It was two days before the deadline, and Naruto was making his second attempt to speak with Darkness. Unsurprisingly, the noblewoman remained locked away in her guest room.

"G-good morning, Naruto-sama. Unfortunately, Lady Dustiness is still not receiving visitors at this time. Would you like us to pass along another message?"

One of the guards greeted nervously.

Naruto put on an exaggeratedly solemn expression, clasping his hands behind his back like a concerned nobleman.

"Yes, please. Kindly let Lady Dustiness know that I wish her a swift recovery. I dearly miss her company and, of course, am still more than willing to continue our strenuous physical activities from the other day."

The guards froze, their faces heating up as their imaginations undoubtedly ran wild.

From behind the door, there was an audible thud, followed by a muffled, choked sound.

Naruto suppressed a grin, but his eyes glinted mischievously as he continued.

"Ah, I can only hope she hasn't overexerted herself too much. She really did push herself hard last time, but I'm sure she'll be up for it again soon."

"W-we'll be sure to pass the message along, Naruto-sama!"

The guards stammered before exchanging wide-eyed looks.

Naruto turned on his heel, offering a small, mock bow as he left. He could easily visualize Darkness's fuming face, and wondered how much more she would be able to take at this rate.

'Mine master has grown quite adept at provoking the Crusader.'

Kiki's voice protruded his mind, the fox's eyes glinting with mischief.

'She makes it too easy… and besides, she's not my mate.'

'This one made no mention of a mate.'

'...'

Naruto froze mid-step, his eyes darting away as he realized he'd walked straight into that one.

'A-anyways, I'll try again later tonight.'

Naruto thought and quickened his pace, doing his best to ignore the Kitsune's amused stare.

With his attempt now done, Naruto made his way towards the entrance of the castle where Megumin and Yunyun were waiting for him.

Greeting the servants as he passed by, the shinobi found the pair of Crimson Demons in the middle of a heated argument.

What were they bickering about this time…

"I'm telling you, Yunyun! It has to be named Ethereal Nectar of the Arcane Bloom!"

"Are you trying to scare away the buyers with that overly complicated name! It should be something cute and simple like Honeydew Mist!"

Megumin and Yunyun went back and forth about their name suggestions, but they instantly turned their attention towards the ninja the moment of his approach.

"What do you think, Naruto!?"

"Eh? Ah, well… I was kinda thinking Sage Mode, ya know? Since Jerry's slime gives a resistance buff like my powerup…"

Naruto sheepishly admitted while scratching at his whisker marks.

The girls looked at each other for a moment before they turned back to face the shinobi.

"Rejected."

"W-what!? Why!?"

Naruto barked, and Megumin sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Because that name is so unoriginal. Where's the flair? The creative touch that screams 'buy me, or forever be cursed with an eternal stench'?"

"I-I somewhat agree with Megumin. The name should properly advertise what it smells like!"

Yunyun insisted, causing the two to lock hands again as they continued to argue.

A tick-mark formed on Naruto's forehead. What was with everyone hating his name ideas?

"W-whatever, just stop arguing out in the open like this! Where's Aqua? Weren't you going to get that girl to come along?"

"She didn't want to leave her room. She's still working on that secret project of hers. I think we're better off cutting our losses and leaving that girl behind."

Megumin answered with a shrug, although she had an inkling of an idea what the Arch Priest was up to.

'Secret project, huh…'

Naruto was beginning to wonder just what that bratty goddess was working so diligently for. He'd have to check on her later.

With the Adventurer's Guild being in the heart of the city, the group was able to take note of all of the most popular restaurants as they walked.

Naruto's mind flurried with the sheer amount of ramen variants he was going to make. He was actually really looking forward to experimenting with the monster ingredients.

"Okay, go ahead and pick whatever quest you want, Megumin. Yunyun and I are going to start hitting all of the spots we wrote down."

The shinobi said while gesturing towards his party member's notebook.

"A-any quest…?"

Megumin's eyes flashed with excitement, and the moment Naruto created a Shadow Clone, she grabbed his hand and rushed them into the building.

Thinking back to some of the quests he'd done here, a bead of sweat rolled down the ninja's cheek.

They would be fine… Right?

'If it would ease mine master's worries, this one could accompany the Crimson Demon to ensure her return.'

Kiki offered, and Naruto slowly nodded his head.

'Thanks, Kiki…'

While he was feeling much better today, he wasn't sure if his clone would be able to withstand much. If Megumin pulled off some kind of flashy Explosion magic… It could potentially leave the girl in a difficult spot.

The Kitsune nodded her head before hopping down to the ground and slipping into the shadow of a passing adventurer who was entering the guild.

Now feeling a little better about their situation, Naruto turned towards Yunyun and grinned.

"Alright, where to first? Pick your favorite!"

"Eh? Oh, umm… W-why don't we go to the Crystal Carafe?"

Yunyun blinked in surprise before making a random suggestion, although her eyes slowly drifted towards something.

Following the girl's gaze, Naruto found a vendor selling skewers on the other side of the paved road.

"Do you want to try that food stand?"

"A-ah… I'm sorry, I know we shouldn't waste time on anything other than the restaurants. I just thought those skewers looked good…"

Yunyun admitted shamefully while clutching the notebook to her chest.

Chuckling, Naruto walked over to the vendor and ordered a couple skewers. He offered one to the mage with a fox-like grin.

"It's not a waste of time if it's something you want, Yunyun. You've done so much for me these past few days. Even if we're pressed for time, I'll always make time for you."

"O-oh… Thank you…"

Yunyun muttered softly, her face heating up as she accepted the snack. It made her incredibly happy to hear not only her friend appreciated her, but that he cared so much about what she wanted as well.

Heart racing in anticipation, the Crimson Demon nibbled on the meat skewer. Her eyes widened, and she nearly squealed from delight.

"You really like meat kabobs, don't ya, Yunyun?"

Naruto mused, causing the girl to look away shyly.

"O-of course I do… It's the food Naruto bought me back at the festival."

Yunyun stuttered, her cheeks burning slightly.

It had been the first time she had ever gone to a festival with a friend, and the first time a friend had treated her to snacks from a food stand. It was, without a doubt, one of the happiest days of her life that she would treasure forever.

Every time she ate a skewer, it brought back those wonderful memories.

'The festival…? Oh yeah, from back then! That day was a lot of fun.'

Naruto thought, smiling fondly as he recounted the events.

His grin softened as he watched Yunyun nibble on her skewer, her cheeks slightly flushed and her eyes sparkling with delight. She looked genuinely happy, and the sight warmed his heart more than he expected.

As Naruto bit into his own skewer, he couldn't help but think back to that festival. It had been chaotic, of course. Winning the Winter Shogun toy, causing a scene with the manatite game, and ultimately running into Kazuma and Megumin.

'She really enjoyed herself that day…'

The shinobi thought, feeling a little sheepish. He glanced at his party member again, noticing how she clutched the skewer with both hands, as if it were something precious.

It made him want to make even more precious memories like that.

"You've been helping me non-stop these past few days, and you're always looking out for everyone else. You deserve to enjoy yourself even more."

Naruto suddenly said, making a vow to himself to dedicate more time to building his friendship with this girl when this was all over.

She certainly deserved so much more than what he felt like he was giving in return for her friendship.

"T-thank you…? That means a lot."

Yunyun's face turned a deeper shade of red, and she quickly looked down at her skewer, trying to hide her flustered expression. Where had that come from?

Although it made her happy…

Naruto smiled, feeling a sudden urge to spoil this timid mage.

"Alright, there should be a bunch of food stalls between here and the Crystal Carafe. Let's stop at some, Yunyun!"

"O-okay!"

Kazuma sat at the table in his guest room, an assortment of supplies spread out before him. Bottles and tubes filled with various liquids that consisted of this world's ingredients for making perfume. Everything was arranged in a somewhat organized chaos.

The air was thick with a sweet scent as the materials mingled with Jerry's mucus. It was so potent, he had to open his window after the first five minutes.

Thanks to Rain's connections, Kazuma had managed to secure the equipment and a basic guide on creating fragrances. The noblewoman had been eager to explore more business opportunities with them.

"From soft-spoken mage to ambitious capitalist… Talk about a personality shift."

Kazuma muttered, smiling wryly at the thought.

Then again, Naruto had mentioned something about Rain's family being on the lower end of the noble hierarchy. Her eagerness to capitalize on any opportunity now made a lot more sense.

"Hmm… You're actually quite skilled in the art of crafting. I'm surprised you haven't given up on adventuring to become a merchant."

Sylvia suddenly manifested from behind Kazuma's shoulder, causing the boy to jolt in surprise.

"H-hey! Don't just show up like that! Damn… I spilled it…"

The spirit had been awfully quiet yesterday, so he'd almost forgotten about them.

Kazuma picked up an empty syringe and carefully plunged it into the bucket of toad mucus sitting on the floor beside him.

"That's what I keep telling everyone, but they keep dragging me into all of these messes!"

"Hmm… You say that, but you really do want to be the hero like in those games from your home world. How cute."

Sylvia cooed while twirling a spectral finger around the teen's hair.

"Ah! S-s-shut up! I knew you could read my thoughts, but reading my memories is such a huge invasion of privacy!"

Kazuma barked, his ears turning bright red from embarrassment.

"No need to get so flustered, Kazuma Satou. I find it endearing. If I didn't already have my eyes set on Naruto Uzumaki, I would have loved to devour you…"

The Chimera caressed the Adventurer's cheek before maneuvering his face towards his makeshift workshop.

"Mix the Troll fat in that small vial with the green tincture on your left. It should dampen the scent and stabilize the mixture."

Sylvia's spectral finger pointed lazily toward the scattered bottles and tubes on Kazuma's makeshift workspace.

Kazuma froze, syringe in hand, before narrowing his eyes at the spirit.

"Wait, how do you even know that?"

"I worked with many magical compounds during my days, Kazuma Satou. Crafting perfumes just happens to be a hobby of mine. A lady needs to know how to present herself, even in battle."

Sylvia chuckled, her voice smooth and teasing. Toad mucus, while unconventional, was just another ingredient to be used in the end.

Kazuma raised an eyebrow but reluctantly followed her instructions, carefully combining the two liquids in a small mixing bowl. To his surprise, the mixture blended smoothly with the mucus, thinning it out just enough to make it easier to work with.

The sweet, honey-like scent of the mucus suddenly became thinner, yet more refined.

"Whoa… It actually worked."

Kazuma muttered, staring at the bowl in awe.

"You doubted me?"

Sylvia leaned in closer, her voice a purr.

"Of course I doubted you!"

Kazuma snapped, his cheeks tinged pink as he avoided her amused gaze.

"But… thanks. This is way better than what I had before."

"You're welcome, Kazuma Satou."

Sylvia smiled, her expression softening as the boy continued to work.

Kazuma felt a twinge of guilt in his chest.

How the hell was that even possible!? This was Sylvia! The Demon King Army General that had put him and so many other people through so much trouble!

'S-stupid conscience!'

Kazuma thought, his next words catching in his throat before he finally forced them out.

"Uh… listen. About before. When I was trying to get Aqua to, you know, purify you. I might've been… wrong."

"Oh? Go on."

Sylvia blinked, tilting her head.

"I mean, I still think you're a total pain, but… you've been different lately. You're not the same person, or spirit, you were just a week ago. Maybe Naruto's shonen protagonist magic rubbed off on you or something, but... yeah. Sorry for jumping to conclusions."

Kazuma sighed, setting down the bowl and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Sylvia stared at him for a moment before a genuine smile crossed her lips.

"How unexpectedly mature of you, Kazuma Satou."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't let it go to your head. I'd still rather not be possessed."

Kazuma scoffed, turning back to his crafting materials.

Come to think of it, wasn't his current situation a little too weird? Who would have thought he'd be making perfume out of the mucus of a Giant Toad with the help of the spirit of a former Demon King Army General.

But somehow, he was finding it harder to complain about it.

"It's becoming harder to stay conscious. I require more and more sleep with each passing day."

Sylvia suddenly said, a distant look in her glowing yellow irises.

Kazuma stiffened, glancing over his shoulder at the Chimera spirit. What were they saying? Were they fading away or something?

"Ah, there is no need for concern. It's not something I fear. If it happens, it happens. But for now… Let's make your ridiculous perfume a success, shall we?"

Sylvia said and gestured towards the mixture bowl.

"Yeah… sure."

Kazuma frowned, uneasy at her nonchalant tone, but he nodded.

As he turned back to work, the door to his room opened. Not wanting to be discovered by anyone outside of the party, Sylvia retreated back into the boy's body.

"Naruto! Is Naruto here!?"

Aqua bellowed as she strode inside. But she was immediately captivated by the strong scent that hit her senses.

"Oh? Oh? What's that smell? It's kinda like Jerry's disgusting slime!"

"Why are you calling it disgusting with such a pleasant expression, you tsundere goddess. I'm working on turning Jerry's mucus into a battle perfume."

Kazuma retorted with an eyeroll. Just the person to make his day even more troublesome.

"W-who are you calling a tsundere goddess, you hikiNEET!?"

Aqua barked, but looked over the boy's shoulder to get a better look at the materials.

"I-I don't like that child's slime, but this really does smell good… Oww!? What was that for!?"

"Don't touch anything! Are you trying to ruin my entire morning's worth of work!?"

Kazuma smacked Aqua's hand when she reached over to touch one of his mixtures. Honestly, just what was this girl doing here?

That was when he noticed the bag in her other hand. There was wrapping inside. A gift?

"Hey, what's that?"

"Nothing that concerns shitty NEETs."

Aqua sneered, pulling the bag close to her chest as if to protect it from the boy. But she immediately began to panic when he raised his hand, knowing full well what he was about to do.

"W-wait! I'm sorry! Please don't use Steal, Kazuma! Kazuma-san!"

After a couple minutes of back and forths, Aqua sat on the floor in tears as her party leader stood over her with the bag in his hands.

"Now what is this thing?"

"Nooooo! I don't want anyone to see it before Naruto!"

Aqua complained while pawing at the teen's pants.

Sighing, Kazuma handed the bag back to the pitiful blue thing, who immediately retrieved it and turned away defensively.

'I guess I forgot Naruto also unlocked the Aqua route. Not that things will ever go anywhere, given her nature.'

After everything that they'd gone through, the constant couple's quarrels… He couldn't help but think that if this girl was just a little more honest with herself, she'd have a much easier time getting what she wanted.

"Naruto's out earning money for Darkness's debt with Yunyun and Megumin, so he probably won't be home until later. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some perfume to make."

Although he was curious as to what the goddess had made this time around, Kazuma sat back down at his workstation. After all, while mostly useless in all other departments, that girl was strangely good with arts and crafts.

"One Naruto Special: Phoenix Flame Rotisserie Ramen coming right up!"

One of Naruto's clones shouted from the back of a very busy kitchen, with staff members running left and right to gather the necessary ingredients for the blonde. Because that had been the twentieth order of their restaurant's latest phenomenon in the last ten minutes.

"Naruto-sama… I truly appreciate this opportunity that you have presented with my establishment."

The owner of the fancy restaurant, the Phoenix Plateau, said while rubbing his hands together gleefully.

"But of course! After finding out how often the Demon King's Army attacks the capital, I wanted to show everyone in the city that even during trying times, we can create something enjoyable and uplifting."

Naruto replied with a grin, his enthusiasm shining through.

The owner's eyes lit up, nodding fervently.

"An admirable sentiment, Naruto-sama! And combining my establishment's signature Phoenix Flame Roast with your renowned foreign dish is nothing short of brilliance!"

"Well, I couldn't have done it without the inspiration from your dish. Let's make something that'll leave people talking for years!"

Naruto offered his hand to the older man, who readily shook it.

At that moment, a wave of customers seemed to fly through the door.

"Naruto-sama is cooking at this restaurant too, right!?"

"I simply adore the Phoenix Flame Roast! I must try this foreign variant!"

"Don't you know who I am!? You must take my order this instant!"

It seemed news of his ramen collaborations with the top restaurants in the capital were beginning to spread like wildfire, as more and more people who spoke of their experiences at the other locations grew rather impatient in their wait.

Not wanting to get dragged into anything troublesome, Naruto bid the owner his farewell for now and slipped out the back and into an empty alleyway. He would be back to collect his percentage of the profits later that night.

"Phew… Alright, I better check on Yunyun. She should be done collecting the earnings from the Ivory Banquet."

But something caught his eye as he pointed himself towards the main street. He looked up to see a mop of short silver-white hair that almost covered a pair of lavender eyes, and they were currently staring at him with a mixture of frustration and… Nervousness?

"Oh, hey Chris. How's it going?"

"So casual… And here I thought you forgot about me."

The Thief muttered as she hopped down from the roof and into the alley in front of the shinobi.

"Ah… Sorry for not seeking you out sooner, Boss. I kinda had a lot going on."

Naruto offered a sheepish apology, but it was pretty cheap and he knew it. Chris was completely unrelated to his troubles, and even if he was going through a lot, he'd promised to keep her in the loop with the Divine Relic.

"That's okay… I can only imagine what it's like being the number one trending Hero Candidate in Belzerg."

Chris said and scratched at the scar on her cheek.

Not wanting the conversation to turn awkward, Naruto quickly jumped right into it.

"We found out where the divine relic was. It's Iris's necklace."

"The… The princess!?"

Chris's eyes bulged and nearly choked on her own spit. Not that it really changed anything… Their mission was going to be difficult regardless of where the magic item was.

But to think it was with the first princess of the kingdom. Just thinking about how many guards there were going to be almost made her want to groan.

"I wish we could just use your Hero Candidacy to get them to give you the amulet…"

"I know…"

After all, how was he supposed to explain that they were going to give that Divine Relic back to Heaven?

Naruto blinked.

"Hey, Boss? How do you return the Divine Relics back to the gods? Did Eris put you up to this or something?"

"Eh? Oh, w-well… Yeah, kinda-I mean, not directly or anything! It's more like a… mutual understanding, you know?"

Chris stumbled over her words, her hands waving in front of her as if to deflect the question.

"A mutual understanding, huh? That sounds kinda vague, Boss. You're sure there's no way to just talk to Eris? I've got something really important I need to ask her."

Naruto pressed, taking a step closer to her.

"T-talk to Eris? W-why would you want to do that?"

Chris asked and took a step back, her lavender eyes widening.

"It's… personal. Let's just say it's about someone important to me, and I really need to know where they are."

Naruto admitted hesitantly, scratching at his whisker marks. While he still wasn't ready to talk about losing Kurama, he felt a sliver of hope at the thought of the thief having some form of contact with the Goddess of Luck.

After all, she was a devoted follower of the Eris sect, and has retrieved dozens of Divine Relics from corrupt nobles in the past.

She also mentioned something about Aqua being able to seal the relics away, so was it an Arch Priest skill? Did the Eris Church back in Axel have an Arch Priest with that ability?

Chris's heart raced as Naruto stepped even closer, the desperation in his voice making her flustered. She took another step back, this time her back hitting the wall of the alleyway.

"W-why me? I mean, it's not like I can just… summon a goddess out of nowhere!"

"You're the only one I can think of, Boss. You've been helping me with all this divine stuff, and you seem to know more about Eris than most. Please, if there's anything you can do…"

Naruto's expression softened, his voice dropping to a near-plead.

"I-I mean, even if I could, it's not that simple! You can't just waltz up to a goddess and ask for a favor! There are rules, and protocols, and… stuff!"

Chris blurted and averted her gaze, her face heating up further.

"Y-you're right… Sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you, Chris."

Naruto sighed, his shoulders slumping.

Chris bit her lip, guilt gnawing at her. But she cleared her throat, forcing a weak smile.

"Look, Naruto, if I hear anything, you'll be the first to know, okay? Just… hang in there."

Naruto gave her a grateful nod, his usual grin creeping back onto his face, albeit a bit strained. He then clapped his face and took in a deep breath.

"Okay, what do you think about conducting the raid in two days?"

Naruto and Yunyun made their way towards the Adventurer's Guild, each sporting a crepe from a vendor they'd passed by.

"How's our funds looking for the day so far, Yunyun?"

"V-very good! After gathering the payments from the Crystal Carafe, the Opal Hearth, and the Ivory Banquet, our sum is about thirty-million Eris!"

Yunyun replied after confirming the numbers in her notebook.

Assuming they made the same amount from the final two locations, and made the same amount of money tomorrow…

They'd only need to rely on Kazuma to make about one-hundred million Eris with the battle perfume!

"I think… I think we're gonna make it!"

Yunyun's eyes sparkled as she bit into her crepe, and Naruto nodded his head In agreement.

The quest that Megumin and Kiki went on was insurance, just in case either the ramen or perfume didn't make as much as they were anticipating.

"I hope Kiki's okay… I felt a lot of anxiety from her through our Beast Bond earlier. I received my clone's memories, but I haven't had a chance to sort through them yet."

Naruto said and smiled bitterly as they turned a corner. He could now see the Adventurer's Guild at the end of the street.

There was a rather large crowd in front of the building, though… He wondered what that was all about.

"That Megumin better not have caused Kiki trouble! Knowing Megumin, she probably…"

Yunyun's eyes turned owlish when she saw the crowd in front of the guild. More specifically, the dozens of constables that were talking to various adventurers.

"W-w-w-what did Megumin do!?"

The Crimson Demon's outburst caught the attention of a certain police woman, whose stern expression immediately lit up upon seeing the shinobi.

"N-Naruto Uzumaki! Good evening!"

A woman with long black hair wearing a blue constables uniform, quickly bowed before the Hero Candidate. This action was soon followed by the rest of her squad.

"O-oh, hey Sena… You really don't need to greet me like that, ya know?"

Naruto's eye twitched as he waved his hand for them to stand straight. But he wondered what the prosecutor was doing here in the capital.

"First, I would like to congratulate you on your Hero Candidacy. Your hard work is both admirable and awe-inspiring! Thank you very much!"

Sena stated before bending into another formal bow, which her subordinates mirrored soon after.

"Thank you very much!"

"T-thanks… Or rather, what are you guys doing here in the capital? Did Megumin do something?"

Naruto asked in an attempt to get them to stop praising him out in the open like this. They were beginning to draw in a lot of stares and it was embarrassing.

Before Sena could respond, a little red mass poked her head out of the crowd and scowled.

"How rude! I'll have you know that my Explosion magic saved a lot of lives today!"

Megumin barked as she made her way over to them, a very tired Kiki in her arms.

'T-the Crimson Demon speaks the truth, mine master… Although her timing with that spell was abysmal…'

Kiki thought directly into Naruto's mind, and it only took him a moment of shifting through his memories to understand what she was referring to.

Monsters, a strange rift, and a big fiery Explosion…

'T-thank you for looking out for her…'

The Kitsune definitely deserved some grilled fish.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I hate to ask more of you… But would you please step inside with us?"

Sena asked and gestured towards the Adventurer's Guild.

Naruto's fists clenched tightly as Sena spoke, his jaw set in frustration.

"And you're sure it was Luna-chan?"

"The description matches her perfectly. Witnesses claimed she seemed uneasy when exiting the capital's Teleport Shop with some cloaked figures, but wasn't openly resisting. Shortly after, she disappeared."

Sena nodded, tapping the pointer against the board.

"If you know she was here, we should be out there searching, not wasting time!"

Naruto stood up sharply and growled, causing the police woman to wince.

How did this happen? Who was involved, and why were they targeting Luna? He wanted answers, and felt trapped inside this tiny briefing room.

"C-calm down, Naruto… I'm worried too, but Sena-san must have a reason for gathering us here first. Let's hear the rest."

Yunyun said gently, placing a hand on his arm.

Naruto exhaled sharply, but relented and forced himself to take a sick back down.

Sena nervously adjusted her glasses, but retained her professional demeanor despite the tension in the room.

"Shortly after Luna's disappearance, a ransom note was discovered at the guild hall. The note specifically calls for you, Naruto Uzumaki, to deliver one-hundred million Eris in exchange for Luna's safe return."

The room fell silent.

Megumin was the first to break the silence.

"One-hundred million!? That's all of our recent earnings, and why would they even target Naruto!?"

"The note didn't specify why, but his name was written clearly. It's safe to assume that whoever orchestrated this is hoping to gain from your recent activities and influence."

Sena said and turned her gaze to Naruto, her expression unreadable.

Naruto frowned, his mind racing.

"This doesn't make sense... Why would they go after Luna? She's got nothing to do with any of this!"

"As you are an adventurer of Axel, Luna is close to you. It's likely they see her as leverage. If you value her safety, they believe you'll do whatever they demand."

Sena stated bluntly.

"What do we do, Naruto? We're already so pressed for time…"

Yunyun clutched her notebook tightly. All of the spells in her arsenal were useless in a situation like this, and she wasn't a tracker, so she was completely stumped.

Naruto's fists tightened. This had Alderp's name written all over it.

His gut churned at the thought of Luna in danger, all because of him. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions.

But what should they do? Pin the blame on the fat bastard? He couldn't see that going anywhere… Alderp has clearly done stuff like this before, and has likely made sure not to leave any trace of his connection with these kidnappers.

They couldn't abandon Luna, but they couldn't afford to give up that money either…

Taking a deep breath, Naruto's eyes grew resolute.

"We'll find her. We don't need to pay them anything because we're going to track them down first."

"You sound confident, Naruto Uzumaki. But do you have a lead? These kidnappers were careful. The ransom note gave no location or time frame… Just the demand."

Sena inquired, because she knew recklessness without a plan could endanger not only Luna, but everyone involved in the rescue attempt.

Naruto reached into his pocket, brushing his fingers against the Scroll Ball where Kiki was napping.

"I've got my ways."

The Kitsune was resting right now, but as soon as she woke up, there was also something he'd been wanting to try and this situation was the perfect call for it.

"...Understood. We will continue our investigation in the meantime. Know that you have the support of the constables, Naruto Uzumaki. Please let us know if you find anything."

Sena said after some thought, ultimately choosing to believe in the Hero Candidate that had saved so many lives. After all, this was the kind of man who fought to do the right thing, even when it seemed like society was against him.

"What now?"

Megumin asked as they began to make their way to the door.

"Let's head back to the castle and tie off with the others… I got an idea."

Naruto replied, and the Crimson Demons nodded.

"What a mess…"

Kazuma let out a long breath after Naruto finished explaining the situation.

The sun had set, and so the only light source in the room was the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There was a bit of moonlight spilling in from the window, but the sky was still slightly cloudy from the rain the other day.

"...and here I thought we were on the road to success. I'm nearly done perfecting the right mixture with Jerry's mucus, and Rain has been spreading rumors amongst the nobles she's been in touch with about a hot new fragrance hitting the market tomorrow. She said there was a lot of interest."

While that was good news, it didn't do much to lift the somber atmosphere of the room.

"We're counting on you, Kazuma. However much you make with that perfume will be the deciding factor, so just keep focussing on that."

Naruto said and gave his friend a thumbs up.

Kazuma blinked, taken aback as the words hit him harder than he'd expected.

"H-heh… Well, obviously. Who do you think I am? I'll handle the perfume, so you just focus on the whole 'hero' thing."

His dismissive tone earned him a knowing glance from Megumin, her crimson eyes glinting with amusement. Kazuma grumbled under his breath, doing his best to ignore her.

Yunyun opened her mouth to ask Naruto what his plan was-

BAM!

The door burst open with an impressive amount of force, nearly flying off its hinges.

"Finally, you're back!"

Aqua strode into the room triumphantly, holding a neatly wrapped package in both hands.

"Aqua… Really?"

Kazuma groaned, rubbing his temples. Of course she chose to join them now.

Although he supposed it was sort of his fault the goddess had locked herself up in her room earlier.

Ignoring him, the goddess made a beeline for Naruto, shoving the box into his arms.

"Here! A present for you! You better appreciate it, since I put a ton of effort into this."

"A present…? Aqua, this isn't a prank, is it?"

Naruto blinked in surprise, staring down at the package incredulously.

"How rude! This is a gift straight from the benevolent and gracious Aqua-sama! Now hurry up and open it!"

The Arch Priest ushered the boy to do as she said.

Everyone gathered around, curious as to what the girl had been working on all this time in secrecy.

Naruto, still a little wary, peeled away the wrapping paper. As the fabric inside was revealed, his eyes widened.

It was a cloak, a near-exact replica of the Sage Cloak that the toads of Mount Myōboku had gifted him. The only difference was that this one was dyed a deep, vibrant orange, the same shade as Kurama's fur.

Naruto's hands trembled slightly as he lifted it, his breath catching in his throat.

"Took forever to get the color just right. Had to argue with the servants to bring me the right materials, and they all kept bringing me the wrong stuff. But look! It's perfect!"

Aqua crossed her arms, nodding proudly.

"...How do you even know about this?"

Naruto swallowed, and Aqua puffed out her chest confidently.

"Oh, that? I modeled it after this great hero I used to cheer on in the Elemental Nations. He was really cool fighting that weirdo with the piercings, you know? So you should be honored to receive this Divine Treasure from the great me!"

"Eh? You were watching over me?"

"...Eh?"

Naruto and Aqua both blinked, sharing a look of surprise.

"Y-you mean…?"

Aqua's voice became meek, her face turning beet red as realization dawned on her. A former ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village who had reincarnated to this world with the demon fox… He was that same hero!?

Naruto's head lowered, a mixture of emotions welding up within him.

Aqua had been cheering him on that whole time? For how long? It made him embarrassed to high hell. Just what had she seen him do?

But at the same time, she'd been cheering for him… Even before they met, Aqua had been supporting him in her own way.

'I guess it makes sense… Aqua had been the one to reincarnate Ero-senin.'

Naruto thought, and he found himself smiling.

"This is amazing, ya know…"

"O-of course! But listen, that smelly fox of yours was a huge jerk, and I'm glad he's gone!"

The goddess stuttered while waving a hand dismissively, and the room went dead silent.

Naruto's head snapped up, his body tensing. But before he could say anything, Aqua continued.

"I can't wait to find him again so we can kick his butt for leaving! He made you sad, and that's absolutely not allowed! I won't stand for it!"

Aqua finished with a firm nod, although her cheeks were still red.

Naruto's breath hitched, his vision blurring as he gripped the cloak.

"…Thank you."

"Huh?"

Aqua blinked, tilting her head.

"Thank you, Aqua…"

Naruto repeated, his voice quivering.

Then, to the shock of everyone in the room, the shinobi's shoulders began to shake. He hunched over slightly, gripping the fabric in his hands as silent tears dripped onto the cloth.

Aqua's eyes widened. Then, in a gentle motion, she reached out and placed a hand on the boy's head.

"There, there…"

She murmured, patting his hair softly, like a mother soothing a crying child.

The room remained silent, the weight of the moment sinking into everyone present.

Kazuma, Megumin, and Yunyun exchanged glances, none of them quite sure what to say. Seeing Aqua of all people being so sincere was almost surreal.

Naruto didn't say anything else. He just let himself cry, clutching the cloak as if it were a lifeline.

For once, Aqua didn't gloat, didn't make a spectacle of herself. She just stayed by his side, quietly patting his head as he let his emotions spill over.

When he finally recollected himself, Naruto took a deep breath and flipped the cloak over his back. The black flames at the trims seemed to dance as it settled.

"You guys should help Kazuma with whatever he needs."

"W-what's your plan?"

Yunyun asked, and the shinobi's response was to release Kiki from her Scroll Ball.

"You all rested up, Kiki?"

'Yes, mine master!'

The Kitsune confirmed with a nod, and she jumped on the boy's shoulders.

"Synchronize!"

Beast Bond flaring, Naruto and Kiki's souls intertwined, which resulted in the ninja's blue eyes turning gold. But the change didn't stop there as Naruto's eyes gained the familiar orange pigmentation, and his irises became crosses as the signs of Sage Mode took place.

But to everyone's surprise, Kiki's eyes shifted as well to match her master's appearance.

"Is Kiki… Using Sage Mode!?"

Yunyun balked, and the toad sage grinned.

"Synchronize allows me to use Kiki's magic, but we recently found out that she can also use my skills."

Sage Mode greatly enhanced his senses, but just how good would their searching abilities be when combined with Kiki's Telepathy?

Already, Naruto was picking up on the voices of everyone inside the castle which was well outside their usual radius.

Was Sage Mode increasing their range?

'It seems so, mine master. We will have to stay focused so as not to get lost in the extra noise.'

Kiki warned, and Naruto nodded in agreement when a certain voice entered his mind.

'Naruto-nii and onii-sama have been super busy… They really must be getting bored here…'

Iris?

A twinge of guilt struck the shinobi. She'd asked if they could play tonight when he returned to the castle, but he told her he and Kazuma's party had a lot of business to take care of. It seemed Kazuma had been too busy working on the perfume to play with her today too.

After all, there was only one day left for the bet, and he had a guild receptionist to save.

He would make it up to the princess.

"We'll be back!"

Naruto declared and opened the window, but not before looking at his fellow Adventurer.

'I ran into Chris earlier. The heist is the night after tomorrow.'

'O-oh, gotcha.'

Kazuma nodded his head, and the shinobi leapt out into the night.

The group stood there in stunned silence as they digested what had just happened.

. . .

"…Hey, what's Naruto doing going out so late?"

Aqua tilted her head, watching as Naruto slipped out of the room, his new cloak draped over his shoulders.

Kazuma sighed and dragged a hand down his face. That girl really didn't know how to read the mood.

His gaze landed on the bag sitting beside him, the very same bag that contained both the Divine Relic and the Scroll Ball holding Alderp's contracted demon.

His fingers tapped idly against the wooden desk as his mind worked through the tangled web of schemes they had gotten themselves into.

A bet with a corrupt noble for one-billion Eris, a heist to steal a Divine Relic from the royal family, and a kidnapping that had thrown a wrench into their plans.

It was a complete mess.

But as Kazuma stared at the bag, a slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Maybe… they had everything they needed to bring Alderp's corruption to light.

A/N: Lots of stuff in this chapter, and lots to happen in the next one!

As always, review and let me know what you all thought!

On a side note, issue two of the Naruto x TMNT crossover comic was released. It was pretty good, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the rest goes.

Spirit out!