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Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. Also, this story is a lemon fiction therefore is intended for people of a legal age from wherever they come from. So, if these types of stories offend then stop reading now. Thanks.

Chapter 103: The Chunin Exams: The Sequel: A Build up to the Event! Part III


Ino was standing with her back against the wall near where the main entrance of Club N resided while she watched the women of her Family enjoy what would likely be the last such gathering for the duration of the Chunin Exams. Primarily, as there wouldn’t be many, if any opportunities for Naruto to entertain his lovers since they’d need to operate under the assumption that he was under constant observation. As one might expect, that meant tonight the Club was filled and she smiled while Naruto’s clones moved about it in various stages of undress depending on what role they were performing.

There were a few noticeable absences however, as Hinata was still currently in the Land of Rice Paddies as she sought an audience with its new Daimyo. Ino wasn’t surprised by her decision not to attend, despite how it would have been a simple manner for her to make an appearance considering Naruto’s ability to Hirashin, primarily due to it sounding as if the negotiation had not been going well. As in they had yet to even start, despite her having arrived in the Daimyo’s court shortly after the incident in Ruin had concluded. Worst still, it seemed that Daimyo Chiyo was purposefully insulting Hinata by blowing off the meetings that were to be held between them to discuss the Hyuuga Branch Family purchasing the larger ports within her country.

Details that Ino had heard from Koharu that evening as Sasame also was not in attendance, which the former Konoha Elder and current second in command of the Black Foxes, suspected was due to her clan’s rocky relationship with their new Daimyo Chiyo. A result of which had left Sasame with few opportunities since Chiyo’s installment as Daimyo to join the Family for such get-togethers, which Koharu suspected might be due to the shifting political landscape of Rice Paddies. As with a new Daimyo, the various nobles were likely jockeying for position to either support her in return for her favor or possibly obstructing her in order to possibly usurp her. Which although Ino had first assumed that those working against her were doing so for their own benefit, Koharu had cautioned her against it since many of the nobles might be against her ascension to the title out of the belief that she would be a puppet of Daimyo of the Five Major Elemental Countries as they had selected her after the previous Daimyo had been betrayed and murdered, most likely by Mizuki. All in order to hide Sasuke’s involvement when the scheme Naruto had interfered with to steal supplies for his fledgling village had been uncovered and thwarted.

Koharu had also proposed that the Rice Paddies nobles’ opposition to her could very well still be a result of their seeing her as a puppet, but smaller in scale because her future father-in-law was the Daimyo of the Land of That. Ino suspected this was more likely the case, particularly considering his role in the destruction of his rival city-state The Land of This and his subsequent absorption of its territories into his own. Having taken part in the mission to kidnap, and return the That Daimyo’s son Shu to his home. Ino would admit to feeling a little dirty for aiding in his plans, even though she had only recently discovered of the That Daimyo’s involvement thanks in part to Konan back when Chiyo had first been selected as the new Daimyo of the Land of Rice Paddies due to her having the closest bloodline claim to it. Recalling Shu to be a kind but somewhat sheltered boy, not that she could blame him, since he had been a political hostage whose stay in the Land of This had been meant to prevent his father from attacking his neighbors due to a long standing treaty, Ino could only imagine that the That Daimyo must have felt that he had hit the lottery upon Chiyo’s elevation to Rice Paddy Daimyo. Granted, he wouldn’t be able to rule it directly, but she figured that he would consider it to be quite the win for his son’s children to inherit the position, since it seemed that the Land of That had a long history of trying to grow itself usually through military means.

Ino began to grow concerned that although Chiyo and Shu had appeared to be friendly, that the young woman now found herself trapped with a future marriage that she did not desire. After all, if the man who had taken her in, could also order the death of her father, Ino had the feeling that he wouldn’t let a little thing like her not loving his son stand in the way of his ambitions. Particularly, as once she turned eighteen, she would have had the stronger claim on the Land of This as well. She also wondered how Shu would have developed in such an environment, since the power dynamics would have shifted so drastically since previously he had been Chiyo’s somewhat reluctant guest.

However, while she was tempted to interject herself into the situation due to her feelings of guilt for taking part in the That Daimyo’s scheme, even though she was unaware of one at the time. She figured that as Hinata had all the same information as her, she was just as equipped to put things right. Moreover, the Hyuuga had a lot more riding on the outcome then her.

Letting the matter rest for the time being, she took a sip of her drink, while she scanned the room and smirked to herself as she could practically smell the arousal in the air, and so imagined that soon many of the club goers would be stripping themselves. Not that several already hadn’t, as she noticed shadows being cast on the draped off area where several of her fellow lovers of Naruto had retreated after snagging a clone to have pleasure them.

As for the real article himself, she wasn’t too surprised as she found him sitting next to Shiho as she had suspected something was bothering her. Mainly, as the mousy woman typically avoided such gatherings, being one of the women who often preferred to enjoy him alone. Which, coupled with the fact that she had gone all out with her appearance had likely thrown up a few red flags. An appearance, which Ino took a few moments to take in since when Shiho had first stepped into the Club, she had only realized who it was after a short process of elimination. As gone were the glass-bottle bottom thick glasses that she wore which revealed striking blue eyes, and her hair which even under the best of conditions still had stray strands sticking out at random had been tamed so that not even one was out of place. Her typical white lab coat was missing, and while she typically wore a plain dress beneath it that did little to accentuate her figure. The short red one that she had appeared in had hugged her curves while leaving most of her thighs exposed, and due to it only being held up by thin straps had exposed a fair amount of cleavage. With her appearing in attire so outside her usual comfort zone, not to mention it being clear that she was quite uncomfortable being seen in it, Ino suspected something had happened which had prompted the sudden out of character appearance. Which if she had picked up on it, Ino wasn’t surprised that Naruto, who was simply dressed in a white collar and tight black pants leaving his chest exposed like all the other clones that were walking around serving drinks, or entertaining the women gathered around the main and side stages where other version of him were stripping out of various costumes, had quickly made his way over to her upon her arrival.

Although curious, she let her attention once more return to some of the notable absences from the gathering with Kurenai being one of those not in attendance due to her having accompanied Hinata on her journey to Rice Paddies. However, she figured the kunoichi wouldn’t be missing out on having a chance with Naruto since he would need to collect her before heading to Suna as she would be acting as his Team’s sensei for the duration of the exams. Samui also had been unable to make it since she was likely currently traveling with hers. This left the Bijuu that were currently bound to Naruto as being the largest group of women not taking advantage of what the night had to offer. The reason for which Ino had learned as she had mingled with the inspiration for the face Kiyomi wore, Mito.

She smirked as she directed her attention to the Uzumaki in question and found her sitting at the secondary stage next to her granddaughter, as they watched a clone strip out of a business suit while it danced on the stage. The clone had already tossed away its jacket as well as had loosened its tie and was currently in the process of unbuttoning the white dress shirt that it had worn. Ino suspected based on how the two women were eyeing him that it wouldn’t be long after it removed its pants before it found it was sharing the stage with them. But, returning to the discussion that she had shared with the red-head where she had learned that the reason for the Bijuu’s absence was that there was some secret project that they were working on, and that they intended to have a smaller gathering for themselves when it was finished.

Shifting her attention again, this time towards the bar area she smirked as she saw Ayame setting another platter of food down on a long table that had been setup for the occasion. She grew a little confused as she noticed a large silver platter in the center of it, which was coated in parsley around the edges like a roast was going to go there. However, as the brown haired woman stepped back, it looked like she was giving it a once over as if she had finished. Ino mentally shrugged as she turned away, figuring the proprietor of Naruto’s favorite restaurant knew what she was doing, since it was her job to ensure the clones would be able to keep going all night long.

But, as she scanned over the rest of the room, Ino’s brow furrowed in confusion once more as she noticed that there was someone who had been in attendance earlier that was now missing. Directing her gaze towards the screened off area, she couldn’t see any new shadows being cast on the sheer fabric which would have suggested that someone new had stepped inside while her attention was elsewhere. Suspecting something was going on, and finding herself rather curious about what, she decided to go in search of her former rival, confident that whatever she was up to her earlier appearance in Club N meant that she was probably nearby.

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“Honestly, if you wanted me naked and wet you could have at least bought me a drink first.”

Suzume held back a sigh as it became clear that her attempt at humor fell flat with her audience when Sakura looked up from the control panel that she was adjusting with an annoyed look. She quickly looked away to stare back up at the ceiling while she lay naked on a cold metal table which was covered entirely in small circular holes which she assumed was to allow it to sink into the square glass tank of water that she was being suspended above. Water which as she undressed, she had noticed seemed to be an unnatural shade of blue due to how dark it was, as if it had been colored with a dye.

She turned her attention back to the pink-haired kunoichi whose own focus was once more glued to the control panel and wondered just what she had been doing before meeting her at the entrance of the Hidden Eddy Inn, as the kunoichi was dressed in a velvet red dress. The dress hugged the young woman’s frame, and looked like it was wrapped around her, and held closed by a clasp on the left side of her torso which she could easily undo in order to shed herself of it. Which Suzume assumed meant that the young woman was likely completely naked underneath, so the corruptor that she was tied to could have easy access since she suspected there was a gathering of some sort going on. A conclusion that she had arrived at as the Hidden Eddy Inn had seemed rather empty compared to the last time that she had needed to pass through it back when she had first been bound to Naruto.

Still Sakura had been rather nervous and told her that they needed to pass through the apartment complex quietly less the Landlady notice them. An encounter that she would rather avoid herself as she recalled the purple haired woman who had been kneeling on the porch sipping tea after Tsunade had guided her out of the underground tunnels beneath the complex after her encounter with an enraged Kushina, whom upon learning who she was from the Sannin had begun to project an aura that had caused her to see a floating demon head behind the woman, all the while with her smile having never wavered.

Sakura had relaxed some after using the hidden passage in the basement of the Hidden Eddy Inn to enter the area that she had called the Den. Although she couldn’t really hear it, she had felt a rhythmic thumping which made her believe some music was being played nearby that was being muffled and was where the other women were currently gathered. Sakura had quickly ushered her to one of the first doors near the entrance, which appeared to have been setup with a bunch of lab equipment. Which upon entering, Sakura had guided her to the machine that she was currently laying upon and had told her to strip.

But, having not received any further instruction, outside of climbing on top of the table she currently lay upon she asked, “Isn’t it about time that you tell me what exactly this machine is for, and why we couldn’t just do it at the hospital?” Which earned her another annoyed glance from Sakura.

However, the pink-haired kunoichi relented as she figured that she would have had to explain the first part of her question eventually so answered, “Essentially, you’ll be lowered into this chakra infused water.” She nodded towards another piece of equipment which held a large section of a thick looking paper suspended in the air, with one end of it still being connected to a large scroll as she explained, “However, before that I’ll lower the papyrus onto you in order to cover you with it. At that time, you’ll begin channeling your chakra as if gathering it for a jutsu as you are submerged. Once finished, I’ll remove the papyrus, which should then be imprinted with an outline of your chakra network and if your lack of feeling is due to damaged coils, we should be able to pinpoint it.”

Commenting on the bulky contraption that she was being suspended above, Suzume said, “This seems like a rather expensive and unnecessary piece of equipment considering that it performs the same task a Hyuuga could in moments. Not to mention, I’m not sure why we couldn’t just do this in the hospital.”

Sakura simply shrugged before she replied, “If you want to call the whole thing off, be my guest. But, unfortunately for you the only Hyuuga I could consult about your condition isn’t in the village currently. Not to mention, the Hyuuga Clan leadership has rather staunchly refused to let its members enter the medical program in the first place. As such, this expensive and unnecessary piece of equipment is really the best way to diagnosis if your problem is related to damage sustained to your chakra coils. As to why we are doing this down here, it takes about a few hundred million Ryo to fill the tank that you’re going to be submerged in, and as such the hospital keeps track of every drop of the water. It is a rare import that comes from the Land of Water.”

Suzume fought to keep the concern and perhaps small hope that Sakura’s words had awakened in her from her face. The hope she felt was born of the possibility that there may be a way out of her current predicament. After all, she was being suspended above what she had to assume was at least around a hundred gallons of the water, so figured that if the village was keeping such close tabs on it, then perhaps she could use that as a means to circumnavigate the controls that Naruto and apparently certain members of his harem had on her which prevented her from exposing them by pointing those responsible for keeping tabs on the water to look into if any was missing. Yet, the concern welling up within her far outweighed the hope, particularly as she had already underestimated his reach and influence once, so had to imagine that there was a real possibility that an investigation into the water would find nothing. As she had to consider the possibility that he may have corrupted a woman who not only had the ability to get her hands on such a rare item, but also the means to pay for it.

“Strange,” Suzume replied deciding not to proceed at the moment but hoped to gain more information as to the rarity of the liquid she was being suspended above, “Wasn’t the injury that your master just recovered from damaged chakra coils, which was diagnosed in Suna. I can’t see them having access to such a machine.”

Sakura looked mildly annoyed for a moment, which Suzume attributed to the title that she had addressed Naruto with. However, as the pink haired woman refused to comment on it as her focus returned to her instruments, Suzume assumed that the annoyance was born of the negative connotations her tone conveyed Naruto possessed by her labeling him with such a title, rather than herself being considered subservient to him. When she did speak, she was all business as she explained, “You are not wrong. However, the Chakra scoring that he was suffering from is far easier to diagnosis, due to the other symptoms that they would be suffering from. Moreover, as usually the entire network ends up being scarred as a result any scans performed do not need to be pinpointed.” Sakura flipped a switch, and Suzume felt a motor turn on in the machine while the kunoichi continued her explanation, “However, in this case what your lack of feeling might be suggesting is a total collapse or blockage. Which is much harder to diagnosis as the area being affected, might not necessarily be anywhere near where the blockage occurs.”

“I can’t imagine it would be that hard to find though that would make this machine necessary,” Suzume stated as Sakura moved the tower towards the head of the machine, she pulled it into place so that the prongs suspending the papyrus between them were directly overhead. She then pressed a button on the tower, which began to lower the prongs so that the papyrus would cover her from head to toe

As they descended, Sakura shook her head somewhat amused as she replied, “I cannot say I really would fault a person for believing that. The chakra diagram as laid out in our textbooks, or even as described by a Hyuuga doesn’t really do it justice.” Suzume felt a little bit like a piece of meat being wrapped by a machine at a butchers shop as the prongs settled on the table and Sakura locked them down to the table before disengaging them from the tower, which she then moved away before she began pressing the papyrus down on her making sure it was tight up against her body while she continued to explain, “Generally, what is being seen or described is a rather simplified version of it, much like a diagram of a cardiovascular system. Yet, It has been said that if you ever laid out a person’s entire cardiovascular system end to end it would cover about sixty thousand miles. A chakra network could easily cover around four times that.”

With Sakura’s explanation seemingly complete as she finished making the final adjustments, Suzume began to understand why they would need such a machine as she imagined even if a particular chakra pathway was suspected to be blocked, following it back to the blockage could be nearly impossible. Since, rather than the simple giant pathway as was shown in books, in truth it was laid out more like an electrical grid which meant much like a blackout resulting from a blown switch, depending on where the chakra flow was being stopped, it would appear as if an entire part of her network had gone dark. Still, she had a hard time believing the machine would give an extremely detailed view of her network, but figured that by seeing which portions of her network were dark it would help the pink-haired kunoichi zero in on where to look for the blockage.

Sakura, cut a slit in the papyrus above her mouth before pushing a bit with a tube attached to it which she had her bite down on to allow her to breathe as she stated, “Okay, I’m going to submerge you now. Try to remain still, and breath in and out using the tube.” Suzume followed the instructions she was given as Sakura pressed a button which began to lower the table into the water. She fought back a shiver as the cold water hit her back first, and then began to soak into the papyrus covering her, before she was fully submerged.


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Hanabi laid in her tent, but was having trouble sleeping, which she attributed to a sense of nervousness and excitement. The nerves were easy enough to understand due to the pressures that she felt to perform well in the Chunin Exams. Which in the darkness of her own tent, Hanabi admitted that for the first time in her life she felt like failure was an option. That wasn’t to say that she had never felt tested before, or that she had never tasted of the bitter fruit that was failing. Only, that for as long as she could remember, her father had been telling her that it was her destiny to become the next Clan Head of the Hyuuga. A destiny that she had believed in, particularly as her older sister had been so meek and had hardly seemed the sort to make a play for the position herself. However, since joining the Woman’s Bathing Association, Hanabi saw firsthand that her sister’s meekness was a thing of the past as Hinata often carried herself with a confidence which at times she sometimes was envious of.

A confidence which Hanabi felt was born from the trials that her sister had faced, starting with her own first appearance in the Chunin Exams. Having a chance to prove herself in a similar fashion was where she imagined the excitement that she felt was coming from. Particularly as there was a real danger of failure. But, she supposed that was why she found the exams to be so thrilling since it was a chance to put her skills truly to the test, where she didn’t have to question if her father or other instructors were holding back simply to avoid the embarrassment of needing to admit that their selection of her as the next clan head was a mistake.

Hanabi was confident in her skills, even if she knew she had a tough uphill climb before her, particularly in regards to earning any esteem in the eyes of the sensei and teammates that she had been assigned to take the exam with. As even though she had handled herself well in the various training exercises that they had engaged in since her father had announced she would be taking the exams. She was observant enough to recognize that at times she simply wasn’t receiving their best efforts. Particularly in the one-on-one spars where she could feel the hesitance in their movements, especially when her father or other Main House members were present. As a result, she imagined that they still held an overall negative view of her and her skills, since they felt they hadn’t really been able to put her through her paces. Although, she liked to think that she was making some inroads into winning them over as she could tell all three Branch Family members had been surprised when the acting sensei had called for them to stop and make camp for the night, and she had fallen right into step with them in doing so. As she had set up her tent, she wondered if her behavior was so out of line for a member of the Main House as to warrant the brief flickers of surprise that had appeared at her not commanding them to setup the camp for her.

She found it a little strange that she couldn’t really say for certain if her behavior was abnormal for a Main Family member. But, attributed it to her lack of social interactions with anyone but her father. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t have any interactions with others outside of her Father, only that they were generally restricted to tutors, so their interactions were confined to whatever lessons they were instructing her in or servants. In more public or social settings, such as Clan Gatherings and the like, she was often accompanying her father in order to observe how he conducted himself. So, even then most people’s primary focus was on her father, where she would at times barely receive more than a brief greeting. So, all in all, even though she had a few hours each day to relax in truth she generally just filled them with reading or more training since that was how her father appeared to spend his. As even when meeting with supposed friends, he never truly seemed to relax, rather his time with them seemed more like he was performing a duty to keep himself in their good graces in order to maintain the balance of power within the Clan.

Thus, with it seemingly having always been her destiny to replace him, she had modeled her free time activities on his. However, her time as a member of the Women’s Bathing Association had made her begin to yearn for less formal relationships, not to mention made her realize how greatly she had desired for an improved one with her sister. But it, along with the brief time that she had been with her team, made her realize that she was quite inadept at forming them. After all, if Hinata had not reached out to her, Hanabi imagined she would still be soaking alone any time she visited the bathing grounds. Hanabi wondered why her father wouldn’t prepare her to form bonds, much as he had the other skills that she had learned including her survival training. But, she didn’t really believe it to be an oversight on his part, so much as a belief that due to her position as his successor others would seek her out, at which point the training that she had received to analyze people to determine what they truly wanted from her and how to use it to her advantage would kick in.

However, much like with the Women’s Bathing Association her team didn’t seem all the keen on interacting with a potential future Clan Head. Which wasn’t too surprising since she imagined that all three of them would prefer that her sister succeed her father as Head of the Hyuuga. Truthfully, a sentiment that Hanabi at times shared, if not for the threat of receiving the Cage Bird Seal, especially lately as watching the Branch Family members of her team interacting, she could tell that they were freer to be themselves with one another then she had ever observed the Main Family being. She wondered if the standoffishness with which her teammate treated her with would change should Hinata succeed in her bid to become Clan Head and she find herself branded before being regulated to becoming a member of the Branch Family. She imagined it may be the case for two of them, but for the third felt it would be a case of justice being meted out.

That young man’s name was Hoshi Hyuuga, and was one of the individual’s with whom she would be taking the actual test with. He was a little under two years older than her, although with summer set to turn to fall, the age gap would be switching to one and some months as she would be turning fifteen in December. He kept his hair cut short, and when on missions wore a beige shirt in a similar style as her cousin Neji had favored when he first started out as a shinobi. Beneath which he wore a sleeveless mesh shirt, and typically favored taping up both of his hands to about midway up his forearm. To cover his legs and feet, he wore long black pants and brown shinobi sandals.

He had a stern personality, at least towards her, and had made it quite clear that he was a supporter of her sister. Not that Hanabi had expected many Branch Family members to support her. Still, despite his wearing his distaste for her out in the open, his doing so actually made any doubts that she had in regards to how he would perform during the exams disappear. As it was quite clear that Hoshi was rather infatuated with her sister, and so she doubted that he would do anything which would reflect poorly on Hinata. Still, Hanabi wished her sister had been in the village to see her off that morning, as she imagined Hoshi’s attitude towards her would make a one-eighty if he could witness how close Hinata and her had gotten.

Her other teammate, a girl by the name of Mieko Hyuuga was much harder to read, as she was far more aloof when dealing with her. The kunoichi in question had only just turned fifteen making her only a few months older than Hanabi. Yet, despite their closeness in age, they had probably exchanged only a handful of words not related to their training or the exams. As such, the kunoichi who typically wore a light purple robe similar in hue as the jacket her sister had worn as a chunin, which only just barely reached to about the middle of her thighs, and would have left her exposing quite a bit of cleavage if she wasn’t wearing a black halter top beneath it, and more over if she had been similarly endowed as Hinata due to it looking as if the tailor had just run out of material to finish the top portion of the robe, although there were partial sleeves as well so Hanabi figured it had to have been by design. To hold the robe closed, she was wearing a dark purple obi, which Hanabi suspected was also to enhance her modest endowments in the chest area. While due to the shortness of the robe’s hem she wore black shorts beneath it, which matched the black shinobi sandals that she wore whose tops stopped just short of her knees.

Although Mieko was harder to read than Hoshi, she didn’t believe the Hyuuga kunoichi harbored the same level of distaste for her. Rather, Hanabi believed Mieko simply expected that as soon as the exams were over she would forget that the Branch Member kunoichi even existed so didn’t find much value in trying to be friendly to her. For her part, Hanabi had tried to strike up a conversation with her a few time, but having no real experience in trying to start a friendship, they hadn’t amounted to much more than a few pleasantries being exchanged. But, Hanabi would admit that she was sorely tempted to try and make a friend her own age, but found it truly difficult to commit to the idea due to their differing stations in life. She wondered how it was that Hinata was so successful in bridging the divide, but imagined that considering how poorly their father and his allies often spoke of her, particularly when in regards to her potential as a future Clan Head, many Branch Family Members saw her as a honorary member already, who simply had not been branded.

Hanabi sighed as her thoughts refused to quiet down to allow her to sleep, and so decided to go sit by the fire that she could see was still burning outside. Stepping out of her tent, she wasn’t overtly surprised to find her temporary sensei sitting before it, despite his earlier insistence that they turn in. “Trouble sleeping Satoshi-Sensei?”

“No,” the man replied who had appeared to be staring into the fire, but as he looked up at her, she saw the veins around his eyes settle back into place as he deactivated the Byakugan, “Just keeping watch.”

Hanabi frowned as she asked, “I thought you said that it didn’t make much sense for us to take turns on watch. What changed?” Hanabi waited for a reply as she studied the Jounin for a moment, who bore a striking resemblance to how she could picture her cousin looking when he reached his mid-thirties, minus the scar that ran up from his right cheek, and came to a stop just under that eye. A scar that he had picked up from a missing-nin that he had encountered during a mission in his youth, where the man had been aiming to cut one of his eyes out in order to sell it on the black market, while being unaware that even if he had succeeded, as soon as the optic nerve had been cut the eye would effectively blacken in a surge of released chakra due to the cage bird seal.

She watched closely as she waited for his reply as a part of her suspected that he had called attention to their not needing to establish a night watch as a result of how there were five other teams of Hyuuga Branch members escorting them to Suna in order to rile up Hoshi, who hadn’t missed the opportunity to fire off a snide remark her way about how of course the princess wouldn’t need to take a shift. Although, conveniently ignoring how he wouldn’t need to either. A fact that Hanabi had considered pointing out, but had thought better of it, figuring it would just lead to him attacking her on different track. Not to mention, it wasn’t a complaint entirely without merit as she would admit that it was unlikely if all three members of the team had been Branch members they would have such a sizeable escort. She had also considered reminding him of how Satoshi had explained that the reason for the escort was there was some concern from the village higherups that Kumo might be up to their old tricks. But, again felt it would only further add fuel to his need to belittle her since it was quite clear the escorts were solely for her benefit.

“Nothing,” Satoshi replied plainly. An answer which Hanabi was not pleased with, and she did little to hide it which prompted the jounin to explain, “My reasoning for not setting up a watch schedule remains the same. But, as the teams covering us have set-up far enough away so as to not to be too noticeable an escort, it wouldn’t pay to drop our guard completely.”

“But it isn’t fair for you to accept all the burden,” Hanabi replied causing her fellow Hyuuga to give a somewhat surprised look and smile.

He rubbed his lower jaw which had a few days’ worth of stubble which in the short time that she had known the older Hyuuga had seemed to almost always be present. After a few moments he replied, “Now don’t you go worrying about it or what Hoshi said. I’ve had my share of sleepless nights, and my guess is that you’ll have quite a few of them yourself before the exams are over. So, use the advantages that you have to your benefit.”

Hanabi sent a quick glance to the mentioned man’s tent before replying, “I doubt Hoshi sees it that way.”

“No, he probably doesn’t,” Satoshi replied, “But, it doesn’t look like he’s losing any sleep over it either.”

Hanabi let out a soft, short laugh which caused the older man to chuckle himself prompting her to ask, “Does it bother you that I’m being treated special, simply because of the Branch I was born too?”

“Not particularly,” Satoshi replied causing Hanabi to give him a slight disbelieving look. He chuckled again before asking, “Is there a reason for you to think that I’m lying to you?”

Hanabi was tempted to apologize for wearing her emotions so visibly, but instead responded, “Well no, besides this being the longest conversation we’ve had not related to training.”

The jounin let out another chuckle, causing Hanabi to frown which again caused the man to let out a few chortles before stating, “You are not going to last long as a Clan Head unless you get better at hiding your emotions.” Hanabi tried to calm herself, and while she did so he said, “You know you bear an equal measure of the responsibility in our lack of non-vital communication.”

“You’re right,” Hanabi conceded.

“I know,” the jounin matter of factly stated causing her to express surprise again since she wasn’t use to being talked to in such manner. Continuing the man explained, “Getting back to your original question, the reason I’m not bitter about any of the special treatment that you’ve received is because I long ago learned there are things a man can control, and things he can’t.” He moved towards a bed roll that he had laid out next to the fire, and staring up at the night sky continued, “For example, I couldn’t control which Branch of the clan I was born into, and so got this damn mark tattooed onto my head.” Tapping the headband that was hiding the Cage Bird Seal from view, he then added, “For a long time, and much like Hoshi, I resented the hell out. But, then I witnessed something that changed all that.” Hanabi found herself leaning forward in interest, since it was still quite the new experience to hear opinions on the clan from anyone other than her father, tutors, or the Main Clan Elders. Granted, Hoshi had on more than one occasion, but the bitter and angry way he usual delivered his remarks made it easy to dismiss them, particularly since he often acted as if she had been the personal arbitrator of his grievances. Something about Satoshi’s even-keel way of speaking gave his words more weight, which made them harder to ignore particularly as he explained, “You see, I was there when the decision was made to hand Kumo your Uncle’s body in place of your father. Now, to hear it from most Branch members who weren’t even there, Hoshi included, your father commanded his own brother to die for his actions. But, the truth is, no one that day argued harder against sacrificing Hizashi more than your father. In fact, it was Hizashi himself who disabled him so he could offer up his life.”

Naturally, Hanabi was shocked by the revelation since the few times she had heard the tale in passing, it was usually the version where he had offered up his brother feeling it was the natural order of things. A version of events Hanabi had believed for the most part, since she had never heard her father attempt to refute them during the times where he had been present, as Hanabi was of the opinion that if she had picked up the hushed whispers then he would have as well. She could tell Satoshi was studying her out of the corner of his eyes, a fact made all the more evident as he addressed the very question that she now had as a result of his revelation, “You’re wondering why he’s never done anything to dispel the rumors about him.” Hanabi nodded mutely, prompting her temporary sensei to state, “The answer is simply because he understands better than most that there are things a man can do, and things he cannot.” He chuckled mirthlessly before continuing, “You see, there were enough of us Branch Members present to witness the event, and spread what truly happened. Hell, many of us did just because we’ve never seen a Main Family member argue so passionately on behalf of a Branch member. But, the fable is the story which persists, and that is because it is easier for many Branch members to believe in the cold-hearted bastard who’d let his brother die for his supposed transgressions. Rather than believe he’d have gladly given his life for him.”

“I don’t understand,” Hanabi said dumbfounded, “If my father was willing to die, why wouldn’t they just accept it, and give him the Cage Bird Seal.”

Satoshi shrugged, before replying, “Who can truly say? But the Elders were completely against it. Which is why I suppose the Third Hokage was as well, especially as it was his idea to offer up Hizashi to begin with. But, if I had to guess, your Grandfather was against it simply because it would likely have meant the end of his Family line running the Clan. Even if they had placed you or Hinata in charge as neither of you were ready, there would have likely been a regent nominated who would have simply claimed the position as theirs.”

“Couldn’t they have just removed the seal from my Uncle?” Hanabi asked, feeling the theory the man had proposed had a simple solution.

But, Satoshi responded with a question of his own, “Now, that’s the one million ryo question, isn’t it?” Seeing the budding young woman was disappointed with his reply, he elaborated, “The truth is, no one knows. Well, more accurately the Elders do, but they are not sharing. You see, there’s hundreds of theories. For instance, some say that there is no release for the Cage Bird Seal, well other than death that is. So, once Hizashi received it, well that’s all she wrote, his fate was sealed. Which makes sense, since who wouldn’t like a lock without a key, especially if you never intend for it to be opened again. Others say that there surely has to be a release, but it was just lost to time. While many believe they could release us all tomorrow if they so desired. I can’t really say what the truth is, although my own two cents would be that the Elders ignored your father’s pleas because they didn’t want to give us Branch Members hope.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Hanabi said with a frown.

“You will,” Satoshi said with small sad smile, “You see, the advice I gave you that you shouldn’t worry because you can’t change, what can’t be changed is simply pragmatism in action. It is calm acceptance of reality. If I had hope, I might indeed be bitter towards you and how unfair the treatment you receive is due to a simple quirk of fate in regards to who escaped your Grandmother’s womb first. But, if even the man that won that race, and thus found himself lord of the Hyuuga then in turn finds himself powerless to choose his own fate because of it, who truly won? Me, I’d say your uncle did, for he escaped his cage while your Father is as trapped as ever.”

Hanabi found herself rather shaken by the idea, so standing said, “I believe I’ll turn in for the night.”

Satoshi nodded, and then activated his Byakugan while seemingly looking up at the night sky.

Reentering her tent, Hanabi laid in her sleeping bag, and not for the first time wondered if she wouldn’t be better served by simply standing aside so Hinata could become the Clan Head. After all, unlike what the case was for her, it was clear that Hinata had an internal drive pushing her towards their Father’s positions. However, taking Satoshi’s words to heart, she perhaps wondered if she wouldn’t be better serving her sister by blocking her ascension, if only so she wouldn’t find herself trapped in the position in the same manner as it appeared their Father might very well be. Yet, she soon came to the conclusion that for the moment, those were questions saved for a later date, as first she would need to perform at her best in the Chunin Exams so quieted her mind and settled in to sleep.



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

Having been submerged for a while now, Suzume regretted not asking Sakura how long the test would take, but after a few minutes she found the isolation to be rather relaxing and beneficial. Making the most of it, she directed her focus to the puzzle of Naruto’s harem. After all, for as far as she could tell, it appeared that much as Naruto had stated after she had ended up being bound to him, and up until she had initiated contact by reaching out to Sakura, that he and his slaves had been more than willing to ignore her existence. Although Suzume was more than willing to chalk that up to being due to the injuries that he had sustained from his battle with Sasuke, and his apparent attempt to save a kunoichi that the Uchiha had tried to use as a superweapon. Which naturally filled her with a certain amount of dread that Sasuke’s weapon may now be in Naruto’s hands as well. Although, she had heard rumors that the jutsu that had been sealed in her was no longer usable, but with Tsunade being another of the Uzumaki’s conquests, she had quite a few doubts as to the validity of those reports.

Figuring there was nothing to be done about it for the moment, she returned her focus to her more immediate concern of being unable to achieve release. As Suzume hated to admit that it was causing her to begin to fray at the edges quite a bit, as in truth, there were times where she felt as if she’d even sell out the village if it meant that she’d be able to climax. Which she feared was exactly what Naruto was aiming for, as she could still feel pleasure, although it did feel somewhat muted which left her feeling as if she was in a perpetual state of edging. As a result, she suspected that although Sakura had tried to demonstrate that her current predicament was not a result of the controls Naruto had gained over her when she had forced her to climax using the Voice, that truthfully, they were playing some sort of long con on her which would ultimately drive her to give herself to him willingly. A plot which if that was indeed the case, she sadly was forced to admit to herself that it was probably working considering how she had willingly entangled herself with them by contacting Sakura. Not to mention, if Sakura offered her some sort of miracle cure, which involved fucking Naruto again, Suzume couldn’t truly say that she would be against it.

Of course, she tried to justify to herself that she would only be doing it in order to clear her head so that she could return to the task of trying to destroy the Corruptor, now from within. But a large part of her knew that what she was truly after was just the ability to cum like she used to.

Still, despite that, it was far easier to lie to herself and so she dedicated her time to trying to untangle the plot that she imagined Naruto had ensnared her in. Which required her to disprove that Sakura’s attempt to get her to feel release via the Voice during her initial visit had been genuine. She felt that it could simply be due to the nature of the command that she may have been given, likely when Yuugao had knocked her out, since considering how loyal the Anbu Captain appeared to be she must be one of his lovers who was able to use the Voice to command others. Leaving her to suspect that as she lay unconscious, the purple-haired woman had given her instructions that she would be unable to experience release until she gave herself to Naruto or heard a particular phrase. Leaving her to suspect that at some point in time which Sakura would determine, likely based on how desperate she became for release, she’d suggest to her trying to sleep with Naruto again at which point she’d likely be allowed to climax and would thus become addicted to him.

Of course, Suzume recognized that there was a prominent flaw in her current theory regarding her condition being some sort of ploy to bring her over to Naruto’s side. Namely the procedure that she was currently undergoing suggested that Sakura believed her condition to be the result of damage that she had sustained from the use of the jutsu that she had used against Naruto. Which, if her theory was correct, left her feeling rather insulted that Sakura would believe her dumb enough to believe that his cum could heal her injuries. Of course, considering how desperate she was at times she supposed that it wouldn’t really matter if she believed it or not, only that it worked.

Suzume resisted the urge to sigh since she felt that was a rather depressing admission to make. As her condition had brought into focus just how little she truly had going on in her life due to her having become something of a homebody in order to avoid the disappointment that she’d inevitably end up with. In the weeks since dropping out of the night scene that she typically engaged in, only a single previous partner had attempted to reach out to her, and that had only been after he had struck out for the evening so had showed up outside her apartment door figuring she’d eagerly accept his proposal due to his not having seen her around for a while. Which, Suzume was forced to admit would have more than likely been the case if everything was working as it was supposed to. She had turned him down, which she could tell had honestly surprised him, but he had accepted her excuse that she was just tied up although leaving out how it was due to the new school year starting. A true enough statement, since the first few months of a new year typically were the busiest not only due to her needing to come up with a schedule. But also, because it was the point in the year with the greatest number of failures from the previous graduating class, who required remedial training. Since Suzume didn’t have a fulltime class of her own, it was typically her responsibility to provide the necessary remedial lessons in between the usual ones that she had provided to Kunoichi-in-training.

As a result, she typically was the busiest during the new year as she handled the remedial class which would see the returning students either dropping out or moving on to become shinobi. This year she had been busier than most as there had been a higher number of failures looking for redemption, which Tsunade had made sure to point out that she felt it was a result of her messing with the team compositions that Iruka had suggested for his class. Unfortunately, she was forced to admit that it wasn’t an unfair accusation to make since Iruka before his passing had the highest genin exam success rate in the entire academy. His last though had been the worst as nearly seventy percent were currently in the remedial program, which was indeed likely because she had changed up the teams that he had suggested take the exam together.

Suzume had meddled mainly because she had suspected that Iruka had been aware of Naruto’s role as a Corruptor and had intended to develop a pipeline from his classroom to the Uzumaki’s bedroom. Particularly since some of the notes that he had left made it clear the deceased Chunin had hoped that one of the teams he had suggested, which had consisted of three kunoichi, would end up with Naruto as their jounin-sensei. However, after his death it had fallen to her to finalize the list, since Naruto who had been teaching the class since Iruka’s passing had left to fight in Ame. Still even though the Uzumaki had yet to complete the chunin exams and thus his path to be their sensei was blocked, she had still decided to break up that particular team which had resulted in her needing to rebalance the majority of the ones Iruka had been in the process of forming. Unfortunately, this had proven rather disastrous since it was actually rather early into a students’ final academy year, if not before, when a teacher would settle on the teams that he wanted to create. With some, such as the Nara-Yamanaka-Akimichi combination being all but decided upon their entering the Academy. Granted, the actual final team composition was only firmed up only after the graduation exam, since unexpected things could happen throughout the year. One such occurrence involving Naruto himself, as Iruka had been more than aware of his inability to use the basic clone jutsu so had actually wanted the final exam to be something that he would be able to pass as he had always intended to pair the Uzumaki with Sakura and Sasuke. Something Suzume had learned as she had gone over his old files and notes on the teams that he had created. He had believed that between his rivalry with Sasuke and his strong feelings for Sakura, it would help craft him into the shinobi Iruka believed he could be. Not to mention, his attitude would hopefully in turn rub off on his two teammates as well, helping Sakura to take the training of her skills more seriously, and possibly pull Sasuke from the dark path that he seemed determined to walk. This had made Suzume rather curious, since she recalled Naruto had in fact failed the graduation exam, not to mention the fiasco with his stealing the Forbidden Scroll. As such, she suspected that Mizuki had gone behind Iruka’s back to ensure that the exam would be the clone jutsu, obviously so he would be able use the Uzumaki as a patsy for his scheme to steal the scroll.

It didn’t escape Suzume’s notice that by meddling the way that she had, she may have inadvertently granted Iruka’s wish that Naruto would become the jounin-sensei of the trio of kunoichi. Especially as with a more direct involvement with the students that had failed the test their would-be jounin-sensei had given them; she had been forced to concede that Iruka’s preferred teams had been nearly perfectly balanced. Particularly, as several students who had already passed the remedial program she held had done so as the team that Iruka had originally intended for them to form. In fact, being honest with herself, she admitted that most of the remedial students that she had inherited from Iruka’s last class would likely pass, if she simply sent them on as the teams he had wanted. But she was trying to avoid that, hoping that she would be able to form a team using some of the students from the other teachers’ graduation washouts in order to create a team using the kunoichi, figuring that it would be harder for the Uzumaki to get his claws into all three that way.

Unfortunately, the other teachers had done nearly as good a job of balancing their teams as Iruka probably would have, and so the only students that had been rejected were on the true washout teams. Namely the teams of the students that had been grouped together precisely because they would truly drag the other students down. But, with their having tasted failure, many were now more driven so there was a chance a few of them would prove to be salvageable. Which, Suzume was forced to admit was rather unfair to Aoi, Kaede, and Akane since she was beginning to admit to herself that Iruka’s instincts to pair the three together were probably correct, as well as concede that making Naruto their sensei was also perhaps the correct choice as well. Mainly because all three kunoichi’s scores had increased rather dramatically while Naruto had taken over the class and had begun to drop once more after he had left for Ame. Still, although Suzume figured that if she wanted to try and avoid the three falling into Naruto’s clutches then she could try to influence them into taking the make-up exam before the Chunin Exams concluded. However, one thing holding her back was that out of all of Iruka’s notes in regard to the team formations, he had only been specific in suggesting a sensei for the only all girl team he had created. Naturally, she had assumed it was because of Naruto’s status as a Corruptor. But she now had to consider the possibility that it was because Iruka truly felt his inclusion would be what made the team truly come together. Which, Suzume truly didn’t want to accept as it would make it harder for her to continue to see Naruto as the monster that at this point, she almost needed him to be. As such, she didn’t want to send the three on ill prepared, only for them to fail again at which point a promoted Naruto would take on the task of becoming their sensei leading them to pass with flying colors. Particularly, as her imagination showed her a potential future of the three women surrounding a naked Naruto in his throne, which she was almost certain that he had, as they worshipped his staff, with every time they could tear themselves away to look back at her it was with disgust and hatred. Except unlike with when she had seen such a look directed at her from Moegi, it would be due to her having tried to keep them away from the Uzumaki, rather than finding out that they had been thrown to him. Although, in the case of the orange haired kunoichi, it hadn’t been to whom that she had been thrown which had been the problem.

However, the image faded as she felt the table begin to lurch to life letting her know that her time of isolation was coming to an end, or so she thought.
****************************************************************

“What the hell is she doing here?” Ino exclaimed upon completing her search for Sakura and found her with the last person in the world she had wanted to see again.

Sakura looked towards Suzume, who looked like she had just finished dressing after being submerged in the nearby tank. She figured her former rival and fellow lover of Naruto was debating how she could respond without breaking doctor/patient confidentiality. But Ino although not quite the skilled medic as the pink-haired kunoichi was able to put the evidence before her together quickly enough to surmise, “Let me guess, the skank here hasn’t been feeling quite right since she tried to murder Naruto, and in her desperation reached out to you.”

Suzume’s eyes narrowed at her predicament being laid out by the Yamanaka, and suspecting her involvement in it stepped forward menacingly while saying, “Are you the one that…”

“Don’t move, and be silent,” Ino commanded which had an instantaneous effect on the older woman, who obeyed the instructions that she had been given. Although, her eyes reflected the surprise and concern that she felt at suddenly being a prisoner within her own body. Ino ignored her as she approached Sakura with her arms folded across her midsection and could tell by her friend’s green-eyes there was now a suspicion within them that she didn’t want to give voice to. Ino was pleased that Sakura didn’t want to believe the worst about her, so said, “Relax Sakura, I didn’t do anything to the bitch. Not that she doesn’t deserve it. But, among certain social circles, her absences has been noted. So, I figured that she was either still trying to find a way around the commands that she has been given, or that maybe her attempt on Naruto had some unintended consequences.” She came to a stop in front of the pink-haired kunoichi whom she shared her lover with before turning to face the papyrus sheet that Sakura had finished hanging and asked, “Seeing her here, kind of lends to it being the latter. So, what does her chakra imprint suggest?”

Sakura believing her fellow Family member, turned to face the sheet as well before answering, “Unfortunately, nothing.” For a moment, she was somewhat surprised that Suzume hadn’t voiced an opinion, but recalling Ino’s use of the voice said, “You may speak and move again.”

Suzume lurched forward a bit as her body unfroze and looked like she wanted to direct a litany of curse Ino’s way. Yet, aware that it would likely result in her losing the ability to do so settled for asking, “What do you mean nothing? There’s definitely something wrong with me.”

“On that we can agree,” Ino said causing Suzume to let out an annoyed growl as she took a step towards the blonde. This time Ino didn’t stop her in her tracks looking like she would love for things to get physical between them.

However, Sakura quickly stepped between them, stating towards her former rival, “You’re not helping.” Ino met her gaze for several moments, before relenting as she made a tch noise before turning away once more. Directing her focus onto the raven-haired woman, Sakura said, “Look Suzume, the fact that test was negative for the most part is a good thing. It might not be pointing us towards why you can’t feel pleasure like you once did…”

Ino let out an amused laugh as she said, “Is that why she is here? Her pussy is broken. Ha hahaha!” She ignored the pair of glares that she received as she continued to laugh at the older woman’s misfortune. She knew if Naruto was present, he would probably be rather disappointed at her behavior, but seeing as how the bitch had nearly taken him from her, she figured that she was due some satisfaction from the karma that she was receiving.

Particularly as the woman in question said, “As if you didn’t know. You’ve obviously been keeping tabs on me, and for all I know are the source of my current issues.”

“Didn’t have a clue,” Ino replied, her amusement still present in her tone, “Sure, I knew you were keeping a low profile. I know a few girls that follow the same hookup culture as you. Most of them just figured that you realized your age and hung up your pumps for good. Although, I figure a few of the guys miss their favorite sure thing on a Friday night.” Sakura sighed as Suzume ground her teeth together but kept her mouth shut, less the Yamanaka do it for her again. “Truth be told,” Ino said turning away to study the outline of Suzume’s chakra network that had been imprinted on the papyrus, “Upon, seeing all this, I kind of figured that I was about to find out that you were a problem that was about to solve itself. Especially, since Sakura is using the Inprintation Device.”

“What are you talking about?” Suzume said sounding worried.

Sakura sent an annoyed glare towards the back of Ino’s head before saying, “Well, the concern was that the Jutsu you used to dampen your feeling may have permanently cut your chakra circulation. The effect you created by constricting a portion of your chakra network to dampen the pleasure you would have otherwise felt, should have been temporary. However, as the effects have lingered it was possible that you have permanently closed off those portions of your network. Sort of like creating a permanent crimp in a hose.”

“I…Impossible,” Suzume said quickly, “The source that I learned it from didn’t say there was any danger of side effects.”

Sakura nodded, as she called on her experience of delivering bad news to patients to say sympathetically, “I’m assuming it was a technique listed in the books you were keeping.” Receiving a nod, the younger woman explained, “I’m also assuming then she probably was unaware of the potential for inflicting damaging to oneself. Particularly as I imagine the author was probably a younger woman at the time.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Suzume asked in a bit of a huff.

Sakura looked like she was trying to find a gingerly way of explaining the situation to her, but Ino simply stated, “She’s saying, that an older whore such as yourself had no business trying to ride our stallion if she didn’t want to feel what it was like. What a woman of advanced age like yourself doesn’t understand, is that the older you get the less spring you tend to have in your chakra coils. That is why they tend to favor using young kids when making jinchuriki, as their chakra coils can expand to accommodate the increased chakra. In contrast, by constricting your chakra coils there was a chance that they wouldn’t return to normal. Had that been the case, whichever paths remained closed off would have resulted in parts of your body thay were no longer receiving chakra, which in turn would begin decaying. Your lack of feeling could have been just an early warning sign.”

Although, she would have preferred the explanation to be delivered less brutally honest, she could see Suzume realized the damage that she might have inflicted upon herself. Which although a part of her was saying that she would have deserved it, the part of her that she was trying to nurture informed the woman, “However, that would be the worst-case scenario which does not appear to be the case, as I cannot see any completely closed off pathways. But, as there is not an imprint on record from before you used that jutsu, I cannot rule out the possibility that your lack of feeling might be because some of your pathways didn’t return to their previous size. Not necessarily closed off, but also not allowing through as much chakra as they were previously and thus deadening the sensations that you feel.”

Suzume frowned as she said, almost desperately, “Isn’t there something that can be done. I cannot live like this.”

“You were probably going to need to sooner or later,” Ino said dismissively.

“Ino,” Sakura said sounding surprised, although a part of her certainly understood where the blonde was coming from.

The Yamanaka shrugged, as she said, “What? It’s true. She’s pushing almost forty and running around picking up men half her age, thinking only about her own needs. Eventually, she’d find herself in this exact situation with a dried up uterus, and nothing to show for it.”

“Better that then whores to a man who values you so cheaply that he collects you all like trading cards,” Suzume said angrily, not entirely due to Ino’s provocation, but because a similar sentiment had been expressed to her by her Huntress sensei Biwako Sarutobi. Who much like her had been rather promiscuous, particularly in her youth, and while she had told her to enjoy hers, she had cautioned her that there would come a time when she should consider settling down, less she find herself a lonely old woman with nothing but cats to keep her company. At the time Suzume had blown off her concerns, but now would admit that there were times when she feared the fate the wife of the Third Hokage had warned her about seemed just around the corner.

Her response caused both women to glare at her, but she suspected it had less to do with her description of them then her disparaging the Corruptor who they were bound to. However, while Ino looked as if she was about to fire back with an insult, Sakura again proved to be the one calling for calm as she interjected, “Anyway! There is a possibility that if your condition is a result from the lack of flexibility of your pathways then it may in time reverse itself.”

“Sakura!” Ino said harshly surprising Suzume and leading her to believe that pink-haired medic had perhaps let something slip that she shouldn’t have.

The woman in question didn’t seem to share the opinion as she replied, “She’d figure it out sooner or later.” But, seeing that Ino wasn’t likely to budge on the matter at least not without a discussion she replied, “But, we’ll table that for a later date. In the meantime, I think it might be prudent to get Karin involved.”

Ino frowned, before asking, “Why?”

Sakura sighed since she knew that she’d have to come clean to more the just Ino but determined to put her lover’s philosophy into action said, “Considering the negative results from the Chakra Inprintation, I think we should consider her condition to be a possible consequence of the Binding.”

Ino’s frown deepened while she took a moment to consider what Sakura was suggesting, “Are you saying that it is because her chakra’s hue is black?”

Suzume’s interest which was already piqued, jumped another level as she imagined that she was about to hear more about the reason that she had been instructed by Tsunade to apply her special henge to her chakra network after she had first been corrupted by Naruto.

Sakura nodded in reply to Ino’s question, who in turn dismissively said, “I don’t think that’s it. She’s hardly the first one that started out in the negative like that.”

Suzume naturally felt some hope that there were other women in her predicament, who could perhaps provide further insight and aid in escaping the Uzumaki’s clutches. But it was quickly dashed, as Sakura said, “True, but on the two occasions where it was probably the case, I imagine their chakra changed before Naruto slept with them again. We must treat it as a possibility that the Binding might be dampening her ability to climax with anyone but him.”

Although, a part of Suzume was thinking that she knew they were going to suggest as much, and was almost pleased by it since was helping to confirm her belief this was all a plot to make her believe he wasn’t the Corruptor that she believed him to be. The part of her, that was afraid that she’d be stuck with her current condition, felt some pieces weren’t adding up, particularly as her books hadn’t seemed to suggest that having negative feelings towards the Corruptor would result in one losing feeling. Particularly, as those Huntresses who had started out as victims of one made it quite clear they had only ever despised their captors, many of whom also appeared to have no problem throwing those that they had corrupted to the men that had served them, as many of her predecessors had stated that many Corruptors seemed to derive almost more pleasure from the control they had over the women then from their flesh itself. With such thoughts in mind, she said, “Excuse me, but I’ve never read of any corruptor victims having similar experiences as mine. Trust me, many corruptors have had no problem with passing their victims around.”

Sakura looked towards Ino, as if checking to see if she would protest her answering the older woman. Although, it was clear that the Yamanaka was displeased, she waved her hand in a manner which suggested that she figured it was too late to stop now, so explained, “There is still much that we are unsure of how this jutsu works. One thing we have to consider is that while the basics of the jutsu work the same, there may be peculiarities that are unique to the user. Take Ino and my ability to control you, much like Naruto could. This might only be a result that someone of Naruto’s temperament could achieve.”

“You expect me to believe that,” Suzume said dismissively, “It can just be due to you two deluding yourselves into believing you are special. Or, he could have issued a command that I have to obey you when that bitch Yuugao knocked me out. That could also be when he inflicted me with this condition in the first place to drive me into his arms.”

Ino looked like she was about to snap at her, but Sakura stated quickly, “Suzume, why would I suggest this might be a special condition brought about because of who Naruto is, if my goal is to try to convince you to give yourself to him.”

“B…because…” the older woman trailed off as she was forced to admit Sakura had pointed out her condition may very well be Naruto’s fault.

Ino was just as surprised as she said, “Wait, are you saying that we all might be suffering from her condition?”

“It is a possibility,” Sakura said not particularly bothered by it, since she had no real desires for a male partner outside of the Uzumaki that she loved. “We know Naruto does not enjoy the thought of sharing us with other men. So, even if I don’t believe he would intentionally inflict any of us with such a condition, we have to consider the possibility that he subconsciously has. Just as it probably isn’t a coincidence that our chakra changes to orange when we’ve reached a level where the Voice has no effect on us.”

Ino considered her fellow Family member’s hypothesis before stating, “I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter?” Suzume said angrily.

“I mean,” Ino said snidely, “I don’t care if another man couldn’t get me off. Because there is only one that I need.” Turning on her heel, she added, “Whelp, mystery solved. I’m heading back.”

“Um…Ino,” Sakura said sounding a little hesitant. When the blond turned to face her, she asked, “Do you think you can guide her out? I need to drain the tank and get everything back in order.”

Ino studied her fellow harem member, before sighing as she said, “Fine, let’s go.”

She turned and waved for Suzume to follow her, but not getting the answers that she wanted said, “What, that’s it? I told you…”

“Calm down,” Sakura said as her tone suggested she was losing her patience with the older woman, “I’m going to ask the woman that has been studying the Binding the longest to help. If I am on the right track, she may be able to suggest some solutions or even a few ideas of her own as to what is really going on if I’m wrong. But, trust me when I say that right now is not the best time to be going to her with your problems.”

Ino could tell Suzume wasn’t exactly thrilled with Sakura’s reply, but she had enough sense to recognize that she was on the verge of losing the sympathies of the one woman who seemed inclined to help her with her plight. Even if she was suspicious of the help that she was offering/ As such, she gave a slight nod towards the pinkette before turning to follow after the Yamanaka as she moved to reenter the tunnels of the Den.

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

Suzume followed Ino out of the lab and felt a hint of concern as the blonde turned in the opposite way of the entrance that Sakura had used when they entered. Falling into step behind her, she briefly considered making a break for it fearing that she was about be disposed of as the section of the tunnel was darker save for a neon glow in the distance so figured that they were dropping the ruse to try and convert her, so intended to cull her. But, aware of how all Ino would need to do is call out to her in order to stop such an escape attempt decided to accept her fate bravely, rather than attempt a doomed rush for freedom. Which was promptly demonstrated as Ino commanded, “Henge yourself to appear as Sakura.”

Her body moved of its own volition as she made the necessary handsign and appeared from the smoke that had resulted as the medic whose presence they had just left. Confused as they moved closer to an ornate wooden door which had a neon sign over it that read Club N, she asked, “Where are we going?”

Ino opened the door, and the rhythmic thumping that she had noticed earlier and had grown stronger as they approached the door turned into the mix of electronic beats that she heard in numerous dance clubs. The Yamanaka held the door open as she answered with an undercurrent of anger, “I want you to understand that as bad as you think things are for you now. They truly could have been so much worse.”

Suzume’s eyes went wide, and she felt that she was truly about to get a glimpse of the hell the Uzumaki inflicted on the women such as her. Although, as soon as she stepped into the room, she found the décor didn’t quite match the description of the various dungeons her predecessors had encountered that many of the Corruptors that they had hunted had erected to enjoy their victims. Particularly, as the room looked like the high-end entrance to some night club where bouncers usually screened the guests, or one could check their coat. Ino stepped past her as she began to approach the set of double doors opposite from them and stepped to the side to stand by a nearby podium as if to allow Suzume an unobstructed view once she came to a stop before them. Once the older woman did so, the Yamanaka pressed a button located inside the podium, which caused the doors to swing open, and upon witnessing what laid beyond found herself thinking, “If this is what my predecessors believe constitutes hell, then I really wish I was damned.”

Naturally, she quickly tried to shake herself of such blasphemous thoughts, but she found it extremely difficult to do so considering that she was having a hard time deciding just who was corrupting who due to the fact that rather than a bunch of women being forced to serve the whims of one man. Instead, it was a bunch of copies of the man that she was now bound to who were running around while dressed as some male revue dancers, at least that was the case for most of the versions of him that still had clothes on.

Most, if not all, of the women were in various stages of undress, the first of whom her gaze ended up focusing on being Shizune who was moaning quite happily as she was bounced on the thick log that her ass was impaled on. Her body was folded in half as the Naruto that she was with, held her legs in place by placing her in a full-nelson like hold, as he sat in a chair located on the main stage which was lined with what she imagined were stripper poles. If Suzume had any doubts that the raven-haired woman wasn’t exactly where she wanted to be, they vanished as soon as Naruto released the hold, and once her feet touched the ground, she was aiding in her bouncing on his cock. Moreover, another Naruto leapt to the stage, and as soon as he was within grabbing distance, the woman was eagerly tearing at the black pants that he wore which as soon as she managed to unbutton them and his hard cock sprung out, she eagerly began kissing and licking it.

Suzume watched transfixed as the woman who from their limited interactions she would have described as relatively shy and bashful, at least until she had discovered that she too had been corrupted when she had first sought out medical assistance for her condition, seemed drunk on pleasure as she pushed the dick that she was kissing up against the Naruto’s stomach and began rubbing it adoringly while her hips seemed to move of their own accord. At least until the Naruto whose lap she was bouncing them on, pulled her down to fully impale her on his cock. Shizune’s eyes grew wide as she fell back against that Naruto’s chest as he filled her ass with his cum, while he reached up to fondle her tits while she joined him in climaxing and began shaking in ecstasy. Once she had settled down, the raven-haired medic turned her face towards Naruto’s and they kissed heatedly, before he broke the kiss to whisper something in her ear.

Shizune nodded and pulled herself weakly from his cock as she stood to wrap her arms around the neck of the Naruto that had remained standing in front of her, which she began kissing as the one that she had been sitting on stood and began walking towards the front of the stage. Suzume began tracking that Naruto figuring him to be the real deal, since she was aware of the limitations of Shadow Clones when it came to sex and so found it difficult to imagine one would have withstood the experience that he had just been enjoying.

However, she was immediately forced to reconsider the notion as that Naruto passed in front of a secondary stage, and her gaze fell on a sight that made the Huntress within her lose hope that she’d be able to use the cost of the Chakra Water that she had been submerged in as a means of alerting someone to the dangers of the Corruptor within their midst. This was due to her catching sight of a woman who looked exactly like the First Hokage’s wife as she ground her hips down onto the pelvis of what she assumed must have been another copy of Naruto as his legs hung over the end of the stage. Suzume recognized her as the owner of the Great Tree Shipping Company, although her hair was different from how she wore it when appearing in public, instead keeping it in the twin buns that Mito Uzumaki had favored. Regardless, she figured that as one of the richest people in the village, she could easily support the purchase of the chakra water Sakura had used in her attempt to figure out what was wrong with her. Not to mention, had likely financed the refurbishing of the tunnel and rooms that was currently serving as Naruto’s lair. She also realized that as the founder of the Women’s Bathing Association, she could easily funnel more women to her Corruptor master.

Suzume wondered if there was any point in resisting, particularly as she noticed that the woman who was kneeling behind who she believed to be Kiyomi and was fondling the red head’s tits was her own village’s leader. Tsunade turned the woman that resembled her grandmother’s face towards her, and kissed her hungrily, while likely having her pussy explored by the tongue of the Naruto whose face she was straddling. Both women’s faces were awash with the pleasure that they were experiencing from the rod and tongue of the Naruto that they were sharing. Which as the red-head raised up to her feet, in order to begin raising and lowering herself on the shaft buried in her cunt, reminded Suzume that clones really shouldn’t be able to withstand the rigors of sex.

As such, her gaze sought out the Naruto that she had first been tracking and assumed she found him. Although, which of the several naked versions of him who had gathered near the bar and were surrounding a table covered in various dishes as they snacked, she couldn’t say.

Although, she did recognize Ayame who was laying naked at the center of the table, on a large silver platter and was covered in pieces of sashimi which rested on leaves to prevent them from touching her skin. She seemed to be the favored dish of the gathered Naruto, particularly after the last pieces was removed and one of them grabbed her to turn her bodily so that her lower half faced him. He quickly dove between her legs causing Ayame to giggle as she rose up, seemingly trying to push his face away. However, with a content looking sigh, she settled back down as she spread her legs wider for him and enjoyed his eager munching of her snatch. Soon, another Naruto moved to the opposite side of the table, where he provided her with a snack of his own as he pushed his rigid sausage into her mouth. Two other Naruto then moved to begin suckling on her breasts, causing Suzume’s to ache as she became aware of how hard her nipples had become.

She began scanning back towards the stage, and noticed the Mito-lookalike was panting as if she had just came on the rod buried inside her. She stood up dribbling some of the just implanted seed onto the still erect cock, and moved out of the way at which point Tsunade quickly surged forward to run her tongue up and down it like it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. The owner of the Great Tree Shipping Company crouched down beside her, and the two women shared a wet and messy kiss as they passed his gathered seed between them. The red-head sat back as she shivered in enjoyment of the seed that she had received, while Tsunade moved to squat over the dick that she had just cleaned before lowering herself onto it.

Suzume continued on past the scene as the Hokage wildly began fucking herself on the Naruto’s rod, and found that her apprentice Shizune was in a similar position. However, it was Shizune who was on the receiving end as her Naruto was pushing down on the back of her thighs so that her hips were raised up in the air while her ankles resided on either side of her head as he drilled his dick down into her, much to her delight.

She directed her attention along the other side of the main stage, and again the huntress within her was disheartened at the number of women that were present. Particularly, as sitting nearby in an area that had several tables and chairs just off to the right of the main stage was a woman who due to her dark skinned she suspected hailed from Kumo. The suspected Kumo-nin was facing with her back towards her, and was leaning back in the chair that she was seated in, causing her long red hair to spill over the back of it. She appeared to be resting her feet on the back of whoever was on their hands and knees in front of her, as that person enjoyed explored her honeypot. Although, Suzume couldn’t see the person’s face, she assumed it was a woman due to the Naruto who was kneeling and humping away at the rear. A fact she was able to confirm as one of the Naruto that had been at the buffet table broke away and approached the suspected Kumo, who turned to greet him by swallowing and bobbing on his cock. Which she did until another copy of the Uzumaki approached from her other side, her golden eyes sparkled in amusement before she set her feet back on the ground and rose up so she could bend over to place her hands on the seat of the chair she had just been sitting in as she resumed sucking the first arrivals cock, as the other slipped into her well lubricated snatch.

However, Suzume completely lost interest in the other woman as she recognized the one that had been between her legs. Realizing the panting blonde was the famed or depending on one’s perspective infamous, Yugito Nii, the host of the two-tailed cat and recent defector from Kumo, she also realized that meant the rumors that Naruto had aided in her escape to Ame in order to join Akatsuki were likely true. Moreover, she also realized that it wasn’t a coincidence that all the new members of Akatsuki were women.

Suzume scanned the room trying to see what other women that she could recognize, in order to try to determine just how many villages outside of Konoha that the Uzumaki had sunk his fangs into. She didn’t have to go far, as a few seats over she spotted the Kazekage’s sister sitting on top of a table with her legs spread as Naruto was sitting in a chair munching on her pussy. Underneath the table and taking turns sucking the sitting Uzumaki’s proudly standing cock were two women that she couldn’t identify, a brown haired woman in a yellow dress, and a naked blonde. Both women had green eyes, although the blonde’s were of a shade that she hadn’t seen before and her pupils looked like swirls. Sitting in the chair on the other side of the table was another Naruto, who was in turn being used as a chair by another member of the Akatsuki that she recognized was Karura. She rolled her hips about in slow circles as she stimulated the cock buried within her while watching her daughter’s pussy being devoured. Although she looked away to kiss the Uzumaki she was riding once he began fondling her tits.

She moved her focus onto the dance floor where she found a grey-haired woman who she also suspected was a Kumo-nin as her dark skin was completely exposed to her due to the woman being naked as her Naruto held her up and bounced her on his cock seemingly matching the fast pace of the music.

She quickly moved her attention on and the Chunin Instructor took an unconscious step back as just beyond them was the woman who had slugged her in the face, and buried a sword next to her head as a warning. She and her Naruto seemed to be in a world of their own as they slow danced with one another. However, she imagined that soon they’d be in a similar state as the previous pair due to how tightly they were holding one another while their tongues performed a dance of their own. However, her attention shifted as she noticed a dozen Naruto standing shoulder to shoulder in a big circle, but couldn’t see who they were being serviced by, although it appeared that there were four women that were kneeling at the center of the gathering with their backs facing one another.

Her gaze slipped past the dance floor and she noticed that there were padded benches lining the wall, upon which sat another woman that she recognized due to her being the current president of the Great Tree Shipping company. Who was naked from the waist down with her legs spread as she made out with the Naruto sitting beside her and was rubbing her pussy in wide circles while she slowly stroked his meat pole. A moaning pink haired woman was laying on her back beside them, who she didn’t recognize. While her moans were a result of a black haired woman who was enthusiastically eating her pussy out as another Naruto knelt behind her and repeatedly rammed his dick into her. Suzume had trouble identifying her due to the thighs of the woman’s whose pussy she was enjoying as they were obscuring her face. However, her eyes grew wide in shock as the woman rose up to kiss the Uzumaki whose dick was moving within her and she recognized her as the current ruler of Spring Country, the world famous actress Koyuki Kazahana.

Despite finding out that Spring had fallen to Naruto’s Corruption as well, it was the woman sitting on the next section of the bench that truly made her heart fall. As Moegi was sitting facing her with her legs spread widely apart as Naruto easily raised and lowered her on his cock. Suzume suspected that it was because of the pure contentment etched onto the orange-haired girl’s face, since as far as she knew Moegi had been the last woman that he had corrupted, and so her presence among those she suspected had more actual value to Naruto hinted at there likely not being a sex dungeon filled with women that resented or hated him. Her presence also caused her some discomfort since it highlighted the point that she imagined Ino was making by showing her this gathering, which was that if she had succeeded in eliminated Naruto, the fury that she would have called down upon her would have been immeasurable.

Suzume looked away for the happily moaning, Moegi and found her blood running cold as she spotted Kushina whose fury she had briefly experienced and been spared due to Naruto’s intervention. Most of the red-head was blocked from her view, as she resided in an area where a large circular couch was placed and looked as if it could be curtained off based on the sheer fabric hanging overhead. Still, as the red-head was raising up and down, it wasn’t hard to imagine that she like most of the women present was enjoying the feeling of her son being inside her. Which was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt as Naruto raised up, easily lifting his mother from the couch with him as he stood. He began rapidly bouncing her on his cock, causing the red-head to moan up towards the ceiling deliriously before pulling him into a wet and hungry kiss. As their tongues danced, Naruto turned back towards the couch planting her on it as he rose up and began driving himself into her. At least until she reached up to cup his face with both of her hands before pulling him down into what she guessed would be a sensuous kiss based on the slower pace her raised feet began moving at.

Once Naruto’s face ducked down behind the back of the couch, she caught sight of a woman that looked just like the silly henge that he had often used against the male teachers in the academy, although minus the whisker marks on her cheeks. She was on her hand and knees on the smaller round cushion area at the center of the ring of couches as another Naruto slammed into her from behind. Recognizing her as Naruko Uzumaki, she watched on as she kissed an orange haired woman who was in much the same position as her. Her attention quickly shifted though as she noticed another dark haired woman rise up just to the left of where she imagined Naruto and Kushina were still enjoying one another. Recognizing Mikoto Uchiha, who reached back behind her to place her hands on the knees of the Naruto that she was likely riding while she stared up at the ceiling as she ground herself into him in increasingly faster circles. The woman broke out into a moan as her lovers hands reached up to grab her tits, and began flicking her hardened nubs with his thumbs.

A poofing sound pulled Suzume’s attention to the dance floor, where she noticed that one of the Naruto’s that had been standing in a circle was gone. Once the smoke cleared, she was treated to the sight of the remaining members of Akatsuki alternating between sucking and stroking the cocks of the Blond Uzumaki that surrounded them with it appearing Konan had succeeded in sucking one of the clones dry as she held her mouth open while pushing the seed that had just been deposited around with her tongue. Although Guren, Fu, Haku and Konan’s faces and bodies were covered in semen, they seemed to be in no rush to stop, although Konan appeared to want some attention paid to her lower lips as she raised up from her knees and began sucking one of the two cocks before her while angling her hips towards the other which promptly buried itself inside her.

Although not quite sure how Naruto’s shadow clones were able to withstand the poundings that they were giving out, and in turn receiving, she surmised it was most likely due to his status as a jinchuriki. Still, despite how the women taking part in the orgy were a far cry from desolate and broken women her predecessors had described, she decided to try and sow a little discord into the group by asking Ino, “So, he uses Shadow Clones to keep you all pleased. But, there must be one that he favors over the rest. Would it normally be Sakura? Is that why he’s pretending she’s his one and only out in the village?”

Ino who had been observing Suzume’s reaction out of the corner of her eye, gave her a look of disgust as the Yamanaka made it apparent that she knew exactly what the instructor was trying to do. However, after closing her eyes for a moment, she abruptly spun on her heel at which point she simply said, “Follow me.”

She then pulled open one of the double doors that they had used to enter the room. Upon passing through the other room, and reentering the tunnel, they began heading deeper into the darkness of the tunnel. Although Ino soon broke from the center of the tunnel towards a simple metal door. Ino paused beside it, and holding her hand out as if presenting her some prize that resided inside said, “Go on and see for yourself.”

Suzume reached out for the door, but hesitated fearing she was about to be ushered into the sex dungeon where he played with his unruly victims. Steeling herself, she pulled the door open and found herself in some sort of records room. She frowned as she stepped inside and although she could hear a soft moaning, couldn’t see the source due to the large bookshelves sticking out from the walls on either side of the room which created a small corridor leading further in. As she proceeded deeper inside with Ino falling into step behind her, she noticed that most of the shelves were empty, although as they moved closer to where the moaning was coming from she noticed a few of the shelves were more consistently filled.

Stopping short of passing the last of the shelves, Suzume was greeted to the sight of a naked Naruto crouched before a light blonde woman wearing a red dress that was lying on the large desk residing against the wall. The woman’s dress was hiked up over her hips as Naruto explored her silken folds with his tongue. Her heeled feet were crossed behind him as her thighs rested on his shoulder, while she had exposed one of her tits and was in the midst of fondling it herself while Naruto enjoyed her snatch.

Suzume frowned as she had a difficult time recognizing the woman, although she had the feeling that she had seen her before, and rather recently. But, it deepened as she noticed a shelf above the desk, and noticed the trunk that she had used to store the journals of the Huntresses that had come before.

Her attention was pulled back towards the blonds as the woman sounding breathless said, “I… I want you inside me.”

She uncrossed and spread her legs as the naked jinchuriki stood and then began rubbing his dick against her slit before stating, “As you wish.” The woman cried out as he plunged himself into her, which turned into moans once he began moving. Naruto leaned down to kiss the woman who returned it eagerly even as the Uzumaki lifted her from the desk, and began pumping himself faster into her snatch. Their lips separated as she pulled away to cry out when it became too much before clutching herself to him tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut from the pleasure coursing through her.

Naruto then moved towards a chair where after taking a seat, he waited for her to calm down which she did once she realized the pulse of pleasure had ended. She stared at him questioningly prompting the Uzumaki to say, “Show me what you’ve got”

The woman nodded, and so began rolling her hips in circles against him, Naruto groaned in satisfaction which seemed to spur her on as she reached up to grab him by the back of the neck and planted her feet on the ground. Staring in the Uzumaki’s eyes she began rolling her hips faster and faster, as the muscle in her arm tensed making it apparent she was pulling herself harder against him. Naruto placed his hands against her hips and began aiding her in building up the friction while stating, "Keep it up, I’m ready to explode.”

“So am I,” the woman replied, which prompted Naruto to move his right hand down to her inner thigh where he gave her clit a rub with her thumb causing the blonde to explode as she screamed, “Cumming!” Naruto groaned as he followed suit, pulling the woman’s lips to his as he filled her womb with his seed.

Suzume watching the woman attain release felt a wave of jealousy, even as she was glad that she was wearing panties as she imagined otherwise that she’d be standing in a puddle of her own making.

When the woman pulled her lips free of his, the Uzumaki asked, “Feeling better?”

The blonde woman nodded, but Suzume notice a look of worry appear as she asked him, “D…do you prefer me like this?”

Which caused a frown to appear on Naruto’s face, before he asked, “What do you mean?”

The blonde sighed deeply just before she replied, “I mean dressed up or more outgoing.”

Naruto studied her for a moment, and after considering a response instead of answering said, “I know you said you didn’t really want to go into it, but what’s brought this about.”

The woman shrugged noncommittally at first, but then explained, “I…I visited Yurika a few days ago when I had heard that she managed to find employment with some company that hires out protection for shipping companies. I wanted to congratulate her, as I thought it meant she was turning things around. But, when I visited her, it was clear that she was still using drugs, and when I tried to convince her to get help…” The woman paused, showing that what happened had hurt her deeply, before stating, “She said, I should mind my own business because I’m just a pathetic little wallflower that nobody cares for, and she only pretended to be my friend because she pitied me.”

Suzume frowned as she could tell the words had cut the woman deeply, but was surprised as what appeared to be genuine anger appeared on the Uzumaki’s face. He quickly suppressed it before saying, “And to prove her wrong, you decided to come out tonight.”

The woman gave a quick short nod prior to explaining, “I’ve been with you now for almost four years, and although I’ve been intimate in situations with the others I can still count them on one hand.”

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Naruto quickly replied, “Miya doesn’t like to join these gatherings either.”

The blonde inclined her head at his point, but countered, “That’s because she has no interest in them. Not because she feels self-conscious or nervous.”

Not really able to refute her point, he said, “I see. So what Yurika said bothers you because you feel her words are accurate?”

“Don’t you?”

Naruto shook his head in the negative, before replying, “I know for a fact that the part about nobody caring for you is a lie. Or would you have me show you again?” A small smile cracked the woman’s face, prompting Naruto to give her a wide one in return but he grew somber as he stated, “I also don’t think Yurika really meant what she said about only being your friend because she pitied you. She’s still in a dark place, but sadly you’ll only be able to help her when she realizes that for herself. Until then, all you can do is continue trying, but you’ll have to expect to take some lumps in the process.” He reached up and cupped her face as his tone grew lighter while stating, “As for the rest, if you want to make an effort to be more outgoing then make sure it is a change that you want to make. I’ll be glad to see you around more often when we’re gathering like this, but I’m pretty damn happy with you just as you are as well.”

Suzume while watching the exchange, felt something had shifted between the pair, which Ino apparently may have as well or perhaps felt somewhat guilty about having brought her there to witness it, so announced their presence by clearing her throat. The woman’s reaction was immediate, as she let out a surprised gasp and pressed herself against Naruto as she asked, “Sakura, Ino how long have you been there?” Due to the woman’s mannerisms Suzume was suddenly struck by the realization that the stunning blonde was the same mousy looking woman that she had witnessed rifling through her books after first being corrupted.

Ino tried to play it off as she said, “Come on Shiho, it isn’t like I haven’t seen you naked or being intimate before.”

Shiho pulled the strap of her dress up in order to cover her exposed breast, and then stood quickly as she began to lower the hem of her dress as she countered, “B..but I had mentally prepared myself those times.”

Naruto watched the exchange with some amusement, before his blue eyes met the green ones of the woman Suzume was currently henged as. Almost immediately, the warmth faded from them before he turned his attention to Ino as he asked, his voice growing a little stern, “What’s going on here? Why is Suzume down here pretending to be Sakura, and how is she involved?”

“How?” Suzume said shocked as she dropped the henge, causing Shiho to gasp in surprise, while Ino was giving him a just as surprised look.

Naruto crossed his arms as he sat back in the chair, and stated, “Sakura’s been hiding her presence for some reason after disappearing from the club. Which as Ino likely had you henge yourself to look like her in order to prevent some… issues from popping up with you being down here leaves me to suspect she’s involved, and wasn’t going to appear suddenly.”

Ino nodded while also spending the moment regretting her choice to bring Suzume there, “Um… well it appears that ever since being bound to you… her pussy has been broken.”

“Huh,” Naruto replied eloquently while Shiho let out a soft snigger. Suzume sent a glare towards the meek woman, and to her surprise found it returned fully making it clear that she also had no love lost towards the woman that had nearly murdered the man that she may have just fallen even harder for.

Focusing on the Uzumaki, Suzume said coldly, “What she was trying to say is that since I’ve been corrupted by you, I have been unable to attain release. Sakura, believed that it may have been a result of the jutsu I used on you, and so she brought me down here to map my chakra network in order to help diagnosis the problem. However, as she didn’t find anything wrong, her latest theory is you may be the cause of my condition as I originally thought.”

Naruto watched her for a few seconds, before a small, satisfied smile appear on his face which caused Suzume to frown. To her surprise, Ino upon noticing his smile let a little frown of her own grace her lips. Not entirely sure why, Suzume suspected that it might be due to Naruto being pleased by Sakura’s decision, and as a result Ino felt her own stock slipping with the Uzumaki causing some phantom pang of the rivalry that she once had with the pink-haired kunoichi to spring up. She tried to think of a way where she could cause a rift to grow between the two, however seeing Naruto’s smile also caused Suzume to feel a burst of anger due to her feeling as if she may be walking right into his clutches after all.

When he finally broke his silence all he said, was “I see.”

Which caused Suzume to snap as she figured she had nothing to lose by pushing him in order to expose his true nature, “That’s all you have to say? You find out my inability to feel pleasure is your fault and all you can say is that?”

Naruto chuckled causing Suzume to nearly growl while she charged at him, but she noticed Ino, who was now standing between her and Shiho while glaring at her, so doubted that she’d make it a step before the Yamanaka would be on her as she didn’t look like she’d stop her with words this time around. The Uzumaki shrugged, before replying, “Judging by the glare that you’re receiving, my guess is the jury is still out on just what is causing your issue. More to the point, you’re forgetting that I didn’t ask for this either. It was you that initiated the chain of events that led us here by trying to poison me. So, I’m sorry that my heart isn’t breaking at your suffering. However, even with that said, if we can help, as Sakura has already demonstrated, we will.”

Suzume tried to maintain her glare but found it hard to when met with the calm indifference she was the recipient of from the Blue eyes that all night she had seen could glow with warmth. She found it even harder to maintain eye contact as her attention was attracted by Shiho suddenly saying, “W..wait Ino…”

Looking over, she found herself somewhat flabbergasted due to Ino being on her knees in front of her fellow blonde kunoichi, with her mouth clamped firmly to the other woman’s quim after having pushed the hem of her red dress up once more. Shiho who was leaning against the desk, let out a moan from Ino’s tonguing of her snatch, who only pulled her mouth away long enough to state, “You said it yourself Shiho, it has been far too long since I’ve been able to taste your sweet tart after it has received a fresh filling of cream.”

Shiho still looked a little uncomfortable, although Suzume imagined it was more from her presence as she looked in her direction before seemingly accepting the Yamanaka’s affections.

Suzume was rather surprised by Ino’s behavior seeing as how as far as she could tell it had not been prompted by the Uzumaki, outside of an amused smile brought about as a result of Ino’s response. Moreover, watching the blonde Yamanaka, it was clear that she truly was enjoying the act that she was performing as she had hiked up her purple dress, and had brought a hand between her legs in order to stimulate her pussy even as she tried to push her face deeper into the one that she was exploring. Shiho as well seemed to have forgotten her initial hang-ups as she sat back on the desk to spread her thighs wider for Ino, who moaned appreciatively.

Watching the two women forced her to consider that perhaps she truly was in a cage of her own making, particularly as the warmth that had appeared in the Uzumaki’s eyes faded the second his gaze returned towards her. Which matched his tone as he asked, “Is there any other business that is keeping you here?”

She was surprised by his cold dismissal, although she figured that considering his being completely naked, and it being clear that there were two other women who he’d rather be entertaining, she supposed she could understand. She was about to respond in the negative and turn to leave, but was surprised when Shiho said between moans, “W…wait… s…some of those journals…are obviously coded… and require keys. W…would you…be willing to share? Oh gods Ino, your tongue… so good!”

“You really expect me to just hand those over,” Suzume said heatedly, “They…”

She was cut short as Ino stood and staring daggers at her said, “Give her the k…”

“Ino stop,” Naruto said his tone carrying a hint of command despite his voice still sounding calm.

Ino looked concerned, and trying to justify her attempt to use the voice to compel Suzume to comply said while still rubbing Shiho’s slit with her thumb, “Naruto, it is the least she could do? Sakura’s already agreed to help her, and even suggested getting Karin involved. She can give us someth…”

She trailed off as Naruto began shaking his head before replying, “That’s not how we do things. Our willingness to help her shouldn’t be on the condition that she reciprocate, and we certainly don’t use the Voice to force her to give us what we want.”

“Although you’ll use it to force my silence,” Suzume countered quickly.

“It beats the alternative,” Naruto replied in turn.

“Which is?” she asked, although she already had a good idea. But even though Naruto didn’t respond, leaving the implied threat to speak for itself. She also got the feeling that his silence was probably the best bluff that he was capable of.

Ino still was staring angrily at her, but her gaze was pulled away by Shiho, who pulled her into a passionate kiss which caused her to moan as she tasted her and Naruto’s combined essence on the Yamanaka’s lips and tongue. Pulling out of the kiss, the member of the Cryptanalyst Department brought a hand between Ino’s legs to massage her quim as she said, “It’s okay. My guess is that the keys would be easy enough to find. They’re likely out in the open in her apartment. Most likely books that were popular at the time the journals were written. Since she doesn’t strike me as an avid reader, she probably left them out on some bookshelf because they give the appearance of being old and valuable looking.”

Suzume tried to refrain from reacting, particularly since the woman had not only guessed correctly. But had been correct in the reasoning as to why she had left them as the centerpiece in her bookshelf full of nick-nacks. Ino looked back at Suzume and let out a moan/giggle as she returned her attention to her fellow blonde before commenting, “Looks like you hit the bullseye.” She then gave Shiho a passionate kiss as she began fingering her fellow kunoichi’s pussy in turn.

The Kunoichi Instructor found herself growing agitated, particularly as she realized her only recourse to keep the keys out of their hands would likely be to destroy the books as she imagined a Hyuuga would make short work of finding them if she tried to hide them away and wouldn’t even need to enter her apartment should Naruto decide that using Shiho’s insight wasn’t against whatever rules he seemed inclined to follow. Furthermore, her growing anxiety was because she was finding it difficult to keep herself from staring at Naruto’s cock, as it was rising up like a cobra being charmed by a flute due to the two blondes moaning just beside him.

Finding herself recalling how dissatisfied she had been with sucking on it through a condom, as well as it having given her the best orgasm that she had ever experienced. Although admittedly it could have been due to the jutsu that she used to trap him being released and her receiving all the held back pleasure at once. But, considering he had been on the verge of making her cum even with the jutsu dampening her pleasure, some part of her desperately wanted to ride it again.

However, before she ended up completely throwing away her pride as a huntress, by seeing if his dick was indeed the cure to her predicament, as well as hoping to gain something in trade for the books that contained the keys to the coded journals in their possession, she suggested, “I’ll give you the books, but I want something in return.”

Naruto’s cool gaze continued to study her for a moment before allowing a small, amused smirk to appear which showed her that he was well aware of his being the one that was holding all the cards. Yet to her surprise he asked, “And what would that be?”

“I would like to create a journal of my own and fill it with interviews of the women that you have corrupted,” Suzume stated noting how Naruto’s smile faded at her phrasing of how she viewed the women that had been bound to him. “I would also want access to whatever information you have and uncover in regard to this jutsu’s usage.”

Naruto crossed his arms as he sat back in the chair, which caused her attention for a moment to veer down to his dick as his adjustment caused it to stand at attention. She resisted the urge to lick her lips as she forced herself to return her gaze towards his face, where she expected that he would have caught her slip. However, instead she found his eyes closed and his head tilted as he seemed to be lost in thought, which she supposed he might have needed to be, in order to ignore the two moaning women whose ever-increasing cries indicated they were about to achieve release.

After a few heartbeats he straightened up and stood from the chair at which point he stuck out his hand as he stated, “Very well, I accept your terms. However, you will only be able to work on it and speak freely about it while you are within this room or alone in the presence of one of my lovers. Furthermore, the journal itself and all materials used in its construction and notes taken are also to remain within this room. Any attempt to circumnavigate these conditions will result in you admitting your deceit to me, and you personally destroying your journal.”

Suzume fought back a frown as she realized Naruto had used the voice on her to impart additional conditions. But, took the offered hands at which point he added, “Also, you’ll only be allowed to begin after handing over the keys to the other journals.”

“Oh, gods that’s it,” Shiho cried out suddenly causing Naruto to look back over his shoulder at her, as Ino’s cries joined in with hers although there appeared to be an extra amount of excitement in Cryptanalyst’s voice.

Shiho, who was now sitting on the desk with her legs held up in the air, while she shivered from the pleasure coursing through her as she climaxed from Ino’s munching on her muff, and who also seemed to be in the midst of climaxing around her fingers having brought herself to release, almost seemed in a hurry to get through her climax. Which as soon as it passed, she let out a pleased sigh before pulling Ino into a passionate kiss, and then after slipping from the desk seemed to almost completely forget about everyone else in the room as she grabbed up a stack of papers that were paperclipped together.

She flipped over several pages, and Suzume noticed that the one on top looked like a rubbing of some kind, which strangely due to it being several different colors appeared to have been done in crayon. Shiho began muttering to herself as she delved deeper and deeper into her own little world at least until Naruto came in front of her and asked, “Um, Shiho what’s going on?”

She appeared startled at first, but then grew excited as she said, “I… I just had an amazing epiphany.”

“I think you mean orgasm,” Ino said teasingly before licking her lips and adding, “You’re welcome by the way.”

Shiho blushed likely from embarrassment at her post climax behavior before saying, “Thank you, I’ve heard that experiencing an orgasm releases chemicals that can lead to flashes of inspiration. I’ll need to remember that the next time I’m stuck on a problem.”

“So, what did this particular one lead you to understand? I thought you said the tablet seemed to be a dead end,” Naruto asked while moving to stand beside her to look at the paper she was examining.

“It did,” Shiho said excitedly, “I made several translations, and although the type of writing gave us a time period for when it could have been made. These kinds of glyphs were in use for around four thousand years. So, the few translations that even made sense, never really revealed anything that would explain why someone would seek to destroy it.” Flipping through several of the sheets closer to the top of the pile, she continued, “We assumed, that perhaps it may have depicted some event linking the Hyuuga to the Descendants of the Moon, especially considering who was behind the attack that led to its destruction. Thus, even my translations that appeared to be correct, didn’t come off as anything special. However, thanks to the talk about keys, and Ino’s talented tongue, I believe one of my earlier translations may have been accurate, but the actual message must have been hidden in a code of some kind.”

Suzume was rather surprised by the discussion taking place, but more so from the fact that they were having it in front of her. A point Ino raised as she approached the naked Uzumaki and said, “Perhaps this is a discussion better had when certain parties aren’t present.”

Naruto gave her an appraising look, and again she was struck by how the warmth seemed to fade from them whenever she was the sole focus of his attention. Which to Suzume’s surprise truly began to bother her. Yet, despite whatever his personal thoughts of her appeared to be, he said, “No, its likely going to be a topic that she learns of at some point through her interviews. Besides, if we’re going to convince her that we are not like the people that her predecessors wrote about, then we shouldn’t leave her to believe that we’re keeping secrets from her.”

Rather than being filled in on all the details, figuring that much as Naruto had pointed out it would come up during the interviews that she planned to conduct, she instead directed the conversation back on track as she stated, “I’m not sure what the difference knowing there is a hidden message makes. First you have to know which translation is correct, and then hope some key exists that you can use to break it.”

“Hardly,” Shiho said turning towards her while sounding slightly offended, “The first part of your observation is true enough. But I didn’t need the keys to the cipher those journals contain in order to break them. I just didn’t want to go through the effort if it wasn’t necessary.” Focusing back on Naruto, she continued, “Besides, if there is a hidden message, then it was meant for someone, and as what it was printed on was known as the Tablet of the Hyuuga.”

“Then it is likely that it could have been meant for the namesake of the clan,” Naruto said feeling some building excitement of his own at the revelation. Although he supposed it could also be due to Ino having pushed herself into his side and had begun to rub her hand up and down on his stomach, with each downward feather light slide seemed to be bringing it closer and closer to his rather rigid rod.

“Which fits due to the hieroglyphics being used would be during that period of time, and if he was the intended target would shrink a four thousand year long window down to a few decades,” Shiho said sounding pleased, especially as she added, “And one of the better translations that I came up with was during his reign.”

“Then we should let you get to it,” Ino said as her hand wrapped around his cock, which as she began to stroke it asked, “Unless you’d rather join me in getting fucked until I can’t see straight.”

Shiho bit her lips clearly tempted, but replied, “I…I do… and I want to make an effort to be a more active member…but…”

Naruto pulled her into a tender kiss, and once it ended said, “But, you want to strike while the iron of your insight is still hot. Then don’t let us stop you.”

Shiho nodded pleased and immediately sat herself in the chair Naruto had just been occupying with the hem of her dress still hiked up above her hips.

Wrapping an arm around Ino, he pulled her after him while stating, “Now, I believe you said something about needing to be fucked silly.”

“You know it lover,” Ino said sounding excited. But then focusing on her, Suzume noticed a pout appear on her lips before stating with a tilt of her head, “But, first I need to guide her out of here.”

Naruto frowned as he didn’t want to wait any longer before feeling her wrapped around his cock so as they stepped into the main tunnel of the Den asked, “Why? She should know the way by now.”

“Sakura’s afraid that Miya might spot her leaving and…” Although Ino let her sentence trail off, she made a quick slicing motion across her neck making it clear as to what Sakura’s concern was.

Naruto chuckled before creating a clone which at first appeared to be just as naked as him, before henging into a different person entirely, one with clothes on. Which waved to Suzume to follow while the real article guided kept his blonde mistress beside them. The pair quickly fell behind as they began to kiss and fondle each other, making Suzume wonder if they would even make it to a room. Still, she tried to keep tabs on them, wondering if she’d catch a moment where the mask would slip, and the real corruptor would peek out. Particularly, since she imagined that he intended to take Ino back to the room where his clones were entertaining the other women.

However, they ended up bypassing the doors, and after passing a strangely blank space in the wall, as all the other doors appeared equal distant from one another, leading her to suspect one had been removed or blocked off, he approached the next one. The pair then made-out in front of it for a moment, but stopped once their attention was attracted by another door opening and closing as Sakura stepped into the tunnel as well. Sakura’s eyes widened in surprise as she noticed them, and then began questioning why the Yamanaka was in the tunnel with Naruto considering the task that she had asked her to perform quickly sent a look down towards the entrance that led to the basement of the Hidden Eddy Inn. Spotting her with the clone as they had come to a stop upon her entering the tunnels as well, Sakura looked back towards Naruto, who to Suzume’s surprise upon returning her own gaze to the Uzumaki was wearing a stern almost angry expression. The pink haired kunoichi grew a little apprehensive as she approached like a child that had been caught in the midst of some mischief.

Suzume noticed her send a quick look towards Ino making her wonder if Sakura believed that her rival had ratted her out, and began to wonder if she could use that in the future. Particularly as the current head the Yamanaka clan was wearing a rather stern look of her own as she held herself against her Corruptor’s side. Suzume was rather surprised by the sudden change considering how relaxed everything had been previously, more so by the fact that she was being allowed to witness as the clone by her side made no effort to get her moving again. When Sakura came to a stop before the pair, she looked like she was about to explain herself but Naruto’s face instantly broke into a wide smile as he pulled her into a kiss that caused her leg to raise up as she almost instantly surrendered to it. Ino seemed amused as well as she hit the clasp on Sakura dress, before joining into the kiss as well which the three enjoyed for several moments. When Sakura stepped back, her dress opened up revealing that much as Suzume had suspected she was completely naked beneath it.

Naruto took a moment to appreciate her exposed body, but once it looked like the pink-haired woman was about to drop to her knees before him, he reached out and snaked his hand around her waist grabbing a handful of her ass. He pulled her into his other side, as the hand wrapped around Ino’s waist had worked itself under the hem of her dress and was also possessively gripping her backside as well. He then turned them around, where Sakura opened the door which Suzume could see led into a large room with a massive round bed. The trio quickly entered the room where Ino shut the door behind her, but not before giving Suzume a smirk which told the older woman that the blonde felt that she was the one to be pitied.

Suzume wondered if the clone had noticed it as well, although it gave no indication although it did have a hint of urgency in its voice as it simply said, “Let’s go.” Which she attributed to its desire to get rid of her so it could hurry back and spend the remainder of its existence enjoying the same delights as it fellow clones.

The rest of the short journey was made in silence, although Suzume was tempted to pry for more details as to what she had learned. However, she felt that she would be quickly shushed as she did notice that it had tensed up upon entering the completely silent apartment building that served as the front to the pleasure den she had seen. The clone seemed to relax as it reached the front door, but once it slid open the door and stepped outside onto the porch it sent a worried look back towards her.

Suzume frowned at its response as she stepped out beside it, particularly as rather than some threat all she saw was the back of a woman dressed like a miko as she wore purple hakama pants and a white haori which with a purple sash wrapped around her torso. The purple haired woman was kneeling on a pillow, as she drank from a cup of tea while staring out towards the street. Suzume did feel some spike of alarm as she noted that there was a sheathed katana lying beside her and recalled the demonic like aura the woman had seemed capable of summoning the last time their paths crossed, but imagined it was more for show then not.

The woman without looking back towards them said with a slight scolding tone, “It is quite rude to enter and leave someone’s home without introducing yourself. Even if Sakura was the one accompanying you earlier.”

The woman looked back towards them, and Suzume noticed her visage grew confused for a moment as it landed on the henged Uzumaki beside her. But, she quickly seemed to realize who it was at which point she favored him with a warm smile that quickly turned to a harsh glare as her eyes landed on her. At which point the woman tossed her tea cup up into the air, Suzume’s eyes followed it out of instinct which was when she was hit by a wave of dizziness as the world suddenly began spinning wildly. When it came to a stop, she was struck by a wave of confusion as she felt as if she was back inside the threshold of the inn. But, even more confusing her perspective would indicate that she was on the floor staring up at the backs of a man and a woman. A woman who she noticed was now missing a head as it sprayed blood up into the air like a soda bottle that had been shaken too much before having its cap popped off. The henged clone that had been beside her stepped back in shock, and horror as her now lifeless body toppled to the side to reveal the standing purple haired woman whose katana was unsheathed and coated in blood while floating just behind her was a demon faced apparition of purple chakra, which didn’t scare her nearly as much as the woman’s cold dead eyes as she stared into hers as her vision began grew darker.

Suzume gasped for breath as the darkness faded and she suddenly found herself whole again, which she realized was due to the burst of killing intent that she had been subjected to having been blocked as the clone now occupied the spot between Suzume and the woman whose identity he confirmed as he said admonishingly, “It is also rather rude to hit an invited guest with such pure killing intent, Miya.”

Miya sighed, before stating, “You’re right.” She then handed the clone her cup, before accepting a hand up to her feet, while making sure to grab her sword as well. Staring into Suzume’s eyes, which made it quite clear that she was merely stating the words for the sake of appearing polite, “Please forgive my outburst.”

“S…ss…Sure,” Suzume replied still shaken by the vision of her death.

The woman gave her a fake pleased smile as she turned towards the clone stating, “I’m feeling in the need of some attention. Would you keep me company?”

“Of course,” the clone replied as it turned to follow the woman into the Inn, before adding as an afterthought, “Good night Suzume.”

The door began to close, but just before she lost sight of the pair she watched the woman’s demeanor completely change as she dropped her sword and wrapped her arms around the clone’s neck as it dropped the henge before sealing its lips to hers. Suzume wondered if the pair would even bother moving deeper into the building before getting swept away by their passions. Not wanting to be subjected to the sounds of another woman enjoying herself to the fullest, she turned away and felt a chill sweep through her which at first was easy to attribute to the approach of autumn due to the light dress she was wearing. But as she moved further and further from the Hidden Eddy Inn, she couldn’t say if it was truly the weather as she felt the emptiness within that she had often filled with the numerous flings that she had enjoyed. However, sending a look back towards the warm looking building, that previously she had felt was home to broken and corrupted women, she couldn’t help feeling as if the only one who truly was broken had just been shown the door. But, one thing had become crystal clear to her that night. Which was that even if there were other corrupted women like her bound to Naruto, far more appeared to be rather content with the their current state of affairs. Moreover, much as Ino had hoped would be the case, she understood that even with as bad as she felt things currently were for her, even if she had succeeded in killing Naruto, that would have resulted in her truly receiving the bad ending to her story.

Still, that wasn’t to say that she was going to give up in seeing herself freed of her current situation. But, first she’d see if they could determine just what was wrong with her, and also would be correcting the mistake that had led her to her current predicament, a lack of information. Information that she’d hopefully be able to use to one day train up a new generation of Huntresses, although she knew if such a future ever came to pass it would likely be far from the village that she called home, and considering just how many women had been present in his pleasure den, perhaps even escaping the continent wouldn’t be far enough. Still, even though she kept herself from plotting too far in that direction, less she trigger the conditions that Naruto had put on her, there was some part of her questioning why she would want to escape in the first place. But, she quickly surpassed that niggling part of herself, as she decided to head home to warm up. Yet, that part of her refused to go off quietly into her subconscious as it reminded her that the place that she was leaving had been plenty warm already, at least to the women that Naruto’s gaze had favored with his affection.”

*********************************************************
Kushina awoke feeling rather content as she sighed while stretching before sitting up on the couch where she had passed out after she had drained her clone of its energy. She surveyed the room and saw that she was probably one of the first to recover from the night of debauchery. Although, she noticed some of the others were beginning to stir, so imagined that soon there would be an exodus while those whose turn it was to clean up the aftermath would linger about. With the room not being the only thing needing to be cleaned, Kushina headed towards the shower room that separated Club N from the Master Bedroom.

Upon stepping inside, she suddenly went on alert, but calmed somewhat as a burst of flames appeared before her which upon fading revealed Kiyomi. Kushina smiled politely, although she would be the first to admit that her feelings towards the Human Bijuu were conflicted considering their shared history. Still, despite her holding the Bijuu as being one of the beings that had taken the life that she could have enjoyed from her, she was making an effort to keep their shared past from impacting the future that they were working towards. A task made easier not only because she had worked to undo some of her past actions by giving her a new life with her son and had aided Ino in pushing her into his bed, but because of how deeply the Bijuu loved the man that they both now shared.

“Kiyomi,” Kushina said politely as she moved to stand beneath one of the showerheads and turned it on, “you don’t know what you missed out on last night.”

The Bijuu allowed an amused smile to appear before replying, “Oh, I have some idea. Besides my sisters and I want to hold a little gathering of our own after the exams, so we felt it was only fair we bow out from last night’s.”

Kushina nodded as she pulled her long hair over her shoulder and began concentrating on washing it while asking, “So, what has you sneaking about?”

Kiyomi looked slightly offended at the suggestion, although she couldn’t exactly deny it either as she sent a cautious look towards the door leading into the Master Bedroom. Where Naruto still slumbered with what she imagined would be an exhausted Sakura and Ino. Although, tempted to still offer up a denial, she instead opted to get to the heart of what had caused her to seek out her former host, “I’m curious as to your thoughts about how Naruto plans to handle our current Uchiha problem.”

Kushina paused, as she felt rather offended on Mikoto’s behalf due to how the Bijuu had framed her question. But, having learned about some of her history with the clan, decided not to make a issue of it. Still, she did ask for clarification, “I’m assuming you are referring to Obito?”

“Yes, obviously” Kiyomi replied immediately.

Resuming with washing of her hair, Kushina wasn’t quite sure how to reply. Much like the Bijuu, she had her concerns as Naruto intended to use him as a weapon of sorts against the Black Zetsu by pointing out how he had been used. But, considering how Rin was Naruto’s lover, and the fact that her death had prompted the Uchiha to betray everything and everyone that he had claimed to value, she feared that all that he would be doing is hanging a target on his own back instead. Although admittedly Kiyomi had already taken steps to insure he could be easily eliminated should he turn his fangs towards Naruto. There was always the concern that he’d find a way to slip free of whatever leash they put on to restrain him.

Plus, there were her own conflicting emotions regarding him, and his future. After all, whenever she closed her eyes, it was still easy to picture him as the goofy almost carefree youth, who viewed Kakashi as his rival as both a shinobi and for Rin’s affections. Even knowing the truth of what he became, she found it hard to believe that he could so thoroughly and effortlessly betray both Konoha, and the remainder of his team.

Yet, he had, and while Kiyomi may have been the instrument that had led to her nearly losing everything. It had been Obito who had set her loose on what should have been one of, if not the happiest day of her life. Her body tensed as her hands balled into fists, and she felt her anger flare as the temptation to break into the Leaf Maximum Security Prison where he was being held while awaiting execution, although as the masked Tobi, and rip him limb from limb.

However, picturing her son, she felt herself calm down since although she wasn’t sure that she would ever forgive Obito for his betrayal. She understood that to help create the world Naruto and by extension his Family was working for, she couldn’t answer blood for blood. Kushina looked towards Kiyomi, and could see that she looked a little worried, and so imagined the anger that she had been feeling caused her Bijuu chakra to surge, and so feared she may awaken Naruto.

As a result of not having a clear answer regarding her own feelings on the Obito matter, she simply said, “I don’t like it anymore then you do. But I think that Naruto feels perhaps seeing what his actions have cost him, may cause him to return to who he once was.”

“If he ever was that person,” Kiyomi replied quickly her own thoughts on the matter being easy to hear in her voice.

Kushina didn’t really need the Bijuu to explain. As she admitted to finding herself wondering about that matter herself. After all, while it was easy to picture Obito as the goofy, and loveable young man that she remembered. Considering just how easily he had betrayed everyone, even with Rin’s supposed death being the catalyst for it, it begged the question if his personality had just been a mask that he had presented to the world, while something much darker had existed behind it. Similarly, to how Kushina knew the goofy and mischievous attitude that she had heard her son had presented to the world in his youth must have been a mask to hide the pain that he had felt from the village’s attitude towards him. Yet, thanks in part to their little trip to the past, Kushina understood that her son saw value in the pain as it, along with the bonds he had gathered had helped to forge him into the man that he now was.

Her son was why Kushina was not quite so quick to dismiss the possibility that the Obito that she remembered could have just been a front for something more sinister. But she also felt that instead he had just never been tested in quite the same way Naruto had been growing up. The loneliness of his youth had forged her son into someone that would never wish to inflict suffering onto others. While Obito, at least before the Third Shinobi War’s sudden outbreak, had come up in a relatively stable and peaceful period. Although he also had lost both his parents shortly after his birth, he had been raised by his Grandmother, who Kushina remembered as being rather kind. Furthermore, The Uchiha, outside of the tensions brewing between them and the leadership of Konoha, had been a respected Clan in the eyes of most villagers. In such a world, it had been easy for Obito to be a carefree individual, with the greatest concerns facing him being his rivalry with Kakashi which was mostly spurned on by Rin’s infatuation with the rather serious silver-haired youth. His rivalry also is likely what spurned on Obito’s dream of being made Hokage as he felt overshadowed by him.

Then the Third Shinobi War had broken out, due to Suna’s rash behavior brought about as they searched for their missing and beloved Third Kazekage. Granted, the tensions between all the villages had always been high, but life had been relatively quiet for Konoha ever since the conclusion of the previous one. Elements within Iwa, having long sought an opportunity to avenge themselves for losses sustained during the Second had used several small conflicts that had broken out between Suna and its forces in the minor countries that served as a buffer, to force the Tsuchikage’s hand and have him declare war on Suna. Which due to the Sand Village’s treaty with Konoha had pulled the Leaf into the war as well.

The Iwa army having already been gearing up for a potential war, had easily smashed through the Earth Corridor of Suna, and likely with the blessing and help of the Grass Village had easily overwhelmed the forts lining the border of Fire and Grass putting both villages on the backfoot once the conflict erupted. Seeing Konoha in such a precarious position was what had prompted Kumo to enter the war, although rather then working together to defeat a common enemy, the Stone and Cloud shinobi just as often ended up attacking each other, which had allowed Konoha time to recover and begin counterattacking. While the Shinobi from the Land of Water just contented themselves with being a pain in every else’s ass.

Thus, Obito was thrust into a world where he had first sacrificed himself for his rival, which to her thinking did reveal that there had been a core of goodness in him. Although, she knew that did not necessarily say anything concerning his current character, especially when considering how she had heard that Sasuke had once acted in a similar matter for her son. Still, she believed that core of goodness had been there at least until he had witnessed Kakashi’s apparent killing of Rin. A fact which had been revealed to the Family in the aftermath of their fight during the battle of Ame.

Unfortunately, they had learned little else outside of that, as while there had been an attempt to probe his mind. It had not amounted to anything as Ino recognized that any attempt to do so would result in his death due to his memories being blocked by the same jutsu that she had encountered while aiding the Fuma Clan. However, whether he had imposed it on himself, or it had been placed by another was something that they were unsure of. Kushina was of the opinion that it was the latter, especially considering Black Zetsu’s betrayal of him.

However, due in part to Kiyomi’s own meddling with his mind when she had rebuilt his body, he had been less then inclined to share his secrets with the various intelligence agencies that had interviewed him. Moreover, outside of the Family and a few of those aligned with it, no one knew his true identity due to Kiyomi making it so that no one could remove his mask. Naturally, his DNA had been examined but as it had been women of the Family that had performed the tests, and analyzed the results, it had been easy enough to claim that he was not on file. Although, they had needed to make it clear that he was indeed a Uchiha and had not just been using an eye that he had liberated from one as it would be likely that some of the other villages of the Alliance would at least possess one sample of the clan’s DNA that they could compare it to. Luckily, as almost everyone within the clan had been related to one another in some way, just possessing a sample wouldn’t really allow them to draw anything more than that general conclusion.

This had all been done so that Obito could be turned into an agent to hunt down and hopefully disrupt whatever the plans were of the true mastermind behind the plot that the Uchiha had been enacting while pretending to be Madara for the last two decades. However, while Kushina would agree that it was a cunning plan that Naruto had come up with. As it would require them to actually use the anger and hate that he would be feeling towards those that had betrayed, she also feared that it could potentially come back to haunt them. Especially as one of the driving forces behind Obito’s betrayal was now sharing Naruto’s bed.

Beginning to soap up her skin, Kushina shared her own concerns, “I don’t exactly like it either. Especially, since Rin wishes to make her survival know to him. Considering her relationship to Naruto, and the depths to which he has already sunk. I fear what he may do should he come to realize where her affections lay.”

“Agreed,” Kiyomi stated as she began to undress as well, causing Kushina to look at her with some surprise. Especially as she moved to stand before her as she stated, “That is why I need your help.”

A note of suspicion entered her voice as she asked, “What sort of help?”

Kiyomi frowned at Kushina’s tone, but understanding it replied, “I’m not sure how involved you wish to be, as I intend to… act without his knowledge in amending his plan. But I must ask for your assistance as you likely possess the memories that I require to implement it properly.”

Kushina’s violet eyes searched the humanized Bijuu’s jade ones for some hint as to what she was plotting. But, she could only see concern, either born of the worry she felt that Obito would remain an enemy, although now with a more personal reason to be such making him more dangerous to the man that they both loved, or that perhaps Kushina would reject her making it more difficult for her to implement her own countermeasures to such an event.

She could also tell that whatever Kiyomi had planned, she was genuinely concerned that it may anger Naruto. Although, there was also the determination to proceed born of the belief that her actions would be protecting him from his own better nature. Kushina would admit to being somewhat jealous of the Bijuu’s clarity of purpose and supposed that lack of doubt was why her chakra was orange. Unlike her own which was red, as Kushina despite not regretting her having taken her son as a lover was still filled with doubts born of the life that she could have had. A life that was ultimately taken from her by Obito’s selfish actions, born of the desire to protect his happiness above all else regardless of what it cost others. Which did create the fear in her that as that representation of his happiness had also taken her son as a lover, Obito would once more be the catalyst of her world being rent asunder.

With that fear gripping her heart, and confident the Bijuu would do everything in her power to prevent such a tragedy from happening she said determinedly, “Take what you need.”

“Thank you,” Kiyomi said joining her under the shower as she pulled Kushina into a kiss. Naturally, she was shocked at first, but began to relax into it as she closed her eyes and even began to become an active participant. She began to feel the Bijuu chakra surge up from within her. With it at first coating her skin causing her to no longer be able to feel the water that had been spraying them, which soon linked and combined with the chakra that was rising from Kiyomi’s in a similar manner. Then Kushina suddenly found herself moaning out as she began feeling the sensation of her son’s cock stirring up her insides. She opened her eyes, and found herself somewhat confused as she was laying beside a fire in a cave as she raised and lowered her hips on the cock that was buried inside her. Except, the woman beneath her definitely shouldn’t have been able to generate the pleasure that she was feeling as it was Kiyomi staring up at her. Still, despite the confusion that she felt, she found herself a passenger as she couldn’t change her actions or ask the hundreds of questions that she had. As such, for the time being she decided to just enjoy the ride as it were, and quickly found herself feeling a strong sense of Déjà vu not just from the location, but the pleasure coursing through her. Which was when it dawned on her that she was currently in the middle of reliving a memory.

Furthermore, she realized that in a metaphysical sense the role that she was taking in this memory had once belonged to Rin, with Kiyomi filling in for Naruto or more accurately her since this was the moment when she had deaged the kunoichi along with removed her memories from her time as Joseki’s assassin. With her understanding of what was happening, she began to see flashes of the memories that she had taken from the object of Obito’s infatuation flowing from within her, down into Kiyomi through the chakra construct that was connecting them by their dripping snatches. The energy that they represented seemed to gather within Kiyomi’s stomach even as she mirrored the actions Naruto had performed. While as Kushina felt herself growing closer and closer to release, the energy within Kiyomi seemed to grow brighter and brighter until it exploded forth as a bright light that engulfed both of them while she reared her head back and screamed in release at the cave’s ceiling.

As the light faded, Kushina was breathing heavily once more in the shower room with the glistening of her skin not being due to the water that was hitting against the Bijuu cloak still enveloping her and Kiyomi. Who much like her was breathing heavily as a result of the climax that had racked her body.

Although rather confident of the answer she received, Kushina asked, “Did we just…”

“Yes,” Kiyomi replied, cutting her off as if to still provide her some cover once Naruto learned of her plan, preferably well after she had already implemented her countermeasure.

Kushina smiled appreciatively before saying “When I said take what you need. I didn’t imagine that it would be quite so pleasurable.”

The nine-tailed fox smiled as the chakra cloak covering them began to fade allowing them to feel the warmth of the water once more. “I should get going. There is still much to be done.”

Kiyomi turned to leave, but paused as she found Kushina holding her hand between hers, who after the Bijuu looked down at it, she looked back up rather confused, as despite what they had both just experienced, Kushina usually made very little effort to remain in her presence, and often seemed relieved as she left after sharing her son. So, seeing her making an effort to stop her struck her as a bit odd. Kushina seemed a little surprised by her actions as well, although she seemed to have some idea as to what was spurring them on as she said, “You weren’t the only one that gained some insight from the experience. I know what you’re planning to do and how you intend to prepare her.”

Kiyomi sighed, “I really was trying to hide that from you.”

Kushina smiled before stating, “You drop your guard there at the end. I can’t say I blame you, I’ve experienced it and it was twice as good the second time around.” Receiving a nod from the humanized Bijuu, she said, “I want to help.” Seeing the surprise that registered on Kiyomi’s face, she explained, “I think it will help us to truly put the past behind us, as we work together to safeguard our future.”

Kiyomi was genuinely touched, but also surprised by just how happy she was to hear of her fellow red-head’s desire to help. Since, while she had succeeded in the endeavor that she was about to embark on twice already, she knew her first attempt had more to do with the memories that she had used, as they had ultimately helped shape her lover into the man that he had become, and thus although negative truly couldn’t be said to be bad. Her second had been a blank slate, created more for the utility that she could perform. But, thanks in part to the affections of her first, had become a complete being onto herself. This time around she would need to become the bedrock upon which the being would be built in order to shoulder the burdens that she intended to place on it, and to be honest she had not been sure that she was up to the task. But, felt buoyed by Kushina’s intentions to support her, particularly as she helped to create it.

As such, she smiled softly as she stated, “Thank you, I’ll be counting on you.”

Kushina smiled excitedly and stepping towards Kiyomi placed a hand on her stomach before asking, “So, when do we begin.”

“Soon,” Kiyomi replied, “There are preparations that we’ll both need to make now.” Kushina nodded as Kiyomi stepped away and coated herself in flames in order to dry herself off. Kushina knowing that she would need to inform Konan that she’d need to bow out of her Akatsuki duties for a time felt a little guilty. But, with the Chunin Exams being one of the few times were the Shinobi World generally seemed to be calm in most instances, she imagined that they’d be able to make do without her presence for a bit. Although, she quickly realized that she wasn’t sure just how long a period she would be away. She was about to turn towards the Bijuu in order to ask, but felt the small burst of flames which indicated that she had teleported away so made a note to ask her later. Still, as she shut off the shower, she found herself feeling a surge of excitement, as she felt helping Kiyomi would give her a chance to truly understand the life that had been stolen, and in time help her to truly come to accept the one that she had.

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

Sakura was walking happily through the village, despite the early hour. She found it easy to be upbeat considering that Naruto had fulfilled his promise to top her off that morning, although Ino had done her level best to help herself to his just deposited seed immediately after. All the while as Naruto had worked to fill the blonde’s womb next. Not that Sakura could blame her former rival, since she had promptly helped herself to Ino’s own cream pie once he had succeeded. Still, while Sakura knew that many would consider her to be in the midst of a walk of shame as she was heading to her mother’s home, she couldn’t really say she felt any even though she had changed her clothes using some that she had left from when she lived in the Hidden Eddy Inn. Although, truthfully Sakura would have preferred to let the world know that she had spent the night having mind-blowing sex with her boyfriend and her best friend. Still, the reason she wasn’t strutting through town wearing the dress that she had the night before was because as far as Konoha was concerned Naruto had left the village the morning before. As such, she couldn’t really announce to the world how she had spent the previous night less the wrong impression be given.

Particularly, since Naruto still had a few errands left to perform before he would head to Suna for the Chunin Exams. The first of which, would be him taking another woman out on a date. She wondered if by the end of the evening she’d feel a new presence joining in among those who bore her lover’s mark. But, before Sakura’s mind delved too far down that line of thought, she felt some trepidation spring up from the last task that he had planned. Truthfully, despite her own recent efforts to put Naruto’s philosophy into practice, in truth she was whole-heartedly against what Naruto had planned as she felt that he was playing with fire. A fire that Itachi had also tried to play with, and had ultimately been consumed by. Worse still, considering some of the parties involved, and who their affections currently were centered on she feared it was a fire that would burn even hotter than the one Itachi had started in Sasuke by creating and nurturing his desire for revenge. However, as Naruto had set his mind to it, she supposed that all she could do was continue to put her faith in him, and hope it was rewarded, particularly as she hoped to have her mother do likewise.

Sakura felt a small hint of concern as she reached the front door of her childhood home, and wondered what she’d find inside. A part of her hoped that she find her mother laying on the couch with the orange replica of her lover’s dick still buried inside her. Having used the same seal on the Hero of the Leaf dildo that she had been inisde the package that she had left on the porch during Naruko’s visit that Ino had when tempting Kushina with one, Sakura knew the toy had put in some work the night before due to it being tied to her fox mark.

Yet, she hadn’t felt the sensation that morning, so a part of her feared that her mother having followed her usual pattern had taken another mission. Which would have been a rather big disappointment since the reason she had put her own plan into motion was because she feared her mother regressing much as had been the case when Naruto had been injured in the aftermath of the Battle of Ame. Previously, while her mother’s need for revenge against Sasuke had resulted in her taking missions where combat was all but assured as the desire to murder the Uchiha seemed to consume her, there had been a few days where she seemed to return to her old self. These days usually coincided with the weekly dinners that Sakura had invited Naruto over for, and had asked her mother to help her prepare the meals for due to her own lack of talent in the kitchen. It was during the dinner, and usually a few hours after that Sakura would get her mother back before she’d disappear back into her revenge obsessed persona some called The Ogre. Naturally, after his injury and his being stuck in Suna as a result, the Ogre had quickly come to the forefront, and thus Sakura feared that would be the case as he would possibly once more be gone again for a few months depending on how the exams played out.

As such, she had hoped to give her mother something else besides revenge to obsess over, but feared the plan may have already failed. However, after stepping into the entryway and taking off her shoes, she felt some of her concerns fade as she noticed her mother sitting on the couch in the living room reading Naruko’s book. However, what truly caught her attention was the fact that she could see what her mother was doing, since she had rearranged the furniture. Whereas previously, the back of the couch would have been visible upon walking past the living room from the entryway, now her mother had flipped it so that it was facing her with the back of it being up against the wall. The television and stand that had been there before was now in front of the window, while the small love seat that had been their previously was sitting opposite the tv.

Sakura suspected that her mother had rearranged the furniture in response to the show that she had put on for her. Although, she could also believe it was due to her mother’s belief that she had nearly been caught by her in turn while trying out the dildo that she believed Naruko had left. Sakura hoped her mother’s motivation for the change was the former, as that would mean she was hoping that she’d witness such an event again, and this time she would have a better view of her daughter riding Naruto’s magnificent cock.

Sakura felt her pussy begin to drool at the thought of it, and smirked as she noticed her mother’s might be reaching a similar state as she noticed her cheeks were redder then when she had first entered, and the hand not holding the book open seemed tempted to reach into her robe. As it was clear that her mother hadn’t noticed her yet, she was tempted to make herself scare for a while to see if her mother would put on a show of her own, but the decision was made for her as Mebuki checking if the coast was clear looked up from the book that she was already a quarter of the way through and spotted her.

Her eyes grew wide in surprise, as she said, “Sakura…how long have you been standing there?”

“I just got in,” Sakura replied, and saw that her mother was relieved by her answer. At least, until she followed up by asking, “Is that Naruko’s new book?”

“Y…yes,” Mebuki answered sounding a little embarrassed to have been so engrossed in it. Although, she was glad that she had decided to rearrange the furniture that morning so as to prevent herself from just giving into the temptation like she had the day before. Not to mention, had left her new toy up in her bedroom. Particularly, as she had still nearly given in to the need growing inside her due to the book reaching a scene where the character that she now knew was based on her daughter had stumbled onto the ones based on Naruto and Tsunade being intimate, after the pair had snuck off during a governmental ceremony.

Trying to calm herself, she asked, “Did you have fun with your friends last night?”

Sakura nodded, before answering, “Oh yes, I was afraid that some extra work that I had taken on was going to keep me from participating. But, thanks to Ino stepping in, everything worked out even better than I imagined.”

“That’s good to hear. It is good to see you two are taking care of one another,” Mebuki said standing from the couch after marking her place in the book, “Did you have anything to eat this morning?”

Sakura smirked for a moment as she recalled Ino’s just filled snatch as it began leaking her lover’s seed which she had done her best to devour after Naruto had taken his leave and begun showering in order to get ready for the day. Feeling her own face flush as soon after she had ended up in the sixty-nine position with her fellow kunoichi, Sakura answered, “Yes, but I could eat again.”

Mebuki wondered if autumn had already arrived as she noticed her daughter’s face was growing red now that she was inside. But rather than commenting said, “Come on, I’ll make you something to eat.”

As she stepped into the hall with her daughter, Sakura fell into step with her as they headed to the kitchen. Which upon entering, Mebuki paused as she felt like cursing upon noticing that she had forgotten to take the box Naruko had given her up to her daughter’s room. She tried not to call attention to it, but as she had left it on the kitchen island, she wasn’t surprised her daughter moved straight for it as she asked, “Is that the package that Naruko’s book came in?”

“Yes,” Mebuki said feeling her own face beginning to heat up as she opened the refrigerator and bent over to inspect which ingredients that she would use to make breakfast, “Um… you might want to take it up to your…” She trailed off as her daughter giggled, causing Mebuki to look back to see her daughter holding up the still packaged dildo that she had rushed out to purchase as the replacement for the one currently sitting in her nightstand.

Sakura inspected the still packaged Hero of the Leaf that ‘Naruko had ‘given her’ and was pleased to see that the bar code was different from the one that she had purchased. Meaning her mother still had it. Noticing her mother observing her, “Did you see her note?”, she asked as if gauging how much information that she needed to provide in order for her mother to understand her amusement.

Mebuki considered lying, but also feeling rather curious admitted, “Yes… I suppose I should have waited to open…”

She trailed off as her daughter without a hint of the embarrassment she was feeling opened the top of the box, then upon pulling it out and giving it a quick inspection caused her eyes widened in shock as she informed her, “Wow, it really does look like it, minus the color obviously. It’s almost like the manufacturers had a mold of it.”

“Sakura!” Mebuki said succeeding in sounding mortified, even as a part of her was titillated at the notion.

“What?!” Sakura replied clearly amused, “I’m sure you must have been a little curious about the answer. Especially since I’m probably going to be putting this bad boy to use for the foreseeable future.”

“N.. not at all,” she replied although she had to admit that she didn’t sound all that convincing. “And is this really a topic you should be having with your mother of all people.”

Her daughter giggled in response as Mebuki turned back away to resume her intent to make breakfast, and although curious what her daughter’s comment would be on the butt plug that Naruko had given her, was about to change the subject.

However, Sakura caused her to nearly jump out of her skin as she pressed herself into her back suggestively and holding the dildo up in front of her said, “Come on mom, I though most mothers wanted their daughters to feel comfortable enough with them to discuss their sex lives.”

“Not to that degree,” Mebuki said pulling away from her daughter, feeling rather self-conscious at how her body had reacted to her teasing. Grabbing some eggs and bacon from the fridge, she moved to a counter. She prepared to crack them into a bowl that she pulled from the cabinet in front of her as Sakura lifted herself up to sit on the kitchen’s island. Although wanting to change the topic, she found her curiosity getting the better of her. So, while observing her daughter from her reflection on the glass front of a nearby toaster oven asked, “About the other item inside the box?”

She noticed Sakura seemed rather pleased by the question, but not truly prepared for the answer quickly stated, “I mean the second copy of the book. I didn’t know you were a fan of Naruko’s first book.”

“Oh, I’m not really,” Sakura said not giving any indication if she was disappointed by what her mother was actually inquiring about. “I’ve never read it, but Kakashi-sensei is. So, I figured I’d surprise him with an early copy as well.” Sakura dropped down from the island as she stated, “Besides, I doubt any old story could live up to the reality that I’ve been enjoying.” Then as if she hadn’t just made a rather massive humble brag in relation to how good her sex life had been added, “I’m going to go have a quick shower. Be right back.”

Sakura grabbed the box up as she headed towards the stairs to drop it off in her room. Leaving Mebuki feeling rather stunned as to where this sexually open version of her daughter had come from, especially since she had only just learned a few days prior that Sakura was having sex in the first place. She suddenly felt mortified as she asked herself, “Does she know that I was spying on them?” She quickly shook the concern off, as considering how Sakura had just been acting, she could almost imagine that her daughter would have come right out and stated as much. However, another part of her began to wonder if the scene that she had stumbled across the night before last had indeed been as spontaneous as she had originally believed, especially considering the scene that she had just been reading when her daughter had come home.

Mebuki again shook off the thought as being crazy, as she began to think Naruko’s book was influencing her thinking since for that to be the case it would mean that her daughter was trying to entice her into sharing her boyfriend. Still, despite having just written off such a possibility as being preposterous, Mebuki found that with her newest toy apparently meeting with Sakura’s approval in regards to its resemblance to her lover’s equipment. She found herself all the more eager to curl up with her book again in order to lose herself in the fantasy that her daughter said likely wouldn’t live up to her reality. As if half of what the book said about the Naruto proxy’s ability to please a woman was true, her daughter truly was a lucky woman.

*****************************
“Lady Hinata,” a woman dressed in a simple but well maintained kimono of a palace attendant said while bowing politely to the kneeling Hyuuga Heiress, at least that was her title as far as Neji was concerned, who focused on the woman as she added hesitantly, “I’m afraid Daimyo Chiyo must once more cancel her appointment with you. She sends her apologies though.”

“I understand,” Hinata said politely, causing the woman to bow her head deeper which Neji read from her body language was meant to hide the guilt and even anger that the attendant felt at needing to inform the courteous young woman that the Daimyo had once again made her wait for several hours with nothing to show for it. Hinata smoothly rose from the pillow that she had been kneeling upon as if she had not been doing so for hours, and stated, “Please have Daimyo Chiyo inform me when she may have another opportunity to meet with me.”

“I shall Milady,” The woman stated keeping her head low, although Neji heard a hint of anger in her tone. Particularly, as he felt that he and she were of a single mind in thinking, “How dare that bitch make her waste another day on her.”

“Thank you,” Hinata said before turning towards him to state, “Let us return to our room.”

Neji inclined his head, not trusting himself to speak less he reveal how furious he was. But, once they had entered a portion of the palace reserved for guests, and were sure that they were alone, she said, “You don’t need to feel so upset on my behalf Cousin. There is a silver lining to her stringing us along.”

However, before Hinata elaborated further they entered the portion of the palace where their guest suite was located, and noticed a figure approaching them from the opposite end who put them both on guard. The woman, who although was dressed as a maid gave off the air of someone that was extremely competent and dangerous, particularly as unlike most of the other maids in the castle her uniform was modified so that her skirt was shorter with a pair of slits that raised up the sides to expose her legs and made Neji wondered if she even bothered wearing any underwear although as her legs were covered in black stockings that raised up to about mid-thigh imagined that she was probably wearing a garter belt to clip them to. Which while his thoughts would indicate why she would dress in such a manner, he recognized it also allowed her a full range of motion with her shapely legs thereby letting her use them to attack freely. She bowed politely towards Hinata as was expected from her proclaimed station, while using her arm to display another change in her uniform as it pushed her breasts together and up to expose her impressive cleavage. While she did so, she kept her head down so that her long blonde hair which ended in spiral curls and so also hid her face, while her voice although sounding properly polite, her mannerisms contained an undercurrent of mocking amusement while she said, “Oh no, I just heard that Lady Chiyo cancelled her meeting with you once more. Is there anything that I can bring you to soothe your disappointment?”

“No thank you, Ms. Soi,” Hinata said brightly which caused the maids demeanor to change, “It is simply giving us another night to enjoy as your guests, as well as the capital. But, if that changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she replied although her voice began to sound a little strained, “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course,” Hinata said with a nod, as the maid walked off although without the bounce in her step that her approached had carried. Neji thought he noticed a hint of distaste appear for a brief moment within his cousin’s features, but it happened so fast that he could easily say that he imagined it. She resumed their journey to their room, and once they stepped inside, she hung back by the entrance while Neji stepped in about to activate his Byakugan to search for hidden listening devices.

However, his senses went on alert moments before a voice called out, “They didn’t bother bugging your room again.”

“Sasame,” Hinata said happily as she quickly moved to greet the woman who stepped out from the room that the female Hyuuga had been sharing with Kurenai. Neji’s cheeks began to color as the form of the greeting his cousin chose was a sensuous kiss that made it appear as if they had forgotten about him for a moment.

Although, that didn’t appear to be the case as Hinata stepped back, and sent him a playful look. Neji tried to compose himself, but admitted that it was rather hard as at times only his iron will had prevented him from using his Byakugan to see just what his cousin and her sensei got up to when alone while they had traveled to the Land of Rice Paddies.

For her part, Sasame carried on as if making out with his cousin was the most natural thing in the world, “I suspect they didn’t bother replanting them considering how the bugs that they left on the night of your arrival only last for about thirty seconds.” Focusing back on Hinata, she said her tone growing a little harsh, “And, so couldn’t really try again outside of when that spoiled brat stood you up the first time, as it sounded like Kurenai began staying behind.”

Hinata nodded, before stating, “I imagine that they’ll probably wait and hope for us to drop our guard after a few days before making another attempt. They had to know that with Kurenai-sensei leaving this morning, we’d anticipate them to try and take advantage of the window it gave them to plant more.”

Sasame inclined her head in agreement before staying, “Yes, a consensus that the various factions interested in your visit shared apparently, which gave me the opportunity to finally meet with you. I’m sorry that I haven’t been of any use to you since your arrival.”

“Don’t be,” Hinata stated moving to a large L-shaped couch that sat at the center of the open room. “It is quite clear that Chiyo’s installment as Daimyo has caused quite the upheaval in the capital.” After she sat, she sent Neji a displeased look as he moved to stand behind her in a guard position, as he continued to keep her at a professional distance despite her attempts to get him to relax around her. Making him think the kiss that she had given Sasame was her attempting to get back at him.

“Yes,” the leader of the Fuma clan replied causing his cousin to face towards Sasame again as her face grew harsh when she added, “I just wish those responsible for ruling this country would apply as much effort towards solving the problems the people outside of it are facing, as they are in trying to form and secure powerbases within it.”

Hinata nodded in understanding, as most of the country was in the midst of an underground war being conducted by the various criminal gangs that had setup shop in the Land of Rice Paddies after the death of Orochimaru, and subsequent fall of the largest one that had been headed up by an individual known as the Whale. Which unfortunately the Fuma, who were participants in it as well, due to their acting as the sole protectors of the country, and were seemingly operating without the backing of the current Daimyo lacked the resources to win, and moreover, were in serious danger of losing as one gang in particular was gobbling up all its rivals making it so that they were approaching a point where they would be on an even footing. Still, Hinata knew the Fuma did have one trump card in that they were allied with the Black Foxes, although only the leaders of the two groups knew this at present. But, sadly even with this alliance, both groups were in danger of being swallowed by the ascendant gang Sabertooth as they continued to recruit the members of the gangs they crushed, with the strongest who proved themselves in subsequent campaigns quickly finding themselves promoted up the ranks as strength seemed to be all that mattered to its leader.

“Indeed, it has become readily apparent that Chiyo has done little to ingratiate herself to the people of Rice Paddies,” Hinata stated thinking about how most of those within the palace who looked to have been native to Rice just barely kept their feelings for their new leader from openly appearing.

Neji noticed that Hinata perked up as despite her harsh words in regard to the Daimyo that she was pledge to serve, a look of sympathy appeared on the orange-haired kunoichi’s face as she said, “Honestly, I cannot say that I entirely fault her for that. I cannot imagine our nobles made the best impression as they have quickly fallen into the camps of supporting her for their own ends, or disposing her while also hoping it doesn’t piss of the Daimyo of the Five Great Countries that installed her to the point where the destroy us completely.”

Neji decided to interject as he stated, “I am curious why the Land of Fire along with the other Daimyo would care so much as to seek her out and install her.”

Sasame was decidedly less curious, since the decision was currently making it harder to bring order to her country, so shrugged as she replied, “Who can say? They say she was the closest blood relation, so it might just be the simple. Although, her presence is just making a bad situation even worse.”

“What do you mean?” Hinata asked, glad for the opportunity to hear Sasame’s insights as the opportunities had been few and far between since the new Daimyo’s installment.

Sitting on the other section of the couch in a bent over hunch, Sasame sighed as she rested her elbows on her knees while explaining, “Well, after the previous Daimyo got himself betrayed and killed by so lackey of Sasuke’s, many of the nobles looked to be jockeying for position to replace him. But, truthfully it would probably have just come down to whoever we backed, as we are the only real legitimate military force in the country. Maybe not everyone would have been happy, but I think things would have quickly settled down.” Sasame’s voice grew annoyed although it seemed more directed at the situation then the subject as she said, “Then the big Five had to stick their noses in it, and give us this Princess who they proclaimed had a direct blood tie to the asshole that was betraying his own people in the first place. I suppose its true, because much like him, she doesn’t seem to care about the wellbeing of her people any more then he did.” Her fervor left her as a note of sympathy returned to her voice while adding, “Although, it is clear that she has her own baggage to deal with. Which is why if I’m being honest with you Hinata, I think you should cut your losses and head home.”

Neji from his position behind Hinata couldn’t see it, but easily pictured the frown that he imagined the Fuma’s words had caused to appear on his cousin’s face as she adamantly stated, “I cannot do that.”

Not wishing to see his cousin humiliated any further, and confident the rest of the Branch Family would feel similarly he seconded the Fuma’s opinion by stating, “I agree Mila…”

Hinata stood abruptly causing him to stop as she looked at him angrily to ask, “Neji, how can I just give up when my own cousin refuses to address me with any sense of familiarity?” She turned away, as she added, “We need those ports if the Branch Family is going to be able to match the Main Family’s holdings, and I have been entrusted to secure them.”

“H... Hinata,” Neji said finding it difficult to open up to her, “I do not wish to watch you be humiliated, and it is a feeling I’m sure my…”

“Our kin,” Hinata quickly interjected as she whirled to face him again. “You are my cousin Neji, and yet you are more comfortable acting as my servant and I’m tired of living in a world where such a wall exists between us. So, I refuse to give up until I have achieved that which I set out to do as I believe it is fundamental to it being destroyed.”

“I’m just saying, you don’t need to subject yourself to this Princess’s whims for my sake,” Neji said touched by Hinata’s words, all while hearing echoes of the man that she had taken as a lover.

“It isn’t,” Hinata said surprising him, as she turned back to Sasame while adding, “There is a world in which my cousin will treat me as Family that I want to build, and this is a step that needs to be taken to get me there.” Focusing on the Fuma Clan Head again, she said, “Leaving aside the local factions, you said she brings her own baggage with her. What are you referring to?”

“Well, I have a theory that even before coming here Chiyo was looking for an out to her current situation,” Sasame stated causing both Hyuuga to look confused, although she figured that Hinata would know more of the groundwork for her theory. As such, she explained more for the male Hyuuga’s benefit, “As you may know, she was taken in by the Daimyo of That after her home country of This was destroyed by Sasori. Which thanks to Konan, we know was an attack that was orchestrated by the That Daimyo to begin with.” Much as she suspected, Hinata nodded while Neji although likely aware of the events had definitely by surprised by the revelation of who Akatsuki’s client had been so continued, “Her survival, and subsequent ending up in That worked out to his benefit as it gave legitimacy to his claims on This’s lands, by stating that he would rule over them until she came of age. Shortly thereafter, he announces that she is going to marry his son.”

“Thereby solidifying his claim,” Neji said with an understanding nod. “If not directly, at least through his bloodline. However, if I’m following you correctly, you would seem to believe this is a marriage that she wants no part of.”

Hinata frowned though, as from what she had heard from Naruto and Ino in regards to their mission to This, they had seemed to suggest that Chiyo had cared deeply for the That Daimyo’s son Shu. As such, while she had found in tragic that her would be Father-in-law had orchestrated the attack on her home, she had thought that the feelings between the two had been genuine. Especially as Shu had lived most of his life in the Land of This as a political hostage to keep his father’s ambitions in check.

Sasame having had access to the same stories, seemed to know where Hinata’s thoughts lay as she stated, “I can understand your skepticism. But, can you really say that Chiyo has been acting as Naruto has portrayed her? Because, I can tell you that it isn’t just her who has changed.”

“I see,” Hinata said genuinely able to, as while Shu had struck Ino as being surprisingly courteous, she had noted that he seemed to have relaxed while in the presence of Team Asuma as he got to enjoy things he had been denied while serving as a political hostage. Which, she imagined would imply that he had never truly felt at home in the Land of This, and could only imagine how he could further change while under the direct influence of his father, a man that had callously ordered the destruction of This while for all that he knew his son could still have been inside it. Hinata also found it easier to believe why Chiyo may have changed as she now found herself in the same position that Shu had been in. That change in the power dynamic between them could have also resulted in the bond between them eroding.

However, there was a connection that Neji had trouble with as he stated, “Still, if Chiyo is seeking allies to help her extract herself out of this marriage, then wouldn’t some of the Rice nobles who seek to ally with her, or La… Hinata, or even yourself Lady Sasame serve such a purpose. I can see why she would be guarded around the Nobles, as if they come to believe the That Daimyo is the true power behind the scenes they could betray her. However, your lack of presence till now, and her seemingly going out of her way to antagonize H…Hinata, would seem to be at a cross purpose to such a goal.”

Neji noticed his cousin happiness at his having dropping the formality with which he had continued to address her. However, his cousin grew somber as she chose to answer, “The nobles would be less than useful I’m afraid. As her being installed as the Daimyo in the first place shows their relative lack of power. Furthermore, it is entirely likely that the Daimyo of the Five Elemental Countries selected her not so much because of her blood connection to the previous Daimyo, but her connection to the That DAimyo. Perhaps they feel that elevating him through his son’s marriage to her, would keep him in line. After all, he seemed relatively content with the coup that he pulled off with a city state like This. So, I can only guess that he sees her elevation to the level of Minor Daimyo is like an investment paying off twice as much later on. So, if the Major Daimyo are at least aware enough to realize how he took advantage of the situation, it is likely that even if she petitioned them to dissolve the marriage agreement, they would refuse.”

Sasame nodded in agreement, before adding, “As to her attitude towards Hinata and I, well I had my suspicions as from the very moment she arrived, she has made it clear that she only begrudgingly tolerates my presence and clearly distrusts me which by extension extends to the Fuma. But, with your arrival and subsequent treatment, I think it is clear that it is due to our shared connection.”

“With Naruto.”

“To Konoha.”

The Fuma clan head smirked as she noted that Hinata’s cousin had been confused by her response, which prompted Hyuuga heiress to turn back to him sounding teasingly indignant, “It is hardly common knowledge that we share his bed Neji.”

“A fact I wish I was still ignorant of Cousin,” Neji replied just under his breath. Although he allowed an amused smile of his own to appear as the two women giggled in enjoyment of his response.

The moment didn’t last, as once more growing serious Hinata asked, “So, if I’m understanding you correctly. You believe she’s learned the truth about who was responsible for the attack the Land of This and believes Konoha is culpable as well.”

Sasame inclined her head, while explaining, “I’m sure at some point she began to wonder who had hired Akatsuki to attack her home. From there, she’d only need to look at who benefited the most from it to likely draw the proper conclusion. Particularly since the mission to extract Shu was undertaken just before, and could only truly be undertaken with the knowledge This was about to be destroyed.”

It was Hinata’s turn to be confused, while Neji had also arrived at the conclusion Sasame was drawing so stated, “What Lady Sasame is saying is that the end result of Naruto’s mission would only have ended poorly for That, unless This isn’t around to protest it. Eventually, Shu’s disappearance would have been discovered, and with his subsequent arrival in his Father’s court, it could have sparked a war between the two City States due to the violation of the treaty between them.”

Although Hinata agreed, she did present what she saw as a potential out by asking, “Couldn’t That just have claim Shu had snuck away, and as This was responsible for his well-being and keeping him there, his ability to sneak away proved they were unable to uphold their end of the treaty?”

Her argument, seemed to give Neji some pause, but Sasame having spent more time pondering the matter had an answer ready as she replied, “Possibly, but then that is still a political matter that has the potential to become violent depending on how hard either city-state pushed it. Plus, while the treaty was rather ancient, and a result of actions undertaken and born of the ambitions from That’s past Daimyos. It was clear to many that the current one was gearing up to follow in his ancestors footstep’s, which is why I think quite a few of their neighbors would demand the treaty remain in effect as well. But, more importantly, you have to remember that technically speaking Naruto failed his mission. He failed to maintain his cover as Shu, and so claiming ignorance of how son got out of the Land of This was no longer an possibility. Which, under normal circumstance could have been potentially devasting for him. But, he removes such a concern if This is conveniently destroyed, and can even claim his son’s survival was just a lucky happenstance.”

Neji though was quick to point out, “But, under that scenario isn’t the concern that Konoha knows the truth. After all, there was a real possibility that Naruto could have died during the attack.”

Sasame shook her head, having already considered the point so countered, “Well, first off. I doubt Konoha would make too big a fuss over this mission going sideways.” Hinata looked somewhat incredulous due to her reply, particularly in relation to the idea Konoha would just accept Naruto’s potential death. Moreover, even Neji had his doubts considering Naruto’s close relationship with Tsunade, even before she had become his lover. But, Sasame persisted as she stated, “Keep in mind, the only task the That Daimyo hired your village to perform was to extract his son. It was Shikamaru’s plan to swap him out with Naruto that left him in danger and could have led to his death.” Seeing that the two Hyuuga saw the truth of her argument, she continued, “Furthermore, while the timing would be considered suspicious if a person was wary enough to begin looking into the attack. Nobody in Konoha even questioned the possibility that the Land of That’s Daimyo was behind it, and it had known that he had ordered the mission to safeguard his son. He used the eating contest as an excuse claiming it would offer the best opportunity to snatch him. It was only because of Naruto’s relationship with Konan that we learned the truth of the matter.”

Neji although accepting of the Fuma’s reasoning asked, “Could not these arguments have also been used to dismiss Chiyo of her suspicions. After all, she was taken in by That’s Daimyo while already possessing the knowledge that he had hired Konoha to take his son back. He could easily argue the same timing that he was taking advantage of could have been why someone else had hired Akatsuki ”

“That’s even assuming that she would bother accusing him,” Hinata stated seeing another reason for Chiyo to have become convinced of her suspicions. “Naruto said that she was quite clever, as she along with a samurai retainer saw right through his performance. I’m sure that everything which we’ve just considered has to her as well. I believe the biggest obstacle she would have to contend with is why the Daimyo would hire us to steal his son, and then use Akatsuki to destroy the Land of This. It would have been far more prudent to just hire one or the other for both tasks. As even though Akatsuki had yet to truly act out against the Shinobi Villages, one would normally assume that neither entity would be particularly pleased to find out that he hired us both and created the possibility of us entering into conflict with one another”

Sasame seeing that Hinata had arrived at the same conclusion as her, stated, “However, considering how Akatsuki and Konoha have apparently put aside their differences, who is to say that wasn’t the case several years previous as well.”

Although, Neji was tempted to point out the rather massive attack its leader would eventually launch on his village should be evidence enough of that not being the case. He quickly came to see how an outsider looking at how Konan, who had been a part of that incarnations of Akatsuki’s leadership structure, but now, was not only in charge of the organization, but had also taken part in Konoha’s defense during such said attack, could then in turn come to believe that alliance likely was in play as far back as when the Land of This was destroyed. As such, it was little wondered that Chiyo would spurn anyone that she saw as being tainted by Konoha or Akatsuki.

“Then is that not all the more reason for us to return home…Hinata,” Neji asked hesitating at the end due to his nearly falling into his old habit.

“No,” Hinata stated firmly allowing a soft and somewhat lascivious smile to appear as she stated, “That is not the case at all dear Cousin. If it is allies that she needs, well I happen to know someone who can offer her all that and more. So, now all I need to figure out is, how best to create the right situation to get us all together in the same place.”

Sasame’s smile mirrored Hinata’s as she suggested, “Yes, preferably somewhere away from all the prying ears within the capital as I imagine things will get rather loud for a time.”

Hinata nodded enthusiastically, as Neji shook his head while wondering whether or not the two kunoichi were actually planning how best to make an offer of alliance to Chiyo, or were busy planning their next tryst with the man they shared. However, he quickly realized that in truth, it was likely either scenario was just as likely to be the end result.

However, before they got too carried away, particularly as he feared soon Hinata and Sasame would work themselves up to the point where they’d disappear into her room and leave him alone to once more fight the temptation born of the ability to peek through walls asked, “Speaking of alliances, into which camp would that maid Soi and her ilk fall.”

It was easy enough to see the distaste that Sasame had for the maid in question, not to mention hear it in her tone as she said, “Well, they would be part of the baggage that followed her from the Land of That, and if I had to guess are meant to keep her from getting any ideas of gaining her independence from That as a result of her new title. Sol isn’t even the worst one either, that honor would belong to the Head Maid she answers to, but she rarely leaves Shu’s side.”

“Which makes it all the more imperative for us to give Chiyo some allies of her own,” Hinata stated firmly before allowing a smirk to appear, “Now, I just need to extend an invitation, preferably someplace with some privacy and where she’d be rather hesitant to call out for her guards.”

Sasame returned the Hyuuga’s smirk before producing a map which she handed over and as Hinata began to unfurl, revealed it to be an ancient map to the palace which contained the hidden passages that Fuma had used to move about unseen. “Luckily, I know the perfect spot for such a meeting,” Sasame said after Hinata laid it on the couch between them while pointing to a passage that led to the Daimyo’s private onsen which was to be accessed and used should the palace ever fall to invaders.

Although, Hinata imagined that accessing it would prove difficult as it was likely well hidden, and perhaps even only accessible when exiting the passage to prevent its usage in the manner she had planned. Yet, she didn’t doubt that she’d succeed as the first obstacle would likely be no match for one in possession of the Byakugan, and as for the second, well she had allies for just such an occasion and hoped that one day she’d be able to count Chiyo among them. Particularly since she believed that they could offer each other the means to solving the problems that were currently facing them.

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

Despite the chill that she had been feeling moments before due to the cool night air, Cyan currently felt as if she was clutching a statue warmed by the sun to herself. One whose tongue hers was currently in the midst of tangling with as they stood on the porch of the mansion that she called home as she reached the conclusion of her date with Naruto. Although, as the kiss on top of warming her up was also stirring up her desire to fully Bind herself to him, Cyan found herself wondering if it was truly nearing the end. However, one thing putting a damper on her succumbing to the desires welling up within her, was the knowledge that her fellow Fracción, Apacci and Mila Rose were likely waiting on the other side of the door in order to resume the argument that they had been engaging in before Naruto had arrived to take her out. Naturally, it hadn’t really improved upon his arrival considering the two women considered him to be inferior and underserving of Tier and by extension themselves due to her having brought them into being with Kiyomi’s help. The argument had attracted the attention of the other house occupants most of whom appeared to be amused by it, although Kukaku had watched from the balcony of the second story with bitter eyes. Just as Tier looked like she was about to intervene by reminding Apacci and Mila that she did not consider herself to be superior to the humans that they now lived among, despite it being the one point of contention where the remaining two-thirds of the Fracción continued to defy her, Cyan decided to end the argument herself by pulling Naruto into a kiss, that had stunned the other two into silence.

Before they had recovered, she had whispered into Naruto’s ear to Hiraishin them away to a seal that she had placed during her travels as a guard for the various shipments watched over by the Great Tree Shipping company. They had appeared in a relatively small city near the Land of Wind’s border with Vegetable, where after giving him a quick tour she had taken him to a restaurant that she had discovered and fallen in love with the cuisine. Particularly, as they served the food to them in their own private room.

The desert locale was why Cyan had opted to wear just a simple white sundress and hat, a choice she had only momentary regretted upon leaving the restaurant to find the temperature had dropped significantly once the sun had set. But, she hadn’t minded as it had only taken a moment for it to have prompted Naruto to pull her close as they traveled to a secluded spot where they could Hiraishin back to Konoha. Which, they had just done, appearing on the porch of the mansion as Naruto often did when dropping off his dates, feeling it best to allow them the opportunity to decide whether to proceed further or not.

Cyan was definitely leaning towards proceeding further, and was even tempted to have Naruto take her right then and there after pinning her up against the door. She nearly giggled at the thought of how her fellow Fracción’s faces would look upon their opening the door likely drawn by the sounds she would fail to suppress and seeing her as a disheveled mess with her legs wrapped tightly around the blond man she was clinging to, making it clear the matter had been truly settled.

However, she became aware of raised shouts coming from the other side of the door, which caused her to break the kiss as she looked back at it. She looked back towards Naruto, who was wearing a look of concern so she took his hand as she led him inside, where they found themselves staring at Mito’s back as she was barring the path of Yoruichi, Tier, and Nel. While Mira stood off to one side, as Mila Rose and Apacci were now staring down from the top the stairs leading to the second floor, although she noticed a section of the banister was missing, with its rubble being strewn about the foyer.

“Get out of our way Mito,” Yoruichi said angrily, “I’m not letting that piece of shit take advantage of her current state.”

“What’s going on?” Naruto asked stepping forward while still holding Cyan’s hand, and noticed a massive hole in the wall.

Mito looking exasperated, explained, “After you left, Kukaku called up the man that she had been seeing. Apparently, she got a response, and so made herself presentable. But, as she tried to leave, Yoruichi blocked her path with the usual destructive results. I’m merely trying to make them see reason that she doesn’t want their help.”

“Would you be blocking our path, if the one who needed it was your granddaughter when she was at her lowest,” Tier asked stepping forward as she held an arm out as if to hold Yoruichi back who looked ready to charge.

“I would if helping her meant I would get blasted through a wall,” Mito said causing Tier to relent some.

However, Yoruichi whose ruffled state looked as if she was the one that had made the hole leading into the dining room said, “Then maybe your commitment to your granddaughter isn’t as great as ours.”

“Or, perhaps you’re overcompensating for having abandoned one sibling in her time of need,” Mito countered causing the gathered Bijuu to look guilty for a moment as she mentioned their saving themselves when the ancestors of the Uchiha had once targeted Kiyomi.

“That’s enough,” Naruto said loudly causing those gathered to all shift their focus to him.

Mito however refused to be bowed as she turned towards him saying, “Naruto, I can understand their desire. But, look around you, what happens if she reacts just as poorly or worse out there in the village? Are they really okay with causing a ruckus that could easily jeopardize our lives here depending on how far she is willing to escalate things?”

Naruto could see that Mito’s concerns hadn’t really occurred to the Bijuu, outside of Mira which he felt may have explained her distance from the others. Not to mention, Kukaku had been the one who had picked on her original slug body the most before her taking on human form so she perhaps felt less inclined to risk her new life on her sister’s behalf. He frowned as he looked around the room which showed signs of the brief but intense fight that had taken place, and imagined the only reason Kukaku had managed to leave was because she had surprised Yoruichi with how intensely she would push matters. Which made him rather curious as to why Kiyomi was not present, since she was the only Bijuu still in the village who wasn’t.

However, he let the matter drop since while he had come to accept that he couldn’t help people who refused to change course from the destructive paths that they were on. He also knew Yoruichi had been the most concerned about her sister’s relationship with the man named Sannomiya, as he had been giving Kukaku the cold shoulder for weeks leading up the Battle of Ame. As such, with his sudden reversal, Naruto understood why Yoruichi was so adamant about preventing Kukaku from seeing him, although it was clear by the state of the foyer that her sister had rejected those concerns.

He looked back at Cyan with what must have been a question gaze, as she seemed pleased by the consideration before nodding as she kissed his cheek stating, “I understand. Thank you for the wonderful evening.” She then proceeded up the stairs, past her stunned fellows not particularly interested in how the rest of the drama played out as her part came to an end.

Naruto felt buoyed by the response so said, “I’ll go have a talk with her.”

Even Yoruichi looked a little incredulous by his statement, with Mito pointing out, “Naruto, she hasn’t exactly been any less prone to lashing out when you’ve tried to speak with her.”

“True,” Naruto stated with a shrug, “But, fortunately there’s an identity that I can fall back on who would only benefit should a little hell break loose. Besides, even though you can’t really help those who are not ready to accept it, that isn’t a reason to allow them to smash themselves into a wall if you can stop it.” He could tell his words deeply pleased the Bijuu present, as even Mito looked content with his answer so focusing on Yoruichi and those grouped behind her, he said, “Go find her for me while I get ready.” Receiving a curt nod, he quickly Hiraishined away in order to put the proper pieces into place.

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

“W…what did you say?” Kukaku asked feeling stunned as if she had been punched in the heart.

Sannonmiya had a contemptuous smirk on his lips as he sat facing her while on the stool of the bar that he had invited her with his cock out, for all those present to see. Having it gripped by the base, he shook it like it was treat as he repeated, “I said, I want you to get on your knees and suck my cock. Why else did you think I accepted your invitation to meet tonight?” Looking at the gathered men, he said, “I mean honestly, didn’t you get the hint when I stopped responding to your calls that I had grown tired of you, and that was even before you became so diminished.” Kukaku’s hand moved towards the stump of her missing arm which she had wrapped in bandages as tears began gathering in her eyes. Each word was like a blow as Sannomiya continued, “You used to strut around here like you were better than everyone around you. Hell, look around, and I’m sure you’ll recognize more than a few individuals who you gave a taste to only to cut them off. But, look at you now, just another whore who’s thirsty for my cock. Isn’t that what you called me for? So, why beat around the bush, maybe if you do a good enough job, I’ll take you back and fill that hole residing within you.”

Kukaku slipped off of the stool, while telling herself this was exactly what she deserved due to her pride having led here there and her final rejection of her sister who had tried to warn her. Yet, before she could slip to her knees, she heard the front door of the bar open. She felt deeply mortified as despite the black hair, and red eyes he now sported saw Naruto had joined them. Despite how he was dressed up earlier, currently he was wearing an open fur coat which exposed that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and dark pants. For a moment, she wondered if he was there simply to witness her abandonment of her pride, but was caught off guard as he said sounding confused, “Hey man, do you know that your cock is hanging out?”

Sannomiya looked annoyed towards one of the men closest to Naruto as he said, “I thought I told you to lock the door.”

The man responded with a shrug indicating that he had, which Naruto ignored as he stepped further into the bar stating, “Well you see, here’s the thing, I was wandering around town figuring that with the upcoming exams I could have a good time while causing some trouble for a certain Uzumaki.” Indicating his face, he said, “You might see a bit of a resemblance. Well anyhow, my travels have brought me here, where seeing a bunch of men gathered around a bar, with a locked door preventing my own entry. Whelp, It piqued my curiosity and having now caught sight of what you were all interested in. I can certainly understand the interest.” Naruto having worked his way through the crowd as he spoke to stand in front of a booth directly across from Kukaku and Sannomiya picked up a glass ashtray from the table which he was causal tossing and catching as he added, “My dear, you are simply stunning. How about you and I go someplace where we can talk and I can let you know just how special you truly are?”

“There’s nothing special about this wh…”

Kukaku felt buoyed by Naruto’s words, but was quickly deflated as Sannomiya began to talk which remind her that he was likely only there on her sisters’ behalf. However, she was stunned as Sannomiya suddenly stopped speaking due to the ashtray that suddenly shattered against his skull. He looked stunned for a moment, before slumping bonelessly from the stool as everyone’s’ gaze turned slowly from him to the disguised Naruto who wore a genuinely angry expression which his tone mirrored as he stated, “That’s no way to refer to a lady.” She watched as the Uzumaki straightened up from his throw, and looked around while taking stock of the men that she imagined Sannomiya had invited to aid him in his degradation of her. Able to sense the anger building in the group due to it looking like they were not about to have the fun that they were promised Naruto said, “Okay, we can do this the easy way or…”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as one of the men surrounding him lashed out with an attempted sucker punch only to have his arm caught and be tossed bodily into a bunch of his fellows at which point the rest of the crowd surged forward to get a piece of him.

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

Yoruichi was pacing back and forth on the edge of the building overlooking the bar that her investigation into Sannomiya had revealed him to be the owner of. Tier was standing nearby, with her arms crossed across her midriff while Nel was watching her with concern that she was on the verge of charging into the building as well. Perhaps, to prevent it, her green-haired sister placed a calming hand on her shoulder causing her to stop as she stated, “Don’t worry. I’m sure Naruto will be able to calm the situation down, and get her to see reason.”

While she wanted to believe Nel was correct, the sting of her cheek where Kukaku had backhanded her after she had confronted her as she had left her room after putting on a dress, made her less confident that would prove to be the case. Particularly as the blow had been strong enough to send her smashing through the stone railing of the double stairs in the foyer. Which Kukaku had leapt from landing just ahead of her, only to not even look back as Yoruichi had then leapt to tackle her only to be hit with a chakra blast that carried her through the wall into the dinning room as her sister had stepped out of the mansion.

Although, angry at Kukaku, it paled in comparison to the concern that she felt for her as she believe it was seeing another woman on the verge of Binding herself to Naruto which ultimately might have convinced her sister to give away the pride that she carried and had been so grievously wounded during the Battle of Ame. Especially as the selfsame pride was also causing her to deny the one that Yoruichi believed would help heal her, simply because she couldn’t accept that she was wrong to reject the one her far more content siblings had given themselves to. The concern she felt spiked up several notches as a body flew through the glass window of the bar. Yet, as it wasn’t Naruto who quickly rose up to his feet to take off in a panicked run into the village as several onlookers turned towards him, she began to feel that although the first half of Nel’s statement might not be the case, there was still hope for the second.

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

“I’m sorry,” stated the man kneeling at Naruto’s feet while he squeezed his hand around the fist that he had just tried to hit him with.

Feeling the man’s bones grinding together due to the strength he was using Naruto felt it was only a natural statement to make, which is why he responded back by saying, “Of course you are.” Before sending a punch down into the man’s jaw which rendered him unconscious. Letting go of the man’s fist, he joined the rest of his fellows in laying in a heap around his feet as he sent a look towards Kukaku, who outside of moving to avoid the occasion airborne body heading her way, still remained standing by the bar.

He grimaced slightly as he had taken a few blows that he could have likely avoid had he been fighting normally, but with there having been quite a few shinobi mixed among the men gathered by Sannomiya, he hadn’t want to reveal himself through his usual fighting style. Naruto moved around to the opposite side of the bar, stepping over a few of the bodies that he had sent flying over it to stand across from Kukaku whom he asked, “How about a drink?”

He didn’t wait for an answer as he used cloth napkin to pick up a pair of glasses, and then used it to lift up one of the few unshattered bottles from behind him as he didn’t want to leave any fingerprints behind since in the rush he hadn’t been able to apply the false ones he used as Menma. Removing the cork, he poured a shot into each glass. Tossing his head back so that the liquid leapt from the glass leapt into his mouth, he slammed the glass down at which point Kukaku asked, “What do you want?”

Naruto tossed the napkin he had been using to hold the glass into the sink before replying, “To talk.”

“Why now?”

Naruto chuckled, causing her to glare at him which prompted him to hold up his hands defensively as he replied, “Maybe because this has been the longest you’ve let me be in your presence without needing to dodge incoming projectiles since coming back from Ame.” Kukaku looked away from him, the tears returning to her eyes but were quickly replaced by surprise followed by doubt as he stated, “I meant what I said, you truly are special.”

“You don’t mean that,” Kukaku quickly fired back, “You’ve hated me ever since I’ve refused to give myself to you.”

“That’s your pride talking,” Naruto replied calmly with a shrug, although unsure if they should continue the conversation since some of the men began groaning indicating they were coming to. “Truthfully, as long as you were happy. It didn’t matter if it was with me or not.”

“Then why interfere now?” Kukaku inquired angrily, “I could have been happy…”

Naruto gave her a knowing smile as she didn’t finish her statement while she looked down at the unconscious man that she believed to be capable of granting her that happiness. Her gaze drifted back towards him as Naruto said, “I’m here now because your family is worried about you. Besides, we both know you could never truly be happy if you needed to abandon your pride.”

Kukaku sounding small, asked, “Isn’t that what you’re asking me to abandon as well.”

“Never,” Naruto stated definitively, “Pride like any feeling, in and of itself is neither good or bad. It is what those feelings spur us to do which can present issues to those around us. It’s true, I felt the pride you had in yourself caused you to act dismissively towards the wellbeing of others, especially during the defense of the village. But, I didn’t forget that you lent us your aid when you didn’t need to either.”

“Only because I was goaded into it,” Kukaku stated, recalling Tier’s provocation that had caused her to agree.

Naruto inclined his head, stating, “True, but that was because she struck at your pride in your abilities.” Kukaku looked down disappointedly, but felt a warmth caress her cheek as Naruto urged her to meet his eyes, as he added, “I know the truth about you, Kukaku and that same pride is why you nobly bear the injuries that you received during Ame. It has to be especially hard knowing that you could simply erase the scars of the mistakes you’ve made, but you continue to bear them regardless. Which is why I would never wish to see you abandon it completely, only for you to use it to motivate you to more constructive means.”

A gut wrenching sob escaped from Kukaku causing Naruto to propel himself over the bar as he pulled the woman tight against him. The warmth of his chest prompting her to wrap her arms around him to banish the chill she felt only partially being due to the smashed window. “But, I’m a monster,” Kukaku cried into chest, “The woman who took my arm showed me as much. I took everything from her, including hers and I didn’t even know her name. That’s why I haven’t grown it back, so I don’t forget what I am.”

Naruto held her tightly, but after a moment tilted her face up towards his once more as he told her, “Perhaps you were.” She looked pained as she took his words as confirmation, but he shook his head as he continued, “But, I know that isn’t the case now. A monster wouldn’t feel as you do. A monster wouldn’t be willing bear the reminder of their mistakes. But, even if you were still one today, the question is what will you choose to be tomorrow.”

Kukaku was losing herself in the sincere affection contained in his eyes despite the red contacts that he wore but just as she was about to make a choice in regards to with whom she wanted to be with tomorrow, a male sounding voice called out to them, “Hey you two, we need to get out of here. The Anbu are coming.”

Naruto looked away to see Yoruichi in her cat form darting across the floor as a bunch of onlookers were staring at them from the shattered window. Naruto followed after Yoruichi while pulling Kukaku behind him, where he found that the back door had a chain wrapped around it with a lock holding it in place so kicked it open only to find several Anbu waiting in the alley. Naruto acting quickly pulled several smoke pellets from his jacket and tossed them into the alley peppering the area with smoke, but rather then following after Yoruichi who darted into it. He created a pair of clones which were henged as him and Kukaku which darted back the opposite way into the front of the bar and out through the gathered crowd of onlookers. While he pulled Kukaku close to him as he pulled them into the nearby bathroom before both of them disappeared in a red flash.

Yoruichi looked behind her as she emerged from the smoke and as neither Naruto or Kukaku had followed her thought, “Son of a…” But, she kept on running figuring that she’d catch up to them sooner or later.

********************************************************
They reappeared in the safehouse that Koharu had established, and the Family had maintained with Naruto using it most often to bring his dates there when looking for some additional privacy. Figuring that was what Kukaku needed at the moment, he stepped away as he said, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to become myself once more.” It didn’t take as long as it had to prepare, since upon entering the bathroom he simply removed the contacts from his eyes, and added the agent to his hair which caused the dark dye to easily wash out. Returning to the living room minus the coat he had been wearing, he was drying his hair as he approached while stating, “There now that’s b…better.” Stuttering at the end, as a result of his lowering the towel only to be greeted to the sight of Kukaku standing naked before him as her dress lay pooled at her feet.

Naruto tossed it to the side as he recovered from his surprise and continued to approach until just a few inches separated them. Staring into her green eyes, he was about to ask if she was sure this was what she wanted, but received an answer in the form of her wrapping her arm around his neck as she pulled herself into a kiss. One that Naruto eagerly returned even as he hunched over to scoop her up into his arms and began carrying her to the bedroom. Laying her down on the bed, he straightened and undid his belt before opening his pants and quickly discarding them. Unlike the cock that had been presented to her earlier, Kukaku found herself salivating to taste this one which she showed as she quickly scrambled to her knees before him and bent over to swallow half of his length.

Naruto groaned as Kukaku began bobbing on his cock, and began gagging as she tried to take him deeper and deeper each time. He buried his hand in her messy dark hair as he leaned back to enjoy the feeling of her mouth wrapped around his dick. But, he soon felt a desire of his own to taste her, so pulled himself free of her lips before flipping her onto her back. He then presented his dick to her once more, which she eagerly gobbled down as he leaned forward to return the favor. Kukaku moaned into his cock, which sent shivers running up his spine while his tongue explored her budding flower which was producing more and more of its nectar for him to enjoy.

Naruto’s tongue expertly drove her closer and closer to release, which as he was nearing as well prompted him to suddenly straighten as he pulled away from her. Kukaku tongue darted out trying to keep in contact with his cock, but before she could complain she found herself spun around to face him. She moaned as Naruto rubbed his dick against her opening, before asking “Are you ready to be mine?”

“YeSSSSSSSS!” Kukaku answered which turned into a cry of release as Naruto plunged himself into her. He then pulled her up from the bed, and after bouncing her up and down on his cock for several minutes turned around to sit on the edge, and wrapping his arms around her stomach sucked hungrily on one of her large tits as she planted her feet on the bed to take over the task of sliding herself up ad down the flesh rod impaling her.

Kukaku clutched his head to her chest as she moaned contently, loving the feeling of his arms being wrapped tightly around her aiding her movements and providing just the additional amount of additional force to crush her womb pleasantly as she bottomed out on the bijuu tamer he wielded. She shivered as Naruto’s mouth switched to her other tit, and even in her pleasure drunken state could only berate herself for taking so long to succumb to her desire, particularly since Kiyomi had shown her exactly what giving herself to Naruto would have entailed. Still, understanding her regrets couldn’t change the past, resolved to make up for lost time in the present and future as she redoubled her efforts to coax the seed from his balls which would truly bind her to him.

Naruto groaned at her renewed eagerness, and so stood as he used the arms wrapped around her waist to steady her as he began rapidly pistoning his hips into her. Kukaku cried out with each jab of his cock as she wrapped her legs behind his back while urging him on, “Yes! That it pound my pussy. Gods, you’re stretching me out so much, Hurry…give me your cum… hurry…I need it inside me.”

“Fuck!” Naruto growled as he felt the stirring in his balls before shouting, “Take it all!” He then pulled her forcefully down on his cock, driving it firmly up against her convulsing womb as he began filling it to the brim with his seed. Kukaku’s world exploded into a blinding light as she felt the missing part within her finally find its match, although it did little to sate her thirst. Which she demonstrated as Naruto moved to set her on the bed, but she wrapped her legs tightly around him while pulling his lips to hers. She moaned softly as they kissed, due to Naruto’s rod slowly stirring her insides, but it was temporarily forgotten as a manly voice said, “Now, isn’t this quite the sight to behold, and here I was worried you two were still dodging the Anbu.”

Kukaku’s head tilted back to see Yoruichi still in her cat form, sitting on the other side of the bed. But, then smoke began enveloping her which as it dissipated revealed her naked form as she had needed to leave her clothes with Tier and Nel in order to warn the two of the approaching Anbu.

Naruto had raised up allowing Kukaku to roll over and up to her knees as she began to say, “Yoruichi, I’m so…”

Yoruichi closed with her fellow Bijuu as she knelt before her while placing a finger against her lips as she stated, “There’s no need for past regrets between us now sister.” Sliding the finger from her lips down her neck and through the valley of her breasts she continued, “Especially as we have so much to look forward too.” Her hand reached its destination, where she cupped her sister’s pussy before spreading it to their shared lovers’ gaze, who taking the hint slid himself back into the kneeling Bijuu. Kukaku’s face slackened as she grew drunk on pleasure from the dick sliding within her, causing Yoruichi to state, “That’s a beautiful face you’re making sister.” She raised the hand up that she had cupped Kukaku’s pussy with up between them showing her how it was covered in the cum and juices leaking from her. She then pushed her fingers into her sister’s mouth, while she began fondling her tit with her other hand while stating, “Now hurry up and cum on that big cock so I can have a turn.” Kukaku simply moaned in agreement as her tongue cleaned her sister’s digits of their lover’s seed while looking forward to all the pleasure the dawning new day would bring.

Next Chapter: The Chunin Exams Part Deux!: Let the First Test Begin!

Author’s Note: Happy 2023 everyone! Hoping to start the New Year out right, I worked pretty hard to get this one out early especially as it comes in at around 39,000 words. So, I hope it lives up to my previous chapters, and proves to have been worth the wait. Also, again let me thank all of you who read and review it. Your thoughts and opinions really make my day, and provide the motivation to keep going.

With that said, there were still a few scenes that I wanted to add to this chapter, which will serve as setups for plot points to the coming arcs. But, I think we should be able to finally reach the actual exams themselves by the close of the next chapter. If not, I’ll probably retitle it to be contained in this setup arc. With the current title being use for the following one However, I felt this was the appropriate place to end the chapter considering the conclusion reached for Kukaku.

So, what does the new year bring for Eroninja? In terms of the main story, it will probably be my focus for year. Although, I plan to write a Limelight chapter focusing on Shiho to give more details on her encounter with Yurika and how it spurs her on. I’ll probably also release an updated chakra color list at the end of the next chapter. I wanted to for this one, but well ran out of time. There will likely be an Antithesis chapter coming out at some point during the Chunin Exam arc as well.

The Poll featuring the possible replacements for Mabui is currently up and active on my Deviantart page. The answer will be revealed in the next chapter, so I’m going to leave it up until the end of January at least. Unless, I really crank through the next chapter, so if you want to vote now is the time.

Also, I plan to start a Patreon although it will probably not be until the beginning of 2024. I’m hoping things begin to turn around ecnonmically before doing so. Furthermore, to provide some additional content to make it worth your while I’ll probably be starting a new side story. I’ll work on it here and there throughout the year, and it will be based on the interviews that Suzume wants to conduct. As several people have asked for some kind of review chapter or something. I feel this will serve that purpose as it will touch on all the plot points of the kunoichi in question. For example, the first chapter would probably focus on Ino touching on her major plot points and her feelings throughout the major story events. Each subsequent chapter then will proceed in the order that each woman joined the harem. I’ll want to get a few of them written and in the can, since I’ll want to insure a steady stream of content to justify a Patreon. I might release them a few months after they come out, but we’ll cross the bridge when we come to it. I’ll also probably release the newest chapters for my stories there first, but that would probably only be a week or two early. I also plan to start a discord at some point towards the years end, so Patreons can get additional access to me. But, again that will probably not be until the end of the year.

So, with all of 2023 to look forward to. Let me wish you all the best, and again thank you for the taking the time to read my stories. So, until next time, Take Care! Sincerely, the Lemon Sage.