"..."
Yunyun's ears rang as she processed the absolute bombshell that had been dropped on her the previous night. She blinked her saucer-like eyes. Something was moving around in front of her… A hand?
"...n?"
There was a voice too… She recognized that voice. It was the voice that she simply couldn't get out of her head all night as it was that very voice told the story over and over again.
"...yun!"
Did she even sleep?
"Yunyun!"
Naruto's voice finally broke through as his party member's eyes finally focused on him, and she blinked a few times before gasping.
"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-san! I was just…"
Yunyun apologized before trailing off again, her eyes unfocusing once more.
Naruto sighed, but he left it at that. It was obvious why the girl was acting this way. After all, how else were you supposed to react if your friend suddenly revealed they were from another world on a quest from a literal goddess to defeat the Demon King?
He would give her time to process everything.
'I'm worried about Yunyun and how she's going to react in the end, but I can't help but feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.'
Naruto thought as he waved his hand to get a waitress's attention. It was still morning and his wallet was feeling very light, but he could really use some Neroid right about now.
When the waitress eventually brought his drink, he was about to take a sip when a blue blob sat down next to him.
"Heya, Naruto! Oooo~! Is that Neroid for me? You shouldn't have~!"
Aqua chirped and moved into his personal bubble to snatch his drink, but the shinobi extended his arm just enough so she couldn't reach it.
"I'll have you know I'm completely broke right now, Aqua. So this is the only drink I'm going to be able to afford until my next quest, and I intend on drinking it."
Naruto responded with a flat expression, even with the beautiful girl mere inches away from his face.
Aqua pouted, but it was short lived as she pulled back and put her hands on her hips.
"Well, luckily for the broke you, the great me has been putting in a good word for you with my party members!"
"What are you…"
Naruto trailed off when he noticed Kazuma, Darkness, and Megumin walking up to his table. The first two seemed rather nervous for some reason, while the Crimson Demon looked rather disinterested.
Darkness, he understood, as seeing her in person after last night's little incident was kind of embarrassing on his end too. No doubt she would be confronting him about that later.
But why was Kazuma nervous?
It was then Naruto realized what was going on, and he placed his drink on the table.
"Fufufu… It seems you understand now. While you didn't win the tournament, this gracious goddess has decided to take pity on you due to your financial situation. For I, too, have been there…"
Aqua admitted while wiping a stray tear from her eye.
'Aren't you guys still broke too?'
Naruto wanted to retort, but he was too nervous to risk ruining the moment.
Kazuma stepped up, a hand scratching his cheek as he awkwardly looked at the shinobi.
"We've discussed it as a party, and… Well, you know. You're a good buddy of mine, and you've helped us a lot in the past, so…"
The adventurer trailed off when he noticed the eyes that they were beginning to attract. Those nosy bastards! Didn't they have anything better to do!? But why the hell was he so nervous!?
"T-to thank you for being there for us in our time of need, we wanted to do something for you in return."
Darkness picked up where Kazuma had left off while struggling to meet his eyes.
"I-I don't know what to say…"
Naruto stuttered and looked down at the floor with a sheepish smile of his own, failing to notice that Aqua had long since taken his Neroid.
"There's only one thing to say in this situation, dummy."
Megumin chortled and smirked at the shinobi, and Kazuma took a step forward so he could have the final word.
"Our party would like to invite you to-Geh!"
Kazuma stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on Yunyun, and saw the empty void that was the girl's eyes. It was the look that someone might have after being hit by a sinking reality that was unavoidable.
'Ah, she probably thinks we're trying to poach Naruto to our party…'
Megumin had said that girl was super socially awkward and usually never spoke her true feelings, which was quite evident even in the limited interactions he'd had with her.
Was she feeling so left out that it left her in such a depressed state of mind? It was so pitiful he almost wanted to cry…
'Wait a minute… Yunyun is cute, has a decent personality, and can use real magic.'
Kazuma thought when it hit him. It was so obvious.
"We wanted to invite you and Yunyun to live in our mansion."
"!"
The moment the words left his lips, there was an uproar in the guild. Adventurers howled with cheers of encouragement and disbelief, while Megumin berated him with questions.
"Why are you inviting Yunyun!? This wasn't part of the discussion!"
Megumin demanded while shaking Kazuma from his collar, but the boy's expression remained the same.
After all, why hadn't he thought of it before? This town had its fair share of beauties, but most of them had a fault in their personalities that was a complete turn off. His party members were the prime examples.
Yunyun's only fault was her timid nature, but that was hardly a fault. Who didn't like the shy mage trope? Not to mention, she was cute.
Kazuma smacked the noisy Crimson Demon's hands off of him before brushing his bangs to the side.
"How could I not invite Yunyun? She's helped us a lot too. Or have you forgotten, Megumin? Yunyun saved us from the Giant Toads that one time, and went solo hunting for days on end on top of questing with Naruto to repair our debts. We owe her just as much, and I am a man who always repays his debts."
"You… Why do I get the feeling you have some sort of ulterior motive?"
Megumin muttered, but ultimately turned away in a huff. It didn't matter anyway. It's not like Yunyun would accept such an outrageous offer. That girl was completely hopeless and would probably say things like "Oh, I wouldn't want to be a bother…" or "I couldn't possibly move into the same place as my rival!" and whatnot.
Naruto grinned and turned to his party member.
"What do you say, Yunyun? Wanna move into Kazuma's mansion? I'm certainly in."
"...Huh? Oh, uh… Y-yeah, sure…"
Yunyun replied with a subtle nod of the head, and the crowd erupted in a roar of cheers.
"Hehe… We'll be in your care, guys!"
Naruto flashed a foxy grin and gave a mock salute to Kazuma and his party. He certainly hadn't seen this coming. Well, Megumin did tell him they were going to invite him to move into the mansion. But he hadn't been expecting them to invite Yunyun too.
This was going to be fun!
As the group began to order food to celebrate, Megumin sat down next to Yunyun. The girl was acting suspicious, especially with that response.
"Do you realize what you just agreed to?"
"...Yes. Yes, I understand everything now."
Yunyun absentmindedly responded while looking up at the ceiling of the guild hall, earning a strange look from her rival.
"What is up with you? Did Naruto say something?"
Megumin demanded, now entirely suspicious.
"Confession…"
Yunyun began to say when her mind caught wind of what she was about to admit and clamped her mouth shut. But it was too late as she turned to face Megumin, who had a shocked expression on her face.
"N-n-no! It's not t-that! N-Naruto-san just said some very nice things is all and-"
"Ah. I see. Yunyun has ascended to adulthood. I always knew the day would come where Yunyun would fall prey to a man who said nice things to her."
Megumin cut the stuttering girl off before standing up.
"W-wait, Megumin! Y-y-y-you're misunderstanding something! I can't go into detail for various reasons, but you're wrong!"
Yunyun stammered and was about to give chase, but Megumin turned around and pat the girl on the shoulder sympathetically.
"I'm assuming you'll be sharing a room with Naruto at the mansion, huh? It's a good thing we got those gift baskets from Funifura and Dodonko… Good luck, Yunyun…!"
Megumin wiped a stray tear from her eye before running off.
Yunyun was about to give chase to clear the air when reality began to sink in.
Her and Naruto sharing a room? At the mansion?
Kazuma asked if they wanted to move into the mansion?
She said YES!?
After the celebratory morning feast, Naruto and Yunyun set off on a quest. The shinobi was completely out of money, so he needed cash fast so he could pay for his first month of rent at Kazuma manor.
Kazuma had offered to waive the first month, but Naruto firmly declined. He wasn't about to become a freeloader.
Their job was a simple fetch quest, since the only kill quests available were for Giant Toads, Orcs, and the Manticore and Griffin quest.
Killing Giant Toads was out of the question, they weren't murderers, and Luna had told Naruto that the Adventurer's Guild needed to gather information on the Manticore and Griffin from the town they were affecting since the two beasts had gone into hibernation during the winter. But as soon as they found the location of the monsters, Naruto would get first dibs which was exciting.
As for the Orcs… No. Just no.
In the meantime, it was medical herb gathering time. They would receive a small bonus for every slime they found, too. The Alchemists who made the request planned to use the herbs and any slimes they found to make healing potions.
Luna was very grateful for their help, as the guild had a partnership with the local Alchemists. Apparently, the Adventurer's guild received a bulk discount on potions for hosting the expeditions for the materials.
"I'm surprised you accepted their invitation, Yunyun. Usually you get too nervous about that kind of stuff. Maybe you had… What does Kazuma call it? Character development?"
Naruto teased as he led the way down a forest trail where they'd been told the herbs were most common. Just a couple miles south of the town, but he was antsy to return so he could start packing his stuff.
"Please don't tease me, Naruto-san… I don't know how much more change I can take right now."
Yunyun muttered while gently rubbing her temples. While she was excited at the aspect of living together with Naruto and the others, it was all just so overwhelming…
Was this really okay? Kazuma wasn't just inviting her to be nice, was he?
"It's going to be fun living together with you and Kazuma and the rest. I've lived all by myself my entire life!"
Naruto stared up at the bright blue sky through the trees.
Things were rough right now, but he had a lot to be grateful for. Fun quests, yummy food everyday, great friends, and now a wonderful home to share with said friends.
'Ugh… Don't go getting all sentimental on me, kid. It's bad enough that we're going to be living under the same roof as the enemy.'
Kurama complained, earning an eye roll from its host.
'That reminds me. You're banned from taking over my body while I sleep, you got it?'
Ignoring the sound of the nine tailed fox clicking his teeth, Naruto stopped and looked around the forest.
"Hey, Yunyun? What does that herb look like again?"
"T-this…"
The young mage responded and pulled out a small plant from her bag and handed it to the shinobi.
The guild had given them a sample so they could properly identify the herb. They spotted a few that matched their sample in the surrounding brush.
"Cool, I think we're in the right spot."
Naruto noted and crossed his fingers, causing multiple puffs of smoke to appear around them.
The Shadow Clones saluted before dispersing into the forest.
"Alright… While my clones gather the herbs, are you ready to talk about last night, or…"
Naruto trailed off while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. This was the perfect place to talk since there seemed to be no monsters around. Coupled with the excellent weather, the forest was completely calm and serene.
"Y-yes, of course…"
Yunyun nervously looked away. Wait, why was she getting nervous? It's not like they were talking about anything inherently embarrassing.
'S-stupid Megumin… Why did she have to go and say those stupid things…'
Shaking her head, Yunyun looked up at Naruto who had taken the time to sit under the shade of a tree. She walked over to the boy and sat down next to him.
"I-I believe you, of course. It's just wild to think that there really are people out there who aren't from this world… Also, reincarnation? It sounds a little irresponsible of the gods to be playing with mortal lives like that…"
The Crimson Demon said as they watched the leaves swaying in the breeze.
"Yeah… I was surprised when I met Eris. I thought I was going to Hell. But she had different plans for me, I guess. I'm really grateful to her. After all, I got to meet you."
Naruto agreed and smiled at his friend, causing the girl to smile back before she blushed and looked away.
Stupid Megumin! Away with such thoughts!
"I got to meet so many new people that I treasure just as much as my friends back in the Elemental Nations… I even got to meet Jiraiya-sen-"
"Pui!"
"-sei…"
Naruto trailed off when Yunyun spat on the ground.
"Sorry, as a Crimson Demon and future chief of the village, I must uphold the laws of our people. Please, carry on."
Yunyun said unapologetically before gesturing for the blonde to continue.
"R-right… Anyways, I've come to love this world and its people. Which is why I want to protect humanity and be a hero. But I've come to learn that it doesn't just include the Demon King and his army…"
Naruto continued with a strained smile, and his expression turned somber as he was reminded of the reality of his current mission.
Yunyun hummed in agreement. She was nearly hopeless when it came to talking to strangers, and she could only imagine how poorly she'd do if she ever encountered a noble.
Besides Darkness, of course.
"I know you said you wanted to help me, Yunyun… But I really am worried that I might mess up somewhere down the line. If it means doing the right thing, I'm prepared to make enemies with all of this world's evil and corruption."
Naruto admitted while reaching up and catching a falling leaf in his palm, smiling at the fond memories it brought of his past home.
"...You sounded really cool just now, Naruto-san. If anyone from my clan heard what you said, they would surely be very excited."
Yunyun reached her hand out as well, and to her surprise, a leaf fell right into her palm. She smiled fondly. If this wasn't a sign, she didn't know what was.
"It's true that the path of a hero might be dangerous, and getting involved in the business of corrupt nobles too. But even so…"
She looked directly into Naruto's eyes with fierce, fiery orbs that glowed with an intensity that the shinobi had never seen before. There wasn't a shred of doubt in her crimson eyes. It was inspiring, really.
"I want to support you, Naruto-san. I want to help you become the hero of this kingdom."
"Yunyun…"
Her name came out in a whisper, for he was in awe of the sheer conviction this girl was showcasing. Like nothing would change her mind. He then smiled and clenched the leaf in his fist.
"If I'm going to become the hero of this kingdom, then you're going to be the next chief of the Crimson Demons. I'll support you all the way, Yunyun! I swear on my nindo!"
Naruto declared, offering the fist to his party member.
"I-I'll be in your care!"
Yunyun chirped and bumped fists with the ninja with teary eyes. This was everything she could have wanted, and some!
"Alright! I'm feeling really pumped right now! Hey, let's have a competition! The one who gathers the most herbs wins!"
Naruto declared and jumped to his feet before disappearing into the forest.
"W-wait! I mean, I accept! B-but the herbs collected by your Shadow Clones don't count!"
Yunyun stuttered as she hastily picked herself off the ground and chased after her party member.
"I can't believe Luna-chan made me put all of those herbs back…"
Naruto moped as he dragged his feet along the streets of Axel. He could have made so much money, but noooo. It would have been bad for the environment if all of those herbs disappeared from the ecosystem or something.
But at least he was able to secure a coaching session with the head receptionist. Luna was apparently free the day after tomorrow, so he'd stopped by The Golden Chalice and asked if he could reserve another table. The owner had been more than delighted to accept another exchange of services, even more so than last time for some reason.
Stepping into the inn, he made his way to the third floor where his room was located and unlocked his door.
"Welcome home, darling."
Cecily greeted from her humble position on the floor not three feet away from the door. Her blue robes shuffled as she looked up, a minor blush staining her cheeks.
"I prepared a batch of Tokoroten slime for the evening, just the way you like them. Would you prefer to take a bath first, or would you rather-munya~!"
The priestess made a strange noise as Naruto brushed past her and placed his backpack on the bed.
"I'm already running late, so I don't have time for your nonsense. Also, take that illegal stuff and throw it away. There's a trash can next to the counter."
Naruto idly said as he started tossing some scrolls into the bag. He didn't have much, especially not after he had prepared for the Giant Toad prank. So most of his belongings were already sealed in Storage Scrolls.
"So cold… After your beloved traveled so far to reunite with you? Have you already found another? I can smell her perfume on your vest! What's her name!? I'll task the Axis Order in this town to spread rumors about her for being a homewrecker!"
Cecily barked as she looked over Naruto's shoulder while making not so subtle whiffs of his clothes.
A shiver crawled up Naruto's spine, and he spun around and grabbed the woman by her shoulders.
"Cecily."
"Y-yes!"
The nun answered with wide eyes, her heart fluttering at the intense stare she was getting from her fellow blonde. Was it finally that time!? Was this handsome man with a bright future ahead of him going to claim her as his!?
Naruto grimaced when the girl's breath became more erratic, and actual steam puffed out of her nostrils with each exhale.
"Stay quiet for a moment. Paralyze."
"Munya!"
Cecily squeaked as her body involuntarily stiffened and fell sideways, but she was caught and gently laid on the bed.
Clearing his throat, Naruto resumed his packing.
"I don't know if you heard, but I'm actually moving into Kazuma's mansion today. So if you need anything, feel free to stop by. I'm sure Aqua would be happy to play with you there."
The shinobi placed the final scroll into his backpack before zipping it up and lugging it over his shoulder.
After placing his key on the table, Naruto turned around and gave his room one last look. While it wasn't his original room, he felt a sense of nostalgia. This inn had been good to him during his initial time in this wonderful world, and he almost felt sorry he was saying goodbye.
"That Paralyze shouldn't last that much longer. See ya, Cecily."
Naruto bid farewell to the crazy priestess, but he stopped just before he closed the door. Thinking back to their shared moment in Alcanretia, the shinobi turned around and opened his mouth to say something when he saw the crazed woman who was all but hyperventilating on the bed. A bead of sweat rolling down his face, Naruto bid his room farewell and left.
"Ah."
The moment he walked into the hallway, Naruto found Yunyun standing next to a pile of what appeared to be her belongings.
"Ah, h-hello, Naruto-san… I was just, umm… Consolidating my things."
Yunyun blushed furiously and averted her gaze as the shinobi walked up to her. How embarrassing… It hadn't been more than a couple months since she moved to the Town of Beginners, but she had already accumulated this much stuff.
It mostly stemmed from the gifts she'd bought in case she was ever invited over to someone's house, but that only happened twice at Kazuma's mansion for those dinners, and she couldn't bring herself to throw it all away.
Now she was stuck with a bunch of junk.
How many trips would she have to make between the inn and the mansion? What if someone stole her stuff during a trip!? She couldn't possibly ask anyone for help… They would think she was super weird for owning all of these useless things.
'Well, it's too late for that… Now Naruto-san is going to think I'm a… Eh?'
Yunyun blinked when she looked up and found that the entire pile was gone. Where was her stuff!? She looked at Naruto to see the boy grinning with an orange object in his hand.
"Heh… Looks like I was right."
Naruto chuckled and walked over to the girl before placing the strange orange item in her hand.
Wait, she knew what this was. It was a Scroll Ball! Did he-
"Since your stuff was all piled up together, I figured the Scroll Ball would treat it as one thing and seal it all in one go. These things sure are handy, huh?"
Naruto explained with a shrug. Basic Storage Scrolls could only store one object at a time. A loophole Naruto and Kazuma had found was using it on a bunch of objects that were piled together, such as a pile of Scroll Balls or instant ramen noodles.
He'd have to tell Kazuma that the Scroll Ball might just have some use in it yet.
"You ready?"
"I-I think so…"
Naruto and Yunyun stood at the door to the mansion. The sun was setting, which cast the building in a beautiful golden hue.
"Okay, let's do this-"
"W-wait! Shouldn't we have gotten them a thank you gift for inviting us to stay with them!?"
Yunyun suddenly said just as Naruto was about to knock on the door, and the shinobi tilted his head in thought.
"I guess that's true… What do you suggest? Do you have something in that pile of stuff we sealed?"
Naruto asked and nodded towards the mage's backpack where the Scroll Ball was being kept.
"M-maybe… But what if they don't like any of this stuff? I take it back! I'm not prepared! I think we should go back to the store and get some flowers! I don't have flowers! Ah!"
Yunyun's heart leaped in her chest when Naruto leaned forward and knocked on the door. What was he doing!? Now they were doomed!
"It's fine, Yunyun. I was planning on feeding everyone dinner tonight as thanks anyway. That can be our thank you gift."
Naruto reassured the girl with a thumbs up, and they patiently/nervously waited until the door opened to reveal a suspicious Aqua.
"...No thank you gift, I see. Oh well."
The goddess said, prompting Yunyun to flinch and anxiously glances up at Naruto who was staring at the goddess flatly.
Shaking away his sense of deja vu, the blonde stepped into the mansion.
"Thanks for vouching for us, Aqua. It means a lot."
"I-I only vouched for you because I thought it would make Eddy happy that her parents were living together."
Aqua remarked with a huff before she spun on her heel and led the two inside.
'Oh yeah… I still need to learn more about this Eddy person that keeps coming up.'
Yunyun thought after wiping her feet and taking her shoes off by the front door. While Naruto had briefly filled her in on his backstory, there were likely a lot of details that were left out. This led to her having many questions, with Eddy being at the top of the list she'd made.
Kazuma was spotted lounging on the sofa near the firepit, and Megumin was playing with Chomusuke on the carpet in front of him. They didn't seem to have noticed the newcomers entering the mansion.
"Hey guys!"
Naruto greeted, and their eyes instantly fell on him.
"Welcome in, Naruto and Yunyun! Aqua didn't give you a hard time answering the door, did she?"
Kazuma asked and quickly made his way over to the shinobi, making sure to shoot the goddess a dirty look. He took the shinobi's bag and hefted it over his shoulder.
For they had a plan, you see. They wanted to make Naruto feel as welcome as possible so he might just feel like making dinner tonight.
They couldn't just ask the guy to make dinner on his first night, of course. That wouldn't be very tactful.
"I know you've been here before, but shall we give you the grand tour?"
Megumin offered and took Yunyun's bag, surprising her.
"S-sure… By the way, where's Darkness?"
Naruto asked when he failed to find the Crusader. He was obviously going to play dumb if she asked him about the mirror, but it didn't hurt to be prepared for that inevitable interaction.
"Ah, Darkness is having dinner at her father's mansion. She said she might stay there for the night and to eat without her."
Aqua replied with a shrug, and her party members secretly gave her a thumbs up.
Now they could direct the conversation to tonight's dinner situation-
"Anyways, this is the living room! Follow me, you two! I'll show you to the rooms so you can decide where you wanna stay!"
Aqua chirped and proceeded to drag the shinobi towards the stairs, with Yunyun nervously following from behind.
'That stupid goddess…!'
Kazuma thought while grinding his teeth. Did she forget the mission!? Wasn't she the one who was craving the Food of the Gods the most!?
"It's okay, Kazuma… We'll have another chance as soon as we come back to the kitchen."
Megumin assured her party leader, and the boy nodded. Hope wasn't lost just yet!
At the top of the stairway, the hall split into two different directions. The walls were lined with doors, to which Aqua revealed to be either vacant bedrooms or the occasional bathroom.
"Darkness, Megumin, and I are on this side of the mansion, while Kazuma is on the other side. Naruto, you can pick one of the rooms over there."
Aqua stated and gestured towards the "boy's side", which was the left wing of the second floor.
"Eh? I thought Naruto-san and I were going to share a room?"
Yunyun asked and instantly regretted her words as everyone looked at her strangely.
"Yunyun… What are you talking about?"
"Just how close are you two really?"
"S-she really has ascended…!"
Naruto, Kazuma, and Megumin said, causing the mage to turn crimson red in the face.
"N-n-no! M-Megumin said…!"
Yunyun stammered before burying her face in her hands, and Megumin averted her gaze when everyone looked at her.
"...Anyways, I'll show you to the girl's section. Come now, you poor thing."
Aqua ushered Yunyun towards the right wing while sending Megumin a disapproving look.
"W-why am I being made out to be the bad guy!? I only said what I said because Yunyun was being weird again!"
The little girl blurted out in frustration, and her ears turned bright red when the boys simply shook their heads.
"Oh, just go to your side!"
Megumin barked and stomped off to join Aqua and Yunyun.
"Well, as you can see, it's definitely lively here. Still wanna move in?"
Kazuma asked with a sheepish expression as they started walking down the left hall.
"Yup."
Naruto simply replied with a grin, confusing his adventuring friend.
–After deciding on bedrooms and dropping off their bags, the group explored the rest of the second floor which consisted of a couple storage spaces, the attic, and a balcony that had quite the view of the suburbs of Axel.
After taking a look at the main bathroom with the spa-sized bath, they found themselves back downstairs and in the kitchen.
"Wow, you guys are fully stocked."
Naruto noted as he snooped through their pantry. They even had a makeshift refrigerator that seemed to be powered by a cold blue crystal. Probably one of Kazuma's designs.
"Since we're here, why don't we discuss plans for dinner? Unless you two have already eaten, of course."
Kazuma suggested, and his party members took a sudden interest in the counter.
Naruto held back a snicker. It was painfully obvious they wanted him to cook. Not that he minded, of course.
"No, we haven't eaten yet. So dinner sounds great! Why don't I throw something together to thank you guys for letting us move in?"
"Oh, we usually take turns cooking each night. But if you insist…"
Kazuma mumbled the last bit, struggling to maintain his excitement. He couldn't believe the plan worked!
"Aqua, could you boil me some water please? The rest of you can wait in the dining room. I won't be too long."
Naruto requested, and the group wasted no time to follow his instructions.
"What are you going to make, Naruto-san~?"
Aqua sang as she lit a fire on the stove, and the shinobi rubbed his hands together gleefully.
"Something wonderful."
"...What the heck is this?"
Aqua asked as she stared at the styrofoam cup sitting in front of her on the table. A pair of chopsticks kept a paper lid in place at the top of the object.
"It's the second best thing after Ichiraku ramen! Ah, it's been five minutes guys! Time to dig in!"
Naruto replied when a timer went off, another courtesy of Kazuma and his designs, and the shinobi gently removed the paper flap.
'It's just instant ramen…'
Kazuma retorted in his head while looking at his own cup dubiously. It was the instant ramen that they'd found in the storage bunker back in the Crimson Demon village. Was this stuff even still good? How long was it sitting inside that bunker?
"Mmmm…! This is just like how I remember it!"
Seeing as the ninja was enjoying it, Megumin and Yunyun picked up their chopsticks and took their first bites.
Surprisingly, it was pretty tasty which encouraged them to pick up the pace.
'Well… Hopefully that scientist guy remembered to add preservatives.'
Kazuma thought and took a bite of some noodles, and a wave of nostalgia washed over his tongue. The taste was nearly identical to the instant ramen he'd eat during his late night gaming sessions.
Aqua looked at her party members, feeling betrayed as she watched them enjoy the noodles.
This wasn't part of the plan! They were supposed to be eating real noodles! The Food of the Gods!
"What's wrong, Aqua? Food not to your standards? I'll eat it if you don't want it."
Naruto smirked at the girl who was hesitant looking at her cup, and her eyes widened.
'He knew about the plan! Was there a mole!? Or was that stalker ninja just trying to pick a fight on his first day here!?'
Aqua's eyes narrowed on the shinobi suspiciously. That was a close one, she nearly let her stomach get the best of her. But she remembered just who she was dealing with.
That man was a great chef, but he was a prankster first! She would be damned if she let him take over her territory!
'It's a good thing I did that this morning!'
Aqua thought and took a bite of the instant ramen, her eyes never leaving the smug ninja's blue orbs.
. . .
"Oh, this is actually pretty good!"
"Right? I told you so! Hahaha!"
Naruto chimed and everyone started laughing, much to the goddess's embarrassment.
After dinner, Naruto bid everyone goodnight and went up to his room to unpack his belongings.
It didn't take him long to arrange everything the way he wanted since his room was about the same size as the one he had at the inn which consisted of a bed, a small table by the window, and a wardrobe to store his clothes.
Naruto rested his head on his pillow and sighed. It was hard to believe he was now living with Kazuma's party. He was looking forward to the undoubtedly chaotic daily life that was to come.
But regardless of how fun things were going to be from now on, he couldn't afford to get distracted. Not until Morrigan was safe and Alderp was brought to justice.
'Remember, Kurama… No… Body snatch… ing…'
Naruto thought as his eyelids fell, his consciousness fading into sleep.
Rustle…
The shinobi's eyes snapped open. What was that noise?
Scanning the dark room in a split second, Naruto couldn't find a single thing out of place.
Well, aside from the creepy porcelain doll sitting on top of his wardrobe. Was that thing always there?
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Naruto got out of bed and dragged his feet over to the toy.
"No."
He scolded and placed the doll on its back so that it would no longer be staring at him all night.
Seemingly satisfied, Naruto nodded his head and crawled back into bed.
But the moment he closed his eyes, he heard more rustling noises.
"Alright, who's messing with… me?"
Naruto squeaked out the last bit when sat up to come face to face with the same porcelain doll. It was sitting at the edge of his bed, and staring right at him.
Was he imagining this? He didn't drink any alcohol for dinner…
Now slightly annoyed, the shinobi picked up the doll and walked over to his door. Looking both ways to make sure no one was watching, he placed the doll outside and retreated back into his room.
"There, now I can finally sleeeEEEEEEP!?"
Naruto's voice rose into a shriek when turned back around and found that his entire room was now filled with the creepy dolls, their glass eyes seemingly glowing in the night.
It was at that moment, he remembered something Aqua had mentioned during his very first visit to the mansion.
"This mansion is haunted by the daughter of a noble, but she's a good girl and doesn't stir up any trouble thanks to me!"
. . .
"Alright, kid… I don't know what your beef is with me, but I don't scare easy."
Naruto steeled himself and decided he'd face this threat head on. He'd be damned if he called for Aqua's help on his first night in the mansion.
The porcelain dolls seemed to take his worlds as a challenge and began to float into the air as a group. With their heads tilting to the side, coupled with the eerie moonlight spilling into the room through the now open window, it was a fairly creepy sight.
But Naruto remained undeterred and cracked his knuckles.
This wasn't his first encounter with a ghost, nor would it be his last.
"This one's for you, Spook!"
The shinobi shouted as he and the haunted dolls pounced on each other.
Kazuma was startled awake when he heard a series of thumps and shouts.
'What is that guy doing…'
Stepping into his slippers, he walked over to his door and opened it-
Crash!
"Keep em coming! I ain't afraid of no ghosts! Hahaha!"
Naruto cackled like a madman as he punched a floating doll in the face, shattering it completely. He then grabbed another one and threw it into a large group, knocking them apart like bowling pins.
Doll parts were scattered all throughout the hallway.
"..."
Kazuma said nothing as he watched the porcelain massacre unfold right in front of him. He would have nothing to do with this nonsense, Aqua could take care of it.
In fact, he was surprised Aqua wasn't already out there purifying all of the spirits.
With a heavy sigh, Kazuma moved to close his door and go back to sleep when a tall shadowy figure wisped past his room. Daring to look up, his face turned a ghastly white.
Was that…!?
Naruto was actually starting to have some fun as he took down doll after doll. The spirits were beginning to throw furniture at him, which would carefully catch and gently place down on the floor. Wouldn't want to damage his new living space, now would he?
"N-Naruto-san!? What's happening!?"
Yunyun asked as she rounded the corner and took in the strange scene.
"I don't know! These dolls just appeared out of nowhere and started attacking me! But don't worry, I got this!"
To prove his words, Naruto jumped into the air and caught two dolls. He proceeded to tie their legs together and use them like a pseudo pair of nunchucks. Twirling them around his form, he used his new weapon to swat a dozen porcelain dolls out of the air.
After knocking down the final enemy, Naruto tossed the crippled dolls onto the floor and released a satisfied sigh.
"Nothing beats a good workout before bed. Sorry for waking you."
Naruto apologized with a hearty chuckle. When he looked at the Crimson Demon, he saw that she had a genuine look of fear on her face. She didn't appear to be looking at him, but rather, behind him.
Turning around, what the shinobi found made his blood run cold.
At the end of the hall was a tall shadowy figure. They were slightly transparent, but held just enough presence for them to make out a slender body covered by a tattered red dress.
"Naruto… Uzumaki…"
The spectral entity whispered as they dragged their feet across the floor.
Did a ghost really need to walk?
No, now wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. This was a serious problem!
"H-how…!?"
Naruto demanded while taking a shaky step back, fighting his instincts that were screaming at him to run away.
The shadowy figure lifted their head just enough so they could see a pair of bright glowing yellow eyes. Those same eyes that had been haunting his dreams for the last few nights.
"How could I pass on… With all of these powerful emotions inside of me!? Emotions that YOU instilled deep inside of me!"
Sylvia, the Demon King Army General they had defeated in the Crimson Demon Village not three days ago, made such a bold statement and spread their arms wide.
"I-I didn't put anything inside of you! S-stay back!"
Naruto barked, and yelped when he backed up into Yunyun.
That's right… He had people to protect. Regardless of how powerfully his PTSD was kicking in, he needed to defend his friend from that monster.
"Yuynun, we gotta hold this thing off until Aqua gets here. Where is that girl, anyway? Did you see her when you came out?"
"M-Megumin was arguing with Aqua-san about something. But I didn't hear what they were talking about."
Yunyun replied as she took a stance next to her party member.
"That girl… Okay, I don't have any means of hurting ghosts without damaging the mansion, so I'm going to create an opening for you to use a spell."
Naruto proposed, earning a nod from his partner. It went without saying that they needed to keep the destruction to a minimum, a sentiment Yunyun surely shared with him.
Sylvia suddenly sank into the ground, and the hallway fell silent.
"Hm? Is this another one of your girlfriends? Quite the player, I see. But she'll just get in the way. Go to Sleep, little one. The grownups have some business to take care of."
A voice cooed from behind them, and Naruto whirled around just in time to watch Yunyun crumple to the floor. He reacted in turn, throwing a quick barrage of punches and kicks. But of course, none of the attacks connected with the vengeful spirit.
Sylvia grabbed his arm and pulled him into an embrace, nearly burying his face into their phantom bosom.
No fair! Why could ghosts touch him, but he couldn't touch ghosts!? It made no freaking sense and annoyed him to high Hell!
Unlike the primal heat he'd felt on the Chimera's skin the last time, Sylvia's spectral skin felt cool to the touch.
It almost reminded him of Wiz, which was a scary thought in itself. He did NOT want to compare this monstrosity with his friend.
"I don't know how you're still in the realm of the living, but how did you manage to get inside of this mansion? The Arch Priest that lives here spends a lot of her free time making barriers to keep ghosts and devils out…"
Naruto muttered while struggling against the spirit's grip, but he couldn't move a muscle. It was like his body was hit by the Paralyze skill.
"What barrier? After finding my way from that blasted Crimson Demon Village, I just phased through the front door like nothing."
Sylvia responded before their eyes began to glow a feral yellow.
"But enough of that, shall we pick up where we left off and become one!?"
"N-Nooooo! A-Aqua! AQUAAAA!"
Naruto screamed and struggled as hard as he could as Sylvia drew him closer and closer, but all he could do was squeeze his eyes closed and await the inevitable.
Something strange happened.
Sylvia's form seemed to meld completely into Naruto's body until disappearing completely.
A powerful shiver crawled up Naruto's spine. It felt weirder than when a Zombie Maker flew right through him. Very unpleasant.
Glancing around and finding nothing but the dark empty hallway, save for Yunyun's unconscious form and the countless porcelain doll pieces, Naruto sighed and knelt down to pick the girl up.
That had to have been a bad dream… Maybe he would ask Maria to-
'Oh, this is a dream alright… A dream come true!'
"!?"
Naruto nearly dropped the Crimson Demon as Aqua and Megumin came running down the hallway.
"What's this? There aren't any ghosts around. You woke me from my slumber for this, Megumin? Unless Naruto did something sneaky."
The goddess complained before eyeing the shinobi suspiciously.
"I didn't do anything sneaky! If anyone's sneaky, it's you! Where are your barriers!? Because they were down, a bunch of ghosts sneaked into the mansion and…"
Naruto shivered as he recounted what had just transpired. Maybe he was finally losing it. After all, he was still suffering from nightmares from the war with the Orcs.
'I'm so sorry for everything that happened, my beloved… It seems my inability to control myself has left you with some mental scars. I'll spend an eternity making it up to you~!'
Sylvia's voice whispered into his ear, and Naruto's head spun back and forth as he tried to find the source. But he found nothing but strange looks from Aqua and Megumin.
'K-Kurama! Are you messing with me!? You stupid fox, this isn't funny!'
'Of course it's not me, brat. It seems that Demon King Army General's soul has taken residence in your body. I was going to expel it, but I don't really like your tone. Have fun asking that self-proclaimed goddess for help.'
Kurama grunted and cut their mental link, causing Naruto's face to pale.
'It seems your demon fox approves of us… Ah! Being one with the man I set my eyes on feels wonderful~!'
Sylvia's moans echoed in the shinobi's mind.
"I saw the ghosts too, but now I'm suspicious… Maybe we should be the ones to carry Yunyun to her room. What happened to her, by the way? Did you do something?"
Megumin asked, eyes narrowed as she and Aqua took the unconscious girl from the unresponsive boy's arms.
With Yunyun now on Megumin's back, Aqua turned back to face Naruto with her hands on her hips.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I-I've been cursed! Possessed! Aqua! You gotta do something!"
Naruto went into full-blown panic mode and grabbed the goddess by her shoulders, startling her.
"C-calm down! Possessed? You? With that lazy fox inside of you? But then again, it's a lazy fox…"
Aqua repeated herself and giggled into her hand mischievously.
Naruto heard a growl in the back of his mind, but otherwise the nine tailed fox stayed quiet.
Damn it… He'd been banking on Kurama's temper to flare. Onto plan B.
"I'll make you ramen tomorrow! Real, authentic ramen. Any kind you want! Just please, you gotta purify me!"
Naruto bargained with the Arch Priest, and she seemed to consider his proposal by rubbing her chin in thought.
"Hmm… Now that you mention it, I do sense a third presence in your body now. I'll consider purifying you if you agree to make me ramen anytime I want. Oh, and you have to pray to me three times a day! OH! You also have to be my butler for a week as punishment for making me your maid!"
Aqua listed off her demands with a smug look plastered on her face.
'This girl…! Look at her getting carried away just because I'm asking her for a favor!'
Seeing as the love birds were about to get into another one of their arguments, Megumin sighed and started making her way over to Yunyun's room. The ghosts were gone, so there wasn't really a point in staying up any later.
"Why are you demanding so much, you bratty woman!? I've been possessed by the spirit of Sylvia! You know, that crazy Demon King Army General we worked so hard to defeat? The one that wanted to do this and that to me and Kazuma!?"
Naruto barked while making strange gestures with his hands, and the water goddess simply scoffed.
"How rude! I am not a bratty woman! Just for that, you now have to give me a massage every night before bed! Carrying my party gets rather tiring in the shoulders."
Aqua barked back while rotating her arm as if to get the kinks out.
"You unreasonable little…! Fine! I'll just ask Cecily! She'll purify me for free!"
Naruto snapped and spun on his heel to return to his room. There wasn't anything he could do about the possession now anyways, might as well try and get some sleep.
'Mmm… Our first night together… Sweet dreams, my beloved.'
Sylvia purred, causing a cold shiver to shoot up the boy's spine for the umpteenth time that night.
"Hah! That child would never fall prey to a hopeless man like you! So go on and try! You'll come crawling back to the gracious me before long! Puhehehe!"
Aqua giggled as she watched the blonde retreat into his room and slam the door closed.
"Fufufu… My plan worked like a charm!"
"Oh? What plan might that be? Does it have something to do with the barrier being down?"
A voice asked from beside her, and being so absorbed in her self-gloating, Aqua answered without even thinking.
"Yup! I placed a barrier in the local graveyard again, and just like last time, all of the spirits came right to this mansion."
The woman bragged, and the voice sounded impressed.
"Wow, you really thought this plan through."
"That's right! Now Naruto has no choice but to-Geh!"
Aqua stopped mid-sentence when she realized who the voice belonged to. She craned her neck to find Kazuma staring at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"...K-Kazuma-san, what a lovely surprise. S-sorry about all of the noise-"
"Go cancel your barrier."
Kazuma interjected, and the girl instantly ran off to do as instructed. Letting out a sigh, the boy looked around the messy hall.
Why did he get the feeling this was going to be a daily thing from now on?
A/N: Naruto and Yunyun move into Kazuma manor! What's more, Sylvia makes a surprising comeback!
How will Naruto handle this new development? Will Cecily purify him? Will he give into Aqua's unreasonable demands? Or will he just have to deal with yet another voice in his head?
Review and let me know what your thoughts are!
Spirit out!
