Chapter 21: A Timid Mage for this Shinobi's Party

Naruto, Arue, and Yunyun were standing in front a small building in the middle of the village.

'A divination shop, huh? Sounds kind of creepy...'

Naruto thought and scratched at his whisker marks nervously. Fortune telling was the same thing as someone telling you what your fate was, and fate was something Naruto had long since forsaken.

"Then, shall we?"

Yunyun, who seemed awfully fired up, said and walked into the shop. If her fortune with Naruto turned out positive, then it would increase the odds of her joining his party!

Arue wordlessly followed her fellow mage into the shop, and eventually Naruto followed suit.

Inside the small building was a dimly lit room with large desk sitting in the back. Along the walls of the room were shelves that held what looked to be a variety of magical items. It all sort of reminded Naruto of Wiz's magic tool shop, which made him wonder how the shopkeeper was holding up.

'I hope Wiz is doing alright... Kazuma is making sure she's eating, but I just hope she doesn't snap from not getting any ramen.'

Naruto thought when the door behind him suddenly snapped closed all by itself.

"!"

"You have done well to make this far."

Turning to the source of the voice, Naruto saw a hooded figure sitting at the desk. Was that person always there?

The person took off their hood to reveal long flowing black hair and the same deep crimson eyes as all the other Crimson Demons. Her striking features were soft, yet sharp and her gaze seemed to pierce right through Naruto. Yet at the same time, her eyes showed a hint of interest.

"You're the fortune teller?"

Naruto asked the obvious question, and the beautiful girl nodded.

"That is correct. I am Soketto, the Crimson Magi Clan's number one fortune teller! I am confident to say that my divinations are almost always accurate. So tell me, what brings you to my shop?"

Soketto asked while eyeing the three people standing in front of her desk.

Before Naruto or Yunyun had the chance to say anything, Arue pushed the two of them forward.

"I would like for you to do a compatibility test for these two please."

"!?"

As Arue stated their business, Yunyun's face flushed red and she quickly pulled Arue to a corner of the room.

"C-c-c-compatibility-!? I-isn't that something that c-c-couples do!?"

Yunyun stammered while keeping her voice low enough for only Arue to hear.

"What is Yunyun talking about? I believe I said this before, but I want to see if your meeting with Naruto was a fateful encounter. This compatibility test will tell us whether the two of you would be compatible as party members."

"I-is that so...?"

Yunyun looked back at Naruto and Soketto, who were waiting for them patiently, and poked her fingers together nervously. Was she perhaps looking into this test a little a too far?

"S-sorry about that..."

"Don't worry about it. This is just a test to see if we would make good friends, right?"

Naruto said and gave the girl a thumbs up.

"F-friends...!? Naruto-San and I?"

"Ahem! Now then, if you two would sit in these chairs."

Soketto said and gestured to the pair of chairs in front of her desk, to which Naruto and Yunyun sat down.

Arue stayed in the corner of the room, her notebook and pen at the ready for the results of the test.

Soketto pulled out a crystal ball and reached towards Naruto and Yunyun.

"I will begin the divination..."

Yunyun grasped her cloak tightly, her heart was pounding in anticipation. This test was the last chance she had at joining Naruto's party.

'Please work...!'

The crystal ball in Soketto's hand glowed brightly, before it died down and reverted to normal.

"...Oh! My readings tell me that your compatibility percentage is ninety-five percent! That is quite a high number."

Yunyun's eyes widened and she turned to Naruto. Did that mean-!?

"Hey, that's great Yunyun! This means we'll make great friends!"

"R-right! Please take care of...!"

Yunyun's words died down in her throat when a thought occurred to her.

A compatibility test was undoubtedly something one would take to check the likelihood of becoming lovers with someone...

'...and I just scored a ninety-five percent with Naruto-San...!'

Yunyun glanced at the back of the room where Arue was, and found the girl scribbling furiously into her notebook. Arue noticed her fellow mage's stare, and Yunyun noticed a small twitch to the normally stoic girl's lips.

Naruto raised an eyebrow when Yunyun suddenly fell silent.

"Yunyun? Hey, you're looking pretty red there. Are you oka-"

"AHHHHHH!?"

Naruto flinched in surprise when Yunyun suddenly screamed and bolted out of the shop.

"Y-Yunyun!?"

Naruto stood up and rushed to the door to chase after the frantic girl, but not before looking back at the other crimson mages.

"Arue, I'm going after Yunyun. Thanks for the divination, fortune teller lady!"

"Fortune teller lady...!"

After saying his piece, Naruto dashed through the door, leaving Arue and a slightly surprised Soketto alone in the shop.

After a couple seconds of nothing but the sounds of pencil scribbles, Arue shut her notebook.

"Quite the interesting character, isn't he? How much for the divination?"

"Don't worry about it, that girl was in dire need of a companion. But to think there was actually a person who would have such a high compatibility rate with the weird and socially awkward Yunyun..."

Soketto said and tossed the crystal ball from her hand.

"Hm? Could it be that even Soketto, the most beautiful girl of the Crimson Magic Clan, has taken an interest in the pupil of Ero-Senin?"

Arue asked with a glint in her eye, her pencil already in hand.

"That man is Ero-Senin's pupil?"

Soketto asked with wide eyes. As a member of the Anti-Demon King Army Guerilla Unit, she had heard many stories centering around the man named Naruto Uzumaki. To think that very man had just been in her shop.

"How careless of me. Had I known he was Ero-Senin's pupil, I would have challenged him to a duel."

"That man is searching for a mage to join his party."

Arue said, sending the older mage a sharp glance.

"Is that so... Then perhaps we should make things a little more interesting. After all, that man has also piqued my interest."

Soketto said with a knowing smile, and the two left the shop to find the blonde shinobi.

But unknown to Soketto and Arue, someone using the invisibility spell had been listening in from outside the shop. The person grit their teeth as they watched the two female mages.

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"Damn... I lost her."

Naruto said as he looked around the village for Yunyun. He had taken his off her for one second when they passed a large house that he could only assume was where the village chief lived, and when he looked back she was gone.

It also didn't help that everyone in town not only had the same hair color, but also wore similar clothing.

Naruto sat down at the fountain located in the middle of the village and sighed.

'I wonder what was wrong... Did she not want to be friends?'

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

Hearing his name being called out, Naruto looked up to see the boy that had taken Jiraiya away standing on the other side of the street. He seemed angry, if the heated glare was anything to go by.

"Buzu... Buzz! What's up?"

"My name is Buzucoily! Did you already forget!?"

Buzucoily steamed before shaking his head.

"No, that doesn't matter... Naruto Uzumaki! I challenge you to a duel!"1

Taking a moment to process what was happening, Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"Eh?"

Across the street, Arue and Soketto had showed up just in time to witness Buzucoily issue his challenge.

"Well this is an unexpected event."

"Indeed."

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Yunyun hugged her pillow tightly as she laid in her bed. She felt ashamed for running away without saying anything like that, but it was just so embarrassing!

'A ninety-five percent... That means there's a high chance Naruto-San and I could become l-l-l-lovers!'

Just saying the word caused Yunyun to blush, and she buried her face even further into her pillow.

'But... I don't think Naruto-San came to that conclusion. He only thought it was a friendship test...'

Yunyun jumped out of her bed.

"Oh no! Then does that mean Naruto-San now thinks I don't want to be friends with him!? I did run away from him... H-how could I do something so cruel!?"

Yunyun ran out of her bedroom and flew out the door. She had to hurry and find Naruto and clear any misunderstandings before it was too late!

As Yunyun ran down the streets of the village, she began to hear the murmuring of her fellow clansman.

"Hey, did you hear? Buzucoily challenged Ero-Senin's pupil to a duel."

"No way, really? I wish I could have seen that!"

Yunyun blinked as she passed a gossiping duo.

'Buzucoily-San wants to fight Naruto-San? But why?'

Coming to a stop, Yunyun turned around and ran up to the mages.

"U-um... E-excuse me, but do you know where that fight is taking place?"

XXXXXXXX

In the forest just south of the Crimson Magic Village, Naruto and Buzucoily stood in a clearing ten meters apart from each other.

"Uh... I know I already said I didn't mind sparing with you since I've never fought a mage before, but why do you want to fight so badly?"

Naruto asked as he did an inventory check on all his weapons. With his new flack jacket, he was now able to carry a couple more ninja tools on hand instead of just the few he could carry in his pouches. The rest he would normally carry in a storage scroll, but now he could access more items quicker with the added pockets.

Buzucoily, who was waiting patiently for Naruto to finish his preparations, pointed his staff at their audience who consisted of Arue and Soketto.

"You may not be aware of it, but you have attracted the attention of one of the most beau-er... Talented mages of the Crimson Magic Clan! I must prove myself in front of her, so I ask that you don't think ill of me."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the two girls who had insisted on watching their match. He had only talked to Soketto once, so there's no way Buzucoily was referring to her. Which left...

"Wait, you like Arue? Isn't she a little young for you?"

"!?"

As Buzucoily choked on his saliva, Soketto stifled a laugh and Arue tilted her head down so that her bangs covered her face.

"Y-y-you're wrong! Whatever! Are you prepared? Yes? Then here I come!"

Buzucoily said, and after confirming Naruto was ready to fight, he started chanting a spell.

"Be washed away by the roaring current controlled by the might of my power..."

'I've never fought a mage, but I've been reading up on some of the spells that they can use to see if I wanted to learn any of them. This sounds like a water spell...'

Naruto thought and braced himself for a powerful torrent of water.

"Light of Saber!"

"!"

Naruto was caught by surprise when a stream of light burst out of Buzucoily's staff, and he was only barely able to dodge it. But even then, the spell had still nicked him in the cheek.

"Hm... As expected of the prized disciple of Ero-Senin! To dodge my spell at this distance is no easy feat!"

Buzucoily said before he started chanting his next spell.

"What the hell, man!? That wasn't a water spell! Where did all that talk of being washed away by a roaring current go!?"

Naruto complained as he wiped the blood from the gash on his cheek, but he wasn't given an answer as Buzucoily fired off another spell.

"Tornado!"

A powerful gust of wind picked up as the air in front of Buzucoily began to swirl unnaturally until it formed a decent sized tornado. The trees around them creaked as the mighty winds threatened to knock them down.

'A wind spell, huh? But I ain't getting hit by something that slow!'

Naruto thought as the tornado began to move towards him. The only reason he was able to stay planted on the ground was because he was feeding chakra to his feet. But now that his opponent couldn't see him...

Buzucoily smirked when the tornado reached the spot where Naruto was. He then canceled the spell, and then the dust settled down it was revealed that Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

"What's this? Did he get blown away by my spell? Then it looks like-"+

"You lose."

"!"

Buzucoily tensed when he heard a voice behind him as something sharp was pressed against his back. He slowly cranked his neck around to see none other than Naruto staring at him with stone cold eyes.

"H-how?"

"While your tornado was obscuring your vision, I simply dashed into the forest to get behind you without you seeing me."

Naruto casually explained.

"I-in that little time? Such speed..."

Buzucoily said and looked to Soketto and Arue, who were both nodding their heads to confirm what Naruto was claiming to be true.

"I may have been thrown off by that talk of water earlier, but your attacks are too one dimensional. Now, do you give up?"

Naruto said as he further pressed his kunai against the mage's back.

"...One-dimensional? I wouldn't be so sure."

Buzucoily said cryptically before he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Wha-! Damn... Teleportation magic."

Naruto cursed under his breath and scanned the area for his opponent. He could still sense Buzucoily's presence, but he couldn't see him...

"Light of Saber!"

Naruto sidestepped when a beam of light shot out from somewhere in the forest. He then heard a series of footsteps before he had to dodge another beam of light.

'He's there, but I still can't see him. So that means he's using Invisibility magic.'

Having deducted what his opponent's strategy was, Naruto put his fingers into a cross shape.

Arue and Soketto were surprised to see three more Naruto's appear out of thin air.

"So that's the forbidden cloning magic that Ero-Senin mentioned..."

Soketto muttered to herself as she watched Naruto and his clones disperse into the forest in separate directions. She was already itching to face Naruto in battle, and seeing this new spell only made her want to fight even more.

'A hero that makes use of a forbidden magic...'

Arue thought as she wrote the ideas down her into her notebook. Jiraiya was definitely right when he said Naruto was walking inspiration for a writer. But at this rate, they would be able to keep up with the fight since the combatants just ran into the forest.

"Shall we go follow them?"

"Yes, I would like to see the outcome of this battle if possible."

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Buzucoily was panting as he ran through the forest, all while glancing back and firing off a spell at his pursuers.

Yes, pursuers, as in multiple people! Who knew Naruto was capable of using the forbidden cloning magic that Ero-Senin had once mentioned.

'I'm starting to run out of mana... To think that the great Buzucoily, proud member of the Anti-Demon King Army Guerilla Unit, would be pushed to his limits! Naruto Uzumaki... You are a worthy opponent indeed.'

Finding himself cornered, Buzucoily stopped and turned around expectantly. As he had anticipated, the three clones that had been chasing him were standing in the trees.

A bead of sweat trailed down the mage's face as he grinned up at them.

'I only have enough mana for one more spell... This will be my last stand!'

"Don't you think this is enough? I don't think the forest can take much more of our fight..."

Buzucoily brought his gaze back down from the trees to see the fourth and final Naruto come out of hiding.

'So the original shows himself...'

With his target found, Buzucoily took in a deep breath and laughed.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the mage's sudden change in attitude. Did the man finally snap?

Buzucoily flicked his cape and took a stance befitting that of a Crimson Magic Demon.

"Ahaha! So you think you have me cornered, do you?"

"Yeah, I do. I can tell you're low on magic, so you can't use Teleport or Invisibility magic, and there's a giant tree in your way."

Naruto responded with a flat expression. Why did these Crimson demons have to be so dramatic all the time? Even when his opponent already knew he was low on magic, Buzucoily didn't hesitate to try to play it off and act cool.

"...So it seems. Then you leave e no choice. I'll have to use that technique!"

Naruto and his clones readied themselves for Buzucoily's final move.

"Become ash by the eternal flame of the crimson magic..."

'Here it comes...'

"Light of Saber!"

"Damn it!"

After avoiding the surprise light spell, Naruto and his clones pounced on Buzucoily.

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When Soketto and Arue finally found Naruto and Buzucoily, they were disappointed to see that fight had already reached its conclusion.

"I'll take this man back to the village. Perhaps next time we can have a match ourselves. To have a match against Ero-Senin's prized pupil would be a great means of testing my skills."

"M-maybe..."

Naruto said with an awkward smile before Soketto, along with the unconscious Buzucoily, disappeared in a flash of light.

Though if he was being honest with himself, he never wanted to fight a crimson magic clansman ever again. That fight had been nothing but hit and run tactics. Naruto thought he corned Buzucoily a multitude of times, but then the mage would just teleport away at the last second. Not to mention all the misleading chants before his spells...

'Coming from a ninja who specializes in hit and run tactics and deception...'

'How about you fight the next Crimson Magic Clansman then, huh?'

'Sure. I won't hold back like you always do. The fight will be over in seconds'

'It was just a sparring match! Of course I'm going to hold back!'

Ignoring the annoying fox, Naruto turned to Arue who was looking at him oddly.

"Ah, sorry. I was just arguing with the demon that's sealed inside of me."

"Yes, I am aware of the nine-tailed fox spirit. Ero-Senin mentioned the demon a couple times in the past. It also seems the healing factor Sensei mentioned is also true."

Naruto rubbed his cheek and felt that the cut was indeed gone. Just how much information did Jiraiya give this kid?

"Anyways, I guess we should head back to the village and..."

"Naruto-Saaan! Aruuue!"

In the direction of the village, Naruto and Arue found Yunyun running through the forest. Was she looking for them?

Yunyun? How surprising... I didn't expect that child to muster the courage to come and find him by herself.'

Arue thought to herself and decided that she would quietly observe this development.

"Yunyun? What are you doing out here?"

Naruto called out to the girl, and Yunyun's face lit up when she saw them.

"Th-thank goodness I found you! I heard Buzucoily-San challenged Naruto-San to a duel and I... I just wanted to make sure no one got hurt."

Yunyun explained and looked around for Buzucoily.

"Ah, if you're looking for that guy, the fortune teller lady already took him back to the village."

Naruto said and gestured to the direction of the village.

Yunyun gasped.

"T-then does that mean...! Naruto-San beat Buzucoily-San?"

"Yeah, he was pretty strong too. Is it that surprising that I won?"

Naruto asked when Yunyun continued to stare at him the same way. Arue and the other girl hadn't reacted very strongly when they learned that he won, so why was Yunyun? Did she think he was weak or something?

Yunyun realized what Naruto was probably thinking and frantically shook her head.

"Ah! I-i-it's not like I thought Naruto-San was weak or anything! It's just... Buzucoily-San may be NEET who doesn't want to get a job, but he's known for going to the forest outside of the village to hunt monsters for spending money. He's actually very high leveled!"

Naruto sweatdropped. Was Yunyun praising Buzucoily or insulting him?

"Huh... Well anyways, I only knocked him unconscious so now one really got hurt. Let's go back to the village before it gets dark."

Naruto suggested when he noticed the sun was beginning to set. These forests were filled with dangerous monsters, he experienced that first hand, and their activity only grew at night.

Just as Naruto and Arue began to walk in the direction of the village, Yunyun hesitated.

'W-wait... This might be my last chance to ask Naruto-San. If I don't say anything, then Arue will surely join his party.'

Her heart pounding in her chest, Yunyun mustered all her courage and spoke.

"U-um... Naruto-San!"

Naruto and Arue stopped and looked back.

"Hm? What's up Yunyun?"

"Y-you see... I-I-I was wondering i-if I..."

Arue's lips twitched upward when she realized what was happening.

"Actually, I have a confession to make."

Arue stepped forward and said, cutting the teary-eyed Yunyun off.

"The truth is, I'm still attending the Crimson Magic Clan's school. So I can't leave the village to go on quests."

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Wait, didn't you say you were in the same class as Yunyun?"

"I did say that. But Yunyun, along with that other girl, graduated early. So unfortunately, I won't be able to join your party. Thank you for the inspiration, hero-San. I will cherish this experience for the remainder of my writing career."

Arue explained, and with a short bow, she turned around and disappeared into the forest.

"Ah, w-wait! This is too sudden!"

Naruto reached out and said, but Arue was already gone. Slumping down on a rock, Naruto let out a heavy sigh.

"Great... Now what am I going to do? I don't want to leave tomorrow without finding a mage, and asking a random person join my party is a little..."

Yunyun gripped her cloak. Arue said all that to give her this chance, and she didn't want to waste it. No, she couldn't waste this chance!

"Naruto-San!"

"Yes!?"

Naruto sat up straight when Yunyun suddenly shouted, and even she herself was surprised by her own voice.

"Ah... D-do you think I... I'd like to join Naruto-San's party!"

Naruto's eyes widened, but he suddenly remembered something.

"Wait, but I thought you already had plans to go to Axel to find a party there?"

"I-I did... But then Naruto-San said he was looking for a mage to join his party..."

Yunyun said and squeezed her teary eyes shut. She was so embarrassed, but hopefully Naruto would accept her! She was done being alone all the time, done staring in through café windows at all the happy people eating together with their friends! Naruto was a nice person, and she felt that they could become great friends!

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find the words to say and ultimately smiled.

'So that's how it it...'

Naruto had originally thought Yunyun as a weird girl who had trouble talking to people, and that he just happened to keep bumping into her. But in reality, she just wanted to join his party and had trouble asking.

'Is... Is he going to say yes?'

Yunyun thought and opened her eyes to see Naruto standing up.

With a grin brighter than the rising moon, Naruto gave the girl a thumbs up.

"Welcome to the party, Yunyun!"

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