Hello all Storm here with a new chapter! Here we'll be seeing the group dealing with the Bakeneko, though having things going very differently from canon, but still having the same end result. So, without further ado.
I own nothing
After storming out of the room, Naruto began walking through the temple until he made his way outside. Stopping for a moment to take a deep breath, enjoying the cool night air before walking away from the temple and over to the edge of the mountain it was. With the Uzumaki sitting down as he began taking a few breaths, feeling himself calm down with each breath he took.
'Ugh! Why did I do that?!' Naruto thought once his annoyance and anger left him, not believing what he said and how he was acting.
Feeling bad at how he acted towards Towa and everything he said to her, knowing he'll need to apologize to her once he goes back. And not just her, he needed to apologize to Moroha as well, given how he was responding to her flirting just to get back at Towa. Making him feel even worse at using her like that.
'Why was I even acting like that? And why do I even care so much whenever Towa talks about Julian like that?' Thought Naruto, frowning at how this isn't the first time he's felt annoyed whenever Towa's mentioned Julian before, when he first heard about him from Mei.
*Flashback*
"Naruto! Here, listen to this!" Mei said, smiling eagerly holding some earbuds towards the whiskered blonde, with Naruto leaning back slightly with how close she was holding them to his face.
"And what is this exactly?" Naruto asked, taking the earbuds and putting them in, listening to the music come through them.
"It's Julian! He's the greatest and his music is the best!" Said Mei, while Naruto listened and bobbed his head slightly.
'Not bad I guess.' Naruto thought, admitting it wasn't half-bad.
"What do you think?! Isn't Julian the greatest you've ever heard?!" Mei asked, eager to know what Naruto thinks of Julian's music.
"It's…" Said Naruto, only to stop when they saw Towa walk in.
"Hey, what're you two doing? Listening to music?" Questioned Towa, having just got back home, making her curious to see Naruto and Mei together.
"Yeah! I'm having Naruto listen to one of Julian's songs so he can see how great he is, too!" Said Mei, causing the silverette to suddenly smile brightly.
"That's great, Mei!" Towa said before looking at Naruto.
"What do you think of it?! Julian is really good, isn't he. I was actually pretty skeptical when Mei first introduced him to me, but the more of his songs I listened to, the more I really started liking them. I could show you some of my favorite ones once you're done listening to that." Said Towa, wanting to share her favorite songs with Naruto.
With her missing the look of annoyance Naruto gained at how she was praising Julian and his music, before he took the earbuds out and shook his head, not even bothering finishing the song.
"Sorry Mei, but I don't think this guy's music is for me." Naruto said, now no longer caring about Julian's music, making Towa and Mei look at him.
"Really? If you don't like that one, there are some other songs you could try." Said Mei, with Towa nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, he has plenty of different songs in different styles. You could try listening to some of them and see which ones you prefer." Towa added, hoping they can get him interested in some of Julian's songs, only for the Uzumaki to shake his head.
"Thanks, but no thanks. It's just music that doesn't really interest me." Replied Naruto, not interested in trying any other songs by the idol.
"Are you sure you don't want to try some others?" Mei asked while looking at Naruto hopefully, with him nodding in response.
"I'm sure Mei. Sorry I don't really like it, like you do. But if you enjoy it, then don't let me stop you from listening." Naruto said, being kind for the younger girl's sake, but also making it clear he wasn't going to change his mind.
*End Flashback*
Naruto groaned as he laid back, covering his face with his hands at how he was acting.
"Kami, I'm so stupid." Naruto muttered, knowing he'll really need to apologize to Towa and Moroha.
Before Naruto tensed slightly when he heard footsteps approaching him, making him quickly look only to relax when he saw it was Juan.
"Forgive me for disturbing you, Naruto. But I couldn't help but overhear the argument you had with Ms. Towa, and I wished to make sure you were alright after hearing you leave the temple." Said Juan while bowing his head, making Naruto frown slightly as he stood up.
"Oh. Sorry you had to hear that, and if we disturbed you." Said Naruto, still feeling rather suspicious of the monk, but can also see he was acting like a dick to him as well.
"It's quite alright. I'm sure the situation can be rather stressful, tracking down Bakeneko and trying to uncover the mystery of disappearing travelers. I had actually been doing some research to see if I could provide more assistance, and I believe I've found an explanation as to why the Bakeneko may be drawn to this area." Juan replied, getting the whiskered blonde's attention.
"What did you find?" Naruto asked, wondering what the monk could've found out about the Bakeneko.
"Please, follow me back inside and I'll explain what I've been able to discover." Said Juan, with Naruto nodding warily in response as they went back inside the temple.
Keeping his guard up, Naruto followed Juan back into the main shrine as he sat across from him while the monk handed him some tea, getting a nod of thanks.
"Thanks. So, what were you able to find?" Questioned Naruto as Juan sat down across from him.
"An old legend about this temple. About a hundred years ago, a powerful priest had sealed away the spirit of a three-hundred-year-old Bakeneko, while laying its body to rest beneath the floors of this very temple." Juan explained, surprising Naruto at this information.
"There's a three-hundred-year-old Bakeneko sealed beneath the temple's floor?" Naruto asked rhetorically, not expecting that to be the reason behind the rest of the Bakeneko being around here.
"Yes. This could explain why so many other Bakeneko have been drawn here, sensing the spirit of the older and more powerful Bakeneko. Making their lair on the mountain pass and attacking anyone unfortunate enough to come across them." Said Juan with Naruto frowning at what this could mean if the stronger Bakeneko could be behind this, somehow.
'And he just happened to find all this information in the middle of the night, while I'm away from the others.' Naruto thought, glancing at Juan warily, finding it all a little too convenient.
*With Towa, Setsuna and Moroha*
Meanwhile, back in the girls' room, Towa and Moroha had "gone to sleep" with Setsuna remaining awake as usual but was pretending to be asleep. Though the demon slayer frowned as more time passed and nothing happened. Making her crack an eye open and look around for anything that could show the Bakeneko are preparing to attack.
'This doesn't make any sense. They should have made a move by now, no Yōkai would be able to pass up the chance on such easy prey.' Setsuna thought, wondering why the Bakeneko haven't made a move to attack so they could take them out.
With them having agreed to pretend to be asleep and wait for the Bakeneko to attack, giving them the chance to finish them off. Yet so far, nothing has happened, no sign they were attacking or even watching them.
'Which means they've either foreseen our trap and are waiting for us to actually fall asleep. But while it may work on Towa and Moroha, they wouldn't know I'm incapable of falling asleep, so them waiting to strike wouldn't work. And if they aren't waiting to strike, then that means…' Setsuna thought before her eyes widened in realization.
Before she quickly shot up and rushed towards the door, grunting when she tried opening it only to hit a barrier, keeping her from opening the door.
"What's going on?!" Moroha said while quickly getting up with a hand on her sword with Towa doing the same as they looked around to see if the Bakeneko took the bait, only for their eyes to widen when they saw the barrier around the door.
"The monk tricked us!" Said Setsuna, mentally cursing that they'd been lured into a trap themselves.
*With Naruto*
Back with Naruto and Juan, the Uzumaki tensed when he sensed something above them, his eyes widening when he looked up and saw a swarm of Bakeneko above them.
"Move!" Naruto said, tackling Juan out of the way just as the Bakeneko pounced at them, with the monk's eyes widening at the sight of the Yōkai.
"Behind you!" Said Juan, pulling out a few sacred sutras and threw them at the Bakeneko, causing them to yowl in pain as they were purified by the tags.
"My turn now!" Said Naruto, pulling his fist back and channeling Reiryoku into his palm, before throwing his fist forward.
"Spirit Shotgun!" Naruto said, releasing the energy as multiple projectiles that shot forward at high speed, blasting through several of the Bakeneko.
"What form of attack was that?!" Juan asked in shock at the attack, while moving back as he threw more sacred sutra to purify the Bakeneko, along with placing a few on the walls forming a barrier to keep them from escaping.
"The kind only I can do!" Said Naruto with a smirk before quickly drawing his swords and channeling Reiryoku into them, slashing five Bakeneko that lunged at him.
Before he turned around, blocking another Bakeneko which he quickly stabbed with his other sword while seeing Juan throwing sacred sutras around them at the Bakeneko. Making the Uzumaki relax more at seeing he was fighting them off as well, until he saw a group of Bakeneko jumping down at the monk from the ceiling, making his eyes widen.
"Get down! Spirit Shotgun!" Naruto said, channeling more Reiryoku into his fist and thrusting it forward, launching multiple projectiles at the Yōkai.
With Juan quickly falling to the floor, avoiding the Bakeneko just as the projectiles passed overhead and vaporized them, before he got back up and saw that those had been the last of them.
"Thank you, you likely just saved my life." Juan said with a bow, while Naruto nodded in response.
"No problem. And thanks for the help yourself, these things seem like they'd be difficult to fight alone in large numbers. But unless something is done then I don't think those will be the last of them." Said Naruto, with Juan nodding in agreement.
"Agreed. If these Bakeneko are being drawn here by the spirit of the older Bakeneko, then perhaps there's a way to purify the Yōkai and send it off to the afterlife. Ensuring that no more travelers need to fear being attacked again." Said Juan as Naruto nodded as well at this.
"Yeah, and you said it's sealed underneath the temple. Then let's go check it out and see if we can find its body." Naruto said before the two exited the temple to investigate underneath it.
Going outside and down the stairs, the two looked underneath the temple floor for any sign of where the Bakeneko could be buried or any of the lesser Bakeneko.
"Can you see anything under there?" Naruto asked, unable to see anything with how dark it is.
"I'm afraid not, even if the sun was out I don't think we'd be able to see anything under the temple. Let me go get some candles to light our way." Said Juan, only for the whiskered blonde to shake his head.
"You don't need to; I have something better." Said Naruto before pulling out a flashlight and turning it on, much to Juan's shock as he covered his eyes from the sudden bright light.
"My word! What sort of device is that?" Juan asked in disbelief, lowering his arm once the flashlight was turned away from him.
"Just something that's better than any candle or torch. Come on, we it shouldn't be hard to find anything now that we can see." Said Naruto as they climbed underneath the temple to continue their search.
*With Towa, Setsuna and Moroha*
"Why would Juan put a barrier around our room?!" Towa asked, grunting as she touched the barrier only to be pushed back by it.
"Because he's not really human. He must hiding his Yōki enough that anyone would think he's just a regular human. And now we're trapped in here, while he's out there with Naruto." Said Setsuna, gritting her teeth that they were tricked and now trapped.
"Not for long! Out of the you two, I'll take that barrier down with my Sacred Arrow!" Moroha said nocking an arrow and aiming at the door, with Towa and Setsuna quickly moving out of the way.
Channeling her Reiryoku into the arrow, Moroha released it as it flew and hit the barrier, burning away the Yōki-infused sacred sutras powering it.
"Good job, Moroha! Let's go!" Said Towa, opening the door as they ran out into the hallway, only to be stopped when they saw the Bakeneko charging at them.
"It's not over yet! Scourge of Swallows!" Setsuna said, slashing his naginata through the air, unleashing a barrage of green energy swallows at the Yōkai, only for Towa and Moroha to be forced to get out of the way.
"Hey! Watch where you're swinging that thing, Setsu!" Said Moroha, annoyed that she almost hit them.
"We need to be careful fighting like this!" Towa said while drawing her Demon Energy Sword and shouting as she swung it as the Bakeneko once they got close enough, though Setsuna quickly raised her naginata, blocking Towa's sword when it almost hit her.
Before the girls had to move back as the Bakeneko lunged at them, with Setsuna scowling in annoyance when she tried swinging her naginata, only for it to be too long to move around the hallway.
"We can't fight like this; we need to move to a more open area." Said Setsuna upon seeing they wouldn't be able to make much progress in defeating the Bakeneko in the narrow hallways, not without risking hitting each other.
"Then it's a good thing I don't need weapons to kill them! Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Moroha said while channeling her Yōki to her claws and swung them, releasing Yōki energy claws that sent the Bakeneko flying back only for them to soon get back up snarling at the Hanyō.
"You can't use any stronger attacks?" Towa asked, swinging her sword at the Yōkai when they jumped at them, forcing Moroha and Setsuna to duck to avoid being hit.
"Gimme a break! I can only do so much without using my rouge! Blades of Blood!" Said Moroha while digging her claws into her hands and swung them at the Yōkai, launching Yōki-fueled crescent shaped blades of blood at the Bakeneko, throwing them back as the blades smashed into them.
"It'll be enough! Moroha, hold them back until we can get out of here!" Said Setsuna as they ran down the hallway while they could, slamming her leg into three Bakeneko when they lunged at her.
"Right! Blades of Blood!" Moroha said, swinging her claws out her side, throwing the Bakeneko against the walls before they could get back up.
'Naruto, please be alright.' Thought Towa, hoping that nothing's happened to Naruto, before smashing her swords hilt into a Yōkai's head behind her before it could attack.
*With Naruto*
Naruto and Juan moved around beneath the temple, looking for any sign of the Bakeneko's grave, before they soon spotted a hole in the ground.
"That looks promising. Let's check it out." Naruto said as Juan nodded in agreement before they moved over to the hole, with them being surprised when they looked down in it and saw a large cat skeletons.
"That must be the bones of the Bakeneko, so the legend is true." Said Juan, not believing there really was a Bakeneko sealed down here.
"Yeah, looks like it. But…something seems off about them." Said Naruto, frowning as he looked at the bones, unable to help but feel something off.
Only for his eyes to widen in shock when the bones began floating and reassembling themselves, with them then glowing once they were fully assembled.
"We need to move! Bala!" Naruto said, shooting a Bala straight up at the temples floor, blowing open a hole back inside.
Not stopping there, the whiskered Shihanyō grabbed Juan and jumped up back into the main shrine of the temple before the two rushed back outside. Doing so just in time as the Bakeneko burst out from underneath the and temple. Chasing after them as a skeleton, before being fully restored with white fur and solid red eyes with black slits.
"Juan, you think you can help me take this thing down?" Naruto asked while drawing his swords in preparation.
"I'm afraid I can't! I haven't progressed far enough into my training for my sacred sutras to have any effect on a Yōkai this powerful!" Said Juan, making Naruto mentally curse that he's on his own.
'I don't know if I can beat this thing alone, so I just need to hold it off until the girls get here.' Thought Naruto before he quickly ducked when the Bakeneko lunged at him, swinging one of its paws at him which he dodged in time.
"I'm really starting to hate cats more than I ever have!" Said Naruto before swinging one of his swords across the Bakeneko's paw, making it hiss and jump back only to lunge at the Uzumaki again.
*With Towa, Setsuna and Moroha*
Back with the Half-Demon Princesses, they had soon managed to get outside much to their relief at now having more room to fight. Though the moment they got outside, they felt the ground shaking slightly before seeing an explosion nearby.
"I'm gonna guess and say Naruto found the leader! Heavenly Arrow Barrage!" Said Moroha while grabbing her bow and nocking an arrow, before firing it at the Yōkai as it split into multiple arrows which shot through several of the cats.
"Then there's no time to waste here! Cyclone Burst!" Setsuna said while spinning her naginata around, creating a large cyclone of wind that began sucking in the Bakeneko and tearing them apart from the force of the winds.
"Take this! Azure Dragon Wave!" Said Towa while channeling her Yōki into the tip of her energy sword before swinging it, unleashing a wave Yōki that transformed into a dragon which rushed forward and vaporized the remaining Bakeneko.
Only for the girls to see more Bakeneko coming out of the temple, much to their annoyance at how there were still more of them.
"Okay, I'm starting to understand why you guys hate cats so much! Crimson Dragon Wave!" Moroha said, drawing her sword and swinging it, releasing a crimson energy dragon that blasted through the Bakeneko.
*With Naruto*
Naruto jumped back when the Bakeneko tried leaping at him, nearly closing its jaws around his body if he hadn't moved in time.
"I've got you now! Spirit Gun! Demon Gun!" Naruto said while aiming both hands at the Bakeneko, firing his Spirit Gun from one hand and his Demon Gun from the other.
With the Reiryoku and Yōki attacks shooting through the air before slamming into the Bakeneko's eyes, causing the Yōkai to yowl in pain as it was blinded. The sight making Naruto smirk before he rushed the Bakeneko, jumping into the air once he was close enough and channeling Yōki into his swords.
"Now take this!" Said Naruto, holding his swords back before delivering a cross slash to the Bakeneko's head once he was close enough, slicing straight through it.
'Maybe this thing isn't so-what?!' Naruto thought as he landed on the ground, believing the Bakeneko isn't back to full power yet from just being revived.
Only for his eyes to widen when he saw the Bakeneko getting back up as its wound began closing itself up. But what really shocked Naruto was what looked like human bones spilling out of the wound he made, before being sucked back inside the Yōkai once the wound vanished.
'Those are human bones! They must be the bones of its past victims. But if this thing is actually made of human bones, that means…' Thought Naruto before his thoughts were interrupted as he quickly turned around, raising his swords and blocking a strike from Juan with a Shakujō.
The Uzumaki narrowed his eyes when he saw Juan's eyes were now solid red with light blue slitted pupils, his nails grew into claws, fangs poking out of a more feline-shaped mouth and a magenta-colored aura of Yōki around him.
"So many fools like you have tried coming here to kill the Bakeneko, only to be devoured. You'll be sharing their fate!" Said "Juan" before Naruto grunted when the Bakeneko took the chance to slam its paw into him, sending the whiskered blonde crashing into a tree.
"You…you're the real Bakeneko aren't you, that thing is just a puppet you're controlling!" Naruto said as he got back up, grunting as he did so, with "Juan" laughing mockingly at him.
"How surprising, you can actually figure it out! Here I thought you were nothing but a naïve fool, not suspecting anything as I approached you with a smile while you felt guilty over arguing with one of your mates! I would've thought you would be smarter than to believe such an act, but I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from a Shihanyō of all creatures." "Juan" said mockingly, making Naruto curse that he hadn't trusted his instincts.
After experiencing years of people tricking him by approaching with just a fake smile, he should've been able to see through an act like that by now. And now, because he let himself be fooled again, he's at an even bigger disadvantage.
"Okay. So if you're controlling that thing, then all I need to do to destroy it is to kill you." Stated Naruto while pointing a sword at "Juan", who only laughed at him and held up his claws.
"That is if you can even survive long enough to try!" Said "Juan" before swinging his claws at Naruto, releasing multiple demonic energy claws at him.
Naruto grunted as he jumped out of the way only to be forced to roll across the ground to avoid the fake Bakeneko's paw from smashing down on top of him. With "Juan" launching more energy claws at the whiskered blonde, with Naruto being prepared this time.
"Demon Shotgun!" Naruto said, channeling Yōki into his palm before throwing his fist forward, firing multiple projectiles that impacted the claws making both attacks explode on contact.
Rushing forward through the explosion, Naruto sheathed one of his swords and held the other one with both hands, blocking "Juan's" Shakujō when he swung it at him. With Uzumaki grunted when "Juan" started pushing him back. Before he managed to push it aside slightly, leaning back to avoid "Juan's" following swing. Allowing Naruto to slam his foot into "Juan's" chest, sending him stumbling back. With Naruto then jumping to the side, avoiding the Bakeneko when it tried swiping at him from behind.
"What was that about me surviving long enough?!" Naruto said as he got in close before holding his sword up to it bring down on "Juan", only to suddenly pause when the "monk" suddenly grunted.
"Help me. Please you have to help me." Begged Juan, making Naruto hesitate at hearing him beg for help, before the real Bakeneko growled and retook control.
"Fool! You should've taken your chance! Now die!" "Juan" roared while swinging his claws at the Shihanyō, with Naruto's eyes widening as he jumped back.
Only to grit his teeth in pain when "Juan's" energy claws still slashed him across the chest and abdomen, with there being enough force to launch him back. Skidding across the ground, Naruto gripped the injured area, wincing as he felt how deep the claws hit him.
'If I hadn't jumped when I did, then that attack likely would have killed me.' Naruto thought, before he did scream in pain when the fake Bakeneko lunged at him from behind, biting down on his left shoulder and arm, making him lose his grip on his sword.
Swinging the whiskered blonde around for a few moments, the fake Bakeneko soon tossed him towards the cliff, throwing him over the edge of it. Luckily, Naruto managed to grab hold of the ledge just in time with his right hand, while his left arm hung limply at his side with blood dripping down it. Gritting his teeth and suppressing his pain, Naruto forced his other arm up to grab the edge of the cliff.
"My, you're certainly a stubborn one, aren't you. It might be admirable, if you weren't so foolish in delaying the inevitable." "Juan" said mockingly as he stood over the Uzumaki.
"Give me a few moments and you'll see that the only thing inevitable is me killing you." Naruto retorted through gritted teeth while biting back a scream at the pain shooting through his arm, which only made "Juan" laugh loudly.
"You truly are naïve! You had a chance to end me yet you allowed yourself to hesitate, all just to spare the man that's bewitched one of your mates!" "Juan" taunted, with Naruto glaring up at him.
"Why don't you get this through that pea-sized animal brain! Towa's just a friend and rival!" Said Naruto, wondering why the Yōkai seemed to think Towa was his "mate" or whatever.
*With Towa, Setsuna and Moroha*
Back with the girls, Towa sneeze for a moment only to shake her head and swung her sword, slicing through four Bakeneko that leapt at her while she looked distracted.
"This'll finish you all for good! Scourge of Swallows!" Setsuna said, swinging her naginata through the air, unleashing a barrage of green Yōki swallows that ripped through the last of the Bakeneko.
"And just to be sure! Crimson Dragon Wave!" Said Moroha, swinging her sword and releasing her crimson dragon.
Looking to see if any more Bakeneko would show up, the girls felt relieved that they finally got the last of them.
"We need to go; Naruto still needs help!" Towa said as she immediately rushed off to where Naruto was fighting, with Setsuna and Moroha following close behind her.
*With Naruto*
"Why don't you tell me something useful?! What hell was that just now?! Aren't you supposed to be a Yōkai?!" Naruto demanded, wanting to know what happened earlier when he tried attacking.
"I'm a Yōkai, this pathetic excuse for a monk is merely a useful host! I had been sealed beneath this temple for the past hundred years until this foolish monk believed that he should hold a service for me. The sutra he chanted out of compassion was strong enough to awaken my ensnared soul. That's when I broke through the seal, making it child's play to take control of the monk's body." Revealed "Juan", much to Naruto's disgust it did something like that.
"I haven't met many Yōkai, but so far you're definitely one of the worst! You took advantage and control of someone that just wanted to save you, using his body while leaving him trapped and helpless!" Naruto said, only for the possessed monk to laughing cruelly.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I was never seeking salvation! If anyone needs it, it'll be you in a moment!" "Juan" said, swinging his claws at the Uzumaki to finish him off.
"I'll pass!" Retorted Naruto before he tensed his body and pulled himself up the cliff, launching himself into the air over the "monk".
Once he landed, Naruto rolled across the ground and retrieved his sword, turning to face "Juan" again, panting lightly from the energy it took to move his injured arm.
"Thanks for telling me all that. It's nice knowing that villains in real life enjoy monologuing about themselves just as much as they do in pop culture." Naruto stated, having taken the chance to gather what strength he could to pull himself up from the cliff.
Though the whiskered Shihanyō then had to jump out of the way to avoid another strike from the fake Bakeneko, while the real one smirked wickedly as his Yōki flared around him.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I thank you for such useful advice. The next time a victim asks me questions, I'll be sure to just kill them right away." Said "Juan" while giving his "thanks" for the advice.
"There's not gonna be a next time for you." Retorted Naruto, though wasn't sure what he's going to do against two opponents with one of his arms being useless.
'That fake one is the real problem! It can simply put itself back together no matter what I do, while the one possessing Juan seems to prefer keeping his distance unless I'm distracted. So, he's probably not as powerful as he could due to Juan not being a strong enough host. But I can't do anything unless I can get rid of the fake.' Naruto thought, trying to think of a plan, before he had to jump out of the way when the fake Bakeneko lunged at him.
"Let's see how you like this one! Getsuga Tenshō!" Naruto said, channeling his Yōki into his sword and swung it, releasing a large back and red crescent-shaped energy wave that sliced straight through the Bakeneko's paw.
Though Naruto scowled when the severed paw didn't even hit the ground and simply reattached itself to the Bakeneko. Before he grit his teeth and suppressed his pain as he grabbed his second sword, having an idea that might work.
"If you'll just keep putting yourself back together, then I'll just make sure there's nothing to put back! Twin Getsuga Tenshō!" Naruto said while channeling Yōki into both swords as he held them, swinging them at the Bakeneko and unleashing two crescent-shaped energy waves in the form of a cross slash.
Both attacks cut right through the Bakeneko's body, only for it to begin putting itself together again. Before Naruto jumped into the air and began rapidly swinging his swords while releasing more and more Getsuga Tenshō at it.
"If you've got more than nine lives, then I'll just keep attacking until you don't have anymore! Getsuga Barrage!" Said Naruto while swinging his swords at the fake Bakeneko, ripping through it again and again as it tried regenerating only to be stopped.
This continued for a few moments until Naruto held his swords together, channeling a large amount of Yōki into them. Letting out a shout as he swung them down, releasing a massive Yōki energy wave at the Bakeneko, engulfing its entire body. With the puppet Yōkai letting a pain-filled yowl as its body began breaking down, vaporizing it entirely until nothing was left.
"Try…regenerating…from…that…asshole…" Naruto said while panting heavily as he fell to the ground, dropping his sword from his left hand while using his other one to stay standing.
Having needed to use exert effort with his injured arm to get the desired results, leaving him nearly drained and in intense pain. Only being able to stay standing by leaning on his other sword.
'I can't stop now, there's still-' Naruto thought before tensing when he sensed "Juan" charging at him.
Forcing himself to turn as fast as he could, Naruto grunted and gritted his teeth as he suppressed a scream of agony when "Juan" thrust his claws forward. Stabbing his arm straight through the right Uzumaki's shoulder and the right side of his chest with the Yōkai's hand sticking out his back, grinning wickedly at finally ending the Shihanyō.
With this being what Towa, Setsuna and Moroha saw once they arrived at the sight, much to their shock and horror. Seeing "Juan" stabbing his arm through Naruto, while the Uzumaki wasn't moving as he dropped his remaining blade.
"NARUTO!" Towa screamed, completely distraught at the sight of her friend/crush being stabbed.
"No!" Whispered Moroha, cupping her hands over her mouth as tears began to build up in the corner of her eyes.
All while Setsuna stood frozen in shock, not believing what she had just seen, only being able to grip her naginata tightly to try and remain calm.
"Hehehehehe. I suppose this has been fun while it's lasted, I've actually forgotten how fun it can be to kill such stubborn prey." "Juan" said only for his eyes to widen when he saw Naruto twitching slightly as he lifted his head.
"Heh…I guess that means you also forgot how to aim dumbass. Cause you just missed all my vital areas." Said Naruto, smirking at the possessed monk while blood dripped from his mouth.
"All of them?!" Demanded "Juan", not believing he's still alive even after that while the whiskered blonde let out a pained chuckle.
"Yeah…and you wanna know what else? I can't miss when you're this close." Naruto said, making "Juan's" eyes widen when he felt Naruto press his finger against his abdomen.
"Spirit Gun." Said Naruto, firing a point-blank Spirit Gun, with "Juan" screaming as he was sent flying back where he crashed into a tree.
Naruto cried out as well due to the attack also forcibly and painfully ripping "Juan's" arm out of his chest, causing him to hit the ground with a grunt.
"That's…gonna hurt…in the morning." Naruto muttered as he tried getting back up, having some difficulty now that both his arms were useless.
"For you…there won't be a morning!" Yelled "Juan" as he got up, enraged at how even now the Shihanyō refused to simply roll over and die.
As he got up, the group saw his robes were ripped from the Spirit Gun, allowing them to see a cats paw sticking out of his abdomen.
"Huh…so that's…your real body." Stated Naruto, grunting when he collapsed back to the ground.
"That doesn't matter now! Even if you can see my real body, your arms are now useless and you can barely even stand, let alone have enough energy to keep fighting! Now all you can do is lay there and di-" "Juan" said as the paw sank into the monks body, transforming his right arm into a more cat-like one while his power grew, intending to tear the Uzumaki apart and savor his screams.
Only for the Bakeneko's words to die in his throat while his eyes widened in shock, watching as Naruto forced himself to get back up to his feet. All while picking up one of his swords in his mouth with a bloody grin, despite the pain he's in.
Gasping in shock at the sight, not believing how anyone, let alone a Shihanyō, could get back up with the injuries he's suffered.
"H-how…how…. How can you still stand?! How can a single Shihanyō be this strong?!" "Juan" said, before his eyes widened when he swore he saw something behind the Uzumaki.
Unconsciously stepping back in fear at seeing the image of a massive demonic dragon towering over him behind Naruto, roaring loudly as it glared down at the Bakeneko.
"You shouldn't underestimate me, no matter what I am. Because no matter what the odds or who I'm fighting, I never surrender, I don't care if you're human, Yōkai, Hanyō or anything else. No matter who or what you are, if you try and hurt the people I care about, I'll cut you down with my own hands. That's why…I'm going to kick your ass and save Juan, even if it kills me." Said Naruto, much to "Juan's" shock and growing fear.
But when the Bakeneko really looked at the whiskered blonde, his fear began fading at seeing how his arms were hanging uselessly at his side, while he hadn't taken a single step despite his claim. Making "Juan" laugh madly as he regained his nerve, seeing that Naruto was just bluffing.
"You think you can stop me, you can barely even stand up, let alone attack! But I will admit, out of all my victims, you have proven to be the most troublesome, but now I'll relish in your screams boy! Your head will be the first of my new collection!" Said "Juan" before charging at Naruto intent to take his time in killing him.
"Don't you dare touch him! Azure Dragon Wave!" Towa shouted as her left eye glowed a bright silver while her Yōki flared around her as she glared murderously at "Juan".
Swinging her sword, Towa unleashed a large blue dragon at "Juan", forcing him to jump back away from Naruto to avoid being obliterated. With Towa jumping protectively in front of the Uzumaki, while Setsuna and Moroha rushed over to him. Catching Naruto before he fell to his knees and dropped his sword his mouth.
"Hey…glad to see you all finally joined the fun." Naruto said, smiling at the girls, relieved to see they were alright.
"Well we would've joined sooner, but we had to deal with some really angry kitties. But it looked like you were handling things just fine." Said Moroha while smiling tensely at seeing his wounds up close and how much blood he's losing.
"Of course you'd believe being stabbed like that is fun. Hold still, we need to make sure you don't lose any more blood than you already have." Setsuna said, rolling her eyes to try and keep calm, as she and Moroha removed Naruto's upper clothing to treat his injuries and make sure he doesn't die.
Glancing back at them, Towa couldn't help but curse at the sight of his wounds, blaming herself for how he'd been attacked while alone.
'Damnit! Why did I have to get upset at him responding to Moroha's flirting?! Why didn't I try going after him?! Why did I have to let myself be distracted?!' Towa thought, blaming herself as she felt completely shaken at seeing Naruto in such a state.
For so long Naruto always seemed invincible, having always been able to match her and making short work of any street thugs that tried messing with them. How he never even flinched from Setsuna's initial hostility and threats. Along with being able to get back up and keep fighting during the battle against Tōkotsu, he didn't let anything stop him.
Now she's seeing him beaten up for the first time since they've met, and the silverette couldn't help but blame herself. That it was her fault for letting herself be mesmerized by a Yōkai that resembled Julian and fighting with Naruto over it. Not helped by the fact that she couldn't tell the cats in the village were Yōkai, letting herself be fooled by them too.
"Hey Towa! Stop blaming yourself!" Naruto said, snapping Towa out of her guilt-filled thoughts.
"But it's my fault! I couldn't tell the cats were Yōkai, I let myself be distracted just because a Yōkai looked like Julian and then having that stupid fight with you! It is all my fault!" Said Towa, only for the Uzumaki to shake his head and tried moving, with Setsuna and Moroha trying to stop him.
"Hey, hey, hey! Quit moving will ya!" Moroha said, not wanting him to waste what little energy he has left.
"Idiot! Are you trying to kill yourself faster?! Because that's all you'll do if you don't hold still!" Said Setsuna, knowing he'll only aggravate his injuries further the more he moved.
"Towa, a few weeks ago you wouldn't have even considered the idea of any of this being real! And even when you did learn about it, you didn't let that stop you from coming here to help Setsuna get her dreams back! That didn't stop you from fighting those stupid cats to help the village or coming here to make sure no one else got hurt! And you're still fighting now, so don't blame yourself and keep fighting like I know you always do!" Naruto said, much to Towa's surprise at his encouragement while feeling her resolve returning.
"And that's not a Yōkai! All it is, is a parasite that's possessing Juan's body!" Revealed Naruto, shocking the girls' upon learn that Juan was being possessed.
"He's being possessed by the Bakeneko?" Towa said looking at "Juan".
"Not that there's anything you can do about it! That only way you can stop me is by killing the monk!" "Juan" said with a smirk, with Towa gripping her sword tightly.
"Unfortunately he's right. The only way for us to stop the Bakeneko for good is to kill them both, so you can't hesitate Towa." Stated Setsuna, knowing they needed to stop the Bakeneko, which meant killing Juan as well.
"But…we can't just kill him! Juan is innocent and we need to save him!" Said Towa, still wanting to kill the Bakeneko, but not at the expense of also killing an innocent person.
"Well you need to hurry up and think of something! Otherwise, you're gonna have to kill him!" Moroha said, not seeing any other choice besides killing them both.
"Hey! Haven't you two learned killing someone isn't always the answer?! What about before when the Hitōkon possessed Mei? You wanted to cut it out of her, but you were able to get it out without hurting anyone. And Moroha, I know you wouldn't want to hurt anyone innocent, especially someone being used like this bastard cat is using Juan. You both know how peaceful it was in the other era, everyone you met and got to know. Maybe it doesn't teach someone how to be strong and survive, but it does show you that not everything is just one fight after another." Naruto said, making Setsuna and Moroha frown at his words, unable to deny he was right, that it had been nice to enjoy how peaceful the Modern Era had been during their time there.
"He's right you know. Inuyasha-sama was able to spare opponents in the past." Said Myōga while jumping out of Moroha's cloak, getting their attention.
"What in the hell are you blabbering about at a time like this?" Questioned Moroha, not wanting to get a history lesson now of all times.
"Inuyasha-sama's weapon, the Tessaiga, could absorb his foe's Yōki and leave everything else alone." Myoga explained, knowing Inuyasha had been able to spare opponents before thanks to the Tessaiga's ability to absorb Yōki.
"While that information is useful, at the moment it's useless to us as we don't have the Tessaiga nor do we know where it is." Said Setsuna since knowing the Tessaiga can absorb Yōki doesn't help unless they have the sword.
"And none of us know how to absorb Yōki without hurting somebody, either." Moroha added, so they can't just absorb it themselves without hurting Juan.
"Absorbing only the Yōki… That's it!" Towa said in realization as she remembered their fight against Root Head, how he absorbed their Yōki while leaving everything else alone.
"If you think you can stop me that easily, it'll be the last mistake you ever make!" Said "Juan" as he lunged at them, refusing to take the chance they had a way to stop him, while the silverette looked at him with renewed determination.
"I made a promise to restore Setsuna's dreams and to Mei that I'd come back. That's why…I'm fine risking my life, but I won't take the lives of others." Said Towa as her left eye glowed silver, while "Juan" laughed mockingly at her.
"You're just as naïve and pathetic as him, then!" "Juan" said while releasing a barrage of energy blades at Towa, only for her to quickly dodge them and hold her sword up.
"I'm going to be taking your Yōki and save Juan!" Towa said as her Demonic Energy Blade shot forward towards "Juan", ensnaring him in a Demonic Energy Whip much to his shock.
Seeing he was restrained, Towa shot forward and stabbed her energy blade into "Juan's" shoulder, making him scream in pain as he felt her trying to absorb his Yōki.
"N-n-no…no! I…refused to be defeated by a lowly…Hanyō!" "Juan" shouted while flaring his Yōki to fight Towa's attempt to absorb it, making the silverette grit her teeth as she channeled more power into her sword to absorb his Yōki.
"She's absorbing his Yōki." Said Setsuna in surprise to see Towa absorbing the Bakeneko's Yōki.
"She's trying to anyway. The Bakeneko must've had plenty of time to bond itself to Juan and I don't know if Towa has enough power to severe it. And if she's not careful, he may end up absorbing her power instead." Moroha said upon seeing that "Juan" wasn't giving up and was trying to fight off Towa's attempt to absorb it.
Before their attention turned to Naruto, only to be shocked when they saw him forcing himself to get back up. Moving forward before they could stop him, with the Uzumaki heading towards Towa and threw his arms around her shoulders, with some effort. Much to Towa's shock, before she blushed at how he seemed to be holding her.
"N-Naruto, what're you doing?!" Towa said, wondering why he's doing this now of all times.
"Focus more on taking care of the asshole cat!" Said Naruto while channeling his own Yōki into Towa and her sword, making her eyes widen at realizing what he's doing.
"Right!" Said Towa as she began pulling at the Bakeneko's Yōki with Naruto helping empower her.
"No…no…no! I won't be stopped by inferior creatures like you two!" Shouted the Bakeneko, panicking at feeling his Yōki now being ripped away and absorbed, while Naruto and Towa grunted as they pulled as hard as they could at its power.
"Looks like you just lost your last life!" Naruto said as he and Towa pulled back, ripping the Bakeneko out of Juan's body as it was absorbed into her energy blade.
"Damn yoooouuuu!" The Bakeneko screamed as it was absorbed and converted into Yōki that was added to Towa's own, with Juan falling to the ground.
Letting a breath at seeing it's finally over, Towa looked at her sword, seeing the Bakeneko's paw impaled on it before it hit the ground when her blade dispersed.
*Modern Era*
Meanwhile in the Modern Era, Tora was running from its pursuers as they were trying to bring it back home to Madam Shijimi. Only for the cat to slowly begin fading away until it was completely gone, only to be immediately replaced by a snow-white cat with a blue collar and a bell hanging from it.
"Got you!" Said another pursuer, running around the corner and blocking the cat, grabbing it before it could try escaping, causing to meow sadly at being caught.
"Yeah, yeah, we know Yūki-chan. You don't like being squeezed to death, but we still need to bring you back." The first chaser said while patting the cat on the head, before they went to bring her back to her owner.
*Feudal Era*
'Huh…I feel like we just took care of two demons.' Towa thought, confused at the strange feeling before looking at Juan when he began coming to.
"Wh-what happened? How did I-" Juan said as he rubbed his head, having a hard time remembering everything that happened.
"You're alright, that's what matters." Said Towa while smiling at him, only to turn to Naruto when she felt him letting go.
Seeing her friend/crush falling backward, making the silverette quickly catch him before he hit the ground, with Setsuna and Moroha quickly rushing to their side. Feeling relieved to see Naruto was still breathing and had just fallen asleep.
"Okay, good he's just sleeping. Now let's…" Moroha said, about to help lie him down so they could finish tending to his injuries, only for her eyes to widen in surprise when they looked at them.
"Wh-what…how are they…?" Said Towa in surprise at the sight of Naruto's injuries emitting steam and were slowly closing themselves up.
"That's…unlike anything I've seen before." Setsuna said, having never seen a Yōkai or Hanyō heal at such a rate.
"Hey uh…Grandpa Myōga, is this normal?" Questioned Moroha, wondering if he's seen a healing factor like this before, only for Myōga to be just as shocked.
"I…I have seen Yōkai and Hanyō both possess such accelerated healing. Inuyasha-sama was able to regrow a fang he lost in just half a day, along with surviving attacks that would be fatal to most other Hanyō. Sesshomaru-sama is capable of healing even worse injuries, having once healed burns and gashes across his right arm, along with several large holes that were stabbed through his entire body, even being able to regrow his entire left arm. But even then he needed to focus his power to heal his injuries, it didn't simply happen. For young Naruto to be able to heal injuries even while unconscious…this is uncommon, even among Yōkai." Myōga said, much to their shock at this information.
Looking back at Naruto, seeing that his injuries would likely be completely gone in a few hours at most at the rate they were going. They couldn't help but wonder just what Yōkai he's descended from to heal in such a way.
*Timeskip-Two Days*
'Ugh…feels like I was hit by a truck…' Naruto thought while groaning as he began waking up with his entire body feeling sore, especially his arms and chest.
Opening his eyes, Naruto saw he's still in what he guessed was the temple, but when he tried sitting up he felt a weight on his chest. Lifting his head to see what it was, the Uzumaki was shocked to see Towa sleeping beside him with her head on his chest.
'What happened?!' Naruto thought, blushing at how close Towa was and how...cute she looked while asleep.
Only to feel some panic when she began waking up, not sure how she'll react to seeing them like this, with the silverette's eyes soon fluttering open as she looked straight at him.
"U-uh…hey, Towa." Naruto said nervously, only to be worried when he saw her eyes begin glistening with tears, before grunting when she immediately hugged him with her face buried in the crook of his neck.
"Naruto! You're awake, you're okay!" Towa said, relieved at seeing he's awake and alright.
"Yeah…I'm fine, but…could you let go, since I'm still pretty sore." Said Naruto, causing the Hanyō to quickly let go.
"I'm sorry, I was just…so worried! When we saw you be stabbed by the Bakeneko, all the blood you lost, then when you passed out after we killed it, then you wouldn't wake up! I was just really worried! And I'm sorry you got hurt because of me! Sorry for that stupid fight and getting mad at you when I was the one getting distracted!" Towa said, making Naruto frown and sit up before hugging her.
"You don't need to apologize, Towa. I'm the one who should apologize anyway, I'm the one who started it just because I got upset at seeing how you acted around Juan. You had every right to be angry at how I was acting, and it's my own fault for going off on my own." Naruto said, only for Towa to shake her head.
"I'm still the one that let myself be distracted just because Juan looked like Jullian and then getting angry just because you were responding to Moroha's flirting. I could've also gone after you when I calmed down, but I didn't. Leaving you to fight the Bakeneko alone and nearly die." Said Towa, still believing it's her fault.
"It's not… How about we both just agree we were being stupid and be glad that we're all still alive." Said Naruto, not wanting her to blame herself, before deciding they were both being stupid.
"I can accept that." Towa replied, pulling back and smiling at the Uzumaki which he returned.
Before their attention turned to the door when it opened, showing Moroha, Setsuna and Juan, looking at the two in surprise when they saw Naruto was awake. Before the female Shihanyō shot forward and glomped Naruto tearfully.
"You're finally awake!" Moroha said, relieved at seeing Naruto is awake and alright, while the whiskered blonde grunted from her jumping on him and how tightly she's holding onto him.
"Yeah…I'm awake and still really sore, Moroha." Said Naruto, causing the bounty hunter to quickly let go.
"S-sorry." Said Moroha, feeling bad that she could've hurt him, only for Naruto to wave it off.
"It's fine, I know you're just worried. And…I should actually be the one to apologize to you, with how I was acting before and what I said." Naruto said, with Moroha looking at him.
"So…you didn't mean what you said?" Moroha asked, feeling a little disappointed he's saying sorry for flirting with her.
"W-well I…I didn't…ju-just th-that I'm s-sorry for the…circumstances I…did it." Said Naruto while blushing slightly, with Moroha looking at him before smiling at him.
"It's fine, don't worry about it. Besides, this way I know you can give it just as good as you take it." Said Moroha with a smirk, feeling better at seeing Naruto's only sorry for why he flirted with her, not because he flirted with her at all.
"I am…also glad to see that you're alright, Naruto." Setsuna said after sitting down beside him and smiling slightly at the Shihanyō, her eyes shimmering despite her attempts to keep her cool.
"Thanks Setsuna. I'm just glad to see you all alright, including you Juan." Naruto said while smiling at the girls before looking at Juan.
"Only thanks to the efforts of you and Ms. Towa. You both are truly kind and noble people, especially Ms. Towa. She didn't leave your side the entire time you laid there." Replied Juan while bowing his head, with Towa blushing at him revealing she didn't leave Naruto's side.
Before they saw the monk fall to his knees and bow his head to them, much to their surprise.
"I must apologize for all the trouble I've caused not just your four, but the village and those who were unfortunate to become victims of the Bakeneko. This only happened because of my pride and lack of experience. I believed myself powerful and skill enough to purify the Bakeneko and guide his soul toward the afterlife. But I see now that I'm not as powerful as I believed I was. It's only because of your efforts I was freed, for that you have my eternal gratitude." Juan replied, knowing he'll be forever thankful that they saved him from the Bakeneko.
With the group being surprised at this, before they smiled and nodded in response, glad that they were able to solve the mystery behind the disappearing travelers and save an innocent life.
*Timeskip-Two Days*
"Juan, what are you going to do now?" Towa asked as they stood outside the temple, having fully rested and were ready to return to Kaede's village.
"I believe I'm going to return home. This experience has shown me that perhaps the life of a monk isn't for me." Said Juan, seeing that being a monk wasn't the life for him.
"I'm glad to hear that and we hope you return to your home safely. And that you'll be able to live a better life." Said Towa, glad that he was going to have a more peaceful life.
"As do I. Please take care, all of you, and may you stay safe in your future adventures." Juan said while bowing his head as the group waved to him and took their leave.
"Now it's time to head back and get paid for a successful bounty!" Declared Moroha with a grin while pulling out the Bakeneko's paw, eager to see how much she'll get for this.
As they made their way back down the mountain pass, Naruto pulled out the iPod and put in the earbuds, getting Towa's attention, and turning on the song that Mei had shown him before. Listening to the song and bobbing his head slightly.
"I guess it's not that bad." Naruto stated, surprising the silverette before she smiled softly and pulled out the earbuds.
"Actually…after the night we've had, I think I've had enough of Julian for a while. But thanks for trying." Towa said, shocking Naruto that she's saying that before he returned the smile.
"That's…surprising. But I won't complain." Said Naruto as he put the iPod away, while Towa rolled her eyes and shoved him slightly though kept her smile.
Setsuna and Moroha watched the sight as they felt familiar feeling of jealousy appearing before they brushed it aside. Deciding to let them have the moment, after everything they just went through, as they headed down the mountain pass.
So, what did you think, good. Yep we see Naruto going outside and calming down from his fight with Towa, before feeling bad at how he acted towards her and Moroha, knowing he'll need to apologize to them both. With us then seeing a flashback of Mei first introducing Naruto to Julian's music, showing he didn't think it was that bad, only for his mood to change when Towa arrives and begins praising him and his music.
Then we see Juan approaching Naruto and telling him he discovered something that might explain the Bakeneko's presence, leading to Naruto learning about the Bakeneko that had been sealed beneath the temple. Before we get a look at the girls as they wait for the lesser Bakeneko to attack, only for Setsuna to realize they've been tricked and trapped behind a barrier.
Back with Naruto and Juan, they're attacked by the Bakeneko with Naruto fighting them off with Juan helping with some sacred sutras. Once they handle the Yōkai they then go to investigate beneath the temple to find where the Bakeneko was sealed. Then seeing the girls escape the room thanks to Moroha's Sacred Arrow, only to be attacked by the rest of the Bakeneko, while having difficultly fighting in the narrow hallway, leading to Moroha holding them off as they move to get outside.
We then see Naruto and Juan finding the Bakeneko's grave with it seemingly coming back to life and attacking them, forcing them to get back outside as Naruto fights it off, buying time for the girls to arrive. Where we see the girls make it outside, allowing them to begin making short work of the Bakeneko while hearing the sound of Naruto's own fight, knowing they'll need to be quick.
While Naruto soon lands a hit on the Bakeneko, only to discover it's made of human bones, realizing that Juan is the real Bakeneko and the other is his puppet, forcing Naruto to have to fight both of them at once, only to have his arm injured and barely saving himself from being thrown off a cliff. With Towa, Setsuna and Moroha having finished off the last of the lesser Yōkai and rush to help Naruto.
Next see Naruto learning how the Bakeneko possessed Juan, much to his disgust, but uses the chance to pull himself back up the cliff. Before he then hits the fake Bakeneko with a Getsuga Barrage, completely destroying so it couldn't reform. Only to use more energy to compensate for his injured arm, leading to "Juan" stabbing through his shoulder/chest area, much to the shock and horror of the girls when they arrive.
Luckily nothing vital is hit as Naruto hits the Bakeneko with a point-blank Spirit Gun, revealing its true body under Juan's robes. Before Naruto shows his refusal to stay down, forcing himself to stand up while holding one of his swords on his mouth, much to the Bakeneko's shock and fear. Only to see Naruto couldn't move and goes to finish him, but is stopped by Towa as Setsuna and Moroha work to keep Naruto from dying.
With them learning Juan's being possessed, with Naruto and Myōga both helping to give the idea of absorbing the Yōki from Juan so they don't have to kill him. Leading to Towa attempting to absorb the Bakeneko's energy, only for it to have had more time to bond with Juan, allowing it to put up a fight. Only for Naruto to force himself to move and help Towa, destroying the Bakeneko and freeing Juan.
Before we also get a look at the Modern Era where we see Tora fade away and be replaced with another, nicer cat, who still runs away but doesn't attack her pursuers.
Back in the Feudal Era, Naruto's passed out after using the last of his energy, with the girls and Myōga being shocked when they see his injuries already beginning to heal themselves, none of them having seen a healing factor like it before, even among more powerful Yōkai and Hanyō. Making them all wonder just what Yōkai Naruto's descended from.
Finally we see Naruto waking up after a few days, finding Towa sleeping beside him until she wakes up and embraces him, with the two both apologizing believing they're to blame, before deciding they were both being stupid. With Moroha, Setsuna and Juan soon entering the room, the former two also being glad to see Naruto awake, with him also apologizing to Moroha.
Before the group leaves after two days, with Juan intending to quit the life of a monk and return to his home, while Naruto tries giving Julian's music another chance. With Towa deciding after everything she's had enough of Julian for a while, something Naruto doesn't complain about, while Setsuna and Moroha decide to let them have their moment. So, for those that like the story, thanks for your support. For those that don't or at least don't like the direction taken, you're more than welcomed to drop the story. But thanks for giving the story a chance anyway.
Storm out