Return of the Golden Protector

Chapter 42: Pigs for Slaughter

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! MIMIC IS MISSING!"

This shout woke everyone up, Naruto, Basara, and Jack actually jumping out of their beds and rushing to where Irina was, which was in Xenovia's room, frantically looking for Mimic.

Zest was at work at this point.

"What happened?" Naruto asked as he looked at Xenovia.

"I don't know, but apparently, her sword is missing." Xenovia explained as she moved to her friend and touched her arm.

"I went to bed with it on my arm, but when I woke up to go to the restroom, it was gone." Irina stated as she tried to keep calm, but wasn't able to. "I failed my mission to protect Mimic... Lord Michael is going..."

Basara hugged Irina, making her gasp at his actions.

She felt a soothing calmness rush through her body, no one noticing a very faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Irina, Lord Michael will understand." Basara said as he rubbed her back.

Irina's eyes partially closed as she hugged him back and nodded into his shoulder.

Xenovia saw this.

She did NOT like this interaction between her friend and Basara.

Naruto was silent.

'This has to be a misplacement.' Naruto thought. 'Zest and I would have sensed someone entering the house.'

"Sen... Mr. Uzumaki..." Jack said as she stepped up to the window. "I think I have an idea on what the person was, the one who broke in."

"What do you think, Jack?" Naruto asked, curious to see what Jack would deduce.

"Look right here." Jack said, having activated her Byakugan under her eyepatch, which Naruto felt, and checked with his own. "You can see it too, can't you?"

Naruto nodded.

He did see it.

He saw imprints of faint magic, so faint he would have never noticed it.

"Okay, what does this mean?" Naruto asked.

Jack didn't answer as she activated her concealment magic, vanishing from every power sensing person nearby.

Even Naruto.

She touched the window with her hand, and left the same type of faint magic print.

"The person we are looking for is a reaper, like me." Jack stated as she undid her concealment. "It was only one of my kind who could slip by."

"Interesting, but why would a reaper want to steal Mimic?" Irina asked, having separated from Basara and looked at Jack.

Naruto stepped out of the room.

"I'll go investigate." Naruto stated before he dressed. 'I will figure out why a reaper would steal a holy sword. The reaper race doesn't interfere with the church, so why now?'

As he was about to leave, Sona walked into him as he left his room, wearing his Sage cloak and his normal clothes.

"Naruto... I mean..." Sona stuttered as she tried to figure out what to call him.

Naruto smiled softly and put his hand up, stopping Sona's mental trouble.

"Please, you are family, so Naruto is just fine." Naruto stated. "So, did you need something, Sona?"

"Well, you mentioned training..." Sona stated.

"Yes, I did, but right now, I have to post pone it." Naruto said sadly. "I promise, as your brother-in-law, that I will make you and your peerage strong."