A/N: Revised: 10/14/2023

"We can't beat the toads by ourselves. Let's recruit more party members."

Kazuma told Aqua with a serious expression.

After a second attempt at fighting the giant toads for their kill quest, the two went back to the guild to come up with a better strategy. They had three days to kill five toads, and they only killed one toad because Naruto had knocked it out.

—Kazuma had gone back and finished the job while Naruto was waiting for them at the adventurer's guild.

Gaining a third party member was the obvious choice to overcome this obstacle.

"Leave it to me! If I make the request, people will be lining up to join us because I'm an Arch Priest! We're in high demand, you know?"

Aqua claimed and rushed off to gather the materials needed to make a request form.

'Should I really leave it to that girl…? Meh, it's only a party invitation. Even Aqua should be able to at least do a simple task like that.'

Kazuma thought with a short nod. It was better for Aqua, who held a higher class than him, to make the invitation anyway. Because who would want to join a party with someone who held the weakest job?

While Kazuma was reassuring himself, the guild doors opened, and he saw a gloomy teenage boy with his head drooped slowly walk inside.

'Naruto? What's wrong with him?'

Kazuma thought when Aqua suddenly slammed her hands onto their table, shocking the teen.

"Kazuma! I've really outdone myself this time! Just wait, people will be lining up outside the door to join my party!"

"When did this become your party? By the way, you seem awfully excited about this. What happened to the whiny girl that wanted nothing more than to go home? But whatever. Why don't we just ask Naruto to join us?"

Kazuma retorted before making the obvious suggestion.

Inviting Naruto into the party should have been a no-brainer. Kazuma couldn't exactly say they were friends because they'd only had two conversations, but the guy did save Aqua. Since Naruto had a gift from the gods, it was safe to assume he was strong.

Plus, there were rumors going around that Naruto was a solo hunter. So that meant he wasn't already in a party.

"Eh? But I already went to the trouble of making that invitation form… We should wait to see who answers to my call."

Aqua said with a shrug and drank from her cup, which prompted Kazuma to raise an eyebrow.

"That's a surprise, I thought you would be all for asking Naruto to join us. You like him, don't you?"

"!"

Aqua spewed the contents of her drink into Kazuma's face.

Ew.

"W-who likes who!? How could a goddess such as myself fall for a mortal? If anything, I'm sure Naruto has fallen head over heels over my beauty!"

Aqua stated confidently and gestured to herself while Kazuma grumpily wiped his face with a napkin.

"Don't give me that crap! When Naruto saved you from being eaten by that toad yesterday, you completely broke character saying "T-thank you for saving me" all shy and cutesy like a heroine in a girl meets boy manga!"

Kazuma fired back with an exaggerated imitation of Aqua's voice, causing the girl's face to burn bright red.

"Girl meets boy!?"

Aqua screeched in disbelief.

While the two continued to argue, Naruto dragged his feet to the reception desks. He was too engrossed in his thoughts to hear what they were saying.

'Ramen… No more ramen… Ramen…'

Naruto continuously thought until he stopped at the desk and leaned onto the counter, tapping the bell to call Luna over.

Upon seeing the shinobi when she walked over to the receptionist counter, Luna's eyes flashed with concern. Which was only natural given the state Naruto was in. The boy looked like he hadn't slept in days, which didn't make any sense since she saw him just yesterday. His typically cheerful eyes looked dead on the inside as if he had seen the depths of hell.

"U-um… I was wondering why you didn't show up at the usual time this morning, what happened? You look awful…"

Luna asked, her concern written all over her normally professional features.

Naruto strained a smile.

"Do you know what ramen is?"

"Ramen? No, I'm sorry…"

"That's okay… It's a food from my country. But no one knows what it is, much less how to make it. I spent half of my savings on ingredients to try and make it myself last night and this morning, but all my attempts were so bad that I threw up five times doing taste tests. One was so bad I even passed out…"

"I-I see…"

Luna responded and smiled bitterly. This was a little concerning. No, it was more than a little concerning. Naruto was always bright and full of energy, even after completing hard and tedious durian quests. Just what was this ramen stuff to him that it put him in such a state?

While the receptionist tried to think of a solution, Naruto sighed. Wiz closed the shop for the day because she was going to visit some magic item maker she had mentioned, so Naruto had used that time to search for any leads on ramen. This was the last place in town he could think of that might have his favorite food or at least someone who knew of it.

Not being able to stand seeing the normally energetic Naruto like this anymore, Luna put on a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry I can't be of much help in that regard, but might I suggest learning the Cooking skill from a local chef? You can improve your cooking skills the more you level it up..."

The receptionist suggested, and the boy's face suddenly lit up again.

"That's it! Of course I have no other choice than to just make it myself! I'll learn the Cooking skill later, but first I need to regain the funds I lost… Hook me up with another quest, Luna-chan!"

"O-okay! There have been sightings of a Rookie Killer a couple miles north of town, but it's in the mountains, and the terrain is volatile…"

Surprised by the sudden change of emotion, Luna blurted out a random quest off the top of her head.

"I'll take it! In the mountains to the north, right? I'll hurry up and be back by tonight!"

Luna's eyes widened when Naruto made such a ridiculous claim.

"Tonight!? It almost takes an entire day to get there by foot, and hunting a rookie killer is no joking matter! Even with your high stats, it's still dangerous! I highly suggest forming a party for this quest, Naruto-san!"

"No way! If I form a party then I'll have to split the reward, right? I need all the money I can get for ingredients to make my ramen! Understand? Good. See ya later Luna-chan, and thanks for the advice!"

Naruto explained before he turned around and left, leaving the very confused receptionist behind.

Snapping out if her stupor, Luna ran after the teen. She knew Naruto wasn't going to back down so she would help him out the only way she could: By giving him information!

"Wait! At least take this! It's a book containing information on the monsters around this part of the kingdom."

Stopping at the guild's entrance, Naruto turned back and accepted the offered book. Flipping through the pages, he stopped when he saw a familiar man-eating plant. There was an entire page of information regarding the Venus-Fly traps, and Naruto assumed the book also contained information on the Rookie Killer.

Naruto sent Luna a flat look.

"This would have been useful yesterday…"

"New members usually form parties with experienced adventurers and learn about the monsters from them. But since you've been solo hunting this entire time…"

Luna trailed off and made an apologetic hand gesture.

Naruto sighed and waved the apology off.

"It's okay, I already have experience with giant monsters anyway. Those Venus-fly traps were nothing compared to some of the beasts I've seen."

As Naruto left while laughing heartily, Luna found herself wondering just what kind of country the boy was from. With that blonde hair and blue eyes, she had guessed he was of nobility at first. But the boy's mannerisms were a little...

Just as Naruto was about to open the guild doors and leave, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Hey, Naruto! Hang on a second!"

Turning around, Naruto found Kazuma and Aqua walking up to him. Kazuma was waving at him while Aqua was looking away for some reason. Perhaps they got into an argument?

"Hey guys, what are you doing here? I thought you would already be continuing your quest by now?"

"We were, but the quest we took is a little rough for just the two of us, so we're recruiting more members… Would you like to join our party?"

Kazuma asked while averting his gaze awkwardly. It killed him to have to ask his kohai for assistance, but he was left with few options. Still, he'd rather swallow his pride than be consumed by giant toads.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly before they went back to normal. Forming a party with these two sounded like fun, but Naruto had already taken a quest from Luna, and he really needed funds for his ramen.

"Sorry, but I already took a quest for today and was just about to head out. Maybe next time though!"

"A-ah, I see… Guess there's no helping it."

Kazuma said and rubbed the back of his head. He was just rejected by his kohai…

No, it was only natural for someone powerful to reject a party invitation from amateurs like them. They would probably just hold Naruto back in his quests.

Kohai? Kazuma felt stupid for thinking that he was this man's superior for even a second.

Naruto may be new to this world just like him, but if what the blonde had said about coming from a ninja village was true, then he was no amateur.

It was then Aqua stepped forward and looked Naruto straight in the eye, flustering the boy and causing him to unconsciously take a step back.

"I guess I have no choice! Naruto, will you join my party to defeat the giant toads-"

"Uh… No. Why would Aqua asking this time change my answer?"

"!"

Naruto's words fell on Aqua like a cement block, and she dropped to her hands and knees from the weight of his rejection.

"N-no… I guess it wouldn't…"

'She got rejected too… Poor fellow.'

Kazuma thought and stifled his laughter when Aqua started mumbling to herself.

Oh well, this outcome was to be expected. It's not like they were friends with Naruto anyway, and they still had their party invitation on the board.

Aqua sprung back up with teary eyes.

"Why!? I was the one who asked this time, so you should have instantly changed your mind and accepted! Apologize! Apologize for declining a request from a goddess!"

"W-what!? But I already said I accepted another quest… Returning it would be rude!"

Naruto responded while putting his hands up in defense. He felt bad about rejecting their offer, but what was this girl going on about? Actually, was this girl really a goddess? She had the same holy aura as Eris, but she sure wasn't acting like her…

"Well, I'm sorry I can't join you guys this time. But I gotta leave now if I wanna complete my quest by tonight. See ya!"

"Ah! He ran away! Wait!"

Aqua demanded in a failed attempt to stop the fleeing blonde, but he was long gone.

"My charms as a goddess had no effect…"

Aqua mumbled and visibly deflated.

"There there."

Kazuma patted the girl on the shoulder, only to jolt when she suddenly sprang back up.

"No! It's impossible for my divine charms to fail! He's probably just shy! Yeah, that's it! Poor man, he couldn't muster the courage to be in the same party as the beautiful and kind Arch Priest Aqua-sama!"

Aqua boasted while shaking her head.

…But wasn't it the other way around? Just how self-absorbed could this woman be?

These were the thoughts in Kazuma's mind as he continued to listen to Aqua's little rant. He hoped the person that responded to their party invite wasn't as troublesome as this girl.

A Few Hours Later…

"Well, that might have been overkill…"

Naruto said as he leapt through the trees in the direction of the town. With a bit of hustling, he managed to get to the mountainous region in just a couple hours.

A day's trip by foot in a few short hours was nothing for the son of The Yellow Flash!

Finding the target had been simple enough too. The book stated Rookie Killers herded mobs of Goblins or other weak monsters to lure in newbie adventurers, then attacked the unsuspecting prey. Hence the name 'Rookie' Killer.

After finding a group of Goblins in the mountains, Naruto killed a few to draw out the Rookie Killer. When the beast finally showed up and attacked him, Naruto sent it hurdling off the cliffside with a single Rasengan. Even the massive feline was no match for gravity.

It was nice that he didn't even need anything extra to prove that he killed the beast. He simply needed to show the guild members the recent kills on his adventurer's card and they'd hand over the reward money. He didn't know how it worked, but magic was convenient!

Jumping from branch to branch, Naruto was nearing the town when he suddenly heard a shout.

Coming to a stop, Naruto scanned the area for the owner of the voice. He eventually found a woman with long blonde hair clad in heavy silver armor facing off against a Silver Wolf. She wielded a broad two-handed sword tightly in her hands as she kept her distance from the growling beast.

This woman was obviously an adventurer.

Naruto debated whether or not to jump in and help. Since this woman was an adventurer, she was likely out here training. He didn't want to steal away her experience points by killing the wolf.

Deciding to wait and see how things played out, Naruto leaned against the tree and watched. If the woman needed help, then he would jump in.

The Silver Wolf decided to attack and rushed in to bite, prompting the knight slide her foot back in preparation to slash-

Swoosh!

Naruto raised his eyebrows when he heard the sound of the two-handed sword cut through the air. To be able to swing a sword of that size with that much speed was impressive.

The wolf managed to avoid the blade and pounced for another attack.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Ching!

. . .

"Argh! My sword got stuck! Ah! D-don't come near me with those beastly eyes!"

Naruto sweatdropped as he watched the scene before him unfold. The woman had missed another couple swings before lodging her sword into a nearby tree.

Naruto was no expert in kenjutsu, but even he could tell this woman had no swordsmanship. He must have been distracted by the speed she was swinging the sword to not notice at first.

The wolf began to close in on the girl who had yet to pull her sword from the tree, so Naruto decided to move out.

"No! Stay back you foul beast! Damn it! If only my sword hadn't gotten stuck, then I could have avoided being ravaged by this beast!"

'…What?'

Naruto thought as he landed on top of the Silver Wolf's head, killing it instantly. He then looked up at the girl who had just braced herself to be attacked and found that she was smiling.

The female knight opened her eyes when the attack never came and found the shinobi staring at her.

The atmosphere suddenly growing awkward, Naruto scratched his cheek.

"U-um… Were you smiling just now?"

"No, I wasn't."

The woman denied.

Naruto sent his fellow blonde a flat look and pressed on.

"Yes, you were. I saw you smiling when I jumped in."

"I was in quite a pinch there, so thank you for helping me. Who knows what might have happened if you hadn't been around."

The knight said and grabbed onto her sword with both hands.

'She changed the subject…'

Naruto thought with a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek as the woman finally pried the weapon from the tree with seemingly minimal effort.

Was that sword actually stuck?

"I was on my way back from a quest when I heard you shouting. Were you out here training? Sorry if I took your kill."

"Yes, I was training with a friend. We were supposed to be heading back to the adventurer's guild when we got separated, and I was attacked by that Silver Wolf. My name is Darkness. What is your name?"

"My name is Naruto… Are you a beginner adventurer too?"

Naruto asked the now named Darkness while eying the woman's sword.

Darkness seemed to have noticed his stares and blushed.

"Yes... Although I am ashamed to say, my swordplay is close to nonexistent… But my defense is second to none! I hold the holy vanguard job of Crusader!"

The knight sheepishly explained before boasting proudly about her defenses.

'Ah, so I was spot on…'

Naruto thought as Darkness rambled on about her resistances. She seemed like a nice girl, but there was something off about that smile Naruto saw earlier.

Who smiled when they were about to be attacked by a wolf? Did she have a secret plan that he hadn't notice?

Deciding it would be better not to delve on it, Naruto angled himself towards the town.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Darkness. But I gotta get back to the guild and turn in my quest."

"Ah, yes of course! S-sorry for keeping you for so long! Perhaps we'll see each other at the guild?"

Darkness stuttered and tapped her fingers together nervously.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at this. Why was she nervous? Was this girl not used to talking to other people? This must be what people called an uncivilized person.

Putting on a cheeky grin, Naruto gave the girl a thumbs up.

"Sure! If you see me, just give me a shout! See ya Darkness!"

Naruto said and took off towards the town to surprise a certain receptionist with his record timing once again.

Darkness watched the friendly shinobi until he was out of sight.

"Naruto, huh? What a nice person…"

. . .

"How disappointing! He didn't even ask for anything in return for saving me! The least he could have done was ask for money, to which I would say: "But I don't have any money... Is there was any other way I could pay you back?" to which he would look at my body with lecherous eyes and say: "How about you pay me back with that slutty body of yours?". But that man didn't so much as look at my breasts!"

Darkness yelled with a dangerous smile plastered all over her face, panting a few times between sentences.

It was then she heard someone cough.

Whirling around, she blushed furiously when she saw her silver-haired friend staring at her.

"C-Chris!? How much did you hear?"

"All of it. I always knew Darkness was an uncivilized person, but someone you just met? In the middle of the forest?"

"Guh! You're mistaken, and d-don't say it like that!"

Darkness pleaded with teary eyes, and Chris stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Just kidding. So, who was that guy?"

"His name was Naruto… He's an adventurer, like us."

"Naruto… Huh?"

Chris said with a knowing smile.

Noticing the look on her friend's face, Darkness raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know him?"

Chris scratched the scar on her left cheek.

"No… But I've heard a couple rumors floating around town that he's a bit of a player. They say he's always flirting with the head receptionist at the guild, and that he's already seduced the owner of a certain magic item shop."

"I see… But those rumors are surely false. Although I only just met him, that man doesn't seem like the type that shamelessly plays with a woman's heart."

"Oho~? Perhaps Darkness has already fallen prey to 'Naruto the player'?"

Chris cooed and looked at Darkness with a playful smirk, making the female knight blush again.

"O-of course not! How could I fall for someone who only looks me in the eyes?"

'Isn't that a good thing though?'

Chris thought while smiling bitterly as Darkness pouted to herself.

"Anyways, we should start heading b-"

BOOM!

A sudden tremor violently shook the ground, threatening to knock the two off their feet.

"W-w-what was that!?"

"There was an explosion over there..."

Chris noted and pointed towards the town. A large cloud of smoke could be seen just outside of the town's walls.

"…Hey. Wasn't that the direction Naruto went?"

Darkness asked when she realized the explosion was in the same direction the boy had run off to.

The two girls looked at each other and gulped.

Was he okay?

A/N: Next time, a party is formed!

P.S. Review! I wanna know what you thought of the chapter! I also wanna know what direction you would like to see the story to head! ^u^