Moon Knight

by Legend of the Kyuubi

Were one to tell Naruto, Usagi Tsukino's cousin, that evil kingdoms, supernatural beings, and aliens were hellbent on taking over Earth, he'd have said that was the worst joke ever told. That is until he finds himself in the midst of it. If that weren't enough, his presence has changed the course of history; Pluto can't tell if that's a good or bad thing. AU. Moon Knight elements.

2. Chapter 2

Important Note: For those of you who have not read the manga or watched the Crystal anime version of Sailor Moon, please not that some things may confuse you or make you say, "What the hell?" I implore you to keep reading as explanations will follow at the end of the chapter.

---

Act 2 - Heaven and Earth

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The sound of a fist meeting tree echoed throughout the forest and scared the local wildlife. Naruto would have normally done his exercises at the apartment but the last time he did ended with him busting a hole clean through the punching bag and sending sand everywhere. It had been a bitch to clean up.

"I did warn you," Khonshu chuckled.

"No comment from the peanut gallery," Naruto told the ancient gloating god.

"Good luck with that."

Sighing, Naruto ignored the comment and resumed his training. Khonshu had warned him that his strength was greater than before, but seeing was believing at times.

Naruto had always been strong for his age, and stronger than most twice his age, too. But ever since he became Khonshu's avatar or re-became, apparently - man that was still weird to wrap his head around - his physical attributes had crossed over to being superhuman. And they'd become even stronger at night apparently.

"You're called the Guardian of the Night and the Moon Knight for a reason. But you have a long way to go before you regain your full strength," Khonshu interjected.

"We're really gonna need to have a long talk about you reading my mind," it was creepy, annoying, and embarrassing at times.

"Yes, I could have gone without seeing some of those dreams. How and why you would want a woman that can contort like that-"

"Shut up!"

Boom! Crash!

"…Oops," Naruto sheepishly laughed as the tree fell to the forest floor with a resounding thud. This was gonna take some getting used to.

"Hah," Khonshu sighed, exasperated, "May I remind you that you are no longer a mere human? A simple punch from you can now kill an ordinary being, destroy stone, and dent steel. And that's without the suit! You possess great control over your strength, but allowing your emotions to get the best of you simply will not do!"

"I know!" Naruto exclaimed. It wasn't like it would be his first time fighting someone.

"But it will be your first time fighting with superhuman strength," Khonshu retorted, not counting his fight with the Shitenno.

Naruto had been going on instinct then, drunk on his newfound power and acting like a berserker. A common occurrence for those who received his power for the first time. Oh, his fighting instincts had been phenomenal, but his mind for the most part had gotten lost in the battle frenzy. It was only when the Shitenno targeted the embassy building that the haze had worn off. Had it occurred sooner, Khonshu was certain Naruto could have ended one or two of them before they fled.

"Isn't there, I dunno, an off switch? I mean, I've broken records with my strength alone," Naruto didn't want to accidentally crush a person's hand just by giving them a handshake, nor draw attention to himself to give any indication of who he was. This was gonna be a pain. People already knew he was strong, he doubted they'd bat an eye seeing him do more. Hell, they'd probably think he'd been holding back this entire time. Which in itself could lead to more problems.

"It doesn't work like that. The only way that would work would be if I took away your powers and then gave them back to you. Which, I will not do. It's a hassle and inefficient."

"Of course it is."

"It's also not ordinary people that concern me. Should the Dark Kingdom learn who you are, and get to you in a weakened state…Well, given what happened at the embassy I'll leave it to your imagination."

Naruto frowned, cursed, and damned the Dark Kingdom to every hell there was. His identity as the Moon Knight couldn't be known, not for fear of himself but his family and friends. The Dark Kingdom wouldn't hesitate to go after them if it meant getting to him. And Naruto would willingly give himself up if it meant saving them.

"May I remind you to be rid of such foolish ignorant thoughts? After the Dark Kingdom kills you they will simply kill them. And that's if you're lucky."

The Ennead told him that while Metalia possessed the power to resurrect others, he flat out told him that wouldn't work on one who was once the avatar of a god. It was unknown if this also applied to the Senshi, but Khonshu had his doubts it would.

Killing him was the safer but dumber choice in Khonshu's opinion. Certainly, it would rid them of a powerful foe but it also took away an advantage. If the Dark Kingdom was smart, the moment they learned of his identity they should try and take his family or friends hostage and use him to end the Senshi. The Moon God told him it's what he would have done in their place, and that Naruto would have to be prepared to cut off all ties to his family should his identity be revealed. The Moon God even dared to say that mercy killing them would be preferable should it occur. For what were their lives worth should the Moon Knight fall under the enemy's control, endangering countless more in the process?

Naruto had flat-out told the Ennead to drop the matter or fuck off. Naruto would decide what he would do on the off chance his identity was compromised. But killing them wouldn't be an option.

Fortunately, the Moon God had been gracious enough to put an undetectable form of protection over their home just in case. One not even the agents of the Dark Ruler could get through or detect. But protection or no protection, Naruto was gonna make them pay for what happened to Michiru. The only problem, they were nowhere to be found.

Four days had passed since the D Incident, as the media dubbed it, and since then the Dark Kingdom had gone silent. But from what he knew from Khonshu, they had good reasons for it.

The Moon Knight was a brutal defender who didn't hold back. Merely hearing about him had would-be enemies rethink their plans or outright abandon them altogether. Worlds had been ended by him, and while Naruto seriously doubted the claim - or at least he hoped the claim was false - that he had previously turned 100,000 worlds to dust in defense of the Moon Kingdom, more than a few worlds had been destroyed for their actions.

Apparently, he had been so much of a threat that the Dark Kingdom only felt confident to attack the Moon Kingdom when he had been absent. And even with the Silver Millennium making many complacent, the Dark Kingdom had gone with the hit hard and hit fast tactic just to be on the safe side. He was that feared.

"Enough about them for now. Mars! What do you recall," Khonshu asked.

"Mars. Guardian of Love and Passion, Master of Flames, exorcist, and seer of the Senshi. She's the most magically gifted of the group," Naruto answered.

Khonshu had made it clear he should try and remember who the Inner Senshi were, what they did, and what they lacked. Naruto learned that meditating helped, something he had gotten into at a young age. But even then they were only glimpses. The memories of his past life were only slightly more vivid when he fell asleep, and even then it was out of reach. Something Khonshu believed was due to Serenity's spell.

"Weakness?"

"Seriously?" What was with this guy? Weren't the Senshi allies?

"An ally today can be an enemy tomorrow. Weakness!" Khonshu repeated the order.

"Hah. Like the other Senshi, she can't make full use of her powers without transforming. When she transforms the power of Mars inflames her but also makes her easier to goad and fall victim to her emotions compared to the others, which ends up with her using too much energy in her attacks and making her flames harder for her to control. Most of her spells are mid-range and she has few to no defence-related abilities. Except for her strongest spells, most of them are also overpowered by water spells, too, and like the rest of the Senshi she has the bad tendency to remain stationary when casting them, and her hand-to-hand combat skill is almost nonexistent."

"Correct," Khonshu nodded, "The Senshi are by no means weak, but compared to you they might as well be infants. They will grow stronger, but if they are anything like their past selves they may very likely repeat the same mistakes. Only two of the Inner Senshi demonstrated any form of close-up combat, and even then only one of them had true skill. Speaking of which. Here."

Before Naruto appeared a swirling wind that soon took on the form of two small almost two-foot sticks with silver metal bands and studs on each end. Naruto, being a martial arts expert, instantly recognized what they were.

"Escrima sticks?" Naruto had never used them but knew that they were traditional weapons utilized in Filipino martial arts.

While everyone else wanted to smack each other on the head with bokken, or shinai, Naruto had to admit he had done so as well, he wanted to learn something different. The blond was trained on how to use a Bo-staff of varying lengths and he also knew how to use sai. Given their similar uses, Naruto surmised it wouldn't be too difficult to incorporate what he knew with these weapons.

"Put them together."

Doing as instructed, Naruto joined the two sticks and watched as they glowed, merged into one, and then extended into a long metal pole well over a head taller than himself.

"Sweet," Naruto commented, and then separated the staff once more into its smaller forms, "Any other tricks they can do?"

"Try channeling your power in them."

Naruto did so and watched as the escrima sticks developed energy hooks, and an ethereal chain joining the two from one end to the other that made the weapons more akin to a kusarigama without the weight.

"Okay, this is awesome," Naruto admitted. He had never learned how to use any rope-related weapons but awesome it was nonetheless. Then again, the Moon Knight was lacking in the spells department compared to the Senshi. Those who carried the mantle knew some spells, but nowhere near as much as the Senshi; the Knight's forte was in close and unharmed combat by comparison.

"Why a staff?" Naruto asked, putting the weapons away for now.

"As I previously explained, you will ultimately take on my mantle. And when you do, I will also pass on this," Khonshu emphasized by bringing down his crescent staff, "The Staff of the Crescent Moon. It's a powerful artifact that will enable you to accomplish more than what you can presently do. Think of those weapons you possess as training gloves, or stepping stones to something greater. They aren't as powerful but they will give you a sense of what's to come."

"It's that strong, huh?"

"Put it this way. Once you've mastered the Staff's powers you will be able to channel the powers of the moon as easily as breathing and be more than capable of destroying planets and other celestial bodies once again. Beforehand I had to channel that level of power through you. The only other artifacts I know that possess that kind of destructive capability are the Silence Glaive of Sailor Saturn, the Silver Phantom Crystal of Queen Serenity, and likely the Garnet Staff of Sailor Pluto should its full power be unsealed."

Seriously, what was with this guy and destroying planets?

"It's capable of doing more than just that! I was known as The Healer for a reason. It can also heal planets so long as they aren't too far gone. A barren desert can be turned into a verdant woodland, a shattered moon can be put back together-"

"Can it revive the dead?" Naruto interjected.

"Yes, and no. So long as this staff remains undamaged, Death cannot claim you. But that same power doesn't extend to others unless you choose an avatar. Powerful as it is, every artifact has its limits. When you were caught in Serenity's spell, the power of this staff couldn't override the Silver Crystal's intentions to reincarnate you. I was forced to wait for you to be reborn. As far as I know, the only artifacts capable of bringing back the dead were the Silver Crystal and Atum's Sun Disc, maybe even Elysium's Golden Crystal but that's merely conjecture. Even then there's a price associated with it with the Silver Crystal."

"Atum?" Naruto was drawing a blank on the name.

"More commonly known as Ra, Ruler of the Ennead and the Firstborn."

"Oh, right! The Sun King, Ruler of the Skies, The Sailor, and The Lord of Order. He was your leader, right?" Naruto tried recalling.

"Actually, Ra was a she, not a he, a fact modern humans and your ancestors mixed up as time went by. The original word to reflect royalty, in this case, King and Queen, back then was gender neutral. But that's neither here nor there. Ra was the Firstborn, the First God, and the most powerful of us all. She was, unfortunately, also the first of us to perish," Naruto didn't pry despite his curiosity. Khonshu's tone reflected just how saddened he was by her passing.

Instead, Naruto began preparing himself for his regular workout routine by tying his weights to his waist, and then some. However, even then his better nature got the best of him.

"Hey, if you ever-"

"Shush," Well, god or not that was rude, "Someone's coming, idiot!"

Sure enough, Naruto heard the sound of feet ground the fallen tree branches and leaves of the forest floor. The sound was steady too and Naruto quickly realized it was caused by a jogger.

Looking in the direction he heard it come from, or his best guess by the way the sound echoed in the woods, Naruto's gaze fell upon a young woman with reddish brown hair tied in a ponytail. Her form was quite good actually. Not as good as Haruka's but good regardless.

As if sensing someone's gaze was upon her, the woman turned towards him and stopped her run. Her look curious upon seeing him in the woods all by himself, "What are you doing?"

"Training," Naruto told her.

The woman merely cocked an eyebrow as she spotted his weights that were tied to his waist, she looked quite skeptical, "You sure you know what you're doing?"

Rather than say anything, Naruto merely jumped several feet in the air and grabbed onto a low but strong hanging branch, and began his workout, his weights clanging against one another as he lifted himself with ease.

"Holy shit!"

Looking down and hanging with one arm, Naruto saw that the woman had since gotten much closer to him, "How are you-Oh, my god! You're Uzumaki Naruto!"

"One and only," Naruto bowed from his perch, "And you?"

"Makoto. Kino Makoto," the woman introduced, "I can't believe it! You're a legend! I've seen every event you took part of! Even in my old school, no one's ever come close to breaking your records!"

"Old school?"

"Yeah, I just transferred to Juban Middle School. I'm in my final year," Makoto revealed.

"You're fourteen!" Naruto gaped, looking the wo-girl over once more. She was quite tall for her age, "Damn! Big one aren't ya."

"Well done."

Naruto was confused before seeing Makoto appear quite despondent, and then mentally kicked himself. In Japan if you didn't have the traditional looks and stature, especially for your age, more often than not you were either a delinquent or treated as an outcast. Something Naruto knew all too well before he became well-known, even Haruka knew what that was like. Most boys his age were very much shorter than Makoto, and Naruto was taller than them by well over a head.

"Sorry! Didn't mean anything by it. I was just surprised. The only other tall girl for her age I know is Haruka and she's fifteen. And she's a badass," and he was being honest. Haruka was a badass. A flirt, but a badass regardless.

"Oh," was all Makoto said.

"Oh?" Naruto didn't know whether to take that as a good sign or a bad sign. He hoped it was the former.

"I mean, it doesn't bother you?"

"What bothers me?"

"That I'm tall," Makoto clarified, fidgeting a little.

"Does it bother me that you're tall? Hell, no! So you're tall. Big deal. Uh, no pun intended. Let me ask you something. You a good person?"

Most of the time, though if Makoto was honest she had gotten into a couple of scraps in the past, "I'd like to think so."

Why was she revealing this to him? Sure, it was the Demon-Fighting God of Juban, a celebrity she admired, but why did she reveal this still?

"You ever beat anyone up?"

Her eyes narrowed, most always assumed she got into fights because of her stature and look.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Did ya ever beat anyone up that didn't deserve it?" Makoto shook her head.

"Then what's the big deal? So you're tall. And judging by your muscles you look like you work out more than most guys I know. Big whoop! Doesn't change who you are, and it doesn't make you any less attractive," he told her.

Babump!

"Wh-what?" what did he just call her? "What did you just say?"

"You're attractive?" Naruto repeated.

Babump!

"Ar-Are you're serious?"

"Hey, I call it as I see it. And you, little lady, are attractive. If anyone says otherwise they're either blind or missing more than a few brain cells," was Naruto's honest reply.

"Little lady?!"

Babump! Babump!

"I-uh-I…I gotta go!" was all the scarlet-faced girl could say.

"Huh?" Naruto watched as Makoto took off like a shot that could give Haruka a run for her money, "What was that about?"

Khonshu summed up what any other onlooker would have thought, "Idiot."

---

Luna was, in a word, worried. Four days had passed and in that time nothing happened. Aside from the police still investigating what had occurred at the embassy, it had been peaceful.

And that's what was worried her.

The Dark Kingdom according to Artemis during his own travels had been active for a little over a year now. Operating in various locations across the world such as Europe and North America. Fortunately, their agents were quite limited so they mainly focused their efforts in Japan, which was smart but unfortunate as based on her findings Japan's populace had the greatest amount of energy compared to everywhere else. Luna guessed it had to do with those who perished during the Silver Millennium, and most of them reincarnating here compared to everywhere else in the world.

It was clear what their goal was in gathering energy. Which meant good news and bad news. Good news: Queen Metalia was very likely dormant and the energy required to awaken a being such as her was immense, let alone bringing her back up to full strength. This meant she still had time to find the remaining Senshi and get them up to snuff, especially Usagi, and locate the princess and the Silver Crystal.

Bad news: the Dark Kingdom had been operating for well over a year now and the Senshi had only just started to awaken, Sailor Moon herself had only awakened two months ago. Who knew just how much energy they had accumulated before then and how close they were to achieving their goal? And now they had gone underground, and she had no idea where they were located. While Luna was confident that they had time, the unanswered question was how much?

Not to speak ill of the dead, much as she loved Queen Serenity, the woman could have made it easier for her and Artemis by letting them know where to find the reincarnations of the Senshi. But Luna, like many that night, had been affected by the spell her queen and goddess cast. Even if she had been told she couldn't remember. Not could she recall what the Senshi looked like. Much of her memories from back then were a blur and no more than a fuzzy memory that was always out of reach whenever she tried to recall certain things. While the cat race of planet Mau was very long-lived, 10,000 years passing by in suspended animation and scouring the earth for fourteen years after they awoke hadn't exactly helped either. She too had lost certain abilities since then.

Fortunately, the Dark Kingdom's worst foe made himself known. The Moon Knight. Whether or not his memories came back was another unanswered question. If they did, he certainly would not be the biggest fan of the Inner Senshi, especially since their task had been to protect their queen's daughter, a task they ultimately failed in.

At best, he'd give each and every one of them a serious thrashing and open their eyes to the reality that for some didn't appear to fully sink in. At worst, he'd kill them individually for their failures. The sad part was, though she wouldn't want it to happen, he'd be justified in putting them to the sword.

While it was no longer the case in this day and age - at least in most countries around the world - a guard responsible for the welfare of their charge, especially a royal one, and failing in their duty had been punishable by death even in the Moon Kingdom.

Had the Inner Senshi not died 10,000 years ago at the hands of the Dark Kingdom, Queen Serenity could have easily stripped them of their mantles and possibly executed them for their failures soon after. The Moon Kingdom didn't become the most powerful of the celestial kingdoms on kindness and technological advancement alone.

Queen Serenity the Fourth was a kind woman, a saint in almost every sense of the word, but that didn't mean she wouldn't dole out punishment when necessary. She had done so more than once, and a parent's grief was a powerful if unpredictable force to be reckoned with. Luckily for them, the Queen had seen fit to give them a second chance, likely to ensure the mantle of the Old Gods didn't fall into the wrong hands, and allowed their reincarnates to hold onto their ancestor's mantles and make up for their past failures.

There would be no second chances.

"Let's just hope Moon Knight-sama sees it that way," Luna prayed. Right now, they needed all the help they could get. Whether or not the Knight would cooperate with them was another matter. Out of all the Senshi, he was closer to the Outer ones, and they, too, hadn't been the biggest fans of the Inner Senshi either.

Not that Luna could wholeheartedly blame them for their dislike. For unlike the Inner Senshi who allowed peace and their closeness to the princess to dull their skill compared to the Senshi that came before, the Outer hadn't.

But that was in the past, and past mistakes couldn't be undone. When the Senshi regained their memories they would have to learn from their past mistakes and move forward if they didn't want history to repeat itself. A task easier said than done at the moment.

"What I wouldn't give for the Senshi to have been reborn in a different era," certainly indoor plumbing was a blessing, along with other conveniences, but at least if they were born in such a time they'd have their priorities straight.

They should be improving themselves and searching for the enemy. But no! They just had to awaken in an era where girls were more interested in romance, clothes, shopping, and bloody video games! Luna hardly ever swore, but fuck was karma a vindictive bitch.

And Usagi was the worst of them. Oh, the girl had a kind heart, she was sweet, and Luna cared for Usagi, but her mindset was hardly Senshi material. It was hardly leader material either. Ami had her intelligence and Rei her spiritual powers as a miko, but Usagi, regrettably, didn't possess anything noteworthy aside from her love of food.

If she were more like her cousin it would make things a lot easier for the lunar cat.

"If only he had been born a woman instead of Usagi. He'd have made a much better Sailor Moon," but the powers that be decided otherwise and saw fit to give Usagi the mantle instead. Luna was merely the one to deliver the means to do so.

It also appeared that the powers that be also decided to grant Usagi's cousin an enormous amount of energy, too. Easily the largest in Japan if not the entire continent based on the readings from her computer. It was likely the reason why he could accomplish what no human in this era could despite his young age.

It also made him a prime target for the Dark Kingdom. Someone with this level of energy could easily awaken Metalia and make the perfect soldier to square off against the Moon Knight.

Fortunately, Luna had sensed the protective barrier that had been cast on the household. From her computer, she learned that its power was likely designed to prevent the Dark Kingdom from targeting him and the family. The boy himself had been marked as well by the Knight, too, which in itself was a powerful deterrent.

Luna could only hope the Moon Knight was being proactive compared to the rest of them. The cat from planet Mau could only hope they'd shape up soon. Aside from Mars, none of them had taken the death of Princess D very well. Even after three days, they had yet to fully get over it, not that Luna couldn't blame them. It had been their first failure and the first death of an individual they tried to protect. The death of an evil being like a Youma was different. They were heartless evil creatures born from dark energy and emotions and desired nothing more than the pain and suffering of others. The deaths of innocent lives were different.

It was only luck that the Dark Kingdom hadn't done anything in the meantime. On the first day after the incident, Luna doubted either three of the Senshi were in the right state to work properly with one another. Usagi had cried herself to sleep and even then it wasn't a pleasant dream-filled one. Ami had buried herself in her studies.

The following days hadn't gotten either of them fully out of their funk until Luna was forced to intervene. The cat hadn't been unsympathetic to either of the girls but she had no choice but to put her foot down and snap them out of it. They were in a war and the Senshi were the soldiers. Wars weren't won by soldiers who fell into despair due to loss. They overcame them.

Loss was inevitable in war. One shouldn't deny it occurred but allow it to fuel them and ensure it didn't happen again. And, most importantly, put an end to whatever caused such pain and suffering so none could fall victim to it again.

But with only three awakened Senshi that was easier said. They needed more allies. Where these allies were remained the question.

---

"I'm telling you I'm fine," a wheelchair-bound Michiru told her closest friends, "Really, this isn't necessary."

"You almost fell on your face when you tried taking one step," Naruto deadpanned, "We're lucky Dr. Mizuho allowed you to be even cleared to leave the hospital," four days had passed and while they had been able to see Michiru after finishing his tests, Michiru had been forced to stay bed bound for another few days compared to the rest. Whatever stunt those four bastards pulled had been a little more severe than expected, Naruto was gonna pay 'em back tenfold.

"I told him we could have just busted you out," Haruka said, half joking half serious.

"That's all I need, more press about me," Naruto could already see the headlines. That Emma woman had been right unfortunately, the media hadn't left him alone despite the tests. Some had dropped it but others didn't. He just hoped it didn't get out of hand.

Speaking of which, Naruto looked down when he felt something on his left hand, "Are you okay?"

Naruto merely smiled at Michiru, "Better now that you're okay. Both of you."

"Aw, aren't you a sweetheart. Well, I guess I can handle being waited on hand and foot for the next little bit," Michiru laughed.

"So, what, I'm your butler now?"

"Of course not…You're her houseboy," Haruka's comment had Naruto miss a step and sent Michiru into a fit of laughs.

"Careful houseboy, your mistress is quite delicate at the moment," Michiru ordered.

"And stand up straight," Haruka ordered alongside, "And why are you out of uniform?"

With a twinkle in his eye, Naruto decided to fire back, "Apologies, Haruka-sama. Please give me a moment."

Both Haruka and Michiru watched as Naruto took off his hoodie and his shirt, folded them up, and showed off his very well-defined muscles to the world as he continued pushing Michiru down the street, ignoring the blushing looks directed his way by the onlookers.

"…Well played, Uzumaki. Well played," Haruka smirked.

All three continued this for a few blocks before the trio stopped at an arcade when Naruto saw his cousin hanging out with a group of students from her middle school. And someone he didn't expect to bump into so soon.

"Naruto-oniichan!" Usagi shouted, bringing attention to herself and the group.

"Usagi-nee, Ami-chan, Naru-chan, Makoto-san," he greeted.

"You know her?" Usagi asked.

"We met each other in the woods not that long ago. Surprised to see you here actually."

"My, my. Naruto-kun, how scandalous of you. Alone in the woods with such a young lady?"

"I-uh-I-" Makoto was scarlet by this point, part of which due to Michiru's comment and the other part due to him still being shirtless

"Ooh, she's got it bad for him," Haruka smirked, Michiru merely giggled.

"Oi! Naruto-san! Dress code!" Motoki called out.

"Huh? Oh, right, sorry."

"Aww," Makoto along with Naru whined at the lack of eye candy and both nearly went supernova when they realized they had done that out loud. Michiru and Haruka merely smirked. Ami and Usagi, having seen Naruto in such a state of undress more than once, were used to the sight.

"Thank god," said the last member of the group.

"Huh?" Naruto looked at the origin of the voice and spotted an unknown dark-haired girl. The girl was looking at him with indifference mixed with hostility, "And you are?"

"Hmph," was her response.

"Rei," Usagi's tone told said it all, "Be nice. He's my cousin."

"He's a man," was all she said.

"Pardon?" Makoto, being new to the group, didn't understand.

"What's that gotta do with anything?" Haruka couldn't help asking.

"Men are scum," she stated simply.

"Wow, judgmental much?" Naruto wasn't exactly her biggest fan either at the moment, "What's your deal with guys?"

"Not guys. Men! You two are what? Twenty-five, twenty-six?"

By now both Naruto and Haruka had more than a few tick marks on their foreheads. Sure, they looked a little more mature for their age due to their activities leaving them with no baby fat. But they weren't that old!

"Are you kidding me!? Don't you know who this is?" Makoto exclaimed, towering over the miko.

"Tall," both Haruka and Michiru thought. She was a couple of inches shorter than Haruka, but easily three inches taller than Michiru. But the short-haired blond didn't mind in the least. Tall ones were easily on her type list.

"This is Uzumaki Naruto! Show some respect! He's only sixteen and he's broken more world records than almost all athletes twice his age!" Matoko defended.

Which through Rei for a loop, "What? You're sixteen?!"

"That's what the little lady said, didn't she?" he repeated.

Looking at them up and down, Rei finally asked, "Are you sure?"

"What is wrong with you?!" Makoto and Haruka declared, making Rei flinch.

"First of all, despite what her current attire may suggest, Haruka's a girl," Naruto revealed, much to everyone's shock, Michiru excluded, "Secondly, if you want me to leave-" Naruto began but was swiftly cut off.

"Wait, Naruto-san," Mizuho Ami, sweet, kind, if a bit introverted, gave Rei a pointed look that Naruto had never seen before, "Rei-chan, apologize!"

"What?!"

"Now!" Ami's command didn't leave any kind of argument.

"…sor…" Rei muttered.

"Loud enough so we can hear you," Haruka glared at the judgemental little bitch.

"I'm sorry!" Rei practically shouted, flushed with embarrassment, she didn't have to look around to know she had eyes on her, "I'm sorry," she repeated once more, more softly this time, before she excused herself.

Naruto merely nodded and let it go, for now. Haruka he saw following after her to no doubt give the girl a piece of her mind. It was clear this Rei girl had problems with men for some reason, but Naruto wasn't interested in hearing about it right now. He wasn't the girl's biggest fan at the moment.

"I'm sorry about Rei. Bad history with older men. It's one of the reasons why she goes to an all-girls catholic school. She's … okay with boys our age but unless it's her grandfather she's not fond of-" Usagi tried to excuse her friend's behavior.

"Forget it. Not your problem, Usagi," and Naruto was being truthful. He felt sorry for Rei for whatever happened that caused her such problems but it didn't give her the right to treat others that way. Whatever sad history she had with older men, not all of them were like that. It didn't give her the right to take it out on him and Haruka.

"Kya! I know you!" Naru-chan suddenly shouted, stars shining in her eyes, "You're Kaio Michiru!"

Michiru merely giggled, "I take it you're a fan?"

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god!"

"Naru-chan, breathe," Naruto instructed his cousin's best friend, "In and out."

"Sorry," Naru blushed, "I've heard you play countless times! I love your music! It's amazing! Only fifteen and you're well known throughout Japan. You're amazing!"

"Well, aren't you sweet," Michiru told her.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why are you in a wheelchair?" Naru asked her, a bit worried.

"I was at Kingdom D's embassy the night of the attack. Whatever happened left little energy in my legs. I was told to use this for the next little bit until it wears off in a few days," Michiru explained.

"You were there? What happened?" Naru was floored.

"No idea," a returned Haruka was the one who answered, "No one does. Aside from Naruto, everyone there was knocked out."

"You saw what happened, Naruto-san?" Ami asked, her tone slightly worried.

"Vaguely. All I recall is the princess going crazy, guards rushing her, I tried stopping her, and the next thing I know I feel like I did an entire triathlon in an hour. It took all I could to get Haruka out of there before I went back for Michiru. That's as far as I can remember before I woke up at the hospital sometime later with Michiru in my arms. I can't even remember how that all happened."

"So that's what happened," Usagi sighed in relief, "AH-I mean! I was curious as to how you got to the hospital before anyone else! That's all!"

"Ooookaaaayyyy?" that was a bit odd, but then Usagi had always been a bit of an oddball at times, Naruto surmised.

"Usagi-chan," a hidden Luna could only wonder why this girl was chosen as a Sailor Senshi when she almost blew her cover.

"Bouts of intense stress can sometimes cause memory loss," Ami interjected.

"Especially when you're suffering from fatigue alongside it," Michiru added, "Running on high levels of endorphins during such events has been known to greatly affect the opiate receptors-"

"Which in turn can affect the temporal lobe," Ami finished.

Naru, Makoto, and Usagi blinked and all three looked to both Naruto and Haruka for answers. Neither of them had one, "Don't look at us. She's the brains of the group."

"Says the guy who can understand ancient Japanese hiragana, katakana, and kanji better than even the teachers at our school," Haruka told him, "This guy showed up our last ninth-grade teacher so badly he tried to get a university professor to humble him. Naruto mopped the floor with him too."

"I know, I took an elective for ancient Japanese outside of school and struggled to understand them. I was waiting for my mother and Naruto-san had an appointment. He took one look at them and told me what each of them meant in seconds. I had to look at the answer sheet to be sure he was right," and he had been.

"What can I say, I'm a man of many talents," Naruto boasted.

"What's this about?" a returned Rei asked, the girl avoided his stare when Naruto looked at her.

"Naruto-niichan's a wiz when it comes to ancient Japanese," Usagi reiterated.

"Really? Well, I'm a miko at my grandfather's shrine, so I know better than most. What's this mean," Rei showed them a talisman.

"Rei-"

"A suppressing and immolation Ofuda," was Naruto's answer, to the surprise of everyone, except Haruka and Michiru, and Rei's shock, "A talisman designed to suppress the power of wicked individuals, and give 'em more than a nasty burn if they try taking it off without knowing the proper sequence. This one's been modified so it can be used on just about anyone and the immolation can take place at the user's command. Pretty basic all things considered."

Rei was looking at Naruto and doing a perfect imitation of a fish. Aside from her grandfather, few remained who could identify the characters on this specific Ofuda, and fewer still who could read them so quickly and easily. She was impressed. This wasn't something that most sixteen-year-olds could do. Which posed another question.

"Wait, you three are in the same grade?" Rei asked, having heard part of the previous conversation and all three nodded, "But, if he's sixteen, and you're all in the ninth grade… How does that work?"

"Being in a coma for almost a year will do that," Makoto blurted, and quickly brought her hands to her mouth, "Oh, crap! I'm so sorry! I just know about that from the articles!"

"It's alright, not like it's a secret," he waved off both Makoto and Rei after seeing the latter's look, thinking she might have said something wrong. But unlike before, Naruto knew it wasn't said out of malice but simple curiosity, so he dismissed what was likely to be an apology. It happened every time someone ignorant about his past asked about it, "Save your apology. It happened and it's not a big deal."

"It kinda is, Naruto," Michiru told him.

"You know what I mean," Naruto retorted.

"Anyway, enough about that, and onto something more positive. So you're Usagi, huh?" Haruka broke the ice. It wasn't a good Segway into a new conversation but it distracted them all the same.

"Uh, yeah?" Usagi was confused about the older student's interest.

"Naruto was right, you are cute?" Haruka smiled.

"…Huh?" Usagi felt her checks redden.

"Here we go," Naruto and Michiru both thought.

"Wait, Haruka. As in Tenou Haruka?" Makoto asked, "The race car driver and current record holder for girls' track in the district?"

"The one and only," the girl in question nodded.

"Thank god for that," Naruto said, earning a punch in the arm, one that had Haruka wincing due to his powers.

"Ow," Haruka rubbed her hand to dull the pain. Which was odd as that never happened before.

"Naruto-san," Naruto looked to Naru, "I've always wondered. How did you, Haruka-san, and Michiru-san meet?"

Naruto smiled before he looked at a grinning Haruka and smiling Michiru, "You guys wanna tell it or should I?"

"Go nuts," Haruka told him, Michiru merely nodded in agreement.

"With Haruka, we didn't meet until the summer before high school when she transferred from her old school. Even then we didn't run into each other until almost a month later during track and field. Haruka wiped the floor with them by a wide margin, even those on the boys' team. Our previous coach was old school and didn't like the thought of a girl beating boys so he wanted to put Haruka in her place."

Rei scoffed but said nothing.

"So, we were told to race. I knew what his intent was but I didn't care about that. I just wanted to see how good she was. And let me tell ya, she's good. Pretty sure she's the only student in Juban High that can match my speed," Naruto informed her.

"So it ended up a draw?"

"Nope, Naruto ended up winning that race," Haruka admitted, "But instead of gloating like the rest of them he shook my hand and told me to race him again whenever I wanted. I didn't want to admit defeat so we raced five more times that day. I lost each time."

"Haruka and Naruto have a competitive streak," Michiru added her two cents.

"For weeks I couldn't get over the fact that I lost to him. I trained my ass off to improve and then one night I saw Michiru and Naruto. Michiru was on the sidelines; Naruto running on the field wearing a weight suit and heavy weights dragging behind him that were attached to a rope. He did that training for hours and then well into the night. How I still don't know. But it was eye-opening. I thought Naruto was this prodigy where all this came naturally to him, and barely put in any effort. But the dedication I saw, the sheer grit in everything he did, hard work didn't even come close to describing it. It was humbling. I asked if I could train with him soon after and he didn't hesitate in agreeing."

"Course, she fed the birds more than once over the next few months," Naruto laughed when punched him in the arm, again Haruka winced, "Hey, it was worth it in the end, right? Only a few months of intense training and you can match my speed."

"You didn't have to tell 'em that bit though!"

"I had to. It was funny," again she punched him in the arm while Michiru laughed at their antics.

"And Michiru-san? How'd you meet her?"

"Last year of middle school. A modeling job hosted by the same company that deals with exceptional students and young teens. Michiru was being hit on by some douchebags who were a little too much into underaged girls."

"Ah, so you came to her rescue," Rei asked. While she wasn't a fan of the stereotypical damsel in distress being saved by a noble knight spiel, she was a romantic at heart nonetheless.

"The opposite. He let me handle it myself," Michiru smiled.

"What?!" Makoto wondered what kind of chivalric bull was that.

"I could tell Michiru wasn't some delicate wallflower so I didn't step in. However, when it looked like they were about to get too handsy, I intervened. Came up with a bogus lie that required both of us on set, told her if she wanted I could break every bone in their arms and hands," Usagi, having heard the story before, knew that her cousin spoke true and he would have gone through with it.

"I thought he was joking at first, acting all tough like every other typical macho boy I've met who was trying to impress the girl. All talk and no actions. But the look in his eyes told me he was serious. When I asked him why he would do that for me, why he'd risk the opportunity of a lifetime he said, 'I couldn't care less about losing this job. And I wouldn't do it just for you. I'd do it to any asshole doing that to someone.' I thought it cute, corny but cute. And when I tried flirting with him to see how he'd react, he merely laughed and then had the audacity to give me pointers!"

"Pointers?"

"You looked like you needed the help. Don't mind the flirting but at least try and be convincing," Naruto laughed, and then yelped when Michiru pinched him, "No pinching!"

"Anyway, just when we were about to part ways one of the executives saw us and thought we looked good together. Turns out their hunch was right because people responded well to it. Over time we were asked to do more shoots together, attend the same classes together, go to some events together and here we are," Michiru finished, her head resting on Naruto's shoulder.

"Oh, I didn't know you two were a couple," Naru was loving this; Makoto was disappointed.

"We're not. Just very, very close," Naruto elaborated.

"You mean, we're not a couple?" Tears began to form in Michiru's eyes, "Naruto, how could you? I thought we had something special."

"Naruto-san!"

"Michiru-san, don't cry!"

"Pig!"

"What's wrong with you Naruto-niichan!"

"…Bwahahahaha!" Haruka finally couldn't hold it in as she began laughing, something that confused the five middle school teens until they saw Michiru wipe away the tears and smile.

"And the Oscar goes to Kaio Michiru," Naruto congratulated.

"Thank you, thank you!" Michiru bowed as much as she could while being stuck in a wheelchair.

"Gah! I can't believe I fell for that again!" Usagi chastised herself. Every single time!

"Sorry, Usagi-chan," Haruka comforted her friend's cousin.

"So, you're not together?" Makoto asked.

"I mean, we've gone out a few times, but no we're not together," Michiru told the younger girl.

"What about you Haruka-san? Have you and Naruto even gone out?" Michiru bit her lower lip when Haruka nearly snorted up her drink that had just been delivered. Sending her into a coughing fit.

"Ack! Me and him? Not in this lifetime," Haruka told her.

"You mean that kiss last Halloween meant nothing?" Despite going crimson, Naruto got the mother of all evil eyes from the racer.

"I will run you over with my car," Haruka growled.

"Please, even in your car I'm faster," the evil eye she gave him evolved into something worse, "Look, if it makes ya feel any better, you were quite skilled with your tongue," Naruto smirked while the younger teens blushed. The kettle pretty much erupted at this point.

"Die!" Haruka lunged at her fellow blond, Naruto went to meet her only for Michiru to pull on both their ears despite being wheelchair-bound.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" the two whined at the painful tug.

"Be nice," Michiru chastised, her tone authoritative despite how soft it remained.

"Sorry, Michiru," they simultaneously apologized, and Michiru finally released her death grip on the two. Even then both blonds stuck their tongues out at one another behind her back.

"Ooh, are they gonna kiss again?" Except for the two older blonds, Naru's comment sent the group into fits of laughter.

From there the group continued enjoying their conversations almost into the evening. Michiru and Ami talked about things none in the group could follow. Usagi explained how she met Makoto the other day, the girl saving her from being run over, something that earned respect and thanks from her cousin, much to the tall girl's embarrassment. Haruka then went on to flirt with an oblivious Usagi, while Naruto chatted with Naru and Makoto, more so with the latter than the former.

All in all, it had been a pleasant afternoon for the group. That is until a group of reporters came into Crown Game Centre, and despite Motoki's efforts to get them to leave or he'd call the authorities, Naruto was confronted by a few reporters who wanted to ask him a few questions, despite his repeated efforts to tell them no comment.

"Uzumaki-san! Can you tell us what happened?"

"People said you were walking down the street without a shirt? Is it because of an injury?"

"Did you see who caused the D Incident?"

"Why weren't you on scene at the time?"

Despite everyone's efforts to get them to leave, one of the reporters accidentally bumped into Michiru with enough force to knock her and her chair over. Naruto only saw red afterward, taking each of the reporters' cameras, pens, and writing pads and rendering them unusable with his bare hands. Nothing more than dust remained

And then proceeded to toss every one of them out of the building and onto the sidewalk. Naruto ignored their threats to sue as they landed on top of the other. And when the last one was kicked out, Naruto finally had enough.

"NOW FUCK OFF!" Naruto roared and the reporters' sense of self-preservation won out as they promptly fled the scene, along with nearby pedestrians. Neither Haruka nor Michiru were pleased either, their fun little outing momentarily soured by the vultures known as reporters.

"Sorry, 'bout that guys," Naruto apologized to the younger group of students, "You okay, Michiru?"

"I'm fine. A bruise might form but I'm fine. Thank you, Naruto," Michiru told him.

"This is getting outta hand," Haruka scowled, her posture reflected her agitation as she kept an eye out for any reporter stupid enough to try and come back.

"What the hell was that about?" Makoto asked. Concerned and curious at the same time.

"The D Incident," Rei informed her.

Which only confused the new transfer student, "Yeah, I only just moved here so I've been busy. What's the D Incident exactly?"

A quick summary of the incident was given to Makoto and in the end she was floored, "Damn. And no one's been able to figure out why this happened?"

"The only ones who might are the Senshi. And good luck trying to find them for an interview," whence why the reporters were going after him as the only possible eye witness.

"That's the odd part, isn't it? The Senshi as I understand weren't affected, but everyone else except Naruto-san was. Naruto-san … Are you a Senshi?"

Naruto's eyes threatened to pop out of his skull at Naru's comment. Michiru and Rei bit their lips to stop themselves from laughing. Haruka was openly laughing at the thought along with Usagi. Makoto and Ami were trying to keep a straight face but even then the corners of their mouths threatened to turn into smiles.

"Yeah~" Naruto drawled, "I seriously doubt I'd be able to pull off a sailor outfit," Naruto shuddered. There was a disturbing thought.

"I don't know. You did pull off wearing a dress, Naruto-kun," Usagi and Haruka laughed even harder at Michiru's comment. Rei, Naru, Ami, and Makoto were wide-eyed before a quick explanation had them joining soon after. Even a hidden Luna couldn't stop herself from laughing at his expense.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," Naruto pouted. That was the last time he'd ever wear a dress, prank or no prank.

"Aw, don't pout. You looked lovely," Michiru consoled him, "You were the prettiest girl there. I should know, I helped pick out the dress."

"Aha! I knew you knew!" Haruka declared, "I knew he had help! Especially, with that makeup. Oh, you are so gonna get it, Michiru!"

Attracted to her or not, Haruka would indeed try and get back to Michiru in some way, shape, or form. Damn it! Well, as the saying went: in for a penny, in for a pound.

"Actually, I only helped him with the dress and accessories," the comment had Haruka blinking and looking at the only male of the group.

"…" Naruto said nothing. Hell, he couldn't even make eye contact with her.

"…No! Really?"

"Shaddup!" was all he said.

"See! If he can fool people into thinking he's a woman, how's it impossible for him to be a Senshi?" Naru told them.

"Hey! A dress is one thing. Pretty sure people would know it's me in a sailor suit; big difference between those outfits!"

"Oh, they'd notice something big in that sailor suit," Michiru giggled.

Naruto shrugged, a proud look on his face, "You would kno-"

"Don't need to hear this!" Usagi was a bit green while the rest of the girls, Rei included, but excluding Haruka who was laughing up a storm, were redder than a tomato, or not that far off.

And with that, Naru's theory of Naruto being a Senshi was utterly debunked.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Ah, damn," Haruka muttered, her watch going off, "Sorry, gotta go back to my place. Work stuff just came up. Nice meeting you!"

Naruto and Michiru watched as their closest friend left the building in a hurry and both were concerned, "She's searching for them isn't she?"

"Yeah," Naruto didn't bother to lie. Michiru didn't ask the first few times Haruka left unexpectedly, thinking it was work or sponsor-related. But the teal-haired teen was the brains of the group for a reason and given Haruka wasn't exactly subtle, Michiru eventually deduced what was happening.

Both Naruto and Haruka had agreed to search for the ones responsible, but given he knew exactly who was responsible, Naruto didn't want Haruka involved. The blond girl was by no means defenseless, but while she knew how to defend herself, Naruto having taught her more than a thing or two, her martial arts skill wasn't on the same level as him. It would do her little good against the Dark Kingdom's Youma.

The problem was stopping Haruka and her risk-taking. So far nothing happened, but Naruto needed to nip this in the bud and soon.

"Make sure nothing happens," Michiru asked of him; Naruto didn't have to be told twice.

"What was that?" Ami asked.

"Nothing," the blond waved off, looking at the time, "Hey, Usagi do you mind taking Michiru back to my place? She's gonna be spending the next few days there until she recovers. Got a few things I need to do myself."

"Uh, I guess?" Usagi nodded, not seeing a big deal in it.

"Thanks. See ya tonight," Naruto told the group before he left as well.

Not ten minutes had gone by since he left the arcade before Naruto had the sneaking suspicion he was being followed. Thinking it was another reporter, Naruto ducked into a nearby alley to see if he could shake them, or at least scare them off. The blond hid himself before a figure made itself known, one he wasn't expecting.

"Makoto?" Why was she following him?

"Shit!" Naruto saw Makoto get into a defensive stance, one that was much better than Haruka's. It was clear the girl had some training. The tall Juban Middle School student eased her stance once she realized it was him, "Don't scare me like that."

"Hey, you were following me," Naruto defended his actions, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Well, it's obvious that you and Haruka are looking for the ones who did this to Michiru. I've been there," Makoto told him.

She had? Naruto put that bit away for later, "Trust me not by choice. I'm just trying to make sure Haruka doesn't get hurt."

"So, you do know who did it," Makoto stated, "Why keep it a secret?"

"Hey, I'm strong. I can take care of myself. Haruka's a different story. She can handle herself but these guys are beyond her," Haruka had speed on her side but so did the Youma. What good was speed when your opponent was much faster and could use the unexpected variable known as magic? She'd be lucky to last ten seconds, let alone a minute.

"Again, why keep it a secret?" Makoto asked once more.

"It wouldn't do any good. You don't know Haruka as well as I do. Even if she believed me she'd still go after 'em. The least I can do is keep an eye on her."

"Believe you?" Naruto cursed at his slip of the tongue, "What happened exactly?"

"Trust me. The less you know, the better," was all he said.

"Then I'm coming with you," Makoto's response caught him off guard, "It's either that or I tell Usagi what you're up to."

"Oh, I like her."

"Haa," Naruto was already hating this, "Fine. But you listen to me and you listen good. I was serious when I said these guys were bad news. If anything goes south, you get the hell outta there and you get help. Got it, little lady?" Makoto blushed at the nickname but nodded.

"Can't believe I'm doing this," how did this happen?

"Well, you could have stayed hidden instead of making yourself known, for one," Khonshu chimed in.

"It was a dead-end alley, genius," not exactly a prime spot to lose someone.

"You could have made your way to the roof. Limited as you are during the day, it would have been doable."

"That would have only led to more questions!"

"You give people too much credit. More likely she'll have assumed she made a mistake when she couldn't find you and then believed she lost you in the crowd. By then she'd have likely decided to go home. Now we have a tag along."

"…Shit," Naruto couldn't deny that logic, "Don't suppose you know how to wipe her memories or put her in a trance?"

"Not unless you're willing to use your fists. I'm the God of the Moon, not the God of Dreams. Even I'm limited in what I can do."

Thanks a lot, Khonshu. Real helpful.

"I heard that!"

---

(Sometime Later)

The night was chilly, but then it was early December even if the weather didn't accurately reflect it at the moment. And it was well into the evening, the stars having since started to come out. Naruto and Makoto were standing by and waiting for Haruka to come out of her apartment complex. Makoto, having left the arcade with just her school wear didn't have the proper attire for the cool night. The girl was tough, but she was cold and she shivered nonetheless.

"You were the one that followed me," Naruto spoke up, his eyes not leaving the entrance to the complex, "You sure you don't wanna turn in?"

"Not -hah- a chance," the young girl shivered once more before Naruto gave her his hoodie, leaving his upper body with only a burn orange tank top.

"Thanks," Makoto blushed and relished in the warmth the hoodie provided her, "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm used to it," a lie and the truth. He had worked out more than once in the cold air with just a tank top, but even then he still felt the chill. Now that chill ceased to bother him.

"You are the Guardian of the Night. The night's ill effects no matter which season won't bother you," the Ennead revealed.

It was a sweet perk to have, Naruto admitted.

"There she is," Naruto suddenly spotted her, "Real subtle, Haruka."

"How do you know it's her?" Makoto asked him.

"That coat she's wearing was a gift Michiru gave her, and those pants she's wearing are part of her regular workout routine," Naruto explained as they followed after the poorly disguised teen. Well, poorly disguised in Naruto's opinion.

"We lucked out. She's not going to the garage," that was the downside of having Makoto with him, he'd be unable to fly after Haruka and who knows where and how far and fast she'd go if she drove that damn sports car of hers. Naruto waited for a few seconds before he and Makoto began to follow their target.

"So, you've done this before?"

"Huh?" was Makoto's reply.

"A while back," Naruto reminded, "you mentioned you've been there before."

"Oh, right," Makoto did recall saying such a thing, "I meant I know what it's like going after someone who wronged you. And that you're so focused on it that you don't really consider the consequences."

"Let me guess, someone who deserved it?" Naruto pried a bit.

"And then some," Makoto was heated up just thinking about it, and to the point she didn't need Naruto's hoodie, "But the consequences happened regardless of how much they deserved what was coming to them."

"I get it. Haruka and I agreed to get back at those assholes who hospitalized Michiru. We vowed we'd look for them and make 'em pay. I can only remember bits and pieces of the night in question, and then some. At best they'd think I suffered brain damage, at worst they'd think I was delusional if I told 'em what I saw. Hell, even I didn't believe it till I did some digging of my own. Turns out these guys are really bad news."

"Why not tell Haruka-san? Or the police?"

"Hah! The police wouldn't do anything, not with this kind of intel. At worst, they'd probably arrest me for wasting valuable time. As for Haruka. Good luck! Haruka's like me. Stubborn as hell and loyal to those she's close to, to a fault. If someone's wronged a friend of hers she'll get even. Even if she did believe me I doubt it would change the fact she'd still go after them. It might just make things worse really. She'd think something was wrong with me and get distracted. It usually takes her experiencing something big and shocking before she even considers stopping. That's why I'm keeping an eye on her."

"Does Michiru-san know?"

"You don't know Michiru like I do. That girl is way too smart for her own good at times. She can spot a lie a mile away, most of the time. She may not call me and Haruka out on it at times but I know she knows when we are, and she understands why we do it. It's for her sake and ours."

"You care about her, don't you," Makoto spoke, "Both of you."

"She's my best friend. Both of them. I'd do anything for them. We'd go to hell and back for one another," Makoto felt her heart fluttering at those words. She had once believed her former senpai would have done the same. Reality had struck her like a ton of bricks.

Both Naruto and Makoto continued tailing after Haruka from a respectable distance, this time in silence. It was nearly a good twenty minutes later before they spotted Haruka stopping and knocking on the side door of a bridal shop before it opened and allowed her entry.

"Well, at least it's not your cliche bad neighborhood building," Makoto commented, "But why is she coming here of all places?"

"Not to get a bridal gown," Haruka seldom wore dresses, "But you're right. Why a bridal shop?"

"Hey, wait a minute! This might be the cursed bridal shop I heard Motoki-san talk about!"

"Cursed bridal shop?" Naruto inquired. How could a bridal shop be cursed?

"Yeah. Something about a ghost bride or something. What was it? Oh! Apparently, a woman was engaged to be married but it went sideways. She had already ordered the dress, came here one day after hours, and committed suicide in the store while she wore it. People claim you can see her ghost every now and then, but she comes after anyone who meets her eyes."

"Sounds like a publicity stunt to me," not a very smart one if it was the case, "But that still doesn't explain why Haruka would come here of all places."

"Maybe it's because she saw you guys stalking her?" Came a voice from behind them.

"GAHH!" both Naruto and Makoto at the suddenness of it all, "Don't do that!"

"Don't be lousy sneaks," Haruka said back, "FYI, Naruto, if you're gonna follow me, hide your whiskers and hair. You stand out like a sore thumb."

Naruto gave Makoto the stink eye, the girl was looking the other way when she realized the hoodie he lent her likely would have served that exact purpose.

"Also, don't use orange. That pretty much screams you," now the roles were reversed as Makoto realized that even if she didn't wear his hoodie he'd have been found out.

"Hey, it's not like I'm a ninja," this was new to him.

"Hmph!"

"You say something?" Naruto asked but got no response from the Egyptian god.

"Pretty sure you'd be a lousy one if you were. More importantly, why is she here?" Haruka nodded at Makoto.

"Blackmail," Naruto summed it up.

"Under normal circumstances, you'd be a girl after my own heart," Haruka told Makoto, "But this is dangerous, and not your concern either."

"Hey, I've been in your shoes," Makoto retorted.

"Good for you. Still not your concern," Haruka shot back, "Besides, tonight was a bust anyway. I was supposed to meet someone here but when I paged them they never replied back."

"You were to meet at the ghost bride shop?" What kind of individual chose this as their location?

"Yeah, pretty sure that's just a rumor to keep people away from this place at night. Turns out some of the security guards in this building use the bridal shop for some side deals the owner isn't aware of. Nothing fancy: underage drinking, gambling, sometimes they have info on new gangs or criminal activity, special services, that kind of shit."

"In other words, the ghost bride was probably someone who got drunk, put on a bride's dress, and likely attacked someone in the process which started this whole rumor," Naruto concluded.

"That would be my guess," Haruka agreed.

"Um, guys. While that's very logically sound, I'm pretty sure they would disagree," both Naruto and Haruka looked at a pale Makoto who was staring at a pale, bride-wearing mannequin, and five red-eyed thugs who were accompanying her.

"Give me…" the bride spoke menacingly, "Give me…your energy!"

"Oh, shit! Duck and cover!" Naruto warned, just as the bride shot out a wave of dark fog that threatened to grab them.

Haruka didn't think twice and dove behind a nearby dumpster, but Makoto's mind couldn't comprehend what she was seeing and reacted too late as the Youma's spell caught her in its grasp.

"Makoto!"

"Kya!"

"More. More! Give me more energy for our Dark Ruler!" chanted the mannequin; Makoto firmly in her grasp, the reddish-brown-haired girl enveloped in a dark green aura.

Haruka and Naruto tried to rush her, but their attempts were impeded by the thugs blocking their way, weapons in hand, and the storm of dark petals coming from the mannequin darkening their vision.

"Ughh," through the gusting petals Naruto heard Makoto groan. The girl feeling quite fatigued and getting weaker by the second no doubt.

"Summon the su-"

"In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"

The mannequin was annoyed both by the interruption and arrival of Sailor Moon, along with Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars.

"Damn Sailor Senshi!"

The angry Youma directed her frustrations at the group of celestial maidens, showering them with her dark petals and blocking their view. But Mars was quick to dispose of them with her talismans, incinerating the magical flower segments into ash. The temporary wall of flames revealed another problem, however.

"Where'd she go!?" Mercury asked, scanning the area to find Makoto and the Youma.

"I'd be more concerned about your safety than the girl's!"

"That voice! Nephrite!"

"The one and only," appearing from a dark portal, Nephrite gave the Sailor Senshi a mocking bow, before his arm suddenly rose in front of him, "Starlight Attack: First Constellation!"

From the Shitenno's palm came a ball of brilliant white that homed in on Sailor Moon, its flight a mix of quick looping, zigzagging, and somersaults to form an unpredictable pattern that made it impossible to stop before it struck the unfortunate Senshi.

"Kya!"

"Mercury Aqua Mist!" from Mercury came a dense mist that greatly reduced visibility.

"Go! I've got him! We need to find Makoto!" Sailor Mercury told Sailor Moon and Mars.

"Dark Gale!" But the two acted too late as a fierce cutting wind blew away the mist as though it were no more than a wisp of smoke from an unlit candle. Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon were thrown back by the attack and Mercury was forced to protect her eyes from the harsh winds.

"Too easy."

Mercury dodged to the left but even then Nephrite's sword still found its mark. The bite on her arm from the sharp steel was easily the most unpleasant pain Ami had ever experienced in all her all.

The sudden kick to the head wasn't pleasant either, and Mercury found herself airborne but was fortunate to be caught by Sailor Moon. However, the force behind it still had them tumbling and smacking into a post. Mars made to attack the man but was stopped in her tracks.

"Mars! It's a distraction! The longer we focus on him, the more energy the Ghost Bride will take from Makoto!" Mercury declared, "She's approximately twenty meters east of here!"

"Damn it! She's right! Sailor Moon, you need to stop her! Mercury and I will keep him distracted."

"But I can't just leave you-"

"Go!" Mars ordered, "We've got this."

"Oh, really?" the simple snap of Nephrite's fingers summoned many more individuals, their eyes alight with malice, their hands armed with wicked weapons, as they made their way towards the Senshi.

"Shit! Fire So-"

"Stop! They're human!" Mercury's goggles revealed, "They've just been enthralled!"

"God damn it! Akuryo (Purifying Evil)!" Many talismans materialized in front of Mars, each finding its target in order to disperse the evil powers that empowered them. Unlike Akuryo Taisen, this was a weaker variant that would not immolate the individuals in question.

"Uh, Mars. It's not working!" Sailor Moon announced, jumping back as one of the thralls tried to crush her with a maul, the pavement cracking from the force.

"Did you believe we would make the same mistake as before? We've made a few modifications since we last met," Nephrite gloated, sword held high and coursing with electrical energy before it was unleashed on the hesitating Senshi.

"What the fuck! H-how the fuck is this possible!?" Haruka asked herself, the high school student's momentary distraction caused one of the thralls as she heard them being called to get the slip on her from behind. His strength proved superior to her own and Haruka watched as another came at her with a hammer.

Fortunately, she wasn't alone, and a harsh kick found her would-be assaulter thrown against the alley wall. It gave her just enough time to bring her head back into the nose of the thrall, loosening his grip just long enough for her to slip from its grasp, and deliver a two-hit combo that knocked it to the ground. But Haruka watched as the thrall didn't stay there for long and made to lunge at her were it not for another one to land on top of it.

"Follow me," Naruto was suddenly beside her, behind him were other downed thralls rising from their spots as though they were zombies. And they might as well be given that no matter what they did they just kept coming back up.

Haruka and Naruto moved a large mobile dumpster to block the thralls' path. It wouldn't hold, their numbers too great, and already could she see some trying to climb over it, "This can't be happening.

"Yeah, this is happening. No real way to sugar-coat this, but yeah. Magic exists, so do monsters, the Senshi fight them, and I'm pretty sure these guys were being used to lure people with vices to drain them of their energy. Would have told ya sooner but I doubt it would have done any good," Naruto explained, lashing out at one of the thralls that managed to climb on top of the dumpster in the chest into the one behind it.

"Ya think!"

Naruto didn't know if these guys were Youma or human or some weird combination of the two, but he cared little about it when said individual was trying to cut or bash them in. Nephrite would likely have answers, but he couldn't get them so long as he was stuck here.

Beside him, Naruto heard Haruka grunt as one of the thralls bodychecked the metal receptacle, "I just wanted answers! I didn't know it would mean this! This is fucking insane!"

"These are thralls. Beings that have been drained of every ounce of energy. They're a step below Youma. Not enough for them to be turned into one, but enough that they can be used as cannon fodder."

"Can they be saved?" Naruto asked.

"They're basically walking dead. Partially drained individuals can be saved. These, however, are no more than empty husks made to serve, live, and die for the Dark Kingdom. To try and restore them would be the equivalent of taking one off life support."

In other words, Naruto would have to put them out of their misery. And the odd part, the blond wasn't all that bothered about it. Whether it was due to aspects of his past life leaking through or because these guys were essentially dead in the first place remained unanswered.

"Shit!" He heard Haruka grunt, the thralls were somewhat smarter than the common trop undead as the four of them charged the dumpster and began pushing it back agaisn't the two high school teens, "This is batshit crazy!"

"Yeah, well, it's about to get crazier. Suit up!"

Before Haruka could even contemplate why her friend made such an announcement, she watched in fascination as Naruto's body started to become enveloped by rows upon rows of bandages until he looked akin to a mummy. That is if mummies had white glowing eyes, a crescent metal moon strapped to their chest, and a hood and cape.

Haruka watched as Naruto kicked the dumpster, sending it and the thralls barrelling out of the alley and onto the street where it was stopped by one of the buildings on the other side. A thrall was crushed between the building and the dumpster, its one visible arm hanging loosely to the side.

The blonde couldn't think of anything to say before her head throbbed and her vision blurred. Uranus blinked until she saw hordes upon hordes of monsters gnashing, snarling, and cackling before they were swept away and crushed by a giant wave of water, something that looked like a distortion in time and space that sucked in countless of the monsters before it imploded, and a large white ball that sliced through countless of them before finally exploding and widening into a giant swirling mass of destruction.

"On…r… t."

"What?" Haruka heard a voice but couldn't make out what was said, "Where am I?"

"On…yo…et ..ra" the voice echoed once more, Haruka's vision cleared slightly and she spotted Naruto standing in front of her in his mummy suit.

"What are you trying to say?" Haruka shouted, and from her came a bright ball that ripped through the ground like a shark before leaving a wave of destruction in its wake before violently exploding the moment it struck a group of monsters.

"On your feet Uranus!" Haruka finally heard and the world went white.

---

(Seconds Before)

Luna watched from the sidelines as Ami and Usagi struggled against the possessed humans. As far as she could recall, even in their past life neither Senshi were particularly skilled a close combat. Rei was having a better time but her strikes proved ineffective and her talismans to expel evil proved useless against them. None of the Senshi were striking to kill, for in their minds these individuals weren't Youma or the Shitenno, but individuals that were to be saved.

Admirable, but Luna suspected it might be too late for these humans. And if things continued on like this, Makoto would end just like them, or worse!

And suspecting who the girl was, Luna couldn't have that.

The situation was only made worse as Nephrite would periodically launch an attack at one of them. Somehow the Shitenno had gotten stronger than before, and that thought greatly worried Luna. For there was only one way the denizens of the Dark Kingdom could grow stronger: Metalia.

Before she could call out to them, Luna, the Senshi, and Nephrite looked on as a dumpster came crashing out of an alley and bulldozed through several of the possessed beings in a manner akin to a runaway bull. The Senshi looked on, horrified as one of the humans was crushed to death between the metal bin and the stone structure.

All looked on as two more were struck by deadly crescent moons, one buried halfway into a thrall's head. The metal object shone in the moonlight and eradicated the malevolent influence that kept what was essentially a corpse alive.

The other was struck in the arm, the limb pretty much severed and rendered unusable, the weapon it held dropping to the ground with a clanging sound as metal met pavement.

Out of the alley, soaring through the air like an owl in flight was the Moon Knight, stunned by his sudden appearance. Sailor Mars was rendered speechless and rendered even more surprised when the Moon Knight materialized two Ofuda that attached themselves to the crescent metal moons.

She and the rest watched as the deadly objects were thrown at the humans, but a protective barrier enveloped the unholy designs of the Dark Kingdom. One of the thralls caught one crescent moon, the other was buried deep in another's shoulder.

"Is that it? Is this all the great and terrible Moon Kn-"

Forming a hand sign with his right hand, Naruto cut off one of the commanders of Queen Beryl with one word, "Katsu!"

And the thralls found themselves blown to kingdom come as the tags released a deadly concussive force of holy fire and metal. The beings vaporized by the deadly blast that engulfed them, along with those nearby. The lucky ones were sent flying in varying directions, and the even luckier ones survived.

Nephrite scowled, more than half of the thralls were disposed of by the Knight's latest stunt, and four more were beyond salvage. Fortunately, they were too far gone for the energy stolen from them to return anyway.

Kunzite's newfound power had enabled him to recreate these beings. Not all humans could be turned into Youma, only those whose bodies had the necessary requirements could be turned into them. These thralls were weaker than Youma but stronger than the average human, and the psychological aspect involved with killing a human being worked well on the Senshi.

"If only it worked on the Knight, too," the Shitenno muttered.

"Go! I'll handle him," Naruto ordered the Senshi.

"Hey! Who said you could order u-"

"Do as he says, Mars!" Shouted Luna. Now wasn't the time to let personal feelings get involved.

"Are you serious?! He's killing people left and right!" Mars pointed out.

"She's right! We have to stop him!" Sailor Moon agreed.

"Oh, for the love of - Unless you want the girl to die, move your asses!"

Luna agreed, "He's right! We have to move!"

"But-"

"NOW!" Naruto bellowed. His wraps extended from his form, wrapping around four nearby thralls as though they were snakes, immobilizing and rendering them vulnerable. Naruto's superior strength had the thralls sailing towards him with a simple tug, simple for him at least, and a quick dash forward coupled with a devastating lariat from both of his arms took them out of the fight. Two of thralls' necks were twisted at an awkward angle from the blow, while the other two had caved-in faces from his fists.

"Now's our chance! Move!"

Neither of the three Senshi argued with Luna this time, using the opening the Moon Knight created for them to try and reach Makoto in time. Nephrite made to stop them but was stopped by Naruto before he could. The Shitenno managed to block one of the crescent metal moons with his sword, but the second that was hidden behind the first sliced his cheek despite his efforts to dodge.

Were he Zoisite he'd have been ballistic, enraged, or vengeful. The ponytailed man greatly valued his face and made great efforts to keep it blemish-free. But unlike the effeminate Shitenno, Nephrite was just pissed. Clutching the gift given to him by the Dark Ruler, Nephrite called upon its power and found himself swimming in Metalia's dark and potent energy.

The Shitenno rose his sword to the sky, the night darkening with ominous clouds and calling upon black lightning to strike the ground where the Moon Knight stood.

But the annoying white-clothed warrior was swift and dodged the first, second, third, and fourth strike that came down upon him. The fifth struck home, but a quick block by the Knight only had him take a knee. Had it been one of the Senshi trying such a stunt they'd likely be on the verge of death.

Nephrite sent a ball of light towards his kneeling foe, its speed greater than the one he previously used on Sailor Moon, but the Moon Knight was annoyingly roach-like in his perseverance. Two sticks appeared in his hand, combining into a larger weapon that spun at high speed. Nephrite's spell made contact and the ensuing explosion rattled the buildings and destroyed countless windows and doors.

But grand as the spell was the Knight's newest trick protected him all the same, and he remained unharmed. No burns, not even a singe on his annoyingly bright armor.

Nephrite decided to summon more lightning to finish him off, but found his head swimming, "Damn! Not now," Nephrite cursed his luck and the timing of it all.

He cursed even more he found two hook-like weapons digging painfully into his right arm, and the other in his left flank. Nephrite dug in his feet to stop the Knight from reeling him in for what was sure to be a painful strike.

But as each moment passed, Nephrite found himself getting weaker and his resistance waning. Great as the Dark Ruler's gift was and powerful as the effects were, Nephrite was still unused to using it. His spells were more powerful than ever before, but their effects were currently short-lived and the more powerful spells he used, the quicker the effects wore off. It would take some time for the prism to recharge enough for him to use it again.

"Unless," focusing as best he could given his circumstances, Nephrite called upon the dark energy from the remaining thralls, draining some of the dark essence that give them life to fuel himself and his Dark Ruler's gift.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to give him the energy needed to stop the knight's efforts by powering himself just enough. While this was happening, he ordered his remaining thralls to attack the Moon Knight and mentally recalled the Ghost Bride to come to his aid.

Even when trying to bring him in the Knight was quick to kick, head butt and even elbow strike the thralls trying to subdue him on their master's orders. It did little to stop him, but the distraction was enough for aid to reach him.

"Nephrite-sama!" a quick glance to the left allowed him to see the Ghost Bride, singed and battered and a lot worse for wear, "Forgive me! I lost the girl! Sailor Jupiter intervened!"

"Jupiter?! Fuck!" It was ill news to learn that another of the Inner Senshi had awakened! Queen Beryl would be less than pleased on multiple counts.

"Doesn't matter! Give me the energy you collected!" the best thing about the Youma was that they were utterly loyal to those who created them. The only exception to this rule was that they were more loyal to Queen Beryl and Queen Metalia.

The Youma didn't question nor hesitate to infuse her master with the energy she stole from Makoto. The pain subsided, his energy returned, and the Dark Gift re-energized. Nephrite surmised that the girl had a decent amount of energy for this to occur.

But he put that thought away for now. Power coursed through him once again. But it would matter little with the Knight's weapons preventing him from casting spells. And the Senshi were likely making their way towards him.

Mentally ordering his creation to attack, Nephrite watched as a dark green aura took the shape of a large, clawed hand and wrapped itself around the distracted Knight.

With his foe subdued, but likely not for long based on what he saw, Nephrite used this opportunity to dislodge the painful weapons from his form just as the Knight broke free from Ghost Bride's hold. A funnel of powerful wind escaped the Knight's hands, mowing down the thralls and the Youma into a centralized location.

Nephrite went to call upon the power of lightning once more but was forced to empower his sword and block a lightning strike that otherwise could have sent him into a world of hurt. A lightning strike courtesy of the newly awakened Jupiter.

With what few memories he could remember of the Senshi, Nephrite recalled that Jupiter easily had the most destructive and deadliest of attacks of the group. Sailor Moon and Venus' holy/light-based powers were the antithesis of the Dark Kingdom, granting them an advantage over most of their forces and usually resulting in one-hit kills if their attacks landed, but they could be dodged or blocked. Jupiter's lightning spells were the hardest to defend against unless one knew how. Even then it was tricky unless one was a user of lightning magic themselves.

Seeing he was outmatched and outnumbered, Nephrite decided upon a tactical retreat in order to salvage what few resources remained and hoped it would be enough for him to appease Queen Beryl. A good amount of energy had been collected these last few days, even if it wasn't his preferred method and a few servants were made in the process. Not all of which were here. It would have to do for now.

"World Shaking!"

The earth shook, and standing was difficult for everyone as their stability and balance became unstable by the seismic event that brought three of the four Senshi to the ground along with several of the thralls. The Knight and the Youma, who had the powers to levitate, remained unaffected by the unknown event.

Then death came upon his creation and the thralls in the form of a miniature sun rising out from the ground, impacting the Ghost Bride before she could even move out of the way. The explosion that followed proved greater than his own spell, the heat hotter than Mars' fire spells and wind turbulence sent Nephrite flying, the impact of his landing would have been painful had he not reinforced himself. Instead, it was nothing more than a dull but annoying ache.

And as the dust settled and began to clear, a form took shape, and a young but tall woman wearing a navy blue choker and collar, wrist-fitting gloves, skirt, bows, boots, and a golden hoop on each ear. The front bow of her uniform was yellow, which matched the tiara adorning her head.

"Luna, who's that?" Sailor Moon asked the question everyone had.

But the woman answered instead, "Name's Uranus. Just sit back and watch how a real Senshi goes to work," a sword materializing in her hand as she closed in on Nephrite.

"Excuse me!" An indignant Mars shouted.

"Stand down, Mars," Luna ordered. It was for her own safety. Luna didn't know if she was newly awakened or not, but neither Mars - Oh, who was she trying to fool? - none of the Inner Senshi, would last a second against one of the Outer Senshi.

It seemed the Shitenno was of the same mindset for Nephrite decided to cut his losses and make a quick retreat just as Uranus' sword stabbed deeply into the pavement.

"Hmph. Coward," a smart move on his part but a coward nonetheless in Uranus' opinion, "Well, doubt we'll be seeing him anytime soon. Later, Girl Scouts!"

"Why you!" Mars growled but could only watch as the Outer Senshi backflipped to ridiculous heights, landing on top of one of the smaller buildings before she was out of sight. The Moon Knight hot on her tail.

"Umm, what was that about?" Makoto, the newly awakened member of the group asked.

"Yeah! Isn't she supposed to be on our side?" Sailor Moon asked out loud.

"Yes, and no. Sailor Uranus is one of the Outer Senshi," she revealed.

"Outer Senshi?" Ami asked, "What do you mean?"

"The Senshi of the Moon Kingdom are divided into two groups. The Inner and Outer. The Inner Senshi were charged to be the guardians of the Moon Princess. The Outers' duties, similar to the Moon Knight, were charged with protecting the Moon Kingdom from outside threats. Their history with the Inner Senshi was …cold if one wants to be kind."

"Cold? What did we do?" Sailor Moon asked.

"It's what you didn't do."

"Didn't do?" Makoto blinked.

"Your duty. The Moon Princess died on your watch," Luna revealed. While they were short one member, Luna intended to give Sailor Moon the Moon Stick when the fourth Senshi revealed herself, symbolizing Usagi as the leader of the Senshi.

But she wasn't ready. None of them were. And while she couldn't speak about Jupiter since she had only just awakened, tonight's events made it absolutely clear to Luna that none of the Senshi had the proper mindset or the skills that were required of them.

Mars was skilled with her magic but a hothead who let her anger get the best of her. Sailor Moon was kind, but a crybaby and not exactly mature most of the time. Hardly the makings of a leader. Mercury was the most level-headed of the group but her combat skills were abysmal - Sailor Moon wasn't far behind either in that department either - and constantly had her head buried in books. The latter wasn't a bad thing but Mercury could take the time to learn or improve other skills she otherwise wasn't good at.

If they were going to win against the Dark Kingdom, all of them needed to improve on many fronts. Until then, the Moon Stick would remain with her. The artifact of the Moon Kingdom wasn't an item to be given out lightly. Luna would ensure it was given only when they proved themselves.

Hopefully soon. For if tonight was any indicator, the minions of the Dark Kingdom were growing stronger. Which meant the Dark Kingdom was growing stronger.

Time wasn't on their side.

---

Uranus leaped, sprinted, and somersaulted from roof to roof at speeds that none could match. Except for one, and even Naruto found himself giving it all he had just to catch up to her.

"Fast," he muttered. Haruka had always been quick since the day he met her, and given how quickly she improved since their first race was a clear indicator that she would one day outrace him. And it was clear as day to him that Uranus was Haruka. He didn't know how he knew. He just did.

Maybe it was the look Uranus had on her face, the same look Haruka had on her face when the wind blew across it and flowed through her hair, a look of elation whenever it occurred. Maybe it was that haughty attitude towards the other Senshi, an attitude Haruka reserved only for those she disliked. Maybe it was because she was his friend and he just knew. Or maybe it was because of the way she ran and traveled from rooftop to rooftop as though she were trying to beat someone in a race.

Not today, though.

Naruto closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. Focusing on the stars, the moon, and the light they gave off. He breathed in once, deeply, and then exhaled, slowly and lightly, and repeated this process three more times. When Naruto opened his eyes once more, oh, how they glowed.

The gap between the Knight and the Senshi was reduced considerably and in a matter of seconds, Naruto caught up to her and his sudden appearance startled her. As though he had just awoken her from a trance.

Sailor Uranus stabbed at him with her sword, something he didn't expect, but Naruto parried the weapon with one of his own before countering a swift strike to the head with the head. The blow stung like mad it seemed for Naruto watched as Uranus instinctively brought her hand to her head to ease the throbbing.

"W-wha-what's going on?" Naruto heard Uranus mutter, "Oh, god, my head!"

"Haruka?" Naruto was concerned, believing he used too much in that blow despite holding back.

Haruka, or Uranus at the moment, looked up at him with a strange look before they widened, "Naruto?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, his hood and the mask fading away to reveal his whiskered face. What else was there to say?

"How's this possible? Oh, my head. Ow!" Haruka winced and moaned before she recalled what happened, "You hit me!"

"You tried to stab me!"

"I…I did, didn't I? Why?" Haruka couldn't think of any reason why she'd do such a thing.

"Likely she was in a battle haze. Uranus was the most battle-ready and prone of the Outer Senshi. She was the best fighter."

"That voice… Lord Khonshu?"

"You can hear him?" Naruto wondered how was that possible before he realized something else, "Wait, you know him? How?"

Haruka looked ready to answer but then blinked, "I don't know. I think it's my memories from before. Oh, man, this is fucking weird."

"It would appear awakening her powers also awoke some of her memories in the process. Selene's spell may have affected the Outer Senshi differently. But then, unlike the princess' bodyguards, the Outer Senshi never let the peace of Silver Millennium render themselves dull. You wouldn't let them."

"I didn't?"

"You were charged with training them as the Outer Senshi were charged as the first line of defense to invaders whenever you were out patrolling. At times you would take them with you. I can honestly say it's a relief you found one so soon. She'll make a great ally."

"I thought you didn't care for the Senshi?" Naruto recalled.

"The Inner Senshi. The Outer Senshi are different. While the Inner were busy hosting tea parties and other nonsense, the Outer were keeping themselves sharp and ready to risk their lives and ensure their borders were safe. Diplomatic duties are important and all but that doesn't excuse neglected training! Physically, Uranus was the strongest and fastest of the Outer Senshi and her power over the winds was greater than yourself."

"Uh, hello? I'm standing right here!" Uranus wasn't exactly thrilled that she was being talked about as though she weren't present.

"Sorry," Naruto apologized, "How you holding up?"

"Honestly, it's weird. Part of me feels like I've just woking up for the first time and the other feels like this is just a dream. It's pretty confusing. Am I Tenou Haruka or am I Sailor Uranus?"

"Can't it be both?" Naruto asked her, "I mean, why choose one or the other? Your old life, our old life, ended 10,000 years ago. We've made new memories since then."

"I can't just dismiss them!" Haruka told him.

"Didn't say you should. Just saying you shouldn't let your old life affect your present one. Haruka or Uranus, you're my friend regardless. I wouldn't change that for anything. Would you?"

"Hell no!" Haruka declared but sighed, "But this is gonna take some getting used to. How'd you do it?"

"Hey, I only just got my powers the night of the D Incident. I'm still working things out myself. Don't mean you can't lean on me regardless. Besides, I could use a sparing partner. Even if it means seeing you ending up face down in the dirt."

Haruka smirked at that, "Pretty sure of yourself, huh?"

"Well, I'll admit you're the fastest of the Senshi I've trained," Naruto blinked as a memory flashed before him, but grinned as he saw its end results, "but you've yet to beat me in a race in this life and the last."

Sensing where this was going, Haruka's mouth smirked even wider, "That a challenge?"

Naruto merely grinned back, his mask reforming over his head, the wind picking up beneath them, "Mugging attempt about a mile east from here. You game?"

Having sensed the same thing due to her powers over the winds, Haruka didn't have to be asked twice, the winds intensified, "You're on!" Haruka whooped as both she and Naruto soared into the night sky.

Muggers beware.

---

Kino Makoto was, in two words, dead tired. Her body was sore in places she didn't even know existed, and given she worked out fairly regularly she believed she knew all of them.

Apparently not.

Luna had warned her - oh, god she'd been warned by a cat of all things - that it was to be expected. The other Senshi had developed the same symptoms after the first time they used their powers. Sailor Moon's powers dealing with healing allowed her to innately recover more quickly than Mars and Mercury.

Makoto prayed and hoped that her years of training would allow her to do so as well. Fighting the Youma hadn't been easy, Luna made it clear she was surprised that the evil being had survived her Jupiter Thunderbolt. But the talking feline had also made it clear that the Dark Kingdom was very likely growing stronger and were being even more secretive than before.

Their strength was greater than when the Sailor Moon first faced them almost two months ago. But then, the Senshi couldn't be everywhere and while most incidents involving them had been stopped, Luna suspected that some incidents had unfortunately fallen through the cracks. Luna had made it clear they would have to be more proactive in their search and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity or rumors instead of outright dismissing them. Some would likely be dead ends but it was better safe than sorry.

Speaking of which, "I hope Naruto and Haruka made it out okay," the newly awakened Senshi had looked into the alley to see if anything had happened to either Naruto or Haruka. Nothing was found and Makoto hoped it meant they had fled the scene when they saw what they saw.

But then, even Makoto struggled a bit with tonight's revelations. While she was hoping for a fresh new start, learning she was once the Guardian of Courage, the Stormbringer, and bodyguard of the Moon Princess from 10,000 years ago was a bit little much.

"Okay, more than a bit much!" she admitted, and Jupiter's head lowered at the thought, "Some bodyguard."

Luna had revealed that the Inner Senshi had ultimately failed to protect the princess. What kind of bodyguard failed at such an important task? Luna had been harsh in her reprimand. While many during that time had allowed peace to get the better of them, a bodyguard shouldn't have allowed such a thing to occur to themselves. But the Inner Senshi had and they had been ill-prepared for the Dark Kingdom's assault.

Makoto wouldn't make that same mistake and vowed to get stronger. How she would do it she didn't exactly know right now. But Makoto would figure something out. Not like she could join a local fitness gym without drawing unwanted attention. Her strength had always been greater than most boys her age and height, and now it had indeed become superhuman.

Joining a martial arts club was also out, too. Even before her powers awoke she sometimes had trouble holding back, more often people got hurt and then the rumors began spreading to the point that she'd have to find a new club.

"If only Naruto-senpai were that strong," she'd have loved nothing more than to spar against him and get a better idea of what she was capable of for none of the other Senshi had superhuman strength. But strong as the older teen was, Naruto wasn't superhuman, just immensely athletic. She'd hate for an accident to occur and end what was certain to be a promising future.

Putting that thought aside, Makoto decided she'd figure something out later and entered her apartment for a good night's rest. Tomorrow was a school day, she'd need all the sleep she could get before then. Fate had other plans.

"Evening, Jupiter."

Despite her fatigue, Makoto entered into a battle stance and saw there were two individuals in her home. She instantly recognized both of them, Sailor Uranus and the Moon Knight. Makoto was worried. Luna had mentioned that these two were powerful, hardened warriors, and the Dark Kingdom's most feared foes.

And they weren't exactly fans of the Inner Senshi. Even more so when the Silver Millennium came to an end. It was unknown if they were allies or not. Oh, certainly the Moon Knight helped them tonight, but that didn't mean he was fully on their side. Uranus too was unknown but she had made it clear she wasn't a fan of them.

"Relax, we're here to talk," the Moon Knight tried to put her at ease.

"Talk?" Makoto repeated.

"Mummy here seems to think you have potential. I'm not convinced," Uranus frowned, "But I'm willing to give ya a chance. One! You fuck up, and I hand your ass to you on a dirty platter."

"You mean a silver platter?" Makoto asked.

"Like I'm gonna waste good silver," was Uranus' reply.

"Haruka," Naruto warned.

Uranus frowned but said nothing more. Nor did she not apologize, the memories and emotions of her past life seeping through.

"Haruka?… Haruka!" Makoto's eyes widened at the reveal.

"Yo," Uranus waved lazily, turning off her transformation to reveal the famed racer.

"My turn," Makoto heard Moon Knight utter, and his reveal had her eyes threatening to burst from her skull and sent her heart thumping wildly against her chest.

"Naruto-senpai? You're…you are…"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, "I'm Batman."

Thud!

Haruka ignored the fainted Senshi and looked at her friend, "Really? I'm Batman?"

"I've just always wanted to say that," Naruto laughed, and despite her scoff, Haruka cracked a smile nonetheless.

This was gonna be fun.

---

Important Note:

Hey folks. Here is the next chapter. Please note my Christmas/New Year's vacation is almost over (I wanna cry), and I gotta return to work soon so don't expect any super quick updates like before. That said, I will still be working on this. In the meantime, enjoy kindly review, and for all of my Gamer story fans, please note that I am working on getting the latest chapters ready for you. This chapter was stuck in my head and I had to get it out.

First thing, Rei's not sexist in this story, though it can come across as such. She just doesn't care for men, more accurately older men, and even then she tolerates most boys at best. In the manga, before the 90s anime came out, her father was a politician who was constantly away and that saddened her mother. Her mother got sick, was hospitalized, and died. Her father never came to see her mother at all during that time, or at the funeral. He remained frequently absent in her childhood life and even more from then on, and was solely raised by her grandfather, one of the very few older men she cared for. She was initially sent to an all-girls' catholic school in Japan, initially for political reasons by her father but chose to stay when he tried to have to go to a different one. Rei's pretty much cut off all ties with him and her deep-seated resentment of him resulted in a dislike for older men that's borderline hatred, not enough that she won't save such an individual if they're in danger, but you won't see her talking or socializing with them by choice. She can tolerate older man when necessary, but when she thinks they're trying to 'get to know her better' her dislike rears its ugly head.

As a result of this happening in the manga, many readers believed she was a lesbian or a feminist. Rei clearly stated in the manga she has no intentions of ever being with a man, stating men are pigs, distractions, and other unflattering things. But it was never made clear if she would outgrow it or if she was a lesbian like Haruka. The Rei I'm trying to portray is a combination of the 90s anime where she can be boy-crazy and the Crystal anime, which is more true to the manga version of her

Second thing, Naruto will only be revealing his identity to Makoto for the time being, so don't expect the rest to find out who he is until much, much later.

Third, there's no DC or other Marvel characters that will show up. References will occur but they won't appear, except perhaps in flashbacks of Khonshu's memories. DC exists in this story only as a comic series in the Sailor Moon Universe, Naruto saying "I'm Batman" was just a joke and a famous line from the comic series. Sorry if people are expecting anything otherwise.

Again, kindly review, and show your appreciation for this chapter. If I get 30-40 reviews, more would be nice, I will ensure it gets updated by the week of the 21st of January. Even small reviews are welcoming.