~NRK~
Rushing to the left of the island via Rika's assistance, Maki felt her blood thrum excitedly as she thought over everything that was happening.
'I'll get more experience while dispelling more powerful Curses,' she thought with a grin, Ijichi's butterfly atop her noggin as the Special Grade Cursed Spirit took them to the location.
"There are a bunch around here," Rika said as they stopped above a large waterfall surrounded by a half-constructed number of buildings. "I think the Grade 1 is in the waterfall," she said as they looked at said stream.
There was an odd thing there for all of them.
Yuta noted the feeling of cursed energy while Rika noted the presence of the other Curse.
And Maki's eyes gleamed as something within the water became more clear, its shadow, outline, and eyes clear as day.
"A turtle?" She told them.
"You can see it?" Yuta asked.
"Yeah, it's all clear since that water's so clean."
"Clean?"
Maki tilted her head at him. "Yeah?" She looked back at it before she took off her glasses, eyes wide as the water went from clear to murky. 'Is it because of my senses?' She tapped her weapon. "Yeah," she told him while pointing at her glasses before putting them on. "So, what's the idea?"
Yuta smiled for the eager young woman. "Well, we'll clear out the area first and then you can take a shot at the Grade 1."
"Yes!"
They stood within Rika's grasp.
"Rika."
"Hmm," the Curse's head tilted as she looked around. "The ones right below us have five and the other five are over there in those houses," she said. "The ones in a half-circle."
"Gotcha," Maki said as she looked down before stepping off. "Hurry up!"
Yuta chuckled sheepishly as the Restricted Girl plowed through the top of a house with a grin, his feet kicking off of Rika's strong digits.
"Rika, keep an eye on the higher-Grade!" He told her as he made his long leap, cursed energy in perfect balance as he landed on those 100-meters-away roofs without making a sound.
"Got it!"
~NRK~
Naruto, Iori, and Ijichi looked over the city of the island, Naruto's senses spreading over the area.
"The 7 Grade 1s are near the center," he told them. "While the ten Grade 2s are moving around the edges and three Semi-Grade 1s are patrolling," Naruto raised a brow. "They're cat-like, it's weird."
"So, assumably, nekomata," Ijichi cupped his chin while Sage held Iori on his shoulder.
"Are we sure? All things considered, they could just be big cats in design," she said while adjusting a pair of rosary beads on her wrists. "... I didn't think they'd use us as Promoters for one another," Iori looked determined. "I shall not fail your expectations, Naruto-kun."
"I know, Uta-nee, you just be careful. My nephew's probably gonna get a crazy sick love for rollercoasters," Naruto grinned as she sweatdropped at her warm belly.
"I think she hears you."
"Oh, she's a girl?" Ijichi asked. "Congratulations," he clapped as Iori chuckled.
"Yes, we already have a name for her and Satoru's been rather calculative on what kind of teaching she'll get," Iori smiled before sweatdropping. "He says she should be traditional but modern, things like she should like Go but be an avid gamer," she shook her head. "I don't understand that man, sometimes."
"Does anyone get cuz all the time?" Naruto grinned cheekily as she laughed while Ijichi smiled. "Alright, so, let's do this… Actually," he smiled as they raised some brows. "There's something I never told you guys about that I've been trying."
"Hmm? What, Naruto-kun?" Ijichi asked. "Another facet of Positive Energy?"
"No, well, yes but it's one we never made much headway on until I did some soul-searching recently," he looked sheepish. "In fact, it was weird, I kinda met the weirdest spirit of nature."
"A what?" Iori asked.
"Yes, a nature spirit. I was walking around town before I went to a park to do some small purification for it. Turns out, a lot of gangsters died in that park so I cleaned them up. But before I left, there was someone there I didn't expect, a spirit/Cursed Spirit of nature."
Their eyes widened as his body glowed.
"We talked for a bit, like a real long two-hour talk, where I made a promise to help bring-up nature," Naruto smiled as his hands thickened. "She seemed pretty into it and it's not like I'm against it anyway… And then she taught me how to use nature more, how to use energy within it."
He tapped his foot.
The two stared at the tree that sprouted, the sheer difference in ease from his usual alarming.
"When I asked her if she wanted to become a Blessed Spirit, she said she'd want to see me hold my part, first," he continued as his body enlarged.
The two adults' jaws dropped as he crouched low.
"So, she taught me how to truly emanate energy into my environment and I, kinda, remade the park," he grinned with a bunch some sharp teeth, his blue eyes rimmed by gold. "Alright, I'll hopefully clear them out before the others are done."
He vanished. What was left behind was a bowl of vigorous wood, green grass, and a jaw-dropped pair of adults.
From afar, the man on the Cursed Spirit felt his throat constrict as he held up a shaky hand with a walkie-talkie.
"G-G-Geto?"
-Hmm?-
"I think he became a giant monkey."
There was silence before a ruffle of cloth was followed by a thump and groan.
-W-What?-
~NRK~
Mai popped the three Grade-2s from a distance that they couldn't handle from atop Tenmi's head.
"So, those are the smallfry taken care of," she told her fellow women. "But that leaves the one Grade 1 and the Semi-Grade 1," with Naruto's Simple Domain from before, knocking out 15 of the 50 supposed spirits there were, that left the Grade 1s untouched but not the Semi-Grade 1s.
Of the original 20, he'd actually nailed over 10 of them which had been by the 'front' of the island as ridiculous as that sounded.
Meaning there were 8 left.
"So, what will you do now?" Tsumiki asked as she held up the Curtain keeping their cursed energy unnoticed, the trio ignorant to the man on the Curse farther out watching them. "Can't you keep sniping them?"
"Probaby, Tsu-chan," Inazuma smiled. "But Ah need to stretch ma legs," she said while hopping off of the water-sat Blessed Spirit. "Mai-sama."
"I'm coming," the Zenin said as she hopped off and landed on an expanding 'boat' of lightning, her eyes going flat. "What in the world?"
"Ah learned a bit from Old Man Fujin."
"W-Wait, hold on, old man?"
The shikigami cackled as they 'rowed' away at an insane speed.
Tsumiki sweatdropped as Tenmi got on all-fours and trotted over towards the island.
Meanwhile, with Mai & Inazuma, their boat met the shore before they departed from it.
Mai's eyebrow rose at the 'boat' becoming Inazuma's 'boots'. "Wow, that is odd and convenient."
"It is, now," the shikigami woman's head lifted. "O-Song."
What left the shikigami's mouth was a 'song' of mist and somberness.
It was a truly heartbreaking tune but one that Mai had heard her sing many times before with Naruto, Maki, Megumi, and Tsumiki, after all.
It was the song for Fushiguro Toji's passing, the fact it came with 'effects' was honestly the unexpected 'topping'.
The smell of ozone filled the air as Mai prepared her handguns.
'I don't need to use a special bullet yet,' she thought. 'I wanna see how far I've gotten.'
The ozone dispersed around three areas.
One a broken temple, another a seemingly still-holding home, and the last a pit in the ground.
"We should probably get rid of the weaker one first," Inazuma said as Mai nodded before taking aim with one of her guns.
"Round," the young woman chanted before her cursed energy shifted in shape.
The chant that went with her handguns' Binding Vow, 'dedicating' the entirety of her control, energy, and output through her weapons increased her output and 'rounds'.
She pulled the trigger and watched as a quick explosion blew the Curse out of hiding from that pit, its grotesque chameleon eyes looking down at her as it landed on the air.
Three more shots of cursed energy had it dodging before a screech of static reached its ears, a grinning Inazuma slamming her leg into its stomach and sending it to the floor before its body arched with lightning that made it a prime target.
Mai's bullet punched through its noggin, exterminating it.
"Quick and efficient," Inazuma beamed as the Zenin grinned.
"Yep, now," she took aim at the other two locations. "They're chameleons, yeah?"
"Seems like it."
"Tsumiki-chan, you hear that?" Mai said to an earpiece.
A Curtain flowed over the area and had Mai looking intrigued as the energy in the air became visible.
-No outside or inside protection, it's only supposed to show the flow of cursed energy- Tsumiki responded.
Mai grinned at the two Curses peering back at her with prepared glowing tongues.
They screeched against a pair of explosive shots, the bullets of cursed energy knocking them off of their perches before Inazuma's forms appeared above them.
"Raimei Bunshin!"
The flashing kicks that slammed into the Curses stomachs sent them flying towards the prepared Mai as she held up her glowing handguns.
Charged bullets hit them square in their mouths, the shots taking shape inside of them as they hit the ground in cratering bounces.
When they stopped, the two chameleons with wings and four heads tried to stand up before their bodies bulged in random fashion.
"Strength isn't the end-all be-all," Mai declared to them. "Ya still got anatomy," she took aim as Inazuma landed beside her, her form glowing and resonating with the sparking guns.
Those next shots shot their heads off before their bulging bodies erupted into literal pincushions.
"Alright, I'm glad that works out," she said with relief as the Curtain fell away, a smiling Tsumiki hurrying up to them with Tenmi. "Thanks, Tsu-chan."
"No problem. Still, I wonder what will happen here after we leave," the other young woman said as the two got on top of Tenmi. "I mean, we're just cleaning it out?"
"I think it's because letting Curses fester brings in more Curses," Mai said. "It's not like this doesn't show it, think about it."
"I think you have a point," Tsumiki nodded, Tenmi's glowing eyes done recording everything. "Well, I hope this shows favorably for you," she said encouragingly.
Mai grinned. "I know, I'm sure it's not perfect, ya know? I'm not a shikigami-user but I've got one," she admitted. "But I think I can at least get a Semi-Grade 1 out of this, maybe."
"Ah hope for the best," Inazuma smiled.
"Okay, so, can we talk about her country accent?" Tsumiki asked sheepishly.
"Don't ask me, I blame our beau, I think this was his idea of a prank," Mai declared with a snort.
~NRK~
Maki spun the Semi-Grade 1 around with her spear.
'It's like the entire world is so crisp,' she thought while stepping back before her elbow jut into the Curse's abdomen.
Her blow sent it rolling across the ground before she lunged after it with another one behind her.
She came down on the Bear Curse before the beast meld into the floor as its fellow came down on her.
Maki's feet touched the ground before she turned with a grin as the claws of the other Curse passed her face before her spear removed its head from its shoulders.
Maki smirked as she landed before spinning her Blessed Weapon in one hand and stabbed behind her, killing the original Curse.
'Semi-Grade 1,' she felt her blood sing at her work. 'If I can easily beat those types, it means I'm more than a match for the one in the waterfall,' Maki thought as a trio of explosions echoed from her side before a familiar brunette walked up to her with a sheepish smile. "Finished?"
"Y-Yeah, I was trying to keep my cursed energy under control," he told her, getting a raised brow from the close combat specialist. "I don't want to just rely on my sword, using bodily skills is probably not something I want to forget."
"Well, you know how that is, I'm here for more than enough spars, Yu."
"I know, Maki. W-We should probably handle the Grade 1, now," he said bashfully, speeding past her as Maki nodded before she froze.
Her cheeks reddened as her head snapped to him.
"H-Hold on, you bastard!" She ran after him.
"N-Nothing! It's nothing!"
The large turtle-salamander Curse that left the waterfall… Was a 'distraction'.
It was the best way to put it.
The end of the fight had relaxed Yuta, somewhat, but that just left him bashful as Rika carried them towards Naruto's direction, Maki scoffing at him with crossed arms and red cheeks of her own.
~NRK~
With the two other groups reconvening, they hurried towards… What the hell was that?
Coming to a stop on a large hill before the city, they kinda looked on in slackjawed awe at the 'city'.
At that forest-covered city that reached high into the air?!
"What in the world did he do?!" Mai yelled as Tenmi's eyes glowed, the raccoon spirit recording everything it saw as they continued. "Was he trying to start a forest colony?!"
"That'd probably be pretty cool," Yuta said while not looking at Maki. "After all, these Blessed Spirits would be Grade 1s."
His words gave them pause as Tsumiki tilted her head.
"He'd have made more like Tenmi?" She looked intrigued before something in the distance caught Maki's eye.
"?" She cupped her chin as she squinted her gaze, the world becoming more and more focused before she raised a brow. "Whattttt the hell is that?" Maki said in alarm as 'it' sat atop the entire structure with a familiar quartet of Iori, Ijichi, Sage, and Fujin. "Guys, there's something crazy on top of that thing! Speed it up!"
They did, their rides glowing as they rushed ahead with Inazuma flying ahead of them before streaks of lightning left her body en masse, constantly spreading over the others before they sped up.
They reached the city in a literal minute, the rides scaling the large branches or roots towards the top where they landed to find said group there with a seated Naruto.
The blonde looked sheepish as Iori and Ijichi kept gawking at him.
"Sup, guys," he greeted their new arrivals, vest on Sage's long pipe as the blonde sat there in his mesh shirt. "Glad to see you guys did so well."
"No, go back, where is it?!" Maki asked while looking around. "I know I saw something crazy up here!"
"E-Erm," Iori looked taken-aback. "I-I believe you mean Naruto-kun."
"Huh?"
"Oh, well, I just did a bit of that thing with myself," Naruto said with a grin. "I figured out how to use a Promise on myself so I could bring out my power's physical benefits."
"Wait, no, Maki's pretty weirded out, what'd ya do?" Mai asked as they reached them. "Beau, this sounds like you did something crazy again."
"... Yeah."
"That's beginning to become concerning," Tsumiki said sheepishly, looking out from atop this heavy canopy. "But this is also your work?" She asked.
"Yep, just learning more about how I am and how to lead those Blessed Spirits," Naruto said as they froze. "For now, I'm looking forward to the Goodwill Event," he declared with a smirk as Yuta's unsure smile began to sweat. "I'm coming right for ya, bro."
"That's not doing him any favors," Rika said as she prodded the frozen Yuta. "Yeah, I don't think you're gonna get any response from him for a bit."
~NRK~
With day one being the ease at which they'd exorcized the Curses of their mission, the group decided to just return.
"There's no real benefit," Iori admitted. "At least, from what I remember from my own time going on missions, getting missions done faster simply meant you had more time to yourself while receiving payment earlier," she explained. "Along with stipends, you get money per mission even as a student. More missions, more money, and more showing of your abilities."
"There are those moments where you get specific accommodations," Ijichi offered. "You'd get paid-for rooms and the like that you can enjoy for some time but, in the end, taking the entirety of the mission's time to finish it without a word shows poorly on the Sorcerer-in-question."
"That makes sense," Yuta said. "This was a Promotion Mission," he nodded to Rika. "Or, really, an 'Are you worth your Grade?' mission for us."
"I don't think it'd matter for us if we're Special Grade or not," Rika said atop his head, her finger tapping her noggin. "We didn't care."
"True."
"I wonder how they'll take my work?" Maki considered as while shooting Yuta a flat look, cheeks the slightest bit pink as he looked away. "All things considered, they think I'm Grade 4, dicks as they are, but I don't think they can call me that now. The biggest issue is what they think does most of the work: My own training or my weapon."
"It's stupid that they think that," Naruto shook his head as Mai nodded.
"It's a total dick move but, unfortunately, they have a different idea on what we're supposed to be like," the gunwoman scoffed. "Besides, it's not like they can stop you from being taken on harder missions, duh," she gestured around them.
"Not wrong, I'm still supposed to get half the pay, too, so it's not too bad," Maki said. "Still, I'm gonna get recognized, dammit, I've got way too much training to not let that happen."
~NRK~
Maki blinked down at her card. 'S-Semi-Grade 2?!' She looked alarmed, pleased but very much confused. "Yes!" She accepted it in an instant, not complaining in the slightest.
"..." There was still silence as Naruto stood at the center of the room with a grin.
How did one even quantify what he'd just done and how much ground he 'covered'?
"W-What are you?" One of the Superiors asked unsurely as Naobito hummed with interest.
"Ya became a beast, I'll be honest," he chuckled. "It makes more and more sense when I considered how ya looked 'That Day'."
"What?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "What are you talking about, jiji? I was angry but I wasn't, like, transforming all over the place or anything."
"Yer tail got bigger and ya had the aura of a beast, trust me, I've seen my fair share of those," Naobito shrugged. "If I had to compare ya to anyone…"
Naruto's eyes widened.
"It'd have been Toji."
Tsumiki's eyes snapped to that screen before Naruto grinned.
"Good," the blonde declared. "If it means protecting everyone, becoming a 'beast' ain't that bad. Besides," Naruto looked sheepish. "Going all-out like that comes with its good and bad sides."
"Like?" Someone asked.
"For one, that's me making a Binding Promise. I can transform for only as long as I want to be without my Blessed Technique."
There was someone jotting it down. "That makes some manner of sense," they said. "But you are shown still encompassing vitality."
"Of course but that's because my body's full of it in that form," Naruto explained. "It's like I'm constantly circulating Positive Energy so while I can't make use of it via my Tech, I can still control it inside me and it becomes almost like a barrier."
"Good, expanding this teaching will likely be your role as your bloodline grows."
Naruto's grin cracked as he blushed like a damn tomato. "Y-Yeah," he said weakly as Naobito cackled.
Mai cleared her throat as Tsumiki burned.
"Never a dull day," Iori muttered.
"As for you, Utahime Iori," she jumped at their words, coming forth to stand beside her blonde student. "You've taught this one well alongside Satoru Gojou, to have him attain a chant will likely expand his skill set."
"Yes, well, it wasn't wrong to say we all wanted to help him. Naruto-kun has been quite an avid fighter and wanted to expand his knowledge on Positive Energy. We helped him by trying to grasp his rules," she began with a nod. "Following that, refining his Technique's 'Image' and ritual is natural for me," Iori smiled as Naruto grinned.
"I see," one said. "Then it's with due diligence that Uzumaki Naruto and Utahime Iori have a right to attain Grade 1," she declared as Iori choked while the other Screens lit-up. "All in favor?"
The lights on all of the Screens were shockingly positive.
With a split of 70-30, Iori's jaw dropped as two guards came in from the sides of the room with their IDs.
Taking them, Naruto grinned as Iori's eyes softened.
"We're in the 1s, nee-chan," he chuckled.
"Indeed, we are," she smiled.
~NRK~
The news was well-accepted.
"My honey's just a step-away~," Satoru rubbed cheeks with the annoyed Iori before she huffed with red cheeks.
"Whether that sentence is appropriate," she began as he grinned. "It's not like the divide between Grade 1 and Special Grade isn't very vast."
"Hehe~ Hey, it's still better than Semi, yeah?"
"I wouldn't know?" Iori sweatdropped as he blinked. "It's been an hour."
"... Rightttt."
"You're an idiot."
"Love you, too."
Naruto smiled apologetically at Mai's pout.
"It's fine, it's not like I expected them to put me up to Grade 1 or anything, I just thought it'd be a more thoughtful decision," she groaned as he held her shoulder.
"I get ya, still sorry," he said as she bumped his shoulder. "With this, we've all got a ways to go, Mai-chan, let's keep doing our best."
She raised a brow at him before nodding with a smile. "You're right," Mai told the grinning blonde. "Still, I'm sure you've got a bigger divide to go though, now. How do people even get recognized as Special Grade?"
"Well, I've seen it," Naruto told her as she made an 'oohh' sound as they looked at Satoru. "The thing is, 'Special Grade' is different, Mai-chan. It's not like normal ranks, I guess the best way to explain it is that you become someone capable of back-to-back Grade 1 missions with little damage done to you or the surroundings while destroying the Curses around you with ease."
"I can see where that stands. Still, I have to assume there's a 'council' for this, right?"
"That, I couldn't tell you. Cuz tells me that it just happened one day, that after a string of nothing but perfect victories against Grade 1 Curses of all levels of danger, he just got it. I think he did say that he and Geto-bro did a mission that really pushed it," Naruto frowned, confusing her. "It was a serious Curse Deity that could bend the logic of Cursed Techniques. Due to Satoru's Limitless, at that time, it couldn't reach him while Geto-bro's cursed energy was a unique 'existence' due to how many Curses he'd absorbed around that time."
"I think you would count," Mai rolled her eyes as she shot the Tokyo High Temple a flat look from their roof. "Like, seriously, what the hell are they thinking?"
"Remember, it's not really them, it's the Gojou Clan butting into things. I think they just can't take it. It's like a pride thing, they can't handle that I can definitely reach beyond them."
"And, likely, it's because you standing beside Satoru-san would remove all their power," came Noritoshi's words as he and the others arrived on the roof. "Welcome back, it's been some time."
"Likewise, Nori, how'd you guys' missions go?" Naruto asked as Kokichi, Miwa, and Momo came up to them.
"I think they went well," Momo said. "Using our new training method from two weeks ago really upped our control. Beating Grade 2s on my own is actually something I'm confident in," she declared while showing her new Grade 2 Badge.
Miwa giggled and did the same alongside Kokichi bashfully showing his Semi-Grade 1 Badge.
Noritoshi showed his own. "Well, with Aoi, Nanami-san, Ieiri-san, and Kushina-san's help, we all got the opportunity to take a Promotion Mission as a team."
"That's awesome, Nori," Mai said as the group of teens came together. "I, sadly, didn't show what I'm like 1-on-1 against a Grade 1 Curse," she sighed. "But, the upside is that Tsumiki's now a Junior Manager, Naru and Uta-nee are Grade 1, and Maki's gotten into Semi-Grade 2."
"... She totally blew their socks off, right?" Miwa asked with a blank expression.
"Oh, she's clearly shown that she's agile, strong, and fast enough to beat a Semi-Grade 1 but… Jujutsu World."
"Ah, that thing," Momo groaned. "Well, it's better than Grade 3 or Grade 4. That's a special kind of petty."
"You're talking to the royalty of people bothered by petty people," Maki said flatly as Yuta nodded. "But, well, it's better than not getting promoted," she shrugged.
"All things considered, we've all moved up," Kokichi nodded. "Still, Special Grade sounds like a nightmare for you, Naruto-kun."
"It is," Naruto said. "But, hey, it's not supposed to be easy," he chuckled as Tsumiki nodded.
"He did something super new!" She told them as the blonde boy blushed and looked sheepish.
"Hold on, Tsu-chan," the Grade 1 teen smirked. "I want that as a surprise."
The silence that followed was clear as day.
"H-Hey, uh, you can tell us," Yuta said quickly.
"Hmmmmmm," Tsumiki tilted her head as his hopes ros- "Nope," she grinned as he slumped.
"Well, I guess we'll see how bad that is in two months," Maki said. "The Goodwill Event is coming up," she smirked.
"W-Well, it's not like there's always a battle-" Yuta tried to raise his own hopes.
And had them dashed instantly.
"There's always a battle," the others told him in-sync.
"D-Dammit."
"He knows you're coming after him, doesn't he?" Kokichi chuckled as Naruto grinned proudly.
"Gotta keep him on his toes," the Grade 1 declared.
"Huh… Well, in the grand scheme of things, I'm hoping to see what that's like, myself," he declared as Noritoshi nodded.
"We've all made good progress over the years while Kokichi-kun has truly taken to blending his 'Two Lives' style," the blood-user said.
"How is the puppetry, Kichi?" Naruto asked.
"It's something that I actually think I got better at," the former invalid said. "Even only using one, I added more Extensions to cover my still-weak physical body," he looked sheepish. "I have a lot of exercise to get into before I'm capable as a normal fighter but my current Binding Vows help bridge the gap."
~NRK~
Next week, things came to a curious 'head' as they met two new people.
The Tokyo High Second-Years.
~NRK~
"So, you're this so-called 'Black Sheep' Gojou," a muscular young man said with an intrigued grin. "Tell me, bud, what strikes your passion?" He asked as a 'young woman' behind him looked at them in interest.
"Kin-chan's always gotta a way of introducin' himself," she grinned.
Naruto's eyes went flat. "You… You and Aoi-bro aren't related, are you?" He asked as Maki smirked and Aoi cupped his chin with a grin of his own.
The 'new guy' smirked. "Nah but I get what he's about," he said with a laidback expression. "Hakari Kinji, 2nd Year of Tokyo High and the man known to have the greatest 'Passion'."
Being a tall guy around Aoi's 6'0 frame, he had tan skin, small magenta eyes with thin eyebrows, and a slicked-back black hair in short twist knots with a fade below his brow line.
Wearing a black tank top beneath an open thick-looking purple hoodie, a pair of baggy white pants, and some brown boots, he observed the group in interest.
"I can't believe I finally met this guy, you've been shaking things up since ya arrived, I've heard."
"Yeah, that's more the Superiors' fault but I'm a big part of it," Naruto said. "Name's Uzumaki Naruto, nice ta meetcha, Kin."
"Heh, yeah, this is gonna be good," Kinji said with a grin. "Yo, Kirara, introducing yourself to your underclassmen is pretty important."
"Right-o!" The lady behind him beamed at the group. "Nice meeting you all, Freshmen, it's been a bit but this meeting's finally happened," Kirara smiled. "Hoshi Kirara, pleased to meet you."
Naruto's senses twitched as his eyes assessed an image his senses told him was wrong. 'She is a girl, right?' He blinked in confusion.
'Kirara', as it seemed, was a slender woman with fair skin that had two earrings by her lips, long eyelashes over her yellow eyes with a white star in their irises, and a frayed hime-cut hairstyle that allowed her long black hair to fall wildly down her back.
Wearing a thin white pinstripe top with long sleeves that had holes for her thumbs, a pair of baggy black sweatpants, and some white platform boots with yellow star laces, she grinned with a wave that showed off her black nail polish also bearing similar yellow stars.
"Nice to meetcha, senpai," Mai said with a cupped chin as Kirara wore a sheepish grin. "I love your nails, I'll be honest."
"Right? It took so much SF-19 Black to get it just right."
"T-The most expensive kind?" Tsumiki asked in disbelief as Kirara grinned some more.
"Hey, I'm Grade 2, I make enough money to handle a bit of make-up. Now, clothes are a different kind of ordeal," she said with crossed arms. "After all, when ya got money and nothing besides a phone bill, what else do you spend it on?"
"Ramen?" Naruto asked.
"Parts?" Kokichi said sheepishly.
"Takada-chan," Aoi declared confidently.
"... Herbal teas?" Noritoshi shrugged as Yuta laughed.
"Maybe a bit of jewelry, sometimes," he admitted.
"All good choices," Kinji agreed wholeheartedly.
"Kin-chan," Kirara said flatly. "Look, outside of the ramen, sure."
"Hey," Naruto said, offended, as Tsumiki giggled while Mai prodded his cheek. "That's rude."
"A bit," she said with a chuckle. "But what's your 'View', my dude? Where's your 'image' go?"
"I mean, nature's kinda my thing," Naruto said while showing his pants' animal-like designs.
"... Wow, I actually didn't think you had an answer," Kirara looked shocked. "U-Uhhhh, leverage!" She pointed at Kokichi. "What's your concept?!"
"H-Huh?!" He stuttered, shocked, as Miwa giggled. "Um, robots?" Kokichi blushed before showing his brown greaves' mechanical motifs and then the insides of his sleeves.
"?!" Her confidence was falling. "Y-You!" She pointed at Noritoshi.
"I don't have such a thing," he admitted wholeheartedly.
"Gah?!"
"I guess our juniors are a bit more unique," Kinji grinned. "It'll be good to get to know ya."
"Likewise," Naruto said with a chuckle.
~NRK~
And of course that led to them learning how to gamble.
Alongside Naruto Uzumaki's ridiculous 'Luck stat'.
"Um, K-Kin-bro, I think this is getting out of hand," Naruto said nervously as he looked at not only his towering number of chips but the looks from the people all around. "Oh crap."
"No, keep hitting! This is great!" Kinji cheered.
"Dammit, how does he keep doing it?" Mai asked in shock, her own chips not even a tenth as tall. "Jesus!"
Tsumiki sweatdropped as she had her one chip, minding Naruto's tower as he bet on 'Red' and she did the same.
She smiled at getting 2 chips.
Nanako's eyes gleamed with yen signs. "Naruto, buddy, we can make some money!" She grinned as Panda and Kuro jotted down this 'new event' in Naruto's Weird List.
"Yes, develop your passion!" Kinji said with excitement.
~NRK~
And then they did something with Kirara-senpai.
"Ahhhh," the rather feminine student drank her boba tea in delight.
Mai, Momo, Kasumi, and Nanako followed her example, the five wearing matching large circular shades.
"What is this?" Noritoshi asked in confusion, drinking herbal tea with barley tapioca balls. "Why does it confuse me greatly?"
"It's tapioca," Naruto said with a similar herbal tea with orange poppers in the bottom.
Kokichi savored the tastes of his own herbal drink with a look of focus. "Health," he declared as he drank more.
Kinji and Aoi, though, drank like it was a competition, Maki laughing as she cheered them on with some shades while Yuta ate some calamari rings, Mimiko and Megumi drinking something beside them with the former blushing while the latter sweatdropped.
"This entire situation is getting out of hand," the Ten Shadows-user said while drinking lavender tea and some sushi covered in ginger. "Mimiko-san."
She nodded flusteredly as she drank some melon soda, eating some of their shared sushi!
'T-This is great!' She thought with crocodile tears of joy. 'This is like a date!'
~NRK~
As it turned out? They kinda went with a sort of 'Week of Fun' where they did things per day with as many of them as they could.
That's why, the final day of this week of bonding was Naruto's.
And he showed them the park he'd fixed up.
"The heck is this place?" Kinji cupped his chin while looking all over the incredibly green trees. "Maybe it's just me but it feels crazy."
"That's because this is a place that's been nurtured by both cursed energy and positive energy," Naruto said, confusing them. "So, like, there's a super-strong cursed/nature spirit here," the male blonde explained, confusing them. "When I came here, I was practicing and then she came out to talk to me. We were speaking about nature and stuff before she asked me to help spread good nature and she'd teach me. I've been going to a lot of parks to spruce 'em up."
"Really?" Tsumiki asked with a smile as she touched a tree's leave- "Oh, hello there," she grinned at a blessed squirrel.
The white spirit tilted its head at her before crawling out onto her arm, Tenmi's small form atop Tsumiki's head tilting her head at the newcomer.
The two spirits chittered before the tanuki came down and they sat on Tsumiki's shoulders as more small blessed spirits arrived.
"You got to all of these guys," Kokichi said in interest.
"They were a bunch of Flyheads, just completely harmless Curses," Naruto explained. "Most of these guys didn't even cause trouble but when it comes to cursed energy, it's not as great at raising plants healthily, that is a topic me and her kinda got into it on."
"This spirit seems confusing, they're a powerful Cursed spirit?" Kirara asked. "Why not exercise it?"
"Well, I wanted to know why she wanted to approach me, for one. Two, I'm sure there are Curses that can be reasoned with, especially because it's not like I just destroy Curses on contact, I make 'em positive. It's something I'm perfectly fine with trying to do because Curses can totally help people."
"That's a new spin on this," Kinji said in surprise. "I'm sure you know but, most of us, still exercise Curses."
"I get it but, I guess in you terms," Naruto began sheepishly as the gambler grinned. "Helping people, or even Curses, is my passion. I just want to do my best, Kin-bro."
"Alright, I LOVE IT!"
"He's hitting his fervor," Kirara giggled. "I guess you Freshmen truly are different," she grinned.
"We try," Mai grinned. "We've gotta get gud, senpais, nothing less," they all had dreams and aspirations.
They weren't going to let that go.
"She's got a point," Momo grinned. "I wanna hit Grade 1, ya know? I want to master enough Jujutsu to be an exceptional Sorceress."
"I wanna make money to take care of my family," Miwa grinned.
"We wanna make bro and our parents proud," Panda said.
"Yeah! Besides, we're in a different kind of place compared to most people," Kuro grinned.
"I want to see the world's beauties," Aoi declared with a gleam in his eye.
"Ignoring him, we don't really have a dream, being good enough to take care of ourselves is fine," Nanako said as Mimiko nodded before blushing at Megumi.
"Y-You know, that alongside other things," she muttered as her sibling rolled her eyes with a smirk.
"It's so easy," she told Aoi.
"Truly, it is," he declared.
"?" Megumi shrugged. "Making sure to live up to aniki's expectations. Besides that, I want to make sure my sister's never unhappy for too long if anything happens."
"Megumi, you're well on your way," Tsumiki grinned. "Um, well, being a good wife would be a good one," she admitted embarrassedly as Naruto cleared his throat.
"She's got a dream, you'd definitely be like 'do your best!'," Mai cackled while he burned and Tsumiki looked sheepish. "Same though being a pretty kick-ass high Grade Sorcerer would be cool, too."
"I wanna shove our family's faces into the dirt," Maki declared as Yuta sweatdropped. "Being Grade 1 or above would be great but that's what I'm REALLY into."
"She's as terrifying as usual," he told Rika. "Well, we just want to do good," Yuta smiled unsurely. "We're Special Grade but we don't think we've truly earned that title yet."
"But we're trying," Rika declared confidently.
"I just wish to take care of my mother," Noritoshi said. "Her, my father, and my new sibling," he explained. "I truly want to do well as a clan head but, in all honesty, that is more important to me," he smiled.
"I want to pay back Naruto for all his help," Kokichi declared honestly. "I don't have much more aspirations b-besides being a good boyfriend," Kasumi beamed. "And, maybe, I can attain Special Grade myself. We have a lot of ideas, techniques, and exercises to do. I want to attain great renown with what I am."
"And I wanna hit Supreme Grade, a level even beyond Special Grade while being a good husband," Naruto declared with a full-blown unhindered grin. "I truly want to show my clan whatfor like Maki-chan while doing a whole buncha good… And to tease my cousin, it's mostly that," he added as Tsumiki giggled while Megumi smirked.
"It'd be nice to have someone reign over him being a higher grade," the Fushigoro boy said while Mimiko grinned.
"Right?"
~NRK~
What followed that week were missions that couldn't be recounted.
The group truly went all-in on not just training but also planning, hanging out, and dating for 'five' of them.
But then there was a small, surprising, event two weeks before the Goodwill Event.
Geto was shocked by the news as he listened to Nanako's shocked words.
-Y-Yeah, their kid's here- Nanako said in shock. -She's early-
Geto felt something worrying fill his heart at her words. "And the baby…"
-A-Apparently, she's born-
He flopped down into bed, relieved. "Good… That's good, an alive baby is a better distraction," Geto lied to himself as easily as he breathed. "... The name?"
-Katajou-
He sat up in alarm, eyes wide.
-That… That first kanji, bro, that looks like the one in your name- Nanako said in confusion before she went silent.
Geto stared at the wall before releasing a body-slumping breath.
"... I see," he whispered.
~NRK~
Seeing those small lives that were his daughters caused a great shift in Satoru Gojo's body.
Iori wore a tired but proud smile, sweat wiped away by Shoko as Naruto removed his blindfold and noseplugs.
"All's good?" He asked, shaking away his slight disturbance to see, smile, and cheer at the new little lives in Iori's arms- "Wait," Naruto blinked at the sight of two babies. "W-Wait, what the hell?"
They were obviously twins, clearly, but one had black fuzz for hair while the other had white.
"Yeah, um, we never told you guys," Satoru admitted as he looked at the babies and their pouty little faces, his blindfold around his neck. "Oh my God, I'm a dad," he said like it was a mystery.
"Yep," Iori said. "The strongest clan head with two daughters."
"Yep," he pressed his cheek to hers. "And a fiance, ya know, since kids shouldn't ever be without a set?"
The way the woman's face lit up told him he made the right decisions to reach this point.
Especially when she blushed and looked like the bashful reserved woman she was.
Damn right.
"Hehe~ So, what's the other girl's name?" Naruto asked, amused, as Shoko washed her hands in a nearby ice water bucket.
"Knowing Satoru?" Shoko began as the man-in-question perked up.
"Totally-"
"-He's gonna break up the name."
"-Break up the nam-You're rude," he gawked at the smirking Shoko. "Hmph, for your information… Shut up," Satoru declared as Iori hummed.
"Katajou," she said to the white-haired girl. "And Jouji," Iori named the black-haired one. "The 'Staunch Queen' and a 'Queen's Standard', they should support one another."
"Dammit, woman, you're going to keep reading my mind?"
"Yes," Iori chuckled. "Hmmm, Naruto-kun, I'm not sure if it works this way but…"
"One vitality pick-me-up, coming right up," Naruto snickered.
The news alone tore through Jujutsu High.
"They're twins like us!" Kuma beamed.
"Huh?" Riko said with a blank stare. "E-Exsqueeze me, twins like WHO?"
"Like us," Panda declared confidently.
"No! Not like you!"
"Huhhhh," Momo's head tilted at the happy parents holding their energetic kids. "Well, I know the world's gonna change one way or another," she declared proudly. "Katajou and Jouji, those are certainly some interesting names, real good names."
"You're incredibly transparent," Maki snorted. "Still, twins, huh? I hope this is a big change."
"It will be, whether my kids become the Generation of Miracles or the Worst, they will be grown-up right," Satoru declared proudly.
"That sounds…" Kushina sweatdropped as Nanami shook his head. "Right. I'm happy for you, Iori," she giggled as she pat Naruto's shoulder. "Kids are a special sort and they'll be all kinds of unique, they're a gift~," she chuckled as he grinned knowingly.
"I'm sure, I hope they take well after their uncle," Iori said immediately.
"Jouji-chan, you'll take after me, right?!" Satoru pleaded with his black-haired baby, the little bundle of joy babbling something as she looked at him with her blue eyes. "Cuz, your mystical power continues to amaze me," he said. "Their little whittle eyes are open!"
"I mean, vitality, ya know?" Naruto offered.
"But for baby development?" Tsumiki wondered quietly, cheeks a powerful red. "W-Well, considering everything we know about how his powers work, I think they'll grow up to be strong in body."
"Most likely we'll be dealing with pretty tough babies," Satoru said while holding his nose to Jouji's, his black-haired daughter gurgling as she held it. "Yes, you do understand me."
"What, in speaking nonsense?" Mai grinned as Maki snickered.
"Mean ladies! Don't turn into them!" He warned his child.
"Hey," the Zenin twins said in unison.
"Nyeh."
"This man has a child," Shoko said. "This man has a child and we allowed him to do so."
"Typically, he's hard to control on a good day," Yaga said with a cupped chin as Kuroi tilted her head. "But this is going to be a whole new vector I'll never be able to plan for."
"Children have that effect," she giggled as he raised a brow before nodding in agreement.
"Exactly."
Nanako returned to find the second surprise. "They're TWINS?!" She shrieked as the others nodded or still looked dazed from the revelation.
"There's two," Miwa looked awed.
"Indeed, those are two female babies," Kokichi said. 'What does this mean?' Satoru Gojou, the strongest Sorcerer of the modern era, had now gained children.
And considering Iori Utahime's Cursed Technique alongside Naruto Uzumaki's vitality-reinforcing energy, what era would these twins rule? The next or the current?
What did this mean for 'Fate'? The children had no Six Eyes, thankfully, or else this entire bloodline would have gotten so confusing they'd never know what was what.
But the customary white hair of the Gojou clan was on one while their blue eyes were in the second. As twins, as they all knew, they shared a 'source', a soul, when it came to Jujutsu and they'd likely share some manner of ability.
'This is too confusing,' was this the 'natural' path? Or had Naruto' involvement changed something? "These children are confusing," Kokichi observed.
"But babies are cute!" Kasumi cheered.
"Yes but that's not my point," he sweatdropped.
~NRK~
The news spread quickly, like, really quickly.
And soon Naruto, Satoru, Iori, Kushina, Minato, and the babies were standing within the mountains outside of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"They freaked out," the Positive Gojou said with a groan.
"Yeah, that seems right," Kushina groaned.
"Nothing new here," Satoru groaned.
"More groaning all around," Minato shook his head. "Well, I'm honestly curious what'll come out of their mouths. At this point, they're just going to comment on your children, maybe a snide remark here or there, and potentially say something to Naruto about his wedding situation."
"Oh crap, I forgot about that," Satoru said as Iori tilted her head.
"Can they even speak on it now?" She asked.
"Hime-chan, never underestimate how annoying oldies are."
"Given most of what we know… That might not be incorrect."
"Still, what are they going to complain about?" Kushina wondered. "Despite their political weight, you are their political weight. You already approve of his brides."
Satoru nodded with a thoughtful expression. "What could it be?" If it came down to some sort of 'poll', he was sure he could just ignore them.
It wasn't like they could stop him.
Going inside had come with a few surprises.
One, they'd found a room within only containing one man.
Two, the area within distorted the moment they entered.
Third, Naruto held up a half-Ram Seal.
The barrier broke in an instant, the Positive Gojo's eyes unimpressed as the dojo they'd arrived in was filled to the brim with family members.
"What the hell are they all doing here?" Satoru frowned deeply, Katajou mindlessly thumbing Katajou's cheek as she bit his shoulder.
"You've finally come," the original man 'in the room' said as their family all over murmured or gasped at the Uzumaki boy. "All of you."
"Old man, Satoshi," Satoru spoke without care nor distaste. "Figure out how to get those pokemon yet?"
"Hush, boy, now isn't the time to be focusing on jokes. We're to welcome your family into the Gojou Clan."
"?" That… Wasn't what he'd expected. 'The hell's the scheme?' The Gojou Head wondered with a soft frown as his group came forward before sitting down.
"The time where you had a child wasn't ever expected," the man began, getting a sweatdropping Satoru in response.
'He basically just said they expected to be a virgin for all my life,' which was a painful thing to get 'hit' with, especially by your family. "That so?" Satoru asked as Katajou sat in his lap. "Well~ I proved ya wrong, here's one of my little queens," he said smugly.
There were more murmurs as Iori held Jouji with a smile.
"Katajou and Jouji are their names, white and black, specifically," she declared proudly.
"And their godfather," Naruto put forward proudly. "That makes me the godfather of two pairs of twins," he chuckled. "Life's crazy like that."
"You mean Principal Yaga," a woman said from the side.
"It sounds like trouble," a man spoke.
"I thought he was powerless," one of the kids asked.
"Not really, I've always had 'power', this is just the add-on," Naruto declared solidly.
"That's not what my grandfather says."
"Your gramps is an old fogie."
"R-Rude!" Said old man uttered as Naruto chuckled.
"Look, the point is, you guys didn't have much to say to me before," the Positive-user began. "It's really no skin off my nose, I found my Precious People without caring about the Clan's authority besides aniki's. So, I'd ask, what's this about?"
"Hmph," Satoshi frowned deeply. "You've taken in the Zenin Clan's likeness, not just once but thrice."
"... You mean learning from Toji-sensei and marrying Tsumiki and Mai. Okay, so, say that I did, what's the issue?"
"Any child you bear with them will come between our clan-"
"Oh no, we already agreed about 'em going into the Uzumaki Clan."
The silence that followed confound the old man as Satoru snickered while Minato chuckled.
"We can't say our lives were all sunshine and rainbows but picking the Zenin Clan as an 'adoptive clan' isn't as nice-looking as you think," the married-in Uzumaki said.
"Outside of, what, considering Old Man Nao as their great gramps and Megumi as their uncle, that's about it," Naruto said. "Oh, Ranta's pretty cool, too, so I don't think I mind him and Maki's already a pre-made aunt so that's good. Besides those guys, there's no one else."
Silence reigned even during his little monologue.
"What I'm saying is that there's not much to worry about Zenin Clan-wise," Naruto nipped that in the bud.
It wasn't wrong to say he didn't like how the Zenin ran things so he'd do what made those around him he considered precious happy.
And Mai had already told him.
"M-Mrs. Uzumaki is fine," the Zenin blushed as she brushed some of her bangs back, surprising him.
"Well… I mean, I get it," Naruto said after some thought as Tsumiki fiddled with her fingers on his other side as the trio sat on the roof edge of Kyoto's school building. "That thing with your old man from 'That Day' didn't paint a great image," he frowned. "Still, ya know, you're fine with 'Uzumaki' despite the whole 'Gojou' part of it?"
"I really don't care about the history of ghosts as you like to call it," Mai shook her head.
"Hmm, Tsu-chan? What about you?"
"I… I want to keep my last name," Tsumiki admitted bashfully. "Just to remember dad and make Megumi feel welcome, ya know?"
"Hey, it's not like I'm against it, sensei was rough but he was cool. I was sure we'd have to, like, come up with an entirely new last name," Naruto said with a cupped chin as both young women perked up.
"Wait, like what?"
"Good question," Mai looked intrigued. "Whoa, w-what if we came up with something?!"
"Hehe~ I think that'd be cool but, like, what?" Naruto asked. "I'd want it to be something that'd rep us, ya know? If it comes down to it, it's gotta be something that we're all cool with."
"Hmm, I mean, I like Jujutsu, it's something we all have in common," Tsumiki admitted sheepishly. "Still, that's kinda hard regardless."
"Zettai?" Mai offered.
"Ryoiki?" Naruto tossed out.
Tsumiki cupped her chin before giggling. "We could go with 'Saiko'," she smiled.
Tsumiki really had a 'funny bone' at times.
"H-How?" Someone asked.
"You've been rather cordial with Naobito Zenin," Satoshi observed as Naruto raised a brow.
"You're seriously… Look, whoever I decide to be friends with, whoever I decide is worth my time, is how I decide. I'll live my life by just seeing what comes, whoever's in it doesn't auto-decide what I'll do later. I'll make decisions based on what's best, that's it."
There were murmurs around the room as Satoru nodded proudly.
"Well said, cuz," the Gojou Head grinned as Jouji and Katajou made 'impressed' sounds. "See?!"
Naruto laughed.
Satoshi cupped his chin, long beard stroked in thought. "So, what is the delivery estimate on children?" He asked with interest as the blonde froze, cheeks bright red.
"That didn't last long," Kushina shook her head as Minato couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "He doesn't get to 'reign supreme' for very long, I noticed, I think the universe is balancing him out."
Iori wore an embarrassed smile as Naruto sputtered.
"L-Look, this thing barely started. We're trying to make sure we're all fine with it," he told the Gojou Elder.
"Have you three not known one another for a good 8 years?"
"T-That's not the point, old man," the blonde Gojou groaned. "Look… S-Sadly, we've only got til the end of the year, question mark?" Naruto blinked. "I don't know… Wait, right, what was the wording on that? Oh, crap, no, it's Mai-chan's Vow I gotta worry about."
"To have a child before she's 17 would assume it means the baby is born," Iori did the math. "She turns 17 in January 2018, the 20th specifically, so nine months before that, with an extra for some possible worries, would mean in March, maybe later February."
Naruto blushed but looked down in thought. "It's 8 months away," he'd not been thinking about it.
He'd been getting into the groove of 'boyfriend' and was enjoying that while helping out 'others'.
"As a guy dating her sister," Naruto began as Rika sat beside him. "I think she does, Rika-chan."
The Special Grade Curse sat there, the two watching the sunset.
"Am I selfish?" She asked him.
"A little," he replied honestly. "But like we say all the time, you've seriously mellowed out, Rika. You've been all kinds of funny and 'fun' to be around, things are going great," Naruto grinned.
"B-But 'forever'... I don't know if I'll be around forever."
"Rika?"
"One day, I don't know b-but Yuta's… Y-Yuta needs to step out on his own," she quaked, the slits in her face releasing not angry, not pained, but truthful tears. "I love him with all my heart, I do, but like this?" Rika whispered, looking at her hands. "Naruto-kun… I-I figured out something."
"What?" Naruto asked, expression kind and soft.
"I didn't curse Yuta," his eyes widened as she looked down. "He… H-He cursed me."
The silence was damning as his head turned to see her nod.
"H-How?"
"It's said often, he has an amazing amount of cursed energy but it's POWERFUL. We're linked but he still has his own separate amount, it's incredible and it affected mine, not the other way around."
Her words left him stunned as he tried to understand it before he released a breath.
"He's strong, he doesn't need me."
"I think you're wrong on that," he whispered as she looked down. "Yuta's gotten better, he's apologized, and he's happy to work with you, Rika-chan. I think that while his heart is growing bigger, it has always loved you."
She trembled with more tears as he held her shoulder before his eyes widened.
"And," he continued with a grin, confusing her. "Rika-chan? Maybe you're right about one thing," Naruto chuckled. "Perhaps it time for your life as a CURSED Spirit to be a past chapter of you."
She froze, jaw dropping, an eye popping into existence to widened, as Naruto grinned in determination.
"You remember that Curse I told you about? That one like nature? I think that you having a powerful identity will make it so you can become an amazing Blessed Spirit. You've grown, you're a better lady," he chuckled. "Perhaps it's time to look into making you into someone who can step past the 'negative' parts of your life."
"B-B-But what'd happen if we did it?!" She asked with hope flooding her words. "A-And even then, it'd not change anything!"
"Actually, I might be able to do something," Naruto realized, alarming her further. "I think I need to regain that last power, Rika-chan, but I'm already able to give back limbs," his grin was bright, powerful, and grand. "In fact, after the Goodwill Event, let's talk to everyone about, potentially, helping make you a person again."
The Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Riko Orimoto, broke down in hope.
His eyes gleamed, that powerful Mandala within burning bright as the air filled with his presence.
The swirl of trees, crispness of air, and shifting flow in energy stunned all in attendance as a pair of wood-like horns formed atop his noggin as he grinned.
"Hehe, don't worry about all of that stuff, I'll figure it out," the blonde said with a grin as his Positive Energy… Soared. "Huh?" He blinked at the feeling, form glowing he looked at his hand. "Huh."
"Son?" Kushina asked, confused. "What's all this about?"
"Well, I don't know? I was thinking about a promise I made to Rika," he declared with all his heart and his energy surged. "Oh, is that how it works?" His eyes softened as his tail glowed a soft gold. "So, that's how my Black Flashes work," Naruto grinned sheepishly.
And confusing the ever-loving hell out of the others.
"H-Huh?" Iori looked alarmed. "Y-You 'hit a Black Flash'?" How?!
Black Flashes were a curious term/technique/concept.
It was a moment, a miniscule impossibly TINY moment, where one's cursed energy hit at the same time as a strike. It wasn't the same as coating one's body in cursed energy and attacking.
It was the very use on contact, that one-millioneth of a second 'intuition' that made someone not just hit harder but also grow exponentially.
And he was saying he'd just… Her eyes widened.
"It's likely not just that," Minato smiled proudly. "You are someone who desires to help others, you grow as you do," he said with pride. "And I think your powers are slowly unfurling the more you hit your Black Flashes. I think I understand, as you approach new ways to use or consider your powers, they grow exponentially. A forest, a person, a Curse," Naruto's grin told him he was right about what he was thinking about. "Hmm, I wonder… If you figured out Domain Expansion in such a way that it was to the benefit of a higher concept, would you not regain your last Technique?"
"Huh?" Naruto asked as his horns smoothed out into his hair, acting as another 'pair of spikes' that were nearly seamless in design. "What'd ya mean, dad?"
"He means, unlike cursed energy which, in a proper way, is brought to its best by negativity, your powers are completely Reversed, cuz," Satoru grinned as Katajou pat her knees happily. "Your powers grow by actually exploring how they help people.
Naruto wore a sheepish grin as the Gojou Clan looked at him like he was an enigma.
"Hey, that's fine by me-dattebayo," the Bestial Sorcerer declared with a thumbs-up. "In fact, it makes it more important to always help out my pals, it's just second nature to me," Naruto said proudly.
~NRK~
The following day, his changes were noted.
"Huh?" Mai sat on his back as Naruto kept away from the branch. "These feel like wood, Naru," she told him while rubbing one.
"Well, I feel it like normal," Naruto chuckled as he kept going.
"Guys!" Kasumi called up to them, the two looking up to see her upside-down grin. "It's movie night!"
They nodded before Mai released her 'hold' on Naruto's back before righting herself to land on her feet.
The upside-down-push-up blonde released and used his empowered tail to swing him over to them.
They walked and chatted, making it past a clearing before Naruto stopped the girls.
"Huh?" Mai blinked before he grinned with a finger to his lips and pointed at something to their side, his eyes glowing bright. "?" She did and enhanced her eyesight.
When she did… Mai's jaw dropped at an embarrassed Yuta talking to a confused Maki.
"W-Wait!" She whispered in shock and disbelief as Kasumi saw it and they rushed to hide in some bushes. "Shh!"
"What's this about?" Maki asked him, her new Blessed Katana resting across her back.
As time moved on, Naruto learned to make more Blessed Weapons or 'Pure Weapons' as the teens had coined it.
Yuta minded one of the two katanas on his waist before nodding, his cheeks glowing bright red as he turned to face her.
This woman who he'd begun having feelings for.
"I-I know, um, usually we're just training with our Pures," he began as she nodded with a grin, eyes bereft of her glasses so he could see the true spectacle of those emeralds of hers. "... W-What I mean is that I know I'm taking up your time," Yuta said. "I just thought it'd be the right time to make this happen."
"What?" Maki asked even as her heart quaked at 'something' she was hesitant to pick up on. 'Calm down, i-it's totally not…' She tried to tell herself.
"Watching you has been, like, a pastime," Yuta began awkwardly as she 'Haa?'-ed at him. "N-No, wait, um! I mean, like, o-observing how you workout?" He added before his face hit new reds that hers copied. "T-That's not what I'm-"
She gripped his top, held him close, and locked gaze with her fellow embarrassed.
"S-Stop beating around the fucking bush," she declared at him as the air stopped, the trees growing silent, and their own hearts beating down their hands. "You're better than that, we all know it so… S-So just be honest."
"I like you," he said immediately as her face hit the complete 'red'. "I-I seriously like you, l-like a lot," Yuta admitted as she hiccuped.
No, that wasn't a metaphorical term for 'messed up', no Maki Zenin had hiccuped in the face of his confession.
She covered her face, releasing him, only for her eyes to widen as he stepped closer with more conviction.
"I-Idiot, b-back up!"
"I know b-but if I do I'll just clam up!"
They froze, her breath freezing in her throat as he blushed while looking down a bit to see her eyes.
"I like you, Maki-chan."
There was silence as they stood in that damnable embarrassment.
She gripped his top again as he grew nervous-
The lips that found his made his brain stop.
The feeling had never been something he'd expected, how could it be? He'd only liked one girl and she'd died before that even found a 'conclusion'.
The feeling was like juicy fruits, sweet fruits, fruits that made you want to eat them because they felt amazing.
How was he supposed to think about kissing when, up to this point, he'd been focusing on training, fighting supernatural beings, and facing his past by trying to be a better person?
He leaned into it as one of his hands rigidly held her waist.
Figuring out that someone liked her wasn't new for Maki, sadly. 'Sadly' because, usually, that wasn't someone she'd ever wanted to even think about as a romantic.
Their lips parted.
She'd been called 'buxom', 'full-bodied', and 'curvy' by individuals who saw her as nothing more than a 'tool'. A 'machine' meant to serve them, their wants, and desires like she was literally something to be 'used'.
Their eyes met.
So, for those two, this 'moment' was confusing and something they'd never expected.
"I-I-It was nice!" Yuta declared awkwardly as he covered his face while Maki burned like a damn kettle.
"I-Idiot, t-there's no need to, like, fucking r-review it," she stammered as she slammed her hands into her face.
Naruto snickered from beneath the bushes as Mai's eyes gleamed at the teasing opportunity while Kasumi's eyes wobbled in joy for her friends.
"U-Uh," where did he go from here?
Yuta had never given a love confession before! He only knew of his friends' own and had never seen it in-person!
Did he ask her out on a date? Maybe exchange SMS? Wait, they lived in the same school.
He mentally searched for answers before shakily holding up his sword.
"Train?" He asked, all his hopes on the line.
Maki peeked through her hands to see it before nodding mutely, the two quickly shuffling away out of the clearing to find a spot for… That.
Naruto grinned happily for them.
He seriously hoped for his friends' happiness, no matter what turns they'd take.
~NRK Out~