So, this was supposed to come out on Christmas day, but I got a little side tracked. So, here it is, the latest chapter, longer than any that have come before it and full of my typical brand of insanity, enjoy!
Apex Rock, Jade
An ancient buried chamber finally was being used for it's original function after many years of inactivity. An old wizard made his way towards the center of the room, clasping a large gemstone in his hand. Looking over to the side, the old man saw the group of women he had come with slowly vanish until there only stood a single woman, one who appeared to be somewhat annoyed.
"Tirant, baby, are you sure that we should be doing this? I know you got G'Nolga to grab all the mages for this very purpose, but it looks like this place was abandoned for a reason!" Tirant turned back to the woman, pulling the wig and glasses from his face as he smiled.
"Ah Array, so concerned about my welfare, I am truly touched. I have studied this location thoroughly and I can assure you that there is no danger to us. Now, we will begin the process of draining these mages of their magical energy within the week and then, once I have control of this war Golem, Jade Realm will know that I am it's rightful master!"
Judicial Courthouse – Seer's Hamlet
Naruto sat listlessly on the cot below him, the only furnishing in the cell he had been thrown into several days earlier, his fingers softly tapping out a steady beat against the wooden trunk that held aloft the building he was currently in. Naruto smiled as he felt the natural energy running through the massive plant as he watched the guards outside of his cell, their boredom obvious as the guarded the strangely well behaved and quite prisoner.
'Three days and nothing. I wonder when we're going to get this show on the road?' A loud clanging caught Naruto's attention, his fingers rapidly increasing in tempo before he slapped his palm against the wall. As Naruto swung his feet over the side of his cot, the smirking visage of Nadali coming into view as she stopped before the shinobi's cell, her arms crossed under her bust as her escorts unlocked the cell. Naruto stood up and offered his hands, his expression bordering on defeated as the manacles were attached and the blonde was roughly pulled into the hallway. Nadali watched the defeated actions of the man that had dared to mess with her and smiled as she led the group towards the courtroom. But, as always, things revolving around Naruto are never what they seem as a small grin formed on the blondes hidden features, the expression vanishing before they exited the hallway.
Meanwhile
Gar leaned back against the massive oak, his ears flicking rapidly as he listened to the vibrations running down the trunk until they ceased. Opening his eyes, Gar grabbed a pad of paper and began to take notes of the beats he had heard from Naruto, the code not making any sense to the young jag-were at the time but as Gaja once said, all will be revealed in time. With a heavy sigh as Gar thought of his friend and mentor, Gar swiftly made his way towards the Barracks, knowing that Onoli would want to hear what had happened. As the jag-were entered, Onoli looked up from a stack of reports and nodded at Gar as he stood before his desk.
"Gar, perfect timing. So, anything to pass along today?" Gar nodded as he pulled out the pad of paper he had used and turned towards the other occupant of the room, a very relaxed Naruto sprawling out on the couch in Onoli's office as he basked under the warm sun that shone through the office windows. The blonde shinobi opened his eyes minutely as he held his hand out, taking the offered pad and flicking his eyes over the code. A grin formed as Naruto rose, a yawn escaping as he dropped the pad on Onoli's desk.
"It's beginning. Now comes the fun part."
Chapter 18
Gina and Brianna were a wreck, the pair both having spent the last few days with their grandmother in an attempt to keep themselves distracted as they waited for Naruto's trial. Brunhildagard had used her political clout to get a list of the charges once they were compiled, a list that caused the powerful woman to frown thoughtfully.
"These charges are most unusual. And you girls say he destroyed these six homes when Brianna's alter ego slammed him through them? And then these clones of his saved the lives of at least thirty innocent bystanders from a falling building?" Gina nodded tearfully as she wiped her eyes, the stress getting to the young scientist as she continued to hold Brianna in a tight hug. The half were-cheetah was so distraught when Naruto had been arrested that she had almost tried to take his place, but a stern glare from Naruto halted her in her tracks and his subtle shake of his head caused the young woman's words to die in her throat as their friends the Edge Guard carted Naruto away. "For something that obviously was not his intention, not to mention the fact that he saved so many innocent bystanders would normally be a deed worthy of praise, not punishment. Following the letter of the law, the trial is possible but only on the flimsiest of technicalities. I think there is something happening behind the scenes here. And I think your boyfriend is aware of this, after all he surrendered much too easily to the Northern Edge Guard." Gina's shook her head as she rested her chin on Brianna's shoulder, the youngest Diggers sister expression becoming introspective as she began connecting all of the clues that had been found. A sigh from Gina attracted her Grammy's attention, a fond smile appearing on her granddaughter's face as she stood up and looked out of the window.
"Makes sense, after all it should be impossible for anyone to convince Naruto to do something that he doesn't want to do." The door swiftly opened, causing the three woman to turn as Thorpan entered the room.
"Madam Chairwoman, Gina, Brianna, we don't have much time as the trial is about to start but there is someone that I would like you to know. There are greater forces at work here than punishing an innocent man, forces that have been watched over for quite some time. Naruto has graciously agreed to aid us in our investigation as per a final request by Gaja before he passed, a request Naruto is uniquely suited to fulfill." Brianna fell back against the couch that she had been sitting on, a bark of laughter drawing the attention of the three other occupants of the room as she shook her head.
"Looks like Naruto is going to go and screw with some bad guys... lucky bastard."
Court Room
Sheila sat in the court room, her tail rapidly twitching as she waited for the proceedings to begin. 'This is all my fault! Naruto's being treated like a common criminal when he should be treated like a hero, I'm the one that caused this whole mess!' Looking over to her right, Sheila watched her teammate Thorpan enter the court room, the were-panther pulling out a recording crystal as he silently observed the people before him. "Thorpan? What's going to happen to Naruto?" Thorpan reached into his bag as he pulled out a writing pad and a quill, his deft fingers rapidly writing out notes as he responded to Sheila.
"The Sheriff wields the law like a weapon, she knows all the tricks and loopholes that can benefit her. In this situation, it is most likely that Naruto will go to jail for the rest of his natural life. It's starting now, we'll talk about this later. For now, I need to record every detail I see, the slightest clue could mean Naruto's freedom." Sheila watched sullenly as Naruto was escorted into the court room, tears threatening to fall as she saw the defeated look in the blonde's eyes. As the shinobi passed the seated jag-were, Naruto glanced over at Sheila and winked quickly before he was thrown into the dock. Sheila blinked rapidly, wondering if her mind had played a trick on her as she settled in, her curiosity piqued as she listened to the sheriff begin presenting her case.
With Naruto
'Ugh, so boring... almost makes be glad I never became Hokage, there would have been day after day of dealing with crap like this. Well, it's been long enough since the trial has started, how about we stir the pot a little Kurama?' Naruto grinned internally as he heard his comrade's evil chuckle, a sliver of the Biju's chakra sliding into the locks around his wrists. Moments later the shackles fell to the ground, attracting the attention of everyone in the court room as they stared at the now freed prisoner.
"Wow, that's weird... hey, does this mean I'm free to go? Cause it's getting boring here, like really boring, like listening to a piano recital boring." Naruto leaped out of the dock, landing on the judge's desk in a crouch and turning his head towards the startled woman.
"I demand order in this court! Bailiff! Restrain this man immediately!" Naruto's eyes narrowed as he observed the woman before him, the bailiff running forward as he tried to desperately grab the man as he bounced towards the fuming sheriff. Naruto's eyes widened as vines sprouted from the ground, wrapping the shinobi tightly in their grasp and dropping him to the floor. Looking up, Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked at the self satisfied smirk of the sheriff moments before the bailiff finally grabbed him and Naruto was placed back in the dock. The stern faced judge glared at the serenely smiling blonde as she sighed.
"Would the accused like to spout any lies before I pass judgment on his sentence?" Naruto raised an eyebrow before shaking his head.
"Nope, it's not like your going to let me go, after all you need a scapegoat to pin this farce of justice on, who better than someone from Earth? After all, I'm just a uncultured, backward simpleton that is so far beneath your gaze that I should be bowing at your feet." Thorpan slowly looked over the top of his pad, his eyes widening as he saw the judge's cheeks burning red as she tried to control her anger. Sheila bit down hard on her fist, trying to reign in the laughter that threatened to burst from her mouth.
'He's got some serious balls, big HUGE brass ones! I can't remember anyone that has ever talked to this judge like this before!' As Sheila tried to regain control of herself, the judges next words instantly plunged her laughter into a field of ice, her body shaking as she shook her head back and forth. 'No...'
"SILENCE! Sentence is three hundred years of heavy labor in the Dungeon of the Seer! Take this reprobate away!" Sheila lowered her head, the young jag-were blaming herself for the suffering that Naruto was going to endure for the rest of his life. As Naruto was escorted from the courtroom, the shinobi caught Thorpan's eye discreetly and nodded, the were-panther's gaze narrowing as he packed his gear back into his bag.
"Let's go Sheila, we've got what we need, everything will be fine, trust me."
Naruto sighed as he looked out of the window of Onoli's office, the final rays of the setting sun giving way as the twin moons of Jade appeared in the night sky, their light casting a bluish tint on the shinobi's face. Naruto continued to look outside as Gar stood beside shinobi, the jag-were taking a deep breath as he looked out the window as well.
"Well, trial's over and everything is in place for my long term mission. There's just one more thing that needs to be handled and your the man I need to talk to about it. Your sister, you know she can't stay here. She's too impulsive, she needs to learn discipline. However unintentional, her actions set off this whole mess and got the law on my ass. I'm sorry Gar, but your sister is heading back with Gina and the others." Gar glared at Naruto, an expression the shinobi returned as he stared the jag-were down.
"If she so much as gets a scratch..." Naruto sighed as he waved the young man off and started to walk away.
"Yeah, yeah, it'll be my fault and I'll die a hundred deaths or some such nonsense. You really haven't been paying attention, have you Gar? I give my all for my friends. She may have done something stupid, but Sheila is still my friend." As Naruto exited the room, Gar squeezed his eyes shut as he clenched his fists, knowing that being separated from his sister would be harder than he expected. Turning quickly, Gar made his way towards Sheila's quarters, knowing that there were things that she would want with her for her trip.
Outside of the Edge Guard Barracks
Sheila held her hands in front of herself sadly, her head lowered as she silently followed Thorpan back towards the barracks. As the pair drew closer, they saw a group of people standing in the training field, the large form of Onoli waving his teammates over. As Sheila drew nearer, she saw that the Diggers and Jaliera were carrying several bags each and the jag-were growled lowly.
"How can you all think about leaving? Naruto is in jail! He's stuck in there for the next THREE HUNDRED YEARS! How can you abandon him when he needs you the most! If it was me, I'd..." Sheila trailed off as Onoli's large hand settled on her shoulder, the jag-were looking up at her leader's shaking head. Sheila felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes as she let her head fall once more, the young woman trying to pull away from her leader but his hand held her fast.
"Sheila, you're going with them. You are on permanent detached duty for the foreseeable future, it has already been cleared with Edge Guard HQ. Gar is coming down here with your things, you'd better say your goodbyes while we have the time." Sheila looked up at Onoli in shock, her heart nearly breaking at the sad look the met her gaze. Turning around, Sheila saw Tirga and Thorpan turn away, the pair refusing to meet the young woman's gaze. When Gar arrived, a rucksack held in his hands, Sheila knew this wasn't a joke, she really was leaving Jade.
"Well, I see you finally got rid of the little kid, right? Fine, I know when I'm not wanted! Lets go girls!" Sheila angrily stalked towards her brother, ripping the rucksack from his hands and standing beside Brianna. Sheila sniffled as she looked up, a pain filled expression on her brother's face gave the jag-were pause before she began to turn her back on her teammates. Thorpan stepped forward, his hand resting on Sheila's shoulder as he squeezed it lightly.
"Sheila, we are not trying to get rid of you. There is a purpose to this, trust your friends and teammates. After you pass through the portal, you'll understand. We will see you soon, that is a promise." Sheila walked forward, not even glancing back as her teammates sadly watched their friend depart. A glowing tear in the fabric of space and time opened, the group of six women passing through quickly. Moments later the portal winked shut and the four were-cats were alone once more. As the remaining members of the Edge Guard stood there, a shadowy figure watched the unfolding drama and grinned at Sheila's departure.
Diggers Mansion, Earth
As Sheila landed on her feet after exiting the portal, she looked up and screamed in shock, her eyes meeting the grinning face of Naruto as he flicked the jag-were in her forehead.
"Ok, first rule as your sensei, your not allowed to be all mopey like that. It makes me get depressed and then I'll make you do extra work if that happens." Sheila held her hand over her heart, her rapid breathing causing Naruto to grin even wider.
"What the hell? Aren't you supposed to be in prison?" Naruto grinned as he nodded, walking over towards Gina and Brianna, giving both girls a welcoming kiss. Gina growled and punched the shinobi in the arm, folding her arms under her breasts as she glared at Naruto.
"That was mean Naruto, you could have had her brother and teammates tell her what was happening! She thinks they abandoned her!" Naruto leaned forward and gently flicked Gina's head, causing the genius to yelp in surprise as she rubbed the stinging skin.
"We had to make it look real, just in case someone was watching. After all, there are spies everywhere in Seer's Hamlet, a couple dozen at least. I should know, I went looking for them after the trial. After that, people will think that Sheila is gone and that gives us an advantage. And to answer your question Sheila, yes, I am in prison, I'll explain later. Now, we're gonna have to work hard if were gonna get you trained up in the basics in the next couple of months. " Sheila looked, her eyes darting back and forth in confusion as she grabbed the front of Naruto's shirt.
"Basics? What in the nine hells are you talking about? I thought I was being banished or something!" Naruto's eyes widened as he slapped his forehead, groaning in irritation.
"Dammit all to hell, you are way to over imaginative Sheila. No, you are not banished, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ok, here goes... how would you like to be able to do what I can? Make clones like me, be stronger and faster than any of your teammates and control the very elements just like I can? You'll be a shadow to your enemies and shield to your friends and family and I will make you unstoppable. I'm giving you the opportunity to be a shinobi, what do you say?" Sheila looked at Naruto in shock, the blonde shinobi grinning as he waited patiently for the jag-were's answer.
"MEGA ICE KAPOWIE!" Naruto's eyes widened as he was encased in a block of ice, a panting Sheila pointing Ice Fang threateningly at the trapped man. "YOU BASTARD!" Sheila immediately spun around and stormed off, a giggling Genn waving at the struggling Naruto as she chased after the angry jag-were to show her where she would be sleeping. Gina and Brianna both grinned at Naruto as he walked out of a side room, the clone that was encased in ice popping silently.
"This may be harder than I thought it was going to be..."
The next day
Sheila groaned as she rested in her bed, not wanting to get up even after a loud screech that went off beside her ear woke her, the jag-were's fist lashing out and crushing the offending object. Rolling on her side, the jag-were sighed as she settled deeper into the blankets, purring slightly at the wonderful feeling before she was suddenly thrown to the floor, her scream of indignation causing Naruto to start laughing.
"Alright sunshine, up and at'em! We got a lot of ground to cover today, but before we do that I have to do something very important." Sheila glared at Naruto as she stood, the jag-were gathering up her blanket and throwing it back over herself as she jumped back in bed.
"Screw you, I never agreed to let you teach me and I'm still pissed at you! Now let me sleep!" Sheila grumbled as she flopped down her mattress, hiding her head under the covers and hoping that Naruto got the message. Moments later Sheila screeched in fury as ice cold water was dumped over her head, the now shivering jag-were glaring at Naruto in fury, her hands reaching for the shinobi as she rose from the now soaked bed.
"Bring it Frosty, I need a workout."
Gina yawned loudly as she raised her arms over her head, stretching out the kinks from a good nights sleep... and a night spent with Naruto. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Gina blinked owlishly as she saw a grinning Naruto sprinting down the hallway, a furious Sheila hot on his tail
"Move it or lose it Kirei!" Naruto disappeared in a flash of light just before he hit Gina, but of course Sheila couldn't stop herself before the pair went down in a tangle of limbs. Gina groaned as she helped Sheila stand upright, the pair's eyes hardening as they nodded at each other and ran towards the sounds of a cackling Naruto.
As Gina and Sheila exited the house, they slid to a stop as the Naruto they had been chasing waved merrily and disappeared in a puff of smoke, an annoyed groan sounding from original shinobi that stood in the center of the lawn.
"Dammit, he was supposed to wake you up gently, damned clones knowing that they don't have to pay the consequences of their own actions..." Sheila growled as she stalked forward, her claws bared as she grabbed Naruto's shirt and pulled him towards her.
"HE DUMPED ICE WATER ON ME! Do you know how uncomfortable that is?" Naruto nervously chuckled as he looked over at his girlfriend, a pleading look in his eyes.
"Oh no, you woke her up that way so you have to deal with the consequences." Naruto growled when a coy grin appeared on Gina's lips, his attention diverting back towards his immediate problem as he chuckled nervously.
"Wait, please, I'm sorry about last night, we had to make it look good for anyone watching, I'm sorry no one told you but we needed the realism you provided to sell it!" Sheila's growl slowly stopped as she let Naruto fall to the ground, the despondent jag-were sighing as she placed her hands on her hips.
"I know that, I've done covert ops before, sometimes you need to just go with a plan without knowing any details or that it even exists. I wasn't mad about that, I was mad about your 'offer'. The shinobi are legends for us, but their all gone now. The last one died over ten thousand years ago and there have been none since then, believe me my clan has searched for them. And even if I could find one, according to our history no one has been able to overcome the enchantments that block out our chakra, it's tied into so many of them that any attempts to reverse it results in our death." Sheila sighed dejectedly as Naruto placed a hand on Sheila's shoulder, a tear making it's way down her downcast face. "When I was told the legends, all I wanted to do was become a shinobi, it was my dream in life. A dream that was crushed quickly when my mom and dad explained to me that it was impossible." Sheila looked up as Naruto began to chuckle, the blonde shaking his head as he stood.
"Tell me, do any of your legends talk about someone known as the 'Unpredictable'?" Sheila stood quickly, a smile forming on her face as she nodded excitedly.
"Yeah! He was my favorite! They say he was completely insane, it was impossible to know what he was thinking... or if he ever was in the first place." Naruto's proud grin quickly changed to a frown as he looked to the side, sighing as he watched Gina clutch at her stomach as she laughed loudly.
"Oh ha hah, Gina. Damned stories, no respect I tell ya, no respect... anyways, do you remember his name?" Sheila placed a finger on her chin as she thought for a moment, a look of triumph appearing as she nodded.
"Oh yeah! His name was Uzumaki Narutoh shit..." Naruto grinned as he stood tall, crossing his arms over his chest as he cocked an eyebrow at Sheila. Naruto's happy expression quickly became inquisitive as he saw Sheila looking at him with wide eyes, her body seemingly frozen as Naruto drew closer. Waving his hand in from of the young woman, Naruto wasn't prepared when Sheila fell backwards, her eyes rolling back as she passed out from the shock of his identity. Brianna picked that moment to exit the house, her gaze focused on the fallen jag-were as she shook her head.
"Geez stud, I think you killed her."
Several hours later Sheila moaned softly, the jag-were sitting up on a couch in the living room as she blinked her eyes blearily. As Sheila looked to her left, her gaze immediately locking onto Naruto as she tried to back away, her expression fearful. Naruto cocked his head to the side, wondering what was wrong as he stood his ground. Moments later Sheila began to babble and the blonde shook his head in amusement.
"I'msorryIsaidyoudon'tthink,Iwouldnevereverinsultthemostunpredictableshinobiofalltimepleasedon'tletyourbijueatmeIdon'twannadieI'mtooyoungandthere'ssomuchIneedtodostillinmylife..." Sheila trailed off as Naruto placed his hand on the jag-were's shoulder, laughing softly as he shook his head.
"Relax, I've been called worse. And besides, once upon a time what you said was true, I just never thought that it would be included in a legend about my awesomeness. Anyways, since you've finally awoke, I can help you with your chakra system and we can get you on the road to becoming a shinobi." Sheila's expression fell once more as she clutched at the hem of Naruto's shirt.
"But, the enchantments..." Naruto gently flicked Sheila in the forehead, causing the young woman to yelp in surprise while look up and rubbed her stinging forehead.
"Never question your sensei! Now, according to what Gaja said to me before he... passed on, your childhood illness had an unexpected bonus added in with the weird side effects. Apparently, it canceled out the blocking enchantment without killing you, so all that was needed was someone with a bit of chakra to jump start you. So, sit back and relax, this'll hurt a little." Sheila laid down, taking a deep breath as Naruto placed his hand on her stomach, the glowing blue energy surround his limb, warming the jag-were's skin pleasantly. "Oh, one more thing, I lied, this is gonna hurt like a bitch." Sheila's mouth opened but before she could utter a word her world went white as she screamed loudly. Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes, minutes into hours and hours into days as the only thing that Sheila knew was pain. But a new feeling was growing inside her body, a feeling of strength that flowed from her navel and through her entire body until she was filled to the brim with this amazing feeling of strength. Sheila gasped as Naruto pulled away, the blonde breathing deeply as he fell to the ground.
"Now, welcome to the beginning of your training, Genin."
Meanwhile, back in Jade
Naruto-2 calmly leaned against the bars that kept him in his cell, a wide smile plastered on his face as he watched the furiously pacing sheriff of Seer's Hamlet in front of the entire prison population. The woman's expression mirroring a thundercloud as she spouted off her fury at the prisoners before her, the clone shaking his head as he continued to listen.
"Now, when I found out who hogtied all of my guards and then lock them in the solitary confinement cells for the night, I will personally be the one to administer your... 'punishment'. And trust me, you will not find it enjoyable." Naruto cackled internally as he shook his head.
'Oh, this is gonna be so much fun... what should I do next?' Just as Naruto-2 was about to turn around, the clone received the first message from the clone brigade that had been left behind on Jade. 'So, we've got the prime minister in Miorwood that's got the exact same chakra signature, scent and body language as the judge and sheriff in Seer's Hamlet. Well, this should be interesting to see just how far this little 'infiltration' has gotten into Jade's leadership.' Naruto-2 pushed away from the bars and leaped upwards, settling on the top bunk with a loud yawn. Just before the clone closed his eyes, the blonde looked out of the corner of an eye at the pathetic form of his roommate cowering in the corner.
"Now, next time you try and 'welcome me' to the room, I will break every bone in your body, you got it?" Naruto-2 grinned merrily as the criminal nodded rapidly, the sound of his whimpers making Naruto-2 grin. 'Yeah, bad idea to try and beat the shit out of a clone in Sage mode. One, I can't be popped till I let go of my senjutsu chakra. Two, it feels like your being hit by a wrecking ball if I even tap you.' Naruto-2 sighed contently as he contemplated his next prank.
Diggers Home – One week later
Naruto sat outside in the early morning sun, his eyes closed as he slowed his breathing as he focused his chakra on the sapling he had planted several days before, the plant life reacting to the potent life chakra contained within the Biju container. Just as Naruto was about to activate his chakra cloak, the shinobi opened his eyes and stared at the plant with a deadpan expression.
"Put the bucket of water down, Sheila." An annoyed growl caused Naruto grin as he hopped to his feet, the annoyed face of his genin student glaring at her new sensei.
"Damn you and your chakra sensing! Once, just once I'd like to get the drop on you!" Naruto grinned as he ruffled the young woman's hair, causing Sheila to growl as she slapped at his hand.
"Well, when you're as old as I am then you should be able to get the drop on me. After all by then I will old and decrepit, easy pickings for ya!" Sheila growled as she punched Naruto's arm, the pair walking towards the house and entering the kitchen. Jaliera looked up from the pancake batter she was making and grinned at the duo.
"There you go Naruto, one batch of batter as per your instructions!" Naruto deftly grabbed the bowl of batter, winking at the Kryn woman and walked towards the stove. Jaliera and Sheila both watched as Naruto deftly began to prepare breakfast once more, the Kryn woman put her arm around Sheila's shoulders as she grinned.
"You know, there's just something sexy about a man that can cook as well as Naruto can... not to mention the smokin' bod." Sheila grinned as she saw her sensei slow slightly, the comment having apparently caught the man off guard as he continued to cook breakfast. Looking up at Jaliera, Sheila winked and nudged her chin in Naruto's direction, the Kryn grinning as she nodded and sauntered forward slowly, her arms wrapping around Naruto's neck while her large breasts pressed up against his back. Naruto immediately froze at the contact and waited to see what evil was about to befall him. Jaliera pulled herself closer, relishing in the feel of Naruto's muscled back as she leaned forward, her warm breath tickling the shinobi's ear. "So, are they done yet, Na-ru-to?" Naruto dropped the spatula as he felt Jaliera's warm breath against his ear, causing the man to shiver and Jaliera to smile in triumph. Just then Gina walked in, her eyes locking onto the pair in front of the stove. Jaliera grinned in triumph as Naruto tried to pull himself free from the alien woman's arms but failed as she tightened her hold and refused to let go. Gina sighed as she walked forward, wrapping her arms around Naruto's waist and burying her face in the man's chest.
"Calm down dummy, I know Jaliera is playing with you. Bad Jaliera, stop trying to give Naruto a heart attack." Jaliera pulled away, her grin growing wider as she saw Gina wink at her, the ex-Archon sitting down at the breakfast table as she gave Naruto a sultry wink.
"Ok, I need a cold shower." Raiding his hands, Naruto created a pair of clones to continue with breakfast as he quickly ran upstairs. As soon as Naruto was gone, Gina sat beside Jaliera and shook her head before she leaned in to whisper.
"That was so bad Jaliera... good job. Keep it up and he'll break." Sheila looked between the two grinning women and cocked an eyebrow.
"Did I miss something here?"
Flashback – Three days ago
Jaliera sighed as she watched Naruto sparring with Sheila, the jag-were grinning as she slowly began to grasp the basics of using her newly awoken chakra. Just as Jaliera was about to fall back in her chair, Gina walked up beside the woman and grinned at the scene before her.
"He's a natural teacher, isn't he? Sheila's absorbing everything that he says like a sponge, she's already getting close to an academy graduate's level after only a few days of practice." Jaliera glanced over at the blonde woman out of the corner of her eye and sighed.
"What can I help you with Gina?" Gina smirked as turned back towards the house, motioning for Jaliera to join her, the furry woman's curiosity getting the better of her as she followed Naruto's girlfriend inside. Gina sat at the kitchen table, a content looking Brianna sipping on a cup of coffee as their alien housemate slowly sat down, her lips curving upward while she glanced at the sisters before her. "Ok, what's up with you two ganging up on me? I swear, Naruto was the one that almost destroyed the kitchen last time, he framed me!" Gina giggled softly as Brianna looked up over the rim of her mug, her smirking visage revealed as she lowered her drink to the table.
"When you came to help hold off my... 'other half', I heard what you said about Naruto and us. Did you really mean what you said that you wouldn't try and break all of us up so that you could have him to yourself?" Jaliera's expression slowly fell as she picked at the edge of the table, the Diggers sisters waiting for Jaliera as she gathered her thoughts.
"When I first saw Naruto, I wanted to jump in his arms and kiss him so badly that it hurt to not do it. Every time I see him or I'm near him, I feel more alive than ever before. But I also see the love he has for both of you and no matter how much I'd like to have him for myself, I couldn't take that away from him. If you give me some time, I'm sure I can find a place to stay so you can stop worrying, I'll leave him alone... what's so funny?" Jaliera glared at Gina and Brianna as both sisters looked at each other, their chuckles causing the former Kryn ruler to growl. Brianna lifted her hands in a placating gesture, Jaliera's growl fading as she crossed her arms under her chest.
"Relax, we're laughing because we thought you'd try and run off after we confronted you. Now that we have that silliness out of the way, how would you like to share Naruto with us? Of course, if you say yes you have to follow our rules on how to get him to agree. After all, we need to keep our man in line, can't have him thinking that he doesn't need to listen to us." Jaliera looked at the girls in confusion as they both began to smirk evilly.
End flashback
'And that's how 'Operation: Drive Naruto Insane' was born. Although, I do have to admit it's so much fun playing the 'bad girl'. Speaking of which...' Jaliera turned towards the confused jag-were and grinned.
"Nope, nothing strange is going on at all, I'll be back in a minute." Jaliera turned around and quickly ran up the stairs, Gina laughing silently as she shook her head. Several minutes later a crash was heard from one of the upstairs bathrooms, followed by Naruto's loud voice.
"OI, JALIERA! WHAT THE HELL?!" Gina giggled as she sat down, the clones serving her a stack of pancakes as Sheila's wide eyed gaze looked at the ceiling.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to how things work around here. Now, I need to get ready, Brit and I are heading to a dig site that Penny's uncovered, apparently it's a place she calls... Civ-Alpha." Just as Gina placed her plate in the sink, Naruto walked back into the kitchen, the shinobi looking over his shoulder as Gina gave him a hug. "What;s the matter Naru? You're looking really nervous!" Gina grinned innocently as Naruto narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend.
"My prank senses are tingling Gina, what are you up to? And why was Jaliera trying to get in the shower with me? She said something about 'we should shower together to conserve water'?" Gina shook her head, kissed Naruto gently as she gently rubbed his whiskers.
"Super powered ancient shinobi that holds an even older being of supreme power and you're still clueless about women. I'll be back later Naru, have a fun day!" Gina spun around and sauntered off, a very confused shinobi watching the scientist's swaying ass as she climbed up the stairs. Looking over his shoulder, Naruto sighed as Sheila burst out laughing, the jag-were dissolving into a fit of giggles as she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes.
"Glad you think it's funny Frosty, I think it's time we go for a little run. We'll stop when you pass out from exhaustion I think, yeah that sounds fair." Sheila continued to giggle as she stood up, passing by her sensei and grabbing him in a hug.
"Totally worth it Sensei, I 'll meet you outside." Just as Sheila was about the exit the house, the unmistakable sound of Naruto banging his head against the wall caused the jag-were to grin in victory. 'HAH! Take that sensei!'
Meanwhile, back on Jade
"I SWEAR I'LL SEE YOU HANG FOR THIS! WHEN I FIND WHOMEVER DID THIS... #* ^$( *##*$^&#*!" Naruto grinned as he used his foot to quickly slide several cans under his bed, the sight of the sheriff's new neon blue face causing the inmates to nearly kill themselves laughing. As Naruto leaned against the bars languidly, another burst of information passed over the clones link with the rest of his brigade.
'Huh, another sheriff position. Seriously, that's over thirty provinces under this woman's thumb, this is getting out of hand. I think it's time to... what the hell?' Naruto's gaze narrowed as he looked towards the small window in his cell, the sight before the shinobi causing Naruto's to cock his eyebrows in surprise.
"Well damn, you don't see that everyday. Where the hell did someone get a giant stone Elvis golem?"
Inside the Golem
"YEAH! That's it baby, SMASH THAT PRISON!" Tirant looked over at Array, his eyebrow arching for a moment as he placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder.
"Is... everything ok? You seem pretty set on killing everyone in that prison, I really think we need to begin the subjugation of the realm first, then we can worry about..." Tirant sighed as Array growled loudly and pointed dramatically at the prison before them.
"NO! This shit stops tonight! Smash them flat, for me!" Tirant sighed as he shook his head, his hand cupping Array's cheek as he smiled.
"Alright, if it'll make you... what the devil?" Array's eyes widened as the golem began to sway dangerously, Tirant's hands flying over the controls as he tried to stabilize the construct. "What's happened to my war machine?!"
On the ground
Naruto-13 grinned as he raised a second rasenshuriken, Naruto-13's Chakra mode arms flinging the projectile that sliced through the war golem's other ankle joint. Naruto-13 grinned as he leaped backwards, dodging the falling giant and the debris it's fall sent flying into the air.
"Well, that takes care of that. Now, back to spying!"
Back on Earth
Naruto yawned as he entered the house, his sweat stained clothing sticking to his frame as he ran his hand through his sweat soaked hair.
"Ah, nothing like a hundred mile sprint to get the blood flowing. Man, I could really go for a bottle of wa..." Naruto's voice trailed off as he saw a bottle of water floating in front of him, the shinobi grinning as he grabbed the bottle. Walking into the kitchen, Naruto's grin as he saw Jaliera bent over as she rummaged through the fridge, the tight shorts causing Naruto to have some interesting thoughts. 'Wow, she really does fill those out well...dammit, stop thinking about other girls!' As Naruto was arguing with himself, Jaliera turned around and smirked at the motionless shinobi.
"Hey Naruto, did you enjoy your run?" Naruto looked at the sight before him, a wicked grin appearing as he walked towards the alien woman before him.
"Yeah, I did! Come're. You look like you could use a hug!" Jaliera's eyes widened as she saw Naruto's soaked clothes and squealed as she ran away, Naruto's grin growing as he continued to chase the woman around the house. As the pair ran upstairs, a gasping Sheila crawled through the door, the jag-were gasping for air as she tried to stand.
"DAMN YOU SENSEI, I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS!" A loud scream of outrage from upstairs had Sheila glaring at the ceiling, a whimper passing her lips as she tried to stand once more. A pair of hands reached down and easily lifted the small jag-were, Sheila's grateful eyes focusing on the smiling face of Brianna. The half were-cheetah walked towards the couch, dropping off her cargo as she handed the exhausted jag-were a bottle of water.
"So, you kept up with him did ya? I'm impressed, Naruto is no slouch. Course, he probably only went about half his speed, even Cheetah has problems keeping up with him." Sheila sprayed her water across the room, her anguished expression causing Brianna to laugh as she stood up. "Relax, he doesn't expect you to be that fast. The very fact that you finished would have impressed him, just let your regeneration kick in while you take a break. I'll let 'Captain Blood' know you're done for the day." Sheila nodded tiredly as she laid down on the couch, passing out almost immediately. Brianna shook her head as she walked upstairs, the sounds of laughter and shrieks coming from Naruto's room causing her to smirk widely as she stood in his doorway. Leaning against the door frame, Brianna's smirk grew larger as she watched Naruto tickling a thrashing Jaliera, the half were-cheetah knowing how futile it was to fight against that attack as she had been on the receiving end of it several times. "Damn and me without my camera, this is priceless." Naruto froze as he looked up, his eyes widening in fear as he looked into the mirthful eyes of his girlfriend. "Oh stop that, you're not in trouble. With me at least, Sheila would kill you if she could move. Now, get your butt in the shower and dress up nicely. I'm calling in my debt stud, we're going out tonight." Naruto watched as Brianna spun around, her ass swaying enticingly as she walked towards her room. Naruto felt Jaliera settle against his back, her arms looping around his neck once more as she nuzzled against his neck.
"I am so going to get you back for that Naruto-kun." Naruto chuckled as he looked over his shoulder, his eyes noticing the content look on Jaliera's face as she held the shinobi close to her. Naruto spun in Jaliera's arms, his own arms reaching out and wrapping around Jaliera's waist as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly, an action that caused the woman's cheeks to blush brightly.
"Well, I better get ready, are you going to stay while I get changed?" Jaliera's eyes widened at the leer on Naruto's face and the ex-Archon beat a hasty retreat, Naruto spinning around and slapping Jaliera's ass as she ran from the room, her parting squeal causing Naruto to grin. "Awww, and I was going to let you stay if she wanted. Ah well, what to wear?"
Several minutes later Naruto made his way down the stairs, his normal attire traded out for a pair of dark brown cargo pants, a red devil waffle knit shirt and a light weight black leather jacket that Gina insisted on buying for him, saying that he looked 'way too hot for me to not buy it for you'. Naruto pulled his forehead protector off, placing it gently on the counter as he rummaged around in the fridge for a drink, the blonde leaning against the counter as he watched the stairway before him. Several minutes later Naruto heard a pair of soft footsteps, the blonde standing up straight as he watched Brianna descending the stairs
Naruto's temperature slowly rose as he saw Brianna's smooth legs disappear under a very short denim skirt, his gaze slowly rising as he grinned at the sexy tube top Brianna had elected to wear. The half were-cheetah posed at the foot of the stairs, her trusty brown leather jacket hung over her shoulder as she winked at Naruto.
"So, ready to hit the town?" Naruto placed his empty bottle of water on the counter and he stepped forward, his arms wrapping around Brianna's waist as he kissed her deeply, the young woman purring gently as she relished the intimate moment. Moments later Naruto pulled back, taking Brianna's hand as he turned back towards the stairs.
"Alright girls, we're out of here for now, we'll be back later!" Lacing his fingers with Brianna's, Naruto turned towards the door but just as they reached it the pair vanished, a bright flash of light the only remainder of the two.
Southwestern Coast of Georgia, Tybee Island
Naruto held Brianna close as the pair appeared on the sandy beach, a sound of shock leaving his companion as Naruto grinned at the teleportation point his clone had picked.
"Heh, can I pick a nice transition point or what? Welcome, to Tybee Island." Brianna spun around, her jaw dropping as she studied her date.
"But that's on the other side of the state! Just how far can you travel in one go with that Hiraishin jutsu of yours?" Naruto chuckled as he offered his arm to Brianna, the young woman smiling as she took the offered limb and the pair walked off of the beach towards the town.
"Oh, about eight hundred miles on my own before the technique begins to fall apart, about half of that when I'm carrying someone. Something to do with the markers only being able to absorb so much energy to maintain the space/time rift and propel the people inside of it. We just took about a three hundred mile trip in a second, if I have a long enough string of markers I can travel the world in no time flat." As the pair looked at the town stretched out before them, Naruto grinned as he motioned with his head towards several restaurants. "So, feel like a bite eat?"
Meanwhile
Gina screamed loudly as she was picked up by Brit, the terrified were-cheetah running from the large silver creature that had just absorbed the Ginamobile and was now turning it's attention to the Diggers sisters and Penny. As Gina watched a sharp circular blade slice through a section of floor they had been standing on, Penny ran towards an opening in the tunnel wall, her head popping back out as Gina and Brit continued to dodge the attacking being.
"OI! I ain't keeping this passage open all day, get your asses over here!" As Brit came racing into the tunnel, Penny slammed the doorway shut, just as the creature lunged forward and tore into the stone wall. Turning around quickly, Penny began to quickly type into a panel that stood before a dark portal.
"Ok, we should be ok for now. Walk through this beta portal, it'll only stay open for a few seconds so we need to hurry." Britanny ran towards the portal, Gina still slung over her shoulder as the pair were transported onto a large walkway, the alien architecture and the age of the materials used caused both Diggers sisters to whistle in awe.
"Penny, where are we?" Penny landed lightly on her feet as she placed her hands on her hips, a smug grin plastered on her face as she looked at Gina.
"Welcome to the heart of Civ-Alpha. Now, once we find Charlotte we can get out of here and get some backup. Any chance we can get Naruto out her to help us out of this jam?" Gina looked at her wrist computer, tapping several buttons before sighing in annoyance.
"No can do, his Hiraishin network hasn't been stretched along all of North America yet. What ever this thing is, we're on our own for now. I wonder what Naruto is up to right now..."
Back on Tybee Island
Naruto grinned as he watched Brianna happily dive into the seafood platter she had ordered, the pairs enhanced senses having led them to the small restaurant and it's wonderful aromas. As Naruto and Brianna ate, the pair laughed loudly as they flirted, joked and talked about their current projects. As the evening wore on, the large amount of food the pair had ordered slowly dwindled, many of the regular patrons of the restaurant looking on in awe at the sheer amount of seafood that had been consumed, while they grinned at the couple and their humorous antics. Naruto rose up and walked towards the bar, the owner smiling as the shinobi pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket and pulled out a wad of bills.
"How was everything? Any complaints?" Naruto grinned as he grabbed a few of the complimentary mints, popping one into his mouth.
"Yeah, we're too stuffed to eat more, your cooking is awesome. We'll definitely be back some other time!" Naruto pitched forward slightly as Brianna grabbed him from behind, the young woman's arms wrapping around Naruto's waist as Brianna grinned at the owner.
"That was great! It was so fresh and well prepared, I can't wait to come here again!" Naruto waved languidly as he took Brianna's hand and the pair exited the restaurant, walking hand in hand towards the beach once more. The owner smiled as he tucked the money into the cash register, a happy sigh passing his lips.
"Ah, young love."
Naruto and Brianna continued to walk down the beach, the moonlit sky illuminating the cool sand as the pair neared the water, Brianna pulling Naruto closer towards her as she rested her hands on the shinobi's whiskered cheeks. Naruto pulled Brianna closer and kissed her gently, Brianna wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck as she deepened the kiss, the pair falling to the sand and laughing as they stared into the night sky. Brianna looked over at Naruto and grinned impishly as she cuddled in close to him. "I wonder what Gina and Brit are getting up to right now..."
Back at Civ-Alpha
"NO! That thing is turning up the power on the beta generator! We have to stop it!" Gina raised her arms over her face face as Charlotte flew past her, snagging the key once more and landing on top of the Beta Generator.
"I got it Penny! Um... now what do I do?"
"Insert the key on the top! Then turn it right... no, LEFT!" Just as Charlotte followed these instructions the silver creature lunged towards her, but before the creature could attack her it seemed to dissipate into the air, the Ginamobile landing on the ground as if nothing had happened to it. Penny sighed as she walked towards Charlotte, placing a hand on the harpy's shoulder and grinning. "Good job there Charlotte, turning off the generator cut that thing's link to our dimensional phase, without it he was instantly pulled back home. Gina, I think we need to get this thing back to the lab and run some tests under controlled conditions. We can't let something like this happen again."
Back at the Digger's home
Naruto grinned as he held Brianna in his arms, the young woman sleeping soundly as the shinobi walked towards the door. Just as Naruto shifted Brianna in his arms, Gina pulled up in the Ginamobile, causing Naruto to turn around and grin as he waited patiently for the pair to park the car and exit the vehicle. Britanny grinned softly as her eyes landed on the couple before her, her sleeping sister's face buried into Naruto's neck as he stood there and grinned at the recently arrived pair. Looking over at Gina, Britanny's expression changed to one of confusion when she saw a pout appear on Gina's face. Naruto sighed as he cocked his head to the side, a expectant look appearing on his face. "What's wrong Gina?" Gina's gaze narrowed as she looked at the well dressed pair before her.
"You took Bri out on a date tonight. I wanted to go out with you first." Naruto chuckled softy, an action that caused Brianna to murmur in her sleep as she tightened her grip around her boyfriend. Moments later the quartet entered the home, none the wiser that they were being observed by a well dressed man hovering in the air.
"So M, have you got enough basic information to approach this...'shinobi' yet? I still say he's nothing but a trickster that's too damn lucky for his own good." The bespectacled man raised his eyebrow as he looked at the house, his eyes widening as his arm lashed out as he reached for the kunai that had been racing towards his hidden partner.
"Right, lucky, so lucky that he was able to detect a ancient platinum Dragon hiding under a Mask Presence enchantment." Spinning in mid air, the man sent the weapon flying away just before an explosion blasted across the night sky, setting off car alarms and causing multiple dogs in the area to begin barking madly. "Yep, total luck... so, would you like to change your evaluation of the subject now that we've observed him?" The now identified M grinned at the empty sky beside him, several moments of silence prompting him to pull his glasses off his his face and polish the lenses as he chuckled softly. "Yeah, that's what I thought. I'll talk to him tomorrow, alone."
As the pair of individuals flew off, neither of them noticed the trio of shadowed forms that were prowling around the Diggers home, their eyes focused on Britanny's window as she got ready for bed. Three pairs of intent eyes focused on their target, their mission clear as they silently discussed the situation with quick paced hand signals between them. Just as the trio were about to climb over the fence and approach the home, a loud cough caught the trio's attention as they looked over their shoulders, their eyes widening as they saw the shadowed form of Naruto perched on the fence.
"Visiting hours for guests begin at 10am. It gives the girls a chance to wake up and be prepared for any shit that comes their way. So, I'd turn around and walk away, unless you want to experience a larger explosion than the one that I just set off." Naruto's teeth shone in the dark as the trio quickly leaped over the fence, disappearing into the night without a single spoken word. 'Huh, not bad, halfway decent stealth abilities, obvious signs of combat training... I'd say they are a perfect test for the girls." Naruto's clone popped silently, the real Naruto settling in between a smiling Brianna and a still pouting Gina as he received the clone guard's memories. 'Huh, looks like tomorrow may be an interesting day after all.'
Next Day
It was a beautiful day in Atlanta, the sun was shining, there was a nice cool breeze, all in all it was a perfect day. Britanny sighed as she stretched out on her lounge chair, enjoying the warm sunlight as several of Gina's SCV's did some remodeling on the house.
'After all, we need the room now, we were starting to run out of couches!' Britanny peered over the top of her sunglasses as Naruto continued to train Sheila to the bone, wanting to pump as much shinobi knowledge into her as quick as humanly possible. 'Still, I have to admit that she is picking it up faster than I expected, but I mean so would I if I was getting one on one lessens from Naruto, talk about a hunk... oh damn, where the hell did that come from!? I just thought that my sisters' boyfriend was hot... I'm so dead if Gina finds out.' As Britanny settled back into her chair, Naruto raised a hand and stopped Sheila from racing towards him again, the tired jag-were falling to the ground and panting as her sensei looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a new arrival at the Diggers home.
"Good job Frosty, take a break for a while, I think there's someone here to see me." Sheila nodded gratefully as she fell to the ground, Naruto turning around and walking towards the newly arrived man in a business suit. Naruto waved his hand in a casual manner as the newcomer grinned lightly.
"Impressive display of power and agility, I had heard you were better than the ninja that are around but I had no idea that there was such a difference." Naruto narrowed his gaze at the man before him, folding his arms over his chest as he reached out with his senses.
"Heh, I could say the same about you, you're nothing like the majority of humans that are around today, you've got some seriously weird energy patterns, I can't tell exactly what they do. Where's your large, scaly, invisible friend? I hope my little 'deterrent' didn't frighten her away." Naruto grinned as the man in front of him chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"No, Debra's fine, I told her to stay back today, I just wanted to meet you and give you this." Naruto reached out as the man before him flicked a business card towards him, the shinobi looking at the item and only seeing a phone number. "My name is Agent M, I'm part of a special branch of the FBI. My specific responsibilities include maintaining relations between our government and Class Five and higher residents of our world. I want you to keep that card, just in case you run into something you can't handle. I'd rather you have it an not need it, rather then not having it when your in trouble." Naruto looked down at his pants, pocketing the card but when he looked up M was gone. A deadpan expression covered Naruto's face as he sighed.
"If your gonna disappear you have to do it faster than that, I can still sense you up in the air." Looking up, Naruto saw Agent M looking down at him with a hint of respect, the agent nodding swiftly before he flew out of the city. Turning towards the driveway, Naruto grinned as Gina parked her car, a smiling Penny waving as she exited the Ginamobile. "So, how did it go at the museum?" Penny jumped out of the car, her beaming face telling the whole story as Gina grabbed onto Naruto's arm, kissing his cheek.
"Great! The appraiser at the museum bought everything we found, now we've got plenty of dough in the bank! Hey Brit, how are my SCV's working out? They almost done with the mods to the house?" As Gina walked over towards her lounging sister, Penny watched as Naruto tilted his head up and sniffed deeply, a humorous look appearing on his face.
"You look like yer gonna scare the crap outta someone Naruto, whatcha planing now?" Naruto laughed loudly as he walked towards the house, the shinobi disappearing without a sound and leaving Penny alone as she shook her head. "The man's got the skills, but he can sometimes scare the shit outta me."
As the Diggers sisters were chatting, neither of them noticed that they were being watched. A young woman glared intensely at the pair as she hung from one of the neighbors trees, a thin whip like tail moving gently as she viewed her target.
'Damn fucking Were-rat elders, acting like that bitch there in the lounger is some kinda super were-rat hunter. I'll show those old bastards that Lydia Mckraken don't believe none of the shit they were trying to shovel on us! ' Lydia's eyes narrowed as she watched the the were-cheetah turn towards her and she suddenly froze, her eyes widening as she beheld the terror before her and in that moment, she believed with all her soul what the elders had been trying to tell her.
With Britanny and Gina
Britanny trailed off as she was explaining what other improvements she was getting the SCV's to add to the house, her eyes glazing slightly as she sniffed the air.
"Is it just me, or does it smell like mice around here?" Looking over at the neighbor's yard, Britanny blinked owlishly as she saw a tree rustling, several of it's leaves falling as if someone had been in it.
Back with Lydia
Lydia was leaning against the fence, her eyes wide as she began to hyperventilate in her fear, her hands clenching onto her tail as she tried to calm down. To her left a bush rustled softly, a voice grabbing the terrified girls attention.
"Lydia? Like, calling Lydia, what's yer problem..." Lydia looked over to her left, seeing a pair of large leather covered breasts sticking out of the bush and the terrified woman lunged towards them, grabbing their owner and shaking her roughly.
"They were fucking right! All of it is true, even the doom gaze, she almost fucking got me with it Mo!" Mo, or Moisha, cocked an eyebrow as she looked at her longtime friend and partner.
"As if, it's just a buncha bull, now like leggo, your wrinkling the fresh gears." Moisha sighed as she shook her head, the young woman wondering what could have caused Lydia to react in such a way when the pair heard a voice directly above them. As the pair looked up, they both froze in terror at the sight before them that neither of them realized they had shifted to their human forms.
"Hey, just what do you think your doing here huh? This is private property!" Britanny glared at the girls in annoyance, when the pair suddenly screamed hysterically and ran away as quickly as possible. Britanny followed the hysterical pair, her eyes widening as she saw a part of the girls outfits that she was uniquely familiar with. "Wait, is that a tail hole?" Shrugging her shoulders, Britanny went back to lounging in the sun, never noticing the familiar form of one of Naruto's clones chasing after the two young woman.
Naruto-234 grinned as he followed the young were-rats, watching as the pair quickly broke into a home at the end of the block. Naruto-234 landed on a nearby roof and scratched his head, the actions of the pair confusing the man as the two of them apparently believed that they were about to face the hordes of hell, or something similar if their fear was any indication. Naruto-234 relaxed as he continued to sit on the rooftop across the street, watching the home for any changes. Not ten minutes later Naruto-234 was rewarded by the arrival of a third were-rat, a male carrying a bag of fast food. 'Ah, the savior of many a stakeout, fast food. Praise be heaped upon your greasy goodness, may you always fill our belly with sugar and fat, amen.'
Naruto-234 continued to watch until a new arrival peaked his interest, a limousine pulled up to the same house an a pair of men exited the vehicle, one apparently was the driver and the other was an old man that made the hair on the back of Naruto-234's neck rise up, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest as he watched the elderly man make his way towards the house
'Careful aibou, there's something about that man... he's dangerous.' Naruto-234 watched as the were-rat trio exited the house and obediently entered the car, the shinobi lightly landing on the vehicles roof before it drove off, his chakra allowing him to stick to the slick surface as he focused chakra to his ears, increasing their sensitivity and allowing Naruto-234 to block out all other sounds other than the conversation that was passing through the partially opened windows. As Naruto-234 listened to the apparently very painful punishment that involved silver daggers, to the true birth of the lycanthrope nation, he was silent as he thought of all he was learning before he finally heard something that almost made him snap. Naruto-234 growled softly as he listened to this Elder Gothwrain talk about assassinating were-cats and having found himself to become quite fond of this branch of magical creatures, Naruto-234 was slightly perturbed that someone would dare and hurt someone close to him.
'Fuck it, I've heard enough. Time to introduce these brats to my close, personal, friend... .'
Meanwhile, Moments earlier in the car
Lydia was listening intently as Lord Gothwrain explained her race's origins and the beginning of the purges that had plagued them for centuries, the were-rat gently massaging her slowly healing throat.
'Fucking bastard, next time he tries to use silver on me I'm shoving it up his ass!' Lydia continued to listen to her Elder speak, but just as Gothwrain began to go on about assassinating were-cats, Lydia's hackles rose and she began to shake as she felt an overwhelming sense of fear. Moments later a large fist burst through the roof, the arm it was attached to retracting rapidly and gripping onto the edge of the hole that had been made, the powerful looking arm tearing most of the roof off of the rapidly slowing vehicle. Each of the were-rats looked up at the grim features of a large blonde haired man, his red slitted eyes causing the young were-rats to pull back in fear while Gothwrain looked at the intruder in anger.
"Hey, sup, couldn't help but overhear you talking about killing my friends, so I just through that I'd express my feelings on the subject." Lydia backed away fearfully as the man growled, but her fear slowly evaporated as she heard a sound that she had never thought could be possible. Both Moisha and Romeo looked at Lydia in confusion when they saw the old bastard before them laughing loudly, slapping his hand against his knee and shaking his head.
"Ah, I can't believe my eyes, a chakra construct! Ah, this takes me back so many years! So, some of you pitiful shinobi survived after all, eh?" The blonde growled loudly before a piece of the shredded roof burst forward, piercing the clone's chest and dispersing it's chakra matrix immediately. The were-rat trio looked at the elder in awe as he lowered his raised hand and brushed at some dust on his suit jacket, the man completely uninterested in the events that had just occurred. "That was a shadow clone, a technique I am fairly familiar with. It's a construct that makes an exact copy of the user, right down to his emotions and memories. Pierce the body in anyway and it will dissipate, just as you have seen. Now, where were we? Ah yes, I have a job for you three, think of it as your... test. Due to the nature of the young man we just saw, this will be an excellent measure of how far you three have come since we began your training."
Back at the Diggers home
Naruto's eyes widened for a moment and he froze, a desperate Sheila racing forward as she tried to slam her chakra enhanced fist into her teacher's stomach, the jag-were's eyes widening as her blow caught Naruto flatfooted, the hit causing her sensei to rise several inches off the ground before he collapsed to his knees. Naruto wheezed for a moment as he tried to get his breath back, a visibly distraught Sheila dropping to the ground beside him as tears started to fall from her eyes.
"AHH! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!" Naruto reached out and patted Sheila's shoulder as he slowly regained control of his breathing, the shinobi rising to his feet and taking a deep breath.
"S'ok, you capitalized on an opening, that's what I've been teaching you to do. I had a small... issue crop up with one of my clones, it surprised me and you saw what happened. Let this be a lesson that even the most seasoned of shinobi can be surprised, not to mention that the higher ranked shinobi won't always win. Heck, I regularly beat shinobi several ranks above me when I was a kid, so I'm a perfect living example of this. Anyways, I think we're done for the day, take the rest of the day off and go relax, have some fun." Sheila rose slowly, her uncertainty apparent on her face as she looked over at the house. Naruto grinned as he stood, pushing the young jag-were towards the home and nodding. As Sheila looked over her shoulder once more before she entered the house, Naruto sighed as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Swiping though his contacts, Naruto found the one he was looking for and placed the device at his ear, the shinobi walking towards the now fully grown tree he had planted earlier and rested under it's shaded boughs.
"Hello?" Naruto grinned as he heard the voice of the girls father, Theo, gruffly answer his phone
"Hey Jiji, how's it going? I got a bit of a problem that you may be able to help me with, ever heard of a were-rat named Gothwrain?" Naruto waited several moments, wondering if the line had dropped when Theo finally answered the shinobi.
"You better get over here, we have a lot to talk about."
Meanwhile, in Gina's lab
"So, all I gotta do is stick my hand in this ominous, floating black ring? Oh sure.. nice try sis, I wasn't born yesterday, you do it!" Gina sighed as she walked towards Britanny, her expression one of pleading.
"I have to monitor the results, Penny is assisting me and we can't find Naruto anywhere. Don't even ask about using Sheila or Jaliera, both of them flat out refused when I asked for their help. Help me out Brit, you're my only hope!" Britanny sighed as she looked back at the ring hovering in front of her once more as she growled softly.
"You so owe me for this." Britanny squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her arm into the center of the ring, her expression showing that she was ready for a hell of a lot of pain... when she suddenly opened her eyes and looked over at Gina. "Is that it? Come on, I expected to at least feel something, like my fur standing up, but I got nothi..." Britanny's voice trailed off as she looked at her sister and Penny, both geniuses staring at her in wide mouthed shock as placed a hand on her hip. "What? Wait..." Britanny looked over at her arm and her eyes widened as she saw the previously stationary ring moving with her arm, the were-cheetah screaming as she tried to shake it off. "It's not coming off! Geddit offa me!" Gina began tapping away at her computer and Penny shook her head slowly in wonder.
"Amazing. Gina, it has to be some kind of Phantom side effect. That ring is in both our phase of existence as well as the Beta phase, meaning that the full weight of the device is at Brit's fingertips without any of the debilitating effects! Gravity doesn't effect it... and apparently neither does inertia." Penny and Gina both watched as Britanny rolled on her back, trying to use her powerful leg muscles to lift the Beta ring off of her arm but it was useless, the device stubbornly stayed put.
"Dammit! How heavy is this thing supposed to be?" Gina looked away as she mumbled softly. "Wait, I think I heard you wrong, did you say SEVENTY THREE TONNES! I'm outta here!" As Britanny stood up, Gina's eyes widened as she reached for her angry younger sister.
"Brit, no! Your arm can use..." Gina trailed off as her lab door was ripped from it;s housing and sent careening into the far wall, the sound of tortured metal causing her to sigh softly. "All seventy three tonnes of force, it's like swinging around a tank."
Several moment later
Britanny flexed her arm as she looked at the now collapsed Beta ring that had made such a mess of Gina's lab. "Took your damn time finding that eject button. So what the heck is this thing anyways?" Both Penny and Gina looked at each other in concern, Gina deciding that she would be the one to break the silence.
"Sorry sis, but the less you know about it the better of you'll be for this one, sorry." Britanny shrugged as she waved goodbye, heading back up to the house after deciding to call it a night. Just as the were-cheetah exited the lab, Penny looked over at her current partner and sighed.
"I know you wanted to tell her what went into making that ring, but your right, until we resolve this we're going to have to be the ones in the loop... course, that'll make us both sound like paranoid freaks." Gina nodded as she sat back down at her terminal and began to type.
"Well, time for us to get back to work."
With Britanny
Britanny whistled loudly as she made her way towards the kitchen, the were-cheetah feeling like it was time for a before bed snack. But as she was making her way towards her destination, Britanny never realized that she was being followed and observed from a very unlikely location. Lydia was currently following our favorite were-cheetah from the safety of the Digger's home's ventilation system, the steel enclosure causing the young were-rat to be somewhat calmer about the situation.
'Ok, so we just have to follow her around, she'll let her guard down at some point and that's when one of us will strike. This in turn is the signal to the others to come in swinging on this super king kamehameha beatch of a were-cheetah!' As Lydia watched her quarry leave the kitchen, her craving having been dealt with, the leader of the were-rat trio saw her quarry enter the shower and decided to wait till she was finished.
Several minutes passed and Britanny walked towards her dresser, a towel wrapped around her body as she yawned loudly and leaned over to open a drawer in her dresser. "Now, for some fresh undies..." When Britanny opened the drawer she wanted, she looked inside of it in confusion for a moment, the underwear that she had wanted was there but there was also something that she had never expected to see mixed in with her clothes "Large leather wrapped boobs? What the heck... SHIT!"
Britanny slid back to avoid a high kick from the person that exploded from her now destroyed dresser, the were-cheetah lashing out with her free hand and sending the obvious female intruder crashing to the ground headfirst. Bending over, Britanny grabbed the disoriented girl by the scruff of her neck and hoisted her up, a smirk on Britanny's face as she shook her head. "That looked like it hurt, I should know cause I've gotten whacked in the face like that before. But now, I need to remove your mask and see just who is dumb enough to break into our home..." Britanny trailed off as she felt a hand slap down on her unclothed ass cheek, the hand groping the furry flesh as Britanny turned her gaze on the soon to be dead man.
Meanwhile at the Diggers Mansion
Naruto had his hands on the desk in front of him, his gaze focused on Theo Diggers as he kept his head bowed.
"I wish you would have told me this earlier, I could have setup something to take care of this! Now I'll be reacting to what happens, which always su... oh crap, I gotta get home, Brit is about to go nuclear on someone." Naruto immediately teleported away, leaving a frowning Arch Mage that was lost in memories of the past.
Naruto arrived in his room and ran out into the hallway just in time to hear Britanny scream in outrage ,the shinobi running towards the were-cheetah's room rapidly. Just as he arrived, Naruto covered his face as thick smoke appeared, cutting off his vision as he felt three chakra signatures jump out of Britanny's window and flee from the property. A quick burst of futon chakra cleared the smoke and Naruto almost laughed at the scene before him as he saw a naked Britanny standing in her room, tugging a collar that was wrapped tightly around her neck. Said collar sported an interesting accessory and Naruto just couldn't resist making a joke at the irate were-cheetah's expense.
"So, should I change your nickname from Cheetah to Jingles now?" Naruto grinned as Britanny glared at the recent arrival, her teeth bared as she growled loudly at him. Naruto cocked an eyebrow as he looked up and down the young woman's body and smirked widely. "Very nice muscle definition, Jingles."
Britanny's next scream shook the houses heavily fortified foundations, causing Naruto to run as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. "TOTALLY WORTH IT! HAHAHAH!"