Original Posted On June 3, 2023
Beta Read by: Crowfeast, Darlord331
Review Response:
TeraelinII: Why 'Fuck' Moxxie?
StrongGuy159: Thank you.
Fenris Silverblood: We shall learn, together.
Gamelover41592: No one saw it coming.
MichaelTheFox: The profile line was just a joke on the magic profile on Naruto that Kurama stole. Sorry. Me too, but sadly this chapter is a lot of exposition.
Hellhammer: I am going all in…
Oleoneeye: We will learn why together.
MEATBICYCLE: Naruto was drunk, and it isn't his place to tell anyone about Stark since it doesn't concern him or his family, just Jayjay. That is why he didn't tell them. Well, for the other questions…
Nathair1: I know, I like Arnold's look too. We shall see how badly Kurama wants Naruto. Thank you, I know the chapter was a lot of fun to write.
Jebest4781: Of course, things are more complex when a child is involved.
ShadowBloodedge9396: We shall see what happened at the hospital.
NaruLemon Stories: Oh dude, I'm 24, and I have to ALWAYS listen to music and look away when I get shots. I also had a bitch jab me in reverse grip, like she was Jason Voorhees. Scariest shot I ever got. Shudder.
Nicholas: Hellbies?
Ice: Thanks, and that is a positive.
Tecton: Boo and I could draw Arnold throwing Stark through a wall.
Reggad the Knife: Shit, you're right. You got a sniper rifle I can use?
Rashouk: Don't worry. He won't.
Krokol: I agree, Tamamo needs a better life.
TheFoxSummoner Clan Head: SENZU BEAN!
Animecollecter: We shall see what caused Naruto's regression, together.
Rykar: Yes, please join the action.
Wytodd: Yeah, Stark has made a lot of enemies.
Icebear: JUSTICE FOR JAYJAY! ALL IN FAVOR SAY YAY!
Minos: Sort of hard to do, she a gecko.
DaftMerc39: Yes, to all of that.
SilverExcel115: I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Silvanium: Yeah, it could.
Angels Sabbath: Yeah, Chapter 44 was a definite fun chapter to write.
Abysswolf0198: WE DO NOT MENTION THAT NAME IN THIS STORY! Thank you for sticking with me all this time, Abyss.
Zepha: Yeah, I really don't like canon stella, SO I chose to… make her better? Is that good way of saying that?
Krotax: Oh, I realize… I fucked up.
Demitri: Only 4 Seasons? I thought it would be 5. YEAH!
Kresstor: Love the Odyssey. Yeah, he really is in a rock and a hard place.
Vincent Vulture: His cocaine cause his nose bleed.
OKAY, LETS READ THIS SHIT! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR HELLUVA BOSS!
"Hey" = Speaking
'Hey' = Thinking
'Hey' = Memory
"Hey"= To be Determined
Chapter 45: The Missing Third
Thirty Minutes Prior, Hospital…
Naruto clutched Millie's hand tightly as Loona was being carried in by Blitz.
The small group walked through the door, leaving Verosika outside.
Moxxie approached the counter with Blitz after the latter put his daughter in a chair.
As they talked, Loona crawled over to Naruto, clinging to him.
'She is… so much like an actual dog.' Naruto thought, mentally chuckling as he started to pat Loona in an attempt to soothe her nerves.
He was nervous, but it was because he was scared of needles, not hospitals.
'A natural advantage of being a Lycan-turned/being born human.' Naruto surmised as Loona did not calm down.
Naruto looked up, seeing a very livid Blitz as Moxxie sat next to his wife, son, and Loona.
With a twitching eye, Blitz sat down, grabbed a magazine and pretended to read it.
Twenty minutes later…
"Naruto, Loona, the doctor's are ready to see you." A shaggy nurse said, her head lulled to the left.
Loona was picked up by Blitz, who briskly walked in, uttering words of encouragement to Loona.
Naruto pulled out his phone and texted Verosika.
Just got called in. ~ N
He watched as the 'texting' bubble appeared.
Good luck, babe. *KISSY FACE* ~ V
Naruto took small comfort in this as he entered his doctor's room, the door slamming shut.
"Sho…" the doctor, a small naked mole rat… wearing a doctor's coat and a thong, said as he looked over his clip board. "You want to get your shot, it shays."
"Yes, sir." Naruto meekly replied, lifting his shit sleeve up, opening Youtube on his phone and selecting a song.
"Well, it is an easy proshedure…" the doc said as he opened the door and called to the nurse.
Naruto put his earbuds in and cranked up the volume.
He could feel his body pulsate at the rate of his heart.
He felt his heart race faster when a… lets say larger than necessary hypodermic needle was brought into the room.
"Now, let'sh jusht relax…" the doc said as he prepped the syringe.
Naruto closed his eye, let his right arm relax as his left arm was tense, gripping Millie's hand.
He felt a small wipe go across his arm before the needle.
"Woah…" the doc said in genuine surprise. "I've never sheen a hellhound jusht take a shot like thish without isshue."
"Are we done?" Naruto asked, his wrapping around his waist with the fur on end.
"Yesh, my dear boy, it'sh over." The doc said as he handed the syringe back to the nurse, who walked out.
Naruto sighed in relief, standing up and in haiste walked toward the door… only to run into the closing door.
"FUCK!" He screamed, barreling backwards into the cabinet.
One canister atop of the cabinet was jostled hard enough to fall… right on top of Naruto's head.
And shatter.
A clear water-substance coated Naruto's head, shoulders and torso.
"Naruto are you…" Moxxie started to say, gasping cutting him off when steam started to emit from the water on Naruto's body.
"What'sh…" The doc started to say before Millie punched him out cold.
"Wa… who… Where…" a younger… childish voice asked.
Millie and Moxxie could only stare at their son.
No fur.
No ears.
No tail.
No claws.
No fangs.
Just small, fleshy, human child Naruto.
"Where am I?" Naruto asked, rubbing his eyes, his headband around his neck as his clothing was now much too big for him.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Millie grabbed the doctor's coat, threw it over Naruto, Moxxie grabbed Naruto, and they bolted out.
Screaming.
'FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!' Moxxie thought in a panic. 'IF ANYONE SEES NARUTO, WE COULD BE KILLED FOR HARBORING A HUMAN!'
'SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!' Millie thought as they barreled down the stairs. 'WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!'
The duo of imps hit the ground floor, and bolted toward the door.
"VEROSIKA!"
Said succubus looked up, seeing Millie and Moxxie, carrying what appeared to be a doctor's jacket over a struggling… person.
"START THE FUCKING CAR!" Moxxie screamed as he ran.
"Wha…
"RIGHT NOW!"
The engine roared to life.
"Where's Nar…" Verosika started to ask as the Imps and the bundle got in the car, Millie in the back.
"NO TIME, GET US HOME!" Millie shrieked.
Flashback End…
'That's is how this day went from great to worse…' Moxxie thought, swallowing the lump in his throat.
The air was tense as Melani stared into the car, her rifle still trained on the unconscious Millie.
Scuffed up or not, her aim was true.
And would be lethal.
On the opposite side of the car, was Verosika, her own gun trained on Melani.
She felt short of breath, her hands sweating profusely as she heard her heart beating loudly in her ears with the intense feeling of needing to pee.
Moxxie, shuddering in disappointment, clutched his hands tightly to the point of losing feeling in said hands as Melani removed the jacket off of her target.
'Wha… he's a fucking kid?' Verosika thought, losing composure as her hands loosened their grip on her weapon.
He was barely clothed, due to his normal clothing that would fit him at his normal height of eight feet eight inches, but they barely covered him now.
His headband hung loosely around his neck as Melani stared at him.
Her head twisted to face Moxxie, accompanied with and audible 'Snap' sound.
"Who the fuck is this?" she demanded.
Moxxie's eyes slightly widened before they returned.
"What do you mean…"
"Don't fuck with me, sweetheart." Melani screamed, making him, Naruto, and Verosika jump, the latter opening the door and grabbing the child. "I KNOW YOU HAVE THE HOUND, WERE IS HE!"
"OHHH…" Moxxie said in realization. "You want Naruto."
Moxxie wiped 'sweat' from his forehead.
"Yeah, he is still at the hospital…"
Melani's eyes narrowed.
They pierced Moxxie's soul.
"GOD!" She screamed, slamming the door shut as she fired her gun in the air. "FUCKING. DAMMIT!"
She slung her gun over her shoulder and stomped over to her bike.
"Wasting my time on the wrong target… and my tire is blown out, so I gotta…" Melani continued to rage as she walked over to a nearby motorcycle that was in good condition and turning it on. "ASSHOLES!"
She hissed aggressively at the family before she drove off.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Moxxie inhaled, before LOUDLY exhaling as he ran to Millie, dropping to his knees.
"Christ, I didn't believe she would fall for that…" He said as heavy sweat poured down his face.
"Okay, WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!" Verosika screamed as she walked over to the Imps, having put Naruto back in the car with the jacket over him. "YOU! EXPLAIN!"
"Let's just get home…" Moxxie said as he picked his wife up.
"And how are we gonna do that, when the front tires are blown out?" She asked, her blood pressure rising.
"Hello, hookers~" a sarcastic tone said, making Verosika tense with anger, eye twitching.
She and Moxxie turned to see Blitz in the van, Loona beside him with a cone on her head.
"Need a lift?" He asked with a shit eating grin.
"Yes, sir, we need one." Moxxie said as he carried Millie to the door, opening it and buckling her in.
"So, where is the Mutt?" Blitz asked, looking around for Naruto.
Verosika said nothing as she opened the door to her car.
Naruto was curled into the fetal position, shaking.
"Hey…" She said softly as she knelt down, slowly reaching out to touch him.
Naruto's eyes weakly opened, brimming with fearful tears.
"You're gonna hurt me?" He asked, staring at Verosika's horns and tail.
"No, no I promise…" Verosika promised, making an 'X' mark on her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."
She reached out and picked him up.
"Come on, little man." She said with a sweet smile. "Let's get you home."
She carried Naruto to the car, using her hair to cover his head.
"Who is that?" Blitz asked curiously before becoming toxic. "Hey, who said you could…"
"Just drive." Verosika spat, putting Naruto between Millie and Moxxie.
Naruto just looked around, his eyes darting from one individual to the next.
The unconscious Millie, being held by Moxxie, who was holding him close.
To Verosika in the back as she looked out the window, occasionally glancing at him, making her expression soften.
He looked upfront, at Blitz driving recklessly through the traffic with Loona silent as ever, her face obscured.
'Who are these people…' He thought before the adrenaline drained from him, making his eyes very heavy before they closed.
Passing blissfully into sleep.
Meanwhile…
"WHERE THE FUCK IS HE!" Melani screamed at the top of her lungs as she searched high and low for Naruto.
To no success.
Evening…
Moxxie and Verosika sat down, mentally and physically exhausted.
In his room, Millie and Naruto were sleeping, the former wrapped in bandages.
Nearby in the kitchen was Loona, with cone still on her head, and Blitz who was helping himself to the food in the fridge.
"So, you gonna tell us what happened?" Verosika asked Moxxie, the urge to drink becoming very strong.
"I can tell you what I know…" Moxxie said as he shuddered.
Blitz and Loona sat down at the table, listening to Moxxie's story.
Few Minutes Later…
Stolas sat with a coconut, top cut off with a straw and little umbrella in it, smiling as he sipped his drink.
He blinked in surprise when his phone started to ring…
This time it was Naruto's ring tone, not Blitz's.
"Hello, Naruto, what can I do for you this evening?" Stolas asked when he answered.
"Hello, my lord, this is Moxxie, Naruto's dad." Moxxie said on the other end. "We have an emergency."
"What kind of emergency?" Stolas asked, his playful tone vanishing and being replaced with a serious tone.
"… It's kind of hard to explain. Can you visit us tomorrow?" Moxxie asked.
Meanwhile, Fox's Den…
Melani stood before Kurama, hands clenched while biting her lower lip in embarrassment.
Kurama had face palmed.
"You had him… and you left him?" She asked again.
"I didn't know the little human brat was him, Madam!" Melani stammered. "The picture you showed me was of him as a later teen hellhound."
Kurama took a moment to smoke, spinning her chair to face away from the Gecko Sinner.
"Y-you're mad at me?" Melani asked as she shifted to run if the situation called for it.
Smoke bellowed from behind the chair.
"No," Kurama said as her hand appeared holding her pipe. "Just disappointed."
The statement hurt more than if Kurama was outright pissed.
"You're gonna kill me?"
"No, why would I kill my reliable assassin." Kurama said as she waved off this notion.
"You want me to…"
"No, I don't want him as a brat, we shall call our hunt off for now." Kurama said, spinning the chair to face Melani again. "Just. Relax."
Her eyes.
They were narrow.
They were sharp.
They were threats.
Melani took slow steps backward until her back hit the door.
"Bye." Kurama said coldly.
Melani could not get out fast enough, the door swinging open fast enough to break Stark's nose, jumping down stairs before Karen and Arnold.
The Cat and Armadillo watched the Gecko flee.
"She must have fucked up." Karen said, shifting her glasses.
"Must have…" Arnold said before he left the room, coming back with a rowdy customer that needed Bouncing.
Next Morning…
Stolas hummed as he looked at a nervous Naruto, who was very quiet and timid.
He was wearing one of Moxxie's shirts and shorts.
"How old are you?" stolas asked calmly.
Naruto looked at the ground.
"I-I'm twelve…" he mumbled.
"Do you know who these people are?" Stolas asked as he gestured toward Blitz, Loona (Who had the cone off), Moxxie, Millie, and Verosika.
Naruto shook his head.
Stolas pinched the section between his nose and eyes.
"Well, it seems our dear Naruto was dowsed in Fountain of Youth water." Stolas said in annoyance.
"Huh?" everyone who wasn't Stolas asked.
Naruto watched as these strangers started talking to each other.
He felt so anxious and nervous.
His head was spinning and he felt…
He felt two soft hands take his in them.
Naruto looked up and saw Loona looking him in the eyes.
"Hey." She said softly with a smile.
"H-Hello…"
"You tired of this?" She asked, gesturing to the adults, now looking at the two of them. "Want to go play a game?"
"S-sure…" Naruto said, blushing slightly with an anxious face as Loona helped him leave the room.
Loona discretely looked at Verosika, flashing a thumbs up.
Task: Distraction: Complete.
Loona and Naruto left the room.
"What's this about Fountain of Youth Water?" Millie asked heatedly, but sitting still.
Not wanting her bandaged injuries to get worse.
She felt irritated that she couldn't defeat the Gecko the day before.
"You haven't heard of the Fountain of Youth?" Stolas asked as he sat down. "It is a myth in the human world, but basically, it allows the drinker… or whoever it touches, to de-age by one-third of their age. It is why Naruto, who is eighteen, is now twelve years old and now human once again."
"But he didn't recognize any of us…" Moxxie asked in a slight panic.
"Let me finish please." Stolas said calmly, holding his hand up. "Sadly, the memories of the recipient are also altered, losing one-third of them to match the age they are reverted too. In conclusion…"
Stolas looked toward the door that Loona and Naruto went through.
"This is NOT the Naruto we know." He said in somber sadness. "And he needs protection, now more than ever."
There was an awkward silence that permeated through the room.
"So… he doesn't remember… anything?" Millie asked, feeling like her heart was going to explode.
"Not until the water's affects end." Stolas said as he looked at the imp. "Which depends on how much water he ingested or was covered in."
"The jar that held it was about this big." Moxxie said, holding his hands up. "And about this wide."
He held his hands up this time making a circle.
"Hm, that sounds like it is about four and a half liters." Stolas analyzed mentally as he rubbed his chin. "I'd estimate a week. Maybe more."
"Well, fuck, we gotta baby sit for a week?" Blitz asked disgruntled.
"Yes, it seems so." Verosika answered, not giving any kind of sass or aggression, her mind set on protection, thinking of how.
"It will be easy to keep him indoors, but he will have questions." Moxxie pointed out, drinking some water.
"Well, what do you expect us to say?" Blitz asked his employee, slapping his hand across Moxxie's back, grabbing his shoulder. "'Look, Kid, we adopted you and you are actually a teen'. Yeah, I doubt…"
"I'M IN A COMA!"
Millie bolted through the door and down the stairs to the living room, seeing Naruto and Loona with Naruto's DS on the coffee table.
He was standing up staring her in the eyes with worry.
"Yes," She said as she sadly spoke. "You were in a bad car accident with Patton, and you are in a coma at the hospital."
Her tail swayed sadly as Naruto started to panic.
"But don't worry, you are perfectly fine. We are just in your dreams, I promise," Loona said as she hugged Naruto, wrapping her tail around him. "It will be okay, Naruto."
Naruto felt a strange calm, security within Loona's arms.
It felt… cozy, familiar.
He liked it.
"Okay… thank you." He said as he hugged Loona back, snuggling into her warm embrace.
"I see Loona took care of the explanation…" Stolas sighed in relief.
"And I have a plan to protect him." Verosika said as she looked at Millie and Moxxie.
Hours Later…
"Dry Fuck…" Naruto said as they entered Dry Fuck Studio's premise. "Oh, no. that's a bad word…"
"Sure is." Verosika said, ruffling Naruto's hair. "You're smart, kiddo."
"He is adorable…" Jayjay whispered as she took a picture of Naruto and Verosika.
"Jayjay, focus on driving…" Vortex said panicked as he grabbed the wheel to keep from crashing.
Behind their car, Blitz drove the IMP van with Loona, Millie, and Moxxie, along with some suitcases.
Their plan?
Spend the week in DFS and wait for the water's affects to run out.
It was a large studio with plenty of distractions for Naruto, especially the game room full of old arcade games and game systems with recreational games like Pool and Darts.
"Uwa ̄ , sutajio ni itta koto nai ndesu. Kore wa subarashīdesu!" Naruto said in uncontained excitement as he saw the cars in the garage.
Verosika giggled.
'He certainly is adorable, even as a human child.' Verosika thought as they got out of Jayjay's truck.
"Oh, let me help!" Naruto said, running to the van and grabbing some of the luggage.
"Oh, no, dear you don't…" Millie started to say, taking the heaviest bag, nearly falling from the weight…
But Naruto caught it, helping her balance.
"No, I must help settle in before I go play…" Naruto urged as he helped them unload.
'He is mature, even at this age.' Jayjay thought as they helped the imps. 'Well, I guess that is what happens when you are raised in an orphanage and NO one wants you.'
Jayjay stopped for a split second.
'I shouldn't be here.' She thought in mild aggression. 'I should be hunting Ryan Slater down…'
She shook her head of these thoughts, looking at Naruto, seeing how… vulnerable he currently was.
He was no longer the young man her beloved trained to defend himself, but a small child needing protection.
'No, I need to protect my little bro…' She thought, her heart rippling when she thought of her actual little brother. 'I should really visit my family… it has been many years, they must be worried.'
Getting her head back in the game, Jayjay helped the Imps get settled in, as well as herself as she and Vortex were hired guards.
Meanwhile…
Flare was helping his employees.
AND he was pissed.
'Fucking brat has been nothing but trouble since I hired him!' He thought since Naruto was supposed to work today, and didn't even call in. 'The nerve of the youth of today!'
Chapter 45, DONE!
Yep, missing memories/de-aging.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I had a blast writing it.
If you enjoyed, or didn't, please leave a review as it does help me become a better author.