckling as they tried to back away.

But they couldn't.

Miia never saw a human move so fast before.

One kick. That was all it took. Naruto's foot slammed into the Male's chest, knocking him harshly into the female and sending them tumbling far away from his field of vision. He didn't give them a second glance as the female fearfully helped the male limp away. He hated wasting his time on trash. But hopefully he hadn't hurt them too badly.

"I hate people like them," Naruto hissed, calming down. "Those who judge others without getting to know them."

Miia's heart fluttered, her cheeks flushing as he said those words. She couldn't help but stare at her host, entranced by his anger and boldness.

Naruto sighed, rubbing his hair, surprised at himself. "Sorry bout that. I guess I kinda lost it."

Flashes of light suddenly filled the air. Faster than Naruto a had ever seen, a crowd of people gathered around them, taking pictures of Miia without her permission. He was certainly surprised. Their voices were loud—too loud. Many made passing remarks that didn't sit well with him.

Miia was shaking, eyes downcast as hundreds of flashes her vision. It was all too much, their voices, the pictures, the attention. It reminded her of earlier this morning, at the construction sight, when her senses had been overloaded with too much information. They were saying many things, and she heard them all—their fear, their confusion, their curiosity.

Naruto looked around, annoyed. "This is too much."

"Darling… can we go somewhere else?" she asked weakly.

Naruto nodded and took her hand.

He would get her out of this mess.

Naruto sat silently, waiting for Miia to come out of the shower. He was presently relaxing on a very comfortable bed.

A love hotel, he thought. Of course that would be the closest place to them. Naruto shrugged, already used to such bizarre situations. But he had never actually been to one before.

His eyes were suddenly drawn to her once she exited the bathroom, dressed in a revealing bathrobe. It did nothing to hide her noticeable cleavage. Miia's red hair was tide up, giving her a different appearance—one that he actually liked. She came out with a bright smile. But Naruto felt something wasn't right.

He knew this because of his gift of empathy. He'd honed this ability to such a degree that he didn't need to access Kurama's remaining chakra to sense emotions.

He focused on Miia. She smiled, yet what he sensed from her was the opposite.

"The bath here is nothing compared to the one a home," she beamed, drying he ears with a towel.

Naruto nodded silently, still focusing on her.

"This hotel is pretty nice though. But it's kinda small," she said, peering around. She then sat next to him, tail moving and brushing warmly against his leg. "Are we staying here overnight?"

"There's no need for that," he answered as he turned to her.

She was stressed. Terribly so. But she was doing a good job of hiding it.

"Miia… are you okay?" he asked.

She tilted her head, still smiling. "Yeah..?"

He was sure she was upset, but she was trying to cover it with a smile.

After what had just transpired, who wouldn't be?

"Alright." Naruto clasped his hands together. He knew what he would do.

Straight from Jiraiya's teachings, he would try to make her feel better. Ease all the pent up stress of transitioning to a new land.

Naruto reached over and touched her shoulders. She turned to him, startled. Mustering his courage, he slowly slid off her white shower robe, watching with bated breath as it fell to the bed, revealing her soft, supple bosoms.

"D-Darling?"

"Lie on your stomach, Miia," he whispered, attention mostly on her face.

She complied without a word, sliding unto the center of the king-sized bed. Her breasts mended gently and gracefully into the soft fabric as she put her hands beneath her chin, heart pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it.

Steady, but rapid beats.

Ba-dum.

Ba-dum.

She felt his warm hands caress her naked back, breath suddenly hitching in her throat. Blood began to rush through her body—to her face, her neck, her chest.

His hands slowly slid from her tense scapula to the base of her spine. Naruto wrapped his hands around her slender waist, pushing his thumbs together and rhythmically messaging her sacrum, putting pressure, and gently releasing chakra to this area of her spinal cord and the many tight muscles above.

Miia squirmed pleasantly, letting out an unexpected squeal. She could feel a strange warmth coming from his bare hands. It radiated outward from his palms. This warmth soothed her, relaxed her, made her feel safe. It reminded her of yesterday, when he had dried the water that coated her body with just a hug.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she impulsively arched her back, displaying a luscious, scaly backside and a subtle spinous process.

Naruto's heart did a flip at the sight of her slender, curvaceous figure responding to his touch. He moved up her back, optimizing his rhythm, increasing the pressure and chakra output. He purposely worked slowly just to see her reaction. Jiraiya was right. This was pretty fun.

"Ah-" Miia moaned, stifling her voice with a pillow.

He wrapped his hands around around her ribs, immersed in the sensation of her skin. All he wanted was to make her feel better.

She was panting hard. He moved upward more, sliding his fingers across the nape of her neck. She shuddered. Her tail coiled sensually, her pink, reptilian tongue lolling lewdly out of her mouth. He slowly caressed her red, pointed ears.

"D-darling," she whimpered, shivering beneath his touch.

He paused, ending the flow of chakra. "You okay?" he asked, a bit uncertain.

"Y-yes, continu-Ahhn!"

Wow, Naruto thought.

He'd reached for her shoulders, spending a pulse with each stroke.

Miia huffed, inhaling and exhaling deeply and harshly.

Naruto slid from her human aspects, to her snake-like anatomy. He traced an imaginary pattern down her lengthy tail—still amazed at how soft and fleshy it felt beneath his fingers.

"Ahn," Miia Moaned, gripping the white sheets of the bed tightly.

Naruto moved to the tip of her tail.

Miia erupted.

"Darling-ahhhh!"

He didn't know what overtook him in that moment as he continued to gently stroke her highly sensitive tail. She moaned and squealed and whimpered, shuddering with pleasure beneath his controlled, chakra-infused massage. Her powerful tail spasmed with waves of pleasure. She began grinding her body sensually against the sheets, gasping, eyes glistening, cheeks burning.

"M-My tail," she mewed liked a newborn kitten. "D… Darling, I'm about to-"

An explosion ended what she was going to say.

Naruto snapped out of his trance as he was hit by a wall of debris. He turned around in alarm, ready to defend Miia as a wave of dust filled the space where the door had just been.

"Oh, it's just you Whiskers?"

Sumike's voice washed over him. She emerged from the dust, fully dressed in the standard MON uniform with three other armed personal behind her.

"Geez, of course it would be you, barging in like I was about to commit a crime," Naruto sighed, visibly relaxing. Well, from this standpoint, it might look like he was actually about to commit a crime. With Miia being practically naked on the bed and all.

He groaned.

Miia managed to put her white shower robe back on, covering her crimson face as she realized just who had interrupted her… massage.

"Word about a human and a Lamia checking into a Love hotel reached our sophisticated surveillance systems, and I had no choice but to check it out," Ms. Smith explained, waving off the soldiers at her side. They put away their assault rifles. "But seeing as you're the one involved, I'm sure nothing criminal happened, right?"

Sumike smirked, sunglasses glinting a little too brightly.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "First of all, what sophisticated surveillance system are you talking about? You mean twitter?"

The coordinator grumbled. "Not just that. We've been upgrading since you left."

"I'm sure you have," he deadpanned. "And I was just giving Miia a massage."

"Okay then, false alarm boys," she declared and let the soldier leave. She turned to Miia, who was still in her robe. "So whiskers gave you a massage, huh?"

Miia nodded meekly, mumbling something.

"How was it?"

The normally confident Lamia blushed deeply and quickly fled to change back into her clothes.

Must have been some massage, Miss Smith thought. She stroked her chin, then laid on the bed, and then she looked at Naruto expectantly.

"Well, I guess it's time for my massage."

"Yeah right!"

"I won't give you a ride home."

"That's fine. I have legs."

Naruto stroked his chin. He gazed thoughtfully at the fan letters strewn about his table. They were mostly from Japan, but some of them, surprisingly, were from other parts of this world.

He was on a couch in his living-room. The TV was on, but no sound came from it. Then he began to read each letter, opening them with care. He didn't miss a single one. He figured if someone took the time to write them, he would sure as hell take the time to read.

With each letter he read, his wide smile only grew in intensity.

The words were so kind—so sincere.

But one of these letters stuck out to him.

A portion of it read:

…I was touched by the story of one of your characters. A boy who was shunned from birth as a demon, even though he was the savior of his village. The simple fact that he endures such hatred and loneliness for years speaks of the unbreakable human will. To be honest, these characters you create always seem more real than fabrication…

Naruto smiled softly as he finished reading.

Because the tales he told were not mere fabrication.

One of the reasons he loved writing was because of the chance to impact someone's life. If he could do that, it was a win.

"D… Darling?"

Naruto's head snapped up as Miia opened a door, shyly peeking her head through the entrance. He nodded to her, inviting her. She slowly slithered in, a bit nervous. That was strange. Miia was almost never nervous, especially when it came to talking with him.

"Hey, you alright?" he asked, concerned. He stood up start gathering the letters.

She nodded and stopped in front of him. "I'm fine."

"Ah no, I didn't hurt you did I?" He palmed his forehead. "Shoot, I knew I should have been more gentle. It was my first time giving you a massage, and I got so carried away witho-"

"That's not it," she affirmed. "It's just that… why did you beat up that couple earlier?"

"Oh, that?" Naruto scratched his head. "I told you. I hate when others judge before they know someone."

"You see me as a person, then?" Miia asked, holding her hands to her chest.

"Of course Miia," he said, looking at her as if she had grown another head. "Why on earth wouldn't I?"

"I… I just thought, since I'm a Lamia, and you're a-"

Naruto walked to her, moving around his table.

"Why should that matter? You feel like I do. You express yourself like I do. I already told you I think your amazing."

"Darling…" She could feel tears in her eyes.

But what happened next almost made her heart leap out of her chest.

For the millionth time that day, Naruto found himself stumbling over something familiar. He swore that someone had to be messing with him. Either Miia was deliberately tripping him, or her tail had a mind of its own.

It didn't matter though, because he was already falling.

He crashed into Miia and pulled her to the ground.

He found himself on top of her, squeezing her supple breasts.

Her eyes were wide, her cheeks red.

His heart began to race.

Naruto felt something warm and inventing against his lips. He blinked, entranced by the softness and it's sweet smell.

Miia moaned against his mouth, unconsciously parting her pink lips. Slitted amber eyes drooped as she focused on him.

Her first kiss.

A/N: Oh God, did Naruto just pull a Yuuki Rito? No, but seriously, I've always wondered how Kurusu managed to never trip over Miia's tail. It's stated to be about 7 meters [22 feet] long!

Also, I'd like to thank *Majin-kun* for giving me the idea of Jiraiya teaching Naruto how to give massages. Don't worry, this won't be the last time Naruto uses this skill ;)

So, Naruto spends a day outside with Miia, and some expected things happen. Next up, Papi, and it's sure to be different from canon.

But before that installment comes... Nevermind :/

Q/A Time.

A: I know its been a while, but based on the answers I received from the previous question, the general opinion was that the world would certainly not be willing to accept Extra-species. I also think this would be the case, and agree with this verdict. Many of the answers were based on the fact that humans, who are of the same species, can't seem to ever get along for long. There's always something to fight about. It's sad, but true. But conversely, the answers concerning personal reactions (not the world as a whole) was more optimistic. I myself would be quite interested and willing to be friendly, albeit cautiously.

Thanks for the answering the question. Always great to here the reader's thoughts.

Q: My only question is: are you excited for the Monster Musume Anime?! What was your reaction to the trailer? And if you haven't seen it, go watch it now!