A/N: So I wrote a thing. This story's been living rent-free in my head for way too long. I wanted to put something out once I realized that there weren't really any NarutoXOverlord stories like this. Most of them are about a modern-day Naruto transmigrating with Ainz. Others replace Ainz with Naruto. Some others seem to combine the Elemental Nations with Earth and have Naruto be an immortal demi-god who found sanctuary in the digital world. The only story I can think of off the top of my head where a Naruto character is sent directly from the Elemental Nations is the one where Madara is the protagonist (awesome story, by the way).
So yeah, here we are. This is a side project to a different story I'm writing. Not really sure when I'll be updating this or if there's even an audience for it. I guess we'll see.
This'll be a more morally grey Naruto who's somewhat okay with killing, but he's still got some principles he holds onto from back home. (It's Overlord; the protagonists aren't really morally righteous people).
If you like the story and want to see more, please let me know. And feel free to offer constructive criticism.
xXx
Five years. Five long years. That's how long it had been since he'd come to this world.
And honestly? It'd been a pretty uneventful five years. That alone came with its own ups and downs, but all in all? Things were good.
Boring, but good.
Peaceful too. But also boring.
Naruto suppressed a deep yawn as he fiddled with the wooden tankard in his hand. A conspicuously yellow liquid swirled in response. It tasted like piss. Looked like piss. Yet the bartender assured him it wasn't piss. And despite evidence to the contrary, his ability to sense negative emotions didn't detect any lies in the man's words.
He didn't know why he bothered. He couldn't get drunk. Kami only knew how hard he'd tried over the years. He'd sooner die of overhydration than he would get drunk.
Bummer.
Might as well keep trying, though, right? His metabolism would slow down eventually, right? Naruto Uzumaki never gave up, right?
It could have been worse, all things considered. He could have arrived in this world with regrets. Loose ends. Unfinished business.
But he really didn't have any of those, did he? Kaguya was defeated. Sealed away. The Infinite Tsukuyomi was dispelled, everyone was free once more. He and Sasuke had concluded their final battle. His bastard of a best friend was no longer a threat to the world. The Jinchūriki's negative emotion sensing confirmed as much.
Sure, there were little things that bugged him from time to time. He'd miss his friends. A lot. But they were safe, and that's what mattered. There was that thing with Hinata he had been itching to explore. Guess that was a lost cause. Worst of all, he'd never be Hokage.
Yeah, that last one still stung. It was his lifelong dream, after all. He'd had that dream for over half his life. Hell, he'd dreamt of it for longer than he hadn't!
To lead his village, his friends, and his family to a new age of...
Yeah. Hurts just a little.
But that was the price of dying. Because really, what else could it be other than the result of his death? People didn't just wake up in another world; grievous bodily injuries miraculously healed. And miraculous it was, seeing as how Kurama had been completely tapped out at that point. No super convenient healing factor to save his butt. And with the amount of blood flowing from the stump of his ruined right arm, death would not have taken long to claim him. Plus, that wasn't even considering the accumulation of all his other injuries.
No. He'd died that day. He was sure of it. It's the only thing that made sense. Kind of.
But still, if this was some sort of afterlife, shouldn't he have gotten his arm back?
Naruto frowned as the stump that used to be his limb twitched in phantom pain. While the injury had technically been healed, his arm hadn't been replaced. It was still fucking gone.
Seriously. Living it up in the afterlife as an amputee wasn't exactly his idea of nirvana.
Oh well. He'd managed so far. In fact, he was almost tempted to say that he'd done a fair bit more than manage. Some would say he was flourishing.
After all, he was a top-tier adventurer now. Shiny metal plate and all.
After coming to this new world, becoming an adventurer was the natural thing to do. He needed to make a living, didn't he? And really, what other skills did he possess other than combat? He sure as hell wasn't going to join an army. No. Adventuring had been the natural choice.
From there, it didn't take long to reach the rank of Adamantite. Climbing the ranks had been a real drag. A pain in the ass, really. Downright insulting in the beginning. But once he gave those stingy bastards in the Guild a small glimpse of his power, ascending the ranks had gone much smoother.
He supposed it was only natural, given the state of the world. Now, Naruto wasn't a cruel person. He wasn't a jerk. Sure, he could be oblivious, possibly even insensitive at times, but he was never intentionally mean.
But damn, if the people of this world weren't weak.
...
Kami, they were so weak.
He wasn't insulting them. He wasn't criticizing or mocking. It was just a simple matter of fact. Whatever this world was, its people simply didn't operate on the same scale as him. It was like dropping a Kage into a world filled with Genin.
Then again, maybe it wasn't fair to compare himself to this world's inhabitants. Even back home, he was an unprecedented powerhouse. An anomaly.
Scratch that; it really wasn't fair for him to make such comparisons.
If he were to contrast the average combatant of this world to the average shinobi of his, then it would have been somewhat even. Sure, comparing magic to chakra could be debated until the sun went down. Plus, there were always outliers. And not to mention how the tactics used by the two worlds were... worlds apart. Literally. It all came down to semantics at that point.
Naruto sighed dejectedly. When was the last time he'd actually been challenged since coming here? To be honest, probably never. Unless he counted sparring against himself. With handicaps.
At least his life was somewhat normal.
...
"Hey," the bartender called out, breaking him from his musing. "You hear about the new Mithril adventures that just popped up recently? I heard they ain't normal."
Oh, thank Kami.
"Really?" Naruto preened with interest. "Why do you say that?"
The bartender, a rather large man, nodded while wiping down a glass. Classic. "I heard they jumped from Copper to Mithril overnight. Literally."
The blond raised a brow in interest. "Is that so?" He muttered.
How interesting. Not even he had been able to perform such a feat. The new adventures must have accomplished something truly extraordinary in order to skip ahead so many ranks.
Sadly, the man behind the counter had no further information except that the newly promoted adventurers were a team of two. A man and a woman.
Shame. He would have loved to get their names.
Oh well. This was precisely why the shinobi chose to loiter around the Guild's bar. While admittedly, valuable bits of information were few and far between, and while he couldn't be at the bar every day, it was days like today that made choking down the Guild's pisswater worth it.
If he was lucky, maybe they'd stop by today.
...
Yup. The chances were slim, but he'd always had good luck.
...
Some might say it was a bit of a gamble.
...
Naruto grinned as the doors to the Guildhall were pushed open. He knew he'd just won big as he spied a massive figure clad in ostentatious navy blue plate armour. Beside the giant of a man, a beautiful dark-haired woman with cold and calculating eyes surveyed the room.
Naruto knew all the local adventurers. And these two, this man and woman, were new. Money down that they were the newly promoted Mithril adventures.
That, and the Mithril plates hanging off them, somewhat gave them away.
"Hey, kid," the bartender called, once again snatching away the blond's attention. "Shouldn't you head up to the meeting room? The guildmaster ain't going to like it if you're late for another meeting."
Naruto's eyes widened. Meeting room? There was a meeting? Since when? "Yeah, yeah," he waved the man off.
It was fine. He and Pluton were tight. Thick as thieves. Two peas in a pod. And whatever the meeting was about, he was sure he could bluff his way through it. Probably.
...
But he really wanted to talk to the two new Mithrils.
"Sure is something," the bartender rambled. "I can't remember the last time the Guildmaster put a call out to all adventurers Mithril and above."
Oh? How unbelievably convenient. Thank you, convenient bartender.
Looks like things were already working out in his favour.
xXx
If Ainz Ooal Gown was capable of frowning, he would be doing so right now.
Under the guise of Momon, the "Dark Hero," he was currently on his way back to the Adventurers Guild upon the request of the Guildmaster himself.
Honestly, he would have much preferred to meet with the man last night when he was made aware of the up-and-coming 'vampire situation.'
Shalltear.
He hadn't expected his two worlds to collide so suddenly.
Regardless, the Guildmaster was only human, and despite putting out the call, he was apparently happy to wait until the following day to actually hold the meeting.
Ainz shifted in his suit of full plate mail. Despite weighing enough to crush the average man, the undead overlord wore it like a second skin. When first selecting it, he was worried it was too flashy. Too ostentatious. After a moment of reflection, he realized that was precisely why he should go with the armour. If he wanted to effectively gather information, he needed fame. Notoriety. Connections. And what better way to jumpstart all that than by standing out in a crowd? So far, it was going well enough.
...
"My lord," came the stoic voice of Narberal Gamma.
Ainz suppressed the involuntary urge to jump at the break of silence. Right. His loyal battle maid was with him, keeping a steady pace at his side. He subtly tilted his helmeted head to indicate he was listening.
"What will we do regarding the adventurers guild? They're likely to send multiple teams after Shalltear."
Ainz nodded subconsciously. Narberal hadn't been obvious about it, but as the master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, he knew his subordinates intimately. Their personalities. Their unique quirks and subtle tells. As such, he was very much aware of just how upset Narberal was regarding Shalltear's 'betrayal.'
He resisted the urge to scoff. Betrayal. More was happening here, and they needed to act fast to determine what that was.
"You're right, of course," the sorcerer agreed. "I suppose we'll just have to be insistent on the matter."
After several paces, the raven-haired woman tilted her head in confusion. "I'm sorry, my lord. I don't understand."
The supreme being took a moment to collect his thoughts. "You see, Narberal — er, Nabe, the Guild will undoubtedly want to send in as many high-ranking adventurers as possible. To 'nip the problem in the bud,' as it were. We'll have to insist upon going in alone."
Narberal nodded obediently. "Of course, lord. But how exactly should we go about doing so?"
"An excellent question. No doubt us being so recently promoted will cause us difficulties. I doubt the other adventurers present will appreciate us trying to take the lead."
Narberal scowled from beside him. "Then those insignificant fools will —"
"— Nabe," the armoured warrior spoke, raising a gauntleted hand.
The woman immediately silenced herself, and then dipped her head. "I apologize, my lord."
"No need," Ainz responded. "I appreciate your zeal, but please take heed of your surroundings."
Sure enough, several eyes belonging to various citizens within E-Rantel were on them. The Pleiade had drawn unwanted attention due to her outburst.
The woman nodded in understanding.
'Oh man,' Suzuki Satoru grumbled to himself. 'These NPCs are intense. I'm going to have to filter what they say for the rest of my life, aren't I?'
The thought wasn't exactly comforting.
Ainz hummed in contemplation. "We'll likely have to put on a ruse and say we specialize in vampires," After a moment's pause, "Yes. Perhaps we can tell them we've been hunting Shalltear specifically. We'll give her a fake name, of course."
"An excellent idea, my lord," Narberal complimented.
Was it really? Or was that just her programmed reverence talking? It was hard to tell. It made him paranoid sometimes.
Ainz's thoughts cut to a halt in tandem with his footsteps. They had arrived. He took a moment to collect himself, took a metaphorical breath, and then pushed the large wooden door open. The heavy oak slid forward with ease as a result of his strength.
The two adventurers entered the Guildhall without much fanfare. Several sets of eyes immediately began to track the pair while others still returned to their business. The two's sudden promotion was recent and was apparently still the talk of the Guild.
'Just ignore them. They'll get bored and go back to their business.'
The two Nazarick natives immediately made a beeline for the stairs in the back, which would lead them to the Guildmaster's meeting room. Getting there quickly was paramount.
While Ainz himself was rather indifferent to the denizens of the Guild, it was no secret to him how much Narberal despised them. Get in. Do the meeting. Get out.
Simple.
As they reached the top of the stairs, the apologetic look on the receptionist's face made it clear that it would not, in fact, be so simple.
"M-Mr. Momon, sir," the rather unremarkable woman spoke. "I'm sorry, but the guildmaster has requested that only the team leaders attend. In order to keep from overpopulating the room."
Damn.
"It's alright, I understand," the navy blue armoured man acknowledged. "Too many voices could indeed prove detrimental."
The woman appeared relieved. "Thank you for being reasonable." Under her breath, she muttered quietly. "Mr. Igvarge wasn't so considerate..." Despite her whispering, the two easily picked up her words.
Ignoring her, Ainz turned to his spellcasting partner. "Nabe. Please wait for me downstairs."
The woman nodded dutifully.
Before she could fully turn to go, the leader of Nazarick added humorously, "Oh, and do try to behave."
Despite the levity of his tone, there was an underlying firmness to it. His instructions were clear: don't cause trouble.
"Of course, Sir Momon." With that, the ravenette turned and headed down the stairs.
Ainz sighed to himself. As he turned to enter the door, a sudden voice called out.
"Hey! Hold up!"
The voice was raspy, undoubtedly belonging to a man. It was also strangely jovial, carrying a sense of unburdened wistfulness.
"Whoops! Excuse me, pretty lady. Sorry about that."
Ainz turned just in time to witness Narberal adjust herself, as if she had been shoved off balance.
Oh boy.
The apparent culprit of the offence? A young man, roughly 20 years of age. He was tall, standing at about 6 feet, with well-sculpted muscles that spoke to a sturdy frame. He had sun-kissed skin, ocean-blue eyes, and sunny blond hair. He was rather handsome according to most societal norms.
The man's outfit screamed 'mobility.'
Indeed, it was a relatively simple affair. Black combat boots that looked entirely too 22nd century. Loose black cargo pants tucked into said boots, with what looked like white bandages fastening them into place. He wore a bright orange short-sleeved top that almost seemed to act as an exercise shirt. It was form-fitting and looked to be made of a flexible material. Perhaps this world's equivalent of spandex?
The only form of protection he wore was an armoured gauntlet that started from his left hand and reached to his shoulder. Like the man's bottom half, it was midnight black. It seemed somewhat out of place, as if he'd stolen it from some sort of dark knight.
What stood out immediately, aside from the clearly visible Adamantite plate hanging from his neck, was that where the man's right arm should have been, there was nothing. The end of his sleeve had been tied off, cementing the fact that his arm had been lost at some point.
Huh.
"It's fine," came Narberal's quick response. And to Ainz's great surprise, it really did sound like it was fine. There was almost no hostility in the woman's tone.
Either she was weak to the man's charming smile, or she was following his instructions to the letter. Depending on what it was, he was either very proud of her or very concerned for her.
"Oh," came the receptionist's flat tone. "It's you. So you're actually answering the call?"
If Ainz still had eyes, they'd be blinking in stupefaction. 'What the heck? What happened to the timid, borderline apologetic woman from before? She sounds like my 10th-grade math teacher whenever I used to show up late for class!"
"Renata!" The young man cried in joy. "It's so good to see you!"
Judging by the look on the woman's face, the feeling was not mutual.
"Of course I'm answering Pluton's call!" The blond grinned. "Anything that requires every Mithril adventurer and above is surely something worth checking out! And since I'm the only Adamantite around for thousands of miles, how could I not come?"
Ainz watched the display in interest. So this was an Adamantite adventurer, eh? This man was supposedly one of the strongest adventurers on the continent? A national hero simply because he'd achieved the coveted rank?
He didn't look like much.
Then again, looks could be deceiving. He and Narberal were a testament to that.
The receptionist sighed dejectedly. "Hooray for us."
Huh. She really didn't like this guy.
"Would you kindly head inside? You wouldn't want to keep the Guildmaster waiting. Again."
"Perish the thought," the blond grinned cheekily.
As the man maneuvered towards the door, his eyes passed over Ainz's form. The undead in disguise caught a flash of something behind the blond's cerulean eyes. Interest? No, it was something a little more predatory. Hunger, almost.
Hmm.
With that, the blond disappeared through the door, leaving it slightly ajar.
Ainz sighed to himself. An Adamantite adventurer was not something he had anticipated. This could prove problematic.
Resigning himself, he followed after the man. He'd have to improvise.
xXx
Naruto eyed the object of his interest as she descended the stairs. He knew sending a Kage Bunshin to the meeting was the right call. And it wasn't because he couldn't be bothered to go himself.
Nope.
This way, he could observe both of the new Mithril adventurers simultaneously. Honestly, he wished it was the large one in the armour that he could monitor. That one was clearly the leader, both in appearance and by the fact that the woman had returned.
Oh well, he supposed it could serve as a consolation prize for his clone.
The girl was easy on the eyes, sure. But there was one glaring problem with her. She had a hell of a lot of contempt brewing within her. Seriously, when was the last time he'd seen so much negativity in one person? It'd have to have been at least 5 years ago...
The man, in comparison, was nothing compared to her. There were no negative emotions in that one. He was perfectly apathetic. A curiosity in itself.
Looking back to the raven-haired woman, he failed to suppress a low whistle at just how much disdain was boiling beneath the surface. Disdain at what, he wondered.
Not being included in the meeting? The Guildhall in general? The Adventurers? She hadn't been nearly so negative when she was with her partner. That dark knight certainly had a calming effect on her. Before, when they were together, she was beautiful. Now? With her emotions set to run free? She was almost ugly. Almost.
"Quite the looker, that one," came the appreciative voice of the bartender. This was followed by a much louder whistle of admiration.
Naruto scowled. Who the hell was this guy? They'd spoken to each other less than a handful of times over the years, yet in the past 30 minutes alone, the man had almost doubled their total conversation time.
"Right..." he muttered weakly.
Glancing back, his stomach dropped. The woman was looking right at him. Great. Just. Great.
Thanks, bartender. And thanks for the pisswater, too, for that matter.
Man. She really was staring now, wasn't she? After nearly a full minute of awkwardness, Naruto sighed. There was only one thing to do now, wasn't there? The blond requested two cups of water from the bartender, earning him a raised eyebrow. Nevertheless, the man fetched him his drinks.
With a deep breath and a quick, 'you got this' to himself, Naruto, along with the tankards awkwardly balanced in his remaining arm, made his way over to the woman's table.
Naturally, she tracked his approach with razor-sharp eyes. It was probably fair to assume that those eyes had been on him the moment the bartender obnoxiously whistled.
Upon final approach, the blond offered up a disarming smile. The results were... negligible.
What could only be classified as a certified cool guy moment, the otherworlder awkwardly placed the two water tankards onto the table, somehow not spilling a drop.
Naruto stood, then cleared his throat. "So —"
"— You almost walked into me upstairs," the woman stated neutrally.
The blond paused. Did he, now? It seemed his clone had been a bit careless. "Sorry about that, pretty lady." The woman twitched at his words. "I didn't mean to —"
"— you already apologized," the woman cut him off.
Oh. Well, at least his clone had been polite.
"Right. I'm gonna sit down. Is that okay?" Without waiting for a proper reply, the shinobi dropped into the seat across from the dark-haired spellcaster. If it bothered her, she chose not to mention it.
"Is there something you need from me?" The woman asked sharply.
Huh. Maybe his presence did bother her? Surely not.
"Not really," Naruto replied. "I'm just curious about E-Rantel's newest Mithril adventures. Things have been pretty dull around here lately, so..."
"So you wish to satiate your boredom by speaking to me? Is that it?"
The blond grinned. While her words may have been borderline poison, the malice she exuded hadn't changed all that much. Sure, a possible reason for that may be because she was already at her limit, but it was also possible that she wasn't as annoyed as she sounded.
Naruto chose to believe the latter.
"Pretty much!" He replied unabashedly, earning him a flat look.
They sat silently until the blond slowly pushed one of the cups of water in her direction. She frowned, then peered into the container. After ascertaining its contents, her brow quirked in confusion.
"Water?"
"Trust me," he tried to assure her, "It's by far the best drink you can get in this place. Seriously... have you tried the crap they try to pass for ale around here?"
The Jinchūriki grinned at the nearly imperceptible twitch of her lips. Anyone else would have missed it. Maybe written it off as a simple muscle spasm. But Naruto knew better. He had an eye for these kinds of things. Reading people, that was.
For example, an easy read was that the stoic woman was blatantly stealing glances at his Adamantite identification plate and had been since he sat down. He was under no delusions that his ranking was the sole reason she tolerated his presence. And it wasn't out of respect or admiration.
She clearly had her own motivations.
After a moment, she levelled her eyes with his own. "I take it you're using some kind of duplication magic?"
Oh? Did his Kage Bunshin interest her?
"If so," the woman continued. "Why entrust such an important meeting to a simple copy?"
Blue eyes blinked in response. "Who's to say I'm not the copy?"
The woman raised a well-sculpted eyebrow as if to say, 'Really?'
Right. Why would he leave a clone to loiter in the Guild's common area?
The blond laughed at his oversight. "They're not just copies; they're shadow clones." He continued at her inquisitive look. "They're more or less completely autonomous copies of myself. They think like me. Speak like me. Fight like me. Plus, I learn everything they do upon their death."
...
"You're rather loose-lipped about your abilities," the woman commented.
Naruto shrugged. "This is one of my most common ones. Almost everyone around the city could tell you about the magic I use."
Of course, it wasn't magic. Early on, he'd tried to explain the concept of chakra, only to be told such an energy source didn't exist. Since that day, he was a magic user in name only.
The blond suppressed a wince. Maybe he sounded arrogant, but as an Adamantite adventurer, there came a certain level of notoriety. With that, many people, allies and rivals, had made it a point to learn his move set. Or at least, from what he revealed of his move-set.
"Interesting," the black-haired woman commented monotonously.
Was it? Was it really?
...
"But," the shinobi chirped. "I suppose you don't know that, seeing as how you and your master are new to the area."
"My master?" The ravenette questioned with a raised brow. She seemed surprised.
Strange.
"Yeah," the blond replied. "Big guy in the suit of armour?"
Where once there was surprise, now there was annoyance.
"I know who you're talking about. But I'm curious why you think he's my master."
Naruto shrugged noncommittally. "It's pretty obvious. You follow him like a servant would their master," — why did she look pleased? — "He's the one in the meeting. Plus, he kind of gives off superior officer vibes, don't you think?"
The shinobi raised a brow at what must have been a subconscious nod on the woman's part.
"Also, you called him 'my lord' a few times." He grinned at the blatant surprise on her face. "I've got pretty sharp senses," he explained while tapping his ear.
The woman nodded but remained silent. She really wasn't much of a talker, was she?
"Right. Anyway, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. The only Adamantite adventurer who's decided to call E-Rantel home. It's nice to meet you."
It took every fibre of his being not to stick his hand out for a handshake. The woman most certainly wasn't the type.
After several long seconds and what looked like deep contemplation on the woman's end, she settled for a slight nod.
...
Now, it was her turn to introduce herself.
...
Naruto sighed. Hopefully, his clone was having more luck.
xXx
"Sir Momon? Excuse me, Sir Momon?"
Ainz's focus returned to reality as his proverbial eyes landed upon Pluton Ainzach, the Guildmaster of E-Rantel's Adventurer's Guild. The man appeared bewildered and more than a little concerned.
"My apologies," the newest Mithril rank adventurer sighed. "I found myself lost in thought."
How could he not, given the potential bombshell that had just dropped. And he wasn't talking about Shalltear.
A derisive scoff sounded from across the table.
Igvarge.
Ainz barely knew the man, and he already despised him. He was arrogant, without any substance to back it up. A walking embodiment of why his floor guardians hated the species so.
"You sure this guy's Mithril-worthy? Zoning off during a meeting like this... seems pretty amateur to me," came the man's equally derisive jeer.
The comment earned him frowns from all others present. Before Ainz could attempt to appease the man, despite how painful it would be to do so, another voice spoke up.
"Would you shut the hell up, you asshole?" Barked a young man with blond hair.
Ah. Speaking of the proverbial bombshell...
The undead had seen the young man outside the meeting room. At the time, he'd been worried Narberal might tear his head off. Shortly after, he deduced that the young man was someone with no small amount of renown, given his status as an Adamantite adventurer. Given the receptionist's unique reaction to his presence, he even suspected the mysterious blond might be somewhat of a maverick among his peers.
But right now, none of that mattered. What mattered was the man's name.
Naruto Uzumaki.
That was, without a doubt, a Japanese name.
For the most part, names didn't have much meaning behind them. At least when it came to Western names. John. Sarah. Jessie.
And it was the Western naming convention that seemed to be the predominant method used in the New World.
There were exceptions, of course. Nfirea was a unique name he'd never encountered in his previous world. Hell, Pulton was also one he'd never heard of before.
But for the most part? It was Western names. The Re-Estize Kingdom itself had a heavy Eastern European vibe to it.
So, to hear such an obviously Japanese name in a place like this was shocking, to say the least. It was shocking enough to make Ainz himself freeze for a solid 30 seconds after the room members had introduced themselves.
Was this person another player? Had he been transmigrated to this world as well? He wondered if the name Ainz Ooal Gown would elicit a reaction.
Uzumaki. That meant Whirlpool if he remembered correctly. Or spiral.
Naruto. That one meant maelstrom. A pretty cool translation, all things considered. It was also a well-known type of food. Cured fish.
He supposed an easy way to deduce if the man was from Japan or not was to ask him if his name had any meaning. That, or flat out ask him. His name could, after all, be a massive coincidence.
The armoured skeleton didn't know which option he preferred.
If this blue-eyed young man, who was very passionately insulting Igvarge, by the way, really was from Japan, he wasn't from his old guild.
While Ainz didn't know every member's real name by heart, he knew their personalities. And this man's personality, Naruto's, didn't resemble any of them.
And if he wasn't one of his former comrades, there was no guarantee he'd be friendly.
How troublesome. If the undead overlord had a heart, it would likely be hammering out of his chest.
"Enough, you two!" Pluton bellowed, startling Ainz out of his thoughts. "This is hardly becoming of adventurers of your status! And in front of your junior, no less," he said with a wave in Ainz's direction.
Verbal chastising in front of a crowd aside, it certainly had the desired effect. Where once the two were bickering fiercely, they were now wisely holding their tongues.
At least until they weren't.
"Come on, gramps," Naruto groaned. "You know I'm right. Iggy was being a douche to the new guy."
Igvarge scowled in turn. "Do not call me that!"
"Fine!" The blond barked. "Igvarge was being a douche."
Pluton sighed loudly. "I swear. Every time you two are together, it's the same thing." The Guildmaster pinched the bridge of his nose. "Naruto, you can't keep insulting people you don't like. Igvarge, despite his words, Naruto is right. You were being unduly rude to your fellow adventurer."
Both men released soft 'tsks' in response.
Ainz shifted in his armour. Maybe now would be an appropriate time to clear the air and move the conversation forward. The sooner he could lay the groundwork for sorting out Shalltear's predicament, the sooner they could fix things. And once things were back to normal, he could start probing the enigmatic blond beside him. After all, he needed to maintain an order of priorities.
"It's quite alright," said Ainz, his hands raised placatingly. "I take no offence. In fact, the man has a point. I shouldn't let myself get distracted." He turned to face the younger man beside him. "And I must thank you, Mr. Uzumaki. I truly appreciate you speaking up on my behalf. I consider myself fortunate to have someone of your calibre looking out for me."
Naruto's eyes widened. "A-Ah, of course," he swallowed heavily. "We're all on the same team. We should look out for each other."
Ainz was surprised at the man's comparatively meek response. Was he blushing?
Strange.
"I commend your attitude, Sir Momon. I encourage each and every one of you to take notes."
The Guildmaster seemed somewhat exasperated as he said this.
"Anyway," the man continued. "Let us please get back on track. This vampire..."
Ainz sat up straighter, his focus sharpening.
Right. Back to business.
xXx
After successfully navigating the conversation, Ainz had somehow managed to convince the adventurers that he and his team could take care of the vampire alone.
Well, for the most part. Igvarge was being a bitch.
"Tag along if you must," Ainz offered. "But I warn you. It means certain death," came the skeleton's ominous declaration.
Truthfully, he had expected this reaction from at least one of the adventurers in the room. Igvarge was almost a given, but it was surprising that none of the others also insisted on coming along.
The man, Igvarge, scoffed. "Please. If a newbie like you is confident you can handle things, I'll be fine."
A loud hum radiated throughout the room. Ainz watched as Naruto began to stroke his chin in thought.
"You really think tagging along will spell death?"
Huh. Strange. The blond didn't exactly strike him as an overly cautious guy.
"I guarantee it," Ainz replied, tone just as grave as before.
...
"I think you should go, Igvarge," Naruto said solemnly.
"Fuck off, Uzumaki," the brown-haired man scoffed. After a moment of silence, he sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying anything, but I'm surprised."
Naruto raised an eyebrow in question.
"This kind of thing, a highly lethal vampire with unknown capabilities, it's definitely right up your alley. Why the cold feet?" After a short pause, he quickly added, "Are you finally showing the world how much of a coward you are?"
The blond's grin was feral and toothy. It promised nothing good.
Ainz paused in surprise. Were human canines usually so sharp? Oddly enough, not even his were that pointed.
"I'm just letting the newbie stretch his wings," the blond's words were sugary sweet. "If he says he can handle it, we should give him the opportunity to prove himself."
Igvarge shook his head. "Easy for you to say, you're already Adamantite. You don't have to worry about some new guy outpacing you. Yet."
It was clear the blond was actively restraining himself. "God damn, you're petty. You should be happy there's another strong adventurer to protect the people. Instead, you're obsessed with your pride. It's shameful."
Huh. Talk about misjudging someone. Ainz had been under the stalwart impression that the one-armed blond was a much more carefree individual. Someone who had little interest in the bigger picture and instead simply thirsted for their next adrenaline rush. His missing appendage, dishevelled blond hair, and devil-may-cry attitude indeed lent credence to that. Yet his words strongly contrasted with the overlords' perception of the man. It was pretty pleasant if he was being honest.
"Y-Yes, well," Pluton interrupted with a clearing of his throat. "Your disdain for each other aside, that does segue into something I'd like to address. It concerns you, Naruto."
The blond nodded for him to continue.
"Are you absolutely certain you won't accompany Sir. Momon?"
'Crap, what the hell is this guy saying? I was in the clear!" Suzuki Satoru cursed. 'I can kill Igvarge without issue, but if this Naruto guy comes along, I'm screwed! Why does he have to be an Adamantite class? No one will bat an eye if a Mithril team doesn't return, especially after I hyped up Shalltear. But if an Adamantite dies while I come back scotch-free, I bet that'll cause me a massive headache. What if they launch an investigation? ... Maybe I can tell everyone he sacrificed himself and give him most of the credit? That'd be believable, right?'
"Why the sudden concern, gramps?" Naruto questioned blandly.
Pluton hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "We don't know exactly how powerful this vampire is. It might be prudent to send in an overwhelming force to subdue it. Also, I would rather not lose such a promising team," he said while indicating to Ainz.
An overwhelming force, huh? Is that how they saw the blond? A spark of excitement ignited within the Yggdrasil player's chest. If Naruto really was another player, then he would undoubtedly be an overwhelming force.
"You worry too much, old man. I'm sure Mr. Momon will be fine! After all, if things get too hairy, he can always sacrifice Igvarge to the vampire and retreat!"
"Fuck yourself, blondie," the irritable man said tiredly.
"But, if it'll ease your mind," the blond began.
'Ah, shit.'
"Momon, do you really think you can handle the vampire alone?"
The armoured skeleton tilted his head to speak, but Naruto interrupted him preemptively before he could get a word out.
"Actually, maybe it'd be better if I phrased it like this." The shinobi cleared his throat. "If I go with you, will I die too?"
Ainz was startled at the sudden intensity of the young man's words. For one heart-stopping moment, he was almost convinced the blond knew of his true intentions. As if he could read him like a book. Why else would he phrase his question in such a way?
'Will I die too?'
Not, 'Is death a possibility?' Or 'What are the chances I'll die?'
His phrasing was much more direct. That, combined with his enunciation, almost made it sound like he was implying that Ainz himself would be doing the killing.
Which, granted, was sort of true. But still, what the hell?
Ainz calmed his nerves so that his voice wouldn't break. After a moment, he nodded. "Yes, I believe so. This vampire is powerful and unpredictable. I'm highly familiar with it, while you are not. I fear that unfamiliarity will guarantee your death."
'Please buy it.'
The blond stared at him a moment longer than necessary, enough to spark a pit of anxiety in his gut.
Eventually, Naruto nodded, then smiled. He turned to the Guildmaster and shrugged. "There you have it, old man. Momon knows what he's getting into, while we don't. It'd be stupid to send in more people since we'd just get in the way. At worst, we might turn into portable batteries for the vampire, making the fight harder than necessary."
'Yes! Maybe this guy's not so bad!'
Ainz resisted the urge to expand on the topic. He needed to remain calm and collected lest he rouse anyone's suspicions.
"Un-fucking-believable," Igvarge sighed. "You're a disgrace." The man glanced at the others present in the room. "You all are!"
"Whatever you say, ya bastard," Naruto scoffed. "Just try to make yourself useful. It's the least you can do if you insist on going out there."
The arrogant adventurer answered with a low growl but thankfully chose not to push the topic further.
Pluton sighed. "Very well, it's decided. Sir Momon and his team, joined by Igvarge and his own, will head out immediately to subjugate the vampire."
Ainz sighed internally. Okay. He could work with this.
As everyone began to shuffle out of the room, the ruler of Nazarick spied the enigmatic blond from the corner of his eye.
Naruto appeared focused on something. Given the lack of apparent external stimuli, he was clearly lost in his thoughts. Looking at the man now, his demeanour stood in stark contrast from earlier or even before the meeting.
Where there was once a carefree grin, there was now a set of tight lips. Where his eyes were carefree and light, they were now narrowed and dark.
Something was going on in that head of his. Given his potential origins, the undead overlord was uncomfortable, to say the least.
Apparently, he'd been staring for too long. The blond's eyes came into focus and flicked in his direction. Immediately, the Adamantite adventurer's shoulders slackened, and his easy-going smile returned in full.
He produced a soft noise from the back of his throat. "Looks like you caught me daydreaming." The man's grin was easy. Calm. Almost bright. If Ainz didn't know any better, he'd be inclined to believe the blond had no ulterior motives.
Ainz knew better. Whatever was going on behind those ocean-blue eyes was a mystery. And he had absolutely no idea whether or not he should be worried.
That in itself was worrying.
"Mr. Uzumaki, I was wondering —"
"— Please, just call me Naruto. I insist."
Ainz nodded. "Very well. Naruto, I was wondering... that is to say, I'm curious about..."
As the armoured man's words faltered, he paused, earning him an inquisitive head tilt from the shinobi.
"I apologize, now's not the time to ask such things; It can wait."
Instead of pushing the topic, as he had somewhat expected, the human simply shrugged, accepting his words for what they were.
"If you say so," came his easy reply. "Well, good luck on your hunt today. Don't feel obligated to look out for Igvarge. Just do your thing."
"I'll do as you say," the overlord nodded in acceptance. Damn, this guy really didn't like Igvarge.
"Right," Naruto sighed. "I'll see you around. Later."
Before Ainz could say anything further, the blond disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Huh. Interesting.
xXx
Naruto paused in the middle of his sentence as a flood of information hit him. Looks like the meeting was over.
A gentle clearing of the throat caught his attention.
"Ah, sorry about that, Nabe. I just got hit with a bunch of memories. The meeting's over, so your master should be down soon."
The stoic woman nodded. After a moment, she surprised him by asking a question. "Is that common? To lose focus when a clone dispels?"
Naruto hummed. "Not always. It depends on how important the information gathered is. Or how much there is. It usually doesn't bother me if I'm in a high-pressure situation like a fight or an argument. I can always sort through the memories later."
The woman nodded wordlessly.
Naruto sighed, then quickly began to do just that. The human brain was an enormously complex system poorly understood in this world and the Elemental Nations. Because of that, sifting through his clone's memories didn't take nearly as long as it took to make them. It was like time flowed differently in his mind.
He suppressed a grin as he began to review everything. Igvarge, a douche? Unbelievable. Momon having a hidden agenda and having a lot more to him than meets the eye? It couldn't be so.
Naruto was happy his suspicions regarding the man were correct. Nabe's bottomless pit of negative emotions for everything around her and Momon's overly suspicious nature certainly painted a picture. The picture may have been abstract with no clearly defined details, but it painted a picture nonetheless.
Sure enough, a few moments later, the team leaders who were present at the meeting began to descend to the first floor.
Each of them shot looks of confusion to the blond as if to ask, 'How did he beat them down the stairs?'
Naruto ignored them and instead focused on the last member to show himself. While he'd stayed behind for a few moments to speak with his clone, Momon was no further behind the group than if he'd left with them.
The man's full helmet made it impossible to tell if he was surprised to see him at the table with Nabe, but Naruto had to assume he was at least a little confused.
"Hey, big guy, fancy seeing you here," the blond grinned good-naturedly. He felt Nabe's disapproval rise just a little.
She was really quite protective of her superior, wasn't she?
"Naruto," the armoured man greeted him in confusion. "We could have simply walked down together."
He seemed to be at a loss for words. Understandable.
"That wasn't the real me in the meeting room," the blond smiled.
"I'm afraid I don't understand."
Naruto laughed lightly. "Long story short, that was a clone I made. But," he gestured to his head, "I've got all the memories it created up here. So, in a way, it's like I was at the meeting. I just didn't have to experience all the boring stuff firsthand."
"I see," the larger man muttered. "Does that mean you've been here all this time?"
The shinobi nodded happily. "Yup! I've been hanging out with my girl Nabe here. How the hell do you ever get a word in with someone so damn chatty?"
He didn't need to be able to sense negative emotions to know the dark-haired beauty was pissed at his words.
To Momon's credit, he simply released a bellowing laugh. "Yes, I'm sure that was the case!"
Naruto smiled. The laugh sounded genuine, one that came from the man's belly.
"I'm glad to see you and Nabe got along while I was away. Or, at the very least, she didn't lose her temper on you. What she lacks in people skills, she more than makes up for in being a truly reliable partner."
Blue eyes creased in a smile. There was genuine affection in the swordsman's words. It was heartwarming in a way. Add the fact that the stoic woman was sporting the barest hint of a blush, making the scene all the cuter.
In addition to Naruto's rising interest in the pair, he was starting to get the barest grasp of their relationship. Though just under the surface, it appeared to be master-servant in nature, there was also genuine affection between the two of them. At least, it seemed that way.
"Now then, I'd say it's about time for us to head out," said the newly minted adventurer. "We have a rather daunting task ahead of us, and I'd like to catch Nabe up regarding the details."
Naruto nodded in response. "Of course, of course. Don't let me stop you."
With that, Nabe quickly stood up and took her place beside her master.
"After we're finished with our business, I'd like to sit down and talk, if you wouldn't mind."
Naruto tilted his head, curious as to the man's intentions. Whatever they were, he didn't sense any ill will towards him. That was good.
"Sure," the Jinchūriki agreed. "I'm always happy to help out the guild's next up-and-coming Orichalcum class adventurer," he said with a smile.
Momon raised his gauntleted hands. "I appreciate the confidence you place in me," After lowering them, he turned towards the exit. "I'll be seeing you."
Naruto raised his single hand in goodbye.
He'd be seeing him a lot sooner than he realized.
xXx
"No! You bastard!" Came the infuriated cry of Igvarge. "I can't believe this, you monster! I'm gonna kill you! All of you!"
Currently nestled in a tall tree, Naruto's eyes scanned the scene unfolding beneath him.
'Holy shit, you were right!' Barked Kurama in amazement.
'Told ya, fuzzball. It was the way he said 'certain death.' It was like he was threatening him.'
'So, what are you going to do now? Step in and stop this?'
Naruto considered his options. 'Nah. Momon explicitly said this would happen. It ain't my job to bail out this dumbass because he was too stupid to read between the lines.'
'Oh, thank Kami. The you from five years ago would have jumped in immediately.'
Naruto nodded to himself. 'Probably. But then I'd have to fight and risk killing people on the other side of the conflict. If I have to make a choice, I'd rather not choose at all. Besides, Igvarge and his team are certified douches. Momon's low-key doing the world a favour.'
'You sure this has nothing to do with the punk extorting the little old lady in the marketplace? Either way, I'm proud of you, kid.'
Naruto didn't respond. It might have affected his indifference to what was taking place. This was undoubtedly faster than him gathering evidence against the man. And the results would end up being the same.
...
"I explicitly said this would happen," the armoured man stated plainly. "You have no one but yourself to blame." As he spoke, one of his companions, a young dark elf, stepped forward. "Now, it's time to face the consequences of your actions." The dark elf raised a gnarled wooden stick. "Death might come swiftly."
Igvarge began to tremble. "Damn you all," he cursed.
The wooden weapon came down on him. Lo and behold, death did, in fact, come swiftly.
'Brutal. Getting a child to execute the man. That's hardcore...'
Naruto sighed. 'Yeah, that was kind of fucked up. Especially considering the others could have done the job.'
'Speaking of, what's with this team composition? I see a succubus, a giant hamster... even dark elves don't usually roll with humans.'
The Jinchūriki shrugged. 'Maybe Momon's not human? I haven't exactly seen what's under the hood. Plus, he smells off.'
'Yeah, you're right. What about Nabe? She looks human.'
'She sure does. Maybe these non-humans are different? Elves, for example, aren't explicitly hostile to humans. Maybe there are succubus out there who are the same way?'
'And the... hamster?'
'Pretty fucking weird. Maybe a pet?'
'Yeah, it has to be, right?'
As the group below began to discuss what to do with the corpses, Naruto's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
'O-Okay. Momon is not human. Is that an Elder Lich?'
With a burst of magic, the man(?) in question had switched from his dark suit of plate armour to an equally gaudy set of spellcaster robes.
'Oh damn. Forget Elder Lich, that's a fucking Overlord.'
Naruto blinked. He'd never fought an Overlord before. Elder Liches, sure, plenty. By this world's standards, they were terrifyingly powerful. But for him, they'd barely registered as an annoyance. An Overlord could prove interesting.
Kurama scoffed in his mindscape. 'Don't get your hopes up. Even if an Overlord is 100 times more powerful than an Elder Lich, it'll mean nothing to someone like you.'
The blond sighed. His partner was completely right. What a drag.
'So what's the plan, kid? Are we fighting these guys?'
'Nah. If I wanted to fight 'em, I would have done it before they killed Igvarge. Probably. No, we're doing something way more fun. We're watching them.'
The fox grunted loudly. 'What, seriously? That's lame. How's that any fun?'
Naruto scoffed. 'Use your head, idiot. If I fight them now, I'll crush them, and that'll be it. But think about it. Why the hell is an Overlord infiltrating the Adventurers Guild? Throughout this world's history, when have the undead ever plotted something like this?'
There was a pause.
'Well, I —'
'— Never! The answer is never. According to this world's written records, there's never been a recorded case of monsters attempting to infiltrate, or hell, integrate themselves into society. It's unheard of.'
...
'Sheesh. You spend a few months sending your clones to read through every library within a thousand miles, and suddenly, you think you know everything.'
'What's the saying? 10,000 hours, and you're an expert? By that definition, I'm literally a master when it comes to this world.'
'If only you had the same initiative back home...'
'Shut it, ya damn fox. The point is what's happening here is unprecedented. And I want to know more about what's going on.'
The bijū sighed. 'I suppose it is the most interesting thing that's happened to us in years. Sure, why not.'
'Glad I have your permission,' the blond quipped sarcastically. 'Now, we best start paying attention. Looks like they're moving on.'
Glancing down, the group indeed seemed to have chosen their next course of action. Momon and the succubus were heading deeper into the forest while the rest were loitering around the corpses.
Naruto grinned. He knew who he was following. With a silent step, he began to follow the Overlord discreetly from the treetops. It'd been a while since he exercised the stealth aspect of his shinobi training. Since coming here, he'd never really needed to. Adventurers operated on a completely different set of principles.
Damn, it felt good to be sneaky.
After following the non-human duo for an indeterminate amount of time, they finally stopped in a clearing. Good thing, too. A clearing meant no more trees to hide in. If they had kept going, he would have had to circle all the way around.
In the center of the field was what was undoubtedly their vampire target. She was... small. Petite was generous. This creature of the night was downright childlike. But based on what he could see from such a distance, she was also rather adorable, in a little kid sort of way. Fair skin, long silvery hair, small proportions, and the outfit of high nobility. She looked like a perfect little doll.
Naruto strained both eyes and ears as the two non-humans approached the vampire, stopping roughly two dozen paces away.
"Shalltear," the Overlord called.
Was that a name?
Subsequently, the succubus stepped forward. "Shalltear, answer your master, you disrespectful little wen—"
"—Be quiet!" Momon shouted, hand raised to ward off his underling.
Yup, guess that was the vampire's name. Also, what was that about Momon being her master?
'The plot thickens.'
Indeed, it does.
Naruto continued to watch. The duo's volume had decreased to normal levels, so listening to their conversation was much more difficult. Shame. As it was now, the shinobi could only pick up bits and pieces of what was being said. He was curious, but he didn't dare get any closer.
What quickly became apparent, however, was that the Overlord intended to cast some sort of spell, indicated by his raised hand. On his bony fingers, ornate golden rings — undoubtedly magical in nature — twinkled in arcane power.
'Here we go. Let's see what kind of magic an Overlord has at its disposal.'
An enormous magic seal expanded from beneath the undead as if to appease the mighty chakra beast.
Naruto's eyes widened.
'Holy shit! Look at that!'
And look at that, he did. Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Sensing magic was a bit of a tricky thing if one didn't know what to look for. It wasn't like chakra. Not really. If chakra was the manifestation of physical and spiritual energy, then magic was purely spiritual. But Naruto had learned to sense magic almost as well as he could sense chakra. And what he sensed was a magic more powerful than anything he'd seen in this new world. It was exciting.
'Exciting doesn't cut it! This is awesome! I'd almost given up hope that we'd ever find a challenge in this world!'
Naruto grinned at his partner's words.
'How do you think this level of magic measures up?'
Kurama hummed. 'By this world's standards? This undead is basically a God. Magic tiers work on an exponential principle. Think of how quickly bacteria grows or how quickly radioactive materials decay.'
'Buddy, I have no fucking clue what you're talking about.'
The Kyubi sighed. "You know how I'm several times stronger than Gyūki?
The blond nodded hesitantly.
'That's exponential growth. The level of power does not increase linearly. It's the same with tier magic here. A third-tier spell isn't just three times more powerful than a first-tier spell. It could be five times or even ten times more powerful. I don't know the formula, but you get the idea, right?'
'Shit, I think so. So you're implying that this guy just cast something higher than a sixth-tier spell, huh?'
The sixth tier was widely considered to be the maximum level of magic that a being of this world could cast.
'Something much, much higher than sixth tier. If I had to guess? Maybe ninth or tenth. If such levels exist. If they do, they've never been seen in this world before.'
Damn.
'What about us? How does this magic measure up to us?'
Naruto could practically feel his friend's grin. 'I did say this magic would be on par with a God.'
Naruto matched his partner's grin. 'When have we ever let Gods get in our way?'
The fox laughed deeply. 'Exactly. This power is strong, certainly. And we should always watch for exotic techniques we've never seen before. We wouldn't want to lose a fight simply because we were caught off guard. That being said, in terms of pure power? Our Nine-Tails Chakra Mode should be enough to overcome it. Anything less, and I can't say for certain.'
Naruto had to restrain himself from letting out a low whistle. Anything that required him to use his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode was powerful. Unnaturally so. For a moment, he felt a pang of unease. If this kind of power existed here, who's to say a higher level didn't?
At least he still had his Six Paths Sage Mode. Despite this, he suddenly felt a sudden urge to restart his training.
Glancing back at the individuals in the grassy field, the blond was again blown away.
'Did that super high tier spell just...'
'...Fail? I think it did. Huh.'
Why did it fail? Was it a user error? Or something more?
'Looks like their little misfire spooked 'em.'
Sure enough, the Overlord quickly grabbed his succubus subordinate and teleported away. Huh. That was... anticlimactic.
...
'So... what now?'
...
'Should we wait for them to come back? The vampire's still just standing there.'
.
..
...
..
.
The blond sat in silence for several minutes, deliberating his next move. He supposed he could just leave. After a fraction of a second, he tossed away the idea.
He could wait until Momon returned. Surely he'd be back, right? But there was no telling how long that would take.
He could check out the vampire up close. Although, he probably shouldn't try fighting it, considering it seemed to be an underling of the Overlord. At least, that's what it seemed like based on what little he'd overheard.
The blond shrugged his shoulders. Maybe he'd combine the latter two options. If Momon wasn't back in the next 30 minutes, he'd head down there.
'Really? That's the plan?'
'What's wrong with it?'
'It's indecisive. Just go with one or the other. If you wait and then check out the vampire, you only invite the Overlord to catch you in the act.'
Naruto smiled. 'Oh, no. That would indeed be unfortunate.'
The fox sighed tiredly. 'You humans and your sarcasm. So that's your plan? Get caught in the act by the vampire's master?'
The Jinchūriki hummed. 'Not explicitly. Waiting a bit gives him time to come back and do his thing, but I'm not waiting around forever. And I ain't leaving. If he comes back while I'm down there, it'll be pretty interesting, don't you think?'
'I mean, I guess? But why not just confront him earlier?'
Naruto shrugged. 'Hadn't made up my mind until now.'
'Okay, fair enough. But you realize the guy probably retreated to get back up, right? Or to get whatever he needs to confront the vampire?'
'Oh, I'm counting on it.'
'You've gotten crazier over the years. Are you looking to fight the Overlord or not? I'm still unclear.'
'I'd like to fight him if possible, but I'm still unsure how to do so without pissing him off. I don't want to kill him. He's way too interesting to just destroy. I want to know more about what's going on. What he's scheming, his motivations, why he's so different from the other undead around here, and why he's so much more powerful.'
Kurama scoffed. 'Curious little monkey. Sooner or later, you'll find yourself in a pit of trouble, and you'll be lucky if you can find the time for regret.'
Naruto waved him off. 'Promises, promises. Now relax.' After a short pause, he sighed. 'And how much longer do I have to wait?'
xXx
'Lord Ainz!' A panicked voice came from within the undead overlord's head, causing him to pause mid-step.
'What is it, Aura? I'm very busy right now,' he replied irritably.
That was an understatement. The ruler of Nazarick was a bit more than just busy. He was about to go to war with his most powerful floor guardian. So, to have Aura reach out to him via the message spell when she knew what was on his plate was a bit bothersome.
'I'm sorry, my lord. But it's Shalltear. You asked me to keep an eye on her from a distance. Well, someone's approaching her right now!'
If Ainz had blood, it'd be running cold.
'Return to Nazarick and come to my office immediately! Is that understood?' The skeleton commanded hurriedly.
"Yes, my lord,' came her obedient reply.
Shit. This wasn't good.
"Albedo, Yuri Alpha, to me, now!" Both women, startled at his seemingly random outburst, quickly huddled in close.
Before he could teleport them all to his office, a flamboyant voice rang out, "My dear lord Ainz! What about myself?"
The overlord froze briefly before his previous adrenaline snapped him out of it. "R-Right. Pandora's Actor, continue what you... normally do." After a moment, he added, "G-Good work, by the way."
"Oh my! Thank you, my good —"
Ainz teleported away before the Doppelgänger could finish his sentence.
After gathering his bearings, he turned to the corner of his office, where his on-duty homunculus maid stood ready. "Lumière, fetch the Mirror of Remote Viewing. Do so quickly."
The maid, Lumière, took the order in stride and promptly left the room without sacrificing any of her composure or poise.
"Albedo, with the exception of Victim and Gargantua, summon the floor guardians immediately."
The succubus bowed. "At once, my lord." She then began casting the message spell, intent to carry out her master's will.
'This isn't good. Who the hell could have stumbled upon Shalltear? Could it be the person who mind-controlled her? If so, this could be really bad. Maybe it's just another adventurer. If so, I don't know what will happen if they attack her. Will she go back on standby mode after she kills them? What if she doesn't, and she goes on a rampage? Crap. That would be really bad.'
...
Thankfully, Lumière had been quick about her task, and Albedo must have appropriately conveyed his urgency in her messages, as both the Mirror of Remote Viewing and his Guardians arrived at roughly the same time.
"My lord," came the serpentine voice of Demiurge. "I must admit, I was not expecting your summons until much later. Has something happened?"
Ainz nodded regretfully. "Indeed, something has." The Overlord began to manipulate the Mirror of Remote Viewing. "Thank you all for answering my call so quickly. I'll cut to the chase."
The mirror began to zero in on a wide clearing.
"It's come to my attention that someone is currently approaching Shalltear. What worries me so is the very real possibility that this person could be the one who took control of her mind."
Cocytus released a cloud of frosty air. "You speak of the one in possession of a world item?"
"Indeed I do, Cocytus. If this is the case, then much of my plan is now obsolete. While it shames me to ask this of you all, I may need to rely on your strength to resolve the matter."
That was one way to put it. Truthfully, the thought of putting any of his beloved NPCs at risk made him feel ill. But if there was someone, player or not, running around with a world-class item, he wouldn't be able to defeat Shalltear and this mysterious person at the same time.
And so, he told his guardians as much.
"My lord," Albedo gushed. "Rest assured, this is our very purpose! We would be honoured to aid you in battle. Truly."
Ainz didn't have to see his guardians to know they agreed. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. Hopefully, this interloper was a simple adventurer, and they'd flee upon seeing Shalltear.
"I must agree, lord," Demiurge added. He shifted his glasses. "Should it come down to it, we will engage Shalltear in battle while you deal with the unknown."
"Agreed, Demiurge," the undead grunted.
As much as he didn't want to pit his Guardians against each other, he couldn't risk another one of them being ensnared by the unknown mind-control device.
As the mirror began to focus, everyone leaned in. The mysterious individual slowly came into view, causing murmurs of confusion amongst the floor guardians.
Ainz himself felt his proverbial eyes widen in disbelief. A rush of confusion, relief, and a little bit of fear washed over him.
The conflicting emotions were brought about by a young man with a head of messy blond hair.
"Who the heck is this guy?" Aura questioned loudly.
"That," Ainz replied, "Could be a very big problem."
What the hell was Naruto doing here? What happened to 'letting the new guy prove himself'? Had he followed them to Shalltear? Did he know what happened to Igvarge? Did he know his identity? It was these questions that tormented the ruler of Nazarick.
"This man?" Albedo questioned derisively. "He certainly doesn't look like much. Then again, he is a pathetic human, so I suppose it's only natural."
Ainz shook himself from his internal dialogue.
"Albedo, enough. This man is an Adamantite adventurer from E-Rantel. Like it or not, we need to operate under the assumption he's powerful. Especially if he's in possession of a world item."
That shut the horned woman up.
"My lord, do you think this is the one who took control of Shalltear's mind?" Demiurge asked in interest.
Truthfully, no. Ainz did not think that. He didn't know the first thing about Naruto, but he didn't seem the sort. He seemed more like a fighter than a schemer. But he needed his Guardians to view the man under a veil of caution. After all, he couldn't tell them he suspected the blond was another player based simply on his Japanese name. They wouldn't understand.
"I can't say for certain," Ainz answered. "But we can't rule out the possibility."
Hopefully, that would sober them up. For now, it might be worthwhile to simply watch the blond and see what he'd do. Hopefully, he'd leave upon satisfying his curiosity. If he aggroed Shalltear and was killed? While regrettable, it would be the price of his curiosity.
Now then, what was Naruto going to do? Ainz glanced back at the mirror. Wait, what the hell was Naruto doing? Was he trying to talk to her?
"So, Shalltear, was it? That's what your friends called you, right?"
Oh shit. He had been spying on them. That was the only way he could have known Shalltear's name.
The blond waved his hand in front of the girl, then snapped his fingers a few times for good measure.
"Hello? Anyone there?"
Predictably, the vampire didn't answer.
"You're pretty out of it, huh? But I guess if you weren't answering your master, I don't have much of a chance, do I?"
He needed to kill the blond, didn't he? He knew way too much. Had he reported to the rest of the Guild yet? If not, would killing Naruto quickly be enough to prevent his plans from crumbling?
"Man, what the hell happened to you? Did someone wipe your mind?"
Oh? That seemed to indicate that Naruto wasn't the one to take control of Shalltear's mind.
The blonde hummed while rubbing his chin. "Maybe something like a genjutsu? If that's the case, I wonder..."
Wait, wait, wait. What the hell was he doing to Shalltear?
xXx
'What the hell are you doing to her?' Kurama barked in alarm.
Naruto paused his ministrations.
'What? I'm just trying something.' Deciding a bit more of an explanation might be appreciated, he continued. 'It kind of looks like she's under a genjutsu. Maybe I can break it?'
The blond reached out his gauntleted hand and began gathering his chakra.
'You sure this is a good idea? What if it works, and she attacks you? What if it doesn't, and she attacks you?'
'Since when were you so cautious? I thought you'd be itching for a fight.'
...
'Hey, wait a minute, you're right. What am I saying? You should clock the bitch in the mouth.'
Naruto laughed. 'I'm not going that far.'
At the end of his thought, he placed his palm on the top of the vampire's head and sent a pulse of chakra throughout her system.
...
Nothing.
'Well, you tried. Maybe it wasn't meant to —'
With a flare of energy, the shinobi sent a small amount of purified bijū chakra into the vampire.
...
Nothing.
'Really? Are you finished? It's clearly not going to work.'
Naruto grunted in dissatisfaction. 'Hang on, I got one more idea.'
The Kyubi sighed. 'And that would be?'
After a moment of concentration, the blond opened his eyes. They were yellow now, with horizontal bars for pupils. Orange pigmentation highlighted the area around his eyes.
'I was thinking, third time's the charm.'
'You sure that's a good idea? You might just turn her to stone.'
The shinobi scoffed. 'I'm not using enough to do that. Just a tiny little pulse.'
Kurama groaned. 'What's the point? Why are you so insistent? And what makes you think this will — '
Naruto sent a small pulse of senjutsu into the petite vampire. Immediately, and to the surprise of everyone watching, the woman's head snapped up, and her eyes flared to life.
"Who!? Where!? What is going on!?" The woman snapped.
Naruto froze at the sudden barrage of questions. Truthfully, he hadn't been expecting any actual results.
Crimson-red eyes blazed with confusion and unfettered power. As if only now noticing his presence, her eyes narrowed as they settled upon Naruto's wide blue orbs. Upon realizing his hand was still settled upon her head, she blushed a bright red, made infinitely worse by her ghostly complexion.
"You!" She barked. "How dare you lay a hand upon me, you filthy cretin!"
As his brain finally restarted, Naruto quickly lowered his hand. Try as he might, he simply couldn't formulate the words he had planned for this scenario. Not that he really had much to say. He hadn't expected this to work, so his plan, if it did work, was pretty half-assed.
"And who the hell are you supposed to be?" Without allowing him to speak, she scoffed in disgust. "Lousy human. You're too close."
Naruto's eyes widened as the vampire cocked her arm back.
"Sorry, I don't have time for you. I need to find my master." The young woman rocketed her fist forward, intent on slapping him away.
Instinctively, Naruto raised his only hand, catching the deceptively strong attack. His eyes widened as he felt the force behind the strike, and felt as well as heard the ground crack beneath his feet.
What the fuck?
"What?" The vampire mumbled, her eyes narrowing into thin slits. "You shouldn't have survived that." She tried to pull her hand away, only to scowl as he refused to let go.
Yeah, there was a new problem now. This little gothic lolita was way too strong to ignore. Were it not for the fact that he was in Sage Mode, he probably would have been knocked away quite severely. He probably would have taken some damage, too, if only because he'd been unprepared for such an attack. She tried several more times to pull away, her eyes widening at each unscussessul attempt. She was surprisingly strong.
"Unhand me this instant, or I'll make you wish that last attack had killed you."
Naruto grinned. He liked the sound of that. "Sorry, kiddo. I don't think —"
The vampire, Shalltear, released a pained grunt, then reached toward her head with her free arm, dropping her strange weapon in the process. Naruto frowned. He hadn't done anything. As quick as her pain arrived, it seemingly left just as quickly. The hand cradling her head dropped to her side, and he felt the hand he had caught slacken.
The blond blinked dumbly. If he had to guess, she was back to the state she was in when he found her. Had his senjutsu-enhanced chakra surge only been temporary? Before he could consider the possibilities, an ethereal noise sounded from behind him. It caught him off guard, making him instinctively turn around. Normally, he wouldn't be turning his back on someone who'd just so recently promised him grievous bodily harm and death, but a lot was going on. Plus, he had been expecting this.
There was a portal there, its magical energies a kaleidoscope of fiery red, orange, and black. Out of the portal stepped a being clad in ostentatious black robes and holding an intricate golden staff. It was a very familiar being. It was Momon, the Mithril adventurer, but he wasn't wearing his usual plate armour. Was this his default appearance when he wasn't infiltrating human cities? The Overlord wasn't alone, however. Other beings began to emerge from the portal and slowly formed a line next to the imposing skeleton.
They were quite the diverse cast.
There was the succubus from earlier. Her undoubtedly beautiful features were sullied by the scornful frown she now wore. There were now two young dark elves, one of which was the one from earlier. They looked to be siblings. Although youthful in appearance, there was no telling how old they actually were considering their heritage. Next in line was a rather smarmy individual dressed in a bright orange-red pinstripe suit. He appeared to be a demon, as indicated by his pointed ears and segmented tail. Naruto resisted the urge to frown. He knew a schemer when he saw one. It was in the way the man smirked. Finally, perhaps the most alien of the group was a large insectoid creature wielding an exotic-looking polearm. His was a cool cyan in colour and was covered in large chitinous plates of natural armour. That one clearly looked like a fighter.
"You there," the undead overlord called out. "Cease your actions and step away from my underling."
...
Naruto tilted his head in curiosity but nevertheless stepped forward, putting distance between him and Shalltear.
"Good," Momon stated. "Now, tell me. Who are you, and how were you able to lift the status ailment placed on Shalltear? What role do you play in her current condition?"
Naruto nodded at the undead's words.
"I was only trying to help," The blond settled with. "She wasn't all that responsive, so I was trying something out."
The skeleton observed him quietly. "Do you expect me to believe that?"
The shinobi immediately shrugged in response. "Believe what you want, but if I meant her harm, I would have caused her harm."
The white-clad succubus laughed insincerely. "Please. Someone like you would never be able to cause damage to someone of Shalltear's calibre. Even if she was comatose. I'm insulted that you —"
"— Be quiet!" Momon snapped angrily. The succubus immediately bowed her head and stepped half a pace back.
"You never answered the first part of my question. Who are you?"
At that, Naruto smiled mischievously. "Me?" He parroted. "Why, you already know who I am, Sir Momon."
Every one of the individuals present, save for Momon himself, flinched at his words.
'Oh boy. Now you've done it.'
xXx
A/N: That's all for this chapter, folks. It was a fun one to write. See you in the next chapter (maybe?).