~NRK~
Finding themselves in the basement-level lab had been quick and curious.
Observing the trio on three gurneys through a human-sized scanner revealed confusing things.
"They've got more stigmatic tissues in those specific spots," Obito observed with a raised brow as Arcadia sat on his shoulders. "I think your effect on them was rather deep but I wonder how," he looked at the embarrassed Chiffon. "I can understand Rana and Amelia but Chiffon had to connect to you on some level."
"It was probably during all the healings," Naruto thought. "I mean, we all know she's not like normal Pandora," he said, minding Menma's ears. "So, what if she was coming around to it because of stuff like that? I've healed Chiffon-chan a LOT more than any other Pandora besides Ran-chan. Maybe that's why?"
"S-She's all glowy," Arcadia pouted atop Obito's head with glowing eyes as he raised a brow before activating his doujutsu.
"Hmm, the energy in Chiffon's body is half-similar to Rana and Amelia's own, Arcadia has a point, your energy flow is a good bit stronger besides your open Limiter," Obito explained. "But the new gathering of tissues near your tailbone makes this amusing in a lot of ways."
"I wonder if we, too, will gain animal parts," Chiffon considered with a pout. "Still, all three of us are connected, I wonder how that works."
"I mean, yeah, it's gotta be interesting," Naruto said. "But we'll figure that stuff out as it goes, that's usually how it goes for people like us," he added sheepishly. "So, let's focus on previous ideas."
~NRK~
Amelia, Naruto, Scarlett, and Obito rolled Luke Evans into the medical bay half a day later.
"Alright, Luke," Amelia whispered kind things to the confused young man, Luke blinking in his wheelchair.
"Sis? What's going on?" He asked, completely in English.
"We're all going to do our best to help you," she said with fire in her eyes, the boy's own going wide.
"B-But I thought the operation was expensive!"
"Yes, that operation would be expensive, this is a bit more aligned with 'natural medicine'," Scarlett said in amusement as he blinked.
"Uhhhhhhh."
"No, wait, calm down! It's not weed!"
Watching the siblings have a heated discussion was hilarious as they got into the basement laboratory before setting him up on a scanner.
"Alright, first things first," Obito's Sharingan activated as he held a large notepad in his hands.
What followed was a thirty-minute recreation of the entirety of Luke's body's internals.
It was astonishing to watch Obito recreate such internal bodily details with just those eyes of his, especially when he gave special focus to the nerves and their minutiae.
By the end, he shook his hand as Scarlett looked over four recreated pages of Obito's work.
"W-What the hell kind of eyesight do you have?!" She gawked at him. "Y-You can see on a cellular level?" No wonder Gengo had snatched this one up!
Had she known about all that Obito Uchiha was, she'd have grabbed him, too!
"Yes. Now, Naruto, could you gather the flow of energy in Luke's body?" Obito asked.
"Gotcha," the blonde answered as he closed his eyes and his field spread out. "Hmm," he walked up to the boy. "One second, Luke."
Naruto tapped each part of the boy's damaged system, the front of his noggin, the side of his nape, the tops of his shoulders, stomach, his thighs near his knees, and then his ankles.
"Yep, those parts are all messed up," Naruto explained as he opened his toad-like eyes, shocking Luke. "The energy in them is just releasing all over, barely any of it's connecting properly."
"Alright, let's do this."
Thirty minutes later, Luke released a joyful sob as Amelia helped him walk slowly.
It barely lasted long enough for him to go ten feet before they embraced and cried in one another's arms.
"Hehe~ I'm glad," Naruto said as Obito nodded, Scarlett looking awed by their work. "Alright, ma'am, let's get your legs working," he declared to the bashful woman.
~NRK~
An hour later, a tired Naruto rested in the backyard with Kushina, Minato, and Menma.
"Ya did good, my boy," Kushina smiled as they all laid down by the lake. "I think you just keep proving why those gals like ya so much."
Naruto blushed before folding his arms behind his head. "I just wanna help people," he said.
"Yep, and it always proves how amazing of a person you are," Minato chuckled as his oldest blushed brighter. "Now, as for women, you'd best try your best. That will probably solve any relationship problems."
"W-What's that mean, dad?"
"Yeah!" Menma asked. "W'ats it mean?"
"It means he does his 'Naruto-level' best," Minato laughed as the fox teen thought it over.
"I… I guess so," he said.
"Now, let's start from the top~ What's your first idea?" Kushina asked with wonder in her eyes.
"Oh, man."
~NRK~
Meanwhile, with the 'harem', many of the women sat with them.
"What in the world have you done to him?" Su-Na asked with flat eyes. "Surely, there's some stigmatic mystery involved."
"I-It just happened!" Amelia burned while Rana laughed without a care.
Lucy observed her embarrassed sibling's unrepentant grin and just the feeling of joy coming off of her. "..." What was this feeling?
She was happy, she was sure, for Chiffon finding something more within their humanity that she'd get something as precious as 'love'.
'Odd, I feel heated,' was she sexually aroused by this prospect?
She'd never even considered 'sex' as an idea, it wasn't something Lucy had really thought of seeing as her focus was on things that were beyond most humans' scope.
Or was that how Chiffon attained this facet? Did Naruto Uzumaki's otherworldly nature just 'push the envelope' as some humans put it?
'I'm confused,' Lucy grew a bit flustered.
"It's about understanding," Rana declared confidently as Stella released a weak giggle. "It's honestly nothing new for me."
"I just can't wrap my head around it," Kushina said sheepishly. "I mean, with clones, it's understandable-" She began.
"No it isn't," Su-Na huffed.
"-But with just one guy with one pair of hands, you need to understand how that looks."
Did this woman not have a filter?!
Jina blushed before looking sheepish as Amelia burned while Chiffon started laughing.
Rana nodded in a sisterly fashion, which was hilarious by the way, while Maria tilted her head.
"Men are… Grabby," she considered as those who were weak to such jokes exploded while Rana, Chiffon, Kushina, and Jina laughed, Cassandra looking thoughtful.
"Can this be… Taught?" She asked as Su-Na's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Y-Yeah!" Kazuha gasped before clearing her throat at Su-Na's squinting eyes. "Y-You know, for combat reasons!"
"Isn't that convenient?" Su-Na observed as Kushina chuckled knowingly. "Ka-Zu-Ha-SAN."
"I-I've got no idea what you're talking about!"
Maria grew amused as Cassandra's cheeks reddened.
"Just curiosity," the blonde woman said as Satella shot her a shocked look.
"M-Men are a mystery to this day," she whispered in disbelief as Rana snickered.
The men, meanwhile, considered the blonde's situation.
"Seriously, I do wanna do my best but… Ran-chan and me haven't even dated for half a year, I'm worried," Naruto said nervously.
"I'd usually say something like 'just go along with it' but you tripled up on potential worries," Eugene said while drinking some tea from a thermos.
"Y-You're dating three girls?!" Luke shouted as Naruto grew sheepish.
"Um, yeah, well… I-It was their idea," he admitted quickly.
"Wait, when could he speak English?" Gengo asked.
"I helped him out when he and Amelia were sending messages to each other," Minato chuckled. "One day he gets a message he can't read and I did it for him. Then? Well, he couldn't do anything else besides learn English to speak with his new foreign friend."
"Totally," Naruto said immediately in Japanese as the others grew amused. "Amelia-chan needed a friend and I am that friend," he declared as Luke's head tilted. "And now, well, it means more than that. I just gotta prepare for all the eyes that'll be on me after we leave here," he added nervously.
"Ignoring the relationship norms you'd be breaking," Eugene said sheepishly. "The whole ears and tail will, uh, be a bit rough."
"Exactly, and I've tried to get 'em gone, ya know?"
His ears sparked before vanishing, surprising the group before they realized his 'issue'.
"The tail, uh, sadly stays," he told them.
"In the end, it might very well be for the best," Gengo told them all. "Hiding your features would just make the eventual revelation more troublesome."
"Is that how things are going now?" Obito asked in amusement.
"Yep, it's time to start showing off and I think you all could help."
~NRK~
~Two Days Later, Genetics Academy~
Arthur smiled at Genessa and their classmates as they entered the lunch room.
"Hehe~ I guess they're not back yet," Roxanne observed with a wave at a lunch table, several other familiar individuals there. "What's going on?"
"Roxanne-senpai? All of you?" Genessa raised a brow. "What the heck?"
"Trust me, we're surprised."
"It's confusing," Charles said as Citroen smiled.
"She's not wrong, us being here was odd and sudden," he told them as Arthur hummed, several other members of their inner circle converging on the table.
"So, these are the transfers and the top Pandora students in the world," Arnette grinned viciously. "What a curious bunch, aintcha?"
Roxanne smirked smugly, flipping her own red locks. "Yep~ Real top of the line," she declared as lightning flew.
"Seriously?" Abel asked as Reiner shrugged.
"For now, we just know that Dr. Gengo Aoi and Dr. Kamui called us here," he said. "Or, really, Mr. Uchiha," the German whispered.
"Right, no one knew his face," Attia said.
"Well, we know now," Roxanne said as Julia tilted her head at a roll of sushi, taking the entire roll and biting it like a churro in confusion. "And it's not just that~" She grinned as Genessa snickered.
"Oh no, what happened?" Garou asked.
"It's, well, not normal but it's definitely not going to be anything less than 'weird'," Arthur said sheepishly as Shi-Jing nodded.
"Naruto-kun, well, gained some 'power' while we up north," he said with a smile as Charles's eyebrow trembled.
"Is that what we're calling it?" She asked.
"Sadly, it'd be hard to believe without being shown."
Charles grumbled as Citroen smiled for her. "Yeah, yeah, it'd be hard to believe," she said as Elizabeth smiled. "But is he really going to come back to school looking like that?"
"I'd assume so," the Mably woman said.
"Okay, what? Did he become a giant toad or something?" Cleo asked with a raised brow. "You guys keep talking about him like he turned into an alien."
Those who 'knew' stopped, thought it over, and sweatdropped as one.
"Um…"
"Oh no, I didn't like that pause!"
Ingrid crossed her arms in thought, chin in hand, as Leo put down their trays. "If I had to guess, maybe a Freezing-based mutagen of some sort?" She asked.
"Basically," those ones said again as she sweatdropped.
"Are you all doing this on purpos-"
"Yo~." Came the familiar call of one Jina Purpleton, another pack of 'familiar friends' right behind her. "We-Huh, they got here already?" The E-Pandora blinked in surprise at the group, a lightning-shaped mark on her cheek.
The sat-down group's jaws dropped alongside the entirety of the cafeteria as the others arrived on the scene in 'spectacular' fashion.
Because Naruto Uzumaki was now 'up and at 'em'... W-W-WITH CLONES?!
Arthur's jaw dropped in 'horror' as Genessa's eyes gleamed within the shadow of her opportune bangs.
"I sense a disturbance in the force," the Naruto besides Rana's eyes squinted, his tail curling around her side. "Ran-chan, I-I think Genessa's gonna-!"
"Gonna what?~" Genessa asked with a look of 'joy'. "Buddy, buddy, buddy~ You've gotta teach Arthur that move."
The Narutos' jaws dropped as Arthur spat out his last-minute sip of coffee.
"Oh, God, she's somehow worse!"
"Quick, get me out of sight!"
"I don't think that'll work," Chiffon snickered as the Naruto beside her tried to hide. "You're too tall for that," she grinned.
"Dammit, being taller than most of the people I know sucks now," he whined, fox ears flopping down as Amelia's reddened cheeks glowed brighter, her Volt Graph Mark on her neck and cheek in the shape of swirling wind.
"A-Alright, I've got this," she said, the Naruto beside her chuckling nervously as her hand nearly crushed his into oblivion.
"A-Ame-chan, please stop, I don't feel my hand anymore," he said as she took in a deep brea- "O-Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
The others grew amused at their antics as they finally reached 'their' table. "S-So, uh," Kazuya looked sheepish. "We're back with a few surprises," he said as Satella nodded.
"It's certainly never the same with Naruto," she added on.
"H-H-He's cloned himself?!" Arnette shrieked. "... Hey, uh, how strong are they-?"
"My God, Arnette," Ingrid said in disbelief as Leo and Abel laughed while Abebe looked so shocked he forgot his coffee. "For the love of all that is holy, why? Why are you like this?"
"I think that's just her 'mad dog' spirit getting too rowdy," Elizabeth said with composure and calm- "So, this is teachable, correct?" She asked with a professional smile.
Naruto's eyebrow trembled high on his noggin. "All of them," he muttered. "They're ALL lionesses with nothing better to do than pick on us young lions."
"Agreed," Kazuya, Arthur, Mark, Abebe, Garou, Andre, and Shi-Jing chimed in.
"H-Hold on, we're not that weird to you guys!" Roxanne blushed, clearing her throat as she didn't look Shi-Jing in the eye. "Y-Ya know… M-Maybe a little."
"It really is an all-day job sometimes," the Chinese teen rubbed the back of his head. "But most of us know that by now."
Said Pandora blushed before trying to look innocent.
Abebe didn't believe Arnette for a second.
Garou shot Cleo a disbelieving look she burned bashfully at.
Andre wore a calm smile as Elizabeth huffed but didn't deny any part of the claim.
Attia actually smirked as Mark fidgeted with an embarrassed smile.
Arthur didn't give Genessa a single out. "Genessa, no, you can't come back from that," he told her immediately as she sputtered.
"It's truly like nature at work," Rattle said with a cupped chin, eyes alight with intrigue as the others laughed or grew sheepish, a familiar purple-haired doctor coming through with none other than Gengo, Obito, and Su-Na.
"What a way for a reunion to go," the Uchiha said, amused, as he flicked the bottom of his mask to show his grin. "But he's good at easing the air, that's for sure," he added more quietly as the cafeteria grew rowdy with their presence and Naruto's 'everything'. "For now, those women should be here in eight hours. We'll give them a day to adjust, Gengo-hakase."
"They've been set up with room and board already," Su-Na checked her phone, eyes alight with the boarding information of their upcoming 'team'. "To think you'd come up with something so ridiculous," she told Obito with a pout. "Even with that 'childish woman's' help."
"Progress is made with many hands," Obito smiled for her. "Ah, yes, 'Many little hands make small work' or some such."
"Close enough," Gengo said with a smirk. "Howard's already, well, 'occupied' so I'm not worried about him and his madness for a time even if I'm incredibly surprised by Kazuya's choice in women. Then again-"
"We get it, you perverted old man," the two brunettes said in unison as he shrugged with a chuckle.
"Hmph, youngins."
Being out on the field for lunch had Naruto giving the rundown on his 'life'.
The dropped jaws hadn't returned yet as the harem giggled bashfully or grinned shamelessly.
Ticy sputtered as Abel put on some sunglasses just to take them off dramatically.
"My God," he said as half the group choked in laughter at that little act all on its own.
"H-He's certainly good at jokes," Jina grinned beside the chuckling Eugene.
Arnette's jaw still wasn't working. "T-The logistics!" She shouted at Rana.
"I'm surprised you know that word, senpai," the Tibetan said with another shameless grin.
"I'll have you know, Attia has a fun dictionary game app and I have the tenth highest score!"
"Wait, globally or locally?" Shi-Jing asked.
"Globally!"
"Oh, that's actually impressive," he smiled as Roxanne rolled on the grass.
Charles's form trembled in red-faced horror as Cittroen cleared his throat.
"The logistics," they said in horror, their tones far too different in origin.
Horror and awe.
"Look, in the end," Naruto looked sheepish. "I'm trying my best."
"Clearly," those not in the know said.
"Bite me, all of you, because clearly you guys got something to work through."
They shot him looks of disbelief while Genessa laughed.
"For now, I make clones, I have girlfriends, and the whole deal with the tail & ears are here to stay," Naruto summarized. "Congratulations."
"Hmm, he's slowly become more insufferable," Ticy murmured as Abel chuckled.
"Is this his usual?" Kyouichi asked with red cheeks as Cassie chuckled nervously. "I knew some crazy guys who had girls all over them in our branch b-but usually they didn't even notice!"
"... Dammit," Naruto's face fell into his hands as Chiffon grinned.
"Don't worry~ He is one of those people," she said in delight.
"Y-You broke his curse?!" Kyouichi asked in shock and awe.
"I think the outside world's a bit odder than I expected," Chiffon said with a look of wonder on her face, finger on her chin. "Why, to think you have more just like you-"
"Thanks, Chiffon, don't need the 'help'," Naruto dragged his hands down his face. "Ignoring both of you," he stressed as Kyouichi grew sheepish. "Just know, I'm glad to get this all out of the way, I don't need more confusion in my life.
Lucy tapped her lip in thought.
"And this also helps me out by stopping those crazy challenges."
"Challenges?" The group asked as the West Genetics students looked sheepish.
Explaining that, well…
"Hmmmm," Roxanne wore a big terrifying grin. "Ya don't say?"
"Why would you even tell her that?" Shi-Jing asked the others in alarm. "You know how she is."
"No, stop, go back!" Cassie shrieked. "W-What's wrong with the women here?!"
"In his words?" Genessa smirked. "We're all lionesses."
"You gals are," Naruto declared without hesitation as Kaho sweatdropped.
"H-He's been saying that since he arrived," she said sheepishly. "And… Maybe-"
"I'm right-"
"Only sometimes! It's not my fault some of the women here are actually crazy!"
"Oh yeahhhhh," Arnette said in realization. "I forgot about how 'deep' that went."
"You guys have all the fun, don't you?" Reiner looked faint. "H-Half of them were-!"
"Yep," Genessa snickered as Arnette laughed.
"My word."
"I'm thankful most of our schools were mostly normal," Kyouichi said sheepishly.
"Mostly?" Naruto asked as the other Japanese pair blushed.
"W-W-Well, ya know? We had a school-wide underwear stealer… At a couple points."
The women looked horrified.
"Ugh," Reiner groaned as Julia scrunched in on herself. "Well, since we're sharing stories," he muttered. "Our school may have had a dictator-like class president in the senior years who had it out for Julia."
"Huh?" Satella blinked. "W-Wait, what did she do?"
"Change the boy uniform code," he slumped.
"Wait, she what?" Andre tilted his head.
"I get the oddest feeling," Elizabeth raised a brow as the German Set blushed horribly. "This didn't turn out very well."
"L-Look, for what it's worth, it only lasted three months!" Reiner said.
"W-What do you mean THREE MONTHS?! The school year just sta… Oh my God," Arthur said in horror as the other blonde held his face while Citroen chuckled.
"Hmph, all of your 'odd' schools," Charles shook her head while waving a hand about. "France's Genetics are full of distinguished individuals, art, prestige-"
"And a class war," Citroen added sheepishly as she froze.
"C-Citroen, you're not supposed to tell them that!"
"Class war?" Rana hummed. "Is it weird I don't think you're talking about school classes-de arimasu?"
"You'd be right," he chuckled as Arthur and Andre raised some brows. "F-For what it's worth, there were only three humiliation games before Charles brought it to a stop."
"H-Humiliation games?!" Amelia looked pale. 'W-Why are all of these schools so damn weird?!' What had she gotten involved with?! "Is there no normal Genetics school!?"
"Hmph," Roxanne pouted. "Our school year was normal," she groaned as Shi-Jing smiled.
"I'm happy that we lived a normal school life," he told the others.
"What kinda conversation is this?" Attia asked weakly. "Why are all of our schools full of perverts and odd tyrants?"
"Affirmative," Julia muttered as Cassie pouted.
"We don't know," she sighed. "And then there was the 'contest'."
The others blushed at what flowed out of her mouth, Kyouichi looking sheepish.
"H-Hey, I won, at least," he said unsurely.
Watching the group lose it over shared stories had Obito chuckling as he, Gengo, Su-Na, Yu-Mi, Elize, and Margaret left the school yard.
"I'm glad they're getting along," he said, amused, as Gengo nodded.
"They've worked together for a good while," Su-Na declared. "Camaraderie is certainly a good trait to raise between them."
"It's bound to make things interesting," Yu-Mi said while shooting Gengo a look. "Your plan's likely to bring in a lotta scrutiny, especially when news gets out about the E-Pandora's changes."
"This information is rather vital," Margaret said while humming at Obito's shrug.
"We've got the 'story' for it already and Naruto's been incredibly willing, we don't plan on making him any sort of target that he's not involved with," Obito said. "Nothing we can do about his 'new looks', that's sadly not realistic."
"So, we just let things play out," Su-Na added.
~NRK~
Their 2nd Gym Class for the day, well, took a turn.
Naruto sweatdropped at the sight of their Pandora Classmates in the field ahead of him & his Limiter pals, all of them in their gym uniforms.
"Is this, uh, a good idea?" He asked the fellas.
"I think we're in trouble," Kazuya agreed immediately.
"It's fine," Arthur chuckled. "It's not like we're without synergy nor tactics… Just don't let their feet get to your face," he clued in.
"W-Wait, hold on, there's no reason that THAT is going to happen, right?" The fox boy paled.
"Listen, being Genessa's partner has opened my eyes to a lot of how these ladies… Operate. Realistically," he whispered. "Please, just keep your eyes above chest-level at the halfway point."
"W-Why does that keep happening?" Abebe asked with red cheeks as Garou cleared his throat. "I thought those clothes were reinforced."
"What are you talking about?" Kazuya asked nervously.
"Just understand," Andre smiled calmly, casually, and without fanfare. "If you're still a virgin, welcome to the 'opening act' of your love life."
Those who were virgins burned like tomatoes or sputtered in shock.
"W-Wait, what do you mean?!" Naruto asked quietly. "Andre-senpai?!"
"You think those things called 'clothes' are gonna survive?"
Naruto & Kazuya froze, red as blood, before they paled not even a second later. "Oh no," they realized where this was going.
And the 'best' part? The women were already, seemingly, getting agitated.
"I-It's fine!" Satella butt heads with Arnette. "I-It's confidence!"
"So, what's a little bit more skin?" The redhead grinned as the blonde growled.
"T-That's already too much!"
"Why in the world did we get them as teammates?" Charles scoffed.
"Not good at dealing with them, huh?" Attia chuckled.
"God no, look at them jiggling everywhere!"
The other short third-year began to giggle nervously at the 'fire' on display.
"This oughta be fun!" Rana cheered. "Let's make this a competition, Creo-senpai! The most amount of goals-de arimasu!"
"Oh? Out the gate? Well, damn, I'm up for this," Creo grinned. "I better see some damn hustle!"
Cassie pouted on the sidelines with a chuckling Kyouichi. "I wanted to play," she huffed as Chiffon nodded in agreement.
"It's definitely not fair," the Smiling Monster pouted. "But they keep saying 'you're too strong for this', 'don't break our bones', 'Chiffon, this is a game not a match'," she whined as Lucy's head tilted in confusion.
"Mmm, many interesting phrases," she observed as Obito smirked.
"Knowing what I do about Genetics students, the Pandora-side… I hope there aren't any children watching this," he sweatdropped as Su-Na blushed before muttering something. "No, seriously, I get that, Sunali," Obito began to sweat as she blushed. "But there's a limit to the fibers in clothing, God help us hormonal boys."
"W-What?" Luke asked in alarm, one of Obito's hexagons on his noggin.
"Oh damn, I forgot about Luke," the Uchiha wore a weak grin as Minato & Kushina paled behind them. "Um, ahem, you two don't happen to have a blindfold, do you?"
"Alright!" Yu-Mi in coach uniform grinned as she held a ball before putting it at the very center of the field. "Who are our leading pair?!" She asked both sides.
Naruto stepped forward as Arnette did.
"No hard feelings, senpai," he slapped his fist into his palm.
"Oh ho ho, Naru-buddy, you're not beating me here," she grinned excitedly. "Toss it up, coach!"
"Alright! Rules! One, no High End Skills or Absolute Frost Skills!" Yu-Mi told the field. "No use of Freezing on opponents, only one-second Freezing can be done on the ball by a player at any one time, no grappling," Naruto sweatdropped. "No purposeful kicking of your opponents and, for the love of God, please keep your reinforcement up!" Yu-Mi pleaded with both sides.
"Um, we're good?" Shi-Jing said unsurely.
"It's not really directed at US," Andre informed him, confusing the ever-loving hell out of Citroen.
"W-Why?" He asked as Charles's eyes narrowed from across the field. "Ah, I-I sense danger."
"He's a Linker-Type, right," Naruto muttered. "Alright, let's get after it," he grinned as Yu-Mi threw the soccer ball up.
The bright-haired pair's forms were up by it in seconds but Arnette's form turned immediately into.
Advantage!
Naruto's kick missed as she hit it, the ball shooting for his team's goal only for it to suddenly slam into Reiner's, their goalie's, hands.
The German Limiter didn't take a second to take aim and throw it across the field to Shi-Jing.
The Chinese Limiter's chest caught it before he turned-Only to juggle it up and over Genessa's shocked lunge.
"What?!"
He caught the ball with his foot before it snapped to the side as he nervously dodged a glowy-eyed Roxanne.
"Roxy, please, we're in public!" He pleaded as she snickered and blew him a kiss before they rushed for the ball in Citroen's possession.
The Frenchman brought it ahead even as he felt the oncoming 'presences'. 'So many!' He thought as his mind Linked with another's.
He stopped short of rushing Rana, leg reared back as she prepared for it to-Miss?
Her eyes widened in confusion for all of a second before the ball shot past her ear as Arthur slid into a kick.
"U-Uwah?! They're so organized-de arimasu!"
The ball soared before being caught by an upside-down Elizabeth's foot, the blonde third-year righting herself with a kick that sent it into a rushing Amelia's possession.
The American-British Pandora hopped with a kick that sent the ball shooting towards Reiner like a cannon only for it to be pulled down by Kazuya who hopped back as Naruto's foot swung around and slammed into it.
The ball cut past centerfield only for a familiar 'Untouchable' Queen to catch it with her chest.
"That's gotta be a foul!" Naruto barked as Satella sputtered as the ball hit the ground just in time for Shi-Jing to swipe it up.
The inclusion of mental warfare forever changed the game.
"Ooh! He's sneaky!" Creo laughed as she and Arnette rushed the Chinese boy who got tripped up by Charles's stopping, sidestepping, form as she grabbed the ball. "Hit it!"
The Frenchwoman grinned before kicking it high into the sky, just in time for Jina to jump up and kick it towards the Limiters' goal.
"Bring it down!" Minato cheered as the boys did. "YES!"
"Don't let them get away with that!" Obito ordered as the others on the stands laughed at the two's 'encouragement'. "Cut them up, they can't make sharp enough turns!"
The fact they listened only made it more hilarious.
"Use underhandedness! You've got utility, confuse them!"
Just then, Abel grinned as he juggled the ball up in front of Amelia before juking her on her left.
She stumbled as he pulled the ball back to his foot and ran for it.
"Exactly!"
Gengo arrived to this bit of 'fun' not a second later. "The hell's got them all excited?" He asked Su-Na as she chuckled.
"Sports."
"Ah, sports."
And then things got 'interesting'.
Naruto knew something would happen but he'd forgotten it within the depths of his mind, focusing on dodging around Rana and Creo.
So, imagine the three's surprise at a Pandora-side trip-up.
And the fighting that followed.
Naruto's jaw dropped as Creo started to lose it at Charles and Arnette wrestling within the middle of the field.
"You red-haired broom!"
"Shut it, you short rag!"
The heat began to double as Rana cupped her chin.
"I'll be honest, I'm surprised we lasted this long-de arimasu," the Tibetan nodded sagely.
"Um, uh, shouldn't we be stopping this?" Naruto asked.
And then the first 'tear' started, the other members of the Pandora team trying to help before it got worse.
The Limiter side blushed like the boys they were as Roxanne got involved.
Mark fainted not even half a second into it.
"You know, when you consider it, he's probably more sexually active than-" Arthur tried to comment before a bra soared overhead. "... Ya know what?" He smiled.
And fainted.
"Girls, please, think this through!" Naruto begged even as he covered his face with his hands. "Ran-chan, what is even happening?!"
"Hnmm, I think they started with 'hair pulling'," Rana said. "Oh and tearing up clothes!"
Kazuya stumbled over before hiding behind Naruto. "N-Naruto, I think we need to go! Arthur's already down!" He gestured to the unconscious Frenchman he'd dragged to 'safety'.
Amelia shrieked and Naruto, bless his heart, couldn't stop the small opening he'd made in his hands when he hea-Dear God.
His eyes dilated at seeing pink before he vanished with Kazuya & Arthur.
A hell of a day, truly.
~NRK~
~That Night~
"Can we ALL take a minute to even try and process what the hell happened earlier today?" Shi-Jing asked weakly, looking drained as he and his fellow Limiters sat within Naruto's room.
With their entry not being full-finalized yet, the members of the dorms they knew welcomed them into their rooms until that was taken care of.
Arthur with Citroen.
Kazuya and Reiner.
Finally, Naruto and Shi-Jing. And with that sorted out? The boys immediately converged on the blonde's room with food, snacks, drinks, movies, and questions when night landed.
Too many questions, like Shi-Jing.
"I don't know," Naruto said, red-faced like all of the others. "L-Like, that got out of control WAY faster than it should have!"
"It was, like, cool until the clothing hit me in the face," Abel said immediately, embarrassedly, as Leo coughed.
"L-Let's not talk about that, Arnette already grilled me about which BRA I caught," Abebe steamed.
"... Who's did you catch?" Kyouichi asked sheepishly as the others laughed, looked interested, or just blushed. "L-Like, yeah, it happened. So, for now, let's just make fun of the situation, it saves a LOT of time."
"Knowing that this will never leave the room… Kazuya, I'm sorry, but why is Satellizer's bra that big?" Abebe asked the frozen Aoi who sputtered about things before reddening something fierce.
And, well, knowing that this room was solely 'for the boys'...
"H-How big was it?" Kazuya asked. "I'll trade you knowledge on, apparently, someone's size tag."
"I-I kinda fainted but I think I saw a 'E' somewhere."
The younger man's lips puckered inward at the thought alone. "I-I-I… S-Someone in that group is a D, alright?"
Naruto muttered something. "If I had to guess, uh, Creo?" He asked Garou who ruffled his own hair before growing confused.
"Actually, s-she did say that her uniform was getting tighter around the chest area b-but I thought she was just joking to get me to check!" He said before quickly trying to cover for himself with an even MORE absurd line.
The fox's jaw dropped as Leo, Abel, and Mark laughed off to the side.
"Listen, no, it's not… She just does that sometimes, m-maybe, because I'm too focused on some student council work and she says it'll 'keep my mind fresh'."
"Listen, if we're going to start trading stories," Naruto began. "I-I got nothing, virgin central over here."
"Agreed," Kazuya groaned into his hand.
"Take your time, seriously," Citroen said kindly. "Me and Charles waited a literal year until 'our time'."
"Didn't you get Baptized, though?" Shi-Jing asked as the other boy blushed.
"W-Well, we, uh, never went ALL the way but you get it, don't you?"
"Ah," most of the others nodded in understanding as Kazuya wondered where the hell this room's 'intent' was going.
Was it weird he was kinda into this?
"Wait, so, it's not a 'i-instant' thing when you're Baptized, right?" Naruto asked, reliev-
"Oh no, you gotta have the power of a saint to hold off," most of the others said as he squawked.
"GUYS?!"
"It's 'unfortunate'?" Abel considered his own words as Andre chuckled.
"It's basically a hormone overload, quite literally. When you perform a Baptism, it's literally a case where your senses align to the point that you're, well, sensitive. Like, seriously sensitive, and also because the tradition kinda calls for it," he explained as Arthur nodded.
"Anyone who says someone performed a Baptism is basically implying, you know, sex," he added bashfully. "It's normal to assume it went that way, h-hell, we did, remember?" Arthur sweatdropped as Naruto's face went blank.
"Oh," he realized before shaking it off. "Okay, okay, we're grown enough to handle this," Naruto crossed his legs. "So, like, did anyone else wait? Or, really, did you 'survive' your Baptism?"
"I did, kinda," Leo explained sheepishly. "The thing is, Ingrid was quite strict about that but she also believed the 'culture'. She believed that if we did the Baptism, sex followed. And I won't say I wasn't excited but considering all I knew about her up to that point? I told her to really think about if she was 'ready' and we ended up waiting three months to go all the way."
"How do you 'kinda' that?"
"We went the Citroen Path."
Naruto blushed before muttering something and then ruffling his own locks. "S-So, since we're on that," he began as Kazuya perked up.
"W-Wait, right, what's that like?" He asked blatantly.
They were surprised by his interest but powered through.
They were MEN! This was their job for their more inexperienced members!
~NRK~
Meanwhile, in Rana's room…
"T-That can't possibly have been how today went!" Charles slammed her face into a pillow before screaming into its depths.
Roxanne chuckled without a care as she brushed Julia's hair. "I'll have you know that was hilarious," she grinned as the Russian pouted, her cheeks a vermillion shade. "And Julia flashed her cheeky Limiter!"
"?!" The stoic woman's face blazed as Roxanne snickered at her, Rana laughing without care as Amelia looked traumatized.
"W-Why did you do all that?!" She nearly shrieked as Jina blushed a shade similar to the British woman's hair. "Like, there has to be a limit!"
"Hmm, I think it's just how things work at Genetics schools-de arimasu," Rana said with a sagely nod as Chiffon grinned. "Considering our story times, we, uh, know that this stuff is destined to happen."
Those with 'normalcy' paled at her wise words while the more eccentric members grew amused or curious.
"And it's not like it isn't fun! This has been the most exciting year I've ever had!"
"I'd like to live with just the life-threatening monsters," Amelia said with a red face. "Oh God, did Naruto see any of that?" She paled as Jina snorted before laughing while Roxanne smirked.
"Hey, it's not like it's gotta be so worrisome, he's just catching sight of 'the goods' earlier than ever!" She grinned cockily as Elizabeth rolled her eyes, cheeks a powerful red. "Oh, please, queenie, like your boy hasn't seen ya in the buff."
"That's unimportant… Besides, those are for private times," the Mably heiress said without fanfare as Genessa raised a brow at her.
"Elizabeth-senpai, seriously?" She asked.
"Of course, it's literally not like most of the women in this room are any different."
That got some interesting 'thoughts' moving.
"Hmm, I am curious about that," Chiffon said with red cheeks and yet a curious tilt of the head. "I mean, like, is it nerve-wracking?"
"I'm both surprised and not," Creo said before growing flustered. "B-But, yeah, ya know? It's not like you just dive into sex, it's a serious thing. And the less said about the first time, Baptism or not? Ooh buddy."
"W-Wait, it's actually different?!" Satella asked in alarm as Arnette nodded, cheeks red but expression confident.
"Yep, like, make no mistake. Ya learn a LOT about you both when yer in the middle of it. For example, man, I like me some hair-pulling," the speedster answered honestly as the others gawked, some nodded, and then you had Roxanne.
"Oh, nice, I'm more of a biter, myself," the American said causally as Charles sputtered, Julia froze with a red body, and Chiffon?
"Ya know? I always took you as dominatrix," the Smiling Monster observed.
"Honey, let me tell you, Shi-Jing practices Chinese medicine and he can rub those hands. You bet your ass I'm not domming nothing, I'm putty by that point."
"Wait, hmm," Rana cupped her chin. "I wonder if activating my Holy Gates w-will cause something different-de arimasu?" She blushed but grew more and more intrigued by the idea.
"It's crazy how well you're taking this seeing as I'm sure you two haven't done anything yet," Jina said sheepishly. "Um, well, me and Eugie kinda found ourselves doing that… At the Alaskan Base," she added bashfully as Amelia's jaw dropped at her. "I-It just felt right, alright?! His hair's all soft and fluffy, I couldn't help myself!"
"Naruto's is the same, you don't see me jumping his bones outta nowhere!" The E-Pandora Leader exclaimed.
"Wow, hey, sometimes it's just that fast," Roxanne nodded sagely as Chiffon chuckled. "I mean, tell me, oh Smiling Monster, what's your 'limit'? How much 'Naruto' can you really stand before it reaches its climax?"
"R-Roxanne?!" Charles shrieked as Cassie nearly blushed out of existence.
"Hmm," Chiffon considered the question with red cheeks. "That's probably not a long time," she admitted while giggling and holding her cheeks. "This whole thing started because he's too damn interesting for me and he should know better."
"Damn, I get it but man he just seemed to put you into his 'embrace'," Roxanne smirked. "What says you, Rana-gal-pal? You've had him for over 4 months as ya tell us, how's that going?"
Rana blushed before releasing a bit of a laugh. "Well, hmm, maybe another month?" She offered as Satella trembled while Genessa cheered.
"You go GET HIM! Hehehehe~ I bet he's a total lamb! Ya gotta use feminine wiles to coerce," the redheaded German's grin was vicious.
"I think she's getting more fun out of this than you might," Roxanne stage-whispered to the giggling Tibetan. "Still, good for you, me and Shi kinda took almost a whole year," she laughed awkwardly as the whole room turned to her in alarm. "Hey, I'll have you know, I'm a tease but I ain't easy, not like he even tried, it's scary how much power a cute boy has. Now, you, my fellow redheaded American, what's your 'limit'?"
Amelia wheezed, looking embarrassed and horrified to be put on the spot. "I-I never, I-I mean, ya know?" She fidgeted. "I didn't think he was as cute as his letters made him sound~," Amelia whined as Jina laughed herself off the bed. "Friggin, l-look, if I put a 'time' to it… M-Maybe a month?" She whispered.
"I know he's a class act but he sure brings in the 'fun', huh?" Genessa chuckled as Satella paled.
'A-All of them?! Before ME?!' And she hadn't even gotten a SECOND KISS YET?!
"Hehe~ You're thinking about perverted stuff, huh?" Arnette smirked as Satella choked on her breath. "Come on, Ice Queen, it's gotta be putting ideas into your head."
"T-That's not true!" Satella pouted. "I-It's just, erm, h-how long did it take you all for two kisses?" She asked weakly.
They all shot her a look. "Uh, two seconds?" The collective, sans Lucy, said immediately.
The El Bridget froze, jaw dropping in shock.
"Um, yeah, I knew you were totally reserved but ain't that a bit too much?" Arnette asked nervously.
"T-Too reserved?"
"Indeed," Elizabeth flipped her hair, arms crossed. "Come on, Satellizer, I'm sure you've kissed once but I question how that was framed."
"I-I told him to do a Baptism, w-well, one day," Satella answered.
"Hold on, a kiss and no Baptism, fine, but just one?" Creo asked in shock and 'horror' that left the blonde English woman feeling, well, not 'offended' but like she failed somewhere. "Look, me and Garou aren't even all lovey-dovey like that but I've given the guy a kisses in public, like ten by this point, and that doesn't count what goes on behind doors, w-what are you doing?!"
The blonde sputtered as Ingrid cleared her throat.
"PDA isn't discouraged," she framed it as Attia laughed. "Many students do it."
"I-I-I…"
"You gotta just relax," Rana grinned. "It's not like you don't want more kisses."
Satellizer burned up as Cassie chuckled sheepishly.
"I'll be honest, yeah, that comes up often," she added.
"Are you kidding? Not a day has gone by since me and Shi went steady without a kiss three meals a day," Roxanne added as many of the others laughed. "It's like a drug, I swear. A-And have you felt the change when they got all powered-up?"
Suddenly this 'session' turned into a gossiping ring.
"W-Wait, so I wasn't just imagining that?!" Arnette said, shocked. "Have ya done it since? It's like the world has opened up!"
"Hon, I've had, like, three sessions by this point over the past two days. Shi-Jing has never had more stamina than recently and he's just knowing where to 'push'."
The room caught a 'red virus' as many of the others with 'enhanced boyfriends' laughed weakly.
"I, uh, did notice Mark was way more into it lately," Attia said with a flustered smile.
"C-Citroen has never been as 'oppressive' a-as recently," Charles realized with a harsh red line across her nose. 'Especially after we got home,' when she needed to take her mind away from her 'empty' home.
From the entire Alaska trip… And then Citroen decided to become Master of Sex Francoise.
Because they'd done it once, realized how crazy good it'd gotten, a-and found themselves basically screwing for two days.
She'd been drinking a lot of electrolytes recently.
"W-What in the world is this conversation?" Satella blushed out of her mind while Genessa laughed and Rana tapped her chin.
"Hmm, I'll plan appropriately, you gotta approach this with an idea, Satella-chan," she told the English woman with a flustered grin. "Besides, it's part of life-de arimasu."
"Truly?" Lucy asked with squinty eyes.
"Yes," the blueberry considered it. "Not like I'd know, p-personally, but I've always been raised around the 'romance cycle'. It's a big thing in my village, from meeting fated ones to starting a family, it's all just normal."
"Curious," the hidden hybrid looked down. "Family to me is confusing, I am mostly an orphan," she explained to the others, surprising them as Chiffon nodded at the cover story. "I had a sibling but I…" Lucy looked uncomfortable, confusing the sister-in-question. "I may have ruined things with her."
The brunette hybrid perked up, eyes going to Lucy's downtrodden expression before she held her hand with a smile that left her sibling feeling conflicted.
"It is something I don't fully-get."
"It's fine to feel that way," Rana said as Satella looked thoughtful before nodding. "But you should make sure to find her and make amends-de arimasu," she beamed.
Lucy considered the question as Chiffon hummed before smiling.
"Yes, you should," she said, alarming the older hybrid as she grew solemn. "If anything, Lucy, sooner is better than later."
"Even if I have no idea what to say?"
"Especially so."
Lucy tried to understand what was being implied.
"Alright, good to handle her issues," Roxanne beamed as the others chuckle- "Now back to sex!"
The entire room's tilt had her feeling victorious.
~NRK~
The following morning.
"What the hell did they get up to?" Roxanne asked as she started laughing.
Because the boys, as you'd have it, had apparently gone 'crazy'.
And started a band.
And crazy enough? They sounded good.
"Wait, yes, we can do the music thing now!" Rana cheered as Satellizer's dropped jaw hadn't picked itself up at Kazuya, Naruto, Kyouichi, Abel, and Andre on vocals.
Why did they sound GOOD?
But what else would a buncha boys do besides sing rock music?
The gathered crowds of, confusing, women and Pandora.
All of them wearing incredibly-clean suits, bowties, and styled hair.
And then the sweatiness turned a normal day into whatever the hell this was.
{Impossible by Plan B}
Crying and hiding this feeling
Running and fighting for freedom
This is the last time, I'll cry lullabies
All night can't sleep I hear the floors creek
I feel shadows in my room
My friends find another bruise
I'm a end up on the news
I just don't know what to do
God I'm calling you
Send an angel send two
I want a move but I'm trapped in the outer room
I know you hear me clearly I'm weary
Come and fill me with your power heal me
{}
Elizabeth's eyebrow trembled. "So he could sing, all this time, and he never told me?!" She seemed more offended than shocked.
"Is that what we're going with this time?" Creo laughed as Arnette bent over in laughter with Jina.
Amelia, Attia, and Roxanne, meanwhile.
"YES!" The redheads cheered as they zipped into the crowd.
"It's good music, real good music," Attia said with a laugh as she walked after them.
"Hold on, I gotta see this," Arnette grinned as she, Jina, and Creo rushed in. "Ohhhh! I'm getting him for this!"
"Where's the nearest hidden space?!" Jina asked.
"I like where this is going!"
The boys rocked their hearts out on stage before 'Impossible' came to an end before being followed by 'Butter-Fly'.
"Oh my God, Digimon?!"Amelia shrieked.
With Naruto, Kazuya, Arthur, Abel, Abebe, Andre, and Shi-Jing acting on vocals in crazy good harmony, Reiner and Abel messed with drums, Naruto, and Garou, surprisingly, were on guitar, Citroen and Arthur on bass, and the others like Leo, Kyouichi, and Mark also handling effects.
They sang like true rockstars.
And then Naruto hit a solo and Roxanne had to give it to him.
That shit ROCKED.
They ended that song with flair, the screaming all over gaining every available eye within West Genetics.
Like one in-disbelief Margaret, a wheezing Yu-Mi, laughing Elize, and familiar 'Aoi-Uzumaki Group'.
Gengo's snort turned into laughter in an instant while Obito kept chuckling as Su-Na's jaw dropped with Kushina's.
Why?
And then the boys switched it up to 'jazz'.
[Lost in Paradise - Studio Yuraki English Cover]
Gotta get it, homie, gotta move it, uh
If you gonna do it then, take it all and push it, yo
Everybody just talk nobody really do it
Just keep it on the down low until you're getting to it
Gotta tell nobody at all, why you make the call
It's all you, it's time to break the walls
Trick 'em with a fake, for show
Keep it cool, and low, and prove them wrong
I won't give the fight up in my life
'Cause my life is living for love
I won't give the fight up in my life
Standing off and groove on time
Tokyo prison
Going to relight your feelings
When times get too rough, oh yeah
Night and day are fading
Going to relight your feelings
There's no time to explain
[]
They brought God-be-damned trumpets and horns.
This wasn't normal 'boy crazy', this was advanced 'boy crazy'.
Meanwhile, with Chiffon and the others, well…
"SING SOME MORE!" She cheered as Ticy burned.
"T-There's probably more songs!" She said pleadingly.
Satellizer was dazed by everything going on, her eyes locking onto the sweaty Kazuya and his boyish grin as the boys planned their next 'hit'. "H-Huh?" She looked stunned, shaking away her daze and looking embarrassed.
"More singing, Naru-kun!" Rana cheered.
"Oh yeah! We got something fun for the crowd, today!" Naruto announced over a microphone as the crowd went crazy. "We got a hit original last-minute written by yours truly!"
Kushina cheered like the proud mother she was while Lucy's head tilted, cheeks flushed, as the blonde put his guitar down while Andre played them in.
[Fire Within by Divide Music]
I've been wandering in my mind lately
I've been looking for a place to rest my head
For the road that lies ahead
Always fighting for the ones beside me
You can try it, but our hearts are far from dead
You will believe it
[Verse 1]
I look at fear in the eye, yes, we've met before
Stirring every lie, someone's at the door
You keep walking the line, eyes stuck to the floor
Nothing wrong in my mind, I've always wanted more
I've been walking on coals hot for my whole life
Gotten battered and bruised just to get it right
Climbing every hill top through pain and strife
But when my summit is reached, I'll be out of sight
[Pre-Chorus]
(I see the writing on the walls)
[Chorus]
And I'll keep holding on, holding on
Building the life that I've been dreaming of
Holding on, carry my heart to the end
And they'll see who was wrong, who was wrong
When I have reached the heights I'm scaling
I'll rise above, stowing the fire within
[Verse 2]
I saw the sign
I was waiting for
Your peace, your tribe
Asking for a war
Stay imprisoned by short sighted vision
Your heartless disposition's been walking you for far too long
When you listen, you look for acquisitions
No care for inhibitions, the difference between right and wrong
No apologies given, I'm gonna send 'em high
How your stories are driven, no more than empty lies
Flowing poison has risen above your rising tides
You could never see further than what's inside your eyes
[Chorus]
And I'll keep holding on, holding on
Building the life that I've been dreaming of
Holding on, carry my heart to the end
And they'll see who was wrong, who was wrong
When I have reached the heights I'm scaling
I'll rise above, stowing the fire within
[Post-Chorus]
Stowing the fire within
Stowing the fire within
Stowing the fire within
Stowing the fire within
[Outro]
Stowing the fire within
[]
Good God the women could get loud thought one Scarlett Ohara who arrived with Luke and the other E-Pandora, took one look at what the hell was happening, and wondered if she should have woken up on the 'good' side of the bed that day.
"The hell is all of this?" She asked the amused adults as Lucy vanished into the crowd at some point.
"Hilarious," Obito answered with a smirk as she rolled her eyes at him.
"Thanks for the input, doctor."
"It's just boys being boys, quite literally in this case," Gengo smirked.
"My God, you're serious?" Scarlett looked terrified as the E-Pandora lost it at what was going on.
The boys went all-out and it showed.
Naruto laughed with several of the other boys, the group drinking water, trading jokes, or just reiterating how this entire bit of 'madness' got started to their Pandora.
"Y-You guys sang," Satella told Kazuya like she'd seen God on a drum solo. "K-Kazu?!"
It all felt outrageous.
"It's just how things went." he said with a bashful laugh. "We, uh, talked about stuff that led into more relationship talk before Citroen told us about how music worked for Charles-senpai. From there? We kinda just saw what we were working with and grabbed stuff from the music club's classroom."
"It was awesome," Naruto snickered as Amelia came down from her music high while Chiffon grinned and Rana kept laughing. "Trust us, we didn't know what we were doing until we started Image Training to do our music stuff."
"You used a highly efficient training regimen to learn how to play music?" Scarlett asked.
"Yep!"
The lavender-haired woman's brain looked like it was barely working.
"Continue."
"It was just how it happened! First, we began seeing what each of us could do," Kyouichi smiled as Cassie shot him a pout he chuckled at. "Come on, it wasn't like you didn't know I could sing."
She blushed. "T-That's besides the point! I was confused by how you just played rock music without knowing any of the songs!"
"It's part of our synchronicity," Andre smiled as Elizabeth sat in his lap with a pointed look at him like he'd done something wrong. "It worked great."
"We're noticing," the Mably student said with a raised brow. "In fact, you'll be used to your full ability from now on."
"Oh, there's the caveat."
"I don't know what you could possibly be talking about."
"Ya rocked, it was amazing," Arnette pat Abebe on his back.
"It was fun, especially because we ordered some Lupi Kowak before we played! I felt so energetic!" The coffee-lover beamed as she gasped.
"G-Give me some!"
"We've got extra in the boy's dorms, we'll get some after we're done resting."
"You guys seriously bonded," Creo said in shock as Garou looked sheepish. "Garou, I've never seen you rip bass like that, how have you not won any of your competitions?"
"It's different when I'm playing with comrades and not alone," he admitted. "After all, I'm sharing the burden of embarrassment."
"God, your stage fright sucks."
"Noted."
"You definitely made it a spectacle," Charles said with red cheeks, heart rate finally dying down even half an hour later as Citroen smiled knowingly. "Q-Quiet, you know how I am with good music!"
"I do, that's another reason to do this, I wanna see how long it takes your Volt Textures to ccalm down," he beamed brightly as she burned a similar amount.
"T-Troen?!"
"It's fine, it's cute."
"..." Julia shot Reiner the biggest of pouts as he looked away nervously.
"A-Affirmative, I will make sure you know next time," he cleared his throat.
Roxanne was cheesing ear-to-ear in her Limiter's lap as Shi-Jing settled his chin on her shoulder. "I think you guys have to do this at least once a month, w-we're pleading over here!" She declared.
"Guys?" He laughed.
"Sure," the collective answered.
~NRK~
~Ten Hours Later~
After much ribbing, laughing, and fun, four Narutos rested in their room with their girlfriends.
And one of said girlfriends' sister, surprisingly, not that he thought too much of it.
Lucy slept beside a Naruto clone on the foxy blonde's new giant 'Royalty-Sized' bed against a wall-side corner.
Naruto and Amelia slept with the latter atop the former in his arms, sat-up against the headrest with the redhead in-between the blonde's legs.
Naruto and Chiffon slept side-by-side, noggins pressed against one another's as their hands intertwined.
And the real Naruto with Rana held her close under his chin, the Tibetan giggling in his grasp at their shared thoughts.
All of them, actually, were talking with 'their Naruto' at the moment.
'So, that is coming up,' Amelia told Naruto as she held his hands around her stomach, leaning back against him. 'Thoughts? If the improved Valkyrie Project gets started, we'll likely become the center of attention.'
'You're thinking about how I changed you ladies, huh?' Naruto thought back as she nodded. 'I sadly don't got an answer, this time, but I'm gonna support you all as much as I can,' he explained as she smiled. 'Besides, you know Gengo's gonna get all the heat. I'm more worried about how Obito, Kazuya, and Scarlett-hakase will take it.'
'We know they're all strong and have protection, we just have to do our part.'
'Yep.'
She beamed.
'Curious,' Lucy thought to the Uzumaki, laying her head on his shoulder. 'This scenario, these connections, what urged you forward to make them?' She asked him.
'It's not like I made these connections for any real reason, Lucy-nee, I made them because they needed me and I wanted to help them,' Naruto told her. 'If you need help, anytime, let me know, alright?'
Lucy's brows furrowed before she released something confusing.
Something left her heart and she melted against his side.
'Maybe it's just me but I kinda notice you guys, you and your dad, always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders,' Naruto thought softly. 'What is it that's got you guys so tense?'
'Former visions, visions where… Where the world can't make it,' she revealed, forehead pressing to his shoulder as he frowned. 'But you changed it.'
He stared at her as she lifted her head and locked eyes with him.
'The future is no longer certain by my mother's connection to the Will, we all can't see what will become of humanity anymore,' she told him. 'Now, the Will has offered you some manner of olive branch, it offered you tools to, perhaps, find 'something'. This was never apart of humanity's history.'
Naruto considered her words of confusion and anxiety.
'This has never happened, I-I feel uncertain.'
'I'm sorry you feel that way, I didn't know it affected you so deeply,' Naruto told her while pulling her in close by the waist. 'I want to solve all of this, ya know? Humanity's suffering, you are suffering, because we don't know what we did wrong. We want to be done with this whole thing just as much as you all want to know the future is safe.'
Lucy nodded against his side, nuzzling his neck as she hugged his side with unsure fingers.
He let her be, Naruto simply focusing on emanating as much warmth and energy that he could.
Lucy ignored the rise in her Soul Energy, her focus solely on falling asleep.
'Thanks, I think Lucy needed some time to relax,' Chiffon told Naruto, smiling as he chuckled.
'It's your family and she's someone who needed some help, I don't mind,' he told her as she hummed loudly.
'Thoughts on what's coming tomorrow? At present, Chevaliar hasn't even had a chance to say anything about your everything right now. The announcement of Mark Spencer taking the fall for the Alaska Base is one thing but even Commander Radox is under scrutiny.'
'It's pretty weird, I mean, he had nothing to do with it besides green-lighting the project, yeah? How is it his fault someone went crazy with power?'
'Your kindness aside, it's simply about responsibility, Naruto-kun. Someone has to 'explain' things and then somehow take responsibility for them,' Chiffon shrugged. 'There's really nothing more to that.'
'I guess, I just hope only those responsible are given the third-degree. You shouldn't be blamed for something like that if you literally had no idea.'
She rolled against him, back to his chest, as Naruto held her waist and they got comfy.
'You're being weird again~.'
'You're damn right. Now, with this whole reveal over with… Wait, crap, we won't have any downtime for a bit, huh?'
'Probably not, I mean, the Valkyries have to be helped into effect, our upcoming Team has to be set-up, you're still gonna have to deal with your extra parts being under scrutiny, and then we have to work on bringing those two up alongside, ya know, Alaska.'
'Finally gonna do that, yeah, that makes sense. But I think that'll just be me taking some more heat,' Naruto said while pressing his head to the back of Chiffon's hair as she released a pleased sound. 'Your mom should get to walk around, even if I'm sure we all know she's gonna be at Gengo-jiji's side like sticky on sushi rice,' they snickered at that. 'But Kazu deserves to chill with his sis, too, openly. Not just that but Yu-Mi-sensei and Elize-sensei were friends with her and I'm sure Kazu-nee would like to see her pals again.'
'Seriously, it's like you just do it without thinking,' Chiffon said in awe.
'It's how I function.'
'In-deed.'
Rana smiled warmly as Naruto wore a flustered smile.
'It's comforting,' the Tibetan told him as his countenance softened, the two closing their eyes and just living in that atmosphere.
Of love, budding feelings, growing connections, and promise.
'It's seriously gonna be a wild ride with you girls, I'm looking forward to it,' Naruto grinned as Rana reciprocated. 'Ran-chan.'
'And we're gonna have all kinds of fun and memories, Na-Ru-Kun,' she shot back as they laughed a bit. 'Honestly, though, you have stuff to do now.'
'Yep, that bit in Alaska… I think I'm gonna need all of your help with it,' he told her. 'I half-get what the Will wanted, Ran-chan, it wanted me to, weirdly? Make a Nova?'
She blinked owlishly. 'Uhhh, why-de arimasu?'
'Don't know, Gengo-jiji says I heard half of a super-important message but because of everything? I didn't hear the actual reasoning and I think the same, it's stupid what Mark messed with but, in a weird way, we'd not know any of this if I wasn't put into that situation. I just don't know how to feel about it.'
'I'd feel angry.'
'Yep, and I'm glad you gals do that for me. Right now, I can't forget the whole thing but I gotta focus on what's next, like us and getting more folks into place.'
'Your Pandora Suits will now be used by the E-Pandora, your family got a little army!' Rana realized.
'H-Hey, hold on, let's not get crazy,' Naruto said nervously.
'Hmm, you have a point, besides, it's more like Gengo-hakase plus your family got an army.'
'Ran-chan.'
'Naru-kun?'
She parted from him to shot him a raised brow as he grew more and more nervous.
'Didn't Ohara-hakase tell you that she had you to thank? Didn't Gengo-san literally tell you to take control overseeing them?' Rana told him.
'Oh God, he did,' Naruto remembered weakly. 'Oh damn, that's not gonna look great, huh?'
'P-Politics are neither of our strong suit.'
That was definitely true.
'We should talk with Chiffon-nee & Ame-chan about it in the morning.'
'Agreed-de arimasu.'
They snuggled back in.
For now, that was all for tomorrow.
~NRK~
~Chevalier Hidden Lab~
Radox observed the nine Maria Lancelot clones.
"What to do with these…" Honestly, he did have ideas, so many ideas.
But one idea he had would have at least one of these clones fully in-tact.
"I'm sick and tired of not knowing," he told the chosen clone.
She wore a small, growing, grin as the growing cracks at the edges of her lips told him.
This one, this clone, had been different from the others. Something that likely had occurred with her that neither Scarlett nor Mark had understood.
Making perfect copies of Maria Lancelot was likely nearly impossible, the fact that Scarlett had done so nine times was truly incredible.
But, surely, one would stand out.
"Tell me, Mary," Radox spoke to the aware copy. "What's really going on?"
"Do you really want to know~?" She beamed. "Raddo?"
"Yes," he didn't care about her growing ability to speak.
Her enhancing ego, her monstrous expressions, nor her ability to 'reach him' from within her reinforced tank.
All he wanted were answers.
"Very well~," she held out her hands towards him, hands forming a circle on the glass.
The liquid she was in froze, turning from liquid to a solid.
And within that frozen liquid, Radox's eyes widened at visions reflecting off the frosty surface.
Of the world at large being against such an unrelenting force that they'd not known. Of humanity being on a timer.
But then it ended not even a two years into the future, leaving him anxious.
"What happens?! Mary?! What happens afterward?! If he makes a Nova built from his very being, what comes next?!" Radox banged on her glass.
The Maria clone's visage faded into view beside the blurry vision, her bar-like pupil throbbing and burning bright against the black sclera of her gaze.
Radox flinched, stepping back from the grinning monster with sweat falling down his brow.
"I could show you," she hissed out as her frozen pod glimmered.
The other copied followed her whim and slowly glowed before shrinking.
Radox's eyes went to them before they widened in shock.
And AWE.
Awe at those three-feet-long stigmata. At those odd star-shaped cores that emanated a greater source of power than anything they'd ever produced.
Then Chevalier would ever produce.
"The power to change the f'ture is in your hands," the beastly clone told him, face darkening within the frozen gel.
And allowing that monstrous smile of hers to shine through.
"All you need to do is let give me what I wa't~," she spoke in that same learning tone.
Radox's eyes snapped to hers. "..." He hesitated.
The idea was not to let another damn Nova survive, it'd be one thing to usurp Gengo.
It was another be the start of arma-fucking-geddeon.
But… "And what is that?" The man asked. "I'm sure you understand our 'situation', I'm also sure that you know what'll happen to you if you decide to try and fight us here. This lab is underneath 5000 feet worth of concrete, metal, and stone, you kill me? You'll be nothing more than a crazy woman in a box."
She giggled in a distorting tone as she 'swam' within the frozen gel, confusing him.
"I've an interest in your kind, Raddo," Mary spoke. "I'm not the original, I know what the original mission was," she told him.
Radox flinched as her hand reached out to him.
And touched his face as she leaned out of the glass, caressing his skin with that monstrous grin.
"But she got things from 'humans' that turned her ar'und. I'm curi's about such thin's," she whispered. "So, for now," she slipped out. "Give me my child."
It was too late for him, too entranced by her eyes, her voice, and that monstrous smile.
Radox had fallen into the Eroded Messenger's grasp and gave her something he'd truly regret.
A foothold in their world.
The light in the room flickered as she brought to the ground and consummated her 'creation', her 'life', and her 'Will'.
Mary Lancelot grinned as her flesh throbbed with new sensations, pains, heat, throbs, and pleasure.
Radox's hands tried to reach for the emergency button, tried to reach for the switch that'd detonate this space.
Even if he hated Gengo with all his heart, he couldn't let this thing leave the room… But it'd been too late.
He'd been too late when she'd awoken and changed the states of matter in her pod, a fact that hadn't registered to the Chevalier Commander until she mounted him and encased his limbs in ice.
It'd been too late as she'd been awake long before he'd met her.
It'd been too late because Mary had been alive and AWARE for years. Long before Mark found her and her sisters.
Long before Scarlett Ohara had sought Naruto Uzumaki.
Long before the vengeful woman had gained more funding to make her second sibling.
As Clone-01, Mary's first 'move' in the world had been to change her number to Clone-02. A small interest that'd ended up preserving her life to reach this moment.
Mary Lancelot's ability to 'survive' had only grown from that one moment and the next step to survival for any species.
Was to breed.
~NRK~
~Omake: Lacking III~
Things got heated immediately and Obito wished he had a way to stop it.
Reaching a combat room, he, Yu-Mi, and Elize looked on as the two 'dark beauties' stood within the arena.
"This is bad, isn't it?" Elize asked nervously.
"It's definitely not going to end well," Yu-Mi admitted. "Dammit, and things were going great, what's Isuzu doing?!"
"It feels like it's my fault," Obito frowned.
"Look, you're handsome and nice but this is absurd."
"Not wron-What?"
"What?" Yu-Mi asked him without a shift in expression as Obito's expression grew confused while Elize cleared her throat. "This whole scenario is insane."
"Yes… Yes, that is," Obito expressed slowly. "Ahem, for now, let's please make sure no one dies."
The first move, not even a second after he finished speaking, was done by Su-Na.
The Korean's murderous gaze lunged at Isuzu as she braced herself.
A fist slammed into the Japanese woman's block, taking her off her shocked feet.
Then she spat out her breath as the next punch found itself planting itself in her sternum.
Su-Na growled as Isuzu shot back against the ring's boundary, eyes dark and full of darkness.
She summoned her Volt Weapons and lunged at the back-to-the-wall Isuzu.
The Japanese woman's eyes peeked at the charging Su-Na through her bangs before she grinned.
The moment her blade tips came close, Su-Na choked on her tongue at the suddenly lack of opponent and then the kick that slammed into her throat.
She stumbled back while gasping for breath before a foot found the side of her face and sent her tumbling into the wall beside her.
Isuzu jumped at her, blade reared-back.
Only to throw herself into a side spin as Su-Na de-materialized one of her blades and braced the other one ahead of her.
Landing at the defensive Korean's side, the rosette prepared to attack before finding a cut on her cheek.
Isuzu was already crouching several yards away, holding her cheek in alarm as Su-Na's remained in that back-to-the-wall, crouching, defensive stance.
'What was that?' The rosette thought with a frown.
Her eyes locked with Su-Na's-Before the Korean appeared right in front of her.
Pink eyes slowly widened before a cross-shaped wound spilled red from her chest.
'H-How?!' She thought as she moved back. 'What did she do?!'
Su-Na's eyes snapped down to something for a moment before her gaze came up and she smirked.
Isuzu felt something hot fill her heart while holding the wound on her torso, the red tinting her fingers only making that rage of hers grow as her body thrummed at full force.
Her eyes dilated as Su-Na pulled in a breath and they charged at one another.
A single blink and the pair's Double Accel told him this was enough.
The two found their weaponry arrested by a pair of 'Frozen Hands'.
"I think that's enough," Obito declared from between them.
The floor cratered beneath the weight of their attacks but the man held strong before his fingers dug in.
The two's Volt Weapons broke under his grip before they found themselves on their feet.
The flap of Obito's lab coat signaled a divide that both women could only glare across.
"I've already stopped any wounds or ruptures while redirecting your stigmatic energy but that doesn't heal anything," Obito told them, befuddling both women before their hands came to their chest.
'When did he…?' Isuzu had considered the man interesting, sure, but not this interesting. "Very well, Obito-san."
Su-Na's gaze remained glaring at the other injured Pandora before she stowed her hate for now. "We will, Obito-kun," she responded to him while Isuzu's eyes twitched. "Hmph, you got saved, Sawatari, there won't be a 'next time'."
"Oh?~ It seemed more like you would have been skewered before he stepped in."
"After I'd taken your head."
"After I'd have pierced your heart."
"You think so-O-Obito-kun?!" Su-Na's vitriol reached previous levels.
And then she found herself up in the arms of one Obito Uchiha.
The scientist shot her a flat look she colored at before walking her and Sawatari out, the latter lifted by a confusing field that hung in the air at his side with a spiraling number of Freezing particles.
"Y-You can perform Freezing?" Both young women asked, confused greatly by this revelation.
"Yes, it's quite confidential," Obito told everyone as he left the area to stand before Yu-Mi & Elize.
~Omake~
The green-haired Pandora considered Isuzu's wounds as she finished tending to her while Obito, Su-Na, and Yu-Mi waited outside.
"So, no Set but you can use That Technique?" Yu-Mi asked him, confused. "I don't… How?"
"Let me explain some currently controversial information," Obito told them, surprising the Koreans. "There are Pandora who can be born with stigmata in their bodies."
The two's eyes widened in shock, Su-Na touching her neck where his Plasma Allocator sat. "How?" She asked.
"We don't know, there's a man who I knew who was studying the phenomenon but he sadly is no longer around," Obito told them. "We believe my situation is similar, wherein I'm a rare mutation as well. Sadly, I'm the literal only example, it's not like Limiters have been around for that long."
They considered his words, trying to figure it out. "That sounds confusing, worrying, and complicated," Yu-Mi said sheepishly. "I mean, okay, so you're naturally born different but I always thought That was due to a connection."
"Technically, it's still a befuddling thing, we just know that Limiters act as an 'extension' of the power a Pandora has. It's like an external hard drive, we take on the 'data' you can't handle and that gives them the power to use Freezing. It was also that fact that gave way to my form of fighting," Obito explained.
"Y-Ya did stop them in an instant," Yu-Mi remembered.
How had he moved like that? Was it like High-End Skills?
Su-Na's eyes gleamed as she observed the man beside her before smiling.
"It's good to not be the only odd one out," she told them, hands behind her back as her fellow brunettes looked at her in confusion. "Even if that woman is around as a counter-balance."
"It's definitely life at its weirdest," Yu-Mi said humorously. "Still, this changes a lot of what I thought about everything. Kouhai, senpai, and the whole idea of stigmata," she crossed her arms and nodded sagely. "I barely have any idea on what's happening," she accepted.
The other two sweatdropped as she grinned.
~Omake~
Obito returned to his apartment within the West Genetics Visitor Dormitory.
Being the only one in it due to room issues, he had a special 'pass' to be here.
So, he put his coat up and collapsed sideways onto his couch without thinking, left in a black short-sleeved mock neck top, gray slacks, and white socks as he threw an arm over his eyes.
"The days are getting more concerning," Obito muttered with a sigh of relaxation. "But it's not the worst thing," great, he was seeing what Gengo was trying to tell him.
That old man.
The Uchiha murmured before going to sleep.
The eyes peeking through his door gleamed in opportunity.
Obito grumbled as he held the woman beside him closer, his large couch giving them all the space they needed.
She snuggled in, arms around his torso as she used his bicep as her pillow.
The two remained like that for an indecipherable amount of time before Obito's face went blank, eyes opening to look down at the one against his chest.
Su-Na pressed her forehead underneath his chin, her hair hard to miss or mistake.
Which totally didn't say anything about him, of course it didn't.
'What's she doing here?' Obito wondered even as his own body felt comfortable with her beside him. 'Did I accidentally grab her? Did she come for some advice?' He asked himself and yet grew more and more embarrassed as the questions grew a bit dumber even by his standards. "What's wrong with me?" He murmured.
"Nothing," came a response he wasn't expecting, getting a flinch out of the former shinobi. "Good evening, Obito-kun," Su-Na nuzzled him.
Obito finally reached his 'limit'. "Su-Na-kun," he looked down at her as she leaned back and looked up at him. "What is this about? Truly?" The man whispered as the young woman blushed but didn't look away.
"I'd prefer you as my partner," she told him, surprising the Uchiha. "I don't relate to the people around me," Su-Na looked down, embarrassed. "W-While Yu-Mi-senpai cares, I know she does, that's not the only type of relationship I'm looking for…"
His cheeks reddened. "I do understand you, that's not a lie," Obito began as she pressed her forehead to his chest. "But me?"
"Y-You don't need to perform a Baptism with me, at least, until you're ready but having you around makes living feel normal."
His eyes softened at that as she held him close.
"I'm not lacking some part of myself that I thought existed, at least, with you around," Su-Na told him. "It sounds f-fast, it sounds weird," she whispered. "But I can't imagine my life without you anymore."
Obito was alarmed as they sat up a bit, Su-Na not hesitating to put herself into his lap as they remained face-to-face.
He colored somewhat, running his hand through his hair. "I can't say I don't understand, at least, on a far less intense level," Obito told the nodding student. "I guess I only have myself to blame for this. In the end, I'll be honest, Su-Na, I don't know how to deal with you."
"How so?"
"I'm not in-love with you, woman, but I'm also not unaware of this connection we formed. It's been a month and yet I've found a large number of similar interests with you, I'm not sure how to feel about this."
"And our age isn't an issue?"
"You're 17, three years is not even a horrible age gasp."
She grew relaxed and yet befuddled.
Obito released an unsure smile as she held his face, leaning in.
The kiss was as innocent as innocent could be before she began to moan and wiggle in his lap.
Obito tried to keep this simple, holding her back with one arm as the other supported him sitting-up. And then Su-Na decided to grind her rear against his crotch, the man trying to keep her still but she only used that time to wrap her arms around his neck.
It was a 'battle' that he lost rather handily.
~Omake~
Su-Na wore a happy grin as Obito facepalmed.
Yu-Mi's jaw dropped at the young woman wearing one of the man's tops with messily-fixed hair.
With Obito sporting a horribly mussed-up 'hairstyle', several bruises in the shape of kiss marks around his cheek, mouth, AND NECK, and then it was the fact he came out in what was clearly a shirt with a horribly-stretched collar.
She sputtered. "I-I, uh, think you got a couple things, ya know, around here?" Yu-Mi touched her cheek, neck, mouth, and damn near all of her hair. "Good God, what did you do to him?"
"Hm~ Stake my claim~" Su-Na beamed, getting a blush out of the Uchiha as she hugged his side.
Yu-Mi chuckled weakly. "W-Well, you certainly got her out of her shell," she told Obito with a sheepish grin.
"It's certainly been a mindnumbing surprise," Obito told her with a bashful grin. "And being partners will probably only make this a constant one."
She blinked. "Damn, well, the least you gotta do is tell you professional Limiter that you're done," the teacher advised.
"Oh, I did that a month ago," Su-Na said casually.
Obito's jaw dropped with Yu-Mi's.
"Oh, yes, this was very much all or nothing."
"Jesus Christ," the man muttered.
"R-Right there with ya, pal," Yu-Mi chimed in weakly.
Well, Su-Na had certainly caught them lacking.
The red-eyed Korean smirked.
Isuzu's eyes stared dead-eye at the two from afar, hand coming up to her chest.
As something truly 'cold' slipped in.
~Omake~
~Present~
Su-Na murmured in her sleep as she rested on Obito's chest, the man holding her close.
A newly-gained engagement ring sitting on her left hand.
"Mmm, awake?" The man asked her as she snuggled against him.
"Maybe," Su-Na muttered as Obito chuckled.
"You had a curious dream as well?"
"Hm-hmm. Our beginnings, yes?"
"Yep," Obito sat up with his fiancee in his arms, Su-Na wrapping her arms around his neck while playing with a few new bruises on it. "So, thoughts on our, well, trying?"
"I think we can give it a real go without birth control in a month," Su-Na told him.
"We've been balancing that 'knife' for a long three years."
"I've got a latex allergy," Su-Na smirked as she lied.
She moaned as his hands gripped.
"I noticed," he whispered into her ear as she wiggled in his lap. "But we know how this works."
They were out of the bed and in the bathroom in seconds.
A quick brush of the teeth later? They were 'enjoying' a pretty dirty shower.
~Omake END~
~NRK Out~