Welcome once more to another chapter. We've hit over 50k views on this story tonight, not too bad considering that no one has ever made a Naruto/GD crossover. So here you are, enjoy the chapter and please review.
Flashback
Kakashi sighed happily as he stood atop the Fourth Hokage's head, his eyes shut as he basked in the last rays of the setting sun. At his side stood a strangely silent Naruto, the young man watching the sun sink below the horizon, the light giving way to darkness and the coming of the night. Both Shinobi watched as the stars appeared in the sky, their eyes finding the familiar constellations. "Kakashi-Sensei? When I was your student, was I a burden to you? I know I wasn't the best shinobi..." Naruto's voice trailed off as he felt Kakashi's hand gently ruffly his blonde locks, the young shinobi looking up at the grinning man standing over him.
"Well, I will admit at times you were a handful, but I wouldn't have traded any of it for another student. When you find someone to teach, you'll know what I mean."
Chapter 26
Present
"That lying bastard! If I ever see you again, I am so kicking your ass!" Uzumaki gritted his teeth as another wave of seawater passed over his head, the shinobi ducking low as he continued to speed away from the seal barrier surrounding the Elemental Nations.
"W-who's a lying bastard, Sensei?" Naruto looked at the furry woman in his arms, her features showing a great deal of fear as the pair swerved away from a geyser of seawater that blocked off their escape, the shinobi swearing loudly as he skidded to a halt. Backing away, Naruto spun around swiftly, the shinobi cursing once more as he saw nothing but a rising wall of water.
"My first sensei... and don't change the subject, you are in so much trouble when we get back! Now hop down, I'm gonna need both hands for this." Sheila nodded quickly, the jag-were landing on her feet as a mighty torrent of water encircled the pair, cutting off any possibility of them escaping.
"Sensei, what's happening?"
"Oh, nothing really," Naruto said, his eyes darting back and forth as he watched the barrier of water grow taller by the moment. "Just that we're going to be broken down to our base components and our chakra will be used to fuel one of the seals hiding the Elemental Nations. Now don't you wish you listened to me and stayed on the boat?"
Sheila looked up at a surprisingly stern Naruto, tears forming as she realized that this could be the end for them both. "No Hiraishin?"
Naruto shook his head solemnly, his eyes tightening as he focused once more on the blockade of water. A loud grunt passed Naruto's lips as the barrier halted in it's ascension towards the heavens, the light fading as the barrier began constricting around the pair. "No, using a space/time jutsu right now would be... bad. Yeah, we'll go with bad." Naruto let out a deep sigh, the shinobi placed a hand on Sheila's head gently, the powerful shinobi ruffling the surprised girl's hair tenderly before stepping forward, his hands resting calming at his side.
'Well, guess it's time to bring out the big guns then, eh?' Naruto smirked as he felt the euphoric rush of Kurama's chakra, his blood singing as he felt his body literally bursting with a vast torrent of power.
"Sensei?"
Naruto looked over his shoulder, a grin appearing as a rush of golden energy enveloped his body. Sheila raised her arms as she was buffeted by powerful winds, the jag-were's eyes widening when she noticed an arm of golden energy holding onto her waist firmly. Looking at her Sensei once more, Sheila let out a watery giggle at the cheesy grin Naruto was currently sending her way. "Guess it's my turn now to save my student. Don't worry, we're not gonna die here, I promise."
Brianna growled loudly as she she paced back and forth along the deck, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of Naruto or Sheila. "Something's wrong, they're late."
"Late? Did they say that they'd be back at a certain time?" Brianna levelled a deadpan glare at her current shipmate, Seance. The former Aura mage winced at the clearly hostile expression, but before he could offer an apology a wave of energy nearly capsized the boat, the pair yelling out in shock as they were thrown to the deck. Brianna recovered quickly, the half were-cheetah grabbing a pair of binoculars and scanning the horizon. "What in the world?"
Seance shook his head slowly, his eyes shining brightly as he stared towards the east. "A large source of power... it's like nothing I've seen before. It has some similarities to Naruto's chakra, but it's more potent, denser. Almost primal in it's ferocity."
Brianna smirked as she slowly lowered her binoculars, her eyes catching the faint gleam of gold in the distance. "Kurama."
Gina looked at her shoulder in concern, the young archeologist studied the old toad riding on her shoulder. "Pa? Is everything ok?"
Pa looked out towards the west, his eyes narrowing before the old toad shook his head slowly. "No, everything is fine. Actually, I think I'll let you and Penny continue onward under the protection of Britanny, I'll stay here and watch the camp." An unconvinced Gina watched as Pa leaped from her shoulder, the young blonde watching as the old toad hopped towards the cluster of supplies they had brought. Shrugging her shoulders, Gina turned towards her friends once more, the trio entering the dark crypt.
"You can come out now." A glaring man strode confidently out of the mass of trees at Pa's back, a sneer appearing as he studied the lone toad standing before him.
"Is this a joke? Do they truly believe that an old toad is more than a match for a Dragon? While I am garbed in this pathetic form, I am much more powerful than the average human, amphibian."
Pa chuckled softly, the old toad raising his hands as he squared off against the new arrival. "Well I'm more powerful than your average toad, so we're even. Plus I taught Naruto, you remember him don't you? According to Naruto, he spanked your ass like a sissy, little girl the last time he saw you..." Pa grinned tightly as Fauntleroy raced towards him, a furious roar passing his lips as thrust a knife at Pa. "Heh, you're as dumb as Jiraiya-chan when he was a boy, just like Naruto-chan said you were."
Sheila's eyes widened at the sight before her, the jag-were's jaw dropping as she saw the wall of water blocking the pair's path torn asunder from a single pulse of power, the water swiftly scattering like leaves in the wind. Sheila stood slowly, her eyes focusing on the transformed being that until recently had been her goofy, lovable sensei. "Sensei... you're...you're... just like a Super Saiyan! THIS IS SO COOL! WHEN DO I LEARN HOW TO DO THAT?" Naruto's expression immediately fell, the shinobi nearly face planting in the ocean as his student continued to stare at the man in awe.
"That's it, you're not allowed to watch anymore of Gina's anime." Naruto turned away from the loudly protesting woman, the empowered shinobi grinning broadly as he launched himself towards their ship, the loud screams from his student as she was dragged along for the ride. "HANG ON!" Naruto raced over the ocean once more, waves of water threatening to pull the Jinchūriki into the deep waters and his doom but it was in vain, the pure power rushing through his veins rendering anything the seal was able to throw at him meaningless and impotent. Naruto smirked at another indignant scream reached his ears, the shinobi increasing his speed as more and more waves of sea water rose up in an attempt to impede his escape. After the third time Sheila swallowed a lungful of seawater she ceased her furious shouts, her eyes promising swift retribution for her sensei when they reached land.
'Ok, that's enough goofing around, time to get serious.' Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Naruto pulled the chakra arm holding Sheila towards himself, the shinobi barely moving as he felt his student's soaked body slam into his back.
Realizing that she could finally speak without receiving another mouthful if salt water, Sheila growled loudly in her sensei's ear as the chakra holding her secured itself to it's owner. "SENSEI! WHAT THE HELL!" Looking over his shoulder, Naruto dodged an incoming wave while he stared at his wide eyed student.
"What? Is there something wrong?" Sheila growled loudly, her hands trying to free themselves and throttle the shinobi but it was in vain, she was held fast as Naruto continued to dodge the incoming deluge. Sheila squawked indignantly as she tried to free herself from the construct, her teacher looking ahead once more as he continued to race towards their ship.
"SOMETHING WRONG? SOMETHING WRONG?! LET ME GO, YOU, YOU... YOU ASSHOLE!"
Naruto let out a short bark of laughter, his legs launching him into the air as a tentacle of water tried to snag the slippery man once again. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of me trying to save us both from the millions of gallons of seawater rushing towards us in an attempt to kill us. Wanna repeat what you just said?"
Sheila looked over her shoulder, her indignant expression fading in fear as a massive tidal wave rose up at their backs, the sound of the rushing water causing the young woman's face to pale dramatically. "Go faster, FASTER!"
"That's what I thought you said."
Brianna dropped her binoculars, her eyes widening in fear as her hand latched onto the back of Seance's Mage suit. Ignoring the young man's questions, Brianna dragged the protesting mage into the bridge where she swiftly dogged the hatch shut before turning towards the controls. "Come on, time to go!"
"But Brianna, Naruto and Sheila aren't back yet, we can't just leave them..." Seance trailed off as Brianna handed him her binoculars, the mage taking the item and looking towards the west once more. "Well, I don't see what has you so worked up. I see a lot of blue, wait... there they are... wait a moment, what is that...oh...OH SHIT."
Brianna chuckled dryly, her hands swiftly running over the controls as she warmed up the ships engines. "Yes, oh shit. They'll get on board, but it won't matter since that'll take us under once it hits us."
Seance swallowed loudly as he felt the ship shudder, his eyes never straying from the massive tidal wave bearing down on them. The ships powerful engines managed to turn the ship around swiftly, but there would not be enough time to outrun the oncoming tidal wave bearing down on the,. Just as the Brianna opened up the throttle on the engines, Seance's hands pinwheeled wildly as the ship listing dangerously. Looking out towards the deck, Seance's eyes widened in shock as he saw Naruto rise from a crouch, a screaming Sheila attached to his back with a web of golden energy.
Brianna grabbed the loudspeaker handset, a brief burst of static attracting Naruto's attention. "Naruto! We'll never outrun that!" Naruto looked towards the bridge, nodding once before turning back towards his water logged student.
Naruto looked at the approaching wave, a low growl escaping as he tried to think of a way to stop the force of nature. 'Rasenshuriken would do it...
'But the ship would be sunk, the wave's too close and you'd get his with some of the futon blades. Maybe Futon:Tatsumaki?'
Naruto narrowed his eyes for a moment as he considered the suggestion. 'It could work, if we had made one at the beginning, but it's too close now.'
"Sensei, it's getting closer..." Naruto glared at the kneeling Sheila, the bedraggled jag-were's eyes falling to the deck as she shrunk away from the furious looking shinobi.
'Dammit, I am not letting any of them die out here! Biju Modo!'
'Eh, never been good at water walking, I'd sink like a stone, that rules out the... wait, you could...
'Aw yeah, that's it! How many would I need, minimum?'
'Dozen at least, triple the normal yield. That'll make'em heavier, harder to control. You up to the challenge, kit?'
Naruto stood tall, his hand reaching up to adjust his forehead protector. 'Just who do you think you're talking to, furball?' Turning to his student, Naruto sighed angrily as he stared at Sheila's fearful expression. "Stay here. I'll be back."
"Sensei..."
Naruto slammed his foot angrily on the deck, a brief pulse of chakra silencing Sheila as she fell on her ass in shock. "Stay HERE. We'll discuss this later... if we survive." Turning back towards the wave of water bearing down on him, Naruto leaped onto the roiling ocean once more, the shinobi swiftly placing himself between the slowly running ship and the oncoming wave. Raising his hands, Naruto created a dozen clones, each of them blazing brilliantly as they calmly studying the oncoming deluge before them. "Alright, let's do it, men!" Each clone raised their hands to the heavens, motes of positive and negative chakra rapidly gathering to form one of Naruto's most powerful attacks. Naruto smirked at the sight of a baker's dozen worth of Cho Mini Bijudama's, the oncoming wave never pausing as it drew closer to the fleeing ship.
"Chō Mini Bijūdama Bāsuto!" Each Naruto grinned widely as a chakra arm rushed towards the oncoming wave, their miniature Bijudama's slamming violently into the oncoming deluge. Each Naruto raised their arms, protecting their face from the intense heat as each densely packed sphere of energy exploded violently, the detonations dispersing the majority of the tidal wave before it neared the ship.
Breathing deeply, Naruto looked at his clones, a victorious grin appearing as nodded at the ship. "Thanks for the help, now I think it's time to go home. Stopping natural disasters is really tiring." Each clone grinned before popping, the original slowly pulling alongside their ship before he leaped to the deck once more. Naruto felt the rush of Kurama's chakra fading rapidly, the blonde resting his hands on his knees as his chakra cloak fell away from him. Brianna was already racing towards the blonde, the half were-cheetah crashing into the panting man and holding him tightly in her arms.
"You crazy bastard, you're never going out alone like that again!" Naruto panted softly as he slowly rose, his chakra placed a hand on his knee, the tired shinobi rising slowly as Brianna steadied him. Seance was standing at the railing, his hand resting against his forehead for several moments before he breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's alright, the feeling of being watched has faded, I think we've moved out of the seal's range." Naruto let out a sigh of relief, his eyes focusing on the still kneeling Sheila, the jag-were refusing the meet Naruto's gaze.
"Sheila, what the hell were you th..OW!" Naruto spun around, his wide eyed gaze focusing on a glaring Brianna as her hand fell to her side. Rubbing his stinging head angrily, Naruto could only watch as Sheila stormed away, the young woman running below decks before he could say a word. "Hime, what the hell was that for?!" Brianna folded her arms under her breasts, her gaze remaining calm as she stared at the angry shinobi. Naruto's eyes narrowed as the silence continued to stretch on, the hair on the back of his neck rising as the face off between the pair continued. Brianna soon let out a sigh, the tall blonde turning turning towards the bridge once more, a warning glare thrown over her shoulder silently communicating her ire with the shinobi on how he had handled the situation..
'Women are scary.' Naruto shivered slightly, a chill running down his spine from Brianna's parting gaze.
'Why do you think I let them make the decisions on my love life? I'm not suicidal.'
Later that night
Gina yawned loudly, the tired blonde raised her arms over her head as she lazily fell onto her couch, a sigh passing her lips as she stretched out fully. "Hmmm, almost perfect. Now, if a certain someone would show up..."
The sound the front door unlocking brought a smile to the young genius' lips, her hands resting on her stomach as she feigned sleep. Moments the the familiar sound of someone running up the stairs caused the young woman to crack open her eye, Gina managing to catch a glimpse of Sheila's tail as it disappeared up the stairs. Moments later, Naruto ran into the room, his eyes narrowing as he looked towards the ceiling. "That little... can't ignore me at home, squirt. I'll catch you yet, just you wait ."
Gina swiftly shut her eye as Naruto turned towards her, a soft chuckle passing the shinobi's lips as he studied the apparently dozing woman. Crouching next to her head silently, Naruto's hand gently brushed several locks of hair from Gina's peaceful face, the action testing the young woman's resolve as she refused to make a single sound at the endearing gesture.
'I know you're awake, Kirei. Nice try, too bad that you've earned a tickle attack for trying to pull one over on me." Gina quickly grabbed a nearby throw pillow, the blonde using her impromptu weapon to attack her protector in a valiant attempt to subdue him before he could react. Naruto laughed loudly, his arms fending off the wild swings from the young genius before moving in for the kill, his fingers deftly searching for Gina's weak points. Several moments later Gina was rolling on the ground, desperately trying to escape as Naruto mercilessly homed in on her most ticklish area, the sides of her torso.
"NO! LEMME GO!" Naruto grinned as he pinned the squealing woman under him, his hands deftly running along the sides of her torso and under her arms, the young woman under him bucking violently as she tried to escape.
"There is no escape, accept your punishment!" Gina's laughter died down slowly, her eyes closed as she rested her hands on Naruto's thighs.
"What... heheheh, I'm gonna get you for that, jerk... what happened to Sheila?" Naruto sighed softly, his gaze focusing on the stairwell sadly.
"Yeah, about that..."
Sheila leaned against her door, tears springing from her tightly shut eyes as she rested her head against the cool wood. 'Dammit, why was I so stupid! Why do I keep screwing up around Naruto? I almost got us both killed, for what? Because I felt slighted? Maybe because I wanted to show him that I could take care of myself, maybe so I could impress him with how far I've come in such a short time?' Opening her eyes slowly, Sheila pushed off her door before she looked over her room. As her gaze fell on several items she brought with her from Jade, Sheila's gaze hardened as she realized what needed to be done.
Angrily tearing through her room, Sheila packed all the things that she would need as she began to plan her next move. 'I was able to keep away from Naruto for the trip home, but that won't last, I need to leave. Dr. Diggers can create a portal get me back to Jade. It's for the best, I won't be a burden to Naruto and the others anymore.' After finding the last of the items she needed, Sheila stormed out of the room, her full bag banging against her hip as she descended the stairs rapidly. But as she reached the final step, Sheila paused at the sight of Naruto calmly blocking her way, his arms hanging at his sides as he studied the woman before him. "Move, Naruto, I'm leaving."
Sheila's gaze narrowed as she watched Naruto shake his head slowly, his calm expression never wavering. "No, you're staying right her, Sheila. Go put your stuff back in your room, we need to talk."
Sheila growled loudly, Ice Fang appearing in her grip as the enchanted blade heeded it's master's commands. Sheila raised the enchanted blade, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she pointed the weapon at her teacher. "Naruto, move!"
"No."
Sheila rushed forward, the tip of Ice Fang resting just below the blonde's chin, yet he still did not flinch. Sheila growled angrily more, her tears flowing as Ice Fang began to glow in response to it's wielder's commands. "Last warning, g-get out of the way or else I'll make you!"
Naruto cocked an eyebrow at Sheila's warning, the shinobi studying the woman before him for several moments before moving out of her path. Sheila swiftly rushed past the silent blonde and grasped the door handle, but as she opened the door she ran face first into another Naruto, the young jag-were biting off a surprised scream as the shinobi grabbed her wrists gently. Glaring at the grinning blonde, Sheila could only stare as the clone at her back plucked Ice Fang from her hands. "Now, go into the living room where we can talk about this. You're not leaving."
Sheila looked over her shoulder, her angry glare focusing on the blonde. A final growl escaped her lips as she strode towards the living room, dropping her duffel bag on floor before raising her hand towards her sword, the weapon disappearing in a flurry of light. Sheila ignored the girls seated around the living room, her eyes focusing on the seated shinobi directly in front of her, his calm expression causing her guilt to grow at the sight of him. After several moments of intense staring, Sheila broke eye contact with the blonde and sank onto the couch, her arms crossing under her breasts as she pouted. Gina and Brianna both looked at the young jag-were with wide eyed expressions, while Jaliera stared at the angry young woman intently. Britanny shook her head at her fellow lycanthrope, a smirk appearing at Sheila's downcast visage. "Did you really think you'd get past Naruto?"
Sheila's silence was her only answer as Naruto leaned forward, his eyes studying the young woman seated before him. All of his senses were screaming to run, the shinobi having learned in his youth that provoking any woman is similar to provoking a boss summon, if it's not done correctly then the outcome could become... messy. "So Sheila, want to tell me why you tried to run away?" Turning away from her sensei, Sheila mumbled several words, a look of confusion appearing on Britanny's face at her statement. "Well, from the look she's giving you, Britanny heard you, how about you try it again so everyone can hear it."
"I almost got both of us killed. I'm a liability, I was going to Dr. Diggers place to hitch a ride back to Jade so that you didn't have to worry about doing it yourself."
Naruto folded his arms over his chest as he nodded sagely. "I see... and what made you think I wanted to send you back?"
Sheila growled angrily as she stood up, her gaze focusing on the calm looking shinobi before her. "Didn't you hear me? I ALMOST GOT THE BOTH OF US KILLED! AND FOR WHAT? NOTHING! I WAS PISSED OFF THAT YOU LEFT ME BEHIND AND I ACTED LIKE A PETULANT CHILD!"
"Sheila, you normally act childish when you get angry." Turning towards Britanny, Sheila growled angrily as her tail lashed violently behind her, tears forming once more as she stared at the taller woman.
"Not the time for that discussion, Cheetah! If I had just waited, then you wouldn't have had to save us from that tidal wave! If Naruto had screwed up, it would have been my fault that you all would have lost the man you love!" Britanny's cheeks flushed brightly, the statuesque were-cheetah studying the ceiling as she avoided the smirks from her sisters and Jaliera. Sheila turned her full attention towards her friend, her tears flowing freely as she let out all that which was keeping hidden. "Cheetah, you're not fooling anyone! You love this lug as much as any of the others do! I've seen the looks you send his way when you think no one is watching!"
"She's not the only one that keeps looking at Naruto. You love him too."
Sheila's face paled instantly, her tears ceasing for a moment as she turned towards a softly smiling Jaliera. Sheila shook her head slowly, her hands clutching at her tail as she tied to deny the Kryn woman's words. "What? No! No, I..."
"Sheila, yes, you do. I've seen it, we all have. That's why you're being so hard on yourself yourself, you feel like you almost killed the man that you love and it's tearing you up inside."
"No, I don't love him! I can't!" Naruto cocked an eyebrow at Sheila's exclamation, a playful smile slowly forming as he stared at the young woman before him. "Stop looking at me like that, Naruto. Dammit, I told you to stop that!" Naruto rose from his armchair, the blonde cocking his head to the side as he slowly approached the young woman. Sheila's eyes narrowed as she growled at a grinning Jaleria, the Kryn woman flashing the young lycanthrope a victory sign. "Thanks a lot, blabber mouth. Oi, Naruto, get back over there, don't come any closer! I'm warning you!" Naruto's hand flashed forward lightning quick, the shinobi pulling a struggling Sheila into his arms. "Let me go, just let me go... please." Naruto rested his chin on the top of Sheila's head, his arms holding her tightly and refusing to let her go.
"Nope, no can do. You're not leaving, not because of how you feel about me, but because it wasn't really your fault." Sheila stiffened in her sensei's arms, her arms rising slowly and gripping Naruto's shirt loosely before looking the shinobi in his eyes.
"What do you mean, I was the one that left the ship..."
"...because you felt the urge to see what was out there, right?" Sheila widened in shock, a look of confusion soon replacing her surprise at Naruto's words.
"How did you..."
Naruto grinned as he fell onto the vacant couch, the surprised jag-were landing in his lap with a squeak as he dragged her down with him. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about on the way home, but someone kept ignoring me and cutting me off when I tried to explain what happened." Sheila blushed hotly, remembering that as soon as the crisis had passed she'd refused to speak with Naruto, even after they'd boarded the plane she avoided the blonde like the plague.
Well... I... shit." Naruto laughed loudly, his grin stretching ear to ear as Sheila fidgeted in his lap.
"Relax. I had enough time to figure out what's going on out there before you showed up. There's plenty of bad news, but some good as well. And I know who created the seal and approximately when it was made. Time for a history lesson, girls. So it all started...
Gina stroked her chin as she reviewed the information that Naruto had revealed to them all, her eyes glancing towards the shinobi every so often to verify that she was collecting the information correctly. "So your saying that a woman named Ōtsutsuki Kaguya gained the ability to use chakra before anyone else on the planet."
"That's right."
"And according to what you found, the seal that is concealing the Elemental Nations was created by this same woman?"
"Yep, the feel of her chakra is unmistakable."
Gina looked at her boyfriend skeptically, the young genius leaning back in the armchair she was occupying. "But you said she'd died hundreds of years before you were born. How would you know what her chakra felt like?"
"Simple, she was reborn and I fought her. Saved the world that time, we even had an awesome celebration afterwards."
Gina sighed as she rubbed her brow tiredly. "Of course you did. Tell me, Naru, do you ever do anything in a simple manner? Never mind, don't answer that!" Gina raised her finger at the grinning shinobi, her eyes promising retribution if he answered her question. "Ok, so when you studied the seal you said that you found some peculiarities?"
Naruto nodded, the shinobi trying to stand, but the weight of a still pouting Sheila prevented him from doing so. "Sheila? You can get up now if you want, I know you won't go running off now."
"...Don't wanna." Naruto blinked slowly, his eyes focusing on the blushing young woman before she buried her face against his neck, her arms wrapping around the shinobi tightly. Jaleria flashed a grin at a scowling Britanny, the were-cheetah slapping a roll of bills into the alien woman's outstretched hand.
"Damn, I had such high hopes for m'girl."
Naruto laughed softly, the blonde watching the transaction with a wide grin as Sheila held him tightly. "Betting on my love life now?" Jaliera grinned as she sat on the arm of the couch, her fingers softly running along the back of the blonde's neck. "Fine, I guess I'll just sit here like a good little boy. As I was saying, I was able to map out the seal that she used, I could even recreate it if I wanted or needed to. As a seal master, I have to admire the sheer scope of the array itself, it's truly a masterpiece. But as a human being, it shows how sick and twisted Kaguya had truly become. The seal was designed to hide the Elemental Nations, more than likely to ensure that no one could interfere with her bid to control the continent. When she was reborn, Kaguya was obsessed with controlling all chakra for herself, so a seal cutting her off from the rest of the world would be perfect for her scheming. But to make sure that no one could find the hidden continent, she had to make sure there was something controlling the seal, and so she made a sacrifice of someone and it is he that keeps the Elemental Nations hidden."
Gina gasped at Naruto's words, her hand covering her mouth as she shook her head slowly. "No, you mean she..."
"Yes... she attached a man's soul to the seal, condemning him to a never ending parody of life. She stripped away all that made him who he was, leaving him with a single task. To protect the seal from anyone or anything that would try and pass it." Silence met Naruto's words, everyone's eyes focusing on the blonde as he struggled to continue. "I can't be sure, since he's really not him anymore, but from what he said it sounds like he was either her lover, or her husband."
Britanny placed a hand on Gina's shoulder, her gaze focusing on the seated shinobi. "What makes you say that, Naruto?"
Naruto paused for a moment, the blonde resting his cheek on Sheila's red hair as he collected his thoughts. "The fact that he kept I could hear him repeating over and over, 'Keep this land safe... I will keep it save for my dear Kaguya-chan.' He's driven by instinct, he's subconsciously lashing out at anyone or anything straying too close to the seal. And if anything nearby has powerful enough chakra, a secondary seal activates. This one creates a longing or an urge to come closer. If you have a strong enough will you can over come it... but if you don't, you'll get too close and you'll be absorbed, your chakra used to power the array that's keeping this man's soul bound and alive."
"Are you saying I'm weak willed?" Naruto looked down at the woman in his arms, Sheila's eyes peering up at him from the crook of his neck with a dangerous glint in them.
"No, I'm not saying that you're weak willed. But you were angry, meaning that it was easier for you to mistake the call from the seal as one of your own thoughts. Not to mention you've never heard of anything like it, I wasn't expecting a compulsion seal to be alive." Sheila huffed softly, her arms tightening around Naruto once more as he patted her back gently.
Gina sighed softly, the young genius running a hand through her hair at the revelation. "So, how do we fix this?"
"We don't..."
"WHAT?!" Naruto raised his hands in a calming gesture, every other woman except Sheila standing up and glaring at the seated man.
"For now, geez! Let a guy finish talking! I need to come up with a counter seal, that should allow me to pass through safely. Once I'm on the other side, then I can find the focal point of the array and dismantle it. That should bring the continent back and free that man from his torment."
Gina nodded tiredly as she stood up, her arms stretching over her head. Naruto smirked as he ogled the scientist's body, his scrutiny was rewarded with a sly wink form the woman in question. "Well then, I think it's time for us to get to sleep. We can get you all caught up on what happened in Burma tomorrow."
Naruto looked around the living room, his eyes narrowing before he turned back towards Britanny. "Hey Cheets, where's Pa?"
Britanny laughed softly the were-cheetah pointed downwards, her tail flicking gently against Naruto's arm. "Sleeping. Seems he ran into Fauntleroy, kicked his ass too. He's been out like a light since we flew back home, I put him in the workshop on your couch."
Naruto nodded his thanks, Britanny waving them off as she stood as well. Leaning forward, the were-cheetah swiftly kissed Naruto's cheek and gave the shinobi a saucy wink before disappearing upstairs. Naruto turned towards the other girls, his eyes looking down at the woman still seated in his lap meaningfully for a moment before watching their reactions to his unasked question. Jaliera shrugged her shoulder, the alien looking towards the other girls. Gina stared at the woman in Naruto's arm, a slow nod showing his agreement. Brianna shrugged her shoulders helplessly, an easy grin showing she had no issues as well. Each of the girls kissed the blonde softly before making their way upstairs, leaving Sheila and Naruto alone.
"Sheila..."
"Shh."
"Oi, I just wanna..."
"I said shh. Let me enjoy this, please." Naruto chuckled softly, his arms tightening minutely as he gave the young woman his wish.
Minutes passed in silence before Naruto finally relaxed, Sheila's breath evening out as she fell asleep. Cradling the young jag-were's head, Naruto stretched out on the couch, pulling the sleeping woman close to him as his eyes slid shut. 'Eh, we can talk about it in the morning.'
The next day
Sheila groaned softly, her eyes fluttering open as she began to wake. The pillow below her shifted slightly, causing the young woman to look down in surprise as Naruto tightened his grip. "Go back to sleep, it's early." Sheila giggled softly at the tired voice, one of Naruto's deep blue eyes opening and piercing the woman with a tired glare. "Hah. Hah. Hah. Some people need sleep, we can't all be bundles of energy every moment of the day."
Sheila rested her head once more on Naruto's chest, a sigh passing her lips. As she listened to his heartbeat, another sound from the kitchen caught the jag-were's attention. "Naruto... are you a clone?"
Sheila's head rose, her even gaze focusing on the sleepy addled eyes of the blonde. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I can hear someone making breakfast. You're the only one in the house that ever does that." Sheila smirked at Naruto groaned softly, the young jag-were feeling a small measure of pride at uncovering the blonde's game.
"Damned jag-were ears, I told the Boss this wouldn't work."
Naruto swiftly gathered ingredients, his hands blurring as he swiftly diced several vegetables and kept an eye on several pots as they simmered on the stove. Just as he began mixing several ingredients, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist. "Morning Sheila, sleep well?" A soft laugh was the shinobi's only answer, one of his hands resting on Sheila's as another stirred the contents of a pot.
"Yes, my pillow was quite warm, if a little lumpy and loud." Naruto laughed softly at Sheila's comment, a burst of smoke revealing a clone that took over the cooking duties. Stepping away from the stove, Naruto pulled a cloth hanging from his belt and wiped his hands before turning towards the smiling jag-were, his hand clasping her own as he pulled her into the backyard. Sitting on the ground, Naruto pulled Sheila back into his lap, the jag-were grinning evilly as she fidgeted for several moments, her ass rubbing against Naruto in a most... stimulating way. "Naughty kitty. We need to talk, ok?" Sheila sighed as she settled down, her head resting on Naruto's chest while she looked at his serious expression.
"So, let's talk." Naruto freed a hand and flicked Sheila's nose gently, the shinobi grinning at Sheila as she tried to playfully bite his finger.
"How long have you been interested in me?" Sheila glared at Naruto for flicking her nose, but her expression soon became contemplative as she remembered when she had seen him as more than a teacher and friend.
"I'm pretty sure it started that first time you held me in your arms, back in Civ-Alpha. I felt so safe and protected as you carried me deeper into that dark cave, it made me realize that there was so much more to you than just being a teacher or a friend. How about you, when did your feelings for me change?" Naruto nodded slowly, a smile appearing as he remembered that day.
"Well, I'd say it was the day Gina was trying to figure out how to get Dao out of his pot. Remember when you ran into me outside of my room?" Naruto laughed loudly as Sheila blushed, the jag-were remembering that day as well as the 'activities' Naruto had participated in that very morning. "Yep, you remember. The tone of your voice, when you brushed my cheek with your tail, I remember thinking at that point, 'Oh man, another one? How many girls are gonna come after me?!'." Naruto laughed loudly as Sheila slapped his chest hard, the jag-were grumbling as she jabbed her finger into the shinobi's side several times angrily.
"Jerk."
Naruto squeezed the woman in his lap gently, her ire fading as she relished the warmth of his body. "Oh come on, I was worried how it would work out if we did get involved. After all, we are kinda in a weird situation, you and I."
Sheila stared at Naruto in confusion, her hands pushing her off of Naruto's chest until she was looking him in the eye. "Weird situation? I don't think so, men with more than one mate isn't exactly uncommon in Jade. It helps that we're all friends... and you can make clones so none of us will feel neglected. The others are ok with this, right?"
Naruto let out a bark of laughter, his head shaking slowly before staring into Sheila's eyes once more. "Yes, they're ok with you being part of our little group. But what I meant was if we're together, would there be a problem with me as your teacher? After all, I won't stop pushing you to your utmost limits just because you're trying to get into my pants."
Sheila slapped Naruto's chest lightly once more, the blonde shaking as he tried to hold in his laughter. "Me, trying to get in your pants? Try it the other way around , buster! I'm sure I can handle it, after all I know you're going to be doing it for my own good."
"And the next time I give you an order that you don't like?"
Sheila sighed loudly, a deadpan stare her only answer as Naruto leaned closer. Sheila closed her eyes as he drew near, her arms wrapping around the blondes neck when their lips finally touched. Several moments passed, the pair enjoying the intimate moment before breaking apart, Sheila sighing contently as she rested her head against Naruto's chest once more. "I could get used to that."
Naruto kissed the tip of Sheila's nose playfully before poking and prodding at the girl. "Alright, time to get up, the food is done and the horde is about to arrive. Lets get in there while there is still something left to eat."
Sheila pouted as she pulled away from Naruto's embrace, the jag-were looking at Naruto expectantly. "Wait, what about Cheetah? Are you going to include her as well? I mean, now that you know how she feels..."
"No."
Sheila froze in her tracks, a incredulous look appearing as she watched Naruto continue walking towards the house. "No? Why not?" Naruto looked over his shoulder, an easy grin his only answer as he disappeared through the door. "OI! Stop being all mysterious when we're you're not teaching me! Dammit, Naruto!"
Later that day
Gina had gathered everyone that was still home in her lab, the eager young woman nearly bursting from the need to tell everyone what happened in The Halls of the Extremely Dead. Naruto was stretched out on the couch, his head resting in Brianna's lap, the half were-cheetah smiling softly as she ran her hands through the shinobi's soft hair slowly. Meanwhile, Sheila was seated on the other end of the couch, Naruto's feet resting in her lap as she poked and prodded at his uncovered feet, hoping to find a ticklish spot that could be exploited. Genn and Britanny watched the three seated across from them, the pair giggling at the sight as Naruto did all that he could to enjoy the feeling of Brianna's hands running through his hair while ignoring Sheila's soft pokes . Gina shook her head at the sight, a soft laugh catching the jag-were's attention. "What? Maybe he's ticklish, we'll never know unless we try."
Gina laughed as she sat on a nearby stool, a smirk appearing as she focused on the newest girl to fall for Naruto's charms. "Oh, I agree with you, it'd be a perfect way to try and keep him in line. If he was ticklish, that is. Brianna and I already tried that, he's like a rock." Sheila's gaze narrowed as she focused on the grinning blonde.
"Toldja."
"There you are! I'd almost given up hope!" Gina looked over her shoulder, the scantily clad form of Madrid swiftly entering her lab. A soft gasp from Genn had Naruto open an eye stealthily, the shinobi wondering what could cause the normally upbeat rakshasa to react in such a way. Naruto soon filed this away for later study as he felt Sheila's body start to stiffen at the sight of the djinni, a sigh passing his lips before closing his eye once more.
"Down Sheila, it's alright, I can handle her."
Madrid seemed to not even notice or care about the hostility that was being sent her way as she focused on the seated Gina. "Gina, did you find the onyx tablet? Did you get to it before Fauntleroy could learn it's secrets? Quickly, tell me what you learned, woman!"
Gina's gaze narrowed, her patience wearing thin as she looked at the demanding woman. Before she could respond, Gina watched wide eyed as Madrid pitched forward, a growl passing her lips as she landed on her knees before the seated archeologist. Madrid turned around, the look in her eyes promising retribution to whomever forced her to endure such an indignity. "Who dares..."
"I dare. You asked Gina for a favour, a dangerous one. The least you could do is be a little more polite to her." Madrid turned towards the seated Naruto, the shinobi not even opening his eyes as he continued enjoying the ministrations of Brianna and the playful pokes from Sheila. "That was a sphere of Futon chakra, weak enough not to hurt but still powerful enough to knock some sense into you. Now, let's try that again, or we can see how far I need to go till you've learned."
Madrid's gaze narrowed angrily as she stared at the relaxed shinobi, a frustrated sigh passing her lips before she turned towards Gina once more. "Apologies. What did you discover, Gina?"
"Yes, Madrid, I found the onyx tablet and spoke with the Djinni that was bound to it. But I thought you would already know what was written there, you lived during the time of the great exodus, didn't you?"
"Never mind the history lesson, you spoke with the Wise One! Did he say anything about the... Magic Sun?"
"He did, that's one of the things that I'm going to investigate when I visit your home realm. Well, that and the Dark Mind Menace that he mentioned."
Naruto opened his eyes once more, his gaze focusing on the now silent Madrid. He watched as the djinni rubbed a finger just below her lips, a small smile forming as her silence stretched on. Naruto's eyes tightened, a feeling of caution slowly growing as he saw he watched Madrid's reactions to Gina's news. 'And it looks like there's more than what she told us. I better keep an eye on her.'
'Did you really expect any less?' Naruto grunted softly, his eyes closing once more as Madrid turned back towards Gina.
"Excellent, when do you leave?"
"About 10 months from now... "
"Wonderful! Plenty of preparation time." Madrid swiftly turned towards the door, her expression triumphant as she ignored the others on her way out of the Lab. Just as she reached the exit, she smiled broadly as she reached out, her hand caressing Seance's cheek as he tried to enter the lab. "Well hello...I can tell I'm going to love it here!"
Seance looked at Madrid in surprise, his expression uneasy as the djinni laughed throatily at the mage's reaction before she swiftly left the lab. Brianna looked towards the newcomer, a gasp escaping her lips as she looked at Seance. "Seance! What the heck happened to your new bod? Aw no, Naruto, don't get up!" Naruto grinned as he rose to his feet, kissing Brianna's cheek as she pouted at him. Standing before Seance, Naruto ran a critical eye over his friend before letting out a deep breath.
"Seance... you've shrunk." Several giggles caused a blush to rise on the young mage's cheeks, the shinobi grinning at his reaction to his words. "So, ready to tell us why you changed so much on your last trip to back home?"
"Well, I..."
"He didn't say anything because I told him not to." All eyes turned towards the lab door, the sight of a morose Julia setting of warning bells for everyone that hadn't been with her during her last visit to Jade.
"Mom? Why didn't you tell us? What happened?" Julia sat down in the spot Naruto had recently vacated, every eye focusing on her as she took a deep breath. Naruto nodded at the seated Arms- Master before leaving the room, his swift steps soon leading him to his workshop. Eyes narrowed, Naruto began grabbing various pieces of equipment, the sound of which woke the sleeping toad in the room.
"Naruto-chan, what's going on?"
Naruto paused for a moment, his hand resting on a large scroll as he looked towards the old toad. "There's some trouble brewing in Jade, and with everything else that's been happening it looks like it's going to get worse. Feel like coming along for a little road trip?".