Long time no see, same song and dance, but this time with a bit of a focus element.
I'll probably be trying to only focus on five stories for the coming months: Unlimited Courage, Grimm Light, A Positive Twist, Respectable Home, Kamui Candy, and one other 'Obito' story. I want to try to zero-in on these ones while I write other stuff in the background for future publishing.
Which is going well, honestly. The Elden Ring one is almost a quarter-done and I do mean that. Giving it a four-arc shelf life helps because it's approaching almost 200k words just by chapter 9 and I barely even wrote anything 9 yet.
As for this chapter, well, I did a LOT of rushing, I know I did from how I pushed the whole 'Bull of Heaven' bit but it's fine after I realized something.
No shit, I could just re-use him later as an enemy at full strength. Hell, considering what I do have cooking in this chapter, I'll be playing with a lot of Freezing's, the show's, concepts.
Be prepared for that.
Also, curious. Does anyone want Lucy thrown into the pairing?
By all rights, she has all the build-up to join in or stay the curious sisterly figure she has been up until now. I'm sure I'll pair her with Naruto another day, surely, but if someone wants a taste of that here, speak up.
~NRK~
The sight of that creature sent a shiver up their spines.
"... What in the world?" Chiffon's entire being froze at the sight of it, confusion & disbelief shocking her still alongside the others.
"W-What the fuck is that?" Genessa asked crassly, their 'vehicle' floating right in front of 'it'.
That monster's bellow came to a majestic end as the golden 'world' above shone down on them.
Rana's eyes widened as her eyes burned gold. 'W-What is this?!' She didn't understand.
Chiffon swallowed. "I-I don't…"
Amelia's skin found itself covered in goosebumps as something swept through the air. "This… T-This is a Nova, isn't it?" She asked weakly.
The others kept on staring in disbelief before the air crackled and twitched.
The familiar orange hexagons covering the world around them glowed and flickered as an opposing field spread out from the bull Nova's feet.
~NRK~
"What the hell is that?" Naruto stared at that 'vision', that 'screen', in front of him that allowed him to see what was happening.
Then, its field fought against his own and the tailed blonde's body ached as the feeling of 'communion' filled his mind before 'something' settled on the opposing side of his View, as he would start calling it.
Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of a floating ball of light that released a series of circuit lines, Volt Lines, and a presence he was thrown back from.
The pain was hard to bear, he'd lost control of his Scale, but he'd not leave his friend alone.
Even as he came to a stop, Naruto's hands clasped together tightly.
~NRK~
The orange field was overtaken in an instant, their skin going pale.
Yet, their golden rings hadn't left, their bodies actually made stronger, and the moment they touched down they 'spilt' orange hexagons below them.
"Naruto?" Amelia whispered in concern before looking at the Nova. "We have to get rid of this thing," she told them. "I don't think we have many options, anyway."
"Likely not-de arimasu," Rana said as she tightened her cloth via Volt Textures. "Still…"
"This isn't going to be easy," Chiffon admitted fully. "We're not dealing with one Type-S or a simple Nova," her fists clenched.
Her eyes flickered, gaining a long vertical bar-like pupil, before they gained a golden rim.
And what she saw, felt, and noticed had her frowning.
"What's going on?" Arthur frowned as his eyes glowed. "That thing has five whole cores," he whispered to the others.
"Is this what we brought down?" Reiner flinched, his eyes relaying all kinds of information he'd never been privy to before. "T-They're gathering energy," eyes going wide as the bull's two mouths opened up. "WE NEED TO MOVE!"
The thought, feeling, and intent slammed into the others' minds and caused their bodies to move without thought as the three tails glowed.
Genessa, Elizabeth, and Julia's weapons snapped out before rotating into a large spiraling 'barrier' of sorts that melded Genessa's high number of chains, Elizabeth's lasers, and Julia's sonic waves together.
And it barely did its job as the beast unleashed its attack just barely behind them.
The eruption deafened them… As in actually deafened them, the teens thrown away from the sparking, erupting, energy explosion.
Their screams felt mute as they rolled across crunching dirt, soft stones, or just fell into the earth completely.
The dust didn't settle before the bull opened its mouth again.
Just in time for a descending Teslad to jam one of her tonfa into its eye.
The next second, a plasma slash removed one of those tails before the dark-haired women disengaged as the bull Nova roared to the heavens once more.
Landing in front of the dust clouds tossed-up by their younger members, Su-Na frowned deeply as Teslad crouched with her weapons reared-back.
Obito frowned from a raised slope some 50-yards-away. "Destroy its cores and its ability to gather energy goes down greatly," he said to himself before a helicopter came down behind him, a familiar pair exiting to stand beside him. "Took you long enough," he told Minato and Kushina.
Wearing a black sweater, thick sweatpants, and a pair of ninja sandals, Minato had on a high-collar white cloak with a series of red flames on the bottom, very reminiscent of his old world Hokage Cloak.
"What's happening?!" Kushina asked in alarm and concern, the sight of a golden ring arriving around their waists confusing her to no end. "... Wait, Naruto?"
Wearing a red qipao with golden accents and palm-length sleeves, tight black cloth vambraces, a black bodysuit beneath it, white ninja sandals, a small chestplate, and a pair of metallic joint guards, the woman's hair seemingly glowed as she caught sight of the roaring Nova.
A pair of chinese dao formed in her hands, ornate swords that sported an odd helix-like pattern along their dark gray blades while their hiltless handles were covered by symbol-covered red cloth.
A pulse of intent filled their very beings, the entire situation given to them in a matter of seconds.
That's why Minato held out his hand towards the Nova.
And Kushina's form vanished before reappearing above another one of its large horns.
Her blades released a throbbing glow before she spun down into it.
Obito raised a brow in surprise as it came off while Minato held his shoulder.
They vanished before reappearing behind the surprised Teslad & Su-Na.
"Your fields, at such a potent level, are ridiculous," Obito told his former teacher as Kushina landed behind them with a frown.
The bull Nova bellowed in pain as it rose onto its hind legs.
The world around them grew heavy and suppressive, Obito grimacing as he spread out his field over the stunned teens who still looked unable to move properly.
Chiffon stood with grit teeth and bleeding ears, her body's golden-silver ring glowing brighter before the phenomenon traveled over the others.
Kazuya winced as his hearing returned, the feeling of blood by his ears terrifying him. "S-Shit," he felt off-balance and out of control of his own body.
Satella laid against the ground, eyes throbbing as she failed to find her balance. "D-Damn it," she cursed.
Rana released a hissing breath as her quaking feet found themselves beneath her. 'Focus on your training,' she thought as she closed her eyes.
Focus on your center, reaffirm your surroundings, re-widen your senses.
Her form became covered by a circulating ring of blue flames, her mind regaining its composure, her body regaining its natural abilities.
The Tibetan's eyes opened.
The Naruto beside her did the same.
They slammed their fists together as one.
A flash of blue flames filled her comrades' own rings before the collective blinked as their composure began to return quickly, Ranni's 'method' reproduced in their minds before they followed suit.
'It's the Image Training,' Amelia realized as she slowly got to her feet, winged feet crushing the grass beneath her feet as she pulled her arms in at her sides.
Her hair flapped rapidly within her own elemental circle, crimson winds coiling around the redhead as she focused inward.
This thing was clearly not THAT tough if it could be dismembered like that.
Chiffon frowned as she looked up at the large Nova Sphere still hanging in the air. 'What is it going to do?' She wondered as her body vibrated with Volt Textures.
For now, they had to focus on that large beast.
With the others getting to their feet, she nodded to Elizabeth's grimacing form before she donned her Pandora Suit.
Charles donned her Pandora Mode: VSS, her eyes narrowing at the beast.
"What's the actual plan?" Roxanne asked as the Nova Bull found its footing, the floor rumbling as its forelegs came down and allowed its head to drop so it could glare at them. "Oh, it's not happy."
"Right now, we need to remove its advantages," Minato declared, his mind linking with everyone else's as the energy around them gained a streak of electricity. "I'll handle the teleportation alongside Obito, you all need to adjust and attack."
"I'm sorry the what-"
Red eyes snapped to a heavy rumble.
The next second, they were all in the air as the Nova bull's front hooves came down like building-sized hammers.
The destruction that collapsed more of the Alaska Base was something they had an air-wide view of.
"W-What?!" Roxanne shrieked.
Obito's eyes narrowed.
The next second, they were placed thirty yards from the Nova with Su-Na's eyes burning with a red light while Hornet's form crouched, their weapons glowing a powerful white.
Kushina's weapons 'pinged' with a wiry-looking glow around the blades.
Amelia bounced on her feet, eyes closed as each hop released another wave of red wind.
Satellizer leveled Nova Blood at the monster, small jutting golden 'spikes' leaving her back.
The air around them filled with spiraling chain heads at Genessa's behest while Elizabeth's satellites doubled in number and size.
"This ought to be interesting," she observed, the power flowing down to her fingertips eliciting a thrum of her Volt Textures. "This will be a first for me," two of her satellites spun and sucked in energy at an intense rate.
"It's always a blast," Chiffon grinned, claws glowing before they grew slimmer with a pair of rings around the forearm guards. "Oh, nicely down," she complimented.
Those rings shot off to form two floating extensions above her shoulders, her Screen hidden within the depths of one.
Rana grinned, body coiling with blue flames before her wings sprouted.
"Let's DESTROY it!" She ordered.
The resounding cry was emphasized by a flash of gold, a single large ring slamming down onto the bull monster and bringing it to its knees.
The Pandora attacked in unison, the first to land a hit being none other than Elizabeth as a spiraling laser shot across the expanse to slam into the bull's noggin.
It braced itself as the shot persisted before it came to an end to reveal the hissing divot.
Then, chains coiled around it en masse before locking in the horns, knees, legs, and the base of the tails.
They broke with ease, its crunching body shaking them off alongside Naruto's Freezing before figures shot off the chains and came down on the Nova.
"Wind Form!"
"Enga!"
Swirling red and raging blue made contact.
And then it erupted into a pulsing purple that shattered the other horn, causing the Nova to stumble before blades of plasma & wavelengths shot down its back and carved into the hardened hide.
The others attacked without remorse, a harsh thrust slamming a large blade into the Nova's front leg as it reared-back.
Just in time for a pair of daggers to carve into one of its eyes, there swings repeated five times over per swing.
The beast stumbled, listing to the side as it tried to come down on all-fours only for a pair of 'grinning claws' to tear into its falling limbs.
They slashed, carved, and crushed what they could before vanishing.
The Nova's hooves touched ground before the rest of it fell with them, the gargantuan beast hitting its side with a large rumble passing through the ground.
~NRK~
Naruto grinned as he watched the 'board' move in his family's direction, the Will's avatar standing across from him seeming ever apathetic.
Then it held out a limb as a female body formed, one that had no features or even a head.
Above its neck was that ball of Volt Lines.
The tailed teen grit his teeth as the area around them throbbed before the screen switched view to that Nova Ball in the air.
"What?!" He looked horrified as it began to move, slowly unfurling into something he didn't understand. 'That's not a monster, that's a…'
Its sleek structures, grand temples, and 'land' all laid out in Alaska… Was this a… A temple?
A CITY?
He stared dumbfounded as images slipped around them and passed between the two Wills.
Naruto saw something he couldn't grasp for a second before his body spasmed, the young man hitting his knees and holding his sides as the passage was cut off.
The feminine figure appeared in front of his pained one, tailed Limiter hissing out a breath of static before finding a hand on his cheek.
He looked up and 'locked eyes' with the avatar.
"... What?" He whispered. "What exactly do you want that you'd destroy my home, my family, my friends?"
[...] It 'spoke' and yet he only heard 'half'.
Negativity, destruction, pain, suffering.
Naruto frowned as he closed his eyes and accepted all of the half-built thoughts that his pained body could barely understand.
'I barely understand,' he knew there was something 'else' beyond those front-facing emotions but Naruto could barely keep this up as is. "... I need to heal first," he told it, her, as his eyes opened.
Crystal blue irises with cross-shaped pupils looked back at that embodiment of something he barely understood.
Naruto took a long pained breath before standing up, finding himself face-to-face with this odd womanly being.
The glowing ball released more Volt Lines and his eyes softened.
"Confusing things like this is why people need to talk more," he smiled sadly. "But it's not wrong to say that guys like me, humans, aren't always able to do that so easily. That said," the blonde grinned as the world around them grew golden. "It's because it's so important that it's hard, it's never that easy but I can keep trying."
Golden Volt Lines reached out.
"I can't reach you like this, likely not for a GOOD bit, but I can give you an idea on how strong people really are."
Gold met blue before those lines erupted into a soft green that filled the air with memories.
~NRK~
Attacking the bull had seemingly gone their way.
Dispelling its fields once more at long-range, Kazuya released a breath as he wiped his brow.
"It's been over 10 minutes but it feels like hours," he said as Arthur nodded.
"We've been fighting, most all of us, for nearly an hour now," he said.
"How are you, by the way? When we heard, I feared for the worst."
"Beat up a bunch of Chevalier Pandora, got drugged-up, and put away, we were mostly fine and then Naruto hit us with the world's best pick-me-up."
Obito's Sharingan spun as Su-Na shared her vision with him.
"The fight is going well, we've suffered a small number of injuries to the less-able fighters but, besides that, we're good," he told Minato as the older male nodded.
"Good, right now, defeating this thing leads to us getting MORE answers," he frowned darkly. "I'm not a hero, I likely would have fought for better practices but that's it, but the moment someone moves against my family? Oh no, we have a problem," the Yellow Flash hissed.
"I understand," Obito whispered. "Su-Na is… I'm planning on proposing soon," he admitted with a smile, surprising his teacher. "I'll likely be asking you all for bridesmaids."
"And best men?"
"... No," the Uchiha smirked as Minato sweatdropped.
"I'd look horrible in a skirt," he joked.
"And if Kushina was into it-?"
"Oh, skirt me up."
"My God, sensei."
And then that large presence in the sky unfurled, alarming all Limiters on standby.
"Now it moves?" Andre frowned. "Did that bull send a signal?"
"No," Obito told him. "It's the fields, I'm guessing there's another presence at work," he said vaguely, lying via omission. 'Did the Transcendent Will push the envelope? We're not working with much here but it's clear that it wa-'
The Nova 'Ball' unfurled before planting itself into the ground… And sending out a wide silver ring that expanded out into the horizon alongside Naruto's own.
But that wasn't as important as what was 'planted'.
"What… The Fuck?" Citroen cursed, looking alarmed as all hell while Shi-Jing & Reiner flinched.
"Is that a city?" Eugene looked alarmed.
"No, it's a temple," Kyouichi frowned deeply, a telescope in his hands as Obito nodded.
"That's indeed not a simple residential space, it's framed by 20 pillars with three large temples at the center," he observed as Minato cupped his chin. "What benefit will the Nova get from these?"
"This has never happened… No," his eyes widened as the floor shook with each shift of that 'Nova' into the ground. "Men, I think we're fucked," Minato announced nervously.
"Shit, what is it?" Obito asked.
"It's reshaping the land, the energy coming off of the world around us is getting distorted. I think it's making a mark on the world," the former Hokage grimaced as they all froze or grimaced.
"W-What?!" Kazuya swallowed. "T-There's nothing we can do about that!"
"Maybe not us," Obito said as his dark blue field formed around him. "But we know someone who might be able to."
~NRK~
Naruto blinked at the message sent his way from Obito.
"Oh, r-right, um, they don't know…" He said to that avatar. "... Look, I think we can talk about this-"
That 'woman' pressed her 'forehead' to his, confusing him for all of a second.
And then he was informed of what that large land mass was about.
His eyes softened as he realized that they might have some 'path' to helping. "I really want us to come to an understanding, I'm sorry I hit you, I was angry but that's not right," Naruto parted from her before bowing. "I'm sorry."
The green around them glowed a bit more brightly.
"I think that this is wrong, people are dying, you're our enemy," he said as he stood up. "There's gotta be a reason for this but, right now, we gotta beat these 'pieces' of yours. I've got friends, family, a-and a confusing set of relationships to figure out," Naruto said before blushing.
The avatar's head tilted in interest, his mind being probed for answers that had him blushing a brighter hue as Rana, Chiffon, and Amelia's faces, bodies, and memories of them covered the space around them.
"Oh no," he said. "L-Look, one of those isn't like the others and it doesn't need to be a problem!" Naruto hid the 'body' pictures. "I'm not living this down, the will of the universe knows I'm a bit of a perv," he whined. "Look, yeah, I might have something for them, most definitely Rana-chan, and apparently that's going… Somewhere so I can't let things go to hell."
His body spasmed but Naruto accepted the pain while holding out a clenched fist.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, human extraordinaire, I hope we can work things out."
The woman-bodied being reached out before holding his knuckles.
Naruto chuckled. "Eh, close enough. Now, uh, for that message…"
~NRK~
Getting a 'ring back', Obito blinked as he and all the Limiters were given intel on what that land was for.
"N-No way," Kazuya's jaw dropped as Arthur blinked owlishly at the ground. "There's NO WAY he made THAT happen."
Minato chuckled proudly. "He has a way of making the impossible possible, doesn't he?" He said with a smile. "But, still, this… This changes a LOT."
"Who are you telling? That temple has suddenly become one of the most valuable things in the world… Correction. It's MOST VALUABLE IN THE WORLD."
"How?!" Reiner asked. "How could he get this to happen?!"
Those who knew the blonde-in-question shrugged.
"Because he's Naruto," they said in unison as those who weren't so 'close' gawked at them.
There was a bellow of pain as the bull fell to the ground, still being attacked on all sides by Pandora, Naruto's Will, and their occasional bit of help.
"Right now, I think we've got this," Minato said. "If we're going to make use of those temples, we need to cordone that bit," he told Obito specifically.
"You hear that?" Obito said through his earpiece.
~NRK~
Gengo stared at the camera footage coming off of Obito's earpiece.
"What in the world is that?" He asked while Maria sat at his side, looking alarmed. "... Maria?"
"That… The other plane…" She whispered, alarming Gengo. "It replicates Nova."
-Indeed, but Naruto did something outrageous once more- Obito said over the line, confusing them. -He was granted that land as a way to help find a solution? He wasn't sure, the communication he's making is half as good due to Mark's efforts-
They were so close? "Dammit, life is like that sometimes," the second-oldest Aoi rubbed his chin. "Sadly, for now, we'll focus on making use of this area," Gengo nodded to Lucy. "Lucy, I need you to send a missive to Chevalier for me."
~NRK~
Beating against the Nova's skull some more, Rana Linchen released a breath as she reared-back.
A grand amount of power flowed up from her core into her fist before it swung down.
The tower of blue flames that sprouted confused the hell out of those at Chevalier.
"What the hell is going on in Alaska?!" Radox grimaced as he watched what footage they could get from the helicopters monitoring the battle. 'No, now's not the time!' He realized almost too la-
"Sir, we've got a message from Nova Authority Head, Gengo Aoi!" One of his technicians declared.
Radox's mouth moved before his mind caught up and found his blunder.
"What happened?!" He covered his mouth, eyes slowly widening as he trembled in anger.
And then he was LIVID when he heard the 'message'.
"He's taking full responsibility over the Clash in Alaska," that technician said with an unsure expression. "T-The Board has already given him clearance and credentials."
Radox's eyes darkened fully. 'So, anything to get ahead of me,' he thought even as he looked over that hidden transmission that Mark had sent him.
One that was likely his greatest resource, especially after he got that automatic transmission of the Lancelot Force's results after they lost.
'I'm officially done with this 'cat',' but he needed time to allot a force strong enough to handle each and every one of those pieces the man had.
Especially, Naruto Uzumaki.
'First, we need new technology,' he thought. 'Resistance to Freezing and potential Freeze-Locking a target,' Radox was glad for these ideas, really he was.
The problem? They'd need time, dammit, they'd need so much time.
'If we're lucky, we can get away from another Clash for a year, right?' He thought. 'A year… That boy would be a second-year, most of his comrades would still be in West Genetics,' but there wasn't much he could do.
Things had to be tested with this extremely valuable resource and they couldn't potentially bring down a Nova on themselves. It'd out their work, Mark's last-ditch attempt, and make their lives a living hell because he'd have to have that bastard helping.
No, they had to keep this under wraps until they had at least three successes.
Maria-level warriors.
Mobile Anti-Freezing abilities/technology.
And a big enough secretive force to remove the 'cats & his litter' before claiming the prize of Naruto Uzumaki's DNA Map.
With both in their grasp, they'd likely never have to worry about another Nova again.
~NRK~
The fighting continued on and on and on.
By the end of the next 45 minutes, they'd finally done it.
But God did it seem like they weren't going to 'enjoy' future Clashes.
Flat on her back, Amelia groaned as Rana sat down beside her atop the large Nova's broken back.
"T-This felt like it went on for WAY TOO LONG," Amelia whined.
"It did-de arimasu," Rana told her, looking drained but far more capable than the American. "That was not what I was expecting," she admitted. "It's not like I've been in many but that was very long."
"Your intuition isn't wrong," Chiffon told them as she stood atop the hump of the beast, wiping her cheek. "This was, quite frankly, one of the most stamina-heavy Nova in history," she frowned while looking at that new 'plot' maybe 100 yards away. "... Naruto-kun?"
There was a small 'buzz' before a 'download' of information got zapped into their heads.
"What?" All three asked in unison before there was a groan that had all three heads snapping in one direction.
Naruto Uzumaki grinned weakly as he stumbled out of the Alaska base in a white cloak. A large furry object came out below it to rest at his feet, an appendage that was long and blonde with a white tip.
"H-Hey, girls-" The pained Limiter barely got that out before being tackled off his feet. "Hff?!"
Rana & Amelia took him down to the ground as Chiffon grinned, relieved and in amusement, while Naruto breathed for dear life.
"H-Help!"
"Who needs hel-You're up?!" Came Genessa's call as she landed beside them before she stared at the 'situation'. "H-Heheh, couldn't even wai-Is that a tail?" She began to tease before her brain stopped at the sight of 'that'. "N-Naruto, uhh, ya kinda got a 'thing' back there that's not making sense."
Naruto wore a pained grin as Obito and the other Limiters teleported beside them.
Taking one look at him, the Uchiha was laughing his ass off while Minato wore a sheepish grin.
"H-Hey, uh, I'm kinda totally weird right now," he said to whoever was in earshot.
Kazuya's jaw dropped while Arthur's head tilted, the Frenchman's eyes going completely blank as they saw the 'new him'.
"W-What the hell is even going on anymore?!" Reiner cried to the heavens, wailing on his knees, while Shi-Jing looked unsure.
"Um… Roxy is going to tease the hell out of you," he 'warned'.
"Who am I teasing?!" Roxanne shouted as she arrived, landed in the circle, and looked predatory- "Well… I guess I'm getting my MILEAGE. Boy, does that tail come with-"
"Okay, that's enough," Shi-Jing said with an exasperated smile and red cheeks, covering her mouth before any profanity left it. "Sorry, she's not used to such easy material."
"I'm just gonna take that L and keep it moving," Naruto said as his 'huggers' helped him up, the young man groaning as he rubbed the back of his head where-Ah, dammit. "I'm never living this down, am I?" He asked with a groaning sigh as two 'objects' twitched atop his noggin-
Rub, rub.
"W-Who the hell?!" He jumped before hitting his back again, whining as Genessa's hands twitched in the air while her eyes were full of wonder. "Oh shit, n-nee-chan, we don't need to do this!" He tried to get up.
And found himself upside-down in chains not even a second later, Genessa's grin impossible to ignore as Rana looked awed, Amelia blushed, and Chiffon bent over in laughter.
"H-He's an actual fox boy!" The American squealed as half the others lost it.
The other half, meanwhile, well…
"W-What the hell?" Elizabeth crested the Nova, saw what the hell was happening, and found her interest piqued as she recovered almost immediately. "And they feel like actual fox ears? I'll be honest, I've never felt such a thing."
"They do!" Genessa cheered.
Naruto's skin went the brightest red it ever had at the approaching 'numbers'.
"I'm not built for this!" He exclaimed before being subjected to 'torture'. "Help!"
His mother landed, saw what was happening, and just dived in.
"Motherly privileges, ladies!" She squealed.
Watching from the sidelines as he regained his composure, Obito's smirk was shooting on all cylinders.
"This part of the future?" He asked.
~NRK~
"Women loving fluffy things? That's a science," Gengo said blankly, taking a LONG sip of his wine. "... Nope, I'm completely lost. Maria?"
"I don't believe…" The Nova woman tilted her head with interest. "That such has ever happened…" She smiled curiously at all the rubbing and ear twitching. "But it is curious…"
"Tell him to get over here so she can feel those ears."
~NRK~
Obito shook his head as a familiar pair flanked him.
"?" Teslad's head tilted as Su-Na released her weapons, looking just as confused.
"What's happening?" She asked. "... D-Does he have a tail?" Su-Na's jaw dropped.
"Yes, it would seem his full-transformation has taken place," the Uchiha said with a tempered smile. "It's gonna be an all-day job, don't forget," he told them with a knowing smile.
"This will cause some painful attention, won't it?"
"Yep but we didn't sign-up to save the world because it'd be easy."
Su-Na hummed, considering his words before looking unsure.
"I don't think a fox boy was part of that," she observed nervously.
"No it was not," he added in with a shrug.
~NRK~
They'd held back on going back so quickly and brought most of the helicopters together in a sort of huddle that bordered their rest area.
But that wasn't important, Naruto released a hiss as he & Amelia looked around the rubble.
"I-I don't think she…" The redhead looked pale and worried, eyes going over all of the debris.
"She's not," he focused his mind. "She was knocked unconscious at some point but I did my best to shield her," Naruto said as they kept going, his senses flickering in and out in bursts before they came to a specific area.
One with all the rubble pushed away into a notable circle with a familiar scientist unconscious at the center.
"Ma'am!" Amelia hurried over with a look of relief, digging through some of the rubble with a wince. 'My body's not doing so great,' all that power, all that speed.
And it'd left her feeling more than just dead tired but Amelia had to save this person above all else, no matter what!
Finding Naruto at her side, she smiled as he helped dig before they pulled the woman out from a large pile of broken stone.
They winced at her legs, the bleeding, bruising, and more on them not making them confident in her chances to walk again.
For now, at least.
"I'll hopefully get better," Naruto smiled for his penpal, the two throwing Scarlett's arms over their shoulders and moving to return to the group. "That's not looking so great, though," his expression grew strained. "Life got way too complicated, Ame-chan."
Blushing at the nickname but reigning it in for now, Amelia nodded. "What's going to happen to Spencer," she frowned deeply. "Everything he did, all of it, the kidnapping, the termination orders, your torturing? What exactly was he going to do when this all came out?"
"I don't like to think about it but probably has someone who's repping him."
Her eyes widened at his frown.
"It's the only thing I can think of, unless he really had that big of a head we might be dealing with something rough."
"I-I hope this doesn't hurt us," Amelia admitted weakly. "Luke's already gonna have it rough with us not having the ability to do anything."
"A-Are you so sure?" A voice said from between them.
"Doctor!" The redhead said with tears in her eyes as Scarlett winced, the lack of feeling in her legs apparent.
"I-I guess a pick-me-up for my legs isn't ready yet?"
"No, I'm not in great shape," Naruto told her before releasing a breath.
He winced as an arm of energy shot out before carrying the newly-made paraplegic in it, Scarlett groaning in that warm hold of his that sprouted large fingers for her to lean back against.
"Amelia… Phewwwww, I'm sure I have enough funding to keep you all on for a good bit, it's not like I did more besides funding my sole other project and I couldn't have done that too quickly anyway," the doctor said as the redhead's eyes watered.
"I'll pitch in as much as I can," Naruto told them with a determined gaze. "Ame-chan deserves better than this and so does her little bro," he grinned through any pain or discomfort, body throbbing but his will stronger.
Amelia broke down as they smiled for her.
~NRK~
Getting back on the heli-carriers had come with a slight arrangement.
"We'll see you all back at West Genetics," Kazuya smiled for the others, giving them one last nod before closing the door. "This went horribly," he said sadly to those in the vehicle.
Naruto wore a pained smile, Rana, Chiffon, and Amelia flanking him as Scarlett sat in a specialized chair of her own.
"This is going to suck for a bit," she groaned.
"Hopefully, you'll get better treatment where we're going, ma'am," Jina said from beside Eugene, the Limiter nodding.
"I'm sure Naruto can help but even he is going to need some time," he said with a sad smile thrown the blonde's way.
"Are you sure you're alright, Naruto?" Satella asked softly as Obito nodded beside the young man's parents.
"Likely, I'll handle the diagnostics when we get back, Naruto, you've had a shitty day," the Uchiha said as Teslad sat against a wall by the cockpit, Su-Na flying them away from the Alaska Base. "This entire situation got far too out of hand."
"You're damn right," Kushina frowned, anger spilling off her form. "If I catch either hide or hair of that bastard, it'll be too soon," she scowled as Minato nodded.
"This is going to get political, that's for sure," he said. "I'm sure I can browbeat a few of them for answers because this was beyond unacceptable," the Yellow Flash looked outside their window. "Get some sleep, son, we'll be back home by the time you wake up."
Naruto's eyes grew heavy as he crossed his arms.
They closed.
~NRK~
Getting back to the Aoi Villa, not West Genetics, had been the plan.
Having taken Naruto to a secure basement area where Obito put him under scopes and scanners, they found what they'd known but it didn't make it any better.
"This isn't going to go away any time soon," the Uchiha frowned, arms crossed as Maria looked on with Gengo going around to their diagrams of the blonde's body.
"They're out of sync," he realized. "Thankfully, they're slowly knitting back together but Naruto's not going to be 'in action' any time soon," the old man frowned. "And we haven't heard anything from Chevalier about either Mark's actions nor my own declarations, what the hell could they be drumming up?"
"I don't know but it won't end in their favor," Obito said. "We're still surveilling that 'Nova facility' I guess is the right phrase," he turned on a camera he'd planted near the landmass. "Sensors indicate someone slipped off into it, not surprising, but they haven't come out nor have there been communications elsewhere."
"Likely, one of Spencer's men or Chevalier."
"Indeed, such blatant ignorance is certainly not out of their wheelhouse."
Naruto groaned on a gurney, eyes cracking open for him to see Obito smiling back at him.
"Hey," he said weakly, the fox teen muttering something as he grew more aware. "What happened?"
"We're in the Aoi Villa," Gengo said. "Young man, you continually do us great service, I can't imagine the pain you go through to help those around you."
"I-It's part of my 'package'," Naruto said with a shaky thumbs-up before Maria strode over from her seat, their eyes meeting. "Hey, M-Maria-obaa-chan…"
Her hand came out and caressed his cheek gently, the world around them glowing a soft blue as she filled his aches and pains with Soul Energy.
They seemingly turned gold on contact, the Volt Lines going up and down Naruto's body glowing that grand color while Obito noted that they bore a familiar pattern.
'Like the Fourth War,' in his Kyuubi Chakra Mode 1 as Naruto called it. "Everyone's upstairs either asleep, eating, or waiting," Obito told him as he tapped on a tablet. "I'm sure I don't need to say it but your powers are going to be roughed-up for a bit, alright? You'll regain them,, definitely, but it'll take some time."
"I get it…" Naruto said with a relieved sigh, Maria removing her hand to show the new scar slipping out from his bandages around his torso up to his chin. "Well, I'm not all out of options but the last one is only good for spending time with people without my other skills."
"Hmm?" Gengo blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
The fox grinned bashfully. "Um, well," he groaned into a seated position before slowly getting up. "So, I'm fully non-human and stuff even if I'm fully on the 'human train'," Naruto said sheepishly.
Then, Obito laughed as the blonde crossed his pointer and middle fingers from both hands together.
"Uhhh… Body Clone."
There was a shimmer of Naruto's very being.
And then Gengo Aoi's jaw officially dropped while Maria Lancelot looked alarmed more than she'd ever been.
Obito's amusement was clear as day.
Meanwhile, on the actual ground-level of the villa, Rana yawned awake from the couch.
Leaning on it alongside Satella, Amelia, Chiffon, and Cassandra, she rubbed her eyes as the one in the center of this five-gal-lean-down.
'... Naruto?!' Her eyes snapped open as she looked around.
Blinking in confusion, the night before all came back to her before she felt all the soreness throughout her body.
'I guess we really overdid it yesterday,' she thought before the urge to find Naruto, and use the bathroom, came to the front of her mind. "..."
She got up with a yawn, a smiling astral Rana copy still asleep between the other four as the real one walked around the home.
Barely remembering where it was, she went in and did her business before leaving the room with a small mumble after basically 'washing machine-ing' her mouth with water & toothpaste.
"Now, where is he…?" She said, still a bit drowsy before she followed her mind's eye to the basement and went down to find Narutos there.
She sleepily stumbled over before stuffing her face into his chest with a hug.
Naruto looked down at Rana with a fond grin even as Gengo was still reeling from the young man's copies looking on with the same amount of fondness, WHAT THE HELL?!
"Maria… Maria, I need you to hold my hand," he said, hand grasping at the air before Maria did as asked. "Thank you… You can feel my confusion, yes?"
"Yes, it's quite curious…" The humanoid Nova said with a curious look while the Narutos not being hugged by Rana looked different levels of sheepish.
And then Lucy came in. "Father, I sensed a…" She began to speak before her words petered off, the hybrid's eyes going wide at the sight of Naruto Uzumakis. "W-What?" Lucy flinched, eyes snapping to each of the tailed blondes before noticing the tails in question. "?!"
"Hey, uh, Lucy-nee," Naruto said sheepishly… One of the Narutos said sheepishly.
The one holding Rana looked bashful while the second clone crossed his arms in thought.
Lucy's head tilted before she rigidly walked up to the second and reached out.
She rubbed his cheeks with a blank expression, stretching his skin, opening his mouth & eyes, ruffling his hair, and doing all manner of things before she got the fox ears.
Lucy Renault, more secretly known as Lucy Aoi, found her need to rub them grow fiercely.
The clone's red cheeks as the shorter hybrid rubbed them went observed but ignored as she messed with his animalistic ears, the two chest-to-chest, very close face-to-face, as she did.
"She's really not thinking about it," the original Naruto muttered as Rana blinked in his hold while snuggling in. "Morning, Rana-chan," he told his partner.
"Mwarning," she yawned mid-sentence, smacking her lips as she looked up before grinning and rubbing one of his ears. "Hehe~ You're now 'fox' Naru-de arimasu."
He snickered at that before Rana got a tap on her noggin.
"Hm?" She looked to see a smiling Naruto? "Naru-kun, what am I holding?" Rana asked, confused.
"Me," the original Naruto chuckled as she found a chin atop her head, her eyes going wide.
"EHHHHHH?!"
Her head snapped around in disbelief, shock, and awe as the Naruto clones grew sheepish, or embarrassed in one case with Lucy.
"W-What sort of sorcery is this?! Did you plan ahead?! I thought it was a joke!"
All three sweatdropped while Lucy got her 'fill' and looked down at her hands, rubbing her fingers toge- "Ah," she blinked, gaining their attention.
And seeing the small sparks coming from her rubbing fingers.
Gengo snorted as Obito shook his head.
"You're an ever-present wonder, Naruto," the Uchiha said, completely amused as the blondes whined.
"This is gonna get weird, isn't it?" They asked in unison.
"Just as weird as that, yes," Gengo smirked.
"Look, I'm gonna dispel the clones before we're all hungry," Naruto said, tail glowing before his copies vanished with some thumbs-ups. "... Great, I feel all that hunger."
~NRK~
That's how he found himself eating an Obito-made breakfast as the others began to wake up.
Naruto grinned as Kushina rubbed cheeks with him. "My baby boy's alright!" She cheered as Menma came inside with a yawn in his father's arms.
"How ya holding up, son?" Minato asked.
"Well," the younger blonde Uzumaki rubbed the back of his head, tail curling around as his ears twitched much to Kushina's fascination. "I'm good at moving these things," he shrugged.
Rana finished her food before looking at his new 'additions'. "Mmmm," she observed them intensely while several of the others began to come inside.
"Naruto, I'm glad you're alright," Kazuya said with a relieved smile while Kazuha's giggles erupted, the Aoi siblings entering in matching pajamas. "How's, well, everything going on over there?" He asked, eyes going to the other boy's fox ears. 'I-I do want to touch them,' great, he was gonna make this awkward.
"Well, I feel better after Maria-obaa-chan helped out," Naruto said. "Oh, yeah, uh… I got a new thing," he admitted sheepishly as Chiffon arrived alongside Amelia.
The redhead looked relieved as she saw him while the hybrid's grin was shooting on all the cylinders.
"N-Not this early in the morning, please?" He pleaded.
"Only because you asked," the Fairchild gal grinned some more. "So, how's the tail?"
"One… It's alright," Naruto tried to come up with a cheeky remark before his new limb came around and sat atop his noggin. "It's pretty long and stuff so that's cool," he said as Gengo shook his head while drinking some coffee with a pleased Maria. "Oh, Maria-obaa-chan likes coffee?"
"Yes, she does," the oldest in the room grinned as the Nova woman sipped some more of her drink with a pleased smile. "In fact, Maria's been feeling a lot more 'LIVELY' since, well, ya know?"
"Wait…" Amelia blinked as she looked at 'Maria' and then Kazuha. "... A-Am I missing something? O-Or are those two familiar?"
"Oh, right, you don't know," Rana said as Naruto nodded.
"So, I did some helpful stuff a month and some change back," he told her, confusing his pen pal as she got seated beside Lucy.
He explained everything he'd done up to this point to help out the two heroes of the previous Clashes.
Obito helped plate them all before a small figure hurried in.
"Chi-Chi-Ue!" Arcadia beamed as she hugged his waist before Obito lifted her up in one arm.
"Good morning," he told the youngest Aoi as Kazuya blinked at him, beside the man at the stove while Kazuha's jaw dropped.
'R-Right, um, gramps said that she imprinted upon him,' her little… Sister?
Kazuha winced at trying to make that work in any stretch of the imagination.
"We saw everything, t-that was really weird," the short teen said as Obito nodded.
"It was. That was definitely not a situation I expected to be in. But thanks to our resident Limiter Beast, things went well," the Uchiha smirked as Naruto's ears twitched.
"Hey… Dammit, I actually like that," he groaned.
"And, of course, he then became a real weird kitsune within the last thirty minutes."
"What are you talking about?" Kazuha asked, just accepting that Arcadia saw the man as her parental figure. "What happened?"
Eugene stretched as he let Jina & Satella into the kitchen while Naruto whined before getting up.
"So… Wow, there's no way to let this out without getting reamed for the rest of my life," he said as Obito & Gengo smirked, Rana grinned, and Lucy looked intrigued.
"You will do what you did earlier?" She asked, perking up in her seat.
"What could it be?" Kushina wondered. "Or will it help him in his 'situation'?" She giggled to Minato who looked intrigued and amused-
"Haaa… Body Clone."
There was a shimmering flash that released three Naruto clones, all of them looking sheepish.
Obito laughed as Su-Na came in before stumbling, Kazuha's jaw dropping at his side while Arcadia's eyes went bug-eyed.
"W-What the hay?!" She asked.
Kushina's eyes bugged out before she looked excited. "Yesss," she said in the highest squeal she'd ever done.
Minato's eyes blinked before he looked down at his youngest and his gobsmacked expression. "Oh… Oh, this is what he meant," he realized, his 'genius' on display.
Eugene's smile froze on his face while Satella choked on a biscuit, Kazuya's skin dropping a million shades while Jina released a wheeze.
Cassandra peeked in, confused, before noting the 'quartet' of Narutos.
She froze, eyes wide, before slowly entering and hiding behind the picture of amusement that had become of Obito.
Amelia spittaked on coffee while Chiffon's eyes cracked open to reveal the shrunken bar pupils.
"T-Tadaaa," the Narutos said weakly as Rana giggled.
"This makes life so much easier!" She cheered.
"W-W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Kazuya exclaimed as Satella latched onto him for stability. "WHY?! WHY is THIS a part of everything, now?!"
"Uhhhhhh," the original Naruto's grin grew shaky. "... I got nothing, it just happened when I was up there in the mental world handling things… I blame my tail," he said weakly.
"I-I think we didn't wake up," the Englishwoman chimed in.
"Nope, they're quite real!" Rana cheered as Gengo laughed while Maria raised a brow.
"You've a perverse… Mind," she said with a tilt of the head and red cheeks as Gengo's grin didn't leave.
It only got worse.
"Yes, yes, I do."
"That's not a compliment," Kushina's grin was radiant as she hugged one of the clones who looked as embarrassed as 'a Naruto' could be. "This is amazing!" She uttered with big bright eyes as the clones and original felt second-hand… First-hand?
It was some kind of embarrassment.
"... Sooooo," Eugene looked at one that leaned against a wall, the clone wearing a sheepish grin. "You know how this is going to end, right?" He asked him with a serene look of 'you're fucked'.
"I know," the clone slumped.
Amelia's cheeks reddened to impossible levels as 'thunder' struck. 'Noooo,' she hadn't just gotten a HAREM had she?! Of nothing but foxy BOYS?!
Had one of her few wet dreams come to reality?!
Chiffon's cheeks reddened a good bit as the 'reality' began to set in FIERCELY.
"Oh… O-Oh, that's not…" She grew flustered and bashful. "... I-I'm not sure how much attention that's gonna be," Chiffon muttered. "Question? How many?"
"I mean, I've never tried but I'm sure I can make up to ten," Naruto cupped his chin, head tilting alongside his fox ears. "... Yeah, ten feels right. Mind you, that's ten ways my powers get split."
"So, that is how that works," Gengo chuckled. "If you all kept that same power, this would have been the fiercest change in Nova tactics known to man. Now, it's just 'gigolo' tactics," he slipped it in as he drank some coffee.
The Narutos flinched while Obito chuckled some more.
"I'm sure he knows he won't have a single chance to make 'ideas', that's the women around him," Obito said as he cooked with one hand. "That's typically how life goes."
"Here here," Gengo, Minato, Eugene, and Naruto agreed in unison.
Kushina's cackles had only gotten worse.
Eating breakfast had been the most curious affair with this new bit of information.
And following that had been the time to figure out 'this'.
Naruto and two of his clones walked into the Aoi Villa's large lake-adjacent yard, the large plot of land belonging solely to the large house being perfect for this as he, his clones, Rana, Chiffon, and Amelia walked out and sat on the lake edge.
The redhead blushed a bit as they leaned on one another's shoulders, the Naruto beside her looking embarrassed and yet confused.
"Hey, Ame-chan… When?" He asked in concern, looking worried.
"I-It's not like we knew what each other looked like," Amelia began, taking a deep breath.
His eyes snapped down before going to the water, the blonde's cheeks burning red as his tail twitched happily.
"But you were… You are one of the BEST things to have ever happened to me," she admitted wholeheartedly, surprising him. "Y-You don't understand how vital you were to that little girl back then, Naruto, I-I… M-My parents walked out on us around that time."
His eyes widened before Amelia released a small gasp, Naruto's tail pulling her in and curling around her protectively.
Despite how far back that was, despite how much she'd grown since then… Amelia felt her eyes water as her shoulders trembled.
"E-Every. Single. Day. I-I wondered where they went. I didn't see them for days, then weeks, and then months before the power in our apartment went out, the water stopped running, and we began to realize that things got bad."
She explained how they'd originally moved from America to London, making her have a bit in common with Satella, and how things had seemingly been going 'great'.
"I-I never considered it," she whispered as Naruto nodded. "T-There were odd people coming over, weird ones, who always had us go to our rooms before we had to stay there for a couple hours."
"That's not good," the fox said softly.
"Then, they went on 'long trips'... More and more," Amelia whispered with a grimace. "And then they just didn't come back."
Sitting there in silence, Naruto nodded. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I'm so sorry you had to suffer like that, to live with their mistakes but we can't fix the past, not this kind," the Limiter smiled. "So, we can only do our best to give ya a brighter future which I just got an idea," he grinned, confusing her.
"W-What?" She asked, rubbing at her red eyes-
"I should see what healing Luke does, I can't believe we didn't think of that."
She froze, eyes snapping up to see his sheepish grin.
"We don't know if I won't, like, totally fix it. His disease is nerve-based, right? Well, I've got super good healing power," Naruto grinned his fullest grin. "And if it's just a bit of surgery so I can give him, like, super-cells, well-" He'd been determined, bright-eyed, and willing.
So, you could excuse him for not being prepared for that heavy KISS that Amelia laid on him.
Amelia couldn't have done it faster, her hands on his cheeks bringing his lips against hers as she felt something blossom within her chest and her back.
Naruto's face hit new red levels as Amelia ensured he couldn't escape by locking her arms around his neck, leaving him with 'little choice' besides holding her waist and pressing against her.
That moment was like being surrounded by a whirlwind of warmth and joy that alarmed him as they sat up.
Amelia's cheeks glowed a powerful red while Naruto's face damn-near turned into a tomato.
"O-Oh," he squeaked as she pressed her forehead to his. "I-I don't know how to… W-Wow you girls are-"
There was a splash and yelp before laughter filled the air.
"What do you think?" Rana told him with a smile as Naruto kept on blushing.
"A-A harem? With me?" He looked alarmed even as she nodded professionally. "Rana-chan, I-I don't get it, how are you so chill about this?"
"Hmm, I think I should tell you more about my people," she smiled as the blonde tilted his head. "My people have always been different from society," Rana explained. "I told you, there aren't many men within my village. W-While many of us women go out to hopefully find one who isn't attached and resonates… Another sect finds happiness within a 'system', harems-de arimasu."
Naruto rubbed the back of his neck as he considered her words.
"This is really weird for you, isn't it?"
"Yeah, I mean, I get it, I think?" The blonde said unsurely. "I'm more surprised that so many girls liked me."
"Is it that surprising?" Rana asked, confused, as Naruto sweatdropped.
"Yes," he said flatly.
"Naru-kun? Didn't you get, like, a million love letters-de arimasu?"
"T-Those aren't the same!"
"Wrong! They show interest!"
"Rana-chan."
"Naru-kun~," she grinned as he groaned.
"You're pretty up for this, Ran-chan," Naruto wore an exasperated smirk at her smile.
"Of course, this isn't weird to me," Rana reminded him. "I've been surrounded by families full of godaunts, godmothers, grandparents, and more who are all one big family, that's normal."
The fox boy considered her words. 'Normal, huh?' Was he being insensitive?
Naruto didn't want that, he truly wanted to stand by Rana's side and just be cool & happy… But that hit the 'new speed limit' in which there were others who wished to have the same happiness with him.
And Rana was completely & totally fine with that after some 'vetting'.
"This is so weird, I… I won't say they're NOT cute, pretty, beautiful even in Amelia's case," Naruto admitted almost without a bit of embarrassment, Rana looking interested.
"So, you like red hair?" She asked.
"I like strong hair colors, yeah. It's part of what got me about you, your hair's amazing and a really strong part of you," Naruto said truthfully.
Rana's cheeks colored before she grinned more warmly. "I'm glad, hm, hm~ In my family, this hair is rather long-lasting," she admitted.
"Hey, white hair is cool, too," he joked, nudging his grinning Pandora with an elbow.
"Of course but it can't mix, that'd look weird."
Their minds conjured a unified image of dark blue and white hair… Nope.
That did NOT work.
"Hmm," Rana put her hair up into a large ponytail without a thought. "So?"
Naruto truly thought it over, all of it, their feelings.
Their friendship, their jokes, their grins, their happy laughs.
Their own problems, his convictions, his want to help them, and even their want to make something 'deeper' with him.
Naruto Uzumaki took it all into consideration before rubbing the back of his noggin as Rana grinned knowingly, their connection barely an afterthought.
"Oh man, I'm getting reamed for life, aren't I?"
"Hehe~ You get to shove it in people's faces! 'I, Naruto, have every man's dream'-!"
"A talking dog best friend?"
"-A ha-what?"
"Hey, sometimes, the male mind is weird. Wouldn't you want a talking dog, fox for me, best friend?"
Rana's mind sputtered before finding her answer. "... Yes," she nodded. "I would."
"The male 'dream' is crazy, Ran-chan."
"Hehe~."
She lifted his chin before pecking him on the lips, Naruto's face going nuclear as Rana snickered.
"Me likey~."
"Ack?!"
And then someone hit the waters with a squeal.
"So, what's going on, Chiffon-chan?" The Naruto with her asked as they sat cross-legged on the lake edge, eyes going out over the waters with matching smiles. "Or, I guess, stupid question?"
"It is a bit silly, you know why we're here," Chiffon said honestly as he blushed but nodded all the same.
"You're right… S-So, be honest with me… Rana-chan was completely FINE with this, wasn't she?"
"I'm pretty sure that was obvious."
"I'm an idiot-by-trade, dammit, I'm not gonna pick up on the mystical 'hint' that girls have. I gotta work with what I know."
She giggled as he wore a sheepish grin.
"I don't know what goes on in most girls' heads but you guys at least have a lot of battle on your minds, that bit I get, but this part is where it's all crazy for me. You ladies like me, that's not something I get out of nowhere."
"True, I'm sure this seems downright mystical," she teased as he blushed again.
"O-Okay, let's not go that far… But yeah."
She tapped her chin before wearing a small smile. "Well, let me start at the beginning," Chiffon told the surprised blonde, his tail curling around into her lap without a thought. "Hmm," she gently caressed it. "To me, Naruto, you've always been the very personification of what I thought a 'human' was. At least, you were the reinforcing point," she said with a strained smile.
"I guess you met someone awesome WAY before ya met me," Naruto said honestly. "I mean, they had to be pretty cool if the Great Smiling Food Cake was friends with her."
"Yep, sh… E-Excuse me?"
"I mean, 'Smiling Monster' is so drab and your name is part of that cake thing."
Chiffon looked appalled.
And yet she giggled.
"Y-You're really an idiot sometimes," she grinned as he reciprocated. "God, that's part of the 'equation', you lovable blonde, you're just too 'human' that I can't get enough of it. You're always moving forward and have all kinds of dreams & ideals," Chiffon clenched a fist by her chest. "Your morals are ironclad yet you're always so malleable when it comes to people, when it comes to thoughts & emotions, even when it comes to those not like you."
"I guess this might be proving your point but you're just like me," Naruto smiled. "You have all of those things, I'd bet, if not when we met then ya do NOW. I also know that you have your own ideals and stuff, you have a family to call your own, you believe in people, you always told me to keep myself 'at the ready' but you were also willing to follow me through on a lot of things."
"I really do have to 'blame' you for that," she said.
"I'm glad to be part of the 'problem'," he wiggled his eyebrows as she hummed pleasantly. "So, I guess even that little thing we just did is a part of it."
"Yep, you're oddly charismatic, Gigolo Uzumaki."
"That's a horrible name for anybody or thing. That will follow me to hell and back, please stop."
"Hmm, no. I mean, that's part of why we're out here, because you're too damn interesting and we're a buncha gals who like what we found."
He blushed one last time before sweating bullets.
"C-Chiffon-chan-"
"Yes, they'll destroy you but, hey, you'd have girlfriends."
"J-Just Genessa alone."
"Yeah, she has it out for you. Can you imagine the kind of crazy jokes she'll have the moment this gets out?"
He looked terrified as she grew more 'awed' by the second.
Then, he got a peck on the cheek, something that startled him.
Naruto held his 'affected area', turned his head, pointed at her dramatically, and flubbed all of it because Chiffon pulled him in and locked their lips together.
The feeling was like a rambunctious spark that slammed against his tongue and made her soft lips soooo nice.
When they parted, he was a blushing mess that melted into the lake before realizing his mistake
He should know better, really he should.
Because an unrepentant Chiffon was a terrifying woman who didn't hesitate. Like, AT ALL.
"Coming in!"
"ACK-?!"
She tackled him into the waters with a squeal before Naruto's head came up only to be suffocated by boobs?!
"Blgmmf!"
"He's so forward when he's we-"
"No you don't!" The 'suffocate-ee' gained the courage to slip around her before 'suplexing' her below the waves.
The other pairs watched them before Rana grinned and pulled Naruto in while Amelia blushed.
"W-We should go, thankfully, all our valuables are at the house," she said sheepishly.
"Gotcha, I am in for it," he said in resignation before lifting her up.
Amelia screeched as they jumped in.
~NRK~
An hour later, the others became aware of the new 'energy' surrounding those four.
Well, technically 'six' because of clones but they counted those guys as one and the same.
Kushina grinned, the Naruto clone still with them seated by her feet with Menma in his lap. "Ohh~? And what's this about, my boy?" She teased.
She loved this! So much egging mater-
"Um, well," Naruto gestured to the grinning, or embarrassed, trio. "... So, I might have gotten a harem," he said flatly.
Obito, currently seated in a completely-down recliner with Arcadia on his stomach, laughed while his pseudo-daughter tilted her head with a giant stuffed bear in her arms, Su-Na's head mechanically turning to Naruto's embarrassed visage in disbelief.
"You… What?" She asked like she'd gone deaf, blind, and several levels of mute.
"Oh, so that finally came through," Gengo said without a hint of surprise as Maria smiled.
"Happy for you," she said with a smile, still-broken English not taking away from her point.
"Thanks, kaa-chan," Chiffon grinned while Satella & Kazuya choked in unison.
"Y-You actually did it, you bastard?!" The two shouted at him in unison.
"What is that supposed to mean?!" One of the Narutos gawked.
"It means that they've been expecting this," Eugene said, looking almost completely unphased. "Huh, ya know? I expected to be more surprised than this," he added as Jina's jaw dropped.
"Amelia, you sly fox! Ya got your boy!" The other E-Pandora cried proud tears as Amelia sweatdropped. "We won't be single into our 30s!"
"W-What is she talking about?" Amelia's expression went blank. "Jina, uh, the hell?"
"We had a bet."
"You had a WHAT?!"
The Naruto beside her chuckled. "I guess they were really worried," he said sheepishly as Rana snickered.
"I could live without that kind of 'worry'," Amelia said flatly.
"My son… There's nothing I can say," Minato told him, his smiling expression unbroken. "I'm happy for you all, I know Naruto's got enough wits to take care of things properly."
"T-Thanks, dad, not helping though," Naruto muttered. "Look, yeah, I'm not exactly a master of all of this but I'm just trying to make people happy," he admitted. "So… Yeah," his tail curled. "Crap, what do we do now?" He asked his girlfriends.
That would take some time to get used to, huh?
"Hmmm, well, right now, I think we just need to relax. We were just in a Clash," Chiffon said. "Oh, right, um, otou-san? Could we run a check-up on me?" She asked sheepishly.
As a stigmatic energy DOG TAIL sprouted from her behind.
Gengo's face went blank while Maria's eyes went wide.
Rana rubbed the back of her head as wings formed on her back while Amelia felt the ones on her ankles and shoulders.
"I think things got really crazy," the hybrid said as her slit pupils opened to show the golden glow within.
~NRK Out~