~NRK~

The news, their opponents, and just the situation at hand snapped some of Rana's nerves. Her Volt Weapons flaring into existence with a dark blue glow before she vanished.

She was the first to attack without waiting, four copies of the woman, and the woman herself, slamming into their five opponents.

"RYUUENGA!" The woman and her copies shouted in unison.

And, a mere second later, the hall was covered in curling blue flames that rocked the floor.

"H-Huh?!" Andre balked as Elizabeth blinked in disbelief. "Um, wait, what?!"

"Now's not the time," Chiffon said as Amelia nodded, the E-Pandora's look of disbelief melting away easily as she summoned her weapon into her hands. "We need to defeat them."

"So, that wasn't-"

Rana came flying back, her body bouncing against the floor before using her fingers to carve to a stop.

She growled, her eyes glowing wickedly before Chiffon helped her to her feet.

When the flames cleared, they saw their opponents and the whole group winced at the sight of a hall-wide hexagon-like shield composed of a hardened material. A familiar material.

This wouldn't be that easy, unfortunately.

As the 'head Lancelot member' lowered her hand and barrier, the other four members crouched around her.

"Tsk," Chiffon grimaced as she fiddled with her limiter. 'I can only get to half-power with this,' it was a limiter in every way.

At minimum, it could lower her strength to that of a first-year Pandora and Obito had done good in doing that.

Now, though, even at the 'MAX' of half her full strength, Chiffon wasn't sure if it'd be enough to beat these… things.

'Marks Spencer… what the fuck did you do?' It made her angry, it pissed her off.

This wasn't GOOD. This wasn't SMART. It made her sick and furious.

"They need to be destroyed," Chiffon said without much more to say. "No matter what, we have to either destroy those limbs or kill them."

"Chiffon," Elizabeth grimaced at the older woman's words. "That's…"

"Elizabeth-chan, I understand, truly I do… but this isn't a good scenario. We're up against something worse than just Parasite-infested Pandora."

Andre blinked at that. "What?"

"Go in with the intent to kill," Amelia said as her body lit up with Volt Graphs, the wing-like shapes seemingly branching off her ankles, hips, and biceps. "Marks taught us WELL about that."

The four crouching Lancelot members lunged at them at insane speeds, Andre barely reacting fast enough to establish a Freezing field.

"FREEZING!" He called out as a sphere of 'freezing' influence shot out around him. 'I have to work as their Limiter,' Andre wouldn't fail.

He had too many people's trust in him to just fail.

The four attackers froze for a moment, a mere half a second, before rushing through it like nothing?!

His eyes widened before Elizabeth moved in front of him, Volt Weapons rotating in front of her.

The four Lancelot members struck their Pandora targets' guards.

Chiffon frowned as her feet dug into the floor from the kick of one of the odd-legged ones, holding it off with the back of one of her, currently shaking, gauntlets.

'They're strong!' Her eyes snapped open before threw her other arm out.

The blow she was sure had landed in the woman's stomach sent her flying… So why did she feel pain?

Looking down at her fist, she saw a flaking amount of hexagons coming off them.

"What?" She barely got out before barely dodging the Lancelot leader's punch.

A 'punch' that sent a quake through the hall before tearing apart the ground and bursting some of the lights.

The hybrid's eyes widened before she was sent into a wall by another blow, just in time to find Elizabeth 'doing' the same.

"A-Ah!" The younger woman winced, one eye closed as her 'kicking' opponent met up with Chiffon's other one and the leader. "They're resilient!" Elizabeth said as she and her fellow third-year ripped themselves out of the wall, the feeling of the hallway going down a notch.

"They're going to bring the cold in here," Chiffon said. "That's not good. Andre's not exactly insulated all that well, Elizabeth."

The younger woman's eyes snapped to her Limiter who threw Freezing Blasts at the three Lancelot members.

"Ma'am!" He called out before throwing another burst of Freezing at Rana and Amelia's opponents. "Please, focus on yourself! I will live!" Andre said as his and Elizabeth's eyes locked.

The Mably ran a hand through her hand, blue eyes glowing in the shadow.

"Oh, the days following this will be bliss for him."

Chiffon found it in herself to giggle perversely.

Taking their fight further down the hall, closer to Naruto's location, Rana grimaced as she parried a stab of her opponent's giant claw arm before sliding in and uppercutting her.

The blow nearly folded the 'enhanced' Pandora, the Tibetan digging in before tightening her stance, an explosion of blue flame sending the woman skirting back before she bounced into the back of her 'teammate' that had been fighting Amelia.

Seeing her chance, the redhead kicked out at the two in an instant, the wing-like Volt Graphs expanding and forming rings before the blow sent both opponents crumpling into the wall.

"T-They're tough!" Amelia said with a grimace considering re-calling on her previously-broken Volt Weapon before dropping it. 'I need to be as fast as possible,' no offense to her spear but she couldn't react as fast with that.

She needed her body's best.

Their opponents removed themselves from their crumpled spots, forms already vanishing into blurs the moment their boots touched the floor.

The two women put their backs together as their eyes glowed.

When their opponents reappeared, they struck out with their fists only for them to be blocked by enlarged limbs of hardened Nova material.

They pressed back before a flash of 'gold thought' passed between them.

The two 'Pandora' moved like a reflection.

Step down and in.

Grab the limb.

And unleash.

A rampage of wind, force, and flame sent their opponents shooting back only for the enhanced Pandora to recover and vanish again.

'They're not fast enough to get away from me,' Amelia thought with a frown, tapping her foot against the ground.

'But they're strong,' Rana continued before tapping her fists together.

'We need-'

'To hinder them.'

When their opponents reappeared once more, they slid out the way, both Lancelot members slashing at nothing before immediately giving chase.

~NRK~

Marks grimaced as he stared down at Naruto's similarly-grimacing form.

"We can't get near him," one of the scientists said with a pale complexion. "W-We don't know what happened to the Pandora who tried but they're currently in the medbay!"

The flashing red lights all around only emphasized the absurdity of their situation.

"This is all your fault, you know that, right?"

"This had no precedence, much less high chance until you entered the fold," Marks shot down without hesitation as Naruto wore a look of disgust that angered him. "All of this was due to your insubordination."

"Are you an actual idiot?" Naruto asked him as if he was 'special'. "No person alive would believe you, much less after all the shit you've caused. You had every chance to be a better person and you failed."

Mark's fists clenched.

"And now everyone is going to suffer for your pride. I hope you like bars, Mark, because I can already feel all the Nova outside along with more outside PANDORA."

Mark's eyes widened in horror as he turned to a technician currently staring in similar horror at one of their radars.

"S-Sir! W-We'll have inbound reinforcements i-in a matter of minutes!" He squeaked as the others flinched and paled.

'No… NO!' All of it!

EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM! They sought destruction of their justice?!

"..." Mark's eyes narrowed before he pushed a technician out the way and turned up a knob, the observation deck below's redness glowing outright by this point. "If they're here for you, Uzumaki," his eyes stared down at the glaring blonde. "Then they'll find YOU."

~NRK~

Su-Na grimaced as her eyes lit-up with horrifyingly powerful lights from the distance. "Dammit! What's happening?!" She hissed.

-I don't know! I'm currently leading a small team of students away to the suit-up areas! From here on out, I'll have to aid them in the distraction or destruction- Obito told her and she grew worried.

"O-Obito, will you really use 'that'?"

-It's not as bad as before we performed our Baptism, Sunali, I promise. For now, the issue remains that the number of-No… Su-Na, I need you and Teslad to hurry here as soon as possible. The twenty of them would have been worrying enough but there's… These aren't normal Nova-

Su-Na's eyes glowed.

Shared sight between her and her beloved only they and maybe two others could accomplish-

"W-What are… A-Are those different Nova?" Her eyes widened as Teslad grimaced. "Obito!"

-They're Nova, through and through, but their energy alone trumps most of the norma-DAMMIT!-

"OBITO?!"

~NRK~

The man had lunged into the teens' backs seconds before disaster, a Freezing field spilling below them.

He 'threw' them aside before jumping back.

An eruption of dirt and snow threw debris over him as he crossed his arms.

When it all stopped… Well, Obito grimaced as he saw it.

The real newest Nova type.

It seemed humanoid, feminine even, with three long extensions shooting off the sides of 'her' head like earfins from her 'helmet'. Wearing a low-cut darkly-colored 'dress', point-ending legs, and large claws, the 'existence' before him caused his Sharingan's tomoe to spin.

They then transformed into their Mangekyo state.

"Shit, this one's not… This one is different from even all the others-STOP!" Obito began to tell Su-Na only to shout at the lunging Roxanne and Charles.

The 'Nova', he wasn't sure, looked at them before raising her hand.

The two's swing weapons were deflected by a momentary flash of a barrier, Charles looking alarmed to no end.

"N-No," she and Roxanne skidded back to the grimacing Shi-Jing and Citroen. "What?!"

"It's like the new Pandora Mode system?" Citroen asked in a horrified manner as that… That was a Nova, right? "What is it?"

Then, it turned away from the four to face Obito, the Chinese man grimacing as he tossed his snow goggles aside.

"You all need to listen, this Nova isn't like the others," Obito grimaced as his Mangekyo Sharingan blazed. "Its power alone could outstrip five Type-Ss and the less said about this one's possible abilities…"

Her hand raised up towards him.

Obito tilted in and out of flowing energy beams, each one crushing the earth around him as he 'tap-danced' his way out of danger.

Roxanne's eyes widened at his. 'What? How did he?' That didn't make sense.

Those lasers weren't slow, she could barely catch them and they reminded her of Elizabeth's.

Yet, this 'normal' man could react so casually?

"Su-Na, there's a high chance that this one is this Clash's 'commander'," Obito said into his earpiece. "So, this one needs to be destroyed… She's linked, Su-Na, there's some sort of connection in the sky we mustn't allow to meet up with her-" Obito continued as he looked up at the swirling pool of energy.

He ducked under a swiping chop that would have taken his head, eyes narrowed as he jumped back and turned around to see a finger pointed at his face.

A laser beam followed.

And his eyes swirled.

The Nova stumbled to the side as a familiar beam slammed into her head, the new Type holding the side of its face in disbelief only for a sniper rifle to level its barrel by it.

Obito smirked as three swirling Freezing fields rotated down the length of it before he fired.

It was thrown off its feet before slamming into and through the facility walls, the man sighing as he hefted the hissing weapon.

"This thing will only last about three more times," he said to Roxanne and Charles as they landed beside him. "And this one needs to die before this sniper runs out."

The two Pandora shot him odd looks but nodded all the same.

"Charles, you'll be playing Offensive Decoy here. Don't approach completely-direct combat and circle around while Roxanne takes this into CQC."

"... Yes, sir," Charles grimaced but nodded all the same. 'Who is this? Why is he here?'

What exactly had been going on in this base?

Roxanne hummed before cupping her chin. "I didn't think The Su-Na Lee's beau would be here," she said with narrowed eyes as that weird Nova floated over to them. "I sent Shi away with Citroen, they can't be out here like this. Still, you seem prepa… The hell?"

All their eyes widened as that 'helmet' from before had broken a bit.

To reveal a glowing eye, untamed long hair, and fair skin.

"What the fuck is up with this Nova?"

~NRK~

Rana's eyes narrowed before she and Amelia flipped back to dodge a pair of slashing claws.

They kicked out at their opponents' chests before Amelia slid behind her braced Rana's back as the Tibetan's stance solidified with her fists held out.

Burning blue flames coiled before exploding out into a wide blaze that sent the two Lancelot members flying and skirting across the ground.

"Hmph! They're still mostly unharmed-de arimasu!"

"I know but it's more than before!"

Amelia flipped around her before shooting forward from speed alone, Rana's form blurring after her.

Chiffon grimaced with one of her opponents' heads in her clawed grip before she tightened it and felt the stab of the leader coming for her own noggin.

She pulled her right hand out of her gauntlet.

The stab coming towards her head missed as she reared back with her other clawed gauntlet and lashed out.

The claws tore across the altered Pandora's chest before sending her careening into her comrade, the two crashing outside.

"Dammit, they're so tough!" Chiffon grimaced as she adjusted. 'I need a minute.'

Obito had given them limiters but he also foresaw a situation where they'd need to undo them, just in case, by themselves.

So, the issue was dealt with by making it a puzzle of energy connections and turning knobs.

But now the issue was, she didn't have time!

"Tsk, half-strength isn't enough, I need more," she was almost strong enough, to be fair, but these things needed to be dealt with and Naruto could be in more danger by the second. 'He's calling them somehow but-'

Then, there was a flash of red that snapped by her mind, Chiffon's eyes widening with the pupils flickering.

'W-What was that?!' A sharp call that nearly took her mind from her… but she 'saw' him. "Naruto-kun?" Chiffon whispered.

~NRK~

Naruto's eyes widened as his senses were frayed over by the Anti-Freezing Generators. 'W-Wait, C-Chiffon-nee?' He winced before forcing his eyes shut.

'Chiffon!'

They blinked before arriving in a familiar but different space.

"C-Chiffon-" Naruto tried to say, wincing.

Only to find Chiffon crashing into him and holding him tightly.

"We thought…" Her grip tightened even as he placed his chin on her head, body buzzing like broken static. "What's happening?" Chiffon's eyes landed on him and he frowned at glowing red pupils.

He explained to her the entire situation with him and Mark's 'illustrious' care.

"Those stupid generators called the Nova here using me and Citroen as mediums," Naruto grimaced as she frowned deeply. "Mark is an idiot who's going to get everyone killed all for his own damn ego."

Chiffon didn't give the arriving, and ticking-up, numbers that appeared over her shoulder any attention as Naruto's body flickered gold before it died down. "You need to be rescued, we're doing our very best, Naruto-ku… Naruto," she corrected, confusing him as her cheeks reddened. "There's… There's a lot the three of us need to explain and propose to you," Chiffon giggled at his look of confusion.

Her 'three' flashed through his mind. "A-Amelia? Rana? You?!" Naruto's jaw dropped. "W-Wait, wait! Hold on, I don't… Chiffon, I'm completely thrown off! So, wait, weren't you and Eugene…"

"No, for us, it was as professional as it got," she smiled sadly. "I love him, though, not the way of lovers but he's looked after me, he's helped me get used to the modern world from even the age of ten, Eugene's an amazing young man," she giggled as Naruto's jaw dropped at another shared thought. "And I hope he and Jina shared some fun conversation last night."

"They… Okay, um, whoa… C-Can we talk about this after all the crazy has ended? Please?"

"Sure. Now," she frowned again as Naruto's soul sputtered again. "You're right, your body is currently powerfully calling on all Nova in the area, Naruto. This isn't good. If this continues, you might even pull down MORE Nova."

"I'm not exactly a fan, either," Naruto grimaced with sharp teeth. "You guys are close and those Pandora that feel like Maria are still going strong… Actually," he perked up in Chiffon's embrace, confusing her as he grinned. "If I'm gonna try something, Chiffon, I'm sending out signals and stuff to make 'em do things, ain't I?"

Chiffon blinked. "Considering your track record, hopefully things work out," she smiled.

"Rude."

Naruto slipped back into his body before focusing. 'I contacted the Will, didn't I? I need to try and do that with all the Nova.'

He looked inward and focused on his 'connections'.

He spread out his senses with spasms every other moment. 'I can barely focus like this,' he hissed at another 'burn' in his skin. 'I need him to turn off the generators!'

Meanwhile, up above, Marcus grimaced. "..." He racked his mind for ideas.

Anything had to be better than just waiting for those fucking Nova to come.

"... We're leaving," he declared to those in the observation deck, leaning off the console. "We'll do our best to leave with what we have," Marcus grimaced before speaking into his collar. "All Lancelot members are to fight until termination, am I clear?"

-Yes, sir- The leader Lancelot member declared. -Until either we die or they do, we'll keep fighting-

Why couldn't he have come up with this earlier and just abandon the boy?

The servitude, the understanding of positions, and just the sheer amount of power in these 'soldiers' made him feel annoyance and second-hand embarrassment.

He could have had more than enough powerful beings under his call had he not been so preoccupied with Naruto Uzumaki's ignorance.

'It doesn't matter, we'll see what Radox has to say about the clones,' with those beings at their disposal, they'd be able to do more with more technology, time, and study.

There was a chance he could even outstrip Dr. Kamui's recent inventions!

"Leave it all running at maximum levels, it's time to see if we can't escape hell one more time."

Listening from down below, Naruto grimaced before taking in one last breath.

Focus. Fight through the pain, the astral 'tearing', and the annoyance.

Forget all of it.

~NRK~

Rana's eyes narrowed as a flicker of gold slipped over her irises, the Tibetan's shoulder slamming into her claw-armed opponent's chest before a pulse of blue sent the altered woman crashing into and out a wall of the hallway.

The area had long since grown steamy from her constant attacks and just the sheer cold from outside, Rana huffing out a bit of mist, herself .

'Those flame attacks,' they took so much stamina.

How many had she used? Twenty? Thirty?

And her opponent didn't look all that injured! Outside of favoring her clawed-arm side, that was it!

There was a screech of heels on metal, Amelia skidding to a stop at Rana's side facing the opposite direction.

"These women, they're unreal!" She huffed, sweat dripping down her face. "What did they do to them?!" Amelia grimaced. 'Their bodies are so TOUGH!' It was almost offensive!

Each of her blows seemed to do something but that was it. Outside of a couple broken fingers on her normal-looking hand, the Lancelot member seemed unbothered.

There had to be a way to break them!

Chiffon frowned as she slammed one of her opponents before barely leaning back from the leader's stabbing lance.

'I haven't seen Elizabeth or Andre in a bit,' the younger woman had followed her opponent out into the tundra while Andre had run ahead, hadn't he? 'And these two are so coordinated.'

The leader… There was something off about this.

Throughout the fight, the leader of their opponents had seemingly taken the most 'backseating' position.

It was always so peculiar, too, the woman's team member seemed to get more aggressive as she did…

Chiffon's eyes narrowed before she put her idea into action.

As the Lancelot leader swung out at her, she dodged towards her.

And felt her suspicions rise as the leader jumped back while her draconic-legged team member lunged at Chiffon with reckless abandon.

Her altered leg kicked out with broad strokes with Accel-level speed that made dodging the kicks difficult… But Chiffon's eyes never left the leader.

She accepted a couple cuts on her thigh and shoulder to watch her with interest.

The leader's eyes went to the hole in the wall, her hand coming up to the growth in her chest and causing it to shine as a small field of Volt Textures formed beneath her feet.

'I knew it!'

Chiffon vanished in front of her opponent, the woman's last kick missing and sending her off-balance past the trail of hexagons left in Chiffon's wake.

The leader's eyes widened at the feeling of a palm on her lower back.

"You really should be less obvious~."

The woman's mouth bulged as a blow rocked her spine and abdomen, the wall in front of her exploding outward as Chiffon huffed while removing her hissing hand.

"Rana's right, that's a bit rough but it's so much less effort!" The hybrid smiled as the leader Lancelot member hit her knees, the other members flinching in the middle of their fights. "Apologies, I don't know if you were forced against your will or not," Chiffon reached down and flipped the woman to give her open access to her alteration. "Sorry~."

A single gauntlet finger tapped against the pulsing growth before blurring with a single poke that cracked the heart-like organ.

'It's full of kaa-chan's cells…' How did this happen? Something wasn't right here.

The organ pulsed before Chiffon grimaced and slammed her palm down on the throbbing growth.

The blow crushed the ground below the Pandora as Chiffon pushed more and more, crushing more ground.

'I-It's erected a barrier?!' Her eyes narrowed as she was forced back.

She braced her arm before her body burned with Volt Textures as she fought back.

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as her cheek fully covered itself with frost, her opponent grimacing as she held her head and stumbled about.

'There's danger all around us,' she hoped Andre could get to Naruto fast enough, they needed the blonde now as more time passed and Elizabeth grimaced at the sight of lumbering figures and smaller figures all around.

She raised her hand and one of her Volt Weapons shot towards the altered Pandora before the woman roared at her.

The force behind it threw back Elizabeth's hair and Volt Weapon, the young woman grimacing as she settled her satellite-based weapon by her head, both of them sprouting shields from the cold and the shockwave.

This would take too long, she seriously didn't have time for this.

"... It's been a while since I've had to use this," Elizabeth said to her clearly out-of-control opponent. "I'm sorry," she whispered as her body began to be covered by hardened material. "I'll make this go by quickly," she declared as the last bit of material covered her head.

Bearing a seemingly skin-tight suit of hardened materials composed of white and royal blue armor, the third-year's Pandora Mode formed two large ports in her back as her Volt Weapons glowed brighter.

"Focus power for twenty second usage," she ordered as her weapons began to elongate. "Piercing power and speed enhance!"

The spun at high speeds before she raised her hand.

"Scatter Shot."

The altered Pandora ran at her only to be stunned by a series of almost impossible-to-see lasers cutting through her shoulders, thighs, abdomen, and lower right chest.

She coughed up blood as Elizabeth huffed, long blonde hair spilling out the back of her helmet before she grimaced at her still struggling-to-move opponent.

There was no space for disagreement.

Marks Spencer would pay for this-

Something blinked out the corner of her eye, Elizabeth's eyes snapping to it before… She growled.

"Broaden output, unfocus lasers on SSS-1," she declared as she walked up to her opponent and raised her hand towards the woman's head. "Stun at 100%."

One of her two Volt Weapons returned to its normal shape and stopped spinning before glowing brightly even in the rapid tundra and darkness of night, a shining beacon for all to see.

"Good night, ma'am."

It sparked over the woman, crushing the ground around her and causing the Lancelot team member to spasm before it stopped.

The woman's eyes vanished before she hit her knees.

Elizabeth caught her gently before picking her up and hurrying back towards Chiffon.

'Fast enough and I can stop them,' Elizabeth thought with narrowed eyes. 'You're not getting away from this, Spencer. You'll be paying for all your crimes!'

~NRK~

Rana and Amelia blinked at their opponents' spasms and throat-gasping agony, the two holding onto their bodies as they gasped, sweat, and wheezed.

"A-Are they alright?" Rana asked in concern, Amelia frowning.

"I don't… They're freaking out," she said, eyes going from their opponents to Chiffon's form. "Wait, what did Chiffon do?" Amelia gawked at the hybrid's defeated opponents.

Rana chanced a look before her eyes narrowed in interest, turning back to their own seemingly weak opponents.

"Let's handle them-de arimasu!" She declared as Amelia perked up before nodding.

"Alright!"

Their bodies glowed with golden Volt Textures, the two's Volt Graphs flaring up.

They lunged before dual kicks slammed into the Lancelot members' stomachs, doubling them over, before the two skipped back once.

Rana's burning blue fist and Amelia's wind-crushing foot.

They launched at them with their favored limbs.

"Ryuuenga!"

"Wind Form!"

Their blows landed right on their opponents' temples, the shockwave of wind carrying the burning blue flames into the wall before they exploded outward, the two women letting out dual breaths before hi-5ing.

"Let's go," Amelia said to Rana who nodded, the two hurrying off before stumbling.

"W-Wait, they can't be left out there!" Rana winced.

Going and grabbing their opponents, they carried them over to Chiffon as she looked down at her own adversaries.

"These individuals weren't prepared to really fight yet," she told the other two with a frown. "This is sick and wrong. It needs to be stopped before something horrible becomes the norm."

"Let's go and save Naruto," the two said as Chiffon nodded.

~NRK~

Meanwhile, Andre frowned as he waited to be sure before heading into the room that Marks and his people had left.

'This is the place,' he frowned as he snuck in to find… "What the hell are you doing?" Andre growled at a flinching technician.

"W-Who are you-ACK?!" The man began to say only for Andre to rush him.

A blow to his side folded the man before Andre grappled the man to the floor. "KAUGH! W-Wait, please!"

"Answer me," the young man warned as he tugged on the technician's behind the back arms, the man whimpering and wheezing.

"S-Spencer told us to turn everything up to the highest settings, he hates the boy!"

"Tsk," Andre kissed his teeth before establishing and completing a Freezing field below the technician. "Naruto?!" He got off the man before rushing to the glass to see the groaning blonde.

"H-Hey, Andre, thanks for dropping by," Naruto called back with a pained grin.

"I'm going to stop this, just… I-I need to figure out what to do," the older teen sighed before looking around. "Knobs, levers, diagrams…" Andre's eyes narrowed at a screen showing Naruto's bodily image and a scale next to it.

Noting that it was cranked all the way UP, and what the technician had said, he had an idea.

He turned a knob next to it all the way down and the entire room Naruto was in lost its red tint and haze, the blonde letting out a deep, powerful, breath of relief as Andre smiled.

"Can you get out like this?"

"I've been down here for at least an hour, I-I really…" The blonde looked so guilty and a bit ashamed.

Andre would have none of it. "Don't, we understand that this was a risk you could take. No one knew of this, Naruto, none of us. So, don't blame yourself, we will help you carry this burden," he told the younger boy.

Naruto let out a breath. "Yeah, you're right," he smiled before twitching, getting a concerned frown from Andre. "S-Sadly, I'm not exactly in prime condition, I-I won't be able to just jump on in yet. I n-need time to h-heal."

"Did they shock you?" Andre's jaw dropped as the blonde twitched randomly.

"S-SHOCKING, right now… I-It's not fun."

Those sick bastards! Andre grimaced while looking back at the immobilized technician before focusing back on his friend.

"I'm looking as we speak," Andre frowned as he turned to more knobs.

"I-I think I remember Marks moving to the s-side to do the electric… E-Electric one, to your right."

Andre hurried to that section and looked around before finding another similar screen and knob like the first.

He turned it all the way down and the blonde grunted in pain and relief, body sagging in his chair.

"Fuck, I am not doing well," Naruto groaned as Andre grimaced.

"Anything else?"

Naruto shook his head. "Ohhh… They went through the door to your left to get to me… I think there are some stairs?" He said unsurely, pupils dilating sporadically.

Andre hurried out that way, the doors opening to allow him to see exactly as the blonde had guessed.

Hurrying down into the room Naruto was in, Andre grimaced at the water on the floor WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!?

Something in Andre twinged at the idea that they'd not just electrocuted a sixteen-year-old boy but they WATERBOARDED him as well.

No, Andre was ready to swing at someone all of a sudden.

"Shit, Naruto," he kissed his teeth as he reached the blonde and looked at his shackles. "I brought a combat knife just in case, hold on," Andre said slowly as he looked at the blonde's twitching fingers. 'Right, electrocution…'

Naruto winced as Andre gripped the chair arm and hissed before cutting at the blonde's leather restraints.

"Senpai…"

"No… T-This is fine," Andre hissed out. "You've dealt with this bullshit long enough, Naruto, not a second longer while I'm here."

He made it through the first and continued onto the next and the ones after.

By the end of getting them all, he lugged Naruto onto his back and minded his steps back to the observation deck.

Reaching the room just in time to have Chiffon, Amelia, and Rana break open the doors, eyes filled with concern and anger.

Then, they saw him.

"Naruto needs some serious help," Andre grimaced with burnt palms.

~NRK~

Marks hissed as more explosions rang out, sections of the Alaska Base breaking down as Nova ran rampant.

"Get us the hell out of here!" He shouted at the pilot as he closed the side haul door.

"Sir, it'll take some time! We're in the Alaskan tundra!" The pilot shouted back as he hurried up to his seat. "Five minutes!"

Marks grimaced as he sat down, foot tapping rapidly while he crossed his arms and looked out the window at the being-destroyed base.

'We'll make better,' better soldiers, more powerful ones with an understanding of order and station!

Soldiers who followed justice and-!

Their carrier creaked, confusing him as the pilot freaked out.

"W-We have an issue on the left wing!" The man shouted as all within looked outside to see-

Elizabeth Mably in Pandora Mode, the young woman adjusting her gauntlet with a tilt of the head and her Volt Weapons rotating.

"You'll be staying here for the foreseeable future," she told them as her weapons began to glow. "And just in case…"

The lasers cut through the wings at the hinge, Mark's eyes widening as his skin paled.

The young woman hopped off as it fell off before she jumped over the carrier and landed on the other wing to repeat her process.

By the time she was done, she walked off and left them there, stranded.

Mark's blood vibrated as he roared into the vehicle.

"DAMN THAT BOY! DAMN HIM ALL TO HELL!"

~NRK~

Obito grimaced as he slid throughout the snowy lands while that odd Nova's attacks rained down around him.

'Only take assured shots!' He thought with narrowed eyes as he blurred away.

The Sharingan of this lifetime weren't as powerful as the ones from his previous life. They could allow him to see energy, predict it, and mesmerize people with external energy within them but he couldn't copy 'techniques'.

That said…

The brunette was high in the sky as his previous location was bombed by lasers.

The flow of energy in his stigmata from Su-Na still counted as a resource.

Charles surrounded the Nova from all sides with copies in full force Volt Textures.

"Focus here!" She shouted at the 'Nova woman', gaining her attention. "You clueless bitch, I'm gonna rip that stupid mask off!" Charles warned as she lunged at the Nova.

Her blades swung out and then down, slamming into its raised forearm before tilting to the side to dodge a laser to the face.

Her legs swung up and slammed into its chin before she clasped the Nova in a seemingly ineffective armbar.

"Roxanne!"

The Immortal's form appeared above the Nova, clawed gauntlets clasped together above her head with a grin.

"GET DOWN!" Coiling Volt Graphs formed down the weapons' lengths.

Charles shot off with a Tempest Clone in her place.

The blow cracked something on the Nova before the odd alien was sent crunching down like an eruption, throwing up the ground around her and hissing in a crater the size of a heli-carrier with smoke all around.

Roxanne winced as she began to fall on the Nova before grinning through it and bringing her currently mangled Volt Weapons up again for another attempt.

Then she grinned nervously at a glowing light from the dust cloud before being tackled mid-air by Obito's shoulder.

The two of them barely dodged a wide beam of light that dispelled the dust and hazy snow to reveal their opponent.

Now bearing a half-destroyed side, the Nova's insides glowed before what had to be more human limbs shot out.

"What the hell is up with this thing?!" Charles grimaced as she landed by the recovering Obito and Roxanne.

"It's… That is a Nova… Right?" The Immortal grimaced as Obito frowned, sniper rifle raised in deterrence. "What's happening right now? The whole world feels like it's turning on its head!"

"For now, we can only do what we can," Obito said with narrowed eyes at his own wording. "... Su-Na is coming with someone who will be a big help, for now, it'll take them 5 minutes to deploy here fast enough. That's all we need-"

He'd began saying, Sharingan blazing as they kept the Nova in their sights… Before his eyes widened and snapped to the sky.

The humanoid Nova raised her hand-

It was blown off almost immediately, the floor around the trio cratering as his gun hissed.

"WE HAVE TO KILL HER NOW!" Obito shouted urgently as the two Pandora flinched.

"Wait, what?!" Charles balked.

"We can't let her connect with that thing that's coming!" He grimaced before rushing the Nova with his weapon held aloft. "We need to kill it! It's not just a Nova commander, it's something's MASTER!"

Roxanne's eyes widened before looking up at the sky and trembling as something hung there. Something that distorted the air but was hard to see if one wasn't aware.

"Shit!" She cursed before she and Charles chased after him, Obito reaching their opponent first.

His eyes narrowed as they locked with the visible one of the 'Nova woman'.

'She's just like Maria!' And if that was true, this was bad. 'She's not as strong, though,' oddly enough.

Comparing this Nova to Maria was like comparing a single silo to an entire farm. This one wasn't the same 'quality' as Maria.

His Sharingan blazed before the Nova's pupils trembled and flickered.

They were easier to deal with-

He almost didn't see it in time, eyes widening before hefting his weapon across his chest.

A harsh cut somehow slashed into existence out of nowhere and cut it in half.

"Shit!" He heard from behind him as Charles pulled him back. "What?!"

They jumped back as Roxanne swung out with one of her Volt Weapons.

The blow was immediately denied by a shield.

"So, it's this tough, huh?!"

She latched onto the barrier with her other gauntlet before rearing back her mangled arm again, the Volt Weapon on it flashing transparently for a moment for the damage to be seen.

And then it healed in an instant, the Immortal grinning as she reconstructed her gauntlets and really corkscrewed Volt Graphs on it.

"LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN-!"

A thrown lower half of a sniper rifle slammed into her arm, getting a small flinch out of Roxanne before causing her to tilt.

Just in time for a slash of… air? Pressure? Of something to tear past her and into the ground.

"Shit!" She jumped back, Obito and Charles landing by her as the man held onto the other half of his gun. "Y-Yeah, um, thanks," Roxanne admitted bashfully.

"You need to be careful, don't get caught in its pace," Obito grimaced as they faced the damn thing. "It wasn't even trying before, the barrier and this new attack are stronger and faster than the previous ones."

"Clearly this thing needs to be handled," Roxanne frowned. "That said, I don't have more powerful moves beyond the whole Volt Graph deal. I broke my Pandora Suit a long time ago. Thank God for Naruto's idea because we might not have made as much headway."

"... Hmph," Charles frowned before rolling her shoulders.

Pressure dug into the snow below her feet, floating bits of technology circling her wrists and ankles.

Obito's eyes snapped to it while Roxanne blinked.

"Using that, huh?" The Second Strongest Third-Year asked as the Frenchwoman scoffed.

"This is the newest Pandora Mode, the Vital Signal System," Charles declared to the confused Obito. "That stupid blonde wasn't the only one whose family and people developed something great… Ours is also easier to carry," she added in with a shrug as Obito sweatdropped while Roxanne chuckled nervously.

"Um, right, let's talk business after the Clash, please? For now, that bitch is trying to do something," Roxanne frowned as they saw the Nova's once-again raised arm begin to pulse. "You called it a 'Master'?"

"There's a chain of energy around its arm," Obito frowned before sighing and throwing his other half of a weapon at the Nova.

It flinched back and stopped its efforts, getting a blink out of three… Their eyes widened in interest.

"It has to focus," Roxanne realized. "It's trying to call something down, its 'slave' if your master call is right."

"Being a 'Master' could mean anything, though," Charles frowned. "It could be a damn animal."

The three blinked as her words rang in the air before they wheezed in horror.

"Fuck no," Roxanne realized in horror. "An alien animal?!"

"It's just conjecture!" Charles shouted before the air vibrated around her. "How long until Su-Na Lee gets here?!" She asked Obito.

"Two minutes!" He told her with a frown before nodding. "Alright, I'll be backing you two up, get in there! Aim for the signal arm! If it's possible, we need to continuously break its call!"

The two girls grinned as a weak field spread out around them.

"I'll handle all the unseen attacks! Focus on breaking its barrier!"

They launched at the odd Nova with narrowed eyes and reared back weapons.

Obito's arms were held out as his Sharingan blazed.

His view of the world shifted as he intensified his ocular powers.

Everything within his fields became more apparent to his eyes. It was a sort of odd occurrence that made him aware of how much extra work the Sharingan in this life were.

Veins popped up around his eyes. 'And I can see them!'

The energy around this odd Nova.

When the two girls' attacks were rebuffed by the Nova's barrier, he saw that swiping energy shooting out from around it.

'KAMUI!'

They vanished, the Nova's eyes widening in shock before she crossed her arms and rebuffed another pair of attempts from the third-years.

Obito let out a breath. "Su-Na."

-One minute!-

~NRK~

Su-Na grimaced before blinking as Teslad opened the side-haul door.

"Wait, Teslad, you'll burn through your Soul Energy!" Su-Na told the Legendary Pandora as the woman's hand crunched the side of the door with a frown. "Dammit! Focus on undoing your limiter, you can't go in unprepared!" She told the flinching Legendary Pandora.

This whole mess couldn't have been more annoying!

'Hold on, beloved!' She thought with cold eyes. 'If you get hurt…' Something throbbed at the back of her mind.

A feeling she'd had for so many years.

'I'll destroy everything.'

~NRK~

Obito's eyes spun as he banished more and more attacks from the Nova while the Pandora kept attacking its barrier.

'This isn't so simple,' using Kamui nowadays was like using the Sharingan with all its old rules.

Save for the loss of blindness seemingly only happening if he really pushed it, he was feeling the pain of numerous uses of his Mangekyo ability.

Roxanne, meanwhile, hissed out a foggy breath as she and Charles circled their opponent. 'Not worrying about those invisible attacks is a godsend!' But they needed to make use of that.

If she allowed her eyes to go to Obito for a moment, she could see the man's face begin to strain.

This ability of his wasn't infinite, just like Freezing, most likely, it had a limit and he might be nearing it.

How many attacks had he directed? Ten? Twenty? 40?

She doesn't know. She knew she heard something in the air throughout this battle so she had to assume that was his skill.

'Volt Graphs are painful,' with every attempt, Roxanne could heal, sure.

But the pain was beginning to rack up. One didn't just constantly mangle their own limbs and not feel a thing. She trained her pain tolerance to handle her more reckless skill but even she had a limit.

Charles, meanwhile, grimaced. 'We can't break through!' Roxanne's attack power rise with Volt Graph skills had truly been a boon.

She was sure there was irony there but it was kind of not important at the moment.

The fact remained, they had 'diversion' skills, crowding, and attack power… But the Nova's barrier was so annoying!

And it seemed to have realized how dangerous Roxanne had been, now dodging the Immortal Pandora instead of taking her blows.

'We need just one moment,' a moment of weakness and loss of control. "... It can't handle Roxanne's blows!" Charles shouted at the other two as she skid to a stop, grimacing as she looked down at her time. 'Has it already been two minutes?' Her mental clock ticked.

Thirty seconds until Su-Na Lee arrived. Hell, Charles could hear the oncoming copters already.

Just hold out… Hold out-

There was a flash of light from above.

The three of them froze, their eyes snapping up in horror as something floated down onto the battlefield like an evil god.

"Oh fuck my life," Charles cursed at the size of it.

At that big ball of Nova material that slowly descended before stopping in the middle of the air.

Obito's eyes snapped back to their opponent and widened as she reached out towards that thing.

No time for hesitating, his Sharingan burned.

And the Nova's arm was torn off with a harsh swirl of distorted space.

There was the sound of a breaking chain that reached Roxanne's ears as her head snapped to their Nova opponent's frozen form.

She looked down at her banished limb with wide eyes before Charles appeared behind her with Roxanne coming down from above.

"DIE!" They roared at her.

Dual knives sliced across the Nova's fleshy neck to little result but that was fine.

Charles jumped back as Roxanne's gauntlet-covered, Volt Graph-enhanced, fist came down on the Nova's head.

There was an explosion of force as its barrier sprung to life almost automatically but the Immortal grinned viciously as cracks began to form.

They spread out over the barrier in an instant before it shattered, Roxanne driving the blow down onto the Nova's nape.

It crushed the entire being into the ground before crunching the ground beneath it into a giant crater similar to the first.

She gasped, cold sweat falling down her cheeks as Obito hissed before hurrying over.

"It seems… We need to go," he hissed some more, wiping blood from below his eyes as Charles grimaced next to him. "I don't know what will happen now," Obito frowned as they all looked at that giant Nova.

The thing being the size of three Type-S put together and basically just a giant ball with circuit-like marks around it, it was an ominous presence that needed all of their attention.

~NRK~

"What the hell is that?" Su-Na whispered in horror as Teslad's eyes widened. "T-Teslad?"

"... Monster…" The Legendary Pandora whispered with a pale face. "Imperfect monster… That's not a normal Nova," the woman said with quaking fists, bladed wrist-braced tonfa trembling as her eyes narrowed. "Destroy it! We need to destroy it!"

The fact the normally silent Legendary Pandora said it made Su-Na grimace before bringing her vehicle down near Obito and co.

They landed in a disheveled field of destruction, uplifted dirt, and snow before hurrying out to meet up with a frowning but relieved-looking man.

"Obito!" Su-Na nearly tackled him, arms around the man's abdomen as he sighed with one eye closed, Teslad wearing a relieved look behind her helmet. "Thank God… What happened?" Her eyes snapped around to see Roxanne grinning weakly at her with Charles pulling the taller teen up.

"A lot… And then there's that thing," she sighed as she pointed to the large floating 'Nova'. "What the hell is that?" Roxanne asked as more carriers came down, the sounds of fighting from afar, explosions, and lights finally reaching her. "And there is a Clash, right now! Shit! All of this and I don't know if Naruto got saved or not."

"Wait, what?" Obito asked in horror.

"Um…"

Ten seconds later, Obito's eyebrow twitched something fierce.

"I might actually… Mmm," he minded the grimacing Charles with a long breath. "Let's… We need to get closer to that thing-"

"No," Teslad told him, confusing Obito to no end as she came up to him with a searching gaze at the throbbing marks around his eyes.

She reached up and touched one before letting out a breath.

A screen, hidden beneath her chest from those around, appeared before the almost seven-digit number went down as Obito hissed out a breath under Su-Na's worried eye.

Five ticks later, Teslad removed her hand and Obito's eyes relaxed before both opening.

"Thank you, I think we'll all need to be ready," Obito told her with a nod as Teslad reciprocated. "What did you mean, Hornet? Do you know what that is?" He whispered her codename as Charles and Roxanne hurried over.

'Hornet' looked back at the odd being in the sky with a worried look. "... Animal…" She said as Obito groaned while Charles flinched. "Immature serpent."

Roxanne ran a hand through her hair. "Well, Charles might be a seer."

~NRK~

Looking after Naruto hadn't been easy.

No, not in the sense of doing it, Chiffon could make use of the medical facility here easily due to working on similar machines with her father.

No, she was more surprised by how much it hurt to see him like this.

Watching the normally energetic but now quiet blonde go through the healing pod, Chiffon, Rana, and Amelia grimaced as the red lights finally died off.

"This is all so sickening," Amelia grimaced. "What is wrong with him? Things were going so well and yet Marks somehow thought this was the brightest idea of the century?" She almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous this all was.

They'd done it. They should have been celebrating nearly the entire rest of the week and training for the future!

Now? Now, Amelia felt like Marks never cared about this fucking project… No, he'd likely only cared about his own damn ego.

'Luke, I know you think of your sister as some mercifully kind woman,' she thought. 'But, for the third time of my life, I hate someone with all my heart.'

Rana, meanwhile, just sat next to her with crossed arms and a mind rampant with worries.

'Naruto will be fine,' she believed in him and, above all else, so too did he in them. 'But he's not going to be able to fight,' Rana knew that for the truth.

His healing skills might have helped the blonde if he wasn't frazzled from his very soul, cells, and energy.

It'd been the first thing she, Chiffon, and Amelia had noted, that Naruto's energy wasn't normal and was currently so… Irregular that it hurt to think about how much damage actually took place.

Waterboarding, electrocution, and those Anti-Freezing generators spelled out an image that made her nerves flare and eyes darken.

Rana Linchen took a deep breath, evened out her energy, and accepted this anger of hers.

It'd been something she'd learned to do ever since 'that moment' when she finally got it.

When she accepted it all, her anger, darkness, pain, and fear from when her sister had died after losing her connection to the Transcendent Will, Rana became… A better person, she thinks.

It was a lot harder to be off-kilter, emotionally, and that also helped her relate more with her fated one.

This made her angry, on several levels, but she didn't allow herself to drown in it like she might have in the past.

'It's kind of annoying,' it was like a small fight with herself. 'I'm not a monk…' She wanted to pout.

But her mind went elsewhere as the base shook and the sounds of explosions were muffled.

Chiffon considered it all as she messed with her limiter even now. 'It's fully-charged,' good.

Sitting at a mental 'status', she had 1 million SE to use at her disposal.

She'd need most if not all of it to deal with the current unknown threat… Well, if Su-Na hadn't made it here yet with one of her siblings.

'Mother was right, this is so drastic of a diversion from the previous visions,' Chiffon's senses were spasming as she felt them.

The odd new Nova outside and then those two new ones that made her Volt Textures vibrate.

'One of them is so…' Massive, that's all she could tell. 'Still, one of them is now out-of-commission?'

What the hell was going on outside?

There was a small flicker from a screen beside the console, the hybrid frowning as her gaze snapped to it before she manipulated it.

The image on it made her angry as it showed Naruto's biometrics, the blonde's blood was too hot at the moment.

He was dehydrated, his skin was harmed in several places, in several ways, that made her aware of the amount of scarring he'd be dealing with.

The injured organs were, thankfully, healable and if they were still bothered after all of this, Chiffon was sure that Naruto was strong enough to heal them.

'All because of one boy,' how had things changed because of him?

Her feelings, the world of Limiters, the visions, the Transcendent Will?

All of those important things, all of them changed because of one boy's want to do good and help others.

'Well, that explains the first and second but the last two could use some observation,' she hummed. "This upcoming fight is going to be dangerous, Naruto," Chiffon whispered to him, a flicker of consciousness in her head coming and going. "We'll need your help."

What could he do? Like this? Unconscious, unable to fight, and not really able to… Do anything.

'It's like I'm floating into the universe,' a bit dramatic but that's what it felt like.

With his eyes closed, Naruto kind of lost himself in the mental realm? Maybe? Kinda?

Ever since the generators caused his mental/astral self to keep slipping from his body into the realm of the Will, kind of, he'd begun sensing more.

The universe's planets, the feeling of life, and just the feeling of the Will more now than ever.

'... Hey,' he tried if only to see what'd happen. 'What do you do for fun?' Naruto asked shakily.

… Nothing, well, he'd expected as much.

Something twitched on his behind and Naruto wanted to whine.

He was so screwed when this got out.

'Focus, focus,' he told himself. 'I need to help the others right now.'

He exaggerated a bit earlier, the blonde could still feel things moving in the outside world and hear Chiffon a bit. He could feel those three who… Naruto blushed despite his current issues.

'Nope, after all of this,' he groaned. 'Maybe I'll regain the Kage Bunshinno Jutsu-'

Something fidgeted in his soul and his face went blank even with his eyes closed.

Oh no, he was in for the RIBBING OF THE CENTURY the moment that particular skill got out.

Arthur, Genessa, Chiffon, and likely all able-bodied teasers would make jokes the world over and he wouldn't be able to defend.

'Man, my mind's all over the place,' Naruto thought. 'Focus on the others, feel them… Arthur and Genessa need to be up and at 'em,' he frowned.

He felt out their souls before releasing energy in a general direction.

Please, wake up.

~NRK~

The knocked-out duo's eyes snapped open, the two's bodies brimmed by golden glows.

"W-What?" Genessa stuttered before hacking on her own breath. "U-Ughhh…"

Arthur moaned before he brought a hand up to rub his eyes-

"Wait… NO!?" He roared as Genessa flinched before her own eyes widened.

The two stumbled to their feet as they looked at the cage they were in and the storage room down below.

"... Oh, fuck that guy," Genessa growled.

"Agreed," Arthur frowned with narrowed eyes. "Nessa."

Genessa's spinning chain heads formed into existence.

They rotated around the two at high speeds before they dropped out of their slashed cage only for a moment, Genessa's chains forming out the back of her chain heads to catch their feet.

"Hmph, that was Naruto, wasn't it?" She asked her Limiter who nodded.

Then, the area around them shook and they jumped in disbelief at both the sound of explosions.

"WHAT?!"

~NRK~

Andre frowned next to Elizabeth, the two of them standing by the door that'd lead out to the carrier area and watching Marks's transport for any possible movement.

Having deactivated Pandora Mode a long time ago, Elizabeth crossed her arms with a grimace as more lights came from outside.

"This is horrible," she hissed as her Limiter nodded with a frown. "This should have been a focused defense but here we are, watching a man running from his responsibilities," Elizabeth uttered as Andre grimaced.

"These people are going away for a long time, madam, I'm sure of it-" He began to say only for the two to turn around and find none other than Arthur and Genessa there. "You two?!" Andre said in shock and relief. "I'm glad."

"What the hell is going on?!" Genessa asked in horror as another light outside gained her attention. "WHAT?!"

The older teens shot one another a look before explaining everything.

By the end of it, Arthur's cheek twitched while Genessa growled audibly.

"Let's tie it up," she said with a cold glare as more and more of her chains sprouted behind her back. "Then, we'll head off."

~NRK~

Satellizer grimaced as she, Cassie, Julia, Jina, and their Limiters hurried towards an opening in the building's side, jumping out with their bodies covered in wounds hissing against the tundra air.

"Dammit!" Jina hissed as the sight of numerous Nova frayed her nerves. "N-Nova?!"

Eugene nodded with a grimace. "I don't… What's happening? Where are the others-?"

"We're here!" Elizabeth called out as she, Andre, Arthur, and Genessa landed from above, the redhead's chains fading away easily. "What's the situation?" She asked immediately as she noted the group.

Julia's stab wounds in her thighs and her missing arm, Cassie's missing arm and cuts, Satellizer's many cuts but overall fine health, and even Jina's bruised forearms, the third-year mentally winced at the drop in attack power they'd likely lost.

'This isn't good,' they needed healing, stat. '...' Elizabeth considered the thought for a moment before turning to Arthur and Andre. "Andre, Arthur, I need to see if we can't heal our forces," she began as she turned to the two and held their shoulders.

"Ma'am?" Arthur blinked before realizing where she was going with this. "I see… Anything's worth a try," he said as his and Andre's eyes glowed before they looked at the base.

Searching for that one bright flame that, when they found it, was flickering but still strong.

"Arthur," Andre nodded as the younger man took a deep breath. "Eugene," he called out as Eugene blinked before nodding and doing as they were doing.

"Understood," he said.

"I'm ready," Arthur agreed.

They raised their arms towards the building and expanded their fields.

The three forces of energy slipped together before mixing into one larger one that

"Freezing," they uttered in unison.

Their fields shot out like a raging wave of dark blue, Cassie, Kyouichi, Julia, and Reiner blinking in confusion before their bodies buzzed with the sight of it.

The Emotional World.

It came and went while spreading out over the base and reached further and further until…?!

The Germen duo flinched as they 'saw' him.

Naruto Uzumaki, currently in the medical bay.

"What?" Julia whispered as Reiner held her shoulder with just as much of a horrified look.

Cassie's eyes softened at the truth while Kyouichi frowned.

"..." Elizabeth grimaced as she realized this might not work. 'Naruto's not capable of doing much, most likely…'

Then, there was a golden buzz that flashed over them.

Naruto's eyes finally cracked open as he felt them.

Arthur, Andre, and Eugene's expanding fields reached out to him and transmitted their thoughts, emotions, and intents.

They needed help but Naruto wasn't sure how to.

'Think…' He'd been a signal for Nova, for the moment.

He'd garnered their attention and had some kind of effect on them, didn't he? But he hadn't been able to do anything before.

He couldn't affect them, sadly, he had no control over Nova.

"He's there, I'm sure, but I think…" Arthur closed his eyes. "He's not sure what to do…?"

Information passed between them and the blonde through the Emotional World, thoughts, ideas, and confusion that Naruto held given to them.

"What?" Reiner held his head in confusion.

And then his eyes glowed gold as his own Freezing field expanded below him, Kyouichi following suit before the group watched a familiar phenomenon forming below them.

Eugene's eyes widened. 'Wait… That might be it!' Hopefully, this worked.

But it'd likely reveal a lot, maybe too much… But they weren't in a position to do otherwise.

"Naruto," he closed his eyes and focused. "I have an idea."

Naruto eyelids lowered in thought before he closed them, Eugene's idea making him realize something that may very well out them completely.

But if he was right, there was something he could do to help them.

But it'd be something he's only done on such a small level it wasn't comparable to that other thing.

To the Transcendent Will. Maria had said it, hadn't she? That he had his own Will.

He'd done it for Rana and Amelia, he had pull and strength that extended beyond the normal world.

Hell, all he'd done for his friends, their Limiter Skills, the healing, all of it.

Naruto needed to pull all those parts together and use his influence on a bigger scale.

"But I'm not the Transcendent Will," Naruto knew.

He was still just a mortal being. He might have gained the long-living life of Chiffon and her siblings but he was still capable of dying and being hurt like this.

He was 'mortal' where it counted and that changed his scale… His scale.

His 'reach' as an inhuman being and existence. He wasn't a universe-wide concept like the Will.

He was a Limiter with the reach of his Freezing fields…

His arms and legs twitched before moving.

"I'm not more than a human," he said to those who could 'hear' him. "I'm just a guy who wants to help and I know how," Naruto grinned.

He placed his fists together in his lap while he crossed his legs.

Naruto Uzumaki grinned as he spread out his 'influence'.

His fields.

~NRK~

The feeling was instant.

Elizabeth sighed in relief as orange hexagons sprouted outward from the Alaska Base.

"Oh thank God," she said as Andre chuckled.

Then, that field spread out more.

Further, farther, reaching limits never seen before.

Eugene blinked with Arthur as Andre hummed.

"T-That's a big Freezing field," the first said with a shaky grin as Arthur chuckled.

"I'm sure there's more, too."

And, as if aiming for the comedic timing, Arthur laughed as a golden ring lifted from beneath all their feet before settling around the group's waists.

"Yep."

~NRK~

Chiffon blinked before realizing exactly what Naruto had done.

"He's really something else, girls," she told the grinning Rana and utterly baffled Amelia. "Oh, right, you're not used to his weirdness yet."

"N-Nope!" The redhead squeaked before blinking at something else. "... What?"

She and Rana looked down at their glowing bodies before the American's eyes snapped around and looked at the glowing symbol on her back.

"What?"

A seemingly incomplete thing that began to flash gold randomly before shining consistently. Looking to the side, she noted Rana's own, the Tibetan getting up with her before slamming her fist into a palm.

Red wind and blue flame spiraled up from their feet, Amelia blinking in surprise before she frowned and clenched her hands.

"This is…"

"Yep," Rana grinned. "The power we've received."

"Elemental Manipulation?" Chiffon asked as Rana nodded. "I see… If Naruto holds the power to use nature on such an advanced level, you'd possibly get odd pieces of that concept," she supposed nature manipulation could be 'watered-down' into these parts. 'It's still so outlandish,' how interesting.

Still, right now, they had a fight ahead of them and Naruto gave his go-ahead.

"I've got this," he said as his eyes snapped open to reveal golden irises with glowing white cross-shaped bars for pupils. "You girls gotta help the others," Naruto grinned.

Go on.

Amelia held a hand to her chest as she felt Naruto's presence.

"... Let's go," she said as Chiffon smiled with a nod.

Then, a bit of the wall beside them was covered in orange hexagons before it exploded.

More and more of such explosions reached their ears before the smoke cleared and got a chuckle out of Rana at the new hole outside.

"Well, can't say he's not a gentleman-de arimasu," she grinned.

Chiffon laughed.

~NRK~

"Alright," Cassie said as she looked at her brand new arm. "I-I know I'm totally on your side but wow this is scary to think about going against," she sweatdropped.

Julia was just left staring at herself as her Limiter spoke with Kazuya about his new skills.

"I…" Reiner looked down in thought before closing his hands. "You all were right," he winced as Kazuya nodded with a frown.

"I can't say I'm happy with how everything went but, right now, we have to focus on more important matters," he said. "Right now, there's a Clash, we can talk about all of this later."

"Alright… Julie."

His Pandora looked away from him, arms crossed. "Orders were… Wrong," she admitted to her Limiter who sighed. "... I brought you into this."

"I'd follow you to hell itself, don't take all of that on your shoulders," Reiner said, his hand on Julia's shoulder as she bit her lip. "Right now, we have a job to do, the right one, come on."

Her arm went limp before he held her hand and she squeezed back, the blonde young man sighing again as Kazuya looked at him in confusion.

"... Julie's had her trust broken before," he admitted as Julia held his hand tenderly, Reiner reciprocating. "It'll take some time before all's right but we'll work through it, we always have."

"Alright," Kazuya smiled before they all turned their heads to look at the giant orb of Nova material in the sky. "S-Still, um, that thing is…"

"Kazuya-kun!" Came a familiar voice, Kazuya's head turning to see Obito and co. coming over. "I had a feeling," Obito smiled as the Aoi boy and Satella looked surprised, the arriving group also covered in golden rings.

"O-Obito-san?"

"Su-Na Lee?" Elizabeth blinked in surprise. "What in the world is going on?" She asked as her eyes went to the helmet-wearing Teslad. 'Who's this?' Did such a Pandora exist?

And why did she feel such an immense amount of pressure from her mere presence alone?

"Huh?" Genessa blinked as Arthur tapped his noggin. "What the heck is Su-Na Lee doing here? I-I mean, how could you… What exactly were you doing near the Alaska Base?"

Charles winced while Roxanne gave her shoulder an encouraging pat. "Things around here needed a bit more external security 's all," the Immortal explained. "For now, though, there are so many Nova around-"

The air rumbled as all eyes turned to a trio of Type-S… Wait, no.

Bearing bigger shoulders with longer jagged shield limbs for 'arms', helmets that reminded them of an exorcist's hat, its slightly more feminine shape, jutting out… tail?

They all blinked at its darker blue colorations with lighter blue undersides, the Nova's size still the same as a Type-S but… These were clearly not Type-S Nova.

"... We've got it," Su-Na declared as she walked up to the odd Nova with Obito at her side. "Hornet, you need to hurry and destroy as many Nova as possible," she told the Legendary Pandora who nodded before walking off in another direction. "You all," she directed to Elizabeth and co. "I've learned enough about you and your skills to know that don't break apart more than half and half. Destroy as many Nova as you can in groups of that size."

"W-What about that lady?" Roxanne asked in disbelief as she looked at Teslad's back. "How can you just…"

"She's fine," Obito told them with a nod and smile. "She's likely the most powerful person here with Chiffon and Naruto beside her, she's got it. For now, you all need to watch one another's backs," he said as he nodded to Kazuya. "Focus, apply, and don't lose."

"Why are all the adults in our lives so cool?" Roxanne asked with a look of teary-eyed awe, Charles rolling her eyes.

"We'll see if they can keep that up… Come on, there are Nova around," she muttered as the group turned inward. "... What's the actual plan?" She asked.

Elizabeth made to speak only for an explosion from the base to open up a wall.

"Huh?" Genessa blinked before gasping as a familiar trio entered the fray. "Oh, thank God," she said in relief as Arthur smiled.

Rana smiled for the group alongside Amelia and Chiffon. "We're here! What's going on?" She asked the group.

"I think we all know," Chiffon said as Jina waved Amelia over with the other two.

"Where are the others?" The American redhead asked worriedly as Jina frowned.

"They should have been in their rooms on the other side of the base," she admitted. "I… I think we should head on over there."

Amelia nodded. "Guys-"

"Go," Chiffon smiled. "For now, we need to approach this all properly. Elizabeth, was there any plan in place? Before we came?"

Explaining Su-Na's commands, Chiffon nodded.

"Alright, if I'm right, Eugene, Amelia, and Jina will head towards the E-Pandora. Will anyone follow suit?"

"I will," Elizabeth said with a nod at Amelia's smile. "It's only proper. Nova are dangerous and I don't know how they fare against them. We're all in this together, regardless," she smiled. "Andre."

"Qui," her Limiter nodded with a smile. "Arthur, Genessa, good luck," he told them before the chosen five ran off.

"Then, what about us?" Kazuya asked.

"Hmm," Chiffon looked at the odd new Nova currently being besieged by odd Freezing spiral fields and a familiar pair. "I know Obito and Su-Na can handle it. So, for us, we need to go and clear out the area surrounding that odd Nova," she frowned as she fiddled with something in her hair before sighing in relief at a final 'click'. "... Wait, i-is someone super-strong already over there?" She blinked.

"Oh, yes, there was some weird lady who came with Su-Na Lee," Charles said as Roxanne nodded.

"She seemed strong but they said she could handle Nova all on her own," the Immortal frowned. "That doesn't sound like a good idea-"

"Oh, then it's fine," Chiffon accepted easily as the group stared at her in disbelief. "Trust me, I have a feeling I know who that is. For now, we need to go and do our jobs."

Kazuya and Satella considered it for all of a few seconds before it clicked. 'It's someone connected to that conversation?' Another person like himself and, maybe, Chiffon?

Or was his grandfather up to more craziness?

"... Alright then," Satella said as she smiled at Genessa who grinned. "Destroy the Nova, that's our job."

"As always," Genessa said. "Let's get to it."

"I think we need to separate properly, first," Arthur said. "We don't want too much power on one side."

"Let's see," Roxanne considered before perking up at a duo of Limiters hurrying over. "SHIJI?!" She said with excitement.

Shi-Jing smiled as he and Citroen made it over, similar gold rings, and golden arms, greeting the others as they made it to their Pandora.

Charles looked away even as her Limiter held her close, the shorter blonde letting out a shuddering breath and just leaning into him.

"You're back," she whispered as he held her a bit tighter.

"Yes, thanks to everyone's help," he frowned before giving her one last squeeze and holding her out at arm's length. "I know how this is affecting you, Mr. Spencer was usually really fatherly to me as well… But I've realized that even he can have a breaking point… And a bad side. Let's do what we've been taught to do," Citroen smiled as Charles sighed.

"For justice?"

"True justice."

Shi-Jing, meanwhile, was filled in on what was going on.

"Troublesome," he said even as he observed his glowing arm. "Hopefully this helps us. What are the groups?"

Chiffon cupped her chin before nodding. "I think Roxanne, Charles, their Limiters, and a 'Finisher' should be there," she offered.

"A-Actually, I was kinda using those Volt Graph things," the Immortal said as the group blinked in surprise. "Hehe~ And I've already dropped that oddest Nova that showed up, their commander," she frowned as Chiffon's mouth dipped at the ends.

"What?"

Roxanne explained the entire fight with her, Charles, and Obito on one side vs the one the man called this wave's 'commander'.

"A humanoid… Nova?" No, something hadn't just diverted, Chiffon realized.

The Will had SPED UP events even if, from what Obito apparently had said, this new Type was still too weak.

And that giant unknown Type, it was never in her mother's visions like these odd Pandora-sized Nova.

Something had changed and now they had to prepare further.

She flexed her hand, the golden ring around her mixed with nearly impossible-to-see silver. 'We've got that equalizer,' Chiffon thought with a nod. "For now, if you all did kill it, it's not important. We all need to be at-the-ready and these Nova aren't helping. Actually, more worrying, the solar reactor needs to be protected," she realized as the group's eyes widened.

"Right, Naru-Naru's energy field makes us warm out here," Genessa rubbed the back of her head with a frown. "Still, um, it'd be super-bad if we're putting away some of our forces."

"There's a high chance that the Chevalier Pandora are already there," Charles offered the group with one more sigh before steeling her resolve. "And if we're not sure… I'll go and check."

"Then I'm following her," Citroen nodded.

"Hmm… Then, it's better we're in groups, regardless," Roxanne smiled as Shi-Jing nodded. "We'll go with Charles. That should leave you guys enough destructive force to handle all of this."

"It's still a bit big but we'll manage," Chiffon smiled. "Alright, hurry off. I know Naruto's the most protected right now in the medbay."

"Right, so, what is all of this?" Reiner asked. "This all seems so… Esoteric," he implied.

"Naruto's special," Rana said with a bright smile as he sweatdropped.

"Yes… Well…"

"... Orders?" Julia asked as Cassie smiled.

"She's got a point. Besides, we have more than enough amazing fighters right now. I doubt we should go in such a big group," the Godspeed grinned as Kyouichi hummed.

"I mean, in that case, who are the strongest ones here? N-Not to start a 'discussion' right now but if we're going to be empirical about this…" The Eastern Limiter offered.

"... Chiffon," Satella nodded. "Her, Rana, and Elizabeth were pretty strong."

"I'm a bit hurt," Roxanne grinned playfully as Satella pouted. "Oh, come now, puppy! I'm just joshing! Hehe, besides, aren't the strongest currently fighting the Nova?"

As if to emphasize her point, one of the three odd Types had fallen, much to most of the group's disbelief.

Chiffon nodded. "Roxanne and Charles are still going so we'll deal with myself, Rana-chan, Julia, and Cassie. Two per group."

"I think anyone extra on nee-chan's team is gonna be a bit much," Rana cupped her chin. "Then, me, Julia, and Cassie will go one way-de arimasu," she beamed as the Godspeed hummed before nodding with a smile of her own.

"I'm fine with that. So, Kazuya, Genessa, Arthur, and Satella will go with Chiffon," the teal-haired young woman smiled as Kyouichi looked about.

"Then, I think we should hurry. I'm sure we'll meet up with more of the strongest members of our forces as we fight," he said as the group nodded before separating. "See you on the other side!" The older boy said to Kazuya and co.

The Aoi boy nodded back to him as they all ran off.

The swirl of snow and shifting winds were pretty much denied by their 'borrowed fields', Naruto's energy keeping them warm and well-powered.

"With Naruto-kun's field around, we've got a lot of leeway," he said as they traveled for, what? Five minutes?

And they quickly found a pair of Type-S Nova ahead of them.

"Alright, I'm sure you all know how this works," Chiffon said as her body burned with Volt Textures. "Handle the one on the left, I'll deal with the other!"

She vanished in a blue of textures, leaving the other four strafing around their opponent.

Satellizer's eyes narrowed as she reached up and threw off her glasses, body reinforcing itself 100%.

Then, the normally blue lines shifted into gold and she felt like the world around her had almost slowed down.

Her eyes snapped around as she pulled ahead of the others almost instantly.

'So, this is what it's like for Rana,' the older woman had already been sporting golden energy for a while and had seemingly stopped using them whenever they sparred. 'I get it,' this power easily enabled her to pull out more power.

Her stigmata vibrated as black pupils began to shift into glowing white bars.

She vanished from the naked eye as Arthur's mind was zapped by an instinct.

A weak field spread out below him before they could recognize Satella's slipping around form almost immediately.

"Damn!" Genessa grinned as a familiar phenomenon engraved itself onto her body. "Seems like a great time!"

Her form buzzed.

And, soon enough, she skidded to a stop while holding out her hands.

Chains shot out of small distortions in the air, Volt Textures producing them on a grander scale that she'd recently been capable of.

She grinned viciously as Arthur blushed.

"H-Honey, keep the number down in bed," he pleaded as Kazuya stumbled.

"Arthur?!" He blushed.

"She's thinking about it."

~NRK~

Amelia plowed through a trio of bladed tendrils before they could reach her comrades, the 'born-again' redhead's feet taking her around the area like a phantom before vanishing in another burst of wind.

"Geez!" Jina grinned in relief as lasers rained down from above, Elizabeth's glowing form moving about in the air with deadly efficiency. "Thank God for your blonde friend!" She said to Eugene as he chuckled, his field spreading out around the group and transmitting orders.

"He is!" He smiled before a flash of thought passed to Rattle's group, the brown-skinned E-Pandora jumping back with her comrades from a tendril that quickly found itself broken-through by Amelia. "She's like some kinda beast," Eugene said in awe as Jina nodded.

Her eyes flickered to the side before skipping back, widening her stance, and jutting her staff behind her.

Eugene grinned nervously as the blow knocked back a Type-S's whip.

"Focusing!"

She laughed.

~NRK~

Teslad's eyes narrowed as she downed her third Type-S.

'...' The oddness of the silver and gold ring around her waist had quickly lost its novelty, the feelings, the power, and the expansion of her senses giving her more than enough reason to trust it. "Twenty left-" she said to herself before blinking. "Eighteen left," she was surprised.

Were Pandora outside of Su-Na Lee supposed to be so capable? Weren't the ones destroyed being so by a bunch of teenagers?

The 'Odd One' likely had something to do with this, she realized. The one their mother had joked about being like their father-

Something 'flashed' against her senses. Something big and strong.

And not that odd 'Type' floating in the sky.

She tapped the side of her helmet with a glare into the distance. "Su-Na-chan? Obi-kun?"

~NRK~

"Hmph!" Su-Na carved through the second Enhanced S-Type, a temporary name, and felt her eyes flicker to the last one currently being barraged by a series of swirling distortions.

Obito's form landed on its shoulder, eyes blazing in the seemingly gone blizzard, before jumping down and across its chest.

A large carving distortion ravaged the Nova's armor and gave her the opening she needed.

Plasma flaked off her heels.

And Su-Na skidded behind the last of her opponents, the large hole in its core sparking a bit before the figure powered-down and collapsed to the floor with a rumble.

Obito landed next to her, the man wiping his cheek with his sleeve. "With this, there aren't even twenty left."

-Su-Na-chan?- Teslad's voice came through her earpiece. -Obi-kun?-

"Teslad?" Su-Na let out a breath, dispersing her weapon and pressing her earpiece while Obito did the same. "What's wrong?"

-Their numbers are decreasing… Too fast- The Legendary Pandora uttered with a hiss.

"What?" Obito frowned before his Sharingan blazed and peered into the distance. "... She's right," he growled as Su-Na frowned deeply. "They're congregating," he realized.

Then, those glowing energies in the distance merged.

"That's not good. They're merging," he hissed as Su-Na's eyes widened.

"We need to go! Teslad, we'll meet you by Chiffon and group-up! Don't fight it alone!" She ordered.

~NRK~

Rana's fist lit up the air for a moment before she was jumping back, the large smoking crater of a chest the Nova now bore causing it to fall to the ground and allowing the group to sigh in relief.

"Good work, flame-user," Cassie grinned. "About that, what the hell?" She asked a second later as Julia landed next to her with a similar look of disbelief.

"?" The German Pandora looked so confused.

"Oh, um, harem privileges," Rana admitted with a smile as Cassie nodded obliviously while Kyouichi and Reiner faceplanted.

"WHAT privileges?!" They asked in unison, the amount of shock on their face getting a giggle out of Rana.

Cassie's nodding came to a harsh stop as her face went blank with a more-in-disbelief Julia. "Huh?"

And then there was a rumble of thunder and force, something sparking in the far-off distance gaining their attention.

"What in the world?" Julia asked in shock.

~NRK~

They'd defeated their Nova a mere two minutes ago when Chiffon had told them to hurry.

They'd passed that familiar hole in the building of the Alaska Base just in time to meet up with Charles, Roxanne, and their Limiters, the boys driving all-terrain vehicles with their Pandora on the back.

"What's happening?!" Charles shouted as she held onto Citroen's midsection.

Their fellow Pandora were currently 'riding' on Genessa's chains, the salmon-haired young woman flying them along without issue.

"Wait, is her Volt Weapon an SSS-Type?"

"W… W-We think so!" Satellizer said as she cooled off, her body's aches and pains going away almost instantly. 'I can get stronger but my body…' It wasn't ready for that power yet.

The embarrassing part of her reminded her that she wasn't as much of a gymnut as she should be, what with her job and all. The horrified-irony shut it up as quickly as possible.

Kazuya, meanwhile, looked at the origin of the ring-granting field.

"I hope Naruto's okay. I know this might be a strain on him," he said to the others as Chiffon nodded.

"It's for the best that we make this Clash end soon," Chiffon said with a nod-

And then they saw the large explosion of light and electricity.

All voices went silent as the event took place, their 'vehicles' coming to a stop.

"... That… Doesn't sound good," Genessa said slowly, a feeling of anxiety creeping up her neck. "DON'T STOP!" She shouted!

Their rides shot off into the distance, Chiffon grimacing as her senses raised in worry.

"What is that?" She wondered quietly.

And it all came to a stop as something, a small shadow in the distance, shot up into the sky.

"... Oh-"

"Fuck," Kazuya finished for the hybrid.

And then 'that shadow' descended upon them.

"FUCKING!" Genessa's chains shot out.

She wrapped more around the pairs on the ATVs before wrangling the entire group back.

Just in time, too, as they were destroyed by that… That Nova Creature.

The floor rumbled, the group thankfully in the air, but the sheer reach made them aware of the implications.

Its two mouths hissed out a sort of misty static that garnered more worry from Chiffon while the others just paled.

The damn thing was easily half the size of the Alaska Base and bore a smooth cream-colored body accented by dark blue configuration on its five wire-like tails that sprouted bushy static-bearing fur on the ends.

It was muscular and bovine-like, the large creature's huge stark-white horns, pure-blue eyes, and hooves lifting.

It bellowed.

The mere force blew back their hair and caused the snow beneath their feet to rush into their faces, the sounds and feeling of it hisses getting grimaces out of the group as that thing kept on roaring to the heavens.

~NRK~

Obito and Su-Na grimaced as torrential winds shot past them, causing their feet to skid against the ground.

"D-Dammit! What's going on?!" The Pandora grimaced, Obito sliding ahead of her before his field spread out.

The edges of snow rushing forward froze and were beat by harsh winds that caused his field to flicker.

"Whatever it is," he told Su-Na as she sighed in relief before a familiar figure landed from above. "It's not good," Obito said as Teslad nodded.

"Another creature," she said, her helmet's visor sliding into its metal framing so they could see her grimace. "Not… I-It's not in the visions."

"Great," Obito hissed as the winds finally died down.

Revealing the impossibly hissing brown fields of Alaska that surrounded the base.

The three's eyes stayed transfixed in shock, looking around at the shining light from above and then the sheer impossibility around.

"Just great."

~NRK~

Once again, long time no see.

Let's hit that Omake.

P.S. Some changes, mostly to the past/Omake with Obito and Su-Na.

The events with 'That Woman' happen when Su-Na's in her Junior year. I re-checked and this event, when she gets taken in by Gengo, is in the year 2062. Three years before canon and Su-Na's supposed to be 20 by that time.

So, an adjustment there and to Obito's age where he's only three years her senior instead of 5.

I'm open to people reminding me if I reference this age gap earlier, I don't remember if I did but I'd like to correct it.

~NRK~

~CANON Omake: Lacking II ft. Obito, Su-Na, ?, Kim, and Elize~

The rest of the class had gone by pretty quickly and, in that time, Obito found himself learning small things about the Pandora, Su-Na Lee.

"I see," he said as she smiled. "It might work for you… Actually," Obito considered something as Su-Na perked up.

"Yes?" She asked the man.

"... Well, if you want, there is something I've been working on," Obito told her with his hands in his lab coat pockets. "I've been watching Volt Textures for a long time and currently breaking down how they interact with the three states of matter," he explained before taking something out of his pocket.

Su-Na looked at the small badge-shaped item, Obito holding it out to her.

"This is the prototype to something I'm working on when it comes to Pandora technology," he said as she accepted the item. "It goes on your neck. Can you bring out your Volt Weapon?"

She blushed, fitting the item onto the side of her throat and standing ram-rod straight at the feeling of something warm.

"What?" She blinked at it curiously even as she stepped away and held out her hands.

Obito blinked at the sight of twin bladed blades his size.

"Curious," he said as she blushed again. "... Enact your Volt Textures."

She did, the feeling of the item on her neck alarming her as she saw one of those odd Volt Lines glowing bright white.

The line led down her hand to her right weapon, the young woman dispersing her left and focusing on it.

Seconds later, her eyes widened in awe as the edge of her weapon began to glow with a hazy white energy.

"Ah, perfect," Obito chuckled. 'Using that on the Legendary Pandora just doesn't work,' it wasn't the same for those ones because they interacted differently with the world compared to normal Pandora. "How do you feel?"

"U-Um," Su-Na blushed for the third time, cheeks rosy, as she looked down at the item. 'It's like a voice…'

A small, probably insignificant, voice that shouldn't have mattered… It shouldn't have.

But it did and she looked away from Obito to her weapon, body a bit warm.

"S-Sir?"

"Yes?" Obito came closer and her heart rate rose. "Su-Na-kun, is something wrong?" He whispered.

The act made her mind whirl with ideas and possibilities before she did her best to shake the images away, just plain embarrassed on all levels.

But he made her feel things, odd and curious things that warmed her heart.

"... These are different," she said after some thought. "You are different," Su-Na whispered to him as his eyes locked onto hers looking at him out of the corner of her vision. "I can tell…"

Obito was now confused and curious. 'Does she… Is she able to tell?' That he had a Freezing skill unconnected to a Pandora?

That he held power?

"... I am, I doubt you can't tell if you can say those kinds of things."

"I figured."

Then, Obito leaned back, doing his best to ignore her smile.

A smile that spoke more than he was sure Su-Na knew how to convey but understood that it did what it was supposed to as she directed it at him.

"Let's leave that discussion for later," she smiled brightly at him as he cleared his throat. "I can tell, there's a lot to discuss," Su-Na said matter-of-factly to him.

"... Perhaps," Obito muttered as the simulation room door opened to allow Yu-Mi out.

"Alright… Are we all good?" She asked with a very raised brow at Obito's flat expression and Su-Na's blank but pleased one. "I'm sensing tension," Yu-Mi smirked slyly at him as he rolled his eyes.

"Bite me, you don't sense anything," the man shot back quickly as she squawked.

"Ah?! So cold?!"

Obito chuckled at that, crossing his arms with a smirk. "Yep."

~NRK~

Sitting in the cafeteria, now bereft of all the sudden fangirls he'd gained in a matter of an hour, Obito sighed in relief before finding Su-Na and Yu-Mi at his sides.

"Oh? What's this? Homemade?" Yu-Mi asked him as she put her tray down and looked at his wrapped-up food. "Seriously? Did you get a wifey in the time we've been apart?"

Su-Na froze, eyes snapping to Obito's eyebrow twitching expression.

"One, no, I can cook just fine for myself, thank you very much," Obito admitted with a roll of the eyes, unwrapping his self-made bento. "And I'd say I'm pretty good at it," he smirked slowly as he took off the top of the container.

Su-Na's eyes went to his food before her eyes widened at the smells coming off of it, Yu-Mi wiping her mouth with eyes shining like stars.

"Oh my God, how did you match our chefs? D-Did ya plan on sharing? I can tell ya, our food's still good!" She said quickly with an eager edge Obito chuckled at before cutting up some of the odd beef he'd had and put it on his rice.

Placing it on a small sheet of seaweed, he gave it to the grinning woman with a sort of finger dexterity that surprised Su-Na.

'His hands,' now that she was looking at them.

She found calluses and scars that surprised her.

Some of those looked like the work of an opposing blade, she would know, she'd given her fair share of those and knew what combat scars looked like.

"Here," she blinked before blushing at a similar 'sushi' being placed on her tray's edge. "You were looking pretty intensely," Obito said, unknowingly, knowingly.

Su-Na's cheeks colored more at his ignorant intent. "... Hmm," she pouted a bit before neatly folding the item.

Obito focused on her hands for a moment. 'Calluses… A lot of them,' likely more than even his own but that could be a misconception. 'Still, she's clearly stronger than most of her classmates,' from his own estimates?

Even her upperclassmen, the fourth-years, couldn't best Su-Na.

And Gengo wanted her, huh?

"So, Obi, buddy," Yu-Mi ate her food without issue, grinning after a bite. "How long are you supposed to be here, anyway? You're a big-shot scientist, aintcha?"

Su-Na froze, the feeling of the world falling on her shoulders alarming her and causing her hands to drop her chopsticks.

"Hmm?" Obito turned to her and she looked away, eyes on the ground as she picked up her things. "... I'm here for the entire year to become more familiar with our actual upcoming forces… And, painful as it is to admit," his eyebrow twitched as Yu-Mi snickered. "Old Man Gengo said it'd be better for me to do this with individuals closer to myself in age."

"... Oh, right," Yu-Mi said as Su-Na looked back over.

'I'd forgotten,' he was a temporary teacher. 'I'm an ido-'

"You're 20 now, aintcha?"

Su-Na's mind rebelled and listened in, her cheeks reddening like she was truly the 'fool'.

And clearly she was.

'He's three years older than me?' He had looked young now that she thought about it.

"Yes, I am," Obito said as he tapped the edge of his bento box. "And the world has never stopped throwing its form of curveballs at me," he added before gesturing to Su-Na. "But I'm fine working with them," he chuckled.

Despite herself, Su-Na's heartbeat rammed against her ribcage and left her looking down at her food, face bright red. 'S-Stop doing that!' Please.

Feeling emotions like this, when they'd never last.

She couldn't… It'd destroy her.

Not if you make him yours.

Su-Na froze at the thought, face still red but eyes shrinking in horror and embarrassment at… Her thoughts.

"Hehe, that little doohickey you got on her neck, pun NOT intended," Yu-Mi's sly grin could have scammed America, getting a blush out of Obito. "No extra comment, seems interesting."

"Quiet you," he grunted as Su-Na's eyes snapped to his face.

'He's single,' and he seemed… Aware of her.

The young woman who was only three years his junior… And he was capable of blushing at such implications.

He could be yours and no one else's.

Her mind burned with possibilities.

"Su-Na-kun was kind enough to help me, there doesn't need to be any ulterior motives about it."

But there could be. Su-Na's mind told her.

There was clearly a shot to be had here.

~NRK~

The following night, Obito raised a brow as he snuck in through the window on the second-floor of the third-year dormitories, the opening in the doors on that balcony expected.

He landed on it, finding a familiar young woman standing there in some tight shorts and a naval-length tank top, both dark blue.

Obito raised a brow at all of this, standing up in an all black outfit that still baffled him.

Not because he wore it but because of why he wore it.

"Explain to me again, why I needed to do this?" Obito asked flatly as Su-Na smiled, the 5'4 young woman smiling at him before gesturing inside. "No answer, huh?" He raised a brow, arms crossed.

She blushed a bit but smiled all the same. "Do you want to be seen going into the third-year dormitories?" Su-Na asked him pleasantly and without accusation.

Obito sweatdropped at the terrifying logic. "You've really done this to trap me for your amusement, hmm?" He said but walked in regardless as Su-Na closed the doors behind them.

Stepping into a room that made Obito wonder if the finances of the school were going anywhere properly, Su-Na walked past before gesturing to a small table with two chairs by a small window.

Getting seated, Obito raised a brow at the treats on it and shot the sitting-down Su-Na a raised brow.

She gestured to them. "You say your cooking is excellent and it is… But my own isn't bad, either," Su-Na said.

Looking at the baked goods, Obito's eyes squinted at them before he took one of those odd octopus-shaped cookies and ate it.

He leaned back in his seat with crossed arms.

"... Dammit," he said to the ceiling as she giggled a bit. "I see, you're trying to one-up me," he said as he brought out a small bag from his pants pocket and put it on the table. "Here, the challenge you apparently made me bring."

She took the offered item and opened it up to smell gingerbread.

She took one of those kunai-shaped items, Su-Na ate it with closed eyes and a hum.

"..." She swallowed. "It's not as good as your cooked food," Su-Na smirked. "In fact, I think mine was better, Obito-san."

Obito's eyebrow twitched. "With much consideration," he emphasized as she smiled a sly smile, one that said it all. "... You've beaten me in this regard. Perhaps, while I'm here, we can see how you fare against me in the kitchen."

"Oh, that could be arranged."

They locked eyes before Obito chuckled and Su-Na smiled normally.

The two spoke into the night on a large number of topics, three hours passing with more ease than either of them would have expected.

"Huh?" Obito blinked as Su-Na looked at her own clock. "I-I see," he ran a hand through his hair, blinking in surprise. 'Three hours?' Had they really just sat there and… chatted for three hours? 'What exactly does that say about me?' He… Obito didn't 'fear' the answer but he wasn't sure of what to make of it.

He could admit he enjoyed Su-Na's company, the Korean seemed more mentally-adept than even her scores and performance would display. Add on that, oddly enough… Her being like him did make for an interesting connection.

This was what he looked like at one point but she had more than even that young boy in the past had and was only teetering on that 'edge'.

If he could, he'd like to ensure she never tilted onto the wrong side… Platonically.

While Obito began to sweat at his own thoughts, Su-Na looked down at her lap and then the empty tray and bag of cookies.

'I don't remember when we ate them,' their conversation had been too interesting.

Their topics had been too in-depth and she'd mindlessly ate with the man across from her like they were… Friends.

No, not 'friends', deeper than that.

Her eyes gleamed in understanding.

They understood each other on a level no one else could for either of them. Su-Na realized that might be it.

'We're compatible.'

Obito got up with a hand ruffling his own head of hair. "Apologies, Su-Na, I might have taken up too much of your time," he told her sheepishly.

"?" Su-Na perked up before shaking her head. "N-No, it was fine, I've never had such a fun conversation in… Well, ever," she smiled for him as Obito grinned nervously.

'Noooo…' He said mentally. 'You are not attracted to a woman you just met, UCHIHA!' Obito was sure this wasn't gonna go well.

But she might accept. A traitorous part of his mind said.

Obito cleared his throat as he walked past Su-Na's seat, hand on her shoulder for a second as he nodded.

Su-Na barely heard him, the feeling of his large hand on her shoulder sent a jolt of heat up her arm and spine, the young woman's cheeks burning up as she reveled in it for a moment.

And barely controlled herself as it went away.

"Take it easy, Su-Na-kun," Obito said before opening the balcony doors hurrying to the railing.

He put his leg over the edge before nodding to her.

Obito dropped out of sight, the silence of the night telling Su-Na many a thing.

One, he truly was different.

Two, nightly escapades were apparently very possible and EXCITING.

She smiled at that. 'Yes, we're quite matching, aren't we?'

~NRK~

The month that followed that occasion had been curious for her.

Whether it was talking with Yu-Mi about her High-End Skill mastery, Obito in creativity, the two in battle tactics like in class, cooking tips, or even just chatting at night on more than one occasion, never before had Su-Na felt like life was… Worth it.

Worth going along with, worth thinking about the future of, worth living.

Especially at the present moment, she grinned as she and Obito took a large steak out of the oven in a heavy cast-iron pan.

Their mitt-covered hands working in tandem and synchronization, perfect harmony to bring it onto a cooling rack.

More pepper was added as the other got cloves of garlic.

Ten more minutes of preparation, they were done and ready.

Yu-Mi swallowed at the sight of it, a familiar doctor sitting next to her with a smile of her own.

"I'm finally going to get to see what Yu-Mi's been eating these past couple of weeks," Eliza Schmitz chuckled. "Sup, Uchiha-kun, long time no see."

"Same," Obito said as Su-Na braised the meat one more time before grinning. "And lunch is up."

All around, the other Pandora and Limiter students gawked and drooled as the two brought out their personally made THREE-POUND SLAB OF STEAK to their instructor and doctor.

"Yes," Yu-Mi fistpumped gratefully. "I have such amazing friends," the woman cried in joy.

Getting served her own slab with some vegetables, the woman took her first bite.

And ascended.

Obito smirked as Su-Na giggled, the instructor's look of happiness palpable.

Elize hummed happily as she ate some herself, the doctor chuckling around her fork before swallowing. "... Wow, you two basically put all the beef here to shame," she chuckled some more. "Good work," she said.

"No problem."

"Thank you."

The two accepted their praise before getting their own servings and sitting down with the two.

"Hmm, so, how have you liked teaching so far?" Elize asked Obito as Su-Na ate with flushed cheeks. "Hehe, tasting your own success is important, Su-Na," the doctor teased.

The Korean student nodded rapidly, shivering. 'This needs more observation,' her mind zeroed-in instantly.

They chatted and ate without pause, Obito bringing up a topic that got a curious hum out of Yu-Mi.

"So, wait," she considered before whispering. "That's totally secret, huh?" The Korean woman whispered as Obito nodded. "Damn."

"It's sensitive and, while I already have it patented, it'd be trouble to have people know about this project ahead of time. I know many individuals can get antsy about being one-upped and Gengo doesn't exactly have the most expansive network of allies," Obito shook his head as Su-Na blinked at him. "You can imagine, can't you, what people would do with a valuable idea?"

"... Especially if it's one strengthened by Gengo Aoi's input," the Korean student considered it. "I see… T-Thank you, for your trust," she blushed as Obito nodded.

Yu-Mi's eyebrow rose in interest as Elize whistled softly.

"Damn," the instructor whispered in shock as the doctor chuckled. "Well… I don't know, I mean, she does have a Limiter," Yu-Mi explained in quiet tones. "B-But Su-Na's not exactly his best friend nor does she think anything more about him."

"Hmm… Those kinds of things happen," the Schmitz woman said. "So, as long as she made sure to tell him it was professional…"

"... I might need to explain that to her-"

"Hmm?" Came a voice from Obito's side, the man's eyes widening as they turned to see a smiling student standing by his seat. "... Oh, that's good!" She grinned at him, his fork leaving her mouth.

Su-Na's eyes slowly widened as they recognized that voice.

That damnable one that cornered a lot of the school's issues outside of herself.

Her head snapped to the side to her fellow Junior.

A smiling young woman of similar age with long thick pale-pink hair that covered her ears and forehead, flawless fair skin, and pinkish-red eyes that currently grinned at him.

At her recent happiness-

"Apologies?" Obito asked as Su-Na stood up with a cold gaze. "?" Was there bad blood between these two?

"Hmm, ah, hi, Su-Na-san," the newcomer said, her uniform not dissimilar to Su-Na's own. "You've been having a lot of fun lately, I noticed. It's kind of interesting, you know," her eyes became half-lidded. "You've got a Limiter, don't you?"

"Easy there," Yu-Mi said with a worried smile. 'Not good,' why was this one instigating?

"Who I spend time with is no one's business," Su-Na told the other student coldly as the cafeteria grew quiet and anxious. "Sawatari-san."

The two stared at one another as the air grew heavy with malice… Before Obito got up between them.

"Alright, that's enough," the man declared to the same-height pair. "With all due respect, Sawatari-san, I think you're causing issues," Obito said to the young woman who tilted her head at him.

"Hmm, that's rude of you, sensei, picking favorites," she said, 'hurt'.

"I know all of you, I've literally offered those who are in need of extra training slots for advancement with Yu-Mi-sensei," the man raised a brow at the grin on the young woman's face. 'So, she's similar to Su-Na,' but there was a lack of restraint there.

This one, Isuzu Sawatari, would cause trouble… Dammit.

He'd said it to Su-Na, had he not? Them being similar made him want to act.

"And," he continued. "You may want to stop delving so deep into that mindset if you're going to lead a happier life."

Isuzu's eyes slowly widened as she locked gaze with Obito and really 'saw him'.

… She grinned fully and 'darkly', her expression not 'bright' but the opposite while still being capable of being called 'beautiful', in a twisted kind of way.

Su-Na's eyes snapped to Obito's but noted something else.

Something that hadn't been there when he spoke to her, flattering as that was, it made her worried.

The man was on-guard and that set Su-Na's senses ablaze.

"Oh~ I see it now," the Japanese student smiled with a bow. "I understand, Obito-san," Obito's eyebrows shot into his brow again as Isuzu left but not before smiling at Su-Na. "Don't get too complacent, suna-onna, we'll see what stays and doesn't."

Obito watched her go for a moment before sighing and turning to see Su-Na's look of distaste on Isuzu's back.

"... Look, for now, we can talk about it later," he told her as he sat down, the Korean grimacing before she sighed and followed suit. "That was curious-" Obito had begun to say.

He'd looked back at where Isuzu had gone as he spoke, eyes widening at the feeling of lips on his lips-cheek as he turned with a look of disbelief, Isuzu tilting her head at him in surprise as well.

And then her eyes 'settled' in fascination that was taken away almost instantly by Su-Na growling in her face, red eyes alight with murderous intent.

"Don't make me kill you."

Isuzu grinned as she leaned in.

"Likewise."

~NRK Out~