Chapter 3

"Mistress..!" the pink haired woman protested, looking somewhat scandalized, as Naruko pulled her to her feet by one of her arms.

"Enough, I told you to quit that already, Signum!" Naruko said, waving her hand. "Besides, we're at the beach! This is a day off for everyone! So none of that stuff!" Naruko said, waving her hand. "Now, come here and help me bury Zafira in the sand while he's asleep!" she said, gesturing to the group's sole male, who had his eyes closed still.

"That's rather mean, isn't it?" the bigger blonde of the group said, frowning a little.

"Don't be silly, Shamal, it's tradition!" Naruko said, nodding her head and stroking her chin, as if she were a sage dispensing advice. Too bad she didn't have a fake beard. "Ain't it right, Vita-chan?"

"Don't ask me," the redhead replied, glaring at her.

"I'm your mistress, shouldn't you back me up unconditionally?" Naruko said, pouting, crossing her arms and glaring at her.

"You just said we didn't have to do all that stuff like a second ago!" Vita countered.

Naruko blinked. "I did, didn't I?" she asked, before shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. Just back me up on this," she said.

"…Zafira isn't even asleep, you know? He's just pretending," Signum said, deadpan.

"… He is!?" Naruko said. "Are you?" she asked, turning to Zafira.

"I am currently asleep," Zafira said, completely serious, turning to face Naruko.

"See? He's totally asleep," Naruko said, smiling widely at Signum. "…Wait. Oh… it's not as funny if he's not actually asleep. I'll go for a swim, then. Accompany me, Vita-chan?"

"Sure," Vita said, nodding her head and dropping the bucket that was on her hand, already full of sand to dump on Zafira. Then they both walked out of the shade provided by their parasol and took off towards the sea at a brisk pace.

"It's nice to see her energetic and cheerful, isn't it?" Shamal asked, turning towards Signum. "But that's our cute little mistress for you."

Signum smiled and laid back on her towel. "It's nice to relax like this…"

"It's new, but not unwelcome," Zafira said.

"I wish these kinds of days could just go on forever…" Shamal said.

"It's our duty to make sure they do," Signum said, looking in the distance at the sea, where she could see Naruko and Vita playing with several children, throwing water at them and being splashed in return. She noted that Vita steered Naruko away every time the blonde looked like she might be heading deeper into the ocean and smiled a little to herself.

***

"Ah, I'm soooo tired!" Naruko let out a long sigh as she threw herself on top of the exceedingly soft hotel bed that was in the room she shared with her servants. It should be noted that she had just leaped down from the arms of the tallest of her servants, Zafira, and had thus made quite the indent when she landed, before the mattress righted itself.

"Uhm… Mistress, there's only one bed in the room," Signum said, blinking and looking into the room. She knew something was odd when they'd taken the elevator all the way up.

"I know, right?" Naruko said, looking around at the lavishly decorated room, plus the oversized bed she now laid upon. "They had this big room all nice and vacant!"

"How did you convince Hokage-dono to pay for this room? It can't have been cheap," Vita asked, looking around and whistling. She went and opened the fridge, revealing several rather expensive bottles of sake. All complimentary.

"Apparently he knows the guy who owns the hotel, so he let us use it for free. Said something about being a really old friend or having saved his life and his family's life. Maybe both, multiple times," Naruko said, waving her hand.

"But still, wouldn't Hokage-dono take this room for himself? It seems… odd," Signum said.

"You know full well that our little mistress is irresistible when she wants something," Shamal said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Indeed," Zafira said, frowning a little. He'd carried her all the way to the room from the beach without protest, and all it'd taken was her asking him with a smile on her face. She was almost criminally persuasive when she wanted to be, and it was easily noticeable.

Naruko merely giggled. "I'm the bestest!" she said. "Anyway, you guys going to sleep or what?" she asked.

"Uhm… Mistress, like I said, there is only one bed," Signum repeated.

"Of course there is!" Naruko said, nodding. "So?"

"This is…"

"Signum! I'm tired of you refusing this, so I didn't want to give you any chance to! So today, you're all going to sleep with me!" Naruko said, standing up and crossing her arms, trying to look intimidating. It obviously didn't quite work.

Signum didn't bother protesting, she just sighed. "As you say, my mistress," she said, sounding somewhat defeated.

Naruko cheered. "Okay then! Now let's get to sleep! We have to get up early tomorrow! I wanna check every shop in the town!"

***

The scene was one she remembered well.

The four stood in each of the cardinal points around a circle, with a shining glyph providing lighting in the otherwise dark room, the book shining in ominous purple light behind them. Their heads were bowed and their eyes closed as they knelt, as if swearing fealty to a feudal lord. At the time, she'd thought they were ANBU, or ninja that had managed to sneak into her home, since they'd dressed in all black and had appeared out of nowhere.

And then they spoke, swearing to forever protect and defend her. They promised to fight in her name, to attack any and all who would mean her harm.

To be her protectors against the world.

To be her knights.

To be hers.

It was a scene she remembered well, and one she remembered fondly. It'd marked a turning point in her life, where it'd changed upside down. Suddenly she, who had nobody, had a family, who would stick by her. By her, who had to struggle to attract even a passing glance?

Was it really any wonder that she had accepted them and their words without question?

She hadn't really regretted it since.

With a smile on her sleeping face, Naruko stirred a little, her arms beginning to move before her searching hands found exactly what she had been looking for. Still asleep, Naruko forcefully pulled Vita to her side and at the same time she snuggled a little closer to the larger body behind her.

Her smile widened a bit and Naruko returned to sleeping peacefully, having dreams of a pretty woman with beautiful eyes smiling at her and patting her head.

***

"We have spent more money in a week than we otherwise would in a month," Signum said, then turned to look at the Hokage, who seemed somewhat surprised at the figures. "My deepest apologies," she said, shaking her head, "I should have—"

Sarutobi waved his hand. "This entire trip has spent less than what I make in a month, so it's well under expected costs," Sarutobi said, waving his hand, "we got really lucky."

Signum nodded in thanks for the dismissal, knowing full well that the man could have been very angry about the fact that Naruko had been almost entirely unrestrained in her spending. It was her duty as her guardian to restrain her when she went overboard. However, she also knew that this wasn't the reason she'd been called to the Hokage's side.

The beach was abuzz with activity, and she could see Shamal playing referee for a game of volleyball as a group of six boys tried to outperform Zafira and Vita, who seemed to be having a great time in showing them that no, those muscles on Zafira weren't meaningless and that just because she was shorter than them didn't mean Vita couldn't outperform all of them. Several of the boys and girls, including Naruko, were cheering Zafira and Vita on, along with the females that had accompanied the boys.

Signum absent mindedly wondered if the boys had tried to get Shamal to accompany them. It wasn't unlikely, and it wouldn't be the first time it happened in that week. It'd happened to Signum no less than four times, Shamal was on her ninth time being asked out and Zafira had been propositioned six times himself. Of course, the unlucky gals and guys that asked them out couldn't know that their hopes would be in vain. After all, none of them would ever look at any other than their master, would never leave their master's side just to satisfy their carnal desires.

Much less so considering how much trouble their cute little mistress was likely to get into if left alone. "Have you considered my proposal?"

"We have talked about it," Signum said, evenly, closing her eyes.

"Her parents's money won't last forever," Sarutobi said, "and the stipend was discontinued since your situation was legalized."

"I understand, but I am reluctant to leave her side nonetheless," Signum said.

"Shouldn't be too difficult… All of you easily qualify for jounin rank. In terms of ability as well as mentality. Shamal-san would most likely be welcome in the hospital, as well. Your duties needn't take you from Konoha. So long as you are willing to take a genin team…"

"I could never do that," Signum said, "it'd feel as if I am betraying her. We've already taken her dream from her… to flaunt it in her face would be just plain cruel."

"Do you think she'd feel like that? It doesn't sound very much like Naruko to me. She'd be happy for you," Sarutobi said.

"I know she would, but it doesn't change how I would feel," Signum said, finally. "We haven't reached a decision yet, but we are leaning towards a negative."

"How about my second proposal, then?" Sarutobi said.

"It did pique our interest quite a bit more," Signum admitted. "Our first allegiance will always and forever be to our Mistress…" Signum stated.

"Asking you to swear loyalty to Konoha would be a tad too much," Sarutobi admitted. "You're not opposed to mercenary work, though?"

"We will do anything and everything in our capacity to ensure our Mistress's continued health, good cheer and security, be it physical, psychological or financial."

"Anything?" Sarutobi asked. "It's quite surprising. That's a wide statement."

"If it would please our mistress," Signum said.

"Of course…" Sarutobi said, smiling, knowing full well that Signum's loyalty was supreme and undeniable. "Naruko is a very lucky girl."

"It was time her luck turned," Signum replied, simply. "She is our dear mistress, and she did not deserve to be alone."

Sarutobi chuckled. "Truth, I say," he said. "Could I interest you in a saucer, perhaps?" he asked, gesturing to his right, where a bottle of sake rested.

"I do not drink while on duty," Signum said, matter of factly.

There wouldn't really be a way to change that response, Sarutobi realized. No matter how much he were to insist that they were there to simply rest and relax. He himself was guilty of even now using his 'free time' to reflect back on the path the year had taken to try and predict where it would go from now, where he would lead Konoha. Sarutobi nodded and drank without much ado.

Signum stood up. "It seems Naruko-sama has decided that I've had enough of a break. I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, but—"

"Not at all," Sarutobi said, waving his hand. "I'll be watching and cheering you on from here."

Unsaid was the fact that his eyes'd be glued to her breasts or butt, depending on which faced him at the time. But then again, he didn't need to say it. She knew.

It was sad that tomorrow they'd be returning to Konoha, because he would so miss seeing girls in bikinis.