4,559Their second morning at the royal castle wasn't very eventful, mostly due to the fact that Iris had her lessons with Rain that would apparently last until the evening.
In spite of that, Kazuma had woken up bright and early to invite the princess out to play.
"...Hey, I don't think you should interrupt Rain's lesson. Why don't we go out and explore the city while we wait for Iris. This is our first time visiting the capital and I wanna explore."
Naruto suggested as he followed his friend down the halls. While he was beginning to get a little more comfortable staying in this exalted place, the idea of interrupting the princess's lesson was a little…
"When did you get so familiar with Rain-san that you dropped the honorifics? Although, I guess you've always had that delinquent side of you. Anyways, as her Highness's official playmate, it is my sworn duty to play with her. Lessons be damned. Why don't you go and stir up some trouble with the local gangs or something."
Kazuma responded while waving his hand at the blonde dismissively.
"I'm not a delinquent! In fact, I've been better behaved than you since we got here! You know, you've been acting pretty weird this entire time… Even weirder than usual. Also, why do I get the feeling you're trying to get rid of me?"
Naruto replied with a twitching eyebrow. If he didn't have an image to uphold in this castle, he would have drop-kicked this guy into oblivion for all that smack talk.
"You must be imagining things. Ah, I think this is the room."
Kazuma said and pressed his ear against the door to listen in.
Letting out a sigh, Naruto stood back and watched from a distance. Although he'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious as to what kind of lessons Rain was teaching Princess Iris.
"A-ah… Good morning, Naruto-dono…"
The shinobi turned to find Claire waving at him, but her movements were sluggish and her smile strained. Perhaps she had just woken up?
"Good morning, Claire-san. Are you feeling alright?"
"Y-yes… Please don't mind me. I'm just a tad sore from our training session yesterday. Never have my muscles experienced such a workout."
Claire admitted rather sheepishly while rubbing her shoulder.
"I see… I apologize if my methods were too harsh. Perhaps you should take it easy today. I promise to keep an eye on my friend in your stead."
Although that training wasn't even half of his normal difficulty… Truth be told, he was sort of using Claire as a test subject for his eventual training sessions with Kazuma. But if this high leveled warrior was left in such a state, he could only imagine what it would do to Kazuma.
Not to call his friend weak or anything. It was just… Kazuma didn't exactly have high physical stats.
"N-no! I should be feeling better after a session with the royal masseuse! They are quite gifted at promoting muscle recovery with the Massage skill!"
Massage skill? Promoted muscle recovery? That sounded promising.
"Could I possibly join you? I have yet to experience such a skill."
"Of course! Just let me tie off with Rain and we can be on our way!"
Claire said and very shakily made her way over to the door where Kazuma was no longer standing.
Just what was that guy doing?
As soon as the female knight opened the door, they heard shouting from outside.
Rain ran over to the window and swung it open.
"Kazuma-sama! Please stop distracting her Highness and go play somewhere else!"
Honestly, just what was that guy doing?
After a visit with the masseuse, and a follow-up attempt with the Priests that ended just as terribly as last time, Naruto and Claire made their way back to the courtyard.
"I almost forgot that Naruto-dono held the Adventurer's class… After sparring with you twice, and watching you battle the other night with the Demon King's army… I may just have to reassess my opinion on that job class."
"Well, I do have fighting experience prior to becoming an adventurer here in Belzerg. Not to mention Kurama, my other nine-tailed fox companion."
Naruto chuckled while patting his gut, and the noblewoman's face paled a little.
"Have you been using this Kurama's power?"
"Ah, no. His power is a little too destructive to use on a whim. I didn't want to scare you all… But I can introduce you two if you wish?"
"M-maybe… But I'm sure the princess would love to hear your stories. I myself am quite curious as to where such an incredible man originated from."
Claire said with a smile, but the shinobi seemed apprehensive.
"I don't know… I somehow get the feeling her highness prefers Kazuma's stories. I am not too sure she even likes me, if I am being honest."
Even during their short match that they played the day before, Naruto and Iris hadn't spoken much. The princess was polite, and very well spoken. But there was a level of distance between them that he just couldn't shake.
It almost felt like she was watching what she was saying in front of him, much like he was with her and the other nobles.
Naruto was beginning to wonder if Iris was scared of him, and that thought made him feel a little lonely.
"Nonsense! I guarantee that her highness will enjoy every minute of your stories!"
Claire insisted with a slightly raised voice.
Naruto appreciated the woman's supportive words, but where was this enthusiasm coming from?
They entered the courtyard where they found Kazuma and Iris bickering over what appeared to be a… toy?
"Onii-sama is a liar! That match just now didn't count!"
"Oh? What about it? If I face an opponent I'm no match for, of course I'll use such tactics to win. A win is a win, after all. Today is my tactical victory. Not admitting your loss just now, your Highness is so hard to please!"
Seeing the child-like behavior between the actual child and Kazuma was certainly a sight to behold. But somehow, Naruto wasn't even surprised.
"Now now, you two… Why don't we calm down and go have dinner? Claire, dinner will be served in a short while, will it not?"
Attempting to play mediator, Naruto made a rational suggestion as he walked towards the fuming duo.
Iris took one look at the shinobi before she grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the castle.
"I don't want to have dinner with onii-sama! I only want eat with Naruto-sama tonight!"
"E-eh…?"
Naruto looked between Kazuma and Claire, but the former just looked away in a huff, while the latter seemed to be just as baffled as he was.
Naruto and Iris sat across from each other in her room that was located somewhere on the top floor of the castle. It was a grand, yet very well kept space.
It turned out they still had another hour before dinner would be served.
Not much had been said as they drank their tea. Not even Claire was in the room with them to spur the conversation, which was both nice to know that the guard seemed to trust him enough to respect Iris's wishes to be alone.
But at the same time, it was also very unsettling being alone with the highest ranking person in the castle.
'I know Claire said the princess would like to hear my stories, but…'
Naruto thought as he silently strummed his fingers on the edge of his side of the table, having barely touched his food.
…This was really awkward.
"S-so… Princess Iris. What were you and Kazuma arguing about earlier? Did he do something to upset you?"
"Oni-er-Kazuma-sama did not play fair in our game and it upset me. I am sorry for displaying such childish behaviors, Naruto-sama."
Iris apologized in a formal fashion, causing the shinobi to wince slightly.
There it was again… She had reverted back to that professional tone while in front of him. If he didn't say something now, he feared nothing would ever change.
Deciding to take a long shot, Naruto strained a smile.
"Princess… Do I… Scare you?"
"...!"
Iris's eyes widened, prompting Naruto's face to fall. While he hadn't known the princess for very long, he found that this stung for some reason.
Maybe it was because of the memories that had resurfaced after seeing the fear in Rain and the Priest's eyes yesterday, but even that paled in comparison to this.
"N-no! You're wrong! I-I'm sorry, Naruto-sama… You just remind me so much of my older brother who has become so distant to me in recent years, I just…"
Iris trailed off while gripping her dress tightly, her eyes reflecting that same loneliness from before.
Oh. So that's how it was.
"Pfft…!"
Naruto snorted, garnishing a strange look from the princess. But he must have been making a funny face, as her lips cracked into a smile of her own until they both burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! A-ah! Wait wait wait! Just to be clear, is it alright if I talk like a normal person if it's just the two of us?"
"Yes! I would very much love that! Please, just call me Iris!"
Iris said with a marvelous smile befitting that of someone her age.
What a joke. To think he'd been overthinking their interactions this entire time!
Of course this child wanted to be treated like a normal person when the grownups weren't around!
Naruto let out a long sigh and slumped into his chair.
"I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to be able to relax…! Don't get me wrong, I think Claire is great! She really cares about you, ya know? But talking like I have a stick up my butt gets so tiring, ya know!?"
It was like a floodgate had been released as the shinobi complained, and it seemed his new speech pattern was the funniest thing in the world as Iris bent over with laughter.
"To think Darkness was so worked up over this! That fancy lady business really doesn't suit her, ya know? Ah, but I guess you call her Lalatina. If you saw how that girl was during adventures, you'd understand just how funny her real name is to us!"
"Onii-sama was telling me about Lalatina's antics! Is it true that she behaves in such bizarre ways!? What has Lalatina done in front of you, Naruto-nii?"
Naruto-nii? That reminded him of Konohamaru, who was kind of like a little brother to him. Naruto decided he liked it.
"Oh, don't get me started with Lalatina and her ways. She is always the first to dive into the action, which I totally understand. Fighting is fun! But sometimes she'll initiate by throwing her weapon at the enemy while saying 'Oh no! My hand slipped'! Hand slipped my ass!"
The shinobi barked, and Iris was laughing so hard there were actual tears in her eyes.
But he didn't stop there, because he was on a roll!
"Just the other day, I finally met Alderp for the first time at a restaurant… What is with that guy!? He was leering at Lalatina like a piece of steak, and he even ate ten bowls of ramen just by himself!"
"I-I do not know what ramen is, but I always secretly thought that man looked like a sweaty balloon!"
Iris chortled, causing Naruto to howl with laughter which only seemed to add more fuel to the girl's laughing fit.
They were at it for so long, their sides began to ache and they were forced to stop to catch their breath.
In that moment of silence, there was a sudden light knocking on the door to which a servant poked their head inside looking rather troubled.
"D-dinner will be ready shortly, Your Highness."
The man nervously said before closing the door.
Naruto and Iris looked at each other.
"Do you think he heard us?"
"Definitely."
. . .
"Hahahaha!"
For some reason, the thought of the servant overhearing their conversation reignited their laughter.
"-and so we went on a mission to capture a rogue ninja who'd been causing trouble in a nearby village. I was all fired up, ready to show off! But of course, Sasuke just had to give me that 'I'm-better-than-you' look. We ended up stuck in this forest, tracking the guy for what felt like hours. The bushes nearby began to rustle… I thought we had him cornered, so I leaped out yelling, 'Gotcha!'... only to realize I'd tackled a wild boar. Yeah, not my finest moment. Sasuke didn't even try to hide his smirk, though he pretended to look busy sharpening kunai."
Naruto went on telling his story as he and Iris ate dinner in her room(by her request). He told her about when he'd become a genin, Team Seven, and was now in the middle of telling her about one of his early missions.
"Fufufu…! It sounds like you were very goofy as a kid! But to think Naruto-nii used to be so clumsy…"
Iris noted teasingly while stifling her laughter.
"Ha ha, very funny. But yeah, I was a real screw-up when I was a kid. I was dead last at everything we did… Funny, I never once beat Sasuke in the end."
Naruto smiled wistfully as he thought back to his old rivalry. It hadn't even been a year since his reincarnation, and yet his time in the Elemental Nations seemed so long ago.
"Have you ever thought of going back to your old country? So you can have a rematch with your old comrade?"
Iris asked, feeling a twinge of frustration on Naruto's behalf. Because she couldn't imagine this man losing to anyone, much less this Sasuke fellow.
"Sometimes… But I can't go back for certain reasons. Don't worry though, Iris. If Sasuke and I were to fight again, I'd win for sure! You better believe it!"
Naruto flashed a foxy grin, and the princess smiled back.
Iris thought it was funny how stiff their interactions had been just an hour ago. But this man was just as easy to talk to as Kazuma, and his stories were just as fun!
To think there was a country out there that taught children how to be ninjas, who she learned were warriors that fought from the shadows! Was there a job class like that? Or would they just classify as a Thief?
There was so much she didn't know and wanted to learn!
"You know… This food is good, but all this talk about my old home is really making me crave some ramen."
Naruto suddenly said while rubbing his chin, and Iris noted the flash of mischief in his blue eyes.
"You must tell me what this food is! This is now the third time that you mentioned it!"
Iris fiercely said, her cheeks puffing out in a way that could only be described as adorable. Was he doing it on purpose? It must be so!
"Hehe… You're really curious, huh?"
Naruto teased, and the little girl eagerly nodded her head.
"I guess it can't be helped… It is the Food of the Gods, after all. But I warn you… One bite will have you hooked! One of my friends back in Axel became so obsessed with it, she suffered from Ramen Withdrawal Syndrome for an entire week that I was gone!"
"I want to try it! Please let me try it!"
Undeterred by his mysterious warnings, Iris stood on her chair while making such demands.
"Very well! Lead me to the kitchen and I'll whip us up a bowl of the finest food my home country has to offer!"
Naruto declared, and the two marched towards the door.
"This is… Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
Iris gushed as she continuously slurped up her noodles with no signs of stopping.
"T-to think Naruto-dono even wields a maxed out Cooking skill…"
Claire gulped as she watched the princess eat with a hunger that she'd never seen before.
The royal capital was home to some of the greatest chefs in the world, but just taste testing Iris's food alone was enough to make her want an entire bowl for herself.
…Was it too late to ask for some?
"Your praise is too kind, Your Highness."
Naruto said with a bow, now back to his proper etiquette. Claire had met them halfway through their journey to the kitchen and insisted on being present. Which was fair.
While he'd gained their trust to an extent, Claire still had a job to do, and Naruto would respect that.
"Claire-san, have you eaten? I could prepare a bowl for you if you'd like?"
"Ah, well, I did eat… and I wouldn't want to trouble you during your meal…"
The Symphonia heiress said in a regretful tone.
"Nonsense! I will have a bowl prepared for you in a few minutes. Please, have a seat."
Naruto crossed his fingers, and a couple of Shadow Clones appeared in a collective plume of smoke. With a solute, the doppelgangers disappeared into the kitchen that was just around the corner.
'With such versatile abilities, this man could not only take on an army, but also serve one with top notch quality…!'
Claire thought as she sat down next to Iris, her wide eyes glued to the wondrous adventurer. Where did this man come from, and how did such a man fly under the kingdom's radar for so long?
Just as the shinobi promised, only a few minutes had passed as a clone returned with a platter that contained the mysterious foreign dish.
Claire was about to take her first bite when Kazuma suddenly burst into the dining hall.
"Ah! So this is where you were! I should have known you would try and seduce the princess with your cooking!"
"S-seduced!? K-Kazuma, my friend… Please choose your words carefully in front of Claire-san. We wouldn't want any misunderstandings to occur…!"
Naruto hissed through gritted teeth, but Claire simply sent Kazuma a flat stare.
"Not to worry, Naruto-dono. I have come to learn that this man spouts nothing but rubbish. Honestly… I don't know what the princess sees in that fellow… We should just have Rain send him home."
'This bitch…!'
Kazuma gnashed his teeth when his eyes fell on the bowl of ramen sitting in front of the female knight. His lips then curled into a devious smile, but it was only for a moment as he took on a mock-worried expression.
"That man's ramen may be delicious, but are you sure you want to eat it? You see, it's considered junk food back in my home country. If you eat too much of it, you'll gain weight. Iris should be fine since she's just a kid, but…"
"I-is that so…?"
Claire's hand subconsciously fell to her stomach. After all of the training she'd done the day before, she should be fine to eat something a little heavier just this once… Right?
"This again? What are you talking about? I eat ramen all of the time and I haven't gained any weight? Also, Wiz-"
Naruto started, but Kazuma put his hand up to cut him off.
"You don't gain weight because you're a monster. Also, we both know why Wiz hasn't gained any weight. The only other sustenance that pitiful shopkeeper consumes is bread crumbs. My party members on the other hand… Well, I've noticed after her baths, out of pure coincidence, mind you, that Lalatina has been putting on a little more weight. In fact, her six pack has almost completely disappeared since Naruto moved in with us."
The former NEET explained with a nod, his hands making a poof gesture.
Naruto was at a complete loss. Seriously… He wished he knew what was going through that guy's head.
'Ah, I get it now.'
Naruto thought when it suddenly clicked.
It all made sense now. The reason behind Kazuma's behavior couldn't have been more obvious.
The guy was jealous that Naruto was taking Iris's attention.
But he understood where his fellow adventurer was coming from. Although they had only just met, just in this last hour alone, Iris had become one of the shinobi's important people.
Which was why he wasn't going to lose.
"W-what? Do you wanna fight?"
Kazuma stuttered when he noticed the smirk growing on Naruto's face. With how well behaved Naruto has been acting this entire time, seeing that expression out of the blue was rather unnerving.
"Oh, but Kazuma… The battle has already begun."
Naruto said with an ominous tone before he stood up.
"It is getting rather late. I believe this concludes our night, Your Highness, Claire-san. I have many more stories to share with you, so shall we continue this after your lessons tomorrow?"
"Yes! I will do my best to complete my lessons as soon as possible, Naruto-nii! Come on, Claire! Let's go get ready for bed!"
Iris, having just finished her bowl of ramen, quickly wiped her face before grabbing onto Claire's hand before the woman could pick up her chopsticks again.
'Naruto-nii!? When did they have such a development!?'
Kazuma thought with wide eyes as he watched the princess drag a regretful looking Claire towards the exit. Turning back to Naruto, he found the blonde smiling at him smugly.
'T-this guy…!'
"Oh my, it seems Claire didn't get to eat her ramen… That's a shame, because I've already had my fill. Kazuma, my friend. Would you like to eat it in her stead?"
Naruto asked and slid the bowl towards the teen.
Kazuma gulped, unsure whether this was a trap or not. Despite how flashy and rambunctious he acted at times, Naruto was still technically a ninja. This ramen wasn't spiked or anything was it?
'N-no… It should be safe. He was going to serve it to Claire, after all…'
Deciding to take his chances, Kazuma sat down and grabbed the unused chopsticks.
At the same time, Naruto started making his way towards the exit.
"Oh, and one more thing, Kazuma."
The shinobi began and turned his head to look at his friend one last time.
"I have no intentions of losing either."
"...!"
Kazuma nearly choked on his noodles, with one threatening to come out of his nose. Whirling around in his seat, he found that Naruto was already gone.
Face now a tad green, the boy steeled himself and went back to finishing the delicious meal.
Somehow, he felt like this peaceful castle was about to get more lively from now on.
"Damn it! I was right!"
Kazuma barked as he wiped a bunch of slime from his face. He had just woken up and stepped out of his room to complain about the lack of service when he heard something snap and he looked up just in time to see a bucket pouring what appeared to be slime.
What even was this stuff, and why did it smell like honey!?
"Surprise!"
Naruto and Iris shouted as they burst out of the shinobi's guest room with pillows.
Feathers flew everywhere as the duo mercilessly attacked him with their fluffy weapons.
"S-stop! The feathers…! The feathers are sticking!"
Kazuma shouted as he futilely tried to defend himself.
Eventually, Naruto and Iris took off running, leaving their target looking like a human chicken.
"...Pui!"
Kazuma spat out a mouthful of feathers, the faint sounds of his attacker's laughter fading in the distance.
Somehow, he should have seen this coming… Naruto was a ninja, but he was also a prankster. Make an enemy of that prankster ninja, and you become the target of an unpredictable force.
"…Kazuma-sama? I have brought your morning tea, but would you like me to prepare the bath instead?"
Even in the face of such an absurd sight first thing in the morning, the butler that had been assigned to him maintained a straight face.
As expected of a professional.
"...Yes please, Sebastian."
"My name is Heidel, sir."
"...Yes please, Heidel."
"Are you still pouting, onii-sama?"
"..."
"Naruto-nii was just helping me get back at you for cheating yesterday."
"..."
"At least onii-sama still smells good. I wonder what Naruto-nii used for that slime… Oh, checkmate-"
"GRAAAAHHH!? This game is so stupid! How could I lose again!?"
Kazuma shouted and grabbed the board with the intention to flip it, but he restrained himself at the last second and took a deep breath. Sitting back down, he rested his chin on his hands.
"Once more."
"M-maybe we should take a break, onii-sama?"
Iris suggested with a nervous smile, but Kazuma shook his head.
"Your onii-sama has you figured out now. I'll win this time for sure, so once more."
After Iris's lessons, which she ended up finishing early like she promised, she and Kazuma had begun their daily game session as Naruto was apparently with the Priests who refused to give up on purifying Sylvia.
Those poor people…
"Hah!"
"Oh! That was a good try, Claire-san! You nearly got me that time!"
While they were playing their games, Claire was in the middle of sparring with one of Naruto's Shadow Clones. Which was convenient for Kazuma since that meant he could say whatever he wanted without the strict noblewoman getting in his way like she always did for whatever reason.
"Ah! Naruto-nii is back!"
Iris perked up when she spotted Naruto and Rain walking towards them.
Panicking, Kazuma furiously thought of a quick story to keep his little sister's attention.
"Hey, Iris! Did I tell you about that one time Naruto had a crush on Lalatina!?"
Iris's eyes widened to saucers and shook her head negative as she quickly sat back down.
"Wha-Oof!?
At the same time, Claire, who was about to defend from one of the clone's attacks, overheard what Kazuma said and became distracted. This resulted in her taking a direct kick to the gut, which sent her rolling across the floor.
"Whoops…"
The Shadow Clone muttered before dispersing. The Boss could take care of this one.
Naruto's eye twitched from the sudden turn of events. Was this Kazuma's way of getting back at him for the prank this morning?
"Pfft…!"
"?"
Naruto turned towards Rain to find the mage averting her gaze.
She laughed just now, right? He wasn't just imagining that, right?
"Are you alright, Claire-san? That was quite the tumble…"
"Y-yes…! More importantly, Kazuma-dono! Is it true!? This isn't another one of your schemes, is it!?"
Claire asked, a trail of blood falling from her nose.
"You're bleeding, Claire. Why don't I take you to the Priests? Ah, but they're probably still recovering from just now…"
Rain pointed out before mumbling the last bit with a wry smile. Although she was curious if their questionable guest was telling the truth.
Kazuma smirked triumphantly, his nose held high. That certainly did the trick, he now had all of their attention.
This would teach Naruto not to mess with the princess's one and only playmate!
"Indeed, it is true… Naruto was but a fledgling adventurer, unworldly and easily impressionable. The charming Lalatina instantly captured his heart…! He was head over heels! Fumbling with his words, and asking others if she was betrothed… I even heard from an inside source that he had certain dreams-!"
"Dreams!? What kind of dreams!? You must tell me!"
"I-I-I concur, Kazuma-dono! Finish your story!"
Iris and Claire were clearly hooked, and Kazuma was eating it up.
On the other side-
"He lies! Don't listen to that man's nonsense! Also, who's your inside source!? I really want to have words with that fellow…!"
Who told Kazuma he had such a dream!? Was it Maria!? Dust!? He wanted to defend himself more, but there was no way in hell he could tell them that it was a Succubus who had influenced his dream.
"If you think that's interesting, you should hear the drama Naruto has with my other party member, Aqua. The alcoholic Arch Priest who would be a perfect beauty if she just kept her mouth shut."
"Those extra details were questionable, but what kind of drama!? Please tell me now!"
"I-I heard about certain rumors, but I didn't think Naruto-dono was actually involved in such tales!"
Kazuma had Iris and Claire wrapped around his finger, much to the shinobi's frustration.
"That's right, that's right! Naruto may seem like a knight in shining armor, but back in Axel, he's known as Naruto the Player! It all started when he seduced that Arch Priest in my party! She was in a bind, and he swooped her right off her feet!"
"S-swooped…!"
"T-that sounds straight out of a romance novel…! N-not that I know anything about that!"
Seeing as he had no choice but to let the guy yap, Naruto begrudgingly sat down at the table. Even if he did stop Kazuma from continuing, he had little doubt Iris and Claire would demand the details later.
Might as well stick around to do damage control.
"I heard from my inside source that Naruto got engaged in Alcanretia!"
"Hold it! That's not remotely true! Also, I have a feeling I know who your inside source is!"
Naruto barked when he heard something he couldn't ignore, but Kazuma simply waved him off and kept talking.
"You're breaking character, Naruto the Player-san."
Rain whispered with a small smile, earning a groan from the shinobi.
"Seriously, Rain… Please don't tease me."
In the end, Naruto was able to persuade the group that Kazuma was telling exaggerated versions of events. But that certainly didn't stop their imaginations from running rampant.
Inside his mindscape, Naruto made his way through the sinister castle in search of his newest occupant.
Why didn't they just appear in the same place like Kurama? It was kinda getting troublesome having to look for them every time he entered this place…
Naruto walked into what looked like a library when he finally found Sylvia, and the Chimera appeared to be reading at a table with a large pile of books in the center of the room.
Passing by a couple bookshelves, the shinobi made quick glances at some of the spines that held titles such as: "Magical Theory" and "Strategy of War".
With a raised eyebrow, the shinobi walked up to the single occupied table.
"Is there a reason why I have to look high and low for you everytime I come in here?"
"Oh, hello my love. Forgive me, I just thought this room would be a more appropriate location as I read your memories. I am currently learning about your old home's Chunin Exams. You performed marvelously, love. I'm certain you would have succeeded if the Hidden Sand and that Orochimaru fellow hadn't interfered."
Sylvia greeted while patting at the empty chair next to them with a smile on their face, but Naruto decided to sit across from the spirit just like last time.
"Of course I would have won! Even Sasuke acknowledged me after I knocked some sense into Gaara when he couldn't! But anyways, I wanted to ask what you were talking about the other night. You were a general before, so you had to have known about the Demon King army's attacks on the capital."
Naruto boasted with a nod before revealing his true intentions.
"Fufufu… Would you like to accept my memories? I'm more than willing to share, but they will come at a cost. Are you prepared for that?"
Sylvia inquired, earning a suspicious look from the shinobi.
"...What do you want? Just so you know, I really don't swing that way. So asking for anything perverted is absolutely out of the question."
Naruto stated firmly, but this only caused the Chimera to laugh out loud.
"Hahaha! While I admit that is a little disappointing, as I can assure that my techniques would leave you breathless… That is not my intention, for now, anyway."
Sylvia patted the chair next to them a second time, that same welcoming smile returning to their face.
Ever suspicious, Naruto considered any ulterior motives they might have.
"Identities, battle strategies, secret locations… All of this information that I had once carried to my grave is meaningless to me now. Should it help my love in his endeavors, I am more than willing to share. All I ask in return is your company."
Sylvia explained when the blonde remained skeptical.
'If Sylvia's telling the truth, I would be stupid to refuse such a simple request to get that information on the Demon King's army…'
Naruto thought and turned his suspicious eyes towards the empty chair.
…It was just sitting next to them, right? He would be fine if it were just that, right? Sylvia's intentions seemed platonic enough.
Naruto stood up and walked around the table. Slowly taking a seat next to the former Demon King Army General, he looked up to see Sylvia smiling marvelously.
Surprisingly, there wasn't a shred of lewdness in their eyes, unlike the last time he was here. They seemed… Genuinely happy that he had chosen to sit next to them.
Was Kurama's influence actually helping in the end?
"We have much to discuss. But for now, let us start with the common tactics we generals taught our troops…"
Sylvia grabbed another book from the large stockpile on the table. Leaning over to give the shinobi a better look, the spirit went on to explain various strategies that were extremely confidential to the Demon King's army.
Even when their shoulders touched, Naruto found that he didn't immediately feel threatened.
He couldn't decide if that was for better or worse.
A/N: Naruto strikes back in the battle he didn't know he was participating in! But Kazuma wasn't about to roll over and admit defeat and reveals some of Naruto's more embarrassing past exploits!
Also, Sylvia acting any other way than gung ho for Naruto? Suspicious… Although, that information they're willing to share could prove quite useful.
Next chapter, we're going to pick up the pace before Darkness and the others arrive.
Review and let me know what you all thought of the chapter!
Spirit out!