Chapter 5: In The Dark
He sat in the darkness of the night, smoke curling from the lit tip of the thin cigar clenched in his lips. It was a new moon that night, and the world was all the darker for it.
He heard the soft padding of bare feet in grass, and he turned to spy who was coming.
She was petite, with a slender body and long blonde hair that reached the small of her back. As he watched, her form rippled like mercury, her limbs gaining length and tone, her hair growing to the back of her knees, the childish face becoming that of a woman's. The slender body grew and filled out, hips widening and breasts enlarging, until it could no longer be called slender; only voluptuous would do.
"Eve…" He whispered breathily, a trail of smoke escaping his mouth.
The blonde woman stalked over to the man, a loving smile curling her lips. She snatched the cigar from his lips and straddled his hips, one slender hand gently stroking his cheek. Eve took the cigar in her lips and drew in the fragrant smoke, the tip glowing cherry red. Her hand slipped around the back of his neck and pulled him forward, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss.
His hands came around her back, holding her to him, as her hands ran through his hair.
They separated, exhaling the exchanged smoke out into the air. "I've missed you…" Eve whispered, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.
The man cupped her cheek and stroked it softly. "I have too, Eve. Soon, very soon, we'll be able to meet in broad daylight, no more of this sneaking around in the dead of night…" A grin showed his too-sharp teeth, "Although…there are a lot of things you can do in the dead of night…"
Eve gave a predatory smile, a pleasured hiss in her voice. "Good things…bad things…very, very bad, naughty things…"
They shared an almost malicious chuckle, before the atmosphere grew serious. "How are we going to get me out of here?" Eve asked, her face devoid of any malice.
The man smiled, a genuine smile filled with warmth. "Well, I have an idea…"
…
Naruto awoke to the familiar feminine weight lying on his chest. He could feel her breathe in and out, every exhale pressing her chest against his. He stroked her silver-grey hair gently, dozing in their shared warmth and the sunlight that streamed in from the open window.
He glanced down at the girl sleeping atop him, his eyes drinking in her caramel-colored skin, a scar here or there but not affecting her overall beauty in any fashion.
Naruto stroked the curve of her back, holding in a chuckle at the way her spine arched as she groaned.
"…"
"We have to get up, Za-chan." He whispered in her ear. "The first day of school is in three hours."
Zazie huffed and snuggled deeper into his body, fully intent on sleeping the day away. It was not to be, however, as he poked her in the side. She jumped and tried to repress a giggle, but a second poke made it burst out of her mouth, and her tinkling laugh filled the room.
The acrobat pushed herself up, straddling his hips and looked down on him with a pout on her lips. She tried to look imperious, but her nakedness and the cute glare only made her look childish.
He smiled up at her. "C'mon, Za-chan. We need to do our morning exercises and shower then eat. If you don't complain, I'll wash your back." Naruto said with teasing wink.
Zazie blushed but made no complaints, moving off of him and dressing for her morning exercise. Naruto rolled off of the bed and dressed himself in a pair of blue shorts and white shirt along with simple running shoes.
He took off on his jog around campus, his long strides eating the miles easily. His mind drifted over the previous months of summer break, coming to a rest on his roommate, Zazie Rainyday. While he had made sure to spend time with his students and fellow co-workers, he had easily spent the most time with the Nightmare Circus Acrobat. Their relationship was somewhat strange; neither wanted to put a label on it, and were perfectly fine with that. It had progressed to the point that they could be casually naked with each other, sometimes sneaking a quick, chaste kiss when alone; other times letting their passions overflow and abandoning any kinds of restraint, though they hadn't had sex with each other. Their petting may have gotten heavy, but they were waiting for the right moment to go all the way. Zazie slept in his bed with him, enjoying the warmth and company.
As he was passing by the dorms that contained the assistant teacher of Class 3-A, a certain feeling tingled at the base of his neck. Naruto slowed to a stop near the dorm that housed Negi, Konoka and Asuna, where the feeling was the strongest.
He knocked on the front door, trying to ignore the niggling in the back of his mind. The door opened quickly, letting a towel-clad Konoka through the portal to jump in his arms. "Aaah! A rat!" She screeched, scrambling onto his upper body in a vain attempt to avoid the floor.
A white blur streaked across the ground towards the Konoe Heiress, approaching her at high velocity. With ease, Naruto reached out and plucked a white ermine out of the air, grasping its' furry body entirely in one hand.
"Chamo…" Naruto's voice was low and dark, promising pain and torture. "What have I told you about bothering women?"
The ermine's eyes bulged in terror. "Ah! Nii-san! I wasn't doing anything! I-"
"You damn rat!" Asuna screamed, charging towards Naruto and his captive with murder in her eyes and a hastily-wrapped sheet around her body to keep her modesty. "I'll murder you for stealing my underwear!"
Chamo made a sound similar to that of a tire deflating as Naruto's grip tightened. "What was that, Chamo?"
The ermine fainted in sheer terror. Konoka finally realized where she was, and her entire body reddened. She jumped off of Naruto's shoulders and dashed into the house with an embarrassed squeak, slamming the bedroom door behind her.
Negi walked into the room, holding a mage-letter and looking for his ne'er-do-well pseudo-pet as Asuna joined Konoka in getting dressed. "Where's Chamo-kun?" He asked innocently.
Naruto stuffed the ermine into an opaque hamster ball and punted it across campus. "He'll be back later, I'm sure." He shaded his eyes and watched the ball sail off, nodding in satisfaction at the distance before turning back to Negi. "Who's the letter from, Negi-kun?"
The small red-head flipped the envelope and examined the front. "It's from Nekane-Onee-chan!" He shouted excitedly, hurriedly opening the letter and channeling his magic into the seal.
A silvery outline formed in the air, coalescing into Negi's blonde-haired cousin. "Hey, Negi-kun! It's your favorite onee-chan here! I wish I could see you in person, I miss you and Naruto-kun so much! But first…" She tilted her head forward, letting her hair shadow her face. "You made a fucking love potion?! I gave you those magic pills in case you needed to make a healing tonic! Instead, I get a letter from Naruto-kun telling me that you made a Class-B Restricted Item and waved it around in public?! You're lucky the dean didn't revoke your license and turn you into an ermine!"
Negi had his head bowed in shame, completely despondent from his cousin's anger. Asuna held a similar look of guilt for getting the naïve ten-year-old in trouble.
The image of Nekane sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Negi-kun," She said softly. "I was so worried when I heard about it. I'm glad you're okay, but please, don't do something like that again. Okay?"
Even though Nekane couldn't hear him, he still nodded anyway.
"Naruto-kun," The magic in the message automatically oriented the image facing the blond. "I miss you too, so much. It's really only after you've been gone for so long do realize how much I relied on you to brighten my day. Even your perverted comments made me laugh. I wish you were here. Your letters have made it bearable, but it really doesn't replace the real thing." The image wilted slightly, but straightened up. "I do have good news, though. I managed to get two weeks off for your birthday, Naruto-kun, so expect me there! I can't wait to see there!" her cheeks darkened to opaque silver. "I really can't wait to see you again, Naruto-kun…take care of Negi, okay? I'll see you soon."
The image dissolved into mist as the seal glowed once and became inert. Naruto gave Negi a quick one-armed hug. "Don't worry, we'll see her soon. You should get ready soon, though. School starts in an hour and a half."
With a wave to Konoka and Asuna, Naruto set off back on his jog around campus. He passed several of his students, waving to them as he did. He even jogged for awhile with Hailey before she waved and went to get ready for class.
He came back to the house as Zazie was approaching, covered in a sheen of sweat and panting lightly. They entered the dorm and shed their clothes, throwing them into the hamper for cleaning later, and entered the shower together, letting the warm spray from the shower-head rinse away the grime and sweat.
Zazie handed Naruto a soapy sponge over her shoulder and groaned as he went to work cleaning her back with one hand, the other lightly dancing over her ribs and lower back. The blond leaned forward and gently ran his tongue under her earlobe, relishing in her shudders and quite gasps. It got to the point that the acrobat couldn't take it anymore. She spun around, knocking the sponge from his hand and pulling his head down to meet her lips.
Her tongue poked at his lips, begging permission to enter. He acquiesced easily, letting her muscle invade his mouth and twist and dance with his own.
Naruto marveled slightly. Somehow, she always tasted like honey and peaches, even after eating salty foods. Her lower lips had an even sweeter taste, with an added tang of oranges.
She broke the kiss and stared into his eyes with lustful intent gleaming in her golden orbs. "…"
Naruto raised an eyebrow at her request. "Now?"
(Citrus…)
Zazie nodded resolutely. "…" She only confirmed her want by reaching down and wrapping her slender fingers around the shaft of his arousal, stroking with feather-light touches.
Naruto groaned at the feeling of her hand, before he tilted her head back and attacked her neck with his lips and tongue finding the pleasurable nerves hidden under her skin. His hands wandered down her body, stroking her back and ribs with his fingers and lightly scratching along her skin with his nails.
Zazie moaned in response to his ministrations, her hand gripping his length tighter and stroking faster. Naruto's hand finally reached their destination of the acrobat's womanhood, petting the outer lips softly until a small nub pressed against his hand and her volume increased in pitch. Using two of his fingers, the blond spread her lips open and pushed the other two into her body, stroking her velvet walls while his thumb rubbed the nub above her opening.
Zazie leaned back against the shower's wall, all attempts at returning the favor lost as an aroused redness suffused her cheeks. She let the man in front of her take over, giving lustful noises of pleasure when his head descended from her neck to her breasts.
She had a lithe body, made for flexibility, hence her favored profession of Acrobatics. Her breasts, while being larger than average were not huge, and fit her body perfectly. Naruto lavished attention on her right nipple, flicking it with his tongue and sucking it into his mouth. He trailed kisses to the other and gave it the attention it deserved, feeling Zazie's arms wrapped around his head, her hands running through his hair.
Zazie panted as she felt the coil in her stomach tighten almost the breaking point. She could feel her orgasm rushing through her body…and then he stopped.
The acrobat groaned in disappointment and loss as Naruto withdrew his fingers, pushed her back against the wall and knelt in front of her.
He left a meandering trail of kisses and nips along her stomach before he reached his prize, the lips of Zazie's womanhood. A small tuft of sliver hair, dampened by the water of the shower and her own juices greeted him there, and he rubbed it with the tip of his nose, enjoying the smell of a woman in heat.
Naruto lifted her legs onto his shoulders taking almost all of her inconsiderable weight on himself, and giving him a prime view of her nether lips. He kissed them like he would a lover, from top to bottom, lightly nibbling the nub at the top. His hands went to her round, pert rear, massaging her thighs and cheeks, enjoying the shuddering and moaning his lover was giving off. He ran his tongue along her lips, tasting the sweetness of her arousal, before diving in to drink straight from the source.
Zazie threw her head back and cried out at the feeling of his long tongue entering her core, twisting and thrusting and driving her mind over the edge. His tongue probed her walls pleasurably, not letting her get a second's respite from the driving muscle.
Naruto gazed up at acrobat's face, watching as the normally emotionless woman's face showed exactly what she was feeling. Her mouth was open, allowing the blond to hear her sexy, low pants and moans of pleasure. Her eyes were half-lidded and slightly glazed, her mind not all there at the moment.
Her golden orbs flickered down to meet his cerulean, as he closed his lips around her nub and sucked. The looks added with the feelings finally snapped the coil in her belly, and Zazie cried out as she finally let go, releasing a torrent of her nectar from her nether lips. Not wasting a moment, Naruto clamped his lips over hers and drank deeply, feeling what energy he spent so far in the day being refilled and then some.
As her orgasm finally died, Naruto set her feet back on the ground and smirked up at the dazed woman. "I guess asking, 'was it good?' would be redundant right about now." He remarked with amusement.
The demon woman looked down at him with eyes that glittered strangely, her small pink tongue darting out to moisten her lips. Without warning, she tackled Naruto to the floor, trapping his length between both of their stomachs.
He looked into her eyes and was only slightly surprised when her face held a seductive smirk. "…" She whispered, trailing her fingers teasingly along his cheek. Zazie slithered down his body in a fashion that had the most skin-on-skin contact with his throbbing length, stopping when she was fully between his legs, her hands grasping him and stroking softly.
She used gentle, feather-like touches along his length and small, teasing licks that drove him insane with the jolts of pleasure that raced up his spine. The smirk on her lips and the lust in her eyes only added to it.
Naruto reflected on Zazie, if only to stave off his impending orgasm. There were times where her personality would flip, for example, right now- Zazie opened her lips and took half of his length into her mouth, shocking him out of his thoughts. She sucked, gently at first, picking up the pace until he was sure she was trying to suck his brains out of his crotch. She ran her tongue along the sensitive underside, scraping her teeth gently along the top, knowing exactly what she was doing to the blond teacher.
Naruto stopped thinking and just lost himself in the sensations her mouth was giving him. He could his release coming up, and he knew she could feel it too, if her quicker movements meant anything.
Finally, he let go.
Zazie didn't miss a beat when his orgasm came; she kept up her pace and swallowed all that he gave her, relishing the taste of the only one she would ever be with.
As Naruto's orgasm finally began to die, the acrobat released his length from her mouth, blinking in surprise when a final discharge landed across her nose and both cheeks, beginning a slow trek down to drip on her breasts.
Naruto smiled down at her, commenting, "Now we really need to get clean, or we'll be late."
(End of Citrus.)
He turned to grab the shampoo, missing Zazie reaching up and wiping the white liquid off of her face and onto her fingers, which where then licked clean of any remains. The acrobat sighed in contentment as she felt the magic in her core sing throughout her body. This felt right. It felt like her mate. Her only mate.
Zazie was pulled from her thoughts as a large, warm hand wrapped around the back of her neck and pulled her forward to meet a pair of lips she familiar with. As they broke apart, Naruto and Zazie found that they had no words to say. And it felt right that way.
…
Most of the class was already in the room when Naruto and Zazie arrived. The girls found themselves looking at the acrobat curiously, trying to figure out exactly why they were staring at her in the first place.
It struck Chizuru first. Zazie had a healthy, wholesome glow suffusing her skin, making her tan skin and silver hair shine. There was also the small smile curling her lips, surprising for the normally emotionless girl.
Chizuru connected the dots and immediately felt jealous. It was unfair that Zazie lived with her sensei. She had a leg up on everyone vying for Naruto's affections.
The rest of the class filed in before the bell rang. Naruto looked over the class, noting that many of the girls had grown, if only an inch or two. And maybe more, in some places.
Most notable was Evangeline, the youngest girl in class. She had grown maybe three inches, and her chest, while still flat, had gained a pair of small breasts.
"Well, we all know each other, but my name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I will be your sensei for Class 3-A. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The blond greeted with a smile and a bow.
Negi stood up next and followed the same procedure. "My name is Negi Springfield, and I will be your assistant teacher! It's nice to meet you!"
The entire class rose to their feet and bowed low as Ayaka said, "Welcome to Class 3-A, sensei! Please take care of us!"
Naruto smiled at his class. "It's good to see you all again, girls. First things first, Shizuna-sensei's coming to take your measurements. So, after Negi and I have left class, please begin to disrobe."
The door opened, admitting the mint-haired nurse with a clipboard measuring tape in one hand and a privacy screen in the other. "Actually, sensei, I need someone to record the results, so you'll have to stay in the room." Shizuna said with an amused smile.
Blushes lit up the room at the thought of disrobing in front of their handsome sensei, though there were a good few who saw this as an opportunity.
Naruto handed a lesson planner off to Negi and pushed him out of the front door. "Get familiar with the lessons, Negi. Tell me what you think, okay?"
The young red-head nodded happily and skipped off down the hall to the teacher's lounge.
Naruto re-entered the room right as the last of the girls finished dropping their clothes to the ground. Shizuna set up the privacy screen to hide the naked class from his eyes as he took a seat with a pen and clipboard ready.
"First, we need the newest students, so Jenna Gloma, come up first please!" Shizuna announced over the screen.
Jenna strolled up to screen casually, as if she wasn't completely naked in front of a bunch of girls and one guy. Or, she was used to being naked. Either way.
As the green-haired nurse began to measure the Gorem, Naruto noted (for purely scientific reasons) several facts about her body. She wasn't exactly tall, nor could really be considered short. She was fairly curvy, with an ample set of breasts and hips, with a good muscle-tone that showed a life of hard work, or at least a good amount of hard work, given Jenna's penchant to sleep the day away. Her skin was fairly pale, not too dissimilar to someone who spent a good amount of time indoors or underground.
The Gloma Gorem noticed his eyes on her body and winked teasingly, posing with her left hand with the left hip out to one side and her chest thrust forward enticingly. As she did, Naruto noticed what seemed to be a tattoo on her right hip: an Infinity symbol with a straight line bisecting the curves, made of crystalline green ink.
Shizuna waved Jenna away with a small smile. "We're all done, Jenna. You can go get dressed now."
The Gloma shrugged uncaringly, which did interesting things with her chest. Physics. "Eh, I'm good. I think I'll enjoy a little while longer."
The nurse shook her head in amusement and called Hailey up next. Hailey was very near being Jenna's opposite: She was taller; a little less on the curvy side, but taller and slender, with the build of a long-distance runner. Unlike her companion, she had her arms crossed over chest and a hand over her crotch, with an embarrassed blush lighting her tanned cheeks. One of the things Naruto noted was the thick scar on her left thigh, and the same tattoo that Jenna had; an Infinity symbol cut in half by a straight line, right above her scar.
At Shizuna's urging, she reluctantly lowered the hand covering her breasts, but moved it to cover her groin even more. As the nurse measured her, Naruto noticed the girl trembling, deliberately avoiding everyone's eye. He also noticed her leg tensing and relaxing more as time went on. She was obviously unused to being scrutinized so closely, and did not like it. Fortunately, Shizuna finished and allowed her to put her clothes back on before the Petra could suddenly lash out.
He watched concernedly as she walked over to Jenna and put her head down, still trembling.
As the rest of the girls were called up to be measure, Naruto took note of their features. Chizuru had the largest chest out of the entire class, and the most mature figure, which was somewhat fitting given her mature mindset and hobbies.
Kaede had the second largest chest, and was very toned, with her hobby of being a damn ninja and all. The scars on her hands also gave Naruto a good idea about her specialties, namely being throwing weapons such as shuriken and kunai.
Kazumi had the third largest chest, and was also pretty pale and toned, coming from long hours spent indoors developing photos and tracking down scoops. Although that was what Naruto had numbered the three largest chests in class, there were many who had just as much as Kazumi, if only a little less, with the red-head having a mid-D cup.
Misora had a very slender but toned body, and was a member of the track and field club, and one of the more tomboy-ish girls in class.
Mana was probably the darkest-skinned member of the class besides Zazie, and one of the tallest. She held herself with an aloof posture, though Naruto caught her staring at him with questioning eyes.
Ayaka was on the taller scale of students, with a surprisingly curvy body that was usually hid under the school uniform and her favored flowing dresses.
Chisame was also more on the hidden-body side, though that may have had to do with her dislike on her abnormal class-mates, though she had gotten better with socializing with the others, and her face held a more relaxed look.
Ako had grown in confidence in the last few months, and the scar on her back had begun to fade, to the point that it was only barely visible as a pink patch of skin on her back. After Naruto had given her the scar-reducing solution and told her how it worked, he had found himself the recipient of a very happy, passionate and slightly wet kiss that had made the nurse's assistant faint after she realized what she had done.
Sakurako was also fairly curvy and toned, pretty excitable and peppy, which matched her cheerleading hobby to a T.
Asuna was among the more curved students, fighting back a furious blush that covered her face and neck.
Konoka had her face hidden by her hair when she was called in, and refused to meet Naruto's eyes (or look in his direction) as Shizuna measured her.
Satsuki could be called 'chubby', but she wasn't fat. She was more adorably fluffy and cuddly.
Fuka and Fumika, the Narutaki twins, had the same child-like bodies, short stature and flat chests, something that was a bit of an irritation to the two, as many people they had met thought they were children.
Akira had a surprisingly large chest for a swimmer, with a very slender and toned body from hours of swimming.
Haruna was also one of the more chesty girls, and she posed rather sexily as Shizuna was getting her measurements. Naruto was sure that, if she had been around during summer break, he would have ended up having sex with her, and then found out about it being in her manga.
Yuna was very slender and toned, a basketball player of no little skill.
Nodoka was bright red when she stepped around the curtain, trembling heavily in embarrassment, with her eyes religiously fixed on the ground. She very nearly sprinted away to get her clothes on.
Setsuna had a body befitting a swordswoman, with good muscle tone and a decent chest.
Misa was surprisingly open considering she was in front of a male and had a boyfriend. Though Naruto had his thoughts about her 'boyfriend', with the fact that no one, not even her best friends and roommates had ever seen hide nor hair of the mysterious man, nor had did she ever seem to spend time with him.
Natsumi was very shy and under-developed, though she was assured by both teachers that she was very pretty and just a late bloomer.
Makie had a similar body to Madoka and Misa, with a little more chest than the others.
Madoka had a similar body to Makie and Misa, with a little less chest than Madoka or Makie and a rounder rear.
Chachamaru was a fuckin' robot, and thus hadn't changed sizes what-so-ever.
Hakase, being an inventor, most notably that of Chachamaru, was very pale and not as toned as most of her classmates, but still kept in shape.
Zazie, from what Naruto could gather from her previous measurements, had probably changed the most. She was taller, her breasts were larger and she was all over shapelier than before, still keeping her lithe body structure.
Yue, next to the Narutaki twins had the smallest body overall, though she was obviously beginning to grow into it.
Evangeline had definitely grown, which was cause for concern for Shizuna. Ever since the Dark Evangel had been sealed, the age and shape of her body had denoted how much power she had. The fact that she now looked eleven did not say anything good at all.
With the final measurements being taken, Shizuna thanked them for their time and left. "Alright, class, take a minute to get dressed, I'll go find my assistant." Naruto told them and exited the class.
He found the young red-head giving Chamo a confused look as the ermine was telling him something and pointing at the class register. Naruto came in right in time to hear Negi reply.
"But, Chamo-kun, Naruto-nii said 'Contractual Pactio only.' He was very insistent on that."
The ermine waved his hands with a scoff. "Please! Contractual Pactios' are weak! You need-"
"-To listen when I say something, Chamo." Naruto cut in. The ermine froze and peered over at the blond, shaking slightly. "There is a reason I don't want Negi doing a full Pactio. It is true that Contractual Pactios' are the weakest of the varieties, but Negi's magic couldn't handle a full one. Putting the strain of a full-on Pactio on Negi's magic would leave his magical growth stunted for the rest of his life, let alone more than one."
Negi nodded in agreement from his spot. "That's what I said! A Pactio is an important thing! The strongest are made from true feelings of love. And I only really love one person."
Naruto tilted his head. Even with Negi being ten, that was a very mature mindset. "Right, that one being Anya. You made a Pactio with her before we left, right?"
The red-head looked shocked, but confirmed it. "Right…how did you know?"
The blond teacher smirked teasingly at the younger male. "Before we left, Anya pulled you aside for a 'private goodbye.' Not exactly subtle, otouto. And I've seen you with your Pactio card to your forehead."
Naruto jerked his head out the door. "Come on, Negi, the girls will be done by now, so let's get back and start the lesson."
Negi enthusiastically agreed, grabbing the class register and lesson plan. Chamo made to follow, but Naruto caught the ermine and gave him a stern look. "I know you want to help Negi, Chamo, and I appreciate the thought. But you need to back off right now. Negi. Is. Ten-Fucking-Years-Old. He doesn't understand women and he just got out of the 'girls have cooties' phase. He's just starting to go through puberty." He brought the ermine up to his eyes. "Stop pushing women on him. He doesn't know how to handle them, and he won't for awhile yet. Are we clear?"
Chamo nodded with a sigh. Naruto let him go and went back to class, where he led the lesson until lunch.
…
"Yes, that is disturbing," Konoe Konoemon commented, stroking his beard with a worried frown twisting his lips. "If the seal is weakening, that can only be troublesome for us."
Shizuna nodded in agreement. "I scanned her while I was taking the measurements, and if my scan was correct, she's now at fifteen percent power. By the time of the blackout, she'll be at forty-three percent. I judge that she'll actually look age-appropriate to be in Class 3-A."
Takahata tapped his chin from his place on the wall. "Nagi's seal was supposed to keep Evangeline here until she experienced an extreme paradigm shift, hopefully from her present personality to something a little more friendly. If it's weakening now, which means she is either rapidly changing personalities…or someone is tampering with it."
All of the mages in the room traded dark looks. Toko Kuzunoha, a swordswoman who shared the Shinmeiryuu style with Setsuna and was the younger's sempai in the kenjutsu style, noted that someone was notably absent. "Where is Naruto-sensei?" She questioned, drawing attention to his absence.
Takahata rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh…well…Evangeline and Naruto have a bit of a…history with each other."
Another mage, this one somewhat portly, asked, "What kind?"
The white-haired man shrugged. "I don't really know. The only ones who really know are Naruto, Nagi and Evangeline herself. Evangeline gets angry whenever someone mentions Nagi, Nagi is…not around, and Naruto won't say anything. For now, it's just a better idea to keep the situation separated for now."
The meeting came to an end with everyone agreeing to keep a weather eye on any strange situations. Shizuna made her way back to her office in the Infirmary, pausing outside the door when sounds began to filter through the wood.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"C'mon, harder! We have to finish before Shizuna-sensei comes back!"
The mint-haired nurse was taken aback by the voice. Is that…Ako?
"Alright, alright. This isn't exactly easy, for some reason…"
Shizuna's eyes widened. Naruto?!
Bang-bang-bang.
"Why is this so hard?!" Ako cried from inside, her grunts of exertion coming through the closed door.
The nurse listened closely, an unusual feeling burning in her chest. It sounds like Naruto and Ako are having sex…why do I feel so jealous? She shook her thoughts and envy away, throwing open the door to see…
Naruto and Ako pushing on a drawer to her desk, trying to pop it back into place. "What did you do to get it stuck like this, Ako-chan?"
The violette shook her head. "I lost my balance while trying to grab a file out of her drawer, and it got stuck like this!"
With a sharp crack, the drawer snapped back into place and slid smoothly in. The teacher and student sat back and wiped sweat from their foreheads. "That was surprisingly difficult," Naruto commented. He stood up and walked past Shizuna with a smile of greeting. "Sorry to leave so quickly, but I have someone to meet in town. See you later!"
Ako waved cheerfully. "Bye sensei! See you tomorrow!"
Shizuna stood in the doorway, mind blank with surprise.
…
(That Night…)
Naruto was striding down Sakura Lane in the dark, with only the light from the lamps as company. "Sure is dark," He said to himself, mostly as a way to pass the time. He began to whistle a jaunty tune, skipping slightly.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and went out, plunging the street into complete darkness. Naruto froze, all senses on high alert. The shuffling of fabric sounded from around him, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Hello?"
The shuffling stopped, before returning again, louder this time. Perched above his head, a pair of ice blue eyes opened, glowing slightly in the dark of the night. "Hello, boya…"
A weight dropped onto Naruto's back, and he knew no more.
…
The sun was just peeking over the horizon when a piercing scream shattered the morning peace.
Various teachers, students and pedestrians ran to source. Makie Sasaki knelt over a crumpled lump, shaking in terror and sobbing without restraint, her hands covering her mouth.
The closest students, the cheerleading trio, Chizuru, Akira and Satsuki stood around her and the shape, holding each other.
The first teacher to arrive was Shizuna. She pushed through the throng of people and froze as she saw what was on the ground.
Who was on the ground.
Naruto lay on the pavement, left cheek pressed against the ground with a small puddle of dried blood making a grisly halo around his head, coming from the bloody lump on the back of his skull.
Her training taking over, Shizuna knelt and immediately felt for a pulse, panic making her hand shake. There, just beneath the skin of his neck, a small throb of blood beat beneath her fingers, and she sighed in relief.
"Girls, he's not dead, just unconscious." She said aloud. "Help me carry him to the Infirmary, I can treat him better there."
The girls hefted the blond onto their shoulders and carried him carefully into the building and the medical room, avoiding the crowd around them. They laid him down on one of the cots, face-down to avoid injuring him further.
Shizuna dismissed the girls and drew the curtain around the cot, holding a basin full of hot water, a sponge and a few towels. Very carefully, she used the sponge, after wetting it in the water, to wipe away the dried blood stuck to his blond locks. It took several minutes, but she eventually cleaned it all away, setting aside the basin of red water and the sponge, using the towels to wipe away the remaining moisture. She rubbed a pain-relieving salve into the wound on his head, using a bit of magic to accelerate the healing process, before she wrapped his head in clean bandages.
As she set the last length of white around his head, Shizuna noticed two small, almost unnoticeable marks on the blond teacher's neck. They were the marks of someone who had been bitten by a vampire.
…
Class started late that day, with Negi having to take over the lessons and deal with it himself. Later, everyone had visited the still-unconscious sensei as he lay in bed. Even, surprisingly, Evangeline. Shizuna noted the shimmer of what looked like regret in her eyes as she looked upon Naruto. She also noted, however, that Evangeline had grown another inch of so and filled out slightly.
Narrowing her eyes, Shizuna made a promise to herself. She would get to the bottom of this.
…
Chizuru sat by Naruto's bed, holding one of his hands in her own. By his legs, Makie was slumped over, using his legs as a cushion for sleeping, a troubled look furrowing her brow.
The mature girl watched the rise and fall of Naruto's chest, feeling somewhat helpless. He had risked his life to save her own, and where was she when he needed her? She did realize that she couldn't have known, and was therefore not her fault, but she still felt guilty.
An idea struck Chizuru as her eyes locked on to the blond teacher's lips. What if this was like that one fairytale? Where the guy wouldn't wake up until he was kissed?
Unbidden, her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and the idea became more appealing. She glanced around surreptitiously, checking the room. Makie was still asleep, the door was closed and Shizuna's office was empty. There was no one here.
Shakily, Chizuru bent over Naruto, her face inches from his. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping, she noted. Gathering her courage, she pushed down and met his lips with her own.
Nothing happened.
Chizuru began to pull back, disappointed and cursing her foolishness, when Naruto began to respond, one of his hands snaking around her neck and holding her in place. His lips moved against hers, returning the kiss and sending jolts of sensation through her body. His tongue probed her lips, and she unconsciously opened her mouth and let him, his tongue dancing slowly with hers.
When air became a problem, they separated. Chizuru looked down at her sensei, seeing his bleary blue eyes looking up at her with amusement glimmering there. "That's one way to wake up," He quipped with a small smile.
The mature girl stared down at Naruto with her hands on her lips…before the ramifications of what she just did hit her. Blood rushed to her cheeks, and she fainted, slumping in her chair.
At the sound of laughter, Makie woke up. She rubbed her eyes tiredly before they locked onto the sight of her teacher awake. "Sensei!" She cheered happily, diving onto Naruto with a happy smile. He grunted lightly from the weight of her impact, but hugged her as she cried happily on his shoulder.
"I thought you were dead, sensei!" She said from his chest, her voice muffled slightly. "There was so much blood!"
Naruto was very confused. Blood? Dead? For that matter, why were Chizuru and Makie in his room?
"Ah, Makie-chan, why are you in my room?"
The pink-haired gymnast looked up at her sensei, confusion in her eyes. "Naruto-sensei…you're in the Infirmary."
The blond sensei actually took in his surroundings and noticed that he was, in fact, in the Infirmary. "What the hell happened?" He muttered.
"I was hoping you would be able to us, Naruto-kun." An aged voice said from the doorway. The two turned and saw Konoemon, Takahata and Shizuna standing in the door.
Makie warped over to her chair with an embarrassed blush, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
"What happened to me?" Naruto asked, feeling the bandages wrapped around his head.
Takahata pulled up a chair and sat in it, scratching at the stubble decorating his face. "We know you were attacked, but that's about it. Makie-chan found you this morning, lying on the ground on Sakura Lane, knocked out in a pool of blood."
The eyebrows on the blond teacher were nearly lost in his hair. "Really? Strange…I went to see a friend outside of Mahora…it was dark when I got back…I remember walking down Sakura Lane when the lights started to flicker…and then I woke up here."
Takahata narrowed his eye slightly, but the other two sighed and accepted it. "Alright, Naruto-kun. We don't know who did it, but be careful, okay? Who knows if it will happen again?" Shizuna said, handing Naruto a glass of water and two magical pain-relieving pills.
The rest of the class visited Naruto in the Infirmary, happy to see their sensei alive and well. There was an undercurrent of tension that permeated the class, derived from the fact that their sensei, one who seemed so strong, was attacked and nearly killed.
…
(Later That Night…)
"I can walk just fine!" Naruto protested. Takahata had one of his hands under Naruto's shoulders, holding the blond up while half-carrying him to his dorm.
With them were Setsuna, Toko, and Shizuna both swordswomen with hands on weapons, senses extended for any danger. The nurse had come along to make sure Naruto made it home safe with his concussion.
Naruto had complained the entire way, until the nurse threatened to gag him. He had simply muttered, "I bet you'd like that…" And while it made her blush, Shizuna had stood fast.
The sun barely peeked over the horizon, stretching languid rays of light into the sky. The group was now passing through Sakura Lane, the same location Naruto had been found that morning.
A presence filled the air, making the hair on the back of their necks stand up, except for Naruto. They stopped, tensing, ready for battle.
Naruto looked at the others, noticing the white knuckled-grip the swordswomen had on their blades, Takahata shoving his hands in his pockets and Shizuna tugging on a metal bracelet.
"Uh, guys? What's going on?" The blond sensei questioned.
"You feel it, don't you?" Toko asked.
Setsuna hummed in confirmation, and Shizuna nodded. Takahata glanced over at Naruto, surprise in his eyes. "Why can't you sense it, Naruto?"
The blond gave him a clueless look. "Sense what? What are you talking about, dammit!" frustration coloring his tone.
Behind them, the sun finally dropped below the horizon, letting the dark that had began to creep up surge across the sky.
"Hehehehe…"
Girlish giggling rang through the air, causing the mages and swordswomen to tense further. Naruto froze, his eyes wide and his body shivering.
"Whose there?!" Toko called out, the only response being more giggles.
Unknown to them, Naruto's eyes dilated, the pupil nearly overtaking the iris entirely.
A voice drifted across the Lane, easily identified as Evangeline. "Hello, fools. I didn't think so many of you would be trying to take my new toy…"
"You attacked Naruto?" Shizuna shouted angrily, her hands clenching into fists.
"…Are you stupid?" floated back over the wind. "I'm the only vampire on campus, midori-baka. Of course I was the one that attacked sensei. Though…that wasn't the only thing I did…"
Takahata felt a cold chill shoot up his spine. His eyes slid over to Naruto, widening as they took in Naruto's stance and his eyes.
"Why don't you take a look? Darling, dispose of these fools, would you kindly?"
Before the white-haired teacher could shout out a warning, the back of Naruto's fist smashed across his face, sending him over the road and into the grass with a groan of pain.
A foot slammed into Shizuna's sternum and launched her onto the other side of the road with a cry of surprise and pain, her green hair fanning behind her.
Toko drew her sword, attempting to slash at Naruto, but he was faster. He caught her wrist and twisted his arm around hers, using his strength to spin her through the air and kick her over towards Shizuna. Landing on his foot, he twisted and hit Setsuna with a round house kick that slapped against her face and sent her over to join Takahata.
"Ah, aren't you a sweet dear?" Evangeline tittered, her voice carrying a taunt underneath it. "Taking care of those mean people…I think I should reward you later."
"What the hell are you doing, Naruto!" Toko shouted, holding on to her stomach.
Takahata rubbed his cheek, his eyes narrowed on the blond. "Setsuna, be careful. This isn't some C-class demon. This is Naruto, 'Immortal Slayer'."
Setsuna licked her lips and nodded tersely, her hand on her nodachi. The air between the five grew thick and heavy. Takahata punched, releasing a blast of energy in the shape of a fist that ripped through the air at Naruto's head.
The blond tilted his head and brought a hand up to slap the blast away, the energy sailing past his head and dissipating into the air. He ducked under a swing from Toko and spun away from a stab from Setsuna, catching a trio of arrows of wind from Shizuna, redirecting the spell through his hand and his shoulders, amplifying it as it went and releasing a larger blast that caught the Shinmeiryuu swordswomen and throwing them away.
Takahata appeared in front of Naruto, glowing slightly and exuding magic power. He began punching at Naruto with a speed that the others could not follow, his arms a blur. The blond flowed around every strike, loud claps signifying every time he blocked a punch. Naruto suddenly moved, grasping both of Takahata's arms and stopping his assault. He bent Takahata's wrists outwards and kicked the teacher on the chin, throwing his head back and sending a few drops of blood into the air. With Takamichi open, Naruto threw his arms aside and unleashed a trio of heavy punches into Takahata's chest, ending his combo with a blast of air that emanated from his chest and hurled the other teacher across the street.
Naruto spun away from a slash by Setsuna, rolling over another shot at his legs from Toko and jumping up to kick both in the face. He absorbed seven arrows of wind from Shizuna without any ill effect, the wind picking up around them. He turned and avoided a pincer-style thrust from both sides by Toko and Setsuna, grabbing both of them by their outstretched arms and slamming them together, twisting their swords out of their hands at the same time. He swung the swords down and then up, releasing a line of blunt ki into both of the swordswomen, throwing them up into the air, and as they fell down, he pinned them down with their own swords through left and right shoulder of their clothes.
As he stood, a younger male voice called out, "Twenty-three arrows of wind!"
A volley of arrows made of wind zipped through the air and slammed into Naruto's chest. He absorbed the elements, but the force of the spell made him stagger back a step. Before he could regain his footing, Asuna landed in front of him and landed a kick to his face that sent him back three meters.
Konoka landed next to Takahata and waved a hand over his chest, healing his wounds. "What's going on, sensei? Why's Naruto attacking you?"
The white-haired man panted shook his head. "I don't believe it, but Naruto is being mind-controlled by Evangeline! I didn't think he could be enthralled by a vampire."
Negi reinforced his arms with magic and pulled the weapons holding Setsuna and Toko down, handing them back their swords. He stood back, joining Shizuna in throwing spells when he could get a clear shot as Asuna and the Shinmeiryuu swordswomen held his attention.
Takahata narrowed his eyes as he noticed something off about Naruto's movements. "He can't control himself, but he's fighting it." He muttered to himself.
Konoka threw a fireball at Naruto, who batted it at Toko with a casual back-hand. The woman cut the fireball in half and dashed at Naruto along with Setsuna. "What makes you say that, sensei?" She asked her former teacher.
Takahata pointed at Naruto as he caught a punch by Asuna and threw the girl into Negi, before catching a wave of white ki from Toko and redirecting it at Setsuna. "Through the entire fight, he's only redirecting attacks or hitting us with non-lethal attacks. There are many times he could have killed any one of us and he only knocked us away."
Naruto ducked under a round-house kick from Asuna, spinning around and smacking her in the face with the back of his fist, before spinning once again and kicking the orangette into Shizuna. He then grabbed a volley of arrows from Negi and spun in a full revolution, releasing the magic back at Negi and throwing the ten-year-old away with a yelp.
Naruto bent backwards, avoiding a trio of fireballs from Konoka. He came back up, just in time to meet Takahata's fist slamming into his nose. He staggered back in surprise as the older man took advantage of his open state and unleashed several punches into Naruto's chest, finishing off with another heavy blow to his face that sent him flailing back. Toko and Setsuna appeared, Setsuna crouching behind him with her blade pulled back, Toko in front of him with in a similar pose.
"Zan-Ma-Ken! (Evil-Cutting-Sword!)" They called in unison, their swords glowing with ki as they swung them forward at the defenseless Naruto.
The blades came within inches of Naruto, before a wide dome of air erupted out of him that hurled the entire group of non-mind controlled mages away with shouts of surprise.
The air cleared enough to show Naruto in the center of the storm, his face twisted in anger. Through the entire fight, Naruto's face had been a blank, emotionless mask that was alien on the usually smiling blond.
"GOD DAMMIT, NAGI! YOU HAD TO STEAL MY SWORD!" His scream of rage rang across the entire campus, echoing through the boughs of the World Tree.
The wind whipping around him began to compress into a smaller and smaller sphere, gaining power and volume as it did, until it became centered on his chest.
With a shout of pain, concentration and anger, the air finally reached critical mass and exploded violently, making the other mages cover their faces.
When they lowered their arms, they found a cylinder of silver-gray metal forming out of the air, until it finally stopped, releasing one last burst of wind.
The cylinder was about eight inches tall and three or so inches wide, made of silver-gray metal with a black grip. Naruto grasped it in his hand and twirled it. He flicked his wrist, and with a series of clicks, the cylinder extended into a four-foot long baton. The body of the baton was perforated with several different sized and placed holes along its length.
Naruto gazed at it introspectively. "I think I'll call you…Melody. That works." He then noticed Takahata, Negi, Toko, Setsuna, Asuna, Konoka and Shizuna standing around him, looking beat up. "Wait, what the fuck is going on…?"
His pupils dilated again, and his face fell into a blank mask. He moved forward, twirling Melody between his fingers, producing a high-pitched whistle as well as a low one simultaneously, making their muscles seize up.
Naruto moved at Setsuna, being the nearest. He rapped Melody across her knuckles, knocking the nodachi out of her hands, then swinging the baton around and slamming it into the back of her neck, knocking her out cold.
Next came Toko. He smacked the sword from her hands and swept her legs up from her body, making her fall to the ground with a grunt, before he rapped the top of the baton across her temple and knocked her unconscious.
Negi clutched his ears as Naruto twirled the baton again, producing a high ringing that reverberated in his skull. Naruto reached out and grasped his neck, squeezing and sending the young red-head into unconsciousness.
He slammed Melody into the back of Asuna's head, allowing her to join her comrades in sleep. He moved onto Konoka and tapped her forehead, releasing a burst of magic that shut her mind down and asleep.
He moved onto Takahata. The white-haired teacher was struggling against the restrictive song from Melody, the muscles in his neck knotting under the strain. Naruto drove the baton into his stomach, knocking the wind from his body and making Takahata bend over, bringing the baton down the back of his neck. He didn't get knocked out, and stared up at Naruto with a frustrated gaze. Naruto responded by slamming the baton across his face, and then twice more when that didn't work.
Shizuna managed to break free, albeit barely, and sent a low powered blast of air at Naruto, all she could manage in her state.
Naruto held Melody in front of him, letting his weapon take the blow. It rang loudly and sharply, making Shizuna scream in pain as it felt like her head was being rent in two. She managed to look up into Naruto's blue eyes, and was startled to see a glimmer of regret in his cerulean orbs.
Then, he swung down, and she saw a flash of light and felt pain, then only darkness. Distantly, she thought she heard a trio of thunderous cracks erupt over her head, and then she knew no more.
…
(Even Later…)
Shizuna shot up with an alarmed look on her face as soon as she regained consciousness, only to grab her head as it throbbed in pain.
"You should lay down, sensei," A low, monotone voice told her. She cracked an eye open, looking up to see a dark blob surrounded by an even darker blob. Shizuna then became aware that her glasses were not on her face.
As if reading her mind, the blob shifted and she felt the cool wood on the side of her ears. The world sharpened, and the nurse found herself looking up into the face of Mana Tatsumiya. "Stay still, sensei," She said, rubbing a bit of cream she had gotten out of a small tub onto Shizuna's forehead. The nurse sighed as she felt her head-ache lessen and the throbbing slow down to manageable levels.
On her left, Takahata sat up, holding the back of his head and groaning. "Dammit, Naruto-sensei…why'd you have hit me the most?" He muttered to himself.
The others began to wake up, all holding their heads and groaning in pain, until Konoka cast an area healing spell, relieving them of their worst bumps and bruises.
Mana twisted the lid back on the tub of cream and set it in one of the pockets in her miko outfit. She looked towards Takahata, who had pulled out a thin plastic stick and stuck it in his mouth in lieu of a cigarette. "Who is Naruto-sensei, Takahata-sensei? About two hours ago, I saw him beat-down a master Shinmeiryuu swordswoman, an apprentice of the same style, the son of the Thousand Master, the daughter of the Kansai Magic Association's head, Shizuna-sensei, Asuna and you, 'Iaiken' Takahata, with what seemed to be a surprising amount of ease. He even shot my bullets out of the air."
The white-haired man sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He pulled a small yellow crystal formation out of one of his pockets along with a block of metal inscribed with several strange runes. He set the crystal on top of the metal block, where it stood, impossibly without any assistance.
Takahata pushed one of the runes, channeling magic through his fingers and illuminating the crystal. "You have to understand…" He began, a contemplative look on his face. "I don't know who Naruto is exactly. I don't think anyone really does. I do know more than most."
The crystal lit up, throwing its' light onto a nearby wall, which began moving. "I do know one certain thing about Naruto." He said, with a dead serious face. "He's not human."
…
(The video…)
A soft whirring cut the air, as three young men strode through a large forest. One of the men had a mop of red hair, carrying a wooden staff with a hooked end. The other had head of spiky brown hair and a large pair of glasses, and he was carrying a nodachi in a scabbard on his hip. The last had golden-blond hair pulled back into a small ponytail, spinning what seemed to be a silver chain rapidly.
"Would you stop spinning that thing?!" The red-head shouted, breaking the silence. "It always makes me nervous when you do that!" He waved his arms childishly, flapping his sleeves loudly.
The blond gave the red-head a dry look before rolling his eyes. He stopped spinning the object, which was revealed to be a very large western-styled broadsword, five feet in length not including the hilt, with a pattern of waves decorating the silver-blue blade along the blood channel. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, with a pommel of round sapphire. The guard was a twisted series of black metal that resembled vines growing out of two pieces of metal that served to protect the wielders' hand.
"You can be such a child sometimes, Nagi." The blond muttered, sling the blade onto his back.
Nagi, the red-head, pouted and retorted, "Shut up, Naruto! Excuse me if someone spinning a huge-ass sword makes me nervous!"
The brunette in between the two sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Can't you guys stop arguing for five minutes, please? We're supposed to be tracking missing villagers, not shouting at each other!"
Both of the bright-haired men sighed. "You're right, Eishun. We'll calm down." Nagi mumbled contritely.
Eishun smiled. "Good." His eyebrow started twitching as he heard the two mutter to each other.
"He's always right, Nagi, don't you know?"
"Of course, how could I forget! He is always right!"
"And handsome, too."
"Devastatingly so."
"Let's not forget smart."
"Terribly smart."
"And wise, too."
"So very wise!"
"He's funny, too!"
"One could say he's witty!"
Eishun's entire face began to twitch violently as the two began to sing.
"He's so, witty, oh so witty! He feels pretty, oh so pretty, and witty and~!"
"SHUT UP!" Eishun roared at the two with a comically large head. Quick as a blink, he pulled the sheath in his belt-loop free and whacked both Naruto and Nagi on top of the head.
Nagi knelt on the ground, his hands on his head and crocodile tears in his eyes, while Naruto gave Eishun a look that translated to: 'Was that supposed to do something?'
Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the air. All humor was dropped, the trio of men becoming serious in an instant.
They leapt into the tree branches and dashed across the tree-tops, stopping when the boughs ended and they came upon a clearing. In this clearing, there was a camp made of mis-matched tents, and several hundred demons milling about. Near the center, there was a stone altar, and a man standing next to it.
He was bald, with blue skin and sharp ears and sharp teeth. As they watched, he plunged a serrated dagger into the stomach of a satyr to his scream of pain. The jewel at the bottom glowed a malicious red as the satyr was reduced to dust and sucked into the jewel.
The man laughed cruelly and hefted the dagger into the air in triumph. "Bring the next sacrifice! She hungers!"
There were a group of demons, armed with weapons standing around several bound and somewhat beaten people. An oni with a large, metal-studded club reached into the prisoners and dragged an blonde elf woman out of the group and up to the altar, her pleads for mercy going ignored.
Nagi licked his lips and tightened his grip on his staff. "We need a plan. There are too many for us to kill before they harm the prisoners. Now, I think-"
The elf screamed in terror as the man raised his dagger high over his head, an evil smile on his lips.
Nagi and Eishun heard a heavy click and turned to see Naruto stand up on his branch, a large electric blue pistol in his hands. Naruto sighted on the bastard with the dagger and fired.
Three thunder-claps rang out through the clearing as the trio of bullets the size of a thumb ripped through the blue-skinned man, one through his chest, another through his head, and the last shattered the dagger into a million fragments.
Naruto pushed off of the branch, sailing into the sky. He aimed downwards and pulled the trigger rapidly. Every shot ripped through a demon guard leaving a pillar made of electricity in its place. Lightning leapt between the pillars, caging the prisoners safely.
With an errant gesture, Naruto dismissed his gun into a shower of sparks and pulled the blade from his back. He landed, causing the ground to shake and a crater form, throwing a cloud of dust into the air. The cloud was bisected as a wave of razor wind flew through the ranks of demons, cutting through any in its' way.
Naruto moved through the demons like a flash of lightning, every wide sweep of his blade ending the lives six or more demons at a time. Every demon that was cut down was reduced to dust that floated away on the wind, until there was only one left.
The blue-skinned man pushed himself back onto his feet, the holes in his chest and head slithering shut. "You fool! It took my weeks to summon all those demons! I'll kill you!"
Naruto didn't bother to reply, he simply sliced the incoming fireball in half, spun around an earth spike that erupted out of the ground and ran the blue man through with his sword.
The man laughed. "Hahaha! Fool! I am Metronome, Lord of a million demons, Immortal God of Makai! You have no idea-!" He coughed a wad of blood onto the ground, and found himself staring at the blade stabbed into his stomach. Or, the fact that he was dissoliving into a million particles. "What?!"
Naruto stepped forward and drove his blade to the hilt in Metronome's stomach. "I named this blade Saijin, dust, because of what it does. Every swing releases countless blades of wind…" He gestured down to the dissolving 'God'. "They are so small and numerous that they cut everything they touch into dust."
Naruto ripped Saijin away from the Immortal, watching with steeled eyes as he began to become dust. "If you really are Immortal…than you'll get feel what's it's like to be dust for eternity."
With on last breath, Metronome finally dissolved.
Naruto hooked the blade on his back and moved to the altar, with two swift movements cutting the bonds that tied the elf woman down. She flung herself at him, the relief she felt from being saved from a painful death overriding her emotions. Naruto hugged her and let her sob her tears into his shoulder as something bumped against his foot.
Looking down, he found the red jewel that had been on the bottom of the dagger Metronome had been using. Bending down, he picked it up and examined it with his senses, his lips curling in disgust when he felt the evil and malicious intent rolling off of it. He tightened his grip on the jewel and shattered it, releasing the power it had stolen into the air. To his and the other prisoners surprise, the power fell to the ground and began to take form, the forms of all of the ones who had been sacrificed.
After several tearful reunions, Naruto moved the rest out of the clearing, turning back to look at the altar. Raising a hand, he concentrated on his palm, a fireball crackling into existence. He flicked his wrist and sent it sailing into the altar, where it exploded, wiping the altar from existence.
…
(Outside of the Crystal…)
The light faded, leaving the crystal standing on a block of metal.
"Now you know how close we came to getting killed," Takahata said seriously.
Mana narrowed her eyes, one hand cupping her chin in thought. "When did this take place?" She asked.
Takahata thought for a second, before he replied, "Around twenty years or so. If this is about his age, he's sworn up and down that he's seventeen as long as I've known him."
"Who's controlling him?" Asuna asked with a fierce expression. The thought of her savior under anyone's thumb rankled her something fierce.
Shizuna clenched her fist angrily. "She's been going to Mahora for fifteen years, ever since Nagi cursed her to remain here. She's vampire."
"Her name is Evangeline A.K. McDowell."
…
A/N: And that's the end of that chapter. It's also my first foray into the area of citrus since that one scene in a previous fic.
It also happens to be my birthday today. So, review, would you?
Also, I put references to other media (games, anime and others), and I put them there on purpose, you don't need to tell me where they're from, I fuckin' know, I wrote it. I say this because of that one time where I referenced Mass Effect and got twenty or so reviews pointing that out.
Also, I got like, eight reviews last chapter. Care to bump that number up a bit, please?
Since it's my birthday, I'll give out some presents 'cause I'm generous Mo'fo and all that.
(My First Omake Ever…)
(Naruto reads Naruto…)
I figured you might enjoy these…
Storia.
Naruto dropped the note to the table and looked at the stack of brightly colored books. Shrugging, he placed his cup of coffee on the table and sat down, cracking volume one and preparing for a good read.
…
(Three Hours Later…)
Naruto dropped the last issue of the manga on the table with a disturbed look on his face. He snapped his fingers, and the books were engulfed in roaring flames that died out an instant later, having nothing more to consume.
"What the fuck was that shit? Nothing in there was right at all!"
…
Lol. That's how I feel about it right now, too. A fuckin' tree, seriously?
…
Takahata spied Naruto, standing still, his fist clenched and his eyes vibrating in their sockets. A feeling of dread creeped up his back and made all of his hair stand on end. His stomach dropped when Asuna, thinking the blond having a moment of weakness brought on by mind control and his fighting it, jumped forward with her right foot forward. "Asuna, NO!"
This shout was mirrored, surprisingly, by Evangeline, a look of terror on her face and in her eyes.
Asuna's kick landed, pushing Naruto back with his hands clutching his face.
Time stood still.
The feeling of terror and death, and the willingness to murder masses of innocents landed on the area, forcing every combatant to their knees.
An evil, malicious chuckle began in Naruto's chest, bubbling out of his throat until it rang through the clearing as insane cackling.
He ripped his hands away from his face. His cheeks twisted and contorted into an insane, blood-lust-filled grin, his teeth growing and sharpening until they were too vicious for a human mouth. His pupils closed into slits, and the irises lightened to white. His shirt and jacket began to tear as his muscles grew and filled out even more.
"Oh no…" Takahata murmured, terror filling his visage, "Asuna woke Butcher…"
In a burst of fire, Naruto's top was incinerated, showing the black veins that crawled over his rapidly-paling skin. He laughed evilly, fire crawling up his arms and encasing his entire body.
"You woke the wrong dog!" He shouted gleefully, "Hahaha! Aw, yeah! Let's have some fun…heheheh…"
Jenna licked her lips with some worry. "Oh, this is going to end well, I can feel it…"