Yep, it's back! This chapter is a lot shorter than most of the recent ones, mostly because it was a perfect way to end this whole set of issues from Gold Digger. So, this is just a temporary thing, the next one should be longer. Also, I did say that I would work on each of my current fics a month at a time, but I've decided on a change, now I will be switching off each chapter. So, if you haven't read Dimensional Traveler yet, , go check it out
Now, on with the show! And review!
Naruto panted loudly, his right arm hanging limply at his side. Moments later, the familiar burn of Kurama's chakra repairing the damaged appendage, causing Naruto to sigh in relief. Glancing around the stone wall he was using for cover, Naruto watched the Saurian as he continued in it's deadly battle against the Beta Phantoms. 'Friend my ass! That bastard fired on me the second the girls and Ryan escaped! How much longer is this gonna take, Kurama, I really wanna kick that bastard's shiny metal ass straight to hell!'
'Kit, that blast almost took your arm off! My chakra's good," Kurama said, a hint of pride leaking into his tone. "But regenerating limbs completely? I dunno if it can do that, and testing out that function in the middle of a battle ain't exactly high on my list. So, we better make sure you're healed up right before you jump back in.'
Naruto growled as he felt his arm burning hotly, his anger at getting blindsided causing him to replay the events that had occurred once more.
Chapter 20
Flashback – 15 minutes ago
Moments after Naruto's revelation, Beta Phantoms began pouring into the chamber from every opening and crevice. Naruto watched in morbid fascination as each Phantom turned towards the Saurian and lunged at it, the shadowy beings grappling with the massive construct as he continued to struggle against it's opponents. Naruto grinned as he raced forward, grabbed Gina around the waist and turned away from the pitched battle. The sight that met his gaze caused Naruto groan as he watched Jaliera, Britanny and Sheila focus on the battle before them with expressions of shock and/or fear, while Ryan actually did the intelligent thing for once as he began edging away from the battle slowly.
"Sorry Hime, time to get going while the going is good! Jaliera, move it! Don't wait for us, grab Sheila and go find Penny and Charlie, get the hell out of here! Cheets, stop staring and run!" Jaliera shook herself awake, her hand grabbing onto a petrified Sheila as she raced out of the cavern, her TK field protecting the pair as they raced towards the exit. Gina squealed as she tried reaching for her equipment, but it was too late, Naruto was already racing out of the cavern, Britanny and Ryan hot on the shinobi's heels.
"Gina, this is getting really old! You're the brain here, think of something brainy to get us out of this mess!" Gina glared at her sister as she hung onto her wildly maneuvering boyfriend, various boulders and falling rocks landing in Naruto's path from the violent battle behind the group, forcing the shinobi to dodge madly as he clung to his precious cargo.
"Dammit sis, I'm trying! But it's kinda hard to think a way out of this when: A. Everything outguns us a million to one! And B. Our only weapon that can hurt a phantom is scrap! So tell me, how I can come up with a plan with no resources, HUH?!"
Britanny's eyes narrowed as she glared at her sister, the were-cheetah deftly dodging a falling stalactite as she pointed a finger angrily towards Gina. "Oh no, I know you are so not blaming me for the Phantom ring getting busted, that was so not my fault! You said it would beat the bastard, but all it did was slow it down, I shoulda..."
"BOTH OF YOU KNOCK IT OFF! Arguing like this is getting us nowhere, we regroup first with Penny and the others, then we'll worry about the Phantoms and the not-just-a-robot. Seriously, you two argue worse than Ino and Sakura ever did, do that after we escape!" Naruto growled loudly as he barreled through the final passage, skidding to a halt beside Jaliera, the Kryn woman looking at the silent Sheila in concern.
"Sheila... SHEILA! Come on Frosty, talk to me," Naruto said, his hands gently turning Sheila's head towards him after placing Gina on the ground. "What's gotten into you? I've never seen you react like this to a fight!" Sheila blinked slowly, her eyes staring into Naruto's as tears began to slide down her cheeks.
"I thought when I saw the first one I was imagining things, but it's true. The shadows, it's the shadows... oh god, they've come back, we won't be able to stop them, we're all going to die..." Naruto pulled Sheila into a brief hug, the jag-were clinging to the shinobi tightly as she began to sob. Naruto looked at his friends as he held his student close, the shinobi realizing what he now had to do.
"Great, all powerful creatures that'll kill us all... well, not while I'm around. Change of plans! Jaliera, Britanny, I'm gonna buy us some time, I need you two to get everyone out of here!"
Britanny stalked forward, her hand lashing out as she grabbed Naruto's jacket, pulling the shinobi towards her. "The hell you are! I'll drag you out of her myself if I have to!"
"No way," Jaliera said, her TK field whipping around her dangerously as her agitation grew. "I'm not letting you fight those things on your own!"
"Sensei, you can't! You'll be killed!"
"Enough! Cheets, this is not up for discussion, I'm in charge of keeping you all safe! If this is what I need to do to ensure that, then dammit, I have to do it! I'm not letting you all get hurt or killed if I can avoid it, I've already lost too many people I care about to inaction and playing it safe! I can let loose a little bit, maybe give the Phantoms second thoughts about messing with me and the Saurian. The more time I tie them up, the better chance you all have of escaping. But, I need you to get to safety, otherwise I'll be too distracted and then none of us could get out!" Naruto turned back towards the cavern, his mind already analyzing the short battle he had witnessed. His attention was so focused on the upcoming fight, he didn't feel a hand on his arm until Gina pulled him back, the shinobi's eyes widening in surprise as Gina kissed him deeply, the young genius looping her arms around Naruto's neck. Naruto returned the desperate kiss, his arms holding Gina close to him as the couple took a moment to themselves.
"You better come back to me." Naruto smiled softly as he wiped several tears from Gina's face, a gentle kiss on her forehead causing the young woman to smile softly.
"Promise. Now, I need you to go find Penny and Charlotte, I'll catch up." Naruto turned back to the tunnel, his expression grim as he raced back towards the fight.
Beta Tomb Cavern
Naruto exited the tunnel, his chakra senses stretched out to their limits as he watched the fight for several moments. Naruto's gaze narrowed as he studied the shadowed beings that were attacking the ancient mech, as his senses picked up a somewhat familiar source of power from the shadows before him. As Naruto continued to study the energy with his advanced sensory abilities, his eyes widened momentarily as he looked at the Phantoms in a new light. 'Kurama, is it just me or are they using something similar to chakra? You think that means I can hurt them with my jutsus, Kurama?'
'Hmph, haven't found anything that's completely immune to the stuff, so most likely. But you're right, it's not exactly chakra but it's very similar. Either way, times a'wasting partner, don't go dying on me, you got it?'
'Huh, didn't know you cared, Kurama.' Naruto raced around the wall, his hands flashing through several hand signs as he ran towards the fight. Leaping into the air, Naruto took a deep breath before releasing his gathered chakra. "KATON: GŌKAKYŪ NO JUTSU!" A massive fireball barreled into the nearest Phantom, the shadowy being shrieking loudly as the flames doggedly stuck to it's body. Naruto watched with a grim smile as the Phantom rolled to the ground, trying to smother the flames but they continued to burn.
'Katon jutsu, huh? Kind of a strange way for you to start a fight, isn't it?'
Naruto mentally shrugged as he barreled towards the now wary group of Phantoms before him. 'Well, variety is the spice of life! Plus, I can't keep using the same attacks if I want to keep my 'Unpredictable' moniker, can I?' Naruto's hands flashed in front of him once again, a cloud of obscuring smoke bursting to life around him. The short lived cover broke apart rapidly as dozens of shadow clones leaped towards the fighting behemoths. Multiple jutsus were flung around the cavern, the Phantoms shrinking away from their new opponent as he used cutting wind, crushing water and searing flames to beat the creates back. After several of the shadowy beings had fallen to Naruto's assault, the remaining Phantoms retreated from the fight with the ancient mech and it's human partner, but their orderly retreat though was foiled when Naruto's clones continued to doggedly pursue them. As the real Naruto slid in front of the Saurian, he glared at the Phantoms that milled in front of him while dodging the attacks of his clones. But moments later, a high pitched whine caught Naruto's attention, the shinobi looking over his shoulder at the ancient mech. Naruto's eyes widened as a sphere of energy that Naruto had not noticed was launched towards the phantoms... it's path taking it straight towards Naruto.
"Oh fuck m..." Naruto's voice faded as the energy blast barreled towards him, his sight fading to white as the sphere exploded.
End Flashback
Naruto sighed as he felt his arm finally finish healing up, the shinobi flexing the repaired muscles as he looked back at the battle. 'Well, looks like the phantoms have all been killed, or they've pulled back. Now, as for that shiny tin plated bastard... oh you son of a bitch, he's running!' Naruto growled lowly as the mech deployed a set of thrusters from it's back, the Saurian jetting towards the abandoned city rapidly. Naruto ran after the mech, his chakra enhanced leaps failing to keep up with the machine as it rocketed towards the center of the city.
'I've got a bad feeling about this..'
'You and me both, it looks like it's headed towards some kinda bunker... ah shit, Gina's hiraishin marker is in there! We gotta protect the girls... and Ryan... I guess?'
'Well, we could let a little 'accident' occur with Tabbot...'
'No, if we let the happen then the girls could get hurt. Damn, it looks like we will need to save him... you know, some days I really hate being the good guy.'
Naruto quickly traversed the chasm before him, his senses homing in on Gina and the others as he pulled a pair of kunai from his pouch.
'Well then, it's time for round goddamned two!'
Beta Generator Room
"YOU WANT TO WHAT!" Charlotte squeaked loudly as Britanny's reacted explosively to her suggestion.
"We... we never should have let the Saurian out! We need to go help the Beta Phantoms, and Naruto! D-do you just want to leave him there on his own?" Britanny growled loudly as she stalked towards Charlotte, the harpy shrinking back quickly from the threatening gesture.
"I do NOT want to leave Naruto BEHIND! Why would you even suggest something like that, are you crazy! But he told us to get out of there, he knew if we stayed we would have gotten in the way, or killed by the Phantoms! Their stone cold killers Charlie!" Charlotte stood a little taller as she looked at the furious gaze Britanny was sending her way.
"W-who have they k-killed?"
Britanny paused for a moment, a look of confusion replacing the her fury immediately. "I'll tell you.. wait.. who did they kill.. Gina, little help here!"
Gina worried gaze turned towards the arguing pair, a sigh escaping her lips. "While your right in saying they haven't killed anyone yet, Charlotte, I have to agree with Brit, they have been trying to harm us from the moment we found them!"
"Yeah! That's right, I was thinking the same thing! So stop trying to defend these creeps Charlie!"
"But Gina," Charlotte said, her hesitant stance slowly fading as she began voicing her opinions. "We saw how fast the Phantom was, shouldn't have had any problem catching us in the caves, but every time we thought we were caught we managed to get away!" Gina hummed softly, her hand rubbing her chin as she begin replaying her memories of their first encounter with the Phantoms. "Hmmm, you may have a point Charlotte."
"Uhhh... Penny, little help here?" Britanny looked decidedly nervous as this last fact was stated aloud, the were-cheetah desperately looking for someone to back her up once more once she realized that Gina's faith in her words was wavering.
"Charlotte, don't forget the glyphs and the writings we found that described the dangers of the Beta Phantoms and the fact that they were the cause of great catastrophe! That's why we released the Saurian, to help us save the human race from the extinction that befell the Saurian race!"
"There ya go Charlotte, those Phantoms are definitely bad news!"
"Um... Penny, didn't you say the Saurian that we just freed... wrote those glyphs?" Charlotte waited as Penny raised a hand to her chin, stroking it slow as she considered Charlotte's words, both geniuses now sharing thoughtful glances with each other.
"Hmm... you do have a point there Charlotte."
"Jaliera? Sheila? Ryan? Little help here, guys!" A visibly distraught Sheila just sat on the floor, staring at the sealed door as if waiting for Naruto to burst in at any moment. Jaleria looked up at Britanny, sighing loudly as she shrugged her shoulders. The only sound advice came from the least likely of sources.
"Brit," Ryan said, the martial artist crossing his arms as he turned towards the were-cheetah. "If Charlie can out think you, Gina and Penny, then maybe we should consider her idea."
Britanny growled softly as she folded her arms under her breasts, when suddenly the were-cheetah began to giggle softly. "Britanny? Hey sis, you ok there?"
Britanny's giggling continued to grow, her hand waving off her sister as she took a deep breath. "Oh, I just thought of something hilarious! What if that Beta Phantom that was chasing us around before wasn't trying to turn up the power on the Beta generator, maybe he was trying to turn it off!" Britanny's continued to giggle loudly, that is until she saw that Gina and Penny had guilty looks on their faces after hearing her 'funny idea'. "Hey, how come you two ain't laughing? Seriously, it's easy, you just go ha ha h..."
The sound of thick steel torn asunder interrupted Britanny's train of thought, the were-cheetah sweating nervously as the others began to back away from the newly opened doorway. "Hehehe...Gina... help me..."
"GREETINGS, FRIENDS. WHERE IS GINA?" Everyone's eyes widened in shock at the greeting, before focusing on Gina. Britanny took advantage of the distraction, racing towards Penny while her sister approached the Saurian. Britanny watched nervously before nudging Penny as she began to whisper.
"Penny, what the hell is going on? How can a 40 million year old toaster know English?"
"He knows it cause he accessed the main computer for the city! We left some mail, you know the basic stuff, English, history of the world, we're your friends, that kinda stuff!"
"Oh, um... I see you found our message!" Gina laughed nervously, her hands rubbing together as she approached the massive construct. "Hey, we were wondering, did you see Naruto? He went back to help you in that fight."
"YES, HE PERISHED IN THE BATTLE, THE PHANTOMS KILLED HIM." Gina shook her head, as if she were unwilling to accept the answer she had been given. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, Gina's hands covering her mouth as she slowly began to back away form the Saurian.
"No, he promised me... he promised me that he'd come back..." Britanny sniffled as she fought against the tears that threatened to fall, the were-cheetah standing behind Gina as her arms wrapping around her distraught sister. Looking to her right, Britanny expression fell even further as she watched Jaliera collapse, her head slowly shaking back and forth as she held a bawling Sheila in her arms. As the group was showing their sorrow after having lost someone important to them, Charlotte came to a decision that this was the right time for her to stand up for herself, her finger pointing imperiously at the Saurian.
"MUST BE BRAVE! You're no friend of ours, Mr. Saurian! You are just pretending to be our friend! A real friend would have made sure Naruto had stayed alive! You just want our help in killing the Beta Phantoms! Well, we're going to stop you, cause you're.. mean! Yeah, and we don't like you!"
A wide eyed Penny began backing away from the Saurian, the genius pulling a still unresponsive Gina and Britanny back towards the rest of their friends. "Charlotte, this really isn't the time to be brave!" A bone chilling chuckle emanated from the ancient construct, it's weaponry activating as it slowly entered the chamber.
"HEH, GOOD. RATHER BE TRUE ENEMY THAN FALSE FRIEND! MUST THANK YOU FOR RELEASING ME, FRIENDS!" As everyone watched the Saurian charging it's main cannon, no one noticed a dark shape leap enter the room, that is until a massive explosion staggered the construct.
"YOU COCKBITE! I'm ma gonna kick your shiny, metal, ass!" Naruto leaped over top of the staggered mech, the shinobi standing protectively before his friends as his chakra flared brightly.
"NARUTO!" Naruto stumbled forward, the once shell shocked Gina leaping on his back and clinging to the shinobi, causing Naruto to chuckle nervously as he eyed the slowly advancing Saurian.
"Hime, much as I like the attention, we have more... ah shit, scatter!" Naruto spun around rapidly, grabbing Gina in his arms as he dodged the Saurian's Phantom Rings, the metal floor buckling as the ancient metallic floor received the full brunt of the attack. Naruto landed on the wall, watching as the Saurian's Beta cannon continued to charge. "Yeah, gonna have to do something about that. Jaliera, catch!" Gina squealed loudly as Naruto tossed the genius in the air, Jaliera using her TK to grab the woman and pull her away from the hostile mech. Naruto hands flashed up, five clones appearing beside him. Everyone watched in fascination as all six Naruto's eyes changed, becoming more toad like as orange markings appeared around their eyes.
"Let's see how you handle a Sage! Attack!" Naruto landed lightly on the ground, his attention split between his clones that were keeping the Saurian occupied and protecting his friends that were behind him.
"Ok, I'll keep him busy, the rest of you need to... dammit, Gina, behind you!" Gina looked over her shoulder, screaming in fear as Beta Phantoms rose form the floor, surrounding both herself and Penny. Britanny was frozen, her natural instincts telling her to get away from the silver based creatures while her heart was telling her that her sister needed to be saved. Sheila was sitting there in a daze, her fear paralyzing her even as Jaliera was being absorbed into a Phantom. Naruto growled loudly as he dashed forward, only to be captured by another Phantom that oozed through the floor beneath him. "DAMMIT, NO!" Naruto growled loudly as he fought against his captor, that is until a human shaped Phantom appeared before him, the shinobi freezing is shock as he sensed a familiar source of chakra from the being before him. "Montara? What...what happened to you?"
"NEVERMIND THAT, WE'RE HERE TO RESCUE YOU. QUICKLY, TAKE THEM TO THE SAFETY OF THE SURFACE!" Naruto growled as he watched the Phantoms absorb Gina, Jaliera and Penny, Charlotte tried to pull her friend free but she was soon enveloped by a phantom, as was a struggling Ryan. Just as Naruto was about to be complete enveloped, he saw that no phantoms had even attempted to grab Sheila or Britanny.
"What the hell, are you going to just leave them there?" Naruto rose in the air, the phantom that was carrying him finally enveloping the shinobi, but not before he heard Montara's response.
"OUR SILVER PROPERTIES WOULD KILL THEM BOTH, WE MUST LEAVE THEM TO BEFADOC'S WHIMS."
Just as Naruto's Phantom reached the ceiling, the creature bulged grotesquely, before a vicious sphere of wind blasted out of the creature, impacting the floor heavily. Naruto stood tall, his eyes glaring at the changed Montara as he growled. "I'M NOT LEAVING THEM BEHIND! Get Gina to the surface, she has a marker that I can use to teleport everyone else out! Just tell me how much time you'll need and you'll have it."
The Montara phantom hesitated for a moment before making it's decision. "TWO MINUTES WILL SUFFICE. I LEAVE IT TO YOU THEN."
"Done!" Naruto raced forward, his powerful strides eating up the distance as he raced towards Sheila.
"Son of a... boss! If you're not too busy, we could really use a hand! This guy's tough!"
"Gimme a sec! Use attack plan Alpha Six! No, I said Alpha Six, not Beta Five!" Naruto skidded to a halt beside his student, pulling a visibly shaken Sheila to her feet.
"Sensei... I..." Naruto grinned as he ruffled Sheila's hair, causing the jag-were's eyes to widen in surprise.
"S'ok, it's not everyday you see giant shadows swallow your friends. If I wasn't used to all the craziness in my life, I'd have done the same. Now, time to break out that kick-ass new move we were working on! Cheets, front and center!" Naruto quickly raised his arm, warding off the dust kicked up by the rapid approach of the were-cheetah. Reaching behind him, Naruto's grin grew even larger as he pulled out a large stack of explosive tags. "So, feel like a little bit of a challenge, Cheets? Place all of your tags first and you win, loser pays for dinner!" Britanny grinned widely as she looked over at a nervous looking Sheila, gently hitting the younger girl on the shoulder.
"Come on, I watched you working on this, you'll do fine! Lets go Naruto!" Naruto and Britanny raced forward, Sheila's nervousness slowly fading as she pulled Ice Fang out of it's ethereal storage.
'Just like Sensei said, focus your chakra, visualize what you want to do... then let it fly!' "SUITON: TEPPŌDAMA!" As Sheila released her chakra, the now excited jag-were swung Ice Fang in a large arc before her, remembering what she and Naruto had learned during training.
Flashback
Naruto's eyes narrowed as he looked at the weapon held in Sheila's hand, his enhanced senses telling him there was more to the blade that Sheila had than met the eye.
"So, it makes ice... and nothing else?"
"Well, it also deflects all missile attacks, but other than that, nothing else." Naruto hummed loudly as he quickly gestured towards his student, a slightly confused Sheila handing over her weapon slowly. "That won't work Sensei, the weapon is tied to my aura, it won't react to someone unless I'm..." Sheila's voice trailed off slowly as he eyes widened, the glowing form of Ice Fang in her Sensei's hands having robbed the girl of speech. Naruto rested the weapon comfortably on his shoulder, a chiding look his only response to Sheila's words.
"Oh really? So what do you call this then?"
End flashback
Ice Fang was a very special sword, not only due to the fact that it was able to generate magical blasts of ice. No, the true secret of the weapon was that it could focus a compatible user's chakra, allowing them to skip hand seals for many low level techniques.
Sheila grinned widely as a dozen Water Gunshots flew from her arcing blade, the powerful shots of water racing past Naruto and Britanny as the accelerated towards the Saurian. Just as the blasts of water were about to strike, the Saurian fired it's cannon, destroying several of the chakra laced water bullets. Sheila gripped Ice Fang firmly, raised the blade upwards before she slashed towards the ground. "SHOTGUN ICE BARRAGE!" Each of the remaining blasts of water struck home, instantly encasing the majority of the Saurian in extremely dense ice.
The Saurian growled loudly, the ancient mech struggling to free itself from it's new bonds but it was too late, Naruto and Britanny had already reached it and were swiftly slapping explosive tags on any surface that was free of ice. Naruto finishing a fraction of a second faster, the shinobi sliding to a halt beside his ecstatic student. Moments later, Britanny joined the pair, the were-cheetah angrily gesturing at the grinning shinobi.
"No fair! You used your clones to slow me down! I call shenanigans!" Naruto grinned as he grabbed onto the angry woman around her waist, his senses finally registering the fact that Gina and the others had reached the surface.
"Oh please, you're such a sore loser, Cheets. We're outta here guys, wait for my signal!"
The surface
Gina squeaked loudly as she fell on the ground, the genius rubbing her tender ass as she watched her friends do the same. But Gina's expression soon became fearful as she noticed there were several people missing, people that were very important to the genius. "Wait a minute, where's Naruto? And Brit! Why didn't you bring them to the surface with us!" But before Gina could receive a response, a brilliant flare of light appeared, blinding everyone for a moment before three people appeared. Gina rubbed at her eyes rapidly, but before she could open them a jubilant voice reached her ears.
"NARUTO!" Gina opened her eyes and giggled as she watched a crying Jaliera hit the laughing shinobi's dead on, the pair slamming into the ground as an exuberant Jaliera hugged the shinobi with a death grip. Moments after she started the hug, Jaliera's happy mode vanished as she sat up and straddled Naruto's chest, her voice rising in pitch as she started yelling at the man she was now pinning to the ground. "... and if you EVER, I mean EVER, scare me like that again, I'm kidnapping you and bringing you back to Aebra, where I can keep you safe and sound, do you understand me?" Naruto laughed boisterously as he sat up, upending the angry woman before giving her another hug, the fuming woman slowly leaning into the hold as her ire abated.
"Relax Jaliera, I'm not going anywhere... now, before anything else happens, time to take care of that ancient Dino mech." Naruto raised his hand, but a loud voice interrupted his actions.
"WORRY NOT ABOUT BEFADOC, WE WILL SEAL HIM ONCE MORE. SUCH IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY." Naruto cocked an eyebrow as he watched the Phantoms begin to disappear into the ground, his hand slowly falling to his side.
"Yeah... no. I'm gonna do this shinobi style! KATSU!" Once more Naruto raised his hand, a smile forming on his lips as he began walking towards his friends. Moments later the ground heaved violently, the girls screaming in fear as the violent tremors quickly abated. Penny stood slowly, her eyes glaring towards Naruto as she jabbed a finger into the shinobi's chest.
"NARUTO! Did you just BLOW UP the oldest city left on the planet?!"
"NO! Well, kinda..."
Moments Earlier
The remaining sage clones watched intently as the Saurian continued in it's attempts to escape, but the dense ice continued to thwart it. The lead clone cocked his head to the side, as if listening to a person that was whispering in his ear before grinning evilly.
"Ok boys, you know what to do!" The clones nodded as one, each standing around the Saurian in a square formation. Their hand slapped together loudly before a brilliant violet barrier formed around the struggling mech. The final clone grinned as he raised his hand, focused on the prodigious amount of tags before him, the chakra construct cackling evilly as he activated the tags.
"Shishienjin! FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
Back with Naruto and CO
"The shocks we felt were the final few tags exploding, the rest were stopped by the barrier my clones erected. And so, the city is safe, except for a few more rocks that fell from the roof, a hell of a lot of dust... and a giant scorch mark on the floor of the Beta Generator room." Naruto grinned widely as Penny stared at the shinobi in horror, her hand shaking as she fell to her knees.
"You bastard... you could have destroyed the entire cavern..." Penny's head fell to her chest, the young genius leaning against Charlotte as her harpy friend tried to comfort her.
"But I didn't."
Gina rounded on her boyfriend and jabbed a finger into his chest firmly, causing Naruto wince lightly as he backed away from the angry woman. "We thought you had been killed!"
"But I wasn't!"
Both genius's glared at the shinobi before they turned back towards Penny's base camp, leaving a sighing Naruto to look out over the desert.
"Well, I hope things are going better for Brianna and Julia in Jade."
Meanwhile, in Jade
"Brianna, when we get back home, remind me to KILL NARUTO!" Julia growled loudly as she watched the chaos before her.
"Oh, don't worry mom, I'll make sure to punish him myself for this." Brianna growled loudly as she and Julia made their way further into the Seer's Dungeon. As they entered the main corridor, a loud female voice began to speak, her announcement causing several people around the Diggers women to panic.
"WARNING, WARP CORE BREACH. THIS FACILITY WILL DETONATE IN T-MINUS 10 MINUTES." Brianna sighed loudly as she shook her head, the loud droning alarm and the flashing red lights adding to the panic that the guards and prisoners already felt. Looking over at the wall beside her, Brianna noticed a familiar looking tag from the wall. Reaching out, Brianna grabbed the piece of paper and ripped it from the wall, the loud voice and flashing lights winking out immediately in their immediate area. Sighing loudly, Brianna looked at her mom as she began shredding the tag in her hands.
"This is one of his tags... I'm guessing they're what's causing this to occur. That man is in so much trouble when I get my hands on him! No more Star Trek for him." Just as the pair were about to continue, a loud voice caused the Diggers women to pause.
"HALT! You are not authorized to be here, put down any weapons on your person and surrender peacefully!" Julia growled lowly as she turned around, her red hair trailing behind her like the tail of a comet as she advanced on the person that spoke.
"You must be in charge here, do you know who I am?" Julia watched the young woman before her blink her eyes slowly, the sudden recognition of the Arms Master of Jade causing her mind to grind to a halt. "Yes, I see that you finally do recognize me. Now, we're going to have a long, through discussion as to why you have imprisoned my CHAMPION, a Champion that was in Jade under orders to assist it's lawful groups, such as the Edge Guard, in their quest to keep order and protect the citizens of Jade. As Naruto is currently incarcerated in this facility, I expect him to be present at this discussion." Brianna smirked at the silent sheriff of Seer's Hamlet, the young woman sweating slightly as she looked at her subordinates.
"Grab the prisoner from the Pit. Bring him to the conference room."
Back on Earth
Naruto sighed loudly as he stretched his arms over his head, the blonde shinobi smiling widely as he made his way towards Penny's base camp. 'I'm sure everything is fine over in Jade, after all, my clones are there to keep an eye on things!' Nodding resolutely, Naruto entered the camp, just in time to catch the end of a conversation Penny was having
"..Ok, we'll see you in a few hours, love ya baby!" Penny sighed as she pocketed her phone, a content sigh escaping her lips as she sat on the ground. "Ok, so now we just wait for Ace to swing on by and pick us up, he shouldn't be too long." Naruto nodded as he stretched his legs, looking out over the burning sands of the Nevada desert.
"Welp, I'm going to head out on my own again, there's a ramen restaurant in Tempe with my name on it. Sage Mode takes a lot outta a guy, I need to fill up the ol'tank!" But just as Naruto was about to run off, a furred hand quickly grabbed onto his forearm, causing Naruto to look over his shoulder at a very nervous Jaliera. "Hey Jaliera, what's wrong?"
Jaliera pulled her hand back, her hands fidgeting as she gently bit her lower lip. "Um... well, I was wondering... could I go back with you instead? I... kinda... um..." Jaliera suddenly squawked in surprise, a timely hip check from Gina having thrown the young woman into Naruto's arms. Both Naruto and Jaliera looked up in wide eyed surprise, the pair's eyes blinking rapidly at Gina's smirk aimed towards them.
"Go ahead Jaliera, keep the big lug company on his way back home. I know you two have lots to talk about!" Gina blew Naruto a kiss, then quickly spun around, her hips swaying enticingly as she walked towards her sister and Penny. Naruto looked down in surprise at Jaliera, the wide eyed Kryn blushing hotly as she enjoyed the feeling of Naruto's arms holding onto her.
"Well... I guess it's you and me then." Naruto fished out his sunglasses once more before finally scooping up Jaliera in his arms, an action that caused her to squeak cutely. "Hang on, we're outta here!" One burst of speed later and all that remained of the pair was a trail of kicked up sand.
Penny's eyes narrowed as she studied Gina, her friend turning towards her and answering her unvoiced question. "I did it because she loves him as much as Bri and I do, so who am I to stand in her way? Besides, Naruto can handle all of us... clones are so awesome." Penny's eyes widened comically as Gina giggled perversely, a hot blush staining her cheeks as she took a drink of water.
Unnoticed by either of the young geniuses were the looks of jealousy from their two lycanthrope friends, the pair of them watching the fading trail of kicked up sand settling to the ground slowly before them as they resisted the urge to run after the shinobi and get some private time with him.
With Naruto and Jaliera
Jaliera whooped loudly, the ex-Archon wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck as the pair raced through the desert. Naruto grinned as he increased his speed, causing Jaliera to giggle like a little girl that had just discovered her favorite ride at an amusement park. The shinobi leaped in the air, flipping agilely as he held his companion close to him, her shrieks of joy music to his ears. But soon, the pair exited the desert, the shinobi skidding to a halt as he placed Jaliera on her feet. A groan caused Naruto to grin at the young woman and waggle his eyebrows at her , causing Jaliera to giggle loudly. Pulling back his sleeve, Naruto's fingers flashed over a wrist computer that Gina had given him after their mission to Aebra. 'You know, I never really use this thing for anything... except directions when I get lost.'
'Which happens all the time.'
'Not the time for that, fuzzy. I was thinking of finding somewhere a little... different, since Jaliera is tagging along. After all, I've already placed a marker at that ramen place, I can go there anytime I want.'
'So, I see you're finally accepting the fact that Jaliera is your mate are you? Good for you gaki, show her a good time! Now don't scratch the car and have her home when ever you finish having your wicked way with her.'
Naruto growled mentally as his partner began to chuckle loudly, the shinobi tuning it out as he concentrated on the task at hand. "Lets see... hehehehe"
Jaliera looked at her companion, her curiosity peeked by her giggling companion. "Naruto? What's so funny... oh wow, are we going there?" Naruto grinned as he nodded, scooping his willing passenger up in his arms once more before racing down the road. After a few minutes of high speed travel, Naruto skidded to a halt once more, looking towards the massive city laid out before him.
"Welcome to Las Vegas. I think we can find something to do here, wouldn't you agree Jaliera?"
That's all folks! Till the next chapter!