章 94: Chapter 94: Shrug
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Naruto grabbed his heart as that scored a critical hit. He never should have published Icha Icha. Koneko's never going to let him live it down.
Zatouji just shook his head as he told the group, "Since the girl has found her familiar, we should continue moving."
"Okay. Mermaids live in this lake. I am actually familiar with this group, having tamed one for my collection.
I absolutely guarantee you that there is no way you'll get some of their kelp without doing some work.
You aren't going to evade your work this time," Kiyome declared firmly as the two stood before the shores of a large lake.
Naruto didn't respond immediately, something having caught his eye. As he walked towards it, he told Kiyome, "Kiyome-senpai. We're here for some kelp, right?"
"Yes. Mermaids grow their own kelp as their main food source. They are very possessive. You better be ready to do some work," Kiyome claimed haughtily.
She was kind of annoyed how Naruto somehow managed to get the previous two ingredients without doing anything.
"Sorry, but I don't think so," Naruto replied in an amused voice.
"And why is that?" Kiyome demanded with her eyes closed from annoyance over him no doubt attempting to skip the work again.p
"Cause some kelp just washed up over here," Naruto told her in amusement.
"Impossible. The mermaids are meticulous about tending their-" Kiyome started before she actually looked at Naruto, who was holding a good length of a greenish brown plant. Her eyes immediately widened as she exclaimed in shock, "That's the kelp."
Grinning in satisfaction, Naruto stood up and walked away as he commented, "Sweet. Another ingredient down."
Kiyome just stared at the water desolately. Three items. Each meant to take one or two days to take, and he'd gotten each within ten minutes. What the hell is going on?
"Oh, it looks like another one of you has been chosen," Zatouji commented as he made the group come to a stop.
"What do you mean?" Rias immediately questioned.
"Considering that fox over there is eyeing this group so intently, it's likely chosen one of you as a master," Zatouji explained as he pointed to the side.
Naruto stiffened with a grimace when he heard it was a fox. Darn. He'd been dreading this possibility.
He'd always known the chance of him getting a fox as a familiar was extremely high. It's sort of an aspect of Naruto's very identity, having a fox as a partner.
Now there was nothing wrong with foxes, but Naruto just really didn't want one as a familiar. Let's face it.
There's not a fox in the world that can compare to Kurama, and any that Naruto ends up with is going to be a downgrade.
Well, any familiar is going to be a downgrade from having Kurama as a partner.
A mountain-sized fox capable of destroying mountains and causing tsunamis with a swing of his tail is a difficult precedent to match.
Naruto was at least hoping for a familiar which didn't remind him of Kurama so much though.
So Naruto turned with resignation showing in his body language, looking in the direction that Zatouji had pointed.
Naruto immediately saw the fox. It was just sitting there, looking at the group openly. It was a black fox, or mostly black. The tip of its tail and its paws were a pure white.
There was also a sizeable area of gray on its chest. Otherwise its entire coat was a midnight black. It appeared to be an adolescent fox.
It was too large to rightfully be called a kit, but its coat still retained the fluffiness and bushiness of youth. Its eyes were yellow.
With the attention of the entire group focused on it, the fox seemingly decided to act. Standing, it started to slowly move in their direction.
The group just waited silently, Naruto closing his eyes in dread.
After half a minute, the fox yipped. Naruto frowned slightly as that sounded like it was a small distance from him.
"Looks like you've found your familiar, Raynare-san," Rias commented in satisfaction.
Naruto's eyes shot wide at that, and his head spun to look towards Raynare in disbelief. It was true. The fox had sat right before the fallen angel.
Raynare seemed rather perplexed by the entire situation.
Tilting her head, she examined the creature sitting before her. Finally she crouched down and held out her hand.
The fox immediately licked her palm. With a raised eyebrow, she started petting its head. The fox started purring from the treatment.
"I guess you'll do. Didn't really think about a fox before, but I don't see any reason not to. You're…kind of cute," Raynare stated as she pet the fox.
"Great," Ris exclaimed while clapping her hands together, a satisfied smile on her face. And why not. Asia had gotten a high-tier familiar by accident, and Raynare now had a familiar choose her. So far this trip had no doubt exceeded her expectations. She quickly added, "We can form the familiar contract now."
"What's wrong, Naruto? You look like you've eaten something sour," Yuuto asked curiously.
Forcefully forming a smile, Naruto replied casually, "Nothing. Just had a weird thought."
Yuuto didn't look to have bought it, but eventually turned with a shrug. They then focused back on Raynare who formed the magic circle around the fox.
Naruto really hadn't wanted a fox as a familiar, so he should be happy it didn't choose him.
Is it wrong that he feels snubbed though?
"This is the final ingredient. The petals of this flower, the Golden Death," Kiyome announced as they peeked over a hill.
"I expected something a little bit more…intimidating," Naruto admitted as he looked at the scene in front of them.
The flower were growing in a small depression in the ground. There wasn't just one either. There were hundreds, packed together tightly.
They looked rather ordinary, having purple petals and a golden center. The only weird thing was that there was a golden haze above them.
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