Gotta say, glad people enjoyed this one!
So to thank you for that, here's a second chapter for ya!
She could hardly fathom how this morning had started.
It began just like any other. She woke up the witch and put her to work. Her hotel was to be immaculate at all times. If she could get away with working all hours without pay…
However, she knew the little witch wouldn't be enough, so she also had to tidy up—at least until more of her morning staff came in early this morning. Overtime was not cheap… Perhaps another trip to the orphanage was due.
The little witch was starting to get rebellious. She wondered if it had anything to do with Rhodes taking a shine to her… If that was the case… She would take care of the issue.
Her daughters soon woke after the staff had arrived, and she assigned them to managerial tasks. Only the best for her children. She refused to allow her darlings to stain their beautiful features… Especially during such a festival! They had to look their best, just in case!
So her rage was unyielding upon seeing Driza's tears and the painful blisters on her buttocks. A wild animal attack in her hotel! Oh, she bet that little witch had let it in. She would make her suffer for this!
With furious haste, she marched toward the East Hall, eyes glinting maliciously. But she quickly put on a faux smile upon seeing one of her valued customers emerge from the hallway. "Ah, Lady Uzumaki! I hope you had a wonderful night's rest! Please be careful this morning. My daughter came to inform…"
"Of the rabid fox? Yes, I'm aware of it, Madame Tremaine." Kushina stated flatly, repressing the amusement she wished to display upon seeing the terrified look on the Madame's face. "My son heard a scream and went to investigate. Found the thing pinning in that lovely young lady in the basement before disposing of it."
"Rabid?" The Madame's skin drained of all pigment, and Kushina only nodded her affirmation.
"I would say it is highly likely. Even if it was frightened by being trapped and was accidentally provoked, I dare say it would have been so aggressive. It would have only attempted to bite in self-defense before attempting to flee. That poor young girl was in tears and calling for help."
Briefly squinting at hearing what had happened to Cinder, Madame perfectly played the role of loving caretaker, expressing extensive concern. "Oh, the dear must be petrified! It must have gone after her after it bit my poor Driza! Thank Oum for your strapping boy for dealing with it! If he requires anything, do let me know…"
"Actually," Kushina's lips quivered as she played the woman. "I think there is something he does want. You see, the festival has begun and there is a dance tonight… I dare say he needs a date."
"Oh?" Madame stood straight, her eyes glimmering.
She knew who Kushina was. This woman was one of the most famous Huntresses in all of Remnant and, in some cases, infamous. She had earned the Red-Hot Devil for her explosive temper, which was only second to her skill in combat.
She was widely considered one of the top Huntsman, let alone Huntress, in the world.
Then there was her son, who had been gaining attention recently. He had attended all four regions' local youth tournaments this past year… And decisively won all four.
The apple didn't fall far from the tree… And if she could have one of her daughters claim this apple… They would be set for life.
"Is that so?" Madame hid her devious thoughts behind a wide smile. "Oh, I can arrange something. I'm sure Ana or Driza would love to attend the dance with him! Make a date of it… After, of course, getting Driza her shot from that vicious cur."
Refraining from snarling, Kushina kept her temper in check. She hadn't even mentioned the poor girl once yet… And she had told her she had been attacked and possibly could have been bitten!
She was starting to believe the rumors…
"While I'm sure they are lovely, that wasn't who I was referring to," Kushina replied, looking back into the hallway. "I've noticed he's been flirting with the young hostess and maid that works here… Ms. Fall, I believe?"
Madame's expression began to fade, and she steeled herself while, internally, a rage burned in her belly. The witch had been flirting with one of her customers? She would reprimand her later…
"Ms. Fall, you say?" Madame pursed her lips thoughtfully. "She has quite a busy day ahead of her, and I'm strapped for staffing already due to the festival…"
"Is that so?" Kushina let her disappointment roll off her tongue. "I understand staffing pressures during such events, but you couldn't afford to let her off for a day? I swore I heard other hostesses and maids mentioning they were taking the day off…"
Madame was unable to repress her frown. She had called her on her bluff. Suppose trying to pull the rug beneath a Huntress of her caliber would be far more complex.
"No, I can give her the day off if she really wants it," Madame sighed, glowering internally at the prospect. "But she must finish her morning duties… And I fear I won't be back in time to help prepare her for the dance. Driza requires some medical attention, I'm afraid…"
"Oh, I can more than assist with that." Kushina's eyes gleamed as she peeled away the woman's layers bit by bit, showing just who she was before glancing back into the hallway. "And Naruto is already helping take care of her duties… Should be done any minute now…"
"What?!" Madame's eyes flickered and moved toward the hallway. There was no way they were almost finished…
She could never finish that early! The tasks she had given her would take her until lunch!
Madame's eyes shimmered, observing dozens of blonde teenagers rushing through the hallway, helping clean in various ways and helping make rooms as clients began to wake. Her eyes shimmered with spite as she focused on a single person, managing the control chaos.
Cinder Fall.
It had been so long since she could attend a festival. The atmosphere was feverous, and excitement was palpable. There were so many people wandering the streets and checking out the stalls and shops.
Her excitement shone through. It had been so long since Cinder had enjoyed such festivities. The last time she could recall taking part…
Was when the orphanage matron gave everyone a budget and let the children run through the city in groups, usually headed by the older, more responsible children.
Cinder glowered at the memories. How she wished that responsibility had fallen on her shoulders instead of…
"So, anything catch your eye?" The voice of her date resonated.
She was shaken out of her thoughts, her fiery gaze shifting to Naruto. She couldn't help but stare at him in wonder. This still didn't feel real…
"Mah, cut it out…" Naruto withered under her piercing gaze. "I don't know what's around or what to do outside of checking out the stands. …Kinda hoping you could show me around?"
"I… Don't know either." Cinder depressingly hung her head after flinching. "I… Don't get out much."
Or at all. She bitterly added mentally as her jaw clenched tightly.
Naruto temporarily scowled before a dazzling smile replaced it. "Well, guess we're in the same boat then! Let's just hit up everything and see if there's something ya wanna do!"
Despite her dour thoughts, Cinder smiled softly. She wasn't sure what it was, but his attitude was so bubbly and bright… It just brought a smile to her face.
"I'm okay with anything," Cinder replied, her amber eyes gazing intensely into his. "You don't have to do that. We could do whatever you want."
"That's not what a date is about! I'm supposed to be taking you to where you wanna go!" Naruto vehemently shook his head before grinning. "Besides, I'm doing what I want! I get to hang out with a pretty girl!"
Cinder's cheek flushed a deep crimson. She rapidly tucked her head away, gazing at her shoes as they walked. He thought she was pretty?! What did she do? What could she say?!
"Huh…" Naruto pursed his lips, pausing for a moment at Cinder's interaction. "I usually get punched in the arm when I make comments like that…"
"Why would someone do that?!" Cinder croaked, her face as red as a cherry.
"I dunno. Just what Ilia does back home." Naruto sheepishly shrugged as he pocketed his hands. "And my bud Adam usually tells me off and calls me an idiot."
Lifting her head, a sad frown crossed Cinder's face. Ilia… That name sounded familiar…
Her eyes widened. She knew an Ilia! She had come into the orphanage just before Madame adopted her!
Cinder mused, wondering if it was the same person he was talking about before her face fell. If it was…
"Oh…" Cinder lowered her head, painfully biting her lip. "So you have a girlfriend then…"
"Ah, hell nah!" Naruto waved his hands furiously and shook his head. "No, no, no! Ilia would kick my ass if she heard someone say something like that! She's just one of my best buds back home!"
Watching his frantic reaction, a bemused smirk graced her lips. Such a boisterous reaction to a simple question was amusing. But furthermore, giving his expression…
"Oh, so, there isn't anyone?" Cinder's eyes sparkled as Naruto squinted.
"I just said no!" Naruto curbed the growl building, glaring at Cinder with indignation.
Her eyes flickered like flames as she met his gaze. Perfect. That's what she wanted to hear…
She would accept nothing less.
"It's so good to see you, Kushina." A dark-skinned woman with peculiar darker patches of skin adorning her visible skin, much like stripes, embraced Kushina. "We don't get to talk very often anymore! It's a shame."
Kushina's lips quivered at the greeting, her tail swishing behind as she let out a light chuckle as they separated from their embrace. "It's good to see you too, Sienna… It's been a long road trip this last year."
"Yes, it has." Sienna beckoned for Kushina to take a seat while she sat comfortably on a large red velvet sofa. "How is Naruto, by the way? I've only heard about his exploits while you have been on this trip. That marvelous boy of yours has taken the world by storm. First person to win all four regions in a single year… Ah, how the petty humans must be losing their minds that a Faunus was the first to achieve such a feat."
"Hehe, that's my boy… Not that it was a challenge for him." Kushina remarked before sighing at how easily Naruto handled the competition.
They were meant to be training exercises. To show him the flaws and weaknesses he had… Instead, he was as talented as his father and wiped the floor with everyone. At least in a fight…
He unfortunately inherited her lack of patience and desire to study… Which was none…
"So I heard." Sienna's ears flicked, and she let out a raucous laugh. "Still, after his dominance, each tournament is now setting a rule that only those with residences in their Kingdom can compete, which is a testament in itself. I wonder if they would have done the same if a human child had done the same…"
Kushina was only able to shrug. By purely a competitive stance, she could see their reasoning… But it would not surprise her if racial inequality factored into it.
But pleasantries were now over as Sienna exhaled softly. "Kushina, as I'm sure you are aware, a change is coming in leadership soon… High Leader Belladonna has had enough of the turbulence and is beginning to take measures to step down within the next two to three years."
Clicking her tongue in her mouth, Kushina's violet eyes dilate. With a light scoff, she growled. "So the radicals are getting their way…"
"The movement has surged to greater popularity, and certain factions have already begun to take measures in their own hands. …High Leader Belladonna, on several instances, has already had to apologize for these rogues." Sienna lightly hissed, a bitter taste left in her mouth. "It's only weakened his position in the Fang, I'm afraid…"
"Don't act like we aren't acting on our own, Khan." Kushina scowled at Sienna, crossing her arms over her bust.
"Yes, and he is aware of what we do. He doesn't like it, but it's not something he actively dissuades." Sienna responded calmly. "We may seek to harm through discrediting and blackmailing Anti-Faunus activists, but to push for another Faunus War actively? …We both don't want that."
Kushina's expression did not alter, and instead, she clicked her tongue once more in annoyance. She wasn't wrong… She had seen enough war. It didn't serve anyone in the end. It only inflicted more pain…
"So why did you call me? I already knew all this. And I just infiltrated the Glass Unicorn. It's gonna take a little time before I have enough on Madame that will be useful." Kushina retorted, her tail twitching behind her in her seat.
Softly exhaling, a sober Sienna winced before steeling her gaze. "As you know, I am an obvious front-runner to take the mantle from Ghira… But with this division in the ranks, more will be needed to keep the White Fang stable."
"I'm going to appease their desires to keep the White Fang whole and keep them under control," Sienna announced, locking her gaze with Kushina. "We have always had a similar view of things… It's why we work well with one another."
"I wish to ask you to continue to show your support and stand at my side."
What in the world just happened?
All she wanted was that fluffy white bunny at one of the game stalls where she had to knock down all the bottles. Naruto had paid to let her take a shot at it, but they wouldn't fall!
She knew she had hit them several times! They wiggled but didn't fall! Her throw wasn't that weak!
Rhodes always complimented her on her swing and accuracy!
But after her failure, Naruto had taken over, irritated at the vendor. What happened next…
Was that he threw the ball and shattered the bottles and threw it through the back of the stall.
They technically did fall; they were just scattered in pieces, so they earned the grand prize despite the abject horror of the stall owner. How she loved glass. The fragility of it yet how sturdy it could be.
…How it reflected the environment around it.
Cinder beamed, her arms filled with several large plushes. She never could have dreamed of this! And now…
She giggled, watching as vendors shrunk in their presence. A wicked smirk graced her lips as they approached one they hadn't been to yet. And Cinder's amber eyes gleamed with malicious joy. She could get used to this feeling.
If he were staying, she would have to ask if he could teach her a few things. Oh, she wanted to learn just how he could create an air of dread with just a smile!
Her eyes focused on a single object within the stall. Her eyes sparkled brilliantly. A glass bracelet? How she loved glass…
Naruto followed Cinder's gaze, and with a grin, he turned to the terrified vendor. "How much for a game?"
"Ah, ring toss is a hundred Lien a pop." The man grimaced at the arrival of the destroyer of carnival games, seeing the prize they were fixated on. "That one in particular takes five rings to hit the center bottle to win…"
"Got it! Five hundred!" Naruto held out a white Lien and handed it over to the vendor, taking the rings from the man, weighing a single one in his right hand, and squinting at his target. "Now, watch and learn! Ain't no one better than Naruto Uzumaki!"
With five straight flicks of his wrist, the metallic rings looped and rattled around the center bottle before coming to a rest. The vendor just stared, awestruck at the feat, as Naruto sheepishly grinned and scratched the back of his neck. "Hehe! Told ya! Now gimmie that bracelet!"
"Yes, sir!" The man bowed respectfully despite wearing a grimace as the young man easily disposed of their games, taking down the glass bracelet and offering it to a bemused Cinder. "Here you are, young lady."
Amber eyes dazzled, allowing Naruto to free her hands of her plushes to take the bracelet, admiring the intricate designs. Carefully sliding it on her left wrist, Cinder gleamed as she held it up to the sun, letting the light glint like a fire within.
Beautiful.
"Uh, so that's what ya like." Naruto laughed, watching as Cinder's expression had only brightened through their run through the stalls. "Got it! Know what to get ya in the future!"
Cinder's eyes sparkled. Future? Oh, he shouldn't say such things! This was too much for her already!
"So this is what you two have been up to while I've been gone. Oh, you both are so adorable!" Kushina's voice remarked.
"Ah! Your back!" Naruto jumped before balancing all the plushes in a single arm to point at his mother. "Stop that, would ya!"
"Ah, can't a mother embarrass her son?!" Kushina whined, faux tears trailing down her cheeks, much to Naruto's chagrin. "I've waited so long for this! I will not be denied!"
As Naruto blanched with a disgusted face from his mother's attitude, Kushina's eyes intently turned to the second half of the couple. But instead of a smile, she lightly scowled.
She's still in her uniform? Didn't she have something else to wear?
Kushina repressed a snarl. Softening her gaze, she spoke what was on her mind. "Dear, why are you still in your uniform? Don't get me wrong, I prefer comfort, as you can see… But I wouldn't wear my work clothes to a dance!"
Cinder grimaced at the question. A sensation of guilt washed over her as she hung her head. She wanted to wear something nice…
"All I have are my uniforms." Cinder glumly stared at her feet and the weathered tennis shoes that were a size too small.
Kushina couldn't refrain from glowering. Thankfully, she didn't have to express her outrage and could cover it up.
Her son was a fantastic cover.
"Say what now?!" Naruto squinted before giving his date a concerned look.
Cinder winced. She shouldn't have said the truth. It was only going to get her into more trouble later… When the Madame confronted her…
"Well, now that won't do." Kushina chirped, wrapping her arm around the shoulders of a startled Cinder before glaring at Naruto. "You should have asked her before ya left with her, dattebane! Letting a girl go out on a date like this! Shame on you!"
"Don't point the finger at me!" Naruto barked and scowled. "How was I supposed to know?!"
"Bah, still have much to learn!" Kushina waved off her son before looking down at a horrified Cinder. "Now, I gotta steal her momentarily and take her out shopping!"
"Can't attend a dance without a nice dress!"
Sounds of clamorous excitement waned in the distance. The lights of the street lights glimmered, glistening the sweat dripping from her skin.
Her lungs felt like they were on fire! But not unpleasantly…
No, she had enjoyed this night. She had never experienced anything like it before. She would cherish it forever… Nothing could take it away from her.
Not even the Madame.
Her red dress hung tightly to her figure, the golden linings glittering in the street light. She didn't care if the hem of the dress was several inches above her knees! It felt just right!
And the black-heeled slippers were just perfect! …Even if she struggled walking in them half the night.
Her dance partner more than made for her lack of mobility. She didn't even care if her feet would be blistered this morning!
It was more than worth it!
Amber eyes vividly shone in the night, staring up into his chiseled yet strangely marked cheeks while resting her head on his shoulder. What could she even say? Do? Tonight was so…
It was beyond any word she could fathom.
"Thank you…" Cinder softly spoke, smothering his shoulder as she leaned into him.
"For what?" Naruto grinned, looking down and peering into her intensely burning gaze. "I should be thanking you! Haven't had time to have a fun night like this in a long, long time… If ever, really. It's nice to take a moment and relax on occasion."
Her eyes shimmered. If he only knew…
Cinder sharply shrieked, feeling his arm around her waist tightly, pulling her tightly to him. She stared up into his face, alarmed at the situation. Was he…
Why was his face so stern?
"Who's there?!" Naruto growled, his eyes gleaming in the darkness and piercing into the darkness of a nearby alley. "You've been following us some time since we left the party! Show yourself!"
Cinder's eyes flickered in horror. They were being followed? No, no, no… Did she upset the Madame that much?
This night had been such a dream until now… Why was it turning like this? Couldn't she, for once…
"I was hoping to do this without her present." A voice she was all too familiar with resonated in the darkness, and a figure emerged from the darkness.
A tall man with graying hair slicked back except for a long, dark, and lengthy set of bangs trailing down the left side of his face stepped forward, his brown eyes piercing into Naruto's. His gaze shifted to her, and a weak sigh left his lips. "Cinder, if you could head back… I'm gonna talk to the kid here…"
"No…" Cinder's eyes quivered, further pressing herself into Naruto's embrace while furiously shaking her head.
"Rhodes, please…"
Again, I appreciate everyone that enjoying the story so far!
Your feedback made it much easier to come back and I thank you for that!
While I do write for myself, just hearing back from you guys means the world!
So if you have a moment of time, I'd love to hear what ya got to say!
But until next time,
Peace.