Chapter 25

The plane ride for Bianca was exciting at first. Still, after a couple of hours, she started to get bored, so she got out the book she brought with her to hopefully pass the rest of the flight. She continued this until they were thirty minutes outside of Tokyo, Japan.

"Bianca, look out your window," said Naruto pointed out the plane window.

Bianca expected to see the usual clouds and buildings. Instead, she saw several women with wings with colorful plumage instead of arms and talons instead of feet.

"Are those harpies?" asked Bianca.

"Yes, but you'll notice that these harpies are different from the Greek variant." said Naruto, "They're also better on the eyes too."

"And they won't swoop down and torment you." continued Rachnera as she rested.

"Interesting, are there any other mythical creatures?" asked Bianca

"Well, you already met the Monoeyes, but there are also Lamias, centaurs, and other assorted species," answered Naruto.

"Neat," said Bianca as she looked out the window

"Before we depart, I want you to wear this necklace at all times," said Naruto as he handed Bianca and Rachnera a metal necklace with a paper talisman.

"These are translation talismans; they'll translate anything you see or hear. I don't want you two to get lost while I'm working." continued Naruto.

"What do you mean, won't we be together while we're here?" asked Bianca

"Not all the time, I have clearance to enter the personal domains of the gods, but I can bring an assistant or two with me as I work," explained Naruto

'The other reason is that some of the gods have interesting hobbies.' thought Naruto.

"So, we will be on our own for a while," said Bianca

"I sure we'll be fine as Honey does his work," commented Rachnera

Honey was Rachnera's new nickname for Naruto as the two were married, and she overhead some of Aphrodite's daughter addressing their boyfriends in such away.

The descent onto the Tokyo airfield went smoothly, and their luggage was available once they got off. The crowd was the same, only with a different variation of monsters. Bianca went ahead and saw men and women with dog and cat ears on top of their heads. She saw a kitsune family with the kids yipping at their parents and a group of women wearing beautiful kimonos.

"So, you liking it so far?" asked Naruto as he caught up to Bianca with Rachnera in tow.

"It's interesting for sure." answered Bianca, "Where is our first stop?"

"The Hotel." answered Naruto, "My first job isn't till tomorrow so that we can relax for now."

"That's good. I really need to stretch my legs," said Rachnera as she yawned and stretched her arms.

"It will also you guys a chance to get a lay of the land," said Naruto as he walked to the exit

The group of three exited the Tokyo airport and began their journey through the crowd. Bianca almost got lost several times. This was the first time she's been to another country and was amazed by Tokyo's various sights and sounds. Naruto wasn't that amazed as he's been here before, so he made sure to keep Bianca on the correct path to the hotel. Rachnera was also amazed by the sights but kept her excitement contained as she knew they would be staying here for a while. She and Bianca could tour Japan as Naruto is busy doing work. Bianca noticed that the crowd was starting to change as more and more monsters started to mingle into the crowd. She asked Naruto, and he replied that they would be staying in Tokyo's supernatural district, so seeing monsters on the street was a regular sight. However, he did warn Bianca to be still wary as several of these monsters can still kill her or seduce her to be later killed. Naruto pointed out a beautiful woman wearing a light pink kimono, seemly enticing men to come with her. She was a Kejourou, and she is looking for men because she can eat them for nourishment. Naruto also gave examples of monsters that weren't dangerous but were annoying to deal with. One example was the kitsune, trickers in nature, but are known to seduce young men and women into the bedroom.

The hotel the group was staying at was unique as it doubled as a hot spring resort—this excited Bianca as she wanted to visit one ever since Naruto told her the history of Japan. Naruto continues to explain the various activities they could do when he had time between appointments. Rachnera was excited as Naruto told her that jorogumos, a sort of cousin to the Arachnes species, frequent the establishment to relax and get their legs polished. Checking in when smoothly as the sight of a giant spider woman was a typical sight. They even offered Rachnera a polishing session for free since it was her first time visiting. They reserved one of the larger rooms with separated bed chambers and easy access to the outside pools; unfortunately, the pools were unisex, so Naruto's group couldn't go in together; Bianca was happy as such a thing was scandalous in her mind. Naruto went to his side of the room to unpack and go over the various orders he received from the Japanese mythology. Bianca and Rachnera went to their side of the room to also unpack, but Rachnera saw some distress on Bianca's face.

"Something the matter, Bianca?" asked Rachnera, but Biacana mumbled her answer.

"What was that?" asked Rachnera again.

"I've never shared a room with another person before," said Bianca, "I was always given a separate room, even changed in the bathroom stall when I had gym class."

"Oh. well, no need to worry then, we're both girls here, and we have nothing to be ashamed of," said Rachnera

'Says you,' thought Bianca as she glared at Rachnera's bust and waist.

Naruto walked out wearing a light blue yukata waiting for Bianca and Rachnera to come out for dinner. Rachnera came out first in a light pink yukata, made with toughened fabric in case the outfit gets caught in her claws, followed by a shy Bianca with her arms around her body. Naruto quietly chuckled but understood as Bianca was new to this and was a young teenage girl with possible self-esteem issues.

"Bianca, I know that this is all new to you, so I asked the hostess to ask the kitchen if they could make any Italian food." said Naruto, "I figured that would make the situation easier for you."

"Thanks, I'm still coping with being told we are not at war and are now on peaceful terms with the Japanese," said Bianca

"I figured that would take some processing as your mind is still in the nineteen-forties." said Naruto, "you are taking it better than Rachnera as she mistook the various nymphs as rival females for my affection."

"Don't tell her that!" said an embarrassed Rachnera, "I was just making sure that only the strongest females would mate this you."

"And what about cocooning them and keeping them in the attic?" asked Naruto, already knowing the answer.

"Old habits." was Rachnera's answer.

A knocking on the sliding door told them that the hostess was outside, wondering if they wanted anything to eat. Naruto got up and let the woman in and told them what they wanted; Naruto got a sushi platter to share with Rachnera while Bianca asked for Pasta Bolognese with a slice of Tiramisu for dessert. The hostess left to tell the kitchen their order but asked if they needed anything else before leaving; they said no. Rachnera decided to partake in the hot springs and asked if Bianca wanted to join her; Bianca declined her offer, just wanting to relax in the room with Naruto.

"I know it's early, but how are you enjoying Japan?" asked Naruto

"It's nice, but not what I imagined." said Bianca, "Why aren't people wearing kimonos outside?"

"They don't do that unless there is a festival or are getting married," answered Naruto, "Kinonoe's are hard to wash as they have to be taken apart and sewn back together after they are clean and dry."

"Oh, well, I guess it makes sense," said Bianca, "When are you leaving."

"Around nine in the morning." answered Naruto, "I was going to ask you and Rachnera if you wanted to come with."

"Ask me about what?" said Rachnera as she came in from the hot spring.

"If you wanted to join me on one of my orders," said Naruto.

"I actually wanted to explore Tokyo a bit," answered Rachnera

"I was thinking of doing the same," said Bianca, "I wanted to learn more about Japan and what changed."

"That sounds alright," said Naruto, "The first order may take me all day, so the two of you would probably be bored while I worked."

Naruto awoke before the sun lit the sky, and the blonde demigod left without waking Bianca or Rachnera. He grabbed his suitcase full of various supplies to get his work done and went to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast, consisting of some jam on some toast. His first stop was to the shine of Hachiman, a deity of war and archery, to make him a metal-infused kimono that was comfortable and functional on the battlefield. The order becomes complicated when Hachiman requested the metal reinforcements be make out of Imperial Silver, a supernatural metal only found in Japan and remotes areas in China. Since Naruto couldn't have access to Imperial Silver in the States, he had to wait until he was in Japan to get an essential component to this particular order. It was a pain, but the Shinto deities were willing to pay a lot for his services, so Naruto was willing to compromise.

The meeting place was set at a shrine in Koto, Tokyo. Naruto looked at the subway station to see when the next train was; he was in luck as the train heading towards Koto was boarding soon and didn't seem too crowded. Since the train was too crowded, Naruto managed to get a seat to himself and inspect the people around him. A few nymphs talked to one another while the bigger-bodied monsters were sitting in the back where there was more space. He would have loved to have Bianca and Rachnera accompanying him, but his work can be boring at times, so the two of them having a day to themselves weren't so bad.

The train ride went smoothly, giving Naruto plenty of time to design and plan Hachiman's order. The blonde tailor was one of the first ones off and only had to walk a few feet before one of Hachiman's troops to spot him. The soldier was tense but polite as he guided Naruto through the crown and onto the rickshaw that would take him to the shrine to meet Hachiman.

While Naruto was off doing work, Bianca and Rachnera woke up around nine a.m. and decided to go exploring and have breakfast at a nearby café. The café looked alright, smelling brewed coffee and baked goods, and was large enough to accommodate Rachnera's spider body. They grabbed a booth near a large window and waited for a server to notice them. The two looked at the menu and went for a simple stack of flapjacks and some coffee or juice in Rachnera's case. Their server was a cat boy wearing a pressed shirt and a pair of slacks with polished leather shoes on his feet; he wrote their orders down and went to get their drinks. As the two sipped their drinks, they looked around and saw how different Japan was from the States. The monsters and humans were more accepting of others, and Bianca even saw a few mixed couples among the crowd. Seeing all of this was new to Hades's daughter as same-race couples were the norm for her. The meal was relatively silent, with the occasional comment thrown in about what was going on. The two paid for their meal and discussed what they should do next.

"I heard that Shinjuku was a good place for tourists to go to," said Rachnera as the two made their way to the subway.

"That sounds fine," replied Bianca, "hopefully, the subway isn't too crowded."

Naruto's ride to Hachiman Shrine in Koto ended. The blonde was guided further into the shrine to meet the deity. The deity of honorable war and archery was an eight-foot-tall male with his black hair done in a neat top knot with an ornate metal clasp holding the hair together. He was wearing a dull orange kimono with a black border; etched on the sleeves' border were scenes of war done in white stitching. Not a hair was out of place on the god's face as he looked over a map of Japan, marking where possible weak points are. Leaning in the wall's side was a six-ring khakkhara made of pewter with a dark oak handle.

"Sir, The Weaver, is here." said the soldier

"Good," replied Hachiman, "you may leave and return to your post."

"I went over the design you sent me, and I planned accordingly," said Naruto as he procured the materials from his bag, a gift from Hermes to make his job more manageable.

"Good, I have the last piece of material you'll need for my kimono," said Hachiman as he turned to face Naruto, "it is lying in the corner. I trust you will not betray my trust?"

"Of course not, the material will only be used in your order and your order only," said Naruto as he bowed to the god.

Naruto stiffened his loom and incorporated the silk, wool, and metal into a cohesive pattern. The blonde manipulated the threads to produce a war-like scene in the fabric that matched Hachiman's domain of war. Once Naruto made enough cloth, he began cutting to make the kimono's sleeves and body, cutting out seven pieces in total, including the obi that secures the kimono close. He continued by taking out a bobbin of silk with a thin sewing needle, easily threading the needle. Naruto begins the process of making secure stitching that can withstand battle and the test of time. This process took a few hours as the kimono was large, and Naruto wanted to make a good impression with the Japanese pantheon.

"Weaver, tell me, how are the affairs in the Greek Pantheon?" asked Hachiman as he continued his brush strokes.

"Not well as a traitor had risen and is recruiting others to his cause." answered Naruto as he worked, "He is planning to resurrect an old enemy, then overthrow his family's stronghold for past mistakes."

"That is indeed grave news." said Hachiman, "do you have a plan to overcome this obstacle?"

"We have several in planning, but they are still in their infancy as we lack war experience. I offered one plan, but it was deemed impossible and idiotic."

"What was the plan?" asked Hachiman

"My idea was to ask other pantheons for assistance in the upcoming war," said Naruto

"Sounds risky, but could bear the best fruit," said Hachiman

"It was shot down straight away," said Naruto, "I suspect it is due to Greek pride and our isolation to the other pantheons."

"I can understand as we were too isolated from the rest of the world. For years, we kept to ourselves, ignoring the outside world until our emperor decided to reopen our border. We were surprised by the world's advancement in both culture and warfare. I see the merits of this plan, but some want to keep the war to themselves."

"I understand wanting to keep this contained, but from what I was told, we had some difficulty the first time so that the second time could be even worse," said Naruto as he sewed,

"I thought asking for allies wasn't unreasonable as I feel the Crooked One won't stop at Olympus. He is power-hungry and will seek to conquer other lands and destroy their pantheons." continued Naruto

"Your suspicion sounds reasonable. Should I warn the others and prepare for the worst if the Greeks fail?" asked Hachiman.

"I believe that would be a wise move." said Naruto, "we are but children against an ancient force; a few back-up plans would be good."

The train going to Shinjuku, but the two women managed to get a seat together. Bianca and Rachnera were excited as Shinjuku was known for its numerous museums and active night-life. Seeing that there was still light out, the two girls decided to explore the museums to learn about Japan's culture and history.

After a few minutes of reading, Bianca found Japanese history interesting, if not a bit weird at times. She was familiar with Greek mythology, but when compared to Japanese myths, the Greeked seemed average. Bianca found that the myth of the Akaname, a harbinger of disease and misfortune, to be a bit gross and interesting. She read further and discovered that the Akaname was used to scare the population into proper hygiene practices and make sure their bathrooms were clean. Rachnera followed Bianca's lead by reading about her cousins, the Jorogumo or Binding Brides. Instead of having a spider's lower body, the Jorogumo's abdomen is hollow; this is where the female would store their legs. They have other spider-like abilities, such as a venomous bite and spinning thread. Rachnera wanted to meet one and talk about the differences in their cultures and the struggles they have to face daily. They saw other monsters in the museum looking at the exhibits and reading the plaques on Japanese mythology.

The two exited the museum when a demi-human collided with Bianca. The monster knocked the girl to the floor with itself in tow. Rachnera hurried to Bianca's side to see if she was okay. At the same time, Rachnera wanted to see what kind of monster collided with Bianca. It turns out the monster in question was a harpy with blue feathers and light blue hair with a single strand in her girl's face. The harpy's clothing didn't leave much to the imagination as she was clothed in a pair of low-cut jean shorts and a black tube-top.

"Owie. That hurt," said the harpy as she rubbed her head.

"Hey, are any of you hurt?" asked Rachnera

"I'm fine," said Bianca as she got up, "I'm sure it was an accident. Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Papi. Papi the harpy," answered Papi once she got on her feet or talons.

"Hello, Papi, I'm Bianca, and she is Rachnera," introduced Bianca, "Were you heading somewhere?"

"Yeah, Papi was looking for the blond sleeper," answered Papi

"Blonde sleeper?" said Bianca and Rachnera in a confused tone

"Yeah, my mistress wanted to tell him to look out for the big meanies," answered Papi, "They say he's breaking various bras."

"Breaking various bras?" said a confused Bianca and Rachnera

"It was nice meeting you two, but I have to go," said Papi before she began to walk away, pausing during the third step, "Hello, do you know where I am?"

'She's a serious birdbrain.' thought Bianca in Rachnera in disbelief.

Hachiman's kimono order went a few minutes faster than expected as the God of War didn't want his clothing to be too flashy. It would attract the enemy and easier to spot him in the distance. Hachiman thanked Naruto for making the garment and commanded one of his subordinates to escort the weaver back to his hotel. Naruto was happy as this was another job done but also helped strengthen the relations between the Japanese and Greek pantheon. The ride back to the Hot Springs resort went smoothly, as smoothly as you can get in moderate traffic, but Naruto didn't mind as Hachiman let him ride in a limo. Seeing that he had a few minutes, he took out his cellphone and called Bianca to see how she and Rachnera were doing.

"Hey Bianca, how did your outing go?" asked Naruto over the phone.

"We went to Shinjuku and visited the natural history museum, but we had a slight run-in with a harpy," said Bianca, "Now she won't leave until she sees with 'blonde sleeper.'

"A run-in with a harpy?" Said Naruto in a confused tone, "by any chance did this harpy have blue feathers, blue hair, and have memory loss after three steps."

"Yeah, how did you know?" asked Bianca

"I'll be right there just give me a few minutes," said Naruto as he cradled his face in his hand and hung up the phone, "I can't believe they ran into Papi on their outing."