73: Welcome to Club N: Amateur Night

"Dammit someone, answer the door," Mirajane shouted as she stepped into the main entrance of the mansion. She grunted in annoyance as no one answered her. She supposed that she shouldn't have been surprised considering currently the residents of the home consisted of just her, Tier, Cyan, and Nel. The majority of her siblings and other women that lived in the mansion were out performing missions or busy with other tasks. Kiyomi and Mito for example were currently in Wave with Urd. While the new Eight-tails was acting as Mito's bodyguard as she impersonated Kiyomi. The genuine article was going over the Gato Shipping Company's holdings having purchased them along with the port the company had built in Wave.

The trio was also being accompanied by Karin and Fuka. Karin was going to oversee and train Fuka in running the business side of the Uzumaki Nautical Company since the ancient Uzumaki was taking over as president of the sister company. The primary reason for Fuka assuming responsibility for it was because she had some experience as a pirate. However, as she had accrued it early on in her ghoul life when she had still tried to balance her needs with remaining a decent person, she had targeted other pirate crews to rob them of their riches and their chakra. Eventually though her crew had betrayed her as they had wanted to target richer targets such as towns or noble ships and one night had slit her throat as she slept. Obviously it hadn't worked. But from the few survivors of the massacre that followed was the tale of the ghostly captain that had lured men into her crew with plans to drain them of their energy and lives. Naturally, they left out the part where they had betrayed her first. Of course, most people in Wave would never learn how she was the origin of the ghost story that some of the sailors still told each other.

While Urd, Mito, Karin, and Fuka handled the tasks of introducing the woman that would be the president of the Uzumaki Nautical Company to the people of Wave, Kiyomi planned to busy herself with studying the records of the company it was being created from. She was doing this as a favor to Ibiki, who was busy with multiple investigations already, but still was hoping to discern if there was a link between Gato and the S.I.N. Corporation which could explain their similar interests in Wave. Kiyomi could have just turned the records over to one of Ibiki's subordinates. But, she wanted to handle it herself in case she uncovered secrets that she wanted to keep even from close allies of Naruto's Harem.

Mirajane refused to call the Harem by the cutesy term the women that were a part of it used. Particularly because to her it didn't feel like a family since if anything it was putting her at odds with hers. The most recent sibling towards whom she was directing her ire naturally being Tier primarily because she had joined said Harem. What truly pissed her off about the whole affair was that to Mira it had seemed as if one moment Tier had displayed very little interest in the idea, and then the next thing she knew her sister was one of Naruto's lovers. Hearing the details added to her annoyance because it had sounded like Tier had simply thrown herself at him and he had gladly accepted.

Naturally, it pissed her off because she had also thrown herself at Naruto multiple times and he always found a way to reject her. She had stopped after a while to preserve her self-dignity, but she knew her interest hadn't abated considering how angry she was that Tier seemed to possess something which attracted the man. She had vented to Kiyomi about it, primarily as she believed her sister's goal was to unite all the Bijuu under Naruto. Considering that was a place Mira wanted to be she figured Kiyomi would provide her with some insight. Instead, her sister had simply informed her that the old her would have been more likely to attract Naruto then her current self. Having been majorly frustrated by the cryptic response she had lashed out at her sister insulting both her and her lover. Kiyomi for her part had simply sighed and shook her head before returning her attention to the book she had been reading.

Mira just didn't understand what it was her sister meant since the old her had been withdrawn and unsure of herself. This was primarily due to the form she had taken after being created, since while her siblings all had majestic and powerful looking forms. She had simply been a mass of pulsating and slimy white flesh. Even Chomei who also had been insectile in nature at least looked cool due to its armored like form. Hers by contrast had just been monstrous which Kukaku had rarely failed to taunt her over or even her other siblings on occasion when annoyed with her. As such, she had almost been overly polite and friendly. Yet still a part of her had resented having to act in such a manner so had discarded it as soon as she had assumed her new one. Mira felt that now that she had both beauty and power she shouldn't need to behave in such a manner as it was time she received the respect that she felt she was due.

She sighed as she reached for the door since instead of respect at present she was little more than Kiyomi's babysitter for Nel and housemaid. Just before gripping the knob she yelped as she was shocked by some static electricity that arched from it. She looked at her hand in surprise for a moment, but then noticed a charge entering the air around her which caused her hair to begin rising up. She realized the implications quickly, but before she could react the door exploded inward sending her flying back from the massive electrical attack.

Mira hit one of the staircases that led to the second level. They shattered where she impacted them leaving her imbedded as three people stepped into the mansion. The woman of the group had red-hair, the bangs of which were covering her eyes. She was wearing a white jacket, along with matching skirt and boots. Beneath the jacket was dark-bluish shirt with a hole that displayed her impressive endowments. She called into the mansion playfully, "I hope you don't mind but we saw ourselves in."

"Shermie don't lose focus here," the dark skinned and white-haired man entering behind her said, "Kurisu confirmed that there are four heat sources in this mansion. The courier just dropped off the tablet so it must still be near one of them, and thanks to your flashy entrance you probably already killed one of them."

An androgynous looking youth dressed in a loose fitting blue shirt under which he wore a tight fitting black undershirt tucked into his white pants said, "Relax Yashiro, the courier we questioned said he dropped it off with some young girl. From his description she's likely the smallest heat source. I'll go collect it."

"Like hell you will," Mira said pulling herself from the stairs. "Now get the hell out of our house."

Transforming into what she called her Satan Form, she leapt from the stairs towards the group of intruders. Just before she reached them the woman and youth leapt away from their larger teammate. Fine with taking him out first, she pulled back her scaled and gauntlet like clawed hand to smash it into his face. Yet to her surprise despite her immense strength in her current form he easily caught it. He grinned at her coldly before stating, "You're going to have to do better than this if you are going to make us leave."

He reached out for her but Mira leapt back, however while still airborne the youth appeared behind her and kicked her in the back. "Nice assist Kurisu," Yashiro stated as he leapt into the air grabbing Mira by the face and then smashed her head first into the ground. The man then leapt back ordering, "Finish her off now, Shermie."

"With pleasure," the woman said blowing a kiss towards Mira. A small orb of electricity left her lips and traveled over her hand, but then it disappeared. Mira then suddenly felt the air around her grow supercharged and leapt into the air as a massive orb appeared where she had been standing. However, Kurisu appeared behind her again and kicked her into the still sparking jutsu. She screamed out as she hit it and the electricity arced over and through her. When the jutsu ended though, she could tell they were surprised at her still being not only conscious, but alive as she slowly got back to her feet.

Kurisu appeared behind her again and was about to kick her in the back once more. Mira however spun and caught him by the ankle stating, "Really, you thought you would catch me a third time." She then spun towards Yashiro who was moving to help his comrade and threw the brown-haired youth. He smashed into Yashiro knocking the wind out of both of them as they crashed into a wall near the entrance.

Mira turned towards Shermie, but suddenly found her face between the woman's thighs. Shermie then twisted her hips pulling Mira off her feet before smashing her down into the ground and then leapt away. Mira picked herself up to find all three of her opponents back on their feet. They were about to leap at her, but scattered as a water shark smashed into the ground where they had been standing.

Mira looked behind her to see Tier and Cyan standing on the second floor. Tier lowered the hand she had used to launch her jutsu as she calmly said, "If you know what is good for you then you should surrender. This fight will end poorly for you if you persist. You may have caught Mira unaware, but that small advantage is now at an end."

"Stay out of this Tier," Mira said angrily, "I don't need your help."

Tier leapt from the second floor landing just behind her sibling. Stepping forward as she pulled her blade she stated, "Regardless you have it. Do not underestimate them. Their lack of subtlety in their attack shows an arrogance that they possess in regards to their abilities. They obviously believe that not only could they best us, but planned to fight their way free of the village."

"Humph," Yashiro stated amused, "It seems we aren't the only arrogant ones. You make it sound like beating you is impossible."

"I wouldn't say that," Tier said holding her blade at her side, "But, I would like to think it would be rather difficult, especially as the odds are now even." Tier's eyes grew wide as she felt the already incredible amounts of chakra within their opponents grow more powerful and violent. To go along with the change in their chakra, their skin began to darken as well.

Kurisu, who before might have seemed cheerful if somewhat withdrawn had a sadistic look in his eye now as he stated, "The odds are anything but even. We are the chosen."

He then raised his hand towards them and a massive purple fireball gathered before it. The jutsu shot towards the women causing Cyan and Mira to scatter. Tier countered with a ball of water, but to her shock the purple flames evaporated and powered through her attack barely diminished. She managed to roll out of the way, but had to raise her arm to block a kick from the man as he appeared next to her. She flew back from his blow, but landed on her feet so was prepared as he reappeared.

He nimbly avoided the swipe of her sword before countering by waving his hand at her causing a wave of flame to appear. Tier countered with a wall of water which succeeded in blocking the attack this time, but she was knocked over as Mira was smashed into her from behind having been battling Yashiro.

"This isn't fucking happening," Mira shouted angrily as she picked herself up.

Tier was annoyed herself, but replied upon seeing Cyan forced to leap away as Kurisu attacked her from behind allowing Shermie to disengage from the battle, "It is because their teamwork is better than ours, and you are underestimating them."

"They're fucking humans," Mira countered angrily, "They aren't on the same level as us."

Tier sighed, as she regained her footing before replying, "The current results of this battle would suggest otherwise. Plus, their chakra levels in their current state might even be on par with ours."

Yashiro smirked as he listened to the women before replying, "What exactly are you supposed to be that you see yourselves as being above normal human beings?"

"Why don't you tell us," Tier countered, "It's obvious an arrogance you share with my sibling to think that the three of you are a match for an entire village."

"We are touched by the divine," Kurisu responded dragging a defeated Cyan behind him. He tossed the unconscious woman at Tier's feet before ordering, "Now surrender or would you like to watch Shermie snap this cute little girl's neck?

Tier's eyes narrowed as she tightened her grip on her sword as Nel said sounding frightened while Shermie held her in a manner that would let the woman easily fulfil Kurisu threat, "Nel's sorry, she tried to stay hidden like you said to."

"It's okay," Tier said soothingly, "It's not your fault." Focusing her gaze on Kurisu she said, "You will regret threatening her."

"I honestly don't think I'm capable of such a thing as feeling remorse," the sadistic youth replied.

"I will look forward to testing if that holds true," Tier said menacingly. "But we will not surrender. I know you have no intention of leaving us alive."

"Too true," Kurisu responded, "But first things first. Did you find the tablet of the Hyuuga?"

"Yeah," Shermie answered, "The little brat was trying to hide it when I caught her." The woman tossed the tablet to Kurisu who caught it and then using his purple flames melted it into molten rock.

Smiling menacingly he said, "It looks like now all we need to do is clear up a few loose ends. Let's start with the youngest."

"No," Tier shouted moving to stop the woman even as she tensed to follow the order.

However, she knew she wouldn't reach her in time. But then a red flash appeared between her and the woman. As Naruto appeared he swung one of his chakra blades at the woman about to murder Nel, who leapt back but abandoned her hold on her would be victim to move as quickly as possible. She landed on her feet and was quickly joined by her comrades as they watched the blond man that had appeared holding the shaking Nel.

He looked up and his eyes were red and fox like, but he then quickly disappeared with the young girl. Everyone's attention was pulled to Shermie though as blood began pouring from her slashed throat as although she had avoided the blade, had not been able to avoid the extended range as it had been charged with Naruto's wind natured chakra. Her head began to tilt back to reveal that except for a small amount of skin her head had been nearly severed.

Naruto reappeared having dropped Nel off in his apartment and then gathered Soifon, Yugito, and Yoruichi. He watched the woman collapse before saying coldly, "You had better surrender or you can join your friend."

"I opt for the third option," Yashiro stated as he placed his hand on the ground drawing energy from the earth.

"There is no third option," Naruto stated as the man straighten and began to charge him.

"Of course there is," the man shouted as he ran headlong at them, "To kill as many of you as possible before you take us down."

Naruto threw his chakra blade and having applied a Hiraishin seal to it disappeared as the man avoided it. He appeared behind him and caught the blade before spinning and slashing it along Yashiro's back. His wind chakra easily sliced the man in half from shoulder to hip splitting him in two as he said, "That was option B remember." Focusing on the last threat to those he cared about he said, "Do you want to fail my question as well."

Appearing unmoved by his teammate's demise Kurisu replied, "Actually, I like Yashiro's choice. He just went about it the wrong..." The Youth moved to attack Naruto, but was knocked off his feet as Tier threw her sword and caught him in the chest.

Tier walked up and pulled it free as she asked coldly, "Are you now regretting your choice?"

"H...hardly," the young man replied, "I actually needed some help with setting it in motion." He began laughing as the buildup of chakra that Tier had thought was to power a jutsu which he had planned to attack Naruto with actually began to grow stronger. She realized he was channeling his fading life force into it to take them all with him so shouted, "Get away from him," as she leapt back.

"There's no escape for you," Kurisu said, "I'll take all of you and a good portion of this village with me."

Naruto moved to the dying man trying to think of a place he could teleport him to that was devoid of people. Settling on a few of the oases he had left kunai in Wind Country to have a way to protect Sara and her daughter before they became his lovers. He was about to snatch him up when a blur flew past him as Mira grabbed him and flew out the ruined entrance. "Mira wait," he shouted but she was already skyward bound before he could explain his plan.

Mira pushed herself to fly Kurisu as high and far from the village as possible. She felt him grip her forearms as he said, "How futile. All you've succeeded in doing is dooming yourself."

"Go to hell," Mira replied, "I'm not letting you have your way."

"In the end it isn't my way that you need to worry about, but our mother's," Kurisu said as his grip loosened on her, "Now let's go to hell together."

Mira managed to pull free of him and used her tail to toss Kurisu into the air before flying away. He exploded in a massive purple eruption of chakra and flame, the concussion wave of which washed over her. She began to then tumble from the sky as she lost consciousness from the blast.

Naruto cursed as he saw her emerge from the smoke of the explosion spinning in an uncontrolled manner. Having reached the edge of the village by running, using Hiraishin, or clones to toss him along her path, he didn't think he could reach her in time as she was well outside his throwing range several times over. His eyes then locked onto a catapult mounted just inside the wall and was used in case of siege or attack by giant summons. Running to it, members of the village's defense squads began to appear in response to the explosion. One of whom noticing Naruto asked, "What the hell was that? Are we under attack?"

Naruto jumped into the basked of the unloaded weapon shouting, "No time to explain." He tossed a kunai at the firing mechanism hitting the lever and launched himself over the wall. Although not aimed directly at the descending Mira it did bring him close enough that he could toss a kunai at her. Doing so he, he cursed as his aim wasn't as true as it needed to be so appeared over her. Dropping into a head first decent, he quickly caught up and was able to grab her, but so was the ground so he teleported them into his apartment. They crashed down on his bed shattering it. Naruto quickly checked to make sure Mira was okay and after ascertaining that she was rolled over onto his back. A moment later Nel and Kushina entered the room to check on what had happened. The diminutive Bijuu upon noticing the state of his bed asked, "Is this why Kiyomi is always yelling at Nel about jumping on her bed?"

Naruto chuckled before patting her helmeted head and responding, "Maybe taken to the extreme reasons for it. But you go ahead and keep on jumping. I did and look how I turned out."

Nel smiled at him before hugging his chest to say innocently, "Next time Nel wants to jump in her bed with you."

"You aren't the only one," Kushina said with a smile as she gave her son a knowing wink. But then turning serious asked, "So, what exactly happened?"

Naruto sat up with the small Bijuu to look at the unconscious Mira before responding, "I have no idea." But then remembering them threatening Nel, he threw a protective arm around her to say in a dangerous tone, "But we're going to find out."

*****************************

Yoshino took in the ruined entrance to Kiyomi's home. She had heard that it had been attacked, although by who was still a mystery. She had felt a little silly for bothering the woman about what had caused Kurenai to change when it was apparent she had more pressing concerns. As such, she had decided not to trouble her. Yet, she had been surprised when a messenger had arrived at her home with an invitation for her to meet with the owner of the Great Tree Shipping Company.

Yoshino had did some research on the red-headed woman, and what she had learned left her somewhat confused. Particularly since at times it seemed like she was two different people as some whom encountered her described her as a kind and outgoing woman. Yet others would say she was self-absorbed and unapproachable. Lately, though it seemed the more approachable side of her personality was being encountered more often. The Nara supposed that she could understand why the woman would switch between moods so often, since she had nearly been murdered by her husband, awoken to find her company being run into the ground by her siblings, and then within days of waking up her husband had tried to finish the job that he had started. Considering all that, Yoshino was surprised that the woman would ever leave the safety of her home. Plus, it wasn't like she was an outright rude when the less social side of her personality appeared. But more like she was always in deep thought and found people bothering her an annoyance. Yoshino supposed that was forgivable as in only a few years since awakening, Kiyomi had rebuilt her company and made it a powerhouse in the shipping and transportation industries. In fact, the Great Tree Shipping Company was about to celebrate the opening of a sister company called the Uzumaki Nautical Company.

Yoshino figured that it shouldn't come as a surprise that Kiyomi would be at the heart of whatever had caused Kurenai to embrace living again. The woman seemed to be a savant at turning things around. Yoshino figured if nothing else came of the meeting, she'd at least get an idea of how the woman had overcome the adversity in her life.

She wasn't quite sure how to announce herself, since there were work crews bustling about to repair the damage. She caught sight of the red-head talking with a middle-aged woman with dark blue hair who was holding some plans that they were looking over. Kiyomi looked up and upon noticing her, smiled before whispering something to the woman before moving to greet her. She noticed that the woman Kiyomi had been talking to gave her an appraising look before rolling up the plans she held and began directing the work crew.

"Lady Yoshino," the red-head said warmly, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise Lady Kiyomi," the Nara replied politely, "I'll admit though I was a little surprised to receive your summons. I'd figure that you'd have more pressing concerns."

"Oh, I think you will find I'm much better at multitasking then most," Kiyomi replied with an obvious tone of amusement. Acting like she was telling Yoshino an inside joke she added, "In fact, you could say that at times it feels like I'm in two places at once."

A little confused but being polite the Nara responded, "Well your competitors must feel like that is the case considering how quickly you resurrected your company's image and returned it to prominence."

"I can't take all the credit," the red-head replied, "I'm surrounded by talented individuals. They do most of the heavy lifting."

Yoshino nodded, but replied, "Yet being able to pick out those key people is the talent of a good leader."

"Indeed," the woman replied with a smile, "But, I think you'll find that I'm working from a talent pool that someone else has put together for me. However, we aren't here to talk about me."

"I do admit to being somewhat confused as to why you asked to speak with me," Yoshino stated.

Kiyomi gestured out the ruined entrance of her home before stating, "Would you mind taking a walk with me?" Yoshino shook her head so they proceeded to head away from the mansion taking a path that led to a wood area. Figuring they were heading to the famous springs where the Women's Bathing Association met, Yoshino admitted her curiosity was piqued. When they were alone on the path the red-head said, "The reason that I wished to speak with you was because Kurenai informed me that there was a breach of protocol in regards to our group's secrecy."

"They aren't in trouble are they," Yoshino asked concerned.

"No, not at all," Kiyomi said quickly, "They aren't necessarily the first to talk about what goes on behind the walls of my property. After all, I was made aware that recently several members had to explain the meaning of the fox marks they wore at a gathering of the Allied Mom Force."

"I'm afraid I haven't been attending any of the reservist meetings," Yoshino said not using the other term people called the reserve force that defended Konoha during times of war or when needed. She had never particularly enjoyed the moniker of the Allied Mom Force, as she did feel it belittled the women that were a part of it. This was because she could almost imagine that people thought they would be fighting with pots or pans rather than engaging in the serious business of being trained killers.

Kiyomi nodded before explaining, "Well, recently the meaning of the mark came up as several of our members had gathered together. Although I feel our members handled it quite well, it has caused rumors to begin circulating about what goes on here. Particularly as one of our requirements is that the women must be currently unattached."

"Why is that?" Yoshino asked feeling rather intrigued. As such she was rather disappointed when she arrived towards a hot spring that resembled the kind found in more mountainous regions but found it currently unoccupied.

Kiyomi must have sensed her disappointment as she smiled while Yoshino looked for some hint of the rumors she had heard. The red-head answered her question stating, "Well to insure secrecy of course. A married or attached woman would likely need to tell her lover what goes on here, something we have gone to great lengths to avoid."

"Is that why the hot-springs are empty, because of the work crews?"

"Partially, we've had to corral more than one of the workers who have wandered off," Kiyomi said amused as they approached a grotto. Using the path behind the waterfall, they approached a wall with a torch which the woman turned to reveal a secret passage. Turning towards the surprised Nara, the red-head added, "Now if they wandered down here we might have to resort to more drastic measures."

Yoshino paused at the entrance as Kiyomi headed down. The woman stopped to look back prompting the Nara to ask, "Um... should I really be shown this then. I'm not a member."

"True," Kiyomi replied, "But, Ino spoke highly of you so we've decided to offer an invitation. Furthermore, Kurenai mentioned that hearing the small tidbits that they revealed caused you to demonstrate some curiosity. The breach that I spoke about earlier was to give some hint as to what goes on here. After all, they described it as a show, and those are the type of rumors I want to get in front of before they spread. Rumors spread from other sources can be written off as just the wild imaginations of horny teenagers or adults. But if you say you heard something in passing between members, well it lends a hint of credibility to anything that spins from other peoples' musings using you as a source."

"Still that doesn't exactly explain why you would then show me everything," Yoshino said. "What if I chose not to become a member?"

"Oh we aren't offering membership just yet," Kiyomi answered. "That may come later. But for now, I'm in the business of protecting our secrets by making you a part of them."

"I'm not sure I understand," Yoshino said as Kiyomi turned away. She frowned as the woman didn't answer her, instead heading down the steps of the passage. Not sure what she was getting into, Yoshino decided to follow anyway as she felt a sense of excitement.

When she reached the bottom she found Kiyomi waiting for her. The woman smiled as she asked, "Do you mind if I get more comfortable?"

"Um... sure, go ahead."

"Thank you," Kiyomi said before bursting into smoke. When it cleared, Yoshino was surprised that outside of her hair which had gone from a shortened bob cut to a reveal her hair was much longer, but was kept in two buns. "Ah, much better." Yoshino found the woman's already close resemblance to Mito Uzumaki had grown. She arched an eyebrow and the woman quickly answered the unasked question, "As you likely are aware, I've had some work done. But, I thought people might be rather concerned about me if I went out in public like this."

"If most people recognized the First Hokage's wife then they might have," Yoshino said, recognizing her mainly from a picture that she had seen as a child due to her ability to recall everything she saw with crystal clarity. "But, while she was an impressive figure before she married, she settled into obscurity afterwards." Yoshino wasn't sure why, but she had the impression that she had offended the woman. She supposed that she shouldn't have been surprised considering how closely Kiyomi had modeled herself to look like the woman since it was like looking at the picture of Mito Uzumaki. The red-head's good cheer quickly returned though as she said, "Please follow me."

Yoshino felt her curiosity growing more and more as they walked. She quickly realized they were in one of the old civilian shelters that ran underneath the city. However, it was apparent someone had put a lot of time and effort into repairing them. She wondered where some of the rooms led, but asked a question that had been bothering her, "According to my understanding you weren't a shinobi. Yet, how did you learn to henge yourself."

"It's a small trick I learned as a child," the red-head answered. "Considering the number of attempts on my life. It's a useful trick to know."

"I suppose that makes sense," Yoshino replied aware that in answering her question, the woman had left out quite a few details. Figuring she'd be even more evasive with a follow-up question she instead asked, "By the way, do you own these tunnels? I can't help noticing we should no longer be under your property."

The woman looked back and smiled as she said, "My, you are an observant one. But to answer your question, no I do not. But, the Hokage allows us to use this particular tunnel. In fact, she uses one of these rooms as a secret medical facility for research."

"I'm guessing then you likely keep that lab stocked with equipment and supplies in exchange," the Nara stated.

"My company does," the red-head replied, "But, if that is why you believe she is letting us use it then you would be mistaken."

"Oh, that is surprising," Yoshino said wondering what went on in some of the other rooms, "I would figure the two of you would have entered into such a give and take relationship. She gets a well-funded lab, and you get to use these tunnels for... storage perhaps."

The woman looked over her shoulder giving a coy smile but didn't elaborate. Yoshino figured she'd find out soon enough as they stopped in front of an unmarked door with no handle on it. Kiyomi knocked on it, and a slide opened up to reveal a pair of blue eyes that asked, "What's the password?"

"Naruko open the door," Kiyomi said annoyed, "You know who I am."

"Where's your sense of fun," Naruko asked as she opened the door. "You're cutting it kind of close aren't you? It's your turn after Lady Freeze."

"I'm aware," Kiyomi replied stepping through the door. Yoshino followed through as she did a double take at what the woman Naruko was wearing. Although, she hadn't seen her before, she had heard of her so doubted that her normal attire consisted of high priced lingerie. The blonde woman was wearing a black see-through bra accept for a darkened strip that hid her nipples, and matching low cut underwear, the strings of which that held them to her ended in bows that could be pulled on to release the knots. Her legs were encased in sheer black panty-house while her feet were adorned with high heel shoes.

"Um... Kiyomi, why is she wearing lingerie?"

"While inside the Club please call me Lady Mito," the red-head said as she looked through a rack of similar clothes as to what Naruko was wearing. Not finding something to her liking she said, "I'll probably just perform in what I'm wearing."

Naruko smiled as she ran an eye over the fine Kimono that the woman asking to be called Mito was wearing. "Hmm, you must be wearing something rather exciting under those bulky robes."

"Perhaps," Mito replied with a smile as she moved to a rack where various masks were hanging, "But sometimes it is what isn't revealed that makes things exciting."

She selected two of them. She then handed one to Yoshino, who looked at it and then the red-head in confusion. "What exactly do I need this for?"

"To hide your identity," Mito replied as she affixed hers to her face. The masks that Mito had selected for them were black with silver trim which when worn covered the upper portion of the face. Yoshino frowned as while it might have hidden her identity from a person that she didn't know, she doubted it would be the case for people she did. Still she found her curiosity was getting the best of her so affixed it to her face.

They walked through the hallway, which was filled with doors from which Yoshino could hear women's voices and laughing. As they approached the end which connected with another hallway the Nara could hear music playing. Reaching the intersection she could see on path led to an open area where a large curtain was hanging. They headed in the opposite direction which ended in a doorway built into the wall facing the same direction as the curtain.

Mito stepped through, and held the door open for Yoshino which proved to be beneficial for the Nara as otherwise it might have caught her in the face since she was shocked at the scene she found herself looking upon. The red-head smiled back at her saying, "Welcome to Club N."

Yoshino got ahold of herself and stepped into the room which was filled with what appeared to be well-to-do men. Scattered around the room were scantily clad women all wearing similar masks as her, and Mito, although most of theirs matched their outfits. Some of the women were topless even as they wore expensive lingerie while talking to the various guests of the club. One of whom was a large busty blonde woman who was dancing on the stage. She swayed sensually with the music, often using one of the poles built into the stage to hang from as she spun around it.

The Nara followed Mito to a booth built into the side of the wall. She noted a draped off area where she could see shadows of women giving what she assumed were lap dances. There was also a doorway built into one of the walls that was being blocked by several chairs. But another pair of ornate doors opened to reveal what was apparently an entrance for the male clientele. Yoshino sat next to the red-head, still somewhat dumbfounded to explain what she had found which was supposed to be the source for Kurenai improved outlook and even the changes she had noted in Ino.

"What's going on here? You're telling me that the Women's Bathing Association is just a means for you to stock your club with strippers?"

"I told you no such thing," Mito replied amused, "That was a conclusion that you drew yourself. The activities of the Women's Bathing Association are linked to this club, but the purpose that you assign to it is not what you think. The Club might feature women that are members, but it was an offshoot born of that group."

Yoshino looked at Mito with a face that even with the mask did little to hide her skepticism. "Really? Are you telling me that one day some of the members came to you and said, 'Gee, I really think it would be fun to strip for a room full of strangers?'"

"It wasn't phrased exactly like that," Mito said remembering the preparations that went into Naruto's birthday when they had created Club N the year before, "but the sentiment was similar." Mito giggled as she could see her words did little to persuade the Nara so said, "Club N caters to a rather exclusive clientele. In fact you can say they are generally of one mind when it comes to this Club's secrecy."

"Why is that?"

"Many reasons, but in regards to the secrecy it is because all it would take is our secret getting out for all of this to come to an end," Mito responded. "That was why it was necessary for me to make sure Ino and Kurenai's slight breach of our secrecy was taken care off."

"I don't know," Yoshino replied feeling that something wasn't exactly adding up. "I think you did more to let that secret out then they did. Why show me all this, when you could have shown me a less perverse secret?"

"Perverse," Mito exclaimed sounding rather insulted, "Tell me what is so perverse about men drinking in the natural beauty of the female form."

Yoshino indicated the circular area with the sheets hanging from it as she responded, "Are you telling me that is all that is going on over there?"

Mito smiled before replying, "There I think you will find that they do get to come in contact with that beauty. But, it is purely the woman's choice. We run a rather classy establishment here. The women dance as they choose and when they choose. The customers reward them by showing their appreciation. You might notice how some of them are writing on pieces of paper. They have an account with the house which is drawn against based on how well the women perform. I think you'll find that it leads to some rather stiff competitions between the dancers."

"Hold on a moment," Yoshino said in shock, "What do you mean I'll find out. Are you honestly expecting me to become one of your dancers?"

"First, I think you still have some confusion about what it going on here," Mito said her amusement growing. "Take the woman dancing at the moment. You might be surprised to learn that there was a time when she was rather self-conscious about her breasts. In fact, she was on the verge of having them reduced before joining our little group. Does she look self-conscious about them now?"

"No, and are you claiming dancing here helped her to get over it?"

"Not exactly, but she is dancing here because she came to appreciate her beauty thanks in part to her association with us, so has agreed to dance to display that satisfaction which she feels now," Mito stated as the music came to an end.

"So what else am I mistaken about?"

Mito smiled as the DJ said, "Thank you Lady Freeze. Next up for your entertainment is the Lady Mito."

Mito stood as a light shined on her which Yoshino shrank away from as the red-head said, "That this is my club. I'm as much a part of the entertainment as any of the women that chose to dance here. Please wait here until I finish my set."

Mito move towards the stage where she was helped up by one of the all-female staff. Yoshino was struck by the lack of catcalls or whistles as instead the members clapped politely if enthusiastically. It left her feeling almost like she was going to watch the woman perform a poetry reading rather than strip naked on stage. The first song was rather slow in tempo and Yoshino was impressed by the poise and grace that the red-head was displaying. The movements were also slow reminding Yoshino of her old training in performing tea ceremonies, which she felt was a part of an archaic curriculum left over from the days when many shinobi considered a kunoichi's primary asset to be her body and was to be used to either seduce a target or provide a clan or village with future soldiers. Kunoichi still had to learn it, along with skills such as flower arranging, but it was becoming less and less a function of most kunoichi's missions so there were talks to phase it out. Something she knew rubbed the instructor Suzume the wrong way.

There wasn't much skin showed during the first song as Mito's Kimono had several layers to it. Yoshino did notice that rather than slowing down as the first song came to an end she began to speed up. It became apparent why, when the second song started and the lighting suddenly changed as Mito leapt towards the end of the stage leaving behind several of the kimono layers. She was still fully dressed, but in a much smaller and thinner version of her previous kimono. It also had slits running around it so that at certain points during her energetic dance it exposed her lovely legs.

The second song was far quicker in tempo and Mito's moves matched this as she began to incorporate the pole in her routine. She'd spin around it, and Yoshino was struck by how graceful the woman was as her spins caused her kimono to raise up enough to hint at more without revealing it. She realized that was what Mito had been hinting at with Naruko as even she found herself wondering if she'd catch the woman flashing them.

The second song ended and Mito collected her clothes as she stepped down to polite applause. Yoshino noticed several of the patrons beginning to mark the cards before them. She figured the woman would be scored rather highly on technique but couldn't imagine she'd get much due to her lack of nudity. She threw her discarded kimono next to her as she retook a seat next to Yoshino.

The DJ announced the next dancer as Lady Rose and Yoshino tried to figure out who she was as she appeared from behind the curtain wearing a purple bustier and panties. But, it proved difficult due to her mask being more flamboyant having feathers which ran over the back of her head to obscure the color of her hair. The woman danced more like Yoshino would imagine a stripper would and she could tell the crowd was enjoying the show. The first song came to an end, and she removed her top which she tossed into the crowd. It was caught by a dark haired man who when Yoshino looked at him had to take a double take as he looked almost like a dead ringer for Naruto. There were a few differences, namely that he had black hair and red eyes. But he even had the whisker like marks on his cheek.

Mito noticed the woman's gaze lingering on him, so asked, "He's rather handsome no? Much like me with that obscure Uzumaki, he's trying to emulate a certain blond that is also a patron here although only in looks. He tries to act completely opposite of him, but you can tell it is an act."

Yoshino looked over in surprise as she asked, "He's a patron? You mean Naruto?"

"Why naturally," Mito answered, "You could say this club wouldn't even exist without him."

"What do you mean?"

Mito gave her another mysterious smile as she replied, "Oh for multiple reasons, but I suppose if he hadn't stopped Pain's jutsu during the invasion the club would have been crushed."

Yoshino nodded as the reminder of the invasion caused her to recall what she had lost during it. It sapped her curiosity as well as prompted her to stand. "This has been interesting, and I'll protect your secret, but I'm afraid I have no interest in jumping up on that stage."

"It's a shame," Mito said sounding disappointed, "I was sure you would leap at the chance." Yoshino looked back with a look of disbelief and was about to ask the woman about why she thought that she'd want to become a stripper. The red-head answered her question before it was asked as she said, "I know exactly why it is that life seems so dull to you. When you were young and making the decisions of how you would live your life, you never imagined that you'd find yourself devoid of the man that gave it meaning. Oh, you knew there was a chance, but a part of you always thought it would happen to someone else. Yet, it didn't. Now here you are a woman over forty with a stalled career because she put her husband's first in order to provide him with a son and a perfect home to return to. Furthermore, you feel too old to start over in both love, and work."

"And you seem to think that dancing here will cure me of all that," Yoshino replied her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Just dancing," Mito said before pausing for a moment. "No probably not. But here you don't need to be the woman that you are out there. Here you can mingle with people as a woman of mystery. A woman whose whole life is still in front of her. Here you might be able to live out fantasies that you believe yourself too old to indulge in. Or, perhaps find you are free of the chains that you believe prevent you from starting over."

Yoshino surprisingly found herself actually tempted by the offer. Her gaze looked around the room to see the other women chatting happily with the customers. Her gaze stopped on the same dark haired man as before. But her view of him was blocked by Lady Rose, who had finished her set. Yoshino eyes grew wide as she noticed a fox mark on the woman's butt, and immediately recalled seeing one in the exact same place on Ino when they had gone to the hot-springs. Mito must have noticed her look of recognition because she said, "Ah, I believe you've puzzled out who our Lady Rose is?"

"W-why is she here?"

"Because she enjoys dancing for our patron," Mito said calmly. When the Nara didn't notice the lack of pluralization she added, "So, how about it? Would you like to give it a try? I was in a similar place as you once. I think you find that the only chains that bind you are the ones that you allow to hold you down."

Yoshino turned around to face her and her face had a look of suspicion as she said, "They didn't breach your rules. It was a ploy to get me to dance here."

The Nara was confused though as instead of panicking Mito replied, "Very good. You are correct; I see Lady Rose was right to suspect you would see through our little trick."

"Then why go through with it?"

"It succeeded in its purpose," Mito replied, "After all, if we had come right out and asked you here you probably would have refused."

"Do you really want an old woman such as myself to dance that badly?"

Mito smiled as she said, "Oh, why don't you take a gander at the stage."

Yoshino turned to see who had replaced Ino, and saw a dazzling beauty wearing an outfit that left little to the imagination. It consisted of blue straps of cloth that only covered enough to hide away her nipples and cover her groin. Connected to the small patches of cloth were strings that connected them together. The way she danced with the music made Yoshino envious particularly as she had the impression that although the woman might be slightly younger they probably were similar in age. Her mask like her clothes were also barely there, but it was her movements that helped obscure her identity as her long black hair swirled around her. As the second song the woman began retreating down the stage away from the audience, where she grabbed the pole closure to the curtain. She then began spinning around it as she transition into several erotic poses. Then while still holding the pole, she lowered her feet to the stage where she pushed off to give her spinning an almost insane amount of speed. She then let go, causing Yoshino to think she had lost her grip, but the woman proved it was part of the act as she passed the pole at the end of the stage with her leg. Then spinning around it with only her legs holding her up she hung upside down with her arms outstretched towards the crowd. As her spin began to slow she loosened her legs grip to descend towards the stage while the song began to come to an end. Coming to a stop while pointed towards the front of the stage, the woman left on leg resting on the pole as she used the other to arch her back. The song came to an end causing the crowd to erupt into applause. The woman then pushed up into a handstand before returning to her feet and then walked towards the curtain which she disappeared behind.

Yoshino found she was curious as to who the woman was since she had been told a prerequisite for joining the Women's Bathing Association had required the member not be in a committed relationship. She could understand why as she looked around the room, although she did wonder why women such as Ino would feel they needed such a place. Mito slipped up behind her to say, "That was Lady Fan. As you can see she's most often the woman we try to out compete. Much like you she's lost quite a bit, but has begun to piece her life back together. So how about trying it out for yourself. We can adjust the lights so that you can't really see the audience."

"I... I couldn't possibly..." Yoshino replied, "I... I'm not dressed for it... and I wouldn't know what to do."

"Oh, I think you'd find our patron enjoys the housewife look," Mito said letting slip the truth as the woman was flustered, "Think of it as the first stage of a process. A shedding of your current self to indulge in our world of fantasy. But you'll need a name. Hmm, how about the Lady Shadow?"

"Don't you think that is a bit too on the nose," Yoshino said as Mito began to push her towards the entrance to the backrooms.

"Not at all," Mito replied amused at the woman's weak resistance, "It also helps adds to our clientele's enjoyment as they might suspect the beautiful woman dancing before them is non-other than the Lady Nara."

They disappeared into the back, and Yoshino froze as she saw standing at the top of the steps which led up to the stage was Lady Fan, but without her mask. Instantly recognizing Mikoto Uchiha, who spotting her said, "So is this the new dancer?"

Yoshino was trying to process what was happening as she was pushed up the stairs, but still heard Mito's reply of, "Yep, although she's a little shy. But she'll come out of it." Then like a new born deer, she was pushed through the curtain and in many ways the start of a new life.

****************************