-Last Chapter-
"Like this?" He asked.
"Y-Yes just like that!" She squealed a bright flash accompanying her words before she quickly looked at the photo with a bright flush. "V-Very good!" She praised holding nose while she fanned herself with the newly developed photo.
Said photo depicted the blond in a traditional schoolboy outfit complete with a little backpack as he stared innocently into the camera with a little fox plush stuffed in his arms. His big blue shined in the light while his pouty lips were stuck out in a quizzical expression that was just adorable. She placed it with the rest of the photos in that set which included one of him lying on his stomach drawing in a picture book with a soft smile and another of him pouting while fussing with his tie.
Not to mention some more… selective poses that she hurriedly locked away…
"Ark Royal, would you care to explain yourself?"
~Present~
Silence.
For once in what felt like years she was treated to the now unfamiliar embrace of quiet tranquility. There were no imminent threats to face, no bureaucrats on her case demanding resources or extra patrols, and best of all there were no mountains of paperwork for her to fill out! She could just relax and put her feet up, maybe even get in a small nap in if she really tried for it.
"That sounds rather nice right about now." She murmured letting out a small yawn and gently dipping the brim of her cap, tired but content eyes slowly giving way to welcome exhaustion and the whispering allure of a light afternoon snooze. She had earned that much at least, right?
…
Poke~
She twitched, the feeling of small pudgy digits digging into the flesh of her cheek and the slightly unnerving sensation of being stared at rupturing her fragile peace. The whispers of sweet nothings that had been so close now abruptly pulled away and in its place the bitter call of alertness now took her, it's jagged edges far less inviting than the docile smoothness of its counterpart.
Maybe if she just ignored it-
Poke~
Whoever it was may just-
Poke~
Go away-
Poke~
"I'm awake!" She groaned, reluctantly prying open her eyes, tired grey orbs met almost immediately by shimmering cerulean. She'd know those eyes anywhere but what they were doing in her office at this time of the day was a mystery to her, one that she'd likely find an answer to given his insistence for her attention. She idly noted that he had never been so pushy in the past… perhaps he'd begun taking a bit too much after his self-appointed sisters.
He held up his arms staring expectantly at her in that blank way of his that was equal parts cute yet demanding, it was odd to think that even when he wasn't trying to be expressive that he could still communicate desire so clearly, she chuckled to herself and with a soft grunt she lifted him up onto her lap, his cloak folding beneath his legs as he settled into his new spot between her legs and his head came to rest gently against her chest.
She spoiled him rotten but then again nearly everyone did so it wasn't as if she was the only guilty party.
"What are you doing here Naru?" She settled back into her own chair and ran her fingers softly through his hair, a chuffed smirk settling upon her face as she felt him practically melt under her hand as usual. It was a small joke among her inner circle that if the Sirens ever found out his weakness for a bit of petting they'd lose him within the day.
Not that they really believed he would be swayed so easily, at least they hoped not.
"Sheffy-nee said I should come check on you." He admitted his reasons without shame or thought, far too wrapped up in the pleasant tingle of her gloved hand playing within his golden locks. "She said you might turn into a slug without anything to do and I don't want you to turn into a slug." He muttered, pressing himself deeper into her stomach as if to ensure such a thing could never happen while also nestling in closer to the object delivering him a much-desired spoiling.
"She said that did she?…" Of course, it would be Sheffield of all people that would still somehow manage to find a way to interrupt her quiet time. It was as if the woman had a sixth sense for when she wasn't working. "I'm not actually going to turn into a slug you know? It's just a figure of speech." She assured, giving him a soft poke in his exposed stomach, smiling at the indignant manner in which he slapped her hand away.
"I know… but can't chance it." He muttered and she couldn't stop the small giggle that left her lips at his childishness. There were those that saw the Kansen as nothing more than tools of war, as things to be used and disposed of they no longer had purpose… but little quirks like these proved to her beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were clearly individuals, people the same as her or anyone else. It's why she strived to lead them as best she could because she not only fought for humanity but for them as well.
"You are too adorable." She squeezed him a bit enjoy the extra warmth he always seemed to radiate. "How about you and I go for a walk then? Get out of thid office for a bit and just enjoy the rest of my break so I don't turn into a slug, hm?"
"Can we get snacks on the walk?"
"Sure, whatever you want." She nodded.
"Mkay."
At least he was easy to please.
…
"Okay new rule, we don't buy snacks from Akashi ever again."
Mirai grumbled as she put her now much lighter wallet away, the sound of purring and greed filled cackling echoing in the distance as the pair walked away from the supply shop, bags of assorted treats clutched in hand. If anyone needed a perfect example of why monopolies were awful they had to look no further than the only distribution center and more to the point the only real seller on the entire base.
"Money-grubbing little…"
She felt a small thump on her leg and turned her gaze downward to see Naruto looking at her disapprovingly as if he knew she was about to say some less than flattering words about their resident shopkeeper. Of all the patrons on the base, it was only the little ones that Akashi tended to go easy on, often offering them new outfits for cheap or discounts on fuel from time to time and to the unaware outsider, it was easy to mistake that as the Neko-loli having a heart of gold under all her greed.
The reality, however, was far less flattering. The reason she did that wasn't out of some level of charity or kindness but instead because there were certain parties on the island that would pay rather embarrassing amounts of money to see certain outfits worn by certain girls and recently one boy.
Off in the distance, a certain Royal Navy carrier sneezed violently before returning to her duties.
"Don't be mean Commander…" He ordered, likely thinking he was being quite serious but it was rather hard for her to keep a straight face seeing that his cheeks were covered with small bits of chocolate and sugar. Pulling out her phone she couldn't help but snap a quick picture for prosperity's sake and laughing as he began to repeatedly thump at her leg in childish anger at her casual dismissal of his authority or lack thereof.
The fact that if he so wished he could very well vaporize her seemed so distant when he was like this.
"Alright I'm sorry, now please stop beating up my legs." She giggled taking him by the hand to pause his "assault".
"Hmph." He huffed but conceded nonetheless, allowing her to lead him and continue the rest of their walk in peace, or at least as much peace as they could get given the number of people that stopped to converse with them. It was rare for her to leave her office so early in the day and to say their little half-siren was popular would be an understatement so naturally, it wasn't too surprising then that they were interrupted fairly often along the way. Most just came to say hello and make a bit of idle conversation which was perfectly fine, while others had arrived with some less than noble intentions.
One such soul having just gotten past and her watch.
When he'd gotten acquainted with the Iron Blood's wasn't exactly known to her but to say he was fond of the beer-loving sharks would be a seriously gross understatement. No, Naruto absolutely adored the girls of Iron Blood, to the point where he'd often sneak away only to be found hours later smelling of metal polish and alcohol, thankfully they had the good sense not to actually give him any or lord knows the fit Takao would have. Returning to her previous point though, it was safe to say that he was enthralled by the faction and few key members of it in particular such as U-47, Tirpitz, Z46, Graf Zeppelin of all people, and a few others.
One of which being none other than…
"Vielen Dank~" Prinz Eugen chirped happily, amber orbs twinkling with amusement as she happily seated the now animated young boy within her lap, said child taking the time to feed the German heavy cruiser various sweets which she graciously accepted in exchange for a bit of pampering. Honestly, she might as well not even been there given the pair were almost completely caught up with one another to the point she doubted they would have noticed if she simply decided to leave. While Eugen was certainly one of the more friendly girls under her command, the speed at which the two had bonded was matched only by a few others, namely Akagi and Atago, who had both taken an immediate shine to him.
"Ahem." She coughed.
"Ah, apologies Commander I did not see you there." Eugen apologized demurely, all the while shooting a knowing smile that told her that statement was a complete lie and held up a hand in greeting while her other kept her new "toy" securely flush against her chest. "I hope you are well this fine day."
Rolling her eyes at the Hipper-class she nodded her way. "I am, you seem to be in rather good spirits yourself." She deadpanned privy to the way Eugen practically seemed to glow at the moment.
"Am I?" Her response was phrased like a question but it was far too coy to be anything but guilty. "Perhaps it has something to do with little Kuma-chan here." Her fingers dug gently into the whiskered cheek of the blond in her lap who released a small squeak at the sensation of her digit running over his skin. "Is that right little bear?~"
"Not a bear." Naruto pouted at her nickname for him but that did little to stop him from greedily accepting her affections, something she no doubt knew given her rather physical methods of interacting with him. Then again Eugen had always been one of the more "intimate" girls when it came to teasing or showing her affection for others such as how she would often grope her sister only to complain about her lack of development in certain areas.
It was little wonder why Hipper was as high strung as she was.
"No? How about Usagi-chan?" She suggested and he shook his head again.
"Not a rabbit."
"Ah, I see… what about Kitsune-chan." She mused and at that, he paused a sudden flash of remembrance flittering by and a well of emotion surging up for a split second, words there were not his own burning through his thoughts like wildfire.
"You aren't just the nine-tailed fox anymore, you're my partner from here on out!" A loud but caring voice declared, conviction and passion entrenched so deeply in so few words that it was almost damning to ignore them.
"Tsk… still as presumptuous as ever you damn brat. Keh, just don't disappoint me or I'll take my power back"
"Hehe, you're all heart aren't you Kura-"
"Ne, do you not like that one either?" Prinz's voice cut through the haze that had fallen over him and the feelings of joy receded like the tide, the lingering warmth of its presence still echoing on the sands of his mind.
"Ano… foxes are good." He said simply and Eugen laughed.
"I'm sure Lady Kaga and Lady Akagi would be flattered." She giggled, it was unsurprising that he would welcome any comparison to his sister figures. "Very well, little fox it is then." She then turned to the Commander. "Would you like a name too Commander?~" She asked the familiar twinkle of mischief in her eyes that most had come to associate the white-haired woman with.
Mirai held up her hands. "I think I'll pass."
"Such a shame." She stuck out her tongue playfully.
"I'm sure it is." She took a moment to glance at her watch and quietly cursed, she'd spent far too long out of the office by now she'd likely missed more than a few calls and goodness knows how much paperwork. "Eugen would you mind watching Naru for me, I have to get back to the office." She asked not wanting to just up and leave him on his own.
"Not at all~" Eugen smiled and rested her chin upon the crown of his head. "What do you think about spending the rest of the day with me?"
"Are we going to see Hipper-nee?"
"Fufu, if that is what you'd like."
"Mhm." He turned to the Commander and waved. "Bye Commander, don't turn into a slug."
"I promise I won't." She chuckled, returning his wave and turning to leave before shooting one last comment toward his new watcher for the rest of the afternoon. "Eugen behave yourself."
"I'll not be making any such promises Commander but your suggestion has been noted~" She gave a cheeky grin at the glare sent her way and the pair watched as their leader slowly made her way into the distance before finally disappearing over the horizon.
"Well then, I think it's time we depart lest we waste such a promising opportunity. There is much to do and so little time to do it in." Eugen stood and carried her new cargo in hand, his small frame and weight making it rather easy for her to carry him. "Shall we depart?" She asked.
"Mhm!" He nodded.
[ The Iron Blood Dorms ]
The home of the Iron Bloods was… unique, to say the least.
If one possessed an understanding of the faction as a whole then they would likely say the decor was rather fitting for a group that placed as much emphasis on military strength and image. Deep shades of red accented by swaths of black colored the halls in an impressive yet intimidating display, the walls were spartan in nature lacking the sheer vibrancy of color that defined the Sakura dorms or beautiful arrangements of fine art that made walking through the Royal Navy dorms like visiting an art museum.
No, the walls of their home were donned with weapons. All manner of tools designed solely for war and a reflection of how the Iron Bloods viewed themselves, at least to some extent. It would not be a stretch to envision their living quarters as an armory. A place where when the flags of incoming conflict peeked over the horizon would be the first place soldiers should flock to.
It was this idea that made other factions somewhat wary of their German allies. Their might in battle was not to be underestimated and the idea of retreat was nearly sinful in their eyes meaning most would fight until they simply could no longer physically do so, their pride as warriors made them respected allies and feared opponents and it was no understatement to say that their presence within the organization was a great boon to humanity.
Even then, it did little to stop Naruto from wandering about the place without so much as a care. His gaze wandering from medieval swords to the many firearms that practically littered the place. He may not have loved conflict but there was something about weaponry of all kinds that just naturally drew his eye.
"Come along Naru-chan, I believe I heard my dear sister somewhere around here." Eugen called out to him and he quickly returned to her side leaving the cases of arms alone for the moment in favor following his guide. True enough the sound of chatter could be heard throughout the halls, some familiar to him and others foreign.
There were still many faces he'd yet to meet given that he'd spent the majority of his time here with Eugen.
"Hipper~" Eugen sang with merriment as she practically kicked the door to their room in with her entrance. "I have a surprise for you~" She hummed with amusement at the sight of her dear sister sprawled out along the floor holding her head. It appeared as if her entrance may have startled her.
Oops.
"Damn it, Eugen, why did you do that?!" Hipper groaned from her position on the floor eyeing her sister with visible annoyance as she rested a palm over her rapidly beating heart, it wasn't the first time Eugen had done that but it was just as upsetting as ever. "What the hell is so important-"
"Hipper-nee!"
Eugen laughed joyously as Hipper's words were cut off by the blond blur slamming into her slowly rising form, her body once again hitting the floor with a deep thump as she was caught completely unaware and unprepared, green eyes practically swirling from the force of impact.
"Oi, what the!-" Hipper glanced down only to be meet with gleeful blue eyes mere inches away from her own, almost immediately her face grew flush with embarrassment and indignation as she registered the small body straddling her own and said embarrassment only grew worse as Eugen's teasing laugher became increasing vocal though it was nearly drowned out by the sound of blood rushing through her ears.
"I missed you Hipper-nee!"
"G-Get off of me right now!" She hissed trying vainly to remove the new addition to her person but utterly failing as his grip only tightened around her, his determination to remain attached superseding her desire to remove him. "W-Why are you even here? Eugen stop laughing and help me!"
"I would never ruin such a tender moment." Prinz smiled serenely and sat herself down on a nearby chair, resting her cheek in her palm as she watched the proceedings with thinly disguised mirth. "It is rare for someone so endearing to greet a prickly person like you so earnestly, you should be happy." She commented, she loved her sister more than anything but the girl had a talent for putting her foot in her mouth. It was a wonder that she hadn't run the boy off yet.
"There is no way I'd be happy about this, not even the slightest bit!" Hipper hissed her face still quite red as she tried, rather weakly for a girl of her strength, to pry him off of her. "Let go of me, i-idiot!"
"Mou…" Naruto tapped her cheek with his hand and pouted. "Hipper-nee is being a tsun again."
"I-I am not!" She tried to argue, she was not tsun damn it! She didn't like being hugged or call nee-chan, not at all, not even a tiny bit!
Eugen nodded. "You are being pretty tsun right now." She agreed cheekily.
"No one asked you!" She growled.
"Be nice." Another tap against her cheek.
"Stop treating me like a dog!"
"I'd say she's more like a cat." Eugen tapped her chin in faux contemplation. "A gluttonous creature who believes the world should praise her for the simplest of accomplishments." She shook her head. "Worse yet, even when she's being showered with such pure attention she can't even nr honest with herself about it, such a difficult girl." Eugen teased.
"T-That's not true at all, shut up!" Hipper was nearly scarlet by the point. "I don't want any attention from anyone, especially not him!"
"Good kitty." Naruto praised rubbing his cheek against her own and softly rubbing against her skin, putting the final nail in the coffin for the poor cruiser. Hipper let out a noise somewhere between a scream of frustration and a shout of defeat before slumping over despondently, the onslaught of teasing and affection simply overwhelming her.
Such was the curse of being a tsundere
"Ano… we broke Hipper-nee…" He let go of the cruiser and moved her head onto his lap, gently stroking her hair as if to apologize to the now unconscious blond.
"She'll be fine, perhaps this will be a lesson in honesty for her." Eugen did not appear fussed in the slightest about the condition of her sister. "Until she wakes up though I shall go fetch us some refreshments." Eugen giggled and stood from her seat, "I will return shortly."
Naruto watched her leave, a clear skip to her step being an obvious indication of her mood before he turned his attention back onto the sleeping girl resting upon his lap and he rested a gentle hand upon her face. Hipper-nee was really cute like Nelson-nee, but Nelson didn't pass out when he visited her like Hipper did.
She just carried him around and complained a lot but Rodney-nee told him that meant she liked him. Hipper didn't carry him around but she would watch over him and complain a lot too which must have meant that she liked him as well.
"I like you too Hipper-nee." He said cheerfully and somehow even while unconscious Hipper's face gained a slightly pink tinge to it and if one listened closely they could almost make out some faint mutterings.
"Doesn't…make me happy… at all…"
…
At some point, it became clear that Hipper wasn't going to wake up anytime soon and so Eugen had invited him to meet more of their warmongering family. The first of which had been the so-called "Ugly Sisters' Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, the two battlecruisers had been quite interested in meeting the battleship though for wildly different reasons.
Gneisenau, a researcher at heart, was far more fascinated by the process which had birthed him than she was with the boy himself and she had made it clear that she wished to put him through a few tests to accurately measure how he stood up against their own artillery. While he didn't really get why she was curious about such a thing he had no issues with the request and promised her a demonstration some other time. Scharnhorst, on the other hand, was far more interested in testing him in battle. She had a lot of pride in her position as a battlecruiser and she wanted to see if he was really worth all the time that must have gone into putting him together. Having learned from Kaga not to show weakness in front of a potential opponent, he had met her challenge directly and the two were set to have a bout sometime in the near future as a means to kill two birds with one stone.
After that, he'd gotten to meet a few new faces such as more of the Z-line of destroyers. He personally still thought it was a bit strange that they were all referred to by numbers such as Z21 or Z36 but they seemed perfectly content with it for the most.
However, according to Eugen he'd still yet to meet all of the most interesting members. A point she had made while dragging him towards a rather beaten up section of the dorm.
Where those bullet holes?
He had little time to ruminate on that however before a cackling voice rang out through the air.
"Hahahaha! Run, run like the ants you are!" A shrill voice trilled in open jubilation, the sound of another shell being fired into the air ringing in their ears as Eugen opened the door to what appeared to be like a training area. The room was surprisingly empty with the sole exception of one occupant who was shooting at practice targets, a smoking red pistol clutched tightly in her hand.
She also had a rather smug look on her face for someone fighting practice dummies.
"Deutschland, please control yourself, you're frightening the children." Eugen coughed, stifling a laugh into her palm as the rather petite girl whirled around at the sudden intrusion, her weapon leveled at them before she seemed to realize what she was doing and a dark scowl crossed her rather shark-like features, sharp jagged teeth grinding in annoyance.
"Eugen, how dare you sneak up on me!"
"We did no such thing, perhaps you were just too busy asserting your dominance over the "ants" as you were saying." She sent a bemused glance towards the now thoroughly torn up training dolls and Deutschland's face turned slightly red before she quickly shook it off and marched forward, the click of her combat boots echoing through the mostly empty room.
"Tsk, how insolent." She turned up her nose at the taller cruiser before her gaze wandered and she caught sight of the child at her side. Cerulean blue orbs met ocean blue in a slight stare down before Deutschland looked back towards Eugen. "Who is this pup?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.
"This here is Naruto, or Naru-chan, or Kitsune-chan whichever you'd prefer." Eugen placed a hand on his head. "He is one of the newer additions to our family, isn't he just adorable?" She grinned and patted the boy's fat cheeks earning a soft whine for her actions.
"Hmph, Spee is cuter." Deutschland countered before eyeing him up. "He doesn't look like much either." She pointed out, judging that he was probably just another weakling destroyer despite being only a bit smaller than herself.
"Sassy midget." He noted and Eugen couldn't stop herself from giggling at the blunt assertion while Deutschland growled at the blatant disrespect.
"Watch what you say or I will erase you!" She hissed. "Also you are smaller than me so that makes you less than a midget!"
"Nyeh." He stuck his tongue out at her and Eugen watched with bemusement as Deutschland returned the gesture, the pair becoming locked in a battle of faces and childish name-calling that was unbefitting of their power. Granted, Deutschland had always been somewhat of a child given the way most would rather submit to her eccentricities than deal with her pestering, not to say she wasn't powerful or deserving of respect but she could be a bit of a diva.
She had earned the name Demon Princess for a reason.
"Grr… Eugen, move away so that I may put this animal in his place!" She ordered flexing her trigger finger, her hand cannon heating up a bit in response to her anger as if already prepared to exert its master's will.
"Come now, no fighting." She rested a palm on the girl's shoulder. "Naru-chan is plenty strong so you shouldn't mock him."
"Hmph, I'll believe it when I see it." Deutschland scowled and at that Eugen seemed to pause and tap her chin in thought, their earlier conversation with Scharnhorst springing to mind as an idea formed.
"Hmm, then perhaps a demonstration is in order." Eugen gave a disarming smirk. "I believe the beach is free at the moment so perhaps a friendly spar might help you two better understand one another." After all the girls of Iron Blood thrived on combat and the surest way to earn their respect was to prove one's strength. It was also the surest way to make yourself a target but that little detail wasn't important at the moment~
"Ha! I shall show you how below me you really are peasant!" Deutschland gave a wide grin eager to assert her place as one the Iron Bloods' strongest.
"That's the spirit." Prinz nodded before turning to look down at the boy clutching her hand. "How about you Naru-chan, are you up to a bit of friendly competition?"
He thought on it for a moment before he shrugged and nodded, there was no harm in it and he had gotten a lot stronger with help from his sisters and running missions. This would be a decent test if nothing else.
"Then it's settled."
"Yes, I hope you are prepared to meet despair." Deutschland snapped and he narrowed his eyes at her. She was too smug, he didn't like it… it felt like she was mocking him.
"No you."
"Insolent little!-"
"Save it for the match you two." Eugen interjected, shaking her head while the pair huffed in annoyance. Well, Deutschland huffed Naruto merely maintained his usual blank expression but his cheeks were slightly puffed out hinting that he was pouting also.
She had such interesting comrades.
[ Down by the Beach, training Area ]
Naruto leaned on the balls of his feet just above the ocean's surface, the waters were calm today and the sun was shining brightly with only a few clouds in sight. He wished that Akagi-nee and Kaga-nee were here with him, they liked it when things were calm like this...
"Oi, don't you go dozing off over there!"
Well, mostly calm anyway.
Eugen allowed her gaze to drift between the two combatants, truthfully she had never seen the Hybrid in live combat although she had heard that he was not to be underestimated under any circumstances. Now she was not one to talk stock in mere rumors but she couldn't deny a slight curiosity pricking at her thoughts, the desire to see what he could really do against a more skilled opponent. She had fought alongside Deutschland many times and knew that the heavy cruiser wasn't a pushover, a bit sloppy perhaps, but strong nonetheless and certainly not one to be underestimated.
So how did one of their "Pocket Battleships" stack against the real deal, much less a Siren?
"Remember this is a friendly match." She stressed the word friendly prompting Deutschland to scoff but nod reluctantly. Naruto also nodded though he only seemed to be half paying attention more interested in fiddling with his cloak over actually listening to her.
Cheeky little thing he was.
"Alright, then you may begin!"
Deutschland wasted no time in summoning her riggings, a bright flare of crimson energy rolling off of her as the familiar and feared maw of the Iron Bloods predatory armor flashed into existence around her and the dull thrum of her their inner engines firing to life creating a low roar that sent small shockwaves out from her position. Her long midnight black hair billowed in the wind created by the release and her eyes filled with the familiar rush that only battle could provide.
In less than a second, a salvo of molten hot explosive rounds crossed the distance between her and her opponent, the speed of which carved small trenches into the once gentle turned violent waves. The bright orange glow of the compacted explosive were practically blinding at close range and left a trail of gorgeous orange streaks in its wake.
Naruto for his part didn't bother to move, simply waiting for the barrage to reach him.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Deutschland grinned mightily as her salvo hit home bathing the area in a rush of heat and a spray of scalding seawater, steam poured from the impact sight obscuring both her and Eugen's view of the blond but the shockwave of her attack assured her that she had been a success, the violent tremble of the waves beneath her feet a result of her own power and the familiar sense of strength flooded her veins. The Deutschland-class were known for their overwhelming amount of firepower despite being simple cruisers, it is how they'd earned the nickname, pocket battleships.
"Hahahaha! One shot was all it took!" She held out a hand and clenched her fist in pride. "How foolish of you that you'd try and stand before me with such… pitiful… strength?" Her taunts of victory quickly shifted towards confusion and uncertainty as the cloud of steam began to lift and a rather daunting outline could be seen through the eroding screen of heat and vapor.
Tempered blackened steel cannons emerged proudly from the shroud, chrome-tipped barrels shining brightly in the sunlight as the residual drops of water ran down the length of the massive cannons. As the last hints of steam and smoke were blown away in the breeze an ebony fortress of weaponry sprung forth into the light, light scorch marks were on the front ends of the heavy armor plating but otherwise, no substantial damage could be seen.
How was that even possible?!
"Scary…" Naruto frowned, his guns slowly swiveling as if tracking their new aggressor and even for as stalwart and bullish as she was, Deutschland couldn't help but take a small step back as the massive cannons focused on her.
"How?-"
"Fire." Naruto didn't let her finished and the air around them practically ruptured as gunpowder billowed out into the air and two sparking purple rounds plowed their way forward far faster than Deutschland could reasonably prepare for, her armor instinctively shifting to protect her but even without looking she could tell that even her hull wasn't thick enough to negate such power and she felt herself skidding back just barely avoiding being knocked off her feet. It felt as if she'd just been hit by Tirpitz and there was no way he was strong as her!
Right?
The ringing in her ears finally stopped and with a small breath, she hesitantly lowered part of her rigging to inspect the damage, and sure enough, there was a deep trough carved into the side of her armor. If her armor class had been anything weaker it would have utterly crumpled under that attack.
"Again."
Not sure she could take another shot like that again she dived to the left, the second round of lead passing by with a harsh rush of air before slamming harmlessly into the waters below in a jet of displaced mist. Her somehow still functioning turret turned and fired a few rounds in rebuttal but like before he made no move to dodge, simply tanking the hit with his hull plating before returning fire forcing her to keep moving unless she wanted to be on the receiving end of his devastating ammunition.
Growling to herself at the unexpected result she launched a torpedo barrage his way, the Iron Blood preference for acoustic guided ballistics meant that she could fire them without needing to aim much. A perfect counter for speedy and evasive enemies and hopefully, a decent distraction for an unyielding tank as well.
Naruto from behind his metal blanket blinked as he sensed multiple objects quickly homing in on his position from beneath the waves and swiftly halted his fire, bracing himself just in time as explosions detonated just beneath his feet. The harsh spay of water that burst forth from the depths whipped at his body feeling like lashes upon his skin and he hissed a bit as he fought to steady himself from the rocky waves. Blue eyes narrowed and grew tinged with golden flecks while his armory seemed to ready up in response, his main and secondary guns pointing towards the sky like hands seeking to grab the heavens.
"Rain fire." He ordered.
The command was given and the sky lit up in a stunning display of artillery, beautifully trails of violet light arced into the open air, no doubt anyone paying even a passing bit of attention would likely have caught sight of such a spectacle. Even Deutschland couldn't help but be momentarily stunned by the display, her eyes following the light trails all the way to what seemed like the very edges like the clouds, it was if he meant to pierce the divide between man and God.
However, awe quickly gave way to fear as those same trails of captivating destruction began to descend, specifically towards her position. Iron Bloods may have despised the word retreat but at the moment she didn't much care all that much for such petty complaints, not when she was faced with such ridiculous firepower.
It took gravity mere moments to pull the energy-packed shells right back down to earth and the waves were rocked by explosion after explosion, flashes of light strong enough to be seen even from a distance illuminating the murky depths below while above small geysers erupted from each impact point shooting high into the air before raining down like a monsoon.
And she was at the center of it all.
To her credit, she had managed to avoid most of the attack, seeing as the maneuver was clearly designed to be used on groups and not single targets. However, that wasn't to say she made it out unscathed either.
A single round had detonated just below her feet, the buffer of the water thankfully sparing her the pain of direct hit but the force was strong enough to launch her high into the air, her now worn down and damaged riggings vanishing as the concentration needed to maintain it escaped her and she was sent careening into free fall, her body poised to land in the frothing seas below…
At least until something caught her, two arms wrapping securely around her legs and waist and hoisting her up before she could take the expected plunge. Eugen must have taken pity on her, no doubt wearing that insufferable grin of hers that could drive even the most devout saint into a fit of blind rage. She half debated even opening her eyes if only to avoid looking at it but the instinct to take stock of her surroundings acted far faster than her pride.
Only upon opening her eyes, she was not met the teasing smirk of her fellow Blood sister, but rather two relaxed sapphire orbs looking at her with something akin to amusement and respect.
"That was fun."
She blinked and looked down, sure enough despite his small stature he'd somehow managed to catch her just moments before she could hit the water, She couldn't even feel him struggling under her weight, instead, he merely seemed content to claim his win and begin the walk back to the sands.
With her still in his arms.
She flushed in embarrassment, whether that was due to the fact that she had lost after such large talk or because she was receiving the famed "princess carry" that she'd heard about and may or may not have wanted to experience for herself… was hard to say.
"I win." He grinned and her cheeks lit up even further.
"T-That was a fluke! It means nothing, I was just taking it easy on you!" She growled her pride clearly wounded at such a quick and humiliating defeat.
"Nope, I won."
"Do you not listen! I let you win, you should be grateful to me!"
"You are like Hipper-nee…" He complained, noting the similarities between the girl in his arms and the blond admiral. Both were loud and really pushy, plus her face was all red just like Hipper-nee's was earlier.
Maybe she was a tsun too?
Deutschland, however, did not care for such a comparison, granted for a completely different reason.
"Are you calling me flat!? Insolent dog, I'll feed you to the pigs!"
Eugen could only watch with unshed tears of laugher in her eyes as the pair bickered like children all the way back to the shore. Best of all was that Deutschland, for all her shouting and threats, made no move to try to stand on her own and instead allowed herself to be carried all the way back by the victor like she was some kind of damsel out of a fairy tale.
She truly was a spoiled little brat.
AN. Chapter complete!
Surprise! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, especially after yesterday's news. I want to say that I had no plans of writing this so soon but I really wanted to express my appreciation to those people that were not only very understanding of my reasoning but also supportive and kind even in the face of less than stellar news. When I posted that AN yesterday I was truthfully expecting a lot of negativity but by and large most of you were very kind and I can't understate how much I appreciated that. Of course, there were people who were disappointed and expressed that in less than amazing ways but most of you were fair and expressed hope that I would continue both the AL fics which I plan to.
I did mention in the AN that neither BTL or ARS were being discontinued and I meant that, this chapter also shouldn't be seen as me walking back on the fact that I said for the moment they will be lower on my priority list. I would like to think of this chapter as a promise to you that I still have ideas I want to explore and that I still have things I want to do with this fic as well as ARS, I just hope you can be patient with me!
Anyway, we did a lot here, I did say that I was thinking of rewriting the story in a way that was more slice of life style and this is sort of my attempt at that. I don't plan on creating a whole new story rather just tweaking plot points and the focus of the fic, at worst I may rewrite some of the early chapters and replace them to better fit that shift.
In other news, we got to finally meet some of the Iron Bloods which I know many of you were waiting on and two of my favorites in the form of Prinz Eugen and Deutschland. As well as good old tsundere Hipper and the "Ugly Sisters" who will probably be fleshed out later with some other faces like Nimi/Z23 and Bismark following when we look at how Naruto met the Iron Bloods (I have a whole thing planned with all the starter destroyers that I need to flesh out more but it'll be cute). We also had a small moment with the Commander who I hadn't really shown in a while so I wanted them to have a little something as well, it was short but I do want to give them a longer scene in the future.
Obviously this leaves only the Eagle Union left to introduce and I know people have been waiting for that, especially Enterprise. Anyway, I'll leave it there but I hope you enjoyed this like I said this was a thank you for the support and while I don't know when I'll get another chapter in, I want you to know that I won't forget these stories so easily! Stay safe and I'll see you next time!