Chapter 4: The End of Library Island
The first girl to surface was Akira, her skills in the water becoming apparent as she grabbed Konoka and began to paddle to the shore as the other girls began to follow, Jenna dragging Negi by the collar of his pajamas.
Kazumi coughed out a mouthful of water and panted, her eyes glancing around to see if everyone was alright. "Is everyone okay?"
The girls sounded off, as did Negi. Asuna looked around, rapidly becoming alarmed when she didn't hear Naruto. "Wait…Where's Naruto? He was the one who hit first! He should be here!"
Akira, having more experience when it came to matters involving water began to scan the lake they had found themselves in, spotting a dark lump floating out in the water. Without a word, she dashed back to the water and dived in, swimming towards the face-down Naruto rapidly. She grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder and started swimming back as the girls watched with worry on their faces.
Akira dragged the blond onto the shore and pushed him onto his back and ripped his shirt open quickly, ignoring the large, ugly bruise forming, pressing an ear to his chest, listening for his breathing and heartbeat.
Her eyes widened as she heard a faint heartbeat but no breathing. "Oh! He's not breathing!"
She sat up and took a deep breath, clasped her hands over his chest and began to pump, counting the repetitions under her breath. Akira tilted his head back and pinched his nose, taking a deep breath and pressing her open mouth to his, exhaling deeply, before backing up and doing it again.
To their relief, Naruto retched and spat up a good amount of water from his lungs, coughing and hacking to get the rest out. Akira sighed in relief and patted him on the back to assist his breathing.
Once he had finished spewing water, Naruto pushed himself onto his knees and breathed deep, one hand going to the bruise on his chest.
"OW!"
His shout of pain startled most of the girls and made them jump in surprise. "Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Konoka asked worriedly.
Naruto nodded with a grimace. "I'll be fine, my chest just hurts." He looked around the space they found themselves in and asked, "Where are we?"
Yue extricated a lump of soggy paper from her pocket and sighed. "I don't know. It's not on the map."
Kaede sniffed the air like a bloodhound. "Does anyone else smell that?" She asked.
Asuna took a deep breath, and confusion appeared on her face. "I do…it smells like…nikuman?"
"Nikuman?" Negi questioned, "Really?"
Asuna nodded, still confused. "Yeah. It's coming from over there." She pointed at a door in the wall near them.
The girls walked through the entrance, to find a library, a kitchen and plenty of space to rest and relax, as well as food.
To Naruto, this was very suspicious, but the girls seemed to be perfectly uncaring about the odd situation. They rested and snacked, finding materials perfect for what they were studying.
He was helping himself to some ramen when Kazumi approached him with a confused face. "Sensei? We're the only ones here, right?"
He nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's just us, Kazumi-chan. Why do you ask?"
She frowned and tapped her chin in thought. "I swear I just saw a guy with grey hair in here somewhere."
Naruto narrowed his eyes imperceptibly. That sounds like Hailey's description of the Leader of the Gormim, Storia. She also told me that he loves libraries. "Don't worry about it, Kazumi-chan. You're probably just tired from the hike here. Why don't you take a nap?"
He smiled at her and began to walk the way she came from, kissing her on the cheek as he went. Kazumi blushed an atomic red and nearly swooned, but her mind raced. I know something happened between me and you, sensei. I swear, I will find out why you affect me like this!
As Naruto walked through the bookcases, he heard the tell-tale sounds of paper being shuffled and the scratching of a pen along with a gruff voice muttering quietly.
Turning the corner of a bookcase, he spied a tall man with gray, jaw-length hair and a smooth-shaven face. Even though Naruto knew he was older than Naruto himself, his youthful appearance threw the blond off balance.
He sat hunched over a small white book, scribbling in it with a pen diligently, ignoring the precariously tilting stack of books and papers next to him.
As the blond approached, he glanced up. An eyebrow twitched slightly. He reached under a pile of papers and somehow pulled tray, laden with freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies. "I was expecting you." He said simply.
Naruto quirked an inquisitive eyebrow at the completely whole cookies. "How did you know I like chocolate chip?" His eyes focused on the tower of paper threatening to spill over the edge of the desk. "And just how long have you been waiting?"
Storia shrugged. "I didn't exactly. I merely made an educated guess. Besides, who doesn't like chocolate chip? And as for how long…who can say, really? There's no clock as far as I can see." He paused, scratching his chin. "Although, I guess I might have been here from the beginning."
A dead-pan look crossed Naruto's face. "Mysteriousness aside…what is it that you wanted talk to me about?"
Storia sat back, looking politely puzzled. "Me? You sought me out, not the other way around."
The blond blinked once. "If you didn't want to be seen, Kazumi wouldn't have spotted you." He blinked again. "And the 'Mysterious Old Man' shtick doesn't work if you don't have a beard."
Storia blinked back. "Okay, first off, I don't usually bother hiding my presence in a library. If someone wants to talk, they can. Second, fuck off, a beard looks terrible on me."
Naruto smirked in a smug fashion. "I guess not everyone looks good with facial hair. Just me."
The Narrator grinned. "I guess not, Mr. Whiskers."
The smirk rapidly faded as Naruto's eye twitched. "Touché." The blonds' countanance became serious. "I do have questions, however."
Obligingly, the old man leaned forward. "Ask away. Mind you, there might be things I cannot tell you yet." He tapped the book with his finger. "The plot demands, and even I must answer."
Naruto summoned a chair from within the library and sat down. "What are the Gormim?" He sat forward with an intense expression. "Jenna gave me an overview, but I want to know what it is, exactly, that you do."
"Ah, right to the heart of the matter." Storia scratched his chin in thought. "We are what our name describes us to be. In Hebrew, Gorem means 'Element'."
He rubbed one of his temples. "Now, this can mean Elements as in Fire, Water, etcetera. However, it can also mean Elements as in 'Parts of a whole'. Also, Gorem, or Gormim, which is the plural, has one more meaning: an 'Interloper' or 'Perpetrator'."
Naruto leaned back with an amused glimmer in his eyes. "From what I know of you, that's a good name."
Storia nodded in agreement. "That, first and foremost, is our nature. We interfere in stories that are not originally not our own. But, we also collect power."
The blond leaned forward, now very interested.
"Innate abilities. Artifacts. Weapons. Souls. People of valor, who have earned the might they wield. We, the Gormim, observe how this power is used, and given enough time, learn how to harness it ourselves. I myself am the oldest of the Gormim; with my job, it is impossible not to be. I am also one who has 'Collected all forms of magic.'"
Naruto laced his fingers in front of his face. "Why do you gather these powers? For what purpose?"
Storia leaned his chin on his hand. "Why? Why…? In some cases, I might say that we do it because we can. It's certainly true. I might say it's because we want to. That is also true. But neither of those seems like it's THE answer. Long story short, Naruto-san, I do not know why we do it. It is merely our way." He shrugged, that smiled sheepishly. "It's also quite fun to use, sometimes."
The younger blond snorted in amusement. "Agreed." He scratched the back of his head and sighed. "What do you want with me?"
"Nothing comes to mind," Storia admitted easily. "As Jenna mentioned to you, we already have multiple versions of you as members of the Gormim. And besides that, we are not the first group of super-powered Medians. There are and were others."
Naruto rubbed the side of his face, a confused look prevalent on his features. "Than what is so interesting about me?"
"You are the main character of this story," Storia said matter-of-factly, tapping his book again. "We both know that this is not the true beginning of yours, but this is a story nonetheless. A story where Uzumaki Naruto ends up in Mahora- or rather this world- is not uncommon, but it is one we have chosen to enter."
The Narrator sat back and folded his hands together. "However, I believe something important is about to come up."
Naruto looked at him oddly before a loud scream rang out. "Makie!" He muttered to himself, and vanished in a burst that ruffled Storia's clothes slightly. The Narrator leaned back in his chair and flicked his book open and began to write after sticking a cookie in his mouth. "Now, let's see how Alex is doing as the other tenant…"
…
Naruto appeared next to the pool in time to see Negi point at the hammer-wielding golem and exclaim, "Arrow of Wind!"
The golem, Makie and Kaede watched the red-head as exactly nothing happened. The older blond palmed his face as Negi remembered that he had sealed his magic. Naruto scanned the room, seeing the golem carrying a naked Makie in one hand, bereft of the hammer, with the book somehow perched on it's wide shoulders.
Kaede leaped into the air and kicked the fist holding Makie to pieces, sending the naked girl into the air flying into the air with a scream as she plummeted to the ground.
Naruto appeared underneath her and caught the girl in his arms safely. "I got you!"
Makie looked up at Naruto's face with sparkles in her eyes before she pulled her ribbon from somewhere and used it pull the book towards her. "I've got it!" She yelled happily.
The other girls had just run into the room as Naruto and Makie landed with the book. They cheered, and then realized that the golem was still coming at them. With a loud scream, they ran from the room, Naruto scooping up a towel and wrapping it around his student.
The group ran through the main room and out into a wide spiral staircase, until a large stone with numbers carved on it blocked their way.
"Math problems?!" Kazumi shrieked in outrage. "I suck at those!"
Asuna stepped forward with a triumphant gleam in her eyes. "Let me handle this!" To the girls' surprise, the orange-haired girl solved the problem easily, allowing them to run forward. More blocks popped up, but the girls worked together to solve them quickly.
They ran to the top of the staircase, into a long corridor with an elevator at the end of it.
"There's the way out!" Jenna yelled. "A modern elevator in the most ancient part of a library!" Her words definitely carried a sarcastic bent, but only a few noticed.
They piled into the elevator and Asuna frantically pushed the up button. "Ding! This elevator is currently over-weighed!"
The girls began to panic until Kaede shushed them and put her foot out of the door. "Look! We only need to lose a little weight to leave! We need to get rid of our clothes and we'll be fine!"
Everyone began to pull their clothes off and throw them off of the elevator as the golem burst through the ground at the other end of the corridor.
The girls were currently almost entirely naked, only wearing their underwear, even Negi had shucked off his pajamas. Jenna had taken this time to leer appreciatively at the forms around her.
"We're still too heavy!" Akira complained, looking at her breasts like they were to blame.
Yue leaned her head against the wall with a groan. "Shouldn't have had so much juice…"
Naruto watched as the golem came closer and closer, his eyes darting between the book and the statue. He made his decision.
He darted forward, pulling the book out of Makie's hands and hurling it, spine first, into the face of the golem, simultaneously pulling the pile of clothes back into the elevator and hitting the button to close the doors.
"Sensei? What was that for?" Asuna asked angrily. "We needed that book!"
Naruto turned to the room at large with warm smile. "We needed all of us to be safe more than we needed a book that might not have worked. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Negi nodded. "I remember this. 'We always watch out for our friends. The objective is nowhere near as important as getting your comrades home safe.' That's what you told me."
Kaede stepped forward. "My clan teaches the same thing. A mission can be retried. A lost comrade never comes back."
The girls looked dubious, but they agreed and got dressed. Checking his watch, Naruto commented. "It's 7:51, you girls should have just enough time to make it to class."
As the elevator began to slow, Asuna pumped her fist in the air and shouted, "We don't need a stupid book to pass this test! We can do it by ourselves!"
The girls cheered and rushed out of the elevator towards the school, ready to take on the challenge a head of them.
…
After a long day of testing and thinking, most of 2-A gathered in the main hall to hear the placement of the classes. As Takahata announced the placements, the girls started to lose hope.
Behind them, Naruto frowned. He knew his class was in the upper sections, why weren't they announced? Unseen, he turned and left the building, looking for the dean.
When Takahata finished off the list and congratulated the classes, 2-A's hopes were lower than ever. They turned to their sensei, only to find that he wasn't behind them anymore.
"Oh no!" Konoka gasped in horror. "Naruto-sensei must've already left for the train station!"
Most of the class left, excluding Jenna and Hailey. "Should we go with them?" Hailey asked semi-worriedly. On one hand, they'd get to see a bunch of girls be embarrassed. On the other hand, they saw that every day.
"Nah." Jenna replied uncaringly. "I think I'll go take a nap. I already know what's going to happen."
The Gormim walked off, leaving a conflicted Hailey and Negi, who felt he was forgotten. Eventually, they left as well.
"Hey girls, I've…" Naruto walked back into the room with a slip of paper in his hands. He looked up when he noticed that there wasn't anyone in the hall any more. "Where did they go?"
Scratching his head, Naruto walked out of the door, pulsing his energy like a sonar wave. "Why are they at the train station?" He muttered to himself, scratching the side of his face.
…
Asuna stood in the middle of the train station, bouncing one foot nervously, chewing on the knuckle of her middle finger. Where did he go? It's not like Naruto to just leave like this…
The girls had grouped up to search for their way-ward sensei, each group taking different sections of the station.
"He's not on the train!" Konoka shouted to Asuna as she, Setsuna and Kaede ran up her. The other groups responded with similar answers when they came back.
They stood in a large group looking every which way, collectively worrying over their sensei, when a familiar voice made them jump in fright.
"Hey girls, what-" Naruto was cut off as the entire class leapt at him and pinned him to the ground.
"Sensei!"
Konoka was lying across his chest, her honey-colored eyes gazing into his blue tearfully. "Please don't leave, sensei! We can work it out with grandpa!"
His vision was covered by Chizuru as she grabbed his head and pulled it into her chest. Get to work, my magic breasts! She thought pleadingly.
Naruto had been trapped by what would be many a man's greatest dream - a coffin of warm female bodies. But it was just that- a coffin. Someone…save me…
When no help was forthcoming, and the darkness began to encroach across his vision, Naruto had only enough time for one last thought.
So this is how I die…with breasts in my mouth, a thigh in one hand and a nice ass in the other, and someone taking sneaky gropes of my crotch…
When Naruto stopped struggling and went limp, Setsuna knew something was wrong. However, she couldn't do much about it, as she was pressed, backside in Naruto's hand, to the ground by the weight of the other girls. She knew she had to do something.
Forgive me, Eishun-sama, Konoka-ojou-sama! What I do, I do for Naruto-sama! Mustering all her strength and courage, Setsuna heaved and pushed her hand up through the throng of female flesh, grabbed a hold of her target and pulled back…before letting the string of the thong she tugged on snap back into place with a meaty thwak!
Ayaka shrieked loudly and scrambled away from the pile, small tears in her eyes as she rubbed her reddening posterior. But her sore backside paled to the situation with her sensei! "Get off of sensei! He's blue and he's not moving!"
There was a large ruckus and a scramble to vacate space on Naruto's body, revealing the sensei sprawled out on the ground, with his face blue and his eyes rolled up into his head.
As soon as he was free, Naruto began to suck in deep breaths of air, color slowly returning to his face.
Kazumi knelt next his head and shook him gently. "…sensei?"
His pupils were dilated to pin-pricks and his sclera were bloodshot. "…I could see the flag…it's so…flappy…"
Ako blushed nervously at the mumblings coming from her sensei. "He's delirious from air depravation…it'll fade in a few minutes."
Haruna stood at the back, behind Akira with a perverted smile on her face. She had gotten a nice feel or seven on the blonds' equipment when she had been in the pile. It took all of her self-control to not giggle.
Nodoka voiced a question she had on her mind. "W-why didn't he s-say anything?"
Chizuru, unnoticed by the others, blushed deeply and kept her arms across her chest, hiding the wet mark that showed just why Naruto couldn't make any noise.
Suddenly, the blond sat up quickly, his eyes darting in their sockets. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Girls, seriously…don't do that again, please."
Naruto pushed himself off of the ground and pulled a paper out of his back pocket, holding a hand up to forestall any arguments. "I noticed that 2-A wasn't mentioned on the score list, so I went to see what had happened. It turns out that the guy responsible for them accidentally forgot them, and I have the scores right here."
Hope lit up in the hearts of 2-A. They still had a chance!
Naruto grinned widely at the sparkles in the girls eyes. "I'm just going to cut to the chase. We're in first."
The girls cheered and traded high-fives, then settled down to hear what else the blond teacher had to say. "For the Baka Rangers, last place (in the group, not the class) was Asuna Kagurazaka, with a score of 83%." Asuna looked positively ecstatic at her score, which was higher than any other test.
"Next, Makie Sasaki with 86%." Baka Pink was happy with her score, but lowered her head with a sad, "Awww."
"After her, it was Kaede Nagase with 95%." The ninja snapped her fingers at the lost chance for information/date/possible spar/teasing material.
"In second, Yue Ayase with 100%." Yue actually dropped her juice box in shock. What?! I studied my ass off and got a perfect score! How did I get beaten?!
Naruto hefted the papers in his hands and smiled at the girls. "And finally, in first place…Ku Fei, with 102%, the highest grade in the entire school."
Jaws dropped to the floor as the blonde Chinese girl cheered and jumped onto Naruto with a happy cheer. "Woohoo! I did it!"
…
Near the top of the World Tree, a pair of small, thin white legs could be seen dangling over the side of a tree branch. A drop of water fell past those legs and plummeted to the leaves below as slight sniffles broke the silence. A small hand, like those belonging to a child, could be seen holding a pair of photographs that were weathered but well-kept. It showed a man and a woman, both with blonde hair. The man was tall, with blond hair like spun gold that was kept in a small, rough ponytail. He sat, back to back, with a blonde woman that had foot-length hair and mischievous grey eyes.
He wore a dark green vest that showed his muscled arms and blue pants with boots on his feet. He had a large sword laying hilt-first against his shoulder and a grin that showed teeth that seemed to be too sharp to be in a human mouth.
The woman wore what seemed to be a dark blue corset that left her shoulders bare along with the top of her breasts, and nothing else except a pair of long boots and a belt, with a white saber stabbed into ground next to her.
Both were covered in blood and sitting on top of a pile of dismembered, bloody bodies with vicious smiles.
The next picture had the same pair, this time at a carnival in a black-and-white photo. He wore a loose dress shirt and a pair of glasses, and had broad, happy smile on his face. The woman wore a dress that exposed only a small amount of cleavage, and her arms were wrapped around his arms tightly, a blush evident even without color. The handwriting at the bottom of the photo read: "World Fair, New York, 1964."
More tears fell into the World Tree as soft sobs could be heard. "Why won't you even look at me? What did I do to make you hate me?"
…
(Two Days Later…)
"Come on-aru! Ku knows the perfect spot for our date!" The excitable Chinese girl dragged Naruto by the hand across Mahora with an excited smile on her face and a happy glimmer in her eyes.
Predictably, the martial arts enthusiast had decided to have a spar with Naruto for her reward. When she had announced this to the class, the groans of the Baka Rangers and the face-palming echoed throughout the whole school.
Naruto was pulled out of his flashback by Ku Fei stopping suddenly. He noticed that there were four guys in front of them, all wearing a white karate gi and a black belt.
The biggest stepped forward and raised his fist dramatically.
"Ku Fei-sama! This is the day that I beat you in a fight and take your heart!" He proclaimed loudly. The other guys nodded as well.
Naruto glanced curiously at Ku Fei, who had an unusual look of irritation on her face. "I've already beat you before, aru! Five times! Stop trying, aru!"
The guy shook his head angrily. "No! You will be mine, Ku Fei-sama, even if I have to make you!"
That got Naruto's attention. "Excuse me? What was that?"
The guy scoffed and the blond sensei. "I don't need to explain myself to a weakling like you! How dare you even share the same air with Ku Fei-sama!"
Fanboy. Naruto frowned. "You're being a real douche here, pal. I think you should leave, we're on a date."
The guy leaped back in shock, his face twisted in a rictus of horror. "NOOOOOO!" He wailed to the sky, shortly joined by his fellows.
Naruto and Ku Fei watched with boredom clear on their faces, before the leader jumped to his feet with a furious visage. "You scum! I challenge you for Ku Fei-sama's heart!"
Naruto shook his head. "No."
The guy pointed at him with a triumphant look. "Hah! So you wouldn't even fight for her heart! Ku Fei-sama is wasting her time with you, weakling!"
Once again, the blond shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I'll still fight you, but not for Ku Fei's heart."
The martial artist felt hurt that a strong man like Naruto wouldn't even fight for her. Was she really that hopeless?
Naruto continued his previous words. "I won't fight for Ku Fei's heart, because it's not mine to give away. She's the one who gets decide to be with whoever she wants, not you."
The guy huffed. "Fine then! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hanamaru Oshikayado! And I shall beat you today!"
Naruto smiled. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, teacher of Class 2-A"
Hanamaru threw his head back and laughed. "A sensei?! This will make my victory all the easier!" He pointed at the blond and commanded, "Get him!"
The three minions ran forward, ready to deliver a beating.
Naruto smirked to himself, charging forward to meet them. As he came within punching distance, he slid along the ground, right between the first's legs, with a fist slamming into the guy's groin.
Without stopping, Naruto leapt up and planted both of his feet in the next one's face, knocking him clean out and breaking his nose.
The last jumped at the blond with his foot out in a karate kick, yelling at the top of his lungs. Without even bothering to look concerned, Naruto caught his foot, and in a display of strength, held him up with ease, before slamming him down on his back, knocking him out as well.
Hanamaru looked on, aghast, as his 'forces' were devastated by one man with ease. Two were unconscious, and the other had waddled off with his hands cupping his groin and a blue face. "Y-you…"
Naruto looked at him with a lazy smirk. "You were saying something about an 'easy victory'?"
The flower man lost it and charged at Naruto with an enraged roar. The sensei dashed forward and jumped with his legs in front of him. He clamped his knees on Hanamaru's shoulders and pushed his upper body down, planting his hands on the ground and using his legs to flip Hanamaru and hurl him onto the grass.
Dazed, Hanamaru pushed himself to his feet and tried to stop the world from spinning, before a pair of hands grabbed his head from behind and he saw black.
Naruto ran at Hanamaru as he rose shakily to his feet, jumping over his shoulder while grabbing his head and introducing it to the ground and unconsciousness. The blond hit the ground on his side, looking at Ku Fei with a smile on his face with his head propped up on his elbow. "Hey."
Ku Fei hopped in place excitedly, clapping her hands. "That was so cool, aru! I really want to fight you now!" But then her rational side spoke up. "Won't you get in trouble for attacking them, aru?"
Naruto hopped to his feet and dusted himself off. "Nope! Fights that are sanctioned by a teacher are completely within the rule book."
The blonde Chinese woman switched to excitement again, dashing forward to grab Naruto's hand and pulling him along. "Then let's go!"
Naruto simply laughed and let the excitable girl pull him along.
…
(Later That Night…)
Class 2-A, in celebration of their test scores, had thrown a party. Only a few had not shown up, and they rarely went parties anyway.
Naruto was enjoying a nikuman when he noticed Chisame Hasegawa leaving silently. Breaking off his conversation with Negi, Naruto followed the girl back to her dorm, listening to her incensed mutterings about her classmates.
He waited outside her dorm as she changed inside, her ramblings about herself clear as day through the wood. Without preamble, he walked through the door, catching Chisame posing in front of a camera, wearing a bunny costume, bereft of her glasses.
"You know you love Chiu, Internet!" She said to herself, taking multiple pictures before beginning to upload them to a webpage dedicated solely to her alternate persona.
Naruto watched as she talked to herself, before deciding to have some fun. "So, you really think your classmates are weird?"
Chisame scoffed. "Of course they're weird! Everyone sees the weird things that go on around here and don't bat an eyelash! That's weird!"
The blond rubbed his chin. "What about Negi?"
The secret idol humphed. "Whose bright idea was it to let a ten-year-old teach? I mean, he's an assistant, but still…"
"What about Naruto?"
The girl blushed but still talked. "He's handsome and all, but he's got that mysterious aura about him…I'd like to see him naked, though. I only saw his upper body once, and I over heard Haruna talking about the time she copped a feel on him, hehehe…"
She realized something, if her face was anything to go by. "Why am I telling myself this? I already know, so why…"
Chisame froze, her face paling rapidly. Her neck creaked as she turned her head slowly to face the smirking Naruto. "Y-y-y-y-"
"So, you want to see me naked, huh? I'm sure that could be arranged…" He trailed off with a wink.
She pointed at him with a shaking hand and an equally shaky voice. "S-student-teacher r-r-relationships are f-forbidden."
Naruto shrugged. "That's true…But I won't be your sensei over summer, will I?"
Blood rushed all the way from Chisame's toes to her head and steam gushed out of her ears. "Sensei…"
He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, looking down on her from his height. "Why aren't you at the party?"
The change of tact confused the poor idol, and she was slow on the uptake. "…They're…weird?"
"I know that." Naruto quipped, "What I meant was, why are you so hostile to your classmates?"
Chisame managed to get her thoughts back on track, and replied, "Because they're all freaks! A seventeen-year-old is suddenly our sensei, and no one questions why! All of this weird stuff happens on a daily basis, and no one but me seems to find it strange!"
Naruto sighed and pushed off of the wall. "You think that everyone is abnormal because of everything that happens around here, and they don't seem to care?"
She nodded resolutely. "Hmph."
The blond sensei pinched the bridge of his nose. "Chisame, there is no such thing as normal. Everyone reacts differently to different things. Have you ever thought that everyone reacts the way they do because, for them, it's normal?"
Chisame bit her lip and looked at the floor, thinking. "In fact, if everyone is weird to you for how they act…wouldn't you be the weird one to them? Everyone in class, except you, thinks the situations around here are normal, because for them, they are. That makes you the weird one."
The Internet idol gaped at Naruto as he dismembered her argument, and her mind shorted out. The sensei turned her around and sent her into the bathroom. "Get dressed, and we'll go back to the party together. Think about what I said."
The rest of the night, Naruto kept a close eye on Chisame. She did mingle, if only a little, but it was still progress.
…
A group of four approached a lavish mansion, each wearing casual clothes under the mid-day sun.
"It was very nice of Ayaka-san to invite us over today! Don't you think, Naruto-nii?" Negi asked excitedly. He was practically bouncing down the street in front of Naruto, Asuna and Konoka.
Naruto shrugged. "She seems like a nice person. A little intense, maybe, but nice enough."
The orange-haired girl next to him scoffed. "'Intense' is an understatement." She muttered under her breath.
Konoka nudged her with a teasing smile on her face. "Just because she's responsible, it doesn't mean you can't at least try to be friendly."
Conversation stopped as Naruto stepped up to the door and used the knocker to rap on the door. A few seconds later, a young maid opened the door. "Can I help you?"
Negi waved at the woman and answered. "Ayaka-san invited us over for the day!"
The maid nodded and turned back into the house. "Ayaka-sama! Someone is here to see you!"
A pounding flurry of footsteps could be heard through the house, before an out-of-breath Ayaka skidded to stop in the doorway. "Ahem! Thank you Miya, I'll take it from here." She looked out of the door and paled. "Ah…sensei? And Kagurazaka and Konoka-dono? What are you doing here?"
Naruto smiled at the young woman. "Negi invited us along to see your house. I hope we are not intruding?"
Ayaka smiled on the outside, but her mind was racing on the inside. It was just supposed to be Naruto-sensei and Negi-sensei! I didn't think orange-baka and Konoka would come along! This isn't what I planned!
(Her Fantasy…)
"Oh, Naruto-sensei! I didn't expect you to come over!" Ayaka crowed in surprise.
Naruto smiled widely at her, showing off his perfect white teeth. "My brother told me he was going to see you, and I had to come with him, if only to see you once more!"
Ayaka swooned and allowed both of the sensei inside. She invited them to swim in the pool, donning a bikini that showed off her matured body. Negi wore kid trunks and splashed in the pool, while Naruto wore a pair of small trunks that let his entire muscled body for Ayaka's viewing pleasure.
After a day of laughter and flirting between the two blonds, the sun was finally setting. "Oh, dear!" Ayaka cried. "Look at the time! It is far too late for me to allow my dearest sensei to walk home! I insist that you stay for the night!"
"How generous of you!" Negi yelled in his child-like way.
Negi had gone to bed, and only Naruto and Ayaka were still awake. Both were sitting on a loveseat in front of a roaring fire, sipping glasses of wine that Ayaka had borrowed from her parents.
"Ayaka-chan…" Naruto started, out of the blue. "There is something I must confess…"
Ayaka's heart pounded in her ribcage. "What, my dearest sensei?"
Suddenly, Naruto was on her knees in front of her, staring into her eyes with his soulful blue. "I've loved you for such a long time! It pains me to see and not kiss you! Marry me, and run away with me! I will be Negi's Tou-san and you his Kaa-san! Run away with me and leave all of these irresponsible girls behind!"
"Oh, sensei! Of course I will!"
…
"Is she alright?" Negi asked with concern, eyeing the drooling Ayaka worriedly.
Asuna rolled her eyes and stepped forward, snapping her fingers in the Iincho's face. "Hey! Wake up, baka!"
Ayaka snapped out of her fantasy, blushing in both embarrassment and anger. "It is impolite to shove your fingers in others' face, Kagurazaka!"
"It's also impolite to space out when you have guests, Iincho!" Asuna retorted.
The blonde 'hmphed' turned to the others. "Welcome to my house. I have tea waiting out back, if you would like to join me."
The group followed the blonde into her house and out into the back, where a table with chairs, a tray of tea and cookies waited.
Negi sipped his tea enthusiastically, smacking his lips and sighing in enjoyment. "Ah! This is delicious tea, Ayaka-san! It reminds me of the tea Nekane-onee-chan makes."
A strange light glimmered in Ayaka's eyes, something Naruto noticed. "So, you have a sister?"
Naruto cut in at that point. "Not by blood. Nekane is actually Negi's cousin, but they practically grew up together."
"Really?" The blonde asked with a small frown. "Where is Negi's father?"
At this, the assistant sensei looked into his lap sadly. Sensing the change in mood, Konoka laid a hand gently on Negi's shoulder. Even Asuna picked it up. "I know you have a pool, rich-girl, so I'm going to swim. Come on, Negi."
The two girls and Negi left, leaving two worried blonds behind. "Oh my, did I say something wrong?"
The blond sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Nagi, Negi's dad, hasn't been seen since he was four years old. The rumors we've heard all point to him being dead." He sipped his tea and continued. "Nekane and I raised Negi since then. He's dedicated his life to finding his father, or if worst comes to worst, recovering his body."
Ayaka gasped, horrified, and covered her mouth. "I had no idea…I'm so sorry! I should apologize!"
Naruto's empty hand shot out and held the Iincho down. "Don't worry about it, Ayaka-chan. Negi knows you didn't know. He won't hold it against you."
The blonde heiress slumped in her chair in relief. "Oh. Thank you for telling me, Naruto-sensei."
She gasped in surprise as Naruto reached over and flicked her forehead. "We're not in class anymore, Ayaka-chan. Don't call me sensei."
Ayaka nodded meekly and sipped her tea. They simply sat in the sun, enjoying the breeze and occasionally drinking tea.
Gathering her courage, Ayaka spoke. "…So, Naruto-se-kun…are you and this Nekane an item?"
Naruto chuckled and set his tea down to look Ayaka in the eye. "I think that's personal, Ayaka-chan. Are you asking because you're interested?"
He watched in amusement as her face colored and she sputtered. Ayaka flushed and tried to hide her face behind her teacup as Naruto chuckled. "Now," Naruto said, "Why don't we join the others in the pool, Ayaka-chan?"
The blonde heiress nodded meekly and joined the blond as he went to the pool.
The rest of the day was spent among friends, Ayaka and Asuna sniping good-naturedly at each other, Negi enjoying the sunny day with his childish exuberance, and Konoka and Naruto enjoying the time spent with each other.
…
The Cheerleading Trio of Misa, Madoka and Sakurako entered the club with broad grins plastered across their faces, the reason being the sign outside that bore the words 'Karaoke Night!' on the front in bold letters.
"Ooh, I can't wait to sing!" Misa cheered happily as they signed up for the event. Before long, they had settled into a booth with their various drinks, waiting for their turn. Many men and women came up and sang, and not all of them were very good, but everyone clapped and enjoyed themselves.
"Next up, is Naruto Uzumaki!"
The trio nearly shot out of their seats in surprise, seeing their blond sensei take the stage. "Hello, everyone." He greeted easily, "I'm Naruto, and the song I'm singing is called 'Through the Ghost'."
The music started, and Naruto began to sing. The girls stared in shock, mouths agape as they listened to their sensei sing. His voice was surprisingly soulful. They could almost see what the song described in their minds.
After he finished, the whole pace applauded him loudly, and he left the stage with a bow. "Hey girls," He greeted the trio with a smile.
The cheerleaders stared at him unabashedly, with mouths wide open. Holy shit, sensei can sing! They all thought at the same time, mirroring each other.
Sakurako pointed a shaky finger in Naruto's face with an exclamation. "Since when can you sing, sensei?!"
The blond teacher shrugged. "I've always enjoyed singing, I just don't do it often."
Madoka tried to hide her blush behind her drink as she asked, "That was a Western song, wasn't it?"
Naruto nodded as he sat next to the violette and partook of the order of fries. "Yeah. A band called Shinedown. They have music with feeling."
The four of them discussed music for about an hour, before the trio had to depart for Cheerleading practice. Naruto now knew more about three of his students, and those three now knew something new about their mysterious teacher.
…
"This place looks about right..." said Jenna to herself, sitting down in between two roots.
Earlier that day Naruto, deciding to get to know one of his more inhuman students, had asked the black-haired girl if she wanted to hang out with him. She'd shrugged and agreed.
"So, any reason we're sitting under the World Tree?" asked the blond, sitting next to her.
She gave him a half-lidded glance while leaning her head on the wood. "Seemed like a good place to relax."
"You sure like sleeping a lot," Naruto pointed out.
"What's not to like?" she asked, "Just lying down on whatever surface and letting yourself drift off into your thoughts? There's a reason I'm the Slothful one in the Gormim. And I know you've got questions. Be quick about 'em, too much talking is uncomfortable like this."
"It depends on your thoughts," Naruto replied. "If I take into account your words so far, if I fell asleep, I fear I'd wake up deprived of my chastity."
"Har har, touché," Jenna muttered, "While some cuddling would be nice, I told you I'm good on that front."
"Yes," Naruto mumbled, "You are good on the front..."
"...So what's on your mind?" she asked, "I'm not Storia; I can't tell what someone's thinking at a glance and I don't know everything. I ain't stupid though, so go on."
"I just want to know a little more about Jenna, the perverted, possibly/most-likely bisexual woman who's had sex with an alternate version of myself. I'm immortal, and I cherish the times I spend with friends." Naruto leaned back in the grass with his hands behind his head, relaxing. "I don't know much about you. I'd like to."
"Ah..." Jenna seemed just a little taken aback, "Alright...I don't often talk about myself. I don't have some horrible past like the others, but I just don't talk much. Hm, where to start...well, as you obviously know, I like relaxing whenever I can. I mean, back when I was originally a student I didn't let that get in the way of my studies, but when I joined the Gormim and learned I was basically immortal, I decided that if I was gonna have the rest of eternity, I'd prefer it to be a peaceful one." She grinned slightly, showing a series of sharp teeth. "Thing about Gormim, though, is that we live for action, even a sleepyhead like me. I'm pretty slow to get up, but when the fight starts, you might as well budge a continent."
She suddenly blinked. "Eh, I'm rambling. Yeah, I'm pretty much bi; never really thought about it much, though. I mean, according to the old man everyone is to some degree. I just don't mind letting people see that, unlike that swordsman chick. Wassername...Setsuna."
Naruto laughed and shook his head. "She definitely has a girl-crush on 'Konoka-ojou-sama'. I think she resents me on some level because I spend so much time with Konoka-chan. I think she needs to woman-up and tell her how she feels. I don't think Konoka would mind, to tell you the truth."
"Like hell she'd mind," snorted Jenna, "That girl's pretty open-minded, yeah? Probably moreso, since you told her about magic and all."
Naruto blinked. "Now how'd you know about that?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Storia. When it comes to the 'story,' he's pretty on the ball with everything. Kinda creepy, really, how he can see and hear everything." Jenna started giggling, suddenly.
"What?"
"Heheheh, nothin'. I'm just remembering the world that, er, 'my' you came from. Storia raised him in that one, you know. Taught him magic and how to read people. I was just remembering how much it'd drive him up the wall when 'you' would have sex with a girl. I mean, he's like a father to 'you,' and he had to watch that...I loved watching him get so exasperated." She broke off into more laughter. "A-although, that was more because he kept banging on the ceiling to nag you to use protection, really!"
Naruto wrinkled his nose. "I'd rather not have learned that."
Of course, that only made her laugh harder.
"Hearing you talk about another me having sex worries me. I'd rather not have someone watch me during those moments. Especially ones I don't know are there." He scratched at his face with a disturbed frown. "I may be open minded, but that's still creepy."
She snorted. "Not like Storia liked it any better. Still, he's dedicated to his job, even when he's got to write things that he..." her expression flickered, "That he would rather were different."
"I know the feeling." Naruto muttered.
"Yeah." There was a long moment of silence. "...Anyway. My own job is more of a part-time thing. My senior house-mate, I guess you could call him, his name's Mason. He's in charge of organizing the Warehouse we use for storing the stuff we get. He usually tries roping me in to help out too, but that amount of work is SO not my thing."
Naruto smiled. "How much work are we talking here?"
The black-haired girl closed her eyes and groaned loudly. "The Warehouse itself is something we copied from a world originally. It's loaded with so much crap that you could work through it for a couple of years before hitting the wall. And something's always, ALWAYS acting up or moving around and it's an absolute BITCH to figure out if something's where it's supposed to be or not! I mean, nowadays we've got this homunculus guy to let us know when something's out of place, but there's still a HUGE amount to get through."
"Sounds interesting." Naruto yawned. "Tell me about it later." He laid back and closed his eyes. "You have nice...legs..."
Jenna rolled her eyes and shifted onto her side. "Glad to have your approval," she mumbled, smiling slightly.
Sunset would find the pair leaning against each other, arms around the other. It was probably only coincidence that Naruto's face was close to Jenna's chest, and would be the first thing he would see upon waking.
Probably.
…
Crying could be heard in the classroom of 2-A. The only problem was, there wasn't anybody inside.
Naruto peaked cautiously around the edge of the doorway. Nope. No one inside. His eyes narrowed as he channeled a bit of magic into his eyes, the world dimming and gaining small streams of multi-colored light. In the first seat of the class, which was always empty, a hunched white form sat, shivering and jerking.
It was from this that the sobs were issuing. "I'm so alone…I wish I could talk to somebody…anybody…"
The blond felt those words like an arrow to the knee. He knew what it was like to be alone…visions of a dim, grimy cell with a five-by-five-inch barred window fluttered in his mind before it was ruthlessly squashed and thrown away.
"Hello?" At his voice, the blob shifted, revealing a pair of teary red eyes and cute, tear-tracked face that lit up at the sight of him.
"You…can…can you see me?"
The hope in her face nearly lit up the entire room. Naruto nodded gently. "I can see you. You're Sayo Aisaka, right?"
The ghostly girl jumped up from her desk and charged at him with her arms outstretched and wide smile on her face…and proceeded to trip over her non-existent feet.
Sayo let out a cry of surprise as she closed her eyes in preparation to meet the floor, when she felt warmth surround her and arrest her momentum.
She cracked one eye open hesitantly, before both widened exponentially. Naruto had his arms around her and was holding her, with her face pressed into his chest.
"You…" She stammered, "You can touch me!"
Her arms leapt up and wrapped around his neck, pressing her into his body all the more. She relished the warmth that she felt, after going so long without any sensation at all. There was a person who could touch her, see her and talk to her. She wasn't alone anymore.
Suddenly, death didn't seem so bad.
…
They weren't supposed to meet like this, if ever, had she had her way. But the blond had defeated her, and made her swear on her honor…
But she never wanted to meet her like this.
Actually, she never wanted to meet anyone like this, let alone Ojou-sama.
"Se-chan? What are you doing here?!"
The swordswoman blinked in shock at the two girls in crouching next to her. Konoka and Asuna had snuck to this same spot for the same reason she had…
Wait! What?!
"Konoka-ojou-sama!" Setsuna hissed. "Why are you here?"
The Konoe heiress blushed a deep red and sputtered quietly, trying not to draw attention. Asuna replied for her. "We could ask you the same thing! Why are YOU here?"
Setsuna colored in embarrassment and stammered out, "I-I'm trying to get i-information!"
The orangette crossed her arms and huffed, trying to hide her own red cheeks. "So are we! Don't get the wrong id-"
"Is this your first time?"
"…"
"Don't worry, I'll be gentle. Let me get the oil, just relax and let me do all the work."
The trio of girls froze at the sound of voices, and flushed at the implications. Not daring to look over the window sill, the girls watched the shadows that were projected onto the roof via candlelight.
"Here we go. I'll start off slow, work deep and you'll feel better in no time."
"…"
They heard the soft sound of skin on skin contact, followed by a deep moan. Is that Zazie? They wondered.
"Wow, you're really tense, Za-chan. I'll have to work hard!"
"Oh!"
"Let me pick up a steady rhythm, then it'll feel really good!"
"Oooh!"
"Wow, Za-chan. You have such a lovely moan. It must feel good."
They heard the sound of bedsprings squeaking rapidly, increasing in tempo with the sound of Zazie's moans and groans of pleasure, which started to gain volume.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!"
"I have to go deeper, Za-chan, hold on."
"Ooooh! Aah!"
"Does that feel good?"
"Ooh, Naruto!"
If Asuna, Konoka and Setsuna hadn't been supremely focused on repressing their nosebleeds, they would be amazed that they had heard Zazie speak. Moan. Whatever.
"Naruto! Oooh, Naruto!"
They heard Naruto panting and the slap of flesh on flesh, and the squeaking bedsprings and the moans, and Konoka couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted dead away. Setsuna was too preoccupied by the sounds coming from the window to care.
The sounds mounted to a crescendo, and they heard Zazie scream.
"NARUTO!"
The noises died out, and were replaced by the sounds of Zazie panting heavily.
"Wow, I can't wait for my turn!"
"Me neither –aru!"
"This will be awesome."
"You said it, Kaede!"
"This will feel so good after looking after the children!"
"I know what you mean, Chizuru! Swimming makes me so tight!"
"I know you're looking forward to this, Mana. I can see it in your eyes."
"…shut up, Fuka."
"I hope my boyfriend doesn't find out about this."
"Girls, calm down, we'll all get a turn, don't worry."
"Sounds like you know from experience, Shizuna-sensei…"
"Makie, stop jumping on the bed!"
Asuna, being as confrontational as she is, immediately hopped over the window sill with an enraged yell. "What the hell is going on here?!"
She came upon the site of almost the entirety of 2(3)-A standing in towels, waiting around the bedroom shared by Naruto and Zazie.
"Calm down, Asuna." Jenna said from her spot on top of the couch (it gave the best view down the ladies' towels), "We're getting massages. If you want one, strip down and get in the back of the line."
"Massages?" Asuna wondered out loud.
Naruto waved from his spot next to a passed-out, drooling Zazie. She immediately noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Yeah, I met Shizuna-chan and Ako-chan out about town, and Ako was telling me about her back issues, so I offered to help. We met the others on the way back, and they joined up."
He picked the insensate acrobat up and set her down next to a similarly unconscious Ako. "Have you seen Konoka and Setsuna? I thought, since almost everyone is getting a massage, we might as well fill out the roster."
Outside, Setsuna could not pick Konoka up fast enough.
…
A short figure, accompanied by a taller figure, walked through the trees surrounding their home. The shorter of the two had long blonde hair and a scowl marring her childish features, with her arms crossed over her chest.
The other was an older girl, with light green hair and two devices in place of ears, and an emotionless expression.
"Master." The taller said, pointing at the door to their cabin.
The blonde squinted at the note pinned to the door with a wary eye, before the shape of the script caught her eye and made her gasp.
She sprinted up to the door and ripped the note from the pin and read over it with a hungry, desperate gaze. Moisture gathered at the corner of her eyes and threatened to spill over, but she straightened up and entered her home without a word. She marched up the stairs and into her room, closing the door and locking it.
Behind her, the girl with green hair watched her Master leave with a curious gaze, and then shrugged off her Master's strange habits and went about her responsibilities.
That night, Evangeline A.K. McDowell slept with a small smile on her face, the note resting in her bed-side table.
Eva-
I swear, I haven't been ignoring you, not on purpose. There's a situation, and well, you need to hear straight from me. It involves you, and that time of the year when the school has the blackout.
Eva, I know you don't like mushy crap, but…I've missed you, so much. It's been killing me, seeing you everyday but being unable to say or do anything…if everything goes right, that won't be a problem anymore. Even now, I can feel it wearing down. I think that my presence is destabilizing the spell…had I known that earlier, I would have come.
I can't wait to see you again, Eva.
-B
p.s. What's this I hear about a robot?
…
A/N: And that's it. Chapter 4 of Magister Unknown. I know it took awhile to come out, but blame my lack of muse and the death of one of my teachers.
I'm not kidding. One of my English teachers was stabbed to death over the summer.
On a different, slightly happier note, I have decided to post my very first challenge! Here it is!
Challenge:
Naruto X Borderlands Crossover Challenge.
In this, you have choices. You can either bring Naruto in the beginning of Borderlands 1, Borderlands 2, or link them together.
Here's the req's:
No one really knows where Krieg came from, and he's not really telling. But…He wears orange, has a ridiculous healing factor, a blood-thirsty personality and a thing for women with blue hair.
Connect the dots.
You can either start the story out with Naruto in Borderlands 1, then being kidnapped by Hyperion and becoming Krieg, or just starting Borderlands 2 with him as Krieg. Eventually, he will go back to his planet, which has become over-run with Vault-Hunters.
Pairings:
Preferably, Narutoxharem, though where you'll find women beyond Moxxi, Lilith, Tannis, Maya, Gaige, and Captain Scarlett…
Anyways, if you must have a single pairing, then Naruto (Krieg) and Maya. Harem is preferred.
If going from Borderlands 1, then Naruto and Lilith.
Minimal characters from Naruto.
Rated M for gore, language, maybe lemons (maybe) and NIPPLE SALADS!
…
So there you go. My first challenge! Contact me for details.
With regards to JotWE, I am working on the next chapter, but it's a pain in the ass trying to put it down. I know where the whole story is going (I have an outline!) but I can't seem to get it down.
I do actually have a few new stories percolating, but I'm trying to ignore them for now.
OR
TL;DR:
Here's chapter 4, enjoy it, bitch.
One of my teachers died.
First Challenge, scroll back up!
Another Chapter for JotWE incoming, but not very soon, because of reasons.
…
"Mikoto-chan! Come out! I just want to show you how much I love you!" A girl with long brown hair in two tails shouted as she ran down the street, passing by two people sitting on a bench with the morning's paper covering their faces.
One lowered, showing a pair of dark brown eyes with brown hair clipped back on the right side. She sighed in relief and dropped her newspaper into her lap. "Thank you." She said gratefully to the boy sitting next to her.
He had also lowered his newspaper, showing his youthful face, with tanned skin, blond hair pulled back into a small ponytail and cerulean eyes framed by a pair of rectangular glasses. "Why are you running from her? Is she a stalker?"
Her gaze darkened slightly. "You could say that." She said in a dry tone. "Oh! I don't even know your name! I'm Mikoto Misaka, a level 5 esper. Who are you?"
He smiled at her and was taking her hand to shake, when suddenly, Mikoto ducked, allowing the other girl, who had teleported behind her in an attempt to glomp her, land on the boy instead.
Mikoto yelped in dismay. "Kuroko!"
The other girl had her arms around the boy and was rubbing her cheek against his, unaware that she had missed her target. "Mikoto-chan, I found you! Come with me, so we can make sweet love!"
"Ahem."
Looking up, Kuroko suddenly noticed that she wasn't feeling up the object of her affections, instead someone who was definitely not a girl. "Aaah!" She shrieked, teleporting back. "I'm so sorry!"
The boy accepted Mikoto's hand and let her pull him up. "It's no trouble." He waved off her apologies with a smile. "I'm just glad you're not a fire esper."
Mikoto snapped her fingers in realization, ignoring the small spark that came from it. "That's right, I didn't get your name!"
The boy bowed politely. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm a level five esper, just coming into the city. It's nice to meet you."