-Foreword-

Ladies and gentlemen, to avoid confusion with the OVA scenarios with this fanfic, "Kiyone Makibi" is not to be confused with "Noike Kamiki Jurai", despite some similarities, or with Tenchi's mother. She will be the officer that never did quite pan out in the original story, even though she appeared in the most other sub-series.

And Tenchi's mother is to be dubbed as "Achika", daughter of Yosho (by his common law wife, Airi), during his stay on Earth, and after an unfortunate string pf circumstances, they came to terms as family, and Achika later married Nobuyuki (of Juraian/Earthian descent from a different branch in Yosho's extended family). She has a daughter Ten'nyo that is much older than Tenchi, and she hasn't been fully introduced to him as his sister, because she is often away on important business trips (I'm not saying where).

(Note that I'm borrowing the data from the original story to mesh and rearrange it into the rather "semi-botched" OVA scenario.)

There's also a family friend named Rea that has been helping take care of Tenchi after Achika passed away. She is working as a secretary with Tenchi's father Nobuyuki and lately have been dating the widower for a while. You might know her being a like mother to Tenchi and Ten'nyo's half-brother, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Also, note that Aeka is considered to be close off to 17 (in Stardate Years) in this story, plus 700 years during her and Sasami's space-time cold storage. Just don't ask about their distant genetic relationship towards Tenchi.

We'll see how this version turn out at a future planning.

I hope…

»-Line Break-«

Chapter 5

Kagato Attacks!

(The Battle in the Soja - Part 1)

§

[In Naruto and Ryoko's Empty Tomb]

Kagato explored the empty tomb as he notices that his targets have left. He uses a demonic flame to leave a mark in his location. There were no traps hidden inside, as if he was being "welcomed" by its denizens. He then teleported himself back into the Soja's cockpit (complete with a deluxe pipe organ), overlooking the location of his prey and everything else for his wanting.

"So I've got the Juraian Royal Family, the Crowned Prince Yosho, and the Princesses before me here," he said with a semi-mechanical voice, "Ryoko... It looks like you've set it all up just for what I desired."

But then, as his computer materializes what looked like a little surprise from an ardent admirer anonymously given to him in the form of a digital personal letter, and he read the entire inscription:

To Kagato,

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

We seen plenty of chickens

And so are you!

;-P

With regrets,

Your Local, Friendly Fox

Kagato was furious at the letter that his most hated enemy (besides the GXP and Yosho) that rudely gave him. But then, he reads the post script:

P.S. - If you dare to come at us with evil intentions, remember... We'll be coming for you not by revenge, but with retribution for the lives of every single being on those planets that you so have ruined and annihilated. You may have destroyed the body, but you cannot and will not ever destroy the spirit of the innocent. Prepare for what's coming to you, you contemptuous corpuscle!

And the digital letter port exploded, and the computer and its intended target were covered with tons of confetti and ribbons, along with a tag saying, "Boo-ya!"

"Ohh, that loathsome little...!" the space pirate growled as he summoned his mechanical lackeys to clean out the unwanted party trimmings before his plans to raid the residence on Earth comes to fruition.

-NNFN&R-

[Early Winter - In the Vegetable Garden]

It has been 2 months since the first encounter with the alien people began as Tenchi (dressed in his light winter clothing and a towel wrapped like a headband) is pulling up some ripened carrots from the ground. It was his turn to harvest the vegetables, besides Naruto and Ryoko.

The garden is meticulously aligned with special Juraian rods that allows plants to grow even when the temperature is too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter, and to help regulate the earth's soil like earthworms tilling the ground. It also acts as a deterrent to keep other vermin (mice, moles, voles; anything that is not Ryo-ohki) away from the garden.

Speaking of Ryo-ohki, she is hiding in the basket, eating some of the carrots, but Tenchi grabbed the cabbit by the ears and complained, "Don't be so greedy. It's your own fault that we have to turn some of our garden areas into carrot patches. At least, we made you eat other things besides carrots."

Ryo-ohki actually did like other foods, like sweet potatoes (the cooked variety), broccoli, cauliflower, anything that doesn't have too much water/liquid content like rabbits can eat without getting digestive issues. But most of the time, she likes carrots.

Back to the issue at hand, the cabbit senses some danger as she yowled and hissed at the skies. Tenchi thought it was some snow falling on the ground, but she scampers away to warn her master of the real, incoming danger that is rapidly approaching.

-NNFN&R-

[In the recently constructed Flying Gardens]

Ryoko and Naruto are now celebrating their official wedding anniversary together. Their 4,984th anniversary to be exact. It's also the month of when they first met after Kagato's mutiny.

The naked couple are now relaxing in the onsen, (Naruto in his usual Fox-man persona and Ryoko in her (rarely-used) partial, cat-tailed Cabbit-woman self), thinking that this is their ideal spot for them to feel relatively at ease as they resumed their making out in a long french kiss after giving each other a prosit and sipped with their saké, still in their mouths. It was some of the new tricks they learned for the old lovers after they browsed through some intimacy details (the rather explicit kind) from books and the universal internet, incognito.*

(* - Naruto uses his computer system to browse what he and his wife wanted by using their digital selves to explore and shoot down some bad data, viruses, and turned the trojans and worms against the original authors that have foolishly sent them out to the public. They even exposed a lot of "Dirty Laundry" to thousands of ill-mannered people all over the world just to create a little chaos. Prankster habits still die hard.)

Back to the matter at hand, Naruto sighingly said to his wife, "It may not be heavenly, but if this is like Paradise, I don't know what if."

"Maybe so, Darling, but out of all the planets that have those vacation spots, this is the most serene location we've ever been into," Ryoko agreed while purring and cuddling her loving husband's cheek.

Just then, Aeka and Kiyone entered the baths, wearing only their towels covering their naked bodies. The women were surprisingly disgusted seeing the troublemaking couple being present in the baths.

They still haven't gotten along with Naruto and Ryoko and their rather tolerable..."jokes". Sure, they are hard workers, but the Hakubis still have their sick sense of humor toward their rivals who wanted them either captured and put them through the justice system or simply wanted them out of their lives, forever and ever.

(Mihoshi, on the other hand, did get along with her long-lost aunt and uncle. And she, too, is pretty handy in housework, just to keep herself off of boredom. She's very much like her mother, Mitoto.)

Naruto said to his wife, "I'll go to a different area to let you ladies have your conversations alone for a moment. No need for men who wouldn't let their women have their moment for a walk in the sun." And he phased himself to a different part of the onsen, leaving the other law-bound women blushing at his integrity (or possibly his manhood). But now, they will have to settle their matter with Ryoko between themselves.

At first, Aeka and Kiyone wanted to leave somewhere else, but Ryoko invited them for a drink of saké that her husband personally made. Initially, they refused, but the Hakubi phased herself towards the two and embracingly said, "Oh, come on, don't be like that. We're on Neutral Ground, remember? I promised Tenchi that my husband and I won't do any trouble towards you and Yakuin-san (Ms. Officer) in this very spot."

[A little later…]

Ryoko poured a small bottle to Aeka's and Kiyone's clay ochoko bowl-cups. Kiyone, currently towelless and relaxing in the water, sipped the rice wine to see if the former space pirate is telling the truth and if there's nothing poisonous in the liquor, and found that it actually tasted delicious.

"Naruto-koishi learned about a special time-displacement room during our stay in the Earth from the Dragon Galaxy," Ryoko explained, "Something about a "Hyperbolic Time Chamber" used to help fighters train within a different flow of time. A day outside would be like a full year in there. So we decided to use the algorithms while staying with our friends to make a perfect place to produce our finest liquor or whatever product in a short about of time; both the saké and the "devil's cut", my favorite part. We also use whatever's needed that takes a lot of time at relatively with less waiting."

Kiyone was surprised that Ryoko and her husband are surprisingly hard workers, despite being (formerly) wanted criminals. The saké she tasted wasn't too weak nor too strong to make her feel inebriated and get drunk. She hasn't had a taste in fine liquor since her initiation in the police academy.

Aeka, however, decided to take the wine in one setting, as Ryoko remarked, "Wow, you sure know how to put this stuff away, princess," and she poured another cup.

"Let me remind you, Ryoko-san," the violette princess said, "We still haven't quite forgiven you for taking us and the officers as your political prisoners." And she drank her 2nd cup.

"Oh, come now," Ryoko retorted, "You're telling me that you're still upset with me and Naruto-koishi? I feel rather sorry for you for failing to seduce Tenchi." She laughed wildly from her fair-weathered friend's misery.

Kiyone wondered what was so great about Tenchi that only Aeka, Ryoko, and a few others know about.

"You're despicable!" Aeka refuted in disgust as she swiped the bottle and poured her own cup, "Tenchi and I are of noble Juraian blood, I'll have you know. *gulp gulp* But you and Naruto are not, even though you're his godparents."

"Sure," Ryoko somewhat agreed, "But it's been only 2 months since you've known Tenchi and a over a week for the officers. We, on the other hand, have known Tenchi since he was an infant. We also have seen people come and go during our stay, from their childhood until the day they die of old age. It's rough for us, being the unique kind of people that can only live through century upon century. But back to Tenchi... oh, he was a cutie pie when he first saw us in our astral selves…"

-Flashback-

And Ryoko recounted the time when Baby Tenchi (age 1) was being carried by his mother, Achika, on their way to visit the tomb. The baby sees both the ghostly couple as his mother wondered if her child looked at where the "demons" that were presiding.

Years later, when Tenchi became a young boy (age 5), he visited the tomb again, when his mother holding a parasol called out to her son, doing an impression of her father, "Oi, Tenchi!"

"Oh, Mother!" Tenchi said as he turned around.

"Did I surprise you?"

"Yeah, I thought that you were Grandpa."

Naruto and Ryoko embrace themselves endearingly from seeing the child growing up.

But then one day, on a cold season, the Hakubis were saddened. Achika Masaki have just passed away in her sleep, leaving young Tenchi (age 6), his older sister Ten'nyo (who's like a splitting image of her mother), his closest kin, and some of the family's closest friends very heartbroken. Tenchi was crying near the tomb over the loss of his mother. Even though Naruto and Ryoko couldn't comfort their godson physically, because of them still being intangible. But they kept vigil over Tenchi, giving the boy some much needed company that the boy never quite knew about.

Later, the Hakubis watched as Tenchi grow up as he plays around the tomb, whether it's catching a dragonfly, letting the boy have his "private" moments (taking a leak), and even watched him cook a sweet potato over a small bonfire of leaves.

"Ah! Come back, hot potato!"

And later, when Tenchi is now becoming a man (age 15) as he was dressed up as a bona fide student, they knew that someday, their godson's destiny would soon change.

"Tenchi!" his grandfather called out.

"I'm coming!" Tenchi responded as he left the site.

It may be another empty nest for Naruto and Ryoko, but this time, it was worth it.

-End Flashback-

"...and we always wanted to have children safely after Tenchi grew up," Ryoko finishing her story, "But now, he treats us like we're some sort of monsters or something. But of course, my loving husband and I love to tease the boy sometimes. You'd understand that, right?"

Kiyone felt somewhat emotional about Ryoko's tales of her exilement on Earth and how she had to watch people live in a rather short life without the use of body modifications to extend their life expectancy and how it broke their hearts time and time again. And she would rather take her liquor lightly as she has to be on duty for anything out of the ordinary.

But then, they see Aeka with her skin reddened like a boiled lobster and is utterly intoxicated as she laughed haughtily, after drinking her full bottle of saké, and said, "Yes, but darling, you were just a mummified husk. *hic* Tenchi wouldn't want to play with a monster for a godmother like you, hee hee hee..."

"Like I care about your sympathies‽" Ryoko growlingly retorted.

"You know, it may not be my business, if you are a godmother to Tenchi or whatever, but the problem with you is that you've been alive for thousands of years. It's your...AGE, you old hag! The truth is that it's annoying to be motherly by an old hag like you."

It made Ryoko simply furious from Aeka's belligerence.

"Just look at my beautiful skin. It's nothing compared to your dried-up epidermis that you soaked up in the hot water for so long, just to soften you up, HAA-HAHAHAHA!"

Ryoko teared up from the hurtful feelings and cried, "You're mean to me! You're so cruel! WAAHAHAHAAAH! Mommy! Mommy…*sob*"

"Now that wasn't very nice, Aeka-chan," a feminine voice called out as a blond-haired vixen-woman, with a physique rivaling Ryoko's, appeared and comforted the crying Hakubi, "Why do you go and hurt Ryoko-chan's feelings, intoxicated princess!"

Kiyone and a slightly sobered Aeka couldn't recognize the mysterious woman that hugged Ryoko like they're sisters and the vixen said, "Oh, come now, don't you recognize little old me?" And the vixen's voice turned manly and said, "It is I, Naruto Hakubi." He resumed to his female voice and whispered, "There, there, Ryoko-chan. We'll find Mommy-dearest soon enough."

And Ryoko felt her sadness going away by her transformed husband's comfort. Then he (she) joined the ladies on their little party. Mihoshi just arrived to come inside the bathhouse and asked them about Tenchi.

[Several saké bottles later...]

Mihoshi then said, "When I that it was Tenchi and Naruto-jisan that saved us from the black hole, maybe... Just maybe, they could be my destiny would lead to a better future. Isn't it funny? And we just met each other, too..."

The Kuramitsu surprisingly held her liquor a little too well, thanks to her family's genetic makeup and strong constitution, and Aeka and Kiyone just couldn't match the Seniwan woman's quality and quantity. Naruto and Ryoko are still glad that they found a member of their long-lost relatives, no matter how... "obnoxiously funny" she is.

Just then, Sasami opened the shoji door and angrily complained while holding her frying pan in her hand, "All right, ladies! How long are you going to stay in the bath‽"

And a peculiar stench messes up the skynette's nose.

"That stench! It smells like bad teeth! Too much saké..."

And Ryo-ohki scampered towards Ryoko and Naruto who warned them with her yowling. And Naruto shapeshifts himself back to his original self as the Hakubis changed into their battle gear just as a familiar foe appeared in front of the small crowd.

"I have finally found you, Ryoko!" he cackled.

"Kagato!" the Hakubis exclaimed as they phased themselves away for a moment.

"AHH! You peeper!" Aeka, Mihoshi, and Kiyone yelled and threw whatever's not anchored to the ground at the Pirate's badly timed appearance.

When Ryoko tries to get close to Kagato, she and Naruto were caught in an electrical field set by Kagato, trapping the couple. They felt agonizing pain from Kagato's power, and the Pirate shattered the glass roof and kidnapped Ryoko and made his escape. Tenchi suddenly entered the bath room and accidentally saw the practically naked girls and quickly covered his eyes.

Kiyone ran to Naruto, who finally managed to break free through the trap, as he is feeling rather hurt and angry that his sworn enemy had gone and done it. She has never seen the male Hakubi this mad before and that's from news of why he left innocent people on multiple planets alive and those that dared to mess with him, his wife, or those precious to him... the fools were either being mercifully or mercilessly beaten down, humiliated in a sadomasochistic fashion, or get killed by many means (preferably) necessary.

Mihoshi's watch kept beeping and reading its data as Kiyone and Mihoshi agreed to one thing.

"It's for real," the Kuramitsu said, "It's the infamous brutal criminal, Kagato!"

"It's our only chance to confront that criminal or die trying," Kiyone agreed.

"I'll get that son of a bitch for that!" Naruto swore as he shook off the excess electricity and cracked his knuckles, "He has messed with us for the last time, because he'll be just another foe on our list to become space dust!"

This wasn't his first rodeo for him and his wife when they took on foes bigger and stronger than they look.

So Naruto, the princesses, the officers of the law, and Tenchi head for the Funaho tree where Kagato is lurking about.

-NNFN&R-

[At the Funaho Lake]

Kiyone and Mihoshi armed themselves with their laser pistols, Tenchi armed himself with the Ōken, and Naruto is preparing for battle. They found the enemy's location as Mihoshi took the lead and declared, "Eternally most-wanted criminal Kagato, we know you here! Come out of there!"

Ryo-ohki and Naruto sensed where the Pirate is hiding, right above the treeline. And sure enough, Kagato appeared and gave a formal bow as he said, "Please excuse my behavior earlier. I deeply appreciate all of you to come to welcome me here."

"Cut the bullshit, Kagato!" Naruto yelled, "Where's Ryoko-chan? If you dare harm her or warped her mind again, I'll see to it that you will pay dearly for this!"

And Kagato phased Ryoko out, face-first onto the ground.

Tenchi and Naruto ran to the fallen Hakubi and try to revive from her fainting as Kagato said, "On the contrary, my friend, your wife belongs to me. She is, how do I say it delicately: incapable, but still agile. I'll bet she's given you some grievances. Sasami-himé, Aeka-ojo, don't you think it's logical that we talk someplace less cold and more private where there is nobody to bother us?"

Kagato moved closer to the princesses when Kiyone and Mihoshi got in front and the former warned, "Kagato, in the name of the Law, you're under arrest! This is a specially protected zone. Any kind of combative action is forbidden! If you involve any civilian casualties, we'll be forced to use armed warfare to stop you!"

Kagato scoffed and said, "Oh my, oh my. You ladies really frighten me. I've heard of your heroic exploits of the past. But it seems that you, Kuramitsu, are overworked, and your partner is, what do I call her? A clown. Pathetic. And now you two were assigned to this backwater planet? You know the GXP will never hold me for long, since I've destroyed many of their bases during my journeys."

This made Mihoshi and Kiyone exceptionally angry and they fired their laser pistols, bouncing off of Kagato, dealing no damage to the criminal.

"Hold your fire! Ordinary laser shots don't work against him!" Naruto yelled.

But the officers kept firing until their guns overheated and their safety parts made their sidearms click.

"I don't wish for you to misunderstanding with me, ladies," Kagato remarked, ignoring Naruto, "I only wanted to come here to invite you to my ship, the Soja. It's a pleasant place where we can get to know each other."

*Pishaaao-wooh!* Tenchi readies his energy blade and so did Naruto.

Kagato focuses on Tenchi and said, "Oh, so you have the sword. But that's the King's property. A little peasant like you shouldn't wave it around and hurt yourself."

"What are you talking about? What "king"?" Tenchi questioned.

"You dare to come at me without the full knowledge of the sword?" Kagato challenged, "All right, then." And he unleashed a blizzard against Tenchi, blowing him back.

Ryoko shoved Tenchi from the strong gust and Naruto attacked Kagato from behind and said, "Don't you dare ignore me!" And he tackled Kagato with a full-body slam, but Kagato knocked the Fox-man back, hard, skidding onto the ground and into the icy water.

And then Kagato readies his energy saber and took control of Ryoko's mind by means of her gem on her left wrist and she caught Tenchi into a full nelson. Then the pirate sneered, "It's been said that this sword holds the greatest energy in the universe. But it would only release that said energy when held by a suitable owner. My question to you is that, are you that suitable owner?"

"Maybe I am, maybe not, I don't know!" Tenchi gagged while Ryoko's grip becomes tighter and tighter.

"I'll ask again, boy. Are you that suitable owner?" Kagato demandingly asked.

"Ryoko... Let her go right now!" Tenchi yelled.

But then, Kagato was taken by surprise when Naruto quickly replaced himself in Tenchi's place and Ryo-ohki ran and bites the foe's hand. That moment left Kagato open to attack when Tenchi does a jumping swing with his blade and left the levitating and angered Kagato with a cut on his cheek.

In the midst of the battle, Naruto is in the middle of Ryoko's stranglehold when he whispered, "Come on, darling, you know that you are faking it."

"You got me, love," Ryoko whispered back after she fakely looked like she was beside herself, "How about we play along and pretend with this charade a little bit longer?" And Ryoko released her grip and transformed herself into her Zoanthropic Were-cabbit self ("FFFTT! MRAOO!")...

(It's like a cross between Uriko's (Bloody Roar) Beast Form with Felicia's (Darkstalkers/Vampire Series) design, partially covered with white and brown fur and has a cat-like tail, unlike her sister, Ryo-ohki's rabbit-like tail.)

...and Naruto changed himself into his Were-fox form ("GRRRR!") with a growl as deep as a bear's, and they fought like they were ready to tear each other and the landscape apart.

Some of the witnesses were either watching Tenchi trying to stand his ground against Kagato or watch Naruto and Ryoko fighting each other in a form of combat that they never quite have been seen before.

It was a scratch after (comfortable) scratch, and bite upon (love) bite for the Hakubi couple, but not really enough to draw the life substance. It's more of a lover's "spat" that pretended to appear in a violent manner with sounds of meowing and whimpering with the trading "blows", until…

"Gwaaahhh! You got me!" Naruto acted like one of his vitals is spurting blood from one of Ryoko's slashes and the same thing happened to his wife at her husband's stabbing at the same time…

(Which is actually tomato ketchup plus a bit of modifications shooting from hidden condiment bottles under their arms and some packets for good measure to make it look like real blood.)

But all that stopped when Tenchi gets himself knocked out against the Funaho's tree roots. Kagato tries to remove the Ōken from the young Masaki's fingers when the blade somehow transported to someone else's hands, Katsuhito's.

"Are you trying to play with something that doesn't really belong to you?" the old man asked.

Kagato commanded his 'puppet', "Ryoko, I'm giving you one more chance."

"No," Ryoko softly refused.

The space pirate was shocked to find that Ryoko wasn't really under his control, "You dare defy me‽ You're forgetting that you're mine, Ryoko!"

"Ha!" Naruto interjected while getting and easily wiped off the ketchup from himself and Ryoko, "You're nothing but a sham, Kagato-teme! You used her brother-product's body after Washu-okaasan sent me and Ryoko-chan away from the likes of you. You took away a lot of souls from the innocent lives, and yet you don't even have a soul of your own. I pity you, témé."

"You... dare to pity me, boy‽" Kagato growled in anger.

"Oh, I'm the least of your worries, témé," Naruto countered, "But you should worry more about "Grandpa" over there."

"Is that a fact?" the old Masaki rhetorically asked.

And Kagato focused his attention on Katsuhito (or rather, Yosho) and the Ōken in his grasp, and the despot declared, "So there you are, the First Crown Prince of Juraian Royal Family!"

Aeka and Sasami were shocked to find that the old man was really their long-lost half-brother.

"Could you show me the secret and greatest [treasure] (hihō) in the universe?"

"Hitō?*" the old man mistakenly heard the word, "Well, I do know of a comfortable hot spring nearby with all the pretty girls bathing there."

»-Line Break-«

(* - Hihō (秘宝) = treasure

Hitō (秘湯) = hidden hot springs

Dubbed Version - Treasure or Pleasure?

»-Line Break-«

Naruto and Ryoko facefaulted and grumbled the old man's perverted and misinterpreted reasoning.

"You must be joking," Kagato reposted as he fires a beam blast at Yosho, but the old man casually avoid the attack by leaning his head.

"The greatest treasure in the universe?" Yosho questioned but then firmly said with utter disagreement, "There is no such thing. And if there was one, it cannot and will not be harnessed by flesh and blood, and definitely not by you."

"I've journeyed far and wide through sea after sea of stars just to find that secret," the fiend boasted as he lowered himself to the ground, "What will it take to obtain it? Power? Blood? The Juraian Royal Family's blood?"

And Kagato swung his energy saber at Yosho, but the veteran warrior skillfully puts up a force field, causing no damage against him. The Pirate fired off more bolt shots, but they were soundly deflected by Yosho's defense.

In the midst of the battle, Ryoko took Naruto to a briefing and said, "Darling, there's something you should know. From when Kagato tried to control me again, he has my mother hostage somewhere in the Soja. I have to risk getting myself captured by that snake-in-the-grass to stall for time for you to come to him... in mortal combat."

"Be careful, My Honey," Naruto concerningly said as they gave each other a quick kiss as Ryoko flies toward Kagato, and aims and firing her bolt shots at him without making them hit Yosho.

"Ryoko? What are doing?" Yosho questioned.

"Doing what I should've done a long time ago, mrraaoow!" the Cabbit-woman said as she unleashes her energy saber and swipes at Kagato, but the pirate fiend grabbed her left wrist and sliced it off, dropping her gem. Ryoko then returned to her original self.

"No! Ryoko!" Naruto yelled as he transformed back to his original state and phased himself towards Ryoko after she fell into the water. He quickly retrieved her dropped gem and supporting his downed partner.

Yosho then pulled one more trick at Kagato: he throws the Ōken at the Funaho tree and the blade attached itself to the tree. Yosho playfully showed his foe that he doesn't have what he wanted.

"What were you thinking? Giving up already?" Kagato wondered as he withdraws his blade and went for the Ōken and grabbed it, only to be electrocuted by the blade's rejection, making him scream in agony and he pulled his hand away from the handle.

"Not yours, eh?" Yosho mocked, "Now you see why that happens? Heh!"

Kagato still felt the pain from the Ōken's effects and then he realized, "I see, now. Then this boy is your... successor." Then he psychically grabs Ryoko and said to the party, "I will take your precious Ryoko with me. Improve your skills, then come to me at the Soja. I will be waiting for you!" And they teleported by means of a gate.

"Ryoko-chan...please be safe," Naruto silently prayed.

As Yosho was about to get up, Aeka ran to him and said as she hugged him, "My Onii-sama! You're Yosho-oniisama, aren't you‽"

"I'm sorry," he said, "I guess now you know."

"But why? Why‽" Aeka yelled as went a bit rough on the old man.

"Easy, there, Aeka-chan. Don't scold him," Naruto said as he know of Yosho's identity.

"You knew about this all along, didn't you‽" Aeka yelled at the Fox-man, "You know Onii-sama was alive here this whole time, Naruto! Why‽"

"And what would you do if I told you sooner, O-himé?" Naruto seriously argued, "What would you do then‽ Spit in your half-brother's eye or do something regretful to spite him? Ryoko-chan and I couldn't do a thing about it since our physical bodies were busy repairing ourselves at the time. We have seen him try to live a new life as a doting family man during our stay on Earth, away from Kagato's sights. It broke our hearts to see his new wife and his few of his next generations die from old age, far longer than the average Earthian. But now, it seems that we are destined to meet, one way or another."

"You're just... heartless!" Aeka exclaimed as she turned to Yosho and envisioned him as a younger, more handsome man, now turned into a genarian as she caresses his cheek and she sobbingly asked, "That handsome face, Onii-sama, what happened to you? You...you've changed...so very much!"

Yosho hugged his saddened half-sister and explained, "Aeka, I wasn't going to tell you this, but if I stayed in Jurai, there would have been a serious conflict between you and me for the succession to the throne. You see, my mother Funaho was an Earthian, and that makes me half of that, as well."

"But why should it matter? Our father made the law, "The first royal wife will be of Jurai, the second will be of another Planet.""

"The law is both right and wrong in a sense. And you were much too young to understand at that time, Aeka. There were many people who were very prejudicial towards others from a different planet, and I just couldn't bear it, day after miserable day. So when we were attacked by Kagato, I have decided to leave to fight, never to return. This planet is beautiful and this is where I wished to be buried when my life is over. I have no intention of returning to Jurai."

"But then, you'll die without its life tree and water!"

"That much is true. I know that, Aeka, and I don't really care. Someday, you will understand."

Mihoshi, Kiyone, Sasami, Ryo-ohki, and Tenchi now knew of Yosho's secret. And the young Masaki said, "Grandpa, you really are Yosho. And the records and the legends you left are all true!"

"True indeed, and you are the real Crowned Prince of Planet Jurai," the old man explained, "Are you surprised?"

"But you and Naruto never told me anything about your past," Tenchi doubted himself.

"And if we did," Naruto explained, "Would you have taken responsibility in being part of Jurai's Royal Family? Would you live the life in luxury and be discontented to have not been satisfied with what you have? Would you be the highborn Prince that would look down upon your subjects like they're the scum of the galaxy? Silly boy! That's what some foolish people from the other planets and other lifetimes did and they suffered the consequences for their greediness and stubbornness. It's high time for you to grasp the future in your own two hands!"

Yosho agreed as he turned to Aeka and apologized, "I'm sorry that it had to come to this. I had no idea that your was set on me. Say, I have an idea! Let's get married right now. What do you think?"

"Onii-sama, please!" Aeka calmly exclaimed as she gave her brother a swift kick in the pants.

"Ow-ow-ow! You're right, I've grown too old. However, Aeka, will you support Tenchi? He is of age and a very good grandson." And he bumped Tenchi into Aeka, as if they are a destined, charming couple. "And you two are about the same age*." And he made Aeka and Tenchi clasp their hands together.

Mihoshi sobbed loudly and cried, "I'm so moved! But do please forgive me, but I couldn't help but overhear this!"

Kiyone was also compelled by the real story behind the original conflict that started this whole, big, medieval and modern mess. And Sasami is stuck in the middle, being a shoulder to cry on. Ryo-ohki patted both policewomen on their heads.

"But Grandpa, I have to save Ryoko..." Tenchi reluctantly said.

"She and Naruto were the ones who caused all of our trouble in the first place," Aeka sternly disagreed, "Tenchi doesn't have to save her."

"Aeka-san, we can't just forsake Ryoko, just because we like to cause relatively childish pranks," Naruto seriously argued, "Besides, if we don't something about Kagato, he will stop at nothing to get what he wanted, along with blasting away entire planets into oblivion, even if he did or didn't find what it is of importance. You understand?"

Aeka felt ashamed of herself from her own words turning against her.

Then Yosho turned to his grandson, "Tenchi, I will give you the blade. You must go and defeat Kagato. And Naruto-san is right, he is very dangerous."

And the old man pointed to the two-jeweled Ōken blade stuck to Funaho's tree, "In order to get ahold of the secret treasure, Kagato will think of nothing short of destroying this planet and every form of life within it."

"That's easy for you to say, Grandpa," Tenchi second-guessed himself, "You saw what happened, I have a hard enough time handling that weapon."

"With that kind of attitude, how do you expect to protect those women, along with Naruto?" Yosho rebuked, "You have a power inside yourself that has yet to be tapped."

Then Naruto came to Tenchi and said, "Milad, a long time ago, a wise warrior once said to me, "Abandon your fears and look forward. Keep moving and never stop. Pull back and you'll age. And if you hesitate, you'll die." You may be fighting a fierce battle on the outside, but your inner realm must not tremble in the slightest. You only have a choice to either fight for the ones you love and to protect everybody else on this planet, or to live with the fatal consequences."

"Believe in yourself," Yosho confided to his grandson.

"I understand, Grandpa, Naruto-san," Tenchi said as he ran over the stepping stones towards the secured blade.

Aeka didn't want the young man to do this deed, but Yosho said to her, "Aeka, listen to me. For every man, there comes a time when he must fight."

The other women and Naruto watched as Tenchi approached the Ōken, he took a moment to catch his breath and he slowly, but surely was able to take hold of the handle, as the blade is sagely removed from the tree.

"As you can see, the blade has acknowledged Tenchi as its rightful owner," Yosho explained.

Tenchi holds the activated blade, but the weapon stubbornly powers down, exasperating the young Masaki of his bravado.

"Are you going with the sword you can't quite handle yet, Tenchi?" Yosho asked, "Even so, are you still able to go?"

Tenchi nodded in affirmation and said, "I must help save Ryoko."

"You can count me in, Tenchi, milad," Naruto said.

"Tenchi-oniichan, Naruto-oniichan, Sasami wants to go with you!" the skynette princess wanted to come.

"Tenchi-san, Naruto-san, we'll go with you, too," Kiyone said.

"As members of the GXP, it is our duty to put a stop to the wanted criminals," Mihoshi willingly agreed.

"Onee-sama, you'll come, too. Right?" Sasami asked Aeka.

The violette princess is still reluctant to join the posse.

Then Naruto suggested, "Sasami-chan, how about you stay here and take care of the old man? This kind of battle is no place for a lady of high importance, nor for those that are faint of heart." And he's also talking about the reluctant Aeka.

Sasami whined, but understood the reason her brother-figure had promised; she has to standby with Yosho in case something goes wrong.

Then Mihoshi asked a strange question, "So, how do we get to where Kagato is at?"

Kiyone knew that their ship is stuck in Nowhere-land, the Princesses' ship is out of commission, and she wasn't so sure about Naruto and Ryoko's mode of transportation.

That's when Ryo-ohki hopped onto Naruto's arms and she uses her built-in CPU with Naruto's tactical mind and then she jumped to the ground as the Fox-man said, "I think Ryo-chan has a plan. Let's head for the Masaki lake, everybody."

And the group ran towards their destination as Aeka now decided and strove herself to join in.

-NNFN&R-

[At the Masaki Lake]

Ryo-ohki yowled at the location where Ryu-oh was scuttled in the deep waters. With her and Naruto's telekinetic abilities, the cabbit and fox-man managed to bring the tree-ship to the sky. Then Naruto commanded, "Let's go, Ryo-ohki!"

And the cabbit transformed herself into her giant crystalized battleship form.

"Eeeek! Ryo-ohki-chan!" Sasami exclaimed after seeing her small friend now changed into a titanic-sized spaceship, the same as the model from its predecessor, and then it managed to merge with Ryu-oh's vessel to the bottom.

The transformation frightened everybody except Naruto.

"Now what do we do?" a frazzled Mihoshi asked.

"What else, my friends," Naruto boldly answered, "We're boarding in Ryo-ohki's cockpit to get "fix" of that thieving scoundrel's little red wagon* for sure, ya know. All aboard that's coming aboard!"

(* - Translation: Naruto is planning to do whatever it takes to put an end to Kagato's relationship once and for all. In other words, he swore to kill him for the sake of many.)

And Sasami agreed to stay behind, praying for their safe venture into Outer Space, as Ryo-ohki took the abled, fighting members (Naruto, Tenchi, Aeka, Azaka and Kamidaké, Mihoshi, and Kiyone) into the cockpit and the battleship uses its muscle memory to fly out through the atmosphere, in search for Kagato.

"Meeoooww!"

-NNFN&R-

[Outer Space, Inside the Battleship Soja]

Ryoko woke up and found herself in a hourglass-type prison, at Kagato's mercy. Her left hand somehow regenerated itself, without her gem attached. She looked around and sees Kagato sitting on his throne, overlooking the incoming Ryo-ohki and Naruto taking the controls.

"Here they come, those ignorant fools," the Pirate said, "But it's strange; how they are coming here to throw away their lives to save someone as [defective] as you."

"I'm not your slave anymore!" Ryoko yelled, "I just want to live my life with my husband as humans!"

"Humans?" Kagato wondered about that particular word as he adjusted his spectacles, "When compared to the infinite will of the universe, human feelings only amount to nothing more than dust. You know, your current form was chosen because it was convenient. However, in your true form, you could have been anything I wanted, hadn't Washu split you into two separate entities and let you escape with that miserable fox. Your other half is hidden away somewhere and a certain doctor had her in his possession. But getting ourselves back to the subject, shall I turn you into stone? Would that make you happy?" And he made a cruel, evil laughter just to annoy Ryoko as she is fit to be tied. "Well, anyway, I'd better prepare to welcome our guests."

Ryoko struggled in the organic prison and swore, "Stop this! If you lay your dirty hands on Naruto and Tenchi, you'll be sorry! You stupid jackass!"

-NNFN&R-

[Outer Space, Outside Earth's orbit]

Battleship Ryo-ohki is flying towards where the Battleship Soja as the opposition prepare to open fire with its beam cannon.

"The Soja is preparing to attack!" Aeka pointed out, "Avoid it!"

"Hang on to your bridgework, folks," Naruto complied, "Ryo-ohki, prepare for some evasive maneuvers!"

"Mrraaoow!" the battleship obliged as the Soja fired its scatter beam shot. Naruto helped guided the ship's controls to avoid major damage to its shielding.

After a few weaves, Kiyone asked, "Can your ship use any attacks against the Soja, Naruto?"

"Unfortunately, Ryo-ohki's battleship systems hadn't been fully checked, Yakuin-san," Naruto dismally said, "That and we have to merge with Aeka-chan's Ryu-oh. We'll just have to keep moving forward as swiftly as possible!"

"I am the one who built the ship you are in," Kagato bragged, "I can anticipate every move you make."

And the Soja kept whaling Ryo-ohki with more of its laser bolts.

"That Kagato thinks he's so smug," Naruto shook his fist in anger, "Time to use a little strategy!"

And he drew out from one of his pocket dimensions… and what Tenchi and the ladies saw utterly shocked them as they facefaulted at that particular object: a saké bottle and some Martini glasses and served some to Mihoshi, himself, and most importantly, Ryo-ohki's main crystal.

"A toast against the evil forces and for the rescue of Ryoko-chan! Kanpai!"

As soon as Ryo-ohki (crystal) drank off the saké, making its equilibrium balancer feel wobbly.

"Haah~!" the fox-man exclaimed as he tasted the fresh batch, "Just right… Hic!"

Aeka grabbed Naruto by his shoulders and yelled, "Come on! What are you doing in a time like this‽ This happens to be a computer unit!"

"Of course it is, silly," Naruto replied, "Ryo-ohki doesn't have a good tolerance with any form of strong alcohol, so I gave her about a Martini glass's worth and that's as much as she can take. Believe me, that happened to us plenty of times before, so we had to take her outside in Outer Space to release that pent-up energy, HAAAHAHAHA!"

"That my oji-san (dear uncle) for you," Mihoshi complimented, "He knows how to make mighty fine saké for the right occasion."

"As much I disagree to this off-site comment," Kiyone remarked with a sweatdrop, "We're managing to avoid Kagato's attacks so far."

And the battleship turned red from drunkenness and weaved around the deadly bolts with ease.

"Well, well. Impressive evasive tactics," Kagato half-astonishingly praised, "Could it be from the power of the sword?"

"Not really," Ryoko mocked with a wicked grin, "You ain't seen nothing yet, jerkwad!"

"Oh, shut up!" Kagato yelled.

While Naruto is busy using his unpredictability to pilot Ryo-ohki, Tenchi asked Aeka, "Is it possible that we can attack with your ship?"

"It might be possible," the violette princess reluctantly answered, "But it's not the best solution. It's merely used as a reinforcement for Ryu-oh's ship, but it's dangerous."

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing!"

Aeka wanted to take the risk, but Tenchi decided to take the chance to protect his friends and loved ones.

"Be careful, Tenchi, milad," Naruto wished his godson the best, "And Godspeed."

"Thanks, Naruto-san," Tenchi replied as he was teleported to Ryu-oh's cockpit.

[Inside Ryu-oh]

Tenchi successfully made his landing inside the ship and asked Aeka for instructions, and she said through the visual communication, »"Tenchi-dono, first, you must open the Light-Hawk wings. It's the shield of its craft, making this a defensive system. It also has an offensive capability; however, it isn't meant to be used that way, because we will become vulnerable to attack after that."«

"Better hurry, milad," Naruto shouted, "I don't know how long Ryo-ohki can take this much longer!"

Tenchi sweatdropped and said to them, "I don't really understand all this, but I'll give it a shot." But suddenly, a blast hit part of Ryo-ohki's shielding. "TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

While Battleship Soja relentlessly kept firing its laser cannons, Tenchi successfully let the Light-Hawk wings (3 wings) to come online and they protected Ryo-ohki from taking further damage.

"Oh-ho! So they're getting desperate to use the Light-Hawk wings," Kagato noticed, "Very impressive. Jurai's family is notoriously powerful, but I have a better, more suitable strategy!" He makes his battleship loosen its locks to prepare a more powerful attack.

Something in the battlefield has got to give: Soja's deadly attacks or Tenchi's defensive capabilities and its passengers are helpless as they bear witness to the inevitable. So, Tenchi decided to bite the bullet and charged a firing bolt and launched the attack and Soja did the same. And explosion nearly created a cosmic explosion as bright as a new star, but the Soja's attack was proven to be more powerful and the bolt destroyed the lower portion of Ryo-ohki, right where Tenchi is presiding in Ryu-oh's cockpit.

The shock of the tragedy made Ryoko break out of her prison and the Soja, while Naruto felt the memories of the past that started to relive in his mind again, "No! Not again! Please don't let it be so!"

(Naruto and Ryoko had to mourn for their adopted children when they died from unfortunate circumstances like when parents were forced to see their children die before they were buried.)

Ryoko managed to find Naruto searching the wreckage in the middle of outer space and what he showed her was a truth that is hard to take: Tenchi's body is missing. All he found was a towel left behind with blood soaked into it. Both godparents began to feel intense sorrow as Ryoko cry out onto her husband's shoulder and they mourned for the loss of their godson. After a few moments, their sorrow turns to anger as Naruto makes his message to his enemy, "Kagato! I know can hear me, you bastard! What you did is unforgivable! You have stolen away the person that is most precious to us more than the treasures of this universe! When we get to your ship, prepare to defend yourself... YOU WILL PAY!

§

Intermission…»

»-Line Break-«

A/N: TBA

And the heat will be on!

-blukmage19