Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.
There's a self-insertion in this chapter… well kind of. You'll see, it's early on. It's the kind of self-insertion that I think is acceptable. Don't judge until you read it, you'll understand then.
Review Responses: There were some reviews wondering about the 4th Sekirei. I said it before, but it's not one of Minato's canon Sekirei. Now, this doesn't mean that I have no intentions of adding a fifth or a sixth Sekirei (Such as Kazehana) because I could, however it'll never go beyond 7 for sure. It's just too many to write in at that point. Just saying that there are at least 4 for sure, 3 of which you already know and they're not the same ones that Minato had in the manga.
Also I have had some people mention that my story is too dark to be 'romance' and 'adventure'. The issue I have is that Fan Fiction only lets me choose 2 genres. If I could choose more there would definitely be stuff like drama and tragedy. The issue is I had to choose 2 genres when I could have easily chosen 6 (Tragedy, Humor, Drama and maybe Angst all come to mind as possible genres). I simply choose the two I felt would have the most prominent themes in my story 'overall'. Now it only seems like drama and tragedy and angst play a big role, but that's just because we've just come out of 2 dark chapters. Remember before that we just had like 4 chapters of happiness and joking around and with the exception of the prologue I wouldn't really label any chapter prior to that as 'dark and tragic' either. I'd label them more as balanced as the good and bad were about equal. There will be a little bit more sorrow in this chapter as Naruto finally lets his emotions run free but most of it would fit the 'adventure' category, with some humor thrown in, if I had to choose one of the genres available.
And finally, thank you everyone that stuck around for your support. It actually means a lot to me.
Chapter 12: Planning
Naruto didn't get much sleep that night despite being more exhausted than he could ever remember being. There had been too many conflicting emotions rampaging through his body and negative thoughts weighing down on his mind to get any real sleep. He had obtained only three hours of rest before he was up again.
He had left two clones behind with Akitsu and Yume. This was so that the former wouldn't be left alone and he could keep an eye on the latter. He definitely wanted to know when Yume woke up so he could be there. The second clone would dispel if Yume started to show signs of waking.
Minato and his Sekirei Kaho had moved into the room next to his. Naruto didn't know what to feel about that. Minato had helped him out on more than one occasion, and he was extremely thankful of that. However he was also nothing more than just a regular guy caught up in something much bigger than he was. Naruto had gotten some background checks on him when he had learned that he was Takami's son. Thankfully while he was related to the woman by blood, that was about the only thing the two shared.
Naruto didn't want to have to do anything extreme to Minato after everything the teen had done for him.
What did bother Naruto though was the reason for the two of them moving into Izumo Inn. It was obvious they followed him there and it was obvious that they did it because of Musubi, whose been replaced with Yume. That was going to be a complicated situation he didn't want to deal with right now.
Regardless the thing that bothered him the most was his broken promise to Minato. He had promised to save Kusano and he had failed. He was going to rectify this mistake no matter the cost.
Well, no matter the cost to Mikogami Hayato.
This brought Naruto to where he was now: Charlie Point. Charlie Point was a warehouse Naruto had purchased in the southern section of Shinto Teito. He had used one of his Yakuza contacts to purchase it for him under an assumed name. He hadn't wanted anyone tracing it back to him. The warehouse wasn't anything special. It had a rather nondescript external appearance that blended into the surroundings. There was absolutely nothing to differentiate it from any other warehouse around it. Within there were a few empty crates and shipping containers and that was about it. The only special part about it was the entrance. While there were 'supposedly' two entrances, a large sliding door to get the containers in and out and a standard doorway, in actuality only the standard door could be used.
The large sliding door had been welded shut on the inside. In addition to that a thick earthen wall had been raised to block the entrance. Even if someone managed to get it open their progress would be impeded by three feet of solid, chakra enhanced earth.
Even the standard doorway was beyond the norm. There were actually two doors: A bland external one with just a single deadbolt lock and key and an internal one. The internal one had two key locks that were outside of arms reach of each other and had to be turned at the same time while getting your retina and finger prints scanned. It was also keyed to Naruto so unless someone could look like him and duplicate themselves they weren't getting through that door.
Naruto didn't ask how the technology got there, it came with the building. He could only assume that the Yakuza were going to use it for their own purposes and then abandoned it for some reason.
What made this place special however wasn't how difficult entry was but what was hidden beneath it. The underground place had been built like one of the bunkers he had back in the Elemental Nations. While he wasn't exactly the greatest Doton user he was skilled enough to carve out a small complex beneath the warehouse. It was nothing more than simply moving earth and reinforcing the walls. He didn't need to create any schematics of the place as he was going based on the memories he had of similar bunkers he had resided in the past. Thankfully there hadn't been any subterranean utilities to deal with such as water mains and telephone lines.
The entrance was hidden very well, if rather unoriginal. The entrance was under a shipping container. There was another fake entrance in the far back corner of the warehouse but that didn't go anywhere and was rigged to explode should someone force it open.
The bunker wasn't as extravagant as the ones he had back in the Elemental Nations but it served its purpose. There were six rooms: A common room, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a training room and a storage room. There was also an emergency exit that could be used should the warehouse above be compromised.
However at the moment it wasn't being used as a resting point, but as a staging ground. The common room had been transformed into a command and control for the operations to come.
The room was sparse at the moment, but it didn't need to have much. Nailed to the southern wall with kunai was a map of the entirety of Shinto Teito. There was a large mat at the base of the staircase leading up to the entrance and a battery powered light fixture hung from the ceiling directly in the center of the room. A large round table was situated in the center of the room and had a map of southern Shinto Teito covering it.
It was this map that Naruto was hunched over. He was in his Hokage outfit as he analyzed the map. This wasn't the time to be his usual self. There was work to be done.
Standing silently around the table waiting for his orders were twelve shadow clones.
Naruto had promised that he would save Kusano, and he was going to do just that, even if he had to carve a bloody path through Shinto Teito to do it. From the two encounters he had with Mikogami he knew that Kusano was already winged. That meant Kusano was bound to Mikogami. That wouldn't stop him though. He had defied reality itself when he had created the seal to take down Madara. He was more than capable of figuring out how to transfer a bond from one person to another.
However before he could act he needed information. No more running in half-cocked.
"ANBU Squad." Four clones straight as Naruto addressed them. They were all dressed in standard ANBU garb: A grey ANBU vest over a black sleeveless shirt with a turtleneck, a pair of grey armguards over black gloves bicep high gloves, black pants, black sandals, and a white porcelain face mask. Three of the masks were blank but the leader of the group had his shaped like a fox. Naruto jabbed his finger at a large city block that had a red circle around it. "According to the Yakuza, Mikogami is said to be living in a large mansion here. It's encircled by a low wall but that shouldn't be any issue for you. You are to infiltrate and get any information regarding Mikogami, his Sekirei, family, the source of his financial well-being and any other information you may find pertinent. You know the drill, keep hidden and stay out of trouble. I don't want any corpses to appear until I'm ready. No need to put the bastard more on guard than he already is. Return here every twenty-four hours. If there are new orders or amendments to the old ones you'll get them then."
The four clones pressed a fist to their heart and bowed. A moment later they disappeared through the emergency exit.
Naruto snapped his fingers and two of his clones appeared at his side. These two were dressed like you every day resident of Shinto Teito. One of them was using his patent Oiroke no Jutsu "You two will go by the names Arthain Namikaze and Sasha Namikaze. You'll be dubbed the Namikaze Squad." Naruto said as he pointed to a large apartment complex near Mikogami's mansion. "You two will act as a married couple. You've just moved into the neighbourhood and you've rented out an apartment here." Naruto emphasised his point by thumping the place on the map a second time. "Your task is to watch the comings and goings of everyone in the mansion. I want a schedule within the week of those with regular hours and those without, the times they work and names of those that live in the mansion. If there are any other interesting arrivals or departures, let command and control know about it immediately. The ANBU squad will take care of the rest. Take the suitcase and duffle bag by the exit, there will be more orders, along with suggested personalities, in there with everything you need to get settled in." The two clones saluted Naruto and left after gathering their supplies.
Naruto pointed to three of his clones that were standing a little off to the side. "You men will be my distraction. Do you remember the three Yakuza men that threatened us the first time we approach the group in the east?"
The three clones shared looks and nodded their heads. Of course they would remembered, they were clones of him after all. Naruto had been insulted by some Yakuza tough guys but he had brushed off their insults pretty easily, those guys were the same no matter where you went. However the way those three had leered at Hanabi afterwards had pissed Naruto off. He almost started a war right there over it.
"I want you to transform into those three."
The clones used the Henge no Jutsu to change themselves into the Yakuza men that Naruto had almost torn to pieces a few months ago.
The first of the three clones had transformed himself into a large heavy set man. He had long black hair and black eyes. His nose was crooked as if it had been broken in a fight and hadn't healed properly. He stood six feet, five inches tall and weighed almost three hundred pounds.
The second man was a much smaller, wiry individual. He had short dyed blond hair and green eyes. He stood five feet, six inches and weighed almost hundred twenty pounds.
The last individual was the defacto 'leader' of the three. Standing at a respectable six feet in height he weighed two-hundred pounds, and all of it was muscle. He had short blue hair so dark it was almost black and black eyes. A large dragon tattoo wound its way down his right arm.
All three wore the same outfit that consisted of black ninja sandals, dark pants with a dark shirt, although the wiry man had decided to forgo the shirt entirely.
The three were only grunts but they wouldn't need to be high up in the chain. The three they were impersonating were essentially leg breakers and tough men. Bullies that existed for the sole purpose of harassing and making lives miserable for those that got on the wrong side of the Yakuza.
The world would be a better place without them.
"Once the Namikaze squad has created the schedule you three will be up to bat. Your task will be to 'deal' with two of Mikogami's full time female employees. Nothing too extreme but make sure they can never work at Mikogami's mansion again." The three Yakuza bruisers rubbed their hands together and grinned maliciously. Naruto sighed, sometimes his clones got too into their roles. Still it didn't matter to him as long as the job got done right. Mikogami, and those associated with him, were all targets. "In the mean time I want you to be seen around that part of town. The Yakuza you're impersonating have rivals here in the south. If you can rough up some of their men and cause a disturbance between the two rival Yakuza gangs, great. A war between two Yakuza factions would create a lot of noise and distract the authorities from our operations."
One of his Yakuza clones picked up a bat and grinned at Naruto, "Right-o Boss Man! This'll be fun!"
Naruto stared at his clone evenly for a moment, "Go."
The three shared grins between each other and head up the stairs and out the main entrance.
Naruto turned to another pair of clones. "I want you two to change into females."
The two clones nodded and went through a few hand signs. With a poof of smoke the two were transformed using a modified version of his Oiroke no Jutsu where they actually had clothing on. The two flipped through some more hand signs and with the use of a Henge no Jutsu changed their appearance into something familiar. It almost brought a tear to Naruto's eye.
As Naruto eyed the clones he had to admit they made good choices. The first had short pink hair and green eyes. She wore a sleeveless red shirt with a pink skirt, black stockings and red heels. She looked like Sakura and more than likely that clone was going to adopt the same personality. It was very easy to mimic people you had known most of your life.
The second clone had also mimicked someone Naruto had known quite well. The blue-eyed blonde haired clone was a perfect imitation of Ino. She wore a high sleeveless purple dress that went down to her knees with a small slit on the left side. Purple heels and a small ring on her middle finger finished the ensemble.
"Good choices." Naruto approved, "You two are Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka. You will get a job working for Mikogami Hayato. With a mansion that large he's bound to need a maid or twelve. There are going to be several… vacancies appearing in his work force soon as you are no doubt aware. Apply for work before the openings appear. If you apply afterwards it'll appear more suspicious. I have bought some fake identities for you from the Black Market. I made sure these are originals and not just an impersonation of someone else. Before you leave today to apply for a job working there we'll adjust the picture to match your looks. I want you in, fast. There won't be any other applications; I can assure you of that." He would make sure that the ANBU intercepted anyone else going for an interview. "This bunker will be where you live until you get accepted as a live-in at Mikogami's mansion. You're to stay in that form and act the part at all times. I want you two ready to meld seamlessly with your new work environment."
"Our task?"
"You're going to prep the mansion for the assault. ANBU squad will deal with the personnel; your role will be to deal with the structure itself. I'll need a room prepared for holding and one for interrogation. Other areas such as the security rooms will need to be rigged to explode the moment the assault begins. Your job will be to ensure that the seals are ready and in place before the assault begins."
"How will we know if we've been accepted for the job?"
Naruto tossed two cell-phones across the table. "I haven't sold all of them to the Yakuza yet, I kept a few spares just in case." Ino and Sakura each picked up a phone. "When you submit a resume you'll put your phone number as the sole method of contact, aside from face to face."
Naruto turned to the final clone. "You can probably already guess what your role is going to be."
The final clone nodded. "Yes, Shikamaru always said someone had to act as the central point of organization."
"Correct." Naruto replied, "All the information the other clones gather will be funneled through you to me. Likewise since I will be busy up north holding down the fort there I will be passing all new orders through you to them if I am unable to be here in person.
"So I should get comfortable then."
"Yes, unfortunately you're probably going to be confined to this bunker for the duration of the operation."
The clone shrugged and folded his arms across his chest, "Can't be help. The moment the general hits the front lines he stops being a general."
"Exactly, now I need to head back to Izumo Inn. With luck I can get there before Akitsu or Yume wake up." The original Naruto said.
"Have fun boss!" The clone said as he waved farewell to Naruto.
Naruto waved back and headed up the stairs and out the front entrance. The plans were set in motion and the wheels were beginning to spin. Hayato Mikogami would rue the day he stood against Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze.
x~X~x
It was mid-morning when Naruto made it back to Izumo Inn. It hadn't taken him very long to get back although he had been forced to take a few detours along the way. He wanted to keep his operations in the south a secret from everyone so that meant he had to take some extra precautions to avoid being seen.
He avoided the main streets like the plague, there was no telling who was working for whom and the street cameras were easily hacked by anyone with enough money. He also kept his senses stretched out as he felt for any large chakra sources in the vicinity. He had been forced into cover a couple times to avoid two different pairs of Sekirei and Ashikabi. Once he had been forced to take a complete round-about route to avoid a pair that was lounging on the roof of an apartment building admiring the sunrise.
He had felt a twinge of envy when he saw that. It felt like forever since he had been able to enjoy a good sunrise or sunset with someone he cared for.
However he made good time and had managed to return to Izumo Inn before Yume had awoken. Wall walking had helped because it allowed him to avoid most of the clutter in the alleyways when he was forced off the rooftops.
When he entered Izumo Inn the scent of breakfast wafted through the room. Miya was already awake and cooking breakfast in the kitchen. Naruto was hardly surprised that she was up already. She was extremely strong willed and she wouldn't let something like a little exhaustion prevent her from doing her duties. She loved the Inn too much for that.
"Good morning Miya." Naruto called as he walked through the main room towards the stairs leading up. There wasn't any point in trying to hide his presence. He was certain that Miya had been aware of his arrival before he had walked through the door.
He wouldn't have been surprised if she had been aware of when he left as well.
"Good morning Naruto-san, did you have a nice walk?" Miya called out from the kitchen. Naruto could hear the sound of utensils rapidly beating against the inside of a porcelain bowl.
"Yes, it definitely helped clear my mind." And my heart, Naruto thought but didn't voice that bit. Inaction never sat well with him and now that he had a firm goal to get him back on track to fulfill his promise he was feeling much better.
"That's good; I've just started on breakfast so it will be awhile. Please make sure you're washed up, I can smell you from in here. A bath has already been drawn with warm water in it." Miya commented in from within the kitchen.
Naruto frowned and sniffed himself. He didn't think he smelt 'that' badly but then women always seemed to have a keener sense of smell than men. He idly wondered how Miya would know that he would need a bath. After a moment Naruto just shrugged and chalked it up to women's intuition. Miya seemed to be far more aware of things than she really had any right to be and her dislike of technology didn't seem to affect her.
"Thanks Miya." Naruto replied as he headed upstairs.
Naruto could sense that the rest of the residents of the Inn were asleep. However with Akitsu he wasn't entirely sure. He was basing his analysis off how motionless the people felt. With the exception of Miya and himself there was no sense of movement in anything he felt. Akitsu however was still even when she was wide awake and fully alert.
It also appeared that Kaho was just as clingy as Musubi if what Naruto sensed was anything to go by. He could barely sense Minato due to Kaho's close proximity, she was probably on top of him. Naruto stopped at his door and focused on Kaho and Minato. The two of them really WERE in very close proximity, almost close enough for-
And there was Miya walking past him as she headed to their door. She held a finger to her mouth as she passed Naruto. The blonde shinobi grinned and quietly entered his room. No need to spoil Miya's fun. One of these days he would find out just 'how' she seemed to know everything that was going on in her Inn.
The room was just the way he had left it. Nothing had been moved or was out of place. Yume was still on her back under the covers of her futon. Akitsu however was wide awake.
She also appeared to be hugging his clone like he was a plushie doll.
"Good morning Akitsu." Naruto said quietly.
Akitsu blinked at Naruto for a moment before she squeezed her arms together. There was a poof sound as Naruto's clone exploded into a puff of smoke. "Morning Naruto-sama." Akitsu greeted him in return.
"I see my clone explained some things to you." Naruto stated. The memories that Naruto gained indicated that the clone had mentioned to Akitsu what he was and that the original was out for a walk and would be back soon. Akitsu apparently was very perceptive, or maybe it was because of the bond, because she seemed to know almost instantly that the clone wasn't the real Naruto. The clone almost got a chest full of icicles before he was able to explain things.
A second set of memories hit him confirming what the first set had shown. The second clone he had left behind to watch Yume had just dispelled itself.
In response to Naruto Akitsu just tilted her head and looked at him curiously, "Ah, I guess my clone never mentioned it. Whenever they dispel like that I gain every memory, every feeling, every emotion they felt while they were active."
"Ah, alright." Akitsu said as she accepted him what he said. She didn't appear to doubt him for an instant. All of a sudden a small smile and a light blush marred Akitsu's otherwise expressionless face. It was gone almost as quickly but for some reason Naruto suddenly feared retribution from Miya.
"How long have you been awake?" Naruto asked as he sat done beside Yume's futon.
Before Akitsu could respond there was a loud scream from the neighbouring room. A second scream followed the first; this one had a deeper tone to it, which was probably Kaho. It appeared that Miya was making her formal 'introduction'.
Akitsu and Naruto stared at the wall separating the two rooms. A small sweat drop rolled down the back of Akitsu's head while Naruto just chuckled lightly to himself.
"It seems Miya is having some fun again." Naruto said with a grin still stretched across his face. It was oddly enjoyable thought since he wasn't on the receiving end of it for a change.
"Miya?" A tired voice asked.
Naruto's head whipped around in an instant. Yume was beginning to stir. The Sekirei lethargically brought a hand up to her eyes and rubbed them gently. Naruto reached under the futon and gripped her free hand in one of his own. He used the other to gently help her up into a sitting position. The futon cover slid down exposing her bare chest and stomach. The large No. 08 crest was still visible on her stomach.
"Yume, how are you feeling?" Naruto asked softly. He had no doubt that this was her.
Yume opened her eyes and looked over at Naruto. Musubi's eyes were gone; they were replaced with Yume's including the yin-yang symbol that replaced each iris. "Naruto-kun?" Yume asked in confusion. Her mind was still waking up and hadn't processed what that actually meant.
"I'm here Yume." Naruto said gently as he gently rubbed her back. He had no idea what was going on inside her head right now but he knew her feelings were a turbulent mess. It almost felt like a combination of Musubi's and her.
Yume stared at Naruto for a long moment before her eyes widened in shock, "No! Musubi-chan!" She held her hand up to her chest and closed her eyes. A couple moments later she slumped and tears began to leak from her eyes. That was all the confirmation that Naruto needed. He had been almost one hundred percent certain that Musubi was gone but only Yume could confirm it for sure.
Naruto slide back across the floor and bowed his head to the floor beside Yume. His eyes watered and his voice was thick as he spoke, "I'm so sorry." Yume looked over at him in surprise. "It's all my fault."
Despite her own sorrow she reached out and touched the side of Naruto's face, "No, don't be. Please Naruto-kun, raise your head. It's not your fault."
The door to the room slide open a little.
"But it is. It is my fault." Naruto said, he kept his head bowed to Yume. "Musubi is gone because of me. I was the one that ordered Kurama to sever and transfer her bond. I was the one that let Kurama go ahead and intercept the deactivation command. It's my fault that the mental shockwave destroyed Musubi's already fragile core."
Yume grasped Naruto's head between her hands and buried his face in her chest. She lowered her face into his hair and cried into it, "It's not your fault Naruto-kun." She whispered through her sobs. "There was no way you could have known. You were just trying to save Musubi-chan."
Yume had sensed the struggle happening inside Naruto. Just like part of Musubi had been inside Naruto, a part of Naruto had been inside Musubi. With Yume's consciousness being within Musubi's subconscious she had been far more aware of the struggle that took place within her Ashikabi. She had also been aware of the feelings of desperation and desire to protect the ones he cared about.
The door slide quietly shut and soft footsteps made their way down the hall.
"I said I would save you both, I promised!" Naruto shouted into Yume's chest as he clenched his fists so hard that his nails drew blood.
A second pair of arms encircled Naruto's waist as Akitsu embraced him from behind. The silent ice Sekirei said nothing. She simply held Naruto and gave him what support and comfort she could.
"You promised to find a way to make me happy, just like you did with Musubi. Musubi was happy even at the very end. You gave Musubi everything she had ever wanted, and more, in an Ashikabi." Yume lifted Naruto's head from her bosom so that she could look him in the eyes. His eyes were as red and puffy as hers felt. All the emotion that he had held back the night before was beginning to leak out. "It hurts that Musubi is gone but she left the way she would have always wanted to. She died fighting for her Ashikabi with a heart full of love. If there had to be an end, she would have desired no other."
The rational part of Naruto's mind agreed with Yume. Musubi was a battle fanatic. Aside from her Ashikabi and food there was nothing she desired more than to fight. However Naruto wasn't ready to be rational just yet.
Yume knew what Naruto was going through, not only could she feel what he felt but she hurt inside almost as much. The little bird she had sacrificed so much for long ago had lost her wings and fallen. However unlike Naruto she was able to deal with the loss more easily. She had been more in tune with Musubi than Naruto. While she had wished that Musubi had lived a longer life, after she had met Naruto Musubi had lived a good life.
Yume still had over a hundred brothers and sisters left as well.
Naruto had lost far more than Yume. While one may think this would make Naruto more used to the pain of death and loss it was actually the reverse. He was at the breaking point where he had simply suffered too much to keep going any longer. The number of precious people he had left could be counted on a single hand. He had already lost so much that he held on incredibly tight to the few he had left. This made the pain of their departure and loss that much more acute than it would have been otherwise.
And finally while there was still a bond between Naruto and Yume, he could feel the loss of Musubi. While some Ashikabi could shrug off a lost Sekirei like it was nothing, Naruto could not. By virtue of his mindscape the bond he shared with his Sekirei was far deeper and powerful than what most Sekirei and their Ashikabi shared.
Yume brought Naruto's face close and kissed him soundly. Eight brilliant white wings burst from her back and bathed the room in a soft glow. "Naruto-kun, I know that Musubi would not want you to be sad or unhappy. I know she will live on in your heart, as she lives on in mine. She lived her life with an earnest desire to bring happiness and love to all."
"Yume…"
"Shhh." She said as she wrapped her arms around Naruto and pulled him close. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and let it all go. All the pain, all the loss, all the sorrow he had been holding back since the night before. Yume gave Akitsu a sad, pain filled smile as she rested her head on Naruto's shoulder.
Akitsu gave a small smile in return and held Naruto just a little bit tighter.
x~X~x
It was four hours later when Yume left the room she shared with her Ashikabi, two since her Ashikabi had fallen asleep. Breakfast had obviously come and gone but no one in the room had any appetite so to speak. Oddly no one had come to disturb them either. Lunch time was fast approaching.
She had put on a set of Musubi's shrine maiden clothing, although she resolved to request a few sets of her old clothing from MBI in the near future. Although she was no longer a part of the S-Guard she still preferred those clothing, they were easier to move in.
Naruto was still sound asleep back in his room having fallen asleep after he had exhausted himself mentally and emotionally. It had taken him awhile to cry himself to sleep. He had a lot of pent up emotions bottled up. From the failure to save Kusano to the loss of Musubi, everything had taken a major toll on his already emotionally unstable state. Yume wished that Hanabi could have been here to stay at his side, she was closer to him than anyone, but that was unfortunately not possible. Instead Akitsu would have to do; the ice Sekirei had been all too happy to stay at his side.
She wanted to stay at his side longer as well but there were more than likely some questions that people would want answers to.
As Yume made her way towards the staircase she could make out a few voices floating up from downstairs. She recognized Miya's voice but there was a second, deeper and more masculine, voice that she was unfamiliar with.
"Good morning No. 01, Miya." Yume said as she reached the base of the staircase.
The conversation in the room ceased as Yume greeted Miya. Yume was now able to identify the second voice she had heard from upstairs. There was a scruffy looking man with messy black hair and lecherous dark eyes lounging at the end of the table. It appeared as if he knew Miya from the laid back attitude and familiarity he exhibited.
Aside from Miya, who was giving her a serious look, he was the only other person in the room. There were a couple of empty bowls sitting on the table in front of the man.
Seo grinned at Yume as he eyed her up and down, "Yo, it's good to see you again little lad-." Seo stopped and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her more closely, "You're not Musubi."
"No, I am not." Yume confirmed as she moved to sit at the table, away from Seo.
"What the hell is going on here?" Seo demanded, "That's Musubi's body, I know it is, I memorized all her measurements perfectly the last time-." He was cut off as a large stone smacked him in the head.
"Fufufu, I'm sorry Seo-san, my hands slipped." Miya said as retrieved the blood-stained stone. Despite her words she didn't look or sound very sincere in her apology.
"I'm No. 08, Yume, The Sekirei of Fate and former head of the S-Plan Guard." Yume introduced herself.
Seo sighed and leaned back on his hand. He brought his other one up to rub his forehead, "Damnit things just got a lot more complicated." Seo picked up a toothpick and began to clean his teeth. It calmed him a little.
"So that really is you then Yume-san?" A new voice came from the side.
Homura entered the living room. He was dressed in his usually white button up dress shirt and dark dress pants. Aside from a few bandages that could be seen wrapped around the worst of his injuries he looked fine. Most of his injuries from the night before had been superficial, aside from the self-immolation ones.
"No. 06, Homura." Yume greeted, "Yes, I am Yume. Musubi is…" Yume trailed off as she tried to find the best way of explaining it, "Musubi has lost her wings."
"Are there any chances of her regaining them?" Yume shook her head negatively. Homura nodded sadly and leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes and rubbed his chest, "I'm sorry. If I had fought harder maybe we could have beaten Mutsu before her Norito ran out."
That should satisfy Takami. Yume was back, Musubi was gone. No one could mistake the woman sitting there at the table for Musubi. There was a grace and maturity that the younger Sekirei couldn't even hope to match.
And then there were the eyes. Yume was the only Sekirei that had 'unique' eyes.
"It's not your fault Homura." Yume replied as she gave Homura a gentle smile, "You did all you could, had you done more you would not have survived, and redoubled efforts still may not have been enough to save Musubi in the end. At least you're still alive. You still have a chance to find love and gain wings of your own."
Homura grimaced as he stared down at his defective body. He would never find an Ashikabi, those that wielded the flame were cursed by the gods and his body was proof of that. He scratched his chest again.
"I… I'm back." Minato's voice floated in from outside.
Miya quickly made her way to the front door and opened it. "Ara, welcome back!" She greeted the two. She quickly took in Minato's haggard appearance and apparent struggle with the ten kilogram bags of rice. She put her hands together in front of her mouth, "I'm sorry. It was too heavy, right?" Miya apologized. This time it was a real apology.
"Haha, ah, not really." They could hear Minato say as he tried to brush away Miya's concerns.
"Has Musubi woken up yet?" Another voice floated in from outside, this one was female. Yume smiled as she recognized it. She hadn't heard that voice in years but she still remembered her as a child.
She was happy the other bird she had saved had found her own set of wings but she wasn't looking forward to breaking the bad news about her sister.
Miya no longer had a care free expression on her face as she regarded the two. "Why don't you come on in?" She said gently as she moved out from the doorway.
Almost before Miya vacated the doorway Kaho came rushing through with three large bags of rice. Her eyes darted quickly around the room. Her face lit up as they came to rest on Yume. "Musubi!" Kaho shouted as she started to run towards her friend. She tossed her load to the side. She was so preoccupied with getting to Musubi she didn't even notice the shout of pain as the packages beaned Seo in the face.
Kaho's charge across the room stopped abruptly though when Yume gave her a sad smile, "Musubi?" Kaho searched Yume's face for any sign of her old friend. Her eyes suddenly widened in realization, "Yume-sama!"
"It's good to see you're doing well Kaho-chan."
Seo glared at Kaho, "What the fuc-." A rock smacked him in the head. He glanced over at Miya as she demurely retrieved her rock. He would have glared at Miya but he didn't want to get smacked a third time.
During this chaos Minato entered the Inn at a much more sedate pace than his Sekirei. Unlike Kaho he couldn't move at warp speed while carrying five times his body weight.
"Yo!" A bloody and bruised Seo greeted him as Minato walked through the front door. The young man tripped over his feet and face faulted into the floor.
"Seo?! What the fuck are you doing here?" Minato shouted. A rock bounced off Minato's head, although this one was significantly smaller than the one Seo had been smacked with.
"No swearing in Izumo Inn." Miya said as she pocketed the small rock she had thrown at Minato. Seo was beginning to wonder just where the heck Miya kept all of her projectiles.
Kaho was oblivious to her Ashikabi's chastisement as her eyes memorized Yume's features, "What happened to Musubi?" Kaho asked nervously, although she knew the answer without even asking the question.
"She fought Mutsu to the very end. She never gave an inch and never gave up. It was… not enough." Yume responded with a sad shake of her head. Musubi's death was particularly painful because unlike other Sekirei she couldn't be brought back.
Kaho inhaled sharply. She closed her eyes and let out a long shuddering sigh, "At least she went down fighting." Kaho said. Her friend was gone, it hurt, she had hoped that maybe, just maybe it was temporary and she would come back.
But it was not to be. At least she had gone out honorably.
x~X~x
"Seo?! What the fuck are you doing here?"
Naruto started out of his sleep and abruptly sat up, ready for combat, as the shouting downstairs broke through his slumber. As a shinobi he had learned never to sleep too deep. A shinobi that did never woke up. Back in the Elemental Nations all it would take to wake an entire complex of battle hardened shinobi was a single shout, sometimes even an out of place smell was enough of a trigger.
He felt movement beside him as Akitsu sat up as well. She must have nestled in beside him after he had fallen asleep. He quickly glanced around the room and noticed that Yume was out. He stretched his senses and found her downstairs with some other individuals. He could sense Miya, Homura, Minato and his Sekirei and one other that he couldn't quite place a finger on. He felt as if he should remember it but couldn't.
There must be some sort of party going on downstairs and that's what the shouting was all about. Naruto wasn't in the mood for one at the moment though. However since there wasn't any clear or present danger he let himself relax.
He stretched out his arms as he yawned tiredly. Even if he could wake up in a hurry it didn't mean that he liked to do so. Whenever he woke up like that and found it was a false alarm his awareness always bled away into his usual morning sleepiness. Naruto would have gone back to sleep if it wasn't already noon.
He could smell the food wafting up from the kitchen but despite his hunger he wasn't in any mood to eat. He had gotten a bite to eat early in the morning when he had headed to Charlie Point. That will have to be enough to get him through to dinner.
There was something else he needed to do. Another promise he had made that he was not going to break.
"Akitsu." Naruto said as he smiled at the Sekirei. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
"I think it's time I started to work on my promise to you."
Akitsu's eyes widened slightly and her slips parted. A small glimmer of hope shimmered in those dark eyes of hers. To Naruto who was beginning to understand Akitsu better that was akin to Musubi jumping for joy and shouting about love at the top of her lungs.
It was odd how Naruto seemed to have obtained Sekirei of two completely different extremes.
Two clouds of smoke erupted at the foot of the bed and two of his clones appeared. Naruto quickly bit his thumb and wiped some blood on the seal on his shoulder. He manipulated the chakra so that only his desired item came forth. There was another, smaller, puff of smoke two scrolls, one small and one large, appeared from thin air.
Naruto tossed a scroll to each of his clones. Naruto pointed to the clone with the large scroll, "This should have been done a while ago but there was never any time. I want you to make a replacement for the chakra transfer seal we used on Yashima. Allow for the room and ability to create on the fly modifications and adaptations."
The chakra transfer seal he had used on Yashima was something he had made years ago. Between the time he had made that seal array and the time he had trapped Madara he had made some significant leaps in Fuinjutsu. Creating a functional seal that allowed for dynamic modification and change on the fly had been impossible for him before but it was well within his capabilities now.
"Yes boss!" The clone said as he went to the desk and unfurled the scroll across it. It was a blank scroll but it would soon hold a chakra transfer technique. Naruto didn't know if he would need it to transfer Kusano's bond but it couldn't hurt to have it just in case.
Naruto turned to the second clone, "You're going to be taking notes. I'm going to be analyzing Akitsu's Sekirei Core, Seal and chakra. I won't be able to write my findings down so that's your task in case I miss something."
He and his clones had something similar to the Yamanaka techniques. They could only use it with each other, due to the unique connection that all Shadow Clones shared, but it still had its uses for research. In reality it was simply an improvement over the standard memory transfer technique that occurs when the Shadow Clone dies. Instead of waiting until death information could be sent while the clone and the original were alive. It also allowed for two way communication.
There were quite a few downsides to it with one of the major ones being its requirement of physical contact.
"And as for you." Naruto said as he turned to look up into the corner of the room. He stared directly into the small camera that was furiously recording his every movement. "No peeping allowed." Naruto said as he summoned a kunai and flung it at the camera.
A cry of disappointment echoed from a couple rooms down.
"And me Naruto-sama?" Akitsu asked as she stared up at her Ashikabi.
Naruto grinned at her as he got up out of the futon. "Could I get you to lie down on top of the futon?" Naruto said as he straightened the bedding out. As Akitsu moved to lie down Naruto spoke up again, "Aheh, I… It's not too much to ask for you to remove your dress is it? Direct skin contact-." He didn't even get to finish what he was going to say before Akitsu had taken her clothes off and left them folded neatly beside the bed.
Naruto took a moment to admire Akitsu fully. He still marveled at how flawless the Sekirei appeared to be, especially his own. As his eyes trailed down her body a drop of sweat rolled down the back of his head.
"You didn't need to remove you panties." Naruto pointed out as he noticed the lack of a certain piece of clothing.
"Ah, I forgot." Akitsu said. Naruto glanced around the room and noticed a pair of lace panties bunched up on the floor against the wall. Naruto looked down at Akitsu's naked body for a few long moments before looking her in the eye.
"You forgot?" Naruto asked as he raised his eyebrow. A small blush painted her face but she said nothing. "I suppose it doesn't matter. I can't say I don't enjoy the view."
Now that all the preparations were completed it was time to get started. "It may take a couple sessions or tries to get this right but I'll keep at it until I fix your seal Akitsu."
"I believe in you Naruto-sama." Akitsu said softly.
Naruto smiled down at his Sekirei again as he placed a hand gently between her breasts right over her Sekirei core. Hanabi was the only Sekirei that had their core in an odd place, and that was due to the nature of the transfer. He placed three fingers on Akitsu's forehead.
As he did so he felt his second clone position himself behind Naruto. As Naruto's clone placed his hand on the back of Naruto's head Naruto began to channel some chakra into the seal and began to analyze it.
The amount of chakra he was using was, at least for him, incredibly small. He didn't push the chakra into the seal so much as coat it with his own. He stretched it out thin and slowly began to let it sink into Akitsu's skin.
As Naruto suspected the markings on Akitsu's forehead were focal points. The seal itself was actually far larger and, to Naruto's surprise, three dimensional. Every seal Naruto had ever dealt with had been two dimensional. Even his crowning achievement, the cause-effect bending seal, was two-dimensional. It had a three dimensional effect but the seal grid itself was on two dimensions.
This was incredible. Whoever created it was a genius, perhaps even better than he was.
Completely insane, perhaps, but a complete genius.
The reason Naruto felt the person was insane was due to what the seal actually did. Naruto put more chakra into the sheet and changed its shape to more amorphous, blob shape. He kept the chakra very fine and noted various things as the chakra probe worked its way through Akitsu's head. Because of how fine and in tune he was with his own chakra he was able to identify when it encountered resistance. There was always some resistance as his chakra encountered the chakra from Akitsu's core but he could feel the thin strands of chakra that powered the seal because of the difference in chakra concentration and resistance.
It was through this that he realized that the seal wound its way through Akitsu's brain. Virtually every part of the brain was connected with the seal in some way shape or form although the parts of the brain that were linked with interpretation of emotion seemed to be the most tightly coupled part.
It was ingenious that the seal could do so much with so little chakra in such a tightly confined space. Naruto couldn't even begin to guess at how difficult it would have been to create something like this. If everything wasn't 'just' right the person would suffer catastrophic brain damage.
It would take centuries, if not millennia, to get something like this right without having to sacrifice thousands in horrific experiments. Even then some would have to be sacrificed to get it right because from what Naruto could determine there was absolutely no way someone could account for all the different variables and variations in people's minds. There had to be some sort of baseline to work from, a baseline that would require human volunteers.
It was so complex that Naruto hoped Akitsu's problem was simple otherwise it may take him years to fix her.
The seal extended beyond just Akitsu's head however as Naruto noticed several lines of chakra running down the cerebral cortex. He eased his chakra from her mind and slowly made his way down the spinal column following the lines.
When he reached the nap of the neck he paused. This is where the wings appeared from the back of a Sekirei and this is where the crest 'should' be. And this is where it was. There was another seal matrix, although Naruto could tell it was slightly different from the one on her forehead. It had the same focal points but the underlying sealing array was vastly different.
Naruto also noticed that the primary focal point in the center, the yin-yang symbol, acted as a point of contact. Naruto could feel a sort of pull or attraction from the point as it absorbed some of his chakra. This must be how the deactivation commands were received. All it would take would be the right level of chakra manipulated in the right way and the sealing array would interpret it as well…
Naruto's eyes widened. This could be used for more than just simple deactivation. Naruto hadn't the time to fully understand the all the nuances of the sealing array he was analyzing, that could take months, but this could theoretically allow for much more than simple deactivation. Depending on how the sealing array was designed ANY command could be received and forcefully obeyed.
This meant it could potentially be used to forcefully alter the bond, or even remove it entirely, between Ashikabi and Sekirei. He would definitely need to spend more time analyzing this seal. It could be a way to free Kusano and get her back. It wouldn't be enough by itself, he would need to devise a means preventing someone else from utilizing that technique on her in the future, but it was a step in the right direction.
Naruto noticed a second point of interest here. The focal points at the skin were currently deactivated. Well not so much deactivated as in there was no chakra flowing through them. He only noticed the sealing array was there because unlike the rest of Akitsu it was actually a 'void'. It was an area where no chakra flowed or could penetrate. Apparently the sealing array was also designed to reject everything but the chakra fed to it through a specific means, the focal point on the nape of the neck being the sole exception.
The reason there was no chakra running through them was due to a smaller two-dimensional sealing array blocking the access points to the nape of the neck. It was actually redirecting the chakra along an alternate pathway.
And that's what the seal on the forehead was for! It was there to utilize and store the excess chakra that would normally be used to wing a Sekirei. If Naruto's past experience was anything to go by then the chakra he fed into the Sekirei through the mouth had to go somewhere. Normally it was fed directly to the seal on their back but in Akitsu's case it was redirected when it got there back to her forehead.
At least that's what he thought anyways, well there was one way to test it for sure.
Not even fully aware of his movements Naruto bent over and kissed Akitsu. The brown haired Sekirei closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss.
No, Naruto realized his hypothesis was incorrect. He could feel his chakra being absorbed by the sealing array in Akitsu's mouth like he thought but instead of being sent to the nape of the next it was sent through an auxiliary sealing grid he hadn't noticed before. This one was imbedded in the back of her mouth. Instead of travelling to the nape of the neck it actually curled around into the brain. It touched on several of her emotional areas. Naruto actually felt a minor genjutsu trigger and alter the interpretation of emotions in her mind before the chakra finally settling in the seal on her forehead.
Where most of the chakra was then forcefully expelled.
Naruto deepened the kiss. His tongue entered Akitsu's mouth and began to play with her own. The ice Sekirei moaned and battled back furiously.
This time Naruto did more than just let the sealing array absorb the chakra in his saliva. He breathed more chakra, pure chakra, into her mouth. The sealing array in her mouth almost visibly glowed as it struggled to absorb everything that Naruto was putting in. Naruto wanted to know what the limit of this new grid was. It was obvious based on its construct that it was different than the rest of the array within Akitsu. That meant there had been some points of disconnect and reconnect that had been shifted and altered.
As Naruto did this he came to a realization. There was apparently a limit on how much chakra could be absorbed orally. As he watched his chakra flow through the routes in Akitsu's mind he knew that oral injection of chakra would never be enough to figure it out. He could modify the sealing array in her mouth to absorb more chakra, that seal he was familiar with and it wasn't as complex as some of the other sections, the actual pathways in the mind were too delicate to take any more than they already were. The limiter was actually there for the Sekirei's safety.
He would need Hanabi to get a better idea of what was going on.
He could manipulate chakra directly into the seal at the nape of her neck but unless he got rid of the block it wouldn't do any good. The seal would be active but it wouldn't do anything. The seal would prevent any sort of bond from forming between the two. It would be an incomplete activation, which was possibly even worse than none at all. It all came down to that block at the nape of her neck. He needed to remove it somehow or Akitsu would never get winged. In addition the redirect in her mouth needed to be removed entirely.
Naruto used the hand he had laid upon Akitsu's chest to help guide his chakra through the rest of her body. He needed to keep a hand on her forehead to analyze the sealing array there, and to be aware of any issues should they arise. He wanted to check out how pervasive the sealing array was throughout the rest of her body.
The sealing array continued down the length of her spine. The only branch on the way down was a little ways down from the winged seal on her back where the sealing array connected up with the Sekirei core. This was more than likely to power the entire array.
As he traced the sealing array further down it stopped at Akitsu's hips and another large sealing array could be found. This one was almost as complex, if not more, than the one in Akitsu's mind.
Naruto was an expert on human anatomy; he had to be so that he knew where best to stab someone, so he knew what this sealing array was affecting.
The womb.
It would take him months to reverse engineer the entire grid but he was almost certain that it was there to ensure that any child Akitsu had would be bound in the same manner as the mother was. It was probably there to imprint and build a new sealing array similar to it in whatever child Akitsu had.
Akitsu gasped in pleasure as Naruto inserted a couple fingers into her. It was incredibly warm and damp inside so there wasn't any resistance. He channeled some chakra through his hands and coated his skin with a thin layer. The sealing array here was so complex that the little amount of chakra that Naruto was able to bring down from her head wasn't enough to get a clear picture. He was looking for a secondary pathway for chakra input.
He worked his fingers furiously inside her twisting them this way and that as he poked and prodded everything within reach. There had to be a secondary chakra absorption way, Naruto could feel it instinctually. No one would create a sealing array this complex without some sort of secondary chakra absorption. What would happen if the primary one in the mouth was damage by accident?
And there it was! Naruto noticed it as Akitsu bucked her hips and let out a longer shuddering moan. He didn't even notice as his hand was washed in fluid so busy was he. However at the moment of Akitsu's climax he had seen the absorption array. It was much farther inside her and would require something far longer than his fingers to reach.
Either it would take Hanabi's expert fingers and her ability to extend chakra or his…
Naruto jerked and pulled away from Akitsu. He hadn't realized he had just brought Akitsu to her first orgasm. The ice wielding Sekirei was breathing heavily as she rested on the futon with her eyes closed. Her lips were parted and there was a satisfied smile on her face.
He pulled his fingers from her wet entrance and stared at them for a moment in speculation. They were completely covered in Akitsu's fluids and a small puddle was beginning to form between her legs. The futon was going to need to be washed now and Miya was most definitely going to be asking questions.
"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed as his mind fully processed just what he had done to Akitsu. He had been so absorbed in analyzing the complex sealing array that he hadn't realized he had brought his Sekirei to a climax.
Naruto felt his clone behind him poof and memories raced back. The clone had written down everything that he had wanted it to, and then some. There were even drawings of various sealing arrays found within Akitsu. The arrays around the womb and mind were not there, being three dimensional the clone didn't have the tools required to draw it, but the seal on the forehead, the one at the nape of the neck, the sealing array used to redirect his chakra and the two absorption arrays had all been drawn out into the scroll.
That was good. Between what he remembered and the arrays in that scroll it would be a good place to start. He wouldn't be able to finish and fix Akitsu until Kurama got better however. When he winged Akitsu he wanted Kurama to be there, and aware of it, so that he can imprint her with his own orb instead of whatever it was that Musubi had been connected to.
Naruto used his dry hand to brush some of his hair from his forehead. "Ahah, sorry about that Akitsu."
Akitsu opened her eyes and smiled at Naruto, it was the first full fledge smile he had ever seen on her face, "Ah, I don't mind Naruto-sama. I liked it."
At least he didn't have to feel guilty with her. Unlike Musubi Akitsu was apparently fully aware of sex and was more than willing to accept his ministrations. "Anyways some good news and some bad news. First off it may be awhile before I can fix you, I need a friend to get better first, however the good news is that you can be fixed."
Akitsu's smile didn't leave her face, if anything it grew a little larger, "Thank you Naruto-sama." She'd be willing to wait however long it took for Naruto to fix her. The knowledge that she could be fixed was like ambrosia to her.
"I've discovered a few things as well. You know how when I kissed you it seemed as if my chakra did nothing?" Akitsu nodded, she had felt that as well, "Well that's because there's a seal in the back of your mouth that redirects my chakra to your forehead. Along the way it forces you to feel badly about the situation and then rejects the chakra I gave you. Whoever designed this seal is a genius and completely evil." Naruto said. It was downright evil what the sealing array was doing to Akitsu, pure evil. However Naruto couldn't help but admire, from a professional point of view, just how amazing of a Fuinjutsu construct it was. It took the art her had mastered and took it to an entirely new dimension. There were entire complex sealing array had Ninjutsu and Genjutsu techniques and elements embedded in various sections. He smiled down at Akitsu, "However what this means is that you're not broken Akitsu and you've done nothing wrong. Someone has deliberately disrupted your ability to be winged. You can still be winged; it's just that the chakra that's supposed to wing you is being redirected at the moment."
"So…" Akitsu started.
Naruto grinned at her as he scratched the back of his head, "So that means all I need to do is either get rid of the redirect or use an alternate route and you're fixed. Both methods are viable. Both come with their own risks however. Getting rid of the redirect could have some unforeseen side effects on you and could cause you harm."
Akitsu sat up and wrapped her arms around his chest, making sure to press her ample chest into his side. "I don't care so long as I can be yours Naruto-sama."
"Well I care." Naruto said as he hugged her back, "Even though you're not my Sekirei yet, I still care about you."
"And the second method? What are those risks Naruto-kun?" Yume asked from her spot beside the desk.
Naruto started for a moment. He hadn't realized Yume had returned. He had been so busy with Akitsu that he had been completely oblivious to his surroundings. He really was getting rusty. Thankfully nothing bad came about as a result. Yume was probably one of the few people he'd trust with what he was doing.
It was probably that trust he had for her that prevented him from sensing her. His battle instincts probably ignored her completely.
"The second method risks my life at the hands of Miya." Naruto said with a grin as he envisioned what Miya would do to him. "Winging occurs when the chakra in an Ashikabi's saliva is absorbed by the mouth and sent to various points in the body, like the nape of the neck, and causes the Sekirei to gain her 'wings'. The chakra that's currently being sent into her mouth is being redirected; however there's a secondary absorption area inside her." Naruto said as he pointed at Akitsu's wet entrance. "Due to its nature it's capable of absorbing far more chakra than the oral method and if I were to channel the maximum amount I can through it I can wing her. Of course then I'd have to run for my life."
Yume smiled at Naruto, "Well, Miya said no illicit activities at Izumo Inn. So why not go somewhere else?"
Naruto mulled that over for a moment before a lecherous grin spread across his face. "Oh Yume, you are awesome. When Kurama is better maybe the three of us can have a… field trip. I know this great hot spring in the western part of Shinto Teito."
The hot springs was actually part of Beta Point and owned by the largest Yakuza group in Japan. Naruto was on very good terms with the Yakuza over there having down several favors for them the first month he was here in the city. They were so powerful even MBI was hesitant to directly face them. It was hard to deal with the shadowy underground in the first place, but one as powerful as them as just as many connections in the government as MBI did.
Yume's smile widened as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "That would be lovely Naruto-kun."
"Ah, yes, I want it." Akitsu said.
Well that's two for three. He should invite Hanabi as well. Sometimes it was better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission but with Hanabi it was usually more painful to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission. "Maybe I could invite Hanabi as well if she's feeling better. She could use some time away from that hospital."
Provided Hanabi didn't castrate him for his philandering ways it was going to be a good time, a very good time.
No one noticed the small yellow rubber ducky propped up in the corner of one of the shelves.
Or the gentle smile that graced the face of the one listening in on the opposite end.
Author's Note: Alright, this chapter was difficult to write. I find character building sections the most difficult for me. I excel at info dumps, combat scenes and plotting. Actually plotting is what I excel at the most. The first scene with Naruto at Charlie Point was very easy to write then the next section was difficult. Things didn't get easy until I reached the Akitsu and Naruto part.
I hope my explanation of Sekirei makes sense. To me Fuinjutsu is FAR more flexible and adaptable than the Naruto manga has made it out to be thus far. Fuinjutsu allows you to seal stuff, but if you can seal 'anything…' Well you can technically seal seals, seal other techniques, etc., your options basically become limitless. Fuinjutsu can be used to accomplish anything. I'm taking this theory and running with it to infinity and beyond!
No but seriously I may use the wrong terms and wording at times but I hope the intention is getting across properly. The concept is that there is a massive chakra powered construct embedded within each and every Sekirei and this construct is what basically make Sekirei, Sekirei. Everything from the wings, to the crest, to the bond, to the core, to how Sekirei descendants are still affected by Jinki even after the original Sekirei are dead, to basically every concept introduce in Sekirei is explained. Sekirei in the manga right now are basically a giant black box. We know what goes in, we know what comes out, but we have no clue how anything works 'inside' the Sekirei. I have opened that box and revealed my interpretation of what it looks like on the inside.
I seem to be using Yakuza a lot in this chapter. In a way I guess it could be considered a Dues Ex Machina as they're a convenient tool to get Naruto what he wants easily without effort. There will be limits to it however. They're not going to be an information tool like Matsu for instance. They're not going to suddenly take a major prominent role in my story either. In fact as of right now I have no plans to reference them again after this arc.
And finally I'm in the story! Arthain Namikaze! I get to peep on people! Yay! I'm not going to have a very big role in my story. I'm gonna be like a Tertiary character or something. It's more akin to choosing me as a basis for the way an undercover clone dresses and acts. Again like the Yakuza there currently aren't any plans for me to be involved in this story beyond this arc and even then I have a relatively minor role.