Chapter Seven: Sisters.

"Are all talk shows as chaotic as that?" Naruto asked as he and Asagi walked home. He had to admit, it was definitely strange to have appeared on TV like that... but it also felt pretty good to let out his emotions like that too and perhaps get a little closure. Definitely felt nice to put Iruka in his place.

"Depends. Some can be more messy than others." The Almighty Taimanin replied with a small giggle with the Uzumaki joining in her almost infectious laughter.

They paused as they saw a light in the distance, shining like a beacon as smoke rose up into the sky. "Wait a second... is the Hokage Tower on fire?" The whiskered teen asked as he squinted his eyes slightly. Asagi blinked, her smile disappearing as she looked towards the orange glow of the building.

"I think you're right..." She muttered before drawing her katana and then spoke to her partner "Naruto. Run straight home. Don't stop for anything. I'm going to check out the situation." She turned away from him before he could reply, rushing off towards the burning building.

Initially he wanted to protest, but ultimately decided to obey her instructions and began making his way home to the Igawa residence.

Asagi hurried on and within moments she arrived at her destination. She saw teams of Chunin were already surrounding the inferno and began casting water Jutsu to snuff out the flames. She saw the Hokage also lending his assistance as he was casting his own Jutsu, and within moments the flames died down beneath the torrent of water.

As the fire died down and the smoke cleared, the Almighty Taimanin saw that the tower had taken a lot of damage, but it wasn't beyond repair. She looked around, seeing the Hokage talking with the various teams of Chunin, no doubt ordering them about to assess the damage, determine the point of origin if possible, and so on.

She approached the Sandaime to ask him what had happened but when he turned to her, there was anger in his eyes as he pointed an accusatory finger at her "Asagi. How convenient that a fire starts at the Hokage tower after confronting me not-so-long ago." He spoke with a sneer.

"I assure you. It is only a coincidence. Up until a few minutes ago, I was in attendance with Naruto at the talk show 'Kiss and Tell'. Plenty of witnesses to prove it, both in the live audience and abroad." Asagi replied with a small frown, not liking how the Sandaime had accused her so readily.

"Even if that is true, perhaps you ordered one of your fellow Taimanin to do the deed." The Hokage theorized, earning a roll of the eyes from the Almighty Taimanin.

"I did no such thing. Have a Yamanaka scan my memories if you don't believe me, but it'll be a waste of time. Even If I were guilty, and this is not an admission, you had better have proper evidence to back it up." She spoke with hostility as she and Hiruzen glared at one another.

Before they could continue their conversation a certain cat masked Anbu appeared and spoke "Hokage-sama, we have conducted a brief investigation and discovered the burnt remains of a body within what was left of your office. The body had been beheaded. It seems that your safe had been opened prior to the fire and the contents have either been stolen or destroyed... most unfortunately it would seem that the Forbidden Scroll was left behind to burn in the blaze."

From the sounds of it, a robbery had definitely taken place there and someone had been murdered. A betrayed accomplice? A silenced witness? What was the intent of this event? Sabotage? Robbery? Both? The Forbidden Scroll was a virtually priceless and irreplaceable artifact of Konoha that contained numerous Jutsu created and recorded by all of the Hokages. It seemed strange for the arsonist to leave such a thing behind to be burned.

There were more than a few ninja out there in the world that would happily pay a king's ransom for such a thing.

"Thank you for the report. Tell no one about this. You may go." Hiruzen dismissed the cat masked Anbu, who disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Asagi adopted a thinking pose and then spoke up in a more professional tone "This could be a threat to the village. Perhaps I should..." She was then cut off by the Sandaime who raised his hand with a deep frown on his face.

"I think you have already done enough. I shall handle this investigation personally." He spoke with an edge to his voice. He was effectively shutting her out of the investigation. Did he still seriously think she was somehow involved in this? Or was he just being obstinate because of their previous conversation?

"If that is what you wish." The Almighty Taimanin spoke coolly and curtly, before turning away and walking off, deciding not to give the Sandaime the satisfaction of a reaction but she wasn't about to leave without giving a final word "Be very careful of how you treat your allies Hiruzen Sarutobi. They may not be so friendly to you or accommodating if you treat them poorly."

Hiruzen said nothing but his frown did grow a little deeper, a little more troubled as the bluenette departed. She had given him fair warning once before about keeping control of his people. This time he had ostracized her, undoubtedly out of anger for both the fire and their prior meeting. He had best be careful, even Asagi's patience had limitations.

With Naruto.

The Uzumaki sighed to himself as he made his way towards the Taimanin district, occasionally casting glances towards the burnt Hokage Tower. He couldn't help but wonder what had started the fire, but he was certain that Asagi would fill him in on all of the important details.

As he walked through the empty streets, he felt a presence. He wasn't sure about the point of origin but someone was definitely watching him as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He then heard a creepy giggle behind him. He spun around, ready to fight whoever had snuck up on him but saw nothing.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He called out, feeling more than a little nervous. His response came in the form of yet another giggle.

"Over here~" The voice taunted him. It sounded young and high pitched, feminine even. He slowly turned around and came face to face with a pair of red eyes that seemed to stare straight through him, the pupils a thin slit like a cat.

He found himself staring at a girl with long pink hair, her eyes boring into his. She wore a white dress with cuffs attached to her wrists and ankles. She also had pointed ears as well. "Here's Felicia~" she greeted and gave him a wink as she playfully seemed to glide around him.

"Felicia?" He parroted, not recognizing the girl at all. There was something definitely off about her. Beneath that childish persona and energy she was giving off, he felt a deep bloodlust.

"Yes. Yes! That is me! Feli~. Do you want to play with me~?" She asked with a grin. The air suddenly became colder and more oppressive as the atmosphere grew thicker with bloodlust. Her expression grew darker and more intense as her eyes focused on the blonde, a hungry look on her face.

Naruto took a step back and then another. His instincts were telling him to run. Felicia took a step forward, her gaze never wavering from him as she advanced. Naruto took another step back as he replied "Sorry, but I need to be heading home." He spoke as he carefully tried to step around her, only for her to block his path.

"Whaaaat? That's no fun! Feli wants to play. I wanna play with you Naruto Uzumaki." The girl pouted and gave him a hurt look, before her eyes became dark and her lips curled into a sadistic smirk.

"How do you know my name?" He asked, wondering if perhaps she saw him in the papers or most recently during his appearance on Aishwarya's show or perhaps in the news.

She puffed out her cheeks and began to shed crocodile tears while whining "Waaaah. Naruto doesn't wanna play with Feli! What is Feli doing wrong?" She asked herself, ignoring his question, her demeanor suddenly shifting once again to a more playful one as she continued to spoke "Oh! Idea! Feli had a good idea! Feli knows how to make friends with Naruto! Presents! Yes! Presents! Feli is so smart! Now... what can Feli give to Naruto-kun?" she asked herself as she surreptitiously held a certain file marked 'Uzumaki/Namikaze' behind her back which went unnoticed by the Jinchuuriki.

She thought to herself for a few moments before letting out a sly grin and then spoke gleefully "Feli knows~ Feli will offer Naruto-kun... the gift of death." At this, the blonde immediately took a defensive posture, ready to defend himself by whatever means necessary... until he saw the pinkette raise three fingers as she continued speaking "Naruto-kun must give Feli three names. Then... Feli will unalive whomever that Naruto-kun has named."

Naruto was stunned for a few moments as his brain struggled to comprehend the situation and the terms the strange girl had laid down. "Three names?" He parroted, a look of disbelief on his face and then asked "Wait, unalive? You mean kill?" He had a bad feeling about this, especially as he felt the air grow heavy with the girl's killing intent.

"That is what Feli said!" She confirmed cheerily with a nod, a look of childish innocence plastered across her features as she added "Offer Feli three names, and Feli will end them for Naruto-kun. No matter the time, place, or person."

"I can name someone, anyone, and you'd kill them? Even if I were to name a Kage level person?" He asked in a skeptical tone, thinking that the pinkette would have some limits, after all this was a bit too good to be true.

Felicia nodded her head eagerly as she grinned and answered "Of course. Anyone."

"What if I don't have anyone to name?" He asked since there were mainly a few annoyances in his life, but he couldn't think of anyone that truly represented a threat to him. Not with Asagi's protection and influence.

She scoffed slightly, a sadistic grin on her face as she replied "Nonsense! Sooner or later, you'll have the name of someone you want dead. So long as there are people in the world, someone is gonna want someone dead." She giggled darkly as she continued "So just say the name, and Feli will end them. You won't even have to get your hands dirty."

"And why would you offer me this 'gift'?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, wondering just who this girl was. He wanted to ask her, but he doubted that she would answer him.

"Feli hates being bored. That crusty old man keeps giving Feli boring jobs. Maybe you'll be more fun?" She spoke while licking her lips in a sensual manner. She leaned forward, her expression turning into one of hunger as she asked "So. Naruto-kun... are you going to give Feli three names? Yes? Or no?"

"Who's this old man you're working for? The Sandaime, someone else?" He asked her, his question making the pinkette frown slightly and then lightly bop herself on the side of the head while sticking her tongue out.

"Whoopsies~ Feli said too much. Stupid Feli~ Mah. If you don't have names to give, then Feli has no more business here. Goodbye Naruto-kun! Feli thinks that the next time we meet, you'll have at least one name to offer. Bye-bye!" She spoke in a sing-song voice as she vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Huh? Hey wait a minute! Don't just disappear on me like that!" The blonde called out, looking around to see if the mysterious girl was hiding. He felt a shiver run down his spine and felt like something was wrong, as though he was being watched again. He turned around and came face to face with a grinning Felicia who was now right behind him, their noses nearly touching.

"Boo~" She said with a grin and then suddenly winked out of existence before he could even fully register what had happened.

He stared at the space she had been a moment ago and then began muttering to himself "Okay... that was weird..." He glanced around but felt no signs of her presence. It seemed that she was gone now. He shuddered a bit and continued on home at a much more rapid pace, all the while he found himself repeatedly glancing over his shoulder.

With Felicia.

The pinkette appeared in a darkened alleyway, giggling to herself as she merrily skipped along while humming a tune to herself. "You're late." A gruff voice cut through the darkness as the form of Danzo stepped out of the shadows, his lone eye narrowed in visible annoyance as he then added "Was burning the Hokage tower truly necessary? You are attracting too much unwanted attention."

The crimson eyed girl rocked back and forth on her heels a few times, a mirthful smirk on her face as she replied "Sorry, sorry~. Feli had to cover her tracks. Someone else was there poking around through the safe. Some silver haired guy with an oversized Shuriken was trying to steal the giant scroll."

The aged Warhawk recognized the description belonging to the Academy teacher Mizuki. This definitely complicated things, but so long nothing could be traced back to him then everything was fine. Wait, a giant scroll? That could only be the Forbidden Scroll. It was lost in the blaze? Damn... a powerful and priceless artifact now gone. He sighed deeply in aggravation and held out his hand expectantly, prompting the girl to slap a file in his hand that was marked 'Edwin Black'.

"Finally." He muttered as he opened it and began skimming through the contents, a deep frown on his face as he spoke quietly to himself "Next to nothing on Edwin Black. No birth record, no friends, no family... Mmm? Well now. I didn't expect this person to be affiliated with Black. The information Oboro gave me was limited but useful, perhaps this fellow can shed a bit more light on Black." The Elder muttered as he tucked the file within his robes.

"I hope this is worth my time." He told the girl with a frown. He wasn't exactly pleased to have had the Forbidden Scroll burned when he could have used it to his advantage and his own ends. Still, at least nobody else could gain access to the secrets and techniques within and use them against him.

"Feli is bored, how about a more entertaining assignment?" She asked while clapping her hands together, her words earning a frown from the Elder. Felicia was a useful tool for him, while she may be erratic she was an extremely deadly assassin. Far too free-spirited for his liking, but still useful all the same. He ignored her walked off with the pinkette frowning behind him as he disappeared into the shadows.

Once she was certain he was out of earshot, Felicia stamped her foot and puffed out her cheeks as she crossed her arms and spoke to herself "Phooey. Stupid old man. Feli needs entertainment! Stimulation! Mah, no matter. Danzo-baka gonna die someday soon anyway... especially if he keeps digging his nose where it doesn't belong. Teehee~"

She vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving a pair of crimson eyes floating in the shadows, her childish giggling echoing into the night.

With Naruto.

"About time." The Jinchuuriki muttered as he made it to the front door of the Igawa household and quickly entered inside, feeling much safer now that he was home. That Felicia girl was definitely a strange one, and from what he could tell, not the sort of person one would wanna be stuck in a dark alley with.

He shut the door behind him and locked it, and was about to remove his shoes when Sakura appeared with a small smile "Welcome home! I saw you on TV! You looked really cool on the show. Say... where's Asagi? There's... something I need to talk to you both about."

"Last I saw of her, she went to check out the Hokage tower. Guess you didn't see it, but the damn place was on fire. So what's up? What do you need to talk to me about?" He asked since it sounded like something important. The Tomboy Taimanin pressed her fingers together and looked down with a look of hesitation.

"Well, you see, um..." She fidgeted a little before speaking. She was having trouble finding the right words to speak, especially since she didn't know how the blonde would take the news, much less her sister. "It'd be better if Asagi were present too since it involves both of you."

Naruto frowned a little, his brow furrowed and he asked "Is it something serious? You can tell me now and I'll let Asagi know later."

"Well..." She started, but before she could continue a certain bluenette appeared and burst through the door, a clearly frustrated look on her face as she quickly locked the door back and sighed deeply as she tiredly ran her hand across her face.

"Hey Asagi. What happened? What was with the fire?" The Uzumaki asked since he was quite curious about the circumstances behind the fire.

Asagi took a few deep breaths to calm herself, before speaking "The Hokage Tower was the scene of a burglary. Someone broke in and set the place on fire. They left a body behind, but it hasn't been identified yet. Strangely, the thief left behind the Forbidden Scroll to the flames. Whatever they were looking for, they wanted something specific. Unfortunately, I've been closed off from the investigation."

"Really? What happened?" Naruto asked since the Sandaime never really held any animosity towards her prior to now. What had changed so suddenly?

"Remember when I went to visit the Hokage after Sakura revealed who had tricked her? I gave him a warning that if he couldn't or wouldn't control his people then I would take over by announcing my own candidacy as Hokage. It would seem he took it quite personally." Asagi answered with a small frown, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"I see. So the bastard threw a tantrum and kicked you off the case, eh?" The blonde spoke, his voice dripping with annoyance. Talk about childish behavior. Wait, Asagi was planning on becoming Hokage? Damn... if that happened... wow... massive implications there. On another note, he couldn't think of anyone more worthy of the position given how strong his partner was and how kind she is too.

"Boo. I don't understand that old geezer at all! He lets his students go around doing as they please or lets his teammates get away with crap but Asagi says she plans on becoming Hokage and he has a hissy fit? Talk about priorities." Sakura spoke as she shook her head disapprovingly.

"Agreed... and I don't plan on being kept out of the loop. I need to make a phone call." The Almighty Taimanin spoke and was about to head upstairs to use a telephone but was stopped when the Jinchuuriki gently grabbed her by the wrist which earned her attention.

"Wait, Asagi. Before you do, Sakura wanted to talk to us. About what, I'm not sure." Naruto said, earning a raised eyebrow from the bluenette who looked between her younger sister and her partner.

"Yes? What is it, Sakura? Does this have to do with why you were kind of moody earlier?" Asagi asked, her tone of voice showing genuine concern for her younger sister.

Sakura nodded her head as she swallowed a lump in her throat. Her nerves were getting to her but she was going to try and say what needed to be said, she inhaled deeply and then blurted out "ITHINKI'MINLOVEWITHNARUTO!I'MSOSORRYSISBUTIREALLYREALLYLIKEHIMALOTANDWANNABEWITHHIMTOO!" When she had finished, both Naruto and Asagi could only stare wide-eyed at the Tomboy Taimanin as they both tilted their heads.

"Umm, do you mind saying that a little slower? I caught the words 'Naruto' and 'sorry' then the rest was lost in translation." The elder sister requested since she hadn't a clue as to what her sister had said.

"Sorry. Sorry. The truth is... I think I might be in love with Naruto. I dunno why, but I fell hard and fast for you Naruto-kun. Seeing you bring joy and happiness to my big sis... it made me want that too. I wanted to be with you too, but I didn't want to hurt you or Asagi. I tried bottling it up, but then I had a nightmare. It involved me trying to seduce you in your bed with Asagi sleeping right next to you, then she was staring at me, giving me the evil eye. I feel so guilty. You too look so happy together... and I don't want to get in the way of it but at the same time... I wanna be loved like that too." Sakura explained, her face flushed as she admitted her feelings.

Asagi was silent for a few moments, a thoughtful expression on her face. She was honestly surprised to hear this, and couldn't help but wonder how her sister had come to develop feelings for her chosen partner. Then again, he had a certain magnetic charisma about him that seemed to draw one in, especially if they spent enough time around him. She looked at her sister, and then looked at Naruto who appeared to be a bit taken aback.

"I'm sorry Asagi. I know that I'm being a selfish bitch right now. I'm a horrible person." Sakura spoke in a regretful tone. She didn't want to come between her sister and her partner, and yet she was feeling a growing affection for him.

"You're not a horrible person. One cannot help who they fall in love with. Still, this is... surprising to say the least." The Almighty Taimanin muttered the last part while biting at the tip of her thumb. She glanced at the blonde who looked quite unsure about the situation, and then asked "Well, Naruto? How do you feel about my sister?"

"How do I feel? I mean... she's really cute, and a really great girl. Really fun to be around. Goes without saying she's really attractive... but I don't want to pick between the two of you and the other one getting hurt." He spoke as he rubbed the back of his head.

"That's why I didn't say anything before! I didn't want to put you in that position." The orangette whined as she looked down sadly.

"Sakura..." The Uzumaki began, but was interrupted when the older Taimanin placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.

"There is another solution than choosing between us. Naruto, you don't have to choose at all." Asagi spoke in a gentle tone, her words making the blonde raise an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asked, not sure what the bluenette was implying... unless? No... she couldn't be serious... could she?

"Simple. I do not wish for my sister to be hurt either, just the same as she didn't want to hurt me or you. She deserves love as well. I propose that we both share you Naruto-kun." The Almighty Taimanin answered, a smile forming on her face.

Naruto felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead, and then asked "I-is that even possible? Having two girlfriends?" He could scarcely believe that she was seriously suggesting the possibility of polygamy. While it wasn't exactly uncommon in the Shinobi Nations, it was a practice that was typically frowned upon in the Hidden Villages, though not necessarily illegal. Some seemed to believe that it should only be reserved for those who carry Bloodline abilities.

"There is no law expressly forbidding it, nor is there a rule or condition stating that a Taimanin cannot share their partner with another Taimanin. For most people, sharing their Chakra with more than one Taimanin would be quite taxing. For you though? I think you can handle it. This way, the both of us can be with you and nobody gets hurt. After all, this is Sakura we're talking about. I certainly don't mind sharing with her." Asagi answered, her lips curving into a sensual smirk as she added "Though, you'll have to prove to me that you can keep the both of us satisfied."

"Um, Asagi-chan? Are you serious?" The younger Taimanin asked since this was something that had caught her completely off guard. She never expected her sister to suggest such a thing... but she certainly wasn't against it.

"Completely." She replied without missing a beat, her eyes glimmering with determination and a touch of playfulness, she then took on a more serious face as she spoke "Though if we're doing this, there has to be some ground rules."

Both the Uzumaki and Tomboy Taimanin nodded in understanding and agreement, the former still having immense difficulty processing that he wasn't going to have one but two Taimanin as his partners, the Igawa sisters at that. He was literally entering a position that most men and even some women would probably kill to be in, he had best be careful not to take it for granted. He then cleared his throat and stated "Umm, not to sound greedy or like a perverted bastard... but if one girl joins in, there might be others."

Asagi looked at her sister, then at Naruto and smirked as she replied "Of course. That's one of the rules. Any more girls that want in can join, but only if they have a genuine interest in you. Superficial relationships and one night stands are strictly prohibited. The second rule is, that being Naruto's first 'girlfriend' I am the officially designated 'Alpha' of the group."

Sakura nodded her head slowly as the meaning behind the term sunk in. She knew what it meant. Asagi was the first girl to have a relationship with him, therefore she had the most seniority and thus, was the first. "Understood, but just because you're the Alpha doesn't mean that you should get extra special treatment. I say that Naruto shouldn't play favorites and give everyone equal time and attention."

"Fair enough." Asagi spoke with a nod since that was a fair rule since she didn't wish to monopolize Naruto's attention. Sakura and other potential girls deserved a fair turn as well. She then added "One more rule, no fighting. I understand that there may be competition for Naruto-kun's attention but we mustn't let things run out of control and come to blows. If someone feels that the other is being too possessive or too demanding, the matter should be resolved calmly and rationally."

The orangette agreed as she nodded her head, before adding "Got it. I think that covers the basics. If we need to add any more rules, we can do that later."

"Sounds good. So... I guess now the question is, Naruto-kun... how do you feel about my proposal?" The Almighty Taimanin spoke. She hoped he didn't think she was being too forward with this.

"To be honest... I'm surprised. Not at all in a bad way though, just surprised. I guess this might be for the best, right? Everyone wins here. No one has to get their feelings hurt. No one has to make difficult choice. No cringeworthy melodrama." He answered with a smile. He was certainly looking forward to this. He then realized that perhaps he accepted this a bit too readily and worried that he might be on the path to becoming a pervert or something.

"Heh. I think someone's hormones are doing the thinking for them." Sakura teased while poking at the Jinchuuriki's cheeks which made her elder sister chuckle a bit as the whiskered teen blushed a bit and made a quick apology.

"One last thing. As the Alpha and Naruto's first girlfriend, I hereby stake my claim to take his virginity. That is non-negotiable. Do we have an understanding?" The bluenette spoke, her tone serious and firm. This was one thing she wouldn't compromise on, she wasn't going to relinquish her first with him.

"Oh yeah, no problem. That's fair." The orangette replied without hesitation since she could understand where her sister was coming from. It was a very intimate and personal experience and something like that shouldn't be given up so easily. It was only fair that Asagi and Naruto shared their first times together.

"If everything is out in the open and settled, please excuse me. I really need to make a phone call. I may not be able to get directly involved in the investigation... but there's always a workaround." Asagi stated in a serious tone since she wasn't about to potentially leave the fate of the village in the hands of a foolish and senile old man.

"One more thing before you go..." The whiskered teen quickly spoke up, catching the attention of both sisters as he continued "On my way home, I was approached by this girl. A very strange character. She had pink hair, red eyes, and pointed ears and was wearing a white dress. She said her name was Felicia but kept on calling herself 'Feli' for short. There was something way off about her... she even told me that if I gave her the names of three people, she would kill them for me." He spoke the last part with a slight shudder.

Both Asagi and Sakura exchanged looks with one another with the elder sister muttering "Felicia... that sounds vaguely familiar. It's on the tip of my tongue but I can't remember anyone of that description."

"Me either." Sakura added since she was drawing a blank as well. The Igawa siblings seemed to be in deep concentration as if they were trying to summon the needed information to the forefront of their minds but their memories failed them.

"Naruto. Be very careful. We don't know who this girl is, what her motives are, or what she is capable of. Until we learn more about her, avoid her at all costs and try to stick with us as best you can." Asagi warned her partner in a serious tone, her expression conveying just how important it was to stay away from the mysterious Felicia.

"I will. I don't want to be involved with anyone like her. If she's willing to kill for me, then I don't even wanna know what else she's capable of." He replied as a bead of sweat trailed down his forehead. However, an intrusive thought entered his mind. If Felicia's offer was genuine then all he had to do was give her a name and she'd end them... provided her promise was the real deal. While he didn't have anyone he specifically wanted dead at this time... that may yet change further down the road. Until then, it'd be best to keep his distance from her until he had a much better understanding of who or what he was dealing with.

"Good. Now, if you'll both excuse me, I have an important phone call to make." The bluenette stated, before she headed upstairs, her expression determined. She was going to get to the bottom of things, even if it meant taking a different approach than usual. Normally, she was a hands-on type of person that preferred to handle things herself but for now, she'd have to leave things to somebody else. Fortunately, there was a certain someone who would be more than happy to take this assignment for the right price.

She picked up a telephone and dialed a certain number, fortunately she didn't have to wait for very long before someone picked up prompting her to speak "Hello. This is Asagi. Yes. Asagi Igawa. I have a job for you. Yes. Yes. It does involve the recent fire. No. If I could handle this myself, I would. Yes. Double? Hmph, you're so greedy, but fine. I have no problem with that, provided that you be discreet. Yes. That's fine. Thank you."

Hanging up the phone, Asagi smiled softly. She had just taken the first step toward solving the mystery since she didn't like leaving loose ends, that aside, the Hokage was clearly slipping up. On another note, she couldn't help but wonder... was this an isolated incident or the start of some sinister conspiracy?

Meanwhile. Konoha Hospital.

Iruka Umino groaned quietly in bed as he stared absently at the ceiling. There was nothing good on television, nothing but reruns or various media outlets playing back the incident at either the Academy or his appearance on that damned talk show. Kami what a disaster. Now here he was with a hole in his stomach, at least the morphine kept the pain away and the bullet went clean through. He felt discomfort as the morphine wore off and was about to push the call button to let the nurse know but stopped when the door opened as a grizzled old man and a girl with pink hair entered inside.

He raised an eyebrow since their faces were largely obscured in darkness, but he quickly recognized the former and spoke "Danzo Shimura. I certainly didn't expect you to show up. The Hokage send you? Tell him that whatever he heard, it's all nothing but lies. I'm a victim here. The Kyuubi is the one at fault."

At first, the aged man said nothing as he stared at the scarred Chunin, a deep frown on his face as the atmosphere seemed to grow cold with Iruka becoming quickly uncomfortable with the almost deafening silence until the old veteran finally spoke "Tell me about Edwin Black." upon hearing the name, the Chunin grew pale and quickly looked off to the side as if ashamed and frightened.

"We're not supposed to talk about him." He muttered while biting his lip which caused the Elder to frown and then jammed the tip of his cane against the Chunin's bullet wound causing him to cry out in pain.

"I have no patience with stonewalling and I don't care about the gag order placed around Edwin. Tell me. Now. I know you worked with him in the past." The veteran stated, pressing his cane harder against Iruka's wound.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you. Just get that thing out of me. Please!" Iruka cried, tears streaming down his face. Danzo nodded his head and then removed the cane, the Chunin exhaled loudly, the pain in his gut feeling like a hot iron pressed against his skin.

The scarred Chunin inhaled deeply and then spoke "It's true. I worked with Black some years ago. I was his assistant, his mule. I got him coffee, ran errands for him, handled his papers, small stuff like that. I was directly involved in the laboratories if that's what you're really curious about."

"Do you remember anything? Perhaps something in his paperwork?" The Warhawk asked while the pink haired girl paced about in the background, a strangle little smirk on her face.

"Come on, this was years ago. You really expect me to remember that kind of stuff? I could never make heads or tails of his research." Iruka responded, prompting the aged veteran to once again jab his cane against the Chunin's wound with a hardened gaze, making the Chunin once again yell out in pain.

"You'd be amazed what a fellow can do under the right amount of pressure. I suggest you think really hard to recall anything like your life depends on it, on account that it does." Danzo spoke in a warning tone as the Chunin gritted his teeth and then looked away as he began thinking as quickly as possible... and then as if a light blinked on, a memory seemed to flash before his eyes.

"Okay, okay. I remember that some of his papers involved reports about you and Orochimaru. He seemed to be keeping tabs on you both. For what and why I don't know!" He cried, the pain in his stomach growing more intense with every second.

"Really? Now that is interesting." The aged warhawk muttered as he lowered his cane, a thoughtful expression on his face. Just what had Black been up to? So many questions, and most of, if not all of the answers lied buried with Black or had been expunged from the official record. Still, at the very least, this helped provide another piece of the puzzle.

"Look. That's all I can remember. I swear! You have to believe me." The scarred Chunin pleaded with a look of desperation, sweat beading down his face as his body began trembling, largely from the pain. Danzo ignored him and began to step outside, making a quick gesture to the pinkette who gained a sadistic smile on her face as she approached the Chunin.

"Don't worry. Feli will be gentle." She spoke, a dark gleam in her red eyes. Iruka's eyes widened in horror and fear as she snatched a pillow from beneath his head and then pressed it hard against his face, causing the injured man to panic as he struggled desperately to push her away.

The pinkette smiled darkly as she watched the Chunin flail about like a dying fish, struggling to free himself. His muffled screams and pleas for help fell on deaf ears, nobody could hear him, not with the doors closed and the pillow muffling him. He tried to kick and hit her but Felicia simply used her enhanced strength to pin him down. The pinkette hummed lightly, as if this was nothing more than a pleasant daydream or something as her grip on the pillow tightened, the man's muffled cries and pleas for mercy growing weaker and quieter as his arms and legs twitched violently before eventually falling still.

"Done." Felicia spoke in a rather nonchalant tone, before replacing the pillow beneath Iruka's head, revealing the lifeless face of the Chunin whose eyes were rolled back into his skull, his mouth agape. She then turned her attention to Danzo who stood waiting patiently.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" She asked as if murder was no big deal, the aged Warhawk simply nodded his head and replied back "Not as much as I wanted but more than what I was expecting out of someone so... disposable. It would seem that Black was planning something prior to his death... unless..." He fell silent at the end, causing the crimson eyed girl to raise an eyebrow.

"Unless what..?" She asked as she rocked back and forth on her heels, her question causing the aged man to glare at her with his lone eye and then replied with a curt "Never mind." The two then departed the room, as soon as they exited a group of Anbu with blank masks entered inside to clean up the murder. As far as anyone was concerned, the man that was Iruka Umino simply 'vanished' into obscurity and in time wouldn't even be so much as a memory or even a footnote.

Back at the Igawa residence.

Naruto Uzumaki sat upon the couch, quietly processing the day's events. Heck of a day to say the least, training, an appearance on a talk show, a fire, meeting a strange girl, and being confessed to by Sakura and ending up with the potential start of a harem. Life just couldn't be simple, could it? If nothing else, it definitely kept him on his toes. Still, if the ladies were fine with sharing him, then he certainly didn't mind sharing the love. He supposed that at the end of the day it just meant his family would be potentially bigger now.

He didn't even know how this would work since he had never been involved in polygamy, hell, until a short while ago he didn't even have a girlfriend until Asagi entered his life. He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to handle two girls, let alone more than that. He supposed that he would just have to love them, cherish them, and avoid giving preferential treatment. As long as everyone was happy, then perhaps things would work themselves out.

"Naruto-kun." Sakura spoke, catching his attention as he looked up at her, she was currently flaunting her body by wearing a sports bra and a tight little pair of shorts that clung tightly to her curves and showed off her legs.

"Whoa." was all the blonde could say as heat rose to his cheeks, his eyes roving over the orangette's body, taking in her slender and toned build, her smooth unblemished skin, and her soft supple curves. She was a real knockout. The Tomboy Taimanin grinned and spoke in a teasing tone "Hee-Hee~. Big sis said I couldn't take your first time, but I can still tease you a bit." She casually plopped herself down next to him with a cute wink, her eyes twinkling playfully.

"So what's on your mind?" She asked him, her expression becoming slightly more serious. Naruto sighed and shrugged his shoulders "Just processing I guess. Been a bit of a whirlwind today." He answered back, the orangette nodding her head in agreement.

"I bet. Anyways, I have a little surprise I think you might like." She spoke with a large grin, which made the Uzumaki raise an eyebrow. Yet another surprise? If this kept up, his brain would likely implode at any moment. To his surprise and confusion the Tomboy Taimanin retrieved some sort of official looking letter between her fingers that she offered to him. He accepted it and read over the contents... and his eyes widened a bit.

"You're being asked to oversee the Academy's Graduation exam tomorrow?" He asked, having not realized that the exams had arrived so quickly. Then again, given recent events, it has been kind of a blur for him.

"Yep. I got that earlier today while you and sis were out. Since they're understaffed due to your former teachers being out of action, the Academy has asked me to fill in. I think it might also be an excuse to get me to pick a potential partner." She added with a small chuckle, earning an eye-roll from the Uzumaki.

"Kind of a moot point since I guess we're together now." He responded as he returned the letter to her as the orangette gave a beaming grin.

"Maybe. Still, I could really use your input since you know your classmates best. Plus... maybe I wanna show you off a little." She spoke with a cheeky smile, her words making the Uzumaki hum in thought for a moment. Maybe it was a little petty of him, but this could be a chance to get back at his former classmates who mistreated him. More importantly, the quality of education at the Academy was nothing short of a joke and there was also a distinct lack of discipline.

"Sounds fun. Maybe we could also invite Asagi?" He asked since he didn't want to leave her out of this... plus he had an idea for a small prank as well.

"Invite me to what?" The Almighty Taimanin asked with a raised eyebrow, she was currently in the kitchen area and was sipping a glass of orange juice.

"I'm gonna be helping oversee the Graduation exam for Naruto's class. Naruto was just asking if we could invite you." Sakura explained to her elder sister, with the Almighty Taimanin adopting a thinking pose. With the possibility of her having to become Hokage seeming more and more likely, it would be most prudent to gain a better understanding of the various issues plaguing the village. One of the most important being the Academy and what was being taught there. Given that Naruto had been a student there for some time, he would have plenty of insight to share.

"I'm in. Naruto-kun, we'll be counting on you to advise us and share your knowledge of your former classmates."

The blonde nodded his head, a confident smile on his face as he replied back "Leave it to me, Asagi-chan." His smile widening even further since for the first time in a long time... he was actually looking forward to attending the Academy Exams.

Meanwhile. Oboro's apartment.

The Treacherous Taimanin sighed as she reclined on her couch, wearing an elegant red dress and nursing a glass of red wine. She raised a hand towards a record player and brought the needle down upon the black disk, causing soft music to fill the apartment as the song began to play. She sipped her wine as she listened to the lyrics:

'I was five and he was six. We rode on horses made of sticks. He wore black and I wore white. He would always win the fight. Bang bang, he shot me down. Bang bang, I hit the ground. Bang bang, that awful sound. Bang bang, my baby shot me down'

She sighed as she looked down at a photograph of herself with a well-dressed man standing in some sort of laboratory.

'Seasons came and changed the time. When I grew up, I called him mine. He would always laugh and say "Remember when we used to play?". Bang bang, I shot you down. Bang bang, you hit the ground. Bang bang, that awful sound. Bang bang, I used to shoot you down.'

She sipped her wine again and glanced at newspaper clipping with large and bold words that read 'Shocking death! The head of the Taimanin Initiative Edwin Black confirmed dead after tragic accident!'

'Music played and people sang. Just for me the church bells rang. Now he's gone, I don't know why. And 'til this day, sometimes I cry. He didn't even say goodbye. He didn't take the time to lie. Bang bang, he shot me down. Bang bang, I hit the ground. Bang bang, that awful sound. Bang bang, my baby shot me down'

As the song came to an end, Oboro frowned and sighed as she took another long sip of wine. "What a mess. You left me with quite a mess, Edwin." She muttered a little bitterly and frowned deeply. There were so many things that needed doing. So many loose ends that needed to be tied up. Her own plans needed to be accelerated. There was simply too much to do, and too little time to do it in. Not to mention she had that old Warhawk breathing down her neck.

Nevertheless, she needed to continue with her work. She had certain preparations she needed to make, and while she was attending to her business... she might have a little fun with that charming little Naruto boy in the not-so-distant future.

End chapter Seven.

Taimanin Series: Asagi Igawa, Sakura Igawa, Kamimura Maika, Mizuki Shiranui, Mizuki Yukikaze, Yatsu Murasaki, Koukawa Asuka, Oboro, Felicia.

Black Lagoon: Revy.

Witch of Steel Annerose: Aishwarya Lai.

Prison Battleship series: Naomi Evans, Rieri Bishop.