Naruto: The Prince of Lust

With serious concern, Naruto exhales through his teeth and flapping lips, sounding, 'psshhh, a lot of training is the bare minimum to becoming Hokage, so I got this. But, considering what I'm up against, I can't help but feel a bit green, you know?' Naru-nii hums in agreement before Naruto adds, 'we're less than three weeks from the third task, and even though Ero-sennin promised to stay for the invasion, Orochimaru is crazy strong.'

Naru-nii pauses a second before doubtlessly asking, 'is that going to stop you from fighting Orochimaru or anyone else who's stronger?'

'Hell no,' Naruto quickly asserts.

'I know,' Naru-nii calls out, further arguing, 'it's how we're wired. Look, when you get back to Konoha, ask for help where you need it. There's nothing we can't do when it comes to saving our special people. Definitely ask Hinata-chan for pointers on shooting out chakra from your tenketsu.' After Naruto's agreeable hum, Naru-nii adds, 'let people help you because I know you're going to do everything in your power to stop the invasion, stop Ji-chan's death, stop Gaara, and capture Orochimaru.'

'It sounds insane when you say it out loud,' Naruto briskly utters.

'Life of a hero, dattebayo,' Naru-nii proudly proclaims. 'I have the utmost faith in myself which means I have the utmost faith in you. As much as you want to protect Iruka-sensei, Ji-chan, Team 7, Kurenai-chan, Karin-chan, Haku-kun, on top of all our friends and sensei, they definitely want to protect you too.'

'…You're making me want to train so bad right now,' Naruto mentally admits feeling hot moisture form at the corners of his closed eyes.

'I know the feeling but don't burn yourself out,' Naru-nii warns. 'I've passed out a few times going all out. It wastes more time than saves. Actually, tell me what's been going on with you. We've been all about the Hiraishin for a while, we haven't really talked.'

Happy and eager to oblige, Naruto begins by asking, 'out of curiosity, did Temari-chan ever say she liked you?'

Naruto can't hear his future-self smack himself in the head, however, he can imagine it before the older Naruto wearily challenges, 'you gotta be shittin' me… another one?'

Fortunately, Naru-nii hadn't taken the sudden and astonishing alternative development of Temari's Omiai too personally. Naruto had explained signing a document diplomatically outlining everything they had gone over in Ji-chan's office and how the relationship is nothing more or less than what they want it to be. Naruto also told his future ego how he's planning on using this opportunity to get closer to Gaara.

'If we don't have to fight,' Naruto mentally reasons, asking, 'that'd be better, wouldn't it?'

'I guess,' Naru-nii capitulates. 'So long as you both truly understand each other, then yeah; that's all that matters. It sucks about Temari's dad making her do that though. How'd Ino-chan or Kurenai-chan react when you told them?'

'I haven't had a chance to tell Ino-chan yet,' Naruto starts before he further reasons, 'and I figure, with the invasion coming, there wasn't much need to tell Nai-chan more than the escort story.'

'Ugh, I hate lying,' Naru-nii muses.

'Same,' Naruto emphatically agrees, nodding his head and momentarily clearing his head of a resting bluebird before it lands on his soft hair again.

As previously stated, Naru-nii makes certain that Naruto understands, 'you know I don't care if you tell Kurenai about me, right?'

Naruto answers with a droll certainty, 'I know.' Standing from the stone platform bordering the pond, the blond begins stretching as he explains, 'I want to, but with her, I think she'd prefer not to know… unless ordered to. She's really big on covert intel gathering, management, and dissemination. I can hear her voice now, telling me how flattered she is that I trust her so much but how dangerous the information is and how I need to be more responsible and words, words, words. She's such an adult,' he finishes with a roll of his humored eyes and a small smirk.

Chuckling a bit, Naru-nii comments, 'that's funny. Was she cool with the escort thing?'

'She said she understands,' Naruto hesitates to admit. Thinking over dinner with Kurenai, Hinata, and Karin, Naruto felt as if Hinata's and Kurenai's reactions were lackluster. Karin seemed excited, however, recalling Hinata and Kurenai's tepid feedback, Naruto responds, 'but it didn't feel like she was okay with it. Plus, the skin between her brow crinkles when she thinks too much about something that worries her.'

'Maybe it does worry her… or doesn't… I don't know,' Naru-nii huffs. 'You know I'm clueless about this kind of stuff. Though, I did gain more insight into people when I mastered Kyūbi Sage mode. Maybe that'll help you out.'

'Sounds sweet,' Naruto happily notes. 'How long do you think before I master that?'

'Oh, not anytime soon,' Naru-nii quickly responds, making Naruto grumble at the loss of instant gratification. 'Anyway, I'm about out…'

Lately, it's been getting harder and harder to leave Naru-nii for the day. The more Naruto wants to help his important people in his timeline, the more he wants his future self. Even though the only difference between them is age, Naruto sees him more as a brother than his future self; always watching out for him like he imagined brothers do. So with a hint of melancholy, Naruto responds, 'thanks, Naru-nii. Tomorrow?'

'Tomorrow,' Naru-nii replies with determination.

After a quick chat with Kurama, the rest of his training on Mount Myōboku went well. Naruto felt closer to tapping into the monstrous might of the planet's spirit energy known as senjutsu chakra. After Pa called it for the day, Naruto became eager to return to Konoha and meet his appointments. With the sudden amount of connections in his life, he felt a warm comfort at the thought meeting Karin to talk clan business, Mabui to talk Fūinjutsu, Ino-chan to become centered, Temari to learn more about her family, his team for comradery. As it's been the past two days, Naruto is returned in a puff of white smoke atop the stone monument of his father so he can gaze upon the lush wonder of his home. Regardless of the village's hostility toward him, he has more than enough people in his life to make this community a home.

Creating three clones, one heads to meet Karin, another meets Mabui, and the third meets with Temari while he visits Iruka before meeting his team.

MABUI

"You continue to impress," Mabui gushes in genuine amazement. She and Naruto are closing the numerous scrolls laid out on the table. They've been meeting fairly regularly to discuss and practice Fūinjutsu and though neither of them said it out loud, Mabui has become his unofficial student. Mabui recognizes his brilliance and can't help but ask him all sorts of questions about processes and procedures. With two master's degrees, the silver-haired model feels like a student again looking up to her young genius sensei.

Naruto blushes and waves her compliment away, chuckling, "thanks but it's nothing."

Watching him seal all his materials in his a single scroll before pocketing it in his back pounch, Mabui shakes her head, asserting, "it most certainly is not nothing. You could be instructing the finest Fūinjutsu masters."

Walking out of the Fūinjutsu section of the library, Naruto chuckles before responding with, "well, right now, you're my only… student? Which is beyond weird to think about!"

With her mission always in mind, Mabui tends to stay as close as physically possible when they study, always leaning toward him when she asks for help and as they exit the library to the wonderful daylight and busy Konoha streets, she merrily bumps him with her shoulder. Continuing to tease, Mabui asks as if wounded, "because I'm old?"

"If you're old then I must still be sperm," Naruto jokes, making light of the small age difference between them. They walk to their usual bench in the nearby park. Many kids play and chase each other and a few of the men openly stare at Mabui's statuesque form in a fitted pencil skirt and long sleeve gray blouse. As they take a seat, Naruto explains, "it's weird because no one's ever thought of me like a sensei before."

"That can't be," Mabui asserts with confidence.

"It's true," the blond argues.

"If I may be candid," she voices in askance. With his nod, she pridefully answers, "in all my years of study, you are one of the greatest practitioners of Fūinjutsu I've ever met, and I used to rub shoulders with the upper echelon of academics." Mabui doesn't mention how hard it was to be in some of those parties or discussions and remain professional. In fact, she's certain her fiance took her to many of these gatherings because he knew she was a sapiosexual and would be aroused the entire night. While Mabui wouldn't say intelligence is her number one desirable trait in a partner—kindness to all and strength also factor in—she knows how wet she can get when a genius is blowing her mind with phenomenal expertise.

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