From the moment Naruto opened his eyes, he was assaulted on multiple fronts.

"Naruto!"

"Oof!"

The shinobi grunted as two bodies crashed into him, and he found that the first was Yunyun. The poor thing was sobbing uncontrollably. Was she that worried about him?

'Well, I guess I did die… I hope this doesn't traumatize her.'

Naruto thought, shivering at the thought of his mangled corpse that had been blown away by his Explosion magic.

Even now, he could feel the afterthoughts of the torment his limbs had gone through. He would probably be sore for a couple days.

But it was good to find that he was in his original body again.

The second had been Kiki, and the fox had taken to wrapping herself around his neck. She was holding onto him so tightly, she was almost choking him.

But it was odd. He felt… disconnected from the fox?

'Ah, that's right… I died, so our Beast Bond was severed. Are you okay, Kiki? It must have hurt…'

'Yes… But this one's suffering ended the moment mine master's life essence was returned. But we will have to reinstate our Beast Bond.'

'Gotcha…'

Patting them both on the head, Naruto gazed around the surrounding crowd. Darkness, Claire, the adventurers, and even some of the royal knights all looked at him with concern.

It left him feeling sheepish.

The Hero of the Hidden Leaf, and Hero Candidate of Belzerg, embarrassed at being the center of attention? What a laughable thought.

Yunyun finally detached herself from his torso, sniffling as she looked up at him with her puffy red eyes. Her state was just too pitiful, it made him want to hug her.

"...!"

But then Naruto noticed the state of his adventuring gear.

Ears turning red, Naruto pulled the Crimson Demon close again. This earned an "eep!" from his party member, as well as multiple gasps from the onlookers.

But what choice did he have!? His chunin vest was gone, and his clothes were all but tatters covering his skin. He still had his mesh-shirt underneath, but his boxers… Well, let's just say they were hanging on by a thread.

"W-what about Kazuma?"

Naruto asked in an attempt to get the prying eyes off of him. The moment he heard Kazuma was alright, he'd have Yunyun Teleport them out of there!

"Aqua is reviving him over there. You two were blasted in different directions… Are you feeling alright? Should I bring Aqua back here?"

Darkness replied as she knelt beside her fellow blonde. Her braid had come undone, leaving her hair a frazzled mess. Her armor was in a much worse state, with various dents and scratch marks covering the pieces.

Clearly, she had a lot of fun during the battle.

"The Demon King's army? Did we drive them away?"

Naruto asked while averting his gaze. Where did Darkness get off showing so much concern for him… Also, she was way too close.

"Yes. After your magic finished off the commander, the rest of the minions fled to the mountains. Thanks to your sacrifice, and Aqua-dono's healing magic, we faced zero casualties yet again."

It was Claire who answered, and the noblewoman knelt next to Darkness as she spoke. She grew troubled when she looked at Yunyun, but her eyes widened when a thought came to her.

"Your clothes… They are beyond repair. I will call for a replacement immediately."

With a snap of her fingers, a soldier marched over and presented a large briefcase.

"Ah, no… Please don't trouble yourself, Claire-san. My party member can Teleport us out of here. I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay before I left."

Naruto scratched at his whisker marks nervously. He wanted to tell Yunyun to activate her spell right then and there, but it would be incredibly rude to outright deny the gift of a noble.

"If that is the case, then please, take it with you… As a gift from me."

Claire suddenly became nervous, which drew the suspicion of her fellow noblewoman.

'Oh no… Don't tell me that's what I think it is.'

Darkness's face paled when the soldier placed the suitcase next to Naruto. This was no longer an act of concern for a fellow warrior, but an opportunity to make a declaration in front of a lot of important people. How had she not seen this coming!?

"Thank you, Claire-san. It looks like you're the one protecting me. Haha…"

Naruto chuckled awkwardly, remembering what Kazuma said in his body before they had departed. He probably seemed really lame right now, huh…

"Please, keep your head held high, Naruto-dono. You shined like a true hero today, just like always… and for that…"

Claire smiled warmly, her voice carrying a subtle tremor of emotion as she continued.

"For that, I cannot help but admire you. You've proven time and again that you are not just a warrior, but a man of unwavering character and strength."

"Uh, thank you, Claire-san. That's… nice of you to say."

Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head.

Before he could process the compliment, Claire stood, her elegant posture drawing the attention of the gathered crowd. Her voice became louder, more formal, as though addressing an assembly.

"In fact, it would only be fitting for someone of such merit to receive the recognition and opportunities befitting a true hero. Should you ever consider it, Naruto-dono, know that the Symphonia family would be honored to host you in the capital, and perhaps even forge… closer ties."

The collective gasp that followed her words was nearly audible, even over the faint rustling of the wind.

"Uh… ties? Like, uh…"

Naruto's ears turned crimson, the implications of Claire's statement finally sinking in. It was reminiscent of how the noblewoman had been acting during the banquet the other night.

Meanwhile, Yunyun, who was still being held to Naruto's chest, stiffened.

'C-closer ties? Is she saying what I think she's saying? Wiz is going to get blindsided by that noblewoman! Wait, why am I thinking about Wiz?! I should be focusing on the fact that Claire is basically proposing to Naruto in front of everyone!'

Darkness, on the other hand, felt her stomach drop. A strange tightness spread through her chest, and she unconsciously balled her hands into fists. She tried to tell herself it was just surprise. But the sight of Naruto's flattered, albeit awkward, reaction left her strangely unsettled.

"Claire… While I appreciate your praise for my comrade, this hardly seems the time or place for such a… personal declaration."

Darkness said, her voice uncharacteristically sharp as she stood as well. Did that sound too defensive? That definitely sounded defensive…

"Ah, but isn't this the perfect moment? After all, a hero should be recognized for his deeds, and I simply wish to extend my gratitude..."

Claire replied with a knowing smile, her eyes never leaving Naruto's which flustered the boy further.

Yunyun, unable to handle the tension and closeness any longer, pushed away from her party member. But she immediately blushed upon seeing the state of his pants, or lack thereof.

Her reaction snapped Naruto out of his flustered state.

"O-okay, I am more than willing to hear you out, Claire-san… But I am not exactly dressed for any sort of… discussions at this moment."

"Of course. We can discuss such matters at a more appropriate time, Naruto-dono."

Claire chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the reaction she was drawing from both Naruto and the others.

The shinobi swallowed hard, feeling like he'd narrowly escaped something far more dangerous than the Demon King's army.

Darkness's fists tightened, but she quickly calmed herself. What was wrong with her right now!? She needed to get a grip, or the rumors would soar!

"S-should I Teleport us now?"

"Yes please."

Yunyun meekly asked, earning a stiff nod from the shinobi. Then the two of them, along with Kiki, disappeared in a flash of light.

A couple yards away from the crowd, Kazuma opened his eyes.

"Finally, you're awake. I missed what the others were saying over there, but my Goddess Intuition is telling me that noblewoman was saying something suspicious just now… Ah! He just left without even saying thank you!?"

Aqua's narrowed eyes widened when she saw the flash of light consume Naruto and Yunyun. Ungrateful ninja! She'd charge him ten extra bowls of ramen and a massage for that!

"There's no such thing as Goddess Intuition."

Kazuma retorted on instinct as he sat up, and instantly regretted it. It felt like his back had been run over by a wagon.

His eyes then widened when he suddenly noticed something.

"Ah!? What happened to my clothes!? Megumin! You didn't play with my naked corpse again, did you!?"

"D-don't say it like that, you're making it sound strange! But no, I left your crippled, mangled, and shredded corpse alone. You're welcome for covering you with my cape by the way."

Megumin huffed while turning away with a pout. She appeared to be rather upset about something, which Kazuma figured. She was definitely mad that he used Explosion magic without her.

After confirming his party member's words to be true, he suddenly remembered what Eris had asked of him.

'...Crap.'

Kurama didn't want to return? Why? Also, why did he have to break the news to Naruto!?

Wasn't this all technically his fault?

'Naruto's gonna kill me…!'

Teeth chattering, Kazuma gripped his head as he thought of the various ways the shinobi could do in retaliation.

Forget about the fact that the guy was a trained assassin, or that he had the power to carve a hole into a mountain… What if he put in a BAD word at that shop!?

The Succubi were sweet on him for some reason… What if they banned him!?

'Wait. They only liked Naruto for the fox's power, right? That had to be it! With the fox gone, that means I'm in the clear!'

Although he came to that conclusion, it didn't make Kazuma feel any better. From the sounds of it, Naruto and Kurama had known each other for quite some time.

Didn't the guy mention something about the leader of his village sealing the Nine-Tailed Fox into him when he was a newborn baby?

Kazuma's face paled.

This was actually really bad, wasn't it?

Because of him, Naruto lost not just a huge powersource, but a life-long friend.

"...Hey, Kazuma? Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Megumin asked when she noticed the mortified expression on her party members face.

"Puhehehe…! Kazuma's probably just mad that he died again. Even in the body of someone powerful, that hikiNEET found a way to get himself killed. It's just too pitiful!"

Aqua giggled to herself while pointing a finger at the boy.

Kazuma growled and smacked her hand out of his face.

"Shitty goddess! I wouldn't have gone on a power trip if the thing I brought to this world, YOU, wasn't useless!"

"Wha-h-how dare you call me a shitty goddess, you shitty NEET!"

While Kazuma and Aqua butted heads, Megumin sighed. This was just how things were with their group. But she had to wonder… Just what had her party leader so spooked?

Inside royal castle, Iris looked upon the battlefield from her bedroom window. It seemed the skirmish was over now, and what a skirmish it had been. Not just one, but two massive explosions this time around.

'I hope Naruto-nii and onii-sama are okay…'

The princess thought while clutching at her necklace, which she now knew to be a Divine Relic of all things. To think it had the power to swap people's bodies!

Although it had been fun to see Kazuma and Naruto act so differently, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. What would have happened if she had swapped bodies with one of them? Would she have been able to go outside the castle?

Iris shook her head. It was best not to dwell on such things. She had a duty to her kingdom to stay within the confines of the royal castle and grow into a proper princess.

With one last lonely look through the window, Iris turned around to find Naruto and Yunyun appear in a flash of light. They were embracing, but upon meeting eyes with the princess, they scrambled apart.

"N-Naruto-nii!?"

"Oh, hey Iris! Sorry to pop in out of nowhere… But would you mind turning away for a moment?"

Naruto asked and quickly pulled a briefcase to his torso to cover himself up.

"O-okay…?"

Turning away, Iris's mind spun. What happened to Naruto's clothes? Was it Naruto or Kazuma she was talking to right now? Why were he and Yunyun embracing so affectionately!? Was that embrace affectionate? She was too flabbergasted to tell!

"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness… Naruto's clothes were destroyed during the battle… C-Claire-san gave him a replacement…"

Yunyun stuttered as she walked up to the little girl. This was precisely why she had been against setting her final Teleport waypoint in the princess's bedroom! She just didn't have the heart to tell both Naruto and Iris no…

"T-that's okay, Yunyun-san. Oh, and y-you can just call me Iris… I hope that we can maybe be… friends?"

Iris timidly asked while poking her fingers together. From what she'd gathered of Naruto's party member, Yunyun was a very friendly person. The mage was quite reserved when she wasn't arguing with the mage from Kazuma's party.

Yunyun's eyes widened as she looked down at the adorable little princess. She wanted to be friends!? With her!? This royally precious thing!? Was she dreaming!?

She whirled around to seek guidance.

"N-Naruto! I-I-Iris-san wants to be friends with me! W-w-w-what do I do-"

"Ah! Yunyun! Don't look, I'm still changing!"

"Eep! I-I-I'm sorry!"

Turning back to face the window, Yunyun's face became as brightly red as her eyes.

'C-cute…'

It was safe to say they were even now.

A few moments later, Naruto was fully dressed in the Symphonia battle suit. It felt good to be in this uniform again, although it kind of made him nervous for some reason.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Claire's second "confession" was stuck on replay in his mind.

"Sorry again for the trouble, Iris."

"It's okay… Oh!"

Iris gasped, earning a strange look from Naruto and Yunyun.

"What's wrong? Did I put the suit on wrong? I could have sworn I did it the way Heidel showed me…"

Naruto asked while patting himself down.

"That suit… You said Claire gave it to you?"

Iris asked, her eyes growing impossibly wide.

"Yes…? It's the same suit I wore a couple days ago, though. So what's the matter?"

Was she trying to pull a prank on him? If so, then her acting was on point. It filled him with both pride and terror at what she might be capable of in the future.

"If Claire gave that suit to Naruto-nii willingly… Then that must mean…!"

Giddiness bubbled up within the young girl's stomach, and it was becoming hard to contain.

But wait! If Naruto was acting so nonchalantly, he must not know the significance of the suit yet.

It was difficult, but Iris forced herself to calm down. She would demand answers from Claire upon her return!

"I presume Claire wants to have a serious discussion with you later, Naruto-nii?"

"O-oh, yeah… How did you know?"

Naruto replied and averted his gaze awkwardly, which told Iris a lot.

'Okay, so Claire must have confronted Naruto-nii, but they were interrupted… Probably due to the state of his clothes. While the entire message wasn't communicated, Naruto-nii was forced to accept the suit. Because of the likelihood of there being a crowd, Lalatina couldn't do anything but watch… How devious, Claire.'

Iris deduced while tapping her chin in thought. She then looked at Kiki, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

'Am I right, Kiki-san?'

'M-mine master has instructed this one not to read people's minds without permission…!'

'But you're reading my mind right now, aren't you?'

'...!'

When the Kitsune opted to close her eyes and fein sleeping, Iris's grin grew tenfold.

That only left one question… How would Lalatina respond?

"Man… I'm hungry. I could go for some ramen right about now!"

Naruto said as he sat on the bed, his hands going to his gut just as it released a loud growl. Just what had Kazuma done with his body to make him so hungry?

Unless dying somehow left a person with an empty stomach…?

'Hey, Kurama? I can't believe you let that guy use your chakra so easily! Traitorous fox… I bet you only did that just piss me off!'

. . .

'Kurama?'

That was odd. Was the fox taking a nap? It wasn't like Kazuma had gone full Kurama Mode though…

But before the shinobi could prod his Tailed Beast friend more, Yunyun sat on the bed next to him.

"N-now that we know what magic item the Chivalrous Thieves are after, what do we do now?"

"Hm… We'll have to tell Claire about the necklace, and then stay for a few more days to help defend the castle from their attack."

Naruto replied after some thought, earning a nod from the mage.

They both knew their "defense" was going to be staged for Naruto, Chris, and Kazuma to sneak in and steal the necklace. They'd have to meet up with Chris tonight and decide when to carry out the heist.

Come to think of it, if he pushed the night out a couple days, that would give him some extra time in the capital to carry out his plans to win his bet with Alderp.

Yunyun felt bad keeping this a secret from Kazuma's other party members, but at the same time, the thought of keeping a secret amongst the three of them(she still didn't know the identity of the other Thief) was exciting.

"How long are you going to be staying here, Naruto-nii?"

Iris asked, a flash of eagerness in her eyes.

Naruto chuckled, marveling at the stark contrast between the reserved child he had first met and the beaming princess before him now. It warmed his heart to see how much she had opened up to him over time.

"I'd say about a week."

Kazuma made his way through the castle halls, the soles of his dress shoes squeaking as he dragged his feet. He'd been hiding away in his guest room while the others went to the dining hall to celebrate, but his conscience finally got the better of him.

He was scared, borderline terrified of what was about to come. But he knew the longer he put it off, the more dangerous the shinobi's reaction would potentially become.

'That damn overgrown fox! Why did it have to bail like that!?'

Kurama did seem rather bored, and it mentioned something about Naruto changing… Had they grown apart?

But as much as Kazuma hated to admit it, Naruto was just too likeable of a person for that reason to make sense.

Either way, Kazuma had promised to deliver Eris's message. Whether he died, or simply lost the closest friend he had in this world was simply up to Naruto's reaction.

…When he put it like that, he definitely wanted to turn tail and run.

What would he do if Naruto revoked their friendship? They got along quite well when they weren't bickering… Right?

'Come to think of it… Haven't I been a terrible friend?'

Naruto had helped him get out of debt, put up with him and his crazy party members, saved their lives multiple times, and even got him a signed copy of Icha Icha Paradise!

What has he done to return that kindness you ask?

He'd thrown Naruto under the bus to get Iris's attention, spread strange rumors, frequently requested a female version of the guy from that shop, and now he cost him a lifelong friend!

He did let the guy move into his mansion, but even then, Naruto refused to live rent free and even cooked for everyone!

. . .

'I really really messed up.'

As Kazuma neared the dining hall, the scent of ramen hit Kazuma's nose. The smell was just as wondrous as it always was.

But his guilt made him queasy.

Opening the door, he found everyone gouging themselves to what looked like a noodle paradise.

It seemed Naruto had gone all out to celebrate humanity's victory today, as well as keeping his silly promise to Aqua.

"Oh, there you are Kazuma! Come get a bowl before Aqua eats it all! She's on her twelfth bowl! Hahaha!"

Naruto bellowed with laughter as he watched the goddess inhale her noodles, her stomach seemingly expanding like a balloon.

How was that even possible…?

Next to the goddess was Megumin and Darkness, who appeared to be struggling on their eighth and tenth bowls respectively. Did they have some kind of competition? Ridiculous…

Shaking his head, Kazuma bolstered his courage and walked over to the shinobi.

"I must commend you, Kazuma-dono. Multiple accounts reported that you performed admirably during the battle. Perhaps I judged you too hastily."

Claire admitted with a nod, which would have been a cool moment if her face wasn't ghastly white and didn't have a noodle sticking out of her nose.

Had she taken part in the competition as well…?

"T-thanks…"

Kazuma mumbled, an arrow of guilt striking his back as he continued towards the end of the table.

"Onii-sama! Naruto-nii was telling me that you know about a lot of different snacks from your home country! He said the two of you can make them for us to try!"

Iris marveled, having stopped after a humble three bowls.

"O-of course! Leave it to me!"

Kazuma said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. His eyes then fell on Kiki, who was sitting on the floor next to Naruto's chair. There was an empty plate in front of her, likely some grilled fish that her partner had made.

The Kitsune looked at him with knowing eyes. No doubt she had read his mind and knew what was about to come.

"Hey, Naruto… Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Hm? Sure, but you don't want to eat first?"

Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I-I lost my appetite… Dying has that kind of effect on me, you see…"

Kazuma replied while holding his growling stomach. Luckily the others were rowdy enough to mask his gut's disagreement just now.

As much as he wanted to feast on that heavenly ramen, he knew he didn't deserve it.

Kazuma led them out of the dining hall and into the courtyard.

"Hey, I was thinking about our bet… I'd like to argue that I technically won since I captured the commander before you blew us all up."

Naruto said with a cheeky grin. Kiki hadn't come with, which was surprising considering how attached she'd been after his revival.

Maybe she was tired from the fighting? They had used Synchronize a lot during the battle.

"...I agree, you can have all of the winnings when they hand it out tomorrow. I'll tell Megumin and Aqua."

Kazuma replied without meeting the guy's eyes, which he found to be increasingly difficult.

"Really? You're not gonna argue? Normally this is the part where you come up with some kind of scummy comeback that's hard to refute."

Naruto further teased, but when his friend didn't immediately explode with anger, he knew something was up.

"Kazuma… What's wrong?"

"...Eris asked me to pass a message to you."

Kazuma said after a moment, his eyes staring up into the night sky. There were some scary looking clouds coming in from the distance. Was it going to rain tonight?

How fitting.

"Eris? Why? We both spoke to her. Why didn't she say anything then?"

Naruto inquired, an ominous feeling forming in his gut.

Kazuma struggled to swallow, but found there was a lump in his throat.

"She… Said Kurama didn't want to come back."

"...What?"

Naruto's face scrunched up. What did that even mean?

"Hahaha! Are you still lashing out because I have more Iris points? You really are a hopeless fellow, Kazuma."

That's right. Eris said she'd collected Kurama's chakra because it would be bad for the ecosystem or whatever. The grumpy fox was just taking a nap, is all.

But seeing as Kazuma remained silent, the ominous feeling returned.

"Okay, I get it. You're mad at my completely sound logic on why I won the bet, so you can cut it out now, Kazuma. Kurama's probably just brooding over the battle being short or something. Aren't ya, Kurama?"

Naruto centered his teasing on the Tailed Beast, half expecting the fox to manifest its head through the seal to refute.

When nothing happened, Naruto felt a wave of panic wash over him.

'Kurama? Are you mad at me or something?'

More silence.

Closing his eyes, Naruto went into his mindscape. What the hell was that fox's problem, scaring him like this?

A bead of sweat rolled down Kazuma's cheek as he waited what felt like an eternity for the blonde to open his eyes. It was coming. He felt it.

After a few more excruciatingly painful seconds, Naruto's eyes snapped open and he yanked his undershirt up. Molding some chakra, the shinobi was mortified to find that nothing manifested on his abdomen.

The magic seal was no longer there.

"What else did Eris say!?"

Naruto demanded with wide eyes, grabbing Kazuma by the collar.

"N-n-nothing! All she said was that Kurama didn't want to come back! She wouldn't tell me anything else!"

Kazuma stammered, and the ninja cursed before letting him go.

They stood in a crushing silence.

'...Should I say anything?'

Kazuma thought as he debated on what he should do next. This was all his fault, and his friend, probably ex-friend now, was clearly distraught. But he feared saying anything now would further damage any chance he had at retaining their friendship.

So he waited.

"Ah."

Kazuma reached a hand out when Naruto suddenly took off running. He didn't even try to give chase, as the shinobi kicked off the ground and scaled the castle wall in a matter of seconds.

"...I guess I'll call a party meeting."

Might as well have everyone be mad at him at this point. He definitely deserved it.

Naruto clutched his head as he hopped from building to building, the corners of his eyes stinging as tears threatened to form.

His mind spiraled through the many possible explanations as to why this was happening.

Kurama wasn't coming back? Why? Did he do something? Did he not do something?

It was all just so overwhelming, he wanted to throw up. But even as he stopped to lean over the ledge of a house, nothing came out.

He felt hollow, like a piece of him was missing.

How did he not realize until now? Kurama's absence was like a gaping hole in his very being.

This had to be a mistake. Was this some kind of sick prank from Eris?

A few minutes of house hopping later, Naruto found himself on the empty battlegrounds outside of the capital.

He stopped at the crater where Kazuma had gotten them both killed.

Closing his eyes, the shinobi went into Sage Mode. He felt around with his nature-enhanced senses. There was a lot of leftover mana radiating in the air, especially from the crater. But that was about it. Not a soul within a mile from where he stood.

What was he expecting to find here? A sliver of Kurama's chakra left behind?

"Eris… Tell me why!"

Naruto shouted up to the heavens, but he would receive no answer. She never answered him.

Anger swelled in his stomach, his hands balling into fists.

"Why… WHY!?"

In a fit of rage, Naruto slammed his fist into the ground. The Earth shattered beneath his sage-powered punch, causing a second crater to form right next to the first one.

He needed to calm down, but his emotions boiled like a fire in the pit of his now empty gut.

So he slammed his fist into the ground again, and again, and again. All while asking questions he already knew he wouldn't get an answer to.

"Why did you leave!? Why didn't you tell me anything!? Kurama!?"

Slam! Slam! Slam!

Naruto panted as the dust settled, the orange pigmentation around his eyes dissipating. He fell to his knees, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Then came the tears.

"Don't… Don't leave…"

His friend that had been with him since the beginning… Although they hadn't gotten along at first, they'd formed an inseparable bond.

Or so he'd thought.

But then again, Kurama had always wanted his freedom. Was their "friendship" just something the Tailed Beast used to pass the time?

Naruto refused to believe that. Their bond was real, and he would fight tooth and nail to keep it.

"Eris… Please tell Kurama that I'm sorry for whatever I did. I know he was bored, but..."

That was it, wasn't it? Kurama, since the day they'd arrived in this world, had always wanted more. A real challenge. But all Naruto had been doing was goof off with his new friends in the Town of Beginners.

"We can take on missions here in the capital… I heard the quests here are super challenging… I'll seek out the rest of the Demon King's Generals, and then we can storm the Demon King's castle…"

Naruto continued with a broken smile, but of course no one answered. At this point, he was just talking to himself.

Even as the rain began to fall, the shinobi continued to mutter promises under his breath.

Now soaked to the bone, Naruto began to shiver. Had he ever really been cold like this? Even in his youth, when all he could afford was a simple scarf to keep himself warm during the harsh winters, he'd never really felt the cold.

"...How long have you been protecting me, Kurama?"

Naruto stood up and felt the droplets pelt his face.

"Ah… This isn't good… I shouldn't get Claire's suit wet…"

The shinobi started making his way back to the capital, leaving the desecrated landscape behind.

Kazuma lay restless in his bed. He was tired, but he couldn't get the look Naruto had made out of his head. It was a haunting expression.

'What am I going to do…'

He'd pulled his party aside, plus Yunyun, to break the news to them. Their reactions were as he'd expected. They'd reprimanded him, called him scum, and all of the other obvious things.

But it wasn't enough, he felt like he truly deserved more.

"If punishment's what you want, I can lend you a hand…"

"!?"

Kazuma jolted up when a lewd, yet eerily familiar voice breathed into his ear. Whirling around, he came face to face with the spirit of Sylvia. The former general was grinning ear to ear, their glowing yellow eyes piercing into his very soul.

Actually, trailing down the ghost's body, the Chimera appeared to be protruding from his body.

"W-why are you in my body? Shouldn't you be with Naruto…?"

Kazuma asked, his face turning a deathly pale.

"Ah, you see… My soul was carried along with my dear Naruto's when you activated the Divine Relic. When you both died, I hid until that pesky Arch Priest revived you. Unfortunately, I could not return to Naruto's body else risk alerting that rabid Axis Cultist. But it seems this has played out in my favor, as your soul now harbors quite a bit of guilt…"

Sylvia revealed, her ghastly hand inching its way up his arm until it cupped his cheek.

"No… No no no…! I know I said I wanted punishment, but not like this!"

Kazuma turned to run and find Aqua, but the spirit grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He tried to scream, but their other hand quickly covered his mouth.

"Don't worry, Kazuma dear… I know that my love would not want me to break you. He is furious, I am sure, but his kind and gentle soul would not want you to suffer. In light of this fact, I will be gentle."

"M-MMMMMMMMMFFFFF!?"

Muffled screams could be heard from Kazuma's room all throughout the night. Unfortunately for him, none would care to investigate.

A/N: Poor Naruto… But he will see Kurama again.

As a friendly reminder, Naruto does not have Six Paths chakra in this story, nor does he need it.

Next chapter, Naruto throws himself into earning the one-billion Eris! With the heist to steal Iris's necklace right around the corner, and only six days left to earn the debt money, our hero is going to be quite the busy bee!

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year to you all!

Spirit out.