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: Here's the next chapter of this section! It came much quicker than a regular chapter. The next one will as well. Expect to see the next one come just as quickly as this one.
This was actually the hardest to write since I had no idea what to do for Yume. I wish I could match the quality of the previous chapter but I had such a difficult time just thinking up what to do for Yume that that took all my concentration. The rest all have hobbies and interests that I could play off, I had to create one for Yume to do this chapter. I think her interest suits her, don't know why, it just feels right, plus I can mould it into something useful after that Sekirei Plan.
Like the previous chapter there will be explicit scenes at the end of this chapter. It's hard to say when to stop reading if you're not of age. The biggest issue is that something rather important happens DURING the explicit scene. Ah well just read it all, it's not as bad as Blanc's, I think the scene before might actually be worse and it's not even supposed to BE sexual, not really anyways.
Review Responses: Like I said last chapter, each chapter is going to be different. Akitsu isn't even going to get a proposal, she'll get something different.
Anyways, don't be impatient, just relax and enjoy. The vast majority of the fluff that's left in my story is contained in these chapters so enjoy it while you can because you probably won't see a whole lot more before the end.
Chapter 33: Saying Goodbye
A brilliant flash of white light momentarily blinded the people in the hospital room. As everyone tried to clear the spots from their eyes trumpets sounded and an orchestra picked up in the background accompanied by a choir. The clarion sounds echoed around the room and reverberated throughout the hospital. Popping sounds came soon after along with what sounded like something unfurling.
"Damn it Uzumaki! This is a Hospital!" Sahashi Takami shouted at the blonde shinobi even before she could see again.
There was only one person crazy enough to pull a stunt like this.
Yume rubbed her eyes and blinked away the last of the spots. She glanced around and a drop of sweat rolled down the back of her head as she saw what was before her. Her Ashikabi, Uzumaki Naruto, was standing at the end of her bed with a half dozen party poppers in each hand. Behind him was a score of clones, half female and half male. The male half had instruments in their hands and the females were singing hymns. Stretched out over the clones was a large orange banner with black lettering with the words 'Congratulations Yume!' written across it in big bold letters.
And the air was filled with glitter.
"Ah-ha, I just wanted to congratulate Yume on her recovery," Naruto said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
"And you just disturbed the entire damn Hospital with that racket!" Takami said furiously as she pointed a shaking finger at his clones, who at least all had the good grace to look ashamed. "Get rid of them!"
Naruto sighed despondently and turned to his clones, "Alright guys, apparently you're not wanted here, head out into the city and entertain yourselves-."
"NO!" Takami shouted in horror, memories of the last time Naruto had unleashed his clones on Shinto Teito were still fresh in her mind.
They were STILL trying to clean up that mess.
Naruto let out an exaggerated sigh as he looked over at Takami, "Well make up your mind, you don't want them here, but you don't want them out there. Where do you want them to go?"
"Anywhere where there aren't any people!" A vein throbbed on the side of Takami's head and the head of the Sekirei Plan reached for a bottle of pills she now kept on her person at all times. It wasn't even ten in the morning and she already had a migraine.
Naruto nodded sagely and turned back to his clones, "Alright, you heard her, go 'there' and entertain yourselves. You know where 'there' is right?"
The clones all grinned at each other. They all knew where 'there' was alright.
"Have fun!" Naruto said happily as he waved his clones goodbye. The clones returned the farewell and began to disappear.
As the clones disappeared one by one Takami had a sinking feeling there was another headache building in the future and she was not looking forward to it.
Yume let out a small laugh and smiled, "It's good to see you Naruto-kun," she said.
She wouldn't deny that there had been some small worry that the fight between her and Karasuba would end with her deactivated. When she had opened her eyes that first time this morning and realized she was still active it had been a relief to her. Even more of a relief was the presence of the bond between her and Naruto in the back of her mind.
"And I'm glad to see you're awake," Naruto said as he walked around the bed to her side. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel fine."
"Feel like going home?" Naruto asked with a smile. He turned to Takami and gave her an inquiring look, "She is fit to come home right?"
Takami nodded quickly, the sooner Naruto was gone the better in her opinion. She had many questions she'd love to pry from the insufferable man but the effort and suffering she would have to put up with wasn't worth the effort, not right now. "It was touch and go for a while there. Whatever your wife gave her before we brought her here saved her life. However right now she's as fit as ever."
That wasn't 'entirely' true. Not all of her internal injuries had fully healed but what was left was insignificant for a Sekirei, even regular humans wouldn't experience anything more than mild discomfort from those injuries. She would have liked to keep Yume here a little longer but her life wasn't in any danger now. Barring another death match with Karasuba she would be fine.
She didn't think that was coming any time soon however. Karasuba seemed different these days, the battle thirst and bloodlust was still there of course but there was a spring in her step she never had before and she seemed to stand a little straighter.
The biggest change however was that her obsession with Yume seemed to have completely disappeared. Yet despite that she had thrown herself into rigorous training every day, saying now that she had surpassed Yume there was another plateau she wanted to reach.
"Great!" Naruto said with joy as he held out his arm.
Yume smiled at him and gratefully took it as she slid her legs over the side of the bed. She eased herself onto the floor, wincing slightly as the cold tiles of the hospital floor bit into her bare feet. Using her Ashikabi to steady herself she tentatively tested her weight on each leg.
They held.
They were stiff, having been in the same position for several days straight, but they were still fully functional. She hadn't been bed ridden long enough for muscle atrophy to have any significant effect on her.
"Where is Blanc-san?" Yume asked as she eyed the clone disguised as her sister. She could see the emotions within the clone and they didn't even remotely match her little sister.
"She was here at the start. Right now though, she's… resting," Naruto said slowly, "We had a rather busy day yesterday and it went late into this morning. I left her pretty exhausted."
She was back in her room at Epsilon Point. They hadn't gotten any sleep in their suite; they had been busy until well into the next morning. Blanc had asleep on her feet when they checked out. By the time he got her home she was completely conked out.
He himself had gotten a quick couple hours of sleep before he had gone to pick up Yume. The clone hiding under the bed had dispelled itself to notify him that Yume had woken up.
Yume raised an eyebrow at her Ashikabi as she saw the emotions roll across his body. A small smile creased her face, "I see, well I'm glad that she's happy," she said. She had a pretty good idea what happened last night.
"She is," Naruto replied as the two of them flickered and disappeared from the hospital room.
The clone of Blanc waved cheekily at Takami and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Sahashi Takami sighed and rubbed her temples. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes and headed for the rooftop. She pulled out a stick and placed it in her mouth, ignoring the looks she got from the other staff. If they wanted to complain they were more than welcome to, they just better be prepared to lose a limb or three.
Uzumaki Naruto was going to be the death of her, she knew it.
He was either going to cause her head to explode from a migraine so catastrophically enormous it'd cause an earthquake powerful enough to measure 7.8 on the Richter Scale or she'd smoke herself to death trying to settle her nerves. It already took an entire pack just to calm down after every encounter and she knew it was only going to get worse before it got any better.
x~X~x
Yume stared at herself in the mirror. There was a pensive look on her face as she held her breasts in her hands. She turned from side to side, eyeing her body up and down. The memory of her loss to Karasuba still weighed heavily on her mind.
"Is something wrong Yume?" Naruto asked in concern as he watched his Sekirei analyze herself in the mirror.
Not that he minded seeing his first true Sekirei putting herself on display in front of the full length mirror in her room. He could admire her gorgeous body all day and never grow tired of it.
But it wasn't like Yume to be like this, not without anything pressing in the works.
"It's nothing Naruto-kun," Yume said as she turned away from the mirror and moved to her bed.
Her normal clothes were spread out across it: A white and red shrine maiden outfit with a short-cut skirt, white panties, red combat gloves, thigh high socks and brown combat boots. Her hands trailed along the edges of the garments and let out a soft sigh.
All things must come to an end. She could no longer afford to be at anything but her best, for herself, for her Ashikabi, for her sisters, and for the future.
I'm sorry Musubi...
Making her decision Yume flashed her Ashikabi a grin and slowly dressed herself, making sure to over exaggerate certain actions that exposed her in erotic ways. By the time she finished tying her boots Naruto had been reduced to a drooling mess.
"Naruto-kun?" Yume asked as she walked over to her Ashikabi and gently poked him his forehead.
Naruto jolted and shook himself out of his stupor. He grinned at Yume and gave her a thumbs-up, "Can you do that again?" he asked breathlessly.
Yume laughed and hugged her Ashikabi tightly.
It was sixty minutes later when they finally left the room, Yume pulling a drooling pile of quivering flesh that used to be Uzumaki Naruto behind her.
x~X~x
Naruto and Yume spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon wandering around Shinto Teito, taking in the sights, sounds, and activities the city had to offer. Even though they had both been here for months now, neither of them had really taken the time to truly see everything the city had to offer.
Their first stop was a batting range. When they had arrived Naruto had pulled out a baseball outfit for Yume to try on. Humoring her Ashikabi she had changed into it before stepping into the batting range.
The two of them took turns hitting the balls fired at them. It was child's play for both of them; they were both used to far faster movements than the flight of the ball, even when turned up to its maximum setting.
The eyes of the other people in the batting range grew wider and wider as Naruto and Yume hit home-run after home-run, no matter the speed or path of the ball. It didn't matter the type of pitch, be it a curve-ball, a slider, a knuckle-ball, or anything else.
They connected every time, and every time they compensated for the odd trajectories and spins on the ball to get a home-run.
Needless to say if there had been any professional baseball recruiters on hand at the time they'd have offers handed to them before they left the place.
Their next stop was a tennis court. Once again Naruto had pulled out a different set of clothing, one more suitable for tennis, for Yume to wear. He had already somehow changed into his own outfit without her noticing.
Yume gave Naruto a queer look, "Another outfit?" she asked curiously.
"Well we should look the part," Naruto said with a grin.
Yume chuckled and smiled at him and accepted the outfit. She didn't mind too much, it wasn't as if the outfits were any more revealing than what she normally wore anyways. She headed for the change room and a few minutes later returned changed into her new outfit.
Like the baseball batting range, the two dominated the fields. Every serve was an ace, and every return scored a point. Their balls were simply too quick and too accurate for a normal human to be able to follow them, let alone have the strength to return them.
The one time someone did manage to connect with the ball it had torn a hole through their racket.
Eventually it ended up with Naruto facing off against Yume. There had been a massive gathering for that matchup. By the time they paired against each other everyone at the complex knew of their skill and had come to watch. Others had even come from outside, drawn by the commotion.
The tennis battle that erupted from that confrontation would become the stuff of legends ever after.
It was a battle so fast paced and intense that it defied the ability of the onlookers to believe. Across the court Naruto and Yume danced with a grace and speed that was beyond unreal. Their footwork was perfect, their movements flawless, and their technique unbelievable.
No one actually ever saw the ball. Only the trail of fire it left behind as the friction between the ball and the air caused the air to burn with its passing. At times their exchanges were so quick there were streaks of fire crossing the net in both directions at the same time.
Shockwaves shook the tennis court every time their racket hit the ball. If their rackets and the ball they were using hadn't been specially designed by Naruto to take this sort of abuse they would have been destroyed long ago.
The first set went to Yume; Naruto gave her that one. However he quickly took the second using trickery to secure his victory. The third set however went on for well over an hour as they both went all out, refusing to give the other an inch.
It finally ended when Yume broke Naruto's serve due to a stumble on his part when his stomach growled loudly.
Yume had a wide smile on her face as she approached her Ashikabi and extended her arm over the net, "Well played Naruto-kun, I enjoyed this. Too bad about how it ended," she said teasingly.
Naruto grumbled for a moment before Yume's infectious smile caused him to return a smile of his own, "Bah, if my stomach hadn't betrayed me there at the end I would have won!" he protested as he shook Yume's hand.
"If you say so," Yume said unconvinced, there was a merry twinkle in her eyes.
A roar shook the tennis court as the spectators cheered for the two of them. Yume and Naruto both waved at their audience and took a bow. This would be one tennis match they would never forget.
"Want to get something to eat?" Naruto asked Yume as they turned from the audience and began to make their way off the court.
"Yes, that sounds lovely," Yume said as the two exited from the court amidst the cheers of their audience.
After changing back into their normal attire they made their way to a roadside ramen stand for lunch. Interestingly enough it was the same person that had served him ramen the day Uzume attacked Blanc. He had moved his business elsewhere of course; even to this day no one wanted anything to do with that part of the city. Naruto had thought he had looked familiar when he had first laid eyes on him but it was the taste of the ramen that really brought the familiarity back. Every person made ramen just a little bit differently and he could pick out those differences instinctively.
Lunch was a relatively quiet affair, on account of Naruto being too busy eating to say much. That's not to say he didn't try to hold a conversation at the start but a soft, by Naruto's standards, bop on the head and a reprimand from Yume was all it took for him to hold his silence while his mouth was filled with noodles.
After lunch they went to a wide variety of places. They visited a zoo first, taking their time to enjoy the various exhibits and attractions it had to offer. The zoo keepers had been completely baffled by how friendly the polar bears had been with Yume. She had them rolling around on the ground as she scratched them behind their ears. The baby polar bear seemed to be especially fond of Yume, it was even purring as Yume rubbed its belly.
And bears don't purr.
It was a truly mystifying experience for the zoo keepers.
From there they had moved on to an aquarium and then a green house. They took their time at each place enjoying the sights, sounds and smells each had to offer.
As they left the green house Yume looked up at the sun and noted that it was starting to get late. She closed her eyes and sighed softly.
"What's wrong Yume?" Naruto asked worriedly, he hoped for today to be a special day, a joyful one.
"Naruto-kun there's something I need to ask of you…" Yume said quietly. She turned to face her Ashikabi, there was a serious, but sorrowful look, in her eyes.
"Of course Yume, just ask!" Naruto said eagerly, he wanted to make her happy but he was also dreading what the request might be, it had been a long time since he last saw her this troubled.
"Thanks," Yume said as she smiled sadly at him. She couldn't go on like this; it was too difficult for her. Her Ashikabi had the right to know her feelings on this.
It was time to say goodbye.
x~X~x
This wasn't what Naruto had thought Yume was going to ask but somehow he should have expected it.
The day had started so well, they had been laughing, smiling, and overall having a good time. Everything had been going perfect, exactly as he had planned.
But then Yume had decided to drop that bombshell on him.
Now here he was, standing all alone, staring at the marking in the ground. A small patch of grass in the back corner of the yard had been cleared. A small fence erected around the area and in the center of it was a large, elegantly carved piece of black granite. There were intricate carvings cut into it, along with a name and a date.
It was her grave.
He sensed movement behind him. Turning he saw Hanabi slowly make her way to his side.
There were unshed tears in her eyes as she gently laid a hand on his shoulders. He squeezed her hand taking comfort and solace in the companionship.
"You still blame yourself don't you? There was no way you could have known," Hanabi said softly.
"That's not much of an excuse, it doesn't bring back the dead, nor does it help keep the living alive," Naruto whispered.
Hanabi remained silent after that, there wasn't anything else she could say. The two stood there side by side for a while as they remembered all the good times the three of them had shared together.
Squeezing Naruto's shoulder one last time Hanabi turned and headed back inside, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He stood there for some time, letting the memories drift through his mind. He held each one firmly, as if embracing them one final time, before he let them go, putting them to rest.
It was time to say goodbye.
"I found some Naruto-kun," a voice called out from behind.
Naruto nodded, he couldn't trust himself to speak at this moment.
Yume made her way past him and knelt before the grave. She placed a pair of gloves at the base of the memorial and planted some flowers beside it. They were Musubi's favorite. She had never mentioned them to anyone, not wanting to put her interests about anyone else's, but Yume had sensed her feelings whenever Musubi saw them.
Miya had been more than willingly to part with them.
As Yume stood, Naruto took a long look at the grave. This should have been done a long time ago, but neither of them, no one, had wanted to truly admit that she was gone.
This grave was dedicated to Musubi. There was no body to bury, but the gravestone would always serve as a reminder of her existence.
"Thanks, Naruto-kun," Yume said as she moved to stand beside him, "I'm sorry I brought up something so depressing on a day like this."
Naruto shook his head, "Don't apologize, we should have done this a long time ago. I guess none of us really wanted to admit to ourselves that she was never coming back."
The two stood there for a few more moments, saying their final goodbyes, before they turned and headed back to the house.
Yume glanced at Naruto and gave him a sad apologetic smile, "I know you probably had more planned for us today. Sorry about interrupting it like this, perhaps we could…"
Naruto returned her smile, "I suppose we could if that's alright with you as well. I had planned to go to a movie but I don't think there's enough time left for that." There would just be barely enough time for them to get changed and get to dinner as it was.
"I think I would like that, I think we need to end this on a better note. Musubi wouldn't want us to be sad."
"Then let's end this on a better note," Naruto agreed as he grabbed Yume's hand. With a flicker the two of them disappeared.
x~X~x
With the movie planned scrapped the two went straight to the restaurant after getting changed. The restaurant they were seated in was similar to the one Naruto took Blanc to the day before in that it was a high end restaurant. However while the L'Osier had served high quality French cuisine, this one served authentic Japanese meals instead.
The two were seated across from one another, admiring the view their table by the window gave them of the city below. As Yume watched the people of Shinto Teito move about their business on the streets below she couldn't help but become curious about the day's events. She knew that Naruto had gone out of his way to make sure she had fun, which she had despite burying Musubi, but she wanted to know why he did all this. It was a bit extravagant for a 'congratulations on getting well' celebration.
"Despite my… request, I had a great time today Naruto-kun, but I can't help wonder, why?" Yume asked as she smoothed the bottom of her dress.
She was dressed in yet another outfit Naruto had bought for her. This time she was dressed in a long crimson ankle-length gown. It had an open back and a deep V that exposed ample cleavage. Aside from a pair of diamond earrings and a pair of soft red heels of the same height as her boots she was unadorned.
Despite the beautiful dress and the earrings Yume felt a little underdressed for such an auspicious location. She was probably the least dressed up woman there in the restaurant. If her plain attire wasn't offset by her natural flawless beauty she wouldn't have been let through the door.
"Things have been rather crazy as of late and will probably become crazier in the future. But right now things are relatively calm," Naruto said as he picked up his glass of water and took a sip from it. It felt like the calm before the storm right now. He placed the glass down and continued, "I don't know when we'll be able to relax like this again." Aside from the problem of Ayesha and trying to find more information about Hanabi's father there really wasn't anything pressing going on. "So I'm taking this moment to spend a little quality time with each of my Sekirei."
Yume in particular worried him most of all. All of his other Sekirei had interests or desires, something to look forward to. Blanc had her books and her manga including a dream to become a professional mangaka. Akitsu had the Church of Kurama, despite his reservations about that organization even though the church was about him. The few times he had spied on her presiding over the masses he had seen the care in her eyes, the joy of being able to give others something to believe in. Hanabi had her fondness of secret rooms and flowers. In addition he was certain she'd go into politics after this was all over; especially if he set into motion his own plans for the future. Chime had Uzume's interests in pranks and Chiho's love of the beach and the outdoors. While Chime didn't have any current plans for the future after the Sekirei Plan was over, it wouldn't be hard to find something that built on their current interests.
Yume however, she had nothing.
Before meeting him all she had was a desire to help the Sekirei find their destined Ashikabi. Afterwards it had been all about serving him, about being with him. There was plenty that she was good at, such as cooking for instance, but she never did that because she enjoyed it.
She did it because it helped him.
That wasn't enough. She needed to find something she wanted to do, something she was interested in. Even if she never found a career after the Sekirei Plan was over, she still needed to find something she was interested in that didn't revolve around him.
That was what the goal of today had been. He had taken her all over Shinto Teito in an effort to find something that clicked with her. So far he had found nothing. The only thing she had enjoyed about the various locales they had gone to was the fact that she was there with him.
"Well I've lovely time today, thank you," Yume replied with a smile.
"Good, and when this is all over we'll do this again," Naruto said. He would do it as often as required until he found something Yume enjoyed.
Their waitress arrived soon after to take their order. They both ordered a little wine with their meals, a rich smooth red from one of the many wineries in Italy. The meal itself passed peacefully as they made idle conversation, mostly about the places they'd been to that day.
Yume mentioned that she had particularly enjoyed the tennis match against him and playing with the polar bear cub at the Zoo. The little bear had just been so cute rolling around on the ground as he playfully pawed at her hand.
Their conversation was interrupted by a loud shattering sound from a nearby table. The two paused and turned to stare at the disturbance. A couple tables over, a plate was smashed on the ground and a half-eaten meal spilled all over the floor. A small child, no more than seven, was shouting at his mother in anger.
The mother had an annoyed look on her face but traces of color could be seen on her cheeks. She kept her voice calm as she tried to reason with her son. She was obviously embarrassed by the actions of her child.
Naruto glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at the pair. There were mixed emotions from around the room. Some looked amused; others had looks of understanding on their face. More than a few however scowled at the pair.
As a waitress arrived to clean up the mess, movement drew his attention back to his Sekirei. An eyebrow rose as he saw Yume slowly rise to her feet. Without a word she silently made her way across the room to the upset child and the distraught mother.
The child screamed again at his mother, his arms flailing wildly sending his half-filled glass of water shooting off the table. The waitress had just enough time to flinch before the impact.
However the impact never came as Yume deftly caught the glass in mid-air and used her speed to catch the water that had spilled out. Silence deafened the room as Yume made such an outrageous feat seem as easy and natural as breathing. The waitress gave Yume a grateful smile and quickly finished cleaning the mess on the floor before she scuttled away from the table.
Yume knelt beside the young boy and grasped his still outstretched hands in her own. "Come now, a big boy like you shouldn't be acting like this," Yume said in a gentle tone as she gave the boy a soft smile.
The boy stared at her, momentarily shocked into submission at the sight of the beautiful Sekirei. Most of the room was the same as everyone now focused their attention on the situation happening in the middle of the room. The women were interested in what she was doing; the men couldn't keep their eyes off her chest.
"Harmph!" The boy sniffed and looked away, there was a touch of embarrassment in his face, "Mother lied to me! She's always lying to me!"
Yume glanced at the boy's mother, her eyes were downcast and sad, she refused to meet her son's gaze. Yume slowly stood and rubbed his hair. The boy squirmed and tried to bat her hands away to no avail, "She wishes your father was here as much as you do," Yume said.
The two froze instantly. They couldn't fathom how Yume had instantly figured out what the problem was. Neither a name nor the topic had ever been mentioned.
Yume for her part could see their emotions, saw which ones quivered and shook, which ones were strained and the emotions that had gone unfulfilled for so long. She could see the connection between the mother and the son with their father.
She could see how much they both longed for the father to be with them and how it was the sole source of tension between the two.
"Your mother loves your father as much as she loves you. Do you think she doesn't miss him as well?"
The boy grumbled and crossed his arms across his chest, "Mother always says father is coming home but he never does. They're both big fat liars."
"Does your father love you?" Yume asked softly.
"Of course father loves me! He calls me all the time to say he loves me and that he's coming home! But he never does!" His voice was filled with emotion, frustration, anger, but most of all sadness and longing.
"Do you think this is how your father would want to see you after being gone for so long?" Yume asked, there was a gentle look in her eyes that could melt even the hardest of individuals.
"Well… no…" The boy trailed off and looked away from Yume's brilliant eyes.
"You and your mother are in the same situation. She doesn't wish to be away from her husband any more than you wish to be without a father. She's hurting inside just as much as you are, but she's putting on a brave face and waiting patiently for him to come home," Yume said as she tilted the boys head and forced him to look at his mother.
Whether it was because he was finally made aware of how his mother felt or because an angelic being was gently holding his head he could finally see how much his mother was suffering: The lines of worry in her forehead, the unshed tears in her eyes, the fake smile on her face, the slight slump of her shoulders and the tension in her arms.
"I'm certain your father is trying his hardest to return home to you two, even now."
~o~
A burly middle-aged man leaned his head against the back of the elevator as it headed to the twentieth floor of the tower complex. He had rushed here as quickly as he could. The moment helicopter had landed he had jumped out and grabbed a taxi.
He was still dressed in his forest camouflage army fatigues but he had left most of his gear back with his men. The men understood his haste and had promised to see it taken care of. They were all heading for the safe house that was suggested to them by that mysterious woman.
He thought back to what had happened. He had just gotten off the phone with his wife to give her the good news that he was coming home. Their mission in the north was finished; the 'rebel' encampment had been exterminated.
Although he couldn't for the life of him understand how a small fishing village in the middle of the boonies whose entire military arsenal amounted to no more than a dozen hunting rifles could be considered a 'rebel force of significant threat' to the emperor.
His entire company had been deployed to neutralize the village, nearly a hundred and fifty troops in all. There had been four platoons, they had come at the village from all sides. The village had fallen quickly, easily. They had been of no consequence, no threat. By the time they finished and had made a thorough sweep of every building he knew they had been lied to. This was no rebel village.
Then they started to die.
Lightning so bright it looked black lanced through the air, cutting through men and vehicles with equal ease. Entire buildings were blown apart from the force of the attacks. The men desperately tried shooting in the direction of the attack but they never hit anything.
He tried to organize a counter-attack but it was like trying to hit a ghost. No matter where he tried to marshal the troops, the next attack would always come from behind.
To make matters worse, those that ran were cut down before they made it out of the village. Weapons of all types, shapes and sizes took them down. Some exploded on impact, others were sheared straight through their protective vests like they weren't even there and others still electrocuted them.
He and his immediate guard hadn't been spared either. The building they had been in, the one set up as a forward command post in the village, exploded when a lance of black lightning tore it to shreds.
They should have died right then and there but they hadn't. Something protected them, a brilliant multi-colored light had be seen holding the ceiling up, that same light appeared to be keeping the heat and smoke of the burning house away from them. They had no idea what it was but it had bought them all enough time to escape from the house before it collapsed and transformed into a burning death trap.
They all owed their lives to that mystery light. None of them knew what it was, but it had saved their lives. Without it they would all be dead, every last one of them.
He had fled then, heading for the surrounding forest, taking with him every soldier nearby. He had given one final command to each of the squad leaders to form up into individual squads and scatter in all directions. The hope was that at least some of them could get away.
He wasn't sure how many had gotten away. He could hear his comrades screaming in the distance, he knew that something was cutting them down. He was certain it was going to reach him and his men soon. Moving rapidly, but staying in formation with each man watching a different direction they had headed back to their staging camp a few miles away.
However despite all their fears whatever it was that cut his comrades down never reached them. It felt like an eternity to him but it was only thirty minutes later when they finally made their way out of the forest and into a clearing.
There their hearts fell. The camp was in ruins. All the vehicles, all the equipment, all the supplies and the few soldiers left behind to take care of it.
All of it was destroyed.
Despair nearly took them until the beating of wind caught their attention. Looking up they saw nothing at first but a few moments later when several unmarked helicopter shot over the tree tops. They had been flying so close to the ground that the tops of the trees skimmed the underside of the helicopters.
He couldn't believe their luck when the helicopters landed in the middle of the clearing. The door of the foremost helicopter opened and they could see a woman dressed in a red floral pattern kimono with brilliant blue eyes and long blonde hair beckoning them over. There were other men in the helicopter as well, armed with advanced weaponry the likes they'd never seen, keeping an eye on the surrounding forest.
Not questioning the situation he and his men had rushed to the helicopters. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if they didn't take this singular chance to get away, they were going to die.
The woman had introduced herself as Ramen Prime as he climbed into the helicopter. She had said she had gotten word that the emperor was eliminating potential threats in the army and that his platoon had been labeled as such.
Apparently the emperor didn't like people questioning his rule. It was true that he and his men had been somewhat vocal in their disapproval of the new emperor's actions but that didn't mean they weren't loyal to Japan. Each and every one of them would gladly lay down their lives in defense of their home country.
It just didn't sit well with them when they had to gun down innocent women and children.
It had been a long quiet ride all the way back to the capital. How they managed to get inside Shinto Teito without alerting MBI he would never know, nor did he want to ask. He was merely thankful of their rescuers timely intervention.
As they approached the landing zone Ramen had given them all a slip of paper. It had locations of several safe houses and individuals they could contact if they wanted to hide from the authorities.
They had gratefully accepted the aid. That was where he had departed from his comrades.
Now that he thought about it they never learned why she decided to help them. Her smile was so genuine that one just couldn't help but trust her. In the end it didn't really matter. If she wanted them dead there would have been no reason to rescue them. She had put herself and many others in great danger saving them and for that he was willing to believe and trust her.
But before he went to ground to hide with his comrades there was a promise he needed to keep. Two people he loved more than anything that he needed to see.
The elevator stopped and the door opened.
~o~
Yume smiled as the mother and her son hugged each other tightly. The son was crying into her mother's bosom as she gently held her son. She had a wondering look in her eyes and a thankful smile on her face as she gazed at Yume.
The Sekirei of Fate could see it now. He was getting close. In addition to the emotional connections between people she could see the direction of said bond. She could point with unerring accuracy exactly where the mother's husband was. She couldn't determine the distance, merely the direction.
However the direction had been changing quite significantly these past few minutes. Even now it rose up until it pointed straight across the room.
The elevator door opened and a man dressed in army fatigues stepped out from the elevator, "Yui! Kouji!" The man called out as he looked around the room.
The mother's eyes widened in surprise. Yume could see the love, warmth, and relief that flooded into them as she turned to the man she loved.
"Daddy!" The boy cried out in joy and happiness as he raced across the room. With a mighty leap he jumped into his father's arms.
The military officer caught his son in mid-air and hugged him tightly. The mother, now identified as Yui, slowly made her way across the room to her husband, tears of happiness and joy shone brightly in her eyes.
The officer brought her into his embrace and the reunited family shared one big long hug.
The room erupted into cheers and smiles as everyone began to clap at the sight of the joyous reunion.
Amidst the clamor Naruto made his way to Yume's side. He tapped her shoulder and pointed to the emergency staircase. Yume smiled knowingly and the two slowly made their way from the dining hall. Behind on their table was payment for their meal along with a hefty tip. Slipped into Yui's purse under the table was an unmarked envelope with a sizeable amount of money and a note.
They were silent as they made their way down the staircase. It wasn't until they got outside that either of them decided to speak, "How did you know the father was going to show up?" Naruto asked quietly as they made their way onto the sidewalk outside the tower complex.
Yume glanced back up at the twentieth floor restaurant and tilted her head, "I didn't. It certainly was a nice surprise but I honestly did not know he was going to arrive until well into the conversation." She glanced at her Ashikabi and smiled happily, "It was certainly a nice way to finish though."
"If I didn't know better I'd have thought you orchestrated that entire thing," Naruto said teasingly as the two headed down the street.
"I wouldn't do that. I just couldn't stand by and do nothing. The love that boy had for his mother and father was strong, he just needed a reminder. I'm glad everything worked out in the end," Yume said happily as she leaned against Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto wrapped an arm around Yume's waist and the two continued on in silence. They wandered through the city like that for some time before finally making their way to a small playground between several large apartment complexes. The sun had almost finished setting as they eased themselves onto a small bench at the edge of the playground.
There were children playing happily there, watched diligently by a group of parents off to the side. Some of the children were on the swings, others climbed the jungle gyms and some played in the sand boxes. It was one of the most peaceful scenes Naruto had witnessed in a very long time.
Glancing over at Yume he noticed a soft, gentle look on her face as she watched the children play. A thought suddenly occurred to Naruto, he finally figured it out. He finally understood what it was that Yume liked.
It had been right there under his nose the entire time and he had missed it. He should have picked up on it sooner.
Yume liked children.
"Yume, have you ever considered being a teacher?" Naruto asked suddenly.
The Sekirei of Fate blinked in surprise at the sudden random question and turned to regard Naruto curiously, "No, why?"
"I was just wondering, after the Sekirei Plan is over, after all the Ashikabi and Sekirei have finally settled down into normal lives and there's no longer a need for a guardian, what will you do?" Naruto asked quietly as he watched the children play together carefree.
She thought for a moment, "I… hadn't thought about that," Yume admitted reluctantly. She lowered her eyes and stared at the ground pensively. She wanted to stay by her Ashikabi's side forever and ever. To help him and to protect the little ones survive this game.
But afterwards?
"Why not become a teacher?" Naruto repeated his earlier question. Yume looked up at him, unspoken questions in her eyes. "You like children, I saw it in your eyes when you watched these kids play. And you're good with them as well; you handled that child in the restaurant well. You like children and you're good with them, it wouldn't take much to transform that into someone who teaches them."
"And who would I teach?" Yume asked wryly, "I suppose you're right, I guess I do love children, but I don't have the qualifications to be a teacher." In this day and age one needed a full college degree and to be qualified to teach and she didn't have any educational qualifications.
"There are going to be plenty of half-Sekirei children with super-powers after this Sekirei Plan," Naruto pointed out as he went back to watching the children play. "Someone will need to guide them and teach them how to properly control their power. A normal teacher isn't going to be able to handle even one of them, let alone multiple." A normal teacher wouldn't be able to handle the type of school he wanted to open up either.
A brilliant smile crossed Yume's face, "I think I'd like that," she said.
Naruto grinned and hugged Yume tightly. It had taken all day but they were finally able to find a future for Yume to look forward to after the Sekirei Plan was done. He stood and pulled Yume up with him.
"Come on, let's head home," Naruto said.
"Oh? Our date is over already?" Yume asked with an arched eyebrow. There was an undertone of disappointment in her voice.
Naruto grinned at her and shook his hand in front of his face, "No, of course not, unless of course you wish to become an exhibitionist," he said in a teasing voice.
"Ah, I see," Yume said as she picked up on his intent. She wrapped her arms around her Ashikabi's waist and gave him a smile. "Perhaps we should retire for the night after all."
There was a flicker of light and the two disappeared, leaving no trace of their presence behind.
x~X~x
Yume glanced around the master bedroom on the second floor of their home. It was obvious to her that it had been prepared in advanced. The two nightstands on either side of the large king size bed had candles burning on them, bathing the room in a soft yellow light. They gave enough light to be able to see fine, but not so much as to be oppressive. A stick of incense simmered on the dresser, filling the room with the faint hint of vanilla.
The room had undergone some modifications since the house had originally been purchased. The walls were now thoroughly insulated and sound-proofed, which would soon turn out to be a blessing. The door that led into the hallway had actually been removed and a wall built in its place. This room was reserved for special purposes; they all had their own room in the basement anyways. The only way in and out of the room was through the secret passage which had an additional door added leading into the bathroom.
"What now, Naruto-kun?" Yume asked as she walked up to her Ashikabi who was standing next to the bed.
"Now…" Naruto trailed off as he pulled the straps of Yume's dress to the side. The dress slid down Yume's frame and pooled around her feet. He admired his gorgeous Sekirei for a moment before he stepped to the side and beckoned her towards the bed, "I'm going to give you a massage."
Yume flashed him a smile and obediently laid, face down, upon the bed. "Like the one you gave Miya-san?"
"Oh, I think this one might end up being a little more intense than hers," Naruto said as he tucked his fingers around the band of Yume's red panties. With a quick tug he pulled them down her legs and tossed them onto her discarded dress.
"I think I'd like that."
Naruto smiled and climbed onto the bed and straddled Yume's backside much as he had with Miya. "I hope you're ready to feel good!" Naruto said as he cracked his knuckles and began to knead the flesh around Yume's collarbone.
Using the combination of physical pressure and chakra he worked on relieving the tension and pressure within Yume's muscles. Due the battle with Karasuba and the subsequent inaction in a prone position for days afterwards her muscles were incredibly sore and stiff.
He slowly worked his way down the center of Yume's back, applying pressure to work out the knots and kinks and then working his chakra into her system to soothe the pain left behind. He made sure to take his time, lingering on each spot for several minutes, before moving on to the next. He had all night to work her body over and he wasn't going to rush things.
After working down the center of her back Naruto moved outwards. His hands moved in slow methodic circles as he worked his way up her sides. Yume was thoroughly enjoying the ministrations, letting out small moans and groans each time Naruto's hands dug deeply into her soft flesh.
Leaving her back his hands worked their way down her arms to her hands. There he paid extra special attention has he worked the joints and muscles therein. Yume used her fists as her primary method of attack and despite her increased healing factor due to being a Sekirei her hands had suffered. He was rough with her hands; he could feel her flinch in pain every now and then as he worked the tendons. They were stiff and taunt from the strain Yume put them through. He was quick to apply a soothing coat of chakra over the area so that she didn't suffer for very long.
After finishing with her hands Naruto moved to sit beside Yume. Rolling her over unto her back Naruto cracked his knuckles again and stretched his fingers fore he went to work on her tense stomach muscles. Like her back these muscles were incredibly tense and it took several long minutes to work them back into a relaxed state. Slowly he worked his way up her stomach until he reached her chest.
This part of her body required a different touch then the normal massage techniques he employed. Using just his fingers, and the soothing layer of chakra, he began to apply a moderate amount of pressure. Using circular strokes he worked his way outwards from her nipples to her underarm. From there he worked his way back into the middle of her chest.
Using the same amount of pressure as before Naruto began to gently massage and knead each of the breasts. After several minutes of concentrated massaging he began to gently twist each breast using both hands, being sure never to twist it so much as to cause pain.
From there he went back to gently massaging his way down from her nipples to tissue in her underarm and back again.
By the second time he reached the tips of her breasts he could feel her arousal quite distinctly. Her body quivered beneath his hands, her breathing had quickened and her face was incredibly flushed.
"You seemed to be enjoying this," Naruto said quietly as he started back at square one and began a new round of massages for her breasts.
"Yes, please don't stop," Yume pleaded.
"That was never my intention," Naruto replied but Yume could no longer hear him, once again lost in a haze of pleasure as he continued to massage her breasts.
After finishing a second round of massages, and reducing Yume to putty, Naruto moved on to the rest of her body. Placing her on her stomach again his hands danced down her backside until they reached her rear end. Like with Miya his hands dug in deep as he began to massage the key muscles groups located within.
Unlike Miya however he stared unabashedly between her legs. It was a glorious view and one he intended to soak up as much as possible as many times as possible before the night was over. To facilitate this further he had spread Yume's legs apart so that he could sit between them. It gave him a perfect view.
After finish with her rear end he worked his way down her legs. Like her hands he paid special attention to her legs. They had been inactive for quite some time and the tension in them was palpable. By the time he was done with them however Yume would have no trouble moving as easily as she could the morning of her fight with Karasuba.
Her feet were another place he spent a great deal of time on. Not only did he work out the tensions in the muscles, the strained tendons and the pulled ligaments, he paid extra attention to the pressure points and pleasure centers in the feet.
By the time he was finished with her feet Yume was on the verge of sleep. However he couldn't have any of that, the night was still young.
Rolling Yume onto her back once more his hands worked their way to the one place they had longed to reach since the very beginning.
"It's too early to go to sleep," Naruto said quietly as his hands descended upon that heavenly valley.
With light strokes his fingers plied the area around her opening, the chakra emanating from his fingertips hitting all the right spots. Yume instantly shot awake as waves of pleasure rippled through her body. Her body arched and moans escaped from her throat as Naruto's fingers danced across her flesh. They teased her constantly, brushing lightly against her for a moment before they moved on to a new spot.
It was maddening but at the same time it felt so wonderful she could barely think. What little of her mind that could still think was quickly overwhelmed when one of his fingers slipped inside her wet opening.
Like a tidal wave the pleasure crashed into her mind and she sent spiraling into a climax. Her toes curled and her hands gripped the bed sheets tightly as her body quaked from the powerful release. And just as she was about to come down from it two more fingers entered her and began to explore her just as rigorously as the first.
With that action she was sent over the edge a second time. She didn't know how her Ashikabi had done it but his massage had left her incredibly sensitive.
It took her several minutes to recover. When she could finally collect her thoughts she turned her gaze to her Ashikabi. Sometime during the massage he had rid himself of his clothing. He was leaned over her, gently smiling down as he waited for her to move on.
Yume wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck. "What are you waiting for?" she asked as she gave him a loving smile.
Returning the smile with one of his own he buried himself completely inside her in one single swift movement.
"Oh Naruto-kun," Yume murmured with pleasure as she basked in the feeling. She never felt more complete than when Naruto was inside her.
Naruto sat up, bringing Yume up with him, "Yume… I have something for you," he said as he reached over to the nightstand and pulled open the drawer.
There in the bottom was a small black box. Taking the box out and closing the drawer behind it pulled away from Yume slightly and presented it to her. Opening it he revealed a ring with a diamond in the shape of a heart.
"Will you marry me?" Naruto asked.
Yume gave Naruto a brilliant smile and touched his cheek lovingly.
"No."
Naruto's heart stopped and his eyes almost bulged out of his skull at the sudden unexpected rejection. Yume just laughed and kissed him on the nose, "Or rather I will, but not like this," she said as she gestured at her own body.
Naruto beat on his chest as he tried to get his heart started again. He shook his head in confusion, "I don't understand," he said quietly.
Yume gave him a soft, yet oddly sad, smile. It was time to let go of the past and live for the future. Musubi would understand, she would want the same. "I want to marry you as Yume. Not just in mind and spirit, but in body as well," Yume said as she started to explain herself. Naruto's eyes began to widen as he realized what it was she was referring to, "I know you have a great deal of control over the seal in my body. Musubi and I share many physical similarities, but there are also many differences between us. I can't give you my everything, if half of what I am is what Musubi used to be. I don't want this marriage to be halfway."
Naruto sighed in relief as everything finally made sense. For a second there he thought Yume had turned him down for… he couldn't finish that thought. He couldn't think of any reason why Yume would actually say no to him. Of all his Sekirei he was the one he had been most certain would accept his proposal, even more so than Akitsu.
There was a problem with her proposition however, "I don't know what your original body looks like," Naruto pointed out.
Yume cupped her breasts as she gave Naruto another smile, "That's not a problem, I remember clearly. I remember how it looked, how it felt. Our bond is strong, coupled like this I can share that experience with you and you can use that experience to mould my body back into its original form."
"Musubi…" Naruto trailed off as he hesitated, he thought he had made peace with her earlier but there was a part of him that still wanted to hold on, that didn't want to admit there was nothing else he could do.
Yume gently stroked his cheek and gave him a soft smile, "She would understand. It's time for us to let go of the past, completely. We can't fight for the future at our best if the burdens of the past weigh us down. We put her spirit to rest earlier today; it's time to put her body to rest as well," Yume said. She understood Naruto's concern. She too cared about Musubi and would always carry a piece of her inside. They would always remember her, honor her, love her, but they needed to move on past her.
That memorial they raised for her was for just that purpose.
Naruto sighed and pressed his forehead against hers, "Alright, you've obviously made up your mind," he said a little sadly. He could understand what Yume was saying but damn was it ever hard to do it in practice. He always did have a hard time letting go of those he cared about. They had always been so few that he had always held on tightly, even long after they had gone.
"Then let's begin, I don't want to marry you as Yume inside Musubi. I don't want to carry your child in Musubi's body. I want to do all that inside my own," Yume said as she kissed her Ashikabi passionately.
As eight brilliant pink wings burst from Yume's back Naruto's hands moved to the crest on her stomach. As his hands touched the crest memories, feelings, and experiences rushed into his mind carrying with it all that made Yume who and what she was. In a very real sense she was giving him her everything. She had no secrets left to keep from him.
The feeling of the memories and experiences rushing into him was very familiar. It was very similar to the rush of memories he would get when his shadow clones dispelled. Only this was far more powerful, far more intense, as it was another's experience and not just a facet of his own returning.
Chakra began to circulate through his hands. He knew what to do; the knowledge was there within his mind. He had his experience and skill with Fuinjutsu and Yume's memories of what she once was. Combining the two sources of knowledge together he channeled a series of commands into Yume's Sekirei crest.
He could feel the commands take hold within her. The seal flared the life as changes began to occur throughout Yume's body. Her hair shortened in the back and lengthened slightly on the sides as it took on a slightly messier appearance. Her jaw and cheeks shifted imperceptibly and her eye color darkened half a shade. Her bone density lessened, becoming less sturdy than before but the amount of chakra channeled to them increased making the difference in durability negligible. The muscle density in her arms and legs shifted and changed as her body changed from that of a head-on brute fighter to one of speed and grace. Her tendons and ligaments stretched and became more elastic greatly enhancing her flexibility. Even her hallowed halls changed as they shrunk and tightened around him. Her hymen reformed, only to be instantly broken again due to Naruto's presence inside her. It shifted again as it literally moulded itself to his shape. Yume's Sekirei core shifted and moved up her body to take the place of Musubi's old ruined one. Even the wings on her back changed and shifted, transforming from a brilliant pink to a brilliant blue and from eight individual wings to two large wings formed of many different smaller pieces.
And finally the most visible change of all, to Naruto at least, occurred when her breasts shrunk, losing almost half their previous size.
Naruto pulled back as Yume's body finished its adjustments. His eyes took in the glorious sight of what she had once been. Yume had been right when she had said Musubi was very similar to her. At first glance she didn't seem all that different, aside from the size of her breasts. However upon closer inspection he noticed subtle changes in her size of her arms and legs and the shape of her face.
"So this is Yume," Naruto said in wonder as his eyes took in everything.
"Yes, I am Yume," Yume said as she stretched her arms above her head, relishing in the feeling of finally returning to her old body, "From now on I am Uzumaki Yume, your wife," she said as he kissed Naruto once more.
In the midst of the kiss she pulled the ring from the black box and slipped it onto her finger. Pulling away she held her hand up and admired her new adornment. It fit her perfectly.
"It looks good on you," Naruto said as he eyed the ring as well. He was glad that the change hadn't caused the size of her fingers to shift. That would have made things awkward when she had put the ring on.
Yume smiled at Naruto and wrapped her arms around his neck once more, "Yes it does, but right now I'm more interested in what it feels like to be with my Ashikabi as Yume."
Naruto grinned, "Well I can't say that I particular mind getting to break in this new body so soon after you got it back," he replied as he glanced down. He let out a small chuckle as he noticed a trickle of blood escape from between them, "It seems that I broke your hymen for a second time."
"At least this time it was properly, not like last time when you broke it while you were asleep," Yume said teasingly.
"Hey you were the one that took over Musubi's body!"
"Don't know what you're talking about," Yume said innocently with a perfectly straight face.
"That's it, no sleep for you tonight!" Naruto cried out as he pushed Yume onto her back.
"You say that like that's a punishment," Yume said with a laugh as she wrapped her legs around Naruto's waist.
The two smiled and lost themselves in each other as Naruto explored every nook and cranny of Yume's old, or rather 'new' body. By the time they finished the candles had burned out, the incense stick had finished, and the sun was beginning to rise.
Author's Notes: So hopefully this chapter was interesting. Like I said I had a lot of trouble with it.
As you can see the massage itself was probably more vulgar than scene afterwards because for the massage it was very clinical, explaining exactly what he was doing, to get her to relax. With the sex it was a bit more emotional (what little there was anyways), focusing more of the acceptance of Musubi's loss and Yume's transformation into a complete person.
And about the chapter title, in case you weren't able to figure it out. It's about Yume and Naruto finally saying goodbye to Musubi. Now they'll move forward together, they'll always remember the past, but they'll no longer be chained and bound by it, at least not that particular piece of their past anyways. The transformation of Yume's body was more than just something she desired to become more effective in battle; it was a breaking of the chains that bound her to the past.
That scene was also one of the major elements I've wanted to do since Chapter 11 but never found a legitimate reason to do so. Yume's loss to Karasuba was the key element that helped push her into desiring her old body back. She can't reach her full potential in Musubi's body, she realized that when Karasuba defeated her. This is one of the reasons, just one mind you, I had Yume lose. Other reasons revolve around Karasuba and her future development.