7

0.0

Naruto bucked forward before an arm was slung around his shoulders.

Busk stepped up beside him, grinning. "Ah, many a days have I stared at this request board like you, but a tip for a newbie: staring won't make it better."

He shrugged off the offending arm. "It's not so bad. There are some jobs that are pretty decent this week," he said, frowning as he eyed a particular request about a low-level monster encounter. Remembering the calamity of their last monster encounter in Diligeon, he mentally crossed it off.

Wasn't there something easier to do around here?

"So... I heard about that mission you did with Wendy."

It was obvious that Busk was hoping to get a reaction out of him. The black-haired mage had been away for the majority of the week, so it wasn't much of a surprise that he had just heard about it. Whatever Busk was getting up to during his time away, Naruto didn't know. Even Grognak was unusually tight-lipped about it. Then again, it was the same with some of the guild members he had conversed with.

Naruto didn't want to say anything about it yet, thinking that they were still a bit wary around him, even though he had been a member of their guild just shy of three weeks.

Then again, they were a guild full of recluses, and people rarely came to their neck of the woods. Maybe they were still warming up to him.

Busk chuckled, clapping him on the back. "Mah, at least she's all right now." The man took out a sheet of paper and offered it to him. "Listen, I heard you were looking for easier missions to take on. You want to take this off my hands? It's a no-brainer, and I thought this might help tide you over for a while—Jewel-wise."

After the fiasco of their previous mission, he had opted to take a few easier jobs to ease his new team in. He didn't want anything particularly hard or dangerous, just simple requests that the more experienced or glory-hounding mages from the other guilds wouldn't touch due to their low reward. Sadly, such requests were uncommon.

Naruto skimmed through the request, his studies in their language already advanced enough to catch the gist of it. His brows furrowed together as he levelled a sceptical look at Busk.

"You want to do this mission with me?"

"Yeah, right! You already have your own team. Go do it with them. I got my own stuff to do." With that, Busk walked off towards the entrance, waving a hand over his shoulder. "Take good care of them, Naruto."

Naruto stared at the man's back.

This was the most cordial Busk had ever been since he first joined the guild. Honestly, it was just so hard to predict how these people would act. For the better part of this week, they had shirked away when he invited them to a round of friendly sparring. It further compounded his paranoia that they viewed him as an outsider; accepted yet held at a distance.

He remembered how they purportedly kept their gaze away from his after their fiasco of a first mission. The overbearingly negative atmosphere after re-entering the guild hall when they finished reporting to Chief Roubaul was palpable. They had put the responsibility of the duo's safety in his hands and he had failed them.

Naruto sighed, banishing the depressing thoughts from his mind.

Oh well, a mission was a mission.

0.0

It was a quaint homecoming that seemed ideal in his eyes.

Martha placed what looked like some odd variant of a noodle dish, which she had proudly proclaimed to be her speciality, in front of him, Wendy and an even smaller plate for Carla.

Martha had called it fusilli pasta.

Naruto smiled, picking up his utensils as the table of three expressed their gratitude to the kind woman. After all, Martha had even given them a place to crash for the night in her own home; it would be rude not to be grateful.

By a sheer stroke of luck, the request Busk had offered him was to deliver a shipment of perishable goods to the town of Camoa. The reward wasn't much. He had toyed with the idea of using his clones to do the delivery just to make a quick buck from it, but Wendy was against it. She wanted the opportunity to explore the other towns in the area.

The mission was dull by nature, and they wiled the hours during the journey to Camoa just talking among the three of them. For a while, it was like being back in Konoha again with his old team, going through the motions when they first started taking D-Rank missions. Naruto never imagined that he'd come around to this point again so soon in his life—a full circle. It brought a melancholic look to his eyes as he mechanically stuffed the thick corkscrew-like noodles into his mouth.

"So," Martha said, taking a seat next to him as she sipped the tea in her hands. "How is it?"

"This is great!" he said brightly. "It's definitely different from ramen."

Naruto glanced around the table. Wendy certainly seemed like she was enjoying it. Meanwhile, Carla pushed the noodles around her plate, taking only the occasional bites. Despite her attitude towards the offending creature, Naruto knew that she had an affinity for fish entrées.

Martha followed his gaze, regarding Carla with a bemused smile. "You don't have to force yourself, Carla. I can cook you something else if it's not to your liking."

Her remark startled the small cat. Backpedalling, Carla's cheeks flushed red. "No, this is fine. It's... just not something I'm used to eating. Please don't trouble yourself on my account." To prove her statement, she took a large bite from her plate.

The barmaid laughed. "How about you, Wendy? Do you like it?"

"Yes! Pepel never cooked something like this before."

"Why, thank you, sweetie," Martha said as she turned her curious gaze back at him. "I see a lot has happened in that brief time you were away. Care to explain?"

"What's to explain? I joined a guild, stopped some bad guys. Normal stuff, I suppose."

"I see..." Martha nodded towards his companions. "And along the way, you just happen to adopt a young girl and her cat?" She eyed him appraisingly. " How chivalrous of you, Naruto. I bet girls are just throwing themselves at you."

Naruto choked, thumping his chest to dislodge the offending corkscrew noodle. Across from him, Carla had a similar reaction.

"Do you know whether he has a girlfriend, sweetie?" Martha asked Wendy. "Has he ever brought you around to meet anyone? Someone pretty? Or someone older than him maybe?"

"W-Well, there was Yue-san... and big sis Minori?"

"Two? At once?"

"It's nothing like that!" Naruto spluttered. "They're my friends!"

Martha waved her hand glibly. "It's a just joke, hun. Although... Are you interested in either of them? They both sound like a catch. I'm sure I can help you with that."

"No!"

"Fair enough, we can talk about your love life another time. Now... what brings you back to our lazy little town?"

"Nothing much," Naruto said, rubbing his reddened cheeks. "Just a delivery request to some merchants in town. What's been happening around here lately?"

It was strange.

When Naruto first arrived in Camoa with his team, the town was a little less lively than it had been. The townsfolk were brusque, often rushing past one another on the streets as they hurried on with their business. He had a gut feeling that something was off in town again.

Her features tightened, confirming his suspicions.

"Nothing much," Martha said. "Same old, same old."

"Hmm, that's nice," he said distractedly as he ate, resisting the urge to frown. What could be so important that the barmaid couldn't say it in front of the others?

0.0

Naruto's clone scowled as he rushed through the forest. The dim moonlight seeped through the thick canopy, barely lighting the area with its unearthly glow. He glanced around, his distinct blue eyes glinting in the cover of darkness.

It had to be around here somewhere.

What Martha told him was troubling. The sudden appearance of a mysterious man in Camoa had made the townspeople anxious. While it was not uncommon for the occasional travelling mage to ask about the recent destruction of the forest near their town, it was this man's unhealthy fascination with the incident that stuck in their minds the most. Soon, it was clear that he was not here for their town's only standing mission request. The man was unhinged, his actions bordering on manic in the brief time that he had spent in town.

The townspeople had been wary of travellers ever since.

The boss had opted to remain back at Martha's house for fear that his disappearance would be noticed, sending him in place to uncover more information about the sightings of this strange man.

As the clone lengthened his strides, the trees began to thin out. The sight of the destruction which he had wreaked upon the forest came into view just a few hundred metres away. Naruto couldn't help but grimace as he stared at his handiwork in revulsion. As if mocking him, the large crater seemed bigger in his eyes.

It appeared that the townspeople had stopped by, judging by how clean the area was compared to the initial chaos. The felled trees were no longer strewn around the clearing, instead they had been chopped down, sorted into smaller logs and stacked neatly to one side.

A sudden rush of adrenaline flooded his system. Naruto snapped towards the soft rustle of leaves behind him.

A figure emerged from the shadows of the forest, his features covered by the tip of his black derby hat. The stranger chuckled, dusting off an imaginary speckle of dirt from his well-worn and tattered collared shirt—not that it made a difference. The original white of the man's outfit had been stained a soft yellow and his chequered suspenders had faint splotches of red.

Naruto knew it was blood.

The clone took a step back as the man closed in, maintaining a fixed distance just in case he suddenly turned hostile. If the rumours about the stranger was anything to go by, he was as unbalanced as they came. If it came down to a fight, Naruto doubted that a single clone like himself could manage.

"It appears that my patience has paid off."

The man took his hat and cradled it against his chest, flourishing his hand as he bowed. As he ended his bow, his features were finally visible. His red irises stood out in contrast to the green of his hair, and drew attention to the odd sun-like tattoo around his right eye.

The stranger began to slowly circle around the clearing.

"Might," he said. There was an odd accent to his voice. "I have your name, young man?"

Naruto remained silent, raising his guard as his fingers inched to the kunai holster on his leg.

The man tutted under his breath as he shook his head, quivering. He stopped short, stomping down on the ground suddenly. His nervous tic intensified. "It. Is. Impolite," he gnashed out. "For a child to disrespect your elders!"

Alarmed, Naruto slipped into a defensive stance, a kunai already in his hand. He waited for the man to make the first move, but slowly the twitches subsided.

The man slapped his cheeks and held his hands there, twisting his head left and right as if he was screwing in a nail. He then held his hand up. "I apologise for my outburst. Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. My name is... Stange." He tilted his head and nodded genially in greeting.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked.

Stange smiled ruefully. "What do I want? Silly boy. I already told you what I want. I want your name."

The clone grimaced, deciding whether it was prudent to give it away. As unhinged as Stange appeared to be, Naruto had an inkling that there was much more to him than just a random, wandering lunatic. A foreboding feeling swelled in his chest. No... There was something else, something bigger in place, lurking in the shadows.

There always was.

"Naruto," he said after a lengthy pause.

Stange laughed, saying, "It is never easy dealing with one so young, so hotheaded. I am glad that you understand that there is a give and take in every situation. Information goes both ways."

Stange gestured at Naruto with his hand. "You are understandably eager to learn my reason for being here, and I, myself, am interested as to why someone else would come here in the dead of night. A strange excursion for anyone, you see. It makes you seem suspicious. Why don't we take turns?"

He turned to examine the crater in the middle of the clearing.

"I assume you are the one responsible for this?"

Naruto remained silent, but guessing from the knowing glint in the stranger's eyes, he didn't have to say it out loud to admit his guilt.

"Impressive... An incredible feat considering how young you are." Stange smiled at the devastation around him, then inclined his head. "Your question then?"

Naruto set his lips in a thin line.

Stange... unsettled him. He couldn't get a read on what the man would do next, but one thing was certain. There was much to be gained if he could discover the reason behind about Stange's sudden appearance.

"Someone sent you here for a reason... Why?"

Stange wiggled his forefinger, as if he was scolding a small child. "I sense two questions there, Naruto-san. That's against the rules, but to answer your question: a troubling matter was brought to my attention, and I am here merely to understand."

"Understand? That doesn't answer my—"

The stranger sliced his hand in the air, demanding silence. The clone could have sworn that even the backdrop of cricket chirps in the forest stopped momentarily. "My turn if you please," Stange said. He gestured behind him at the devastation he had wrought. "Just however did you manage to do this?"

Naruto blinked, finding himself smiling as the thought came to him. Two could play that game.

"Magic."

Stange's lips curled back in vexation. "You really are a child. Just know your petulance will only end up hindering yourself."

Naruto ignored the slight. "You said you were here to understand. What do you mean?"

"It is exactly what it means. Just because this has been brought to my attention doesn't make you special in my eyes. All there is to show from the destruction around you is that you are merely a powerful mage and..." Stange stopped and laughed. "You obviously have anger issues."

Naruto tried to rebut, but Stange continued, "I saw the way you looked at all this—how much it repulses you. You are a very easy person to read, Naruto-san. As I said, do not be mistaken. You are still merely a fish in a very large pond."

Naruto let loose a quiet breath.

Stange's presence here wasn't related to his recent inter-dimensional switch. He didn't know whether he should be glad or disappointed that he couldn't find out more about his dilemma. At least, he wouldn't draw that much attention on him if that had been exp—

"Granted, this would be an entirely new pond for you, no?"

His eyes widened a fraction. "W-What?"

Stange smiled, triumphant. "We recorded an anomaly in this region some time before your... untimely outburst. It is far too much of a coincidence that you would happen to be here now as well. Have you adjusted well to this world, Naruto-san?"

Naruto was clenching his fists tight, his body quivering in barely suppressed emotion. "Who sent you?!" he asked. "What the hell do you know about me?!"

"Perhaps," Stange said, sighing. "You aren't as invested in this conversation as I am. You've ignored all the rules to our little game."

"This isn't a damn game!"

"You are clearly under the impression that I work for some nefarious side that is hell bent on you—I do not. Personally, I could care less about you. I am simply a cog in a large wheel that wishes to keep their best interests at heart. I can tell you that whatever assumptions you may have about the people I work for are most likely unfounded. But I suppose, we do like to keep an eye out for the occasional troublemakers that come our way."

"And I'm one of them?" Naruto asked, and found himself the recipient of an unreadable look.

"Only if you choose to be."

Stange tsked. He pulled one of his sleeves back as if he was checking his watch, but there wasn't anything on his wrist. "How dreadful. I'm running late." He spared Naruto another lazy glance. "I grow weary of our mundane discussion. There is nothing left for me to learn here."

"Wait!" Naruto said. "What do you know about where I'm from? How do I get back?"

"Won't you be happier here, Naruto-san? No? Then perhaps you should learn to. You will find that Earthland is much better than Edolas, even if you don't possess magic. You are hardly the only soul who has managed the improbable by coming here." Stange looked back towards the clearing. "It seems your magical artefacts will more than suffice in this world. Although I'd advise you to avoid your doppelgänger. It would do more harm than good."

"Edolas?! Fuck, what the hell was all that?! I don't understand what any of that meant!"

Stange raised an eyebrow. "Are you not from Edolas?"

"No! I'm from Konoha!"

The man fingered his chin, murmuring, "Interesting... Konoha, you say? I don't believe I've heard of it. You might just turn out to be a troublemaker, child." He looked at his imaginary watch and scowled. "Look at the time. I really must be going."

"Don't just run off, asshole!"

The man knew much more than he was telling. He had to stop Stange from leaving, even if by force. He threw himself forward, but suddenly found himself thrown out of equilibrium as he collapsed to his knees.

What the hell?

His vision was spinning, and Naruto clenched his eyes shut as he was overwhelmed by the sudden bout of vertigo. He fought back the urge to vomit, gritting his teeth. Forcing his eyes to open, he saw that his world was now a shocking shade of pink—from the earthly colours of the forest to the far-flung reaches of the night sky. His limbs were growing heavier to the point that he couldn't even force himself to move.

Was this an illusion?

Fuck, he was slipping again. Too reckless. Too fucking naive.

"Stange!" the clone managed to grit out.

Stange requipped a wooden cane. "Don't worry, the effects are only temporary."

He quickly tapped the butt on the ground twice. A small, dazzling array of colours surrounded the earth he was standing upon. The colours exploded outwards, wrapping tendrils around Stange from head to toe. The magic tightened around him, contorting his body unnaturally, as if all the bones in his body had been removed. His lips were the only part left untouched as the man spoke:

"Farewell, Naruto-san."

With that, the swirling colours tightened even further as his body began to compress into the form of a small sphere. With a resounding pop that echoed around the clearing, the sphere shattered in a display of multi-coloured sparks, slowly drifting in the air and disappearing just before they touched the barren ground.

The clone gasped.

"Dammit!"

He had been so close.

What the hell was he supposed to do now?

0.0

Naruto blinked as the sudden rush of information flooded his mind. With a small shake of the head, he bolted up from the couch Martha had laid out for him, gnashing his teeth in frustration. His encounter with the stranger, which Naruto suspected would not be the only one, replayed in his head. Despite this, he knew there was no point in remaining agitated when the chief transgressor had already left.

He let out a few calming breaths to ease his frayed nerves.

Naruto glanced around the empty living room, then at the door to the guest room where Wendy and Carla had bunked in. He sighed before stepping out of the barmaid's home and onto the sparsely-decorated porch. The lush, trimmed grass of her front yard overlooked a small cluster of trees, just off at the edge of the town.

It was the last thing he needed right now; the possibility of another would-be enemy in the guise of the mysterious man's unknown organisation.

Naruto was conflicted. He would have to lay low to avoid detection. It wouldn't be right if he roped in Wendy and Carla into his troubles, but he couldn't just let it be either. Stange was sure to know something. There was no way he wouldn't follow up on such a potent lead.

As much as he hated it, there was only one being who could help guide him into deciding what he had to do next. Naruto palmed his head in his hands as he plopped down on the swinging seat on Martha's porch, rocking back and forth as he tried to get into the right frame of mind for his next encounter.

With a final breath, he entered.

In a second, the cool, calming breeze was replaced with the stale, suffocating air. A loud rumble, that was a cross between a mangled chuckle and a growl, reverberated around the walls. The fearsome visage of the most powerful tailed beast in existence stepped forward from the shroud of darkness in the confines of its cage.

The bijuu bared its fangs at him, smiling with a malicious countenance.

"I was wondering when you'd stop by."

Naruto pulled his arms around himself, blanking his face in neutrality. He didn't want to show fear in front of the beast, not that he was afraid, but it didn't hurt to be cautious if it ever tried to pull any of its tricks.

"Tell me what you know," he said, raising his voice just stopping short of shouting.

It paused for a moment, ducking its head down as it narrowed its eyes into slits. "You are under the assumption that I am omnipotent, host. I am not. My powers may be beyond the understanding of most humans, but I am not infallible."

"So you don't know anything? Great. Another dead end."

"You come to me for guidance, but deny me any semblance of respect?" it all but snarled. "My knowledge may be vast, but it does not extent to the inner-workings of this world. My experience in this world is tied to yours; what knowledge you gain, I gain. But of course, I perceive things differently than you do."

"Wait, so that means—"

The kyuubi ignored him as it continued, eyes glazed over as it stared around the chambers. "Never in my existence have I ever considered that I would be in another dimension." It turned its attention back to Naruto, with a measure of what seemed like pride in its eyes. "You... are a most interesting host."

Naruto blinked.

"I... okay..." It had never ever called him by his name before, and coupled with that weird look in its eyes, he was unnerved. "So you really don't know how to get back to Konoha? At all?"

It snorted, the prideful look in its eyes now replaced with annoyance. "Have you even listened to a single word I said? I know nothing of the workings behind that rift in space that brought you to this world, and even more so of how to bring you back."

Naruto nodded, his face grim. "Where... Where should I go from here? What do I do?"

"Perhaps you could tear off my seal. Who knows? It might bring back that rift that brought you here."

"I won't be that careless again."

The tailed beast merely chuckled.

"Look, I came here looking for help. As bad as it seems, you're the only one I can trust right now." He banished the conflicting thoughts that threatened to overcome his rationality. "And unless you help me, you can't return either."

"You blindly assume that I desire to return to our world, but I am perfectly content with where I am. While Konoha may hold a special place in my heart—" It brought his head down to his eye level, "—the destruction of this world will be more than enough to sate my vengeance on your precious village."

Naruto clenched his hands into fist, his nails digging deep into the skin of his palms. Why was everyone he was dealing with today so infuriating?

"That won't happen. Not if I have anything to do about it."

The kyuubi widened its jaws, slowly licking its fangs. "Foolish host. You are simply the parasite in our symbiotic relationship. A time will come down the line, perhaps months, years even, but I know you will succumb to the temptation, like countless times before. One day your weakness will be exposed again, and in your blind rage, you will seek me out." It paused, rearing its head closer to the cage. "Despite everything, you've grown weak, Naruto."

Even as he repeated the mantra in his mind to keep a cool head, Naruto saw red. Perhaps it was due to the accumulated stress and weariness of surviving in this new environment and being ripped away from his friends and loved ones back home, but having the only other being that remained a link to his world—its obvious imperfections aside—say that about him, a torrent of emotions burst forth from his well-placed front.

"Don't you ever—" his body quivered in suppressed anger, "—call me weak."

"Weakness comes in many forms, but you possess one that cannot be easily remedied. Your weakness stems from your brash mentality." Its eyes glinted in barely concealed amusement."However, if you were to tear off the seal..."

Naruto scoffed. "That's it?"

All its prodding and pushing, it all came down to this? He would be lying if he said he wasn't expecting more.

"In time, you will see that your actions will ring true to my words."

Naruto shook his head, saying, "If you have nothing else to offer, then I'm leaving."

He turned his back to the cage as he stepped forward towards the darkened hallway that led out of the seal. He had better things to do than listen to a demonic entity rumble on about its revenge. As he neared the darkened hallway—his feet splashing under the clear blue liquid—the nine-tailed beast spoke:

"Follow the one called Stange. He knows more than he's telling."

Naruto twisted his head slightly, just in time to see the back of the bijuu slink into the shadows of its cage.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"And be wary of your new comrades at that so called guild of yours. There is more to them than meets the eye."

Naruto scrunched his brows.

What was up with the cryptic message?

He had no time to ponder as its malicious laughter echoed around him, his vision tunnelling before it all went dark. Naruto sighed as soon as he opened his eyes. No longer was he in the morbidly depressing chamber as he re-adjusted his senses back to the real world.

That was why he was surprised to find a body pressed against his.

"I was wondering when you'd snap out of your little funk," Martha said, nudging his shoulder with her own. "You were pretty deep in your own little world."

To say he was startled was an understatement. He looked up, seeing the impassive gaze of the older woman.

"Martha?"

The barmaid hummed quietly, still not looking at him. Instead, she locked her eyes forward, at the serene countryside that was her front yard. "I was worried that you'd suddenly rush out when I told you about that man. I'm glad you didn't."

Naruto blinked.

The important thing was that Stange wouldn't be returning any time soon. However, a conflicting emotion swelled in his chest, the monstrous guilt that had been eating away at his conscience now coming back in full force. He had lied to her before and it wasn't anything minor either.

Should he tell her the truth or bury it?

Naruto steeled himself, preparing himself for what he knew was another messy affair. "Actually, I kinda did," he blurted out.

Martha snapped her head towards him, her features contorting into a mix of lividness and disbelief. "What?" she whispered harshly, drawing closer to him. "You were here the entire time. I watched you!"

Naruto grimaced. "I used a clone." She looked confused. "It's my... magic."

Martha looked away, her body heaving with the motion. It was obvious to Naruto how hard she was trying to control her anger and frustration in between long, deep breaths.

"Why am I so angry?" she muttered to herself.

Naruto wisely kept his mouth shut.

The barmaid stood up, the slow rocking of the swing set subsiding at the off-kilter momentum until it finally stopped.

Naruto waited for the woman to respond. Maybe it was the tremendous guilt weighing down on him every time he looked at her, but he just couldn't keep lying to the first person he befriended in this world.

"What is wrong with you?" Martha said. "You could have been seriously hurt or, or..."

"This is my fault. I couldn't let you guys to get hurt because of what I did... back in the forest."

"What you did? There's nothing in—" It finally dawned on her. "That was you? That giant hole in the ground? You did that?"

He nodded dumbly.

The woman took an unconscious step back, her eyes widening in a mixture of fear, shock and revulsion. "Why?" she asked simply. "Were you fighting someone? Some sort of monster? Why didn't you tell us earlier before you left Camoa/ You could have come clean then!"

"No! No, it wasn't anything like that." Naruto clutched his hair as he sighed in frustration. It had been a monster, he thought blearily; the monster lurking in his head. "Please, you have to trust me. It's hard to explain the circumstances. I guess I was angry and a little scared? I don't know, but I'm sorry I just—"

Martha stopped his explanation with her hand. "Trust you? You're telling me that you levelled an acre of forest because you were angry?!"

"It's... a lot more complicated than it sounds."

Naruto may have come clean about this, but there was no way he could tell her everything; being an inter-dimensional traveller, or the fact that he held an immensely powerful demon in his stomach.

Martha scowled. "You're just like him."

"W-What?"

"He was so reckless. He never once thought about the consequences. All he could see was what was in front of him. Do you know what happened to him?"

Naruto grew more sombre as her anger intensified.

"He died," Martha spat out, her words spiteful and venomous. The look in her eyes was nothing like he had ever seen before. "There was no honour, no dignity—he died at the hands of a group of wandering bandits because he could never see past what was ahead of him."

She paused to collect herself, sniffing. Tears started to well up at the corner of her eyes. "It didn't mean he wasn't a good man despite his faults. He was... but he wasn't remembered for his bravery. People hardly remember him at all now. To them, he was just another faceless idiot."

Martha pulled her arms around her frame, her right hand covering her features as she turned away from him.

Naruto jumped to his feet, torn between consoling the woman and doing absolutely nothing. Instead, he stepped in closer, standing there as he waited for her muffled sobs to stop.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't know why he was apologising, but that was the only thing that came to mind. He had never been great at dealing with emotions.

Martha wiped the tears trailing down her cheeks with the back of her hands. "You should be. I'm still angry with you," she said, pursing her lips into a line. "What you've done isn't the end of the world. Yes, you destroyed a considerable source of livelihood for our town and more fortunately, no one was harmed, but what I absolutely cannot forgive is the fact that it took you a month before you had the gall to come clean."

Naruto buried his head in his hands, saying, "I was afraid of what you'd think of me."

She sighed. "You're weren't the only one, Naruto. So were we. You spooked everyone in our town into thinking that there's some unstoppable juggernaut of a monster prowling around our countryside for the past month. But knowing this now, it will probably blow over in time. Hell... people here are already trying to put it to the back of their minds and move on. It's only recently, when the strange man started lingering in our town, that it's gotten worse."

"He's gone," Naruto said. "He won't be coming back, at least that's what he said."

"You chased him away?"

"Not really. He found whatever he was looking for in the forest. Me, I guess," he said with a sardonic smile.

"Hmm..." Without looking at him, Martha caressed his cheeks as she walked away. He didn't know what to make of her gesture. "A piece of good news then. One people no doubt will be grateful for. I'm too tired to continue this. I'm off to bed. We'll talk again tomorrow after I arrange a meeting with the mayor about this." Martha turned back to him. "I won't lie to you. I'm not sure what the repercussions for you are."

Naruto doubted that she would get much sleep, but he nodded anyway. Before she turned in, he asked:

"Martha, that guy you were talking about, who was he?"

"A friend..."

Her reply was soft, so soft that he could barely hear it. With that, she stepped inside, striding with purpose as she crossed the small distance between the living room and what he knew to be her empty bedroom.

As Naruto plopped down on the swing set, he couldn't help a small cynical bubble of laughter that escaped his lips. Just when things were starting to look up in this world, fate had to go and throw a wrench at it.

He knew what he had done would come back to bite him. Sadly, Martha's anger seemed misplaced at the end there—less so on his actions, but more on who he reminded her of because of it. Once more, he had been the cause of dredging up unpleasant memories in the woman's life. How the hell was he supposed to remedy something like that?

A small rustle of leaves caught his attention, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Oh, right.

He still had that to deal with.

"Come out, Carla. I know you've been hiding there for a while now. Don't you know that it's rude to eavesdrop?"

Her pointy ears peeked out from the side of the house. The small cat must have sneaked out through the window. "Has anyone ever told you that you're sneaky? And snobbish too." Naruto propped his arms over his head as he leaned back, rocking back and forth in his seat.

Carla remained silent as she hopped up to the wooden railing in front of him. She shook her head, not bothered by the slight.

"No, you would be the first."

"Well, you are," Naruto said, casting a suspicious eye at her. "And how did you get away without waking up Wendy?"

"You'd be surprised at how much of a very heavy sleeper she is. But more importantly, aren't you angry that I listened in on your conversation?"

"Eh, that depends. How much of it did you hear?"

"Enough."

"I kinda figured as much. You weren't particularly stealthy hiding there," he told her. "Your fur is a dead giveaway."

"Then why didn't you stop me?" Carla asked.

Naruto pursed his lips. "I know what you're like. You wouldn't have stopped until you got whatever it is that you want from me, and you probably wouldn't start trusting me until then. But I am pissed off that you listened in on what Martha had to say. You had no right to do that."

She nodded once, looking away.

Properly chastised, Naruto continued, "And I know what you said back at Diligeon was all for Wendy's benefit, but we still haven't resolved our problem, have we?"

"Had we done this sooner, none of this would have happened."

"Guess we were both dragging our feet," Naruto said. "Now is as good a time as any. What do you want to know?"

"I think I've heard quite enough actually. The rest I can piece together from what I heard in town." Carla paused, her eyes now calculating and wary. "You really are more powerful than you claim to be."

It didn't sound like a compliment coming from the cat's mouth.

"Yeah, so...?"

The feline raised a brow at his petulance. "I want you to understand that every action you take will have an impact on our, no, more importantly, Wendy's life now," the Exceed said, her expression deathly serious. "You won't be living merely for yourself, Naruto."

"I know that!"

"Do you now?"

"Of course I do, I'm not that big of an idiot. Give me some credit."

"I will when you deserve it," Carla quipped, raising her half-lidded eyes as she pointed a finger at him. "You have a responsibility to the team now! You're our leader and you have to start acting like one!"

"You're a real dramatic cat, you know that?"

Carla drew her lips in a thin line, her cheeks flushing, but she still didn't put her hand down. "I am not dramatic—merely serious."

Despite the grave discussion it had been previously, he couldn't help but smile; both at her dramatic tendencies and her willingness to protect Wendy. "You must really care about her, huh?"

The feline looked away, troubled. "She is my charge. I will do everything in my power to protect her." Her voice was strained as her tiny frame quivered in an attempt to contain her emotions. "Even at the cost of my own life," she added softly, but the determination in her voice was unmistakable; she meant every word she said.

This was the longest conversation he ever had with Carla. More so, this was the most vulnerable he had seen her since that fateful first mission days ago. He stood up, leaning his arms against the railings next to her.

"I won't ever let it come to that," Naruto said.

A look of uncertainty flashed across her face before she nodded. "Then... that man I heard you talking about. What did he want from you?"

"I'm not too sure myself." Of course, he didn't want to unsettle her unnecessarily, so he kept his answer vague. "He said he wanted answers—about what happened, you know, that kinda stuff. He wasn't really looking for trouble back there."

"You think he'll come back to find you?"

A tight knot formed in his stomach, but he smiled to ease her worries. "No, I don't think so."

Carla didn't look convinced. "I'm going back to bed," she said. "Don't stay up too late. We have a quite a walk back to the guild tomorrow."

"All right, have a good rest."

Carla hopped off the railing and returned to the spare guest room Martha had prepared for them. When he finally heard the door click, he let out another sigh.

Was it too much to ask for a quiet night off now?

0.0

The morning after was as uncomfortable as Naruto could have imagined.

Wendy was able to pick up the strange vibes between the three occupants at the breakfast table, especially the ones between him and Martha. The young girl threw a few curious glances around the table, trying her best to strike up a conversation between the three, but it was forced even if Martha tried her best to respond. She remained quiet for the rest of the meal, picking at her food as the silence stretched on, occasionally broken by the sounds of their utensils clinking against the plates.

It was worse than their first dinner together.

Later that day, Martha returned from the meeting with Frank, the mayor of Camoa. Away from the prying eyes of his companions, she roped him into escorting her to the bar to pick up some supplies. The walk to the bar was accompanied by relative silence, as was the short time they spent in the establishment to gather the goods.

It was a pleasant surprise to see Tomato-chan again, which upon seeing his arrival, chittered angrily like a mad guard dog. Apparently, the fruit still had not forgotten what he had done the last time they met.

In his defence, the green stalk atop its head was growing nicely.

Then again, it was easy to distract the bar's mascot with a spare tomato from the pantry. This was more than enough time for him to slip out without it noticing once Martha was done. It was only on the trip back that Martha made the move to address the issue they had left hanging last night.

"Naruto," Martha said, grabbing his rapt attention. "I've already discussed with Frank about what you told me last night."

"And...?"

"I've done what I could to persuade him. He's going to cancel the mission request. There's already two teams from Mermaid's Cove sent down here since it happened. Neither of them were able to complete it obviously. They just assumed that whatever did it had run off. How right they were," she whispered that last part to herself.

"I can pay for whatever reimbursements—"

"No need to bother. The request was to put down the monster responsible. They'd have to kill you first and take something back to prove the successful outcome of the mission."

Maybe it was his harsh lifestyle back in the Elemental Countries that hardened him, but Naruto didn't even bat an eye at that. People were always trying to kill him. What else was new?

"How'd the old guy take it?"

"He's been paranoid about you ever since you left. Who would have thought he had been right?"

"I see..." He was hesitant to continue considering the awkwardness; the cold shoulder treatment was unbearable. "Are you still—I mean, are things going to be all right between us?"

The brunette glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, then sighed. "Hun, you are without doubt the sweetest boy I've met. I'm angry about the poor choices you made; you made a lot of people worry, you know. It's not just me." She adjusted the bag in her arms and reached out to pat his cheek. "It'll take time, Naruto. We'll get there," she told him with a small smile. "Although the next time you visit Camoa, try not to make such a ruckus."

"Next time?"

"It's what I said, didn't I? But you might want to avoid Frank if you can. Admittedly, he's a lot angrier with you than I am."

Naruto released a breath he didn't know he was holding, which slowly formed into a smile. He didn't have to say anything now that the awkward air between them had lifted just a bit, but there was no immediate short cut to mend friendships.

All he could hope was that with time, it would get better.

0.0

In the shadowy confines of the office, Stange stepped forward, the soles of his shoes rhythmically tapping against the marble floor, echoing around the dimly lit high-ceiling room. He greeted his employer with a smile as the generously proportioned man in the flowery kimono waved him over to his station.

"You are a hard man to please, Kage-san," Stange said with a small incline of the head. "But I did find something of interest back at the site."

He leaned in closer, his eyes transfixed on the rather impressive collection of lacrimas that the man possessed. Dozens, perhaps close to a hundred orbs floated in front of his desk, all showing various locations of the world, even beyond the borders of Fiore. A particular orb caught his attention. He pressed the tip of his forefinger against it, the image zooming in closer to the area.

Kage grunted, swivelling in his chair as he swatted the man's fingers away from his most prized possessions.

"What did I say about touching?"

Stange ignored him. "I found out why one of your cute little devices was destroyed."

The portly man leaned in closer, squinting his eyes as he stared at the orb. "It's just some kids and a cat. What does this have to do with anything? You're not losing your touch, are you?"

The deranged man stabbed his cane at the orb causing a small scuff mark to mar the screen. He pulled his arm back as Kage made a forceful lunge for his cane. The image zoomed in even closer, focusing on the blond boy at the forefront of the screen.

"I've met the most interesting child, Kage-san," he continued bemusedly, ignoring his employer's plight as the man tried to lick and scrub the scoff mark off with the sleeves of his kimono. "He seems to possess a great deal of power. Although, one can never be too sure."

Holding his palm out, the orb floated into Kage's outreached hand. As he leaned back into his leather chair, he scowled. "So I've seen, but it's not that impressive. Just strange that someone from Edolas could hold that much power."

"What if I told you he wasn't from Edolas? Never even heard of it, he says."

Kage sat up straighter in his chair.

"Does he now?"

"Yes. He says he's from Konoha; practically spat it in my face—dreadfully impolite child. You should have seen him."

"I'll have to ask Riese to look into that then."

"Intriguing, isn't it? That this child possesses knowledge regarding the existence of other realms beyond which we know of? A dangerous element in our world, for sure, and I have no doubt that he'll come round looking for me... in time," Stange explained, holding his arms out to straighten the creases on his sleeves, though the action itself was futile considering the condition of his shirt.

"You... told him about us?" Kage asked.

"Just the usual fanfare I give out when I met someone of interest. It was nothing revealing."

That didn't appease Kage in the least.

"What did I say when we first took you in? It's that loose lips sink ships! I didn't help to build this empire just for you to ruin it!"

"So you did." The younger man turned to examine the dimly-lit room. "And while I love what you've done with the place, Kage-san, would it be too much of a bother to let me use the front entrance instead?"

Kage scoffed. "Like I'd let a slovenly vagrant like you anywhere near the guests." He waved his hands, dismissing him. "Go. Do what it is that you always do, and be sure not to arouse the boy's attention anymore. It would be unwise to provoke him."

Stange nodded.

"As you wish, Kage-sama." With a small tap of his cane, his features began to melt like a wax exposed to an intense flame, his body too dissolving into a dizzying array of colours onto his employer's expensive carpet.

Just like that, Stange disappeared, leaving Kage to his devices. He did not hear the parting words offered to the empty room:

"Ungrateful bum."

Omake: Spelunking

0.0

With an excited squeal, Wendy bounced her way over to Naruto. "Ne, ne, Naruto! I learned something new!"

He looked up, drawing his attention away from the scroll he was working on and regarded his apprentice with a raised brow. "You learned something new? How?"

She pointed at the mountains over in the horizon. "I found a really neat cave over there. And, and after like an hour of spelunking and fighting these weird skeleton things," she said, ignorant of shock and horror that played across his face. "I found this really big chamber-thingy where I had to fight this skeleton death lord with really tough armour..."

"W-W-What?!"

"Yeah, I know! It took a while but I won! And then—and then, there was this really big wall with weird words on it. It didn't make sense at first, but then there was this really intense music playing somewhere and the words started to glow. I don't know how, but I just knew how to do it!"

"Knew how to do what?!"

"I'll show you!" Turning away, Wendy turned towards an empty section of the forest, setting her sights on a tree that stood ten metres away. She opened her mouth—like she was preparing her dragon's roar—but with a quick breath, shouted:

"Fus... Ro Dah!"

A ferocious shockwave swept the forest. The tree before her toppled over with a magnificent screech, and the surrounding area was blown back, sending shards of bark, stone and earth flying into the air. Due to the Wendy's stature and the intensity behind the attack, she tumbled backwards with a quiet oufh.

It was insanely cute.

Damn dojikko.

"Well? Well? What do you think?"

Naruto stood there, shell-shocked. "You learned this from some wall in a cave? Where was Carla during all this?! I thought she was looking out for you!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" Wendy pointed towards the mountains again. "She's waiting by the entrance. She told me to go ahead and get you first." She stuck her tongue out, sheepish. "Hehe, but I kinda forgot about that."

"Why! What for?!"

Wendy looked confused. "We need help carrying stuff." She noticeably brightened. "We got tons of loot!"

Cait Shelter — Mages Guild Card

Name: Carla

Age: Three (In Cat Years: Unknown)

Magic: Aera

Likes: Darjeeling Tea

Dislikes: Tomcats

Notes: The second-most recent entrant, Carla was found and raised by Wendy ever since the Dragon Slayer first laid her eyes on the distinctively decorated egg. Her surly and brusque attitude stems from her supposed mysterious origins, which she has declined to elaborate on. According to Wendy, she has a soft-spot for anything related to tea, and once in a blind taste test, was able to identify two hundred and fifty-two different variants, even down to Oolong tea with a hint of cinnamon. Wendy has refused to mentioned why or how they managed to procure such a vast number in the first place.

~Do I look like I have a catchphrase?~