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 Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.
Author's Notes: People probably want the continuation of last chapter, more information of Yuuchi and everything she said. It's coming, just not this chapter, or the next. I'll go back over it so just be patient and enjoy this chapter. I'm trying something a little different here. So for the next few chapters put all the darkness on the backburner and enjoy!
This is also the only time I can do this because things are about to get crazy and there won't be any time for it.
Also, their order and length has no bearing on preference. I simply made the chapters as long as they needed to be, dragging it out would make it lose meaning, and their order is based on what's logical. Also each chapter is significantly different than the others, but catered to the individual highlighted therein.
Finally there will be a very sexual scene at the end, but I think I actually managed to write it so that it's not X-rated, maybe? There's no illusion about what's happening, but the language used is… I don't know I'll leave that for you to judge. It may be safe to just end the chapter after "The Response" if you're not of age.
Review Responses: Yuuchi will play an interesting role. Yuuchi's introduction brings forth a character type that currently doesn't exist in my story. You'll see how things play out eventually.
And yes, to reiterate Yuuchi is that tiny pillar from the Sekirei Manga. The one Miya pointed out as the 'other me' during the flashback with Minato and his Sekirei.
Also, I should mention there's only going to be 1 more person in Naruto's swarm, and you can probably guess as to whom that will be.
Chapter 32: The Aspiring Artist
There was a gentle smile on Naruto's face as he watched Blanc slowly wake up. It was the day after he had brought her back from the hospital to get some rest. She must have been extremely tired as she had slept straight through the night and well into the next day. It was nearly lunch time and as much as he wanted to let his smallest Sekirei sleep longer they had a busy day ahead of them.
So he had taken to gently poking her in the cheek until she finally woke up.
With a wide yawn Blanc stretched her arms above her head. Small cute moans and squeaks escaped her lips as the stiff joints in her arms and back cracked and popped. With a small groan of discontent she slowly sat up in her bed, the covers pooling around her waist. She had slept in the same clothes she had worn while watching Yume, albeit without the arm length gloves, thigh high anti-gravity boots. She looked around blearily for a moment before her gaze finally settled on her Ashikabi.
"'Morning," Blanc said tiredly as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands.
Naruto smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "Good afternoon to you to," he said as he corrected her.
Blanc was not a morning person. It took her quite some time to wake up from a deep sleep.
"Whatever…" Blanc said as she dismissed Naruto's correction. She was too groggy to care what time of day it was.
"Did you sleep well?" Naruto asked.
"Mmhmm," she replied with a slow bob of the head.
"That's good, because we have a busy day today," Naruto said as he began to tug on her wetsuit.
"Busy day?" she asked sleepily as she let Naruto pull her wetsuit down and strip it from her body.
With a light toss Naruto lobbed the wetsuit across the room into the dirty clothes hamper by the door. They all had one but Blanc rarely used hers. Her clothing didn't really get dirty, at least nothing that a quick rinse couldn't get off.
Naruto smiled at her. He gently gathered her into his arms and picked up her, holding her bridal style. Blanc rested her head against his chest and relaxed as he carried her out the room and down the hall. She probably would have blushed at the thought of being carried naked through the house but at the moment she was still in the process of waking up and those thoughts were still quite a ways out of her mind.
Turning into the bathroom on B1 Naruto nudged the door shut with his foot and locked it with his toes. He carried Blanc over to the bath tub; it was already filled with warm water. Setting her down in the tub he grabbed the nearby body wash.
"Yes, busy day, I have some acquaintances I'm sure you'll love to meet," Naruto said as he began to wash Blanc's body. His hands moved across her skin expertly as he scrubbed her every crevice. "Then we'll head out for a bit, just the two of us." He was being deliberately vague; he wanted the events of today to be a surprise for her. "We probably won't be back until late tomorrow morning," he finished.
He pulled Blanc up onto the edge of the tub and began to scrub her legs. She lifted them absentmindedly to help him. He couldn't help but pay more attention than was necessary to the area between her legs. Blanc's face was more than just a little flushed by the time he eased her back into the water to was the suds off.
"I can wash myself," Blanc murmured as it finally clicked that her Ashikabi was washing her body for her.
Naruto grinned and pulled her to her feet, "I know," he said as he guided her to the towel rack. Grabbing the nearest one he began to rub her body dry. Blanc helpfully spread her arms and lifted her legs for him.
Setting the damp towel aside Naruto guided Blanc out of the bathroom and back to her room. He guided her to the bed, which had 'miraculously' made itself in their absence. Sitting upon it he swung his legs up onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard. He pulled Blanc down and into his lap and rested his chin on her head.
"What's with all the attention today?" Blanc asked curiously as the sleep induced haze began to finally lift from her mind. It's not that she minded the attention, it was rather nice, but it was out of character to show this much attention so early in the morning.
"I'm not allowed to spend time with you?" Naruto asked with a pout. Blanc gave him an annoyed look and he laughed, "There is a reason, for now though, eat, you haven't had anything in over twenty-four hours," he said as he reached over to the side table and picked up the lunch that had been brought in while they were in the bathroom.
A loud gurgle echoed around the room. Blanc blushed in embarrassment as her stomach made itself known. Now that her Ashikabi had brought it to her attention she realized she was very hungry.
"Thank you," Blanc said quietly as she accepted the plate. She put it between her legs and began to eat.
Her Ashikabi had gone all out for her. There were bacon and eggs, scrambled just as she liked them, with some hash browns on the side. There was some toast with orange jam and a couple of tangerines, her favorite food, on a smaller separate plate. On the nightstand was a glass of orange juice and some water.
As she ate she felt a pair of hungry eyes on her. She glanced up at her Ashikabi. Naruto was looking around the room, trying to look innocent. She stared at him for a moment before she went back to her food.
A few moments later she could feel the hungry stare again. She ignored it as best she could. She managed to eat in relative peace until she felt something wet drip onto the top of her head. A small tick appeared on her forehead. Whipping her head around, she caught Naruto staring down at her lunch.
He quickly turned his head away but it was too late. "If you're hungry just say it damn it," Blanc said in annoyance, a scowl on her face. "I don't mind sharing with you," she added, her voice almost a whisper.
Naruto blinked and chuckled, "Oh, sorry, ah, I already ate. It's not your lunch I was staring at," he said apologetically.
"Pervert," Blanc said. Despite her comment however she didn't make any move to deny her Ashikabi the view.
She quickly finished her meal and set the plate aside. Looking around she noticed a chocolate brown dress, with a pair of white lace panties, lying across the foot of the bed. She eyed them curiously as she tried to figure out why they were there; she had been too busy waking up to notice them earlier.
Naruto touched a seal on the bottom of the plate. With a small surge of chakra the plate disappeared. Slipping around Blanc he got off the bed and made his way to the change of clothing.
"These are for you," Naruto said as he brought the clothes back to Blanc. Normally he would have simply asked Blanc to choose her best casual outfit but the only outfit she had, or seemed to care about, was the wetsuit she always wore.
Blanc eyed the clothing more intently for a moment before she looked at Naruto suspiciously, "What's going on? Are my normal clothes not good enough?" she demanded.
"Let's just say we're going a little incognito today. Your unique style of clothing would instantly identify you as a Sekirei out there on the streets," That wasn't the whole reason but it was part of it. The regular citizens wouldn't think anything of her in these clothes but anyone that was part of the Sekirei Plan itself wouldn't be fooled. The hair color and the eyes were too unique.
The second reason was that this was a special day and her regular clothing was hardly suitable for such an occasion.
Blanc wordlessly took the clothing from her Ashikabi and quickly got dressed. Her eyebrows rose as she realized that it was a perfect fit. The dress had a high-cut, open-back, sleeveless design that was very similar to the wetsuit she normally wore. The dress extended down well past her hips and pooled loosely around her knees. It was low enough to provide ample modesty but high enough that she could move freely.
Which was good since this was the first time she had ever worn anything other than her wetsuit and she was feeling more than a little exposed with only a pair of panties under the dress.
A brief flash of light drew her attention back to her Ashikabi. Her eyebrows rose even more and she gave him an appreciative look. His attire had changed in that brief moment. Gone were his normal clothing and in place was a much more refined look.
He was now wearing a long-sleeve dress shirt with the upper most button undone. The color was a light blue but it was so light it almost seemed white. The shirt was tucked into a pair of black dress pants that was held up with a belt. Finishing the ensemble was a black dress coat hanging from his arms and a pair of nice dress shoes on his feet.
"I didn't know you could look nice," Blanc said as she admired Naruto's new attire.
"Hey! What does that mean?" Naruto protested, sounding more than a little hurt.
"You should be glad I don't choose my Ashikabi based on style," Blanc said, ignoring the fact that her winging had been accidental.
"What's wrong with orange?" Naruto demanded as he stomped his foot childishly.
"What's not wrong with orange would be a better question, quicker to answer as well," Blanc retorted with a small smile on her face.
Naruto gasped as if his breath had just been knocked out of him. His fashion sense wasn't that bad, orange was a great color, it went with everything perfectly. All one had to do was view the perfection that had descended upon Shinto Teito after the assault on Higa Pharmaceuticals. He was a little miffed that the city had immediately set about repainting everything and in surprising haste as well.
It seemed as if they were more concerned about the orange paint slapped on everything than the upside-down buildings and inside-out transit systems.
Still it was probably a good idea he hadn't decided to go with his original choice of clothing. Hanabi had taken one look at the colors and had promptly tossed him from the store. She had set about buying all the clothing for him from that point forward.
While Naruto pouted at her jab Blanc set about looking for her shoes. Even if she did prefer her wetsuit to her present clothing even she knew that wearing her normal footwear was not an option in this situation. If her Ashikabi went to this length to look presentable she would do the same. She wouldn't let him beat her in that regard.
She saw them by the door and paused curiously, "Why are there two pairs of shoes?" Blanc asked.
Naruto broke out of his shocked stupor and moved beside his Sekirei, "Because I didn't know what you wanted to wear. The first pair are high-heels, similar in height and shape to what you normally wear, and the second pair are simple platform shoes," he said. Hanabi had picked those out as well to go with Blanc's dress. Normally he would have just chosen the heels but Blanc hovered almost everywhere she went and rarely actually walked on her own two feet so he didn't know if she would feel comfortable in heels.
Blanc quickly made her decision and chose the heels. Her reasoning was simple, they made her taller. Normally she didn't care about her height because her hover boots could allow her to float high enough that her head was almost level with her Ashikabi's. Without those she didn't even come up to his shoulders. If they needed to go 'incognito' that meant they were probably going to be walking the streets for a bit. She did not want to be mistaken as a child due to her height and breast size, it would be even worse if they thought she was his child.
"Well, it's time to go," Naruto said as he threw his coat around his shoulders and pushed his arms through the sleeves.
"Where exactly are we going?" Blanc asked curiously. Her Ashikabi had been incredibly vague thus far.
"You'll see when we get there," Naruto replied with a grin and wrapped an arm around Blanc's waist, "But we've spent enough time delaying as it is, the limousine is waiting for us."
Blanc's eyes widened in surprise, "What?"
The world flickered and suddenly they were in their room at Izumo Inn. Hanabi was standing there waiting for them with a small smile on her face. Blanc was hit by another minor surprise. Hanabi was dressed up more than usual. Not to the same degree that Naruto or she was of course but still far more than usual.
"Is everything ready?" Naruto asked Hanabi.
His wife nodded and flashed the two of them another smile, "Yes, I double checked all of your preparations. They're adequate I suppose, you didn't do too badly for a first time," she said in a light tone.
"Thanks," Naruto replied dryly as he escorted Blanc from the room, "Hold the fort while we're gone and make sure to keep an eye on our 'guest.'"
"Don't worry, just enjoy yourselves," Hanabi replied.
Miya was the only person in the living room when they descended the stairs. Minato and his Ashikabi were at the hot springs on the west side of town at this time. The landlady looked up and gave Blanc a kind gentle smile.
"You look very nice in those clothes Blanc-san," Miya said as she voiced her approval.
"Thank you," Blanc replied, she didn't know what else to say, she wasn't usually complimented, especially by someone of Miya's stature.
Miya's eyes fixated on Naruto and a small playful smile replaced the gentle one she had for Blanc, "Oh my, if I didn't know better I would have assumed Naruto-kun finally developed a good sense of style," she said in a teasing voice.
"Hey! Not you too! There's nothing wrong with orange," Naruto said in annoyance.
"Of course not Naruto-kun, I'm sure there's 'someone' else out there that agrees with you," Miya said with a twinkle in her eyes. Naruto grumbled something unintelligibly under his breath. Miya laughed and gave Naruto the same smile she had Blanc, "Take care Naruto-kun, and be sure to treat Blanc-san well."
Naruto's discontent disappeared in an instant and he flashed Miya a smile, "No worries there Miya-chan, I'll make sure that today is a day she'll never forget," he said as he guided the blue-haired Sekirei to the door. Miya gave them a small wave as they left the house.
The first thing Blanc noticed upon exiting Izumo Inn was, just as Naruto had said, the black limousine waiting on the side of the road. It was long, elegant and looked expensive. The driver was standing by the back door waiting for their arrival. The driver was dressed head to toe in a full suit, black coat and pants with a white dress shirt and tie, with white velvet gloves covering his hands.
As they came into sight the driver swiftly opened the back door and greeted the couple, "Welcome Uzumaki-san. I am Sasaki Keita and I will be your driver for today. If you have any questions or requests please do not hesitate to ask," Keita said as he bowed low for the two.
His services had been paid in full for the entire day, with a substantial bonus on the side and the potential for future business if the service was good.
"Thank you Sasaki-san," Naruto said as he reached the driver, "Please head here first." He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the driver. On it was an address.
"As you wish Uzumaki-san," Keita said as he took the paper from Naruto.
Blanc and Naruto made their way into the back of the limousine. Keita closed the door for them and headed to the front.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Blanc asked suspiciously as she started for the front of the limousine.
She paused and stared as she noticed the interior of the vehicle for the first time.
It was a truly luxurious vehicle; Blanc had never been in anything like it before. Aside from the two doors at the back of the limo there were no other entrances into the back. A soft light grey leather couch ran down the left side of the interior and curved around the back of the cab to meet the right wall. The front of the limousine was walled off and the only form of communication with the driver was through a monitor embedded in the wall. Opposite of the couch was a fully stocked bar with half a dozen wine glasses, regular glasses and shot glasses. On one side of the bar there was a bottle of Dom Perignon Oenotheque Rose champagne chilling in a bucket of ice, in the middle was a bottle of Disaronno Amaretto, a Macallan 1939 and a bottle of Jenssen Arcana and on the left side was a sink filled with water and juice.
"I must say this is much nicer than I had thought," Naruto said as sat on the couch. He hadn't seen the interior of the vehicle before now. He had simply asked for their finest, with their best driver and amenities they had. The price tag had been pretty hefty but looking around he understood why.
He reached up and brought his shocked Sekirei down beside him. Just in time too as the limousine started up and pulled away from Izumo Inn. Considering their destination it wouldn't take them too long to arrive, especially since it was between lunch time and rush hour.
"Will you tell me where we're going now?" Blanc demanded, she tried to sound annoyed but most of the heat was lost in the novelty of her situation.
Ignoring her question Naruto perused the alcohol in the bar, "Want something to drink?" he asked as he picked up the bottle of Macallan 1939. He popped the top and took a whiff of the liquor. It smelled wonderful.
"Fine," she said as she took the liquor from Naruto and drank straight from the bottle.
Naruto's eyes got wider and wider as the bottle tilted further and further until finally Blanc stopped. With a satisfied sigh she handed the bottle back to him. Naruto glanced at the bottle of Macallan 1939, now completely empty, and then back to Blanc.
"Well, there goes a million yen," Naruto commented in dull amazement.
"It wasn't that bad for a million," Blanc returned with a shrug, completely un-phased by the fact that she just drank a million yen in under twenty seconds.
Naruto's gazed trailed down to her stomach, "Where do you put it all?" he asked incredulously. She had just eaten, she should be full, and yet she had just downed an entire bottle of liquor without trouble.
Blanc blushed and looked away. A Sekirei's metabolism was far greater than that of a normal person's and hers was far greater than most Sekirei. She could digest her food and process it in the blink of an eye if she wanted to.
She pulled at her dress; it was starting to get awfully warm in the limousine.
"Is there something wrong with the dress?" Naruto asked in concern as he noticed her tugging at it.
Blanc turned back to her Ashikabi, her face flushed and red, "No, it's fine, I'm just a little warm, is the heater on in here?"
Naruto chuckled, causing Blanc to look at him curiously. "No, the heater isn't on, you're just feeling the effects of the alcohol."
"That can't be right, I don't get drunk," Blanc said in a small voice as she pulled her dress away from her chest. It was REALLY warm in here.
Naruto ignored her comment. When someone said they couldn't get drunk, and they got drunk, they'd deny it to their dying breath, "Here, let me help you," he said instead as he undid the straps around the back of her neck and pulled her dress down to her waist.
"What about the driver?" Blanc asked, although she didn't sound particularly concerned.
"He can't see anything unless we let him," Naruto replied as he reached into the ice bucket and pulled out an ice cube. He gently placed it against the warm skin of Blanc's chest.
Blanc moaned and shivered at the same time. "That feels nice," she murmured quietly as Naruto gently rubbed the ice cube across her chest.
She rested her head on his shoulders and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the cold ice on her unbelievably hot skin. She could feel him add a second ice cube to his hand. He traced figure eight patterns across her chest circling around one breast before crossing her chest to the other.
It wasn't long before the pleasant sensation lulled her into a light sleep.
Naruto continued to rub the ice across Blanc's chest, even after she had fallen asleep, until the ice had melted into water. He grabbed one of the hand towels by the bar and used it to dry her. Wrapping an arm around her he settled back comfortably into the couch and rested his head back.
It wouldn't be long until they reached their destination, he'd let her rest until then.
x~X~x
"Sorry," Blanc muttered in embarrassment as she climbed out of the back of the limousine. She hadn't meant to fall asleep like that, and after she had just said she couldn't get drunk. At least the thirty minute nap had cleared the alcohol from her system. That was both a benefit and a downside of being a Sekirei. They recovered from alcoholic hazes pretty quickly but it meant they were an expensive drunk.
Or as Blanc just proved, a VERY expensive drunk.
"It's alright, I enjoyed watching you sleep," Naruto said with a grin as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Naruto turned to the driver, "We'll be at least three hours so you're free until then. Meet us back here before six."
"Yes Uzumaki-san," the driver said with a bow.
Mumbling something under her breath Blanc took a quick look around them. They were deep in the middle of the financial district of Shinto Teito. "Why are we here?" she asked, her curiosity reaching unbearable levels. Her Ashikabi had to be willing to tell her now.
"I said it before, we going to meet a couple acquaintances of mine," Naruto said with a smile as he guided her to one of the nearby buildings. It was a high end coffee shop that had a public space for regular customers as well as private rooms for couples, small groups, and large gatherings.
The place was usually busy and today was no different. While it was considered a 'coffee shop' they served nothing but the highest quality and it was the place to go for most well-to-do individuals that worked in the area.
Before they had walked more than five steps into the establishment one of the employees approached them with a large smile on her face, "Greetings Uzumaki-san, your private room is ready for you, if you would follow me."
"Thank you," Naruto said and followed the employee as they made their way skillfully through the crowded place. "Have my guests arrived yet?"
"Yes Uzumaki-san, they arrived fifteen minutes ago," The employee replied and stopped before a beautiful wooden door. A plate above the door said 'Kyoto Room.' "Here you are, your waitress will be along shortly," she said as she opened the door and stepped aside for them.
The room was simple, yet elegant at the same time. There was a rectangular table in the center of the room with six wooden chairs with plush cushions situated around it. A small chandelier hung over the center of the table and bathed the room in a warm orange light. The floor was tiled with marble. The walls were padded and beautiful paintings hug from them in regular intervals. There was a large screen embedded in the far wall and there was a buzzer in the middle of the table that could be used to summon the waiter/waitress.
As Blanc took her seat beside Naruto she noticed the two individuals on the other side of the table.
The first one was male, standing average height with dark hair and dark eyes. He was dressed in a full suit, although he looked decidedly uncomfortable about it. There was an empty coffee mug in front of him.
The second individual was female. She had long black her, dark eyes and was wearing a blue strapless floor length dress. There was a pair of earrings in her ear and a bracelet on her right wrist. A plate of half-eaten Kuzumochi was pushed to her side.
"Thank you for coming," Naruto said as he greeted his guests, "This is Blanc," he said as he rested a hand on her shoulder.
The man shrugged and waved his hand, "Hey, you wanted my assistance so here I am." The money was good as well, plus this was the first time he had ever been allowed into such a posh establishment, even if he did feel uncomfortable.
"It's not a problem, it's always nice to help budding artists," the woman said as she smiled at Blanc.
Blanc eyed her Ashikabi with even more suspicion as her mind start to process what was going on, "Are you going to finally tell me what this is all about?" Blanc demanded.
"She's just as feisty as you said she was," The man said with a laugh.
Naruto grinned at him, "Yes and I love her for it," he said, causing Blanc to blush lightly at the comment. Naruto turned back to his Sekirei and waved a hand across the table, "Blanc, you probably wouldn't recognize their real names so I won't bother with them," they had both asked not to have those names revealed, "but allow me to introduce to you Kaiga and Gokurakuin Ashika."
Blanc's eyes widened and she whipped around to stare at the two in surprise. Those were the names of her two favorite manga artists. Ashika had even been the reason she had started into her own. Her manga Ierikes was her favorite.
"Ah, hello," Blanc said lamely, suddenly thrown off her element at the sudden introduction to two of the few humans she looked up to.
Any further conversation was momentarily halted as someone gently knocked on the other side of the door.
"Come in," Naruto called out.
The door open and their waitress walked in, "Hi Uzumaki-san, my name is Seika and I'll be your waitress for today, can I get you started on some coffee or tea?" Seika asked.
"Sure, that would be nice, I'll have some Luwak and some ra-ah-speberry daifuku," Naruto said, placing his order. He had almost asked for a bowl of ramen there, that would have been embarrassing. Normally he wouldn't even consider ordering such an expensive coffee but he didn't want to seem out of place.
The waitress glanced at Blanc, "And you miss?"
Blanc stared at her blankly for a second as she tried to restart her brain. Naruto quickly stepped in and spoke up for her, "She'll have some black Darjeeling tea and some tangerines on the side."
"I will be back with your order," the waitress said with a smile and quickly excused herself from the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
"What is Darjeeling tea?" Blanc asked Naruto.
Naruto shrugged, "No idea, I just saw it on the menu and order it. Looked expensive so hopefully it tastes alright?"
"You bought it because it looked expensive?" Blanc asked with a deadpan expression on her face. Kaiga and Ashika laughed at Naruto's expense.
Naruto cleared his throat, "Anyways…" he turned to his two guests, "I brought you two here today because Blanc here likes to draw manga and I figured you two would be able to help her get started with some tips both for drawing and publishing down the road."
"Well, the first tip is to never trust a publisher," Kaiga said seriously, "I'm not kidding, they don't care about you, only turning a profit. So be very careful of who you choose and even then make sure nothing is done without your express permission and everything is in writing. Never accept verbal agreements." He had been burned several times early on by being too trusting.
Ashika shook her head at Kaiga and gave Blanc a smile, "Ignore Kaiga, he just had a bad experience. There are some good publishers out there, you just need to look somewhere other than at the end of a dark alley. However before even bothering with a publisher you need to write a manga. And for that, above all else, you need a good story, a good plot. It doesn't matter how good the characters are, or how amazing the art style is, if there's no over-arching point to the story, it will flounder early on. This means you need a start point, an end point, and an exciting journey between the two…"
Naruto sat back, a large smile on his face as he watched Blanc become absorbed in the conversation with Kaiga and Ashika. The conversation went on for hours as Kaiga and Ashika revealed all the secret tips and tricks that helped them succeed. Each had their own unique set of experiences and circumstances, as well as wildly different styles of manga. Blanc threw out questions and asked for clarification on many points throughout the conversation.
Blanc never was one to be the center of attention so it warmed Naruto's heart to see her be just that here and now. He didn't mind being delegated to the backburner here. This entire scenario had been set up for her sole benefit.
From what Naruto had seen of her manga she was an artist. She could draw very well, probably better than either of the two she was currently talking with; however she lacked substance and direction. She was simply spilling her feelings onto paper.
It was endearing considering what the topic was about but he wanted her work to evolve. It had the potential to become something so much more. Blanc had the capacity to be a truly gifted manga artist and he didn't want to see that talent wasted. She could still draw those emotion filled panels whenever she wanted to, but after today she would have the knowledge to go far beyond that.
Their orders came early on in the discussion and several times over the course of the afternoon their drinks were refilled. A small pile of dessert plates began to pile up beside Ashika as she ordered something different every time the waitress returned. By the time the conversation had died off it was nearing dinner time and Naruto for one was glad it was over.
Not because he was bored, he could live with that for Blanc, but because of the bill. He cringed every time Ashika ordered a new dessert, some of them were very expensive, and there were no free refills here. As the bill came he couldn't help but wince slightly at the number of digits and grudgingly paid the bill, leaving behind a sizeable tip for the waitress for the excellent service.
"I want to thank you two again for agreeing to help Blanc," Naruto said as he shook their hands. They were out on the street now, saying their final farewells. The limousine Naruto had booked for him and Blanc had pulled up at the side of the road a few minutes earlier. The driver stood at attention by the rear door.
"Ah not a problem, it's nice to have such a cute attentive audience for a change," Kaiga said with a laugh as put his hands in his coat pockets.
"I enjoyed myself today, we should do this again," Ashika said with a small smile on her face.
Naruto hesitantly nodded, "Yes, we should, when my wallet has recovered somewhat."
Ashika laughed and waved goodbye to Naruto and Blanc. She turned and made her way down the street to the bus stop.
Kaiga watched her go for a moment before he held out his hand to Blanc, "Well it was nice to meet you little lady, if you need any help don't be afraid to give me a shout, here's my number," he said as he gave her a piece of paper.
Blanc almost glared at the man until she recognized what was on the paper and gratefully accepted it, "Thank you, if I have any more questions about creating plot twists I'll give you a call."
Naruto moved between them and patted Kaiga on the back, "I'm sure there's no 'illicit' reason that you want her to call you right?" he asked in a sickeningly sweet tone that hinted at extreme violence should he say anything except what Naruto wanted to hear.
He took Blanc's hand in his own, slipping the paper from her grasp into a small pocket on the inside of his coat sleeve.
"Ah ha, right, of course that's right. I gotta go!" Kaiga said and he quickly bolted down the street.
"Come on, Blanc, we've got a reservation at the L'Osier" Naruto said gruffly as he guided her to the limousine.
Once inside and the door shut the gruff demeanor disappeared and he was all smiles again. He guided Blanc back to the couch. There was something else on the couch that wasn't there before, a long white dress with blue fringes and a pair of white heels.
Blanc ignored them for the moment, "What was on that paper he gave me?" she asked curiously.
"Kaiga is one of my contacts, I have him looking into a variety of different things through his own. He probably used this meeting as a way of getting me that information. Sly bastard, depending on the information I'll have to see that proper payment is left for him," Naruto said, keeping his voice low and almost inaudible to anyone save Blanc.
He lightly traced his fingers over the hidden pocket in his coat. He wouldn't dare risk looking at it here in public. He'd keep it hidden until he returned to Izumo Inn.
"And that whole scene out there was an act then," Blanc whispered just as quietly.
Naruto nodded his head, "Yes and no one will suspect a thing, especially considering the conversation the two of you just had with Ashika."
"And what about this dress? I know this wasn't here before," Blanc said as she reached out and touched it. It was incredibly soft and smooth. The material used in this was of the finest quality.
"That's for you, the place we're going to next is a little bit fancier than the coffee shop we just left," Naruto said.
"You want me to change in here?" Blanc demanded hotly, partly from embarrassment and partly from anger.
"Well you didn't seem to mind when I stripped your dress down earlier," Naruto reminded her.
"That's different I was…" she trailed off.
"Drunk? I know, but don't worry the driver can't see anything and the windows are tinted from the outside. I've already checked for cameras so it's as private as our home," Naruto said.
Blanc glared at Naruto for a moment before she reached behind her head and undid the straps of her dress, "Fine, but if I see naked pictures of myself on the internet I'm going to beat the shit out of you and then murder whoever put them up," she said as she pulled the dress down. She quickly stripped it off but was stopped as she moved to her panties.
"You can keep those on, I don't expect they have any particular dress code concerning undergarments," Naruto said as he stopped Blanc from stripping bare completely. He gathered up her chocolate colored dress and stored it away inside one of his storage seals.
Blanc sighed in relief and picked up her new dress. Climbing into it she quickly noticed that it was much different than her previous dress. Like her previous dress this one was perfectly tailored to her body but that's where the similarities ended. It was a pure white strapless dress which managed to stay up without any boning or corsair. The little color it had was of the same shade of blue as her hair and lined the top of the dress. It was snug, yet comfortable, all across her chest and waist. With the dress came a matching pair of arm length gloves with the same lining as the dress. The heels that came with the dress also matched her hair color.
"How does this stay up?" Blanc asked curiously as she pulled at the top of the dress. It parted from her skin but when she let go it reattached itself to her like glue.
"A little bit of advanced chakra manipulation courtesy of Hanabi," Naruto explained simply. He didn't have the control to do something like that, despite how simple it sounded it was much harder to execute.
"I see, I like this dress," Blanc said as she looked herself over. The dress matched her name and the color scheme matched her hair. Plus it fit her perfectly and was incredibly soft. She felt like she was wearing a fluffy white cloud.
"I'm glad you like it, I actually designed it," Naruto said with a smile and pulled out some accessories, "But you're not done yet."
Blanc eyed the items in his hands, "You want me to wear those?"
"Is it too much to ask for?" Naruto asked, slightly concerned. While the dress was beautiful, it was plain without something else to go with it.
"The circlet and ribbon might be a bit much," Blanc said hesitantly, "But I'll wear the earrings and choker."
Naruto smiled and put the unwanted items away. He deftly attached the earrings, silver with a ruby teardrop dangling at the end, to her ears with chakra. With a click the silver choker was fastened around her neck, like the earrings this too had rubies embedded into the silver.
"Now we're ready for dinner," Naruto said in satisfaction.
x~X~x
The elegant L'Osier was everything that its reputation had hyped it up to be. Fine French cuisine that was served was both well-presented and delicious. Their waiter was courteous and always on hand for their needs; almost before they were even aware those needs existed. The atmosphere of the place was wonderful and relaxing.
The dinner they shared was a relatively quiet affair. Their conversation could have passed innocently anywhere. The topics ranged from what Blanc's plans were for her current manga to whether or not she wanted to pursue a career as a mangaka in the future. Other topics such as some of the pranks he played as a child and the happy memories he had spent prior to the dissolution of Team 7 were brought up as well.
The dinner went on late; neither of them was in any hurry to leave. It was several hours later by the time they left the establishment and climbed back into the limousine.
It was late in the evening by the time Naruto and Blanc made their way to their suite on the fiftieth floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel. Naruto had reserved the Park Suite with the king bed for the two of them.
The room was extravagant, abundant windows frames presented a stunning view of Shinjuku and Mt. Fuji. The room was filled with clean modern decor features like subtle hues of marble and granite, charming artifacts, and rare Hokkaido water elm panelling.
There was a large living space to the right of the entrance with couches, chairs, and a table to eat at. To the left was an oversized marble bathroom with a full-sized bathtub. The single bedroom was in the center of the suite and had a large king size bed with plush down duvet and Egyptian cotton linens.
The room came close to matching the opulence that she remembered from her time at Mikogami's manor, not that she had ever been allowed to have a room this nice.
Blanc could only shake her head in wonder as she trailed her hand lightly across the top of the duvet covering the bed. When Naruto had said she would have a busy day she had assumed a whirlwind of activity.
Never before had she been so happy that she was so wrong. There was a smile of her face that she just couldn't get rid of no matter how hard she tried. But there had to be a reason for all this, especially since it was just the two of them.
"Why?" Blanc asked her Ashikabi quietly as she felt him come up behind her.
"Why what?" Naruto asked, playing dumb.
"Why do all this?" Blanc asked as she spread her arms wide to indicate everything that had happened today, "Don't get me wrong, I am happy that you did all this but why?"
"The reason is simple," she heard her Ashikabi say from behind her, "Blanc…"
Hearing her name she turned to face him. She took a step back as she saw Naruto kneeling before her. In his hands was a small box, opened facing her. Inside was a small platinum ring with a large diamond surrounded by a ring of rubies.
"Will you marry me?"
Blanc's eyebrows shot up into her hairline as Naruto proposed to her. Her mind came to a crashing halt as if it had just slammed straight into a wall. Of all the possible explanations that had run rampant through her mind all day this wasn't one of them.
Her heart began to race and her face became flushed, "I-I'm your Sekirei, w-we're already bound forever and ever," Blanc stammered as she tried to re-start her mind and calm her racing heart. She mentally cursed her weak reply, this wasn't like her.
"That's true, but I wish to make it official not just between a select few individuals, but to everyone. I want to be able to proudly shout out to the whole world that you're my wife," Naruto said in a voice filled with love and affection.
Damn him! How was she supposed to calm her heart when he said such things with a straight face? Trying to shore up her defenses, and buy some time to calm down, she turned her back and crossed her arms, "This better not be another one of your stupid pranks," Blanc grumbled in embarrassment. She kept her gaze locked on something uninteresting across the room; if she looked at her Ashikabi right now she'd lose all sense of reason. It's not that she was opposed to marrying him but damn him for springing this on her all of a sudden.
A pair of warm arms wrapped around her waist. She could feel her Ashikabi pull her into his embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder and held the ring up to her again. "This isn't a joke, I'm being serious, but you know that, don't you?" Naruto asked softly and kissed her cheek.
Blanc's blush grew as her emotions heated up. Not only could she feel the heat of his body against her own, but the warmth of his emotions through the bond as well. It left her feeling more than a little light headed. The warm pleasant feeling that was coursing through her body didn't help matters.
Damn him for turning her into mush like this.
Blanc glared at the ring like this was entirely its fault, stupid ring. Snatching the box from Naruto's hand Blanc pulled the ring out and jammed it on her finger. There! She felt more than a little vindicated. That would teach it to play with her emotions like that.
Naruto had a brilliant smile on his face when Blanc turned to face him. She grabbed his head and glared straight into his eyes, "You better be serious because I'm not letting you take back the ring! Not after embarrassing me like this!" Blanc growled and kissed Naruto passionately.
Brilliant white wings erupted from her back as his chakra coursed through her body adding its heat that of his love. Breaking the kiss Naruto laughed and tightened his embrace, "That is so like you to get angry and embarrassed at being loved."
"Oh shut up and carry me to bed," Blanc muttered as she looked away in embarrassment. She knew what would come next, at least it better come next or she really 'was' going to get upset.
Naruto laughed and lifted her into his arms. Blanc took the time to admire her new adornment as she was carried to the bed. He laid her gently down on the bed with her head on the pillows. Bending down to kiss her a second time he loosened the strings of her dress.
She leaned into the second kiss and returned it with double the force. Her hands quickly divested themselves of their gloves and brought them up to cup her lover's face. Feeling a gentle tug she lifted her back and let Naruto pull her dress to her waist and down her legs. Kicking the now offensive garment away she broke her kiss and gazed deeply into the love filled eyes of her Ashikabi.
"There appears to be something rather annoying clinging to your body," Blanc said in a breathless voice as she tugged on Naruto's clothing.
Naruto smiled at her and raised his hand to a seal on his chest, there was a brief flash of light and suddenly the clothing was gone, "Is this better?" Naruto asked.
"Much better," Blanc replied in satisfaction as she gave Naruto a quick kiss.
The blonde shinobi let out a quick chuckle and joined Blanc on the bed. Lowering his face to her neck he gently brushed his nose against her soft skin and breathed in deep, she smelled of lilacs. "You really do smell wonderful, you know that," he whispered as he placed small kisses on her pearly skin.
Blanc let out a small noise and tilted her head to the side. Her hands tangled themselves in Naruto's hair as he continued to kiss her. Slivers of pleasure attacked her senses as his hands caressed her naked body, making her yearn for more. Her breathing quickened as he moved down her body, leaving a trail of kisses behind. By the time he reached her chest she was aching for more. His tongue flickered out for a brief moment, teasing the sensitive flesh. Blanc cried out, arching her back towards him. She wanted more, she wanted him to…
A gasp followed by a sigh of pleasant relief escape from her throat as a warm, wet heat engulfed her. Her hands moved gently through his hair, massaging his scalp as she enjoyed the pleasant sensations running through her chest. His hands were still roaming her body, caressing every inch of her skin, leaving no nook or cranny untouched. Her mind began to cloud as a haze of passion began to drown out her thoughts.
She groaned in disappointment as the cool air of the room suddenly caressed her damp sensitive skin. "Don't stop," Blanc complained. Her body longed for more.
And he didn't. A moment later, her other breast was engulfed in the same warmth as the first. The sensation was even more overwhelming than before.
It was just the beginning however.
Her mind became completely clouded; her senses were bombarded from all directions. His mouth, tongue and hands found her most sensitive areas and exploited them mercilessly. Her fingers dug into his scalp and her toes curled as she writhed in pleasure. She didn't know how long it lasted; the only thing she cared about was that it never stopped.
Unfortunately it did. He brought her to the edge and then stopped. Her body trembled in his arms as it waited for more, ached for more. This couldn't be it, he couldn't stop now after taking her this far.
"Y-You bastard," Blanc growled as she pulled him up to face her, "Don't you dare stop now!" If he wasn't going to continue within the next few moments she was going to take him whether he wanted it or not.
Naruto laughed and kissed her, "Of course we're not done yet, the night is still young," he said with a grin on his face, "Although I think you pulled out some of my hair," Naruto said in amusement as he glanced at her hands, there were a few strands of yellow wrapped around her fingers.
Blanc had the good graces to look abashed at that comment. The embarrassment was quickly gone however and she glared up at her Ashikabi, "Don't change the subject! I ahh…" she never got to finish that sentence.
Something small and warm entered her.
The haze of pleasure that had started to fade returned in full force as his finger began to explore. A second finger soon joined the first. By this time she was once more writhing in pleasure. She could feel her damp panties finally being pulled down her legs. That annoying thing had been on her long enough.
A third finger joined the other two.
Her back arched and a cry of ecstasy was ripped from her chest as the pleasure that built within her peaked. Her release slammed through her, leaving her quaking and shivering in the aftermath. He gently kissed her cheeks as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
He gazed lovingly into her eyes and slid inside.
"Mhmm," Naruto moaned in pleasure as the indescribable feeling washed over him. He couldn't help but pause inside her, relishing in the moment. Her body was so small it shouldn't be able to take him, but it always did, and the feeling was always beyond his ability to describe.
"Naruto-kun," Blanc breathed out a luxurious sigh.
The heat that filled her core was beyond imagining and she didn't want it to end. This was what she had waited for since the start. Nothing that came before could even compare with this feeling, this inferno that threatened to consume her. But body wasn't satisfied, it knew it could have more and it cried out for it.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and captured his lips. She wanted more and she wanted it now.
And he delivered.
The first powerful thrust rocked her body to its core. A second soon followed with another close behind.
This was what she wanted, what she demanded. She didn't care about speed; leave that for those that wanted to finish early. She didn't care about delicacy; that was for the weak. No this is what she wanted: Power. She wanted to be rocked, to quake with every movement. She wanted to feel each thrust from the bottom of her feet to the very tips of her hair.
And Naruto delivered. He delivered that and far more.
She screamed his name, her nails digging into his back as her body arched. Her release slammed through her a second time, completely drowning her in a world of passion, before leaving her shuddering convulsively beneath him. She could still feel him inside, held in place by her powerful climax.
A powerful groan was torn from Naruto's chest and she felt his release surge through him. Her eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped her lips as he gave her everything. She could feel it as it flowed into her, filling her completely. It was so warm, he had given it all to her, she didn't want to let any of it escape.
Blanc was certain that if it had been the right time of month that she'd be carrying his child. For a singular moment she cursed Naruto for deciding to propose this week instead of last.
And then it was finished. Naruto collapsed beside her on the bed. He gathered her up into his arms and held her tightly, kissing her on the forehead.
She snuggled into his embrace and sighed contently. She didn't want this night to end. She turned to her Ashikabi, "What time is it?" Blanc asked breathlessly.
Naruto glanced over at the clock on the bedside table, "It not even midnight yet."
"Good," Blanc said as she rolled Naruto over onto his back and straddled his waist. She could catch her breath when it was morning.
The two smiled at each other and a moment later they were lost again in each other's love and passion.
Author's Notes: 'Miya's Stature' – To Blanc there is no higher authority in Shinto Teito than Miya. She knows who and what Miya is.
I apologize for those that may have wanted the dinner scene expanded upon. I've already written a great deal for Blanc's engagement and didn't want it to drag on. I felt I hit on all the major points and really got across the feeling that I was going for.
As for Blanc's dress, the second one, the white one, there is an image of it up on my photobucket profile. I have put a new link into my FFN profile for it for those that wish to see what it looks like.
Alcohol choice for the limousine - The Amaretto may not be an expensive liquor like the others, but it's what I drink so there! I can't afford those expensive ones. *sobs*
Excuse me while I go drown my sorrows in my cheap Disarrano Amaretto.
But before I go, I know the marriage proposal was NA style and not Japanese but it's hard to do the Japanese way when Blanc has no parents. Miya, the closest one to a parent, pretty much gave her consent on their way out. So since there was no real way to do the Japanese, and I already did a method that involved a ring with Hanabi, I went the NA route.
Hopefully the last scene was tasteful enough for everyone. I tried really hard to put all the emotion into it I could without turning it into pure smut. I hope I succeeded at some level.
An interesting little thing I've noticed about Sekirei stories in general is that there are so many now. When I first started writing, less than a year ago, there were barely 30. Now we're rapidly approaching 90. Neither Sekirei nor Naruto are new properties. Both have been around for years (Naruto since 1997 and Sekirei since 2004) so it's kind of cool to see such a newfound interest over the past year.
Anyways, review and let me know what you think of this chapter. I'm not used to writing this much fluff so I'm unsure as to how it turned out.