Alright then! Yes, I know I'm evil, muahahaha... lol, I guess you guys have enjoyed my little twist? So, without any further adieu, here's the next part!
Genn stared in wide eyed fascination at the small toad that was now perched on Naruto's shoulder, the anthropomorphic creature's aura shining brightly as she stared at the new arrival in awe. Tearing her eyes from the sight, Genn looked at the others seated at her table, their expressions similarly shocked at the bizarre turn of events. "Brianna? Did you know Naruto could... do that?"
Brianna shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving the stage as she watched Gina compose herself once more. "No... but is it really a surprise? I mean, come on, Naruto's been doing impossible stuff left, right and centre since we met him. I really have to learn to not underestimate him, or else he'll keep surprising me forever.." Genn leaned back in her chair, a thoughtful expression appearing as she remembered several of the things she had seen Naruto do.
"Hmmm, you do have a point. Oh, I think Gina's starting again, let see what happens next!"
On Stage
Naruto's eyes widened as his mind began trying to figure out what had happened. A soft tap on his thigh caught Naruto's attention, his gaze swivelling up towards a expectant Gina. Swallowing thickly, Naruto's hand grasped the back of Pa's cloak as he unceremoniously plunked the ancient toad on his shoulder. Standing tall, Naruto sighed softly at the familiar weight of the summon, the shinobi folding his arms as he waited for Gina to continue speaking.
"Naruto-chan, what's going on? Who are all these people?" Pa scowled as Naruto held out a hand to silence the old toad, the summons eyes flashing dangerously as he waited for his summoner's attention to turn away from him once more. Silently, the old toad pulled another staff from his cloak. Raising it over his head, Pa brought the weapon down on an unsuspecting Naruto's head, eliciting another squawk of pain from the blonde.
"Dammit, Pa! Where the hell did you get another staff?"
"It's Ma's, I carry it for her just in case she needs it."
"BULLSHIT! YOU WOULDN'T CARRY A WEAPON THAT MA COULD USE TO BEAT YOUR SORRY ASS!" Naruto reached for the old toad angrily, but Pa was faster, the summon leaping atop Naruto's head and whacking him again. Naruto growled out loud as he tried to catch the spry toad, his hands barely missing the old summon as he dodged each attempt at stopping him "Stand still, you crazy old coot!"
Gina smiled nervously at the silent crowd of explorers, many of them staring wide eyed at the developing fight before them. "W-well... a-as we can s-see here, Naruto CAN summon anthropomorphic, talking toads... ones that, apparently, like to beat him up. So, does anyone need anymore proof?" Gina was about to continue on, when someone in the crowd stood and gestured at the squabbling pair.
"Uh...are you sure they're ok? It looks like they're trying to kill each other." Gina looked over at her boyfriend, the shinobi having finally caught the the elusive toad in a headlock. Gina watched in wide eyed horror as Naruto proceeded to punch the amphibian's Mohawk topped head several times before finishing off his assault on the old toad with a chakra powered noogie, the summon crying out loudly as he struggled to free himself.
"HAH! THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO MESS WITH ME, YOU OLD FART! KONOHAGAKURE HIDEN TAIJUTSU ŌGI: HŌYŌ NO UNMEI!*" Gina pulled her glasses from her face as she palmed her face, her cheeks blushing brightly as the childish scene played out before her.
"I.. think they are?" Naruto looked up in confusion at the gathered crowd, his eyes widening at their shocked expression at the display of 'animal cruelty' taking place before them. Naruto nervously laughed as he lowered his fist, a sheepish expression appearing as he tried to think of a way to spin this incident in his favour. Pa, realizing that Naruto was finally pausing in their... 'reunion', looked towards the crowd. Seeing their shocked and horrified looks, the old toad smirked internally.
"Oh, Naruto-chan! Is this how you treat your old teacher, the toad that helped you, taught you, made you into the man that you are today? Oh, where did I go wrong?" Naruto looked down at the toad in his arms in shock, the old summon winking at the blonde as continued to lament at how Naruto had turned out.
"Damned old fart, I will kick your ass if you keep this up!"
Chapter 24
Shinryuken sat back in his seat, his hand stroking his chin as he watched the entertaining byplay on the stage. "Ancient proverb say: What you see is what you get. That's a summon alright, Naruto-dono speaks true. Which means..."
"Tha' means," Monty leaned forward, a wide grin appearing under his bushy, red beard. "Tha' there be a chance at gettin' the Elemental Nations back. Hah! It'd be bloody brilliant ta visit that land again, Hot Springs Country was a bloomin' riot!" Monty continued to study the bickering shinobi and his summon, the pair having gone past assaulting each other as they traded barbs back and forth.
On Stage.
"Old coot."
"Idiotic tadpole."
"Brain dead old geezer."
"Failure of a shinobi."
"Oh come on now, that's a low blow..."
"I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS!" Naruto and Pa stopped their bantering, the pair turning towards the loud shout that came from the audience. Naruto laughed loudly as he looked towards a furious Daishi, the ninja's aura glowing brightly as he tried to reign in his anger as he heard the mocking sound from the shinobi.
"Is he a friend of yours?" Naruto laughed loudly, his head shaking back and forth as he tried to answer his teacher, but every time he took a breath he burst into a new round of laughter.. "I'll take that as a no. Let me guess, you've been trolling him since you met him?" Naruto's laughter intensified, the shinobi nodding rapidly as he tried to get himself under control again.
Daishi was about to approach the stage, the ninja hoping to 'teach the blonde a lesson', when he felt a pair of cold iron barrels pressed against his back. Daishi paused, his head turning back and staring at the broadly grinning visage of the the Explorer's League Chairman.
"Now, now, 'old on there, Daishi. Let th' lad speak, he's got a lot to tell allya about 'imself! Besides, th' truth o' th' matter is tha' you'll never stop'em, so sit yer arse back in yer chair!" Swallowing audibly, Daishi's aura swiftly winked out and he returned to his seat, his eyes tightening as he studied the blonde haired man at the front of the hall. Daishi's attention was so fully engrossed in the blonde, that he almost missed a hand signal from Lord Talon, the ninja nodding slightly at his employer.
'Soon it won't matter who you are, Uzumaki. Soon, you'll be at my feet, weak and helpless.'
Fauntleroy was seething as he watched Gina presenting her dullard of a boyfriend, the pitiful woman trying to pass him off as an ancient link to a missing continent. 'Pathetic, some people just can't accept it when they've been beaten...' Fauntleroy's thoughts were derailed as soon as the toad appeared, the recent addition to the world of Explorers having found documents mentioning just such a creature. '..or maybe not. Blast, I was supposed to win this award, ME! Even though I am stuck in this pathetic body, none should be able to surpass me, a Dragon!'
Rising to his feet, Fauntleroy was about to make his way towards the stage, his djinn's focus clutched in his hands when the lights inexplicably went out, plunging the hall into darkness. Fauntleroy looked upwards, tsk'ing softly, when he realized he was no longer holding the Djinni focus "What the devil?"
Fauntleroy's eyes tightened in anger as he saw Daishi escaping with his employer, Erwin Talon, when he saw a familiar brass lamp clutched in the boy's hands. "That little rat..." Fauntleroy was about to give chase, when the pair ran into his wife, 38, the violet haired woman blocking the entrance while training a missile launcher on the escaping pair.
'Excellent job, 38, now... blast it, you idiot!' Fauntleroy watched as Daishi swatted the weapon towards the ceiling, the missile blasting off and careening into the main banquet hall. Fauntleroy watched in annoyance as the missile corkscrewed across the room towards a cluster of explorers, the high explosive impacting the titanium reinforced tables and scattering people across the room. Fauntleroy rose to his feet, intending on hunting down the pair, when Erwin's parting exclamation reached the furious dragon's ears. Pausing for a moment, a malicious grin appeared as he looked towards the Diggers table. "Hmm, I think I can allow him a small head start. After all, I do know where the lamp will be... and I wouldn't want to miss the show."
At the Diggers Table
Brianna was leaning against Seance, her raucous laughter continuing as Naruto and the toad he had summoned continued to bicker like an old married couple. "This is awesome! Why didn't Naruto ever summon this old toad before, he's a riot!"
Seance continued to stare at the squabbling pair on the stage, his eyes tightening as he studied their auras. "I think it's because... Naruto didn't think he could do it anymore. That, or he just plain forgot. After all, he was stuck on Jade for a long time on his own, there's probably a lot of things that he's forgotten..."
Brianna's laughter slowly trailed off at the sobering thought, her attention shifting towards the others seated at the table. Just as she was going to speak, a missile passed over her head, corkscrewing across the hall until it hit a small group of tables. Brianna and Britanny looked at each other in shock, the half were-cheetah shaking her head rapidly. "Nuh uh, don't look at me! I ain't packing anything right now!"
"IT'S THE DIGGERS! THEY'RE TRYING TO STEAL THE DJINNI!" Britanny growled at the sound of Pee Wee's shrill voice, the were-cheetah rising from her seat to chase him down for this latest stunt. But the sight of a dozen angry explorers advancing on their table changed the young woman's mind in an instant. Sheila rose form her seat, Ice Fang appearing in a burst of light in her hands. Seance also stood, his hands rising as he prepared himself for a fight. Jaliera shook her head slowly as she floated into the air, her eyes sparking brightly as she began focusing her powers. "Well, that's too bad, I have a feeling that we are going to need it."
A bright burst of light lit up the dark hall, a high pitched whine stopping each of the advancing explorers in their tracks and drawing their gazes towards a smirking Brianna. Jaw's dropped as the young woman levelled a Vulcan cannon at the wide-eyed group in front of her while wearing a victorious smirk. "Hyperspace pocket... I never leave home without stocking it, especially if I'm heading anywhere with Naruto. That man is a bigger magnet for trouble than anyone else I've ever met in my life. Now... who wants some!?"
On Stage
Naruto continued to glare at Pa halfheartedly, the pair having finished their back and forth barbs and settling on just continuing to look at each other. That is, until the missile exploded. Naruto turned away first, his brows furrowed as he watched the aftermath of the explosion. "The hell was that?"
Pa shrugged his shoulders as he watched the brewing showdown in front of him, his senses reading the slowly rising anger from his summoner as he watched part of the room advancing on a single table. "I'm guessing that those people at the... 'Diggers Table', was it? I'm guessing that they're friends of yours." Naruto nodded slowly as he walked towards the edge of the stage, the shinobi stopping beside a softly growling Gina. Looking over at his girlfriend, Naruto's angry expression quickly changed to surprise at the furious glare Gina was levelling at the whole room.
"This was my night... this was supposed to be my moment of recognition! I even let Naruto talk me into using him as my discovery, parading him in front of all of you like a trick pony... ALRIGHT THEN! IF YOU ASSHOLES WANT A FIGHT THAT BADLY, BRING IT! LET'S SEE HOW YOU FARE AGAINST A REAL MAD SCIENTIST!" Naruto raised his hand as Gina's body glowed brightly, the flare of light lasting a moment before the shinobi's gaze cleared.
"What the... whoa, nice gear..." Gina's body was wrapped up in a mechanical harness, a pair of large cannons held in her hands as a holographic reticule covered one of her eyes. Naruto watched with wide eyes as the rig lifted his girlfriend into the air, a force field flaring to life as it reflected several bullets. Spinning on a dime, Gina screamed loudly as she triggered one of the cannons, a loud explosion rocking the entire hall. Naruto grinned happily as he watched the destruction before him, the wide eyes summon riding on his shoulder shaking his head slowly as he watched the unassuming girl rip into another group of explorers. "That is so awesome, she's usually so... reserved. Wow."
"And her?"
Naruto turned his grinning face towards Pa, a single finger scratching his cheek as he blushed faintly. "She's m'girlfriend." Pa crossed his diminutive flippers over his chest, looked back at the rampaging woman once more before he nodded.
"Makes sense that you're with her, she's just as destructive as you are." Naruto nodded slowly, his eyes scanning the room as he watched the bulkier form of Seance slipping quickly through the crowd.
"Now, where is our little... ok, not so little anymore, friend going? Oh hoh... Pa, go have some fun, I think I'll go be backup for Seance. Apparently someone needs to learn a lesson... again."
Back at the Diggers table
Brianna was having the time of her life, her Vulcan cannon laying down a barrage of suppressive fire as she watched Gina unload on anyone that even looked at her funny. "Wow, looked like sis is REALLY pissed off. She's really... oh no you don't!" Brianna opened fire on a man lining up a shot on Gina with a high powered sniper rifle. Brianna grinned savagely as a yelp followed the hail of bullets she let lose, the cowed man ducking under cover once more. "Damn, I'm so glad the committee sprung for the titanium alloy tables, those wooden ones they had before were such crap cover!"
Genn timidly peaked over the top of the refreshment table, her eyes widening as she located both Jaliera and Sheila amid the chaotic battle royal.
Jaliera was hovering in the air, her hands held out before her as a pair of missiles crashed against her TK field, the Kryn woman's powers effortlessly tossing the explorers who had fired on her across the room. Jaliera smirked as the men and women fell to the ground like puppets with their strings cut, the former Archon leaping further into the fray.
Sheila raced across the hall, her enchanted weapon lashing out as she produced a awe inspiring battle roar from her small frame. And what was the source of her anger? The fact that several explorers had foolishly mentioned that they would take out the 'little one'. Sheila crowed in victory as she smashed the flat of Ice Fang into the face of one her attackers, the tall man groaning loudly before he fell to the ground. "Little? LITTLE? I'LL SHOW YOU LITTLE!" Sheila slammed Ice Fang tip first in to the ground, her chakra flaring brightly as twin streams of ice encircled her opponents, leaving only their heads free. Pulling her weapon from the ground, Sheila stalked towards the pair, a crazed look in her eyes as she held Ice Fang over her head. "Care to repeat what you just said? HUH?!"
Genn turned towards Brianna, her eyes flashing angrily as she pointed towards the massive brawl before her. "Brianna! You're all enjoying this, aren't you? How can you enjoy attacking living, breathing people!"
Brianna looked down at the weapon she was holding, it's barrels smoking lightly as she turned towards her friend, a slightly guilty look appearing as she grasped for an answer. "Nah, s'ok Genn, really! It's.. uh... it's on stun? Yeah, it's on stun! They'll be fine!"
"A 30MM VULCAN CANNON DOES NOT HAVE A STUN SETTING!"
"It... could?" Genn screamed in frustration as Brianna shrugged and turned back towards the fight, her grin returning as she let loose once more on the crowd of battle happy people.
Britanny skidded to a halt behind Genn, her eyes scanning the room as she searched for the rest of their friends. "Well, I've found everyone, except Seance..." A body landed heavily on the refreshment table, dink and food scattering everywhere as Genn pulled the injured man towards herself.
"SEANCE!"
Britanny winced lightly as she helped pull the injured mage out of the line of fire, the jacked up mage still breathing as he lay unconscious in Genn's arms. "Ok, well that just leaves..." Britanny's eyes widened as she watched the familiar form of Naruto flying through the air, the shinobi crashing through several walls without even slowing in the slightest.
"Dammit. Naruto, you'd better not be dead..."
Meanwhile, outside
Several squad cars blocked off the entrance to the banquet hall, but strangely enough they all seemed too relaxed for the chaos and mayhem laid out before them.
"HAH! Look at that one, looks like someone brought the good explosives this year! Talk about lucky, we got here before the S.W.A.T team, eh Cap'n Landis?"
A severe looking woman, looked towards the burning building, her mirrored shades hiding her eyes as she turned towards the man that had addressed her. "You're right, Sergeant, they always hog the good seats."
"Whoa, what was that?" A thunderous crash caught the officers attention, everyone focusing on the large cloud of dust that barely peeked over the privacy wall. The sound of a large body hitting said wall sent several officers into motion. The interested men and women standing on top of their squad cars to get a clear look at the newest disturbance. "Hey... Cap'n? I think you may want to see this."
Captain Landis pocketed her sunglasses before clambering atop the squad car closest to the wall, the officer that had attracted her attention stepping to the side to give her a clear view. As she looked over the partially destroyed landscape, Captain Landis' gaze tightened as she focused on a massive hole in the side of the banquet hall.
"Uuuhhrg..." Shifting her gaze towards the ground, Captain Landis cocked an eyebrow at a half buried blonde, his twitching arms and legs causing the pile of debris to shift ever so slightly.
"Dammit Cap'n, there's someone in there!" Landis nodded slowly as she studied the blonde man, a small voice in her head telling her that she knew who this man was. "Wait, I recognize that guy, he's the one that took off with Cheetah when O'toole tried to arrest'em for scalin' the Bank of America Plaza! Should we go and dig him out?"
Just as the officer was about to step off the car and approach the partially buried person, the captain's hand latched onto his forearm and dragged him back, her eyes never leaving the slowly settling pile. "No, I think that would be a very bad idea. If he wakes up, he'll probably be in a very, very bad mood. Let him take it out on whoever did this to him instead of us. If everyone leaves for the night and he's still not up, we'll get him to a hospital."
Naruto's Mindscape
"The hell? You just got blown through six walls!"
"I know."
"It was one punch!"
"I know!"
"He's the asshat that messed with one of your women!"
"I KNOW!"
"Well then, what are ya gonna do about it? HUH!?"
Naruto's eyes flashed dangerously as his chakra exploded outwards, his hands clenched tightly as he walked up to Kurama.
"I'm gonna teach him to never mess with me and mine ever again."
Naruto quickly opened his eyes, his chakra enhanced strength easily allowing him to rise out of the pile of debris that vainly pinned him to the ground. His eyes flashing dangerously, Naruto turned back towards the hole his exit had created, a scowl appearing as he activated his Biju mode. Looking at the gathered officers, Naruto watched impassively as several of looked at the glowing shinobi in awe.
"NO ONE BETTER TRY AND STOP ME, CAUSE I'M REALLY PISSED OFF!" After several officers wisely nodded, Naruto turned back towards the hall. Reaching for a pouch at his waist, Naruto clutched a paper tag between his fingers, his chakra activating the seal array he had built into the seal tag. A burst of Kurama's chakra caused the earth to tremble slightly, the tag standing at attention in the shinobi's hands as it glowed a deep scarlet. Taking a deep breath, Naruto used his free arm to form a massive paw, sending the construct through the hole his uncontrolled flight had created.
Inside the hall
Fauntleroy sighed as the final vestiges of the strength enhancement he had used faded away into nothingness. 'Alas, there goes the final portion of the ether I had hoarded away in my mymior. But in the end, it was so worth it. Now I shall have to locate another source of power, damn that blonde.' Pausing in his internal gloating, Fauntleroy tsk'ed softly at the blood spotting his clothing. 'Ah, that pesky mage, thinking that he could challenge me. Even with that insolent blonde backing him up, neither of them could stand up to th might of a dra..gon...' Fauntleroy's train of thought was quickly derailed as a massive glowing hand raced towards him, multiple explorers screaming out as they ran from the energy construct. Fauntleroy gaped at the oncoming energy approached him, the pretentious man freezing in shock as he was quickly scooped up.
"YEAH! KICK HIS ASS, NARUTO!" Fauntleroy looked towards a cheering Brianna, her sister joining in as the captive dragon struggled mightily to free himself.
"WHAT THE DEVIL? UNHAND ME! GAHHH!" Fauntleroy screamed in outrage as he was violently pulled out of the banquet hall, his eyes quickly adjusting to the night sky as he looked at his captor, the ostentatious man's eyes widening in surprise as he looked upon his doom. A nine tailed fox raised the trapped man into the air, it's massive tails lashing back and forth in agitation. Fauntleroy swallowed loudly, sweat beading his brow as he struggled to free himself. The energy fox opened it's mouth, the dragon turned man paling at the rows of sharp teeth that lined the creature's maw, but soon this was the least of his worries as the beast roared angrily, the captive dragon gasping in fear as he felt the fury of the beast permeate the air.
"Impossible..." Fauntleroy's eyes focused on the man standing amid the largest concentration of energy he had ever seen in his life, his gaze never leaving the furious glare of a seriously pissed of Uzumaki Naruto.
"Now, how about we try that again, eh Faunty? TOBU!**" Naruto-Biju carelessly flung Fauntleroy into the air, the once composed man screaming loudly as he soared upwards. Power began to coalesce at the Biju construct's mouth, both dark and light chakra gathering rapidly as Naruto swiftly prepared a Bijudama. Fauntleroy screamed in terror as he felt the sheer level of power continue to rise, until the blast was powerful enough to destroy him even if he possessed his original form.
"NO! NO, I WILL NOT DIE HERE! NOOOO!" Naruto grinned cruelly as he released the fox's head turned skyward, the the blast of concentrated energy ripped through the night sky as it raced towards it's target. Fauntleroy screamed loudly just before the orb hit, the dense mass of chakra exploding in mid air once the flying man was hit. Naruto's Biju form never looked away from the intense blast of power, and soon all that remained of Fauntleroy were a few scattered ashes that lazily drifted towards the ground.
Several officers had gathered around the silent Fauntleroy, their curiosity overriding their common sense as they used their nightsticks to prod the unresponsive man. "So... he's not dead? Right?"
"HAH! As if, that would be too easy." Naruto crouched beside the silent man, his smile never leaving his face as he looked at the various policemen surrounding him. "He's stuck inside of an illusion seal I put him in when I grabbed him. One that I crafted specifically for anyone that messes with my family and friends. He should be waking up... right about... now."
"AAAUGHHHHH! NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOO!" Naruto grinned cheekily as he patted the terrified Fauntleroy's head, the screaming man backing away from the shinobi once he laid eyes on him. "GET AWAY FROM ME! STAY BACK!"
Naruto grunted softly as he rose to his feet, the blonde dusting off his clothes as he nodded at the officers. "Alright, I better go and see what else is happening in there. Oh, and Fauntleroy? Don't ever try and hurt my girls, or else that illusion? It'll become reality. Ja ne!" Naruto turned back towards the hole in the wall, the shinobi stuffing his hands in his pockets and whistling softly as he slowly sauntered back inside. Fauntleroy shivered slightly as he stood, his eyes never leaving the disappearing shinobi. Once Naruto disappeared into the shadows, the dragon turned man let out a shaky breath, a trembling hand reaching up to adjust the glasses perched on his nose before he turned away from the banquet hall.
'The next time... I won't let you see me coming, Uzumaki.'
Back inside
Britanny looked over the overturned table, her gaze focusing on her angry sister as she continued to take potshots at various explorers around the hall, a manic grin slowly appearing as she got into the spirit of the all out brawl. "Ok, this is getting ridiculous! Gina's lost it, we've got to stop her!"
"I got this." Brianna grinned as she held her hand out, a flash of light from their hyperspace transporter appearing in the palm. Once it had cleared, a red and white ball was revealed in the young woman's grasp. Stretching her arm forward, the ball split down the centre, releasing a small robot. Britanny looked at the new arrival for several moments, the paint scheme and body style stirring old memories in the were-cheetah. "Peebo-chu! Use EMP Thunder shock! Shut down Gina's armor!"
"ARE YOU CRAZY!? Brianna, siccing a Peebo on your own sister? THAT'S INSANE!"
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing!"
"And how many times have I heard that and regretted it?"
"Oh come on, the Peebo's are not that bad! You just have to give them a...
Genn ignored the squabbling sisters, her arms wrapped around a still unconscious Seance as she watched out for any incoming artillery. Genn's eyes widened as she saw a pair of missiles screaming towards the group, the rakashasa getting under cover again. "MISSILES! DUCK!"
Brianna turned towards the battle, her eyes widening as she watched a pair of mini missiles racing towards Peebo-chu. "NO! PEEBO-CHU..." Brianna's scream trailed off as a burst of wind sent the missiles spinning away, the explosives harmlessly crashing into the far wall before blowing up. A dark figure landed on top of the table, the crouching being reaching up and adjusting his forehead protector before turning towards Brianna.
"Hey, miss me?"
"NARUTO!"
"Daddy!" Naruto blinked slowly as he looked at the small bit bomb on the table, the sentient device racing towards the shinobi and butting gently against his leg happily.
"Hime," Naruto said, his gaze never leaving the live explosive that was playfully trying to get his attention. "Why did the sentient bomb just call me 'Daddy'." Brianna giggled nervously as she ducked behind her table once more, a trio of bullets shaking the reinforced table. Naruto growled as he lobbed a Gōkakyū at the pair of sharpshooters, a self satisfied smirk appearing at their yelps of surprise. "Well, Hime?"
"Uh..."
"Cause your Mommy's boyfriend! And she loves ya lots and lots, so that makes you my daddy! Now, who should I blow up?" Naruto looked down at the high explosive, the small robot literally bouncing from wheel to wheel.
"Well... son... you should save the big boom for later! Never give people what they expect, it'll confuse the hell outta'em! Got any other attacks you can use instead of your suicide bomb?"
"OOOOHHHHH... great idea, Daddy! Yeah, I got E.M.P Thunder shock!"
"YOSH!" Naruto pumped a fist in triumph as he grabbed the bit bomb, placing it on the floor. "Now, scurry along the floor and shock anyone that's not part of the family! Give'em hell, boy!" Naruto watched the mobile bomb zip into the crowd, the shinobi watching the chaotic scene before him expectantly. A pair of pained groans accompanied a powerful burst of electricity, the harsh, blue glow causing the shinobi to chuckle loudly as several explorers fell to the ground. "GOOD JOB SON, KEEP IT UP!" Turning back towards his friends, Naruto cocked his head to the side at the flabbergasted look he was receiving from Britanny. Genn just shook her head as she looked down at Seance in her arms, soft mutters of, "He's lost it, he's totally lost it!", passing the rakashasa's lips.
"Wha... bu... what the hell, Naruto? Those things are dangerous, why are you treating it like it's your kid?" The shinobi laughed nervously as he scratched his cheek in embarrassment, his gaze focusing on the beatific smile that Brianna was giving him.
"Well... he reminds me of me when I was a kid, if he needs me as a Dad, I can do that. Anyways, I better go stop 'Tex' over there before she hurts someone too badly." Leaping over a series of explosions, Naruto ignored the stunned expressions on Genn and Britanny's faces, the agile shinobi snagging one of Gina's weapon pods as he hauled himself on top of the powered armor. Naruto studied the obviously angry blonde as she continued to fire on her fellow explorers, the normally self aware woman apparently not even realizing that her boyfriend was hitching a ride on her armor. "Gina... I think they've learned their lesson."
Gina screamed in fear once she realized Naruto was attached to her armor, the genius losing control of her flight system for a moment as she panicked, sending the pair into an uncontrolled spin. As the armor whipped around, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw Gina's cannons bracketing Brianna and Britanny. The shinobi's arm shot out towards the controls, his hand wrapping around Gina's as he yanked back on the control stick. Gina's other hand tightened reflexively around the weapons controls in her palm, sending a high powered blast from her beta cannon towards her sisters and Genn. Naruto let out a sigh as the blast sailed just over their heads, punching through the wall amid the girls screams.
Britanny rose to her feet, her furious glare focusing on Gina as she gestured at the massive hole in the wall. "GINA! WHAT THE HELL?!" Gina's hands covered her mouth in shock, her eyes widening as she realized what she had almost done.
"No...I didn't mean to..oh no, what did I almost do?"
Britanny rose to her feet, a scowl forming as she stared at her contrite sister. "Gina, remember when we were kids? We had that big fight, the one when I lost my temper? Do you remember what you said to me then?"
Gina's armor slowly descended, Naruto hopping to the ground once the pair had landed. "Take a deep breath, count to ten... and put down the telephone pole... : teleport all Beta tech back to the lab." As the armor and weapons disappeared in a flash, Naruto came up behind Gina and put a comforting arm around the young woman's shoulders, the genius offering the shinobi a smile of thanks.
"I'm... I'm sorry, I just lost it there for a little while. What with Fauntleroy stealing my spot..."
"He paid for it." Gina looked up at the unrepentant grin Naruto was sporting with a sigh.
"And then I had to reveal that my boyfriend is a legendary figure..."
"Eh, they would have put 2 and 2 together eventually, I am that awesome."
"Grrr, then when Pee-Wee said accused us of being thieves..."
"Uh, I think he got his just desserts, look." Gina looked over at the main entrance of the banquet hall, a loudly laughing Monty entering the ruined room with a unconscious Daishi over his shoulder. Pee-Wee squirmed mightily in Joe's grip, but the silent man continued as if nothing untoward was happening.
"Ugh, fine! I'm sorry I overreacted! Are you happy now, Naru?" Naruto kissed Gina's forehead gently, a blush forming on the genius' cheeks as she snuggled in closer to him. Naruto grinned as he felt Pa land on his head, the old toad panting lightly as he patted the shinobi's head.
"Well, you've found something pretty adventurous this time, eh Naruto-chan? So, when can we sit do and talk about what's happened?" Naruto looked down at the girl in his arms, the blonde sighing as she nodded her head. Jaliera landed on the floor, a smirk appearing as she looked towards the shinobi. Naruto looked over towards the winding down fight, a smile appearing as he watched Sheila strutting towards the group cockily.
"Sensei! I did what you taught me, and it worked like a charm! What do I learn next?" Pa looked down at the smiling Naruto, his expression shifting to one of horror.
"You're... teaching someone? And they're not dead yet?" Naruto scowled as he reached for Pa's cloak, the shinobi holding the old summon in front of him for several moments before dropping the toad to his shoulder.
"Smart-ass..."
"We may as well go home... there's always next year. Besides, I think Seance needs some time in the regenerator." Naruto created a clone swiftly, the chakra construct taking the unconscious mage out of Genn's hands, the three of them disappearing in a burst of light. Naruto offered his arm to Gina, a giggle rewarding his action, as the group turned towards the exit once more.
" 'OLD ON 'ERE, DIGGERS!" Naruto stopped as Gina turned towards Monty, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Sorry, Monty, we're going to head home, it's been a long night."
"Y' can't leave jus' yet... not wi'out yer award, Lass!" Gina's eyes widened as her jaw dropped, Naruto smirking as he gently pushed the still woman towards the chairman. "Go on! Take th' bugger, it's yers! Truth be told, it's long o'er due I say... Y'got th' explorer's true spirit, Girl!" Britanny slid up beside Naruto, a proud smile on her lips as she rested her arm on Naruto's shoulder. Brianna leaned back against Naruto's chest as she studied her flabbergasted sister. "Yer not like th'runna-th-mill, tomb-raidin' tossers what's only afta th' booty! 'N I should know... I've 'ad me eye on ya! 'At's why, on top o' this award, I'm namin' ya as my successor as Board Chairman!"
Gina's shaking hands held the Explorer of the Year trophy close to her chest, her eyes never leaving the engraving that proudly displayed her name. "I... I don't know what to say...
" 'Ow 'bout yes?"
"Y... okay."
"Congrats, Lassy! Y' deserve it!" Monty grinned broadly as his large hands clapped loudly, a gesture that began a chain reaction throughout the room as everyone congratulated the ecstatic genius.
Brianna pushed off of Naruto, the shinobi grinning as he felt her ass pressing against him before she walked towards her sister. As the half were-cheetah approached her sister, she held her hand out as if holding a microphone. "Gina, You've just won the Explorer's Award! Do you have any words for your fans?" Britanny grinned as she pushed off of Naruto, her arms wrapping around Gina's neck.
"YAAH! Way to go, sis! You did it!" Naruto grinned as he stood behind Gina, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the Diggers trio as they celebrated Gina's good fortune. Pa chuckled softly at the sight. Looking over at his old friend, Naruto grinned broadly before he raised his fist towards his old teacher. Pa snorted softly, his webbed fist tapping Naruto's gently.
"Missed you, old toad."
"Same here, tadpole." Naruto looked over at Jaliera and Sheila, a clone appearing between the girls as they both nodded at the shinobi. Reaching for the pair, the clone disappeared in a flash as well, leaving Naruto alone with the celebrating sisters. Naruto walked towards the celebrating sisters, his arms snaking around Gina's waist as he pulled her close.
"Congrats, Kirei. Now, how about we go find out what really happened to my old stomping grounds?"
Pa looked around the interior of the Gina mobile in awe, the old toad resting comfortably in Naruto's lap as they approached the shinobi's new home. "Amazing, I've never seen anything like this before. And you say that everyone.. uh, drives? Is that the right term? Why don't they all just run?"
Naruto laughed loudly as he shook his head. "Well, Pa, that has to do with the fact that none of them can use chakra. They have a spark of it, but no circulatory system. So, no super speed, strength, powers. They're all normal, just like civilians, but worse." Pa nodded his head slowly as the car pulled into the Diggers driveway, the five of them exiting the vehicle and making their way towards the door. Pa leaped towards the floor as soon as the door opened, his head tracking back and forth as he studied the interior of the home.
"Hmmm, nice, I could get used to living here." Naruto looked down at the diminutive toad strangely, his comment setting off warning bells in the shinobi's mind. Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto sat on the couch heavily, a sigh escaping him as he got comfortable.
Gina sat in the shinobi's lap, a content smile appearing as she wiggled her ass gently. Naruto's hands grabbed the young woman's hips, stopping the distracting motions as he pulled her against his chest. "Minx." Brianna sat beside the pair, leaving Britanny to sit in the recliner.
"Well then, I'm guessing you all want to knew what happened to the elemental nations after Naruto disappeared, hmm?" Pa smiled at the excited nods form the girls, his eyes shifting to the calm shinobi amongst them. "Well then, I'll tell you. The Elemental Nations... are right where you left them, Naruto. Nothing has changed back home, you're the one that is lost, not our continent. And now, so am I."
Naruto sighed as his head fell, one of his hands reaching up and massaging the bridge of his nose. "I was afraid of this. I knew there was something off concerning the continent when I became a Sage. Something felt off, and the more I studied seals the more I was convinced that something was wrong. What is it, Pa?"
Pa's flippers crossed over his chest as he nodded slowly. "Yes, your sensitivity to sage chakra should have allowed you to feel the array surrounding the continent. No one is sure who created it, or when, but all we know is that it cuts us off from the rest of the world."
"Um, 'scuse me?" Pa turned towards the were-cheetah, his head nodding slowly as he acknowledged the girl in question. "For those of us that aren't Sages or seal masters, what the heck is going on?"
Pa looked over at Naruto, his flippers motioning towards the seated woman. "Tell them, Naruto-chan. I can see you finally understand what's happening."
Naruto looked over at the expectant woman, a sigh passing his lips once more before he looked her in the eye. "The entire continent is surrounded by a Space-time Seal array. The elemental Nations are an enclosed environment, meaning that nothing comes in or gets out. It's here, on Earth, right now, but we can't get back. I'm betting you're stuck here to, aintcha Pa?"
"Heh, that's right, Naruto-chan. It's a one way door, once your out, you're out. There's no going back. But it's not all bad, like I said you've only been gone for fifteen years. How long did you think you'd been missing?"
"Fifteen thousand years, all by myself."
Gina looked over her shoulder her hands squeezing Naruto's arms around her waist as he tightened his grip. Looking over at the old toad, Gina noticed that he was still sporting a grin. "You don't seem overly concerned about being trapped outside of your home... Pa, was it?"
Pa laughed loudly, his flippered hands waving off the woman's concern.
"Please, I'm an old toad. It'll take more than being stuck in a new world to worry me."
"Heh... you've seemed to forgotten, old toad. I always do the impossible. So, how about we see if we can break into the ol'homeland and show these ladies the wonders of our world?"
Pa nodded happily, his flipper slapping his knee as he hopped towards the seated shinobi. "Heh, you've got a point. Besides, when we visit Myoboku, Ma can create a feast to welcome you home!"
And we're gonna stop... right there. So, what do ya think? Huh? Gimme a review and let me know what your thinking about these curve balls I'm throwing you.
* Konohagakure Hiden Secret Taijutsu Technique: Noogie of Doom!
** Fly!