A/N:...still no notifications. I'm not feeling like me today, sorry.

There's really no other word for it; I just don't feel like myself at the moment.

Elden Ring and House of the Dragon needed some love, we'll be getting back to RWBY and the rest soon. All that remains to be updated this month is For Love of a Witch

Slifer's going to help with No Strings next month, chapters for that one always take a lot of time.

Just wanted to say, I appreciate you all! More feedback means faster updates! It's especially important, in these, trying times, with the main site notifications down. Every word counts and i appreciate you all! All these reviews really keep me inspired! Looking forward to hearing from you~! So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.

As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes. Not a wit or one. They're tributes, one and all.

I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.

Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.

In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!

Spoilers for Shadow of the Erdtree; vague as they are.

Seriously! ACTUAL SPOILERS!

Consider this a teaser for another upcoming chapter for an already written story. You know the one.

No Strings on Me~!

"Who?! What?! When?! Where?! Why?! AND HOW?!"

~?

Welcome Home

"...I don't understand."

Rennala leaned back, reclining upon the couch with a languid smile, one hand resting upon her stomach. "I can see that."

Rellana glared at her, or at least she assumed her little sister did; it was so very hard to tell without that helm of hers. She really should remove it indoors. Alas, her sister had always been something of an introvert when it came to anything beyond the realm of battle-oh, there it went.

Her twin ripped off her helmet, exposing a face not unlike her own, albeit bearing a luridly red blush. "Who?! What?! When?! Where?! Why?! AND HOW MANY?!"

"In that particular order?" she began counting off her fingers, idly bouncing little Melina on her knee as she tucked "Naruto, quite loudly, quite sometime ago, just about everywhere we can, because I love him, and how many children?" her smile turned smug. "Yes. My consort is off attending to a most important matter, else I would happily introduce you to him, but this little one will have to suffice."

Melina waved to that effect, little cherubim that she was. "Hullo, Auntie~!"

Rellana whined. "Its not fair!"

"Isn't it?"

Truly, she'd long since lost track of the number of little ones she had Naruto had taken into their care. She'd not forget their names of course, but the children were quite...numerous these days. That, and they had a war to fight, so something so inconsequential as numbers had long since escaped her. And to think, she'd forgotten about her dear sister all this time!

Rellana made unhappy Rellana noises, drawing her back to the present as she stomped a metal-shod boot against the floor. "I was only gone for a few hundred years! How did you even...?!"

"By pursuing mine own path, dear sister." Perhaps if thou didst the same with Messmer you would have little redheaded children of thine own.

Rellana's face closed down. Oh, dear. She sensed a most unhappy story there. Something must be done about that.

"Mother," a voice called from the hallways. "Whatever is the commotion?"

Not a heartbeat later, little Ranni made her appearance, poking her head round the corner.

"Oh." she lifted her large hat to blink up at Rellana. "Hello, auntie. Did you and Messmer ever get together?"

Rellana made a strangled noise. "Her too?!"

Naruto chose that very moment to arrive, flinging open the doors. "I'm back~!"

There was a redheaded child in his arms, wrapped in a heavy clock. It was not Millicent, which meant it was someone new -how exciting!- but beyond their red hair, she couldn't see them properly at this angle.

Nevertheless she perked up at the sight. Three remaining demigods in the Lands Between had red hair, and while two were her children, the third option also presented an exciting opportunity. "Oh, my? Whomever that might be? Is that who I think it is?"

"Well, its actually-hey!" He saw her twin moment later and flashed her a dazzling smile. "You must be Rellana's sister! Nice ta meetcha!"

T'was the last proverbial straw that finally broke the camel's back.

Rellana flushed and collapsed at their feet in a dead faint.

Melina flung her little arms with a giggle.

"Family!"

A/N: Aaaaaand scene~!

No previews this time. I'm exhausted. Aaaand there we go. As ever, reviews keep me alive. Without them, I cannot write.

So...in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review...Would You Kindly?

Hope you enjoyed this, and may your day be filled with lots of luck!

Warm regards,

~Nz.