Yes, I know it's been a long time. Real life situations suck. I've been getting my ass kicked not only with work, but also with looking for a new job. Not to mention the fact that my body thinks anytime the weather changes in the slightest I need to instantly be informed of said change with large spikes of pain racing through my brain.
Migraines are not fun.
But! I have finished the latest chapter and I will be trying to put these out faster than before. If you really want to read something from me, go read my other story if you havent already. If you have, I'm starting on the new chapter immediately. So, read, review, enjoy.
Also, if you have not read the issues that this chapter were based off of, you'll want to. It'll give you more info about what's happening while Naruto is away from the Julia and the rest of the Diggers. ANd fortunately the creator of Gold Digger has a lot of the issues online.
Search for antarcticpresslibrary in Google and you'll find the first 200 issues. Issues relating to this chapter would be 62,63 and the first 9 pages or so of 64.
Throughout her short life, Gina couldn't remember a time when her parents had acted this way. The sight of an angry Julia, her arms folder across her chest defensively as she glared at an equally angry Theo, was an almost alien concept to her. 'Sure, my parents have fought before... but never like this.' Gina's gaze shifted towards an equally worried looking Brianna, the half were-cheetah shrugging helplessly before she returned her attention to the tense face off. Between the pair of woman a thoughtful expression appeared on Naruto's face, the shinobi studying the silent couple before him.
'Hmm, what do you think we should do, furball?'
'Take bets on who the winner would be in an no holds barred battle royal between the two of them?'
'No! Well... I'd like to,' Naruto said, a loud chuckle echoing throughout his mind scape at his admission. 'But the girls are the only ones that could get in on the action and I have a nagging suspicion that they wouldn't appreciate the... 'humorous aspect' of a situation like that. So, I guess we'll just have to let it play out for now.' Naruto felt a weight on his back shift slowly, the blonde smiling as Sheila rested her chin on his shoulder, the jagwere taking in the scene right in front of her eyes.
"Shouldn't we... you know, stop them?" Naruto shook his head slowly, the blonde tapping his student's nose gently in admonishment.
"No, bad kitty. No messing with people's marriages... and why are you still hanging on my back? We're not running for our lives anymore." Naruto felt Sheila's arms tighten around his neck carefully, his passenger burying her face in his neck as she mumbled a response. "Sheila, I don't speak mumble. Come on, you can tell me, I promise I won't laugh."
Naruto waited a moment before he felt the petite jag-were's arms loosen slightly, a bashful expression appearing as she nibbled at her lower lip. "Too comfortable to move." Naruto grinned as he felt waves of embarrassment rolling off of his student, her arms tightened around his neck once more as he glanced towards a smirking Jaliera and Britanny, the pair swiftly approaching the group. Britanny smirked as she poked at the shinobi's cargo, the petite jagwere's tail smacking the offending appendage lightly as she began emitting a soft purr.
"Cheeky little girl you have there, Naruto. So, how do we handle this?" Naruto gave Britanny a sidelong glance as she gestured towards her parents, but a grin was the blonde's only answer as he turned towards to impending face off.
Chapter 28
"I deceived you," Julia said, her expression never once wavering as she glared at her her husband's stern countenance. "And for that, I'm sorry. But you would never understand if I had told you that I was going back to my old teacher after I promised you that I wouldn't, Theo. I need to learn the techniques the Master Leep has to get through the Arms Master tournament and that's all there is to it. I will win back my honour that G'Nolga stole from me!" Julia waited for a response from the man that she loved, his expression revealing nothing as she continued to stare at him until she could no longer take his silence. "I know you're upset with me..."
"You're right, I am upset, Julia! And don't I have the right to be? You know I've never agreed with Master Leep's methods of training his pupils, did you really expect me to stand idly by while he molests my wife?"
Hmph, everybody so critical of my teaching style," Leep said as he sedately approached the glaring couple. "Many fail to see the benefits of my teaching style..."
Theo turned away from a still glaring Julia, his hands clenching angrily as he focused on the approaching martial artist. "You..."
"Yes, me. It is I you should be angry with, not Julia. You got a problem with way I teach, boy? You talk to me."
"Leep, I warned you about the consequences of ever touching Julia again..."
"Hmph! Save your threats, Diggers. You know full well who would win if you challenged me. Maybe a small demonstration is in order..."
"Leep," Naruto's deep voice broke through the tense moment, the Diggers and Leep turning towards the grinning shinobi. "I like you, I really do. You remind me of my godfather, pervert like tendencies and all. But just remember, I protect my family and friends, no matter the cost. Understood?"
Leep silently turned towards the still blonde, his eyes focusing on the grinning shinobi for several moments in silence. After several tense minutes of silence a soft chuckle passed Leep's lips, the old master shaking his head in bemusement. "Fah, Leep too old to start death match with master level fighter over paltry words. Besides, 'goosing' is reserved for students only. Julia, from this moment on you are no longer my student!"
All eyes turned towards a still Julia, a hurt expression forming as she realized she was no longer a student to the man that had taught her so much. "But... Master Leep..."
Ignoring his ex-student, Leep looked over his shoulder at the shocked expressions Carla and Luan wore at his proclamation. "Carla, Luan! Tomorrow morning, you will see Julia from the school. She is never to return as a student."
Luan was the first to recover from the shocking news, the brunette shaking her head in denial at the words her master was uttering. "But, Master Leep... why?!"
"Simple, you are both going with her." Leep paused for a moment, the old master hiding a smirk at the gobsmacked expressions each woman wore from his words. "You are both students of Julia Diggers now... my fellow master of the Leep style. Well past time for Julia to start her own school on Earth-realm. Kelith," Leep turned towards the throng of students that had gathered to watch the confrontation, a tall blonde elf stepping forward with a wide grin. "Fetch Julia's Master gi."
Julia's hurt expression soon changed to one of surprise, the sounds of her two students celebrating at her back almost causing the newly minted master to shed tears of joy as she looked towards her mentor. "Old man..."
"We're training under Julia! YAHOO!"
Julia looked over her shoulder at the happily bouncing pair, an indulgent smile forming at the scene she was witnessing. Glancing towards her family, Julia let out a sigh as Theo gave her a final glance be before turning towards their daughters. 'Well, I guess we'll talk about this later then...'
Theo sighed softly as he approached his daughters, their concerned gazes nearly eliciting a chuckle from the Arch Mage. "All right you three, let's go. Your mother will find us when she's done training with her fellow master."
"Dad, are you serious?" Brianna said, the tall blonde cracking her knuckles dangerously as she studied the old man before her.
"Yeah, Dad," Britanny said, her eyes narrowing as she watched the old master approaching their mother once more. "We're not just gonna leave mom here with that Leep guy, are we? He's kinda sketchy."
Naruto grinned as he approached the pair of protective blondes, his arms snaking around their waists before he pulled them off their feet despite their protests. "Girls, let your mom make her own decisions. Besides, I'll leave a few clones behind, just in case." Sheila snickered as released her grip from Naruto's neck, the jag-were watching as both Diggers demanded their freedom from the blonde. Although, Brianna's heart really didn't seem to be into it as she enjoyed any chance she had to be close to the blonde shinobi.
Theo's eyes locked onto Naruto's, the arch mage smiling gratefully as he turned towards a reluctant Gina. "Come on, lets go. Everything will be fine."
Gina watched as Naruto and Sheila promptly left the school, the blonde's cargo staying silent once they realized he was ignoring their protests. Jaliera smiled softly as she approached Gina, her arm wrapping around the shorter woman's shoulders as she guided her towards the gate. "Not that she really needs his protection, but you already know Naruto won't let anything happen to your mom. Let's go, the others are waiting."
Gina nodded slowly, a devious grin slowly forming as she studied the sight of her boyfriend as he hauled her sister's and friend away. Breaking away from her conversation with Jaliera, Gina raced towards the unsuspecting blonde and leaped on his back, the young genius' arms wrapping around a protesting Naruto's neck as he fought to maintain his balance. Jaliera snickered at the sight of Naruto playfully yelling at Gina's, a mock scowl marring his features as he hauled the giggling sisters deeper into the mountains. Jaliera grinned as she turned towards the closing gate, the Kryn woman offering a brief wave goodbye to the few students that remained before she ran after her friends.
The next morning...
Tirga sighed angrily, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the lone man inhabiting the Edge Guard's training grounds. "I'm telling you, Onoli, I don't like it..."
Humming softly, Onoli unfurled a scroll as he glanced towards his fellow warrior. "Agreed. From the reports that the rest of the Edge Guard have compiled, we now know that a new group has formed in an attempt to shatter the peace we uphold. So far we are aware of three major threats in this new group, but there could be more..."
"That's not what I'm talking about, Onoli! It's him!" Onoli looked towards the practice ring, his gaze focusing on the still form of Uzumaki Naruto's Senjutsu infused clone as it meditated quietly in the centre of the training ring. Several birds and small animals had apparently decided to join the blonde since he began his meditation that morning, the sight of the normally skittish woodland creatures surrounding the powerful construct bring a small grin to the were-lion's lips.
"Yes, I can see why you'd be concerned about him. After all, if this keeps up then we'll be flooded with all manner of forest creatures before the end of the week..."
"Dammit, it's not the animals I'm concerned about, Onoli! First he messes with the sheriff..."
Onoli crossed his arms over his chest happily, a wide grin nearly splitting his face in two as he nodded happily. "Aye, that was fun."
Tirga paused for a moment, the tracker looking at his commander worriedly before he continued on his rant. "No, that was not fun! He's bringing unneeded attention down on us, we've been limited to near uselessness in the Hamlet since he started working with us! I say we cut our losses and turn him loose, right now."
"Tirga," Onoli said, the larger were-cat smiling slyly as he studied the tense form of his subordinate. "Is that really the reason you want him gone? Or does it have something to do with the fact that the real Naruto is off somewhere personally teaching our comrade Sheila?"
Tirga's growl at his leader's question sealed his fate, the were-tiger sighing explosively as he threw himself into a nearby chair. "T-that has nothing to do with this! And what the hell is wrong with you? You're making jokes and acting casual! You never act casual!"
Onoli shrugged his shoulders negligently, the taller were-cat looking down at the still meditating blonde with a grin. "Eh, it's because of him. If you spent some time around him you'd know what I'm talking about, he just exudes some kind of calming effect. Probably something to do with the fact that he's always channelling that natural energy he mentioned... well now, that is the largest toad I have ever seen."
Tirga shook his head in exasperation, the annoyed were-tiger rising swiftly before he stomped down the stairs. "I'm heading to the meeting room, see if you can get this so called 'sage' off his ass in time to join us for once!"
Breathing deeply, Naruto-2 finished balancing the remaining chakra that made up his body with the natural energy he'd been constantly absorbing since his creation. "Ugh, the boss is gonna have a hell of a headache when I disappear. Memories of over thirty clones that have been alive for several months? Ten to one says he passes ou... well now, this is a surprise. I didn't expect to see you ever again, Pa." Opening his eyes slowly, Naruto-2 smiled at the familiar sight of his senjutsu teacher, the old toad nodding happily at the sight before him.
"Very good, Naruto-chan. Using your senjutsu to increase the longevity of your clones, Jiraiya-chan never thought of even trying that."
"Eh, just takes some time and patience. Ero-sennin would have figured it out if he had ever taken the time to practice." Stretching his arms over his head, Naruto-2 yawned loudly as he rose to his feet, a smile gracing his lips as Pa leaped atop his head. Looking towards the entrance of the training grounds, Naruto-2 saw Onoli wave the sage over, the blonde thrusting his hands in his pockets as he sauntered towards his friend.
"S'up, boss?" Onoli laughed softly as the sage followed him towards the meeting room, the were-lion glancing at the toad riding on top of the blonde's head.
"Nothing much, Naruto. By the way, I see you have a passenger. New friend?"
"Heh, new? Try old, very old. Right, Pa?" Naruto-2 snickered loudly at the quip, that is until his felt the familiar sting of Pa's walking stick rapping against his skull. "Dammit! Pa, don't make me go sage mode on your wrinkled old ass!"
"Feh, you're still too young to tell me what to do, respect your elders. My name is Fukasaku, but you may refer to me as Pa. I will explain what is going on when we reach our destination, but first I must apologize for this overgrown man child that you have been afflicted with for the last few months. I truly tried to beat the stupid out of him many years ago, but as you can see it didn't exactly take." Naruto-2 squawked indignantly as he hauled the grinning toad from his perch, the blonde delivering a chakra powered noogie to his old teacher's noggin.
Onoli chuckled at the pair as Pa squirmed free of the blonde's grip, the old toad climbing onto the clone's shoulder and glaring at his onetime student as the pair entered the briefing room. Onoli gathered his thoughts as he organized several stacks of paper, his eyes glancing at each of the men occupying the room. Thorpan and Gar had both gravitated towards Naruto-2 and Pa, the pair striking up a conversation with the old toad once Naruto-2 had introduced him. Tirga scowled briefly at the blonde, the pouting were-tiger turning towards the podium in hopes that the meeting would soon begin.
'Well,' Onoli thought, a grin appearing after he cleared his throat loudly. 'At least he makes things interesting.'
Naruto leaped through the air gracefully, the blonde grinning as he looked at the imposing structure known as the Arena. Looking downwards, the blonde watched his friends and family making their way through the crowded streets, a multitude of vendors and spectators joining together in celebration of the rare event. Dropping to the ground silently, Naruto nearly fell over as Sheila leaped on his back, the blonde chuckling softly as his cargo wiggled for several moments before finding a comfortable position. "Oi, I know your legs work just fine, Frosty. But, I suppose I can carry you around again, you lazy girl."
"Aw, Naruto, how come I don't get a piggy back ride?" Looking over his shoulder, Naruto let out a bark of laughter at a pouting Brianna, the half were-cheetah crossing her arms under her breasts as she aimed a mock scowl at her lover.
"Not going to work this time, Hime. You had your chance when I landed, Sheila was just a little quicker on the uptake, maybe next time!" Laughing loudly as he skipped away from the annoyed woman, the blonde shinobi was soon racing towards the head of the group, a grin on his face as he took in the festive atmosphere that surrounded him. As he pulled his gaze away from the throng of people and wares before him, Naruto grinned as he turned towards the sight of a smiling Luan as she spoke to an equally excited Gina.
"So the whole Tournament of Arms was created in honour of the Champion that freed the people of Jade?" Gina looked towards the grinning Luan, the brunette nodding sagely as she gestured grandly towards the nearby arena.
"Correct, it is held every ten years so that a new Champion can be selected. The winner of the tournament is the true protector of Jade, a guardian that all beings of the realm will honour and look towards in times of need."
"That would explain people's reactions when they saw mom lose." Pausing for a moment, Gina looked towards their resident shinobi, a grin appearing at the sight of a joyful Sheila handing from his back. "Well, looks like you finally decided to join us slowpokes, oh great and powerful master shinobi."
"Yeah, I decided to bless you all with my presence." A indignant scoff from Luan and Carla elicited a grin from the shinobi, the blonde flashing a grin at the pair as he looked towards the crowd. "So... found your mom and the others? Sheila and I need to head out if we're going to reach Seer's Hamlet anytime soon."
"Wait," Gina said, her expression falling at the shinobi's words. "You're leaving? But why?"
"Well, we both need to check in with the Edge Guard. Don't worry, once I show them the new and improved Sheila," Gesturing over his shoulder at the grinning jag-were, Gina's tightened as she turned her focus back towards her fellow blonde. "We'll join back up with you soon. It'll be a day, two at the most. Besides which, your mom did tell me to make myself scarce when I had escorted you all here." Naruto said, the shinobi pausing for a moment as he was obscured by smoke, the shinobi having henge'ed into the woman in question.
"Naruto, I don't want you butting in on this! I lost my honour on my own, and that's how I'll get it back!" Another brief burst of smoke and the blonde shinobi returned to his natural form, a grin plastered on his face.
"She may have also said something about me making it too easy. Now all of you behave, I don't want to hear about you girls getting drunk and wrecking a bar or something." Naruto laughed loudly as he dodged a pair of swats from Brianna and Britanny, kissed both Jaliera and Gina on a cheek before leaping into the air, the sound of Sheila's laughter soon fading.
Sighing unhappily, Gina turned towards the rest of the group. "Well, I guess we better go find mom and dad."
Sheila whooped loudly as she rode on Naruto's back, the wind racing past her and her boyfriend as the pair swiftly made their way through the mountains that surrounded the Coliseum. Once the pair reached the open fields of the Seer's desert, Naruto leaped into the tall grass, his powerful legs pumping furiously as he sped up. "Finally, we're back on level ground. Time to really cut loose! Hang on, Frosty!"
Giggling merrily, Sheila tightened her grip as she looked over the blonde's shoulder, her cheek nuzzling against Naruto's as the scenery flew past the pair. "So, how long until we reach Seer's Hamlet?"
"A few more minutes at this speed. Which gives us a little time to decide what you're going to do when we meet up with the rest of the Edge Guard."
"What do you mean, what I'm going to do when we meet with the others?" A soft chuckle was Naruto's only answer as he continued running, a faintly frowning Sheila contemplated the blonde's words for several minutes.
"We're here." Skidding to a stop, Naruto waited for Sheila to slide off his back. As soon as her feet touched the ground, a squeal passed her lips as Naruto pulled the shorter woman into his arms, a smile appearing as the shinobi studied the jag-were's surprised expression. "And yes, what are you going to do when we meet the others. I got the feeling that there was a little... tension, between you and some of the guys."
Leaning forward, Sheila pecked the blonde's lips softly, a smirk appearing as she spun away from the smiling blonde. "I haven't told you much about my time in the Edge Guard, have I?" A swift shake of Naruto's head elicited a nod from Sheila, the petite jag-were turning away for a moment as she reached out and activated the ancient ribbon array that surrounded Seer's Hamlet. A small opening in the air revealed the bustling market, the blonde reaching into a pouch for several coins that would gain them entrance to the hidden hamlet. As the pair entered the busy street, Sheila slipped her hand into Naruto's, a blush staining her cheeks as she ignored Naruto's grin that slowly appeared due to her actions.
"So, you were going to tell me about your time in the Edge Guard?"
"Hmmm, well, first there was Tirga. I'd say he was my first crush," Sheila said, a smile appearing as she greeted several people, each of them waving happily at the young jag-were. "I was so hung up on him before and he knew it. Of course he couldn't help but rub that fact in my face every time he could, either through jeers and jokes, or when he went after another 'conquest'." Naruto's eyes narrowed as he felt a brief spike of anger towards the were-tiger. Sheila clucked softly as she slapped her companion's arm softly, his gaze focusing on Sheila once more. "Stop that. It's not important, I can handle it... especially after what you've taught me. Onoli and Thorpan were great partners, I never had any problems with them. Gar was... a 'little' over protective in the beginning, but he's gotten a bit better."
Nodding slowly, Naruto hummed softly before turning towards Sheila once more. "So, feel like getting a little payback on Tirga? And how about you show your brother just how much you've grown over the last few months?" Sheila grinned mischievously as the pair made their way through the Hamlet once more.
"Hmmm, tell me more about your idea."
Yawning loudly, Naruto-2 scratched his cheek gently as he leaned against the training yard walls under the warm noonday sun. 'Such a nice afternoon, maybe I should take a... oh. Oh hoh, this will be fun.' Pushing himself off of the wall, Naruto-2's eyes focused on two of the were-cats currently practising before him. "Hey, Onoli. I think it's time I evaluated everyone's hand to hand abilities. I think we should start with Tirga and Gar."
Both were-cats paused in their individual exercises as they looked towards their leader in askance. Onoli nodded slowly, his hand cupping his chin as he shifted his attention towards his subordinates. "Hmmm, the idea has merit. I do remember how you handily defeated three of us with little effort. Very well, Thorpan and I will await our turn."
Shaking his head slowly, Naruto-2 motioned for both Thorpan and Onoli to leave the ring. "Nah, I think that the two of you are needed in the main compound. I just sensed someone entering your office and they appear to be waiting for you. I'll keep these two company while you go get rid of whoever it is."
Nodding at the clone's suggestion, Onoli and Thorpan entered the main structure, leaving both Gar and Tirga facing off against each other in the ring. After several moments of waiting, Naruto-2 gestured impatiently at the pair of lycanthropes. "Alright guys, I better not pop from chakra consumption before you make your first move. Show me what you got!"
Growling angrily at the clone's words, Tirga leaped towards his opponent, his hands raised protectively before him. Gar lowered himself into a more guarded stance, his hands rising up in defense as he raced towards Tirga. But before the pair could throw a single attach a kunai landed between the pair, both were-cats losing their balance at the sight of the weapon. Their claws scrabbling against the weathered stone of the training circle, both lycanthropes collided with each other and fell to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs. Panting angrily, both young men turned their angry glares towards their blonde observer.
"Hey, don't look at me. That kunai isn't mine," Naruto said as both lycanthropes glared at the shinobi. Jabbing a finger angrily towards the clone, Tirga was about to offer a scathing retort when the scent of burning paper reached his nose. "And I'd move if I were you two."
Both Gar and Tirga swung their heads towards the kunai, the sight of a burning tag sending the pair scrambling away in a panic, but it was too late. Throwing their arms over their faces, both were-cats prepared for the explosion that never came as a concussive blast had both lycanthropes clutching painfully at their ears, a dense fog of smoke swiftly obscuring the training ring. His eyes squeezed shut against the thick haze, Tirga covered his mouth and sensitive nose with a hand as he tried to figure out how to get out of the cloud. "Dammit, what the hell! When I get out of this, I'm going to kick the ass of whoever did that."
"No you're not." Tirga cried out in surprise when a small foot slammed heavily into his cheek, the blow knocking the tall lycanthrope off his feet once more. Groaning softly, Tirga rolled onto his stomach and slowly pushed himself upwards, his head spinning from the heavy blow. The sounds of flesh striking flesh alerted the groggy were-tiger that Gar was fighting their unseen assailant. Sniffing the air, Tirga sneezed loudly at the scent of burning pitch that had filled the training area. A pained groan, followed by a heavy thump, led Tirga to believe that Gar had won the fight, but the small pair of hands grasping his tunic had Tirga immediately reevaluating his assumption. All too soon the young man was sent flying through the air, the wall of the training ring arresting his unintentional flight. Moments later another impact at his side let Tirga know that Gar had joined him. 'Ok, so there's a really small person that's throwing both Gar and I around like rag dolls, she apparently knows what weaknesses we have since whoever it is took out Gar's hearing and my nose... wait a minute. Small, knows how we fight...'
"Sheila?" A soft giggle was Tirga's only answer, a growl passing his throat as he leaped towards the mocking laughter. A fist crashed into his nose heavily, staggering the tall were-tiger and forcing him back several steps. Tirga clapped a hand gently over his now tender nose when a series of lightning fast jabs jerked the injured Edge Guard's head back and forth, a powerful palm thrust dropped the were-tiger to his ass once more. Groaning plaintively, Tirga watched the familiar sight of Sheila as she stepped out of the smokescreen, the downed were-tiger trying to draw breath as Sheila knelt beside him. "D-dammit... stop... hitting me..."
Grinning cheekily, Sheila patted Tirga's head as if he were a small child. "It's ok, that was just payback for always making fun of me before I left, jerk. Now, I'm going to talk with my dear ol' brother." As Sheila rose to her feet. Tirga watched Sheila's smile slowly grow before she entering the smoke cloud once more. "Oh Gar, where are you?"
Groaning loudly, Gar shook his head gently as he waited for the ringing in his ears to clear. Placing a hand on the cratered wall, Gar squinted his eyes as he attempted to see through the dense haze when he heard his sister's voice calling out to him. "What? Sheila? Oh shit." The earlier sounds of several powerful blows that were followed by Tirga's pained groan had Gar thinking that he was in trouble, the now nervous jag-were awaiting the arrival of his recently returned sibling.
"Gar... aren't you happy to see me again?" A frown appeared on Gar's features as Sheila's voice echoed throughout the training ground, the elder Silvear growling in annoyance when he failed to divine his sibling's location.
"If I say yes," Gar said, his eyes flicking back and forth as he tried to pinpoint his sister in the dense smoke. "Will you not hand me my ass on a platter like you just did with Tirga?" The silence that met Gar's enquiry gave the young man hope that his sister was calming down, but this hope was soon dashed as he sensed a presence at his back.
"Hmmm, I'm going to have to say no to that."
Onoli opened his office door, a large grin appearing at the sight of the original Naruto lounging on a nearby couch. "My friend, welcome back. While I am happy to see you, were is Sheila?"
Grinning happily, Naruto rose to his feet, his head inclined towards a nearby window. "Take a look outside and you'll see her. Sheila felt that she and Gar needed to chat a bit about where they stand in their working relationship. Not to mention the ass whupping Tirga deserves for being... well, an ass."
Onoli and Thorpan both entered the office quickly, their gazes focusing on the swiftly dissipating smoke that shrouded the training grounds. Low whistles of admiration passed their lips as they watched the jag-were siblings sparring before them, the ferocity of the battle illustrating the number of changes that Sheila had gone through."Impressive," Onoli said, his mind racing as he studied the new technique that Sheila was unwittingly showcasing for him. "Sheila never was able to keep up with her brother like that before she left."
"Well that just shows you how much can be accomplished with hard work, blood, sweat and lots of tears. Well," Naruto said, a smirk appearing as a sphere of futon chakra rapidly coalesced in his hands. "that and an energy source that can help you rival nearly any ability under the sun. Chakra has nearly limitless potential, it's just a question of how far you're willing to go to learn something. And Sheila... Sheila really wanted to learn a lot."
A powerful explosion caused the Edge Guard Barracks to sway gently, a cloud of dark smoke wafting into the clear afternoon sky. The sound of Gar yelling angrily at his sibling caused the three men to laugh aloud as they continued to observe the ongoing family spat. Thorpan reluctantly pulled himself away from the spectacle, the serious were-panther turning towards the grinning shinobi. "And have you had a chance to review the memories of your remaining clone?"
Naruto nodded happily as he pointed towards the training field once more, a shock of wild blonde hair turning towards the far off window and waving happily. "Yep, I'm already having him send me the information. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to figure out how to do this, before if I wanted a clones info they had to pop. Which of course would slam all their information into my brain, overloading it and knocking me out for days at a time." Naruto said, a finger absently scratching his cheek in embarrassment as he remembered the many days of his self induced comas. A loud scream of pain signalled the end of the fight, the trio leaving the windows and sitting down as they began to discuss their next move.
"Excellent. Now, we have learned a great deal about our enemies motives and current assets but we need to gather more evidence that can be used to put them away for good. G'Nolga currently resides in the Arms-Master's Palace as she waits for the Tournament to begin. We need to get inside and see if we can't locate the missing mages that G'Nolga and her gang kidnapped." As Onoli finished explaining their next course of action, Naruto turned towards the taller were-lion, a feral smirk nearly splitting his face in half.
"Oh, you just said the magic words, Boss. Infiltration and spying are what we shinobi live for. Plus, this'll give Sheila a good way to put her training to use."
The next day...
"When you said we'd be infiltrating the Palace, Sensei," Sheila said, her angry gaze focusing on the path before her she continued ascending the multitude of stone steps laid out before her. "I thought we were going to sneak in all shinobi like, not like this!" Naruto cocked an eyebrow as he turned towards the scowling woman, her body draped in a figure hiding cloak that soon flapped open as she gestured angrily at her current ensemble. Naruto couldn't help but let out a low whistle of appreciation at the sight of Sheila's clothing, the glorious sight before him eliciting a grin from the blonde.
"Now now, sometimes the best way to infiltrate an enemy stronghold is by revealing yourself as something your not. In our case," Naruto said, his arms gesturing to the human forms of the rest of the Edge Guard that surrounded him as they continued climbing the steps towards the Arms-Master's Palace. "It's unlikely that our quarry would suspect that we are defenders of the Realm in these getup's. Besides, you're just annoyed I agreed with Onoli that you had to dress up in the belly dancer costume."
Sheila's eyes narrowed for a moment as she glared at the offending garments she had to wear for the current mission before looking over at Naruto's current form. His normally spiky blonde hair had been changed to a vibrant red hue and his cheeks were now bare of his distinctive whisker marks. Adding in the fact that his normal sky blue orbs were now a shade of exotic amber and the changes made him look like a completely different person. Following her lover's gaze, Sheila realized that he wasn't able to tear his eyes from the sight of her more developed human form, the brief silk garments barely managing to contain her impressive assets. An evil smirk appeared as Sheila reached towards the captivated shinobi, her arms wrapping around her man possessively as she slowly rubbed against him. "Hmmm, if Sensei wanted to see me dress up like this, all you had to do was ask. I could have arranged a private showing for just the two of us."
As the pair giggled softly at their back and forth banter, Tirga growled at the sight of the blatant flirting occurring right before him. As Sheila kissed the shinobi softly, Tirga's thoughts wandered back to what had occurred after Sheila had finished smacking both him and Gar around.
Flashback
A very satisfied Sheila skipped towards Naruto, her beaming smile communicating her happiness more clearly than any words she could offer. Glancing at the training ground, Naruto nodded towards Naruto-2 as he shook his head at the sight before him.
Gar and Tirga both groaning pitifully from the singed remains of the training room floor, their tattered clothe revealing a multitude of slowly healing wounds. Sheila stretched her arms languidly over her head, a self satisfied smile appearing as she stared at her downed comrades. "Now, I think I've successfully schooled you both. Tirga, no more smart ass remarks..."
"Owww... please don't hit me again..."
"Your silence will earn you a break, lover boy. And, Gar? I hope we've established that I can take care of myself after that little demonstration." The soft groan that Gar offered was interpreted by Sheila as an agreement, the petite jag-were giggling happily. Lowering her arms with a happy sigh, Sheila spun towards Naruto-2 with a cocky smirk. "So, what would you rate that fight at?"
"Eh, 6 outta 10."
"What? That was at least a 7!" Naruto-2 grinned at Sheila's offended gaze, the clone shaking his head slowly as he waggled a finger at his creator's apprentice.
"No, no, no. You forgot to interject some witty one liners, forcing your opponent to make mistakes as their ire grew from your mocking words."
Grumbling softly, Sheila crossed her arms against her chest as she glared at the smug clone. "Has Naruto finished getting your memories yet?"
"Just about... oi, what's that look for?" Naruto-2 slowly backed away slowly as he saw the feral grin Sheila was sporting, her hands reaching for the clone just before he dispersed. Looking towards the entrance of training grounds once more, Sheila stuck her tongue out at the original, a grinning Naruto shrugging his shoulders helplessly.
"Someday... ok you two, get your asses up. You're going to have to pick up your training if you ever want to catch up to me. Now, I need to go and unpack, so please tell me you left my room alone while I was gone." Glancing over her shoulder, both Gar and Tirga lowered their gaze to the scorched floor in embarrassment. Sighing theatrically, Sheila shook her head in disappointment. "Just wonderful. I leave for a few months and you convert my room into a...?"
Tirga winced slightly as he continued to study the floor. "...storage room."
Shaking her head sadly, Sheila glared at the cowed males for several moments before she shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, I'll just have to bunk with Naruto then."
Gar's head rose swiftly, his look of confusion was mirrored by Tirga as the two lycanthropes watched Sheila spin on her heel, her hips swaying rhythmically as she approached said blonde. "Wait, Naruto's room?"
Sheila paused for a moment, her head turning back towards her brother and comrade, her self satisfied purr evoking a feeling of worry in the pair. "Mmmm, yes, Naruto. We've gotten so much CLOSER in the time that I've lived on Earth. And don't get any funny idea's, Naruto would take you apart like a pair of newborn kittens."
End Flashback
"I still say we teach that blonde hair bastard a lesson." Tirga said, his scowl deepening as the jealous were-tiger watched Sheila kiss the shinobi in her arms softly.
"He'd destroy you, Tirga." Turning away from the sickeningly sweet scene, Tirga watched a frowning Gar pass by him, his gaze focusing on the sight of his sister and her teacher.
"Come on, Gar. You don't expect me to really believe that this guy is as good as you all say he is, I've never even seen him or his clone fight before! I'll bet you all had an off day, that's all."
"The fact that you do not believe us is irrelevant, Tirga." Onoli said, the Edge Guard leader placing a hand on the were-tiger's shoulder. "Even thought it may be temporary, Naruto is a part of the Edge Guard and you will not attack him needlessly. If he agrees to a spar then, and only then, you may show him your anger."
Grumbling softly, Tirga slapped Onoli's hand away as he continued climbing the steps before him. Thorpan shook his head at the were-tiger's actions, a smile gracing his lips as he watched Naruto and Sheila interacting before them. "It's been too long since we've seen Sheila this happy. Sending her to Earth was the right thing to do."
Onoli nodded as he approached the young couple, a grin appearing as Sheila pulled away from her teacher. "Sorry, Onoli. We.. uh, we..."
"Worry not," Onoli said, a smirk appearing as he watched the young girl blushing after being caught by her leader. "Just remember that we are on a mission. Naruto, have you had any report on how Julia fared in her first match?"
"Actually, not yet. I sent Pa and a clone to watch out for the girls, I should be getting a memory any second... what a minute." Naruto's hand went to his mouth as his eyes lost their focus, a laugh escaping his throat as he shook his head in surprise. "Oh, that's hilarious."
Meanwhile, in the Arena
Julia grinned at the sight of a furious Di, the blonde haired woman struggling mightily as she tried to free herself from the grip of her husband, Zel. "ZEL! LET ME GO! I'M GONNA KILL HER!"
"Di, stop! We have lost!" Growling angrily, Di discounted the words of her husband as she continued to try and reach Julia. "Julia is unarmed, if she had kept her sword than she would have won."
"I DON'T CARE, SHE KICKED ME IN THE FACE!"
"Di, we began the fight as a single warrior, a Symbiar. Even if we continued the fight separately and won, we would do so without honour! We yield, Julia is the victor!"
Back with the Edge Guard
"Yep, that sounds like Julia. Flashy, in your face, barbarian pride kicking in and showing your opponent that you're better than they are... ah, good times. Well, time to go and storm the castle!" Naruto ran up the stairs, his soft laughter fading as he neared the entrance to the palace. Onoli shook his head at the shinobi's antics, the were-lion's head turning towards a happily smiling Sheila.
"Never a dull moment when he's around, is there?"
So, let me know what you liked or didn't like. Criticism is welcome as long as it is constructive. I will say this though, I appreciate all of you reading my rantings as I put them down for your enjoyment. Oh, and thanks for all the reviews, they make it worth writing more.