Another chapter that fought me. Forgive me for any lapses, and I hope you all enjoy this.
With regards to Rei (and all characters actually), I actually do have a plan (for a certain definition of the word). I just hope I can pull off what I have in mind properly. If it fails, well, at least this is a good place to learn.
PS: To everyone who has taken the time to leave a review on this story, thank you so much. Your kind words make me happy. I hope you all keep enjoying what I write.
Madam sends her regards.
Of course she made it about her…
Hearing the argument outside, Saya could not help but sigh to herself. She could hear the edge in Rei's voice, irrespective of whatever she claimed she was actually on about.
It's so stupid. How can she think that Batman's reaction to Superman is the way to go here? Especially when she's not Batman?!
It was enough to make her want to tear her hair out.
Saeko had simply snorted before stretching out and simply going to bed.
She envied that ability, to simply close one's eyes and fall asleep. She was stuck awake, the events of the evening turning around in her head. Overhead, moonlight streamed into their room through the blinds, forming twisting shadows on the far wall. The fractures in their group were never more apparent.
The adults leave us for an evening, and we are ready to tear each other apart.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Saeko moved. She turned her head to see the girl repositioning in her sleep, a shapely leg sticking out of her blankets.
Well, not all of us at least.
She wished she could address Rei's concerns. If only she could put a finger on what exactly they were. Because she barely understood—not really.
What was the point of all that?
She'd be lying if she said she knew.
Yes Naruto was incomprehensibly more powerful than they could even understand, much less articulate. But so what? Was he really worse than a particularly motivated civil servant intent on ruining your life? Yet civil servants like that were a dime a dozen.
We still called it a 'society', didn't we? Even when the worst of us held the reins.
As much as she might wish it, Rei was not stupid.
At least I don't think she is. She might not be as smart as I am, but which normal person is?
Rei had to know all this.
Despite that…
She breathed a quiet sigh.
I guess there really is no accounting for pride and ambition, no matter how she cloaks it.
She snuggled into the blankets more, trying to keep the cold at bay.
Rei's tantrums were painful to listen to. If they weren't going to affect her too, she'd have simply washed her hands off the whole mess.
Because that is what all this is tantamount to—tantrums.
Rei wasn't the smartest—that was her, obviously.
Wasn't the strongest—that crown sat on Saeko's calm head.
Wasn't the hottest—God help her if she tried competing with Shizuka's weaponized curves.
And as for wisdom… Hiroshi put her to shame just by breathing.
So yes, Saya thought. This is simply a tantrum. Possibly fuelled by seeing Naruto today—a saviour in the freshness of morning, a bulwark in the scorching afternoon, and a killer in the cool of the evening.
Her mind could not help but flash back to the evening when Naruto did… something.
She tried not to think about it—she really did.
But how do you forget something like that?
There was no denying it. Even if she hallucinated the nearly sixty people crumbling to putty outside their bus, she did not hallucinate what she felt—the evening sun twisting, its rays bringing shadow tinged with the red of blood; her heart stuttering even as she stilled, as though hoping to escape the notice of whatever stood outside wearing the shape of a man. In that moment, her world narrowed down to just one thing.
She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head to try and clear it of the memories.
Sleep came within the reach of her fingertips.
The shapeless things from before rushed up from behind her closed lids, threatening to overwhelm her.
She opened her eyes immediately. Stars danced just at the edge of her sight.
The sleep was snatched away, leaving her spent.
The blinking green LED of the hanging clock caught her wandering gaze.
Half past 10… Tomorrow is going to be busy.
She tossed and turned, eyes dry and heavy as her body simply refused to rest.
The chill in the air nipped at her nose as she stormed out of the house, her heart pounding. Her fingers tingled with excess energy as she tried to calm down.
'Tried' was the functional word.
She cut across the manicured lawn, and out of the compound, ignoring the path once she left it. She had no intention of being exposed by the lights illuminating the path just yet.
As she stormed away, she fumed to herself.
How can't they see it?
To her it was as plain as day. Naruto was extremely dangerous—not just to others, but to them as well.
Why was she the only one clear sighted enough to see that?
"Fuck!" she gasped, pain lancing up her leg. A hidden sprinkler head glinted mockingly in the grass. She gritted her teeth, limping forward, pride burning hotter than her toe. She had no destination in mind, but the urge to get away flogged her forward.
The grass tickled her toes through her flip flops, the damp of the grass wetting her toes and making them squelch uncomfortably. It took her back to her mother's garden—the smell of rich earth filling her nostrils with painful nostalgia, and the constant cacophony of cicadas forming a backdrop for her frenzied thoughts.
Almost against her will, she began to calm down.
She could see the next compound some distance away, the blocks of flats towering into the black night. The rays from the moon cast large shadows across them that were broken up by light from the street lamps.
Her father's voice echoed in her head. 'Don't rush ahead sweetheart. Calm down and move deliberately.'
She moved towards one of the many benches in the estate. It was set between a pair of pine trees, their branches overlapping and forming a cozy alcove. A mild breeze blew, carrying with it the rich, heady scent of wet, fertile earth.
She sank down into the bench. It creaked beneath her as she relaxed, letting her head roll back as she looked up at the moon through the canopy above her. As her heart calmed down, the feeling of helplessness crept in, smothering her. Her fingertips tingled—this time in fear—as she considered the enormity of the task that lay before her.
A task she could not look away from, no matter what.
'You don't have to do this.'
The thought crept in, insidious and enticing. She grit her teeth and recalled the horror of just a few hours ago. Naruto—somehow crippling, then executing those men. Naruto—as judge, jury, and executioner.
The signs were there all along—his authoritarianism masked as aloofness, his brutal exclusionary thinking disguised as pragmatism.
He's certainly powerful enough. Why doesn't he save everyone?
She clenched her hands around a fistful of her pants.
No. Instead he plays god with the lives of people. For now, he's limited himself to others. But for how long?
It was frustrating.
If I was that strong…
She shook her head—there was no point obsessing over fantasies. She smoothed out the creases where she gripped her pants.
What she needed was a plan.
'You could ask Naruto, you know?'
Even considering it brought a sharp feeling of discomfort in her chest. There was no way she would go back grovelling to him for what he should have asked them about in the first place.
No. She would just have to do it herself.
'And how will you fare when you face something like that abomination when you're alone?'
The cold crept into her bones at the thought.
Leaves crunched behind her and she turned sharply, her heart in her throat as she began to bolt from the bench.
"Relax,"
Talk of the devil…
A shadow resolved into Naruto, his face framed by the overhead light in brutal relief. She sat back down, pushing down her rising irritation.
"What do you want?" she huffed.
He snorted. "I should ask you the same," he replied. "It's nearly midnight. What're you doing out?"
He leaned against one of the pine trees.
"Just taking a walk," she said. There was no way she would bring up what happened to him.
"Fair enough," he replied. "We might be safe here, but don't start forming bad habits now." He pushed away from the tree and continued on towards his house. "We'll be having a meeting tomorrow," he called to her. "So don't stay up too late, Rei."
She said nothing, and he walked on, fading into the darkness.
She'd attend the meeting, but her mind was made up.
She had to start looking for a way out.
No matter what.
The brightening sky slowly burst into the room, drawing Kyoko from her forgotten dreams. She felt the mild heat of the early morning sun on her face—a soothing feeling, but presently inconvenient.
A quiet moan escaped her throat as she turned away from the window, trying to bury her face in the blankets.
She could already tell it was useless.
Her head throbbed, a dull pain that just sat beneath her threshold of tolerance. There was no point trying to sleep any longer.
She opened her eyes, before immediately squinting and turning away. The room was awash in dancing rays of cheerful gold.
It was nearly vulgar, given that all she wanted was to sleep some more.
By her side, Shizuka was sprawled out and tangled up in her bedding. The blonde had found a night cap from somewhere, and her hair was tucked into it. Her sleeping shirt—a large thing that came nearly to her knees—was bunched up beneath her breasts, leaving her stomach open to the world.
Kyoko brought her hand to her forehead in tired annoyance.
Here we go. Again.
She closed her eyes as she took a moment, hoping to just be.
It was not to be.
She snorted at the irony even as she swung her feet off the bed. She remained there for a moment, head in her hands as she tried to motivate herself to get moving.
The chill of the air conditioning seeped into her, providing a satisfying contrast to the sunlight's lingering warmth.
All she wanted to do was laze about all day.
When she came out, Shizuka was already up. "Good morning, Kyoko," she greeted.
Her morning cheer was as annoying as it was infectious. It was difficult to remain bleary when faced with that dazzling smile. "Good morning, Shizuka," she replied. "Did you sleep well?"
"Like a baby," replied Shizuka. She rolled off the bed and stood, stretching. "I'm starving! We had a late night yesterday."
Kyoko hummed in reply. It was still too early for her to have any breakfast, but she wouldn't mind coffee.
The blonde woman pranced into the bathroom. The showers began to run a few minutes later.
Kyoko busied herself with rifling through the wardrobe, trying to put an outfit together. Naruto had domestic staff, and they'd come back to their rooms to find their boxes already unpacked and put away.
Extremely convenient, as far as she was concerned. If she had to unpack on top of all that yesterday—or rather, early this morning, which was when they got back—she'd have killed someone.
Likely herself.
The fruits of their raid on the supermarkets yesterday morning lay out before her. Instead of being limited to school jumpers and uniforms, she had a more sensible selection to choose from.
No makeup though. It hadn't occurred to her yesterday morning, unfortunately.
A bookcase dominated the wall on the other side of the room. Numerous books lined the shelves, their somewhat haphazard arrangement giving the room a sort of lived-in feeling.
An intercom phone sat on the small bedside cupboard, its light blinking.
Didn't notice that when we came in…
She moved closer to the table. A short list of intercom numbers was pasted on the wall just beside the cupboard.
The shower stopped running, and Shizuka stepped out, looking like a vision from eros. "There's hot water," she said, walking barefoot towards the dresser. Her feet sank into the rug that covered the floor, drawing Kyoko's attention to it for the first time too.
Somehow, she'd been walking on it all morning without even noticing.
She ignored the familiar stab of jealousy from seeing Shizuka, disrobing as she made her way to the bathroom.
Now that she was really awake, she could admire the bathroom better. The room held the faint, humid feel of a freshly used bathroom. The floor tiles were warm, soothing her bare feet. The quiet hum of an extractor filled in the background. The air was suffused with hints of lavender and citrus that Naruto used in his bathroom. The scent took her back to the time they dated, even though he'd had another flat in the city that he used as his house to those not in the know.
As she apparently was all those times.
Even the soap was the same—a generic scentless soap that she recognised only by the packaging.
She took a deep breath and smacked her cheeks lightly.
Now was not the time to get lost in memories of a ship that had sailed, crashed, and burned.
She began to fill the tub with water, sitting on its edge with her fingers trailing in the water.
'Has it really though?'
The rebellious thought wriggled itself into her head from… somewhere. She didn't dismiss it immediately, allowing herself to indulge in the fantasy of Naruto and herself. The edge of the tub dug into her thighs, the pain a dull similitude of the familiar strain in her thighs from the past where Naruto bent her into…
She yanked herself away from that pit.
Pathetic.
Worse than pathetic.
There was nothing there for her at the bottom of it.
As she sat in the tub, surrounded by warmth and wetness and the slick softness of soap, she took deep breaths, slowly rebuilding the walls that had kept her sane so far. So what if Naruto was suddenly more everything that had once attracted her to him? So what if it made sense in some form of caveman practicality?
She would never set herself up for a situation where she'd be competing for any man with another woman, much less a literal highschooler.
She still had her pride. She still had her spite.
Those two would be enough to keep her going.
She came out of the bathroom… not exactly lighter, but certainly calmer and more focused. The room was empty—she guessed that Shizuka stepped out. Throwing on her clothes, and wrangling her hair into a tight, practical bun, she stepped out of the room.
The door opened into a central room that served as a sort of living room/dining hybrid. A pair of tables sat to one side of the central room, each surrounded by half a dozen chairs. A sunroof allowed light to pour into the room, washing it in the gold and soft glow of the morning sun. Despite the brightness, the room remained pleasantly chill.
It was, quite simply, breathtaking.
The entire group was outside, either seated at one of the tables, or else sprawled out on the long couches that occupied the opposite end of the room. A sort of bar stood in a corner, three women in snazzy uniforms standing behind it and talking with the man of the hour in low, inaudible tones.
Her traitorous heart did a little flip when she set her eyes on him.
He cleaned up really well. The rest of the room temporarily faded away as she took him in—snug cargo pants and a shirt that showed off his build subtly. His hair seemed to catch alight in the sunlight. He turned slightly as she closed the door, momentarily freezing her with his gaze before returning his attention to his conversation.
She tore her eyes away from him to the others. Shizuka sat on one of the couches, with Saeko, Miku and Saya seated in such a way as to impress on any outsider the image of a queen and her handmaidens even as the three spoke quietly. She doubted any of the girls noticed—it was just something Shizuka did without effort. Hiroshi took another, beside Kohta and Takashi. The three of them had their heads around a notebook—Kohta's apparently—and were talking in low but animated tones.
Rei sat at a table, nursing a cup of what smelled like coffee.
She moved to the table, noting that one of the three Naruto was speaking with peeled away and was headed in her direction.
"Coffee or tea, madam?" the woman asked, her voice a pleasantly throaty alto. Her black hair was in a loose ponytail, the bottom peeking out from under her scarf.
"Coffee," Kyoko replied.
"And another for me," replied Rei.
"Dash of whiskey?" asked the woman, a slight, knowing smile drew Kyoko's attention to her full lips.
"No." "Yeah."
Kyoko looked at Rei, who didn't bother to lift her head to defend her choice. Kyoko might have complained, but the woman had already taken off.
She eyed Rei out of the corner of her eyes.
All she got for her troubles was silence.
Kyoko shrugged mentally. Rei was a big girl now. She didn't need little old her to come moralising to her about things that made no difference any longer.
With the world we live in now, she might be dead tomorrow.
There was no way some whiskey would hurt the girl enough to really matter.
Miku watched Naruto out of the corner of her eyes as he walked towards the centre of the room.
She still did not know what to make of him.
He cleaned up very well. He looked exactly like the type she'd give a second look.
And a third.
And slip her number.
The fact that he was filthy rich and hyper lethal just made him absolutely irresistible.
Her eyes flicked towards Saeko. The woman was paying complete attention to Shizuka, only breaking to note Naruto beginning to move.
She was all that stood between Miku and her long-term security.
Miku shifted slightly in her seat, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear—an old reflex, half-flirt, half-shield—just as Naruto's voice rolled across the room.
"Let's come together guys," he said out loud.
He says 'guys', but it's really just Rei, she thought. The rest of the group was already seated on the couches. All that happened was a quick rearrangement, with Takashi leaving the rug where he was seated originally to take a seat. Kyoko took a seat beside Hiroshi, and Rei sat close to Takashi.
"Allow me to officially welcome you to my humble home," he began, a hint of humor in his tone.
Everyone chuckled.
"My parents are actually stupidly rich, and I don't think our house can hold a candle to the entire estate," remarked Kohta with a laugh.
Naruto snorted at that.
"If you call this humble, I'd hate to hear what you'd call my house," Shizuka quipped.
"I'm sure that your presence uplifts wherever you stay," Naruto replied. He gestured to the three women behind him, and they came to stand beside him. "These are the three most important women in this house," he continued. He placed his hand on one of them. She was the one who'd served Rei and Kyoko something to drink—coffee, from the scent. "This is Hana Saito. She's the de facto head of kitchens, so I wouldn't piss her off."
The woman nodded, her ponytail bobbing behind her. "Hello, esteemed guests. I am Hana, and I hope we'll get along well."
Everyone murmured some form of greeting back. Hiroshi stood and addressed her on their behalf, giving a slight bow in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Hana. We'll be in your care."
Naruto nodded as he stepped away from her. He moved to the next person—a young, serious looking girl, probably in her early twenties. She had brown hair, wrapped into a sort of messy bun. Her dark eyes gave her a sort of mature look, and she was a dead ringer for the third, and as of yet, unnamed woman.
Naruto placed his hand on her shoulder. Miku narrowed her eyes at the girl visibly perking up. "This is Alice," he said. "You can meet her for anything as regards your rooms." Leaning towards her, he smiled as he gestured towards them with his chin. "Go on, Alice. Introduce yourself."
The girl—Alice—stepped forward with a smile. Her smile was infectious, and Miku found herself returning it. "Hello everyone," she said. "My name is Alice. Feel free to approach me any time!"
Hiroshi responded on their behalf, his head dipping in a nod, and a warm smile on his face as well. "We'll be in your care, Alice."
Naruto patted her shoulder before he moved on to the third person. "And this is the Steward of the Manor, Rita Ishikawa."
The woman's face was matronly, yet her dark eyes held more than a hint of steel behind them.
Naruto's gaze sharpened for a moment, and Miku felt a chill run down her spine.
"However, be advised," he said, his tone cold. "If she has a problem with you, I have a problem with you."
The woman stepped up with a smile that barely reached her eyes. "None of that now, Mr Uzumaki," she said to him, patting his hand on her shoulder fondly. She turned to face them, her gaze weighing.
Miku had the distinct feeling that the woman was not impressed by them.
"I am Rita Ishikawa," she began, "the Steward of this manor." She smiled as she continued. "You are Mr Uzumaki's guests here, and so are welcome." The smile sharpened. "However, I hold Mr Uzumaki's interests as paramount. Yours are only important to me in so far as they are useful to his."
She turned away from them, and to the others behind her. "Let's get some refreshments for the upcoming meeting," she said.
But Miku could hear the force of easy command behind it.
What a formidable woman!
Miku had the unpleasant experience of being impressed by someone who made you uncomfortable.
The others Rita was speaking to hurried out of the room as Naruto lifted two chairs from the table area, bringing them over to where they were seated.
"My house is open to you all," he began without preamble, as he took one of the chairs. "I'm sure you have plans for locating your families, if possible."
Rita sat by his side, back straight. Miku had the uncomfortable impression that her steely gaze was fixed on her.
"That would be ideal," replied Hiroshi. By some unspoken agreement, the rest of the group allowed him to speak for them. "We know there are a lot of logistical considerations before that would be possible."
Naruto shrugged. "Maybe," he replied. "With the world the way it is, I can use my chakra more freely now. Who'd be carefully examining a gift horse, after all?" he asked.
There it was—the thing she was trying very hard to put out of her mind.
Miku didn't know if she was fortunate to have blacked out. One moment Naruto was facing the rushing mob, and the next, Saya was none to gently slapping her awake. All she had after trying to jog her memories was a vague but overwhelming feeling of horrified terror.
No one was willing to talk about what happened. But from Rei's rant last night, she got the gist.
Naruto had killed the mob—likely in some horrible way, and definitely with that 'chakra' of his.
Meanwhile, Rita looked up at him in mild inquiry when he mentioned his chakra.
"Don't worry," he turned towards her slightly as he replied to her unspoken question. "They're aware to some degree."
To some degree, thought Miku. So there's more than what he's told us.
She looked at Rita more carefully. Naruto clearly trusted her a great deal more than he trusted them right now.
Values her more too, she thought, nibbling her lip as she thought.
Naruto picked up from where he paused, but Miku barely paid him any attention. She leaned back into the cushy couch, letting Naruto's words wash over her. He looked good talking about boring things—dangerous, detached, a little too relaxed. Her gaze flicked around the room. Shizuka smiled easily; Rei sat stiffly, like a bow drawn too tight.
Her mind wandered back to Rita.
She was willing to bet that Naruto was not romantically involved with her. While the woman was attractive enough for it to be a factor, the two of them together didn't give off that vibe. She was likely a very dear friend—maybe a slight maternal figure.
Her eyes met Rita's eyes briefly. Just for an instant, before she tore hers away.
She had a feeling she'd hit the nail on the head with the maternal angle.
It was all she could do to keep from shuddering. A mother bear was extremely dangerous. Maternal, yes—but still extremely dangerous.
If she wanted space to thrive here, she'd have to play to Rita's instincts, not challenge them.
Rei's voice drew her attention to the meeting again. It was cold. Barely cordial, in fact. "Is it not enough to be doing the right thing? Must you always present everything in relation to cost?" she asked.
It made Rita sit up, her face smooth, but somehow giving off the air of a wolf with ears laid back.
Miku scrambled to alertness, searching her memory of the last few minutes to find out what happened.
It was in vain. She was too deeply in her own head, and she remembered nothing.
Or at least nothing that would explain the rapidly chilling atmosphere.
"Rei," Hiroshi cautioned, his voice firm. "There is no reason to be rude."
"How was I being rude?" Rei asked, flipping right to the other extreme as she faced Hiroshi hotly. "I just said the right, moral thing to do. Naruto has the power and the means to save people, yet he'd rather extract his price from them."
Really?, thought Miku with a frown. This bullshit again?
She turned to glare at Rei. She didn't even need to do it mostly to posture for Rita—she was genuinely annoyed with the brat.
Shizuka snorted. Loudly.
"Really girl?" she asked. "Is that why your panties were in a twist and you sat at the table brooding? You're a little young to pull that off, you know?"
"I was not brooding," Rei spat out.
"Quiet, all of you," said Rika, eyes hard. "This meeting will not devolve into a quarrel."
The unspoken 'or else' hung in the air.
Miku imagined that the gulp from everyone in the room was nearly audible.
Naruto smiled in thanks at Rita, who simply huffed and relaxed back into what seemed to be her default posture—straight backed and composed.
Naruto turned back to the group, watching them with mild amusement.
It's so hard to take them seriously—especially the kids.
The girl is a bundle of repressed emotions, remarked Kurama. Kids, he scoffed.
Naruto smiled a bit at the fond exasperation he felt from Kurama at that last word.
She's just frustrated, he replied. Having such a big stick up the ass must be uncomfortable.
Kurama merely scoffed again.
"I can understand your frustration," he began.
Rei was the most obvious, but in truth, they were all feeling a bit jittery. Before now, the sheer responsibility of staying alive kept their minds busy. But with time to relax and sleep, the buried worries were surfacing again.
"Let me ease some of your worries." Shifting his attention to Saya, he continued, his face stretching in a small smile. "Saya, somehow, your father got wind of what was going on before things went completely to hell. He has his estate fortified, and a lot of his men made it to him in the early days of the madness."
"So he's safe? Mama and Papa are safe?" asked Saya, her voice a small fragile thing.
Watching her, his smile widened a touch as he nodded. "They are. As a matter of fact," he held out his hand to Rika. She placed a letter in his hand, and he handed it to her. "I was going to give you this in private, but it seems appropriate now."
She reached out gingerly, as though the letter would burst into mist. His smile turned a bit melancholy.
How sweet…
Yeah… Sometimes, I forget that these people are just barely becoming adults.
They do not have the time for stumbling, Kurama said, his attention sharpening as he actively focused on the group before Naruto. The cub does well to control herself, but she is just one among others.
They aren't so bad, he insisted fondly. Surely you like Saeko?
Maybe, acknowledged Kurama. But that is because she is interested in the very important task of restarting a clan for me. It's the reason I like the doctor as well.
I'm not pulling a Cultural restoration here, Kurama. What's the hurry? I want to settle with one woman, and build with her. With the amount of your chakra that will be entering her, she'll be functionally immortal.
That is your business to decide. However, now that you mention it, you need to find a way to expose them to bits of my chakra. We're assuming we can still share chakra like before. But remember, we were also assuming you'd have your clone technique.
Well shit…
"Then, I guess that my father is with Mr Takagi?" asked Saeko, drawing him from his conversation with Kurama. He mentally shelved the chakra problem for later. Saya was lost in her own world, cradling the letter in her hands and looking very much like she was fighting not to cry.
"Yeah," he replied simply.
Saeko just nodded. It seemed like tension left her, evident only because it was now gone.
With his attention fully on the outside for now, he continued. "For the rest of you, if your family is in Tokonosu, they can only be in one of a few places. Some of those are good—this estate, Takagi's holdings, and one of the three JSDF camps in the city. Others are not so good."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Shizuka. She had a small smile on her face.
As a matter of fact, I think she's had that smile since after the ramp yesterday morning.
"Not all influential people in the city are like Takagi," was all Naruto said in response.
Shizuka nodded in understanding.
He continued. "We'll need to coordinate with…"
"Hold on, Naruto," interrupted Kyoko, a small frown on her face. "What did you mean by bad places?"
He raised an eyebrow at the interruption, but replied either way. "With the breakdown of society, people have organised around people with influence and resources. Some are like Takagi—honourable, resourceful, and intelligent. Others are merely resourceful and intelligent."
Kyoko's eyes lit up in understanding. "Oh," she said.
"And how many places are like that?" asked Hiroshi.
"That we know of? At least six—the most worrisome of which is Senator Koichi's faction." replied Naruto. He looked around for any other questions before continuing. "In any case, nearly all the factions are in contact with one another. We will send out the names and descriptions of your families, and wait for their response."
He turned to face Rei. "Does this allay your concerns?"
The girl scoffed mildly. "And what 'price' would you require for this bare minimum?" she asked harshly
He raised his hand to stop the complaint he saw in the eyes of the rest of the group
She might just be frustrated, but you need to keep an eye on her.
I know. She just seems like a sticky situation waiting to happen. I need to handle this now.
Outwardly, he just chuckled. "Nothing that is not my due, I assure you," he replied. She would have been more suspicious if he told her nothing. "I expect your loyalty, is all."
"Loyalty?" she asked, saccharine in her voice. "I thought we were all just friends."
This time, Naruto threw his head back and laughed. When he focused on her again, her eyes were hot with anger at his perceived mockery. He started speaking before she could respond, feeling the eyes of everyone on him as he spoke. "We are obviously not friends," he said. "You wouldn't talk to your friend in the manner you've been going on in after all."
She spluttered, her cheeks catching fire as he called her out directly.
"No," he continued. "We will be Lord and Retainer. This is my land. These are my resources. It will be the blood and sweat of my people that keeps this place safe and running." He leaned into his chair. "I will settle for nothing less."
"So, the mask slips," she sneered. "What makes you any kind of lord over us all? Japan is a democracy, last I checked."
"Japan, as you know it, is dead," he replied.
The rest of the group stood as outsiders, watching the confrontation between Rei and himself. Yet, he could tell that they were hanging on to his words.
"It is only good fortune that some people have places like this. Imagine, if you will, how the PRC would be faring right about now. There is nothing like the sort of freedom we have in this prefecture."
He glanced around, meeting the eyes of every other person. Saeko's were awash with affection, Kohta and Takashi with admiration, Hiroshi and Saya with determination, Kyoko with resignation, and Miku and Shizuka with varying shades of ambition and desire.
"This is a play for the highest stakes—our very survival as humanity. If you continue to hold on meaninglessly to the trapping of the past, well, the fly that sticks with the corpse will get buried with it."
"And who will watch you?" Rei retorted. "Who can keep you accountable? Your personal power is monstrous. Your resources are vast. What is to stop you from becoming a tyrant?"
Before he could reply though, Saeko did. "No one."
The rest of the group turned to look at her. However, Saeko herself had eyes for only him, a smile on her face. "He is not a child that you watch. You just have to trust him—his ambition, his pride, his power."
Rei's mouth opened—and closed. Her fists clenched in her lap, words burning in her chest, but refusing to come.
He smiled at her, and her smile widened in return. "And in exchange, we get the ability to influence him—not backed by any external power, but resting solely on the force of our relationship."