Chapter 18: Ninja Sleepover

[Ino's Room]

"Welcome to my room everyone," Ino declared as the group entered. The room was as girly as one would expect with the small collection of stuffed animals, a vanity table, big fluffy bed, and other decorations one could imagine though with different shades purple instead of pink. "You can sit wherever you like and Hanabi-chan you can leave your backpack by the closet. Now where do we start our little party?" she asked after sitting on her bed.

"We could explore a dungeon?" Naruko suggested and raised a hand to stop any protest. Then she pulled out her Adventuring Atlas to explain what it was, how she got it, and how they could use it. "Currently the unexplored maps I have are Abandoned Village Lv1-15, 1000 Dune Desert Lv15-40, and Techno City Lv25-30. I suggest we start with the Abandoned Village since it will be safer for Hanabi-chan who's a level 11 and me a level 9. I also have yet to open the map I got from the sewers. Maybe we could explore that one? Though if it's another one in a dump I'm willing to pay for another map."

"Let's examine that one first. Unlike us, Hanabi-chan is much younger and it will be her first time in the dungeon. I want her to take it easy if possible," Hinata suggested. At this Hanabi said she would be up to the challenge but Naruko was quick to point out that while the world they would explore was game-like that didn't mean they couldn't die. The gamer even lifted her head and slightly lower her shirt to show the light scar from when the flying knife had sliced open her neck. Seeing the evidence of how deadly this venture could turn output a different perspective on the situation.

"I'll… I'll be careful," Hanabi said a little scared but you could still see the resolve to not be seeing as weak. Naruko gave an approving thumbs-ups before clicking the unopened map which caused it to turn into a ball of white energy. The sphere then shot into the air curving and landing in the Adventuring Atlas. A magic seal appeared on top of the book as it opened into a new page that wrote itself into a new map.

[Adventure map – Village of Lunaria {Required Lv 8-13} |Common| acquired!]

"What determines a maps rarity?" Ino asked upon seeing the map of an island that had a village surrounded by a forest and a castle in the far north.

"It depends on the type of monsters, the rarity of their drops, items found, and/or the difficulty of quests that are produced. Take Slime Island as an example of an Epic rarity map. There you can meet every type of slime monster from level 1 to 100 and we even found Metal Slime relatively easily given how extremely rare they are," Benihime answered.

"Oneechan, this map has lower numbers. Does that mean will we go into this one?" Hanabi asked still not understanding any of this given that she hadn't been made into a party member yet thus hadn't been "injected" with the information on how Naruko's gamer abilities worked.

"Yes, Hanabi-chan. Once Naru-kun forms the party will enter the dungeon," Hinata nodded.

"Actually, I have a question before we do that," Naruko announced to the group's surprise. "Benihime, are the weapons and armor I make one-size-fits-all?"

"Hmm, let me look," the fairy said before opening a window and looking around. "Yes, so long as you make them or find them in a dungeon, they'll change the size to accommodate the person. Though for this to happen you'll need a drop of their blood and after the equipment is finished the person will have to feed it some of their chakra so the bond is fully forged. This will help the equipment always fit its owner. However, given that the equipment wouldn't be in your inventory the owner will have to give it proper maintenance. The good news is that if the equipment is broken or heavily damaged, you'll be able to repair it. Oh, and the reason they could be damaged is that they are no longer part of your inventory. Hence, maintenance must be provided."

"That's a lot better than I expected." After saying this Naruko took out three test tubes that she handed to each girl. The girls nodded and with a quick slash of their kunai they sliced their fingers opened to fill the tubes. Of course, Naruko was quick to heal them and stash the blood. "Okay, now a question: Ino-chan, you have an electric plus in your run?"

"Huh? Yeah? There is a free one to the left of the closet. Why?" Instead of answering Naruko took out a multi-plug and connected it. After that, she took out a Box Tv, a NES with a collection of games, and two arcade cabinets. "You really like games, huh?" Ino commented stunned as everything was connected. She also noted the one cabinet read Golden Axe while the other Marvel vs Capcom 2.

"What gave it away?" Naruko asked with a giant grin that made the others chuckle. "Anyway, it's going to take me a while to make all of your new equipment why don't you girls play in the meantime. For the NES the 2-players games I have are Super Mario Bros. 1 to 3, and Contra while for single-player I have Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quests, and Legend of Zelda. The arcade cabinets are Golden Axe which is a 4-player side-scroller and Marvel vs Capcom 2 which a 2-player fighting game where each player makes a 3-man tag-team to duke it out for the win. I also change the settings on the machines so you get unlimited continues. That way you don't have to constantly feed it coins each time you run out of lives."

"How did you get these?" Hinata asked while pointing to the cabinets. She recognized what they were thanks to Naruko's description but this was actually her first time seeing one. "I know we got 5000 gold from that mimic but you aren't these machines expensive?"

"Oh, trust me. They are expensive as all hell. But I got lucky when a group of my clones found them dumpster diving. Then with my Building Mode and Benihime's knowledge of electronics, we managed to remake them," Naruko answered.

"I'll say that what's really lucky is that dismantling, even damaged or aged items, still give you all of the items. Otherwise, we would have had to wait until you reached level 25 before we could enter Techo City to start to collect microchips and the like," Benihime added.

"Anyway, something tells me none of you have ever played a videogame in so I'm giving you multiple options on what to play. Plus, their simple to understand since the buttons on the arcades say what they do and the NES only has five buttons you can quickly tell what they do from just testing."

"The elders said things like these are nothing but a waste of time," Hanabi mentioned though you could tell she was enthralled by the fighting game's demo of the characters. However, the older girls noticed both gamer and fairy twitch in anger for a moment.

"Yes… video games can be considered a waste of time but that's what makes them fun. The same thing with none educational books," Naruko strained through her teeth and a forced smile.

'Guess that another sore point,' both Ino and Hinata thought while throwing side glances at each other. After that, the girls separated with the sisters going for the arcades while Ino chooses the console. The mind walker had also mentioned she had played a little with Choji and Shikamaru as the Akamichi had gotten one last year for his birthday. Hence, she knew how to play a little and she did want to play Super Mario Bros. 3 again. Meanwhile, Naruko pulled out her forge and started making equipment for her friends. Thankfully the magic used in the process didn't heat up the room as the girl worked.

(Sometime later)

CLANK!

CLANG!

CLINK!

Naruko sighed in elation at seeing the last piece for today is completed. Then she put down the hammer and wiped off the sweat from her brow before taking a drink of water. After that Naruko used Appraisal on the equipment to see if there was anything special about them.

{EQUIPMENT}

Squishing Chainmail |Unique| (Light Armor) x3

Description – A squishy chainmail that will keep you safe, comfortable and cool in battle. The happy slime in your chest fills you with happiness!

+20DEF

15% Heat Resistance

Gooey Gloves [Lv1] |Unique| (Two-handed/Arm Armor) x2

Description – Gootiful blue gauntlets with a sweet little slime on the back. They're both strong and keep you cool while punching.

+30ATK

+10DEF

15% Heat Resistance

Gooreat Boots |Unique| (Light Armor) x3

Description – A comfy pair of goometal boots with greaves to protect your legs and keeps you cool in a fight. Don't worry, these slimes will protect your knees!

+10DEF

15% Heat Resistance

Iron Dagger [Lv1] |Common| (One-handed)

Description – A common and unremarkable dagger made from iron.

+15ATK

Iron Crossbow [Lv1] |Common| (Range)

Description – A small bow, mounted on a stock that fires bolts. Use the lever on its side to pull back the string, set the bolt in place and then squeeze the trigger to fire.

+40 Range damage

+15% Armor Piercing Damage

Iron Bolts |Common| x30

Description – Iron tipped arrows used by a crossbow.

+15 Range Damage

+10% Armor Piercing Damage

Leather Quiver |Common|

Description – A common leather container for holding arrows.

30 max Arrow/Bolt Capacity

Leather Dagger Holster |Common|

Description – A regular leather holder attached to a belt for carrying one's daggers. It can be adjusted to hold the weapon on the user's preferred spot.

Flacon Visor |Common| (Accessory/Headgear) x2

Description – A white protective face mask shaped in the form of a falcon's face. The strengthened lenses can double as sunglasses.

+10 DEF

+100% Blind Immunity

Purple Orchid Mask |Common| (Accessory/Headgear)

Description – A light purple protective face mask in a masquerade-styled featuring a deep purple orchid on the left side of the face. It possesses a hidden dial just above the flower to regulate its fragrance.

+10 DEF

+5% Evasion

Kitsune Mask |Common| (Headgear)

Description – A traditional mask honoring the ever intelligent and mischievous fox. Are you going to be a good-natured soul or a naughty little trickster?

+10DEF

+5INT

'Wow, so this tier of slime theme equipment is heat resistance? Guess that would explain why it feels cold to the touch. I better test it out on my scythe. Appraisal! Yep, it also has a plus fifteen percent heat resistance. Though it weird that it didn't turn into a water element weapon. Then again normal slimes aren't classified as water elementals,' Naruko analyzed while looking at the new equipment. "Girls! I'm done," she called out just in time to see Hanabi almost throw the NES controller into the TV after getting a Game Over in Contra if not for Hinata snatching the controller first. "Aww, babies first gamer-rage! That's so cute!" If looks could kill Hanabi's would have made the Uzumaki and everything behind her disappeared from existence. "Oh, and thanks for saving my TV, Hinata-chan."

"No worries, Naru-kun. Now Hanabi-chan, please be mindful of your anger and don't go breaking other people's stuff," Hinata reprimanded and set down the controller.

"I understand Oneechan. Sorry Uzumaki-san," Hanabi said with head bowed down. This made Naruko chuckle as she waved off the apology.

"Don't worry, Hanabi-chan. Nothing was broken. Plus, I know just how cheap that game is with its 1-hit deaths, and only giving you three continues. Truth be told I have yet to beat myself because of it."

"Why not use that Konami Code? Those extra 30 lives should be enough to beat it," Benihime answered and blinked as three pairs of confused eyes looked at her. Ino wasn't paying attention she to busy on the sixth stage of MvC2. "Oh, right. I forgot videogames are still new here given they had to summon them from across time and space through special seals. Don't worry, once we're back from the dungeon I'll teach it to you, okay?"

"You better," Naruko commanded with an excited grin. Then she called out "Yo, Ino! Stop drooling over those pixelated muscles and look at your new armor!" Of course, that comment distracted the heiress enough to lose the fight after realizing she had, in fact, made her team of the guys with the most exposed skin and biggest muscles. Hence, after getting KO'd, she turned to Naruko with a glare and a blush that could be hidden under the guise of anger. Once the group gathered Naruko first gifted Ino and Hanabi their armor and she explained to them the cooling effect the armor had. After the girls grabbed their equipment, the first thing they noticed was that blue chainmail was as light as a normal shirt and as easy to put on. They did chuckle at the white smiling slime painted in the center of the chainmail. Next, the two put on the boots the covered their shins and knees.

"It feels so soft and bouncy," Hanabi gasped at feeling the gel surround her feet and toes. Ino for her part noticed that the gelatinous metal let her freely wiggle her toes. Then she got up to throw a couple of kicks to test out her movements.

"Wow, even my sandals don't feel this comfortable when kicking. Nice job Pumpkin," Ino praised and also tested out the gauntlets with the same results. "Too bad the blue doesn't match with my midriff but this chainmail is way better than my bandages."

"Actually, all Naruko needs is a cup of paint to change the color of the armor and weapons," Benihime informed casually. The short blacksmith blinked at this before smiling and quickly pulling out a bucket of royal purple paint. Everyone but the fairy raised an eyebrow.

"You just carry a bucket of paint with you around all of the time?" Ino asked but still handed back her equipment.

"My inventory is limitless and separated into categories with the healing and battle items always at the top. Therefore I see no reason why I should leave my house without my pranking supplies," Naruko answered with a smirk. Then, after opening the paint can and dipping a plastic cup into it, a new window popped up informing her that she unlocked the equipment shading option. There she quickly selected all of Ino's armor pieces and the group got to see the three cups of paint disappear as armor slowly changed color. "Okay, I'll admit it. They do look a lot better in purple."

"But of course, they do! It is my favorite color," Ino commented as she admired her new chainmail. It still had the white silhouette of a smiling slime in the middle of the chest but that could be covered with her crop top and the now purple rings matched oh so perfectly. The same could be said for her new gauntlets and armored boots. Then she noticed Naruko pull out another can with the Uzumaki's favorite color. Moments later the small gamer was decked out in her new armor. "You do realize that mix of dark orange and black outlines make you look like more of Pumpkin, right?" In response, Naruko just stuck her tongue out before turning back to the youngest Hyuga.

"Want me to change yours, Hanabi-chan?" Hearing the question Hanabi thought for a moment but in the end, decided against it since she liked the design for now. "I see. Well, I still have more gifts. First will be Hanabi-chan with this Iron Dagger and its accompanying holster."

"Why do I need a dagger?"

"If you were to fight your sister while she uses her naginata which would you prefer: fighting barehanded or with a weapon that could block her blade?" Remembering who strong the older sister looked while wielding the spear and the reach it gave her the younger sibling accepted the dagger without further protest. "That's what I thought. Now Ino-chan, here is a protective mask for the pretty face of yours." Seeing the mask made Ino gasps in astonishment over the simple yet elegant design of the mask. The way the mask was crafted and paint made it seem like the flower's purple pedals were being spread across it by the wind over its surface. Speaking of the flower, it was an enchanting shade of purple with the pedals' texture feeling life-like.

"Naruko… this is beautiful… How did you make this with just a hammer? And this flower! It feels just like the real thing," Ino said before unconsciously taking a sniff. "Hey! This is the real thing! Where did you get a wild moth orchid? They aren't in season yet."

"I got them in the dungeon when we looking for thigs for my greenhouse, remember?" Naruko informed with a smirk. "It also helps that the magic used to forge that mask has the side-effect of stopping time for that flower. Meaning it will never wither and die. Its scent, however, can be turned on, off, or change in intensity by the dial hidden just above the flower. Anyway, try it on! The mask is enchanted like the ANBU so it will stick to your face without the need for strings."

"Controlling the strength of a flower's scent with the touch of a button? I'll never stop getting surprised by that bloodline of yours, will I?" Ino commented with a shake of her head. Then she placed the mask on which easily placed itself on her and came off without discomfort. Then Ino went to the vanity mirror and did a few generic sexy poses to test out how it made her look. "Damn, this mask makes me look like the sexy villainess from an anime. I kind of like it." Hearing this the girls chuckled lightly in agreement before Naruko showed the Hyuga sisters their mask.

"After making the armor and weapons my blacksmithing skill leveled up and gave me recipes for a lot of masks. While looking through the list I found these falcon masks or visors as the games call them. I thought it would be perfect for you two since the lenses will protect your eyes and the bird of prey motif would go well with the whole "All-seeing eye" your clan likes to say. The lenses are strong enough to stop a kunai or shuriken, block light even better than most sunglasses and they also work as one-way mirrors. You'll be to see everything but people wouldn't be able to see your eyes. It could even hide the fact you're a Hyuga all together," Naruko informed in a proud tone.

The sisters grabbed their new headgear and looked them over. They couldn't understand the system considers these as visors instead of a mask since it covered their eyes, part of their forehead and nose with the small beak extension but guess it was just a quirk of it. Then when they put them on the experience was the same as Ino when their masks attached and de-attached to their skin without a problem. Adding to this, both Hyuga noticed that once their field of vision wasn't obstructed and that the lenses didn't conflict with their Byakugan.

"Incredible," Hinata gasped right before both sisters smiled and engulfed Naruko in a hug. "Oh, Naru-kun, this is incredible! For us dojutsu users our eyes are one of our most precious tools and you just gave us the perfect protection! Thank you!"

"Thank you Naru-nee!" Hanabi added from Naruko's waist. Had this been a normal occasion the whiskered girl would have celebrated at having won the little sister's approval. However, this wasn't a normal occasion. The reason being that when Hinata let her emotions take hold she forgot the height gap between them. Hence, instead of hugging Naruko's arm, the taller girlfriend end embracing the jinchuriki's head and consequently pressed it to her chest. It didn't take long for Naruko's brain to register that her significant other wasn't wearing any armor under her new light lavender jacket.

"Hey Hinata-chan," Ino called out softly but grinning ear to ear. "I can imagine you're proud of your twins but you should let the girl breath." Hearing this Hinata blinked under her visor before looking down. Sure enough, the bluenette found her secret girlfriend buried deep between her breasts. Both females were blushing the shade of roses before Hinata managed to let go. Next, she somehow managed to backpedal on her knees. Then sat down and fainted exactly like a statue being tipped over on its side.

"Oneechan!" Hanabi yelled and dash to her sister in worry while Ino and Benihime laughed. Naruko for her part hid her burning face behind her hands.

'OH. DEAR. KAMI-SAMA! How could they feel soft?! Kyaaaaah!' the little Uzumaki panic like the protagonist of a shoujo manga.

~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~

[Inside Naruko's mindscape]

Unbeknownst to Naruko and everyone that knew her status as a jinchuriki the Kyubi wasn't sleeping. In fact, it had become conscious ever since its warden visited the jail and thus had been silently watching the girl's progress ever since. The fox still considered the girl to be an utter weakling but did agree that she at least knew how to fight her way out of a paper bag. Someone that in its mind only a few humans could do with any form of finesse. This also meant the demon had witnessed the little Hyuga fighting its chakra to save the Uzumaki. That event did pick the fox's intrigue since few could handle its chakra and even less in the literal way that the Hyuga could.

However, that also meant the demon was there for the Uzumaki's first orgasm under those damn fingers.

As many people imagen and collaborate such physical reaction puts a person's mind in disarray. Problem is that in a mindscape were any thought can and will become reality expressions like "mind went blank" are literal occurrences. Hence when the Hyuga gave its warden the little-death the mindscape went with it. In its stead, all the Kyubi was left with an infinite white void where the only law governing it was gravity which forced the fox to fall in perpetuity. The first few seconds had actually managed to surprise Kyubi but it got old fast. Thus, the strongest of the nine tail demons found itself in a situation where it was forced to wait out the free fall for however long it took the Uzumaki's mind to return. During the wait the demon expected many things like say crashing into the ground like a meteor or that the world simply returns around it like nothing ever happen.

What the fox didn't expect was hearing the roar of fast-moving water.

Understandably Kyubi made it turn around just in time to see a pink tsunami about ten times its sizes. The demon only had time to open its maw in confusion before it found itself being engulfed and batter around by a sea of pink cartoon hearts. How long the Kyubi was drowning in love it didn't know but it was safe to say it was enough to nearly be purified. Thankfully for the tail beast, the mindscape went back to normal before that would happen. However, it took the fox time to regain its strength as it coughed and puked thousands and thousands of kiloliters of cartoon hearts. From that day on Kyubi bowed to hate the one name Hinata Hyuga if only so it wouldn't be completely purified the next time something like this happened.

And happen again it did!

Although thankfully it wasn't a tsunami, love had kept flooding the mindscape each time the couple did something romantic. To the Kyubi's horror, it found out that each act of love transformed the mindscape into a representation of love. An example of this being holding hands turning the grass pink and flowers became lilies. Next came the hugs that equally all the trees blooming into sakura trees. However, the worse one had been when the girlfriends kissed each other's hands or cheeks as this cause it to rain those damn hearts which forced the Kyubi to create an umbrella big enough to cover it as it curled up into a ball. Never before had the demon fox's life been such torture.

"And yet I forgot everything can get worst," the Kyubi growled but it couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. After all, it was currently being crushed like an ant between a pair of gigantic plump mountains. "I know you can hear me right now but… STOP THINKING ABOUT TITS YOU USELESS LESBIAN!"

~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~

[Back in Ino's room]

It took a couple of moments and a bag of smelling salt for Hinata regain consciousness. After doing so she quickly asked Ino for the bathroom and once the location was given Hinata took Hanabi so they could properly change into their armor. This left a grinning Ino and Benihime alone with the still flushed Naruko.

"So," Ino started and dragged the word out "When are you going to ask her out?"

"What?!" Naruko squeaked more due to her still skipping heart than the question. Ino, however, took the reaction as confirmation of her suspicion.

"Oh come on, now. You're brave enough to face monsters and reattach your limbs after it was cut off yet asking the girl you like on a date is too difficult?"

"It not like that," Naruko responded 'I mean, Hinata-chan was the one that made the first move.'

"What then? Are you afraid of your social standing? Sure, she's a shinobi princess and you're considered the village pariah due to stupid thinking of adult but who gives a craps! Thanks to the insane bloodline of yours it's easy to see you'll become a freaking legend. Heck, I bet you don't even need to be shinobi to make more money than anyone. Just go into one of your dungeons get everything of value and sell it or use it to make even better things and then sell those for greater profit. You would be rich in no time and then you could simply buy the Hyuga clan's favor to date Hinata," the Yamanaka heiress suggestion which earns her a glare from the Uzumaki.

"Hinata-chan is a person, not something you can just buy at the store," Naruko proclaimed which made her fellow blonde smile sadly.

"True but she's also the daughter of the head of a shinobi clan. Being treated as a reward, bargaining chip, grand price, or accommodation comes part and parcel for girls like us. The only reason I get to be a free as I'm now is that dad actually thinking of me as a person first, his baby daughter second, and the Heiress of the Yamanaka Clan a distant third. Otherwise I would've had fiancé by now at best and forced into marriage after graduation at worst," Ino informed.

"So, you're saying I better start making money. Then I leverage the access to that wealth as my bargaining chip to win Hinata-chan's family over?" Naruko asked and Ino nodded.

"Yep. Look I know how it sound and trusts me when I tell you I hate it too but it's at least a starting point. Plus, if you want to make a move, I suggest you start now. From what we've hear it seems Hinata is on bad terms with her family outside of Hanabi-chan. Hence, there is a good chance they already have an arranged marriage prepared for her or are just waiting for her to finally feel happy before they send her off to marry some asshole out of spite."

"Okay, I'm an orphan so maybe I have a glorified idea of what a family is but I seriously doubt they would do that," Naruko commented but blinked when Ino rolled her eyes and scuffed.

"Ignorance is a blessing, honey. But if you don't believe me, I'll have to introduce you to my aunty sometime. Then she can tell you all about how her mother almost killed her for being a lesbian and refusing to marry a lord almost twice her age," Ino scuffed with displeasure. Then Yamanka got up and grabbed the Uzumaki shoulder. "Now I'll need you out of my room."

"Huh?" was all Naruko ask before she was easily thrown out of the room. Thankfully she managed to spin enough to land on her feet. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Because I'm going to change and I don't want to give your gay ass a show," Ino answered with a smirk and used her mental powers to close the door in Naruko's face which was blushing from the comment.

"Damn tease."

~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~

[Yamanaka's Bathroom]

Hinata was currently helping secure Hanabi's gauntlets and armor boot but could feel her sister gaze.

"You like Naru-nee, don't you Oneechan?" the little sister asked and the older one to stiffen. Then Hinata sighed and took off her visor to look at her.

"Can you keep a secret for me?" Once the little firework nodded the bluenette smile. "I think I love her, Hanabi-chan. Just being around her makes me the happiest I've ever been. I know she's a girl but I just want to spend all the time I can with her and simply enjoy the little thing."

"~You have a crush~," Hanabi sang and her sister chuckled.

"Well, she is my girlfriend. So I would hope that would be the." At hearing this the younger sibling's eyes widen in surprise. This made Hinata chuckle and she did a shush motion. "Yes, Naru-kun and I are boyfriend and girlfriend with the only difference being that we're both the girlfriend. But I'm going to need you to keep it a secret from the elders until I tell them. That way they wouldn't be able to separate us and you will get a cool big sister in law. Is that okay?" This request was answered with excited nodding. "Good, now let's finish putting on our armor and go on an adventure."

~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~

(Sometime later)

[Ino's bedroom]

The group had gathered back in the room ready in their armor and weapons. Hinata was now in her full blue and golden outline Valkyrie armor with the new armored boots attached to her greaves and her falcon style visor on her face. Hanabi, just like her sister, wasn't wearing a jacket so her new armor and visor were visible while also wearing dark blue pants instead of a skirt. She selected to place the holstered dagger on her right hip. Ino was the one that looked the most similar to her regular self as she was wearing midriff blouse over the chainmail, her slit skirt below that and still wrapped bandages around her legs until they reach the purple armored boots. This was also when the group saw that Naruko had chosen to go with just her black jacket over the chainmail. However, what really got their attention was the Naruko's new fox mask, the belt secured from left to right on her chest and the quiver hanging on her right hip.

"You're really using a fox mask?" Ino asked with a smirk.

"Thanks to video game rules it has more defense than my leather helmet and it also has +5 INT. Regretfully I can't wear my glasses while wearing the mask over my face," Naruko explained.

"When did you get that crossbow, Naru-kun?" Hinata asked after seeing her girlfriend's back. In response Naruko pull out the crossbow and showed it to everyone.

"I made it after making Hanabi's dagger. I don't know how to use it yet but I thought it would better to have a long-range weapon just in case. I mean sure, we have kunai and shuriken to throw but what if I need more precision or the enemy has armor? That's where this bad boy comes in," she explained, patting the mechanical bow made of wood and iron. Then the blonde holster it on her back, formed the party, and created two shadow clones. "Okay, now that we're prepared, I'm going to establish some rule. First, on paper, I'll remain the leader so that enemies wouldn't run away on sight. Second, Ino-chan will be our actual leader today and we'll follow her orders."

"Why am I the leader? Wouldn't you or Hinata-chan be better?"

"Simple, I'm always the leader by default, and Hinata-chan was the leader during our gathering excursion. Hence, I think it's your time to give the orders. Besides, this will be a good time to practice your leadership skills in case we end up on different teams," Naruko explained and the girls nodded. Then she told the two clones to guard the Adventuring Atlas while the team traveled. After this she went to open the map but a message appeared. "Huh?" she vocalized as the girls read.

~ UPDATE: Let my people speak! ~

[Version 1.01]

Due to feedback from party members about NPCs' lack of interactions the system has worked on improving their AI. These are the following fixes being made:

- NPCs will now talk to other party members

- NPCs will react in self-defense if attacked

- NPCs will turn hostile if they catch the player stealing

- NPCs can die as a result of a player's actions and/or inactions

- NPCs' death is permeant and all possible questlines related to said NPCs can be lost

Other notable fixes:

- Redundancy in between the field skills Toolmaking, Infiltration toolmaking, and Trap Making has been addressed. These three have been joined into one category called Toolmaking and as compensation, the skill will start at level 5. A workbench may still be needed for some recipes.

"That… That's new. Is this supposed to happen, Beni-chan?"

"Starting with the seventh generation of video consoles like the 360, PS3 and Wii it became standard practice to update games to fix problems that came after the games were released. Though I wasn't expecting the system to act this way as well. Seems the system evolved to give you a more realistic experience when dealing with others."

"Guess that explained the headache I had this morning," Naruko commented while she closed the window. With this done the map was finally and the group was transported.

~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~

(Adventure map – Village of Lunaria)

Once the group felt the ground below their feet, they had to wait for a little to regain their senses due to the teleportation induce nausea. Thankfully the wait wasn't long and the girls noticed they were on top of a stone platform with a seal that stopped glowing. After this, they looked around and saw they were in a small rural village with about ten wooden houses at most. The next thing they noticed was that they could only see men and young boys walking around. They also looked worried or in complete despair. However, before anyone could ask what was going on a man came running to them.

"Oh! Thank the Goddess for her mercy! You've finally come to help us noble adventures. I almost lost hope that our message to the guild-"

"Wait sir! Please stop! We aren't members of any guild. We're just travelers with fighting skills however we are willing to listen. I just wanted you to know so we wouldn't get in trouble for impersonating an official organization," Naruko interrupted. The man looked crestfallen at the news but nodded and lead them to his house. There the group learned that this man was the Villager Leader and the reason there were no women. Turns out that an evil mage had moved into the abandoned castle, taken control of the monsters in it, and used them to kidnap the women in search of either a bride or a sacrifice for his dark arts.

"Please," the leader begged. "I know that you're not part of the guild but I appreciate it if you provide your help. If needed, we'll pay double the normal reward. Please, we just want our wives, daughters, and granddaughters back."

~ New Quest ~

[Recue of the flowers]

[Description: A mage has fallen into darkness and kidnapped the women of Lunaria. Should your team choose to accept the request it will be your job to bring the women back and hopefully alive.]

[Rescued Villagers: 0/15]

[Rewards: 100 Gold coins, animal hide x10, and a crate of vegetables]

[Accept quest?]

[YES/NO]

"Well, Ino-chan? You're the leader. What do you think?" Naruko asked.

"We're helping them of course," Ino said with a small glare directed a the Uzumaki. However, that stopped almost immediately and she turned back to the leader. "But I have to ask. Why not form an attack force with the available men?"

"We have a few hunters but none of us are really fighters," the leader explained and shook his head. "Plus, none here can truly read or write hence do not have a mage of our own to combat the evil one's magic. Forming an attack force would just result in us dying and leaving our children without protection."

"Do you know anything about the monsters in the area or what we should expect of the castle?" Hinata asked.

"Most of what you'll find in these parts are slime, wolves, bunicorns, bears, or living plant-type monsters. As for the castle? Rumor has it that there was a curse placed on it by the fallen lord that no soul will ever escape it. So, there's a good chance it is haunted with all manner of ghost under the evil mage's control."

"Fuck. Why is it always ghosts?" Naruko cursed under her breath. Before she could start shaking Hinata stealthily squeezed her hand reassuringly. Under her fox mask, the Uzumaki smiled and squeezed back.

"I see. Thank you, sir. We'll embark on this mission quickly and get back the women," Ino proclaimed with the group nodding in agreement. After which the girls got up and on Benihime's suggestion went to check the small store in the village. There they bought some medical herbs, food ingredients, and a couple of traps like ropes, nets and bear traps on Naruko request.

"Why do we need those things?" Hanabi asked upon seeing Naruko gleefully put the bear traps in her inventory.

"Have to ever seen what a bear trap does to a watermelon?" the vixen asked and could feel the grin behind the mask.

"Naru-kun, please don't place such dangerous thoughts in my little sister's head," Hinata begged which earned her a chuckle but reassuring promise. After this, the group exited the village and made their way through the forest separating the village from the castle. Surprisingly as they walked through the forest, they hadn't fought any enemies. That was of course until they did encounter a single Slime and Hanabi fell in love with the cute and silly looking creature.

"It's so cute!" the little Hyuga called out with stars in her eyes.

"Hanabi-chan! Don't get close to it!"

"Oh, leave her be. Even if the slime attacks the most it will do is scare her. Her defense is too high to get damaged by it."

"That's still my sister, Naru-kun! I need to protect her!"

"You can't baby her forever Hime. She needs to learn that even cute things can be dangerous." Thus, the secret couple had started their first argument due to conflicting ideology. For the most part, at least, they kept their voices low and calm but Benihime and Ino could feel the frustration mounting as neither wanted to budge from their stance. That was until something caught Ino's eye.

"Girls," she called out but was ignored. "Girls!" Once more Ino was ignored and sighed while rolled her eyes. "Ramen sucks," the mind walking muttered low and plainly.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Naruko screamed and whipped around with eyes almost red. Instead of answering Ino pointed at the laughing Hanabi who was playing with the pink slime. "Wait… that slime was blue a moment ago. Wasn't it?"

"It was but while you two were having a lover's quarrel Hanabi-chan did something and that slime change color. From play Mario Bros, I learned that when things change color like this, they're either dying, getting strong, or both. So yeah, would you mind using that scanning skill of yours on it to see if it became poisonous or something."

"Mochi isn't dangerous," Hanabi announced with a smile while pick up the pinky slime.

"Oh no. She named it," Hinata muttered with worry as her sister continued.

"She was blue but after I gave her one of the sakura-mochi I had sealed in my backpack to eat Mochi glowed a little before turning pink. After that, she started understanding me and playing with me. Can I keep her? Please Hinata-Oneechan?"

"I… I don't know," Hinata told while trying to resist the sad puppy eyes both her sister and the slime were giving her. Naruko, on the other hand, followed Ino's suggestion and used Scan.

Mochi [Lv1] ~ Hanabi Hyuga's pet slime ~

XP: 0/99

HP: 5/5

MP: 20/20

ATK: 001

DEF: 001

SPD: 010

INT: 012

Description – Originally Mochi was a simple slime until she met Hanabi Hyuga. Unlike most adventurers, the young Hyuga showed her love and compassion by offering food out of the kindness of her heart. Touched by this she accepted the love offering and became a Pink Slime [+] while swearing to always protect the girl. Thus, by Hanabi's will and love, Mochi was born.

Techniques: Tackle and Ooze

Special Traits: Making Gummy Hearts

The group looked on in disbelieved at the information window which explained that the youngest of the group had just managed to tame a monster with nothing but a snack. Then they Naruko's jaws almost hit a floor when she read the information on what a Pink Slime was. The text explained this type of slime was considered one of the rarest species, beating out any metal-sub species, since none had ever been seen in the wild. Instead, they were only seen in captivity, and even then, it took multiple generations for one to appear. The Bestiary also went on to note that this type of slime seemed to always identify itself as female, was incredibly friendly to the person or family that raised her, and liked to express this by making and gifting Gummy Hearts to these people. The text also mentions that these girls, even in their early days, seemed to fully understand any human language and were intelligent enough to give responded through gestures or actions.

"We're keeping her," Naruko finally muttered much to Hanabi's delight and Hinata's worry. "However," she added with a glared directed at Mochi "you better get stronger to help Hanabi-chan and her sister. Because if you don't, I'm personally feeding you to the woodchipper. Do you understand, Mochi?" In response, the pink creature nodded her body and puffed up her cheeks as it to prove she was already strong.

"I guess she really can understand people," Hinata noted with a defeated smile. "Fine. You can keep Mochi but you have to take care of her too, Hanabi-chan."

The little sister promised to do so and the group continued their trek through the forest. It took a couple of more minutes before the found another enemy. This one was a small red and white mushroom with tinny legs moving about. It would have been laughable if the thing hadn't spotted them and immediately unleash a cloud of spores. The group easily dodge the cloud by jumping onto tree branches however that didn't stop the small shroom from trying to smash down one of the trees by ramming itself into it.

"Rather violent little fella isn't he," Ino muttered.

"Yeah, but it's too weak to get up here and the spores are too heavy to get up here," Naruko taunted from her branch.

"JUMP!" Benihime screamed but it was too late as Naruko's face was blasted with a spray of said spores. The force of the spray was enough to knock the girl off the tree and crash land on while complaining how it got into her eyes. However, the weirdest part was seeing a mushroom instantly grow on top of Naruko's head. "Oh no! Everyone! Please defeat the Ramblin' Evil Mushroom quickly so we can heal Naruko-chan before she starts attacking us."

The warning was enough for the team to go into action with Hinata lunching an Air Palm, Ino swinging her whip, and Hanabi throwing her dagger. The little creature didn't stand a chance as it was obliterated but the girls ignored the victory screen as the rushed to Naruko. The Uzumaki seemed to be in pain given how much she was shaking and how she hadn't tried to get up from her prone position.

"Naru-kun are you okay?" Hinata asked while activating her Byakugan. This let her see that the mushroom had not just sprouted on the girl's head but seemingly rooted itself completely into her girlfriend's nervous system.

"¡uʍop ƃuᴉɥsnd sdǝǝʞ ʎpoq ʎɯ ʇnq dn puɐʇs oʇ ƃuᴉʎɹʇ ɯ,I ˙uʍop ǝpᴉsdn puɐ pɹɐʍʞɔɐq ɥʇoq slǝǝɟ ƃuᴉɥʇʎɹǝʌƎ ¿ʎɐʞo ɯ,I ǝʞᴉl ʞool ʇᴉ sǝop"

"The hell you just called her?" Ino blanked at whatever Naruko's mouth had said. This question clearly annoyed the whiskered girl given the frown in her face.

"˙llǝʍ ƃuᴉlǝǝɟ ʇou ɯ,I pᴉɐs ʇsnɾ I ¡ƃuᴉɥʇʎuɐ ǝɯᴉH llɐɔ ʇ,upᴉp I ¿ʇnoqɐ ƃuᴉʞlɐʇ noʎ ǝɹɐ ʞɔnɟ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥM"

"Give it up Naruko-chan," Benihime interjected before a fight broke out. "You've been Mushroomized. That means out of battle your controls are backward and it seems that also affected your speech as well. Normally a doctor could heal it for a fee or a mushroom collector could extract it pay us for it however I didn't see either back in the village. Thankfully I haven't used my Saving Grace yet so I can heal this one quickly. Regretfully that also means that after this I wouldn't be able to heal anyone in trouble, Therefore, please be careful."

"Good going Shroom-Head," Ino joked and laughed at the reversed talk cursing thrown at her. However, before the fairy could start the incantation Mochi jumped out of Hanabi's arms and onto Naruko's back. Before the group what the pink slime was doing she starts shaking violently until she melts into a puddle that is quickly absorbed by the Uzumaki's body. They gasped thinking the worst until Hinata, who still had her Byakugan active, notice the pink slime was eating away at the roots of the mushroom as it traveled through Naruko's body. Then in a matter of seconds, that felt like hours, the invading fungi was pushed out of the jinchuriki's head right before Mochi shot herself out of Naruko's ear, reformed and eat the last bit of mushroom. After eating parasite, the slime girl shivered and made a disgusted face before turning to the group with a smug "Praise me" look on her face.

"What just happened?" Ino asked as Hanabi hugged her pet.

"Mochi save Naru-nee!" Hanabi praise and Mochi vibrated happily from the paise.

"I saw that but that still doesn't answer how?" Ino demanded while Hinata helps Naruko stand up.

"Besides their magic core a slime doesn't have any internal organs. Yet they need to eat at least once a month to gain nutrients so they developed an internal dissolvent liquid that can break down nearly anything. My guess is that Mochi used her Ooze skill to liquefy and enter Naruko as we saw. Then she somehow controlled that solvent to eat the mushroom without damaging Naruko's body," Benihime explained.

"Yeah and now everything smells and tastes like strawberries to be me. Still thank you for that save Mochi," Naruko said after getting back to her feet. "By the way, we agree that those mushrooms now have a kill on sight order, right?" The group nodded in agreement before they continued through the forest. Thankfully they few enemies they found were quickly defeated and it gave Hanabi a chance to test out her new dagger. Naruko also pointed out to the group each victory was powering up Mochi as by the time the castle could be seen on the outskirts of the forest the slime had reached level 3.

"I wonder how much stronger can Mochi become?" Hinata asked as she saw the small blob did a victory dance after the group dispatched a pack of wolves.

"I don't know. Even if she's a rare sub-species Mochi is just a slime. They aren't that strong, to begin with," Naruko answered after getting the loot and closing the victory window. "It's a shame really. There exist a bunch of other types of slime monsters that can be so much stronger."

"She can still evolve into those," Benihime added and smirked when everyone's head whipped towards her. "I hadn't said anything because I thought Naruko-chan would be the first one to tame a monster. However, now that Hanabi-chan found Mochi-san and the question has been made I can talk about the pet progression. Pets can evolve into higher versions of their families given time. However, a few factors must be met before the evolution takes place. One, the monster has to reach a specific level of power. Two, the trainer has to feed/give them the required materials for the evolution ritual. And number three, the creature and their trainer must complete a challenge before or during the ritual."

"Does this mean Mochi can become exceptionally strong?" Ino inquired and Benihime nodded. The fairy then summoned a scroll and handed it to the youngest Hyuga.

"That scroll holds the evolution chart for Mochi with the information of the three factors needed for each form. It also shows the specialty of the evolutions to make it easier for you to choose how Mochi can grow. Please note that de-evolution is possible but you'll need a De-Evolution Stone of different levels depending on the tier of the evolution and it will reset Mochi's level to the minimum needed for the previous form. Also, the materials needed for the previous evolution will not be reimbursed. The stones can be bought in the game shop Naruko-chan has access to so you can ask her for the prices."

The youngest Hyuga smile and thanked the fairy with a bowed before giving the scroll to her big sister for safekeeping. The group then moved past the few trees left to reach the castle but stopped just before the last line. From this position, the group could see that the castle was rather small. Ino asked for a pair of binoculars in the off chance that Naruko had any which the Uzumaki did. However, Hanabi was quick to point out that they didn't need those when they had two Byakugan users. Ino was about to concede when everyone heard and saw the literal lightbulb blink on top of Naruko's head. Normally that would have been the point Ino would have cursed the whiskered girl's ability to bend reality but was stopped by the feeling of the girl's excited grin under the fox mask.

"What are you planning?" Ino asked/accused like a mother knowing their child is about to do something extremely stupid and knowing she couldn't stop them. Instead of answering Naruko just handed the binoculars to Hinata with eyes full of hopeful wonder.

"Use this conjunction with your Byakugan," Naruko said while almost vibrating with anticipation. Under her falcon visor, Hinata blinked and blushed a little at how cute her girlfriend was being.

'Curse her cuteness! I can't say no when she's like this,' Hinata thought had to use all of her will not stop herself from smooch the girl right there and then.

"Why would Oneechan need that? Those are useless for us since the Byakugan would just look straight through," Hanabi argued only to be on the receiving end of Naruko's grin.

"How do you know? Has anyone in your clan ever tried it?" For a moment the young Juken user opened her mouth to retort but stop. As she thought about it Hanabi realized she had never heard or seen anyone in the clan using any sort of magnifying glass. Thinking deeper anything that should help one's sight seemed to be frowned upon give the time she heard some adults saying things like glasses being useless for their perfect eyes. This train of thought brought about many questions for the young girl with the main one being: Why is it bad to use something that makes you see better?

"First you turn Hinata-chan in a spear-wielding rebel and now you're corrupting Hanabi-chan with the evils of magnifying glasses. Careful there, Pumpkin. If you keep trying to help and improve things by showing that some traditions are okay to left behind you'll soon find yourself with a target on your back," Ino joked at seeing that once more the Uzumaki's out of the box thinking had claimed another victim.

"Let them bring it! By the time they realize I've poisoned their cute princesses with the idea of freedom I'll have already made a steady supply of Explosive Arrows," Naruko chuckled back and the group chuckled. Still, Hinata grabbed the binoculars and lifted her visor to used them. Once they were in the proper position, she used the dial trick to concentrate all of the Byakugan's sight forward. Her jaw almost dropped at what she could see.

"It… It works," Hinata whispered in astonishment. In response, Naruko, Benihime, and Mochi cheered, Hanabi saw her sister in awe and Ino rolled her eyes while muttering something about overpowered bloodlines mixing. Then Hinata started snapping her fingers "Please, I need a pencil and paper to make a map. I don't know how long I can keep my eyes open like this!" Hearing this Naruko pulled out the need items before they exploded into chakra dust and then reformed into a blank window before Hinata. This Benihime explained was a cartography screen from one to draw a map. Thus, Hinata started to make the map of the castle as she could see it. The process wasn't quick and more than once Hinata had to stop to rest her eyes. Thankfully between the Eye Drops healing items Naruko had bought previously back home plus the Uzumaki's First-Aid and M-Pathy spells the bluenette was able to finish the layout of the castle without damaging her eyes.

"Okay, I have to admit this is both incredibly amazing and totally terrifying, Hinata-chan. I think you just became the Elemental Nation's greatest infiltrator," Ino noted as she scrolled through the maps of the castle. The from this they could see that the structure had four floors: the ground floor, the 2nd floor, the small 3rd floor, and the basement. The map details every corridor, wall, room, hidden area, treasure chests, and even the traps. Not only that but it showed that the basement was where all of the villager women were being held while the uppermost floor was the location of the boss room and consequently the evil mage.

"Thank you. Ino-chan. But now we had to make our plan of attack," Hinata said before adding "Oh, and don't worry Hanabi-chan. I'll make sure to teach you how to use your Byakugan like this. It can be taxing but I'm sure you'll be able to do it." Hearing this made the younger sister grin and cheered which was imitated by her gelatinous partner.

"Nice to see the knowledge being spread but let's start planning," Ino said while looking through the castle layout. "The women are in the basement while the boss is at the top. Should we separate and strike at two fronts or climb the walls and kill the leader first?"

"That wouldn't work," Naruko commented pointed at the map of the third floor. "See that lock before the Boss Room? I'm willing to bet my last copper that no matter how much we try we wouldn't be able to bust through it. That means we need a special key for it." With this, she moved to the map on the second floor. "See these two rooms: one small one with a giant chest and the one before it that looks empty? That whole area screams important so we should get there first. It probably holds the key we need though also means will have to fight a mini-boss."

"Why would you lock a key inside a chest?" Hanabi asked.

"Videogame logic," both Naruko and Benihime shrugged. This caused Hinata to giggle slightly while Ino rolled her eyes but she still smirked.

"Okay, you two get that win. But we can still climb the castle walls, right? Pumpkin can use her clones to carry Hanabi-chan and me since we don't know the wall climbing technique."

"Actually, Hanabi-chan does know it since our clan forces us to learn perfect chakra control from a young age. However, that still wouldn't work as the walls are coated in seals a little similar to that anti-magic barrier we encountered at the tower. The only difference being that instead of a circular barrier surrounding the whole castle is just a membrane covering the surface of the walls. Think of it as the walls being coated in oil."

"Dammit," Ino cursed before sighing "Guess this means we're storming the castle through the front gate instead of being sneaky like proper ninjas. However, that still leaves the prisoners. Hinata-chan, did you notice anything strange in the cells?"

"Now that you mention it, yes. That chains keeping the woman there had the same type of chakra as the boss room. Naru-kun, is it safe to assume that means we can't move them without defeating the mage first?"

"That's more than likely but this feels like a trap to me. I've played Metal Slug in the arcades and there the POWs are scattered throughout the level. Here they're all in a single area held by chains connected to the evil mage's power. That could either mean they cannot be freed so long as he remains or their life is connected to him."

"Then we should separate after all," Ino suggested. "That way one team can protect the women while the other deals with the bad guy. Plus, while you were making around armor, we talked to Benihime and she showed us how to call one another using your Friend List. Therefore, we can keep in contact with each other will in two different areas. As for the teams, I think the best setups are Hanabi-chan, Mochi, a group of shadow clones and me on guard duty while Pumpkin and Hinata-chan destroy that monster."

"May I ask why?" Hinata questioned. While she liked that idea of having alone time with her favorite girl that didn't mean she was okay with leaving her sister like that. Sure, each day Ino was proving she was both trustworthy and a good friend however Hinata couldn't just forget all of the years she saw the girl neglected her training. Seemingly reading her mind Ino chuckled in understanding.

"Don't worry Hinata-chan. I've been making sure to train like I should have been all of this team and then some. I'm nowhere near your level yet but I'm not going to let anything happen to Hanabi-chan. Plus we'll have a bunch of shadow clones backing us up," the Yamanaka princess reassured with a thumbs up.

"Don't worry Oneechan. I'm strong enough to defend myself here and I'll have Mochi, Ino-nee, and Naruko-nee's clones protecting me! You can go up there and kick the bad guy's butt," Hanabi said and her pet smile nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry Hime. She's in good hands," Naruko added while putting an encouraging hand on the bluenette's shoulder. Seeing she was outnumbered Hinata could only sigh but smiled all the same.

"Fine. But I still want you to be careful young lady," Hinata told and her little sister agreed.

"Guess we have a plan," the Yamanaka noted before grinning and putting her fist forward. "Let's show these monsters what we kunoichi can do!" All of the girls grinned at the cheesiness of the gesture but joined in on the group fist bump.

Their first rescue mission was about to begin!

~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~

A/N:

Originally, I wanted to give it more action but instead, it turned to be about the girls interacting with each other and forming strategy. Guess friendship, videogames, and battle preparation won this round. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this episode and keep yourself safe during these times.