30 The Guest on the Mountain
Later that evening
Camilla sighed in relief as she saw the village of Veena coming up in the distance. It would feel sooo good to hop into a nice bed at the local inn. It won't be long until she gets there now. A few more hours and a nice, comfy bed will be all hers. She wondered how Elise, Nina, the Mud Head Clarice and Blood Eye Miata were doing. Were they fine? Had the Organization tricked them again?
She had to find a way to spread the information they had gotten from the Ladykiller to her fellow compatriots. Those handlers cannot be trusted. And if this was the standard procedure, to getting rid of their troublemakers and warriors who almost awakened on an assignment, then what is to stop them from doing the same to their best warriors? To the ones who are obedient and loyal to them, almost to a fault?
The answer was clear: there was nothing to stop them from doing the same. And that pissed her off something royal.
Camilla took a calming breath and reigned in her outrage. The time to vent would come. Right now, she had a job to do.
There were a few more warriors in Veena. She could sense them from here. Another Awakened Being hunt? That would appear to be the case. She'll seek them out as soon as she reached town; there's no way she's going to let them be in the dark - and, hopefully, they will pass on the information to their compatriots when they come across them.
"Not too long, now." the soon to be former Number 20 whispered. "Not too long…"
----
Meanwhile, back in Staff, Dae had Rosemary, Hysteria, and Neideen hooked up to the cylinder of harnessed lightning. Neideen had been… modified, beforehand. After the failure of bringing Teresa back to life, the scientist had decided to implement Plan B: combining her remains with those of Neideen.
This would hopefully boost the Number 9's overall power; since she was a Number 9 at the time of her death, he was curious to see what would happen if he was to combine the flesh and blood with someone who is already a half-breed?
The result would prove interesting.
He didn't have Miranda or anyone else with him this time around. Opting to do this himself.
Once he was sure they were secure onto the metal slabs, and the wires were connected properly the scarred man went over to the three levers and pulled them down. One at a time.
The machinery came to life as the three corpses started twitching, lightning and yoki coursing through their veins. Their eyes snapped open, glowing gold with slit pupils. Their pupils were glazed over and dull, though, the signifier they were still dead. But the more they were under the effects of lightning and yoki being coursed into their body, the slower the light came back into their glazed over and dull eyes. Soon they were screaming as they were forcibly brought back to the realm of the living, their hands and legs struggling against their bonds for just a moment; then they passed out from the pain of lightning being coursed through their body.
Seeing his success at reviving them, Dae smirked and ceased the flow of the lightning. He went over and removed the bonds and wires from their naked bodies. Now all he had to do is wait for them to wake up - by themselves, this time.
----
Meanwhile, in Clare's mindscape Teresa groaned pitifully, feeling as though she had been struck by lightning. It was not pleasant…
"What was that?" Clare asked, having felt it, too.
"Another attempt at reviving me perhaps?" Teresa theorised with a groan. "I didn't see or feeling anything this time, however."
"...Should we tell Naruto about it?"
"...I don't think we should. I don't feel anything anymore, so maybe it's fine?" The woman told her.
"Alright…"
----
After what felt like an eternity, Camilla hopped off the wagon and stretched her legs. Damn, it felt good to be back on foot after sitting on that crate for so long!
She turned to Raki who hopped off the wagon seconds after her, and gave him a raunchy grin, "It seems this is where we part ways," she told him. "I hope to see you around, soon~."
Raki chuckled nervously, thoroughly flustered. "I-it was nice to meet you."
Giving him an impish grin, Camilla leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek, before bidding the young man adieu, and setting out on her merry way.
Once she was in the town square, the seductive warrior reached out with her senses and made a beeline for the building she detected those warriors occupying. Sure enough, it was a fairly nice, albeit secluded inn.
Camilla grinned to herself as she rubbed her palms together anticipatingly, this was a good time to unwind a little and get a nice, stiff drink before moving on to Morris. And since her compatriots are there, chances are they're off duty - before heading off to complete their assignment.
She will be able to pass on what she had experienced and learned to them. Hopefully, they will do the wise thing and spread it around. Putting those thoughts aside for the moment Camilla pushed open the door to the inn and entered the premises.
Unsurprisingly, when the Number 20 surveyed the room, she found her compatriots hogging a small corner of the room. They had their claymores leaning against their chairs, and tables and were in a hush discussion… there was also more of them than she'd expected to see - six instead of four. Curiosity piqued, Camilla casually made her way over there to see what's what… and to spread the word that the Organization is legitimately spreading misinformation among their ranks, in an attempt to kill off their 'defects' and troublemakers and may do the same to them.
The first young woman was around 18 years old; she has very long, pale, thick, and curly hair styled in elegant 'princess' curls that reached to her waist and straight bangs. She had long, eyelashes that accented her beauty and around, but a pretty face. She was very attractive, Camilla had to admit that; if the young woman used her feminine wiles she would be able to turn the heads of any boys she encounters.
Then next one had curly hair, as well, but hers was thinner and stringy, parted in the middle and freely framing her face. Her face was more heart-shaped and elegant with wide eyes and full lips, much like one would find amongst the nobility. She seemed the most bored of the lot - her arms crossed as she just sat there, not engaging in the conversation.
Another woman to her left had straight hair in a messy pixie cut. Her features were slightly more boyish and she seemed much more enthusiastic about whatever was the subject of their conversation.
The next was a serious-looking cutie with straight, sandy brown, neck-length locks and a fringe over her right eye. She looked to be getting a bit impatient, as well.
The woman to the serious-looking one's right had neck-length, spiked, sandy-brown hair with the tips curling outwards. She also had a heart-shaped face and was very pleasing to look at. She looked a bit bored with the conversation but was listening intensely to what was being said.
Lastly was a young woman, with straight sandy, blonde hair with short bangs. She has a slightly boyish face, but with round cheeks; she was leaning against the table and was giving the speaking women her full undivided attention, though she kept quiet.
"Well, hello, there," Camilla greeted, gaining the attention of her comrades. "I'm Camilla, Number 20. I was in the neighbourhood. Might I ask what brings you all here?"
"Anastasia, Number 6." the long, princess-curled haired girl greeted with a pleasant smile. "We're here to search for a rumoured yoma infestation in the Dragonspire Mountains, near the town of Morris."
Camilla's eyes nearly popped out of her skull when she heard those names, prompting the Number 6 to look at her oddly.
"Is there something wrong?" Anastasia asked.
Camilla looked around to see if anyone was eavesdropping; when she was sure there wasn't, the Number 20 leaned against the table and asked the Number 6 in a low whisper, "Y-you do know that Morris is where the Ladykiller resides, no?"
Anastasia became wide-eyed, telling Camilla that the young woman in front of her did not know that tidbit of information. Everyone else had the same reaction.
"T-the Ladykiller?" the woman with the thinner and stringy curls gasped, "You are certain?"
"I am," Camilla replied, "My team and I made peaceful contact with him when we were sent to Dabi on a hunt, a little over two weeks ago. Turns out the voracious-eater was the Highland Harpy, and she had friends. Had he not convinced them to hunt some bandits a good distance away, we would have been slaughtered, right then and there."
"Friends, you say?"
Camilla nodded, "One was Betty, a former Number 6 from several generations ago. The others were some familiar faces: Pyrrha, Glissa and Megan. They'd been…" she paused, looking around again, before looking Anastasia in the eye and continuing, "'compromised' at around the same time, from the sound of it."
Said woman was not happy to hear that. Pyrrha was so nice, too. It was quite a shame. "What happened? Do you know?" if she's alive, then, as much as it pained her to do so, she'd have to put Pyrrha out of her misery. No one as kind as she deserved to suffer like that.
Camilla nodded grimly, "It seems Pyrrha had been compromised when she fought an… oddly strong yoma. It was her third assignment. Megan and Glissa suffered the same fate on their first. All three of them had fought an oddly strong yoma, which ended in them being compromised. Evianna and Betty, are with them now. Last I heard, they were headed to Morris, as well. If I had to guess, they are the 'yoma infestation' you were sent to deal with."
Anastasia frowned deeply at that. "I… see." This did not bode well. At best, the Organization had become careless. Being the kindhearted woman she was, the Number 6 gave her handler the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was just as unaware of what was going on.
"What are the chances the handler knew about this?" the woman with a messy pixie cut asked.
"They are fairly small," Camilla admitted. "However, I hate to say it, but the Ladykiller had brought up some good points when we talked."
"What points?" Anastasia asked as she and the others looked at Camilla with interest.
"Five years ago, when the Organization sent those warriors to the North - it was not just a mission to hold back the overwhelming forces of the White Silver King: it was a suicide mission. All of them were sent there to die; all of them were known troublemakers, or partially awakened warriors. Then, just over two weeks ago, the team led by Number 9, Shadow Hunter Nina, we were all purposely withheld vital information and would have gotten killed as a result. Again, we were a team of known troublemakers and 'sub-par' warriors. I'm sure you're aware of my reputation for being the 'hussy' of the Organization. To make matters worse, when we returned to the handler that assigned that mission, he was shocked to see us all alive and well. He was fully expecting us to die."
"W-what?!" Camilla calmly watched as the warrior, Tesla, Number 15 if she remembered right, stood up looking at her with genuine shock. "What your saying is… is…"
"Treason? Blasphemy? Insane?" Camilla offered with sarcasm. "The evidence is all there. And here you all are, investigating a 'yoma infestation' that may be the Highland Harpy's group. Hell, it might just be Riful and Luciela. They are his consorts. And if it's not them, then it could be any of the Ladykiller's lovers, seeing as how all the victims in the area are bandits, or even the Ladykiller, himself. The Organization has eyes on him - there is no way they don't know he is here. And they 'conveniently' forgot to tell you?"
Anastasia sighed. "We'll be sure to keep an eye out," she said. "I thank you for the warning. Be warned, though: if I find out you're lying…" Her eyes flashed gold as she said, "I'll kill you, myself."
"Considering I'm actually heading to Morris to spy on the Ladykiller himself, I'm in more peril than you are," she deadpanned, completely unaffected by the threat on her life. "However, I would expect no less from one of the Organization's best. I thank you for your time."
As she was about to turn and leave, one of her compatriots called out to her, "Wait!"
She paused and looked back from over the shoulder, "Yes?"
The one with the messy pixie cut was the one that called out to her. She licked her bottom lip nervously as she questioned. "Y-you're going to spy on the Ladykiller?"
"Yes. As I mentioned before, the team I was on made friendly contact with him. We even spoke, so he trusts me enough not to go after me if I show up." then she grinned smugly, "Also, with my skillset, I'm the best person out there to gather information on him. And let me tell you - he is everything the rumours say about him. He confirmed some of them himself."
"So… he's a warrior from another land?"
"Yes."
"He can really turn into a mountain-sized multi-tailed fox?"
"Yes."
"...I'm Nike, Number 14, by the way," the woman introduced herself a bit late. "The other four are Tesla, Number 15 and Dominique, Number 18, Minerva, Number 24 and Noma, Number 22." said women waved at her. "So… what else can you tell us about him? Is he friendly? Is he handsome?"
"It would be difficult to get that nickname if he wasn't," Camilla giggled impishly, she turned around to face them directly once more. "Admittedly, he is."
"I take it you used your 'skills' to seduce him while you were in the North?" Minerva asked.
"I tried," she admitted. "It would seem some of his lovers are a bit… possessive, so I wasn't able to get much out of him. But what I did get out of him was enough to give me pleasant tingles..." she shuddered, as a perverted giggle escaped her. She couldn't wait to get her hands on his cock again!
"Oh? Gimme the juicy details~!" Nike said with a huge grin.
Poor Anastasia turned beet red at that. "On your own time, please!"
"Captain, this is our own time." Noma pointed out; then, she looked at Camilla with poorly hidden interest as she said, "Besides I'm curious too… for… tactical reasons."
'Yeah, sure…' Anastasia thought, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes, completely unconvinced.
Then Camilla dropped the perverted leer and looked at them with a serious look. It was so sudden it took even Anastasia by surprise. "I did learn something very interesting too. Something the Organization would stop at nothing to get their hands on if they learn of it."
That caught Tesla's attention. "What is it?"
To show how serious she was, there was no joking in her tone. There was no, playfulness in her voice. Her tone was firm and even; her eyes narrowed. "The Ladykiller can completely heal our stigmas. And I mean completely. I saw the unblemished skin where the stitches and scar should be on one of his lovers, Drillsword Jean. It was completely gone. Not a speck of it remained."
The six women stared at her in shock and awe. There was no way that is true! She- she had to be lying! The Organization tried everything they could think of and they failed! But that expression - the Number 20 was not lying to them.
"H-how come no one found out about this until now?" Anastasia asked.
"Because it was and still is a tightly kept secret. And I for one, want to keep that fact a secret." Camilla told her.
"What?! Why do you want to keep it a secret?! We finally have a way to get our stigmas healed and you want to keep it hidden!!!" Tesla hissed in outrage.
"If the Organization finds out the Ladykiller can heal our stigmas, just who do you think they're going to send?" Camilla asked Number 15 with narrowed eyes. "Anyone that is chosen to go after him has to go through two fucking Abyssals, over 20 warriors of the previous generation and several awakened beings. And then they're going to have to fight the Ladykiller himself - and yes, we're going to have to fight him, as he up and told me and my team that he has no intention of helping the Organization. So are you willing to go against an entire harem of awakened beings and warriors, just to fight someone that can turn into a mountain-sized, many-tailed fox that can wipe an entire town off the face of the Earth in the blink of an eye?" she paused for a moment to let her words sink in, before adding one final nail in the coffin. "And let's not forget about Audrey and Rachel - they fought the Ladykiller before, and they were no match for him. What's worse? He was in a weaker transformation and they weren't even able to cut into him. They are alive right now, solely because he didn't feel like killing them."
That made the women before her turn white as a sheet.
"A-ah… g-good point…" Tesla conceded.
"...I am all for not telling the Organization of his ability to heal our stigma. But we should at least tell our fellow warriors of this." Noma said.
"I don't see why not," Camilla said with a shrug. "As long as you tell them the Organization will send them after him if they inform the handlers of that fact. I can say that everyone in the current generation is afraid of the Ladykiller, I'm sure. Either way, I've been travelling for some time and I still need to be up in the morning if I want to hitch a ride on that caravan to Morris." With that, she bid her comrades goodbye and went off to find the innkeeper.
Eyeballing the retreating Number 20, Dominique looked to her current party's captain and asked, "she's heading to Morris and we're heading to the mountains around it… we can just… hitch a ride with her, can't we?"
Anastasia looked to the Number 18 with a raised eyebrow and shrugged. "I don't see why not. It would be quicker. Not to mention, we may see the Ladykiller himself if we're lucky."
...or unlucky, depending on the situation, but Anastasia was hoping for the former.
----
Naruto sat cross-legged on the battlements with Ophelia. His eyes were closed, his expression serene. Then he exhaled and his eyes opened. He looked off in the mountains in the distance. The yoki signatures were still there. Not moving. Still full of curiosity. The citadel still had a half-a-day to go before the meat shipment arrives.
"...I'll give them another day."
"Give who another day?"
"The awakened beings that are still lurking in the Dragonspire Mountains, Ophelia."
"Ah… why don't you just go over there now and take care of them?"
"Because I'm a little busy training our recruits."
"...Ah." a pause. "Okay, we'll wait another day. But when you go, I want you to take me with you. Maaaybe Luciela and the Highland Harpy too."
"Sure, why not. And her nickname is 'Stormbringer Evianna', Ophi."
"Oh, I know that. But it's going to take me some time getting used to."
----
That morning, back in Staff, Neideen's eye finally fluttered open as she groaned, pushing herself up so she was sitting on the metal slab.
"Ah, finally," she heard a voice say to her left. The former Number 9 turned to see Miranda had been sitting in her blind spot.
"I was wondering when you'd wake up," the former Number 35 chirped, with a cheerful smile. Only for her to blush beet red when Neideen suddenly appeared by her side, with a naughty grin and an arm over her shoulder.
"Well, hello, there, cutie~. Who are you?"
"M-my name is Miranda," she sputtered, yelping when Neideen copped a feel. "I was Number 35 in your generation."
Neideen blinked, tilting her head curiously at the pigtailed blonde's wording. "You were? My generation? Whatever could you mean by that, my dear?"
"Y-you and I have been dead for some time…" Miranda explained, trying to squirm out of Neideen's grasp. While she was flattered the woman found her cute, she just didn't swing that way. "I was stationed here to bring you up to speed and make sure you didn't try and kill Roxanne."
Neideen frowned, groaning at the flood of memories the girl had triggered. Roxanne… that back-stabbing, rancid cunt! So, she was still around, was she? "I take it Dae had a hand in this?" She asked. "Do tell, my pet, what is going on?"
The door opened to reveal a visibly-irritated Cassandra as she viewed the spectacle before her. "Neideen the Naughty…" she muttered. "I see you went straight to living up to your reputation. Please stop molesting my friend."
Then Cassandra yelped when Neideen suddenly appeared beside her and cupped her ass. The pointy-eared woman looked at the eyepatch-wearing Number 9 in surprise; how the hell was she this fast?! She didn't remember her being this quick!
"My, my, look who's here~! Dust Eater Cassandra! How's my favourite Number One?" Neideen teased, with a perverted giggle.
"Still a bit sore from being brought back to life," she admitted. Cassandra admirably ignored the pleasant feeling Neideen was sending up her spine as she kneaded her butt. "A lot has happened since you died."
"Oh?" Neideen cooed, "Such as...?"
Poor Neideen jumped in surprise when Sistina yelled out, "IN THE FUTURE, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WILL BECOME SO BIG THAT IT WILL BE DISASTROUS FOR ALL IF THEY FAIL! YES, REALLY! THIS IS NOT A SCAM, I PROMISE!"
"What the hell is a scam?" Licht asked.
"What is a financial institution?" Chloe asked as well.
"...Fuck it. I'm not listening to her weird predictions." Roxanne flatly said.
"...A new, female Abyssal One for one. And another awakened being that is considered an Abyssal One herself." Miranda flatly answered her, ignoring the migraine that was beginning to build. "There's also the fact the Organization is reviving their very best warriors, and then some, to take on a young man called 'Ladykiller Naruto', who's so powerful he wiped Pieta off the map in the blink of an eye."
"'Ladykiller', eh?" Neideen mused, "well, that sounds like it's right up my alley~!"
"IN THE FUTURE, A LITTLE, BLACK MOUSE WILL RULE THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD!"
"Alright, I must ask: who the hell is that and what's her deal?" Neideen muttered, looking oddly at the doorway.
"That's Sistina the Divine Oracle… one of the Number Ones revived to deal with the Ladykiller," Cassandra explained. "She's in a trance, again. Just… try to ignore her."
"Hmm… I've heard of her. Didn't think everything that was said about her… unique ability was true though," she looked at Miranda and pulled the poor girl into a one-armed hug along with Cassandra and copped a feel from them both as she asked, "So, tell me: have any of her 'predictions' come true yet?"
"Only one," Miranda said with a shrug. "She predicted that Dae would fail in reviving someone else so, he'd revive you instead."
"Also," Cassandra said giving Neideen a flat stare. "Can you please, put some clothes on? Having you naked and this close to me and my friend is… getting uncomfortable."
Neideen looked down at herself, smirked, and shrugged. "Nah, this is-"
Just then, a muttering Sistina marched through the wall, leaving a massive hole in her wake as she started pacing around the newly-reunited trio. "The one with hair of gold and whiskers of a fox shall impale the one with great lust upon his mighty spear," she said.
"...say what, now?" Neideen asked, blinking owlishly.
Miranda and Cassandra groaned in exasperation. When she fell asleep, they were hoping everyone would have themselves a nice break from this, but it would appear that she sleepwalks. Just their fucking luck!
"The one with hair of gold and whiskers of a fox shall pin the one-eyed warrior with insatiable lust and seize her chastity from behind with great abandon, impaling her upon his mighty spear, and thus she shall be his wife and bear him five sons and four daughters. Thus the fire within her loins shall finally be quenched."
"...Standing or, on hands and knees?" Neideen asked to the plight of her comrades; the one-eyed warrior sounded a lot like her, so, she might as well find out about this warrior's future, no?
"All of the above," Sistina muttered, "in every way, one can imagine and more."
Hearing that, Neideen got a devious idea, and Cassandra did not like the look on her face. She had a bad feeling the pervert was planning something embarrassing. She was proven correct and mortified when Neideen asked, "How are Cassandra and Miranda to be taken by the Ladykiller?"
"The one with a heart of gold shall offer herself to him upon a moonlit night, and be impaled upon his mighty spear with her arms wrapped around him, thus she shall be his wife and bear him two sons and three daughters. The Eater of Dust shall then drop to her knees and clean off his mighty spear soon after, thus she shall be impaled upon his mighty spear while lying upon her side and become his wife and bear him two sons and two daughters."
"Oh my god… Neideen why!?" Miranda whined, her face red with embarrassment.
"Is… is there a way to avoid this?" Cassandra asked, "Or… do you know why it came to that? Were we defeated in battle? Anything?" She was desperate to learn anything at this point. Anything to avoid this fate. Nothing was set in stone after all… right?
"IN THE FUTURE, THE KING WITH THE UNMOVING FACE SHALL TERRIFY ALL WHO GAZE UPON HIM, THUS CONVINCING THEM ALL TO PURCHASE HIS FRIES OF THE CHICKEN!' Sistina suddenly shouted, stopping dead in her tracks. Then, to her fellow Number One's dismay, she plopped down upon the stone floor like felled lumber and started snoring.
"OH, FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"
----
Naruto was heading outside of the citadel. To take a wander of the town, and to keep an eye on the yoki belonging to those awakened beings. Then, he stopped dead in his tracks and sneezed. Sniffing he rubbed the underside of his nose and looked around owlishly; was someone talking about him?
"Naruto!" said blond looked behind him from over his shoulder and found Ophelia, Luciela and Evianna walking over to him. "Where do you think you're going?" the elf-eared woman asked, looking demanding as she put her hands on her hips.
"I was just going for a walk, through town." the blond answered, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. Then Naruto lowered his hand as he smiled and said, "You three girls can join me if you want."
Ophelia grinned and walked over to her man before hooking her arm around his. "I don't mind spending some more time with my husband~."
Luciela merely smiled and walked to his side; her expression said it all on her decision. Chuckling Naruto smiled back at the ginger before he turned to look at Evianna expectantly.
The brunette hummed thoughtfully before shrugging nonchalantly. "Hmm… why not? It's a little boring being cooped up in the citadel. Exploring will be good for getting the blood flowing."
Naruto chuckled, "Alright, do be sure to keep your senses on the yoki sources in the mountains though. That particular group hasn't moved from their spot yet."
"Understood, honey," Ophelia answered him with a sigh. Well, at least they'll have something to do other than wander aimlessly through the town. Speaking of… they should get an architect to build some walls - just to keep out any bandits that get the bright idea to attack the town. Then again her man renovated the entire place by himself - he can probably do it himself, and not to mention the populace is well aware of Naruto's abilities. To make matters worse for anyone who tries to raid the town, the damn thing already had a citadel - as in a fucking military-style base.perched on a mountain, right next to it. But, as the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Her thoughts trailed off - what is up with those awakened beings in the mountains? Why haven't they come down yet? Why haven't they tried to make contact? Were they afraid, were they trying to state their curiosity on what type of person Naruto is…? Or… were they just biding their time for an opening and attack?
Ophelia pushed those thoughts aside and smiled at her husband as he brought her in for a loving peck on the cheek. Oh, how she loved that~!
"C'mon ladies, let's go exploring for a bit, eh," Naruto said to them; all three nodded with enthusiasm and Ophelia squealed with joy when he groped her ass through her dress. Oh, she loved this man~!
Evianna couldn't help but chuckle in amusement and anticipation. Deciding to watch and see just how the Ladykiller treated his women, the brunette trailed back to observe.
With his free arm, Naruto pulled Luciela into a one-armed hug and grabbed her fine ass through the red, frilly dress she wore.
A little way down, Naruto chuckled at the sight of Father Isaac overseeing the placement of a lewd statue depicting a naked beauty seemingly fingering herself while fondling one of her tits. If memory served, the chick was St Nymphetamina, a local folk hero amongst the worshipers of Teresa and Clare. She was naked as one would expect, but also rather well-built. Her hair was wild and parted in the middle to frame her face, reaching down to her chin. The woman also had an eyepatch over her left eye and a lewd grin on her face.
As legend has it, she was a 'claymore', interestingly enough - one who'd saved the temple of Nash in a time of dire need from 'The Great, One-Eyed Beast of One-Thousand Writhing Dicks' by mounting and riding the creature into submission, literally fucking him to death. He wondered of St Nymphetamina, being a 'claymore', had that stigma? Then again she most likely would have; but, little details like those tend to be lost to time; but the blond couldn't see that particular tidbit of information being forgotten since it's almost common knowledge that all warriors have a horrible, 'incurable' wound on their front.
Then again, the sculptures could have easily edited that part out. Since this was a lewd display of one of Teresa and Clare's worshipers, it wouldn't do to show the entirety of her torso marred by such a horrific display.
She was being mounted upon an ornate pedestal of a thousand 'writhing dicks' in the chapel's courtyard, welcoming those who worship her patrons as she did, all those years ago.
Curiously helping him out were Zelda and Pamela. Flora was there as well, though she was notably less surprising. Naruto was wondering that those three had been up to, as of late. All three women turned to him when they felt Naruto's approach.
"Oh, hey, there~!" Flora called out, waving to her husband. "Fancy meeting you here, honey! What brings you to town?"
"Just getting some fresh air," Naruto said with a chuckle. He then turned to Father Isaac and said, "Hey, old man, how's it been?"
The elderly priest chuckled heartily. "Quite well, my boy," he replied. "Your wives have been of immeasurable help!"
"I-I'm not his wife…" Pamela pointed out with a shy, nervous chuckle. "But, I'm glad my work's been appreciated."
"Oh, I can tell that it's only a matter of time," Isaac assured with a chuckle of his own. "You just need to have more confidence in yourself!" Then, he returned his attention to Naruto. "I take it the brunette's your newest lover?" he teased. "I saw how she was looking at you on your way here."
At that, Evianna giggled. "I'm certainly considering it~!"
Chortling Naruto took a look at the lewd statue. Then he looked to father Isaac and said, "I do hope no one has been complaining to you about this statue, in front of the chapel. People do tend to… be reserved… when it comes to public displays such as this." the blond said, gesturing to the sculpture.
The priest shrugged, "While the populace has been shocked at seeing such a statue in front of a place of worship, there have been no complaints thus far." he admitted.
"I think that is because it's St Nymphetamina," Flora impishly pointed out, "A lot of statues of her are her in lewd positions. And while her exploits are true - for the most part anyway - they are mostly exaggerated."
A grinning Naruto pulled Flora into his arms and pecked her on the lips. "If it makes the locals less afraid of you girls then I say those 'exaggerations' were for the better."
Flora giggled. "I agree," she said with a grin. "Though, I can't help but wonder how those legends started…"
"All legends and myths have a grain of truth to them. That monster she fought could have just been a yoma with a lot of tentacles." Naruto explained. "Here is an example of a legend, back in my homeland: there was this man - his name was lost to time, but he was known as the Sage of Six Paths. It was said that this man was so powerful that he created the moon to defeat a great and terrible demon, that could shape the entire world to its whim. It was known as the Ten-Tailed Beast."
"Ten-Tailed… I thought there was only nine?" Flora asked with surprise.
Naruto grinned, oh how he enjoyed the look of surprise on her face. "There are now. Where you do think the Nine came from? Originally, there was one: the Ten-Tails. It was so strong its power was immeasurable. Unstoppable. The earth shook with every step it took. Entire continents were destroyed and remade. After the Sage defeated it, he sealed it into himself and become the first-ever Jinchuuriki. But at the end of his life, the Sage soon discovered that the Beast would escape, and cause havoc upon the world once more. So, at the end of his life, he split the power of the Ten Tailed Beast into nine portions - and sealed the main body away. That was how the Nine-Tailed Beasts came to be. Or so the legend went. But like I mentioned before, all myths and legends are based on truth..."
Zelda giggled. "This Sage of Six Paths sounds like a badass," she said. "I can't help but be a little curious."
"I met the guy, turns out the Ten-Tails was real, and that he actually did all those things," Naruto said with a sigh. "Only there were a few hiccups thanks to the story being muddled up through the centuries after his passing. It's… long and complicated, but to make a long story short: his mum, was the Ten-Tails. She got pissed because the Sage and his Brother got chakra. She tried to take it back and turned into the Ten-Tails to do so. She got her ass kicked, got sealed inside her eldest son, the Sage himself. He had a couple of kids, both of whom would later become bitter rivals because one guy was a sore loser, and he didn't get picked to inherit daddy's power, or something of the sort and those two sons would reincarnate through generation after generation, and those incarnations would always end up fighting one another. One of the two latest incarnations being yours truly," he took a deep breath to collect himself for a moment before continuing, "When his life was coming to an end, the Sage realised his mother would get out upon his death, and cause havoc on the world. So to stop her, he split her power into 9 even parts, making the tailed beasts and then he spread Ninjutsu- or Ninsho as it was meant to be - to what would eventually become the Elemental Nations. Fast forward a few thousand years and shit happened; wars took place, hidden villages were made, Tailed Beasts were sealed away, four more wars happened with the fourth one deciding the fate of the entire world, and after being stabbed in the back by some grouchy old men who didn't like the fact I was becoming too powerful for their liking, they screwed me over and boom, here I am!" at the end of it all Naruto had to take several long deep inhales and exhales just to catch his breath.
"That's… a lot to take in," Pamela muttered. Flora and Zelda nodded in agreement.
"How do you think I feel?" Naruto asked, "I'm the latest reincarnation of the guy's son, and my family line on my mum's side is directly related to the Sage himself. So I'm also a direct descendant through her. It's hard to keep track. Like you have no idea of how much stuff that's happened, it's completely insane."
"Indeed," Zelda muttered in agreement.
"You actually met a dead man?" Luciela asked, intrigued.
"As I said, the old man is powerful. Not even death itself could stop him from fighting his old enemy when it was brought back." He chuckled, "I even met my dad, and the other previous Hokages during that war as well. My people do have ways to bring the dead back to life, after all... though they are highly frowned upon."
"I see," the Abyssal redhead muttered.
On the sidelines, Evianna observed and absorbed the information Naruto had presented, eagerly listening to his tale. It was very interesting.
Again, Zelda spoke up. "So out of curiosity, just how strong are you? We've seen what you did to Pieta, but something tells me we haven't seen everything."
"He went into his third most powerful transformation when Riful transformed during a spar to see how well we worked together, two years ago I believe." Luciela told her, "He looked like he was on fire - from head to toe, in golden flames. There were strange patterns on him as well. He was moving so fast he left behind yellow flashes; even the hundreds of Riful's tendrils couldn't catch him. He could also make these… giant, golden ethereal hands that can increase in size; he pretty much manhandled me when I was in my own awakened form, the same went for Ophelia."
Zelda couldn't help but grin proudly. Of course, the father of her child was a baller, but, damn that was impressive!
"I wasn't fighting to my fullest potential in that form." Naruto pointed out, "But during the Fourth Great War, I was able to fight the revived Jinchuriki - eh, people like me - with one other person, who was also a Jinchuuriki to a standstill. Or rather I was able to trounce them utterly. My techniques are more powerful in that form too. I'm also able to cross entire battlefields in the blink of an eye as well. So that would be… a thousand yards, I think? Maybe more?."
Father Isaac chuckled warmly. "It would appear that you're capable of far more than you let on, my boy," he said. "It's no wonder you were able to bag so many beauties!"
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "To be completely honest, I didn't 'bag' them, they bagged me." he gave Pamela and Zelda a kiss on the cheek, then, Flora, Ophelia and Luciela a loving kiss on the lips. "I wouldn't change it for anything though," he added, lovingly.
All five women blushed and giggled at that.
"Well, it is certainly impressive, regardless," the elderly priest chuckled. "Keep up the good work, my boy!" He then looked back to the church and hummed. "Well, it's been fun, but there is still much work to do."
"Oh? Anything I can do to help?" Naruto asked. "If you need Bera to renovate it, then don't hesitate to ask."
"No need," Isaac chuckled. "Thank you, though. No, what we need is manpower. With this town's absurd growth rate, we've been having a hard time keeping up. The influx of new worshipers has kept us on our toes, I must say."
"Hmm… I see. Have you tried getting the word out you're hiring help? That could go a long way. Maybe a couple of people here are priests or nuns."
"Most of them are students," Isaac sighed. "I simply cannot train them all. That's where we are most short-staffed. If we can get the word out to Nash or Gatlin, that would be nice, but the roads have been… perilous, as of late."
"Bandits? Yoma?" Naruto immediately asked, all trace of goofiness gone. Anything that threatens the wellbeing of his town will be dealt with.
"A little bit of both," Isaac said grimly. "Nash and Gatlin have been dealing with a bandit horde. Word has it that they used to be several smaller groups, but have banded together upon hearing that entire camps have gotten into the habit of disappearing overnight. There's also rumours of yoma banding together and feeding on travellers along the highways."
Ophelia and Luciela slowly looked at Naruto. Well… he's responsible for one of them. He's been getting them to hunt bandit camps, so it's no wonder they're banding together now. Chances are they were going for safety in numbers. There's also a chance they're going to get the Organization involved if they think it's the work of yoma. But seeing as there are no survivors, no one knows of that… yet.
For all they know, it would be the work of local lords getting their fat asses off their cushions and cleaning house, so to speak.
"I see…" Naruto trailed off.
"What are you thinking, Naruto?" Pamela asked.
"Hmm… I'm thinking of cleaning up after myself," he replied. "I'm the reason those bastards are shivering in their boots, and I'm not going to let those bandits grow any bigger. All it takes is for one person smart enough to organise them into an army, and they will become a bigger threat to this continent than the yoma could ever hope to be."
"Oh! Can I come with when you're going to do that?" Ophelia asked; being what she is, there is no way she is going to miss out on free guts. And there's an entire horde of bandits, just waiting to be eaten? Sign her up!
Naruto chuckled nervously. "Enthusiastic, are we?" He asked.
"I want to go, too," Zelda said, catching everyone by surprise. She sighed. "It's a grim responsibility, but if no one stops those bastards, then it will only be a matter of time before they move to attack Morris, or somewhere else. Also, the yoma are not going to be around forever, and I'm no longer part of the Organization. I might as well get used to protecting the townsfolk from other humans."
"That's a very good point, Zelda. It's nice to see you're thinking ahead of time." Naruto complimented.
She turned beet red at that and nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Naruto."
"Hmm… in that case I want to come too," Pamela said, with a reluctant sigh. "Since I'm living here I might as well get used to protect it from bandits and outlaws. I'll see if I can get some of the others to come with as well."
"Not all of them, we don't exactly have a militia yet." Naruto chuckled. "So, having a few sticking around to protect the town would be best."
"What do you think I am? An idiot?" Pamela asked with a teasing grin and a playful booty slap. "I'm not going to ask everyone to come. That would be stupid. I'm only going to ask a couple that will have trouble fighting normal humans… like Alicia and Beth. Their conditioning will need to be broken, and getting them to come along on this will go a long way to breaking that."
"All 'claymores' are conditioned to not kill humans. No matter what." Zelda told Naruto with a sigh. "if we are being threatened with ****, then short of dismembering them, we are not allowed to kill them. The same goes for humans trying to kill us."
"I see…" Naruto thought that was a fucking stupid law. One that was invalid anyway, since yomas are infected humans. They have no reason to follow that rule since they were breaking it since day bloody one. "In that case pick those who need to break their conditioning. Alicia and Beth are an obvious choice - despite how far they came, they're still… having trouble. This will hopefully help them."
He hoped it would. If not then he'll give them some extra doting to make it up to them. "We could also add a few who still lack experience. Chances are we'll find a few yoma on the way. They'll serve as good practice."
"Right. I'll do that. Later on, though," Zelda told him. She was still helping Father Isaac out after all. And her man wasn't venturing out to take care of those bandits, just yet. "Father Isaac still needs an extra pair of hands or two with renovation."
"Not a problem," Naruto chuckled. "We're heading out in… two or three days sounds reasonable. I'll see what Miria has to say about it."
Zelda, Pamela, and Flora nodded.
"Just let me know when you're heading out," Evianna chirped. "I'd like to join the party, too~!"
"Noted," Naruto replied with a nod. He then looked to the three awakened women by his side and said with a cheerful grin, "Let's keep exploring, no?"
"Of course," Ophelia grinned right back at him.
Naruto nodded and looked to Flora, Pamela and Zelda. "I'll see you girls around. Do try to keep out of trouble though," he said to them jokingly.
"Oh, we will. Don't worry about it." Flora replied.
Then she, Pamella and Zelda waved Naruto goodbye as he led Ophelia, Luciela and Evianna away. Once they were far enough away from the church the blond looked at his awakened companions and asked. "So, where do you girls want to go?"
"I'd like to see what those… friends in the mountains are up to," Evianna said. "Maybe we can convince them to join our cause? I'm sure a few of them have a grudge against the Organization, even without your help."
"I was planning on going to them today, actually," Naruto admitted. "Ophelia wanted to come with, so, going there now is as good a time as any. And if you're good girls while we're there, I'll give you a nice pussy-pounding once we're done~."
All three shuddered happily at that. Evianna was especially eager to know what it was like to be on the receiving end of the dick that dominated the Abyssal Ones of the West and South.
"It's been… quite a while since I got to be your 'Aunt Ophi'~." Ophelia said with a suggestive leer. "You be a good boy, and I may become her once more~." she giggled lewdly.
"Ho ho, keep that up and I'll make you beg for me," Naruto told her, and the elf-eared woman gasped with joy when he cupped her ass through her purple summer dress. He leaned in and nibbled on her earlobe, "God, if we weren't in front of so many people I would bend you over right here in the streets and take you."
Ophelia shuddered happily at that. Unfortunately, there were children present, so Naruto stopped himself from going that far and let go of her, giving her a peck on the cheek as he withdrew.
"Mew, none of that for me?" Luciela asked, pouting childishly like a spoiled child.
Naruto chuckled and gave her a swat on the rear. "Oh, don't worry, I'll give you all the loving you could ever want when we're back home~!" then he leaned in and whispered, "What would you prefer? Me taking you in the form you're in now, in that outfit Cynthia and the others brought for you two years ago in the Elemental Nations? Or… in your awakened form?"
"Ooh~! Decisions, decisions~!" Luciela teased with a longing grin.
Off to the side, Evianna took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, fuck it." Then, she marched on over to Naruto, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him into a deep, smouldering kiss. "Don't forget about me~!" she whispered huskily.
Naruto pulled her into a hug and elicited a pleasured squeak from her as he grabbed the sexy brunette's ass with both hands. "How could I? You're just as gorgeous as this two ~!" he told her with a grin; the blond squeezed the brunettes ass with both hands before letting her go. "Now, before we get completely distracted, we got a couple of guests in the mountains to go visit."
Luciela and Ophelia exchanged looks; they really wanted to have their Naruto-time right now. But, there was a problem in the mountains in the form of awakened beings. They didn't seem to be aggressive, but that can easily change.
"Oh, alright, let's go see to them first," Luciela said with a sigh.
"Alright! Let go, then."
----
Naruto, Ophelia, Evianna and Luciela made their way out of Morris and into the Dragonspire mountains where the yoki was felt. It didn't take long for the little group to find a small gathering of multiple men and women sitting down, overlooking the town and the mountain built citadel. Deciding to troll them a little, Naruto suppressed his yoki until it was non-existent, looked at Ophelia, Luciela and Evianna as he put a finger to his lips.
Then with the skill befitting a ninja of his stature, Naruto snuck his way to the closest person; a young, attractive woman with short, dark brown wavy hair and a dark brown summer dress that went down to her thighs.
He quietly sat down beside her, and as he stared out at his town, Naruto put on the calmest and nonchalant smile the blond ever had. It was the type of expression a person would love to punch. "I don't get what you people see with this view."
The woman nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. As did many others so focused on the town as they were. They all took note of Naruto's appearance and immediately spotted the whisker marks on his cheeks.
Feeling eyes on him, Naruto turned slightly to his left, looking at the dark-haired woman and smirked. "I hope you people are still not planning on devouring Morris." he told her, "I'd hate to kill so many cuties."
"Oh, you relentless, insatiable tease," Luciela chuckled playfully, bringing everyone's attention to her, Ophelia and Evianna. "Just how many women will it take to satisfy that beast in your pants?"
"Oh, hush you." Naruto chuckled, and he looked at her with a grin. "And you ruined the threatening vibe I was trying to give off too."
"I'm pretty sure they feel threatened with you getting this close, without any of them noticing," Ophelia said with a smirk. "I gotta say, I'm impressed~!"
"I may be able to turn into a mountain-sized Nine-Tailed fox, but I was trained to fight in the shadows," Naruto pointed out. "Stealth and fighting dirty, are my specialities, after all."
"Duly noted," the brunette beside him muttered. "While I can't speak for all of us, I was not about to provoke the fabled Ladykiller. I'm not stupid."
"I'm not saying you are. But I would know if any of you were about to attack before you committed to it."
"Oh? And how is that?" One of the two men asked.
"He can sense emotions like fear or malice from far pretty away," Ophelia told him. "You can't even lie to him. It's... kinda scary."
"I'm a living lie detector as well as a WMD.," he said proudly.
"...WMD?" Evianna asked.
"It's short for 'Weapon of Mass Destruction'," Naruto explained to her and at the same time everyone else. He gave the brunette a toothy grin as he said, "I think it applies to me very well, don't you?"
The former Number 2 chuckled awkwardly. "Indeed…"
"You don't seem to be an Awakened Being," another brunette mused. This one had her hair in downward pigtails draped over her shoulders and looked to be about 13 or so. Naruto recognized her as the lazy one who'd been here the longest. "What are you, exactly?"
"I am what is called a 'Jinchuuriki'," Naruto answered her. "Basically, a human with a demon sealed within him. The process is similar to how you were made into 'silver-eyed witches' only, I never turn into an Awakened Being."
A woman with her gold and silver locks in braided loops stared at him oddly. Had she eyebrows, they would have been raised in interest. "I… was unaware such a thing was possible. Is it true what they say, that you are from beyond the sea?"
"Oh yeah, it's completely true," Naruto answered. "Riful of the West can vouch for me - I took her to my homeland two years ago, after all."
"Sounds interesting… I'd like to visit sometime."
"You'd have to be careful, then." Naruto told her, "The warriors back home can give you a run for your Bera."
"It's true." Ophelia said concurringly, "I'm being taught in the ways of his people and the things they can do…" she shuddered, "they can do things you have to see to believe."
That piqued the lazy one's curiosity. "Oh? Can you give an example?"
"Well…" Naruto began, then he gave the loli a grin, "...alright, I can. You heard how Pieta was destroyed by me? My people can do the same, only on a lesser scale, among others-"
Ophelia, feeling impish, started flashing through hand seals and muttered, "Suiton: Amegakure no Jutsu."
On her command, the sky darkened and thunder rolled as it started to rain - pouring like a cow pissing on a flat rock, no less.
"-things and control the weather…" the blond concluded in a deadpan. Then he looked at Ophelia, "I think your chakra control was a bit off, there Ophi. You made the water too thick."
The woman in question shrugged and put her hands in yet another seal, saying, "kai!" Immediately, the rain stopped. "I'm working on it," she said.
"It's very good progress," he added with a nod. "You've improved since last time. If you keep it up, you'll have the ability to make water out of the moisture in the air."
"Very interesting…" the loli muttered. "So… why are you here, out of curiosity?"
"I came to check on everyone here and ask what they were up to," Naruto answered with a shrug.
"Just observing," the brunette from before replied.
"For two years?" Naruto asked, giving her a flat look. "Either you have the patience of a saint, or you're planning something."
"Not all of us have been here that long," the loli added nonchalantly. "I've been, but it's not like I had anything better to do. I was just curious."
"You stayed here for two years because you were curious?" he asked, in a flat tone. Then Naruto sighed and shrugged.
"Again," she replied. "I had nothing better to do. You'd have to ask the others what they've been up to. I can't speak for them."
"Well, I personally know that an Awakened Being is heading here to live in Morris." Naruto pointed out. "A guy called Chronos. He said an old friend of his was making his way here."
The man from before spoke up. "That would be me," he said. The man had silver hair slicked back. He was decked out in a red tunic with white trousers and a black sash. "My name is Lars. I just got here and thought there was a waiting list or something upon seeing the number of Awakened Beings sitting around, so I popped a squat and waited for someone to arrive."
Luciela chuckled, "There is no waiting list. We were just waiting for you all to come out of the mountain."
The woman with the hair loops chuckled. "Well, that makes me feel a bit sheepish. I've been here for a month."
"To be fair, I thought you were here for so long because you were scared to come out," Naruto said sheepishly. "Then again, given my reputation, I probably should have seen that coming a mile away," he added with a chuckle.
"By the way, when's the next 'meat shipment'?" Ophelia asked.
"Ophelia, you are among your own people, you can say it properly." Naruto reminded her.
The woman chuckled, "Alright. When is the fresh batch of innards for us to eat coming?"
That caught the group's attention.
"Tomorrow, I believe. It's a bigger shipment this time around; and from what I gathered, most of them are live criminals, too."
"Sounds delicious~!" Ophelia giggled.
"I can't help but find it odd that someone is knowingly feeding us his own kind," Evianna muttered thoughtfully.
"As I said, they're criminals," Naruto replied with a shrug. "Iwagakure, Kumogakure and Kirigakure want to help, and they're not asking questions. Not to mention, most of them are traitors, rapists, and the like. They deserve what they're getting."
"Aren't you a traitor?" Ophelia asked.
Naruto sighed and shook his head. "No. I was forced to retire, and because I was no longer a soldier, they could not brand me a traitor for leaving despite me being a jinchuuriki. It's a nice little loophole. If anything, the ones who tried to hunt me down were committing a crime by assaulting someone who did nothing wrong."
"Fair enough," the former Number 4 replied with a shrug.
"So, you're on the run, then?" the loli asked, cocking her head to the side.
Luciela scoffed "On the run? From what Naruto told me, no one back on his continent wants to fuck with him… not anymore, at least. The few who did have been dealt with."
"I have a lot of friends in high places," Naruto boasted. "The Kages back home are like mayors with the military rank of a king. And strength wise, they're on par with the Abyssal Ones. You piss one-off and they'll make you wish you were never born."
"And from what Riful said, Naruto is considered an unofficial Kage, himself," Luciela added.
"He also has a former Kage living in the citadel too," Evianna told them.
"I see," Lars muttered. "So… are there any requirements I should know about to live in Morris?"
"Don't eat the locals for one." the ginger said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Don't cause trouble," Ophelia added.
"Don't transform into your awakened form in public," Naruto said afterwards. "We don't want you to cause a panic. Pretty much just the obvious stuff. Don't pick a fight with anyone. either. While you're at it, getting a job and helping out would be appreciated."
"I've picked up a skill or two, over the years," Lars said with a shrug. "I'll see what I can do."
"...what about partial awakening?" the woman sitting next to him asked.
"...hmm… again, not in public," Naruto said, "unless you're protecting the town from bandits or the Organization. Then, you can go all out. I'll see if we can cook up some excuse to cover your asses, in that event."
"Everyone in Morris is aware of you being able to transform into a mountain-sized fox." Evianna pointed out. "If they don't think you're a threat, then chances are the townsfolk won't consider them a threat either, if you vouch for them."
Naruto nodded. "Alright, I will vouch for them… so long as they're willing to live by my rules. I'm pretty lenient, though. Just don't cause any trouble with the locals, and we're good."
"Not to mention you get free food almost weekly," Ophelia added with a grin. "He's trying to find a way to grow us innards to eat, and that's pretty close to becoming a reality."
"Tsunade's the one trying to do that," Naruto pointed out with a chuckle. "Medical techniques are not my speciality. But she said she needs a month or two for that to happen. But if she can grow me a new arm, then she can grow you some food." He then looked to the other Awakened beings and asked, "Can I have your names? I'm Naruto Uzumaki. These three are Ophelia, Evianna, and I'm sure you're familiar with Luciela."
The one with the hair loops spoke first. "I am Joy, a former Number 7 from a few generations back - better known as Joy the Jolly, because I tended to very much enjoy being a warrior, back in the day."
Naruto turned to her as she spoke and took in her appearance. She wore an ornate, golden necklace, a white, low-cut dress that reached down to her knees with frilly sleeves, and a pair of strappy, brown sandals.
The loli from before followed suit. "My name's Europa, former Number 3," she said. "I don't remember how long ago my generation was."
A buff, red-haired man with gold eyes a white bandanna stepped forward. He wore a red vest and black trousers with a hoop earring in one ear. "My name is Gwyn," he said, "Former Number 9 of Isley's generation."
The brunette beside him spoke up soon after. "My name is Jessica, former Number 5 of Heavy-Bladed Chloe's generation."
Following her was a woman with white, silky hair and violet eyes. Her hair was done up in pigtails and she was decked out in an elegant dress with strappy sandals. "I am Glynda, former Number 2 of Riful's generation."
Luciela cocked her head and asked, "wouldn't that make you a former Number One?"
Glynda shook her head. "When she awakened, Riful was chased off by a trainee named Sistina. She's the one who took her place. I awakened soon after, for unrelated reasons."
The redheaded Abyssal nodded. That made sense.
Naruto decided to store that information away for later. If the Organization was reviving dead warriors to go after him, as he suspected, then the one who ran Riful of the West off sounded like a good candidate. Maybe he could ask Miria if she knew anything about this Sistina chick?
Clearing her throat, another brunette spoke up. This one had bristly, shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, and no eyebrows. She was decked out in a simple, sleeveless black dress. This chick was also notably buff. "My named is Nox, former Number 4 of Rosemary the Red's Generation. Your warrior friends might know me as the Borderland Stalker."
Naruto looked owlishly at Nox. "The Border- that sounds like an insult." he pointed out to her, "Why'd they call you that?" he hoped that was an insulting nickname and not because she's an actual stalker.
"The borderlands were my favourite hunting grounds before I came here," she explained. "I prefer to work smarter and not harder, and I'm very good at concealing my yoki, so I tended to stalk and observe my prey or those hunting me before I struck."
"Oh, that makes a lot more sense. Out of context, it made you sound like you had an unhealthy obsession with stalking people." Naruto said; well, that is one less stalker stalking after him; he's had plenty of them after he became a 'hero', so he's pretty happy that he doesn't have one in that fashion. Though that doesn't stop him from worrying about her being able to stalk people and hybrids without them knowing.
Nox couldn't help but chuckle at that.
Soon after, a shapely redhead with wavy hair and no eyebrows sauntered on up with a grin, before introducing herself. She was decked out in a black and red halter dress and nothing else, as shown by a mountain breeze. "I am Agatha," she said. "Former Number 2 of Teresa's Generation. Like Rosemary, I awakened soon after she became Number 1, though… I'm also still alive because I wasn't dumb enough to provoke Teresa of the Faint Smile, of all people."
Naruto could feel the exasperation coming from the woman when she said that. "Rocky history, I take it?"
"Rosemary the Red was an arrogant, jealous bitch who simply couldn't bear the thought of losing her rank," Agatha replied with a shrug. "Insufferable woman, that one. She frankly needed the ass-whooping, if you ask me."
That description reminded Naruto very much of Sasuke, now that he thought about it.
"Huh, this Rosemary reminds me of someone I know." he said musingly, "Took me three years, several near deaths, an actual death, and the loss of my right arm to pull his head out of his ass."
"Well… let it never be said that you're not persistent," Agatha muttered.
"You're a hell of a lot more patient than I am, I'll give you that," Europa added.
The blond shrugged. "I was keeping a promise I made to someone… now that I think about it, it was both one of the worst and best decisions I've ever made. The arrogant prick had an inferiority and superiority complex. The bastard couldn't stand the thought of people being better than him, and he liked to think he was better than everyone else. He pretty much lost his mind when he saw I, the worst of my generation, was becoming stronger than him, the strongest. In other words, he would have been Number 1 and I would have been Number 47."
Off to the side, a blonde with braids in her long, flowing locks giggled. "Well, I'm glad you resolved that issue, in the end," she said.
Naruto turned to the woman and noted that she was garbed in an elegant, pink and yellow dress and seemed to be one of the stronger people here.
"My name is Octavia," she said. "Former Number 2 of Lutecia Universal's generation."
"Another Number 1, I take it?" Naruto asked her. "Why was she called the Universal, out of curiosity?"
"She was good at everything," Octavia explained. "A jack of all trades, if you will, and a nightmare to fight - good at yoki-sensory, swordsmanship, and hand-to-hand, despite being a defensive type."
"Oh? What happened to her?"
Octavia shrugged. "She let it get to her head, in the end, I hear, and was killed by Isley after picking a fight with him. Can't say for sure how true that is though. It allegedly happened a month or so after I awakened."
"Jack-of-all-trades…" he mused thoughtfully. "Hmm… if my suspicions are correct, we might be seeing her again."
Octavia blinked. "Oh? How is that possible?"
"The Organization is getting pretty desperate, and someone in Morris has the flesh and blood of a Number 1 spliced into her: Teresa of the Faint Smile. Thing is, Teresa is aware of what's going on, and thanks to her connection to that warrior, we can communicate with her. The woman told me she found herself in a room, being shocked. Before that I had to break a tether that was trying to pull her soul away; and it was very similar to a technique I am very familiar with: a resurrection technique."
Octavia grew wide-eyed as did many others. "A... a resurrection? Are you sure?"
"Teresa not being in the girl she bonded with, and waking up in some room, being shocked by electricity? And before that, she was having her soul being torn away? Someone is trying to bring her back to life. And I'm betting it's the organization."
"It sounds as if they're trying to bring back some of their best warriors," Lars said deductively.
"They probably are," Naruto told him with a shrug. "I do know the Organization is pretty ticked off at me. And with the dirt I got on them, knowing what they did, the Organization trying to revive some warriors of Lutecia's calibre sounds like something they'd do."
The person who spoke next was a woman with short and spiky blonde hair, that reached to her jawline. She's decked out in a sleeveless dark grey dress that reaches below her knees.
"I am Tammy, I was Number 5. I can't remember what generation I was from." Tammy introduced herself with a reserved, but polite nod.
The woman who spoke after her was a dirty-blonde with brown, almond eyes; her bristly locks were parted in the middle and reach down her chin. Her outfit is a red, robe-like jerkin with a short skirt.
"I am Cinder, but most people know me as Cinder the Cynical. Mostly because I don't trust that easily… but, something about you makes me want to trust you." the dirty blonde was… confused, and perplexed at the same time.
"It happens, don't think too much about it," Ophelia told her with a shrug.
The last one to introduce herself was a shapely woman with wavy, dull-blonde, shoulder-length hair and slightly pointed ears. She is decked out in a dark blue, sleeveless dress with slits running up to the hips and a golden sash, and her eyes are a light, bluish purple.
"I'm Elda," she said, with a small smile and a greeting nod. "I was Number 6 of Teresa's Generation."
"Oh, like Betty?"
She blinked owlishly. "You know Betty? I became Number 5 when she went missing. I later became Number 6 due to… someone else taking the late Irene's rank of Number 2 and awakened around a week later? It has been a long time so I am not too sure."
"Betty is in Morris, actually… so is Irene." Naruto pointed out to her shock. "Turns out Irene survived that encounter with Priscilla - who is also in Morris," he added, throwing her into even more shock.
"Wha-what?!" Elda shrieked, "I felt how much yoki that one had when she awakened! How the hell did you manage to subdue her?!"
"She transformed and wanted to fuck me, so the demon inside me - who was actually very worried about my well being - told me to fuck her. So I did." he flatly replied. He then shrugged. "She's also hot as all hell, so who was I to argue?"
There was a long, awkward silence, and then, Luciela couldn't help but let out a snicker. "You are both the luckiest and unluckiest sap I've ever met, honey."
"No argument there," Naruto replied with a sheepish chuckle. "Riful kept fucking me for nearly an entire week, non-stop, when I met her. You sought me out and teamed up on me with your sister, and don't get me started on some of the other girls. They're just as insatiable and needy. Just… thank god for Kage Bunshin, is all I can say. If it weren't for that technique, I'd be up shit creek without a paddle." then he began to rock back and forth agitatedly as a very possible scenario played out in his mind had he not learned that technique so long ago. "So… many… irritated and horny women… seeking me out wherever I go…." he said hauntingly.
"More than I need to know," Lars said with a hearty chuckle. "So… I take it we're welcome in town, then. Where are the best in? I have some bera on me."
"Yeah, you're all welcome in town. As for the best in - it's the Bearded Clam, at least that is what the locals are saying."
"Sounds like a whore house," Cinder muttered.
"It's right next to a chapel attributed to the Goddesses of Love so take that as you will, I guess," Naruto said with a shrug. "If you're not up for going to the inn, we have a lot of empty rooms and a winery in the citadel, fully stocked too. I'm perfectly willing to let you stay there if you want to. Just don't try anything funny. Priscilla and Riful will kill you without hesitation if they think you're being suspicious."
"As will I," Luciela chirped.
"The only person who can calm them down is Naruto himself," Ophelia told them, jerking her thumb at the said blond. "So if you play nice, and keep yourself out of trouble, then you won't get several pissed off, and homicidal women trying to murder your ass brutally."
Naruto smiled when he noted that the group didn't seem to have a problem with such an arrangement. "Alright," he chirped. "Let's get you all introduced and settled in, eh?"
They didn't have a problem with that and they got up on their feet and followed the blond, Luciela, Ophelia and Evianna down the mountain. Several minutes later and a thought occurred to a certain former Number 4.
"Say…" Ophelia began, looking at her husband with curiosity. "...are you going to train them to fight as you do as well?"
"Only if they want to join our cause," Naruto said with a shrug. "After catching them up to what we all know, I'll give them time to think about it. After that, it's all on them if they want to join in or not.
----
Back in Staff, several hours later, Rosemary brooded in a corner as she glared suspiciously at Neideen out the corner of her eye. Something about that woman's yoki was far too familiar for her liking…
The one-eyed woman in question was busy fondling and harassing a hapless Cassandra, her friend having been called to Dae's lab as his assistant. "You and that girl made such an adorable couple~!" the former Number 9 cooed, licking a pointed ear as she fondled the nice pair of tits. "You should fuck her~!"
"We've been o-over this, she d-doesn't swing that way~!" She squeaked that word as Neideen pinched her nipples through the top she wore. "B-besides, we both know you're only saying that because you want to watch!"
"Who wouldn't? You two have such nice bodies~!"
"Will you stop it?!" Cassandra hissed.
"IN THE FUTURE, MANKIND WILL INVENT A SMALL DEVICE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO VIEW ANY AND ALL INFORMATION EVER KNOWN, AND USE IT TO SHOW OTHERS THEIR GENITALS!"
Cassandra snapped her eyes to the woman who'd yelled that. Her eyes were wide with irritation. "And YOU be quiet!!!" she nearly shouted at the entranced Sistina.
Said woman plopped back down upon her bed, happily snoozing away.
"I find her amusing," Neideen giggled. "Oh, the amount of detail she went into on our defeat by the Ladykiller, oooh, gave me many pleasant dreams~!"
"Of course you would find that pleasant, you damn pervert!" Cassandra hissed, before forcing Neideen's hands away from her breasts. "And quit groping me, damnit!"
"Killjoy," she giggled. Then, Neideen sauntered off, giving Cassandra a playful swat on the booty as she passed by. "I'll be checking up with the elders to see if any new information's come out about him." she turned to Roxanne, grinning suggestively. "You wanna come with me~?"
"No," she grunted, "I mean that in every way imaginable."
Neideen giggled and shrugged, before leaving the room. "Maybe I can convince Chloe, Licht or Lutecia… so many choices~!"
Roxanne sighed heavily when Neideen was out of earshot. Then, she turned to Cassandra. "Was she always like that?" the woman remembered Neideen, and she knew the woman was not this… lustful. Nor was she that strong.
"She wasn't always able to do that, so whatever gave her that power boost made her worse... a thousand times worse," Cassandra muttered, straightening up her outfit. "She was only Number 9 when she died… now, I'm afraid she's stronger than anyone else here."
In the corner, Rosemary growled, not liking the sound of that one fucking bit. Hysteria shared her sentiment.
"The one of elegance shall be bested without effort by the warrior with flames of gold," Sistina muttered in her sleep. "Not even able to see him move before she is defeated, the one coated in red shall fall soon after, defeated by the Eater of Dust and her dance reviled. Thus all three shall be impaled upon his mighty spear and become his wives and bear him five sons and three daughters."
Cassandra shuddered as she rubbed her thighs together, the more Sistina kept saying that the more anticipation and dread she felt.
Rosemary and Hysteria scowled, wanting so badly to kick the Divine Oracle for what she was saying. They were the best damn warriors of their respective generations and they were not going to be defeated as easily as Sistina claimed, by some shit-tier asshole with a lousy-ass nickname!
But Sistina wasn't finished there; not by a long shot. The sleeptalking woman continued where she left off a few seconds later. "Ignorance he has grown up with. The loneliness he has experienced. The hatred he has endured. The one of elegance shall be understood by the warrior of gold hair and whiskers of a fox."
The corners of Hysteria's lips curved down, a thoughtful frown was on her beautiful heart-shaped face; the woman looked at the ground in thought. While this Naruto, this 'Ladykiller' maybe some shit-tier asshole, she had to admit he sounded… similar to her, in some ways. She hated being ignored more than anything. And from the sounds of it, this person the Organization is having such a rage boner for, has grown up with being alone, ignored and hated.
The sleeping Sistina kept on talking even as Hysteria thought on her words. "Weak he was seen. Useless he was regarded. A burden many have seen him be. The one in red shall too be understood by the warrior of gold hair and whiskers of a fox."
Rosemary scowled at that, though, that very scowl slowly turned to a pondering frown as she thought about it. This person was seen as… weak.... useless and a... burden? How can someone as strong as he, be viewed as those… demeaning things? Such a question begs to be answered!
Rosemary gave the closed-eyed Sistina a narrowed glare and asked loudly enough for her to hear, "...Was the Ladykiller always this strong?"
"The Uzumaki, weakest of all, he once was. Had the power of Number One, he did, but not the training to use it. Even weaker than Number 47 he was over a decade ago." Sistina muttered in her sleep. She groaned and turned on her side, unaware of her compatriots listening to her talking about Naruto's past in complete and total surprise. "Blood, sweat and tears, he shed to be the strongest, to be the Number One. Never going back on his word, never giving up despite the odds that tell him to do. Many challenges he faced. Many trails of breaking wills he has undertaken for the sake of those he loves. He endured. He thrived. He grew. Thus, it came to pass that he is the strongest of all."
That… struck a chord with Rosemary. Perhaps Sistina was right about her coming to understand him?
"Why... does he oppose us?" she asked. "What are his reasons for his campaign?"
"Oppose us, warriors, he does not," Sistina muttered in response. "One of the Phantom requested his aid in exchange for becoming his slave in the town of the mighty river. Refused he did, and merely asked why. Hearing her out, all her reasons and suspicions, and including the Organization sending two of his beloved ones to their certain deaths in the frozen lands, he made many more beloved ones there - one of which, he had lost… during the second conflict. He agreed to come to her aid."
"So he wants revenge for his beloved…?" Rosemary muttered in confusion. "The Organization should not have been able to send… Wait, he was in love with warriors?"
"Warriors of new and old are his beloved. Sent a hunting party they did to kill the one of the God Eye. Another of his beloved and one of the first. Another reason for the Uzumaki to oppose the men cloaked in black. They were beaten soundly, and two were impaled upon his mighty spear soon after and much later became his wives. Twins of Black bore him one son and one daughter. Helping Twins of Black, break from conditioning, he is."
"Does the Lady- eh… Does the Uzumaki force himself on warriors?" Cassandra asked, correcting herself a quarter of a way through.
"He flirts and teases, but does not seek out those who show no interest. Only those who do, are impaled on his mighty spear. Some become his wives, others become friends for copulating." Sistina murmured in response.
In the distance, Cassandra swore she heard Neideen laughing her ass off at 'friends for copulating', but figured it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.
"...Do we actually have to fight him?" Hysteria asked; after hearing all that she didn't have the will to fight the guy, and they haven't even met him yet!
"IN THE FUTURE," Sistinta shouted, startling the living fuck out of everyone in the room, at the suddenness of it, "A CARTOON SERIES ABOUT MAGIC HORSIES MADE FOR GIRLS SHALL BE LOVED BY GROWN MEN WHO LIVE IN THEIR MOTHERS' BASEMENTS!"
"THE FUCK IS A CARTOON?!" Chloe yelled from another room.
"NO ONE CARES, GO BACK TO SLEEP!" Licht hollered back.
